《Munitions Empire》


 Chapter 1: 1. All fears stem from insufficient firepower

    "Mr. Tang Mo, the Baron is still napping," the servant whispered as he felt the coins in the cloth pocket in his pocket. He smiled and spoke softly to Tang Mo who had already been waiting there for thirty minutes.


    Since he had taken the man''s bribe, he felt obliged to think more on behalf of him, so with a smile, he added to the somewhat embarrassed man, "He was very busy this morning, so he needs a long rest."


    "It''s okay," Tang Mo said with an awkward smile. Being a businessman, seeking an audience with the Baron was not an easy task. He had already made two appointments before and had barely made it to today when he was finally granted permission, earning him the right to sit there and wait.


    He had just seen the "Romantic Rose" four-wheeled carriage in the courtyard, so of course, he knew what Baron Stela had been busy with that morning.


    Probably tussling with a little harlot who cost two Gold Coins for a night until dawn, at this time, no one would bother putting on trousers to deal with a businessman who had come from afar.


    Businessman, huh! Lowly businessman. Tang Mo inwardly mocked himself, stood up to send off the servant who took money to ward off disaster, and then slumped back into the chair in the parlor after the latter had left.


    He had spent 25 Silver Coins and 75 Copper Coins just for the privilege of sitting here and drinking cold water and was certainly not inclined to leave easily. He did not want that money to go to waste.


    So after sitting down, he just quietly stared at his old leather boots that were so worn out the edges were about to split, lost in thought.


    Even though he had adapted to this world and accepted the fact that he had suddenly traveled here, he still wasn''t quite used to it, not quite used to this dreamlike life.


    No wifi, no internet, no electric lights, no phones. No taxis, no airplanes, the entire world suddenly had no convenience to speak of.


    Back then, they said being able to make a living in the 21st century was impressive, and they wouldn''t trade it for an Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, which turned out to be true... since the Emperors of the Tang Dynasty had never even eaten fried potato chips.


    This world didn''t even have flies on trousers... Tang Mo looked at his own trousers and once again fell into endless criticism.


    The current world is at the very beginning of the industrial civilization, an era where even steam engines are unheard of by most! Gas lamps are just beginning to be popular along the streets of large cities, and four-wheeled carriages are still the most important means of transportation.


    Wars rely on flintlock guns and muzzle-loading cannons. Soldiers depend on courage as they form neat lines and march to the beat of the drum, launching fierce charges against the enemy...


    The Nobility, ranked in the order of duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron, oppress knights, freemen, and slaves alike. Kingdoms are scattered across the world like a jigsaw puzzle¡ªall very different from the era Tang Mo was familiar with.


    Tang Mo, having traveled to this place, had become the owner of a weapons manufacturing workshop. His reason for sitting here was to pitch his new weapon.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the servant returned once more. This time he didn''t enter the room but stood at the door and delivered the news that excited Tang Mo: "The Baron has woken up, and he wants to see you."


    "Thank you, thank you!" Tang Mo, who was almost dozing off, immediately stood up, straightened his clothes, and followed the servant out.


    Passing through the corridor and past two sets of armor with a sense of age, Tang Mo followed the servant to the courtyard. On the stone-paved path lined with manicured lawns, Baron Stela, dressed in hunting attire, was conversing with two Guards. They occasionally burst into laughter and only stopped when Tang Mo approached.


    "Baron," Tang Mo said, bowing his head as a greeting, his attention drawn by the hound the Baron was holding.


    It was a slender hunting dog, which began to bare its teeth at the sight of Tang Mo, showing strong aggression and seemingly starved for a day.


    The guard proceeded as usual, pulling out the flintlock gun from his waist, swiftly packing the gunpowder, inserting the bullet, and cocking the flintlock mechanism, then handed the weapon to the baron.


    "I''ll give you a chance to demonstrate. If you mess around, I''ll kill you. If you do not satisfy me, pay up and get lost!" the baron said, taking the pistol and pointing it at Tang Mo, clearly in a good mood, which suggested he often played this game.


    "This is my latest designed Tang''s K1-type Quick Gun!" Tang Mo quickly opened the box that the servant was holding, and took out the long gun he had meticulously prepared.


    In Tang Mo''s era, before he was transported to this world, this weapon had a renowned name: the Dreyse Needle Gun! It was the mighty weapon that made flintlock guns obsolete, defining the basic form of rifles for the next hundred years!


    So, Tang Mo was very confident in this weapon. It was just that he had little faith in the numbskull of a baron before him.


    But he didn''t have many good alternatives. These days, the higher the status of the person you wanted to meet, the more difficult it was to get an audience, not to mention the wasted time and travel. Tang Mo really didn''t have much money left for bribes or to prepare visiting gifts.


    Calmly, he picked up the rifle, inserted the cartridge wrapped in paper into the chamber, turned it, and pushed the bolt forward, closing it swiftly and with practiced ease.


    He then shouldered the rifle, aimed at a distant thicket, and pulled the trigger, sending a sharp report echoing through the skies above the estate. A flock of birds startled from the trees, their wings fluttering as they flew into the distance.


    In the midst of the onlookers'' stunned silence, Tang Mo opened the bolt again, ejecting the partially burnt paper cartridge, and blew into the barrel.


    There was no helping it, smokeless gunpowder had not been invented yet, so cleaning the barrel after every shot was a cumbersome task.


    However, compared to the flintlock gun, Tang Mo''s needle gun already represented a significant improvement.


    In almost half the time it took to prepare a flintlock gun for firing, Tang Mo had reloaded another paper cartridge, pushed the bolt in place once more, and was ready to shoot again.


    "Bang!" Another shot rang out into the open sky. Tang Mo waved his hand, dispersing the residual gunpowder smoke hovering around them for Baron Stela, and waited quietly for him to speak.


    "The box is nice." Baron Stela lowered the pistol that had been pointed at Tang Mo and fired it into the sky, discharging a third shot.


    As the sound of the gun dissipated and the barking dogs echoed around them, the baron handed his firearm to his guard and casually said to the servant carrying the wooden box, "When you leave, just give him the gold coin."


    "My lord!" Tang Mo, not ready to give up, tried to speak again, but Baron Stela silenced him with a gesture.


    The baron walked over to the box containing the needle gun, examined it thoroughly, and then continued, "The bullet I just fired won''t be charged to you separately. This box is nice, it''ll be perfect for holding my fishing gear."


    "It''s getting late; I must attend Viscount Hel''s dinner." Looking back, he dismissed Tang Mo, "You may leave now."


    That marked the end of the audience. The servant handed the box to another guard, then walked over to Tang Mo, gesturing for him to leave.


    Tang Mo forced a smile, bowed slightly, and with his new-style Quick Gun in his arms, he took two steps backward, following the servant towards the estate''s main gate.


    He knew he had failed this time. Who could have imagined... that he would actually encounter a fool with poor judgement?

 Chapter 2: The speaker is unintentional, but the listener takes it to heart.

    ```


    "My lord, that Quick Gun the fellow took... indeed seems valuable..." After Tang Mo left, a guard who had just witnessed Tang Mo''s demonstration spoke up beside Baron Stela.


    The other guard standing on the opposite side, who looked more ordinary, didn''t say a word but stood there as if deep in thought.


    "It is indeed nice, just the firing speed makes it very appealing," Baron Stela casually replied while loading his flintlock hunting gun, responding to the guard''s comment as if making small talk.


    These guards offered him loyalty, so he had to show them some deference at certain moments. It was a means of controlling subordinates, a survival skill that every member of the nobility would study carefully.


    "Then why..." The guard didn''t understand; if his master recognized the merits of the item, why did he so easily let it go?


    In his view, possessing stronger weapons seemed to be extremely crucial in these turbulent times. After all, having some advantage when facing the enemy was always a comforting thought.


    The other guard just touched his nose and maintained an attitude of being above the fray.


    "The Kingdom has four Shireck Flintlock Gun workshops, which each year produce nearly 2000 new guns and repair another 800 old ones. Do you realize how much profit there is in this, and the interests involved?" The Baron, having finished loading, searched for his prey at the edge of the forest.


    Without looking back, he continued to speak, "From the top to the bottom, I still get 150 Gold Coins! That''s no small amount."


    Shireck is the name of a consortium; the Shireck Consortium''s name truly reverberates like thunder across the continent.


    This consortium monopolized weapon production in dozens of countries, setting up workshops to produce firearms, artillery, and various ammunition and equipment within these nations.


    Through various means, Shireck established intricately intertwined influences in these countries, controlling the bulk of the military weapon acquisition, raking in substantial profits, and even influencing the decisions of these countries to some extent.


    "A few months ago, Viscount Hel just invested in shares and contributed to building a new Shireck Flintlock Gun workshop... Once that workshop is completed, it will be able to produce over 300 new flintlock guns a year!" He muttered to himself as if speaking to nobody in particular, "How could it go down the drain?"


    "How many of these flintlock guns does the Kingdom have in reserve, and how many soldiers are undergoing shooting training with flintlock guns? Do you know how much money would be wasted if all this mess were to be scrapped and started over?" Baron Stela raised his gun and aimed at a distant hare, still asking questions without turning around.


    "If I were to stir this hornet''s nest, who would be pleased?" He pulled the trigger, and after a gunshot, he let the rifle emit a puff of white smoke from the muzzle and flintlock mechanism by his side.


    "No one would thank me! No one! It would only bring a world of trouble..." He handed his hunting gun to the guard who wanted to speak up and, watching the hunting dogs chase after the prey in the distance, he said coldly.


    What''s the point of meddling in affairs when you can lie back and make money? That''s the choice a noble should make, isn''t it? Baron Stela cracked a smile as if everything went according to his calculations.


    Tang Mo tossed his rifle into the carriage, then closed the door, and climbed onto the co-driver''s seat at the front of the coach.


    The coachman, who had been waiting for him, raised his hands slightly before abruptly whipping downward, making a snapping sound with the reins.


    The two horses, which seemed in fairly good condition, began pulling the carriage forward as Tang Mo felt the warm wind rush towards him.


    "Hey! Reiner..." Not long after Tang Mo''s carriage departed, in the manor of the Baron, a Baron''s personal guard armed with a flintlock gun walked into the servants'' resting room, toying with a silver coin in his hand.


    As he entered, he greeted everyone, and several servants and maids resting in the room nodded their acknowledgements to him. This man was indeed the same silent guard who had stood beside Baron Stela earlier.


    "Hey! Wes!" It was the shift change time, and a servant who had just come to rest greeted him, then bent his head down again to continue polishing his boots.


    The room bore no decorations, only a few worn chairs and a battered table covered in scratches.


    The guard named Wes pulled over a chair and sat down next to him, crossing his legs as he inquired with a smile, "Who was that demonstrating the new gun just now?"


    He had remained silent during the Baron''s enthusiastic talk earlier and afterward, excusing himself to take care of a sick elder at home, he had asked to leave. After obtaining the Baron''s permission, he didn''t leave immediately but came here instead.


    "Him? A businessman from Brunas Province." The boot-polishing servant answered without lifting his head, "A country bumpkin, probably hasn''t seen much of the world."


    A freckled-faced maid bowed slightly and approached the two men; it was time for her to start her shift and take over from someone else.


    "Brunas? Isn''t that by the sea?" Wes made room for the maid to pass between them and then continued to chat aimlessly, without any particular direction to the conversation.


    "Yeah, yesterday they sent over two fish from there... stinking to high heaven. Hahaha." Reiner, the servant, burst into laughter as he spoke.


    "Hahahaha!" Wes joined in the laughter, as if he could imagine the smell of the fish after being transported here, "What about that bumpkin, what''s his name?"


    "Tang Mo, and he gave me this." Reiner set down the boot he had been polishing halfway, took a small piece of paper from his pocket with the hand that had been propping up the boot, and handed it to the guard.


    Serving as a servant for the Baron naturally required a certain level of perceptiveness. The servant had figured out the guard''s purpose for coming here, which was likely related to the young man named Tang Mo.


    So he decided to extend a courtesy; after all, everyone worked under the Baron, and building a good rapport was always beneficial.


    Wes frowned slightly, but still accepted the paper, reading the bold words on it: "Tang''s Weapon Workshop."


    In those times, the scale of production facilities was strictly denoted by certain terms; those with under a hundred people could only be called small workshops, those with more than a hundred could be called workshops, and those with over a thousand, large workshops, were referred to as factories.


    Wes turned the paper over and saw a rather detailed address on the back, along with a name in somewhat larger font¡ªTang Mo.


    "No problem taking this, right?" Wes pressed the silver coin in his hand onto the table and asked, as a matter of form.


    "Of course! No problem." Reiner shrugged his shoulders, indicating the paper was of no real significance, "To see such a shabby paper used for a calling card, that''s a first for me."


    "Yeah, an interesting person," Wes said as he stood up, tucking Tang Mo''s name card into his pocket and walking towards the door.


    "Thanks!" Pocketing the silver coin, the servant looked towards the guard who had reached the door and spoke."


    Wes, with one foot already outside, seemed preoccupied with his thoughts and, without turning his head, waved a hand, "You''re welcome."

 Chapter 3: 3 secret weapons

    Brunas was a small seaside town, with a dock where many fishermen from the vicinity would come to exchange their daily catch for cash. Thus, the town bustled with activity most of the time, appearing quite prosperous.


    Tang Mo''s weapons workshop was situated on the edge of this small town, producing a variety of products by relying on coal dug from the nearby mountains and iron that was purchased.


    The best-selling items had always been longswords, as most of the mercenaries as well as the City Defense Forces within the kingdom still used cold weapons, and longswords were their weapon of choice.


    Next were not military products, but rather items such as hoes, farm tools, iron pots, and kitchen knives. These items might seem to have little profit, but they were another significant source of income for the weapons workshop.


    That was the reality, a fact Tang Mo was reluctant to admit but had to face¡ªrather than calling his place an armory, it would be more accurate to say it was a blacksmith shop!


    Originally, such a blacksmith shop could just about maintain itself, continuing to survive in calm and stability. However, recently, relations between the Leite Kingdom and the Suthers Kingdom on the northern border had grown tense, causing steel prices to soar.


    The clouds of war cast a shadow over the land, people became anxious, orders began to decrease, and the public started to watch the situation cautiously¡ªall of which led to Tang Mo''s weapon store experiencing growing difficulties.


    After enduring another sleepless night and dragging his tired body back to his own territory, Tang Mo was too exhausted to want to speak anymore.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to spend a night in the city and come back the next day; it was just that he simply couldn''t afford the cost of accommodation. So, he and Roger had traveled throughout the night, arriving back at the workshop by dawn.


    "Ha..." Yawning widely, Tang Mo slumped into his chair. The ledger on the table was still open to the page it was on when he left.


    In one corner of the desk lay a lonely ink bottle and a somewhat old dip pen, and in another corner, a gas lamp.


    This device, when used inside a room, required opening the windows. It was dangerous but cheap. At least until Tang Mo could invent a tungsten filament lamp, this thing was irreplaceable.


    He was not like those nobles who could afford to use precious candles. Maybe he could afford them in the future, but for now, he belonged to the category of the pathetically poor.


    This office was actually Tang Mo''s bedroom as well, containing a single bed and a large closet full of clutter.


    When the workshop couldn''t pay out salaries and was facing bankruptcy, Tang Mo had to choose between selling the workshop and selling his home, and he chose the latter. He kept the workshop and sold the beautiful house that once housed a happy family of three.


    Things had deteriorated to an extreme point before his arrival, with the workshop having little working capital. Fortunately, he had arrived!


    "It''s not my style to sit around and wait for death, Roger! We should try again; is there any way we can get an audience with the King if we go to the King City?"


    "That''s impossible; why would the King meet with a commoner for no reason at all?" Roger said, shaking his head at Tang Mo as he massaged his somewhat stiff legs.


    Tang Mo was stunned, then looked at the new rifled gun he had propped against the corner of the wall, and with a hint of surprise in his voice, retorted, "Isn''t this a reason?"


    "People from Shireck won''t let us see the King. I can say with responsibility that once our technology becomes known to them, they will not hesitate to immediately copy it, then easily crush us with pricing," Roger continued shaking his head.


    "Alright! You haven''t slept all night; go rest first," Tang Mo sent old Roger out of his room, then twisted his neck a couple of times and waved at a young apprentice peeking around not far off, "Did you finish the things I arranged before I left?"


    Of course, because they had also repaired muskets before, there was some woodworking equipment and machinery along with the corresponding operators, plus several women cooking for these workers and apprentices; indeed, it counted as quite a few people.


    Apart from the apprentices, everyone depended on Tang Mo for their livelihood, and of course, these people had skills. Many were craftsmen who could hold their own, which was the main reason Tang Mo decided to keep working with them.


    What''s the most expensive thing these days? Talent, of course! After more than ten days of contact and work, Tang Mo felt these workers truly were top talent!


    It was relying on these skilled workers that Tang Mo was able to complete the design and manufacture of that needle-gun, and dare to challenge Shireck, the arms behemoth that stood before him!


    After passing through the manufacturing workshop and coming to the fiery furnace of the smelting workshop, Tang Mo met the man who had come from afar, dusty from his journey.


    Among them, Tang Mo recognized one at a glance; he was the guard who had been by Baron Stela''s side when he test-fired the gun.


    "Sir!" Upon recognizing the other party, Tang Mo stretched out his hand and shook hands with him in a symbolic gesture: "Welcome to Tang''s Weapons Shop."


    "My name is Wes! We''ve met before at Baron Stela''s place." Wes introduced himself: "I followed you all the way here, not expecting that you would hurry back overnight."


    Tang Mo signaled for the onlooking workers to continue their tasks, then turned with a smile to ask Wes, "So, what is it that you''ve chased all this way to do?"


    "I''m here to buy weapons." hearing Tang Mo''s question, Wes immediately responded: "I''m interested in that..."


    "K1 Quick Gun." Tang Mo reminded.


    "I''m interested in the K1 Quick Gun," Wes took off his gloves: "Or rather, one of my old patrons... would certainly be interested in the K1 Quick Gun."


    Tang Mo nodded slightly: "That''s good news for us. Can we talk about this old patron of yours? I need to know who to collect the final payment from, don''t I?"


    "Hahaha!" Wes laughed loudly, then nodded: "I used to work for Earl Ronin Fisallo, and later I was employed by Baron Stela... But I prefer Earl Fisallo a bit more than that profligate."


    He paused for a moment and continued: "As you know, relations between our kingdom and Suthers Kingdom have been increasingly tense... Situated at the northern border, Earl Fisallo''s territory has become perilously unsafe. The pressure of war compels him to be prepared, but the Lord Earl, who loves his people like his own children, does not wish to conscript civilians to die."


    "Regrettably, relying solely on well-trained regular troops, the Lord Earl has to face the dilemma of insufficient manpower. Therefore, he urgently needs some means to resolve the current difficulties." Wes spoke: "I believe that the K1 Quick Gun in your hand might be the answer."


    "Then you''ve indeed come to the right person!" Tang Mo snapped his fingers and pointed at himself: "Believe me, the rate of fire for the K1 Quick Gun is three times that of the Shireck Flintlock Gun! Those invading Earl''s territory will experience what''s called a steel storm head-on!"


    "I have no doubts about that, which is why I quit my job to find you... I hope you can accompany me to the Northern Ridge. Take your new weapon! The Earl''s bounty is not low, 500 Gold Coins... I take thirty percent." After saying this, Wes looked at Tang Mo, waiting for his decision.


    "Twenty percent." Tang Mo thought for about ten seconds and finally could not resist the great temptation, ready to take a risk.


    ----------


    New book, please collect and vote for recommendations!

 Chapter 4: 4 Who isnt a smart person?

    "Deal!" Wes thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement to Tang Mo''s bargaining, "However... on the way there, if we encounter bandits or any other trouble, I can''t guarantee your safety."


    "I am an adult now." Tang Mo wasn''t counting on the other party to protect him at critical moments; the two of them had not yet established sufficient trust.


    In fact, Tang Mo was more concerned that this seemingly strong man might get the idea to kill and rob him along the way, so he continued speaking while looking at the man, "I will bring my own people."


    "Actually, I came here with two purposes," Wes noncommittally said, "The first purpose is to facilitate cooperation between Lord Earl and you."


    "The other purpose..." he drew out his voice, looking at Tang Mo, "I am also quite interested in you. How about it? Do you need a mercenary with a bit of skill to serve you?"


    "Aren''t you one of Count Fisheo''s men?" Tang Mo didn''t take the bait but slightly raised his eyebrows, looking into the other man''s eyes as he asked in response.


    "No, no, no! I am a free man, sir." Wes made an innocent gesture, "Count Fisheo gives me gold coins, and naturally, I do things for Count Fisheo. After seeing you, I think you''re a person with potential, and if you''re willing to give me gold coins, I am even more willing to offer you my loyalty."


    "Your loyalty sure is cheap," Tang Mo sneered and commented.


    "Maybe," Wes tilted his head unconcernedly, "but as long as I take the money, I can assure you of my loyalty."


    "We''ll see. If Count Fisheo truly intends to purchase my weapons, then I think giving you a reward is only right." Tang Mo was non-committal, neither agreeing nor rejecting Wes''s offer to join.


    "It doesn''t matter, Lord Tang Mo," Wes bowed slightly, then turned and walked out, "I''m going to feed my horse... It''s been running all night, my poor little horse..."


    In the evening, having slept for just over three hours, Tang Mo knocked on Roger''s door. The man who a bit resembled an uncle to Tang Mo was just getting up from bed at this time.


    "Northern Ridge?" Roger looked somewhat surprised as he met Tang Mo''s gaze, starting to warn Tang Mo to be careful, "The northern part of the kingdom is vast and sparsely populated, and the roads there are not easy."


    "I''ve looked at the map. There are iron, coal, and copper mines, along with various other minerals, most of the materials we bought are transported from there... If we can cooperate with Count Fisheo, all difficulties will be easily overcome." Tang Mo caressed the Left-Wheel Handgun at his waist, full of confidence in his new weapon.


    "Then, old man, I will accompany you on this trip!" Roger pondered for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak, "When do we leave?"


    "We leave tonight," Tang Mo touched the Left-Wheel Handgun at his waist, saying to Roger, "We need to hurry, otherwise the workers will all be starving."


    "Let''s go then!" Old Roger went looking for his clothes without further ado. Knowing he had to prepare the carriage, Tang Mo went to the stables to find Wes.


    The composition of the three-man squad wasn''t complex: Wes acted as the coachman, responsible for driving the carriage. Meanwhile, Tang Mo and Roger were inside the carriage, conserving their energy.


    As the saying goes, distance is deceptive when gazing at mountains; what seemed close took half an hour to approach.


    On the rugged mountain trail, a burly man suddenly rose, nocked an arrow to his bow, and aimed at the man driving the carriage.


    Wes, at the reins, felt an eerie cold touch him out of the blue. His seasoned sixth sense, honed by years of living on the edge, kicked in, and he reined in the horses subconsciously.


    "Clang!" A strong arrow thudded into the side of the carriage, its feathered tail still trembling unstoppably.


    Shooting at a moving target like the carriage was a hit-or-miss affair reliant on luck since these days there weren''t many Robin Hoods who practiced archery to the extent of hitting a target a hundred paces away.


    The bandits used bows and arrows mainly because they could not acquire firearms, and even if they did, in the deep woods away from civilization, they wouldn''t be able to produce bullets or have the parts for maintenance, making the maintenance-friendly bow and arrow the preferred choice.


    However, due to humidity and poor storage, these bows and arrows often lacked accuracy. Hitting a target as large as a carriage was about the best they could manage.


    Wes was forced to stop the carriage because a large fallen tree blocked the road ahead. Such obstructions in the forest were easy to produce¡ªsimply sawing down a roadside tree would do the trick.


    As he dismounted from the carriage, he cautioned Tang Mo and old Roger inside, "Bandits! Don''t come out; it''s too dark to see how many there are."


    "Swoosh!" Another arrow whistled through the air, embedding itself in the carriage door. Tang Mo, inside the carriage, found an appropriate angle to peer through the somewhat murky glass and survey the surroundings, "Can''t see the target, but there are at least two people."


    The first arrow came from the front at an angle, and the second came directly from the left¡ªthe positions were too far apart, so it couldn''t be just one person attacking in succession.


    They could only rely on the gas lamps'' light to see about ten meters away, while their adversaries hid in the darkness, well-concealed.


    But Tang Mo knew that turning off the lights would actually put them at a greater disadvantage. The enemy, accustomed to this terrain and with more experience in night combat, would have the upper hand; he and old Roger were less accustomed.


    So he said to old Roger behind him, "Take out the gun for the Earl too, load it with ammunition... keep an eye on Wes..."


    He still didn''t trust Wes, so his first instinct was to have Roger prepare for battle while also keeping an eye on this newcomer who was closer to them.


    After taking the Quick Gun K1 from old Roger, positioned at a handy spot, Tang Mo carefully unlocked the carriage door and cautiously pushed it open.


    Operating the over one-meter-long Quick Gun K1 was no easy feat inside the carriage compartment. Tang Mo couldn''t open the door wide lest Roger lose the protection of the carriage door, nor could he manage everything inside.


    Thus, he could only protrude the rifle barrel through the door''s gap, ready to shoulder and aim. In fact, in such circumstances, it would seem more logical to draw his handgun, but that was his secret weapon, which he did not intend to reveal to Wes unless absolutely necessary.

 Chapter 5: Forest Gunfight

    The situation suddenly became a deadlock. It seemed that the other side had no good approach to a carriage and was reluctant to waste arrows, so no more were loosed.


    Wes, after warning Tang Mo and Roger, also fell silent, presumably hiding in the dark, observing everything around them.


    From time to time, strange insect noises could be heard, and even the howls of wild beasts in the distance. The forest at night was not silent, on the contrary, it was noisier and more bustling than during the day.


    Time ticked away, and after reloading another rifle, Old Roger found a suitable angle to help guard the other side of the carriage with Tang Mo.


    "Wes?" Tang Mo seemed to see a faint figure at the edge of the light and called out, unsure whether he was identifying friend or foe, or simply calling to his comrade.


    Quickly, the first man carrying an ax with an ugly face charged out of the darkness, heading straight for Tang Mo, already shouting to boost his own morale.


    Kicking the carriage door open with his foot, Tang Mo made a slight adjustment to aim the rifle, targeting his assailant. With the carriage lamps burning outside, the inside of the carriage wasn''t clearly visible from the outside.


    The man, who was charging with the ax raised above his head, saw the carriage door suddenly open; the arrows stuck in it were even broken off. His footsteps hesitated for an instant.


    Then, he saw a flash of fire in front of him and heard a crisp gunshot by his ear. He felt a hammering impact on his chest, his legs lost strength and tangled, and his body involuntarily fell forward.


    Tang Mo, having shot his target, tossed the rifle behind him and picked up the second one.


    "Bang!" Outside the carriage, a second gunshot rang out immediately afterward. It was unclear whether it was Wes firing or one of the bandits also armed with a firearm.


    "Ah!" A second bandit emerged from the darkness, holding a ragged longsword. He wore an iron helmet on his head but no armor on his body.


    "Bang!" Tang Mo didn''t bother with pleasantries and pulled the trigger again, aiming at the man. A bullet flew out of the barrel, and the man''s roaring instantly turned to a scream as he tumbled down in front of the carriage, much like the first fool.


    Tang Mo reached out, and Old Roger passed him the engraved, custom-made K1 rifle that was supposed to be presented to Earl Fisheo.


    The next second, Tang Mo was ready to shoot for the third time, peering through the rolling white smoke in the lamplight, vigilantly watching the darkness not too far away.


    Unnoticed, the creepy insect buzzing and animal growls could no longer be heard, and everything went terribly quiet.


    "Hmm..." Outside the carriage, amidst the stillness, a muffled groan was heard. Tang Mo even detected the faint sound of a longsword puncturing a body and clashing with bones.


    It was unclear whether Wes had been taken down or if he had eliminated another bandit attempting to flank them. In any case, after the rustling noise ceased, there was no more movement behind them.


    To say there was no movement was, in fact, not quite right. Old Roger, who had been guarding the other side, was nervously trying to push a paper cartridge into the chamber of his rifle.


    His movements were agile, the Longsword striking like a serpent''s tongue. With a sneak attack, he managed to wound the bandit''s arm.


    But the bandit, with a fierce and ruthless strength, swung his Longsword, forcing Wes, who tried to entangle him, to retreat.


    And just as Wes pulled back, Tang Mo''s gun fired once more, and, as fate would have it, the bullet struck right through the neck of the robust man.


    Blood splattered instantaneously as the man''s artery was pierced. Trying to cover the gaping wound in his neck, he realized he could do nothing to stem the gushing blood.


    He tried to speak but could only cough up blood. When he turned to face Tang Mo, he had already collapsed to the ground uncontrollably.


    Hidden in the shadows just moments before, Wes saw Tang Mo fire a shot and presumed he had no chance to reload, so he revealed himself for close combat, stopping the burly man from nearing the carriage.


    But he could never have imagined that Tang Mo had a second handgun hidden away! After the second shot rang out, he stood there, stunned, reassessing the danger level of the young man in the carriage.


    Who would have thought a weapon shop owner with little world experience would carry not one but two handguns on his person while traveling? When he had boarded the carriage, Wes had checked; from the bulkiness, it seemed Tang Mo had one handgun at his waist, but he never guessed Tang Mo had another handgun concealed on him!


    Of course, he could never have guessed that Tang Mo had in his hand a gun capable of consecutive firing. Even though he was a master in his own right, it was impossible for him to overturn his own experience.


    While he was still in shock, a bandit hiding in the darkness, with Longsword in hand, crept closer to his side, attempting to ambush and take out this fat sheep on the perimeter.


    Tang Mo wafted away most of the smoke before his eyes and saw everything clearly. He decisively raised his handgun once more, aimed beside Wes, and pulled the trigger again.


    "Bang!" The sound was like a cannon, hammering into Wes'' mind. He watched, eyes wide, as Tang Mo''s handgun fired twice in succession!


    As the sound of the shot echoed, the bandit attempting the ambush paused like he''d been electrocuted, then curled up and fell with a muffled groan. Wes, shocked by all this, was momentarily flabbergasted.


    By then, six gunshots had sounded from within the woods. Even if these bandits were slow to catch on, they could sense that things were going awry. The other side''s firepower was strong; this was definitely not an ordinary merchant convoy!


    The whole affair had clearly gone beyond the bandits'' plans for robbery; the continual gunfire was eerie and out of place in this era.


    Who could have imagined? The very first real-world application of the Left-Wheel Handgun would erupt in an unknown grove, in the dark of midnight...


    -----------


    This book has been signed. Please support with recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and rewards... Uh, shamelessly asking for a wave, rolling around acting cute...


    (Also, apologies... Dragon Spirit got too excited and didn''t count the bullets right, sorry, it''s been corrected now, please be understanding.)

 Chapter 6: Evil never ends

    Of course, Tang Mo couldn''t possibly think about such far-reaching implications and their relation to him at this time. He was beginning to feel a little tense.


    Keep in mind that his Left-Wheel Handgun had already fired three shots! Three bullets remained in the chamber, and these were his only significant source of firepower for the short term.


    He also didn''t have the time to check how many rifles old Roger had managed to reload behind him, so the only confirmed firepower he could rely on was the three live rounds in the handgun he was holding.


    Moreover, to be honest, who would know if one of these era''s paper cartridge bullets might malfunction? So Tang Mo was also full of worries about the current battle situation, which had begun to exceed his expectations.


    Because he really had no idea how many men the bandits had, the risk on the battlefield was evidently becoming higher and higher as the readily available bullets for immediate firing diminished.


    For Tang Mo, this situation was awful, as the more he killed, the more he fanned the flames of the bandits'' animosity.


    If he were to be captured later, he guessed that to appease their underlings, the enemy would probably make an example out of him, chop him into pieces, and feed him to the dogs...


    "Yah!" A bandit with bloodshot eyes appeared again, and this time he burst out of the roadside bushes with a loud shout.


    Clearly, he wasn''t trying to intimidate Tang Mo but was bolstering his own courage. Even though he didn''t believe Tang Mo''s weapon could fire continuously, the fact that so many of his men had already died meant these mountain thieves were now in too deep to retreat.


    In such deep mountains and dense forests where they made their living by ambushing and robbing, numbers were fundamental to their survival. After losing a large number of their combatants, their likely fate was nothing short of annihilation.


    So, at this point, these men almost entirely lacked the will to flee. Instead, driven by desperation, they were preparing to muster all their courage and take down these strangers who had appeared from nowhere.


    Of course, Tang Mo wasn''t about to surrender without a fight. Even though he increasingly felt that the situation was slipping out of his control, just sitting back and accepting his fate was not in his nature.


    Therefore, when the bandit burst from the bushes, at the very first sight of him, Tang Mo swiveled the muzzle of the gun and took aim.


    When the bandit was still five or six paces away, Tang Mo pulled the trigger once more. This time, he made some aiming adjustments beforehand, so the bullet struck the bandit in a vital area.


    The man''s head was instantly pierced by the bullet, and he toppled backward, crashing next to a corpse.


    His longsword fell to the ground with a clanking sound, and accompanied by that crisp noise, another bandit, slinging a bow and arrows, finally charged into the lighted area.


    This bandit was muscular, with bulging arms visible underneath his clothes, wearing an iron helmet, and astonishingly, he even donned a hauberk.


    Obviously, this was the chief bandit. Tang Mo confirmed this the moment he saw his attire and the momentum with which he charged forward.


    The bandit was well equipped and strong. He closed in on Tang Mo in just a few strides. Tang Mo didn''t hesitate to greet the burly man with another pull of his trigger.


    "Bang!" A gunshot and a puff of white smoke from the muzzle appeared almost simultaneously, and a bullet flew out of the barrel, relentlessly smashing into the man''s hauberk.


    It turned out that hauberks really couldn''t stop bullets fired from close range, not even plate armor could!


    However, due to the deflection by the hauberk, the burly man staggered from the impact but still managed to raise his longsword high and charge at Tang Mo.


    Since Wes was still alive, there should be at least two more bodies behind the carriage, meaning that nine of the thieves had become cold corpses.


    "Wes! Stay hidden," Tang Mo ordered, holding his Left-Wheel Handgun, waiting for the white smoke in front of the carriage door to disperse. The lingering smoke from the gunpowder, illuminated by the gas lamp, tumbled about as if it had a life of its own.


    He issued a reminder, and Wes immediately snapped back to his senses, quickly taking cover behind the carriage, vigilantly observing his surroundings.


    The atmosphere suddenly turned eerie, and apart from the sounds of insects beginning to chirp again, there was no other noise around.


    Either the bandits had all died at the hands of Tang Mo''s gun, or the remaining bandits, seeing their comrades dead in droves, had finally lost the courage to flee.


    Either way, the situation for Tang Mo and his companions was gradually improving, at least after Roger had finished reloading the third Quick Gun, he gave Tang Mo a slight signal.


    Although there were no more bullets left in Tang Mo''s revolver at the moment, counting the three rifles Roger had just reloaded, he now had the capacity to fire three consecutive shots.


    Meanwhile, with the light of the gas lamp, Wes had also reloaded his flintlock pistol, which meant that Tang Mo''s side had almost regained about half of its combat strength.


    Under such circumstances, should the bandits rashly attack again, they would definitely suffer another major loss¡ªperhaps the lives of four more men, or maybe even more...


    "Wes... go clear the roadblock!" After waiting for approximately five minutes, with still no sound coming from the woods, Tang Mo finally knew that the danger seemed to have passed.


    But he didn''t show any sign of relaxation because he knew that their battle had not been thoroughly carried out.


    At the start of the fight, two arrows had struck the carriage from different angles, which meant there were two archers among the opponents.


    Tang Mo got out of the carriage to check the seven bodies nearby, only to find that only the last big man had a bow and arrows on him.


    Bandits poor enough to rob here wouldn''t just throw away their weapons for no reason, so the other bow must be with the one who fled.


    At least one person had escaped! Tang Mo was almost certain of it. And the one who escaped had almost witnessed the entire battle process!


    This person had seen the Left-Wheel Handgun in Tang Mo''s hand and knew that the weapon was a divine weapon that could rewrite the mode of war¡ªfor Tang Mo, letting go of such an unstable threat was far from a good thing.


    But this was the Vicious Forest, and it was night. If the person just stayed quiet in one spot, finding him would be nearly impossible.


    Tang Mo certainly didn''t have the courage to spread out and search for a bandit at the risk of his life in such low visibility. So he could only suppress the unease in his heart and prepare to continue on the journey.


    Fortunately, the opponent definitely did not know the identity of the three of them, so even if they knew about the Left-Wheel Handgun, they wouldn''t be able to find Tang Mo for a while.


    ---------


    Dragon Spirit is stockpiling manuscripts, there''s no helping it, Dragon Spirit indeed didn''t have a stockpile before, and this book started quickly, so it was destined not to have many chapters in reserve¡ªbut stockpile is a must to cope with the outburst during the new book period, so Dragon Spirit could only write more, release less, and slowly accumulate.


    Don''t worry, don''t be impatient, when the editor demands an outburst, Dragon Spirit will surely burst forth, releasing more chapters.

 Chapter 7: 7 Ranger Assassin

    Wes had just managed to move the tree trunk that blocked the way when he returned to find the bandit lying on the ground, having suffered serious injuries, no longer making any sounds.


    It wasn''t that Tang Mo had delivered a finishing blow; rather, the other had bled out too much and quickly lost consciousness. In this era, with a shortage of doctors and medicine, being shot through the internal organs by a firearm meant that, even if one didn''t die immediately, there was little hope for recovery.


    This wasn''t a battlefield, yet there lingered a nauseating smell. The sound of insects resumed all around, everything seemingly returning to silence.


    The smell of gunpowder had faded, no longer masking the scent of fresh blood scattered on the ground. Wes, looking at the bodies strewn haphazardly under the light, hadn''t yet managed to shake off the shock.


    In the past, he would have disdained such menial labor as moving roadblocks, an activity suitable only for minions.


    Yet today, upon hearing Tang Mo''s command, his legs had moved on their own accord, sweating profusely as he moved the log without even considering calling for Tang Mo and Roger''s help.


    At this moment, as he returned and saw the corpses at his feet, he still felt a sense of unreality.


    A terrifying weapon that fired five shots! Damn it... he had even come up with a name for the weapon while moving the trunk¡ªRanger Slayer!


    If such a weapon were to spread, people like him would probably be out of options. Mercenary work could be done by anyone in the future¡ªjust buy one of these guns, and that''s all it would take!


    "Wes!..." It was Tang Mo who spoke first, breaking the night''s silence, "I hope you won''t share today''s events with Lord Earl."


    "Why... why not." Wes was taken aback, and as he looked towards Tang Mo, he suddenly found this young man to be rather unfathomable.


    In the script that had hazily formed in his mind, shouldn''t it have gone like this: Tang Mo''s actual intention was to present this secret weapon capable of firing five shots¡ªLord Earl would surely be overjoyed, and their cooperation would unfold smoothly.


    Was there even a need for him to play out the rest in his head? Such weapons would immediately appear on the battlefield, and with the outbreak of war, they would proliferate. Shireck would start mass-producing them immediately, selling them at low prices to dominate the market and crush all competition.


    Though the ending was already written, Tang Mo would have made enough Gold Coins before being crushed to last several lifetimes... Wasn''t that his purpose?


    But what he never expected was that Tang Mo... Tang Mo actually requested he not tell the Earl about this secret weapon. What kind of move was this?


    "I only came up with this thing a few days ago, and it''s not yet a mature product ready for sale," Tang Mo explained. "My visit to Lord Earl is to sell the K1 Quick Gun, so I don''t want any complications."


    "You said earlier that you were willing to stay and work for me... I think it''s time to talk about that," Tang Mo glanced at Wes and continued, "Since you say you have loyalty, I hope now you can give it to me."


    If it had been earlier when taking on such a deal, Wes would have been very casual. He would have thanked his employer with a smile, saying he wouldn''t let them down or something along those lines.


    In fact, he did have a reputation for reliability, a principle upon which his survival depended. But now, he fell silent, staring fixedly at the young man standing in front of the carriage under the faintly trembling gas lamp light.


    Wes gave a slight bow, watching Tang Mo get onto the carriage before going to prepare the carriage again. It was then that he remembered, during the recent gunfire, neither of the horses pulling the carriage had become nervous or neighed in panic.


    But then he figured it out; the horses at the munitions workshop were used to the sound of gunfire, they were probably acclimatized by now...


    He guessed right. When Tang Mo experimented with weapons, he often did it near the stables. On one hand, it was to train the horses to become accustomed to the sound of gunfire, and on the other hand, it was because there really was nowhere else in the workshop suitable for him to carry out his tests.


    The carriage hit the road once again, leaving the bodies by the roadside that no one cared about. The world was such a place: the unfortunate were everywhere in the wilderness¡ªsome were of passing merchants, some were of bandits who blocked roads... who cared about them?


    Sitting on the slightly bumping and shaking carriage, Tang Mo reloaded his Left-Wheel Handgun with new ammo, all the while laughing at the somewhat blushing Roger.


    Despite Roger''s boasts about his youth when he could stare down three robbers without a change in expression, it now seemed that such talk was not very truthful.


    The recent battle had revealed Old Roger''s true capabilities; he had never truly experienced real combat. His hands had trembled so badly that he couldn''t even load the bullets into the gun.


    You should know, his hands were actually very steady, reliable as a lathe when it came to polishing parts. But those hands were shaking terribly a moment ago.


    "Leave such matters to us from now on," Tang Mo said, pushing a bullet through the predefined slot into the cylinder and then using the rod underneath the barrel to firmly seat the ammo.


    Then he rotated the cylinder, starting to clean another emptied chamber, which still contained bits of paper casing and unburnt residues.


    Before the invention of metal cartridge cases, loading ammunition into firearms was actually a very troublesome affair. Even though Tang Mo could create a revolver that fired continuously, this fact could not be changed.


    Only with the development of smokeless powder that burned quickly and left almost no residue, packed into a metal fixed cartridge, did weapons become truly capable of meaningful rapid fire in combat conditions.


    That kind of rapid firing followed by immediate reloading of new ammunition was nearly synonymous with suicide at the current time¡ªresidues in the chamber or cylinder could affect the bullet''s ignition, causing misfires, backfires, barrel explosions, or duds...


    Throughout history, the care of weapons has always been an aspect of military training; the more carefully one maintains their weapon, the more it can help its owner gain an advantage on the battlefield.


    Thus, ancient warriors polished and oiled their Longswords, and later Soldiers had to maintain their bolts and barrels with oil and brushes.


    "I''m old. It will be your young people''s world from now on," said Old Roger, somewhat embarrassed.


    "No, Uncle Roger, you will soon find that you are busier than you are now," said Tang Mo, joking with Roger while repeating the tedious process to load new bullets into the chamber.


    In a sense, this new Left-Wheel Handgun was like enjoying twenty seconds of comfort for half an hour of discomfort¡ªit was a semi-finished product.


    Because of the immaturity of the ammunition, it couldn''t yet become a true epoch-making weapon. However, Tang Mo would soon use his golden touch to develop smokeless powder, so updated weapons would soon appear, changing the existing rules of warfare.

 Chapter 8: 8 Fisheo

    When the sky began to lighten, Tang Mo finally saw the end of the Vicious Forest. The earth suddenly felt more expansive, with smoke curling up from the roadside, where trade caravans were gathering, awaiting departure.


    All desired to traverse the dangerous forest together during daylight, so when Tang Mo made it through the Vicious Forest overnight, curious merchants on both sides of the road sized up the hurriedly passing carriage.


    Soon, sharp-eyed merchants noticed a broken arrow shaft still lodged in the carriage door.


    "Look! They were attacked! Who knows how many died..." a merchant, holding a steaming lunch box, chewed and spoke to those nearby.


    Another, pinching a slightly moldy piece of bread, crammed it into his mouth while cautioning his companion, "Get ready and stay sharp later! Beware of bandits!"


    Tang Mo sat in the coach''s co-driver''s seat, enjoying the cool breeze of the early morning¡ªnights in the forest were extremely cold. However, the slightly cool morning air made Tang Mo more awake and more appreciative of the moment.


    "Don''t worry, once we get back, I''ll get you a revolver like this," Tang Mo chatted at length with Wes, having taken the co-driver''s seat ever since the first glimpse of sunlight, and talked about everything from then on.


    They discussed Wes''s past, Tang Mo''s weapons workshop, and Count Fisheo, even delving into flintlock guns, the intricacies of longsword combat, the ranger lifestyle, and Tang Mo''s new weapon.


    "Hopefully, all goes well. With Count Fisheo''s backing, at least you won''t be alone when facing Shireck," Wes said to Tang Mo while focusing on driving the carriage.


    "I know what you''re worried about, but as you know, I have my secret weapon," Tang Mo laughed, a smile that had hung on his face ever since he''d taken the co-driver''s seat, inscrutable to Wes.


    Having lived two lifetimes, Tang Mo was far more complex than Wes could imagine. In another world, he trafficked arms, skirting the edge of the law, and straddling the line between black and white. How could someone who had clawed his way through such an environment for over thirty years be a simple character?


    "Can you really get me one of those ranger killers?" Wes finally couldn''t resist the temptation to ask.


    He truly wanted to know how dramatically one of those ranger killers strapped to his waist would increase his combat effectiveness.


    To simply draw near a target and guarantee a kill, then use the remaining bullets to create chaos and retreat with ease¡ªagainst such an unprecedented weapon, who could anticipate and defend against his movements?


    Even now, he was already calculating in his mind how much he would charge for assassinating a king...


    "Ranger killer?" Tang Mo was taken aback, almost failing to comprehend what Wes was talking about. But soon, his smile grew more brazen: "Hahaha! You''re hilarious, Wes! Hahaha!"


    Knowing what rangers in this world were like, he also understood the meaning behind Wes''s words.


    The era was advancing; the chivalrous fighting style of musketeers who shoot once before dueling with longswords was destined to be swept into the dustbin of history.


    "Of course, you know my reputation. Once I''ve taken your money, I definitely won''t botch the job," Wes said, spreading his hands and giving Fisallo a light embrace, then stepped aside to introduce Tang Mo, who was behind him, "This is the man you''re looking for, I''ve brought the firearms... I witnessed their power last night, and they''re better than you could imagine!"


    "Oh?" Fisallo was obviously more interested in the firearms, and without moving his feet, he questioned immediately upon hearing this.


    Wes immediately explained, "The Vicious Forest isn''t very peaceful."


    "Those bandits who dared to mess with you really are quite unlucky. Ha ha ha ha," Earl Fisallo paused then laughed heartily as if he had guessed the truth.


    "..." Wes rubbed his nose but didn''t correct the Lord Earl. He was now a knight of Tang Mo''s, so he had to keep some things to himself.


    "Well then! What are we waiting for? Let''s go inside to talk!" Fisallo said with an excited smile, gesturing to Tang Mo before leading the way, "Let''s have breakfast first! Although the food here is not so great, it''s still quite substantial!"


    "That''s wonderful, Lord Earl. We''ve been exhausted on the way here," Wes said with a smile as if he had returned home.


    Fisallo was also quite hearty, laughing out loud and then speaking to Tang Mo, "Come on, kid! Northern Ridge folks are warm and welcoming. Don''t be shy here!"


    He led the way to the castle, and Tang Mo followed behind him, seeing the bustling market and the crowds of merchants coming and going.


    To be honest, as the administrative center of the Northern Ridge, this place was much livelier than Brunas, which Tang Mo was familiar with. Not far from the market, he could see cattle carts loading and unloading goods, and fruits were chaotically strewn in baskets all over the ground.


    Tang Mo even detected a faint, unmistakable scent of cow dung¡ªan aroma present in every city, while in Brunas, it was the stench of fishiness.


    Such was the era, and Tang Mo was powerless to change it, much like how in the 21st century on Earth, big cities often had suffocating smog.


    The Earl''s castle wasn''t particularly impressive, far less grand than the medieval castles Tang Mo had seen as a tourist in his previous life.


    It was more like a manor built within the city, not even as good as Baron Stela''s residence. From this detail, one could tell that Earl Ronin Fisallo was not as pompous as Baron Stela.


    However, on this not-so-large Earl''s Mansion, one could see seven or eight officers and no fewer than thirty guards, each armed and dressed in the unique light yellow military uniforms of the Leite Kingdom.


    As the Earl passed these officers and soldiers, they would solemnly stand erect and salute, placing their hands over their chests and greeting loudly.


    "You''ll have to excuse us," the Earl said a bit sheepishly to Tang Mo, explaining, "The border cavalry activities of the Suthers Kingdom are becoming more frequent, and I have had to consider assembling troops and making necessary defense preparations, which is why this has been turned into a temporary command center, so it appears a bit crowded."


    "Has the situation become so critical?" It was Tang Mo''s first time arriving at the Northern Ridge, and he felt the oppressive atmosphere emanating from the front lines for himself.


    ```

 Chapter 9: Its too late.

    "Based on my estimation, if nothing goes wrong, war is likely to break out within half a year," Count Fisheo said to Tang Mo with a worried expression, "Unfortunately, Shireck might side with Suthers this time."


    "Why?" Wes furrowed his brows and interjected.


    "If Suthers captures Northern Ridge, then the coal and iron there can be supplied to Shireck''s factories at a low cost," the Earl explained, then pushed open the door to the makeshift dining hall and led several people inside.


    Sure enough, a table of food was prepared¡ªtrays, not overly exquisite, were filled with game from Northern Ridge. Rabbit and deer meats were placed in conspicuous positions.


    "Come, let''s sit," the Earl took off his cloak, folded it, and casually hung it over the back of his chair.


    It was then that Tang Mo noticed that on the other side of the longsword hanging at the Earl''s waist was a beautifully crafted flintlock gun, obviously fine-tuned with care.


    It was a familiar style, a Shireck flintlock gun whose elaborate exterior could not conceal its essence.


    "I think you must have come here with Wes because you''ve heard about my situation," Fisheo began to eat, cutting a piece of meat and putting it into his mouth, talking while he chewed.


    "I heard there were people here in need of weapons, so I came," Tang Mo said straightforwardly, picking up his utensils and addressing the man across from him who hardly resembled an Earl, "Your lordship''s reputation precedes you."


    "Anyone can flatter, I don''t need you for that. You know what I want, so let''s cut the small talk. I want to see a weapons firing test right away. Can you arrange it?" Count Fisheo, more eager than the arms-dealing Tang Mo, pressed for action.


    One could imagine just how ominous the war clouds looming over the border had become to make a lord with lands on the frontier so desperately seek any chance for victory.


    "Of course, the goods are in the carriage!" Tang Mo wasn''t going to deprive himself of a good meal; since the other party was eager to see the merchandise, the deal was as good as halfway done.


    Confident in his new model breech-loading rifle, he was certain that anyone in genuine need of weapons would make the right choice upon seeing this new firearm.


    Lord Earl''s urgency to see the new firearms matched Tang Mo''s own to sell his product, thus breakfast was, naturally, a brief affair.


    "Tagg, all of you, come over here." As they passed by the lawn, the Earl signalled to a group of officers in the distance to join them for the new weapons firing demonstration, "I''ve found a new arms dealer who claims his weapons can greatly enhance the fighting strength of our troops."


    "My lord, we''ve seen at least three cheats like this," an officer, equipped with a longsword and matchlock, approached with a few others, looking at Tang Mo with a menacing gaze.


    Tang Mo, for his part, didn''t pay any attention to such looks. He took from Wes the specially prepared K1 Quick Gun intended for Baron Stela.


    He expertly worked the bolt and took two cartridges from Wes''s hand, gesturing to everyone.


    He then handed one cartridge to the Earl and loaded the other into the chamber of the K1 Quick Gun.


    Following Tang Mo''s instructions, the Earl pulled open the bolt again, stared and gently blew out the ashes and residue inside the barrel as if he were rocking a newborn child.


    After repeatedly making sure there was no significant debris left inside the barrel, he then took another bullet from Tang Mo and inserted it into the chamber.


    This time, his movements were much smoother, which made him think of an exciting detail¡ªthe cost of training with this weapon would be much lower than with flintlock guns!


    With this type of new rifle, even if he conscripted some farmers and gave them a bit of training, they could almost reach the standards of a regular army.


    The previous fear of sending farmers into battle and needlessly increasing casualties virtually vanished with the fourth shot of the rifle.


    For a moment, Lord Earl was in high spirits. He looked at Tang Mo to speak but momentarily couldn''t recall the name of this new weapon. "This..."


    "The K1 Quick Gun, Lord Earl," Tang Mo helpfully interjected with understanding.


    "K, K1 Quick Gun... how much for one?" Lord Earl felt somewhat unaccustomed to Tang Mo''s naming convention since the Shireck Flintlock Gun was clearly named after the Shireck Consortium.


    "Five Gold Coins each, with a complimentary brush and ammunition bag!" Tang Mo introduced his weapon smoothly. "Bullets are three silver coins each, and we can offer a further discount for bulk orders."


    "How many of these K1 Quick Guns do you have?" The price seemed reasonable, since it was a better firearm than the Shireck Flintlock Gun, so it was understandable if it was a bit more expensive. After hearing the price, Lord Earl''s face showed an eager expression as he asked.


    At this moment, he was determined to buy 500¡ªno, a thousand¡ªeven if it cost him his entire fortune!


    "Ten," Tang Mo regrettably provided an answer that greatly disappointed him.


    Tang Mo''s financial situation had been very poor before, so he didn''t have the means to produce a large number of rifles in advance. He was only writing checks in the air, able to start production as soon as he got the orders. Even the capital needed for expansion had to be squeezed out of the profits from sales.


    "That''s too few, I need at least 600... no, 700!" Lord Earl was visibly taken aback by Tang Mo''s answer before shaking his head and voicing his own expectations.


    Hearing his request, Tang Mo naturally hoped to fulfill it. Making 700 rifles a year was a challenge, but also an opportunity.


    If Tang Mo could achieve such production numbers, then his capacity could take over the entire Kingdom''s firearm business.


    By that time, he would be able to compete with the Shireck Consortium within the Leite Kingdom. It''s only at that stage that he would have the basic capability to protect himself.


    So Tang Mo said to the Earl, "Lord Earl, that would take a very long time, since the biggest firearm workshop in the Kingdom can only make 300 rifles a year."


    "It''s time we lack. How good it would''ve been to have met you a few years earlier." The Earl''s face turned ashen, seemingly more discontent with the dangerous situation of his own territory.

 Chapter 10: 10 requirements

    ```


    He also knew that even if he placed an order with Tang Mo now, it would still be too late. Even Shireck''s workshop would need a long time to produce over a thousand rifles.


    Tang Mo, however, was unwilling to give up this order that was within his grasp. Thus, he opened his mouth and said to the Earl, "It''s not too late, Lord Earl. Time can always be squeezed out a bit, if you have the money, I think I can expand my production scale and meet your demands as soon as possible."


    In fact, weapon performance was only one aspect, Tang Mo knew that what truly changed the times was the transformation of the mode of production. Shireck might be able to compete with him in terms of weapon technology, but in terms of production technology, they were not even in the same league!


    The Earl didn''t know what Tang Mo was pondering in his mind; he just really wanted to know how soon he could get these weapons.


    These weapons were very important to him; if he could equip his troops with them quickly, he was confident he would be able to calmly face the upcoming war.


    He needed his troops to be able to enter the battlefield in a state of completed training, so he had to leave himself plenty of time.


    Therefore, the production time he could give Tang Mo was actually very limited¡ªhe thought, at most, two to three months.


    Thinking about this, he couldn''t help but look towards Tang Mo and asked, "Like you said, how quickly can it be done? We have less than half a year left."


    Tang Mo calculated in his mind. If he went back, worked with several engineers and old Roger to create standard industrial mother machines, and then quickly produced a few steam engines according to the blueprints, making weapons would become much simpler.


    As long as there was a continuous power source, boring gun barrels would become simpler. He wasn''t trying to produce extremely precise sniper rifle barrels; the basic requirement for a gun barrel of this era was simply that the bullet could fly out of the barrel.


    So, if he really had steam engines and the associated equipment, then Tang Mo could instantly increase the production capacity to ten times, or even a hundred times the current level.


    And the design drawings that restricted him were already in his mind at this very moment¡ªcompared to those engineers who had to start from scratch, his advantage was simply too obvious.


    These were the key to expanding his production and also his future money-making cornucopia! As long as Lord Earl was willing to foot the bill for these production facilities, then the subsequent business would really be as lucrative as robbing a bank.


    So, after calculating the time, he answered Lord Earl, "If Lord Earl can meet my demands, I might be able to provide you with 500 K1 Quick Guns in up to three months."


    "Are you joking?" Hearing such a satisfying answer, the Earl was caught off guard. He looked at Tang Mo incredulously, afraid he had heard wrong.


    "I''m not joking." Tang Mo shook his head and once again gave a firm reply to Lord Earl, "Within three months! As long as you give me everything I need."


    Unlike other technicians, or rather Tang Mo had a greater advantage than other technicians, he had the completed blueprints in his mind!


    As the actual owner of Northern Ridge, Count Fisheo was confident in his capabilities. He could definitely find 70 craftsmen, and he could even be choosy about it, getting a group with substantial skills.


    Since the Earl asked again, Tang Mo continued, "Raw materials, top-quality raw materials, including steel and coal, and of course, enough food, vegetables, and meat to feed all the apprentices and workers in the workshop during this period."


    He was here to make money, or at least to keep the whole workshop afloat. So, he must secure supplies to sustain his workers.


    "Anything else?" This request was also reasonable, and Lord Earl nodded again in agreement with Tang Mo''s demands. He then continued, "What else do you need?"


    "Funds to purchase other raw materials, a deposit of 2,500 gold coins, at least a 20-man security troop to protect me and my workshop, to help us handle troublesome issues so we can produce peacefully... and of course, to save you the worry of us running off," Tang Mo pointed at himself.


    "Hahaha! I like you, lad!" The Earl laughed heartily, patting Tagg on the shoulder beside him, and everyone followed suit with laughter.


    After the laughter, the Earl looked at Tang Mo again with some difficulty and said, "I might not be able to come up with that many gold coins right away."


    "You can use the ores and coal from Northern Ridge to settle part of it¡ªthe part that is my actual profit. I have no choice but to take cash for the workers'' wages, but I can exchange my profit for materials, that''s not a problem," Tang Mo did not insist on cash but was willing to take materials in place of his profit.


    After all, he needed to expand production, and whether it was steel or coal, he would soon be demanding them in large quantities. These resources could never be too much, as they would be consumed again very swiftly.


    This flexible trade-off also meant that Count Fisheo didn''t have to worry about having to raise that many gold coins¡ªit was a win-win concession that naturally left everyone content.


    The Earl nodded slightly, readily agreeing to this arrangement, "That sounds reasonable. If I do all this, then... within two months, I can get 500 Quick Guns identical to this K1 model?"


    This time Tang Mo shook his head, and just as everyone was prepared to change their expressions, he continued, "Certainly not the same, there would be no carvings on them."


    The Earl glanced at the sample of the K1 Quick Gun in his hand, saw the decorations added specifically to please the nobility, and once again a smile appeared on his face, "Hahaha! Good! I will help you prepare all these as soon as possible."


    "Additionally..." he paused, looking at Tagg and the other officers beside him, his voice trailing off.


    After drawing out his words, he explained to Tang Mo, "Changing weapons on the battlefield actually entails some risks!"


    "You see, teaching soldiers to operate your weapons, familiarize them with their maintenance, and then taking these weapons onto the battlefield... is not an easy task." As he spoke, he pointed to two rows of soldiers conducting drills a short distance away.


    "So, what would you ask of me, Lord Earl?" Tang Mo asked with a smile upon hearing the Earl''s lead-in, guessing he had more to say.


    Looking towards the distant soldiers, the Earl made his request, "So I hope that after selling the weapons, you can personally come to Northern Ridge, to act as a consultant to help train the soldiers equipped with the new rifles."


    "That would be part of after-sales service, you''ve reminded me, Lord Earl," Tang Mo said earnestly. "Rest assured, our after-sales standards are the highest worldwide, without question, guaranteed to satisfy the customer."

 Chapter 11: Happy cooperation

    "After-sales service? That''s a new term...but very accurate. I need you to provide more services after selling these weapons." Seeing Tang Mo agree to this request, the Earl''s mood seemed to improve. He handed the weapon in his hand to an officer named Tagg, then gestured for Tang Mo to walk with him.


    So, shoulder to shoulder, the two of them walked in the courtyard. Tagg, holding the K1 Quick Gun, couldn''t help admiring it while following closely behind the Earl. And Wes, behind Tang Mo, followed him every step of the way.


    As they walked, the Earl said to Tang Mo, "You''re a smart man, and it saves trouble to talk to a smart person. In fact, we both need support¡ªthe support of each other! This collaboration is actually comprehensive for both of us."


    He pointed at Tang Mo, "You need the coal and iron mines of Northern Ridge to expand your production scale, and you also need Northern Ridge''s military to purchase the weapons you produce."


    Then he pointed at himself, "And I, on the other hand, need your new weapons to help me win victories on the battlefield and secure my title and territory."


    "Similarly, your support could grant me more than I''ve dared to dream of, such as honor and status previously unimaginable." Then he continued, pointing at himself.


    Next, he pointed at Tang Mo, "And in return, you...after being fully exposed to the Shireck Consortium, also need an ally, one to support and protect you from being devoured by the behemoth..."


    After finishing, he stopped walking, looked at Tang Mo, and asked, "Right?"


    "Your analysis is thorough, I have nothing to add, Lord Earl," Tang Mo nodded, feeling that working with a smart person was indeed a very pleasant thing.


    He didn''t need to say much; the other party could figure out many things on their own, making the collaboration very stable and everything under control.


    The smarter the person, the easier it is to predict their actions, allowing a basic judgment of both sides'' reactions. This provides a sense of security for everyone, and it''s also in everyone''s best interest.


    The Earl obviously was also very pleased with Tang Mo, his new business partner, so he extended his hand and said, "Then...I hope we can support each other and work together happily."


    "Pleasure to collaborate!" Tang Mo reached out his hand and shook hands with the Earl.


    "I will return to Brunas today and then start to work on expanding production, but I need to take back an advance to maintain the normal operation of my workshop." Tang Mo felt there was no need to stay for lunch.


    Count Fisheo also felt it was better to get on with the matter at hand sooner rather than later. He nodded and said to Tagg, "Lead 30 soldiers and accompany Mr. Tang Mo back to Brunas...ensure production, and if there are any troubles, help him solve them. I''ll write a personal letter for you in a bit, show it to anyone who causes trouble, and they will have to give me some face."


    "By your command, Lord!" Tagg placed his palm on his chest, solemnly promising, "I will do my utmost to bring back the new guns for you!"


    He had no intention of rolling out metal-jacketed bullets directly, nor did he have the capital and financial resources to do so; he had to honestly start with paper cartridges to make do.


    These bullets were obviously very fragile and not easy to store. It was fine in the rear ammunition boxes, but especially on the battlefield, where the fighting was fierce and the environment was harsh, protecting these paper cartridges relied on durable and sturdy ammo pouches.


    Making ammo pouches that could be strung along a belt also required workers, but Tang Mo felt that this kind of manual labor was actually easy to find workers for; the women of the era were very idle, and as long as there was a wage, they were willing to offer their diligent hands.


    Everything depended on the steam engine he had to come up with himself. This was the most crucial; as long as he had it, all subsequent challenges seemed solvable.


    Moreover, he could also start with a generator; this was not much more difficult to produce than a steam engine, as long as he had the appropriate blueprints and theory.


    The technical difficulty of the two was roughly equivalent, so it was very possible that Tang Mo''s workshop might have electrical facilities within a month.


    With electricity, he could produce more metals familiar to him, including electrolytic aluminum. It was only a pity that Tang Mo did not need these for the time being, as he was trying to figure out how to produce breechloading guns and corresponding paper cartridges.


    As Tang Mo was considering which part of the steam engine to draw first, the door was pushed open again. A burly man of about one and a half meters strolled into the Earl''s dining hall.


    He wore a thick beard, looking just like the dwarves Tang Mo had seen in the movies. The burly man approached the table, pulled out a chair himself, and hopped up to sit down on it with a plop.


    "Lord Earl, I heard someone is looking for Northern Ridge''s finest craftsman?" he asked, grabbing a wooden cup, pouring it full of ale, and surveying Tang Mo and Wes with a resounding voice.


    "Yes, old fellow, I need your help," Count Fisheo nodded and then introduced Tang Mo, "This is Mr. Tang Mo, who has come up with a weapon even better than the Shireck Flintlock Gun."


    "Huh..." After gulping down a large swig of ale, the dwarf whom the Lord Earl had called an old fellow let out a breath of beer, blowing his thick beard aside, and said, "I am really curious to see what the design that surpasses the Shireck Flintlock Gun looks like..."


    "Hahaha! You''ll see it soon enough!" Count Fisheo laughed heartily, then pointed to the old dwarf, introducing him to Tang Mo, "This is the finest craftsman from Northern Ridge, Mr. Mathews."


    "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Mathews!" Tang Mo nodded in greeting, then raised his glass, "We are returning to Brunas this afternoon, you should get ready."


    "Old man, I have nothing to prepare, just a set of tools I''m used to," Mathews took another big sip of ale, then wiped the froth from his beard and said.


    Tang Mo quite liked Mathews''s straightforward nature, as the easier Mathews was to serve, the easier it was for him to entertain. So he said with a smile, "Then please wait a moment, Mr. Mathews, we will be setting out shortly."

 Chapter 12: 12 Brunas workshop

    Soon, after having eaten the food they brought on the carriage, Old Roger, who saw Tang Mo and Wes come out of The Earl''s Mansion, approached Tang Mo and asked with some nervousness, "How did it go? Did it work out?"


    He didn''t expect Tang Mo to come out so soon, so he thought Tang Mo had failed again. But soon, Tang Mo''s reply made him overjoyed: "It''s settled, we''re heading back to Brunas right now! Production starts tonight."


    "That''s... really great." Old Roger excitedly punched his own palm, and then saw... a large group of people.


    Yes, Earl Fisello''s trusted officer Tagg was leading fifty fully armed soldiers, ten cavalrymen, along with a total of thirty carriages. The convoy was, to say the least, impressively grand.


    These weren''t luxury carriages that could only accommodate three or four people; they were true transport carriages that could carry ten people each.


    The carriages were full of people, most of whom were looking at Tang Mo and Roger standing by the side with curious eyes.


    Many carriages were also loaded with supplies including food, coal, iron ingots... In short, most of the carriages were heavily laden, and the bustling activity also drew the residents of Wolf City to join in the excitement.


    Earl Fisello stood by Tang Mo''s side, looking at the long line of carriages, and said to Tang Mo, "Finding so many large carriages on such short notice wasn''t easy. I have done my best. There might be a shortage of food, but in a few days, when these carriages return, I will have them make another trip."


    "Thank you for your support, Lord Earl! I will repay your trust with a plentiful supply of ammunition and weapons," Tang Mo said, watching carriage after carriage pass by, unable to calm his excitement.


    This was the first deal he had made since coming to this world, and it was also a critically important one.


    Once he returned to Brunas, everything would get better! His workshop would surpass Shireck''s and become the very first "factory" in the true sense in this world!


    "I am very much looking forward to it!" Earl Fisello glanced at Tang Mo and nodded.


    He had no reason to worry, as Tang Mo was accompanied by his trusted officer Tagg and thirty soldiers left in Brunas. If Tang Mo still managed to slip away, then Tagg would surely become a laughingstock.


    The caravan set off, a truly majestic spectacle. With so many soldiers in tow, not even the most brazen bandits would dare to target such a convoy.


    Besides, there were knights bearing the wolf flag of Northern Ridge, clearly visible even from a distance as they traversed the Vicious Forest.


    However, such a troop could not travel too swiftly. Tang Mo had made the journey here in just one night, but returning to Brunas would take two days and more.


    It couldn''t be helped, carriages could not move quickly, which is why a knight could cover three hundred miles in a day, but a military force that could advance 120 miles in a day would be described as descending like heavenly soldiers.


    So, when Tang Mo returned to Brunas once again, it was already the afternoon of the third day.


    As his carriage appeared at the workshop''s main gate, a young apprentice with an apron hanging around his neck excitedly ran back into the workshop and loudly told everyone he passed, "The boss is back! The boss is back!"


    Tang Mo jumped down from the carriage and waved to several older workers from the workshop and the apprentices following them. Then he heard their excited cheers, for they saw the carriages carrying vegetables and food just entering the workshop yard behind Tang Mo.


    For local laborers, it wasn''t so bad, but for those who worked in other places, it was quite miserable. Many times, after being away from home for over five years, they finally saved enough money to return in prosperity just to find their child had turned three...


    While issuing orders, he pointed at the wagons full of vegetables, "Have the soldiers help; take the vegetables and grain to the cafeteria! Tell Aunt Cui Xi to prepare a good dinner, treat everyone!"


    "Understood!" A plump woman who looked to weigh about 200 pounds beamed with a smile and affirmed, "Yes!", before going to tend to her vegetables and grain.


    Meanwhile, Tang Mo continued to command everyone, "Tagg! Take care of the money matters for now... Roger! Hey! Roger! Sorry, let Boris take them to the dormitories!


    And later, you and Tagg distribute this month''s pay to everyone!"


    "No problem," Tagg, dressed in the bright yellow military uniform of Leite Kingdom, immediately responded.


    Then Tang Mo continued speaking to Tagg, "The remaining money will be mostly used for purchasing raw materials; leather from Northern Ridge, timber, coal, steel, and even bristles¡ªI need it all! Have these returning knights relay to Lord Earl that we can offset the bill with these goods, either way, I want them."


    Tagg nodded slightly again and promised, "Alright, I will have them convey this to the Earl after they return."


    He approved of Tang Mo''s approach to buying raw materials in abundance because that was the sign and process of a workshop that wanted to expand its production.


    If Tang Mo was only distributing money, he would doubt Tang Mo, worrying that he might deceive the Earl and run away with the funds.


    Now, by converting as much gold as possible into materials, Tang Mo wouldn''t be likely to run away with large quantities of supplies. So, Tagg felt reassured and a smile appeared on his face.


    When it came time to allocate the dormitories, Tang Mo showed an embarrassed expression, "Let your soldiers stay in the dormitories too!... It might not be enough, and if that''s the case, set up tents near the open field used for target practice! Have them take turns staying in tents... I will find a good location and expand the dormitories as soon as possible. For now, they''ll have to endure.


    We''ll give priority to the workers since our main task is production, and we have no other choice."


    "There''s no problem on my side. I will take care of the people I''ve brought," answered Tagg, who was rather indifferent, as during military campaigns, everyone used to stay in tents; seldom did anyone complain.


    The soldiers he brought this time were all well-trained and fiercely loyal elites, each known by name, considered as his own trusted forces.


    Watching the Dwarf engineer stagger over, Tang Mo continued, "Mathews! You will share a room with Roger! I''ll give you the blueprints later, familiarize yourself with the tools and equipment here as soon as possible. We''ll be starting work soon."


    "Ha! I am still more eager to see your needle guns," Mathews replied, a bit car sick and thus appeared slightly groggy as if drunk, but he answered quickly, still with a strong nasal tone.


    Tang Mo smiled, "You can take a look at the needle guns produced later on, but for now, we only have seven guns left here, and soon they will all be handed over to the Earl''s knights!"


    "Alright then! I hope you won''t disappoint me," Mathews said, standing next to the disorderly line of workers.


    "Rest assured! I never let people down," Tang Mo affirmed confidently and continued to busy himself directing the chaotic scene.

 Chapter 13: 13 craftsmen

    "I''ve never seen such parts before; they look very complex, and the requirements seem a bit too demanding," Mathews said, looking at the drawings Tang Mo handed him, his brow furrowed and his voice resonant. "To handcraft these parts, it would take several days."


    Seeing Tang Mo''s drawings again, he even began to deeply doubt his own skills: Had he strayed too far from mainstream industrial production, to the point of not understanding anything at all?


    Watching Dwarf Mathews looking somewhat perplexed, Tang Mo rubbed his sore eyes and said, somewhat wearily, "I need you to make this as soon as possible because we''ll need to use it very soon."


    He had spent the previous night drawing under the damned gaslight until his eyes ached. The lighting in this era was truly dreadful, and Tang Mo''s chair was nothing like the comfort of an ergonomic chair.


    But his efforts were not in vain; on the contrary, he had achieved a lot¡ªthe dozens of drawings were complete, and today they had been distributed to the workers below.


    The most difficult piece among them was the one prepared for Mathews, who needed to exhibit his superb skills to create it.


    Unfortunately, Mathews was clearly not one of those workers who had gotten used to Tang Mo''s methods. He was more like a scholar who liked to clarify things he didn''t understand immediately.


    Moreover, he was a highly capable, experienced worker who possessed manufacturing experience that Tang Mo could not match. His experience had even reached the point where it could compensate for his own lack of insight, which Tang Mo found somewhat terrifying.


    Yesterday, Mathews understood the working principle of a small machine tool that Tang Mo had improved at a glance and guessed the working precision of this man-powered machine tool.


    Then, he helped Tang Mo make two small parts, which improved the machining precision of the machine tool a bit more. In Tang Mo''s eyes, this was all skill, the capability that the talent he desperately needed should have!


    Sure enough, after scrutinizing the drawings in his hands once more, Mathews offered his opinion, "No problem from my end, but if you intend to install a torsion bar here, you should increase the thickness of the stressed part a bit more."


    "Are you afraid it''s going to break?" Tang Mo blinked, staring at Mathews curiously¡ªthe drawings were copied down from the ones in his mind, and the design should have had no flaws.


    However, at that moment, Mathews nodded. He pointed to the part on the drawing and told Tang Mo, "The existing materials are not up to standard, sir. Your design is very innovative, but I doubt our iron resources can meet the design specifications."


    "Can you tell the specific purpose of what I''ve designed?" This time, it was Tang Mo''s turn to be surprised, because he hadn''t yet told Mathews what the part was for.


    "It''s just a linkage device, sir. I''m not a fool! However, I am puzzled about what you plan to use to drive such a... heavy part," Mathews asked, seemingly unconcerned.


    "I like you! Mathews! I like you! Hahaha!" Upon hearing Mathews''s question, Tang Mo was first taken aback, then suddenly burst into uproarious laughter, patting Mathews''s shoulder as if he were patting an ASML lithography machine jubilantly.


    Mathews looked quite annoyed at Tang Mo patting his shoulder, and somewhat dissatisfiedly reminded him, "You still haven''t shown me your needle-fire gun, sir."


    Of course, the main reason Lord Earl fell for it was that he did produce a weapon like the K1 Quick Gun¡ªnobody is a fool, nobody would be easily deceived.


    Mathews nodded in agreement with what Tang Mo had said, but he continued speaking, making Tang Mo blush a bit, "I know, I''ve seen your people manufacturing these new bullets, but actually, the production speed isn''t very good."


    "Compared to Shireck''s gun workshop, you have no advantage here... tell me, do you really think you have even a one in ten thousand chance of winning?" Mathews looked up at Tang Mo and asked earnestly, word by word.


    "If you can help me manufacture these parts, I think I have a chance, a big one," Tang Mo pressed his hands against the blueprints and said to Marcus, "Believe me, it''s not one in ten thousand, but a hundred percent!"


    Mathews stared into Tang Mo''s eyes, unyielding, "If you want to convince me, then you''re going to have to show some real skill."


    In the end, Tang Mo decided to reveal his secret weapon to Mathews, after all, Wes had already seen it.


    He had already decided to get himself a better handgun for protection as soon as possible, but designing a new Left-Wheel Handgun also required the help of the man in front of him, Mathews.


    So he sighed, pulled out the Left-Wheel Handgun in its holster from the drawer, "All right then! Come with me! I hope you''ll stay, Mathews. I need someone like you, very much so."


    "If you really show me something that astounds me, I''ll stay up all night to help you make the parts!" said Mathews, following Tang Mo to the modestly sized shooting range.


    Tang Mo stood at his usual firing spot, drew the Left-Wheel Handgun from its holster, then from a small pocket on the outside of the holster, he poured out several small primer caps.


    He fitted each primer cap into its corresponding position, placing the Left-Wheel Handgun into a ready-to-fire state.


    Mathews knew this was the special ignition device Tang Mo had developed. If this device was real, then everything Tang Mo had said could be possible.


    So he watched in silence as Tang Mo fitted the caps onto the rear of the cylinder, then waited for Tang Mo to lift the handgun, aiming at the distant target.


    "Bang!" Tang Mo pulled the trigger, a puff of white smoke erupted from the barrel, and the bullet hit the target about 15 paces away.


    Tang Mo did not lower the handgun, but maintained his shooting pose, pulled the trigger again, the cylinder rotated following his movement, and simultaneously, the hammer swung back. And then, the device at its furthest position from the primer cap suddenly broke free of restraint, slamming forward rapidly.


    "Bang!" Another gunshot resonated over the shooting range, Mathews opened his eyes wide, and without realizing it, his hands, applying force, had crumpled the rolled-up blueprints into a wrinkled tube.


    "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" Tang Mo didn''t lower the handgun, but continued to fire, the sound of gunshots unceasing, as if knocking on the doors of history.

 Chapter 14: 14 qian is a catalyst

    After watching Tang Mo''s continuous shooting performance, Mathews''s aloof demeanor had completely dissolved.


    He was like a curious baby, wanting to touch but hesitant to reach out, craning his neck with curiosity as he examined the left-wheel handgun in Tang Mo''s hand.


    While looking, he kept muttering incessantly, "It looks like a very complex rotating structure... You use it for continuous shooting?"


    "Yes," Tang Mo said as he fired six shots in a row, only beginning to clean the gun''s chamber after the bullets were all spent.


    The process was actually quite annoying, but it had to be done¡ªTang Mo felt more and more that developing smokeless powder was necessary.


    He really missed that feeling of continuous firing, then easily ejecting the magazine, coolly reloading, and fiercely strafing the enemy once more.


    Standing there, trying to get a better look at the left-wheel handgun in the spotlight in Tang Mo''s hand, Dwarf Mathews kept whispering in admiration, "What a genius idea! You are simply a genius!"


    It seemed he couldn''t properly express his reverence for this exquisite design without speaking out, yet he feared being too loud and disturbing Tang Mo, making him annoyed, so he could only murmur quietly.


    Finally, he couldn''t resist any longer; he carefully pointed to the left-wheel handgun in Tang Mo''s hand and asked, "Could you tell me what this is?"


    "I call it a revolver," Tang Mo replied, picking up the handgun and responding to Mathews.


    Mathews looked like a child who had seen a beloved toy but didn''t have the money to buy it. He just stared at the gun, continuing to mutter to himself, "My God! Incredible! Gods above... it''s unbelievable."


    "You see? This thing represents the future!" Tang Mo said to Mathews with a smile.


    "You''re right, we are destined to win... no, we are destined to win!" Mathews corrected himself subconsciously, "Clever linkage... how did you think of this?"


    Tang Mo laughed, with an unrestrained grin. He handed the handgun to Mathews, "Take a closer look."


    In fact, as long as one takes a good look at the structure and disassembles it, replicating it is almost effortless.


    The only technical difficulty was with the fulminate. Without the percussion cap, the thing was almost worthless.


    But with the percussion cap, it became the most advanced king of close combat of the era, and without a doubt, even Wes described it as the bane of the Rangers!


    "Stay and work for me, and you will see a different world," Tang Mo offered as he watched Mathews handling the handgun.


    "I will go make the parts you need right now! I can finish them before dark! As long as you don''t send me away, I''ll stay here until I die," Mathews said to Tang Mo earnestly, looking up.


    As he spoke, his eyes shone with sincerity; Tang Mo knew that this old dwarf truly saw this place as his lifetime workplace.


    Everyone knew that the Shireck conglomerate, which had infiltrated the Leite Kingdom, was a monstrous super arms dealer. Once they got their hands on a sample of Tang Mo''s new weapon, it would be very easy for them to mass-produce replicas.


    And since Tang Mo had been showcasing his weapons around, no one could guarantee that the information wouldn''t reach the ears of those at Shireck.


    Tang Mo first brought out the needle gun actually as a way of deliberately setting a trap for Shireck, this potential adversary. Once the opponent fell into the big pit of the needle gun, it meant they were led astray and would naturally waste a large amount of resources.


    By the time Shireck realized what was happening, Tang Mo would have had a brief respite and could calmly respond and bring out better weapons for yet another leap forward.


    What if Shireck played fair and did not copy Tang Mo''s needle gun design? Wasn''t the needle gun still more advanced than Shireck''s flintlock? The superiority was obvious at a glance, and Tang Mo wouldn''t suffer, would he?


    Besides this insurance, there was another very direct reason¡ªTang Mo was just the owner of a handicraft workshop, and he really could not mass-produce paper cartridges with caps at the bottom in any proper sense at the moment.


    Although this item was not too sophisticated, it still demanded higher requirements than the cap that was simply wrapped in the middle of paper cartridge powder, so Tang Mo could not ensure quality control.


    If he had the support of Count Fisheo, Tang Mo could expand his production line and hire more workers. Then he probably could mass-produce paper cartridges with primers at the bottom, but he did not currently have the capability.


    Therefore, the more rudimentary, and the easier to manually produce ammunition for the long-needle gun, became Tang Mo''s temporary choice.


    He really had no other choice, as his small workshop of about a hundred people truly had limited productivity, which couldn''t keep up with Tang Mo''s demands.


    Among these hundred people, there were seventeen or eighteen traditional blacksmith and smelting workers who operated the furnaces and processed metals into usable materials.


    There were also less than twenty parts manufacturing workers, who were true craftsmen. They operated simple equipment and relied almost entirely on handicraft to create some parts, drilling out expensive gun barrels!


    Do you know how many days a proper worker in this era, using a semi-automatic method, needs to drill a qualified gun barrel? About three days!


    How many guns could Tang Mo''s small workshop produce each day? Roughly one-third of a gun! It took him about three days to make a rifle, and equipping an infantry company with weapons would keep him busy for a year!


    Therefore, his trip to the Northern Ridge to meet with Lord Earl was actually not just for a weapons production order but also for a full support from Lord Earl and a series of plans to expand the workshop''s capacity!


    He intended to consume almost all of the steel output of Northern Ridge in the future and then begin by making two coal-fired steam engines in his own workshop. With these modern machines, he would manufacture perfect gun barrels.


    In short, everything needed time, effort, technology, and talent to accumulate...


    And before all of this, before anything was ready, Tang Mo needed to prepare another catalyst for these "chemical reactions"¡ªmoney!


    Yes, he needed a lot of money! Everything needed money for support, without money everything was just a dream.


    Now he had money, so everything could start to be deployed and implemented¡ªand that was indeed what he was doing. At present, the parts for the steam engines were still under manufacture, but soon Tang Mo would have two boring machines that could work day and night!


    With this equipment, his production speed could be multiplied, and Lord Earl''s order would no longer be an unattainable goal.

 Chapter 15: Assembly 15

    The morning sunlight was always beautiful, and when Tang Mo opened his eyes, warm rays were streaming through the grimy glass onto his feet.


    He sat up in bed, stretched lazily, and the bustle of recent days brought back the feeling he had when he was working in the past, a sense of fulfillment and the wonderful experience of reaping rewards every day.


    Yesterday, after several experiments, he had mastered the correct method for producing smokeless gunpowder, or at least the preparation process in a laboratory setting had become very familiar to him.


    However, to produce this stuff on a large scale, it would still take some time. Although he had acted as a hands-off manager for a day yesterday, the production of steam engine components had not paused for a moment.


    A few days ago, Roger, Mathews, and others who had received the blueprints, started working around the clock.


    Tang Mo estimated that the components should have been mostly manufactured by now, and once assembled according to the blueprints, he could start mass-producing various firearm parts.


    In reality, without electricity, it was impossible for machine tools to perform cutting tasks perfectly. Thus, most of the work still relied on the support of workers, but machinery saved a large amount of manpower and stabilized the quality during critical steps.


    The continuous days without producing a single Quick Gun had left Tagg looking quite unpleasant. Yesterday, he sought out Tang Mo and expressed his dissatisfaction.


    However, this poor military officer was clueless about weapon manufacturing, so he really didn''t understand what Tang Mo was doing. In the end, Tang Mo dismissed the loyal officer with just a few words.


    Since there were Soldiers belonging to Lord Earl at the door, and the rest of the Gold Coin was in Tagg''s hands, he wasn''t worried about Tang Mo running off with the materials and money.


    And over these days, although Tang Mo hadn''t produced a single Quick Gun, he had indeed been busy in the workshop the entire time and wasn''t slacking off, so Tagg could only wait honestly, waiting for the miracle Tang Mo promised to appear.


    The principle of the steam engine was actually very simple, just a process of boiling water. However, it could also be very complicated, as it had been improved countless times in the hundred years after its inception.


    This thing was indeed very complex, but for Tang Mo, who could query all internal structure assembly methods, it wasn''t too complicated.


    Tang Mo was unable to develop the most advanced steam engine all at once, but he could skip past the immature designs and start with the mature ones.


    Sometimes, these designs were improved through the accumulation of experience rather than a technical leap. Thus, Tang Mo could use current materials and technology to make a small leap forward.


    After washing his face, he walked out of his room and saw Dwarf Mathews leading a few workers, together with old Roger, installing a massive machine nearly five meters long.


    To minimize the problems caused by component discrepancies, the first steam engine Tang Mo built was quite large. He had no choice but to ensure the machine''s output strength, to allow it to directly participate in work.


    But now, he had directly brought out this enormous piece of machinery, of course, everyone was feeling out of their element. This era, although it had already seen steam engines, those were merely... toys in comparison.


    As for thrust, the steam engines of this era could barely rotate on their own, let alone provide continuous power. So these engines were still experimental, just conceptual, really.


    But right now, the colossal contraption before Tang Mo was not just a demonstration prototype; it really could provide powerful energy capable of changing the production of the era!


    Roger pointed at the huge machinery in front of them, already linked to a drill press with chains, and said, "How can I not be nervous? Look for yourself, who would have thought we''d be building such a behemoth?"


    "What on earth is it for?" the worker felt that having such a large metal device in the workshop was somewhat... rather terrifying.


    Just look at this thing; it even had several gauges on it, nearly the size of the palm of a hand, their needles pointing at zero, with no clear understanding of their purpose.


    While it looked odd, some clues could still be discerned from the details: a few days ago, the workshop boss, Tang Mo, had opened a hole at the back of this room, and then erected a huge chimney.


    Combined with a combustion chamber underneath the machine for burning fuel, those coming from the smelting workshop immediately realized that this contraption, too, required coal.


    In any case, some guessed it was a device for burning something, but with those huge moving parts added, everyone became perplexed: they all knew that to fully understand what this thing was for, they only needed to wait for Tang Mo to start it up.


    Roger finally found a screwdriver, tightened the components, then took another part from Mathews, "No idea, but the boss thinks this thing is very important."


    "Enough talking, get back to work!" Mathews worked with a very serious focus.


    It was at this moment that Roger asked him, "I say, you Dwarfs... do you all keep such big tufts of beard?"


    "If you showed the slightest bit of respect for your elders while working, your skills wouldn''t be so poor!" Mathews, visibly irritated, puffed out his beard and glared as he shouted.


    Just as Roger was about to respond and continue teasing him, he looked up and saw Tang Mo approaching, and with a somewhat embarrassed smile, he said, "Boss! You''re up?"


    "Yeah, I''m up," Tang Mo replied as he walked beside Dwarf Mathews, looking up at the steam engine that was eight layers complete, and then asked Mathews, "Been busy all night?"


    "Pretty much," Mathews said, wiping his greasy hands on his clothing before handing over equally greasy schematics to Tang Mo: "We followed your instructions and rigged up a simple lever to barely get this thing installed."


    He was full of anticipation to see this device in motion, so much so that even when talking, his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the huge machine nearby: "You used so much top-quality steel, surely it won''t be a failure in the end, will it?"

 Chapter 16: The footsteps of the 16th era

    ```


    "To be honest, I don''t know either," Tang Mo sighed, "Whether this thing can operate depends entirely on the precision of your workmanship."


    He wasn''t confident about succeeding on the first try either, but he could follow the diagram to find and fix whatever might be wrong with the machine.


    As long as it wasn''t too badly damaged, he was confident he could patch it up and get it running.


    And as long as it started moving, it would be hundreds, if not thousands of times better than the so-called steam engines being produced nowadays.


    "Do you know how much steel it used? The first batch of steel we delivered was almost entirely used for this thing!" Tagg, approaching from behind, said with a dark expression.


    The officer from Northern Ridge was filled with resentment towards the steel behemoth before him. So far, Tang Mo had yet to produce a single gun, and nearly all the steel had been used on this intricately built, strange contraption.


    If Tang Mo failed, it would mean that he had just stood by and watched a swindler squander all that Lord Earl had painstakingly saved.


    But he didn''t dare stop Tang Mo, as he was just an officer with absolutely no understanding of technical production.


    The problem was that on the second day after his arrival in Brunas with his men, the most technically knowledgeable of them, Mathews, had shown utmost admiration for Tang Mo and was willing to believe that he was truly innovating production technology.


    There was nothing he could do; if those who were knowledgeable about technology said so, Tagg could only shut his mouth and be careful not to jeopardize Lord Earl''s grand plans.


    Nonetheless, when he saw the smelting workers pouring almost all the steel ingots into molds to cast what looked like steel rods with no apparent use, his whole being felt unwell.


    For the past few days, he had been lingering around this workshop, closely watching as the workers gradually assembled the strange device.


    You should have seen it; two days ago, this device was still just a rough prototype, but today, after Mathews and Roger worked overtime, it had become incredibly complex.


    "Trust me, if it really starts moving, everything, everything will be worth it," Tang Mo continued to reassure the confidant of Lord Earl.


    Sometimes Tang Mo felt that personal charisma was truly fascinating and interesting. Lord Earl Fisello had reduced taxes in his territory and seldom conscripted civilians, and this had indeed yielded greater benefits in some respects.


    Think about it, Wes, the Ranger from Northern Ridge, was willing to resign from his post under Baron Stela to send secret information to Lord Earl and seek new weapons; Tagg, far away in Brunas, was also loyally carrying out Fisello''s orders. Weren''t these people, living in their own way, endearing?


    So, Tang Mo did not resent Tagg''s dissatisfaction; he even had a small liking for it. Who wouldn''t like such loyal people?


    "Alright! Boss! This is the last internal part; I''ve just reinforced it!" Roger climbed down the ladder and reported to Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo nodded, smiled, and directed a familiar-looking worker who was standing aside, "Go, get the coal-burning workers! Let''s experiment and see if this steam engine can actually start turning!"


    The piston mechanism finally went into a reciprocating cycle, and the entire machine emitted a deafening roar, making the whole workshop extremely noisy.


    In fact, the workshop had never experienced such loud noise before, but what truly amazed people wasn''t just the overwhelmingly loud noise, but the complex interlocking gear mechanisms that also began to function.


    The first gear started turning, driving another large gear interlocked with it, then transmitting to yet another gear, and afterward, the chains started rotating rapidly.


    Driven by these gears, the drill bit that was supposed to bore into the gun barrel began to rotate smoothly, and without deviation.


    Amidst the noisy sounds, Mathews saw the needle of the pressure gauge in front of him pointing close to the red warning zone, but it did not increase any further. The needle jittered at the edge of the highest number as if it had a life of its own.


    Everyone was astounded by what they saw; they truly hadn''t expected that the monster they had built could move so agilely.


    The rotating flywheel was spinning rapidly, and the safety valve also spurted out a jet of steam to reduce the boiler pressure when it became too high. The entire machine''s motions were under control, as if it had its own program running smoothly.


    This is the charm of industry, the aesthetic of mechanics. When all parts move along their pre-designed trajectory, an unstoppable powerful force is transmitted, eventually becoming the power needed by mankind!


    "Let it run for a while... maintain lubrication on the moving parts!" Tang Mo saw that the safety valve he had designed was functioning normally, and knew that the device wouldn''t suffer a major problem.


    It was possible that some part might break, causing the device to stall, but a dangerous explosion was definitely not going to happen.


    So he slightly relaxed, then approached the drill press that was spinning steadly, and looked at the middle-aged worker standing there: "How is it?"


    This worker was the one who had scolded his apprentice earlier; he was the best drill press operator in the factory, also mentoring five apprentices.


    "It''s much better than the speed at which I drill. Manual rotation requires rest, and after a while, we have to take a break... then come back and realign, so the work process is very troublesome." The middle-aged worker said somewhat uneasily: "This machine... if it can keep rotating like this, then it really can, can replace me."


    "No, you can never be replaced." Tang Mo heard the conflict and despair deep in the other''s words, patted his shoulder, and said, "Your experience is irreplaceable. Soon there will be many machines like this in the factory, and the quality of the gun barrels will need your oversight."


    He smiled and looked at him, seeing the other''s somewhat panicked eyes: "I''m planning to make you the production supervisor for this process."


    The man didn''t know exactly what a production supervisor was, but he knew he wouldn''t be out of a job, which was definitely good news.


    So, his face regained its shine, and he opened his mouth to say thank you to Tang Mo, but found himself choking up a bit.


    "The 10 new workers, as well as your apprentices, will all be under your management. From today on, you report to me!" Tang Mo explained the meaning of being a supervisor, immediately shocking the middle-aged man so much he forgot his sob...


    ----------


    Thank you for the Emperor''s support! Thank you very much!

 Chapter 17: 17 The real craftsman

    "Alright, Uncle Roger, Mathews! Just get a few apprentices to keep an eye on the dashboard, and you can go about your business!" After briefly delegating the tasks, Tang Mo left the newly promoted production manager to his own devices.


    This middle-aged worker named Parker had been working at the drill press for nearly ten years. Such a worker could understand the power of this automatic drilling machine even more easily than Tang Mo had imagined.


    All he had to do was clamp the qualified gun barrel in the fixture, then he could wait for the drill bit to complete the work that used to take three days.


    Nothing could excite him more, especially when he knew that not only would he not be unemployed, he was about to become a "foreman," his frown turned into a foolish grin.


    Having called Roger and Mathews back, Tang Mo took them to his office. The place was still spartan, but for Roger and Mathews, who were visiting again, it seemed to be shining with a great brilliance everywhere.


    As they entered Tang Mo''s room, Mathews described his shock to old Roger, "Can you believe it? The boss even designed a governor... With rotation and springs, precise control can be achieved... Who would believe that..."


    Mathews was truly shocked by Tang Mo''s design, because with his experience, he could tell it was an absolutely mature design once the machine started to move!


    What is a mature design? A mature design is one that has been polished and improved in every detail through long-term use and understanding!


    Theoretically, these improvements in details should come from discovering problems in use, then spending time to solve them, and only gradually reveal the most reasonable prototype.


    Yet the design Tang Mo presented had every one of these details considered without a single miss. It even included some ingenious designs that Mathews had never heard of, all of which were presented before his eyes!


    This situation shouldn''t have been possible, but there it was, abruptly appearing before Mathews'' eyes! So, Mathews had already begun to worship Tang Mo as the god of craftsmen in this world.


    Roger had just emerged from his shock, too, his mind still filled with the turning flywheel and the pressure relief valve that occasionally emitted a puff of white steam.


    So, as he walked into the room, he exclaimed, "All I know is... it can keep working like this, needing just four people to shovel coal, three to watch the pressure gauge..."


    "See that? It can drive five drilling machines... By the gods above... Five apprentice workers, with just one hour of training, can easily produce gun barrels... and they can make two a day," Mathews said, stretching out his short, yet incredibly flexible and steady hand, and showing five fingers.


    "What if... we had two steam engines?" Tang Mo walked over to the corner, took a cup from the box of ale shipped from Northern Ridge, and placed it on the pile of steam engine blueprints.


    Mathews didn''t know whether to laugh or complain, his humming voice changing in tone, "Damn it... Let Shireck go to hell... I''m spending my life here, not going anywhere else! He''s the god of craftsmen, I really mean it."


    "We just need to make dozens of these steam engines, and we could monopolize the entire Kingdom''s weapon production... not to speak of producing 300 gun barrels a month, as long as we have enough machines, I can make 1000!" Roger added excitedly.


    "You all need to take a break." Tang Mo continued to bend over, lifted a bottle of ale from the wooden crate in the corner, and pulled off the wooden stopper: "Take the day off, get a good night''s sleep! Then we''ll replicate today''s success!"


    Although hand-crafted items actually have higher precision, their production speed limits the scale of handmade manufacturing! Once machines become widespread, manufacturing becomes simple.


    Mathews also understood Tang Mo''s words. Becoming an artisan wasn''t a threat to him because he knew his hands were much more flexible than any machine.


    And the machinery of this era was not yet as revolutionary as five-axis machine tools; no matter how exquisite, they were simply rotating and cutting¡ªultimately, it was still human hands that were needed to create individual components...


    "Oh!" While they spoke, the workers outside let out cheers. After several minutes of uninterrupted rotation without any malfunctions, they finally confirmed a fact: the device before them was indeed a success.


    The cheers formed a continuous wave that made the workshop even louder. The roaring of the machines, coupled with the workers'' cheers, filled the workshop with life.


    Next, it was time to tackle the issue of bullets, Tang Mo thought tentatively. Bullets in this era were actually quite dangerous, prone to accidental discharge, often wounding the user before anyone else, and were not widely embraced.


    The fool willing to tuck a pistol under their arm had not yet appeared, naturally, there wouldn''t be madmen who stuffed their pockets full of bullets either.


    Besides the risk of accidental discharge causing injury, the bullets of the time were also unreliable. Apart from the carefully hand-crafted high-quality control bullets, mass-produced rounds frequently failed to fire.


    On the battlefield, if a unit of 1000 soldiers with flintlock guns could fire only 900 bullets, it wasn''t something embarrassing; on the contrary, it was a glory that suggested well-trained troops and well-maintained weapons!


    Every soldier on the battlefield was tense, so it was no surprise that accidents could happen. Some soldiers had bullets get stuck in their gun barrels with the first shot, then kept loading and firing until the barrel was jam-packed with bullets.


    However, Tang Mo felt it was time to change this state of affairs. He planned to teach these simpletons from another world a lesson with the force of mechanical industry, showing them what near flawless quality control really meant!


    Once machines largely replaced human hands, it would be possible to control the quality of products, and the bullets would become reliable.


    Northern Ridge had coal, Northern Ridge had iron! With coal and steel, Tang Mo was confident in building a qualified army for this era!


    Once Earl Ronin Fisallo won the imminent war with the K1 Quick Gun, the fame of Tang Weapons would be well known to all.


    By that time, opponents would genuinely take his existence seriously, and likewise, by then, Tang Mo would be able to boldly stand before the Shireck Consortium and face the upcoming storm.


    ---------


    Um, thanks to Teacher Zhang... um, I''m feeling so bashful...


    ```

 Chapter 18: 18 confidential

    When Tang Mo saw Tagg again, the military officer dressed in bright yellow was somewhat shyly bowing his head as he admitted his mistake, "I have to admit, I misunderstood you; I''m sorry, Mr. Tang Mo, I''m here to apologize to you."


    He was a confidant of Lord Earl Fisheo, so he had always stood from Lord Fisheo''s perspective, monitoring Tang Mo''s every move.


    Previously, he didn''t understand the technology at all, so even if he had doubted Tang Mo''s actions, he didn''t have a good way to deal with him.


    Now, having witnessed with his own eyes how the enormous machine Tang Mo had created could indeed replace manual labor in drilling gun barrels, he realized he had misunderstood the young weapons manufacturer.


    Tang Mo smiled and waved his hand, indicating it didn''t matter to him, "That''s nothing; you were just being loyal to your duty."


    He actually really liked the soldier before him¡ªloyal and honest; he was the perfect subordinate.


    It was unfortunate that this subordinate belonged to Earl Fisheo; he could only admire him, but not possess him. However, Tang Mo still believed that one day he would have a group of subordinates as loyal as Tagg.


    Tagg, looking at Tang Mo''s smile, nodded slightly in gratitude, "Thank you for understanding, sir. I think with such... such a magnificent machine, you will definitely be able to fulfill your promise to the Earl."


    The steam machine that was constantly operating had driven two machine tools, which had drilled two qualified gun barrels in the past day.


    It should be noted that this was still the experimental stage; if the machine were to operate at full capacity, it was estimated that it could produce ten gun barrels a day.


    However, there were also problems. The estimated smoke emissions were somewhat miscalculated, and the chimney had been built too short in the rush to finish, causing the entire factory to be filled with the strong smell of coal smoke.


    Tang Mo pointed to the steam machine that was still working tirelessly nearby and said to Tagg, "Yes, I plan to continue manufacturing such machinery in the next half month, and then start producing the weapons that Lord Earl needs."


    Tagg was taken aback as he had thought that as soon as Tang Mo had manufactured this machine, he would start building the weapons required by the Earl the next day.


    But from Tang Mo''s words, it seemed he planned to continue making similar machines before producing the weapons and equipment that the Earl needed.


    This outcome almost made him want to say something, but looking at Tang Mo''s face, he opened his mouth and ended up saying as if possessed, "Then, that''s really great."


    "I hope everything goes smoothly." Tang Mo saw that Tagg did not criticize his production plan, and the smile on his face grew even more.


    He clapped Tagg on the shoulder and began to persuade gently, "I hope you can help me with some things, Tagg."


    Tang Mo wanted to expand his factory, which required extensive land. He intended to build his own arsenal empire, thus needing a more complete industry chain.


    According to Tang Mo''s plan, his first step was to ensure safe passage between his location and the Northern Ridge, so he prepared to buy the needed land in the direction of the Northern Ridge.


    On one hand, he required the port of Brunas to serve his needs¡ªtransporting and stocking up on more goods, including a considerable amount of steel from sea transport and fishery products.


    On the other hand, he also planned to explore timber resources of the Vicious Forest. With this timber, he could further expand his production and build more factories.


    Between these raw material sources and the port, he needed a lot of land to construct his industrial empire¡ªincluding numerous dormitories, factory buildings, and agricultural lands.


    He would plant cotton here; the climate was very suitable for it. Previously, due to the sparse population and the cost of cultivation, nobody supported the venture, but now he was ready to spare no expense to transform the place into a genuine utopian retreat.


    These empty spaces would become pig bristle farms, large smelting centers, and factory areas with chimneys lined up in succession.


    In the midst of these factories would be schools for cultivating talent, markets filled with stockpiled goods, and worker dormitories that were tidy and hygienically maintained.


    He wanted to turn this place into an industrial base even more spectacular than Germany''s Ruhr district, stretching north to Wolf City, south into the mountains, backed by the Endless Sea, and facing the vast Leite Plains.


    Enveloped by Tang Mo''s embrace and overwhelmed by his requests, Tagg responded subconsciously, "I think that could be possible."


    "You had better come with me. The Sheriff and Mayor of Brunas may not be so easy to talk to," Tang Mo continued.


    Tagg naturally nodded in agreement, "I will make them see reason."


    "That would be most fortunate. Additionally, I need leather workers, pig bristle processors, and it would be best to have doctors...," Tang Mo spoke excitedly.


    "Are you planning to build your own town, my lord?" Tagg felt he might have agreed to too much, giving Tang Mo an incorrect estimate of the Earl''s support.


    In fact, the Earl''s influence really was quite limited beyond the Vicious Forest, so using his name might not carry much weight here.


    Of course, he couldn''t possibly tell Tang Mo that the Lord Earl''s name essentially carried no weight here, and that it would be better to be forthright...


    "Roughly speaking, I want my workers to be able to buy food and necessities in my factory, to see their wives, to raise their children..." Tang Mo felt Tagg was quite astute; he had even thought of a town.


    At that point, Tang Mo paused abruptly, and then he found a new angle, "Speaking of children... I should build a school here. The children should learn to read; they should be educated. If you can find some teachers, that would be better yet."

 Chapter 19: 19 expansion plan

    "How could I possibly find you a suitable teacher? Even the Earl can''t handle everything for you! The amount of money you''ve estimated for your rifle purchases is unlikely to support such a vast plan."


    "You''re right, I may have been a bit too optimistic." Tang Mo also felt that expecting a poor officer to manage all these affairs was asking too much.


    Even though Lord Earl does have a high reputation in Northern Ridge and strong ruling power, Tang Mo knew that he was in Brunas¡ªLord Earl''s influence couldn''t reach that far.


    Moreover, for his own considerations, he didn''t want to lay all his cards out under Lord Earl''s eyes.


    Although their current cooperation was indeed stable and pleasant, who knew what it would develop into in the future?


    At this thought, Tang Mo realized there were still so many tasks he needed to concern himself with, and many things he had to start preparing for right now.


    After all, some things could be expedited, while others had no choice but to rely on time to build.


    For example, if Tang Mo wanted to establish a competent intelligence network, he would need to discreetly recruit people and patiently build it bit by bit.


    In comparison, building a primary school was a much simpler task for Tang Mo. It didn''t require a huge investment; just some wooden houses and a few recruited teachers would suffice.


    These days, the pay for elementary school teachers was rather ordinary, and education for commoners wasn''t highly valued, so poaching a few teachers to instruct wasn''t difficult.


    Tang Mo had already made up his mind to build a school because he knew that to make a stand in this world, he needed to nurture a group of people who could understand him!


    In his plan, establishing factories required a large number of talents, a vast quantity of literate people capable of evolving themselves into modern industrial talents!


    Moreover, it wasn''t just about manufacturing talents, but also a multitude of management talents to run his factories and keep up with his thought process.


    Plus, intelligence talents to build the information network he needed, and combat talents to protect his industries...


    All these talents needed to be nurtured by himself. This wasn''t the 21st-century Earth, an era where college graduates were abundant and easily called upon.


    So, he could only cultivate these talents himself, carefully nurturing them, patiently watering them, and waiting for these seeds to take root and sprout, eventually growing into towering trees that could weather any storm.


    Tang Mo did not wish, years or even decades from now, when he was selling fighter jets, to have to go to the customers himself to serve as a training instructor.


    His military empire would continue to develop and at some point, advance rapidly¡ªthis world couldn''t keep up with his pace of development, so he had to drag the entire world forward in a sprint.


    But he couldn''t cover everything by himself, so he needed countless people who could act on his behalf, and right now, he didn''t have a single one of them!


    Whether it was Mathews or Roger, none met Tang Mo''s criteria. Such people might become highly loyal subordinates in the future, but like the rest of the world, they couldn''t keep pace with Tang Mo''s progress.


    Most of the Leite Kingdom''s Navy was deployed near the larger southern ports, with Brunas serving more as a fishing task force.


    The Suthers Kingdom, hostile to the Leite Kingdom, could not attack Brunas from the sea, so the Kingdom didn''t station heavy troops there either.


    Even from a distance, one could hear the raucous cries from the market: "Flatbreads! Get your cheap flatbreads!" "Apples! Delicious apples!"


    These cries were endearing and lent the town a vibrant atmosphere. Leaning in his carriage, Tang Mo closed his eyes and seemed even more peaceful and at ease.


    Tagg, atop his warhorse, glanced sideways at the marketplace''s lush activity. People hawked their wares under the low stone buildings, not very tall and cobbled together from piles of stone.


    Dried salted fish hung from wooden racks, these items coming from the nearby coastal villages. Also visible were traders from distant lands, hawking tropical fruits in their hands.


    Some led livestock, others pulled carts; the crowded streets flanked by stone-built buildings¡ªbefore his transition, Tang Mo had seen these kinds of narrow streets in Western cities, disorganized and antiquated.


    A typical city design constructed for the sake of defensive alley fighting, which after years of development, was crammed with many meaningless civilian buildings.


    Mainly made of stone, walls and houses had wooden extensions for residences. Some windows were draped with drying furs, and some walls had protruding carvings¡ªsimple faces or beast heads, not at all refined.


    People crowded together, steps were densely packed and not very practical; sanitary conditions were subpar. The odorous ditches stretching along the walls on either side of the street were enough to spot rats scurrying by swiftly.


    As the crowd on the streets saw Tang Mo''s procession, the atmosphere seemed to turn heavy.


    The cloud of war had been hanging over everyone''s heads recently, filling them with fear of the impending conflict.


    The sudden appearance of a troop of soldiers in town naturally put the folks on edge. Everyone was on tenterhooks, fearing the soldiers had come to conscript or bring bad news.


    The townsfolk curiously watched the striking procession stop in front of the town''s most well-appointed greyish-white stone office building.


    Called an office building, it was but two stories tall and not overly impressive. The tax office and sheriff''s office were crammed in here, and the town mayor handled official business as well.


    In fact, there was a jail behind it for temporarily detaining criminals. A corridor connected the jail to the office building, overlooking a T-shaped structure.


    When the wolf banner, representing Earl Fisello, stopped at the entrance, the two town guards were clueless about what was happening.


    They watched, somewhat bewildered, as Tagg dismounted from his horse and then opened the carriage door, following which they saw a familiar face step out of the carriage.


    "Whatever I say later, don''t interject, understand?" Tang Mo once again cautioned Tagg.


    ---------


    Thanks to the potato who likes coffee, thank you for your support!

 Chapter 20: 20" Fox borrows the tigers might

    "I understand." Tagg knew he wasn''t cut out for business dealings, so he felt that in this situation, it was more reliable to listen to Tang Mo.


    After all, he had witnessed Tang Mo negotiate with the Lord Earl, and it was truly the epitome of a merchant''s demeanor. Penny-pinching, unbudging...


    "Mr. Tang Mo..." The guards at the door wanted to scold Tang Mo as usual, but when they saw Tagg, dressed in an officer''s uniform, standing by Tang Mo''s side with a respectful demeanor, they immediately swallowed what they were about to say. The latter half of their sentence naturally transformed into the word "sir."


    "I wish to see the town mayor..." Tang Mo waved at the guards at the door, an indifferent expression on his face.


    This was his first encounter with them since crossing over. It seemed these two guards hadn''t refrained from causing trouble for the original owner of Tang Mo''s body.


    He was now representing the Lord Earl, so there was no reason to be pleasant to two little gatekeepers. Sometimes, a superior''s arrogant and indifferent attitude could instill a sense of reverence in the petty.


    If Tang Mo were genial to these two guards, how would he manage to... ahem! How would he negotiate when meeting with the town mayor?


    Sure enough, after seeing Tang Mo''s imposing manner, one of the guards didn''t show any sign of annoyance and obligingly went to pass on Tang Mo''s message.


    When the town mayor of Brunas heard of Tang Mo''s visit, he was clearly taken aback. Of course, he recognized Tang Mo who had been rooted in Brunas for a long time, but he truly couldn''t fathom what Tang Mo would want with him for no good reason.


    Keep in mind, the taxes for this year were exacted from Tang Mo several months ago, and it was said that the weapon workshop wasn''t doing well. As the town mayor headed to the reception room where Tang Mo was waiting, he pondered the purpose of Tang Mo''s visit.


    When he saw Wes and Tagg standing beside Tang Mo, his perplexity reached its peak.


    He really couldn''t figure out why Tang Mo would come to him bringing an officer and a ranger who appeared somewhat disreputable.


    However, he quickly adjusted his demeanor and sat down next to Tang Mo with an expressionless face, asking, "So it''s you, I heard that an officer from Wolf City had arrived and wondered who it could be."


    "Indeed it''s me. This is Captain Tagg from Wolf City, and this time, I come on behalf of Lord Earl Fisello of Wolf City to discuss some matters with you," Tang Mo said casually with a smile, carelessly flaunting Earl Fisello''s name.


    The town mayor wasn''t easily intimidated by this show of strength, for most of the time the area was under Baron Stela''s control and had little to do with the Lord Earl of Northern Ridge.


    Since he wasn''t governed by the Lord Earl, he didn''t need to show deference, so the town mayor also spoke in a casual tone, "Since you''re here on behalf of the Lord Earl, speak up. What exactly brings you here this time..."


    "I want to purchase all the land in the southern part of the town, farmhouses, estates, and some of the residences within the town," Tang Mo stated calmly, glancing at the town mayor and then at Tagg, who stood by.


    No sooner had he spoken than Tagg''s hands, clasped behind his back, began to tremble involuntarily ¡ª because he was acutely aware that the money in Tang Mo''s possession was nowhere near enough to buy a large expanse of proper farmland.


    Ridiculous, to sell out interests that are already in his grasp for the sake of a noble far away in the sky¡ªthat would be the real foolishness.


    "Town Mayor..." Tang Mo intentionally glanced at Tagg standing beside him, as well as at the equally formidable Wes, and called out to the town mayor.


    "What is it?" The town mayor glanced at Tang Mo and asked.


    He deliberately lowered his voice, as if to let Tagg and Wes overhear, and whispered into the town mayor''s ear, "Let''s not beat around the bush; do you know how much money I spent to get this commission from the Earl?"


    "What''s that got to do with me...?" The town mayor snorted coldly and counter-asked.


    Tang Mo then continued, as if threading a threat into the statement of fact, "Making it hard for me means I can''t recover my investment, resulting in a lose-lose scenario and we''ll all struggle to save face."


    "Hmph! Do you think you can actually do anything to me?" The town mayor said with disdain. The Lord Earl was not someone he could afford to offend, but a mere hanger-on in Brunas, wasn''t he easy to deal with?


    "I indeed can''t do anything to you... But you''ve seen it yourself, I didn''t come here to carry out the Earl''s errand alone; I also brought the Earl''s soldiers... If I can''t accomplish the task, then I won''t be able to share the rewards with them..." Tang Mo tightened his fist, raised his thumb, and gestured at Wes and Tagg behind him, speaking word by word.


    After saying that, he added, "Being unable to share the rewards means everyone will report your lack of cooperation to Lord Earl. While the Earl may not be able to trouble you directly, if things turn sour, it will be easy to dig up some dirt on you... You know how easy that is, and then to escalate the matter to the King. I presume, Mayor, that wouldn''t be pleasant for you, right?"


    "You! You dare to threaten me?" The town mayor furrowed his brow, glaring at Tang Mo, with a semblance of grinding his teeth.


    "No, no, no! How could this be a threat? I am simply stating some facts," Tang Mo explained waving his hands.


    The town mayor''s heart eased slightly, but his facial expression remained unchanged, still displeased he asked, "Then what do you propose?"


    "I''m just here on an errand; what Lord Earl wants... is a piece of land." Tang Mo said, pointing at himself, "Whether the land is good or its location, Lord Earl can''t see it, and won''t likely come to inspect it himself anytime soon... It''s only me, and these soldiers who can see... understand?"


    "Hmm?" The town mayor, also keenly astute in matters of greed, caught on and with an elongated voice, glanced at Tang Mo.


    "If we buy only good land and grand houses... the money the Earl gave us will barely suffice, even slightly short... Where''s the benefit in that? And how could these brothers get their share?" Tang Mo hinted under his breath at the stiff and frustrated Tagg, speaking softly to the town mayor.


    The town mayor nodded to indicate for Tang Mo to continue. He sensed an aroma of compromise, a flavor of operability, in Tang Mo''s words.


    ---------


    Thank you, Your Majesty~~ Hmm, continue with the awkward smile, hehe, hehehehe...

 Chapter 21: 21 not a single word of truth

    ```


    "So naturally, I would pick some of the less desirable lands to purchase, you would get a cut, I would get a cut, and the soldiers below us would have something to skim...naturally, everyone would be overjoyed, right?" Tang Mo continued to explain.


    "Hmm... Now that you put it that way, I understand." The town mayor''s expression eased considerably, and he nodded slightly in praise of Tang Mo, "I could tell from the start that you are very sensible, young man with boundless potential."


    You just heard about the cut, so now I''m the young man with boundless potential, huh? Tang Mo cynically commented to himself in his heart.


    However, he still maintained a smile, extended a finger, and made a promise, "Once the job is done, I''ll give you this amount!"


    "..." Seeing the gesture Tang Mo made with his lips, the mayor''s heart skipped a beat. That was a hundred Gold Coins! He''d have to...no, he''d have to struggle for an entire year to make that much in under-the-table income!


    It wasn''t as though the Shireck Consortium only gave Baron Stela a yearly profit of 150 Gold Coins. As the mayor of this small town, he could barely scrape together 100 Gold Coins after a year of hard work. Now he had a chance to double that income; how could he not be tempted?


    "Let''s hear the specifics, see if I can help the Lord Earl resolve his dilemma..." The mayor implied something more in his remarks.


    "I''ll buy to the north! Towards the direction of the Vicious Forest, buying up the wastelands, forest lands... How about it?" Tang Mo finally revealed his true purpose.


    The mayor was taken aback for a moment, then his face showed a satisfied smile, "Good! I knew since you were paying to sort out this matter, you definitely had a way to make that money back..."


    If it were the fertile lands to the south, the manors and such, he could not accept. Because that was his profit, and it was also for him to control the Sheriff and the tax officials, and to support himself.


    But the lands to the north were different; mostly non-arable and untillable, and too unsafe being next to the Vicious Forest, so few people were interested in them.


    Such lands being idle were just as well; being able to sell them for a good sum, he was like turning waste into treasure, gaining an advantage other mayors couldn''t.


    He paused, then feigned contemplation before continuing to agree with Tang Mo, "Sure, if it''s those ownerless lands to the north, I can decide to sell them to the Lord Earl."


    As he spoke, he glanced at the man dressed as a military officer standing behind Tang Mo, who had remained quiet. Seeing no dissatisfaction on the man''s face, he knew that these soldiers had apparently been "bought over" by Tang Mo, the cunning businessman.


    This made him even more reassured because it meant that those below were in collusion, and under such circumstances, the nobility above were often deceived by their subordinates for a time.


    "Just one thing!" But he leaned towards Tang Mo and raised a seemingly worrisome question, "What if the Earl finds out about this...?"


    "Don''t you worry... Mr. Mayor." Tang Mo didn''t give him the chance to drive up the price and assured boldly, "By the time the Earl loses Northern Ridge and has to flee here... will he still have the mood to trouble us?"


    "Err... Haha!" The mayor was startled, then burst into loud laughter. He pointed at Tang Mo and praised satisfactorily, "Why didn''t I realize earlier that you''re such an interesting person?"


    So, although Tang Mo appeared very wealthy, in reality, the capital he could maneuver was not that much.


    It was unavoidable because Count Fisheo was not greedy, so he could not come up with so many gold coins at once, and therefore Tang Mo could not possibly receive all the goods payment at once either.


    Actually, Tang Mo was already quite content. Being able to bring back over 1000 gold coins at once had greatly exceeded his expectations.


    Over time, a good deal of this money had already been spent. On one hand, Tang Mo had purchased a large quantity of steel and food from the port, as well as a substantial amount of leather and bristles.


    In addition to recruiting construction workers, buying construction materials, acquiring some land nearby, and paying his workers¡ªhe had already used about 300 gold coins.


    The remaining gold coins, of course, could not all be spent, as he needed to keep around 300 gold coins to hire teachers, build schools, construct new factories, and procure more steel materials.


    Therefore, the funds he could use amounted to roughly around 500 gold coins. Considering the need to reserve some gold coins for potential risks, the amount he could spend without any concerns might only be between 300 to 400 gold coins.


    It might sound like a lot, but it definitely was not. In comparison to the large plots of land he wanted to purchase, this money seemed somewhat insufficient from any point of view.


    The town mayor on the other side didn''t know about this, and upon hearing that there was a big spender like Tang Mo willing to help the Lord Earl buy a large piece of wasteland, he had already begun to calculate just how much he could embezzle from the deal.


    Afterward, the two of them began discussing the specific size of the land, as the gold coins in Tang Mo''s hands were not enough to buy all the land between Brunas and Vicious Forest directly.


    Therefore, which parts to take and which to leave out needed careful deliberation. Tang Mo was very familiar with the area, and the town mayor knew it like the back of his hand, so the two of them marked up the map and quickly decided on the size and location of the land.


    Tang Mo didn''t fuss about the quality of the land; he needed land to build factories and expand production. Thus, he only chose a piece of land next to his weapons workshop, so vast that it could truly be described as ''huge'' due to its barrenness.


    After pondering for a moment, the mayor looked up and nodded in agreement, "All right! We can sign the land sale agreement immediately!"


    "Hold on!" Of course, Tang Mo couldn''t possibly come up with 600 gold coins, so naturally, he stopped the mayor in his tracks from getting up to draft the land purchase contract and slaughtering him like a fattened pig.


    "Hmm?" The mayor frowned and looked at Tang Mo.


    "My lord, part of the Earl''s gold coins are still on the way... so, it will be ten days later before I can pay you the other half of the gold coins!"


    "I thought it was something serious! You can issue an IOU! If the gold coins don''t arrive, our contract will simply be null and void..." The mayor said carefreely, waving his hand. He had no reason to disagree with such an arrangement; if Tang Mo couldn''t produce the final payment, he would simply take back the land and pocket a few hundred gold coins, naturally making a bit more profit.


    As expected, once he had said this, he immediately revealed a greedy smile, "However, if you are the one who breaches the contract, the first half of the payment you''ve already made is non-refundable, you know!"


    "Of course! That''s perfectly reasonable!" Tang Mo had no intention of defaulting on these 300 gold coins, so he smiled and extended his hand, shaking hands with the other party, and spoke the phrase he knew all too well, "It''s a pleasure doing business with you!"

 Chapter 22: Numerous Difficulties

    Having witnessed Tang Mo''s negotiation tactics, Tagg thought he must be wary of this man full of cunning and deceit, or as the trendy phrase goes, a "heart"-less fellow.


    This sly businessman had, from the beginning to the end, never revealed his true intentions, and eventually acquired a vast expanse of urgently needed land at an extremely low price.


    In the process, the businessman shamelessly demonstrated his bribery skills¡ªafter gifting the mayor 100 Gold Coins, he secretly handed the sheriff and the tax officer 30 Gold Coins each, making both of them readily agree to the deal.


    Then, after covertly offering another 50 Gold Coins in bribes to the mayor, His Honor "accidentally" misaligned a boundary on the map, giving Tang Mo a large piece of unclaimed land!


    The result was that, in addition to the 260 Gold Coins he paid in bribes, Tang Mo spent only 860 Gold Coins to purchase a large tract of land.


    Although these lands were wastelands, unsuitable for farming, for Tang Mo, who urgently needed land for expanding his factories, the sheer size of the newly acquired property enabled him to nearly do whatever he wished.


    Sitting in his carriage, holding the land deed that indicated the acreage in his trembling hands, Tang Mo was still slightly shaking.


    Indeed, he had not anticipated such arbitrariness in the handling of land in this world, that he had actually managed to obtain such an immense plot of land at such a bargain price.


    Moreover, this land was adjacent to the sea; if Tang Mo wished, he could even build his own private port.


    Furthermore, the remaining lands near the Vicious Forest were even farther from the town and would be even cheaper¡ªonce Tang Mo completed the arms deal with the Earl, his profits would sufficiently support his acquisition of these unclaimed lands.


    With this land as support, his factory now had room to expand, and once connected to the Vicious Forest, he could even conduct business as a trading merchant, directly logging from the Vicious Forest... The advantages were numerous.


    In short, his development was now on the fast track; if all went smoothly, he could soon become the largest weapons manufacturer in the Leite Kingdom.


    But that was only if everything went smoothly... in fact, Tang Mo''s expansion was not going smoothly, because while the computer in his head could look up information, it couldn''t help him come up with a sensible development plan.


    After spending his limited funds on a vast expanse of land, Tang Mo encountered a series of problems. Among them, the most significant was a shortage of workers.


    His development was too rapid, having swallowed too many resources he couldn''t immediately utilize¡ªthose familiar with real-time strategy games understand this well: you''ve saved up a lot of Gold Coins, only to realize you have too few people, and you''re short on corresponding lumber and oil, so your pile of Gold Coins can''t be converted into the troops you want...


    When Tang Mo returned to his office, he convened all the slightly capable subordinates under him: Old Roger, Parker, Dwarf Mathews, Tagg, and Wes.


    After taking a sip of water, Roger''s nearly smoking throat finally felt much better, and he continued speaking, "Additionally, the wood you had us stockpile is almost used up, and what''s left is the air-dried wood... That''s meant for producing the K1 Quick Gun, so it can''t be repurposed."


    "If you redirect some people to gather more wood, then we''ll have even fewer hands for building houses. We need more people..." Roger expressed his worries, reminding Tang Mo of all the difficulties that were imminent.


    As one of Tang Mo''s elders, he truly did not want to see Tang Mo, in a situation where everything seemed to be going well, mismanage the business his father had left him.


    So without waiting for Tang Mo to say anything, Roger continued, "A more serious problem is that we''re currently building plank houses within our own workshop grounds, which are leveled, so they can be used directly."


    Tang Mo knew that this kind of expansion was irrational. If he were a genuine businessman, the most appropriate thing for him to do now would be to allocate his income reasonably and ensure the safety of the cash flow as much as possible.


    But Tang Mo also knew he was not a true businessman. He preferred to take risks, to expand rapidly, to break free from the current passive state of relying on others.


    Compared to the madmen he was familiar with from later generations, who started fundraising after making a few PowerPoint presentations, dared to seek bank loans of millions with a couple of hundred thousand on hand, and who, upon securing loans, dared to seek financing, and with financing success dared to borrow even more money, and then with more money began working toward going public, his current development could indeed be described as conservative.


    In fact, Tang Mo really had considered the issue of subsequent development, and he had his own set of solutions.


    The first step was to establish his factory and then sell the weapons to the other nobility of the Leite Kingdom.


    As long as Northern Ridge secured a victory in the imminent war and showcased its might, he would never lack customers. Those nobles, unless they were fools, would certainly choose Tang Mo''s weapons!


    Even if they were fools, as news of the war spread further and further, more distant places, more distant countries, would become supporters of the weapons he produced.


    Soon, the outdated weapons produced by the Shireck Conglomerate would be phased out, and he would take their place, becoming the new world''s arms supplier!


    Of course, this was just his strategic plan. In practice, he had many details to fill in and perfect, and it certainly wouldn''t be so simple.


    Roger wasn''t aware of Tang Mo''s plan. He was just deeply concerned about the current situation, so he kept talking incessantly to Tang Mo about the upcoming difficulties, "But if we use up these leveled lands, we''ll need even more manpower and much more time to level the uncultivated land outside, and that''s going to be even more problematic."


    Mathews, who was sitting beside him, was clearly also dissatisfied with the situation, his demeanor one of wanting to speak but holding back. According to him, Tang Mo should let the workers do what workers are supposed to do. As for expanding the factory, Mathews thought Tang Mo could wait to hire proper construction workers later.


    "We can''t afford to hire people to level the land now, because according to our accounts, our profits aren''t much. To be precise, like before, we don''t even have enough money for next month''s wages for the workers!" He paused at this point because he knew he had already said enough, and Tang Mo should have realized the seriousness of the problem by now.

 Chapter 23: 23 Future Blueprint

    Indeed, Tang Mo was also genuinely aware of the current situation, which was not much stronger than before when he had gone to Earl Fisello.


    Before, he was truly impoverished, but although he was no longer destitute now, he had even fewer resources at his disposal.


    At that time, despite not having much money, not even enough to pay the workers'' wages, he at least was not in debt.


    But what about now? In reality, he had incurred a significant amount of debt¡ªhe had spent all of the money advanced by the Earl for the ordered firearms, yet had not produced even a single rifle.


    It was only because the military officer Tagg, sent by Lord Earl to supervise him, had witnessed the K1 Quick Gun and knew Tang Mo was not a fraud that Tang Mo had not yet been arrested and sent back to Northern Ridge.


    How to use everything at his disposal to rapidly produce a sufficient number of weapons to supply the Earl was a problem Tang Mo had to solve.


    Or to put it another way, come hell or high water, Tang Mo must pacify Tagg to continue tolerating his reckless actions. Otherwise, he would become bankrupt, losing everything he had.


    "We''ll make use of our current shooting range and the adjacent vacant land for now! Let''s start constructing a factory here," Tang Mo thought and then offered his solution.


    The land within the factory was well-leveled, and thanks to the previous arrangement, there was actually plenty of surplus space. For example, there was a small weapons firing range inside the factory, which was not small and fully usable for the construction of a new factory building.


    Additionally, there were spaces designated for storage of materials and an open space right at the factory entrance¡ªall well-paved and even compacted. Building on these sites could indeed save a significant amount of time in leveling the ground.


    Immediately following, Tang Mo said, "Then, use the wasteland outside for a shooting range. Anyway, it''s just for testing and training, so it doesn''t need to be leveled!"


    At this point, he looked towards the quietly standing Tagg, holding a cup of water, and made a request, "Tagg, please have your soldiers lend a hand as well. I need to hire some workers to construct the factory, but for making temporary wooden structures, not so many skilled craftsmen are required¡ªit could be pulled off with some rough work."


    While speaking, he gestured with his hands, attempting his best to explain to Tagg, "In truth, all the temporary wooden structures don''t necessarily need to house people. They could be used for storing materials, or to place some useless junk. So, they don''t have to be particularly sturdy¡ªjust enough to shield from wind and rain."


    "Besides the ones on guard duty, and two others resting, the remaining four will help! They''ll clear the land and then assist my workers in building the houses," Tang Mo almost commanded as he finished his words.


    Tagg actually had no objections to having soldiers help with the construction. In fact, it was quite common in this era for soldiers to be ordered to repair their barracks on a regular basis.


    Many soldiers before enlisting were craftsmen; some worked in workshops, some were farmers, poets, and some were construction workers.


    Therefore, having these soldiers assist was not at all unsuitable, but what Tagg cared about were other matters.


    Hence he spoke up to remind Tang Mo, "That''s possible... however, I must remind you, sir, you''ve nearly used up all the initial funding and raw materials without producing a single K1 Quick Gun!"


    As long as the products produced by the factory maintained their marketability, such benefits would stimulate employees'' productivity and create more economic benefits for the factory.


    Of course, in this other world, the reason why Tang Mo was so eager to promote these benefits had a deeper significance.


    He had to cultivate his own foundation, accumulate a large number of talents before he could promote technological development and make the whole world adapt and keep up with his pace of development.


    This was no joke, but a real problem that needed to be solved! Because only by training a large number of drivers could he sell more cars. The logic was simple and easy to understand.


    Tang Mo certainly didn''t want a day in the future where he could produce cars, but nobody in this world could repair them...


    In Tang Mo''s plan, even spending money to support the workers'' families was a very cost-effective move.


    Listening to him articulate his plans one by one, the more intelligent Wes and Roger had their eyes light up: "Women can help me raise pigs, process leather, operate sewing machines, and carry small goods, as well as raise chickens, ducks, and other livestock."


    This arrangement would utilize the role of families, firmly keeping the workers within his factory compound! And such a stable social structure would also save Tang Mo a lot of production time!


    So, everyone listened to Tang Mo describe the embryonic form of his future factory, and his words seemed quite feasible.


    Tang Mo certainly knew his ideas would succeed because all of these were proven practices in the world before his transmigration.


    So, he spoke fluently and eloquently: "As long as we use these female workers well, our production will be even more smooth. Rest assured, the factory in the future won''t only need male workers."


    "Some jobs are more suitable for female workers, as their hands are softer and they are more meticulous when installing certain components." When he got to the passionate part, he even gestured with his hands to make his speech more rousing.


    He was working hard to convince everyone in the office, getting them to agree to his ambitious expansion plans.


    Even if these plans couldn''t be completed now, not even one-tenth of them, they at least represented the future, the future of this weapons workshop!


    As he spoke, Tang Mo even remembered the kindergarten from his childhood, so he improvised and added this content to his speech: "Moreover, they can also work on quality control, cook for the increasing number of workers, and even help with newly born infants!"


    When it came to children, he excitedly announced to everyone: "Children can act as apprentices. I won''t only have my school teach crafts to the workers but also teach subjects like mathematics and reading. They all have to be literate and understand principles! Of course, this is a welfare benefit for my workers'' families! A guaranteed benefit!"


    Almost everyone was immersed in his vision for the future, with only Tagg startled awake from this grand dream. Because he realized that Tang Mo seemed to be planning to spend money and hire people again!


    So, instinctively, he spoke up with a skeptical tone: "Do you still have money to hire teachers?"

 Chapter 24: 24 What is this?

    Tang Mo was stunned, then, disbelieving, pointed at himself, then at Tagg and Roger, and began to speak, "Me, you, old Roger... We all can spare some time to educate these children! Don''t worry, I''ve got it all planned out!"


    "Furthermore, if possible, I''ll still go look for a few real teachers to educate the children, after all, I don''t have to pay them immediately, right? Soon, my next batch of supplies and another part of the profit will arrive, and I think I can afford to pay a few teachers'' salaries," then he continued with a laugh.


    "..." Tagg really wanted to give a good punch to this young man who kept smiling, and then remind him sternly to remember how much he owed Lord Earl!


    Now he was even counting the money that hadn''t arrived yet! And still, he was spending recklessly, simply a classic case of a spendthrift!


    At that thought, anger finally surged in Tagg, and he glared at Tang Mo, grinding his teeth as he reminded, "What''s the use of doing all these things? The Earl only wants to buy the Quick Gun! Now that you''ve created that... that steam engine, and you can deliver on time, why are you still messing with these odds and ends?"


    Because of his unprecedentedly grim tone, Tagg''s anger was apparent to Roger, Mathews, and the others.


    Wes and Parker might have heard it too, but Wes had no common cause with Tagg, so he didn''t care about Tagg''s mood, and Parker, another firm supporter of Tang Mo in the room, certainly didn''t think Tang Mo was wrong.


    In any case, everyone fell silent, looking at Tang Mo, waiting for Tang Mo''s response.


    Tang Mo also knew that with just his smooth talking, he had diverted thousands in Gold Coin payments, yet to this day not a single rifle had been produced. It seemed he could no longer keep Tagg at bay.


    So he sighed lightly and said to Tagg, "It seems, I must convince you with something tangible."


    As he spoke, he went back behind his desk, opened the drawer, and pulled out the revolver that had accompanied him in the Vicious Forest, claiming the lives of several people.


    Tagg, not knowing what he was talking about, saw Tang Mo pulling out an unfamiliar firearm from the drawer, frowned and subconsciously asked, "What?"


    "Wes! Would you explain to our new friend, Tagg?" Tang Mo asked with a smile, waving the revolver that Wes had seen before in front of Wes.


    "I think, if you''re really willing to tell him about that thing, why not go to the firing range and let him witness it himself..." Wes''s face showed a mischievous smile as he shook his head.


    "I think you''re right," Mathews had also seen the device and was very interested in it. Still smiling, he agreed with Wes.


    Without any hesitation, Tang Mo said to everyone, "Let''s go! To the shooting range, it is soon to become a factory, so let''s use it one last time, and let it witness the changing times."


    With that, he was the first to leave the room. Wes couldn''t wait and followed Tang Mo out. Mathews, pushing a confused Tagg, and with Roger''s laughter lingering behind, followed suit. Parker, also curious, followed suit and then turned back to close the door.


    Suddenly, the noisy room became exceedingly quiet, leaving only the wind blowing in through the window, lifting a corner of the blueprints on the table.


    Standing at the firing range, Tang Mo began to fiddle with his revolver. He calmly loaded the bullets one by one, the others remained silent.


    Wes, Roger, and Mathews knew about this thing, so they weren''t in a hurry, standing aside. Parker, who knew nothing, was just like a temp worker counting numbers in a corner.


    At this moment, there was only one thought in his mind¡ªwhether the handgun in Tang Mo''s hand was a weapon of the gods, whether it had infinite bullets, whether it could keep firing like this without end.


    In fact, when Tang Mo fired again, shooting the fifth round, Tagg truly thought he was encountering a deity, a weapon belonging to the gods.


    He truly believed that the weapon in Tang Mo''s hand contained endless bullets, capable of ceaseless fire, continuing indefinitely.


    At that moment, he seemed to understand many things. No wonder Tang Mo could bring out a powerful weapon like the needle gun, no wonder Tang Mo could create marvelous steam engines.


    In any case, he felt he had found all the explanations, he felt as if he was touching the truth. Therefore, he felt his knees go weak, and inexplicably felt an urge to worship the War God.


    And there stood Tang Mo, still holding the pistol aimed at the distant target, pulling the trigger once more.


    "Bang!" The sixth shot was fired, and in front of Tang Mo, a white fog had shrouded his view. In fact, by the fourth shot, he could hardly see the distant target. The two shots that followed were completely unaimed.


    If you looked closely at the target, you would find only a scattered four bullet holes, because Tang Mo had missed the target with two shots.


    On one hand, he truly couldn''t aim properly, and on the other, the accuracy of this handgun was indeed limited.


    The distance of the shooting range targets was set with long guns in mind, making it somewhat far for a handgun, and therefore, the accuracy of the pistol Tang Mo was using seemed lacking.


    But at this time, who would care about such details? Tagg was utterly astounded by this novel weapon, he was even clenching his fists tightly, unable to utter a word even after Tang Mo stopped firing.


    Six shots! There actually existed a weapon in this world that could fire six consecutive shots without any need to reload in between!


    Tagg swallowed, his eyes fixed on the revolver in Tang Mo''s hand, and subconsciously, he took a small step forward.


    He really wanted to reach out his hand, take the gun, then inspect it closely, study it carefully, and without hesitation, try it for himself.


    As a soldier, a military officer, he really wanted to know what it felt like to fire continuously.


    He even began to fantasize¡ªfantasize that with such a weapon, the enemies before him would turn into nothing more than sitting ducks.


    If two armies were arrayed in battle, when the opponent''s volley of fire had spent its bullets, what would meet them would be a storm of six consecutive volleys.


    No one could withstand such rapid fire, any powerful military would collapse instantly. Victory would become easily achievable, and war would turn into an outright slaughter!


    He liked it... liked the ease of victory, liked the one-sided slaughter...


    So, he raised his head, looking directly into Tang Mo''s eyes, his gaze becoming fervent, his bloodshot whites turning slightly red: "What... is... this?"

 Chapter 25: 25 new weapons

    "This is the secret weapon I''ve developed! It''s called a Revolver, which can fire six shots in one go without any need for cumbersome operations in between; you just need to pull the trigger... It''s a powerful close-combat handgun," Tang Mo replied.


    "A Revolver..." Tagg muttered subconsciously, looking again at the weapon in Tang Mo''s hand, not knowing what to say.


    He wanted to see the weapon, but didn''t dare to make such a request, so he stood there, not knowing how to speak up.


    "Hahaha! I looked pretty much the same when I first saw this thing," Dwarf Mathews laughed heartily, speaking to Roger beside him.


    Roger shrugged his shoulders; he knew that Wes, who stood there pretending to be profound, had a similar reaction when he first saw the Revolver.


    They were all astonished by the Revolver before them because it truly overturned the understanding of the era.


    After Wes saw the weapon, he stuck by Tang Mo''s side and refused to leave; after Mathews saw it, he stayed to help out without even drawing a salary... Now, it was Tagg''s turn.


    "Believe me, Tang''s Weapon Workshop won''t disappoint you! Our future is boundless, so I will definitely fulfill the promises I''ve made to you," Tang Mo said, walking up to Tagg and patting him on the shoulder.


    "Can, can this thing be sold... sold to Lord Earl?" Tagg swallowed, finally suppressing the excitement in his heart, and asked with trepidation.


    He never considered seizing the item by force, because he knew that this was not a one-time deal, and slaughtering the goose that lays the golden eggs was not something he should do.


    Besides, he was an upright, righteous man. Wasn''t he working for Lord Earl because the Earl was benevolent and kind, and acted openly and honorably?


    "No," Tang Mo shook his head.


    "Why... why not?" Tagg was startled, and the next second somewhat indignant, staring at Tang Mo and asking.


    "Because although this weapon is powerful, I still cannot mass-produce it. I wouldn''t mind giving Lord Earl one for self-defense, but as you should know, it isn''t cheap to make," Tang Mo said with a smile, expressing his regret.


    "I''ll trust you for a goblin''s fart! Do you ever speak truth?" Tagg frowned and cursed inwardly.


    He thought Tang Mo was about to demand an exorbitant price, so he didn''t believe Tang Mo at all. He pondered internally whether he could decide on behalf of Lord Earl and offer a price Tang Mo couldn''t refuse.


    Indeed, he knew that Lord Earl''s savings had been significantly depleted by the purchase of the Quick Guns. After all, Lord Earl wasn''t like other lords who exploited their people, so his wealth wasn''t that vast.


    "I can have Lord Earl gather all the beggars, serfs, slaves, and anyone willing to come here from Northern Ridge..." After giving it some thought, Tagg planned to use these as an exchange for the new type of weapon in Tang Mo''s possession.


    In Tagg''s view, the cost was worth it to acquire these weapons since they were the best lifesavers for warriors on the battlefield and essential for victory in the war.


    As long as they won this war, Northern Ridge could continue to prosper and recoup the money and resources spent!


    And what Tang Mo wanted, or rather, the manpower and some supplies that he cared about, were all costs that Northern Ridge could afford... in exchange for advanced weapons.


    "You also need to bring tents and food! Otherwise, I can''t settle so many people." Tang Mo wasn''t particular about who came; he wasn''t even afraid of Lord Earl planting spies in his workshop. At this time, he needed to quickly increase his strength, so welcoming all comers was indeed what he should do.


    Tagg nodded seriously and promised, "Understood! I will return with this batch of K1 Quick Guns, and then bring as much of these things as possible."


    "Excellent! I will prepare a good number of K1 Quick Guns for you! Also, I will make a few of these weapons and prepare some ammunition to send to Lord Earl with you. With these, his safety should be even more assured," Tang Mo said generously, providing Tagg with the reassurance he wanted.


    "Thank you, thank you! I will do my best to get enough manpower, tents, food... Basically, I will bring back everything you need!" Tagg said excitedly¡ªprovided that Tang Mo was willing to cooperate, he felt Lord Earl wouldn''t mind supplying more resources to Tang Mo.


    After Tang Mo presented this weapon, he knew he had to provide Lord Earl with the same kind of weapon.


    Because once Tagg knew, Lord Earl would know; and once Lord Earl knew, he would certainly want such a weapon.


    Instead of waiting for a request, better to be proactive. After all, he was now a weapons merchant¡ªhow could he possibly not sell a weapon?


    Since such weapons would eventually be sold anyway, making sales pitches now wasn''t unacceptable.


    The reason Tang Mo was so generous was actually because he had already started making small quantities of smokeless powder. With that substance, he could create metallic cartridge bullets.


    Even with a very limited production, handcrafting metallic cartridge bullets could allow the Revolver to evolve into a true Left-Wheel Handgun¡ªalthough they were the same type of weapon, Tang Mo knew there were differences in the way they were loaded.


    There are no wrong names, only misspoken nicknames. The Left-Wheel Handgun replaced the Revolver as the unofficial official name for this type of handgun for good reason.


    The early Revolvers could only be loaded one bullet at a time, and loading them required using the gun''s ramrod to tamp down the powder¡ªa process that was quite cumbersome.


    Even though the paper-cartridge Revolvers he developed were more advanced, the actual pre-loading speed was still very slow.

 Chapter 26: 26 versus battle

    However, the Left-Wheel Handgun is somewhat different, it''s called a Left-Wheel Handgun because the cylinder of this revolver can be detached towards the left from the frame, moved to a more convenient position for reloading, thereby making rapid reloading possible!


    With the addition of metallic fixed ammunition, the firing rate of the brand-new Left-Wheel Handgun could completely crush the previous arms and equipment, becoming the new king!


    One could say that ever since Tang Mo introduced paper-fixed ammunition, an old era of muskets had begun to decline, and the concept of a new, systematic Individual Self-defense Weapon System started to emerge.


    From that point on, the development of firearms included the development of ammunition as well as improvements to the firearms themselves. In fact, they began to diverge into two paths, and only by advancing concurrently on both paths could one design the perfect weapon and thereby achieve superiority in war.


    It was also from this time that the manufacturing of individual weapons involved chemistry, materials science, metallurgy, physics, ergonomics... even aesthetic optimization of the exterior appearance, among other disciplines.


    Equipping a soldier became easy, while manufacturing the arms for an equipped soldier became complicated. Arms dealers became increasingly important, to the point where they could even hold a nation hostage.


    Indeed, Tang Mo was crafting his new "Individual Self-defense Weapon System," which was the world''s first real Left-Wheel Handgun!


    A type of handgun that could be rapidly reloaded using a speedloader, far more powerful than any weapon before it! He could fire continuously catching the enemy off-guard, and while the foe thought his ammo had run out, he could rapidly reload in a few seconds and once again unleash a torrent of firepower to show the enemy true despair!


    Carrying two handguns could achieve something similar, but having two guns on hand was very inconvenient on many occasions.


    Moreover, if Tang Mo needed powerful firepower, couldn''t he just design a submachine gun for himself later on?


    Because Tang Mo had already decided to craft a Left-Wheel Handgun with metallic fixed ammunition for himself, he therefore sold his first-generation revolver as if it were just any other commodity.


    Clearly, at this moment, after seeing the mighty power of the revolver, Tagg couldn''t imagine that Tang Mo had an even more advanced weapon in hand, so he truly believed that the handgun before him was the best in the world!


    Tagg was very pleased with Tang Mo''s attitude towards selling weapons, but he still was curiously captivated by the revolver¡ªhe really wanted to take a closer look at the excellent weapon he might soon be equipped with.


    "Right, Wes!" Tang Mo, smiling, turned to Wes who stood to one side, pretending to be unfathomable, and said, "Remember? I said I''d give you a revolver?"


    "Of course!" Wes''s eyes lit up instantly; he had coveted that handgun for a long time, and upon hearing Tang Mo bring it up again today, naturally, he became excited.


    "It seems that Officer Tagg likes this handgun very much..." Tang Mo said with a smile to Wes, "How about it? Interested in using it as a stake for a game?"


    "What kind of game?" Tagg''s spirits lifted immediately, looking at Tang Mo excitedly and asking. He really wanted that handgun, very much so!


    Wes, seeing the smile on Tang Mo''s face, knew that things wouldn''t be so simple, and could only offer a bitter smile, "I guess it''s nothing good."


    "I really want to see just how formidable you Guard are..." Sure enough, Tang Mo glanced at both of them and then said to Wes.


    "I knew it." Wes looked at Tagg, sizing up his opponent: "So, you want Tagg to be my opponent?"


    Just as Wes thought he had secured the win, Tagg avoided the kick and counterattacked with his elbow, smashing into the back of Wes as he passed by him.


    Wes grunted, clearly affected by Tagg''s hit. Despite the pain, he quickly turned around to maintain vigilance, watching Tagg holding his stomach.


    Tagg, clutching his belly and wielding his longsword, stood shakily opposite Wes. He had wanted to follow up on his advantage with a fierce attack on Wes, but hadn''t expected his opponent to remain so agile after being struck.


    "Huff... huff..." Wes gasped for air, regulating his breath. The burning pain in his back severely disrupted his breathing rhythm.


    Keeping familiar breathing patterns in combat is vital; once the rhythm is lost, it spells the beginning of defeat.


    Deeply aware of this, Wes did not rush to attack, even though he knew his opponent was also attempting to recover.


    Tagg was also gasping, his belly throbbing painfully. The imprint of Wes''s boot on his uniform served to fuel his anger and humiliation.


    He knew Wes was a renowned Northern Ridge Ranger, but he hadn''t expected him to be this formidable.


    In his opinion, the so-called Ranger mercenaries were nothing more than gangsters and riffraff, not fit to be compared with a regular army.


    However, the Ranger named Wes had delivered a profound lesson. His agility, ruthless tactics, and unpredictable angles of attack rendered him nearly indefensible.


    At this point, Tagg had set aside the notion of sparring, consumed with the desire to measure himself against such a worthy opponent, as the saying goes, "a good chess match comes with a good opponent."


    Wes shared the same sentiment ¡ª let that damned revolver go to hell! He thought bitterly, "I''m going to teach this guy named Tagg a lesson!"


    "Ha!" Tagg made the first move, lifting his longsword and charging at Wes.


    "Ha!" Wes, not to be outdone, roared as he brandished his sword to meet the assault.


    Their longswords clashed once more, creating sparks that had yet to fade when they drew back their swords and swung at each other again.


    Roger, watching from the side, was terrified. This was the first time he had witnessed such a ferocious battle between masters.


    Tang Mo, however, watched with great enjoyment, not wanting to miss a single detail as the two men on the training ground entangled once more in an intractable fight.


    Finally, Wes seized an opportunity and landed a punch on Tagg''s face, smack on his nose.


    Tagg, in pain, stumbled back several steps, covering his nose with his hand and furrowing his brow as he stared at Wes.


    His hand tightened subconsciously around the hilt of his longsword, and his eyes unwittingly filled with murderous intent. The pain in his nose brought back memories of war, igniting his innate instinct to kill.

 Chapter 27: 27 available hands

    "Enough! That''s enough!" Tang Mo loudly stopped the duelists'' deadly intents, clapping his hands to halt the fight, "This is just a game, don''t really get angry!"


    Tang Mo didn''t actually wish for them to fight to a life-and-death conclusion; he was merely looking for a reason to give away the first-generation revolver, which was no longer that important to him.


    He walked between Tagg and Wes, tossing the blood-stained revolver to Wes, "It''s yours now!"


    Wes subconsciously caught the revolver thrown by Tang Mo, and at the instant of catching it, he was ecstatic. He examined the weapon in his hand closely, no longer caring about Tagg, who was rubbing his nose.


    "Don''t take it too hard, I know you''re an officer; leading troops in battle is your forte, a duel is a bit of underusing your abilities," Tang Mo comforted as he looked at Tagg holding his nose.


    "I know I lost, when you lose, you lose," said Tagg as he released his nose, and Tang Mo saw it had turned purple and blue.


    It seemed Wes had thrown a heavy punch with no intention of holding back. Tang Mo felt somewhat disdainful of Wes for such behavior in a duel; it indeed seemed a bit shameless to aim for the face.


    "I will make some of these revolvers soon and send them to Lord Earl," Tang Mo said with a smile, "I''ll save one for you too."


    "Thank you, thank you..." Tagg, who had been somewhat dejected, suddenly didn''t know what to say upon hearing Tang Mo''s offer.


    Indeed, as Tang Mo said, Tagg excelled at leading troops into the fray and at making the right decisions in the smoke of battle, resisting the enemy stubbornly for final victory. Though he was strong in personal combat, it truly was a waste of his talents.


    For a moment, Tagg felt a surge of emotional connection to Tang Mo. However, his attention soon returned to the revolver capable of consecutive shots.


    He really wanted to know, if a troop could fire six times consecutively after breaking into an enemy formation on the battlefield, what kind of panic it would cause the enemy.


    Even as a veteran military officer, he dared not imagine such a scene. In his mind, if he faced enemies who could fire continuously at close range, he would certainly become frightened and then retreat.


    At this moment, he was even convinced that Count Fisheo had already won the next war! Because Tang Mo''s weapon had completely changed the way wars were fought!


    Receiving the revolver from Tang Mo, Wes''s face broke into a smile again. He caressed the cold metal of the gun, feeling for a moment like he was the most formidable man in the world.


    "Come to my office later, I''ll teach you how to load it. It''s quite valuable and needs upkeep, oiling, or it might jam," Tang Mo reminded him.


    It was then that Wes snapped back to reality, realizing he actually didn''t know how to use this mysterious weapon.


    "You come too," Tang Mo then invited Tagg, "You''ll need to learn as well, I''m not going to teach it twice."


    The current state of the revolver was nothing like that of the simple and easy-to-use Left-Wheel Handgun; it was merely a prototype!


    It couldn''t be helped; the workshop was only so big. Suddently recruiting over a dozen people and training them in shooting and combat could not be hidden from anyone.


    Therefore, Tang Mo felt it was better to be upfront and tell everyone, to foster understanding and prevent baseless suspicions.


    ...


    Days went by, and with the efforts of Tang Mo and everyone, the workshop underwent rapid changes.


    The second steam engine was assembled, exhausting all Tang Mo''s resources but also speeding up his production rate to an unimaginable degree.


    With the two steam engines for power, ten lathes achieved mechanical linkage, making part manufacturing faster and more convenient. Dozens of workers gathered around the lathes daily, figuring out how to operate these new machines.


    Leaving the second steam engine, returning to his office, Tang Mo washed his face with cold water and asked Roger, who had followed him, "Uncle Roger, how is it going with the people I asked you to find?"


    There was a well in the workshop, and a set of canvas equipment for collecting rainwater. If it rained, workers would set up the tent-like equipment to catch and store the rainwater.


    It couldn''t be helped, because the groundwater near the sea was not that tasteful, a result of the geographical environment.


    Tang Mo had grown accustomed to the taste of the water here¡ªafter all, there were no high-end devices like water purifiers back then.


    And in that era, there weren''t any real toothpastes, so many people''s teeth looked as horrific as those of monsters.


    Tang Mo found some fragrant plants and used the ancient method of cleaning the mouth. He planned to make some toothpaste for himself since he could find the information but lamented the lack of materials and had to endure for the time being.


    This was not a convenient time because many things Tang Mo was familiar with had not yet appeared.


    And Tang Mo, a merchant with not much capital, could not turn what he had into reality immediately¡ªhe had a steam engine, but couldn''t even dare to think of trains, which were closely associated with steam engines, for a while!


    Where would he get the steel to lay as tracks? Where would he find a large number of railway ties? How would he ensure that the rails laid on the ground wouldn''t be ripped up and sold by the destitute people of this era?


    A series of problems had no immediate solution, so for Tang Mo, cars might be more suitable than trains for him at present.


    Roger threw his dirty gloves onto a chair beside him, found another chair to sit down, and began to speak to Tang Mo: "Truth be told, I don''t know many Rangers. However, there are a few people who roamed the south with your father back in the day."


    "They all worked with your father before, you know. After all, a weapons manufacturing workshop without several guards would definitely not do," he said with self-deprecating laughter, leaning back in his chair, as if reminiscing.


    Tang Mo also knew that the workshop indeed had a few ''security guards'' who usually protected the premises to prevent troublemakers. When there were dealings, they escorted the goods, resembling couriers at that time.


    However, when the workshop''s business was declining, all these people left. They were not production workers, so naturally, they were of no use during tough times.

 Chapter 28: 28 old acquaintances

    ```


    They didn''t leave because Tang Mo dismissed them, but of their own accord¡ªpeople need to eat, they can''t just squat here and starve.


    "I''ve found you two people as per your request, both of whom are quite skilled and have no issues with their character. They''re old acquaintances and have worked with your father before; they can be trusted.


    In addition, there are a few newcomers with a clean slate, but their skills are mediocre." As Tang Mo seemed to be reminiscing, Roger continued, "They are quite satisfied with the remuneration we offer and are willing to give it a try."


    In these times, with war looming and the economy in a slump, life is not easy for anyone. Now that the workshop has need of them again and can guarantee a salary, these old-timers naturally wish to come back to their familiar work.


    The young people feel the same. They don''t have any particular skills and are just starting out as mercenaries. They always need to accumulate some work experience and hone their skills in order to acquire a respectable track record.


    Tang Mo nodded. He urgently needed to establish his own team to ensure his safety.


    After all, he only had Wes, which could be considered an armed force at his disposal, and this seemed far too meager.


    Moreover, Wes, a Ranger from the Northern Ridge, had come to him and offered his services voluntarily, which meant his loyalty wasn''t particularly high. He was only using him because there was no one else available¡ªthis was the plight Tang Mo was in!


    Therefore, he naturally approved of old Roger''s work and agreed, "Good! They don''t need to be extremely skilled; they just need to be loyal to us."


    While speaking, he sighed with a touch of helplessness, "As you can see, the people here are becoming more and more mixed."


    The truth was, Tang Mo had always been thinking about establishing his own protective forces, but he simply hadn''t had sufficient energy or strength to do it.


    On one hand, he was rushing to resume production and to start turning a profit in the workshop. On the other hand, he had to expand production to ensure the speed of his own development... As a result, the manpower and resources he could spare for setting up a private armed force were very limited.


    Now that he could let Roger find a few reliable hands, it meant that he had exhausted his last bit of "private funds," without keeping any profit for himself.


    Tang Mo hung up his towel and then turned back to sit in his own place, continuing to speak to Roger, "You know, our security is all handled by Earl''s men, and while there''s nothing wrong with Tagg''s character, we can''t always depend on the soldiers he brings. We must change this situation, which is also why I asked you to bring back some reliable old-timers."


    "You''re right. Although Wes is not bad, his loyalty isn''t very reassuring." Roger also felt uneasy about the chaotic relationships in the entire workshop and agreed, "So, I brought Luff and Bernard back. With them around, I think the workshop''s safety is guaranteed."


    "I knew you could handle it." Recalling the appearances of these two from his memory, Tang Mo''s smile grew wider.


    Both men were old-timers in the workshop. Bernard began following Tang Mo''s father at the age of seventeen or eighteen and was now in his prime at thirty. Luff, on the other hand, was almost forty, experienced and steady with a strong swordsmanship skill, making him a reliable old acquaintance.


    "It''s nothing," Roger said without looking back.


    The available talent, from any perspective, was still too scarce; even with some old hands from the workshop recalled, the shortfall was glaring... Tang Mo sighed inwardly, walked out with his hands behind his back.


    He passed the factory building he had just left, the only one currently in operation within the entire workshop. He checked on Parker and his few apprentices at work.


    To his relief, the apprentices were all grateful, aware of how precious their job opportunities were, so they worked meticulously, studied hard, and the parts they finished were of quite high quality.


    At least there was a decent beginning now, wasn''t there? Tang Mo consoled himself internally, encouraging himself to quickly step out of the negative emotions.


    In reality, Tang Mo now had over three hundred people in his hands. By numbers, his workshop''s scale was already significant. Of those three hundred, about one-third were original workshop workers, roughly a hundred people.


    Including the workers from Northern Ridge, the number was over a hundred. There were not supposed to be that many, but the Earl, eager for weapons, rounded the number up to one hundred for Tang Mo, and actually, a hundred and six arrived.


    Additionally, there were workers and construction workers recruited intermittently, as well as workers'' families who had arrived, roughly seventy to eighty people in number.


    Tagg and his big-headed Soldiers, a total of nine, and the seven or eight "security" personnel Tang Mo had hired for the factory.


    All in all, this was a workshop with a complex composition and a now quite large number of people. Of these people, about two hundred and twenty had wooden shacks or dormitories to stay in; the remaining eighty-plus could only live in tents.


    Of course, wooden shacks were also being built, and some space in the warehouse had been freed up, but it still had never been inhabited.


    Because Tang Mo was converting that place into a workshop for producing smokeless gunpowder; a few carpenters were inside building long tables and some stools.


    Since the workshop could produce firearms, it naturally could also process wood. But no one ever thought that Tang Mo would use carpenters who were supposed to make gunstocks and barrels for such menial tasks as crafting simple tables and stools...


    Now the entire workshop looked like a giant construction site, with construction scenes everywhere. The factory building originally used for smelting iron was also half under renovation; the only one still maintaining production was the one housing the steam engine.


    There, Parker was leading his apprentices, working hard with the steam engine, and other workers learning by their side.


    The drilling machines were running day and night, producing barrel after barrel. In fact, it wasn''t right to say that Tang Mo hadn''t been producing the Quick Gun, because he was indeed stockpiling the barrels needed to manufacture firearms.


    After a few days, he had accumulated thirty barrels. This number was actually quite frightening because in other workshops that would virtually equal a month''s total production.


    Tang Mo knew that once his workers got going, they could use up these accumulated barrels in a matter of days to supply Tagg with over thirty K1 Quick Guns.

 Chapter 29: Step 29 towards the future

    In the past few days, Tang Mo had been contemplating and was ready to start the real production. He estimated that at this rate, he would arrange manpower in a few days to start making gun stocks and barrels with the dried wood¡ªdragging it on indefinitely didn''t fit his style.


    He also took the time to accumulate some blueprints, planning to set up new machinery directly after the factory was built in the future.


    Meanwhile, he was preparing to have Roger train the factory''s own security while placing a large order for materials at Brunas Port. Once the next amount of money from Lord Earl arrived, he could deliver the goods directly to Lord Earl!


    Thanks to Tang Mo''s efforts, the whole workshop had already changed a lot¡ªthe largest warehouse in the factory had been transformed into a chemical plant.


    The ventilation here was not very good, so Tang Mo had some workers breaking walls to make several windows for this warehouse.


    There was no choice; he didn''t have ventilation equipment¡ª and even if he did, he couldn''t afford to install it, and if he could afford it, there was no electricity... after all, he could only honestly use the most primitive methods to barely meet the requirements or standards.


    Next to this warehouse was a passageway. After all, a warehouse must be fireproof and also theft-proof. Therefore, around this large warehouse, there were actually roads designed to stop the spread of possible fires and also to provide some theft protection.


    On the other side of the road was another warehouse. This one was smaller and had thicker walls; it was originally used for storing gunpowder and other dangerous goods.


    Now, this place had been emptied out and converted into a laboratory that Tang Mo used himself as his own personal space. It was usually locked, and only Tang Mo had the key.


    Beside it still lay another passageway, with a water room on one side containing a well, a water tank for storage, and some large buckets for firefighting.


    This area was filled with wooden barrels for water, and the ground was built higher to make it easier to transport water for extinguishing fires in case the gunpowder store caught fire.


    Tang Mo walked through, passing the water room, to reach another two warehouses that were separated by only one wall and were not deliberately isolated. Their structures were wooden and clearly not meant for storing valuable goods.


    Previously, these warehouses stored wood, leather, and other miscellaneous items from the workshop. But now, Tang Mo had transformed them into a school!


    Now, all the goods were cleared out and moved to some newly built wooden huts with poorer quality further away. Those were barely cobbled-together buildings, almost useless except for storing miscellaneous items.


    The hastily constructed wooden huts barely differed from pavilions; they were open on all sides, making them unfit for living, and once they were filled with junk, they resembled houses more.


    At this moment, the space was neatly arranged with makeshift tables and benches, making it look like a rudimentary meeting room.


    To fit as many tables and chairs as possible, the tables were obviously narrowed, and the chairs did not even bother with backrests. Most of the furniture that the workshop was producing was in demand here.


    All in all, everything here was simple, so simple that this so-called school didn''t yet have a teacher.


    Nevertheless, Tang Mo had already started planning to recruit new students and get the school operating as soon as possible. He couldn''t wait, for he needed many more people who could understand him, and whom he could utilize!


    Tang Mo couldn''t help but mock himself internally about how many capable students he would be able to recruit and continued walking forward.


    "You''ll like it here even more." Tang Mo, thinking of the several drawings he had sketched in his rare moments of leisure, smilingly said to the old dwarf, "The matters of the school have recently gotten on track, so when you have time, you could go and teach the kids how to operate machinery."


    "No problem, but for apprentices, it''s better if the children are over ten years old. Younger ones lack concentration, and teaching them would be a waste of time," Mathews reminded Tang Mo.


    "It''s okay, just teach them. I can''t send the younger ones out, so they''ll have to listen to the lectures together," Tang Mo casually remarked, shaking his head without agreeing with Mathews''s suggestion.


    He was indeed desperate for talent and turned away no one. He was even willing to train girls because he knew that in the industries of the future, female workers and managers could play a very important role.


    Lacking talent, he was unwilling to pass up any possibility. Since he could not immediately increase the number of personnel, using women in the same roles as men was clearly a good strategy for rapid expansion.


    Mathews didn''t argue and agreed with Tang Mo, "Alright! Since you insist, I have no objections."


    "Also, I have some more work for you... to make some parts for me... I have a use for them," Tang Mo casually added as he was leaving.


    "No problem." Mathews''s eyes lit up, and he immediately agreed.


    ...


    Soon, a strange storm began to brew within Tang''s Weapons Workshop. A worker, while polishing a part in his hand, asked his colleague, "Did you hear? Our workshop has started a school for the kids..."


    The colleague, without putting down his work or looking up, replied, "Of course I heard. I also heard that they haven''t found a teacher yet, and temporarily it''s our boss and a few old master craftsmen teaching..."


    "That''s not bad, sending the kids to learn some skills is good. Better than doing nothing at home," the inquiring worker blew on the part in his hand to remove the iron filings, and continued to ruminate.


    He had a son who was just 13, the perfect age to learn, and sending him here to learn some skills for free was a great option.


    The colleague who kept his head down tossed the polished trigger into a box of finished products and stretched out, "Yeah, who would have thought...our boss is even willing to teach kids stuff, it''s really..."


    "Exactly, and I heard it''s for free... I wonder if that''s true or not..." Another worker joined the conversation, visibly excited.


    He had two children at home, both of whom were very bright. If they could learn something, they might well have a worry-free future.


    In those times, it was rare to find a boss willing to provide benefits to his workers, let alone a lunatic like Tang Mo who was ready to provide education to all of his employees'' children.


    Upon hearing this news, almost all the workers became excited. They spread the word and began to figure out how to bring their children over.


    ---------


    Here''s the second update, seeking monthly tickets, recommendations, rewards, and favorites...

 Chapter 30: 30 hearsay

    "It must be true, my child is already going there. Just yesterday, the boss himself came looking for us... and even gave my kid a notebook." More and more workers joined the conversation, one excitedly offering proof that Tang Mo indeed intended to do just that.


    The news had been circulating among the workers for not just a day or two. Tang Mo had released the information some time ago because, in this era, the families of most workers were usually not living by their side.


    To get these workers to bring their children over and enroll them in school would still take some time.


    Moreover, Tang Mo needed time to prepare, to set up the school, to prepare the teaching plans, and to ready a whole host of things.


    So, it was only natural that word spread far and wide, and Tang Mo had intentionally dispersed this news in order to gauge everyone''s reactions. He didn''t know whether the workers would support or oppose the idea of their children attending school, so he needed to test the waters.


    As a result, everything went very smoothly, and Tang Mo received the feedback he was hoping for, so the school was indeed established.


    It was at this time that the worker who first brought up the topic excitedly said, "That''s really great, I''ll bring my boy over too when I go back!"


    Many other workers also started to become interested¡ªafter all, they had children at home, too, many with more than one child. It would definitely be a good thing to bring those wild kids over for proper education.


    Even better, it was said that Tang Mo was also planning to provide accommodation for these children. Although it was only a wooden hut, that was not unbearable.


    Compared to living apart, being able to live with one''s family, even under tough conditions, was definitely the better choice, wasn''t it?


    "I wonder if it''s okay for girls too..." mumbled a worker under his breath, as he had no sons, only a daughter at home.


    In those times, the thinking that boys were more valued than girls was deeply ingrained, and this was evident in the severe male dominance within Tang Mo''s workshop. Apart from Auntie Cui Xi in the canteen, there were only a few elderly women who did farm work.


    The reason for recruiting these female laborers was simple: these older women demanded low wages, and that was it.


    A few dozen women came over from Northern Ridge, most of whom had followed their husbands, giving it a bit of a migratory flavor.


    Many of these workers from Northern Ridge had families in tow, and Earl Fisello, in choosing people to send to Tang Mo, had deliberately selected households where every family member could work.


    This showed the benevolence and attention to detail of Earl Fisello, a nobleman who didn''t act like one, whose attitude towards the common people could truly be described as kind.


    However, compared to Tang Mo, Earl Fisello''s old-fashioned thinking still limited his vision. Tang Mo had no discrimination against female workers and was even willing to employ them in more areas.


    Moreover, from Tang Mo''s perspective, he hoped that the school he was building would have a more balanced ratio of boys to girls, which would align more with his stereotypical image of a school.


    "Once I bring her here, won''t there be kids?" The young worker''s face turned red, and it was only after a long pause that he managed to squeeze out this sentence.


    At these words, many workers burst into laughter. Amidst the roaring laughter, the worker who had just spoken about sending his two children to school quickly said, "I heard the soundproofing in those wooden shacks is super bad, and the wooden beds aren''t sturdy. Don''t let the creaking and groaning be heard by the neighbors."


    As soon as he stopped speaking, more people joined in the laughter, drowning out the young worker''s annoyed rebuttal: "Hahaha!"


    Inside the office, Tang Mo was also making final preparations for recruiting students. He rubbed his shoulders and looked at Tagg, who had been asked to join: "I plan to give you lot some extra lessons too. What do you think, do you want to come and listen?"


    "Us? We need to take classes?" Tagg couldn''t believe his ears, repeated Tang Mo''s words, then asked, "What classes are we taking?"


    "The soldiers you brought with you, along with you, Luff, Bernard, and some of the mercenaries I''ve recruited¡ªwe''ll all take classes together," Tang Mo replied. "Tactical classes, including artillery theory, infantry tactics, cavalry tactics..."


    "Me, a teacher?" Tagg asked uncertainly, feeling as if he was the only one qualified to teach such courses. After all, there were no talents under Tang Mo''s command who had seen battle¡ªhe was the only one!


    However, he didn''t quite understand Tang Mo''s intentions¡ªwhat was an arms dealer doing training officers for no reason?


    With this thought, he looked at Tang Mo somewhat warily, but the latter replied with something unexpected: "Of course not, you are here to learn! I''ll teach you the latest, most cutting-edge tactics!"


    "You... you can''t be serious?" Tagg was taken aback.


    "Of course I''m serious," Tang Mo said, looking at him with a somewhat helpless expression¡ªhe really needed to save time now, so he was indeed making use of every able-bodied man he could. If he had a choice, he still preferred to train his people.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have the money to recruit and sustain a large private army; Bernard and Luff with their dozen men were already the limit he could currently nurture.


    So he had no choice but to grab Tagg and the others to make up the numbers¡ªafter all, he had a bit of confidence that one day in the future, he''d be able to pull this ferocious tiger, Tagg, under his command.


    "But you..." Tagg felt he couldn''t accept such a thing.


    "Haven''t been on the battlefield?" Tang Mo interrupted his doubt and asked with a laugh.


    "Yes, that''s right," Tagg internally admitted that he knew Tang Mo hadn''t been to battle. Without battlefield experience, to dare to teach veterans tactics? What a joke.


    But Tang Mo was unfazed: "There''s nothing strange about that. Because I''m a weapons merchant, the future modes of warfare will be determined by me, not by you."


    After a slight pause, he continued questioning in one breath: "You''ve been on the battlefield, but so what? Have you ever seen a revolver? If you haven''t seen a revolver, how could you understand the tactics it suits? Without having seen a revolver, what kind of experience do you have with future warfare?"


    "..." Tagg''s face clouded over, his mind roaring in protest: "So what if I haven''t seen a revolver? Do you have to keep saying it over and over again?"

 Chapter 31: 31 School

    "Line up in three rows, regardless of gender, and arrange yourselves by height, with the shorter ones in front and the taller ones in the back." Roger barked orders at a group of kids who were in complete disarray.


    Upon hearing Roger''s shout, some of the older children who apprenticed at the factory immediately started to form lines, while those who came from civilian homes nearby were still a bit chaotic.


    However, as some children began to line up, driven by curiosity, others too followed and stood in three rows.


    The few girls, who were in the minority, were quite shy and didn''t speak, only standing there with bowed heads among the crowd, getting pushed around by the boys passing by, looking very much like little oppressed creatures.


    Tang Mo frowned as he looked at the sparsely lined-up children before him. To tell the truth, he was not pleased with these children, as the lack of education in this world meant these kids, who were not young anymore, had absolutely no sense of discipline.


    They were sloppy and incredibly sluggish, and even getting them to assemble had wasted a good fifteen minutes before they stood together in a scattered fashion.


    And after these children finally settled down, Tang Mo waited another three to five minutes in silence. Fortunately, the children still possessed an innate fear of Tang Mo, so after a long silence from their teacher, they eventually recalled that fear and quieted down.


    The original plan, to have the children bathe in the river and then clean up as much as possible, was thus abandoned amidst the waiting.


    "I am Tang Mo! From now on, I''ll be your teacher... My requirement for you is simple, remember! It is I who have given you everything!" Tang Mo said, with his hands behind his back, looking down at the children on the ground.


    "Got it..." The younger ones, only seven or eight years old, and the older ones, who were already about as old as Tang Mo, responded cautiously and somewhat unevenly. Clearly, discipline would be the first thing Tang Mo intended to teach these children.


    "From now on! You only need to answer ''yes'' or ''no''!" Tang Mo scolded sharply.


    "Yes... I mean... yes," a group of children responded, somewhat confused, but fortunately, a few smart ones began to reply as Tang Mo had instructed.


    "Your voices must be loud! Otherwise, I can''t hear!" Tang Mo emphasized.


    "Yes!" the children immediately yelled in response.


    Tang Mo glanced at Old Roger beside him, who had been briefed in advance, so he immediately stood with his hands behind his back and stood tall as he had rehearsed before.


    "Roger." Tang Mo nodded at him.


    Roger took out the school rules written by Tang Mo, stepped forward with a stern face, unfolded the paper, and read according to the content: "Rule number one, Principal Tang Mo''s commands must be followed."


    The children watching nervously fixated on Roger, as he listed the rules they only vaguely understood, unsure of what to do.


    Looking around was out of the question, since they didn''t know whether their slight movements could cause them to lose this free opportunity to learn. They were even more cautious than Tang Mo imagined and seemed almost on edge.


    Then they explained the rules and began to read the school rules aloud, over and over, like a chant.


    After reading aloud five times, they would pause and ask if there were any students who had memorized them. Seeing no response, they would start again, tirelessly repeating the process.


    Back in the office, Tang Mo began to lay out the data Roger had collected door to door the day before, carefully planning everything.


    Getting these kids to study was not an easy task. Besides promising free education, he also had to arrange a reasonable study schedule for them.


    This wasn''t an era where education was universally valued¡ªchildren were also a part of the workforce for a family. Many kids apprenticed in factories or helped with farm work at home, all with lots of work to do.


    Moreover, Tang Mo didn''t have a full set of qualified teachers to establish a full-time school for these children. He lacked adequate space, enough teachers, and even he himself didn''t have enough time!


    Thus, the best solution was to stagger their schedules, and arranging such timing was now his responsibility.


    Plus, according to Tang Mo''s plan, it wasn''t just about learning cultural knowledge for these kids. They needed to carve out time for physical training, and for those with great talent, Tang Mo even planned to train them intently, turning them into his trusted aides.


    In short, everything was just a beginning, and they all had to keep working hard towards the set goals for the future.


    Tang Mo rubbed his neck, turned his head, and glanced at some blueprints beside him. He sighed in frustration and bent over his desk to busy himself with work once more.


    On the temporarily leveled ground, a test for these children was still ongoing. Wes felt his throat going dry, and yet, none of the youngsters in front of him had memorized these damned school rules.


    Roger was not faring much better, but the smarter thing he did was to bring a water bottle...


    "Article, article fifty-one, unity, comradeship... mutual assistance, one must not, must not abandon classmates..." Finally, after another hour or so, the little apprentice who helped Tang Mo make cartridge nests was the first to recite the school rules, finishing the first assignment set by Tang Mo.


    He became the first candidate for class leader selected for Tang Mo by Roger. Then a young girl also managed to recite the entire school rules, becoming the second class leader candidate.


    When Roger and Wes finally watched those new students memorize the school rules and, exhausted, returned to Tang Mo''s office, Tang Mo was discussing the new factory details with Mathews.


    "The lines for the new factory need to be redone. Renovating the old ones is simply a waste of time. We aim to do our best and find a way to avoid any changes for two years at least," Tang Mo pointed at the blueprint and emphasized to Mathews.


    "Two years?" Mathews was taken aback, then looked at Tang Mo with full confidence.


    "What, too long?" Tang Mo was also startled, thinking Mathews was even more aggressive than himself.


    Mathews scoffed at Tang Mo and corrected what he saw as Tang Mo''s "erroneous" thinking: "I mean it''s too short! You know Shireck''s factory, it might not see any changes in ten years."


    "Ten years? You''ve got to be joking. Believe me, Mathews! The machines you treasure now will be museum pieces in ten years," Tang Mo put an arm around Mathews''s shoulder, persuasively urging.

 Chapter 32: 32 Classroom

    "Cough..." Roger signaled that he had already come in and then glanced at Wes, saying, "All the children have memorized it, they are all very bright."


    "The first three to memorize were your favorite apprentice Galsa, a little girl from the northern part of Brunas, Yulin, and Dino from Northern Ridge." Wes licked his dry lips and reported to Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo nodded, jotting down the three names, then compared them with the roster he had organized to see if he could place these three children in the appropriate classes.


    That these three children were able to memorize the school rules in the shortest amount of time at least proved that they were clever enough. Tang Mo planned to focus on observing them first and, if possible, provide targeted training for these three children.


    First, to establish role models, and then to allocate resources preferentially, Tang Mo calculated in his mind and instantly made a decision.


    He looked up at Wes and said, "Do you remember the task I assigned you? The children''s physical education, follow my lesson plan, plus your swordsmanship class! I want to ensure every child has a strong physique."


    "As you wish." Wes bowed slightly, agreeing to Tang Mo''s request.


    In the following days, Tang Mo was extremely occupied. He taught the children during the day, and when Mathews and Roger took over the handicraft classes, he would inspect the factory and return to his office to draw blueprints.


    In the evening, after finishing his classes, he would go to the laboratory to conduct experiments and verify the preparation process according to the formulas in his mind.


    He would go to bed on time around eleven o''clock, without any nightlife or social obligations, honestly climbing into bed to enjoy the most unadorned sleep under the clean starry sky.


    He knew that in another half a year, it might not be easy to see such clean skies, as he watched the chimneys in the workshops grow more numerous and taller...


    The workshop had already accumulated some gun parts, at least the production and speed of the barrels had essentially met Tang Mo''s requirements.


    These days, Tang Mo had been thinking about how to produce cement to accelerate his construction pace¡ªunfortunately, whether Brunas or Northern Ridge, neither was a source of raw materials for cement. A large-scale preparation of cement remained an unrealistic dream for him.


    Purchasing raw materials through sea transportation wasn''t possible either, because no one would transport something as cheap as lime over such long distances. Therefore, for Tang Mo to produce cement, he would still have to wait some time.


    Moreover, his current production focus was not on cement; part of it was on steam engines and gun parts, and another part on improving gunpowder.


    After all, he needed to create products and find willing buyers to bring the workshop into a healthy operational state; obviously, the factory''s internal infrastructure was not profitable.


    ...


    "Here, we need to simplify! Yes, simplify the fractions... Come, I''m going to check your calculations!" Tang Mo was writing laboriously with a homemade chalk on a blackboard made with a simple coat of black paint.


    Yet standing there, in front of these children, Wes''s figure seemed to grow taller. After he finished drinking water, he walked off the lectern with his hands behind his back, checking each child''s homework book at their desks.


    These homework books were also given out for free, and they actually didn''t cost much. The son of the owner of Brunas'' paper shop attended the morning classes. So, Wes bought the paper at cost price.


    The children in the evening were generally older because they were old enough to help with chores at home, so they only had time to attend lectures at night.


    Half of the students were apprentices in the workshop, some were children of workers, and the rest of the children''s backgrounds were rather mixed.


    Since these children were generally older, Wes would move faster through the lessons with them. Many of the apprentices already had a basic understanding of math, so Wes increased the difficulty and taught them more complex material.


    "Hunter! Stop looking at Fanny''s answers! You little rascal!" Wes shouted at a child in the distance, startling the kid into quickly tucking in his neck.


    "If I catch you trying to take shortcuts again, I''ll have you spend some time in the solitary room to reflect!" Wes scolded sternly, then began pacing along the desks.


    "Correct... correct... yours is wrong, think about it... one-half! Four-eighths! Can these be simplified...


    right! You''re so smart, Balal!" Wes corrected each child''s mistakes, then walked back to the blackboard and continued to explain the lesson.


    Studying here was free, they could even receive notebooks and had to complete homework; Wes even prepared snacks for the children to stave off hunger during breaks.


    And the children were more sensible than Wes had expected; they truly cherished this hard-earned opportunity to learn.


    They paid close attention during class, diligently completing their homework after school, and there were study groups helping each other out, reviewing the previous day''s material in their spare time.


    Wes had even seen an apprentice who shoveled coal murmuring the multiplication table with each shovel, never stopping for a moment.


    "You need to understand these fractions because they might appear in your future work, applying these numbers will make your job easier!" Wes said to all the students after returning to the blackboard: "Next, let''s continue practicing! If you don''t understand, raise your hand... twenty-four thirty-sixths, thirty-five forty-ninths..."


    After going through a few example problems, Wes stepped down from the lectern, and as he walked towards the door, he instructed the smartest apprentice in the workshop, "Galsa! Keep the classroom in order! Wait for me for two minutes!"


    By the time he finished saying this, he had reached the classroom door. This classroom was actually a large wooden shed that used to serve as a warehouse; all the items had been moved out and replaced with simple, long desks and chairs to convert it into a classroom.


    Most of the goods originally stored here had been used up, and the rest had been moved to a makeshift wooden shed.


    Next to this warehouse-turned-classroom was another room with even more interesting occupants.

 Chapter 33: 33 sand movers

    Tagg led a group of soldiers he had brought with him, along with Wessley Huff Bernard, and their security personnel. Altogether, there were 20 of them, neatly sitting there, looking down at the grass paper in front of them.


    "How''s it going?" Before Tang Mo even entered the room, his voice had carried inside. Everyone looked up with a frown and shook their heads at Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo knew that this couldn''t be accomplished overnight and needed a significant amount of time to build up, as well as ample patience, so he wasn''t discouraged. He walked to the front of the blackboard and began to explain to them.


    These were essentially the foundation of Tang Mo''s current military class, so he didn''t hold back and shared some of the tactical thinking he knew with them.


    These were the distilled essence of battlefield experience accumulated over thousands of years in the future, where each detail had been repeatedly validated and refined to remain.


    "I don''t understand why you want us to memorize this stuff... trajectories? angles of fire? And then calculating parabolas, right! Parabolas..." Tagg furrowed his eyebrows, looking at Tang Mo who had walked in, and started to complain.


    A soldier, equally perplexed, asked, "This makes no sense at all, sir. Each cannon has to be reloaded after firing, and the amount of gunpowder varies, making accurate firing impossible."


    In this era, cannon loading was still an incredibly tedious process, with each step being complicated and requiring professional gunners, taking a long time for just one firing sequence.


    Similarly, due to the lack of metal cartridge cases and precise powder charges, the range and accuracy of each cannon shot were matters of fate.


    Each artillery team could only adjust the firing parameters based on the gun captain''s experience, making each shot random and the accuracy far from commendable.


    It was only because the opposing lines were densely packed and there were many troops that the precision of the artillery fire did not have to be high to hit the enemy positions; otherwise, these cannons would basically be just for show.


    "In fact, if we could produce fixed ammunition, we could resolve this issue," Tang Mo explained with a smile, outlining his plan.


    Of course, he couldn''t possibly be content with producing only breechloading rifles for a lifetime; he also had to produce more, better, and more powerful weapons¡ªthose war machines embodying human intellect! As artillery, the literal God of War, it naturally was one of the first pieces of weaponry he intended to produce.


    However, he wouldn''t manufacture the current muzzle-loading cannons, but design and make brand new breech-loading rifled cannons from the start, redrawing the standards of artillery weaponry for the world!


    With such a plan in mind, he naturally needed to prioritize training officers who genuinely understood artillery, could command artillerymen, and were familiar with the operations of the artillery.


    The soldiers in front of him, including Luff and others, were his sparks, the modern soldiers he had to educate and develop for the advancement of modern weaponry!


    "Fixed ammunition is available now, but it''s still impossible to get the propellant weight exactly the same..." Another one of Tagg''s subordinates, equally puzzled, actually had experience with cannon operation before arriving and considered himself quite familiar with artillery.


    "I know! But in the future! Our ammunition will be almost identical! What we''re learning now is the tactics of the future! Do you understand?" Tang Mo found himself needing to continue explaining.


    "Hey! It''s time for a break!" yelled a construction worker carrying sand, shirtless under the sun, his muscled body reflecting a healthy glow.


    In these times clouded by the threat of war, finding any job was difficult, let alone one with the decent conditions offered by Tang''s Weapon Workshop.


    He had to haul sand to the designated spots and then help nail wooden boards, lifting the cut planks above his head to hand off to the professional builders.


    The work wasn''t hard, just requiring strength, which he had plenty of. The pay Tang Mo gave him wasn''t meager; the key was that working here came with a meal.


    The food wasn''t lavish but was certainly ample, which was quite rare. Bosses who didn''t pinch pennies on workers'' meals were uncommon these days.


    Considering the boss''s kindness, he was willing to work harder, returning good for good as an expression of his gratitude.


    But lately, he discovered that his working attitude could hardly match those of a few builders. Those despicable fellows started hammering nails at the crack of dawn, unwilling to stop for even a moment.


    "We still have some time to work..." said a worker climbing a ladder with a wooden board, positioning it where it belonged.


    A half-built roof held a wooden box filled with nails, a hammer beside it, and a crumpled piece of paper.


    "I say, the boss here may be generous, but you don''t have to work yourself to death, right?" The sand-carrying worker looked up, squinting in the sun at the builders on the ladders.


    "My son can read! Hahaha! Can you believe it? For that, I should work harder, show Tang Mo that we''re grateful folks too! Teach my son more, won''t that be another skill for him?" The worker on the ladder proudly boasted to the one below, picking up a nail, sizing it up, then deftly hammering it into the plank.


    He had been thrilled about this from last night until now. The paper in the wooden box with the nails wasn''t anything special but was his son''s test from yesterday!


    The paper had thirty characters written on it, all crooked and uneven, but to an old carpenter and builder, it was more delightful than landing a big contract.


    In this world, being literate was truly valuable. You could run errands for the nobility, work as a bookkeeper, or even apply for a position in public service.


    Even if he continued to be a carpenter like his father, being literate would make it easier to understand blueprints and calculate profits¡ªat least he wouldn''t be easily cheated, right?


    He had spent his life illiterate, relying on experience to interpret blueprints, barely recognizing any words. For him, a life disadvantaged by illiteracy had now changed because his son could write dozens of words!


    How could that not excite him? How could it not fill him with gratitude toward the person who educated his son? So lately he worked even harder, accelerating the progress of the construction project.


    "I don''t even have a son!" The sand carrier muttered his weak protest upon learning the reason, then went on to mind his own business.

 Chapter 34: Cant straighten up at the waist

    There was no helping it; any further conversation with these people, already mired in their fervor, would likely provoke hostilities. In the workshop now, there were far too many who thought the world of the boss, Tang Mo.


    Many of the workers with children could hardly contain their adoration for Tang Mo. In this era, people''s simplistic values made them devotedly loyal to a nobleman who truly had their best interests at heart.


    Haven''t you seen how, with his benevolent governance in Northern Ridge, Count Fisheo''s reputation has soared to tremendous heights? What he''s accomplished there is still less than what Tang Mo is doing here.


    Tang Mo planned to implement an entire set of modern societal reforms in this place. How could these unsophisticated commoners have ever seen such exaggeratedly terrifying "welfare treatment"?


    They could never guess that Tang Mo was indeed cultivating a social environment for himself; instinctively, they saw him as a "benevolent ruler" truly worthy of their loyalty!


    After seeing the huge changes in their children over just a few days, not only the fathers and mothers but even the grandparents started to regard Tang Mo as the savior of this miserable world.


    Yesterday, there were even workers attempting to return the wages Tang Mo had paid them, feeling they ought to contribute in any small way they could to what Tang Mo was doing.


    After Tang Mo insisted on not taking the wages back, the progress of the projects in the workshop substantially sped up to the naked eye.


    For Tang Mo, this was probably another unforeseen boon, akin to "Planting willow trees by chance and finding shade" that arose from establishing his school and cultivating his own talent.


    Even Tang Mo himself had not expected such a windfall so soon and to such a staggering effect.


    At noon, as the sand carrier¡ªwho had already been scorned by several workers¡ªqueued up for his lunch, he was once again astonished by the scene before him.


    The cantina auntie, Cui Xi, whose hands always trembled rhythmically, feverishly, profoundly, and deeply¡ªenough to shake meat right out of a spoon¡ªtoday miraculously had hands steady as a rock!


    The carrier blinked, hardly believing his eyes. After repeatedly verifying the reality before him, he panickedly lifted his head to meet Cui Xi''s displeased gaze.


    "My goodness, Auntie Cui Xi, how come you''re giving me so much today..." he began, gazing incredulously at the sticky pumpkin soup in the wooden tray that actually contained bits of minced meat.


    Pointing her soup-drenched ladle at him, Auntie Cui Xi scolded ungraciously, "You idiot, work properly! Don''t slouch around lazily! You''re delaying our boss''s project! Do you know how rare it is these days to find such a good boss? If you don''t appreciate it, then scram! Don''t cause trouble for others!"


    "Hahaha!" A few old women from the leatherworking group behind him burst into raucous laughter, revealing their yellow teeth.


    "You dog thing! If you don''t work hard this afternoon, your wife will deal with you when you get back!" Since everyone here was from neighboring villages and knew each other quite well, Auntie Cui Xi didn''t hold back in her remarks.


    The sand carrier quickly nodded and bowed, "I would never, I would never! I''ll definitely give it my all this afternoon! I''ve got plenty of strength! Just watch me! I won''t delay the boss''s schedule, rest assured, rest assured!"


    As he walked away, he eyed the pumpkin soup with its bits of meat in the wooden tray, swallowing his saliva with mixed feelings.


    Consequently, even the apprentices from Northern Ridge began learning to operate the machines, and Parker had no objections whatsoever.


    He treated all the children equally, imparting the technology to them, enabling them to handle machine production with ease and simultaneously enhancing their own efficiency.


    The noise of the machinery made the entire workshop very noisy. Many of the machines originally placed in this workshop had been moved to a temporary shed for the use of the old workers.


    What remained here now were the new machine tools driven by steam engines, which were more precise and, being directly linked with the steam engines, very convenient to use.


    No joking, he felt he could train hundreds of qualified workers within a month, allowing them to operate the machinery and complete the task of drilling rifle barrels.


    Such speed was incomparable to that of old consortia like Shireck; the two were not even on the same starting line.


    If he knew the term "dimensional strike," he would have unreservedly applied it to describe the overwhelming pressure Tang Mo''s machinery was exerting on Shireck at this moment.


    "Get your spirits up! Pay attention to the depth! Don''t mess up the order!" he shouted loudly at the apprentices, prompting them to handle the valuable steel materials with even greater care.


    "Got it!" the young apprentices immediately responded, each more attentive and serious than the last. This work was ten times simpler than what they had learned before¡ªif they still made mistakes, they might as well not continue in this profession.


    The mechanical noise echoed throughout the workshop as the steam engine tirelessly operated, driving around five machine tools constantly in motion.


    Countless parts fit together perfectly, coordinating the most scientific structures and ultimately, with a constant speed drill, rotating rapidly, causing the metal friction to emit a sharp, piercing sound.


    ...


    "March!" On the training ground, only recently leveled a few days prior, Luff was educating more than a dozen children according to Tang Mo''s teaching plan.


    These children were to receive not only cultural education in school but also physical training. The content of the physical education was actually the militarized drill regimen drafted by Tang Mo.


    Each child, according to different ages, was divided into several squads, each undergoing strict quasi-military training daily.


    The younger ones were taught drill formation by Luff, practicing every day, including basics like pairs and threes, encompassing fundamental disciplinary training.


    Marching and drill walking were the most basic. Under Luff''s guidance, the children had to run laps to strengthen their physique, and daily engage in climbing and wrestling competitions.


    The children formed neat rows, each kick they took had to be at exactly the same height.


    Accompanied by Luff''s commands, they all simultaneously lifted their left foot and swung their right arm, maintaining the posture until they heard the next command.

 Chapter 35: You are training the military.

    After Luff shouted "Two!", the children let their left foot strike the ground, making a neat clapping sound. Then they stepped forward with their right foot while swinging their left arm.


    Days of training had already made their formation look very professional, which pleased Tang Mo greatly. Tang Mo''s training requirements for these children were so strict they nearly bordered on the perverse, even demanding that they stand still in the blazing sun for over ten minutes at a time.


    If there were enough time for classes, Tang Mo would have even liked to have them practice standing still for hours ¡ª but unfortunately, these children only had a little more than an hour of training each day, so Tang Mo had no choice but to give up on that idea.


    Even so, such training was considered harsh in this era! It was known that even the less strictly trained Northern Ridge Legion of Earl Fisello was already called a strong force.


    The slightly older children, after basic formation training, would follow Bernard for tactical drill practice. Every day they had to practice with wooden rifle models, drilling in firing and bayonet combat.


    "Stab!" Right now, Bernard, with his hands behind his back, watched a group of teenagers holding rifles, following Tang Mo''s training illustrations, step by step, methodically practicing stabbing.


    Every time they thrust their rifle forward, they would shout loudly as if facing an enemy right in front of them: "Kill!"


    Accompanied by their shouts, the formation of seven or eight people simultaneously lunging with their rifles immediately appeared ferocious.


    "Continue! Stab!" Bernard, with hands still behind his back, looked at these young children who were starting to exert a sense of pressure, and ordered loudly.


    "Kill!" Hearing the command, the children stabbed with their long rifles once more, lunged forward, slightly sidestepping as if dodging an oncoming bayonet.


    Compared to studying, these children clearly found this kind of drill more interesting; they earnestly executed all sorts of commands, imagining with their youthful souls that they were fighting valiantly on the battlefield.


    Which child doesn''t have a dream of becoming a hero? Which young person doesn''t fantasize about going into battle and killing enemies? Therefore, on the drill ground, these children had an extraordinary enthusiasm for bayonet fighting training.


    Meanwhile, not far away, other students, generally over fifteen years of age, were spreading out in front of Wes, practicing with wooden swords they had whittled, as they followed Wes''s movements, slowly rotating their bodies.


    Wes demonstrated in front of these children with his real longsword, loudly instructing them to turn and thrust out their longswords.


    "Thrust it out! If your longsword does not strike at your enemy at this time, they will seize the opportunity and hit you from behind! That''s very dangerous!" while speaking, he reminded everyone.


    "So! At this time, you must thrust it out! With all your strength! As long as the enemy thinks they''ve got an opportunity, you will gain the advantage!" After completing a turn and delivering a retaliatory stab with his longsword, he returned to a guarded stance.


    All the students, following his example, also turned and thrust out their wooden swords, then, mimicking Wes, returned to a defensive posture.


    Wes, reasonably satisfied with these apprentices, nodded and once again began a new round of demonstration: "Good! Turn!"


    The students in front of him also began another round of turning like his, their movements a bit rough but proper.


    "Right! After turning... maintain your sword holding posture!" Wes, holding his longsword, corrected the students'' postures after they turned.


    Tagg glared angrily at Tang Mo, deeply dissatisfied with his dismissiveness, "You teach them swordsmanship, you teach them to fence; each one of them can read, has been educated, can do calculations! They know more in this regard than even I do!"


    "What''s wrong with that?" Tang Mo put down the expense report for the past five days, looked at Tagg, and retorted.


    Caught off guard, Tagg then answered Tang Mo''s question, "In a few months, they will become the best soldiers, even capable of serving as officers! To be honest, even the officers of the Suthers Kingdom might not have such cultural refinement!"


    Tang Mo smiled, feeling affirmed by Tagg''s acknowledgment of the children''s potential, and reassured that his efforts were in the right direction.


    So he continued to defend his training methods, "They''re still children, the youngest just eight or nine years old..."


    "If you keep training them like this! In ten years, you could arm 30,000 people at least! Equipped with your K1 Quick Gun, these 30,000 could be invincible." Tagg clenched his teeth and emphasized to Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo was taken aback, then shook his head decisively, rejecting Tagg''s hypothesis, "How could I possibly equip them with needle guns... What a joke... Not only will I not issue needle guns to them, but I also won''t give them revolvers..."


    Needle guns still in use ten years from now? I''m going to equip them with grenade launchers, MG42 machine guns, and AK47 assault rifles! Stop joking, why stick with Left-Wheel Handguns? Aren''t Glocks and Berettas more appealing? Tang Mo scornfully criticised in his mind.


    "You wouldn''t really do that?" After hearing such assurances from Tang Mo and seeing his resolute eyes, Tagg muttered doubtfully.


    Tang Mo truly wasn''t lying, so his expression was as candid as can be. It''s just that although he spoke the truth, he skillfully avoided Tagg''s question. Thus, the candid Tang Mo that Tagg saw was already miles away from the topic at hand.


    "Are you insane? Equip them with needle guns in ten years? I swear to heaven, that will never happen." Tang Mo "sincerely" emphasized again, even stressing the phrase ''needle guns''.


    This sincerity made Tagg feel like he was wrongfully misjudging a good person, and he fell silent for a long while, as if to deliberate the tone of his subsequent words.


    "...Alright, I''ll trust you for now." Eventually, Tagg''s tone softened as he spoke to Tang Mo. His words embarrassed Tang Mo, giving him the uncomfortable feeling of having conned a simpleton...


    Therefore, Tang Mo took out a Revolver he had assembled from his drawer and handed it to Tagg, "This is the Revolver I promised to give you."


    "You''ve finished it?" Tagg looked at Tang Mo in surprise, stepped forward, and took the exquisite Revolver from Tang Mo''s hands.


    "Yes, it''s done, but the bullets will take a little while longer; as you know, I''ve been a bit busy recently," Tang Mo apologetically explained.


    In fact, he did have some bullets, but he needed to share some of them with Wes, so Tagg would have to be inconvenienced for now.


    Clearly, Tagg wasn''t bothered by this detail; he held the Revolver, caressing it gently, as if it were the tender skin of a maiden.


    The allure of this object was tremendous for him; holding the handgun, he even felt a surge of power course through his body.


    ----------


    Extra chapter, seeking monthly votes and rewards, don''t forget to bookmark and recommend!

 Chapter 36: 36 examinations

    Since the revolver was no longer a secret weapon, it was imperative for Tang Mo to make himself a true "Left-Wheel Handgun".


    In fact, he had already accumulated some smokeless powder and had several apprentices help him use the steam engine to stamp out some copper bullet casings. With the steam engine, stamping became very simple, especially stamping the soft metal, copper.


    Using the time squeezed from his busy schedule, he handcrafted some metal fixed ammunition in his own laboratory ¡ª bullets specifically designed for the use in the Left-Wheel Handgun!


    This might have been the first batch of true metal fixed ammunition in the world, complete with primers and made of copper, closely resembling the appearance of modern bullets.


    Tang Mo always had the habit of keeping an ace up his sleeve. Since he had already revealed the revolver, producing another secret weapon was only natural.


    After bidding farewell to a jubilant Tagg, promising to deliver some ammunition to him in a few days, Tang Mo strolled leisurely to the workshop where Mathews was.


    In the noisy workshop where the roar of machinery could almost be described as deafening, the workers were busy with their tasks and greeted Tang Mo only when they saw him.


    Walking up to Mathews, Tang Mo waited until he had finished polishing a new part before asking loudly, "How are the new parts I wanted coming along?"


    "You mean this? It looks like a cylinder... Like a brand new cylinder for a revolver." Mathews handed over a beautifully polished cylinder to Tang Mo.


    Unlike the old-fashioned revolver''s cylinder, this new cylinder had some interlocking grooves on the side to lock the position during the automatic rotation of the cylinder.


    Meanwhile, in the center of the cylinder, there was an extremely precise spring mechanism that could, after all the bullets had been fired, use a push rod to eject all six shell casings from the cylinder, allowing for a swift reload.


    The overall precision of the cylinder''s design was comparable to the most precise parts on a steam engine. Such craftsmanship could only be achieved by Mathews; even Roger might not have been able to make it.


    "This is a very complex structure! Without the steam engine-driven drill press and other machines, I might not be able to make it myself," Mathews honestly admired. "It''s enchanting, even just the part of its function I''ve guessed, it can already be said to be a revolutionary product."


    Mathews was a very experienced weapon manufacturing worker. He had once worked at Shireck and was dismissed after talking back to his supervisor and ended up wandering to Northern Ridge.


    He was very familiar with the structure of weapons and equally experienced in manufacturing them. Had it not been for this, he wouldn''t have had the temperament to talk back to his boss ¡ª those with talent often have a bit of a quirky temperament, or conversely, it''s the ones with no talent who are meek and compliant...


    "Oh? What have you figured out?" Tang Mo was very interested in Mathews'' professional capability. If there was one person in the workshop who could follow some of Tang Mo''s weapon design ideas, it was this old Dwarf from Northern Ridge.


    From this perspective, Lord Earl was quite generous. He was willing to let a master weapon maker with so much experience work for him, a gesture that certainly deserved praise!


    The other actually managed to guess that Tang Mo planned to use a movable cylinder! That was the fundamental difference between a left-handed revolver and a revolver, as well as the key distinction between modern left-handed revolvers and traditional, outdated ones!


    Traditional revolvers could not eject the cylinder to speed up reloading¡ªthey had to be loaded one bullet at a time, a flaw that modern firearms could not tolerate!


    The modern left-handed revolver, improved upon, had a cylinder that could swing out of the frame, thereby allowing for quick loading. The speed and convenience of loading were several times better than those of old-fashioned revolvers!


    Moreover, there later appeared speed loaders designed specifically for left-handed revolvers, which could load six bullets at once, greatly increasing loading speed!


    "Hahaha..." Upon hearing Dwarf Mathews'' speculations, Tang Mo laughed heartily, feeling that keeping such a talent would definitely be a major gain for him.


    Unexpectedly, Mathews continued to surprise Tang Mo¡ªonly to hear the old dwarf continue, "Alright, such a precise structure can''t use paper cartridge anymore, because the gunpowder residue from the paper would definitely clog these nearly gapless mechanisms."


    Tang Mo was taken aback, he really hadn''t anticipated that Mathews could deduce so many design details from just the cylinder.


    If Mathews'' previous conjectures could be described as professional, then what he was saying now could almost only be described as uncanny.


    Actually, this was also because Tang Mo wasn''t truly a craftsman in the strictest sense, so his impression was somewhat exaggerated. Real craftsmen have an intimate understanding of the structures they''re familiar with.


    Clearly, Mathews'' technical skills were nearly impeccable, so what limited him was only the direction. He didn''t lack the keen probing power a weapon craftsman should have regarding the development of weapons.


    "Such a delicate structure itself can''t withstand the impact of gunpowder combustion! So you definitely need to figure out a solution for the bullet issue." Quickly, he shared his view¡ªwhich was due to these details, that he could infer so much about Tang Mo''s new weapon.


    As he had said, the ejection structure and even the more delicate cylinder couldn''t withstand the erosion of gunpowder.


    If it weren''t for the use of metal cartridges, just the gunpowder residue alone would turn the delicate ejection mechanism into a malfunction-riddled joke.


    By a different line of reasoning, if paper cartridges were still to be used, there would be no need for an ejection mechanism, would there? Cleaning the bore would suffice, with no need for a complicated structure at all.


    "Let me guess, you plan to use metal cartridges, right?" After such speculation, Dwarf Mathews looked up at Tang Mo with an almost certain tone and asked.


    Tang Mo did not answer him, but instead smiled in response to Mathews'' confident gaze and counter-asked, "Is it only you who has such talent, or are all you dwarves so clever?"


    The roar of machinery grew noisy again as steam-powered lathes, after a brief pause, started spinning cheerfully once more.

 Chapter 37: 37 Surprises

    Upon hearing Tang Mo''s counter-question, a smile appeared on Mathews'' face. He was very confident in his expertise and began with a laugh, "I think, maybe it''s just me? Hahaha! Did I guess right? What an interesting little fellow."


    "Close enough. Anything else to add?" Tang Mo did not conceal anything and nodded in acknowledgment of Mathews'' guess. He too was curious to see how far Mathews could get relying solely on experience.


    Mathews continued, "The idea of using metal cartridge cases isn''t unique to you."


    He glanced at Tang Mo, and upon seeing a hint of surprise in the other''s eyes, he continued with a smile, "Don''t underestimate the craftsmen of this world; they are much stronger than you think. They are very creative and haven''t confined their own thinking."


    "Even the Shireck Consortium has invested a large amount of money in true firearms reform. They have a dedicated assault team, brimming with new ideas every day." After explaining, Mathews pointed at himself, "I was once part of such a team, but I soon left."


    "Oh?" Tang Mo was indeed interested in this gossip and looked at Mathews, eager for him to continue.


    "My philosophy didn''t quite align with theirs, so ultimately, I was driven out," Mathews said with a self-deprecating smile before returning to the topic of firearms design, "In fact, ten years ago someone had already proposed using metal cartridge cases to achieve fixed charges, allowing soldiers to reload as quickly as possible in complex battlefield environments."


    As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, "Metal cartridge cases have many benefits. They can be reloaded quickly, allow for breech loading, and even waterproofing¡ªpractically a perfect choice for bullets."


    Tang Mo nodded. It seemed that Mathews knew quite a bit about fixed ammunition, and he mentioned many of its advantages.


    Yet, he still mischievously asked a rather infuriating question, "Then why abandon it?"


    Mathews did not show the slightest timidity, and said directly, "If you want me to say it, then I''ll tell you."


    He stretched out his hand, making a number one gesture, "First, the problem lies in processing¡ªmanufacturing metal cartridge cases is very troublesome. Under normal circumstances, to produce qualified bullets, you need a very complicated manufacturing process."


    As he spoke, his eyes filled with regret, "This limited the production of bullets... Of course, what also limited the production was the production of metal itself... Using expensive metal cartridge cases meant definitely higher costs, and coupled with the difficulty in processing, the price was unbearable!"


    This is the helplessness of weapons developers¡ªsometimes, not every advanced weapon will be purchased by everyone.


    Most often, the people or nations using weapons will pay more attention to cost-effectiveness and other aspects. Hence the inevitable compromise: soldiers consider the Tiger tank the best, while generals believe the best tank is the T-34.


    "Anything else?" Tang Mo looked at Mathews as if he were a pile of glistening gold, asking with a laugh. He was no longer evaluating Mathews; he was mining, excavating the most dazzling treasure in the world.


    "You could also consider me a monster..." Tang Mo said, smiling as he made a clawing gesture.


    "I''d rather believe you''re the god of craftsmen," Mathews laughed and pointed at Tang Mo, saying, "Do you know? I always had faith that someone could make a weapon capable of continuous firing... That''s why the designers at Shireck thought I was crazy, and indeed, I didn''t have the ability to convince them.


    They drove me away, believing I was a madman, because they felt that rapid-fire weapons were divine arms, technologies that were impossible for mere mortals to master."


    "Now, you can," Tang Mo pointed at Mathews, telling him.


    Mathews waved dismissively, unconcerned with the thought of going back to convince those fools, "But I don''t deign to persuade them anymore! One day, they will see with their own eyes Tang''s weapons crushing their junk on the battlefield, and at that time, they''ll realize that everything I said was right!"


    "Mm-hmm." Tang Mo very much agreed with this point of view; if debates were useless, then let the guns argue on the battlefield. The louder the voice, the more convincing it would be.


    Looking up at Tang Mo, Mathews''s eyes were filled with fervor, "Honestly, for an old man like me to meet a patron like you at my age, it''s truly a very fortunate thing. If you''re willing, please accept this misguided fool. I will serve at your side and become your most loyal servant."


    "Can I trust you?" Tang Mo asked Mathews in the noisy workshop.


    Mathews swore solemnly, "Of course, I swear upon the name of Mathews, willing to become your follower until the end of my life. From today on, you, Tang Mo, are my master!"


    "Then, Mathews, welcome to officially joining Tang''s Weapon Workshop," Tang Mo smiled down at the robust old man who might be just over four feet tall and said with the same gravity.


    "Thank... thank you..." Mathews was a bit shy, his face covered with a beard, so Tang Mo couldn''t see the Dwarf blushing.


    However, Tang Mo had initially planned to show Mathews the new drawings he had finished, so he turned his head, signaling for Mathews to follow, "Since you''re willing to offer your loyalty, then come with me, I''ll show you something good."


    "Sure thing, Master," Mathews responded heartily to Tang Mo and started to follow him.


    Now it was Tang Mo''s turn to feel a bit awkward; he still wasn''t quite used to being called "Master." So he halted, beginning somewhat uncomfortably, "Uh... that title..."


    "What''s wrong with that title?" Mathews looked at Tang Mo, puzzled, and asked back.


    "Nothing, nothing... Come on!" Tang Mo adjusted for a moment and finally decided to make use of the title with a historical air, gesturing again for Mathews to follow.

 Chapter 38: 38 new drawings

    Tang Mo, accompanied by Mathews, made his way through the bustling workshop to his small office.


    He walked over to his desk, pulled out several blueprints, spread them out on his desk, and gestured for Dwarf Mathews to come and have a look.


    Mathews excitedly walked over, bent down to look at the blueprint on top, and was immediately startled by the perspective drawing it contained.


    For he saw an intricate feed mechanism¡ªby simply pulling the extended trigger guard by hand, the bullets from the ammunition cylinder below the barrel could be continuously pushed into the chamber''s feed structure!


    Mathews''s eyes widened as he carefully examined the complex springs and action mechanisms, unable to say a word for a long while.


    He knew that contemplating how to enable a rifle to shoot continuously wasn''t something Tang Mo had only been thinking about for a day or two.


    Such a clever design also required improvements and support in ammunition¡ªindicating that Tang Mo had made significant strides in enhancing ammunition.


    Adding to that, the components of the new Left-Wheel Handguns Tang Mo had him make before, he could even be certain that Tang Mo indeed had the capability to create a mature, mass-producible gunpowder formula! Similarly, he undoubtedly also had a simple and inexpensive technology for manufacturing the relevant bullets!


    Realizing this, he suddenly paused, then seemed to grasp something.


    Consequently, he raised his head, looked at Tang Mo and said, "My God! You have a steam engine! Damnation! My God, you''ve built a steam engine! With that, making cylindrical bullets is a piece of cake! I should''ve thought of this sooner!


    Blast it!"


    Only then did he fully realize just how terrifying Tang Mo''s planning was. Improvements to bullets could directly lead to the advancement of rifles, and advancements in rifles could change the patterns of warfare!


    If everything went according to Tang Mo''s plan, then in the future, Tang''s Weapon Workshop would become the next Shireck, a colossal entity leading the future of warfare!


    "So, Mathews, the future belongs to us..." Tang Mo''s hand rested on the lever-action rifle blueprints as he said to Mathews.


    Mathews nodded in agreement, saying assuredly, "Master, you''re right, the future belongs to you!"


    "Take this! Look over it here before you go, and don''t take it out! Remember to keep it a secret! Don''t let others find out!" Tang Mo pointed to the blueprints of the lever-action rifle on the desk, instructing Mathews, "I''m not planning to mass-produce this thing yet, so keep it confidential for the time being!"


    "Understood, Master!" Mathews excitedly took the blueprints and immersed himself in examining them.


    ...


    Early the next day, a supply caravan from Northern Ridge crowded in front of Tang Mo''s weapon workshop.


    Lord Earl had kept his word, amassing materials and Gold Coins and sending them to Tang Mo without waiting for the first batch of weapons to be delivered.


    "Send what I owe to the town mayor; I don''t want him causing me trouble later," Tang Mo said, chuckling as he patted Tagg''s shoulder, "No problem, right?"


    "No problem!" Tagg nodded slightly, aware that Tang Mo had completed the contract for his land purchase. If he couldn''t repay the outstanding balance on time, all the money he had paid so far would have been for naught.


    So, the first thing to do after getting the money was to repay the debt and genuinely take control of the land.


    "Additionally, send another 50 gold coins to the mayor, and 30 each to the sheriff and the tax officer," Tang Mo generously produced a large sum of money, planning to give these officials a pleasant surprise.


    "Why? You know, more than a hundred gold coins isn''t a small amount," Tagg said, somewhat stunned, as he had never seen such a spendthrift maverick before.


    If one had tens of millions and gave out a hundred thousand as a bribe, it would be reasonable. Tagg had seen such bribery before; Shireck was quite generous, too.


    But for someone who only had a few hundred gold coins to gamble with one-fifth, or even one-fourth of it as a bribe, such madness was something Tagg had never encountered before.


    "We have started a school, are preparing to raise a private army, and may need to do many things in the future. At such a time, smoothing things over with Brunas''s officials is very beneficial to us," Tang Mo explained. "If they are willing to turn a blind eye, we can save a lot of time and effort."


    "I... I hope... you''re right," Tagg hesitated, then nodded and asked, "Why don''t you go yourself?"


    "Why? I am the spokesperson for Lord Earl, do you understand the art of using one''s position to bully others? If I handle everything myself, it would be a disgrace to Lord Earl," Tang Mo remarked with a tinge of jest, pointing to himself.


    "We all know you''re not really..." Tagg looked at Tang Mo, feeling that this young man''s ideas always smacked of provocation.


    "No, I am," Tang Mo gestured dismissively, "at least for now I still want them to think I am," he shrugged. "Besides, I have to personally supervise the assembly of the first batch of K1 Quick Guns soon, so I really can''t find the time."


    "Fine! I''ll take care of it for you," Tagg said, although he knew Tang Mo might just be making an excuse, he readily agreed.


    "Remember, when you go, do it with pride! Don''t be afraid they will ask for more, fear they won''t ask at all. By tomorrow morning, I guarantee you will have a batch of Quick Guns to take back to Lord Earl," Tang Mo instructed.


    Tagg nodded and began counting out a considerable sum of money, then set off toward Brunas town with four guards.


    Meanwhile, Tang Mo turned to Roger, "Check all the materials! Don''t get the numbers wrong! Mathews, come with me. We''re going to make a batch of K1 Quick Guns to send to Lord Earl."


    "Haven''t you already prepared the parts?" Mathews asked as he followed Tang Mo, recalling how he had poured over the blueprints until late the previous night. It had been a marvelous experience.


    For many years, Mathews had been searching for a method of continuous firing for weapons, and the epiphany had come to him last night. It meant that his lifelong pursuits were correct, so now Mathews was positively glowing.


    "Yes! I have prepared them!" Tang Mo said, nodding with a smile full of pride. "But we need to rush to produce at least 50 Quick Guns, to surprise Lord Earl!"


    ```

 Chapter 39: 39 Better to do less than to do more

    The small town of Brunas, inside the mayor''s room, the sheriff and the tax officer were both present. The three of them were discussing matters related to Tang Mo''s weapon workshop.


    Lately, the biggest topic in the tranquil town of Brunas was likely this very weapon workshop of Tang Mo.


    At this moment, the tax officer was sitting in a chair, looking over a rolled-up tax document. Seemingly indifferent, he casually mentioned, "I heard another delivery of supplies was sent from Northern Ridge to Tang Mo''s weapon workshop?"


    "That''s right," the sheriff was aware of this, for he had sent someone yesterday to observe the caravan from Northern Ridge. His subordinate reported back that he had personally witnessed dozens of large wagons entering Tang Mo''s weapon workshop.


    This clearly affirmed that Tang Mo indeed had a close relationship with Lord Earl and had secured his support.


    The appearance of the caravan, as well as the soldiers of Lord Earl, corroborated one thing: Tang Mo was not bluffing but genuinely had the support of the mighty Earl, sheltering him from storm and stress.


    From this perspective, Tang Mo surely wasn''t someone they could provoke at will. At least until Lord Earl fell from power, it would be better to avoid meddling.


    It wasn''t that they feared Tang Mo or Lord Earl, but rather they all adhered to an official''s creed: Better to avoid trouble than to seek it. Everyone living in peace was truly the best outcome.


    Sometimes, the goings-on in official circles were not as dark as imagined. Most officials actually had very clear thinking; they simply preferred not to take action out of indolence.


    Not causing trouble or seeking action wasn''t always about accepting bribes or intentionally coddling transgressions, but often a result of lazy inertia. However, regardless of the reasons, such a mentality was in fact erroneous, and utterly detestable to the people they governed.


    While tending to his fingernails, the mayor drew out his words in a prolonged tone, "I heard that Tang Mo''s weapon workshop has been setting up a school recently?"


    "Yes, that is indeed happening," the sheriff, well-informed as he was, nodded in confirmation to the mayor.


    The tax officer furrowed his brow unhappily and questioned, "Are we just going to let him mess around like this? You know, while the Kingdom''s law does not forbid private schools, the management of this is very..."


    He had always believed that all activities within his jurisdiction should pay taxes. Tang Mo establishing a school privately would naturally require a payment. If he didn''t pay, that would be an offense.


    The mayor understood quite clearly and pointed out directly, "You know, private schools are not forbidden because the Shireck Consortium also has schools. However, everyone is well aware of this; just because Shireck is allowed to operate schools doesn''t mean the Kingdom will tolerate others doing the same so casually..."


    Upon mentioning this, they involuntarily recalled the School Wars that occurred decades ago. The Shireck Consortium launched a war to fight for the right to operate schools, leading to the annihilation of three Kingdoms and forcing the remaining nations to capitulate, allowing the Consortium to run schools within their territories without any restrictions.


    The war lasted for three and a half months. Tens of thousands died because of it, and millions were displaced, leaving a chilling memory that lingers to this day.


    Back then, they were all young or rather just children, but the war was indelibly imprinted on their childhood memories, starkly vivid.


    Such Kingdom officials had, more or less, heard some rumors from certain connections. This war could likely be a political reshuffling, primarily aimed at Count Fisheo.


    The Sheriff, well-informed as ever, nodded in agreement, "Exactly, that Fisheo will definitely need to find himself a way out if he wants to survive! There are only two ways for him to live!"


    The Mayor nonchalantly suggested the first option, "Hmm, go above, beg for mercy, and he probably ends up losing the Earl title, demoted to Viscount or Baron or something."


    Stripping away his noble title to reduce Fisheo''s influence and then marginalizing him was probably the Kingdom''s most reasonable arrangement in dealing with him.


    After all, Fisheo was a capable man; at least in the eyes of the ruling King, it was still not desirable to kill him outright. The Kingdom needed nobles who were willing to shoulder the state''s backbone, and Fisheo was clearly such a noble.


    So, the most sensible setup was to pin the blame for a defeat on Fisheo, to let him atone for his "crimes" and scoot off to a corner where no one could see him, scraping by day after day.


    When needed one day, they would summon him back, assigning him an appropriate role to play. When he was superfluous, he''d better be content being invisible, hunkered down in that corner without any more moments in the spotlight.


    "The other option is to lead his troops through the Vicious Forest, retreat to Brunas, and then, armed to the teeth, he can sustain himself here," the Mayor laughed, casually adding to the conversation.


    "Most likely, he''ll attempt to take both paths, and this Tang Mo, along with those elite soldiers accompanying him, they are definitely here for the second option!" the Sheriff continued.


    "That makes sense indeed!" the Tax Officer, clearly enlightened, nodded in agreement with the two.


    With a trace of regret, the Mayor said, "So think about it, Fisheo is probably going to spend some time in Brunas eventually; crossing him now wouldn''t be wise."


    "And what about the King?" the Tax Officer turned to the two, voicing his most pressing concern.


    "Feign total ignorance of this affair, and isn''t that the end of it?" the Sheriff planned to revert to his tried-and-true method of dealing with his superiors.


    "Right, just vehemently deny any knowledge, and who could do anything to us? Offend neither side and simply wait for the higher-ups to decide; we''ll carry out the King''s orders once they arrive," the Mayor concurred, readily agreeing.


    "Uh..." The Tax Officer had no better solution, so he nodded along.


    The avaricious Mayor''s eyes glinted with greed as he added with a sly grin, "Actually, we could wait and see whether this youngster Tang Mo is going to play ball..."


    The Tax Officer''s eyes brightened, and he nodded, "If he plays ball, then we''ll do as you say, Lord Mayor. If he doesn''t, we''ll warn him off this school business!"


    "Makes sense!" the Sheriff also approved of this approach.


    "My Lord!" Just as the three had reached an agreement, a servant hurried through the door, and bowing his head, he greeted them.

 Chapter 40: You are absolutely right.

    "What is it?" the mayor looked at the other impatiently and asked. He hated when someone interrupted his train of thought, especially when he was contemplating how to embezzle money.


    "An officer wishes to see you..." The servant, knowing his master''s habits, immediately explained.


    "An officer?" both the mayor and the sheriff were surprised.


    "The one who came last time, the one with Tang Mo, the officer from Northern Ridge..." the servant quickly added.


    "Oh... let him in!" The mayor came to a realization and immediately ordered. He glanced at the sheriff and the tax officer, his eyes clearly conveying the message¡ªit seemed that the visitor was worthwhile.


    Sure enough, his speculation was confirmed. Tagg had indeed come to offer them benefits. Tang Mo was true to his word and delivered the promised benefits to them.


    Tagg arrogantly handed the bribe to the three main officials of the small town, and this attitude further solidified the mayor''s and sheriff''s and tax officer''s belief¡ªTang Mo was likely a man of Count Fisheo, and an important confidant at that.


    Therefore, after the mayor and his colleagues received the second installment of bribe from Tagg, they put the matter of the school on hold.


    After all, such matters were usually ignored if the common folk did not report it, and there were no accusations to field. They naturally wouldn''t meddle needlessly¡ªand even if someone did accuse, they would let it slide for sake of the Gold Coin and help Tang Mo take care of the fool who dared to accuse...


    ...


    In the workshop, Tang Mo was assembling the first batch of K1 Quick Gun with Mathews and others. Currently, this was the flagship product of Tang Mo''s arms workshop and the source of its income.


    The smelting furnace, after resting for seven or eight days, finally started belching black smoke again, enlivened by the raw materials transported from Northern Ridge.


    In fact, Tang Mo had not deceived Tagg; he truly planned to produce a batch of arms and send it to Lord Earl.


    He was an arms dealer, and his ultimate goal was to supply Lord Earl with sufficient weapons and to establish a reputation for his weapons in future wars.


    If he did not provide Lord Earl with weapons and set aside ample training time, the effectiveness of these weapons on the battlefield would decrease, and Tang Mo would suffer great losses.


    Therefore, this time, Tang Mo planned to provide as many K1 Quick Guns as possible and transport these weapons to Northern Ridge.


    And Tagg, returning with this batch of arms, would personally bring Tang Mo''s demands back. As long as Earl Fisello was willing to continue providing support, Northern Ridge would receive a steady supply of arms.


    Tang Mo was confident about Earl Fisello''s continued backing, for he was very certain that, once Tagg brought the Revolver back to Northern Ridge, the Earl would definitely recognize its immense significance.


    This was no joke¡ªif the Earl truly had ambition, with Tang Mo''s weapons, he could even surge out of Northern Ridge, vie for the Kingdom''s throne, and claim the seat right beneath the King''s posterior!


    In fact, Tang Mo''s plan was roughly the same¡ªhe would supply Lord Earl with enough military arms, enabling the Earl to aim for a higher political status.


    "Very good! Now, screw it tight, secure them... There, the internal structure of the K1 Quick Gun is complete! Pretty simple, right?" Finally, after a not-too-long wait under Tang Mo''s supervision, the worker completed the entire procedure.


    A complete firing mechanism was created and then passed to the next worker, who would be responsible for installing it and assembling the rest of the rifle.


    With the addition of the front barrel, the entire rifle was put together to become a true K1 Quick Gun.


    "Yes, I think all the workers should have mastered it." Parker nodded and assured Tang Mo, "The rest can be left to me, I will watch over them and let them familiarize themselves with the whole process."


    "Good! Get started!" Tang Mo nodded his head and then stood aside, watching the workers assemble the already polished parts one by one according to the steps he had outlined.


    This was his weapon workshop''s first time producing the K1 Quick Gun on such a large scale. Previously, the prototypes were entirely handcrafted, with production cycles so long they were almost tear-inducing.


    Now was different, for as the workers in front of him assembled their parts, in another workshop, two steam engines continued to work non-stop.


    Over thirty apprentices were operating the machines, drilling barrel after barrel¡ªby tonight, the workshop would have produced at least 50 high-quality barrels, almost perfectly identical!


    These barrels were uniformly high quality, far more reliable than those drilled by workers using hydraulic windmills or purely by hand.


    "Click!" Tang Mo cocked the bolt of an already-manufactured K1 Quick Gun to reveal its smooth bore and nodded in satisfaction.


    Though still far from the advanced military hardware Tang Mo dealt with before his transmigration, this weapon was quite ahead of its time for this era.


    "It''s truly very beautiful!" Tang Mo said, smiling at the weapon in his hand while speaking to Parker and Mathews beside him.


    "Indeed, after mechanical processing, this is more like a work of art compared to Shireck''s flintlock guns," Mathews agreed.


    Then, he continued to reflect on everything, "Compared to such results, it should be said that the entire process is even greater."


    With that, he, along with Parker and Tang Mo, looked towards the other side where the finished K1 Quick Guns, identical except for the production numbers, were being packed into wooden crates one by one.


    "I''m back! Everything is settled. They won''t trouble you anymore and are willing to sell you some more land... Also..." Tagg was rambling as he walked into the factory, but when he saw the neatly stacked K1 Quick Guns in the wooden crates, he found himself at a loss for words.


    He swallowed, his gaze fixed on the workers as they placed each freshly-made, rustproof-oiled gun into crates one after the other.


    Then he glanced at the several large sealed boxes not far away and couldn''t utter a word for a long moment.


    "Exactly, you are completely right, those boxes contain the K1 Quick Guns you will take away," Tang Mo nodded.


    Then everyone couldn''t help but burst into laughter.

 Chapter 41: 41 new secret weapons

    "Can I really take all of these away?" Tagg, hardly believing his own eyes, pointed at the sealed wooden crates and asked Tang Mo.


    These wooden crates were simply boards that had been cut and nailed together, with a basic structure inside: some crossboards with grooves, across which the firearms were securely fit in tidy rows.


    Above and below, each wooden crate contained ten brand-new K1 Quick Guns, still smelling of oil.


    Accompanying ammunition pouches made of leather, along with the gun belts, were crammed into the wooden crates, serving as packing material.


    This new type of gun belt was quite elaborate, with a place for attaching a bayonet, with two ammo pouches fixed securely on either side¡ªeach side having two independent ammo pouches.


    Four ammo pouches could hold 40 paper cartridges, and the sturdy lining ensured that even if the pouches were struck, they wouldn''t easily deform, thus protecting the bullets inside in the complex conditions of a battlefield.


    Now, these ammo pouches were filled with bullets, all of which Tang Mo had his workers rush to produce.


    The ammunition factory that Tang Mo was setting up was not highly automated yet, and it would take the introduction of the third steam engine before they could mass-produce bullets more quickly.


    There was no helping it because, at the moment, he was truly short of raw materials and lacking the energy resources to support full-scale production expansion.


    Coal was indeed available from Brunas, and Northern Ridge wasn''t lacking either... but to get enough coal took time to mine, not to mention enough funds to afford the purchase.


    Once again, there was no way around it; the Gold Coins in Tang Mo''s possession were earmarked for land, steel, gunpowder, a whole variety of miscellaneous raw materials, and to hire workers... It simply wasn''t enough!


    Nowadays, even if Tang Mo were given 10 million Gold Coins, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that he could almost spend it all within a few days.


    The reason Tang Mo could maintain his current operations was partially because Lord Earl provided many raw materials to Tang Mo''s weapon workshop in a timely fashion and partly because Tang Mo, under the name of Lord Earl, went around bluffing and deceiving to cut down on expenses.


    "Yes, I''ve prepared 50 Quick Guns for Lord Earl. How about that? Don''t you think it''s more than worth it?" Tang Mo, patting Tagg on the shoulder with a smile, was fulfilling the promise he had made to Tagg earlier.


    In less than 20 days, Tang Mo had produced 50 Quick Guns, effectively creating a miracle that could shock the world.


    Keep in mind, this production rate had to be further accelerated¡ªduring these twenty-some days, Tang Mo spent most of his time not on weapon production.


    Tagg had seen with his own eyes that after returning to Brunas, the first thing Tang Mo began working on was that thing called a steam engine.


    Afterwards, Tang Mo mainly focused on purchasing land, setting up workshops to build wooden huts, and starting schools, along with a slew of other trivial matters.


    It can be responsibly said that Tang Mo didn''t focus on producing the K1 Quick Guns. It was only after the second steam engine started operating that Parker began to supervise, using the steam engine to drill gun barrels.


    After closing the door and walking over to the desk, Tang Mo pulled out a drawer, took out a box, and from it, retrieved an assembled Left-Wheel Handgun.


    This was a true Left-Wheel Handgun of the era, truly capable of flipping the entire cylinder out to the left for quick reloading and continuous firing.


    Tang Mo then took out a yellow metal object from the drawer and casually scattered it on the table.


    The metal parts clinked together, producing a pleasant sound. These were all crafted one by one by Tang Mo using a manual bullet press in front of him.


    To be honest, these metal cartridge bullets, the first of their kind in this world, still fell a bit short of those produced by fully automatic bullet production equipment.


    In fact, they were still rough, and the bullets still had the first generation Minie? ball design, stuffed with wood!


    Nevertheless, they were still the most advanced bullets in the world because inside them was the smokeless gunpowder Tang Mo had made himself, which still was not able to be mass-produced!


    This was a Colt 1907 model pistol, except the caliber used was the 9mm rimmed cartridge bullets crafted by Tang Mo himself.


    For ease of production, Tang Mo''s bullets had a primitive design with a rim slightly larger than the diameter of the bullet body, which also facilitated the pistol''s ejection mechanism for quick cartridge ejection.


    Of course, this design was later completely phased out, but Tang Mo, constrained by production technology, had to come up with this kind of retro design.


    Despite this, these bullets handcrafted by Tang Mo were still advanced, advanced to the point of being expensive¡ªso expensive that Tang Mo was reluctant to use them for shooting practice.


    Tang Mo was not going to use the idiotic imperial measurements, so he directly introduced the concept of millimeters. Now that he was the standard setter for the entire industry, he naturally had no reservations.


    As for why he chose a complex structure like the Colt 1907 Left-Wheel Handgun instead of the more stable and easier to produce "Grip-Handle" Left-Wheel Handgun... Well, the reason is quite simple: because it''s cool.


    Since Tang Mo was making a handgun for himself and there was no significant technical challenge, of course, he''d choose whichever looked cooler. After all, he wasn''t concerned with expanding production scale or manufacturing costs.


    So, this unusual, peculiar Colt 1907 Left-Wheel Handgun was thus created.


    Tang Mo used his thumb to push the mechanism on the gun body, and with a light flick, the pistol cylinder flipped out from the left side of the gun. The whole process was incredibly smooth, without any delay. There was no helping it; in this era, they couldn''t produce a comfortable dampening effect, so there was a strong cheap, loose feeling.


    But Tang Mo didn''t care about that. He picked up a bullet from the table and easily inserted it into the cylinder, one after another, flawlessly.


    After filling the cylinder with six bullets, he habitually brushed over the cylinder, and the oiled cylinder began spinning rapidly.


    Mathews'' craftsmanship was really strong, relying on simple machinery to produce such high-precision parts.


    Tang Mo internally praised, and with a flick of his wrist, the cylinder snapped back onto the gun body with a crisp sound.

 Chapter 42: 42 lever

    He extended his arm, aimed at the scenery outside the window, and felt an unprecedented ease. For this was the first the he had created a truly "modern" weapon since crossing into this world.


    It was a weapon he was familiar with, a weapon he understood! The ones before, including the needle-gun he had mass-produced, were merely hazy memories in his mind and data calculated by the system.


    Only this Left-Wheel Handgun in front of him was designed in a way he was familiar with, was operated in a way he was familiar with!


    After fiddling with his new secret weapon for a while, Tang Mo began to lower his head to the desk, drafting designs for new machinery.


    He needed to quickly get steam engines to power more equipment, to ensure that the entire factory could operate at night¡ªtherefore, he needed a new type of energy: "electricity".


    With electricity, many industrial products could be developed, including aluminum electrolysis, electroplating technology, and even including lighting technology, radio technology, and so on.


    After obtaining electricity, Tang Mo would also be more convenient to use electric motors and other equipment to drive machine tools, making production more convenient.


    In short, he had to produce electricity as soon as possible, for electricity represented a brighter and more efficient future for any factory, for anyone!


    With electricity, Tang Mo would be able to communicate with Northern Ridge in real-time via telegraph, coordinating and raising production materials more quickly... All of this was extremely important to him.


    However, electric motors were not so easy to produce, and a whole set of power generation equipment was also extremely complex¡ªthe more advanced and powerful the modern industrial civilization, the more supporting production technologies were required, which seriously restricted Tang Mo''s development.


    To give the simplest example¡ªif Tang Mo wanted to use electricity to strengthen his lighting system, he would need something like an electric light bulb, but besides electricity, electric light bulbs also required the support of factories such as glass factories, necessitating that Tang Mo had to build a glass factory himself.


    He couldn''t even sell advanced technologies to existing factories, because those technologies were only needed by him. The workshops and factories existing in this era wouldn''t spend a lot of money on technologies they couldn''t use.


    Therefore, Tang Mo could only honestly fill in the gaps in his industrial system bit by bit, which was the main reason why he spent a lot of money but made slow progress.


    However, many of the technologies in Tang Mo''s hands didn''t rely solely on himself. He was currently negotiating with a Brunas construction materials merchant, preparing to sell the cement technology to the other party, so they could improve their own stone adhesives.


    The negotiation was making some progress, and the other party was indeed willing to pay Tang Mo 200 Gold Coins for the technology. However, Tang Mo''s demand that the other party provide Tang''s weapons workshop with 200 tons of cement at a priority discount price was met with refusal.


    This was also understandable; after improving the process, it made more sense to prioritize nobility, letting them pay more Gold Coins for the new cement. As a result, the negotiations had reached a deadlock, and Tang Mo hadn''t received those 200 Gold Coins yet.


    Sometimes things are just helpless, and not all developments run towards the best direction as planned.


    Having no other choice, Tang Mo had to sell a more advanced sea salt production technology to the salt merchants of Brunas, in exchange for a technology transfer fee of 70 Gold Coins.


    Moreover, they demanded that Tang Mo must not enter the sea salt manufacturing business for the next ten years, in exchange for providing him with some salt products for free.


    Just like that, Tang Mo was calculating in his mind how much money he could still make and what he could do with it. When he realized time was slipping away, the sky had already turned completely dark.


    After being sifted through the harsh selection of the battlefield, the lever-action rifle was replaced by bolt-action rifles and became more of a plaything in hunting and collecting realms.


    After all, this type of weapon had too many flaws, making it difficult to become a true favorite in warfare. However, Mathews didn''t know this and still thought that the lever-action rifle was the ultimate personal weapon equipment for Tang Mo''s next generation.


    Therefore, Mathews answered earnestly, "There''s no comparison at all! If metal cartridges become widespread, then such a weapon could completely revolutionize warfare!"


    During the past couple of days, Mathews had really been researching the lever-action rifle, and in his view, the weapon could only be described as perfect.


    The incredibly fast loading speed and the almost continuous firing capability made the advantages of this weapon very clear.


    After Mathews tried making a linked mechanism for the lever-action rifle, he immediately developed a keen interest in this type of bullet-feeding method.


    The more he studied this bullet-feeding mechanism, the more he was impressed by Tang Mo''s innovative ideas. To him, the combination of these mechanisms in front of him was nothing short of miraculous.


    He felt that choosing Tang Mo as his master and serving him might just be the best decision he had made in his lifetime.


    Therefore, he shared some of the concerns he had before entering the room with Tang Mo. "Actually, metal cased cartridges will indeed become widespread! But for now, it seems that this technology is too..."


    Tang Mo of course knew Mathews'' worries, as he had worried about the same things. So he nodded and agreed, "Too advanced, isn''t it? That''s why it only exists on our blueprints and isn''t being mass-produced by us."


    At this time, the Tang Weapon Workshop, not in control of mines and lacking complete production capabilities, obviously couldn''t compete with the resources of the Shireck Consortium.


    And, precisely because of this, bringing out more advanced weapon designs at this time would be digging a hole for themselves.


    Reminded of this, Tang Mo felt helpless, but he could only continue, "We don''t have a large supply of metal ore resources; these are currently in the hands of the kingdom''s nobility and the Shireck Consortium. Once we start mass distribution of metal cased cartridges and new rifles, our weakness will become even more evident."


    "You''re right, Master. We should first stock up on some materials to prepare for later weapons development," Mathews suggested.


    Tang Mo shook his head. "There''s no time, the money we are currently making is too little to stockpile resources. What we can do now is to cling to Lord Earl''s coattails and strengthen ourselves as much as possible."


    "Take control of our destiny as soon as possible..." After finishing his thought, he put the spoon back into the empty bowl. "Arm ourselves to avoid being devoured by Shireck in an extreme counterattack that they may choose!"


    "That won''t be easy, with just the dozen or so mercenaries we''ve recruited to confront the tens of thousands of troops Shireck might deploy," Mathews said, worriedly looking at Tang Mo, reminding him.


    "There''s no other way, we can only take things one step at a time because we simply don''t have the money to invest in armed forces," Tang Mo said with a helpless shrug. "Every penny we earn now must be invested in production as much as possible.


    We need a chemical plant for producing new propellants, a building materials production plant, a larger metallurgy factory, leather factories, breeding farms... schools, hospitals..."


    He sighed and looked out the window. "There are so many places in need of money, and what we lack the most right now, is money! Gold Coins, a large number of Gold Coins!"

 Chapter 43: 43 Alice

    A row of soldiers dressed in bright yellow military uniforms, neatly lifted their rifles to their shoulders at the command, aimed at the distant targets, and pulled the triggers under their index fingers.


    "Bang!" A concentrated volley of gunshots echoed across the drill field, with white smoke spewing out from the barrels, rolling in front of this line of soldiers and refusing to dissipate for a long time.


    "Reload!" The officer standing beside this row of soldiers shouted the command, lifting his chin high.


    The soldiers set down their rifles, pulled the bolts on the sides of their rifles, and began to clean the gunpowder residue and the partially burnt paper cartridge from the barrels.


    Their movements were somewhat awkward, but it was clear that they had already developed some familiarity with these new type of rifles.


    This weapon was more powerful than any flintlock gun they had ever seen and would give them an advantage in the imminent war.


    Therefore, every one of them trained very diligently and cherished the rifles they held.


    "My lord!" An officer with a longsword at his waist approached the middle-aged man dressed in a black cloak, standing at the edge of the drill field, and bowed slightly.


    "Mhm. They performed very well," Fisheo lowered the monocular he was holding, very satisfied with the rifle volley.


    Tang Mo had brought three sample Quick Guns when he had presented them to him, and all these samples had been left behind in Northern Ridge.


    Count Fisheo, a veteran of many campaigns, made immediate use of the three Quick Guns to train all the officers first.


    He personally explained to these officers the skills of shooting. Then he let these officers try out the new guns, learn their structure, and familiarize themselves with the new operating methods.


    Subsequently, Tang Mo returned to Brunas with supplies. The convoy he escorted brought back ten more Quick Guns from the stockpile to Northern Ridge. Thus, the lord earl had thirteen of Tang Mo''s manufactured Quick Guns at his disposal.


    Also brought back was the confirmed news that Tang Mo could produce Quick Guns! This information reassured Lord Earl and he also ordered a new batch of production materials to be sent to Tang Mo.


    In the past month or so, Lord Earl had been using these Quick Guns to train his guard. He hoped to immediately commence widespread military adoption once the next batch of Quick Guns arrived at Northern Ridge.


    The earl tucked the monocular back into the leather case at his waist, gesturing to the officer before him to relax a bit.


    The officer eased up slightly, no longer so stiff, and began complaining to Lord Earl, "We still have too few Quick Guns on hand, sir. It''s really troublesome for the soldiers to train in turns."


    Fisheo was also somewhat anxious, but he didn''t show it, explaining, "There''s no helping it, we were only provided with thirteen of these Quick Guns. I can only use the weapons at hand to rotate training so that every soldier can master the new weapon."


    Alice nodded slightly to the officer beside her father in greeting, then continued to look at Fisello: "I noticed that a large sum of money has gone missing recently, so I''ve come to discuss with you how our already slender income has been squandered."


    The mention of this made Fisello even more embarrassed¡ªhis wife had passed away early, leaving him with just one daughter. And this daughter had clearly inherited her mother''s intelligence, managing the Earl''s estate since the age of twelve.


    Now, this 17-year-old beauty had become a well-known financial officer in Northern Ridge Wolf City. Under her management, Lord Earl, known for his tax reductions and paternal love for his people, had been able to maintain development and stave off bankruptcy.


    So now, facing his own daughter, Lord Earl could only offer an embarrassed explanation: "It''s like this, we''ve been purchasing a batch of munitions recently..."


    "Munitions? Lord Father, the Shireck Flintlock Guns are centrally purchased by the Kingdom! We don''t need to spend money on that! I''d just allocated funds before I left for the purchase of 30 cannons in preparation for war! And to my knowledge, acquiring a batch of munitions wouldn''t need such a large sum of money!" Alice pressed, gazing into the Earl''s eyes, word by word.


    Earl Fisello put on a strained smile and continued to explain, "Yes, but what I bought is a type of new munition."


    "New munition?" Alice frowned, and for a moment, she even considered the possibility that her father had been duped. Nowadays, who didn''t know that the weapons and munitions from Shireck were the best?


    The Earl immediately went on to explain to his beloved daughter: "You were away at the copper mines for an audit, and didn''t return to Wolf City, so you might not know. We''ve purchased a batch of new rifles to counter the threat from Suthers to Northern Ridge."


    Alice was almost amused by her father''s words, asking with irritation, "So, the 1,400 Gold Coins in our reserves, and all of the gunpowder, steel, copper, silver, leather, and nearly all the other materials we had gathered privately for the war, have disappeared?"


    In her view, her father, who didn''t concern himself with household affairs, seemed to have no idea what that money and materials truly represented.


    Once war broke out, all resources were vital, with every little bit being used. Under such circumstances, stocking up more wealth and goods was beneficial and necessary from any perspective.


    Earl Fisello added somewhat sheepishly, "Pretty much, though there are maybe 300 more workers."


    Alice sighed helplessly, "You''re really quite generous."


    "Would you be interested in seeing the new weaponry?" asked Lord Earl, shifting the topic somewhat embarrassingly.


    "Let''s take a look then, see what has impressed you so much, Lord Father, to willingly... spend such a large amount of money." Alice looked over to the shooting range, where a row of soldiers stood awaiting new orders.


    "Continue the training, let my guards demonstrate the rapid fire!" Earl Fisello ordered with some remorse.


    The number of paper cartridge bullets transported from Brunas wasn''t very high; with the last return of the Earl''s convoy, they had brought back 500 bullets urgently assembled by Tang Mo.


    These bullets were for training, containing only two-thirds the normal charge, thus their power was considerably low! However, they were not without merit: on one hand, the reduced charge meant less barrel pressure, causing less wear to the barrels, and on the other hand, they were cheaper, allowing the Earl to buy more bullets with less money.


    Upon receiving the order, the officer nodded slightly, walked over to the soldiers cleaning their barrels on the shooting range, and commanded loudly, "Prepare for rapid fire!"

 Chapter 44: 44 debt

    The soldiers perked up noticeably at this command, for it was their favorite training exercise. Firing the new muskets in rapid succession was undoubtedly a great way for them to decompress and vent.


    What else could excite them more than firing two volleys in quick succession? After cleaning their barrels, they stood at attention, waiting for the command to start the drill.


    So, as these soldiers raised their K1 Quick Guns following the familiar procedure, everything proceeded into their favorite part.


    They pulled the triggers, producing a magnificent volley, then once again set down their rifles. Their actions were not entirely smooth but were exceptionally swift as they began to clean their barrels again.


    Soon, they were stuffing paper cartridge bullets back into the barrels and then sliding the bolts into place, sealing the barrels completely.


    As these soldiers once again took aim with their weapons, Alice furrowed her brows, this was all happening too fast, so fast that it made her feel somewhat bewildered.


    As Earl Fisheo''s daughter, she had certainly seen muskets before. She had not only seen those exquisitely crafted flintlock guns, she used them often.


    As the "Little Princess" of Northern Ridge, she enjoyed hunting and often personally tracked and killed large game such as grizzly bears and wild boars.


    Therefore, she was very well aware of the numerous complex steps involved in loading a flintlock gun and knew very well how long it took to ready a flintlock gun to fire.


    She hadn''t noticed anything unusual when the soldiers fired the first shot, so she thought that the so-called new weapon must be a damn merchant''s ploy to deceive her father using some trick.


    But when the soldiers swiftly completed their reloading and once again raised their weapons, she realized that there might indeed be a new type of weapon that had emerged in this world.


    Not from Shireck! Not that detestable, bone-sucking Shireck Consortium''s newly developed weapon!


    "Bang!" Another round of gunfire echoed over the parade ground, and Alice watched the soldiers as they began cleaning their barrels again, seemingly deep in thought.


    "Let them fire once more!" Suddenly, Alice parted her red lips and commanded the distant commander.


    The commander glanced at Earl Fisello and, seeing the latter nod, once again raised his hand and loudly gave the command to fire: "Load!"


    Upon hearing his command, the soldiers once again excitedly went about their tasks. They opened the breaches and began meticulously cleaning out the residual debris inside.


    Incredibly quickly, Alice once more saw the soldiers taking aim with their weapons, pointing them at the distant targets.


    "Bang!" Another salvo of gunfire rattled through the parade ground, lingering for a long time.


    Alice turned to Fisello and asked earnestly, "If, our military all switched to weapons like these, could we win the upcoming war?"


    "Without a doubt! Our enemies will be caught off guard and then routed. Just one battle, and I might march into the Suthers Kingdom..." said Fiselllo confidently to his daughter, "Northern Ridge shall be spared the sufferings of war."


    "No matter how much it costs, it''s worth it..." Alice muttered to herself, then walked over to the soldiers awaiting orders.


    "Tagg''s reply to my letter said that he had created a machine that could keep turning, which should speed up weapon production," the Earl explained.


    "Watermill? Windmill?" Alice, after all, was someone from that era, and she certainly couldn''t immediately guess something as exotic as a steam engine.


    "I don''t know, Tagg wasn''t very detailed in his letter, but with Dwarf Mathews by his side, he certainly wouldn''t be deceived on technical matters... Since they say so, this interesting young fellow, Tang Mo, must have some extraordinary skills," Fisello touched his nose, trying to be as clear as possible.


    "You even sent Dwarf Mathews away?" Alice sighed, seemingly resigned to her father''s actions.


    However, she quickly perked up, looking at Fisello and tentatively asking, "Could there be a possibility... that we send someone to grab that guy, along with his technology, and bring it all to Northern Ridge?"


    Watching his daughter, who was keen on maximizing Northern Ridge''s interests, the Earl hesitated for a moment and then shook his head, "That... might be difficult."


    Alice knew the adage that a forced melon isn''t sweet. Leaving aside the feasibility of using force to abduct Tang Mo to Northern Ridge, even if they did manage to capture him, what if he refused to cooperate? Not only would they lose an opportunity and an option, but they would also turn an ally into an enemy, which wasn''t in Northern Ridge''s interests.


    So, Alice gave up on the plan to abduct him, saying with some regret, "Alright! Alright! Since you didn''t even keep an eye on old Dwarf Mathews, there''s no hope of going to Brunas Port and kidnapping him back."


    She understood her father. The upright Earl would certainly not be willing to do such a thing and if he really had the intention, he wouldn''t have allowed the skilful old Dwarf Mathews to leave.


    "Hehe... my daughter understands me," Fisello didn''t mind flattering his daughter, nodding in agreement.


    Alice sighed helplessly again, "Then we''ll have to think of another solution."


    "What other solution could there be?" Earl Fisello, worried his daughter might have thought of some other cunning plan, paused for a moment before asking.


    "My dear father... If you''re willing to do it yourself, then I might as well go back to the copper mine to hunt," Alice replied unceremoniously, looking back at her father.


    "Oh, no no no, I''d rather you handle it, I feel more at ease that way," Fisello quickly waved his hands, readily acquiescing.


    "Let''s withhold the taxes to be sent to King City in a few days. Send a message there, tell Your Majesty that we won''t have enough money to pay taxes until next spring," Alice said with a fierce look, appearing stern yet cute.


    Fisello, who started to speak, trailed off, his voice growing quieter as his eyes shone brighter: "But we actually..."


    He was not a foolish man, so he didn''t think that withholding a portion of the taxes wasn''t an option at a time like this.


    Alice nodded, "If we don''t owe Your Majesty, we''ll have to owe Tang Mo... Since you think owing Tang Mo isn''t good, then we''ll have to owe Your Majesty, Father!"


    --------


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 Chapter 45: Greater than 45

    When Tagg saw the Banner of the Northern Ridge hanging above Wolf City, he was so excited that he almost shouted out loud.


    He swore that in his whole life, he had never so eagerly anticipated returning to Wolf City. He almost wanted to spur his horse furiously and race toward the gates of Wolf City.


    Similarly, it was also his first time, despite already seeing the majestic walls of Wolf City, to be thinking of another place not so far yet suddenly so important¡ªBrunas.


    It was a strange feeling, an experience Tagg found awkwardly indescribable. He looked forward to bringing a surprise to the Earl upon returning to Wolf City, yet he wished he could immediately set off to deliver the supplies that Tang Mo needed to that small workshop billowing with black smoke.


    However, he knew that if he acted so rashly, the convoy following him would be startled, so he could only forcefully resist the impulse to gallop to the city, walking step by step alongside the vehicles toward the familiar city gates.


    "Commander!" A young soldier at the city below, upon seeing Tagg approaching on his high-headed horse, stood at attention, saluted, and raised his forehead in greeting.


    On his shoulder, he carried a beautifully maintained Shireck Flintlock Gun, gleaming and obviously well taken care of.


    However, Tagg didn''t even glance at that broken plaything before nodding his head slightly, and asked, "Is Lord Earl in Wolf City?"


    "Yes!" The soldier guarding the gate immediately replied: "Miss Alice has also returned! Just yesterday."


    "All right! Have someone arrange for the convoy to disband! The remaining soldiers escort this carriage! Follow me!" Tagg yanked the reins of his battlehorse, making the high-headed beast turn around on the spot, and followed by a group of soldiers, he escorted a heavily laden carriage towards The Earl''s Mansion.


    "My lord! Sir! Captain Tagg has returned escorting a carriage full of goods!" A guard reported to Earl Fisheo with a face full of surprise, knocking excitedly at his door.


    The door was suddenly pulled open, and Fisheo emerged without even putting on the black cape he was fond of, hastily walking toward the doorstep.


    By the time he reached the entrance, he saw Tagg just dismounting, and the heavy carriage had already stopped in the courtyard of The Earl''s Mansion.


    "Lord Earl! I have completed my task without disgrace! I''m back! And I''ve brought back what you asked for!" Tagg said with a smile to Earl Fisheo.


    "Excellent! Tagg, your loyalty is beyond doubt!" Fisheo excitedly slapped Tagg''s arm, unable to hide the smile on his face.


    At last, he would have another batch of Quick Guns, which meant he could train his soldiers even faster.


    Thinking of this, he looked again at the dusty Tagg, smiling as he asked, "How many Quick Guns did you bring back? Fifteen? Or twenty?"


    Seeing Tagg''s somewhat embarrassed expression, he suddenly realized that maybe he had been too anxious. It hadn''t even been a month, and it seemed unlikely for Tang Mo''s small workshop to produce one rifle a day.


    So, he took a deep breath, adjusted his mood, and after thinking, he finally spoke: "It''s all right, Tagg! It''s all right... Even five is not too few, at least it''s a good start, isn''t it?"


    "Yes! There''s one box with only two guns, but..." Tagg replied nervously for the first time, seeing such excitement in the Earl''s eyes.


    "But what?" Fisello asked, already calculating the training of 75 soldiers with the new K1 Quick Guns.


    "But it includes 1,500 bullets specially for training, with reduced charges," Tagg replied.


    "I knew it! That lad won''t let me down!" Earl Fisello laughed as he handed one of the brand-new Quick Guns to his daughter Alice and grabbed another from the box, playing with it as he talked.


    Alice had tried shooting the K1 Quick Gun yesterday, and after taking the new gun from her father, she skillfully pulled back the bolt, looked down, and saw that the entire bore seemed to be manufactured so perfectly it was as if it was naturally made, with captivatingly beautiful curves!


    She could tell the gun in her hands was a fine piece, far superior to the Shireck Flintlock Gun.


    However, no matter how good a weapon''s craftsmanship was, it was still just a matter of technique. What truly caught her attention were some other details.


    "Tagg... you went to Brunas for only about 20 days, right?" Alice shifted her gaze from the firearm to Tagg, who was smiling simply, and asked in a calm and unhurried manner.


    "23 days, Miss!" Tagg immediately answered Alice''s question with clarity, because he had been counting the days while in Brunas, waiting for the time to return to Northern Ridge.


    However, it was only in the moment of returning to Northern Ridge that he realized a part of his heart had been left behind in Brunas...


    "Producing three rifles a day... This is no longer just a weapons workshop; this is a weapon factory... And a super large one at that," Alice said, holding the K1 Quick Gun and speaking to Tagg.


    She gracefully handed the rifle to Tagg, and without a pause, she said, "I''ve read all the letters you wrote, which took up all of my time after dinner yesterday. Can you talk about it? Tell me about that interesting factory and the fascinating machinery inside?"


    "Of course, Miss!" Tagg took the K1 Quick Gun and looked at Earl Fisello, who was moving boxes out of the carriage with another guard.


    In fact, he had much more he wanted to tell the Earl, but it seemed the Earl was currently immersed in the joy of having received 60 Quick Guns and was unlikely to approach him for a conversation for the time being.


    So, he sighed and followed behind Alice to a shady area under a tree.


    "You mentioned in your letter that Tang Mo created a new kind of machine... It''s not a windmill, not a watermill, right?" Alice stopped under the shade of the tree, turned to Tagg who was following, and asked her first question.


    "Yes, that''s right, Mathews said that thing is called a steam engine," Tagg replied seriously.


    "A steam engine? You''re joking, right? The useless toy the nobility uses for blowing whistles?" Alice, well-traveled and well-informed, had heard of such superficial contraptions.


    "Yes, Miss," Tagg nodded, then pointed to a small woodpile not far off, "But Lord Tang Mo made two that are even larger than that warehouse..."

 Chapter 46: He is very good at giving gifts.

    ```


    A steam engine larger than a house... Isn''t that just a toy that can only blow a deafening whistle? Alice tried hard to piece together the fragments of her memories about steam engines and then decided to skip over this topic for now.


    She continued to ask Tagg, "So, Mr. Tang Mo, can he supply us with about 70 of these new rifles each month?"


    "I can assure you that his production speed might become even faster," Tagg thought for a few seconds and made a statement he believed to be accurate.


    Because he knew that on the day he left, Tang Mo had already started building the third steam engine and, judging from the content of the private conversations with Mathews, he felt Tang Mo might build a fourth or even a fifth steam engine.


    What he didn''t know was that, in fact, Tang Mo was already planning to build seven steam engines at the same time. He planned to reduce the size and increase the technical precision of one, to experiment with some train technology.


    As for the remaining six steam engines, Tang Mo had plans for each of them. He was ready to build two workshops directly in the new factory site he was pioneering, to produce new weapons and equipment!


    Yes! He was an arms dealer, not just a gun manufacturer! It wasn''t just a rifle factory he ran, but a super military industrial complex producing all kinds of munitions!


    In this era, Tang Mo himself found it unbelievable to produce rifles without producing cannons. Hence, Tang''s Weapon Workshop was set to challenge the production of even bigger weapons¡ªcannons!


    These were the things unknown to Tagg, who had left Brunas, so his estimate on Tang Mo''s expansion rate was still conservative.


    In Tagg''s view, since Tang Mo had more steam engines, it was certain he could increase the production speed of the K1 Quick Guns.


    In fact, his guess was completely correct; Tang Mo planned to raise his K1 Quick Gun production to 500 pieces per month!


    These rifles were not entirely for Northern Ridge; they might also be sold far away in other areas. Even Tang Mo would arm some of his own people to counter Shireck''s unreasonable annexation tactics.


    "Even faster?" Alice found it hard to believe, but she had no doubt about Tagg, a loyal Northern Ridge man, steadfast as a pine tree.


    "At least... twice the current production speed," Tagg deliberated a little and decided to boast for Tang Mo. He thought that with a bit of effort, Tang Mo should be able to reach that number.


    Alice didn''t say a word, shocked by this production speed. She had previously studied the small weapon workshop in Brunas and could roughly estimate its scale.


    Northern Ridge had supported the workshop with about 300 people, and even judging by that number, the total number of people in Tang''s Weapon Workshop would reasonably not exceed six hundred.


    Her estimate was actually very accurate; Tang Mo had roughly that many people, and those truly engaged in weapon production were less than 300.


    Alice, who had visited Shireck''s workshop, knew exactly how large a 1,000-person scale workshop was. She still remembered the rows of chimneys belching black smoke at the metal smelting furnaces there.


    "Yes, he''s very good at giving gifts! Bribery... buying over... drawing in..." Tagg nodded in agreement subconsciously at Alice''s words, having experienced it himself.


    Immediately after, he shook his head quickly, correcting himself, "No, I mean, even though he is indeed very good at giving gifts... but there are other areas where he''s also very good! So good, that I don''t even know how many aces he has up his sleeve now."


    He thought of the pistol at his waist, a type he had never seen before, which still gave him an uneasy feeling.


    "What do you mean?" Fisheo asked Tagg with interest, really wanting to know what sort of aces the business-focused young man possessed that Tagg would be wary of.


    Although Fisheo had never considered the idea of capturing Tang Mo to serve him, he truly did not think that Tang Mo''s small weapons workshop was a force that 100 soldiers from Northern Ridge couldn''t handle.


    Tagg opened his long military coat, revealing the dark brown leather weapon belt at his waist, and also the delicate-looking pistol hanging there.


    "My Lord, this is the gift that Tang Mo gave to me. There are five more of the same pistols in the hidden compartment of the carriage," he said.


    "A pistol? Did Tang Mo turn the Quick Gun into a pistol?" Fisheo asked with interest.


    "No, my Lord! He created an even more terrifying weapon!" Tagg said to the Earl, "We should go somewhere secluded, and I shall demonstrate the... future to you!"


    Earl Fisello laughed again, patting Tagg on the shoulder, mocking his own subordinate with some disdain, "Ha! Since coming back from Northern Ridge, you sound more like that lad Tang Mo! All this talk about the future, terrifying weapons... Are you trying to sell me another type of weapon on his behalf?"


    "My Lord, please believe me... I''m not exaggerating at all," Tagg''s face flushed with embarrassment as he earnestly explained.


    Alice was quite interested in Tagg''s unprecedented caution and stepped back to clear a path, "Let''s go! To the backyard, to see what kind of future our Northern Ridge''s bravest warrior has brought back for us."


    "I think sending Tagg to Brunas may have been a mistake," Fisheo said, gesturing to Tagg and then walking with Alice down the path towards the back of the house.


    Behind them, the soldiers Summoned by Fisheo were distributing newly delivered Quick Guns, 20 of which were to be used for training weapons for each battalion!


    With these weapons, the troops of Northern Ridge would rapidly master the use of this weapon, and once more Quick Guns were available, the military of Northern Ridge could form a combat force, a more powerful combat force!


    Once they had avoided everyone''s sight, the three of them arrived at a deserted courtyard where Tagg could hardly wait to draw the revolver he had prepared from his waist.


    Fisheo stood beside him and noticed that the weapon didn''t have a beak-like hammer on the side and that there was an odd protrusion on the barrel.


    Alice too had never seen a pistol like this and looked curiously at the weapon in Tagg''s hand, anticipating its performance moments later.


    Tagg leveled his arm, took a deep breath, and finally mustered the feeling to fire. His eyes focused through the notched rear sight on the gun''s spine, aiming at the trunk of a large tree.


    Then, holding his breath, he steadied his gun hand.

 Chapter 47: I want to know all 47

    "Bang!" Finally, Tagg, with a pang in his heart, pulled the trigger and fired the first shot. A gunshot echoed through the courtyard, but Alice and Fisheo couldn''t discern anything significant from it.


    They both waited, expecting Tagg to reload the pistol. Given their experience, Tang Mo, who had designed a breech-loading rifle that could be loaded quickly, must have endowed this pistol with a special feature in the reloading aspect.


    Indeed, they were not disappointed... or rather, they were greatly surprised. For they hadn''t seen Tagg perform any reloading action at all.


    "Bang!" Tagg pulled the trigger again, firing another bullet, and the second gunshot abruptly resounded through the sky.


    A pistol that could fire two shots in succession? Alice suddenly felt that the young arms dealer she had yet to meet seemed rather interesting.


    Standing beside Alice, Fisheo''s eyes widened as he stared at Tagg''s arm that had not lowered, seemingly anticipating something.


    True to form, Tagg did not keep them waiting; he pulled the trigger a third time and discharged the revolver, firing a third bullet.


    The bullet struck deep into the tree trunk, shattering the bark and sending wood chips flying everywhere in an instant.


    With the third gunshot, a thick smoke had begun to roll in front of Tagg, giving an impression of a mountain obscured by mist.


    After Tagg fired the third shot, Count Fisheo''s expression changed dramatically. Just like the first time he had seen this weapon, he suddenly had the feeling that it was a weapon only a god could possess.


    The seemingly compact pistol appeared to have an endless firing capability, able to shoot three bullets rapidly without the slightest need for preparation!


    You must understand, opportunities on the battlefield are fleeting. A military armed with such pistols could, at a critical moment, be as effective as an army of thousands!


    Alice was also stunned. She had traveled far and wide and had never seen a pistol that could fire three shots in one go!


    Thus, she curiously observed the pistol in Tagg''s hand through the haze of white smoke, her interest greatly piqued.


    Even without being a seasoned commander like Fisheo, she could easily imagine the vast market potential for this new kind of weapon that could fire three consecutive shots!


    Nobility would carry such a weapon for self-defense, and kingdoms would pay top dollar to arm their elite troops... Just the Leite Kingdom alone, purchasing ten thousand such pistols for their troops was not an impossible scenario.


    If one looked at the whole world, countless countries would want such weapons. Tang Mo would soon become wealthy enough to rival nations and a distinguished guest of all countries!


    Of course, he might also be killed by an assassin''s bullet from one country or caught by Shireck and imprisoned in a basement, his legs sawed off and interrogated daily...


    As Alice''s thoughts wandered and Fisheo was overwhelmed with shock, Tagg pulled the trigger and fired the fourth shot.


    However, when he was full of hope, yearning to witness a miracle, Tagg lowered the gun in his hand and turned towards the two people not far away.


    "Lord Earl! This handgun can fire six consecutive shots if prepared in advance," he said, and handed the handgun to the Earl, who still stood there in a daze.


    Fisheo subconsciously took the handgun Tagg handed him and then instinctively looked down at the seemingly delicate weapon that defied the heavens.


    Only then did he notice the revolver in his hand had a cylinder that could rotate.


    He shifted the angle slightly and saw the chambers for bullets, noticing some detailed structures of the handgun. To be honest, this object was much more sophisticated than the flintlock pistol hanging on his waist.


    "This..." Fisheo was silent for a long time before finally speaking, uncertain of what to call the weapon in his hand. The embarrassing name "Mad Quint Killing" had already dissipated with the sixth shot.


    "It''s called a revolver, and it''s a new type of handgun developed by Lord Tang Mo," Tagg immediately took over the conversation and began to explain.


    "This revolver... Does Tang Mo plan to sell it?" Lord Earl asked, gazing at the weapon in his hand, almost as soon as his thoughts were organized.


    "He can''t mass-produce this weapon yet. He''s only made a few to give to you, Lord Earl," Tagg unreservedly repeated Tang Mo''s explanation and concluded.


    Alice breathed a sigh of relief. She felt that if Tang Mo could mass-produce such a terrifying weapon at this moment, it would have been too exaggerated.


    However, she quickly discerned something from Tagg''s words: "You mean, as long as he has enough raw materials and some time to prepare, he could mass-produce this weapon?"


    "Yes, that''s what he said," Tagg nodded. "Miss, that''s why I think the plan to coerce Tang Mo won''t be easy to execute."


    He gestured towards the weapon in the Earl''s hands and explained to Alice, "If we send too few people, he and his men could use this weapon to break through and escape... but if we send too many... marching hundreds of soldiers through the Vicious Forest, isn''t that blatantly inciting a civil war?"


    "I understand now. Such a partner... is not suitable to be coerced with force," Alice conceded at that moment, truly giving up the notion of capturing Tang Mo to force him to serve Northern Ridge.


    "I think, Father. Since we''ve found a more suitable partner than Shireck, we should show our strength and help Mr. Tang Mo clear his current troubles," Alice said, looking at her father Fisheo and suggesting.


    "What''s your plan?" Fisheo turned to his daughter and asked.


    "Mr. Tagg, please bring out Mr. Tang Mo''s list of required supplies. We need to help him gather the materials he wants as quickly as possible... and the manpower he needs," Alice said earnestly. "And Captain Tagg!


    Tell me all of Tang Mo''s actions in Brunas! The more detailed, the better! What he eats every day, how many times he goes to the restroom, when he rests... I want to know it all!"


    "Before that! Where are the revolvers that Tang Mo had you bring back? Where are they?" Seeing the two moving farther away, Fisheo, who had finally come back to his senses, shouted and hastened after them.

 Chapter 48: 48 so will he buy it?

    Tang Mo met with the merchant who had previously wanted to buy his cement formula in his office the day after Tagg had left. The merchant had finally chosen to cooperate, as the performance of the samples Tang Mo provided was simply too tempting.


    This material could effectively bond bricks together and was extremely sturdy. Seeing the profit potential, there was no reason to ignore it.


    In the end, after several days of consideration, the local building materials merchant decided to purchase Tang Mo''s formula with a sum of money and provided Tang Mo with a considerable amount of cement products at cost price.


    As a result, Tang Mo had finally saved a large sum of money and obtained enough building materials from the new channel to construct his new factory.


    On the other hand, good news came in succession. In the afternoon of that day, before Tang Mo had the chance to inspect the foundation of his fifth new workshop, two teachers who had applied for jobs arrived before him.


    Yes, the news of Tang Mo hiring teachers had finally paid off. Two teachers, both around fifty years old and slightly anxious, took over most of the work previously done by Tang Mo and Roger.


    One taught mathematics, and the other taught literature; they relieved Tang Mo, who was already stretched thin, from the time-consuming task of teaching.


    The entire factory had begun to take shape, and Tang Mo''s efforts over nearly a month were finally showing results. In the new factory workshop, 50 workers and a newly built steam engine took over the production of paper cartridge bullets.


    This newly established workshop could produce 700 bullets per day. Once another steam engine was installed, the daily production of bullets would increase significantly, reaching a terrifying scale of 2,000 rounds per day.


    Another workshop had also begun production, which was the first factory workshop Tang Mo had built outside the original walls of the workshop!


    This workshop was for producing gunpowder and various chemical substances, so for safety reasons, it was situated a distance away from the main building of the factory.


    The corresponding fire-fighting facilities were under construction, but Tang Mo was too impatient to wait and had already started production in this workshop.


    Dozens of female workers, from Northern Ridge, from Brunas, from various places, were carefully manufacturing some odd and curious items here, including various formulations and strange powders.


    To keep them healthy, Tang Mo mandated that every worker wear a mask during production and limited their working hours to only 4 hours per day!


    The things produced here were not much now, but they would become the foundation for Tang Mo''s future expansion. These female workers would gradually become the backbone of production in the future expansion of the factory, becoming the technical talents Tang Mo had cultivated.


    In the old workshop, the production of Quick Gun K1 had already scaled up. Under Parker''s supervision, nearly 100 workers were producing new Quick Guns every day.


    Of the two steam engines, one had broken down, but the production in the factory had not halted. Mathews was fixing the steam engine, which needed new parts, and that was inevitable.


    Because when the steam engines were initially produced, whether it was levers or rotating shafts, they were used directly after casting.


    These parts weren''t allowed sufficient time to set, and considering the stress during operation, damage was actually a natural occurrence.


    Consequently, he turned to Tang Mo with a curious tone: "What is this?"


    "This is a steam-powered mining system. It can help the miners haul the coal and iron ore they''ve dug out of the mines... saving their strength, so they can mine three times as much ore in the same amount of time," Tang Mo replied with a smile as he added to the lines above.


    Mathews asked incredulously, "Are you joking?"


    "Of course I''m not joking! The steam engine is our product too, Mathews! We''re definitely going to sell them to those who need them," Tang Mo answered, pleased with the effect diagram he had drawn.


    "But... but how can a steam engine... possibly haul coal out of the mines?" Mathews continued his puzzled inquiry.


    Tang Mo countered with a question: "Isn''t its power sufficient?"


    "Of course not... Of course, it is! It''s practically inexhaustible in strength... but, Master! The roads in the mines are rugged and uneven, it''s not easy to get the coal out," Mathews contemplated and answered Tang Mo''s question.


    "That''s why I designed a brand new mining system," Tang Mo said, pointing to his effect diagram, hoping to use it to sell his steam engine products.


    "This..." Mathews was still not getting it.


    "These are mine carts, their structure is very simple, this is a dump car, just tipping it can pour out the coal..." Tang Mo pointed to the neatly aligned mine carts, explaining to Mathews.


    He couldn''t, of course, bring out a train just yet because that was too advanced and ahead of the time for him.


    He didn''t have enough talent to support such advanced creations, nor did he have enough resources or land to lay sufficient lengths of railway for his steam trains.


    However, he could certainly start by providing his allies with more advanced mining technology, boosting their mining speed, and thereby securing more mineral resources for himself!


    Following this, he pointed to the wheels beneath the mine carts and continued to explain the key to the whole system: "Each has four wheels, and beneath the wheels are sections of iron tracks! Made of iron, very smooth, very straight... so that the mine carts on top can be pulled along."


    Mathews looked at the two smooth iron tracks on the table and suddenly had an epiphany: "...this, this is truly a genius design."


    Tang Mo certainly knew it was a genius design, so what concerned him more was another matter: "So, do you think... Lord Earl would buy this steam engine and one kilometer of railway track, and thirty mine carts?"


    "..." Mathews looked at his master speechless, feeling that recently Tang Mo seemed to have developed a new quirk, wanting to sell everything for cash or materials...


    -------


    After working through the night, I''ve finally written another chapter, so I''m posting it, so no one worries. Goodnight... or rather, good morning.

 Chapter 49: What are you doing?

    Tagg still returned his own handgun, but at this moment, before the Lord Earl, five identical revolvers lay side by side.


    Before seeing these weapons, the Lord Earl did not believe in the existence of a handgun that could fire six times in a row.


    However, once he confirmed this fact, the smile on his face became unrestrainable. Even though Tagg said that Tang Mo was not yet able to mass-produce these weapons, even though he knew that even if Tang Mo could mass-produce, he couldn''t afford them...


    In reality, as the Earl of Northern Ridge and the actual owner of Wolf City, he felt he already had victory in his grasp.


    To be frank, he had never longed for war to come as he did now, because he was ready for everything; he had already seen the dawn of victory!


    At this very moment, he truly hoped the war would break out on schedule, for in this war he would triumph and have the chance to amass a greater fortune during the conflict.


    With a powerful ally, Northern Ridge would achieve unprecedented development. Using the war reparations and potentially new lands to be occupied, he could buy more weapons and grow the power of the Earl of Northern Ridge.


    In summary, a new world lay before him, and the revolvers on the table were like the gates opening up to this new realm.


    Of course, what he did not know was that his daughter by his side was thinking about the steam engine she had never seen, wondering if it could be put to work for her mines.


    She also pondered over everything about Tang Mo, including the school he was building in Brunas, the land he was tilling in the southern part of the Vicious Forest, his new factory workshops, and his private armed forces that were still small in scale.


    She even thought about what Tang Mo ate daily, and had even deliberately chosen an apple, a fruit he liked, as her dessert after lunch.


    What she didn''t know was that Tang Mo in Brunas had similar thoughts, only that the focus of his thoughts was slightly off: Tang Mo was considering how to sell steam engines to Northern Ridge...


    For Northern Ridge, Tang Mo was nothing short of a prodigy who appeared at the most crucial moment to solve their biggest problem.


    "We should get together whatever he needs and send it over," Alice finally spoke up, addressing her father seated behind the desk, "If we can''t suppress or coerce, then we must woo..."


    "He''s building a larger factory in Brunas, so we should give him what he needs most urgently." Alice moved to the front of the desk and picked up one of the heavy revolvers, playing with it in her hand.


    In fact, the weapon was not as miraculous as imagined, as after firing six times consecutively, it needed a complex sequence of actions to reload before it could be used again.


    Therefore, compared to the K1 Quick Gun, which fired and reloaded one shot at a time, these revolvers did not significantly increase the overall shooting speed of the military.


    "Sure, we''re bound to come into open conflict sooner or later, it''s not an issue to make a move now," Fisheo also felt that while openly taking control of the ironworks would be frowned upon since they hadn''t openly broken relations, arranging for their men to escort the shipment and then disappear with the convoy held definite practical possibilities.


    "The rest should be easy, all we need to do is send all the goods to Brunas to offset what we owe, and that''s it," Alice concluded the conspiracy with a smile.


    After leaving the room, she let Tagg and Fisheo discuss the specifics while she walked back to her own room alone.


    She sat down in the chair, pondering in the mirror the various details about Tang Mo that she had heard described by Tagg.


    That young man in Brunas seemed to have a gift for business¡ªhis cunning techniques displayed during negotiations under Lord Earl''s banner with the town mayor truly exemplified the classics of commercial bargaining.


    Alice, who has always been engaged in this field, couldn''t help but smile lightly after picturing the process in her mind.


    Then, she thought of Tang Mo expanding the factory in Brunas, establishing schools, and recruiting private armies.


    Expanding factories and hiring Ranger mercenaries made sense, as everyone did these things, so they became the norm. Shireck raising armed forces was not new either; sometimes, these forces were even stronger than the Kingdom''s regular military.


    Alice even understood Tang Mo''s approach: ensuring one''s own safety before proceeding was a prudent choice.


    If Tang Mo needed security, Alice was even willing to provide some necessary protection for him, like having Tagg stationed with some soldiers near Tang Mo''s weapons workshop to ensure that this Northern Ridge arms supplier could complete his production on time.


    The private army and factory expansion were understandable, but Alice couldn''t see through Tang Mo''s purpose in establishing a school within his factory, offering better accommodation, and improving the welfare of his workers.


    Furthermore, according to Tagg, Tang Mo taught the students some strange things, including various obscure chemical theories, and offered many management courses.


    It seemed that Tang Mo wished to cultivate these children into well-rounded talents¡ªhe apparently wanted these children to be capable of managing a factory or an army in the future.


    Considering the K1 Quick Gun and the revolver, two brand new weapons products, Tang Mo''s weapons workshop''s R&D capabilities seemed to be a notch above the old weapons merchants.


    Adding that mysterious, enormous steam engine, along with a plethora of accompanying machinery as described by Tagg... it appeared that the workshop Tang Mo wished to establish would definitely surpass the colossal Shireck workshop.


    Could Northern Ridge alone sustain such a behemoth? Alice couldn''t help but contemplate.


    After much thought, Alice finally gave up. She looked at herself in the mirror, at the radiant beauty reflected there, and muttered to herself, "What exactly do you want to do, Mr. Tang Mo?"

 Chapter 50: I personally witnessed 50

    Hunger tormented his stomach, making the man lying in the street corner, who looked like a beggar, suffer immensely. He struggled to stand up from the ground, his eyes filled with a sinister glow of hatred.


    He should not be so disheveled, not supposed to be like a beggar, watching dignified people drinking fragrant ale in the taverns around the bustling streets.


    If it wasn''t for that accident, he should still be in the Vicious Forest, living the good life with his few accomplices.


    But that night, the sound of gunfire, as if coming from the abyss, screamed like the howl of the devil, echoing in his ears, not fading in the slightest even now.


    It was a terrifying sight! His strong companions fell one after another to the sound of gunfire, and a vicious band of thieves that had settled in the Vicious Forest was exterminated in an instant.


    The Vicious Forest is not a paradise, but a hell! Without accomplices, bandits are basically the targets of other bandit groups'' robberies.


    Under normal circumstances, it''s unlikely that a group would incorporate an unfamiliar thief, as it would bring many troubles. Thus, killing is the easiest option.


    He who had escaped the Vicious Forest by luck had not yet regained his courage and had degenerated to this state, becoming a vagrant.


    I must have revenge! The man, tormented by hunger and weakness, began to harbor unrealistic fantasies in his muddled mind.


    Again, for the fifth time this month, he lifted his head to look at the grandiose gate not far away, guarded by soldiers.


    Ultimately, the empty stomach churning with acid dissipated the lingering fear. He staggered forward, heading towards the magnificent gate.


    "Stop! What do you want?" A guard spotted the approaching beggar, his eyes full of disdain and mockery, and he began to scold from afar.


    "I! I have business, I want to, want to see... see Mr. Gis!" said the man, who resembled a begar, his voice weak.


    "Hahaha!" The gatekeeper laughed loudly, turning back to his comrade, "Did you hear that? He says he wants to see Mr. Gis! Hahaha!"


    "Hahaha!" Another guard also laughed, as they didn''t believe that a beggar had any right to meet the Shireck Consortium''s chief representative in Leite Kingdom.


    "I, I saw with my own eyes, saw someone using a firearm! A terrifying firearm that could fire five shots in succession!" The beggar shouted excitedly, staring at the guard, "If you delay Mr. Gis''s important matters, you might die very miserably!"


    "Have you gone mad?" The guard frowned, not at all believing that there was a gun in the world that could fire five consecutive times.


    "There are only two types of people in this world! Our friends and our enemies! To kill an enemy, there is no need for pity," Gis said, touching the tip of his nose with disdain.


    The world is full of good people, but good people do not necessarily receive good things in return. What decides the life and death of a good person is not the word "good."


    "Anything else? If not, go and order preparations for the banquet, I want to treat our friends from Suthers to some special dishes from the Leite Kingdom." Seeing that his subordinate had nothing more to say, Gis was ready for his afternoon nap.


    "My lord, just now at the door, I saw a person... a person who wanted to see you. I thought his words were very important, so I had someone take him to wait outside," the subordinate said timidly, bowing his head, as he heard his immediate superior preparing for a nap.


    Indeed, upon hearing his subordinate''s words, Gis''s brows furrowed. He put down the now empty wine glass in his hand and looked at him impatiently, "Have you lost your mind? Is anyone allowed to see me, to waste my time? If I were to meet everyone who wishes to see me, I wouldn''t even need to sleep."


    "My lord, that person said he has seen a new type of weapon." Sensing his superior''s displeasure, the subordinate quickly began to explain.


    "Ha, every day, there are madmen who make their living by bringing their so-called inventions, queuing up here, in Shireck King City! Here! They line up to present their treasures to our evaluators," Gis said coldly, pinching the wine glass and looking at his subordinate.


    Without waiting for a reply, he then spoke again arrogantly, "And the result? The result is that the Shireck Flintlock Gun is still perfect! Still impeccable, while those inventions claiming to revolutionize the concept of weaponry are proven to be nothing but trash. Remember Mathews? I gave him enough trust, and yet, didn''t he still fail?"


    "But, that guy at the door just now was insistent, claiming he saw a new weapon... I was afraid he would spread rumors, so I let him wait outside," his subordinate said somewhat guiltily, justifying himself.


    Gis was silent for a few seconds, then decided to give face to his most competent subordinate, and commanded, "Fine, since it''s your recommendation, let him in then."


    "Yes, my lord!" Indeed, upon hearing Gis''s command, the subordinate''s face glowed with relief.


    Soon, a ragged escapee from the Vicious Forest was brought into a guest room carpeted with thick rugs.


    He swore that this was the first time in his life he had seen such a splendid and imposing place. He knelt on the ground very carefully, worried that he would dirty the place and displease the nobleman before him.


    Even after having eaten a little and regained some energy, the man began to stammer, "My... my... my lord!"


    Out of boredom, Gis poured himself another glass of wine and asked with dragged interest, "So it was you... who said... you witnessed a brand new weapon?"


    The escapee immediately prostrated himself on the ground, answering with a trembling voice, "Yes, my... my lord..."


    "Don''t be nervous... I, and I don''t eat people, right?" Gis shook his wine glass with a slight smile.


    The prostrate escapee lowered his head even further, replying in an even more humble manner, "Yes, my lord."

 Chapter 51: 51 Worrying and Calculating

    Gis gazed down at the groveling man and continued to command, "Speak carefully, tell me where you encountered this new type of weapon you''ve mentioned..."


    He didn''t expect this man to bring him any useful information, considering seeing this person merely as a favor to save face for his capable subordinates.


    At this moment, he found himself a tad interested in the beggar kneeling on the ground, as he had noticed something telling¡ªthis man didn''t seem like trouble.


    There was a yearning in the other''s eyes, as if he truly intended to extort money from him. Gis had seen this look too often; a person with no cards up his sleeve wouldn''t have such a gaze.


    The beggar kneeling on the ground, now somewhat less tense, began to describe his past with caution, "My lord, I, I used to make a living in the Vicious Forest."


    Gis interrupted the man''s recollections with some displeasure, speaking bluntly, "There are no outsiders here, so speak plainly. I don''t have the time to entertain nonsense from people like you, understand?"


    "Yes, my lord, I used to be a bandit in the Vicious Forest, the deputy leader of a bandit gang. Our group..." The surviving bandit on the ground hastily started anew.


    "Get to the point!" Gis interrupted him with growing impatience, his voice laden with authority.


    "We ambushed a carriage, a carriage to the Northern Ridge... There were three people on the carriage, and we, buoyed by our superior numbers, charged," the bandit blurted out, intimidated by his imposing presence, and began to recount what he had witnessed that day.


    His thoughts, along with his memory, raced back to that windy, moonless night. He drew his bowstring and released an arrow towards the distant carriage, initiating the prelude to a brutal battle!


    He could even hear the reverberation of the bowstring in his ears, and he vividly remembered the glow from the gas lamps on either side of the carriage, resembling two watching eyes.


    The battle was so horrific that he swallowed his saliva subconsciously to steady his mind before continuing, "Then, the people on the carriage fired continuously, first shooting three rounds from rifles, followed by drawing a pistol!"


    A single carriage... with three rifles? Gis''s subordinate, standing beside him, furrowed his brows¡ªat his knowledge, such a carriage either contained important cargo or was transporting someone of high status.


    It was beyond his understanding why any dignitary would need to have three rifles and a pistol for self-defense in a carriage.


    If one truly valued their life that much yet needed to travel at night, why not simply hire guards? If it were several carriages, with strength in numbers, these bandits would likely not risk attacking, would they?


    As he pondered these questions, he heard the bandit on the ground continue, "A young man fired five shots with that pistol in rapid succession! I saw it clearly; there was no reloading, nor did he switch his pistol!"


    "Hmm?" Gis''s hand, which was holding his wine glass, paused mid-air, and his facial expression turned quite unnatural.


    Such a weapon should not exist in this world, as Shireck''s decades of research had pretty much proven that developing a multi-shot weapon was nearly impossible.


    Previously, because a weapon designer named Mathews had persistently been researching rapid-fire weapons, Shireck had invested a lot of money without any significant return.


    The dwarf had been expelled from Shireck''s armory and, as Gis heard, could only find work repairing weapons in the Northern Ridge.


    Hearing Gis''s questioning tone, the bandit quickly started to explain, "I, I truly saw it with my own eyes! That young man fired five shots in one go! The lamp light beside the carriage wasn''t that bright, but I saw it all clearly!"


    "Drag him out! Make sure he''s dead... then send him over to the sheriff, and say we caught a bandit trying to extort us!" Gis ordered, wiping his hands with a handkerchief.


    "Yes, my lord!" The subordinate bowed even lower.


    "You, take a couple of people, go check out the Vicious Forest, ask around Baron Stela''s place, see if anything interesting has happened." Gis threw the handkerchief onto the bandit''s corpse, and it was quickly soaked through with the crimson blood.


    "My lord, aren''t you..." The subordinate was taken aback, somewhat disbelieving of Gis''s order.


    "Am I not disbelieving what he said? No, on the contrary! A madman showing up with blueprints looking to swindle, of course, I wouldn''t believe that. But so far, no one has dared to come here without any evidence and talk nonsense." Gis explained arrogantly, "So, I think there might actually be truth in what he said..."


    "Then... My lord, why did you..." The subordinate was even more puzzled.


    "Why did I kill him? Because I don''t want him taking my money and then going elsewhere to repeat what he just said!" Gis sneered coldly, "I hardly think that there''s any new weapon appearing at Stela''s... What worries me is Fisheo scheming behind the scenes!"


    "Your subordinate understands." The subordinate immediately nodded in agreement.


    "Go!" Gis waved his hand dismissively, "And have someone replace the carpet..."


    "Yes!" The subordinate bowed and exited.


    ...


    "Achoo!" Tang Mo sneezed, rubbed his nose, and continued to inspect his production workshop with his hands behind his back.


    In the last two days, his production had gradually gotten on track, with boxes of bullets being produced; he already had prepared thousands of rounds of ammunition for the Earl!


    At the same time, he had also made another 30 K1 Quick Guns, and if Tagg were to return, he might once again be shocked by Tang Mo''s production speed: within a month, Tang Mo could almost turn out more than 200 Quick Guns, and this production speed was truly frightening.


    Roger, standing beside him, reminded, "The weather is getting cooler day by day, you''d better wear more clothes."


    Continuing to watch his workers produce paper cartridge bullets one after another, Tang Mo muttered without lifting his head, "I''m fine... I figure, it''s either a girl thinking of me or some bastard plotting against me!"


    "Rest assured, it''s definitely neither." Roger glanced at Tang Mo and shook his head.


    "Maybe it''s both?" Tang Mo offered a handsome smile he considered dazzling.


    ---------


    About yesterday''s update, Dragon Spirit would like to explain: There are indeed stockpiled chapters, quite a few, in fact. But Dragon Spirit writes them non-sequentially... Just so happens that there was a block in the story right at this part, so couldn''t write, hence took the day off yesterday. Actually, there are chapters written for after this part... This is true.


    ```

 Chapter 52: 52 new deals

    Just as Tang Mo was feeling good about himself, convinced his handsome smile could charm thousands of young girls, Yulin, a young girl who helped in the factory because there was no school today, rushed over in a hurry.


    "Principal! Mr. Tagg has returned!" The young girl stood in front of Tang Mo and spoke in a voice that was just a bit louder than the machinery next to her, looking somewhat unnatural.


    "Oh? Have him sort the items first and deliver them to the corresponding warehouses. I''ll head over... to see him in a bit," Tang Mo casually instructed without much concern.


    "You... You better come and see..." The young girl didn''t turn and leave as before but hesitated as she reminded Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo looked at the young girl, feeling that the situation might not be as simple as it seemed. He stood up, dusted his hands, and said to Roger, "I''ll go take a look! The place is in your hands."


    As he walked out of the workshop, Wes followed him. He had always been by Tang Mo''s side, diligently doing his duty as a bodyguard.


    The two made their way to the factory gate and saw Tagg overseeing soldiers unloading items from the wagons.


    What rendered Tang Mo somewhat incredulous was the number of Northern Ridge civilians helping with the unloading¡ªit was overwhelmingly many.


    He strode to Tagg, who was busy directing soldiers familiar with the place to move items to the warehouses, and tapped Tagg on the shoulder.


    "My lord!" Tagg''s face lit up with joy when he saw Tang Mo. He proudly pointed to the unloading convoy and boasted to Tang Mo, "I brought everything you wanted!"


    As he spoke, he went on to introduce, "Look over there, those seven carts are all Northern Ridge leather! Boar bristles! Lord Earl has collected quite a lot for you!"


    Then he pointed to the lively crowd that looked like beggars, taking luggage from the wagons, and said to Tang Mo, "Look! Look here! These are all workers! To support the expansion of your workshop, Lord Earl sold one of his own workshops and sent all its workers to you!"


    "All, all of them were sent to me?" Tang Mo asked in alarm.


    "And there''s more! Our young lady has specially found you a group of craftsmen, some blacksmiths and some apprentices. In short, all are valuable hands that can directly contribute to production," Tagg boasted obliviously.


    He pointed further away, "Their families have come along too. I told them about the rules here, and many craftsmen are willing to move here. Everyone is eager to work for you. Now I realize how clever your strategy was to build dormitories!"


    "Their families came too?" Tang Mo looked at Tagg, torn between laughter and tears, feeling as if he had been sent by the heavens to torment him.


    "Indeed! More than 700 craftsmen came, and along with relatives and children, there are roughly 1600! With so many people, your place can be directly promoted to a workshop!" Tagg thought Tang Mo''s stunned expression must be out of sheer happiness.


    He didn''t wait for Tagg to respond and continued, "The problem is, so much food at once, Brunas may not even be able to buy it..."


    "You don''t have to worry about that!" Tagg said with a smile. "The food reserves in Northern Ridge are quite abundant because Lord Earl values agricultural production and doesn''t impose high taxes on farmers, so we have always been exporting our food."


    "Recently, the King targeted Lord Earl by purchasing a large amount of food from other Kingdoms and the Shireck Consortium, deliberately suppressing Northern Ridge''s food selling price, resulting in a massive surplus of food," Tagg recited the message Alice had instructed him to deliver: "Therefore, the young mistress has directly brought the food to you along with everything else..."


    As he spoke, more people and more carts poured into the yard, the noisy scene frightening a group of children who had come to see what was happening.


    They had truly never seen so many people all at once. Although Brunas City, as a port city, was bustling, it was rare to see such a crowd in the suburbs.


    With an ample food supply, Tang Mo breathed a sigh of relief¡ªhe saw dozens of carts belonging to Northern Ridge, which were likely reserved for troop deployment and transport of supplies. Now these carts had all been brought out ahead of time to bring a large amount of supplies to Tang Mo.


    When Tang Mo received the list of supplies from Tagg and saw the figures, he abruptly looked up at the dust-covered Tagg: "What is Lord Earl up to? He''s sent me all his reserve supplies?"


    "No!" Tagg lowered his voice. After Wes wisely took a few steps back, he spoke to Tang Mo: "We raided a steel convoy of the Shireck Consortium..."


    "..." Tang Mo, looking at Tagg who had always been honest, was nearly tempted to reach out and see if he could peel off a latex mask from the other''s face. He had no idea this loyal soldier could actually commit an act akin to highway robbery.


    "We didn''t kill the Guards; they were all our own people. We set it up in advance, so that''s how we managed to deliver so many carts undetected here," Tagg knew what Tang Mo was thinking and explained with a wry smile: "For this purpose, we''ve exposed the spies we had planted; we can only do this once..."


    "Once is enough, how many times do you think you want to do it?" Tang Mo laughed and patted Tagg''s shoulder: "When these convoys go back, they can take an additional 170 newly made K1 Quick Guns! Our production speed is very fast! But the raw materials are also used up quickly."


    He gestured Tagg to follow him to a slightly quieter corner, looking at the crowded crowd in the yard, he said: "But you have brought enough steel, so delivering more K1 Quick Guns on time will certainly be no problem."


    "Lord Earl has already given more than enough, far surpassing the payment he owed! Now, can we talk? What is it exactly that Lord Earl... wants to take from us?" Tang Mo''s smile grew wider as he asked, not bothering to conceal it.


    Tagg was nervous because this time he indeed had come with a request to buy more things¡ªthe request of Miss Alice.


    This included the most core machinery used by Tang Mo to produce new weapons, the power system as big as a house: the steam engine.


    According to Tagg and Fisheo''s thinking, the steam engine was definitely something Tang Mo would be least willing to sell. It was Tang Mo''s capital, the core technology of his development. To buy such technology was challenging Tang Mo in every possible way...


    So, after considering for a moment, he looked at Tang Mo and struggled to speak, testing the waters by asking, "We, we would like... the steam engine."

 Chapter 53: Take what you need from the 53 available options

    Capitalists are referred to as such because they are a group of people who have command over the means of production.


    However, from the perspective of profit, controlling the means of production is not the ultimate goal of capitalists; their ultimate goal is to make money!


    Whether it''s the means of production, the production process, or even the products, all are part of the process of making money.


    Tang Mo is currently in the rough stage of capital expansion, so he needs money and a large amount of materials; there is nothing in his possession that he cannot sell.


    He can sell K1 Quick Guns, revolvers, the formula for cement, steam engines, and of course... if the price is right, he can even part with the only two Left-Wheel Handguns in his hands.


    The premise is, as long as the price is right.


    "You want a steam engine? What do you need a steam engine for?" Tang Mo looked at Tagg and asked curiously.


    He didn''t think that steam engines were unsellable; he just found it interesting that buying a steam engine without knowing its specific applications was quite an amusing matter.


    "We have many workshops, and some can make use of it..." Tagg explained carefully.


    "Hmm," Tang Mo nodded, "Indeed, a steam engine can power many devices, which would enable the production of numerous products, including pots, pans, ladles, and even firearms and ammunition... all are possible."


    "Yes, so we plan to purchase a steam engine," Tagg gestured backward and said to Tang Mo, "Lord Earl has a lot of grain, leftovers from the grain price crash. The Earl plans to use grain and some metal materials as payment for the goods."


    "Price... is all negotiable!" Tang Mo put his arm around Tagg''s shoulder, speaking as if to an old friend, "We are old friends now. If Northern Ridge needs a steam engine, naturally I can sell it to you."


    "Really, really?" Tagg was visibly flattered and looked at Tang Mo, "Then, that''s really very kind of you."


    "Of course, it''s true," Tang Mo nodded and said to Tagg, "Not just the steam engine itself, but if Lord Earl needs it, we could even sell you the blueprints for the steam engine."


    He glanced outside at the crowded courtyard, adjusted his mood, and continued, "I can even send consultants, technical advisors, to help Northern Ridge produce steam engines, design environments for their use."


    As he spoke, he gave examples, "There are actually many uses for a steam engine, more than you might think. For instance, steam engines can increase mining efficiency, and that''s what we need most right now!"


    "With more steel, more coal mines, we can produce more machinery, create more industrial jobs, and help the entire Northern Ridge develop faster." He persuasively marketed his equipment, "Believe me, Northern Ridge indeed needs steam engines, and in fact, the whole world needs them."


    But before he could continue discussing this topic with Tang Mo, Tang Mo had already shifted his attention to those robust, leather-clad Northern Ridge commoners.


    These Northern Ridge commoners were generally very strong and were all between twenty and thirty years old. More interestingly, they were commonly armed, some with longswords, some with bows and arrows, looking like a big group of bandits.


    The troop was far from orderly. In Tang Mo''s eyes, these people gathered together were less like a military force and more like a scattered mess.


    Compared to the children who had been training for a month at Tang Mo''s school, these people almost had no discipline, probably not even a few literate among them. They crowded together chaotically, like a swarm of flies.


    "They are the ''students'' Lord Earl has sent to me?" Tang Mo narrowed his eyes, frowning, feeling like he had just inherited a pile of work.


    "Yes, Lord Earl believes that relying solely on the 1,500 regular soldiers of Northern Ridge is still too few in number, so he had no choice but to conscript some volunteers, forming a new troop," Tagg explained seriously to Tang Mo.


    "These beggars?" Tang Mo curled his lip, feeling that the noisy crowd nearby had no combat strength whatsoever.


    "Although they haven''t received formal military training, most are hunters, rangers, and commoners who have served as soldiers," Tagg explained gravely to Tang Mo, "They may not look like much, but just give them weapons and these people are no worse than Suthers'' soldiers."


    "What a joke... What''s the use of being richer than beggars," Tang Mo scoffed disdainfully, "What they need is strict training and advanced weapons!"


    "So, Lord Earl has sent them to you," said Tagg to Tang Mo, "This troop... they''re all for you!"


    "For me?" Tang Mo was taken aback, not quite understanding the meaning behind Tagg''s words.


    Tagg smiled, finally having a day when he could surprise Tang Mo. After his smile, he began to explain, "You arm them, you train them, as long as you take them to battle on future battlefields, after the war, these men, they will all be your troops!"


    "You mean... they will be under my command and loyal to me?" Tang Mo clarified.


    "Yes," Tagg nodded, "Officers appointed by you, training handled by you, and their sustenance obviously also managed by you, but they are your soldiers now, Sir Knight Tang Mo."


    "Sir Knight?" Tang Mo furrowed his brows again, looking towards Tagg.


    "Private armies aren''t exactly legal, but Lord Earl has the authority to appoint knights under his command." Tagg pointed first at himself, then at Tang Mo, "Now, at least within the laws of the Kingdom, you can legally possess your own retinue... As for the number, who''s going to check that? As long as the sheriff doesn''t raid you and catch 500 armed prisoners, you''ll be fine."


    Tang Mo laughed heartily, "The sheriff of Brunas... has the guts to catch 500 prisoners?"

 Chapter 54: 54 Knights

    Actually, Brunas City''s Sheriff did not dare to capture 500 prisoners; he even had to turn a blind eye to the slightly influential gangs within Brunas City.


    The Kingdom''s rule was built upon the support of the Nobility and conglomerates, and to maintain the privileges of the Nobility and conglomerates, the entire Kingdom had always maintained a rather lax management system for private militaries.


    The Nobility had knights under them, knights who were originally mounted combatants from the noble Soldier class and had now developed into a title.


    These noble lords had their own Guardian Knights, appointed by the Nobility themselves with only a restriction on the number, not requiring any registration.


    According to the Kingdom''s law, a Baron should have three knights under him, a Viscount should have ten, an Earl could have thirty knights, and a Duke would have one hundred knights as his private military.


    In ancient warfare, knights were never lone fighters. A complete knightly formation included a squire to handle the horse and chores, two cavalrymen to cover the knight''s flanks in cavalry battles, attendants to maintain the armors, and various servants responsible for taking care of horses and food...


    Therefore, one knight included a large number of miscellaneous followers; at that time, roughly one knight was expected to support seven retainers.


    Therefore, this system of knights had developed to its current state, and with the passage of time, it had undergone significant changes.


    Firstly, in terms of numbers, the retinue of a single Guardian Knight no longer simply constituted a seven-person squad. These Guardian Knights would typically lead 30 to 50 soldiers, considerably overstaffed.


    On the one hand, the Kingdom''s leadership wanted to reserve troops that the nation couldn''t afford through the knight system, keeping the nation''s war readiness intact; on the other hand, the Nobility also needed private militaries to protect their own interests, so this system indistinguishably mixed public and private interests has continued to this day.


    However, as years went by, this seemingly mutually beneficial system gradually decayed over time.


    The Nobility became increasingly wealthy and more inclined to maintain a larger private military to consolidate their power and suppress the discontented commoners.


    The status of merchants also rose, and with more resources in their control, they equally needed armies to protect their business interests.


    Hence, private militaries increased in number and the management became more chaotic, leading to the increasingly uncontrollable private armed forces under everyone''s command.


    Of course, this wasn''t a universal phenomenon; many Nobility who were not adept at management actually couldn''t afford so many knights and private armies. So they often only had a few guards.


    By the same token, some knights were from large, noble families and could have hundreds of private soldiers under them. In contrast, some knights were impoverished and perhaps even unable to afford a wife.


    In such an environment, many knights originally belonging to the Nobility became mercenaries specialized in managing private militaries for the conglomerates.


    For instance, the Shireck Consortium had thousands of private soldiers within the Leite Kingdom''s borders, protecting Shireck''s interests and industries. This private military was so massive that even the King could not command it.


    Moreover, some exceptions regarding the military within the nation made the management system of the military appear even more chaotic.


    Moreover, it wasn''t just people; there was also a large amount of supplies transported from Northern Ridge, including enough food to feed two thousand people for an entire month!


    Bags of food were being moved off from the wagons, and this food not only reassured the workshop''s workers, but also stabilized the mood of the immigrants who had followed them.


    Since they had enough food, everything could continue as normal¡ªdaily life, labor, the plain repeating cycle of weeks.


    Subsequently, some wagons that followed began to unload, including heavy ingots of iron and cartloads of coal.


    Also, there were some valuable chemicals, specifically requested by Tang Mo for Tagg to bring, including some petroleum and other miscellaneous items.


    Of course, modern industry also encompasses the chemical industry. Only by developing chemical processing technologies can many aspects of modern industry be further advanced.


    Tang Mo did not want to be stuck due to the backwardness of a particular link when he needed it; he didn''t have the time to waste.


    "In a while, I need to make a trip to Brunas. With so many immigrants arriving at once, it''s necessary to report to the mayor." Tang Mo decided it was best to address the most pressing issue first.


    The arrival of so many people in Brunas to work for him and the establishment of a factory district on a large tract of wasteland was definitely no small matter.


    If such a thing could be kept secret, then Tang Mo might as well apply for a job at the KBG. In fact, there wasn''t much he could do, except to rely on distance, use bribes, and other means to delay the response time from the Shireck side as much as possible.


    "I brought a personal letter from Lord Earl. If the mayor reads this letter and then sees all these people under your command... and still dares to make trouble, then I would really admire his courage." Tagg pulled an envelope from his chest, sealed with red wax bearing the imprint of the Earl''s wolf head crest.


    Because Northern Ridge had decided to collaborate with Tang Mo, Alice tried her best to consider every detail of dealing with local officials for him. She was an old hand at this and knew the lay of the land much better than Tang Mo.


    This saved Tang Mo a lot of trouble, allowing him to invest more energy in his "inventions and creations."


    "Huh? Where''s Luff? Where did he go? What about the mercenaries you recruited? Why is only Wes left now?" Tagg, who had trained for nearly a month with Luff and Bernard, now asked about his friend Luff.


    Tang Mo shrugged and vaguely replied, "I sent him out to the wilderness for survival training. He probably won''t be back for the next ten days. I hope they enjoy living in Vicious Forest a bit more."


    "Alright..." Tagg didn''t probe further. Seeing a commotion in the distance, he shouted loudly at the subordinates unloading at the back of a wagon: "Hey! Be careful with those barrels! Are you crazy? That''s gunpowder! Be careful!


    If you don''t want to live, just say so!"


    "Let''s avoid any accidents! That''s all money!" Tang Mo reminded Tagg, "Have your men settle down as quickly as possible. Tonight, we''ll throw a welcome party, prepare a slightly more lavish dinner for everyone... Wes, go tell Auntie Cui Xi about this decision..."


    "No problem." Wes nodded, gave a slight nod to Tagg, and then turned away, walking off imposingly with the two revolvers at his waist.

 Chapter 55: 55 things are out of the ordinary

    "How dare he! How dare he touch my things!" A delicate glass was hurled to the floor without warning, its crimson wine splattering against the wall, resembling human blood.


    With a gloomy expression, Gis glared at the messenger who had brought the news and bellowed, "Does he think that without evidence, I can''t do anything to him? Does he believe that because he''s about to die, he can do whatever he pleases?"


    The messenger had to bow his head even lower, for the message he carried was not good news at all.


    The convoy from the Shireck Consortium that started from the Northern Ridge iron mines had been raided on a road nearly devoid of bandits, and not even a single survivor returned.


    The perpetrator remained unknown, but those invaluable goods, the steel that was extraordinarily costly during wartime, had vanished into thin air.


    The entire convoy disappeared without a trace. Earl Fisello of Northern Ridge personally led his troops in the search, putting a wide area around under martial law, which prevented the investigators organized by Shireck himself from gaining access.


    Everything seemed logical, yet so bizarre; in short, Shireck was unlikely to unravel, in a short span of time, where exactly the soldiers escorting the shipment and those pricey ingots of iron had gone.


    Of course, they also didn''t know that these iron ores had already been mixed into a group heading for Brunas, departing Northern Ridge with over two thousand migrants, and arriving undetected at a small coastal town.


    "My lord..." Upon seeing an enraged Gis about to smash another new glass, the messenger tentatively spoke with a twinge of distress, "Should we, on our end..."


    With a dark countenance, Gis ultimately refrained from immediately throwing the glass in his hand to the floor. Instead, he muttered ominously, "Fisello! I will make sure you learn, you learn exactly what befalls those who offend the Shireck Consortium!"


    "Convey my message to the envoy from Suthers Kingdom! Tell him I want Ronin Alice alive! After they''ve captured Wolf City, have them bring her to me! I want to personally ''educate'' her! Then sell her off to a brothel! Bastard!" He ordered sternly to his confidant standing by.


    Everyone knew that Lord Earl of Northern Ridge had a beloved daughter. She was unparalleled in beauty and extraordinarily intelligent, managing many of the Earl''s enterprises.


    Many noblemen coveted Alice''s beauty, but no one had ever broached the subject of marriage to the Earl of Northern Ridge. It was a strange affair in the Leite Kingdom, with tangled truths far deeper than most realized.


    Since the Earl of Northern Ridge sided with the common folk and refused to engage in the corruption of the nobility, the established nobles were unwilling to associate with Fisello.


    Although their children lusted after the Earl''s daughter''s beauty and also coveted the property of Northern Ridge, they all knew it was not the time to get involved with Northern Ridge.


    Forming a marriage alliance with Northern Ridge, which was bound to become a target of collective reproach, would surely bring trouble upon oneself¡ªindulging in lust is one thing, but recklessness is completely another.


    But even with ammunition, what good would it do? Once Suthers''s grand army arrived, what waves could Fisello, who had lost the backing of his kingdom, possibly make?


    Even if Fisello conducted warfare like a deity, once the war reached a stalemate, the agriculture of Northern Ridge would collapse due to the delay, the stockpiled ammunition would be exhausted, and with just 1500 men, what could he do then?


    After much contemplation, Gis believed that Fisello was simply struggling in vain at this point, with no real hope of turning the situation around.


    Yet, for some reason, he felt restless, always sensing that something was amiss with Fisello acting out of character.


    As he wracked his brain, trying hard to piece together all the details, one of his subordinates walked in, bowed slightly, and reported, "My lord, we just received news from the Minister of Taxation. Fisello... has not paid the taxes due to the capital on time!"


    "Taxes? He''s delayed his taxes? This isn''t normal either..." Gis, stroking his chin and squinting, muttered once again.


    Fisello did not often delay his kingdom''s taxes. In fact, he only stood up for the farmers by temporarily withholding some taxes during the autumn harvest. Even so, Fisello had always paid the kingdom''s taxes in full, which is why his reputation had always been good.


    But now, in this critical period, Gis still smelled something unusual in this delay.


    "He''s preparing for war... and it''s more urgent than before!" Gis muttered to himself, "He now has a hefty sum of money in hand and many strategic materials... iron ingots, copper ingots, as well as pig bristles, leather, in addition to the food from Northern Ridge... surprisingly not a small amount."


    "If he manages to put these to use, won''t we have to replan everything? That won''t do! How could you not die..." Gis paced the room as he walked.


    "You! Go to the workshop and have them tamper with a batch of firearms! Ensure that none of these firearms work!" he quickly stopped pacing, turned to his subordinate who had just reported the news, and gave his orders, "Then pull some strings to make sure this batch of goods definitely ends up in Northern Ridge!"


    "So you''re preparing for war? Then I''ll provide you with a batch of unusable firearms! Hehehehe... I want to see what you''ll use to fight against the grand army of Suthers Kingdom!" Gis placed the wine glass he had been holding onto the table with a sense of smugness, wearing a self-satisfied smile on his face.


    He knew that Fisello had been requesting new firearms and various materials for some time, even writing to His Majesty the King, claiming that the border situation was tense and Northern Ridge was actively preparing for war.


    The kingdom had previously not agreed to Fisello''s requests, so no new weapons had been allocated to him.


    Now, Gis planned to give Fisello a surprise: He intended to supply Fisello with a batch of defective weapons, to teach him what "adding insult to injury" truly meant.


    Meanwhile, at the same time, one of Gis''s trusted men dismounted from his carriage in front of Baron Stela''s estate not far from Brunas, straightened his clothes, and handed his name card to his attendant.


    The gatekeeper at Baron Stela''s estate glanced at the name card with Shireck''s insignia, did not dare to neglect, and immediately hurried off to find Baron Stela, who had not yet awoken, "My lord! My lord! Someone from the Shireck Consortium is here, just outside the door! He wishes to see you!"

 Chapter 56: 56 You are right

    "Indeed, there was a madman who came here to display his own weapon, but that was just a madman," Baron Stela answered nonchalantly while dressing, responding to the question posed by the Shireck messenger standing before him.


    Behind him, a woman lay naked on the bed, her body still bearing the frenzied marks of the previous night.


    The pure white bedding was wrinkled and half-covered, accentuating the woman''s skin which was as smooth as satin. Yet, both the dressing Baron Stela and the Shireck messenger Beiji standing there seemed uninterested in this beautiful scene.


    As for the fact that another man had seen the woman he had spent half the night with in her entirety, it seemed the Baron paid it no mind at all.


    He was only concerned with describing the event that he could barely remember: "His weapon was nothing special and not as useful as the Shireck Flintlock Gun. So I sent him away and fined him a Gold Coin," he said.


    He had some recollection of the new weapon, but the young man who had sold it was completely forgotten in his appearance. For him, these things were far less important than his business in King City and the women.


    As the person involved, his first reaction was to deflect and deny responsibility before recounting some details in order to dismiss the envoy sent by the Shireck Consortium.


    "What was his name?" Beiji asked, standing there.


    Baron Stela, knowing all too well, recalled, and finally remembered a distant and unfamiliar name: "Tang Mo..."


    "Where is the sample he brought?" Beiji continued to inquire.


    "I''ve already sent someone to fetch it. I didn''t keep the original sample but did retain something else," he said, and just as he spoke, he saw his butler come in holding a wooden box.


    He pointed to the box held by the butler and introduced it to Beiji: "This is the box that man brought. I only kept this... If Lord Gis is interested, you can take it directly."


    Beiji reached out and touched the simple box, polished to a smooth finish, aesthetically pleasing in a unique way, his brows furrowing in contemplation.


    The box looked quite nice, which meant that the other party must really care about the contents inside to craft such a carefully fashioned container.


    It seemed the situation was turning out to be rather interesting¡ªthis fellow named Tang Mo might indeed possess an improved weapon.


    With this thought, he turned to look at Baron Stela, who was now sitting on the bed, almost fully dressed, and asked the question that concerned him: "Where is he?"


    "I''ve forgotten... I didn''t ask where he was from..." Baron Stela tried to recall the conversation of that day but found he couldn''t remember where Tang Mo was from.


    "Did he leave a name card? Was it not he who sought an audience with you?" Beiji asked somewhat irritably.


    "My lord, I have already inquired, and the name card left by the visitor has been lost," the butler spoke up, coming to his Baron''s defense.


    "For now! We have the scale of just two workshops, so I think we can certainly call ourselves a factory! In the future! Great Tang Group will own more factories, employ more workers, and become... the largest group in the world!" Tang Mo clenched his fist and announced loudly.


    "Clap clap!" Dwarf Mathews and the old factory''s manager Parker were the first to start applauding, their faces brimming with excitement, for this was the result they had been busily working towards recently!


    They had strived to expand the factory, finally transforming Tang''s Weapon Workshop into today''s Great Tang Weapons Group.


    Now, this group included two workshops that produced gunpowder, a large workshop that smelted metal, along with a chemical plant and the corresponding steam engine workshop.


    Together with the surrounding small leather factory and the agricultural production teams, the industries under the Great Tang Weapons Group could definitely be described as diverse and comprehensive.


    What satisfied Tang Mo even more was that the old industrial production workshop within the compound had already produced most of the equipment needed to be installed in these four factory buildings.


    Once these new factory buildings were completed, Tang Mo could immediately start production. And the products manufactured therein would become the main products with which Tang Mo would make money in the next phase.


    On the one hand, there was the steam engine equipment that Tang Mo had just designed to increase mine productivity, including the corresponding railway tracks for the mines.


    On the other hand, the technology for these mine steam engines was actually also a technical reserve for Tang Mo''s own train technology. As soon as the Northern Ridge mines began to purchase Tang Mo''s steam engines on a large scale, he could quickly build his own steam locomotive.


    With this steam locomotive, Tang Mo would be able to accelerate the exchange of materials between his mines and their sources. The Vicious Forest between Northern Ridge and Brunas was an ideal place for testing railway tracks.


    As long as the bandits in the area were eradicated, there would be no need to worry about residents along the railway stealing the tracks and causing accidents or transport delays.


    As the factory grew in size, workers from Northern Ridge and local workers from Brunas all wore happy smiles.


    They had never met an employer as generous as this, willing to provide them with decent meals, pay them a good salary, and give their descendants the opportunity to go to school.


    What made them equally happy was that within the factory area, they could purchase many things, including ironware, grains and vegetables, leather goods, and cloth clothing...


    In short, the small shop in the factory had a fairly complete range of goods, and after receiving their salaries, many workers spent a good portion of them here.


    "Where on earth did Luff and the others go? They''ve been missing for several days," Tagg clapped while asking Wes beside him.


    Wes glanced at Tagg, a mischievous smile on his face: "Who knows? Maybe they''re off killing people..."


    "You never tell the truth," Tagg glanced at Wes with disbelief and retorted.


    "Hmm, you''re right," Wes didn''t deny it, nodded in agreement, and said no more.

 Chapter 57: 57 Phantom of the Forest

    In the dense jungle, a group of bandits were seated around a fire. They were tearing into chunks of meat cut from a half-roasted wild beast, expressions grim on their faces.


    Nearby, the mountain forest was still filled with all kinds of strange sounds, alongside the crackling of wood burning fiercely in the fire. In this not-so-silent environment, it wasn''t considered jarring.


    "Boss, it''s confirmed that Jack''s group has been wiped out... Although they weren''t with us, their deaths... were too gruesome," a middle-aged bandit with a scar on his forehead said, sitting beside the fire with a bow and arrows on his back, chewing on a piece of meat streaked with blood as he spoke.


    Sitting there, the burly bandit leader Dos''s face darkened, ignoring the noise of his men, merely bowing his head and eating his roasted meat.


    These men had been truly rampant in the Vicious Forest for some years. Back in the day, Count Fisheo even sent troops to clear out the northern part of the forest''s bandits, but with only moderate success.


    The bandits, who came and left without a trace, hid in the mountain forests. When they encountered the military, they would scatter, making them hard to find.


    Deploying troops into the mountains to search for these highwaymen was an unprofitable venture, so the officials of the Leite Kingdom were always reluctant to spend money and mobilize troops to deal with these ruffians.


    Over time, the bandits lurking in the Vicious Forest had become true lords of their domain, and the Vicious Forest had turned into a lawless land.


    Here, everyone had their own territories and, under normal circumstances, did not attack or annex each other''s lands, because they all knew that if any group grew too large and managed to truly cut off the Vicious Forest''s supply line, then they would all have no livelihood.


    So, concerning the scale of their robberies, there was an unspoken agreement among them, and most of the bandit groups only had about ten members.


    This size had been tested by long-term experience: too small, and they were easily betrayed or eliminated by their peers, or unable to complete their raids; too large, and they would draw official attention and military action, leading to trouble.


    Among these bandits, the larger, more notorious, and more vicious groups were Jack''s and Dos''s.


    One operated on the east side of the main thoroughfare in the Vicious Forest, the other on the west. With the route as their boundary, they usually kept out of each other''s way.


    The size of their groups had actually grown quite large; Jack had 25 seasoned bandits, and Dos had 28 equally nefarious criminals.


    In the Vicious Forest, their fierce reputations were known to all, and smaller bandit groups did their best to avoid their main areas of activity.


    However, recently, some bandits who had chance encounters began spreading what seemed like a laughable rumor, claiming that ghostly gunfire echoed through the Vicious Forest, and many bandits died mysteriously, making everyone very tense.


    To confirm what was going on, Dos sent people to contact Jack, hoping to glean information from the other side.


    The result¡ªthe returnee brought back shocking news¡ªJack''s bandit group had been completely annihilated!


    There were signs of bullets flying everywhere, and the bodies had gaping, torn wounds. Jack''s body, which hadn''t been consumed by wild beasts, was found along with his two ever-present Shireck Flintlock Guns, which had vanished without a trace.


    As the largest bandit group in Vicious Forest, they had 29 people and four muskets¡ªthe size of their group was not insignificant.


    However, after that first precise volley of gunfire, they already had seven or eight men lying on the ground. And these poor bandits had yet to fully recover from the shock of being ambushed.


    They were always the ones laying ambushes; how could there come a day when they were the ones ambushed? Dos hid behind a large tree, half his face peeking out, stealthily observing everything around him.


    He had to find the enemy shooters¡ªthe soldiers of the Leite Kingdom, who wore bright yellow uniforms, were actually very easy to recognize in the jungle.


    But this time, he didn''t see anyone in a bright yellow uniform. What surprised him even more was that he didn''t see the conspicuous clouds of smoke that would spread near the muzzle of a gun after firing.


    In this way, after a short silence, the second round of musket fire came again in dense volleys, crackling and echoing through the jungle.


    It was then that Dos saw a blurry green figure flash past behind a clump of bushes.


    He lifted his pistol, aimed at the bushes, but his hand shook, not daring to pull the trigger under his finger, lacking the courage to shoot back.


    Before he could fire, the second-in-command of the bandits, who was hiding not far from the fire, sounded his musket. A loud "bang" abruptly echoed in the forest, followed by a plume of conspicuous white smoke where he hid.


    This was the reason Dos lacked the courage to return fire¡ªthe white smoke was so visible that it was impossible to hide.


    But what shocked him was that the terrifying figures who were continuously firing didn''t emit any thick smoke at their firing positions! This made Dos involuntarily recall the legends about ghosts and spirits.


    Suddenly, he saw his subordinate, the second-in-command who always charged at the forefront of battle, struck by a bullet from behind and fell to the ground with a scream.


    He watched his second-in-command''s blood soak his ragged leather armor, saw him struggle on the ground for a few moments, then breathe his last.


    The third volley of gunfire reached Dos''s ears, snapping his consciousness back to the gruesome battlefield.


    Upon careful observation, he finally saw a faint muzzle flash and the almost imperceptible rolling smoke.


    For the second time, he raised his musket, pointing at the direction where he had just seen the flash, and then hesitated again.


    Because the screams and shouts had gradually subsided, in the bandit group of more than twenty, there were not many left standing.


    Just before, an impatient coward tried to escape, only to fall to the ground after a few steps when a gunshot rang out, and without so much as a moan, died outright.


    The scene gradually calmed down, fewer bandits returned fire or hid, while more and more bodies lay scattered in all directions.


    After a moment, no further gunfire was heard, and in the silence that followed, a man dressed in gray-green military attire, with a bayonet-mounted rifle, pushed through the grass in front of him and slowly stood up.

 Chapter 58: the twenty-ninth 58

    To Dos, the man''s attire was somewhat unfamiliar because he had never seen anyone dressed in such equipment before.


    The man who had pushed aside the underbrush wore a gray-green soft hat adorned with a wreath-like arrangement of grass and twigs on top. The grass on his head nearly blended him into the surroundings, making him very difficult to distinguish.


    Under the man''s ribs were leather ammunition pouches strung through with a belt on both sides. Hanging from his left side was a slim bayonet scabbard, and on the right was a holster for a revolver.


    The man''s coat was a bit long, with the hem covering his knees. Below that, he wore a pair of tall leather boots. This outfit made Dos think the man looked quite dashing.


    The man stepped up to the fire and used the bayonet in his hand to impale one of the bandits who was still whimpering, silencing the screams in a second. The abrupt cessation of noise frightened Dos into quickly retreating back behind the tree where he was hiding.


    That was because he saw the man, while pulling the bayonet out of the body, lift his head to look toward Dos''s hiding place.


    He was familiar with that gaze, very, very familiar.


    It was the same kind of look he gave to the women curled up in the carriages and to the merchants hiding among the corpses.


    He had never felt pity for these prey; he would use the children in the women''s arms to threaten the women into submitting to him and his accomplices. After venting his animalistic lust, he would kill both the women and children without exception.


    He would laugh unrestrainedly at the merchants who knelt and begged for mercy, promising to let them go before, after taking the money hidden on their person, piercing their throats with a longsword and watching them writhe in agony on the ground until they lay motionless.


    In the past, he relied on killing and cruelty to cover up his inner weakness and fear, using bloody methods to maintain his position among the mountain bandits.


    Yet, at this moment, he saw something different in the man who was cleaning up the battlefield. The man was indifferent, calm, as if he were simply clearing away a pile of unwanted rubbish.


    Yes, it was now that he felt an unsettling sense of desperation from the other''s calm aura.


    He didn''t even have the courage to raise his gun and shoot, knowing that there were some fearful ghosts lurking around this battlefield, watching over it like vindictive spirits.


    "29..." Another brush was parted, and a man in similar attire emerged with a gleaming bayonet, speaking in a deep voice, "It''s Dos''s band of bandits for sure."


    "There are only 27 bodies here." The man whose bayonet was still dripping with blood, who had made himself known first, said, "Letting these blood-debt laden fellows escape will greatly displease the master."


    "Don''t worry! None of the prey within the encirclement will escape," the third man who appeared ghostlike from the underbrush declared, tossing a young bandit back by the fire.


    The young bandit begged loudly, his voice tinged with sobs, "Please spare me! Please spare me! I know I was wrong! Yes! Yes! I was forced!


    Please spare me!"


    And speaking of weapons, we have to mention the bullets that Tang Mo had tailored specially for them on this mission!


    Though these bullets didn''t differ in design from those provided to Earl Fisello, the core "gunpowder" within had been thoroughly improved.


    Tang Mo had crafted smokeless gunpowder into a batch of bullets, specially supplied to his own trusted warriors.


    The smokeless gunpowder produced very little smoke, which was even more useful in jungle combat. It could reduce the risk of exposing firing positions and marginally increased the safety of the gunpowder.


    Luff and his men, equipped with the K1 Quick Guns and also revolvers, could be said to be exceptionally well-armed.


    Dos, seeing this well-equipped and never-before-seen private army with seemingly no intention to search for him, slightly relaxed.


    He thought their numbers had to be limited, hence no guts to spread out and look for him, the one that got away. But he was also puzzled about how such a small number of men could fire such a dense volley of bullets.


    "Alright! Stop messing around!" Just then, Luff, from a distance, shouted loudly at someone.


    Upon hearing this yell, Dos was startled, then he dared not move, thinking that the enemy was trying to deceive him with words; he certainly couldn''t walk into death by himself. As long as he endured until these people lost patience and left, he would be able to reclaim his little life.


    "I say... do you think... you''re well hidden?" Just when Dos thought he might have made it out alive, a voice suddenly rang out behind him.


    Dos was instantly scared stiff, his whole body shuddering, his instinct was to raise the musket in his hands.


    Unfortunately, his hand was pinned mid-air by another hand, while a dagger horizontally slit a bloody gash across his throat.


    Blood immediately sprayed out, staining the front of his shirt red. His left hand instinctively dropped the other handgun he was holding and clutched at the gash on his neck.


    He desperately tried to stem the gushing blood from the wound, but due to the blood pressure, his efforts seemed extremely futile.


    Like a fountain, blood spurted through his fingers, tumbling down into his collar. Because he had killed so many merchants and women, he could even imagine what he looked like now.


    He felt he must look incredibly disheveled, hideously so. His expression must be one of utter despair, unable even to cry out.


    With a mouthful of blood, he began to spit it out, he noticed the hand holding him had gone, so he staggered forward a few steps.


    Almost out of strength, he turned his head only to see a young man, dressed like those others, standing next to the tree where he had hidden himself.


    "The twenty-ninth one! Not a single one missing, they''re all here!" This was the last sound he heard in this world.


    Then, he felt no more and went to the endless hell.

 Chapter 59: 59 being an official

    Solon went to work and returned home on time every day. He had a wife and a concubine, and together with his three children, they lived happily in the small town of Brunas.


    Under his command, there were over a hundred City Defense Forces soldiers. Their job was similar to that of armed police, maintaining law and order while also taking on some of the responsibilities of the stationed troops.


    In reality, that was just on paper. Brunas only had 36 soldiers; the rest were "nonexistent" personnel who were just names to collect pay without actually being present.


    After all, on ordinary days, there were no real life-or-death matters to contend with, and only a fool would keep that many soldiers idle.


    Yes, Solon was the Sheriff of Brunas. Together with the Mayor and the Tax Collector, they managed this little town called Brunas.


    He hardly had any social obligations and would return to his home on time every day to enjoy peace and tranquility¡ªthere really wasn''t any need for socializing, as the Mayor and Tax Collector would deliver his share of the profits regularly each year, so he didn''t need to worry about anything.


    If there were no ruffians fighting at the docks, there was no need for him to concern himself with the problems of the boatmen and fishermen. Merchants from afar complied with the tax laws, and no one would easily stir up trouble in such a place.


    Thus, his life was both peaceful and full of pleasant surprises, much like recently when he received a new share of profits¡ªas if by a miracle, a weapon workshop on the verge of bankruptcy in the northern outskirts of the town had sprung back to life and was providing him with a profit of 3 Gold Coins each month.


    Although it wasn''t a large sum, it was a steady monthly income. He had already received it for the third time and felt extremely at ease and natural about it.


    That young man named Tang Mo never caused any trouble or disturbances, and seemed to almost never enter the town.


    He didn''t care about what Tang Mo was doing on the land he had bought. Even if Tang Mo wanted to build a castle with twenty cannons mounted on it, it would have nothing to do with him.


    Besides, all Tang Mo did was build a school and expand some workshops, nothing more. Receiving such bribes in the form of profits made him very pleased, so he naturally developed a favorable impression of Tang Mo.


    Even though in recent days, the workshop that had inexplicably changed its name to the Great Tang Group suddenly became overcrowded, he had no intention of inquiring into it.


    After all, they had paid him. As long as they weren''t rebelling, or even if they did rebel, as long as they didn''t come after him, he wouldn''t bother himself with complications.


    Especially since Tang Mo himself had come to Brunas one day, invited him along with the Mayor and Tax Collector to a feast. After rounds of wine and a variety of dishes, Tang Mo had shown his Guardian Knight credentials to everyone present.


    Now, it was beyond question that Tang Mo was a confidant of Earl Fisello. In this case, who would be foolish enough to cause trouble for Tang Mo?


    Perhaps one day, this Guardian Knight would transform into a new Baron, and wouldn''t he then seek revenge on those who had troubled him?


    So it''s best to keep one''s distance and stay out of it when dealing with a rapidly rising young man like Tang Mo...


    Solon''s brows knit almost imperceptibly before his smile quickly masked his displeasure. Not taking a seat, he immediately said, "After the shop couldn''t survive any longer and Tang Qi died, his son Tang Mo dismissed half of the workers, which left us all in Brunas town on edge."


    "Tang Mo..." Beiji muttered the name as though he intended to memorize it.


    "Afterward, he went everywhere asking for help, trying to meet with Baron Stela... I heard he wanted to curry favor with Lord Baron," recalled Solon, appearing to share everything he knew: "Later on, when he couldn''t find a way through Baron Stela, I heard he went to the Northern Ridge."


    "Northern Ridge?" Beiji''s interest piqued at the mention of this sensitive term, and he looked at Solon, dragging out the question.


    "Yes, the Northern Ridge! I don''t know how he fooled Lord Earl, but he got Earl Fisello to buy some wasteland north of Brunas, right by the Vicious Forest. It''s all useless land. Lord Earl would surely kill him if he found out."


    "Weapon forge... Vicious Forest... Northern Ridge... Earl... Wasteland..." Beiji repeated each keyword, his grim smile growing more pronounced.


    All these familiar words seemed unconnected, yet they showed up in Solon''s narrative. Was this a coincidence? No! It definitely wasn''t a coincidence!


    It was clear now that Tang Mo must have created some new weapon, first visiting Baron Stela, only to be driven away¡ªwhich was understandable, as Baron Stela was certainly capable of such a reaction.


    Then the damned Tang Mo, with his new weapon, went to try his luck with Earl Ronin Fisallo of the Northern Ridge.


    And recently under great pressure, Earl Fisello decided to invest in this new weapon type. Thus, Tang Mo escaped his fate of bankruptcy and became a lackey under the Earl''s command.


    As for those unlucky bandits, they must have stumbled upon the carriage transporting the new weapons, witnessed the power of these weapons, and then went to seek a fortune from Lord Gis.


    Linking it all together, Beiji felt he had almost guessed the entire sequence of events. In fact, he was spot on, as if he had witnessed the development himself.


    "That''s right, he''s even expanding his factory, recruiting many workers," Solon continued to disclose, knowing that withholding information was futile. He wasn''t close enough to Tang Mo to cover for him.


    These were indeed details that could be readily obtained by asking around on the streets or simply visiting the site. If Solon concealed them for Tang Mo, it could easily implicate himself.


    "Very good! It was a pleasure meeting you, Solon Sheriff! You are a good officer, and I will speak well of you to Lord Gis," Beiji said, standing up and patting Solon''s shoulder, having obtained the information he needed.


    Then, he left Solon''s office, taking his trusty subordinates with him, heading toward the north side of Brunas town.


    Watching them depart, Solon returned to his office, wrote a note, and called over one of his men, instructing, "Change into these civilian clothes and deliver this note to Tang Mo."


    Watching his subordinate hurry off, Solon''s expression darkened, "They really take me for a dog? If I don''t cause some trouble for these Shireck bastards, what am I even doing as an official?"

 Chapter 60: Dont mess it up

    "Achoo!" Tang Mo rubbed his nose and, frowning, looked toward the bustling construction site and then toward the wilderness not too far away. He felt like someone was watching him, hidden in the shadows with malicious intent, akin to a poisonous snake.


    "Medicine isn''t cheap these days, you''d better be careful," Roger said from behind Tang Mo as he watched several smokestacks being built higher and higher in a spiraling fashion. He reminded Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo nodded but took another look at the distant wilderness and replied, "I''ll be careful. However... do you have the feeling that someone is watching us?"


    "No feeling. This is the wilderness, who would be out here watching us for no reason?" Roger shook his head and answered.


    Wes, who stood to the side, glanced at Tang Mo and then toward the distance, a hint of alertness appearing on his face: "I too sense danger, vague though it may be... Maybe, we are being watched."


    "It could be people from the mayor''s office, or other nobility, or Shireck''s men, or even those sent by information brokers collecting rumors..." Wes analyzed, "Whichever it is, we should be prepared for any outcome."


    "That''s why I had factories built on the perimeter and training grounds and bases inside... Always better to be cautious," Tang Mo said in a muffled voice while still rubbing his nose.


    "All this pomp and circumstance, no amount of care will do when such a thing cannot be helped," Wes shrugged helplessly and sighed, "You are building a city, how could you possibly keep it unseen."


    "I don''t expect them not to know," Tang Mo quirked his mouth, "I just hope they find out later rather than sooner."


    "In fact, them sending someone to watch you now is already a sign of their sluggish response and being behind the times," Wes admired Tang Mo for his various cunning schemes of bribery, deception, disguise so skillfully performed that even an old hand like himself was left agape.


    "I do envy these people with big families and businesses..." Tang Mo sighed, walking towards another part of the construction site with a sense of resignation.


    His development had just begun, and while some issues could be solved using his "golden hand," others could only be accumulated over time.


    For instance, training talents¡ªhis "golden hand" couldn''t help with that. He had to take to the field himself, teaching those soldiers who knew nothing about adapting to a new combat environment.


    Similarly, he didn''t have an intelligence network spread out in every corner like Shireck''s established syndicate, thereby rendering him practically blind even with eyes open.


    To compensate for this shortcoming, on the one hand, he had the school children help gather intelligence during their time off, and on the other hand, he could only rely on bribery to encourage those in the know to as much as possible delay the spread of rumors.


    Fortunately, this world had neither the internet nor camera phones, allowing him to use time differences as an advantage to secure a bit more time to react or prepare for his expansion.


    Tang Mo''s factory kept expanding, and he had established a new chemical production factory for making smokeless powder that might be needed in the future.


    At the same time, he was constructing a bullet manufacturing facility for producing more powerful and advanced metal-cased ammunition in the future.


    These factories were huge, occupying vast areas, and along with the storerooms and employee dormitories being constructed at the same time, the roads connecting these buildings stretched as far as the eye could see upon completion.


    Under Tagg''s training, these Soldiers were gradually taking shape. At least now, when they gathered together, they were no longer as disorderly as a swarm of flies.


    Watching a patrol squad with bows slung over their shoulders and Longswords in hand, passing through the distant wasteland, Tang Mo felt unusually at ease. He redirected his gaze, focusing on the concrete foundations that had been leveled.


    These foundations could ensure machines remained level, which was beneficial for improving the precision of the machinery. To make the factory floors more durable, Tang Mo had also purchased some stones for reinforcement.


    Meanwhile, at a spot past where the patrol squad had just moved through, behind some inconspicuous weeds, Beiji was motionlessly holding a monocular and watching Tang Mo''s every move.


    "If we hadn''t come here, we wouldn''t have known that someone was building such a large workshop in Brunas," remarked Beiji with a cold laugh while surveying the distant construction site through his monocular.


    "Heh heh heh heh, those fools will never know that the factory they''re building with so much hope will ultimately just help Shireck build their house," sneered an attendant next to Beiji with a sly expression.


    Shireck didn''t lack competitors, and there have always been those who challenged Shireck, aiming to monopolize an industry, naturally facing up-and-coming rivals all the time.


    Over the years, the number of competitors that Shireck eliminated or absorbed using underhanded methods was truly countless.


    In a sense, Shireck no longer bothered with conventional competition to take down those fledgling new challengers. With just a simple move beyond the law, it could plunder other people''s workshops and destroy everything they had painstakingly built.


    "I have to admit, this guy hugging Count Fisheo''s thigh is somewhat smarter than the other fools," Beiji put away his monocular: "Look at the hunters that just passed by... they''re probably disguised as members from the Northern Ridge Legion."


    "They are in disguise?" The attendant seemed puzzled and looked towards Beiji for an explanation.


    "Just from their marching formation, one can tell that these individuals are more trained than even the regular Soldiers from Suthers. Since they''ve received training, how could they possibly be hunters?" Beiji felt as if he had seen through everything.


    "So, what do we do now?" whispered the attendant.


    "We go back... bring more people, and turn this place into another workshop for Shireck!" said Beiji mercilessly.


    In the distance, Yulin handed a note to Tang Mo at the construction site; upon opening the note, a smile spread across Tang Mo''s face.


    He handed the note to Wes, then instructed Roger, "Roger, make a trip to Brunas for me, take 5 Gold Coins to our dear Sheriff... to thank him for everything he''s done for the law-abiding citizens."


    Then, he turned to Wes, "Can you find them and resolve this trouble?"


    "Beiji... an old acquaintance. A thug of the southern Kingdom, I''ve encountered him before, just a big name with little substance," Wes handed the note back to Tang Mo, his hand resting on his Revolver on his hip: "He wasn''t a match before, and now... he''s even less of an opponent."


    "I''ll leave it in your hands," Tang Mo said with a satisfied smile, "get some men from Tagg... and don''t mess it up!"

 Chapter 61: 61 Im not a good person.

    Wes didn''t immediately turn around to leave. Instead, he looked at Tang Mo and asked, "I don''t understand. With Beiji''s cunning, he won''t leave today or tomorrow. He will secretly observe you, collect all your information, then..."


    "There''s no need for that much trouble. An hour after you depart, I will immediately take action. He won''t be able to stay here and will have to find a way back to King City," Tang Mo said, confidently smiling at Wes.


    Wes didn''t catch on and asked Tang Mo in confusion, "Huh? How can you be sure that he will definitely leave here and return to King City?"


    "I will gather all the remaining recruit troops and launch a comprehensive search nearby! You guess, will he be a bit nervous?" Tang Mo gave his answer.


    As he walked back, he continued, "In fact, I will give him a choice. If he''s innocent or willing to meet with me, we can still talk. I''m willing to sell my weapons, blueprints included, to the Shireck Consortium. As long as both parties are happy with the cooperation, that Beiji can leave Brunas safely."


    Tang Mo hadn''t planned to kill Beiji right off the bat. If the other party wanted to cooperate, Tang Mo wouldn''t mind going to war with Shireck right away.


    Over a month ago, he had put out the rifle as bait to trap the Shireck Consortium.


    Since it was a trap, he wasn''t afraid of Shireck stepping into it. That''s why he was willing to use this bait to lure the other party''s resources in this direction.


    This was a safety mechanism, so he wasn''t worried about Beiji''s arrival. In fact, he knew that sooner or later Shireck would send someone over.


    In fact, according to his earlier thoughts, Shireck''s delay in sending someone over at this time was actually a sign of slow reaction and was a bit late.


    According to his plan, Shireck would have sent someone half a month ago to negotiate, and he would have tearfully made tens of thousands of Gold Coins by handing over the blueprints for the steam engine and rifle in one go.


    However, although the Shireck Consortium was completely unqualified in terms of reaction speed, when it came to shamelessness, Shireck clearly exceeded Tang Mo''s expectations by a large margin.


    The other party clearly did not come with an attitude of cooperation. Otherwise, they would have come to the door directly to cooperate using money, rather than sneakily making other moves.


    That''s why Tang Mo spoke the way he did, and why Wes replied with disdain, "But they won''t choose that. They are used to their own way of doing things. They will capture you and take over your factory, bringing everything back to square one."


    "Don''t get me wrong, I''m not a good person." Tang Mo shrugged his shoulders and said indifferently, "So, before they come to capture me, I''ll bury them in the ground."


    "Hahahaha! I love it! I find myself liking this place more and more. Now there''s just one thing left, which path he will take." That sentence from Tang Mo, where he said he was not a good person, really struck a chord with Wes. He followed Tang Mo, laughing heartily before asking another question.


    At that moment, he felt that Tang Mo was very much to his taste, even his way of speaking and acting felt extremely comfortable.


    Laughing along, Tang Mo laid out his plan, "You and Tagg, with two teams, no matter which path he takes, he will be blocked by you."


    "Wait a second, how do you know for sure that he will run away instead of staying hidden among us?" Tagg looked at Wes with some uncertainty, voicing his own doubts.


    Wes teased a bit before glancing at the revolver at Tagg''s waist and said, "That''s for the lord to worry about, not you. What we have to do is block that Beiji who''s trying to escape here."


    "One more thing, are you sure you can recognize Beiji? The roads into the heartland of the Kingdom, though not overcrowded, aren''t sparse either," Tagg confirmed as he followed Wes out of the barracks, "If you don''t recognize him, or get it wrong... things will get complicated."


    "Don''t worry! I''ve seen him and even fought against him," Wes, resting his hand on the pistol at his waist, headed for the stables where his mount was, "He''s cunning and formidable. You and your men should be careful... don''t lose your lives."


    "I will!" Tagg went to the other side of the stable, picked up the reins of his warhorse, and almost simultaneously, mounted his steed along with Wes.


    "Actually, we don''t need to go too far, we just need to wait for them at the crossroads west of Brunas. There''s nowhere else for them to go," said Wes, clamping his legs around the horse''s belly and pulling the reins toward the gate as he spurred his horse forward.


    Tagg followed behind him, and then came the five mounted soldiers, all carrying their firearms, specifically the K1 Quick Guns produced by Tang Mo and issued to them.


    Not long after these seven men left, Tang Mo ordered the new soldier commander Redman to lead three hundred soldiers to pour out and start a large-scale search and patrol.


    The patrol teams, every twenty soldiers forming a group, each group having several members armed with K1 Quick Guns, repeatedly scoured the nearby wasteland.


    "Damn it! How did he know I was here?" Beiji, hiding in a pit, narrowly avoided a patrol team carrying longswords and firearms, his face turning colors in frustration.


    Originally, he came here just to secretly investigate and then was planning to gather forces before striking back a deadly blow to Tang Mo.


    But who could''ve expected Tang Mo to preemptive them, suddenly sending out so many patrol teams to trouble him.


    You should know, there was still a long way to go before nightfall, and escaping under the cover of darkness wasn''t going to be so easy.


    What frustrated him even more was that the horses he and his attendant rode were hidden not far away. If these patrols kept searching, they might or might not discover him and his attendant, but they would surely find those two warhorses.


    So Beiji made a decision after glancing at his attendant: "Once this patrol team has gone far, we''ll go back for the horses! Shake off these patrols on foot, and head straight back to King City!"


    "Why not go to Brunas... to find someone to escort us..." The attendant felt that going to a more populated area would be safer.


    "Shut up! It must have been Brunas that leaked our whereabouts! We''re as good as dead if we go back now," Beiji cut off the attendant''s suggestion and scolded, "Alright! Follow me! And run if we''re spotted!"


    Bent at the waist, they dashed out from their hiding place, heading straight for where they had hidden their horses, without looking back as they ran wildly.

 Chapter 62: 62 No need to break in iron shoes

    "Hurry! There are two horses here!" Just as the two men sprinted towards their mounts, a shout from afar filled them with despair.


    They were startled for a moment before realizing that their means of escape might have been discovered.


    "Go! Run fast!" Beiji quickly pointed south and, with his entourage, started running towards Brunas.


    "You run towards the main road! Give me the flintlock gun!" Beiji came up with a plan to escape as he ran, "No one recognizes you. Just act like a passerby on the road, and they won''t trouble you!"


    "After you get through, head immediately north! Do not go south... to Northern Ridge, find the people at Shireck Iron Mine, release the news! Whether I can return or not... None of Brunas''s men shall be spared!" Beiji laid out his plan and stopped in a rather concealed location.


    His attendant also thought it unwise to carry a longsword and flintlock gun at this time. Without hesitation, he undid his armed belt and handed it over to Beiji.


    When Beiji took the belt and drew the flintlock gun from inside, he turned and ran in the opposite direction.


    With the flintlock gun in one hand, Beiji parted the weeds in front of him with the other and continued to crouch and flee southward.


    Rather than disguising himself to run, he trusted the flintlock gun in his hand more. He had confidence in his swordsmanship and his marksmanship, and he did not believe the enemy would easily find him.


    Tang Mo was beside the road to Vicious Forest, watching the passing merchants with odd suspicion towards his own search party.


    Having just emerged from the bandit-ridden Vicious Forest, the sight of so many armed personnel naturally made them very wary.


    Acting as if it had nothing to do with him, Tang Mo, with Roger and Redman, continued northward along the road, "Once they discard their weapons and blend into a caravan, we will not be able to find them."


    "The problem is, only Wes has seen one of them, which makes it difficult." Redman, a middle-aged man, looked neither strong nor tall and somewhat lean.


    Speaking with a Northern Ridge accent, he seemed mature and composed. With his hand on the flintlock gun at his waist, he said to Tang Mo, "With three teams deployed along the road, we can only hope they can stop them from escaping into the wilderness."


    "Do our utmost and leave the rest to fate," Tang Mo conceded, feeling the difficulty of capturing two spies without photographs in this era.


    The spies could easily blend in with a simple disguise, making them hard to differentiate. Furthermore, they could split up, increasing their chances of breaking through the encirclement.


    Regardless, it was always easier and less conspicuous for one person to move and disguise himself. If they were just a bit unlucky on their side, the enemy could indeed escape to freedom.


    "Commander! We''ve found two horses! And this!" A soldier ran up and handed something to Redman.


    Redman took the object, which turned out to be an armed belt with a longsword hanging from it, but the flintlock gun was missing from the holster.


    "It seems our opponents have chosen the most correct path to escape," Tang Mo revealed a smile, "They''ve disguised themselves as merchants, instead of choosing to fight us."


    Without his horse and weapons, the attendant didn''t dare cross the Vicious Forest alone; he lacked the guts to face those bandits by himself. So after steering clear of those searching for him, he climbed onto the roadbed with lingering fears and approached a fairly substantial-looking caravan.


    "Hey, I say... Are you heading to Northern Ridge?" he asked a guard next to the carriage, feigning nonchalance.


    The guards were carrying Shireck Flintlock Guns, which brought a sense of familiarity to the attendant. He approached them and pulled out a few silver coins from his chest, "I want to go to Northern Ridge, could you give me a lift?"


    "You want to go to Northern Ridge?" A man sitting on the carriage jumped down, brushing off the dust as he curiously asked.


    "Yes, I plan to go to Northern Ridge to seek out a relative," the attendant of Beiji concocted a story and said, "It''s too dangerous to travel alone, so I hope you can take me along."


    He gestured with the silver coins in his hand, "This is all the money I have left, just consider it travel expenses, I beg you, please help me out."


    In fact, he was already very cautious, keeping in mind the principle of not flaunting his wealth, while trying to bribe as naturally as possible.


    Normally, the caravan''s guards would agree to sneak such passengers into the caravan without inquiring about their background.


    Sure enough, the man who seemed to be among the guard leaders laughed as he took the silver coins from the attendant''s hand and slipped them into his pocket, patting the attendant''s shoulder with a smiling face, "We are the caravan going to Northern Ridge! You''re in luck, kid!"


    While patting, the guard leader glanced at the attendant''s muddy high-quality boots and once expensive but now filthy riding breeches.


    Under normal circumstances, the guard leader''s dirty hands would never have touched his shoulder. However, the attendant restrained himself from showing a look of disgust and nodded with a forced smile, bending over to say, "Thank you! Thank you!"


    "Not this carriage! It''s carrying important parts... very important," the man who took the money, proving to be very conscientious, led the attendant past several resting carriages and even started to act as a tour guide, "Come with me, I''ll arrange a carriage for you..."


    "Parts, parts?" the attendant from Beiji seemed puzzled.


    The guard leader nodded, "Yes, important parts."


    As he spoke, he seemed to arrive at the spot and pointed at a nearby carriage, "Here are the steel rails, they''re heavy... a carriage can only transport two!"


    "Steel, steel rails?" the attendant from Beiji started to sense that something was amiss.


    "Lord Roger, Lord Redman..." Just as the attendant from Beiji was feeling uneasy, the guard leader, who had led him on a tour all the way here, saluted respectfully towards three individuals next to the carriage, "Lord Tang Mo... this youngster, clad in fine riding breeches without a horse and offering money to bribe the guards, claims he wants to go to Northern Ridge..."


    "Oh?" Tang Mo carefully scrutinized the attendant from Beiji, his eyes brimming with amusement. Even Roger, standing beside him, couldn''t help but laugh out loud.


    With a growing sense of dread, the attendant from Beiji suddenly turned to flee, only to crash into two Soldiers of the Northern Ridge Legion disguised as mercenaries in plain clothes who were following close behind.


    "Let me go!" the attendant from Beiji struggled fiercely, continuing his act while trying to resist, "Who are you? It''s robbery! I''m just a woodworker going to join relatives in Northern Ridge! Let me go!"


    Redman rested his hand on his Longsword and approached, a single kick subdued the attendant, "Take him away!"

 Chapter 63: 63 The Warlords

    Beiji trudged along the uneven roadbed, alternating between deep and shallow steps, pistol in hand. He was cursing Tang Mo, cursing everything he had encountered that day.


    The rugged road didn''t allow for horseback riding, which made Beiji extremely uncomfortable. Accustomed to a life of luxury, he naturally loathed the idea of traveling such a long distance on foot. Hence, he hated Tang Mo, hated the damned patrol team that had found his horse.


    "If I get back, you''ll all have to die! Die! Die!" he muttered viciously, clutching his pistol.


    He felt that his tactics had been flawless, splitting up from his trusted attendant, which, no matter what, would win him more chances to escape.


    If that attendant were exposed, the enemy would shift more attention to the north, giving him a better chance of getting away.


    And if the attendant wasn''t exposed, even if he was captured, there would be someone to carry a message back to King City. This could cause the enemy to hesitate, increasing his chances of survival. In any case, he was very satisfied with his arrangements; his steps even became a bit lighter.


    Since he no longer worried about being caught, Beiji even felt like taking in the surrounding terrain, which was ideal for setting up an ambush.


    The absence of troops here to block his path showed that the young man named Tang Mo really had no true skill.


    He''d simply happened upon intelligence and rushed out to encircle Beiji. So, he was just a reckless young man, an easy target!


    "Ha! Haha!" he snorted derisively, laughing to express his contempt¡ªif the enemy had set up an ambush here, he reckoned it would have been tough for him to escape!


    At this thought, he felt aggrieved about his horse once more, ruminating that if he''d retreated a bit more decisively back then, he wouldn''t have to be trekking so miserably along this bumpy road now.


    This damned Kingdom''s infrastructure! Which bastard had embezzled the funds meant for road repairs? How could they turn a perfectly good roadbed into such a mess!


    Just as he was cursing the Minister in charge of road maintenance, a gunshot suddenly rang out, and a man stood on the essential path before Beiji, holding a pistol and firing a shot into the air.


    The sound echoed in the sky, startling the nearby birds. It was then that Beiji realized something¡ªthis crossroads from Vicious Forest to Brunas seemed a bit too quiet.


    The passing merchant caravans seemed to have all been intercepted, leaving only him and a stranger he had never met before on this stretch.


    "Who are you?" Beiji frowned, gun in hand, eyeing the man in civilians'' clothing who was still holding his pistol.


    "My name is Tagg." Tagg, pistol in hand, stared at the man in front of him and confirmed, "Beiji? Shireck''s mercenary?"


    "I''ve never seen you before! You''d better step aside!" Beiji didn''t deny his identity, knowing that the other party must be waiting here for him.


    "Sorry, but I have orders to take you back... and if you resist, I''ll bring back your corpse," Tagg stated firmly, leveling the flintlock gun at Beiji.


    Before coming here, he had prepared himself to kill, and as a mid-level commander of the Northern Ridge Legion, he was certainly not new to taking lives.


    He saw a pair of leather boots walk by his side and kick the Shireck Flintlock Gun he had dropped far away.


    Then he saw a familiar face drawing close to his, seemingly to confirm his identity.


    "You''re starting to impress me, Tagg." Wes got to his feet, looked towards Tagg with a smile full of amusement, "You really didn''t hesitate to shoot."


    "I owe it to Mr. Tang Mo." Tagg, lamenting the two bullets he had just wasted, looked at Beiji who was still bleeding on the ground, and asked, "Isn''t killing him like this going to put Shireck on alert?"


    "That depends on the gentlemen''s subsequent actions." Wes pointed at Beiji, who was barely breathing on the ground, "After all, the order I got was to silence this guy forever."


    "He definitely can''t speak now." Tagg looked at Beiji, whose lungs had been pierced¡ªan injury unhealable in this era¡ªand shook his head, "But we should wait for him to rest in peace before leaving."


    "You''re right." Wes drew his pistol from his waist and aimed at Beiji, who still held a breath, "You''ve shown your loyalty, and I haven''t completed my mission yet."


    After that, he pulled the trigger: "Bang!"


    "Is this what they call joining the bandits?" Tagg asked knowingly, watching Wes fire an additional shot.


    "Mind your words¡ªwhat do you mean ''joining the bandits''? I''ve found a worthy lord, okay?" Wes reholstered his gun and made a beckoning gesture, "Care to lend a hand?"


    "Damn it, you''ve made such a ghastly mess of the body, what if it stains my trousers?" Tagg complained as he stepped forward and picked up Beiji''s feet.


    Wes carefully grabbed Beiji''s shoulders and dragged his heavy body to the bushes beside an already dug pit.


    "One, two, three!" they counted softly together and then let go simultaneously, tossing Beiji''s body into the pit.


    Then, each grabbed a shovel planted by the pit, and they began filling the hole with soil, one shovelful at a time.


    Meanwhile, on the southern edge of the Vicious Forest, at the border of a piece of barren land that Tang Mo had just purchased, a man covered in dust was digging a large pit.


    Behind him, Tang Mo was examining a deed in his hands. This was the evidence of his newly purchased land from the mayor, connecting his land to the Vicious Forest.


    From now on, from the south of the Vicious Forest to the northern outskirts of Brunas, there was only one master.


    The Guardian Knight, Tang Mo, was the lawful owner of this land, its master.


    "I don''t have time to waste on such boring things as executions." After confirming that the terms of the document were as he expected, Tang Mo rolled up the deed and said to Roger beside him, "Give him two more minutes..."


    Upon hearing Tang Mo''s words, Redman pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the man digging the pit.


    "What comes around goes around..." Tang Mo muttered under his breath, turning away to ignore the fool in the pit, "We must start causing trouble for Shireck... Otherwise, they will definitely come looking for us!"

 Chapter 64: 64 come again

    A few minutes later, deep in the wilderness, Redman was shoveling soil into a pit, working away merrily.


    Meanwhile, Tang Mo stood within sight of Redman, his face a mask of unpleasant contemplation. He had decided to let the person he trusted most take control of the intelligence organization he planned to establish.


    So, he said to old Roger, "Uncle Roger, we need our own intelligence system! I think that you are the most suitable for this task."


    "But, I really know nothing about this kind of thing," Roger said awkwardly, scratching his head.


    Tang Mo was aware that tasking old Roger with building an intelligence system was indeed a bit too challenging.


    Because Roger was clearly not the ruthless type, merely an ordinary businessman, ill-suited for a position that might involve many dark deeds hidden from public view.


    Yet the position was so important that Tang Mo did not dare entrust it lightly to anyone else¡ªafter all, on this job, loyalty seemed more useful than capability.


    Therefore, Tang Mo reluctantly had Roger start the work, planning to find someone more suitable to take over eventually.


    He spoke again, "No choice, Uncle Roger. You''re the one I trust the most right now. First, help me find some people. Later, I''ll write a manual for you, and you train them according to its requirements."


    "For now, you can talk with parents who have kids studying at schools. When Brunas''s children are not in class, they can help gather information, and their parents can get involved too," Tang Mo decided to make use of his resources.


    In the era he had come from, teachers seldom dared to trouble parents, but this era was different; parents were still filled with reverence for the school.


    As Tang Mo spoke, he was already calling up relevant spy training manuals in his mind: "You''ll be responsible for consolidating these reports. This task can be handed to Yulin; the girl is more meticulous... Then sort out the useful... the urgent... you teach her..."


    He was speaking when he saw Wes and Tagg riding their horses at full speed along the road toward him. The two dismounted one after the other, leading their horses by the reins to Tang Mo.


    "It looks like good news," Tang Mo smiled.


    Some people may seem formidable and smart, but they still die humbly in a corner¡ªlike Beiji, for example.


    A notorious figure, he was quite capable. Unfortunately, his hesitation and greed led to his abrupt death in the wild, without even putting up a fight.


    Even Tagg and Wes felt a bit regretful; during the process of ambushing Beiji, they hadn''t had the chance to exhibit the superiority of their secret weapon, the Revolver...


    The thrill of crushing an opponent at a crucial moment with a secret weapon went completely unexperienced, diminishing their enthusiasm for boasting about killing Beiji.


    So, Wes simply nodded, "We each fired a shot and took care of the nuisance that was Beiji."


    "However, we don''t know where the other servant went; we might have a lot of trouble following up," Tagg added, sounding bored.


    "No problem, if you need money, go ask Roger," Tang Mo ordered, then saw Redman walking over with a shovel.


    "All taken care of?" Tang Mo asked, looking at the sweaty Redman.


    Redman nodded and replied, "All taken care of. The search squads have returned, the convoy has already set off again... and we''ve lifted the checkpoint we set up in the Vicious Forest."


    "Let''s go! Back we go! We still have a lot to do," Tang Mo was very satisfied with Redman''s efficiency and led the way to the distant construction site.


    After being busy for so long, they were all hungry. Aunt Cui Xi probably already had food ready, and Tang Mo was even a bit impatient.


    He always ate at the canteen with everyone, the only difference was that Aunt Cui Xi''s hand holding the ladle barely trembled when she served Tang Mo''s food...


    Two men were killed and buried in the damp soil, yet none of the people following Tang Mo seemed to think there was anything amiss.


    Wes was glad that he had pledged his allegiance, now irrevocably tied to Tang Mo... Tagg was thrilled to be able to help, and murder was nothing new to him... Redman followed behind with his shovel, only he felt somewhat nauseous.


    After all, this was his first time killing someone, so his face was pale, but he still stubbornly followed the others.


    He was a hunter from Northern Ridge, but he had earned Tang Mo''s favor. The moment he was chosen by Tang Mo, like many from Northern Ridge, he offered his most precious loyalty to his master.


    Just now, he had proven his loyalty with two bullets and a shovel!


    "Redman!" As he was lost in thought, Tang Mo''s voice came from ahead. He instinctively stopped and realized he almost bumped into Tang Mo.


    "Well done!" Tang Mo patted Redman''s shoulder. An eighteen-year-old youth patting a man in his thirties¡ªit might have seemed a bit awkward, but no one present felt it was out of place.


    As if everything were as it should be, after praising Redman, Tang Mo continued, "The new recruits are doing very well! Don''t relax; I hope you can do even better!"


    "Yes, my lord!" Redman, having received Tang Mo''s praise and affirmation, straightened up like a child commended by a teacher, lifted his chin, and promised, "I will do even better!"


    Unnoticed, the group had returned to the construction site, where Mathews was assembling a brand-new, just-completed device with several apprentices.


    Seeing Tang Mo, Mathews curiously inquired, "How did it go? No hiccups?"


    "Obviously not," Tang Mo replied with a smile, "How about things here?"


    "Everything is smooth," Mathews responded, "But with all the copper wire you got, and this strange device, what exactly are you planning to do?"


    "To light up the world," Tang Mo said with a mysterious smile.

 Chapter 65: 65 Silver Fox Tavern

    There are several taverns in Brunas, but there is only one called the Silver Fox. Ubiquitous here are the brawny and fierce mercenaries and bandits, along with some fishermen and riffraff with tattoos covering their faces.


    "You''re a rare visitor, Wes!" The bartender, wiping a glass in his hand, spoke to the man who had just walked in looking very spirited.


    A somewhat uncomfortable smell lingered in the air, and the light from the gas lamps cast an unhealthy glow over the entire tavern.


    "I''ve been a bit busy lately, after all, you know, I''ve always been teaching people lessons." Wes pulled out a chair and sat at the bar, scattering some copper coins on the table: "A mug of ale!"


    He didn''t hide what he had been doing recently because he knew that the bartender opposite knew a lot of things.


    The bartender poured the ale into a mug and pushed it towards Wes, still smiling and not bothering to greet anyone else, he said with a boastful air, "Of course, we''ve always been quite well-informed over here."


    As he spoke, he stacked a not so shiny, wiped glass on top of another that had already been cleaned and picked up yet another glass to continue wiping: "Recently, Tang Mo''s weapon workshop has been making quite a bit of noise. I''ve heard he bought a large tract of land, and now it stretches all the way to the Vicious Forest..."


    The tavern wasn''t large, nor was it noisy. The thugs with ferocious demeanors sitting around seemed afraid of disturbing other formidable characters, so they kept their voices low.


    Most of those who came here were looking for information, some bandits hoping for merchant caravan news, some pirates wanting fleet news, and some cuckolds working hard hoping for news about their wives.


    "Recruiting people, building houses, and even starting a school..." The bartender''s smile did not fade as he watched Wes take a sip of his ale: "I hear there are nearly 300 kids attending for free now?"


    "He''s really splurged, enough to keep the mayor, the sheriff, and the tax collector all tight-lipped. Must''ve cost him a pretty penny, right?" The bartender leaned in closer, his body resting on the bar, fixing his gaze on Wes as if waiting for an answer.


    "Maybe." Wes set down his mug with an indifferent shrug: "Who knows."


    "Your lips have never been that tight before. Last time, you blabbed all about Baron Stela''s private life without a second thought." The bartender stood straight again and kept his eyes down on the glass in his hand: "What''s the matter? This time, are you truly giving your loyalty to that young man Tang Mo?"


    "Sort of." Wes grabbed his mug and swirled it in front of his eyes, staring through the not-so-clear glass at the pale yellow liquid, looking somewhat preoccupied.


    "Then congratulations to you, finding a master worth serving isn''t easy these days." The bartender stopped wiping the glass he''d been handling, propped his elbow on the bar, and rested his chin on his hand as he looked at Wes: "What did he give you?"


    "Who?" Wes sipped his ale with apparent interest, feigning ignorance.


    Without pausing, the bartender blurted out that name: "Tang Mo."


    "My boss? What he gives isn''t cheap." Wes''s eyes caught a glimpse of the two "Ranger Killers" revolvers hanging from his waist as he played with his mug.


    But at this moment, a mocking smile appeared on the bartender''s face. He watched Wes with amusement, casually bringing up a few terms that made Wes frown: "Hm... I can imagine. I''ve heard... there''s something called a steam engine? And some guns...


    After a long moment, he finally compromised, "I''ll tell my men to keep quiet, to keep your boss''s secrets... However... Now! I''m very interested in the person you''re so devoted to, willing to risk your life for..."


    He stretched out his hand, pressing it onto the Gold Coins, fixing his gaze on Wes, "Can you arrange it? I want to meet him."


    "No problem," Wes nodded, pushing the empty glass towards the bartender, "I will get you the information as soon as possible."


    The bartender nodded as well, seeming to accept Wes'' words, "I''ll instruct my men to keep a tight lip."


    "A good start, isn''t it?" Wes let a smile appear on his face.


    Then he heard the bartender muttering to himself as if talking to no one, "The Shireck Consortium has been purchasing a large amount of metal from the Northern Ridge in the last six months. Their intention is clear¡ªto bleed Count Fisheo dry and make sure their next move is on solid ground."


    As he spoke, he twisted open a beer bottle and poured another glass for Wes. Then he sealed the bottle and slid the glass back across to Wes.


    "I heard that recently some of Shireck''s steel was robbed, and even the assailants haven''t been found. It wasn''t you, was it?" As if Wes wasn''t before him, the bartender finished arranging everything then continued to wipe the glasses, "This has made them very cautious; getting reliable information will take time... and we can''t guarantee we''ll even get it."


    "You could just take the information straight to my boss to negotiate, I don''t mind," Wes said, lifting the glass and lowering his voice.


    The bartender didn''t look at him but replied without the slightest hesitation, "Alright, I''ll try to find the relevant information. One should always bring a gift for introductions, shouldn''t they?"


    "Thanks," Wes took a sip of his drink, giving the bartender a glance.


    "Humph! Don''t thank me! I haven''t said anything!" The bartender huffed, correcting Wes.


    "Perhaps, but I hope you will have a pleasant chat with my boss," Wes shrugged nonchalantly with a solemn assurance to the bartender.


    "Fine then, I still insist I know nothing and said nothing," the bartender, unconcerned with anything else, pushed the ten Gold Coins back to Wes, "Take your filthy money and get out of here."


    "To you!" Wes drained the remaining drink, raised his empty glass in a toast to the bartender, then slammed it down on the wooden bar with a bang, "Wait for my message!"


    "No need to see you out!" The bartender took the empty glass, continuing to scrub persistently with his cloth.


    Wes walked towards the door, hand resting on the gun at his waist like a Western cowboy, eyeing the burly men who''d just tried to encircle him. A single glance sent a chill down the tough guys'' spines.


    "What are you looking at! You only have two guns! We are seven men!" A bald man glared at Wes fiercely, unwilling to be outdone in show of force.


    "Pfft... Hahaha." Wes couldn''t hold back his laughter, then like looking at a fool, he eyed the bald man while swaggering out the door.

 Chapter 66: 66 hurts feelings

    "He said that?" Tang Mo''s face wore a playful smile as he put down his pen and looked up at Wes, "The owner of the place you often buy intelligence from wants to cooperate with me?"


    "It seems so, and he also agreed to help find the intel we want from Shireck," Wes shrugged, "He hopes to talk to you."


    "No problem, I have all the time in the world!" Tang Mo felt that Lady Luck was truly perched on his shoulder lately, bringing him pillows just as he fell asleep.


    The attendant of that Beiji, had inadvertently presented himself at his doorstep, and now that he was thinking of setting up an intelligence agency, another agency conveniently showed up...


    He even felt that this might be the legendary protagonist halo; capable underlings around him seemed to have a tendency to bow their heads in allegiance.


    At that moment, Tang Mo was even a little impatient because for him, still so fragile, every increment of strength heralded a transformation.


    Reflecting on this, he tapped his fingertips twice on the blueprints in front of him and spoke to Wes, "Although letting them dangle a bit longer, whetting their appetite, seems more in our interest... the current situation is, we don''t have the luxury to waste time on such pointless psychological games."


    After saying this, he issued a direct command and instructed Wes, "Go again, tell the manager of the Silver Fox Tavern that I''ll treat him to dinner tonight."


    "That''s a good idea. Do we have anything tasty for tonight?" Wes perked up, agreeing while asking.


    "Perhaps... you could bring back a fish when you return?" Tang Mo knew there wasn''t much spare cash in his hands; in fact, he never really had any to speak of.


    Wes''s expression suddenly deflated, and he shrugged his shoulders, saying helplessly, "I really wish you''d treat yourself better."


    "Don''t worry, once I have money, you''ll see what it means to throw gold around," Tang Mo laughed and then bent down to continue drawing on the blueprint.


    Wes couldn''t make head or tail of the blueprint Tang Mo was drawing, because it was a complex part in a three-view drawing.


    If someone familiar with these parts saw it, they would realize that Tang Mo was drawing the components of a machine tool.


    Tang Mo had always been trying by all means to enhance his industrial production capacity, and these precision machine tools, which had undergone countless improvements and had been developed over a hundred years, were a crucial support for his industrial revolution.


    "I hope so." Wes nodded and then turned to leave Tang Mo''s room. Just before the door closed, Dwarf Mathews walked in with an odd expression on his face.


    He shut the door behind him, then walked over to Tang Mo and said, "Indeed, that thing started spinning, and I can''t wrap my head around it, so I came here to discuss it with you."


    "There''s nothing surprising about that; it''s just an application of electricity," Tang Mo replied nonchalantly, as he had grown accustomed to electricity before crossing over to this world.


    "Electricity... to me, it''s an unfamiliar word," Dwarf Mathews uttered in his resonant voice, "but... it truly is something grand."


    That unfortunate protagonist was jokingly referred to as a "human-shaped self-propelled drafting machine," who also dedicated himself to the innovation of technology every day, creating many advanced blueprints, heralding many technological breakthroughs.


    Compared to that fellow, Tang Mo''s situation was clearly worse. He wasn''t a lord, had no military or territory of his own, and didn''t even have enough funds for development.


    How he wished for some madman to discover this potential stock and invest a hefty sum of billions all at once, allowing him to immediately complete the accumulation of initial capital.


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t that lucky and could only expand his factory bit by bit, train new recruits in stages, and start teaching little by little...


    "Alright! May I ask, those strange substances wrapped in copper wire, are they a new material you invented?" Mathews bowed and then headed for the door; after opening it, he looked back and asked.


    Without lifting his head, Tang Mo replied, "That''s rubber. We had some stocked up in the warehouse before. A part of it was used for the steam engine''s gas valves, and the rest were made into electrical wire insulation."


    With his question answered, Mathews''s mood clearly brightened. Although he still didn''t understand the series of questions about electricity, at least he could be sure of one thing¡ªTang Mo would definitely tell him all about it in time.


    What he didn''t know was that, in the room, Tang Mo, whose thoughts had been prompted by him, sat with a face full of worry.


    As soon as Tang Mo mentioned rubber, he suddenly felt immense pressure for raw materials: Brunas, where he resided, did not produce rubber.


    This precious rubber material had to be shipped over the sea, available in limited quantities and not cheaply priced.


    Tang Mo, aiming to develop industry, was extremely sensitive to these crucial industrial materials. He immediately realized that Brunas, the place he started from, was actually not suitable for large-scale industrial production.


    While it had coal and iron, it lacked other things: rubber from the south and the so-called industrial blood, oil!


    Without these two materials, Tang Mo''s industrial expansion couldn''t be completed, or rather, he couldn''t truly establish a self-sufficient industrial base in Brunas in the short term.


    Games were more convenient, Tang Mo lamented in his mind. If this were a game, just deploying a base vehicle would solve all problems!


    Tang Mo rubbed his temples and started pondering how to potentially (co)operate (laborate) with the representative from the Silver Fox Tavern he would meet later.


    Even a mosquito''s leg is meat; any force that can be united or incorporated is too precious for him right now.


    To face the upcoming waves, he felt he should enjoy this dinner thoroughly. If the Silver Fox Tavern proved useful, then he would recruit them.


    As for the cost... isn''t talking money too upsetting? Right?


    ```

 Chapter 67: 67 criminal civilians

    When Tang Mo encountered the head of the Silver Fox Tavern, even he was startled by the other''s appearance.


    If Tang Mo''s arrival in this world was an accident, then seeing the "Silver Fox" in front of him was an even greater surprise.


    The other was an old man with a head of white hair, a beard, long facial hair, and a face covered with wrinkles.


    He was hunched over, leaning on a cane that looked quite ordinary, followed by a burly man, whom Wes had told Tang Mo was known as the bartender.


    Due to his frailty and hunched back, the old man seemed to be about the same height as Mathews; however, the two old men had a completely different presence.


    Dwarf Mathews was strong. Though short, his build was broadly solid. But the old man before him just seemed to exude a sense of pure and straightforward frailty¡ªthe kind you''d associate with someone in their twilight years.


    An old man isn''t anything unusual, but what was special about this old man was that he was somebody just like Tang Mo, with a pair of black eyes¡ªthe same kind of person as he was.


    He saw the surprise in Tang Mo''s eyes and with a smile said, "Really, I didn''t expect that Tang Qi''s child would grow up so much in the blink of an eye."


    The man next to him, who acted like a bodyguard, helped him walk over to Tang Mo. The old man sized up Tang Mo from head to toe.


    "What''s the matter? Curious? Curious how a sinner ends up here, becoming the head of the Silver Fox Tavern?" The old man brought up the topic Tang Mo was interested in but offered no explanation.


    The old man simply gestured with his hand toward the factory buildings behind Tang Mo and asked, "Won''t you invite me inside to sit down?"


    Tang Mo was seeing another "Chinese person" for the first time in this world, so it took him a moment to adjust his emotions.


    He smiled, made a welcoming gesture, and chuckled as he replied, "Of course, please come in! I have yet to ask for the gentleman''s name."


    "Hahaha! This old man is named Li''ao," the white-haired, bearded old man laughed as he said, "I''m also a sinner, nothing much to speak of, just running a tavern in Brunas."


    Tang Mo actually knew that the ocean next to Brunas was named the Endless Sea, and naturally, there were many countries on the other side of this sea.


    And sinners were those exiled by an ancient kingdom on the other side of the Endless Sea.


    These sinners, having committed crimes in that kingdom, were thus exiled and became homeless wanderers.


    Most sinners were directly cast away on an island, left to fend for themselves, which is why many would try everything to escape the islands, fleeing to other countries to scrape by.


    The mortality rate of sinners was extremely high, with over ninety percent dying from hunger and cold. Only a few survived the escape and ended up in other places, such as the Leite Kingdom.


    In this world, it was only the sinners who had names in a pattern familiar to Tang Mo, and such names weren''t particularly strange even in a country like Leite Kingdom.


    After all, there were dwarves here, as well as the occasional elf or orc passing through; names, surnames, even appearances, no matter how odd, didn''t attract too much attention.


    Tang Mo declared with apparent magnanimity, as though he had abundant funds: "I''ve said it before, it''s a good proposal, and as long as the compensation is suitable, I have no issue with it."


    "So, how much do you plan to offer?" Li''ao asked eagerly upon hearing Tang Mo speak like this.


    Upon the question from Li''ao, Tang Mo began his performance: "In fact, remuneration can be divided into many aspects, can''t it? It might be beneficial for both you and me if we avoid using Gold Coins."


    "We lack for nothing..." Li''ao furrowed his brow, unsure what Tang Mo planned to pay with.


    "Don''t be so sure; the things I can provide might enable you to work much more efficiently in many situations," Tang Mo boasted.


    In fact, he did have many things that organizations concerned with intelligence gathering would adore: the telegraph machine was one of them!


    Tang Mo was currently working on his own power generation system, and once operational, it would light up many paths on the technology tree.


    One aspect was technologies like electroplating, and the other was the corresponding application of radio waves. Given that the blueprints and technology were all complete with Tang Mo, he would soon be able to produce wireless radio equipment.


    With such a device, the speed of information transmission would increase exponentially. When information became timely, it also became more valuable.


    Unfortunately, Tang Mo''s telegraph was still in the database of the supercomputer in his mind; he hadn''t even managed to produce a light bulb yet, let alone a wireless telegraph.


    Therefore, Tang Mo had no way to use the telegraph to bamboozle Li''ao in front of him; he had to think of something else.


    In the blink of an eye, Tang Mo had already brainstormed a whole mess of things, like telegraph tampers, C4 explosives, and more, but he couldn''t produce any of them at present.


    He surely couldn''t act like an insurance salesman, brandishing a few PPT charts and start boldly envisioning the future, could he?


    Across the table, the old man Li''ao wasn''t much interested in Tang Mo''s ideas but politely voiced his curiosity: "Oh?"


    "You see, we are producing new weapons, better than the ones provided by Shireck Consortium," Tang Mo was ready to bring out the Revolver, his "flagship product" currently in hand.


    However, Li''ao seemed uninterested: "Although we sometimes need weapons, most of the time, we''re just gathering intelligence and don''t require so many weapons..."


    "What about food?" Tang Mo asked again.


    "What do we need food for? To distribute as rations to our informants?" Li''ao frowned.


    "I also have salt, backpacks made of leather... even pots and pans, kitchen knives... shovels and bayonets..." Tang Mo rattled off a list of his Consortium''s products in one breath.


    Li''ao''s expression turned incredibly vivid: "Are you joking? What use do you think I have for this jumble of items? To hand them out as benefits to my subordinates?"


    Tang Mo feigned shock in response, "What''s wrong with that? Isn''t improving employee benefits something you should consider?"

 Chapter 68: Happy cooperation 68

    "I hope you''ll stop talking nonsense, do you not intend to contribute a single penny to our cooperation?" Li''ao looked at Tang Mo, seemingly trying to discern something from Tang Mo''s face.


    But Tang Mo''s face showed nothing but calmness; no hints could be discerned. It seemed that he indeed did not plan to pay a penny for the intelligence network of the Silver Fox Tavern.


    This feeling made Li''ao very uncomfortable. In reality, the assets of the Silver Fox Tavern were his pride and joy, the sum of all his hard work, and he was reluctant to let anyone belittle his creation.


    It was as if you had spent months painting a picture, and in the end, someone offered to trade it for two buns and a bottle of cola...


    Thus, Li''ao even felt that Tang Mo was humiliating him, which irritated him as a patron of many unemployed wanderers in Brunas.


    Tang Mo also felt that if he continued to tease the old man in front of him, he might ruin the deal that lay before him.


    He did not want to give up this ready-made intelligence network; the second he saw Li''ao, the old man, he felt that the network should be under his, Tang Mo''s, control ¨C to become his eyes and the power in his darkness.


    For some reason, he just had this feeling, so he changed his tone and said to Li''ao, "Actually, I think it''s more appropriate for us to establish cooperation first, before we discuss such vulgar things as gold coins."


    Li''ao got somewhat angry and shook his head at Tang Mo, saying irritably, "If that''s the case, I don''t think there''s any need for us to continue this conversation."


    "Before you go, may I ask, what exactly brought you here this time?" Tang Mo was not annoyed but simply looked at Li''ao and asked curiously.


    He knew that if it were merely a matter of cooperation, the other party would definitely not have come forward. Even the big bartender wouldn''t have had to personally visit Tang Mo''s weapon workshop.


    Therefore, Tang Mo knew there had to be a motive, something he could use as leverage to facilitate their cooperation.


    Li''ao stared at Tang Mo and scoffed coldly, "I don''t think it makes sense to have a heart-to-heart with a madman."


    "At least you don''t have to worry about a madman''s nonsense leaking your secrets, right?" Tang Mo pointed at himself, saying with self-mockery.


    He also knew that his behavior of not offering money was actually quite insincere. The fact that the other party was still sitting here, listening to so much of his nonsense, was already quite restrained.


    So, adopting a tough attitude, he self-deprecated and then continued to Li''ao, "Let''s hear it. Perhaps, I can manage whatever it is you need?"


    "Well, I don''t know why, but I might be crazy too. I actually think you might help me realize a desire buried deep in my heart." After contemplating for a while, Li''ao finally sighed and spoke to Tang Mo, the pauper.


    In fact, he had guessed Tang Mo''s current situation: on the one hand, Tang Mo indeed needed an intelligence network very much; on the other, he genuinely didn''t seem to have much money.


    He could tell from Tang Mo''s eagerness, which he tried to mask with jokes but couldn''t hide, that Tang Mo desperately needed the power of the Silver Fox Tavern to support him.


    He could also judge from the endless construction sites outside Tang Mo''s office that Tang Mo''s expansion pace was definitely not saving up much money.


    As for the six-month time frame, Tang Mo thought that if Northern Ridge won the war, he stood to receive a large sum of war dividends.


    Once Earl Fisello was victorious in the war, he would get a substantial amount of money, along with swathes of land and vast resources...


    With these assets, he could embark on unbridled expansion and forge himself into a group in the truest sense.


    At that time, he would possess various forms of wealth, including mines, roads, fields, and factories, and then have these assets generate even more wealth for him.


    "Do you really need only three months to get the money?" Li''ao asked incredulously.


    Tang Mo nodded and said, "In fact, I was being conservative. If we go by the fastest estimate, I could probably have the money in two months to start our cooperation."


    "Plus, I have many technologies related to intelligence transmission that I can share," Tang Mo, still not forgetting his telegraph system, proposed, "Once my experiments here are successful, I can also use the technology to increase my investment in the Silver Fox Tavern in a shareholding manner."


    "Well then, I will spend the next two months thoroughly investigating Shireck''s steel transportation. Rest assured...I''ll give you a conclusive report," Li''ao thought about it and promised Tang Mo.


    He had been considering cooperation all along. Since Tang Mo only needed two months, he was willing to wait patiently.


    "I can provide you with two revolvers! With these for self-defense, your people might be safer in certain operations," Tang Mo naturally wouldn''t decline nor waste his Gold Coin, so he took out the revolver as a product to sway the Silver Fox Tavern''s people.


    "We have many of Shireck''s matchlock guns." Old Li''ao said confidently.


    "Believe me, Shireck''s weapons are all garbage!" Tang Mo laughed heartily, "Wes! Bring your weapon, go to the shooting range, and show Mr. Li''ao just how fearsome our revolvers really are!"


    "No problem!" Wes, upon hearing the command, appeared at the door, opened it, and made a welcoming gesture.


    "So, shall we say the cooperation is going well?" Tang Mo began to relish his meal, not wanting to waste Aunt Cui Xi''s elaborate dinner preparation.


    "The cooperation is going well!" Li''ao nodded his head, not staying for the meal, and stood up, letting the bartender support him as they left Tang Mo''s factory.


    Exiting Tang Mo''s office, the bartender who saw Wes waiting there saw him make another inviting gesture, leading the two to the new shooting range.


    By the time the bartender, who was assisting Li''ao, and the old man himself left Tang Mo''s factory, their expressions were grave.


    Because the bartender was carrying a wooden box, and inside the box were two mass-produced revolvers made by Tang Mo.


    Without fancy engravings or any other unnecessary decorations, the two unremarkable revolvers lay quietly in the box, accompanied by dozens of percussion caps and bullets.


    Having seen these weapons fire continuously, both Li''ao and the bartender seemed to gain a new understanding of Tang Mo.

 Chapter 69: The most pleasant sound is 69

    Northern Ridge, the largest iron mine controlled by Earl Ronin Fisallo, was also the largest iron mine on Northern Ridge.


    After years of development, the area was riddled with wounds, and mining entrances everywhere could be seen, some abandoned and others still in use.


    Everywhere, workers rested, these mine workers'' jobs were dangerous and very busy every day.


    They entered the dim mines, then mined the iron ore, placed the ore into their bamboo baskets and large baskets, and carried it out of the mines with effort.


    Then they carried the ore to a fixed collection point, received the corresponding voucher, and after accumulating enough vouchers, they could exchange them for their daily wages.


    Such a system ensured the miners'' efficiency and, to some extent, ensured the reasonable allocation of time to maintain the high efficiency of the mine.


    A miner sitting by the road complained while wiping his sweaty neck with a towel covered in grime, "Lately, work really seems more and more hopeless. Although Lord Earl pays well, the work in the mine is definitely getting more exhausting."


    Now they were required to work 12 hours a day, which could be said to be a very harsh work duration.


    However, these workers did nothing but complain, for if they went to work in the mines of other nobility, it was not surprising to work 14 hours a day.


    Another miner also complained, gasping for air, clearly having just carried a basket of ore out, "Right? Just yesterday we were made to work an extra hour... when I got home, I just collapsed to the ground."


    An old man sitting nearby with graying hair snorted, leaving his clothes open in the already cold weather, showing off his muscles inside, "You think you had it bad? My son and the others worked till midnight yesterday! Descending the mine with carbide lamps! Nearly worked to death."


    Many of the people here were third-generation miners, their grandfathers were miners, their fathers were too, and naturally, their sons as well.


    They did the same work, and generation after generation rarely left this land, watching with their own eyes as the mountains were dug into a honeycomb, losing their shape.


    While speaking, the old man sighed, "There''s nothing we can do. Lord Earl needs a lot of steel, so we can only do some extra work to help him out."


    What he said resonated with many miners. They knew how the Earl looked after them, which is why at times like this, they helped the Earl increase the steel production.


    Even if unwilling, even if exhausted and covered in grime, they still responded with their simplest actions to the ruler''s slight, inadvertent kindness.


    This is the simple people, these are the kind people, this is the power that resides within the common folk¡ªjust a glimpse of it is enough to change dynasties!


    "Ah, this damn life, when will it end?" someone voiced what was on everyone''s mind amidst the crowd.


    Thus, more sighs resounded, unwittingly merging into a chorus.


    "Have you heard? Another mine collapsed yesterday. It took over an hour to dig out a passage and rescue people, with 7 injured. Scared everyone half to death," a new topic began at someone''s inquire.


    In short, Mine No. 3 had been wrapped in mystery since this morning. Now, with a day having passed and cheers coming from there, it wasn''t so surprising after all.


    "Anyway, it''s all a big confusing mess, and later they started burning coal, still no idea what it''s all about." The partially informed worker gesticulated, then feeling baffled by his own words, shook his head, pursed his lips, and fell silent.


    The old miner frowned, looking towards the direction of the cheering, and muttered, "But, what''s the cause of those cheers?"


    "Who, who knows? Maybe, maybe there was a mine collapse, and there''s no more work to do?" A young miner felt he was onto something brilliant.


    "Are you stupid? Cheer for no more work? What will you eat if there''s no job? Idiot!" The foreman by his side looked at the fool with disdain.


    The old miner also thought the ''brilliant'' young one beside him was beyond help: "We just don''t want to work an extra 3 hours a day, not that we don''t want to work at all! You dimwit!"


    "What am I to say about you? Pig-brained... No, no, no, pigs are much smarter than you, hahaha!" The well-informed miner also took a look at his colleague and let out a sly laugh.


    Meanwhile, in front of Mine No. 3, a not-so-huge machine was spinning rapidly.


    Its flywheel was rotating at a dizzying speed, making spectators extremely nervous. Under the swift operation of this machine, a series of gears transferred motion, causing the metallic chains nearby to begin turning bit by bit.


    Before the watchful eyes of the crowd, one mining cart after another was sent into the mine, and not long after, emerged on the other side filled with heaps of ore.


    On the connected iron rails, these carts were efficiently unloading ores, requiring only a few workers to continuously empty the contents onto the adjacent ground.


    It was like a tireless bull capable of replacing humans, tirelessly hauling ore out of the mine.


    From now on, the miners of Mine No. 3 wouldn''t need to frequently travel between the surface and the depths; they just had to keep mining within the mine.


    With this machine, the miners no longer had to work overtime to achieve their previous outputs. If they were willing to do extra work, they could even triple their production speed.


    Just install such machinery at every mine, and the Earl''s mining fields would extract ores at several times the pace of other fields!


    Alice stood by the side, her beautiful eyes shimmering with excitement. When she saw the equipment finally assembled and starting to operate, a new thought crossed her mind, a desire to visit Brunas.


    She was genuinely curious about the kind of person who could design such a sophisticated device.


    As she watched the machine tirelessly spinning before her, it seemed nothing short of a colossal money printer, ceaselessly working.


    That feeling was simply too marvelous¡ªat that moment, she envisioned countless scenes: looms shuttling back and forth under the drive of the steam engine, millstones rotating ceaselessly, hammers repeatedly striking the anvil... And the sounds of friction, pounding, and clanking mingled together in her ears, transforming into the sound of coins clashing...


    For her, that was truly the most delightful sound in the world.

 Chapter 70: 70 times better than poetry

    The steam engine was working, its rotating flywheel driving a series of gears, which pulled the ore carts, chained together, one after another, out of the mine shaft.


    The miners waiting nearby, under the guidance of workers from Tang Mo''s Great Tang Group, easily flipped the lever above, disengaging the rotation of the steam engine from the entire mechanism, and thus the carts came to a stop.


    On the other side, workers by the tracks stepped forward, tipping the ore carts filled with ores to one side, dumping the contents out.


    The remaining miners hurriedly shoveled the ores to a farther location, the whole process flowing smoothly, with unimaginable speed.


    This was but the first revolution of the mine, and with more mining equipment to come, the speed at which humans mined ore would soon increase tenfold or a hundredfold, fast to a terrifying extent.


    Look at those huge pits in Siberia, like meteorite craters, where humans before their own massive excavations stand as insignificant as dust.


    "Miss! We''ve done a test. As long as this machine keeps running, our mining speed will be three times faster than before!" reported a foreman to Alice, who stood silent with a pocket watch in hand.


    "Very good! At least our money wasn''t wasted, was it?" Alice said with a smile, without turning her head.


    She was admiring a piece of art, an art she had dreamed of owning. This machine, with just a few people shoveling coal and lighting fires, could do the work of giants.


    Here, she had watched for over ten minutes and the machine showed no signs of stopping, rotating incessantly, emitting steam intermittently as if it were alive.


    This was Northern Ridge''s greatest reliance, the future of Northern Ridge! With such machinery, her father would own more industries, more money, and more power to revitalize the Ronin Family!


    Standing here, she suddenly remembered that Tang Mo had even sent her the steam engine blueprints.


    Those precious blueprints, dazzling more than jewels, were lying on her dressing table at this moment, each inscribed with neat handwriting.


    A man she had never met presented the world''s most luminous pearl¡ªit felt too good. This feeling made her restless, her cheeks as flushed as a ripe apple.


    Compared to that young man in Brunas, those noblemen who had once pursued her were nothing but trash.


    They had only their fathers'' shadows, only cliche?s, only wealth and status that didn''t truly belong to them...


    The poetry purchased with money, praising her beauty, was just a pile of useless text before those blueprints.


    When she saw the note on the stack of blueprints from Tang Mo that read "To the beautiful Miss Alice," she found those words so beautiful that she couldn''t help but touch them.


    "Hiss..." The steam engine''s safety valve released excess steam once more, blowing against the scarf around Alice''s neck, brushing against her slender neck, ticklish and extremely comfortable.


    "Order five more steam engines from Tang Mo! And by the way, have our workers take a good look at these things," Alice ordered, setting aside her girlish fancies. She brushed her temple hair with her hand, tucking the slightly disheveled strands behind her ear.


    An entire row of soldiers fired almost in unison, and a cloud of white smoke instantly filled the space in front of their formation. Behind that white smoke screen, soldiers set down their rifles at almost the same moment, bending their heads to quickly clean their barrels.


    Seconds later, they skillfully extracted a new cartridge¡ªa paper-wrapped Minie? ball¡ªfrom the ammo pouches at their sides.


    Because it fit the rifling better, Tang Mo''s breechloading rifles were more accurate than flintlocks, with rifling utilization fundamentally increasing the effective range of firearms for the first time.


    Soon after a volley of gunfire and before the smoke had even cleared, these soldiers of the Northern Ridge, having fired their first shot, raised their rifles again.


    Their confidence was nearly boundless, for they knew they had been equipped with the most powerful rifles of the era; they were now much stronger than their enemies!


    They had no reason to lack confidence, as their enemies'' rifles had a firing rate only a third of the Quick Gun''s!


    No one could withstand the barrage of a Quick Gun like a torrential storm! Furthermore, Lord Earl had formed a "Revolver Team"!


    Elite cavalry armed with Northern Ridge revolvers could slice into the enemy''s weakest point at the critical moment, shattering their formation in an instant.


    Ronin Fisallo, who had fought battles all his life, knew that even the troops trained under him could not withstand the crushing firepower of six simultaneous volleys.


    Once this cavalry force entered the battlefield, the enemy commanders would only have a multiple-choice question before them: to commit suicide or surrender, or rally their fleeing troops and then commit suicide or surrender...


    "Second row, step forward!" Not far away, the officer called out the order, and the wolf flag snapped in the fierce wind.


    Fisheo, however, was thinking about his daughter. He had heard that Tang Mo had given all the steam engine blueprints to his daughter, and upon hearing this, he felt a sense of indignity as if he had been robbed.


    How did that rascal come by such dumb luck to engage his daughter''s greatest interest? And that scoundrel had the audacity to offer up his most prized invention...


    To think of it was maddening! His most cherished, most precious... untouched by any for over a decade... was now suddenly in jeopardy. Who could remain calm about that?


    "Dream on!" he railed internally, then heaved a powerless sigh¡ªknowing that if that Tang Mo continued to rush down the path of money-making, his own daughter might actually fall for him.


    After all, who doesn''t know the value of their own cabbages...


    In the distance, a knight sped on his horse until he slowed as he approached. The rider on horseback nodded in respect, delivering the report, "Lord! The weapons sent from King City have arrived! 1,000 Shireck Flintlock Guns! They''ve sent 100 extra... but..."


    "But what?" Earl Fisello raised an eyebrow, momentarily setting aside thoughts of his daughter.


    "But the 30 cannons they promised to give us, they said we''d have to wait two more months..." The messenger knight reined his horse, turning it in a circle, and spoke with some annoyance.


    "No matter! The great battle approaches, and we hope they will deliver the cannons on time!" Fisheo looked over at the troops of the 1st Battalion and said with full confidence.

 Chapter 71: 71 visits

    "Are you sure I look like a noble in this outfit?" Tang Mo looked down at the clothes he was wearing, standing in front of Roger.


    The suit was custom-made in the most respectable tailor shop in Brunas town. The owner''s child was Tang Mo''s student, so he received a rather generous discount.


    Putting on the vest, Tang Mo even felt his breathing become a bit heavier. Clothing of this era was far from simple, with sleeves adorned with intricate patterns.


    "Now that you''re Lord Earl''s Guardian Knight, you naturally need to dress more presentably," Roger said, picking up Tang Mo''s coat and looking at the impeccably ironed grey suit on him with slight dissatisfaction, "But why did you choose grey? This fabric really does look rather dowdy."


    "It hides the dirt," Tang Mo didn''t wish to explain to old Roger why he had chosen such an inconspicuous grey over bright yellow, azure, or bold red.


    In the world he was familiar with, those who opted for suits in red, blue, yellow, or green were either cheap performers playing to the gallery or foolish show-offs shot dead by random gunfire in the afternoon.


    So, he made up a reason that left old Roger both laughing and crying before putting on his coat, slipping a specially made triangular gun holster under his arm.


    He inserted the Colt Left-Wheel Handgun that neither Wes nor Tagg had seen yet into the holster and adjusted it to a comfortable position before stretching out his arms, allowing Roger to help him put on the coat.


    "How does it look? You can''t tell there''s a gun under there from the outside, right?" Tang Mo spread his arms and showed Roger with a smile.


    Old Roger shook his head and said confidently, "Believe me, kid! In this world, there isn''t a handgun that can be hidden under the armpit yet."


    "Now there is," Tang Mo lowered his arms and, feeling it was rather comfortable, smiled contentedly, "Take good care of the place for me and tell Auntie Cui Xi that I want chicken for dinner tonight."


    "No problem! Hope everything goes smoothly for you." Roger patted Tang Mo''s arm, his pride in the dashing young man before him evident in his beaming smile that he couldn''t hide.


    At the door, Wes leaned against the wall, his waist still adorned with the two revolvers he almost never parted with. He was very satisfied with his current life, seeing Tang Mo''s business grow ever larger.


    Luff, who had just returned from the Vicious Forest the day before yesterday, and a young warrior with a face chiseled like carved stone, were already waiting not far away.


    Each of them carried a wooden box in their hands, polished to a beautiful finish.


    Inside Luff''s box were two revolvers, while the box in the hands of the young man contained a Tang K1 Needle Gun.


    Almost identical to Wes, both men wore two revolvers on their waists covered by long coats, making their attire look a bit comical.


    The four of them headed towards the factory gate where two carriages awaited. Four mighty destriers snorted loudly, their hooves restlessly making a dull thumping noise.


    Tang Mo stopped in front of the carriage upon seeing a lone figure standing uncomfortably at the door, hesitating and seemingly embarrassed to approach.


    Along the journey, they had sold about eighty percent of their goods, with the remainder to be unloaded here, then exchanged for Gold Coins or other commodities.


    Truthfully, Elven merchant ships did not need to do business in Brunas, but they required supplies, fresh fruits, and vegetables to prevent death due to vitamin deficiency on the vast sea.


    So, since they had to stop here, it made the most economical sense to trade some goods while they were at it.


    On this trip, they had brought a total of fifteen merchant ships, all armed with cannons, making them a daunting target for pirates in normal circumstances.


    Moreover, these were ships of the Elf Race; if any trouble arose within the waters of the Leite Kingdom, it could even alarm the King. The Elves, nearly ruling the seas, were a mighty force that no one wished to offend.


    Now, the cargo aboard these fifteen merchant ships had dwindled to a mere fraction, while a mishmash of other purchased items completely filled two of the ships.


    Most of the merchandise had been converted into Gold Coins, which, piled up in the hold, exuded an enviable and jealous charm.


    "Their wine is too inferior, sour and harsh, not delicious at all," the fleet leader standing by the window turned around and remarked to his partner, "That''s why I''m not too fond of this place."


    "Make do for now! If you don''t drink the ale, then you won''t have any booze at all," the Elf sitting at the table shifted his gaze from the journal, his pointed ears twitching, "The relations between Leite Kingdom and Suthers Kingdom are increasingly tense, which is good news for us."


    "How so?" the fleet leader inquired curiously.


    "From a national strength perspective, Leite Kingdom is unlikely to defeat Suthers Kingdom... Therefore, having lost Northern Ridge, Leite Kingdom seems to rely even more on maritime transport," John, the Elf called Lord, closed his travel journal and explained with a smile.


    "Our business will be easier, isn''t that good news?" He placed the book on the table and stretched his neck.


    "What if Leite Kingdom wins?" The leader asked again, out of curiosity.


    "What loss would that be to us?" John shrugged, unconcerned, "If Leite Kingdom wins, doesn''t everything just stay the same, no changes? That''s not bad news for us either."


    "I finally understand why you always make a profit in business," the fleet leader laughed heartily, emptying the cup of inferior ale in his hand.


    "Sir! There''s someone at the harbor dock hoping to have a word with you," an Elf Sailor pushed open the door and reported after nodding in respect.


    "The tax officer? The sheriff? Or that greedy mayor? Didn''t I already give him a share? What? Does he want more?" Frowning, John fired off a rapid series of questions.


    "No, not that, sir..." the Sailor replied with a slight embarrassment, for he had just accepted a bribe from the other party, "It''s a person named Tang Mo, he... he claims to be an arms dealer..."


    "Oh?" John stroked the travel journal in his hand, raising an eyebrow and letting out a meaningful, elongated sound.

 Chapter 72: 72 good

    Tang Mo walked across the slender gangway and onto the deck of this massive armed merchant sailing ship, where a group of well-dressed elves had already set up a dining table and laid out many fine foods.


    In the sea breeze, the pristine tablecloth gently rippled. Under the yellowing, huge sails rolled up in sections resembling lotus roots, a handsome and charming elf was smiling, holding a wine glass, watching him.


    In this world, who isn''t obsessed with good looks? When John saw Tang Mo''s handsome, youthful face, his mood improved by a good two points¡ªabout the score of filling in the blanks on a quiz.


    "Hello! My name is Tang Mo, and I am the owner of an enterprise on the outskirts of Brunas City." Although the two weapon-bearing attendants weren''t allowed on board the ship, Wes had been permitted to follow.


    After all, everyone still cares about appearances these days, and having a guard with you wasn''t something that made people particularly apprehensive.


    Upon meeting, Tang Mo used a fresh term that puzzled John, and the Elf captain standing beside John also repeated with displeasure, "Enterprise?"


    "Yes, enterprise. Or, you could think of it as a super large workshop," Tang Mo said, very relaxed, as negotiating was one of the situations he was most familiar with.


    In such moments, he felt like a deity who had expanded his domain, where he was everything, an invincible being.


    At this time, he was not speaking nonsense but showing off his strength, subconsciously enhancing the opponent''s recognization of Tang Mo''s enterprise.


    Unconsciously, the other party would cleverly dismiss some of Tang Mo''s descriptions, while simultaneously accepting other parts he characterized.


    "Hahaha! A workshop? Forgive my frankness, but something even larger than a workshop is still just a workshop after all," the captain standing beside John replied disdainfully right then.


    Tang Mo did not argue because he had achieved his goal. As long as the other party did not question his workshop''s production capability, that paved the way for later negotiations.


    Therefore, Tang Mo immediately took the chance to concede, admitting, "Alright, if you prefer, you can consider me the owner of the Great Tang workshop."


    "Well then, do tell, what valuable thing have you brought here to sell to me?" John did not want to be led by the nose by Tang Mo and asked directly.


    "Uh... actually, it''s a type of rifle. A new model rifle, better than the Shireck Flintlock Gun." Tang Mo didn''t play coy and revealed his intentions straightforwardly.


    "What did you say?" Hearing Tang Mo''s words, the Elf captain standing there leaned forward in disbelief and exclaimed.


    "Are you joking?" John glanced at his captain, motioning for him to regain his composure, before turning back to Tang Mo to ask.


    "I''m not joking! Sir, I''m not joking! I truly have a new model rifle design, and I have a physical model on display," Tang Mo sincerely replied to John''s question.


    "..." John fell silent because he already believed what Tang Mo had said. Because they were meeting face-to-face, and Tang Mo mentioned he had a physical model on display. Whether it was true or not, they would know as soon as they tried.


    Next, he handed the rifle to the elf standing by his side, signaling that he could use the weapon to conduct a firing test.


    The leading captain took the rifle from Tang Mo''s hands. Of course, he had used rifles before, so he easily understood the operating principle of this device.


    Although he was not quite clear on the loading process, he knew where the trigger was, where the sights were, and which part was the muzzle.


    So, after taking the weapon, he raised the K1 Quick Gun and aimed at a seagull soaring over the distant sea, then squeezed the trigger in his hand.


    "Bang!" A sudden gunshot echoed over the sea, and the seagull plummeted, crashing into the water and creating a small splash.


    Tang Mo looked at several stunned elves, then stretched out his hand, making a gesture seeking something. The leading elven captain subconsciously returned the weapon in his hands to Tang Mo.


    Taking back his needle gun, Tang Mo pulled open the bolt and quickly cleared away the remnants of the paper-cased ammunition that had been fired.


    Then, he naturally took a new bullet from the ammunition box, reloaded, and closed the bolt again.


    "You see, there''s no need for complicated loading, nor is there an exposed snaphance mechanism, making the firearm safer and more convenient to use..." Tang Mo, like a sales representative, was pitching his weapon in front of a group of elves.


    He handed the reloaded rifle sideways to the leading elf John, "How about it? Would you like to try this brand-new weapon?"


    John instinctively stretched out his hand, taking the K1 flintlock gun from Tang Mo, and, in shock, made a ready-to-shoot gesture.


    His status in his own country was not low, for being able to lead such a sizable fleet meant he had true capability.


    Having seen much and knowing wide, he had no idea until now that there really were more advanced weapons in the world, weapons so advanced they made him shudder.


    Although elves are powerful, in places much farther away, the elf race is also in conflict with orcs. Both sides are probing, each wary of the other''s formidable military.


    Clearly, what lay before John might be a heaven-defying treasure that could alter the balance of power in war, possibly even more important than a mountain of gold.


    In theory, this was not something he could, or should, be dealing with, but as it stood, he seemed to be the highest-ranking person present.


    So, despite his hands trembling slightly, he still suppressed the mechanism, pointing the muzzle towards the distant sea.


    He pulled the trigger and, as expected, heard a gunshot. The recoil transmitted through the butt of the gun caused his shoulder to ache a bit.


    But still, he laughed, his boisterous laughter somehow remained clear amidst the sound of the waves lapping against the shore, "Hahaha! Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! How much for this thing?"

 Chapter 73: 73 Exaggerated Promotion

    Tang Mo heard John''s laughter and knew that his business deal was successful, so a smile also appeared on his face as he responded with a smile, "15 Gold Coins, one Tang''s K1 Quick Gun, the price for the matching equipment and bullets will be calculated separately!"


    "The price is very fair, at least it''s not exorbitant," John said with a smile, nodding his head. Surprisingly, he agreed without even attempting to bargain.


    This made Tang Mo feel a little uncomfortable; he thought he might be overcharging and acting somewhat "unscrupulous."


    However, he also knew that if these elves could take the K1 Quick Guns back to their country, they would definitely make a profit off this price.


    Moreover, once they presented these weapons to their country, the benefits they could receive from the upper echelons would likely be even greater.


    "Then, how many of these rifles would you like to order?" As a businessman, Tang Mo immediately cast his conscience aside and asked.


    "I hope to order 1000 of these rifles," John pondered and gave a number. "Could you deliver these weapons within a reasonable time frame?"


    "What do you consider a reasonable time?" Tang Mo uncorked the bottle and poured himself another cup of barley wine before asking in return.


    John extended three slender fingers, giving a very short time frame, "I can only stay here for up to three days, so is it possible for you to complete the order within that time?"


    "That is indeed a bit difficult..." Tang Mo felt that these elves really did have money, to actually order 1000 expensive weapons.


    The total price of these weapons would be at least 20000 Gold Coins, not a small sum which could potentially be the entire earnings from this maritime journey: this might even include the gross profit covering the cost.


    John actually hadn''t planned on spending so much money on so many K1 Quick Guns; he intended to take back a sample and then get more Gold Coins from his father.


    If his father was happy, he might even be rewarded with an estate, which would be an asset far more enviable than 1000 Gold Coins.


    John thought that Tang Mo could produce at most a few dozen Quick Guns in three days, and including inventory, it wouldn''t exceed fifty guns.


    Since firearms like these were costly and expensive, it was unlikely for a merchant to stockpile a large quantity of the product without securing buyers first.


    So, with confidence, he asked, "Then, how many rifles can you give me within three days? Three? Thirty?"


    "I could deliver about 500... and if you are willing to pay for overtime production costs, then I might deliver around 700 rifles," Tang Mo calculated carefully and replied.


    "Hmm, seventy rifles'' production rate is still... what did you say?" John was about to continue speaking when he was suddenly startled by the number Tang Mo had mentioned.


    "I said, if you are willing to pay the overtime production fee, I might be able to deliver around 700 rifles," Tang Mo emphasized with a smile.


    Tang Mo''s factory had just completed an expansion; he had three workshops that could produce K1 Quick Guns. If he had the necessary materials, he was indeed confident that he could produce 700 K1 Quick Guns within three days with overtime work.


    However, Tang Mo knew that when it came to weapons, the higher the technology, the better the price it could fetch.


    "May I be so bold to ask? If... we give you sufficient profits, would you be willing to move your... enterprise... to my kingdom?" John chose his words carefully and said, "We can grant you a title, and your craftsmen will be rewarded handsomely. Elves are never stingy..."


    "I''m afraid that''s a bit difficult." Tang Mo politely declined John''s offer, "Because we have other businesses here."


    John sat back down in his chair, seemingly having realized the key issue: Since these damned humans had again come up with a brand-new weapon, they would certainly immediately sell it to neighboring nobility, to their own kingdom¡ªit was a certainty.


    So Tang Mo must have the official backing of the Leite Kingdom, he might even be a confidant of the King¡ªtherefore, the Elves'' solicitations, especially his own informal one, were clearly not very tempting.


    Unfortunately, he had guessed entirely wrong...


    John, who thought he''d grasped the key point, could only temporarily give up on the idea of directly recruiting Tang Mo and instead said, "Draft a contract immediately for us to produce 100 K1 Quick Guns... You can take 10 percent as a deposit, but these two guns you have to leave behind!"


    "Two guns?" Tang Mo feigned bewilderment, then asked with a puzzled look, "Which two guns?"


    "Didn''t you bring two K1 Quick Guns?" Pointing at the case Luff was holding, John asked, puzzled.


    "Oh! Mr. John! Obviously, you are mistaken." Tang Mo quickly used his talent, pointed at the case in Luff''s hands, and said, "These are not K1 Quick Guns."


    "Then what? A box for money?" John asked with a smile.


    "This is another entirely new weapon I was planning to pitch to you!" Tang Mo, feigning profundity, turned to the side and pointed at the case in Luff''s hands, loudly saying, "Prepared for you, for your brave officers, for the noble knights... the very best! Weapons!"


    "Officers?" John frowned again. He struggled with Tang Mo''s exaggerated salesmanship because he had never encountered such a "merchant" before.


    The merchant, in excitement, introduced his product, "Yes! Inside are two pistols! Specially designed and made for officers, the most outstanding and effective personal defense weapons!"


    "You don''t need to be so... over the top," John raised his hand, intending to stop Tang Mo''s flamboyant speech.


    However, Tang Mo''s following words made the Elf nobleman forget what he wanted to say...


    Because he heard Tang Mo solemnly declare, "This is a type of pistol that can fire continuously! While your enemies are still loading their rubbish-like Shireck Flintlock Guns, you could already have fired a second shot, even a third!"


    "Let me introduce it to you! The world''s most advanced pistol in a hundred years! The Tang-style Revolver! An epoch-making firearm!" He took the case from Luff''s hands, placed it in front of John with the front of the box facing him, opened the case and said, "Once you try it, you won''t want to put it down... Trust me! This is the ultimate weapon you''ve been dreaming of owning!"


    As he spoke, he pushed the case towards John. And at that moment, John involuntarily looked down into the case.


    Then, he saw two shiny silver, odd-looking pistols lying flat in the case, alongside the ammunition and caps.


    -----------


    Today is my birthday, but I am reminded of my mother, missing her so much.

 Chapter 74: 74 Changes in Self-Introduction

    Luff was seeing this side of Tang Mo for the first time, because when Tang Mo taught him tactics and trained them, that serious expression was just like that of a devil.


    So, he stood there dumbfounded, watching Tang Mo''s exaggerated actions as if he were venting something.


    Wes was also seeing Tang Mo in such a state for the first time, because the last time Tang Mo had gone to Baron Stela to pitch the K1 Quick Gun, he had been noticeably more restrained and composed.


    Therefore, if possible, Wes really wanted to cover his own eyes and pretend he didn''t know this silly Tang Mo.


    Even John, who had just felt that Tang Mo had a complex and deep-hidden temperament, was now frowning, thinking that he might have misjudged the person.


    But Tang Mo was completely oblivious, stretching out his hand to take a revolver from the box, weighing it in his hand, and handing it to John in front of him.


    Then, he began demonstrating how to load this type of handgun, loading bullets with one hand and pressing them one by one into the chamber with the lever under the barrel with the other hand.


    His movements were smooth, and it didn''t take long for John to watch his series of actions, then watch him skillfully put a percussion cap on the column at the rear of the chamber for each bullet.


    "Six bullets! You get to fire six times in a row! If both guns are loaded, I alone could sweep all the people on the deck!" shouted Tang Mo, raising the gun and aiming it at the sky, introducing it seriously.


    "Of course, it has its drawbacks, requiring a long preparation before firing! But! To be able to provide you with continuous firepower to shoot six times at a critical moment, it''s not too much to say it''s a groundbreaking weapon for individual combat!" Tang Mo pointed the handgun towards the sea and asked, "Want to give it a try?"


    "I can deduce some clues from your complex loading process, but... can it really fire six times in a row?" asked John, a bit incredulous, or perhaps he found the idea truly astounding.


    If Tang Mo had really invented such a weapon, it would overturn all the weapons in the world! Every country''s arsenal would have to be replaced, and a vast market that would astonish people was about to emerge.


    And the man in front of him, known as Tang Mo, was holding the pass to this market, the key to the door to this market!


    "Bang!" Tang Mo pulled the trigger, firing a shot, and smoke billowed from the barrel, rolling like an ethereal ink painting.


    "Bang!" Under everyone''s gaze, Tang Mo immediately pulled the trigger a second time without any preparation. The pistol''s hammer was driven, eventually striking the percussion cap, igniting the gunpowder in the chamber.


    The smoke tumbled out again as another bullet flew from the barrel, and this second shot left almost all the elves present dumbstruck.


    "Bang!" Tang Mo didn''t pause and fired another bullet smoothly and naturally. It was as if he had released a spell that had frozen all the elves standing on deck.


    "Three shots!" Tang Mo pulled his arm back, turned the barrel around, and offered the handgun sideways to John, as though he were recommending an old friend to try some newly grilled kebabs, "Three more to go, do you want to have a go?"


    "This is magic! It must be... it must be magic..." remarked the captain standing behind John, swallowing saliva, repeatedly reminding himself not to believe what was happening before his eyes.


    "Carriages?" Tang Mo glanced at the massive armed merchant ship docked at the harbor, equipped with muzzle-loading cannons, waved his hands dismissively, and said with a laugh, "My friend, are you selling your ship?"


    "Hahaha!" John burst into hearty laughter, "That''s a good deal! I can sell you my ship! As long as the price is right!"


    "That''s excellent!" Tang Mo rubbed his hands together as if anticipating a feast, "How many ships do you have?"


    "Fifteen," John replied with a smile.


    "I want to buy ten," Tang Mo threw out a number.


    "That''s not going to be cheap, my friend," John didn''t refuse but remarked, "I suspect you''ll need to give me some extra Gold Coins for that."


    "I can trade with other things." Tang Mo spread his hands and offered, "In exchange for your ships and all the Gold Coins on them."


    "Are you joking? Do you know how many Gold Coins I have here?" John was taken aback and then kindly reminded Tang Mo, "The value of this sea transport is almost enough to buy you an Earlship in Brunas!"


    "What if I sell you the production technology for the K1 Quick Gun and this Revolver?" Tang Mo pointed at the wooden box and smiled, "You won''t just be taking a few guns, but a complete... production technology!"


    "..." John looked at Tang Mo as if he were seeing a monster, staring at him for a long time. The smile had vanished from his face, replaced by a serious contemplation.


    "Why?" In the end, not refusing or agreeing, John inexplicably asked what seemed like an absurd question.


    "Making money together is what friends do, right?" Tang Mo of course did not plan on being brutally honest.


    "You know that reason won''t convince me," John pressed on with his questioning.


    Tang Mo pondered for two seconds and phrased it differently, "I''m facing the Shireck Consortium alone, and as you know, that''s a lot of pressure... So, I want more money, more materials, and the support of various friends."


    "..." John fell silent as well. Of course, he knew about the enormous pressure Tang Mo faced for daring to challenge Shireck.


    "So, if someone in another Kingdom also stands up and challenges Shireck... it could alleviate a lot of my pressure," Tang Mo pointed at himself, "Of course, I''m sharing the profits, tempting profits... It''s an exchange of interests. Making money, of course, involves taking some risks, doesn''t it?"


    "Let me introduce myself again... I am Augustine John, son of Earl Augustin Tural, the second in line to the Augustin Family of the Poplar Kingdom!" Once again, John reintroduced himself.


    "Tang Mo!" Tang Mo felt there was nothing impressive about stating his own title, so he simply repeated his name.


    John stretched out his hand in a welcoming gesture, "Now, we can discuss the details of our cooperation!"

 Chapter 75: 75 Negotiations

    The negotiation process wasn''t exactly smooth, but it wasn''t because Tang Mo''s products were subpar; on the contrary, Tang Mo''s weapons were too good.


    These weapons had astonished the Elf Race and made the sensitive Elf Noble John realize that an era of change was about to come.


    With the sea breeze accompanying him, Tang Mo sat opposite John, sharing delicacies that only the Elf Nobility could enjoy, including fresh vegetables just purchased from Brunas, and meat and fish.


    Of course, there was also a bottle of inferior moonlight wine from the Elf Race, a rarity in Brunas that many nobles found hard to come by.


    Tang Mo continued the earlier topic, discussing the sale of the production process and the complete manufacturing technology for Tang''s K1 Quick Gun, something utterly unbelievable for the Elf Noble John.


    Because he truly knew how much profit it could bring him once mass production began! He wouldn''t even have to venture into dangerous sea trade anymore; he could just lie at home and count his money.


    "You can build a weapon workshop in your kingdom and produce Tang''s K1 Quick Gun according to the standards I''ve set! For each rifle, I will take a design fee of 1 Gold Coin..." Tang Mo said while chewing on the vegetables he had forked into his mouth.


    "But how will you know how many rifles I produce?" Although John didn''t think a fee of 1 Gold Coin per gun was too expensive, he was still curious.


    Because he knew that the profit from a Shireck Flintlock Gun was actually much higher than one Gold Coin, and every kingdom could only rely on buying them!


    If they could produce it themselves, then the price would be transparent. Therefore, John felt Tang Mo''s cooperative model was the most reasonable and beneficial for both sides.


    Tang Mo gave a reasonable explanation, "It''s simple. I only charge design fees for the first 100,000 units. If you produce more than 100,000, you won''t have to continue paying my design fee."


    In an era lacking effective regulatory measures, this kind of lump-sum deal was more rational. Tang Mo only needed to take the share he wanted, and the rest could be discounted, reducing his own personal pressure.


    Making money for an arms dealer like Tang Mo was really too easy, as long as he could produce weapons, he could sell them and make money!


    What truly put Tang Mo at the top of the arms dealers was the power to set the rules! As long as the whole world manufactured and used weapons according to his rules, he could make money that was ten, a hundred, a thousand, a million times more than just producing weapons!


    John was taken aback, then thought he found a loophole in Tang Mo''s plan, reminding him, "100,000 units? Do you know how long it takes to produce that many? It could take twenty years! How many rifles can Leite Kingdom produce in a year? 3,000?"


    "That''s all in the past! My friend! My specialized production equipment could let you produce more than 20,000 rifles within a year! If you expand your capacity, producing 100,000 rifles a year would be no trouble at all!" Tang Mo was actually prepared to sell his entire set of production equipment too.


    "Rest assured, a 20,000 Gold Coin transaction will be settled in cash! There is no problem with that," John knew that offering 20,000 Gold Coins was not difficult for him.


    As long as he took these weapons back to the Poplar Kingdom, he could earn back ten times the profit. Moreover, the political benefits that these items brought him were absolutely unattainable for just 20,000 Gold Coins.


    "As for the remaining 150,000 Gold Coins, in reality, I don''t have the means to settle them in Gold Coins, because although we have just sold all our goods, we don''t have that much cash!" Saying this, John spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness.


    At this point, he pointed to a sailing ship moored in the distance and said to Tang Mo, "According to what you said, you want ships, and I can also use our family''s ships as compensation. The price of such a sea ship generally ranges between 3,000 and 7,000 Gold Coins, depending on the size."


    "Like this ship we''re standing on... the Everlasting Iris, it''s a large sailing ship, and its construction cost exceeds 6,000 Gold Coins!" While saying this, he really started calculating the prices of these ships.


    In this world, the price of armed merchant ships is no small sum, especially those of large tonnage, designed for cargo transport and equipped with cannons for armed commerce.


    They are behemoths capable of resisting pirates, and can even be considered as warships in times of war. Any maritime nation possesses such ships and is willing to build these versatile vessels.


    John explained the composition of his ship fleet to Tang Mo, which was also part of his bargaining strategy, "But I only have 15 ships here, and these ships don''t belong to me alone. They also include assets owned by the King of the Poplar Kingdom."


    "The approximate price of the sailboats I can sell to you... is only around 30,000 Gold Coins," he finally cited a rather conservative number.


    After all, no matter what, even for the sake of safety, he had to maintain a certain fleet size to guarantee absolute safety at sea.


    According to his idea, he should at least keep five large merchant ships for his own use, and the other ten ships he could sell to Tang Mo.


    These ships varied in size and condition, so their prices also differed. Some small and old ones could be sold for just under 2,000 Gold Coins, while some new ones could fetch prices as high as 5,000 Gold Coins and still be in high demand.


    However, all things considered, ten ships for 30,000 Gold Coins was actually a very generous offer. John''s candidness had a simple purpose¡ªI''m discounting the ships on my end, can''t you also make the firearms and equipment cheaper for me?


    True to form, his next words made clear the purpose of his previous candor, "Also, the design fee of 100,000 Gold Coins is really too high... I was hoping for something cheaper... Like, how about 30,000 Gold Coins?"


    "Thirty thousand? My friend, at that price, I might end up losing even my pants," Tang Mo declined with a laugh and a wave of his hand.


    It was a joke, the price he charged for these weapons was outrageously inflated, to the point that even Wes, standing next to him, found Tang Mo''s asking price somewhat exaggerated.


    But even so, if the price were slashed by seventy percent all at once, then Tang Mo really wouldn''t make much money. He knew that, in the entire transaction, the most valuable part was his "design innovation"¡ªalthough, in truth, that research and development cost was completely fictitious.

 Chapter 76: The world is very boring at 76.

    It seemed even John himself felt he had bargained a bit too harshly, so he feigned contemplation before stretching out four fingers, "Forty thousand! We are the best of friends in this world, aren''t we? Our friendship will last forever! The Poplar Kingdom will always have fine wine to welcome you, I assure you! Next time you come here, I''ll give you the finest wine, the most beautiful girls!"


    "John! What woman is worth sixty thousand Gold Coins? You should know, 5,000 K1 Quick Guns could let your nation sweep the battlefield, crush your enemies, and double the size of your country!" Tang Mo dismissed with a wave of his hand.


    What a joke, he was no King Zhou of You, he couldn''t fathom who would give up their career for a woman. Getting drunk on luxury was something for later in life, who indulges in love and luxury during their entrepreneurial phase?


    But speaking of Elf sisters... Tang Mo, a seasoned veteran of people-watching from his last life, was indeed eager to see them, after all... no man doesn''t like to collect, right?...


    Seeing Tang Mo as unmoved as an old monk in meditation, John couldn''t help but give him a mental thumbs up! He really admired such a man who could keep his composure, so he couldn''t resist taking another look up at Tang Mo.


    After a moment of silence, he had no choice but to throw out another offer, "If... I promise you, next time you come to Brunas, I will bring you an appointment, personally signed by His Majesty the King of the Poplar Kingdom, appointing you as a Baron of the kingdom... Would you consider giving your friend an even lower price?"


    His words left Tang Mo stunned for a second, because while nobility sometimes wasn''t very useful, other times it was indeed as good as gold.


    With a noble title, many things might become easier, and you could even avoid the harassment from other nobles.


    Moreover, with the backing of nobility, he could negotiate with other nobles on equal footing when selling weapons, and not be looked down upon.


    Of course, the higher the title, the more seriously the other party would take you, which would benefit the negotiations. Tang Mo certainly wouldn''t overlook such potential advantages.


    Furthermore, rising from a commoner to nobility wasn''t easy, and in some countries, nobility could be extremely valuable.


    In short, having the title of nobility was very necessary for Tang Mo, so he was quite willing to pay a certain price to get an impressive title for himself.


    "Hmm... I''ll consider it," Tang Mo pretended to be deep in thought and didn''t immediately agree, knowing that the price he had offered was not something John could easily afford right now.


    As long as he didn''t nod his head, the other party would definitely offer more ¡ª he had complete confidence in his weapons and the steam engines and other related equipment required to produce them.


    As expected, it wasn''t long before John grew impatient and said, "I can leave behind some Sailors to be your men! They can operate ships for you and do anything... Even if Shireck really makes it impossible for you to stay here, they will protect you and ensure you leave safely."


    Tang Mo nodded slightly; getting some Sailors, especially Elves, was definitely good news for him.


    As John had said, these Elf Sailors could at least provide Tang Mo with another escape route, should Count Fisheo fail and the Shireck financial house decide to settle scores with him, a "Believer," here, he would have a decent way out.


    So, Tang Mo painfully agreed to give up a large chunk of profit, "That does interest me... At least, you''ve given me some options. My friend, let''s do this, eighty thousand Gold Coins! I''m willing to waive a whole twenty thousand in profit for you!"


    "About right! That depends on whether your machines are as miraculous as you say," John nodded, looking at Tang Mo.


    "Deal!" Tang Mo said with a smile, "You and your men can set off at any time to visit my factory! We can sign the contract there, anytime."


    "Buy these samples! Count the Gold Coins for him!" John instructed the captain behind him. "Take the sailors, and let''s follow... my new friend... Mr. Tang Mo to see his factory!"


    As he spoke, he stood up and adjusted his collar. "We haven''t brought our own carriage, so we''ll have to use yours, my friend!"


    "It would be an honor!" Tang Mo also stood up, making an inviting gesture. "I guarantee this visit will not disappoint you."


    Two carriages slowly moved out of the docks with two teams of sailors, who had been transferred from the ship, following by their side.


    These sailors were carrying Shireck''s flintlock guns, and they weren''t moving quickly. Many workers and City Defense Forces on the dock saw everything clearly.


    "Hey! Isn''t that a carriage from Tang''s Workshop? How did they get involved with the Elves from the Poplar Kingdom?" a worker stepping on a burlap sack said, looking at the Elves Guards beside the carriage, muttering puzzledly.


    "Hey... who knows..." another worker shouldered a sack. The heavy burden made speaking difficult. "I say, what business do these high-flyers'' matters have with you..."


    In a bright and clean office, the Mayor waved at a confidant who had just delivered a message, his brow furrowed involuntarily.


    As the Mayor, he couldn''t ignore the arrival of the Poplar Kingdom''s fleet at Brunas. Even though he was a greedy and negligent official, often inactive... that didn''t mean he was stupid.


    He had arranged for someone at the docks to keep an eye on the fleet, which naturally brought back news of Tang Mo boarding the Elf''s ship, as well as the report of Tang Mo''s carriage leaving with the Elves.


    For him, that "Tang''s Workshop" located in the suburbs of Brunas was becoming more mysterious and problematic ¡ª things might have already gone beyond his control, and this put pressure on him.


    Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Tang Mo was answering Wes about his flamboyant sales persona. "Why exaggerated? Because what I sell are weapons used for killing! Wes! If you''re not a bit cheerful and self-indulgent, you could very well drive yourself insane! The weapons I''m selling now can make a Soldier kill at five times the speed!


    The weapons I''ll sell in the future could enable killing at ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times, a million times faster...think about it... am I being flamboyant? No! I''m already being quite restrained!"


    He leaned against the carriage, not sure whether he was speaking to himself or Wes. "This world is so dull, if one doesn''t find some joy for oneself, then what''s the point?"


    ---------


    Thank you to the Emperor for rewarding~ Very much appreciated~~~

 Chapter 77: Great 77

    "This is what you call a ''factory''? This is nothing but a construction site." John hopped off the carriage and looked around before raising an eyebrow at Tang Mo, "You plan to swindle a large sum of money from me with this stuff?"


    "To use the word ''swindle''... that''s clearly a bit much," Tang Mo waved his hand, then made a welcoming gesture: "Believe me, those who judge only by appearances are truly superficial."


    "Come! Come in and see, and you will know just how great the factory I spoke of really is." As Tang Mo spoke, he gestured to the gatekeeper to open the gate.


    In reality, Tang Mo''s factory was only made up of a single stretch of courtyard wall, so the significance of this great gate was purely symbolic, far exceeding its practical function.


    Just by looking into the distance, one could see that not far away, the courtyard wall simply "disappeared," replaced by a construction site that looked nothing short of spectacular.


    And indeed, that was exactly what John did, for he saw the construction site and the workers who were helping to dismantle the wall bricks.


    Since Tang Mo lacked construction materials, the workers had to dismantle one part of the wall to repair another, a task they faced daily. The stretch of wall that had once spanned several hundred meters was now less than twenty meters, just enough to serve as a facade for the entrance.


    So, going through the main gate was, in truth, just a custom reluctantly retained for the sake of ritual, as many workers had actually trodden paths elsewhere for convenience...


    "It may be a bit rudimentary, but this place is destined to become the hub of future world development, believe me, John, my friend! Compared to what this place is fostering, everything you''ve seen before pales into insignificance!"


    He strolled leisurely ahead, watching a group of children with backpacks pass by. When John saw these children marching in a military-like stride on the smooth path as if leaving school, he suddenly felt an illusion¡ªthat what marched before him was an army!


    To be honest, he had never seen a group of schoolchildren maintain such neat formation, nor had he seen a crowd that never engaged in playful noisy banter.


    Even the most elite troops couldn''t guarantee such order outside of training environments, yet here and now, before him stood only a group of children.


    Even more astonishingly, upon seeing Tang Mo, the children immediately stopped by the side of the road. They held their chins high, lifted their right hands to Tang Mo, opened their palms, and touched their fingertips to their temples.


    Tang Mo also raised his right hand, passing the neat formation like a general. Although the entire procession was silent, the impact it had on John was truly immense.


    From that moment on, even without seeing the devices Tang Mo had mentioned, John began to believe that something was indeed being nurtured here, something that could be described as either great or terrifying.


    He no longer dared take it lightly, and followed Tang Mo with a solemn gaze, looking at the children who stood there as if on a pilgrimage.


    "Are you training them to become your soldiers?" The Elf captain behind John asked curiously, addressing Tang Mo who walked ahead.


    "No, they are all my students!" Tang Mo replied proudly. He didn''t lower his voice, but introduced the children loudly, "They are my proudest students!"


    If he were at an auction at that moment, he''d never lower his bidder''s sign; this might be the first time in his life that he truly, from the bottom of his heart to the fiber of his being, believed in spending money like water.


    He even dared to boldly shout the slogan he had longed for, yet never easily voiced, "Place your bets! No matter what you offer, I''ll add a Gold Coin!"


    "Not exactly," Tang Mo felt some distance from his claim of full automation, so he somewhat embarrassedly said shyly, "In fact, each barrel still requires the operation by a worker."


    "So... what you said about one worker being able to drill four barrels in one day, it''s true!" John suddenly remembered some of the "advertisements" Tang Mo had previously mentioned to him.


    "Of course it''s true, you can see for yourself... These drills spin at a constant speed and can keep rotating," Tang Mo walked over to the machine and pulled a lever, causing the drill bit to detach from the half-drilled barrel and start idling: "And they can be stopped at any time!"


    At that moment, the Elf Race captain standing on the side came to his senses, his eyes noticing the wooden rack in the corner designed to support new guns.


    He swallowed hard because on the rack there was a row of completed Tang''s K1 Quick Guns, the wood gleaming with a polished shine.


    "You said... that this... machine... is also for sale?" John asked uncertainly to confirm with Tang Mo. He certainly remembered Tang Mo saying that these machines and technology were for sale, but after seeing them, he really didn''t dare to expect such good fortune anymore.


    "Yes, they are all for sale," Tang Mo pointed to his steam engine and said with a loud laugh accompanied by its roaring sound, "The steam engine! The transmission! Including the machine tools! All are for sale!"


    "And moreover! The manufacturing technology, the production process! All are clearly priced," Tang Mo continued while shaking his head, "But you don''t have that much money anymore! My friend!"


    "You go back... collect everything valuable from every person! Rings, gold teeth, jewelry, necklaces, pocket watches, private possessions... promissory notes or land deeds... In short, anything and everything will do! Then total up the price!" John looked at his subordinate, the captain whose mind wasn''t fully clear yet: "Understand?"


    "I, I understand." After hearing this command, the captain swallowed nervously and subconsciously nodded.


    "Here, take this!" John slid off a ring set with a sapphire from his finger and handed it to Tang Mo without hesitation: "400 Gold Coins!"


    He seemed to remember something else, digging out a pure gold case from his pocket, a pocket watch engraved with exquisite patterns: "And this! A master''s treasure! You know this thing is precise, making one isn''t cheap! 300 Gold Coins! No less!"


    "Actually..." Seeing John was about to start disrobing, Tang Mo felt his own sky-high price was a bit like taking advantage of an honest person.


    And John, having seen the steam engine, couldn''t even bother to haggle. Or rather, he still remembered, but he didn''t dare.


    He didn''t dare to speak, didn''t dare to profane the greatness before him. In fact, it was with great effort that he suppressed his intense urge to worship these things.


    In just a few minutes, John confirmed something¡ªthe path to the rise of the Poplar Kingdom was right in front of him...

 Chapter 78: 78 comes at a fortuitous time

    The continent was so distinct, so vivid that John didn''t even want to move his steps. His original plan to purchase some K1 Quick Guns and revolvers was completely disrupted by the mechanics before his eyes.


    Now, a difficult choice lay before him: what to buy and take back that would serve his own best interest.


    Yes, his own best interest: at this moment, it seemed that the interests of the Poplar Kingdom were completely aligned with his own.


    "Uh... my friend... there''s no need to take off your clothes..." Finally, Tang Mo stopped John from his intention to streak. He extended his hand, gesturing, and said, "With that kind of gathering of gold coins, you might not even be able to raise 3000 Gold Coins."


    For John, a nobleman with a background, it wasn''t strange that he could have expensive rings and other trinkets on him.


    But for those poor sailors, the lower-ranking officers, it was very doubtful how much valuable property they could carry on them when they went out.


    Who would be full enough to carry around the deeds to their land or house, or promissory notes, while setting out to sea? And how many soldiers could afford to get a gold tooth or something similar?


    "I''ve already offered everything I have... the sailors, ships, the gold on the ship, even the rest of our cargo... But, what I wish to take with me is just too much," John said, somewhat dejected, gazing at the working steam engine with an unwilling look on his face.


    He truly wanted to take it all. He wanted all the firearms here, he wanted to take away the equipment used to produce these firearms, and the blueprints for these machines, all the design parameters and material data...


    Unfortunately, taking all that would require at least 160,000 Gold Coins, and now he couldn''t come up with more than 80,000, even with his pants off.


    The shortfall was exactly half, which left John feeling despair¡ªhe dared not bargain because he thought everything before him was sacred and should not be desecrated by money.


    It was like some rich man going to the United States with money to buy an F-35 fighter jet; if the United States agreed to sell, it was already like a gift, and he had no courage to raise any objections about the price.


    "My friend! I swear on the Elf Name, as long as you agree to let me take them all, I''m willing to pay 100,000 Gold Coins! Four months! In four months, I will come back with the money! Whether you want ships, timber, horses, medicinal herbs, saltpeter, leather, sulfur... iron ore, copper ore...


    anything!" In near supplication, John once again spoke with difficulty.


    After saying this, he added earnestly, "I swear to you, you are my best friend, Augustine John! My friendship is not for sale for any amount!"


    "I understand how you feel, John. After developing such a great device, I know it''s priceless..." Tang Mo lowered his head to examine the exquisitely made pocket watch, looking at the poplar tree on the watch cover, made of crushed gems.


    Honestly, it might be the most beautiful pocket watch he had ever seen, not to mention that the Elves'' taste in aesthetics is definitely spot on.


    As he spoke, he flicked open the watch cover with his thumb. The white dial with its black, slender hands, made into a vine-wrapped style, was still moving precisely, and Tang Mo could even feel the subtle vibration. It was as if it were a living elf, breathing rhythmically in the palm of his hand.


    "A fine pocket watch, I like it very much." Tang Mo smiled and looked up at John, "I plan to buy it for 20,000 Gold Coins, what do you think?"


    "Alright! I''ll send over the sea charts later!" John gritted his teeth and said, "But that will be priced separately! 10,000 Gold Coins!"


    "Hahaha! Not a problem! My friend!" Tang Mo agreed generously, without haggling. This made John somewhat regretful, thinking he might have asked for too low a price.


    Tang Mo patted John on the shoulder as if 10,000 Gold Coins were a trivial amount to him. Then, he continued, "We can assemble a steam engine in a day, but transportation is a hassle."


    "Under normal circumstances, transporting the parts and assembling them on site after delivery is the safer option." Tang Mo gestured to a worker nearby covered in grease to come over.


    Then, once the worker approached, he raised his voice and asked, "How about it? Fancy a business trip? To the far-off Poplar Kingdom, with a subsidy of 2 Gold Coins a day."


    While speaking, he pointed at John beside him, "He''ll give you 2 Gold Coins a day, and you can take your wife with you."


    "Really, sir?" The worker''s eyes shone bright when he heard about the 2 Gold Coins, and he couldn''t hide his excitement.


    Tang Mo then looked towards John and said, "He can help you assemble and adjust the steam engine, and can also assemble the new parts produced from the blueprints... What do you think? Do you want this kind of service?"


    "Of course! If he knows how to make... steam engines... I am willing to pay his wages! When can he start?" John nodded joyfully, without any reason to refuse.


    "Tonight would be fine," Tang Mo declared magnanimously.


    "Sir, are you really willing to let me go with him?" The worker asked Tang Mo timidly. Here, he was nothing more than an average technician, and he never dreamt he''d one day be able to earn over a thousand Gold Coins a year.


    "Yes, take good care of yourself over there. In four months, you can come back with him," Tang Mo assured with a smile, pointing again at John in a gesture of complete trust.


    While the group was touring the factory workshop, a carriage stopped in front of the factory gate.


    An elegantly dressed old man opened the carriage door, and a tall young girl jumped out.


    "This is Tang Mo''s weapons workshop, Miss," the butler said, looking at the partially demolished wall and then turned to the girl to explain.


    The girl glanced at the workshop gate and then at the construction site not far away, with a radiant smile on her face. Even in the cooling weather, her smile was stunning, as if carrying the fragrance of flowers.


    "Miss?" The guard standing at the gate became intensely nervous upon seeing the girl, greeting her with a stutter, "You, how come... you''re here?"


    "Where is Tagg? Have him come out to introduce me. I want to meet this Mr. Tang, the man of legend," Alice said with a blooming smile, gracefully stating her purpose.


    ```

 Chapter 79: Small Business of 79

    ```


    "Boss, the carriage of Lord Earl''s daughter, Ronin Alice, has just arrived at the main gate," a guard hurried over, lowered his voice, and whispered into Tang Mo''s ear.


    Tang Mo was startled, then looked at the other party, "What is she doing here? Are you sure it''s her?"


    "Yes! As soon as she arrived, she sent someone to find Tagg, so it definitely must be her," the guard replied immediately.


    Hearing this, Tang Mo nodded. Since she asked for Tagg right away, it certainly ruled out the possibility of an imposter.


    Therefore, he made an apologetic gesture of indiscretion towards the excited John and then looked at the guard who came to deliver the message, "Just in time. Let Tagg accompany her around; there are no secrets here anyway! Have Bernard guard my laboratory closely. No one is allowed to approach it!"


    "Yes, sir!" The guard saluted in the same manner as the students and turned on his heel to run off into the distance.


    "Miss!" Having received the notice, Tagg rushed out immediately, hurrying toward the entrance, and upon seeing Alice, he called out to her loudly.


    "Tagg! How are you? Are you doing well here?" Alice pulled her hand from her glove and casually handed the glove to her butler, then smiled and asked.


    "Of course, miss! Everything is great here!" Tagg stood at attention, chest puffed out, proudly showcasing his strong physique, "What brings you to Brunas?"


    Alice tilted her head, glancing at Tagg, "What? Can''t I come here?"


    "No! I mean, miss...er, of course, you can come here!" Tagg said in a fluster. He didn''t know what he was so nervous about, just that he was indeed very nervous.


    "When did he start getting involved with the Elves of the Poplar Kingdom?" Alice, about to walk inside, suddenly noticed a group of sailors standing within the gateway.


    These sailors'' uniforms were clearly not the bright yellow of the Leite Kingdom''s navy, so Alice recognized immediately where they were from¡ªthey all came from the Poplar Kingdom.


    "They arrived today. Tang Mo sold his K1 Quick Guns to the Elves..." Tagg blushed slightly as he replied, as if it were his fault that he couldn''t prevent Tang Mo from making the deal.


    "Why not?" Alice pondered for a few seconds and then looked at Tagg with a smile, "You should know, those Elves have plenty of money."


    As someone who had always been involved in economic matters, she was aware that neither Northern Ridge nor Tang Mo needed K1 Quick Guns or any other weapons; what they lacked was Gold Coins!


    Guns can''t solve all problems. Only with food, economy, money, and guns can one form a perfect closed loop.


    The transactions between Tang Mo and Northern Ridge could not form such a perfect loop because slow development couldn''t support Tang Mo and Northern Ridge against the enemies they would soon face.


    Therefore, if Tang Mo could secure additional funds or more resources from the Elves, this would certainly be beneficial for both Tang Mo and Northern Ridge.


    Tang Mo and John had just finished visiting the workshop where Tang Mo produced bullets, and now they were inspecting the factory that manufactured revolvers.


    The environment here was noticeably better than that of the two older workshops, surrounded by glass windows, it appeared much brighter.


    Similarly, the machines here were also newer, and the facilities were more comprehensive, John could tell the difference between this and the previous two older workshops at a glance.


    Clearly, the standards were higher here, and the layout was more rational. The workers here also had higher proficiency, assembling each revolver at a pace that made John''s head spin.


    As he fantasized about building a factory like this in his own country, watching his workers produce revolvers so quickly, he saw a beautiful girl stride in with vigor.


    Her long legs were truly impressive, and her graceful gait as she walked made John involuntarily swallow his saliva.


    Tang Mo followed John''s gaze and saw the stunning Alice. To be honest, he had seen countless people before his transmigration, but had rarely seen such a beautiful girl.


    Just with her figure and her looks, the pre-transmigration Tang Mo wouldn''t mind promoting her to a movie star. In fact, the instant he saw Alice, Tang Mo thought of the delightful life of keeping a beauty in a golden house in the years to come.


    She''s really only 16 years old? Tang Mo silently criticized, then heard John next to him start with ingratiating flattery, "Ah! Such a beautiful lady, you must be the brightest pearl in this Kingdom."


    "Thank you!" Alice, who had approached them, curtsied properly with an air of high class and grace, "I''m delighted to meet you. My name is Alice, Ronin Alice. I am the eldest daughter of Earl Ronin Fisallo."


    "I am equally delighted to meet you! My name is Augustine John, my father is Duke Augustine William of Poplar Kingdom."


    "I didn''t expect the honor of Miss Alice''s visit; not being able to greet you is truly a lapse of manners," Tang Mo said with a smile, extending his hand to lift the back of Alice''s hand and made a symbolic gesture of kissing it.


    Alice smiled and nodded to Tang Mo, speaking politely, "I hope you won''t mind my uninvited disturbance, Mr. Tang."


    Although she said so, she turned to John, "Mr. John, coming here, I suppose you are looking to do business? I wonder if you both wouldn''t mind letting me listen in?"


    "In fact, we''ve just finished talking, Miss Alice," John shrugged, "I should have invited you to dinner, but now I''m penniless, I even gave him my favorite ring. So... the meal will probably have to be on Mr. Tang Mo''s tab."


    "It would be my pleasure," Tang Mo didn''t mind treating his two major clients to a nice meal, "What would the two of you like to eat?"


    "I don''t mind whatever we eat; I''m very curious, how much money did he spend here that he even gave you his personal ring," Alice looked at Tang Mo curiously, probing with her question.


    John seemed to intentionally set a trap for Tang Mo, promptly seizing the chance to answer, "I spent tens of thousands of Gold Coins here... Not just my ring, I even pledged my fleet to him!"


    "What, what?" Alice, despite being well-composed, hadn''t expected this outcome, and she widened her beautiful eyes, fluttering her eyelashes as she looked at Tang Mo, "What fleet?"


    "Cough..." Tang Mo coughed artificially, putting on a mock humble demeanor that was asking for a slap, "Just a small business, nothing but a small business."

 Chapter 80: Does he want to die at 80?

    "My father doesn''t make 20,000 Gold Coins a year!" Alice spoke with a bit of resentment, "If you consider this a small business, then what I do can hardly be called business, right?"


    "Miss Alice''s family has a big enterprise, naturally, she''s in the big business league," Tang Mo chuckled and then looked towards John with a smile, asking, "What''s for dinner tonight?"


    "Of course, I''ll go with whatever the host decides. What do you usually eat here?" John asked curiously, his interest piqued.


    Wes looked up at the sky, and in that moment, he remembered Aunt Cui Xi''s specialty, the small fish stewed with green cucumber. That dish had left numerous martial arts masters vomiting once it was introduced; it could truly be described as something that could shock the heavens and move the spirits.


    Wes prayed silently in his mind that today''s meal wouldn''t be one of Aunt Cui Xi''s signature dishes.


    "Indeed, I also believe there must be some delicacies here that I''ve never tried," Alice said as she gently swept her temple hair aside, equally eager to give it a try.


    "Actually, I don''t have any special meals here, I eat the same as the workers," Tang Mo made an indifferent gesture before saying to Alice, "If you two are interested, would you like to take a tour of the steam engine workshop?"


    "Yes!" John and Alice exclaimed almost simultaneously, and they glanced at each other, each seeing a wary look in the other''s eyes.


    The steam engine workshop had a completely different feel to it; everything here seemed very fresh.


    In this place, Tang Mo didn''t just produce steam engines, he also manufactured numerous mother machines for machine tools. The workers here needed to be more skilled, and all the equipment exuded a cutting-edge, epoch-making aura.


    Under Parker''s supervision, the workers toiled diligently, and in the center of the workshop stood a newly manufactured machine tool, waiting for its tests.


    This machine tool, designed for producing drill presses, incorporated some new technologies and was made from metal materials produced with novel smelting techniques.


    Just seeing these things was enough to guess how high-end this place was. Both Alice and John hardly dared breathe a word, holding their breath and concentrating so as not to miss any important detail.


    Unfortunately, they had nothing to fear from looking around, as it was Tang Mo''s reliance on high-precision technology that allowed him to create such sophisticated equipment.


    Moreover, Tang Mo wasn''t worried at all that they would realize that the machine tools in this workshop were using a specially made transmission device known as an electric motor.


    Because in this world, electricity wasn''t an energy source that humans could easily harness, and people didn''t know the working principle of electric motors.


    Including Alice, all the visitors could only notice that the machinery equipment was clean and well-kept, not as interconnected and complex as the other workshops they had seen before.


    Naturally, they weren''t aware that beneath their feet, metal wires were buried in the ground. Neither did they know that compared to the previous workshops, this one represented a higher level of technology.


    "If you order steam engines, they will be produced right here," Tang Mo gestured widely with open arms to everyone.


    "Can I take home a complete set of equipment?" John leaned in towards Tang Mo, inquiring in as low a voice as he could manage.


    The environment was quite noisy, so his so-called low voice could, in some respects, be considered shouting.


    "I know this request may seem a bit overmuch, but you know, the economic situation in Northern Ridge has really not been good recently. If we take out so much capital to buy your goods, our economy might very well collapse," Alice explained.


    "May I ask what you are planning to do with so many steam engines?"


    "I''m planning on increasing ore output and building a workshop to produce bullets," Alice revealed truthfully: "We''re using up your bullets too quickly, so I hope to secure a more stable backup supply."


    "That makes sense. Making bullets yourself could potentially be cheaper, aligning with Northern Ridge''s long-term interests," Tang Mo nodded in approval, admiring Alice''s approach: "The entry point is quite good."


    "But have you considered why I would give you the machines, only to create a competitor for myself?" Tang Mo spread his hands, voicing his concern.


    "You''re not afraid of competition! You even sell machines to the Elves!" Alice called out Tang Mo''s bluff.


    Tang Mo gave no direct response, continuing instead, "The Elves are wealthy; they paid one hundred and sixty thousand Gold Coins. Though half has yet to arrive, I can receive the other half immediately."


    "That''s impossible, how could they have so much money?" Alice exclaimed in surprise.


    "That''s the answer to the question you just asked. I can tell you... they''ve sold their fleet to me, including all the slave sailors," Tang Mo replied casually.


    He wasn''t worried at all about Alice knowing his strength; after all, displaying it appropriately was part of the negotiation.


    "We, Northern Ridge... we don''t have that kind of money," Alice felt the pressure instantly, as she could not afford for the region''s economy to deteriorate further over these machines.


    Although the machines could eventually increase Northern Ridge''s output, that would take time. The region couldn''t afford to pause for a month, waiting for the deployment and initiation of production from these machines.


    "However, Northern Ridge has been a longstanding client of mine, and the Lord Earl is a good friend," Tang Mo changed his tone as Alice began to feel slighted, speaking to himself.


    After saying this, he turned his hopeful gaze back to Alice: "We can have a good talk. After dinner, when the Elves return to the docks, you can come to my room."


    In an instant, Alice''s face flushed red; she stared at Tang Mo, observing his now detestably sly and handsome face, and fell silent for a long while.


    Tang Mo smiled, pointing towards the distant machines: "I need to demonstrate the operation of the steam engines to John in a while... Miss Alice, please feel free to look around and consider this place as your own home, there''s no need to be a stranger."


    After finishing his words, he turned and walked towards John, who was waiting for him, without looking back.


    Alice watched Tang Mo''s retreating figure, huffing in indignation, careful not to let him hear her. She felt utterly powerless against Tang Mo''s rudeness and thought him utterly detestable at that moment.


    At night... A girl like her... How dare that scoundrel entertain such thoughts?


    Using these machines as bargaining chips? Blackmailing her? It was despicable!


    Did he really... want to die? Alice thought angrily to herself.

 Chapter 81: 81 Have you ever thought about

    Dinner time arrived quickly, and since Tang Mo had promised to treat his guests, he wouldn''t stint. After all, he had just extorted a huge sum from the Elf Race; it would not be in character for him not to share some of the spoils.


    He wasn''t a stingy man¡ªrather, to some degree, he was used to being generous with his spending¡ªit was just that his new enterprise had just started, so it wasn''t all that apparent yet.


    Therefore, he sent word to Auntie Cui Xi to prepare a good dinner. He also ordered some beef and pork to be purchased, intending to give all his employees a solid meal.


    When Cui Xi sent word that dinner was ready, Tang Mo led the two groups of guests towards the staff canteen, which wasn''t luxurious at all.


    As they walked, Wes asked Tang Mo, who was leading the way, "Boss, do you really think these nobles will return the Gold Coins they owe you on time?"


    He saw Alice and Tagg trailing behind, seemingly discussing something. They deliberately stayed at the end of the group and showed no inclination to catch up.


    John and his captain also kept a distance, appearing more interested in the over fifty trainee Soldiers on the roadside.


    Tang Mo looked back at the two groups and knowing they couldn''t hear his conversation, smiled at Wes and said, "I must say, sometimes a noble''s reputation is quite valuable. Isn''t that right?"


    "Forgive my frankness, boss, but most nobles'' reputations aren''t worth 80,000 Gold Coins!" Wes kindly reminded Tang Mo.


    "You''re right," Tang Mo said seriously, nodding in agreement with Wes. Indeed, 80,000 Gold Coins were not a trivial amount, and it wouldn''t be surprising for someone to do anything for that sum.


    "So how do you know Mr. John, whom you are meeting for the first time, will definitely return the 80,000 Gold Coins to you?" Wes, immediately growing anxious after hearing Tang Mo''s response, pressed on.


    As his recognized master, Wes really didn''t want to see Tang Mo naively tricked out of 80,000 Gold Coins.


    Tang Mo looked at Wes with amusement and counter-asked, "When did I say he would definitely return the money?"


    "Then..." Wes was taken aback, his eyes widening as he looked at Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo didn''t stop walking and asked softly, "Have you ever considered... that I might have purposely given him those machines?"


    "..." Wes halted in his tracks, nearly tripping over himself. Watching Tang Mo walk into the distance, he felt he didn''t understand Tang Mo''s intentions at all.


    When he caught up again, Tang Mo continued, "In fact, in a short amount of time, we''ve obtained over 28,000 Gold Coins, bought 10 large ships with an additional 52,000 Gold Coins, gained over 200 willing Sailors, and a bunch of junk... and all we''ve spent were three sets of blueprints and two steam engines... isn''t that still profitable?"


    "But..." Wes still didn''t understand Tang Mo''s reasoning.


    "But what?" Tang Mo asked, not in a hurry, just inquisitive.


    "But originally, those items were valued at 160,000 Gold Coins." Wes felt his math desperately needed improvement.


    Tang Mo nodded, not denying the fact: "That''s right, they did sell for 160,000 Gold Coins."


    "I have not considered developing in the Poplar Kingdom, Miss Alice," Tang Mo didn''t wait for John to continue and smiled as he gave his answer, "As I see it, my ventures in Brunas have just begun, so I''m not planning on leaving anytime soon."


    Being at someone''s mercy was not a comfortable position, and Tang Mo knew this all too well. Forget the worth of his pure friendship with John¡ªperhaps not even valued at twenty Gold Coins; even if they were sworn brothers, Tang Mo would not consider abandoning his achievements in Brunas to follow John to the Poplar Kingdom at such a time.


    Of course, if his industries here were completely destroyed, he certainly wouldn''t mind trying his luck in the Poplar Kingdom, seeking a chance for a comeback.


    "This meal is truly unforgettable," John realized by now, finally understanding why Tang Mo was so eager to sell him many important assets.


    Because Tang Mo was out of money, in the rough stages of capital accumulation. What Tang Mo needed now was time, not cherishing the valuable technology he possessed.


    If Tang Mo''s technology were swallowed whole by Shireck or simply obliterated, then no matter how valuable it was, it would become worthless.


    That''s why Tang Mo was so eager to liquidate, so eager to sell the technology he held to the Elves.


    In fact, John had guessed only half right, because the technology Tang Mo was offering was so advanced partly for the reason he imagined¡ªindeed, Tang Mo hoped to buy himself time. On the other hand, it was also because Tang Mo had even more advanced technology on hand.


    Right at that moment, hidden beneath Tang Mo''s somewhat odd suit, was an even more sophisticated Left-Wheel Handgun, another ace up his sleeve for daring to negotiate with John and Alice.


    "Yes, the bandit problem in the Vicious Forest has been reduced by more than half recently, and trade routes between Brunas and Northern Ridge are flourishing... It would indeed be a pity to leave at this time," Alice said, not looking at Tang Mo, as if talking to herself.


    Tang Mo didn''t understand how he had offended the young beauty before him. Wasn''t it just a little joke about the timing of the negotiation? Surely the reaction shouldn''t be this intense?


    He knew Alice had guessed that the Great Tang Group''s private army was clearing out the Vicious Forest, training troops while securing their trade routes.


    Though she too found the thieves holed up in the mountains an eyesore, her attempts to send troops for eradication hadn''t been very effective.


    This time it was Tang Mo''s turn to send troops, and no one knew how many soldiers he deployed, but he truly made a surprisingly effective strike.


    Therefore, by making such a statement, Alice was reminding Tang Mo that she knew he was training troops and stirring things up in the Vicious Forest.


    Tang Mo, of course, also picked up on Alice''s insinuation and laughed it off, feigning indifference, and began to chat with John about the customs of Suthers.


    -------


    The Dragon Spirit book goes on sale next month. Dragon Spirit mentioned two things:


    1. There will be a burst of activity, so everyone can read more.


    2. The updates will return to the regular twice-daily schedule.


    Thank you for your support.

 Chapter 82: Gave it all at 82

    The Suthers Kingdom is actually not as exquisite as the Leite Kingdom because the King of Suthers is not as wise as the King of Leite.


    This is a country that is crude and careless, one that, though established on military might, has somewhat degraded into a state of disrepair and decadence. The ease with which the Shireck Consortium could convince them to send troops to the Northern Ridge is indicative of a myriad of issues inherent within the kingdom.


    Fortunately, the country has some capable generals, such as Earl Tucci, who shines in comparison to Count Fisheo, and Duke Montbar, the Prime Minister of the Suthers Kingdom.


    Tang Mo did not have a deep understanding of the Suthers Kingdom, so he treasured the intelligence he obtained from John. To his new friend Tang Mo, John was quite forthcoming with everything he knew.


    He spoke of the relaxed military preparations at the northern ports of Suthers and also mentioned that the Suthers Kingdom was indeed reinforcing its southern borders, a very dangerous signal.


    Since John''s intelligence was roughly a year old, it also meant that the war preparations of the Suthers Kingdom had actually begun over a year ago.


    From this perspective, it was evident that the Suthers Kingdom''s war preparations were more thorough, and with Shireck''s financial and arms support, the war was clearly to the advantage of Suthers.


    Of course, if it weren''t for Tang Mo, the transmigrator bearing the golden finger, it is very likely that the tale would end with Count Fisheo''s bitter defeat.


    But now that Tang Mo had arrived, bringing with him his advanced breech-loading rifles, the outcome of the war seemed to have quietly shifted.


    "In fact, before meeting you, I did not think Count Fisheo has a chance of winning," John said candidly to Tang Mo without avoiding Alice by his side, "Suthers Kingdom has been preparing for over a year, and no matter what, the outcome of the war would not be subject to change."


    "Even if Count Fisheo commands his troops like a deity, he won''t last long in front of an enemy force that is more than three times larger," he shook his head, then continued, "However, after getting to know you and seeing your weapons, I think that if Count Fisheo is truly as remarkable in his command as the legend says, then Northern Ridge may well become the victor of this war."


    "You, or rather your father, encountering Tang Mo, might have been the only chance you had throughout the year," he said to Alice with a smile, "Cherish this only variable. If it weren''t for Mr. Tang Mo, Northern Ridge would be destined to lose."


    "Since he has already sold the K1 Quick Guns to you, there''s no need for me to hide anything. You know full well the power of the weapons I possess, and now Northern Ridge holds the winning ticket!" Alice declared defiantly, her beautiful eyes fixed on John.


    "It''s still too early to say you hold the winning ticket, Miss Alice! Who can be sure about matters on the battlefield," John shrugged, "Tang Mo''s K1 Quick Guns have merely pulled you back from the edge of a cliff. Now, this war can finally be said to have a winner and a loser, as opposed to the outcome being decided... "


    "I truly wish we could decide the outcome of the war over dinner, but unfortunately, I''m not yet capable of that," Tang Mo toyed with his fork, glanced at the two, and said, "However, as a gambler, I''ve decided to place my bet on Count Fisheo''s side."


    As he spoke, he turned to Alice, "I hope Miss Alice, and Lord Earl, do not disappoint me."


    "Rest assured! My father will defeat that bunch of fools from the Suthers Kingdom!" Alice clenched her teeth, and finally managed to say the words as she looked at Tang Mo.


    Even with the most optimistic assumptions, Alice knew she might end up as a trophy, given to some Suthers noble who would take over Northern Ridge, or even die inexplicably in some room in Wolf City...


    However, when she saw Tang Mo''s K1 Quick Gun, the revolver, and the smile that had appeared on her father''s usually furrowed face, a glimmer of hope suddenly arose within her.


    A prince on a white steed, bearing an artifact capable of changing the Ronin Family''s fate, had appeared out of nowhere and entered her life.


    She felt this was divine will, or rather... this might be her last chance to break free from her destiny.


    Compared to marrying some frivolous heir, or a dull-witted officer in order to continue controlling the family business, or being treated like a trophy and throttled in some dark corner... perhaps this somewhat handsome man in front of her wasn''t so bad...


    "Miss..." Tagg, who had been watching Alice sitting there as if lost in thought since Tang Mo''s departure, finally couldn''t help but speak up. Suddenly, Alice lifted her head, startling Tagg.


    "I''m fine! I was just... just thinking... thinking about how to negotiate with Mr. Tang Mo, to get him to agree to Northern Ridge''s terms..." Alice lied, covering up her unease, then stood up and looked in Tang Mo''s direction: "Take me to him!"


    As she spoke, Alice had a determined look about her. She straightened her clothes, which were not at all disheveled, and only then did she realize her hands were trembling slightly from nervousness.


    "I''m doing this for Northern Ridge..." She didn''t even believe her excuse, yet she tried to convince herself with it in her mind.


    "Say... miss... are you feeling unwell?" Tagg, observing Alice''s unusual demeanor, inquired kindly.


    Alice, like a startled rabbit, quickly shook her head in denial: "No, I''m fine! I''m just a bit, a bit nervous."


    "Nervous?" Tagg was even more puzzled now; in his memory, as the sole daughter of the Earl, Alice had never shown nervousness during business negotiations.


    Alice, whose thoughts had been read, took a deep breath, lifted her chin as if in defiance, and walked toward the building not far away.


    However, upon reaching the door, she began to get nervously jittery again. Tagg, as well as the old butler following her, both noticed Alice''s hesitation.


    "Miss, perhaps we should do this tomorrow..." The old butler weighed his words carefully before suggesting.


    "No need!" Alice bit her lip and then instructed deliberately, "Tagg, stay here; no one... well, no one is to come in!"


    Then, finally... after several minutes of hesitation at Tang Mo''s door, Alice clenched her teeth and knocked. "The worst that could happen is like getting bitten by a dog! I''m going all in!"

 Chapter 83: 83, do you have a stutter?

    By the time she pushed open the door, she was slightly startled. It was her first time seeing such a simplistic bedroom, or, to be exact, the first time seeing such a ... slapdash office.


    Tang Mo''s office and bedroom were combined, with his desk followed by a chair, and right behind the chair lay a single bed.


    As a man, Tang Mo''s quilt was messy on the bed¡ªbecause for the past two days, Tang Mo had been so busy that even his sleeping time had been cut by 2 hours.


    He now only slept six hours a day, which, if calculated based on the standard eight hours of sleep, showed his current lifestyle was extremely unhealthy.


    But he couldn''t manage these concerns now. He had to spend 4 hours a day in the lab, another 4 hours drawing blueprints, and the rest of his time was taken up with business dealings, inspecting the workshop, supervising construction progress on the site...


    So, for such a career-driven man, folding the quilt seemed trivial.


    Tang Mo hadn''t realized this, forgetting to make his bed. As soon as he returned, he busied himself with the accounts, then looked at the list of factory personnel changes Roger had left in his room.


    When Tang Mo picked up these documents, he completely forgot that he had asked Alice to come to his room to discuss business with Northern Ridge.


    However, the moment Alice rather violently barged into his room, he remembered that he had arranged a meeting.


    Within roughly a second, he had his thoughts in order: the cooperation with Northern Ridge should deepen, just as he had said during the dinner, he didn''t have the capital to place bets on both sides, he had already sided with Northern Ridge!


    In about the same amount of time, Alice too had managed to recover from her initial indignation. She saw the slovenliness hidden beneath a man''s bright exterior...


    And then, she discovered that the room wasn''t quite what she had expected. There were no romantic curtains, no soft, large bed, but there was a pile of empty bottles in the corner and a bunch of old clothes hung haphazardly on the clothes rack.


    Clearly, the room she was in was likely Tang Mo''s office, and Tang Mo, who had made so much money from Northern Ridge and the Elves, was regretfully sleeping in his office...


    Speaking of sleeping... what on earth are you thinking? Alice cut off her own wild thoughts, finally regaining her composure as Tang Mo realized his room was a bit messy.


    "Uh... sorry, Miss Alice... the room''s a bit messy," Tang Mo said awkwardly, putting down the pen in his hand...


    Honestly, because of the weather, the room was definitely not warm, so Tang Mo hadn''t taken off his coat upon entering, which meant he still had a left-wheel handgun hanging under his arm.


    In this world, besides James Bond, probably nobody would bring a handgun when meeting a beautiful woman... Tang Mo sarcastically thought to himself.


    This must be the worst date ever, wasn''t it? Nothing memorable about it, utterly embarrassing! Alice also helplessly criticized in her mind at this time.


    Then, the habits that she had developed over the years made her say the most gracious words despite mentally criticizing: "No, no problem..."


    "As you can see, I''m quite busy, there''s a lot to do, so... let''s get started right away," Tang Mo changed the subject, setting aside the documents in his hand, turned around, went to the bed, and started to fold his quilt.


    It was only because the Northern Ridge Legion now had new weapons that the old ammunition was despised, so they increased the training intensity, otherwise, it might not have been discovered that these guns were defective.


    Clearly, this was a sly scheme by the Shireck Consortium; they were hoping that the Northern Ridge Legion using these new guns on the battlefield would collapse due to weapon malfunctions.


    But no one had expected that Count Fisheo, who had upgraded from old-fashioned muskets to cannons, would use the new guns for training¡ªa move even the wealthy Shireck Consortium themselves rarely afforded to indulge in.


    Hearing Alice''s explanation, Tang Mo then realized that not only was Alice trying to use outdated flintlock guns to settle her debt, but they were a batch of faulty guns...


    Tang Mo suppressed the urge to curse and instead let his mind wander through a series of unrelated props like candles for lighting and whips for horse-riding. Finally, he sighed in resignation, "This is indeed a headache..."


    "You... if you''re willing, willing to accept this condition... I, I..." Alice mumbled with her head lowered, feeling justified in her embarrassment.


    It was risky for her to have confidently sent these scrap weapons to Tang Mo without getting his agreement first.


    Because if Tang Mo refused her terms, Northern Ridge might have to foot the bill for the transport costs.


    She felt a sense of regret: Couldn''t this situation just follow the script? Her dithering and coy approach, and the dashing Tang Mo going for a suave wall pin followed by a lingering, romantic kiss¡ªwhy was that so hard to achieve?


    She could take a little loss, shed a couple of tears, and a panicked Tang Mo would nod in agreement¡ªwouldn''t that have solved everything? Why make it so complicated... Isn''t it tiring?


    However, while Alice was daydreaming about a romantic scenario, she heard Tang Mo''s curious voice asking, "Do you have a speech impediment?"


    "Wha... what?" Alice stuttered, taken aback.


    "I asked, do you naturally stutter when you speak? Or are you just very nervous?" Tang Mo asked without even looking up.


    Then, just as Alice was on the verge of indignantly erupting again, Tang Mo laid out his terms: "I can keep these weapons and help you sell them... As to how much they''ll fetch, that''s hard to say, but the money can certainly be used to settle Northern Ridge''s debt, no problem there."


    "Moreover, I can provide Northern Ridge with 20 steam engines on credit, and also offer to sell them the bullet production line."


    "Really?" Alice felt overwhelmed by the sudden turn of happiness. Could it be... was Tang Mo a boorish brute who would forcefully have his way after generously agreeing to the terms?


    "It seems your speech impediment is quite serious," Tang Mo said with a hint of pity, feeling that the gods were indeed fair, bestowing a woman with beauty but depriving her of communication skills. What a pity.


    "I don''t have! No speech, speech impediment! I''m not, not stut, stuttering!" Miss Ronin Alice, the only daughter of Lord Earl, finally lost her temper.


    ------


    It might be listed tomorrow, so please support me. Dragon Spirit thanks you in advance.

 Chapter 84: What else could it be?

    Alice was brimming with fury, staring at Tang Mo as if she wanted to devour him. Unfortunately, she was just too beautiful, so these actions and expressions really had no intimidating power.


    The instant Tang Mo laid eyes on her, he thought of a funny internet video he had seen before he crossed over, where the child''s naive voice kept echoing in his ears: "The dragon roars! Ao! Aowu!"


    Therefore, Tang Mo naturally let out a snort of laughter, causing Alice''s defenses to crumble in an instant as she sat back down in her chair, dejected and covered in metaphorical dust.


    "I''m not stuttering!" Alice, realizing she had indeed become somewhat speech-challenged in her anger, surged up with ire again and emphasized her point resentfully.


    "Alright! Alright!" Tang Mo gave her a look that said ''I don''t believe you one bit,'' intending to gloss over the subject.


    He didn''t wait for Alice to get stuck on the topic and steered the conversation back to the terms of cooperation: "I''m willing to supply these products, but the prices will have to float upwards. You know, the Elf Race paid over one hundred thousand Gold Coins for these devices, and Northern Ridge also requested deferred payment, so the price will have to rise somewhat."


    "Twenty steam engines, priced at 20,000 Gold Coins, with the deferred surcharge, set at 30,000 Gold Coins... Payment can be made in installments." As Tang Mo spoke, he began calculating how much Northern Ridge was due to pay, looking like he deserved a good punch.


    After considering further, he added: "Moreover, if you want the bullet production line, you''ll have to pay me the design costs of the bullets: starting from 10 million bullets, at 30 copper coins each... the price comes to 30,000 Gold Coins... There''s no extra charge for this, so you can produce more bullets to dilute the cost."


    At this point, he remembered something about the Elf Race¡ªthe cost of bullets hadn''t been accounted for...


    So, in his mind, he reminded himself to have a good discussion with his new Elf friends tomorrow about increasing the bullet prices.


    Having reminded himself, he continued, causing Alice to lose any remaining semblance of temper: "If Northern Ridge wants the production rights to the K1 Quick Gun and the Revolver, there''s an additional cost of 20,000 Gold Coins... Believe me, it''s a real bargain..."


    This young lady now realized that in front of Tang Mo, the formidable dragon, she was nothing but a naive little bunny.


    Her expression numb, she watched as Tang Mo lamented to himself: "The Elves paid over one hundred thousand Gold Coins for these devices, and you... only spent about 80,000 Gold Coins... and you can pay in installments too... My, I''m hardly making any money..."


    As he spoke, Tang Mo suddenly paused, raising his voice and addressing Alice: "However, there''s obviously no such thing as a free lunch, so I want some compensation. That''s not too much to ask for, right?"


    "Compensation?" Clearly, Miss Alice, our protagonist, once again misunderstood the word.


    And Tang Mo, relentlessly charging ahead with steely determination, nodded and went along with Alice''s misunderstanding: "Yes! Compensation! After Northern Ridge secures victory in the war against Suthers Kingdom, I expect you to look after the interests of Great Tang Group, meaning mine... personally."


    "I expect to get at least a stake in 2 iron mines and 1 copper mine, and I want at least thirty percent of the ore output!" Tang Mo boldly stated, planning to take over the Shireck Consortium''s industries in Northern Ridge after the war.


    Alice, for her part, felt that such a demand wasn''t too unreasonable¡ªafter all, she could worry about these headache-inducing matters after the war.


    However, Tang Mo''s next demand seemed a bit excessive. He continued, "Additionally, for war reparations, I want thirty percent."


    "Impossible! That''s like saying you''d take all the benefits of Northern Ridge''s war effort by yourself! The most I can give you is two percent!" Alice immediately rejected the proposal.


    Tang Mo, aware that he was asking for the moon, wasn''t afraid of Alice''s counteroffer. Without considering, he retorted: "Are you joking? You think a few thousand Gold Coins will do? I want twenty-nine percent!"


    Tang Mo watched her retreat until the door blocked his view, only then did he shift his gaze elsewhere, "It''s a bit messy... I should clean up a bit."


    Outside, Alice walked up to Tagg, fuming, and said to her butler, "Let''s go! To the dock! Pighead! Pighead! Jerk! Fool!


    Pighead!"


    Tagg glanced at the butler, who gave Tagg a helpless look, and together they followed Alice out, walking towards where the carriages were parked at the factory entrance.


    Wes leaned against a tree, a playful smile on his face. He waited until the three of them had gone far, then sauntered carelessly as he pushed open Tang Mo''s door.


    "Something up?" Tang Mo was cleaning up some bottles by the wall, glanced at Wes, and asked absent-mindedly.


    "Could it be... you like men?" Wes got straight to the point, asking curiously.


    "Ah? How could that be... Why do you ask?" Tang Mo stopped what he was doing and looked back at Wes, "Are you interested in me?"


    In the art of grossing someone out, he was behind no one. At least he managed to disgust Wes, whose face instantly showed a priceless expression.


    However, he still understood from Tang Mo''s words that Tang Mo wasn''t interested in men¡ªhe was a normal man who liked women.


    "Oh, stop it! I like women," Wes snorted disdainfully, then asked, "That young lady is the pride of Northern Ridge, and so pretty... didn''t you feel anything?"


    "Hmm... an Earl''s daughter sounds quite tempting." Tang Mo laughed, put down the bottles, and stood up, only to realize with frustration that he didn''t have any cigarettes in his pocket.


    "Then why did you let her leave just like that?" Wes was quite intrigued and started to pry further, "You should be able to tell that she mustered a lot of courage to come see you."


    "Do you think there''s a possibility... it''s because of her hair color?" Tang Mo seemed like a suave dude, not at all like an 18-year-old boy.


    For an instant, Tang Mo''s mind conjured the image of a long-haired silhouette, but that figure was too blurred to make out clearly.


    "I''m being serious!" Wes didn''t buy it: "Why, didn''t you keep her? A beautiful Earl''s heiress, isn''t that enough?"


    "Ha-ha! Maybe I''d prefer a queen instead." Tang Mo brushed away the ethereal image in his mind, making a joke out of it.


    Wes was taken aback by the response; he contemplated for a moment, then nodded earnestly, "That''s a good idea!"


    ----


    It''s New Year, and Dragon Spirit is asking for: monthly tickets, donations, recommendation votes, subscriptions, favorites... rolling around and acting cute!


    Wes: "That''s a good idea!"

 Chapter 85: Divide the spoils 85

    When night fell, the elf captain delivered a cartload of odds and ends, which truly opened Tang Mo''s eyes.


    The haphazardly stacked jewelry and some books in the cart, along with other items, indeed made a full cartload.


    Tang Mo organized the various books and placed them along the wall, leaving behind a pile of trinkets that appeared even more valuable.


    At that moment, on his desk, there were gold-framed glasses, several false teeth, quite a few rings, and seven or eight necklaces of varying thickness.


    What was more interesting is that John had also sent over a pair of pistols, which at first glance were clearly not meant for use but were specially crafted ornaments.


    Both pistols had ivory handles, carved with assorted reliefs, and metal-inlaid barrels. They were the first-generation Shireck flintlock guns, with flared muzzles at the ends.


    As Tang Mo fiddled with a ring that did not seem too expensive, he saw Roger push the door open. He gestured for him to sit wherever he liked, "Uncle Roger... feel free to look around, whatever you like is yours to take."


    "What do I need these things for, they''re not useful," Roger laughed as he declined, "I came here to tell you, just now, the fourth steam engine prepared for Northern Ridge has been assembled."


    "Thanks for everyone''s hard work," Tang Mo said, looking at the less valuable trinkets on the desk. He pointed with a finger and suggested to Roger, "Take 20 of these... to reward the 20 workers who have performed the best recently!"


    "They are all very grateful to you. They work overtime every day making steam engines, partly because they really think the machines are great, and partly to repay you for everything you''ve done for them. So, giving them these is completely unnecessary."


    "A reward system must exist at all times! To make a horse run, you need to feed it properly and whip it in a timely manner. Both are indispensable," Tang Mo''s management principles were much more advanced than what Roger knew, so in this regard, he preferred to stick to his own views.


    "I''ll take your word for it," Roger went over to the office desk, picked through the trinkets, and pocketed a few truly worthless ones.


    "The elves have started the transfer of ships. Bernard and Redman have taken 150 men over; there shouldn''t be any problems."


    "Be cautious and keep a close eye on our Gold Coins! Those ships have tens of thousands of Gold Coins; it would be safer for you to go and watch over them yourself tonight."


    "Alright, I''ll head to the dock now."


    "Starting from tomorrow, remove half of the ship''s cannons and bring them here to be remelted... We are still too short on steel, so we have no choice but to do this."


    "Also, starting from tomorrow, use carts to bring back the Gold Coins from the ships! Keeping them at the dock all the time, I don''t feel at ease."


    "Understood! Leave it to me."


    Suddenly, Tang Mo switched topics, picking up a ring that looked rather expensive, and handed it to Roger, "Ah... Uncle Roger! Do you like this one?"


    "I, I don''t need..." Roger hastily waved his hands to decline.


    "Don''t take the books, after all, I need them to decorate the study," said Tang Mo, following Wes''s gaze.


    "Alright then!" Wes seemed a bit reluctant but eventually picked up several gold buttons and pocketed them. "That''s it for now. I hope to get even better things next time."


    "No problem," Tang Mo pointed at a ring on the table and spoke to Wes, "Give this ring to Auntie Cui Xi as thanks for her care all this while."


    "Hey! This one looks pretty good too! Haha!" Wes picked up the gold ring, compared it with the one on his finger, then nodded. "Thanks, boss! I reckon Auntie Cui Xi''s hands won''t tremble when she dishes out my food anymore."


    "Tomorrow, come with me to the docks and then head to the Silver Fox Tavern," Tang Mo ordered him to leave.


    "Just me, or should I bring a few others?" Wes asked seriously, putting away his joking demeanor.


    "Take two people. After all... we''ll be carrying a lot of money," Tang Mo said after some thought.


    "Got it!" Wes nodded and walked out.


    Tang Mo leaned back in his chair, starting to sort through in his mind the things he needed to do tomorrow: he wanted to check on his fleet and then start moving the Gold Coins, and meanwhile, he needed to take a trip to the Silver Fox Tavern.


    There really were quite a few things to do. It seemed he''d have no time tomorrow to work on his chemical formulations in the lab, nor to visit the construction site... a bit of a shame, really.


    Besides these tasks, he also needed to distribute the remaining scraps, including ironware and miscellaneous items, to the workers as rewards¡ªthis too was a big project, likely taking more than two hours to do...


    Moreover, he had to figure out what to do with the few hundred outdated Shireck Flintlock Guns sent from Northern Ridge... As he thought about this, he rubbed his temples with his fingers, really quite a pile of headaches.


    Thinking of those 700 flintlock guns, Tang Mo suddenly realized that Earl Fisello probably had more than 1800 Shireck Flintlock Guns in the process of being phased out.


    With what he just received, it meant he had to deal with not just a few hundred, but indeed more than two thousand flintlock guns!


    Considering the ones in reserve and possibly hidden, the total he might have to contend with could well be 3000!


    "Ah..." Tang Mo sighed, feeling truly unfortunate¡ªother transmigrants in similar times would probably be using artificial satellites by now, and here he was still stuck on muskets, really, nothing kills morale like comparisons...


    "I am desperate too!" Tang Mo lamented¡ªcan you believe this mess? As an arms dealer of needle guns and revolvers, since his crossing to this era, he sold less than 2000 needle guns yet might end up selling around 3000 flintlock guns... bloody hell...


    When he finally felt sleepy, he stood up, turned around, and saw the blanket he had just neatly folded not long ago...


    At that moment, he was flustered... What was he even thinking? Wouldn''t it have been nicer to have a girl to warm his bed? Why make it like this.


    "Ah..." He sighed again, pulling back the blanket he had just folded, feeling almost like he wronged the blanket. Knowing that he''d still sleep alone, what was the point in fussing over the blanket...


    Tomorrow will certainly be exciting... And work, it seems, is gradually getting on track lately. Thinking of these, Tang Mo stuffed his pistol under his pillow and heavily fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 86: Buy and Sell 86

    The harbor was still bustling in the early morning, and not far away, another large ship leisurely anchored at its mooring. The Elf Race''s ships still boldly flew the flag of the Poplar Kingdom, but everyone had noted an inconspicuous fact.


    On most of the Elv ships, there were a few additional humans, while the legitimate Elf sailors and commanders were conctrated on the four largest ships in the fleet.


    The morning sun shone feebly on people''s bodies, and the cool sea breeze, carrying the sound of crashing waves, brought with it a hint of winter''s chill to Brunas.


    The doz or so carriages docked at the pier made the tire wharf seem crowded. Teams of Elf sailors struggled to lift wood crates off the carriages and stack them beside the ships.


    Transporting cargo via narrow planks was clearly not easy, so moving wood crates onto the ships was no simple task.


    Moreover, the expressions of the Elv commanders standing by were serious, and the Elf soldiers, armed with matchlock guns and live ammunition, were as cautious as if in a state of war.


    "Watch your step! Be careful!" the Elf captain, leading the group, called out loudly to the cautious Elf sailors, his hands clasped behind his back.


    These sailors carefully worked in pairs, each group moving wood crates stamped with the words "Great Tang" onto the ships.


    Those in the know were aware that those crates contained K Quick Guns, and most of them were diverted by Tang Mo from a consignmt intded for Northern Ridge.


    After all, a two-day delay in arming Northern Ridge wasn''t too problematic, whereas the Elf Race had paid a substantial sum and they were leaving in two days.


    So, Tang Mo prioritized supplying the Elf Race with 0 K Quick Guns, while in other crates, there were 00 revolvers along with the corresponding ammunition.


    Merely transporting these goods had required more than a doz carriages, and Tang Mo would bring at least three steam gine parts and related blueprints, as well as metallurgical specifications the following day.


    While the Elves'' dock was busy loading cargo, at the dock where Tang Mo''s fleet was moored, cargo was being unloaded.


    Alice had se her fair share of big ships, but this was her first time leaning on the ship''s railings, watching sailors carry heavy boxes off the ship onto the pier via narrow planks.


    She curiously felt the sea breeze against her face and watched those ragged-clothed Elf sailors move iron boxes, heavy and unwieldy, onto the carriages.


    Because the boxes were so weighty, each time a container was stacked on a carriage, a dull, heavy thud sounded.


    "How much money did you extort from the Elves?" Alice asked, leaning on the railing next to Tang Mo as he approached.


    "Not too much, I suppose. They made about 30,000 Gold Coins in gross profit from this sea trade, all of which are here with me," Tang Mo said with a modest laugh and a downplayed expression.


    "Ld me some?" Alice was predictably eyeing those Gold Coins again.


    "Trust me, this money is far more useful in my hands than if I were to ld it to you," Tang Mo refused the beauty''s request.


    "Has anyone ever told you that you''re quite annoying?" Alice glanced at Tang Mo, feeling that this man was truly inssible.


    "Ha! You''re the first, but definitely not the last," Tang Mo laughed heartily. He looked into the distance, seeing the ninth crate being loaded onto a carriage, his mood growing increasingly better.


    Money in hand! The hardest part is getting started, and after receiving the Elf''s Gold Coins, he had finally earned his first pot of gold in the truest sse.


    "..." Li''ao, the old man, fell silt as if pondering... Finally, he spoke, "Are you sure you can really take us all back?"


    "If you live another five years, you''ll find that you can go anywhere you want, anywhere!" Tang Mo made a promise.


    "Th, ,000 Gold Coins!" The old man quoted an exorbitantly high price, which would be steep for anyone.


    "Deal," Tang Mo said calmly.


    "I think you might not understand what ,000 Gold Coins really mean."


    "In fact, if possible, I''d have preferred to bring banknotes or a cheque." Tang Mo said something Li''ao didn''t understand, th looked towards Wes at his side.


    Wes nodded slightly, walked to the door, and gestured to someone outside.


    Two soldiers struggled to carry a chest into the tavern, with the bartder frowning and following them as they slowly brought the chest to the table where Tang Mo and Li''ao were sitting.


    "Don''t tell me this chest is filled with Gold Coins." Ev Li''ao had never se such a large chest meant to hold Gold Coins.


    Tang Mo laughed, he stood up, took a key out of his pocket, and inserted it into the lock at the front of the chest. Th he gtly turned the key, and everyone heard the lock click op.


    Th, Tang Mo lifted the lid of the chest, revealing a dse pile of Gold Coins inside: "There are ,000 Gold Coins here..."


    As he spoke, he sat back down across Li''ao, "You can count them... If any are missing, I''ll have to get the elves to make up the differce."


    "But what I said just now... was ,000 Gold Coins... Mr. Tang." It took a great effort for Li''ao to tear his gaze away from the chest of Gold Coins, "You..."


    "I didn''t misunderstand," Tang Mo interrupted old man Li''ao, "There are nine more chests like this one on the five carriages outside... all filled with Gold Coins."


    "Gulp..." Everyone heard a swallowing sound in the quiet room. The bartder standing by was trembling with a nervous Adam''s apple.


    "..." Silce filled the space. No one spoke, as if no one wanted to break the quiet of the tavern.


    Finally, Li''ao spoke. He said the words that Tang Mo wanted to hear with difficulty and yet naturally, "The Silver Fox is yours now, and this old bag of bones is yours as well..."


    "Th... you can all swear loyalty to me," Tang Mo looked at the bartder and th at Li''ao, ready to accept them.


    "I swear upon my ancestors'' names that I and all the informants of the Silver Fox Tavern pledge allegiance to you, Mr. Tang Mo!" Li''ao stood up and bowed slightly to Tang Mo.


    The bartder by the chest knelt on one knee, bowing his head to Tang Mo, "Master! I offer you my loyalty. I swear on my life that I will serve you for as long as I live, to the very d of my life."


    Tang Mo stood up, indicating that they could get up, "Very good! Now, I need you to help me investigate something!"


    "No problem! Master, what would you like to know?" Li''ao asked respectfully.


    Tang Mo gave an investigative direction, "It''s about Brunas... Some... intelligce regarding the City Defse Forces!"

 Chapter 87: Going to give gifts

    "In just a few minutes, you spt ,000 Gold Coins, boss. Don''t you have anything to say?" Wes leaned on the carriage, watching Tang Mo emerge from the tavern, ready to climb into the carriage.


    By Tang Mo''s side followed the old man, Li''ao, the former leader of the Silver Fox Tavern, who was now Tang Mo''s butler.


    For Tang Mo, Roger was more than just a butler, so in a way, Li''ao might become the real "butler" in Tang Mo''s residce in the future.


    "At least from now on, wh you come here for a drink, you won''t have to pay," Tang Mo said as he got into the carriage.


    "Ha! That is indeed good news!" Wes closed the door of the carriage after Li''ao had climbed in.


    Sitting in the rocking carriage, Li''ao looked at Tang Mo in front of him and curiously asked, "Ar''t you worried that we''ll betray you after taking the money?"


    "Why?" Tang Mo sat in the carriage, looking at the old man Li''ao who raised the question, "Why would you betray me?"


    "You run an intelligce network and naturally want to serve a worthy master," Tang Mo said before Li''ao could reply, continuing, "You are full of hope for the future, and I can offer you a future like no one else can!"


    "You''ve se it, I have a fleet, new weapons... you also know, I have a private army, and I''m training more talt... I have more ambition than all the nobility and royal families you know or have heard of!


    My future has the pottial to be vast, and as long as you follow and support me... I can walk more steadily, more firmly," Tang Mo finished, looking at Li''ao, waiting for his response, "So, why should I worry, a smart man would betray me?"


    Li''ao knew that this was not just Tang Mo convincing him; there were other implications in his words. Tang Mo was showcasing his power and the trd of his future developmt.


    In his eyes, as Tang Mo said, it was important to serve a goal that had good, rising prospects.


    He had no reason to betray Tang Mo, who had the manpower whever he needed it, the means, the financial power, the developmtal trd, and was also a fellow convict.


    In some respects, Tang Mo truly possessed advantages other nobles did not: he had advanced industries, his own military, a large fortune, and was willing to develop his intelligce network¡ªfew in the tire Leite Kingdom possessed so many qualities.


    And there wasn''t a single noble willing to spd a large sum of money to control the Silver Fox Tavern. The rich nobles looked down on these muddy-legged people, and the poor ones couldn''t afford them...


    "So, as you said, I will serve you loyally, never to betray!" Li''ao showed a smile, his wrinkles unfolding like blooming flowers.


    "Choose some people to go to the fleet and keep an eye out for me... You wouldn''t want the ships carrying your hopes and dreams to be secretly stol away, or sunk, would you?" Tang Mo ordered with a smile, leaning in the carriage.


    "I understand, I will look for people to join your fleet," Li''ao promptly replied, "Eighty m! All have gone to sea before."


    What? Upgrade these weapons? Don''t be ridiculous, Tang Mo wouldn''t ev consider such a thing. What he lacked now was time and production capacity, neither of which could be wasted on refurbishing these outdated Shireck Flintlock Guns.


    If he had hundreds of idle workers, th, of course, upgrading these weapons to sell for money would be a better choice.


    But nearly all of his workers were busy with important tasks: some were producing steam gines and railway tracks, others were making K Quick Guns and Revolvers, and still others were expanding his factory.


    And the factories he had built with great effort were also occupied by a large number of machines, ready to produce ev more advanced equipmt.


    He still owed Northern Ridge steam gines, owed them needle guns, owed them revolvers... he still had to build more workshops for weapon production in advance...


    In such a situation, how could he possibly afford to waste precious production capacity on remodeling these Shireck Flintlock Guns? In his eyes, these were almost as good as garbage.


    Where would he find the time to build a production line specifically for refurbishing these weapons? Th waste valuable workers on these meaningless tasks? He would rather have the workers improve their education, learning mathematics or other subjects...


    Ev if Tang Mo spt money on upgrading these weapons to expand the production line of needle guns, he could earn a larger profit.


    Besides, the cost of refurbishing flintlock guns is higher than one might expect. It would require cutting op the rear of the barrel and producing special parts to convert the rear d of the guns into a particular form.


    Ev after such a makeover, these flintlock guns would be only just serviceable and would not be in the same league as the K Quick Gun. For Shireck, remodeling might be an option, but for Tang Mo, that option never existed.


    Because Tang Mo knew that by the time the battle for Northern Ridge was over, these weapons could be less useful than firesticks; thrown by the roadside, no one would give them a second glance.


    In Tang Mo''s eyes, these weapons only needed to be preserved in small numbers, hung on the walls of a museum for posterity to admire and remember.


    Therefore, he wanted to dispose of these weapons as quickly as possible to recover his funds, rather than waste time refurbishing them.


    The outcome was actually quite simple, just as Tang Mo had anticipated¡ªinside any decaying kingdom, amidst peaceful indolce, embezzling provisions and selling off stockpiled supplies are very common affairs.


    The case in Brunas was no differt. The Sheriff here might have already sold almost all the City Defse Forces'' weapons and equipmt purchased for the armory twty years ago.


    And those nobles and officials didn''t care the slightest about how many guns were left in the city''s defse force of a small hinterland town.


    As long as the commoners didn''t dare revolt, as long as the City Defse Forces still had their Longswords to bully the weak and disabled, and as long as there were a few doz muskets for show, those lofty fools wouldn''t care whether the armory was sufficitly stocked.


    "It seems it''s time to give gifts again," Tang Mo chuckled after receiving a message from a member of the City Defse Forces, looking at the trusted aides following him, "Come, let''s prest the Solon Sheriff with a gerous gift!"

 Chapter 88: How dare you 88

    Solon had be riding high lately, yet he was also a bit on edge.


    As Sheriff of Brunas, he had joyed a rect stroke of luck because he had received an extra "thank you" of Gold Coins from Tang Mo.


    Of course, he knew where this extra income came from, but the bribe still made him buy his mistress a ring and a pair of earrings.


    This gerosity had significantly boosted his status with his lover, so much so that his legs felt a little weak wh he wt to work lately.


    Middle-age really takes its toll; he was no longer the strapping young man he once was. While reflecting on this, he supported his aching back and cautiously carried out some waist-twisting exercises in his office.


    The anxiety and unease, ev a sse of trepidation, was because he had never heard of Beiji nor se any subsequt moves from the Shireck Consortium.


    As things had progressed, he had become somewhat afraid. If this matter leaked and reached the ears of Xiuyi Jisi, the grim reaper of the Shireck Consortium... his life would be over...


    So, he had be very nervous lately and dared not inquire too much about Beiji, fearing that someone would link Beiji to him.


    Middle-age is truly becoming more challging. He sighed to himself, his face filled with dejected despair in the middle of the day.


    Just th, someone knocked on his door.


    "Come in!" Solon stopped his movemts and called out as he held his waist.


    A guard pushed op the door to Solon''s office, bowed slightly, and immediately reported, "Sir! Mr. Tang Mo is here to visit."


    "Hmm?" Solon was startled but th quickly realized it was the young man who oft bribed him paying a visit. He immediately ordered, "Quickly, let Mr. Tang Mo in."


    As soon as Tang Mo tered the room, he complimted Solon, "Sir, your room is really arranged quite uniquely!"


    "Oh, not at all! It''s quite modest. I''m afraid it''s quite laughable to a gtleman like you!" Solon replied politely. As he spoke, he remembered Beiji''s last visit and his fondness for the respectful Tang Mo grew ev more.


    Seeing that there were no others in the room and the door was securely closed, Tang Mo lowered his voice slightly and said to Solon, "Sheriff Solon, I hav''t yet expressed my gratitude for the note you st about someone coveting my terprise."


    Solon immediately responded with an impeccable trifecta of dial, waving his hands as he vehemtly died, "Ah! Sir Knight, I''ve never st any note. You must be mistak."


    "Is that so? Hahaha! Perhaps... But, I''m here this time to return the favor for your kindness," said Tang Mo, knowing the prudce of an old bureaucrat like Solon, and continued to speak.


    Hmm, so this young man has come to give me money? Upon hearing Tang Mo''s words, a brilliant smile spread across Solon''s face.


    Since he had helped Tang Mo, he naturally wanted to reap greater befits; for a bureaucrat like him, free money was always welcome.


    Th he intimidated Solon, "With war clouds looming, the Kingdom will definitely check the weapons, at least for appearance''s sake... If the weapon shortage gets exposed... that won''t be fun at all."


    Solon grew ev more anxious because he knew that what Tang Mo was saying made sse. The situation had indeed grown tse, as if war could break out any momt.


    And before, wh he stubbornly claimed he wasn''t short on weapons, it wasn''t because he was audacious but because he truly lacked the capacity to procure weapons, to fill the gap tirely on his own.


    So, he sighed with a hint of helplessness, "Those guns wer''t just sold by me! Before I took over..."


    Hearing Solon say this, Tang Mo immediately wt along, "I know, I know, Your Excellcy! Of course, I know! However, after taking office, you did sign an acceptance documt. There''s no faking that... wh the time comes, I fear the Kingdom will still see Your Excellcy... as having committed the graver error."


    "So, you plan to sell me this batch of weapons at a high price?" Solon was straightforward, "Just to be clear! I have no money."


    Tang Mo feigned shock and hurriedly waved his hands, "What joke is this... If Your Excellcy thinks I''m here to make a quick buck, that''s an underestimation of our fridship."


    "Th what...?" Solon paused, seemingly grasping at a lifeline, looking at Tang Mo and prolonging his question.


    With a smile, Tang Mo gave a very gerous offer, "Actually, I plan to sell you these weapons... at a third of the market price." Tang Mo gave a discount so steep that Solon had never ev considered it.


    In reality, while Solon might have claimed it was his predecessors who sold off the weapons, he had done the same himself.


    At that time, there were less than 90 Shireck flintlock guns in his armory, yet he gritted his teeth and managed to smuggle out over 70 rifles, which he sold to black market traders.


    Now, just as Tang Mo had guessed, there were indeed fewer than Shireck flintlock guns left in the armory.


    And the price he had sold those flintlock guns for was half of what the Shirek Consortium sold them for!


    But now, Tang Mo was ready to sell a batch of flintlock guns to him at one-third of the market price to help fill his armory, which truly tempted him.


    Betwe the bribes tak and the guns returned to the armory, for Solon, it was much better than having an empty armory and living in constant fear.


    It was just that this purchase would mean coughing up the illicit money he had previously swallowed, which felt as painful as cutting flesh from his own heart.


    He hesitated, unwilling to agree but also reluctant to refuse, torn to the extt of looking comically worried and anxious.


    Leaning closer to Solon, Tang Mo lowered his voice and made an irresistible proposal, "Your Excellcy, you''re not the only one with a shortfall of weapons. Why not ask the nearby garrisons or other sheriff colleagues... get in touch... it''s possible they all have a need... If your demand is high, how about I throw in an extra 300 rifles?"


    At this point, Solon also realized that this was not only a chance to cover the shortfall but pottially also an opportunity to strike it rich.


    So, rubbing his hands together, his smile gradually became sincere, "This... How could I possibly accept?"

 Chapter 89: 89 ahead

    "Rest assured, you can offer them one-third of the price, I guarantee, Lord, you will still profit!" Tang Mo, catching the hint from Solon''s gesture, extded another finger and swayed it in front of Solon.


    Solon gave a thumbs up, pleased, "Good! That''s the spirit! Mr. Tang really knows how to do business!"


    "Hahaha! It''s all thanks to you, Lord... for your care..." Tang Mo continued modestly.


    Seeing the advantage before him, Solon also gave his promise, "Hahahaha! Rest assured, Mr. Tang! From now on, in Brunas! Your affairs are my affairs!"


    "Th I''m completely in your hands, Lord!" Tang Mo immediately accepted the offered advantage.


    "No problem! No problem!" Suddly realizing something, Solon asked while nodding, "But, speaking of which... your guns are so cheap, there isn''t any problem with them, right?"


    Tang Mo immediately shifted the blame to Shireck, "Lord, you jest. More than half of them are unoped new guns from the Shireck Consortium, honest to all ages! However, if there is a manufacturing problem with Shireck''s own guns, I really can''t guarantee otherwise, can I?"


    "Alright! Th it''s settled!" Solon, aware of the ins and outs, gritted his teeth and decided not to investigate further.


    Tang Mo was satisfied with himself for selling favors with useless junk, "Th... it''s a pleasure doing business with you!"


    By now, he had finally confirmed that he had gott rid of the 700 obsolete flintlock guns Alice had st him.


    Solon, too, was pleased about his impding fortune, "Pleasure doing business!"


    ...


    The weather in King City of the Leite Kingdom was getting colder, and under towering trees in a luxurious manor, a single leaf drifted slowly past a man''s face.


    As the spokesperson for the powerful Shireck Consortium within the kingdom, Xiuyi Jisi watched the leaf and asked the several people standing behind him, "How many days has it be since Beiji left?"


    "Beiji... Lord Beiji... It''s be almost fifte days," a man replied, lowering his head cautiously.


    "Fifte days... No news, hasn''t returned..." Jisi muttered coldly, "What did Baron Stela say?"


    "L-Lord... Baron Stela said... Lord Beiji indeed visited him, asked about weapons... b-but... he doesn''t know what happed after that."


    "What does this imply? It implies Beiji discovered an issue and was looking in the right direction." Jisi''s gaze traced the cracks on the mottled tree trunk before him.


    "The beggar mtioned Vicious Forest; Beiji must have gone to Brunas... He''s skilled, so it''s unlikely he''d come to harm at the hands of bandits in Vicious Forest, which means he was most likely ambushed in Brunas." The situation wasn''t complicated, so Jisi quickly surmised the gist.


    After all, Tang Mo''s ambush of Beiji was a hasty setup, so there were bound to be many flaws, and the biggest issue was that Tang Mo had no way of covering up Beiji''s basic itinerary.


    A simple investigation could roughly pinpoint the location where Beiji lost contact, which esstially locked onto Brunas as the critical point.


    As Shireck''s represtative in Leite Kingdom, he certainly did not wish for any uncontrollable variables to arise in the battle of Northern Ridge.


    Several rect evts linked together heighted his anxiety: first was the beggar who came to claim credit, planting the legd of a new weapon deep in his heart.


    Th, it was a rare occurrce of a significant amount of iron being hijacked near Northern Ridge, which indicated that Lord Earl had obtained a large quantity of steel. This made Gis more certain that the Earl seemed to be focusing on gathering raw materials, manufacturing weapons and preparing for battle.


    Add to that Beiji''s disappearance in Brunas or the Vicious Forest, and Gis became increasingly convinced of a massive change in the vicinity of the Vicious Forest that he had yet to grasp.


    "If that fellow Fisheo were to equip himself with new weapons, that would be troublesome. He''s uncooperative and holds no good will towards us..." Mulling over it in his mind, Gis finally made up his mind.


    In his view, ev if a new weapon appeared in Brunas, it would be very troublesome to produce¡ªas is typical with any newly introduced weapon, this was an objective law.


    Since any kind of weapon would need time to be widely distributed, he saw an opportunity to act.


    With this thought, he planned to tackle both issues simultaneously, arranging for action in Brunas, ready to strike at any momt, and th to quickly make his move on Northern Ridge...


    He promptly gave orders, instructing his subordinates, "Bribe the Prime Minister and the related officials to dispatch investigators to the military camps near Brunas! Whether it''s for drawing salaries without service or for arms smuggling... as soon as you get a hold of something incriminating, replace the commander over there! And th, I don''t care how you do it, place someone we can control!"


    "Yes, Lord!" replied a subordinate, nodding in agreemt.


    After arranging the matter in Brunas, he continued, "Sd word to the voy at Suthers to return to Suthers immediately! Tell them... the war needs to be moved up! From spring to winter!"


    He planned to initiate the war earlier, to catch Count Fisheo by surprise before his preparations were complete at Northern Ridge.


    Because ev if Count Fisheo had new weapons now, firstly, there was no time for mass production and deploymt, and secondly, Fisheo was not yet trained properly, which surely would not affect the course of the war.


    In contrast, on his side, although Suthers Kingdom was not ready for war either, they still held a clear advantage in troops.


    T times the forces, the advantage is ours! That was his assessmt, and an important reason for his decision to start the war earlier.


    "Lord! Perhaps Suthers isn''t ready yet..." a subordinate warned in surprise.


    "By the time these fools are ready, it will be too late! Tell them! If they can''t wage war within a month, they won''t get any befits!" Gis said coldly, "No matter what it takes, bring it forward two months! Next month, I want to hear the guns echoing over Northern Ridge!"


    "Yes, Lord!" the subordinate who had advised Gis immediately bowed and fell silt.


    Gis waved his hand, and his waiting subordinates tactfully stepped back and disappeared at the d of the courtyard.


    "Why are there always complications... Why can''t you all just follow my script and die as you should..." Watching the dead leaves on the g, Gis, the Shireck Consortium represtative in Leite Kingdom, muttered to himself in annoyance after a long silce.


    ```

 Chapter 90: 90 you still laugh

    "What are you making there?" Alice asked listlessly, watching Tang Mo who had be sitting still for over an hour, fiddling with the strange parts in his hand.


    "If I really had to name it... you could call it... a fuze," Tang Mo replied without taking his eyes off the componts in his hands, with a steady gaze.


    "A fuze? What''s that?" Alice, who had never heard the term, continued to ask with a puzzled look on her face.


    "Perhaps it''s a switch for some kind of superweapon in the future," Tang Mo said with a smile, threading a part made by Mathews through a spring, carefully attaching it to a device.


    What he was currtly working on was a percussion fuze, a crucial device for artillery shells, without which a shell would not be able to explode at the most needed time.


    In fact, after developing fulminate, Tang Mo had begun working on this device. However, it was clear that the device was too intricate for his factory to mass-produce.


    Mathews and a few sior technicians helped make some parts, and th Tang Mo himself made one fuze a day, managing to barely produce a few doz pottially usable artillery fuzes.


    This was why Tang Mo was eager to start producing cannons; he truly had the capacity to create new artillery, which explained his rush to melt down half the cannons from the armed merchant ships, using the steel to manufacture his own cannons.


    Tang Mo was aware that he couldn''t accomplish everything at once, so the cannons he intded to make wer''t exactly cutting-edge.


    The blueprint he drew was of the rowned Krupp first-geration breech-loading cannon, specifically the C64 recoil gun.


    The recoil gun indeed had many flaws and was an early artillery piece not considered advanced. However, this type of gun had the advantages of a relatively simple structure and lighter weight.


    Of course, for Tang Mo, there was another significant advantage of this cannon: it had a low technical barrier to production, making it easier to manufacture!


    This cannon used a breech-loading mechanism, which was much more advanced than the widely used front-loading Shireck Automatic Cannon.


    Its main feature was the wedge breech block, which utilized a screw-driv wedge. Wh retracted, the breech block thinned, allowing for easy removal, and wh pushed forward, it thicked to achieve a seal.


    Differt from modern cannons, this breech block was slid out from the side of the barrel, which looked quite strange.


    Using breech-loading provided evidt advantages in terms of rate of fire and airtightness, so in terms of range, accuracy, and loading speed, Tang Mo''s new cannons far surpassed contemporary standards.


    According to the paper specs of the Krupp cannon, the C64 field recoil gun had a caliber of only 80 millimeters, or 78 millimeters excluding the rifling¡ª not very large.


    Yet, this cannon had an effective range of 3500 meters! That was indeed astonishing. Shireck Automatic Cannons, being front-loading guns, had poor airtightness, and to achieve a similar range, they needed a larger caliber and more propellant.


    Moreover, Tang Mo''s new artillery used an tirely new shell structure, employing real high-explosive grades, significantly hancing their power.


    For a front-loading Shireck cannon to compete in range and power with Tang Mo''s new artillery, it had to weigh at least two tons. Such heavy artillery had poor mobility and couldn''t keep pace with the Troops'' movemt speed.


    Cannons of this size were typically fixed artillery in castle forts, akin to fort cannon. Field artillery that accompanied Infantry could not match the performance of the C64 cannon, no matter what.


    "What, you''re not happy to have me?" Alice had grown accustomed to Tang Mo, the man of steel, in the past two days, hce she wasn''t as puffed up with anger. On the contrary, she played to her natural female advantages, feigning ignorance and acting cute, which had Tang Mo somewhat at a loss.


    Seeing that Tang Mo was determined not to talk, she continued: "Actually, I''ll be leaving soon too. The 0 steam gines you promised me have already be delivered in batches, with 5 shipped out. I''ve writt to my father telling him that I''ll follow the last batch back to Northern Ridge."


    "You''re leaving?" Hearing that the clingy and beautiful girl was going back to Northern Ridge, Tang Mo suddly felt a sse of joy as if he were being released from a stce.


    "You seem very pleased." His joy was so obvious that after he spoke, Alice detected a hint in his words that irked her.


    Tang Mo quickly feigned a dejected look: "No, of course not, I''m very regretful. I won''t be able to see a beautiful girl like you anymore; I''ll be very despondt."


    "Your acting is really terrible!" Alice complained dissatisfied.


    "I''m not acting." Tang Mo argued.


    Alice angrily prested her evidce: "The corners of your mouth are almost split up to your ears!"


    "How is that possible, I''m not a snake." Tang Mo was unfazed by her accusation and continued to refute.


    "You''re still laughing!" Alice pretded to be angry.


    Tang Mo persisted in his dial, which was one of his ultimate tactics against Alice: "No, it''s just because I remembered something funny."


    "Don''t get too happy too soon!" Alice revealed a mischievous smile.


    "Why?" Tang Mo was tak aback, instinctively ssing danger.


    Sure ough, Alice suddly began speaking with a triumphant tone: "Because I lied to you! I didn''t write to my father! I''m going to stay here and see what kind of mess you''re really up to."


    Tang Mo slapped his hand onto his face, covering his eyes¡ªhe knew that the most difficult thing to deal with in the world was not the F Raptor Fighter trailing behind his own aircraft, but wom.


    Before his transport to this world, he had many wom, all kinds: beautiful, chanting, sexy, wild. But the woman who left a scar that could not heal for a long time, was only one.


    Whever Tang Mo thought of that woman, he would have a momt of trance. There wer''t many good wom in the world, and ev fewer who would willingly die for a man... Regrettably, Tang Mo had met one and lost her.


    Just as Alice was making Tang Mo think of the blurry figure of the woman he could never meet again, a fast horse dashed through the streets of Brunas town like a bolt of lightning.


    -----------


    7 updates today, Dragon Spirit needs a break. The remaining draft is a bit messy and needs to be sorted out, I''ll continue posting tonight, aiming for updates today!


    Also, seeking monthly tickets, rewards, subscriptions, favorites, and recommdation votes! If you have them, please cast them now... Dragon Spirit thanks you!

 Chapter 91: Im not as good as you.

    "Mr. Tang!" Wh Tang Mo saw Solon again, he thought that Solon''s lover must have be discovered by Mrs. Solon.


    Because Solon''s gaunt face was full of stories, probably like that of a corrupt official who pocketed three hundred million and th hurried to the airport with his briefcase.


    Tang Mo rubbed his nose, fully aware of why the good sheriff had suddly come looking for him.


    They hadn''t be in contact rectly; the only transaction betwe them had be about flintlock guns. So this time, Solon was definitely here for that matter.


    Still, Tang Mo played dumb, knowingly asking, "Lord Solon! What urgt matter brings you to me?"


    "You hit the nail on the head! They''ve st someone from above to inspect our military readiness," Solon replied, somewhat nervously and anxiously.


    These local officials could become local officials because naturally, they had their own backers above them. Some backers might not be powerful, but they could act as eyes and ears.


    The Shireck Consortium''s vast network was mixed in with the rest and naturally intersected with others. Therefore, it was basically impossible for Shireck to investigate the armamts invtory without the bureaucrats noticing.


    Some officials naturally passed the information on to "their own people," and those "own people" in turn notified other "own people"... And just like that, the news spread from one to t and t to a hundred, similar to secrets among wom.


    On the other hand, there were rules in the bureaucracy; such inspections were usually announced in advance so that subordinates could prepare for the reception.


    Otherwise, if the needs of the incoming officials were not prepared for, it would be incredibly embarrassing. Moreover, if the matter to be investigated was significant and wasn''t announced in advance, the local folks might decide to take drastic action, ev possibly getting rid of the investigators st from above.


    So, to some extt, those sudd arrivals who start investigations and evtually crack big cases are taking risks and are very determined.


    Tang Mo had temporarily stored all the flintlock guns he had transported from Northern Ridge in Solon''s warehouse. So he said with a smile, "There are over 400 flintlock guns in your warehouse, my lord. Ev if you don''t get praised as a model, you should be in no trouble at all. There''s no need to panic."


    "I''m not panicking... but the suring barracks and the town''s garrison, the stationed troops are all in a fluster," Solon clapped his hands, revealing his true purpose for coming.


    "What does their life or death have to do with us?" Tang Mo continued asking knowingly, with an air of feigned ignorance.


    Solon, having a favor to ask, could only continue to explain, "Some camp captains and nearby sheriffs heard that I have cheap flintlock guns for sale... so, they''ve all set their sights on me."


    "And what would you like me to do?" Tang Mo leaned back in his chair, toying with a pair of exquisitely carved decorative flintlock pistols giv to him by the Elf Race.


    Solon quickly made his, or rather his frids'', request clear: "They want another batch of cheap guns, it doesn''t matter if they''re new or old, just as long as they are guns!"


    Tang Mo shook his head regretfully and didn''t agree to Solon''s request, "That''s going to be difficult. The last 700 flintlock guns, I got them through connections from Lord Earl Fisello, smuggled out to sell..."


    He pretded as if he had gone through great trouble to acquire the arms, suggesting such deals wer''t easily come by.


    After all, Tang Mo''s thought was, ev if he couldn''t sell them at a good price on the books, he would still play it up for sympathy to make sure full advantage was tak of the favor!


    Seeing that Tang Mo did not give an explicit refusal, Solon quickly spoke up, "Consider it a favor for your old brother!"


    "Old guns are okay too?" Tang Mo continued to feign hesitation.


    "Old guns are fine!" said Solon, also putting on a show of acting.


    Tang Mo continued, "I can''t guarantee they''ll work well, though."


    "Don''t worry! It''s the non-working ones I want!" Solon chuckled heartily.


    "Ss..." Tang Mo made a pained expression.


    "Hehehe!" Solon rubbed his hands together, the picture of someone who had hit the jackpot.


    In the d, Tang Mo nodded, "Alright! I''ll try! Wait for my news!"


    "You''d better hurry, they''re all waiting for the news over there! The higher-ups might sd someone down any time..." Having achieved his goal, Solon got up to leave.


    "Okay!" Tang Mo continued nodding, "But, Lord Solon, wh are you going to introduce me to these frids of yours, so I can get to know them?" Tang Mo didn''t show Solon out immediately but instead asked.


    Of course, Solon knew what Tang Mo meant and was already prepared, "Don''t worry, your gerous reputation will soon reach their ears..."


    After seeing off the hastily arriving Solon, Alice appeared in front of Tang Mo: "Had you anticipated from the beginning that they would buy these old guns?"


    "How could I? I''m not a deity," Tang Mo said with a laugh, shaking his head.


    "Th you..." Alice thought Tang Mo was deceiving her again.


    So Tang Mo explained, "Because these old guns, ev though I don''t make money off of disposing of them, I don''t lose money either, right? And during this process, as long as a situation arises that''s beficial to me, th I can make some profit, be it goodwill or Gold Coins... It''s a no-lose situation, why wouldn''t I do it?"


    "It seems I''m no match for you wh it comes to business," Alice said, a bit downcast. This was once her pride.


    Tang Mo corrected her, "No, you might be stronger than me in legitimate business, but in this kind of business, you are definitely not as good as me."


    "So what''s our next step?" Alice already felt that asking Tang Mo these kinds of questions seemed more likely to yield the right answers.


    Tang Mo said nonchalantly, "Give them the guns! After all, these things have be phased out by the Northern Ridge, they can be used as favors, or to make money."


    "You''re really a cunning merchant." Although she had already agreed with Tang Mo''s plan in her heart, Alice couldn''t help but say so.


    Tang Mo didn''t mind the appraisal, "The feeling is mutual."

 Chapter 92: Preparations for the 92 War

    Just as a silce had fall betwe the two, Tang Mo suddly broke it by saying, "It seems the war might be about to break out."


    Alice was tak aback. The intelligce she had obtained, as well as the situation that Count Fisheo had scouted out, all indicated that the war was likely to break out in the spring, not at the d of autumn.


    This completely defied common military wisdom, because if a war were to ter winter, the opposing sides would almost be completely unable to expand their victories.


    Of course, there are exceptions. If one side is better prepared, with ample cotton clothing and transportation, it might be able to gain an advantage during the winter months.


    However, it was quite clear that neither the Leite Kingdom nor the Suthers Kingdom had considered the possibility of waging war in winter over the past half year.


    Nonetheless, at this momt, Tang Mo''s words had made Alice very tse. After all, she wasn''t an expert in this area, while Tang Mo seemed very reliable.


    Only to hear Tang Mo continue, "Unless something unexpected happs, the war will break out next month, or at the beginning of the following month."


    He made this judgemt based on his own intelligce and a series of subtle clues. On one hand, it was a deduction made from the actual state of military readiness that he had tallied at the Silver Fox Tavern. On the other hand, he felt danger looming from this unusual invtory check.


    In fact, Tang Mo was only speculating that the Kingdom was about to invtory its weapons. He said this to scare Solon, to pry op the doors to selling flintlock firearms.


    But Solon''s performance this time a appartly confirmed another thing: the Kingdom was indeed conducting a large-scale inspection of the weapon reserves, and they were being very strict about it.


    His intelligce network had not yet covered the Leite Kingdom, so Tang Mo didn''t know that this inspection was obviously aimed at Brunas. He thought it was a nationwide invtory effort.


    This misjudgemt made him feel that the situation was ev more serious, and he instinctively attributed this anomaly to the conclusion that war was immint.


    In fact, this was a classic case of double misjudgemt, but it led to the correct outcome¡ªTang Mo, unwittingly, had guessed the Shireck Consortium''s plan just right.


    Alice was somewhat anxious, looking at Tang Mo and asking, "So soon? Not waiting for the spring?"


    "I don''t know, but the Kingdom''s sudd weapons check obviously isn''t a good sign," Tang Mo replied abstly.


    What he was now pondering was whether he had the ability to make all the necessary preparations before the outbreak of war.


    At this momt, his cannons were still in the factory, and his precious force of fewer than 600 soldiers was all he had to his name.


    Now he had to prepare the last batch of K Quick Guns for Northern Ridge in less than a month, get all his weapons ready, and th head north through the Vicious Forest immediately wh needed to join the war.


    Seeing Tang Mo, lost in thought, Alice continued to speak, "Didn''t they plan to betray Northern Ridge? Why are they still actively preparing for war?"


    Tang Mo scoffed and answered Alice''s question, "They only betrayed your father and have no plans to join him in the grave. Theoretically, Suthers Kingdom''s target is Northern Ridge, but if they make too much progress on the frontline, guess what you would do if you were the King of Suthers? Would you not swallow up the Leite Kingdom whole?"


    At this momt, Luff asked in confusion, "Th, why would the oppont suddly accelerate and take the risk?"


    "I think... it might be because of us! The investigation of us was certainly the work of the Shireck Consortium. Beiji was clearly Gis''s man, and the investigation related to Beiji aroused Gis''s vigilance. He might have heard about the new weapon and ssed that any delay would be detrimtal to his plans, so he has sped up his war preparations," explained Tang Mo to everyone.


    "Ironically, does this mean we''ve accelerated the outbreak of war?" Wes raised an eyebrow, finding the joke a bit cold.


    "Esstially, yes! So we need to prepare for war as quickly as possible." Tang Mo looked at the four before him and declared, "Our emies, which are Suthers and the Shireck Consortium, have an absolute advantage in terms of military strgth."


    "Based on the intelligce from Northern Ridge, on the border of Suthers, Suthers Kingdom has assembled companies and more than 7 legions." He pointed at several marked spots on the map and continued to lay out the basic situation of the battlefield, "According to the worst-case scario, 4 legions are designated for Northern Ridge. The emy has about 0,000, maybe ev 5,000 m!


    Most of this force will come from the eastern side of Northern Ridge, along the main road."


    "To sure logistical support and the convice of setting up camp, the main forces of Suthers Kingdom will be stationed along the way, roughly here, where they will counter the troops of Count Fisheo." He pointed to a small plain as he spoke.


    "In terms of military strgth, we''re looking at about ,500 m against 5,000," deduced Luff, analyzing the map.


    Redman thought for a momt and gave his opinion, "We do have advantages. In this area, the battlefield isn''t too wide! With the advantage in firepower, Lord Earl could pottially block the emy''s assault."


    "Plus, as a secret force, our existce is unknown to Suthers Kingdom. Theoretically, they don''t know Northern Ridge actually has ,000 soldiers, nor do they know where our 500 m will appear," Tang Mo added, "We are the key force that will decide the outcome of the battle!"


    "The elemt of surprise is always good. Besides, all 500 of us have be equipped with K Quick Guns, so our combat effectivess is somewhat stronger than that of an average military unit," Redman turned to Tang Mo, expressing an optimistic assessmt.


    Without hesitation, Tang Mo ordered Redman, "Sd the signal to call back the troops in the Vicious Forest who are rooting out bandits and training! Redman! Assemble the troops... We need to be ready so that once Lord Earl calls for us, we head to Northern Ridge to aid the Earl, and to win this war for ourselves!"


    "After we leave, Uncle Roger, Elder Li''ao, we will be relying on you both to take care of this place," Tang Mo earnestly trusted the two m who would not be part of the campaign.


    Roger assured, "Don''t worry! I will take good care of this ''factory''."


    "I will stay here to oversee things and sure that all intelligce reaches you," Li''ao also promised.


    Tang Mo nodded th further instructed Roger, "Make preparations as fully as possible, and have Bernard keep a close watch on the fleet¡ªit may be our other way out!"


    "I understand!" Roger nodded again.


    "Our ammunition is limited; we must gage in fast combat! I hope the emy grants us that opportunity," Tang Mo once again surveyed the room of m.


    "The secret weapon?" Luff inquired.


    "Bring the secret weapon along; it could be the key to our victory!" Tang Mo replied immediately without any hesitation.

 Chapter 93: 93 battlefield collapse

    ```


    "Gis, that bastard! Who does he think he is?" A middle-aged geral crumpled the letter in his hand into a ball and threw it fiercely to the g as he cursed loudly.


    His blue military uniform was quite attractive, with buttons and a belt, making him look imposing.


    Unlike the Leite Kingdom, the military uniforms of the Suthers Kingdom were blue, and so were their flags, symbolizing freedom and boldness.


    "Th... Geral... we..." An officer, looking at his furious superior, nervously asked.


    "The King''s orders are probably already on the way. I can ignore the damn demands of the Shireck Consortium, but I cannot refuse the orders from His Majesty! Gather the troops! Have Viscount Romel cross the border as planned and advance towards the Northern Ridge!"


    "Order the Cavalry to expand eastwards! Force the main forces of the Leite Kingdom onto the predetermined battlefield. Tell the people from the Shireck Consortium that I await their good news." The geral stood up and looked at all the officers in the tt, "Gtlem! The war... has begun!"


    "Long live the Kingdom!" All the officers drew their swords and jubilantly pointed them towards the sky.


    They had be preparing for this war for over a year, and they had the backing of Shireck! Their provisions were pltiful, and their army was more than four times the size of the emy''s!


    Ev on the script, they were marked as the victors! Whoever wrote the script was on their side.


    So it was as if they had come to collect military exploits; they would all become the direct beficiaries of this victory, shining new stars among the younger geration in the Suthers Kingdom.


    "What''s the matter, Geral?" The aide stood by his geral, ssing something unusual in his superior.


    As the commander-in-chief of the war, Geral Tucci was a well-known commander of the Suthers Kingdom. He had drafted the tire battle plan himself; he was the spirit of the Suthers military.


    "It''s nothing... I just always feel that the war won''t go as smoothly as we expect," Tucci retracted his gaze and squeezed out a slight smile, "However, I welcome a change, so that Fisallo persists longer, waiting for me to personally defeat him!"


    In October 3 of the Leite Kingdom, the long-brewing battle on the northern border betwe the Suthers Kingdom and the Leite Kingdom officially began.


    Three hours after the outbreak of the war, an voy of the Suthers Kingdom finally met with the King of the Leite Kingdom and delivered the declaration of war.


    Unexpectedly, the Leite Kingdom didn''t give the voy of the Suthers Kingdom a hard time but simply scolded him and ordered him to "roll back to the Suthers Kingdom."


    Such tepid punishmt was esstially ineffective. What really mattered was the outcome on the border battlefield.


    The Suthers Kingdom had prepared for a year, and of course, the Leite Kingdom had also prepared for a year. In fact, almost as soon as the Suthers Kingdom amassed troops at the border, the Leite Kingdom had devised a counterattack plan.


    However, comparatively, the Leite Kingdom''s counterattack plan seemed hastily put together¡ªit had parts for counterattacking on the eastern and ctral fronts but no plan for the Northern Ridge.


    According to this plan, the Leite Kingdom would hold off emy attacks in the Ctral Region and the east, but there would be a collapse on the Northern Ridge front.


    Th, by ceding the Northern Ridge and obtaining certain befits in exchange for the Shireck Consortium''s promise, the war would naturally come to an d.


    So wh the Leite Kingdom st people to seek assistance at Gis''s residce, Gis was furiously hopping mad.


    But the ultimate solution still depded on the situation on the battlefield: Gis assured the Leite Kingdom that he would no longer favor the Suthers Kingdom, but he could only maintain strict neutrality...


    As a result, the situation continued to develop unfavorably for the Leite Kingdom: the field artillery st to Northern Ridge was ambushed halfway by the swiftly advancing troops of the Suthers Kingdom.


    The cannons were captured, and the troops were crushed. At this momt, the mess laid before the Leite King was truly a sight of despair.


    On one hand, he knew that he had inttionally shortchanged Northern Ridge of a significant amount of weapons and equipmt, which was an undiable fact.


    On the other hand, he had just received news that his artillery troops, urgtly st to reinforce Northern Ridge, had also be destroyed by the emy.


    Now, both he and Northern Ridge had become isolated lambs awaiting slaughter; it was just a matter of who would die first. No one knew whether he had any regrets, but it was known that his temper had be growing worse lately.


    And as the war erupted and the situation deteriorated, the reinforcemts from the Great Tang Group for Northern Ridge finally crossed the Vicious Forest and reached the territory of Northern Ridge.


    Tang Mo led nearly all of his forces, in an imposing manner, through the contint within the territory of Northern Ridge, advancing toward the war zone.


    This force included three infantry companies of 360 musketeers, 30-plus elite Rangers commanded by Luff, over 0 hastily-consolidated artillerym, and the Cavalry pieced together by Tagg, consisting of more than 40 riders.


    The tire force had six cannons, over 40 wagons, carried a large quantity of ammunition, and miscellaneous supplies for daily life, arriving at the highly perilous forefront.


    "You follow the earlier arrangemt, leading the troops to the designated stationing site! I''m off to see Lord Earl Fisheo. He still owes me something! As agreed before, he was to support me with 0 cannons and corresponding artillerym..." Tang Mo said while riding his horse, feeling his back and waist aching.


    His equestrian skills were not so great; according to Tagg''s standards, they barely passed as knowing how to ride...


    "Do you need me to accompany you?" asked Tagg, glancing at Alice, who was riding a tall horse beside Tang Mo, and suddly realized his question was somewhat redundant.


    Alice, as the guide for Tang Mo''s troops, had be there for the better part of the day. Now, Tang Mo''s forces were not far from Lord Earl''s main forces, and ev the emy''s troops wer''t far off.


    The atmosphere on the battlefield was actually already quite intse. Here, one could see civilians fleeing for safety everywhere, as well as scattered troops responsible for maintaining order.


    "I''ll be back soon." Tang Mo took the reins, letting Alice lead the way, and along with Wes and two guards, he broke away from the main force.


    The direction in which he spurred his horse was not far off¡ªa huge campmt where, atop a tall flagpole, a unique Northern Ridge wolf flag fluttered rapidly in the wind.


    --------


    Brothers, chapters delivered!


    Asking for monthly passes, subscriptions, rewards, recommdation votes, favorites... Your support is very important for Dragon Spirit during the new book period!


    Those familiar with Dragon Spirit know that I seldom ask for data during the new book period, but the currt data really isn''t looking good. I hope everyone can give more support, thank you.

 Chapter 94: 94 Tang Mos Promise

    Wh Tang Mo saw Count Fisheo again, he noticed that the man looked haggard, his neatly kept chin now covered in messy stubble.


    He sat in the tt, examining a map spread out before him as Tang Mo tered. Without hesitation, Tang Mo walked over and stood next to the Earl, looking down at the fairly accurate map of Northern Ridge.


    "It''s much better than mine," Tang Mo couldn''t help but say viously, speaking out of the blue.


    Pointing at a teacup on another table, Fisheo said to Tang Mo, "There''s hot water over there. Be careful not to stain the map."


    In those days, an accurate map was extremely valuable. Thus, things like ink and food were, in fact, unlikely to be placed beside the map.


    "I''ll give you one later." Fisheo lifted his head and extded his hands sincerely. Tang Mo was somewhat unaccustomed to this but still spread his hands and embraced Fisheo briefly.


    "I''m grateful that your troops arrived as promised," Fisheo expressed his thanks. "The reinforcemts promised by the King did not arrive on time."


    "I think they probably won''t be able to make it," said Tang Mo with a cold laugh. "Who would have thought that as we calculated against Northern Ridge, we ded up collapsing ourselves first."


    "The situation is ev worse than expected," Fisheo said helplessly as he pointed to the map for Tang to see. "From the momt Suthers''s troops routed the Kingdom''s cavalry, the emy''s advantage became very clear. They reassigned their troops and have already reached here!" He pointed to a spot on the map.


    Tang Mo saw that Northern Ridge, previously only facing emies from one direction, now had to withstand pressure from two fronts.


    One from the northeast, the other from the southeast.


    Tang Mo surveyed the locations Fisheo pointed to on the map and grew serious, "They are very close to us now."


    "Yes, the pressure on our flanks has exceeded our preliminary estimates, leaving me ev more passive in the face of the emy," said Fisheo with a wry smile. "However, there is some good news. The emy''s progression is too smooth, hce parts of their forces initially designated to target us have be redeployed to the south."


    As he spoke, he gestured on the map, "Based on the currt situation, facing me directly are the emy''s previously stationed troops, 5,000 m, augmted by 0 cannons. A full three legions, and a substantial number of artillerym..."


    Giv that these field cannons were muzzle-loading, Tang Mo knew their power was limited. However, he was aware that this was just his transmigrator''s perspective. Not a single officer now would consider a hundred muzzle-loading cannons of approximately 60mm calibre to be useless decor.


    "You know, my troops only comprise three battalions, a ,500 m. Ev with my guard, it doesn''t add up to ,700, so I can''t provide you any more support." Th he briefly outlined the strgth of his own forces.


    Tang Mo was well aware of this, ev knowing that the Kingdom''s reinforcemt troops from Brunas, expected to be a ,000 m, were now redirected towards King City.


    From the looks of it, Northern Ridge was indeed isolated without help. Regardless, they could only rely on themselves now.


    "Actually, I can''t fulfill what I promised either." Fisheo regretfully delivered another piece of bad news to Tang Mo.


    "And in reality?" Tang Mo knew that aside from the theory, there was the actual task at hand.


    "In reality, I hope the new recruits can advance to this position!" Fisheo''s hand truly extded further south, until it pressed on a particular marked location.


    Looking at the spot, the smile on Tang Mo''s face gradually faded, "The Three-Way Intersection? Brilliant! Most of the Suthers troops diverted from the front line will pass through here to merge with their flanking units ¡ª that is, the Suthers troops standing against the Northern Ridge Legion."


    "So, you must hold back these units and somehow tie up the ,500 Suthers troops that might currtly be advancing from the southeast toward us."


    "What a great assignmt! The task you''ve giv me is three times what was originally expected, and you''re not ev willing to give me a single cannon," Tang Mo felt Count Fisheo was toying with him, assigning such a perilous mission to his "new recruits."


    "I only need you to hold position there for one day!" Fisheo stared at Tang Mo, saying with a grave tone.


    Tang Mo didn''t agree but countered, "One day? And th?"


    "I will lead the main army to break through the three Suthers legions before us and th join forces with you!" Fisheo''s hand returned to the map, pressing on the location of the emy on the frontline, assuring Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo scoffed, "Ha! Lord Earl, you surely dare to speak!"


    Expecting a newbie unit, which had only trained for just over a month, to hold the most dangerous node for an tire day and await the outcome of the main battlefield?


    It was a joke, Tang Mo thought he was more likely to be sold out by Lord Earl, holding out at the Three-Way Intersection for one day only to hear Lord Earl had retreated back to Wolf City.


    "Trust me! The people of Northern Ridge will never abandon their frids!" Fisheo promised sincerely.


    Tang Mo stared at Fisheo and emphasized word by word, "I hope that wh the time comes, it will be the wolf banner, not the Suthers insignia, marching down the road from the south."


    "If I fail, I will make sure you leave first," Fisheo gave his promise.


    "Let''s hope neither of us fail!" Tang Mo looked at the map and, under the expectant gazes of all prest, was silt for a long while before finally speaking up, "I''ve put all my bets on Wolf City! Count Fisheo! We need each other, right?"


    "Exactly! If we can get through today''s difficulty, th Northern Ridge will be your most steadfast support! I will give you the utmost backing and will never betray you," Fisheo once again promised Tang Mo.


    At the momt, his words were akin to drawing a big pie in the sky. Because if he lost, all that he said now would be but castles in the air.


    Yet, Tang Mo understood that if one wished to bet a bicycle against a motorcycle, th one must have the courage to accept the big pie being offered ¡ª at the very least, he was a chef himself, a part of those making the big pie.


    If he could help Count Fisheo win this battle, he would th have the right to partake in the big pie of post-war befits, and ev have the biggest slice!


    So, gritting his teeth, Tang Mo made a commitmt, "So be it! The wolf banner shall fly at the Three-Way Intersection until the day after tomorrow at noon! The new recruits camp of 500 soldiers will fight there to the last man!"

 Chapter 95: 95 low wall

    "Tang Mo!" As Tang Mo prepared to mount his horse, Alice called out to him from behind.


    Tang Mo turned his head and looked at the noble young lady in military attire, still charming and cute, revealing a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his face, "What is it?"


    "You... be careful out there!" Alice was a bit shy and somewhat troubled. She couldn''t figure out her place, yet felt she needed to stand there and urge him with that line.


    Logically, with her status, she shouldn''t be saying things like a little wife, but she just couldn''t help coming over and saying it anyway.


    "Okay!" Tang Mo felt a long-missed warmth, so he mounted his horse and, as he pulled the reins, he responded to Alice with that word.


    "What task has Lord Earl given us?" Wes, riding his horse, followed beside and slightly behind Tang Mo, asking loudly.


    "To hold the Triple Fork! Do you know that place?" Tang Mo answered without turning his head.


    "I know... but are you sure he asked us to do something that can''t be done?" Wes sounded a bit hesitant, but he decided it was still necessary to remind Tang Mo.


    "No choice. If we can''t do it, Northern Ridge will have no chance of winning at all." Tang Mo, while riding back to his troops, said helplessly.


    Seeing Tang Mo and Wes return, Tagg, Luff, and the others who had been waiting with the troops approached on horseback, coming together with Tang Mo.


    The group found a hill slope that allowed them to oversee their troops passing on the road below; they dismounted and made this temporary headquarters.


    "Where''s the artillery?" Curious upon seeing the return of Tang Mo and his group, Tagg asked.


    According to the original plan, Tang Mo should have brought back 20 field cannons and about 200 artillerymen.


    These artillerymen could provide effective support for their operations on the plains and also take some pressure off Tang Mo''s group, which only had six cannons.


    Tang Mo shook his head and replied helplessly, "I''m afraid, Tagg, there are no cannons left!"


    "What do you mean?" Tagg was taken aback and then looked at Wes, then back at Tang Mo.


    "The materials supported by the Kingdom for Lord Earl Fisheo were lost in the rout, so now we can only rely on ourselves." Tang Mo could only explain in detail.


    He spoke briefly about confirmed and unconfirmed news, which made everyone''s expression grow more serious.


    Tagg had also just learned the latest news: the artillery meant to support Northern Ridge had fallen into Suthers'' forces'' hands, and it was almost certain that Northern Ridge''s reinforcements would not arrive.


    Without artillery support, and without aid from the direction of Brunas, all they could rely on now was what little they themselves had on hand.


    "But, but we only have six cannons!" Luff, on the other side, emphasized with some gloom.


    Each company was divided into three platoons, and each platoon had its own platoon leader. These infantry platoons had apparently all trained in the Vicious Forest and had each carried out bandit suppression missions on their own.


    What surprised him even more was that when the three companies were combined, it formed what Tang Mo called a new recruits camp, and it actually had artillery.


    Moreover, the artillery corps that Tang Mo belonged to was even larger in scale than the typical battalion-level artillery corps: although his battalion had only 6 cannons, it was composed of over 100 artillerymen.


    These artillerymen were in classrooms half a month ago, being personally taught artillery techniques by Tang Mo, but Tagg was unaware of their actual combat capability.


    He only knew that these artillerymen were surprisingly equipped with over 100 warhorses, and additionally, there were 40 wagons accompanying them, creating quite an impressive sight.


    Furthermore, every soldier in the entire troop was issued an engineer shovel, a special mess kit, and an exquisite harness. Each soldier was issued a new model bayonet, and all the soldiers had their own set of color-dulled, strange, long military uniforms, plus extra blankets, three pairs of socks, two sets of thick trousers, and undershirts.


    All of the soldiers had uniform knapsacks, and the boots were all of the same style. The officers'' overcoats had bars as a sign of their rank; higher-ranking officers even had fur collars on their coats, which looked quite classy.


    Tagg particularly liked this kind of overcoat and had put one on over his bright yellow Leite Kingdom standard-issue military uniform. If only the coat''s color weren''t so dull, he might have liked it even more.


    Indeed, according to Tang Mo''s eccentric organization and luxurious equipment, the cost of equipping a battalion was more than what two battalions in Northern Ridge would spend.


    But then again, Tagg felt that this new recruits camp, in comparison to the main forces of Northern Ridge, looked more majestic and more stylish.


    As Tang Mo used to say in an odd saying, "Appearance is fighting power!"


    Watching his troops advance along the road, Tang Mo felt increasingly confident: "Now, this private fund has found its place in the fight."


    Luff looked at Redman and saw that he too was looking back at him, prompting Luff to ask, albeit reluctantly: "What should we do?"


    Tagg, savvy with experience, was the first to speak: "The enemy''s cannons will cause us great casualties; we must find a way..."


    "So, we must figure out a way to negate the enemy''s artillery firepower advantage," Redman, the actual commander of this force, also said at this point.


    Tang Mo sketched a rough map of the terrain on the ground with a stick: "The T-junction is a good spot, where three roads meet, there''s a small village. This is a terrain advantage we can rely on."


    "I''ve been there before, there is a low wall..." Tagg added briefly.


    Speaking of the low wall sparked inspiration in Tang Mo; he recalled another very famous wall, one that had altered the course of history.


    Thus, sliding the branch along the road, he began: "The road is a slightly elevated high point. We can build a low wall along one side of the road, connecting this wall to the village."


    "But sir, how tall of a wall can we build in such a rush? If the workload is too great, our soldiers will be exhausted, which will affect their combat effectiveness," Tagg expressed his concern that relying on a hastily built low wall would not be enough to offset the enemy''s numerical advantage.


    "About, a wall up to the chest would be sufficient," Tang Mo recalled the low wall in his mind and replied with a smile.

 Chapter 96: Can be taken down with one charge 96

    "This is pointless, sir, if we rely on this breastwork for defense, enemy artillery will bombard our position, and we''ll lose half our soldiers," Tagg thought Tang Mo''s approach was simply a display of his own intelligence''s lower limit.


    In that moment, he felt that although Tang Mo was truly a genius in weapon development, he really didn''t have a clue about warfare.


    Recalling earlier, when Tang Mo was lecturing everyone on what future warfare would look like, he even found it somewhat amusing.


    However, his opinion was dismissed by the obstinate Tang Mo, "Listen to me! This may be our only chance!"


    "All right, I''ll have the local villagers help and build a wall here immediately," Tagg, feeling resigned, could only follow Tang Mo''s command on such minor matters.


    He felt that once the battle began, the tense atmosphere and the harsh reality would force Tang Mo to hand over his command obediently.


    Tang Mo then turned to Redman and instructed, "Good! Redman! I need you to make the most of this afternoon to train the soldiers again! Even if it''s just making them more familiar with tactical maneuvers, it will reduce our casualties!"


    "I''ll do my best." Redman''s tone held a sense of somber resolve, as if he was sharpening his sword right before the examination.


    Afterward, Tang Mo looked at Luff, "Luff! Take 100 men and build the wall at the designated place immediately, the rest of the troops will be led by me and Redman. We set out at nightfall, reach the fork by midnight today, and then rest immediately!"


    "Yes!" Luff was somewhat nervous, but without any hesitation, he immediately nodded in agreement with Tang Mo.


    ...


    Peering through his monocular telescope, Suthers'' famed general Tucci frowned involuntarily at the sight of the short wall laying across the roadbed not far away.


    "You say, before nightfall yesterday, there was no such wall here?" he asked a knight standing beside him.


    The knight nodded and replied, "Yes, sir! I personally led a scouting party here yesterday, and we didn''t see this short wall."


    "This means someone has built this fortification overnight... On the other side of the road, the Northern Ridge''s troops must have already been stationed," Tucci said with some displeasure.


    "General, we should launch an attack!" An aide-de-camp, on horseback, alongside Tucci, suggested.


    "That''s not a good choice! We''ve just arrived here, and our troops haven''t had a chance to rest yet, plus... we don''t have accurate intelligence and don''t know how many enemy forces are on the other side," Tucci shook his head slightly, not willing to fight a battle in the dark.


    He really wanted to know how that foolish Viscount Romel, one of his subordinates, managed to waste a whole two days here.


    Due to calibration issues with the first round of bombardment, most of the shells either flew over the wall or landed on the embankment and fields, appearing loose and lacking in intimidation.


    Subsequently, Suthers'' artillery fired a second round, this time with much better accuracy, as most of the shells hit the embankment. Dust filled the air, a sight to behold.


    Unfortunately, the other side was still eerily quiet. There were no shots fired to embolden them, nor any proper cannon fire in response.


    Standing aside, Tucci looked at the situation unfolding before him. Everything seemed just as his subordinates had described¡ªthe enemy apparently had no real resistance to mount, so this seemingly important location was actually a dead end.


    If the enemy had really lined up near the village, they would be caught in a pincer movement by forces five times their size and ultimately collapse completely.


    But Tucci still couldn''t understand why, if the enemy had no strength to fight a battle here, they would construct a low wall overnight. What was the reason? Merely to express their determination to resist or attempt to deter the invaders?


    He thought to himself, as the troops belonging to Viscount Romel, forming a rectangular array, had already begun scaling the embankment beneath the low wall, driven by the stirring beat of the drums.


    No gunfire was heard, only the sporadic sound of artillery echoed on the battlefield. Even the smell of gunpowder Tucci was accustomed to was not intense at this moment.


    It appeared he had been overly concerned. Tucci thought silently to himself. He knew Fisheo was a tough general, but he hadn''t expected the man to be a merely a fool with an empty reputation.


    Knowing that resistance was futile, and the outcome of the war had already been decided over Shireck''s wine table, this Fisheo still fancied he could single-handedly turn the tide of the entire war...


    The Suthers commander, riding a tall horse, carried his saber on his shoulder, letting his warhorse walk at a leisurely pace, flanking his own soldiers, step by step approaching the roadbed.


    In anticipation, the scene where the enemy would fire from behind the low walls did not materialize, and of course, he was also unaware of the damned term "reverse slope."


    He did not know that even in the twentieth century, when weaponry greatly advanced, in the face of superior enemy firepower, a reverse slope was still the first line of defense for the disadvantaged, still a shameless tactic that caused headaches for attackers.


    So, although the battlefield was noisy, not a single shot could be heard. It seemed, on the other side of the low wall, the Northern Ridge had not a single soldier left.


    Fraught with unease, he finally reached the base of the roadbed without shedding any blood. He felt that Lady Luck stood on his shoulder, that this time the credit would surely go to him and his battalion.


    Hence, the Suthers commander dismounted, lifted his commanding saber, and shouted loudly, "Climb over this! Long live Suthers!"


    "Long live Suthers! Long live the King! Long live Suthers!" After encountering no resistance as they had imagined, these Suthers soldiers were also extremely excited. They rushed forward, weapons in hand, towards the low wall that seemed not very sturdy.


    When the first Suthers soldier climbed onto the top of the low wall, he still did not see an enemy. He leapt down excitedly from the wall-head, onto the soft roadbed beside the muddy soil, and stepped onto the uneven dirt road.

 Chapter 97: 97 jumping over the wall

    More and more Suthers soldiers jumped over the low wall, taking their stance on the dirt road, appearing incredibly relaxed as they were almost certain that their enemy seemed to have departed.


    Thus, the formation was in disarray, and this unit full of vulnerabilities due to their lowered guard collided with the soldiers from the Northern Ridge new recruits'' camp on the other side of the road embankment.


    They didn''t expect the enemy to be on the other side of the road embankment, nor did they think the enemy would abandon the high ground to conceal themselves on such an uncomfortable path behind the road.


    The officer, who was waiting for his men to bring his horse as he held his command saber, was about to shout at the soldiers who had climbed over the wall to get back into formation, when he saw a row of soldiers in uniforms he had never seen before rising up from the other side.


    What shocked him even more was that these unfamiliar soldiers were all carrying brand new rifles!


    He instinctively raised his saber, only to see the dark muzzles in front of him spew out a dense puff of white smoke.


    Next, he felt an excruciating blow to his chest, a force so great it pushed him back several steps.


    The Suthers officer touched his chest, and then saw his palm, drenched in blood. His command saber was nowhere to be found, and his strength was rapidly waning.


    Amidst the white smoke, he looked towards his troops, where the neatly-dressed Suthers soldiers were sprawling on their backs¡ª one drummer sat on the ground clutching his thigh, screaming until he went hoarse.


    The soldiers who had just leapt over the low wall were hardly prepared when a barrage of bullets struck them head-on, riddling their bodies with holes.


    As the Suthers soldiers armed with flintlock guns were about to return fire, those damn unseen Northern Ridge soldiers in front of them passed their weapons to the comrades behind them and received another prepared Quick Gun in return.


    "Bang!" They aimed and fired their rifles through the rising mist with a smoothness that sent chills down the spine.


    This was the result of Tang Mo''s continuous training of these Northern Ridge hunters over the past two months; they were repeating motions, muscle memory of movements meant for killing.


    In fact, this was also thanks to the fact that before being trained, most of these soldiers had been rangers or hunters of the Northern Ridge, having hunted and seen bloodshed¡ªthough it wasn''t human blood, it greatly reduced the fear that came with their first battle.


    After another barrage of gunfire, the Suthers soldiers who had climbed the wall were few in numbers. Groans and screams of agony filled the air, along with cries and pleas for mercy.


    "I surrender! Don''t shoot!" One soldier, lifting an arm, knelt on the ground, crying out in despair. Another lay wailing a woman''s name.


    The Suthers officer knelt on the ground, his consciousness beginning to blur, when he saw a young man, with a bandoleer bound over his coat and a bayonet hanging at his waist, walk up to him. The youth excitedly pulled from his waist the beautifully crafted pistol carved with his family crest.


    And then, before he lost all consciousness, he heard the young man call out to the peasants behind him, "Look what I got! It''s this officer''s! Now it''s mine!"


    ...


    According to the organization of the Suthers Kingdom''s military, an infantry battalion has six field guns, ranging from 60 to 80 in caliber. Excluding the soldiers serving the field guns, subtracting the drivers, logistics, medics, and laborers, there were only a little more than three hundred riflemen.


    The square formation of just three hundred soldiers had mostly scaled the low wall, and barely more than a hundred had actually escaped back.


    This meant that Viscount Romel''s 1st Battalion had essentially suffered over half casualties and lost its combat effectiveness.


    While Viscount Romel was bombarding the wall to embolden himself, the knight who had spoken for him earlier came riding back, bringing General Tucci''s orders: "Viscount sir! General Tucci orders your men to continue the attack..."


    "Damn fool!" Viscount Romel cursed furiously, clenching his fist, then he turned to his adjutants: "Go! Order the 2nd Battalion to attack! Don''t stop the artillery fire! We''ll consider what to do once they get close to that damn low wall!"


    Tang Mo surveyed his troops along the roadbed. Dressed in cotton coats and equipped with full gear, these soldiers seemed to have high morale after an easy victory.


    At the very back, soldiers were busy loading the K1 Quick Guns. Below their feet were dugout "earholes," used to store ammunition.


    In front of them stood the ready reserve, constantly poised to hand their weapons to the first line of shooters. They were responsible for continuously passing weapons to the shooters, allowing them to fire non-stop and inflict casualties on the enemy.


    Their coordination was seamless because this tactic was not unusual, but it wasn''t as effective in a formal lineup battle between two armies.


    However, at this moment, Tang Mo''s tactics were just right for this kind of trench warfare, and naturally, they were extremely powerful.


    On the road, nearly two hundred Suthers soldiers'' corpses lay haphazardly, fully demonstrating the effectiveness of Tang Mo''s tactics.


    "What about the injured? Have they all been treated?" Tang Mo asked, turning to Luff.


    "Two soldiers were injured when they were hit by fragments from a shell that cracked the wall during reconnaissance... but neither of them is seriously hurt," Luff replied with a pleased expression. "More than the wounded, what I''m worried about is our flank."


    Just moments ago, he had used 120 soldiers and a low wall to easily break an enemy battalion''s charge! Moreover, the soldiers of this company almost created a myth of routing the enemy with no casualties!


    "There''s nothing to worry about, I''ve given Redman two companies and six cannons. I asked him to move south and block the enemy coming from the north. If he can''t do that, we''d just have to run, wouldn''t we?" Tang Mo looked at Wes, revealing a sly smile.


    Wes, who was walking behind Tang Mo, also smiled, nodded to Tang Mo, and said, "You''re right, sir. When the time comes, I''ll make sure to run first."


    Tang Mo extended his hand and patted Luff on the arm: "Listen to that cannon fire... it seems their second attack is about to begin."


    "Let them come! No matter how many they send, it''s just a death sentence," Luff was about to speak when Wes, who for the first time felt that a large-scale battle could be won so easily, laughed and said to Tang Mo.


    "I''m thankful that the fool opposite arrived a day earlier than we did and let us have such good terrain," Tang Mo looked at the rubble-strewn low wall on the ridge road and exclaimed with relief, "It seems, the Suthers Kingdom really doesn''t have the luck to win this war!"

 Chapter 99: 99 changes

    Tucci was filled with curiosity about this Northern Ridge Troops his forces faced, and he even thought they might be the most elite legion from Northern Ridge.


    Even more, he once judged that it was Lord Earl himself from Northern Ridge who, with a small number of troops, had tied down Suthers''s forces at the front and personally led the most elite Northern Ridge Legion southward to confront him.


    Through his telescope, he had witnessed the collapse of Romel''s legion, which had, surprisingly, secured a victory with ease after two consecutive charges.


    "It seems Viscount Romel won''t have the chance to fulfill his promise," the adjutant standing by Tucci''s side said to his superior.


    "Indeed!" Tucci rarely shifted his gaze from the low wall, and with some regret mixed with excitement, he said, "It seems the forces on the other side are no mere medley of troops."


    "We underestimated them before," the adjutant agreed with a nod after hearing Tucci''s words, "The enemy is obviously very well-prepared."


    This statement wasn''t exactly accurate, and Tucci didn''t quite agree with it in his mind either. If the enemy was indeed well-prepared for a defensive battle here, why would they have let that useless Viscount Romel arrive here first yesterday?


    In fact, Tang Mo also had no choice; his troops were too heavily equipped, and despite dozens of carts, the marching speed was not fast.


    His ability to arrive at the crossroads, albeit barely, was already an accomplishment. Forcing his trained troop to march quickly might compromise their combat effectiveness upon reaching the crossroads.


    "Now that we cannot rely on Romel, it''s all on us," Tucci turned to the several officers standing beside him, his gaze falling on a valiant officer, "Since frontal attacks won''t break through, why not try a flank assault? The battle has progressed to this point, and there''s been no sound from the flanks... Isn''t that strange?"


    He also speculated that the enemy''s main force was stationed near the village and that the road was merely a feint.


    That''s why the frontal battlefield had been engaged for so long without a single gunshot from the flanks. As a renowned general on the battlefield, Tucci found this situation quite illogical.


    Moreover, he had calculated the distinctive gunfire on the front, which, according to its intensity, meant that the enemy had deployed at least 200 people over there.


    Similarly, referencing the military organization of the era, the number of infantry a battalion could use would be around 300 people, a figure unlikely to be much higher.


    That is to say, even if the enemy had the strength of a battalion, it was essentially all deployed on the front, holding positions near the village.


    For Tucci, this was in line with the tactical purpose of relying on the village to mount a defense, so he was almost certain that the enemy seemed to have concentrated their main force at the village and the low wall.


    Furthermore, he had roughly guessed the purpose of the enemy''s construction of that low wall: the enemy had no cannons, so they hoped to use this peculiar tactic to compensate for their lack of, or possibly complete absence of, artillery firepower.


    As a veteran general, he quickly found the flaw in such tactical deployment: concentrating forces could indeed create local superiority, but exposed the flanks, an obvious disadvantage.


    At the same time, without the support of heavy firepower, once Suthers''s forces were fully deployed, the disadvantage of inferior artillery would become apparent, making it impossible to counteract no matter what.


    Consequently, he almost immediately made battlefield arrangements, prepared to rapidly expand the area of contact between the two forces, fully exposing the enemy''s disadvantage due to insufficient troop strength.


    "I''ll leave this to you," Tang Mo said to Luff as the attendant brought over the warhorse. "Your opponent here is just a straw man. Just hold this position and wait for our return. Don''t be nervous!"


    "Lord, I will hold the line until you return," Luff promised.


    "Good!" Without saying much else, Tang Mo took the reins from the attendant and mounted the horse with some difficulty. "Follow me, Wes!"


    Wes also mounted his horse, following Tang Mo''s lead, "As you wish, my lord!"


    "Do you think... we have a chance of winning?" Tang Mo, without looking back, charged down the roadbed toward Redman''s troops in the distance.


    "I think there''s still time to run," Wes quipped, providing Tang Mo with the safest option. "You''re just a merchant. There''s no need to take risks."


    "If I ran today, then for the rest of my life, I would be just a merchant," Tang Mo said seriously to Wes. "A merchant who could sell anything; don''t you think that''s tragic?"


    "Being dead is even more tragic," Wes shrugged.


    "One must take a gamble, right? In life, we''re always a bit discontented, aren''t we?" Tang Mo said with a laugh, spurring his horse to gallop forward.


    "Do you know why I must fight this battle today? Because I''ve expanded production, trained students, and recruited workers... if no one buys our weapons, everything ends!" Tang Mo explained while galloping, not looking back.


    His resolute voice echoed across the wilderness: "So today, I must win here! My weapons must become the sole hope for victory! The sound of my guns must be heard by the entire world! Let them remember a name... Great Tang Weapons Group!"


    "You''re right!" Wes easily caught up on horseback with the less experienced rider, Tang Mo. "I find that following you, I become crazier and crazier."


    Tang Mo didn''t respond but simply laughed heartily.


    Redman, who had kept his unit concealed and unengaged as previously agreed, anxiously set down his binoculars. An intelligence soldier had just brought news that less than a kilometer to the south of his position, an enemy troop had begun to cross over the roadbed.


    Unable to wait for Tang Mo''s orders, Redman knew he had to do something to buy precious time.


    So he looked at his signal officer and commanded loudly, "Prepare for battle!"


    The signal officer saluted him and ran toward the direction where the troops were stationed.


    Afterward, some officers who heard the order stood up from behind the half-human-high weeds, sticking out their heads as their hoarse voices echoed across the open field: "All rise! Prepare for battle!"


    "Rest is over! Check your weapons! Prepare for battle!" Soon more shouts joined in, and in patches, soldiers stood up from the grass, looking over toward the enemy on the roadbed.


    Just as Redman tensely prepared to issue more orders, a relieving shout came from behind him: "Lord! Lord Tang Mo has arrived! He and Lord Wes have come!"

 Chapter 100: 100, thats money!

    Tang Mo rode his tall horse across the no longer soft wilderness, passing in front of the soldiers of the two companies, loudly encouraging them, "Gentlemen! I am a foreigner! I was born in Brunas and only recently got to know you, train you, lead you into battle..."


    This time was different from just before. Although those were also recruits who had never seen war, they had cover and did not need to attack, so their psychological pressure was necessarily ten times smaller or even more.


    Now, he was about to lead these recruits to confront the enemy troops head-on, even to break the opponent, so he must rally the troops before the battle, to elicit a bit more adrenaline from these new soldiers.


    Tang Mo spurred his horse and said loudly in front of the soldiers of the two square formations, "If we are defeated here today, your homes will be burnt to the ground, your wives and daughters will become the playthings of others, your children will be slaves for their entire lives! And all I need to do is return home, lie in my bed, and shed two cheap tears for your suffering."


    While he was saying this, behind the two infantry squares, the artillery recruits had already begun unloading the shells from the wagons.


    On the side of the wagons, six C64 cannons were lined up. These howitzers, designed and constructed from Krupp blueprints, used gun steel made from remelted and reinforced naval artillery materials, and all the small parts inside were hand-polished by Mathews.


    By the standards of this era, these weapons were definitely advanced enough to be enviable, and they had never roared in real war before.


    Regrettably, of the artillerymen who operated these cannons, only 15 soldiers and three officers had real cannon-firing experience, and now, they were divided into groups of three, each manning one of the six powerful cannons.


    Among these artillerymen with almost no firing experience, there were even three elves, because they had used naval guns on armed merchant ships, and that counted as some real combat experience.


    Tang Mo hoped that advanced weaponry could enhance the combat effectiveness of these new soldiers, make up for their numerical shortage, as well as their inferiority in experience.


    The good news was, at least the breech-loading cannon shells Tang Mo had were equipped with set charges, and the loading of the shells followed a fixed procedure¡ªthis reduced the impact of the recruits'' lack of experience on the precision and safety of using the cannon.


    It was precisely for this reason that Tang Mo kept bellowing here. He was not only trying to bolster others'' courage but also trying as much as possible to psych himself up, "So, this is your war! But I, Tang Mo! I have come here! I have met you! I feel that I should, and I must, lead you...


    to victory!"


    Behind Tang Mo were the Suthers soldiers who were crossing the embankment, capable of vaguely seeing some people gathering here but not really having a good way to respond for the moment.


    The distance between the two sides was neither far nor close. Both were also still organizing their own troops, a bit confused, a bit reluctant to face reality.


    Tang Mo here needed to boost morale, needed to build up courage to challenge the Suthers'' troops. On the other side, the Suthers troops, obviously, had not realized that they would encounter enemy forces here.


    According to earlier deductions, Northern Ridge was unlikely to have a reserve force left here, so when they discovered the two new companies under Redman''s command, Tucci''s confidant was utterly dumbfounded.


    He immediately ordered the messengers to take this information back to Tucci, while organizing his troops, ready for a defensive stance on the spot.


    He felt assured of his victory since the enemy only had the strength of half a battalion. If the enemy had maintained their distance and held their ground, they might have been able to hold out for a while, but now being forced into battle, they had evidently lost the advantage of a defensive position.


    After crossing the embankment, he began to regroup his forces, and by this moment, they had secured their footing.


    His cannons were deployed, his troops had formed their ranks. Under these circumstances, the enemy''s attack was simply suicidal.


    As a fierce warrior of Suthers, he was confident that even if it were the main force of Northern Ridge with comparable strength, he could hold his position here without retreating half a step!


    So he looked toward the enemy artillery in the distance. There, including the reinforced gunners assigned to him, 10 cannons surrounded by soldiers were all busy loading.


    At the soldiers'' feet lay kegs of gunpowder and spherical cannonballs, with the firers holding up their torches, waiting for the command to open fire.


    Just then, a thunderous roar suddenly erupted from the sparse enemy artillery positions.


    "Boom!" The enemy''s artillery sounded mighty, startling the Suthers warrior into instinctively shrinking his neck.


    Six cannonballs with a whistling sound flew over the heads of Suthers'' troops, their piercing screeches causing the entire formation of Suthers to uncontrollably waver.


    The cannonballs did not fall into Suthers'' formation, for the parameters were incorrect; they all flew past the ranks, continuing on until they crashed into the sloping embankment and then detonated on impact.


    "Boom! Boom!" The explosions of the six cannonballs came from behind Suthers'' troops, and the subsequent billowing black smoke and spurting dirt compelled the Suthers soldiers to involuntarily turn back to look.


    With one glance, they utterly forgot they were on a battlefield, as they stared blankly at the dust kicked up by the blasts falling like raindrops, some hardly able to believe that this destruction was caused by the enemy''s fire.


    At that moment, the Suthers warrior was also dumbfounded, watching the exploding cannonballs, and even forgot he was commanding a battle.


    Meanwhile, at the Northern Ridge artillery position, an artillery commander cursed in frustration, "Damn it! Wrong parameters! Overshot! Idiots! Adjust the firing parameters! Quick!


    The angle is off! Adjust fast!"


    Hearing the command, all the artillerymen scrambled, some turning the wheels on their cannon mounts, some re-opening the artillery breeches on the side of the cannon barrels, and others congregating to cross-check their calculation formulas.


    Seeing that the first volley had gone awry, Tang Mo felt his heart bleeding¡ªthose were the shells he''d scrimped and saved to accumulate! There were only a few to begin with! And now you''ve just wasted six in one go? That''s money! Money! Fellas!


    ----------

 Chapter 101: 101 Intense Collisions

    Tang Mo''s contingent of more than 600 people had about 70 who were hastily recruited, and these hundred or so were basically untrained, nearly equivalent to a bought "suicide squad."


    Even calling them a suicide squad is not quite right because they were not the kind to fight to the death; even when Tang Mo was recruiting them, he never mentioned anything about sending them to their deaths.


    He recruited them as odd-job workers, coachmen, army cooks, and laborers. In short, they were without much combat ability.


    Moreover, to cultivate his own direct line of followers, he had also brought out a youth class of about 40 boys, who also lacked any fighting capability.


    They had only undergone semi-military training and had received shooting training on the way here, their combat effectiveness was practically zero.


    This youth corps didn''t accompany the regular troops in combat; instead, they followed the artillery squad, learning how to operate cannons and getting accustomed to the wartime atmosphere.


    In fact, this combat platoon composed of children was overseen by a commander selected from among the students'' parents. Their purpose here wasn''t to fight but to monitor Tang Mo and ensure these children weren''t abandoned on the battlefield at critical moments.


    Expecting these children to fight was obviously unrealistic, so Tang Mo''s actual combat forces were pretty much just a few dozen artillerymen, three seriously trained Infantry Companies who had seen bloodshed, 40 Cavalry, and some elite Rangers.


    So, to be precise, this force totaled just over 500 people, minus a number of artillery loaders who were practically there to make up the numbers, perhaps not even reaching 500.


    This force had just arrived at the triple junction a few hours earlier; the artillery had no time for on-site reconnaissance, nor had they conducted test-firings.


    In terms of weaponry, they did indeed possess the most advanced cannons and rifles in the world, but apart from the weapons, they were all just green recruits.


    This is why they attempted a volley fire at the first chance they got, and it''s also why their first volley went astray.


    Standing at the artillery position, Redman was infuriated and bellowed at several ashamed officers, pointing to the rising black smoke in the distance and shouting, "It''s only that far, and you still missed?"


    He was so angry he wanted to kick them, grinding his teeth as he demanded, "Wasn''t each one of you boasting that you could hit targets more than 3 kilometers away? Keep boasting!"


    Those were six artillery shells! Do you know how much one of those shells costs? Tang Mo had boasted on the way here that these artillerymen were precious, like hard-to-come-by golden eggs!


    Based on the cost estimate, because the cannons were only in trial production and not yet mass-produced, and because the materials were laboriously melted down and recast, each one was priced sky-high.


    A single cannon cost 300 Gold Coins, and even if Lord Earl of Northern Ridge had liquidated his entire estate, he could have only bought five, while Tang Mo now had six equipped.


    MVLeMpYr-the-story-platform


    Each shell, especially the fuse part, was handcrafted by high-level technicians like Mathews, and Tang Mo himself had assembled the fuses of more than a dozen shells¡ªsuch intricate work that a single fuse would cost upwards of 3 Gold Coins.


    In a panic, this Suthers soldier fired his gun without waiting for the command, aiming at the new recruits of Tang Mo''s camp from far away.


    This gunshot also reminded many more Suthers soldiers of a fact: two enemy lines of soldiers were advancing towards them in neat steps.


    "Hold your fire! They''re still at a distance! Hold your fire!" A Suthers officer, hoping to prevent his somewhat flustered troops from acting rashly, waved his Longsword and yelled loudly in the ranks.


    Tucci''s confidant, a general standing at his own position, had also regained his composure by this time. He now quickly assessed his battlefield situation and found that the advantage was still on his side.


    On one hand, although the enemy''s artillery was somewhat mysterious and the explosions made him uneasy, that round of bombardment had passed.


    Theoretically, those enemy cannons wouldn''t fire again for a few minutes considering the loading speed.


    Moreover, it was evident that the enemy had never experienced battle¡ªtheir infantry and artillery cooperation had obvious gaps. Their infantry was still halfway there, and by the time they got close, the enemy''s second round of artillery might not even be ready.


    Another point gradually reassured him¡ªthe idiot commanding the enemy''s infantry seemed to lack combat experience.


    Normally, an attacking team would form in three rows or simply use a square formation, which ensures firepower density and helps prevent immediate collapse from losses.


    Clearly, the enemy''s commander hadn''t realized this, forming only two horizontal ranks, although in squares, they looked dangerously thin.


    Such a flimsy battle line could be penetrated by a single volley, scattering the enemy''s formation and leaving them without any significant fighting power.


    With these two advantages, Tucci''s confidant felt he could still hold the line. However, the recent explosion still left him somewhat shaken.


    So, he grabbed a nearby messenger, and asked anxiously, "That messenger who was sent to rush the reinforcements¡ªhas he left? Has he delivered the message to Lord Tucci?"


    The messenger shook his head; he was no clairvoyant to know where his colleague, who had set out earlier, was at that very moment.


    The battlefield changes in the blink of an eye; the man might have died en route, might not have found Tucci, or might have sprained an ankle and lost his way¡ªwho knows?


    "You! Go now! Rush! Send a reminder! Inform General Tucci about our situation here! Quickly, go now!" He released the messenger, who immediately turned and ran off.


    On the other side of the battlefield, Tang Mo, who was following the side of the troops, advancing step by step forward, saw a plume of white smoke rise from the enemy''s square and heard a sharp gunshot. Seeing that no one had fallen, he breathed a sigh of relief and shouted loudly, encouraging all the soldiers, "Steady! Gentlemen! Our toughness is like Northern Ridge''s steel!


    Our blood could ignite Northern Ridge''s coal!"


    "This is our home! A home no one can take from us! Let these bastards taste what Northern Ridge''s bullets feel like!" He stepped through the underbrush, watching the enemy''s formation drawing ever closer. He nagged tirelessly, trying as best as he could to relax.

 Chapter 102: 102 I am with you

    ```


    Tang Mo''s battle line was wider than normal, which could fully exploit the advantages of having rifles with faster rates of fire and more powerful gunfire.


    However, to an opponent unaware of the existence of breech-loading rifles, his battle line seemed far too loose, almost like child''s play.


    But he knew, and his soldiers knew, just how strong their striking power was when spread out like this.


    "Fire! Fire!" As Tang Mo led his troops forward towards the Suthers forces, Tucci''s confidant finally gave the order.


    Accompanying his command, white smoke belched from the artillery position at his side, and a row of shells charged toward Tang Mo''s line of soldiers.


    "Boom!" The enormous roar of the cannons, along with the whistling shells, pierced through Tang Mo''s formation, directly bisecting a soldier at the forefront.


    He didn''t even have time to scream before his upper body was flung out, splattering blood on the face of the soldier behind him, startling him.


    Tang Mo also panicked a little, as it was his first time standing under the enemy''s cannon fire. Although he had killed before and witnessed gunfire and bullets, this firsthand experience in war made him nervous.


    On the battlefield, guns and cannons were blind, and no matter how safe one was, death could come in the next second. Tang Mo didn''t want to die, because he had already died once before.


    But he had his business; he was responsible for the workers still in the Brunas factory, he was responsible for these Northern Ridge hunters who followed and trusted him, and he was responsible for himself!


    Kneel and submit to Shireck? Serve as a dog to those damned Nobility? What a joke! Beg on my knees for life? No! Never!


    I will stand and make money, not kneel and be bullied! I alone decide my fate!


    With that thought, Tang Mo gritted his teeth, picked up a Tang''s K1 Quick Gun, and continued to walk forward step by step with the soldiers beside him. While walking, he shouted loudly against the whistling shells, "Hold steady! I stand with you!"


    "Boom!" Another shell smashed into the ground, raising a cloud of dirt and sending gusts over the heads of Tang Mo''s soldiers.


    After the shell passed, Tang Mo continued to advance, continuing to encourage his soldiers, "Advance! Follow the flag!"


    At this point, the advantage of Tang Mo''s shallow, double-ranked advancement formation became apparent. The same shell, if it had plowed into a square formation, would have caused massive casualties, but when it hit Tang Mo''s formation, at best it could only kill two or three soldiers.


    With today''s solid iron cannonballs, unless they landed right in the middle of a group of people, their lethality was far less than that of shrapnel shells. As a result, Tang Mo''s new recruits were able to advance about 100 meters, despite the enemy''s artillery fire.


    "Halt the advance!" Finally, Tang Mo knew that his opportunity had come. His breech-loading rifles used a sealed bolt, which was far more airtight than the flintlock rifles that naturally had a priming hole.


    Moreover, when used in combination with Minie? balls and rifled barrels, the breech-loaders were vastly more accurate than flintlocks, giving Tang Mo a significant advantage in range.


    He dared to order a volley at around 100 meters, while the enemy would usually open fire at about 50 meters.


    "Second rank, aim! Fire!" The two company commanders passed by Tang Mo and Wes, chin held high, loudly issuing the command to fire once again.


    And the second rank of soldiers likewise raised their rifles, aiming at the distant Suthers formations and pulling their triggers.


    Tang Mo was somewhat nervous; standing his ground, he opened the breech and, with a brush he held ready in his hand, shakily cleaned the powder residue from his gun''s barrel.


    By his ear, the second round of gunfire already resounded; he didn''t know the damage done because his eyes were fixed on his own clumsy fingers.


    With the first volley of gunfire, the outer Suthers soldiers fell in swathes, shocked to discover the precision of the bullets flying from such a distance.


    They huddled together, eyes widened at the sight of their fallen comrades, at the blood spraying their blue uniforms, at the pained screams as they clutched their bellies.


    "They''re firing at us! They''re firing at us!" A Suthers soldier pushed aside his comrades, trying to squeeze deeper into the safety of the formation.


    "Steady! Keep calm!" A Suthers officer, indifferent to the corpses at his feet, vociferously maintained the order of his formation.


    Unfortunately, his efforts were essentially in vain because his formation had already been thrown into disarray by the recent cannonball, rendering him unable to effectively control his men any longer.


    "Bang!" A Suthers soldier could no longer hold back; he raised his weapon and fired toward the direction of the enemy lines.


    Then, as if inspired, all the Suthers soldiers disregarded their commanders'' scoldings and shouts, recklessly raised their weapons and pulled their triggers.


    The sound of their indiscriminate shooting melded into one, and then they were astonished to find that almost none of the enemy, standing not far from them, fell.


    The Suthers soldiers who had fired their shot began to reload; they set down their rifles, opened their powder horns, and started pouring gunpowder into the barrels of their flintlock guns.


    Some forgot to clean their barrels, some were so nervous they spilled their powder; the whole formation was in chaos, beyond any effective command.


    "Damn it!" Watching everything unfold before him, Tucci''s confidant cursed. He knew the tide had turned, and all he could do now was rely on overwhelming numbers to delay the collapse.


    With this realization, he cursed again in frustration: "Damn it!"


    Just as he was cursing, the second round of gunfire from Tang Mo''s troops suddenly came, and another group of soldiers standing in front of him fell, the air on the battlefield becoming thick with the stench of blood.


    "Where are the cannons? Where are the cannons? Quick! Bring up the cannons! Quick!" As if suddenly awakened, he finally remembered that he had canister shot to try, he still had artillery to resist. read-only-on-MvLeMpYr


    At this distance, it was about the effective range of canister shot; he still had a chance! He had a chance to turn defeat into victory... a chance!


    As everyone bustled to start moving the heavy, cumbersome cannons, the third volley shattered everyone''s illusions.


    In the midst of gunfire that seemed to shriek like devils, someone finally recognized what was so unique about that gunfire: "What the hell is that? How can they reload so quickly?"


    Another wave of Suthers soldiers fell... Now, the reason the Suthers formations had not yet collapsed was actually because things had happened too quickly, leaving everyone in a state of bewildered inertia.

 Chapter 103: 103 rout

    A Suthers soldier standing in the ranks was desperately trying to pour the gunpowder into the barrel of his musket, occasionally lifting his head to see his comrades falling one after another beside him.


    Indeed, he could no longer concentrate on reloading his ammunition, because he felt that the speed at which his comrades were falling was just too fast.


    Every time he heard that distinctive gunfire and then subconsciously lifted his head, he could see swathes of soldiers screaming as they fell.


    His hands wouldn''t stop trembling and no longer obeyed his commands; he could only force himself to calm down as much as possible, but found himself in utter despair, realizing that he could not do it.


    "Bang!" Yet another volley of gunfire ensued, and a bullet struck his chest. His body swayed, and then he collapsed in a whirl.


    Powerlessly, he crashed onto the corpse of a comrade and then subconsciously tried to lift his arm to cover the wound, but his arm only lifted halfway before it helplessly fell down again.


    A Suthers commander ran desperately to his superior officer, pointing at the enemy battle line that was not far off, and shouted despondently, "Lord, Lord Earl!"


    MVLeMpYr-unofficial-text


    "What?" Tucci''s confidant felt as if a large stone was pressing on his chest, making it difficult to breathe, and asked subconsciously.


    "Bang!" As he asked this question, a puff of white smoke rose from the enemy''s position in the distance.


    And soon, the thin double line of forces advanced once more, casting the white smoke behind them. These Northern Ridge soldiers, dressed in greyish-green coats, maintained their neat steps, and up to this point, their ranks hadn''t been thrown into disarray for a moment.


    Tucci''s confidant brandished his longsword and, somewhat at a loss, looked toward his subordinates, pointing loudly at the distant battlefield and demanding, "What? What''s going on? Why have they opened fire again? Aren''t our soldiers, soldiers still reloading?"


    Under normal circumstances, a commander should never show such panic on the battlefield.


    Because all soldiers are watching him, looking to their chief for the composed and calm demeanor necessary to sustain their willingness to fight on.


    But at this moment, this officer, handpicked by Tucci himself for command, was completely unable to remain composed.


    Because he had never seen such a terrifying scene before, the rate at which the enemy''s weapons were being reloaded was three times, even four times that of the Shireck Flintlock Gun!


    The battlefield was in chaos; another artillery shell whistled down into the Suthers'' ranks, and the explosion instantly scattered limbs and body parts everywhere. Panicking soldiers began to run in all directions, and the entire formation seemed to be out of control.


    "What is that? What kind of shell is that?" His mind was filled with such questions, but asking them would not yield an answer, as all Suthers commanders were completely disoriented.


    They did not know how to handle the situation before them, nor did they know what they should do. They did not know whether to order a retreat or to continue with their futile efforts.


    "Bang!" Behind them, Tang Mo led his soldiers forward steadily. They were unhurried, strolling as if on a leisurely hunt.


    Wes put down the K1 Quick Gun in his hand, looking at the unattended black cannon before him with a sense of unreality.


    He carried his weapon over to Tang Mo''s side and saw the other standing with his weapon aimed at a group of Suthers soldiers who were kneeling on the ground with their hands raised.


    "What...what''s going on?" Wes panted as he slung the gun onto his back and asked Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo shook his head: "We''ve won, what else could be happening."


    "And these people?"


    "Their legs have gone weak, they''re too scared even to run... Look, there''s at least 100 of them." Tang Mo curled his lip, disdainfully saying, "Our captives... later we''ll arrange for someone to take them away and guard them."


    "About 100 or so ran across to the other side of the embankment... the rest are all here." A company commander, carrying a longsword, came over and reported to Tang Mo: "Ten cannons, two damaged, the rest still functional, but... it won''t be easy to move these things."


    After finishing his report, he paused and added, "We have limited manpower, and the enemy might counterattack at any moment."


    As he spoke, he handed the exquisite longsword to Tang Mo: "Lord Earl, this is the highest commander''s longsword of this unit. He died amidst the chaos, struck in the forehead by a bullet, and was killed instantly."


    The longsword seemed to have a sense of history, clearly something like a family heirloom, with a complicated family crest carved on the scabbard and a small gem embedded in it.


    Tang Mo carelessly handed the longsword to Wes at his side: "Remind me later to give it to Lord Earl as a keepsake."


    "We''re exposed now, the enemy might not have reacted yet, but if they do and deploy more troops, it''ll still be trouble," Tang Mo said with furrowed brows, looking at the embankment scattered with shell craters and bodies.


    "Is there a solution?" Wes felt that to have fought like this in such a disadvantaged battle was already an unfortunate stroke of luck.


    "We must continue the attack!" Tang Mo pointed at the distant embankment and declared, "Attack! Find the enemy''s command node, and destroy it with the artillery!"


    "Those gunners just wasted 10 of your shells," Wes pointed out, indicating the craters on the embankment.


    "Twenty would be worth it!" Tang Mo smiled and then looked at another company commander who approached: "Bad news?"


    "We''ve lost four men, nine injured..." The company commander''s face was somewhat pale, his voice filled with sorrow as he handed a paper to Tang Mo, "But everyone did well, not a single person retreated..."


    "Everyone did well! All of them! All are heroes!" Tang Mo took the paper and tucked it into his pocket: "Rally the troops! Continue advancing! The platoon with the heaviest losses stays behind to take care of our compatriots'' bodies, look after the wounded... and watch these prisoners!"


    "Yes, sir!" The company commander saluted sharply and then blew the whistle hanging around his neck: "Assemble! Assemble! Check your weapons! Load your ammunition! Third Platoon stays behind to guard the prisoners and care for the wounded... the rest of you..."

 Chapter 104: Dont go off track on the 104.

    On the other side, in the military formation of Suthers, atop a gentle slope, Tucci was riding his warhorse, staring intently at the flanking battlefield enveloped in black smoke.


    His trusted troops had crossed the roadbed over there, but battle broke out quickly. Things were developing in a direction beyond his expectations, and they seemed to be growing increasingly out of control.


    That bizarre explosion and the unprecedented sound of gunfire filled Tucci with unease, until he saw a Knight galloping toward him, bringing news that somewhat shocked him.


    "General! There''s half a battalion of enemy forces on the other side of the road! Our troops are already lining up for battle!" the Knight reported the latest news and then stopped in place, waiting for Tucci''s command.


    Tucci looked toward another subordinate and immediately ordered, "Take men to reinforce them, wipe out that isolated force of the Northern Ridge!"


    No sooner had he finished speaking than the officer was preparing to lead men away. But at that moment, another Knight came rushing over, stopped next to Tucci, and reported loudly, "General! Captain Mars sent me to request reinforcements...the enemy..."


    "It''s too late..." Tucci said with a wry smile, shaking his head, "Mars is my most formidable commander, and he has sent out two messengers so quickly... The situation over there must be worse than I thought."


    While speaking, he turned to the subordinate who had just been about to lead the troops out: "Forced march! Leave the artillery! Get there as fast as you can and help Mars stabilize the front!"


    "Yes, General!" The officer left briskly with the orders, while in the direction of the village, another round of dense gunfire erupted, and the Legion led by Viscount Romel, which had just managed to organize a third charge, was again repulsed.


    The soldiers of Suthers, dirty and dispirited, seemed unable to muster the courage to climb over that seemingly frail low wall anymore.


    In this tiny crossroads, Suthers'' famed commander Tucci, along with the Viscount Romel-led 4,500 men and three Legions, were now mired in battle for almost two hours, still making no progress.


    "It''s not just a battalion! Absolutely not!" Tucci frowned, repeatedly scrutinizing the battlefields on both sides, then said to his adjutant, "It can''t be just one battalion! How could there be such sustained intense gunfire on both fronts?"


    "But... General, if the enemy has arranged half their forces here, doesn''t that mean on the main battlefield, a mere 800 of them are facing our army of 5,000?" the adjutant said, rather shocked.


    "Strange... Everything here oozes strangeness!" Tucci couldn''t make sense of it and complained to his adjutant in irritation, "Could it be that Northern Ridge actually has two legions? An army of 3,000?"


    "That might be possible..." the adjutant mused, "Fisheo is cunning and sly, probably hiding some forces and only revealing them at the critical moment..."


    "That''s why I hate these schemers the most." Tucci gripped the reins of his warhorse, gritting his teeth, "Those bastards from Shireck swore to me that Northern Ridge''s armories couldn''t possibly arm so many troops!"


    "They said they sent Northern Ridge a large batch of defective firearms, claiming that once the battle started, the Northern Ridge troops would collapse quickly..." he gestured toward the distant village as he spoke: "Yet at this insignificant crossroads, I''ve been held up by a force of over 700 men!"


    He did not yet know that Tang Mo''s force truly comprised only one battalion, which was just slightly overstrength, and not the familiar battalion-size he knew.


    In Tucci''s astonished gaze, the soldiers took only a dozen seconds to lift their rifles and pull the trigger once more against the nearby Suthers troops.


    The second volley arrived as expected, and Tucci felt his throat go dry, even shouting orders became a struggle.


    He even wanted to rush over, snatch a weapon from the hands of the enemy, and take a close look at what exactly it was.


    The aide-de-camp, seeing the chaos in the distance, turned to his superior. Seeing Tucci standing bewildered, he had no choice but to pluck up the courage and ask, "General! The enemy troops are crossing the road... Our troops are too disorganized, should we call a retreat?"


    "Have them retreat! Mas''s troops have collapsed... If he comes back, bring him to me," Tucci snapped back to his senses, grudgingly accepting the reality that the force he sent out in an attempt to encircle the enemy was pushed back by the enemy.


    The signalmen, receiving the order, immediately sprang into action. They rode their tall horses down from the hillock and dashed toward the chaotic crowd.


    What Tucci and his officers didn''t notice was that, in the distance on another high ground, which was by the road, Tang Mo stood there, watching the hillock full of knights, and put down his telescope.


    "Do you see that hillock over there?" Tang Mo pointed towards Tucci''s breakthrough position and turned to ask a soldier.


    "I see it! Sir!" The soldier immediately nodded to show that he had seen it clearly.


    "Calculate the parameters with me! Using the artillery position as the reference!" Tang Mo glanced at the intentionally chosen artillery trainee standing with him, and said, "You are the top of your class in artillery! Don''t be nervous! Just do what needs to be done."


    Tang Mo knew his troops were few, and it would be impossible to sweep the entire battlefield with casualties. It was practically impossible for just under 200 men to launch an attack and crush 2,000.


    So, he never expected his infantry to sweep the battlefield; all he wanted was to locate the enemy''s command post and bombard it with artillery fire.


    His artillery had a range of 3 kilometers, sufficient to cover the entire battlefield. As long as the parameters were calculated correctly and the firing data were accurate, he was confident that with his new artillery shells, he could take out the enemy''s command structure.


    This was his tactic, and also roughly the least costly option. Thus, he gave a thumbs-up towards the distant hillock.


    The artillery trainee not far from him also raised his thumb, starting to measure the distance. He was focused and dedicated, as if the fierce combat on the battlefield had nothing to do with him.


    Soon, Tang Mo braced a notebook against his waist and wrote down a set of coordinate parameters. The artillery trainee likewise jotted down a number and handed it to Tang Mo.


    The two numbers were very close, which indicated that there shouldn''t be any significant problem with the precision of this figure. Tang Mo tore off the page from his notebook, handed it together with the trainee''s note to a soldier holding a horse beside him: "Take this to Redman! Tell him, this time, don''t miss!"


    "Yes, sir!" The soldier mounted his horse, yanked the reins, and sprinted back in the direction they had come from.


    In the distance, Tucci stood on the hillock on his tall horse, just catching sight of a blurry figure standing on the road. He instinctively stared at the figure, who also seemed to sense that the shadow was observing him.

 Chapter 105: You can rest assured 105

    "Coordinate correction! Don''t get it wrong!" Beside the C64 cannon, an officer looked at his artillerymen, nervously reminding them.


    "This is our only chance, we can''t miss it! Check the parameters again! Hurry!" Nearby, the child soldiers, gathered in small groups, were verifying the slip of paper that had just been sent back from the front line.


    "If the measurements are correct, then the data is right," a child said after verifying repeatedly, tucking a pencil behind his ear.


    He too was clad in a coat, but unlike others, these coats were very expensive woolen coats. The fabric of these coats was costly, but they seemed exceptionally soft and warm.


    Only the most outstanding child soldiers from the schools were issued such coats as their uniform. Like the officers, they had to wear webbing belts, carry short swords engraved with the words "Loyalty" and "Bravery", and even their footwear were tall leather boots.


    Such gear made these children look striking and dashing¡ªthe once playful and unkempt youth started paying attention to personal hygiene as soon as they donned these outfits.


    "The two measurements are approximate, so they should be objective." Another child closed his notebook and nodded in agreement, "I think we can refer to both sets of parameters for a salvo."


    "I second that!" Another child lifted his head, rubbed his nose, and said.


    On the other side, an artilleryman, hunched over the cannon''s calibration table, carefully checked the angle he had adjusted, then straightened up and confidently confirmed to his superior, "Sir! Data verification complete! The numbers are correct!"


    "Fire!" Three artillery officers, three more battery commanders, and seven or eight verifying child soldiers nodded together, finally completing the meticulous verification work.


    "Fire the three cannons first! Adjust the impact points before proceeding with the salvo!" Ultimately, Redman decided to keep a safety margin just in case.


    He swung his arm forward, and with a fierce chop, the three C64 cannons roared mightily. A blaze emerged from the barrel, and the shells flew unstoppable towards the distance.


    The shrapnel shells fitted with impact fuses were already very similar in design to modern artillery shells. They tore through the air with a high-pitched screech, passing over the highway, flying over the heads of the retreating Suthers soldiers.


    For a moment, the battlefield seemed to quiet down. Tucci, observing the situation from the slope, faintly sensed a sound coming towards him.


    Yes, it seemed like a poorly formed sentence, but that was how he felt: a piercing sound growing nearer and nearer.


    Instinctively, he looked up at the sky, as his horse beneath him grew restless and paced around uncontrollably.


    Suddenly, a shell landed beside him, striking the ground. The fuse at the front of the shell ignited the simple detonator, which in turn set off the explosives inside the shell.


    The shell expanded rapidly beside the horse, its hard shell blown apart by the raging flames within, tearing apart and turning into lethal shrapnel.


    The dense shrapnel, accompanied by a shockwave as sharp as knives, swept up from below Tucci, swallowing him and his horse in an instant.


    Tucci felt his body uncontrollably tilt to one side, and all he could hear was the ringing of the explosion.


    He felt something cut through his right hand and was even more aware that his right foot, still in the stirrup, seemed to be broken by a powerful force.


    Those standing in his way had more advanced weapons, which indicated that this whole incident was a conspiracy¡ªa complete, total conspiracy!


    No wonder the Leite Kingdom had been defeated so cleanly, no wonder Shireck had been so eager to press him southward into battle.


    This affair was likely a conspiracy against Suthers Kingdom! It was those old bastards of the Shireck Consortium, along with the treacherous King of Leite Kingdom, who were scheming against Suthers Kingdom!


    Shireck was preparing to use a war of epic scale to sell their new weapons, and the Leite Kingdom would seize vast territories of Suthers Kingdom! Only Suthers, only the Suthers Kingdom that thought it was the hunter when it was actually the prey, was the victim!


    So, Tucci, having just regained a trace of strength, and not knowing where this energy came from, extended his left hand, enduring the heart-wrenching pain, and grabbed the arm of the officer holding him.


    His breath was as thin as a thread, and as he opened his mouth, it was filled with teeth broken from the fall and warm blood.


    "Puh!" He spat out the blood and broken teeth, desperately holding onto the officer''s arm, using his last moments of clarity to ponder the way forward for Suthers.


    "Go... hurry... go! We''ve been... tricked... by Shireck...


    we''ve been... duped...," he strained to convey some critical words to the officer, hoping the other man could piece together the gist from these fragmented phrases.


    "Return... back to... Suthers..." he struggled to voice his innermost thoughts, but the words came out only in intermittent struggles.


    The officer holding him was now sobbing uncontrollably, nodding earnestly through hot tears, trying to etch these sentences or words into his memory.


    Blood seeped from beneath Tucci''s ribs, where the shrapnel had shattered his bones and destroyed his organs, leaving countless holes in his side.


    Some of these holes had been pierced by splashing shrapnel, others by flying rocks from the blasts, densely sprinkled over his blue uniform.


    "I''ve got it! General! I will carry your words back! I''ll tell His Majesty, I''ll tell the King!" The officer wept bitterly, holding Tucci''s hand even tighter.


    Tucci felt darkness encroaching before his eyes, and he stopped struggling, letting the hand gripping the officer fall powerlessly.


    He had toiled for this country his entire life, and now... it seemed he could finally rest.


    His eyelids drooped helplessly and finally closed, and his breathing, which had been gradually fading, ceased after its last rise and fall.


    "General! General!" The officer holding him shook the breathless Tucci, loudly calling out as if hoping his voice could beckon his commanding officer back.


    But such efforts were bound to be in vain.


    "Rest assured, General! I will definitely carry your last words back to King City..." The officer released Tucci''s body and, with teeth clenched in anger, vowed, "We will avenge this wrong!"


    He had just stood up when another shell landed at his feet. Before he could even look down to see what had fallen, the explosion completely engulfed him.

 Chapter 106: 106 is really a good thing

    The commanders of Suthers, of course, did not know that Tang Mo''s artillerymen, fearing that their volleys would not be precise if fired all at once, had split the volleys into two sequences.


    And when the first volley of three cannonballs came crashing down, they hit the earthen rampart directly, followed by the second round of three cannons'' barrage, which arrived after a short interval, to ensure the effectiveness of the attack.


    Again, three cannonballs landed on the earthen rampart, blowing Tucci and his horse''s remains to pieces, thereby also flinging the embracing officer''s body sky-high.


    The last words Tucci hoped to deliver to the King naturally vanished with the horrific explosion, and simultaneously, the dream of Suthers Kingdom engulfing Leite Kingdom dissipated into thin air.


    Tang Mo let out a sigh of relief, set down the telescope in his hand, and looked towards Wes standing beside him.


    Seeing the Suthers troops now in complete disarray, Wes also knew that they seemed to have won the battle. read-first-at-MVLeMpYr


    In fact, they truly had won. The Suthers troops, now leaderless, began a hasty retreat after a prolonged period of chaos.


    The 3,000 men advancing on the Northern Ridge from the southeast, the two legions personally led by Tucci, started retreating back towards the southeast along the road after nearly 1,000 casualties.


    They left behind the 40 field cannons they had brought along, abandoned 100 tents, and various other supplies, fleeing in utter disarray.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Viscount Romel rode atop his horse, receiving the first piece of good news he had heard that day.


    "What? Tucci is dead?" He looked at the messenger who had delivered the news, unable to hide the smile on his face.


    "Yes! My Lord! General Tucci has fallen in battle! You are now fighting a lone battle," said the messenger, somewhat regrettably.


    "This is truly regrettable news," said Viscount Romel with a smile, waving his hand to dismiss the messenger. No sooner had the man walked away than Romel broke into a broad grin.


    Tucci''s death meant no one could hold him responsible! For Viscount Romel, this was indeed good news.


    Besides, with Tucci falling in battle so quickly and his troops collapsing even faster than his own¡ªit was unlikely anyone would judge him based on his unsightly performance in battle.


    Although his troops had failed to seize the enemy''s position after four charges, they were at least on the offensive, while Tucci''s forces had already been routed!


    As for whether this war ended in victory or defeat, that was not something Viscount Romel concerned himself with¡ªwin or lose, he, a noble Viscount, would still live a life of luxury, wouldn''t he?


    "My Lord! With Tucci defeated and dead, we are now isolated. The enemy that vanquished Tucci might come down the road to strike us from both sides... we should make preparations early," reminded the knight who had previously spoken on behalf of Romel.


    Upon this reminder, Romel''s expression turned sour as he suddenly realized that his troops were indeed alone and faced the risk of being annihilated in a pincer attack.


    Previously, even though he was isolated, in the attack plan, his troops'' mission was merely to capture the road to cover their own forces¡ªa marginal task. The Northern Ridge did not have a second unit to attack him, so Viscount Romel was not afraid of being attacked and dared to lead his troops alone to the fork in the road.


    "Now, we still need to find people to watch over them... Basically, we can no longer continue to fight." The platoon leader glanced at Redman standing to the side and said with some reluctance.


    Tang Mo knew that with these prisoners in tow, his troops couldn''t possibly move quickly anymore. Fortunately, with Tucci dead, Tucci''s forces no longer had the courage to counterattack, so they were no longer at risk of being caught in a pincer.


    Thus, the remaining task was to defeat another group of Suthers troops trying to take the village. After that, this battle would be over.


    Thinking of this, Tang Mo also breathed a sigh of relief, because he could say he had completed the mission entrusted to him by the Earl to hold out for one day and one night in advance.


    He indeed had completed it. However, he had turned the defensive mission to hold the village into a counteroffensive that crushed the enemy forces.


    "Are we forgetting something?" Wes walked up to Tang Mo, licked his chapped lips with his tongue, and reminded him.


    Tang Mo slapped his forehead, only then remembering... He had a force that had yet to be deployed to battle...


    "Damn, Tagg, who was ambushed on the enemy''s retreat path, must have already engaged..." Tang Mo said, somewhat confused.


    After all, this was his first battle in command, so it was inevitable that it was full of flaws and frequent mistakes.


    But who could have anticipated that the battle would go so smoothly that Tang Mo would forget he had another troop in ambush...


    "I wonder how it''s going over there." Wes looked off into the distance, unsure whether he felt concern or envy.


    "Here, we still have a lot of things to deal with; let Tagg handle it himself!" Tang Mo glanced at a Shireck field gun lying not far away, his teasing tone was filled with a smug air.


    The Suthers forces that came up from the southeast numbered about 3,000 and they brought with them 50 artillery pieces. Some of these guns were captured from the Leite Kingdom, while others belonged to the Suthers forces'' own arsenal.


    Frankly, rather than calling Tucci''s reinforcement troops a combat force, it might be more fitting to call them a unit transporting artillery northward.


    This was also why Tucci, with 3,000 men at his disposal, only committed around 1,000 men to battle at the outset.


    Tucci''s artillery-laden unit, in their defeat, had no capacity to take their guns with them, so they were all abandoned on the battlefield.


    Apart from a few cannons that were blown up or deliberately sabotaged, Tang Mo captured over 40 field guns in one fell swoop.


    At this moment, he was still unaware that Romel''s forces on the other side, which had 18 field guns, had also abandoned their artillery and fled.


    Therefore, in this battle, Tang Mo miraculously captured a total of 60 cannons, which could be said to have made a fortune.


    If one were to also include the Shireck Flintlock Guns scattered across the battlefield, Tang Mo roughly estimated that just the munitions he had captured could almost recoup the cost of preparing for the war.


    "War... what a wonderful thing you are." Tang Mo gazed toward the main battlefield where Fisheo was in personal command to the north and murmured softly.

 Chapter 107: 107 Accidents can happen anywhere

    "I don''t even know what kind of battle we''re fighting here!" an exasperated Suthers general with a full beard slammed his military cap into his other hand.


    He looked angrily at his left wing, which was on the verge of collapse, and cursed loudly, "Are you all stupid pigs? Are you all stupid pigs?"


    Pointing at a legion that was near collapse, his angry voice made all the officers around him lower their heads, "A legion, overwhelmed by just 500 enemy troops, has lost three lines of defense! The Northern Ridge troops only number a third of ours, yet now it''s we who are desperately defending and they who are attacking!"


    "Did that guy Fisheo... actually take the initiative to attack... Did he figure out that our reinforcements are about to arrive?" the Suthers officer muttered to himself as he watched the distant collapsing defense line.


    His aide stood beside him, trying to console him, "General! Although we''re in a passive position, didn''t the messenger sent by General Tucci yesterday say that as long as we tie down Fisheo and prevent him from fleeing, we''ll be fine?"


    They had assembled 10,000 troops at Northern Ridge, while Fisheo had only 1,500. With a pincer move from both sides, Fisheo was bound to lose.


    In this situation, all they needed to do was to hold on and not be defeated by Fisheo in advance. As long as Fisheo couldn''t achieve a decisive victory, his Northern Ridge Legion would have no choice but to surrender their arms.


    "Besides, it''s not that our army is incompetent... There''s something fishy about the weapons of Fisheo''s troops!" said the aide, his tone filled with resentment.


    Having fought Fisheo''s troops all morning, they naturally understood why Fisheo''s forces were so ferocious.


    The weapons in the hands of these troops were not the familiar Shireck Flintlock Guns, but clearly a type of new weapon.


    As soon as the two sides engaged, the advantage of the enemy''s firepower density became apparent. A torrential downpour of bullets left the Suthers troops unable to catch their breath even now.


    Their first line of defense, a whole legion, quickly could not withstand the assault and collapsed completely under Fisheo''s attack.


    Having barely stabilized their position, the Suthers troops had just established a defensive formation when Fisheo''s troops turned their guns and fiercely attacked the Suthers'' left wing.


    With a company''s worth of concentrated force charging forward and the advantage in artillery at certain points, the Suthers troops were soon defeated again.


    From the start of the engagement until now, the Suthers troops, originally prepared to go on the offensive, had been fighting a defensive battle the entire morning, and one that crumbled upon contact at that.


    They had lost over a thousand men, particularly on the left wing, which was practically stunned into submission. Just the sight of Fisheo''s wolf banners made those Suthers troops instinctively retreat, not even daring to put up a struggle.


    So, the Suthers troops retreated 2 kilometers, clinging to a loss of over a thousand men, dragging Fisheo''s forces into the rhythm of a war of attrition.


    Fisheo was anxious too. He had promised Tang Mo that he would quickly end the main battlefield''s skirmishes and then lead his forces south to join Tang Mo in facing the enemy reinforcements coming from the southeast.


    More than 20 wagons, over 40 war horses, nearly 2,000 soldiers, just like that, dropped their arms and surrendered!


    Due to a shortage of hands, Tagg, who was escorting these Suthers troops to find Tang Mo, managed to bring back only about 1,000 men in the end.


    The rest of the surrendering Suthers soldiers, most of them, took advantage of the chaos to escape, and likewise due to insufficient manpower, Tagg only brought back 30 cavalrymen...


    The other 10 cavalrymen were left behind to guard over a thousand Shireck flintlock guns and other military supplies such as gunpowder.


    "My heavens, we have an entire legion of prisoners here... and we only have enough soldiers for one battalion." Wes was looking at the sea of people squatting along the road, waiting for new orders, and could hardly believe his eyes.


    Several Suthers officers, adorned with opulent hats and swords at their waists, walked up to Tang Mo, presenting neatly folded regimental colors to the victor.


    "We have been defeated! Sir! This is the honor you deserve." The Suthers officer holding Tucci''s regimental colors bowed his head and said, "Your magnanimity will make your reputation travel far and wide."


    He was referring to Tagg''s allowance for them to keep their swords as prisoners. After all, the taste of defeat was bitter. If they could be treated with respect, surrendering would surely feel more comfortable.


    Tang Mo took the regimental colors, then passed them with some dismay to an attendant nearby. He looked at Tagg and then at Wes and Redman, before speaking, "Due to Tagg''s outstanding performance, we are now unable to spare any troops to go to the frontline to assist Lord Earl."


    "My lord," Tagg spoke up, somewhat embarrassed, but at a loss for what to say next. He hadn''t anticipated that his great victory would actually end up causing trouble.


    "It''s alright, Tagg, it''s alright!" Tang Mo reassured the straightforward officer, then addressed Redman, "Leave the handling of this to you. Have the first and second platoons guard these prisoners, and have the third platoon''s men bring back those flintlock guns and military supplies for inventory..."


    "Get the cadets to help, quickly pack up the artillery, organize the baggage train, and retreat back to the village at the crossroads. Command the army cooks to prepare the food, and have the soldiers rest in turns while ensuring effective guarding of the prisoners!" He continued his instructions, pointing to the rather embarrassed Suthers officers, "Prepare some food for them as well."


    After the Suthers officers had left, Tang Mo continued issuing commands to Tagg and Wes, "Once you''ve handed over control, join me with the 30 cavalry to check out the battlefield near Lord Earl''s position. I''m leaving everything here to Redman."


    "The platoon leader of the third platoon will take my orders. Have the 10 cavalry watching the supplies disperse! Ensure there are no large Suthers forces nearby... Avoid any mishaps, and be vigilant! Understand?" Tang Mo finished speaking and walked towards his warhorse.


    "Yes, my lord!" Redman nodded slightly, and then began issuing a series of orders to coordinate the manpower.


    Meanwhile, Tang Mo mounted his horse, casting a glance at Tagg and Wes who also mounted their horses, "Let''s hope that Lord Earl has already decided the victor on his side."


    "I doubt that''s likely." Tagg, looking over at the dark mass of prisoners not far away, said reflectively, "You fought too quickly here. It''s certain that Lord Earl hasn''t decided the victor yet."


    "Then let''s go and lend a hand! And maybe tease him a bit..." Tang Mo spurred his horse, "Taking so long to fight a battle."


    "Hahaha!" Wes burst into hearty laughter, hurrying after Tang Mo, "Look at Tagg, his face is turning red from holding it in."

 Chapter 108: 108 endless

    "The battlefield situation was extremely complex, and even with Tagg as their local guide, Tang Mo was still unsure as he walked along the narrow paths through the woods.


    Looking at the dense shrubs on both sides, he asked Tagg, who was leading the horse in front, somewhat gloomily, ''Are you sure this path can definitely take us around to the enemy''s rear?''


    Tagg nodded with certainty and then pointed ahead, ''I''m sure! I''ve walked here twice; it will definitely lead us to where we want to go.''


    It was obviously impossible for 30 cavalry to change the battlefield situation, so the tactics that Tang Mo and his men came up with on their way, basically involved detouring to the rear.


    When outnumbered, sneaking around the enemy and launching a crucial surprise attack from a key position at their rear was essentially their best option.


    Leveraging Tagg''s advantage as a local familiar with the terrain, they did not head directly to the battlefield but took a small detour, choosing to approach from behind Suthers'' troops and cut diagonally to the rear of the battlefield.


    Wes walked beside Tang Mo, leading his horse and surveying the surroundings, ''If we took the wrong path, that would be quite the problem.''


    Behind him, the other soldiers led their warhorses. They chose not to mount due to the terrain being too narrow for riding, and also because they needed to conserve the horses'' strength and maintain stealth.


    The thirty-odd cavalrymen were squeezed into a column nearly a hundred meters long by the narrow passage, all of them tense since cavalry in such a state were extremely vulnerable.


    ''Don''t worry! It can''t be wrong!'' Tagg said again, very sure of himself.


    ''We can already hear the sound of gunfire; it must be right,'' Tang Mo listened closely, then nodded his head and spoke, ''Everyone rest in place! Wes, Tagg, the two of you come with me!''


    ''If everything is as expected, we should be coming out of the woods soon,'' Tagg said as he pushed through the shrubs in front of him, moving forward with uneven steps.


    They needed to scout ahead a bit to inspect the nearby situation and devise a plan for their next move. Just as Tagg was explaining their current position to Tang Mo, Tang Mo noticed that the thick bushes in the distance were gradually thinning out.


    He lowered his voice, bending slightly, ''Wait! Stop! It looks like we''re about to come out of the woods! Stay concealed!''


    Covered by their grey-green greatcoats, Tang Mo and his men weren''t very noticeable as they crouched and hid in the bushes.


    Tang Mo gestured with his hands, while whispering very softly as a reminder, ''Be careful! There are people over there! Let''s go have a look.''


    As they carefully pushed away the shrubs in front of them and peered through the gaps in the branches, they saw a group of Suthers'' soldiers setting up their cannon on the clearing at the edge of the woods.


    The Suthers'' soldiers were weary as they fumbled with their field guns, unloading shells from the wagons.


    Tagg counted roughly and saw that there were 10 field guns, all Shireck field guns, which looked very new.


    He drew his head back and turned to Tang Mo, speaking in a low voice, ''It''s Suthers'' soldiers! They are on the clearing just outside the woods!''


    ''You''re kidding, right? Why would they be here?'' Tang Mo also saw those blue-uniformed Suthers soldiers and frowned, puzzled.


    "Then we''ll probably all die here," Tang Mo was highly dissatisfied with Tagg''s suggestion.


    Tagg was also aware of the great risk involved in his proposal, so he made another suggestion: "Lord Earl! You and Wes stay back; I''ll take the men over!"


    "What a joke. The men you want to take are my precious stones; the death of even one pains me, yet you want to lead them all to their doom here?" Tang Mo shook his head after glancing at Tagg.


    "..." Tagg''s face turned red, feeling that such a decision was indeed too hasty.


    Tang Mo clapped his hands, brushing off the dirt stuck to them, and started walking back, saying, "Alright! Let''s go back."


    He went back to the cavalry troop without saying a word, looking at the young faces. After this battle, he didn''t know how many of these faces would still be there.


    Thinking of this, Tang Mo became somewhat irritated. He mounted his horse and commanded, "Get ready! Everyone check their weapons! See if the caps are all in place! Then check your saddles again!"


    Following his command, all the cavalrymen became busy. They checked their weapons, painstakingly inspected their sabers, calmed their steeds, and checked the saddles.


    "Once we attack, line up and charge at the enemy''s artillery positions, try to kill as many as possible, and do not slow down!" Mounted on his horse, Tang Mo looked at all those who were also mounted, ordering in the most stable voice possible, "If we pass that low hillock and still see more enemies, then we don''t turn back. We keep charging!"


    Tagg was startled by Tang Mo''s order, then suddenly looked at the young figure. Something was stirring inside him, and at that moment, a thought suddenly came over him: to die for him.


    "Attack!" Tang Mo drew his left-wheel handgun, squeezed his horse with his legs, and loudly gave the order to attack.


    Before his voice had dissipated, he saw a figure charging forward, surpassing his horse. It was Tagg, holding a revolver in one hand and the reins in the other, leading the charge ahead of him.


    The knights following Tagg also spurred their horses forward, surpassing Tang Mo, who was not particularly skilled at riding.


    A Suthers soldier squatted in the bushes, tending to his physiological needs and just cleaning himself with leaves when, before he could pull up his trousers, he saw a knight on a tall horse flashing past him.


    Still struggling to recover from his shock, he saw even more knights bursting out of the forest and heading towards the disoriented Suthers artillery positions.


    "Bang!" A gunshot echoed through the sky as a Suthers officer, who was just about to draw his musket from his waist, fell screaming to the ground.


    At the very moment this Suthers officer fell, the Suthers soldiers who had been busy moving cannonballs and setting up cannons suddenly scattered like headless flies.


    And so, the confused shouting spread with the disorderly fleeing soldiers: "Northern Ridge! The Northern Ridge army is attacking! Run for it!"


    No one thought about resisting. The Suthers artillerymen were chased by the cavalry from behind, running up the flank hillock that blocked their view.


    After only a few shots, Tang Mo''s thirty cavalrymen had routed the Suthers artillery unit and left the unguarded cannons far behind them.


    Mounted on his horse, Tang Mo was swept along by Wes and two other knights to a nearby small elevated point.


    Then, his view suddenly opened up. Before him lay a vast, dense mass of Suthers infantry sitting on the ground, resting as far as the eye could see.

 Chapter 109: 109 biggest gain

    Clearly, Suthers''s soldiers had not anticipated the side assault by a cavalry unit from Northern Ridge.


    Similarly, they had not recognized these cavalrymen as belonging to Northern Ridge¡ªTang Mo''s cavalry uniform was also uniquely styled and colored a dim green-gray, just like his infantry.


    Of course, no one had seen such attire before, so the Suthers infantrymen sitting on the ground to rest first regarded these sudden strangers with curious stares.


    However, it wasn''t long before in their eyes, these strangers began charging towards them, showing no sign of slowing down.


    Tang Mo knew that retreating to destroy those cannons might have been safer, but that would cause him to miss the fleeting opportunity of battle.


    To launch an attack amidst the chaos and disrupt the entire battlefield as much as possible was the only way to achieve a greater victory¡ªof course, it could also lead to the annihilation of his forces.


    But he still called out the attack order without looking back, not even knowing himself why he was still so brave in the face of an enemy ten times his number.


    In that moment, it was not rational thought but instinct that seemed to govern his body. He was a wild beast, a tiger pouncing on its prey! The moment he saw his prey''s throat, he instinctively opened his jaws wide and charged forward, throwing caution to the wind.


    "For victory!" he shouted loudly from horseback, squeezing hard with his legs, spurring his horse to go faster.


    His horsemanship was not great, but in a straightforward charge like this, he didn''t need exquisite riding skills; he simply needed to charge forward, leading the cavalry on either side of him to surge ahead recklessly.


    At that moment, everything before Tang Mo''s eyes seemed to slow down. He held the reins tightly in one hand, his knuckles turning white from the force, while all he could hear beside his ears was the roaring wind¡ªit was as though everything had quieted down.


    His other hand reached forward, holding the Left-Wheel Handgun that had remained unfired since his horse had run too slow, leaving all six bullets intact.


    Because the enemy was swarming, Tang Mo didn''t need to aim precisely; the bouncing of his horse wouldn''t have allowed for accurate aiming anyway.


    Trusting his instincts, he pulled the trigger, immediately feeling the recoil on his arm, and it seemed a gunshot echoed in his ears.


    He did not pause, continuing to pull the trigger, shot after shot as if venting his frenzy.


    In front of him, the Suthers infantry, who had been fighting hard all day and were sitting on the ground resting with their flintlock guns, confirmed in horror that these charging knights were their enemies.


    Then, as they tried to stand and reload their muskets, they were more terrified to discover that the few dozen cavalrymen charging towards them had opened fire upon them.


    After a volley of gunfire, many Suthers soldiers fell to the ground, their spurting blood sowing fear among those splashed with their comrades'' gore.


    What truly shattered the will of these Suthers soldiers was that these cavalrymen didn''t discard their firearms and draw their swords as other cavalry had done.


    Instead, the unknown cavalry continued to hold their firearms and fired a second time, releasing yet another volley of bullets.


    After that, the cavalrymen pulled their triggers a third time and fired again, hitting even more people and bringing complete chaos to the scene.


    The remaining less than 800 troops of the Suthers left wing were ravaged by Tang Mo''s 30 cavalries in a charge that plunged them into utter chaos.


    Those whose courage had already been sapped, scurried and fled in terror, becoming nothing more than a backdrop to this war¡ªthe real heroes were clearly the knights who composedly wielded their sabers behind them.


    "For victory!" A knight raised his saber high, the fresh blood dripping down the blade; he roared loudly and again brought down his blade, knocking down an escaping enemy from behind.


    It was only now, after having his vision clouded by the frenzy of battle, that Wes realized the knight beside him did not seem to be his patron...


    He subconsciously slowed down, looking bewilderedly to his sides; amid the chaos of the battlefield, he discovered, to his horror, that he could no longer find Tang Mo.


    At this moment, he realized that when all the cavalries had turned to charge back at the enemy lines, he seemed to have forgotten about Tang Mo...


    Even more frustratingly, he also just now realized that Tang Mo''s horsemanship seemed rather poor¡ªcharging in a straight line was no problem, but maneuvers like turning and stopping on inclines were practically failing grades for him.


    So he yanked the reins, turned his horse around, and charged back through the chaotic battlefield, swinging his longsword while anxiously looking for Tang Mo.


    Anxiety and tension had washed away the joy of victory, for in his view, if anything happened to Tang Mo, then this apparent victory would be a complete and utter defeat.


    Even the thought that Tang Mo might be more important than the whole Northern Ridge flitted through his mind¡ªa thought he would have surely laughed off six months ago.


    But he could not laugh now, for after cutting down another Suthers soldier, he still could not see Tang Mo mounted on a horse.


    Unconsciously, he had lost all reason, and couldn''t help but call out loudly, his voice trembling, "Tang Mo! Tang Mo! Where are you? Tang Mo!"


    He didn''t even notice his warhorse had slowed down; he sat in the saddle, strolling as if in peace while surrounded by the enemy...


    He continued riding and shouting, allowing the Suthers soldiers to pass by him.


    His eyes didn''t even glance at these fleeing troops; his hand gripping the longsword swung it unconsciously.


    Even his already hoarse and trembling voice began to carry a tinge of despair and self-reproach¡ªhe had lost the person he was supposed to protect, he had lost his master...


    "Tang Mo!" he howled, his voice sounding abnormally strained.


    Meanwhile, a young man covered in blood sat beside a dead warhorse, looking at a group of Suthers soldiers who were staring at each other, holding a Left-Wheel Handgun, his face unable to hide a smile: "See, my friend has come back to find me..."


    He gestured with the muzzle of the pistol at the group of soldiers, terrified and retreating step by step, and couldn''t help but burst into loud laughter: "Did you think breaking you was my biggest gain? No! No, no! Hearing this shout makes me happier than winning this battle!"


    After speaking, he pulled his throat and shouted joyfully: "I''m here! Wes!"


    ```

 Chapter 110: The Power of Laughter at 110

    When Wes heard Tang Mo''s response, the world in front of him suddenly regained its color. He urged his horse forward, toppling the pitiable Suthers soldiers blocking his way to the ground.


    Wielding his longsword, he shouted loudly to confirm, "Tang Mo! Tang Mo!"


    "Stop shouting! I''m right here!" Tang Mo stood up, looked at the Suthers soldiers before him, who were silent as cicadas in winter, devoid of any courage to resist, and asked with a gentleman''s smile, "Would you mind stepping aside?"


    It was as if they heard the whisper of the Grim Reaper, and the Suthers soldiers hurriedly retreated, clearing a path for Tang Mo.


    Just now, they had witnessed a scene they would never forget¡ªthe moment Tang Mo''s battle horse was shot by the commanding officer of this Suthers troop, Tang Mo fell from his horse, and then Tang Mo stood up from a pile of corpses, showing these inexperienced Suthers soldiers what it meant to be a descended deity.


    These soldiers only saw Tang Mo draw a delicate handgun from his waist and then with one shot, the Suthers officer who was reloading his gun was knocked to the ground.


    A few Suthers soldiers mustered the courage, rifles with bayonets at the ready, hoping to achieve glory, only to be met with bullets from Tang Mo that sent them one by one to the underworld.


    When the fifth soldier who attempted to charge fell, all the Suthers soldiers abandoned the idea of trying again.


    In their view, the young man''s weapon contained endless bullets, and no matter how many came at him, the outcome would be the same.


    source-at-MVLeMpYr


    So, these disheartened Suthers soldiers just foolishly surrounded Tang Mo, even though his Left-Wheel Handgun was actually out of bullets.


    Indeed, he had two identical Left-Wheel Handguns, one which had run out of bullets during an earlier charge, and the other he had just emptied while slaughtering six Suthers soldiers who tried to resist. Hence, his sitting there was entirely a bluff.


    He had ammunition in his pocket, but in fact, if the Suthers soldiers had swarmed him, he would have had no chance to reload.


    But these poor Suthers soldiers, tormented for hours, were already broken. They dared not verify whether Tang Mo''s handgun had exhausted its bullets with their lives, so they stood there, like a bunch of clowns.


    Then, when Tang Mo stood up and asked them to make way, they instinctively cleared a path, as if they were seeing off the God of Plague, watching Tang Mo walk towards Wes, who was also covered in blood on his battle horse.


    "I''m not great at horsemanship," Tang Mo mentioned while walking to meet the approaching Wes with a smile, "Luckily these guys were quite hospitable and didn''t make things difficult for me."


    "Is that so?" Wes, mounted on his horse, looked down on the Suthers soldiers who, scared by Tang Mo, had dropped their weapons at their feet. "Then I won''t kill you; get lost!"


    Hearing Wes say this, the soldiers scattered hurriedly without a second thought.


    Wes dismounted and walked over to Tang Mo, handing over the reins, "Let''s go, back to the woods. I''ll look for you there once everything here is finished."


    Tang Mo didn''t take it, glanced at the scattered troops in the distance and said with a smile, "It''s already over. We won."


    Soon, an officer hurried back with more precise news: "Lord Earl! Lord Earl! A detachment of Cavalry has attacked Suthers''s Troops from the flank! Their left wing is collapsing!"


    "Order the Troops to attack at once! This is a good opportunity!" Fisheo clenched his fist; the moment of battle he had been waiting for nearly the whole day had finally arrived.


    If he didn''t commit all his forces now, seizing the chance to crush the enemy before him in one fell swoop, then he wouldn''t be Fisheo.


    "Do you know where the Cavalry came from?" Fisheo took the reins of a warhorse from another officer and mounted it as he asked the officer who had brought the message from the right wing.


    The officer shook his head, his face also revealing confusion as he replied, "They''re not from the Kingdom''s Cavalry, their uniforms aren''t bright yellow."


    "They''re grey?" Suddenly realizing something, Fisheo paused and looked at the officer: "A grey close to green."


    "That''s Tang Mo''s Troops!" Alice, hearing her father''s question, remembered the recruits she had seen led by Tang Mo, all in that dull, somewhat unsightly color.


    "Who would have thought he''d make such a decision, to send a surprise force to aid us while holding the fork in the road," the officer following Fisheo said in admiration.


    "It must have been Tagg''s idea, right?" another officer guessed, "He''s the only one who knows about this path."


    "No matter what, this is our best chance now! Attack! Full-scale attack!" Fisheo raised his riding crop, pointing forward: "For the Northern Ridge!"


    "Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!" The sound of Northern Ridge''s war drums thundered through the sky as the three regiments, which had just rested and reorganized, began advancing again.


    On the opposite side, a Suthers General set down his monocular telescope; his face pale, he turned to his aide and said, "The left wing, the left wing has been assaulted! Where did the enemy come from? Where did their Cavalry come from?"


    "Lord, this is not the time to worry about that! The left wing has already collapsed; what should we do now?" his aide was nervous because he knew the battle seemed to be developing rapidly beyond their control.


    They had already overperformed by holding Fisheo off all morning, but the reinforcements they had been waiting for had yet to arrive.


    Just as it seemed that any further retreat would lead to a complete collapse, they finally mustered up the courage, prepared to have a formal confrontation with Fisheo. But just as they were getting ready, their left flank was collapsing from an enemy assault.


    As the chief commander, he suddenly felt dizzy and dim-eyed, with the urgent calls of his subordinates in his ears: "General!" "Lord Earl!" "Someone help! The General has fallen off his horse!"


    Following this, the three Suthers regiments, which had been holding on since the morning, collapsed completely after the General''s fall.


    When the army collapsed like a landslide, over three thousand Soldiers scattered, a thousand were captured, and almost all the cannons they owned became the spoils of war for Lord Earl and Tang Mo.


    As the night gradually fell, the task of clearing the battlefield was drawing to an end. With the battlefield finally falling silent, the crisis at Northern Ridge was essentially resolved after this battle.


    Suthers completely lost the initiative in their strategy; their thirty thousand strong army within Leite Kingdom''s territory now faced the imminent danger of their supply lines being cut off by a Northern Ridge offensive at any moment.

 Chapter 111: 111 is still business

    Although Suthers had already lost the strategic initiative, they wouldn''t be completely finished in a moment. The troops at the Northern Ridge had fought for several hours and didn''t fully pursue the collapsing Suthers troops.


    After capturing about 300 prisoners, Earl Fisello rode his warhorse, inspecting the battlefield, and then he saw Tang Mo and others by a battery of cannons.


    It was the first artillery position Tang Mo had attacked, with 10 new cannons in good condition and fully equipped.


    Not only had Tang Mo seized these cannons, but he had also taken the horses that pulled the cannons and the carts that carried the shells.


    Fisello dismounted in front of Tang Mo with Alice following behind him, eyeing the bloodied Tang Mo curiously and somewhat worriedly.


    Approaching Tang Mo, Lord Earl didn''t waste words and directly spoke, "I''m truly surprised you could come; your cavalry has been a great help to us. Now that the enemy forces have been crushed, I will immediately lead my troops south to support your new training camp!"


    "No need, Lord Earl," Tang Mo was forthright, sitting beside a cannon, rubbing the bloodstains from his clothes with his hands.


    "What do you mean?" Fisello was taken aback by Tang Mo''s response, thinking Tang Mo was here to seek reinforcements, to hurry back to the support at the three-forked junction.


    He had no idea that Tang Mo had already achieved a decisive victory at the three-forked junction and had even killed Suthers troops'' highest commanding officer.


    Of course, he was also unaware that Tang Mo had captured almost 1200 prisoners there, and together with these, Tang Mo had taken about 1500 Suthers prisoners in this battle.


    Seeing the somewhat astonished Fisello, Tang Mo waved to Alice behind Fisello and then continued explaining, "Before coming here, I had already defeated the Suthers troops marching north through the three-forked junction from the southeast."


    "You defeated them? The reinforcements?" Fisello looked at Tang Mo in disbelief, unsure if what he said was true.


    According to his estimations, there should have been at least an entire legion of enemy troops near the three-forked junction. Defeating 1500 men with only 500 was certainly no easy task.


    Moreover, if there were other forces involved, Tang Mo would be facing an aggressive attack from nearly 3000 men. How could he possibly defeat an enemy force of 3000 with only 500 troops?


    But Tang Mo''s answer was still resolute like he was talking about something very ordinary, "Yes, Lord Earl, it seems the opposing commander was named Tucci; I questioned the prisoners quickly for this information."


    An officer standing beside Fisello scoffed and reminded, "Tucci is a famous general of Suthers! If he was commanding, it''s unlikely there would be a collapse..."


    He meant to caution Tang Mo against boasting, but Tang Mo seemed not the least bit afraid of being exposed and simply continued, "I wouldn''t know about that, I only know that I killed him. The prisoners say that the news of Tucci''s death is accurate, and I also found Tucci''s ceremonial sword and battle flag."


    The officer was even more surprised and exclaimed in disbelief, "Are you joking?"


    "I''m not joking, General! I crushed the enemy forces ambushing me, about 4000 men. Tagg can vouch for me," Tang Mo said, not requiring the officer to believe him; instead, he looked towards the Earl and spoke.


    "Tagg?" Fisello looked at Tagg trusting Tagg would not lie about such a matter.


    Meeting Earl Fisello''s gaze, Tagg said, "Yes! Lord Earl, we led our troops and defeated the enemy forces attacking the three-forked junction, including a legion led by Viscount Romel, and two legions led by General Tucci, totaling 4500 men!"


    John had just purchased goods worth over a hundred thousand from Tang Mo, making the possible war reparations seem less significant.


    However, this was only part of the war profits. After the reparations, there would be a cession of territory, which was often the real big gain. So, 300,000 Gold Coins in reparations was actually not a small amount.


    He paused for a moment and somewhat sheepishly added, "Of course, one-tenth of these reparations is mine."


    "5000 Gold Coins don''t seem like much." Alice prepared to buy the prisoners of war to maximally increase Northern Ridge''s labor force: "I''ll make this deal."


    She now had many expansions that needed manpower, with mines requiring more workers and vast tracts of land needing cultivation.


    With these prisoners of war, she could at least solve her shortage of hands and rapidly boost Northern Ridge''s power relying on Tang Mo''s machinery.


    "The talk just now reminded me, besides these prisoners of war, there are some seized military supplies, including flintlock guns, bullets, bayonets, and even war flags and swords..." Tang Mo continued to ask, "Good items for claiming credit, does Northern Ridge have any interest in buying some?"


    "You can sell these, too?" Tang Mo''s words left some of Northern Ridge''s officers and even Alice a bit astonished.


    "Of course, for example, that person just now, what''s his name, Tucci." Tang Mo spread his hands out, "Isn''t he a famous general? His sword, selling it for 2000 Gold Coins, isn''t expensive, right?"


    In Tang Mo''s hands, this item was merely a toy, but in others'' hands, it would become an artifact to claim military credit.


    Presumably, the exasperated King, upon seeing this sword, would be overjoyed, and granting a Baron''s title wouldn''t be too much, right?


    Of course, the person who could do this had to be someone favored by His Majesty. Neither Tang Mo nor Fisheo could hope to gain such benefits through such means.


    "These cannons..." Alice glanced at the cannons that Tang Mo was touching and asked curiously, "Aren''t you selling them?"


    "I''ve been thinking about it, and since I am quite flush recently, I''ve decided to keep these cannons for myself," Tang Mo replied with a smile.


    He had originally planned to sell these cannons but then decided to recast them into C64 breechloaders before selling them.


    Right now, what he lacked was steel and the capacity to process this steel, not money. From the perspective of Gold Coins, he could already be considered quite wealthy.


    The Earl had come back to reality from the joy of victory, looking at the distant Northern Ridge troops, he said to Tang Mo, "We can''t be careless now."


    "Yes, I was just thinking about that myself," Tang Mo nodded in agreement, "We''ve now cut off Suthers'' supply line."


    He looked at the Earl and presented his idea, "The Suthers troops will leave the vicinity of the King City, but not to retreat; instead, they plan to consolidate their forces to take us out before continuing their march south to attack."


    "Your strategic analysis is quite accurate," the Earl complimented Tang Mo, then continued, "So before they can recover, we need to sever their supply line, leaving the Suthers Kingdom''s troops paralyzed in the heartland of the Leite Kingdom."


    "This is also the choice to ensure Northern Ridge''s safety," he concluded.

 Chapter 112: 112 virtue

    Tang Mo knew it was time to negotiate, "My troops need rest and resupply..."


    "You will be responsible for the north!" Knowing that Tang Mo deserved some compensation after the battle at the crossroads, the Earl was very generous with his promise.


    "I''m very grateful, Lord Earl," Tang Mo did not overreach his abilities, but immediately accepted the generous favor.


    Actually, they were distributing the directions of the subsequent attacks: according to Lord Earl''s plan, the Northern Ridge Legion was to head south to block the retreating Suthers army, while Tang Mo led his army north to invade Suthers Kingdom.


    It was an interesting arrangement because the main forces of Suthers were almost entirely within Leite Kingdom, so the country was undoubtedly defenseless.


    With the combat power of Tang Mo''s troops, they were certainly unstoppable. Therefore, heading north was an easy task, and a lucrative one at that.


    With each town they captured, Tang Mo could seize some of the local reserves, including money, and other things¡ªby just taking a look in the nobility''s mansions, there were always plenty of surprises.


    "However, since Lord Earl is so generous, I can''t be too stingy, can I?" Tang Mo rubbed his hands together, chuckling, "What do you say? I want to present to you, with great emphasis, the new artillery that supported me in winning the battle at the crossroads..."


    Tang Mo was no fool. Although going north to attack Suthers was a profitable assignment, it also took courage to leave his rear to Fisheo.


    Once his troops penetrated deep into Suthers Kingdom and if Fisheo''s troops had any problems behind them, and Suthers'' reinforcing troops broke through, then Tang Mo would be enveloped by the Suthers army.


    Should such a situation arise, the tables would completely turn: with an enormous supply train and innumerable seized goods and Gold Coins, Tang Mo''s troops would move slow and be caught in an encirclement, a truly desperate plight.


    So Tang Mo simply decided to go all in and sell the new artillery to Fisheo, giving him the capital to firmly hold the defensive line and cover Tang Mo''s retreat!


    Even, Tang Mo thought it might be a good idea to leave Tagg with Fisheo. With Tagg''s straightforward character, he would definitely not do anything to harm the interests of Great Tang Group.


    "I was curious, it seems you have new weapons again? Sell them to me? How much?" Fisheo Earl became excited at the mention of new weapons, bombarding with a flurry of questions.


    Tang Mo did not hide anything and promptly began introducing his artillery. His demeanor was absolutely professional to the utmost degree.


    When he learned that the price of a single artillery shell was so expensive it hurt, Fisheo started to take a keen interest in this costly artillery.


    He understood a simple truth: expensive things often have a reason to be expensive! If Tang Mo''s weapons were exorbitantly priced, that almost certainly meant they were incredibly powerful and capable of changing the course of war!


    After all, his army had already been extensively re-equipped with Tang Mo''s bolt-action rifles, and officers were also provided with revolvers, the power of these weapons was a tangible reality, undeniable.


    "No problem! I''ll take all 6 cannons!" As soon as Tang Mo finished introducing his C64 field guns, Fisheo Earl waved decisively, not even haggling over the price, and agreed at once: "And all of the shells!"


    He knew he was already a rich man¡ªwasn''t there still more than two hundred thousand in war reparations?


    However, he was unaware that nearly half of those hundreds of thousands in reparations had already found their way into Tang Mo''s pouch. After all, part of that compensation was meant to repay the debts previously owed to Tang Mo.


    This included the credit purchase of over twenty steam engine setups, matching mining-specific tracks, mine carts, and the corresponding training fees for the personnel.


    ...


    In the distant Poplar Kingdom, at the port city of Seaton, within the huge castle belonging to the Augustin Clan, the guards, now with revolvers hanging at their waists, stood at attention and saluted the passing young man.


    "Father, the third steam engine has been assembled and tested; judging by the speed of the production line blueprint, we can start mass-producing Tang''s K1 Quick Guns next month."


    "That is indeed good news." Augustin Raitt Earl set down his pen and looked up with satisfaction at his son, John: "You did well, John, very well! These things will soon become the cornerstone of the rise of the Augustin Family, and you will be the most dazzling new star in the family."


    Influenced by the monsoon, John''s return to the Poplar Kingdom had actually been very fast, perfectly described by sailing smoothly with the wind.


    However, the season was wrong at this time, so forcefully returning to Brunas meant sailing against the wind, and much time would be wasted in transit. Thus, the 4 months he promised Tang Mo for the return to Brunas did not consist of a two-month journey each way.


    Because, when the battle at Northern Ridge broke out, John had already returned to the Poplar Kingdom for half a month. However, during that half-month, he was constantly assigned by his father to supervise the construction of the factory and did not organize the fleet for another long voyage.


    John, once again dressed in finery, gave his father a deep bow and said, "Thank you for your praise, Father."


    welcome-to-NovelFire


    "I hear that the work attitude of that family is not bad?" Earl Lett waved his hand, indicating John should be at ease, and then continued to inquire.


    "Yes, the technical advisor from the Great Tang Group is very forthcoming, earnestly nurturing the other workers without any reservations." John answered truthfully.


    "Not sure if he''s truly simple-minded or just feigning it," Earl Lett chuckled coldly: "Pay him double the salary! Find a way to keep him, let him forget that he''s a technical advisor! Make him work for us, here!"


    "Yes, Father." To John, this seemed like a trivial matter of no great consequence.


    "Now, let''s talk about the debt." Earl Lett was very pleased with his son''s efficiency and attitude, a smile appearing on his face.


    "On my honor and the family''s credit, I assured Mr. Tang that within 4 months, I would bring the remaining payment to Brunas. Father, I might be late," John said, clearly with some resentment.


    Earl Lett ignored his son''s subtle complaint and explained, "Yes, you are an honest child, John. However, the family is currently expanding the factories, recruiting workers; the fleet you sold also needs timely replenishment. Our finances are tight right now."


    "Father... what do you mean?" John asked cautiously.


    "I''m afraid I can''t arrange such a large sum of money within the time you promised," Earl Lett said with a smile, revealing his intentions.


    "Then, Father, how much can you give me?" John asked, somewhat unwilling to give in.


    "You still don''t understand, John... I''m not planning to spend another penny on a cost that doesn''t need to be paid." Earl Lett said with a scornful smile, giving a cruel answer.


    ----------


    Feeling unwell, the update is late, sorry to keep you waiting.

 Chapter 113: 113 Fence-sitting

    John looked somewhat discomposed as he stepped forward and fixed his eyes on his father, asking, "I don''t understand, are you saying..."


    "To put it bluntly, I have no intention of paying off that debt! A hundred thousand Gold Coins is not a small sum, and I refuse to pay it." Lett was triumphant about his decision; he saw no need to waste a hundred thousand Gold Coins on a man who was on the brink of death.


    "But, Father! I promised Mr. Tang that within four months, I would make up the payment... almost a hundred thousand Gold Coins! It is not a small sum." John felt as if his own reputation had been tarnished.


    Lett snorted with disdain and then said, "Since when did our Augustin Clan start caring so much about ''promises''? Child, what we care about is always the benefit."


    "Rather than the short-term benefit gained from defaulting, Father, I see greater long-term benefit in cooperating with Mr. Tang." John reminded his father.


    He didn''t think Tang Mo was a simple character; how could a man who casually sold steam engines and breech-loading rifles be simple?


    Therefore, John preferred to maintain a friendly cooperative relationship with Tang Mo rather than default on the debt; it was his most straightforward judgement.


    And he had never doubted his judgement because he had really met Tang Mo and knew what kind of person he was.


    To be frank, he didn''t think he had seen through Tang Mo, which is why he considered him a dangerous person. It wasn''t wise to antagonize a dangerous person, so he thought it best to persuade his father to pay up dutifully. read-more-on-NovelFire


    Earl Lett had been valuing his son John quite highly of late, because John had brought back vital steam technology and breech-loading rifles to the Poplar Kingdom.


    For a Kingdom, these technologies are more important than Gold Coins. Thus, Earl Lett was willing to explain his thoughts to this son as a form of cultivation and trust.


    He stood up and walked over to John, explaining, "According to the intelligence we''ve gathered... the Shireck Consortium is preparing to make a move on Leite Kingdom. Trust me, child, your Mr. Tang will soon be crushed to dust by the Shireck Consortium! Do you think it''s appropriate to hand over the hundred thousand Gold Coins we''ve worked so hard for to the Shireck Consortium?"


    That was his significant reason for refusing to give Tang Mo another hundred thousand Gold Coins; he couldn''t possibly give the money to a dead man, or someone on their way to death.


    After all, it was a hundred thousand Gold Coins, not a trivial sum. If he kept that money, he could accelerate the development of his factory by several folds.


    An early start for his factory would bring him immense profits, and also bring incomparable political benefits.


    Compared to this, fulfilling an illusory promise clearly lacked allure ¡ª Earl Lett had reason to believe that the money would be more useful in his own hands.


    "But you''ve seen Tang Mo''s new weapons yourself, he could very well win that war!" John still wanted to insist, because in his mind, that inscrutable young man always seemed very dangerous to him.


    "The Augustin Clan has stood for a thousand years, what do you think that''s based on? We have always been betting on both sides, there is nothing shameful about it, my child." Lett chuckled dismissively, "This way, our family will always have someone on the side of the victor."


    "..." John fell silent because he too needed to make a choice, to ponder, to weigh his own answer.


    Staying in the Poplar Kingdom was obviously the most comfortable choice. He had just made a great contribution and could naturally feast on the fruits of his achievements for a while. No one would have an objection because the merits he had made were indeed too significant.


    However, the uneasiness prevented him from enjoying these rewards with peace of mind. The anxiety, like a thorn in his side, imposed a tangible, shadow-like pressure on John.


    "I can''t help you with this matter, only you have met that arms dealer, so only you know just how capable he truly is." Lett didn''t rush him but offered comfort instead, "Take your time to think. If it''s too difficult, go back and contemplate it. You have two months to decide; there''s no need to hurry."


    "No need, I will prepare and set sail tomorrow." John looked up, meeting his father''s gaze, "Since I can''t fulfill the promise of bringing him 100,000 Gold Coins, I might at least secure something for him!"


    "Your kindness and reputation are your valuable assets... but trust me, sometimes, it is necessary to let things go, child." Lett patted John on the shoulder again, "Wishing you fair winds."


    "Rest assured! No matter which one of us places the right bet, we can ensure the other''s safety. If this Mr. Tang loses, you can just bring him back to work for us. And if I lose, you will be able to preserve the Augustin family." Lett said as he walked back to his desk, picking up the pen and signing his name on the unsigned document.


    "I wonder if he''ll kick me into the sea to drown me since I''m not bringing the 100,000 Gold Coins," John said sardonically as he tucked the precious map back into the tube and secured the lid.


    Suddenly, as if he remembered something, he asked his father, "Is that all? What about the earldom I promised him?"


    "Are you stupid? Since I''ve maliciously withheld the 100,000 Gold Coins, why would I ask for an earldom for someone I''ve made an enemy of?" Earl Lett was amused by his son''s question, "Go on, get out! Hurry up and leave!"


    "Heh heh!" John chuckled, then took the tube and left his father''s office. The guards at the door still stood tall, with the revolver John had brought back from Brunas hanging at their waists.


    Meanwhile, in another corner of the world, in the King City of the Leite Kingdom, the hefty gate was slowly pushed open by the gatekeeping guards. A knight in armor, holding high the Northern Ridge Wolf Banner edged with white, charged into the streets crowded with refugees.


    The knight did not slow down, but galloped through the streets at full speed, shouting loudly, "Victory at Northern Ridge! Victory at Northern Ridge!"


    People crowded at the roadside, craning their necks to watch the knight gallop past them, watching his wolf banner fluttering in the wind.


    ----------


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 Chapter 114: All tricks

    "We''re back!" At the entrance of the Great Tang Group, where only the sign remained, an old worker who had followed the scout troops to the Northern Ridge excitedly raised his arms and shouted.


    Escorting a motley assortment of items, the scout troops returned out of the blue to the place from which they had set out just over a dozen days ago.


    When they had departed, it was an imposing crowd, comprising 360 musketeers from three infantry companies, over 30 elite rangers led by Luff, more than a hundred temporary artillerymen, as well as over 40 cavalry under Tagg''s command. The team also included six C64-model field breech-loading cannons, and more than 40 corresponding carts.


    The return was likewise a long procession, but it was clear that most of the people had not returned to Brunas.


    The most numerous in this team were carts, one after another, as Tang Mo had brought back more than 130 captured warhorses and dozens of carts to his own base.


    There was no choice, in order to bring all 40 cannons back for recasting, Tang Mo had to bring back the corresponding carts as well.


    Of course, among the many carts were also the severely wounded, as well as the seized loot and prisoners, and the iron and copper mines that had been excavated and smelted by Northern Ridge these days.


    In short, what had set out as a combat unit had now become a convoy transporting spoils of war on the return.


    The reason why only 40 cannons were sent back was mainly that Earl Fisello had purchased some Shireck field cannons and almost all of the munitions.


    He had never fought such a lavish battle before, and now his Northern Ridge Legion possessed 59 cannons, including six of the C64-model field breech-loading cannons.


    Such artillery was enough to chill any adversary, especially since, apart from the expensive breech-loading cannons, the munitions were also plentifully grim.


    With so many cannons, Fisello could hold the position more confidently, helping Tang Mo steady the rear, while Tang Mo himself could sweep northwards more courageously and boldly.


    At this very moment, the highest-ranking frontline commander in the southern part of Suthers was still Tang Mo''s old acquaintance¡ªthe Viscount Romel who had fled in panic from under his very nose, sprinting back to his own country.


    Everyone who knew him was aware that he was little more than a buffoon... Well, such inept nobility was in fact quite common in this world.


    Usually, everybody was a buffoon, similarly incompetent and unreliable, so it was not obvious, and thus life muddled along just the same.


    But now, when faced with a gifted newcomer as the adversary, it highlighted just how disappointingly inept these pitiful nobles really were.


    Viscount Romel had fled back home in a mad rush, and the first thing he did was to try to absolve himself of blame, shifting all responsibility for the military defeat onto Tucci, who would never be able to defend himself again.


    He first wrote a letter to the capital, explaining to his king the process of the defeat: blaming Tucci''s greed for glory and reckless advancement, for not heeding his, Romel''s, advice, leading to the chaotic dispersal of the troops at the crossroads due to enemy cannon fire, which ultimately resulted in the loss.


    Then there was he, Viscount Romel, wise and valiant, who risked his life to bring back the defeated army, a silver lining in an unfortunate situation, barely managing to preserve the young blood of the kingdom.


    Truth be told, just reading the content of the letter almost moved Romel himself. Thus satisfied, he sent off the letter, then began to gather the scattered troops in a pretentious manner.


    When Tang Mo was still over 100 kilometers away from the King City of Suthers Kingdom, wild rumors began spreading within the city, and even the forces defending it started to desert.


    The pandemonium served as a mighty blow to the Suthers Kingdom, prompting the King of Suthers, despite the repeated requests of the Shireck Consortium envoy, to hastily send out his own envoy bearing a white flag to find Tang Mo leading the ''Brunas 300'' warriors.


    The envoy from Suthers didn''t even bother with trying to struggle, suggesting that as long as Tang Mo agreed to halt the zero-cost shopping spree with his 300 locust-like warriors, the Suthers Kingdom was willing to pay an immediate ransom of 63,100 Gold Coins...


    Why exactly 63,100 Gold Coins? That was because it was all the King and nobles within the King City could scrape together at the moment...


    Thus, the two parties happily reached a preliminary agreement: All of Tang Mo''s looted goods from the zero-cost shopping would be considered legitimate spoils of war, with no future claims from Suthers.


    Suthers would pay an additional 63,100 Gold Coins as compensation for the fatigue incurred by Tang Mo''s fresh troops. Plus, they would pay damages for those injured or killed during the campaign.


    Under the assurance that Suthers would not hold its civilians accountable for looting noble property, Tang Mo would cease providing cover and support for the civilians'' attacks on the nobility.


    Tang Mo''s troops would immediately withdraw to the south of the Crystal River, and Suthers promised to seriously consider ceding the territories south of the Crystal River to the Leite Kingdom in the negotiations for a comprehensive end to the war.


    By that time, the situation within the Leite Kingdom had also seen a massive shift. The Suthers forces, having lost their logistical support and running out of both ammo and provisions, completely abandoned the plan to attack the King City of the Leite Kingdom and began a full retreat.


    Previously, the strategically encircled Suthers forces had not panicked, reallocating their troops in hopes of reopening their cut-off supply lines.


    But the Northern Ridge Legion that lay before them was like a nail hammered into place, withstanding vicious attacks from the Suthers forces without budging an inch.


    Despite changing commanders three times and relentless assault by five legions, Fisello''s forces suffered no major casualties.


    The mere presence of 59 heavy artillery pieces was enough to bolster Fisello''s forces and give them an overwhelming edge in stymieing the Suthers forces'' breakout attempts.


    The ammunition for the Shireck field guns was practically ''infinite.'' What Fisello had stockpiled earlier, plus what was captured on the battlefield, was enough for the Northern Ridge Legion to waste for a good while.


    And the domestic news that finally seeped through the defenses sent the Suthers forces into complete disarray as they experienced what ''besieged on all sides'' truly meant.


    The news brought word that the Leite forces had invaded deep into Suthers territory, causing havoc, looting, and arson; noble estates were up in flames, and the enemy''s strength was reported at a minimum of 8,000 men¡ªand not a single one less!


    This vague and unsettling news made the homesick Suthers forces utterly chaotic; the military hierarchy built by the nobility and their retainers lost all will to fight and began to worry about their own estates.


    What they didn''t know was that this so-called ''Great Northern Ridge Army'' of eight thousand was actually just a bunch of civilians role-playing zero-cost shopping with their Shireck Flintlock Guns.


    Hence, when the organized Suthers forces began retreating from the outskirts of the Leite King City, a sense of relief finally swept over the city.


    Unbeknownst to anyone, the young man who had stirred the pot was sitting atop a carriage roof at that very moment, a withered straw dangling from his mouth, grinning foolishly at the carts of Gold Coins trailing before him, heading for the Northern Ridge.

 Chapter 115: 115 Secret Factory

    "Mr. Roger!" Yulin pushed open Roger''s door and called softly, "Your lunch is ready."


    The young girl held a wooden platter, which bore another wooden dish, filled with some mushy food.


    Potatoes and vegetable leaves were mixed together, along with some dried fish, which didn''t look very appetizing, but it had the advantage of being nutritionally balanced.


    Roger took the tray from the girl and casually asked, "Have you remembered everything they teach at school? I heard you''ve started learning equations."


    Yulin showed a sweet smile and replied to Roger, "Mr. Roger, I am the class president, after all. If I don''t get full marks in my courses, those little devils would laugh at me."


    "Ha!" Roger nodded in satisfaction and then continued to inquire, "Is everything proceeding according to the work plans Tang Mo set out before he left, following the victory at Northern Ridge?"


    The young girl immediately nodded, "Everything has already started. They are logging on a large scale in Vicious Forest, but winter is coming very soon and it looks like the work will have to stop."


    In this era, that was the reality¡ªthe weather remained a major adversary to human activity; no one dared to launch large-scale operations with the onset of winter, a dictate of the natural order.


    As for the current situation of Tang Mo or rather the Great Tang Group, if one were to describe it in a few words, they''d be: extremely wealthy, spending money like water.


    This was almost a syndrome known as "sudden wealth," typically a spree of frenzied, retaliatory consumption triggered by an unexpected fortune.


    The moment Tang Mo confirmed that Northern Ridge had secured victory in the war, he spent every last bit of his remaining assets lavishly.


    Specific extravagance projects included his order to find a flat piece of land within Vicious Forest, clear the area through logging, and plan to establish a hidden secret factory.


    The reason for choosing this location was that with his increasing number of technologies and the expansion of factory scale, it was indeed necessary to develop a new factory area to sustain growth.


    Supporting this capricious decision to situate his own factory in such a forsaken place as Vicious Forest was another main reason: Tang Mo was preparing to construct the first railway in this world right here.


    With tens or even hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins in hand, Tang Mo naturally planned to spend this wealth. Since he had to spend it, he must purchase a large number of items.


    Steel was the strategic resource he could assure in the short term and procure in the most significant quantity. Brunas and Northern Ridge, fortunately, did not lack coal, making railway construction the obvious choice for Tang Mo.


    Firstly, the cooperation with Count Fisheo was very pleasant, and it was clear that Fisheo was a good candidate for continued long-term cooperation¡ªtherefore, Tang Mo intended to deepen the ties between them to facilitate future trade.


    Thus, the first railway in human history that would start from Brunas Port, pass through Vicious Forest, and finally connect to Northern Ridge Wolf City, was put on the construction agenda.


    However, constructing a railway was not easy. It necessitated terrain surveying, geological structure verification, and choosing the most cost-effective routes... all of these required time.


    After all, he was now a merchant with a fleet, and naturally, he also had to engage in maritime transport and trade.


    Moreover, he did not want to be restricted by the narrow harbor size of Brunas in the future when purchasing overseas steel, oil, and other materials, so he decided to build a harbor in advance to facilitate expansion or integration later.


    Consequently, a brand-new harbor began to be built, and this time the construction became quite different from that of previous harbors.


    First of all, Tang Mo began to use cement on a large scale to build his new harbor to ensure its solidity.


    One has to admit, Brunas is a natural good harbor, deep and free of ice, and not far away there are even highlands suitable for the construction of battery installations. The only thing that held back its development was a larger port to the south that had developed earlier.


    The Leite Kingdom did not value maritime trade, so compared to others, the construction of the harbor at Brunas was not prioritized, and since local procurement never increased significantly, it naturally did not generate substantial trade. Since ships did not frequently come here, the harbor could not grow large in scale.


    This was a vicious cycle, and in some sense, Tang Mo''s arrival broke this trade cycle.


    The quantity and total volume of items he needed were simply too great¡ªsteel, which a country might not consume much, Tang Mo was now ready to lay directly on the ground.


    The purchase list of the Great Tang Group included pig bristles, leather, steel, brass, lime, gunpowder, and various chemicals.


    The reason why they did not purchase grain was that Northern Ridge had stockpiled quite a bit of it last year, which could supply Brunas for the time being. But if Tang Mo''s factories continued to develop, purchasing grain, meat, and horses was just a matter of time.


    To facilitate future development, Tang Mo even requested merchants to bring soil samples and seeds from various places for him, and he also bought books from various countries at a high price, including novels, travel logs, and poetry anthologies.


    In the territory that Tang Mo had bought, hardworking workers had also started to farm. Although it was doomed to yield little profit, it gave the place a lively appearance.


    In short, Tang Mo had not yet returned to Brunas, and during the month he was away, the development of Brunas did not lag at all.


    Mathews and Parker, the two men in charge of the factory, had expanded the entire factory area to an extent that was previously unimaginable.


    Now, the Great Tang Group already had more than a dozen factory buildings, dozens of steam engines, and half the factory buildings were equipped with electric machines.


    What''s more interesting is that after the steam engines were put into production, another difficult problem that plagued the Great Tang Group was unexpectedly solved¡ªheating!


    Those factory buildings, which were constructed in a rush to push for completion, actually had very poor insulation. According to previous estimates, these factory buildings would have been unusable after the onset of winter.


    But now, after Mathews, Roger, and others tackled the problem according to Tang Mo''s blueprints and produced equipment for pipe processing, the cooling waste water from the steam engines found a good use.


    Hot water flowed through these pipes, heating the entire factory like a giant furnace. After temporarily thickening some of the surrounding walls, the factory buildings were able to continue operating in winter without any issues.

 Chapter 116: What should we do with 116?

    These thin iron pipes became the most popular item within the entire Great Tang Group, who would have thought there would be such a benefit from living in the collective dormitories provided by the factory?


    Basically, dormitories right next to the factory buildings, with some pipes connected, solved the problem of getting through the winter, to the workers'' amazement, it was incredibly unbelievable.


    Although only a section of the dormitory had the experimental heating installed, these recruited workers and their families saw hope for life.


    In the past, even in the Northern Ridge, their lives were dull, decadent, and hopeless. They never dared to dream that their days could get better and better, they just barely scraped by, living each day as it comes.


    Now, they were ruthlessly exploited by Tang Mo, working over 12 hours a day on heavy tasks, yet they were surprised to find that their lives were filled with hope.


    The small shops within Tang Mo''s factory area were doing brisk business, where you could almost find anything that was sold in Brunas Market.


    Even though the prices were slightly higher, they saved a considerable amount of time, which allowed them to enjoy their daily lives.


    This could be clearly seen on the faces of the increasingly numerous pregnant women walking slowly along the small paths within the factory area, with big smiles on their faces.


    For double income families working at Tang Mo''s, their earnings in this era were already frighteningly high. Therefore, they did not mind raising their level of consumption a little, purchasing some necessities to improve their lives.


    The woodworking workshop Tang Mo had previously set up for producing planks and gunstocks was still bustling with business. People placed orders here for furniture, and without affecting the production of firearms, it brought Tang Mo an additional income.


    According to Tang Mo''s own experience, capitalists of the twenty-first century would cry if they saw him now. He was almost like a slave owner, the kind who deserved to be overthrown by a revolution...


    However, in this completely different world, he was seen as a good person by these workers, the kind who after death must have a divine position, be worshipped generation after generation, and could absorb the power of faith to become the world''s main god.


    In fact, the production workshop for sheet metal and pipes was not intended for the manufacturing of heating pipes; it was one of the supply workshops reserved for creating parts for steam train engines.


    Nevertheless, people were still looking forward to it, waiting for Tang Mo to return to Brunas, bringing back the joys of victory, the promise of widespread heating, and more good news.


    This was life, the life that a group of simple workers longed for.


    "Tell me, how is the consolation work going for the few people who died in action?" Roger walked back to his desk, took a candy from the drawer, and handed it to Yulin.


    The little girl, with her clean washed hands, took the candy and put it in her pocket, then said, "There aren''t any children in my class who lost their fathers in action, but two have fathers who were injured."


    Among the hunters who came from the Northern Ridge, not many had families. Some were bachelors, some had their families back in the Northern Ridge, and the number of casualties was already low, so the atmosphere of sorrow did not spread in the Great Tang Group.


    On the contrary, nearly everyone was inspired by the joy of victory.


    Yulin got a bit excited as she spoke about this, "I heard the distribution of the consolation money went very smoothly. The two children whose fathers were injured at home recently bought new shoes."


    The ministers standing before him also had ghastly expressions, as they had just received a piece of news that embarrassed them to the utmost.


    Suthers Kingdom had refused to negotiate with Leite Kingdom, choosing instead to make Earl Ronin Fisallo of Northern Ridge the object of their negotiations.


    This was almost like a unilateral recognition of Earl Fisallo''s independent diplomatic rights, nearly amounting to an acknowledgment that Northern Ridge as an independent nation.


    Although they knew it was likely a scheme by Suthers to sow discord, Leite Kingdom''s upper and lower echelons were still intensely provoked by this contempt and mockery, sharply stinging their already fragile pride.


    What they didn''t know was that Suthers Kingdom had no choice in the matter, as the southern part of their nation was in complete turmoil, and if they did not negotiate with Tang Mo soon, there might not be a need to negotiate at all.


    In such a scenario, the natural course of action was to first set conditions, make promises, then get that damned Tang Mo and his damned "Brunas Three Hundred Brave Warriors" to quickly get lost.


    The compensation was given to Northern Ridge, and the cease-fire agreement was also signed with the front-line generals of Northern Ridge, why then go to Leite Kingdom for negotiations and pay an additional expense?


    Suthers, which had gone crazy with poverty and had been reduced to tears by defeat, was finally showing the cunning and deceptiveness of a nation once again.


    They directly handed over the war reparations to Earl Fisello, who, out of spite, remained silent about the matter.


    There was no choice... he had to remain silent, because his beloved daughter had already spent the reparations, and he couldn''t even share some of it with his own King, even if he wanted to.


    Due to a series of unfortunate events, the upper echelons of Leite Kingdom had to come to terms with the fact that their previous calculations might have angered the master of Wolf City...


    The problem now was... what to do?


    The Northern Ridge Legion, which Suthers'' tens of thousands of troops couldn''t defeat and could only beg for peace, was right there; which deity from Leite Kingdom dared to provoke them?


    Fighting was definitely out of the question; sending more troops to be slaughtered was something only fools would do. Thus, even though he had just smashed a glass to vent, Leite VII soon regained his composure.


    He glanced at his subordinates, asking somewhat awkwardly, "So, now, what do we do?"


    Under normal circumstances, the generals would stay silent, looking down at their shoes or up at the sky¡ªthis was customary, so no one expected them to come up with any earth-shattering insights.


    In fact, everyone feared that, at this moment, some foolhardy young blood would stand up and shout some lunacy about being willing to die for His Majesty, making the atmosphere unbearably awkward.


    So, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Leite Kingdom quickly stood up and responded to his master''s query, "Your Majesty, at this time... we must still maintain restraint."


    This was a very tactfully formulated response, which essentially amounted to saying nothing at all. A king who could ask what to do was obviously already exercising restraint.


    The Prime Minister knew it was his turn to step forward, so he quickly joined in the performance, suggesting, "We can send an envoy to console Earl Ronin Fisallo and hear what he thinks."


    This was more or less the opinion the King wanted to hear.

 Chapter 117: Who benefits from 117

    In fact, under the current circumstances, the first thing the kingdom must avoid is being bitten back by the troops of the Northern Ridge.


    Now, having defeated tens of thousands of Suthers troops, if the Northern Ridge wants to march south to accuse King City, it would be a matter of mere contemplation. At that time, what would the kingdom have to resist this rebellious Northern Ridge Legion?


    Bear in mind, the kingdom is the one at fault first, withholding and adulterating the Northern Ridge''s armaments, let alone allowing Suthers troops to assemble at the border while feigning ignorance.


    Given such a premise, all it would take for Count Fisheo to incite the troops against the kingdom is to spread enmity within the Northern Ridge military, making it all too easy for his forces to seek justice.


    Previously, the kingdom was unfazed by such possibilities, not believing the Northern Ridge Legion capable of rebellion.


    But now, with the kingdom''s military suffering heavy losses and the Northern Ridge Legion displaying unprecedented aggression, the problem has become serious.


    You see, in the eyes of the King of the Leite Kingdom, rebellion is not the worst thing; an insurrection that cannot be quelled is.


    And for this reason, the Prime Minister''s suggestion to send an envoy to console Ronin Fisallo and hear his thoughts was nothing more than a euphemism for letting Count Fisheo state his demands.


    Essentially, this meant: find a scapegoat, hurry to the Northern Ridge, give Fisheo whatever he wants, and don''t let him flip the table in a rage... then, after things settle down, everyone returns to the table to continue playing.


    So, upon hearing the Prime Minister''s suggestion, the pleased King immediately looked towards a chubby minister standing in the corner.


    The kingdom''s Minister of Construction, Baus, was sixty-two years old, virtually invisible in his usual role, nothing more than a benign figure.


    His position owed mainly to having a good father who secured him an earldom just before passing away.


    Thus, at forty, Baus had become the kingdom''s Minister of Construction, always a mascot-like figure in court.


    Seeing King Leite VII turn to him, Baus was visibly panicked, not wanting to run such an errand at this time and could only glance helplessly at the Minister of Works beside him.


    But the Minister of Works looked away innocently, seemingly unwilling to involve himself in this mess. So, the unfortunate Baus turned his gaze elsewhere.


    Just as he racked his brains to find someone to help, the King''s voice rang out, "Baus! Always loafing around, now I''m giving you a task! Go to the Northern Ridge yourself, ask Fisheo what he thinks of the current situation."


    "But, Your Majesty, I have not been feeling well lately, perhaps... perhaps..." Baus hastened to decline, waving his hands to suggest it would be better to choose someone else given his ''severe illness''.


    "Shut up!" snapped King Leite VII grimly, finalizing the decision, "It''ll be you! Don''t mess this up! Or else I''ll stew your two hundred pounds of fat!"


    "Yes, yes!" Baus quickly bowed his head, sighing as he pulled out a handkerchief to mop the sweat on his forehead¡ªhis good days were over, and this trip to the Northern Ridge was most likely doomed.


    "Moreover, even if they did give you the territory south of the Dunst River, could you defend it?" Tang Mo didn''t wait for Fisheo to answer, continuing his questioning.


    At this point, Fisheo''s face turned red with embarrassment¡ªhe only had 1,500 soldiers under his command, and now it was clear that number was too few.


    While his policy of quality over quantity gave him a training advantage and reduced the maintenance cost of his troops, during wartime, such a small number of soldiers was obviously insufficient.


    Furthermore, now he had more locations to guard, and indeed, the pressure of being spread too thin was mounting on him.


    "Listen to me, expand your military! At the very least, maintain a force of 4,500, the size of three legions." Tang Mo held up three fingers as he spoke with feigned solemnity.


    "Expand by three times all at once?" Fisheo was startled by the number.


    "That''s not too much, four might be even better," Tang Mo smiled as he continued to up the ante.


    "You''re not suggesting this just because you want to sell more weapons to me, are you?" Fisheo eyed Tang Mo suspiciously.


    "How could that be?" Tang Mo asserted with feigned righteousness, "I''m discussing this purely based on the facts."


    He went on to explain, "Firstly, you need to maintain absolute safety on the Ice Crystal River defense line. Stationing 1,500 men, the standing force of one legion, isn''t too much, right?"


    When it came to this, Fisheo seemed quite professional, thinking carefully and realizing that what Tang Mo said did make sense.


    "In addition, you need to deploy a new force in the southeastern direction of Northern Ridge, whose functions include warding off any foolish attempts from the Leite Kingdom and reminding the Leite Kingdom not to forget to fund Northern Ridge." Tang Mo continued to speak with a smile.


    After he finished speaking, he paused and then went on, "Moreover, you need to maintain a force in Wolf City to keep order and ensure its safety, ready to support the troops in both directions at any time."


    "What you''re saying makes a lot of sense," Fisheo nodded and said, "So I end up winning the war, but have to expand the military and buy more weapons... you become the biggest winner."


    "You could also equip your troops with sticks and hoes if you prefer, as they''re cheaper," Tang Mo coldly offered another suggestion with a scoff.


    "So, you''re saying you won''t let go of the money I''ve just acquired from the Suthers troops'' looting in the Central Region of the kingdom?" Fisheo said with a wry smile, "And here I was thinking I''d made a small fortune."


    "You''re about to make a large fortune soon, this is news from three days ago." Tang Mo pulled a piece of paper from his pocket with only one line of small print: "The Minister of Construction is ordered to head to Northern Ridge."


    "How is this news already here?" Fisheo was shocked by the content on the paper, his eyes widening as he looked at Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo shrugged and said something seemingly out of the blue, "Ten thousand Gold Coins are not spent in vain, Lord Earl. Sometimes, throwing money around yields returns... wouldn''t you agree?"


    He placed the piece of paper on Lord Earl''s desk: "You might as well think about how many C64 field guns to equip your three legions with."

 Chapter 118: 118 Expansion Plan

    Siler Fox Tavern proved through their actions that Tang Mo''s money was well-spent; they efficiently gathered first-hand intelligence and delivered it to Tang Mo with the utmost speed.


    A Ranger, spurring his horse, galloped from King City to Brunas. Another man resembling a mercenary went without sleep for two days, changed his mounts twice, and managed to find Tang Mo amid the chaotic warzone.


    However, the intelligence this time wasn''t particularly significant, but it served to demonstrate that Tang Mo''s intelligence network had begun to take preliminary shape.


    With such an information network, Tang Mo was no longer blind. He could analyze the intelligence in his hands and manage the situation he faced with greater composure.


    Naturally, Count Fisheo didn''t know that Tang Mo had established such an extensive intelligence network so quickly. He just felt that Tang Mo seemed even more suspicious than before.


    On the other hand, he was indeed persuaded by Tang Mo. Since he needed to supervise more territory than before, he began to consider Tang Mo''s proposal seriously after Tang Mo left.


    The Northern Ridge had previously been sparsely populated and not densely inhabited, so maintaining a military force of 1,500 troops had been barely sufficient.


    At that time, Earl Fisello hadn''t expected that the Kingdom wouldn''t provide him with strong support, so he believed that if war broke out, he would have reinforcements from the Leite Kingdom behind him.


    But now, it seemed as if that tacit understanding had been broken, and with the Leite Kingdom failing to provide support, Fisheo finally resolved to expand his army.


    However, Fisheo was unsure whether it was appropriate to follow Tang Mo''s advice to expand by adding three legions, providing Northern Ridge with a total military force of four legions.


    He was aware that after securing the regions south of the Crystal River, the population under his control had, in essence, quadrupled, and under such circumstances, it was a legitimate move for him to expand his army.


    "He just left like that?" Alice walked in shortly after Tang Mo''s departure, her dissatisfaction evident as she tossed something onto the table and asked.


    "He left, and he really went back to Brunas. His troops didn''t stop, and he only came here temporarily to discuss some matters with me," answered Fisheo, feeling annoyed as if someone had stolen his treasure.


    Alice sighed and then adjusted her mood before speaking, "The handover at the Crystal River has been a complete mess... Many of the nobility''s estates are deserted, and officials from every town have fled without a trace."


    "How is it? Feeling pressured?" asked Fisheo, a bit concerned: "Acquiring so much land all at once can be overwhelming, can''t it?"


    "It is a bit much; we''re short-staffed and weren''t prepared to take on so much land. But if we bite the bullet, we can still manage," said Alice wearily: "If he was willing to stay, it might have been easier on us."


    "That guy isn''t willing to help; in fact, our relationship is merely cooperative, not one of subordination, so stop thinking of relying on him," Fisheo reminded with annoyance: "He even lured away my most trusted officer!"


    After saying this, he remembered what Tang Mo had told him and continued, "Alice, have you calculated how much funds we''ll have left after this war?"


    "What for?" Alice furrowed her beautiful brows as she looked at her father: "What''s he planning to sell us now?"


    "He suggested I expand the army. The fact is, relying on just 1,500 men, we can''t control such a vast territory," explained Fisheo.


    At Leite Kingdom, King City, inside the estate of Shireck Consortium, a subordinate, looking dejected, asked, "My lord! What should we do about the situation in Brunas..."


    Gis, irritated, waved his hand dismissively, shelving his plans for Brunas, "Put that aside for now! Haven''t you noticed the mess we''re already in? Dammit! How did I end up with such a bunch of idiots who can''t see what''s happening?"


    He had indeed been rattled recently, as the operation he planned against Northern Ridge seemed to have utterly failed.


    Gis threw a letter from Suthers into the fire basin, clenched his teeth and said, "We can''t let Suthers Kingdom fall completely, that benefits no one! If things turn severe, our influence in other countries will be affected."


    "So, my lord, what shall we do?" another subordinate asked submissively, bowing his head.


    "Find a way to stop this farce! No matter what conditions Northern Ridge proposes, make Leite Kingdom hold their noses and agree for now!" Gis commanded coldly, "Suthers... is not our concern!"


    "But the person in charge in Suthers..." the subordinate who spoke first immediately asked.


    Gis, watching the flames in the fire basin, ordered, "Push the blame to the leaders of Suthers Kingdom! After all, it''s them who lost the battle, someone has to take the fall, don''t they?"


    "But, my lord, rumors of Northern Ridge being armed with a large amount of new weaponry are widespread among Suthers'' routed soldiers," the subordinate quickly pointed out, "We have interrogated many of them, and their testimony is remarkably consistent."


    The news was out and could not be concealed anymore; thousands had seen Northern Ridge''s new weapons, and even General Tucci was killed ¡ª there was no covering it up anymore, nor was there any need to.


    "They all confirmed that at the fork in Northern Ridge, there emerged a force not belonging to Northern Ridge, clad in grey-green overcoats, wielding new weapons, and using a very powerful type of cannon," the subordinate continued, as Gis remained silent.


    "On the other hand, the Suthers troops that engaged with Earl Fisheo also confirmed, Northern Ridge Legion was equipped with a new type of firearm, with a firing rate three times that of our Shireck flintlock guns!"


    "Is there more?" Gis felt his temples throbbing, inching closer to the brink of explosion.


    He longed for the days when Beiji was by his side, at least he shared some of the burden and provided reliable advice.


    Now, Beiji had gone missing, and it was connected to Northern Ridge''s new weapons ¡ª Gis felt that all recent troubles seemed to be conspiring against him.


    "That''s all, my lord; we have at least ten identical statements, and Suthers will surely make their preparations. They will lay the blame on us, and that will be very unfavorable for us..." the subordinate hurriedly explained.


    Gis waved his hand irritably, ready to bury his head in the sand and escape it all, "Leave me! I got it."


    "But my lord!" the subordinate grew anxious.


    "Leave!" Gis shouted coldly.


    "Yes!" The subordinates immediately fell silent and exited Gis''s room.

 Chapter 119: Are you numb to 911?

    Failiar with the faint scent of gunpowder on the battlefield, Tang Mo breathed in the fresh air and basked in the bright sunshine.


    He had returned, bringing with him over two hundred soldiers and the ashes of those who had died in the invasion of the southern part of Suthers Kingdom, back to the place from where he had set off.


    Everything here had changed dramatically, to the point that even Tang Mo himself had trouble recognizing the place.


    When he saw that the walls of his factory had been extended along the road for a kilometer, such that one would have to take a long detour to enter the factory grounds without going through the main gate, he knew that the old men left to watch over the place hadn''t been slacking off.


    "Seeing you is truly delightful, my master," Li''ao extended his arm and greeted Tang Mo with an enthusiastic hug as he returned home.


    "Thank you!" Tang Mo hugged him, then embraced Roger, who had been standing there smiling silently, "I''m back, Uncle Roger."


    "Glad you''re back! Glad you''re back!" Roger embraced Tang Mo as well and then, looking at the new recruits waiting for Tang Mo''s order to disband, raised his voice in encouragement, "You''ve all done well! You have brought back victory and glory!"


    Tang Mo turned around to face the soldiers, dressed neatly in their winter uniforms and standing tall and proud like pines, a smile filled his face.


    He loudly said to the soldiers, "From today onwards, you are no longer the Northern Ridge new recruits. Now, you are the security and protection troops of the Great Tang Group."


    Everyone was quiet, quietly listening to Tang Mo''s speech. Tang Mo didn''t ramble, but got straight to the point, "You will soon be expanded into a regiment, which is a special organization within the Great Tang Group''s troops, completely different from the previous legions."


    He briefly explained the future organization and structure of the troops, "In fact, the entire regiment will have under its command three combined battalions, each with three infantry companies and one field artillery company directly under it, and in the future, they will also add a communications, support, and logistics transport company."


    Then he shifted the topic to talk about rewards, "Gentlemen, you will all become the backbone of this force, and everyone will be promoted. I hope... each one of you will cherish this hard-earned opportunity."


    "Long live the Great Tang Group!" Hearing this, everyone''s spirits clearly lifted a great deal as they cheered loudly in unison, "Long live!"


    "Alright! That''s all I have to say! Go take a bath! You stink!" Tang Mo ordered them to disband, "Dismissed!"


    "Oh!" All the soldiers immediately cheered, and instead of scattering, they formed orderly lines, singing as they entered the factory gates.


    The workers and their families crowded on both sides of the road, clapping for these heroes. Unable to find flowers due to the season, they had to resort to cheering to welcome these heroes.


    Seeing their own children or men, the women who had stayed behind wept for joy. Among them, there were also inevitably lonely figures who could not find their family members.


    "Find a good place for the heroes'' ashes; it will be our martyrs'' cemetery from now on, understand?" Tang Mo glanced at Redman standing beside him and instructed.


    "Yes, sir!" Redman saluted immediately, then headed towards a carriage not far behind him.


    Then he bought the inn next to the Silver Fox Tavern, including its affiliated carriage service. As a result, those idlers at the Silver Fox Tavern now had another place to manage.


    After that, Tang Mo bought the restaurant, the liquor store next to the restaurant, and finally even the brothel next to the liquor store.


    He spent freely¡ªbuying shares in the cement workshop, the brick kiln, the textile and clothing store, the salt flats, the ranch... even the dock laborers became his workers.


    The result of this round of purchases was that he was pleasantly surprised to have spent just half of his Gold Coins.


    Everyone knew Tang Mo was wealthy, but no one knew exactly how wealthy he was. They only saw him sending people daily to purchase all kinds of assorted goods and never saw him short of money.


    He paid all of next year''s taxes and even gave the mayor an extra 100 Gold Coins in a bribe¡ªa level of bribery that was usually reserved for courting the Nobility, but Tang Mo had given it to a mayor.


    Therefore, the mayor was almost ready to give his office to Tang Mo. The town guards were ordered to yield three steps to Mr. Tang Mo''s people, and the tale of Sheriff himself personally helping Tang Mo into his carriage became the talk of the town.


    The fact that a merchant could enjoy treatment nearly equivalent to Nobility made all residents of Brunas realize that there might indeed be a new Emperor in town, one who had absolute control.


    The cold winter dissipated the clouds of war, and the Leite Kingdom''s victory over the Suthers Kingdom became the hot topic of conversation over meals and tea throughout the winter.


    During this winter, the people of Brunas Town unexpectedly discovered that the weather seemed warmer than before.


    They didn''t know it was because a huge factory had been built on the edge of their city, burning coal every day.


    People of this world didn''t realize that the temperature of a city is much higher than in the suburbs, simply because they had no experience with this phenomenon.


    All they knew was that from a distance, they could see countless huge chimneys puffing out black smoke day and night.


    As soon as the white snow ceased, a light layer of coal ash covered it, making all of Brunas look dirty. Experience the best on _emp _yr.


    But the people here were all beaming with happiness¡ªthe workers were receiving hefty salaries, which in turn stimulated Brunas''s economy. Everyone went to town to spend money, and almost everyone in town earned higher incomes.


    It was simple¡ªstimulating domestic demand had enlivened the economic cycle on a small scale. By now, Brunas had become a vine clinging to Tang Mo''s factory; it''s just that people hadn''t realized it yet.


    To Tang Mo''s frustration, at the second month''s end, his workers'' spending in Brunas had stimulated the local economic growth, and about one-third of the money he had spent rolled back into his pocket as profit.


    In front of Roger and others'' stunned gazes, Tang Mo, braving the heavy snow, loaded another batch of parts onto the carriage, to be sent off to Northern Ridge, which urgently needed this equipment.


    "Alright, if nothing unexpected happens, the payment from Northern Ridge should arrive soon. We''re going to have 10,000 Gold Coins on the books..." Tang Mo touched his nose with his hand, boastfully glanced back at his confidants, unable to hide his smile, "Are you numb yet? This feeling of making money faster than you can spend it..."

 Chapter 120: 120 we are not bandits

    Everyone burst into laughter, knowing that this "Welcoming Spring" festival was definitely the happiest one they had ever celebrated.


    The entire factory was running superbly, with workers having a fulfilling 12 hours of work each day.


    They had hefty salaries, which allowed them to purchase things they never dared dream of before: many workers even got new clothes, the first time in their lives they distinguished between work clothes and regular clothes.


    Almost all workers had been assigned dormitories, which had their walls thickened with mud just before the winter snows, making them barely adequate for use.


    Tang Mo even purchased 200 cows and 100 sheep, ensuring that every worker''s family received meat for the festival.


    Although, in Tang Mo''s view, these were trivial matters, to these workers, Tang Mo was the one who brought them a happy life.


    In fact, Tang Mo was earning money much slower than he was spending it, and his gold coin reserves were significantly shrinking, but his tangible enterprises were visibly expanding.


    Despite the snowy and icy conditions, Tang Mo''s factory was still being expanded frantically. Seven or eight factory buildings were under construction, just at a noticeably slower pace.


    The railway work indeed had to be suspended, but the new factory''s lumbering work was still ongoing.


    "I hope everyone has a good Welcoming Spring festival, and then when spring arrives with blooming flowers, let us..." After watching the carriages bound for Northern Ridge disappear, Tang Mo turned back, ready to discuss the future with his confidants.


    But before he could finish his speech, Dino rushed over, panting. The kid was panting heavily, dressed in thick cotton clothes, his little face beet red from the heat.


    He ran up to Tang Mo and spoke with some nervousness, "Sir, there''s a person, who looks like a monster, coming to find you!"


    Tang Mo was taken aback, then subconsciously thought of John, but John was an attractive member of the Elf Race, and quite obviously different from a monster.


    Then he considered Orcs or the Demon Race, but he quickly felt that it was unlikely for these races to seek him out at this time.


    The kingdoms of these other races were mostly on further continents, or separated by thousands of miles of mountains, or vast abyssal oceans. Coming here to find him would definitely not be an easy task.


    So he waved his hand and followed Dino, trudging through the dirty snow, and headed back to his shabby office. chapter hosted on m,vle-mpyr


    The new office building had been planned out, but unfortunately, construction could only begin next spring. This building would be four stories tall, making it the tallest in Brunas.


    Standing at the entrance to his shabby office, Tang Mo saw the so-called monster of a man. In fact, he was a human, just... rather ugly.


    He weighed over four hundred pounds, had an undetectable neck yet stood at one meter ninety tall. Even Tang Mo, who was one meter eighty, felt completely overshadowed in his presence.


    The man''s arms were nearly as thick as Wes''s legs. He stood there like a tank parked outside Tang Mo''s room.


    Qiumuluo was clearly one of those scumbags, seizing people to sell as slaves and profiting from it.


    "Why did you come to me?" Tang Mo didn''t agree or decline but asked out of curiosity.


    "These slaves were originally to be sold to Suthers'' nobility, but now I can''t find their people. I heard you buy anything, so I came to ask," Qiumuluo rubbed his nose with his carrot-like fingers, spat out a ball of phlegm, and spat it to the side.


    Tang Mo saw the phlegm melt the snow, leaving a disgusting hole in the dark snow, he couldn''t hide his look of disgust.


    He raised his head, looking at Qiumuluo, and seriously warned, "I really hate people spitting all over the place, don''t do it again!"


    "..." Qiumuluo evidently did not expect someone to talk to him in such a tone about this issue. He was taken aback and then looked at Tang Mo again, his facial muscles seemed to be twitching.


    "How many slaves do you have?" Tang Mo didn''t wait for him to explode but diverted his attention with another question, "Thirty? Fifty?"


    "I''ve got five hundred slaves! Old men and old women are the cheapest, 2 Gold Coins apiece! Men, women, children, all the same price! 5 Gold Coins each!" Qiumuluo suppressed his anger and answered coldly.


    "I''ll give you 3,000 Gold Coins! Remember! Never come here again!" Tang Mo waved his hand as if he was shooing away a fly.


    "No need to be so eager to disassociate from me! We could have a long-term partnership! I can see you''re a generous buyer, I''m willing to find you some better... women, female elves, cat women, female demi-humans..." Qiumuluo revealed a greedy smile, the previous anger swept away as soon as he began to bellow loudly.


    "You may introduce people to me, civilians with nowhere to turn, homeless wanderers... But what do I need a bunch of slaves full of hatred for you ruining their lives for? What if they find out it was I who paid and you who did the deed that made them so miserable, and then they shoot me in the back of the head?" Tang Mo glared at Qiumuluo, his face grim and fierce as he spoke.


    "Listen! What I want are people who can work, who can work with peace of mind, who are willing to strive for happiness, real people with flesh, brains, and thought! Normal people! Not slaves!" Tang Mo lowered his forehead, staring threateningly through the edge of his eyelids at Qiumuluo: "Whoever sent you, pass my message to them...


    make sure to clean up a bit next time they come, or I''ll chop off one of those carrot-like fingers of yours!... Scram!"


    "You!" Qiumuluo''s eyes, like bronze bells, flared with anger and with a shout, his hands pressed down on the butts of the two Shireck Firearms he wore on his chest.


    But as soon as he got a grip on the two flintlock guns, Wes and Tagg simultaneously drew their revolvers from their waists, and four dark barrels were promptly aimed at Qiumuluo.


    Qiumuluo instinctively sensed the danger. Judging by the speed at which the guns drew on him, both of the men holding the weapons were hard cases.


    So, he dared not make another rash move; he did not want to fall over in this desolate place where even the snow was black.


    "Don''t force me to kill you!" Tang Mo stared into the other man''s eyes and slightly tilted his head, signaling for the man to beat it, "Wes, take the men and bring those poor people back."


    "Got it," Wes responded, his eyes filled with ill-intent as he sneered.


    "We''re not bandits, give him the money!" Tang Mo turned and headed towards his own house, apparently not wanting to linger there a moment longer: "But if I ever see him this disgusting again... remember to leave him one finger! He''s so ugly, yet dares to go around scaring people!"


    ```

 Chapter 121: Article 121 of the treaty

    ```


    "It''s best not to offend such a person... You never know when he might bite, so sometimes he can be more dangerous than Shireck." Watching Qiumuluo leave, Roger reminded Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo flashed a smile at Roger, "We are not villains, we are but merchants! Although we sell the reaper''s sickle, we are not scoundrels... I will have someone keep an eye on that bastard. If he wishes not to live, I shall oblige him on his journey."


    "As long as you are aware," Roger said, noticing that Tang Mo didn''t take Qiumuluo seriously, and after giving him a reminder, he spoke again, "Actually, when Dino came to look for you just now, it reminded me of another matter."


    "What matter?" Tang Mo asked as he entered the room and took off his fur coat, hanging it on the somewhat cold wall.


    His room was quite a distance from the factory, so the heating overhaul hadn''t reached this area. To save money, he still lived in this colder, old room, which made him appear even more shabby and stingy.


    Fortunately, on the last return of the caravan, the daughter of Earl Fisheo had someone deliver to Tang Mo a very precious, pure black fur coat. The fur on the coat was exceptionally smooth to the touch and felt very comfortable.


    What''s more, the fur coat was very warm to wear, and the inside was carefully sewn with pockets, revealing that the tailor had put in great effort.


    "We still have a recorded but uncollected debt," Roger reminded Tang Mo, "the Poplar Kingdom, Elf Augustine John, owes us 100,000 Gold Coins. It has been four months, and he has not returned as promised."


    "Perhaps he has some important matters to attend to. Of course, it''s also possible that he is already on his way here," Tang Mo casually replied unconcernedly.


    His room was now even more crowded because he had added another table, which cut across the middle of the room, separated from his work desk.


    Now, his work desk was piled with blueprints and some documents that needed attention, while the new table had a bottle of barley wine and several cups on it.


    All the cups were different, each belonging to someone specific. Tang Mo picked up the bottle in the middle and gently shook it.


    Removing the wooden stopper, he half-filled a cup specially for Roger and pushed it toward him as he said, "Pay attention to the new slaves, have someone explain to them properly, to let them know they were rescued, so they don''t misunderstand and think we caused their families to be torn apart and their lives to be ruined..."


    "I will, and with several hundred new mouths to feed, it seems we need to stock up on more food," Roger replied as he took the cup, carefully adding to what Tang Mo had said.


    "Exactly! What would I do without your help?" Tang Mo said with a laugh as he poured himself a cup and raised it in a toast to Roger, "We''ve certainly taken in quite a few idlers recently."


    "Indeed, not a small number at all. The fleet has been in constant training, hundreds of people, over a dozen ships, and all without profit..." Roger became somewhat anxious as he mentioned it, "In addition, we have just taken on several hundred slaves who cannot just be put to use immediately..."


    "However," he quickly reassured Tang Mo, "once the weather improves, the fleet can go out to trade. If all goes well, they might bring us more profit. So, in this regard, the fleet is not kept for nothing."


    "Also, we can put these slaves to use. Soon we''ll be expanding the factory and building roads; indeed, we will be short of hands." After saying this, he looked at Tang Mo.


    Fishermen sold their catches clean, the brothels were bustling with patrons coming and going, the hearty men in the taverns feasted and whistled cheerily, and even the snow-covered streets were swept clean.


    As days passed by, the ships from the Poplar Kingdom still had not arrived. Other than Roger, few discussed this matter in front of Tang Mo, as it seemed to everyone that this would upset him.


    However, in fact, Tang Mo didn''t care about the "loss" of the hundred thousand Gold Coins and had directed all his attention to chemical experiments and some mechanical design improvements.


    With him leading the way, these chemical experiments went smoothly; once Tang Mo introduced the concept of a periodic table, the alchemists he had purchased began to worship him as a deity.


    Before long, Tang Mo had created an array of bizarre and curious items in the laboratory, all of which he would need for future production and innovation.


    While Tang Mo, with the help of his golden finger, was expanding his technical territory, a knight bearing the Northern Ridge Wolf Banner arrived in Brunas.


    "Sir!" Upon seeing Tang Mo, the knight was very respectful, gave a slight nod, and then took out a copy of a document from his chest, "This is from Lord Earl, the treaty has been signed, and the land south of the Ice Crystal River has officially become the new territory under Lord Earl''s command."


    "That is good news." Tang Mo took the copy of the treaty and read it carefully.


    It appeared that the Suthers Kingdom had completely lost patience with the chaos south of the Ice Crystal River, and in one fell swoop, dumped those "non-tax-paying" troublemakers into Count Fisheo''s lap.


    Clearly, the Leite Kingdom was also cautiously observing Count Fisheo''s rise and showed little interest in the chaotic region south of the Ice Crystal River, simply acknowledging Count Fisheo''s expansion.


    In addition, the Suthers Kingdom compensated Lord Earl Fisheo with 350,000 Gold Coins, to be paid over three years in installments of 120,000 each year, with the excess being considered interest.


    What somewhat irritated Tang Mo was that after such a show of sincerity from Suthers, Fisheo had to make concessions.


    He was forced to return 1,500 prisoners of war to Suthers, along with the legion standard captured by Tang Mo, and General Tucci''s sword.


    Additionally, Northern Ridge had to return the 20 cannons captured on the battlefield to the Leite Kingdom''s military¡ªthose cannons were lost by them last year and were now returned to their original owner.


    In return, the Leite Kingdom pinched its nose and recognized Fisheo''s request to expand his forces. Northern Ridge''s current authorized strength was three legions, a total of 4,500 soldiers.


    But the kingdom did not bear the expenses of these troops nor did it provide the corresponding weapons¡ªthis was probably Leite Kingdom''s final show of defiance.


    Unfortunately for them, Fisheo was no longer interested in Shireck''s flintlocks or field cannons. He was indeed planning to make his own equipment purchases, from Tang Mo...


    ------


    Ah, thanks to the Emperor for the reward, so happy~~ Truly grateful!

 Chapter 122: Crazy 122

    Once the dust had settled, Tang Mo knew that the war had truly come to an end. The Spring Festival had also passed, and the weather wasn''t as cold as before.


    In the days that followed, Tang Mo was extremely busy. He was busy integrating the slaves who had been brought back, arranging their accommodations, their food, and their jobs.


    Then, he busied himself with expanding the troops, growing the existing battalion of soldiers to the scale of two battalions.


    But because of the lack of manpower, his expansion essentially meant that he had added roughly 100 people to his troops.


    It appeared that Tang Mo now had two battalions at his disposal, but in reality, one battalion was just a shell, having a command structure but no soldiers to support it. always on m|vl|e|mp|y|r


    After all, Brunas was too small; it seemed incapable of sustaining Tang Mo''s endless expansion. Compared to the entire scale of Brunas, the Great Tang Group seemed larger in size and volume...


    Nowadays, the Great Tang Group had almost swallowed up half of Brunas: its industries, its population, and even its officials were all working for the operation of Tang Mo''s large factory.


    The last day of January in the 114th year of the Leite Kingdom had passed, and on the morning of the first day of February, when Tang Mo stepped out of his room to have breakfast, Silver Fox Tavern delivered a message that caught his attention.


    The Kingdom''s envoy was inspecting the surrounding small towns and cities of Brunas, removing quite a number of officials for neglect of duty and corruption.


    This message also specifically compared with other places and discovered that this time, it seemed the Kingdom was only reorganizing the bureaucracy in the Brunas area.


    "Now that''s interesting," Tang Mo, holding the report, narrowed his eyes, "After all the maneuvering, they''re finally targeting me, are they?"


    He knew it was only a matter of time before this happened, and felt that Shireck''s reaction was somewhat slow. With their moves already negated, Tang Mo was no longer afraid of Shireck, the colossal entity, in a direct conflict.


    After all, if the other party got rough, it might well turn into a civil war within Leite Kingdom, and what held Shireck back was the Northern Ridge''s already sizable 3,000 iron troops!


    It was the same old problem: once Northern Ridge truly got involved, who would stop Fisheo''s 1,500 Northern Ridge Legion from advancing south?


    To this day, the problems Shireck needed to solve were not one, but two, in two directions.


    One was Northern Ridge, which had become uncontrollable and sizable; the other was Brunas, enigmatic and seemingly always shrouded in a layer of mist.


    ...


    Gis was sitting in his office, and on the desk before him lay a Tang''s K1 Quick Gun.


    The gun looked somewhat old, bearing marks of wear and tear, and within one of the scratches, indelible bloodstains were faintly visible.


    Now, Northern Ridge had been equipped with more than 3,000 of Tang''s K1 Quick Guns. With Shireck''s influence and financial power, getting their hands on such a weapon wasn''t too difficult a task.


    Reverse engineering sometimes works, and sometimes it doesn''t. At least the craftsmen of Shireck couldn''t figure out how to make mercury fulminate.


    They couldn''t just lick it, and then, like a sommelier, confidently nod their heads, then write down the composition and production steps on paper, right? Mmm, it''s from ''82, distilled, stirred not shaken...


    "Bang!" The second shot fired, and the craftsman kneeling on the ground fell backward, hitting the floor with a thud.


    "Click!" Gis pulled the bolt back and looked at his subordinate beside him.


    The subordinate took the hint, walked over and pushed open the window. A chill instantly swept into the room, stoking the fire in the fireplace to burn more fiercely.


    The smoke spreading through the room was thinned by the cold wind, and Gis continued to load the Tang''s K1 Quick Gun: "It''s simply perfect... faster rate of fire, easier to load."


    "I''ve heard... Lord Earl''s Personal Guard, and his officers... are also equipped with a new type of pistol that can fire continuously?" He blew into the barrel, pushed in the bullet, closed the bolt and aimed at the fourth craftsman: "Hmm?"


    "I swear!" The craftsman swallowed, not daring to look at the blood that had pooled by his shoes, and managed to say, "Please... don''t kill me..."


    "I remember there was a Dwarf... what was his name...?" Gis pointed the gun at him, trying hard to recall the name that was close to being forgotten.


    "Mathews..." The craftsman being pointed at with a gun, eventually reminded him with his eyes closed.


    "Bang!" The sound of the gun, and the craftsman dropped in response.


    "Right! Mathews!" Gis raised his head and looked at the fifth craftsman: "You said Mathews had gone mad! But now everything he said has come true! So it''s not that Mathews was mad, but you all are... right?"


    As he spoke, he continued to work the bolt: "If I hadn''t trusted you back then, and instead had chased you out, then maybe... we wouldn''t be facing this defeat today, would we?"


    He was so angry he ground his teeth, and after reloading, he didn''t wait for the other to explain and shot down the fifth craftsman too.


    "Find Mathews! Tell him, I''ll give him 400 Gold Coins a month! Let him lead the effort to replicate these rifles!" Gis finally stopped reloading, resting the rifle across his desk, and commanded fiercely.


    "But... my Lord, no one knows where he''s gone..." A subordinate reminded in a low voice.


    "Go find him!" Gis suddenly shouted sharply, startling everyone.


    "Find out as soon as possible what exactly the ignition mechanism inside is... As long as we figure that out, we can replicate this new type of weapon!" Gis looked at the rifle in front of him, his eyes shining: "The whole world is going to rearm... This will be Shireck''s opportunity! If we seize this chance, we... will reach an unprecedented height!"


    "Millions of orders for new weapons... Hahaha! Hahahahahaha!" His mad laughter mixed with the rolling gunpowder smoke in the room, brushing over the bodies that were beginning to cool.


    -------


    Dragon Spirit is stockpiling manuscripts, there''s been a recent surge... mmm, inside news...

 Chapter 123: 123 research and development results

    It was winter just the same, and in a room just the same, but Tang Mo''s room, in comparison to Gis''s, was more than just a little shabbier.


    He had no warm fireplace, nor a fancy floor, and the room was steaming hot solely because it was now filled with people.


    Or rather, it would be more fitting to say packed with people.


    Tang Mo sat by the table, counting from the left, there were Roger, Mathews, Parker, Redman, Tagg, and Li''ao seated in order. Wes wasn''t seated; he stood behind Tang Mo, fiddling with a new left-wheel handgun in his hand.


    He had only recently received this thing from Tang Mo, and he truly adored it to the core. He had already taken the gun out to clean it three times in a while, each time carefully breathing on it and gently wiping it with a piece of suede, treating it as if it were a gemstone.


    On the table lay a K1 Quick Gun, a brand-new rifle, and a lever-action rifle that closely resembled a Winchester, along with a revolver and the latest model of the Colt Left-Wheel Handgun.


    Everyone was silent, as Redman and Tagg scrutinized the weapons on the table, some familiar, some not, and for a moment, they didn''t know what to say.


    Mathews, on the other hand, was very happy, as today''s meeting was clearly convened because of the lever-action rifle he had developed, so he looked quite proud.


    "It seems that the elves are indeed not planning on paying back the debt," Tang Mo said, leaning back in his chair and addressing Roger and the others.


    Wes had been dealing with those slaves lately, exhausted to death, so he looked somewhat spiritless. He yawned indifferently and said, "Anyway, didn''t you say that if they don''t pay the debt, you have ways to deal with it?"


    "There aren''t any particularly good methods now, but in the future, we will have them, plenty of them," Tang Mo said nonchalantly.


    His words were almost an admission that the debt of 100,000 Gold Coins on the books was unlikely ever to be repaid.


    So everyone''s mood dipped for a moment, despite the fact that they hadn''t really been short on cash over the past two months, 100,000 Gold Coins were no small sum at any time.


    He shrugged it off and gave his evaluation of the Elf Race, "It''s a pity, these foolish elves don''t even know what they have missed out on."


    Having said that, he paused before continuing, "The reason for calling this meeting was to introduce our latest technological research achievements at Great Tang Group to all of you."


    "You all have seen these; these are our latest technological innovations." While he spoke, he picked up the K1 rifle and set it aside, "Everyone is too familiar with this one, so no introduction is necessary."


    After that, he picked up the revolver and placed it aside as well, "The same goes for this one; everyone might have used it already."


    Amidst everyone''s laughter, he grabbed the weapon that looked much like a Winchester lever-action rifle and began to introduce, "Firstly, we have designed a new type of weapon called a lever-action rifle, named the K2 Rifle, formally Great Tang Group''s K2 Lever-Action Rifle."


    As he spoke, he pointed to a Dwarf elder nearby, who was already looking two centimeters taller in pride, and said, "This weapon was developed under the direction of Mathews; it can be loaded with more than ten bullets and fired in rapid succession!"


    This way, if a bullet were to get stuck, you could use a knife or some other tool to clean the magazine and fix the malfunction.


    Then, this slit used for repairs became another cause of jamming: in the complex battlefield environment, sand and gravel could enter the magazine from here, jamming the spring.


    Furthermore, the internal structure of the lever-action rifle is also very complex, which means that making such a weapon would be expensive and prone to malfunction.


    An expensive price means that those in power would not crazily purchase these and replace all their troops'' rifles with this type. Because no one can afford such a large expenditure, at least no one right now thinks it''s worth it.


    Being prone to malfunction means that regular soldiers would feel uncertain using this weapon, which would severely affect combat effectiveness. Going into battle with a weapon full of malfunctions would definitely provoke mutiny among the soldiers, so this also doomed the lever-action rifle to not being widely equipped.


    Therefore, this rifle ultimately did not replace the single-shot breech-loading rifle, which had fewer malfunctions and was more reliable and safe for soldiers on the battlefield.


    Another complaint about this rifle comes from the special ammunition it uses¡ªor rather, this is another flaw that the lever-action rifle design carried from the very beginning.


    All the lever-action rifle''s spare ammunition was loaded into a tubular magazine, and this design granted it a powerful advantage in continuous shooting. NovelFiremp yr content


    At the same time, this design also introduced a fatal flaw: the rifle could only use flat-nosed bullets as its ammunition.


    Why? Because if pointed bullets were used, then the bullets in the tubular magazine could easily be set off by the point striking the primer of the bullet in front of it, leading to accidental discharge of the spare rounds.


    For a rifle that needs to go through the tests of the battlefield environment, such a flaw is intolerable. Hence, for the safety of the users, lever-action rifles generally only use flat-nosed bullets.


    This then leads to another issue: the range and stability of flat-nosed bullets cannot compare with pointed bullets.


    What actually restricted the range of the lever-action rifle was also an issue with the gunpowder. Because of sealing issues in the chamber structure of the lever-action rifle, the chamber pressure could not be designed too high or it would easily burst.


    Therefore, the bullets for the lever-action rifle could not use the more advanced smokeless powder that came later, which severely restricted the rifle''s range.


    In the few years after the birth of the lever-action rifle, the standard rifles equipped by various countries generally had a range of over 800 meters, while the effective range of the lever-action rifle was essentially only around a hundred meters, which was unbearable.


    After all, once automatic weapons began to spread in the future, submachine guns would obviously be the better choice at the ideal engagement distance for a lever-action rifle.


    So, it''s not that the lever-action rifle was not good, but that it was born in an era when the development of human weaponry was advancing rapidly.


    In this period, the development of artillery was progressing rapidly, and ultimately, it only took a decade or so to completely crush the individual infantry rifle into scraps.


    There''s no helping it; the age of the cannon was ultimately coming. Automatic weapons also began to appear in conjunction with artillery, and the trench system was ultimately going to replace the traditional line formation. Everything was changing, and tactics were evolving with it.

 Chapter 124: 124 more new weapons

    ```


    And in this era, the reloading method of lever-action rifles was not very conducive to lying down, so they were ultimately eliminated by the cruel battlefield.


    However, this does not mean that these weapons were useless. It could be said that at the time, they were still very advanced weapons.


    At least, in Tang Mo''s understanding, there were many scenarios for their use: for one, it was a decent and elegant hunting rifle. As an object of play, it was exquisitely crafted and expensive, which suited the nobility quite well.


    Secondly, before the invention of submachine guns, these weapons, capable of quickly unleashing a large amount of ammunition, were the top choice for individual combat and field self-defense.


    Ordinary Rangers or mercenaries who bought such weapons could make up for their lack of firepower. Paired with a revolver, they could handle most combat environments.


    In such skirmishes, the disadvantage in range was no longer an issue. The fact that the mechanism was complex, maintenance was difficult, and the price was expensive was not a problem either.


    Moreover, the lever-action rifle was a precursor technology to the shotgun, and only by mastering this set of technologies could future production of shotguns be more effortless.


    Therefore, Tang Mo somewhat regretfully placed the rifle back on the table and said helplessly, "Actually, this weapon is not suitable for mass deployment by troops, because it is overly complex, expensive, and prone to malfunctions."


    "It also doesn''t have much of an advantage in terms of range," Tang Mo thought of the flat-nosed bullets and felt that such weapons indeed were not very suitable for large-scale deployment.


    However, what he considered unsuitable might be seen as suitable by others ¡ª Shireck, desperate for a cure, might think these weapons were worth the investment.


    Tagg looked somewhat painfully at the beautiful rifle and lamented with regret, "But..."


    "There''s no ''but'' about it, trust me, no one understands weapons better than I do," Tang Mo rejected the wrong path with the perspective of someone from the future.


    He pointed to the lever-action rifle known as the K2 and said without hesitation, "We will sell these weapons to anyone who is willing to pay for it, no matter who they are."


    The room fell silent again, as everyone pondered Tang Mo''s words. That Tang Mo was ready to sell off such advanced weaponry without any hesitation made them wonder what he was really thinking.


    Tang Mo continued to speak, "However, the real weapons we want to introduce are these three here."


    "While developing the fuse for the C64 field gun, we came up with a very useful little thing..." Tang Mo said, taking a fuse out of his pocket that looked like a small capsule and placing it on the table for everyone to see clearly.


    He pointed to the object, about the size of a little finger, and introduced, "This is called a detonation device, which can be ignited by pulling, lighting all the surrounding gunpowder."


    Additionally, he had a factory under construction for Left-Wheel Handguns, and the factory for revolvers had been in production for less than half a year.


    In the meantime, he had workshops for producing railway tracks, train components, train assembly, as well as workshops for chemical production and steam engine production...


    The immense Great Tang Group now supported a population of five thousand, which far exceeded the descriptive capacity of the term "workshop" for production scale in this world.


    Tang Mo now described his enterprise as a factory, and even in later eras, it would be considered a large-scale enterprise.


    A total of 5000 people were spread out on the land purchased by Tang Mo, making the area seem somewhat overcrowded.


    Just how fast was the construction of Tang Mo''s factories? So fast that Brunas''s cement workshop could no longer keep up with the expansion pace of Tang Mo''s factories.


    NovelFiremp yr content


    On the muddy ground, one factory after another was built up, one chimney after another was erected, and one trench after another was excavated.


    Tang Mo had pipelines laid in the factory and connected the electrical wires; his lighting system was nearly ready to be completed. Once done, almost all the factories could be equipped with electric light illumination.


    Therefore, the types of items produced in Tang Mo''s factories were already too many, so he already had the idea of splitting up his factories.


    After a series of operations, he placed the rifle back on the table, "However, it represents the future! Gentlemen! This weapon will be the best rifle we have for a considerable time to come!"


    Having said that, he drew a Left-Wheel Handgun from under his arm and placed it on the table, introducing to everyone, "This is a modified revolver, our latest product."


    "Like the revolver, it can also shoot continuously, making it a very convenient personal weapon!" After that, he opened the cylinder and poured out the bullets.


    "The reason we can produce so many new weapons is actually based on the innovation and progress of ammunition technology!" He pointed to the ammunition on the table and explained to everyone, "We will soon adopt metal cartridge technology and the corresponding smokeless powder technology!"


    "Next spring, our new factory will commence production, and the new powder will be produced in those workshops. With these ammunition production workshops'' support, we''ll be able to use these more advanced weapons!" As he spoke, he loaded the bullets into his handgun one by one, flicked the gun body to snap the cylinder back into the frame, "See? Simple to load, convenient to use! This...


    This is what a weapon should be! This is how a weapon... should look!"


    "In the new year! I hope everyone remembers a fact! We are now the world''s most advanced weapons manufacturer! No one can shake our position! And no one... can defeat us in our field!" He said, standing up, chest out, welcoming the warm applause of everyone.


    Amidst the applause, the door was pushed open from outside, and the young apprentice Galsa ran to Tang Mo''s side, whispering in his ear, "People from the docks say that a large ship from the Poplar Kingdom has docked, and there''s an elf on board who wishes to see you."

 Chapter 125: 125 debunking

    ```


    What was bothering Tang Mo now? There were far too many new weapons already designed on paper, but he lacked the production capacity and a sufficiently large market to digest these weapons.


    He was unable to immediately produce the K3 rifles to sell to Fisheo, and in fact, Fisheo already lacked the funds to support the immediate re-equipment of its troops with newer weapons.


    The Earl from Northern Ridge might purchase a large batch of hand grenades, or even some additional C64 grenade launchers, but he genuinely didn''t have the funds to replace all of his K1 Quick Guns with the cutting-edge K3 rifles.


    And Tang Mo himself actually had plenty of problems on his end. He couldn''t complete the upgrade and development of his equipment right away because he had run out of spare technical workers to fill the new factories.


    All he could do now was to honestly and steadily develop, produce more equipment, train more workers, and bring his factory into the next round of expansion.


    These were unavoidable circumstances; all he could do was to wait and proceed slowly and surely.


    The good news was that training his workers was much simpler than raising a craftsman with Gold Coins had been in the past, for these workers only needed to operate machines without fully understanding the significance of the processes.


    All these workers had to do was to repeat the same procedure day after day, memorize each step, and execute them properly, and they would be qualified!


    And the less educated and less understanding of complex operations the apprentice workers were, the greater their reverence for the miraculous machines. They would dutifully follow the rules and regulations when operating machinery, meticulously and rarely slacking off.


    After all, it was a simple era where people toiled tirelessly just for a meal. No one complained about overtime, nor did anyone yearn for rest... and all this was to Tang Mo''s advantage.


    Another bottleneck in development was the shortage of raw materials¡ªTang Mo only had a very limited stockpile of metals, and other materials were pitifully scarce.


    Despite his best efforts to gather these items, in the end he could only acquire barely enough resources to support his current development.


    The only things he had in abundance were leather and some sea salt; the rest were in short supply.


    Due to a sudden increase in population, the previously sufficient supply of food was starting to run thin. After all, feeding 5,000 people was by no means a small number.


    While there was a bit of a reserve of copper ingots, they would soon be depleted by the production of steam engines, trains, and ammunition.


    The situation with iron ingots was even direr. Once smelted into steel, they were rapidly consumed in the production of lathes and machinery, to the point where even the production of rails was becoming uncertain.


    In such circumstances, no matter how actively Tang Mo expanded his production capacity, he truly couldn''t mass-produce the brand new K3 rifles in a short period.


    Even the Maxim machine guns, which he could have made easily due to sufficient production capacity, had to be abandoned because of insufficient material supply and the inability to produce enough bullets for immediate production; just thinking about it made Tang Mo''s heart ache.


    John grew more embarrassed, now he wasn''t entirely acting but truly felt somewhat ashamed.


    People value face as trees value bark, and even the filthiest of nobility can be embarrassed when exposed and accused of being untrustworthy to their face.


    So, John plucked up the courage to admit, "Yes, I did say that..."


    "Did you bring the appointment letter?" Tang Mo immediately asked.


    John was exceedingly ashamed as he shook his head, his voice beginning to stutter, "No, I didn''t..."


    "So, it seems, the Augustin Clan owes me more than just 100,000 Gold Coins. How much more? 150,000?" Tang Mo turned to Wes, instructing, "Remember, calculate it at the highest interest rate. By this time next year, it will be 300,000 Gold Coins!"


    John was even more humiliated and quickly spoke up, revealing his purpose for the visit, "Tang Mo... my friend! Though I have not fulfilled my promise, I am willing to stay here and work for you! I hope I can use my actions to repay some of the debt I owe..."


    "Oh?" Tang Mo was startled, then looked at John, as if he were scrutinizing him or pondering something. He didn''t speak immediately but just stared at John, with only the whistling sea breeze between them.


    "Hmm?" John too had not expected Tang Mo to suddenly fall silent and, after an awkward moment of confusion, also fell silent.


    Silence persisted.


    After a long while, Tang Mo seemed to come back to life. He extended a hand to pat John on the shoulder, then asked, "Let''s be honest, John, the credibility of the Augustin Family is bankrupt in my eyes, right? You''ve betrayed my trust, took my things and didn''t pay."


    "But, but my personal...," John felt that his impression of Tang Mo had completely changed with this visit.


    Previously he had thought Tang Mo to be somewhat arrogant, somewhat mad, but at heart just a profit-seeking merchant.


    But now, Tang Mo seemed to have undergone some kind of change... how should he put it, more like... more like his father.


    This sensation made him terribly uncomfortable, as if he were in his father''s castle. Even the look in Tang Mo''s eyes was intimidating, and he couldn''t bring himself to meet Tang Mo''s gaze.


    "I''ve just about figured out your intentions. You don''t plan on repaying the money, and you want to plant a spy here for free, a noble scion with dubious loyalty. Why should I harbour you?" Tang Mo, one hand on John''s shoulder, asked with a cold smile.


    "No, it''s not like that, Tang Mo... I just..." John suddenly panicked, feeling exposed, and stammering an explanation in his guilt.


    Tang Mo didn''t listen to his explanation and cut him off to continue, "Let me guess... no, let me make a malicious guess... Augustine, an ancient family... hedging bets, sitting on the fence... very slick operations."


    "..." John felt he might be confronting an entity more terrifying than his own father. He wanted to turn and run, but his feet wouldn''t move, as if in the woods, he was the prey under a tiger''s gaze.


    He didn''t dare to struggle, he even struggled to breathe, knowing he was afraid, yet no matter how much he tried, he couldn''t step out of Tang Mo''s shadow.

 Chapter 126: 126 Black Dragon Island

    "Well then, there''s no need for subtlety... Augustine John, what have you brought to tempt me, to stop me from killing you right now to vent my anger, and from visiting the Poplar Kingdom another day, when I''m in a good mood, to utterly crush the Augustin Clan into dust?" Tang Mo asked, staring at John with a smile that belied the harshness of his question.


    The moment his words fell, nearly everyone behind Tang Mo drew their pistols. Seven or eight dark muzzles coldly pointed at John''s forehead.


    At that moment, John''s reaction speed seemed to surpass his own limits, and he immediately blurted out, without a moment''s hesitation, "I''ve brought you a map!"


    Although an elf warship was moored not far behind him, John knew that the ship''s cannons couldn''t save his life.


    By the time those elf sailors realized he had been harmed, Tang Mo would likely have already left the harbor, returning to Brunas City.


    Tang Mo was momentarily taken aback when he heard this; he certainly hadn''t expected the other party to offer land as a bargaining chip¡ªhe did indeed covet land, but he had little interest in enclaves far away in the Poplar Kingdom.


    What he hoped to acquire was land he could manage himself, land that could become part of his own territory. For him, the best kind of land would be an island, a very large one at that.


    So, Tang Mo''s tone noticeably softened a bit, and he asked John with interest, "Ah! A map... I''m starting to get a little interested. Tell me, what kind of map is it?"


    "About a year ago, we discovered an island in the Endless Sea! A very large island!" John''s voice trembled slightly, as this was his first time witnessing Tang Mo''s somewhat volatile negotiating style.


    In their previous encounter, Tang Mo was like a salesman, endlessly chattering but amiable and seemingly easy to get along with.


    But this time, the Tang Mo before him seemed angrier, somewhat fierce, and John even sensed a killing aura about him.


    It was a subtle feeling, but as he had seen sailors and soldiers who had killed before, he was sensitive to this sort of dangerous atmosphere.


    "Continue," Tang Mo interjected when he noticed John had paused in his explanation. But as he spoke, he waved his hand backward, and fingers like Wes''s were no longer on their pistol triggers.


    Startled, John immediately continued, "The island is far from the Poplar Kingdom and other kingdoms, including Leite Kingdom. Its location is very remote."


    To convey the size of the island, John gestured with his hands while describing, based on the information he knew, "We tried to explore the island, but we couldn''t reach its edges! We found no signs of people on the island; it was completely pristine."


    "Hmm, go on," Tang Mo urged, even more interested in the island now. As long as it wasn''t located on an earthquake zone and was arable, if he could get his hands on it, it would be quite a coup.


    Just as Tang Mo was figuring out how to make use of the island, John dropped an even more astonishing piece of news: "There is oil on the island! There are even streams flowing with black oil! That''s why we''ve named it... Black Dragon Island!"


    Damn it! Tang Mo cursed inwardly. This was truly a heaven-sent treasure! Not only large but also with oil on it? Fate is with me, I must seize it! Otherwise, I would live in vain!


    "..." Hearing Tang Mo speak like this, John found himself at a loss for words once more, capable only of a disheartened silence.


    While he sulked in silence, Tang Mo''s tone took on a more cordial note, "However, since you''re here, there is some use for you, at least, you allow me to exploit your identity to keep blustering and deceiving around here."


    As he said this, Tang Mo draped an arm over John''s shoulder, "After all, I can''t really kill you, right?"


    "..." John felt it may have been a mistake to come here.


    As he regretted his decision, Tang Mo''s gaze shifted from him to the Elf Race''s warship in the distance, "Oh... right! That warship isn''t bad either, if I confiscated it, do you think your father would be furious?"


    It was a brand new first-rate warship, each side bristling with 30 cannons¡ªconsidered both costly and powerful in this era.


    "..." John mulled it over but couldn''t bring himself to disclose that the warship was merely there to bring him over and was soon set to return.


    He feared that if he didn''t leave the warship with Tang Mo, Tang Mo might actually throw him into the sea to feed the fish.


    As John maintained his silence, Tang Mo nodded assuredly, delightedly saying, "Seems he will be angry then; perfect, tell your men to lay down their weapons and hand over the warship to me! If they resist, I''ll show you my new weapon."


    "You! You have a new weapon again?" Hearing this, John''s fear was replaced by shock as he looked at Tang Mo, hoping to decipher some clue from his face.


    And at that moment, Tang Mo gazed at the distant warship as if eyeing a target, nodding and threateningly said, "Yes, after you left, my technical engineer had a stroke of genius and came up with a brand new field gun... Hmm, not exactly perfect yet, but sinking a warship with it is pretty easy."


    "..." John felt that Tang Mo was now like a devil. His threats sent shivers down John''s spine and left him without the courage to even think of resisting.


    Because deep down, he believed that Tang Mo truly had a new weapon that could easily destroy warships...


    "Come! Join me for a drink, and I''ll introduce you to some people... Oh, right, you can call me Master just like they do," Tang Mo, arm still around John, prepared to step into the carriage as if taking him hostage.


    "..." John looked at Tang Mo sullenly, wanting to remind him: Didn''t you just say that we are best friends? How come in a blink of an eye, I''ve become your subordinate?


    Stopping in his tracks, Tang Mo looked at John, who was not following him to the carriage, "What? Don''t I seem like it?"


    John immediately acquiesced, "As you wish, my Master."


    "Hahahahaha!" Tang Mo laughed loudly, with a tinge of loneliness in his laughter.

 Chapter 127: I am originally from the nobility

    "Do you really intend to keep him?" Roger asked with some unease, watching John caressing a newly produced C64 field gun in the distance.


    "I suppose so, at least he''s here to hedge his bets. Since I''m more optimistic about my side, he can still be of use," Tang Mo mused as he watched John''s figure from afar.


    Roger, somewhat worried, reminded Tang Mo, "We''re now short of 100,000 Gold Coins, and it seems we''ll have to find another way to fund our subsequent procurement plans."


    "In fact, our investments in other workshops have been hugely successful. Thanks to the refining methods you provided, Brunas'' glass workshop has turned around, and their glass has opened up quite a few markets." Speaking of which, Roger started to tease Tang Mo.


    In his view, this might be a great irony for Tang Mo: aside from the most profitable arms trade, Tang Mo''s other investments were also yielding profits.


    And it''s very possible that, in the upcoming period, Tang Mo would have to rely on these civilian daily use workshops to subsidize and sustain his military industry enterprise.


    So, he couldn''t help but laugh as he said, "The cement factory also landed a big contract, supplying materials for Brunas'' wall and housing repair projects... Although it''s just a word from the mayor, it truly netted you a hefty profit."


    Seeing Tang Mo a bit embarrassed, Roger became even happier, "At the cloth workshop, the new dyeing method you''ve invested in has also been markedly effective. They''re preparing to buy two steam engines to drive their looms to increase production."


    When he finished, he patted Tang Mo on the shoulder, "Salt and other trades have brought you dividends well over thirty Gold Coins, but... obviously, for you now, these can only be considered small profits."


    "No matter how small, it''s still money! I''m quite in need of money right now! I don''t have too many good solutions either. The Earl ordered three thousand grenades. If he starts training with these weapons, he will order at least another three thousand. This might be our biggest order recently," Tang Mo replied with a laugh, then twisted his neck.


    The weather was no longer so cold, so he no longer needed to wear that very high-quality fur coat.


    However, the considerate Miss of the Ronin Family had someone send over a scarf, which looked a bit uneven in the stitching. It was somewhat prickly around Tang Mo''s neck.


    He adjusted it to make his neck more comfortable, then changed the topic and asked Li''ao on the other side, "How are things in Brunas'' official circles?"


    "Things are going quite smoothly. With our support, Brunas'' tax collection has been flawless for the past three years. Those fat emissaries couldn''t possibly find any issues," Li''ao reported with satisfaction.


    In this regard, he was truly a professional. The whole operation was arranged in a way that made Brunas seem impeccable.


    He recounted confidently all the measures in place, "You know, we''ve reassigned over a hundred soldiers to fill gaps in the city defense force, assumingly replacing others to help the Solon Sheriff plug the holes. The arsenal''s counts of flintlock guns are accurate, every Longsword refurbished."


    "Brunas'' population growth is among the top, the market order is good, and all industries are booming..." As he spoke, he even sounded amused, "You can''t see a beggar on the streets, hooligans and bullies are nowhere to be found. It might be safer here than in the King City."


    Besides, now that his warship was seized, whether the fleet of the Poplar Kingdom would even dare to dock at Brunas was an entirely different question.


    If after more than a year, they don''t come, when would his letter finally reach his father''s hands?


    "You see, you should really think about how you can gain my trust, contribute your own strength. By doing that, you make yourself more valuable, you help the Augustin Family to better sit on the fence, and you might even save your father''s life, which may be at risk!" Tang Mo switched tones, giving advice to John.


    John was stunned for a moment, then he realized that he hadn''t shifted his loyalties yet. He was supposed to be Tang Mo''s staff officer now, and it seemed that he no longer needed to consider his own family.


    Although still feeling unaccustomed, John thought there was some sense in Tang Mo''s words; if he continued to be treated as an outsider here, what fence was there left for the Augustin Family to sit on?


    Having understood the situation, he became despondent again. Theoretically, he was actually much stronger than other nobles, but at this moment, he realized he didn''t seem to have any skills that could assist Tang Mo.


    He was only an overseer of a ship when it came to navigation; he had some experience, but it was clear that Tang Mo was unlikely to entrust the fleet to his command.


    After all, these ships, and most of the elves on board, were his old subordinates; under these circumstances, he was very likely to run off with Tang Mo''s fleet.


    When it came to combat skills, he had some prowess, but compared with Westag, he fell short. Obviously, Tang Mo wouldn''t entrust his troops to him either.


    He did have some knowledge about indulgence in food, women, gambling, and such, but clearly, these were not things that would impress Tang Mo.


    Just then, Tang Mo''s voice reached his ears: "Since you seem incapable of much else, help me manage the business of the gambling den."


    "Ah?" John felt his brain was not quite up to the task.


    "I''ll give you some novel ideas, follow my instructions, set up casinos, clubs, bathhouses..." Tang Mo felt it was necessary to add some fresh, new elements to Brunas. Pai gow, mahjong, quadrille, dice, poker, baccarat... these games were also good channels for making money.


    "..." John truly couldn''t believe that, in the end, the thing that proved he was somewhat useful was precisely all the things he''d learned from his years of debauchery.


    "Turn Brunas into a gold-digging pit, make it a place where people from all over the world can find what they want to play with!" Tang Mo spread his hands, seemingly very excited as he said, "How about it? Pretty good idea, right?"


    "What you''ve got to do is act like a nobleman, promote these games, make everyone accept them!" Tang Mo patted John''s shoulder, commanding.


    "I am already a nobleman!" John objected weakly.

 Chapter 128: 128 Tactical Course

    Aside from preparing to open a new casino in Brunas and then setting up a high-end club to teach these natives from another world how to splurge, Tang Mo has recently found time amidst his busy schedule to start attending school.


    After the war ended, Count Fisheo realized the significant impact that Tang Mo''s weapons had on the battle situation.


    Hadn''t Tang Mo previously taught Tagg and several veterans from Northern Ridge some courses on artillery theory? It was these veterans who played an important role in the battle of Northern Ridge.


    Under the command of these veterans, Tang Mo''s cannons¡ªwhether in choosing positions, precise shooting, or covering fire¡ªterrified the Suthers troops.


    It could be said that the six unassuming cannons played a more significant role in the war than even Fisheo had anticipated.


    After the war, those veterans who had attended the courses immediately became artillery officers in Fisheo''s troops, and their status rose dramatically.


    After hearing these veterans talk about how Tang Mo had previously trained them in cannon firing calculations and artillery tactics, Fisheo immediately became interested in this mysterious school.


    Consequently, Fisheo reached an agreement with Tang Mo, sending officers to Brunas for tactical training courses with Tang Mo, while Fisheo helped gather 2,000 immigrants to help Tang Mo expand his factory once again.


    In the newly built, spacious and bright classrooms¡ªstill tinged with a faint smell of paint¡ªthe conditions looked much better than those in Tang Mo''s office.


    Apart from the chimneys, this might have been the tallest building in Tang Mo''s factory. It had three floors with six classrooms in total.


    The other rooms included teacher''s dormitories, a multi-functional dining hall, and some chemical laboratories. In this age, it was indeed a commendable architecture.


    Tang Mo addressed a room full of young people, passionately lecturing, "Now, everyone, take a look at Tang''s K1 Quick Gun. Was its creation merely a simple matter of changing the loading method?"


    He picked up a K1 Quick Gun, pulled the bolt, and showed all the students the entire structure of the rifle.


    Those seated below were officers from Northern Ridge, officers from the Great Tang security forces, and some of the most academically achieving students from the cadet corps.


    Everyone was looking up, listening attentively to Tang Mo''s lecture, occasionally taking notes, and the only voice in the classroom was Tang Mo''s.


    After discussing the K1 Quick Gun, Tang Mo began to introduce some new tactics, the performance improvements of the K1 Quick Gun, and a series of technological innovations that had changed the battlefield situation.


    He hastily drew a square on the blackboard to represent an infantry formation and then sketched an improved long column formation used by Northern Ridge with the K1 Quick Gun, comparing the fire density: "In fact, the battlefield situation has become very complex now, and the fire density on both sides is set to increase."


    Although these students weren''t sure whether they could beat their classmates, they were certain they could defeat anyone outside this room!


    So, they were proud, they were confident. What they had learned here was more than they had in the past decade, and was more useful than everything they had learned in the past decade.


    Tang Mo pulled the bolt open and pointed to the simple structure inside while introducing the advantages of this new rifle, "Also, after improving the firing pin, this weapon has become more reliable, simpler, easier to maintain, and almost malfunction-free."


    "Finally, with this weapon, commanders can boldly change existing tactics to achieve better combat effectiveness," he said, putting down the gun in his hand and looking at the students who were watching him.


    Everyone was amazed by Tang Mo''s new weapons, for they had previously encountered the K2 lever-action rifle in earlier classes, and now in this class, they encountered another new weapon.


    What Shireck had failed to improve upon for decades, Tang Mo effortlessly brought to life in a variety of forms in his hands.


    Even though the lever-action rifle had its flaws, when faced with Shireck''s rifles, its terrifying rate of fire could shine like a beam of light, covering all its shortcomings.


    Just one charge was needed to use a storm of bullets to completely collapse the enemy, which likely was the dream of almost every commander.


    This truly was their dream, and some had already begun to envision in their minds how they would form regiments using these new weapons.


    The attacking troops should be equipped with as many K2 lever-action rifles as possible to tear through the enemy''s defenses with fire density. In contrast, the defending troops should be equipped with as many K3 rifles as possible to leverage the range advantage and crush the enemy''s attacking troops in advance.


    Similar combinations had more or less taken shape in many people''s minds¡ªthey were also considering whether rifles should be divided into two functions, into attack and defense rifles, and distributed to different troops for use...


    At that moment, Tang Mo''s continued words brought these trainees back to reality, "Next, let''s take a look at this B1-type hand grenade. It is a throwable weapon, providing close-range suppressive firepower for the infantry."


    "Just pull the cord, strike the primer fuse, and this weapon can be thrown to kill the enemy," he said, picking up an unloaded model from the table and demonstrating the use of the grenade.


    Then, he drew a circle on the blackboard, annotating a number on its radius, "With an explosion radius of more than 5 meters, this thing is quite dangerous. However, it can immediately take out enemies in front of you, making it a very effective attack or defense weapon."


    Just one precise throw could kill swathes of enemies in front of them; despite the throwing range being less than 30 meters, this weapon was clearly another means to counter the enemy''s group charges.


    Looking at this new weapon, virtually all the officers took notes, recognizing the hand grenade as an advanced weapon to be added to the procurement list for their future troop composition.


    "Firstly, with the emergence of new weapons, we need to change our existing tactics for both offensive and defensive operations," Tang Mo continued, drawing a U-shape on the blackboard to represent the side of a trench, "Defense has become easier to effect and requires prearranged setups; our soldiers need better concealment in the face of enemy fire, rather than foolishly standing in the open waiting to be killed."

 Chapter 129: Changes in 129 Tactics

    He tossed the chalk into the groove below the blackboard, patted the chalk dust off his hands, and said, "So, digging trenches has become a reasonable method... What is a trench? A trench is a series of such pits."


    As he spoke, he picked up a teaching aid previously carved out of wood. It even had some little wooden carved figures that looked very lifelike.


    While speaking, Tang Mo picked up the teaching aid and stepped down from the podium. He placed the teaching aid in front of the students for a closer look, "Soldiers hiding in this trench wouldn''t have to worry about most of their bodies being exposed under the enemy''s gunfire, and their chances of survival would be much higher."


    He pointed to the head of a soldier sticking out from the trench and said to all the officers who had gathered around, "The enemy can only target our soldiers'' heads, which means their hit rate would be much lower. The trench can also evade more than 90% of the enemy''s artillery fire, proving more effective than a wall."


    "I am not joking, to attack such trenches, the enemy may have to pay tenfold before achieving any results," he looked at the attentive commanders, who were several decades his senior, and earnestly cautioned, "Unless you plan to leave immediately, you must dig trenches! It''s the best way to preserve your lives!"


    All the people in this classroom could be called the confidantes of either Tang Mo or Fisheo. Being selected to be here represented an honor in itself.


    Those who could sit in this classroom, whether officers or soldiers of Tang Mo''s direct troops, had all distinguished themselves in the previous battle at Northern Ridge. Their rewards included Gold Coins and the opportunity to attend this class.


    No one would give up such an opportunity, because everyone knew that once they stepped out of this classroom, they could stir up storms in the world.


    "With adequate preparation, on one position, we only need to deploy 500 people to withstand the attack of 10,000 enemies!" Tang Mo was still introducing his defensive position concept at this point.


    He aimed to quickly instill these tactics in the officers and then make them outstanding figures ahead of their era.


    Hence, as he spoke, he walked around the classroom and then returned to the podium, "Gentlemen, the era is progressing! If you do not wish to advance with the times, you will be considered fools and be eliminated by history!"


    "In the future, soldiers will be equipped with more powerful weapons, including hand grenades, rifles, bayonets, and for better defense arrangements, they should also be issued Engineer Corps shovels!" he said and wrote the words for Engineer Corps shovel on the blackboard.


    "Not only should they be issued Engineer Corps shovels, but also mess tins, spare socks..." He filled an entire blackboard with his neat handwriting.


    There were many more defensive tactics he had yet to teach, because the Maxim machine gun had not yet emerged, and the defense system built around the machine gun was incomplete.


    Once machine guns became available, attacks would become very difficult, and both sides would enter a state of trench warfare, requiring great courage to initiate an attack.


    Just like in World War I, when attacking the enemy''s solid defense lines, it required massing heavy artillery, using overwhelming firepower to destroy all of the enemy''s defense systems, and then furiously attacking the enemy''s now-damaged defenses with soldiers.


    Even so, this kind of attack was no different from suicide: even if more than half of the enemy''s defenses were destroyed, they could still hold out for a long time.


    During this period, the attacking soldiers would be divided by the enemy''s dense barbed wire and landmines, and then easily slaughtered by the machine guns.


    After tapping on the blackboard twice, Tang Mo reminded everyone, "I hope all the students take good notes! These theories are very important, do you understand?"


    Hearing his words, all the officers began writing furiously, taking notes on the lesson.


    Many among them had already studied Tang Mo''s artillery course, and some had learned the basic drills of the troops.


    And it was at this moment that those veterans who had learned from previous lessons realized that the hand-to-hand combat and crawling taught by Tang Mo were actually preparations for this new set of tactics.


    When facing a barrage of bullets from the enemy''s dense lever rifles, lying on the ground was clearly a wiser choice than standing there.


    Tang Mo walked back to the lecturer''s desk, clapped his hands, and began to organize his teaching materials: "Now, you all know why our Great Tang Group''s security forces are equipped with these functional gear, right?"


    "Understood," all the students nodded.


    Tang Mo picked up his books and teaching aids, "After you return, make sure your troops have the capacity to construct field fortifications, and I also hope you will purchase the supporting equipment from the Great Tang Group."


    "Alright, that''s it for this class, dismissed! Goodbye, students!" Tang Mo nodded slightly and left the classroom with a pile of miscellaneous items.


    "Goodbye, teacher!" All the students stood up at attention and saluted Tang Mo with respect. They watched him leave the classroom with adoring eyes.


    "Who would have thought that there really could be rifles capable of continuous fire..." Once Tang Mo had left the room, a Northern Ridge officer said with some amazement.


    "Forget about rifles, if we didn''t know and were suddenly attacked by a unit equipped with revolvers, wouldn''t we lose too?" another officer commented with a sense of loss.


    The officers whispered among themselves, some gathered to discuss the lever rifles that were likely to be manufactured in the future.


    Despite the shortcomings of limited range, they were still more interested in it. Because compared to paper specs, the lever rifle, indeed, seemed more appealing than the KAR98K.


    "Each unit should bring at least three more wagons..." Redman complained to Luff by his side, "The rate of ammunition consumption will surely be faster than before."


    "Three wagons? I reckon even five might not be enough," Luff said with a wince, "Factoring in consumption for horses and people, with the extra wagons and supplies, five... more would not be less!"


    The other officers from the Great Tang''s security force silently packed their things, as the classroom would be used by other students afterward.


    They all knew that, one way or another, the next war would bring changes. They just didn''t know when it would come.

 Chapter 130: The leader personally took charge

    Recently, Gis hadn''t been going to his own office much, because inside, he had killed a large number of craftsmen in one fell swoop.


    The gaps between the floorboards there might occasionally still ooze red bloodstains, which he found disgusting.


    As much as he was ruthless and brutal in killing, he still found those bloodstains nauseating and felt they tainted his refined tastes.


    In a new room, his side was again filled with craftsmen, their faces etched with difficulty, each of them silent as if chilled to the bone.


    They had all been newly promoted to managers, or rather, persons in charge. These individuals were talented in the technical field, and they were there to report on the results of their experiments in the recent period.


    A craftsman, drenched in sweat, finally stepped forward after being nudged by his peers and started to explain, "Sir, we truly cannot concoct this formula... It''s too enigmatic, we have no idea where to even begin."


    "We''ve exhausted all means of reverse engineering, but its components become extremely unstable under certain conditions, yet very stable under others... It... It''s too complex, we don''t have any good solutions..." The craftsman''s voice trailed off as he spoke.


    He also knew that Shireck paid very high salaries to sustain them, these technical craftsmen, but now their technology had been surpassed by another group.


    This was not good news, as it meant their wages and salaries had gone to waste. To Shireck, the money was not a pity, but the situation itself infuriated him.


    Furthermore, the fact that they couldn''t even reverse-engineer the opponent''s technology was even more embarrassing.


    Standing here at this moment, he could clearly feel his calves trembling uncontrollably with fear.


    Sitting there, Gis was also calculating; he had already killed several craftsmen with formidable skills, all of whom were Shireck Company''s intangible assets.


    Getting rid of those people wasn''t entirely due to his cruelty, but because he needed to put pressure on his subordinates, sufficient pressure to make them quickly and exhaustively reverse-engineer the opponent''s technology.


    Under the threat of death, these well-paid craftsmen would definitely work themselves to the bone and produce the results he wanted.


    But now, after nearly a month of experimenting, these craftsmen had not come up with the desired formula for the ignition device. This meant that Shireck''s technology was truly incapable of replicating this item.


    Some people aren''t even afraid of death, and stand here explaining, but that only means one thing: incompetence! These people are incompetent! They cannot replicate the opponent''s technology; they can''t produce the item Shireck wants, not even at the cost of their lives!


    "Ah... it really is bothersome." Gis rubbed his forehead and waved his hand to cut off the other party''s excuses. His eyes swept over the craftsmen who were silent as death, like a hawk scouring its prey.


    "You... have disappointed Shireck''s high expectations!" He stood up, his face turning very ugly: "Now, get out! Get out!"


    However, to kill the chicken as a warning to the monkeys, after Suthers'' defeat, Shireck dealt with the person responsible for the Suthers side, giving Gis a chance to redeem himself for his faults.


    This opportunity to make amends was to somehow acquire new weaponry and restore Shireck to its position as the world''s leading advanced weapons manufacturing group.


    The order Shireck gave him was: at any cost! This command alone showed just how seriously those above regarded the matter.


    Should anything go wrong again, his fate would be far worse than that of the person in charge of Suthers. Under such circumstances, he could no longer care about anything else and had to personally take action.


    "My lord..." his subordinate still wanted to further advise him against it, but Gis waved his hand and interrupted him.


    "Rest assured! I am going there to deliver money, not to pick a fight. With the Kingdom Minister accompanying me, it''s not so easy for mishaps to occur," insisted Gis.


    "My lord, please reconsider... for your safety..." The subordinate had the earnest look of someone who was genuinely loyal, a natural-born actor.


    Yet Gis quite enjoyed the feeling of being cared for. He patted his subordinate''s shoulder with satisfaction, appearing touched, though his words were vicious, "Working with you fools, I wouldn''t even know who has defeated me if I ended up being butchered!"


    "This subordinate will go prepare at once." The subordinate was not discouraged but departed the room with the same respectful demeanor.


    Watching the fawning subordinate leave the room, Gis scornfully muttered, "Having to work with you lot is truly a despairing experience."


    Gis checked to make sure the door was securely closed, then turned to his last trusted aide, "Go to Northern Ridge yourself... Let no one know, and if there''s a chance, then..." His voice trailed off, growing fainter until it was almost inaudible, "Even though Beiji is the sharpest hound under me, in terms of ferocity, how could a dog... ever compare to a bear..."


    His voice faded to the point of being barely audible, and the expression on the subordinate''s face darkened as he responded in a low voice, "Yes!"


    Outside in the corridor, Gis''s subordinate summoned a servant, "Go to the master''s cellar, fetch a few bottles of fine wine... he may have to personally go to Brunas."


    "What does the lord want there..." A charming woman yawning as she passed by inquired seductively.


    "What the lord does is not for us servants to question," the subordinate dared not offend the lady, who had unclear relations with Lord Gis. This widow would sometimes visit, often staying the night.


    "Hurry! Go!" The subordinate dared not grumble at the Countess who had inherited her husband''s nobility title, but he did scold the nearby servant in a low voice, "Don''t delay the lord''s business!"


    The servant hurriedly rushed towards the wine cellar, while the attendant standing to the side bowed slightly, letting the two pass and glanced inadvertently towards Gis''s office in the distance.


    Soon, a note was secretly passed out of the manor. Not long after, a fast horse burst from the gates of King City, galloping non-stop toward the direction of Brunas.

 Chapter 131: Casino 131

    Brunas recently opened a new casino, and although the decorations are not luxurious, the offerings inside are a real eye-opener for everyone.


    A well-dressed man was leaning against a table, shouting at the spinning roulette wheel, "30! 30! Damn it, why is it 8! Bastard!"


    The ball on the roulette wheel spun for a long time before finally settling in the black number 8 slot, eliciting sighs of disappointment from the surrounding crowd.


    They had all failed to bet on the winning number, which meant that nearly all of the money on the table had gone into the house''s pocket.


    Next to this man, a woman nestled against another man, looking at the cards on the table and exclaimed with a surprised and sweet voice, "This is so much fun!"


    The dealer, dressed in smart clothes, stretched out his hand to draw a card from the blind box and placed it on the table, "Gentlemen... the Four of Spades."


    "Ugh..." Several players frustratingly slammed their cards on the table, while only one person smiled and swept all the chips in front of him into his arms.


    Everyone in the casino was animated; they seemed obsessed with the games to the point of forgetfulness. They slammed their chips down on the table, shouting at the top of their lungs.


    "Can''t be helped, this isn''t exactly an upscale place... Our luxury casino, the tasteful one that draws high-end customers, is still being refurbished," John explained, sipping his drink in the corner, somewhat frustrated by the noisy environment, to his companion Li''ao.


    Li''ao offered a knowing smile and consoled, "It''s okay, you''ve done very well. How about going down to gamble for a bit?"


    "Are you kidding me..." John sighed with a hint of helplessness, "I''m just a laborer right now, the money''s not even paid off yet, how can I dare to mess around with the boss''s money?"


    "A flush! Hahaha! I got a flush!" Just then, a man raised his arms in victory and shouted excitedly to the entire room.


    "20 gold coins! Hahaha! I won 20 gold coins!" The man was shouting triumphantly like a boxing champion at the table, drawing envious glances from many.


    The nature of a casino is such that there are winners and losers; while some lose money, others are bound to win. In fact, casinos make their profit simply from the commissions and the portion of the bets that the house wins outright.


    A real casino normally earns its profit through a rake, making a guaranteed income unless faced with an extraordinarily skilled gambler.


    Of course, since Tang Mo made the rules of the game, he naturally had his own protective measures in place.


    John, being well-versed in entertainment himself, oversaw the operation to keep things steady and ensure everyone adhered to the rules.


    After all, at such times, it carried more persuasive power for a noble from the Poplar Kingdom to step forward than for Tang Mo, who was not yet a noble.


    "You might not realize just how much profit this place has brought us... 50 gold coins a day... it''s probably faster than robbery," Li''ao said with pride, his eyes sparkling as he glanced at John.


    Many ships come and go in Brunas, and these ships dock at the Port of Brunas, where sailors always come ashore to find entertainment.


    Under these circumstances, Tang Mo''s words carried more weight here than the king''s words, because the king''s orders might face some discount in their enforcement here, but Tang Mo''s words would be carried out immediately.


    To put it bluntly, if Tang Mo ordered the City Defense Forces to arrest the town mayor, they were quite likely to consider executing this somewhat terrifying order.


    In Brunas, the outline of Tang Mo''s shadow empire was already beginning to take shape.


    And while Li''ao and John were in the newly opened casino watching gamblers squander money like water, Tang Mo, at the entrance to Brunas''s finest restaurant, welcomed an important visitor.


    A luxurious carriage, enviable enough to make one jealous, stopped before Tang Mo, and a respectable attendant helped open the carriage door. Gis, dressed in formal attire, stepped down from the carriage.


    "Welcome to Brunas!" Tang Mo greeted politely.


    "I asked the mayor, and only then did I learn of Mr. Tang''s achievements, truly breathtaking! Hahaha!" Gis stepped forward, spreading his arms wide as if he wished to give Tang Mo a warm hug.


    However, Tang Mo did not move; he retained his smile and explained, "We''re not that close, no need to be so friendly, right?"


    Gis was taken aback, his smile blooming instantly as he withdrew his arms and continued to laugh heartily, "Hahaha! Mr. Tang is a funny man! I really like your candidness! I like it very much!"


    The Minister of Construction, Baus, who in King City still held some face, dismounted from the carriage but did not get a chance to speak for a good while, leaving him awkwardly standing there.


    "Let me introduce... this is... the Kingdom''s Minister of Construction, Mr. Baus!" Gis stepped back and gestured, introducing him.


    "I''ve long heard of you! I''ve long heard of you!" Tang Mo immediately welcomed with a smile.


    "You''re too kind! Too kind!" Baus immediately appeared flattered. After all, in his view, a man who could leave Gis so embarrassed without exploding in fury, no matter how young, deserved respect.


    "Then! Since Mr. Gis graces us with his presence, let''s go upstairs to talk! I''ve ordered the dishes; everyone must grace us with their presence!" Tang Mo stepped back, yielding his position, and with a sweep of his arm, made an inviting gesture.


    "Then I must thank Mr. Tang for the arrangements!" Gis did not decline and went ahead. He didn''t even pretend to defer to the Minister of Construction, who theoretically held a much higher status.


    The entire first floor of the restaurant was empty, which did not surprise Gis at all. He could guess Tang Mo''s influence in Brunas was about the same as his in King City.


    Under these circumstances, it was all too easy to reserve the entire floor of the restaurant to entertain guests.


    What truly caught Gis''s attention was the presence of those guards dressed in black, whose influence was subtly pervasive around Tang Mo.


    These guards, who carried no visible weapons, exuded an extremely dangerous pressure. The bodyguards Gis brought with him seemed somewhat inferior in their presence.


    However, Gis was not here for a showdown, so he took his seat with ease and enthusiastically engaged in toasting and drinking with Tang Mo.

 Chapter 132: 132 Good Price

    To tell the truth, the improved delicacies in the Brunas restaurants, thanks to Tang Mo''s suggestions, had indeed made a deep impression on Gis.


    He had never imagined that seafood, enhanced by Tang Mo''s touch, would taste so delightful, nor had he expected the Brunas-style fried chicken to be so stunning.


    All in all, Gis thoroughly enjoyed this meal, and even felt that coming just for this dining experience was worth the trip.


    He wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin in a refined manner, and redirected the conversation back to their previous flattery-filled idle chat, "Mr. Tang, I heard from others that you have a rather remarkable military workshop?"


    "Hmm? Mr. Gis, who told you that?" Tang Mo hadn''t even put down his knife and fork, and looked at Gis with surprise, adding, "I almost forgot, I do have such a small workshop."


    Neither of them had introduced themselves from the beginning, not even after Gis introduced the Minister of Construction Baus, did he take the initiative to introduce himself.


    But it seemed as though both sides had known each other for a long time, or rather they had both thoroughly investigated the other''s background; thus, neither asked questions nor offered self-introductions.


    Tang Mo knew that Gis was one of the heads of the Shireck Consortium and a person of influence within the Leite Kingdom.


    Gis also knew that Tang Mo was that secretive weapons manufacturer who had developed a weapon surpassing the Shireck Firearms, quite the irritant indeed.


    It would be overly false to pretend to be meeting for the first time, given they were so well-acquainted; in reality, though they had never met face-to-face, their minds had certainly met long ago.


    Now that the topic had turned to the workshop, Gis became very serious, "I heard that... the weapons produced by your workshop are significantly better than those manufactured by the Shireck Consortium?"


    "You''re making me blush with such comments... In truth... indeed, what you''ve said is accurate," Tang Mo said, seemingly embarrassed as he shyly admitted it.


    "In half a year''s time, you''ve provided Northern Ridge with 2000 of these firearms?" Gis, furrowing his brows, voiced his own confusion.


    In fact, he wasn''t confounded by advanced weaponry; Shireck Firearms had been mass-produced for a century, and it wasn''t strange for a new type of weapon to emerge over such a long period.


    Even Shireck themselves were engaged in this kind of research and revolution, but they simply hadn''t succeeded yet.


    What truly caused Shireck to lose complete control over the Northern Ridge issue this time was something that neither Gis nor the other heads of Shireck could fathom would occur within such a short span of half a year.


    If not for their complacency, the critical intelligence that Tang Mo had re-equipped Northern Ridge with firearms would not have remained undelivered to Gis until the outbreak of the war.


    It was Tang Mo''s production methods, which were ahead of their time, that plunged Shireck into a blind spot and subsequently led to their defeat in the war.


    From this perspective, what truly vanquished Shireck were not the 2000 breechloading rifles or the rear-loading field cannons, but rather Tang Mo''s steam engines and the corresponding machine tool equipment.


    "Er, actually, it was 3000 firearms," Tang Mo said, still with a modest and bashful demeanor, but his words made Gis tremble all over.


    Or, to put it another way, for a transaction worth a total of 6 million Gold Coins, Shireck might prefer to pay by other means¡ªsuch as war.


    Finally, Gis suppressed the urge to slam the table, adjusted his breathing, and said with a cold laugh, "I have to admit, you are a formidable businessman, a pure businessman... I''m starting to like you a bit."


    "Thank you. So, does Shireck plan to pay me?" Tang Mo asked again with curiosity, as if he cared more about the deal itself.


    Gis had already begun to contemplate getting rid of Tang Mo; he even thought that the young man sitting in front of him was a very, very dangerous figure.


    In his mind, he had even started to calculate how to mobilize the troops and teach Tang Mo a vivid lesson after returning, "You better be realistic. If I had 6 million Gold Coins, I could mobilize 300,000 soldiers and crush everything you have."


    "Well, you could try... I wouldn''t mind," Tang Mo shrugged nonchalantly.


    "I can''t give you that much money. Think of something else," Gis said, feeling a headache coming on.


    After some serious contemplation, Tang Mo very solemnly said to Gis, "Alright then, I want the Leite Kingdom."


    "Hmm?" Gis was taken aback, unsure of what Tang Mo meant by wanting the Leite Kingdom.


    On his part, Tang Mo didn''t keep Gis waiting for long and smoothly began, "I want Shireck to exit the market of the Leite Kingdom, let me become the Kingdom''s weapon supplier... Additionally, I want all the mining rights within the Kingdom, everything controlled by Shireck, to be transferred to me!"


    "Aren''t you a bit too greedy?" Gis did a rough calculation and felt that Tang Mo''s demands were certainly not cheap.


    The mineral deposits of the Leite Kingdom were not small, especially those in Northern Ridge, most of which were controlled by the Shireck Consortium and were definitely valuable when summed up.


    Considering the price of a mining site at tens of thousands of Gold Coins, just this request of Tang Mo could be described as quite valuable.


    If you also factor in the initial investment in mining equipment and personnel, plus Shireck''s years of painstaking efforts in the Leite Kingdom, the connections, and all sorts of other messy details... the price would be even more considerable.


    By Gis''s estimate, everything added up would be worth over 3 million in actual value.


    What made Gis even more pained was that the Kingdom''s troops would have to be refitted with new weapons and equipment, which would also certainly amount to a large sum of money.


    All things considered, it seemed that Tang Mo hadn''t lowered the price by much, so Gis also felt it was unbearable.


    "You see, there''s a serious discrepancy between us on this matter..." Tang Mo said with a smile as he picked up his glass of wine, signaled Gis with a gesture, and after they respectfully toasted each other from a distance and each took a sip, Tang Mo continued speaking.


    "Oh?" Gis looked at Tang Mo with interest and queried.


    Tang Mo pointed at himself and said, "You Shireck think that the market you have now will always be yours. But in reality, that''s not the case, the market could belong to Shireck, or it could be mine!"

 Chapter 133: Who is Beiji

    Tang Mo, while speaking, spread his hands as if introducing himself, "In fact, I am just a merchant, a merchant who wants to make money! The goods I sell are the best¡ªthat is my advantage. And now you want to use my technology to improve the quality of your goods, of course you have to pay."


    Gis stared at Tang Mo, seeming to guess Tang Mo''s bottom line, and weighing whether he should make a deal with Tang Mo.


    After a long silence, he suddenly spoke, "I don''t have to pay so much."


    Tang Mo pointed in the direction of the harbor, as if he could see it, "Perhaps! You know I have dozens of ships docked at Brunas'' harbor, I can leave at any time. You may be able to take everything here, or you may not... But soon, countless factories will acquire my technology."


    Tang Mo confidently said to Gis, "When that day comes, Shireck''s technology will be entirely outdated. Maybe you think that destroying me isn''t a big deal, but doing so would cost Shireck a lot of money. A great deal of money!"


    Gis knew that Tang Mo was telling the truth, he indeed had the capability to do so. Brunas was already in Tang Mo''s grip, and any minor play Gis tried to make here would certainly not escape Tang Mo''s eyes.


    But if he attacked in full force, marshaling troops, Tang Mo might not be able to stop him, but Tang Mo would have enough time to escape¡ªas long as he left Brunas, where in the world couldn''t he go?


    A Tang Mo rooted in Brunas was troublesome enough for him, but a Tang Mo who was hidden and fanning the flames from the shadows would truly cause Shireck considerable headaches.


    He was, after all, a man who possessed advanced weapon technology. If he were to trouble Shireck from the shadows, Shireck would truly pay a heavy price and lose a substantial amount of money.


    However, as the head of Shireck, Gis didn''t want to submit and bow down just like that. He continued to struggle for the upper hand, "But I think that losing that money, getting rid of a major threat like you, aligns more with Shireck''s fundamental interests."


    "You think you can get rid of me?" Tang Mo picked up his wine glass and shook it lightly, casually asking in return.


    Gis scoffed indifferently, still stubborn, "How will we know unless we try?"


    Tang Mo burst into loud laughter, as if the other wasn''t talking about killing him at all, "Hahahahahaha!"


    "Hehehehehe!" Sitting across from Tang Mo, Gis also chuckled humorlessly.


    Tang Mo spread his hands, "So there''s nothing to discuss?"


    "Pretty much," Gis nodded in agreement.


    Their eyes were locked onto each other''s eyes until Tang Mo averted his gaze, stood up, and said, "Alright then, I won''t see you out."


    As if he were an old friend of many years, Gis suggested to Tang Mo, "You can keep me. Kill me, just like you killed Beiji."


    "Wait a moment!" Gis stood up, lifted his glass, and gestured to Tang Mo, "We can still have a good talk. I think there is some misunderstanding between us. I just... believed that Mr. Tang had killed my good friend Beiji, so perhaps my tone wasn''t very friendly."


    "Oh... is that so?" Tang Mo feigned sudden realization, approached Gis, and said, "Why would I kill Mr. Gis''s friend? I''m just a businessman, and doing business is my greatest interest, after all."


    "It seems so..." Gis nodded amiably, as if he really believed it, "So, Mr. Tang... can we now have a proper discussion about the new weapons matter?"


    "No problem." Tang Mo snapped his fingers, and a guard brought over a box, placing it on the table.


    Tang Mo opened the box, which contained an ordinary-looking K1 Quick Gun. He ran his hand over the rifle and introduced it to Gis, "I assume Mr. Gis has already seen this weapon, whether on the battlefield or in the office."


    "Mr. Tang is joking..." Gis sneered coldly, not intending to admit that he had stolen a K1 Quick Gun.


    "During the battle of Northern Ridge, a total of 12 K1 Quick Guns went missing. You''re not the only one with informants in Northern Ridge, so I suggest you act quickly, lest other powers come to me to do business first." Tang Mo took the rifle out of the box, worked the bolt, demonstrated it, and then handed the gun to Gis.


    Gis instinctively took the K1 Quick Gun, which was indeed identical to the one he had seen. The feeling was familiar because he had used this type of weapon to kill more than one unlucky craftsman.


    "Brand new K1 Quick Guns... If Shireck is willing to purchase them, I can supply them," Tang Mo said seriously, marketing his weapon.


    "What if I only want to buy bullets?" Gis, caressing the rifle, asked a question that greatly interested him, which also made the smile on Tang Mo''s face deepen.


    Tang Mo nodded, his gaze shifting away as if he were considering something. Then he looked up and said, "As a matter of fact, what Shireck really wants is the manufacturing method for the bullets used in the K1 Quick Gun, isn''t it?"


    "Mr. Tang is straightforward, and indeed, I am very eager to make a lump-sum purchase of your bullet manufacturing method!" Gis hadn''t expected Tang Mo to lay bare the truth so directly, and he unexpectedly nodded in agreement with his own thoughts.


    "This puts me in a difficult position, Mr. Gis," Tang Mo said earnestly, "You are blatantly planning to copy my weapons without intending to pay me."


    "So what?" Gis felt that with Shireck backing him, Tang Mo really had no way to deal with a rogue like him.


    Overall, Tang Mo''s weapon design was not complicated and used existing technology, so for Shireck to copy the Great Tang''s K1 Quick Gun was not difficult at all.


    And besides, with Shireck''s vast resources, even if they produced by hand, they could match the production speed of Tang Mo''s factory.


    "So, I could just sell the bullets to you." What Gis didn''t expect was that Tang Mo actually agreed to this sales arrangement.


    However, what Tang Mo said next gave Gis a headache, "I can deliver in batches, 100 bullets for an exchange of one mine, 10 bullets for one worker... No rush, I''m in no hurry."


    If Tang Mo didn''t supply the bullets, even if Shireck copied Tang Mo''s rifles, they would be nothing more than firewood sticks, a problem Gis couldn''t shake off, the fatal snag he couldn''t sidestep.

 Chapter 134: 134 Have you been there?

    ```


    "Are you really going to do business with Shireck? That''s practically like asking a tiger for its hide..." Roger looked at Tang Mo, who was picking his teeth with a toothpick, and asked in confusion.


    Tang Mo slapped the homemade toothpick onto the table and smiled, "I''m just buying time. As long as they are willing to maintain a peace period of three to six months with us, we can turn Brunas into an ironclad fortress."


    "By then, we''ll have hundreds of soldiers and a dozen grenade launchers, fully capable of setting up a defensive line to go to war with an enemy ten times our size in Brunas," Tang Mo said as he looked toward the exquisite map hanging on the wall beside them.


    This map was a gift from Gis to Tang Mo, and along with it came many other things.


    For instance, the pile of fine wine in the corner of the room, the tens of thousands of Gold Coins in Tang Mo''s warehouse, and an order for the Great Tang Group that seemed quite exaggerated.


    Shireck had placed an order for 100,000 bullets with Tang Mo, priced at one Gold Coin each.


    Gis had paid a deposit of 50,000 Gold Coins for this, as well as a contract for the mines near Brunas.


    Brunas was originally an iron-producing area, with the vein extending all the way from the Northern Ridge Mountains and mineable on both sides of the Vicious Forest, the reserves were enormous.


    On the other side of Brunas, there was also a coal mine, which was why Tang Mo''s father, Tang Qi, chose this location to build a weapons workshop years ago.


    Tang Mo acquired the deeds to the iron and coal mines, mining permits, and even contracts for the workers inside.


    Tang Mo, having received so much, did not breach the agreement and immediately delivered 10,000 bullets to Shireck, which made the munitions workshops in the Leite Kingdom bustling with activity.


    Gis began copying the needle-fired guns provided by Tang Mo without a break, manufacturing as many as 1,500 in one go.


    "But do we really have to fight a battle with Shireck?" Roger asked with some reluctance, knowing that once the war broke out, the entire area around Brunas would surely become a scorched earth.


    Tang Mo stared helplessly at the map, explaining to Roger, "It''s not that we want to fight, but that they will definitely attack. If they were willing to do honest business, they wouldn''t have such a bad reputation."


    Having said that, he looked at Roger again with a wry smile, "We don''t need to be too anxious, because the other party definitely won''t act rashly in the short term."


    "They only have 10,000 bullets, it''s futile no matter how many weapons they make." Tang Mo walked over and comforted Roger, "So, they will definitely wait until all 100,000 bullets are delivered, and then they''ll order hundreds of thousands or even a million bullets before they feel confident enough to confront us."


    "Think about it, 100,000 bullets, a few thousand rifles ¨C just a few shots per person in training and the bullets will be almost used up." Seeing that Roger was still somewhat worried, he explained very lightly.


    "The other party will surely show weakness first, relinquishing many mines and towns... These are the terms we''ve signed into the contract, and they will execute them seriously," Tang Mo circled around the office desk, passed Li''ao and Redman who were seated there, and approached the map, scrutinizing the wealth of Shireck indicated inside the Leite Kingdom.


    This map was a significant property of Shireck, showing the distribution of their resources.


    Over a third of the mines in the Kingdom were directly controlled by Shireck, and of the remaining mines, Shireck had shares in half of them.


    Li''ao appeared uncertain as he struggled to search his memory, finally looking at Tang Mo with some uncertainty, "Have you been there?"


    "No, I haven''t been there," Tang Mo shook his head, "I haven''t been there in my life."


    The group was somewhat puzzled, looking at Tang Mo, "Then..."


    Tang Mo sat back in his seat, spreading his hands, "Don''t worry! Trust me... For us, twenty thousand might not even be enough for us to kill in one day..."


    "..." Everyone was speechless at Tang Mo''s cryptic statement; they had never heard of killing twenty thousand people in a day.


    "Now, gentlemen! What we need to do is make the best use of this hard-won period of peace and focus on our most important work," Tang Mo walked back to the map, touching the edge of the Vicious Forest, at the short line of alternating black and white.


    It was drawn by him using strips of white paper and ink, cut into a thin line and stuck on the map. What this line represented was now quite obvious.


    This was the world''s first railway track, linking the old factory area with the new one. In just over a month, the short few kilometers of track would be completely connected and put into operation.


    He couldn''t blame these people for not knowing about the meat grinder at Verdun, so he also couldn''t blame them for not understanding the implications of his words.


    In fact, anyone who knew about the battle of Verdun in that war in Europe knew that automatic weapons had rewritten the entire landscape of warfare.


    From that point on, any attacking force in a war would pay a heavy price, and Shireck would definitely pay ten times, a hundred times the cost for their arrogance.


    These entrenched parasites didn''t even want to buy some steam engines to improve their production lines in advance.


    Greedily, they compensated for their technological shortcomings with sheer numbers of workers, hoping to rely on an irrational war to completely dominate everything that belonged to Tang Mo.


    That''s why they only bought bullets and nothing else from Tang Mo, and that''s why they generously agreed to Tang Mo''s demand to take over the entire Leite Kingdom.


    In the end, both sides were scheming, calculating against each other in their own ways.


    The pit Shireck was digging for Tang Mo was called having ten times the troops! They would teach Tang Mo a lesson with a war, after having enough munitions in reserve.


    And the pit Tang Mo was digging for Shireck was even deeper, named the Maxim machine gun. Although this thing was still on paper, some of its parts had already begun production.


    "Sir, do you really think that this steel path, expensive to build... will give us an advantage in the war?" Tagg asked with incredulity, expressing the doubt in his heart.


    In his view, using the steel required for dozens, even hundreds of cannons to lay a track randomly on the ground and call it a road was sheer waste.


    "No..." Tang Mo shook his head, the railway would certainly help in the war like never before, but this time he wasn''t relying on it.


    However, he then continued, "But, it will make us richer after the war is over..."

 Chapter 135: 135 rails and sleepers

    Toby, who was already 34 years old, had no idea what he was really doing. The weather had just warmed up for a few days, and he had started working on this familiar land, doing work that was not at all familiar to him.


    Indeed, he didn''t even know what he was doing... With a speechless expression, he hammered a very long iron nail straight into the ground, which had been secured with broken stones.


    It was a foundation first padded with broken stones, and then every once in a while, long, plank-shaped boards were laid down, similar to those used for building wooden houses.


    Then, the long, I-beam shaped rails were laid on top of these sleepers¡ªthese construction workers didn''t even know that these long pieces of wood were called sleepers.


    They just did the same work every day, even eating casually, dining on simple fare provided by the canteen staff right beside the railway tracks.


    The most common was a vegetable burger, followed by large pancakes stuffed with minced meat and vegetable leaves. In short, they prepared whatever was most convenient.


    Every few days, they would have a decent meal, with an extra serving of soup and potatoes, along with a sauce called "soy sauce."


    This thick, black liquid was very salty and couldn''t be eaten directly, but when mixed into the potatoes, the taste was pretty good.


    Anyway, life on the construction site was actually very hard, but everyone was fairly satisfied, at least they could sleep inside tents.


    As Toby was hammering the nail with his hammer, some ashes fell on his head, as if a drizzle of fine rain was falling incessantly from the sky.


    In the far distance, in the direction of the Vicious Forest, the thick smoke rising from the burning flames had not yet dissipated; these days, they had witnessed such a scene every day.


    Yes, every day, it had been like that since twenty-odd days ago until a few days ago when the thick smoke gradually began to clear. But even until today, the smoke had not completely dispersed, and it was visible at a glance.


    Even from such a distance, they could see it clearly. It must have been a very large forest fire, so massive that it was frightening.


    Along with this fire, the air quality in Brunas had fallen another magnitude. People walking on the streets would soon find their shoes covered in dust, which made Brunas seem nothing like a seaside city.


    The rolling black smoke in the sky could be seen clearly in Brunas; the fire was started by Tang Mo''s construction team, as they were burning vast expanses of forest.


    The speed of cutting down trees was just too slow, so Tang Mo decided to take advantage of the dry weather in spring and do something more straightforward and brutal.


    His construction team only created a circular "firebreak" around the factory site, and then they couldn''t wait to start a big fire.


    With recent developments, Brunas had grown into a city where every inch of land was precious¡ªit had truly become a city, with a population that had now surpassed one hundred thousand, definitely qualifying it as a real city.


    Before, the population of Brunas had always hovered around seventy thousand and had never been able to grow.


    But as Tang Mo''s factories attracted more and more workers, and their families followed, Brunas finally became a city.


    They were about 3 centimeters taller on average than other city children and had broader shoulders. They also spoke more logically.


    Seeing their children grow up strong and healthy, Brunas''s parents were naturally more willing to work for Tang Mo¡ªafter all, who wouldn''t want a capable person to emerge from their household?


    Even those who were not yet married and without children had something to look forward to: If they had children in the future, they could be sent to school to receive the best education.


    Yes, the best education! These parents had no doubt that Tang Mo was providing their children with the best education of the era.


    Because in less than a year''s time, the changes in these children could be described as nothing short of tremendous.


    Dressed in quasi-military school uniforms, the students, resembling soldiers, had begun to feel that they were different from children elsewhere. They felt they were people from a different world than children who had not studied in school.


    Similarly, the officers who were studying in the military academy also discovered that their horizons far surpassed those of their peers.


    They could now easily calculate artillery firing data and were just a few days away from conducting field investigations in the Vicious Forest.


    These officers could glance at a location and determine where to deploy Rangers to assassinate enemy high-ranking officers, and with a mere inspection, they could pick out the best positions for artillery deployment.


    These officers had visited Tang Mo''s modern factories, witnessed the latest developments in industrial technology, and even personally manufactured or repaired the most advanced weapons and equipment.


    Their tactics had become cunning and unpredictable; in military exercises, they could utterly demolish newcomers who had just started training.


    Every few days, they had to devise combat plans and understand the supply situation of the troops. They knew how much food each company needed every day, how many wagons a battalion required, and how far an army corps could advance in a single day.


    These were all things they had learned through firsthand experiments, practicing cross-country drills of over five kilometers daily while carrying a full set of soldier''s equipment and supplies.


    What delighted them even more was that their predecessors in the Northern Ridge military had seen their ranks soar, with several artillery commanders becoming the new favorites of Lord Earl.


    They were appointed commanders of new units, these new battalion and artillery captains immediately thought of their "juniors" sent to study in Brunas.


    Thus, the Northern Ridge officers still studying in Brunas were promoted and got raises even before they graduated.


    Two new army corps vied for their service, either promising officer positions in letters or having leaders personally reaching out to establish warm relationships.


    In short, the message was clear: once you graduate and join us, you''ll be the darling of our battalion! And when I, your big brother, become a corps commander, you''ll be a battalion commander, and so on...


    Never before in this world had there been a school where the students were in such high demand by employers even while they were still in school.


    So, in March of the year 114 of the Leite Kingdom, the factory school established by Tang Mo was officially renamed "Great Tang Military Academy," which included an affiliated "Preparatory Military Science Academy" for the junior cadets.

 Chapter 136: Everything is going to get better.

    As Toby hammered away, dreaming of a future where his child could stand out, some soldiers carrying rifles walked over.


    They warned everyone to clear the way, and then Toby watched in shock as a strange, smoke-belching machine trudged along the road he had laid out.


    It was built by Tang Mo''s factory, the first locomotive in human history¡ªa perfect and mature design, unlike anything on Earth, thanks to the blueprints.


    A mature design brought many benefits, such as improved reliability and maintainability, allowing the product to be put into immediate use.


    Moreover, a mature design also provided greater pulling power, enabling practical application ahead of time without the need for testing and refinement, which saved a lot of time.


    With the combined efforts of Mathews, Parker, Tang Mo, and Roger, this strictly confidential locomotive had been manufactured in the newest factory.


    The design of this train used an 1880s steam locomotive concept, which appeared rather primitive, but it indeed was the most advanced locomotive that Tang Mo could produce at the time.


    Furthermore, this unique locomotive in the world could pull seven carriages at its birth, which exceeded everyone''s imagination.


    The fact that a single train could pull seven carriages amazed everyone, including Mathews.


    After all, this was no horse-drawn carriage; it was designed to work day and night, and of course, the quantity of material it could pull was beyond comparison.


    The seven carriages on the train weren''t just for show but were real, strictly-defined carriages.


    One passenger carriage could seat seventy people, or transport an entire company of soldiers if the situation was urgent.


    The other six freight carriages could be fully loaded with goods, carrying over 15 tons of cargo¡ªthis capacity was terrifying compared to horse-drawn carriages.


    In other words, the just-laid railway by Tang Mo could transport nearly a hundred people and over 80 tons of cargo in one trip, which was simply perfect!


    Now, this train was ready to add its bricks and mortar to the construction of its own dedicated railway with astonishing efficiency.


    It was currently transporting 40 tons of steel rails and over 20 tons of sleepers, following the railway construction crew, heading toward the forest.


    "Hiss..." Accompanied by a hissing release of pressure, the train spouted white steam from both sides, startling everyone.


    Then, astounded roadway workers saw people continuously carrying various construction materials down from the carriages.


    One sleeper after another was delivered to the railway bed already paved with gravel ahead of the train, where workers competently laid them down along the direction of the roadway''s extension.


    "Sir... Sir, could you, could you name my child?" Just as Tang Mo and Mathews were chatting and laughing, a worker approached timidly, stopped by several guards at a distance, and called out to Tang Mo.


    "Why not? I think Frank is a good name," Tang Mo said with a smile to the worker, "I hope he grows up to be healthy and wise, shining like the stars."


    "Thank you! Thank you, sir! Bless you! Frank will become your most loyal servant someday! Thank you! Thank you!" The worker, completely content, was pulled back to the construction site by his foreman.


    Despite the distance, the worker''s voice thanking Tang Mo could still be heard.


    Indeed, this kind of occurrence was not uncommon to Tang Mo. Many of the workers and soldiers who worked for him, upon having children, hoped that Tang Mo would name them.


    In their eyes, Tang Mo was more than just their boss or their lord; he was the god of wisdom in this world. Being blessed by a deity was considered a matter of pride that one could boast about for life.


    "How''s the dockside?" Lately, Tang Mo had become a madman of infrastructure, constantly expanding his territory.


    He was constructing his own railway on this side, and on the other side, he was expanding the port of Brunas. He had a port expansion plan of his own, and now that Brunas had been upgraded to a city, his expansion of the port suddenly became a great foresight of premeditated planning.


    Having assured the newly appointed Mayor that his goods would use his new port in the future, hence not consuming the throughput of the old Brunas port, the former town mayor immediately reciprocated Tang Mo''s generosity with concrete actions.


    He granted Tang Mo the right to recommend candidates and insert his own forces into the City Defense Forces, allowing Bernard, Luff, Wes, Tagg, and Redman to have official positions.


    This clearly violated the kingdom''s rules, but under-the-table dealings always existed. With so many positions drawing pay without doing the work, appointing a few people as team captains wasn''t difficult at all.


    As the nominal commanding officer of the City Defense Forces, Sheriff Solon, who had long been exchanging glances with Tang Mo, obviously would not interfere in such matters, but rather tacitly approved of them.


    Simon, the tax officer who had pledged allegiance to Tang Mo, was a wise man. He immediately appointed his most loyal subordinate to oversee tax surveillance at Tang Mo''s newly constructed port.


    The maneuver was incredibly slick; as a result, how much tax Tang Mo''s port would pay each year was entirely up to him.


    If he didn''t want to pay, he could fabricate a reason, stating that he had lost tens of thousands of Gold Coins, and there would be no evidence left anyway...


    "The No. 1 dry dock you asked for is almost completed. We''ve used a lot of cement and prepared many sediments in advance, which has multiplied the speed of construction," Mathews replied to Tang Mo''s question promptly, "One wharf is almost ready for use, and four others are under construction."


    "What about the No. 2 dry dock?" Tang Mo asked further.


    "The No. 2 dry dock is also being constructed, but due to a shortage of workers, the progress is a bit slower," answered Mathews, continuing, "Soon, we''ll be able to repair our own ships, saving quite a bit of money."


    "Saving money isn''t the goal; building our own ships, that''s the objective," Tang Mo nodded in satisfaction before turning his gaze back to the rail tracks being laid out, "Everything is going to get better."

 Chapter 137: 137 Prime Minister

    The recent Brunas looks just like a big construction site, with seven or eight new residential areas starting construction on the south side.


    These areas are better planned, looking more magnificent than the former old towns, and even new underground pipelines have been buried.


    However, such projects are still quite enormous for Brunas, because Tang Mo took away the majority of the workers, so the construction speed of these settlements is truly rather slow.


    In Brunas, no one would trouble Mr. Tang, so even if the city expansion progresses slowly, everyone still doesn''t have any complaints.


    After all, Tang Mo''s factory provides a lot of housing, and obviously, the environment is much better than living in Brunas, so the demand for new houses isn''t as urgent.


    Lately, Tang Mo''s work has been going very smoothly, his shipyard has been completed, and his railroad tracks have been laid successfully, so he has recently focused his main energy on training Navy Sailors.


    Just as he was idly beginning to write a training manual for the Air Force, Li''ao burst in hurriedly and reported, "Master! The Prime Minister of the Kingdom... has suddenly arrived in Brunas... he almost came alone... bringing only one companion, Minister of Construction Baus."


    "Hmm? You didn''t receive any news at all?" Tang Mo was startled by this news, because the Prime Minister''s inspection was not a trivial matter, and logically, he should have received notice many days in advance.


    "We have no intelligence on this, he visited personally, without any official travel arrangements, so we didn''t get any information on this," Li''ao explained.


    Actions like these, intentionally kept secret by the parties involved, are actually not that easy to obtain. Especially since the Prime Minister is not the main focus of Tang Mo''s spy network, which is currently concentrating all of its efforts against the Shireck Consortium and cannot spare many hands.


    Li''ao continued, saying, "He may also be afraid that we would suspect his identity, so he brought Minister of Construction Baus with him. Our people recognized Baus, so they kept an eye on this carriage. The carriage went straight to the City Hall and stopped at the door."


    "What''s he doing here?" Tang Mo pondered for a moment, muttering to himself.


    Li''ao shook his head and said to Tang Mo, "It''s not clear yet, he only revealed his identity at City Hall, and then requested to see you."


    Then, he added, "Right now, the Mayor and both Solon and Simon are there with him. I came to bring the message."


    "Hmm... alright, prepare the carriage, let''s go have a look," Tang Mo nodded slightly and instructed Li''ao.


    ...


    Looking at the bright and clean office, the old Prime Minister picked up an ornament from the Mayor''s desk with satisfaction, playing with it with interest, "This place is better than I thought, very good indeed," he said.


    He lifted his head and, with a satisfied expression, looked at the somewhat restrained Mayor, the Sheriff, the Tax Collector, and other local officials, "It''s truly a source of pride for me to see such a thriving city within the Kingdom. You are all loyal and important ministers of the Kingdom! I hope you will continue to work hard and contribute to the Kingdom''s strength."


    Truth be told, the sights he saw along the way were different. The closer to Brunas he got, the more he could see prosperity and stability.


    In fact, they didn''t even consider the Prime Minister''s feelings, nor did they ask for his opinion; they simply left the room in an orderly fashion.


    Before leaving the room, Tax Officer Simon gave Tang Mo a meaningful look, signaling that the Prime Minister had no intention of investigating the tax matters.


    Soon, the mayor''s office was left with only the Prime Minister and Tang Mo.


    When the door closed again with a pleasant click, Tang Mo took the initiative to speak first, "Elder Sir, now that we are alone, might you share why you came all this way to seek out someone of my junior stature?"


    Hearing Tang Mo''s question and recalling his novel experiences along the journey, wrinkles on the Prime Minister''s face blossomed into a radiant smile, "Haha, you are an interesting young man. I wouldn''t have traveled so far, with old arms and legs, if the Kingdom had any capable individuals."


    "How could that be? The Kingdom is abundant in talent; there should be plenty of loyal ministers and valiant generals, right?" Tang Mo feigned ignorance, questioning in disbelief.


    "Regrettably, the majority of them are Shireck''s people, or at least they have intricate connections with the Shireck Consortium," the Prime Minister said with a smile, looking straight at Tang Mo, "There''s no need to act in my presence. Being open and honest might save us some time."


    "Oh?" Tang Mo was taken aback, then nodded and said, "Mmm, you have a point."


    The Prime Minister didn''t care to watch him continue the act and said to himself, "His Majesty sent me here to ask Mr. Tang...whether you have the willingness to cooperate with the royal family?"


    Tang Mo was still tight-lipped, "I am a subject of the Kingdom. As a businessman who insists on paying taxes according to the law, I am already a loyal subject of the royal family. As for more significant matters, I, a humble citizen, am afraid I cannot bear such responsibility."


    Jokes aside, saving the world wasn''t something he couldn''t do, but they would have to offer more money! Without mentioning benefits, who would want to add complications to their life for no reason?


    "The King intends to purchase 3,000 of your new rifles," the Prime Minister declared astonishingly.


    "Oh? Can''t Shireck mass-produce the K1 Quick Gun? I heard their production rate is quite fast," Tang Mo asked deliberately, pretending to be ignorant.


    He knew full well that Shireck''s new guns would be prioritized for their private army and wouldn''t reach Leite Kingdom for a long time.


    Even if they were available for purchase later on, it would be on a highest-bidder basis, and might even trigger wars of conquest against smaller nations during the process of rearming with new weapons.


    As expected, the Prime Minister explained somewhat helplessly, "Shireck''s firearms are not for sale yet. They claim they need to conduct experiments and tests. Therefore, we are considering buying directly from you."


    "That can be discussed. I can supply at any time, as long as the King pays," Tang Mo replied, smiling and readily agreeing.


    "The King isn''t wealthy, so he can only pay you 3,000 Gold Coins," said the Prime Minister, eyeing Tang Mo''s smiling face and quoting a rather low price.


    "At that price, I would incur quite a loss, so I''m afraid I''m not able to help," Tang Mo said with a shrug and a reluctant tone, declining the offer.

 Chapter 138: Lets just make it 138.

    "Don''t be too quick to refuse," the Prime Minister said to Tang Mo. "In fact, this is just the beginning of a cooperation, with many more things to come. The King can offer you... and even more than what Shireck can."


    He watched as Tang Mo made himself comfortable in the room''s guest chair, with one leg casually crossed over the other.


    This gesture was interesting because, according to his thoughts, or rather his understanding of the Shireck Consortium, a Shireck manager like Gis would certainly have taken the most prestigious chair in the mayor''s office under such circumstances.


    However, the young man before him was interesting. Although the mayor had vacated his office, he still did not sit in the mayor''s place.


    What was more interesting was that he did not show much respect towards the Prime Minister, indicating he was not without pride.


    A young man who could find his place, had pride and yet understood human feelings and social interactions was rare to see these days.


    This could mean a lot of things, so the Prime Minister became even more interested in this young man. He felt that this time, he had come to the right place.


    "I am all ears," Tang Mo said as the Prime Minister was thinking about these matters.


    The Prime Minister began with an aspect that caught Tang Mo off guard; he hadn''t expected the Prime Minister to be so blunt and offer such a proposition.


    Clearly, the Prime Minister had come prepared. He had researched Shireck and also investigated Tang Mo. He knew that their conflicts were fundamentally irreconcilable.


    Thus, he could be very direct and to the point, "First, the King can help you strike against the Shireck Consortium''s private army when Shireck makes a move on you, thoroughly resolving the Shireck influence within the Kingdom!"


    Tang Mo was not particularly impressed by this and just shrugged, replying, "His Majesty the King would be doing this to help himself... Plus, he''d actually be using me. So, this can''t be considered as you helping me!"


    "Maybe so, but what comes next is indeed helping you," the Prime Minister said with a smile. "After dealing with Shireck, all the mines owned by Shireck will become your private property!"


    "Now that is quite intriguing," Tang Mo admitted, not expecting the King to be so bold as to offer such a substantial wealth to win over a businessman like himself.


    The Prime Minister then continued with their terms, "However, the mines in which Shireck has shares must revert to state ownership."


    This was an exchange, a division of Shireck''s wealth. If they could strike against Shireck together and completely drive Shireck''s influence out of the Leite Kingdom, then both sides would have a huge pie to split.


    "The ones in Northern Ridge, are they to go to the Earl?" Tang Mo asked. "In the opposition to Shireck, Lord Earl''s interests are aligned with those of the Kingdom."


    "The King can agree to that. You are smart to secure benefits for yourself in situations like these," the Prime Minister said with a smile, agreeing readily.


    He knew that Tang Mo was not fighting for the Earl''s benefits, but for his own. The majority of the Northern Ridge Earl''s mining interests were essentially in Tang Mo''s grip, so when Tang Mo asked for mines on behalf of the Earl, he was in effect asking for himself.


    Tang Mo nodded in satisfaction, "Is there anything else?"


    The Prime Minister then threw out another condition that took Tang Mo by surprise, "If you stay out of the Kingdom''s politics and foreign affairs, then... the King promises you the opportunity to succeed as the Minister of Finance."


    This meant that Tang Mo had now become a noble of the kingdom, transforming from a knight of the Earl of Northern Ridge into a true member of the nobility.


    Although just a Baron, he was completely different from a commoner. Even the lowest rank of nobility was still above the common people.


    Of course, this kind of thing was actually a "custom." The nobility of the Great Ming Dynasty faced nothing but being ingredients in the pot before the rebel Li Zicheng and the barbarians from Manchuria.


    So if everyone is a noble, naturally, they should preserve some decorum, but if everyone is a barbarian, whether someone is a noble or not is utterly useless.


    But there is a difference between serving a noble or not. Sometimes class might be worthless, but it undoubtedly is class.


    Serving a King compared to serving a commoner businessman does make a bit of a difference when spoken out loud. Even though Tang Mo would likely not heed the Leite Kingdom King''s commands, on the surface, he still appeared as a fair and loyal young gentleman who paid his taxes and respected the old and the young alike.


    Simon, standing by, appeared thoroughly pleased. When he had first joined Tang Mo, Tang Mo was but a merchant, but now, it seemed Tang Mo had all but officially become Lord Baron.


    "Congratulations, Lord Baron!" Solon was the first to congratulate Tang Mo.


    The Mayor was taken aback, then realizing what had happened, also quickly congratulated him, "Truly, congratulations are in order for Lord Baron!"


    Simon and Wes hurriedly congratulated Tang Mo as well, "Congratulations, Lord Baron!"


    "The appointment hasn''t been issued yet, I''m not a Baron, so it might be better for everyone to hold off on the congratulations," Tang Mo demurred.


    The Prime Minister, not waiting for him to continue declining, immediately interrupted and said, "Although the appointment has not yet been issued, I assure you as the Prime Minister that Mr. Tang is definitely going to be promoted to Baron, and it''s okay to congratulate him in advance."


    This was completely against the rules, as the King''s command had not yet been delivered, and prematurely offering congratulations was indeed presumptuous.


    Yet, everyone present seemed to be unconcerned, with the Prime Minister himself taking the lead, which left people pondering the implications.


    At the very least, it appeared to everyone that Tang Mo''s honeymoon period with the kingdom had begun, and the kingdom''s higher echelons had tacitly, even supportively acknowledged Tang Mo''s de facto control over Brunas.


    "Brunas is in your hands now," the Prime Minister patted Tang Mo''s shoulder with a look of entrustment.


    Tang Mo smiled and tilted his head slightly, "Rest assured, Prime Minister, in my hands, it will be far better than in the hands of those from the Shireck Consortium. After all... they want power, while I... am a merchant, only responsible for making money."


    "So now, we are firm allies," the Prime Minister deliberately announced this to everyone present.


    "Wes, remind Parker later to prepare 3,000 Quick Guns and hand them over to the King''s Military as the Prime Minister wishes," Tang Mo instructed Wes after seeing off the Prime Minister.


    "Congratulations," Wes said, looking at Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo, surprised, glanced at Wes, "You think this is good news? Forget it..."

 Chapter 139: 139 strong tea

    Ice Crystal City, south of the Ice Crystal River, had become the largest city after the victory at the Northern Ridge. It was the largest of the cities ceded to the Leite Kingdom by Suthers.


    Nowadays, the scars of war were no longer visible here, and the bustling economy had made the city teem with life; cries of hawkers selling goods could be heard everywhere.


    Outside the city, troops from a battalion of the Northern Ridge Legion were stationed. These troops were the main force of Lord Earl Fisheo, the first battalion of the Northern Ridge Legion that won the Battle of the Northern Ridge.


    With this battalion stationed here, the security in the area was actually very good, and since the land was ceded to Fisheo, it had become even livelier and more prosperous.


    Tang Mo''s factory had boosted the economy of Brunas, and the prosperity of Brunas had in turn improved the economic situation of Northern Ridge.


    If money didn''t circulate, it was practically useless. This basic economic principle had driven the economy under Tang Mo''s control in Northern Ridge to thrive day by day.


    After Northern Ridge invested in Tang Mo''s steam engines to mine ores, the output of the ores had noticeably increased. This increased output had in turn increased Northern Ridge''s income.


    Because mining ores was faster and on a larger scale, automation did not reduce the number of miners; instead, it led to the hiring of even more workers.


    The original workforce at the mines became larger, the speed of mining increased, and the output rose accordingly. This propelled the mining efficiency in Northern Ridge to unprecedented heights.


    With such an abundance of ore, relying solely on Tang Mo''s smelting equipment was insufficient to fully refine it into useful steel.


    Therefore, the steel mills in Northern Ridge also began to expand, and the larger steel mills recruited even more workers.


    More and more workers entering the factories left more and more land vacant, which was then leased to the recently integrated southern Suthers serfs.


    These serfs, who had once had no land and lived difficult lives, were liberated and became free citizens, beginning to farm on Northern Ridge''s land.


    The serfs migrated south, obtained their freedom, and now had land to sustain themselves; they were grateful to the Earl of Northern Ridge, and wandering poets sang of the Earl''s noble name throughout his territory.


    Most of these people were the rioters who had followed Tang Mo in the zero-cost acquisition half a year before, but under the Lord Earl''s rule, they had become the most obedient and good citizens.


    After their departure, the population in the south of Suthers was significantly reduced, easing the conflict between the population and the land. Those who remained had more land to cultivate. Absent the exploitation of the Suthers Nobility, their days improved significantly.


    These economically improved individuals also spurred Northern Ridge''s consumer economy with their spending¡ªcreating a virtuous cycle that rapidly transformed the domain of Earl Fisheo into a utopian enclave.


    Through trade, Brunas''s salt, dried fish, metal products, and Northern Ridge''s horses, furs, and timber were all sold in Ice Crystal City, turning it into a trading hub.


    A black carriage stopped in front of the city hall of Ice Crystal City, and a Northern Ridge soldier stepped forward to help open the door.


    "Thank you, Lord Earl!" The officer, beaming with the promise made, continued to keep pace with Count Fisheo towards an office in the City Hall prepared especially for him.


    This building was the Ice Crystal City''s City Hall before, so it was decorated lavishly, although some areas still bore faint traces of scorching from a previous robbery.


    This was Count Fisheo''s first visit here. Guided by his trusted officer, he entered his temporary office.


    As the new ruler of the territories south of the Ice Crystal River, he needed to inspect his lands, to see for himself these great and beautiful parts that belonged to him.


    "Here are the tax statements, as well as the military''s garrison and training plans... The rest are temporary appointments of officers and the new budget for road repairs," the officer said, pointing to the documents already prepared on the table, introducing them one by one to Count Fisheo.


    "Ah... If only I knew, I should have brought Alice with me," Count Fisheo said, rubbing his somewhat sore neck as he looked at the documents on the table and muttered to himself.


    It wasn''t that he couldn''t handle these matters¡ªafter all, he was also an earl and had previously studied and personally dealt with many civilian affairs in Northern Ridge.


    However, since his daughter Alice managed these affairs even better than he did, he had gotten into the habit of delegating these tasks to her.


    Hearing the Earl''s muttering, his confidant officer broke into a smile, bowed slightly to the Earl, and offered, "You have come a long way, let me have them bring a cup of tea for you."


    "Thank you," said Count Fisheo, who was already looking down at the documents, acknowledging his officer''s courtesy without lifting his head.


    Soon, the door opened, and a maid from the City Hall entered with a tray, placing two steaming cups of strong tea on the Earl''s desk.


    "These cups are truly beautiful," the Earl said with a sneer as he looked up and saw the exquisite cups, "These officials indulge themselves too much, which is why we were able to beat them so thoroughly!"


    "Indeed," the officer agreed, picking up a cup and mimicking a toast beside the Earl, before downing the tea.


    Count Fisheo took a sip as well but put the cup down, feeling something was amiss. He looked up just in time to see his trusted officer wobble.


    He was momentarily stunned, then began to feel his breathing become constricted. Soon after, a thump echoed through the room¡ªit was the sound of his subordinate hitting the floor.


    Struggling to his feet, the Earl knocked over his chair and staggered a few steps to the side before his vision went black. He crashed into the desk and rolled onto the floor.


    The guards at the door, hearing the commotion, knocked tentatively, "Lord Earl! Officer! Lord Earl? Lord Earl?"


    After a few knocks on the door, sensing something was wrong, they opened it and found the two men already on the ground.


    "Help! Quick, call a doctor! Guards! Somebody help!" As the guard rushed to the Earl''s side, trying to help him up, he shouted loudly for assistance.

 Chapter 140: 140 new Nobility

    In the kitchen, listening to the sound of soldiers'' boots clacking against the floor, a woman in a white apron stared blankly at the teapot in front of her.


    With trembling hands, she grasped a teacup, the tea inside swaying from the shaking, just like the rolling waves in the open sea.


    Finally, amidst the sobbing cries of the soldiers outside, she gulped down the tea in her cup and her face immediately regained a sense of relieved calm.


    "Open up!" the soldiers outside commanded loudly, followed by a sharp gunshot. The bullet pierced through the door, sending splinters flying through the air.


    "Bang!" At last, the flimsy wooden door was forced open and several guards brandishing revolvers barged into the room, only to find an overturned teapot and the body of the woman next to it.


    "She''s dead..." A soldier knelt on one knee, took a careful look at the woman''s face, which still had her eyes slightly open, and then turned to his companion to say.


    "" Standing there, the Northern Ridge officer, frustrated and furious, held his pistol and spun half a circle on the spot. He ultimately couldn''t hold it in and kicked a nearby cabinet.


    "Crash!" The sideboard of the cabinet was kicked in, tea cups and plates inside shattering and scattering onto the floor, rolling all around.


    "Captain, Captain!" A soldier hurried over, his eyes filled with despair. He rushed to the captain and with a sob, shook his head.


    "Is Lord Earl... gone?" The captain asked with a chocked voice.


    The approaching soldier, with a crying voice and while wiping the unstoppable tears on his face, said, "The doctor just arrived, he, he said... "


    The captain, anxious, demanded, "Said what?"


    The soldier covered his face with his arm, shaking his head fiercely.


    ...


    Tang Mo stared blankly at the waving wheat fields in the distance. Standing not far from him, a security force officer handed a list to a Leite Kingdom officer, "Here are 3500 Quick Guns, take a look."


    While saying this, he pointed to the carriages parked beside them. Soldiers in the bright yellow uniforms of the Leite Kingdom were counting wooden boxes filled with bolt-action rifles loaded onto the carriages.


    After several officers nodded their heads in approval, the Leite Kingdom officer smiled, nodded slightly to his security force counterpart, and then approached the daydreaming Tang Mo.


    Stopping not far from Tang Mo, he made a small nod of acknowledgment to Wes, who was watching him closely, and then said to Tang Mo, "His Majesty will surely thank you for your generosity."


    From the beginning, an uncomfortable sensation had been lingering in Tang Mo''s heart. He felt uneasy and irritable.


    However, the deal before him seemed to have no issues, so he still responded professionally to the Leite Kingdom officer, "I hope my investment will be reciprocated!"


    "I will convey your words to His Majesty," the officer responded courteously to Tang Mo, aware of the young man before him whom the King, in his struggle against Shireck, was so eager to court.


    Can''t you see? A baron of just 19 years, if not hereditary, who would believe this was a first-generation noble from a newly risen family?


    Generally speaking, a noble''s fiefdom can utilize their family''s banner.


    For instance, the Ronin Family''s Northern Ridge doesn''t hang the Kingdom''s banner but opts to display their own wolf banner.


    Furthermore, Tang Mo could also levy his own additional taxes here and enact some personal laws of his own.


    Usually, these laws cannot override national laws or bind other nobility but do have some legal force over the commoners.


    Of course, after becoming nobility, there would be many privileges, including the Kingdom''s semi-acknowledged private Troops, as well as the use of slaves, among others.


    All in all, ennobling a new noble entails numerous related issues that need to be resolved, which is also why nobility is valuable and why the Kingdom doesn''t lightly bestow nobility.


    Every noble would siphon a portion of the King''s power and, to a great extent, split territories and pose a significant threat to the Kingdom.


    However, granting nobility is one of the most important means for a King to court someone''s favor, and thus, in certain circumstances, he must display generosity and promote new nobles to counter the established ones.


    The contradictions among nobles, between nobles and the King, and between nobles and commoners mutually restrain each other, forming the "social ecosystem" of the current world.


    "Ha! This all sounds quite exhilarating," said Tang Mo with the air of being pleasantly surprised, which made the officer feel his reminder was particularly significant.


    "John, accompany this gentleman to the casino for a few rounds, the chips are on me..." Tang Mo instructed the Elf at his side thoughtfully.


    John immediately bowed and complied, "Yes, Master."


    "Thank you, Lord!" The officer''s face immediately broke into a deeper smile upon hearing what Tang Mo said. After arriving at Brunas, he had heard of the casino''s popularity but hadn''t dared to try it due to financial constraints.


    Watching the two depart, Tang Mo turned to Wes and ordered, "Have the prepared flags hung at the Brunas municipal hall."


    "Understood," Wes responded promptly.


    "And send 10,000 training rounds to His Majesty the King... as a token of our sincerity," Tang Mo commanded again.


    Wes continued to nod, "Yes!"


    As if he had remembered something else, Tang Mo continued to instruct, "Oh, and those three women, hand them over to John. Let him not trouble those girls; those willing to work in the casino or the restaurant should be arranged to work, and those who do not wish to should be given some money and sent on their way!"


    "As you wish, Lord," Wes smiled and nodded again.


    As the two were walking back, a horse bolted out from the main road of the Vicious Forest. The armor of the rider on the horse was disorderly, but he couldn''t be bothered to straighten it out.


    He spurred his horse into a gallop, holding aloft the wolf banner of the Northern Ridge, heading towards the factories billowing thick smoke not far away.


    ------


    Dragon Spirit has saved up drafts, there will be a burst of releases soon with six or seven updates, so everyone please be patient.

 Chapter 141: 141 just takes them away

    "My lord! My lord!" When Tang Mo returned to his factory from Brunas, Tagg stumbled towards him in a panic.


    Tang Mo frowned; he had never seen Tagg so agitated. Wes at his side instinctively grasped the pistol at his waist.


    A knight following Tagg was also somewhat disheveled. He scrambled to Tang Mo''s side and hoarsely shouted, "My lord! My lord! The Earl has been assassinated!"


    "What? What''s going on?" Tang Mo was stunned, then looked incredulously at Tagg beside him, who stood there mournfully, his eyes already brimming with tears.


    "Tell me clearly, what exactly happened!" Tang Mo was still somewhat bewildered, unwilling to believe the messenger''s words.


    "My, my lord! Count Fisheo was assassinated in Ice Crystal City, he has... he has already passed away." The knight, breaking into tears, managed to say.


    He continued sobbing, "My lord, Northern Ridge is now headless, it''s already become a complete mess."


    "What kind of joke is this! How could someone assassinate Lord Earl Fisheo?" Tang Mo still didn''t believe the news and coldly stared at the knight as he asked.


    The knight knelt on one knee, drew a letter from his bosom, and handed it to Tang Mo: "My lord! This is something the young lady asked me to deliver."


    Tang Mo snatched the letter and saw the Northern Ridge wolf seal on it, also recognizing the familiar handwriting on the envelope.


    He recognized the writing on the envelope, indeed, it was Alice''s handwriting, who often corresponded with him, so he opened the envelope and read Alice''s handwritten letter.


    The writing was somewhat untidy and crumpled; it was evident that Alice must have been very distraught while writing it, crying and in a state of panic.


    The letter was short, but it spoke of many things. Although Count Fisheo''s death was a huge blow to Alice, the 17-year-old girl still used all her willpower to convey everything she knew to Tang Mo.


    After reading the letter, Tang Mo folded the paper and put it in his pocket, by now nearly certain that Fisheo had indeed died, and that his death had been very sudden.


    It has to be said, the death of Fisheo was both a coincidence and an inevitability. Tang Mo''s arrival postponed Fisheo''s death, but it also accelerated it...


    Because of Tang Mo''s arrival, Fisheo acquired new weapons, thus winning the battle of Northern Ridge and consequently delaying his own demise.


    However, the rapid military expansion after taking Ice Crystal River created vulnerabilities in the security system around Fisheo, leading directly to his death.


    There was no choice; in order to supply Tang Mo with enough steel, Fisheo hijacked the Shireck Consortium''s steel, which led to severe losses in Fisheo''s intelligence system targeting the Shireck Consortium, indirectly causing its failure.


    After losing early warning intelligence, Fisheo didn''t have time to rebuild his intelligence system and had to grit his teeth and deal with the battle of Northern Ridge first.


    This war had far-reaching effects; it not only exhausted Suthers with one battle but also claimed a large swath of land south of Ice Crystal River.


    "You''re right, my lord," said Tagg, startled, then immediately agreed. "Northern Ridge must be in chaos now."


    "How should we proceed, my lord?" Wes, standing by Tang Mo''s side, also asked.


    "I''m going to Northern Ridge!" Tang Mo looked up at the two and said: "I''m going there to help Alice reclaim what''s hers."


    "Gather everyone! I need to call a meeting!" Tang Mo ordered and without looking back, he walked into his own factory.


    On both sides of the factory''s main gate hung two new flags, standing vertical. The flags were red, as if they had been dyed with fresh blood.


    On this blood-red flag was embroidered Tang Mo''s clan symbol, or rather the emblem of the Great Tang Industrial Group¡ªa dragon.


    It depicted the head of a dragon, symmetrical and angular in its design, abstracted and flattened.


    This pattern was unprecedented in this world; when Tang Mo said it was a dragon, even Wes and the others found it hard to accept.


    They believed only those mythical creatures that breathed fire in legends could be called dragons. And in this world, there was no shortage of family emblems using dragons, but they had never seen such a strangely shaped dragon.


    They couldn''t accept a dragon with catfish whiskers or deer antlers; in short, Tang Mo''s dragon seemed quite out of place from their understanding of dragons.


    But Tang Mo insisted on using this totem as his family emblem, so in the end, everyone had to accept it as the symbol of Great Tang Industrial.


    By the time everyone had entered Tang Mo''s office, they had already heard about the incident at Northern Ridge.


    Tang Mo glanced at Roger, then began: "There''s trouble in Northern Ridge. Lord Earl has been assassinated. He owed me a favor and was our ally, so we should do something for him."


    After finishing, he commanded, "Roger, Redman, Li''ao, Bernard, and Luff, assemble the troops and ensure the security within the territory. If anyone attempts to take advantage of this and attack Brunas, you should bury them all here!"


    "Yes!" Redman, Bernard, and Luff, dressed in grey-green military uniforms, immediately stood at attention and saluted, while Roger and Li''ao also nodded and accepted the orders.


    Tang Mo nodded slightly then continued with his orders, "Tagg, Wes, you''re coming with me to Northern Ridge..."


    "My lord, how many soldiers should we bring?" Wes had a bad feeling and asked directly. It was very unusual for Bernard, Luff, and Redman, who were high-ranking commanders in Tang Mo''s security forces, to remain in Brunas at such a time.


    "Tagg! Rally all the Northern Ridge students from the school! Tell them about the earl''s murder and assemble them to follow me!" Tang Mo did not answer Wes''s question but instead turned to Tagg.


    "Yes!" Tagg was taken aback but still faithfully executed Tang Mo''s order.


    "Just bring them!" Tang Mo looked at Wes, "And my personal guard."

 Chapter 142: 142 continued watching

    Tang Mo''s private guard was not large in number, now only amounting to 20 men. These were all veterans of battle who had also gone through selection and personal training by Tang Mo.


    Trained according to the standards of special forces of later generations, these men were ten times more ferocious than their peers. Each one of them could engage Wes in a long fight without falling at a disadvantage, and their marksmanship was accurate enough to hit a target a hundred steps away.


    One might say they were super soldiers built with money, spending dozens of expensive bullets every day to maintain their feel for the weapons, which were as familiar to them as their own palms.


    These guards were all uniformly equipped with standard weapons, including lever-action rifles and Left-Wheel Handguns, weapons that others had never seen before, which of course could take the enemy by surprise at a critical moment.


    When protecting Tang Mo, they would all wear large capes to shroud their figures in black. Wes, who knew them, was aware that beneath those capes, they had brand new weapons and equipment that even he envied.


    Their weapons were strategically distributed over various parts of their bodies, ready to be drawn at a moment''s notice if needed.


    Every member of the guard was absolutely loyal to Tang Mo. They had all been handpicked by him, and the way they looked at Tang Mo was akin to gazing upon a deity.


    With these 20 soldiers, Tang Mo even had the capability to assault a legion of 1500 men and possibly break through their defenses.


    It was for this reason that when Wes heard that Tang Mo had brought his guard, he immediately felt relieved.


    If these 20 men could not protect Tang Mo, then bringing 200 would have certainly been in vain.


    That very night, over a hundred people rushed into the Vicious Forest in carriages or mounted on warhorses, a formidable procession.


    This silent forest had almost no trace of bandits left, and with Tang Mo''s rangers'' frequent training exercises, even large animals were a rare sight.


    After all, these men would hunt wild animals, and in this era, there was no concept of wildlife protection.


    After several rounds of hunting, animals like wild boars, fierce tigers, and wolves had nearly been hunted to extinction. When people were hungry, they would go hunting, and would sometimes even bring back game to the factory to improve their living conditions. How could the local wildlife bear this?


    So, after being hunted in several rounds, the fierce and cunning animals hid even deeper, and those originally innocent herbivores also began to become scarce.


    As they passed through this nearly conquered forest, Tang Mo''s team encountered no danger at all.


    That night, Tang Mo and his men had already arrived at Wolf City. At the gates of Wolf City, they were blocked by the tightly shut gates, unable to enter.


    "Sorry! No one is allowed to enter! This area is under martial law! We can''t let you in!" shouted a soldier next to a front-loading Shireck cannon atop the city wall.


    His tone carried an unwelcoming warning to Tang Mo and the others in front of the city gates: "Don''t trouble us! The gates are closed even during the day. How could we possibly open them for you at night?"


    "I''m here..." Tang Mo finally spoke, finding it difficult to utter a word when faced with such a pitiable young girl.


    His voice was hoarse because each word he spoke was incredibly hard, as if something was tearing at his vocal cords in his throat.


    "The rest... leave it to me," he finally managed to say what he wanted.


    "...Okay," Alice, devoid of any sparkle in her eyes, answered Tang Mo softly like a limp cat before lowering her head and pushing the room door closed.


    In the moment the door was closing, Tang Mo reached out wanting to press against it to stop Alice from shutting the door.


    But he was a bit too late after all, and with a click, the door closed, just as it had been opened a moment before.


    In that second, Tang Mo felt his heart tremble. He truly wanted to hold the fragile Alice and comfort the poor girl, but he knew he couldn''t.


    Ronin Fisallo had just passed away, leaving Alice an orphan. Embracing a young lady at such a time was clearly not appropriate.


    Although Tang Mo knew Alice would not push him away, he decided not to employ such a shameless tactic on a seventeen-year-old girl.


    So, he sighed softly, left two guards behind, and walked away from Alice''s bedroom with Wes and the others.


    Inside the bedroom, as Alice leaned against the door and heard Tang Mo''s sigh, hot tears became unstoppable. She didn''t want Tang Mo to see her so disheveled and vulnerable, but she still failed.


    In his presence, she naturally became lowly and weak, like a blade of grass in a storm, battered and alone.


    She despised herself for lacking backbone and resolve; she hoped Tang Mo would knock again, yet also feared the knock. She longed for a comforting embrace while grieving her father''s departure. She was torn, leaning against the door, wanting to cry out loud but sobbing silently instead.


    Until the footsteps gradually faded, until no more sounds came from the corridor, until the moonlight poured into her room and streamed across her feet, she curled up at the doorway, silent and motionless.


    "Lift the martial law here; send the troops back to their barracks! What mess do you want the military stirring up at a time like this?" When Tang Mo returned to the office used by the late Lord Earl, he encountered the highest commander of the troops within Wolf City.


    "On what authority are you ordering me, sir?" The officer stared at Tang Mo and retorted, "A good Samaritan? Or some ambitious usurper looking to grab a piece of Northern Ridge? Or perhaps a predator wolf ready to join the feast?"


    "A good-hearted businessman, I guess," Tang Mo replied with a self-deprecating smile. "I need a stable Northern Ridge, so I came."


    "And how should I trust you, Mr. Tang?" The officer continued to press, "I can''t simply take commands from an outsider blindly. At a time like this, I can only ensure... my own loyalty."


    "In fact, by standing here, you''ve already proven that the men I''ve brought with me have taken control of the military, and you''ve been sidelined. Since you can only stand here and watch, you might as well keep watching!" Tang Mo pointed indifferently to a chair reserved for guests.


    "Stop overthinking; just watch as I hand over a complete and better Northern Ridge to the Ronin Family''s sole heir, Miss Ronin Alice."

 Chapter 143: Afterlife Arrangements

    "Do they no longer regard me as their King? Do they no longer take the entire Nobility into consideration? Who do they think they are, hmm?" Leite VII smashed the glass in his hand onto the floor, cursing furiously.


    In front of him, the Prime Minister too had a grim expression, silently staring at the military officer who had brought the message. They had just reached an agreement with Tang Mo and obtained enough munitions to defend themselves from him.


    But then, someone had gone ahead and killed the Earl with an assassination attempt. This put them all on edge, beginning to seriously question the loyalty of those in their own kitchens.


    No one desired to hide a gun under their pillow while in bed with a woman, and no one wanted to worry about being stabbed by their partner in the act.


    Similarly, no one wanted to suddenly collapse with a stomachache mid-meal, nor did they want to taste the bitter flavor of almonds in a sip of fine wine.


    This was about a trust crisis within the entire Nobility, as well as a matter concerning the safety of the whole world.


    "It''s not necessarily Shireck... Such matters should be investigated... a bit more," the Prime Minister managed to utter at last, indicating his position.


    The more tense the situation, the less one should lose one''s composure. Although Shireck was a suspect, it really wasn''t clear who was behind the act.


    From the perspective of the King of the Leite Kingdom, even though Shireck had the potential to poison, Suthers seemed to have reason to take action also.


    Even Tang Mo, with whom they had cooperated, did not seem entirely above suspicion. After all, if he intended to take control of the Northern Ridge, Count Fisheo was indeed a critical target. By eliminating Fisheo, Tang Mo could indeed cut himself a piece of the chaos in the Northern Ridge.


    Hence, they couldn''t direct all their hatred towards Shireck right now; it would best serve their fundamental interests to place themselves in an invulnerable position.


    "Now we cannot act rashly; it''s best to wait for a conflict to break out between Shireck and Tang Mo, or simply for them both to suffer, and then we can profit from the situation," the Prime Minister advised King Leite VII.


    Finally, Leite VII managed to calm his rage and sat back on his throne: "What should we do now?"


    "There''s not much we can do; the Northern Ridge is like a powder keg right now, ready to explode with a single spark. We just need to wait," the Prime Minister repeated the word ''wait'' again.


    His Majesty the King seemed somewhat dissatisfied with this passive approach and continued to inquire: "Can''t we take the opportunity to seize some benefits from the chaos in the Northern Ridge?"


    "Do we want everyone to suspect that we were the ones who poisoned Count Fisheo to death?" the Prime Minister counter-asked his King.


    Leite VII also realized that trying to gain advantages at this time seemed a bit irrational, so he cooled down and began to think about how to deal with the turmoil in the Northern Ridge.


    But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn''t come up with a way to reap benefits without giving himself away.


    Tang Mo nodded and spoke his thanks, "Thank you all for supporting Miss Alice! I hope each of you, like you have assisted the late Earl Fisheo, will offer your loyalty and talent to the new Earl of Northern Ridge, Ronin Alice."


    "We will," the group promptly promised Tang Mo, "Northern Ridge will continue to move forward under the leadership of the new Earl, Ronin Alice."


    Looking at the vassals of Northern Ridge, Tang Mo knew that the handover here was nearly complete. Thus, he shifted the topic to the aftermath pertaining to Fisheo, "Has the Earl''s body been cared for?"


    "The weather is still quite cool, so there are no major issues. His appearance has been respectfully managed; he looks very peaceful," replied a servant who worked for the Lord Earl, standing in the corner, answering Tang Mo''s question.


    Tang Mo gave a slight nod and then issued further instructions, "Have the carriage ready. After we finish here, I will personally escort the Earl''s body back to Wolf City."


    "The funeral rites for the Lord Earl must be conducted with the utmost care. Money is not an issue; the scale must be grand, and those in attendance must be of high status! Understand?" Tang Mo asked this question as he surveyed everyone present.


    "Understood!" All the officers, along with some attendants of the Lord Earl, immediately responded. It seemed they had already accepted Tang Mo as their de facto commander.


    After arranging the Lord Earl''s posthumous affairs, Tang Mo immediately inquired about the Earl''s assassination, "What are the results of the investigation into the Earl''s murder?"


    "My lord," an officer stepped forward upon hearing this, replying to Tang Mo, "We have investigated the maid who committed the act. She has been an old hand around the municipal hall, having been a Suthers person all along."


    "Why wasn''t she replaced? Is there any reason?" Tang Mo furrowed his brow, questioning the other party.


    "Her family is in Ice Crystal City, all with a clean background. Previously, we were short-handed and kept some local servants and maids," the officer explained regretfully, "She was scheduled to be replaced, but she was very competent..."


    "How could such foolishness happen in the security work of the Lord Earl," Tang Mo hummed with frustration.


    "We relocated her family and provided her with a resettlement fee. No one expected she would... do this." The officer''s voice trailed off lower and lower, "She seemed totally normal every day, and having received money to improve her life, she had no... no reason..."


    "In fact, she did it, and she succeeded," Tang Mo cut off the explanation, then continued to question, "Have her family members been taken into custody?"


    "No..." The officer shook his head with some regret, showing he was not particularly adept at these matters.


    "Hmm?" Tang Mo''s piercing gaze swept over, finding the officer''s response in this area slow. There was a moment when he even began to suspect the officer''s loyalty.


    "By the time we got there, they had all died," the officer explained with his head down, "The maid had a younger sister, a younger brother, and her parents; all were found dead at home, with none spared."


    "They were wiped out?" Tang Mo knew that someone might cover their tracks with murder, but he had not expected it to be done so swiftly and decisively.


    "Yes, all were killed. Our soldiers arrived at the scene around three hours after the incident," the officer responded.

 Chapter 144: 144 looking for the murderer

    "Ha! You sure act fast." Tang Mo felt it was necessary to improve the intelligence system and the efficiency of the police force in this world.


    Entrusting these matters to the military really was asking too much of them. These brave warriors might be adept at killing enemies on the battlefield, but dealing with these kinds of incidents was clearly outside their expertise.


    He was almost amused by the sluggish reaction and extremely low efficiency of the Northern Ridge officers, not to mention their lackluster investigative and deductive skills.


    "Let''s go, take a look at the scene..." Tang Mo, his face grim, finally stood up and walked out of the room first: "Then... move that woman''s body away... What''s the use of leaving it here?"


    In this era, forensic methods were very limited, and the crime scene had already been destroyed by the soldiers who had burst into the servants'' resting room. They left a mess of footprints and had moved the dead maid onto a table.


    Even the corner of the cupboard was kicked into pieces by a furious officer, with its contents scattered everywhere.


    Apart from a woman''s corpse, whose complexion had already turned ashen and black, her teapot - the one she used for poisoning - had been smashed to bits, and it was no longer possible to detect anything from it.


    Days had passed since the woman''s demise; if any clues pointing to the real culprit could be found on the body now, that would be truly astonishing.


    If the other party went to such lengths, it was highly unlikely they would have left any useful clues behind, considering they are professionals at this sort of thing, far more meticulous than these Northern Ridge Legion soldiers.


    Soon, Tang Mo led his team to the house of the maid, which was not far from the city hall. The place was guarded by sentries, and the items inside were better preserved than at the crime scene.


    Tang Mo walked around the room, observing the disordered scene but did not find anything that could serve as evidence.


    However, he quickly realized that something about the place felt off. He frowned and looked around again.


    The wardrobe was opened, its contents scattered on the floor. A soldier standing next to Tang Mo described what they had first seen upon bursting into the room.


    "Blood was everywhere, just as you see now. The floor was covered with bodies, the female master lay near the door, apparently killed by the person who opened it," the soldier said, pointing to the area near the door where Wes was standing, looking up at the ceiling.


    Then the soldier continued, pointing at the living room, "After that, the attackers rushed into the room and slaughtered the man. The two children were in the next room. They had closed the door, but it was kicked open."


    "The scene must have been chaotic... Did the neighbors see anything?" Tang Mo glanced at the somewhat damaged interior doors of the house and asked.


    The soldier shook his head and answered Tang Mo''s question: "We''ve investigated. The neighbors did indeed hear noises and even screams, but they didn''t have the courage to come over and see what was happening."


    There was nothing that could be done; these neighbors were timid civilians, and hoping they would come out to investigate might have been wishful thinking.


    Most of them did not even have the courage to peek out the window, especially in these times. It wasn''t only bandits and robbers to fear; even the nobility and soldiers could kill a commoner without it being considered unusual.


    It seemed that not much could be derived from this area of questioning. Tang Mo walked to the window with a sigh and looked out at the street below.


    The building itself was modest with only two floors, not a luxurious house. The outside corridor was connected to a circular staircase¡ªpreviously, this building belonged to merchants.


    "This is our last time asking you, after this, you will be free to go and leave this place at will," Tang Mo reassured everyone as he saw the neighbors.


    Then, he walked up to an elderly man and smiled, "How long have you lived here, sir?"


    "About three months now," the robust old man replied immediately.


    "Are you familiar with this family?" Tang Mo pointed towards the room and continued to ask.


    "They moved in almost the same time as I did. I''m a doctor, and their daughter, it seems, works at the town hall," the old man replied in great detail and quite naturally, "The man worked at the carriage shop, seemed to be in charge of repairing carriages."


    As he spoke, he saw Tang Mo slip a Gold Coin into his chest pocket, swallowed hard, and then added, "Yes, that''s right! His second daughter works at the flour mill..."


    "What about the rest of you, anything else to add?" Tang Mo, twirling another Gold Coin in his hand, looked toward the old man''s neighbors, their eyes gleaming.


    "I know! I know! Antonio was once taken by traffickers! He was very young then, only found recently," a child suddenly called out loudly.


    "Traffickers..." Tang Mo muttered the word while handing the Gold Coin to the child, his eyes catching the child''s ecstatic expression as he continued to ask, "Anything else, feel free to share."


    An old woman beside them immediately affirmed, "Now that he mentions it, I recall the lady of the house mentioning that their child was lost when very young and was only found recently."


    "Recently?" Tang Mo raised an eyebrow, repeating the word.


    "About a month ago, some kind-hearted person helped them find the child," the old woman promptly added.


    Tang Mo didn''t speak but drew another Gold Coin from his pocket and placed it in the old woman''s palm: "How did they know the child was indeed theirs?"


    "Just one look. The child looks just like his father," the neighbors chimed in, all talking to Tang Mo at once.


    Nodding his head, Tang Mo looked towards Wes, "Doesn''t it seem a bit too coincidental to you?"


    "Indeed, the child''s return is too eerie," Wes nodded, agreeing with Tang Mo: "Clearly, the enemy used that thing to bribe the maid."


    "Trading her own life for her brother''s, quite noble," Tang Mo scoffed coldly and waved his hand, signaling the soldiers that they could take the neighbors back.


    "Psh... how much is her life worth? She exchanged the Earl''s life for her brother''s!" Wes smirked disdainfully.


    "Traffickers... tall and sturdy, cold-hearted and ruthless... isn''t it just short of leaving a name card for us?" Tang Mo''s face was full of grimness.


    "He still owes you an arm," Wes said coldly.


    "No," Tang Mo headed for the door: "He owes me a life!"

 Chapter 145: Play music 145

    "Let Tagg handle this matter. He wants to find out who killed the Earl and who is the mastermind behind the scenes, so let him." Tang Mo stepped out of the room, descended the stairs, and then mounted his carriage.


    Wes stood by the door of Tang Mo''s carriage, slightly bowing his head, "I understand. I will hand over the clues to him later."


    "The rest is easy." Tang Mo''s face remained devoid of any smile, cold as frost, and it stayed unchanged even after Wes had closed the carriage door for him.


    But the rest was actually not easy at all. The reason Tang Mo had rushed from Wolf City to Ice Crystal City was that he still had another problem to solve.


    This problem, from certain perspectives, was even more challenging than investigating the assassination of Count Fisheo.


    After learning that Count Fisheo had been murdered in Ice Crystal City, the Suthers Kingdom, which had ceded Ice Crystal City, was not reconciled to its defeat and had once again become restless.


    The enemy had assembled 6,000 men at the border ¨C four legions in total ¨C preparing to march south across the Ice Crystal River and reclaim the lost territories south of it.


    War could erupt at any moment, and that also served as an external reason why Tang Mo was able to swiftly take command of the Northern Ridge''s military power.


    Everyone was worried that the Suthers''s advance southwards would bring disaster to Northern Ridge. In the absence of leadership, they were naturally willing to comply with Tang Mo''s dispatches.


    On the Suthers side, the King of Suthers was keen to avenge his failure in Northern Ridge, so he planned to make the most of the opportunity presented by Count Fisheo''s assassination to exact a great vengeance.


    The force, hastily assembled, was commanded by the hero who had saved Suthers''s southern territories in the last war¡ªEarl Rommel.


    You read that correctly, Rommel had been promoted. Although he had been pursued and routed by Tang Mo''s 300 brave Brunas soldiers and several thousand hastily armed peasants in the southern part of the Kingdom, he had still been promoted.


    Because according to nearly everyone''s report, Sir Rommel had withstood the pressure at a critical moment, rallied the routed soldiers, and stabilized the southern part of the Kingdom at a crucial juncture, suppressing the rebellious rioters.


    Such a towering figure was naturally to be promoted. So Rommel had now become an Earl, replacing Tucci, as one of the celebrated generals of the Kingdom.


    Well... in short, he was now a rising military star in great demand within the Suthers Kingdom, also known as the most likely commander to regain Suthers''s honor, succeeding General Tucci.


    This time, because they were unprepared, the Suthers had hastily assembled some of the forces originally stationed along the border, intending to grab opportunistic benefits.


    They lacked sufficient supplies and hadn''t gathered enough forces, hastily mobilizing 6,000 soldiers and preparing to approach the Ice Crystal River.


    This force, having reached the Ice Crystal River with great momentum, had actually taken two days, while across the river, the Northern Ridge troops had already sent back the strange movements of the Suthers forces to Ice Crystal City.


    By the time Earl Rommel rode to the banks of the Ice Crystal River, he was still full of lofty aspirations.


    After all, if he could indeed take back the ceded territories amidst the chaos, his great fame would truly be recorded in the history of the Suthers Kingdom.


    Uncertain of the reason, all he could manage was to address Rommel half-remindingly, half-inquisitively, "My Lord?"


    "Hmm? My Lord?" The officer sitting beside Rommel also caught on, almost simultaneously asking with a puzzled face.


    After receiving no response from Earl Rommel, his expression turned to panic as he asked again, "Earl Rommel, what... what''s wrong with you?"


    It was then that Rommel snapped out of his reverie, shifting his gaze from the letter with difficulty, and spoke anxiously, seeking the opinions of his fellow generals, "I... I suddenly... suddenly feel... my stomach is uncomfortable. Perhaps, perhaps we should set up camp here for today?"


    He really didn''t want to say such things because he knew from last time that it was his delay that had led to the loss of victory at the crossroads.


    As expected, a general immediately spoke out in counsel, "My Lord, speed is of the essence in war! If we don''t take advantage of the chaos in Northern Ridge and Fisheo''s assassination to strike quickly, once Northern Ridge is ready, our 6,000 men may not fare so well..."


    "Yes! My Lord, stopping here to make camp seems a bit unjustifiable," another general joined in.


    As he spoke, he pointed ahead, "Just ahead is the Ice Crystal River. Shouldn''t we cross first to prevent the enemy from being prepared and launching a flank attack on us by the river..."


    "Silence, silence!" Rommel interrupted the generals'' babbling in agitation.


    "Hmm?" Everyone looked at him, somewhat astonished.


    "Everyone, shut up!" Rommel couldn''t contain himself any longer, his voice abruptly rising in a sharp rebuke.


    Finally realizing there was an issue, one officer, looking puzzled at the letter in Rommel''s hand, asked, "My Lord, what... what exactly is written in this letter?"


    Rommel, like a deflated balloon, handed the letter to the officer who had asked, his voice filled with despair, "You... just read it yourself!"


    The officer took the letter, glanced at it, and immediately gasped sharply, "Hss... cough, cough, cough cough cough cough cough!"


    He seemed as though he''d choked on water, struggling to catch his breath after a fit of coughing, and with an embarrassed red face, he agreed with Rommel''s decision, "If you ask me... well, setting up camp here isn''t so bad after all."


    "Huh? I say, what the hell is wrong with you people? How can a letter make you all so afraid?" Another officer frowned, snatched the letter from the officer''s hand, and with disdain looked at his peers.


    Then he bent his head to read it and within seconds, felt the letter burning hot in his hands.


    He looked awkwardly around, forcing a laugh, "Well... I too think, think this is a good spot. Let''s just set up camp here, heh heh, heh heh heh, ha ha ha ha."


    "A letter scares you out of your wits! His Majesty the King would have none of it if he knew. You''d all be in a world of trouble! Cowards!" A burly commander with a stubbled face snatched the letter, glanced at its contents, and read, "Dear Commanding Officer. I am Tang Mo, the one who took 63,100 gold coins from Suthers last time. Since you seem to have forgotten who I am, please be prepared...


    Now, I am coming. Sound the music."

 Chapter 146: 146 respectfully yours

    "This, this this this..." A Suthers officer had completely lost his composure, seemingly recalling those memories buried deep within his mind, the ones he never wanted to remember in his life.


    He seemed to see Tang Mo leading 300 soldiers, defeating the battle against the 500 Suthers officers he had been with at the time.


    On that bright morning, it took only two breaths for his 500 private troops to be crushed into pieces by the 300 infantry commanded by a young man.


    He hadn''t even managed to stop the opponent from advancing for a single second before he was utterly routed amidst the drumbeats that seemed to hammer at his heart.


    He didn''t dare to look back at the miserable state of his own troops and was dragged away by the reins by several of his confidants, fleeing towards King City.


    Later he heard that his territory had been turned upside down by that man, even his manor had been burned to ashes.


    To this day, he was filled with fear, fear of that sunny morning, fear of that terrifying, urgent, unique drumbeat.


    "Isn''t this Tang Mo the bastard who previously led his troops across the Ice Crystal River, and headed north?" Finally, an officer snapped to his senses, recalling the name that, half a year ago, had made the entire Suthers Kingdom hate to the bone and fear as if he were a tiger.


    Once, this name cast a shadow over the entire King City, with the soldiers stationed there losing their courage at the mere mention of his name, fleeing in droves before even seeing his banner.


    In order to have this name leave in peace, even the King on the throne of Suthers had scraped together 63,100 Gold Coins just to buy his promise not to continue heading north.


    Yes, not even daring to rally the troops to resist, the King of Suthers could only pay for peace.


    For all of Suthers'' nobility, the young man who launched a new era of zero-cost conquest, committing arson and plundering without doing any evil, was simply no different from a devil.


    But in the minds of the Suthers officers, though they were reluctant to admit it, that name actually stood alongside the War God.


    Even in their arrogance, they knew they would not dare to lead just 300 men into enemy territory. All the more so, relying on those 300 men, that young man had fought with ever-increasing momentum, traveled a thousand miles in a day, and created an awe-inspiring assault, carving out a world... of his own!


    He left with countless Gold Coins, laughing, and the grand Suthers Kingdom didn''t have a single person who dared to block his path.


    Even when he agreed not to continue northward but to head south with the large amount of plundered Gold Coins, the feeling from top to bottom in Suthers was not one of shame, but a sigh of relief...


    A Suthers general, not realizing he was speaking incoherently, swallowed his saliva before he could barely calm himself down, pointing at the letter, three parts fearful and with a voice trying to sound fierce, shouted, "He, he he he... He is too arrogant!"


    Finally, a Suthers officer had enough of the oppressive atmosphere. He mustered up his courage, feeling that he should be more fiery and valiant as that would befit the image others had of him.


    Therefore, he clenched his fists, mustered up his energy, and shouted loudly, "I cannot coexist with this thief under the heavens! I must kill him!"


    Sure enough, the people around him immediately cast admiring glances at his "gallant bravery." It seemed that if there were some ladies around at that moment, they might be willing to offer themselves to him.


    A few officers nodded in agreement with their colleague''s speculation, resolute not to be used by others, "We can''t fall for this trick!"


    "Right! We won''t be anyone else''s cannon fodder!" With this stance, everyone became excited again, shouting louder and more righteously than they had when calling for advancing south.


    "To avoid misunderstandings with the other side, we should... retreat a distance and then report the current situation to His Majesty the King," suggested Romel''s confidant in a hushed voice.


    Upon hearing this, Romel''s eyes lit up¡ªindeed, it seemed like a good idea to leave this thorny issue for the King to ponder over.


    So he immediately nodded, adopting the suggestion, "Order the troops to pull back 30 kilometers! Then set up camp! Send a knight immediately to deliver the news here back to King City!"


    ...


    One day later, news of Suthers'' retreat reached Ice Crystal City, and the Northern Ridge officers, who had not witnessed Tang Mo''s rampage through Suthers territory, looked incredulously at Tang Mo who was busy with paperwork.


    Curiosity got the better of one officer who asked, "Sir, did you... did you just write them a letter?"


    "Yes, I just wrote them a letter," Tang Mo replied without lifting his head, having just signed a document and set it aside.


    Still disbelieving, the officer persisted, "And then they retreated?"


    "Yes, then they retreated," Tang Mo nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


    "Are they stupid?" the officer blurted out, causing Wes, who was standing beside Tang Mo, to nearly burst into laughter.


    Tang Mo set down his paperwork and looked up, "Perhaps."


    "What did you write in the letter?" Finally, unable to contain his curiosity, an aide of a former Earl asked.


    "I greeted them, introduced myself, and then asked them to get ready..." Tang Mo answered truthfully, while Wes, who knew the full story, nearly laughed out loud again.


    He knew that to the officers of Suthers, these contents were tantamount to a demon from hell sharpening his blade while issuing threats.


    Unfortunately, the Northern Ridge officers didn''t know, so they were still completely baffled, "That''s it?"


    "That''s it," Tang Mo affirmed with seriousness.


    "Sir, the commander of the Suthers troops, Romel, has sent a reply," at that moment, an officer pushed open the door to the office, bringing in a beautiful envelope.


    "Read," Tang Mo gestured for someone to read the reply from Suthers aloud, curious about what the other party had to say.


    But as the reader went through the letter, they struggled to suppress their laughter, "Respected Mr. Tang Mo, our army''s southward movement was just a routine border change and bore no provocative intentions. Please don''t misunderstand! Our troops have now retreated to express goodwill... Earl Romel... respectfully yours..."

 Chapter 147: 147 See you again

    "I must personally return to Wolf City to escort Lord Earl''s remains..." Tang Mo waved his hand, signaling the officer who was reading the letter that it could be discarded now: "If they truly head south, then they are basically giving us a pretext to start a war."


    "If that is indeed the case, this war will not end easily. I will personally lead the troops into Suthers, seize their King City, and strangle their king on his throne!" Tang Mo stood up, speaking sternly: "Send a messenger, polish my message a bit, and convey my verbal message to them."


    "Yes!" A group of Northern Ridge officers stood up immediately, saluting Tang Mo as if they were paying tribute to Lord Earl.


    Unknowingly, Tang Mo had become the linchpin in their hearts, the unchallenged leader among them.


    "Send out invitations to the nobility in our lands and the surrounding areas, and additionally, send someone to the King City with a message, asking them to send a suitably positioned person to attend Earl Fisello''s funeral."


    "We have already done so, but we have yet to receive a response."


    "Then send another invitation immediately post-haste in my name," Tang Mo spoke directly without a second thought: "Give one letter to the Prime Minister, and another to the Minister of Construction Baus, just like that."


    "Yes, my lord." A man resembling a butler bowed slightly, taking a letter written by Tang Mo from his hand, and then turned to leave.


    Mid-April in the 114th year of the Leite Kingdom, Earl Fisello''s body, having passed away half a month earlier, was finally leaving Ice Crystal City, escorted by Tang Mo, to make the journey back to Wolf City.


    Almost at the same moment, in the King City of the Leite Kingdom, the Prime Minister held the letter from Tang Mo, pondering in his mind who should be sent to attend Fisello''s funeral.


    There were actually quite a few candidates, such as the ever-kind Baus. However, they couldn''t let Baus represent them in Northern Ridge again, because Baus had received another invitation.


    Tang Mo wished to arrange Earl Fisello''s funeral with dignity, hence he had written an invitation to Baus directly.


    As a result, Baus, being both the Minister of Construction and "good friend" of Tang Mo, had no reason to refuse Tang Mo''s invitation.


    Therefore, the Prime Minister had to come up with another candidate, to attend Fisello''s funeral without seeming out of place or causing embarrassment.


    There were not a few choices, like some military generals of the Kingdom, who in fact had some minor acquaintance with Fisello.


    Unfortunately, these generals had also been invited, so they could not represent the King in traveling to Northern Ridge to appease the somewhat irritable Tang Mo.


    The final selection, the one determined, turned out to be the Leite Kingdom''s Crown Prince, the firstborn son of His Majesty the King.


    Thus, a large delegation departed from King City towards Wolf City to mourn Earl Fisello.


    This delegation included 13 military leaders and high-ranking officers, the Minister of Construction and Minister of Education, along with the Crown Prince representing the royal family.


    At the same time, officials from Brunas also headed to Northern Ridge, including a cohort of business representatives. Though these individuals weren''t exactly nobility, they had another advantage: wealth.


    Especially with Tang Mo''s prestige in Northern Ridge, holding this ring would almost certainly go unchallenged and uncontested.


    If there were people previously reluctant to submit to Tang Mo, after he stabilized the situation in Northern Ridge, the vast majority recognized the fact that Tang Mo was a suitable leader for Northern Ridge.


    Dozens of students from the Great Tang Military Academy were dispersed back to their respective units, immediately gaining control over those troops.


    With control over the military, Tang Mo also effectively controlled Northern Ridge''s economy. Having fully recognized this, those who originally had their own ideas or were loyal to the Ronin Family mostly accepted the reality that Tang Mo had taken charge of Northern Ridge.


    Yet, in such a circumstance, Tang Mo was now handing the ring to Alice as if he were offering an engagement ring.


    Tang Mo had no intention of taking over the properties of Lord Earl here, because he truly felt that Northern Ridge was not worth abandoning his beliefs and basic principles of conduct.


    "Take it! It belongs to you," Tang Mo said, seeing that Alice had not moved for quite a while, carefully reminding her.


    "Ah!" Alice suddenly threw herself at Tang Mo, wrapping her arms around his waist, burying her head in his abdomen, and started to cry out with all her might.


    With her head buried in his clothes, Tang Mo could only hear the deep sobs of Alice. The girl clung to him, continuing to cry, and the room was filled with sounds of sniffles.


    Tang Mo raised his other hand slowly, pausing just as he was about to lower it. After a few seconds'' pause, he gently placed his palm on Alice''s head, her beautiful hair being softer than it appeared.


    "It''s okay! I''m right here... It''s okay..." Tang Mo said with comforting tones, at a loss for words for a moment.


    The room once again fell silent, with only the muffled cries of Alice, her sobbing heart-wrenching and unrestrained.


    "I miss him so much!" Alice seemed to be releasing the sorrow that had been suppressed in her heart, wiping the hot tears from her face with Tang Mo''s clothes while crying out hoarsely.


    In that moment, she was no longer the strong businesswoman, no longer the heir to the Ronin Family, but just a simple little girl, an ordinary little girl who had lost her parents.


    "I know. We all miss him," Tang Mo consoled as he stroked Alice''s hair, whispering, "But we can''t live in sorrow, we have to move forward, keep moving forward..."


    "Why has God done this to me?" Alice lifted her head, tears streaming down her face, making her look like a wronged little cat.


    Tang Mo affectionately looked down and wiped the tears from her face, "When you''re strong, together, we will seek justice from the gods."


    "Okay!" Alice sobbed, biting her lip and staring at Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo gazed at her face, beautiful yet filled with grief, and momentarily became infatuated.


    The next second, to Tang Mo''s surprise, Alice stood on her tiptoes, suddenly moved closer to Tang Mo, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed his lips.

 Chapter 148: 148 Win-Win

    The girl was very clumsy, pressing her lips against Tang Mo''s, those cherry-like red lips blindly exerting force upon Tang Mo''s mouth.


    Tang Mo''s eyes widened as he let the girl, in her foolish way, dedicate her inexperienced first kiss, like a precious treasure, to him.


    Eventually, his hands, which were prepared to push the girl away, circled around to her back, he felt Alice''s body shake slightly, then she hugged Tang Mo even more passionately, disregarding everything else.


    Then, they just held each other, foolishly embracing like that. When Alice was cried out and her breathing became even, Tang Mo carried her back to bed.


    When Tang Mo opened the door, his appearance was actually a bit indecent. His abdomen was soaked with a large wet patch from Alice''s tears, and his coat was full of wrinkles.


    "She''s cried herself to sleep," Tang Mo said softly to the butler standing by the door, nodding slightly in greeting. "Take good care of her and send her meals on time; she is very weak."


    Having said that, he turned back, glanced at the sleeping Alice on the bed, his eyes filled with tenderness. He quietly closed the door and then nodded to the two guards.


    At the moment the door closed, Alice opened her eyes. She propped up her upper body and watched as her soft hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, her eyes still brimming with tears.


    She adjusted her sitting position and then buried her head in the crook of her arm. The room, slightly dim, was filled with a young girl''s sorrow.


    Pain makes people grow, and the girl had grown up.


    The funeral was held on time in Wolf City. Many people came to attend the funeral of Lord Earl Ronin Fisallo; they all gathered in the hall, watching Tang Mo stand on the steps.


    Tang Mo, looking at Alice crying inconsolably below the steps, suddenly felt a pang of heartache. He knew that Alice had lost her mother at a young age, and now with the loss of her father, she had become an orphan with no one to rely on.


    With a heavy heart, he looked down at his prepared speech and then tossed it aside.


    Raising his head, Tang Mo looked straight at those present for the funeral and began to speak slowly, starting Fisheo''s eulogy with a soft voice: "Ronin Fisallo''s life was both brilliant and sensational; his courage is beyond doubt. He was the greatest military strategist of the Leite Kingdom and a long-renowned general."


    In Brunas, a young man pushed a brass bullet into the chamber of a left-wheel handgun; it was the last bullet, filling up the six chambers when loaded.


    The young man gently spun the chamber and then flicked the gun''s body, the chamber clicked back into its rightful place with a snap.


    He holstered the gun under his armpit, letting his coat conceal the weapon, and then shouldered his knapsack.


    Next to him, another young man similarly covered his gun with civilian clothing and hitched his bulging luggage onto his back.


    In Wolf City, Tang Mo continued standing on the steps, reciting Fisheo''s heroic life word by word: "In the Battle of Balaisaong, he defeated an enemy force twice the size of his legion, thus becoming an Earl of the Kingdom and granted Northern Ridge."


    In Wolf City, Tang Mo''s voice still echoed in the memorial hall, "His departure is a loss to us and to the world. We will always miss him; we will always follow his will, striving to build the Northern Ridge even better than before!"


    As he spoke, he extended his hand to Alice, "This is our greatest remembrance. Our loyalty will now be transferred to Ronin Alice, to protect her, cherish her, and support her to become as fine a leader as her father."


    At his invitation, Alice, dressed in black, stepped up to the platform to stand beside Tang Mo.


    All stood up, gazing at the frail figure of Alice, silent, as Tang Mo continued to recite, "At this moment, everyone standing here has been graced by his benevolence. I believe that even in another world, he would remain a great being!"


    Tang Mo paused, lowering his head, "Let us remember Lord Ronin Fisallo... for he was a mortal who stood shoulder to shoulder with the gods."


    Everyone bowed their heads, observing a moment of silence that lingered, accompanied by Alice''s quiet sobs.


    One by one, people slowly rose from their seats, walked up to the stage, and laid flowers upon Earl Fisheo''s casket.


    Not until the casket was covered in flowers, leaving only the guards, Alice, and Tang Mo in the memorial hall, did the sizeable commemorative service truly come to an end.


    Afterward, Count Fisheo''s casket would be transported to the family tomb, where it would be interred. Under the watchful eyes of the Northern Ridge guards, commanders, and servants of the Ronin Family, Alice took Tang Mo''s hand.


    Tang Mo did not withdraw his hand; instead, he firmly clasped Alice''s small hand within his own.


    The Northern Ridge officers who witnessed this diverted their gaze, as they all knew that Alice held a fondness for Tang Mo.


    The two had corresponded through letters, and Alice frequently selected gifts for Tang Mo. It was common knowledge that the rapid development of Northern Ridge owed much to Tang Mo''s robust support.


    Indeed, Northern Ridge still owed Tang Mo a significant amount of money till this very day. They currently have about thirty steam machines running in mines and other factories, with another thirty being assembled or tested.


    Of these steam machines, at least one-third remained unpaid for by Northern Ridge ¨C to claim that there was only pure friendship between Tang Mo and the new Earl of Northern Ridge would be something no one would believe.


    By the gods above, what they preferred to see was the scene before them: Northern Ridge continued to be controlled by the heir of the Ronin Family, while Tang Mo, a formidable external ally, could continue to assist in the rapid development of Northern Ridge.


    For all, it was a win-win outcome, and for Alice, it might be a triple or even a quadruple win.


    Alice had found family, a bastion of support; Northern Ridge had a strong ally, allowing continued development; Tang Mo retained the stability of his ally, confident to carry on making money... As for the fourth win, Tang Mo had effortlessly gained a beauty, which certainly was a lucrative deal...


    --------


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 Chapter 149: 149 Railways and War

    Three days after Lord Earl was laid to rest, the weather in Northern Ridge remained fine, cloudless with the sun shining brightly and even the temperature had risen quite a bit.


    Tang Mo opened his eyes, lying in the soft bed, today was the day he had to leave Northern Ridge to return to Brunas.


    He carefully moved the slender arm that was hanging over his chest to the side, turned over and got out of bed, stretching lazily.


    Alice, with sleep-laden eyes, hugged his waist from behind and said in a sweet tone, "Stay a few more days... I don''t want you to leave so soon."


    "Too many things are waiting for me to do, I can''t stay in the land of soft living any longer," Tang Mo steadied Alice''s tender arm, and comfortingly said, "Soon, a railway will reach Northern Ridge, and by then, it might only take you 5 hours to get to Brunas."


    "Don''t lie to me," Alice thought that in this world there couldn''t possibly be a vehicle so fast that it could shorten the distance between two places so much.


    "How could I bear to deceive you..." Tang Mo moved Alice''s arm aside, turned back to look into her eyes and said, "Trust me."


    It must be said, Alice''s eyes were exceptionally large and incredibly beautiful. They were eyes that could see the light; although they had lost some of their spirit in the past few days, now they seemed to have become vibrant again.


    The power of love was indeed great, it had nourished the young girl, or rather, the young wife by now.


    It''s easy for a woman to catch a man behind a layer of gauze, and although Tang Mo was reluctant to take advantage of someone at their weakest, the vulnerable Alice had taken the initiative and offered herself and Tang Mo really had no reason to keep playing the gentleman.


    He was just cautious, not a saint. Gifted with a beauty akin to a celestial being throwing herself into his embrace, he saw no reason to push her away.


    Thus, yesterday, the two of them, like firewood meeting a fierce flame, finally came together.


    Although it wasn''t quite appropriate to do so during the Earl''s mourning period, apparently if he didn''t leave Alice with something to remember, the new Earl of Northern Ridge would not let him go easily.


    However, Tang Mo felt that he had spent a bit too long in Northern Ridge, so he had to rush back to Brunas to see the progress that Brunas had made in his absence.


    Originally not one to pine for romantic attachment, Tang Mo kissed Alice once more and then spoke, "Northern Ridge is yours now, Lord Earl."


    "If I marry you..." Alice said, looking at Tang Mo with her watery eyes softly.


    "Don''t be silly, it''s yours," Tang Mo interrupted her and said, "This is your father''s legacy, you have to take care of everything here for your father... That''s your responsibility, and mine too."


    "Then I will wait for you here! My dear," Alice bit her lip, looking quite alluring at that moment.


    A girl turns into a woman of desire with just one man, Tang Mo swallowed hard.


    Even heroes struggle to pass the test of a beauty; sometimes the land of tenderness is indeed the hero''s grave. When Tang Mo once again remembered his grand ambitions, it was already the morning of the next day.


    "Trains from Brunas to Station No. 2 can depart daily, which is incredibly convenient. Workers can even take the train to work, and it can transport goods from the docks to Station No. 2."


    Tang Mo''s rail tracks were connected, from his exclusive docks to the factory district, and onwards to Station No. 2 in the Vicious Forest, stringing Tang Mo''s industries together like pearls.


    The distance of less than twenty kilometers, a round trip by train took at most 40 minutes, an efficiency that left the carriage drivers dumbstruck.


    There was no helping it; Tang Mo rolled out a mature design that had been experimented with for decades, and upon its introduction, it completely crushed every other mode of transportation in this era with its performance.


    With this technology, transportation would become extremely convenient, and wars would consequently revolve around railways and transport lines.


    Purposeless attacks would transform into fierce contests over transport lines and nodes, and what Tang Mo was building was not just a series of transport lines, but lifelines.


    If he wished, goods departing from Northern Ridge could now be transported to Station No. 2 by train for transit to Brunas.


    Of course, given the short distance and the time for loading and unloading, the current transit advantage may not be evident yet.


    But once Tang Mo broke through the Vicious Forest and linked the railway to Northern Ridge, the railway transport would immediately show its advantage.


    At that point, the distance between Northern Ridge and Brunas would virtually disappear, and the two places would be completely integrated into one economic circle, the Northern Ridge-Brunas Economic Zone.


    "What about our secret weapon? Is it ready too?" Tang Mo looked at Mathews curiously and asked.


    "Yes, Master! This may be the most powerful weapon ever made by mankind!" Mathews''s expression turned serious and he spoke gravely, "With it, Brunas will be an impenetrable stronghold, the most solid fortress!"


    "Let''s go and see our new toy," Tang Mo gestured for the others to follow, and they soon arrived at the platform.


    By train, Tang Mo and his companions quickly reached Station No. 2, which Tang Mo had turned into a new secret factory. In the factory''s workshop, Tang Mo''s new weapons were taking shape.


    C80 howitzers! A behemoth evolved from the C64 field gun! This beast weighed two tons, with a caliber that leapt to 120mm from 75mm, and a staggering range of 6 kilometers.


    Frankly speaking, this thing was not very mobile; it was almost the limit of what horses could drag. It was quite troublesome to deploy, and its ammunition was heavy.


    But... Tang Mo had trains. He produced a batch of flat cars to carry these cannons. With the pre-laid tracks, these howitzers could be rapidly deployed to any position where they were needed and could immediately begin firing.


    This was essentially a prototype of a railroad gun, and a very domineering one at that. A Tang Mo train could pull a dozen cannons and a large amount of ammunition, dashing to the battlefield to deal a heavy blow to any enemy attacking Brunas from any direction.


    In fact, Tang Mo only needed to deploy a dozen cannons to ensure support fire was available everywhere, significantly reducing his defensive burden.


    So, no matter from which direction Shireck attacked Tang Mo, they would have to face Tang Mo''s superior firepower support.


    Just by looking at the caliber and quality of the cannons, Shireck was already losing, and losing utterly.

 Chapter 150: Save steel for big undertakings in section 150

    But this was not a real train cannon, but rather a beggar''s version of a prototype train cannon. In fact, these C80 howitzers were all towed artillery, equipped with wheels.


    Tang Mo had only produced some flatbed train cars and then simply fixed these artillery pieces onto them.


    This maximized the flexibility of using these cannons but sacrificed the protective capability of the train cannon.


    In theory, Tang Mo could have created an armored train by mounting cannons and various weapons on it to surprise the enemy.


    However, it should be noted that armored trains consumed a significant amount of steel and also had great limitations in their use; in actuality, Tang Mo could not fully exploit the advantages of armored trains.


    In comparison, conserving steel was a practice more in line with Tang Mo''s current situation. After all, he now had to allocate his limited steel production capacity to more useful places.


    Because Tang Mo was now seriously considering whether he should try to get his hands on that distant land, Black Dragon Island, rich in oil.


    After all, oil as the lifeblood of modern industry is extremely valuable and of paramount importance. Securing an oil field in advance was absolutely crucial for Tang Mo''s strategic planning.


    Knowing about the existence of Black Dragon Island, he naturally hoped to take control of this island himself.


    In his plan, conquering and controlling Black Dragon Island, the Navy was absolutely the core combat force. Merely relying on his dozen or so sailing ships to dominate Black Dragon Island was nothing short of a fool''s dream.


    Even if he truly occupied Black Dragon Island, those few small vessels could neither support his maritime transport needs nor defend his island assets!


    Therefore, in Tang Mo''s plan, expanding maritime forces was also very important and urgent.


    Against this backdrop, Tang Mo did not invest all the limited steel into armored trains but saved where he could, turning his train cannons into a simplified model.


    Where was the steel saved being used? It was used for a brand-new vessel in the shipyard¡ªa truly modern ironclad warship powered by steam.


    The design of this warship was based on the renowned Jiyuan-class cruiser, except that due to the times and Tang Mo''s current capabilities, it had undergone some minor modifications.


    First was the warship''s protective capabilities; due to a lack of steel, there was a considerable reduction. The originally more numerous and dense watertight compartments were greatly simplified.


    At the same time, the famous German barbette horizontal defense was completely abandoned, leaving only a steel plate under the deck for defense.


    After all, in this era''s naval vessels, which still used muzzle-loading cannons, almost all used solid shot. Under this premise, increasing the armor of an ironclad warship had no meaningful purpose.


    After eliminating horizontal armor and reducing internal defense armor, Tang Mo''s warship length was increased by 10 meters, reaching an astonishing length of 89 meters and a width of 11.5 meters.


    The primary reason for these modifications was to save on materials. Aside from ensuring the ship''s structural strength, all extra defense designs were reduced.


    Even the conning tower, originally designed to withstand direct strikes from large-caliber cannons, had its armor thickness reduced to half of its original size.


    Thus, the overall design of this new vessel featured its main armament of five 120mm caliber guns and twelve 75mm caliber secondary guns, making it far mightier in terms of gun count alone than any destroyer.


    Nevertheless, due to the immature technology of searchlights, Tang Mo had to honestly scrap the design for searchlights, which meant this giant warship, like other naval vessels, wasn''t capable of night battles.


    Moreover, a dozen or so old-fashioned Gatling guns, originally equipped on the Zhiyuan, were discarded by Tang Mo. In their place were six more powerful Maxim water-cooled machine guns.


    Since the machine guns were still under development, the new vessel, during construction, only reserved their mounts without installing them.


    Similarly, as there was no need for focused ammunition protection, most of the ammunition stores were dispersed and designed near the gun positions, which inadvertently reduced the overall weight of the firepower system and correspondingly increased the speed at which shells could be accessed.


    The lack of defense was effectively countered by the subpar opponents of today; the solid shots that could only reach one kilometer were incapable of piercing the thin side armor and penetrating the ironclad''s ammunition storage.


    In fact, this colossal warship displacing 3700 tons was unquestionably the most advanced and powerful warship in the world. The sail-powered ships of war from other nations stood no chance against it.


    Despite its numerous imperfections, its creation was destined to be recorded in history books, and its presence was bound to redefine naval warfare across the world.


    Tang Mo was confident that, once this warship was launched, he would nearly have the capability to secure his own sea transport routes.


    When that time came, establishing Black Dragon Island would become a top priority. Therefore, he found it necessary to scout Black Dragon Island in advance and ensure his sailors were skilled in long-distance voyages.


    So, looking at Roger and the others, he inquired about the activity of his fleet, "How are things with the fleet?"


    Roger immediately answered his question, "We''ve sent two ships to the south, carrying 1000 K1 Quick Guns and 50,000 rounds of ammunition. If all goes well, they should be able to sell these weapons."


    Li''ao also added, "They''ve been gone for just over a month and we''ve received no news yet."


    "If we can successfully market the bolt-action rifles, then next time all our ships can head south together," continued Roger.


    "That''s good news," Tang Mo nodded.


    After six months of training, his fleet had finally begun engaging in oceanic activities. This would not only train the sailors but also generate greater profits for Tang Mo.


    Simply operating within the borders of the Leite Kingdom was clearly insufficient to satisfy Tang Mo''s ambitions for expansion. He needed to secure more trade routes and sell more products.


    "Until they return, this isn''t good news," John interjected from the side, cautioning, "Sea trade is a very dangerous affair."


    He glanced at Tang Mo and furrowed his brow, "You''re beginning to look more like a man; did something happen on your trip to the Northern Ridge...?"


    "Don''t make wild guesses!" Tang Mo laughed as he glanced at John, explaining, "It''s good news that our sailors have the courage to fight on the high seas."


    "If we don''t send them out, they might indeed fatten to death at the port," joked Bernard, who was in charge of the Navy.


    "Hahahaha!" Everyone burst into laughter.

 Chapter 151: 151 The Long Wait

    "These damned nobles, each one of them has begun to cause us trouble." Gis sat in his own office, his complexion ugly as if possessed by demons.


    Recently, his intelligence network had almost completely collapsed. Those nobles whom he had bribed and who were largely still willing to cooperate now adopted an attitude of outward compliance but inward defiance toward him.


    Many people suspected that Fisheo''s death was orchestrated by Shireck behind the scenes. Although there was no direct evidence, suspicion did not require evidence.


    All the initially suspected parties proved their innocence through their actions: Tang Mo directly helped the heir of the Ronin Family secure his footing, Suthers did not make any moves, and even the royal family of the Leite Kingdom sent representatives to the Earl''s funeral.


    After going in circles like this, with nobody taking any drastic actions, the Shireck Consortium remained the most suspect.


    Everyone detested Fisheo and was quick to want him dead because no one liked the way Fisheo treated the civilians, which indeed hindered others from making money off the populace.


    But to assassinate a noble was a completely different matter¡ªwe were all bloody the same class, playing together was fine, but playing dirty like that was unacceptable!


    So, everyone began adopting a passive-cooperative approach to warn Shireck to rein it in and not touch the fundamental interests of the nobility circle.


    After all, though we were a nest of snakes and rats, bound by common interests, we could not touch each other''s fundamental interests, that was the bottom line!


    "My lord, we have produced over 5,000 of the new model rifles, and His Majesty the King has already sent people to inquire several times, hoping that his troops could be re-equipped as soon as possible!"


    "Let him wait! My troops haven''t been re-equipped yet, what''s he in such a hurry for?" Gis''s anger flared up when this matter was mentioned.


    He was the first to obtain the technology of the needle gun, and he also purchased a large amount of cartridge ammunition from Tang Mo. However, most of these things had been sold off at high prices to other countries by the Consortium.


    As a result, he had no choice but to obey the orders from above, executing commands that infuriated him. He was just a manager, with no right to question the decisions made by his superiors.


    But in his own schemes, the Shireck forces within the Leite Kingdom should have been quickly assembling troops, equipping new weapons, and setting out to subdue the disobedient Great Tang Group! Once the Great Tang Group was defeated, wouldn''t technology and talent be available in whatever quantity he desired?


    In the end, in the face of huge profits, the top brass of the Shireck Consortium still chose to be the middleman, shearing other nations'' wool with gusto.


    The needle guns produced by Shireck were sold for the high price of 30 Gold Coins each. Thus, the 5,000 needle guns laboriously produced overtime in the Shireck workshop didn''t even reserve a single one for themselves and were all sold off.


    Now Gis''s own private troops were still training with Shireck Flintlock Guns, barely even having handled the needle guns a few times.


    "Did not our superior say..." one of his subordinates quickly interjected with reassurance.


    "Next month? Always next month! Our opponents are growing stronger by the day! And they will only miss our last chance!" Gis bellowed in frustrated rage.


    He had been waiting here for almost three months. As time trickled by, Tang Mo was growing stronger.


    The Great Tang Group had completely assimilated the region of Brunas and even connected with Northern Ridge, becoming even tougher to deal with.


    "Hmm? Stop calling me Lord from now on, I see you are diligent and quick to learn, with good abilities. Why don''t you study with me... What do you say?" The more the elderly man saw of this young subordinate, the more he liked him.


    "Teacher!" The young man did not disappoint him, bowing respectfully as he accepted the new title.


    "Hahaha!" The elderly man laughed heartily, "Keep up the hard work! Perhaps it won''t be long before you''ll have to call me by another name, hahaha!"


    He was so fond of the young man. Ever since the young man had applied to join his Prime Minister''s office, he had demonstrated unmatched capabilities.


    Truth be told, in the entire King City of Suthers, finding a junior as outstanding as this young man was extremely rare, or perhaps there were none at all.


    The young man was presentable and followed strict etiquette, always arriving on time every day and working late into the night before leaving.


    Soon the documents he handled caught the Prime Minister''s attention, as the files processed by this young man were clear and well-organized, making reviewing them a pleasure.


    Afterward, the Prime Minister deliberately had the young man deal with some state affairs beyond his usual duties to test his abilities.


    As a result, the young man performed very well, even exceeding expectations: he investigated the matters thoroughly and handed in an investigative report that could almost serve as a model.


    Therefore, even before one month of probation had ended, the young man was transferred to the Prime Minister''s side to begin assisting him with secretarial work.


    And then, the Prime Minister discovered that the young man had studied in Dorrenolum, the same place where he himself had studied.


    The more they got to know each other, the better they clicked, with the Prime Minister even consulting the young man on his ideas for the tax reform plan.


    To the great surprise of Lord Earl of Suthers, regarding tax reforms, the young man''s vision was indeed lofty. He easily pinpointed the right direction and even enhanced the Prime Minister''s reform plan.


    The young man''s computational skills were astonishing; with just some scribbling on paper, he could effortlessly arrive at the results of complex calculations.


    More shockingly, due to his sensitivity to numbers, the young man could roughly glance over account books and detect parts where embezzlement or falsifying losses had occurred.


    As things naturally progressed, the more the Prime Minister saw of the young man, the more he took a liking to him, even entertaining the idea of giving him his granddaughter in marriage.


    Although he hadn''t yet shared this thought with his own son, who despised the poor and loved the rich but had achieved nothing, he indeed harbored such considerations.


    After all, marrying his granddaughter to a noble could not extend his political ambitions, but finding a successor who shared his own ideals might be a more reliable plan.


    Although the young man was no noble, but... nobility can be cultivated, can''t it? Especially when one is a Prime Minister, nurturing a noble seems not so difficult.


    --------


    This is the 7th update, with another one to follow shortly.

 Chapter 152: 152 flying flowers everywhere

    In the southern part of the Leite Kingdom, within the border of another kingdom, on a remote road lay various corpses strewn about.


    Among the bodies dressed in orange military uniforms, there were also those clad in gaudy, varied attire.


    "Hahaha! We''ve struck it rich this time!" At the end of the bodies, a burly man stepped on a soldier''s corpse, brandishing a blood-stained Longsword, and looked down at three girls who had fallen to the ground.


    Another slim man, also holding a Longsword, had a lewd expression on his face and echoed with a lascivious laugh, "Yeah! Such beauties! Hehehehe!"


    The officer being trampled underfoot struggled to raise his head, issuing a difficult threat, "Are you mad? Daring to hijack Viscount''s convoy?"


    The stout man sneered and stomped harder, "Doesn''t matter, most of our own are nearly dead anyway, only a few of us left. When we take the money and run, who will know that we did it?"


    "The Viscount... will never let you go!" The officer clenched his teeth, trying to turn over and dislodge the foot on him.


    "Die, you blabbermouth!" The skinnier bandit plunged his sword into the officer''s back, eliciting the officer''s final scream.


    Once the officer was completely silent, the skinny man withdrew his Longsword, excitedly asking, "Big brother, how do we split... hehehehe!"


    "You get one, I''ll take two, these little beauties are so alluring, their skin is so fair! Hehehe!" The burly man wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, unable to contain the flow of more saliva, unabashedly displaying his savagery.


    The skinny man didn''t mind and nodded, readily agreeing, "Fine! After you''re done with them, hand them to me for my turn!"


    "No problem! Hahaha!" The strong bandit laughed triumphantly. He had every reason to be proud; the convoy they robbed with all their might contained not only a large chest full of Gold Coin but also three girls as beautiful as flowers. How could he not be excited?


    The eldest girl held the two younger ones and cried out in grief, "You! Don''t come any closer! We are daughters of the Viscount. If you let us go, our father will surely give you a lot of money."


    The burly man glanced at the chest on the carriage and became even more triumphant, "Money? We are no longer in need of money. What we want now is you!"


    "Don''t come any closer! You, you... Please let my two sisters go... Let them leave this place, and I will stay." The girl in despair prepared to sacrifice herself for her sisters'' chance of survival.


    The skinny man couldn''t even bother to lie, put his Longsword back into the sheath, and eagerly moved forward, "None of you is leaving!"


    "I say, do you really plan to... do that kind of thing here?" A voice abruptly came from the other side, "Don''t you find it revolting?"


    Suddenly hearing this voice, the two bandits were so shocked their hair stood on end, and they immediately turned to look in the direction from which the voice originated, "Who is it?"


    A young man holding a travel pack stood not far away, lips curled as he looked at the corpses strewn across the ground, "More than thirty people, all dead. Seems like you''re not going to live much longer, that''s why you risked your lives to attack a nobility''s convoy."


    "Shut up! Who the hell are you!" The stout man asked coldly.


    The young man pointed to himself and answered naturally, "Me? I''m just someone passing by."


    "So..." Hope flickered across the girl''s face.


    "I''m just a passerby, helping out was just a small effort, after all, they are bandits, aren''t they?" the young man pointed to the bandits'' corpses on the ground and said to the girl.


    "Are you willing to take us back?" The girl''s voice quivered slightly with a touch of surprise.


    "Why not? The ladies are so adorable..." The young man walked over to the girls, offering his hand like a true gentleman.


    The girl, a bit shy, placed her hand on the young man''s, feeling the intense warmth from his palm, which made her heart race and cheeks flush.


    Just as she tried to stand, a sharp pain shot through her ankle, causing her to cry out, "Ah!"


    "Your ankle might be sprained... you need to apply medicine... sorry, I don''t mean to be improper, it''s just that we need to check your injury." The young man helped the girl into the carriage, setting her by a chest of gold coins, and bent down to examine her injured ankle.


    He carefully pulled out a strip of cloth from his pack and found a small wooden board, meticulously helping the girl secure her ankle, finishing it off with a pretty butterfly knot, "There, that''s much better."


    "Th-thank you..." The girl was so shy she couldn''t even look up as she thanked him.


    "Don''t move around too much, or it may affect your ability to walk. Once we get back, you should see a professional doctor," the young boy suggested tenderly.


    The girl''s thoughts were lost in the boy''s long fingers, with their touch of calluses. She noticed a beautiful ring on his ring finger with a dandelion on it.


    Impulsively forgetting her restraint, the girl introduced herself, "My name is Angela, Angela William, the eldest daughter of Viscount William."


    "I''m Lux, unemployed," the young man introduced himself with a smile.


    "Your swordsmanship is really good, your movements... are beautiful. Why not seek employment as a guard?" The girl had already started fantasizing about the handsome young man standing guard behind her.


    The young man, slightly embarrassed, explained, "I''m traveling, exploring the world. My teacher told me there''s so much worth seeing out there, so... I set out."


    Hearing that he had the means to travel suggested good family circumstances, and her father might not object... For some reason, the girl thought of her father, but she kept on praising without pausing, "That sounds wonderful..."


    Certainly a charmer, the boy said, "Yes, since coming out here, I have indeed seen many beautiful landscapes... like now... your beauty outshines everything around us."


    "Really?" The girl felt as if a deer was pounding in her chest, looking down with blushing cheeks as she murmured. Her two sisters eyed their eldest with disdainful glances. They too were charmed by the sunny, handsome boy who was both brave and enticing!


    "Why would I lie? Has no one ever mentioned your beauty to you?" The young man looked genuinely puzzled.


    "I..." The girl felt as if all the blood in her body had rushed to her face, giving her a sensation of burning heat and making her mind go blank.


    -------


    See, extra chapter delivered, did Dragon Spirit not keep his promise? Hehehehe.

 Chapter 153: Ive lived up to him.

    In front of a large cart laden with miscellaneous items, an old horse was struggling to move its hooves. Step by step, it moved forward, following the similarly laboring cart towards the distant east.


    This was a caravan, with over a dozen horse-drawn carts in total, surrounded by migrants and ranger mercenaries hired for protection.


    The retainers led the horses, numbly walking on the imperial road, flanked by endless farmland and scattered houses.


    In the middle of the convoy, between two carts, a young girl in her teens looked curiously at a young man with a sword at his waist, "Young man, where are you from?"


    "Me? I''m from the Leite Kingdom," the young man with clear features responded with a smile.


    He looked quite different from the other young men in the team because he was taller and more well-proportioned.


    The young man''s face was always filled with sunshine and confidence, making him more likable than the other young men.


    The little girl was willing to talk to this young man because he was well-informed; he knew why bees liked flowers and why flowers were so beautiful.


    He could even make beautiful wreaths out of flowers and grass stems, which was much better than those ignoramuses who knew nothing.


    The middle-aged man leading the little girl''s hand immediately became interested in the conversation and said with an understanding look, "Oh, I''ve heard of that. Why did you come here?"


    "I came here to look for a job," the young man appeared very approachable, always speaking with a smiling face, which made many people in the caravan like him.


    "Ah? What can you do? Why come here to find a job?" The middle-aged man was a carpenter who, after his wife''s death, had sold his house to pay for her medical treatment, and thus took his daughter to seek a livelihood in a foreign land.


    The young man scratched his head, seeming a bit embarrassed to introduce himself, "Actually, I''m a craftsman; I can do a lot of things."


    "Like what?" The middle-aged man asked with great interest.


    The young man replied with a smile, "For example, I can make firearms."


    On the other side, the leader of the merchant convoy joined the chat with a look of surprise, "Young man, you can make firearms?"


    No wonder he was so surprised; in those times, young men skilled in a trade were highly valued, particularly craftsmen capable of making firearms who could find sustenance anywhere they went.


    "Yes, I can make Shireck Flintlock Guns. I am a craftsman," the young man answered confidently.


    The leader of the merchant caravan lamented with a talent-valuing expression, "That''s very rare, after all, the workshops of Shireck seldom let go of craftsmen who can make firearms."


    "Yes," the young man said, slipping his hand that bore a dandelion ring on his pinky finger into his pocket and nodding in agreement.


    Out of curiosity, the leader of the merchant caravan continued to ask, "So where are you headed?"


    "Me? The place I''m going to is far away, very far. Beyond this mountain, it''s another three months of travel..." The young man looked at the distant mountains, his voice filled with anticipation.


    "That''s really far, to Wild Bear City?" The leader of the merchant caravan, who seemed familiar with the region beyond the mountains, asked directly.


    But in fact, that was exactly the case; Tang Mo''s mind was filled with the idea of giving this system as a gift to Alice, rather than as strategic material for Northern Ridge...


    Of course, the power later demonstrated by this device sent the Northern Ridge leadership into a frenzy. After experiencing the advance in communication technology, they began to build a thermal power station in Northern Ridge at any cost.


    That telegraphs could promote the large-scale development of electricity was a kind of magical occurrence that could only happen in a world where a time traveler like Tang Mo existed.


    "Can this thing really transmit sound over a thousand miles?" Wes asked breathlessly, walking up to Tang Mo and looking at the experimental result with shock.


    "Yes, if we agree on a time, we can immediately pass on what happens in King City or Northern Ridge to our location," Tang Mo said, pointing to the equipment in front of him: "One minute is enough for us to understand what''s happening afar."


    "My God... you really are a genius," Wes said, looking at the equipment and unable to resist gently stroking them: "Do they... have any connection with that thing I was riding?"


    At this moment, he felt all the hard work he had put in before was worth it. It was his honor to be involved in the experiment that led to such a great invention.


    Even, he felt as if infinite strength welled up inside him again; he thought he could still ride the pedal bicycle for another hour with his slightly numb and sore legs.


    Tang Mo shrugged his shoulders and said with a laugh, deliberately to tease Wes, "No connection. You were just powering another device with your bicycle, and both devices received telegraphs from Station Two. The experiment was very successful."


    In fact, there was no inherent connection; this basement laboratory was already electrified, so Wes''s manual power generation equipment wasn''t needed.


    However, Tang Mo wanted to create an immediate-use telegraph system for Northern Ridge, so he tested the manual telegraph machine simultaneously.


    This kind of equipment was widely used on World War I battlefields and wasn''t technologically difficult to create; the only troublesome part was the chain.


    But thanks to experience in making mechanical transmission systems, Mathews and his apprentices had no problem manufacturing chains.


    Of course, since generators were still priceless novelties at this time, Tang Mo''s equipment was certainly not cheap.


    According to his plan, if someone was willing to buy this equipment, then the price would have to be at least 3000 Gold Coins per set; after all, the value of technology is infinite.


    Plus, the cost of making this stuff wasn''t cheap, what with iron frames and copper wire winding. That''s all money!


    Such cutting-edge technology, coupled with such complex craftsmanship and valuable materials, if it didn''t fetch a heaven-and-earth-shattering price, that truly wouldn''t be living up to his reputation as a shrewd businessman.


    Thinking about it, selling a telegraph machine for the price of two locomotives would indeed be a fitting tribute to Samuel Morse.


    "..." Hearing what Tang Mo said, Wes felt his negative emotions surging. He looked at Tang Mo silently, with a gloomy expression. If Tang Mo had a system for receiving negative emotions, he would definitely see a bunch of +999 notifications right now.


    Now, Tang Mo could install wireless telegraph equipment everywhere under his control; even the new warships could use this equipment.


    With this equipment, he could almost personally command all the subsidiaries of the Great Tang Group, taking his control over the entire Brunas region to a new level.


    --------


    Alright, Dragon Spirit is exhausted, off to build up the next powerful chapter. I hope everyone will show their support and make Dragon Spirit''s data on the recommendation spot look... a little better. Dragon Spirit thanks you all.

 Chapter 154: Alternative R&D of Weapon 154

    In the Poplar Kingdom, within the territory of the Augustin Clan, a massive factory was in operation.


    The huge, towering chimneys belched billowing black smoke. Relying on this newly built factory, the Augustin Clan had made a fortune that they had never even dared to dream of before.


    This factory could produce tens of thousands of K1 needle guns annually, not only supplying the Poplar Kingdom but also exporting to other surrounding nations.


    Meanwhile, the Shireck factory within Poplar Kingdom''s borders, unable to manufacture similar advanced weapons, was soundly defeated by Lord Earl Augustin in the commercial sphere and forced to withdraw from the Poplar Kingdom''s market.


    The situation looked very promising; the higher-ups of the Augustin Clan even began to see hope for the family''s rise to prominence.


    Armed with a wealth of money and having obtained Tang Mo''s weapon technology, they even began to consciously improve on Tang Mo''s weapons, hoping to achieve a technological breakthrough.


    The people of this era were no fools; they were each true individuals with their own thoughts. They innovated and developed, and at times were extremely clever.


    Unlike Shireck in the Leite Kingdom, Tang Mo provided John with complete weapon production technology, including the percussion cap.


    He did this deliberately because he needed his weapon technology to spread within a reasonable range.


    It wasn''t that he had gone mad, but rather, such dissemination would promote the advent of more advanced weapons, and he could ensure that he would always be at the very forefront of these arms manufacturers.


    By doing so, he was protecting himself while also expanding his market. He might not be able to enjoy the monopoly on percussion cap technology forever, but he could always be the first to develop the best weapons to crush his competitors.


    If only one country in the world had cannons, that country would not buy too many cannons because its opponents would not pose a threat, thereby ensuring that the total purchase volume of armaments would not increase.


    Moreover, without a point of comparison, there was no urgency to improve, meaning that there was no market for advanced weapons, which would be nothing short of a disaster for an arms dealer.


    It''s only when every country in the world had cannons that improving and producing more cannons became meaningful!


    What Tang Mo was doing now was expanding the entire cake while making money and strengthening himself so that he could eat even more deliciously in the future!


    After the Elf Race had mastered the percussion cap technology, they clearly began to consider improving their own weapons to break Tang Mo''s technological monopoly.


    They had not yet fully grasped the steam engine, so they were unable to improve upon Tang Mo''s steam engine systems, but they could use their existing technology to improve the weapons they held.


    In the Elven factory, a worker who saw Earl Augustin coming for an inspection with a large group of followers immediately went to inform his immediate superior overseeing the factory.


    The person in charge of the factory was actually one of the technicians from the Great Tang Group who had accompanied John to the Poplar Kingdom.


    He was no longer just an ordinary technician; he was now a person of prominence within the Augustin family''s territory in the Poplar Kingdom.


    He now lived in a grand manor, with followers and guards at his entrances and exits. Elves who followed him to learn steam engine manufacturing and firearms technology were as numerous as hairs on a cow. From any perspective, he had become a person of high stature.


    The craftsman, feeling a bit apprehensive, began to explain, "There''s no way around it, the airtightness is just too poor."


    In fact, he had only learned the basics in Tang Mo''s factory and had only received a few training sessions. If it weren''t for this, he wouldn''t have been sent here to serve as a technical advisor.


    He was more familiar with the assembly of steam engines, and when it came to the modification of steam engines and the design of weapons, he basically knew nothing at all.


    Yet even with his limited skills, just by having seen a few things in Tang Mo''s factory, he was considered an expert among experts within the Poplar Kingdom.


    For this weapon technician who specialized in steam engines, it would have been truly astonishing if he could have genuinely improved a rifle.


    What he could do was act as a "Frankenstein," cobbling together two types of weapons sold to the Elf side by the Great Tang Group.


    Tang Mo would never take such a roundabout path, but other arms dealers copying his weapons would almost have to go through this process.


    "So what use does this weapon have?" Lord Earl, frowning, turned to the several officers who accompanied him on his inspection.


    Everyone fell silent for a while until, at last, an officer, stroking his chin cautiously, said, "Actually, it does have a use."


    "Let''s hear it," Lord Earl said, visibly relieved as he asked the officer to elaborate.


    The officer pondered for a moment before responding, "Once the two armies draw close to each other, we can use this type of rifle, which although has a shorter range, has stronger continuous firing capability, to completely break the enemy!"


    "You mean?" Lord Earl seemed to grasp the key point, his expression improving a great deal.


    The officer continued to complete his thought: "We can equip our troops with the K1 Quick Gun, and most of them should be equipped with the K1 Quick Gun with longer range, but we can also issue this new Rotary Rifle to a select few!"


    His eyes grew brighter as he spoke, as if he had found the future tactic: "Use the K1 Quick Gun troops to cover the Rotary Rifle troops as they approach the enemy, then let the Rotary Rifles continuously fire and break the enemy!"


    "Hmm... that''s reasonable!" Lord Earl brightened up, feeling that the officer''s point did make a lot of sense.


    Combining the strengths of the two weapons¡ªusing the K1 rifle to stabilize their position, and then employing the faster-firing weapon at close quarters for a sudden burst¡ªwas clearly a more scientific approach to battle.


    "Then my lord..." Clearly lacking any military knowledge, but realizing he had passed this hurdle, the chief craftsman immediately inquired.


    Lord Earl, pleased, pointed at the officer who had given the suggestion, "Follow his advice, try forming a mixed-unit troop."


    He was quite wealthy now, so he didn''t see a trial as any loss. After all, the Poplar Kingdom''s military was already being re-equipped with K1 Quick Guns and revolvers; it wouldn''t be a problem to procure another type of weapon.


    Thus, he generously swept his hand and declared, "Let''s outfit two legions for a start! If the results are good, ensure that in every legion, two battalions are armed with K1 Quick Guns and one battalion with the Rotary Rifle! Implement this arrangement throughout the military!"


    "Yes, my lord!" The face of the head craftsman immediately showed a thrill of ecstasy, signaling new work for him and more money to be made.

 Chapter 155: The Price of Growth at 155%

    If Tang Mo knew that in the distant Poplar Kingdom, a group of weapon designers had unwittingly headed down the wrong path, he would have been very amused.


    After all, such a prank-like conclusion is quite laughable, and although he greatly admired their courage to strive and experiment, he naturally would not forget the large sum of money the Elf Race owed him.


    This left him with little sympathy for the plight of the Poplar Kingdom, and he might even feel secretly pleased.


    Unfortunately, he was not aware that the elves of the Poplar Kingdom were stitching together his two outdated weapons.


    Because while the Poplar Kingdom was developing its own characteristic weapons, Tang Mo had not ceased advancing in the realm of weaponry.


    Although he had allocated most of his steel to that colossal steel warship, the remaining steel still supported him in producing limited quantities of epoch-making automatic weapons.


    This weapon was the legendary Maxim machine gun, also known as the harbinger of slaughter in World War I, the scythe of the Grim Reaper, the automatic typewriter of the King of Hell...


    In any event, as soon as this weapon was introduced, it completely overturned the mode of warfare, sweeping traditional tactics into the historical rubbish bin.


    The Maxim machine gun was designed by someone not particularly specialized in the field, whose name was Maxim, which was translated into Chinese as "Maxim" for the name of this heavy machine gun.


    Before designing this weapon, he actually began working with mechanics through windmills, which on one hand proved his genius, and on the other, showed that the design of such a machine gun was not overly complex.


    Indeed, the construction of this machine gun was not overly intricate, which led to it being rarely prone to malfunctions and convenient to repair.


    Even the Great Qing Dynasty, a backward era by comparison, could replicate it, and even after a century, there were still ancient Maxim machine guns in operation, which all indirectly emphasized the simplicity and directness of this contraption.


    The design concept of this weapon was simple, utilizing the waste gases generated by the firing of the ammunition as the power to drive the mechanism, completing the loading of a new bullet.


    This energy allowed the firearm to cycle through its actions, thereby theoretically achieving automatic loading and firing of weapons, that is, true automation of weaponry!


    In Tang Mo''s Maxim factory, the simplest form of gas-operated machinery was produced and named the Propellant Blow-back System.


    This automated firing mechanism''s bolt was held tightly against a spring, without a locking lever or a bolt lock.


    At the moment when the powder in the bullet casing was ignited, the bolt was still in a restricted state until the gas pressure in the chamber overcame the mass of the bolt, causing it to move rapidly backward, then cycling through a similar deceleration process as with recoil-operated firearms.


    Clearly, mechanically speaking, this method was simpler than a recoil-operated system; therefore, the costs of manufacturing and maintenance were relatively lower, and it was also more convenient to produce and maintain.


    In order to make these nearly perfect preset machine gun positions operational when the war arrived, Tang Mo even constructed roads leading to these positions.


    These roads extended to less than 200 meters from the position, where a concealed armory for temporary ammunition storage was also constructed.


    At the same time, Tang Mo had also dug trenches around these machine gun positions. After the outbreak of war, he could immediately deploy troops into these defensive positions to protect his machine gun emplacements, allowing his guns to slaughter the enemy more effectively.


    "Now I finally understand why you dismissed lever-action rifles," Mathews said, filled with awe as he gazed at the third Maxim heavy machine gun that had just been assembled.


    He had to be in awe, for he had fabricated a weapon that could truly fire continuously.


    This was the dream of his lifetime, and Tang Mo had easily made it a reality. He had never dreamed that the waste gases produced by ammunition could be harnessed as the power for continuous firing!


    Even more unimaginable to him was the fact that Tang Mo''s automatic weapons featured an impressively mature feeding mechanism; just by continuously pushing the ammo belt into the side of the machine gun, it could almost sweep fire endlessly.


    Who else could break through a defensive line guarded by such a weapon? It could slaughter a battalion of Soldiers in merely a few minutes!


    Mathews had even naturally used the word "slaughter," because he felt facing these troops wasn''t a battle; it was a massacre!


    Moreover, after seeing and understanding this weapon, he immediately realized why Tang Mo kept expanding his ammunition production workshops.


    Tang Mo had long known this thing was a monster that devoured lives, and was all too aware of how insatiable its hunger was. It devoured lives for energy, and bullets were its energy!


    "Lever-action rifles are still pretty good, at least now I use one when I go hunting," Tang Mo said to Mathews with a smile.


    In fact, Tang Mo had produced many lever-action rifles, some equipped his own guard, and others - the guards of the Northern Ridge Earl.


    This weapon might not be so useful on the battlefield, but it was quite effective in close combat.


    Especially in the well-maintained urban environment, where some elite units, using lever-action rifles, actually had no problem.


    "I''m not worried about Shireck anymore, I even feel a bit worried for them," Mathews shook his head: "Honestly, I hope they realize their mistake soon and not send so many young men here to die."


    "I hope so too," Tang Mo nodded earnestly in agreement: "I also hope that in the future when people bring up Brunas, they''ll remember it as a fun place, not a graveyard for foreigners."


    He sighed as if lamenting the future fate of the Shireck private army: "Sadly the cost of growth is just too heavy to bear..."

 Chapter 156: Pirate Ship 156

    A merchant ship from Dorne Kingdom was swaying on the high seas, with sailors on deck frantically maneuvering their sails, and behind them followed a sailboat advancing at full speed.


    On the vast ocean, the distance between the two sailboats was getting closer, and the atmosphere seemed to grow tenser.


    On deck, the captain held onto his hat, leaned over the railing, and peered out, looking at the approaching ship in the distance. He shouted loudly to the busy sailors behind him, "Hurry! Adjust the sails! They''re going to catch up!"


    Their ship had all its sails set, and its speed had reached close to 10 kilometers per hour, which was considered to be a decent speed for a sailing ship.


    Since their ship was quite new and was intentionally designed as a high-speed merchant vessel, the purpose was to avoid harassment by some of the older pirate ships.


    Unfortunately, this time they seemed to have encountered a well-equipped pirate crew, whose ship''s speed was incredibly fast, obviously over 14 kilometers per hour.


    As time ticked by, the pursuers seemed to grow impatient. With a muffled boom of a cannon, a cannonball fell near the merchant ship, stirring up a towering column of water.


    Regrettably, due to the level of the gunner, the cannonball landed quite far from the merchant vessel, not even causing the splash to reach them.


    But that cannon shot still threw the sailors on the merchant ship into some panic, with someone fearfully shouting, "They''re firing at us! Damn it! These damned pirates!"


    The captain knew he couldn''t let the pirates succeed because the cargo on board represented their livelihood and lives.


    If pirates boarded the ship, whether they would survive was no longer in their own hands.


    Therefore, the captain, disregarding everything, shouted loudly to encourage his sailors, "Quick! We are about to enter Brunas port''s territorial waters. Once there, we might encounter other merchant ships, and we could be saved."


    Indeed, they were not far from Brunas; at least according to the sea chart, they had already entered the waters under Brunas'' jurisdiction.


    The encouragement steadied many of the sailors, but the first mate still quietly reminded his captain with some dismay, "But, Captain! They are about to catch up!"


    The other ship was indeed fast, and this merchant vessel, laden with steel, obviously couldn''t sail very fast.


    It was also because he heard that the sale of steel in Brunas had surged recently that the captain had loaded a ship full of the in-demand commodity, planning to deliver it to Brunas to earn a substantial profit.


    The result was an encounter with pirates here, making him regret so much it hurt; had it not been for his greed, they might not have faced such a desperate situation.


    Gritting his teeth, he pushed aside his first mate, stepped up to the helm, snatched the wheel from the helmsman, and shouted, "Damn it! I''ll take the helm! Their ship is faster than ours!"


    "We''re finished!" A sailor had already knelt on the deck, howling in despair.


    By his side, some sailors were holding harpoons, as if they still wanted to fight at the very last moment. But his tremulous demeanor would reveal to anyone that his bark was worse than his bite.


    Just as many had fallen into despair, a sailor pointed to the other side and shouted loudly with excitement, "Look! Captain! Starboard! Starboard!"


    "Adjust the bow! Adjust the bow!" Bernard then expertly began to navigate his warship on a course to bring its broadside to bear on the distant pirate ship.


    On the merchant vessel from Dorne, a group of sailors watched, dumbfounded, as the distant warship turned sharply.


    They started cursing in despair, some even with a cry in their voice, "Damn it, the elves'' ship is turning around..."


    "Didn''t they see us?" one sailor said with tears in his eyes as he knelt on the deck, supporting himself on the railing.


    Another sailor was even more despondent, sobbing and complaining, "They must have seen us! They''re planning on leaving us to die!"


    "They probably don''t want to get involved here; after all, this is Leite Kingdom''s waters," the officer said, beginning to break down himself, even forgetting that the pirate ship was getting closer and closer to them.


    The captain closed his eyes, as if preparing to face his final moment, "That''s very considerate of you, thinking of others at a time like this! We''re done for now! There''s no saving us!"


    "But... it doesn''t seem like they''re trying to turn away!" The distraught officer seemed to notice something amiss.


    By now, others had also sensed that something was off: "They''re raising sails... They''re preparing to pick up speed..."


    A sailor, looking again towards the distant warship, muttered, "Are you kidding me?"


    "My God... They''ve opened the gun ports!" another sailor noticed as the elf warship revealed its broadside, and one by one, the gun ports were opened.


    In the midst of the waves, this beautiful warship pushed out one cannon after another, revealing the dark muzzles.


    "Could it be they want to engage the pirates in battle?" a young sailor, seemingly inexperienced in naval combat, asked excitedly.


    An old sailor, who had just recognized it as an elf military ship, incredulously denied it: "Are you joking? Do you know how expensive cannonballs are? Normal naval warships, don''t they just scare off the pirates and that''s it?"


    Military forces these days were actually quite corrupt; they were unwilling to waste their cannonballs in unnecessary situations.


    If they encountered pirates at sea, they would most likely not pursue them, even if they happened to see merchant ships being plundered, they would generally look on without intervening.


    Unless the merchant vessel belonged to their own country, or if the pirates hadn''t succeeded yet, under those circumstances, they would usually hoist their battle flags and scare off the pirates¡ªnothing more.


    Of course, if they met an even more corrupt navy, they might play the role of pirates in secret, killing all the sailors on the merchant ship, plundering wealth, then sinking the vessel and making their escape.


    In short, encountering a warship at sea was not necessarily a good thing. However, encountering warships near ports was mostly safe because there were many ships passing through crowded areas, and the commanders of those warships generally wouldn''t harbor ulterior motives.


    But... neglecting to render aid was far too common, whereas warships like the current one, preparing for battle right away, were not often seen.


    Listening to this old sailor, the new sailors also began to recall events they had witnessed with their own eyes yesterday: "Yeah, that''s exactly what the Leite Kingdom''s patrol ships did yesterday; they just intimidated the pirates without any intention of firing."

 Chapter 157: 157 Elf Warship

    "But this ship really did open its gun ports." However, another young sailor still had some doubts about the old sailor''s explanation.


    The old sailor was also perplexed, watching the warship in the distance fully reveal its side, and said with some uncertainty, "Maybe they''re novices, or perhaps they''re just trying to scare the opponent."


    "I think so too..." Hearing this, the officer who came over nodded in agreement.


    "Boom!" Just as he nodded, that Elf navy ship suddenly let out a blaze of fire.


    "Damn!" Since they were already quite close, the sudden sound of the cannon startled everyone.


    The cannon fire was so abrupt that all the sailors who heard it instinctively shrank their necks.


    Some even fell onto the deck, awkwardly complaining loudly, "Fuck! They''re firing! They''re really firing!"


    With both hands on the wheel, the captain''s eyes widened as he watched the smoke gradually clear from the side of the warship and muttered to himself, "What the hell are they doing?"


    "Boom!" Just as he was muttering, another cannon fired, sending out a flash of fire, and thick smoke rolled over the waves.


    This was no joke; they were really firing. Not a warning, not an intimidation, but direct combat!


    They didn''t even bother to confirm identities before opening fire! At this moment, the merchant ship''s captain felt the other party must be a bunch of lunatics.


    On deck, upon seeing the water column rise near the pirate ship, a sailor shouted excitedly, "They''re firing at the pirates!"


    His shouts drew the attention of a few others, and then they witnessed the second cannonball fly past and land near the pirate ship.


    Another water column was smashed into the sky by the cannonball, and it seemed even closer to the pirate ship this time.


    Seeing this scene, the sailors immediately started exclaiming, "My God! They are really firing at the pirate ship!"


    "And their aim is not bad..." The old sailor had seen such naval battles before; he knew that to have such accuracy, the navy gunners must be very elite.


    What he didn''t know was that on that Great Tang Group warship, they had actually installed experimental targeting equipment. Although it was crude, compared to symbolically aiming with the cannon, the accuracy had improved several times.


    Even though these cannons couldn''t adjust their barrels and were still muzzle-loading guns, with the aid of targeting equipment to adjust the ship''s angle for simple aiming, the accuracy of the cannon fire could still be improved.


    Moreover, the distance between the warship and the pirate ship wasn''t actually that far; it seemed a good distance away, but in reality, it was only about 500 meters or so.


    If one relied solely on sight to aim, that indeed was the extreme range for firing, but if they used equipment to aim, then it would be... a bit too close.


    The sailor crew of the merchant ship, oblivious to all this, had also started to pay attention to the pirate ship in the distance.


    "The water columns are all near the pirate ship; well done!" exclaimed a sailor excitedly upon seeing the rising water columns.


    "Boom!" Another cannon spat out a tongue of flame, and soon afterwards a water column suddenly sprang up close to the pirate ship.


    "Fire all at once!" practically all the gun captains at the various gun stations commanded loudly and excitedly.


    "Boom!" This time, almost simultaneously, the remaining four cannons on the warship''s side belched out blinding flashes and white smoke.


    Beside the distant pirate ship, three water columns erupted, and almost at the same time, another hole caused by a cannonball appeared next to the damaged planks of the hull.


    Wood splinters flew everywhere, and it was even possible to see pirates being blown apart by the cannon fire, their bodies mangled and falling inside the ruptured hull.


    The lookout in the mast immediately began shouting excitedly, "Three shots missed! One shot on target! Enemy ship damaged! Continuing to turn!"


    "Close in on the target!" Bernard licked his lips and continued to command.


    "Close in on the target!" The executive officer''s voice echoed among the sailors, busy loading the cannons.


    "Boom!" A cannon fire also resounded from the pirate ship. It seemed that they too knew that if they didn''t fight back and only focused on fleeing, they might really meet their end here. Thus, they began to return fire with the ferocity of a cornered beast.


    However, this shot was simply too ridiculous, for the pirate ship was in the midst of a sharp turn, so the shot didn''t aim well at all, with the cannonball falling 100 meters away from the Great Tang warship''s side.


    In comparison with the precision marksmanship of the Great Tang''s security forces, the pirates'' shot was practically a joke.


    Bernard shifted his gaze from the splash and, suppressing a smile, continued to command, "Close the distance! Prepare to fire all at once!"


    "Cannon number 3 loaded! Cannon number 9 loaded!" On the deck, one gun captain after another stood at attention and reported loudly that their gun stations were ready to fire again.


    "Cannon number 1 loaded!" With the last gun station reporting in, the deck became much quieter.


    "Aim!" Bernard gave the command.


    "Hard to port!" The officer responsible for aiming shouted loudly, his eyes pressed to the sighting equipment. Unable to adjust the cannon''s aim, he impromptu overstepped his authority and commanded a change in course.


    "Adjust hard to port!" Bernard immediately ordered loudly.


    Following his command, the warship began to adjust its course.


    "Three, two, one, fire!" Soon enough, the angle was found, and the officer responsible for targeting yelled at the top of his lungs.


    "Boom!" A line of eight cannons almost simultaneously spewed flames, and a billowing cloud of thick smoke obscured much of the warship''s side.


    And with that volley, the sailors on the nearby merchant ship''s deck gawked as the pirate ship, which was turning, was hit by at least three cannonballs at the same time!


    It was as if an unseen giant hand had gripped the pirate ship, its hull splintering apart in an instant, wood splinters flying everywhere.


    The cannon fire had shattered some of the ship''s structural supports. It was visibly apparent that one of the masts on the pirate ship was beginning to lean forward as the force of the sails pulled on it. It hadn''t fallen over, but it was tilted, looking rather pathetic.


    Without high-explosive shells, even with sustained fire and hits, it was not possible to immediately sink a sailing warship.


    Yet, judging by the damage, it was clear that the pirates aboard had definitely not had an easy time...

 Chapter 158: The 158 Indecisive Pirates

    Life was indeed becoming difficult, and now the pirates were full of regret. They were a large group of pirates from far away, and because the captain was a former navy commander, he knew naval tactics well.


    This had allowed them to reap many rich spoils from plundering, and they were rarely cornered by military warships. Over time, they had accumulated a large amount of gold coins.


    In theory, this retired navy commander was somewhat visionary; instead of squandering all his money, he saved a portion and bought a retired armed merchant ship that was no longer wanted by another country about a year ago.


    He also used his old connections to keep two of the original cannons that the armed merchant ship had been equipped with.


    As a result, his pirate ship became one of the few in the nearby seas that had cannons, which greatly increased the efficiency of their pillaging, and because it was a new ship, it was fast as well.


    After some modifications, this ship had water tanks installed in the place originally meant for cargo, allowing them to carry an abundance of food, thus high endurance for long-distance raiding.


    What they never expected was that the arrogant crew met a tough opponent near Brunas. Or rather, it wasn''t just a tough opponent¡ªit was a reaper coming for their lives!


    Their adversary''s cannon fire was extraordinary, even surpassing the knowledge of this pirate captain. A navy that could achieve hits with just a few rounds of cannon fire was indeed rare in this world.


    Moreover, he had already turned tail to flee and had fired a shot in retreat, by usual logic, the other party shouldn''t have pressed them too hard.


    After all, the opponent was regular military, and commanders had to take responsibility. It was his fear of bearing responsibility and the constant anxiety that led him to leave the Navy in the end.


    Typically, navy commanders, to avoid warship damage and personnel losses, wouldn''t recklessly pursue pirates.


    Therefore, when navy warship commanders realized that the other side also had cannons, they usually wouldn''t pursue but just intimidate the pirates and force them to retreat.


    But today''s navy commander, seeing that they had fired a cannon and showed weakness by turning around, still crazily cut into the battlefield and pursued them relentlessly.


    To his despair, just moments ago, a salvo from the enemy had once again hit his beloved warship, leaving damage that was difficult to repair.


    For these pirates, this was all money! These were irrecoverable losses!


    He widened his eyes in fury, drew his command sword as if ready to play a desperate game with the enemy, but what he shouted was, "Quick! Speed up! Shake them off! Shake them off!"


    There was no help for it; his men were a bunch of pirates who bullied the weak and feared the strong... Asking them to plunder merchant ships, they were like ravenous wolves, but to make them fight against soldiers, they were timid mice.


    Besides, he did not wish to gamble his life here against a warship; his ship was an armed merchant vessel with much-reduced firepower, only two cannons, and no match for a warship.


    And from the perspective of cannonry, the opponent was clearly the elite of the elite¡ªabsolute main forces in any country¡ªand utterly unbeatable!


    "Help! Someone save me! I''m injured! I''m injured!" One pirate, lying on the ground, seeing a sharp piece of wood embedded in his own leg, cried out loudly.


    Unfortunately, this was originally a pirate ship, with no doctors on board, and naturally, no one would bother with this unlucky soul.


    In fact, even if someone wanted to help, they couldn''t anymore. The only pirate on board who knew a bit about bandaging, who was usually treasured and hidden inside the watchtower without participating in combat, had just been killed by a cannonball.


    As the pirate captain looked out and saw nothing but a sea of chaos, not knowing what to do himself, the distant warship had already closed the gap to about 300 meters.


    "Fire... fire the cannons!" The desperate pirate captain, wielding his command saber, screamed hysterically. And at this time, the pirates who had barely managed to load the cannons fired the best shot of the battle toward the distant warship.


    The shot... still missed.


    Because the distance was quite close and the pirates had taken a long time to aim, they finally had a bit of accuracy.


    The cannonball they fired flew over a distance of more than 300 meters and landed in the sea about 15 meters from the stern of the warship commanded by Bernard.


    From the start of the engagement until this moment, the pirates had finally fired a threatening shot, and with it, defended their dignity as well.


    And then... they again had to exert themselves to clear the cannon, reload, and aim once more.


    Regrettably, Bernard was not going to give them another chance. After having reloaded, Bernard once more gave the order and fired a third volley.


    It''s not that Bernard was wasteful; in fact, the Great Tang Navy''s resources were simply too ample. The amount of gunpowder and cannonballs for this naval force was staggeringly immense.


    There was no other way around it; Tang Mo had mass-produced steel, melting down over half the Navy''s cannons into railroad tracks, so much so that this Elf Race''s main warship, which was originally equipped with more than 30 cannons, had now been turned into a patrol ship with only 8 cannons on one side.


    The armed merchant ships that John had left behind were even more awkward, originally equipped with about 8 cannons, now only 4 remained to maintain appearances.


    So, the surplus of gunpowder and cannonballs became quite noticeable¡ªafter all, Tang Mo was now mass-producing smokeless powder, and these surplus naval munitions, mainly black gunpowder and solid shot, could only be reserved for naval training use.


    Because of this, Bernard''s naval training was incredibly lavish, with plenty of opportunities for live-firing exercises, let alone actual combat against pirates.


    It was just bad luck for these pirates to encounter Bernard''s group of freaks¡ªthey weren''t stingy with their ammunition and were deliberately training in artillery, with the intention of fostering talents suitable for future naval warfare.


    As for boarding combat? Bernard had not even considered it. Following Tang Mo''s orders, he had almost completely abandoned this tactic, especially after taking the Navy''s officers and men on a tour of the Great Tang''s shipyard to see the ironclad warships...


    Good heavens, if the future held such ironclad warships equipped with dense and precise cannons, who would foolishly engage in pointless boarding battles?


    "Let''s finish this training quickly! It seems that the other side no longer has any ability to fight back." Bernard, somewhat bored, said this before firing the third volley.

 Chapter 159: See you in the next life.

    ```


    "Boom!" A new salvo once again hit the pirate warship, and this time, unlike the previous two, the already battered pirate ship finally succumbed to the strain and began to slow down noticeably.


    This round of salvo saw one cannonball fly directly towards the pirate ship''s rudder below the lookout, rendering the vessel suddenly unable to steer effectively.


    Though it could still attempt to navigate by adjusting its sails, the efficiency of this method was far too inferior.


    Another cannonball, after smashing into the warship, burst through the hull below the waterline on the other side, creating a hole that caused the ship to take on water, exacerbating the pirate vessel''s dire situation.


    What brought the pirates to utter despair, however, was the cannonball that struck their gun position, completely destroying the only cannon they had on that side!


    Now they had no means to retaliate, they had suffered heavy casualties, with over eighty pirates crowded on board, dead or wounded. Those who remained were too terrified to maintain their usual bravado.


    "Quick! Hang the white flag! Hurry!" Finally, a pirate who had come to his senses began to scream hysterically, regretting why he hadn''t thought of this creative idea sooner.


    The old pirate captain did not oppose his subordinate''s initiative, as he too had already considered surrendering. He had even prepared his plea for mercy, knowing that an experienced sailor could find a way to survive anywhere.


    So, the pirates hastily climbed the mast and hung a dirty white sheet at the top of their own mast.


    They made sure the other side had seen the large bedsheet, dirty and patched as it was, for everyone knew what it meant.


    "We surrender! We surrender!" the pirates waved their hands frantically, pleading loudly at the warship that was closing in.


    In response, they were met with the fourth round of vicious salvo. This time, as the distance had closed to less than 200 meters, the hit rate visibly improved.


    Five cannonballs struck the pirate ship on the mark, shattering the remaining side planks and causing the ship to begin sinking slowly.


    Only then did the pirates realize that their foe truly intended to wipe them out, not play a game of cops and robbers with them.


    Across from the sinking pirate ship, Bernard coldly watched the now listing wreck of a sailboat and muttered emotionlessly, "Sorry, sir said no pirate prisoners, so you can only die here... Listen to me, don''t be a thief in your next life. You''ve done too many bad things to be good anymore, so you''ll just have to die, to atone for everything you''ve done..."


    ...


    "Wow!" Looking at the port in front of him, the merchant ship''s captain could hardly believe his eyes. He truly could not believe that such enormous cranes existed in this world.


    Indeed, it was a very, very large crane, towering nearly 20 meters high at the port, standing as majestic as a lighthouse.


    Of course, Brunas''s new lighthouse seemed even more magnificent, located on the opposite side of the port, built on towering cliffs. With the additional height of the cliffs, it stood at an imposing 50 meters.


    With this crane, work at the dock could proceed quickly, solving Tang Mo''s problem of material needs.


    Now, the throughput of Brunas had increased exponentially. Many ships were using Tang Mo''s newly built port, and some were still using the old port of Brunas.


    At the new port, goods were secretly sent to a nearby train station and then directly transported to Factory No. 2.


    On the docks of the old Brunas harbor, Sailors from Dorne marveled at everything around them, as if they were Grandmother Liu entering the Grand View Garden, feeling their ignorance and insignificance.


    They saw the newly constructed municipal building made of concrete and witnessed the freshly completed fountain square.


    The sailors also tried the new vegetable hamburgers, and the delicious ketchup nearly made them swallow their tongues.


    They were excitedly swept away by the crowds to the casino and there saw the most entertaining games. They stood obliviously beside the tables, shouting out numbers with hoarse voices and then bemoaning their losses with chest-beating and foot-stomping.


    The ones from Dorne had never seen such amusing things before and were experiencing such exciting games for the first time.


    Some among them had turned a single Gold Coin into thirty overnight, becoming a small-time wealthy man.


    Others had gambled away all the money they had in one night, to the point where they couldn''t even afford another vegetable burger.


    And some sailors found their way to the street of neon lights and colored lanterns, speechless from the shock of it all.


    They saw girls in gauzy dresses dancing in the streets, their fragrant garments brushing past the sailors'' cheeks, almost leaving drool behind.


    Then, minutes later, these sailors remembered that their pockets were filled with a large sum of hard-earned Gold Coins.


    After that, they feverishly gave back to Mr. Tang Mo all the money they had just been paid by him.


    "Thank the great gods for letting me find true paradise!" a Sailor managed to squeeze his head out from between two embracing women, lifting his cup with an intoxicated face and cheering loudly.


    "To Brunas! Cheers!" nor was his companion any better off, already drunk, he was struggling to undo his troublesome belt.


    Paper-drunk and gold-intoxicated was the main melody here, while carefree abandon played the dominant note. The sailors, already tense from their time at sea, finally understood the source of true happiness.


    Though when they woke up tomorrow morning, they would discover with bitterness how wild they had been last night¡ªthe Gold Coins they had worked so hard to earn on their voyage might not even leave a single copper coin remaining.


    However, after experiencing another side of this incredible world, they would quickly fall in love with Brunas, with this gold-consuming pit, with this boundless life.


    Then they would bring even more raw materials to Tang Mo, hoping to earn more Gold Coins here, and promptly squander them here even more handsomely.

 Chapter 160: 160 Substitute Work

    Recently, there have been significant changes at Northern Ridge.


    Under the influence of Tang Mo, Alice, who successfully inherited everything at the Northern Ridge and was recognized by the Kingdom, becoming the new Lady Earl, is now transforming her mansion.


    She obtained a new set of equipment from Brunas and commenced a major construction project, installing a steam engine boiler within the originally modest-looking Earl''s Mansion.


    That''s right, she installed a steam engine in her own home, and now, after complete installation and tuning, it''s being connected to new devices...


    An officer, looking at the busy workers, stated with a sense of pain, "Steam engines are very expensive! Do you know how much it costs to use this thing specifically to drive that gadget?"


    In fact, he had visited the bullet manufacturing factory at Northern Ridge. A single steam engine could make a huge quantity of bullets, and its production efficiency was far greater than manual labor.


    Northern Ridge, with Tang Mo''s full support as an industrial base, could obtain far more support than the distant Poplar Kingdom.


    Tang Mo had almost no reservations when it came to technology, transferring nearly all technologies except the major weapon, the Maxim, to Northern Ridge.


    There was no helping it, considering he shamelessly seduced the daughter of the former Earl during the funeral period... well, or maybe it''s the current Lady Earl that he seduced... That''s the gist of it anyway.


    With this additional relationship, the industrialization process at Northern Ridge hit the fast track. Alice enjoyed writing letters to Tang Mo, always proudly referring to Northern Ridge as her dowry.


    This was already a tremendous achievement, as in this era, a factory capable of producing enough bullets to supply the firing rate of ten machine guns was considered to have an amazing capacity.


    Therefore, with the support of the new factory, Tang Mo installed four Maxim guns on his new warship, allowing for the deck of approaching enemy ships to be swept with gunfire.


    Remember the design standards for the new ships? Yes, the Navy''s new warships were planned to use six Maxim guns, but in the end, only four were installed!


    It was still due to production capacity issues that Tang Mo eventually decided to reduce the number by two and allocated the spared guns to the second warship.


    There was no way around it. Even a landlord''s house doesn''t boast unlimited supplies. Although Tang Mo was lavish, his factory''s capacity was already significant; however, he couldn''t possibly invest all resources into the Navy.


    The officer, who had never seen a telegraph machine, still expressed his pain, "What a joke! I just don''t understand why you would use an entire, expensive steam engine just for this thing?"


    After all, he had seen steam engines powering equipment and producing various weapons¡ªif they had an additional steam engine to produce C64 field guns, wouldn''t Northern Ridge be able to have even more field guns?


    As a military man, he didn''t care if Northern Ridge''s three legions were already equipped with thirty C64 field guns! In his view, it wouldn''t be too much even if a legion was issued twenty C64 field guns!


    After all, he didn''t handle logistics or artillery personnel management; he simply wanted more cannons! And... more shells!


    Following Tang Mo''s advice, after the new Lady Earl took office, Northern Ridge conducted military exercises to demonstrate its power to both Leite Kingdom and Suthers Kingdom.

 Chapter 161: 160 Substitute Work_2

    A legion''s ten cannons fired a total of 30 new-style shells, completely leveling a small hilltop. Whether it was the precise artillery skills or the exaggerated range of the cannon, they deeply impressed the visiting officials from Leite Kingdom and representatives from Suthers Kingdom.


    Then, the representatives from Suthers Kingdom ordered 3,000 needle guns from Northern Ridge and also purchased ten C64 cannons at an extortionate price.


    Take note of the term "extortionate price," because it truly was exorbitant... Since everyone knew that Suthers would definitely take them apart and study them upon their return, Northern Ridge was surely going to fleece them for all they were worth.


    In fact, Northern Ridge used this windfall to replace all the C64 field cannons used by their own field troops with the C80 model.


    That''s right, the cannons now used by Northern Ridge and those used by Great Tang''s security forces were the same, all being the C80 model with a 120-millimeter caliber.


    This wasn''t just about a slightly larger caliber; it was a complete and utter surpassing! The artillery shells and charges were incomparable to those from before.


    On the other hand, after the envoy from Leite Kingdom returned home, they strongly facilitated a procurement deal with Great Tang Group for twenty C64 recoilless field cannons.


    Of course, the price was enough to make the listeners weep and the hearers sigh, for the C64 field cannon was certainly considered a major weapon of mass destruction in this era...


    With this vast sum of money, Tang Mo expanded his No. 2 factory in every direction and began the second phase of construction.


    What made Tang Mo so financially robust was actually the successful experimentation with the wireless telegraph. Now that he had a new point of economic growth, he no longer cared about savings and could afford to squander as he pleased.


    "Expensive? You probably still don''t understand. Do you know how much this set of equipment costs?" The officer in the know smirked, utterly disdainful of the steam engine''s price.


    Even though the price of steam engines in Northern Ridge was also extremely high, the best-quality steam engines purchased from Brunas were of better quality and had a lower failure rate, and their price was certainly not cheap either.


    The steam engines produced by Northern Ridge itself were somewhat inferior; the workers doing the imitation had less experience, and they lacked the comprehensive technical support of a research and development team. Therefore, the commercial performance of Northern Ridge''s steam engines was generally not as good.


    But even the inferior Northern Ridge steam engines, sold within Northern Ridge territory, had a fixed price of 9,000 Gold Coins each, no discount given! A year ago, who could have imagined that a pile of steel could be sold for so many Gold Coins?


    The officer who was pained to see a steam engine wastefully used immediately widened his eyes and turned to his colleague, "What? Mr. Tang demanded an exorbitant price again?"


    "No! This time, it''s absolutely worth every penny!" The burly officer, who had witnessed the power of the telegraph machine, naturally leaned towards the telegraph machine being more cost-effective.


    The other officer was startled, then looked at his colleague in disbelief, "What did you say? Worth every penny?"


    "Yes, such an amazing set of equipment, priced at only thirty thousand Gold Coins, Mr. Tang is practically giving us a huge discount at Northern Ridge!" the muscular officer declared generously, as if thirty thousand Gold Coins were mere pocket change.


    "Thirty thousand? For a few wires and some broken iron frames, it costs thirty thousand Gold?" The officer who had just lamented the waste of a steam engine was now completely shocked, "You must be insane..."


    "..." Not seeing the expression he had hoped for, the tall and lean officer was still dubious.


    "I was there when it happened!" the burly officer said, playing his trump card with pride.


    The tall and lean officer was immediately shocked. "You?"


    Feeling very pleased with the other''s reaction, the burly officer kept boasting, "Yes, I was there! I saw Lord Earl excitedly pull off a strip of paper and then went to check the codebook that came with the machine."


    "Codebook?" The tall and lean officer discovered another gap in his knowledge.


    His oblivious look gave the burly officer an even bigger thrill. He continued to explain as if he were an encyclopedia, "Yes, this device can''t talk, but it can use the length of the transmitted sound to convey special pre-agreed meanings. The codebook is used to translate these sounds, it''s a pre-agreed vocabulary compilation."


    "Who came up with such a brilliant design?" the tall and lean officer almost asked rhetorically.


    "Must be the god of wisdom from Brunas," said the burly officer without hesitation.


    "Hahahahaha!" The tall and lean officer burst into laughter.


    "Hehehe." The burly officer also laughed smugly.


    "Wait!" Suddenly, the tall and lean officer seemed to have thought of something and interrupted their laughter.


    A perplexed look came over the burly officer''s face. "Hmm?"


    "You said you were there at the time? Why were you there? Why would Lord Earl choose you for such a matter?" the tall and lean officer pressed, looking at him intensely.


    "Why couldn''t I be involved?" the burly officer frowned unhappily, feeling insulted.


    The tall and lean officer crossed his arms. "Go on, what were you responsible for at the time?"


    "I had the honor of replacing the work of this steam engine!" the burly officer responded, oblivious to the severity of the question, still very proud of his answer.


    Just as expected! The tall and lean officer immediately felt much more comfortable.


    ---------


    Dragon Spirit extends New Year greetings to everyone, wishing all readers prosperity and happiness in the new year!


    Just this one update for today, a 4000-word mega chapter, so there''s no need to wait for more.

 Chapter 162: 161 trade

    The signals transmitted back from Northern Ridge were clearly received in the telegraph room of Tang Mo''s factory. The rolling paper was punctured by the tapping needles, creating one clear hole after another.


    Flipping open the codebook in her hand, the young apprentice who had just become the person in charge of the telegraph room was checking the page corresponding to each number.


    She was serious and meticulous, pointing at the words with her finger, and after double-checking, she finally wrote down a beautiful character on the telegram paper, "You..."


    "What..." Then, she continued to search through her codebook, looking for the second word.


    Truth be told, her job was a bit too monotonous, but the salary was surprisingly high. Her own salary had already surpassed that of her parents, which was almost dreamlike.


    A year ago, if someone had told her that there was a job where she could sit inside a house, drink hot tea every day, casually flip through a book, and copy the words inside to earn money, she would have thought the person was crazy.


    But now, she was doing just that, translating the knocking patterns on a strip of paper into text...


    The job was so easy that she could even read and study there, and the room Tang Mo had prepared for her was more like a study with many books, piled high with all sorts of exquisite volumes.


    When the telegraph wasn''t operating, she could comfortably brew herself a strong cup of tea and then quietly read any book she plucked from the shelf, feeling that it might be the best job in the world.


    However, ever since that Northern Ridge countess acquired a telegraph, her workload had increased, with dozens of telegrams being sent from Northern Ridge to Brunas every day.


    She was confident she could outdo over ninety percent of the girls at school, but when faced with Yulin, she couldn''t help feeling a bit inferior.


    There was no helping it; considering height, she was only 1.6 meters, while Yulin had reached 1.63 meters. Yulin had a typical oval face with beautiful eyes filled with brightness...


    In her opinion, Yulin was, in a sense, even more beautiful than Countess Alice, because Yulin had learned Tang Mo''s knowledge and surpassed the era as a genius. Since enrolling, she had never scored below 90, acknowledged as a top student by the whole school.


    She also understood Tang Mo''s ideas better and was very intelligent, knowledgeable, and had an exceptional memory, truly a natural-born gifted woman. If not for being born into a commoner''s family, she might have become a socialite in the nobility circles.


    Yulin was also very attentive at school, caring for her classmates'' health and psychology, enjoyed making friends, and was nice to all the younger students... Thus, she was nicknamed "Queen" at the school.


    The most crucial point... when it came to figure, she also fell short of Yulin, who might be the dream girl of half the male students in the school.


    And most frustratingly, she could tell, or rather many girls could tell, that Yulin liked Tang Mo.


    A girl''s heart is always poetic; with a somewhat resigned sigh, the young lady in the telegraph room felt as if she heard her own heart breaking. Clenching the pen in resignation, she continued to compare, finding a new word, "See..."


    "I..." Finally, when she found that word, the sentence on the paper was complete, "When will you come to see me?"


    Fight on! A countess, a top student, go ahead and fight it out! In the end, I''ll be the one who wins... Hehehe... Hahaha!

 Chapter 163: 161 trade_2

    Perhaps it was the self-comfort that took effect, or for some other reason, but her mood had improved greatly. She wrote down on paper the meaning represented by the last series of holes: "Question mark!"


    Then, she neatly tore off the sheet of paper, stood up, and walked out of the room, instructing the guards at the door, "Don''t let anyone come near."


    "Yes, ma''am!" the soldier responded, and then watched the young girl clutching the telegraph paper and humming a tune as she walked away.


    The telegraph office wasn''t actually far from Tang Mo''s room, and when Tang Mo saw the telegram that read, "When will you come to see me?" his face clearly displayed a mix of amusement and bemusement.


    He hadn''t expected that the telegraph he had labored to invent would now serve as a personal messaging system between himself and Alice...


    This was essentially what he had heard about in his previous life, those girls who bombarded boys with linguistic bombs on WeChat...


    "Send a reply to her... just say... I''ll invite her to Brunas in a few days," Tang Mo instructed his telegraph operator, casually placing the telegram on the corner of his desk.


    "Yes, Master." The girl thought this title would bring their relationship closer.


    Tang Mo felt a bit like smacking John... Ever since that chap started calling him ''Master'' at every opportunity, the number of people in the Great Tang Group who addressed him as ''Lord,'' ''Sir,'' or ''Principal'' had been steadily decreasing.


    ...


    The man waiting in the reception room finally heard a knock on the door. He looked up to find an attendant dressed in decent formal wear announcing, "Sir! His Majesty wishes to see you!"


    ... The man dressed in the distinctive blue Navy officer''s uniform stood up, awkwardly adjusting his belt where his longsword and pistol, now confiscated, used to hang.


    His hand, meant to rest on his weapons, found only air, so he steadied himself by gripping his belt, hiding his embarrassment.


    He then followed the attendant down the long corridor, through two doors guarded by soldiers, and finally entered another grand hall where he met the person he wanted to see.


    Among the two lavishly dressed nobles seated there, one was the Earl he had met before, and the other, a man he hadn''t seen before, seemed even more opulent.


    However, it was this unseen man who spoke first, his tone exceedingly friendly: "I''m delighted to meet you, Captain from Leite Kingdom."


    "I am also honored to be summoned by His Majesty, the King of Pasim Kingdom," replied the Captain representing the Great Tang Group, bowing slightly as he spoke.


    The King casually indicated that he could sit anywhere, and then continued with a smile, "After seeing the gift presented by Lord Earl, I couldn''t help but summon you, our distinguished guest from afar."


    Unlike Leite Kingdom, the King of Pasim Kingdom had a greater control over the entire kingdom; all the nobility were loyal to him.


    So when an Earl witnessed the power of the K1 Quick Gun, he immediately presented this new weapon to the King of Pasim Kingdom.


    The King was somewhat unwilling to let go, "But we can''t wait! Intelligence reports that the health of the neighboring country''s King is already very poor. If we seize this opportunity to annex the neighboring nation, our national power is bound to reach a new level!"


    "So what do you suggest?" the Earl asked further.


    The King continued, "If the captain is unwilling to cooperate, perhaps his subordinates may not be, if we can win over some of his sailors or officers, as long as they can take us to the Leite Kingdom, as long as they can obtain a large number of modern weapons, I don''t mind giving them a bright future."


    "Then, I shall give it a try!" The Earl immediately stood up.


    ...


    "I gave up a large sum of money just to bring you here," said the captain to his officer beside him, wincing as he left the Royal Palace.


    The First Mate beside him chuckled, "Can money really measure what''s important to the master?"


    "Do you think he''ll come for you?" the captain asked uncertainly.


    "If I''ve made it this obvious and he doesn''t act, then he must have a problem in his head. I''ll activate another plan, one suited for dealing with idiots, to get close to him," the young First Mate confidently declared.


    "Hahaha!" the Captain laughed heartily.


    "Well then, I''m off to the brothel to wait for them..." the young First Mate spoke up.


    "Goodbye and good riddance!" the Captain replied indifferently.


    As the officer walked away, he complained, "It''s quite bothersome pretending to be a lecherous sailor."


    "Be careful, you''re only 19 years old! Don''t mess around!" the Captain warned.


    "Don''t worry. I know what I''m doing, and I''m aware of what really matters," the officer answered confidently.


    Then, he looked toward the direction of the Leite Empire, "And besides, how could I be interested in those mediocre women? Aside from taking off their clothes, they can''t do anything else, they don''t even know what potassium permanganate is..."


    The Captain disdainfully retorted, "The King of Pasim doesn''t even know what potassium permanganate is either."


    "That''s why he needs me." Touching the dandelion ring on his finger, the young First Mate said with a smile.


    "Hahaha!" The Captain laughed once again.


    -----------


    There is only one chapter today. I have a family gathering, and it will be the same tomorrow, so please be patient. The updates will resume shortly.

 Chapter 164: 162 The Elf Who Crossed the Line

    On another continent, the flag of the white poplar trees of the Elf Race''s Poplar Kingdom suddenly appeared at noon one day on the borderline between the Poplar Kingdom and the Orc Gales Kingdom.


    This region had always been a contentious area, where approximately a year ago the troops of the Poplar Kingdom had clashed with those of the Gales Kingdom, suffering a loss of 4,000 men. Both sides had then faced off across the banks of a river called the Segal.


    The war seemed to have subsided, but recently the Poplar Kingdom had once again increased its forces at the Segal River, and the atmosphere in the nearby war zone had suddenly become tense once more.


    Within the territory of the Gales Kingdom, on the plains near the Segal River, the Orc commanders were discussing recent military maneuvers in a tent.


    Contrary to popular belief, the Orcs in this world were simply green-skinned humans with sharper teeth and elf-like ears¡ªpointy, yet their physiques were not much stronger than that of humans and elves.


    An Orc officer in leather armor, his hand on the hilt of his longsword, looked down at the not-so-detailed map on the table and said to the leading general, "Those elves from the Poplar Kingdom across the river have been becoming unsettled again recently!"


    Another Orc officer pointed at the map, "They''re amassing troops, but we still hold an absolute advantage in numbers."


    A flintlock gun, the Shireck Flintlock Gun, hung on his waist. Judging by the wooden handle of the pistol, this weapon had clearly seen long service.


    Compared to the more delicate Elf Race, the Orcs were closer to a prairie civilization. Their lifestyle was rougher, so naturally, their economy was not as developed as that of the elves and humans.


    However, they were arguably more fierce in battle. While they were not particularly skilled, their bravery was renowned worldwide.


    Of course, they too could be wounded, fall, bleed, and die in the face of firearms.


    Lacking Shireck''s workshops in their territory, most of the Gales Kingdom''s firearms were acquired through smuggling from another kingdom to the rear.


    They were more numerous, but they had relatively fewer firearms. Every conflict with the Poplar Kingdom led to rivers of blood for the Gales Kingdom.


    "I really can''t understand why they are always so arrogant, thinking they can destroy our Orc Race''s iron will with firearms!" a burly Orc commander said in a simple and honest tone.


    He clenched his fists as if to vent the rage in his heart, "If we had that many firearms, their very survival would be a problem!"


    The leading Orc general, arms crossed, stared at the map, silent. He truly hadn''t anticipated that the enemy would make a comeback so soon.


    Based on past experience, after a major battle the Poplar Kingdom would typically show some restraint, recuperating for a while before reinforcing the border again.


    But now, it seemed their adversaries were eager to restart the war, and on a larger scale than before.


    According to information from the Orc scout troops, the Poplar Kingdom had sent an additional 4,500 troops in three legions to the border.


    Including the 12,000 soldiers already stationed at the border, the Elf Race had now deployed a total of 11 legions there.


    This scale vastly exceeded previous deployments, so the Orc side had also begun to increase its forces at the border.


    The Orcs outnumbered their enemy, and consequently, it took longer to assemble their troops, a disadvantage of having an excessively large force.


    "Send someone to inform His Majesty the King at once! Report the situation on the battlefield to him," the Orc general instructed again.


    Another officer nodded and walked out of the tent, "Yes, sir!"


    After a series of orders were issued, silence once again returned to the tent, and the brawny officer beside the Orc general couldn''t help but curse angrily, "Now I finally understand why the Shireck envoys were so easy to talk to, selling us 5,000 Shireck Flintlock Guns in one go!"


    "They''re swindling our money!" the other Orc officers said grimly, clenching their fists.


    The leading Orc officer closed his eyes, reluctantly lamenting, "But we still have to trade fairly with them! This is what I hate the most!"


    The two legions he had deployed by the upper river had crumbled in an instant, indicating a clear and significant superiority of the Elves'' weaponry.


    He started with twenty-seven legions against eleven of the Elves, now he had only twenty-five legions ready for immediate combat.


    Such a situation had never occurred in previous wars, so he had to reassess the combat power of the Elf troops.


    A miscalculation of the enemy''s actual combat strength could lead to an irreversible catastrophe for the entire war situation.


    This was a battle in which the Orc Gales Kingdom had invested all its effort. If they failed to defeat the Elves, the Gales Kingdom losing the Sena Plains would essentially be no different from the kingdom''s ruin.


    After considering his options, he ordered the brawny officer beside him, "You personally lead the guard! Have the two defeated legions find a way to withdraw from battle! Gather all the surviving musketeers from the two retreating legions and reinforce the 17th Legion!"


    "Yes!" the Orc officer grunted in acknowledgment.


    "Remember! Don''t act recklessly! Have the 17th Legion fall back slowly! If the enemy takes the bait and pursues the 17th Legion into the Sena Plains, join with the three following legions and hold your ground on the spot!" the leading Orc general advised.


    "Understood!" the officer answered solemnly once more.


    "Not a step back!" the leading Orc general emphasized one last time.


    "Not a step back!" the Orc officer confirmed resolutely once again.


    "Go!" With a nod, the Orc general waved his hand, signaling his trusted officer to carry out the orders.


    With a proud lift of his chin, the officer stood up straight, silently exiting the tent.


    First, use three legions to test the enemy''s combat strength, and at the same time, dig a big trap for the enemy, testing their commander to see if they would be overconfident and advance recklessly... After setting the basic battle plans, the leading Orc general instructed the remaining officers in the tent, "The rest of you return to your legions and command your troops!"


    "Yes!" the remaining Orc officers replied in a cacophony.

 Chapter 165: 163 The beginning of chaotic times

    Just as the Orc Race of the Gales Kingdom had reignited the flames of war with the Elf Race of the Poplar Kingdom, and the Poplar Kingdom was once again advancing north to attack the orcs with their weapon superiority, Tang Mo stood on the shipyard, wrapping his arms around the slender waist of Alice, the Countess of the Northern Ridge, watching the colossal ironclad warship slowly leave the shipyard.


    This warship was the first in human history to be entirely powered by steam, as well as the first steam-powered warship!


    Its commissioning marked the official entry of the Great Tang Group into the ranks of contesting for naval supremacy. And as soon as the Great Tang Group joined this lineup, it moved to the very front...


    Equipped with three 120-caliber naval guns, and also armed with twelve 75mm caliber side cannons, the launch of the ironclad warship fundamentally changed the balance of power at sea.


    (Here Dragon Spirit would like to explain, the caliber of the C64 field gun is 78mm, previously Dragon Spirit has written some calibers as 75, some as 78, here to unify, it will be written as 75mm.)


    It was like a group of ants mixed with an elephant, like a gang of naughty kids joined by a giant, like a group of young girls joined by a hoodlum...


    Of course, navies all over the world did not yet know that in Brunas, a warship that they had never seen before, one that would change the rules of naval warfare, was being launched at this very moment.


    "I have never seen such a warship!" Although Alice was quite experienced and knowledgeable, she had truly never seen such a warship before.


    In fact, she didn''t quite understand naval warships, having only watched naval sailing warships from a distance a few times before.


    However, the warship before her was too unconventional; it neither had sails nor was it equipped with so many cannons.


    The sides of this warship were mostly steel plates, with some windows located at the higher rear end. And these windows were definitely not so-called gunports, but actual windows...


    According to the standards of the era, the number of cannons on this warship could be described as meager: the most it could concentrate on the side was nine cannons of various calibers, which really didn''t constitute much of an advantage.


    However, if one thought that its firepower was insufficient because of this, they truly would be deceived by its unpretentious appearance: what it possessed, in fact, were things that naval warships of the era had never had.


    Firstly, it was fitted with two types of aiming devices, which increased the hit rate of its shells by dozens to hundreds of times, widening the generation gap with other countries'' service warships.


    Secondly, with the help of the aiming devices, its cannons could target objects over 5 kilometers away, which was also beyond the capabilities of other countries'' service warships.


    Last of all, because it utilized generators and steam power, its cruising speed was faster, and it had a lighting system. Most importantly... it was also equipped with a telegraph system.


    This enabled Tang Mo''s warship to maintain communication with the high echelons of the Great Tang Group from the distant seas, a capability that other countries'' navies could only dream of!


    "It really is quite unconventional," said Alice, who was invited to attend the launch ceremony of this new warship. She curiously observed this new warship, which she couldn''t quite classify as beautiful or ugly.


    She indeed couldn''t decide whether the warship was beautiful or ugly because it was completely different in style from the current sailing warships.


    Previous sailing warships generally had carvings and reliefs, and with white sails, naturally had their own style.


    Of course, now almost one-third of the Leite Kingdom''s mineral production had become the consumables supporting Tang Mo''s development.


    Liangis was shocked by the total consumption of Tang Mo''s steel and even thought for a moment that Tang Mo was bluffing, using the data to intimidate Shireck, making him wary and hesitant to lay a hand on Tang Mo''s industries.


    Unknown to others, Tang Mo was cutting down and burning the Vicious Forest, turning it into a gigantic factory and carving out a new road that went straight to Northern Ridge.


    This road hadn''t yet connected to Northern Ridge, but it had already approached the edge of the Vicious Forest. Even more terrifying was the fact that it was made of steel!


    A railway spanning more than 100 kilometers had been constructed by Tang Mo¡ªthe reasons behind such rapid construction were complex and included a relatively flat route, Tang Mo''s ample supply of steel, and the relentless support from both the Earl of Northern Ridge and Tang Mo himself.


    Meanwhile, Tang Mo had supplied the world with 70,000 K1 rifles, 8,900 revolvers, 1,000 Left-Wheel Handguns, 600 lever-action rifles, 900 K3-type KAR98 rifles, 80 C64 field guns, 40 C80 field guns...


    Now, including some of the Dorne Kingdom''s troops, the King''s Guard of the Leite Kingdom, the troops of Northern Ridge, and the troops of Suthers, all were equipped with Tang Mo''s arms.


    The K1 Quick Guns replicated by factories owned by Shireck and Earl Augustine of the Elf Race weren''t even included in the count yet.


    Thanks to industrial development, Northern Ridge''s economy was truly on the rise. With support from Tang Mo, Alice was building four factories, including a metal smelting plant, a parts processing plant, a steam engine plant, and a power plant.


    Moreover, Tang Mo was intentionally nurturing private capital. He had shares in four textile mills in Northern Ridge, using steam engine technology to increase the efficiency of these factories.


    The increased production capacity naturally led to a greater dependency of the secondary industry chain on the primary industry, which caused the price of agricultural products in Northern Ridge to rise, and farmers increased their tangible incomes.


    Originally, the Suthers immigrants who had settled in Northern Ridge were very anxious, not knowing what their future held.


    But once they worked hard at farming and quickly reaped simple rewards, they wholeheartedly saw themselves as people of Northern Ridge.


    After all, a noble who could cut taxes, grant subsidies to farmers, and revitalize the entire agricultural ecosystem... That was truly unparalleled.


    As a result, Northern Ridge was thriving; the society was stable and well-developed, and the new female Earl of Northern Ridge also established her authority.


    Meanwhile, Tang Mo was still unaware that the Dorne Kingdom had already taken a thousand of his K1 Quick Guns and was contemplating declaring war on a neighboring country.


    At the same time, on a distant continent, the Poplar Kingdom of the Elf Race, having acquired the new weapons, had already gone to war with the Orc Race of the Gales Kingdom...


    And all of this was just the beginning of a series of tumultuous events in the second half of the year 114 of the Leite Kingdom. The person stirring up this storm was watching the giant ship in front him being launched, creating spectacular and fierce waves.


    -----------


    The update is back to normal, with two chapters of 3000 words each daily.

 Chapter 166: 164th Orc Prince

    "General, the 17th Legion is about to collapse! The enemy''s weapons are incredibly powerful! They''re much better than Shireck''s previous muskets! If they''re defeated, our frontline defense will be breached!" an orc general clad in shining armor with a light-colored cloak over it said.


    Facing the attack from the Poplar Kingdom, the orc Gales Kingdom''s military seemed to be even more passive than before. Four of their legions had already been completely defeated, and one of their main forces was teetering on the brink.


    The leading orc general remained silent, waiting, waiting for definite news from the troops on his flanks. The counterattack had to be effective in one strike or, once the elf race stabilized their ranks, the enemy''s even sharper firearms would come into play.


    Soon after, a black warhorse galloped from a distance, and an officer in the same military armor reined in his horse, slowing to a stop in front of the central command tent.


    "General Mack reports, the enemy''s legions positioned at the forefront are moving towards our front-line legions, and their formation is now fully spread out!" the rider reported loudly as he halted his horse.


    Many staff officers began to discuss, buzzing within the large tent, with occasional pointing at the huge map hanging up as they speculated on various potential combat scenarios of the enemy.


    Behind the many generals at the central command, a young officer leaned back in his chair, toying with a blood-stained K1 Quick Gun in his hands, his fingers tracing over the dried blood on the rifle, looking quite serious.


    Suddenly, this young orc raised his head, a pair of bright eyes shining on his not-so-pleasant face.


    He wore nicer armor, but it didn''t exude an ounce of martial aura; instead, he still looked somewhat out of place compared to a group of burly fellow generals. He was more like a scholar than a soldier.


    "Your Highness the Crown Prince!" The lead general, who had not yet given an order, looked at the young orc and walked over with a frown, asking, "What do you think?"


    Honestly, he didn''t quite like this frail Crown Prince because he lacked the robust and martial quality of the orc race.


    However, the current King had only this one son, so this scholarly-looking orc remained the future hope of the entire Gales Kingdom.


    "Me? If I were in command of this battle, I''d order the troops on both flanks to stand by.


    Once the enemy fully engages, then launch a simultaneous attack, sparing no cost to destroy the enemy''s artillery following up!" The Crown Prince stood up, placing the K1 Quick Gun upright beside his chair, brushed off the nonexistent dust from his armor, and stepped up to the map, pointing to the sides as he spoke.


    As he spoke, he stretched out his other hand and pressed it on the map: "Once successful, we must leverage our troop strength, which is twice that of the enemy, and obliterate the enemy with the simplest and most brute force approach, now that they have lost their cannons."


    "By doing so, our elite 17th Legion is doomed! And it''s not just the 17th Legion; even the other two legions on their flanks might suffer heavy losses..." the leading general asked with a furrowed brow.


    "General Sir, conscripting tens of thousands of troops and charging into the battlefield is essentially sending them to their deaths. What we seek is victory alone! How we send them to their deaths does not reflect our compassion," said the Crown Prince calmly. "What we can do is trade their deaths for victory, not let them close their eyes in defeat."


    The lead general was taken aback and then looked again at the Crown Prince he hadn''t liked, seeing something different beneath the weak exterior.


    Then, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he even reminded him, "Even though Your Highness speaks the truth, as Crown Prince, you must still maintain compassion..."


    In the central command of the Elf Race, the neatly combed back hair of the old elf Earl Augustin Tural astride his steed, his face full of a contemptuous smile as he watched his troops organize the attack.


    Clearly, the orc race had run out of tricks! Their positions were on the brink of collapse, their blood had already stained the earth red!


    With 6,000 brand-new K1 Quick Guns on their side, the outcome of this war seemed to him to be already destined for the Elf Race.


    The detestable orcs would lose the Sena Plains... and he, the most illustrious head of the Augustin Family in history, would become the first in his family to be granted the title of Marquis by the king.


    He would become the new Prime Minister of the Poplar Kingdom. And under his guidance, His Majesty would hold twice his current territory!


    In another year, the Poplar Kingdom would have the power to swallow up several small nations nearby, becoming one of the great powers among the elf kingdoms.


    Even as his own troops once again shattered another square of the enemy, the distant and unfamiliar word "Empire" crossed his mind.


    "Sir! On both flanks, the enemy''s Wolf Riders have been moving frequently; should we..." a general rode up beside Tural, attempting to raise a concern.


    Tural actually had his own calculations, so he interrupted the other party, "Once our forces break through the enemy''s center, what kind of waves can their flanks stir up?"


    He was not unaware of the danger on both flanks, but in fact, the Elf Race also had its own issues to contend with.


    On one hand, they had initiated the attack and the stockpile of ammunition was not exactly abundant. The vanguard troops had consecutively broken through four orc military units, leading to significant consumption.


    On the other hand, as he had said, their spearhead aimed at the orcs was on the verge of slicing through the orc''s central defense line. Once he broke through the orcs in front of him, he could destroy the orc artillery positions behind them, and victory would be in hand.


    Instead of halting their advance now and dispersing troops to search for the Wolf Riders whose location was unknown, it was more certain to crush the enemy forces directly in front of them and secure the victory.


    Moreover, he was not completely neglectful of the safety of the flanks; at the start of the battle, he had deployed a very sturdy diamond formation.


    Among the 11 legions of the Elf Race participating in this conflict, the 4 legions equipped with the new type of firearms were placed at the very front to maintain an attacking posture with their firepower advantage and spearheaded the entire Elf Race''s offensive.


    Two legions were deployed on each flank, whose task was to defend the sides and fend off any possible flanking maneuvers by the Orc Wolf Riders.


    The remaining three legions were positioned at the rear, serving as the reserve force for the campaign. If any problems arose on any front, these troops could be deployed to provide support. In addition, this force was also tasked with escorting ammunition, transporting supplies, and securing the rear.


    It could be said that such a formation was basically the safest.


    ```

 Chapter 167: 165 Interest Swap

    ```


    If it weren''t for the fact that the four legions up front had been outfitted with the new K1 Quick Guns and revolvers, the Elf Race''s offensive formation would actually seem too conservative.


    The Elves were able to maintain their offensive solely because the spearhead composed of the four legions was too sharp, not because Augustin Tural''s deployment was particularly brilliant.


    In fact, as the head of the Augustin Clan and a senior official of the kingdom, Augustin Tural had not really focused his skills on the military.


    The primary reason he had come to the front line to command this battle was that among the four legions serving as the main offensive force, three were controlled by the Augustin Family.


    On one hand, the King doubted his ability to persuade Augustin to hand over his private troops for this battle; on the other hand, the battle was almost assured to be a win with the addition of the new weapons.


    Augustin Tural himself had the idea of seizing credit for the victory, and His Majesty the King was inclined to let him do so, which led to Augustin Tural becoming the commander of the Elves in this battle.


    Actually, everyone knew that such an arrangement was somewhat inappropriate, but there was nothing to say: the guns were procured by the Augustin Family, the troops were theirs, and with an obvious advantage and little need for command and coordination... So if they were to reap some military achievements, who could object?


    Augustin Tural was not a fool, on the contrary, he was aware of his own capabilities; this time, coming to the front line was partly indeed to claim credit, and partly because he did not trust his direct troops.


    Therefore, with self-awareness, he deployed the 344 formation, seeking only to be steady and make no mistakes, and completely abandoning any rash ideas.


    It was because of this deployment that the offensive pressure of the Elf Race fell entirely on the shoulders of the four legions equipped with the new rifles.


    Having fought all the way here, after successively crippling four Orc legions, one of the Elf legions had also suffered heavy losses and had to withdraw for rest and reorganization.


    In the distance, the booming sounds of cannon fire could be heard as both sides'' artillery exchanged fire, making it hard to determine who had the upper hand. Across the battlefield, the corpses of Orc soldiers, clad in armor with longswords and shields fallen beside them, could be seen everywhere.


    About two-thirds of the Orc soldiers were equipped with Shireck Firearms, while the rest were heavy shield bearers and spearmen, meant to cover the gun troops.


    However, faced with the K1 Quick Guns, these soldiers could essentially only play the role of cannon fodder; they stayed to cover the withdrawal of the main forces, only to lie there forever afterward.


    "Sir, the officers have drawn up the battle plan, and the quickest way to victory for our forces, as you predicted, is to ignore the enemy forces deployed on both flanks and concentrate superior forces on attacking the enemy''s central army.


    We estimate that only two attacks are needed before the enemy''s central defenses will collapse!" A deputy general spurred his horse forward, presenting Augustin with a plan signed by several generals.


    "Tell the commanders on the left and right flanks that I want to concentrate superior forces to crush the central army of the Gales Kingdom''s military! Order them not to be greedy for achievements and take reckless actions, just to steadily keep up! Remember! Do not be greedy for achievements and take reckless actions!"


    "Yes!" The officer immediately tugged the reins, spurring his warhorse to gallop toward where the messengers were waiting.


    Pulling a telescope from the cylinder at the side of the saddle, Augustin extended it and placed it to his eye, continuing to enjoy the view of the frontal battlefield.


    By resorting to such methods, sacrificing soldiers'' lives, they managed to hold out until today, until this moment.


    Packing away his telescope, Augustin Tural gave orders through gritted teeth: "Advance the whole army! Assault the enemy''s central forces!"


    Those were his own direct troops, and he felt each loss keenly! Moreover, he had to pull a heavily damaged legion off the front lines for rest and reorganization yesterday afternoon.


    Another round of frontline offensives stalled, which made Augustin Tural once again think of that damned envoy from the Shireck Consortium.


    They had threatened him with selling weapons and even providing private military support to the Gales Kingdom, forcing him to agree to Shireck Company''s demands.


    After learning about the Augustin Clan''s primer production technology, the Shireck Consortium set their sights on the Augustin Family. Both sides clashed head-on, and it even reached the point where war seemed inevitable.


    Eventually, the King of the Poplar Kingdom stepped in, mediating the covert and overt battles between the two. A reconciliation on the front of new weaponry was reached.


    The cost was that Shireck agreed to ensure the Augustin Family''s factory''s autonomy within Poplar Kingdom territory and voluntarily abandoned the kingdom''s future munitions market.


    At the same time, Shireck also guaranteed not to sell any military supplies to the Gales Kingdom and even took advantage of their weakened state by selling a significant number of cannons to the Elves, giving them an edge over the Gales Kingdom in terms of artillery.


    Shireck would no longer intervene in any benefits after Gales Kingdom''s defeat... Shireck even promised that they would be willing to assist the future expansion of the Poplar Kingdom.


    In return, Shireck got what they wanted: they confirmed the new weaponry indeed originated from Brunas of the Leite Kingdom, with Tang Mo being the developer behind these new weapons.


    After confirming the source, Shireck generously gave up its interests within the Poplar Kingdom¡ªthis was their compromise for preparing to target Tang Mo''s influence within the Leite Kingdom.


    As the higher-ups at Shireck saw it, eradicating Tang Mo meant removing the source of the new weaponry''s research and development, making it obviously easier to deal with the Poplar Kingdom in hindsight.


    Furthermore, to counter Tang Mo''s restriction on providing primers, Shireck purchased 100,000 paper cartridges from Earl Augustine and reserved a third of the future production capacity!


    With these additional ammunition supplies that Tang Mo couldn''t track, Shireck felt even more confident about initiating a localized war against Tang Mo.


    The biggest sacrifice that Augustin had to make was handing over the primer production technology¡ªwhat Shireck Consortium truly desired.


    In the end, by giving up an Orcish Gales Kingdom and nearly all industries within the Poplar Kingdom while offering some support to the Augustin Family, Shireck finally obtained the much-coveted primer formula.


    But it also resulted in Earl Augustin Tural currently facing a slightly insufficient supply of ammunition.


    As Tural cursed the Shireck Consortium in his heart, within the command tent of the Orc central forces, two orders were issued.


    Seeing the 17th Legion about to be completely annihilated, the Orc generals and commanders could no longer withstand the pressure; they dispatched messengers, ordering the Wolf Riders, who had been hovering on the flanks and lingering at the edges of the battlefield, to launch an immediate charge.

 Chapter 168: 166 go check out Black Dragon Island.

    In Tang Mo''s newly constructed factory building, there was a room set up as a conference room. Here, a huge detailed survey map of the area near Brunas was hanging, and beautiful chandeliers dangled from the ceiling.


    Honestly speaking, by the standards of this world, Tang Mo''s new building was a bit of a luxury. The entire building had a complete sewage system, as well as running water, and all rooms with plumbing had a 24-hour supply of hot water.


    Moreover, the whole building was supplied with electricity, with every room illuminated by expensive incandescent bulbs.


    The basement here was brighter at night than the bedrooms of other Nobility, and the decor and design style also won high praise from the merchants who often came to visit.


    A complete heating system even made Tang Mo forgo the fireplace design, which made the house cleaner and tidier and eliminated the need for openings, thus avoiding the nuisance of mosquitoes.


    Honestly speaking, except for the absence of the internet and the fact that the light was not very natural, this place was not much different from a 20th-century house.


    Meanwhile, as the Orc Race and the Elf Race were locked in battle on the Sena Plains, Tang Mo was discussing with Roger and others whether to develop Black Dragon Island first, under the cover of new warships.


    Roger was somewhat worried about this plan. He seemed more keen on keeping an eye on Brunas, their main base: "Isn''t it a bit too risky to pull out so many soldiers at once?"


    Tang Mo preferred to arrange his industries on Black Dragon Island, which was surrounded by sea, because his naval advantage was now much greater than that of the army.


    With a new warship stationed there, the defenses of Black Dragon Island could be said to be as solid as a fortress. What he was more concerned about now was whether the worker relocation project could be carried out properly.


    So Tang Mo spoke with a sense of resignation, "There''s no way around it. A crafty rabbit has three burrows, what we need now is time."


    Roger flipped through the battle plan Tang Mo had prepared, getting a good understanding of the scale of this operation.


    It was, in essence, a large-scale moving operation involving almost all the forces at Tang Mo''s disposal. 7 transport ships and two reinforced companies of over 300 soldiers, plus nearly a thousand workers and their families in motion.


    The entire fleet would also be transporting at least seven steam engine units, 40 simple machine tools, five generators, and three wireless telegraph devices.


    Looking at the scale of the entire fleet, Roger felt his earlier thoughts were a bit too conservative: "A new warship, 13 armed merchant ships converted into troop transports and carrying a large amount of equipment and tents... it''s like... we''re really going all out."


    Indeed, they were pulling out all the stops. This expeditionary fleet would also carry food and medicine, as well as the steel and raw materials necessary to support the establishment of industry.


    But that alone was not enough. After the only Ironclad Warship of Great Tang Group stayed near Black Dragon Island for vigilance and support, the remaining 13 transport ships were to turn back immediately after unloading the cargo and personnel and return to Brunas.


    Then these transport ships would once again be loaded with cement, steel supplies, a second batch of food, and more people, and set sail for Black Dragon Island without a second thought.


    At the same time, the sole warship from the Elf Race that remained in the port would also move out as an escort.


    According to the records, the island was likely near the equator of this otherworld, with rainforests that could likely ensure fresh water and a decent output of food.


    Furthermore, the presence of birds and animals on the island suggested that the island was certainly not small, otherwise it could not support so many lives.


    "I do not plan to send you on an adventure right away," Tang Mo said with a smile. "I have already handed over the copied sea chart to Bernard. He will take a look first."


    Since Bernard had seen Tang Mo''s ironclad warship, Tang Mo was no longer worried about this navy commander of his. After all, no one in their right mind would sail off in a sailing warship and betray someone who has ironclad warships powered by steam.


    Who was the future, and who was a powerful figure worth serving, Bernard was well aware. He was not a fool, so naturally, he would offer his loyalty to Tang Mo.


    "So, this plan will still take some time to execute, and it might even have to wait until after the first war with Shireck Consortium is over," Tang Mo said casually, leaning back in his chair.


    No sooner had his voice fallen than Li''ao pushed the door open and walked in, handing a piece of intelligence to Tang Mo before saying, "Just in from King City... Our trouble has arrived!"


    Tang Mo looked down at the intelligence on the paper, raised his head, and said to Li''ao, "Gather everyone together and tell them... Shireck is preparing for war!"


    The first to enter was Wes, who was standing by nearby, followed by Luff and Parker. After a long wait, Mathews, who was guarding the No. 2 factory area, and Redman and Tagg, who were training troops there, arrived fashionably late.


    Seeing that everyone had arrived, Tang Mo signaled Li''ao to speak.


    Li''ao pushed the document to the center of the long table in the meeting room and gave a brief overview of the current situation, "There are about 30,000 paper-cartridge rounds that have been transported from beyond the border to King City... This information has been verified, so we can almost certainly conclude that Shireck has mastered the production process of fulminate of mercury, and they can produce percussion caps and paper-cartridge rounds."


    "That means our previous estimate of their having about 130,000 paper-cartridge rounds is no longer accurate," Luff said, his tone somewhat somber as he stroked his chin.


    If they couldn''t determine Shireck''s material reserves, then their side would have to upgrade their defense preparations by a notch.


    Currently, Great Tang Group''s war preparations have always been maintained at a quite low level. They were basically unprepared, with everyone''s main focus on production.


    But if the enemy might attack at any moment, then the situation would be completely different¡ªat least the troops would have to be mobilized, which would inevitably affect some of the production work.


    Tang Mo let out a sigh and continued with the bad news, "There is reliable information that they have also started to imitate steam engines, they have ordered more than 30 steam engines from us under the guise of merchants making scattered purchases."


    Unlike fulminate of mercury and percussion caps, steam engines, similar to the Quick Gun, are actually easy to replicate. As long as they had sufficient technological capabilities, even if the precision was poor and performance was even worse, they could still be manufactured.


    So, Great Tang Group couldn''t stop Shireck from copying and imitating in these respects. They didn''t have patent laws, enforcement rights, or to put it more accurately, they didn''t have the capacity to enforce...


    Shireck''s imitation of the Quick Gun was no secret anymore; relying on the scale of workmen, Shireck''s production volume of the Quick Gun was actually quite astounding.

 Chapter 169: War 167 has come

    According to Tang Mo''s estimate, in the past few months, Shireck has already produced more than 20,000 K1 Quick Guns!


    Moreover, if the innovations brought about by steam engines to production technology are also considered, then this number might need to be doubled!


    However, these weapons couldn''t possibly all be concentrated within the Leite Kingdom, so the total number of K1 Quick Guns aimed at Tang Mo is still around 10,000.


    Li''ao glanced at Tang Mo and added, "There are some purchased from Northern Ridge, and with their channels abroad, I estimate there are more than 100 from the Poplar Kingdom... all in all, the total should exceed 100 units."


    "It sounds like they might have even more than we do," Roger remarked with a sigh, given the sheer size of Shireck Consortium, it was indeed astounding.


    Tang Mo smiled and reminded everyone, "However, in terms of utilization efficiency, they might not be able to attain the level we have, and furthermore... we have no intelligence confirming that they have acquired electrical equipment."


    One hundred, or even two hundred steam engines, placed within such a large consortium like Shireck, are essentially a drop in the ocean, a mere trifle.


    To fully revolutionize their production technology, they would need at least ten times more steam engines, along with several more months or even years of refining the process.


    Unless Tang Mo helped them make a leap, just exploring the various applications of the steam engine would occupy Shireck''s people for half a year with their own brainstorming!


    Everyone listened intently, knowing that war seemed to have already begun, and under such circumstances, Tang Mo would certainly have a plan.


    Without pause, Tang Mo continued, "That is to say, they haven''t yet utilized electrical power on a large scale, and we haven''t received any news of them applying steam engines in mining or shipping either."


    "Yes, in other words, Shireck''s steam engines are still insufficient, they can only use them to produce more steam engines, or more weapons..." He concluded, and then looked at everyone, "That''s pretty much it."


    Li''ao took over from Tang Mo, speaking about the situation of the impending war, "However, we can now confirm that the enemy is amassing troops."


    He continued, and for greater clarity, he stood up and walked to the map, lifting his hand to virtually trace along a road, moving westward, "Our people have confirmed, three days ago, enemy forces under the pretense of training, assembled a troop of over 3,000 outside King City."


    Speaking, his hand rested near Brunas, "Then, these troops didn''t disband, but instead moved westward along the road, slowly approaching Brunas."


    "3,000 men? Are they underestimating us?" Wes scoffed disdainfully.


    He and Tang Mo had previously crushed an enemy force more than ten times larger in Northern Ridge, and now, to him, 3,000 men seemed hardly enough for Tang Mo''s security forces to handle.


    After all, he was aware of the intensity of the Great Tang Group''s security force training, their weapons and equipment, and even their tactical awareness, which were all far ahead of this era.


    He was certain that any soldier from the Great Tang Group''s security force, if taken out and given command, could easily become a battalion commander, and even leading a legion might not be out of the question!


    Together with Tang Mo''s hidden weaponry, including that damned train artillery ring position he had visited... Wes felt that even if the opponent really amassed 20,000 men, Tang Mo would still have the fighting strength to challenge them.


    Moreover, who didn''t know that the Northern Ridge Earl''s current stance towards Brunas? Should things really kick off, it would take only moments for the Northern Ridge Legion to march south to support Brunas.


    "Do we have a way to deal with them?" he asked Redman and Luff, feigning ignorance with a smile.


    "Easy peasy!" Luff replied without hesitation, eager to answer first.


    Tang Mo nodded, then turned to Redman and commanded, "Well then... let''s put our troops on battle readiness. We always have to give others a bit of face."


    "Yes!" Redman stood, chin up, and saluted smartly.


    "Yes!" Tagg and Luff also stood up and responded loudly with a salute.


    "You don''t need to go to the front lines this time, do you?" Wes asked Tang Mo, smiling.


    "Though it isn''t necessary, it''s still not bad to go see what the fuss is about," Tang Mo replied, smiling back teasingly at Wes.


    Wes immediately put on a dismayed expression, eliciting laughter from everyone around.


    A few minutes later, within the barracks, a soldier hurried to the alarm bell and began frantically cranking its handle.


    The sharp, piercing sound started reverberating, turning the previously quiet barracks into a hive of frenzied activity.


    The fully armed soldiers of the Great Tang Group''s security troops were neatly dressed, carrying their 98K rifles, and swiftly formed up in silent formations.


    Each person was checking their gear: they had rucksacks, leather armored vests with many pockets, and leather ammunition pouches hanging on both sides.


    Hanging behind on their lower back were food bags, while on the opposite side hung an Engineer Corps shovel coupled with a water bottle on its outside.


    At the most accessible position, one side carried a rifle bayonet, the other, a Left-Wheel Handgun¡ªTang Mo treasured his soldiers, bestowing the finest equipment upon each one.


    All soldiers wore steel helmets, with Tang Mo directly copying the design of the German M35¡ªa both stylish and functional choice.


    Initially, Tagg was very opposed to equipping soldiers with what he considered useless armor, thinking helmets a wasteful and obsolete indulgence of steel.


    However, Tang Mo insisted that all soldiers be issued steel helmets and even mandated that on the battlefield, every soldier and officer must wear the helmet instead of the typical cloth caps used during regular training.


    Due to the season, Tang Mo''s forces had already switched from long coats to shorter jackets, made of thinner, more breathable fabric.


    Even to ensure the troops protected their feet well, Tang Mo had issued high-waisted leather boots to each soldier¡ªthose with laces for easy removal, accommodating some of the functions of puttees.


    The security troops of Great Tang Group, wearing a mix of tactical gear from various countries like Germany and the United States from both World Wars, looked irresistibly charming by the standards of the era, filled with convincing details at every turn!


    Exuding handsomeness from inside out, this assembly of soldiers stood even more upright and proficient, more formidable and fierce, as well as colder... and more merciless...

 Chapter 170: 168 The Way of Hospitality

    "Assemble!" The officer, with his hands behind his back, dressed in a gray-green military uniform and wearing an M35 helmet, held his chin high as he watched his soldiers form a neat square formation in front of him.


    "Check your equipment!" Not far away, a company commander loudly ordered all the soldiers who had gathered in the barracks.


    Then, the rustling sounds began as all the soldiers bent down to check their equipment and all the gear they were required to carry with them at all times.


    As required by the Great Tang Group, each soldier had to carry 90 rounds of ammunition. These rounds were divided between the ammo pouches on their ribs, the spare ammo pouch on their back, and their backpack.


    Under one side of the ribs were three ammo pouches, each containing 10 rounds of ammunition, so the total ammunition carried under one side of the ribs was 30 rounds, and likewise on the other side, making for a total of 60 rounds on the front.


    On their back was a spare ammo pouch containing 10 emergency rounds, which they were generally not allowed to use casually.


    Below the spare rounds hung an Engineer Corps shovel, while the remaining 25 spare rounds were usually kept in the backpack, though many soldiers preferred to scatter them in their pockets. There was no strict rule on this.


    In addition, to increase their chances of survival on the battlefield, each soldier was also issued 6 spare bullets for the Left-Wheel Handgun, but there was no specific place for these rounds to be carried.


    An infantry squad consisted of 12 soldiers, and the squad leader''s weapon was completely different; he was equipped with a lever-action rifle with a short barrel, which could only hold 7 rounds at a time.


    This squad leader generally was not responsible for long-range firing duties; he was more often in charge of command work, so the weapon issued to him was chosen for its firing efficiency.


    In fact, Tang Mo was preparing to replace the commanders'' weapons with submachine guns or assault rifles later, but unfortunately, he had not yet managed to produce these weapons, so he had to strengthen them as much as possible with the equipment he currently had.


    Although the lever-action rifle had many flaws on the battlefield, Tang Mo valued its rapid-fire capability, so he temporarily decided to make do with it.


    The squad leaders were required to carry even more ammunition: 150 rounds of Left-Wheel Handgun bullets each, to load both the lever-action rifle and the similarly modeled Left-Wheel Handgun.


    Beyond that, every soldier from the Great Tang Group also had to carry three days'' worth of dry food, including three loaves of bread, butter and dried meat, candies, seasoning cans, stir-fried noodles, dried radishes, and sun-dried, chopped vegetables in a cloth bag¡ªthese were for making soup.


    Also, in the backpack behind each soldier, there was a change of undergarments, two pairs of dry socks, and a simple first aid kit.


    This first aid kit contained clean gauze, robust tourniquets, some hemostatic powder, and small items like scissors and tweezers.


    You should know that no military in this world was willing to issue such basic items that hardly improved combat capability to their soldiers.


    Yet Tang Mo actually distributed these costly items, treating them as necessities, to every soldier.


    These were the rare 120mm caliber heavy guns of the era, capable of using the most advanced shells. Thanks to the rifled barrels and breech-loading, they boasted incredible range and precision.


    An entire train was equipped with ten such guns, and the remaining cars were stacked with their ammunition.


    This train could maneuver behind Tang Mo''s defensive positions along the rails, and once the ammunition was depleted, it could immediately return to Factory 1 for resupply.


    With the support of these cannons, plus the artillery already equipped by the various Troops, Tang Mo''s defensive line could instantly muster at least around 15 heavy guns in any direction. The firepower was truly fearsome.


    With just one command, these guns could rain down shells on the battlefield with incredible speed, instantly covering a large area...


    Al officer walked into the carefully arranged command post on the position, snapped to attention and saluted, handing over the documents to Wes, who was by Tang Mo''s side, ``The scouting Troops have confirmed that the enemy''s vanguard has approached our front line defenses. They have crossed the border, and a few hours ago, they even burnt down some of the villages under our control.''''


    Tang Mo glanced at the report handed to him by Wes, then nodded slightly to the messenger officer in acknowledgment, ``Order all Troops to counterattack autonomously according to the original plan! Let them come closer before firing, and make sure to cripple them thoroughly as we reveal our hand!''''


    ``Telegram!'''' Nearby, a Soldier pedaling non-stop next to a cyclist handed a piece of telegram paper torn from the telegraph machine to Redman who was sitting behind him.


    After reading the content, Redman reported to Tang Mo, ``The artillery train has left the station, it is now patrolling from south to north. It should be behind us in about 15 minutes.''''


    ``Sometimes I really want to have a good talk with Gis, let him see our weapons, and then have him cry and apologize to me, admit his mistakes, shivering while looping a rope over the beams, and hanging himself in front of me...'''' Tang Mo watched the flags appearing one after another on the distant horizon, and spoke coldly to Wes by his side.


    ``If he had that kind of courage, I''d respect him as a real man,'''' Wes said with a disdainful curl of his lip.


    ``I''m complaining about him making me waste so much damn money! And making me... damn it... stand here... wasting my damn time!'''' Tang Mo cursed angrily, gritting his teeth in frustration.


    ``Enemy within artillery range!'''' an artillery observer put down the monocular in front of him and turned his head back to report loudly to Tang Mo and the other commanders.


    ``Hold steady!'''' Redman commanded loudly, ``Let the enemy enter the predetermined strike zone! Don''t act rashly!''''


    ``Enemy column now within range of our artillery fire!'''' Not long after, another observer reported loudly.


    ``Do not open fire! Maintain silence!'''' Redman glanced at Tang Mo and continued to order loudly.


    ``Enemy close to the Ranger line!'''' Soon, a third observer shouted out.


    ``Signal flags! Get ready!'''' Redman glanced at Tang Mo again and ordered tensely. The enemy was only about a dozen meters away from the advanced Ranger defense system.


    ``Alright, gentlemen! Let''s give our guests a warm welcome!'''' Tang Mo raised his arm, then brought it down sharply, ``Fire the machine guns on both flanks, and let Shireck''s fools know who the real kings of the battlefield are!''''

 Chapter 171: I weigh 169 pounds in hell.

    "It''s truly suffocating! Being able to come out and get some fresh air is really a delightful thing," complained a corpulent man with a thick neck, fidgeting with it as he spoke to the young nobleman by his side.


    "Shut up! If it wasn''t for you getting Gis to nod his head, I would never let someone like you stand beside me in this lifetime!" Baron Stela''s face was ugly with disdain as he covered his mouth with a white handkerchief and scolded.


    The man walking alongside him was none other than Qiumuluo, the human trafficker that Tang Mo and Northern Ridge had been looking for all this time, who at this very moment, was strutting among a troop of over ten thousand of Shireck''s private soldiers.


    "Don''t be so tense. As long as we kill that damned bastard named Tang Mo, no one will trouble me anymore," Qiumuluo said with a cold laugh, then seeing that Baron Stela was not responding to him, he too shut his mouth.


    Normally, Beiji would be the one commanding the battle, but Beiji was already dead, buried somewhere within the battlefield''s range.


    Therefore, this time, Gis had no choice but to take to the field himself to lead the war against the Great Tang Group.


    Yet, Gis''s mood was not very good. He suspiciously moved his command post to a position further back, as if he was a coward.


    But those familiar with Xiuyi Gis knew he was not a coward. Therefore, if he placed his command post behind the main force, he must have had his reasons.


    In fact, Gis was a cunning fox. He instinctively sensed danger and thus created a retreat route for himself in advance.


    For someone like Gis, who often did bad things and resorted to underhanded tactics, some issues in the details were sure to catch his attention.


    It wasn''t the danger on the battlefield he sensed, but rather, after the operation began, he detected something amiss from the kingdom''s response.


    Logically, when he rallied his troops and desperately prepared to target the Great Tang Group, the higher-ups of the kingdom were sure to be displeased, even supposed to find every means to stop him.


    After all, the war was erupting within the Leite Kingdom''s territory; no matter how swift the conflict resolution was, it was ultimately the kingdom''s interests that would be damaged. Therefore, the rulers of the kingdom, or rather the ruling class, could not remain indifferent to this matter.


    At the very least, they should inquire about the whole affair and try their best to persuade Gis not to engage in such activities within their nation''s borders.


    However, the strange thing was that ever since the operation began until now, there had been a surprising silence from the king''s side, even hints of a willingness to cooperate.


    The intelligence Gis had received indicated that the king had purchased at least 4500 K1 Quick Guns from the Great Tang Group, and even artillery and steam engines!


    This meant that even if the Great Tang Group was not an intimate ally of the king, there had to be large-scale business cooperation between the two parties.


    Against such a backdrop, the king still held his peace, allowing the Shireck Consortium to launch an attack on the Great Tang Group, which was a bizarre situation in itself.


    Gis was no fool; on the contrary, he was very smart. He therefore immediately guessed something of the truth from such abnormal details.


    The king must have had a cooperation with Tang Mo, and this cooperation might well be aimed against Shireck! Moreover, the outcome of this war could very well determine the Leite Kingdom''s stance.


    If Shireck won, then the king would turn a blind eye to his recent audacity.


    The relentless bullets mowed down rows of soldiers like a lawnmower cutting grass. Those who hadn''t yet reacted were smashed in the head before they could even scream.


    Amid the crowded line, a young soldier was walking forward with the group, clutching a brand-new K1 Quick Gun.


    The moment he heard the gunfire, he instinctively looked at the flag of his unit, which quickly fell, abruptly and without warning.


    Before he could understand what was happening, he saw the soldier in front of him clutching his stomach and screaming as he knelt to the ground.


    The young man he knew seemed to struggle to his feet, only to topple straight to the ground. It was only then that the person following behind saw clearly that the uniform of the man in front had been dyed red with blood.


    He hurriedly knelt, trying to help the poor man who had been shot and lay on the ground. But as soon as he knelt, he saw blood spurting from a gaping hole that the familiar man could not cover with his hand.


    Tang Mo''s Maxim machine gun was actually a modified version from Germany, the M08 machine gun. Instead of the original Maxim''s 11.43mm caliber bullets, it used 8mm caliber bullets, just like the Mauser Rifle.


    Doing so basically unified the caliber, allowing the troops to be equipped with only one type of rifle ammunition, which is the standard German 7.92mm caliber bullet, also referred to as the 8mm caliber bullet.


    Thus, Tang Mo had greatly simplified his logistics by not having to set up separate, incompatible production lines for different calibers of ammunition.


    However, this arrangement did put the Navy at a disadvantage as the machine guns equipped on their ships could only use 8mm caliber ammunition, which naturally had less power.


    But on land, especially at close range, the power of 8mm caliber bullets was already entirely sufficient.


    Indeed, it was enough! At that moment, a bullet shattered the field drum strapped to the waist of a musician at the flank of the square, then penetrated his stomach and went through an officer behind him before finally coming to rest after its deadly flight.


    Completely unaware of the need to go prone, the troops from Shireck stood as if they were lambs to the slaughter, and then were knocked down in droves.


    Standing at the concealed observation position of the command post, Wes remembered something Tang Mo had said. Tang Mo had said that he was afraid there wouldn''t be enough enemies for him to kill...


    Now he truly understood the meaning of those words; in that moment, he even felt that Tang Mo''s statement was somewhat... modest.


    For the Shireck private soldiers before him were truly in disarray, their blood even turning to mist, spreading amidst the crowd.


    It wasn''t until a Maxim gun jammed and ceased firing that the soldiers on the opposite side from Shireck realized¡ªthey had been attacked by an invisible enemy!


    The remaining men, panic-stricken and bewildered, didn''t even know how to respond to the situation before them. Those few scattered soldiers simply stared down at the cadavers at their feet.


    They hadn''t yet realized what was happening, thinking they were in the midst of a nightmare from which they had not awoken.


    For in their minds, only in hell could there be a vision of bodies covering the ground at their feet. What they didn''t know was that at that moment, they might indeed have been in hell...


    "Bang!" A sudden gunshot rang out, and the head of a Shireck soldier, who had been staring blankly at a pile of corpses at his feet, exploded. Then the rest of his body twisted and fell, crashing onto another dead body.

 Chapter 172: 170 bombardment

    Among the remaining soldiers, one finally snapped back to reality, turned, and tried to run back. But in the process of turning, blood splattered from behind him.


    He stumbled forward a few steps, then tripped over a corpse and landed on a body that was still warm.


    As if from a spring, fresh blood poured out of the hole in his back; it was only then that this fleeing Shireck soldier realized he hadn''t even caught a glimpse of the enemy.


    Scattered across the battlefield, the few surviving soldiers scrambled and ran for their lives. Since they were moving targets, the soldiers at the tranquil Great Tang security forces'' positions weren''t inclined to waste their ammunition.


    After all, in less than 10 minutes, they had already fired a total of 3,000 bullets, roughly the amount expended by two legions in a single charge.


    "What just happened? Why did it jam all of a sudden?" Working the action of his weapon, the marksman was checking it over in his cover position.


    After all, the canvas ammunition belt wasn''t as reliable as one might think; in fact, these first-generation feeding systems had a terrifyingly high failure rate.


    Tang Mo had always wanted to replace canvas belts with metal ones, but the war had arrived before he could implement this plan.


    The assistant gunner took out a new ammunition belt from the ammo box at his feet, attached it to the weapon, and after a thorough check, he spoke, "This one should be better; I reckon it won''t jam for a while."


    "Everyone''s run off! What bad luck!" The marksman re-aimed, only to see no more standing life on the battlefield.


    Shireck''s attacking formation consisted of three square formations advancing side by side, a formation spread out like a legion in full. They had entered Brunas''s outskirts, so they were ready for combat.


    The entire legion''s supply wagons and other gear trailed behind them, and the cannons were still mobile, a few hundred meters from the frontline, hence they had not been attacked by machine gun fire.


    The loss was to the three infantry square formations at the front of the legion; these soldiers were slaughtered cleanly by the new automatic weapons within a mere 10 minutes.


    More than 1,000 soldiers were nearly wiped out in 10 minutes, with probably fewer than 20 managing to escape back to where the supply troops were located.


    The corps commander watched his troops get massacred, dumbfounded. He saw his three battalion commanders shot down and killed amidst the chaos.


    What depressed him more was that all three battalion flags had been left on the battlefield, signifying his corps was effectively annihilated.


    "This, this is... this is witchcraft! It''s magic!" Stunned, the aide-de-camp at his side stuttered, trying to speak.


    He genuinely couldn''t fathom any weapon in this world capable of bringing down a fully manned legion with such ease.


    "The enemy, the enemy has... has..." The corps commander tried to agree with his aide-de-camp, to attribute the catastrophe to some nonsensical explanations like magic, but he opened his mouth and ultimately didn''t dare to come up with any excuses about witchcraft or sorcery.


    "Runner! Runner! Quickly! Quickly report what happened here to Lord Gis!" After a long moment, the commander regained some composure and shouted to the runner beside him.


    Frankly speaking, he was relying on his numerical superiority at this moment to play dirty¡ªthe enemy wouldn''t dare to counterattack due to their insufficient numbers, so he''d just bombard them slowly!


    Moreover, Gis felt that he had a sufficient supply of shells and decided to use them for reconnaissance, to probe Tang Mo''s strengths and weaknesses.


    He then gave the order, "Let those fifty field guns fire! Bombard! Wherever we suspect the enemy might be, bombard that area!"


    "At your command, sir!" The officer in charge of the artillery immediately turned to convey the order, as such matters demanded urgency.


    At this moment, Gis turned to another direction, called out to a specific officer, and instructed, "Additionally, have Baron Stela''s troops stand by! After firing 250 shells, his troops will start, initiating a probing attack!"


    Gis had his concerns despite being confident about his advantage in both the number of cannons and ammunition; he did not believe his artillery was superior.


    In the Battle of Northern Ridge, Earl Fisello had unveiled a new type of powerful cannon, which Gis knew was a product of the Great Tang Group.


    To avoid Tang Mo''s extortionate demands by deploying new cannons again, Shireck had not purchased this type of new cannon.


    They had acquired a C64 model from Suthers and studied it, but without being able to figure out the ammunition, their attempts at copying ultimately failed.


    In summary, Gis had great reservations about Tang Mo''s artillery, which is why he initially didn''t plan to concentrate his artillery to challenge the Great Tang Group''s head-on.


    Gathering the artillery now was also because the Great Tang Group had not revealed their cannons but instead used other new weapons first, which caught Gis off guard.


    According to Gis''s current plan, after several rounds of bombardment, he would immediately deploy the infantry to deprive Tang Mo of any chance to fire.


    "Boom! Boom boom!" After being silent for over a dozen minutes, Shireck''s cannons finally roared, one solid shot after another, smashing onto the nearly empty land where scarcely anyone could be seen.


    To the commanders of the Great Tang Group''s security forces, the enemy seemed to be firing wildly without any aim, merely wasting ammunition.


    One shell landed on corpses that had not been cleared in time, shattering them into pieces¡ªa ghastly and horrific sight.


    Another shell struck the flat ground, bouncing high and rolling far before coming to a stop in an empty space.


    The spot where this shell landed was at least 20 meters away from the trenches of the Great Tang Group''s security forces.


    Given the flat trajectory of field artillery shells at the time, and the use of solid shot, there was virtually no damage to the defensive fortifications of the trenches. If one were to be hit and injured in such circumstances, it could only be attributed to extremely bad luck.


    This level of misfortune was akin to walking down the street and suddenly being struck in the head by a falling object from above...


    The soldiers of the Great Tang Group''s security force, huddled in their trenches holding their weapons, were chewing on jerky without taking this level of bombardment seriously in the slightest.

 Chapter 173: Fortunately, I came.

    The soldiers didn''t take artillery fire of this magnitude too seriously, but the officers could discern something else from the scale of the bombardment.


    An officer gently tapped his fingers on the edge of the table and, during a brief lull in the bombardment, looked at his colleague and said, "That''s not a small scale, at least 50 muzzle-loading field cannons!"


    "My count is about the same, roughly 50 cannons. It seems the enemy has assembled the artillery of at least 5 legions..." another officer spoke up in agreement with his comrade''s assessment.


    "Is it worth returning fire?" the first officer turned to the artillery commander beside him and asked.


    The artillery commander nodded slightly and ordered the signal flag orderlies standing not far away, "Have the regimental artillery open fire! Serve the enemy an appetizer!"


    "You really are stingy." Another officer mocked the artillery commander, "The enemy has shown half their cannons, and you still hesitate to use the C80?"


    "They aren''t worthy!" The artillery commander scoffed disdainfully and contemptuously countered his comrades'' taunts, "Even having the regimental artillery take action is bullying them, let alone the C80. I''m afraid the C80''s blasts are so loud, they''ll scare the bastards away!"


    "Hahaha!" A group of officers burst out laughing, and amidst their laughter, the regimental artillery from two battalions deployed behind the lines, with 10 C64 breech-loading field guns on recoil mounts, roared in response.


    "Boom!" On the battlefield, the air blast from the cannon muzzle blew sand and dust into the air, which spread across the entire artillery position.


    The trajectory of these recoil guns actually wasn''t that great; technically, they fell into the category of guns with flat trajectories like cannons.


    However, Tang Mo''s C64 artillery used breechloading, with good airtightness, long range, accurate firing, and most importantly ¡ª they used shrapnel shells!


    Compared to solid shot, the explosive power of shrapnel shells was truly terrifying. Ten cannons roaring in unison held their own in momentum against the Shireck muzzle-loading cannons firing another round.


    For a time, the battlefield thundered with cannon fire, followed by dust rising and smoke columns lifting from the Shireck artillery positions.


    The shrapnel shells fell, exploded on impact with the ground, setting off the percussion fuses, and blew up across Shireck''s artillery positions.


    These shells tossed mud into the air, destroyed cannons, and claimed the lives of many unfortunate Shireck artillerymen.


    Immediately after a simultaneous volley, the advantage of Tang Mo''s artillerymen''s rapid loading became evident. While the fifty Shireck muzzle-loading field guns were still cleaning their barrels, Tang Mo''s cannons fired again.


    Smokeless powder allowed Tang Mo''s artillerymen to save a lot of time cleaning their barrels, and the new shells also made loading very convenient.


    Overall, the weapons of both sides already constituted a generational gap; under such circumstances, Shireck was naturally at a great disadvantage.


    While Shireck''s artillerymen braved intense enemy fire to prepare for their third volley, the fifth round of Great Tang Group''s shells fell on their heads.


    A shell set off the gunpowder stored next to a cannon, and the explosion instantly blew away all surrounding artillerymen and two cannons that were ready to fire.


    "Lucky I came over..." The medic took out some hemostatic powder and a pre-cut bandage from his pocket, and as he wrapped the soldier''s hand, he said while bowing his head.


    "Ah? Is it that serious?" This so-called casualty was puzzled. When he worked as a cobbler, his hand would get injured occasionally, sometimes far worse than this. Back then, he never bothered with bandages or treatment, considering such minor injuries entirely unnecessary.


    But from the medic''s attitude, it seemed that this insignificant little wound was quite serious.


    "Lucky I ran over... otherwise, it would have healed already." The medic wrapped the bandage around the soldier''s hand, panting as he spoke.


    "Pfft... Hahahaha!" A group of soldiers huddled in the trenches couldn''t hold back any longer and burst into laughter. Their laughter was unrestrained, like a bunch of children laughing on a spring outing.


    Finally, the sounds of artillery began to gradually subside. Shireck, having suffered unbearable losses, awkwardly ordered his artillery to retreat from combat.


    The Great Tang Group fired nearly a hundred shells from ten cannons at a blisteringly fast pace, teaching Shireck''s private army a lesson in humility.


    After leaving behind over three hundred corpses and the wreckage of twenty-nine cannons, Shireck''s troops retreated a kilometer backward before stopping to regroup.


    This way, Shireck''s forces were nearly decimated by a tenth, along with losing a third of their artillery...


    And they still had no idea what their opponents looked like, what weapons they had, or what other trump cards they might possess.


    What infuriated Gis the most was that his worst fears had materialized. The Great Tang Group had risen to power and was no longer an easy opponent from any angle.


    Even where he felt the gap was smallest, in terms of artillery, Shireck was no longer a match for the Great Tang Group.


    "My lord! We can''t joke with our capital! Sending soldiers to die senselessly will only lead to more trouble," Baron Stela advised Gis apprehensively.


    He didn''t want his own troops to be sacrificed senselessly, especially since he had personally witnessed the enemy''s firepower. He believed he shouldn''t have staked his entire fortune on such a futile place.


    "So what do we do then? Go apologize to Tang Mo, saying ''sorry, I took a wrong turn, didn''t mean to disturb''?" Gis clenched his fists and glared at Baron Stela as he questioned. "Since you wanted a share of the action and even brought your troops, are you still hoping to return? Do you think Leite VII will let you off the hook?"


    Mentioning this, Stela felt dizzy¡ªhe had indeed bet too early. If he had known how tough the Tang Group was, he certainly wouldn''t have joined Shireck in this conflict.


    With this thought, he sighed, a touch of resignation in his tone as he asked, "So, my lord, what do... we do now?"


    "My men will charge first! If a regiment doesn''t take it down, then it''s your turn to attack! If you can''t take it, then I''ll send another regiment up! I refuse to believe that three regiments in succession can''t break through Tang Mo''s first line of defense!" Gis gritted his teeth as he spoke.


    Hearing that his troops wouldn''t be the first to charge, Baron Stela breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it over and concluding that there was no other choice. Thus, he stood up and said, "My lord, then I shall return to my regiment to prepare."


    After Stela left the tent, Gis turned to Qiumuluo, who stood idly by, and hissed, "Aren''t you going to watch him? Dimwit!"

 Chapter 174: 172 new round of offense

    Qiumuluo stepped out of the big tent, took a couple of sniffs, and then glanced sideways at the space behind him, revealing a contemptuous smile on his face.


    The mice on a ship are the first to know when it''s going to capsize; the load-bearing walls are the first to know when a building is about to fall... Qiumuluo felt that Shireck now didn''t seem to be the same Shireck who was once worth his submission.


    Thus, he walked towards where Baron Stela''s troops were stationed, passing through camps where Shireck''s soldiers were busy with preparations for the impending battle.


    In the distance, on the ground filled with corpses and craters, most of the Great Tang Group''s soldiers were leaning against the edges of the trenches, closing their eyes to rest.


    Their training had taught them to fall asleep quickly amidst the noisy battlefield environment but also to wake up in time when needed for combat.


    These soldiers had already gotten used to such conditions, and their equipment supported them to rest comfortably in such an environment.


    Packed with underwear, socks, and blankets, their backpacks served as cushions, allowing the soldiers to lean against the edge of the trench with a relatively comfortable sleeping posture, grasping every opportunity to conserve their energy before being awoken by sentries, much like stones in the trench.


    Inside the machine gun bunkers, a few soldiers had already collected up all the spent casings scattered on the ground. These items were expensive now, and it was definitely worth it to recycle them.


    Moreover, the conditions for recycling here were really good, at least they didn''t have to pick them up one by one in the field or search all over. They were all beside the machine guns, having been ejected after firing, and had fallen to the ground, mostly in piles.


    As for the rest of the positions, they were basically in a state where not a single shot had been fired, so there was no issue of recycling bullets.


    In the rear, the food supply unit of the troops had already started cooking their meals. They built fires on concealed slopes, supported by specialized cooking wagons, and began simmering soup after processing the prepared ingredients.


    Compared to the troops of other countries in the past, Tang Mo''s unit paid far more attention to details, with much improvement¡ªit certainly helped to have existing models to emulate, making Tang Mo''s security forces seem like they came from another planet in terms of the soldiers'' experience.


    A cart full of ammunition wobbled along the road until it stopped in front of a specially concealed supply distribution point.


    The waiting soldiers swarmed it immediately, dividing up the ammunition stacked on the wagon. Two machine gun positions needed to resupply their ammo, and more ammunition had to be stockpiled at some of the forward defensive positions.


    Although the collapse of the enemy forces had been swift and the security forces of the first engagement had not expended much ammunition, they still had to prepare for the subsequent battles.


    To be prepared for a rainy day, this was the notion Tang Mo constantly instilled in his soldiers¡ªthe philosophy of the Great Tang Group was, "If I have two dollars, I will definitely not fight a one-dollar battle!"


    While these soldiers of the Great Tang Group''s security divisions were seizing the time to rest, the rhythmical sound of drums began to resonate from the opposite side.


    "The enemy has begun their attack!" A squad leader was the first to stand up, peering over the edge of the trench and then loudly shouting to his comrades nearby.


    The soldiers who heard the yell immediately got up from the bottom of the trench with agile movements and began checking the weapons they had just propped up beside themselves without a word.


    The battlefield once again fell swiftly silent, the roar of machine guns fading into the distance. The road, the embankments on either side, and even further afield in the wilderness were piled high with the bodies of Shireck soldiers...


    In some places, the bodies lay three layers deep, while in others the soil was still faintly visible. Beside the dismembered corpses, brand-new K1 Quick Guns were scattered around.


    Soon, those fearless crows returned once more, beginning to scour the gruesome battlefield, strewn with limbs and torn flesh, for their preferred sustenance.


    For them, the flesh here was fresh, not yet rotten, enough to fill their bellies, and in quantities... more than sufficient...


    In just over ten minutes, the second attempt to breach the defensive line of the Great Tang Group ended abruptly in failure. Amidst the panic, Shireck''s troops once again left behind a thousand corpses before retreating like startled birds.


    After two consecutive offensives, Shireck had lost a total of 2300 men at this location, and two legions were completely wiped out...


    By traditional standards, the forces under Gis, after losing one-fifth of their strength, were essentially no longer capable of continuing their offensive.


    But this time was an exception, as this one-fifth was not evenly spread among all units.


    Because of the devastating power of the machine guns, these losses were concentrated within the two assaulted legions, leaving the other units unscathed and thereby eliminating any notions of fear or reluctance to fight.


    This was also one of the reasons why Gis had not yet considered calling a retreat; he still had the resources for another battle, or to put it another way, he still had enough soldiers to sacrifice.


    The road west to Brunas was the only one near that led to Brunas, and now this road had become muddy.


    Blood was seeping into the soil, and corpses on the road were starting to decompose, making it almost impassable.


    If Gis wanted to bypass this road, it would require covering a distance of more than ten kilometers, heading south to take another road over the mountains.


    Letting his troops go south to explore another route would take a lot of time, but a frontal assault seemed uncertain, so Gis decided, relying on his numerical advantage, to take a two-pronged approach.


    He ordered two legions, three thousand men, to head south, and continuously commanded Baron Stela''s troops to attack, hoping to seize every second and resolve the battle before any unforeseen events occurred.


    As a cunning and deceitful Shireck leader, Gis always felt that the power behind him from the Leite Kingdom was a threat.


    He had a premonition that if his offensive were to stall, the King of Leite Kingdom would definitely intervene in the matter¡ªand most certainly side with the Great Tang Group.


    Furthermore, in his view, Northern Ridge had always sided with Great Tang, and the longer things dragged on, the more likely it was for reinforcements from Northern Ridge to arrive. Once Northern Ridge''s reinforcements came, the Great Tang Group would become even harder to deal with.


    Without time to continue clearing the bodies, another new legion, led by Baron Stela, entered the battlefield in full force.

 Chapter 175: Banter at Position 173

    ```


    "Hey! Are these lunatics not afraid of death?" a soldier from the Great Tang Group''s security troops lay on the edge of the trench, watching the Shireck soldiers press forward again, muttering with an incredibly vivid expression on his face.


    "They''ve charged twice already, and they don''t even scatter... Are they all idiots?" another soldier scoffed as he looked at the dense formations.


    They had already discussed such matters during their previous classes; once an attack is suppressed by modern weapons, one must find a way to solve the problem, rather than rigidly executing outdated tactics and wasting the lives of soldiers.


    For example, when Tang Mo hypothesized that the enemy had automatic weapons, in order to pass the exam, all soldiers had to come up with their own corresponding tactics.


    The most basic tactics included: dispersing troops, crawling forward, alternating covering fire, and using the sharpshooting rangers to continuously fire and suppress the enemy''s firepower.


    These tactics could minimize one''s own losses as much as possible and were considered passing measures.


    More reasonable tactics were to organize artillery fire coverage, trench digging to shorten the distance of the charge, and boldly interspersing using the terrain, and so on.


    Of course, regularly devising more advanced tactics, improving weapons and equipment to avoid falling behind technologically was also something Tang Mo required the students to strive for.


    Under such training, the commanders of the Great Tang Group''s troops would never resort to using outdated square formations to blindly charge the enemy''s machine-gun positions.


    These officers would not be so stubborn in their thinking, let alone charging three times in a row. They would come up with more tricks before initiating the first attack.


    One could unreservedly say that in the presence of Tang Mo''s students, the so-called famous generals of the era were almost like NPCs in a novice teaching mode, simply "greenhorns" for the taking.


    "Two consecutive attacks, at least two legions lost, and damn it, they haven''t even touched our positions... That''s really terrible," muttered a soldier from the Great Tang Group''s security troops, who hailed from a family of blacksmiths, squinting through the cracks of the weeds, watching those enemies stepping over bodies as they advanced.


    The squad leader beside him evaluated, with some speechlessness, "If this was in our squad assessment, forget passing, they wouldn''t even get thirty points, okay?"


    "Thirty points? Stop joking, did you see the test paper with thirty points last time? At least they knew to fire a couple of rounds of shelling for suppression first, right?" another soldier sneered.


    Every soldier in the trench was actually trained to be on the level of battalion or even regimental commanders, so each of them could discern something at this moment.


    In fact, this war was also a large-scale drill and assessment for them. Tang Mo once told them that, after this assessment, they would have the chance to be selected for more important tasks.


    "At least... give us a chance to have a real fight... What is this?" Behind this trench, in another trench responsible for covering the machine-gun position, the platoon leader complained anxiously.


    From the start of the battle until now, his troops had been almost entirely in hiding. In other words, the Shireck troops had been fighting up to this moment without even having a clear idea of where the core defense positions of the Great Tang Group''s troops were located.


    As a frontline commander, he very much wished that his troops, the ones he trained, would have a chance to prove themselves in such a precious battle and learn even more.


    The battle had entered a climax from the very first day, as Shireck''s 4th Corps pressed forward across the whole line, with three battalions of soldiers arrayed in a line, threateningly advancing toward the Great Tang Group''s defensive lines.


    The offensive battle started once again, but this time, after less than three minutes of machine gun fire, the troops faltered, retreating at all costs, not even daring to look back.


    This time Shireck''s troops disintegrated just as quickly as the ill-disciplined military of Baron Stela; they held on for less than five minutes before dispersing like scared birds.


    The entire corps collapsed in an instant, crying and screaming as they fled under the relentless strikes of the machine guns, quickly exiting the cover range of the guns.


    Upon regrouping at the starting point, these Shireck lost over 500 men, but the injury rate was extremely high.


    On the defensive position of the Great Tang Group''s security forces, a soldier stared dumbfounded at Shireck''s formations retreating once again like the tide, and asked in a somewhat frustrated whisper, "They... aren''t here to scam bullets, are they?"


    "Yeah! They run after a single exchange of fire?" Another soldier nodded and agreed emphatically.


    "Ha..." A soldier nearby yawned, idly wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes, saying helplessly, "I''m getting sleepy! Damn it, can''t these guys just come over so we can shoot a few?"


    For this excellent student of his class, the battle was too easy, so easy that it barely aroused his interest.


    The squad leader pointed to the protruding trench at the end of their position and said to his men, "Dream on, see the Ranger over there?"


    "Mhm, saw him, what about it?" A group of men nodded together, like children reverting to their school days when they collectively answered the teacher''s questions.


    The squad leader held up two fingers and explained seriously, "He''s only fired two shots since the battle began! Just two shots..."


    Indeed, only two shots; it couldn''t be helped, the enemy was too dense. They didn''t even get a chance to fire before most were torn apart by the machine gun bullets.


    "Standing so close and only getting to shoot twice?" Several soldiers asked incredulously.


    The squad leader pointed at the retreating Shireck soldiers, shaking his head, "Didn''t you see how each time they run, it''s smoother than before?"


    "Ha! That''s so true!" The group nodded politely, as they could indeed feel the change in the enemy.


    After all, those teams that attacked relentlessly like steel were a minority; the vast majority of Shireck''s soldiers were mere flesh and blood, unfit for fierce battles.


    While everyone was mocking Shireck''s stiffness and weakness, a man on horseback appeared on the distant horizon.


    He was a Shireck private military officer, astride a spirited warhorse, holding a white flag high with caution as he came closer and closer.


    "I am here to negotiate!" the Shireck officer shouted at the top of his lungs. "Don''t shoot! I am here to negotiate!"


    While shouting, he also waved the white flag in his hand as if afraid of being misunderstood, "I am here under the orders of Lord Gis to negotiate!"

 Chapter 176: 174 Unexpected Gains

    "If Mr. Tang Mo is willing to surrender, then Mr. Gis is willing to relinquish his position as the head of the Leite Kingdom. The entire Leite Kingdom, including the Suthers Kingdom... will be entrusted to Mr. Tang Mo," said the envoy from Shireck, seated on a tiny stool, speaking with great fervor.


    Throughout his journey, he had been profoundly shaken by the sight of the Great Tang Group''s entire position. It was because he hadn''t even seen, any clusters of soldiers!


    He hadn''t seen the few soldiers stationed in the trenches, nor had he had the chance to see the machine gun bunkers hidden on the mountainsides.


    Similarly, he hadn''t seen the artillery positions, for they had been placed much further away, after all, they had the absolute advantage in range.


    He also hadn''t seen the command post, nor had he seen the transport carts, the scurrying attendants, or anyone else; it seemed like all that stood in front of the Shireck Troops was just an empty field.


    Unfortunately, people are always more fearful of the unknown. In the face of the vast wilderness, the envoy felt the power of the Great Tang Group become even more unfathomable.


    The pity was, he hadn''t come to admire but to negotiate, so he could only say some words he himself found rather dull to the uninspiring person in front of him.


    Gis had sent him to negotiate, and of course, Tang Mo wouldn''t personally receive him. In fact, even Redman didn''t have the time to entertain an envoy of an unknown level.


    In the end, a company commander, bored out of his mind, sat in front of this Shireck envoy, listening indifferently as the other spouted some wildly fanciful words.


    The envoy finally found it meaningless as well. After ending his spiel, he just looked at the young commander and said, "All he has to do is change the name of his workshop and hand over his new technology, that''s all."


    Of course, he had no idea what the shoulder and arm badges signifying military rank on the other''s uniform meant; he was merely curious as to why the Great Tang Group would choose such an earthy color for their army''s fabric.


    Although the design of the military uniform did have an indescribable sense of sleek beauty, to tell the truth, he found the color of the material to be rather plain.


    The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. The envoy realized that after he had finished his uninterrupted speech and laid out the conditions, the other party was still silent, sitting there without saying a word.


    Sitting there bored, the company commander visualized his supply and tactical arrangements on an imagined sand table in his mind.


    When it dawned on him it might be his turn to speak, he looked at the envoy''s face and saw it had turned beet red.


    "Ah... sorry, you were saying?" The young company commander asked, his face betraying a smile that was both mocking and deliberate.


    "If Mr. Tang Mo is willing to surrender, then Mr. Gis is willing to relinquish his position as the head of the Leite Kingdom. The entire Leite Kingdom, including the Suthers Kingdom... will be entrusted to Mr. Tang Mo," the envoy had no choice but to repeat what he had just said.


    "You''ve been fighting for a day now... and haven''t even touched my Troops'' front positions. What gives you the courage to come here and spout such nonsense?" The company commander frowned and asked a question that embarrassed the envoy greatly.


    His company had more than 600 Soldiers, including artillery units and Infantry. In fact, since the fight had begun, he had a platoon held back as a reserve force.


    But let''s not even mention the reserve platoon positioned at the rear; of the two platoons deployed at the front, ninety percent of the Soldiers hadn''t gotten a chance to fire a single shot until now.


    "Quite reasonable; they have fewer soldiers, so they wouldn''t want to waste energy..." Gis nodded and then turned to his subordinates: "Arrange for some menial workers to retrieve the bodies, and tell them not to get close to the enemy''s position..."


    After finishing his instructions, he looked to the row of generals beside him: "Don''t rush. As dusk falls, we can use the cover of night, and our advantage in numbers, to hit them hard."


    This was a new tactic that Gis had come up with after much reflection, which involved using the low visibility of the night to get close and seize the Great Tang Group''s defensive positions.


    Previously, he had considered using a scattered formation to attack, but Shireck''s troops had never trained for such a tactic.


    Disrupting their battle formation, foregoing drum signals for command, and spreading personnel out for an assault would surely result in his side descending into chaos first.


    How would dispersed soldiers deal with the problem of hesitation? How could all troops be commanded effectively? How could these troops be maneuvered to respond to subsequent issues after an attack failed or succeeded?


    In short, they had no experience with dispersed attacks, and forcing the tactic would only spell trouble for themselves.


    The alternative was to use the darkness as cover to close the distance between the forces as much as possible and then try to leverage the numerical advantage to strike a blow.


    Admittedly, moving at night was untested, and mobilizing a large corps would certainly bring various difficulties, but Gis had his own ideas.


    The chaos of night was frightening, yet with Shireck''s numerical superiority, even significant losses could be withstood.


    According to Gis''s plan, even if both sides became mired in chaos, even if it cost three times the losses, he could still break through Tang Mo''s forces, even after losing two corps.


    Come dawn, the chaotic fighting would end, and his troops could use their numerical advantage to take the positions and claim victory in the battle.


    Sending the envoy to Tang Mo was also a ruse to lull him into a false sense of security, while actively preparing to launch an assault in the darkness before dawn.


    An attack just before dawn meant the darkness would soon be dispelled by sunrise, and the chaos would quickly resolve, leaving the early morning to decide the victor!


    Everything seemed to fall within his calculations; if his night attack succeeded, the battle could very well be over.


    Because Tang Mo would not have time to regroup his routed troops and deploy a second line of defense. The disadvantage in numbers did not permit Tang Mo to do so.


    To his delight, this "negotiation" trip brought him an unexpected gain: the enemy actually allowed them to clean the battlefield.


    Even if they were only allowed to collect two-thirds of the bodies, it would make the attacking path smoother.


    Once they overcame the distance that seemed nearly impossible during the day, they could throw their soldiers into the fray with minimal losses in the mix!


    "Tang Mo, oh Tang Mo, the proud are destined to fail... You''re still too young," Gis said, with a malevolent smile on his face.

 Chapter 177: 175 reluctant to part with

    "The soldiers are all in high spirits; they feel that just standing guard is quite boring and would rather take the initiative to strike at night." The battalion commander stood behind Redman, opening with a suggestion.


    It''s important to note that night is the home ground of the Great Tang Group''s security forces'' Rangers; these soldiers are all trained under the starlight of the Vicious Forest, surpassing the night-fighting level of the entire era.


    If these Rangers took the initiative to strike, it''s estimated that Shireck''s side would have to pay the price of at least 300 men just to make it through the night.


    So when the battalion commander made the suggestion, Redman was also somewhat tempted. He looked towards Tang Mo, full of anticipation, and asked, "We''re idle anyway, so should we... stir things up?"


    "Ha!" Tang Mo shook his head, "Human lives for dog lives? What a joke! Even if we lost ten men and killed Gis, I''d be at a loss!"


    "But..." Redman wanted to persuade him further.


    "There are no ''buts''!" Tang Mo interrupted, "Don''t worry! I''d rather reveal my trump card, the C80, than risk my soldiers'' lives! It''s a matter of principle!"


    "Do you know how much effort, time, and Gold Coins I spent to train all of you? What a joke! To use you for a sneak attack?" Tang Mo hadn''t even considered such a tactic.


    Night raid? Flanking? Sure. But wait till I have night vision! Wait till I can ensure no talent is lost, then we''ll talk!


    In an era where talent is urgently needed and there are gaps everywhere, to trade soldiers'' lives for victory? I, Tang Mo, can''t afford that!


    In the future, every soldier here might be dispersed to become a general of a country! Every commander here might be a famous general of the age.


    Use them sparingly. Each person here in the future is an antenna for Tang Mo to control the whole world, and he would be insane to use his precious forces for a fool from Shireck.


    In this age, where everyone values and even regards as divine the C80 field gun, Tang Mo sees it as real trash.


    After silently complaining to himself, Tang Mo didn''t know that his words had already deeply moved everyone in the command center.


    A master who is unwilling to risk the lives of his subordinates in such a situation is a rare breed nowadays. Following such a master, one''s life is worthwhile!


    "7 battalion flags, 3 regimental flags... they''re all here." A company commander crawled over at this time, presenting all the flags found on the battlefield to Tang Mo.


    These flags were stained with blood and some had bullet-riddled holes, but their colorful designs were still evident, crafted with effort.


    Tang Mo couldn''t care less about such things; he sold the sabers and flags he had captured from Tucci to Fisheo, so he had little interest in these flags.


    He glanced at them briefly and instructed all present, "From now on, don''t bother picking up such flags, command knives, gun nameplates, and the like. It''s not worth the risk."


    As everyone was once again moved, Tang Mo continued, "How''s the situation on the battlefield?"


    On this map, in addition to marking the location of their own positions, it also marked the approximate location of the enemy troops.


    Since the map had been surveyed in advance, Tang Mo''s "staff officers" had long identified the sections where the enemy might choose to encamp.


    Especially with the enemy''s large forces, it was impossible for them to avoid these convenient encampment locations and preemptively defend against Tang Mo''s attacks.


    After all, these were good campsite choices, and according to conventional wisdom, it was not likely that they could be covered by artillery fire.


    But... who could know that Tang Mo had 120mm caliber breech-loading field guns that could strike targets over 5 kilometers away?


    This was no joke; their firing range exceeded the era''s understanding and knowledge of artillery.


    Tang Mo had yet to deploy these big guns on the battlefield for the sole purpose of giving Shireck a surprise, letting the enemy truly understand the power of the god of the battlefield!


    Tomorrow morning, Tang Mo planned to bombard the enemy''s troop concentration point directly under the correction of the observation post, breaking the enemy''s remaining legions in one fell swoop and completely disabling their combat capability.


    By then, if Leite VII and that old Prime Minister didn''t make a move behind Gis, Tang Mo would have to have a serious talk with them.


    Once Leite VII made his move, Shireck would be surrounded on all sides, and Gis''s troops would become the sacrificial offering for Leite VII to clear Shireck''s influence.


    Everything would naturally fall into place, and Northern Ridge could smoothly annex and divide Shireck''s mines and manor lands, distributing another round of spoils.


    In summary, what followed was a spectacular scene of everyone sharing the cake, with Shireck being the huge cake that was devoured!


    With 15 field guns of 75mm caliber and 10 field guns of 120mm caliber... plus real shells, Tang Mo felt it was more than enough to give Xiuyi Gis a taste.


    Both men were calculating against each other, both believing themselves to be the hunter. It was just a matter of who would have the last laugh.


    Over an hour later, as the sky gradually darkened and before it was completely black, Tang Mo had the 10 field guns of 75mm caliber that had already been fired shoot a salvo to harass the enemy.


    Or rather, to mislead Shireck''s commanders: this round of firing purposefully gave the false impression of insufficient range.


    The purpose was to make the enemy complacent, believing that their ammunition storage and troop encampments were outside the coverage of the Great Tang Group''s firepower.


    "Since ancient times, true feelings couldn''t hold fast; it''s always the tricks that win hearts." Tang Mo said with a tone of compassion for the world, looking at Shireck''s encampment filled with tents and wagons in the distance, commenting softly.


    "What did you say?" Wes, who was following behind Tang Mo, didn''t catch the muttered sentence.


    "Nothing important." Tang Mo grinned and said, "Just saying goodbye to our dear Mr. Gis."

 Chapter 178: 176 Different Night Fights

    The sky gradually darkened, yet this night was destined to be sleepless for many.


    Indeed, the Northern Ridge reinforcement that Gis worried about would never appear, because Tang Mo had not sent a telegram for help to Northern Ridge at all.


    The message he sent to Alice explicitly instructed her to take advantage of the chaos and immediately take over the remaining assets of the Shireck Consortium in Northern Ridge.


    At the same time, King Leite VII received a feedback message as night fell. The message was intriguing, stating only that the Shireck private army had lost 2,000 men and still had not broken through the defenses of the Great Tang Group.


    After receiving this message, King Leite VII finally made up his mind, marshaling 4,500 soldiers, virtually deploying his entire force, led by himself, marching west along the road, ready to flank Shireck with the Great Tang Group.


    Meanwhile, in Baron Stela''s tent, the baron was packing his belongings. His troops had suffered heavy losses and did not need to participate in the night''s attack, so he was allowed to remain at his camp on standby.


    At this very moment, he was stuffing his valuables and some other assorted items into his suitcase.


    In the central area of the entire camp, Gis was not sleeping either. He sat in his place, staring blankly at the map.


    He truly did not understand why things had changed so drastically in less than a year.


    He did not know why a broken-down port called Brunas within his jurisdiction had given rise to a demon called Tang Mo, nor why this demon managed to rise as a power that even the Shireck Consortium could not control, all within less than a year.


    In fact, in the past few days, he felt the urge to smash things every day, but such times did not permit him to show such irritability in front of his subordinates.


    Therefore, he found another way to vent the frustration in his heart¡ªhe had captured several women in the territories belonging to Tang Mo on the way to seek a decisive battle with Tang Mo, and had been venting his almost collapsing psyche by abusing these women for several days.


    His subordinates became even more silent as ice, because they saw brutality and ruthlessness in Gis''s behavior, which intimidated them, making them cautious and wary.


    But the disadvantage on the battlefield made the atmosphere even more awkward. Everyone had their own ulterior motives and were half-hearted.


    As time ticked by, the moment to rally the troops finally came, and in an almost pitch-dark environment, the Shireck troops began to assemble.


    Everyone was shoving and pushing, relying only on the faint glow of the campfires to discern their positions, then these soldiers left their encampments and began inching closer to the defense line of the Great Tang Group.


    In fact, with so many people gathering at night, they had already betrayed their presence to the sentry troops of the Great Tang Group before even leaving their camp.


    Their intermittent fires and the rustling sounds could actually travel a significant distance at night.


    The Shireck camp was less than 4 kilometers away from the real battlefield, which, based on past experience, was a very appropriate distance.


    After a brief pause, a second shot rang out, and many more Shireck soldiers, who were even closer to the trenches, fell in droves.


    However, these Shireck soldiers seemed to become frenzied with fear from the slaughter, their eyes seemingly bloodshot, recklessly charging toward Great Tang Group''s defensive positions.


    "Grenades!" In the darkness, the officers, who were continuously observing the battlefield, fired their lever-action rifles swiftly while loudly ordering the soldiers beside them to employ a new method of attack.


    Following the command, a third of the Great Tang Group security troops knelt on one knee, drawing their grenades from their belts, twisting off the safety caps, and pulling the strings inside.


    Then, assuming the standard throwing posture, they threw their grenades out of the trenches with all their might.


    The Shireck soldiers charging in front of them vaguely saw objects flying out of the trenches, followed by those objects hitting the ground beside them like bricks, rolling to their feet.


    By the time they looked down to see what had fallen, those metal lumps suddenly exploded, showering countless metal fragments.


    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Those Shireck soldiers, who had never seen grenades before, were immediately engulfed in the exploding fire.


    A more intense fusillade followed, and amidst the smoke from the explosions, the Shireck soldiers, deafened by the blasts, staggered to their feet like drunkards, only to be hit by the subsequent bullets and collapse onto the corpses beneath them.


    Everyone was stunned by the hellish scene in front of them; they thought that facing machine gun fire during the day was hell, but now they realized the true horror unfolded at night!


    Under the ghastly white glow, the spilt blood appeared even more vivid, mingling with the splashed droplets and the rolling smoke from explosions, lending the entire battlefield an utterly macabre beauty.


    If it were possible, setting up a camera here would capture montages filled with such grotesque grandeur. Add to it some slow motion and filters, and the footage would be so beautiful it would bring people to tears.


    Just as all of Shireck''s soldiers were in despair, the sun-like glow behind Great Tang Group''s defensive lines finally began to dim and slowly descended towards the ground.


    The surrounding area swiftly returned to darkness, and that damned light which had exposed everyone was finally gone!


    At that moment, all of Shireck''s soldiers were invigorated, excitedly getting up from the ground and moving forward again.


    They wanted revenge, to charge over and teach those damned opponents a lesson, to catch those damned individuals and hang them from the trees!


    These thoughts filled their heads, driving Shireck''s soldiers to charge forward recklessly. They had lost all reason, and their anger and frustration made them forget their fear.


    As the darkness returned in an instant, Shireck''s soldiers seemed to see hope, as if they had already grasped the arm of victory.


    But just as they stood up, determined to charge forward, another flare exploded in the sky, returning everything to how it was a minute before.


    "Ratatatat!" The machine gun fire continued, the dense rifle shots continued, the explosions of grenades continued, the splattering blood continued, the falling soldiers continued...

 Chapter 179: 177 A Night of Wild Dancing

    Qiumuluo had previously joined the troops in their assault because Gis promised him many slaves should Shireck be victorious.


    However, when Qiumuluo, the corpulent human trafficker with his fat ears, saw the flames from the grenade explosions in the dim corner, illuminated by the flare''s light, he was thoroughly frightened.


    He quietly retreated, taking a few of his trusted associates with him and slipped away from the battlefield under cover of darkness, ready to rush off after grabbing the luggage he had prepared.


    As he was fleeing, a stray bullet hit his arm. It was purely luck that got him hit.


    Even so, due to the darkness, it was unclear whether the bullet had been fired by Tang Mo''s troops or Gis''s.


    Indeed, the mentally shattered troops of Shireck couldn''t hold on any longer. They fired wildly, even turning their guns on the commanders who were preventing their retreat.


    In the chaos, bullets flew everywhere, and the utterly irrational people, like wild beasts, slaughtered each other in a frenzy.


    Not the enemy, but their own! The darkness and chaos sent the undisciplined troops of Shireck into utter disarray.


    Night combat in this era was something that all the great commanders tried desperately to avoid, as most militaries in fact lacked the ability to fight at night.


    And the Shireck troops, foolishly relying on their numbers hoping to gain an advantage in the melee, plunged into the abyss of collapse due to their very numbers.


    The densely packed crowd trampled each other, mixing screams and gunfire; some soldiers, in their haste to retreat, stabbed with their bayonets the unsuspecting comrades behind them.


    The reserve troops who hadn''t yet joined the fight were unaware of what was happening until they were scattered by the retreating troops.


    The officers responsible for maintaining discipline were shot dead by their own men, and those officers who took advantage of the chaos to run were then shot dead by the troops enforcing the retreat from behind.


    In this immense chaos, the deep rumble of cannon fire rolled in from the darkness. The 75mm field guns of the Great Tang Group security troops fired, their shells falling like rain in the darkness, then sparking blindingly in the night.


    The Shireck soldiers huddled together in retreat were immediately sent reeling by these terrifying explosions, making their rout even more complete.


    No one harbored illusions of counterattacking or continuing the fight anymore; all were chilled to the bone, with a single thought lingering in their minds, "Flee! Flee at all costs!"


    The machine guns of the Great Tang Group roared relentlessly, their bullets as dense and lethal as ever. These huddled Shireck soldiers became the perfect shooting targets.


    Only when the enemy had totally collapsed, retreated more than a hundred meters, and left hundreds of bodies behind, did the Maxim machine guns of the Great Tang Group cease fire.


    They had to stop¡ªthe continuous firing had boiled the cooling water in the water jackets around the barrels.


    The cooling water, nearly boiling, lost its ability to cool the barrels, so the gunners and assistant gunners, concerned about potential machine gun malfunctions, had to stop shooting to replace the water.


    However, changing cooling water under such lighting conditions was no easy task, so the Maxim guns ceased their fire, leaving only the sound of the Kar98K rifles on the field.


    Clearly, he had never heard these artillery sounds before. In the not-so-quiet night, the sound of this new type of cannon, obviously of a larger caliber and with heavier shells, mixed with the familiar sound of the 75mm field artillery he was accustomed to, pounding his heart over and over again.


    An artillery shell fell not far behind a tent, then exploded, lifting a blaze so immense that even Gis felt a chill.


    The horrifying explosion devoured the tent, even flinging the people inside into the air. In an instant, sand and stones flew everywhere, striking people''s faces and inflicting intense, palpable pain.


    Even in Gis''s mind, a term called "earth-shattering" emerged ¡ª before him, the world was indeed turned upside down.


    The loud explosion from the blast made his ears ring; the blast wave blew so strong he couldn''t open his eyes; his hair was messed up beyond recognition.


    For him, the mood this night was like a roller coaster ride: the first half of the night he plotted an attack that seemed certain to win with great anticipation, the later half was filled with expectation, now it was despair and collapse.


    Dawn had arrived, and according to his plan, Shireck''s troops should have already breached the enemy''s lines by now.


    But now, his troops were being attacked by a type of large-caliber cannon he had never seen before, and even his own camp could no longer be held.


    Explosions everywhere, bodies tumbling chaos, screams of agony, and the smell of gunpowder that drives one to despair.


    "Sir! It is no longer safe here! We should retreat," advised a Shireck officer, who had finally found Gis.


    "You go, take your men and retreat quickly... Leave the wounded and scattered forces, just go! Hurry up and leave!" Gis looked at him, commanding with a tone of despair.


    The officer was stunned for a moment, then nodded slightly, and immediately returned to the muddled crowd, disappearing from view.


    The number of guards around Gis seemed to have diminished, many were scattered, and some took advantage of the confusion to leave, never to return.


    After a brief silence, the second round of artillery began. 10 massive shells fell within the camp, lifting many tents and blowing many people away once more.


    This time no shell dropped near Gis, but those explosions farther off, which blasted away many limbs and body parts, seemed even more despair-inducing.


    With a wooden expression, Gis walked to the edge of his now chaotic tent, looking at the collapsed tent and the scattered maps and other items on the ground, his mouth filled with bitterness.


    He grabbed a stool from the ground, dragged it to an open space, and sat down with a slump. He just sat there, waiting until the shelling from the Great Tang Group ceased, until the entire camp was no longer in chaos.


    The air was filled with the smell of blood; soldiers'' corpses were scattered everywhere. Behind Gis, several naked women lay on the ground, long silent.


    The wounded groaned in agony, while some soldiers gathered to clean up the scattered supplies.


    The losses had not yet been tallied, but everyone knew that in this battle... Shireck had utterly failed.


    -----


    These two updates were for yesterday, and today''s updates will be posted later.

 Chapter 180: 178 talking nonsense with a straight face

    Finally, Gis stood up, dusting off the dirt on his body, and looked towards the several guards surrounding him, "Let''s go! Let''s go see our miracle boy."


    The guards were clearly startled upon hearing Gis''s words, then began to look for his expensive and exquisitely crafted carriage.


    However, their journey was thwarted when they found that the carriage had been hijacked. According to the people around, it was taken by a burly man with a scarred face who had even fired a gun, and he was all covered in blood.


    Obviously, within the camp, only Qiumuluo matched that description. As for the fact that the man was covered in blood... well, Gis felt that it didn''t matter much.


    After all, whether Qiumuluo was dead or alive was of no concern to him. His current priority was meeting with Tang Mo and having a good talk with him.


    Hence he walked over to a war horse, mounted it swiftly, and bolted out of the barracks with the lead. Several guards rode after him; one held high a white flag and frantically followed behind Gis.


    The dreadful machine gun was silent, and the Great Tang Group''s position was quiet. Eventually, Gis made it through the defenses and arrived at a clearing under the escort of several Rangers.


    Two Rangers from the Great Tang Group''s security force placed some stools on the ground and then stepped aside.


    And Gis''s entourage? They were kept more than a hundred meters away, so far out that even their revolvers had been confiscated.


    Dozens of guns were pointed at them, which made them quite uncomfortable. But under someone else''s roof, one must bow their head; they didn''t have the guts to voice any objections.


    Tang Mo walked up to Gis with Wes, and Gis, struggling to save face, stared at Wes and asked, "My people are under control, but why can you bring a companion?"


    In reality, Gis too knew that Shireck''s credibility was bankrupt. The moment he resorted to underhanded tactics intending to take over Great Tang Group, the trust had utterly collapsed.


    The level of trust between them was zero, even negative, so any further cooperation or negotiation was impossible. That was an evident fact.


    "That''s a fair point." So, after staring at Tang Mo for quite some time, Gis let it go. He exhaled deeply and continued to inquire, "Now, can you tell me about your advanced weapons?"


    "Which ones do you want to hear about?" Tang Mo was not reticent, asking directly.


    "All of it, from the beginning," Gis''s eyes brightened, and he replied openly.


    Tang Mo began to recount as if remembering his past, "I first came across a formula, for thunder mercury... You all must also be aware of it now."


    However, Wes, who knew him, was aware that the more Tang Mo spoke in such moments, the less truth came out of his mouth.


    Gis nodded slightly. Shireck had already obtained the recipe for thunder mercury from the Augustin Family, "I''m aware of that."


    Tang Mo then continued his narrative, "Then I thought, since this thing could act as a simple ignition device, why not develop a more reliable rifle?"


    He vividly described the process of improving thunder mercury and developing the paper cartridge ammunition and related weaponry, "I experimented and improved, and finally came up with a brand new weapon, the K1 Quick Gun! You know about this, too."


    "Yes, we are also aware of the K1 Quick Gun," Gis admitted, having speculated about Tang Mo''s development process before. Tang Mo''s account barely differed from his speculations.

 Chapter 181: 178 talking nonsense with a straight face_2

    This further solidified his belief in his own speculation and increasingly regarded Tang Mo as a genius the likes of which the world had never seen.


    Tang Mo continued to boast without mentioning his biggest secret, the computer database full of solid information in his mind, "But I never stopped moving forward. The world before me opened up, and all those things that I couldn''t figure out before, I''ve now understood."


    He spoke with such righteousness, as if he truly developed everything on his own, which captivated Gis completely.


    Sure enough, Gis''s curiosity was piqued even more, and he couldn''t wait to urge for more, "Let''s hear it."


    "If paper cartridge guns and the K1 Quick Gun are feasible, then what about metal cartridges? Are they reasonable? Assume boldly, then verify! That''s always been my approach!" Tang Mo continued to spout fantastical nonsense with such genuine enthusiasm that he almost believed himself.


    Gis listened with unwavering conviction, nodding and asking questions, "But how do you deal with the residue from black gunpowder?"


    "That''s why I started experimenting, relying on the technique of experimenting with mercury fulminate. I was lucky, so I managed to invent almost residue-free smokeless powder," Tang Mo narrated vividly his risky experiments with special formulas in the lab, even saying he almost blew his fingers off.


    "Ha..." Gis even chuckled, completely engrossed in the fascinating world Tang Mo depicted.


    Then Tang Mo, without any reservations, went on, "With smokeless powder and primers, I began experimenting with metal cartridges. With this invention, high-speed loading of weapons became possible, and so the rate of fire for individual firearms could be further increased."


    "After that, Mathews and I discussed whether we could develop automatic loading rapid-fire weapons with the support of metal cartridges." Then, to add credibility to his words, Tang Mo even mentioned a person Gis would definitely have investigated.


    "It really is Mathews..." Indeed, Gis had an epiphany, followed by a remorseful sigh. Up until now, Gis believed everything Tang Mo said was reasonable, was true...


    Yet Wes knew that Tang Mo was talking nonsense, because when Tang Mo invented the Revolver, Mathews was still a Dwarf drunkard in Northern Ridge!


    Moreover, Wes knew that Mathews completely considered himself a disciple of Tang Mo, always addressing Tang Mo as his master on regular days. Such a Dwarf seemed more like a worker, not at all like a partner...


    But he couldn''t possibly stop Tang Mo from talking nonsense, so Tang Mo continued to ramble on, "Then, we designed several brand-new weapons, including the K3 rifle that used metal cartridges, the automatic G1 machine gun..."


    "And... what about cannons?" Gis asked this question with a persistent sense that something was off.


    But Tang Mo immediately answered his question, fortifying Gis''s sense that something wasn''t right, "With the ignition mechanism in place, why not invent a fuse that would detonate upon impact, to be used on shells?"


    "You''re truly a genius," Gis said dubiously, continuing to ponder what exactly was off.


    "I know that," Tang Mo shamelessly accepted the praise, then went on, "Then, using the loading principle of the rifle, I invented breech-loading cannons. They have a longer range and load faster than your Shireck muzzle-loading guns..."


    Wes who stood behind Tang Mo had already drawn the Left-Wheel Handgun from his pocket and casually pointed it at Gis.


    "Would you be willing to tell me where Qiumuluo is?" Tang Mo, as if having remembered something, asked while standing up.


    However, Gis did not answer Tang Mo''s question but continued to interrogate, "We are both not good people, so why do you want to kill me?"


    "You might not understand... it''s just because, I find you annoying!" Tang Mo smiled, pushing Gis to the brink of collapse.


    He lunged at Tang Mo, trying to grab Tang Mo''s collar: "You..."


    "Bang!" The gunshot rang out, echoing across the wilderness.


    Gis watched in disbelief as a pool of blood rapidly expanded on his chest. He staggered forward yet another step, but his reaching hand began to feel as heavy as lead.


    "Shireck... won''t let this go..." Gis swayed as he threatened Tang Mo.


    "If they don''t come looking for trouble, then they can count their blessings! Those people will be praying every day that I''m in a good mood and not in the mood to utterly annihilate them!" Tang Mo said coldly, staring at Gis who had fallen to his knees.


    The latter could no longer hear what he was saying; he was just hanging on to his last breath, unwilling to die just yet.


    Tang Mo walked away without looking back while Wes stepped forward to finish with two more shots, neat and clean. The crackling gunfire in the distance also gradually ceased.


    Gis and his followers had all been shot dead, not a single one had escaped. They, so full of sin, had truly never imagined that they would die so easily in this desolate wilderness...


    At the same time, the defeated Shireck private military found that the road they were retreating on was blocked by an army carrying the flag of the Leite Kingdom.


    "What''s our next move?" Wes caught up with the departing Tang Mo, and while slipping the Left-Wheel Handgun back into his pocket, he asked curiously.


    "Follow the original agreement, take what belongs to us..." Tang Mo said while continuing to walk, "Send someone to find Qiumuluo... Someone claimed to have seen him in Gis''s camp! He still owes me a debt!"


    "Yes, Master!" Wes nodded slightly, then turned back to look at Gis''s kneeling corpse...


    --------


    Here''s a 4,000-word mega-chapter for you, asking for your monthly tickets, rewards, subscriptions, and favorites...

 Chapter 182: Hello from Silver Fox Company #179

    In the opulent ballroom, scantily clad women were everywhere, while men enjoyed themselves among these women, filling the air with laughter.


    It seemed as though they were completely unaware of the battle of Brunas that had just ended a week ago, nor did they know that the war, due to the emergence of automatic weapons, had easily slaughtered thousands of soldiers within a matter of hours.


    What they were even more ignorant of was that howitzers had come to dominate warfare and the world was now in turmoil.


    People here were still indulged in luxury and lived their lives in a drunken stupor. Everything outside the window seemed to have nothing to do with them; they only cared about their purses and how to undress women tonight.


    The candles flickered, casting a sickly light as it reflected off the dazzling glass. Some men and women couldn''t wait to misbehave in the corners, while others continued to cheer with their glasses raised towards the women who were dancing provocatively and screaming.


    This was the largest ballroom within King City of the Leite Kingdom, and the place where men most wanted to be. However, only the truly powerful and wealthy merchants could enter here.


    Because the man who ran this place had an incomparable background.


    "Yesterday, some guy claiming to be from the Black Iron Company actually had the nerve to come here, talking about a partnership... I don''t know how someone so deranged could exist in King City," said a well-dressed man, sitting down on the long sofa with his drink in hand.


    On the other side of the sofa sat a man with a large mustache, wearing even more expensive attire and hugging a seductive-looking woman.


    That man sneered and mockingly said to his men, "Are you talking about those fools from the countryside? They don''t understand the rules here, nor do they know who really calls the shots! Hahahaha!"


    "Hahahaha!" His remarks elicited a wave of mockery, and the influential men and women all sneered and laughed.


    "You can''t say it like that, Mr. Woodrow. They are very rich, buying up almost everything in the King City, and... they also sell many good items, and have set up an interesting casino outside the city," said a man, while reminding the gang leader sitting at the head, Mr. Woodrow, and pouring himself more red wine.


    There were some things he didn''t finish saying, because the other party was equally powerful and seemed to have a formidable background, so he only said half of what he meant.


    "I already know what you''re talking about! I''ve sent people to smash that casino! Those who don''t follow the rules must be taught a lesson!" Woodrow said, shaking his drink with a dark expression, his tone unfriendly.


    As he spoke, he angrily squeezed the woman in his arms. His actions clearly hurt her, but she didn''t dare struggle, instead letting him do as he pleased with her body.


    After all, the man holding her was Woodrow, the leader of the largest gang in the Leite Kingdom, the man who reigned over the kingdom''s underworld at night.


    Most of the kingdom''s casinos and brothels were under his control, and his income could be described as enormous. Had it not been for the recent upheaval in Brunas, he would be making even more.


    Moreover, he had countless underlings and controlled all the kingdom''s underground business dealings, and even had business associations with many nobles, so everyone held a degree of fear towards him.


    "Bang!" The pistol gave a crisp report as a bullet neatly penetrated Woodrow''s forehead. The bullet then shattered inside his skull, burst through the back of his brain, and sent brain matter and blood flying, spattering the sofa back behind Woodrow.


    As if ensuring Woodrow was undeniably dead, the middle-aged man kept pulling the trigger, one gunshot after another reverberated through the entire ballroom, "Bang! Bang!"


    Aside from the first shot that went through Woodrow''s forehead, the second and the third bullets pierced his heart and lung, respectively. Even in the 21st century, such a triple-shot at the hospital''s doorstep would leave no hope for survival.


    The music in the hall came to an abrupt halt, leaving only chaos. Eventually, someone snapped to their senses, and the first scream rose, "Quick! Stop him! He''s killed Mr. Woodrow!"


    At that moment, Woodrow was slowly collapsing back onto the sofa, sitting back, his eyes fixated on the ceiling''s ornate carvings.


    "Damn it! Someone, kill him!" A portly businessman who had just sneered now shielded himself with a woman in front of him, screaming at the top of his lungs.


    Along with the fat man''s cries, the ballroom''s doors were violently kicked open from the outside. A troop of burly men wielding lever-action rifles broke through two of Woodrow''s men, smashing the stock of a rifle into the face of a man trying to flee.


    "Bang! This is Silver Fox Company''s gift to everyone!" With a wave of his hand, he blew the head off the fat businessman, and the middle-aged man sat down next to Woodrow''s corpse, self-assuredly picking up a glass marked with lipstick, and turned to the beauty on the other side of the corpse, "Do you mind?"


    The woman shook her head frantically, and the middle-aged man grinned, raising his glass and taking a sip, "From now on, this will be Silver Fox Company''s property! Who''s in favor? Who''s opposed?"


    "Bang!" One of Woodrow''s men attempted resistance only to be shot down by a burly man and collapsed in the middle of the dance floor.


    "Bang!" Another of Woodraw''s men had just reached for his flintlock pistol at his waist when he was shot by a bald man wielding a Left-Wheel Handgun, struggling before slumping into a booth.


    Finally, someone realized the opposition''s authority greatly exceeded theirs, "They''ve got guns! And they''re much more advanced than Shireck''s flintlocks! Damn it!"


    "Don''t shoot! I''m just here to dance!" Then, pleas for mercy sounded, as some traders hiding behind sofas quickly declared their neutrality, shouting out their stance.


    "Ah! Stop shooting!" Women too crouched down, clutching their heads, and screamed hysterically, "Help!"


    "You''ve killed Mr. Woodrow! Have you gone mad? Do you know whom he belonged to? You''ll soon know the consequences! You''ll be hanged in the dungeons, your families will be killed, your daughters..." A man pinned on the floor tried to threaten desperately, seeking to scramble for a way out.


    Unfortunately, his words were cut short as he was shot dead on the floor.


    "Mr. Woodrow is the nephew of the Kingdom''s Minister of Finance! You''re in trouble now." The man who had been speaking with Woodrow glanced at the middle-aged man sitting by Woodrow''s corpse, voicing a warning.


    "No, we never court trouble; we''re just here to do business." The middle-aged man held up his glass and drained the remaining wine in one gulp.

 Chapter 183: 180 step aside

    In the estate of the Minister of Finance of the Kingdom, a woman sat opposite the old Minister of Finance, crying and wailing, "He is your nephew! How could he be killed so carelessly?"


    "I''ve already written to my acquaintances in the City Defense Forces. At times like this, that''s all I can really do."


    "But you are the Minister of Finance! And moreover... others may not know, but Woodrow, Woodrow is your..." The woman wept so pitifully that even the old minister felt a twinge of compassion.


    People always have their collections. For a man who is successful in business and wealthy, collecting things destined to be out of the reach of others gives them a sense of accomplishment.


    And thus, he took a fancy to a pair of twins, identical twin sisters, and quite beautiful at that. First, he married the older sister to make her his wife, then he used every trick in the book to keep the younger sister on the side as his mistress.


    At his proudest moment, he even indulged in the outrageous act of having both sisters share his bed at the same time, and they each bore him children. To his slight regret, his wife gave birth to two daughters, while his mistress, the younger sister, gave birth to a son!


    This matter was no longer a secret in the nobility circle; many were aware that the Minister of Finance had an illegitimate son.


    At that time, the Minister of Finance was an important pawn bought by the Shireck Consortium, and he was also on good terms with Xiuyi Jisi. His deep affiliation with Shireck Consortium was well known; naturally, he was one of the Kingdom''s key supporters of the Consortium.


    Unfortunately, his recent days had not been too good, as Shireck Consortium''s influence within the Leite Kingdom had fallen to dangerously low levels.


    Initially, it was he and Gis who spearheaded the failed plan to betray Northern Ridge, resulting in significant losses for the Kingdom, and the King started to grow annoyed with him.


    Whilst riding on Shireck''s influence, even if the King was displeased with him, it wouldn''t have been too dangerous, but then Shireck gave away nearly half the Kingdom''s interests in a feigned cooperation with the Great Tang Group.


    This further diminished Shireck Consortium''s influence within the Kingdom to the point where his position as Minister of Finance began to waver.


    Over the past week, he''d fallen completely on the defensive. He heard that Shireck''s private army had been defeated in Brunas, losing tens of thousands of men.


    Shireck''s power within the Leite Kingdom had been nearly swept clean, and he, who had ascended to the position of Minister of Finance by relying on Shireck, had naturally become precarious.


    If it weren''t for anything special, he had been exceptionally cautious lately, fearing the King would make a move against him.


    But when it rains, it pours; just when he least wanted trouble and was intent on laying low, his illegitimate son was slaughtered...


    Within King City, who wouldn''t give the Minister of Finance some respect? Who would dare touch Woodrow?


    Since he had only that one son, the old Minister of Finance, in such a time, wrote to the City Defense Forces, demanding that the murderer be severely punished.


    What infuriated him was that he knew very well that the murderer hadn''t even been caught yet, he was still out there, living in comfort...


    And as he listened to her restrained weeping, the Minister of Finance grew increasingly irritated. He wanted to scold her, yet he didn''t know where to start.


    After all, that was his son, and his only son at that! Even though the boy was illegitimate, his death pained him deeply.


    In normal times, he would have been furious, seeking the murderers, demanding Shireck track down the scoundrels responsible and ensuring their entire families paid dearly.


    But now, the Shireck forces within King City were too preoccupied to care, and he himself was like a clay Buddha crossing a river¡ªhardly able to save himself, much less deal with matters concerning Woodrow.


    Just then, the door was pushed open from outside, and an old butler entered, bowed slightly and reported, "Master... The Prime Minister is here to see you."


    "Quick! Please bring him in!" The Minister of Finance stood up excitedly, a smile spreading across his face. He knew that the Prime Minister and the King were aligned. The Prime Minister''s visit was clearly a sign of the King''s will.


    After saying this, he turned to his mistress and said, "Once I''ve sorted things out here, dealing with Woodrow''s affair will be simple! As long as my position is secure, I won''t let any of those bastards who touched Woodrow off hook!"


    The woman, still in tears, finally managed to compose herself somewhat, looking at the Minister of Finance with tearful eyes. She wanted to speak but hesitated, ultimately leaving the reception room through another door.


    Not long after she left, the Prime Minister and a middle-aged man came in. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the two of them took their seats.


    Both seasoned and shrewd, they started with a whole lot of meaningless small talk, even touching upon the tax reforms in the Suthers Kingdom.


    Beaten in war, the Suthers Kingdom began reforming itself, buying advanced weapons from the Great Tang Group for their military and instructing Sir Romel, a rising star of the Kingdom, to train new troops; while internally, they reformed their governance and tax laws, launching a series of development plans with the support of the Prime Minister.


    As a neighboring state, the Leite Kingdom was watching closely, and lately, Leite VII had been frequently summoning ministers, hoping to find a response of their own.


    In the course of the conversation, the Prime Minister brought up a person. This individual played a crucial role in the reforms of the Suthers Kingdom and was exceptionally young¡ªa young prodigy so fresh that there was scarcely any information about him in the Leite Kingdom.


    To the Leite Kingdom, it seemed as though this young man had descended out of nowhere into the Suthers Kingdom; in just over a month, he had gained remarkable momentum, almost ready to move from general to chancellor.


    Moreover, there were rumors that this young man had formed a romantic relationship with the granddaughter of the Suthers Prime Minister, even engaging in talks of marriage.


    The Suthers Prime Minister was very fond of this young man and supported him politically, grooming him as his successor...


    Suddenly, the old Prime Minister even began to lament, mentioning how the Leite Kingdom had a young man named Tang Mo, while Suthers had its own promising youth. It seemed to him that he, an old man, could no longer keep up with the times.


    The Minister of Finance also sighed and then offered words of comfort. The two men, far from young, together bore a sense of being left behind by the times.


    ----------


    Yesterday was supposed to be four updates, but again it didn''t pass the review... The description of the ballroom went overboard... Hahaha

 Chapter 184: 181 is indeed the case.

    Finally, after beating around the bush for a while, he spoke with a heavy heart about the matter at hand, "Sir, I presume you have come this time to entrust me with an issue. The times have changed; I''ve heard about the Shireck Consortium. I had no choice in the past, but now... I still really want to do something for the Kingdom."


    Hearing the other party take the lead, the Prime Minister stopped discussing the political reforms of the neighboring country and, with a melancholy shake of his head, said, "Franklin, Franklin... my dear Franklin... I know you are a good man."


    "Sir..." Sensing the old Prime Minister''s emotion, the Minister of Finance watched him nervously and called out with a mix of feelings.


    The old Prime Minister waved his hand as if filled with regret and sighed deeply before continuing, "Actually, the King gave you a chance... I remember it was a year ago; you passed up the opportunity then."


    "But..." Hearing the old Prime Minister say this, the Minister of Finance, Franklin''s heart sank. He knew things might be going badly, but he wasn''t quite ready to accept it.


    He wanted to salvage the situation or offer some sort of defense, but it was clear that the other party had no intention of giving him the chance.


    All the old Prime Minister said was, "There are no ''buts'', Franklin... The King needs you in your current position; this decision is final."


    When he represented the King in negotiations with Tang Mo, he had already promised Tang Mo the position of Minister of Finance for the Kingdom.


    From that moment on, the fate of the Minister of Finance''s role was no longer in the hands of Franklin, who sat in that position.


    If Tang Mo won, then the position belonged to Tang Mo. If Tang Mo lost, it would belong to Shireck, which meant Franklin would keep it.


    Unfortunately, Tang Mo was victorious, crushing Shireck and claiming everything the Kingdom had promised him.


    The Minister of Finance, Franklin, suddenly stood up from his chair, suppressing his anger as he roared in a low voice, "What? How could you, without even telling me, replace me from the position of Minister of Finance?"


    The Prime Minister looked helplessly at the agitated Minister of Finance and said, word by word, "I am here to notify you. Tomorrow, a new Minister of Finance will take over your duties. What you need to do is cooperate with his work."


    "You must be joking!" The Minister of Finance, unwilling to believe this reality, fell back into his chair as if about to collapse and shook his head deluding himself.


    The Prime Minister shattered his illusions, directly and sternly warning Franklin, who was calculating how to preserve his position: "No joke, Franklin! If you are unwilling to gracefully vacate your position, then the King will use disgraceful means to ruin your reputation."


    "You know that Shireck no longer has the power to threaten me! I can obey the King! I can follow your orders!" The Minister of Finance tried to struggle in desperation, hoping to find a glimmer of hope by siding with the King.


    "The decision has been made, Franklin! You must relinquish your position; it''s irrevocable." The old Prime Minister shook his head, ruthlessly rejecting the Minister of Finance''s plea to join him.


    The Minister of Finance, cornered and enraged, flew into a rage, slamming his hand on the table as he shouted loudly, "This is not fair! I have given so much to the Kingdom! When you needed Shireck, I was always there for you..."


    Before Franklin could say anything else, the old Prime Minister intervened, "Franklin... leave this place."


    "My lord..." Franklin began with a bitter voice, seemingly wanting to say more. However, in the end, he lacked the courage to continue.


    "Leave," the old Prime Minister stood up and walked towards the door, seemingly addressing his accompanying middle-aged man, but equally, it could have been meant for the standing still Franklin.


    "I understand..." Eventually, Franklin was defeated, his head drooping as he said softly.


    The middle-aged man glanced at him and, while speaking, followed the Prime Minister out, "Finish the handover work tonight! I don''t have that much patience!"


    The Prime Minister paused, turned to instruct the middle-aged man, "Let''s go! He is the Minister of Finance after all; the Kingdom''s dignity still matters."


    The middle-aged man immediately flashed a smile, bowed slightly, and obsequiously flattered the Prime Minister, "Of course, the future business of the Silver Fox Company in King City will entirely depend on Your Excellency the Prime Minister."


    "By the way, did Lord Tang Mo just generously give up the position of the Minister of Finance to a confidant?" The Prime Minister, about to board his carriage, turned to ask the middle-aged man assisting him.


    The middle-aged man immediately explained with a smile, "Minister Simon is quite capable, and the master trusts him immensely."


    He had thought his master should personally take up the position of the Kingdom''s Minister of Finance, but who could have expected that Simon, a mere tax officer from Brunas who had just pledged allegiance to Tang Mo, would be so fortunate?


    Tang Mo did indeed grant this position to an old tax officer, and let this elder take over quite a few properties in King City.


    The Prime Minister looked at the middle-aged man, who acted decisively and was very competent, and praised him, "You''re doing well; you must be one of Tang Mo''s trusted ones, right?"


    The middle-aged man immediately said with a laugh, "Your Excellency jests; I''m just a nobody. Anything I have achieved today is solely because of my master''s appreciation and nurturing."


    He wasn''t speaking out of modesty, for within Tang Mo''s system, personnel like him from the lowest ranks of the Silver Fox Tavern did not count as confidants.


    In Tang Mo''s system, the core consisted of graduates from the Tang Army Military Academy. Next were those gifted individuals who had supplemented their education at night school to learn Tang Mo''s doctrines. Only then did it come to side branches that learned on their own from the manuals¡ªwith this middle-aged man being of the third type.


    When the Prime Minister heard him say this, he burst into a laugh, "Hahaha! The more I hear it, the more I think Lord Tang Mo is a matchless hero."


    "Indeed he is," the middle-aged man did not hide his admiration.


    "Hm? Hahaha! Well said!" The Prime Minister was momentarily taken aback but then continued to laugh heartily.

 Chapter 185: 182 New Ship New Classroom

    Brunas, the open sea.


    Atop the mast of a sailboat, a young sailor squinted his eyes, watching the billowing black smoke on the sea''s surface.


    He did not know what it was, just that it was also moving forward, and at a speed much faster than their ship.


    Because the black smoke was advancing in the direction of their sailboat, and the source of the black smoke was moving rapidly forward, much faster than the sailboat he was on.


    The Flying Fish sailboat was an infamous swift vessel around here, designed to outpace pirates with its speed, ensuring the safety of the cargo.


    Therefore, this cargo sailboat was renowned for its speed, nearing 30 kilometers per hour! But in front of that tumbling black smoke, the speed of this sailboat seemed somewhat insignificant.


    Recently, among sailors, a legend had been circulating that near the port of Brunas, a monster had been seen. Its speed surpassed the fastest warship, and no one had ever seen the true face of that monster.


    It was said that any sailboats that had seen the monster were sunk by it, and the sailors were eaten. So, that black-smoke-emitting monster always appeared and disappeared mysteriously, causing much concern among many.


    The official authorities at the port of Brunas were even alarmed, dispatching two armed merchant ships to patrol the sea where the monster appeared, warning approaching merchant vessels to leave quickly.


    But because the ocean was so vast, there were always passing merchant ships that slipped through, seeing the billowing smoke on the ocean surface but unable to catch up with the owner of the black smoke.


    The sailors who could navigate the oceans had more or less an adventurous spirit. Many times, they really wanted to see this mysterious, never-before-seen "monster."


    And at this very moment, the sailors on the monster, or rather the sailors aboard the Great Tang Group''s first steam-powered ironclad warship, were operating the most powerful warship in the world, cutting through the churning waves.


    Their warship was sailing on the ocean, with two chimneys emitting pitch-black smoke. Seagulls circled the bow, and the wooden deck reflected a warm glow under the sunlight.


    A slave sailor from the Poplar Kingdom, who had regained his status as a civilian, wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking out towards the distant sea''s surface.


    Life on this ship was truly blissful. They had warm water to drink, plenty of vegetables, and even combat was much more relaxed and leisurely than on other warships.


    After all, naval battles were still divided into boarding actions and cannon duels. And whether it was boarding or firing cannons, the Great Tang Group''s steam-powered ironclads clearly crushed the entire era''s existence.


    First of all, in cannon combat, these warships featured entirely enclosed gun turrets, with all gun positions safely under the protection of steel plates, obviously much safer than those wooden hulls.


    Soldiers fighting in this environment naturally became more composed; they could focus more on aiming and firing, rather than observing their surroundings.


    And in boarding combat, if a wooden sailboat ever got close to an ironclad, it would face the furious strafing of twin Maxim heavy machine guns...


    An enemy sailor who could withstand such firepower and board for combat would probably have to be a T800-level terrifying existence.


    This man, who had regained his civilian status, now knew there were so many beautiful scenes in this world, and there were so many advanced and bizarre things.


    In short, this was a huge modern warship, as well as a modern school, and every sailor aboard was also a high-tech talent with limitless potential for the future.


    Compared to their contemporaries, they indeed were high-tech talents. They had seen optical sights, experienced semi-automatic loading machines, and been exposed to the most advanced stargazing instruments and equipment.


    They had also witnessed what a ventilation system was like on their own warship, learned what a telegraph was, and what constituted communication and automatic weapons.


    With their grasp of modern naval warfare, each one of them was many times more experienced than their peers, an experience sufficient to make them the favored children of the era.


    Inside the bridge, a sailor looked at the pressure gauge in front of him and reported loudly to the captain standing by his side, "The power system is all normal!"


    "The steam engine is stable!" Another sailor yelled from the other side.


    They had been continuously testing the limits of the warship and discovered, after their cautious experiments, that relative to their meager perception, the warship could practically be described as limitless.


    It was like someone who had used a feature phone all their life suddenly switching to a Huawei P30; to them, this phone was simply the ultimate next-generation device, requiring a lot of time to figure out all its features.


    Before seeing this warship, if someone had told them it was possible to communicate with distant land across the boundless sea, they would have laughed and mocked the person for being insane.


    From inside a pipe communicator, came the voice of a sailor Petty Officer from the lower deck reporting, "The hull structure is all normal! No abnormal noises!"


    Looking at the warship speeding at full throttle, the first officer also said to his captain, "Slight waves over the bow, no problem! It won''t affect the main guns firing!"


    The captain nodded slightly. Today''s sea conditions were very good, so his warship was without any problems¡ªthese days, his warship had undergone a series of tests, proving its superiority.


    At this moment, more uplifting news came through the communication pipes from the lower deck in a calm yet exciting tone, "The electrical system is normal!"


    And in the telegraph room behind the bridge, a telegraph officer took off his headset and shouted, "Telegraph communication... clear!"


    Everyone became excited. The third test had been entirely successful, and what they needed to do now was to send this good news back to Brunas.


    The war was over, and the Shireck Consortium could not restore its system within the Leite Kingdom in such a short time¡ªthe time was on the side of the Great Tang Group.


    The vessels sent to scout Black Dragon Island were likely returning. If they too brought back good news, then the plan to migrate to Black Dragon Island and secure the island would begin to be implemented.


    Everything was progressing in a favorable direction, everything was unfolding just as Tang Mo had planned.


    "Change course! Prepare to return to port!" The captain stood at his command post, full of pride as he gave the order to return, "Send a telegraph to the boss, tell him! Our sea trials were extremely successful!"


    --------


    Thank you, Emperor, for the reward! I''m very grateful for Your Majesty''s support all this time.

 Chapter 186: 183 isnt tough on the young people

    Brunas, outside a reception room of the expanded city hall, a man dressed in traditional Dorne attire spoke with trepidation in his lowered voice, asking the young military officer beside him, "Are you sure you can meet him... and tell him about our procurement plan?"


    The young officer nodded slightly, seriously responding, "I''m sure!"


    "Can you really guarantee that the weapons and ammunition procurement plan will go smoothly?" the man asked again nervously. He kept asking questions, as if this was the only way to somewhat calm his anxious heart.


    "I''m sure!" the young man laughed and continued to answer with certainty.


    While he responded, he caressed the dandelion-engraved ring on one of his fingers with his other hand.


    The nobleman from Dorne was still somewhat worried and asked with suspicion and uncertainty, "Aren''t you their traitor?"


    "To be precise, I chose the career I love and did not betray the Great Tang Group," the young man replied with a smile, defending himself, "I think the Dorne Kingdom is great, so I''m willing to work for this nation."


    After a few more seconds had passed, and the nobleman from Dorne, in charge of procuring the new batch of arms, grew restless again, repeatedly asking, "That mysterious owner of the Great Tang Group... he really won''t give us a hard time?"


    With a bit of resignation, the young officer dress in the Dorne military uniform continued to reassure him, "Don''t worry! My relationship with him is extraordinary, and this trade will surely go very smoothly. We''ve prepared enough... chips for the exchange!"


    Time passed, and with no sign of them being called in for the meeting, the nobleman from Dorne responsible for the arms procurement began to grow tense again.


    He looked left and right, then once again started muttering complaints to the young man beside him in a low voice, "You actually told me not to prepare Gold Coins but to prepare high-quality steel and copper ingots... to serve as the purchase payment... I think you''re crazy."


    "I don''t think I''m crazy," the young man retorted simply this time, then went back to looking down at his ring.


    He really liked the ring, for its owners were among the elite trained in the Great Tang military academy''s night school.


    Seeing the young man staring and smiling foolishly at his own ring, the nobleman from Dorne could only mock himself with resignation, "I must be crazy too, to believe your words... I''m so stupid, really... to not have brought so much Gold Coins..."


    Just as he was about to lose patience, a servant approached and stood before them, bowing slightly and speaking, "Mr. Roger would like to see you."


    "Me?" The nobleman from Dorne pointed to his own nose, confirming incredulously.


    Noticing the ring on the young officer''s finger, the servant gave the officer a smile, looked at the nobleman from Dorne Kingdom, nodded, and asked, "Yes, Mr. Roger would like to see you! Are you ready to come with me?"


    "Yes, of course, I''m ready!" the nobleman from Dorne hastily replied, somewhat nervously adjusting his clothes, swallowing hard, and following the servant towards the door.


    Roger poured a glass for him and one for himself, then walked over and handed the glass to the other party, "You need not be so nervous, Mr. Raymond. We are businessmen, as long as you pay, we provide the goods, fair and square..."


    Raymond quickly offered flattery, also hoping his compliments would get Roger to overlook the young man Haman, "It''s rare to come across someone as fair as you these days, Mr. Roger."


    "We really have no intention of pursuing Haman.", Roger explained again, somewhat helplessly, and then changed the subject, "So, according to the contract you''ve submitted, you''re prepared to pay with steel and copper ore, correct?"


    Seeing that the topic had returned to business, Raymond immediately nodded in affirmation, "Yes, Mr. Roger."


    "We will follow the agreed-upon ratios... if everything goes as planned, this batch of arms can be shipped out tomorrow, and we can leave the dock by afternoon.", Roger nodded, giving a definitive shipping time.


    The Great Tang Group had recently accumulated quite a lot of stock, partly due to purchase orders from the Leite Kingdom and partly because the Suthers Kingdom also placed a large order for needle guns.


    There were even some orders from abroad; it was not clear whether they were placed by Shireck or truly from royal families of the surrounding kingdoms.


    Thus, the production line had been operating at full capacity, and naturally, there were goods in stock. The volume of Dorne Kingdom''s order may seem large, but for the production capacity of the Great Tang Group, it was hardly astonishing.


    "I really appreciate it, Mr. Roger... This is a small gift, a token of my respect.", the Dorne noble Raymond immediately pulled out a gem he had prepared from his bosom, pushing the exquisite ruby into Roger''s hand.


    Roger did not refuse, his smile broadening, "You are far too kind. I hope Haman enjoys his time with you."


    "If, I mean if, next time I have Haman come to purchase arms, would the transaction go just as smoothly?", Raymond carefully probed.


    Roger was stunned for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter, "Hahaha! Why would you think otherwise? Haman is our good friend, an old acquaintance. Perhaps we can even give him a discount, hahaha."


    "You are the most amiable and friendly nobleman I have met in many years.", upon hearing Roger''s response, Raymond quickly bowed slightly, showing his respect to Roger.


    Roger waived his hand, feigning humility, "No, no, no, I am not a noble yet, only the housekeeper of the true master of the Great Tang Group."


    "For someone like you, becoming a nobleman is just a matter of time.", Raymond promptly complimented again and then continued, "May the gods bless you and the Great Tang Group! May our cooperative relationship last forever, and our friendship continue for a thousand years."


    "And wishing you good health as well, Mr. Raymond!", Roger raised his glass in a toast from afar.


    "Someone... see Mr. Raymond out... Arrange for our men to show Mr. Raymond a good time in Brunas...", with the meeting concluded, Roger was not inclined to waste more time on a nobleman from the Dorne Kingdom, so he called a servant and gave the instructions.


    After all, there were all too many amusements in Brunas; surely Mr. Raymond would find his visit worthwhile.

 Chapter 187: Platform 184

    In a farmstead on Northern Ridge, a man shouldering a hoe gossiped with a neighbor outside the fence about the new information he had gathered, "Do you know what a rich person is like?"


    In the past half year or so, the people of Northern Ridge have been living very happily and peacefully.


    Recently, after defeating the Suthers Kingdom and acquiring a large region along the Ice Crystal River, Northern Ridge''s economy was revitalized.


    With substantial funds and embracing the advanced technology from Brunas, Northern Ridge''s economy was completely revived.


    Thanks to the swift victory in the war, Northern Ridge''s agriculture wasn''t much affected but rather benefited from the climate to achieve a bumper harvest.


    Furthermore, with the rent and interest reduction policy carried out by the old Earl and the new Earl, Northern Ridge''s farmers could simply be described as happy over the last six months.


    Having money brings a good mood, and with a good mood naturally comes gossip.


    The neighbor farmer was hanging vegetables to dry in his yard, and while hanging them, he curiously asked, "Rich people? Are you talking about our Lord Earl?"


    "No! No! No! Someone richer than our Earl!" the hoe-carrying man quickly shook his head, indicating that it was incomparable.


    "How much money are we talking about?" The vegetable-drying farmer asked incredulously upon hearing that.


    In his mind, the concept of someone being richer than the new Earl was beyond his understanding.


    After all, in his eyes, someone as wealthy as the Lord Earl should be the richest being in the world.


    Because he had heard that the new Earl''s assets were so vast that they were beyond ordinary people''s estimation.


    The hoe-carrying farmer mysteriously brought up a name that everyone was familiar with, "Have you heard? That man named Tang Mo, the Baron who is very close to the old Earl..."


    The vegetable-drying farmer paused, then slightly nodded and acknowledged, "Lord Tang Mo, of course, I have heard of him..."


    The hoe-carrying farmer immediately continued with an exaggerated tone, gesticulating earnestly as he spoke, "Recently, he laid down an iron road..."


    Upon hearing this, the vegetable-drying farmer''s eyes widened, "My God... are you joking?"


    "No, I''m not joking. That road goes through Dunst and then directly connects to Wolf City," explained the man with the hoe.


    Hearing about Dunst and Wolf City, the vegetable-drying farmer became even more astonished, "Such a long road? Are you sure?"


    The hoe-carrying farmer nodded and said, "I''m sure. My nephew just came back from there, and he said he saw with his own eyes a road with two long iron ''Zhu Zi'' linked together over there."


    Even then, the vegetable-drying farmer found it hard to believe that a man existed who could build a road paved with iron, "Gods above... how much money would that require?"


    Because she knew just how much money Tang Mo had spent on this railway! The astronomical sum could be described, with each kilometer of the railway costing at least 700 Gold Coins!


    Although as the railway was built, this cost would be diluted, becoming lower and lower, it still represented a significant amount of real silver!


    However, Tang Mo was unconcerned about these expenses, for he knew that the world would eventually accept this new invention, "Trust me, once people see the benefits of this railway, you will find countless individuals willing to pay ten times the price to build such railways."


    He knew of a country that had built the most magnificent transportation network in the world with unparalleled determination and perseverance.


    In that country, known as the infrastructure maniac, the cost of a single cross-sea bridge could shake the economy of the world he currently lived in...


    That was true construction, that was true railway transport development, that was the attitude of taking on significant enterprises.


    Now, he had only laid a little over 100 kilometers of railway, which was nothing more than child''s play, barely worth mentioning!


    Alice looked at Tang Mo, seeing determination and confidence on his handsome face. She then smiled assuredly and said, "I believe you because when you gave me the information, I believed that this thing is definitely the most worthwhile investment for the future."


    After all, the amount of ore produced by the mines had recently doubled, and as a minor heiress who had inherited the Shireck Consortium''s assets in Northern Ridge, she had her fair share of resources.


    In her view, if Tang Mo ever went bankrupt, she could support him. Worst case scenario, she could have him move to Northern Ridge to be a pretty face for Lord Earl, what''s the big deal?


    Tang Mo was unaware that the woman beside him was fully prepared to take care of him financially as he continued to explain to Alice the future development of the railway, "This is still far from its final form. Once it develops, it''ll be able to transport thousands or even tens of thousands of tons of materials daily.


    It will completely replace existing traditional methods of transport and fundamentally change people''s lives."


    Seeing that Alice was not very interested and seemed to be lost in her thoughts, Tang Mo could only bring out his trump card to continue explaining, "Now, the trip from Wolf City to Brunas takes less than a day. If you''re willing to visit me, you can have breakfast on the train in the morning, and by evening, you can have dinner with me."


    "Why?" Alice immediately showed more interest in this subject and asked without any context.


    "Hmm?" Tang Mo didn''t catch on and looked at Alice with confusion.


    Alice started to laugh, feigning annoyance, "Why should I come to you? Why don''t you come to me instead?"


    Scratching his head, Tang Mo looked in the direction where the train was supposed to appear, trying to sidestep the topic with a silly laugh, "Haha!"


    Alice didn''t make it difficult for him, understandingly she said, "Alright, I won''t trouble you anymore!"


    Tang Mo started to feel a bit embarrassed, realizing that he was the one who had benefitted, "You know, my career has just started. Focusing on romantic affairs isn''t a good thing right now."


    "I know, I know! I will support you, and so will Northern Ridge!" Alice said nonchalantly, comforting Tang Mo in return.


    "Thank you." Tang Mo grew even more embarrassed, feeling that he should not disappoint such a good girl and should offer more to this somewhat naive Earl of Northern Ridge.

 Chapter 188: 185 I just want to let them all know

    Seeing Tang Mo staring at her thoughtfully, Alice''s face involuntarily flushed with color. She stole a glance at Tang Mo, then another, feeling that the more she looked, the more she liked him.


    However, she stubbornly explained to Tang Mo, "This isn''t because of my relationship with you, Tang Mo, this is because you have truly brought benefits to Northern Ridge. I am the Earl of Northern Ridge, and I will take responsibility for Northern Ridge.


    The reason why I''m fully cooperating with you is not because you...you slept with me, but because I believe that cooperating with you is beneficial for Northern Ridge."


    "I understand! I understand, Alice! I have never thought of hurting you, nor have I thought of hurting Northern Ridge." Tang Mo nodded slightly, as if to give Alice a promise.


    Though it did not sound like a promise, Tang Mo knew that what he said was the truth and a commitment he decided to execute and maintain throughout.


    As long as Alice was still his woman, he would support Northern Ridge, unwaveringly support this land...


    There was a moment of silence between the two, and Alice suddenly brought up a matter about a neighboring country, "Have you heard about the reforms in Suthers?"


    "Of course, I have heard." Tang Mo was slightly taken aback, but he knew about it, so he did not hide it and openly admitted it.


    Alice was wary of the neighbor''s vigorous efforts and expressed her concerns, "Do you have anything to say? If their reforms are successful, their military power will grow stronger and stronger, which is not good news for Northern Ridge."


    After all, as the actual ruler of Northern Ridge, she had a much deeper experience of such matters than Tang Mo, who sold arms to both sides.


    In the past, the defeats and reparations that Suthers had to pay were deep-seated hatreds. If Suthers Kingdom were to strengthen itself after its reforms, the first target they would likely want to retaliate against would be Northern Ridge.


    Even if it was just for the sake of restoring their honor, the Suthers Kingdom would definitely want to take back the territories south of the Ice Crystal River that they had ceded to Northern Ridge.


    So, as soon as Suthers Kingdom was ready, war would surely break out again in the region of the Ice Crystal River, and Northern Ridge would be the first to be engulfed in that whirlpool of war.


    Tang Mo, on the other hand, did not seem to mind and smiled at Alice, "That''s why your Northern Ridge needs to become stronger."


    Of course, he wasn''t worried, because every aspect of the Kingdom of Suthers'' monthly tax revenue and changes in the national treasury were promptly reflected in his database. He knew everything about what the King of Suthers discussed in his daily meetings.


    After all, the initiator of the reforms, the one who drafted the reform plans, was actually his man. Even the design of the reforms had been taught to his own student; how could he possibly worry about the Kingdom of Suthers becoming stronger...


    In fact, he was directing the Kingdom of Suthers to become stronger! Because only by doing so, he could sell more of his arms and countless other products.


    Seeing Tang Mo''s disdainful expression, Alice realized something and huffed at Tang Mo, "The way you talk, it confirms my suspicion more and more that the activities in Suthers are manipulated by you."


    Tang Mo, seeing his lover seemingly upset, quickly spoke up to comfort her, "Don''t worry! I will continue to support Northern Ridge in the arms trade, ensuring that Northern Ridge maintains an advantage in weaponry."


    "But I have to spend more money on defense!" Alice became even more upset bringing this up because she was practically working for Tang Mo''s arms empire, or rather, his business empire!


    Indeed, she had earned more Gold Coins, but in the blink of an eye, they all ended up in Tang Mo''s pockets.


    Although she was well aware that this money didn''t stay in Tang Mo''s pockets for long but was quickly distributed throughout Northern Ridge and even the entire Leite Kingdom to the common folk¡ªshe, as the purse of Northern Ridge, knew very clearly the immense power of capital flow.


    The guests, who were quite embarrassed and could only pretend to look up at the sky, finally found a reason to look down.


    They didn''t find it scandalous that a Baroness not yet twenty and a similarly young Baron would engage in a clandestine affair.


    Nevertheless, at such a time, it was still necessary to feign ignorance¡ªeveryone had their dignity to consider, right?


    And then, everyone''s attention was immediately captured by the approaching train. They had originally come just to take a casual look, not expecting to see anything spectacular.


    But now, everyone realized what they were witnessing might be a terrifying existence capable of changing the whole world!


    They widened their eyes, watching the steel dragon wind its way closer and come to a halt before them.


    As the train pulled into the station, the daunting size of it delivered an even greater shock to all those present.


    Even Alice, seeing Tang Mo''s steam locomotive for the first time, widened her eyes as she watched the train stop before her and spew out white steam that enveloped the platform.


    The long whistle of the train made everyone shiver, with Alice even nervously clutching Tang Mo''s arm tighter.


    Eventually, the train came to a standstill, pulling a full ten carriages behind it!


    After improvements, Tang Mo''s train had enhanced its carrying capacity, able to transport ten carriages at a time, filled with coal or steel, or nearly a thousand passengers or soldiers back and forth between Brunas and Wolf City.


    In this era, this was a remarkable feat. The railway made the connection between Northern Ridge and Brunas even more indissoluble.


    The officials and nobility representing the Kingdom, standing here, thought of something else: If the railway could make Brunas and Northern Ridge inseparable, could it also bind the entire Kingdom just as tightly?


    The answer was, of course, affirmative, otherwise Tang Mo wouldn''t have bothered to invite these people to witness a transportation revolution...


    Soon, as the workers began to unload the cargo, the nobility who saw the train''s terrifying carrying capacity became even more frenzied.


    Gossip about a Countess''s secret romance had already been forgotten by them; now all they could think about was the content of the railway manual they had been given earlier.


    This new means of transportation could carry countless goods to destinations 100 or even 200 kilometers away within a day. How prosperous could the economy of a city connected by this transportation become?


    Their own territories must have a platform! Their own lands must be accessible by rail! Their own goods must be transported by rail to farther places!


    Just in an instant, these notions sprouted in the minds of the nobility and the merchants.


    They swore to all the gods of this world their willingness to offer Tang Mo their loyalty, to worship him, just for Tang Mo...to let them join this gluttonous feast of world redivision...


    "Mr. Tang Mo!" a wealthy merchant prepared to come forward to speak with Tang Mo.


    "Back off! I was here first!" an Earl shouted excitedly.

 Chapter 189: Mr. 186 Special Envoy

    "What do you mean by ''you were here first''? Since when does business follow a first-come, first-served basis?" The wealthy merchant evidently had no intention of giving face to the Earl next to him, adamantly refusing to budge an inch.


    A super profitable deal like this was a joke to pass up. It would be better to recognize someone else as your father than to give up on such a thing.


    "I am an Earl, the head of the Morman Family from the Southwest of the Kingdom! Mr. Tang Mo! I am willing to cooperate with you! I am willing to invest! To invest in the construction of a railroad approximately 110 kilometers long!" The Earl, blocked by a guard, waved a booklet in his hand, shouting from a distance towards Tang Moyuan.


    "I am the most famous traveling poet from the eastern continent, Mr. Tang Mo! Are you interested in having a talk with me? I am willing to write an epic in honor of your deeds!" On the other side, a man with exceptional good looks also tried to break through the guards'' blockade, shouting loudly.


    "Can this thing really make a round trip every day?" Alice asked in surprise as she watched the workers moving the goods from the train onto the platform.


    She had never seen such a vast amount of material piled up together; the mountain-like stack of wooden boxes gave her the illusion that it could transport innumerable items at once.


    "Almost, it can operate at night too, so to be precise, it can make at least two round trips in a single day."


    "It could transport all the things from Northern Ridge to Brunas in just a few days," Alice exaggeratedly said.


    "That''s why it needs to go both ways, carrying things from Northern Ridge to Brunas and then bringing goods from Brunas back to Northern Ridge," Tang Mo proudly corrected Alice.


    "You''re truly a genius, Tang Mo!" Alice said excitedly; she understood too well the theory of business activities. As long as goods began to circulate, commerce would immediately prosper.


    "Everyone can exchange their thoughts with Mr. Tang Mo at dinner! Don''t rush! Don''t push! Move back! Move back!" Not far away, the guards were irritably pushing away the elegantly dressed officials, preventing them from getting close to Tang Mo.


    At the evening banquet that day, Tang Mo soon parted ways with Alice, as too many people were seeking him out. And because Alice was by Tang Mo''s side, many others found it difficult to speak up, like the representative from the Suthers Kingdom currently standing beside him.


    This envoy from the Suthers Kingdom was also invited by the Great Tang Group. At the moment, he felt fortunate to be there.


    Frankly, Suthers, almost an inland country with insignificant ports and a navy that paled compared to the Leite Kingdom''s, found itself in a regrettable position.


    But the country did possess vast inland territories, with the core interests of the nation lying inland; thus, they valued their land more than maritime supremacy.


    So, when this envoy from Suthers saw the railroad, a way to strengthen control over Suthers'' territory, it appeared before his very eyes.


    Therefore, holding his glass, he engaged in a pleasant conversation with Tang Mo, discussing the local Suthers customs and various anecdotes from the past.


    Then, after the pleasantries were over, he steered the conversation to the main point, "Congratulations, Mr. Tang Mo! The King of the Suthers Kingdom has always admired your abilities. Trade between the Great Tang Group and the Suthers Kingdom has always been smooth, and our cooperation has never broken down. We hope to maintain an unbreakable friendship between us."


    "Hmm?" However, the Suthers envoy picked up something different from this statement.


    Indeed, Tang Mo explained, "If the Suthers Kingdom wants to gather strength and strive for more interests to the north, then the two kingdoms will form back-to-back allies. I also hope that between the two nations, we can trust each other and become friends who help one another."


    The Suthers envoy caught on to Tang Mo''s implication and excitedly asked, "So... you would support the Suthers Kingdom in expanding its territory northward?"


    Tang Mo laid out his bargaining chip, "I will train at least 4,500 men for the new Suthers land forces, supply the entire troops with military equipment, and after the deeds are done, I want forty percent of the benefits."


    The Suthers Kingdom''s envoy looked visibly thrilled, bowing slightly to show his respect to Tang Mo, "I understand, His Majesty will be most delighted to hear such good news."


    Tang Mo shook his wine glass with a smile, "Believe me, cooperation is the path to mutual victory."


    "Beyond doubt, Mr. Tang! This is the most memorable banquet I have ever attended," the envoy from Suthers said with a beaming face, agreeing with Tang Mo.


    "If you have the chance in the future, you can visit Brunas and drop my name, play in the casinos. It''s on me," Tang Mo also extended a personal invitation to him.


    The envoy''s smile brightened, as it was almost an act of personal goodwill from Tang Mo. With private matters now dealt with, the envoy finally remembered his public duties, "Then I can''t thank you enough, Mr. Tang! If..."


    "If?" Tang Mo looked at the envoy.


    Testing the waters, the envoy asked, "If Suthers wishes to build a railroad within its own territory..."


    "I can provide technical support, 1 engineer, 10 technical workers, 100 training slots... I can transfer technology, set up a steel mill in Suthers specialized in producing steel rails," Tang Mo generously said.


    The Suthers envoy immediately showed joy and gave his assurance, "By the gods above, your generosity rivals that of the sun and the moon! When the Suthers Kingdom rises, the Great Tang Group will also have free rein within Suthers territory!"


    And such an assurance was actually the promise given by the king of the Suthers Kingdom when the envoy had set out.


    Tang Mo raised his glass with a smile, offering a toast from afar, "To our mutual interests! Cheers!"


    "My regards to Earl Alice," the envoy knew it was time to take leave, bowing slightly, and making room as he whispered his farewell.


    The meaning of his words was pretty clear¡ªby sending regards to Miss Alice, the Suthers Kingdom had practically acknowledged Ice Crystal City''s affiliation with the Northern Ridge.


    For a considerable time to come, there would be no wars between them, and they might even maintain a cooperative relationship to a certain extent¡ªthis was the meaning behind sending regards to Miss Alice.

 Chapter 190: Business and cooperation came one after another at 187

    Soon, a second noble from the southern part of the Leite Kingdom made his approach, and Tang Mo knew he was the largest nobleman in the southern part of the kingdom and had close ties with the Prime Minister.


    The visitor engaged in lengthy pleasantries before finally revealing his true purpose for seeking out Tang Mo.


    But before stating his purpose, he presented his bargaining chip, "The Prime Minister has always felt that a Baron''s title does not match Mr. Tang''s status. In fact, when I return, I will certainly suggest to His Majesty the King that Mr. Tang''s title be promoted to Viscount."


    "That''s very kind of you! In truth, rather than being promoted to Viscount, I would prefer a Baron''s title..." But Tang Mo was ready to use this bargaining chip to secure a noble status for his Uncle Roger.


    As expected, the visitor did not hesitate and immediately agreed to Tang Mo''s request, "Understood. Who does Mr. Tang wish to provide this opportunity to become a noble?"


    Tang Mo did not conceal anything and told the truth, "My uncle, Mr. Roger, who is of great character and famously benevolent within the kingdom."


    The noble Lord immediately nodded, providing a satisfying response to Tang Mo, "I would be delighted to become friends with Mr. Roger! A Baron''s title seems too modest for you. I will surely advocate for you when I return."


    "Thank you," Tang Mo said without refusal, knowing the other party would surely have his own requests.


    Indeed, the visitor did not stand on ceremony and directly stated his request to Tang Mo, "Actually, I also have a favor to ask of you. After seeing the C64 cannons in King City and the trains on the platforms, a rather abrupt idea came to my mind."


    "Let''s hear it. Perhaps I can help you solve some problems," Tang Mo offered without demur, for he knew that if the visitor had sought him out, it must be something within his power to assist with.


    The noble Lord immediately said, "Mr. Tang Mo, I wish for my son to study under your guidance."


    "Hmm?" This time, it was Tang Mo who was surprised.


    The visitor smiled and explained to Tang Mo, "I have three sons, all around the same age, as well as two nephews, two daughters, and seven nieces. I wish to send most of them to you, to be your disciples and learn from you."


    "Ha... You''re the first to ask me for this," Tang Mo admitted, his regard for the nobleman from the south rising, as this request truly demonstrated the foresight of a family.


    The ability to prioritize the cultivation of the next generation over the immense benefits from arms and railroads is, at the very least, the mark of a qualified nobility.


    The visitor earnestly lowered his head a bit while making his request to Tang Mo, "I hope Mr. Tang won''t refuse."


    "I have a school," Tang Mo said outright to the Earl.


    "Hmm?" The Earl was taken aback, then looked at Tang Mo with some disbelief.


    Tang Mo explained his school, "I have founded a school, called the Great Tang Military Academy. I am its principal, and I will teach classes there... You may send your children, and I will arrange for them to study at the school."


    He informed the visitor that the school was populated by talents he had meticulously trained and guaranteed that he would treat all students equally, imparting his knowledge and experience to everyone in the school.


    The fat man did not hesitate, waving his hand to give a fair counteroffer, "Forty percent of the funding for twenty percent of the shares!"


    "Deal!" Tang Mo didn''t beat around the bush and nodded slightly to agree to the price.


    "You are a forthright businessman, Mr. Tang Mo," the fat man was initially stunned, then immediately beamed with joy, praising Tang Mo.


    Having clinched such a deal, Tang Mo also smiled and offered a compliment in return, "Your boldness is indeed impressive."


    "I''ll skip the flattery. In the future, we can cooperate in all realms. I''ve heard about your steam engines, and I want to purchase 300 units," the fat man said startlingly, presenting Tang Mo with a large order.


    Tang Mo''s spirits rose even further because he no longer planned to invest too much effort and money in steam engine production.


    Now that both the Elf Race and Shireck had the capability to imitate steam engines, he might as well continue to serve the high-end market and cede the lower-end products to others.


    So he directly offered the fat man an even more generous proposal, "Why not I sell you a factory for manufacturing steam engines? How does that sound?"


    "You would part with it?" The fat man looked incredulously at Tang Mo, asking instinctively.


    Tang Mo spread his hands, "Why wouldn''t I? No one can earn all the money in the world, right?"


    The fat man was also a major businessman; he knew Tang Mo wouldn''t be asking for cash. In fact, he couldn''t afford to pay that much cash, so he said, "Well said, Mr. Tang Mo! I can offer you three percent of my family consortium''s shares in exchange; would you be interested in taking that on?"


    Seeing the other party so receptive, Tang Mo immediately laid down his bottom line, "If you can give me five percent, I would be very interested."


    The chubby man didn''t haggle either, nodding in agreement straight away, "You are now the third-largest shareholder in our consortium."


    "Now you can produce steam engines yourself!" Tang Mo also reminded the man of the benefit he was getting.


    Without a word, the fat man burst into laughter, tipping his glass as he stepped back, "Ha ha ha! Pleasure doing business!"


    "Pleasure doing business!" Tang Mo also laughed as he saw the guest out.


    Before Tang Mo''s rise, this great merchant wielded power in the Leite Kingdom that ranked him among the top, even the Shireck Consortium''s Gis had to give him some respect.


    But since the fat man never dabbled in the arms trade, his hard power truly was not on par with Shireck, so he definitely wasn''t as ruthless.


    However, in terms of economic strength, he was indeed a worthy partner for Tang Mo. At the very least for now, the money in the fat man''s hands was still very useful to Tang Mo.


    And just as the fat man moved away from Tang Mo''s side, a nobleman with a stunning woman made their way to Tang Mo''s side as though slipping through a crack.


    To tell the truth, Tang Mo had previously investigated this nobleman but had no idea who this glamorous woman, who came with him, could possibly be.

 Chapter 191: 188 Dream Pursuers in Showbiz

    The nobleman who came with the woman didn''t seem to have any capability to cooperate with the Great Tang Group, dressed in such conspicuous attire that he was only short of having "I am an artist" written on his face.


    Indeed, this nobleman was not there to talk business with Tang Mo, but introduced his female companion right away, "Allow me to introduce, this lady is the most famous songstress from the most renowned dance troupe within the Leite Kingdom and the kingdom''s rightfully acclaimed top female singer, Miss Susan."


    In fact, judging from the aura alone, Tang Mo knew that this nobleman was not the main character of this meeting, but rather the woman was.


    Therefore, he gently grasped the lady''s outstretched hand and gently kissed the back of it, then released his hand very gentlemanly, smiling and nodding, "Ah, it''s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Susan."


    "Mr. Tang is truly young and promising," said the woman, probably around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with exquisitely applied makeup, as she offered Tang Mo a compliment with a smile.


    Tang Mo was naturally modest as well, and since the other party was not forthcoming about their business, he responded politely with some chit-chat, praising in kind, "Not at all, compared to artists, I''m just a commoner, nothing more."


    To be honest, in terms of temperament alone, this woman had a certain edge over the noble Alice. Although she wasn''t as youthful and beautiful as Alice, her facial features were also quite delicate.


    With her looks alone, she could easily mix well in circles of the nobility, or if she wished, marry any nobleman and be a genuine noble lady.


    However, from some tiny details of the woman''s attire, Tang Mo could still see that she wasn''t as wealthy as one might imagine.


    The lady didn''t seem in a hurry to state her own business but brought up the trendy attire Tang Mo had created in Brunas, "Hahaha! Mr. Tang jests, I''ve heard that the most fashionable attire in Brunas is a kind of clothing called a ''suit,'' which was... designed by you, Mr. Tang?"


    Therefore, he didn''t mind making some early investments, especially since the initial input was inexpensive and efficient ¨C why not do it?


    Moreover, having those singers, performers, and dancers entertain in casinos and hotels to attract a crowd, Tang Mo felt it was definitely worthwhile.


    So, after giving it some thought, he addressed Susan, "I understand... In fact, I''ve been considering enriching myself in the realm of art. So, Miss Susan, how many Gold Coins do you need?"


    "Roughly 130 Gold Coins per year..." Susan pondered before stating a relatively conservative figure. In fact, the Shireck Consortium previously funded her with 170 Gold Coins a year, but she worried Tang Mo might be unwilling to offer such a high price.


    After all, not every businessman had the inclination to patronize the arts, nor did they all have spare money to sustain an art troupe.


    So, she thought, even if she had to take a bit less and everyone saved a little, 130 Gold Coins could still make ends meet.


    Why? Because her patron, the Shireck Consortium, had been defeated by the forces behind this young man before her. After all, when under someone''s roof, one must bow their head.


    "130 Gold Coins a year? Shireck gave only so little?" Tang Mo was incredulous, his eyes widening in disbelief.


    This price was indeed too cheap, so cheap that it greatly surprised him. He really hadn''t expected that maintaining a troupe could be so inexpensive in this world.


    You''d think of the celebrities from later eras, flaunting their tax evasions with names like Cool, Frost, and Elegance, elevating Tang Mo''s imagination to unprecedented heights.

 Chapter 192: 188 Dream Pursuers in Showbiz_2

    So when he heard the price, he could hardly believe his ears: he really feared that these two didn''t truly understand just how valuable the circles he mingled in were.


    He then turned to look at the noble with a face full of disbelief, "Miss Susan is really the top female singer in the kingdom?"


    "Uh... yes, yes, she really is," the young noble answered nervously, stammering.


    "I am absolutely the best singer!" Susan stated seriously and assertively in her own defense.


    Tang Mo could tell from the two''s somewhat embarrassed expressions that they were probably telling the truth. He also didn''t believe that after the battle of Brunas, anyone who still wanted to make a living inside the borders of Leite Kingdom would have the guts to try to cheat him out of his gold coins.


    So, after a brief moment of consideration, he spoke up, "I''ll give you 500 gold coins a year! Your troupe will change its name to the Great Tang Troupe, and afterward, I''ll send people to deliver scripts and management strategies to you! The development of your troupe will be fully taken over by the Great Tang Group, any problems with that?"


    "This..." The noble was a bit lost and looked at Tang Mo, not knowing what to say for the best.


    Susan was also startled by Tang Mo''s generosity, and confirmed uncertainly, "How much did you say?"


    Tang Mo repeated the figure he had quoted and then emphasized again, "500 gold coins a year! In addition, ticket sales and advertising costs will be part of your performance commission, for you to distribute yourselves!"


    "You''re serious?" Joy showed in Susan''s eyes as she stared at Tang Mo, her gaze almost brimming with tears.


    Tang Mo nodded and replied, "Yes."


    "You''re really a good person," Susan''s voice rose in sickly sweetness at a geometric rate.


    Tang Mo felt it was still necessary to clarify things further, "No, miss, I am a businessman!"


    "So, what would you like to buy from me then? Tonight... I can have a good talk with you about opera," Susan said, puffing her chest out and assuming a seductive air.


    She was an old hand at this, having maneuvered among the nobility, how could she still be the picture of an innocent young girl?


    In fact, she was also romantically involved with the young noble beside her, otherwise he wouldn''t have brought her here to lobby Tang Mo in such a setting.


    Clearly, Tang Mo wasn''t much interested in such well-known women of easy virtue. The collection of female celebrities he had gathered before crossing over included those from Huaxia and abroad, of every skin color, tall, short... there were simply too many.


    Tang Mo also caught the subtext in her words. Her so-called chatting about opera at night was plainly an attempt to seduce him.


    Tang Mo''s fleet included 19 large transport ships, 32 small transport ships, and armed merchant ships, along with 1 Ironclad Warship for escort.


    The entire fleet transported nearly enough equipment and raw materials to build two factories on Black Dragon Island, as well as about 2000 workers and their families.


    Similarly, a battalion of the Great Tang Group''s security forces was on the move, transferring all their weapons with them.


    According to the plan, the Great Tang Group would build two factories on Black Dragon Island, construct a simple dock, and also erect housing to ensure the settlers could survive on the island.


    Bernard''s reconnaissance fleet had already returned home; they would serve as the escort for the second batch of transport ships, taking another 40 small transport ships to Black Dragon Island.


    This development plan was more than twice the size of the original plan drafted by Tang Mo, a change forced by shifting circumstances.


    At the time the original plan was drawn up, Tang Mo had not yet defeated the Shireck Consortium, so the expansion plan was far more conservative.


    Now, with his influence firmly established in Brunas and even throughout the Leite Kingdom, he could commit more resources to competing for Black Dragon Island.


    In short, for Tang Mo, time was his most precious commodity; to accelerate development, he did not even have time to spend a tender night with Alice in Wolf City.


    Because the Ironclad Warship followed, Tang Mo could maintain real-time control over the expansion progress on Black Dragon Island and also remotely command the troops he had stationed there.


    Therefore, he had nearly half of his forces positioned on Black Dragon Island, as he was quite concerned that the other countries that had also discovered Black Dragon Island might covet it.


    As a result, on the same day Tang Mo returned to Brunas, he received new information: the Poplar Kingdom had defeated its old rival, the Gales Kingdom, annexing the Sena Plain and nearly doubling its territory.


    The Poplar Kingdom''s steam engines and K1 Quick Guns gained fame, and the influence of this Elf Kingdom surged to unprecedented levels.


    Upon hearing this news, John, who was in Brunas worrying about the entertainment kingdom Tang Mo owned, walked into Tang Mo''s office with a troubled expression.


    He first apologized once again for his father''s broken promises and also made it clear that he distanced himself from the positions of the Augustin Family.


    Tang Mo comforted him, then handed him a bill¡ªthe Augustin Family owed him 3.1 million Gold Coins, the debt snowballing with interest...


    ----------


    A 4000-word long chapter. I''m not in good form today, so this is all I''ve written, and there won''t be a second update. Don''t wait for it, everyone. I''ll aim for three updates tomorrow to make up for it. Apologies.

 Chapter 193: Manufacturing Faith

    "After all, I''m not exactly a paragon of virtue," Tang Mo put away the bill and patted pale-faced John on the shoulder, saying, "You don''t have to be so formal. If you feel like taking care of your family, I can offer you a discount."


    As he spoke, he generously pondered for a moment and presented what he deemed a very reasonable amount, "Let''s settle on 3 million for now... after all, it''s easier to calculate. If the Augustin Clan of the Poplar Kingdom doesn''t clear the bill by next year, it''ll jump to 6 million Gold Coins... Tsk, tsk, the thought alone is frightening."


    These days, usury isn''t exactly an admirable profession. After all, how to calculate the interest isn''t the crux of usury; the key is ensuring that the money can indeed be recovered.


    "Master... It''s quite obvious that the Augustin Clan doesn''t have the capacity to repay such a huge debt... If, I mean, if one day we decide to recover the massive amount the Augustin Clan owes us, I suggest we forcibly seize everything from the Augustin Clan!" To make his stance clear, John wiped his sweat as he spoke to Tang Mo.


    "Loyalty... is a good word," Tang Mo noncommittally muttered and then returned to his desk, picking up a report that John had brought him.


    The contents were rather intriguing: income statistics from casinos, theaters, and brothels in King City, Northern Ridge, Brunas, and other places, including a list of the patrons of these entertainment venues.


    This was the big data system of another world. With this document, it''s evident who is lecherous or greedy, who has their own secret stash, who has illegal income beyond their salary¡ªin the Kingdom, it''s all laid bare.


    By using the records on this list to offer bribes or win allegiance, one could say the success is almost assured. This is why, since time immemorial, enduring establishments such as gambling dens and brothels have been run and invested in by many powerful figures.


    A few nobles decided to submit to Tang Mo, mortgaging their estates or even their wives and daughters, accumulating huge gambling debts with Tang Mo.


    Whenever Tang Mo required it, these people were ready to charge into battle on his behalf¡ªmilitarily, Tang Mo couldn''t count on them, but in the court, among politicians, they could still stir the wind and call out for Tang Mo.


    For nobles like these, who only required a few gamblers to keep them company, Tang Mo didn''t even want to meet them face to face. He''d send a subordinate to scare them into becoming fawning lackeys of Tang Mo.


    He himself knew that the empire he had begun to build, though seemingly well-established, was in reality fragile.


    The human heart is the simplest thing, which just needs to be nurtured and manipulated to be put to use. It''s also the most complicated thing; a moment''s inattention and one could perish amidst universal desertion.


    What Tang Mo relied on were his benevolence and the advanced characteristics he represented. Those who left, having taken some of Tang Mo''s technology and ideas¡ªthe dandelions¡ªrespected Tang Mo''s depth and power, choosing to serve such a worthy master.


    But as someone who had been through it, Tang Mo knew that to consolidate people''s hearts, only two things were most important: faith and currency.


    Currency includes everything like clothing, food, shelter, travel, income, and feelings of happiness, things that money can sort out. The dominance of America in the world relies on this system.


    Tang Mo could handle these things; with gold coins, indeed these were relatively easy to manage, because there''s not much in this world that money can''t buy.


    But Tang Mo knew what truly united people''s hearts was something not yet present in this world, or rather, something that had not really emerged¡ªfaith!


    According to the tale, this god came to this world to make it better, so he continued to love humanity and save his followers with his power even after his exile.


    This god was none other than Mr. Tang Mo of the Great Tang Group, who saved his followers with his divine medicine, protected them with his weapons, and sent every kind-hearted person to an eternal paradise with his charity.


    Meanwhile, a chemical factory of Tang Mo''s, which produced drugs, also quietly started operations next to Factory #2, mainly producing insecticides and some simple medicines.


    The factory focused on producing deworming tablets, which effectively killed the parasites in the human intestinal tract and cleansed people''s intestines.


    Because the effects were immediate and most people in this world didn''t have the luxury of personal hygiene, nor did they care about it, verifying the effectiveness of this medicine was quite simple among the poorer communities or, should I say, the lower and middle classes.


    Everyone could see the terrifying worms that had been killed and then expelled from their bodies, so they all felt gratitude towards Tang Mo who provided the medicine.


    But mere gratitude was far from enough to prove how much these uncultured commoners worshiped Tang Mo, for they had come to see him as a deity in his own right.


    With this, the Great Tang Group was no longer just a financial consortium in the local area; it had become a sacred place with a halo around it, a mention that would turn people''s tones devout.


    While Tang Mo prepared to deify himself incarnate, Roger''s fleet reached Black Dragon Island and, according to the map, landed at the spot where the Poplar Kingdom''s sailors had once disembarked, setting down the landing boats.


    The Soldiers of the Land Forces disembarked first. After spending a whole seven days seasick, they stumbled onto this "small island."


    Then they began frantically unloading their supplies¡ªtents and other miscellaneous items, food and livestock brought along, and steam engines with other equipment for power generation.


    It was as if they had come from another planet, setting out to reclaim this remote island for themselves.


    These people from Brunas had already gone through this once before; the work they did here on the island was exactly the same as their previous reclamation in the Vicious Forest.


    So they quickly set up their tents, established a water supply station by the riverbank of the freshwater river, and then expertly built a wooden shack to install the steam engine.


    Once they had the steam engine, the main tents had electricity, which provided them with basic processing capabilities.


    Soon enough, the workers began mass-cutting timber, processing the felled logs into boards, which they nailed together to build houses.


    Then the temporary telegraph system sent news of their successful landing back to Brunas, and they could immediately send their supply requests back to Tang Mo.


    With such convenient communication, the work of developing Black Dragon Island proceeded smoothly. As there were coconuts and other fruits on the island, Tang Mo cut down on the quantity of fruits in the next shipment by ninety percent, all of which was replaced with urgently needed cement.

 Chapter 194: Shirecks move 190

    At the same time, Tang Mo also planned to build a small cement plant there to produce cement locally¡ªprovided that the raw materials could be found on the island.


    Roger''s good news was indeed plentiful. On one hand, he had confirmed that Black Dragon Island indeed had oil, and according to the geologists he took along, the reserves should be substantial.


    In addition, the scouts from the troops Roger brought along made a rudimentary exploration of the island. Within a single day, they did not reach the other end of the island.


    This proved that the island was actually very large, almost large enough to support tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of inhabitants. They also found some large animals on the island, which further proved the island''s ample size.


    The vast forests on the island provided an abundant source of timber for logging, and the mountains on the other side could supply stone resources.


    Plus, with oil production on the island, it could be said to be a very, very valuable treasure land. Had it not been for the seasonal monsoons making navigation difficult, other countries might have developed it long ago.


    While checking the island, the Rangers also discovered traces of activities from other countries. They found surveying poles at the peaks of the mountains, along with some discarded rags and broken bottles and the like.


    Roger was not in a hurry to expand on the island. According to the plan given by Tang Mo, he steadily expanded the base there.


    On one hand, he worked hard to build a port in hopes of linking the island with Brunas in the future, facilitating transportation.


    On the other hand, he was also desperately constructing a defensive system around their landing site. He ordered his troops to establish defensive positions on the nearby high ground, deploying his only three companies around the base.


    When exploring the island, he only sent a few dozen Rangers to operate separately, and he strictly ordered them not to fire on suspicious targets first. Should they encounter other races or the forces of other countries operating there, they were to return immediately and report their findings.


    Under his command, the Rangers did not explore the entire island openly. Instead, they methodically searched regions they suspected to be inhabited.


    Eventually, after Roger''s repeated verifications, the security troops of the Great Tang Group exterminated a group of pirates on the island, wiping out more than 200 pirates and rescuing seven or eight women who had just been brought to the island.


    Unfortunately, in the end only three of those women survived; the rest found opportunities to commit suicide or died of depression.


    Meanwhile, as Tang Mo''s factory produced the first batch of fertilizers, ready to be transported to Northern Ridge for agricultural experiments, Bernard returned to Brunas with the fleet.


    His return brought not only the fleet back but also brought oil from Black Dragon Island to Tang Mo! This excited Tang Mo tremendously, and with these resources, he could continue his "inventions and creations."


    Therefore, these days, he had been cooped up in the basement, not showing his face for days on end.


    As time went on, the Brunas-Northern Ridge railway and the trains of the Great Tang Group thoroughly enamoured the surrounding nations.


    Wealthy individuals even traveled thousands of miles to Brunas just to see the trains for themselves and to experience firsthand what it felt like to ride the magical trains described by the traveling bards.


    They all felt their journey was worthwhile¡ªthey brought their experiences back to their countries, and also gave the monarchs of these countries a new tool to consolidate their rule!


    Stimulated by such successful cases, the countries that were slow to catch on began to go into a frenzy.


    They started pouring more Gold Coins into the arms procurement craze, not knowing who would have the last laugh.


    Interestingly enough, besides weaponry, Shireck also crazily began to imitate on the railway front, which wasn''t too technologically sophisticated.


    They first developed two types of locomotives, whose performance was truly dreadful, but because of Shireck''s wealth, these substandard, poor-performing trains were almost given away to those countries eager to invest in railway development.


    Ironically, when Shireck set their railway standards, they followed Tang Mo''s railway standards to the letter¡ªthey didn''t even have the courage to change the standards.


    That''s because nearly all their customers had one criterion: if Shireck couldn''t ensure their trains perform better than those of the Great Tang Group, then the railway gauge standards must ensure compatibility!


    Thus, in order to secure project investments, Shireck had to begrudgingly accept this requirement, pinching their noses.


    Ultimately, even Shireck had to admit that Tang Mo''s train designs were the most rational and efficient. All of their previous experimental train designs were essentially rubbish and entirely obsolete.


    With no other choice, Shireck had to return to the old path of copying the Great Tang Group. With their immense capital and no need to pay patent fees, they were utterly unscrupulous.


    These unscrupulous merchants eventually launched a train model that was almost identical to the Great Tang Group''s locomotives and named it the Shireck Type 2 train.


    However, almost everyone knew that in terms of both quality and performance, Shireck''s trains were no match for the Great Tang Group''s¡ªShireck''s quality was about two-thirds of the latter, and its malfunction rate was consistently high.


    Of course, this would be a tale for another time. Now, if one wanted to buy a locomotive, there were only two choices: go to the Great Tang Group for the best locomotives or go to Shireck for experimental junk...


    Regardless, the Great Tang Group''s influence in the surrounding Kingdoms was growing day by day. Many Kingdoms had also begun to get accustomed to hedging their bets between the Great Tang Group and the Shireck Corporation.


    While Tang Mo might accept such fence-sitting, Shireck would definitely not see it as a good thing. It indicated that Shireck''s influence within these Kingdoms was waning, while the Great Tang Group''s influence within these Kingdoms was sharply rising.


    This rise was irreversible, and so the losses for Shireck were tangible. However, their losses were not too apparent, for when it came to military procurement, these countries still chose Shireck, after all, Shireck''s name was a formidable brand on this continent.


    But Shireck''s losses weren''t just that¡ªthey had to discard the production of their most abundant product, the flintlock weapon technology, consigning it to the rubbish heap.


    They also had to deal with the workers who had been replaced by steam engines, which was another substantial financial burden...


    So, for the past six months, the Shireck Consortium had a very hard time, a very uncomfortable time...


    ---------


    Dragon Spirit is taking a day off, so just two updates for today. Slow catch-up updates will start tomorrow... feeling too uncomfortable, sorry.

 Chapter 195: 191 new students

    Brunas, the school within the number one factory of Great Tang Group, had its classrooms fitted with new bulbs, and the lighting here had never been better.


    All the students looked up, watching their teacher, or rather the principal, as he stood on the podium and eloquently expounded on novel ideas, "Future wars will be contests of comprehensive national power, and are not limited to the slaughter and competition on the battlefield! Finding ways to make your own country stronger is something you all should strive to do."


    They had never heard such claims before, because for a long time in the past, renowned generals and formidable armies had been the guarantees of a country''s victory.


    In those times, wars depended on a general''s command talent, as well as the training and courage of a group of soldiers.


    In any case, in the eyes of the generals, the victory or defeat on the battlefield had nothing to do with the civilians, who were just part of the spoils to be divided after the war had ended.


    But Tang Mo spoke to them of the importance of the people, or rather the importance of the entire country to the frontline battles.


    Actually, generals from this era or even from ancient times, not all were oblivious to the overall strength of the nation, but those who did pay attention were fleeting and did not form theories that were taken seriously.


    Now, Tang Mo had combined this knowledge to establish the concept of total war, making every student deeply understand the role of the rear, or the role of the nation, in modern warfare.


    As time went by, the identities of the students sitting in front of Tang Mo became more complex: previously, they were just children from Brunas, mostly pupils who came from poor families and lacked the opportunity to study.


    But now, many of the students were of nobility, some of them with fathers who were Lord Earl, and some with fathers who were Baron or Viscount, even a few were barons themselves.


    Moreover, due to the great importance everyone placed on Tang Mo''s technology and the societal progress driven by technology, the students sent here from the nobility and officials were all exceptionally bright members of their families.


    These individuals were all well-informed and remarkable, and many had studied at Shireck''s schools, understanding modern technology and willing to explore the future of human development.


    In Tang Mo''s school, they became true academic elites, possessing time, money, and a foundation; all they lacked was a qualified guide.


    Sometimes, one must despairingly acknowledge the existence of social hierarchies. Some people are born winners at the starting line. They are smarter, their fathers are wealthier, they are more diligent, and they have more and better opportunities...


    Now, among those sitting in this classroom, there was the Prime Minister''s second grandson, the eldest son of the largest family in the South, and scholars who had worked half their lives at Shireck and now only sought to attain the true essence of knowledge.


    Seated in the last row of the classroom, there were some generals from Suthers who took diligent notes, practicing grateful and cautious learning of everything here.


    They certainly would not forget how they came by this precious opportunity to learn¡ªthe young secretary of the Prime Minister had given them this chance to deepen their knowledge, allowing them to listen to the "voice of the devil," which was an honor beyond measure!


    "Your soldiers need to be well-fed and warm! Only then will they be in the mood to fight for you! If they go into battle hungry and wearing rags, yet manage to defeat a powerful enemy... then imagine... with food and weapons, what kind of formidable strength they would possess!" As Tang Mo spoke, he thought of that terrifying entity that once toppled seventeen strongholds of the Beautiful Country.


    If only he had been there at that time, if only he could have sold some weaponry to those young revolutionaries, allowing them not to rely on poor guns like the Type 38 rifle but to carry Type 95 assault rifles, drive Type 99A tanks, and pilot J-20 fighter jets to confront those fiendish enemies¡ªhow great that would have been.


    After pausing for a few seconds, he collected his thoughts and continued the lecture: "Similarly, industry is also important for a country; it is a crucial pillar that supports a nation''s external wars and expansion."


    "In ancient times, those with sharper swords had an advantage on the battlefield; those with armor and powerful bows could defeat the enemy and emerge victorious!" He knew these claims weren''t absolute, but he had to admit that these factors were indeed key to victory on the battlefield.


    The soldiers could defeat steel with the flesh and blood of their bodies, but it was the responsibility of the commanders, or the national leaders, to ensure they went to the front lines with as much steel as possible.


    However, having said this, Tang Mo still emphasized, "Although we don''t deny the willpower and roles humans play in warfare, we''ll focus on that in the next class. In this lesson, I am only introducing the material aspects and their specific impact on warfare!"


    He didn''t want his students to overvalue material capabilities nor to overlook their importance.


    Even nations that had always cherished spirit and relied on their strong spirit for victory would value material aspects. On the contrary, they would view improving material conditions as a fast track to rapidly enhance their strength!


    When the brutal reality of war became apparent to everyone, the fear of insufficient firepower became a persistent concern haunting the military commanders of a certain Eastern power.


    Then came the establishment of an unrivaled number of top-quality rocket launchers and the boast of the strongest ground force on the planet of Blue Star, often initiating combat with a hefty barrage of firepower.


    Therefore, Tang Mo advocated a development path that embraced both courage and steel, for as an arms dealer, he understood too well the direction of weapons development.


    When unmanned drones and missiles began to determine victories far afield, courage remained important, but was no longer the deciding factor of war.


    Only when there was no generational gap in weapons could courage decide the outcome of war. But with a gap present, courage could only serve to illustrate a tragic grandeur.


    Back when the Japanese navy, relying on explosive shells, rapid-fire guns, and new ships with high speeds, devastated their enemies during the Jiawu Year, the brave commanders of the Northern Navy could only desperately shout to ram and sink the Yoshino.


    Deng Shichang was defeated in the Jiawu Year, but was he to blame? No, he wasn''t! It was the Qing court that hadn''t provided new ships for ten years; it was the Li ministers who treated the navy like their own pet dog...


    ---------


    There will be at least three chapters today, but I will be writing until late at night, so don''t wait up. Feel free to check in the morning.

 Chapter 196: 192 Reviews

    "With industry, capable of manufacturing bullets, rifles, and cannons, you can sustain and continue to fight in modern warfare! Without modern industry, you can only passively take hits in war!" Tang Mo spoke continuously at the podium, with officers and students from all directions listening attentively below.


    Some had just entered the academy. They listened attentively as if Tang Mo was opening a grand door to a new world for them.


    Previously, they had only a vague awareness of certain things, but now, these things had been summarized and broken down to be fed and chewed on by them.


    Thus, they were shocked, including a few students who considered their own knowledge systems complete and themselves erudite, experiencing awe for the first time.


    Only at this moment did they realize that there truly were higher realms beyond their own, and greater minds beyond themselves. Their admiration for Tang Mo had reached a new height.


    To them, Tang Mo was a god, a prophet, the one who held the truth of the world!


    It was God who arranged for them to come here, God who gave them the opportunity to witness the divine entity itself!


    In the eyes of these people, Tang Mo, standing on the podium, radiated a blinding brilliance. He was surrounded by halos, and his voice was filled with magic!


    "Therefore, the key to victory lies in finding a way to produce better, stronger, and more advanced weapons!" Tang Mo then wrote "Second Industry (Industry)" on the blackboard.


    "Shireck''s technology has represented the pinnacle for the past 100 years, but as everyone knows, their technology is now outdated; Great Tang''s technology is the best in the world, now and in the future!" he said, proudly pointing to himself as he spoke.


    Now, he truly had the right to say such words, for it was no secret that the Great Tang Group had surpassed the Shireck Consortium in technological expertise.


    The Leite Kingdom, the Suthers Kingdom, and even the further Dorne Kingdom, along with other kingdoms, had all become aware of this fact.


    The Poplar Kingdom, because of its distance, continued to deceive those around it. The Augustin Clan, relying on their counterfeit of Tang Mo''s steam engine and weapon technology, had already become a new super clan.


    But what they did not know was that they had unknowingly accrued a foreign debt of 6 million Gold Coins, and this debt was still growing.


    "Due to technological innovation, tactics have undergone a radical change. Now everyone knows that the Great Tang Group has new weapon technology, and automatic weapons have been born. The main reason we have not yet introduced them to the market is that the manufacturing technology is not perfected," said Tang Mo while continuing to write on the blackboard.


    He boldly prophesied, having seen those prophecies with his own eyes: "Once we improve the production technology, these weapons will be deployed on the battlefield, completely changing the future pattern of warfare."


    He had seen those weapons, he had tested those tactics; when planes, cannons, and tanks appeared, war would take on another form.


    Inside the machine-gun bunkers, they saw machine guns that had been relocated for display purposes, and they also observed a demonstration where machine guns mowed down cattle and sheep.


    After witnessing soldiers operate machine guns and slay dozens of cattle and sheep, these students gained a concrete concept of modern warfare.


    Tang Mo asked with a smile to the students still haunted by the machine guns, "How do you feel? What are your thoughts?"


    "Indeed, clumsy, rubbish... They are too rudimentary, just temporary defensive positions hastily dug out," Tang Mo didn''t wait for their answer and began to evaluate the positions he set up on his own.


    To be frank, these positions were fairly rudimentary and not quite professional, and to promote frontal firepower, they were also not very concealed or sturdy.


    They relied solely on the overwhelming power of new weaponry over old tactics. Yet, such unprofessional and haphazard domination was truly a blatant display of Versailles...


    Tang Mo gave a fair assessment, "Apart from the cement shelters prepared for the G1 machine guns, the remaining defensive positions were just cobbled together temporarily and hardly worth mentioning."


    "However! With just these rudimentary defenses, we completely annihilated at least 5,000 of Shireck''s army at Brunas!" But then, Tang Mo spoke unreservedly about the battle results at Brunas.


    He boasted unabashedly, "Even until the end, their 3,000 troops dispatched to flank didn''t engage in battle but surrendered without firing a single shot, becoming our prisoners."


    After boasting, he earnestly warned everyone, "Hence, arrogance and complacency are unacceptable. Before mounting an attack, fully understand your opponent, dispatch reconnaissance troops as extensively and far as possible, ascertain the surrounding battlefield environment, and then proceed with a tried-and-true method to cautiously initiate probing attacks!"


    "The evolution of weaponry is rapid and ever-changing, so we cannot guarantee that you won''t encounter simple but practical new weapons developed by your opponents on future battlefields. Therefore, on the battlefield, one cannot be too cautious!" He emphasized this point with added gravity in his tone.


    "In the past, our development team has created a variety of weapon systems, but technology requires digestion and accumulation, so for now, we''re still primarily promoting the needle gun, with no technological advantage." Then, he turned back to the blackboard and continued to write in large characters: The application of artillery.


    As he spoke, he turned to face the audience below the podium, "However, we''ve made some progress in artillery. The new artillery is in the testing phase and will soon be ready for deployment."


    Speaking of his navy, a confident smile appeared on his face, "Moreover, three new types of warships have been constructed, with the latest artillery technology implemented in the main guns of the last two, doubling the firing efficiency of those main guns."


    He had reason to smile¡ªhis navy, now taking shape, was truly unmatched in all the world.


    Yes, with just these three ironclad warships, his navy now held the capacity to triumph over any national maritime power it might encounter.


    Hence, Black Dragon Island... could now be said to be firmly clenched in his grasp.

 Chapter 197: 193ä¿¡

    On an afternoon that was not particularly bright, with dark clouds rolling in the sky outside, Tang Mo turned on the desk lamp and felt the intense heat radiating from the light bulb.


    Under the light, he unfolded the third letter that Roger had sent back from Black Dragon Island, wearing a faint smile on his face. He liked such peaceful afternoons, enjoyed looking down at the familiar handwriting, witnessing joy leap onto the paper.


    Tang Mo,


    I have received the register and medals you mailed. I never dreamed that I, such an inconsequential old man, could one day become a baron of the Leite Kingdom.


    As you said, a title is indeed something you can obtain if you truly desire it... I was excited for several days. Really, I suddenly wanted to visit my mother''s grave to tell her about her son becoming a baron.


    But I know there are more important things for me to do. I must help you look after this island, this island brimming with riches!


    Honestly, now that I am a baron, I think you should seriously consider your own title.


    In fact, a viscount doesn''t suit you at all; you should be the fourth earl of the Leite Kingdom, to become genuine nobility!


    You are the most energetic and far-sighted young person I''ve ever met. Your investment in Black Dragon Island will definitely become the most profitable one.


    Now, we have built a small town here. The workers love the process of creating a new homeland from scratch.


    Frankly speaking, living in this paradise-like place, carefree and untroubled, as if the rest of the world doesn''t concern us at all, is a joy.


    The rangers have discovered the island''s third coastline. This island is truly huge, astonishingly so.


    To call this island a continent wouldn''t be an exaggeration¡ªit''s unknown exactly how wide it is from east to west, but it spans at least 190 kilometers from north to south.


    And according to our explorations, the east-west length of the island is at least 210 kilometers, if not more.


    There are mountains and rivers on the island, and many animals. We''ve found tigers here, and some beautiful birds, too.


    We can now produce tools and equipment on our own, and the women have even cultivated about 30 acres of arable land next to the town.


    If we include the seemingly endless fruit and game on the island, we could even achieve short-term self-sufficiency in food...


    However, according to your plans, the population here will grow larger, so we won''t stop our efforts to store food.


    We have built a granary in the town and developed a livestock farming base. The pigs and sheep brought from Brunas adapted well to life here, and the hens are laying eggs smoothly.


    Each morning, when I open my eyes and the windows of my room, I can see our sailboats cruising on the far sea.


    This place is simply paradise, Tang Mo. You should come here, to be the master of this little island.


    We''ve reinforced the docks with concrete, and you might not believe it, but the size of the docks here is now comparable to those in Brunas.


    Even by the smallest estimates, this place is a bit larger than the entire Northern Ridge. No one would give up such an island lightly, so I believe that war will ultimately break out.


    Not someone else''s war, but our own!


    Our war with one or several unknown powers! I think we should be prepared for this! I don''t think we should let others snatch away this beautiful place from our hands for nothing.


    Even if someday we are left with nothing but this island, it would have been worth it. So, I, Roger, am willing to fight for this island!


    For this, I hope you too will prepare for battle, expand the military, and at least we should deploy 3,000 troops on this island! And we should cultivate a large area of farmland here, as well as build at least dozens of factories!


    Of course, these are just my personal thoughts; maybe you have a better plan. In any case, I''ll follow your lead.


    How''s that little witch Yulin doing? Is she still acting like she''s the strongest in the school? Hahaha... Just thinking about it makes me happy.


    Dino seems to be a kid of few words, but he definitely admires you the most; you can tell just by the way he looks at you, he literally sees you as his father.


    Oh, and isn''t Galsa''s father also on Black Dragon Island? He was bragging about his son to me just yesterday, and his pride made me a little jealous, hahaha.


    If you write back, please pass on a few words to Galsa''s dad too; it will make him even happier. You know, when he''s happy, he does a lot more work every day.


    Are those new recruits still proving useful? I actually really miss working by your side.


    This will be the last time I address you by your name, as after all, the Great Tang Group can only have one voice, it has only one master, and you, Tang Mo, are its only master.


    So, please accept my loyalty, let me be your subordinate. Even though I am your father''s partner, my contributions simply don''t match everything you''ve created.


    Do not make it difficult for me, just let me sincerely call you my master, you... or I should say, Your Honor, your dull but loyal subordinate, Roger.


    Respectfully,


    Clutching the letter in his hand, Tang Mo''s smile deepened a bit. He looked over Roger''s handwriting again and then placed the letter on the table.


    His uncle, who was not really his uncle, sure was a lovely person. He picked up the pen, thought for a long time, but wrote nothing.


    The development plan for Black Dragon Island is going very smoothly; he has already obtained several dozen barrels of gasoline, and if he needed, he could also get diesel and other petroleum products.


    Regardless, he can now make himself a small car, flashy and fast... an extremely, extremely cool... little car.


    There are just too many things that don''t exist in this world. When will he be able to get himself a smartphone? It would be so much more convenient then...


    With these thoughts, Tang Mo once again picked up the pen and wrote a line of powerful characters on the paper: "Dear Uncle Roger..."


    ---------


    Owe everyone two more chapters

 Chapter 198: Good stuff 194

    Just as Tang Mo finished writing his reply, Galsa excitedly knocked on Tang Mo''s door. Tang Mo had just folded the letter and placed it in an envelope, "Galsa, just in time! Your father has been thinking of you. In Roger''s letter, he asked me to check how you''ve been lately."


    "Me? I''m doing quite well," Galsa, clever beyond his years, said to Tang Mo with a grin: "My studies are going great, and recently I''ve been learning swordsmanship from Master Wes."


    "Hmm, that''s good. I also mentioned in the letter that you''ve been doing well lately," Tang Mo said, looking at the boy who had once been his young apprentice and noticing that he had grown to about 1.7 meters tall in a year''s time.


    The food at Brunas was really good, plumping up the boy who had once been rather scrawny.


    "By the way," Tang Mo said as he sealed the letter with his own seal and casually asked Galsa, who had come to see him, "What brings you here?"


    Galsa remembered the purpose of his visit and immediately relayed the good news to Tang Mo: "My lord! That plant you wanted... we''ve found it!"


    "Hmm? Which plant?" Tang Mo had people collecting seeds of various plants all over, hoping to find methods for hybrid crop cultivation, so he couldn''t immediately recall which exact seeds had been found.


    As Tang Mo pondered, Galsa explained: "A merchant ship that came by recently had an old sailor whose hometown grows a plant that, when dried and ground into pieces and set alight, can be inhaled and, once one gets used to the peculiar smell, is said to be very soothing."


    "He has that plant?" Tang Mo asked in surprise and then eagerly inquired.


    Galsa nodded affirmatively, "Yes, and there''s plenty of it."


    "Plenty?" Tang Mo became even more excited, feeling his craving for tobacco kicking in.


    "Yes, in his hometown, many people have the habit of inhaling the smoke from burning this plant. Every time he goes home, he brings back a lot of it and smokes it when bored at sea," Galsa continued, nodding in response to Tang Mo''s questions.


    "Did he bring the stuff here?" Tang Mo asked almost without pausing for a second.


    Galsa nodded again, "Yes, both the dried leaves and the ground powder are here."


    "Bring it to me, let''s have a look! Go on! If it''s what I''ve been looking for, that''d be great," Tang Mo, like a smoker who had finally found a tobacco shop after searching for over a year, felt as though he finally had something to look forward to.


    Tang Mo had always been in search of tobacco, a habit for him and also an incredibly lucrative industry.


    Someone once joked that if a few billion people smoked a pack each, the country could fund an aircraft carrier. Although it was in jest, it spoke volumes about the profitability of the tobacco and alcohol industry.


    Unlike alcohol, which involves grains, the cultivation of tobacco and tea leaves hardly takes up any good farmland, avoiding land conflicts.


    Given the not-so-high food self-sufficiency rate at present, tobacco and tea are certainly more worth investing in and promoting over brewing.


    As for the issue of the lighter''s air-tightness, well... it didn''t actually need to be solved. The most famous ZIPPO lighters in the United States were known for their leaking.


    After stacking the hand-rolled cigarettes in a corner of a drawer, Tang Mo headed towards the noisy workshop with the two blueprints.


    He handed his drawings to Mathews, who was discussing improvements to the Maxim gun with Parker, and shouted to his key technical team member, the old Dwarf, "Mathews! Take a look at these two items. Can you make them?"


    "No problem," the old Dwarf glanced at Tang Mo''s drawing of the cigarette case, dismissively passing that blueprint to Parker, and then looked at the other with the lighter''s design.


    Examining the strike wheel and simple airtight structure, the old Dwarf looked back at Tang Mo and said admiringly, "This is very sophisticated! Master! If it had been invented some years earlier, it could have become standard army artillery gear!"


    "So you can make it?" Tang Mo wasn''t concerned about how useful the gadget would be to artillerymen right now; he was only interested in when he could have his own ZIPPO lighter.


    The old Dwarf set the blueprints aside on the table, speaking with a trace of disdain, "Leave it to me! Master, I roughly understand the purpose of these two items now¡ªone is a simple box that can hold things, and the other is an ignition device. I will make them well for you, don''t worry."


    "I''m in a hurry," Tang Mo added another comment.


    "Give me no more than two hours, and I will deliver them," Mathews confidently promised.


    Soon enough, Tang Mo saw the two items Mathews had brought to his office, and to be honest, he was immediately stunned by their exquisite craftsmanship when he first laid eyes on them.


    It was his first time seeing such a beautifully made cigarette case¡ªcrafted with metal reliefs that looked incredibly delicate.


    Since it was made of two layers of metal, it felt satisfyingly heavy in his hand. The inner box fit precisely with not even the slightest gap, and the outer metal layer had been hammered into an exquisite design with a rough technique, conveying a profound sense of power and beauty.


    Tang Mo caressed the twining vines of the embossed design with his fingers, his eyes fixed on the half-visible wolf head at the center of the case, his face full of satisfaction.


    As a traditional blacksmith, Mathews''s skill in such artistic design really had reached mastery.


    And when Tang Mo saw the ZIPPO lighter, he was even more astonished by Mathews''s sense of aesthetics.


    It was also adorned with an embossed design¡ªthis time featuring the emblem of the Great Tang Group, Tang Mo''s family crest¡ªthe dragon totem.


    To be frank, Tang Mo had never imagined that Mathews could make the act of smoking feel so ceremonial. He was extremely fond of the two items, even feeling an almost unreal sense of magic.


    He took out the hand-rolled cigarettes from his drawer, placing them one by one into the cigarette case. Meanwhile, Mathews stood quietly by his side, waiting for Tang Mo to change the world once again with his inventions.


    After Tang Mo had finished, he held the last cigarette between his fingers, and with a finger from his other hand, he struck the lighter that had just been filled with kerosene.


    "Ding!" With a crisp sound, the lighter''s lid flipped open, and the flint made a gratifying scratch noise as it sparked.

 Chapter 199: 195, a failed attempt at posturing

    Tang Mo clamped the cigarette between his lips and leaned into the flame, greedily inhaling. The air moved, and the flame ignited the cigarette in front of him.


    A scorching pain surged into Tang Mo''s windpipe, violently tearing at his lungs. His debonair moment vanished entirely as he began to cough violently, his eyes filled with painful tears.


    "Ugh... cough cough cough! I... cough cough cough! Cough! Ah...


    cough cough cough!" His uncontrollable coughing even altered his voice to a terrifying pitch.


    Mathews stood up in shock, wanting to come over to help, but Tang Mo gestured with his hand for him to stop.


    Tang Mo truly found it embarrassing to admit a fact: he had tried to show off but had genuinely and utterly failed. In the depths of his soul he was indeed an old smoker, yet this young body was incredibly honest.


    This matter was not like finding a woman; a first-timer needing only to watch a couple of DVDs from Dongying to become self-taught, able to fake experience somewhat convincingly.


    When it comes to smoking, no matter how familiar you are, if your body isn''t prepared, it will give the most honest feedback to your brain as the painful smoke churns in your lungs.


    Tang Mo''s violent coughing was his most genuine reaction. He found himself once again experiencing this exciting yet uncomfortable poor experience.


    Even a bit of snot flowed from his nostrils at one point, destroying any semblance of elegance he had hoped to enjoy while smoking.


    In fact, smoking looks stylish, very handsome, and even gives the illusion of masculinity¡ªall deliberate constructs of tobacco companies. The so-called graceful smoking by women is also an exorbitantly priced advertisement placed within the plot.


    A woman smoking is alluring, but when you think about it, is it the smoking action that seduces? What really attracts is her red evening gown, her exquisite face, and her desire-inducing curves.


    Is a man smoking a symbol of depth and vicissitudes of life? Not really. Wearing a suit, sporting a gold watch, and blowing smoke rings in a Rolls-Royce¡ªthat''s depth; sitting in tattered jeans and a tank top by the roadside next to a bike¡ªthat''s destitution...


    So, is it the cigarette that leaves the lasting impression? Not at all, it''s the actor''s charisma, the costly clothing, and the seductiveness of his female companion.


    As for the cigarettes, they''re just an accessory, completely dispensable. If he were chewing gum, you''d probably think he''s healthy. If he were popping a cherry into his mouth, women would probably scream with their hands over their faces.


    In any case, after his first failed attempt at showing off, Tang Mo found ten thousand excuses for his blunder. Finally, as his lungs began to acclimatize to the uncomfortable sensation, he found a hint of pleasure amidst the pain.


    For an old smoker like him, this was a familiar sensation, one akin to the taste of home.


    "Is this... is this it, Master?" After a long wait, Mathews could no longer hold back his curiosity and asked.


    Tang Mo, still savoring the refreshing feeling of his first smoke, caught off guard by the question, wasn''t quite sure what Mathews was referring to.


    He looked at Mathews blankly, feeling regret that he could not appreciate the pleasure of smoking.


    Yes, completely partitioned it.


    In just one month, the Leite Kingdom had annexed one kingdom and half of another, nearly doubling its territory. The Dorne Kingdom had also assimilated half a kingdom, expanding its own territory by at least two-thirds.


    More importantly, the Dorne Kingdom had gained a land border with the Leite Kingdom, which is what external observers speculated to be the reason they abandoned the more southern neighboring countries in favor of moving north.


    At the same time, the Suthers Kingdom also expanded its territory to the north, reaching right below the walls of the enemy''s King City, filling the losses from their previous war.


    At least, the land the Suthers acquired was twice the size of what they had lost, and the area included vast pastures, worth as much as the agricultural region south of the Icing Crystal River.


    Given the outcome, since the Suthers Kingdom was not planning to antagonize the Northern Ridge again, they could in fact buy large quantities of food from the Leite Kingdom.


    In return, they could supply products like furs and manes, providing the Leite Kingdom with ample livestock supplies to compensate each other.


    However, the nearly back-to-back expansion of the three kingdoms truly made some more distant kingdoms nervous. They shuddered in fear at the thought of these three nations forming an alliance and continuing to expand their territories.


    Similarly, in the three seemingly unrelated but in fact closely connected wars, many amazing talents unexpectedly emerged.


    Viscount Romel of the Suthers Kingdom displayed heroic bravery, leading his army on a resolute charge through enemy lines as if he were in a land without opponents, achieving a grand victory in the north and boosting the morale of the Suthers people.


    On the Leite Kingdom''s side, talents were even more abundant, with many commanders, whose names were not well known, leading their troops to pierce through the enemy''s defenses, outmaneuvering their opponents in command capability.


    It was these impressive commanders that led to the rapid collapse of the neighboring country''s troops, which were better equipped with breach-loading rifles, had more artillery, and stronger forces backed by the Shireck Consortium, helping the Leite Kingdom secure an unprecedented victory.


    Similarly, in the Dorne Kingdom, a legend was born¡ªa young commander who led their troops northward and with a final victorious maneuver, completely partitioned the kingdom trapped between the two powers, turned out to be a naval officer.


    What was more laughable was that this young commander was not even 20 years old, a genuine prodigy the likes of which are rarely seen.


    These dazzling stars suddenly emerged, all coming from what appeared to be the allied three kingdoms, which inevitably led to some fanciful speculations.


    Soon enough, everyone learned a startling fact through investigations: the Leite Kingdom housed a Great Tang military academy, and the alumni from there... could indeed be called talented!


    After the conclusion of the three consecutive battles, the nearly exposed alliance of the three kings formally took shape. The three nations signed a mutual trust treaty in Brunas, vowing never to betray one another, and to expand their wars outward, back-to-back.


    Moreover, the alliance of the three kings agreed that when one party was in a difficult war situation, the other two were obliged to send troops to help. This treaty plunged the neighboring smaller kingdoms completely into despair.


    In the end, with the aid of Shireck, a five-nation coalition was also formed. Their purpose was to counter the expansion of the alliance of the three kings.


    ----------


    The supplementary update will be provided tomorrow during the day, there''s no need to stay up waiting.

 Chapter 200: 196 Debt Collector

    "Sss... hah..." Tang Mo comfortably enjoyed the smell of the cigarette, looking down at the development report about Black Dragon Island.


    There were now over 6,000 immigrants on the island, and if he worked harder, the total population might rise above 10,000 in a few days.


    Currently, these people still almost entirely relied on food transported from Brunas harbor, but they would soon be self-sufficient by next year.


    After all, Black Dragon Island was extremely fertile, and developing it was like mining a goldmine. Tang Mo could even roughly calculate that the island could easily support a population of a million.


    A road was being constructed on Black Dragon Island, with Roger hoping to connect the newly discovered harbor with the small town he had built upon landing.


    Meanwhile, the oil refinery had started production, refining petroleum day and night, turning it into the chemical raw materials and gasoline that Tang Mo needed.


    All these were good news, and with each passing day, Tang Mo''s initial accumulation began to grow more substantial.


    He had stockpiled a considerable amount of gasoline on Black Dragon Island and did the same in Brunas. This laid a good foundation for his future car manufacturing.


    In short, everything was developing well for Tang Mo.


    A knock on the door interrupted Tang Mo''s thoughts. He looked up and instructed with a cigarette in hand, "Come in!"


    Li''ao entered from outside, the old man looking quite hale. After all, his Silver Fox Tavern had never been so glorious since the day it was established.


    Now, his subordinates were practically running rampant throughout the entire Leite Kingdom, with their influence in Suthers being second to none.


    The construction of the intelligence network had far exceeded Tang Mo''s expectations, and even in King City of Suthers, Great Tang Group''s telegraph machines had begun to be used.


    Currently, these devices were not for sale; except for Miss Alice of Northern Ridge who managed to buy two units through personal connections, the rest were all operated by Silver Fox Company.


    Sending a telegraph from Suthers to somewhere within Leite Kingdom was charged one gold coin per character¡ªa sky-high price indeed.


    But... the users didn''t mind the charges at all, and the service was even in such high demand. Not only were the higher-ups of both countries frequently using telegraphs for communication, but some wealthy merchants also used this device to liaise with their branches or subordinates.


    However, everyone knew that although the telegraph could provide fast communication to distant places, for Silver Fox Group, there was no such thing as confidentiality.


    Aside from some pre-arranged codes, the content sent through the telegraph was transparent, which made Silver Fox Company exceptionally powerful at gathering intelligence.


    Any valuable intelligence would be brought back to Brunas for consolidation, then sorted by specialized personnel, and filed for storage.


    Now, in the intelligence room of Great Tang Group in Brunas, specifically, over 300 women from Silver Fox Company were managing this task.


    They were all women, bound by contracts stricter than indenture agreements, almost never leaving the factory in a month. They organized the documents gathered here, bound them into volumes, and placed them on the tall shelves.


    Whenever someone made a request, they could quickly find everything related, sending the relevant parts to those in need.


    "The last time I entrusted you with a task... you let my kingdom fall," the young orc said, wiping the Shireck Flintlock Gun in his hand, without looking up.


    His words, though light, instantly reddened the faces of several restless Guards and officers and silenced their clamor.


    Then, he continued, "Stop calling me Your Majesty. Our kingdom has perished. Until we reconquer it, there is no ''Your Majesty''."


    "But..." Several orc officers and guards were about to speak, but for a moment they seemed unsure of what to say.


    "I don''t mean to blame you... I know you are all loyal subjects." This former prince of the now-extinct Gales Kingdom soothed his subordinates, "I just... can''t contain my own anger... Those who made us lose our homeland, they all must pay!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty! They all must pay the price!" Several guards and officers echoed immediately.


    "However, our current situation is not good," the prince looked in the direction of the door with a worried expression and asked, "You must have noticed that we seem to be under surveillance."


    His intuition was sharp, but even though he had been cautious, he had not found concrete evidence that they were being watched.


    Yet, it seemed like everyone around them was watchful, judging them with ill intent, monitoring their every move.


    Thus, he spoke with a hint of depression, expressing his concern, "I don''t know who is watching us, but indeed, someone is. If they harbor ill intentions, we could be in great danger."


    "There aren''t many orcs around here; it''s normal for us to be watched," an orc officer consoled his master.


    "Perhaps, but we can''t be too optimistic. Gentlemen, we cannot afford any mistakes now," The prince sighed and nodded.


    The rest of the guards and officers looked at him, with a few asking, "So, Your Majesty, what should we do?"


    Tucking the flintlock gun at his waist, the prince replied, "The plan remains unchanged. Since we''ve already found out where that bastard who sells weapons to the Poplar Kingdom has his factory... we move tonight!"


    "Yes!" Everyone answered in unison, their voices subdued.


    After looking at each person, the prince instructed everyone, "Remember! Each of your lives is precious! I can no longer bear the loss of any more loyal subjects of the Gales Kingdom. So, no matter what, you must preserve your life! Understand?"


    "Under... understood..." the orcs hesitated, responding sparsely to their master''s instruction.


    Once again, with a stern tone, the prince pressed, "Do you understand?!"


    "Understood!" This time, everyone answered resolutely.


    "Very well!" The prince nodded in satisfaction, "Go prepare some food; we''ll wait for those who went to scout for information to return..."


    ----------


    I owe you all an additional update.

 Chapter 201: 197 The Talking Bush

    In the pitch-black night, a line of dark figures reached the exterior wall of Great Tang Group''s Factory No. 1. Signaling to each other by moonlight, they scattered and crept towards their respective targets.


    The young Orc Prince, carrying a Longsword, scaled the courtyard wall with the help of several subordinates, then understood why he felt the night was exceptionally bright.


    The factory was wastefully illuminated deep into the night, though it was unclear how many candles were lit inside the plant.


    He was extremely envious of such luxury and equally jealous of the Kingdom that had the wealth and technology to own a factory like this.


    If the Orc race had such a factory, his Gales Kingdom wouldn''t have been destroyed, and might even have triumphed in the war with the Poplar Kingdom.


    Unfortunately, there''s no such thing as what-ifs in this world; his Kingdom had now become history, and he was not here to be astonished but rather to destroy everything.


    He intended to shoot the unscrupulous boss who provided technology to the Elves, then burn down the factory in vengeance. After that, he would take flight, seeking a chance to reclaim his kingdom.


    But as he stood facing the dazzling, star-like compound, he again felt his own insignificance.


    A deep reluctance made him want to recoil. He didn''t want to destroy this place, for he felt it was more important than even his ancestral land.


    "I''ve changed the plan," he turned to look at the guard captain following him and whispered.


    "Your Majesty... you can''t talk during an operation... you''ll be discovered!" The guard captain panicked briefly before lowering his voice and, while keeping an eye on their surroundings, spoke to his master.


    This was not their Imperial Palace; this was the enemy''s yard. If they exposed their location prematurely, they might be met by hundreds of guards wielding weapons!


    "I plan to talk to the people here. If they''re willing to help us, just as they helped the Elves... I think we can cooperate..." The Orc Prince fell silent for a few seconds, then suddenly spoke.


    "Your Majesty! At a time like this... You..." The guard captain thought the Prince had gone mad, changing plans suddenly during such an operation was preposterous.


    Even if they were willing to change the plan, how could they notify their counterparts who had dispersed? If they abandon the plan here while others start their action, how would that be accounted for?


    So, with no other option, he tried desperately to persuade: "It''s too late now, the others are definitely ready to move. Even if we scatter now to find them, it will surely be too late."


    "I think you can give it a try," suddenly, a man''s voice spoke from a place very close to them.


    Everyone was startled; they weren''t aware of why there would be someone so close to them, brazen enough to speak without even a hint of concealment.


    "Who!" The two guards were shocked. But before they could finish, a dagger was pressed against their necks.


    Neither dared to move, incredulously discovering that it was the bushes nearby that extended arms, holding daggers to their necks. If it wasn''t witchcraft, it had to be a miracle.


    "My god... What is this thing..." When Gales IX entered the lobby of the Great Tang Group office building, he was astounded by the sight in front of him.


    It was the first time he had seen such a magnificent chandelier, or rather, the first time he had seen such a bright lighting system!


    This chandelier was made up of 9 bulbs, and in fact, it wasn''t all that luxurious¡ªit was just that anyone seeing this kind of lighting system for the first time would be overwhelmed by its bright and dazzling presence.


    Even Leite VII had been completely won over by Tang Mo''s invention after witnessing electric lighting in his own Royal Palace.


    He immediately invested in retrofitting his Royal Palace and deliberately added electric lighting to his main activity areas.


    Of course, for this set of electric equipment, he had to pay the electric subsidiary of the Great Tang Group 200 Gold Coins every year for electricity and maintenance costs...


    And upon learning of this device, the King of Suthers immediately spent almost the same amount to get himself an office and a bedroom with electric lights¡ªfor these two rooms and some corridors, he also had to pay 200 Gold Coins every year, no deception intended.


    However, compared to the telegraphic exchanges between Suthers and the Leite Kingdom, this astronomical electricity fee could be considered cheap.


    Because in just one month, the two kingdoms sent more than 1,900 words of telegrams, with a total fee of 1,780 Gold Coins paid¡ªthis was after a discount from the Great Tang Group.


    In short, if you want to enjoy the convenience of modernization, you have to pay extra...


    After passing through the corridors illuminated by electric lights, Gales IX finally met Tang Mo. He stared in surprise for a long while before confirming that the other party wasn''t joking with him.


    "I never imagined you would be so young." Ultimately, after musing for over a minute, Gales IX was the first to express his admiration.


    "You are quite young as well." Tang Mo was not seeing an orc for the first time, as he had seen many orc sailors in Brunas.


    To put it frankly, orc men are so ugly they could be described as abstract. Their teeth were extremely unhealthy, and their protruding jaws made them look like disabled people with severe joint disease.


    And they weren''t as strong as the orcs Tang Mo was familiar with from games; they were only slightly stronger than humans.


    For instance, the frail orc prince in front of him wasn''t necessarily taller than Tang Mo. Some robust humans could completely overpower most orcs in strength, although it was said that there were some very strong individuals among the orcs capable of reaching over two meters in height.


    They might not be strong, but they truly were ugly. It was almost unheard of for human or elf women to marry orc men; it seemed their aesthetic standards were on a completely different plane.


    However, the females of their species were entirely different¡ªthe beautiful orc women definitely exuded exotic charm. According to Tang Mo''s understanding, they were like the cat-eared girls of this world.


    From an evolutionary perspective, orc females had obviously evolved more thoroughly than orc males and better matched Tang Mo''s aesthetic preferences.


    ----------


    There''s one more update coming but it will be very late, so don''t wait for it; you can check it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 202: Person who owes 198 debts

    Of course, when Tang Mo had Wes bring Gales the Ninth over, he wasn''t planning to discuss the evolutionary history of the Orc race or chat about Orc cat girls.


    He invited him over purely to find a disgusting opponent for the Poplar Kingdom.


    "So tell me, why have you come to see me?" Tang Mo leaned back in his chair, signaling that the Gales the Ninth could take a seat anywhere he liked.


    Honestly speaking, Tang Mo''s office still wasn''t very impressive, considering he hadn''t had time to create a base that satisfied him; so he also hadn''t paid much attention to his office.


    However, compared to his previous room, this place had undergone a drastic transformation already.


    At least now there was a sofa, the place had been decently decorated, and even the office desk Tang Mo was using was probably one of the largest in Brunas.


    Helpless really, given his strength, even if he wanted to be low-key, objectively speaking it was no longer permitted. The Great Tang Group was thriving, and it needed him to display his momentum.


    Tang Mo spoke as he picked up a cup from the side, swirled the beer around the ice cubes, and watched Gales the Ninth, who was guarded by two soldiers and sitting on the sofa, waiting for him to answer.


    Gales the Ninth didn''t make Tang Mo wait too long; he answered Tang Mo''s question directly: "Because you, were the one who gave the Poplar Kingdom needle-fired guns!"


    Hearing this reason, Tang Mo nodded, then asked, "Not bad, you even know about needle-fired guns. I''m a businessman, what''s the problem with people coming to me to buy goods? Blaming me is not appropriate, is it?"


    "But why didn''t you sell to us?" Gales the Ninth angrily attempted to stand up, his face already ugly to begin with, contorted with emotion, it appeared even more repulsive now.


    "You didn''t come to buy either," Tang Mo replied nonchalantly, spreading his hands in response to the core question. This reply completely stunned the prince of Gales Kingdom.


    The logic was actually very simple, the other party could have figured it out too, but hatred blinded them; they simply didn''t want to think about it as excuse for the Great Tang Group.


    "In fact, you know it too, the fall of your country has little to do with the Great Tang Group, but you still came," Tang Mo continued, playing with his glass and admiring how the beer washed over the patterns inside the cup.


    "Because you don''t dare to seek revenge from your real enemy, because you don''t have the strength to take revenge on the Poplar Kingdom, you believe you can squash a soft persimmon, you can come to me, kill me, destroy my factory, and showcase your justice." After speaking, he paused, waiting for an explanation.


    Gales the Ninth fell silent, he felt he couldn''t refute Tang Mo''s words, and indeed, he had lost his kingdom but hadn''t sought revenge on his real enemies, the Poplar Kingdom.


    It wasn''t that he lacked courage, but he still bore the heavy responsibility of restoring his nation, and he didn''t yet have the strength to challenge the thriving Poplar Kingdom.


    "You''re right..." Finally, Gales the Ninth spoke up, his voice hoarse, showing how difficult it was for him to speak, "Let go of my men, let them leave, and my death alone will be enough."


    "If you don''t believe me, I can personally disband them... But, please let them leave," he lifted his head, staring at Tang Mo, pleading once again, "I beg you."


    A small country known as the Liumu Kingdom had already been annexed by the Poplar Kingdom, and now the Poplar Kingdom''s territory was nearly as large as an Empire''s.


    What was even more alarming was that the Poplar Kingdom seemed to have reached some agreement with the Shireck Consortium, which was secretly supporting the Poplar Kingdom''s expansion. Wherever the Poplar Kingdom invaded, there would be problems with the arms supply.


    Without arms, those countries found it even more difficult to fight against the Poplar Kingdom, which was why they were defeated.


    In fact, compared to the Tri-King Alliance, the Poplar Kingdom''s expansion was faster, especially since Augustine could match the Great Tang Group in the production of needle guns.


    The difference between the two wasn''t significant, after all, Tang Mo had shifted the focus of weapon production to cannons and machine guns.


    And to support their weapons, Brunas had to stack most of their production capacity on metal cased ammunition and shells, as the demand for ammunition sometimes far exceeded the demand for weapons alone.


    "Seems like they''ve made it big in Novice Village," Tang Mo sneered contemptuously, giving a very fair assessment of the Augustin Family''s factory.


    Even if the weapons weren''t cutting-edge, as long as they were stronger than those of the opponent, there will certainly be an advantage. Add to that the bias of the Shireck Consortium, and it''s certain those nations with a shortage of military supplies would be put at a disadvantage.


    Kingdoms that usually had some strength might manage to hold their ground for a bit, but those that were usually indulgent and negligent in military affairs would evidently crumble like a house of cards.


    "Novice, Novice what... Village?" The Orc prince, completely missing the reference, repeated the term with a blank face, a term he didn''t understand at all.


    "It seems we should start dragging their legs, otherwise, once they accumulate primitive capital, they''ll be even harder to deal with." Tang Mo felt that he shouldn''t allow the Augustin Clan and the Poplar Kingdom to continue their unchecked barbaric growth.


    "I..."


    "You''re of no use for the time being, so don''t get involved," Tang Mo signaled Wes to take the Orc prince away, "Take him to his subordinates, keep an eye on them, and don''t let them cause any trouble!"


    "Yes, sir!" Wes immediately nodded in response.


    Gales IX was led out of the building by Wes, who took him to the canteen where he finally saw his subordinates again.


    The prince, who had been worried about his subordinates all this time, entered the door only to be met with a mix of ridicule and sympathy as he watched his men shamelessly piling their plates and gorging on food.


    There was no helping it, as they had been wandering at sea, with no chance to enjoy good food, so most of the time they were roughing it, in a state of hunger or semi-starvation.


    Now that they had the opportunity, they naturally let their appetites loose...


    "You disgraceful lot... Aren''t you afraid of being poisoned..." The exiled prince covered his face helplessly, completely at a loss for words¡ªthen, a few seconds later, he too began to devour his food voraciously: "Forget it, I''m starving. If we die, we''ll die together!"

 Chapter 203: King of the Sea 199

    "They''re eating in the canteen; they look like they haven''t eaten for quite a while," Wes reported back to Tang Mo''s office, where he saw Tang Mo fiddling with a pile of copper wire coils.


    Tang Mo had been tinkering with this thing whenever he had time, but Wes had no idea what it was actually used for.


    But he had realized by now that Tang Mo was an inventor, and a terrifying one at that. Everything he created, apart from cigarette cases and lighters, seemed to have a potent effect capable of changing the course of civilization.


    Seeing that Tang Mo didn''t speak, Wes continued to ask, "Do you really plan to keep these orcs?"


    Tang Mo didn''t lift his head as he assembled several components together, only he knew that he was making the world''s first telephone.


    After piecing together the parts he needed, Tang Mo finally looked up and countered Wes''s question, "I''ve kept John around, so why not give them a chance?"


    "Maybe they could indeed be of some use," Wes thought for a moment and nodded in agreement with Tang Mo''s words.


    These orcs seemed quite gullible; if handled well, they could even yield unexpected results.


    For example, if they were sent to take out an enemy, the trail starting with the orcs'' identity was highly unlikely to lead back to Brunas, a port that had little to do with the orc race.


    "If used properly, they can be remarkably effective," Tang Mo also believed that these orcs would definitely be of great use.


    But his thoughts were entirely different from Wes''s; he planned to cultivate an orc power to foster divisions within the enemy, preventing the orc race from being united.


    Only by doing this could he exert his influence over the orcs and construct a perfect puzzle.


    Because the two men stood at entirely different heights, their visions for using the orcs diverged completely.


    Curious, Wes continued to ask Tang Mo, "So, what should we do now?"


    Tang Mo put down the parts in his hand, scratched his head, and after some thought, said, "Now? Since the Poplar Kingdom is being so compliant, how can I not give them a bit of trouble?"


    "Looks like it''s the end of the good days for the elves," Wes showed a mischievous smile. He knew that once Tang Mo set his sights on them, the damn Poplar Kingdom of the Elf Race would definitely have a rough time.


    Tang Mo also felt that the Poplar Kingdom couldn''t be allowed to do as they wished in Novice Village anymore. If they became too powerful to control later on, it would indeed be more troublesome than now.


    So, he decided to use his own power to at least delay the rise of the Poplar Kingdom, "It''s time to collect some interest from the Poplar Kingdom."


    After some consideration, he decided that employing his naval power was a fast and effective way to halt the expansion of the Poplar Kingdom.


    Therefore, he issued an order, "Send an electric message to Brunas 1 to break away from the Black Dragon Island waters, follow the explored route, and intercept any returning fleets of the Poplar Kingdom! Do not let a single warship escape!"


    Based on the timing, the maritime trade of the Poplar Kingdom, as well as their fishing boats and dispatched fleets, should be about to return.


    These fleets were laden with goods, many carrying resources sorely needed by the Poplar Kingdom, undoubtedly a mouthwatering prize.


    Sinking these warships and merchant vessels would deal a huge blow to the Poplar Kingdom. Additionally, blockading the ports of Poplar and destroying their coastal facilities would certainly stall the expansion pace of the Poplar Kingdom for a while.


    At least, the enemy would have to divert some of their focus to coastal defense. By then, they would realize how foolish it was to have incurred this debt in the past.


    "Also, find a way to dispatch our people to the other kingdoms surrounding the Poplar Kingdom, let them stir things up a bit. Now that I''m hitting the Poplar Kingdom and taking the pressure off them, it''s only right they pay up," Tang Mo directed.


    These elves would surely begin to think about powering their own warships with this type of power¡ªor rather, they were already considering it.


    After all, the train was no longer a secret, and if the other side wanted to copy it or was willing to study it, they could certainly make a replica.


    However, Tang Mo also knew that it would take time¡ªa lot of time and experimentation¡ªto do so!


    As long as they didn''t obtain the blueprints and design concepts of the ironclad warships, they would surely not succeed in replicating them.


    After all, it would definitely take decades to figure out something like the propeller, which worked underwater; it wasn''t something that could be easily copied.


    So even if they thought of using steam power, the best they could quickly come up with would be substandard craft like paddle steamers.


    The warships produced by the Great Tang Group, which had already advanced to propeller propulsion, could never be defeated by trash like a paddle steamer; the two were simply not in the same dimension!


    And the elves, who had lost control of the sea, would become the best advertisement for the Great Tang Group''s naval equipment! Every kingdom would wish to buy warships from the Great Tang industry to protect their vast sea territory!


    That''s another business opportunity! Sitting in his chair, playing with the telephone in his hands, he had a moment of reflection: Making money isn''t shameful.


    Now, sending his warships to roam around the elves'' marine territory would definitely leave the Elf Race dizzy and disoriented.


    He could even have his warships block the entrances to their ports and sink any passing ships.


    Tang Mo felt a tinge of regret; if his warships were equipped with radar, he could hunt down Elf Race ships more efficiently.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have radar, nor a way to detect enemy ships from a distance. However, with a speed advantage, once he found his opponents, he could certainly give them a nasty surprise.


    He could even use his artillery advantage to blockade the enemy''s ports, destroy them, and temporarily prevent the enemy from obtaining any maritime supplies.


    This would be interesting. If the Poplar Kingdom couldn''t use sea transport, then their factories along the coast would cease operations.


    Switching to land transport would take time, and the time lost by the Poplar Kingdom would surely cause them to miss opportunities for outward expansion.


    Indeed, if Tang Mo decided to hit the Poplar Kingdom hard, he could dispatch three warships to create chaos and turn the coastal region into a complete battlefield.


    But Tang Mo''s base was on Black Dragon Island, so he couldn''t neglect his own base to dig pits for the Poplar Kingdom.


    Of course, digging some pits was definitely in order¡ªhe sent out his warships, and on the other side, he sent his people.


    These individuals could quickly help establish connections between the kingdoms around the Poplar Kingdom and the Great Tang Group. Tang Mo could then use his sea control to provide military supplies to these kingdoms in the future.


    One rises as the other falls; the Poplar Kingdom would find it not so easy to continue their expansion. Afterward, if Tang Mo used the Orc Gales IX to stir up trouble in the occupied territories of the Poplar Kingdom, it would certainly become uncomfortable for them.


    Soon, this naval battle that erupted along the coast of the Elf Poplar Kingdom would shock the world, making everyone realize that their naval warfare weapons were already completely obsolete!


    He wanted to declare to the whole world through actual battle results that he was the largest, newest, and strongest... Lord of the Seas!


    -------


    I''m not feeling great today, so I won''t make up for the missed updates. The other update will come later; everyone can read it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 204: 200 Debt Collection Actions

    Sea traffic is not random, although it may seem the ocean is boundless, maritime routes are actually few and fixed.


    If one deviates from these routes, the chance of encountering other ships decreases, and if danger strikes, one would be all alone without help.


    What''s more frustrating is that straying from these routes can lead to encounters with more pirates and uncharted reefs, and can take one away from the trade winds, affecting the ship''s voyage.


    The Poplar Kingdom of the Elf Race has always been a naval superpower, with better sailors and ships, as well as richer experience and a larger number of warships to maintain their lead.


    Now, during the homeward season, countless ships traverse the sea, and some fleets can even see the end from the beginning.


    These vessels carry steel purchased from all over the world and other goods, or directly carry Gold Coins, returning to the Poplar Kingdom to invigorate the entire Kingdom''s economy.


    Atop a huge cargo ship, a sailor standing at the top of the sails squinted and saw a plume of black smoke on the horizon.


    He didn''t know what it was and immediately lowered his head to shout at the others below, "Look over there! Something is approaching! What is that thing?"


    The sailors on deck didn''t understand the situation either as they hadn''t seen the smoke due to their lower position.


    However, soon, knowing the direction of the strange object, they also noticed the rolling black smoke on the sea surface and two slender masts without sails.


    "Where are their sails?" a sailor, seeing the fast-moving strange ship, curiously asked an old sailor beside him.


    The old sailor shook his head. He too did not know how a ship could sail so fast on the sea without sails.


    "It''s getting closer!" the lookout atop the mast yelled, pointing at the distant strange ship. Flapping in the wind beside his ear was the massive flag of the Poplar Kingdom.


    "Could it be pirates?" the executive officer, holding the helm at the rear of the ship, asked the captain standing beside him.


    The captain opened his monocular, looked towards the increasing size of the strange ship on the horizon, and felt uncertain, "I don''t know either. This is the first time I''m seeing such a ship, and the first time... I''m seeing that banner."


    Through his monocular, the Dragon Banner of the Great Tang Group''s Ironclad Warship was speeding towards them, and it was clear the other party had also spotted them.


    "But we have at least 10 armed merchant ships. Aren''t they just asking for death by approaching us like this?" the executive officer looked ahead, saying with some uncertainty.


    "It doesn''t seem like they''re coming to cause trouble. If they approach like this, they''ll soon be surrounded by us... This doesn''t look like a naval battle," the captain responded with confusion.


    While they were guessing, on the bridge of the Brunas 1 Warship, the captain also put down his binoculars.


    He turned to an officer beside him and ordered, "Sound the battle alarm! Notify all battle stations to be battle-ready! Begin targeting as soon as the main gun is loaded!"


    "Load all cannons! Aim the main gun!" the weapons officer approached the voice pipe and ordered loudly.


    But even so, it was now half-loaded, and it didn''t take long for the weight of the water and cargo to begin dragging it down into the depths of the ocean.


    To make matters worse, the second mast at the bow also broke due to the damage to the hull and snapped under the force of the wind.


    Just one look was enough to realize that the armed merchant ship was doomed...


    The captain and first officer, who were preparing for battle at the stern, were knocked to the ground by the explosion. By the time they managed to stand up, they saw the bow of their warship sinking.


    They still hadn''t understood what had happened when they noticed the other armed merchant ship by their side, beginning to turn away from them.


    Obviously, if they didn''t make way and show the side with their cannons, they would be unable to attack the strange ship coming straight for them.


    And at this moment, they had confirmed that the enemy was attacking them and that the enemy was a type of warship they had never seen before...


    "Quick! Quick! The cargo hold has Gold Coins! Boxes of Gold Coins!" The captain, pale as death, shouted at the top of his lungs as he finally stood upright.


    But the sailors on deck were already panicking, slamming into things like headless flies, regardless of his orders.


    After all, there were over 70 slaves on board, none of whom were combat units or trained. The sudden explosion caused a complete riot.


    "Damn it!" the captain swore, then looked at the first officer, "Quick! You take some men down! Rescue as much as you can! The gold! Those Gold Coins!"


    While he was in the midst of chaos, the captain of the Elf ship, who had turned away, widened his eyes at the prow of the black strange ship racing towards them, where a black device began to slowly rotate.


    As the device slowly turned, the two gun barrels that had just emitted fire slowly pointed towards him.


    He knew those were cannon barrels, having just witnessed them firing. He also knew that these cannons weren''t like any he had seen before or even like the Shireck cannons installed on his ship.


    Just a few seconds later, while he stood there stunned, the two cannons fired again, launching shells at his ship.


    Then came an earth-shattering explosion, and the deck beneath his feet burst apart, countless splinters slashing through his body.


    The two cannonballs scored direct hits on the stern of this armed merchant ship; one exploding in the rear mid-section, the other blasting the lookout tower.


    As a result, the ship split in the middle, with severe flooding in the aft and center...


    The captain of the Poplar Kingdom''s armed merchant ship, who had been hoping to save some of the cargo they were carrying, now witnessed the complete explosion of the ship at his flank.


    Now, he realized something¡ªthe enemy''s combat power appeared to be beyond what their armed merchant ships could handle.


    What made him despair was that the enemy had only fired four shots from a distance of a kilometer!

 Chapter 205: They came to look for you.

    Yes, at a distance of 1000 meters, the precision of the optical sights on the Brunas No. 1 warship could simply be described as astonishing.


    If they could not hit a target at that range, those technological blueprints Tang Mo brought from the future might as well have been better off burned.


    Meanwhile, the sailors on the Brunas No. 1 warship did not even feel that combat had actually broken out at this moment.


    They were merely standing firm at their posts, operating the machinery in front of them just like they would during an exercise.


    But in the distance, where the Brunas No. 1 had sailed past, two armed transport ships from the Poplar Kingdom were struggling on the brink of sinking.


    And the Brunas No. 1 did not intend to give these two enemy ships a chance to struggle; as its slender hull sailed past the two enemy ships, the 75-mm caliber guns deployed on both sides opened fire.


    To conserve subsequent combat power, only four cannons fired their shells, and those two still struggling sailboats were completely done for this time.


    The explosion had barely finished when the two sailboats began to list, and before long the sea swallowed up their hulls, leaving only splinters of wood and sails bobbing with the waves on the surface of the water.


    The others ships of the Elf Race that were following behind were turning around. They had seen the scene of their two allied ships sinking ahead and were trying to present their broadsides for a counterattack.


    But by turning, they exposed a larger side and also gave away the central line to the Brunas No. 1, which was preparing to shoot from both sides.


    Like a tiger charging into the middle of a fleet, the rear cannon of the Brunas No. 1 had also turned to the port side, and just aimed at a retreating warship and fired.


    This shot also hit its target, as the distance between them had actually shortened to just over 700 meters.


    Solid shots from the other side came flying over, but to their disappointment, due to aiming issues and the violent maneuvers, most of them ended up in the sea without having any effect.


    The sailboat that was hit immediately lost its ability to turn. With its stern rudder smashed, they could only maintain an unstable straight course by changing the direction of the sails.


    On the other side, the Brunas No. 1''s dual 120-mm caliber cannons at the bow once again spit flames. The Elf sailboat''s mast toppled, its body cracked, and it looked set to capsize into the sea.


    What made the elf sailors and captains despair was that their cannonballs seemed to be completely unable to rock the terrifying demon ship before their eyes. They watched as a round was deflected by its hull and fell into the sea beside it.


    And as the combat continued, the guns on the enemy''s side also joined the battle, and the elves, who had thought the enemy short on firepower, were utterly defeated.


    "Quick! Faster! No need to turn anymore! Break off from the fleet! Escape from here!" A captain, seeing his allied ships in front of him break apart and capsize in the ocean, cried out in terror and fear.


    He wasn''t a real navy commander, just in charge of an armed merchant ship, and there was no need to risk his life here against such a fearsome warship.


    In fact, an Elf transport ship had already raised the white flag of surrender, submitting to this powerful warship they''d never seen before.


    Kidding me, even if the other party were pirates, after taking the goods on board, they probably wouldn''t wipe them out completely; they''d have to give some face to the Poplar Kingdom, which was active on the seas. It wasn''t time yet to fight desperately to the death.


    If they had asked John to bring the money and settle the accounts back then, Tang Mo might even have transferred the blueprints and technology of the C64 howitzer to them.


    But alas, there are no ''ifs'' in this world, and the elves no longer had the chance to regret. They had to pay for their actions, a price they couldn''t afford.


    "Continue the search northward along the trade route! Sink all Poplar Kingdom ships we catch up to!" the captain of the Brunas No. 1 Warship ordered coldly after glancing at the debris on both sides.


    Then, the Brunas No. 1 began to turn and quickly disappeared from the sea''s horizon. It was only then that another fleet, wobbling from the other side of the sea''s surface, emerged.


    The gigantic sails were very noticeable, and soon the seven or eight ships of another elven kingdom''s fleet discovered the battlefield.


    An Elf Sailor, shocked, leaned on the ship''s rail, staring at the floating Poplar Kingdom''s royal flag on the water.


    "My God... what on earth have they been through..." Looking at the shark fins attracted by the blood in the water and the scattered personal belongings on the destroyed ships, an Elf Sailor couldn''t help but exclaim. Stay connected with m|vl|e|mp|y|r


    They could see the shattered planks on the ships and some railings and window frames bobbing with the waves.


    Of course, they could also see corpses floating on the sea''s surface.


    Finally, they spotted a living person clinging to a piece of wood in the water, and the sailors hastily scooped the survivor aboard.


    "Hey! What on earth happened to you? Was it pirates?" The captain pushed past the sailors crowded around the unfortunate survivor, peering down at the drenched figure, asking,


    The fortunate yet unfortunate surviving Elf Sailor slumped on deck, staring blankly, not responding to his rescuer''s question.


    "I''m talking to you!" The captain, clearly growing impatient, kicked the wet sailor and cursed fiercely, "Bastard!"


    "Demons! Devils! They''re here! They''re firing! Hahaha! Devils!


    They''ve caught up with me! They''ve caught me! Ahahaha! Cough, cough, cough! Hahaha!" Suddenly, the shipwrecked elf started flailing his arms, as if to fend something off, bursting into crazed laughter and shouting.


    His madness startled those around him, who quickly stepped back, then realized the sailor had clearly gone insane.


    He simply waved his arms around, shouting and laughing wildly. Something had terrified a sailor who dared challenge the seas into this state.


    "He''s gone mad." A sailor glanced down at the poor soul who had lost his sanity, shook his head, and said.


    All at once, the crazed sailor leaped up from the deck and closed in on the older sailor, whispering with a sinister smile, "They''re coming for you! Bang, bang, bang... Do you hear it? That sound! They''re coming for you!"


    ---------


    Couldn''t sleep, so I kept writing, and now the update is complete.

 Chapter 206: Please call reinforcements

    In the southern part of the Poplar Kingdom, within the territory of the Augustin Clan, the important port city of Southwater, the governor responsible for managing the city was greatly alarmed as he looked at the disheveled commander, asking in shock, "What did you say?"


    The commander''s arm was still wrapped in a bandage, and the dust on his face had not yet been wiped away. He stood there, looking as miserable as one could be.


    Gazing down, he reported with a mournful voice, "A ship, it sank almost all of our armed merchant vessels... blocking the Southwater Port, sealing it off!"


    Just the mention of that fearsome warship made him shudder. It had effortlessly sunk all the ships bearing the Poplar Kingdom''s flag that tried to leave the port, not letting a single one escape.


    The enemy''s speed was astonishingly fast, and their firepower was indescribably strong. When they saw that not a single ship could leave the port, and none that was due to return were in sight, the Elves realized that trouble was at hand.


    This governor, serving on the Augustin Clan''s territory, immediately seized the key point from his subordinate''s report, asking emphatically, "A single ship?"


    "Yes, a single ship," the subordinate admitted the embarrassment, unable to deny it, and reluctantly nodded in response.


    If the enemy really had dozens of warships, he could have exaggerated the report to save some face.


    But since there truly was only one warship, there was nothing he could do. After all, the governor was not blind. One look for himself and he would know the truth.


    Hearing his subordinate''s response, the governor in the city hall became even more furious, "Are you joking? Have they gone mad?"


    In his view, the Southwater Port had two warships and dozens of armed merchant ships. How could a single enemy warship come and cause such havoc without being sunk?


    That his subordinates couldn''t handle such a small matter made him think they were all too incompetent, utterly useless.


    However, before he could continue his tirade, the miserable-looking subordinate immediately began to justify himself, "My lord, whether they are mad or not, I do not know. But the two warships stationed in our port were both sunk by it!"


    At this news, the governor''s face turned ashen. He had not expected the situation to have become so dire by the time it reached him.


    He really hadn''t anticipated that the two warships stationed in the harbor would be sunk¡ªeach had forty cannons and represented a formidable maritime force.


    Yet, according to his subordinate''s report, it appeared that these two impressive sail-powered warships had been sunk.


    He stood up and glared at his subordinate, demanding sharply, "What? What did you say? Explain yourself! Are you saying that both warships were defeated by a single enemy vessel?"


    "Yes, they were not!" The subordinate said with a gloomy face, recalling the terrifying scene of the warships being sunk as he answered.


    In just one encounter, a warship burst into towering flames, as if its ammunition had exploded, and in a few minutes, it capsized and sank.


    The city hall''s governor trembled with anger, questioning loudly, "Which country is it from? Why have they come here to seek trouble?"


    So, he stroked his chin, as if talking to himself, he murmured, "A clan emblem? That can''t be, can it?"


    "It looks like a clan emblem, not like a royal standard." The City Defense Forces officer immediately nodded and replied.


    Glancing at the perplexed city mayor of the city hall, the tax officer spoke up once again, "What about sending someone with a white flag to ask for clarity?"


    Upon hearing this suggestion, the bewildered city mayor also looked towards the City Defense Forces officer, as if to ask, "Yes, would that work?"


    The officer spread his hands with a helpless smile, explaining, "There''s no way to get close, they simply won''t negotiate... Any ships that approached were immediately sunk, and our batteries couldn''t outshoot theirs..."


    As the city mayor of Southwater City of the Poplar Kingdom listened, his face turned paler by a few shades, "Huh? The batteries couldn''t outshoot them?"


    He had originally thought of relying on the batteries and the fortress''s defensive installations to hold out for a while, but now hearing that even the batteries were inferior, he became even more panicked and desperate.


    The Elf officer of the City Defense Forces no longer had the heart to conceal the truth and immediately nodded, saying, "Yes, our batteries couldn''t outshoot them. The second warship had managed to retreat within range of our artillery, thinking it could be covered, but they managed to sink our second warship and left the artillery battery in a pathetic state before retreating beyond its range."


    The injuries he suffered were from there, the enemy bombarded the battery for a while, destroyed about seven or eight coastal defense cannons, then casually withdrew to the sea, blocking the area and refusing to leave!


    Any ship attempting to enter or leave the port was attacked, and with the enemy''s incredibly accurate gunfire, more than 20 ships had already been sunk.


    Finally, the ruling officer managed to force out a sentence, unclear if it was a question or a lament, "What kind of monster is that...?"


    The officer, his arm still bandaged, suppressed his frustration and once again affirmed his incompetence with his reply, "Subordinate also does not know."


    Eventually, with no better solution, the city mayor had no choice but to grit his teeth and issue the command, "Take your men and defend the artillery batteries! You must not let the enemy land, understood?"


    The officer with a mournful expression preemptively gave his caveats before responding, "Sir! If the enemy truly invades the harbor, we cannot stop them."


    Slamming the table, the city mayor was already furious, shouting loudly with a changed tone, "The City Defense Forces shall not retreat a step! Dammit! Even if it means death, you are to die on those batteries!"


    The City Defense Forces officer could only stiffen his resolve, bow his head, and accept the orders, "Yes, sir!"


    Soon, several fast horses charged out of Southwater City, racing towards the direction of King City and Osa Military Harbor.


    Meanwhile, a foreman responsible for production found his immediate superior in the workshop of the Augustin Family and reported, "Sir, the expected 20 tons of iron ore hasn''t been accounted for... I don''t know how to handle it, please make a decision."


    "Hmm?" A middle-aged human, who had been working for the Augustin Family and was now in charge of the workshop, frowned and took the inventory list.


    --------


    Today''s first update, once I start writing late into the night, it becomes unstoppable... Many thanks to the generous donation from a pure-hearted male reader, truly appreciated.

 Chapter 207: 203s real dad

    As Augustine Reibert morosely looked at the note in front of him, he finally remembered that he seemed to have indeed forgotten about a debt he owed.


    Truth be told, as the Prime Minister of Poplar Kingdom, he dominated the entire kingdom, standing second only to the King, so he had never considered that one day someone would actually come to collect a debt from him.


    Augustine''s rise to power had been so swift that it even gave Reibert a sense of an unreal illusion. He even thought that he had touched the threshold of becoming the Empire''s Prime Minister, or even the Emperor himself.


    Such illusions, such castles in the air, made him forget that everything he had seemed to come from a distant place, from an obscure human being.


    Now, the other party seemed to be coming to collect the debt, and doing so by knocking on his door, which suddenly reminded him of many things, many, many things!


    "My dear Augustine, worrying now is of no use, because our first fleet has already set sail for the Southern Waters, and nothing can stop the outbreak of this naval battle now," said the King of Poplar Kingdom with quite a good mood lately, comforting Reibert with a smile.


    His Prime Minister had brought him one victory after another, and the size of his kingdom had already tripled!


    Having defeated their Orc neighbors, they took control of a large number of pastures. They had more horses and more food, which could be used for further expansion.


    After obtaining support from the Shireck Consortium, they were nearly invincible. Any resisting country would be easily defeated by them.


    The only thing constraining the Elf Race was that the speed of their weapon production could not keep up with the pace of their expansion.


    Since defeating the Orcs, Poplar Kingdom had consistently been short on metal, and the production of bullets couldn''t keep up with the consumption of the front-line troops.


    Everyone suffered yet reveled in this problem, because they had never encountered such good fortune before¡ªwhenever their troops had the logistical support to attack, they were certain to achieve victory.


    The problem seemed simple. They just needed to frantically increase their production capacity, and that''s precisely what the Augustin Family did.


    As a result, they did indeed reap benefits¡ªin the past six months, the Augustin Clan became extremely wealthy, and Poplar Kingdom launched outward expansions and, relying on the Augustin Family''s munitions, secured a record of complete victory.


    Even more so, they had improved their weapons, creating a bunch of strange and messy repeater weapons that turned out to be quite useful when facing enemies armed with Shireck flintlock guns on the battlefield.


    However, problems were not nonexistent as they had pushed their production capacity to the limit, and the downstream industries were struggling to keep up.


    Steel smelting could be directly increased by building blast furnaces, but where the iron ore would come from, was unknown. The Elves had really not considered using steam engines to boost the productivity of the mines first, as their other factories also desperately needed steam engine equipment.


    The frenzied competition for steam engines among factories led to a bottleneck in the production of steam engine equipment¡ªthe Elf Race didn''t have an electric power system to balance the power generated by steam engines, so they had to place a steam engine at every location that needed one, which was far less efficient compared to Tang Mo''s electric power transmission.


    The mines could only rely on hard labor from miners. If they were short on manpower, they forced overtime, and if that still wasn''t enough, they used slaves to mine; efficiency was terribly low.


    Low efficiency resulted in insufficient production capacity, and the ultimate solution was to rely on Poplar Kingdom''s naval fleet to make large-scale purchases from other countries.


    They had plenty of money from annexing neighboring countries and exploiting the citizens of the occupied areas, so Poplar Kingdom wasn''t short on funds, and purchasing metal ores was going very smoothly at first.


    "I really didn''t know that you had a debt relation with the recently frequently mentioned Great Tang Group," said the King of Poplar Kingdom to his most capable subordinate, "It seems that the situation is already irreversible, isn''t it?"


    Reibert bowed his head and answered with some embarrassment, "I''m afraid so, and thus I plan to prepare a delegation to negotiate with the owner of this Great Tang Group in Leite Kingdom, seeing as it''s all just business, with no deep-seated hatred..."


    "We sank one of their ships, and they''ve sunk at least 30 of our merchant ships! This is already enmity," the King of Poplar Kingdom interrupted Reibert, quite agitated.


    If a kingdom was blockaded at their doorstep and had so many ships sunk while still maintaining restraint, then there was no need to mention valor or spine.


    This was an outright provocation, practically a declaration of war! Therefore, as the King of Poplar Kingdom, Poplar XI did not intend to let this go so easily.


    Meanwhile in Brunas, Tang Mo was looking through the complete dossier on the Augustine family of the Poplar Kingdom, a thick stack that seemed comprehensive. Exclusive tales from m v lem|p-yr


    "Aren''t you worried that sending a warship to challenge an entire nation might not succeed?" John asked nervously, standing before him.


    "Why worry?" Tang Mo replied with an odd gleam in his eye, looking at John and smiling as he retorted.


    His warship had an absolute advantage in speed, firepower, and defense. If it could be sunk, the Poplar Kingdom would have already united the seas long ago.


    Even if the enemy concentrated their forces and surrounded it on all sides, the ironclad warship could easily break through and destroy the encircling enemy vessels, possibly even turning the tables to sink all the enemy ships surrounding it.


    Moreover, he had the advantage of communication, being able to command the warship at any time¡ªa condition the enemy did not have. Where battlefield coordination was concerned, if his side scored 80, the enemy might at best score less than 10.


    If anything went wrong, he could directly order the warship to return home, which was much faster than sending a message.


    Furthermore... he had two ironclad warships! If one was not enough, he could deploy three, completely preventing the Poplar Kingdom from setting sail!


    So Tang Mo was not concerned about the battle, but instead started teasing John, "Just how many dads do you actually have? The first time you introduced yourself, you claimed your dad was Tural... Later, you said your dad was William..."


    "That..." John immediately blushed. He had boasted extravagantly in the past without revealing his true identity, but now Tang Mo had investigated him thoroughly.


    Tang Mo continued to tease John, "Later, I did some investigating. The current patriarch of the Augustine family is Reibert. Guess which one is your real dad?"


    "Alright, I lied to you before... I never expected to become so deeply involved with you," John admitted his previous lie with some embarrassment.


    Tang Mo pointed at the report featuring Reibert and asked curiously, "So, is he your real dad?"


    "..." John looked at Tang Mo speechlessly, feeling the powerless urge to punch someone but not daring to.


    --------


    Finally, the update is complete, no debt owed anymore! Hehehe!

 Chapter 208: Enemy Fleet 204

    Out on the high seas near Southwater Port, aboard the Brunas No. 1 Warship''s bridge, the captain was sitting in his chair, leisurely enjoying his breakfast.


    The first mate stood beside him and reported on the warship''s consumption, "We have enough fuel to last another two days at most, and the food on the warship is almost depleted as well, captain."


    In fact, due to retrofitting, the warship''s sustainable capabilities at sea had greatly increased, and the carrying capacity of fresh water and food was beyond the scope of the sailboat era.


    However high the self-sustainability, the food and fresh water onboard, including coal and shells, were all being constantly consumed.


    The Navy is an expensive branch of the armed forces, where every voyage, every battle, and every patrol is a process of burning money.


    In these days, the Brunas No. 1 had fired more than 250 shells and sunk over 70 various vessels.


    Don''t be fooled by this terrifying hit rate¡ªthe effect of the attacks was actually achieved by getting up close and personal, a result of face-to-face combat, not a development in the naval gunnery technology of the time.


    Before the support of radar, there was no chance for any significant improvement in artillery technology, and as for accuracy, there was no need to take it too seriously, one could just look on casually.


    Still, after nearly 300 shells, the Brunas No. 1 needed to replenish its ammunition. Including the consumption of coal and food, it was indeed time for them to return to Brunas.


    They were not like the handguns in Hong Kong movies, capable of firing like submachine guns without needing to reload...


    The captain dipped his bread into the sauce on his plate and said, "I''ve just received a telegram from Brunas; they sent Brunas No. 2 here three days ago, we will set sail and leave here at this time tomorrow."


    "They''re coming tomorrow?" The first mate, hearing that reinforcement was on the way, looked more relaxed and asked.


    To be honest, these past days had been tough for them commanders. Being vigilant at the enemy''s doorstep was extremely draining for everyone.


    With just over two hundred men lying in wait on the sea lanes, facing an enemy tenfold or hundredfold their number, they certainly needed some rest.


    The captain also seemed much more at ease. He took a bite of his bread, chewed a few times, swallowed, took a sip of hot water before continuing, "The captain of the Brunas No. 2 sent a message, they''re not far from here. They''ll soon join us."


    Having a telegraph machine was convenient, allowing everyone to transmit messages using a prearranged codebook. Since there was no such thing as electronic surveillance in this world, they didn''t have to worry about the enemy finding out their approximate location.


    Similarly, because there was hardly any concern about encrypted messages being leaked, there was no need for complex encryption systems for communication¡ªthey could be sent casually.


    Therefore, the telegraph system, which only Tang Mo could use, was a one-sided, convenient, and transparent communication system¡ªsafe, efficient, and without any drawbacks.


    The first mate''s expression was filled with surprise as he immediately asked, "In a few hours?"


    "Yes, in a few hours." The captain swallowed the last bite of his meal, nodded, and placed the plate on a small table next to him.


    As he was wiping his mouth, an officer on duty hurried over, stood at attention, and saluted, "Captain!"


    "What is it?" The captain looked at the officer, seeing excitement in his eyes.


    Sure enough, the officer excitedly reported to his immediate superior, "On the northern seas, we''ve spotted a fleet!"


    In short, the Brunas 1, with superiority in firepower, speed, and defense, could be described as having free rein against the old-fashioned sailing ships.


    The first officer quickly confirmed their course, "Heading south! Speed 37 kilometers! Sea conditions good!"


    "Visibility good! Aim complete! Enemy ships 4 kilometers away!" the officer in charge of weapons command reported loudly.


    The captain once again raised his telescope, giving an order to adjust the heading, "Adjust the course by 4 degrees! Close in!"


    "Adjust the course!" the helmsman again turned the wheel, loudly repeating the command.


    The prow of the warship sliced through the sea, drawing closer to the enemy ships which had already arranged in a line in the distance, the gap between them closing bit by bit, the atmosphere growing increasingly tense.


    Neither side sent any signals, for they had already regarded each other as the enemy. There was nothing to discuss; it was time to let the cannons do the arguing.


    The Elf Navy seemed to be closing in as well, apparently planning to use their superior numbers to end the naval battle swiftly.


    Inside the bridge of Brunas 1, the captain continued to command, "Hold steady! Report again when the distance is 2 kilometers!"


    "Understood!" the executive officer, with hands behind his back, stood behind him, acknowledging the captain''s command.


    At the bow, the dual-mounted 120mm caliber cannon turrets had already turned to the side facing the enemy. On the side of the warship, the 75mm caliber cannon positions, gunners had already manned their combat posts.


    Thanks to the tailwind, the speed of the opposite sailing ship was not slow, but compared to Brunas 1, which had already sped up to 35 kilometers per hour, it still seemed somewhat lacking.


    As time passed by the seconds, both sides grew larger in each other''s telescopes. Everyone was waiting for the distance to close, waiting for the critical moment when they were confident enough to fire and sink the enemy.


    Clearly, the Brunas 1 had a longer range. The generational gap in targeting equipment and the superiority of the cannon''s range allowed it to fire at a distance of 5 kilometers.


    But to be on the safe side, the captain of Brunas 1 decided to let the enemy come within about 2 kilometers before opening fire.


    And now, their distance had closed to less than two kilometers, a range at which the accuracy of Brunas 1''s cannons was quite terrifying.


    "Ready to fire!" the weapons commander, head held high, walked up behind the captain and reported.


    "Fire!" the captain ordered without a moment''s hesitation.


    "Boom!" A few seconds later, the main cannon of the Brunas 1 warship fired, and three shells whistled towards the distant elf warships.


    Unfortunately, two of the shells punched holes through the sails of the enemy ship, flew over the top of the enemy warship, and landed in the distant sea, raising huge columns of water.


    The third shell hit one of the ships in the middle of the enemy fleet''s column, causing a massive explosion that ripped a mast clean off the enemy warship.


    Before the Elf Navy could even register their shock, a row of 75mm caliber cannons followed after, and this time... the Elf Fleet was utterly shattered.


    ------


    Today''s turn of events is too unexpected; I''ll honor it by diving in first. Moreover, I guessed the scale wrong, haha. The next chapter will be updated tomorrow morning; I''m off to enjoy the spectacle, hehehe.

 Chapter 209: 205 two ships

    Along with the explosion of the ships, the hearts of the elven sailors shattered as well. They watched helplessly as a single cannonball struck a friendly warship, which then exploded like a powder keg.


    The majority of the shells carried by the Brunas 1 were simple impact-fused models without any armor-piercing capabilities.


    However, such shells were strangely effective against wooden warships, which essentially lacked any armor protection.


    If armor-piercing rounds were used, the shell would have to delay its explosion after impact, or it might not explode at all, thus inflicting very limited damage to wooden sailing ships.


    Now, with impact fuse shells smashing into wooden hulls and detonating immediately, the ships'' structures could be directly destroyed, or even worse, the explosives stored on board could be ignited!


    The explosion easily set off the gunpowder on the warship, which then immediately detonated the powder being used for firing the cannons, igniting the gunpowder at all the surrounding gun positions...


    In this era, warships had no concepts of compartmentalization or explosion protection; decks were piled with cannons and their firing charges, especially during battle-ready conditions, making them truly flammable and explosive powder kegs.


    But because the era''s cannonballs were solid, it was not easy to ignite the gunpowder, so sympathetic detonations did not receive much attention from the navies of various nations.


    Therefore, when faced with the shrapnel from Brunas 1''s cannons, these primitive warships paid a heavy price for their obsolescence in an instant.


    "Boom!" The brutal explosion sent the still-sailing warship of the Poplar Kingdom flying, its masts breaking and sails falling, the Poplar Kingdom''s Dragon Banner that hung from the mast also fell into the sea.


    The hull began to fracture along with the explosion, leaving the sailors on deck stunned as they watched their warship fall apart without even a chance to save it. Experience the best from m|v|l|e|mp|y|r


    What''s worse, after a brief respite, the explosions were not limited to a single warship¡ªtwo other warships began to explode, sending flames skyrocketing and elven sailors being tossed into the sea everywhere.


    The naval commander of the Poplar Kingdom overseeing this sea battle was named Muke. He stood on his flagship, staring dumbfounded at the exploding friendly warships in the distance, momentarily forgetting to issue new combat orders.


    The distance between the two sides was nearly two kilometers, and his warships had no weapons capable of firing at that range.


    His plan had been to close the distance to about 500 meters using numerical superiority, and then open fire with all cannons to completely destroy the target.


    So he deployed his ships in a line formation, hoping to surround and overwhelm the target upon gaining the advantage.


    Since departing from Osa Military Harbor, he hadn''t received any intelligence about the enemy warships, only knowing that the enemy had a single warship, so he was consumed with visions of how the opponent lucked out in sinking two of his ships and blockading Southwater Port.


    Thus, he rushed here, aiming to lift the blockade on Southwater Port as quickly as possible and restore maritime trade.


    In his eyes, with the enemy possessing only one warship and him leading 12 warships south, victory seemed certain, without any room for accidents.


    Also, because he was hastily sailing south, he hadn''t received further intelligence about this warship and still had no accurate understanding of its capabilities.


    The massive explosion shattered the bow of this warship instantly, and the central part of the ship was completely destroyed.


    Due to inertia, the warship plunged bow-first into the sea, with its stern rising high¡ªa spectacular sight indeed.


    "Signal the warships to keep turning! Quick! Forget everything else!" The frazzled commander, witnessing another friendly warship doomed, yelled in despair.


    Soon he saw a thrilling scene: the enemy warship was not turning to hunt down his decimated forces; instead, it pursued the three elf warships that had fled ahead.


    It seemed he could escape with his life. Due to the distance, if he immediately rushed into Southwater Port, he could be protected by the shore batteries¡ªat least he wouldn''t be sunk here.


    However, he celebrated too soon. Just as he was about to adjust his course again to return to Southwater Port, he was shocked to discover that out of nowhere, a terrifying cloud of black smoke had appeared on his route!


    Now he knew that the terrifying enemy warship, scarier than any monster, was not alone¡ªthere were two of them!


    Moreover, somehow they were able to communicate¡ªthe two terrifying warships had managed to divide their prey, even at a distance where they could not see each other''s masts!


    His eyes widened in astonishment, and then he saw at the end of that billowing black smoke, another warship barreling towards them.


    Identical to the one that had sunk seven of their warships, this new warship flying the Dragon Banner also had a sharp bow and the same frightening dual-mounted gun turrets!


    "Damn it..." The officer cursed in despair as a cannonball from the opposing ship hit his own.


    The explosion engulfed the bridge where he stood, and his warship began to sink rapidly with the blast.


    Obviously, the enemy had no patience to wait for the wreckage of the warship to settle at the sea''s bottom, for it was obstructing the silhouette of another elf warship.


    In the desperate gaze of the remaining sailors lucky enough to be alive, the warship did not slow down at all as it charged forward, breaking the elf warship, which was still one-third above water, into two pieces!


    Only at this moment did the elf sailors confirm that the monstrous warship was made of steel!


    Because, when his head was struck, he felt that despairingly cold touch.


    That day, twelve warships of the Elf Race, coming from afar, were completely annihilated by two Brunas-class ironclad warships¡ªall sinking near Southwater Port.


    And the few sailors who miraculously survived were washed onto the coast of Southwater Port, where the officials of the Poplar Kingdom inside learned that their reinforcements would never come.


    "Now... what do we do?" asked a City Defense Forces officer, his arm still slung across his chest, to the group of officials in despair.


    "What else can we do? Wait for Lord Leibart to return... The matter is now beyond our ability to handle..." the governor sighed in despair.

 Chapter 210: Information Gap 206

    Indeed, more complete intelligence had already been delivered to the King City of Poplar Kingdom. Augustine Reibert had even obtained a very accurate sketch.


    Looking at the sketch before him, looking at the obvious black smoke, he found it hard to describe his feelings.


    The Elves, who had long been familiar with steam engines, needed only one glance to recognize the two tall smokestacks, to see the black smoke that seemed to connect sky and earth, and to know that there were two steam engines installed within this thing!


    King Poplar XI of the Poplar Kingdom also stared at the painting, asking with some confusion, "A steam-powered warship? You mean to say, the Great Tang Group placed steam power on a ship...? Indeed, if such power can propel a ship forward, it certainly could replace the sea breeze."


    Although he was aware of steam engines and the important technology, he indeed couldn''t keep up with the specifics and the pace of technological progress.


    There was no helping it; as a monarch, he had nearly all his skill points invested in domestic and foreign affairs, military, and other skills that could support his rule over the nation.


    Augustine Reibert wasn''t very familiar with technology either, but since he made his fortune through steam engines, he had a very good understanding of them.


    Furthermore, due to his frequent contact with Shireck, he had learned quite a bit about the application of steam engines. In fact, he had just recently become aware of the use of steam engines in mining operations, but had not had the chance to promote them yet.


    So at this moment, he explained to his sovereign, "On land, there are already steam-powered trains, so it''s not surprising to have such ships at sea."


    Then, he continued with a grim face, "However, when the opponent installs new types of cannons, new types of ammunition, coupled with new steam engine power on one ship... our numerical advantage in warships at sea is gone!"


    He truly had not expected the obscure Great Tang Group to be able to introduce so many derivative technologies in a short time after trading the needle-gun technology and steam engine technology and quickly leave the entire world behind.


    Shireck was now promoting C64-type cannons, lobbying Poplar Kingdom to purchase these cannons and using the sale of cannons to the countries surrounding Poplar Kingdom as leverage, preparing to regain control over Poplar Kingdom''s military procurement.


    The Augustin Family, which had been resisting Shireck''s return to Poplar Kingdom, was indeed incredibly pressured and in total disarray.


    Poplar XI sat in his seat, lamenting, "We once had 100 first-rate sailing warships! But now, they might be able to blockade one of our ports with just one such ship!"


    Augustine Reibert also realized that the delay in intelligence could spell complete disaster for their navy, "Damn it... our naval commanders don''t yet know what they will face! By the time our messenger reaches Osa Port, the naval warships would have already set sail!"


    After all, he had just now learned that the opponent was not a sail-powered warship, but a new type of steam-powered warship.


    He didn''t know exactly how such a warship was controlled, but as the actual ruler of Southwater Port, he did have a certain understanding of naval equipment.


    Facing new bursting shells and new cannons, the traditional naval warships were simply powerless¡ªjudging from the messages received, the innovative cannons that had performed brilliantly in the battle at Northern Ridge must have been equipped on this warship off the coast of Southwater!


    This also caused King Poplar of the Poplar Kingdom to feel a serious crisis¡ªa dire crisis of losing control of the seas!


    Seeing his sovereign''s troubled expression, Marquis Augustine Reibert felt compelled to speak further, "No one knew that the other side could pile so many new technologies onto a single warship."


    King Poplar XI drew out his words, confirming with displeasure, "So you''re saying there''s a possibility... that they used steam engine technology to enhance power and thus could employ a metal hull... and then, they also equipped their warship with new-type cannons?"


    "Very likely, they have also utilized other technologies. According to the depiction on this drawing, the opponent''s cannons are installed inside iron boxes; to rotate such large iron boxes, they certainly rely on complex transmission technology," Leibart added, before consoling his King, "Actually... our fleet might not necessarily be defeated..."


    "If we could win, that would certainly be good," the King was reassured, feeling somewhat relieved. "However, shouldn''t we possess these new types of warships too?"


    Not waiting for Augustine Reibert to say anything further, he continued, "...Why, why have we become enemies with such arms manufacturers? Augustine, is there any way we can mend our relationship with them, find a way to have them sell all these technologies... to us?"


    Augustine Reibert promptly responded, "I have already dispatched envoys. However, since we can''t send ships south through Southwater, we can only honestly travel by land... It will take a very long time to reach the Leite Kingdom by land."


    In this regard, he still possessed a bit of the nobility''s wisdom. With his experience, he could see that maintaining good relations with the rising Great Tang Group was crucial for Poplar Kingdom to stay ahead in weaponry.


    Nowadays, simply relying on the Shireck Consortium didn''t seem so reassuring anymore.


    The King was obviously not entirely satisfied with Reibert''s plan. After pondering for a moment, he said, "What we lack now is time! Find a way to have that warship escort one of our emissary ships southward! You personally go back to Southwater and must... at any cost, maintain a good relationship with them!"


    Leibart nodded slightly, then stood up and took his leave. "I understand! Your Majesty!"


    Since being promoted to Marquis by the King, he had always remained in King City, rarely leaving. Now that the King had commanded him to return to Southwater, he felt a small surge of excitement.


    After all, the King City was king''s land, but Southwater was his foundation. Therefore, when issues arose in Southwater, he was even more anxious than the King.


    Thus, he was eager to return. "I will depart immediately!"


    Shortly after he had left the room, a servant entered, bringing bad news to his King, "An envoy from Bai Kingdom has arrived! Your Majesty! He has brought a message... Bai Kingdom has rejected our proposal and decided not to form an alliance with us..."


    "What did you say?" King Poplar XI rose to his feet in agitation, exclaiming, "Why?"


    ------------


    I''ve wasted another day, the second update will be delivered tomorrow morning. I apologize.

 Chapter 211: 207 new ship launched

    ```


    The expansion of a nation always causes tension among its neighboring countries, even if there are no tangible sanctions, it still makes the neighboring states wary.


    This state of vigilance and preparedness persists until either a war breaks out between the parties, or the expanding nation halts its expansionist steps and goes to great lengths to rebuild its international reputation.


    Of course, rebuilding an international reputation is a very lengthy process, which can only be achieved by honest and methodical persistence, one step at a time.


    The Bai Kingdom refused the alliance request from the Poplar Kingdom, which was expected to some extent, but Poplar XI didn''t expect the rejection to be so straightforward.


    "The influence of the Shireck side, and possibly the participation of other powers too." He quickly realized that not everyone wanted to see the Poplar Kingdom grow too powerful alone.


    In the end, the King of the Poplar Kingdom lay down in defeat: "Now, it all depends on whether Marquis Augustine can turn the situation around at Southwater Port."


    ...


    In Brunas, within the newly constructed port by the Great Tang Group, Tang Mo was presiding over the launching ceremony for two warships simultaneously hitting the water.


    The main focus of the Great Tang Group had been on developing Black Dragon Island recently, so the speed of warship construction was remarkably fast.


    Tang Mo, standing on the dock between the two warships, announced loudly to the observing crowd: "Today is a special day! The 5th and 6th warships of our Great Tang Group are being launched! Gentlemen! The sea belongs to us! From today onwards, we will have enough forces to deal with all schemings against the Great Tang Group at sea!"


    He waved his fist, instilling tremendous confidence in all Great Tang Group personnel: "Before absolute power! No one can shake our position!"


    The applause was long-lasting because everyone knew these warships were nearly invincible at sea, and the Great Tang Group was set to control the ocean and acquire astonishing wealth in the future.


    After the event ended, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom, who had traveled a long way to support Tang Mo, walked shoulder to shoulder with Tang Mo on the dock.


    People passing by nodded to them in greeting but dared not disturb their conversation.


    The old Prime Minister started praising: "Mr. Tang, today is truly an eye-opener for me! I''ve come to realize how powerful ironclad warships are, even capable of overturning the entire maritime hegemony."


    Tang Mo laughed heartily, responding modestly: "You''re too kind, sir, but really this is just a minor event, a minor event, hahaha."


    In fact, compared to the next generation of warships he was preparing to build, these first-generation Brunas-class ironclads were indeed just a minor show.


    The secretly built second-generation warships in another drydock adopted a completely new hull design and utilized the latest power systems, enhancing speed, armor protection, and firepower significantly.


    This more advanced warship adopted the classic high-proportion shape of a cruiser, emphasizing speed, and with an improved power system, the new warship''s speed reached a remarkable 28 knots¡ªover 50 kilometers per hour!


    To accommodate more boilers, this warship had four funnels, a more elongated hull, and increased tonnage up to 4000 tons, measuring a full 140 meters in length and 14 meters in width!


    Such a vast territory and vast interests could not possibly be monopolized and controlled by Tang Mo alone.


    Moreover, if the habit of hogging all the profits appeared, the whole world would see him as enemy number one. Rather than becoming the world''s public enemy, he much preferred the feeling of manipulating everything from the shadows.


    After thinking for a moment, the Prime Minister asked a question that he was very interested in, "Do you really have no ambition to dominate the world?"


    Tang Mo replied to the Prime Minister''s question with a mixture of seriousness and jest, "Prime Minister, in fact, I have no wish to waste my energy on such mundane matters. Isn''t it better to enjoy listening to music, chatting with beauties over wine, and refining one''s taste at a gambling house?"


    In reality, such casual remarks, not even promises or formal statements, could not possibly be taken seriously.


    So, the Prime Minister shifted the topic and asked another question that interested him, "Then, have you ever considered becoming a true noble?"


    "Hm? Am I not already a Viscount?" Tang Mo had been made a Viscount by Leite VII, which was also a recent occurrence.


    The current Tang Mo was an emerging hotshot among the Kingdom''s nobility; even many established nobility began to fawn over this young Viscount.


    Interestingly, as Shireck suffered a crushing defeat in the Battle of Brunas, Baron Stela, who once bore a grudge against Tang Mo, got so frightened that he fled abroad without ever looking back, seeking asylum with the Shireck Consortium.


    And Qiumuluo, who held a blood feud with Northern Ridge, also disappeared without a trace after the Battle of Brunas, as if evaporated from the earth.


    However, eyewitnesses from the battle that day confirmed that Qiumuluo had his arm blown off by a bullet; after returning to the camp, he underwent surgery to amputate his left arm.


    The current Qiumuluo was a one-armed man, which lent him another distinguishing feature, boosting Tang Mo''s confidence in locating him.


    The Prime Minister immediately started speaking to Tang Mo, "A Viscount bestowed by a Kingdom''s King is hardly a true noble."


    "What do you mean?" Tang Mo looked at the Prime Minister, as if asking knowingly.


    True to form, the Prime Minister laid bare his true thoughts, "If you are willing to support the Leite Kingdom... to become the Leite Empire, then His Majesty Leite VII would not be stingy. I would very much like to address you as Duke."


    Read today on m,v,l,e,mpyr


    He hoped that Tang Mo would support the expansion of the Leite Kingdom and ultimately transform it into a new empire. He also hoped that Tang Mo would help elevate Leite VII to the throne of Emperor, making him the revered founding monarch of the Leite Empire, as the esteemed Emperor Leite I.


    Tang Mo did not take a position; instead, he shook his head and said, "I will continue to support His Majesty the King as I always have... But as you know... I''m actually not that interested in titles either."


    The Prime Minister felt Tang Mo was like a cunning little fox, with deeper schemes than other 20-year-olds, crafty and wary, making him hard to tackle.


    He sighed inwardly, aware that Tang Mo was now beyond his influence, and thus he held back his ulterior motives, asking curiously in casual conversation, "So what are you interested in?"


    "Money!" Tang Mo answered directly without hesitation, "I am very interested in money."


    "You truly have taste," the Prime Minister nodded, agreeing with Tang Mo''s facetious response.


    "Hahaha!" Tang Mo was in high spirits and laughed heartily. On the dock, many people looked this way, seeing the uninhibited laughter of Tang Mo.

 Chapter 212: Not much at 208

    After Tang Mo had laughed enough, the Prime Minister finally spoke, "In fact, you are already very wealthy, Mr. Tang. Frankly speaking, you might even be richer than those big bosses of the Shireck Consortium."


    The Shireck Consortium is actually not owned by a single individual. Although most of the shares are held by a few wealthy families, the shares each of these families controls are quite limited.


    But Tang Mo is different. The Great Tang Group is wholly owned by him, which makes his wealth more concentrated. However, Tang Mo still doubted that he was wealthier than those individuals.


    So, Tang Mo shrugged his shoulders and defended himself, "I really don''t have much money. You''ve seen it, laying steel tracks is a huge expense."


    He was not lying; in fact, he really didn''t have much cash on hand¡ªmost of his income had been reinvested in the construction of his factories.


    Now, he had many factories under construction simultaneously, which had severely depleted his funds to a rather dangerous extent.


    Currently, the Great Tang Group was constructing an oil refinery and a chemical plant on Black Dragon Island, along with a pharmaceutical factory and a large power plant.


    All of these constructions required time and investment. In the Vicious Forest, the expansion of Tang Mo''s Factory No. 2 was also ongoing.


    The second phase of the railway construction project connecting Northern Ridge and Brunas was also underway. Tang Mo intended to make it a double-track railway line, facilitating both freight and passenger transport.


    In addition to the railway investments elsewhere in the kingdom, factory investments, and stakes in various projects, Tang Mo''s cash did not match his status and identity at all.


    In fact, the Prime Minister was aware of it. He didn''t need to investigate deliberately; a casual inquiry revealed that Tang Mo had recently invested at least one million Gold Coins in expansion and investments, which certainly strained his finances.


    Hence, he suggested to Tang Mo with a smile, "Mr. Tang is joking. If you''re willing to transfer the railway operation rights from Brunas to King City to His Majesty, the capital you could recover may be unimaginably large."


    Tang Mo was taken aback, realizing the King seemed prepared to expand his investment in the railway projects. He looked at the Prime Minister and casually asked, "It seems His Majesty has a lot of money at the moment?"


    Recently, all three kingdoms of the alliance were actively integrating their newly annexed territories, which involved resettling and managing the lands and their populations, consuming most of the efforts of the three kings. Discover more at m''vl em|p yr


    To assimilate these newly occupied territories quicker and to solidify their control over these regions, the various nations unanimously thought of Tang Mo''s railways.


    Now, with seven or eight railways being constructed at the same time, the countries were not overly eager to expand their military forces. Instead, they focused their efforts on the railway and telegraph systems.


    The countries invited Tang Mo to establish telegraph offices in many cities to cover these regions, enabling them to manage the areas with ease.


    And Tang Mo took the opportunity to expand his influence in these areas, while simultaneously extending his intelligence network.


    However, the expansion of the telegraph system also had another impact: the electromagnetic environment began to get complicated, forcing Tang Mo to allocate frequency bands for telegraphy and to start introducing more advanced telegraph machines to his troops.


    The Prime Minister did not hide the truth either, nodding and speaking frankly, "Indeed, because of your support, he has never been so wealthy."


    The tax reforms in Leite Kingdom might be even more comprehensive than those of Suthers, mainly because Tang Mo had provided the kingdom with new solutions and enough manpower support.


    In fact, the family of the Prime Minister also owned shares in some of the textile factories built by Tang Mo, creating considerable wealth for the Prime Minister''s family every month.


    These days, the Prime Minister''s household could not do without Tang Mo''s monthly provisions, so without realizing it, the Prime Minister was under Tang Mo''s influence and tended to make decisions that were more favorable to Tang Mo.


    After thinking for a while, Tang Mo gave a reply that surprised the Prime Minister, "Not entirely."


    "Hmm?" The Prime Minister looked at Tang Mo with curiosity, showing a gossiping expression.


    Tang Mo, who had no intention of hiding anything, immediately explained to the Prime Minister, "Actually, the Poplar Kingdom, which has been maintaining an expansionist posture recently, owes me a large amount of money."


    The Prime Minister immediately clarified his position, siding with Tang Mo, "Does the Leite Kingdom need to exert some pressure? If necessary, we can change our diplomatic policy towards the Poplar Kingdom."


    Leite Kingdom''s recent expansion had given him a lot of confidence, and with Tang Mo''s technological support, the Prime Minister did not believe that the Poplar Kingdom could rival Leite Kingdom.


    Even though the former had also been showing strength recently, expanding, and even defeated the Gales Kingdom, swallowing up the Sena Plains.


    Tang Mo looked towards the warship anchored at the side and said to the Prime Minister, "There''s absolutely no need for that, my ironclad warships have already blockaded Poplar Kingdom''s Southwater Port."


    It was then that the Prime Minister realized that Tang Mo had already gone to war with the Poplar Kingdom. He looked at the cold, formidable warship and confidently made his assessment, "They must be very uncomfortable."


    "Yes, and my next step is to smash their Osa Port, what do you think, Prime Minister?" Tang Mo asked with a smile.


    He was so casual as if attacking a Kingdom''s port were a very simple matter.


    The Prime Minister was silent, and after about a dozen seconds, he spoke up. He promised Tang Mo very solemnly, "If necessary, the Leite Kingdom is willing to declare war on the Poplar Kingdom."


    Unknowingly, Tang Mo already had the power to decide on such an important national decision as declaring war on another kingdom.


    Tang Mo was not proud; he refused the Prime Minister''s offer with thanks, "Thank you, but things will certainly not develop to such an uncontrollable extent."


    The Prime Minister also breathed a sigh of relief because actually, declaring war on a strong, non-neighboring country was indeed a great pressure for him.


    After confirming that Tang Mo did not need the Leite Kingdom''s support to declare war, the Prime Minister visibly relaxed quite a bit and asked in a gossiping manner, "I want to know, how much do they owe you?"


    Tang Mo casually replied with an imprecise number, "Not much, about 14 million Gold Coins. I didn''t ask my finance minister; it might be a bit more..."


    The Prime Minister was stunned, and it took him a while to confirm that the number he had heard was real and substantial.


    Then, after a few seconds, he realized just how terrifying that number was.


    "Pfft..." He couldn''t help it.

 Chapter 213: Relying on son 209

    A beautiful carriage, escorted by a group of cavalry, rushed into the city district of Southwater Port and then stopped in front of the city hall.


    The political officials and tax officials who had been waiting there, upon seeing the man who emerged from the carriage, immediately greeted him with respect, "Lord Earl! You have finally returned!"


    "How are things?" Earl Augustine Reibert, looking wan with fatigue, entered through the main entrance first, asked without looking back.


    His voice echoed in the spacious corridor, accompanied by the sound of a line of people''s leather boots striking the marble floor.


    The mayor answered with a face full of ease, starting with the suddenly good news, "Yesterday... Two enemy warships in the open sea suddenly left."


    "Lord Earl truly commands awe on all sides. No sooner had you returned than the enemy fled on their own!" The tax official quickly offered flattery, with a sycophantic expression, congratulating him.


    "Left?" The Earl paused in his step, his expression growing grave. Nevertheless, he did not continue speaking and resumed walking forward.


    Personally opening the door to his own office for the Earl, the mayor bowed slightly, "Yes, they left. After bombarding our harbor and crippling our docks, they left."


    The Earl hung his cloak on the coat rack and asked with great displeasure, "They broke through to the harbor?"


    He had not expected his base, Southwater Port, to suffer such severe damage. Nor had he anticipated that on his way back, enemy warships would suddenly intrude into Southwater Port.


    Under normal circumstances, navy warships do not rashly cause havoc inside a harbor, for they would face harassment from the shore batteries, and risk unnecessary losses.


    Only if they had a very clear advantage, or if they were indeed preparing to destroy a port for a subsequent landing, would they choose to attack a port, heedless of losses.


    Who could have imagined that the enemy would be bold enough to break into the harbor and inflict massive damage on his Southwater Port?


    The mayor had an embarrassed look on his face; he too had not expected the enemy to smash his docks before leaving, so he said gloomily, "Yes, our batteries were completely ineffective at stopping their assault. The enemy brazenly rushed in, fired around 20 rounds, and then rampaged out again."


    Reibert was not in a blaming mood, as he knew that the troubles of the day were all enticed by his own greed.


    So, after returning to his desk, he simply asked, "Is the damage to the docks severe?"


    "Not particularly, only the sunken ships are troublesome; they need to be cleared." The mayor immediately responded, "I''ve already sent people to deal with it."


    "How many days will it take to repair?" Reibert asked anxiously, because on his trip back, he had already understood the loss to Southwater Port¡ªin gold and silver for every day.


    What was more terrifying was that once his factories stopped, the national machinery would slow down, and His Majesty the King''s earnestly sought-after expansion abroad would be indefinitely postponed, which was even more unbearable for him!


    Many merchant fleets traveling south from Southwater Port had lost everything, countless metals, and gold coins had sunk to the bottom of the sea, becoming his loss.


    The timid officer handed over a sheet of paper recording several issues, saying, "There''s another report here that says..."


    "Just say it! What is it?" Marquis Reibert didn''t even reach out to take the paper, instead asking impatiently.


    "On the northern coast of the port, fishermen have seen black smoke on the sea surface..." the officer ventured carefully, seeming to hope that the Marquis would grasp the significance.


    Augustine Reibert was not a fool; upon hearing this report, he immediately latched onto the significance of "northern."


    "Yes, the north," the officer visibly relaxed, nodding and repeating.


    "Osa... damn it!" Indeed, Augustine Reibert realized that something was terribly wrong. He jumped to his feet as if electrified.


    The next second, he pointed toward the door, barking orders loudly, "Quick! Quick! Send someone to Osa! On the fastest horse! Send the message with utmost speed! Warn the Navy in Osa Port!


    Tell them to leave immediately!"


    He definitely did not want the fleet arranged at Osa to be trapped by two enemy ships and then be completely annihilated in the harbor!


    After all, this was one of the few maritime forces of the Poplar Kingdom that could be mobilized directly along its extensive coastline!


    If this fleet was sunk by the enemy, the long coastline, including Southwater Port, would practically be undefended, left bare.


    Therefore, he had to make sure the fleet left Osa Port immediately, hiding away and waiting for a more critical moment to engage in naval battles to turn the tide of the war.


    The mayor, still not fully comprehending the urgency, asked with a puzzled look, "Leave Osa? But where should they go after leaving Osa?"


    Marquis Reibert couldn''t contain his roar any longer. He slapped the table and shouted, "Take a wide berth! Head out to the open sea, then south down here!"


    "My lord... please, calm down!" the mayor urged cautiously, "Wouldn''t His Majesty suspect... that the fleet is being used to threaten... "


    In his opinion, without the King''s permission, it would be intolerable and a grievous mistake to recall the warships directly to defend Southwater and completely abandon Osa.


    But Marquis Reibert could no longer afford to consider the King''s feelings as he had had enough of the lack of timely information and the inability to mobilize troops to respond to threats.


    So he continued to yell, "Threaten my ass! If they go any further north, our communication with them will take even longer! If we can''t send messages fast enough and react in time, the danger will only increase! Quick! Do as I say!"


    If the Osa fleet were to be destroyed, he might as well not bother explaining to the King. Looking at those factories that had ceased production, awaiting raw materials, he had already made it impossible for the Kingdom to expand further.


    Without restoring such capability, his position as Marquis would be unstable. Faced with instablity either way, he would rather incur the King''s suspicion than have the Emperor think him incompetent!


    The mayor finally caught on and hurriedly agreed, "Yes! Yes! I understand, my lord. I''ll dispatch someone with the orders right away!"


    Slumping back into his seat, Marquis Reibert closed his eyes, exhausted, leaning back in his chair, muttering softly, "My son, my son... it''s time for you to step up... don''t let me down!"

 Chapter 214: The new manager of 210

    Inside the most luxurious office of the Great Tang Group, Tang Mo was sitting in his own seat, listening to Luff report the latest situation of the military.


    On the huge map hanging on the wall, Luff was pushing willow leaf-shaped magnets representing the approximate locations of the warships.


    This map was exquisitely made, with an iron sheet as the backing board, and all the labels on the map were created with magnets.


    This design made it crystal clear at a glance what forces one had at their disposal, with the only flaw being the map pasted on the iron board was prone to wear and tear and needed to be replaced from time to time.


    At this moment, the deployment of all warships of the Great Tang Group was indicated by magnets on the map, clear and unmistakable.


    Luff opened his mouth to introduce, "Brunas 1 is on its way back to Brunas, Bruna 2 and Bruna 3 are heading north to Osa Military Harbor, Bruna 4 is at Dragon Island, Bruna 5 is on its way to Dragon Island, and Bruna 6 is stationed in Bruna Harbor."


    Such a deployment also showed that Tang Mo had never sent his fleet''s main force to attack the Poplar Kingdom. Two-thirds of his warships were either deployed at Black Dragon Island or in Brunas, with one ship on its way back to Brunas.


    Meanwhile, Tang Mo was building two new Wolf-class cruisers, and another Brunas-class warship was being built slowly.


    This Brunas-class warship was meant to be sold off, after all with the more advanced Wolf-class cruisers available, who would want the outdated Brunas-class ironclad warships?


    For purchasing this new type of warship, the Leite Kingdom offered a price of 230,000 Gold Coins¡ªthis might be the most expensive warship in the history of this world.


    However, its record would soon be broken, because the Wolf-class warships that Tang Mo was building, if sold, would obviously fetch an even more terrifying price.


    After introducing the whereabouts of the six warships, Luff continued with the construction situation of the land forces, "For ground troops, among our two regiments, one is dispersed along the line from Brunas to Northern Ridge, and the other is deployed on Dragon Island."


    Recently, the Great Tang Group had no plans for ground warfare; the main role of its two regiments was to ensure the security of their own factories.


    Thus, although these troops were equipped with the most advanced weapons, their scale had not expanded too much, which satisfied the upper and lower echelons of the Leite Kingdom very much.


    After all, the existence of a powerful armed force inside the country that one cannot control would indeed make a monarch sleepless at night.


    However, since this armed force had always maintained restraint and didn''t frequently exhibit aggressiveness, Leite VII was very satisfied.


    Pointing to go stone-sized hematite magnets on the map, Luff said, "Among them, one battalion of Regiment 1 is in Brunas, one battalion is in Factory 2, and one battalion is training in the Vicious Forest. They rotate regularly..."


    Because "Black Dragon Island" didn''t sound very nice, and the black dragon didn''t quite fit Tang Mo''s golden dragon emblem, the Great Tang Group decided to rename Black Dragon Island to Dragon Island, and the first city on Dragon Island was also named Dragon City.


    Harry nodded slightly and continued to report, "Yes, but they are willing to sign a huge order at the same time."


    He then listed off their purchase list as if on a carousel, "First, they are willing to purchase 40 C80 cannons, along with matching transport carts, ammunition carts, and 1500 shells."


    "Similarly, they are also willing to purchase 4000 K1 Quick Guns, 500 new Left-Wheel Handguns, and 1000 K2 lever-action rifles. This includes the corresponding equipment, ammunition, and related training..." Clearly, these "scraps" also represented the other party''s sincerity.


    "Is there more?" Tang Mo knew full well that their sincerity wasn''t limited to these.


    As expected, Harry continued, "Additionally, they wish to build 3 bullet factories within their borders, a production line for K1 rifles, and a production line for C80 cannons..."


    And obviously, the other side''s sincerity didn''t stop there, they were even willing to allow Tang Mo to set up his own intelligence network in their country, "Of course, during negotiations they emphasized the telegraph machine, hoping we can set telegraph stations in their major cities, at least 10 of them."


    "10 machine guns, 100,000 bullets..." Finally, after Harry finished speaking, he looked toward Tang Mo and named the other party''s price, "They are willing to pay 1.3 million Gold Coins for these..."


    Of course, this offer included some extra "protection money." That money was probably to ensure the benefits of continuing their expansion after purchasing advanced weapons from Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo nodded slightly, the other party''s price was obviously well-calculated and quite reasonable. However, he still decided to bargain with them, "It''s a fair price. But our profit margin is too low."


    "I think so too," Harry immediately agreed.


    Tang Mo lit a cigarette, held it between his fingers, exhaled a puff of smoke, and ordered, "Then give them a quote of 2 million."


    "Right." Harry wrote down Tang Mo''s demand in his notebook and then, as if remembering something else, began to speak.


    "Hmm?" Tang Mo and several others around him looked toward Harry, waiting for him to continue.


    Indeed, Harry brought up another request from the other party, "Along with the special envoy came representatives from Dorne''s civil business associations. They hope to raise funds on their own to purchase rails and trains to build a railroad for their own use in the southern part of Dorne."


    "What''s the price?" Tang Mo asked offhandedly.


    "Our quote for the entire railway is 1.7 million Gold Coins. They hope to push the price down to 1.1 million Gold Coins, and there''s a significant disparity between the two parties," Harry immediately stated the price proposed by them.


    Tang Mo thought for a moment and reduced the price by 100,000 Gold Coins, "1 million Gold Coins! Give it to them! Also, sell them the technology for producing the rails, but I want one third of the equity in that railway!"


    "Yes!" Harry nodded respectfully, indicating he had no more to say.

 Chapter 215: 211 Coachman

    ```


    "Dingling! Dingling!" One of the four telephones in front of Tang Mo suddenly rang with a crisp tone.


    Tang Mo picked up the handset and put it to his ear, "It''s me, what''s the matter?"


    "In the No. 2 factory assembly workshop, the thing you designed has been manufactured," Mathews'' excited voice came through the phone, "It''s magnificent! I never thought that one day I''d create something so great!"


    "I''m on my way!" Tang Mo hung up the phone immediately.


    Then, he grabbed another telephone in front of him, and ordered, "Get ready, we''re going to No. 2 factory."


    Soon, Tang Mo, who arrived at the No. 2 factory, saw the thing he had been longing for¡ªa car!


    This was the world''s first car, but because it was directly based on designs provided by Tang Mo, it was already using a more advanced design that was no match for the ancient cars of the olden times.


    Right from the start, Tang Mo had established a complete car production line, which was the famous Ford automobile production line.


    The car Tang Mo intended to release was the first-generation civilian Model T car. This car was designed completely for the common people, with a simple design and affordable price.


    In Tang Mo''s original world, the Ford company had achieved tremendous success with this successful design, producing as many as 15 million of these cars, which illustrates the "superiority" of this type of vehicle.


    And indeed, it was superior because the design of this car was mature, with a low failure rate, nearly a perfect design for early automobiles.


    Of course, it''s not all good, because its design is actually vastly different from modern cars, and one could almost say that driving this car actually requires special training.


    First, to start this car, one needed to crank the front end with a lever, a design that was actually common in early cars, so it couldn''t be said to be a unique feature of the Model T.


    If not careful, this lever could even cause injuries by the engine turning over prematurely, so one had to be very careful when starting the car.


    Additionally, the Model T''s clutch was a three-speed planetary gear, with only two forward gears and one reverse gear, and these three gears were controlled by three separate pedals!


    That means, this car actually had four pedals! And none of these four pedals were for the throttle control!


    The throttle for this car was next to the steering wheel, controlled by hand! So the control of this car was completely different from that of today''s cars.


    What''s more interesting is that this car could only seat two people, a standard small car, and both its load and speed were quite ordinary.


    This car had an engine close to 3 liters with four cylinders, offering 20 horsepower of traction, allowing the car to theoretically zip along at a speed of 70 kilometers per hour.


    The engine''s fuel consumption per hundred kilometers was around 9 liters, which is actually a rather awkward figure: early gasoline engines were not precisely made and had quite common performance, and the fuel consumption was relatively high compared to modern standards.


    "That''s why I say, you''re alright as a craftsman, but you''re lacking a bit as a businessman," Tang Mo said to Mathews with a smile.


    Then he looked at Harry who was standing beside him and asked, "What about you? How much do you think this car should sell for?"


    "I think, if it''s feasible, it''s best to sell it for only 80 Gold Coins!" After pondering for a few seconds, Harry then answered Tang Mo''s question.


    Tang Mo laughed heartily, then nodded and said, "After the first batch is produced, we''ll find a way to reduce the costs further, and the final price... 75 Gold Coins!"


    Compared to his competitors, his greatest advantage was that he had no research and development costs and wouldn''t be taking any detours. He could completely reduce the cost to an unbelievably low level according to his personal preference.


    Thus, in certain industries, Tang Mo could, if he wished, forge his own path and leave no room for others to follow.


    In the vital manufacturing industry of automobiles, Tang Mo was prepared to do just that¡ªhe was going to seize the market with his absolute price advantage and crush those who tried to imitate or catch up!


    By the time his cars were commonplace, his follow-up models would likewise inundate the entire market, leaving no gaps for other rivals.


    The reason he was doing this was to delay as much as possible the time his rivals might imitate him, thus giving himself more time to focus on oil and other energy sources, as well as subsequent technological breakthroughs.


    Since he had already left his competitors behind in technology, he could use the dual advantages of technology and price to completely seal them within outdated realms.


    By the time competitors like Shireck thought about manufacturing rival products, they would despair to find that there was no profit to speak of.


    Soon after, they would find themselves in the awkward cycle of it being cheaper to rent than to buy, and cheaper to buy than to build, unable to catch up to Tang Mo for the rest of their lives.


    "Selling that cheap?" Mathews was greatly surprised; he had thought Tang Mo would use this new mode of transportation to make a hefty profit.


    "Cheap? If someone copies it, I''ll immediately sell it for 70 Gold Coins each!" Tang Mo revealed an evil grin, like a man-eating monster.


    But his smile quickly became sunny again because the production of the cars was assuredly good news for him.


    Thereupon, he walked over to Mathews and patted the Dwarf''s shoulder, then patted Parker''s shoulder, and then turned to Harry, "Don''t be stingy! Once the production capacity increases, I''ll give each of you one of these cars!"


    While saying this, he also teased Mathews, "...you might need a driver though! Hahaha! I''ll find someone to drive for you!"


    Speaking of drivers... Wes!" He looked at Wes, who was standing nearby and still sizing up the car, "You might have to learn to drive! I need a driver!"


    "Driver?" Wes clearly didn''t quite understand the term.


    "Chauffeur!" Tang Mo clarified, "It''s similar to your current job!"

 Chapter 216: You dont understand 212

    Off the coast of Osa Port, two Brunas-class ironclad warships, belching black smoke, were engaged in a fierce artillery battle with the fleet of the Poplar Kingdom, which was in disarray within the harbor.


    The artillery battle was truly intense. Tang Mo''s ironclad warships incessantly fired cannonballs into the hulls of the Poplar Kingdom''s ships, while the Poplar warships kept firing their cannonballs into the sea.


    The scene seemed extremely fierce, but the situation was already one-sided on the battlefield. The Elf Navy was being destroyed, and they were trapped inside the harbor with no way to escape.


    Gazing at the distant cannons that couldn''t reach his own ship, the captain of the Brunas No. 2 warship sneered and ordered, "Port side! 310 meters! Adjust firing parameters!"


    "Port side! 310 meters! Firing parameters adjusted!" The weapons officer, standing not far in front of him, immediately repeated the order.


    They could see the twin-mounted cannons on the deck in front of their own bridge slightly adjusting the elevation of their barrels, then fixing them in a new position.


    "Fire!" the captain ordered softly. They were actually at a distance where the enemy ships could return fire, so after reloading, he immediately gave the order to fire.


    And a distant Elf sailing ship also fired a dozen cannonballs, which struck and left some imperceptible, shallow pits on the armor of the Brunas No. 2 warship.


    The weapons officer shouted loudly, "Fire!"


    "Boom!" Accompanied by his shout, both the visible bow turrets and the invisible stern turrets roared together, as three cannonballs flew into the midst of the Elf fleet.


    The explosions threw up spouts of water higher than lighthouses, simultaneously blasting an Elf warship completely in two.


    Soon after, the Brunas No. 3 warship, following close behind the Brunas No. 2, also fired a broadside, turning another wooden sailing ship of the Poplar Kingdom into splinters.


    Warships armed with large-caliber naval guns and explosive shells indeed had an overwhelming advantage when facing wooden sailing ships. Leveraging this massive advantage, the two ironclad warships moved like mighty dragons through the water, unobstructed as if in uninhabited territory.


    Already battling for nearly an hour, Osa Military Harbor at this moment seemed to depict the end of the world, a scene of devastating bleakness and somber valor, as ammunition and provisions ran out.


    The naval fleet of the Poplar Kingdom stationed here comprised 18 warships, along with the originally deployed defense fleet, totaling 22 warships, and there were also 4 armed merchant ships responsible for transport.


    Including the coastal defense units and the harbor guard troops, there was a legion of 1,500 men, plus another 500 men assigned to a coastal artillery battery unit.


    These land forces together had 30 cannons, most of which were deployed on the Osa artillery batteries, facing the sea to blockade the harbor.


    The current situation was that 26 warships blocked within Osa Military Harbor were struggling in fierce combat, with little hope of holding out much longer.


    Of those, 10 warships had already sunk, and at least another 6 had lost their ability to fight.


    The Poplar Kingdom had suffered heavy losses this time; their numerical advantage in the navy had been wiped out, and they were now in a complete disadvantage even compared to several neighboring countries.


    And the pressing issue was that even though they still had a numerical advantage, against two such bizarre and formidable warships, they dared not claim they could be victorious.


    Even as he watched the two warships depart, he was still frightened. He knew that even if his 30 warships had been present, today he would still be the desperate one being beaten down in the water.


    "I hope they won''t come back," he finally voiced his inner thoughts, for he feared that he wouldn''t have the chance to say such words afterward.


    Having lost almost half of the Kingdom''s maritime forces, his role as the naval commander was essentially over.


    "Yes, let''s hope we never have to engage with an opponent like that again," the equally drenched deputy commander slumped down, looking at the gradually calming sea surface, and similarly expressed his thoughts.


    In less than two hours, Osa Port, the Poplar Kingdom''s largest military harbor, was thoroughly ruined.


    To recover, they at least had to salvage these sunken warships ¡ª the good news wasn''t all gone, at least in the shallows, they might be able to recover all the Shireck muzzle-loading guns from the warships.


    Though they were damaged beyond use, melting them down and re-smelting... could actually somewhat compensate for the losses...


    The day after the two Brunas-class warships disappeared from the sea surface, a few Knights escorted an officer, rushing to the main gate of Osa Port''s castle.


    "Are they still here? Are they still here?" the leading officer asked breathlessly as he dismounted from his horse, not minding his weakened legs while being supported.


    "Who?" the Osa military officers and guards, busy cleaning up the port, looked at the messenger who had come from afar and asked. They had been preoccupied in the last day and did not immediately realize who he meant.


    The officer adjusted himself, took a large gulp of water from the flask handed over by someone next to him, and, regaining some strength, immediately asked, "The two ironclad warships..."


    "You''re too late... they''ve already left," the disheartened naval general answered upon receiving the news.


    "They didn''t, didn''t cause any damage, did they?" the officer immediately asked, tense.


    "... You''ve been through a lot. Maybe you should rest a bit first?" the naval officer could only shamefully bring the conversation to a close.


    That messenger officer immediately frowned, emphasizing the importance of his message, "Damn it, they''ve already attacked the port? How bad is the damage to the fleet? Marquis is waiting for a report on the losses and battle details!"


    The naval general, knowing he couldn''t keep hiding the truth, braced himself and answered, "All our warships were inside the harbor..."


    "Well, that''s good," the messenger officer let out a sigh of relief.


    However, the news he received next almost made him faint.


    Because, he just heard the naval general continue to explain, "No, you don''t understand, they''ve all sunk inside the harbor..."


    "What?" The officer was stunned upon hearing this, then became utterly dismayed and finally fainted away.


    It took a while for those around to wake him again, and as he opened his eyes, he insisted, "Send, send the message back to Southwater... Fast! It has to be fast..."

 Chapter 217: Do you want to get rich?

    "My God!" the young man exclaimed, unable to suppress his shout as he gazed at the gigantic ten-story building before him, his face filled with shock.


    Standing on the street, it seemed as if he had seen the future. In his view, next to the unprecedented ten-story building, a massive fifteen-story building was nearing completion.


    Majestic five-story buildings stood on either side of the street, and on their vast sidewalls, posters of a beautiful woman posing provocatively were spray-painted.


    At the top of the poster, a slogan written in stylized characters welcomed visitors to Brunas No.9 Street¡ªanyone who had stayed in Brunas for two days would know that No.9 Street was the most famous red-light district around.


    To speak frankly, there were just too many tall buildings here. In just six months, the high-rises of Brunas had skyrocketed, increasing tenfold or more from before.


    Within a few months, the record for the tallest building had been broken repeatedly. Now holding the record was a landmark building invested in and constructed by the Great Tang Group: the Brunas Hotel.


    The luxury of this hotel was beyond imagination. It was frequented by celebrities from all walks of life, and many earls and marquises had rooms permanently reserved for themselves here.


    There was no way around it¡ªthis was a symbol of power. If you didn''t even have a room in the Brunas Hotel, others would easily doubt your financial strength, hence less confidence in doing business with you.


    Of course, the height record of this colossal hotel, which had 17 floors, was already in jeopardy, as at least 20 construction projects underway in Brunas City had declared that they would exceed 50 meters in height.


    Even more, three of those projects had declared heights of around 100 meters, which was simply impossible to find anywhere else.


    On the street, it was bustling with traffic; he even caught sight of a novel type of vehicle that did not rely on horses to move¡ªa sight unseen elsewhere.


    These vehicles moved swiftly, causing pedestrians to dodge to either side, while the nobility inside basked in pride, enjoying the unprecedented convenience brought by new technology.


    They certainly had reason to be proud, for only in Brunas could they purchase such novel modes of transportation which weren''t available anywhere else!


    Apart from these novel cars, horse-drawn carriages remained the mainstream mode of transport. Brunas'' streets and alleys were filled with carriages, as well as some rickshaws and horses.


    In short, the traffic here was exceptionally busy and congested, with a huge span of diversity. It was even possible to see a ''mounted police'' officer speaking with a car driver, head bent low.


    After dodging a horse-drawn carriage loaded with goods, he saw groups of children with backpacks walking along the edge of the road.


    The children passed by fire hydrants painted red, which were over three meters tall¡ªcompletely different from the firefighting equipment of later eras.


    Seeing such advanced devices in the city was already a miraculous experience. In other cities, it was not easy to find such equipment.


    Then, amidst the chaos, the young man witnessed another unforgettable sight: a group of confident, unbearably beautiful girls.


    At night, the difference between Brunas and other areas would immediately become apparent; the electrified streets were even more enchanting.


    Compared to King City or Wolf City, Brunas was truly a city that never slept. Its people hadn''t heard the word curfew in a long while, and going out for fun at night had become a consensus among the city''s inhabitants.


    Cheap taverns provided workers with the least expensive liquor, and snack vendors on the street would often see drunk workers singing and dancing.


    Majestically decorated entertainment venues had successful individuals in suits and leather shoes standing at the entrance, more cars and carriages than in the day parked under the glow of the neon lights.


    Who could have imagined, that such a flourishing place in the world, was just a small fishing port with a population of just tens of thousands two years ago?


    Who could have imagined, that it was once a place where even larger fleets would not dock, with an annual freight throughput of less than 100,000 tons?


    Now, the port docks here could accommodate the largest cargo ships in the world, with the capability to handle 30 large sea vessels discharging cargo at the same time.


    11,000 people worked at the port here, tasked with moving steel transported from all over the world at high prices to the Brunas Railway Station built next to the port.


    The amount of cargo they had to unload each day exceeded 50,000 tons. Without the support of sea transportation, Brunas would be facing famine right now!


    Countless quantities of metal from all over the world were transported to Brunas, and to save time, most of the metal brought here had already been smelted into ingots!


    Tang Mo, in order to produce ammunition, manufacture other products, and meet the demand for production equipment and wires, as well as strategic reserves, consumed at least 2,000 tons of pure copper every month.


    That number might not sound like much, but considering the consumption of pure copper in other areas, it was clear that Great Tang Group in Brunas had become the world''s largest buyer of brass.


    Apart from brass, there was steel; to build warships, produce cannons, and other weapons, Tang Mo''s consumption of steel was also frighteningly high.


    In addition, for the construction of the city, he was also using a large amount of rebar and concrete, which greatly increased his steel usage.


    Nowadays, half of the maritime capacity entering Brunas and at least one-third of the land transportation capacity were transporting metal ore; Brunas had earned the nickname "Steel City" from other regions.


    And Brunas truly lived up to that nickname¡ªit might be the world''s first fully modernized city.


    With a modernized water supply plant, a sewage system design that was constantly being expanded, and an electric power system... these things were utterly unmatched by other large cities.


    Tang Mo, the man who personally created all of this, had become a legend in many ways, and his name started to spread in many countries.


    Merchants shared a saying among themselves, "Want to get rich? Go to Brunas! Whether you''re a commoner or nobility, you can always make a fortune there. Want to make a big fortune? Go to Brunas! Sell everything you have, turn it into steel and transport it to Brunas!


    Oh, and... stay away from the casinos!"

 Chapter 218 : 214 Metropolis

    Under the support of Brunas, Northern Ridge vigorously developed agriculture and animal husbandry, including Suthers, sparking a production movement of exchanging wool and pig bristles for trains.


    A huge economic circle, with a radiating effect, is forming around Brunas, with clear divisions of labor and a grand scale.


    The hinterland of the Leite Kingdom has begun to transform into a massive gathering area for the textile industry, where light industry is booming.


    The small town of Dunst near Northern Ridge, in the direction of Brunas, has started to become the largest production base of leather and pig bristles within the Leite Kingdom.


    Here, 20,000 workers gather, and their daily work is to produce shoes, various designs originating from Northern Ridge.


    Of course, they also produce various brushes, including those used for cleaning gun and cannon barrels. By-products also include animal fats, specialty papers, and processed meat products!


    Yes, you read that correctly, the Dunst area has indeed also turned into an industrial zone, and it''s filled with workers from all over Northern Ridge.


    Because the relationship between Suthers and Northern Ridge has completely eased, quite a few farmers from Suthers have run over to work in Northern Ridge, quickly realizing that working for Suthers isn''t as good as working for Northern Ridge, and working for Northern Ridge isn''t as good as working for Brunas.


    Then, as the population of Brunas keeps expanding, insanely expanding, the city''s craving and demand for goods also reached an astonishingly high level never seen before.


    People want to make money, and the purpose of making money is to improve the quality of their life. In Brunas, what represents the quality of one''s life?


    The employees of the Great Tang Group, the gang hitmen of the Silver Fox Tavern, the private forces of Tang Mo in the City Defense Forces that have received their wages and payments, naturally need to consume.


    Purchasing better and larger houses, splurging at various high-consumption places, trying every means to get one''s wife into the grave to quickly replace her, and using all means to push one''s children into the best schools...


    Or purchasing the latest, most ostentatious, and most avant-garde Great Tang car, or simply buying oneself a gold watch, collecting a K2 lever-action shotgun...


    Actually, the largest expenditure still comes from life improvements¡ªeveryone wants to improve those "days" that could simply be described as breaking down.


    People start to cook seriously, to cook gourmet food earnestly, begin consuming meat, and gradually turn these life improvements into a habit.


    When did Brunas start to become rich? Was it when casinos, bars, and brothels opened up? No, it wasn''t. It began when people noticed the frequency of buying hamburgers with meat patties starting to gradually increase.


    Meat consumption in Brunas surged so much, even to a terrifying extent. The surrounding meat was swept clean every day, with herdsmen from Suthers driving flocks of cattle and sheep southward, yet the price of meat products continued to soar.


    Not until meat prices started to rise even in the King City of Suthers, to the extent that small nobility could hardly afford it, did everyone realize that Brunas had already turned into a brand-new metropolis.


    Those gathered in Brunas all hope to obtain information, get intelligence, master the pattern of getting rich, and find opportunities to strike it wealthy.


    Indeed, upon hearing the familiar term City Defense Forces, the other party did appear to be somewhat reassured.


    "First time in Brunas, right? Name!" the officer asked while pulling out a notebook, looking every bit the part. His tone was filled with disdain, as if visiting Brunas for the first time was something rustic.


    The young man was nervously stuttering but still managed to reply, "Yes, yes. Van Kums. My name is Van Kums."


    "What brings you to Brunas?" The policeman scribbled the name carelessly in his notebook and continued questioning without looking up.


    "I, I''m here to find a job," Van Kums explained. "I am a professional manager... yes, it was Lord Simon, who, who referred me here."


    "Simon?" The chubby officer squinted and frowned, glancing at his colleague: "Who?"


    His partner, with a helpless expression, explained: "The former tax official here."


    "Oh!" The officer had an epiphany, nodding slightly: "The one who left before I came here?"


    The young Van Kums sarcastically thought to himself: Hey! That''s the Minister of Finance of the Kingdom! Is it really okay for you to talk like this? As if Brunas''s tax officer were more important and famous than the Kingdom''s Minister of Finance!


    However, he quickly pulled out a carefully preserved envelope from the pocket of his jacket, "This is, this is the recommendation letter from Lord Simon. He recommended me to work for the Great Tang Group."


    "Come with me, I''ll take you to the Great Tang Group''s reception," said the nonchalant police officer who pocketed his notebook and shook his head, signaling the other to follow him.


    People often arrived in Brunas from other places with recommendation letters, and the talents recommended were quite diverse.


    Some recommendation letters were written by the Dandelions, others by the Nobility who maintained dealings with the Great Tang Group, and some people were even direct relatives of the Leite royal family, bringing letters of recommendation from the King.


    In any case, all these people needed to be assessed and screened before being placed into suitable positions. The HR department of the Great Tang Group was strictly impartial, and there was basically no backdoor dealings.


    Those with technical skills, like the former master craftsmen from Shireck''s munitions workshops, could stay at the Great Tang Group''s design office and become developers of new weapons, as long as they passed Mathews''s assessment.


    Those with abilities could gain important positions as long as they could demonstrate their management skills or other competencies.


    And the pure nepotism hires could only honestly start from the most basic level of learning; those who could learn were assigned jobs and stayed in Brunas, while those who couldn''t were sent to Dunst or other areas.


    Hearing the policeman say this, the young Van Kums quickly pocketed his treasured recommendation letter and followed the pace of the two ahead of him.


    On the streets, there were more carriages and cars, and the shouting of vendors increased as well, with an old man waving newspapers and incessantly shouting, "Newspapers! Today''s newspapers! News! Come and see the news about making a fortune!"


    The three people followed the bustling street towards the Great Tang Group''s building in the distant district. Above their heads, on the side of a skyscraper, there was a depiction of a man in a suit holding a cigarette, with a look of melancholy and depth in his eyes that told a story.

 Chapter 219 : How much is 215 per catty?

    In the spacious and bright office, a man in a brown Brunas suit tossed the report in his hand onto the table and massaged his temples.


    The office housed six desks arranged facing each other, most of them piled high with documents, while several bureaucrats busied themselves with work. However, their busyness didn''t keep them from gossiping amongst themselves.


    He looked exhausted and complained to the man sitting across from him, "Can you believe it? Just a week ago, Brunas had only 650,000 people. Now, it has a population of 700,000."


    "There are too many outsiders here, native Brunas residents account for less than ten percent of the population," the man opposite him said, continuing to sort through his documents without looking up.


    Managing a large city is not as easy as it seems, with a myriad of jobs that are overwhelmingly complex.


    It requires a vast number of management talents, and countless officials and clerks working diligently every day. One should not underestimate these trivial tasks; missing even one could throw the entire city into chaos.


    In many respects, modern metropolises are formidable, unmatched by the small cities of the past. They possess countless superior qualities that can push human productivity to its peak.


    Conversely, such large cities are fragile; just one minor issue can paralyze a place inhabited by thousands or even millions.


    Obviously, constructing a sewage system for millions is far more complex and troublesome than building a medieval castle.


    While pounding his other shoulder with his hand, the complaining man pulled out another form, "Can you imagine? Over half a million workers. In this city, the workers who go to work every day make up seventy-five percent of the total population!"


    Their job is to carry out statistics, to daily track the city''s development, to foresee the necessary improvements, and then to provide the municipal development department with sensible suggestions.


    It may seem like a peripheral task, but this kind of forecasting is a critical part of supporting the city''s development.


    If you wait until the population has grown to a certain level and then discover that the water supply can''t keep up, the consequences would undoubtedly be disastrous for a city approaching a million inhabitants.


    Brunas is already facing many problems; some residential areas can only rely on groundwater for their supply, and while pressure wells remain the mainstay, the water system only covers some important streets.


    The city is developing too quickly, so much that many aspects can''t keep up with the pace of development. With the increase in cars, whether or not to install traffic lights has also become a vexing issue.


    Another colleague said with a laugh, "If it weren''t for our continuous migration to Dragon City, the population here would have been close to a million."


    They have already migrated 100,000 workers to Dragon Island, and with their voluntarily relocating families, the total population has now exceeded 200,000.


    Dragon City is now also a large city. Judging by the size of the port and the residential area plans, its future scale is going to be larger than Brunas.


    Several people felt a great sense of accomplishment, and one of them remarked emotionally, "Can you imagine? How many cities in the world have a population of a million? And we are in the process of building a new city with a million people!"


    Although he had heard that the number of slave traders within the Leite Kingdom was decreasing, he never imagined the day when the slave traders would vanish.


    The man dressed in a brown Brunas suit expressed his disbelief, "Are you saying, what the City Defense Forces and the King couldn''t accomplish, Brunas did. Its rise has completely eradicated the slave trade?"


    "Yes," admitted the official holding the newspaper with a sly grin.


    Someone curiously asked, "Why?"


    "Because those slave traders found that the efficiency of plundering slaves was too low. They''ve now switched professions, with the new job title called ''middlemen''. These scumbags who trafficked people have now turned into ''Believers'' who introduce jobs and take commissions," said the official, proudly snapping the newspaper in his hand.


    Now, many cities have specialized institutions responsible for recruiting workers for Brunas or Dragon Island. Some even cover travel expenses¡ªsuccessfully introducing a family to migrate, and they can earn a commission of 5 Gold Coins from Brunas.


    In return, these intermediary institutions also take a cut, taking away the workers'' first three months'' wages, so it''s fair to say they are making a killing.


    And the workers who arrived in Brunas don''t feel cheated at all; they are grateful to those once despised slave traders for bringing them to Brunas, a paradise.


    Therefore, the old brutal methods of plunder and deceit, forcing someone to become a slave, obviously could not willingly make people follow them to Brunas. So, these old villains changed their modus operandi.


    Their tactics became more justified, the process more legal, kinder. There was only one goal: to pass the scrutiny of Brunas''s qualification review smoothly.


    If the immigration office of Brunas ever discovered any actions that harmed Brunas City''s reputation or affected the Great Tang Group''s image, that would indeed turn a celebration into a funeral.


    "Huh? Believers?" Soon, someone noticed his adjective and asked curiously.


    The official holding the newspaper could hardly contain his laughter, showing off how his big boss had become a divine figure: "That''s right, they all worship Mr. Tang Mo, considering him a god in charge of money and business."


    "..." Everyone didn''t know what to say, many having seen Tang Mo themselves and attended his lectures, so they found the matter rather amusing.


    Because they knew Tang Mo was not any god; he was a businessman, one who never claimed to be a good person.


    Seeing everyone stifling a laugh and not speaking, the official with the newspaper asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "They might not know that this god also traffics in death," said an official, trying to hold back his laughter.


    "Ha! Of course, they know!" scoffed the one with the newspaper disdainfully.


    "Then why do they still think Mr. Tang Mo is a god of wealth?" a young official, who had not attended a few night classes from outside areas, asked curiously.


    The man with the newspaper replied sarcastically, "Because no matter what you sell, as long as it makes money it''s fine... Trafficking death is nothing to a bunch of slave traders, they only care about how much ''death'' costs per kilogram."

 Chapter 220: 216" means cool and natural.

    A middle-aged man walked into the room, bowed his head in respect, and politely began, "Your Honor! Thank you for taking the time to see me amidst your busy schedule."


    In the King City of Leite Kingdom, an elderly man dressed in decent clothes was sitting in his own office, watching the middle-aged man walking in.


    "My time is very precious," said the old man, seated in a chair that was at least twice as big as his frame, still holding an exquisite fountain pen, as he spoke to the other man.


    "My uncle is your close friend, so I came here seeking your help," the middle-aged man said as he respectfully placed a bag of money on the judge''s desk, almost ingratiatingly.


    The old judge glanced at the money bag, and his tone became noticeably kinder as he spoke, "So, what can I do to help you? Let''s hear it."


    The middle-aged man immediately began his complaint, raising a name that made the old judge somewhat apprehensive, "You simply cannot imagine what changes the Great Tang Group has brought to this world! Yes, changes! The things they''ve brought with them are much more formidable than guns, cannons, trains, and ships."


    "Hmm?" The old judge leaned back in his chair, looking at the grumbling man in front of him with a long, questioning sound.


    The middle-aged man continued, sharing the information he had gathered: "In Brunas, a hundred percent of the people are working for the Great Tang Group, where even the old ladies sweeping the streets are with the Great Tang Group."


    "Every morning, the whole city seems to come back to life, countless workers walk out of their homes, and then enter the factories of the Great Tang Group to work." He rambled on as he spoke.


    But he didn''t care, for he had given a bribe, this was his time to complain. He had bought this time, so he had the right to squander it.


    He continued, "Every machine there never stops running, only halting when something breaks... and then, a few workers would immediately repair the damaged machinery, and work would resume without pause in production."


    "Never has a city operated so efficiently, nor has production ever been raised to such heights." The more he spoke, the more frightened he became, feeling as if he was facing a colossal behemoth that blotted out the sky.


    "The Great Tang Group is the largest industrial organization in our kingdom..." the old judge nodded and said, "How does this relate to the problem you want to solve?"


    "Have you ever been to Brunas? The chimneys there are denser than forests, and the black smoke never ceases. If you look carefully, even by the moonlight, you can clearly see the billowing smoke pouring out of the chimneys!" As he reminisced, the middle-aged man''s beard trembled slightly.


    After a few seconds of silence, he then looked at the old judge and came to a conclusion, "Before the Great Tang Group appeared, everything was so primitive. Compared to now, many things simply shouldn''t exist."


    Compared to the Great Tang Industrial Group, his small workshop couldn''t even be called a production organization; his workshop was just wasting labor...


    The two were not even on the same level, as different as a little rabbit is from a colossal beast.


    "Some things are so disturbing, to anyone who isn''t blind, that just one look will make your skin crawl! The terror of the Great Tang Group, is tenfold, a hundredfold, even a thousandfold more than we could have imagined!" He suddenly stood up and walked over to the old judge excitedly.


    "They hope to buy my workshop for 3,000 Gold Coins..." The middle-aged man said with the truth, swallowing hard.


    "Do you have any dissatisfaction?" the old judge pressed on, "How much do you think your rundown workshop is worth?"


    "..." The middle-aged man fell silent¡ªWhat could he say after that? If you call my workshop rundown, then of course, it''s not worth much...


    The old judge did not rush to speak, waiting for the man to gather his thoughts, before continuing, "You know that behind Silver Fox Company is Great Tang Group, you know they can''t be messed with, do you think just because I round up a few idle thugs for you, they will let you off?"


    "..." The middle-aged man knew what the other party said was true¡ªEven if the judge ruled justly, he still couldn''t hold onto his workshop...


    The judge waited a few more seconds, letting the man process, then spoke again, "I can talk to them for you, 3,150 Gold Coins, and I''ll take 25 Gold Coins as commission."


    "Alright, I''ll listen to you," the middle-aged man immediately nodded, resigned to his fate.


    "All right, he''s gone." After seeing off the middle-aged man and closing the door, the old judge saw another door being opened from the side and spoke up.


    "Thank you, Your Honor," said the man in the black Brunas suit with a bowler hat, nodding slightly in thanks.


    "This is the last plot of land. You really should tell me what you''re planning to do with all this land," the old judge asked the representative from Silver Fox Company, curious.


    "We plan to build a racetrack in King City," the representative answered matter-of-factly.


    "A racetrack? Is there really profit in breeding horses here?" the old judge asked, puzzled.


    "Not just breeding horses, but also racing them. And it''s not just horse racing, we can also bet on the horses," the man representing Silver Fox Company, or rather Great Tang Group, explained with a smile.


    "You really know how to have fun, but this isn''t something I can cover by myself," the old judge cautioned.


    "Don''t worry, Your Honor, His Majesty the King has a ten percent stake in this project, you, the Prime Minister, everyone... also gets to share ten percent," the man explained with practiced ease.


    "You''re already offering out twenty percent of the profits for sharing before construction has even started?" After pondering for a few seconds and looking expectantly at the other party, the old judge inquired, "What do you think, how much can you make from horse racing?"


    "I''m not entirely sure about the specifics, but... your share of the profits, a year... might be about a thousand Gold Coins," the company representative replied with a smile, "If everything goes smoothly, maybe in the future, just from this income, you could afford to let your sons live a carefree life."


    "...I''ll get him to move out as quickly as possible." After doing some quick calculations and estimating his sons'' spending habits, grasping the meaning of living carefree, the old judge fell silent for a moment, then said.

 Chapter 221: 217 Telegraph Office

    A group of people rushed into a local inn, slammed money on the counter, and exclaimed despondently, "Innkeeper! Prepare a few rooms for us."


    "Certainly! Guests!" The so-called customer service manager naturally flashed a smile upon seeing the money, hurried to speak: "Please follow me, our guest rooms here can be said to be the best in the entire city."


    To be honest, the conditions here were quite acceptable, definitely considered a decent inn. Only they did not yet know that there was a huge building called Silver Fox Hotel in the area.


    Compared to the previous inn, other inns of this kind seemed somewhat inferior. But these people were clearly not here for enjoyment, they simply needed to rest, because they still had to hurry to another place. Find exclusive chapters on m-vl-em-py-r


    "How many days will it take from here to Brunas?" An elf leading the group asked as they followed the inn''s receptionist up the stairs.


    "Oh, from here to Brunas, it will take roughly 20 days," the receptionist, who appeared to be about 50 years old, responded as he recalled.


    "I mean at a gallop, not carrying goods," the leading elf reminded him.


    The man quickly corrected his estimate: "In that case, sir, you will need about 6 days to reach Northern Ridge, and then another 2 days to arrive at Brunas."


    "It still takes that long?" The leading elf clearly seemed somewhat dissatisfied, continuing to ask, "Is there a faster way?"


    "A faster way? There is one. I heard that from Ice Crystal City in Northern Ridge you can transfer to an automobile, and from there to Brunas, it will take roughly a whole day to arrive," the old man answered seriously.


    However, his answer was somewhat incomprehensible to them: they did not understand what an automobile was, so they also did not know what he was actually saying.


    Nevertheless, they soon heard the old receptionist who was leading them upstairs continue to speak: "However, if you''re just delivering a message, there might be an even better option."


    "Ah?" The leading elf curiously stared at the man''s back, asking, "Old sir, what exactly is the option you''re talking about?"


    "It''s like this, we''ve recently set up a telegraph office here. If you want to send a message to someone in Brunas, you just need to spend some money at the telegraph office to send a telegram, and they will receive the message very quickly."


    "Very quickly?" An elf with a sword at his waist asked in puzzlement.


    "Yes, very quickly. A few seconds later, Brunas will have received the message," the old receptionist stopped in his tracks, turned to look at the young attendant, and said.


    "That fast?" This time, the leading elf was taken aback. He had never heard of automobiles or telegraphs, but he was full of curiosity about these things.


    "Exactly, that fast, but it''s also very expensive. Sometimes, a single message can cost dozens of Gold Coins." The old man finished speaking and continued to lead these far-traveled elves to their rooms.


    He had never seen such a business method before: individual private rooms, each with a well-dressed maid standing at the door. They were graceful and referred to themselves as personal secretaries to the guests.


    They would explain in detail the modes of telegram delivery: if you had the money, you could even send a personal letter to any location with a telegram office.


    There was virtually no delay, and the telegram office offered many related services. For instance, for first-time telegram users, there was a door-to-door delivery service available.


    If one was willing to pay, they could even use the telegram to notify distant family members, delivering the message based on just a name and address.


    Moreover, the telegram office also provided a service for mailing small amounts of Gold Coins¡ªshould the recipient lack the funds to reply, a customer could cover the telegram fees on their behalf.


    In summary, the services here were very considerate, which made the elves present feel somewhat ill at ease. After hearing the usage rules, the envoy felt an impulse to send a telegram to Tang Mo.


    So, he asked the girl standing before him with a smile, yet sprinkled with freckles, "That... if I want to send a telegram to Mr. Tang Mo of the Great Tang Group in Brunas, can I?"


    "Certainly. However, we do not guarantee that Mr. Tang Mo will respond to your telegram, nor that he will even choose to read it," said the freckled, yet cute girl gently.


    The Poplar Kingdom envoy verified once more, "Are you certain... that Mr. Tang Mo will receive my telegram?"


    "If you are referring to the founder of the Great Tang Group, the esteemed Mr. Tang Mo from Leite Kingdom, then yes, the telegram will indeed be delivered to him directly. However, we cannot guarantee that he will read it or that he will definitely reply," the girl continued to explain methodically.


    The elf thought for a moment and then said, "In that case, please help me draft a telegram."


    "As you wish, you may begin now. I have undergone specialized training, but you''ll need to speak more slowly for me to take notes," the girl sat down at the table, spread out a piece of paper, and took up a pen.


    "Respected Mr. Tang Mo, I am Viscount Fitteral, an envoy from Poplar Kingdom, representing King Poplar the Eleventh to come..."


    "Um, my lord, I apologize for interrupting, but... I still need to remind you to be sure, because each word sent from here costs one Gold Coin," the girl softly interrupted the elf to kindly remind him, "and the delivery charge is also quite expensive."


    "..." The elves fell silent, realizing that writing a long letter was indeed... too costly.


    "Perhaps we should forgo introducing ourselves... it''s too expensive." For the first time, Viscount Fitteral lamented his own name, wondering why his father hadn''t given him a shorter name like "Qin" or "Qiao."


    Finally, the leading elf had a burst of inspiration and looked at the girl who was waiting for them, "Um, Miss, it is our first time using the telegram service, would you mind helping us draft a telegram... if you please?"


    "Not at all. This is part of my job, just briefly state the purpose of the telegram..." the girl''s smile became even brighter.

 Chapter 222: 218 communications field of nuclear bomb

    ```


    "This is too expensive, one word for 1 Gold Coin," in the lounge, an Elf paced back and forth, excitedly. It was the first time he realized how easily Gold Coins could be earned.


    Just now, they had sent a letter to Brunas, and including punctuation, they had spent a total of 48 Gold Coins. Along with a 50 Gold Coin service fee for delivering the message and a 2 Gold Coin personnel fee, they had just spent a full 100 Gold Coins!


    It really was a very neat number... The normal cost wouldn''t be so expensive, except that their intended recipient was a bit special.


    The telegram sent to Tang Mo was charged at the original price, but sending a telegram was clearly not an easy task. Finally, the post office charged 50 Gold Coins for it, a price meant to deter wealthy lunatics who had nothing better to do than to send a couple of telegrams to tease Tang Mo for fun.


    "If this message could reach Tang Mo''s hands 7 days earlier, then this money would be well worth it," Viscount Fitteral, leading the group with arms crossed, rubbed his palms together as he spoke.


    He knew that the Poplar Kingdom could not afford any delays; being able to summon their warships back earlier justified the extra cost of 100 Gold Coins.


    While they were pained over the 100 Gold Coins, he reluctantly continued with a question that came out of nowhere, "And have you all considered this?"


    "Hm?" The ambassador heading southward, also representing the interests of the Augustin Clan, along with two Guards, all voiced their confusion.


    The lead envoy continued, "He has technology... technology that can send words one wants to convey far, far away! It is this technology... that is truly terrifying!"


    "Yes..." The envoy startled and then, as if a lightbulb went off, nodded in assent to the other''s words. Compared to the Ironclad Warships that forced their march southward, the communication device they were witnessing here was truly the game-changer!


    Compared to the super warships that allowed the Elves to dominate the seven seas, compared to modern firearms that let Elf Troops sweep across the world, the current telegraph machine was the truly enticing equipment!


    In ancient kingdoms, the speed of information and intelligence transfer limited all monarchs'' ability to effectively control their lands.


    The larger a country''s territory, the poorer the King''s control over the borderlands; thus, ancient Empires'' maps were constrained.


    The limitations in message transmission speed meant that the ruling class received very outdated intelligence and thus could not effortlessly issue their orders and mobilize forces away from the core areas.


    However, this difficulty, Tang Mo had unknowingly resolved! Tang Mo''s railways made the connection between regions and King City much tighter; Tang Mo''s steamboats made maritime traffic more convenient; Tang Mo''s telegraphy enabled faster and more efficient order transmission.


    With these innovations, a nation''s control over its territory became unprecedentedly strong, and the birth of an Empire was now a possibility.


    This was more important than guns and artillery! Because if the guns are strong, a ruler''s control over local military is actually weakened.


    Only with improved communication and convenient transportation can a ruler more strongly control the local regions and military, which in turn sharpens their ambition for expansion.


    Describing the telegraph''s invention as a communication atomic bomb is not an exaggeration, and a phone system that enables real-time communication is like detonating a hydrogen bomb in the field of communication technology.


    With the later emergence of the internet and quantum communication technologies, they became the next-generation''s superweapon, akin to an information world''s dyson sphere...


    But if one were to delve deeper, this debt was the opportunity for the rise of the Augustin Clan. So, essentially, the debt was the "early development funds" by which the Augustin Clan took advantage of Great Tang Group.


    Therefore, Fitteral sighed dejectedly and said, "Now, in just a year''s time, they might ask us for 200,000 Gold Coins, or even more..."


    The debt incurred by Augustine in those days now had to be repaid by the entire Poplar Kingdom, which was an act of helplessness in itself.


    There was no choice, given that when John of the Augustin Family brought back the plans for the breech-loading rifle and the steam engine, the whole Poplar Kingdom benefited from it.


    Thus, the Deputy Envoy had no choice but to emphasize the contributions of Augustin, "Besides, we now have the money to pay back, don''t we? As long as he agrees to withdraw his warships and sell us this...what do you call it, the telegraph machine..."


    Special Envoy Fitteral looked worried, "It doesn''t seem that easy, they appear to be running the telegraph machine themselves..."


    "Yes, if we had such technology, we would certainly run it ourselves as well." The Deputy Envoy also felt the issue was quite troublesome.


    Fitteral seemed somewhat capable as he quickly spotted a drawback, "But if we entrust them with all our information for transmission, then what secrets would we have left from them?"


    The Deputy Envoy nodded, agreeing with the sentiment, "...You''re right."


    He too felt that such a crucial communication device for the nation should not be controlled by outsiders.


    "So, we''ll have to find a way to acquire this technology for ourselves, to operate it on our own..." Fitteral already had grand plans for this diplomatic endeavor.


    The Deputy Envoy was brimming with confidence, looking resolute, "Absolutely."


    Fitteral looked toward his deputy and asked, "So, how much do you think we should pay for this technology?"


    "50,000 Gold Coins?" The deputy was startled before cautiously responding with a question.


    Fitteral was taken aback, then scoffed and asked in return, "...50,000? They might not even agree to set up a single telegraph office in Southwater Port for 50,000 Gold Coins."


    "How much, then?" The Deputy Envoy''s understanding of the value of Gold Coins seemed to be recalibrated today. Relay a message for 100 Gold Coins, but not even 50,000 Gold Coins could hold back the purchase of equipment...


    "It seems we have to shell out several hundred thousand..." Fitteral said with a sense of frustration.


    Hearing such a large figure, the Deputy Envoy was so shocked that he started stammering, "Are, are you kidding? That much?"


    "A lot? If they agree to that price, the two of us should just quietly celebrate! Tang Mo, that name, will echo throughout the world..." Fitteral shook his head and sighed.


    -------


    I still owe everyone three more updates, which I will post later, around 12 o''clock.


    ```

 Chapter 223: 219 Paintings

    "Chin up... a little higher, thank you," a man dressed in a formal suit, holding a palette in one hand and a brush in the other, squinted as he looked at the young man standing before him and spoke respectfully.


    Tang Mo slightly raised his head, maintaining that proud posture, as if looking down upon all living beings. One hand was in his pocket, the other on his waist, displaying a contemptuous air.


    He was having his first portrait painted in this world, and the artist at work was the most famous realist portrait painter from Dorne Kingdom. His works often sold for hundreds of Gold Coins each.


    The painting that the artist was most proud of was titled Samantha, an imaginary portrait of a queen from the Elf Race.


    Now, that painting hung in Tang Mo''s collection room, and Tang Mo had driven its price up to 1000 Gold Coins.


    Indeed, at an auction, the general manager of the Great Tang Entertainment Group, John, under Tang Mo''s orders, and with the help of some "plants," bid the painting up to an unimaginatively high and shocking price. Exclusive tales from m v lem|p-yr


    Now, the artist who had created the world''s most expensive painting had his first task: to paint a portrait of Tang Mo.


    The depiction of Tang Mo in the painting was very lifelike, and there was even a bit of beautification involved¡ªthough Tang Mo was already very handsome, he now looked even more brilliant.


    "Master." Li''ao held a telegram in his hand, pushed open the room''s door, and, paying no mind to the painter, went straight to Tang Mo, reporting, "A telegram from Xidos."


    "Hmm?" Tang Mo did not change his pose, using only his voice to express his curiosity.


    Xidos had just set up its telegraph service, and in that area, Great Tang Group had few serious businesses outside of brothels, gambling houses, and taverns. Normally, one would not expect anyone there to send a telegram.


    Moreover, Li''ao had personally delivered the telegram, which made it seem like an extremely important piece of intelligence.


    Li''ao directly explained, "The message is from Poplar Kingdom, and it is addressed to you, Master."


    "For me?" Tang Mo was momentarily startled, then he signaled to the painter to pause his work and turned to Li''ao, commanding, "They spent 50 Gold Coins for the delivery?"


    "Yes!" Li''ao replied with an odd expression.


    When Tang Mo had initially set that fee, he had no intention of anyone actually sending him telegrams. He priced it exorbitantly to deter people from idly troubling him with telegrams after having had their fill.


    Now, the telegraph system had not been operating long, yet many had already paid handsomely to send telegrams to Tang Mo.


    These people included, but were not limited to, His Majesty the King of Leite Kingdom, the grand nobility in the southern part of the Kingdom, the ministers of Dorne Kingdom, the Prime Minister of Suthers Kingdom... and of course, the one who sent the most was a certain Lady Earl from Northern Ridge.


    She treated the telegram service as if it were WeChat¡ªsuch caprice. But after all, her telegrams were free, and not all telegrams were presented to Tang Mo.


    After all, Tang Mo now had many affairs to deal with, and he certainly did not have the time to exchange messages with a girl.


    Tang Mo reached out, and Li''ao handed over the telegram, which Tang Mo began to read. At the same time, Li''ao turned to the renowned painter standing before the canvas. Feeling Li''ao''s gaze, the painter immediately bowed subtly in acknowledgment and then bowed out of the room.


    This was the price he paid for becoming the most valuable painter in the world; after all, he had the power to choose, and he had chosen his current path.


    Of course, no one knows whether the young man who led the tax reform in the Suthers Kingdom was a graduate from the Tang Military Academy, but rumors say he comes from the Leite Kingdom, and it''s highly likely he''s a graduate from the academy.


    On the other hand, he also outputs culture and art frantically. In the future, these will be the sharpest, most terrifying, and most formidable weapons, capable of destroying the enemy without bloodshed and completely occupying those invisible territories.


    "I understand! Then I will take my leave." Seeing that Tang Mo didn''t intend to dwell on the telegrams sent by the envoys from the Poplar Kingdom, Li''ao prepared to exit the room.


    "Send a telegram to Brunas 2 and 3, tell them to return to base," Tang Mo looked at Li''ao and continued to issue the command.


    After pondering for a moment, Li''ao asked a question, "So, is the action against the Poplar Kingdom..."


    "Only on hold," Tang Mo clarified directly, "After all, they have almost depleted their supplies, so send Brunas 4 and 5 to Southwater to take over the tasks from 2 and 3."


    "Understood! Your instructions are clear!" Li''ao, having grasped Tang Mo''s intent, bowed slightly and then turned to head towards the door.


    Tang Mo meant to give a respite to the Southwater Port of Poplar Kingdom''s special envoy during the transition of the ships, to save the envoy''s face a bit.


    He was only interested in money and had no intention of completely annihilating the Poplar Kingdom, so there was no need to be thoroughly ruthless.


    As long as they realized the gap in weaponry and paid their debt of 14 million Gold Coins honestly, everything else would be easy to settle, right?


    "Painting is art! Do you understand art? Photography is merely capturing images," Tang Mo felt that elevating photography to the artistic heights of painting was not an easy feat. He was now making up for his lack of noble heritage; how could he not have a portrait of himself at home?


    Though he didn''t plan to be as cliche as those so-called gentlemen and nobles, there were still things he truly liked. For instance, fine wine, paintings, yachts, and luxury cars.


    After all, he wasn''t averse to things from his past life in the West; he just despised those spiteful and arrogant peers from the West.


    "I don''t understand art." Wes snorted disdainfully, with a look of contempt.


    Tang Mo burst into hearty laughter: "Neither do I."


    Once he finished laughing, he gave instructions to Wes, "Invite the master in! I still have time; let him continue painting for a while."


    "Oh, by the way," as Wes was halfway out, Tang Mo seemed to remember something and asked, "How''s your driving practice going?"


    "No problem at all, I''m very talented," Wes boasted, "I really like your... what''s it called?"


    "Rolls-Royce!" Tang Mo, unwilling to bother with naming, directly applied the name of a famous car from his past life to his own vehicle, calling it Rolls-Royce.


    "Rolls-Royce! That''s right! Rolls-Royce! I really like that car! It''s big, and it looks so cool to drive!" Wes laughed as he mimicked the action of turning a steering wheel to Tang Mo.


    Then he turned back, opened the door, and gestured for the waiting painter to enter and continue his... creation.


    The painter nodded gratefully to Wes and then nervously began a new round of... artistic work.

 Chapter 224: 220 expansion chips

    In this world, there''s only one Rolls-Royce, which was handcrafted by Mathews and his team. This car''s performance outclasses all other cars of its era, as there are only two types of cars in this world right now.


    One is called Rolls-Royce, which is exclusive to Tang Mo, and the other is known as the Model T, a vehicle that many middle-class people can afford.


    The recent talk of the entire Leite Kingdom has been focused on the Model T. If a noble does not buy a Model T, it seems as though they have been left behind by the times.


    The brand-new Model T is very exquisite, and if one wishes to have it customized, then the price of a luxury Model T could skyrocket to 100 or even 150 Gold Coins.


    Just think, Baron Stela only received a benefit of 100 Gold Coins per year from the Shireck Consortium, so this sum of money is definitely not insignificant.


    Don''t be misled by the Great Tang Group''s expenditures of tens or hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins at a time; the world has not yet begun to experience inflation. Elsewhere, the purchasing power of a single Gold Coin remains quite astonishing.


    In the past six months, the Great Tang Group has been largely engaging in barter, receiving much fewer Gold Coins than what has been heard.


    It''s possible that in one transaction, the Great Tang Group made a profit of 100,000 Gold Coins, but of this amount, the portion paid directly in Gold Coins might not even amount to 20,000, with most of the rest settled in hard currency.


    These hard currencies include, but are not limited to, foodstuffs, steel, copper ingots, saltpeter for gunpowder, chemical materials, and even the population itself.


    Moreover, some have come to trade with all manner of bizarre items, quite a few of which are laughable. For example, some merchants wished to settle accounts with gems, some with kerosene, and others with ships and similar products.


    Of course, in addition to these, there are also horses, cattle, sheep, pork... as well as carriages, porcelain, tea leaves... In short, it''s a hodgepodge, with a bit of everything.


    Among these traded goods, the most welcomed by Brunas is the population! Tang Mo needs a large population to support his industrialization, specifically a useful workforce.


    Thus, other merchants also know Tang Mo''s needs and try to send as many freemen as possible to Brunas.


    They describe Brunas as a city of gold, where anyone arriving can earn a large number of Gold Coins. Those gold prospectors in foreign lands simply cannot resist the temptation and end up being sent to Brunas in large numbers.


    This is also why the population of Brunas was able to reach nearly one million in such a short time, and its growth has left the surrounding areas barren.


    The siphon effect has turned Brunas into a gigantic leech, absorbing all the surrounding population into itself and turning once thriving villages into desolate ruins.


    If it weren''t for Tang Mo''s arrangements, the chaos in the surrounding areas would have long since enraged the upper echelons of the Leite Kingdom. It was Tang Mo who pacified the local people and raised the local food purchase prices, which caused some locals to give up the absurd idea of going to Brunas to strike it rich.


    The market economy is not a panacea; it often has its own limitations and lagging effects.


    Relying solely on market self-regulation can easily lead to serious problems, and the emergence of these problems is often a delayed, inevitable outcome, not allowing the rulers to respond in time.


    Conversely, a planned economy can actually be very advanced and stable in certain specific situations. But it has many issues as well, and a lot of them can''t be improved.


    The painter stood there, petrified, his heart filled with that smile, the young man''s smile like a spring breeze, enveloping his entire being.


    Suddenly, he felt that the portrait in front of him was not perfect, and the painting he had outlined with all his skill and effort might not represent the pinnacle of his artistry.


    He stood there motionless for a long time.


    Then, he reached out his hand, dipped his fingernail into the pigment on his palette as if pouring out all his life''s work, and gently added a short stroke to the corner of Tang Mo''s painted mouth.


    In a moment, the painting seemed to come to life, Tang Mo stood there, disregarding everything, overlooking everything, mocking everything...


    The painter did not yet know that with this divine stroke, he had created the greatest painting in the world: "God''s Smile."


    Years later, that painting remains recognized as the foremost portrait in the world, and no other artist, including himself, had ever managed to surpass that portrait.


    Tang Mo was unaware that his portrait had been altered at that very moment; he walked with Wes through the corridor to the reception room.


    When the attendant helped him open the door, all the men wearing the black Brunas suits inside stood up and nodded slightly in respect to Tang Mo.


    "Welcome to Brunas," Tang Mo greeted with a smile and then walked straight to the liquor cabinet, took out a bottle of "Dorne 171," and shook it, "Who wants a drink?"


    Without waiting for the envoys from Dorne to speak, he ordered, "Wes, pour everyone a glass."


    He handed the bottle to Wes and then walked over to his host''s sofa and sat down with a plop, "I hear you''ve resolved to expand south?


    "Yes, my lord! His Majesty hopes that you and the Leite Kingdom can support our Dorne in obtaining a southern seaport..." the leading envoy from Dorne did not sit down but stood there speaking to Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo stretched out his hand and pressed down, signaling for the others to relax. Once everyone sat back down on the sofa, he spoke, "The world has its limits, and Dorne''s expansion is already causing unease."


    "Actually, the southern kingdoms are loyal to the Shireck Consortium, and they are also your enemies, my lord. Our annexation of them would extend your influence to those territories," the Dorne envoy immediately explained on behalf of his country.


    "Let''s talk specifics, we''re all adults here. It''s rather dull to use tactics meant for fooling children," Tang Mo took the glass from Wes''s hand and spoke while looking at the others.


    "Hotwind Port." The envoy from Dorne fell silent for a few seconds, then lifted his head to meet Tang Mo''s gaze, offering Dorne''s conditions, "It''s yours."


    "Additionally, we will consider extraterritorial rights for the Great Tang Group in Dorne. Your people will be protected by legal rights, and in case of crimes, they could only be extradited back to Brunas or Dragon Island for trial, how about that?" Seeing Tang Mo remain silent, the envoy continued.


    "I will consider it." Tang Mo put down the glass, didn''t even take a sip of the drink, and headed towards the door.

 Chapter 225: 221 doesnt like to be late

    Sometimes, power is just that simple, when someone plans to give you a city, and your heart remains undisturbed, just calmly promising to consider it¡ªthat is power.


    Tang Mo stepped out of the reception room and into his small office, where he saw Li''ao and several confidants waiting for him.


    Tang Mo briefly told them about the Dorne envoy''s offer, then saw the astonishment on their faces.


    He knew his subordinates were drooling over the port called Hotwind Port, but he also knew that further expansion now wasn''t good for the Great Tang Group itself.


    In fact, he had already lowered many standards due to rapid expansion, and being eager to expand their influence further wasn''t a good thing.


    So he began to explain, "Don''t think it''s such a good thing. Dorne is too hasty in expanding. They haven''t firmly secured the territories they have already swallowed up."


    "Unstable public sentiment, the vast territory, it will lead to backlash. Especially with Shireck¨Dif they instigate rebellion in Dorne, things will get very complicated," Tang Mo said, sitting in his chair, staring at the huge map hanging on the wall in front of him.


    "Then, what if we just take it over and not rush to develop it?" Li''ao thought for a moment, came up with an idea, and asked Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo nodded and said to him, "That''s also why I''m considering it instead of rejecting it outright. Dorne''s expansion is risky, but taking Hotwind Port is actually not a problem for us at all."


    "We just need to send a few people there, honestly and gradually develop it. After all, it doesn''t need to become another Brunas, so it won''t involve too much of our energy." As he spoke, he instructed Li''ao, "Bring over Hotwind Port''s information, let''s look at the situation there before making a decision."


    The allure of a port is indeed great. Dorne''s offer to cede Hotwind Port to the Great Tang Group actually includes many aspects.


    This includes stationing Great Tang Group''s troops in Hotwind Port, setting up administrative institutions, and establishing a complete customs tariff system. In other words, Dorne is recognizing Hotwind Port as a city-state within a nation, enjoying equal treatment from another country.


    "Also, find 20 dandelions and send them to Dorne! Capture the essentials as much as possible; we don''t want Dorne to make any major blunders..." After some thought, Tang Mo added another command.


    Luff laughed and teased, "They''re really getting a blessing in disguise. You know, so many people in other countries are waiting for our trainees, and they''re getting 20 without lifting a finger."


    "We''re not giving it to them for nothing!" Tang Mo also smiled and said, "That''s it for today. I''ll leave tomorrow''s negotiations to you, Li''ao. I want all the land within a 20-kilometer radius around Hotwind Port! Plus extraterritorial rights and two baron titles; that''s not too much, right?"


    "Nobility titles?" Li''ao was taken aback and asked subconsciously, not knowing what Tang Mo was fussing about nobility titles at this time.


    "This is for you and Wes. After all, one is my intelligence director, and the other is my personal guard. It''s not too much to confer a baron title, is it?" Tang Mo explained.


    Wes was stunned; he had never imagined that he, a Ranger from Northern Ridge, could one day receive a baron title.


    In theory, although he was just Tang Mo''s driver and bodyguard, he was already a noble.


    Li''ao was also stunned in place because he, as a criminal, had never thought that one day, in a foreign land, he would receive a noble title.


    When they witnessed the trains, they were completely conquered by the power of technology. Before their eyes unfolded the great future ushered in by technological progress.


    When the elves awoke on the train to find themselves nearing Brunas, everyone sensed the immense pressure weighing on their shoulders.


    Owing such a formidable power 100,000 Gold Coins was anything but desirable. If the other party were to hold a grudge against Poplar Kingdom, the loss would outweigh the gain.


    The entire city filled Fitteral with an inexplicable urge to worship. He looked up at the giant hot air balloon floating outside the train station, at a loss for words.


    What brought him even more overwhelming pressure was the pace at which the entire city operated. No one here was not in a hurry; the streets were filled with either horse-drawn carriages or whizzing automobiles. Compared to here, the King City of the Poplar Kingdom seemed as tranquil as a retirement home.


    As Fitteral walked along the bustling streets, he felt an almost surreal sensation. The towering buildings and the frighteningly bright neon lights made him feel like a country bumpkin.


    There were even more chimneys than in Southwater Port, stretching out like a forest into the far horizon beyond his sight.


    Entertainment venues, more resplendent than the Imperial Palace, lined the streets, where scantily clad girls shamelessly flirted, offering anyone with money the chance to find their "true love".


    Nobles dressed in decent Brunas suits drove ornately decorated T-model cars with their partners, flaunting their status as the car horns punctuated the city''s hubbub.


    Everywhere the elves encountered wonders they had never seen before, groundbreaking achievements that overturned their cognition, and marvels that challenged their decades of life experience.


    The Poplar Kingdom, which had not seen a shipping fleet come to Brunas Port in over a year due to debts, seemed to have missed out on something...


    After witnessing what real prosperity looked like, these elves from afar had no doubt that the city before them was the largest metropolis in the world.


    Moreover, when a few horse-drawn carriages really came to the station to pick them up and gave them a tour of Brunas, they harbored no doubts about the telegram they replied to back in Xidos.


    It testified that Brunas truly had a means of long-distance communication with Xidos, which meant they had indeed provoked someone they shouldn''t have messed with.


    "Gentlemen, as the consortium''s executives are quite busy, I will arrange for you all to stay at Brunas'' Great Tang Hotel today. Tomorrow, the consortium''s manager Harry will meet with you at nine in the morning," said the man responsible for reception, smiling in the carriage as he informed Envoy Fitteral about the schedule for the next day.


    The other party made no inquiries about the convenience of the elves, directly arranging the entire schedule.


    Clearly, this arrangement was not subject to change, for he didn''t ask for any opinions from the elf side.


    On the contrary, after making arrangements for the next day, the man charged with reception said, "Mr. Harry detests people being late, so everyone must be sure to leave on time tomorrow, as the carriages will not wait."


    --------


    Two updates for today, more to come tomorrow.

 Chapter 226: 222 beautiful rooms

    Before today, there seemed to be no madman who would dare to instruct an envoy from another country at a diplomatic occasion, saying they do not like others to be late.


    However, a few envoys from the Poplar Kingdom really did, after being overwhelmed by technology all along the way, subconsciously nod their heads as if it were only natural.


    When they, like country bumpkins who had never seen the world, were escorted to their rooms by a waiter who seemed more like a noble than they were, they were completely overpowered by this modern shockwave.


    "This thing is called an electric light! You just turn on this switch, and the whole room will light up! Yes, you can try it." The waiter seemed to have not instructed a hotel guest on how to use an electric light for a long time, because many people who come to Brunas are already familiar with it.


    In this place that seems to belong to another world altogether, everyone has grown accustomed to the light. No one remembers any longer the oppressive nights spent under the gas lamps.


    The light here comes too easily, as if the gods of light themselves reside here. When the third elf tried the switch, they finally realized from the waiter''s disdainful look that they were doing something incredibly stupid.


    "Uh... I apologize... My apologies, indeed." Fitteral apologistically said to the waiter with some timidity.


    For the first time, he truly showed such a humble attitude towards a servant. It was not because he was well-mannered, but because he had shown fear first...


    In his eyes, this experienced waiter was far more formidable than any of his highfalutin friends.


    For example, now, after politely suggesting they not worry about it, he introduced them to the ceiling fan above and explained in detail how to use it.


    This thing was definitely a rarity; nowhere else could it be found. When it started spinning, the elves who had come from afar were stunned.


    They had never seen such advanced technology and even suspected that it could fall while spinning, becoming a terrifying weapon.


    "If you need anything, you can press this switch to call for us; if there''s nothing else, I shall take my leave." The waiter bowed slightly, with utmost respect and satisfaction in his performance.


    When the door closed, all the elves finally relaxed, completely unaware that a hotel could be this luxurious.


    The sofas here seemed much more upscale than those they had seen elsewhere, and the nobility guests they saw in the corridors could easily be considered the most respectable people they had ever encountered.


    Treatment worthy of a king, they excitedly thought, then naturally began discussing strategies for the next day.


    "Shall we try to keep the repayable Gold Coins within... within 200,000?" The deputy envoy tentatively started to suggest.


    "200,000 Gold Coins? You must be joking; if we could reduce it to within 300,000 Gold Coins, that would consider us having an advantage." Fitteral said with a face full of dismay.


    If the other party truly operated at this level, then their previous judgments seemed to have all been incorrect.


    The other party was not concerned about those 100,000 Gold Coins; they were likely ready to use that sum as an excuse to escalate the war for greater benefits.


    "Fine, let''s have them run around like headless chickens," Harry nodded. "No need for further courtesies! I''m the junior here."


    "It''s only proper to see you out, after all, this is my turf," the bartender insisted on walking Harry to the door and watched him get into the car before turning to leave.


    Upon returning to the hotel lobby, he said to his entourage, "If they are willing, let them have a look at the casino... They can borrow as much as they want, it doesn''t matter."


    "Understood," his subordinate nodded slightly, a smile spreading across his face.


    ...


    "I... just saw a place over there bright with lights..." As night fell, an Elf finally grew restless and bored, stood up, and looked at his companions, "Shall we? Go for a walk?"


    The night here was simply too beautiful, with neon lights everywhere, the colorful illumination enlivening the entire night, the air thick with the scent of temptation.


    To be frank, none of the people here had ever witnessed such a dazzling night. They had never experienced such an enticing night either.


    "Perhaps... we should go out... for a walk?" The deputy envoy was also tempted, curious about how wonderful the night could truly be.


    "You all go ahead. I need to organize my thoughts since we have important negotiations tomorrow," Sir Fitteral, the head of the delegation, gestured with his hand, indicating he preferred not to go.


    He needed to save his energy for the negotiations the following day. As a special envoy, he had to set a good example and attend to serious matters first.


    Hearing his words, the deputy envoy had no choice but to suppress his restlessness and settled back into his seat. "Never mind, you go ahead! See what the excitement is about, and after the negotiations, Sir Fitteral and I will join you for a look."


    "Yes! We understand!" Several Guards and staff members immediately perked up and left the room, leaving behind two unfortunate souls to stay and ensure the safety of the envoys.


    Soon, these Elves from the wandering delegation met their new friends on the streets and together they headed to the casino.


    After that... they discovered the games here were completely different from what they were used to, and utterly entertaining.


    They took out Gold Coin to exchange for chips and then bet wildly. The lucky ones won seven times in a row, and their pockets fattened with more than double the Gold Coin they started with!


    Caught up in the excitement, the Elves continued to ride their winning streak. In less than an hour, they had gambled away their gold watches, necklaces, and rings.


    Then, as if possessed, they borrowed 200 Gold Coin, which also vanished on the casino tables.


    By the time these Elves came to their senses, each of them owed an average of about 70 Gold Coin in debt... which was no small sum.


    The casino staff were very polite, allowing them to leave after confirming their delegation member status. But the Elves were very uneasy as they knew soon the special envoys would find out about their debts...


    After all, the casino was in the business to make money, and their security staff was very experienced in debt collection...

 Chapter 227: 223 overwhelming negotiation power

    "I''m really anxious. I''m both a participant in this matter and a concerned party. In truth, I really hope that I could help my former homeland resolve such an issue," John said awkwardly as he stood in the room.


    "This matter no longer has anything to do with you. The debt we''re seeking was originally ours, things that should have been obtained within a year! These were stolen from us by the Augustin Clan, so they must be coughed up," Harry, waiting for the envoy delegation, consoled John by patting his shoulder.


    "I understand all that. It''s just that I... am not feeling too well," John said as he took out a handkerchief to wipe his handsome face.


    "My lord, the envoy delegation from the Poplar Kingdom has arrived," a subordinate announced, pushing open the door to inform Harry and John who were waiting there.


    The carriage meant to receive the envoys stopped in front of the Brunas City Hall, and then a group of people was brought to the meeting room and waited in the resplendent chamber.


    They didn''t have to wait long before Harry, accompanied by John, entered the meeting room and commenced the negotiations.


    The entrance of an Elf caught everyone from the Poplar Kingdom off guard. The deputy envoy recognized John but before he could speak up, Fitteral Viscount introduced himself, "Hello, I am the special envoy representing the Poplar Kingdom for this negotiation... Fitteral Viscount... "


    "Hello, I''m the manager for the Great Tang Group, representing Mr. Tang Mo personally. You can call me Mr. Harry," said the young Harry without a hint of stage fright, even appearing quite at ease.


    After all, he had almost everything about the other party in his hands and was actually in complete control of the negotiations without a need to be nervous.


    Then, he stretched out his hand to introduce the Elf beside him, "This is Mr. Augustine John, the general manager of our Great Tang Group''s entertainment division."


    "Hello! Mr. John," the deputy envoy hurried forward and greeted him, "Your father misses you very much... "


    "..." John did not speak. It had been a long time since he last saw such an enthusiastic fellow countryman, nor did anyone dare to be so presumptuous in his presence...


    Fitteral glanced at the two, then over at the other clerks and guards. Not finding the target he was searching for, he asked, "Mr. Tang Mo... why didn''t he come himself?"


    Harry casually replied, "He''s been busy and doesn''t have time to deal with minor matters like this."


    In fact, Tang Mo had indeed been busy lately as he had become enthralled with cooking. Having barely experienced fine dining in his past life, he had recently decided to establish a reputation as a gourmet.


    Of course, he had not given up on his dream of becoming an arms dealer. The Great Tang Group was currently developing a whole new range of weapons, mostly smoothbore guns.


    After all, modern artillery was far more advanced than smoothbore guns, and he had to accumulate enough technology to stay ahead of everyone else.


    Fitteral decided to reclaim the upper hand, so he emphasized, "But I am the special envoy representing the Poplar Kingdom! I speak for a nation!"


    "I know. So what, a nation is impressive?" Harry retorted with indifference.


    Fitteral feigned displeasure, hoping to regain the initiative in the negotiation, and challenged, "Mr. Harry, such words are, after all, quite..."


    "..." His directness once again rendered the other party speechless.


    "Alright, I did not mean to mock you gentlemen, I just couldn''t help it. Now, let''s get the conversation back on track," said Harry, deciding that he had applied enough pressure and thus, he put away his smile.


    He paused for a moment and then couldn''t resist adding sarcastically about why he had dispatched the warships: "To be honest, our warships were merely sent to collect a debt. You must already know this. Augustine Reibert of the Augustin Family owes us a substantial amount of money.


    Since he has been defaulting on the debt, we had no choice but to dispatch warships, to remind him and to make him remember that there are still things like human decency, credibility, honor, and shame."


    "I warn you..." Upon hearing the ridicule towards the Augustin Family and Marquis Augustine Reibert, the deputy envoy representing the noble powers could no longer sit still. He pointed his finger, ready to take a jab at the other''s arrogance.


    But before he could finish, Harry interrupted with, "You''re warning me?"


    This young manager representing the Great Tang Group had eyes filled with a chilling light at this moment, like a wild beast.


    The atmosphere in the room suddenly became eerie, the temperature seemed to have dropped significantly, and the deputy envoy even felt the cold.


    He swallowed hard, wanting to repeat his threat, but found that the words, familiar in any other circumstance, were difficult to voice: "I... warn..."


    "I... warn you...! If you say another sentence that irritates me, I''ll cut off your hand, got it?" Harry drew out the word "I" very long, as well as the word "you," his tone filled with iciness.


    Seeing that the deputy envoy no longer dared to speak, Harry turned his attention back to Fitteral: "Alright, the annoying noise is finally over, Mr. Special Envoy Fitteral, I truly regret that your nation has produced so much trash."


    "Sir, anger and war won''t solve any problems. We truly come for peace, the hope is that you will recall your warships..." Fitteral, also dissatisfied with his loose-tongued deputy, was happy to find the discussion returning to stable ground.


    Harry interrupted him, glossing over the warship issue and finally touching on the matter of money: "Shh! Before we get back to the warships, let''s first talk about repaying the debt. If you plan to default, the warships will continue to patrol outside your port, that''s the reality you need to understand..."


    Fitteral also felt a sense of relief, almost thankful that the topic had normalized. He even forgave Harry for rudely interrupting him because of this.


    Only to hear him explain, "We are here to repay the money actually. Poplar Kingdom values its reputation highly, the debt was simply a small misunderstanding."


    "Oh? What misunderstanding? Would you care to elaborate?" Harry asked curiously.


    "..." Fitteral wanted to curse, his mention of a misunderstanding was just a face-saving excuse, a mere politeness. Who knew what misunderstanding they were referring to; where was there any misunderstanding? Weren''t such polite remarks usually ignored?


    However, what was even more infuriating for him happened shortly after when Harry, having left Fitteral speechless, continued by himself: "Never mind, it must be tiring for you to make up stories, and I don''t have time to listen. Since you''re prepared to repay the debt, let''s calculate how much you owe, including interest."


    -------


    More updates to follow later, probably around 1 a.m. No need to wait up, folks. You can read it in the morning.

 Chapter 228: 224 not familiar

    Fitteral, who did not plan on letting Harry speak the amount first, decided to make clear his bottom line. He believed that doing so would minimize the losses.


    Thus, he feigned generosity as he said, "No need to calculate, we plan to repay you 200,000 Gold Coins, both principal and interest included. That already shows great sincerity. 100,000 Gold Coins from a year ago, and now after one year, we have doubled the repayment..."


    "How much?" This time, it was Harry who was shocked.


    He was genuinely astonished by the Elves'' shameless attitude; they really intended to settle the debt by simply calculating some interest...


    It had to be understood that the money from a year ago was extremely important for the Great Tang Group. The significance of it could not be compared to today''s 200,000 Gold Coins.


    Back then was when the Great Tang Group urgently needed funds and materials; one Gold Coin at that time was worth more than a hundred Gold Coins now!


    That was why Tang Mo had such a figure of 14 million Gold Coins¡ªthis was a "fair" number derived from precise calculations!


    Yet, the other party shamelessly defined the value of the 100,000 Gold Coin debt as the 100,000 Gold Coins themselves, without considering its negative impact on the development of the Great Tang Group.


    After all, how could owing Jack Ma 100,000 in 1988 and in 2018 possibly be the same concept?


    Unwilling to recognize certain truths, Fitteral insisted with a pretense, "200,000 Gold Coins. This is already higher than the steepest interest, we are truly sincere."


    "Hahaha!" Harry couldn''t help but laugh out loud.


    "May I know, Mr. Harry, what is so funny?" Knowing that his claim would definitely be challenged, Fitteral braced himself and asked.


    In fact, he had estimated the previous night that their offer of 200,000 Gold Coins would likely not be accepted.


    However, in his opinion, at most the other party would ask for 300,000 or 500,000 Gold Coins.


    Unable to help it, poverty really limited his imagination. He had never truly seen 500,000 Gold Coins in his life, so naturally, his mind could not conceive a figure beyond that amount.


    After having his laugh, Harry looked at the other party with a grim expression, "I''m laughing at whether you have any idea how much the interest on this debt actually amounts to."


    "Then... Mr. Harry, what do you think the amount should be?" Knowing he couldn''t escape the situation, Fitteral could only continue to ask.


    "It''s not what I think, but how much this money could have turned into after one year at our Great Tang Group! Mr. Fitteral... in fact, in the past year, 100,000 Gold Coins could have generated a profit of... 14 million Gold Coins for us." After saying this, Harry directly stated an astonishing number, "Hence, the debt you should repay is over 14 million! Mr.


    Tang Mo is extremely merciful; he''s decided to ignore the fraction and is only asking you for 14 million Gold Coins!"


    "How much?" The same expression now appeared on Fitteral''s face. He truly did not expect the other party to demand 14 million Gold Coins right off the bat!


    "All it would take is our will, and the Leite Kingdom could soon declare war on the Poplar Kingdom! You would become the target of public criticism, with no chance of turning the tables!" Harry concluded, throwing another bombshell.


    Fitteral did not buy this claim and immediately retorted, "The Leite Kingdom doesn''t even border us."


    Harry laughed and returned the comment, "We just need to dispatch two legions, 3,000 men with weapons ten times more advanced than yours, and we could easily take over South Water, Osa... Think about how many would kick you when you''re down! Idiot!"


    "You''re threatening us!" the deputy exclaimed, unable to restrain himself any longer.


    Harry glanced at him, "I''m just stating a fact! If you think that''s a threat, then so be it. In any case, the victor definitely won''t be the Poplar Kingdom, and you''d do well... to believe that!"


    After thinking for a moment, Fitteral decided not to yield an inch, "You''re trying to take 14 million Gold Coins from us with your threats? Impossible! I won''t back down because of your bluffing, Mr. Harry!"


    "Words are the most useless thing in this world," Harry didn''t counter, implying that what he was about to do was also part of the negotiation plan.


    Then, he slowly stood up, looking down at the two Elves from the Poplar Kingdom sitting across from him, and said, "My teacher once said something that I''ve adopted as my personal creed... ''Truth lies within the range of a cannon, dignity upon the edge of a sword.''"


    He made an inviting gesture, "So, this afternoon, I''m planning to take you on a tour to see the truth of this world, and then have you submit to that truth."


    "What do you mean?" the two Elves from the Poplar Kingdom asked in surprise.


    "It''s quite simple, right now, I''m preparing to take you on a tour of our weapons testing ground, and then to see the Warships that would attack your South Water naval port, so you can truly grasp the disparity between us and abandon any illusions," Harry replied.


    Then, he made the inviting gesture again, "Come on! Follow me!"


    "John... I am a close confidant of your father! Don''t pretend you don''t know me," the deputy said, trying his luck as they left the room, whispering intimately to John, "You need to speak up for the Poplar Kingdom, for your father!"


    He thought that Leibart had sent John to join the Tang Group precisely to deal with issues like today''s. And now, it was time for John to take action.


    "Are you joking? I am now a manager at the Great Tang Group! Don''t drag me down with you!" hearing the deputy''s words, John quickly dodged to the side as if to avoid catching a disease, even dusting off his sleeves as though the deputy was contagious, "Don''t bring me down with your death wish!"


    "What, do you two know each other?" Harry asked, turning his head back knowingly.


    "..." The deputy was at a loss for a moment about how to reply.


    "I''m not familiar with him!" John had already shaken his head.


    ----------


    I still owe you all another update! Hehe.

 Chapter 229: 225 Master Chef

    Tang Mo had recently been researching Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, a delicacy he often enjoyed in his previous life, to which he was quite attached. After all, it is a highly nourishing dish, and given his connections with many women in his previous life, Tang Mo was very conscious about health.


    Discover more content at m,v l''e-NovelFire


    However, unlike in his previous life, this world did not yet possess such luxurious ingredients, or rather, the cold chain technology to gather such an extravagant array of ingredients was nonexistent.


    Those living by the sea at Brunas had little attachment to things like scallops, as they had grown weary of eating them.


    But with Brunas''s industrial development, in the past six months, marine life near Brunas''s coast had begun to vanish completely, and the marine life in distant waters was rapidly depleting as well.


    On one hand, the problem stemmed from the natural resource depletion caused by Brunas''s growing population; after all, with more mouths to feed and little else available, people had resorted to overfishing fish and shellfish.


    On the other hand, it was due to the terrifying emissions from Tang Mo''s factories! This was heavy industrial pollution, which was barely treated before being released into the sea, inevitably affecting the ecological environment.


    Now, the seawater near the discharge pipes of Tang Mo''s factory was colored, a truly frightening sight. Therefore, Tang Mo had already ordered that Brunas''s marine products were to be banned from use.


    To appease the fishermen, he even established some food processing plants in the south of Brunas, allowing these fishermen to switch careers and become workers at these plants.


    As a result, Tang Mo, wanting to make Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, now had to use ingredients brought back from faraway places.


    Tang Mo cleaned the squid thoroughly, then placed it into a porcelain jar he had prepared earlier, secured the lid, and let the seafood''s fragrance fill the kitchen. Only then did he raise his head to look at the somewhat nervous young man before him and spoke, "Don''t be so tense. Simon told me you are an economic genius, so I entrusted this task to you.


    You haven''t disappointed me; I''ve looked at the economic model you''ve built, and it''s quite impressive."


    "But you still found 30 errors in it and then corrected them... After recalculating... it became... flawless," the young man pondered for a moment before choosing the words ''flawless.''


    It baffled him because he had heard that the young man cooking was an expert in weapon design and also a genius in mechanical engineering. Yet this young man demonstrated exceptional economic expertise far beyond this era.


    Before meeting Simon, Van Kums was called a madman. Despite his youth, he was often viewed as crazy, promoting his calculation formulas every day to the nobility and Ministers.


    The usual outcome was him being chased away and mocked¡ªthough Van Kums, born into a noble family with his father being a Viscount, had some connections in noble circles and was somewhat better off than Tang Mo in his most destitute days.


    So, even though he was labeled a madman and ridiculed by many, at least he had food to eat and didn''t live in dire straits.


    However, his fate changed after he met the newly appointed Minister of Finance, Simon.


    Simon had studied many of Tang Mo''s economic courses and immediately recognized that what this young man named Van Kums had was indeed correct.


    Van Kums was also astonished to find that the new Minister of Finance was not incompetent but a truly capable economist.


    "Quite smoothly. Following your instructions, we used denominations of 1 copper coin, 5 copper coins, 10 copper coins, 1 silver coin, 5 silver coins, 10 silver coins, 1 Gold Coin, 5 Gold Coins, 10 Gold Coins, 100 Gold Coins, and 1000 Gold Coins, with an initial total print run set at 20 million Gold Coins."


    "What about the coverage estimate?" Tang Mo picked up the metal cigarette case from the other side of the stove and skillfully pulled out a cigarette. He lit it from the flames and drew deeply.


    "Estimated coverage includes the surrounding areas of Brunas, Dragon Island, and most of Northern Ridge," Van Kums immediately responded. "Military salaries will continue to be calculated in Gold Coin to maintain stability."


    "Very thoughtful," Tang Mo nodded slightly, holding the cigarette in his mouth, squinting his eyes, and roughly calculating in his mind.


    If he used radio, Ironclad Warships, as well as howitzers and bolt-action rifles as security, and added electricity systems, automobiles, trains, and railway shares, he could almost convince the majority of regions to willingly use his currency.


    By then, just by relying on the banking system and the right to issue currency, he would be able to control the vast majority of the world''s wealth.


    It was a super privilege that many countries dreamed of having, the sickle for harvesting the world''s finances, a weapon more lethal than actual nuclear weapons!


    "Then let''s issue 20 million for starters... Once it''s stable and everyone accepts it, we''ll move on to the next step," said Tang Mo as he stood up, contemplating. "Once the first indemnity payment arrives, we can make up for the shortfall in the reserve funds."


    "Yes, Master," Van Kums agreed without any objection. He viewed Tang Mo as his lighthouse. By acknowledging Tang Mo as his mentor, he viewed Tang Mo as the idol worthy of his lifelong devotion.


    This was entirely a matter of like-minded individuals being drawn together. Such an attraction could not be achieved by other means. Just as Mathews adored Tang Mo, almost everyone around Tang Mo saw him as a partner in realizing their life goals and achieving their self-worth.


    Thus, more and more people called Tang Mo Master. Although it was embarrassing, Tang Mo still had to get used to accepting such a title.


    "Will you stay for dinner?" Tang Mo asked after they''d finished discussing serious matters.


    For someone practicing his culinary skills, having someone willing to share in the fruits of his labor was a very happy thing.


    "How could I impose..." Van Kums''s smile stiffened a bit, and he stood up to take his leave: "I''m going to start arranging for the currency printing now."


    "What a pity," Tang Mo''s mood suddenly deflated; lately, there were fewer and fewer people willing to stay and eat what he cooked.


    This might all be Auntie Cui Xi''s fault¡ªafter all, her cooking might be a bit tastier and had spoiled everyone''s palate.


    "Ah!" Watching the heartlessly departing Van Kums, Tang Mo sighed, hands clasped behind his back as he left the kitchen. On the stove, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was still simmering, and the scent of burning soon filled the air, accompanied by the crackling of the flames.


    "Did I forget to add the broth just now?" Having returned to his office, ready to draw new blueprints, Tang Mo suddenly realized something, and then... the next second: "It doesn''t matter, let the servants deal with it..."


    -------


    Today there will be two updates. The next one will be a bit later, so everyone can watch it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 230: 226 hopeless visits

    ```


    "Stop touching it; this is real metal! Thick steel plates so solid there isn''t even an echo when you knock on them!


    We''re not just covering a wooden warship with metal skin, we''ve actually used genuine steel plates to construct the hull!" As Tang Mo almost set his own kitchen on fire, he saw the two elves cautiously reaching out to touch the steel plates of the ironclad warship, and the accompanying Harry spoke up.


    This warship, Brunas No. 1, had returned to Brunas to refuel coal and water and replenish its ammunition. It also needed to repair some damage, including a few spots that had been hit by solid cannonballs.


    However, for this warship, such minor damage was hardly worth mentioning; most of the places that were hit only had shallow dents.


    When the two elves got a close look at this warship, they were utterly astounded by its grand and magnificent presence.


    It was their first time seeing such a warship, a bizarre one without sails but with two big smokestacks.


    As Harry walked forward, he explained to the two of them, "The warship under your feet is brand new. Its cannons can destroy any sailing warship!"


    Passing by the bridge, he pointed at the aiming device above, "See that thing above your heads? An aiming system like this has never been seen in this world before. It can help our guns lock on to targets 8 kilometers away, and if needed, we can open fire from that distance!"


    In this era, naval aiming was mostly still reliant on the naked eye, and the elves were hearing for the first time about such a precise aiming system.


    Looking up at the armored, reflection-style aiming device, they were initially unclear about how it worked.


    But even if they couldn''t grasp the advanced principles behind the equipment, they were still intimidated by the all-metal bridge.


    Even just imagining standing on such a large and steel-protected bridge commanding naval warfare made them realize it was indeed far safer than directing battle from the exposed deck at the stern of a traditional sailing ship.


    Those tall masts and ventilation shafts, every piece of equipment was new to them and incredibly mysterious in their eyes.


    Finally, they reached the bow of the ship and saw the massive turret fitted with two 120mm caliber breach-loading cannons.


    Their own navy gunners manned the cannons behind wooden hulls while the enemy''s navy gunners operated more advanced firearms protected by steel plates. As a result, the battles were frustratingly uneven... The two elves couldn''t help but lament this fact silently.


    At that moment, Harry began to describe the warship''s armament, "Two in the front, one in the back, a total of three main guns mounted in two rotating turrets. The gunners, shielded by steel plates, can attack the enemy at ease."


    Fitteral almost spat out a mouthful of old blood, moving with steps heavy as if they weighed a ton.


    As he walked, Harry continued, "Of course, introducing this to you is also to make you realize that your Navy is outdated, and that the threats I have mentioned are actually very simple for the Great Tang Group."


    "Soon, there will be four Ironclad Warships patrolling your waters, and your hope of receiving any materials from the sea will be dashed." Switching to a threatening tone, Harry once again reminded the two elves that the Ironclad Warship before them was the enemy''s weapon: "So, I advise you to go back and think it over, and repay the 14 million Gold Coins as soon as possible...


    after all, if you refuse to repay the debt, the consequences will be dire."


    "This is more despicable than the Shireck Consortium! All countries will dread you and see you as a thorn in their side..." The deputy envoy could no longer contain himself, wailing in despair.


    "Unfortunately, Mr. Fitteral, in reality, we maintain friendly cooperation with many countries... For instance, we''ve already signed an agreement with the Leite Kingdom to construct three Brunas-class Ironclad Warships, helping Leite Kingdom to build a modernized Navy," Harry rebutted dismissively.


    Then, he didn''t forget to twist the knife in the bleeding hearts of the two elves: "However, this may not be good news for you because the Leite Kingdom will likely declare war on the Poplar Kingdom and participate in attacking your coastal ports..."


    "..." Indeed, the faces of the two elves turned even uglier, as if they had returned home to see their lover fighting with their wife.


    As Harry walked down the warship and stood on the dock, he turned to point at the Brunas No. 1 Warship and said, "You''ve seen it yourself, there is a huge disparity between our weapons and equipment. We could attack you without paying any price. Given this disparity, it''s quite audacious of you to maliciously default on payments and refuse to repay the interest."


    This time, Fitteral did not deny the matter of the 14 million Gold Coins but deferred saying he had no authority to decide: "I don''t have the authority to agree to these terms... I can only send someone back to consult... "


    Even he may not have realized it, but he had begun to fear, to acquiesce to the demands of the Great Tang Group.


    Harry casually reminded Fitteral of the preciousness of time: "No rush, we have plenty of time... But you must understand that you are the ones who lack time! With every day that passes, the alliance forming against the Poplar Kingdom grows stronger, and your chance to expand diminishes."


    "Wait until your neighbors... for instance, the Songmu Kingdom... pay for Ironclad Warships, or import breech-loading cannons and needle guns... It will be too late to repay the money then." After saying this, he looked at the two elves who were holding back their frustration, almost suffocating from it.


    "14 million is not a small sum, even our King has to make a careful decision, I need time! Please, you must... help me." Finally, Fitteral took off his gem-studded ring and secretly handed it to Harry, pleading in a low voice.


    Harry looked down at the decent-looking ring in his hand: "Hmm?"


    "This ring is worth at least 300 Gold Coins..." Fitteral, worried Harry may not recognize its value, quickly stated.


    "We have warships in Southwater Port, you know, and of course, there are telegraphs on our Ironclad Warships... If you need to contact the Poplar Kingdom in the fastest way, I can think of a way to help..." Harry pocketed the ring and then said, "That''s as far as I can help you."


    Like a drowning man grasping a lifeline, Fitteral was so grateful he almost cried out: "...Thank you! Thank you so much!"

 Chapter 231: 227 Decisions

    Jone was a fisherman, and as a civilian of the Poplar Kingdom, the 45-year-old had never imagined he would one day sit aboard a warship.


    He had always lived in Southwater, sailing out to fish, barely supporting his family of three. But lately, this peaceful life had been shattered.


    First, a huge warship billowing black smoke arrived, then he watched with his own eyes as more than a dozen merchant ships attempting to return to the port were blasted into the depths by roaring cannon fire.


    Then, war erupted suddenly, with many warships appearing at sea, and ultimately, the victory belonged to that unknown enemy warship...


    Going out to sea to fish had become a dangerous affair, as fishing boats were sunk on sight by passing enemy vessels.


    Thus, Jone could only give up his work and wait on the shore, praying for the war to end soon.


    It seemed a miracle had occurred, after Southwater Port had been blockaded for a month, the two smoke-billowing warships brazenly sailed away.


    The enemy had not been seen near the waters for a day, so officials at Southwater Port began forcing fishing boats to go out to sea, to check the open waters and see if the enemy had truly retreated.


    Soon, almost all the fishing boats returned to the shore¡ªthese small boats did not need to dock, making them relatively agile and hard to eradicate.


    The returning fishermen brought good news; they had not found the smoke-bilching warship, and calm temporarily returned to Southwater Port.


    Then, reconstruction efforts commenced in full force, with Marquis Reibert personally overseeing the rapid progress of Southwater Port''s repairs.


    Some slightly larger merchant ships salvaged cannons from the warships sunk nearby, whose locations had been roughly identified, as these were the most valuable parts of the sunken ships.


    Those vessels whose whereabouts were unknown or whether they were truly sunk, were temporarily left unattended.


    In short, the loss at Southwater Port this time, or rather the loss to the Poplar Kingdom, was so grand it could be described as horrifying.


    Factories could maintain only a third of their operating capacity, and the roads were jammed with hastily summoned carts, laden with miscellaneous goods.


    Sewage ran across the streets, and workers, tormented by soaring prices, were listless, with production nearing collapse and the possibility of unrest looming at any moment.


    A modern city is fragile, even a temporary water outage can cause problems for the citizens, let alone the outbreak of a war.


    Despite Marquis Reibert''s personal efforts, Southwater remained desolate, and only in the past two days had there been a faint glimmer of recovery.


    Sadly, this glimpse of recovery had nothing to do with Jone, who had been conscripted into the Navy.


    With heavy losses to their warships and many sailor casualties, the Navy found it difficult to replenish their ranks, and so they sought out fishermen to fill the numbers.


    The ships they were tasked to man were not true warships, but rather armed merchant ships hidden within the harbor, along with a few that had recently returned to port.


    Clearly, if these things truly happened, then his role as Prime Minister would also be at an end. The immense reputation he had built upon defeating the Gales Kingdom would also vanish into smoke.


    The King would not possibly trust him, the bringer of disaster, ever again¡ªhe might even be removed in exchange for the Great Tang Group''s clemency to end the war...


    But how should he deal with the current situation? According to the letter, should he send someone onto the enemy''s warship to use that miraculous machine to write a letter to remotely direct negotiations?


    What a joke! Show all his cards to the opponent? Tell the opponent his bottom line? Isn''t that idiotic?


    And more so, he only had one chance to confirm his confidant''s true thoughts, as there was only one password available at the time. How would he confirm the identity of the person replying to the next letter?


    Moreover... whatever he said, when transmitted to his confidant, would it be altered? Whatever his confidant said, when reaching him, would it still be the original message?


    This state, with the enemy having unilateral transparency while he faced issues at every turn and was hamstrung, immediately frustrated Leibart.


    When he was about to throw things once again, he forced himself to calm down¡ªno matter what, no matter the cost, he must explain to the King and put an end to this farce, the sooner the better!


    His eyes roamed within their sockets as he seriously calculated whether he should actually settle the Great Tang Group''s debt.


    For someone like him, interests were always the top priority. He had to make a decision to ensure his own interests. Obviously, as the situation stood, it would better serve his fundamental interests to find a way to settle this debt.


    Soon, he had made some rough estimates. First and foremost, he could not actually prepare fourteen million Gold Coins to settle the debts; otherwise, King Poplar XI was sure to send him home to retire.


    Therefore, replacing the debt with other assets became the only option¡ªsuch as the most valuable ones: land or mineral resources!


    Previously, the Poplar Kingdom had reclaimed most of its mines from Shireck by selling Great Tang''s technology, including iron and copper mines within his territory.


    He could not touch the kingdom''s assets, but he could leverage those within his own domain. Although this would reduce his income, it would preserve everything he had with the King.


    Keep the position of Prime Minister, retain his title, maintain power, and the potential to expand his influence through external conquest.


    As for his income... worst comes to worst, he could return to life as it was before Shireck''s control. After all, it''s not like he couldn''t make do if he had to.


    But the current debt was simply too massive; relying solely on mines was clearly not feasible to repay it.


    Accordingly, at least some part of the land, an entire and potentially valuable tract of land, would also have to be added. After much deliberation, he decided to ask the King''s opinion.


    Because the most valuable land he held was Southwater Port, his stronghold. But Southwater Port housed the kingdom''s largest industrial base, and he dared not decide on his own to cede it.


    He planned to ask His Majesty whether he would consider a trade, ceding Osa Port, then handing Southwater Port back to the King, and seeking another domain elsewhere.


    After all, Southwater Port held far greater value than Osa Port. If King Poplar XI could reclaim Southwater, he would be most willing to find some impoverished place to bestow upon Leibart.


    The remaining issue was, after repairing relations with the Great Tang Group, how to introduce the latest and most useful technology into the Poplar Kingdom.

 Chapter 232: The troubles of plagiarism on February 28

    As days went by, Great Tang Group''s T cars started to increasingly become a part of people''s lives.


    Congestion began to appear in the streets and alleys, and something called a traffic signal light started to show up on the streets of Brunas.


    The police also began directing traffic, which became a new part of their job. The bustling city was filled with a vibrant, vivacious energy.


    It was as if Brunas was America''s New York of the 1950s, developing rapidly, with people full of confidence, bravely trying various new things, and harboring hope for their own lives.


    Compared to here, every other place in the world seemed backward, dark, and ignorant, even hopeless.


    This place was the lighthouse to the world, illuminating the future direction of global development¡ªmany politicians from neighboring kingdoms would come to visit Brunas to learn how to develop cities.


    Those familiar with Brunas knew an open secret, that the real center of Brunas was not the city hall in the urban area, but rather the factory district in the north of Brunas.


    There was a huge conference and office building there, and the people inside this building were the ones who decided the future direction of Brunas''s development.


    At this very moment, within the conference building in the factory district, Tang Mo was presiding over a development meeting. As time went on, Great Tang Group''s products received more and more attention, and so the focus of development needed timely adjustment.


    Arms and equipment, limited by production capacity, had not generated much more profit for Great Tang Group. Nowadays, the main source of profit for Great Tang Group was surprisingly the civilian industry.


    This was an inevitable development; although the arms industry was remarkably profitable, its scale of earnings was simply too small.


    Or to put it another way, other areas of Great Tang Group had developed too rapidly: the Group took stakes in mining enterprises in countries including the Leite Kingdom, Suthers Kingdom, and Dorne Kingdom, and continuously increased its share of control by providing machinery.


    As these mines enhanced their production capacities, their value kept rising, inflating Great Tang Group''s worth continuously.


    This rate of expansion was something the Shireck Consortium, with its stable control over the mines, could not compare to, because they could not increase production, so they could not increase the value of their shares continuously.


    With the concept of appreciation in mind, the profitability of the shares held by Tang Mo''s group became quite formidable.


    According to the calculations and statistics of Great Tang Group''s own accounting department, in the past three months alone, Great Tang Group''s total asset value had already surpassed 50 million Gold Coins, a figure even higher than Tang Mo''s own estimates.


    Back then, when Tang Mo wanted to sell his enterprise to Shireck, the asking price wasn''t even this high. Perhaps the Shireck Consortium, knowing all this, might have some regrets.


    Beyond these profit-making aspects, Great Tang Group''s oil refineries also began to profit, and together with the sale of cars, it could possibly become a new source of profit growth for Great Tang Group.


    Tang Mo certainly knew to what extent the automotive industry would grow in the future; he just needed to maintain his technological lead, and soon he would become the world''s largest car company.


    The name of the Great Tang Group had already appeared in many kingdoms; even some countries'' black markets had the first-generation revolvers produced by the Great Tang Group.


    "The envoy from the Poplar Kingdom has been hanging around here for five days now, and it''s evident that they are seriously considering the matter of paying back the money," Harry continued.


    The special envoy Fitteral from the Poplar Kingdom had been trying to meet Tang Mo but hadn''t succeeded. After he and his deputy sent that telegram towards the south waters, they could only wait honestly for domestic decisions; hence, the negotiations were put on hold.


    Though their negotiations were paused, the negotiations with envoys or commissioners from other countries were still ongoing.


    Soon enough, these two elves from the Poplar Kingdom heard the rumor that envoys from the Songmu Kingdom had also arrived in Brunas.


    But their anxiety was of no use; they could only wait. Without instructions from home, they couldn''t decide on the massive matter of the 14 million gold coins'' ownership.


    "Shouldn''t they be considering the matter of repaying the debt? Paying debts is a matter of course," Tang Mo said as if it were the most natural thing.


    Harry smiled and said to Tang Mo, "You''re right, but... if we didn''t have warships off their coast, I doubt they would even consider repaying."


    "They will definitely consider repaying. Even if we didn''t have warships, they would still pay back, because if they don''t, I''ll arm the Songmu Kingdom, and let the Poplar Kingdom have a real taste of despair," Tang Mo also smiled, his words amusing everyone in the meeting.


    After everyone had their laughter, Harry continued to introduce the business deals, "Dorne and Suthers, including some further-off kingdoms, all hope to purchase wireless telegraph machines, and some people want to buy cars on a large scale... about 400 units."


    In fact, the sales of cars were not picking up, mainly restricted by the production of gasoline. Currently, the gasoline produced on Dragon Island could barely meet the consumption of Brunas and Dragon Island itself.


    Li''ao spoke up, reporting to Tang Mo, "They are eager to acquire these new technologies; many countries are interested in our wireless telegraph technology."


    "Not just countries, but also the feedback from the intelligence system. Shireck has already developed their electric motors and copied incandescent lamps... but the quality, it''s simply unbearable to look at," Parker, as the production manager, finally felt bold enough to speak up in such a gathering.


    People always make progress. Two years ago, he was just a blacksmith, a worker who could drill out a gun barrel in two days... but now, he managed Tang Mo''s armaments factory, overseeing more than 25,000 workers!


    "This is an inevitable situation, after all, there is no patent law in this world yet to protect our patented inventions. So, the other party will definitely find a way to copy our technology if they want to," Tang Mo felt somewhat speechless about the casual copying by others.


    After all, the technology he introduced was gradually phased and not too much more advanced than what was known in this era. Therefore, it seemed like his competitors could always copy some products and follow behind the Great Tang Group, reaping the benefits or even taking a big share.


    "We can''t stop others from copying our technology.


    We can only limit their development with technologies that they cannot copy," Tang Mo thought of some ways to delay the opponents from catching up with him, "And besides, we need to create barriers in technology monopolies, in areas where they can''t copy our technologies quickly, so those who want to replicate our technology think twice before cheating."


    --------


    The additional update will come late at night, so everyone can read it in the morning.

 Chapter 233: 229 replies from the sea

    "If they plagiarize the easy-to-copy technologies we''ve developed, then we just won''t sell them the truly advanced technologies that they can''t copy!" Halis pondered for a moment and laid out the approach he had been considering.


    His suggestion met with approval from Mathews, Parker, and others. Wes was indifferent, standing behind Tang Mo with his mind wandering.


    Tang Mo, however, was not too enthusiastic about this punitive measure, only saying, "That''s one approach, but it could only be used occasionally. After all, most things can be plagiarized..."


    Having said that, he proposed his own idea, "So, what we need to work on next is the protection of technology patents worldwide. Only with global patent protection can we maintain a leading edge in technological development. If someone plagiarizes, violates the law, we will go straight to their doorstep and make them pay!"


    After finishing, he knew that it was not realistic to implement this at the moment, so he could only laugh at himself, "However, that is still a distant plan, and there is no way to implement it right now."


    Halis changed the subject, bringing up another matter, "Another issue is that the King of Leite would like us to transfer a few sets of wireless telegraph machines. He hopes to establish his own information transmission network."


    There are many who wish to purchase wireless telegraph machines, but Halis singled out the request from the King of Leite, obviously implying special significance.


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    The upper echelons of the Leite Kingdom explicitly wish that the Great Tang Group could provide an independent wireless telegraph communication to ensure the Kingdom possesses an independent intelligence transmission capability.


    No country wants its communications to be entirely in the hands of a third party, even when those channels of information transmission are neutral and reliable most of the time.


    Therefore, the King of Leite''s request was in a way sending a signal to Tang Mo, suggesting that he make concessions on the telegraph system and hand over the operational rights to the Kingdom of Leite.


    Or to put it another way, at least under the condition of allowing Tang Mo to retain the operational rights of the civilian telegraph, they hoped Tang Mo would make concessions to allow, or rather support the official establishment of another independent telegraph communication system.


    After Halis elaborated on the intricacies involved, Parker, who was in charge of production, expressed his worries, "If the telegraph machines are not in our hands, it would be easy for them to replicate... Once we sell these technologies, it would be easy for the King of Leite to produce similar products."


    "But if we keep withholding such technology, these countries will all be wary of our corresponding intelligence gathering capabilities..." Halis also articulated his view from another aspect.


    "The pressure is a bit high; if all the countries are wary of us, it will affect our expansion speed," Li''ao added his opinion as well.


    If everyone feels that the Great Tang Group has a monopoly on technology and is arbitrarily controlling the lifeblood of nations, this would impact their reputation and credit.


    And if everyone starts feeling that the Great Tang Group is more dangerous than Shireck, then they will unite with Shireck against the Great Tang Group, which would be an even more passive situation.


    Loss outweighing the gain is something Tang Mo would not do. He was, of course, aware that sometimes it''s necessary to let go of some benefits to solidify one''s position, so he was already prepared to concede the telegraph technology.


    If the other party didn''t utilize their telegraph network anymore, the efficiency of intelligence collection would definitely plummet.


    So he also expressed his frustration to Tang Mo, "In terms of valuable intelligence, the loss could even exceed three-quarters! Even more! After the sale of the telegraph machines, we would basically have no control over the communications among the high-level officials of several kingdoms."


    "Many who have become accustomed to the telegraph are already using their proprietary codebooks. If they have their own telegraph systems, it will be even harder for us to decrypt their messages," he said, concerned about the loss of these sources of intelligence, which could cause problems for Great Tang Group''s formidable intelligence system.


    "Deciphering codes is a complex and tedious job, but we are still doing it. If we can''t grasp the content of the opposing side''s messages, even we would not be able to trace anything," Li''ao concluded in the end.


    "No worries, since Halis is no longer an option, we should just honestly continue developing our intelligence network step by step," Tang Mo comforted Li''ao.


    Just at that moment, a naval officer in white uniform walked in, holding a telegram from the sea: "Master, Mr. Harry! This is a telegram from a warship of the Brunas class off the coast of Southwater Port."


    "Read," Tang Mo ordered directly.


    The officer unfolded the telegram and began to read, "Aside from the codewords, this Marquis Leibart agrees to pay the debt of 14 million Gold Coins. However, he instructs his confidants to use land and goods for repayment... He also wishes his confidants to bargain as much as possible."


    This officer, reading the telegram word by word, was shocked by the content halfway through: "The other party is prepared to use Osa Port, a large copper mine, a gold mine... to pay the debt of 14 million Gold Coins."


    "A gold mine... that''s quite the generous offer," Tang Mo revealed a smile upon hearing this. The people of this world attached even greater importance to gold mines than to the more practical iron and copper mines.


    Gold was, in a way, a symbol of wealth, the basis of currency, the raw material for minting money.


    Having a gold mine was akin to possessing equivalent wealth¡ªas long as a gold mine kept producing, the owner could remain wealthy indefinitely.


    Even when Shireck''s influence was at its peak, they rarely meddled with a kingdom''s gold mine. To do so was essentially to tamper with the ruling class''s interests, which would certainly be met with substantial resistance.


    For Poplar Kingdom to be willing to offer a gold mine to settle their debts showed that there were definitely other motives at play.


    Sure enough, the naval officer continued, "According to the telegram, they want wireless telegraph equipment... and all of the latest technological devices..."


    Tang Mo scoffed, "They sure do want a lot."


    "They probably don''t even know that we actually have other new products like automobiles and brand-new artillery..." Harry took the telegram from the officer and looked it over again before speaking.


    "Hand over the original telegram to the envoy of Poplar Kingdom! Then prepare to start a new round of negotiations with them! Since they are so generous, they can''t blame me for being unreserved," Tang Mo looked at Harry and gave the order.

 Chapter 234: Compilation of 230 Treaties

    What does it feel like to be frustrated? Fitteral felt extremely, extremely frustrated! He had truly become afraid now, afraid of seeing Harry''s young face.


    Honestly speaking, he was much handsomer than Harry; after all, Tang Mo selected his managers for their talent, not their looks.


    But every time Fitteral saw Harry, he was deeply stung by the self-confidence that radiated from the other''s face. The gods had granted him a face to surpass Harry''s, yet bestowed upon Harry an intelligence that surpassed his...


    For a man in his forties, to be suppressed by an opponent younger than himself, it was a truly terrible feeling.


    He felt insulted, or rather, the intelligence of the entire upper echelons of the Poplar Kingdom had been insulted... Who would send their negotiation bottom line to the opponent and then forward it to the negotiation representative?


    As a result, the Poplar Kingdom did not just do that, but they did it brazenly and as a matter of course. He was now holding this telegram, bargaining with Harry, who already knew everything.


    "You can''t be so shameless! After knowing our bottom line, you refuse to give an inch, how can we still negotiate?" Fitteral shouted to Harry, filled with sorrow and anger.


    He could no longer contain his emotions, because after the other party knew his bottom line, they were truly unyielding, even showing signs of wanting more.


    Osa, as a military harbor, had excellent port conditions, but its location obviously was not as good as the civilian port, Nanshui. Therefore, as an economic port, it was not as valuable as Nanshui, nor did it have as good development prospects.


    However, because Osa Port is located to the north of Nanshui, it is closer to the Orc territories, so it''s not completely devoid of value.


    Firstly, if relations with the Orc race could be established, Osa Port could serve as an outpost for contact with Orcs, and then its strategic value would definitely surpass that of Nanshui.


    Moreover, if Tang Mo helped the Orc prince reclaim his Gales Kingdom, then Osa Port might not be so isolated.


    Thus, the Great Tang Group did not struggle with the issue of whether or not to take Osa Port; the dispute lay in¡ªhow much exactly was Osa Port worth?


    Fitteral insisted that territory was priceless, and ceding Osa should at least be compensated with over 12 million Gold Coins.


    Harry''s side, on the other hand, believed that as a military harbor, Osa had low economic value, and development required further investment, so it was not worth that much money, at most worth 3 million Gold Coins.


    The two sides were deadlocked on this issue, each believing that the other was being unreasonable. However, it was quite obvious that the Poplar Kingdom, having already waited another five days, was the more anxious party.


    They had already seen the envoy from the Songmu Kingdom in Brunas, and if the Songmu Kingdom were to reach an agreement with the Great Tang Group first, then the problem would become quite serious.


    Therefore, Fitteral decided to take a step back, lowering the total value of Osa Port from the estimated 12 million Gold Coins to 10 million Gold Coins.


    This step back was a concession of 2 million Gold Coins, and he had never thought that he could be so generous... To decide the fate of 2 million Gold Coins in a casual conversation, was truly a grand gesture.


    Then, as if to mock him, Harry''s side also conceded 2 million Gold Coins, directly offering a price of 4 million Gold Coins for Osa.


    Of course... Since the Suthers Kingdom had no maritime forces, they only joined the treaty to make up the numbers...


    During the banquet, all parties also exchanged ideas on the construction of infrastructure such as railways. The Poplar Kingdom wanted to build a railway from South Water to the King''s City, while other nations also hoped to expand their own railway projects.


    Now, many countries are constructing their own railways, all built to the track width standards designed by Tang Mo.


    These railways are connecting cities one by one, but for now, they are so short on the map that they are almost negligible.


    The only truly substantial railway project completed so far is the railway from Brunas, passing through Wolf City and reaching Ice Crystal City. Moreover, this railway is not yet connected with others and won''t be until the railway between Leite Royal City and Brunas is finished, joining them up.


    Of course, since Tang Mo was busily constructing his own navy warships, the progress of this railway was very slow and even not as fast as the Wolf City to Ice Crystal City section that Tang Mo had built.


    The banquet, of course, went off splendidly, with everyone in high spirits. Then, right after dinner, the Songmu Kingdom''s envoy eagerly signed the "Songmu Kingdom Military Arms Purchase Agreement" with the Great Tang Group.


    The contents were straightforward: the Songmu Kingdom, paying in cash, purchased 1,000 T-model cars, 20 Maxim heavy machine guns, 9,000 needle rifles, 50 C64 field cannons, 10 C80 heavy field cannons, and hired 30 personnel including instructors, commanders, and staff officers from the Great Tang Group.


    At the same time, they also intended to purchase 2 Ironclad Warships from the Great Tang Group. Until the delivery of these warships, the maritime forces of the Great Tang Group were to ensure the security of Songmu Kingdom''s ports and trade routes.


    Meanwhile, because the ban was lifted, the Great Tang Group would provide 30 sets of telegraph equipment to Suthers, 50 sets to Leite, and 25 sets to Dorne.


    Owing to special relations, the Great Tang Group would also supply Northern Ridge''s troops with 5 sets of pedal-powered portable telegraph machines, equipping five of Northern Ridge''s infantry regiments.


    The Great Tang Group''s maritime shipping fleet had grown to an unprecedented scale, including ships exchanged for debts by nations such as Dorne.


    Now, the Tang Group had 240 ships at its command, the majority of which were old sailing ships designed for transport, with only a very small number of warships. Discover hidden stories at m,v l''e-novelhall.net


    These warships were used for training, tasked with helping the Great Tang Group train its navy commanders, and were deployed only on the safest escort missions.


    The merchant and transport ships handled transportation between Dragon Island and Brunas, as well as commercial trade with other locations.


    Now, the Great Tang Group''s transport fleet also had to fill the maritime trade route between the Leite Kingdom and the Poplar Kingdom, because Tang Mo had sunk too many of Poplar Kingdom''s transport ships.


    More interestingly, the Osa Military Harbor, which Poplar Kingdom ceded to Tang Mo, actually had shipbuilding capabilities. Though it couldn''t match South Water, it was a naval shipbuilding base for the Poplar Kingdom.


    The ships built here were first-class sail warships; however, the Great Tang Group no longer valued such sail warships.


    Therefore, after the treaty was signed, the Great Tang Group planned to take control of Osa immediately and then have it shift to constructing merchant ships to make up for the lost transport capacity.


    In short, the debt issue of 14 million Gold Coins owed by the Augustin Clan was finally resolved at this moment, and Tang Mo had acquired his first gold mine.

 Chapter 235: The layout on Continent 231 North

    ```


    "I might not be able to repay... this debt." An elf stood awkwardly in front of several men, speaking in despair.


    "Then leave a hand behind... After all, we need to answer to our superiors." One of the men pulled out a large machete over a foot long from his bosom, looking incredibly sharp.


    "I... I am... I am a knight of the Poplar Kingdom... I, I can, I can work for you! Just... Just spare me..." The elf, looking at the gleaming blade, shook his head frantically.


    "Oh? Let''s hear it. If you really have something to offer, I might consider helping you repay the debt." The leading man pressed down the machete held by his subordinate, smiling as he spoke.


    Grasping at straws, the elf hurriedly said, "My lover is the daughter of Marquis Leibart''s butler. I can help you gather information!"


    "What kind of information could you possibly gather?" The men looked at each other sneeringly and then turned their attention back to the pitiful elf, "Are you trying to fool us?"


    "No! No! I can enter the marquis''s mansion; sometimes I can even get into his study! I assure you! Every week! At least every month, I can sneak a look at a few of his letters.


    There are some from the royal family, and..." The elf hurriedly explained how he could enter the marquis''s residence, "I am his knight!"


    "Sounds interesting, but how can we trust you to get us the information about the marquis?" The man in a suit looked at the elf with interest as he asked.


    "I, I can leave a guarantee, proof that I''ll be your spy! I can give my fingerprint! Trust me..." The elf, glancing at the machete that seemed to be getting closer, finally made a decision.


    "Hmm." The leading man nodded in agreement with his proposal. Then he took out a guarantee from his bosom and handed it to the elf, "Get some blood out of him, put a print on it!"


    Soon, a few men restrained the struggling elf, cut a small opening on his other hand to get some blood, smeared it on another hand, and pressed it onto the document, leaving a bloody handprint.


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    "Alright, now, you work for the Silver Fox Company." The leader perused the document in the wind, allowing the blood to dry quickly, "Don''t disappoint us, understood?"


    "Yes, understood." The elf, clutching his wounded hand and looking pale, nodded. When he was held down, he really thought he might be slaughtered.


    "Don''t be so tense! Now that you''re one of us, how could we mistreat you?" The man in the suit hugged the elf, stuffing some colorful paper bills into his pocket, "We take good care of our own."


    "Take this money and spend it! Aren''t you going back to the Poplar Kingdom? Buy some local specialties here, like jewelry, to soothe your little lover. You can even use the rest to have some fun here; don''t worry, on our turf, nobody dares to mess with you." The man explained the purpose of the paper bills as he spoke.


    The elf swallowed hard; he had seen the denomination on those bills, just now this man had stuffed at least 100 Gold Coins into his pocket.


    He casually spat out a bone and then waited for Tang Mo''s response.


    Tang Mo crossed his arms and shook his head, "I can give these people to you, but you need to show enough sincerity to exchange for all this. My support isn''t cheap, so you better start thinking about what else in Gales might be valuable."


    "Our country was already poor! But we have some things... that you might be interested in." The prince of Gales thought for a few seconds before finally speaking up.


    "This is it!" As he spoke, he took a chunk of ore from his bosom and placed it on the table.


    Truth be told, Tang Mo really feared the orc prince would pull something like uranium ore from his pocket.


    However, Tang Mo soon became captivated by the item on the table¡ªafter a comparison, he realized what it was: a piece of nickel ore with high purity.


    This ore isn''t easy to process, but it is extremely useful. It is an indispensable raw material in the smelting of special steel, and modern airplanes, tanks, missiles, warships, spacecraft, and even the construction of nuclear reactors use a large amount of nickel ore during production.


    It is utilized in making structural steel, acid-resistant steel, and heat-resistant steel, so this ore is indeed one of the indispensable raw materials in modern steel manufacturing.


    "We don''t know how to process this stuff, but there''s a lot of it north of the Senar River, so much that it''s everywhere." The prince of Gales spoke while observing the subtle changes in Tang Mo''s expression.


    He could tell from the slight changes in Tang Mo''s expression that Tang Mo actually knew the specific use of this thing.


    "If you help Gales to restore its nation, all of this will be yours." The orc prince pushed the yellow crystalline ore in front of Tang Mo and said, "Additionally, my mother is a princess of the Mambas Kingdom, and you will gain the friendship of the Mambas Kingdom."


    "Get your people ready, I''ll arrange for a ship to Osa for you. Don''t cause trouble there, and don''t take action against the Poplar Kingdom... Leave the rest to me. Can you do that?" Tang Mo put down his wine glass and toyed with the ore.


    "I can." Without hesitation, the orc prince nodded in agreement to Tang Mo''s demands.


    "Don''t be hopeful of luck, you know I just made Poplar Kingdom pay back 14 million Gold Coin. If you can''t do it..."


    "I will do it! There are no ifs." The orc prince used his tongue to lick the meat stuck between his teeth and spoke with his chin up.


    After the prince had left, Wes glanced at the door and then asked Tang Mo, who was examining the nickel ore, "Are you really going to help him restore his country? Just for that thing?"


    "No, mainly to knock open the entire door to the orc world. It is a vast market, and there''s no reason to just let it go." Tang Mo put down the ore and looked at Wes, "Have Harry talk to the envoy from the Poplar Kingdom, concede some benefits, and get Poplar Kingdom to pull out of the chaotic region north of the Senar Plains!"


    "Understood," Wes nodded, "Will they agree?"


    Tang Mo was silent for a few seconds and then took out his bargaining chip, "Tell them I support Poplar Kingdom''s continued expansion eastward... to compensate for their losses!"

 Chapter 236: Suddenly, a gunshot.

    On the southwest of Dragon Island, on a pleasant sandy beach, several sailors exerted all their strength to drag a small boat to a place beyond the reach of the waves.


    Then, these sailors began to pour the seawater out of their boots and figure out how to clean the sand off their bodies. Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-novelhall.net


    "This place is really nice." The leading officer brushed the sea sand off his body and surveyed the surrounding scenery with high praise, "It is my honor to expand the territory for His Majesty the King."


    "When will the follow-up troops be able to land?" After speaking, he turned to look at the subordinates by his side and asked.


    "Sir, the troops will be able to land soon, and the following sailors and workers will all be able to get ashore before dinner today," the deputy officer on the same boat replied.


    Not far behind him, on another small boat, soldiers armed to the teeth were jumping down one after another.


    A brown flag was unfolded and hoisted onto a flagpole, then erected on the beach. This flag fluttered in the sea breeze, its golden steering wheel emblem particularly conspicuous.


    "This land belongs to Taren Kingdom! Long live!" When the leading officer saw his nation''s flag billowing in the wind on the island, he let out a cheer.


    "Long live!" Everyone who landed shouted together, they had gone through hardship to get here, all for such a glorious moment.


    "Set up the camp! Send out a scouting team... Wait, over there... What is that?" Just as everyone was excited about gaining control of the new island, the leading officer saw rolls of black smoke in the distance, near the mountain peaks.


    "It could be a volcano," the deputy officer, touching the Longsword at his waist, said to his commander: "It''s probably an active volcano."


    "Perhaps." The Taren Kingdom''s naval commander also touched the Longsword at his waist and raised his chin to look at the black smoke as he spoke.


    After thought, the deputy officer offered another explanation: "Or it could be a forest burning, possibly due to lightning strikes or something."


    "Send out a scouting party! Let them go check out the black smoke, see exactly what is burning..." the commander of the Taren Kingdom ordered anew.


    "At your command!" The deputy officer nodded, ready to select a group of soldiers to take a closer look deep on the island.


    Then, they saw a man emerge from the jungle, pushing through the shrubs and walking towards them as they were landing.


    "What''s going on? How can there be people here?" Commander Housen, who believed he was the first to land on this uninhabited island and expand territory for his motherland, exclaimed incredulously.


    His deputy was also surprised because this unnamed island should have been recently discovered by several maritime powers.


    He didn''t look like a person from Zheng Country with black eyes and black hair, nor was he one of the elves from Poplar Kingdom. So where was this man in front of them from?


    Meanwhile, deep in the jungle, two soldiers, tears in their eyes, pushed aside the branches around them and ran back in the direction they''d come from.


    They needed to get back to the central island''s watch station and use the telegraph equipment there to send word back to Dragon City of the intrusion on Dragon Island.


    "We must avenge the captain!" The man carrying two rifles hissed through clenched teeth, "I''m going to kill them all!"


    "If it wasn''t vital to deliver the message, I would have stayed and emptied my bullets! Bastards!" The other soldier yelled as he ran, not looking back.


    There was no choice, as the captain had left the two of them on watch. If the enemy had ill intentions, they had to get back to the lookout and deliver the message to Dragon City.


    The two men ran swiftly until they reached the watch station established in the middle of the island by noon.


    One of them immediately mounted the bicycle generator in the room, beginning to vigorously pedal to generate electricity for the telegraph equipment.


    The other, clearly trained for this, opened the codebook on the table, referring to the text inside to send the telegraph back to Dragon City.


    Minutes later, at Dragon City''s anchorage outside the harbor, a plume of faint black smoke started to billow from an ironclad warship''s chimney. Another warship that had been patrolling the sea headed straight towards the horizon.


    The commander of the Dragon Island garrison, Tagg, upon seeing the telegram, immediately issued orders to assemble the troops.


    An infantry battalion of the Dragon Island garrison, along with the artillery, totaling over 1,900 men, took up positions in the defensive perimeter outside of Dragon City and stood by.


    "We must leave one warship to protect the harbor! Otherwise, if we miss the enemy''s fleet, our warships won''t be able to return in time to protect the docks and shipyards," Tagg, after arranging the defense mission, rushed to the city hall and met with a grave-looking Roger.


    Then, he conveyed his thoughts to Roger, the person in charge of the island, "Our troops can''t launch an immediate attack either, as we don''t know from which direction the enemy will approach. If we miss the enemy forces, Dragon City will be in grave danger."


    "We can only wait for them to strike first and then engage and annihilate them," Tagg said. "I hear a captain has been sacrificed."


    "I''ve heard as well! They must pay a price for this!" Roger clenched his fist and, grinding his teeth, said to Tagg, "I''ve already telegraphed for reinforcements back to Brunas. I believe the backup troops will arrive soon."


    "Reinforcements?" Tagg didn''t think his troops wouldn''t be able to hold Dragon City.


    "Yes, reinforcements! Two Brunas-class warships will be on their way here immediately. That''s what the reply from Brunas said," Roger informed Tagg. "Also, the reply included orders to enter a state of war and activate the first set of wartime communication codes."


    "Understood! I''ll return to headquarters right now! We''ll first secure the factories around Dragon City and then figure out how to find the enemy''s main landing force," Tagg nodded, took the first set of communication codes from Roger, and turned to leave.


    About an hour later, the ironclad warship billowing with black smoke disappeared into the horizon. Another warship, now fully operational, took its place, patrolling outside the port.

 Chapter 237: 233 for emergencies

    Apart from those kingdoms that were aware of the existence of the wireless telegraph, and others that had heard of the magical telegraph machines of the Great Tang Group, nobody could believe that a power could respond so sensitively and swiftly to contingencies in a local area.


    In fact, it had taken only 7 hours from the death of the Ranger patrol team leader to the response from Dragon Harbor, and then the speed of information dissemination was calculated by the minute.


    Brunas received the message from Dragon Island a few minutes later, and the military forces belonging to the Great Tang Group also began to mobilize within minutes.


    Inside the command center, a giant map of Dragon Island hung on the wall. As the military strategist for the Great Tang Group, Luff was responsible for reporting all wartime situations to Tang Mo: "The current situation is very opaque. What''s certain is that on the southeastern beaches of Dragon Island, an indeterminate number of enemy troops have landed."


    He pointed to the pale yellow beach area on the map: "Right here! This area isn''t one we''re focusing on developing, so there are no defenses set up nor are there any troops stationed."


    The development of Dragon Island was mainly for refining oil and expanding factories, so everything was centered around economic interests. Roger was busy building Dragon City, and the majority of the population shipped to Dragon Island consisted mostly of workers and their families.


    Therefore, even though the oil refineries on Dragon Island had begun production and the docks had been built, and Dragon Island even had its own shipyard capable of building large ships, most parts of Dragon Island remained primitive and seldom visited by people.


    This decision-making allowed for the rapid industrial development of Dragon Island, while also leading to the current emergency¡ªon other coastlines of Dragon Island, there were almost no people from the Great Tang Group active.


    From another perspective, Dragon Island still seemed like no man''s land, and essentially, even if Dragon Island had become owned land, there would still be those who would provoke trouble.


    After all, it hadn''t been long since the island was discovered, and several of the major maritime powers believed they had the capacity to swallow the fertile island whole.


    As Luff spoke, he handed over the casualty information to Tang Mo: "One Ranger team captain was killed in the patrol. The two who returned confirmed that the landing enemy troops numbered between 100 and 150, but the actual count is likely higher."


    "The two Rangers who returned to the center of the island claimed to have seen at least 5 enemy sail-powered warships, so we estimate the enemy landing force to be around 500 men, roughly the strength of a battalion," Luff said, finishing his report. Then he placed five sail-powered warship models on the southeastern sea area of the Dragon Island map.


    The bottom of these models had magnets that adhered them to the wall-mounted map.


    "But we estimate there are more than 5 enemy ships, as they must have brought pioneers and craftsmen with them. So, the number of ships should be between 8 and 15," Luff added.


    However, no one was concerned with that; everyone knew that a single ironclad warship could be enough to handle this enemy fleet, so the few people attending the meeting seemed to be thinking more about the fallen patrol team leader.


    "This force should now be moving through the dense forest, nearing Dragon City. The enemy''s flag is brown with an emblem of a ship''s wheel on it." Luff took an enemy flag marker and randomly placed it in the forest area on the map and continued.


    After finishing, he placed the model of another warship returning southwards outside Brunas harbor, "Brunas 2 is heading back to Brunas to prepare for resupply and rest..."


    Knowing it was his turn to speak, Redman stood up, took over Luff''s work and said, "Tagg isn''t here, so let me speak for him..."


    After that, he approached the map, nodded to Tang Mo as a greeting, and continued, "As for the army''s readiness, the 2nd Infantry Battalion stationed on Dragon Island is fully combat-ready. The commander, Tagg, has them deployed along the pre-set defensive positions, mainly securing the oil refineries and power plants that are operating at full capacity."


    "We have too many critical facilities on the island, and they''re quite scattered, so Tagg can''t organize enough manpower for a counterattack; he can only adopt a defensive stance," he explained with a sense of helplessness.


    There was no choice because the mining sites were spread out, so the oil extraction facilities were not around Dragon City, forcing Tagg to disperse his troops to ensure the safety of the oilfields.


    One battalion of the 2nd Group was reluctantly positioned towards the oilfields, and their defense was stretched thin¡ªthey were already in a tight spot.


    Besides, the large refineries, not insignificant in size, had land reserved for expansion, leaving Tagg to station yet another company of troops there.


    Of the remaining two companies, one had to defend the front to prevent a direct attack on Dragon City, and the other was stationed at the hydropower station, another key industrial facility to be protected, with a water plant nearby.


    After all this, Tagg was left with only a battalion''s worth of mobile troops, who had many areas to watch over.


    Were it not for the support of machine guns and new cannons, the existence of roads, and the availability of cars, Tagg would not be able to defend so many strategic locations.


    "The 1st Battalion stationed in Brunas also has many areas to protect, so I can''t spare additional troops to support Tagg," Redman added, emphasizing his point.


    Tang Mo felt helpless as well; this was the downside of concentrating efforts on technology development and factory construction. His readiness forces were still too few, seeming inadequate in the face of a sudden war.


    By a normal development timeline, he should have had security forces amounting to four infantry battalions by now, but currently, his strength was only half the minimum requirement.


    To give and take¡ªwherever there''s abandonment, there''s gain. The delayed military force development allowed Tang Mo to focus on expanding his factories.


    This was also why, in just one year, he was able to build six ironclad warships and deploy wireless telegraphs in dozens of cities.


    However, Tang Mo felt that as his power kept expanding, conflicts with other powers would undoubtedly increase, and it was time he developed his own strength, in case of unexpected needs.

 Chapter 238: 234 each showing their special expertise

    "Another option is, if necessary, the 1st Legion from Northern Ridge can march south to Brunas at any time. We can use Wind Sail Transport Ships to transport this unit to Dragon Island," Redman said to Tang Mo, outlining the contingency plan.


    The troops from Northern Ridge were mostly commanded by graduates from the Great Tang Military Academy. Given the close relationship between Alice and Tang Mo, they would naturally not stand idly by.


    Mobilizing the troops from Northern Ridge posed no issue, and there was no disconnect in command; everyone was old acquaintances, and some even bunked together during their school days.


    However, Tang Mo still did not believe that he needed to borrow troops from Northern Ridge to fight for himself. He did not think that the Kingdom called Taren would be capable of stirring up trouble on Dragon Island, which he considered his stronghold.


    Thus, Tang Mo remained silent, waiting for Redman to continue speaking. Redman did not make him wait long and directly said, "In addition, if we activate the contingency plan, we can also ask for help from the Leite Kingdom. They have no reason to refuse us, and allocating one or two legions won''t be an issue."


    This plan was also very feasible. Many of the junior commanders in the Leite Kingdom had undergone basic training by the Great Tang Group, so the two sides were familiar with each other, and there would be no problems coordinating.


    Just as Redman said, if Tang Mo asked, the upper echelons of the Leite Kingdom would not refuse, and providing support for two legions, totaling 3000 troops to the Great Tang Group, would not be a difficult task.


    Unfortunately, Tang Mo still had no intention of asking for help from the Leite Kingdom. He did not nod or speak, waiting for Redman to continue.


    Thereupon, Redman continued with a third plan: "The third option is to directly mobilize for combat readiness on Dragon Island. We had a contingency plan for this before, so it wouldn''t be rash."


    "Mr. Roger has already stated that if needed, the factories can reduce production, and Dragon Island can immediately form a new reserve battalion for the battle." After finishing his explanation, he waited for Tang Mo to make the final decision.


    In his opinion, deploying troops from Northern Ridge seemed to be the best solution because he knew those troops well and felt confident in having them go to Dragon Island armed for combat.


    However, Tang Mo felt that the situation did not warrant reinforcing Dragon Island at all, so he lit a cigarette, took a puff, exhaled the smoke, and issued his command: "There''s no need! Just let Tagg secure the place!"


    "Yes!" Redman and Luff responded together.


    Redman then continued to explain the basic defense deployment of Dragon Island: "According to Tagg''s plan, he will deploy defense forces based on squads and platoons near critical facilities."


    He marked certain locations on the map, indicating where machine gun emplacements would be situated. Then, he placed three car models on the road behind them: "The 1st Battalion of the 2nd Regiment, as the main reserve, will stay behind the defensive line. Once the enemy''s main force is confirmed, they will engage and completely eliminate the enemy on the outskirts of Dragon City."


    "We''re concerned that if we annihilate this pioneering force from the Taren Kingdom, there will be retaliation." After saying this, he stopped speaking, looking towards Tang Mo, waiting for his further instruction.


    Besides, the Crown Prince of Dorne seemed to be attending this wine event; a true high noble. Taking the opportunity to curry favor with him would have granted a chance to rise to high places, wouldn''t it?


    Elsewhere, in a corner of the hall, a man swirled the wine in his glass and shook his head to his friend, "I don''t know who it is, but do you think it could be Suthers or Dorne, or maybe Leite? Don''t be naive. Anyone who''s heard of the Great Tang Group would have to be brain-dead to provoke such a colossal power."


    On another side, a wealthy man with a grim face, his voice sharp, enough to draw the attention of those around to his direction, lamented, "Stop kidding me, I just managed to get my automobile in time for the wine event! Guess how much money I spent? 210 Gold Coins!"


    "Haven''t you heard? Five Kingdoms have just signed a maritime trade agreement under the influence of the Great Tang Group. I can''t guess who would take the initiative to provoke a group that can influence so many countries." A merchant who often traded at sea shook his head, also guessing who would dare to trouble the Great Tang Group.


    In his view, the Great Tang Group, which had consolidated the maritime trade of five kingdoms, was at the peak of its influence and should not be provoked lightly, "I guess it''s most likely Taren, or perhaps Shy Nation. None of them are up to any good."


    Another shopper standing beside this sea merchant shook his head, unsure of which rumor to believe, "It doesn''t make sense... Even Shireck wouldn''t dare to provoke such a presence, so would you take the risk?"


    "Damn it, I carefully ironed my dress, but if I can''t see Mr. Tang, who am I wearing it for?" On another side, a noble lady slapped her male companion''s face in fury and complained. Her toy boy didn''t dare to speak, hanging his head in tears, even more womanly than a woman.


    "Half a month ago, I heard that Leite VII held a royal meeting to review the naval readiness, and that was when the rumors about Leite Kingdom preparing to declare war on Poplar Kingdom began to swirl.


    Later, Poplar Kingdom ceded Osa to the Great Tang Group in debt settlement; who wouldn''t know that if they had any sort of channels?" A well-connected Leite noble boasted to his new friend from Suthers about his insider knowledge, "It was all to support Mr. Tang... Who would mess with such a fearsome existence for no reason?..."


    "I heard the tickets to the banquet were sold for 200 Gold Coins each? How can they just cancel it like that?" The woman on his arm complained as well.


    A noble from Suthers let out a sneer, shrugging off the issue indifferently, "Stop talking about it; isn''t it all hyped up by a bunch of guys anyway? There''s always going to be some beggars of insufficient status who want to show their faces to Mr. Tang..."


    "I don''t know who is going insane, but I do know... an opportunity to show goodwill towards the Great Tang Group has just arrived..." A few nobles exchanged looks, their faces donning an almost smiling expression.


    Some others had a moment of realization, "Now that you mention it..."


    "Excuse me for a moment!" The merchants who had just been chatting away hurriedly left the hotel''s grand hall, with the wealthy man who had been boasting about his new car earlier following closely behind, trying not to be outdone as he squeezed through the revolving doors of the hall.


    Those who could afford to stay in Brunas Hotel were all rich and influential. It was now every man for himself as they showcased their wits and rushed to demonstrate their loyalty to the Great Tang Group.


    The hall remained noisy, the music still echoed, and only a flamboyantly dressed man with his face covered sobbed pitifully.

 Chapter 239: Keep 235 for yourself

    Clearly, those wealthy merchants and honored guests in the hotel, though seemingly influential, were not actually the ones in power. The truly powerful were already in Tang Mo''s office.


    The bearded envoy from Dorne to Brunas proudly assured Tang Mo, "Dorne''s Fleet is ready, Lord Tang Mo. We can leave the port at any time and head to any location where you wish our warships to go. 20 first-rate warships, fully manned with sailors."


    Upon learning that Tang Mo had canceled the banquet and declared that Great Tang Group''s territory had been violated, he decisively sent a telegram back to his homeland.


    The King of Dorne, upon receiving the telegram, naturally knew which side to take and immediately declared the Navy in a state of combat readiness.


    At this moment, telecommunication demonstrated unprecedented power; less than an hour after receiving the message, a nation''s king could order his troops to prepare for battle, something utterly unimaginable in the past.


    The King of Dorne was fiercely proud, and after receiving the telegram reply from the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, he grasped the telegraph paper as if he held the universe in his hand.


    The wonderful feeling of having everything under control made him feel almost light-headed; standing there, feeling his unprecedented strength, he resolved to invest even more energy into building telegraph offices and railways.


    The young Navy Commander-in-Chief of Dorne, with a dandelion ring on his finger, naturally lived up to expectations and quickly mobilized forces, getting a full 20 warships ready to set sail.


    At a single command, regardless if it came from Brunas or from Dorne''s King City, he would lead the fleet to sea to eradicate any enemies who dared to provoke Great Tang Group.


    "Our Fleet is also assembling. Give us three days, and we can deploy at least 22 first-rate warships," the envoy from Leite Kingdom in Brunas said hurriedly, fearing to be outdone.


    Although as a seafaring weakling, Leite Kingdom''s naval power wasn''t all that impressive, they still managed to scrounge up a respectable number of warships¡ªtwo more than seafaring weakling number two, Dorne Kingdom.


    Telegraph also played a key role in this competition; he sent the news to King City at the first opportunity, and Leite VII reacted immediately.


    The previous plans to go to war with the Poplar Kingdom on behalf of Great Tang Group, which ended precipitously when Poplar Kingdom backed down, didn''t deter Leite VII from showing determined support this time as well.


    After all, His Majesty King Leite VII''s dream of becoming Emperor had not yet faded, so he still retained an innate excitement towards the prospect of declaring and entering war.


    Meanwhile, the envoy from Suthers Kingdom in Brunas found it somewhat embarrassing to discuss naval fleets.


    Because Suthers was a landlocked country, they truly had no Navy to contribute to the excitement.


    Nevertheless, he did receive his King''s orders to state Suthers Kingdom''s stance and attitude regarding this incident.


    "Sir, as you know, we are a landlocked country, we don''t have a fleet, but we have already assembled two legions of soldiers, all equipped by Great Tang Group! If needed, they can help at any time," he said.


    To speak frankly, wireless radio signals were still a mysterious concept to this world, and no one had conducted any research on them. All personnel related to this technology were employed at Great Tang Group.


    Some of these individuals were there for the salary, others for their ideals, and every technician was acutely aware that their field of study represented the future of this world.


    Hence, they were irreplaceable by other groups because they knew that they would become indistinguishable from the average person and accomplish nothing if they left the team.


    Because only Great Tang Group could provide the best technical research environment and only Great Tang Group could guide them in the direction of their research.


    In return, these talents helped Great Tang Group accumulate experimental data and completed the part of education that Tang Mo''s mind could not calculate through a computer.


    A single technician cannot propel an entire era forward; it takes many technicians working together to popularize a great technology.


    Great Tang Group never hoarded their knowledge; they always sought ways to disseminate their technology. It was precisely because of this open approach that Great Tang Group effortlessly surpassed Shireck and achieved a stunning reversal of fortunes in a short time.


    "I don''t understand this aspect of technology, so Mr. Tang, just divide it however you see fit," said another envoy, this time from Dorne, stationed in Brunas.


    To talk about dividing cake, they might understand, but dividing invisible wireless radio frequencies, they were even less knowledgeable than the primary school students under the Tang Army''s military academy.


    At least those primary school students knew what wireless radio was. At least the teachers that the Tang technical department had drafted to explain to them could make them understand theories such as beamforming.


    "Are you really not worried about the situation on Dragon Island? Isn''t there an enemy that has already landed?" The special envoy from Songmu Kingdom kindly reminded, "It''s not easy to deal with Taren Kingdom; they have a strong desire for expansion."


    "Would you worry about a bunch of savages rushing into Dorne''s King City?" Tang Mo asked with a smile, "Do you know how many people Shireck lost the last time they charged my machine gun emplacements?"


    "Hahaha!" The Leite envoy who knew the whole story couldn''t help but laugh out loud, then he began to enlighten the envoy from Songmu Kingdom, "In one charge, Shireck lost several hundred men, an entire regiment was crippled, completely losing their combat effectiveness."


    "This..." The envoy from Songmu Kingdom, who had never seen a heavy machine gun, widened his eyes in disbelief. He truly did not know that the weapons Great Tang Group had agreed to sell his Kingdom were so powerful.


    "If you don''t want those 10 G1 heavy machine guns, you can sell them to us, we can pay 1,000 more Gold Coins," said the envoy from Leite Kingdom as he extended a finger and confidently asserted.


    "So your Leite Kingdom is rich, huh? 1,500 Gold Coins! Sell them all to me! We can pay in cash!" Seeing money about to leave his pocket, the bearded envoy from Dorne spoke with undeniable sincerity.


    To show his commitment, he had just exchanged 3,000 "notes" worth of Gold Coins at Tang Mo''s Great Tang Bank, and at the moment of payment, he instantly appreciated the convenience of paper money.


    "Gulp..." The envoy from Songmu Kingdom finally understood what a hot commodity was... The heavy machine gun, which he perceived as outrageously expensive, was suddenly being sought after at a higher price... This world was becoming more and more incomprehensible to him.


    "Just kidding... we... we''d better keep them for ourselves," said the envoy, glancing at the envoy from Poplar Kingdom with a strange expression and awkwardly gestured his refusal with a laugh.

 Chapter 240: 236 Ships Encounter at Sea

    Taren''s fleet was moving along the coastline, composed of 7 warships. After deploying the infantry and craftsmen, one warship escorted a transport ship laden with food and other supplies to anchor at their own landing point, while the remaining 7 warships fanned out to search for any possible towns and ports along the coastline.


    Their mission was to capture the port, sink the nearby ships, and then force the enemy to surrender, to prevent unnecessary losses for the infantry arriving later on land. Discover hidden stories at m,v l''e-novelhall.net


    After all, they were sailors, faster than the army on land and with stronger firepower.


    The Kingdom had spent so much money on the navy, naturally expecting a return on investment. Over the years, Taren Kingdom''s fame spread far and wide for expanding its territory at sea, all thanks to a strong and combat-ready naval force.


    Compared to warships from other kingdoms, Taren Kingdom''s were slightly larger and had a more slender shape, which made them look somewhat awkward.


    Even more awkward was that Taren Kingdom''s warships didn''t use white sails but rather a light yellow color, making them highly recognizable.


    Initially, Taren Kingdom''s sails were brown, but due to inferior dye, they quickly turned a pale yellow after being exposed to the sun and sea winds.


    Changing them was quite expensive, and there was no good solution to the fading problem, so Taren Kingdom just held its nose and tolerated it, continuing to use these light yellow sails.


    "I really didn''t expect someone to have built a town here for us. Hahaha." Standing on the deck, the commander of the Taren fleet joked with self-assured glee.


    He wasn''t afraid of battle and didn''t think his fleet could lose. He was ready to outmaneuver the enemy''s negligence¡ªas long as the enemy hadn''t built gun batteries on the most treacherous parts of the coastline, his chances of victory were great.


    The enemy''s warships would be blocked inside the port, destroyed by cannon fire before they could even set sail. And after losing their naval power, they typically chose to surrender in most cases.


    Next would be the matter of diplomatic negotiations; sitting down for a tough talk, exchanging insults and attacks, until the losing side, holding their nose, acknowledges the defeat. Taren Kingdom would then secure another victory.


    In any case, he seemed to have already envisioned the entire outcome of the affair.


    "Sir, the wind is now in our favor!" The adjutant approached, with the flag marked with the steering wheel fluttering above his head.


    He spoke with some concern, "Our fleet is advancing at full speed! However, this island is larger than we anticipated."


    Taren Kingdom had not fully surveyed this island, and only now, as they truly measured it with their actions, were they realizing that it was indeed a case of ''the mountains are high and the emperor is far away.''


    This damned island was huge; they estimated that their navy might not find the enemy''s port as planned.


    But if night fell, surely those fleeing would return early and warn their port. And if the enemy was prepared, the situation would be completely different.


    If the enemy''s warships weren''t in the port but out at sea, then it would be a genuine test of naval prowess.


    "It''s fine, we haven''t seen the end of this island yet, which suggests it''s large. If we don''t find the port before nightfall, we''ll have ample time to wait and act first thing tomorrow morning," the fleet commander thought for a moment, comforting his adjutant.


    It felt like a big, bad wolf laying eyes on a little, white rabbit. He was already calculating his military achievements in his heart, fantasizing about boasting to his counterparts on Brunas No. 1 about his glorious battle record when he returned.


    "We can see three warships, there must be more behind them. We can detour to open sea and engage from the flank," the officer suggested, putting down his telescope and looking to the captain beside him.


    The captain nodded slightly, agreeing to the officer''s plan, "Reduce speed to 20 kilometers! Adjust the course... Don''t be too quick, there won''t be time to fire."


    "Understood!" The officer hurried off to relay the orders. Accompanied by the roar of the steam engine, Brunas No. 4 began to slow down.


    Meanwhile, at each gun position, the soldiers had skillfully opened the breech and loaded the cannonballs into the chamber. They could not see the outside situation, and to them, war was like a routine job.


    All they needed to do was get used to inserting one cannonball after another into the chamber within an enclosed space, then wait for the cannon to roar and repeat their skillful actions.


    Before their own warship was breached and sunk, they were simply working rather than truly fighting.


    Thus, they could maintain a tranquil mindset and methodically carry out the killing, just as their descendants would do 100 years later when operating drones.


    "Loaded and ready!" Amidst the long wait, a loader closed the breech and loudly reported to the officer at his side.


    This officer was the gun commander, responsible for deciding when to fire based on the correction parameters provided by the nearby aiming device.


    On the distant sea, the Taren sailors on the sailboats had also spotted the strange, large ship cutting into their flank.


    They could see the black smoke billowing behind the large ship and its slender side adjusting course.


    This was a vessel longer than their sailing warships, and it looked like it was indeed a warship.


    Because the Taren sailors, also observing their opponent closely, had recognized two cannons turning towards them from the increasingly clear silhouette of the opposing warship.


    And the Dragon Banner flying on this warship clearly signified a connection to the unlucky fellow they had killed, as he had worn the same emblem.


    "Cannons ready to fire!" Separated by about 1000 meters, facing each other, the Taren Kingdom''s warships were also battle-ready.


    At that very moment, on Great Tang Group''s Brunas No. 4, the captain had issued the order, "Aim at the enemy ship! Fire when ready! Sink them! Avenge our comrades!"


    Then, the next second, the front and rear main guns of Brunas No. 4 spat out flames. A plume of smoke billowed from the muzzles, and three cannonballs flew towards two different targets.


    Filled with vengeance, the cannonballs flew the short distance of less than 1000 meters and slammed into the hulls of the enemy ships, bursting open into a ball of flames that devoured everything.


    -------


    Another update will come later; better read it in the morning.

 Chapter 241: 237 I asked a question

    In the timeline familiar to Tang Mo, on November 27, 1853, a small Turkish fleet arrived at the port of Sinop, and the commander of this Turkish fleet ordered his subordinates not to fire first.


    Soon, this Turkish fleet discovered six Russian battleships patrolling outside the harbor, and the commander sent urgent requests for reinforcements, but these pleas fell on deaf ears.


    These Russian battleships, hailing from a hundred miles away in Sevastopol, were part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and were commanded by Rear Admiral Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov.


    On the morning of November 30, the Russian fleet entered Sinop Bay and demanded the Turkish fleet to raise a white flag and surrender. The Turkish commander refused to surrender and ordered to open fire. Minutes later, the Russian battleships responded with cannon fire.


    This was both the final glory of wooden sailing battleships and the last shining moment of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and this naval battle also went down in history as the last large-scale engagement of the age of sailing fleets.


    It was during the Crimean War that steam-powered warships were widely used by the United Kingdom and France, greatly showcasing the advantages of technological weaponry.


    The Russian warships used explosive shells, marking the first use of such munitions in a naval battle, with astonishing effects. Despite the Russian artillery not being very accurate at the time, the new explosive shells caused massive damage to wooden warships after exploding inside upon impact.


    Half an hour into the battle, the outcome was already sealed. An hour later, the entire Ottoman Turkish fleet was annihilated, with warships ablaze with towering flames.


    Afterward, Nakhimov directed his fleet''s fire towards the Turkish coastal batteries, which quickly fell into a sea of fire as well. The raging flames reflected off the charred wreckage of Turkish warships, with corpses strewn everywhere along the shore and in the water.


    In this battle, the Russian troops suffered over 200 casualties while annihilating more than 3,000 Turkish soldiers and capturing 150, including the Turkish fleet commander, Osman Pasha. Only one small steamship, the Taif, managed to escape, bringing the dire news back to Constantinople.


    Then, as fortune would have it, this Russian Navy, which had cruelly dominated the Ottoman Turkey with explosive shells, found itself hopelessly outclassed in the face of the incoming British and French fleets powered by steam warships.


    As times advanced, the importance of technology in warfare was vividly illustrated in this conflict.


    In the world that Tang Mo now inhabits, the ironclad warships of the Great Tang Group were virtually using technology from around 1890 to crush the warships of 1750.


    This was truly not a battle, but a brutal massacre. By the time the commanders of the first Taren Kingdom sailing warship realized this, it was already too late.


    Their warship blew apart, splitting in the middle as the water, like a savage beast, surged into the cabins, dragging the grievously injured sailors into the vortex.


    As they watched the mast of this warship beginning to break and its sails twisting and falling, the sailors aboard the second warship, hot on its heels, were so shocked they were rendered speechless.


    As they pondered how to rescue their allies from the water ahead, explosions and screams rang out from behind them.


    The third warship was also struck by a shell, with most of its side hull blown away. Before its sailors could recover from their stupor, the ship began to list heavily.


    Soon after, the oncoming cannon fire baptized nearly all remaining Taren Kingdom''s sailing warships while their fleet commanders were still trying to grasp the situation, sinking four warships in short order.


    Everything was over. A massive fleet of seven battleships vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving behind nothing.


    .net


    Thousands of sailors had perished at sea, with perhaps not even a single digit''s worth of survivors. As a sailor, he still didn''t know what force he had provoked.


    "Help, save me." At his feet came a weak shout from a sailor who had been washed against the rocky shore by the waves. The sailor from the Taren Kingdom, who was staring dumbfounded at the Brunas No. 4 battleship, quickly looked down to find the source of the voice.


    Then he saw an injured sailor struggling in the water, one hand gripping the rocks, the other hand bloody.


    In a panic, he pulled his comrade onto the rock and saw a piece of wood impaled in the man''s shoulder.


    The sharp plank, like shrapnel, was embedded in the sailor''s shoulder, from where the blood on the arm was flowing.


    "You''re hurt! I can''t bandage you! There''s nothing here! Hold on! I''ll think of something..." the young sailor nervously looked at his wounded companion.


    The injured unfortunate, at this moment, had the energy only to gasp for breath. After a while, he regained some strength and struggled to grip the arm of the young sailor, weakly cautioning him, "Go back! Go back! Tell them to move quickly... quickly..."


    After speaking, his hand lost strength and drooped onto the rock. The young sailor looked up bewilderedly to see the terrifyingly powerful battleship with sailors using long poles to fish out sailors floating on the sea.


    "They don''t intend to eat them, do they?" This absurd thought popped into the young sailor''s mind and frightened him so much that he lay flat on the rock, not daring to lift his head again.


    The salty seawater washed over the cuts on his face, the stinging pain bringing him somewhat back to his senses. When he mustered the courage to look up again, the battleship had already sailed far away.


    In front of him, all that remained was a cold body and some broken planks washed ashore by the sea.


    Unlike the attack on the Southern Waters, this time the sailors of the Great Tang Group did not eradicate to the last man but instead fished out a few prisoners from the water.


    Because Brunas No. 4 needed intelligence, they needed all the information on the Taren Kingdom''s operation this time. Including the fleet''s size, the fleet''s movements, the size of the landing troops, and the specific movements of the landing troops, among other details.


    The captured sailors of the Taren Kingdom kneeled on the deck, staring in shock at a pair of gleaming black leather shoes walking back and forth in front of their knees, beneath a pair of white trousers.


    Then, a middle-aged man''s voice rang out, "Whoever is willing to answer my questions gets something to eat and a chance to live... It''s alright if you don''t cooperate; I''ll just throw you back into the sea. You can choose for yourselves..."


    "I''ll talk! I know everything!" "I''ll speak first! We are sailors of the Taren Kingdom!" "I''m an officer! I''ll talk first!..." Several prisoners nearly fought with one another until they each received a reassuring pat from the sailors of the Great Tang Group, which calmed them down.


    "Since you are all willing to cooperate... then... I will ask the questions..." The captain stopped pacing, looking down at the prisoner who had just claimed to be an officer, and asked, "How many ships do you have in total?"

 Chapter 242: Im also very helpless about it.

    "Oh, everything here really is annoying, even the bugs are bigger than the ones back home!" A soldier from the Taren Kingdom complained while clearing a vine with his machete and continuing to walk forward.


    Traveling in such an ill-fated place is not an easy task; everything here is still in its primitive and undeveloped state, making it extremely difficult to find a proper path.


    Another soldier squashed a bug that was passing by and cursed with equal disgust, "Damn it, we''ve been walking for a whole day and night, and we haven''t caught that bastard who fired at us, nor found a decent road... Is there really a town here at all?"


    They had been wandering in the forest for a day and a night without reaching their destination, and already dozens of them had lost their way, vanishing into this mysterious, dense jungle.


    The plan to ambush that damned, nameless town seemed to have failed, or rather, it could only be left to the Navy''s warships to accomplish.


    Now, what they needed to do was to hurry over there, replenish their supplies, give the troops a rest, and enjoy themselves in the new town.


    Surely there must be plenty of women in a small town, right? Or boys would do¡ªafter all, they weren''t picky.


    Besides, there must be Gold Coin in the town, and some treasures, and perhaps even a wealthy member of the Nobility.


    As long as they looted, there would always be a way to strike it rich. With the reward for pioneering the land, this journey would not have been in vain.


    With that thought in mind, they quickened their pace. Housen stood in an area that could barely be considered open, supervising his Troops as they slowly snaked through the jungle.


    This was completely contrary to his plans, for he had never prepared to fight a nonexistent enemy on Dragon Island.


    His troops had only brought limited supplies and not much ammunition, and since they had traveled over the ocean, they hadn''t brought any cannons.


    These Soldiers, already traveling light, hadn''t even brought tents and had stumbled into the forest in a daze.


    And then, the Soldiers of the Taren Kingdom were taught a lesson by nature. Without any camping equipment, they spent a night in the jungle.


    That night cost them three Soldiers, with another seven or eight missing. Along with the ones who had fallen behind or scattered during their journey, they hadn''t seen a shadow of the enemy yet and had already lost over thirty men.


    With an additional twenty Soldiers left to guard the landing site, Housen''s assault force was reduced to less than 450 Soldiers.


    "Commander! Commander!" As the Troops struggled to slowly advance through the forest, Housen''s aide-de-camp approached him from behind, his face a mixture of excitement and anxiety.


    Seeing this expression on his subordinate, Housen realized something was amiss, but still asked, "What''s wrong?"


    The aide-de-camp stepped aside, leading Housen along a hastily cleared path to the bank of a small river.


    The view was more open here, and the ground was relatively high, allowing one to see the forest on the opposite side of the river. Pointing to not too far away, the aide-de-camp said to Housen, "You, you better come have a look at this."


    "Hmm?" Housen followed where the aide-de-camp was pointing and saw a sight that surprised him.


    It was an important production base for the Great Tang Group, so it was also a key defensive target for them. Normally, two platoons of troops were stationed here, and now they had all entered their defensive positions.


    In fact, compared to the defensive bunkers constructed previously in Brunas, the defense here seemed very rudimentary.


    The defense troops of the Great Tang Group simply built a defense line on the surrounding high ground and arranged for people to be stationed, considering it a completion of the defenses.


    After all, there were no external enemies invading here on a regular day; the most common task of the garrison was to drive away wild animals that accidentally entered the factory area.


    Moreover, because the factory could need expansion at any time, building peripheral defense works would be a complete waste of time.


    The cement might not even be set before the factory would need to use the land occupied by these defenses to expand its own buildings.


    Therefore, Roger agreed with Tagg''s most cost-effective method¡ªbuild trenches and simply set up a few fire positions.


    They believed that as long as they detected an invasion by the enemy, having their own fleet destroy the enemy''s naval forces would ensure the safety of Dragon Island. Constructing defensive works within the island was a total waste of time.


    A soldier on guard duty at the position walked up to his comrade, who was about to be relieved, leaned his rifle against the edge of the trench, and asked, "How''s it going? Any movement?"


    "I''ve seen jack shit..." The soldier on duty put down his binoculars, rubbed his sore eyes, and complained.


    He handed over the latest model of binoculars to his replacement and said disdainfully, "Maybe they never came, or maybe they got lost... or perhaps they went to another defensive line... Anyway, they are late."


    Based on the standard marching speed of the Great Tang Group, they should have sighted the enemy more than five hours ago. But evidently, they had overestimated the enemy; the opposition seemed unable to achieve the march speed of the Great Tang Group''s security forces.


    Now it was noon, and the enemy had still not shown up. They didn''t even know if the enemy had taken the wrong path. .net


    "Hey! Look! Birds!" The new guard, who hadn''t even raised the binoculars, saw a flock of birds startled from the jungle.


    He looked through the binoculars towards the still-smoldering edges of a forest that had been burned down seven or eight days ago. The Great Tang Group was continually clearing land, burning the forests piece by piece and converting them into factory land or farmland.


    At the end of those dark, ash-colored lands, from the bushes, emerged a soldier carrying a weapon. Then behind this soldier, came a second person, a third... a fourth...


    These people stood at the edge of the woods, waiting for more to emerge from the forest before they formed up at the edge of the cleared land, seemingly preparing to attack.


    The soldiers of the Great Tang Group''s security forces stationed in the trenches had already entered combat readiness. Shielded in their concealed trenches, they observed the unsuspecting enemy through gaps in the weeds.


    "Just this few men?" The lead platoon commander looked somewhat awkwardly at his deputy as they seemed to be waiting in vain for more enemy troops.


    His deputy glanced at the Maxim heavy machine gun nearby, along with two gunners, and made a facial expression that said "I''m just as helpless": "The telegram did indeed say... that there were less than 500 of them."


    -------


    Dragon Spirit wrote slowly late into the night, everyone can read Chapter Two tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 243: 239 a castle

    Brunas, inside Tang Mo''s office, Li''ao was reporting the latest news from Dragon Island to him, "The enemy seems to be a battalion of troops, without heavy artillery; most of their naval warships have already been annihilated."


    After interrogating several captives, Warship Brunas No. 4 had confirmed the scale of the enemy''s landing forces as well as the landing point. At this very moment, it was aggressively heading towards the beach where the Taren Kingdom''s pioneering troops had landed.


    Tang Mo didn''t say a word. As he listened to Li''ao''s report, he weighed in his mind exactly how to handle the aftermath of this war.


    Dealing with the war against the Taren Kingdom was simple. All his warships needed to do was to sail to the offshore waters of the Taren Kingdom. If the enemy had any sense, they would surely surrender.


    No matter what he demanded, the enemy would kneel down and grudgingly accept it, for he was the king of the seas in this world, the supreme overlord of the Endless Sea.


    He only needed to deploy half of the warships he controlled to make those nations, which boasted about their own powerful navies, cower in a corner, quaking with fear.


    So, what he was now pondering was how to prevent such things from happening. The strategic position of Dragon Island didn''t even need to be mentioned. Tang Mo felt that the main reason for this crisis was still due to his insufficient control over Dragon Island.


    The population on Dragon Island was too small for him to firmly control the entire island, which gave others the opportunity to exploit this weakness and also severely threatened his oil supply security.


    Li''ao, who hadn''t waited for Tang Mo to start speaking, could only continue, "According to the intelligence provided, the commander of the Taren Kingdom''s forces is named Housen, a ruthless officer."


    There was a clear indication of who owed the debt; they now knew that the person who shot and killed the patrol team captain was this fellow named Housen.


    "Capture him, put him on trial, and then hang him... to avenge our fallen comrades," Tang Mo finally gave his directive.


    Li''ao nodded slightly and then continued, "It''s uncertain how many soldiers the enemy left behind to guard their landing point, so it''s unlikely that their force is a full 500 men-strong. It probably only amounts to around 480."


    The captives had spilled all the intelligence they knew without any hesitation. Having witnessed the power of the Great Tang Group''s warships, they had abandoned any hope of luck.


    All they were thinking about now was how to quickly use their advantage of being captured first to get on good terms with these formidable adversaries, hoping to snag a job managing the captives or becoming an intermediary, thus avoiding hardship during their captivity.


    "Brunas No. 4 has completely annihilated the enemy''s fleet and is now heading at full speed to their landing point. They have sent a message asking whether to take prisoners, including ships." Not waiting for Tang Mo to respond, Li''ao continued to inquire.


    Tang Mo thought for a few seconds, then issued his command, "Tell them to be cautious, and under the condition that the warship suffers no damage, capture both the ships and the people! We need to start conserving, learning to be thrifty..."


    "Understood," Li''ao once again nodded gently.


    Then he carried on, "Reportedly, the Taren Kingdom''s landing point still has one warship and ten transport ships. They have brought approximately 500 craftsmen and around 700 immigrants."


    Having just been thinking about the population issue on Dragon Island, Tang Mo didn''t hesitate this time and right away had a suggestion for the disposition of the craftsmen: "After capturing them, find them some work... but nothing too easy!"


    Li''ao nodded, then told Tang Mo that they had even settled on a name for his castle, "Yes, but... we all felt that the name ''Swan Castle'' didn''t sound quite right, so after a show of hands, we decided to name it... ''Dragon''s Den''..."


    "..." Tang Mo suddenly felt as if a small mustache were sprouting below his nose... What was with this overwhelming sense of San Dezi? Should he also have something like a grand building, with something like a basement?


    While he was internally critiquing the name of his own castle, the soldiers of the Great Tang Group''s security forces on Dragon Island had already chambered a round, readying their guns as they saw the enemy approaching.


    The machine gunners worked the bolts, producing a pleasant clacking sound, then aimed their dark barrels at the gathering enemy forces in the distance.


    Meanwhile, Housen had sent out scouting troops; seven or eight soldiers spread out, apparently attempting to probe the strength of the defenses, slowly creeping towards the Great Tang Group''s security forces and the factory behind them.


    The next second, a sudden gunshot rang out, and the Ranger troops commenced an attack. A Taren soldier, advancing with his gun, fell as the shot sounded, and the others couldn''t help but instinctively shrink their necks.


    Quickly, a second shot followed, and another Taren soldier, who had yet to locate the enemy, screamed and fell.


    The remaining few soldiers hurriedly fled in disarray, stumbling back to their own lines.


    Housen was uncertain whether the enemy was resorting to such tactics because they were outnumbered or to disrupt his attack plan with a sniper shot. But he also knew he had to act quickly; if he allowed the enemy to stabilize their position, the forces he brought might very well be insufficient.


    Thus, he drew the sword from his waist, pointed it forward, and gave the loud command to attack, "Advance, all troops! Take this workshop!"


    Following his command, the troops by his side began to move forward. Marching in step, they advanced across the charred black wasteland, accompanied by the somewhat frail sound of drums.


    On the other side of the forest, a disheveled Sailor climbed to higher ground, stumbling, and saw his own troops advancing toward the front.


    He sat down heavily, gasping for air. Desperately watching the distant forces, he knew it was all too late.


    Because the attack had begun, and he could not deliver the news in time¡ªthat their Navy fleet had been utterly defeated¡ªto the commanding officer Housen at the front.


    Even if he now shouted at the top of his lungs, he might not be able to convey the message accurately to the allies on the battlefield.


    So, all he could do was watch desperately as his own troops neared the distant building. Seconds later, he heard intense gunfire.


    Amidst the gunshots, the fluttering brown and golden helm flag rapidly fell, and the soldiers marching in step fell like crops in a field, row by row, mowed down by an invisible scythe.


    Instant chaos ensued, and the Sailor, who had finally found his way out of the forest, closed his eyes in despair.


    At that same moment on the battlefield, Housen was completely petrified by the overwhelming power of the opponent. Standing there motionless, he let bullets fly past him, unable to utter a single word.

 Chapter 244: 240 men who look like women and women who act like men

    ```


    Housen actually wanted to say something very much, he wanted to order his troops to retreat, and he wanted to order his soldiers to disperse, or to crawl down, or something like that.


    Unfortunately, by the time he thought of these commands, he found that it was already too late to issue any of them.


    The speed of the opponent''s attack was just too fast, or perhaps it''d be more accurate to say their killing speed was too fast.


    The sporadic gunshots that had sounded earlier were not a provocation or a sign of cowardice, but a method the enemy used to knock out scouting parties and avoid exposing their main forces.


    That gun fire, more terrifying than the snores of devils by countless folds, was continuous as if never-ending. The steady ''tat tat tat'' had completely crashed his brain.


    .net


    He saw with his own eyes a soldier have his arm blown off by a bullet, and also witnessed another soldier as a bullet pierced through his head.


    He felt blood splatter on his face and could distinctly feel the sticky sensation on the palm of his hand that held the Longsword.


    As time went on, the palm holding the Longsword felt dry and sticky. When he looked down, he saw the gap between his hand and the hilt of the sword filled with red.


    Before he could lift his head again, he saw at his feet the body of his adjutant, a bullet had hit his neck; his eyes were wide open, staring at the sky as if there was something there worth lingering for.


    Staggering forward two steps, Housen avoided the lifeless body of his adjutant. When he lifted his head again, he saw that out of his densely packed group of more than 400 people, there were only a few left standing.


    "Ha... ha... ha..." He could hear his own heavy breathing. It was only when he was drawn by it that he suddenly realized the battlefield screams and those terrifying continuous gunshots were no longer audible.


    Then, Housen, who no longer knew what to do, watched as soldiers with guns stood up from the opposite weeds.


    "I surrender!" he heard one of his soldiers cry out desperately, throwing down his weapons and raising his hands high, then adeptly kneeling on the ground.


    After the appearance of the first soldier to surrender, the second did so feeling justified, then the third and fourth followed.


    One of the soldiers saw his companion put down his weapon and turned to run, only to be hit in the body by a bullet that came flying from behind before he could make it two steps.


    He stumbled a few paces, then collapsed to the ground. The soldier from the Great Tang Group who was holding the rifle worked the bolt, a brass shell ejected from the rifle and fell at his feet.


    A new bullet was chambered, the soldier kneeled on one knee, picked up the shell from the ground, and pocketed it.


    The whole action was fluid. His comrades beside him held their weapons at the ready in a covering position.


    The rest of the soldiers from the Great Tang Group''s security force continued to advance, holding their bayonet-fitted rifles with both hands, taking each step with caution.


    "Drop your weapons!" They were careful as they approached the surrendering soldiers of the Taren Kingdom, pressing the glaring bayonets against the latter''s chests, then having others carefully check these enemies who were now scared out of their wits.


    However, the slap seemed to have insulted the soldier who had delivered it.


    So, the slapping soldier glanced at his comrades and saw hints of laughter in their eyes.


    The humiliated soldier immediately grabbed the K3 rifle in his other hand and smashed the butt into Housen''s brow with both hands on the grip.


    "Ah!" This time, Housen screamed like a slaughtered pig, as he was bleeding and the blood was pouring out.


    His brow was smashed into a bloody mess, torn and lacerated. Blood streamed down, and as Housen reached to cover the wound, he could feel his own blood flowing through the gaps in his fingers.


    "You, a prisoner, dare to scream? Do you think you have the right to curse me?" The soldier didn''t care. A prisoner who surrendered peacefully might still get kicked, so one who dared to curse was only asking for trouble, weren''t they?


    And so, as Housen, already crouching with his hands over his face, had not yet recovered from the pain, the Tang Group soldier kicked him down to the ground.


    The high-rise boots, specially designed with soles studded with nails, struck Housen perfectly in the back. Next, the furious soldier started to kick Housen repeatedly, venting his anger.


    "Ah!" Housen screamed under the kicks, and finally, after enduring a few more, he grasped the situation at hand.


    He began to plead, huddling and curling up like a pangolin, "Stop, stop, I surrender, I surrender!"


    But he didn''t get the other side to stop; the person kicking him didn''t seem to have any intention of stopping, so he continued to beg pitifully, "I''m wrong! Sorry! Please, stop! I beg you!"


    In the end, he cried like a child. The soldier who had been kicking him was pulled away by his comrades, while Housen, still clutching his head, continued to sob uncontrollably, his grief and pain making him cry like a child, with his head in his hands amidst the black ash and muck.


    A company commander of the Great Tang Group, while taking off his white gloves, walked over to the suffering Housen, looked at the soldier who had enjoyed hitting people, then, looking down on Housen on the ground, spit disdainfully, "Ha... phew... crying like a woman?"


    "Hahaha..." A group of soldiers laughed maliciously. Joking like this was fine on Dragon Island, but at the Great Tang military academy, they wouldn''t dare to mock women.


    The women there were the kind who would pull the pin of a grenade at the slightest disagreement, a bunch of shrews with razor blades hidden under their tongues, needles tucked in their hair, who could pull out Left-Wheel Handguns from the candy in their purses.


    There were even some who, to prove they were no different from men, would take a knife to their own faces... Those women were not to be trifled with; they wouldn''t dare to jest lightly...


    "Take all these people back, interrogate them separately... Especially that one who started killing people, find him! We want them alive, or at least I want to see the body!" the company commander instructed his soldiers, turning his gaze away from Housen.


    "Yes!" All the soldiers responded simultaneously, then, with bayonets fixed, they tied up the prisoners, who were holding their heads, one after another with rope.


    "Get up quickly! Or I''ll beat you again!" The soldier gave Housen another kick and coldly commanded.


    And Housen, daring not delay, got up briskly, even ignoring the wound on his brow, and raised both hands high.


    The one that had escaped capture, the Sailor from Taren Kingdom, who had been lucky to be washed ashore by the sea and then had rushed here, quickly scurried back into the woods.


    He ran desperately in the opposite direction, running with all his might, feeling it was best to leave this horrifying place as quickly as possible and send a message for the people left on the beach to leave.


    This island truly devoured men; it was more terrifying than hell itself! He wanted to go home, back to the Taren Kingdom...

 Chapter 245: Legendary character 241

    "I will only ask once...who shot and killed our negotiation patrol team leader... If my patience runs out, I will kill everyone." Standing in front of the captives, Tagg, with his hands clasped behind his back in a contrived manner, looked coldly at these panic-stricken wretches.


    And the result did not disappoint him, almost everyone instinctively looked towards the shifty Housen amid the crowd.


    The commander, with blood still not fully clotted above his eyebrow and his face smeared with blood as if he had not yet wiped away his snivel, didn''t seem so composed.


    "Was it him?" Tagg asked the captive closest to him.


    The captive hurriedly nodded: "Yes, it was him, he personally killed that negotiating officer..."


    Tagg nodded slightly, judging from the expressions on the faces of a few captives, they were all telling the truth¡ªalmost all the soldiers who landed from the Taren Kingdom had seen Housen shoot; many even took this matter as gossip, chattering about it all the way.


    Ultimately, the walk turned into a tragedy, with the people knowing that it was Housen, the officer, who ruthlessly killed the officer from the enemy who came to negotiate, turning out to be in the minority.


    At that time, many soldiers thought of Housen as a commander who fit the image of a strong soldier, believing Housen to be very heroic and domineering.


    But now, it seemed Housen''s act of shooting and killing was definitely an atrocity that should be condemned, and he should face the judgment of justice...


    It''s funny how it was decided whether a person seemed cool or idiotic could be down to whether they had money or not, irrelevant of other factors.


    And whether a country is truly free could often come down to how many nuclear bombs they have or how many tons of gold bricks lie in their banks...


    "So, Mister..." Tagg walked in front of Housen; the captives on either side opened up a path, stepping aside.


    "I am Housen! A commander from the Taren Kingdom!" Housen, thinking that Tagg, in his neat uniform and impeccably polished boots, must be a reasonable noble, thus spoke with more confidence: "I demand to enjoy the treatment due to a captured officer."


    "Mister Housen, do you admit that you were the one who shot and killed our patrol team leader?" Tagg, looking at Housen''s bloodied face, asked.


    "That was an act of war! Sir! You haven''t introduced yourself... I admit I shot and killed your man, but that doesn''t affect my right to be treated as a prisoner of war," Housen brazenly confessed his crime.


    He didn''t think he would be retaliated against just for killing an enemy pawn; after all, casualties were a given in war.


    Anyway, when it came to compensation, it would be the state that pays, having nothing to do with him, the commander. And he, like the other captives, would eventually be ransomed back to his country and needn''t worry about anything.


    "Since you''ve admitted it, then send him to Mister Roger for judgment, and then hang him," Tagg said, casting another glance at Housen, who stood there stunned, apparently admiring his courage.


    Then he cleared a path and calmly said, "At least you have kept your military honor by honestly admitting your crime; I admire your character."


    When this wild-man-like sailor burst out of the bushes and stumbled to the ground outside the camp, he was nearly shot dead by a sentry.


    As he emerged from the forest and saw the Dragon Banner of the camp, he kneeled down in disbelief on the ground, preventing the Tang Group''s security department sentry from pulling the trigger.


    The sailor, who originally intended to come back with the news, broke down in tears as soon as he saw the familiar figure in gray-green military uniform and steel helmet.


    The determination that had sustained him crumbled in that second, and the man who had avoided pythons and wild beasts and didn''t know how he was still alive completely collapsed.


    Seeing this wild-man who seemed to have gone completely mad, the duty guard was baffled and could only take him into the camp first.


    The emaciated sailor with a face full of beard, whose trousers were beyond recognition, received meticulous care, and then he recounted his harrowing journey.


    Read latest stories on m_v-l''e|-novelhall.net


    Everyone found it hard to believe that this brother could actually survive alone in the wilderness for seven whole days (he had spent another night in the forest after his warship was sunk), so he was treated like a lucky mascot.


    This true survivor of the deserted island eventually made it through without the courage to struggle or deliver the news anymore, and compliantly joined the crew to become a laborer building castles.


    So in theory, the battle for Dragon Island lasted only two days and one night, but in reality, it didn''t truly end until a week later.


    Even more astonishingly, the tale of the sailor reached Brunas, and because of it, Tang Mo decided to build a railway and a road on Dragon Island to ensure complete control over the entire island.


    At the landing point discovered by the Taren Kingdom, the Great Tang Group began constructing a brand-new town. The Great Tang Group planned to connect this new town with Dragon City through roads and railways, to firmly hold the entire island in their grasp.


    "What was that sailor''s name again?" Tang Mo, suddenly curious after the meeting on funding the transportation network of Dragon Island ended, asked Harry, who was organizing the meeting materials beside him.


    Harry paused, searched through his notes, and then found the legendary sailor''s name: "Master, his name is Bell."


    "Bell? Bell Grills?" Tang Mo couldn''t help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation¡ª it seemed he really would have a parliament building, and indeed a basement too...


    "Grills? Master, normally, sailors like me don''t have a first and last name; I''m just called Harry, and this Bell probably only has the single name Bell as well."


    "Alright! I was overthinking it." Tang Mo laughed sheepishly, touching his philtrum which was still smooth without a hint of a mustache, and suddenly felt a bit less like he was in the shoes of an empire ruler: "Have there been any problems with the issuance of paper currency?"


    "So far, it doesn''t seem like there are any problems. To curry favor with us, countries that trade with us have exchanged a batch of paper currency... but I guess, in the end, they will probably want to convert it back to gold and take it away," Harry responded.


    "No problem, we can take our time..." Tang Mo smiled, full of confidence in his currency.

 Chapter 246: Revolution in the field of communications #242

    ```


    Tang Mo was not the least bit worried about Taren Kingdom''s reaction, as even if they had one, it would be months away.


    The delayed communication speed was Tang Mo''s trump card, and it was very likely that Taren Kingdom would never figure out where their fleet had gone.


    First of all, it would take them months to slowly realize that their fleet had not sent back messages on time, but this could likely be attributed to poor sea conditions, a long journey, or sudden accidents.


    By the time they truly discovered that no messages were being sent back from their own fleet, they would still need to confirm that their fleet had actually reached Dragon Island¡ªan already lengthy process.


    And by the time they were certain that their warships had been sunk by Tang Mo, and that they had gone to war, it would probably be six months later, or perhaps even seven months later.


    By then, the Wolf-class cruisers might have already started their sea trials. What did Tang Mo have to worry about? Would they send a fleet of 100 warships to attack the Great Tang Group?


    The Great Tang Group had recently put almost all of its ship production capacity into the Wolf-class cruisers, because Tang Mo had already closed several major deals, preparing to sell their used Brunas-class ironclad warships.


    Several coastal countries had paid a lot of money for these epoch-making warships, so they were also looking forward to Tang Mo transferring the second-hand warships used by the Great Tang Group to them.


    And of the five Wolf-class warships being produced at full steam in the shipyard, one was nearing completion, while the hulls of the remaining ships were also near completion, ready to be launched.


    With these new warships, the Great Tang Group would still reign supreme at sea, but Taren Kingdom, coming for revenge, might just end up crying.


    The three major improvements of the Wolf-class warships over the old Brunas-class warships were fire control, artillery, and speed.


    The Wolf-class cruisers, equipped with updated power units, were expected to become the perpetual nightmare of Taren Kingdom. Just two or three Wolf-class warships could easily annihilate the entire Taren navy, and with extreme ease at that.


    By that time, Dorne and Leite could march southward, alongside the other side''s Shen country, to gobble up the maritime interests vacated by Taren Kingdom.


    Including the shipping routes, developed islands, and the entire southern merchandise market¡ªall of these would become the spoils of war, laid before the few countries.


    All they needed to do was to pay a protection fee to the Great Tang Group, honestly acknowledge the Group''s unquestionable hegemony over the Endless Sea, and pay taxes according to Tang Mo''s demands in order to enjoy huge dividends from the development of the ocean.


    "So, are we not sending out warships to take down Taren just yet?" Harry confirmed Tang Mo''s idea.


    "Don''t be so hasty, these things take time to develop naturally. Inform the envoys from the various countries to gather at my residence. And you, don''t delay; let those who were expecting to profit from the war disperse," Tang Mo instructed Harry as he leaned back in his chair.


    "Yes!" Harry immediately nodded in response.


    Tang Mo took out his cigarette case, pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, then lit it with a lighter before continuing, "Also, we must speed up the construction of Hotwind Port, as it has now become even more valuable!"


    If the Great Tang Group''s warships moved south and completely destroyed Taren Kingdom''s maritime trade network, then the more southerly Hotwind Port would naturally increase even more in value.


    In Brunas, there were many factories and industrial areas, but when someone mentioned "the factory" in isolation, it often referred to just one place.


    The Great Tang Group''s first factory area, now wholly transformed into an academy and a museum for product exhibitions, was the old factory area.


    Here stood the office buildings of the Great Tang Group, also the very heart of Tang Mo''s operations. He slept here, worked here, and released one decision after another that impacted several kingdoms.


    The car jostled slightly on Brunas'' smooth roads. The newest model of the luxury T-type car had excellent shock absorption, and the failure rate had been reduced to almost negligible.


    Recently, Tang Mo had launched several high-end cars, even starting to sell models similar to his Rolls-Royce cars. Various countries had ordered batches, mostly for royals or high-ranking state officials to use.


    As such, the Rolls-Royce had become a true symbol of nobility and was at one point the exclusive ride of kings. Unspoken rules had emerged, decreeing that no one but kings were entitled to ride in a Rolls-Royce.


    Of course, there were two exceptions: the Countess Alice of Northern Ridge owned a Rolls-Royce, and so did Mr. Tang Mo of the Great Tang Group.


    However, no one bothered with such killjoy trivialities; everyone was astonished by the luxury of the Rolls-Royce cars. But politicians, due to their status, did not overstep their bounds to claim a king''s vehicle for themselves.


    Businessmen also showed propriety on this matter. They started buying the next-best luxury vehicles, which brought a tidy profit to the Great Tang Group.


    To facilitate transportation, the Great Tang Group began constructing fuel stations within the territories of the five kingdoms, and these new establishments started sprouting everywhere.


    A new point of profit growth emerged; Tang Mo''s petrochemical plants were booming and were growing by way of reverse mergers.


    The money came from conglomerates, the land was willingly offered by kingdom nobility, and the workers were locally recruited and trained directly. The Great Tang Group had nearly spent nothing to establish a brand-new network of fuel stations.


    In the short term, this network didn''t seem very profitable, but everyone was optimistic about this new commodity¡ªhow much did the last set of telegraph offices built by the Great Tang Group sell for?


    Now, holding ten percent of the shares in their hands, it was as if they were sitting at home waiting to count their money, right?


    Greedy capital had made the right bet this time; they had caught the express train to the rise of the oil industry, with their net worth skyrocketing multiple times over.


    With the proliferation of fuel stations, Tang Mo''s automobile industry continued to expand. T-type cars were sold to over a dozen kingdoms, almost making people forget that the Great Tang Group made its fortune from armaments.


    Perhaps some did forget, but the Dorne Kingdom''s special envoy, currently seated in a luxurious T-type car, surely hadn''t.


    He knew he wasn''t the only one rushing to the factory; the war on Dragon Island must have concluded.


    In fact, he was convinced that the Great Tang Group, with its Ironclad Warships encircling the island, could not possibly have lost in the conflict. Still, he had not expected the war to end so swiftly.


    Within less than seven days, the victor had been decided, even including the time it took to convey the news of victory¡ªa true marvel. And he was yet to know that the actual combat had lasted a mere two days.


    Therefore, this time to meet Mr. Tang, it seemed... there might be another surprise in store.

 Chapter 247: 243 hit the market

    In front of Tang Mo''s office building, the envoy from Dorne caught sight of the Leite Kingdom''s envoy just as he emerged from his car.


    The reason they were referred to as envoys was that the various kingdoms couldn''t call the liaison officers stationed in Leite Kingdom''s Brunas port ambassadors.


    After all, the Great Tang Group was not a country, and the envoys stationed in Brunas were clearly more effective than the ambassadors stationed in the king cities of each kingdom, so everyone had set up a temporary position, and these officers responsible for liaison in Brunas were called envoys.


    After nodding to each other in greeting, the two men left their drivers and bodyguards behind and hurried up the steps into the office building, which could only be described as ordinary.


    The office building of the Great Tang Group was built earlier and had only four floors, with no luxurious decorations.


    Tang Mo had no intention of wasting money here, and everyone knew that Tang Mo wouldn''t stay for long. He was going to Dragon Island eventually, so Dragon Island, as the main base, was the place that needed careful construction.


    However, even though the building looked shabby, no one dared to underestimate its owner, for the reserve of gold coins circulating here had almost surpassed the total assets of two kingdoms combined.


    When the attendant helped the two envoys open the door to the reception room, they realized their old friend, the envoy from Suthers Kingdom, was already sitting inside.


    The envoy from Songmu Kingdom, a handsome elf, had arrived earlier. He sat there properly at this moment, exuding a delicate and submissive charm.


    The Poplar Kingdom was the last to buy real estate in Brunas. Due to the continuous rise in property prices in Brunas, they could only buy a small house in the southern suburbs¡ªthus, the envoy from Poplar usually arrived last. It was said that this elder brother had already begun searching for expensive housing in the northern part of Brunas.


    Frankly speaking, the appreciation of property in Brunas had already made many business tycoons envious.


    They toiled for a year to make money, which was often less than what a worker who entered the Great Tang Group early and got a house made from selling his property.


    So, under the temptation of hefty profits, many workers sold their houses very prospectively and then continued working on Dragon Island.


    After all, Dragon Island''s houses had not yet started to be sold to outsiders, while the house prices in Brunas had already skyrocketed...


    Since Tang Mo needed workers, he naturally had to prepare houses for these workers going to Dragon Island, so these workers knew they would soon get new houses.


    But the money from selling their houses in Brunas had tangibly entered their pockets, which made many people envious.


    Many of those who bought these properties were migrant workers who joined Brunas'' industrial production later. To settle down here, they had to sign contracts, selling themselves to Great Tang Group, working for the group for 20 years before they could pay off their "loans."


    Others who bought houses in Brunas were businessmen who could find the most profitable deals here and get the latest news; thus, they were also willing to buy a house here as their foothold.


    Accompanied by Tang Mo''s explanations, Harry used the pointer to trace the indicated shipping routes on the map, making everyone realize just how vast these routes were.


    ""Your respective trades can be transported to the south, and by leveraging the advantage of industrial production and the powerful deterrence of our ironclad warships, we can easily destroy the local economic ecosystem,"" Tang Mo continued as if the war had already been won.


    And everyone present had no doubts about his words, because in their eyes, victory indeed already belonged to the Great Tang Group.


    For, until Shireck and the other kingdoms developed their own ironclad warships, Tang Mo''s navy was invincible... this was an indisputable fact!


    Even the envoys from those kingdoms who had already paid for a Brunas-class ironclad warship did not have the courage to challenge Tang Mo''s navy.


    Without hearing any objections, Tang Mo went on: "This is a vast market where we can dump any merchandise without having to handle the delicate trade balance among the five kingdoms with care as we do now."


    Then, the owner of the Great Tang Group, who had made preparations to use Hotwind Port and then immediately flood the southern region with his goods after the war, set a time limit for this feast of dividing the spoils: "The dumping can last for a year, and the advantageous projects among the kingdoms can be negotiated, but conservatively estimated, we can also reap over five million in profits."


    ""Everyone knows that this is a conservative estimate, so... I need one million Gold Coin, two hundred thousand from each kingdom for related expenses, that''s not too much to ask for, right?"" Tang Mo was of course ready to offer benefits since he had planned to get these kingdoms involved.


    Binding these people to his chariot with interests proved much more effective than using threats of force or enticements.


    Without even thinking, the envoy from Poplar Kingdom, who had long coveted the profits from the southern waters controlled by Taren Kingdom, immediately responded, "No problem, Poplar Kingdom supports this naval action."


    He was so certain that his superior would agree to this cooperation that he didn''t even need to ask for his King''s opinion.


    With good management, just this one instance of dumping could replenish the maritime transport capacity Poplar Kingdom had previously lost!


    The envoy from Leite Kingdom also promptly expressed his position: "I have no problems either; we in Leite Kingdom have always stood with the Great Tang Group."


    Who would pass up the opportunity to make money? This was clearly the sweet date that Tang Mo had offered to entice them, and to refuse it would be to work against oneself. .net


    "Dorne has no objections either." The envoy from Dorne immediately thought of the previous cession of Hotwind Port... he could not afford to fret over the loss but was deeply impressed by Tang Mo''s strategic approach.


    To avenge a grudge and carve out a piece of the cake while activating one''s own industry was genuinely admirable.


    "We have no navy... nor a fleet..." After the envoy from Songmu Kingdom agreed joyfully to the arrangement, the Suthers Kingdom''s envoy started speaking with a bit of embarrassment.


    Tang Mo immediately smiled and reassured him, "No worries, since we are a trade group of five kingdoms with a treaty in place, your goods can be transported through Leite Kingdom to the southern regions, enjoying the same tax reductions and dumping privileges, and still receive the most-favored-nation treatment... you just have to pay the transportation fee."


    The envoy from Suthers Kingdom''s eyes immediately lit up, and he stood up, expressing his gratitude: "Suthers Kingdom is thankful for your generosity, sir. If there''s anything you need, we''re always ready to help. Be it in politics or in military matters..."

 Chapter 248: 244 Sofia

    ```


    A stunningly beautiful maid pushed open a pair of grand double doors that were carved with the resplendent images of the Sun God in concert with the Moon.


    Inside the opulent room was an astonishing floor-to-ceiling mirror, and on the opposite wall hung a massive painting of deities gazing down upon the mortal world.


    Beyond a row of exquisite French windows lay the intricately carved railings of a balcony so spacious it could almost accommodate a galloping horse.


    Upon the soft bed, the mistress of the room opened her eyes and moved a slender, bare arm away from her chest.


    "Lady Sofia..." the maid placed her hands together in front of her abdomen, standing by the bed and bowing slightly, her tone full of concern, "You haven''t had breakfast yet."


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    "Mmm..." A languid voice came from the large bed, followed by a woman with an almost perfect figure sitting up naked.


    She sleepily brushed her red curls, reminiscent of ocean waves, and glanced at the woman still lying beside her.


    Not just one woman...


    There were three women on the large bed, two of whom were still not awake.


    Sofia twisted her neck and then nudged the woman beside her awake, "Up you get, my darlings..."


    Then the maid who had come to wake her mistress stepped aside, retrieving an incredibly silky and loose nightgown from behind her to drape over Sofia.


    With that, the redheaded Sofia dropped her arms, disregarding the two beautiful bedfellows behind her, and walked out of her exorbitantly luxurious bedroom barefoot "au naturel".


    In the hallway echoed the graceful footsteps of the maid. As Sofia passed by her female guards, they knelt on one knee and greeted their mistress in tender voices, "Lady Sofia!"


    The mistress'' hand swept over the heads of the guards, then she proceeded through the almost echoingly exaggerated hallway to her office.


    This was a domain of women, seemingly a kingdom for them, hence why a female mistress could dress so casually here. The women who could enter this castle were either beautiful or wealthy, and they shared another trait... not particularly fond of men.


    Flame Castle, one of the most opulently intimidating castles in the world to date, belonged to the red-haired Duchess Sofia, who was also the richest woman in the world... without equal.


    Her wealth was inherited from her mother, whose wealth, in turn, came from her grandmother. Her grandmother had many men, each wealthier than the last.


    Sofia''s grandmother was one of the founders of the Shireck Consortium. With her keen sense of opportunity, she multiplied her wealth many hundreds of times.


    The Flame Castle was built by Sofia''s mother, and at that time it did not have this nickname. But after Sofia inherited her mother''s legacy, the castle was painted red to become what it is now.


    Using steam engines as a power source and laying steel tracks entirely changed the traditional mode of transport, bringing a nation even closer together... this... truly came as a surprise to everyone.


    In the subsequent maneuvers, the top brass at Shireck paid the price for their sluggish response, for they had become decadent and stagnant from over a century of controlling the world arms trade.


    By the time Shireck realized they might have missed another weapons revolution, or rather, an industrial revolution, all they had left was to play catch-up through imitation.


    And so, they began to replicate the railroads, using their vast production capacity to capture the markets that Great Tang Group couldn''t handle.


    Indeed, they were successful; they acquired orders from over a dozen countries, and even those who had lost their markets, like the Leite and Poplar kingdoms, purchased their rails to build their own railways.


    And because they temporarily couldn''t acquire a locomotive, Shireck had no choice but to honestly produce rails and carriages to expand their profits.


    Before the Shireck Consortium fully grasped Tang Mo''s technology for the railroad train, Tang Mo introduced an entirely new technology¡ªthe automobile.


    Shireck had contemplated getting some automobiles to disassemble and study since, compared to train locomotives, cars couldn''t be regulated and were much easier to transport and move around.


    But discouragingly, the exterior of Tang Mo''s automobiles appeared simple, while the construction of their engines and gearboxes was complex enough to induce despair.


    With the processing precision of most of Shireck''s factories, they were incapable of replicating such products, so they could only watch as Tang Mo ate away at the vast market bit by bit.


    As a result, Shireck could only produce some automobile parts, earning a modest sum while helping Tang Mo swallow up the market.


    However, in the past few months, Shireck wasn''t entirely without merit. Taking advantage of their geographical location and head start, they fiercely acquired numerous oil fields in the countries they controlled.


    Therefore, while Shireck may have been collapsing in the competition, this behemoth miraculously managed to significantly increase its total fixed assets.


    Meanwhile, other products from Great Tang Group began to enter the view of the Shireck Consortium.


    Such as... the telegraph machine, and... the electric light...


    All these devices relied on electrical energy to function, so as a person with a keen sense of smell, Sofia acutely realized that Great Tang Group''s electric power system could be a significant direction for future technological development.


    After all, generator technology was relatively easier to copy, so Shireck was also "copy-pasting" the electric power technology from Great Tang Group.


    Only the progress in this area was slow, and other leaders at Shireck were focusing their attention on Tang Mo''s breech-loading cannons, modern bolt-action rifles, and machine guns instead.


    Luckily though, Shireck is still Shireck, and Sofia used some insiders and her accumulated connections over many years to somehow purchase several original generators produced by Great Tang Group.


    Now, aside from those being disassembled for study and the few used in Shireck''s top factories, Flame Castle has become one of the rare buildings in the world to utilize electricity.


    It also became one of the few castles to be fitted with electric lighting, making it look even more splendid and magnificent.

 Chapter 249: 245 are you willing to forgive me?

    "The replication work of the telegraph machine must be completed as soon as possible..." Sofia pondered the issue concerning the Great Tang Group, her expression grave.


    She had recently felt that the wrinkles on her face seemed to have increased, after all, thinking of that distant new power made it difficult for her to eat or sleep.


    A woman really needs quality of life, worrying about such matters indeed shouldn''t fall on women to do.


    Using her smooth, delicate fingers that had never been tainted by household chores, she rubbed her cheeks, the elasticity and freshness untainted by age made Sofia forget some of her troubles, if only a little.


    The maid stood there, responding to Sofia''s order without any emotion: "Understood! My lord!"


    Sofia picked up a book about electrical experiments from the desk and flipped it open to where she had been reading, instructing without looking up: "This task is of utmost importance! We must provide the same channels for intelligence transmission, otherwise, we won''t be able to compete with this Great Tang Group in any field!"


    In fact, there were quite a few pioneers of electrical experiments in this world, but many of them were still stuck in experiments such as generating electricity through friction.


    Using electricity on a large scale like the Great Tang Group hasn''t been achieved by anyone, nor is there any theoretical foundation for such experiments.


    Curious about Great Tang''s electrical industry, Sofia simply picked up books related to the fundamental specialties to research.


    Unfortunately, the intelligent Sofia had read several such books but hadn''t gained any inspiration from them.


    On the contrary, she instead used her understanding of Great Tang Group''s electrical machinery to corroborate these scientists'' experiments...


    "I will have people watch those craftsmen closely," the maid responded loyally to Sofia''s command.


    Feeling that wasn''t enough, Sofia added another incentive, "If they can replicate the telegraph machine sooner, I will reward them... 300 Gold Coins each! At all costs!"


    "Yes, my lord!" the maid agreed without hesitation.


    Sofia, somewhat fanciful and prone to say whatever came to mind unconsciously, was already focusing on studying the electrical experiments in the book.


    She mentioned cars out of the blue, "In addition, the procurement of cars mustn''t stop, let the surrounding nations all buy them! Even if the price is high or they are old, it doesn''t matter! I want cars, the more the better."


    "Yes, my lord," the maid complied once again, showing no sign of impatience.


    Cars were Sofia''s passion; she planned to research her own car, to compete with Tang Mo''s Model T.


    She believed this new form of transportation, which didn''t require laying tracks on the roads, had more potential than trains.


    After all, in her view, train tracks were an extremely wasteful construction method, while cars, which obviously didn''t require tracks, were more cost-effective.


    There was no help for it; she didn''t possess a modern strategic outlook, nor could she estimate the transport capacity of railroads, thus she could only rely on her imagination to make judgments.


    After some time, Sofia, who had been reading, issued an unrelated command, "Let those idlers take care of copying the munitions! After all, they can only see the immediate benefits."


    "Has the reason for the war between the Great Tang Group and the Poplar Kingdom been thoroughly investigated?" Sofia suddenly asked.


    The maid promptly answered her question: "It has been clarified, my lord. After you seized our business in the Poplar Kingdom from the Augustin Clan, you specifically instructed us to arrange our forces here, so we easily gathered the information."


    "Speak... cut to the chase." Sofia picked up the milk and took a sip.


    The maid continued with the information gathered by her intelligence department, which was hardly any secret: "Yes, my lord. Previously, the Elves and the Great Tang Group collaborated, and someone from the Augustin Clan brought back technologies from the Great Tang Group such as the needle-gun, steam engine, cartridge paper bullets, and percussion caps."


    "It appears that the Elves'' technology is indeed derived from Brunas." Holding the glass with milk, Sofia nodded in agreement.


    "That''s right. At that time, the Great Tang Group packaged these technologies and sold them to the Augustin Clan for over 200,000 Gold Coins," the maid spoke when she saw her mistress silent and continued.


    "Hmm? Only sold for over 200,000 Gold Coins?" Sofia''s beautiful brows furrowed slightly.


    "Yes! Just that much." the maid confirmed.


    Sofia immediately became annoyed and swore with her crisp, pleasant voice: "Gis, that bastard, I knew he was good for nothing and a fool! Why didn''t he just properly buy those technologies from the Great Tang Group? Instead, he had his mind fixed on cheating and robbing..."


    She felt utter loathing for the former leader of the Shireck Consortium responsible for kingdom affairs within Leite Kingdom: "I''m being ruined by these idiots! Damn it! Go on!"


    The maid promptly obeyed: "Yes, my lord. But the head of the Augustin Clan, Leibart, defaulted on paying 100,000 Gold Coins to the Great Tang Group and trampled upon his own honor..."


    "Ha! Another shortsighted, foolish fellow," Sofia scoffed, swirling the milk in her hand.


    "Exactly, my lord. Later on, the Great Tang Group dispatched their new warships, blockaded Southwater Port, destroyed the harbor there, and sank hundreds of Poplar Kingdom''s transport ships."


    Stunned for a moment, Sofia immediately burst out laughing: "Hahaha! Hahaha! Interesting! Such revengeful nature is very much to my liking!"


    Amid Sofia''s laughter, the maid went on: "Then, when negotiations followed, the Great Tang Group demanded 14 million Gold Coins in reparations."


    "Pfft..." As Sofia was about to take another sip of milk, she couldn''t help but spray it out, choking on it, laughing and coughing at the same time: "Hahaha! Cough cough! Haha! Cough cough cough! Hahaha! I''m growing fonder of that little fellow called Tang Mo!


    Hahaha! 14 million, just thinking about it excites me, what a sum! Hahaha! So, did the Elves settle the debt?"


    The milk trickled down her mouth, ran down her slender neck, and then dropped into her silky nightgown...


    The maid was blushing at the sight, swallowing hard before she looked down, reluctantly moving her gaze away, and nodded: "Yes, my lord! The Poplar Kingdom ceded Osa and compensated with gold and copper mines, as well as a substantial amount of money, finally achieving reconciliation with the Great Tang Group."


    Unconcerned with the maid''s greedy gaze, Sofia even pushed out her chest, flaunting her proud figure. While her subordinate blushed, she laughed coquettishly: "Such a shrewd child... Tell me, if I am willing to compensate him, would the Great Tang Group reconcile with the Shireck Consortium? Would they... forgive me?" Continue your adventure at m|v-l''e -novelhall.net


    The maid looked down, hearing her own heartbeat: "I... I don''t know, my lord."


    "Of course you don''t know..." Sofia licked the milk from her lips, squinting her eyes, enjoying the moment, or perhaps pondering.

 Chapter 250: 246 Obstetricians

    Leite Kingdom, King City, within a luxurious manor, the old Prime Minister sat tensely in his place, looking at his grandson.


    His grandson, now 20 years old, was a very promising young man. He graduated from the Theological Academy in King City with a degree in economics and had a bright future ahead of him.


    However, the demand for economic talent in the kingdom had become much more stringent, ever since Simon from Brunas became the Minister of Finance, the entire economy of the kingdom rapidly evolved in a direction that was opaque to all.


    Among the kingdom''s revenue, a considerable portion of Gold Coins had started to be replaced by colorful paper notes issued by the Great Tang Group.


    These paper notes were initially unwanted by everyone, as real "hard money" like Gold Coins was preferred for settlements. But with a series of crafty maneuvers, the entire Leite Kingdom seemed to be gradually accepting this unprecedented form of "currency."


    At first, it was for disaster relief funds. Simon actually took out all the paper money stockpiled in the warehouses that no one wanted and distributed it directly to disaster victims for relief and consolation.


    This made the upper echelons of the kingdom very worried, fearing that the disaster-affected refugees would create trouble because the kingdom''s disaster relief funds were not genuine silver and Gold Coin¡ªafter all, the kingdom had only reluctantly acknowledged this money out of consideration for the Great Tang Group''s reputation.


    Nobody thought these notes could be spent, nor did they regard them as real money. Plenty of people also complained that the Great Tang Group was engaging in fraud or that Tang Mo was maliciously expropriating wealth.


    As it turned out, the Great Tang Group, in coordination with Simon, transported a large amount of disaster relief materials to the affected areas, and then it became possible to actually purchase things with those colorful, worthless pieces of paper...


    When people were able to buy grain, daily necessities, and meat with paper money, and even pay taxes with it, they started to find these notes that could easily be stuffed into a pocket extremely convenient.


    In the past, transporting two hundred Gold Coins often required a carriage, hiring bodyguards, and enlisting trustworthy friends and family to oversee the shipment.


    Now, a wealthy merchant only needed a wallet to carry the equivalent of hundreds of Gold Coins in broad daylight, as no one could tell how much money he had.


    With a sufficient supply of goods ensuring the purchasing power of paper money, which could actually be exchanged for food and other necessities, people began to widely accept the fact that the paper notes in their hands were a form of currency.


    In Brunas and Dragon City, one could no longer see real Gold Coins in circulation. Instead, paper money had taken over, and everyone had gotten used to using this form of transaction.


    Even many merchants from Leite, Dorne, and Suthers began to find it cumbersome to repatriate their earned Gold Coins. They left their Gold Coins with Tang Mo and, upon returning to purchase goods, simply traded with the paper notes they had on hand.


    However, the old Prime Minister was not anxious about his grandson''s future, for his grandson was now a student of the esteemed Simon, learning from the kingdom''s Minister of Finance, and had even become one of the few financial geniuses within the kingdom.


    What truly troubled the old Prime Minister was the birth of his "great-grandson," the child of his grandson, due today.


    But now, the grandson''s wife lying in the delivery room was in very bad condition, showing signs of a situation that might end in one death or two.


    The old doctor nodded slightly and said, "I have done all I can, and the patient''s condition is very bad, so... if they think they have a method, let them try."


    A doctor''s heart is a parent''s heart; without even a shred of medical morality, this old doctor wouldn''t have been able to practice medicine in King City for so many years. He was really not the kind to be petty and jealous with some unknown figures.


    Then, an entire childbirth team from Brunas got out of the automobile and entered the mansion, taking over the care of the mother in labor.


    Over an hour later, the previously critical birthing process was brought under control. Then, the old obstetrician couldn''t help but walk into the delivery room, eager to witness the miracle himself.


    About ten minutes more had passed when the old Prime Minister couldn''t resist sending a maid to check on the delivery room; she reported back that Miss Fanny, though very weak, seemed to be showing signs of improvement.


    Although she wasn''t sure what characterized a sign of improvement, she knew that the well-known old doctor from King City, who was visiting the delivery room, was utterly engrossed, oblivious even to her entering and inquiring.


    In the end, it was a female nurse who told her that Miss Fanny was getting better but was still in great danger and needed observation and continued guidance and treatment.


    Another two and a half hours passed, and still, no uplifting news came from the delivery room. Instead, Simon had taken up residence in the Prime Minister''s home and wasn''t leaving. Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-novelhall.net


    That evening, just before dinner was finished, the cries of a baby finally rang out from the delivery room. This was a full five hours after King City''s best obstetrician had declared Fanny beyond help.


    A nurse came out of the room, holding Miss Fanny''s child and reported with a smile to the Prime Minister, "Congratulations, my lord, both mother and child are safe. Miss Fanny has given birth to a boy."


    "Gods above..." the Prime Minister collapsed back into his chair, letting out a long breath. And his grandson, after glancing at his child from afar, saw the baby taken back into the delivery room.


    When the Brunas doctor, who was perhaps only forty years old, emerged from the delivery room, an elderly man in his seventies was trailing behind her, bowing.


    Like an apprentice, the old obstetrician asked quietly yet persistently, "Is disinfection in the delivery room really that important?"


    "It is a necessary measure to protect both mother and child. Do not take it lightly just because disinfectants are expensive; it can easily lead to medical accidents! Everything here is too backward; it must be improved," the female doctor rebuked without mincing words about King City''s medical conditions.


    "I was trained by my teacher until I could practice independently... but I''ve never learned any, you... no, your knowledge. May I... continue to follow you?" the old doctor asked awkwardly.


    "If you don''t see an issue with it, neither do I. Also, you must have some apprentices, right? Have them come too; I need hands," said the female doctor while letting her assistant wipe her hands.


    "Yes, yes!" the old doctor replied, flattered. "I have many apprentices; I''ll have them all come to help! Besides, I can donate my assets! I also know many people, I can help with..."


    The old Prime Minister watched thoughtfully as Simon spoke, "I owe you a favor! Minister Simon... or rather, I owe Mr. Tang Mo a... very big favor."

 Chapter 251: 247 The Real Arms Dealer

    The Prime Minister was increasingly in debt when it came to favors, especially since he still hadn''t had the chance to repay Tang Mo''s kindness.


    Moreover, the Prime Minister''s grandson, the one studying under Simon, was actually already a staunch supporter of Great Tang, a "self-initiated warrior" on their behalf.


    The heir of the Prime Minister''s family, the eldest grandson, favored riding in the T-model luxury car gifted by Simon when he went out. His favorite wine was the imported Moonlight Wine from the Elf region of Brunas, prohibitively expensive for most.


    Even the woman now lying in the maternity ward, Fanny¡ªhis wife¡ªused the most prestigious high-end designs of Great Tang fashion. These were personally endorsed by Miss Susan. What lady of influence wouldn''t covet such luxury?


    With his salary, he couldn''t possibly afford so many luxuries, yet these items inexplicably found their way into his possession.


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    His gold watch, his ring, even his belt and suits, were all gifts from his fair-weather friends.


    There was nothing he could do, truly, because the Prime Minister''s grandson was wreaking havoc at the Tang Group''s casinos, seldom ever losing...


    Everyone knew he was basically Great Tang''s man, which deeply frustrated and angered the Prime Minister for quite some time.


    He hadn''t yet pledged allegiance to the Tang Group, and yet his family members, including his heir, had almost all been bought by the Tang Group.


    Luckily, King Leite VII knew of his loyalty and continued to utilize him. Otherwise, he would be the true victim, scorched by the great fires of the Tang Group''s influence.


    But this time, the Prime Minister finally considered where he stood because he witnessed once again the might of the Tang Group.


    A massive conglomerate that could claim to be the world''s leader in fields such as healthcare, weapons, automobiles, and transportation had a limitless future.


    If he didn''t choose his side sooner, was he prepared to miss the opportunity and let his descendants be left behind?


    With this in mind, at this moment, the seasoned Prime Minister, who could resist Shireck''s inducements, finally began to waver.


    "Mr. Tang Mo wishes to be true friends with you, sir. So there''s no need for favors; all you need to do, sir, is to be willing to become friends with Mr. Tang Mo," said Simon with a smile to the old Prime Minister.


    With this approach, he made many friends within King City of Leite Kingdom, friends who would undoubtedly consider the Tang Group''s position at critical moments.


    "I understand! I completely understand!" For a wise man, such words need only be said once to be heard clearly. The Prime Minister nodded slightly and spoke to Simon.


    Simon said nothing more, glanced at the Prime Minister, then stood up and said, "I''ll leave the rest in the care of the nurses I''ve brought; they''re quite skilled with patients."


    He knew Tang Mo had a special medicine in his hands, which could even easily cure some diseases currently deemed incurable.


    Once these drugs, still in the laboratory, get out, Tang Mo could become the richest man in the world ¡ª bar none!


    Even if his weapons didn''t sell, even if other people''s cars performed better, even if transportation was nationalized, even if the banks were robbed clean... as long as Tang Mo had these medicines, he would be the richest man in the world! Without any surprises!


    "I still maintain my objection! Sir. You could let me replace you, to take this dangerous..." Harry made one final effort, knowing that once Tang Mo made up his mind about something, there was usually no change.


    He almost seemed stubborn, but those nerve-wracking decisions always proved to be correct, without fail!


    Tang Mo smiled and waved his hand, looking at everyone present, "How could I possibly order you to replace me in this matter! It is my duty to lead by example! Only after I am vaccinated will this medical practice be proven safe, and everyone will accept it and allow it to spread."


    Standing there were envoys from various countries, students and teachers from the medical academy, elites from the military academy, and even some carefully selected ordinary citizens; everyone was standing not too far away, watching Tang Mo with some nervousness.


    Tang Mo invited these people over, of course, to publicize his vaccine ¡ª this thing was an important weapon for him to promote his medicine.


    As long as the smallpox vaccine was proven effective, all other drugs he produced would immediately open up the market, turning into hotly sought-after gold!


    In this world, there is only one thing that can always be guaranteed to be valuable ¡ª life. Tang Mo felt that if he could sell life itself, then he would truly be an arms dealer in this world.


    An arms dealer should be able to do more than just sell weapons to deprive others of life; he should also sell medicines that grant life!


    Life and death at his command ¡ª this is what qualifies an arms dealer, this is the true meaning of an "arms dealer".


    Therefore, he wore a smile on his face, eager to open the door to a new world: "Trust me! This is something safe! Our cities are growing larger, and infectious diseases are also one of the enemies restricting our development! We need to eliminate these damn viruses and bacteria to keep our population growing!"


    After finishing speaking, he looked towards the doctor beside him, signaling that he could begin, "What are you waiting for? Go ahead! I believe in your skills!"


    As the doctor finally made an incision on Tang Mo''s arm, everyone held their breath.


    Meanwhile, Tang Mo was all smiles, asking those who had been selected to witness the event, "There you see, you all are witnessing me being vaccinated against smallpox, so if I become immune to the smallpox virus, this will prove that this medical practice is reliable, right?"


    The envoy from the Leite Kingdom watched Tang Mo''s arm bleed slightly, with great admiration for Tang Mo''s courage and resolution: "Your courage is admirable, sir!"


    "If this really succeeds, then you will be the greatest person in the world. You have saved countless lives, freeing everyone from the fear of smallpox," the bearded envoy from the Dorne Kingdom praised as well.


    The envoy from the Songmu Kingdom spoke before the others could, "I''m willing to follow you, to be the first elf to use this treatment! Sir, if this is effective... your achievement will be forever recorded in history."


    Before anyone else could speak, the world''s first smallpox vaccination... was completed.

 Chapter 252: 248 promotes the development of the era

    No place in this world has carried out an intensive communal management system like Dragon Island has. Even Tang Mo was afraid that the system might be too advanced when he first proposed it.


    However, after Roger''s trial operation, it turned out that Tang Mo''s concerns were needless. Those commoners who previously had no power at all didn''t even know what the dregs of freedom such as ''liberty stew'' really meant.


    With just one command, the workers on Dragon Island and their families didn''t even chatter; they collectively went to get their pills.


    They exterminated pests together and then made use of the most advanced water supply system in the world. With the provision of oil and natural gas, they soon learned to boil water for sterilization and disinfection.


    Then, these people were vaccinated, received five years of mandatory education, supplemented by night school, adapted to a 12-hour workday, and embraced the previously unthinkable idea of having one day off every week.


    The locals have simple values; they believe that since Great Tang Group has given them a day off, they should accept other arrangements by Great Tang Group.


    In their time off, they have a morning for collective military exercise, to learn some basic military knowledge. The rest of the afternoon, they are free to wander the island, and in the evening, they procreate.


    Procreation is the most sacred and meaningful activity in this world because this world needs population¡ªpopulation means labor, population means wealth.


    The people on Dragon Island live with great regularity. They watch opera performances under the auspices of Great Tang Group and listen to children''s choirs singing praises of their company.


    They also have time to spend money in the streets of Dragon City, which boasts some of the finest products in the world: Dragon City''s fashion scene is leading the era.


    Everywhere you look, you can find the same perfume sachets as the fashion goddess Susan, and see happy children running on the roads filled with cars.


    The roads here are paved with asphalt because there''s a refinery that can mass-produce and refine the residue from oil and chemical production for road paving.


    That''s why the construction here appears much quicker, and the roads are smoother than in other places.


    A road has already stretched into the Central Region of the island. Great Tang Group has built a train station here for stockpiling materials and cleared the surrounding trees to select this location for a future support town.


    Dozens of ships are transporting iron rails produced by Brunas to Dragon Island, and soon a railway will be constructed.


    Almost at the same time, on the other side of the island, the previous landing point of Taren Kingdom has also been developed. Tents have been replaced with wooden buildings, and a small dock has begun to take shape.


    Rubber shipped from Hotwind Port is processed here into tires that are sent to Brunas, and then fitted onto car wheels. Gold ore from Osa Port is smelted here and then stored as Great Tang Group''s financial reserves.


    Similarly, a large number of copper and iron ores shipped from Poplar and Songmu Kingdoms are processed into parts here. These parts are then sent to Brunas to be assembled into products that are sold elsewhere.


    Because of the vastness of its business and the exaggerated speed of production, the sea route between Dragon Island and Brunas has almost become the busiest in the world.


    Sailboats can even catch a glimpse of each other, practically forming a continuous line at sea! This isn''t an exaggeration; traveling poets have witnessed such a sight and even composed songs that are spread far and wide.


    He actually had no talent in cooking, but he very much enjoyed messing with ingredients and pretending to be profoundly skillful, much to the mixed amusement and despair of the chefs working with him.


    According to the popular saying nowadays, Tang Mo''s skills in the kitchen could only be described with one phrase: "Enthusiastic but unskilled"...


    The exasperated master chefs of Brunas eventually could not stand the humiliation and, with a stiff upper lip, created a method of cooking steak that was claimed to combine the best of various practices, which translated meant it was a hodgepodge.


    However, thanks to the variety of spices brought by trade from different places, the flavor of the Brunas steak was actually quite good.


    Coupled with the tender and juicy beef from Northern Ridge and Suthers, the ingredients were absolutely first-rate, so Brunas''s signature dish was born.


    Pork ribs with yams and a thick soup made from dried cuttlefish, Brunas''s special steak, Elf moonlight wine, and the latest tight long dress gowns became the most seductive standard dinner combination in Brunas recently.


    Of course, whether a girl in a tight long dress gown would accompany you somewhere else in the evening depended on whether you drove her to dinner in a Model T or walked there...


    In actuality, in Brunas at the time, rich people were divided into different levels. The richest had chauffeurs driving Model T luxury cars, followed by those who had their own private carriages, then those who drove their cars themselves, and lastly those who walked everywhere...


    Brunas did not have public transportation like buses because Tang Mo had not yet completed his large-scale automobile factory.


    Part of the factory was expanding to Dragon Island, so the progress had clearly slowed down. Moreover, Tang Mo himself had not accumulated enough technology; he was not able to push the whole world to the level of the Second World War with the little power he had in his hands.


    As time passed day by day, many people had even forgotten that about five months prior, the Great Tang Group had fought a naval battle, destroying a fleet.


    In a time of peace and prosperity, Bernard, the supreme commander of Great Tang Group''s naval forces, hosted a secret launching ceremony in Brunas. .net


    The first warship type in the world specially designed for high-speed naval pursuits of enemy ships appeared¡ªit was the Wolf-class Cruiser.


    The culmination of the most advanced technological achievements of the Great Tang Group: it was equipped with breech-loading guns, installed with a more reliable steam engine power system, equipped with internal ship communication telephones, and utilized unified fire control for the cannons.


    Its emergence made high-speed naval pursuit of enemies by warships possible for the first time. If the Ironclad could easily outclass sailing warships, then the Wolf-class Cruiser could effortlessly outclass the Ironclads.


    With the launch of this warship, the Great Tang Group''s war plan against the Taren Kingdom was also put on the agenda.


    What a joke, everyone was still waiting to take their share of the spoils. This war was not just a war of revenge. Even if there were no reasons, it had to be fought!


    So, it was unclear exactly when it started, but the atmosphere in Brunas became somewhat tense.


    The Brunas-class warships, which had been busy for several months, made a comeback with four ships in one go, gathering in the port to be loaded with ammunition and to replenish their supplies of food, freshwater, and coal fuel.


    The workers in the port were overhauling the equipment inside these warships, and the navy''s officers and soldiers were given a rare two-day holiday...

 Chapter 253: 249 hospitable person

    In another corner of the world, a dwarf clad in a fur coat pushed open the door and entered the room. He tore off his coat, revealing the luxurious clothing underneath.


    "I''ve brought the things you wanted," he said in a hoarse voice, then grabbed the cup prepared for him on the table and took a big swig.


    He slammed the cup down on the table and said, "This Quick Gun, known as the K1, was born in the human world, but they have no intention of keeping it a secret; they''re openly selling these weapons."


    Outside the window, heavy snowflakes drifted down. This was a northern kingdom, even further north than the Poplar Kingdom, and likewise, it was a colder realm, even chillier than the Poplar Kingdom.


    Here lived the cold-enduring dwarves, who established their nation on abundant mining and animal husbandry. Half of the world''s forged gold, silver, and copper coins came from the dwarves'' lands.


    The elderly dwarf sitting there glanced at the somewhat outdated K1 Quick Gun hanging on the wall and asked, "Are you sure they''re willing to sell us a lot?"


    He found it hard to imagine that such advanced weapons, even more so than Shireck Firearms, would be sold without any biases.


    Like the previous arms dealer, Shireck, which was also an empire constructed by humans, it wasn''t until the very end that they sold weapons to other races.


    As a result, humans occupied almost all the best land, leaving dwarves with no choice but to honestly cultivate the desolate wilderness in the north.


    The once valuable ore was squeezed into a cheap export commodity, as the saying goes: Even gold in the hands of dwarves is no different from gravel.


    The dwarf wiped his long beard, nodded, and said, "Absolutely! I spoke with a man named Tang Mo, the inventor of this weapon. He didn''t want to come here, but he was willing to sell us these weapons."


    "Did you see it?" the old dwarf, fearing that his son had been fooled, asked urgently.


    The dwarf smiled. The journey here had not been easy. To the south, the Poplar Kingdom was expanding like mad, and though they did not share a border, it still put considerable pressure on the dwarves.


    It was from there that they obtained their first K1 Quick Gun and realized they had fallen far behind in terms of weaponry.


    Although the dwarves had their technology, they still couldn''t manufacture cartridge cases. So, they had to make good use of their intelligence network to find out what they could, and finally got an idea.


    Then, the dwarves dispatched their trade caravan, which, after enduring many hardships, finally reached Brunas and met with the fabled Great Tang Group.


    He boasted to his father, "It''s indeed that weapon; I''ve brought back 1,000 K1 Quick Guns, identical to the one you''re holding."


    "What about the bullets?" the old dwarf, somewhat excited, turned to his son and asked.


    The son who had just rushed back from Brunas replied with a smile, "100,000 rounds! Isn''t that a lot? He made it a condition that I had to buy them."


    Hearing what his son said, the elder dwarf furrowed his brow¡ª he sensed something unusual in his words: "What do you mean?"


    "There''s an old Dwarf engineer there who was also very kind to me. I think we should send a delegation to Brunas... to stay there permanently, so we can maintain a long-term cooperative relationship with the Great Tang Group." Having witnessed the power of the telegraph machine, this Dwarf had become a fan of the Great Tang Group.


    "You''re right, I''ll go tell our King right away... I believe he will definitely agree with your opinion. This is fantastic, really fantastic!" The old Dwarf was enamored with the thick blueprints, gently brushing over the paper as if caressing an unparalleled treasure.


    The clear orthographic projections, precisely marked data, material requirements, and the complex technical parameter annotations excited him to the point of becoming tongue-tied.


    His son waited until he reluctantly looked up before continuing, "I told you you''d like it... Look what I brought back! A gift for you!"


    When he pulled his father out into the courtyard, a T-model car with a layer of white snow settled on its roof was parked there.


    The old Dwarf had no idea what it was, so he asked, "What is this?"


    "This is a T-model car! It can run without horses! You just need to add some alcohol to it!" his son introduced with a sense of pride.


    While they were talking, the car door was pushed open from inside, and a human girl, not particularly pretty, jumped out of the car.


    "Who is she?" The old Dwarf asked, somewhat puzzled, upon seeing the stranger.


    "They... are the hope that I''ve brought back for our kingdom," the son of the old Dwarf said with a smile as he introduced her.


    Along with his voice, the car door on the other side was also pushed open, and another young man crawled out of the car.


    He was a bit chubby and looked even bulkier in his thick clothing. He took off his hat and nodded slightly to the old Dwarf, "Hello, sir, I am a friend of your son!"


    "We! Are here to help you set up the first batch of modern factories... technical experts," the girl rubbed her hands together, exhaling a breath of air as she introduced herself.


    "Introducing myself, I am a specialist in steam engines and electrical technology," the young man said, scratching his head with slight embarrassment.


    "To be more specific, I am a doctor," the girl continued, "I minored in wireless during university..."


    "They can help us restore the production workshop of the Quick Gun K1," the Dwarf''s son explained.


    The old Dwarf immediately had an epiphany and warmly stepped forward to welcome them, "I''m so pleased to meet you in such chilly weather! Come in and let''s talk, children! The warmth of the Ice Cold Kingdom''s Dwarves can melt snow and ice!"


    "Thank you!" the girl fluffed the curls by her ear, with a plain dandelion ring on her finger.


    "Can I see the iron smelting equipment first?" asked the young man with the matching ring, impatient and following behind everyone, with a timid voice.


    "No rush! Now that you''re here, enjoy our bear meat and ice wine! Hahaha!" The old Dwarf was in such good spirits that he even forgot to look at the car, heading back into the house instead.

 Chapter 254: 250 new types of guns

    "Hey, Wes! What are you up to?" Luff called out to Wes, who was fiddling with a weapon in his hands at the shooting range.


    Wes smiled and hoisted the weapon in his hand, replying, "Just checking out this new weapon... it feels pretty good to handle."


    In his hands, he held an M1911A1 pistol recently produced by the Great Tang Group. The original designer of this pistol was the renowned Browning, making it a descendant of a prestigious line.


    Moreover, due to its reliability and formidable power, this model of pistol had long served in the military, and it hadn''t been completely phased out of the market even well into the 1990s.


    This spoke volumes of the pistol''s performance, or at least of its superior cost-effectiveness. It also fully demonstrated the pistol''s classic status.


    First off, because it utilized high-powered pistol rounds, it ensured reliable lethality in the battlefield environment, compensating for the soldiers'' otherwise insufficient firepower.


    Next was its reliability and durability, it rarely malfunctioned, and it truly withstood the rigors of combat, winning everyone''s trust and preference.


    Last but not least, the weapon was not overly expensive to procure, which won the approval of the higher-ups, allowing its continued use over a long stretch of time¡ªof course, it''s also possible that they produced too many during World War II and were reluctant to switch...


    In any case, the handgun production department of Tang Mo began setting up a new production line on Dragon Island to manufacture this pistol known as the S3.


    After all, it was unthinkable for Tang Mo to give his own product a strange, mismatched name like M1911 in this world.


    Just as his rifles were called K1, K2, K3, just as his machine guns were called G1, just as his revolver models had the official designation S1, and the Left-Wheel Handgun the production code S2, now the M1911 pistol was coded as S3.


    "I also came here to shoot a couple of rounds for fun, but I have no idea how the master designer came up with such a complex weapon, and it''s actually quite user-friendly!" After signing his name in the record, and receiving an S3 pistol from the manager, Luff too stepped up to the firing position.


    To tell the truth, before the adoption of 9mm caliber ammunition and double-stack magazines, the magazine capacity of semi-automatic pistols wasn''t much better than that of revolvers.


    Early semi-automatic pistol magazines typically held only seven rounds, with the possibility of loading one additional round in the chamber under extreme circumstances, making for a special carrying capacity of eight rounds. However, for safety reasons, shooters generally wouldn''t opt for this risky method of loading.


    Therefore, the early magazine-fed semi-automatic pistols didn''t really have any advantage in terms of round capacity, so they were not significantly more powerful or advanced than revolvers.


    Moreover, due to constraints in the feeding mechanism, semi-automatic pistols were not very reliable when feeding rounds and clearing a jammed shell took more time, so many people were not fond of this new type of weapon.


    To be frank, at first, both Wes and many of the security troops officers of the Great Tang Group didn''t quite favor this new type of self-loading pistol that had been developed.


    However, the new weapon wasn''t without its merits, with the biggest advantage being¡ªspeed of reloading!


    The technical parameter that truly led to the obsolescence of revolvers in favor of semi-automatic pistols was indeed the speed of reloading! The simplicity of the action of ejecting a magazine and inserting a new one after firing seven rounds greatly improved the rate of fire.


    This newcomer looked weary from the journey, having not even had the chance to change his clothes before rushing to see the manager.


    He too wore a dandelion ring. Without any introductions, they both just looked at the ring and immediately broke into smiles.


    One rose to pour tea for the newcomer, while the other placed a bulging briefcase on the table.


    "Would you like some sugar? It''s a local specialty here, and it tastes quite good," the manager asked. Find your next adventure on m_v l|e-novelhall.net


    After a word of thanks, the visitor stated his business, "I''ve brought you something... these are the design plans for the S4 pistol."


    He then took out a thick stack of blueprints, the first of which was a colorful illustration of a peculiar pistol with a magazine in front of the trigger.


    "The master said that this can be sold or used to exchange for interests... If Shireck makes a move on you, your life comes first; if not, just join them¡ªit doesn''t matter." He pointed to the gun, originally known as the Mauser C96, then took the warm tea from the other''s hands.


    "Join Shireck? They have indeed been pestering me lately. I''ve been considering whether to turn against them," the young manager said, picking up several blueprints from the desk and examining the designs of the new pistols.


    "No need! On one hand, these outdated technologies are meant to lead them on a wild goose chase," the newcomer replied, unceremoniously taking a seat in the chair usually occupied by the manager, "I''m here to assist you."


    "You are quite forthright. I''ll have the technical department handed over to you," the young manager said, sitting casually on his own desk and admiring the blueprints, "But is there really no problem with handing these over to Shireck?"


    Having a technical background himself, he had started from scratch in this foreign place with design plans for an outdated rifle from the Great Tang Group.


    Now, an innocent man of considerable local influence, he still hadn''t forgotten his identity and mission.


    "Rest assured! I didn''t just bring the S4 pistol blueprints; I''ve also brought a set of telegraphs! From now on, we can directly hear Brunas''s voice!"


    "Really? Wouldn''t others be able to hear as well?" The manager was taken aback and asked with some confusion.


    "No one can understand our language... because of... this." The visitor took out a copy of ''Travels of Wright'' published by Brunas, boasting, "Our encryption system is far more advanced than others."


    "Alright, I''ll take your word for it. Next time those troublesome Shireck fellows come around, I''ll pretend to be at my wits'' end and have a proper talk with them," the manager said with a mischievous grin.


    "Well, congratulations, Mr. Future Head of Shireck," the other dandelion taunted with a smile.


    "You''re my chief technical engineer! Brother! You''re a man of Shireck now!" The manager said, and then burst into laughter.


    Their laughter subsided as they began poring over the desk, studying the new Mauser pistol plans. Honestly, this was far more advanced and complicated than the committee rifles they were currently producing.

 Chapter 255: Some luxury goods

    The Brunas Grand Hotel has always been a calling card of this city; for a long time after its construction, it remained unsurpassed.


    To say it is the most luxurious hotel in the world might be an overstatement, but it indeed is one of the most luxurious hotels in the world.


    What made it even more popular was its use of electric lighting, a novelty not yet widespread in this world, which made the hotel brighter and more distinctive.


    Besides, it offered many special services, including the local Brunas cuisine invented by Tang Mo, as well as the most popular song and dance performances.


    In the Leite Kingdom, or perhaps within the nearby kingdoms, the most influential singer, Susan, often performed here, and it almost always was her inevitable choice of accommodation when she visited Brunas.


    At this moment, within the lavishly decorated hotel lobby, on stage, Susan was softly humming a song that was making its first appearance in this world to the accompaniment of the band.


    Her seductive red lips slightly parted, swaying minimally on the stage, a first-time appearance of white light beams hitting her, making her jewelry reflect dazzling light.


    "The military port''s night is so very still,


    The waves gently rock the warship,


    The young sailors, with waves as their pillows,


    In their sleep, show sweet smiles."


    Susan''s voice was very gentle, and while she sang this part, it was as if she was humming a lullaby.


    At that moment, there seemed to be a halo behind her, a sensation that mesmerized many ladies of high society, who also longed for such a radiant moment.


    Truly the center of attention, truly brilliant and dazzling, truly envy-inducing, truly captivating to the point of making one linger and forget to return...


    Many men also swallowed hard, and numerous wealthy patrons were inquiring whose high-level executive Susan from the Great Tang Group was possibly entangled with on stage.


    If she truly had something to do with the mysterious Mr. Tang, they wouldn''t dare make a move, but if she was still unattached, it was time to show off and flaunt their magic charm.


    "Gentle is the sea breeze''s touch,


    Gently do the waves sway,


    How laborious is the sailor''s voyage afar.


    Upon returning to the motherland''s embrace,


    Let our sailors sleep soundly."


    On stage, Susan continued to sing with deep emotion, her graceful figure incredibly captivating.


    Under the stage, those in the know paid no attention to the murmuring inquiries of the rich bugs.


    Today was the day the Great Tang Group''s navy fleet set out to sea, with three Brunas-class warships leaving the harbor, quickly heading towards the battlefield they were destined for.


    Leaving in advance were also 30 transport ships supporting the operation, these sailing vessels laden with supplies and shells, heading for Hotwind Port.


    In Hotwind Port, the Great Tang Group had already prepared coal and various supplies in advance, which would greatly shorten the supply line lengths for this southern expedition.


    When the dawn''s glow reddens the sea,


    Look, our warships are ready to weigh anchor."


    In the midst of this song, 3 Brunas-class ironclad warships leaving the port of the Great Tang Group joined a larger and sleeker Ironclad Warship in the night and then sped off into the distance.


    The thick smoke from the three warships was obscured by the night, and the Soldiers standing on the deck gazed at the distant port, moved to tears by the beautiful night view.


    Brunas is the first genuine city that never sleeps in this world, its lights are like stars, and its night scene is unparalleled. .net


    Eventually, it may be surpassed by the safer and more reliable Dragon Island, but indeed, it has illuminated this era, lighting the way forward for all living beings.


    At the backstage exit, Tang Mo held his head high, while Wes helped him adjust his tie, "Do you know why I deliberately sold the S4 handgun to Shireck?"


    "I''m sure you have your profound reasons," Wes said as he retracted his hand with satisfaction and spoke to Tang Mo.


    Tucked under his arm was a delicate S2 handgun, a Left-Wheel Handgun with six bullets.


    This banquet had strict security checks; almost no one but him was allowed to carry a weapon.


    Of course, if Tang Mo wanted to bring a handgun himself, nobody would object ¡ª but it seemed unnecessary to do so.


    Those who could enter here were mostly well-known individuals with backgrounds that could withstand investigation, and most would not commit the madness of assassination.


    So, having Wes carry a handgun was just a precaution; there was not much chance it would be used. If things really kicked off, the security Troops outside the venue could rush in to protect Tang Mo at any moment.


    Hearing Wes''s response, Tang Mo laughed and said, "Actually, there''s no special profound reason. It''s just about setting a trap for them to see if they can be led astray, delaying the time it takes for them to get back on the right path, that''s all."


    "That''s impressive enough," Wes always thought that Tang Mo''s schemes were not quite in line with his actual age.


    Tang Mo explained further, "Yes, we are in the accumulation phase. A brand-new bullet production line is being built on Dragon Island and in Hotwind and Osa, and soon we will be able to mass-produce real automatic weapons."


    "Real... automatic weapons?" Wes thought that the S3 and S4 weapons were already quite good automatic weapons.


    Tang Mo nodded and mentioned the new weapon still in the mass production preparation phase, "Yes, the C-series weapons of the Great Tang Group."


    "C-series weapons? I think I''ve heard of them," Wes had also heard mention of this highly confidential weapon.


    "Yes, submachine guns, a kind of weapon that Soldiers can carry individually, firing automatically non-stop, just like the G1 machine gun," Tang Mo said with a proud smile on his face.


    These were his finest creations, weapons that would ensure the security forces of the Great Tang Group could crush their enemies.


    "My goodness," Wes certainly knew of the Maxim machine gun, which was the hottest selling weapon of the Great Tang Group now: the G1 machine gun!


    The G1 machine gun had given the defenders on the battlefield a tremendous advantage and had started to change the way battles were fought.


    Wes found it hard to imagine what it would mean for the world to have a portable, single-soldier version of the G1 machine gun on the battlefield.


    Tang Mo helped Wes picture the wonderful future, "By that time, the battlefield situation will change completely, and our advantage will be truly realized."


    "Now, wars have already changed," Wes said after a thought, then he made a comment.

 Chapter 256: 252 The person standing in the gray

    "That''s right, it has indeed changed, but... it hasn''t changed enough! It hasn''t yet become unrecognizable, nor has it become ghastly and terrifying... When the day comes that it truly metamorphoses into what it should be, you''ll realize... that no one but us likes war," Tang Mo said with a self-deprecating laugh.


    He was never a good person to begin with. He could feel immense pity for a child, yet he was incapable of taking responsibility for all the children in war.


    It was only with the boom of guns that his career might take off¡ªwar was actually the driving force behind human progress, and it was only through conflict that humans were willing to advance at all costs.


    What''s an arms dealer? A true arms dealer sells cannons to both sides, then hoards bandages and stretchers, while finding ways to spread hatred among humanity.


    So he didn''t mind becoming the original sin of this world, because often the original sin is also the hope of this world.


    When darkness reaches its extreme, it becomes a dazzling light, yet behind the light there is always a patch of darkness that it cannot illuminate.


    This world is never just black and white; between these two colors, there is a vast expanse of despair-inducing gray.


    Tang Mo had always walked within this gray area, and he had grown accustomed to the feeling. He had no psychological burden, because even if there were no him, there would be Shireck, and others worse than him to fill the void. .net


    He didn''t mind the war, nor did he dislike peace; he simply whispered in the ears of those who longed for war, urging them to take up arms. And behind those who yearned for peace, he provided the rifles and cannons to protect them...


    He was willing to sell medicine and stretchers to those who stirred up war, and he was also willing to sell bullets and bayonets to those messengers of peace¡ª that was all.


    A servant walked in, gave a slight bow to Tang Mo, and then said as a reminder, "Sir, it is time for you to enter the hall."


    "Let''s go! Let''s see who our honored guests are today," Tang Mo said to Wes before leading him into the cheering venue.


    "Mr. Tang has arrived!" The servant cleared a path and announced loudly to the sparkling hall, his voice causing a brief silence throughout the banquet hall before everyone began to clap their hands.


    "Hurrah!" Everyone was applauding, making way for Tang Mo to walk leisurely to the center of the hall.


    Standing amidst the crowded guests, the businessman who had just been discussing investment strategies with a friend was taken aback with delight as Tang Mo passed by, greeting him, "It is truly an honor to meet you."


    On the other side of the path cleared by the crowd, a bejeweled young girl clutched her chest, her face flushed with courage as she blurted out her introduction, "My name is Aileen... Sir..."


    They behaved as if they were starstruck fans, screaming crazily, even more fervently and devoutly than when they saw Susan.


    After all, he was their fashion godfather, the man who led them in luxury, telling them what the life of the rich was like.


    Why has aesthetics become more niche? It''s because the process of aesthetic judgment is about distinguishing social classes. It inherently involves filtering and catering.


    What''s that? This bag costs 2 million? It''s so beautiful! How dare you say this white, transparent, and shiny thing is a plastic bag? Stop joking! What you''re carrying is a plastic bag, what I''m carrying is an aura of noble elegance, modest luxury!


    In the end, it''s all nonsense. People believe the nonsense from Chanel and Armani, but no one cares about the common folk''s complaints¡ªthat''s the difference.


    "Ah! Sky blue! Just hearing it makes one tear up!" A female tycoon from the clothing industry had already shed tears, having heard rumors that this year Brunas was pushing sky blue, so she had stocked up in advance.


    Half of her tears were moved by beauty, and the other half were excited by money¡ªshe was going to make a fortune, at least 1500 Gold Coins in one summer.


    Models who had been prepared in advance walked out one by one, showcasing their beauty and likewise demonstrating the brilliance of the upcoming summer to everyone.


    The applause never stopped, as jewelers from other kingdoms, fabric merchants, and famous tailors all saw profit and hope here.


    "For franchising matters, you can talk to John; he is the expert in this area, isn''t that right?" Amidst the clinking of glasses, Tang Mo introduced to those seeking collaboration, "The fashion business of Great Tang is managed by him; I am actually just a layman."


    "How can you say that, sir! If you are a layman, then we are just a bunch of ignoramuses, hahaha!" A very famous tailor from the Dorne Kingdom offered a sycophantic laugh.


    "You all think too highly of me," Tang Mo quickly brushed off the compliment with a modest wave, indicating he wasn''t as remarkable as others claimed.


    However, the topic soon shifted to licensing and collaboration, as everyone wanted to open a fashion store under the Great Tang Group on their own turf, and they were willing to share a portion of the business profits with them.


    To expand his influence, Tang Mo naturally agreed to the general idea of propagating Great Tang Group''s fashion concepts and swiftly lent his verbal support.


    "Well, let''s start testing the waters in Dorne and Suthers; after all, we are so poor that all we have is money," Tang Mo joked, but his words were what everyone wanted to hear.


    "Hahaha! Sir, you really are joking," roared a businessman with laughter, as if he had heard a very funny joke.


    Everyone there knew very well that if Tang Mo claimed to be poor, then they all were mere beggars on the verge of starvation.


    They''d work themselves to death for a year to make 10,000 Gold Coins, and that was considered decent. Worse yet, sometimes they only made a profit of 3000 or even 2000 Gold Coins a year.


    But it was well-known that the high-end products of Great Tang Group were priced in tens of thousands of Gold Coins, with collaborations often in the hundreds of thousands. Projects with investments over a million Gold Coins were common.


    That is why Great Tang fashion became the true fashion: because of capital! An exceedingly robust capital! A vast capital that people feared and revered...


    After all, who would pick a quarrel with money?

 Chapter 257: He does not like me.

    The life of gilded decadence was everywhere in Brunas, where everything was so novel and so tempting.


    In the past, Tang Mo had produced 100,000 pieces of railroad track, including those made on Dragon Island, in Brunas, Northern Ridge, and other places.


    These tracks laid out over 800 kilometers of railway, with some extra kept as replacements and for maintenance purposes.


    Of course, there were also some tracks in transit, so those had not yet become part of the railway and were not included in the count.


    Among these, the Leite Kingdom had the longest stretch of railway within its borders, totaling more than 470 kilometers, which accounted for over half of the total railway mileage. Your adventure continues at m v|l-e''-novelhall.net


    This included the railroads from Brunas to Northern Ridge, Northern Ridge to Ice Crystal City, and the yet-to-be-completed line from Brunas to King City.


    In addition, another railway on Dragon Island was also under construction, though it wasn''t particularly long in kilometers.


    Aside from the railway line from Brunas to Wolf City and then to Ice Crystal City, which had been completed, none of the other railways were connected, and they had not yet recouped their costs.


    Tang Mo''s warships had only just sailed southward, and some new warships were not yet finished, so the anticipated gains from the pre-emptive strike against the Taren Kingdom hadn''t had time to be realized.


    The transfer of the Telegraph Office had only just been completed, and its management was still somewhat chaotic¡ªwith so many problems cropping up at once, even Tang Mo''s Great Tang Group felt a bit overwhelmed.


    Over the past year, the Great Tang Group had scattered many a dandelion, leading inevitably to a sense of internal emptiness and a slight feeling of lacking in managerial talent.


    Furthermore, the Tang Group had always controlled the numbers of its private army, and compared to the expansion of its factory scale, its armed forces clearly had not been significantly strengthened.


    While Tang Mo was clinking glasses with several celebrities in the fashion circle at a cocktail party, a special envoy from the Leite Kingdom hurried into the hall and found Tang Mo, who was busy socializing.


    "Sir, I hope you can speak with me in private," the special envoy said in a lowered voice after taking a glance at the people around Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo sensed the tension in the envoy''s tone, so he nodded to the people around him, offered a word of apology, and gestured for the Leite Kingdom''s special envoy to follow him.


    The two came to a lounge next to the hall, where several guests kissing there embarrassingly made way for Tang Mo, hurrying out of the room.


    Wes closed the door and leaned against it, watching the troubled face of the Leite Kingdom''s special envoy, who was aware that Tang Mo almost never asked Wes to leave on such occasions.


    The envoy from the Leite Kingdom continued to stress, "At least according to the information I''ve got, it was the Germelin troops who fired the first shot."


    Tang Mo scoffed derisively and said, "You have a thousand ways to make them fire the first shot. That sort of trick might fool the average person, but do you really think I would believe it?"


    "It''s the truth, sir! The Germelin troops took the initiative to cause trouble and they were the ones who launched the attack first... They used new artillery and were also armed with K1 Quick Guns," the envoy, though a bit embarrassed, persisted in his explanation.


    "Are you telling the truth?" Tang Mo instantly realized that his old rival might be causing trouble again.


    The envoy nodded desperately, confirming to Tang Mo, "Yes, they also used new types of shells and had an absolute numerical advantage. They have assembled at least 50 cannons and our troops are currently resisting fiercely on the border. However, they won''t be able to hold on much longer."


    After carefully reading the telegram he had received from King City, the telegraph confirmed that at least 50 new cannons had been assembled by the opposition and they were using explosive shells. If it were not for commanders who had graduated from the Great Tang Military Academy arranging fortifications at the border in advance, the border defenses might have already been breached.


    Raising his eyebrows, Tang Mo asked the other party, "Are you saying that the Germelin Kingdom received enough munitions from the Shireck Consortium to take the initiative against the Leite Kingdom?"


    "That''s one way to put it," the envoy said, assured that Germelin Kingdom''s arms had nothing to do with the Great Tang Group since all land transport for Tang Mo had to cross the Leite Kingdom to reach Germelin.


    Since it was not the Great Tang Group that sold these advanced weapons and equipment, it must have been the Shireck Consortium, who had been mass-producing imitations of Great Tang''s military products.


    "It seems our old rival doesn''t want us to peacefully surpass them," Tang Mo said with a slight nod to the envoy.


    The envoy then praised the telegraphs provided by the Great Tang Group: "King His Majesty is personally leading three corps to the border. Thanks to the telegraphs, we''ve been able to mobilize our troops so quickly."


    "At least the reinforcements are already on their way, that''s good news," Tang Mo nodded again.


    Seeing that Tang Mo seemed to believe his words, the envoy promptly requested, "We need your support, hoping to purchase more cannons, more machine guns, and more advanced weapons, sir!"


    "If you''re willing, I can immediately allocate 2 machine guns and 1,500 K1 Quick Guns on loan to you," Tang Mo immediately arranged some of his existing stock for the Leite Kingdom.


    Hearing Tang Mo''s words, the envoy immediately expressed his gratitude with a joyful expression, "Thank you so much! May the gods be with you."


    "The gods have never sided with me! They don''t like me," Tang Mo replied before heading over to Wes, "Tell Parker to urgently dispatch the 20 newly produced C64 cannons that were ready to be shipped to Dorne to the Leite Kingdom instead. I''ll explain the rest to the envoy from Dorne."


    "Understood!" Wes immediately nodded and then helped Tang Mo open the door.


    The sound of laughter and chatter from outside poured in, and Tang Mo saw many people whispering among themselves. Clearly, someone had used the telegraph to spread the news that war had broken out again, all the way to Brunas!

 Chapter 258: 254 new official positions

    "Boom!" A shell smashed into the rudimentary position, and a soldier holding a K1 rifle patted the dust off his head and poked his head out to look at the distant enemy troops.


    The opposing soldiers didn''t seem to want to attack right away but instead were waiting for sufficient ammunition to bombard the target area into flat ground.


    These bloom shells produced by Shireck were imitations of Great Tang Group''s howitzer shells, albeit rougher.


    After all, the chemical agents inside their fuze ignition devices were just first-generation products with little improvement.


    Great Tang Group had always been improving its formulas, which led to the successive development of bullet and shell technology. They never stopped their progress, so the technology gap between them and conglomerates like Shireck didn''t narrow but widened instead.


    Of course, at the current stage, there wasn''t enough generation gap between the two sides, so the firepower seemed to match closely, making the battle quite indecisive.


    Another shell whistled past, hitting the hill behind these Leite soldiers and exploding loudly, kicking up a cloud of dust.


    Unlike Great Tang Group''s standard calibers of 75mm and 120mm, Shireck chose more aggressive calibers of 80mm and 130mm for their artillery. After all, there were no mandatory standards or regulations in this world, so they didn''t follow the same caliber standards as Great Tang Group when it came to producing more experienced ordnance.


    Additionally, for rifles, they also chose a slightly larger caliber than Great Tang Group''s K1 needle-firing gun and used different bullets.


    In short, nowadays, if one purchased Shireck''s needle-firing guns, they would not consider accepting weapons like Great Tang Group''s needle-firing guns anymore.


    Both sides'' weapons had formed different systems, and it seemed that most of the kingdoms buying needle guns and artillery from Shireck had strained relationships with the Tri-Kingdom Alliance supported by Great Tang Group.


    The reason Shireck chose larger calibers was that their artillery production precision was still problematic, including the fuze of the shells and the power of the charges. These aspects seemed to lag behind Great Tang Group''s standard products, so they had to rely on larger calibers to make up for the deficiencies.


    This was similar to why most Soviet products were quite large: since the precision wasn''t there, they compensated for lack of accuracy with increased size.


    The C64 cannon of Great Tang Group, to be honest, was technically outdated, but it was still the mainstream equipment for various countries.


    Similarly, in this war, both sides used rear-loading cannons extensively for the first time and switched all their infantry to breech-loading rifles, hence the Leite War was also known as the first breech-loading weapons battle.


    However, at this moment, the most equipped and main artillery on the battlefield were still the retreat cannons¡ªthey were actually of average firing precision and required very professional shooting operations to maintain an acceptable level of accuracy.


    So, although greatly outnumbered in terms of artillery, the Leite Kingdom''s border defense forces clearly had superior artillery skills compared to the ''shrimp soldiers and crab generals'' of the Kingdom of Germelin.


    After all, these gunners were all graduates of the Great Tang Group''s Military Academy, and while they might not measure up to the best, they were certainly more than sufficient compared to the rest.


    Moreover, the performance of both sides'' artillery was similar, so the artillery duel was truly protracted, which frustrated the commanders of both sides.


    Not all units had the luxury of being accompanied by medical personnel; in this era, most armies relied on soldiers to transport the wounded. Those with light injuries walked back to the field hospitals themselves, while those with serious injuries were left on the battlefield, left to their own fate until after the battle when soldiers would bring them to the rear.


    From this, it could be seen that the troop organization of the Great Tang Group was definitely ahead of its time. They had administrative staff, medics, and even specialized Engineer Corps and sniper detachments.


    Because of this, an infantry regiment of the Great Tang Group could command 3 battalions, with a total manpower close to 2000. While the corps of other nations of this era still adhered to the standard 1500-man structure.


    "My troops have suffered a bit too much, with over 100 soldiers injured or dead. Where are the reinforcements?" On a reverse slope far from the battlefield, inside a tent set up early on, the Leite Kingdom''s commander pinched his chin and asked the young staff officer beside him.


    After pondering for a few seconds, touching the dandelion ring on his finger, the staff officer replied, "Based on the number of losses, we should be able to hold out here for over a day."


    "Then my corps will be crippled..." said the commander wincing, "By that time, we won''t be able to participate in the subsequent operations."


    "We''ve almost run out of the reserved ammunition. If we keep fighting, the artillery will go silent, and then the situation will get even worse," the officer said, annoyed, bringing up the issue of artillery again.


    Their defensive line, having been targeted as a breakthrough point by the enemy, had been bombarded for a day and a night, and now everyone felt a sense of exhaustion.


    "We still have machine guns," the staff officer reminded.


    "Thank goodness you didn''t let me deploy the machine gun squad to the front line! If we had revealed that card, the situation would be even more passive now," the corps commander said with an appreciative look, "Although this is your first time in actual combat, you''ve performed very well."


    Hiding such a powerful weapon brought a bit of confidence to the commander''s heart. He knew the power of machine guns, and revealing them during a decisive battle would likely cost the enemy dearly.


    "Thank you for your praise, sir!" The young staff officer nodded slightly in thanks.


    "It''s not just praise! The defensive lines you helped build withstood the enemy''s attacks, and you also arranged our corps'' logistics and resource distribution without any confusion, everything in order..." The officer looked at the young man and said, "I plan to write a report and apply to His Majesty the King to officially create the position of staff officer in the military."


    "You know, I''m just here for an internship," the young man said with a smile.


    "After your internship, you''ll have to find a job, right? Come work for me as chief of staff! Even the deputy corps commander will have to listen to you! How about that?"


    "What else can I do? You call the shots," the young man said with a laugh, touching the ring on his finger again.


    "Sir!" While the two were conversing, a captain parted the tent flap and entered, reporting, "A section of our position was hit by a shell, 3 dead, 7 injured."


    "Ah... where on earth are the King''s reinforcements?" The corps commander looked at the map again, muttering annoyedly.


    ```

 Chapter 259: Lets chat for a while too

    In the southern part of the Leite Kingdom, within the territory of the Dorne Kingdom, on the square of a small town, a man was waving his fists, shouting hoarsely, "They took our food! They don''t treat us like humans! We should stand up and resist! Drive these bastards from Dorne off our land!"


    He stood on a wooden crate, which bore the symbol of the Xilun Kingdom Commerce Association, containing flour that had been brought from afar, and the reason why so many people had gathered here.


    Because by standing here and listening to the man''s speech, everyone could receive a kilogram of flour, albeit not so fresh.


    But flour was still edible, even if not that fresh. So everyone was willing to wait a while, thus the place was packed with people, almost like a sea of humanity.


    The expansion of the Dorne Kingdom had been rapid, and although it had stabilized recently, it had still annexed an area almost as large as its own, doubling its territory.


    Suddenly having so much more territory to manage, the domestic officials of Dorne were at their wits'' end. They had no choice but to relax the management of some areas, allowing some low-level officials to engage in unrestrained extortion on the newly occupied territories.


    After all, wars are fought for profit, and aside from developing new lands, the best way to profit was to exploit the labor of the occupied territories.


    With management lagging behind and the resources consumed by warfare needing rapid replenishment, coupled with the entire kingdom thinking of continuing to expand the military, some dissatisfaction inevitably arose in the occupied territories.


    For ordinary farmers, the confiscation of their grain and wealth was an unforgivable grievance.


    In the crowd, a farmer¡ªwhether prearranged or suddenly inspired¡ªraised his arm, angrily fanning the emotions of those around him, "Right! They are nothing but beasts! The food that we have toiled so hard to grow is being taken away by them! We should drive them out!"


    On another side of the crowd, another man became incited. He too raised his arm, shouting angrily, "This is our country! Outsiders can never be relied upon!"


    They were not lacking in courage, nor were they short of determination to protect their country and homes. It was only because those officials who rode roughshod over them were too cowardly and greedy that their kingdom had been annihilated by Dorne.


    The greedy, cowardly military had almost no fighting power, utterly defeated by the enemy''s modern weapons, and in the end, even King City had fallen.


    But this did not mean they could not defeat Dorne. As long as they had weapons like those of Dorne, they could take back everything they had lost!


    Now! Shireck had promised to provide them with weapons, advanced ones! They would soon be able to chase away the Dorne garrison and become the new officials, the new slavers and farm owners, ruling the country themselves!


    At this thought, the man who had been covertly inciting the crowd, swinging his fists, began to shout with even more effort, "This is our country! Outsiders can never be relied upon!"


    The crowd grew noisy, whispering among themselves, and the flames in the eyes of many young people could no longer be hidden.


    Then, a timid and honest farmer, holding a hoe, stood in the midst of the crowd and began to express his doubts, "But... before, those farm owners, those slave owners... they also took away most of our food." Find adventures on m_v l|-novelhall.net


    Yes, in his view, those former officials were hardly any better than the officials from Dorne.


    "We shall march into Leite! Into Brunas!" greedier voices joined the frenzied throng.


    A storm was brewing in Dorne...


    ...


    "Your Highness, the prince... has he lost his mind..." Tang Mo asked the orc standing beside the girl¡ªor rather, if she could truly be called a girl...


    There was a bit of discrepancy between this girl and the traditional image Tang Mo had of a young maiden, or rather, the girl standing before him was what would have been referred to in his past life''s memories as a "beast girl."


    Right now, the girl standing before Tang Mo had fluffy ears on either side of her head, which made it hard for him to contain the heat rising in his body.


    She, in turn, was sizing up Tang Mo with wide, appealing eyes that fluttered, prompting in a man the irresistible urge to commit a crime.


    It must be said that Tang Mo had seen his fair share of beauties before the crossing, and even after crossing paths with Alice, she was a top-tier beauty. But the temptation standing before him now... he had never faced such a challenge before.


    "She is the one we chose from among the Gales Kingdom''s refugees. The prince''s intention is... that she... is our way of thanking Mr. Tang... a gift," the orc who delivered the cat-eared girl said humbly.


    "That''s not really appropriate... How can a person be treated as a gift?" Tang Mo said, wavering and reluctant, even he himself could hear the shaking in his voice.


    He was neither a paragon of fidelity nor a chaste scholar. Faced with such a novel and... delightful encounter, he still retained a spirit of exploration.


    "The prince asked that you please accept her... If you don''t, she will be killed upon her return," the persistent orc emissary urged.


    Orcs might be this world''s most ludicrous race, with their females occasionally becoming exotic beauties while the males were so ugly with green faces and sharp teeth, nowhere near a match for each other.


    To make matters worse, orc men passed on their strong genes to their sons, while orc women''s genes were carried on by their daughters, resulting in an odd race where the men were hideously ugly, and the women, strikingly beautiful.


    In fact, aside from being momentarily moved, Tang Mo didn''t really know what to do with this cat-eared girl.


    Keeping her close as a personal maid or such, he worried about loyalty issues; even serving tea and delivering water might involve the risk of her poisoning or assassination attempt. Even if it was just to indulge in a night of frivolity, Tang Mo didn''t want to be a debauched apparition under the peony.


    This was akin to a tycoon visiting a nightclub; although the beauties were enticing, they could easily become liabilities and lose even more. Hence, they often stayed clear of unfamiliar environments and people¡ªBrother Dong didn''t heed the warning, so he paid a heavy price, a lesson learned in blood.


    "Killed? That would be a crime against nature," Tang Mo remarked while stroking his chin: "Then she shall stay! Such a beauty, it''s nice to chat with... don''t you agree, Wes?"


    "Yes, you''re right," Wes glanced at Tang Mo, teasingly adding a comment: "Very right."

 Chapter 260: 256 Yueer

    Some people are born with good fortune, some with meager fates, and yet others find their lives transformed, soaring to great heights upon meeting their benevolent patron.


    Wes didn''t know if he qualified as such a patron, but it was clear that he had altered the destiny of a beastkin cat girl.


    The adorable kitten standing before him didn''t even have a name, as many of the impoverished among the beastkin lacked one.


    But this didn''t entirely testify to the cat girl''s dismal fate, as beastkin females of higher status had been caught up in the wars, some even sold off to other countries, never to be heard from again.


    It was precisely because she was born into the poorest family that she had escaped tragedy and awaited the return of the orc prince.


    This little girl, who had never had enough to eat or adequate clothing, was selected, well-fed for two or three months, and then dressed up and sent to Wes.


    It was the decent food and drink that had allowed her beauty to shine through like a dusty jewel finally revealing its dazzling brilliance.


    Now that this jewel had come into Wes''s possession, he felt as if he had a bit of the savior experience.


    He could save this girl, or at least provide her with a relatively stable life. Thus, he took interest in the girl who had been presented to him as a gift, asking, "You really don''t have a name?"


    "No! My mother always called me ''Stick'', she thought I was too skinny to do any work," the girl said, hanging her head low and eyeing the food in front of her, not daring to reach for it.


    The most powerful person she had ever seen was the prince of Gales. She thought she would become the prince''s woman, but instead, the prince fed her well and eventually had someone send her to Brunas.


    It wasn''t until she arrived at the port in Brunas that she saw what real wealth looked like.


    At the docks, a rich man propositioned the beastkin official escorting her, offering 1,000 Gold Coins to buy her.


    But when the beastkin official mentioned something about presenting her to a gentleman, the other man broke into a cold sweat, apologized profusely, and hastily retreated to a distance without another glance her way.


    Then... she got into a car and arrived at a place where tall chimneys belched smoke into the air. The air smelled somewhat foul, but she could still sense the prosperity of the place.


    People seen through the car window dressed elegantly, streets brimming with laughing, frolicking children, and buildings that reached as high as ten stories¡ªand there wasn''t even a defensive wall in sight!


    As these distractions filled her thoughts, a plate with roasted fish was placed before the little cat.


    "I don''t know what you like to eat, but I suppose cats always love fish," Wes guessed cleverly, sure he had guessed the girl''s preference.


    Seeing the fish, the little cat''s face fell. She had eaten plenty of fish in Osa Port, thinking it might be the most delicious food in the world.


    Then she ate fish for a long time at sea, and the mere sight of it began to make her feel nauseous.


    Now... it seemed that this formidable person before her wanted her to eat fish again. She felt so desperate; she really wanted to try some of the more distant meats and the tempting-looking meatballs instead.


    "It won''t do to be nameless," Wes said, looking at the cat girl who wasn''t interested in the fish. After a moment of thought, he spoke, "Stick definitely won''t do. From now on, you''ll be called Yue''er."


    The stuff just mentioned all had to be transported using horse-drawn carriages and the not-so-powerful T-model cars.


    Additionally, since the eastern region of the kingdom had not established a complete system of gas stations yet, the cars'' fuel might have to be carried separately.


    This was not a transport operation; it was a disaster!


    According to the analysis of Great Tang Group''s Staff Department, the transportation troops could barely reach King City; they were already close to their limit.


    "Master, according to the plan, of the 100 cars we''ve mustered, I expect more than half will be incapacitated before reaching King City," Luff gave a relatively pessimistic forecast, which was also a fair conclusion reached after discussion by a group of staff officers.


    Pointing to the map spread out on the table, he waited until Tang Mo looked over before continuing, "There are not many gas stations along the way, so we need to prepare an additional 10 cars just to transport gasoline."


    Tang Mo pinched his chin, staring down at the map, eying the uncompleted railway, as if lost in thought.


    "The roads along the way don''t have any asphalt; it''s all bumpy dirt roads. The cars will be in poor condition when driving, and their wear rate will surely be higher than estimated," Luff observed Tang Mo''s silence and continued, "Fully loaded with ammo, after the carts pulling heavy artillery pass through, these roads will certainly become damaged and deformed.


    Cars traveling on such roads will take at least twice the time."


    "What if, I mean what if, we reallocate resources and push through the completion of the railway from Brunas to King City in one go?" Tang Mo suddenly turned towards Parker, who had been silent this whole time, and asked.


    "Master, that would require a construction team of 3,000 people and enough rails," Parker explained somewhat hesitantly.


    "Divert the rails prepared for Dragon Island and ensure the railway construction from Brunas to King City with all our might! Any problems? How many days would it take?"


    "Five days?" Parker estimated and replied, "No matter the cost, five days should be sufficient."


    "That''ll do! Harry!" Tang Mo looked towards his manager.


    "Yes!" Harry immediately responded.


    "Use our private communication channel and code, send a telegram to the people in King City! Have them present the telegram to Leite VII... and ask him if he can hold out with his troops and resources for 5 days!"


    "In 5 days! He''ll have no more worries about logistics," Tang Mo said confidently.


    "Yes! I understand!" Li''ao, who stood there, immediately turned to carry out the tasks Tang Mo had arranged.


    .net


    Tang Mo then looked at Harry again, "Place orders with all the merchants we can contact, purchase food, steel, copper, horses, and any other strategic resources you can name... The bill, I will sooner or later send to the king of Germelin!"


    -------------


    The second update will be made up during the day tomorrow; I won''t stay up late tonight. Just informing everyone, so you don''t wait, sorry.

 Chapter 261: 257 Worries

    "To hold out for five days... the question is whether or not we can actually last five days," muttered King Leite VII of the Leite Kingdom, his face grim as he looked at the telegram in his hand.


    He had already mobilized almost all the troops in the Royal City. Two legions were already on their way to reinforce the border, and he was about to leave the Royal City himself to go to the real frontlines.


    At this time, his greater concern was the vulnerable Royal City, where only the last legion remained to hold the fort, with the rest of the troops being far away.


    "Your Majesty, although there''s only one legion left, it is the most elite unit with the best equipment, so there''s no need to worry too much," the old Prime Minister said, attempting to reassure him.


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    The troops at the border must be saved, and the defenses of the Royal City must not be relaxed carelessly. This place was the foundation of the Leite Kingdom, as well as King Leite VII''s true base of operations.


    If he had any confidence left, it was in this Royal City of Leite. As the king, he had managed the city for so many years and had accumulated some strength.


    Nevertheless, he still looked at the old Prime Minister with lingering worry: "You know what I am worried about."


    As his stronghold, the strongest power in the Royal City was naturally himself, but in recent years, another force had emerged here that could not be underestimated.


    This force was the Great Tang Group. If Shireck had once stood toe-to-toe with the King in the Royal City, then the Great Tang Group now had the same capability.


    On the surface, the Great Tang Group had countless supporters, all of whom had tied their interests to the Great Tang Group and would naturally waver at critical moments to stand on its side.


    In secret, the entertainment division under the Great Tang Group, along with the power of the Silver Fox Company, were also quite formidable¡ªthe organization was tightly run and possessed a vast amount of military arms.


    If these forces stirred trouble after he left the Royal City, combined with the Great Tang Group''s accumulated power elsewhere, all Tang Mo would need to do is call to arms, and King Leite VII might as well announce his abdication.


    It was a classic case of making bridal clothes for someone else; hence the king of Leite hesitated, still undecided about leaving his Royal City even now.


    The old Prime Minister knew what his king feared most was the safety of his Royal City, so he spoke, "Your Majesty, things are much simpler than we think. Your worry is completely unnecessary. Tang Mo won''t take the opportunity to attack the Royal City. Although he is greedy for wealth and indulges in pleasures, he does have his limits.


    If he truly desired a country, or wanted to expand his territory, he certainly had better opportunities."


    "Oh?" clearly, King Leite VII did not wish to place his safety on such an ephemeral notion as a man having limits in his actions.


    Therefore, the old Prime Minister continued to explain, "Whether it was blockading the Poplar Kingdom or helping Northern Ridge defeat Suthers, he had the chance to cultivate his own forces and seize more land at those times."


    Indeed, Tang Mo had many opportunities to expand his territories. If he wanted, he could even directly claim a piece of land.


    No one would refuse his demands, especially when the Great Tang Group was willing to pay a price; people were willing to do something in return.


    But the speaker was the Prime Minister, a loyal supporter of the King since the days when the Shireck Consortium reigned supreme in the kingdom, so the King knew the Prime Minister wasn''t speaking nonsense.


    Sure enough, the old Prime Minister explained: "King City is too close to Brunas. Once Brunas continues its growth and expansion, King City will, like the small towns surrounding Brunas now, be drained of its sustenance and eventually wither away."


    The aged man, who had always planned for the Kingdom''s prosperity and wished for it to thrive, shared his vision: "Instead of considering this when it''s too late, why not give King City to Tang Mo as a favor now? In return, we can find a city further east, move the capital there, and get what we deserve from Brunas."


    Upon hearing this suggestion, His Majesty began to seriously contemplate the matter. He often reviewed the development of the King City, and he had noticed that its growth had indeed slowed recently.


    According to data from ten years ago, many factories and workshops had been built around the King City, which theoretically should have led to a significant population surge.


    However, the reality was that due to the mass migration to Brunas and Dragon Island, the population growth in the King City over the past two years had been nearly nil...


    To say that this data was entirely unaffected by the influence of Great Tang Group''s Brunas and Dragon City would be false.


    Clearly, the expansion of Brunas and its demand for population had indeed caused the King City''s development to come to a standstill.


    Now, the suggestion put forward by the Prime Minister could indeed solve this problem. As long as there was enough distance from Brunas, it would not be able to affect the development pace of the King City.


    The King, hesitating, saw that his Prime Minister''s advice had an effect and continued to suggest, "For example, we could have Tang Mo promise to build the new King City into another Brunas, large in scale, bustling with population... and also... filled with many high-tech workshops...


    While we, on the new land, can distance ourselves from the Great Tang Group and take control of our own development path."


    Hearing the Prime Minister say this, His Majesty was indeed tempted and asked with some anticipation, "Do you think he would agree?"


    "I believe he will consider it! And as long as he considers, he won''t find the idea of attacking the King City to be a profitable venture," the old Prime Minister said smilingly to King Leite VII.


    This was his true aim, to make Tang Mo realize that the King City had its price and there was no need to rush!


    If Tang Mo accepted this price, he would definitely not risk the collapse of Leite Kingdom to plot against Leite Royal City at such a time.


    "You... make sense," said King Leite VII, his mood lifted as he addressed the Prime Minister, "After I''m gone, I''ll leave this place in your hands, Prime Minister."


    The Prime Minister bowed slightly and promised, "Your servant is willing to guard the King City for Your Majesty and will not let it fall into anyone''s hands."


    "I believe you!" Leite VII reached out to help the Prime Minister up and said, "Find someone to go to Brunas and have a good talk with Mr. Tang... about the price of the King City! As long as his offer is fair, what does moving the capital matter!"


    After all, the expansion of his Kingdom would always extend eastward, and moving the capital to the center of the Kingdom was undoubtedly better than being next to Brunas, wasn''t it?


    "Yes!" The Prime Minister bowed again in agreement.

 Chapter 262: Bayonet on 258

    "Charge!" Soldiers of the Kingdom of Germelin held their weapons and surged forward like a dark wave towards the defenses of the Leite Kingdom.


    The smoke from exploding shells had not yet fully cleared, and the soldiers in the trenches hadn''t had time to prepare for the incoming enemy when they saw the densely packed forces already near their trenches.


    "Bang!" A soldier armed with a K1 rifle aimed at an approaching enemy and skillfully pulled the trigger.


    A gunshot followed, but because of the chaos, he couldn''t see whether he had actually hit his target.


    No choice, he had to duck back into the trench and reload his rifle¡ªa complex process, and indeed still too slow compared to bolt-action rifles, despite the needle gun''s loading operation.


    After firing, the soldier had to clean the barrel, then load a new bullet into his rifle, and amidst the chaos, he also had to be cautious that the long firing pin inside the barrel of his rifle wouldn''t cause any accidents.


    This was one of the main reasons needle guns were quickly phased out: they were too expensive and tedious to reload, and the cartridges were difficult to preserve. In short, aside from being more advanced than flintlock guns, they were almost without merit.


    Finally, the soldier from Leite Kingdom had finished reloading and raised his rifle to aim at the distant enemy once more.


    The enemy was now much closer; he could even see that they were carrying almost identical weapons to his own.


    He pulled the trigger, then withdrew his neck, not even bothering to check if he had hit his target.


    The battle had been raging for two days now. The enemy couldn''t attack at night, so the fighting had been incredibly fierce for two consecutive days.


    In this era, there were no complex special tactics; coordinated infantry and artillery tactics had not yet been developed, so it was purely "artillery bombard, infantry charge, infantry charge then artillery bombard, artillery bombard then infantry charge..."


    However, with their overwhelming superiority in numbers, the Kingdom of Germelin was nearing success. As they committed more and more troops, Leite Kingdom''s defenses were increasingly stretched thin.


    The only Maxim machine gun in the legion had malfunctioned. After slaughtering close to 500 people, an internal part of this machine gun seemed to have broken, so the legion''s only trump card was completely out of the fight.


    All that was left was a contest of true will. Leite had lost more than 100 soldiers in two days of combat, with another 200 wounded and unable to continue fighting.


    This was already a fifth of the total number of troops. If artillery men and other personnel were excluded, nearly a third of the infantry legion''s front-line combat forces had been put out of action.


    That the troops hadn''t collapsed yet was entirely because among them were numerous interns from the Great Tang Military Academy holding the line.


    As the backbone of the force, they usually served as platoon leaders for the infantry squads. Their regular training had made the unit remarkably tough.


    It was just unfortunate that with no major differences in weaponry between the sides, the battle inevitably became bloody.


    Soon, the enemy''s troops approached the trenches, and intense hand-to-hand combat ensued. The sound of gunfire mixed with battle cries echoed throughout the position.


    The Leite Kingdom soldiers following behind the young officer from the Great Tang Military Academy also surged with momentum, evidently surpassing their enemies in close combat skills.


    Continue reading at mvl


    With cries like an avalanche, they thrust the weapons in their hands, killing their opponents or perishing alongside them.


    Casualties skyrocketed in an instant, beyond control. This brutal, irrational melee, amidst the chaos of the battlefield, allowed for any unexpected event.


    Enraged, it was entirely possible for one side to forsake defense in a bid to ensure mutual destruction with the enemy before them.


    Hence, soldiers from the Kingdom of Gemalin fell, as did soldiers from the Leite Kingdom; before long, countless bodies lay across the battlefield.


    "Bang!" A soldier from Gemalin, hidden among the crowd, raised his K2 lever-action rifle and shot dead a Leite Kingdom soldier attempting a bayonet thrust.


    Then, he spotted a valiant young officer from the Leite Kingdom, who had just taken down another enemy.


    His index, ring, and pinky fingers forcefully pushed forward, then snapped back into place¡ªthe lever-action rifle was reloaded. He raised the rifle again, aiming at the young officer in the bright yellow uniform.


    "Bang!" A crisp gunshot rang out, and the young intern officer from the Great Tang Military Academy, preparing to clash with an enemy charging straight at him, felt as if his abdomen had been hammered by something.


    He looked down to see blood already seeping out from inside the bright yellow uniform, some flowing out of the bullet holes onto the fabric, trickling down along the seams to the buttons and the belt.


    "Damn!" He staggered, then got jostled by an onrushing enemy. As he fought to keep his balance, a wave of dizziness washed over him.


    Another enemy charged at him, and by this time, the young officer was down on one knee. Using the Longsword as a crutch planted in the ground, he raised his other hand and fired, discharging the last bullet in his Left-Wheel Handgun.


    The enemy let out a cry of pain and collapsed; the young intern officer dropped his arm holding the handgun and gasped for air that reeked of blood.


    "Bang!" Another shot was fired, and a burst of fresh blood sprayed from the young officer''s shoulder. He lost control of his body and crashed down, landing on the pile of corpses beneath him.


    More soldiers from the Leite Kingdom fell to gunfire, more riflemen from the Kingdom of Gemalin surged forward.


    The fight remained deadlocked, with gunfire intermittently breaking out. More soldiers from the Leite Kingdom joined the fray, engaging in hand-to-hand combat, as their ammunition-depleted Gemalin counterparts were bayoneted to death by the enraged Leite soldiers.


    An hour later, cheers erupted from the battlefield, and the flagpole bearing the royal standard of the Leite Kingdom was swung back and forth, the banner fluttering above the position.


    After a fierce battle, the position remained in the hands of the Leite Kingdom, repelling the Gemalin Kingdom''s assault once again.


    However, more soldiers from the Leite Kingdom had fallen, unable to see the victory they had bought with their lives.

 Chapter 263: 259 two fleets

    The sea breeze swept through the harbor basking in the morning sun, and a dense crowd was seeing off their country''s military personnel.


    Seagulls circled around the warship''s masts, startled by the solemn military music, frantically flapping their wings.


    Standing on the dock, clad in a brown military uniform, with a long commander''s sabre slung at his waist, the general looked on with satisfaction as the soldiers boarded the ship.


    These soldiers, carrying Shireck Flintlock Guns on their shoulders, were all brimming with energy. They boarded the warships in an orderly fashion, and the sounds of commands echoed through the port incessantly.


    Sailors carried the last remaining supplies onto the ship, some leading goats, others carrying wooden barrels.


    Large baskets were filled with vegetables and fruits, and some dried meats could be seen... On every warship setting sail, sailors would stuff their pockets full.


    No one knew how long they would stay at sea, so figuring out a way to bring some extra food was one of the little tricks to keep themselves alive.


    The kingdom''s flag, slightly bigger than a bedsheet and sewn with a steering wheel pattern, fluttered in the sea breeze, and as their husbands or children boarded the warships, the crowd on the docks let out bursts of cheers.


    This was a port of the Taren Kingdom, a massive military harbor, much larger than that of Osa.


    Maritime civilizations, or seafaring civilizations, are accustomed to such scenes; every family has someone involved in maritime work. Therefore, everyone maintains a reverent attitude toward the sea, and each large-scale voyage causes the public''s excitement to surge.


    Everyone prayed for the safe return of their family members, yearning for the bounty of the sea and for the men who ventured out to bring back more spoils of war.


    Thus, every departure to sea, especially when the navy fleet mobilizes on a large scale, draws many to see them off, and this send-off is more like a ritual.


    Eventually, as all the cheers merged into one, an officer approached the leading general, nodded slightly, and then reported, "My Lord, the fleet is ready! We can depart at any time."


    Hearing this, the general in the brown, splendid military uniform nodded, turning to look at another man standing on his other side, not in military attire.


    Several seconds later, the leading general finally spoke slowly, "I hope the Shireck Consortium will ensure the promises you made to me will be kept!"


    "Our word is our bond! This is well known! Hotwind Port, including the entire western region of Dorne, belongs to the Taren Kingdom!" the man assured immediately, "The whole southern part of the Endless Sea, every passage, every trade route!"


    "Very well! Order the fleet to set sail!" The leading general of the Taren Kingdom nodded and strode forward.


    "Weigh anchor!" The aide following closely behind immediately shouted the command, and under his command, one warship after another began to haul up their anchor chains.


    "Weigh anchor! Hoist the sails!" In the distance, the captains on the warships anchored further out, seeing the flag signals from the boats in the port, issued their orders one after another.


    Such mythical news was generally not true, and since the Poplar Kingdom and the Taren Kingdom were at opposite ends, one in the south and the other in the north, and indeed far apart, the news that reached the Taren Kingdom was inevitably distorted...


    As for the telegraph machine, Higgs was still replicating it, so it had not yet become widespread. Therefore, the head of Higgs in the Taren Kingdom had not received definite news about what was happening in the Poplar Kingdom.


    The military warships of the secretive Great Tang Group were more so enveloped in mists of rumor, leading people to more readily believe they were a legend rather than reality...


    "There''s no other explanation. If they didn''t go to this place called Dragon Island, and it''s improbable that they encountered a storm that annihilated them all, then where are Housen''s people?" General Valen scoffed, "And this Dragon Island, its sudden rise to fame is closely aligned with the time Housen and their team departed!"


    Hearing his general lay out the argument, the deputy immediately nodded and affirmed, "That''s possible... or rather, highly likely."


    General Valen''s face carried a cold, cruel smile as he snorted and said, "Hmph! That''s perfect, then. We can settle new and old grievances in one go, taking their Hotwind Port and then turning around to seize Dragon Island. We''ll be collecting their interest."


    His plan was simple: 70 warships, even enough to completely destroy Hotwind Port. After attacking Hotwind Port, he could get resupplies there, then quickly head north to attack Dragon Island and Brunas.


    The Taren Kingdom''s massive fleet could entirely blockade Brunas and Dragon Island, making the Great Tang Group pay the price.


    By then, he would be able to secure hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Gold Coins as compensation for the Taren Kingdom... Even whether Housen actually had any involvement with Dragon Island would become irrelevant.


    After thinking it over, the deputy nonetheless reminded General Valen, "Lord, even Shireck was unable to deal with the Great Tang Group. One must not underestimate them."


    "What a joke! That''s on land! At sea, our Taren Kingdom... has never feared anyone," General Valen burst out laughing. His smile was cruel, filled with a thick scent of blood.


    The deputy knew that at this point, any reminder was futile, so he once again offered sycophantic praise, "What Lord says is true! Our Taren Kingdom''s navy fears no one!"


    General Valen patted his deputy on the shoulder as if an aristocratic title was already within easy reach, "When I return, His Majesty the King himself will personally confer upon me the title of Marquis! And then, you will be known as Lord Earl, hahaha!"


    "Hehehe! Then I must thank Lord Marquis for your patronage!" The deputy immediately snickered sycophantically, rubbing his hands together in flattery.


    Hearing his deputy''s flattery, General Valen was momentarily taken aback before his smile grew even broader, "Uh... hahaha!"


    Amidst their laughter, the vast fleet slowly progressed on the ocean. The fleet alone boasted more than 2000 ship cannons, which was an indication of how much money and provisions it must have taken to assemble such a naval force.


    What Valen and his men didn''t know was that as they headed north along their course, a small fleet with only 4 warships had just arrived at Hotwind Port.


    Before their arrival, dozens of transport and armed merchant ships had already reached this place, bringing various war readiness supplies.


    This fleet was to refuel in Hotwind Port, load high-quality coal, and allow the sailors to rest for a few days before setting off for the Taren Kingdom...


    Then, they would bring disaster to this island nation, a profound and complete disaster...

 Chapter 264: I should give them an explanation.

    On the eastern border of the Leite Kingdom, the trenches, already in disarray, were filled with bodies of soldiers from both armies, scattered in every direction.


    Mostly they were bodies of soldiers from the Kingdom of Gemalin, mingled with those from the Leite Kingdom... They all lay there quietly, allowing flies to crawl on their cheeks.


    Due to the weather, the trenches were filled with a stench, clearly indicating it was no longer a viable position to hold, so the border troops of the Leite Kingdom had abandoned it.


    On the artillery positions behind the defense line, a destroyed C64 cannon lay askew, one of its wheels long gone without a trace.


    The emptied ammunition boxes were carelessly discarded next to the cannon, and a crowbar used to pry them open was still stuck in the crevices of the sandbag fortifications.


    A man in the uniform of a Gemalin general covered his nose with a handkerchief as he carefully stepped over the body of a Leite Kingdom soldier lying on the ground, circumvented the badly trampled muddy road flattened by carts, and ascended a gentle slope.


    His troops had finally broken through the border defenses of the Leite Kingdom this morning, and now he had two corps advancing along the road.


    The speed of the offensive was much slower than expected; he hardly dare believe that his troops had already breached the Leite Kingdom''s defenses.


    To be honest, this thin line of defense of the Leite Kingdom had impressed him deeply, as it cost him the heavy loss of 1,200 soldiers just to break through here.


    Even with such heavy losses, he had not managed to completely annihilate the enemy forces. His troops only destroyed the rear guard of the enemy, and the numbers were pathetically small.


    Considering the losses of the Leite Kingdom in the battle for positions, his six corps engaged one border corps of the Leite Kingdom and still found themselves so passive in combat; it was enough to make him feel a bit frustrated.


    The casualty ratio was 3 to 1; after sacrificing 1,500 soldiers, the forces of the Kingdom of Gemalin had eliminated 500 of the enemy and captured their positions.


    The enemy''s retreat was very composed; they took the wounded with them, managed to take away more than half of their cannons, and drove off two-thirds of their carts.


    The carts left behind on the position were mostly damaged, many parts even disassembled and taken. The cannons that remained were all blown up, the extent of precision clearly showed that the Leite Kingdom''s troops had not fled in panic.


    They organized a retreat! And they did it very calmly. They didn''t even leave behind the seriously wounded and went as far as burning some documents completely.


    That machine gun, which caused massive casualties to the Gemalin forces, was also not found; nor did they capture many prisoners...


    "Damn it... just what kind of troops are we fighting against," the general cursed, covering his nose, walking up the gentle slope and staring into the distant woods with a sullen utterance.


    In previous battles, the troops on both sides would form up and then advance with drums beating, and the fight would end after one melee.


    But now, a fight could last for several days, with both sides struggling and killing over a piece of ground without a clear victor for a long time.


    This was just one battle. If the fighting continued in this way, the losses on both sides would rise further, to previously unimaginable extents.


    It couldn''t be helped; the losses he had suffered in the attack on the first line of defense were too great. Without reinforcements, his offensive would stall.


    "I''ll find a way! Rest assured!" The man from Shireck laughed, then glanced toward a tattoo-covered, muscular figure, "Send in the recruits you''ve gathered! Don''t screw up again!"


    A man, who now sported a hook where his hand used to be, nodded and walked down the hillock followed by several subordinates.


    "Qiumuluo! This is your chance to redeem yourself for your crimes! Don''t mess it up!" The Shireck official called out as he watched the man''s retreating figure.


    Qiumuluo, having lost nearly half his arm and looking a shadow thinner than before, paused in his steps. He stood motionless for a while before giving a slight nod of his head, then left without uttering a word.


    Unable to make his way in Leite Kingdom, he defected to the nearby Kingdom of Germelin to join the Shireck faction, continuing his opposition to the Great Tang Group.


    He had no choice; the Great Tang Group had put a bounty on his head, and only Shireck was willing to take him in because they shared an enemy in the Great Tang Group.


    Thus, Qiumuluo continued to serve Shireck, hoping one day to destroy the Great Tang Group and avenge his lost arm.


    "I''ll replenish your forces with 1,000 soldiers! Continue the assault! We can''t allow them to rebuild such defenses..." the Shireck official told the Germelin general icily.


    The general huffed in dissatisfaction before responding, "You don''t need to remind me! I know what to do!"


    ...


    A fast horse charged into King Leite VII''s camp, hurriedly dismounted in front of the tent, and rushed inside, gasping for breath.


    Upon seeing Leite VII, the knight knelt on one knee and handed a box and a letter to his sovereign.


    Leite VII took the box and the letter, first opening the missive, then turned ashen as he handed the letter to his trusted general.


    "This is bad..." After reading the letter, the general donned a mask of anguish and lamented, "The border troops have been forced to retreat, abandoning their position... It''s actually not that serious... but."


    "Yes... how to explain this to Mr. Tang." King Leite VII slumped back into his chair, head lowered: "The border legion fought so well all thanks to those trainee officers. I truly didn''t expect them to be so exceptional... But the better they performed, the more I... I do not know how to face those... who are left..."


    Restlessly, he stood up again, holding the box. He glanced at it and then, unable to resist, opened it.


    Inside were several messily stacked letters and rings of varying sizes, some bloodstained, some not.


    On one blood-covered ring, the unmistakable pattern of a dandelion stood out sharply against the dark stains.


    "They died for Leite... so they... are our heroes," the general said, looking at Leite VII.


    Leite VII nodded, "Are a few of the trainees from the Great Tang Military Academy... are they here? Have them come see me! Someone, help me into my formal attire! Since they battled for me to their last breath, I owe them that much!"

 Chapter 265: 261 blood debt must be paid in blood

    ```


    No monarch dislikes loyal subjects, nor will they pass up an opportunity to commend loyal and able generals. This is their core interest and their instinct.


    They will spare no effort in extolling those warriors who sacrificed their lives to uphold their rule, even elevating them to the status of deities.


    Even the culturally barren, cruel, and tyrannical Qing Emperor knew to praise Shi Kefa, so it''s nothing unusual for the King of Leite Kingdom, Leite VII, to commend his officers who died for him.


    Making a show of it wholeheartedly is naturally for the living to see. On one hand, he wanted to show those still fighting for him that their bravery and loyalty would be rewarded; on the other hand, he wanted to show the Great Tang Group that the talent provided by Tang Mo was highly valued.


    Only this way could he recruit more students from the Great Tang military academy, as Leite VII had been convinced that these individuals were truly precious and capable.


    In just a few months, only seven or eight intern officers trained a legion to such a state.


    The border legion, under the assault of several times their number of enemies, managed to hold out for days and even executed an orderly retreat in the end, preserving their basic formation¡ªan achievement even the most elite troops of Leite Kingdom dared not claim they could accomplish.


    Only now did Leite VII truly understand why the Great Tang military academy strictly controlled the quota for intern recruitment from various countries, making it seem as though everyone was clamoring for these interns.


    Now he was truly clamoring for these interns, even feeling an impulse to recruit the entire graduating class under his command.


    "I am proud of them! I''ve called you here to tell you that, if you are willing, I am prepared to promote your ranks immediately," said Leite VII, composing himself as he looked at the young officers standing erect before him.


    "We are willing to stay," replied several of the young men standing in the front row after a few seconds of silence, their hoarse voices responding.


    Their eyes were already red; they too had just received the news that some of their classmates had fallen.


    Some were the upperclassmen of those who had perished, some their underclassmen, and even some were their direct classmates, from the same graduating class.


    They even knew the names of the fallen, their academic performances in school, the numbers of their dormitory doors, and which beds they had slept in.


    Their eyes moist, rims red, these young people, who had never frowned from hardship during training, were now choking with sobs.


    "I will order that all the interns from the Great Tang military academy be granted promotions. I have already ordered approval of the report submitted by the commander of the border legion. In every battalion, and units above battalion, the position of staff officer will be established, and you will take on these roles!" Leite VII promised, looking at the distressed interns in front of him.


    "I hope you can train the Leite Kingdom''s military to be even better, to forge it stronger! I will not forget the blood debt owed to Germelin! Next, we shall make Germelin... pay with blood for blood!" he unsheathed his sword and lifted it high above his head, crying out loud.


    "Make Germelin pay with blood for blood!" The young officers swung their fists in the air, shouting loudly in unison, "Make Germelin... pay with blood for blood!"


    Leite VII did indeed have the power to take revenge; he had even already thought about how to begin his retaliation!


    He had already assembled two legions of troops, with two more legions converging from different directions toward the eastern front.


    This was a first¡ªthe first time six graduates from the Great Tang Military Academy had died at once. Although there had been sacrifices before, they were usually isolated incidents involving just one person.


    But this time, six had died in one fell swoop¡ªthis weighed heavily on Tang Mo''s heart, as if he had lost a group of relatives.


    He was still clutching the telegram, which emphasized Leite VII''s decision to promote all the trainees from the Great Tang Military Academy.


    Additionally, Leite VII had made a request in the telegram, asking for the Great Tang Military Academy to support the Leite Kingdom with more graduates, expressing a willingness to collaborate for this purpose.


    Leite VII even showed rare generosity: On the matter of this collaboration, I am willing to pay whatever it costs; we can discuss anything...


    The end of the telegram announced Leite VII''s conferring of the title of Earl upon Tang Mo¡ªan attempt to placate him.


    "It''s definitely not just a small move," Tang Mo clenched the telegram in his hand and, looking at Li''ao, suddenly spoke.


    He squinted his eyes and continued, "If it were simply Germelin''s attack, the scale would be too insignificant! They should know that merely with such tactics, it''s impossible to defeat me!"


    As he spoke, he stood up, leaning forward with his hands on the edge of the table: "Suthers, Dorne! Even Poplar and Songmu Kingdoms! They will surely act from all directions! Send the message out, let everyone be prepared!"


    "Yes!" Li''ao immediately nodded in agreement.


    "Have the fleet stay at Hotwind Port! Until we understand just how big a storm Shireck is prepared to stir up, adding new enemies is irrational!" Tang Mo instructed further.


    Li''ao paused, then nodded again, "Yes! Master."


    He hadn''t anticipated Tang Mo''s restraint; the young man had easily let go of an enticing opportunity, making the most rational decision.


    If these decisions had been made by a 60-year-old man, Li''ao wouldn''t have found it surprising. But the fact that they came from the mouth of someone who was not yet 21 years old demanded admiration.


    Although, Li''ao had witnessed Tang Mo''s shrewdness and steadiness more than once. Yet, each time he was still a little shocked.


    Li''ao did not know that this command would place the fleet, which was ready to head south, at the position where they most needed to be. Because a colossal navy fleet of the Taren Kingdom was advancing towards Hotwind Port.


    However, Tang Mo did not foresee that in Dorne, where the Great Tang Group''s intelligence network was not fully spread out, a storm was also brewing.


    At the same time, the borders between the Poplar and Songmu Kingdoms were also stirring, with a larger scale war in preparation.


    As an experienced player, Shireck certainly had its own influence. With their deep roots, they had more surprises in store for Tang Mo.


    And now, those involved in this matter were still unaware that a war in which 11 nations were participating, a conflict that spread across a third of the Endless Sea''s Eastern Continent, and alarmed more than half of the world, was gradually unfolding due to their actions.


    ```

 Chapter 266: 262 new students

    ```


    Leading the fleet southward, Bernard flipped through the supply list irritably in the already hot weather of Hotwind Port.


    Honestly speaking, with the support from the Dorne Kingdom and prior arrangements, the supply level here had far exceeded his expectations.


    Here they ensured the sailors were well-provisioned, even every one of them got to drink milk, enjoy sweet tea with sugar, and they could go ashore to enjoy unique local delicacies.


    After resting at Hotwind Port for two days, their morale was high... but they had yet to set sail southward when they received Tang Mo''s order prohibiting them from heading to Taren Kingdom.


    In Bernard''s view, this command was somewhat awkward, as he had originally thought he would make his mark in the Taren Kingdom, but now he had to stop in his tracks, waiting in such a tranquil place.


    Hotwind Port had expanded its docks, possessing a fleet of 5 sail warships as a escort, and outside the city there were power plants and some textile factories.


    The Great Tang Group had built a military factory here, transitioning to produce needle guns and various types of shells, and the plan was to move the production of C64 cannons to this place as well.


    Training workers was now the biggest obstacle to factory expansion, and getting as many people as possible exposed to the industry had become the best way for Tang Mo to expand his influence.


    As a result, several civilian factories began popping up like mushrooms after rain. Suddenly, this world had a few hundred thousand, even millions, of "proletariats".


    In Hotwind Port, the factories belonging to the Great Tang Group numbered over a hundred, including power plants, steel plants, textile factories, cement factories, glass factories, fertilizer factories, bulb factories, arms factories, telegraph offices...


    The same was true in Osa, with even a smelter added to the list¡ªthere were gold and copper mines there, after all.


    Compared to these two enclaves, Dragon Island, as the "homeland" of the Great Tang Group, was built as a super-sized factory.


    Aside from the extensive petroleum industry on the island, there was also a power plant on a scale already close to that of Brunas.


    There was no choice, as future aluminum electrolysis and new-style smelting forging would require electricity, and it was necessary to build up reserve power generating capacity.


    In addition, these places also had some red-light districts and casinos, which were the traditional projects of the Great Tang Group''s entertainment business, and were naturally not absent.


    If not for the war breaking out, the Great Tang Group had recently begun planning to popularize the wondrous "machine" known as the "radio".


    With this device, the Great Tang Group could increase its influence in the cultural and public opinion domains, completely crushing the fragile traditional channels of opinion dissemination.


    What a pity though, that the war erupted, affecting the pace of electricity popularization and temporarily shelving the production of radios.


    As a future port of significant importance to be developed by the Great Tang Group, Hotwind Port actually had another vital function¡ªtransporting increasingly large amounts of rubber for the Great Tang Group!


    Rubber is one of the most important materials for modern industrial civilization, and natural rubber is a material that is very difficult to replace.


    At least in the foreseeable future, the rubber industry is irreplaceable, and artificial rubber cannot replace it completely.


    Besides, the cost of synthesizing artificial rubber from other raw materials is enormous, the output is insufficient, and the quality is very poor.


    Over time, the young girl became known as the "Queen" among the mouths of the first graduating class, while those "first period instructors" still tremble at the sight of her.


    There''s no helping it, she hasn''t graduated yet, and is already the academic summit of the entire school, personally selected by the Principal as one of the first postgraduate students.


    She is nearly all the male students'' idol, the object of their secret adoration, the strong unattainable figure they are doomed never to pursue...


    Indeed, Yulin is no longer the little girl who passed messages to Tang Mo; she is now a talent meticulously cultivated by the Great Tang Group, a presence that surpasses her era in her field of expertise.


    The third student everyone admires is named Galsa, who I heard was once merely an apprentice to a Blacksmith.


    But now this senior doesn''t often come to study at the school anymore. He follows Mathews and has pretty much become one of the main technical backbones of the Great Tang Group.


    The fourth big shot is named Dino, who was known as the invincible fighter of the entire school. No matter if you are the beloved son of an Earl or the direct descendant of a wealthy merchant, none are unafraid of him.


    The only person in the school who has beaten him is the Queen, Yulin, and the only one he dares not fight is Galsa.


    Further down the line, come the outstanding figures from the second batch of apprentices. Great Tang Military Academy has now been running courses for two years, naturally cultivating a second cohort of students.


    In fact, Tang Mo, eager to develop talent, recruits a new batch of students every half-year; the Great Tang Military Academy now has four batches of students.


    However, strictly speaking, the Great Tang Military Academy has yet to have any graduates ¡ª according to Tang Mo''s requirements, one must study for four years to formally graduate.


    As for the geniuses like Yulin, still counting Galsa and others, they are currently studying while interning, not yet considered graduates.


    As they haven''t graduated, they remain the big sisters and big brothers of the academy. They are still the targets for the juniors to chase, still the direction of their efforts, still the invincible figures in their hearts.


    Another person who caught attention with this batch''s enrollment is a girl, or rather, a cat girl. Her mere presence standing there has already had a lethal effect.


    You could definitely say Yue''er is one in ten thousand, sent by Tang Mo to the school for education, which certainly makes the fifth cohort of the Great Tang Military Academy''s students feel extremely honored.


    Those gossipy students were even more excited about Yue''er''s arrival, unable to hold back their screams: they obviously knew the school''s tyrant, Her Majesty the Queen Yulin, had a crush on Principal Tang Mo. And this newly joined cat girl Yue''er, was almost Yulin''s rival in love.


    Indeed, has the school become a battleground for fierce fighters, a valley of joy? Everyone''s eyes shone, ready to watch a grand drama of palace intrigue unfold.


    After all, during the freshman self-introduction, this young girl revealed her identity, "I am an Orc given as a gift to Mr. Tang Mo; my name is Yue''er. Mr. Tang Mo gave me my name, I am very pleased to meet everyone..."


    The students waiting for the drama were not disappointed as this girl named Yue''er became famous in the first military training session. She unexpectedly had learned combat skills and had a high combat value.


    In fact, Yue''er''s father was a soldier, but died in the battle between Gales and Poplar on the Sena Plains.


    Yue''er had been learning combat from a young age, but she never showcased her true strength. Her swordsmanship was quite good, and she also had a natural talent for unarmed combat.


    ------


    My body is still not feeling great. Update presented, further updates delayed by one day to see how things go. Please be patient, everyone...

 Chapter 267: The Battle of Hotwind Port 263

    The world''s rotation wouldn''t change because a cat girl who could fight was discovered, at least not while she was still attending school.


    Just as Yue''er''s military training instructor discovered her astonishing talent, the Suthers Kingdom sent a rather pessimistic telegram to Tang Mo.


    The Suthers Kingdom had strengthened its national power due to successful tax reforms but had also incited dissatisfaction among many people because of these reforms.


    Previously, because the Shireck Consortium had not stirred up trouble, this discord was suppressed, but now, due to Shireck''s instigation and manipulation, the political situation in Suthers had become unstable.


    The King of Suthers and the Prime Minister were busy dealing with the internal strife, while on the borders, neighboring nations pressed with their armies.


    Left with no choice, the Suthers Kingdom had to send out a telegram asking for aid from Tang Mo, hoping he could take measures in advance to prevent Suthers from being unable to cope when a crisis eventually broke out.


    Therefore, Tang Mo had no choice but to mobilize a batch of supplies, urgently sending them to Suthers. However, compared to the support for Leite, the scale of this reinforcement was not so significant.


    Since Suthers had not yet erupted into war, most of the support sent this time consisted of economic products.


    Tang Mo hoped that the economic benefits brought by these supplies would stabilize Suthers'' internal affairs and help suppress those hostile factions that stirred up trouble at the source.


    The good news was that there was a railroad between Tang Mo and Suthers, a railway that connected Brunas to the Ice Crystal River and had long been operational, requiring no further investment.


    The magic of the railway was evident at this time. The mere two railroads that Tang Mo controlled played a strategic role, allowing the supplies produced in Brunas and Dragon Island to promptly reach their needed destinations without hesitation.


    While Tang Mo was deploying troops and dealing with the pressure from both Suthers and Leite, the idle fleet commander at Hotwind Port, Bernard, watched with wide eyes and jaw dropped as the sea surface filled with densely packed sails, too shocked to utter a word for quite some time.


    He truly couldn''t believe that while he waited at Hotwind Port, ready to set sail back home at any time, the enemy would deliver themselves to his doorstep... Could this be the legendary "Fortune falls into the lap of those who stay at home"?


    Even funnier was that, after attacking the guarded armed merchant ships of Hotwind Port, the enemy waited over two hours. They waited until the furnaces of Great Tang Group''s fleet of ironclad warships were thoroughly heated, they waited until Bernard saw their messenger...


    "The Taren Kingdom orders you to surrender!" said the messenger arrogantly, "Otherwise, you will be completely annihilated by 100 Taren warships!"


    "I''m not the least bit interested in your joke," Bernard said, looking at the messenger clad in brown military uniform, "Tell your commander to wash his neck and wait for death!"


    "General Valen will remember what you have said today!" the messenger threatened Bernard coldly, "Your fleet will be sunk, and you will die in the cold sea waters!"


    Bernard was taken aback for a moment, then disdainfully looked at his adjutant, "I remember my words, and I also remember this General Valen. Remember what he said!"


    "Send him back!" he said, and then took off the Navy coat hanging on the wall, "My flagship is easy to recognize, I hope you bring more people to try and capture me!"


    He had never expected that the enemy, with such a weak line-up, would dare to sail out and meet them in battle. Then he saw something that almost made him laugh¡ªthe only two first-rate sailing warships of the opponent were retreating with the two armed merchant ships, breaking away from the fleet.


    In his view, it was a clear sign of discord among the enemy''s fleet, where the main fleet units disobeyed orders, leaving the formation and fleeing back to the harbor.


    Therefore, he didn''t even plan to attack those cowardly enemy ships, shifting his focus to those weird guys in front of him that emitted black smoke and had no sails...


    "Turn the ship''s bow! Engage the enemy on the broadside! Prepare for a boarding assault!" Valen put down his monocular and commanded with a confident tone.


    Following his order, his fleet started to turn, beginning to cut into the battle line, causing Taren Kingdom''s fleet formation to change; the overall shape transformed from an "eight" to something resembling a "


    His aim was straightforward¡ªto lead his fleet in surrounding the enemy from the side and rear, completely annihilating the small opposing fleet in front of them.


    Almost simultaneously, Bernard''s fleet displayed a higher speed, with four warships closing in on the enemy fleet on the right, shortening the distance between them to 1500 meters.


    "Hum!" As they approached the enemy, the single-gun turrets on the Wolf-class warships began rotating, aiming at the distant sailing warships.


    These turrets, equipped with recoil mechanisms, had long 150mm caliber barrels, which were the most terrifying weapons of the era¡ªsecond to none!


    With a frightening rate of fire, they were faster and much more ferocious than the 120mm caliber cannons equipped on the Brunas-class warships.


    "Fire at will! Lock on targets!" The officer in charge of the guns ordered loudly. When attacking sailboat targets, the 150mm caliber guns didn''t need to fire salvos, which would be a waste of ammunition.


    Just one shell was enough to easily sink an enemy warship, which was an incredibly satisfying feeling.


    "Fire!" Bernard, having put down his binoculars, commanded loudly. Accompanied by the slight tremor of the warship beneath his feet, the thunderous roar of the cannons heralded the beginning of the naval battle¡ªa veritable slaughter at sea had begun!


    In the stunned amazement of the Taren Kingdom sailors, at a distance of combat they had never experienced, a 150mm caliber shell easily hit the target.


    The massive explosion instantly blew a swath of the hull into the air; the stricken sailing ship wobbled, and its towering mast quickly toppled over to one side.


    Even before they were within engagement range, the Taren Kingdom gunners were still waiting for the distance to be reduced to around 300 meters when they were sent flying into the sky by a projectile coming straight at them.


    A ghastly explosion erupted from another warship¡ªthe ignited propellant on the Taren Kingdom sailing ship didn''t give the sailors any chance to escape before the flames consumed them.


    The soldiers standing on the deck, along with the wooden planks they stepped on, were blasted into the air and torn apart by the airflow, falling back into the sea along with the shattered wood.


    The commander of the Taren Kingdom''s fleet in charge of this operation was stunned in place; he had no idea what commands to give, or in fact, he didn''t even know what he was fighting against.


    Right in front of him, two warships were exploding, three others were sinking, and the remaining two had already caught large fires. He had lost nearly a third of his warships within the first minute of the battle!

 Chapter 268: The formation of 264 is in disarray.

    ```


    The Tang Group Navy soldier within the turret calmly slid a new round into the cannon''s breech after pulling open the new-style gunlock, then proceeded to push in the propellant charge as well.


    Once the breech was closed, he raised his arm, and within a few seconds, the cannon abruptly jolted backward, recoiling over two feet before quickly returning to its original position.


    The not-so-thick armor plate of the turret muffled the noise of the cannon firing, and the soldiers inside only heard a dull thud before continuing with the reloading process.


    Since they couldn''t see the results of their own fire, they could only listen to the noncommissioned officer responsible for aiming loudly reporting the outcomes of the shots.


    For these sailors, naval battles were almost no different from playing a game; they just needed to repeat their tasks, and victory would soon follow.


    At least they could feel some tension of the battlefield, unlike the coal tending workers inside the ship''s hull, and soldiers like cartographers and cooks, who couldn''t even detect that the battle had broken out.


    "Boom!" The forward main cannons of the Brunas-class warship following closely behind the Wolf 1 unleashed twin jets of flame.


    Two shells struck their target almost simultaneously; the hit sailboat split apart with the front half still being pulled forward by the sails while the rear sank into the water.


    The Taren Kingdom''s squadron, which had originally intended to encircle the Great Tang''s fleet, finally came to understand the gap in strength between their vessels; a few warships began to turn in panic.


    But before they could turn around, they were hit by incoming shells and swiftly returned to the embrace of the ocean deity.


    The remaining warships tried to intimidate the Great Tang warships by firing their cannons, only to swiftly face the second barrage from the Wolf-class ships.


    The volley of shells flew directly into the Taren Kingdom''s formation and what ensued was utter chaos.


    Indeed, it was utter chaos ¨C one of the Taren warships lost its mast in an explosion; the massive mast cleaved into the water, and the Steering Wheel Royal Flag floated pitifully on the surface.


    The Taren warships, which had been lined up to show off their dense array of cannons, finally realized how nai?ve and ridiculous they were.


    Before they could even fire a single shot, they were hit by cannon fire and turned into pitiable wrecks engulfed in flames and explosions.


    Amidst the successive booms of cannon fire, the Taren general in command of the squadron suddenly realized a grave problem.


    The ship he was on, positioned centrally in the formation... seemed to be approaching the enemy warships ever closer.


    The ships in front of him had been almost completely destroyed or thoroughly sunk right in front of him.


    Now, it was his turn.


    He thought about turning and fleeing, but before he could take a step, the realization hit him that he was at sea, and there was no way to dodge the enemy''s gunfire.


    In pursuit of the faster Great Tang Group''s fleet, this shape had almost turned sideways and was clearly deformed.


    Put simply, because the fleet of the Great Tang Group was faster, the formation of the Taren Kingdom''s fleet was already in chaos.


    Naturally, General Valen knew that this was very unfavorable for him, but now he had no good way to change what had already happened.


    He had a total of 55 warships on his side, positioned chaotically, with high delays in command and dispatch, making them nearly impossible to control as if by hand. Rearranging the formation would take a lot of time, but he no longer had much time.


    As time went on, the fleet of the Great Tang, who had made way for visibility and position, had already bitten the tail of the Taren fleet. The Taren warships in the front, including General Valen''s flagship, had already seen the destroyed segment of the Taren Kingdom''s fleet.


    They saw the still blazing remains of the warships, the half-sunken vessels afloat on the sea, the broken Steering Wheel Royal Flag...


    Everything before his eyes completely bewildered Valen; he had not expected his flotilla not only to fail to stop the enemy from penetrating the encirclement but also to be completely annihilated...


    At this moment, Valen realized that the naval battle had completely spiraled out of control: all his prior arrangements for the battle had been nullified!


    The pre-battle tactical arrangement of pincer attacks from both wings was now completely ineffective. The fleet responsible for the pincer, 21 warships, had been heavily damaged by the enemy and had completely left the battle.


    The main force he commanded, due to chasing, was already in disarray and even had its tail bitten by the enemy.


    Reliant on shouting and flag signals to command the fleet, he was, in fact, unable to turn the tide of defeat.


    "Sir! The situation doesn''t look good!" After a glance at the black smoke on the sea surface that had already bitten the tail of his fleet, the adjutant said to Valen with a fearful heart.


    At this time, General Valen also felt that sitting and waiting could lead to the loss of the entire fleet. So he immediately gave an order and shouted to his adjutant, "Turn immediately! Order all the nearby warships to turn! Chase our fleet''s tail!"


    He felt that by turning around and chasing the enemy''s fleet, at least more than half of the warships could be saved.


    Once they stabilized their footing, they could play to their advantage of having more warships and hold out against the enemy for a while. When night fell, the two sides could distance themselves.


    "Turn around! Turn!" The adjutant immediately went to convey General Valen''s orders. With the execution of this order, the main formation of the Taren Kingdom''s navy became even more chaotic.


    Viewed from above, the Taren Kingdom''s fleet now resembled a hook shape, but the distances between the ships were uneven, and they even obstructed each other''s gun ports, rendering them almost incapable of firing.


    The battlefield was pure chaos, filled with warships turning or evading. In this turmoil''s outermost fringes, four warships of the Great Tang Group had already grasped their targets and initiated a new round of attacks.


    Accompanied by the successive cannon fire, the warships of the Taren Kingdom started exploding and sinking again. One by one, the warships were hit, damaged, and then forced to slow down, ultimately sinking.


    Unable to tend to their fallen comrades, unable to return fire, the Taren Kingdom''s captains and commanders, watching helplessly as the enemy caught up and then opened fire to sink their ships, could only issue haphazard orders in a cry of desperation.


    Some warships raised white flags, some chose to flee from the fleet, but they soon found that these choices apparently could not alter their fate of being sunk...

 Chapter 269: 265, a shell

    The cannon fuses of the Great Tang Group were far superior to any other shrapnel fuses of the era, with precision that made them appear completely out of place in their time.


    Although the yield rate of the shells wasn''t particularly high due to the precision processing, it was leagues ahead of the shrapnel that Shireck had just begun to mass-produce.


    Even more, these fuses had a safety mechanism that was completely separate from the shell, to be installed only at the time of firing.


    When the soldiers used a special tool to twist the safety on the shell and put it in a fully activated state, the enemy''s nightmare seemed to begin.


    This shell was then loaded into the cannon, followed by the propellant, and then the breech was tightly sealed.


    The brand new breech, an improvement over the C64''s wedge breech by a generation, opted for a threaded style more appropriate for large-caliber artillery. This was better suited for naval guns and also increased the rate of fire.


    After the breech was rotated and locked into place, the gun captain pulled the firing mechanism of the artillery eagerly, and the rear of the cannon jolted backward, the intense cannon sound reaching everyone''s ears through the steel plates.


    Despite wearing special earplugs, the sound was still earth-shattering. Some covered their ears, others turned their backs to the cannon, all trying desperately to relieve the pressure on their ears.


    The shell''s propellant was ignited by the cannon''s fuse, and the powder aggressively became flame inside the chamber. The gas expanded instantly, embedding the slightly oversized shell into the rotating threads, as it spun rapidly forward.


    As the shell spiraled down the barrel, the immense force deformed the surrounding metal by the rifling, accelerating violently inside the barrel, before suddenly breaking free at the muzzle.


    In that instant, without the rifling forcing it to keep spinning, the air friction dropped and its speed suddenly leapt to hundreds of meters a second.


    The surrounding air was blasted away by the shockwave, flames from within the barrel surged out the muzzle, wreaking havoc around the artillery.


    The next second, the shell, having broken the sound barrier, sped over a distance of more than 700 meters in just over a second, precisely hitting a sail warship that was firing.


    The shell''s casing, glowing red-hot from friction with the air, kept rotating slowly, maintaining an extremely stable trajectory.


    When the shell struck the relatively soft wooden hull, its fuse was activated upon impact, igniting the detonator inside.


    The detonator exploded immediately, igniting the shell''s internal charge. The fire instantly filled the shell, causing the air inside to expand dozens of times over.


    The shell''s casing, already red-hot from the heat of friction, shattered under the burden, releasing itself and cutting through everything it encountered.


    The shrapnel destroyed the surrounding wooden compartments, severed hammock ropes, and penetrated bodies soft as tofu, snapping bones more fragile than bamboo.


    The shockwave spread, mangling and tearing everything nearby, as if a gale were slicing through corpses and the ship''s sturdy structure with ease.


    The improvements to the fuse slightly delayed the detonation, greatly enhancing the destructive power upon hitting the wooden sail warship.


    As the explosion spread, reaching further areas, the part hit by the shell was already a total mess.


    They saw, a few hundred meters away, a warship billowing thick smoke cut through the waves without sparing them a glance, as it followed in the wake of another identical warship ahead.


    From the beginning to the end, the capsized sail warship had only been hit by two shots, one of which was the pitiable 75mm caliber C64 antique ship cannon...


    But now it had capsized entirely and would soon sink into the ocean depths. It hadn''t even fired once, because the enemy ship was still 800 meters out when they were hit.


    Bernard had no intention of sparing any of Taren Kingdom''s warships, so after crushing twenty-one warships on one side of the "Ba" formation, he ordered the fleet to speed up and make a wide circle along their course.


    The fully heated boilers could now operate at full capacity, pushing the entire Great Tang Group''s fleet speed to 30 kilometers per hour.


    This speed dwarfed that of all fleets of the era, so after the Great Tang Group''s fleet made a wide circle, they overtook the enemy''s other fleet side, which was slowly turning around.


    In other words, when Valen''s fleet was maneuvered into the complex "vertical hook" formation, the Great Tang Group''s fleet caught up to them from the outside.


    The positions of both fleets had turned into an interesting "×Ó" shape, only the left stroke of the "×Ó" was a bit short.


    While cutting in, the Great Tang Group''s fleet turned its guns, aiming all turrets toward the other side.


    After all, they had initially faced the enemy with their starboard side and now had switched to engaging on their port side. This change allowed the other side''s gun positions of all warships to join the battle.


    Because Bernard''s fleet was moving so quickly and from the outside, Valen, who was in the middle of turning his fleet, still was unable to get a full view of the Great Tang Group''s fleet.


    He could only see the black smoke lingering on the sea and the remnants of his sub-fleets scattered across the battlefield.


    Valen couldn''t understand why he had fallen into such a passive situation when he clearly had an absolute advantage in numbers.


    He brought 70 first-rate sail warships, which were the absolute dominators of the seas just a year ago.


    Each warship bore dozens of expensive muzzle-loading cannons, and each could accommodate hundreds of brave and skilled soldiers.


    Yet now, he stood on his flagship unable to see what his enemy even looked like.


    More than fifty warships lay across the sea''s surface, his being in a position towards the front of the fleet''s arrangement. This position now had no view of the tail end of his own battle line; he could only watch helplessly as chaos spread within his fleet.


    As a naval general, he did not consider himself a fool. He had led troops for many years and achieved many sea battle victories.


    Before today, he was extremely confident, even somewhat arrogant, and even believed himself to be the best naval commander¡ªwithout peers!


    He knew he couldn''t issue complex commands frequently during battle, as the limitations on communications meant he couldn''t coordinate the entire fleet in a timely manner.


    However, the overwhelming strength beyond his comprehension forced him to abandon the pre-arranged plans and to change his deployment on the fly during the battle.


    ```

 Chapter 270: 266 latency too high

    ```


    When he changed the combat orders, causing chaos, he felt more and more that he was going to lose this crucial naval battle.


    Because his opponent had already broken through the weakest part of his fleet and was gradually devouring it!


    Perhaps "devouring" is not precise enough, for the enemy''s attack was akin to engulphing¡ªengulfing his fleet!


    The fleet of the Taren Kingdom had four warships in poor condition that did not participate in this fight; Valen had ordered these four warships to protect the transport fleet from a further distance.


    So this time, the actual combatants of the Taren Kingdom''s navy consisted of 66 warships, with one side comprising a detachment of 21 warships and the main force with 45 warships.


    Now, Valen was certain that the detachment of 21 warships was practically annihilated. Even if he were to win now, the number of people that could be rescued from the sea would not be many.


    Moreover, he hadn''t even finished the fight yet... His fleet was being pursued by the enemy, something he had never experienced before.


    "This cannot go on, General!" Even his adjutant realized this and spoke uneasily.


    "Shut up! I, of course, know this cannot go on!" Valen snapped desperately, staring at the distant sea, and lashed out at his adjutant.


    He had originally thought that attacking Hotwind Port would be an easy task, but now it seemed it was not the case at all.


    Hotwind Port was not an easy target, not something that could be manipulated at will. This time it seemed he had kicked an iron plate.


    One does not feel the pain until after the foot has struck the iron plate. Just as his fleet was forced to face annihilation after bumping into an unbeatable fleet... There was no potion for regret.


    "Should we rearrange the battle line?" his adjutant hesitated but still offered his suggestion.


    He felt that if they did nothing, they would continue to be passive and eventually everything would be out of control.


    "Any further orders, and our formation will completely collapse!" Valen lamented in despair.


    He wished he could issue orders to rally the fleet, but his commands had to reach the nearby warships first and then continue to spread outwards.


    This took time; he had never seen anything like a wireless telegraph, nor did he have any illusion that his orders could be relayed to all the warships in a single second.


    Since transmitting orders required time, executing them would be delayed. The kind of operation where one drags a mouse across a computer screen to select troops and then issues commands simultaneously can only be done in games. Your journey continues on mvl


    In real-life situations, there are no such smooth command transmissions. There will always be exceptions, especially in the chaotic state of battle.


    In today''s battle, Valen''s fleet had effectively lost the ability to be directed properly. The fleet''s formation was too complex and had completely diverged from the tactical arrangements made before the battle.


    There was no choice; this was a direct problem caused by backward tactical communication. It''s like how many today do not understand Dong Cunrui blowing up the bunker¡ªa story with parallels here.


    "Turning? Full rudder right, another encirclement?" Bernard asked with a smile.


    The executive officer shook his head and said, "The enemy fleet is turning left, their intentions unclear. They might be trying to shake us off in retreat, or they could be planning to regroup."


    "..." Bernard hadn''t considered the enemy''s actions in any other context, for he had a telegraph and was accustomed to immediate communication during training and exercises, forgetting the issue of communications delays long ago.


    From this moment, the sea battle took on a completely different character; Bernard began to guess what divine maneuver the opponent might have, thus forcing him to make cautious command decisions.


    He thought for a few seconds and finally ordered, "Regardless of their goal! We just need to keep on their tail! With our superior speed, no matter what tricks they pull!"


    This was a relatively safe tactic, so the executive officer had no objections and immediately went to convey Bernard''s orders.


    Thus, the Great Tang fleet continued forward along the enemy''s right side. Only when the remaining enemy warships all began to turn did they follow suit.


    It was as if both sides drew half a concentric circle on the sea, with the Great Tang fleet taking advantage of its speed to turn on the outer circle, maintaining a distance of about 800 meters, nipping at the tail of the Taren Kingdom Navy, continuing a coherent attack.


    Watching the Great Tang fleet calmly follow behind and sporadically sinking a sail warship, the commanders of the Taren Kingdom''s fleet were utterly speechless.


    Giant water spouts erupted intermittently on the sea; these were the spectacular sights of the Great Tang Group''s cannonballs, deflected off target by the rocking of the ship, exploding in the water.


    Those water columns, even taller than the masts, flung brackish seawater onto the decks of the Taren Kingdom warships, frightening the drenched sailors pale.


    Many commanders aboard warships that had just completed their turns were pale and shocked to see the enemy ships bearing down on them once again with ferocity.


    Their attempts to shake off their pursuer were in vain, and like a clinging curse or a shadowy nightmare, the enemy was relentless and unshakable.


    "Fire! Fire! We can''t wait any longer! The enemy warships are too fast! We have no way to close the distance!" On the ship at the very rear, a Taren Kingdom captain ordered in panic.


    The side guns, which could hardly wait, immediately roared, sending a dozen shells towards the distant target, but almost all missed without a single hit.


    Eventually, one solid shot struck the side of the ironclad, leaving only a small indent and failing to breach the steel side plates of the warship.


    It was only at that moment that the sailors of Taren Kingdom truly confirmed that the enemy warships were indeed made of steel.


    "Their warships are made of iron!" A sailor screamed in terror upon seeing his shot repelled by the enemy warship''s armor.


    Accompanying his scream, two bow main guns on the opposite ironclad exploded with fire, sending two shells whistling towards them. In an instant, the sail warship became a fiery hell.


    Amidst flying flesh and blood, the sail warship that had just fired was torn in two, its ends lifting high, surely about to sink to the bottom of the sea...


    --------


    Another update is coming, written slowly, probably after 12 o''clock.

 Chapter 271: 267 turns again

    This time, General Valen finally saw clearly the warship that was pursuing him¡ªhe saw through his own telescope the leading Wolf No. 1 cruiser.


    It was the first time he had seen a warship of this design: without sails and with a low profile, no wonder he could only see the diffuse black smoke on the sea surface from a distance before.


    The sides of the warship were very high, and if one looked carefully at the bow, one could see a large cannon pointing toward the side.


    Only that cannon was mounted on a turret, a design he had never seen before, and it looked quite novel.


    Then, he saw that cannon spit out a burst of flame, which looked like it had fired. Because the warships behind him blocked the view, Valen could not see the shells hitting their target, only hearing the distant sound of cannon fire like the rolling of thunder.


    Finally, after the fleet had completed its turn, the relative positions of the two sides were essentially the shape of the number 11.


    Only the one behind that 11 was a little bit shorter.


    However, this was not a problem at all, for compared with before, the length of the Taren Kingdom''s fleet had already been significantly reduced...


    At this moment, after more than two hours of fighting, the formations of both sides had returned to the most basic state of two parallel lines.


    Compared with the previous formations, the Taren Kingdom''s main fleet had simply made a 180-degree turn, with no other change except that the course was opposite to that at the onset of the battle.


    As for the four warships of the Great Tang Group, it was as if they had circled around the enemy''s main fleet and returned to their original course.


    During these more than two hours of combat, the warships of the Great Tang Group were almost unscathed, while the Taren Kingdom''s fleet had already lost 30 ships, leaving only a pitiable 36 warships still holding on.


    If it weren''t for the need to take a wide turn, the attack efficiency of the Tang Group might have been higher, and they might have been able to sink a few more of Taren Kingdom''s warships.


    General Valen, who already knew he was at a disadvantage, was at this moment also considering how to change the current situation.


    He had not dared to issue new combat orders before because he was afraid that the fleet formation would collapse and completely lose command.


    Now that his formation had returned to a simpler shape, this gave him another opportunity to act.


    Thus, this time he decided to order the fleet to turn right, to seize the T formation from the front, getting the initiative to open fire for a desperate counterattack.


    Although he did not know exactly how many of his own warships were left, he could still judge that at least 40 remained that could support his all-out effort.


    This time, he had already lost too much¡ªif he could not bring the final victory back to Taren Kingdom, then he might as well die for his country as the Navy''s commander-in-chief.


    So he must go all-in, he must win, he had never thought of fleeing, let alone surrendering.


    "Order the fleet to turn! Full rudder to the right! Seize the broadside formation!" General Valen ordered furiously.


    He had been pondering for a long time, so he was a bit out of his mind by now. He wanted revenge, to completely annihilate the Great Tang fleet before his eyes!


    Immediately after, the signalman standing at the top of his mast began to relay orders, and the command to continue turning was immediately transmitted to the warships on both sides.


    He waved his hand and commanded loudly, "Hard to port! Immediate hard to port! Let the warships behind us follow! We''re breaking off from the fleet, leaving this place!"


    Soon, this warship began to break away from the fleet, leaving the captain of the lead Taren Kingdom warship utterly confused.


    He was sure that the order he relayed was hard to starboard, yet the other ship was now breaking away from the fleet, dashing off into the distance.


    "What is Mad Rush doing?" the Taren Kingdom captain, who happened to see the friendly warship behind him breaking away from the fleet and dashing toward the edge of the battle, furiously demanded.


    Under his gaze, the sail warship known as Mad Rush was moving exactly opposite to their turning direction, veering its bow to the left.


    "It seems... they''ve turned the wrong way," the executive officer heard his voice, looked behind, confirmed after a long pause, and finally spoke.


    "How could this mistake happen!" the captain, who had guessed something, walked to the stern railing, leaned on it, and stared at the departing Mad Rush, lost in thought.


    Following the lead of the sail ship called Mad Rush, the captain of another Taren Kingdom sail warship shamelessly followed Mad Rush, fleeing the battlefield.


    Two warships took the wrong turn, completely disorganizing the subsequent ships. In the end, these bewildered warships, some turning left, some right, made the previously tidy formation completely fall apart.


    And General Valen, who had just completed the turn and was watching the fleet behind him, also saw this scene. He noticed that at least three warships had left the line of battle and begun fleeing the battlefield.


    He also counted the warships still with the fleet, and the number that remained was already fewer than thirty.


    Nevertheless, he still felt he had regained the advantage because he had seized a better position and was about to get the chance to open fire.


    He believed that as long as he had the chance to fire, there was the possibility of turning defeat into victory. So full of confidence, he thought there was still hope to turn the tide in this sea battle.


    But then, the executive officer returned to his side with a somber face, bringing news: "Sir! A message from the warships behind us! They say, the enemy''s warships are made of steel!"


    "Steel? The hulls are covered with steel on the outside of wooden ships?" Valen, not quite understanding his executive officer''s meaning, asked in confusion.


    "No, the term used... doesn''t seem like it''s covered with steel, but rather ''built with a steel hull,''" the executive officer explained.


    "Impossible! Steel warships, without sails... How do they achieve such speed?" asked Valen, incredulous.


    Without waiting for the executive officer to answer, he roared in a fit of anger, "Those cowards! To escape, they actually concoct such rumors that the enemy''s warships are made of steel! Scoundrels! Scoundrels!"


    He linked this report with the fleeing warships, and thus didn''t believe a single word of it.


    At this point, his formation was already in disarray, and he was left with only about twenty warships that could still follow him in battle.


    "Never mind all that! When we get back, I''ll deal with those cowards who desert in the face of the enemy!" Valen drew the Longsword from his waist, aiming toward the Great Tang Fleet, and commanded, "Follow me to a bitter fight! Prepare to fire!"


    ---------


    I still owe everyone 4 more chapters.

 Chapter 272: 268 fleeing for their lives

    A chaotic war presents a significant challenge for the decision-makers and commanders on both sides. It tests their abilities and challenges their understanding.


    Bernard was utterly bewildered by everything unfolding before him; he truly didn''t understand why the enemy would make such strange decisions.


    He personally witnessed the enemy''s sail warships splitting into two groups, moving in opposite directions.


    Several warships turned their rudders to the left and broke away from their own fleet, fleeing without looking back. Meanwhile, most of the enemy ships were now turning their rudders to the right, seemingly intending to take a position across his path.


    Following a brief moment of stupor, Bernard suddenly realized that he didn''t know what to do about the current battle situation. He couldn''t fathom what was going on in the mind of the enemy commander.


    Clearly, most of the warships were following the command to engage his fleet in a decisive battle; otherwise, they wouldn''t be positioning themselves across his course.


    But then there were a few other ships, executing the opposite command, preparing to leave the entire battlefield¡ªan action that was obviously illogical.


    Clueless about the enemy''s motives, he was at a loss about how to respond.


    There was no precedent for this in their own exercises; commanders on both sides would find ways to turn defeat into victory, fighting to the last man rather than conceding easily.


    Thus, in Bernard''s mind, the possibility of the enemy''s chaos and rout was subconsciously dismissed; he had almost no experience with such scenarios.


    In the Great Tang Military Academy, the students wouldn''t normally consider the option of retreat. After all, in both equipment training and tactical thinking, they were far ahead of the era.


    "Dividing forces... what is going on?" Finally, he decided to consult his aide for a different perspective.


    The aide was also unsure about the current situation. In his view, the enemy splitting forces under such disarray equated to seeking their own destruction.


    "I don''t know, Commander... However, I think we should dispatch a warship to follow those ships!" After pondering, the aide spoke up.


    "Hmm?" Bernard looked toward his aide, waiting for an explanation.


    Choosing his words carefully, the aide continued, "The enemy has traveled from afar, they definitely have supply transport ships nearby. Perhaps... there might be a discovery."


    After thinking it over, Bernard nodded in agreement with the aide''s suggestion: "I agree with your opinion. Let Brunas 6, which is following at the rear, pursue the ships on the left!"


    "Understood!" The aide immediately went to issue the order.


    Thus, under General Valen''s binoculars, the Great Tang Group''s fleet also dispersed. One warship, billowing with smoke, charged towards those escaping sail warships, while the rest headed straight for him.


    Then, the warships fell into line, readying their broadsides. The gun turrets on the warships remained trained in the direction of his fleet.


    Quickly, really quickly¡ªthe Great Tang Group''s warships adjusted their firing angles and continued bombarding Taren Kingdom''s sailboats, which were much depleted by then.


    Even if a few ships managed to escape, it would no longer change the outcome. The Taren Kingdom was finished¡ªcompletely and utterly finished!


    All dreams of dominating the oceans, all the benefits of annexing Hotwind Port, had dissipated like clouds, fleeting and ephemeral.


    As he watched his fleet disintegrate and his once brave captains fleeing in panic with their ships, he knew he had lost, and lost completely.


    He had lost not only his future and everything he had but also the fate of the entire Taren Kingdom.


    That was a navy of sixty-odd ships¡ªfirst-rate sailing warships! Those were the foundation that the Taren Kingdom had painstakingly built up, one ship at a time!


    A hundred-year navy is not just about the cultivation of naval technical talent or the establishment of a maritime nation; it is also about the accumulation of the warships themselves...


    Building a wooden sailing warship is not as simple as one might imagine. The timber used for these warships takes decades to grow and years to dry, soaked in tung oil before it''s finally ready to use.


    So, the replenishment of several dozen large warships at once is simply out of the question. Just like the Poplar Kingdom, which virtually lost its naval supremacy after losing over thirty vessels.


    This time, with even more ships lost, the Taren Kingdom faced an even grimmer reality¡ªafter all, they were not a kingdom with vast inland territory like the Poplar Kingdom; they were an island nation.


    An island nation losing command of the sea is far more terrifying than a continental nation facing the same fate. By comparison, if the loss of maritime power means that Germany has cut off one of its arms, then the United Kingdom losing maritime power is akin to suicidal decapitation...


    The remaining ships, now less than twenty, were unable to hold their ground because the fleet of the Great Tang Group was still attacking, relentlessly so!


    Another volley of heavy cannon fire struck, sinking another Taren warship. Now, only fifteen vessels of the Taren Kingdom remained.


    Yes, only fifteen remained. From the formation that had only recently numbered nineteen, three had turned tail and fled. Among the ones left, another was now struck and sunk.


    Within Valen''s line of sight, a ship raised a white flag, only to still be attacked by cannon fire, billowing thick smoke.


    It seemed the opposing side had neither the patience to take prisoners nor any intention of sparing the Taren fleet.


    Finally, Valen realized he had to do something to salvage his own honor or, perhaps, to cling to the last vestige of hope.


    He turned to the ashen-faced officers beside him and shouted, "Quick! Relay my orders! The fleet must turn hard to port! Leave this sea area... Scatter! Let whoever can escape... escape!


    Then, the commanders of the remaining ships, in a state of shock and despair, received a maddening order: "Disperse and leave the battlefield. Find a way to return to the Taren Kingdom."


    But they quickly realized that it may already be too late for escape.


    Because two more ships had been struck down and sunk...


    -----------


    Thank you to His Majesty the Emperor for the reward. I still owe updates... and I am truly ashamed.

 Chapter 273: The destruction of the 269 Taren Fleet

    The scene had already become extremely chaotic. General Valen stood at the stern of his warship, beside the helm, watching as the two leading warships began to turn their rudders.


    The warship closest to him had seen the signal flags command at the first opportunity and, along with the enormous pressure brought by the enemy ships, had almost no hesitation in turning the rudder to the left, preparing to flee the battlefield.


    The warships farther away were already too late to change course as they had been caught up by the Great Tang Group''s warships and were under fire.


    Several more warships caught fire, and General Valen did not need a telescope to closely observe the colossal seafaring monster with its slender hull.


    Such a strong, invincible, and ruthless monster of a warship should have belonged to the Taren Kingdom, General Valen mused silently.


    Then, he saw the numerous main cannons on the warship about 1000 meters away, targeting his flagship.


    Immediately after, he saw the slender warship''s cannons spew flames, and then the deck beneath his feet trembled violently.


    He watched as a massive explosion swept away the bow of his warship; the triangular sails and masts at the front broke off together, crashing into the sea ahead.


    The cannon on the bow''s side was lifted high by the explosion, then, along with the surrounding corpses and deck fragments, plunged into the water, creating a splash.


    General Valen was knocked to the ground by the huge vibration, and after struggling to get up, he saw his adjutant with a piece of wooden decking piercing his face, convulsing non-stop not far from him.


    Clearly, his adjutant wasn''t quite dead yet, but in such a brutal state of combat, no one would think to try to save him.


    Valen struggled to his feet; he did not want the remaining soldiers to think he had died in battle. He had to stand at a high point at the stern, visible to all the crew.


    "Steady! Steady!" Valen, clutching his longsword, staggered around the increasingly tilting warship, loudly reminding the surrounding soldiers.


    Then he saw that the warship, which had fired upon his, rapidly overtook his sailing warship, which had lost most of its speed.


    The enemy didn''t even bother to fire again, simply accelerating past his damaged flagship, rushing towards the fleeing Taren Kingdom warships in the distance.


    Valen wanted to shout for them to come back; he wanted to stop them for a decisive duel to the death.


    But he knew that was now a luxury. His warship was seriously damaged, incapable of continuing the fight.


    "General! The bow is sinking, we''re taking on water!" an officer climbed the stairs in a rush, reaching the stern, and reported loudly.


    As he spoke, his gaze inadvertently fell on the body of the dead adjutant on the deck, causing him to involuntarily swallow.


    While he was reporting, the gunner of the 75mm caliber cannon on the Brunas-class warship, following closely behind the Wolf 1 Cruiser, saw the enemy flagship, now essentially incapable of sailing, through his scope.


    Without any hesitation, this gunner pulled the firing lanyard, unleashing a 75mm caliber shell.


    "You mean..." Upon hearing Tang Mo mention Dorne, Li''ao also suddenly realized something and murmured.


    Tang Mo laid out his analysis directly, "The attack comes from Taren; it''s impossible for them to mobilize such a massive fleet northward just because of some speculation about the Battle of Dragon Island. Therefore, this attack on Hotwind Port must have a different reason!"


    The timing didn''t add up! He was certain that the Dragon Island settlers and transport vessels escorted by Taren''s warships, which were led by Housen in their entirety, were annihilated or captured in the Battle of Dragon Island.


    So no one could have passed a message to provoke Taren Kingdom into using such a large fleet to seek revenge at Hotwind Port, or to simply stir trouble.


    If it''s not about revenge, then the opponent''s movements are very much worth pondering. Tang Mo let out a cold laugh, feeling that he had already guessed the enemy''s thoughts.


    Li''ao, being a smart man, caught on at once, and said in realization, "I understand, you''re worried that Taren Kingdom didn''t come for revenge for the Battle of Dragon Island, but for Dorne?"


    Tang Mo nodded, affirming Li''ao''s words, "Most likely that''s the case, the Shireck Consortium must also be involved, they''ve joined forces! They''re preparing to take action against us in Dorne."


    Li''ao was a bit shocked, as the situation in Dorne could become incredibly dangerous if the enemy had prepared to this extent.


    After all, with Taren Kingdom''s fleet headed north, there lies Xilun Kingdom between Taren Kingdom and Dorne Kingdom... It''s likely that this kingdom has also been preparing to make a move against Dorne Kingdom.


    With this thought, Li''ao looked at Tang Mo and asked, "Master, if things are really like this, what should we do?"


    Tang Mo didn''t have a good solution, as he now couldn''t divert any more military forces to deal with a new threat.


    Therefore, he could only let the people in Dorne handle the string of thorny issues that were about to erupt on their own.


    He instructed Li''ao, "Tell everyone in Dorne to be on high alert, and if problems arise, to take action immediately! I think they will run into trouble soon."


    "Yes, master, I understand!" Li''ao took note of Tang Mo''s orders, bowing his head without immediately leaving the room.


    Sure enough, Tang Mo continued talking as though speaking to himself, "Poplar Kingdom has had problems lately, their internal politics are in complete disarray, and Marquis Leibart is at his wits'' end, with the potential for unrest breaking out at any moment."


    He discussed the various issues that had arisen recently from north to south, and each one was challenging enough on its own, let alone with all these issues bursting forth at once.


    Calling this a coincidence would fool no one; the only one who could muster such massive forces and was willing to target the Great Tang Group appeared to be only the Shireck Consortium.


    "The relationship between Songmu Kingdom and Poplar Kingdom has always been tense, so the unrest in Poplar Kingdom is also causing them distress, worrying about issues on their own borders at all times, hence they too are mobilizing troops and commanders." As Tang Mo spoke, he looked at the aged Li''ao, "The northeastern border of Suthers Kingdom is under great pressure, Shireck has joined forces with several surrounding kingdoms to press the frontier, and Suthers itself is in a state of internal and external troubles."


    "The eastern border conflict of Leite Kingdom continues without a clear winner, leaving us without the possibility to break the stalemate." Having said this, Tang Mo paused for a moment.


    Li''ao felt he should remind of the possibility that Bernard might have already achieved a great victory at Hotwind Port, "On the contrary, with the recent Battle of Hotwind Port, we have gained some advantage. Is there a way to utilize that?"


    --------


    I will add another update after 12 a.m., which should be presented before 12:30 a.m., so please be patient.

 Chapter 274: Defend Dorne at 270

    Tang Mo shook his head, rejecting Li''ao''s suggestion, "It''s no use. Our fleet must stabilize Dorne before it can head south from Hotwind Port. Without Hotwind Port, our logistical support is under too much pressure."


    If Dorne falls under attack by Xilun Kingdom and Taren Kingdom on land, then the safety of Hotwind Port is not guaranteed.


    At present, Tang Mo''s only reliance was on Bernard''s fleet, so he couldn''t afford to let the fleet venture further south.


    Should Hotwind Port fall... his fleet would have no supply station to return to, and the cost of such an eventuality was unpredictable.


    Therefore, Tang Mo made his decision in an instant, even if it meant ordering the fleet to withdraw back to Dragon Island immediately instead of allowing Bernard to take the warships near Taren Kingdom''s waters on a risky venture.


    Then Tang Mo added, "Moreover, even if we blockade Taren Kingdom, forcing them to compromise, we cannot resolve Xilun Kingdom''s issue in the short term."


    Li''ao, somewhat irate, complained, "Damn Shireck, they always use such underhanded methods to trouble us."


    To Tang Mo, however, it was not a concern; he had seen too many such incidents before he traveled to this world.


    Everyone undercutting each other, calculating against each other, setting traps for each other, and slaughtering each other. After all, cooperation is temporary, antagonism is eternal.


    Hence, it was only natural for Tang Mo to pull out a cigarette from his case, place it in his mouth, and mutter with an ambiguous smile, "There''s nothing surprising about it. If they had more forceful methods, they would have used them long ago. They can only skulk in the shadows because it shows that they have no good options against us, who hold the technological advantage."


    "What should our next move be?" Li''ao asked further.


    Tang Mo lit the cigarette, took a deep drag, and said to Li''ao, "We should focus on ourselves... We must have that confidence! As long as we do our job well, everyone else will end up under our feet!"


    "Understood, Master." Li''ao bowed slightly.


    "Go now! Send a telegram to our people immediately, have them prepare themselves, and remain vigilant!" Tang Mo leaned back in his chair, the cigarette pinched between his fingers, appearing to enter a meditative state.


    Without a word, Li''ao backed towards the door and left Tang Mo''s office as if afraid of disturbing him.


    ...


    In the guardhouse beneath the walls of Dorne''s King City, a young man was drafting a new logistical supply placement chart.


    He rubbed his temples, showing signs of fatigue by twisting his neck, then looked out at the bright sunshine through the window.


    Truth be told, his capabilities had been recognized by many, including the monarch of Dorne Kingdom, a very enlightened His Majesty.


    As a young man from Brunas, he had been named as the captain of the 1st Regiment, 2nd Battalion of Dorne, which was quite a promotion.


    His movements were swift, catching his target off guard like an agile cheetah. In an instant, his fingers touched the warm surface of the gun.


    Unfortunately for him, fast though he was, there was someone faster¡ªthe young officer raised his arm, revealing the handgun already clasped in his palm.


    In the blink of an eye, the young officer showed no hesitation and pulled the trigger, a bullet piercing the messenger''s chest.


    "Ah!" the man, unprepared for the officer''s readiness, screamed in agony as the gun he had just held fell to the floor with a dull thud.


    Blood splattered instantly, and the gunshot alerted nearby guards. The door was smashed open from outside, and a soldier wielding a rifle charged into the room, pointing the cold barrel at the man lying on the ground.


    "The coup has begun! We have already won! Hahaha! You''re all going to die! All of you!" The man on the floor, clutching the bloody hole in his chest, screamed with all his strength.


    "Sir! Are you hurt?" asked an anxious voice as he looked at the still-breathing man on the floor.


    "I''m fine!" the young officer, picking up his weapon, walked past his desk to the fallen man and looked down, "I hope Minister Sumer won''t be too disappointing! Farewell!"


    After speaking, he pulled the trigger again, and before more guards rushed in, he finished off the would-be assassin.


    "Sir..." An officer who had quickly arrived at the blood-covered office frowned and addressed the young officer.


    "Gather the Troops! Head for the Royal Palace immediately! Protect the King!" The young officer stretched out his hand, took the Longsword from a nearby soldier, hung it on his waist, and commanded, "You stay here! Take charge of 100 soldiers from the first squad and control the city gates and the camp! Anyone who approaches and you don''t see the King or me... open fire!"


    "Yes, sir!" The officer snapped to attention and saluted, then added, "Be careful, sir."


    "I will!" the young officer patted the man''s shoulder, picked up his handgun, and walked out.


    ...


    "Soldiers! The King is now in danger! We must go and save him! There is no need to fear! No need for nerves! We are here to defend our country, to protect our King!" said the young officer as he climbed onto his horse outside and shouted to his assembled Troops.


    He jerked the reins, making the warhorse turn in place, and continued to shout loudly, "Who''s willing to stand with me to defend Dorne, to protect the King?"


    "Willing! Willing!" All the Dorne Soldiers answered loudly. Though only a few hundred strong, their shouts were thunderous, creating the momentum of a thousand men: "Protect the Emperor! Defend Dorne!"


    "Then! March with me! To the Royal Palace!" the young officer commanded loudly as he kicked his horse''s flanks.


    Carrying K1 Quick Guns, the Dorne Soldiers marched out of their barracks in neat rows, heading toward the Royal Palace along the bustling streets, without heavy artillery but with dozens of horse-drawn carriages, which lengthened their ranks considerably.


    "What''s happening?" A civilian, unaware of the events, pointed at the Soldiers suddenly appearing on the street, armed to the teeth.


    "Don''t know, but... definitely not something good!" An old man at the civilian''s side, watching the Soldiers walk by, remarked with an anxious tone.

 Chapter 275: 271 diligent in serving the king

    "Hyah! Hyah!" A young man clad in luxurious attire fiercely squeezed the horse''s belly with his legs, galloping down the road.


    Passersby hurriedly got out of the way, all clueless about what had happened as they pointed and discussed amongst themselves.


    Recent times had been anything but peaceful, with rumors of civil unrest everywhere, leaving the townspeople anxious and in the dark about the unfolding events.


    Just this morning, there seemed to be frequent troop movements within King City. The military units near the Royal Palace appeared to be changing guards, with many Ministers coming and going, leaving ordinary folk unable to grasp the situation.


    Now, they made way for a young man on a warhorse. Before they had time to complain, they saw several Cavalry approaching from a distance, carrying intimidating muskets.


    Everyone quickly moved aside once more, watching as the fearsome Cavalry charged past them.


    "What''s going on..." a man mumbled in dissatisfaction, fanning the dust before him, and grumbled impatiently.


    "Who knows!" another bystander squinted his eyes, grimaced disdainfully, and commented sarcastically as he watched the Cavalry disappear into the distance.


    The young man being pursued was the first to round the street corner, only to be met by a formidable procession of Soldiers. He paused for a moment, then a smile spread across his face.


    Consequently, he pulled on the reins, dismounted under the watchful guns of the alert Soldiers, and led his horse over to the mounted military officer facing him, "You really are impulsive! To think you''d lead your Troops out of the barracks like this."


    "I was somewhat apprehensive earlier, uncertain if what I was doing was right... But seeing you convinces me I made the right choice," said the officer on horseback, looking down at his young companion leading the horse, and smiled.


    "Sumer has surrounded the Royal Palace with his men, and both sides are on edge, ready to clash at any moment," the young man leading the horse relayed a critical piece of news, looking up, "Did you know about this beforehand?"


    "Not at all! I only received a warning, then there was an assassination attempt, so I brought my men to settle the score with the bastard who wants me dead," the young officer replied with a laugh.


    "It seems I might as well have gone directly to the Royal Palace," the one leading the warhorse said with self-deprecating humor.


    "So, my appearance here has taken Sumer by surprise, hasn''t it?" the young officer brandished a dandelion ring on his finger, "Seems like you''ve brought me a gift?"


    As he spoke, he noticed the approaching Cavalry who had begun to slow down and prepare to open fire.


    "Stop them! Prepare for battle!" the young officer on the horse commanded coldly.


    His Troops immediately unslung their rifles from their shoulders, worked the bolts, and a cascade of clattering sounds followed.


    Without hesitation, the Soldiers raised their weapon muzzles at the onrushing Cavalry. Hundreds of rifles stood imposingly, their presence alone deterring the Cavalry charging towards them.


    "We are under orders to capture a traitor!" The leading Cavalryman, not daring to face the array of rifles, angrily shouted after reining in his warhorse to a halt.


    "Ordered by whom?" the young officer holding the reins asked with a sneer.


    "It, it''s Minister Sumer!" replied the Knight, clearly nervous and flustered, yet he responded.


    "They''re fighting!" A civilian, who had been peeking at the gun battle from behind a corner, ran away at full speed while loudly shouting.


    Behind him, hundreds of soldiers armed with bayonets had already charged towards the gate of the Royal Palace.


    The gates were quickly overrun, but the battle inside the Royal Palace raged on, filled with shouting and relentless gunfire.


    Just then, a military force suddenly emerged on the streets, and upon reaching the square in front of the Royal Palace, they swiftly deployed into formation.


    From behind a carriage, the soldiers pushed forward a Maxim machine gun, and the gunner hid behind the shield, expertly making ready to shoot.


    When he saw this force, Sumer went deathly pale; he looked at the Shireck official beside him in desperation, unsure of what to say.


    The man from Shireck Consortium was also somewhat panicked; although he had assembled thousands for the day''s operation, most of them were positioned outside of the city.


    "Didn''t you say your men were the best killers?" The agitated person in charge at Shireck Consortium retorted, losing his composure.


    By then, he didn''t even mention the fact that his force had 1000 men. Among those, at least 700 had already breached the Royal Palace, engaging in close-quarters battle with the guards inside.


    Stay connected via §Þ??


    "Make way! We have come to protect the Royal Palace! If you continue to stay here, you will be dealt with as rebels!" A soldier yelled at the insurgent forces led by Sumer in the square.


    His answer was the gunfire of the rebels.


    "They''re firing on us!" Seeing his own soldiers fall, an officer drew his sword and slashed forward fiercely, "Return fire! For His Majesty the King!"


    "Tat-tat-tat-tat!" This time, the command was answered by an imported G1 machine gun. The Maxim gun went crazy, spitting flames, and bullets flew across the square, sweeping into the ranks of the insurgents.


    The screams of agony suddenly became incessant, and the unprepared insurgents were thrown into utter chaos within moments.


    They had heard of the formidable reputation of the G1 machine gun, but they had never seen its performance in real combat before.


    Today, the soldiers of these forces witnessed the G1 machine gun and its terrifyingly effective suppressive power.


    The insurgent troops on the other side of the square were cut down by bullets, many falling off their horses. Some soldiers didn''t even get the chance to fire another shot before being pierced through by bullets flying straight at them.


    As row after row of soldiers were struck down by bullets, the rebel commanders, who hadn''t yet realized what was happening, had no choice but to turn their gaze to Sumer, who until then had seemed confident of victory.


    They waited, or rather, they hoped for Sumer to issue a new order that would allow them to escape from what had appeared to be an undoubtedly successful coup.


    But in an instant, his soldiers suffered heavy losses, and even their formations were disrupted by the machine gun fire. The insurgents left in the square routed in complete disarray, and many were gunned down from behind as they looked back.


    The insurgents who had already stormed the Royal Palace were unaware that their escape route seemed to have been cut off by their enemies.

 Chapter 276: 272 Now they are yours

    As King City of Dorne was thrown into chaos, the door to Tang Mo''s guest hall was pushed open from the outside, and two dwarves from afar stepped into the room where Tang Mo was.


    They courteously saluted Tang Mo, and then they were arranged to sit not far from him.


    "It is a great honor to meet you, Mr. Tang," a dwarf with a full beard said politely.


    The other dwarf also added, "Your reputation has already spread to the Ice Cold Kingdom."


    "You flatter me," Tang Mo said with a smile, casually crossing his legs and flicking the burnt ash of his cigarette into the ashtray, before speaking modestly, "We''re all busy people, so there''s no need to beat around the bush. I''m sure you haven''t come to tell me that bards have spread my deeds to the Ice Cold Kingdom, have you?"


    "Mr. Tang, here''s the thing," the dwarf sitting beside him, who was clearly an assistant, started the conversation.


    Indeed, the real envoy next to him got straight to the point, "Our Ice Cold Kingdom hopes that Great Tang Group can set up a branch in our country, and we are willing to offer you conveniences."


    "That''s not bad, let''s hear it, we might actually find some mutual interests," Tang Mo nodded, knowing those who came to him were usually such customers who wished to make purchases.


    Of course, general customers were now mostly handled by Harry, so these two dwarves in front of him were probably not simple customers.


    The business cooperation they proposed must have been significant enough that even Harry felt he couldn''t make the decision on his own, which had piqued Tang Mo''s curiosity.


    Harry''s vision was certainly very high now, being stimulated by projects worth hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins every day. The current general manager of the Great Tang Group, Harry, was actually becoming less sensitive to sums below a million.


    Firstly, the indirect dwarf offered a rather marginal condition, "We can provide ports further north, as we are also a maritime country! We can sign a contract with you to ensure you can use our ports for a long time."


    "That''s just a transportation convenience and doesn''t represent profit." Indeed, Tang Mo wasn''t impressed by what seemed to him a meager bargaining chip, and he dismissed it directly.


    Seeing Tang Mo''s lack of interest, the leading dwarf quickly added, "Actually, we need military arms to secure our border interests. At the same time, we can offer steel, coal mines, oil¡ªthese are all abundant resources on our territory."


    As an experienced businessman, Tang Mo certainly knew what the arms trade entailed.


    He was well aware of the importance of those mineral resources to his factories, so without any pretense, he nodded and said, "Hmm... I''m interested, please continue."


    This was efficiency, as well as forthrightness. Heaven knows if both people stood there playing riddles and being vague, an agreement for a single cannon purchase could drive the negotiating parties crazy.


    Hearing Tang Mo say he was interested, the lead dwarf held back his companion who wanted to speak and continued, "If you''re willing, we can offer part of our mineral resources or outright assign mines and oil fields in exchange for your technical support."


    "Besides, we dwarves have plenty of skilled craftsmen. We previously replicated Shireck Firearms quite well, and we also have considerable research on precision machinery like clocks. If you set up a factory in our country, we can ensure your production schedule."


    "So, what do you want?" Tang Mo asked, nodding slightly.


    The leading dwarf put forth a condition. "A brand-new rifle, different calibers, different designs, performance on par with the K3 rifle! This must be an exclusive weapon to dwarves, you shall not sell it to anyone else."


    "Agreed," Tang Mo replied, recalling weapons like the Mosin-Nagant, Lee-Enfield... He agreed quite decisively.


    The dwarf continued with his demands, "The G1 machine gun¡ªwe want the most authentic production line, the complete set of manufacturing equipment."


    "Are you unwilling to sell these machines?" The leading Dwarf thought this was Tang Mo''s limit.


    However, he saw no displeasure on Tang Mo''s face.


    He only saw Tang Mo humorously reply, "How could I? I''m afraid you can''t afford it."


    He took a puff of his cigarette, exhaled a ring of smoke, and spoke seriously, "Now we can discuss the issue of price."


    Having said that, he paused and then emphasized, "You must understand that what you''re about to purchase is virtually everything Great Tang Group has. Technology is very valuable, and to obtain the most advanced technology in this world will naturally be very expensive."


    "We can pay with gold," the Dwarf nodded and said.


    "Of course." Tang Mo also nodded and continued to listen as the other party named the price.


    "We also have gold mines, gold mines that can be mined immediately." The Dwarf continued to raise the offer because they had a basic judgement of the value of what they wanted.


    Moreover, their purpose for coming to Brunas was not solely for procurement.


    Tang Mo was quite interested when he heard about gold mines, since he urgently needed gold to support the issuance of his paper money. Thus, he curiously inquired, "One?"


    "Five!" However, the Dwarf gave an astounding number.


    "That really is good news." Tang Mo blinked, and then his smile became much more sincere. Only at this moment did he truly confirm that these Dwarves had indeed come to buy, that they indeed had the capital...


    The Dwarf then continued to introduce their family assets, or rather the funds for this procurement, "Additionally, we have copper mines! Tin mines! Saltpeter mines... Silver mines, tungsten mines. Plus, we have an oil field with a very decent output."


    "Your Kingdom truly is filled with treasures everywhere." Tang Mo sighed¡ªit was rare indeed for a country on this world to be able to offer 5 gold mines in one go, apart from the Ice Cold Kingdom.


    "Previously, due to transportation issues with the roads, these treasures were difficult to mine, and the production capacity was very low. Moreover, buyers intentionally suppressed the prices," the Dwarf explained somewhat guiltily.


    "And now? What''s different?" Tang Mo was taken aback.


    "Well, now they are yours..." The Dwarf spread his hands with a rogueish gesture.


    "..." Tang Mo expressed his speechlessness...


    "They''re completely different when in our hands compared to yours. Therefore, we hope you can give a fair conversion price," the Dwarf explained again, somewhat embarrassedly.


    "Hmm... That makes sense. I will offer you a price you won''t refuse." Tang Mo nodded slightly; since the other party was sincere in their purchase, he didn''t mind sincerely appraising his goods.


    --------


    Dragon Spirit will take a break today, just two releases.

 Chapter 277: 273 lifting the table

    ```


    "Do you think the price is enough?" the Dwarf countered.


    Tang Mo fell silent for about a minute before he spoke, "I''ve roughly calculated, and there shouldn''t be any problems. The current issue is, I feel what you want is not just my technology."


    The leading Dwarf pondered for a while, eventually looking at Tang Mo and solemnly stating, "The Ice Cold Kingdom is a young kingdom, having just been born 92 years ago. His Majesty, Ice Cold the Fifth, has inherited his grandfather''s ambition to expand territory and hopes he can change his title..."


    "I understand," Tang Mo said, slightly taken aback, and then he nodded.


    "How do you feel about the title ''Ice Cold Empire'' for the kingdom?" the Dwarf asked, somewhat eagerly and nervously.


    Tang Mo continued to nod slightly, then gave a noncommittal response, "I think it''s quite good."


    Then, he looked at the Dwarf, confirming, "I think I understand what you mean. You want exclusive procurement rights to all products of the Great Tang Group... at least, exclusive rights within the Northern Continent."


    In fact, the Dwarves had offered no small thing, and it seemed very sincere at face value. Tang Mo knew that if he spoke up now, the Dwarves might offer even more.


    However, what they wanted was not just technology and products. They wanted the full support of the Great Tang Group to help the Ice Cold Kingdom expand outward.


    This expansion would likely include many Dwarf Kingdoms, which would soon turn to the Great Tang Group, seeking to collaborate.


    The Dwarves did not want a repeat of incidents like those with the Poplar Kingdom and the Songmu Kingdom. They wished for a world where... there was only one Dwarf nation.


    A Dwarf Empire... a rather interesting notion, Tang Mo thought to himself.


    These Dwarves hoped that the Tang Group would support only them, leveraging the Group''s technology to absorb the surrounding kingdoms.


    Seeing that Tang Mo had grasped their meaning, the Dwarf continued, "If the Great Tang Group fully supports our Ice Cold Kingdom, then within the borders of the Ice Cold Kingdom, or rather, within the territory of the Ice Cold Empire, the businesses of the Great Tang Group will have unfettered access, and you... you will become the most respected individual."


    ...


    Tang Mo said nothing; he was contemplating the pros and cons of supporting the expansion of the Ice Cold Kingdom into the Ice Cold Empire.


    By his core interests, supporting a nation''s annexation of its neighbors did not maximize benefits. As an arms dealer, only division and war could provide him with a continuous stream of profit.


    However, as an arms dealer... he not only had the income from war, but also an immeasurable, vast array of other profits.


    Pharmaceuticals, food, finance, cars, ships... all things considered, war and peace could both bring him enormous profits.


    A unified nation that supported him might not be such a bad idea after all.


    Upon hearing the King speak, the young officer handed his rifle to his subordinate and approached the King, persuasively saying, "Your Majesty! Reinforcements will soon arrive, you must not waver at this moment! Hold on! There is always hope!"


    If His Majesty the King wanted to perform, then he must play his part fully, mustn''t he? Seeing that their defenses were about to collapse and the few remaining soldiers would not last long, if the King did not speak like this, the frightened guards might soon push him out as a bargaining chip to surrender and save their own lives.


    Now that he had asked, everyone''s spirits were lifted, and their loyalty bolstered¡ªthey could, of course, continue to hold on a bit longer...


    Indeed, the King''s performance had an effect, as the soldiers behind the young man shouted toward the corridor where the rebels were, "Grandpa is right here! If you''ve got the guts, come and get in!"


    "How, how much longer can we hold out?" The slightly uneasy King of Dorne looked at the door riddled with bullet holes, his pale face asking.


    "This place is easy to defend but hard to attack, we can at least hold out for a bit longer, soon, loyalist troops will break through from outside, so they''ll be in more of a hurry than us," the young soldier consoled while his gaze fell on the dandelion ring on his hand.


    "Will the reinforcements... definitely come?" The somewhat panicked King grabbed at the straw of hope to confirm.


    "If not, then I''ll also fire my last bullet, Your Majesty!" The young officer fixed his gaze on the eyes of the Dorne King, who for some reason, saw in those not-so-beautiful eyes, a boundless strength.


    In fact, the young officer did not know if his damned older and younger ''brothers'' would really come to the rescue, as they had not been in contact beforehand.


    He only knew that if they sensed danger, they would surely find a way to rush over, fearlessly charging to his side to save him.


    It was a trust, which is why his eyes were filled with determination, bursting with infinite power.


    "I remember... you''re from Brunas..." The Dorne King looked at the young man before him, suddenly asking.


    "Yes, I''m a graduate of the 3rd class of Great Tang Military Academy," the young man stated plainly his identity: "I am proud to have studied there."


    "After today, you will be the captain of my royal guards!" the King said after a few seconds of silence, it was unclear if it was a promise of promotion or a genuine sentiment.


    "Very well!" The young man stood at attention, performing the Great Tang Military Academy salute to the King of Dorne.


    He then returned to the doorway, took his rifle back from his soldier, peeked out, and immediately withdrew, "Prepare for battle! It''s been half a day without gunfire, they''re probably thinking of some bad ideas!"


    He hadn''t finished speaking when he saw on the corridor side, someone carrying a large table over, hung with all sorts of items, including quilts and cutting boards.


    Clearly, after half a day''s unsuccessful charges, the attacking rebels had thought up a "siege tower."


    "Charge!" Pushing such a shield, the rebel soldiers stepped over the bodies of their companions, continuously wriggling forward.


    And the guards of His Majesty the King on this end started to look distressed, with only a dozen of them left, if they lost the terrain advantage, they definitely wouldn''t be able to defend this room.


    They also had nowhere left to retreat; if there was any other place to escape, they would have already escorted His Majesty the King and retreated.

 Chapter 278: 274 Not enough blood

    "Prepare for bayonet combat!" The young officer fired a shot at the table, and the bullet struck a framed picture hanging on it, leaving a bullet hole in the head of the King''s grandfather before discarding his own rifle.


    He drew his Longsword from his waist, and the soldiers, wielding rifles already fitted with bayonets, waited for their final moment to come.


    The table on the opposite side was getting closer, and behind it the insurrectionist soldiers seemed to see hope, shouting madly, pushing forward the table with all four legs.


    "Kill!" As the enemy''s table approached the doorway, the young officer was the first to charge from the side. He did not give the enemy a chance to react, lifting his pistol high, and pulled the trigger at the crowd hiding behind the table.


    The crisp sound of the Left-Wheel Handgun echoed down the hallway, and a soldier from the crowded insurrectionist group screamed as he was shot and fell.


    The young officer defending the door took aim at another insurgent peeking out and fired, and then several guards armed with bayonets rushed out from behind him.


    These guards held their rifles horizontally, butts up, stabbing their bayonets diagonally downward, knocking down the insurgents pushing the table at the front.


    In an instant, five or six insurgents screamed and fell down, and it seemed at that moment that the guards who charged out had regained the advantage.


    With their shoulders against the thick table, they pushed together and managed to move the table backward about half a meter.


    However, there were just too many insurgent soldiers in the hallway, crowding, some with guns, some with swords, with no end in sight.


    The insurgent soldiers also braced against the table. Numerous and powerful, they quickly regained their courage after a moment of cowardice.


    The soldiers from both sides wrestled with the table between them, and the side with fewer numbers was slowly being pushed back to the door.


    "Bang!" The young officer, holding the Left-Wheel Handgun, fired again, one shot after another until the chamber was empty.


    But before he could reload, the numerous insurgents, officers, and soldiers alike, opened fire in retaliation.


    A Kingdom guard standing next to the young officer took a bullet to the head, didn''t even have a chance to scream before he fell straight down. His blood splattered on the faces and bodies of other guards, still warm.


    As time ticked by, more and more Kingdom guards fell. The two sides blindly stabbed at each other over the table, and ultimately, the side with more people had the advantage.


    After two more guards were stabbed and fell, the young officer''s pistol was also out of bullets.


    He leaned against the table, gritting his teeth as he pushed, but still, he kept being forced backward. He clenched his teeth so hard, his face was pressed against the table, yet he still couldn''t prevent the table from advancing.


    Suddenly, he felt something pierce his back, and he could feel a liquid spreading beneath his uniform.


    Then, he felt something slice across his neck. He couldn''t free his hands to check if he was wounded; he could only keep propping himself against the table, daring not to move an inch.


    After that, he felt something else pierce the shoulder that had just been hit, and another strike in the same spot again.


    "There''s no need to ask." King Dorne approached the officer, looking down at the body lying on the marble floor in the sticky, fresh blood, his tone similarly menacing.


    Then, suddenly lifting his head, he looked at the mutinous soldiers being detained and coldly issued an order, "Those involved in the rebellion, execute them all!"


    "Bang!" A soldier pulled the trigger, and the mutinous soldier he was pointing his gun at clutched his chest, sliding down the wall to the floor.


    "Bang! Bang! Bang!" The next second, gunshots erupted in the corridor, one after another, as the mutinous soldiers who had just thought victory was within reach, pushing the table near the door, fell to the gunfire.


    "I didn''t shoot, I was far from the table!" one mutinous soldier screamed in despair, but before he could finish, he was shot in the head.


    A mass of mutinous corpses piled up in the corner, blood spreading out and flowing everywhere along the smooth, marble floor.


    This coup, or rather mutiny, was doomed to be bloody and brutal, and no one could change that.


    "I promised him... to make him the captain of my guard!" Looking down at the young body lying on the ground, King Dorne wept amidst the gunfire.


    Even King Dorne, who had seen much and thought himself to be a master of power with a heart as hard as iron, wept at this moment.


    The more one endures, the more one treasures the most genuine, simplest emotions. As a king, to have a subject who remains loyal at a critical moment, gave King Dorne a sense of warmth.


    The throne, which he had assumed in isolation, was too cold, so this bit of warmth moistened his eyes that had been dry for so long.


    "The forces of Sumer and Shireck are outside, Your Majesty," said the young officer with an intense aura, looking down at the corpse of his classmate, seemingly dissatisfied with the smell of blood permeating the air.


    There was too little blood here, too few bodies here, how could such a small number... be enough? How could it be worthy of his brother? The scene was not spectacular enough! The blood, not nearly enough!


    "Those bastards! I''ll kill them myself!" King Dorne clenched his fists, his teeth gritted in anger.


    "Or, leave it to me. Death, for them... would be a mercy," the young officer said, lifting his head, his face still wet with blood.


    "Okay!" King Dorne agreed without a second thought, then he remembered something, "Right, you were his classmate?"


    "Yes." The young officer watched as his men moved the table to one side, answering absently.


    "Your troops are now my guards, you will act as captain of the guard!" King Dorne commanded: "Send people out, summon the ministers!"


    "Most of them won''t make it." The young man in luxurious clothes, who had just been racing on horseback through the streets, stepped over several bodies of the mutineers and approached King Dorne: "Many have joined the mutiny; others who did not side with the rebels were killed by mutineers."


    "Also, there''s one more thing to tell you..." He knelt on one knee and laid his hand on his younger schoolmate''s forehead as if performing a ritual.


    After a few seconds of silence, he said softly without raising his head to King Dorne, "The army of Xilun Kingdom has crossed the border... that''s the latest news."


    ---------


    These last two days, I haven''t been feeling well, my condition has been poor, so updating will be slow, let me adjust... Once I recover, I will make up for the missed updates, I definitely owe you 3 chapters!

 Chapter 279: The Power of 275 Being Ignored

    Brunas, the headquarters of Great Tang Group, was where Tang Mo''s stronghold lay. A meeting regarding the current situation was taking place.


    The situation had become very clear now. The opposition was obviously targeting Great Tang Group, encircling all the powers that Great Tang Group could influence.


    To the north, Poplar Kingdom and Songmu Kingdom were both facing border pressures, and to the south, Dorne Kingdom was extremely passive.


    The Central Leite Kingdom was also waging war against the Kingdom of Gemalin. Shireck had clearly planned this for a long time.


    "Nicely arranged, drawing Leite into conflict with Germelin while dragging Dorne and Suthers into war as well. This time, the enemy is much better prepared than the last," Tang Mo leaned back in his chair, looking at the map, it was unclear whether he was being sarcastic or actually praising.


    He shifted his gaze to Harry on the side, "I hear that the profit of the munitions department has increased by three hundred percent recently, a delightful situation, indeed."


    "Master, our situation is not favorable. The large number of munitions orders has depleted our own material reserves. If the war drags on, we will soon fall into the trap of a shortage of supplies," Harry reminded Tang Mo.


    The adversary, also an arms consortium, naturally could gauge the extent of Great Tang Group''s reserves to some degree.


    Indeed, Great Tang Group might have risen swiftly, appearing fierce, but it also had its own Achilles'' heel.


    This Achilles'' heel was materials¡ªthe rapid development, though swift, necessitated a massive consumption of materials, so the stockpile couldn''t be all that large.


    Granted, Great Tang Group had more efficient factories that could produce more advanced artillery shells and more powerful cannons, and they could even build ironclad warships that Shireck could not produce.


    But if the war broke out on too large a scale or dragged on indefinitely without end, then Great Tang Group''s supply would face serious problems.


    This was essentially Shireck''s overt strategy. They had targeted Great Tang Group''s inability to withstand the consumption of a large-scale war through its material stockpile.


    It couldn''t be helped. The higher-ups at Shireck saw it rightly because Tang Mo''s Great Tang Group indeed could not withstand such depletion.


    Despite Tang Mo purchasing a large amount of steel and even constructing several large steel mills, and popularizing more advanced iron-making technology, the steel produced by Great Tang Group was dispersed among a multitude of related industries.


    Steel was needed for railways and trains, and even if the carriages were made of wood, the tracks indeed consumed real steel.


    Steel was also needed to build ships and manufacture automobiles, and Tang Mo''s factory equipment also required steel, so there was much less steel that could be allocated for weapons production.


    Likewise, most of Tang Mo''s metal reserves were used in expansion, the outbreak of war accelerated the consumption of these metals, and Great Tang Group''s metal reserves began to tighten.


    The frontlines of the war not only consumed Tang Mo''s material reserves but also his human resources.


    To respond to the war, countless able-bodied workers were assembled and focused on transportation and military training, which also slowed down the pace of Tang Mo''s production expansion.


    Tang Mo had introduced a square iron gasoline barrel, but this luxurious method of transporting oil was only popular in Brunas, after all, iron was still a relatively expensive material.


    In places outside Leite and Dragon Island, iron as a material was still relatively unfamiliar, and most of the time, areas which could make do with wood did not use iron materials.


    "Although the enemy has made meticulous arrangements, have they... forgotten something?" Tang Mo asked his subordinates as he stood beside the map.


    "The Poplar Kingdom and Songmu Kingdom are too far to quench the immediate thirst, Suthers is troubled from within and without, the Leite Kingdom is struggling on the border, Dorne is too preoccupied with its own troubles..." Luff shook his head, unable to think of any forces they could still mobilize.


    "The same is true for Dragon Island; even if Roger suspended construction there, he wouldn''t be able to help us out in the short term," Li''ao added, shaking his head as well.


    "We still have a force they haven''t taken into account..." Tang Mo smiled, placing his hand on a spot on the map, "Let''s hope they can give our enemies a surprise!"


    ...


    "Report!" A Germelin officer pushed open the door of his commanding general and shouted loudly.


    The general commanding the troops invading Leite lifted his head, along with a group of military officers and a representative of the Shireck Consortium who were studying the battle situation, to look at the officer specially in charge of delivering intelligence.


    "What''s the matter?" the general asked, looking at the messenger whose complexion didn''t look quite right: "What happened?"


    "A message from the officers on the flank! They said we seem to have been ambushed by the Leite military!" the messenger hesitated before conveying the news from the flank.


    "Hm?" The general frowned, somewhat unwilling to believe such news: "That''s impossible! How could the Leite Kingdom still have such a large army? How many people are they?"


    "The messenger said that the enemy has two legions... and there''s likely... another legion behind them..." the officer stammered.


    "That''s impossible!" This time, it was the Shireck''s person who cried out loud: "Where did they get so many troops from?"


    The messenger felt awkward, glanced at his general, and after seeing the doubt in the latter''s eyes, looked back at the Shireck representative and said: "Sir, the message is authentic. The messenger said... said that the troops were flying... the flag of a wolf, a wolf flag."


    "Northern Ridge!" The Shireck representative''s face turned pale in an instant; only then did he remember that the Leite Kingdom seemed to have an "autonomous region" that obeyed orders but not proclamations.


    Usually, everyone remembered the rapidly industrializing Northern Ridge, but habitually neglected the fact that Northern Ridge always had a military force in existence.


    What no one knew was that for the past two years, Northern Ridge had never been idle; since Earl Fisello of the Northern Ridge was assassinated, his military forces had been expanding.


    With the support of the Great Tang Group, the economic situation in Northern Ridge was enviably good, which meant that Ronin Alice, who had inherited the earldom, had always had more than enough funds to maintain her troops.


    What everyone didn''t know was that the small Northern Ridge possessed six regiments of troops. These regiments were not traditional legions but modern infantry regiments reorganized by graduates from the Great Tang Military Academy.

 Chapter 280: 276th Great Victory in Nanyang

    These infantry regiments had 10 more advanced 75-mm caliber howitzers. Although the caliber remained the same, they had been upgraded from recoilless guns to the more modern recoil guns.


    Similarly, the new-style recoil guns that also used breech loading had a faster rate of fire, were more accurate, held more ammunition, and had a more terrifying range.


    At the same time, the soldiers in these infantry regiments had also learned from the security troops of the Great Tang Group, equipping themselves with M35 steel helmets and adopting the same military uniform style. Thus, compared to the brightly dressed militaries of other kingdoms of the same era, this troop had better concealment.


    The soldiers were equipped with the K3 rifle, the same model used by the Tang Group''s security troops. This rifle, utilizing advanced brass-cased ammunition, was much more advanced than the needle guns used by both sides on the battlefield.


    Even more frightening was the fact that each infantry company had two Maxim G1 machine guns. Together with the machine gun units directly under the regimental headquarters, this firepower was not something the Leite Kingdom''s troops could compare with.


    After reorganization, a Northern Ridge infantry regiment was composed of three battalions, and each battalion had three companies. Messily combined, a company had around 200 people, totaling up to an impressive 2,000 people for the entire regiment.


    Each regiment was equipped with 20 heavy machine guns, almost equaling the total number of heavy machine guns purchased by the entire Leite Kingdom...


    Not to exaggerate, but this was absolutely the equipment level of Cashin''s direct troops from the year 1940. Dominating these rookies with military technology levels not advanced past the Qing era, it was definitely overkill.


    In fact, Northern Ridge only had five infantry regiments, and the remaining one... was the world''s history first formally organized artillery regiment!


    This regiment was equipped with 20 75-mm caliber howitzers and another 20 larger 105-mm caliber new artillery pieces. This kind of artillery was modeled after the German L16 type produced during World War I.


    The trajectory of these big guns was excellent, and they had a very long range, with a weight that was also moderate, making them highly suitable for the troops of this era.


    After all, most of the time they needed to be hauled by horses, so lighter weight was definitely an eye-catching parameter.


    As for the recoilless guns, the Northern Ridge''s military had already phased them out completely. These second-hand artillery pieces weren''t wasted at all; they were directly resold to the Songmu Kingdom after marking up the price...


    Of course, putting aside these advanced weapons, just the fearsome reputation of the Northern Ridge Legion alone was enough to send chills down one''s spine.


    This troop had been known for its well-trained and formidable combat strength under Earl Fisheo, often achieving victory despite being outnumbered.


    However, because the Leite Kingdom had not used the Northern Ridge''s military in its external expansions over the past year or so, people gradually forgot that there was still a strong army on the piece of land sandwiched between Suthers and Leite.


    After all, other forces of the Leite Kingdom were also performing well, absorbing neighbors'' battles and attracting too much attention, so much so that everyone had forgotten that the Leite Kingdom''s strongest forces had not been mobilized at all!


    Regrettably, now, this troop... they had moved!


    However, due to the length of the logistic supply routes and the large amount of heavy weaponry, the Northern Ridge''s force was not fully mobilized.


    In fact, the Northern Ridge troops approaching the battle zone did not deploy the heavy artillery, and most of the 75-mm howitzers did not follow through.


    Nevertheless, to deal with any defenses that the enemy might adopt, the Northern Ridge''s troops still brought 10 105-mm howitzers for heavy fire support.


    The total number of Northern Ridge troops arriving at the battlefield was not particularly large; in fact, it was only 2 infantry regiments and two artillery companies to reinforce them.


    The atmosphere, originally heavy due to the war, became much livelier with the publication of this great victory in the newspaper.


    Everyone likes to hear good news, so when the workers heard that the Great Tang Group had won a glorious victory in a far-off place, smiles appeared on their faces.


    It seemed as though the war would soon pass, good days would continue, everyone''s lives would return to normal, and everything would revert to the way it was before the outbreak of the war.


    No, perhaps, things would get even better!


    Inside the factory, a worker sorting parts on the conveyor belt before him remarked, "Captured thirty transport ships? Hey! Sunk 70 enemy ships?"


    His companion nodded in agreement, "Exactly!"


    The newspaper reported the confirmed results of the battle at Hotwind Port. The Great Tang Group''s fleet had sailed south to Taren and achieved an unprecedented victory at Hotwind Port.


    Commander Bernard annihilated the enemy fleet advancing northwards in provocative action, achieving such splendid results that they were hard to believe.


    His dispatched warships chasing the fleeing enemy discovered the enemy''s transport convoy, and after sinking all the escort warships, the enemy surrendered quite willingly.


    Thus, the troops, food, and supplies carried by the thirty transport ships all became Bernard''s spoils of war.


    "Out of humanitarian considerations, they rescued over 1,500 drowning enemy soldiers!" In this busy workshop, where workers were taking turns resting, one was holding the newspaper, with a cup of water still on the machine beside him.


    The worker closed the newspaper and spoke disdainfully, "If you ask me, those drowning men should have just been left to drown in the sea!"


    "Right! Waste of food! They should''ve just drowned!" A working colleague, full of shared indignation, joined in the outcry.


    "Didn''t the newspaper say..." the workers putting the polished parts into a basket spoke without looking up, "...that all these prisoners of war must serve 10 years, working in the harshest mines to pay off their debts. Heh heh."


    Many of the workers in this factory were once slaves themselves; they knew all too well what kind of life a slave faced.


    "They got off lightly! Being slaves here is happier than being free people elsewhere!" Another worker passed by and commented.


    His words immediately met with a chorus of approval, for many had seen slaves purchased by the Great Tang Group, and knew their treatment was far better than that of slaves elsewhere.


    ...


    "The counterattack is set for the east of Leite! We''ll take care of the Kingdom of Germelin first! After that, everything else will fall into place!" Tang Mo tapped on the map and said to his subordinates, "Redman is already heading to the war zone. He will take command of the troops from Northern Ridge and pincer the Germelin forces!"


    "Furthermore, after stabilizing the situation in Dorne, the Navy fleet will head south! Whether it''s Taren Kingdom or Xilun Kingdom... none of them will escape!" After finishing his words, Tang Mo sneered, "Think they can drag me into a quagmire of resource exhaustion? I''ll strike for a swift victory instead!"


    "Mobilize all production capacity! Once we''ve pummeled our enemies, we''ll recoup the profits delayed by the war!" Lastly, Tang Mo commanded.


    "Yes, Master!" All the attendees at the meeting stood up, responding to Tang Mo with their chins held high.

 Chapter 281: 277 Directors

    Within a hidden and obscure castle, a circle of tycoons, each with differing physiques, sat around a huge round table. They were some of the most affluent merchants in the world, each owning businesses so vast they made one''s scalp tingle.


    Moreover, these individuals shared another common identity, that of directors of the Shireck Consortium, essentially shareholders of the consortium.


    They were all members of the Shireck board of directors, and it was together they discussed and decided upon the future direction for Shireck.


    However, at this very moment, a woman''s roar was echoing through the hall, "Who... who gave you the authority to target the Great Tang Group with such a massive operation?"


    "Sofia! We didn''t inform you of this matter, after all, you are not in charge of this area," a fat man picked up his wine glass, explaining dismissively.


    Discover more stories at M V L


    The fiery-haired Sofia slapped the table, cursing in great dissatisfaction, "Idiots! Do you realize how much power you''ve mobilized? How many years will it take us to cultivate these forces?"


    This time, even Shireck could say they had suffered a severe blow, mobilizing almost all of their assets in a fight against the Great Tang Group. For the usually cautious Shireck, this was undoubtedly an unreliable gamble.


    "Rest assured, our plan to attack the Great Tang Group is flawless, so your worries are completely unnecessary," another gaunt old man, although displeased with Sofia''s shouting, still managed a smile and tried to soothe her.


    He was a smiling tiger, always wearing a grin, yet everyone in the room who knew him was aware that this old man, even with a smile, might not necessarily be thinking anything pleasant.


    Sofia looked at him, disclosing a piece of intelligence she had, "My worries are completely unnecessary? Are you aware that the Great Tang Group''s warships sunk 30 first-rate sail warships in the Poplar Kingdom?"


    While the Poplar Kingdom was tight-lipped about such matters, a diligent investigation could still uncover the truth.


    The Great Tang Group had deployed only a few warships to sink a considerable number of the Poplar Kingdom''s sail warships, a piece of news that had Sofia on high alert.


    The fat man immediately laughed, extremely proud of his arrangements, shaking his head as he said, "Of course I know, and that''s why this time, we''ve assembled a fleet of 70 warships from the Taren Kingdom to head north!"


    In his view, 70 warships were a formidable force capable of wreaking havoc at sea, with no risk of failure to speak of.


    Even the fleet of a maritime powerhouse wouldn''t dare to claim they could definitely eliminate an enemy''s 70 first-rate sail warships in one fell swoop!


    Sofia surveyed those around her and asked coldly, "Have you ever considered... what if this fleet were to be completely annihilated?"


    She had a telegraph machine and had arranged for merchants to send her news from Brunas immediately¡ªthus, on her way here, she learned of the Southern Ocean Major Victory reported in Brunas''s newspapers.


    Though she was reluctant to believe that Brunas''s fleet had truly wiped out the Taren Kingdom''s fleet, she felt it necessary to be fully prepared for any eventuality.


    Several tycoons immediately exclaimed in shock, "Impossible!"


    Another envious ugly woman complained, "Other than her looks and the ability to seduce men, what else can she do... Look at her high and mighty attitude, thinking she''s so great just because she''s a whore?"


    In the corridor, Sofia walked while complaining to the maid at her side, "These people are all idiots; staying with them will eventually cost me all my money."


    The maid, who was walking beside and slightly behind her, confirmed, "Master, you mean?"


    "Prepare another plan!" Sofia paused for a few seconds and then instructed in a low voice, "And be extra vigilant against these fools..."


    The maid bowed her head slightly, "Yes!"


    ...


    In the command headquarters of Gemalin Kingdom''s forces, which had stabilized their front lines several kilometers back to the east of Leite Kingdom, the Gemalin general paced back and forth with a worried expression.


    At his side, a representative from Shireck comforted the general and surrounding officers, "The enemy''s forces should have the upper hand; we can only stand firm and wait for reinforcements to arrive."


    While speaking, the representative glanced at his trusted aide, the towering Qiumuluo, "Furthermore, if we can hold out for just a few days, the pressure on other fronts will force these troops to retreat. At that time, victory will be within our reach!"


    The Gemalin general, who had heard of the formidable reputation of Northern Ridge Iron Army, was still concerned, "But how do we hold out for a few days? I''m worried that the Northern Ridge forces will crush our flanks..."


    "Don''t worry! The same tactics they used to block us, we will now use to confront them!" The Shireck representative, who had come up with a strategy, proudly declared.


    "Hmm?" The Gemalin general was puzzled and then looked towards the Shireck representative.


    The representative quickly revealed his tactic, "Before we retreated, I captured nearby farmers to dig the same kind of trenches on the border! They would never expect that we would use their tactics against them!"


    "Let your troops rely on this trench for defense until the large artillery arrives at the front. Once they do, we''ll have a chance to win!" The Shireck representative believed that once the 130 mm caliber heavy artillery arrived at the front, they would secure the victory.


    Without a better idea, the Gemalin general could only nod in agreement, "It is... a strategy."


    Seeing the general still a bit anxious, Qiumuluo offered reassuring words, "We have the support of 130 mm cannons, and we''ve been fighting so many days. They can''t possibly concentrate so much artillery in such a short time; we''ll surely hold out even longer!"


    "I hope that''s the case," said the still perturbed Gemalin general, although he looked a bit more relaxed as he spoke with a prolonged intonation.


    Before long, after completing their retreat, Gemalin Kingdom''s forces relied on the hastily constructed trench defenses to withstand the advancing Leite Kingdom''s forces.


    Leite Kingdom''s forces didn''t rush their attack but instead stopped and waited a full day for all reinforcements to arrive before setting up their formation on both flanks and launching several probing assaults.


    Then, in the northern sector of the theater, the commander from Northern Ridge, Redman, decided to take the initiative in a general attack, seeking to pierce Gemalin Kingdom''s trench defenses!

 Chapter 282: 278 scattered soldiers and brave warriors

    "Boom!" Compared to the artillery preparations of the Kingdom of Gemalin, the firepower of the Northern Ridge Troops was obviously far more intense.


    The terrifying artillery fire engulfed the entire position, with black smoke billowing everywhere. There were craters seething with heat and trenches that had been blown apart.


    The soldiers of the Kingdom of Germelin thought that the firepower they used when they attacked the Leite Kingdom''s border defense line was the strongest in the world, but only now did they realize their ignorance.


    It turned out they severely lacked imagination¡ªthe ferocious artillery barrage in front of them completely overturned their expectations.


    The Northern Ridge Troops had 30 cannons, all of which were new-model artillery with higher rates of fire, better accuracy, farther ranges, and more powerful shells.


    Despite the Kingdom of Germelin possessing 130 mm caliber recoilless guns, their slow rate of fire of a few minutes per shot, along with their annoyingly heavy weight, prevented them from providing timely and effective fire support.


    They were good enough for hitting some fixed targets on the border, but once it came to accompanying troops in an assault, they became utter trash.


    Now, the Northern Ridge''s quick-firing 105 mm caliber howitzers were the true kings of the battlefield.


    "Boom!" Another shell, following a high, arcing trajectory, landed almost vertically on the Germelin Troop''s position, lifting a cloud of dust and shaking the earth.


    The aggrieved Germelin soldiers could do nothing but curl up in hastily dug trenches, tragically waiting for the enemy to end their barrage.


    Their trenches were mere scratchings on the surface, equivalent to digging ditches in the ground, offering almost no protection.


    However, compared to when they launched their attack on the border area, they obviously had learned quite a few lessons. At least, they wouldn''t crowd together and form square formations to collide head-on with the enemy on open plains anymore.


    Unfortunately, it seemed the Northern Ridge Troops had no intention of engaging them with traditional tactics. After a round of intense artillery preparation, their infantry began to advance.


    Following a shrill, somewhat heart-throbbing whistle sound, a succession of roaring commands rose from the trenches: "Attack!" "Attack!"


    All of the soldiers of the Kingdom of Germelin were waiting, waiting to greet the soldiers of the Leite Kingdom with a painful blow using the trench crawling and shooting techniques they had just learned.


    But what they were met with was a scene that left them stunned: the Northern Ridge Troops didn''t form square formations for their assault but rather dispersed their formation as soon as they arrived, resembling a group of irregulars.


    However, these damned irregulars... really weren''t that easy to aim at. They split into small groups, covering each other, some firing from temporary cover, others advancing bent over, without a hint of so-called courage.


    After finally lining up a target, the enemy would quickly throw themselves down into the dirty mud, disappearing from sight.


    "Damn, what kind of tactic is this?" A veteran from the Kingdom of Germelin managed to fire off a shot, missed his target, and complained furiously.


    The enemy quite obviously had trained for this, running zigzag patterns with no discernible rhythm, and in most cases, they were simply crawling on the ground.


    Soon, many of the soldiers on the Germelin defense line had realized the tactics of their opponents. One soldier, with a mixture of laughter and tears, asked his comrade, "Are they all... crawling on the ground?"


    The massive explosions all concentrated near the trenches took a devastating toll on the Germelin soldiers. Some grenades that happened to fall into the trenches caused enormous casualties in the blink of an eye.


    The soldiers who were flipped onto the ground by the blasts scarcely had time to get up before they saw figures leaping into their trenches.


    What followed was the sound of dense gunfire¡ªthe opposing troops were equipped with a plethora of Left-Wheel Handguns, which were far more useful in the confined trenches than lever-action rifles.


    Of course, that didn''t mean the Northern Ridge troops were without lever-action rifles; on the contrary, the squad commanders of the Northern Ridge troops were all armed with lever-action rifles.


    The concentrated fire immediately overwhelmed the Germelin forces, who had thought they were the strongest firing force in the world. But now they realized they were wrong.


    The firepower from the other side was so intense that the Germelin soldiers didn''t even have time to raise their hands before bullets took them down.


    Indeed, the ordinary Northern Ridge soldiers, equipped with KAR98, or K3 rifles, were not much slower in rate of fire compared to lever-action rifles.


    They used metal cased cartridges, which gave them a far greater advantage in sustained fire over the mass of Germelin troops equipped with needle guns.


    "Bang!" A Northern Ridge soldier with a rifle flipped an enemy soldier with a shot in the trenches, then flashed a gleaming bayonet and flipped another soldier to the ground.


    Next, he pulled out another grenade from his belt, detonated it and threw it. Three Germelin soldiers, who were charging forward with bayonets, met their fate when the grenade they stumbled upon exploded, engulfing them in fire in an instant.


    After punching a hole in their defenses, the follow-up Northern Ridge forces rushed to fill it. These rigorously trained Northern Ridge soldiers aggressively expanded their victory by attacking along the trench in both directions.


    With the support of grenades and lever-action rifles, the trench clearing was even faster than imagined. The forces of the Kingdom of Germelin quickly collapsed, piece by piece their positions rapidly captured by Northern Ridge forces.


    A line of trenches that had stalled the Germelin forces for days crumbled in less than an hour under the onslaught of the Northern Ridge forces.


    Once the line was breached and both sides became entangled in close combat, the combat training of the Northern Ridge troops shone through even more starkly.


    The Northern Ridge forces, seemingly much more adept at small-unit maneuvers, quickly expanded their gains, using squads or platoons as combat units, infiltrating deep behind the Kingdom of Germelin''s lines.


    Villages that served as command posts or ammunition depots, or the makeshift camps built up, were also hit hard simultaneously.


    The entire battlefield was in chaos, with Germelin troops fleeing in dismay. Out of more than 3000 men in two legions, fewer than 500 were killed on the battlefield, with the rest routed during the escape, obliterated while scattering in retreat.


    With command already ineffective, the commanders of the Kingdom of Germelin couldn''t even discern what had happened, when suddenly they heard news of their defeat.


    Then came the complete rout across the board.


    ------


    There will be one more update today to make up for the previous one, which I''ll deliver later, probably after 12 o''clock.

 Chapter 283: The Chaotic Command Center 279

    ```


    Everyone was still investigating what exactly was happening when gunshots could be heard outside the command post. Everyone fled in a frantic disarray, with the neighing of war horses and the distant sound of artillery causing everyone to only think of retreating.


    "What''s going on?" the leading general of the Germelin Kingdom, having heard the commotion, charged out of his command post with his guards.


    This was a manor in a small town, previously owned by a minor landlord, and now it had been requisitioned to serve as the headquarters for the Germelin Kingdom''s troops.


    The small town was dotted with parked wagons, countless horses, and a plethora of servants and attendants looking after the animals.


    The sentry troops were in complete disarray because outside the town, the enemy''s gunfire and their own gunfire were intermingling, clearly indicating that a battle had already begun.


    And on the streets of the town, amid the communications soldiers leading panicked horses in retreat, there were occasional mix-ups with some wagons.


    "My lord! The enemy has broken through the defenses! They''re already here!" An officer, accompanied by a few guards, rushed past, pointing towards the distance and shouting toward the general who had just reached the doorway.


    "Huh! Huh!" A soldier tried to control his warhorse, struggling with the reins. But just when he had finally managed to calm his horse, a shell landed right in the town.


    "Boom!" A massive explosion blew off the roof of the nearby stables, and seven or eight war horses fell to the ground, while the rest broke free of their constraints and charged into the crowd of people running everywhere.


    It couldn''t be helped, this was the central command for the entire Germelin Kingdom''s offensive forces. In a headquarters without advanced equipment such as telegraphs, the most common sight was cavalry and mounted communications soldiers.


    Almost all orders had to rely on war horses and communications soldiers for delivery, so it was no wonder that a large number of horses were concentrated here.


    Of course, aside from the horses, there were countless non-combatants, such as the representatives from the Shireck Consortium who had come here to observe the battle.


    In addition, there were chefs who cooked for the headquarters staff, clerks who specialized in writing records, and many nobility officers who had brought their womenfolk in defiance of military discipline...


    And these people were actually far from being a burden.


    Because the items a headquarters must carry with it could be described as multifarious: there were specialized wagons, carts transporting a variety of vegetables, and of course, herds of cattle and sheep, poultry and ducks...


    A shell falling on these things truly made for a chaotic scene, with chickens flying and dogs jumping.


    At this moment, what presented itself before the Germelin general was such a scene that was simultaneously laughable and lamentable.


    Just as he angrily watched his communication soldiers clear a path through the chaotic crowd on their war horses and flee without looking back, a chicken flew right past him.


    "What exactly is going on? Which side''s defenses have been breached? Huh?" The general, infuriated, grabbed a fleeing officer and bellowed his questions.


    "Boom!" After the loud explosion, Qiumuluo''s figure fell to the ground... Shortly after, several fleeing stragglers came across the crater, spotting the big man lying next to it.


    Then, they heard Qiumuluo''s cries for help. He promised them a reward if they took him with them. After some contemplation, the stragglers dragged the legless Qiumuluo into the nearby woods.


    Meanwhile, in the town, more and more Northern Ridge troops wearing M35 helmets were appearing. They agilely occupied some high-rise buildings and began suppressing the panicked Gemalin deserters from the rooftops of these two-story structures.


    "Don''t shoot! We surrender! We surrender!" A group of Gemalin soldiers huddled inside a building threw their weapons out the window, shouting loudly.


    Soon enough, Gemalin soldiers hiding in stables, behind carriages, and inside buildings began to plead loudly for mercy, shouting their surrender.


    The retaliatory gunfire quickly thinned out, leaving only one soldier after another, walking out of the rooms with their hands raised in surrender.


    "General!" Seeing the soldiers outside throwing away their weapons, the Guard Commander looked helplessly at his superior, "What should we do?"


    The people he had sent to find a carriage hadn''t returned, and they no longer had a chance to break out. They had the option of fighting to the death in the room or surrendering meekly.


    Of course, few within the room wished to fight to the death because surrendering at least held the promise of life, whereas a fight to the death left nothing at all.


    "..." The general did not speak but instead pulled over a chair and sat down heavily. Then he lifted his head and ordered his Guard Commander, "You go out and find their officer. Tell him... I... am here, ready to surrender."


    "... Yes!" After hesitating for two seconds, the Guard Commander lacked the courage to persuade the general to continue the fight. He nodded, stepped out the door, and dropped the Left-Wheel Handgun produced by the Shireck Consortium.


    He raised his hands high and approached the closest soldier wearing an M35 helmet to say, "We surrender! I am the Guard Commander for the highest commander here. My superior is inside the manor, and he wishes your officer would allow him to surrender with dignity."


    "Hey! Sergeant! Listen to this guy; there''s supposedly a big shot over there! Wanna go have a look?" Holding his K3 rifle with a fixed bayonet, the soldier turned and bellowed loudly.


    A sergeant carrying a lever-action rifle and with a hand on the grip of his Left-Wheel Handgun on his waist came over, stepping over the bloodstains on the street, "What''s going on? Why the yelling?"


    "He says there is a big shot in the manor," the soldier pointed towards the manor not far away and then gestured towards the approaching Guard Commander as he spoke.


    "Come with me!" The sergeant gestured with his chin toward the distant manor, leading the two back inside it.


    He cautiously had the Guard Commander push the door open first, and only after seeing everyone inside had discarded their weapons did the two men from the Northern Ridge indicate they could come out.


    Naturally, the Gemalin general did not get his dignified surrender ceremony because he was forced to give up his weapon and was escorted back to the Northern Ridge troops'' encampment.


    Two days after, the Leite Kingdom troops had essentially cleared the invading Gemalin deserters from within their territory, pushing the battle lines back to the original border area.


    However, they did not stop there. After a brief rest, the combined forces of the Leite Kingdom, including the Northern Ridge troops and the Kingdom''s main force totaling 10,000 men, crossed the border and penetrated into the Kingdom of Gemalin''s territory.

 Chapter 284: 280 Academy Phase 2

    Accompanied by the Leite Kingdom''s counteroffensive, the me?le?e between the 11 nations seemed to have undergone a fundamental change.


    However, soon conflicts erupted in other regions, once again rendering the outcome of the war unpredictable.


    In the north, the Poplar Kingdom engaged in warfare with the Elm Kingdom, battling fiercely along the border.


    Compared to the eastern front of the Leite Kingdom, the state of warfare here was somewhat different, with both sides still employing tactics from two years earlier, yet using advanced firearms like needle guns and breech-loading cannon.


    This instantly escalated the bloodiness of the war to an unbearable level, with both sides suffering over 30,000 casualties within 3 days of the outbreak of hostilities.


    The Poplar Kingdom held absolute superiority in machine-gun firepower, but the Elm Kingdom had the advantage in troop numbers and artillery, resulting in a stalemate with rapidly escalating losses.


    The Songmu Kingdom was also forced to withdraw from the borders of the Poplar Kingdom, to counteract the attack from the Rosewood Kingdom.


    However, having reserved its strength and equipped with some weapons from the Great Tang, the Songmu Kingdom managed to attain a certain level of advantage on the battlefield.


    They invaded the territory of the Rosewood Kingdom but, due to insufficient reinforcements, could only mire themselves in a bitter fight, stabilizing the front line roughly 50 kilometers inside the Rosewood Kingdom.


    At that moment, they were unable to advance despite having the capability, and felt reluctant to retreat, having no choice but to hold their position and slowly deplete their forces.


    The Suthers Kingdom and the Phalak Kingdom also went to war, as tax reforms in the Suthers Kingdom had sparked a minor internal rebellion, placing them in a defensive position on the battlefield. Chapter Discover:


    With Tang Mo''s support, Suthers managed to secure their defenses, but expecting them to counterattack was unlikely.


    Moreover, the bulk of Tang Mo''s supplies had been transported to the eastern war zone of the Leite Kingdom, leaving him without the capacity to support a large-scale counteroffensive in Suthers.


    Now, the greatest pressure on the Great Tang Group actually came from the south, the Dorne Kingdom¡ªwhere a coup had just taken place and Dorne was forced to face the joint attack of two neighboring countries, a situation fraught with peril.


    The Taren Kingdom amassed a 30,000-strong army on land, while the Xilun Kingdom''s force of over 50,000 troops launched a two-pronged attack on Dorne.


    These forces initially advanced unrestrained, with the troops from the Xilun Kingdom in the southeast closing in on Dorne''s King City, and the Taren Kingdom''s forces in the southwest approaching Hotwind Port.


    The Dorne troops, having to maintain control over occupied areas, were dispersed across the vast territory without proper preparation for a consolidated defense against war.


    Thus, despite having a nominal force of 70,000 troops on paper, Dorne could not withstand the sudden assault from the neighboring countries and kept retreating.


    However, once they were relentlessly pushed back to strategic points, Dorne''s commanders realized they had no further room to retreat.


    So, in the direction of the King City, Dorne''s newly appointed commander-in-chief led a hastily assembled force of 20,000 troops into a narrow encounter with Xilun''s 50,000-strong army. This young officer, named Bolton, was 27 years old, a graduate of the second class of Great Tang''s military academy, and a blacksmith two years prior.


    To keep his troops in line, the commander of Taren Kingdom tried everything, but the next morning, Strauss led all his troops in a counterattack.


    This completely dispersed the already collapsed morale of Taren''s troops. They put up only a token resistance before retreating entirely.


    From that moment on, things started to become bizarre: knowing the situation was hopeless, the commander of Taren Kingdom had his own plan.


    While leading his troops to retreat, he plundered the local populace, intending to take some benefits back to Taren Kingdom to make up for the losses of this failure.


    However, this robbery incited the fury of the locals. Compared to Dorne''s occupants whom they were not fully pleased with, they found that those claiming to liberate them were even worse.


    Thus, these people began to actively get in touch with the scattered Dorne troops within the occupied area, who had not been mobilized, providing them with information, passing messages and organizing to intercept these retreating Taren troops.


    In the end, what was supposed to be a total rout turned into a peculiar war where fragmented Dorne forces, already in disarray at the rear, pursued and hit Taren''s main forces out of the national border.


    And then, when everyone thought that Strauss would pursue the routed Taren troops along the way after the great victory,


    Strauss instead divided 7,000 men to seek out the bad luck of the Xilun Kingdom forces.


    Just as these 7,000 troops rushed toward King City, Bolton led more than 20,000 Dorne troops, taking advantage of the terrain, to set up ambushes and cut off Xilun Kingdom''s supply lines.


    In a bloody battle, Bolton led 2,000 troops to great victory, burning more than half of Xilun army''s food and forage, destroying at least a third of their ammunition, then returned triumphantly.


    At the cost of 1,200 men, he crippled the ability of Xilun Kingdom''s 50,000-strong army to continue northward, ensuring the absolute safety of King City.


    What enraged Shireck''s liaison was that Xilun Kingdom had to wait on-site for five precious days and even sent troops back to protect their supply lines.


    By the time this force began to move forward again, what stood in their way were three trench defense lines meticulously constructed by Bolton.


    After attacking ferociously for five days and at the cost of 2,000 men, the commander of Xilun Kingdom realized what kind of trick his opponent had played.


    Bolton had been ceaselessly building defensive fortifications. Each time he completed a line of defense, he would willingly give up the previous battered one, maintaining a steady rhythm of slow retreat.


    These troublesome defense lines indeed wore down the force of the Xilun Kingdom troops, much to the chagrin of their commander.


    More importantly, these lines were buying time! With the days passing by, Dorne was gradually recovering from the shocks of political turmoil and was reassembling its troops.


    Any fool could see that continuing in this manner of attrition, Dorne, clearly regaining its national strength, would hold the home-field advantage and make Xilun Kingdom and Taren Kingdom pay a much heavier price.


    Therefore, the Xilun Kingdom commander sent messengers urging the troops responsible for attacking Hotwind Port to hasten their assault...


    What he didn''t know was that a full force of 7,000 men was already nearing the King City war zone and, relying on their familiarity with the terrain, was moving at full speed towards the rear side of the Xilun Kingdom forces.

 Chapter 285: Victory of 281 Shuangjie

    ```


    Perhaps no one expected that this great battle in Dorne would ultimately make heroes out of two young generals who had graduated from the Great Tang Military Academy.


    After this war, their names would be sung throughout the world alongside the military exploits they had achieved.


    Now, they were not yet the renowned Dorne Duo of the future, but they were in the process of showing the world the talent that had been buried in obscurity.


    Three days later, in the afternoon, over 7,000 Dorne troops, shielded by more than 20 machine guns, encircled the 50,000-strong army of the Xilun Kingdom from the rear.


    A semblance of chaos spread instantly, and at this point, the commander of the Xilun Kingdom was still unaware that his retreat had been completely cut off.


    He sent his trusted subordinate leading 3,000 soldiers to counterattack along the road, attempting to recapture his supply line and retreat path.


    The result was that these 3,000 soldiers suffered heavy casualties and were forced to retreat to their point of origin once again.


    It wasn''t until then that the commander-in-chief of the Xilun Kingdom realized that the army appearing behind him was not a minor Dorne harassing force as he had guessed.


    After the first counterattack failed, the commander of the Xilun troops immediately became aware of the gravity of the situation, and he once again rallied 5,000 of his main force, took command in person, and tried to recapture the route.


    After a fierce battle, he finally acknowledged the fact that his troops were encircled, and what was intercepting him was not a small detachment but a large army with formidable firepower.


    Thus, the attempt to recapture the retreat route turned into a breakout, and the nature of the battle changed immediately. The commander of the Xilun Kingdom called back another 5,000 men from the front to fight again.


    The delay in communication made the coordination of the Xilun troops extremely slow, and the frequent movements caused great unease among the other soldiers. Chapter Discover:


    They watched as large numbers of troops were withdrawn from their sides, not knowing whether they were retreating or heading somewhere else to continue fighting, so everyone was confused.


    By this time, the commander of the Xilun Kingdom, including the person in charge from the Shireck Consortium with the army, still did not know that the Taren Kingdom''s troops had already been defeated, and that they were completely surrounded.


    On the other hand, the security forces of the Great Tang Group had their own manpower radio communication devices. They used pedal-powered generators to send telegrams to the Dorne troops in the direction of the King City early on.


    The more timely and accurate information allowed the Dorne commander in the direction of King City, Bolton, to immediately order a full counterattack, preparing to pin down the Xilun troops on the front line.


    Meanwhile, as Bolton launched his counterattack, he also started spreading rumors that the Xilun commander had fled, also aiming at a "psychological warfare" maneuver.


    As a result, the Xilun troops on the front line, who had lost their command, took the rumors for truth, because they really could not find their general...


    A greater chaos finally erupted. The 20,000 Xilun troops at the front surrendered, abandoned their camp, and were unable to break through the encirclement. The remainder of the Xilun troops collapsed in an instant.


    The farce lasted for two days. Out of the more than 40,000 troops of the Xilun Kingdom, aside from a few hundred stragglers who managed to escape, the rest became prisoners of Dorne Kingdom.


    Even the person in charge of Shireck was captured, taken back to Dorne King City by Bolton, along with a large shipment of military supplies meant to support the effort, which now became the spoils of Dorne''s great victory.


    ...


    "Have you resolved your troubles?" The Dwarf Envoy asked in disbelief upon seeing Tang Mo.


    "Of course, otherwise how could I brazenly consider your request... If I had been defeated, how much of the promise I made to you could have been fulfilled?" Tang Mo gestured for the Dwarf Envoy to sit down, and asked with a smile in return.


    "..." The dwarf fell silent. He knew the immense pressure Shireck could bring to an opponent, so he was very clear about the enormous cost of resolving Shireck''s challenges.


    In the end, he felt there was no need for Tang Mo to lie to him. It seemed that the Great Tang Group had indeed won a splendid victory on the battlefield.


    "Soon, you''ll see the results in the newspapers. The war is over, and what''s left... is just garbage time," Tang Mo said with a smile, sitting opposite the Dwarf Envoy.


    The dwarf was silent for a few seconds before finally nodding and bringing the topic back to the trade between the Ice Cold Kingdom and the Great Tang Group: "Have you truly agreed to our request?"


    "Yes, I''ve thought it over for a long time and feel that having a friendly partner in the north is in the interest of the Great Tang Group," Tang Mo nodded and said.


    The dwarf didn''t speak because he knew Tang Mo would certainly propose additional terms¡ªthe original price was not the same after the Great Tang Group defeated Shireck.


    "The Ice Cold Kingdom, or shall we say the Ice Cold Empire... must completely sever ties with Shireck, prohibiting them from conducting any business within the regions controlled by the Ice Cold Empire, within the span of their influence," Tang Mo said with a smile, uttering the coldest of demands.


    "Agreed! We accept this condition," the Dwarf Envoy, having anticipated the additional condition to be related to Shireck, nodded in agreement with Tang Mo''s terms after a brief reflection.


    As long as the Great Tang Group supported the Dwarf Kingdom in industrialization, the dwarves wouldn''t really need to bother with Shireck''s outdated technology.


    Therefore, cutting off ties with Shireck and first building an industrial system to learn the technology of the Great Tang Group was in the interest of the Ice Cold Kingdom.


    "So... here''s to a pleasant cooperation!" Tang Mo extended his hand, smiling.


    The handshake ritual originated in Brunas, and anyone who had dealt with the Great Tang Group knew very well that when the people of the Great Tang Group extended their hand, it signified that a deal had been reached.


    And with a collaboration with the Great Tang Group, Gold Coins would come pouring in, unstoppable! This was the reason the Great Tang Group caught everyone''s attention and why people went crazy for it.


    "To a pleasant cooperation!" The dwarf stood up, extended his hand, and clasped it with Tang Mo''s.


    The next day, Brunas''s newspapers published the news of the great victory in Dorne. For a moment, everyone who saw the content of the newspaper was dumbfounded because they had not expected that the second place to be decided would be Dorne.


    In fact, at almost the same time Tang Mo learned of the great victory in Dorne, the King of the Taren Kingdom had only just found out that his Troops had been routed and had returned to the country.


    He hadn''t even had the chance to deal in his wrath with the defeated generals when he heard an unbelievable piece of bad news from the messenger soldier who had come to deliver the message.


    The Taren Kingdom''s Fleet... had been utterly annihilated at Hotwind Port.


    ------------


    Two more chapters today

 Chapter 286: 282 Ministers of the Taren Kingdom

    "You''re saying that my entire fleet has been annihilated!? You want to tell me that all of my 70 warships... first-grade warships! Have all sunk!?" The King of the Taren Kingdom sat on his throne, shattering the glass in his hand on the floor.


    The grand hall wasn''t particularly glittering with gold, nor were the Kings of Taren known for their extravagance. They seldom renovated their palace because they invested a significant portion of their income into fostering their fleet.


    Therefore, the number of warships in the Taren Kingdom was very high. In addition to first-grade warships, there were hundreds of second-grade warships and armed merchant ships to secure their trade routes.


    The King who had just spoken now stood up in anger, walked up to his Prime Minister, and asked furiously, "Those were 70 warships! 70 warships! Those ships were enough to destroy a kingdom! Yet you tell me they''ve all gone... all sunk! Have you gone mad, or are you a fool?


    Hmm?"


    "Your Majesty! The situation is likely as such! Our fleeing soldiers have brought back some prisoners who were sent back by the enemy, which has confirmed they indeed belonged to our fleet," said the Prime Minister, his face also looking dreadful, but he had no choice but to speak up. Chapter Experience:


    Although unwilling to accept reality, he knew that if they didn''t immediately think of countermeasures, this kingdom built upon the sea was quite doomed.


    As a Prime Minister, he certainly did not wish to see his king taken prisoner, nor did he want to witness the destruction of the kingdom he served. Therefore, he had to do his utmost to help this madman before him overcome the crisis.


    "Your Majesty! Now that it has come to this, we must think of a way to face the crisis at hand," a navy General could not help but speak up at this point as well.


    The surrounding Ministers were buzzing with discussion, as they too had just learned of the news that the fleet that had sailed out had been completely sunk.


    Those were 70 warships! Almost the entire wealth of the Taren Kingdom. Such a loss was not easily borne.


    The King''s face remained unpleasant as he looked at the speaking navy commander and questioned loudly, "What can be done? What can you do? Hmm?"


    "We, we need to, need to, replenish, replenish warships! More warships!" the navy commander answered nervously.


    His answer was not satisfying as those warships had been sunk, and hastily launching a few new ones wouldn''t change anything.


    The disparity in the strength of the two sides was too great, the enemy''s quality advantage could not be compensated with a numerical advantage, which was the most fatal issue.


    It was obvious that the Great Tang Group had very formidable new warships, which was also a definite piece of information obtained from the prisoners sent back.


    These prisoners had all experienced that naval battle, and their memories of the enemy''s terror were fresh. They brought back very important news, news about ironclad warships.


    The Great Tang Group''s possession of steel-made warships was no longer a secret; after all, the captured sailors had witnessed those powerful ships themselves.


    They were interrogated separately, yet provided almost identical intelligence: the enemy ironclad warships could fire at ease from a distance of 1000 meters, sinking sail warships.


    This message was also corroborated by the land forces: during the attack on Hotwind Port, they faced unprecedented shelling, with the enemy using very powerful cannonballs, even more powerful than those provided by Shireck.


    However, the senior officials of the Taren Kingdom were unaware of this, and they immediately imagined the enemy fleet''s presence at Hotwind Port as the enemy commander''s prescient decision-making.


    Thinking along these lines, these decision-makers of the Taren Kingdom found it even harder to comprehend the speed of Great Tang Group''s information dissemination.


    "Hiss... Did the enemy know we were going to Hotwind Port?" One Minister asked incredulously, looking towards his colleague.


    The colleague spread his hands and shook his head, "It must be an intelligence leak! Such a large-scale operation, it''s impossible to keep completely secret."


    Mobilizing troops, assembling the fleet; if the enemy really had spies within Taren, they would definitely transmit information ahead of time... The question was, how did they manage to deliver intelligence so swiftly?


    "But the enemy''s preparation is too thorough, right?" The official who raised the question was somewhat resentful as he asked again.


    "It''s very likely that Shireck had launched an offensive in another direction first, raising their alert!" another Minister explained.


    "And the enemy could actually halt their own fleet at any time?" This time it was the naval commander''s turn to be incredulous.


    The Prime Minister''s face darkened as he snapped, pulling the discussion back on track, "What''s the use of talking about this now?"


    The King too was restless and anxious, looking at his Ministers and repeating the Prime Minister''s words, "Yes, what''s the use of talking about this now? What are the solutions? Speak solutions!"


    "Gather, gather the remaining fleet?" one Minister proposed.


    The naval commander shook his head and said, "Gathering all of our warships now may not even add up to 150."


    "There are still that many warships; should be enough to put up a fight, right?" The Minister seemed somewhat reassured after hearing the number.


    The naval general looked at this Minister as if he were looking at an idiot before responding sarcastically, "Are you joking? Do you know how many islands we need to defend, how many ports we must protect?"


    "Then speak! Apart from those we can''t mobilize, how many warships can we gather?" the Minister retorted defiantly.


    The naval commander thought for a few seconds before giving a despair-inducing answer, "Of these remaining warships, we may not have even 30 that we can gather."


    The officer continued with a complaint, "The fleet that General Valen took with him was pretty much all of our mobile strength."


    "That damned bastard Valen, couldn''t he have run if he couldn''t win?" Suddenly, some Ministers, who didn''t understand naval warfare, started berating the now dead naval General Valen.


    Since the dead cannot argue back, whatever they said now could be refuted by others, but cursing that damned Valen wouldn''t be questioned by everyone.


    Of course, they had already forgotten that General Valen had once been a famous and formidable admiral at sea. They also forgot that Valen had led the fleet to a small-scale naval victory before, seizing a small island from another kingdom.

 Chapter 287: I apologize 283 times.

    Forgetfulness is a virtue, and also a means of self-protection.


    At this time, a minister in charge of governing a portion of Taren Kingdom''s terrestrial territory suddenly spoke up with concern, "What worries me is whether the Dorne Kingdom will launch an assault on us from the land."


    You see, Taren Kingdom''s problem right now isn''t just that their entire navy fleet has been annihilated. Their not-so-outstanding army has also just collapsed, hasn''t it...


    Compared to the construction of their navy, the land forces of Taren Kingdom, which had always prospered by the sea, did not seem to be as brave and adept in battle.


    This body of troops, aside from the 30,000-strong main contingent sent to attack Dorne, mostly hasn''t been re-equipped yet, their hands still grasping the thoroughly outdated Shireck Flintlock Guns.


    Similarly, Taren Kingdom, always proud of its formidable navy, didn''t actually have strong coastal defenses either.


    All their batteries were equipped with outdated muzzle-loaded cannons; some were even decades-old equipment that hadn''t been replaced at all.


    The hundred or so breech-loading cannons recently assisted by Shireck had been taken by the land forces to put on a show of strength in the attack against the Dorne Kingdom.


    They had initially planned to test the power of these breech-loading cannons, thinking if they worked well, they''d purchase more. But those advanced new-style cannons were all recklessly left on the battlefield in Dorne.


    Sometimes things are so fantastically ironic: they had hoped that after their victory, they could use the plundered resources to thoroughly update their military equipment, yet they ended up losing the battle.


    Hearing the minister speak up, the King of Taren froze, then related that he had just remembered his land forces were also doomed.


    So he looked at the minister, muttering subconsciously, "You mean ..."


    The minister didn''t wait for the King of Taren to finish and replied, "Yes! Once they launch an attack, our already defeated troops definitely won''t be able to hold the line, and by then... we will have lost the hard-won lands we''ve been expanding and occupying for decades..."


    These lands were hard-won and greatly alleviated the problem of Taren Kingdom''s insufficient territory and weak national power.


    If these inland territories are lost, then it would be wildly unrealistic for Taren Kingdom to maintain a fleet of the former scale.


    Chapter Continue:


    "Damn it, we''ve never encountered such a situation before... We''ve never lost so many warships in a single naval battle..." After a brief silence, the ministers started complaining again.


    There was no way around it; they were incapable of saving the situation at this time, but joining in the lamentation was something they could still do.


    Consequently, one heard others nodding in agreement, "Yes, we lost the sea battle, and now on land as well... This, this is really ..."


    The entire hall was noisy and clamorous; the topic had once again gone off course, and they began to argue, to blame each other.


    You said a few words, he said a few words, and after a long time, not a single constructive suggestion had been made, infuriating the King of Taren to the point of a heart attack.


    At this moment, an idea flashed through the Prime Minister''s mind, and from the name Shireck, he thought of another arms dealer.


    Thus, he turned to the King and said, "Your Majesty! Speaking of which, since the Great Tang Group manufactures arms, would it be possible for us to buy a batch of new warships from them?"


    "This?" The King of Tarran was shocked by his Prime Minister''s leap of imagination. After being stunned for a few seconds, he asked incredulously, "After fighting them for so long, will they still sell us their goods?"


    "That''s not the right way to think about it, we''ve been the ones being beaten all along, haven''t we?" the Prime Minister of Tarran thought for the first time that being so thoroughly defeated might be a good thing.


    "Can we really say that?" Immediately, a minister was startled by the Prime Minister''s words, he seemed to see a brand-new door slowly opening before him, a blinding column of light shining right in his face, so bright he couldn''t open his eyes.


    The more the Prime Minister spoke, the more sense he felt it made, and he thought there might be a good basis to negotiate with the Great Tang Group: "Of course, those prisoners who were sent back didn''t they say, we didn''t even sink one of their warships..."


    "So..." The King was also caught in the rhythm and spoke up, his eyes brightening.


    The Prime Minister immediately nodded and expressed his thoughts: "So there isn''t any deep-seated hatred between us, is there? Surely, proper communication, along with some compensation and an apology, will resolve things, won''t it?"


    Indeed, there was no deep-seated hatred between them, it was all Shireck fomenting discord. Perhaps by sitting down for a good talk, they could immediately reach a consensus...


    Suddenly, a minister came to his senses, nodding and praising the idea: "It seems... the Prime Minister does have a point."


    The Prime Minister''s thoughts became more fluid, his ideas seemingly clear: "In any case, this is also a solution. Send an envoy immediately... No! Send two! One overland to Dorne, and another by sea to Hotwind Port! Let them seek peace!


    Seek peace with the Great Tang Group! Seek peace with Dorne!"


    "Additionally, let''s try to gather as many warships as possible and ready ourselves for battle! At least, under the cover of our artillery, we can protect King City, right?" a navy officer added then.


    "And we have to regroup the defeated troops on the borders... We must present a front that we will defend to the death. Only then can we gain more leverage at the negotiating table!" an army general also commented.


    This supplementary advice appeared much more professional; a minister immediately suggested to urgently transport food, while another advised quickly mobilizing troops to guard the key ports.


    "Furthermore, we must also proceed with pursuing debts from Shireck! Get back as much as we can! We''re fighting their war! How can they not pay up when we''re risking our lives?" the Prime Minister looked towards those ministers aligned with Shireck and added coldly.


    At this point, obtaining a few thousand rifles would be good, and managing to get a couple more cannons would be beneficial, because... any bit more strength, even a little, was good.


    "Also, send someone with my personal letter immediately to seek aid from the Kingdom of Xilun! Perhaps, over there... they won..." full of hope, the King also commanded.


    In his view, maybe the Dorne Kingdom had concentrated their forces on attacking his side, and the Xilun Kingdom... might have already breached Dorne''s King City...


    ----------


    Today''s update is a bit stuck, so there are only two releases. If I feel better tomorrow, I''ll continue to provide more updates. Please be patient, everyone.

 Chapter 288: 284 Great Tang Military Academy

    Mounted on his steed, the young officer watched as his troops marched down the muddy road, his heart swelling with pride and his bearing striking and dashing.


    The man in even more lavish military attire, with a patterned steel helmet on his head that looked somewhat out of place, was none other than His Majesty, the King of Dorne.


    At the moment, he was inspecting his advancing troops alongside his most trusted confidant, who had just been promoted to the Army''s total commander in charge of 20,000 troops for the counter-offensive against the Xilun Kingdom.


    The continuous line of troops progressed along the road, with horses dragging cannons, pulling carts laden with ammunition, and being led by soldiers marching tirelessly on the highway.


    Because so many troops had passed through, the road was utterly crushed and everywhere was muddy and pitted, resulting in a not-so-fast march.


    However, this was already the ultimate speed a contemporary troop could advance; normally, a troop''s daily marching speed in a purely marching state without encountering enemies was about 40 kilometers per day.


    Yes, that slow...


    But there wasn''t a hint of dissatisfaction on the face of the Dorne King because his troops were advancing into enemy territories with practically no resistance from any hostile armies.


    After all, the 50,000-strong military of the Xilun Kingdom had already become prisoners of war and were now being held, ready to be dealt as slaves to the Great Tang Group, which was in dire need of human resources.


    The young general mounted on his horse was a rising star within the Dorne military, with his renown spreading far and wide over time, Bolton.


    This man, not yet thirty, now commanded over 20,000 of Dorne''s elite troops and was also His Majesty''s most favored close official.


    Mounted on his horse, he watched the troops pass by, their rifles slung over their shoulders in an orderly array, and began to explain to the King at his side, "According to the standards of the Great Tang Military Academy, ranks within the whole military should be separate from duties, which can, to some extent, distinguish the individual contributions within the military hierarchy."


    He explained slowly and clearly, for such a rank system had been tested and was a convenient military reform: "For instance, the captain responsible for protecting the King was previously essentially a battalion commander by old standards but was most often referred to as Guard Commander, which simply doesn''t reflect the rank he should truly hold.


    Thus, everyone can only vaguely respect this officer without immediately grasping the importance of this military person for the nation."


    "I''m still a bit confused," admitted the King of Dorne, who lacked experience in this area and was somewhat perplexed.


    Bolton decided to strike while the iron was hot, seeing as he was the real favorite now, with the Dorne King even treating him like a son: "Let me tell you about the provincial and county system used by the students of the Great Tang Military Academy."


    This wasn''t just a feeling of self-importance; he was almost literally the King''s son at this point, as the King of Dorne had two daughters and had told Bolton explicitly that he planned to choose one of them to marry him.


    The other daughter would marry Strauss... For the King of Dorne, this was a way to make the best use of his non-typical daughters.


    The King of Dorne smiled and found a point of interest to break into the conversation, remarking thoughtfully, "It''s quite interesting that your school has generals, and even divides them into three ranks."


    "Our academy currently has a teacher with the rank of general; his name is Luff, he is the Chief of Staff for the Great Tang Group," Bolton did not intend to conceal this, assuming that anyone determined would investigate and find out. He introduced his teacher, or rather, the teacher of the military command subject.


    "Luff..." The King of Dorne keenly noted the name, feeling that if any interaction occurred in the future, it would be good to forge a strong relationship with this heavyweight.


    On the other hand, Bolton continued to introduce other commanders, "Additionally, the Great Tang Group has three commanders with the rank of Brigadier General, namely Tagg, Bernard, and Redman."


    "Tagg... Redman... Bernard..." Similarly, the King of Dorne silently noted these names, feeling he should take the time to study these as yet uncelebrated figures.


    After glancing at the King of Dorne, Bolton thought he shouldn''t trip up his future father-in-law on such a minor issue, so he added, "Bernard is the Navy Brigadier General who commanded the fleet to the great victory at Hotwind Port."


    "Oh... no wonder." The King of Dorne was taken aback and immediately classified the naval commander named Bernard at the "extremely formidable and dangerous" level.


    Just then, Bolton followed up with, "General Redman has already crossed the border a few days ago, leading his troops on a counterattack, entering the territory of the Kingdom of Gemalin."


    "Indeed impressive." The King of Dorne was startled once again, reinforcing his memory of the name Redman.


    The next moment, he realized, if Luff and Tagg could be on par with Bernard and Redman as Brigadier Generals of the Great Tang Group... how could these two possibly be ordinary individuals?


    Therefore, as the King of Dorne, for the first time, he recognized that the Great Tang Group had become an existence to be feared in terms of talent reserves.


    After a few seconds of silence, analyzing an array of details in his mind, the King of Dorne turned to his future son-in-law and asked, "So, may I ask you?"


    "Me?" Bolton was taken aback, then remembered how his "youthful ignorance" had led him to challenge the top student in his grade.


    Being utterly outplayed in physical education, pummeled in combat class, still losing by one ring in shooting class, and eventually beaten by seven points in the final exam results... truly... embarrassing.


    The current top student of the second term, as he heard, was in Suthers... also the esteemed Prime Minister''s rapid-rising son-in-law, while simultaneously managing the entire financial tax system of the Suthers Kingdom...


    "Yes, you!" the King of Dorne curiously looked at Bolton, asking.


    "What''s there to say about me, just an unknown," Bolton modestly brushed it off, a bit embarrassed.


    After all, before this war, he indeed was not well known... even compared to the third in the grade, Strauss, he didn''t have much to boast about.


    Better not to brag too much and risk being exposed for exaggerating, right? That would be humiliating.

 Chapter 289: We have already won.

    The King of Dorne listened to what Bolton had to say and seemed even more interested. He knew this young man truly had the skills, so he became even more curious about just what level those graduates from the Great Tang Military Academy were at.


    Thus, he continued to inquire, "What kind of level were you at in school?"


    "Me? In the grade examinations, I ranked 4th, which is pretty good, I guess." Bolton said with a touch of embarrassment, scratching his nose as he mentioned his graduation ranking.


    Honestly, that was already an exceptional result because the questions Tang Mo used to test these graduates were meticulously picked and incredibly challenging. Simply obtaining a diploma instead of being held back proved the graduate''s capabilities.


    The King of Dorne was taken aback; he had not expected that his nation''s pillar of the future was not the most excellent talent...


    According to his conjecture, the Double Pride of Dorne, Strauss and Bolton, these two young men, surely must be personages of the caliber of Mohcik Klosevitz. But he never imagined that there could be anyone even more outstanding than Bolton!


    So, he exclaimed in surprise, "A young man as talented as you ranked only 4th in the Great Tang Military Academy?"


    Little did he know, these words made Bolton feel a chill down his spine, and he subconsciously shrank his neck, glanced around, then heaved a sigh of relief before he explained, "Don''t just say anything! I was ranked fourth among the second batch of graduates! Your Majesty! If Dino were to hear that, he might beat me to death..."


    He stressed the word "second batch" because he knew that among the first batch of students, he might not even make the top twenty... or even the top thirty...


    The King of Dorne immediately picked up on the implication, and asked in astonishment, "...You mean there are people from the first batch of graduates who are better than you?"


    "Your Majesty, you don''t understand... anyone who makes it into the top ten at the Great Tang Military Academy is like a god... they are destined to become great figures in the future..." As Bolton spoke, his tone resembled that of a pilgrim.


    In fact, while he was saying these words, an image of a girl arose in his mind, a girl who should have graduated but had never, a girl known as ''the Queen''...


    "This..." The King of Dorne, seeing Bolton with the zeal of a devout believer describing his revered deity, began to grasp the terror of the Great Tang Group''s military academy.


    Reminiscing on this, Bolton sighed deeply, filled with emotion, "To make it to the top twenty, I would wake from dreams laughing..."


    "Is it really that incredible?" The King of Dorne felt that Bolton might be exaggerating a bit.


    However, what Bolton said next left him completely stunned, "Your Majesty, let me put it this way; if any of those upperclassmen were willing to serve you, the Dorne Empire would merely be a beginning."


    A few seconds of silence followed before the King of Dorne, as if realizing his lapse, forced a smile to cover his embarrassment, "Wha, wha... what?"


    Bolton knew that digesting such information required some courage and time. But he was not in a hurry because, sooner or later, everyone would come to know just how terrifying that school established by Mr. Tang was...


    And by that time, all the influential people in the world would understand just how terrifying Tang, the principal who had been controlling everything and the man behind the Great Tang Group, truly was.


    According to Bolton''s own assessment, if he were an ant, then Mr. Tang was a deity. His current honors were nothing compared to that younger principal!


    "Consider this, like the battalion-level combat group of the Great Tang Group''s security forces that you just saw, with nearly 700 soldiers, equipped with battalion artillery and machine-gun teams, but if we cut down the rifle soldiers, wouldn''t that be somewhat undesirable?" Bolton quietly persuaded, advising King Dorne.


    "Indeed..." King Dorne was quite moved and nodded in agreement.


    "And doesn''t commanding such a force require even more professional talent?" Bolton continued to ask.


    King Dorne subconsciously nodded again: "It does..."


    "Then, just using titles like team captain, battalion commander, corps commander, wouldn''t be enough to reasonably distinguish these talents. Surely we can''t, give the title of battalion commander, and yet have them lead five field medics, right?" Bolton questioned again, aiming directly at the crux of the ambiguity in the original military positions.


    "Uh... I also feel it is inappropriate," King Dorne had realized the problem and continued to nod in agreement.


    Bolton smiled and concluded, "Right! Therefore, the use of military ranks is now imperative."


    "Within a battalion, there could be 20 captains or majors, but only one battalion commander, which would increase the ability to accommodate talent." He was prepared to implement the military rank system of the Great Tang Group in Dorne.


    The same military structure was needed to apply the command techniques he learned, to take full advantage of the Great Tang Group''s weapons performance.


    King Dorne continued to express his approval: "That makes sense..."


    "So, Your Majesty, we should rationally reorganize the troops to adapt to the future combat needs," Bolton pressed on while the iron was hot.


    King Dorne thought of an issue and asked Bolton with some difficulty: "But, after such a reorganization... from where will we get the weapons and equipment?"


    "Don''t worry! The Great Tang Group will support you!" Bolton immediately assured, because he knew the Great Tang Group would never turn down a large order for weapons procurement.


    "That will require a lot of money." King Dorne was financially embarrassed; his kingdom had just undergone a coup, followed by disturbances and then an invasion. Only now had they managed to repel the enemy with difficulty and he guessed there wasn''t much spare cash available.


    "We are very wealthy now!" Bolton confidently replied.


    King Dorne was startled, then burst out laughing: "Hahaha! You''re right! As long as we win this war, I will become very rich! Richer than before!"


    "Your Majesty..." Bolton pointed at the ground, reminding King Dorne that they were already on the territory of the Xilun Kingdom: "We have already won..."


    "Hahahahaha!" This time, King Dorne laughed even more joyously and unrestrainedly.


    ------


    Starting tomorrow, catch-up updates.

 Chapter 290: 286 grams of gold is the absolute principle

    Brunas'' atmosphere had become very relaxed, as the news of victory was confirmed one after another.


    The triumph at Hotwind Port had been verified because the returning transport ships brought with them a massive number of prisoners, bound for hard labor at Northern Ridge.


    Having seen the abundance of prisoners and having witnessed the victory, those who had gathered here for the sake of wealth and showmanship naturally reverted to their original states.


    "Blazing lights and wine green," a phrase used in modern society to describe prosperity, was at this time an expression exclusive to Brunas. Discover exclusive content at M-V-L


    Most had never seen Dragon Island, so they sang praises of Brunas'' flourishing state. The gloom of war gradually dispersed, and the place started to regain its rightful vitality.


    This could be glimpsed merely from the total amount of alcohol consumed in Brunas. Just by investigating the daily consumption of a variety of alcoholic beverages, one could clearly discern the level of Brunas'' economic prosperity.


    In fact, the outbreak of the war not only made Shireck a tidy sum, but Great Tang Group was also a winner in this large-scale regional conflict.


    Brunas and Dragon Island could produce tens of thousands of shells a month, and yet, even with production at full capacity and overtime, they still could not completely meet demand.


    Similarly, the production lines for breech-loading rifles had already been handed over, sold to various kingdoms for their own production.


    But even so, Tang Mo had made so much money that he was beyond counting it¡ªthe flourishing arms market propelled the operations of Great Tang Bank.


    The issuance of paper currency allowed Great Tang Group to reap tenfold or even a hundredfold profits, and Gold Coins began to be phased out in Brunas'' commercial circles. The paper currency issued by Great Tang Group started to replace traditional metal money, accepted by merchants and the workers of Great Tang Group.


    This was positive news, giving Great Tang Group even more room for maneuver. Modern financial knowledge came into play, the power of capital developed rapidly, and it had started to bare its ferocious fangs.


    "Strauss and Bolton are doing well in Dorne," Tang Mo put down a telegram from Dorne, stretched contentedly, and praised.


    He had not expected the dandelion seeds he had sown to bear fruit so quickly, to control the situation so masterfully.


    In fact, the reason why these seeds rooted and sprouted so swiftly was deeply related to the era''s desperate yearning for wisdom.


    Everyone longed for a series of transformations because almost all enlightened individuals had acknowledged that the old development model had hit a bottleneck and could no longer achieve breakthroughs.


    What could break the mold and lead the world forward was not the conservative likes of Shireck, but a more advanced, more powerful force.


    The dandelions that had come into contact with the first Industrial Revolution and, through early learning and exploration, unraveled the threads of modern development, shone in this transformation, becoming the backbone that led the world.


    Their strength surpassed that of the era; their power stemmed from foresight built on the advancement of scientific technology.


    While everyone was still marveling at Great Tang Group''s wireless telegraph technology, telephone technology had already been demonstrated repeatedly to students in various schools of Great Tang Group.


    Hurry! Lucky draw! Just pay a fee, and you can draw an intern from among the fresh graduates! He might not be the best... but! He is certainly worth it!


    Come on! What''s there to hesitate about?


    In the end, this was a game for the rich, and the kings who got addicted to this game had become like big spenders, incapable of quitting.


    Take, for example, Leite VII of the Leite Kingdom; he had completely fallen for the lottery draw, having participated twice in a row, taking away dozens of interns.


    And the Dorne King, newly involved in this project, was also deeply addicted, becoming a true big spender¡ªDorne''s envoy in Brunas had already spent 20,000 Gold Coins on this.


    Doesn''t sound like much? This was just the beginning. To attract talents, an expenditure of 20,000 Gold Coins was really just a threshold.


    In order to meet these fresh graduates, Dorne''s envoy hosted a luxurious banquet for young people, which cost over 1,200 Gold Coins...


    And Suthers, striving for more talents amid internal and external troubles, spent a considerable amount too. They went through two rounds of spending, taking away 20 graduates, planting seeds of hope.


    Of course, these nations would soon realize that the money they had spent was more than worth it. As the outcome of the Battle of Dorne became known to other powers, graduates of the Tang Military Academy became hot commodities, as valuable as gold.


    No one would refuse such a temptation, as if introducing these talents could elevate their own kingdom into the ranks of the world''s powers.


    Some kingdoms wanted talents for civil affairs, some needed exceptional doctors to ensure the health of their monarchs, some required technical engineers, some needed leaders to command troops...


    In the past, these kingdoms could only rely on the nobility system, cultivating slowly and inefficiently, waiting endlessly to occasionally obtain some mediocre talent.


    But now, it seemed everyone had found a shortcut, a shining path to reliably acquire talent! All they had to do was go to the Tang Military Academy with money for the lottery draw, and if they got the first among the graduates, wouldn''t that be heaven-defying?


    Who would think their luck was poor? Just draw! If not, rely on being wealthy and draw a few more times, right?


    Spend, draw, money...


    What? Expensive? That''s not our problem, okay? If you''re too poor for this game of the rich, then just drop out...


    With everyone harboring this mentality, the grand feast would continue endlessly¡ªrich people competing over who has more money, without losing face...


    Hearing Tang Mo''s instructions, Li''ao bowed slightly and promised, "Yes! Master."


    Tang Mo paused and then added, "Keep a close eye on the pension funds for various departments! Since we are using their people, we must pay! Your Silver Fox, the military academy, and the security department, all must contribute... Maximize the amount, calculate on the higher end!"


    "Understood! Master! I will keep a close watch on this matter, not a penny of the dandelions'' pension funds will be missing," Li''ao assured him.

 Chapter 291: 287 Innocent

    After a brief pause, Tang Mo suddenly remembered the little cat-girl the orc tribe had sent over before, the little girl named Yue''er, who seemed to be quite a handful as well.


    He looked at Li''ao and began to inquire about the beautiful cat-eared girl''s bad reputation at school, "I heard Yue''er got into another fight at school?"


    "A fight? You''re joking, she beat someone up again..." Li''ao immediately responded. These were typically matters he sorted out and reported to Tang Mo, who, if interested, would ask directly as he was doing now.


    "Over what?" Tang Mo was indeed very interested, after all, some people are just fated to be, for lack of a better word, furries, and it just so happened that this world allowed such whims to be realized.


    When Li''ao brought up the incident, he couldn''t help but laugh a little, "It seems there were two nobility students wasting food, and she happened to see them..."


    Actually, Yue''er was quite an interesting character. She had been isolated at school since most students were overshadowed by the influence of Queen Yulin and didn''t dare to "switch affections."


    For Yulin, Yue''er was a love rival, yet she was "Tang Mo''s woman," so without showing kindness or provocation, the situation was left cold.


    Therefore, Yue''er was not very popular at school, always alone and lonely.


    On the other hand, as the orc tribe''s gift to Tang Mo, Yue''er was also not very well-received by Alice. Alice not seeking trouble with her was actually her showing respect to Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo was somewhat envious of the harmonious scene of the ladies getting along well and the harem being in a state of bliss.


    And with Yue''er entering Tang Mo''s life (though not quite by his side yet), the various female leads, who secretly considered themselves the main heroine, had already started to behave passive-aggressively.


    "Ha, she''s an interesting girl," Tang Mo said with a smile on his face after learning the reason for Yue''er''s fight.


    The composition of the Great Tang Military Academy had become complex. Many nobles had arranged for their children and even cronies to be placed within the academy, so the student body was no longer composed solely of orphans and the children of the poor.


    Those students who had always been wealthy, either highly talented or with strong backgrounds, naturally did not understand the value of hard work as their seniors did.


    Wasting food was a rare occurrence; teachers would punish it if found, but there were still students who complained about the school''s food, and that was inevitable.


    Even the cafeterias at top universities in the twenty-first century were often the most criticized by students.


    Although the Great Tang Military Academy was the most elite school in this world, the school cafeteria, following the management philosophy of Auntie Cui Xi, had produced a series of Brunas specialties like pineapple fried with apple, and tomato mixed with bitter gourd...


    "She has a strong attachment to food and can''t stand waste, probably due to her family background and experience," Li''ao explained for Yue''er, knowing that Tang Mo was genuinely amused by her.


    Tang Mo nodded in agreement and then made his judgment on the matter, "No problem, it''s just kids fighting. As long as the other party doesn''t cause trouble, you don''t need to intervene."


    In truth, he was merely giving instructions; the objective was for Li''ao to keep a close eye on Yue''er, not out of fear that some nobility students might cause a fuss.


    Honestly, so far, no fool at the school was flaunting their sense of superiority because once these nobility students witnessed real power and knowledge that was ahead of their time, they were thoroughly impressed.


    No one was foolish; everyone was unwilling to forfeit the chance to become someone superior. They were well aware that only by securing their position there could they one day firmly hold their place as successors.


    Isn''t it obvious that even the Crown Prince of the Leite Kingdom behaves himself at this school?


    Tang Mo thought for a few seconds and felt that he should give the lonely young girl some more time: "Since she''s happy at school, let her continue to have fun there."


    Because of him, she had a future full of dazzling light, but perhaps because of him, she also lost one of her relatives... This feeling made Tang Mo feel as if he was carrying some burden.


    Karma, sometimes if you care, it weighs on you; sometimes when you forget about it, it drifts away, becoming traceless...


    "Yes!" Li''ao bowed slightly and then moved to the door, turning to leave Tang Mo''s room.


    "What do you think... How is it?" Tang Mo didn''t turn his head and asked Wes behind him.


    Wes curled his lip, "A sweet trouble, you actually don''t need to worry so much about it. Since you didn''t direct it, it has nothing to do with you."


    "You think so?" Tang Mo looked at him. Stay connected with M-V-L


    Wes nodded, "In times of chaos, human life is the cheapest thing..."


    "True," Tang Mo''s shoulders lightened of the "karma" as if it were smoke, "If I worried about these things, I, as an arms dealer, might be choked to death by my own feelings."


    He is a purveyor of war; if he truly cared about life, that would be the biggest joke in the world.


    As Tang Mo said, he was not a good person.


    His concern for Yue''er''s relatives was nothing more than an affection he had for the cat-eared girl.


    Who in these times is pure as a lotus?


    In the school, Yue''er scratched her soft, furry ears, recalling the young man with black eyes and black hair she had met that day.


    He brought her to this place with spacious, bright classrooms, and teachers who taught her various knowledge; he must be the best person in the world.


    There was delicious food here that allowed her to be satisfied with every meal, and at night there were bright electric lights, with a pile of things she had never seen before.


    If not for meeting this man named Tang Mo, her life would certainly not have been so splendid, right?


    If she married him... Then maybe it would be the happiest thing in the world, right?


    Her mother told her, to live happily...


    But...


    Without you, is my happiness... really happiness?


    ---------


    There will be another update later, you can watch it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 292: Mr. Tangs 288 Bad Taste

    The life of an arms dealer is actually very busy. After understanding why his woman was fighting in school, Tang Mo then had to rush to turn some of his drawings into cash.


    It was a rather magical process where he needed to sketch out the designs from his mind and then have professionals refine them to the level he required.


    The Great Tang Group had many professional draftsmen, all of whom were experts personally trained by Tang Mo. Mathews had previously done similar work for a period.


    Lately, Tang Mo had been collaborating with the Dwarves to supply a brand-new weapon system for the Ice Cold Kingdom.


    This was a request from the Dwarves; they wanted to have weapons different from other countries, believing that this would reflect the uniqueness of the Ice Cold Kingdom.


    Then, Tang Mo felt that exchanging a bunch of drawings for a bunch of gold mines seemed a bit too much like "tricking" his big clients, so he decided to produce a few samples first to let the Dwarves have a look.


    By the time these samples were manufactured, the news of Dorne''s victory had been confirmed, and all of Brunas was in a time of peace and celebration.


    At the shooting range, Tang Mo picked up a brand-new rifle, a model that had not yet been mass-produced in this world, and displayed it to the Dwarf Envoy.


    He worked the bolt, producing a crisp click. The entire action was done so smoothly that it was pleasing to the eye.


    After completing a series of actions, he assumed a standard aiming posture and began his introduction, "This is the brand new K4 rifle I crafted for the Ice Cold Kingdom. Its performance is on par with the K3 rifle currently being used by the Great Tang Group, and it is the most advanced bolt-action rifle in the world."


    "It uses a different ammunition, with a caliber of 7.62 millimeters, employing more advanced technology, with excellent ballistic performance and sufficient power..." After finishing his explanation, he showed the Dwarf Envoy how to load the weapon, and the entire process was also very smooth.


    He then handed the rifle to the Dwarf Envoy, allowing him to operate it as well. After a few reminders from Tang Mo, the Dwarf Envoy managed to complete the loading process, albeit with some difficulty.


    He set down the rifle, extremely pleased with the metallic cartridge-firing firearm, and exclaimed, "Magnificent! This weapon is indeed very good."


    Honestly, the majority of the military in the Ice Cold Kingdom were still equipped with the Shireck Flintlock Gun, a weapon that had yet to undergo a widespread update.


    The main force of the Ice Cold Kingdom''s military only consisted of a small portion that used needle guns purchased from the Great Tang Group.


    Needle guns were clearly outdated now, especially since the Northern Ridge Legion, supported by the Great Tang Group, had demonstrated new rifles that used metallic cartridges on the battlefield.


    Now everyone was very interested in these rifles, and the Shireck Consortium, after acquiring a weapon production workshop from the East, had developed their own similar weapons.


    In such a context, it became unsurprising that the Dwarves of the Ice Cold Kingdom wanted similar weapons¡ªafter all, they were offering gold mines, oil fields, and a port in exchange.


    Tang Mo took the Dwarf Envoy over to an open area nearby and introduced him to new artillery, "Additionally, I''ve prepared for you a brand-new 122 millimeter caliber howitzer. This artillery piece is also more advanced, with a larger charge, longer range, and more powerful firepower."


    "Sir, what... what do you mean?" puzzled, the Dwarf Envoy asked in response to Tang Mo''s sudden inquiry.


    "I mean, I think a unique chant, different from other countries, one that feels more spirited, might boost morale a bit, making one''s military appear more imposing?" Tang Mo put down the contracts, very pleased with the sincerity of the dwarf.


    "It... sounds like you''re right," the dwarf nodded slightly, agreeing with Tang Mo.


    "So, I can give you an interesting slogan for free. What do you think...?" Tang Mo started his mischief again.


    "Although I am not in a position to decide on that, I do really appreciate your kind offer. So, what is this new slogan you''re speaking of?" the Dwarf Envoy did not immediately agree.


    "Ura! How about that?" Tang Mo clenched his fist, imitating a robust chant, and gave a little performance.


    "Ura? Ura! Ura!... I must say, you truly are an expert on warfare! I only shouted it a few times, but I feel this slogan is very good... What...


    does it mean?" the Dwarf Envoy was immediately drawn to this somewhat strange chant and after trying it a few times, he looked at Tang Mo and asked.


    "It represents the determination of the Ice Cold Kingdom, harder than ice, colder than snow..." Tang Mo rattled off a made-up explanation.


    After hearing Tang Mo''s nonsensical explanation, the Dwarf Envoy had no idea that the slogan originated from the world Tang Mo lived in before he crossed over.


    He was, however, quite interested in the chant, repeating it several times and nodding, "Ura... very nice, indeed very nice. I will take this slogan back to the Ice Cold Kingdom, and if our King agrees to use it, we will pay an additional fee for it."


    "No need, this one''s on the house!" Tang Mo, indulging in his mischief, waved his hand generously.


    The dwarf felt strangely relieved and excited to get something for free from Tang Mo, "You are truly generous, my lord!"


    Turning to face the Dwarf Envoy, Tang Mo said earnestly, "The dwarves will be Great Tang Group''s sole strategic partner in the Northern Region! The only partner!"


    The Dwarf Envoy also assured Tang Mo seriously, "Great Tang Group will also be the most valued partner of the Ice Cold Kingdom, or shall we say, the forthcoming Ice Cold Empire!"


    "Pleasure doing business with you!" Tang Mo once again extended his hand.


    "Pleasure doing business!" The dwarf extended his hand too and shook hands with Tang Mo.


    ----------


    I still owe everyone an update, yes, it''s about to be paid off... Heh heh.

 Chapter 293: 289 Shirecks bad news

    ```


    "Tap, tap, tap..." The hurried footsteps echoed through the beautifully decorated corridor, as the stern-faced maid, holding a stack of telegrams, rushed through the hall and pushed open the door at the end.


    She walked to the bedside and spoke to the woman who was hugged left and right on the bed, with flaming red hair, "Ma''am, the news has just been confirmed... Dorne has defeated the Kingdoms of Xilun and Taren."


    The woman lazily withdrew her lotus arm from underneath her naked companion, scratched her fluffy red hair, and asked in a drawn-out voice, "So, does that mean the news from a few days ago is all true?"


    Indeed, there had been news that the Dorne Kingdom had achieved a comprehensive victory and had defeated both Xilun and Taren.


    But this news had not been confirmed, and it seemed too fantastic to be true, so Sofia could only choose to wait for the real, confirmed news to arrive.


    Now, the news had arrived.


    The maid nodded slightly and continued, "Yes, ma''am! It has been confirmed, the fleet of the Taren Kingdom has indeed been annihilated."


    Because the decisive naval battle took place at sea, and the war had interrupted the message transmission channels from Hotwind Port, the news had only now been verified and delivered to Sofia.


    There was no helping the delays in the intelligence system, which had always been like this; people of this era had grown accustomed to such speeds of news dissemination.


    On the other hand, telegrams from Brunas were faster and more convenient¡ªonly Sofia dared not trust intelligence from a single source, particularly from the single source of the enemy.


    As a decision maker, she feared that the Great Tang Group might employ deceit, spreading false news to influence her decision-making and strategy here.


    Only to hear the maid continue, "The news came from Brunas, where a large number of slaves are being sent to Northern Ridge. Among these slaves are sailors from the Taren Kingdom."


    Sofia rose from the bed, draped on her silky robe, pulled a chair towards her, and sat down, her curves distinctly outlined, "It really is... a bit hard to swallow. What else is there, go on."


    With the navy fleet destroyed, the Taren Kingdom had basically been knocked out of this war, and even if the Dorne Kingdom did not attack it on land, it was utterly incapable of resisting the fleet of the Great Tang Group.


    Thus, it was only a matter of time before this kingdom fell to Great Tang, or to put it another way, was completely absorbed by a kingdom controlled by Great Tang.


    "Additionally, the ground troops of the Xilun Kingdom, a 50,000 strong army, have all surrendered to Dorne and became captives. If there are no accidents, the news of the Taren Kingdom''s military''s defeat should also be true," the maid reported in a calm tone that was neither sad nor happy, offering a simple overview of the course of the battle at Dorne.


    This included a series of maneuvers by Dorne''s twin heroes, though not accurate and detailed, but information gathered from the fleeing troops from the Taren Kingdom still corroborated some facts.


    At the very least, this battle had surprisingly quickly determined a victor, with the Taren Kingdom''s naval debacle accompanied by an army that made an astonishing retreat over a thousand miles...


    "Then, Lady Sofia, what should we do next?" The maid, who had never encountered such a thorny issue, could only earnestly ask her mistress.


    In fact, she was capable and had the authority to deal with minor issues herself¡ªbut recently, there had been an exception; for any matters related to the Tang Group, she found she could no longer cope and had to leave them to Sofia to resolve personally.


    "There aren''t many good options! Go to Brunas for me," Sofia, after pondering for about a minute, suddenly instructed her confidante.


    "Hm?" The maid was taken aback because it had been a long time since she''d been sent out on any mission, as ordinary opponents neither required nor warranted her involvement.


    Normally, a Shireck executive could handle issues within a kingdom; the Shireck Consortium was too large to need the council''s members to deal with trivial matters.


    But now, it seems... it wasn''t just a so-called ''normal situation.''


    Sofia turned to her most capable subordinate, instructing, "Have a good talk with that Tang Mo, tell him that not all is unanimous within the Shireck Consortium, and there are those who are still willing to converse with him earnestly... "


    She knew she didn''t need to elaborate; her subordinate would grasp her meaning. So she waited a few seconds for her aide to adjust to the sudden travel arrangement before continuing, "Then, try to make him understand that money... cannot be earned by one person alone, and sometimes having a rival can actually make business more lucrative."


    "You mean?" The maid roughly understood Sofia''s intention, but she still wanted to confirm the details with her mistress.


    Sofia smiled, a breathtakingly beautiful smile filled with confidence and pride, which left the maid utterly enchanted, "I don''t mind becoming his adversary¡ªan adversary who collaborates behind the scenes, yet competes on the surface! As long as it''s profitable, I''m willing to concede a portion of the profits... "


    "Then, what shall we want in return?" Understanding Sofia''s intention, the maid inquired.


    "Warships! Brand-new warships, steel warships! And also merchant ships! For this, I am willing to covertly assist and cede the Poplar Kingdom, the Rosewood Kingdom, and the Phalak Kingdom to the Great Tang Group."


    "What if he doesn''t agree?" the maid asked worriedly.


    Sofia''s expression turned cold, and with a chilling look in her eyes, she curtly responded to the maid''s concern, "If he doesn''t agree, then we''ll just have to protract the conflict until the Great Tang Group''s supplies run short, until we ourselves are fragmented, and nobody gains any advantage from our mutual losses."


    "But..." the maid looked at Sofia with concern.


    She knew that dragging things out required capital, and if the Great Tang Group could quickly resolve the remaining belligerent nations, then the initiative would completely shift into the hands of the Great Tang Group.


    So, the basis of the negotiation seemed to hinge on whether the war could continue. If the war were to end, then Shireck''s desire for new warship technology, or for the oceans, would merely be a pipe dream.


    Sofia looked into the distance with a hint of resignation and sighed softly, her demeanor softening as she said, "I know! It all depends on whether the Poplar Kingdom, the Rosewood Kingdom, and the Phalak Kingdom can withstand his next... assault!"


    "Go!" After a few seconds of silence, Sofia, looking towards the distant sunrise, spoke, "Once you get to Brunas, send me a telegram."


    "Yes! Your subordinate understands!" The maid gave a small bow and then left the room.

 Chapter 294: 290 pounds, woman and old man

    "Damn it! They''re all wastes! Wastes!" the fat man from Shireck Council, who had always been lusting after Sofia''s beauty, clutched his wine glass and cursed furiously.


    The always-smiling sly old man also had no smile on his face this time, cursing coldly as ice, "Wastes? They all deserve to die! 50,000 troops! To think, to think they were completely annihilated just like that, becoming prisoners at the enemy''s feet?"


    They had gathered together to discuss the just-confirmed news¡ªthat the war they had waged seemed to be spiraling out of their control, hurtling in a direction they did not wish to see.


    Dorne had won, achieving a glorious, unprecedented victory under the leadership of two unknown young people.


    After this war, the world would see the rise of two great generals, their names shining like stars.


    Yet at this very moment, these two names made the wealthy council members of Shireck grind their teeth in hatred!


    The fat man was almost roaring as he vented his dissatisfaction and fear, "Who could have thought, with such an advantage, they still lost! Lost!"


    Yes, fear¡ªhe had grown accustomed to controlling everything, used to the feeling of superiority that came with knowing the outcome of a war before it even began.


    But now, everything was slipping from his grasp, filling him with a sense of danger, so he erupted in pathological fury.


    His voice was piercing, echoing in the opulent, yet slightly empty room, "Those were 70 warships! 70! A year ago, those warships could have wiped out a kingdom!"


    "What''s the use of saying this now? Can saying this change anything? Shouldn''t we be thinking, thinking about what to do next?" The envious woman, who was continually jealous of Sofia''s beauty, contorted her already ugly face, which now resembled a demon.


    The fat man suddenly stood up from the sofa in a fury, yelling, "Use all our power, we must eradicate this damned Great Tang Group no matter what!"


    Truth be told, he no longer cared about profits, even if it meant losing money, even if it was just to deter potential rivals, he wanted to crush the Great Tang Group, to completely vaporize this enemy!


    "But, moving forces like this, the other members of the council will not easily agree, we convinced them before, but now the situation has obviously changed," the old man reminded, though reluctantly and helplessly.


    The council was not under their sole control; they had previously convinced the members to agree to their plan, but now they might not have the power to persuade others to continue backing their desperate gamble.


    After all, everyone joined the Shireck Consortium to earn money and control more power through munitions.


    Violating the tenet of making money and threatening the council members'' power, everyone would become cautious, conservative, suspicious...


    The woman, actually only plain in appearance but appearing somewhat ugly beside Sofia, also spoke with resignation, "We''ve paid too high a price in this war! Under these circumstances, to continue the war... has no benefit..."


    After thinking it through, the sly old man expressed his thoughts, "Shouldn''t we... perhaps listen to, listen to that woman Sofia''s opinion? At least judging from the outcome, she... her perspective seems correct."


    In his view, as long as they could stabilize the situation and make money, bringing Shireck back to its peak, occasionally listening to Sofia''s opinion wasn''t a bad idea.


    However, clearly the ugly woman was reluctant to bring up Sofia ¨C she scoffed coldly, dissatisfied, "She just got lucky, betting on the right side against us, that''s all!"


    "Listen to her? I''d rather die!" The fat man thought that if he had to seek Sofia''s help at such a humiliating time, how could he ever get a chance to strike in the future?


    After some thought, to prevent the old man from forming an alliance with Sofia, he divulged news he had long hidden, "Actually, set aside the failures on the battlefield, we''ve had some gains."


    "Hmm?" The woman looked towards the fat man.


    "What do you mean?" The old man also turned his gaze, asking.


    "The good news is! Our acquisition plan in the east ultimately succeeded, and after a bit of struggling and requesting a good price, that young man handed over some of the new weapon technologies they came up with!" The fat man boasted before proceeding.


    "Hmm?" Hearing this, both the woman and old man became more interested.


    The fat man then began to explain, "My spearheaded merger had an effect ¨C we acquired the workshop, and as a result gained control over two fully new types of weapons! There''s a completely new automatic weapon! More advanced! Brand-new automatic weapons!"


    "Oh?" Hearing about the new weapons, both the old man and the woman''s eyes lit up even more ¨C they were arms dealers, and new weapons often meant more profit and revenue!


    The fat man shook his head confidently, "Hehehehe! With metal-jacketed ammunition, with new rifles, and advanced automatic pistols... we will at least be able to stand up to that damn Great Tang Group in most of the arms business!"


    "At least! This is the only piece of good news among a bunch of bad news," the old man sighed in relief, then posed a question that the woman beside him was also interested in: "That young man... what''s his name?"


    "His name is Fink, a very talented young man! I beat him, made him the person in charge. If he can come up with some more new weapons, I plan on nurturing him," the fat man wasn''t foolish, and he directly claimed his dominance over the young man.


    Talent, of course, should be held tight in one''s own hands.


    The old man nodded slightly, "Very good! You''ve done the right thing! It''s time to show that old hag Sofia that we value technology too!"


    "Exactly! We''ll soon rejuvenate Shireck, and regain Shireck''s ruling position! We are unbeatable! Hahahaha!" The fat man laughed proudly and loudly.


    "Shireck is invincible! Hahaha!" The old man also joined in the laughter.


    "Long live Shireck!" The woman echoed coldly from the side.

 Chapter 295: 291 doesnt need to be so accurate.

    In the shooting range of Brunas, Tang Mo watched with interest as Wes emptied a handgun magazine and then continued to reload.


    Good marksmanship is cultivated with bullets; without extensive live-fire practice, talent alone is useless.


    One must shoot year after year, day after day, to maintain their feel for the gun and preserve muscle memory, ensuring the most accurate shooting action in the shortest time possible.


    Wes was Tang Mo''s personal guard. Until he found a successor he could trust, Wes was the last line of defense by Tang Mo''s side.


    Such a person must always maintain the best combat readiness, so Wes always seized every opportunity to train his combat skills.


    His proficiency with the handgun was nearly divine, with almost every shot hitting the bullseye. And his drawing speed was unbelievably fast, like lightning.


    "Bang!" With the last shot fired, Wes placed the test model of the PPK handgun on the tray and turned back to Tang Mo with a hint of reluctance: "You always manage to create weapons that people love."


    To be frank, the PPK handgun is a very portable weapon with decent power, and in the hands of Wes, it''s nothing short of a divine tool.


    Compared to the much larger M1911 handgun, the PPK seems more suitable for bodyguards or spies.


    However, the PPK handgun also has its drawbacks, the foremost being that its firepower is relatively small.


    The M1911 handgun has a larger caliber and uses ammunition that is far more powerful than the 7.65 mm rounds used by the PPK, naturally offering much greater stopping power.


    Thus, in the hands of an expert like Wes, the M1911 handgun, which can resolve issues with one shot, actually has a greater impact.


    With the same 7-round capacity, the PPK''s seven bullets may not resolve the problem, but the M1911 is much more reliable.


    Therefore, Wes still prefers the powerful M1911 handgun and, after experimenting with many types of handguns, he favors the M1911 and "bolt-action rifles."


    If allowed to carry, Wes would rather carry a bolt-action rifle, or the Mauser automatic pistol, which has great firepower and can also serve as an automatic weapon in a pinch.


    Although it is greatly lacking in accuracy, Wes prefers such powerful automatic weapons, especially since compared to the old Shireck flintlock pistols, all the pistols currently involved in the Great Tang Group''s handgun bidding trials could be considered top-quality.


    Luger pistols were also fabricated as prototypes, but Wes does not like these unstable firearms when firing.


    Despite their high price and the use of many new technologies, Luger pistols have many intrinsic flaws and struggle to compete with the more stable PPK and M1911.


    In fact, even during the San Dezi era, not many Prussian nobility officers carried Lugers; most were provided to the police and second-line troops... after all, the harsh battlefield conditions made such precious pistols unsuitable.


    In the world before Tang Mo crossed over, around 1910, many excellent handguns emerged.


    Both Jack and Belgium had decent designs; the Browning high-power pistol and Jack''s CZ pistol were well-known.


    This was a somewhat complex but decently performing submachine gun; however, Tang Mo liked it for another reason¡ªit had repeatedly appeared in gangster movies.


    The Chicago Typewriter, concealed in a violin case and carried around by hitmen in black suits, had an impressive aura.


    Of course, what Tang Mo directly manufactured was its modified version¡ªthe US military version without a foregrip but with a horizontal forend instead.


    This weapon was conceived around 1928, so there were no technical difficulties involved. Compared to this, the superior German MP-38 submachine gun came quite a bit later.


    In fact, in terms of performance and compatibility, Tang Mo would have preferred to choose the MP-38 submachine gun because its manufacturing technology was more advanced, its accuracy was higher, and it performed better in other aspects as well.


    Not to mention just the fact that the German submachine gun could be folded was very appealing to him: Tang Mo highly valued weapons that were easy to carry.


    However, while Tang Mo hesitated over which weapon to choose, another factor influenced his decision: bullets!


    Tang Mo had already decided to mass produce the M1911 pistol, or rather the improved M1911A1 pistol, which used bullets of 11.43-mm caliber.


    Another pistol Tang Mo liked, the PPK, used 7.65-mm caliber bullets¡ªyes, yet another new type of bullet.


    Meanwhile, the rifle bullets used by the security troops of the Great Tang Group were 8-mm caliber, which was again a completely different type of metal cartridge.


    At the same time, the caliber of the Maxim heavy machine guns produced by the Great Tang Group was also 11.43 mm ammunition.


    This left Tang Mo entangled in a rather awkward dilemma: the caliber of his bullets was too numerous and too varied.


    If he were to produce the MP-38 submachine gun, which used 9-mm caliber pistol bullets, he would have to start another production line for 9-mm caliber pistol bullets.


    With the existing bullet production lines, the Great Tang Group would have to produce 6 different calibers and types of bullets: .45 caliber (11.43) pistol bullets, .32 caliber (7.65) pistol bullets, 9-mm caliber pistol bullets, 8-mm (7.92) caliber rifle bullets, .45 caliber (11.43) machine gun bullets, and paper cartridges for needle guns...


    This was something Tang Mo, or the Great Tang Group, was unwilling to accept.


    Therefore, Tang Mo had to consciously reduce the number of bullet types in order to streamline his production lines and simplify the logistics of troop resupply.


    In fact, weapon development has a certain continuity. Tang Mo chose the more advanced Colt Left-Wheel Handgun, thus setting the bullet caliber at .45 (11.43).


    Consequently, the M1911 pistol''s bullets were also .45 caliber, which greatly simplified Tang Mo''s bullet production.


    Therefore, when it came to choosing a submachine gun, Tang Mo had no choice but to make some compromises, giving up the MP-38 submachine gun he favored more and turning instead to the Chicago Typewriter, the Thompson submachine gun.


    Although the weapon was not entirely satisfactory, it was still a very mature and effective weapon. If the downside of this weapon was that it was bulky and expensive, in this era, that was not a problem at all.


    This weapon was only to equip Tang Mo''s security troops, so he was more willing to simplify things and have the new submachine gun use existing bullets.


    So, when Tang Mo unveiled the white cloth, what Wes saw was a beautifully crafted Thompson submachine gun.

 Chapter 296: 292 Technology Diffusion

    As trenches began to frequently appear and started to block the attackers, causing the assailants to pay a heavy price, everyone was eagerly awaiting a type of automatic weapon that could be used by individual soldiers. Whoever could produce such a weapon might once again transform the mode of warfare.


    As long as the firepower was fierce enough, it could tear apart the enemy''s trench defenses, allowing victory to be secured with fewer losses. Therefore, even if the price was high, everyone did not mind shelling out some extra Gold Coin.


    Of course, in reality, the prevalence of machine guns was pitifully low, and most armies were not actually going to equip their soldiers with expensive weapons like the submachine gun on a large scale. Compared to submachine guns, militaries preferred to have more machine guns to boost their firepower.


    This was a very contradictory psychology; on one hand, everyone hoped to be equipped with a large number of K2 rifles or better individual automatic firing weapons, to end trench warfare.


    On the other hand, they felt that they did not have enough heavy firepower to support their defenses, so they wanted to be equipped with more machine guns.


    There was only so much money, so deciding what kind of weapons to prioritize purchasing became an issue of trade-offs for many troop commanders.


    After all, there were not many nations with deep pockets, and there were even fewer people like Tang Mo, who was ready to equip his entire military with submachine guns.


    Moreover, Tang Mo had no plans to immediately expand the production of automatic weapons; he intended to keep these weapons secret for a while longer, allowing the battlefield to fully digest the existing arms first.


    A large number of advanced weapons had suddenly emerged in this world because Tang Mo could disregard the laws of factual development and forcibly develop some experience-based weapons that would have otherwise only been forged through warfare.


    He could unreasonably bring out mature weapons that were certain not to take a wrong turn, something that others could not achieve.


    But doing so also brought a series of problems, which was that the battlefield presented a pathological and chaotic state.


    Actually, it was quite laughable; most military commanders, more than two years ago, were still commanding their troops to engage in dense phalanx charges, using firing squad tactics in a row to determine the outcome.


    Later, when breech-loading rifles were introduced by Tang Mo, the situation on the battlefield began to change, and the casualties of phalanx gun battles shot up dramatically, causing both warring sides to be overwhelmed by such horrific losses.


    With the advent of metallic cartridges, trench warfare became an entirely new tactic, a kind that others had never seen before.


    Until trench warfare began to be frequently used around Leite Kingdom, most commanders in other war zones had not even seen what a machine gun looked like.


    Breech-loading cannons, another novel item, were also scarce, and everyone was still inexplicably experimenting with new tactics to adapt to new weapons.


    The graduates of the Great Tang Military Academy accelerated the spread of new tactics and weapons, but they also brought a series of practical problems.


    For example, the concept of position warfare appeared prematurely when tank technology was not yet mature, which directly led to a dramatic increase in the cruelty of war.


    In various combat areas, it became common to see soldiers lining up in neat formations, charging the enemy''s machine gun positions like madmen.


    There also began to appear wars of attrition where both sides used trenches, neither side initiating an attack, fearful of incurring heavy casualties.


    "What can I say? No one who crosses you will end up well," Wes said, looking at the submachine gun in his hand and suddenly feeling old, as if he could retire.


    He had been trying hard to keep up with Tang Mo, to adapt to the new weapons Tang Mo developed¡ªfrankly speaking, when he saw the Left-Wheel Handgun, he knew the martial arts skills he once prided himself on were almost obsolete.


    Nevertheless, he had mastered the shooting skills of the handgun and learned how to kill enemies more efficiently.


    And now, just when he thought he had finally gotten a handle on pistol shooting techniques, Tang Mo had developed an even more formidable weapon!


    "Don''t be so discouraged! Actually, it has its drawbacks," Tang Mo comforted Wes with a tinge of regret.


    "I don''t see any drawbacks..." Wes grumbled, staring at the rapid-firing weapon in his hands that could spit out dozens of bullets in an instant.


    "There are. There are!" Tang Mo hurriedly assured him.


    Then, he gestured and said, "Don''t you think it''s... a bit too big?"


    "It''s not easy to carry, and it can''t be tucked into a pocket like a handgun." Tang Mo gestured with his hands to indicate the length of the gun, annoyed that he couldn''t choose the MP-38 submachine gun with the folding stock: "It''s definitely not something you can bring to a banquet... right?"


    Upon hearing Tang Mo''s explanation, Wes laughed. Indeed... this weapon was a bit too big and wasn''t suitable for many occasions.


    But for Great Tang Group''s security teams, factory patrols, and other special situations, the power of this weapon could only be described as otherworldly.


    "Your troops will get priority in being equipped with it! Don''t worry!" Tang Mo saw the longing in Wes''s eyes and said directly: "You''re also welcome to practice as much as you want because... we are not short on bullets."


    The .45 caliber bullets were already being produced on a large scale by Great Tang Group, especially since the S4 pistol, also known as the M1911 pistol, had also started mass production.


    At the same time, the PPK pistol, as a new personal defense weapon, had also begun mass production and was extensively equipping Great Tang Group''s administrative and intelligence personnel.


    And to simplify their product lines, Tang Mo had already shut down all production lines related to needle guns and recoilless rifles.


    These pieces of equipment had been disposed of or transferred elsewhere. Brunas was no longer producing needle guns, and Northern Ridge had also ceased production of this type of weapon.


    The flagship product of Northern Ridge''s firearms factory was now the K3 bolt-action rifle, which is the Mauser KAR98K rifle.


    The production line of Great Tang Group''s K2 lever-action rifle had also been entirely moved to the suburbs of Leite Royal City, since Great Tang Group was no longer interested in this type of weapon.


    Similarly, the technology for recoilless rifles had already been disseminated by Great Tang Group, and now 75mm recoilless rifles could be produced by Northern Ridge and Leite Kingdom, although this production was still under the supervision of Great Tang Group.


    Unknowingly, Great Tang Group had shifted many of its downstream production projects to other regions, driving industrial development in those areas.


    And Great Tang Group was consciously starting to keep its cutting-edge technology on Dragon Island, a place more suitable for secrecy and development... its true stronghold.

 Chapter 297: Materials Issue 293

    While Tang Mo and Wes were chatting, Harry came over with a stack of files. Seeing him, the waiter waved gently and stayed well away with the tray.


    Wes fiddled with the Thompson submachine gun and seemed to become quite enamored with it¡ªafter all, submachine guns are quite fun, aren''t they?


    Harry glanced at Wes who was aiming and then playing with the gun and, without paying much attention to him, reported directly to Tang Mo, "The shipyard at the port has confirmed it."


    "Hmm," Tang Mo gestured for him to continue.


    Harry delivered some not-so-good news, "In the short term, we can''t build ships any faster, because the production capacity for steel simply can''t keep up."


    "We are building 2 warships at Dragon Island at the same time, and there are also 4 transport ships, which have taken up all the docks," he said as he pulled out a document from the ones he was carrying and handed it to Tang Mo.


    Then he took out a second document and passed it over as well, "Brunas'' five large docks are all producing Wolf-class cruisers, and the remaining four docks are producing transport ships..."


    Tang Mo first took the first report and, upon seeing the information it contained, revealed no sign of anger. He was just reading through the content to understand the issues at hand.


    In fact, the shipbuilding system of the Great Tang Group was indeed running at full capacity¡ªTang Mo had built 15 iron ships in one go, including 8 transport ships and 7 warships.


    These steel behemoths took up a large amount of steel and also exhausted Tang Mo''s shipbuilding workforce.


    Most of those shipbuilders actually only had experience in making sailing ships and had been rushed into becoming builders of steamships.


    And the Great Tang Group actually had another large shipyard in Osa that used to produce sailing warships but had been converted into a shipyard producing civilian sailing ships.


    Now it only produced large-tonnage transport ships, most of which were specially designed for transporting oil, with a cargo hold full of barrels carrying hundreds of tons of crude oil at a time.


    Nevertheless, sea transport capacity was still insufficient. Tang Mo needed a vast number of ships, countless fleets, to replenish production materials for his Dragon Island and Brunas.


    "That is to say, we have 15 steam-powered ships being produced simultaneously, using up tens of thousands of tons of steel... indeed, it''s a bit much," Tang Mo thought to himself as he took the second set of documents from Harry, rubbed his forehead, and continued reading.


    If these warships and transport ships were to be launched, the maritime power of the Great Tang Group could indeed soar to unprecedented heights.


    Moreover, once the 5 Wolf-class warships were launched, he was confident that he could sell all the Brunas-class warships in his hands¡ªit was clear that this could let him recover a great deal of investment.


    Watching the servant depart, Tang Mo then turned his head to Harry and said: "I know your opinion, I want to hear from the production department, and then I will make arrangements."


    Soon, Mathews and Parker hurried over from the factory area.


    Upon meeting, Parker was first to speak of the excellent achievements the Great Tang Group had made in the past month: "In terms of total power generation, we have made some progress, and now there is a bit of surplus power, which can support us in continuing research on metal plating."


    The head of the production department had grown considerably over the past year because in the past he wouldn''t have been able to report such good news to Tang Mo so fluently.


    Previously, he always started with the bad news... However, it was clear he had begun to realize that sometimes, the order in which reports are given is actually very meaningful.


    This change couldn''t be said to be bad, after all Tang Mo knew that people always grow¡ªwhether they become more mature or gradually age, they will eventually grow...


    "Additionally, we have also been experimenting with the electrolysis process for aluminum, and in fact, we have already obtained some aluminum metal..." Mathews also began talking about his recent experiment projects with great interest.


    Electroplating and aluminum electrolysis were major projects that Tang Mo''s factory was recently researching. Once successful, with new materials and new plating processes, the quality of Great Tang Group''s components would rise to a whole new level.


    Seeing that Tang Mo was silent, Parker hurriedly started discussing the matter of personnel sent to the Ice Cold Kingdom: "I have ordered 300 people to head to the dwarves'' Ice Cold Kingdom to develop and operate copper and gold mines, as well as oil fields and other industries.


    However, the extraction of minerals there won''t quench our immediate thirst as it is a distant solution and cannot alleviate our material scarcity crisis right away."


    Then he brought up a piece of intelligence that Tang Mo actually already knew: "King Leite VII has already ordered that iron ore be temporarily classified as a strategic material not available for trade, which to a certain extent, can compensate for some of our losses."


    After listing a whole bunch of good news and some that was neither good nor bad, Parker finally mustered the courage to voice his opinion: "If it were up to me, we should postpone some unnecessary production, like automobiles... We can currently produce more than 6,000 T-model cars a year, and that really isn''t necessary."


    It seemed that he, just like Harry, also hoped that Tang Mo would suspend the production of some products to focus on expanding the production of essential goods: "If we don''t produce so many cars, we won''t need such large refining capacity for oil... which can then be shifted to weapon production."


    After speaking, he fell silent as if waiting for Tang Mo to speak up, or perhaps for others to agree.


    Soon, Mathews also began to speak, it appeared he also agreed with Parker and Harry''s views: "At least, we can save 3,000 workers, which is not a small number, and we can also save the steel consumed in car production..."


    "I understand all that you''re saying, but if we halt the production of cars, our existing transport capacity will slowly decrease, and we will still end up in a passive situation where lagging transport capacity restricts our upcoming expansion," Tang Mo considered their input for a minute and then presented his own opinion: "But now, whoever backs down first might slow down their pace of development and lose future victories!"


    ------


    The second update will be a bit late; everyone can watch it tomorrow morning.


    ```

 Chapter 298: 294 most interesting scenery

    Tang Mo knew that both Parker and Mathews had very sensible suggestions, yet he still felt there was no need to back down at this time.


    As long as he maintained the current production status and continued to develop, he could ultimately hold out until the day the war ended.


    Once everything returned to peace, or rather, to the interlude between wars, he would be able to absorb the surrounding resources at a faster pace and push the Great Tang Group to an even more dazzling pinnacle.


    So, he began to explain, "Right now, every day, vehicles needing part repairs due to breakdowns are waiting for the parts we produce. And those enterprises waiting to purchase vehicles to compete in the transportation and logistics industry are also waiting for the finished vehicles we produce...


    If we were to stop production now, then the painstakingly established transportation network would fall into paralysis. This... cannot possibly be what we want to see."


    "The same applies to the ships! If we can''t continue to expand our maritime transportation, we will reach a bottleneck, and the ensuing development will be stagnant for a long time!" He stood up as if he had made up his mind and said firmly, "So! We must grit our teeth and continue... all our production! We cannot stop!"


    In fact, Tang Mo was well aware that halting some seemingly non-essential productions could seemingly bring many conveniences to himself.


    But the subsequent problems would slow the development of Great Tang Group. In Tang Mo''s view, the current difficulties were only temporary, and failing to expand production capacity swiftly was what would leave them in a reactive position and fall behind.


    Was Great Tang Group lacking raw materials for production? Yes, it was! But not that much! At least for now, while Great Tang Group lacked raw materials, the mining resources it owned were very abundant.


    Which meant, Tang Mo had iron mines, copper mines, and oil fields... He almost had all the resources he could wish for.


    On the other hand, did Great Tang Group have production capability? The answer was also yes! Great Tang Group had advanced assembly line workshops, a large number of industrious workers, and a relatively complete management system.


    These could also be converted into production capacity! If conditions allowed, Great Tang Group could double its capacity!


    Unfortunately, due to the constraints of production materials, Tang Mo was unable to fully utilize the capacity of Great Tang Group, which was the biggest problem faced by Great Tang Group at the moment.


    Could this problem be simply attributed to a lack of production materials for Great Tang Group? Obviously, it couldn''t.


    Then, could this problem be attributed to insufficient production capacity of Great Tang Group? Actually, it wasn''t that simple either.


    What Great Tang Group was lacking now was the ability to gather dispersed materials from various places and transform them into production materials!


    That is to say, Great Tang Group''s weakness was the lack of sufficient time to establish a traffic network, accumulate massive logistics and transportation capacities, and to have insufficient raw material rough processing capabilities.


    You say Great Tang Group was short of funds? It actually controlled six real gold mines and had a large reserve of Gold Coins; in truth, Tang Mo was quite wealthy.


    You say Great Tang Group was short of ores? That wasn''t quite true either, as Great Tang Group had several large iron mines within the borders of the Leite Kingdom alone, and at the same time, in Dorne and Suthers, in Osa, there were many assets of iron and copper mines.


    It''s just that in a short time, these iron mines could not be transported to Brunas, could not be immediately turned into munitions, and could not be sent to the battlefield.


    Because that critical point was floating and constantly changing with the situation on the battlefield.


    If the Great Tang Group were defeated at the front line, if the Leite Kingdom''s troops collapsed like a landslide, and if the Dorne Kingdom also suffered heavy losses, then Shireck would indeed have the chance to wear down the Great Tang Group.


    But such a scenario was too improbable. Tom believed that if he were in the decision-maker''s position on Shireck''s side, he would also not dare to blindly and arrogantly bet on such a sure-lose gamble.


    On the contrary, Tang Mo felt that with such a great advantage, it would be an injustice to himself not to take the gamble.


    He was even certain that the other party would soon send someone to find him, trying to end this now meaningless war.


    However, he had also already thought of a strategy. He would delay his opponent, preventing them from discerning his bottom line, to gain benefits that could not be obtained through war.


    For example, he wanted the Taren Kingdom and the Xilun Kingdom, the Poplar and the Rosewood Kingdoms, the Germelin and the Phalak Kingdoms...


    That''s right, he wanted the land of all 6 warring kingdoms! All of their populations! All of their mines!


    At that moment, Tang Mo suddenly understood the thinking of those war gamblers¡ªjust one grand bet, and the spoils of war were irresistibly tempting.


    If a single victory could solve all problems, then why not choose war? After all, before war began, everyone believed, based on the data on paper, that they had at least some chance of winning, didn''t they?


    "After all, we have the advantage in all battle zones! As long as we keep winning like this, we can once and for all resolve Shireck''s troubles! Just this one time if we win, we will be able to sit at the same table with them," Tang Mo looked at his subordinates, clenched his fist, and encouraged them confidently.


    "So, Master... If you have already decided, then... I have no objections," Mathews was the first to give up his insistence, looking at Tang Mo as he spoke.


    Parker immediately voiced his support for Tang Mo''s decision, "I''m with you, Master, you know I''ve always followed your lead."


    "Then we''ll continue to maintain production as you wish, Master," Harry didn''t insist on his own opinion, he only needed to present his views; the actual operation was up to Tang Mo''s decision.


    After all, up until now, Tang Mo had never had any issues with decision-making, and the Great Tang Group had reached its current heights entirely under Tang Mo''s command and operation.


    "You''ve done well," Tang Mo praised his subordinates; he was pleased they could present their views and help him check for any oversights, the main reason he sought their opinions.


    "Next time, provide more opinions to fill in the gaps for me," Tang Mo said. "In the future, you all will be figures who dominate a territory for the Great Tang Group... Everything... must be done better!"


    "Yes, Master!" Mathews, Parker, and Harry answered in unison.


    "And you? In the future, don''t you want to dominate a territory and become a high official of the Great Tang Group?" After the three left, Tang Mo turned to Wes.


    Wes shook his head, smiling as he answered, "Not for me... That would mean only living in one place, how boring. I want to be by your side, that''s the way to see... the most interesting sights."

 Chapter 299: 295 road maintenance workers

    Xi Mai was a farmer from Northern Ridge who previously had two acres of farmland, which later expanded to five.


    However, he was still not content, and on the recommendation of an acquaintance, he sold his own land and then came to Brunas by himself.


    Later, he signed a contract and arrived at Dragon Island alone, where he was no longer a farmer, but became a road maintenance worker.


    Great Tang Group was engaged in infrastructure construction everywhere, which likewise required a large workforce for maintenance to function effectively.


    On Dragon Island, maintaining roads and railways was an extremely arduous task, often lonely and solitary.


    The road maintenance workers of Dragon Island could not live in big cities; they had to reside in "maintenance workers'' dormitories" built for them deep in the jungle.


    These dormitories were very simple, essentially just old wooden huts with basic furnishings, still relying on gas lamps for lighting and the most primitive stoves and iron pots for cooking.


    Every two or three days, delivery vehicles would pass by their dormitory, and no matter whether someone was there or not, the drivers of these trucks would leave food at the doorway, then turn around and leave.


    If Xi Mai and his colleagues were in the dormitory, these delivery drivers would stop to chat for a moment, but if no one was home, the drivers would pile the supplies at the door and then depart.


    After all, in this forest, there was no one to steal these things, so at night when Xi Mai and his colleagues returned, they would carry the well-packed goods back to their little wooden huts.


    The supplies included local fruit canned goods, ham and sausage filled with starch and other scraps, as well as bread sealed in cloth bags.


    Of course, the bulk of it was ordinary food, such as grains like flour and rice, plus other ingredients like sugar and sea salt. There were also little items such as matches, which added some interest to these basic jungle hut dwellings.


    In addition, according to the supply standards of the Great Tang Group, there were outdated newspapers and reading materials like comic strips promoting the Great Tang Group.


    Such a primitive lifestyle was unbearable for the high-level workers of Brunas, so typically, these maintenance workers were recruited from the backwater hinterlands, and their work was very labor-intensive.


    Every morning, Xi Mai had to get up according to regulations, then get equipped, and start working with the two companions from his dormitory.


    His work equipment included a K1 Quick Gun, a set of individual soldier gear, a sharp mountain knife, and an Engineer Corps shovel and saw, along with a wooden mallet and a bucket.


    As dawn just began to break, the three of them would set out in a group, proceeding along the newly laid road, inspecting every stretch within their patrol range.


    He had to carefully observe the road surface, repairing any potential cracks, checking for collapses or landslides, and any damages.


    As an employee of the Great Tang Group, Xi Mai naturally knew of Mr. Tang. He held a great reverence for this mysterious man he had never met, because he knew that it was Mr. Tang who had given him this elegant and peaceful job.


    Another car sped past Xi Mai and the others, followed by a second, a third, and then a fourth and fifth.


    It was the first time Xi Mai had seen so many cars driving on the road he maintained, and the first time he had seen so many people sitting in cars.


    He saw that the drivers were soldiers from the security forces wearing steel helmets, with armed companions seated beside them.


    It was also the first time he had seen these trucks, which seemed to be the latest models produced by Dragon City, more stable and upscale-looking than the improved versions of the T-model truck.


    The trucks had a square front, with a long bonnet, round headlights on either side, and the whole back of the truck and roof were made of wood, with a dragon emblem of the Great Tang Group on the doors.


    The back of the truck had no roof, just iron bars without a canvas cover, inside sat densely packed people in ragged clothes, numbly observing Xi Mai and others who stepped aside.


    These weary-looking people came from the eastern part of the Leite Kingdom, a region recently conquered by Leite, all of them slaves, farmers from the conquered lands.


    Having lost their land, they had been relocated to Dragon Island, where they were needed more¡ªyet they were not as fortunate as Xi Mai.


    They were simply here to work, with no stipends, no welfare housing benefits, just pure laborers.


    At the very end of the truck sat soldiers from the Great Tang Group''s security forces, fully armed, wearing long grey-green coats, M35 helmets on their heads, clutching K2 lever-action rifles designed specifically for guard duty, their faces expressionless as they slightly swayed with the jolts of the moving vehicle.


    Clearly, these people were all being sent to Weigang¡ªthe place where Housen once killed the patrol captain is now a small town that has been given a new name in advance: "Weigang."


    It was also set to be built as a port, moreover, a civilian port. According to the Great Tang Group''s plans, this place would eventually become a super-large, civilian ship production, maintenance, and supply base.


    Then, a railway and highway would connect Dragon City and Weigang, with the oil fields in between being developed into an industrial city centered around oil processing. Tang Mo even reserved a space at Weigang for building a nuclear power plant.


    According to the plans of the Great Tang Group, or rather, Tang Mo''s vision, Dragon Island would become the most concentrated industrial zone in the world, serving as the core technical research and development base of the Great Tang Group.


    With Dragon Island at the center, the influence of the Great Tang Group would radiate out to all areas surrounding the Endless Sea, which would become the internal lake of the Great Tang Group!


    Alas, for now, all of this was merely a plan. Weigang''s shipyards were still just a construction site, and Weigang itself was only a small town filled with prisoners, captives, and slaves.


    And Dragon City, rather than a super city under construction, might be more aptly described as a large work site.


    But all this was of little consequence to Xi Mai. The expansion of the Great Tang Group, or rather, Tang Mo''s empire, was far removed from him.


    So, when the dust raised by the cars had largely settled, he opened his throat once more, letting his voice echo in the forest: "The mountain road winds endlessly... without end... With my ax in hand..."

 Chapter 300: Capture 296 cities

    In the Germelin hinterland, a city on a major transport route, the locals were already in utter chaos.


    News had long since spread that the Leite Kingdom''s troops had marched in and the Germelin frontline troops were completely annihilated.


    In fact, that was the case: with the main force of the Germelin Kingdom invading the Leite Kingdom being wiped out, it had become a matter of time before the Leite troops invaded Germelin.


    Evacuees carrying luggage, dragging their families from the border areas, retreated here, and mingled among them were some wounded soldiers and nobility''s carriages seeking refuge.


    The hodgepodge of people congested the roads, making the entire city seem overcrowded and creating an oppressive atmosphere.


    Watching the crowded streets from his window, the city lord of Germelin, an Earl of the Kingdom, complained angrily, "Useless! All useless!"


    Just moments before, he had received a message that a small town 30 kilometers away from him had been captured by the Leite Kingdom''s troops, and his location had become the front line of the war zone.


    An officer hurried in, standing behind Lord Earl and reported with his head bowed, "My lord! The enemy is approaching! Only two of our scouts have returned, the rest are out of contact!"


    They had hoped to clarify the situation around them, but the scouts they sent out were clearly no match for the rangers from Northern Ridge. The differences in combat experience and weaponry were such that defeat was hardly a surprise.


    Since most of the scouts had not returned, the nearby circumstances remained unclear, shrouded in the fog of war, which would make anyone uneasy.


    Hearing that his scouts had not returned, the Earl subconsciously thought they had fled rather than being annihilated by the enemy.


    In his view, the likelihood that so many scouts were wiped out was slim to none; more likely, the scouts without constraint had turned into deserters.


    And indeed, he was not mistaken in his thoughts, as quite a number of the scouts he had dispatched had become deserters¡ªafter all, the level of their regular training left much to be desired, so the presence of deserters was hardly surprising.


    This was much like certain Kuomintang troops during the Liberation War: seemingly numerous and well-armed but in reality poorly trained, with extremely low initiative, unable to dispatch small units for recon or transfer them promptly... They were ultimately crushed with ease by the Liberation Army, like zombies.


    Thus, he cursed vehemently, making the reporting officer even more unable to lift his head, "Cowards! At the country''s time of need, relying on these base commoners is a mistake! They are all natural-born slaves! After this is over, they all should be executed!"


    "What, what should we do now, my lord?" asked the officer, completely at a loss about what to do, thus inquiring in hope of some ingenious plan from the person in charge.


    He knew that things were unsafe outside the city; the Leite military forces had already advanced to an unknown location, and any encounter outside the city walls would likely lead to a dead end.


    Defending from within the city was actually a more rational defense strategy, as even if the enemy began their siege, surrendering could allow them to negotiate terms, rather than inexplicably losing their lives.


    As expected, an Earl would still be an Earl, who, even in times of such chaos, held onto some of his own ideas¡ªat the very least, he had to maintain his demeanor and seemingly offer some of his own thoughts.


    The Earl then spoke to reassure the officer, "Don''t panic! Have our men hold the city walls! They have come from afar, surely without many cannons; we definitely have an advantage in cannon numbers..."


    Yet, these loyalists, seemingly unable to hold out even for a single day, had let the city fall to the advancing Leite military, who appeared to have arrived without significant heavy weaponry...


    For a moment, the Lord Earl, who had prided himself on the combat prowess of his private army and had deemed himself somewhat talented in warfare, turned deathly pale and faltered, nearly collapsing to the ground.


    The officer, who knew not whence came his information, pointed towards the direction of the city gates and yelled, "Their cannons have blasted open the gates, our men are scattered!"


    "Counterattack! Counterattack! Push back the attackers! Push them back!" The Lord Earl barely gathered himself from the panic and despair, furiously shouting as he prepared to lead his trusted guards toward the direction where the gunfire was steadily intensifying.


    The officer, fearful of death and keen to flee or surrender, quickly tried to persuade, "My lord, our troops have dispersed! Let''s flee while we can!"


    But this Earl of Germelin possessed a certain resolve, glaring at his cowardly subordinate, he fiercely scolded, "Flee? Flee what? I am the City Lord! I am the Earl! I am the Earl of Germelin! There is no ''flee'' option with me!"


    Fired up by the chaos before him, he recklessly drew the S2-type left-wheel handgun, manufactured by the Great Tang Group, which gave him a profound sense of security, and aimed it at the craven officer.


    The officer, not expecting the Earl to draw his gun so uncharacteristically, was still standing there, frozen in shock.


    "Bang!" Before the officer could beg for mercy or say anything else, the Lord Earl pulled the trigger of his handgun, firing a bullet.


    "Ah!" The bullet struck the officer squarely in the chest. He screamed and clutched at his chest as he fell backward, tumbling down a short flight of just three stairs, to lie dead where he fell.


    Feeling as if he had regained control of the situation, the Lord Earl waved his left-wheel handgun in front of his luxurious estate''s gate, vigorously motivating his guards, "Listen up, everyone! Follow me into the fray! Drive back the enemy! Anyone who charges with me will get a reward of 100 gold coins after! No, make it 200 gold coins!"


    As the saying goes, under substantial rewards, there will be brave men, and he believed that such a hefty sum would surely inspire some to fight to the death for money.


    Thus, he grandly declared, as if he too were sacrificing a great fortune for the country, "For the Kingdom of Germelin!"


    "For, for the Kingdom of Germelin!" A few guards, cautious and tentative, echoed the Lord Earl with a ragged chorus of slogans.


    "Bang!" At that moment, another gunshot rang. Several soldiers with M35 steel helmets and rifles at the ready were taking aim from the street corner.


    One soldier, helmet adorned, raised high a wolf banner, running from one side of the street to the other.


    All the guards from the Kingdom of Germelin started to panic; it was their first time encountering the enemy so close.


    In the frenzy, someone finally noticed the Earl lying on the ground with a bullet in his head: "Ah! The Earl, Lord Earl... he''s dead! The Lord Earl is dead!"


    "Run! The Lord Earl is dead!" Another guard, seeing the Earl''s bloody face, also began to shout.


    "Run for it!" The remaining people started yelling, some kneeling to beg for mercy, others scattering like birds and beasts.

 Chapter 301: Playing with fire

    "Strauss and Bolton, those little rascals, they''re doing so well in the south that I''m under a lot of pressure here," Redman, clad in a dusty military uniform threw his gloves to a nearby orderly soldier, striding past the bodies on the ground, and complained to an officer beside him.


    "General!" Although they did not have formal ranks from the Leite Kingdom, soldiers from Northern Ridge still habitually referred to Redman as General, "Our troops are too dispersed; we should regroup and take some time to reorganize."


    "The 2nd Battalion of the 1st Regiment is still at Canze, the 1st Battalion just arrived at Xi Mei, and we have already reached close to the Royal Palace of the Germelin Kingdom," this Northern Ridge staff officer had also studied at a military academy, so his analysis of the battlefield was very professional.


    If one looked at the previous course of the war, the Northern Ridge Legion seemed to be spread too thin, their two infantry regiments dispersed over a vast area, even to the point where they could not take care of each other''s fronts and rears.


    The caravan of horse-drawn and motorized vehicles transporting heavy artillery was now crowded on the roads, and these mule-drawn units, because they were transporting large amounts of ammunition and heavy artillery, were not moving any faster than the other friendly forces.


    Following these mule-drawn units were other military forces of the Leite Kingdom; more than ten thousand troops were advancing, with another ten thousand or more following behind.


    The Leite Kingdom had rallied more than twenty thousand troops, which, together with the two infantry regiments of the Northern Ridge Legion and a strengthened artillery battalion, had invaded the Kingdom of Germelin.


    However, due to the Northern Ridge Legion''s rapid advance, these follow-up troops had already been left behind, approximately ninety kilometers away from the actual frontline.


    King Leite VII of the Leite Kingdom had not anticipated that the Northern Ridge Legion, under Redman''s command, would push forward with such terrifying speed.


    Along the way, he only saw captives of the defeated Germelin soldiers who had failed to retreat in time. Most of the time, his troops were merely occupied with taking over the land and cities, as well as guarding the prisoners.


    He was genuinely very happy with the way the war was going¡ªhe was expanding his territory without expending much effort, starting another round of conquest and colonization.


    Under his reign, the Leite Kingdom had already tripled in size compared to when his father was in charge; this achievement had somewhat gone to his head.


    The ability of the Northern Ridge Legion to control such a vast area while being so dispersed was partly due to their commanders being more flexible, with higher initiative, able to make independent judgments, and quickly respond to potential crises.


    On the other hand, it was also because their weapons and equipment were indeed far superior to those of their opponents.


    They had hand grenades, these new weapons could clear out houses and trenches, and they could also combat enemies attempting to engage at close range.


    They were also equipped with some mortars developed by the Great Tang Group that had never appeared on the battlefield before¡ªthese mortars were always non-sale items of the Great Tang Group, allocated only to a portion of the Northern Ridge Legion.


    With such light and portable artillery, the Northern Ridge troops had a certain degree of artillery support when facing defensive structures like castles.


    After all, the mortars could keep up with the troops, they were simple to operate, and their ammunition was sufficiently powerful.


    This time, it was a mortar from the Northern Ridge Legion that had blasted open the city gates; following infantry with their KAR98K rifles, also known as the K3 rifle, taught a lesson to the soldiers of the Germelin Kingdom who were only equipped with Shireck Flintlock Guns.


    The weaponry of the two sides was not from the same era; the Shireck Flintlock Gun''s accuracy was unreliable beyond a few tens of meters, while the 98K rifle could easily hit targets at a combat range of 300 meters.


    In the chaos, our troops can fight more bravely, whereas the enemy can only passively take a beating!"


    Redman was extremely confident in the Northern Ridge troops trained by the Great Tang Group; he even believed they were the most elite troops in the world.


    Apart from combat with the security forces of the Great Tang Group, the Northern Ridge troops should crush any opponent they face.


    "But, General! Two platoons are really too few! Wait for two days, or at least one day, for the follow-up troops to catch up. Even if it''s just our company, we can then continue the attack!" At this moment, the commander of the 3rd company of the 1st battalion, who was also the company commander where Redman was, spoke up to persuade.


    "I''ll give you 2 hours! Rest for 2 hours! Afterwards, the whole army will continue to advance. Attack the Royal Palace of Germelin! Leave behind... 20 men, to wait for the follow-up troops to take over here," Redman said, looking at the streets of the distant city still slightly smoking.


    Clenching his teeth, the commander of the 3rd company stood at attention, saluted, and agreed, "Yes, General!"


    Seeing that the commander of the 3rd company was also reluctant to give up the credit of capturing the enemy''s Royal Palace, the staff officer could only sigh, "Let''s do it this way then. But... give them three hours, General! One more hour for the soldiers!"


    "Hahaha!" Seeing that his order for an immediate attack went unopposed, Redman was in high spirits and nodded, "Then three hours it is! After resting for three hours, leave behind 20 soldiers to guard this place, and the rest... continue to advance! The target... Royal Palace of Germelin!"


    "Yes!" The two officers hurried away to convey the orders, making sure to give the troops time to rest.


    The Royal Palace of Germelin was at this moment unaware that an enemy force was less than 30 kilometers away.


    This ancient and massive city sprawled across the horizon, looking both solemn and solemn.


    Inside the city, within the Royal Palace, the King of Germelin paced anxiously in front of his throne.


    The knights he had sent out for information had brought back various pieces of confusing intelligence, and as a result, the high command of the Kingdom of Germelin had been unable to make the most effective response.


    Hence, there was no choice. Some knights said the enemy army was still near the border; others claimed the enemy had already crossed the Germelin River, encircling the King City on both sides.


    In short, there was every kind of news.


    But even the King of Germelin himself did not believe the enemy would attack so quickly. In just under a month, they had advanced from within the borders of the Leite Kingdom to the upper reaches of the Germelin River.


    So, everyone was waiting for these rumors and pieces of intelligence to converge, to form a clearer picture of the situation before issuing orders to respond.


    At that moment, a knight stumbled into the gates of the Royal Palace, pushing past the soldiers blocking his way while running forward and shouting loudly, "The enemy army! They have taken Hesha Fortress... less than 30 kilometers from the King City now!"


    ----------


    Dragon Spirit was staying up late again... indeed, the second update will be a bit late, everyone can watch it tomorrow morning...

 Chapter 302: 298 Two Roads That Dont Go Through

    Hesha Fortress was the western gateway of the King City of the Kingdom of Gemalin; the troops stationed here to defend the Royal Palace usually numbered no less than 3,000.


    Even when troops were marshaled to attack the Leite Kingdom, the garrison at Hesha Fortress remained untouched, and to be safe, the King of Gemalin had also dispatched a rather reliable Earl to guard the place.


    Although due to the limited economic strength of the Kingdom of Gemalin and the insufficient production capacity of the Shireck Consortium, the most elite needle guns had not been issued to the troops stationed here, the fortress did indeed receive several pompous muzzle-loading cannons a few days ago.


    In theory, no matter what, it should have been possible to hold out for a while, or at least resist for dozens of days, to buy time for the King City''s defenses.


    But now, the knight kneeling before the King of Gemalin, with tears in his voice, began to report what he had witnessed, truly shocking everyone present.


    It was only now, at this moment, that the King of Gemalin realized that some of the rumors he had dismissed as unfounded were, in fact, true events.


    It turned out to be true that troops from the Leite Kingdom appeared in the hinterlands of their own kingdoms! And previously, he had wrongly executed the knights who went out to gather information on account of cowardice.


    "Your Majesty! The troops of the Leite Kingdom have indeed occupied Hesha Fortress! I saw it with my own eyes! And... I have intentionally brought back two witnesses from Hesha Fortress..." The knight who had witnessed the fall of Hesha Fortress lowered his head and reported to the King and all the Ministers.


    This time, he was ordered to bring back witnesses and to investigate as clearly as possible, so he did his utmost to gather intelligence that was relatively more detailed.


    As he spoke, he described the enemy''s strength as best as he could, "The enemy doesn''t have many troops, but their equipment is quite sophisticated. I didn''t dare to get too close, but I can confirm that the flag of the Leite Kingdom now flies over Hesha Fortress..."


    In fact, he had also seen the soldiers of the Northern Ridge Legion. Those peculiar soldiers wearing steel helmets, clad in long grey-green trench coats, equipped with special harnesses, and armed with new-model rifles were very recognizable.


    They were neither dressed like the traditional forces of the Leite Kingdom nor did their distinct attire resemble that of other countries.


    Hearing the knight''s report, who had gone to scout for intelligence or rather to confirm the enemy''s location, the nearby Ministers immediately grew flustered, "Your Majesty, the situation is more difficult than we imagined!"


    "Could it be... that Earl Herx has betrayed us?" another corpulent nobleman exclaimed in panic, looking at his peers with uncertainty.


    His first reaction was that the commander overseeing Hesha Fortress had surrendered; otherwise, how could more than 3,000 soldiers fail to hold out for even a day and lose the well-fortified Hesha Fortress?


    However, his speculation was immediately refuted by someone nearby, "That should be impossible... Earl Herx is unlikely to betray us... He''s Your Majesty''s cousin, after all!"


    This Earl had always been loyal and somewhat capable, not the type of fool who would defect at the moment of battle.


    Listening to the Ministers'' discussions, the King of Gemalin''s expression was uncertain; he also didn''t believe his cousin had turned traitor, but he couldn''t come up with a reason as to how such a sturdy fortress had been so easily lost.


    Just then, the knight who went to gather news spoke up with the information he had collected, "Your Majesty! I rushed back from Hesha Fortress, and there''s a rumor among the fleeing soldiers... It''s said that Lord Earl Herx has died for the country..."


    "What?" As soon as this news was released, it shocked all the Ministers and some of the remaining generals in the Royal Palace.


    They thought the loss of Hesha Fortress was accidental, and they would rather believe that Hesha Fortress had surrendered without a fight than accept it had fallen after resistance.


    "Roughly around 3,000, I suppose!" the general replied, his head bowed, feeling the number somewhat embarrassing.


    The King''s body swayed, and he almost lost his balance, "Three thousand? Only three thousand?"


    He knew that the capable troops had already been sent to the front and were likely all annihilated by now.


    The remaining troops defending the city were actually not very strong. Most soldiers were equipped with Shireck Flintlock Guns, and there were pitifully few needle guns.


    The number of contraband Great Tang Group''s Left-Wheel Handguns and K2 lever-action rifles was negligible, and there were no decent cannons available for use.


    Or rather, they dared not use cannons for fear that a real exchange of artillery fire would destroy the centuries-old King City in an instant...


    "This is a joke! With 3,000 men defending such a long stretch of the city walls, it would be good if we could station 800 men on one side!" a minister questioned angrily at the same time.


    The general corrected him, "You haven''t counted the forces guarding the Royal Palace; we can''t move all the Royal Palace Guards to the walls, can we?"


    "If we lose the walls, can the Royal Palace still be held? At this moment, we should first think of ways to defend the King City..." the minister retorted with an air of ''don''t assume I don''t understand.''


    But the general, unwilling to concede, scoffed derisively, "What do you understand? If something happens to the Royal Palace, how can we ensure His Majesty''s safety? What if someone takes the opportunity to cause trouble..."


    "Who would cause trouble at a time like this?" the anxious minister spread his hands and asked in return.


    "What if there is trouble! If something goes wrong, even dying a hundred times won''t be enough to atone!" the general stood his ground.


    The minister became furious with embarrassment, "You!"


    "You what you!" the general retorted in kind.


    "Enough!" Finally, the King of Gemalin could no longer bear it and reprimanded them with a shout, quieting the hall immediately.


    In desperation, he turned to another minister on the other side, seeking a last-ditch solution, "What about the peace negotiations? Any progress?"


    Naturally, the peace they sought was with the Leite Kingdom. Since they had thought of asking Shireck for reinforcements and supplies, they had certainly considered negotiating with the Leite Kingdom.


    Moreover, the upper echelons of the Kingdom of Gemalin had already prepared for a series of concessions such as ceding territory and indemnities.


    The minister lowered his head and replied dejectedly to the King''s question, "Our envoys who went to the Leite Kingdom to negotiate peace haven''t sent any message back, and it seems that the peace negotiations with the Leite Kingdom are unlikely to proceed smoothly."


    "That''s a complete joke! If you were them, would you negotiate with us under these circumstances?" the Gemalin Prime Minister shook his head and said regretfully, already knowing the negotiations were unlikely.


    At this point, the King was out of ideas and lamented, "What to do, what to do!"

 Chapter 303: 299 Xiancheng

    ```


    What to do, what to do... Such questions, if asked, are essentially the same as saying, "I have no freaking idea!"


    The situation was incredibly fantastical, and it seemed that the King of Germelin now had no good solutions left.


    He wanted to rely on Shireck, but the nearest reinforcements from Shireck were probably still being loaded onto vehicles in a neighboring country, waiting for transport.


    He hoped to negotiate peace with the Great Tang Group and the Leite Kingdom, but now it seemed that the Great Tang Group didn''t even want to sit down and talk.


    "Your Majesty, at least we must hold King City! That is the only thing we can do now," the Prime Minister suggested with an ugly expression, walking up beside the King. "If we cannot hold this place, any talk is futile."


    "You make sense! Command the troops to hold the walls! As long as we can hold out here, there will be changes! The situation will evolve in our favor," the King nodded, agreeing with this view.


    He, too, realized that they must thwart the attack of the Great Tang Group to have a chance at negotiations... If he lost King City, then there was no need for the Great Tang Group to speak with him.


    For the same reason, only when he defended King City, stopping the advance of the Great Tang Group, would he have the chance to wait for Shireck''s reinforcement supplies, the chance to wait for a change.


    "You! Go personally to the west gate! Command the troops there, and hold it at all costs!" The King gritted his teeth and said to the General in charge of the city''s defenses.


    After saying this, he added, "Man each side of the walls with 700 soldiers! Then, for the west side, closest to the enemy''s direction of attack, I will give you another 300 men!"


    This was all the military force he could gather, amounting to a total of 3,100 soldiers. This meant that at most, only about 100 soldiers would remain to defend the Royal Palace.


    Although this was a risky move, the King knew if they could not hold the walls, or the outer defenses, they definitely wouldn''t be able to hold the Royal Palace.


    As the saying goes, there can be no intact eggs under a toppled nest; he was very clear on this principle. So, he decided they should at least hold the outer city first¡ªthe Royal Palace and all else would be considered later.


    With that, the troops of Germelin had at least 1,000 soldiers at the main frontline, which could be considered a modest combat force.


    However, among these 1,000 men, roughly 800 were equipped with Shireck Flintlock Guns and others wielded cold weapons like Longswords.


    There was no choice... These were arms cobbled together. Some men hadn''t even trained to fire a gun; giving them firearms was no use if they didn''t know how to handle them.


    So, the leader receiving the reinforcement of 300 men looked at his Sovereign with gravity, nodded solemnly, and promised, "I shall hold the fortress, fight to the last man!"


    "Go!" The King of Germelin also nodded, waving his hand to indicate that the leader could leave with some of the Royal Palace Guards.


    The leader turned and left without delay. Soon, he led the guards briskly towards the west wall, where soldiers defending the city were seen hurriedly running down from the ramparts.


    "What''s happened?" The leader asked sharply, his hand on the Left-Wheel Handgun smuggled through special channels at his waist.


    The soldier was in a panic, glancing back towards the direction of the ramparts, then explained, "The enemy, the enemy has fired at us!"


    The officer was unsure of the General''s intentions and explained ambiguously, "I was preparing to report to my superiors..."


    "This wall that has stood for a hundred years... what a pity..." With a meaningful glance at the section of the wall that had been destroyed by cannon fire, the General lamented, "Gone in an instant..."


    "What if... we... surrender?" Seeing the General''s hesitation, the officer, thinking of his future, tentatively asked.


    "Hmm..." The General did not make it clear whether it was a sigh or an agreement, but his vague response at that moment was certainly significant.


    The officer immediately understood and leaned closer to the General, lowering his voice as he spoke, "I''ve just sent someone over... they guarantee not to harm our families, and to leave our houses, estates, and servants to us..."


    Hearing this, the General''s expression improved slightly, and he nodded, "I don''t know if there are any King''s loyalists among the men I brought... do you have a plan?"


    "Rest assured, General... all the men behind me are smart enough to want to surrender." The officer signaled to the men behind him; many soldiers raised their guns, subtly confronting the Royal Palace Guards the General had brought.


    With the atmosphere growing very tense, the General immediately called out to the guards behind him, "Today, the enemy forces are overwhelming, and I am considering everyone''s lives, deciding to surrender the city... Those who wish to fight, I won''t hold you back, leave quickly!"


    At this point, these Royal Palace Guards really had no choice left. Even if they left, without the barrier of the city walls, they did not have the courage to continue fighting.


    Nevertheless, seventeen or eighteen men grabbed their weapons and scrambled down the city walls amid the chaos; some were heading back to the Royal Palace to relay the news, while others had indeed resolved to go back and fight to the death.


    The rest dropped their weapons. Minutes later, Northern Ridge soldiers wearing M35 helmets climbed up to the city tower and entered Gemalin''s King City.


    The flag symbolizing the Kingdom of Gemalin was thrown down from the city tower and a wolf flag representing Northern Ridge was raised. The capturing Northern Ridge soldiers around them immediately cheered, "Long live Northern Ridge!"


    "Long live Earl Alice!" Another group of soldiers holding 98K rifles laughed and joined in the chanting, and the entire King City of Germelin seemed to tremble amidst the cheers.


    The local civilians, terrified, locked their doors and windows tightly, and many streets were deserted. Some civilians, who had just learned that the enemy had breached the King City, could not help but break into loud weeping.


    Inside the Germelin Royal Palace, the King heard the cannon fire that had earlier intimidated the city''s defenders. He paced nervously in front of his throne, occasionally looking in the direction of the cannon fire, his forehead dripping with sweat.


    Finally, a soldier carrying a gun stumbled in, startling all the Ministers present.


    Such a place was supposed to be off-limits to armed soldiers, but obviously, with the situation in chaos, no one was enforcing such rules.


    "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The west gate has surrendered! Surrendered!" As soon as the soldier entered, he shouted out a message that made everyone''s legs go weak.


    All the Ministers were stunned on the spot. The previously bustling hall instantly became eerily silent; even the drop of a pin could have been heard clearly.


    Thud! The dazed King of Germelin fell and sat in front of his throne on the stone floor.


    -------


    Thank you, Teacher Zhang, for the reward. I am ashamed that the updates have been erratic.

 Chapter 304: Though far away, will be punished all the same.

    "Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud..." The dense sound of leather boots striking the stone floor echoed in the somewhat empty great hall.


    Redman, with his staff officers, his aide-de-camp, the commander of the 3rd battalion of the 1st regiment of the Northern Ridge Legion, and the general who had just surrendered, flanked by a dozen soldiers, walked through the most opulent hall of the Germelin Royal Palace.


    The murals here were very famous, having been commissioned from renowned painters at great expense, depicting the story of Gemalin''s ancestors achieving a great victory at the Germelin River.


    It was after this great victory that Germelin was officially able to establish its kingdom, grow and develop amidst the strong enemies encircling the Germelin Plains, eventually expanding to the scale it was at that day.


    Unfortunately, it was all over now.


    As they walked, Redman suddenly halted, and everyone stopped, turning their attention to the Great Tang Group''s brigadier general who had unexpectedly ceased moving forward.


    The former hunter of the Northern Ridge pulled out an exquisitely wrapped cigarette pack from his pocket, took a cigarette from the soft pack, and placed it in his mouth.


    The aide-de-camp immediately struck a match smoothly, cupped the flame with his hands, and brought it close to Redman, lighting the cigarette for him.


    Redman took a deep drag, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and continued striding forward contentedly and gracefully; then, a series of dense leather boot sounds once again began.


    Ever since Tang Mo concocted cigarettes and began puffing clouds of smoke, these things had started to spread on a small scale.


    After giving it a few tries, many of the senior ranks of the Great Tang Group had become enamored with this seemingly stylish "hobby."


    They began imitating Tang Mo''s smoking, and subsequently, the cigarette production of the Great Tang Group steadily increased.


    Until recently, many of the nobility and merchants of Brunas began smoking and treating it as a fashion, solidifying the trend of this item "invented" by Tang Mo.


    Li''ao, along with the bartenders, Roger, and others started smoking, and even Marcus and Parker learned it quite thoroughly.


    However, they all dared not smoke in front of Tang Mo, only in secret, so in the meeting rooms of the Great Tang Group, Tang Mo was still the only one smoking.


    The surrendering general followed behind Redman. After handing over commanding authority and letting close to 1000 soldiers lay down their weapons and surrender, he discovered that his opponents numbered less than 500.


    To his chagrin, these 500 men had marched forward for hundreds of miles without encountering any significant resistance.


    At the same time, he felt some comfort, because at least he was not the only failure in the Gemalin Kingdom...


    That''s the way people are, as long as one can find a reference worse than oneself, one can indefinitely continue on a path of failure.


    So when he learned that the other three defensive sides of the King City had also surrendered without a fight, captured by a few dozen soldiers, the general completely gave up.


    Two soldiers leading the way pushed open the heavy doors, and a side hall appeared before Redman.


    A number of people gathered there, dressed resplendently, including old men and middle-aged ones. Some were standing, some sitting, but they all turned their gaze to Redman as he pushed the door and entered.


    He even felt a bit wronged, because he thought that even if the King of Leite Kingdom himself were present, it shouldn''t be, it couldn''t be right to slap him like this...


    "I am not killing you... because my master, Lord Tang Mo, is preparing to hang you in Brunas! To memorialize our fallen comrades!" Redman claimed dominantly, hand on the pistol at his waist.


    He stepped towards the Gemalin King, and with each step he took forward, the other man was intimidated into retreating a step backward.


    Only after forcing the King to take five steps back did Redman continue, "You actually dared to have someone kill people from the Great Tang Group... Who do you think you are?"


    After finishing these words, he swept his gaze over all the ministers of Gemalin present: "No one can escape unharmed after angering my master! Not even deities!"


    "Rest assured, your death will not be in vain; it will serve as a warning to the world, reminding those who dare to raise their guns against the Great Tang Group''s people to ponder carefully whether they can withstand the Great Tang Group''s retaliation!" Redman grabbed the Gemalin King by the collar, yanked him forward, and pushed him towards the soldiers behind him.


    The wolf-like soldiers had been waiting for this moment. They pounced on the Gemalin King, pinned him down, and bound him with ropes.


    "You can''t... can''t treat a... a King this way," the Prime Minister of Gemalin, trembling, stretched out an arm, shouting loudly.


    "I can!" Redman''s other hand clenched a blood-stained dandelion ring in his palm and said coldly, "And furthermore, my master... didn''t say I should bring you back to Brunas."


    As soon as his words fell, an aide-de-camp beside him shot and killed the Prime Minister of Gemalin, and everyone fell silent, with no sound to be heard in the side hall.


    "Behave! Those who cooperate might live; those who resist will be executed!" Accompanying Redman''s order, a dozen soldiers raised their gleaming bayonets, making the remaining ministers of Gemalin as docile as a group of quails.


    ...


    In Brunas, at the headquarters of the Great Tang Group, Tang Mo picked up a beautifully crafted bottle of wine, signaling to Harry, "Do you know what this is?"


    "This is our fine wine, sir," Harry recognized the bottle and knew it was the fine wine produced in Brunas.


    Tang Mo pulled the cork from the bottle, pouring wine while he continued to inquire, "Hmm, what else do you know? Be more specific."


    "Reporting to you, sir, this is Brunas 2-Year, a high-quality distilled spirit we brewed; it''s the best product of the Brunas Winery Group, and also one of the most expensive beverages in the world," Harry answered fluently.


    Seeing Tang Mo not speaking, he added, "A genuine bottle of Brunas 2-Year is priced at 300 Gold Coins on the market, which is roughly enough to buy a top-of-the-line T-model car."


    "But even so, this wine is still scarce. I heard that the real Brunas 2-Year... most of it is still in cellars because everyone knows, once Brunas 3-Year comes out, they will be even more valuable." Since John was the one selling this type of wine, Harry only knew so much.


    Tang Mo nodded, handing a filled glass to Harry, "You are right."


    He then took up a glass himself, "However, the reason I asked you to say all this was just to remind everyone present, the Great Tang Group is still very young..."


    He turned to look at the envoys seated there, smiling confidently, "In a few months, everyone will know... those who offend Great Tang will be destroyed, no matter how far away they are!"


    -----------


    Staying up late has truly become increasingly inefficient... Playing around and procrastinating... Stuck in a vicious cycle...

 Chapter 305: 301 must die

    "Perhaps you don''t understand this statement yet! But soon you will remember it firmly." Tang Mo raised his wine glass, "To...to this world that is destined to become ever more splendid!"


    "To this world!" Everyone present followed Tang Mo in raising their glasses, and with some anxiety, they drank the fine wine in their cups.


    To be frank, they indeed found the wine in their glasses quite good, tasty, and with a lingering aroma... It''s just that each time they remembered they had just drunk something worth an engine of a T-model car, they felt a somewhat inexplicable sense of heartache.


    This war seemed to have no impact on Great Tang Group at all, or it could be said that it seemed to have no impact on the regions controlled by Great Tang Group.


    The civilian sailing ships at Osa Port were still being produced non-stop, with no intention of switching to warship production at all.


    Even the fort at the port showed no signs of expansion, after all, the Brunas-class warship moored outside the harbor was more intimidating than any artillery battery.


    The muzzle-loading cannons originally deployed at Osa Port had been dismantled, and the local equipment was put into new production.


    According to the arrangements of Great Tang Group, there was a light industrial layout here, with chemical plants and the textile industry being the main focuses.


    The situation at Hotwind Port was similar; in line with the plans of Great Tang Group, this place was set to become an important shipbuilding and ship maintenance base in the southern part of the Endless Sea.


    Here, they planned to build oil depots and coal yards to facilitate maritime transportation throughout the southern part of the Endless Sea. In the future, it would also have the ability to repair large civilian vessels.


    Compared to that, Brunas''s port was more versatile, capable of repairing civilian ships as well as building and repairing military warships.


    The focus over at Dragon Island leaned towards constructing warships, with the construction of the port''s shipyards also centering around the production of large warships.


    Brunas remained peaceful and joyous, and except for what was reported in the newspapers, there seemed to be no effect from the war at all. As the saying goes, people sang as usual, drank as usual, and danced as usual. Everything here seemed unrelated to the outside world.


    One of the reasons Tang Mo had convened these envoys was to tell everyone that he had already won this war and had become an existence of the same caliber as the Shireck Consortium.


    Soon, the envoy from Leite Kingdom approached Tang Mo, looking around before speaking, "Mr. Tang, dealing with a King of a Kingdom is a very taboo matter... It will make Great Tang Group pay a considerable price in its interactions with other countries."


    "After all, no royal family would wish to deal with someone who has executed members of another royal family, which would cause Great Tang Group to meet resistance and obstruction in expanding its business." The envoy tried to express this as tactfully as possible, while still making the stakes clear.


    Seeing Tang Mo simply smiling without speaking, the envoy continued to offer his suggestion, "What the King of Leite means is, he can help handle it, the King of Germelin could be sent to Laines..."


    "Laines?" Tang Mo swirled the liquid in his glass, glanced at the envoy from Leite Kingdom, and shifted the topic slightly with a smile, "Has His Majesty already decided...to select that place as the new King City?"


    "Yes, His Majesty and the Prime Minister have settled on Laines, which is situated in the plains with developed transportation and rivers..." The envoy, who had been thinking about the matter of the King of Germelin, was caught off guard by Tang Mo''s change of subject and felt somewhat unaccustomed.


    "I understand," the envoy hesitantly agreed, instinctively.


    "In addition, Great Tang Group can support His Majesty''s claim to the throne, but Great Tang''s influence is ultimately limited. Whether the Laines Empire will be recognized by others in the foreseeable future is another matter," Tang Mo emphasized seriously.


    "Understood, understood!" The Leite envoy also knew that it wasn''t easy to be genuinely recognized as an empire; Great Tang Group''s support for Leite VII was one thing, but others'' recognition was another matter entirely.


    "For the remaining terms, you can go back and tell His Majesty... to follow the last agreed upon conditions!" Tang Mo said to the busily nodding envoy.


    After finishing his words, he paused for a few seconds before teasingly adding, "Tell me, why am I letting you deliver such favorable terms... what for?"


    "Sir... I, I, I understand," the envoy quickly stated his position.


    "Still calling me sir... so formal," Tang Mo said with a smile.


    "Master..." The envoy knew which choice to make, or at least... following Tang Mo was the best future he could opt for.


    Even just calculating the speed of property value appreciation in Brunas, his entire lifetime of hard work would barely match up.


    "Well, go ahead! Share the good news with His Majesty, and don''t forget he should be rewarded. Then remember to come back and visit the bartender, and sign a contract with him," Tang Mo nodded and released his hold on the Leite envoy.


    The envoy stood up, bowed respectfully, and then cleared the place beside Tang Mo.


    Soon after, an envoy from the Kingdom of Germelin, who had just received the news that their own sovereign was captured, hurried over.


    Having no mood for drinking, he stood beside Tang Mo empty-handed and pleaded, "Sir... I just heard that you... seem to have captured our King?"


    "There is such a matter," Tang Mo nodded, affirming.


    Harry had been negotiating with this envoy for the past few days without any progress, merely stalling for time.


    The other party, extremely anxious, lowered his head to beseech Tang Mo: "Sir, the incident where our military mistakenly injured your student was all a misunderstanding..."


    "Saying such things now is pointless," Tang Mo glanced at the man and asked, "I quite admire your courage. So, how about it... willing to stay and work for me?"


    "Sir! To kill a King..." The envoy felt it was his duty to advocate for his sovereign.


    Tang Mo sighed and stood up to say, "Today, no matter who pleads for him, I am determined to execute him... unless he can bring my people back to life. I''ll ask you one last time... will you join me, or refuse?"

 Chapter 306: I said 302

    ```


    "I''m sorry, I feel that I must fulfill the duties of a subject," said the messenger after a few silent seconds.


    Tang Mo nodded slightly and then waved his hand, signaling that the other could leave.


    "Shall we?" Harry, standing at Tang Mo''s side, asked as he watched the messenger''s retreating figure.


    Tang Mo glanced at Harry and laughed: "You''re quite ruthless now, aren''t you? Kill all those who don''t surrender?"


    He gave Harry a playful kick: "Scram! Give him 10 Gold Coins for his travel expenses and send him off from Brunas! The man''s a true hero who''d rather turn down money than betray his former lord. You should admire him, not harbor thoughts of killing him."


    "I understand, Teacher." At that moment, Harry preferred to call Tang Mo ''Teacher'' rather than ''Master''.


    Soon, the envoys from Suthers and the ones from Dorne gathered around, all bent on persuading Tang Mo to abstain from hanging the King of the Kingdom of Germelin.


    In this era, the Nobility followed their own set of game rules. Killing a King lightly would greatly displease the other Kingdoms.


    All were royal families, all were people who regarded their Kingdoms as their own households, and killing was certainly not something done lightly. This was a consensus and was rarely challenged.


    Just like when the attempt on Earl Fisheo''s life shook the noble circles and even Shireck was put in a difficult position.


    Back then, the suspicions were on the Shireck Consortium, with no concrete evidence. But now, Tang Mo truly planned to execute a King publicly!


    To be honest, this was somewhat irregular because Tang Mo was only an Earl in the Leite Kingdom, a "noble of a single generation" with no substantial foundation¡ªan upstart not presentable on the stage of true Nobility.


    In the eyes of the royal families of other nations, someone of such a background did not qualify as true Nobility, even if Tang Mo was incredibly wealthy, even if he was a fashion icon, even if he was an arms dealer on par with Shireck, even if he truly had the power to kill a King.


    "Please reconsider! This will make many royal houses hostile towards you... and be very detrimental to your business," the envoy from Suthers earnestly advised Tang Mo.


    "To avenge a few young people, you brought down the Kingdom of Germelin. That alone is enough to make others wary. There''s no need to actually kill a King..." The envoy from Dorne also felt that some things needn''t be done so blatantly.


    Tang Mo listened to their words and without thinking, immediately replied: "If you were following me, wouldn''t you want me to avenge you? To drag out the one who ordered your deaths and the hidden hands behind them and bury them beside your graves?"


    His words silenced the two envoys. To be honest, as ministers tasked with missions, deep down they longed for a leader who was powerful and sought justice relentlessly.


    "Let her come over," Tang Mo said to Harry, who stood by his side.


    Harry nodded slightly and then beckoned to someone in the distance; a woman wearing a gorgeous dress approached with a calm stride.


    She stopped in front of Tang Mo, lifted the hem of her dress on both sides, and performed a standard noblewoman''s curtsy for a social gathering, which looked very proper.


    "Sorry to have made Shireck''s honored guest laugh," Tang Mo remained seated, and without even introducing himself, directly said, "Harry was supposed to talk to you, but since you kept asking to see me, and I happen to have some time today, I decided to see what Shireck''s fearless female envoy came for."


    "I am here to seek cooperation," the maid representing Sofia had finally managed to reach Brunas and then revealed her identity in order to meet Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo nodded slightly and said to the woman, who could score at least eighty points in appearance: "Of course you''re here for cooperation, as you don''t need to notify me if you''re starting a war."


    He was mocking Shireck for waging war without declaration and never playing by the rules. The maid, clearly a skilled negotiator herself, just smiled without dwelling on the topic.


    She promptly flattered Tang Mo and after smiling said, "Those shortsighted directors believe that the Great Tang Group is not worth waiting for, so they don''t need to go through the hassle of declaring war. But I am here on a mission to seek cooperation for my master; you are an equal partner, so..."


    Tang Mo waved his hand, cutting off her argument: "You''re mistaken! My Great Tang Group and Shireck are now equals... or rather, enemies. Your master is just one of Shireck''s directors, and I... am the owner of the Great Tang Group! It is quite clear that your master doesn''t call the shots in Shireck, but in the Great Tang Group..."


    At this point, he looked at Wes and Harry standing beside him; both men laughed, their smiles beaming.


    "My word is final," Tang Mo turned his gaze back to the woman and stated: "So, what benefit can I gain from cooperating with you?"


    "Access to some of Shireck''s channels," the woman offered Sofia''s bargaining chip: "As long as you''re willing to cooperate, you''ll soon discover that the channels it would take you years, even decades to establish, will open their doors to you."


    "Hahahaha!" Tang Mo laughed uproariously, full of scorn: "Do you think I''m an idiot? You want to white-knuckle my products, make a profit off the margin, and then turn around and control my sales channels?"


    He signaled Wes to pour him another drink and then took the glass from Wes''s hand: "Do you think I''ve gotten to where I am today by randomly producing a few lousy guns?"


    Wasn''t that the case? The maid criticized internally, but her face betrayed no hint of it: "How could that be, Mr. Tang, you''re definitely a smart man."


    "Then be ready to do business with something real!" Tang Mo didn''t refuse the offer of cooperation, but he stated his terms: "You should also have a telegraph machine by now, I''ve lost quite a few of those recently... Since you can contact your master, go ahead and find out what price she''s willing to pay."


    "Sofia..." Tang Mo stated a name that took the maid by surprise: "I''ve done my research on you... and clearly, as you said, Shireck is not united as one!"


    ---------


    It seems I owe three chapters... Don''t worry, I''ll make it up slowly.

 Chapter 307: 303 boys

    ```


    "Excuse me, are you a student from the Great Tang Military Academy?" On the streets of Brunas, an elderly man dressed in respectable clothing, smilingly stopped a few young students.


    These youths were clad in military uniforms but did not bear the shoulder patches of the Great Tang Group''s security forces. Their jackets were well-tailored, and they wore badges on their chests that represented their identities.


    From the armbands on their sleeves, it was evident that these students had already attended classes for over three months, which meant they could essentially be considered second-year students.


    There was no helping it; the Great Tang Group adopted the cramming method of teaching. In addition to combat and physical fitness classes, these students had to earnestly complete four semesters'' worth of courses in just three months.


    In this era, there were no gaming consoles or Internet cafes, and even storybooks and comic strips were rare sights. The sole recreational activity for all the students was to stroll along the bustling streets of Brunas.


    Actually, if one understood the significance of the badges worn by the students from the Great Tang Military Academy, it would be easy to recognize that the students who had been stopped in the street had in fact been attending classes for five months.


    After passing exams, such students could fully qualify to join the security forces of the Great Tang Group, or choose to work for the Great Tang Group according to their preferences.


    Alternatively, they could also actively decide to become like a dandelion seed, traveling to other kingdoms or even other continents.


    Realizing that their path was blocked, the tallest and most handsome boy among them, somewhat sheepishly scratched his head and responded, "Hm? Is there something you need? I am indeed a student at the Great Tang Military Academy."


    He was unsure why he had been stopped and tried hard to recognize the old man across from him, attempting to recall if he had ever met him before.


    In reality, before coming here to study, he had been just a hunter''s son. Owing to his notable talent, he was selected to stay and became a proud student of the Great Tang Military Academy.


    Given his former status, it was unlikely that he could have known such a person of high nobility.


    Before he could remember whether he truly knew this elderly man, the old man took the initiative to introduce himself, "It''s like this, I am the butler of Viscount Qiao from the southern province of the Gobur Kingdom."


    Clearly, the old man''s introduction was to no avail, as none of the students recognized any Viscount Qiao from the southern province of the Gobur Kingdom.


    They did recognize the Gobur Kingdom, however, since they often simulated battles on sand tables, invading the Gobur Kingdom, capturing the opponent''s king city, or even competing to see who could conquer this not-so-powerful kingdom in the least amount of time.


    Of course, they also knew that the Gobur Kingdom lay to the south of the Taren Kingdom and was a rubber-producing country with dense jungles and a population that was generally very tanned.


    The curious students from the Great Tang Group''s Military Academy eyed the old man blocking their way and inquired, "Oh, hello. May I ask what brings you here?"


    To be frank, he had no idea what the other party wanted, as he was sure he didn''t know the Viscount Qiao''s butler.


    The old man did not leave him guessing, but directly stated his purpose: "The Viscount''s daughter hopes to have dinner with you... Would you be willing, sir?"


    The handsome young man invited was struck speechless. He truly had never expected that the girls of Brunas were so bold as to start stopping people in the streets for a chat.


    The atmosphere suddenly turned a bit awkward, and ultimately, the cadet looked at his classmates beside him and declined, "I''m sorry, sir, I think I must decline the viscount''s daughter''s invitation, as we have training in the evening and I cannot ask for leave."


    Being a straightforward guy, he always felt women could affect the speed with which he drew his weapon... Yes, literally, don''t misinterpret.


    However, upon hearing his refusal, the persistent old butler continued, "Oh... that is truly regrettable news, then... Sir, may I have a way to contact you? We will be staying here for quite some time, and if there''s a chance..."


    In the end, the young man couldn''t resist the butler''s persistence and told him of his next break, "If you want to find me... well, the weekend after next, I have a day off. In the evening, you can go to the front gate of the school and let the messenger room send me a message, just say it''s for Hershel from room 319... they will help."


    "I am truly grateful to you, sir," the old butler immediately expressed his thanks enthusiastically, making sure to bow slightly after the young man had walked away.


    "Father! Do you really think that handsome young man is better than the eldest son of Sir Byton''s family?" the young girl inside the carriage asked through the window, puzzled.


    "You don''t understand, all the cadets here have the potential to become a great general in the future..." The middle-aged man beside the girl watched the group of military academy cadets walking away, reassuringly said, "Besides, you like that young man, don''t you?"


    "Indeed... he''s much better than the sons of Sir Byton," the girl thought back to the dopey son of the landlord who resembled a round ball of flesh, and felt that the handsome young man she just saw was simply perfect.


    Yet she still worried about her prospect after marriage, "Father! Aren''t you rushing to marry me off without even investigating his background? After all, I am your daughter!"


    "Do you have any idea how much the King of Leite Kingdom would pay for a young student like him? Money? To these people, it''s just a number!" Viscount Qiao earnestly advised his daughter. "Don''t mess this up! This is the best match you could possibly make!"


    "It''s still all for your business," the girl muttered under her breath, not daring to say more.


    At that moment, the butler returned to the side of the carriage, bowed slightly, and reported, "Master, I''ve found out... the young man''s name is Hershel... He has agreed to meet with the miss in two weeks'' time."


    "Prepare well!" Viscount Qiao directed his daughter. "Don''t go messing around with those flighty friends of yours anymore!"


    "Humph," the girl turned her head away, displeased with her father''s arrangements.


    On the other side, the students were stopped once again on their way...


    Almost exactly as before, there was another daughter of a rich and powerful family inviting them over, seemingly wishing to get to know these young talents.


    But this time, the butler who was rebuffed returned to the side of a luxurious automobile... It was clear that the one who had approached them this time, had a status far above a viscount''s daughter.


    Even in Brunas, not many could afford such a luxurious car, so this was likely the granddaughter or daughter of an earl.


    ```

 Chapter 308: 304 girls

    In a luxurious private room of the Silver Fox Tavern, several students from the military academy found their seats and ordered their preferred drinks from the attractive waitstaff.


    They were so young, some of them even preferred a mix of milk and fruit juice to alcohol.


    These youngsters of the era hadn''t realized they were already significant figures, giggling and discussing the various scenes they had just encountered on the streets.


    Although they were still young, or had yet to truly enter society, they understood that all they had just experienced was the glory their predecessors had left for them.


    And their task was to continue this glory, to leave behind something equally worth boasting and cherishing for their successors.


    A burly student propped his arms on the table and, as soon as the waiter had closed the door to the private room, turned to the handsome guy next to him with a chuckle and teased, "Haha! The romantic encounters come one after another, unstoppable."


    On their way here, they had encountered several girls who flirted with them, some from well-off families sending their housekeepers or maids to convey their intentions, while others from modest backgrounds approached them directly.


    Some of the young ladies were middle-class city dwellers, most of whom worked in textile factories or governmental departments, with their own jobs and decent incomes.


    Life in Brunas City had completely changed their lifestyles, endowing them with the bold ideology of pursuing their own happiness.


    And so, these students from the Great Tang Military Academy actually faced women approaching them for contact information as they passed by the streets just a while ago.


    In those times, without the convenient communication tools like smartphones or WeChat, what they asked for were mailing addresses for letters, or direct addresses to find them.


    The gates of the Great Tang Military Academy were usually inaccessible to ordinary people, just as the gates to the Great Tang Group''s factory complexes were out of reach.


    However, this did not deter the girls'' enthusiasm; they would loiter at the entrance of certain communication rooms or wait at a previously arranged place for their beloved.


    Alas, for the straight men of the Tang Army''s military or technical colleges, most of the girls were destined to be disappointed.


    The young people studying there had set their sights high. They knew how vast the world was and how brilliant their futures could be.


    They understood the trajectories of grenades, the future directions of new weapon technologies, novel tactical layouts, and how to arrange logistics and dispatches for corps-level troops.


    These youths were loyal and brave, unwilling to revert to their former selves, so they strove to change, to become better beings.


    At the academy, the knowledge they gained made them look down upon the world like deities. In their eyes, all the different people, even kings, were nothing but more powerful ants.


    How could one truly fancy an ant? Or rather, how could they demean themselves by marrying a woman who was simply no match for them?


    Those predecessors who went on missions and casually married a wife to conceal their identity or facilitate operations¡ªthat was a sacrifice! A temporary compromise for eternal truth! Well, some were just fond of their pleasures...


    Everyone quieted down and then politely thanked the waiter. The students from the Great Tang Military Academy didn''t have to pay for their consumption at the Silver Fox Tavern; in fact, they hardly needed to spend money throughout Brunas City.


    However, all expenses here were recorded, and everyone cared about their conduct scores, so they didn''t act recklessly.


    For example, if you ordered a set of well-fitting military dress uniform here, there would be absolutely no problem. Once you placed the order, skilled tailors would custom-make it with the finest materials to fit you perfectly.


    This suit, if bought with money, would probably cost hundreds of Gold Coins, as the tailors who handcrafted it were famous in the clothing industry and charged exorbitant prices to tailor for the nobility.


    However, if a student were to recklessly spend tens of thousands of Gold Coins at Brunas''s luxurious casinos, although it was technically allowed, everyone would try to avoid doing so as much as possible.


    Of course, Brunas had various entertainments, like firework alleys and other such places, where students would be received if they visited.


    It was just a pity that so far, no student had chosen to spend their time in such places; everyone subconsciously opted for more sensible places to spend their money.


    For instance, everyone would typically go to the finest restaurants in Brunas for a feast, and nobody would spare Tang Mo''s money on this account.


    In such restaurants, where a meal cost at least 100 Gold Coins and they never offered discounts, the students from the school didn''t have to pay an extra fee when they dined.


    Moreover, after these students arrived, they often packed up and took away a large amount of food, some for their senior or junior classmates as takeout, some prepared for a girl they admired... Anyway, there was no problem with that.


    This was a welfare for all students at Great Tang Group''s schools and another reason they loved the city of Brunas.


    "Forget about everything else, just confess! How many girls from the school are chasing after you? Tell me, isn''t it a hundred, no, a thousand times better than those vulgarities we mentioned just now!" As soon as the flirtatious waiter left, the handsome guy resumed teasing.


    "Are you talking about the girl who breaks bricks?" The sturdy guy said with envy, "That girl is really something ¨C thick legs, big butt... you can tell she''ll give birth to a son."


    "No! I''m talking about the chemistry major, the one who the other day was seen cleaning up her experiment''s poisoned mice, a whole iron box of them!" The handsome guy maliciously corrected his sturdy classmate.


    "You guys... all get lost!" The scholarship-winning class genius slammed the table, expressing his dissatisfaction, "Keep talking nonsense, and you''ll have to cover your own meal!"


    "Don''t, don''t! I still need your help with math, big brother!" The sturdy classmate was the first to back down, and the handsome guy quickly waved his hands, "You have to explain those physics problems to me properly, or I''m done for."


    "Sigh..." The class genius who was used to his troublesome friends rubbed his temples and exhaled, feeling he should stay away from these idiots.


    "Have you heard? Her Majesty the Queen has finally become a teacher," the class genius said somewhat melancholically as everyone fell silent.


    Out of ten students, it seemed eight secretly adored Her Majesty the Queen. As soon as the class genius asked, the handsome guy and the others immediately knew there was another admirer of Her Majesty sitting among them.


    Unfortunately, these guys could only secretly pine for her; not one dared to present a love letter... Of course, there were daredevils among the senior students ¨C I heard they got beaten up pretty badly...

 Chapter 309: 305 Worries

    Mathews glanced at Tang Mo sitting beside him and exclaimed, "That really is a grand move."


    Harry nodded in agreement, saying, "I knew Shireck was wealthy, but this level of wealth is truly astonishing."


    Just one day before, a secret envoy from Shireck¡ªthe maid¡ªhad astonishingly taken out 70,000 Gold Coins in cash at Brunas and directly purchased a telegraph machine.


    Then, she boldly used the telegraph to get in touch with Sofia, who was far away at the Flame Castle.


    Sofia clearly came prepared this time, but Tang Mo also knew that the other party couldn''t really stir up any trouble, so he didn''t waste too much energy on Shireck.


    Now, he had far too many matters demanding his attention. Shireck, once the number one enemy, had now degraded to a mere insignificant henchman.


    The Great Tang Group had essentially already secured victory in the 11-Kingdom War, had propped up the Laines Empire as a quasi-imperial power, and had already annihilated one enemy participant.


    As for Taren and Xilun, everyone knew their collapse was just a matter of time. If it weren''t for the reach being too far, the three northern participating kingdoms would probably not fare much better.


    At this moment, Tang Mo needed to worry about the relocation of the capital of the Leite Kingdom, support the building of the Laines Empire, attend to his own school, the industrial production, and even the ever-lengthening railway lines.


    With so many things on his plate, how could he have time to care about a damn representative from Shireck Consortium coming to negotiate?


    "They are using a specific codebook, and breaking it will take time," said Luff, the military''s Chief of Staff, somewhat frustrated. "If they are using a particular book, it might take about a week; if they''ve created their own codebook, then it might take us even longer to understand what they''re actually saying."


    "We don''t need to dig that deep. If we could decode every telegram, that really would be something," Tang Mo reassured the military intelligence department.


    Sure enough, the conversation soon turned to the frequently discussed topic of the Leite Kingdom''s relocation of its capital.


    Harry reported, "We''ve also received news from Leite VII. Next month, he plans to hold a military parade in Laines City and announce the relocation to Laines."


    This indicated that King Leite VII of the Leite Kingdom had fully accepted the conditions offered by the Great Tang Group in exchange for its support of his claim to the throne.


    The series of exchanges included ceding all lands west of the old capital to the Great Tang Group, legally agreeing to its permanent autonomy, apart from paying a certain amount of taxes while retaining complete foreign and military action sovereignty.


    In other words, aside from nominal sovereignty, the Great Tang Group had essentially become a relatively independent state within a state.


    In short, a series of chaotic events caused turmoil across the entire world, and the Poplar Kingdom had already expressed its dissatisfaction with the Great Tang Group through its special envoy.


    Therefore, Harry voiced his reservations about continuing to build the railroad so quickly¡ªaccording to his plan, the rail project could have been delayed and built more slowly.


    "However, we''ve recently invested a bit too much into rails, and the factories are struggling to keep up," he said, suggesting his view.


    "We''re constructing the second railway from Northern Ridge to Brunas, the Dragon Island railway is about to be completed, and the one from Dorne to Leite has also begun, as has the railway from Suthers to Ice Crystal City," he said, gesturing on another world map hanging on the wall.


    "The total mileage of the railways has already exceeded 1,000 kilometers, indicating that even in times of war, the majority of steel is still used for railways and ships..." He really wanted to remind Mathews, Parker, and others who were desperately producing rails that the war wasn''t over yet!


    "The transfer of the old King City is also proceeding in an orderly fashion. After King City becomes the new capital in Laines City, it will be renamed Jade City, as you wish." This name was given by Tang Mo, who provided a crystal-clear and beautiful name for this newly annexed city under his rule.


    Although the city had nothing to do with beautiful jade, Tang Mo still hoped it could become a piece of fine jade in the palm of his hand, a divine gem to be crafted.


    "Once the relocation is complete, all the land between Jade City and Brunas, including the Jade City-Brunas railway, will become the property of the Great Tang Group." After delivering the good news, Harry looked to Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo was quite satisfied with the Prime Minister''s proposal for equivalent exchange and nodded with a smile, saying, "Hmm! That is good news indeed."


    "We plan to set up textile factories and food processing plants between Jade City and Northern Ridge, using railways to link Ice Crystal City, Wolf City, Brunas, and Jade City, creating a closed loop to speed up the flow of materials in the region," Harry continued, laying out the industrial plans of the Great Tang Group after seeing Tang Mo''s affirmation.


    Over the next year or so, the expansion of the Great Tang Group would follow the plan established at this meeting. Everything they discussed now was a phased goal for the future development of the Great Tang Group: "We''ll build steel mills and weapons factories between Jade City and Brunas, expand our business, build more steel plants and power plants..."


    "Similarly, between Jade City and Laines, we also want to build a series of factory zones to produce outdated parts or weaponry, including helmets, pistols, rifles, ammunition, and other products," Harry, still following the old method, did not mind relocating production to the outermost edge of the empire.


    "In Brunas and Dragon Island''s main factory area, we plan to produce heavy artillery, ships, automobiles, and advanced individual automatic weapons!" After finishing, Harry made way for Parker.


    Parker had recently been preoccupied with the cooperation with the Dwarves of the Ice Cold Kingdom, so he stood up, approached the map, and began speaking, "From the Dwarf side, the Ice Cold Kingdom''s supplies have been loaded onto ships heading north, and should soon reach Osa Port."


    "The material list includes lathes, steam engines, electric motors, car engines, and various production lines." He spoke while pointing at the warship on the map, represented by a magnet.


    He then added, clarifying the orders for the warship to accompany the transport fleet northward to visit the Ice Cold Kingdom, "Per your orders, the Brunas No. 4 will arrive at the Ice Cold Kingdom as an escort ship and stay there for ten days for a friendly visit."


    ```

 Chapter 310: They havent come yet

    Tang Mo merely nodded at these reports; such matters were routine, parallel to weekly briefings. He was there to attend the meeting, yet the content was for the other participants of equal rank.


    The point of such meetings was to let unrelated individuals grasp an overview of their colleagues'' departmental progress, which somewhat helped in assessing the current situation.


    "Next, we''ll move on to the war report." Soon after the production heads had finished speaking, it was Chief of Staff Luff from the seemingly triumphant military''s turn to take the floor.


    Hearing Harry call his name, Luff didn''t hesitate. He stood up, walked to the map, pointed at the southern waters, and then gestured to the south side of the Endless Sea: "Bernard''s fleet has begun moving south on your orders and should reach Taren within the next couple of days! The war could very well be over by the end of this month."


    Li''ao, who had been watching the deposed Germelin closely, chimed in, "Leite VII didn''t obstruct our convoy while escorting King Germelin. The convoy has now reached King City and will soon be here."


    Tang Mo would have liked to appoint a general, someone suitable to take over, but after some thought, he realized he lacked legal talent.


    Therefore, he bit the bullet and chose someone he considered mature and reliable: "Very well! The trial will be handled by... let''s give it to Li''ao. We don''t have a Justice Department yet."


    There was no way around it; the military folks were just too young, with most around their thirties. They were capable on the battlefield, but to judge a man was another matter entirely.


    "What a pity, I should have established such a department. After all, our Great Tang Group should truly be the Nanshan''s invincible Pizza Hut of this world," Tang Mo lamented inwardly with a hint of regret.


    ...


    "No news yet? How is there still no news?" The current monarch of Taren Kingdom was King of Taren X; his reign had not been brief.


    He was ambitious, hoping to continue expanding the boundaries of Taren Kingdom during his rule¡ªand indeed, prior expansions had gone smoothly.


    His kingdom had previously defeated Gobur Kingdom, acquiring a portion of its northern territory, a successful landfall that evolved Taren Kingdom from an island nation to one possessing mainland territory.


    This victory made him somewhat overconfident, and in a moment of forgetfulness, he heeded Shireck''s goading and ordered his fleet to challenge... the Great Tang Group, an entity they should have never provoked.


    Initially, everything seemed to be going well: 70 warships headed north toward Hotwind Port, and the army crushed Dorne''s defenses with unstoppable momentum...


    Yet this streak of good luck came to an abrupt end.


    "Your Majesty! Given the distance to Hotwind Port, even if there is news, we will have to wait longer..." the Prime Minister of Taren Kingdom quickly intervened, trying to comfort the king.


    "Wait! How can I wait? It''s been more than ten days! More than ten days without a single word! How can my mind be at ease!" King of Taren X paced before his throne, unable to calm down.


    What they did not know was that the diplomats they had sent never delivered the messages to Dorne; they were killed en route.


    The Prime Minister had prepared a very good strategy to present, but hearing the King say this, he could only obediently close his mouth.


    Previously, he planned to return all the northern territories occupied by the Gobur Kingdom. If the Dorne Kingdom''s counterattacking troops continued their advance, it would mean they were waging war in the northern territories of Gobur Kingdom.


    At that time, if they retreated, the land threats would vanish; if Dorne did not retreat and continued to fight, Gobur Kingdom might be dragged into the conflict and possibly declare war on Dorne Kingdom.


    That would be tantamount to gaining an ally for themselves out of thin air, or at least creating a barrier¡ªno matter how you looked at it, it was a good strategy.


    Meanwhile, the troops withdrawn from the mainland could bolster the defense of the islands, and the returning population could offset the demographic loss brought on by the defeat...


    In short, this was a master plan that could kill three, even four birds with one stone¡ªsadly, King of Tarran had no intention of considering it.


    It was unfortunate that the hastily conscripted soldiers still needed training and lacked any combat effectiveness; they might not even be capable of defending the King City...


    The Prime Minister shook his head regretfully and sighed as a reminder, "Your Majesty! Relying on those thousands of conscripted peasants and fishermen, we can''t defend the city walls!"


    "Then recruit another 3,000! If 8,000 isn''t enough, make it 10,000! I refuse to believe they can endure a prolonged siege here after coming from afar!" the King of Tarran roared in frustration.


    The Prime Minister bowed his head and stayed silent. The atmosphere turned awkward, and the King of Tarran could hardly bear it, muttering impatiently, "They haven''t attacked yet! They haven''t attacked yet!"


    ...


    What the King didn''t know was that a fleet consisting of a cruiser and four Ironclad Warships were making their way toward Tarran along the sea lanes and had already entered Tarran''s near seas.


    Ominous black smoke rolled across the horizon as five warships, accompanied by a supply ship, boldly approached the coastal waters of the Tarran Kingdom.


    A 1st-rate sailing warship out on patrol caught sight of the daunting black smoke in the distance and quickly turned around to escape.


    However, the commanders on this warship soon realized in horror that their sailing vessel couldn''t even reach half the speed of the enemy ships.


    The distance between the two parties rapidly closed, and then without any hesitation, the enemy opened fire.


    The warship, its stern blown off by the barrage, immediately raised the white flag, but the enemy showed no signs of sparing them.


    Like demonic machines spewing black smoke, the fearsome Ironclad Warships drew closer with their mechanical clamor and opened fire repeatedly until the sailing ship was blasted into fragmented bits and pieces.


    All around, the sea was littered with broken wooden deck planks, with masts set amongst sails soaked in seawater.


    Amid the wreckage of these warships, some bodies dotted the water''s surface. The warship that was supposed to be on alert was sunk before it could send back even a single message, now lying in ruins off the coast.

 Chapter 311: 307 shells King City

    An oceanic nation, what is it most afraid of? The greatest fear is to wake up one morning and find the enemy fleet lying across the sea...


    When the civilians of the Taren Kingdom had finished their midday meal, they noticed soldiers hurrying through the streets, and the atmosphere suddenly turned desolate and oppressive.


    They quickly learned what had happened¡ªa fleet had appeared off the coast of their King City, positioned atop the sea they relied on for their survival.


    Some citizens gathered the courage to peer from more secluded places, where they witnessed a smoke-choked sea and dark gray warships with seagulls circling above them.


    Then, before these civilians could retract their heads, they saw flashes of fire spewing from the warships.


    The 150mm caliber naval guns roared to life, as the flagship Wolf 1 opened fire on the King City of the Taren Kingdom.


    The first shell struck the docks inside the harbor, instantly throwing people and the stacked goods on the dock into chaos and casting them into the sea.


    Panic ensued as everyone started to flee for their lives; soldiers discarded their weapons and blended into the crowd of porters, bumping around aimlessly like headless flies.


    Soon after, the royal coastal batteries started firing back, but these outdated muzzle-loading cannons sounded feeble in comparison, like the soft panting of a woman.


    The firepower of the two sides wasn''t even on the same level¡ªa single barrage silenced the coastal batteries amidst rolling smoke and dust, as if they were completely paralyzed.


    Following this, the fleet made short work of the sail-powered warships attempting to break out from the harbor, cleaning them up as easily as slicing through melons.


    Not one of the more than 20 warships escaped; they were all sunk on their escape route. These painstakingly assembled warships had lasted less than an hour.


    The most tragic sight was of a sinking warship, whose broken mast still protruded from the sea, while the churning waves thrust broken deck planks and clutter toward the coast, silencing the whole of King City.


    It wasn''t until then that the civilians seemed to realize the thunderous cannon sounds had stopped¡ªthe pounding that felt like it was striking directly on their chests came to an abrupt end.


    But before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, the peculiar fleet, comprised of sail-less warships, opened fire once again.


    This time, their target was the urban area of the King City! Columns of black smoke soared into the sky, and in an instant, hundreds were buried under the explosions.


    The soldiers garrisoned on the city walls turned pale with fright, with more and more of them throwing down their weapons and turning to run.


    Most of them were just recruits, who had received less than a month of training. It was pure folly to expect them to face the artillery fire head-on.


    And it wasn''t just the recruits¡ªeven among their officers behind them, few maintained the resolve to fight at this point.


    Originally, the Taren Kingdom was a maritime power. Competent and ambitious officers were concentrated in the Navy, along with most of the talent.


    The Army was merely a facade; in most cases, nothing more than a placeholder. To hope they could turn the tide was nothing short of a joke.


    The equipment he had was already 20 years out of date; was there really any hope for him to do something with it?


    Moreover, one-third of those big guns had already been destroyed. He had tried his best... really.


    "Sir! Sir!" an officer, clutching at the Longsword at his waist, ran up to the artillery platform in a panic and, after glancing at a cannon barrel that had fallen to the ground, he spoke fearfully, "Sir... His Majesty... His Majesty sent me to... to check, see why... why the platform isn''t...


    returning fire..."


    On his way here, he passed deserters and chaotic civilians, and he could see that the fact this battery held and didn''t flee already spoke to "well-disciplined troops."


    After all, artillery was a technical branch that required constant year-round training, so there was a fundamental difference compared to those new recruits on the city walls.


    But that was as far as it went.


    "We did just fire back! But the enemy shelling was too fierce, our losses heavy, we had no choice but to cease bombardment temporarily..." the officer commanding the artillery explained.


    He did indeed just open fire, and for sure, they received quite a bruising from the enemy warships.


    As he spoke, two soldiers passed by in front of him carrying a body, lending his previous answer more credibility.


    The messenger officer, a confidant of the King, understood the difficulties of the artillery commander, but still he pleaded weakly, "Sir! If you return fire, the enemy will stop bombarding the King City!"


    "I''m helpless! We fired a volley earlier, and in response, they fired five volleys at us. Now a third of our cannons are destroyed, our casualties heavy, we truly can''t continue the fight!" The artillery officer was adamant about not resuming fire.


    There was no way; firing now would indeed be like adding fuel to the fire, and he wasn''t ready to light himself up to illuminate others.


    "His Majesty promises, if you return fire, you''ll be rewarded with 500 Gold Coins, and the gunners will receive an additional 1000 Gold Coins!" The messenger officer, out of options, promised a hefty reward.


    As the saying goes, generous rewards bring out brave deeds, and throughout history, there have always been those willing to risk their lives for a few coins.


    Unfortunately, the commander of the artillery before him remained unmoved. "Ha... Earning that money is one thing, but you have to be alive to spend it, don''t you!"


    While speaking, he glanced at a body that nobody had tended to yet¡ªits head was blasted open, a gruesome sight to behold.


    "His Majesty orders you to keep firing! If you disobey... I will..." The King''s confidant clenched his teeth and decided to threaten.


    "How dare you send us to our deaths?" the deputy commander of the artillery battery, who was standing behind, couldn''t hold back any longer. With a loud shout, he drew his Longsword and struck at the King''s confidant.


    The King''s confidant was caught completely off guard, and just as he turned around, a sword pierced through his chest. He clutched the blade, staring at his assailant in disbelief, "You! You dare... You dare to rebel! The King... His Majesty will not let you go...


    you..."


    He wanted to say more, but his opponent kicked him in the stomach, using the momentum to pull out his Longsword, and blood spurted out, leaving even the artillery commander stunned on the spot.

 Chapter 312: 308 self-detonation

    "Sir! If this man lives, we''ll all die here!" The aide-de-camp dropped his own sidearm and, staring at his superior officer, began to explain.


    Behind him, several officers and the nearby soldiers were also standing there in a daze, waiting for their immediate superior to say something.


    "Alas..." The head artillery commander also knew that during such turbulent times, if they truly wanted to play the role of loyal subjects and valiant generals willing to die for their country, that would be fine, but what they feared was being both covetous of life and afraid of death while not wanting to be held accountable afterward.


    He had given the order to fire the cannons earlier, intending that when it came time for retribution after the fact, those on the artillery platform above and below could have an explanation.


    After all, we did fire the cannons. It''s not that we didn''t fight; it''s just that we didn''t dare to fight¡ªthere''s a difference there.


    But now, it seemed that things had taken a different turn¡ªthey had killed the King''s confidant, and once such an act was defined, it would be considered rebellion and revolt, with no good end in sight.


    After heaving a sigh, the commander already had a countermeasure in mind and spoke, "We never saw this man! Understand?"


    After all, with the current chaos outside on the streets, it wouldn''t be strange for a military officer sent with a message to meet with some accident, alive without a trace, dead without a body.


    "As long as we stick to this story! We can save our lives!" He looked at those soldiers who were still somewhat hesitant, contemplating whether to silence them permanently when the critical moment came.


    However, those people soon nodded¡ªthey too did not want to face that terrifying fleet in cannon fire, having already suffered a disastrous defeat previously.


    The enemy''s cannons were not only precise, but their power was also "terrifyingly immense"; one shell of shrapnel could blow an entire section of the artillery wall to pieces.


    "Understood!" A few officers, obviously quicker on the uptake, hastily nodded in agreement.


    "Understood!" Those soldiers were a bit slower to react, but all nodded in assent, nonetheless.


    The artillery commander, preoccupied with figuring out how to dispose of the body without being discovered, hadn''t continued to issue orders, when he heard his aide-de-camp say, "Sir, what if the King sends someone else later? What do we do then?"


    His words startled everyone, and the faint joy of not having to continue firing was swept away in an instant.


    Indeed, if the King sent one person, and they claimed to have not seen him, it was inconsequential; accidents happen.


    But if the King sent a second person, or if that second person came with attendants, then how would they explain themselves?


    For a moment, everyone was at a loss, anxiously anticipating the arrival of the next royal messenger.


    "Do you have any good ideas?" The artillery commander looked at his aide-de-camp and asked. After all, it was his aide-de-camp who had killed the man, so if there was a difficult problem, he should be the one to think of a solution, shouldn''t he?


    After pondering for a few seconds, the aide-de-camp then turned to his superior officer and fiercely suggested, "Why not... blow up the artillery platform!"


    This was like draining the pond to get the fish¡ªonce the artillery was completely gone, they wouldn''t be forced to fire anymore!


    However, thinking about his service of more than a decade there, the artillery commander couldn''t help but inhale sharply with reluctance.


    The King of Taren watched the distant firing battery through a telescope from the highest building in his Royal Palace.


    After seeing flashes of gunfire and hearing the familiar boom of cannons, His Majesty contentedly set down his telescope.


    He turned to his Prime Minister, pointed towards the direction of the distant battery, and boasted with a smile to his minister, "Do you see that? Do you see that! Within my generals, there are still those who are loyal! There are those who can fight tough battles!"


    In reality, everyone knew all too well that the one who could truly fight was the Navy General Valen, whose whereabouts and condition were unknown...


    As for the general defending the battery, who knew why he could act so brave and loyal...


    While several high officials were pondering to themselves, the battery that had been sporadically firing suddenly erupted in flames, and a segment of the wall was blasted into the air.


    Everyone''s eyes widened in shock, then they too began to shake and sway. Taren''s Prime Minister lost his footing and fell to the ground; he even saw the water in the cup on the table in front of him trembling.


    Then came the blast wave that hit them in the face. It had lessened in intensity by the time it reached the Royal Palace.


    The sound of the explosion nearly pierced everyone''s ears simultaneously, and that infuriating roar drowned out all other noises in an instant.


    Even the oppressive thunder of the cannons from the sea, which had weighed heavily on everyone until now, seemed to fade away at that moment.


    Ignoring his image, King Taren X, having just steadied himself, looked eagerly towards the direction of his battery.


    Thereafter, he saw the towering smoke and the unrecognizable ruins of the destroyed battery. At that moment, he felt his heart bleeding.


    Just a second ago, he was praising the general who manned the battery. Just a second ago, he was boasting that he finally had a reliable support.


    Then, in the next second, it seemed that his capable minister was blown sky-high, and his hopes appeared to have been obliterated in that thunderous blast.


    "What''s going on...?" he muttered, staggering towards the window. The Prime Minister, who had just risen from the ground, quickly grabbed the sleeve of the seemingly frenzied King Taren X.


    If not for his exceptional reaction, King Taren X would have become a king who died by jumping from a building in a fallen kingdom.


    "Hurry! Go see! Go check the battery! See what has happened!" ordered Taren X hysterically, having been jolted back to reality by being held back.


    The Prime Minister, who had not let go of the King''s hand until now, was also slightly dazed, for he had subconsciously come to realize that the Taren Kingdom... might have cooled off just like that battery!


    Before, he had not imagined that the enemy''s Navy would be so powerful¡ªhe even thought that, even with the enemy''s blockade, there would be enough time for them to manage.


    But he never anticipated that the enemy''s blockade would be so... unreasonable.


    "Your Majesty! Send someone to sue for peace now! If we delay, it might be too late!" The Prime Minister, having regained his senses, immediately cried out with inexplicable sorrow.


    ```

 Chapter 313 The Turmoil of the 309 Cities

    ```


    Negotiating peace is never an easy task, especially when the enemy has reached your doorstep. Treaties like the Pact of Chanyuan, those made under the city walls, and at Bianqiao Bridge... all were signed from a position of weakness.


    Think about it, it''s quite realistic: when someone has a cleaver at your neck and killing isn''t considered a crime, who would willingly let it go so easily?


    So, at such times, it''s definitely a matter of paying up if you have money, giving away your daughter if you have one... As for having nothing, kneeling and calling out ''dad'' twice surely isn''t shameful.


    After all, survival is what truly matters. The Song Dynasty managed to wear down the Liao with the Pact of Chanyuan, and the Tang Dynasty ensnared the Turks with the Pact of Bianqiao Bridge, because having a glimmer of hope is still having hope to some extent.


    But when you''re on the receiving end of a beating, negotiating peace with the enemy becomes an art of finesse.


    Take this case, for instance, when the Taren Kingdom faced the warships of the Great Tang Group stationed outside its King City, it found that communicating properly with the adversary was seemingly impossible...


    The King sent out his envoy, determined to have a proper discussion with the enemy commander, only to have the white-flagged sailboat sunk midway as soon as it set sail.


    Consequently, it wasn''t easy to find another captain with the guts to venture out to sea with his men, even with a reward raised to 200 Gold Coins.


    There was no choice in the matter; after all, the old saying goes, one must be alive to spend money after earning it.


    In such an almost certain death situation, no one would jest with their life, and everyone could only feign ignorance, helplessly watching their harbored ships being sunk by enemy vessels.


    Panic has already spread throughout the city, with many people beginning to flee outside the city walls. Those with money and influence had estates outside the city and were naturally taking refuge there.


    Soon, King Taren X realized, to his astonishment, that he couldn''t even gather all his ministers anymore.


    There was no helping it¡ªsome were genuinely killed by the bombardments, some had fled, others were too scared to leave their homes, and the rest were truly ill and couldn''t get up.


    All things considered, the state of the country seemed to be collapsing, and King Taren X was utterly unable to stop this process. He couldn''t even control his own military anymore.


    The new barracks outside the city had been emptied, and even though the soldiers stationed within the city included both new recruits and veterans, most had already disintegrated.


    Even if some units were still holding their ground, there were no suitable orders left to give them.


    After all, it seems they could maintain their integrity by staying put, but if you asked them to move, who could guarantee they wouldn''t disband en route?


    Thus, the best strategy wasn''t to mobilize these still existing troops but to have them stand their ground in their current positions and maintain a state of immobility...


    However, the reality was troops dwindling as the days passed, the enemy''s attacks weren''t inconsequential. Those stationed on the city walls were being drained, their remaining survivors scattering.


    Thus, the city''s military strength was diminishing, and now all that King Taren X could control was his guard, about 1000 men or two battalions'' worth of power.


    This was his last bastion, the reason he had been able to sit securely in his Royal Palace so far.


    Eventually, the nobleman, who had fired six shots, realized his handgun was now empty, and the steward on the carriage had also run out of bullets.


    Stumbling and losing his footing, the old steward fell from the carriage, landing directly on the heads of the surrounding crowd. Those who were desperately looting didn''t even bother to step aside; instead, they lifted him up and began going through his pockets.


    The gold coins he had hidden in his pockets were snatched away, and the sterling silver pocket watch he cherished vanished in an instant.


    Even his buttons were ripped from his clothes within two seconds, and the holster from his coat pocket along with any leftover bullets were taken as well.


    Soon, his handgun was stolen, his clothes were torn to shreds, and, ultimately, he was thrown to the ground. Before he could plead for mercy, someone stepped on his mouth.


    Feet were on his stomach, on his chest, and as he tried to use his arms to protect his head, they were blocked by the countless thrashing legs.


    In just a few seconds, he was trampled to death beside the carriage.


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    At that moment, the carriage door, under extreme pressure, was finally broken through as a man was shoved inside. He managed to grab hold of a lady''s leg, smearing his saliva on her shoe.


    The nobleman then finally realized that if he did not do something immediately, he was sure to die right there, so he pulled out gold coins from his pocket and threw them desperately out of the carriage.


    The people preparing to enter the carriage began scrambling for these coins, and those attempting to rush the carriage seemed to slow down.


    But quickly, he found the gold coins he brought were too few. He even stripped off his family ring and threw it outside the carriage.


    Then, he found that those who had stormed the carriage were frantically searching his pockets. He raised his foot and kicked one in the stomach.


    When he tried to kick again, he was choked from the other side¡ªa grip tightened around his neck. In an instant, all he felt was fear, his hands desperately trying to grab the muscular arms strangling him.


    By now, he was oblivious to his wife, whose clothes had been torn open; he tried to breathe but couldn''t wrench free from the arms that had labored over the years.


    Soon, his legs had nothing left but the power to fumble blindly, while the woman beside him had already fallen silent.


    The carriage could not withstand anymore and toppled over, crashing down on the civilians on the other side.


    In the ensuing chaos, all the looting commoners realized something: those high and mighty nobles, along with their fiercely loyal and ruthless henchmen, seemed... utterly defenseless!


    Thus, these bloodied drifters continued their rampage, smashing the doors and windows of nearby buildings, bursting into rooms to find whatever they desired.


    If the owners were home, they killed them. If the houses were empty, they simply took whatever they saw.


    These people moved in packs, some even wearing the Taren Kingdom military uniforms and carrying Shireck''s flintlock guns.


    Armed with guns, bayonets, and longswords, they gradually joined with other robbers and the shattered troops, becoming a band of bandits no ordinary citizen could withstand alone.

 Chapter 314 Addicted to 310

    In such circumstances, it had become impossible for King Taren the Tenth to continue controlling his own city.


    The nobility, especially the lower nobility, no longer dared to move about freely within the city. Some of them had watched, with their own eyes, as noble caravans were robbed clean by deserting soldiers and rioting citizens.


    Naturally, they dared not leave their homes anymore. Within their own estates, relying on their strongmen to guard the gates or secure the mansion castles, they still had some defensive capabilities; once outside, they became fish on the chopping block, awaiting slaughter.


    The high social status and class divisions they once relied upon were now cast aside by the rioting citizens and deserting soldiers, their eyes red with killing.


    Without the deterrent of law, without the constraint of reason, and lacking the protection of guns and Longswords, these parasites on society''s branches had nothing left but cowardice and baseness.


    Chaos was everywhere, the King''s orders could no longer be delivered, and the garrison forces were each fighting their own battles, with most commanders unable to restrain their troops anymore.


    Meanwhile, at the same time, an officer sent by King Taren the Tenth to inspect the artillery battery, along with his guard, finally reached the vicinity of the ruined battery.


    Frankly, he himself knew that coming here to inspect was actually pointless¡ªalong the way, having seen countless deserting soldiers and rioting citizens, he was already well aware that everything was out of control.


    Even if he did notice something odd at this point, what courage would he have to question the artillery defenders? With what clout could he issue orders to a bunch of unruly soldiers?


    If they took a dislike to him, who would care if he was shot dead amidst the chaos? The authority he represented was a tiger''s skin in normal times, but now it was nothing.


    However, when he found the artillery defenders stationed in place, he was still shocked by the scene before him.


    Unlike what he had imagined, these defending soldiers were covered in dust, and many were even injured. Most of them looked quite wretched, as if they were a group of down-and-out refugees.


    Besides having more survivors than expected, observing these soldiers, they indeed seemed like heroes who had fought bravely to the very end.


    No joke, these soldiers had indeed fought, and had fought hard. Their battery had only exploded and become inoperable, but their valor had left a deep impression.


    "Sir, you''ve worked hard!" The second in command from the King, moved almost to the point of tears, grabbed the hand of the artillery commander and chokingly offered his condolences.


    He even noticed that the commander''s hands were covered with small cuts, clearly abrasions from falling¡ªthe traces of a tumble.


    "What did you say? Louder! My ears!" the commander pointed to his own ears and shouted back loudly.


    The representative of the King, the second in command, faltered slightly, nodded, and then began to shout, "I will certainly tell His Majesty the King! We must reward you loyal and brave soldiers well!"


    The artillery deputy commander beside him was startled, hearing the other''s shouts, and thinking to himself that this second in command sent by the King was also an Academy Award-level actor! A true talent!


    Although it indeed was the time to appear sincerely concerned, the acting was almost too convincing.


    "Even now, there''s no news from the city walls! Everywhere there are deserters, groups of dozens or hundreds robbing homes, completely lawless!" The King''s trusted confidant Number Two, while moved, gestured towards the smoke billowing more and more from the distant city.


    Then, turning his attention back to the artillery soldiers, he cursed through clenched teeth, "The refugees and bandits show no regard for the law, even daring to ambush the Nobility. Almost all the roads are impassable, and I too faced countless dangers on my way here..."


    "General, at this moment, finding loyal officers and capable soldiers the King can rely on is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune!" Here, the King''s trusted confidant Number Two couldn''t help but be emotionally stirred.


    After expressing his emotions, he didn''t forget to deliver what he thought was a spectacular flattery, "The Taren Kingdom is blessed by the gods to have a loyal and good officer like you, General, and so many courageous and fearless soldiers!"


    "So, rest assured! Once you and I return, I will definitely speak well of you to His Majesty... When the time comes... General, you must not forget about this little brother of yours."


    Uh... was there a mistake somewhere? The artillery commander, whose ears were still not functioning well, hadn''t quite grasped what he''d just heard.


    "Wait, what did you just say?" Suddenly, he realized something, turning to look at the King''s trusted confidant Number Two who was cozying up to establish a connection.


    "Ah... it seems the General''s ear injuries are still severe! I said... once you and I return..." The King''s trusted confidant Number Two looked sympathetically once more at the artillery commander''s ears, noticing the dried blood beneath them, and became even more convinced in his judgment. Your next read is at empire


    "I''m going back with you?" Pointing incredulously at himself, the artillery commander seized the key point, looking somewhat bemused.


    He didn''t want to go to the Royal Palace, which seemed even more dangerous at the moment! He wanted to stay here by the destroyed artillery position, doing nothing but waiting for an outcome, alright?


    The King''s trusted confidant Number Two, thinking that the other party was shocked by his own surprise, proudly repeated, "Yes! Not just you, but all these elite soldiers will return with me! To defend the Royal Palace! To fight the enemy to the death!"


    "Fight to the death?" Hearing these words, almost all of the artillery''s officers and soldiers were taken aback. To defend an artillery position that they themselves had blown up in a fiery self-destruction, nearly losing their lives, and now to guard the Royal Palace?


    "Yes! Fight the enemy warships to the death! Rest assured, General, the King feels the same as you; he will not surrender!" Feeling that he grasped the key point appealing to everyone present, the King''s trusted confidant Number Two started to embellish his own tale.


    Bloody fight to the death, hell with not surrendering like you! The commander inwardly cursed non-stop and turned away, glancing at his adjutant.


    "What should we do now?" he signaled with a look to his adjutant.


    "Who knows, we''ve overplayed it, everything else is so pitiful, and now we''ve somehow shown our faces..." The adjutant made a helpless expression, conveying his speechless sentiment.


    "I don''t know either... who would have thought these rascals wouldn''t even act..." The artillery commander took the cue, slightly shaking his head.


    Then he glanced at the King''s trusted confidant Number Two, "I need to give some instructions to my adjutant! We''ll set off right away!"


    After saying this, he pulled the adjutant aside, making a throat-slitting gesture behind their backs, "Otherwise... if we''re going to do it, let''s not stop halfway..."


    "Ah?" The adjutant grimaced... You started it, and now you''re addicted to killing?

 Chapter 315 Prime Ministers Uncle 311

    Brunas, inside the office building of the Great Tang Group''s factory area, a chubby man walked into Tang Mo''s office with John accompanying him.


    He curiously surveyed the bookshelves that had already been cleared out by half, looking somewhat confusedly at the Elf John who had been accompanying him in all sorts of dining and entertainment in Bruna: "What''s going on? Is Mr. Tang moving?"


    "Yes, our headquarters is planning to relocate to Dragon Island and is currently preparing for it," John replied with a smile.


    "You''re leaving such a bustling place?" The chubby man could not hide his disbelief as he continued to ask, "Is Dragon Island better?"


    "At least in the future planning, Dragon Island is indeed a better choice," John did not hide his longing for Dragon Island.


    There, it would become the beacon of this world, the most prosperous place in the entire world, the pinnacle of technological development!


    While the two were talking, Harry helped push open the door for Tang Mo, who entered the room with Wes, who was almost always by his side.


    "Welcome! Mr. Mo Kangsen," Tang Mo greeted warmly as he entered.


    The man named Mo Kangsen, who was over forty and quite portly, jiggled all over as he smiled: "I assume you must be Mr. Tang Mo! It''s really great to meet you!"


    "Have you been enjoying yourself here, Ambassador?" Tang Mo gave a token hug to the man, realizing that even with arms wide open, his hands could not reach the other''s back at the same time.


    He didn''t actually want to embrace the other man with true fervor, so he just posed and stepped back.


    "Of course! It''s been very enjoyable!" Mo Kangsen excitedly began to describe all that he had seen and done in Bruna.


    This place could indeed be described as the most modern, avant-garde metropolis in the entire world. Even the sewer system, which had just completed a 50% overhaul, was enough to make other cities go mad with envy.


    Because of the sewer system, the streets here were impeccably clean; because of the electric lights, it was truly a city that never slept!


    This was also the capital of fashion, the capital of technology! Cutting-edge clothing that you couldn''t see elsewhere filled the streets here, and the telephone, an unthinkable luxury in other places, could also occasionally be seen here.


    One could responsibly say that after living here for some time, going anywhere else was practically like going to jail¡ªexcept for Dragon City.


    "Believe me! This is nothing like what I imagined! It''s too bustling here, even more so than Naladu City..." Thus, Mo Kangsen was not stingy with his praise.


    Like New York in the 20th century, this was a paradise for the rich! As long as you had money, you could find unimaginable pleasures here.


    Every time he recalled the wonderful experiences he had these days, things he had never experienced before, Mo Kangsen felt a bit nostalgic.


    Waving his arms, he was like a three-hundred-pound child: "To be honest, at first I thought this was just a slightly famous backwater town, but who would''ve thought it would be so much fun."


    "I''m glad you like it," Tang Mo said with a smile as he watched Mo Kangsen''s gestures.


    "It''s so beautiful; to me, it is simply a work of art," said Mo Kangsen, visibly stunned by the car in front of him, having never seen one as beautiful before.


    After Harry finished detailing the performance to Tang Mo, Mo Kangsen grew even fonder of the yet-to-be-released car.


    He reached out with affection to touch the glossy paintwork but seemed afraid to make contact with something so beautiful, as if he was a stranger to such elegance.


    In truth, he had seen many rare treasures, but those paled in comparison to this car that symbolized the pinnacle of industrial achievement.


    To Tang Mo, industrial products were nothing special. He ran his hand over the streamlined hubcap on the wheel, "The entire body has been polished and waxed, giving off a soft glow! Its black color is a byword for elegance, its sleek lines are proof of its mastery over the wind."


    "The way you describe it, it looks even more beautiful... truly stunning..." Mo Kangsen was fixated on the car and praised it, "It''s more beautiful than any car I''ve seen before! I dare say if it goes on sale, a very large number of people would be willing to pay for it."


    "Are you saying, people would really be willing to pay a price of 10,000 Gold Coins for a car?" Tang Mo asked, looking at Mo Kangsen.


    "That expensive?" Mo Kangsen was surprised but then quickly nodded in agreement with Tang Mo''s asking price, "Indeed... you get what you pay for... it''d be an all-around pleasure to ride in this car."


    "It has a very large trunk," said Tang Mo as he introduced the car, opening the trunk to show, "I usually keep some little things in here that everyone likes."


    The entire trunk was stuffed with shimmering Gold Coins. The densely packed, full-color coins arranged together were indeed somewhat astonishing at first glance.


    Startled by the sight of the glinting Gold Coins, Mo Kangsen couldn''t help but draw a sharp breath.


    He looked away from the coins to the Tang Mo beside him, "What... what are you implying here?"


    "The car is yours now!" Tang Mo shut the trunk lid and patted the car twice, generously stating.


    Having no particular feeling for the coins but truly loving the car, Mo Kangsen''s face brightened with a smile, and he rubbed his hands together, hesitant to refuse, "Mr. Tang... this, how can I accept this..."


    "There''s nothing to feel embarrassed about. I know about your influence within the Empire of Nanla, your uncle is the Prime Minister, and your daughter is the Imperial Concubine of the Empire..." Tang Mo waved his hand dismissively as he revealed Mo Kangsen''s identity.


    As the envoy representing the Empire of Nanla in Brunas, Mo Kangsen''s smile grew even brighter, aware his status justified the value, and he was extremely pleased.


    However, Mo Kangsen, who was long accustomed to countless bribes, still lavished his admiration on the brand new Rolls-Royce after looking it over for a while, touching the car as he asked, "The money from Mr. Tang... I guess, isn''t so easy to take, right?"


    Tang Mo laughed, gesturing and saying, "It''s not as difficult as you think... If the Empire of Nanla sends a gift at the coronation ceremony of Leines I, Your Majesty, the Great Tang Group can become a great friend to you."


    "Hmm?" Having already discussed these matters at length with Harry, Mo Kangsen''s attention was captured by the word ''friend''.


    Tang Mo continued, "I presume, Mr. Mo Kangsen, that you also wish to further advance your position?"


    "Tell me more, I am very interested in these matters," said Mo Kangsen as he opened the car door, touched the leather seats, and expressed contentment.

 Chapter 316 Not everyone has a good uncle like 312.

    Tang Mo put forward his bargaining chip; he was prepared to support Mo Kangsen''s rise to become the new Prime Minister of the Empire of Nanla, "If, I mean if, Your Excellency could acquire enough money, could you perhaps exert a bit more effort in certain areas? Your uncle is nearly 70 years old; you can''t live under his wings forever..."


    "You''re prepared to support me as the Empire''s Prime Minister?" Mo Kangsen finally looked at Tang Mo, with a face full of surprise.


    Tang Mo then tossed out more of his bargaining chips, making Mo Kangsen''s heart falter, "Not only that, I can also support your daughter to have a smoother journey in vying for favor..."


    "The car''s not bad." After closing the car door, Mo Kangsen gave a compliment.


    This too was an attitude, one that accepted cooperation.


    Knowing the cooperation was secured, Tang Mo followed with a smile, "Yes, the car''s not bad."


    "The Empire of Nanla doesn''t have time to prepare a generous gift," Mo Kangsen finally began to talk business.


    With a wave of his hand, Harry came over carrying a suitcase that had been prepared aside, "No worries, here are 200,000 Gold Coins. A state gift only needs 150,000; I think that''s enough, don''t you?"


    Mo Kangsen looked satisfied as he watched Harry open the suitcase to reveal neatly stacked Brunas banknotes. He nodded, knowing that with these notes in Brunas, he could buy anything, "You''re very smart! Has anyone ever told you that, Lord Tang Mo?"


    Tang Mo did not speak; he had heard too much of this kind of praise, mere idle words, and anyone who took them seriously was a real fool.


    Mo Kangsen also didn''t linger on Tang Mo''s silence and continued to address the real issues, "On this visit, I represent the Empire''s gesture of goodwill to the Great Tang Group. As an Empire, we don''t intend to place all of our hope in one spot, so the Shireck Consortium, as well as the Great Tang Group... We will purchase from both."


    He knew that to become the Prime Minister of the Empire of Nanla, he needed the support of financial backers like the Great Tang Group, and he must do more for such supporters as well.


    In addition to indulging in luxury and nearly dying from debauchery during these days, he had actually attended to some serious matters.


    For instance, he visited the factories of the Great Tang Group, where he saw the munitions being produced, and also inspected the shipyards. The most advanced weapons and equipment in the world left a deep impression on him.


    The Empire of Nanla had dispatched Mo Kangsen to Brunas with another mission, which was to inspect the Great Tang Group and prepare for a series of arms trade deals with them.


    Tang Mo nodded; having given out so much in bribes, naturally he wanted to see a return on his investment. He was a businessman, not a philanthropist.


    So, when the other party brought up the matter of arms procurement, he responded quite naturally, "I''ve heard, but I have great confidence in my products."


    "It will be a fair competition. The Empire''s land forces are about to be equipped with new rifles, and we are very interested in the new weapons from the Great Tang Group," Mo Kangsen leaned on the car as he spoke to Tang Mo.


    Mo Kangsen nodded, then shook his head, "But, as you know, in this world, it isn''t necessarily the best products that are most favored! There are many twists and turns involved..."


    "That''s why I need you to help me sort out these twists and turns! If it''s a matter of reason, we will reason with them! If money can solve it, then I will pay up! For the upright, we win by being upright; for the greedy, we win by playing to their greed!" Tang Mo said, staring at Mo Kangsen.


    Mo Kangsen''s smile faded as he asked solemnly, "What if they are bribed by Shireck and refuse to reason with us?"


    Tang Mo sneered, "Then we''ll be unreasonable too! Mr. Mo Kangsen! I... am not exactly a nice guy myself!"


    After saying this, he patted Mo Kangsen, the portly fellow, on the shoulder, "I hope you can convince His Majesty the Emperor, so that he understands if he does not purchase weapons and equipment from the Great Tang Group, he could indeed lose the next war..."


    "I will tell my uncle everything I have seen, the strength of Great Tang Group''s weapons, and inform His Majesty the Emperor as well."


    "Well then, I hope you enjoy yourself here before the victory parade! Have fun and feel at home," Tang Mo said as he saw his guest out.


    Mo Kangsen smiled, patting the new Rolls-Royce by his side, "Someone will come to collect it, I really like it a lot! Thank you!"


    After Mo Kangsen left, Wes approached Tang Mo and spoke, "Isn''t taking out hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins in bribes at once a bit... too much?"


    "Not everyone has a good uncle! Wes!" Tang Mo laughed heartily, "He''s smart, knows where he stands, and his uncle is even more valuable, so a hundred thousand Gold Coins isn''t much! It''s even a bargain."


    As he spoke, he walked toward the garage door, "Don''t wait for them to come asking for it either. Arrange for someone to deliver the car to him before dinner!"


    "Understood!" Wes nodded slightly, following Tang Mo out of the garage filled with luxury cars and carriages.


    After settling matters concerning the support of Emperor Leines I''s ascension to the throne, Tang Mo led Wes back to his office, where he found the somewhat exhausted, travel-worn Alice.


    The countess had just visited her triumphant troops at Northern Ridge; her forces had wrought one miracle after another in the war that annihilated the Kingdom of Gemalin.


    Even now, the carriage holding the imprisoned King of Gemalin was still at the border of Northern Ridge, almost reaching Ice Crystal City. Once there, he would be able to take a train all the way to Brunas.


    Or rather, the moment he boarded that train, the former King of Gemalin might finally realize what exactly he lost to.


    "I missed you! I missed you so much!" Alice didn''t wait for Wes to leave before she threw her arms around the neck of her longed-for lover.


    The scene turned steamy in an instant, and Wes didn''t dare linger. He immediately left to close the door for Tang Mo.

 Chapter 317 313 Womans Heart

    "I hear you''ve kept a little orc cat-girl by your side?" After a spectacular and fierce bout of wrestling between two, Alice leaned against Tang Mo in bed, tracing circles on his chest with her fingers.


    "The orcs sent her over..." Tang Mo really wanted to reach into his clothes for a cigarette, but he was simply too lazy to move at this point.


    A smirk filled with deep meaning spread across Alice''s face as she teased Tang Mo, "In that case, why don''t you give her to me? I''ll keep her by my side and treat her like a real sister, how about that?"


    "Let''s talk about that later," Tang Mo said, embracing Alice, with an air of a king who dodges the topic. Indeed, all those harmonious harem scenarios in the novels are deceptive.


    Every woman harbors jealousy, and those men with multiple wives and concubines are unlikely to treat them all equally.


    So, a successful man can certainly collect many women, but it''s essentially a real-life version of ''Empresses in the Palace,'' managing to maintain a facade of harmony is pretty much the limit.


    "Hahaha!" Alice, upon hearing Tang Mo''s insincere promise to discuss it later, laughed until she was shaking like a leaf, "I knew you wouldn''t bear to part with her. Aren''t all you men like that? Always indecisive, isn''t having me enough for you?"


    That''s not something you can say lightly. I''ve seen plenty of women, but it''s the first time I''ve come across a cat-girl. If I hadn''t met her in person, how would I know I carried the gene for a cat-girl fetish?


    Tang Mo lamented in his heart and then awkwardly changed the subject, "It''s so rare that we meet, why discuss such things now..."


    "Alright, alright!" Seeing Tang Mo''s embarrassment, Alice knew that dwelling on this matter would only cause trouble for herself and the man she liked.


    Not to mention far-off matters, even within the schools of Brunas, wasn''t there a notorious big sister figure named Yulin? The little lass was as cunning as they come, practically considering herself Tang Mo''s official wife already.


    A couple of days in school, and her arrogance was unmatched¡ªas if the other women who couldn''t keep up with Tang Mo''s thoughts were all as insignificant as chickens and dogs in Yulin''s eyes.


    Alice, in fact, had considered furthering her education at school, knowing well that Tang Mo''s institution offered many interesting subjects.


    But she still had vast estates to manage, the legacy of her father that she couldn''t just abandon.


    Every time she thought about it, she felt melancholic, so she could only get a full set of textbooks from Tang Mo to study by herself, becoming a graduate of the Northern Ridge Women''s Academy in all but name¡ªher major was in economics.


    Since there was already a formidable queen in the Great Tang Military Academy, Alice didn''t really pay much attention to another cat-eared girl.


    She had been in noble circles for so long that she naturally knew and was accustomed to most nobles having a whole host of lovers and concubines.


    Actually, her father, Ronin Fisallo, was the outlier, having loved only Alice''s mother throughout his life, and even after her death, he did not remarry.


    "I know not just any woman can catch your eye, so I can''t be bothered with such things... You should be more concerned about your little sister Yulin. Make sure she doesn''t cause trouble for Yue''er at school," Alice snuggled comfortably against Tang Mo, setting up a facade of obedience.


    Alice felt a touch of pride; she had self-studied Tang Mo''s books and had indeed grasped their essence.


    However, she was even happier about the fact that Tang Mo had provided her with a group of capable assistants¡ªthese girls from Brunas were each clever and remarkably skilled: "Your economic theories in the books are profound, and I only understand the surface. But the students you sent me are quite good."


    "I''m glad I could help," Tang Mo was also satisfied with the girls who had gone to Northern Ridge; they had demonstrated capabilities and a level of ability that transcended their era.


    Alice never ran out of praise for them. With their help, she was able to carve out time to visit Tang Mo: "They are all excellent, and their knowledge is extensive. Sometimes I even feel a little envious of them, being able to delve into such deep economic theories."


    "You''ve actually expanded the workforce by forceful means from 40,000 to 90,000... The approach is a bit extreme, and it may provoke dissent from many." Tang Mo noticed the details of how Northern Ridge expanded its workforce in the report.


    "It won''t happen, on one hand, I''ve increased their remuneration, on the other hand, I have promised them sustenance. Most of them are children who would otherwise be idle at home, so I thought it made sense to bring them to the factories as apprentices," Alice said languidly, yawning comfortably as she spoke to Tang Mo.


    "You should still be careful," Tang Mo advised.


    "Okay, I''ll ask them not to be so rough," Alice''s hand glided over Tang Mo''s chest, soft and smooth, and her gaze suggested... she was doing it on purpose.


    Tang Mo caught her mischievous hand: "Cultivating barren lands to sow cotton is a highlight. Some regions in Northern Ridge have a climate well-suited for growing cotton, better than farming crops."


    "Isn''t it because your factories require a large amount of cotton that I started planting it?" Alice attempted to break free from Tang Mo''s grasp with a mischievous smile, but inadvertently revealed her smooth, slippery shoulder.


    "Thank you," Tang Mo conceded the struggle.


    "You know... we don''t need to say thank you to each other," Alice finished and kissed Tang Mo''s lips.


    ...


    "As a secret weapon, the C1 submachine gun has already been sent to Northern Ridge, and I''ve also sent people to train your guard and instruct them on this new weapon," Tang Mo said, lying more saint-like on the bed after an hour.


    "I know," Alice''s voice was as faint as a mosquito.


    "I''m also keeping an eye on the latest upgrade to the 105mm howitzer. Aside from the special 122mm caliber artillery supplied to Ice Cold Kingdom, your artillery could be said to be the most powerful field artillery in the world," Tang Mo continued, looking at the ceiling.


    "I know," Alice whispered again.


    "As a new weapon, armored cars will sooner or later shine on the battlefield, replacing the cavalry, becoming the new darling of the battlefield. Have you seen the brand new armored cars?" Tang Mo asked further.


    Alice''s response was still the same distracted reply: "I know!"


    "..."

 Chapter 318 314 swap conditions

    In a meeting room within a building in the Brunas city district, an envoy from the Poplar Kingdom was meeting with the intelligence leader of the Great Tang Group, a core member named Li''ao.


    The envoy from the Poplar Kingdom, who had been stationed in Brunas, was very busy lately. With the outbreak of a large-scale conflict between the Poplar Kingdom and the Elm Kingdom, the Poplar Kingdom''s former archenemies¡ªthe Orcs of the Sena Plains¡ªunexpectedly declared their nation restored on the western side of Osa Port.


    Somehow, they had gotten their hands on a batch of advanced weapons, then defeated two Elf Race legions sent to suppress them, making the restoration of their nation a fait accompli.


    Thus, the anxious-looking envoy from the Poplar Kingdom recently had been following orders from his homeland to clarify the Great Tang Group''s stance on this matter.


    "Mr. Li''ao! You know! Although there were some unpleasant moments between the Poplar Kingdom and the Great Tang Group in the past, the subsequent cooperation has always been sincere on our part," he said, explaining as soon as he sat down to the welcoming Li''ao.


    "I am well aware of that," Li''ao said, his expression neither sad nor happy as he toyed with the ring on his finger.


    He was wearing three rings in total. One of them was a ring given to him by Tang Mo during the allocation of Elf jewelry. Although the ring was nothing special and hardly matched his current status, he still wore it.


    Among the other two rings, one was a very valuable jewelry ring that demonstrated Li''ao''s present status, adorned with a gem engraved with a gorgeously blooming dandelion.


    Another ring was in the style of his hometown, a recent acquisition that soothed his homesickness and was thus very dear to him.


    After Li''ao casually responded while fiddling with his rings, the envoy from the Poplar Kingdom, in a rush, questioned, "Then, why is there even a hint of the Great Tang Group''s shadow in the matter of the Orcs'' national restoration in the western region of Osa Port?"


    "I have already answered this question. The Great Tang Group''s arms sales records are all verifiable, and I have already reviewed them. We have not sold any weapons to the Orcs," Li''ao explained innocently.


    The Great Tang Group indeed had not supplied the Orcs with new weapons, not even giving them many bolt-action rifles.


    "How do you know we would not refuse... The discord between us and Gales... is irreconcilable!" The envoy was visibly agitated, shouting indignantly.


    Li''ao sneered and counter-queried, "Really? I think you should hear our terms..."


    "..." This time, the envoy from the Poplar Kingdom didn''t dare to speak.


    Li''ao changed his expression to a smile and said, "The Elm Kingdom will surrender in one month, ceding all territories south of the Elm River... That''s Elf territory, far richer than the Gales territory you occupy."


    "What! You... how could you... How could you make the Elm Kingdom make such a huge concession?" The envoy was stunned, staring at Li''ao in disbelief.


    Li''ao continued to smile, "This is part of the peace agreement we''ve reached with the Shireck Consortium... If you''re not quite satisfied, I can give that territory to the Songmu Kingdom and also declare non-recognition of Gales''s restoration, to demonstrate our stance."


    The envoy quickly waved his hands, "No! No! No need for that! Absolutely no need for that trouble! I''ll return immediately and convey this news to His Majesty the King! He will make a decision!


    I believe he will make the right choice! Please give the Poplar Kingdom some time."


    "As I said, nothing is impossible," Li''ao said with a glance and a tinge of disdain.


    "Mr. Li''ao, you... you are right... It was my... my rashness," the envoy admitted, his voice full of obsequiousness.


    He was certain that his King would accept such terms because the territories south of the Elm River, compared to the Sena Plains, were clearly richer lands.


    Thus, he was eager to rush back to the Poplar Kingdom with the good news¡ªcertainly, he would be rewarded.

 Chapter 319 315 Special Collaborator

    In the same building, Harry was discussing collaboration with a maid representative from Shireck, Sofia.


    The maid, her tone icy, emphasized as she stared at the unruffled Harry, "We''ve already expressed our sincerity, you know. The latest batch of Shireck Type 1 rifles has been delivered entirely to the orcs, just as you requested!"


    Indeed, those rifles came from Shireck and did not belong to the Great Tang Group, leaving the Poplar Kingdom with no avenue to trace the origin of these firearms.


    Even if they knew Shireck was orchestrating everything from behind the scenes, they could not implicate the Great Tang Group¡ªfor outwardly, the two seemed to be at loggerheads, with no apparent connection.


    It could even be said that the weapons produced by both sides were not of the same kind, employing entirely different designs for firearms...


    For Shireck was now mass-producing the 1888 Committee rifles, an outdated German metallic cartridge bolt-action rifle initially sold to Huaxia.


    These weapons were deliberately leaked to the Shireck Consortium by Tang Mo, along with obsolete Mauser pistols, considered the price for infiltrating Shireck, and were handed over to the consortium eager for new technology.


    Young people who took these technologies and went over to Shireck had now become key individuals in the consortium''s talent development and had become nails that the Great Tang Group had hammered inside Shireck.


    In response, Shireck''s attempts to place moles inside the Great Tang Group''s ranks had not achieved such an effect in the short term, for the identities of the personnel simply could not reach that elevation.


    Shireck could only stealthily send schoolchildren to schools affiliated with the Great Tang Group, hoping they might prove useful in the future. Alternatively, they could take advantage of hiring waves to place apprentices and other minor figures in the lowest ranks of the Great Tang Group.


    Sending schoolchildren into the Great Tang Group''s schools was not an easy task. First and foremost, the Great Tang Group had its own identity and security vetting mechanisms, and a major focus of the Silver Fox Tavern lay precisely in this area.


    On the other hand, students who managed to infiltrate the schools and who were exposed to the Great Tang Group''s advanced knowledge and fully embraced their ideological education often directly said goodbye to the outdated, declining Shireck Consortium.


    They would typically go straight to the Great Tang Group''s intelligence department, confess their original mission, and weep profusely in hopes of staying on to continue their studies.


    Of course, even presumed smart, stubborn spies found it difficult to make their mark. By the time they truly came into their own under the tutelage of their seniors in the Great Tang Group, capable of handling responsibilities alone, it generally took a year or more.


    While this time span was not especially long, it was certainly not short either¡ªby the time they figured out a way to send information back to Shireck, it would likely be outdated.


    Regarding the second method, although the Great Tang Group indeed recruited workers broadly, including miners and various skilled laborers, such people were all at the bottom rung and had no possibility of accessing Great Tang''s secrets.


    They might spend their entire lives doing just one part of a production line, not even setting foot in an adjacent workshop once.


    Expecting such informants to provide high-value intelligence was undoubtedly foolish, especially considering that at that time there were no cell phones or the Internet, and radio telegraph and generator equipment were as large as a suitcase, making communication extremely difficult.


    In the collective dormitories of the Great Tang Group, trying to set up telegraph equipment and connect to electricity... even the thought seemed fantastical.


    "You!" The maid nearly lost control of her anger, almost erupting again.


    "Anger won''t solve anything, miss," Harry made a calming gesture, soothing the maid who was about to swear.


    The maid took a couple of deep breaths, composed herself, and spoke indignantly, "I can''t believe you lack even the most basic sincerity! I want to talk to Mr. Tang personally!"


    "Actually, your mistress Sofia doesn''t have as much authority within Shireck as I have within the Great Tang Group. It''s already quite an honor for Shireck that I''m personally negotiating with you," Harry said, dismissing the idea with a wave of his hand.


    He continued, "Previously, Mr. Tang met with you out of curiosity¡ªdon''t misunderstand..."


    "Hmph!" The maid realized that it was unlikely Tang Mo would meet with her personally, so she just snorted and withheld further comment.


    "So, miss, can we talk about serious matters now? My time is precious, and I don''t want to waste it endlessly here." Harry leaned back in his chair.


    The maid thought she had conceded enough, so she felt she could still push for some benefits, "What else is there to talk about? We''ve already agreed to force the Rosewood Kingdom and the Poplar Kingdom to cede part of their territory. As for matters related to Germelin..."


    "The matter of the Kingdom of Gemalin has been settled. Tomorrow... the King of Gemalin will arrive in Brunas City, where he will be executed in front of everyone... Quite dignified, isn''t it?" Harry interrupted the maid.


    "Haven''t you learned negotiation skills?" The maid''s blood pressure spiked instantly.


    "Whether we know how to negotiate is not important. What''s important is, my master Mr. Tang once said," Harry spoke with reverence and admiration when mentioning Tang Mo.


    "He said." He didn''t wait for the maid to ask before continuing, "''Whatever cannot be acquired in war, cannot be touched at the negotiation table! Victory is the foundation of everything!''"


    "It''s really unexpected. The tradition that Shireck had always adhered to has been truly carried on by an outsider," the maid sneered coldly, no longer continuing the conversation.


    "Once you''ve given us what''s due, we can proceed with the trade. The design blueprints you want for the warship, the technical processes... and the design plans for the shipyard..." After verbally taking the upper hand, Harry also spoke about the conditions offered by the Great Tang Group.


    "The Shireck Consortium agrees to relinquish... Taren, Xilun, Germelin, Phalak, Rosewood, and Poplar¡ªthe six kingdoms¡ªand officially recognizes the Laines Empire..." Harry seriously stated the terms that had been agreed upon earlier, "Moreover, Shireck must turn over a list of spies embedded within our ranks."


    "The production line for the cars! I want the production line for the cars!" Realizing her spies were likely doomed, the maid demanded in a frosty tone.


    Harry nodded, which was part of the bargaining chip Mr. Tang had decided to offer and was still within the tolerable range, "We can only give you the production line for the Model T car... but it''s for refurbishing, and you can only claim it''s technology you''ve stolen..."


    "Agreed!" The maid was also aware she couldn''t get her hands on the truly advanced, cutting-edge technology, but was satisfied nonetheless.


    Shireck needed time to digest these designs and inspirations, to catch up with the pace of development of the Great Tang Group... although they were already falling further and further behind.

 Chapter 320 316 hanging

    After an arduous journey, the King of the Kingdom of Gemalin felt that he was truly on the brink of death. He had been continuously in a carriage, be it an automobile''s, a horse-drawn carriage''s, or a train''s.


    Although, the final leg of his journey had passed by on a train, leaving him deeply impressed by the smooth mode of travel, it was still not as comfortable as lying in the Royal Palace, embraced by his consorts on either side.


    It wasn''t until he saw the train that the King of Germelin realized just how utterly he had been defeated¡ªhis logistics and supply transport were a century behind the enemy''s.


    The goods produced by the Great Tang Group could be transported directly to Ice Crystal City by railway and thereafter continuously shipped to the vicinity of the original border between the two countries by automobile on smooth roads.


    Only upon entering the Kingdom of Gemalin did the transport become difficult, a stark contrast to his prior assumptions.


    For a long time, both the Kingdom of Gemalin and the Shireck Consortium based their judgments on the capabilities of their own nation.


    They concluded that the enemy would spend a considerable amount of time and energy transporting supplies from the rear to the vicinity of the border.


    Especially since the core production base of the Tang Group, located on the West Coast in Brunas, was far too distant from the war zone.


    But it was now clear to him that the enemy''s logistics hub was almost on the border between the two countries, even closer to it than his military''s supply bases were.


    After all, without much effort, the Tang Group could transport their supplies to the vicinity of the Gemalin-Leite Kingdom border day and night by train.


    It was precisely because of these supplies that General Redman, now regarded as a living War God, had managed to capture the Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Gemalin in just 17 days.


    Owing to this battle, the Kingdom of Gemalin was destined to go down in history, only as a backdrop, a negative example.


    And when the King of Gemalin saw Brunas, he finally understood that his opponent was a monster that had transcended the era.


    The lights here were more numerous than the stars, brightness was everywhere at night, the place surpassed his own Royal Palace, and every person living here seemed like nobility.


    "Germelin Fi?ri?ch! The judge now proclaims! You are guilty of initiating war, massacring civilians, and murdering four interns from the Great Tang Group''s military academy... do you plead guilty?"


    "Heh heh heh..." The King of Germelin, somewhat unfamiliar with his own name, cracked a smile. His gaze drifted past the hanging noose to focus on Li''ao seated at the judge''s bench, he scoffed disdainfully, "A banished criminal dares to judge me?"


    He now knew the gravity of his situation. While his heart shuddered with fear, he showed no signs of cowardice, "You dare judge a king? You''re not even nobility! I am guilty of no crimes! No crimes at all! Soon you will pay the price for your ignorance!


    You will become the public enemy of royal families worldwide!"


    So, he began to struggle, to struggle desperately.


    "I did not give the order to slaughter! I didn''t tell them to kill civilians! That was all the individual actions of soldiers! I... I should not be responsible for this! I am a king!" he said desperately, shaking his head and kicking his legs on the ground.


    However, because it was within close range, he was quickly pushed in front of the noose, his head tilting back at all costs, as if only by doing so could he keep further away from the Grim Reaper.


    Finally, the noose was placed around his head, and despite his efforts to struggle, his hands bound together, the cold hemp rope was still looped around his neck.


    At that moment, Germelin Firich felt an uncontrollable terror and even screamed out in fear.


    He wanted to struggle, but he could only make a few useless twists of his body, leaving his ugly, death-stricken face visible for all to see, without even a hood over his head or a gag in his mouth.


    "I didn''t order the killings! It was Shireck! Shireck''s men deceived me!" he continued to shout while struggling.


    But none of the jury or the onlookers who had come to witness his hanging seemed to change their minds; they simply watched coldly, saying nothing.


    "I was deceived! They lied to me! I didn''t order the attack! The war wasn''t started by me! It was Shireck''s people! Shireck''s bastards!" he yelled desperately.


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    But no matter how much he shouted, no one paid him any heed.


    The executioners on either side still controlled him like iron pincers, leaving him unable to move.


    So he could only continue to yowl, "Let me down! I can cooperate with you! Whatever you ask me to do, I''ll do it!"


    "I can help you govern Germelin, I''m very familiar with it! I can be useful! I still have value!" he tried hard to prove his worth.


    When he found that no one was moved by his pleas, he had no choice but to invent stories of hoarding Gold Coins: "I! I still have hidden private wealth! I have money! Don''t you want that money? I have money! I can take you to find it!"


    "Ransom! I demand ransom for myself! A hundred thousand Gold Coins! Two hundred thousand! If you let me go..." he believed that if they would spare him that day, he would definitely have a chance to live.


    "No, you cannot do this!" As he shouted out such a sentence, he suddenly realized that yelling like this seemed futile, so he instantly changed his plea, "Mercy, my lord! Mercy! I was wrong! I was wrong!"


    In his desperation, he even shed tears. At that moment, he was quite certain that if time could be turned back, he would never entertain the naive thought of annexing Leite Kingdom and taking over Brunas.


    Given another ten guts, he wouldn''t dare to make another move. Unfortunately, in this world, there is no medicine for regret. Now, it''s all too late.

 Chapter 321 317 Armored Vehicle

    Adding steel plates to automobiles was almost a matter of course, as the form of warfare had changed, Front-line military urgently needed a powerful weapon that could accompany them in a charge and provide them with cover.


    As the pace of war accelerated, cavalry began to return to the ranks of troops on a large scale, because they were the easiest to obtain and could move at high speeds over short periods.


    However, modern cavalry resembled dragoons more, fighting dismounted with rifles and only employing traditional cavalry tactics when high-speed maneuvering or charging to rout enemy forces was required.


    But this type of cavalry saw no technological advancement, People were simply desperate for a fast-moving force, so they had no choice but to make do with this ancient type of unit.


    But Tang Mo had the strength to transform an automobile into an armored vehicle¡ªhe had all the technology required for an armored vehicle.


    He could mass-produce cars, and specifically, the best-performing ones. He didn''t need to worry about the lack of power in Model Ts, because he already had better engines in hand.


    Even, like the United Kingdom during the First World War, he could directly use Rolls-Royce cars as armored vehicles, luxurious... and extravagant...


    Therefore, a good car was the basis for converting into an armored vehicle, and Tang Mo had this base, which was beyond doubt.


    At the same time, Tang Mo had suitable weapons for armored vehicles! He had Maxim machine guns, which other forces were still attempting to replicate and had not yet equipped in large numbers.


    Therefore, only Tang Mo, or rather, only Great Tang Group naturally came up with the first practical armored vehicles, and only Tang Mo could afford such expensive weaponry.


    The costliness of this weapon was not in its production cost, for a car, a pile of steel plates, and a machine gun theoretically wouldn''t be too extravagant.


    It was merely a combination, an immature prototype, a temporary solution devised for urgent problems.


    The real expense of armored vehicles lay in the still immature logistics that had to be established around them.


    Another equally important point was that vehicular radios were nowhere to be seen, and Tang Mo did not even plan to produce them, which meant there were also issues with the communications and command of armored vehicles, limiting the use of such weapons.


    So, Tang Mo wasn''t foolish; he just followed historical trends to create a concept weapon to meet customer demands in this oil-deficient era.


    Even then, he came up with this thing simply to satisfy Emperor Leines I''s expectations of his own victory parade.


    Speaking of Leines I''s victory parade, we must start with his "achievements." King Leite VII had, in less than two years, expanded his territory almost to the border of the Empire of Nanla.


    In terms of land area, although Laines was still slightly smaller, it was clear that both were now comparable in size.


    What the Laines Empire needed to do was to assimilate their occupied territories and stabilize their rule over the newly seized areas, a process that often took several years or even decades.


    After gaining control of so much territory, Leite VII decided to proclaim himself Emperor. He prepared for a long time in Laines, or to be precise, he built a grand avenue and erected a viewing stand alongside it.


    As for other places in Laines, they had all been handed over to Great Tang Group for construction, so the future capital of Laines currently resembled a vast construction site.


    However, this did not affect the scale of the upcoming victory parade in the slightest. According to the plan agreed upon in advance, Great Tang Group would send an armored battalion to participate in the parade.


    This battalion would be equipped with ten of the latest armored vehicles, equipped with Rolls-Royce''s newest engines, and they would pass the reviewing stand, displaying their elegance to all the guests.


    Following them in front of the new Emperor would be a hundred cars carrying soldiers, provided by Great Tang Group with drivers; these soldiers would be from the Northern Ridge''s First Infantry Regiment.


    Then, passing the viewing stand would be a hundred trucks towing various types of artillery, showcasing to the people what the future mechanized troops would look like.


    Of course, for an arms dealer, this event was essentially a massive advertisement for themselves, so Tang Mo would certainly not refuse such an opportunity.

 Chapter 322 Finale of the Battle of the Eleven Nations at March 18

    These new trucks pulled 105mm howitzer guns, 75mm field artillery, field medical trailers, field kitchens, and other equipment past the parade ground.


    Following them was the Second Infantry Corps from Northern Ridge, marching in a pure infantry formation past the presidential stand.


    They were equipped with soldier gear from Great Tang Group, a flagship product that had performed outstandingly well in this war. Therefore, even before their official debut, they had already caught the eye of many.


    Including the steel helmets from Great Tang Group, many countries were already replicating them. It''s said that this gear could effectively reduce the casualty rate among soldiers.


    At the same time, ammunition pouches, weapon belts, raincoats, bayonets, and hand grenades could all potentially become hot sellers in the future.


    The envoy from the Empire of Nanla, Mo Kangsen, was inspecting various weapons and equipment from Great Tang Group, and he had already decided that the Empire of Nanla would purchase at least 100 G1 machine guns, which are Maxim heavy machine guns.


    Moreover, the Empire of Nanla was also very interested in the warships from Great Tang Group. After all... to the east of the Empire of Nanla lay an ocean, the Sea of the Demon King.


    They, too, had thousands of miles of sea defense and naturally favored the new warships from Great Tang Group. Compared to the previous generation of warships, the new ironclad warships were faster and more powerful, thus fewer were needed to ensure the safety of their coastlines.


    In those days, there wasn''t much theory about sea power. Generally, the only reason a land-based major power would value the navy was to ensure the safety of their coastlines. It was a limitation of the era, nothing surprising.


    Just as Great Tang Group was really strangling the King of Germelin Kingdom and beginning preparations for the victory parade in Laines, far in the north, amidst a world of ice and snow, a Dwarf soldier cocked his rifle.


    In his hands, he held a pin-fire rifle from Great Tang Group, still using somewhat outdated paper cartridge bullets.


    However, in the Ice Cold Kingdom, this was already a very advanced weapon. He took aim at a distant target, then pulled his trigger.


    "Bang!" With the sound of gunfire, the distant target fell to the ground. It was a Dwarf clad in thick cotton, holding an antiquated Shireck Flintlock Gun in his hands.


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    Suthers, due to internal strife, was unable to retaliate against the provoking Kingdom of Phalak. However, both sides'' border garrisons adopted trench warfare tactics, so despite the outbreak of hostilities, neither could gain an advantage.


    Since the Kingdom of Phalak had already realized that the war was destined to fail, their request for peace talks was not at all surprising.


    The Songmu Kingdom''s cession of the territory south of the Songmu River was also the result of Sofia''s maneuvers. Due to the failure of the Eleven Kingdoms War, the other directors of Shireck began to support Sofia, urging her to end the war that had no chance of victory.


    Thus, in a desperate move, Sofia saved the Kingdom of Phalak by sacrificing five other countries. It was a trade-off, and Tang Mo had to pay a price to save face for his internal allies in Shireck.


    The end result was that the Great Tang Group generously conceded a step, allowing Sofia to save the Kingdom of Phalak and earn the trust of the Shireck Board.


    And Sofia, in turn, secretly did Great Tang Group a small favor¡ªshe managed to cancel the plan to reinforce the Xilun Kingdom.


    Without the support of this plan, Dorne Kingdom''s main force moving southward easily overcame the Xilun Kingdom and annexed a large portion of its territory.


    As a result, Bolton, who led the troops southward, reached the gates of Xilun King City in just 21 days, nearly breaking his mentor Redman''s record of 17 days to annihilate the Kingdom of Gemalin.


    With the Rosewood Kingdom and the Songmu Kingdom reaching a peace agreement, the Eleven Kingdoms War was largely coming to an end.


    Now, only the Taren Kingdom continued to hold out¡ªits King City was blockaded, and the entire country had already fallen into paralysis, but Taren the Tenth showed no intention of surrendering¡ªin fact, he didn''t fail to surrender but had attempted to do so numerous times with Bernard simply ignoring him.


    After more than a decade of bombardment and blockade, the current Taren King City was engulfed in thick smoke everywhere, with looting and turmoil rampant.


    The stockpile of food supplies had begun to run low, and the order and law had long collapsed, with everything seemingly heading towards a point of no return.


    --------


    In the past couple of days, Kaven didn''t dare to ask for leave, so this update is rather brief. I''ll adjust over the next two days and catch up on the missed updates. Counting four owed updates, I strive to repay the debt by the end of this month.

 Chapter 323 319 King Citys Last Stand

    KIng Taren the Tenth, after all, was unable to await the arrival of his loyal artillery commander; nor did reinforcements come from the direction of the artillery.


    Pacing restlessly throughout his own Royal Palace, until darkness fell once again, he could not come up with a satisfactory solution.


    The whole King City had, in fact, completely spiraled out of control, and Taren the Tenth was utterly unable to restore order, nor could he return it to its usual functioning.


    Even though the cannonade had ceased several days prior, and attacks from the seas had long since dissipated, the entire King City still couldn''t revert to its original state.


    The commoners, having seen red, or rather left with no way out, and the disorganized troops, continued to wreak havoc within the city, showing no intention of stopping.


    Various rumors and tales filled the air, many strange legends, leaving the already scared populace wholly unable to discern the truth.


    Some rumors claimed that the King had died, killed by the artillery fire a few days ago; the Ministers kept it secret, only to maintain their grip on power.


    In normal times, King Taren the Tenth need only make a few public appearances to dispel such rumors immediately without a trace.


    But now, with the chaos outside, and with no means of media such as televisions, King Taren the Tenth''s appearance became a significant problem.


    He had no choice; King Taren the Tenth was neither a capable ruler nor a sage, and he didn''t have the courage to risk being attacked and step out of the Royal Palace to prove he was still breathing...


    As a result, such rumors found an even larger audience, with many people vehemently believing the tales recounted by their wives'' aunts'' cousins'' second uncles'' seventh brothers'' sons'' friends... who allegedly witnessed, on that very day, King Taren the Tenth having half his head blown off by a cannonball, a sight terrifying enough to kill a person.


    Of course, there were others who said that it was the lower half of his body that had been hit, and that his... capabilities were gone, so the concubines in the harem were in for a hard time now.


    There was also a legend that the enemy had landed!


    Yes, this legend too was spread with conviction, with many pounding their chests to guarantee that they saw the enemy Troops landing.


    Yet, these witnesses could never clearly describe the enemy''s attire, the exact numbers, or articulate the invaders'' purpose, but they would still assert to anyone who inquired about it that the enemy had landed! That they were rampaging through the city, killing, and setting fires!


    Honestly, by then, those with discernment understood that the rumors of the enemy landing were deliberately being spread with an agenda.


    The people who disseminated these rumors had a simple objective; they were capitalizing on the chaos for profit and naturally needed the chaos to persist.


    Since the enemy was no longer bombarding them, they had to create new anxieties, to facilitate their actions more conveniently, and artificially, to craft a scapegoat villain!


    The principle was simple; these people committed heinous crimes without restraint, and once their deeds were done, they''d conveniently blame the invading forces. The losses would be covered by others.


    And themselves? They reaped all the benefits and, by hiding and waiting out the storm, would no longer be held accountable for their sins.


    Against such a chaotic backdrop, the King City of the Taren Kingdom had become a living hell on earth.


    A city with hundreds of thousands of inhabitants, upon losing order and effective governance, quickly became a quagmire that consumed lives.


    He even sent for the detained Ministers'' families, turning the entire Royal Palace into a congested, smoke-filled place overcrowded with people.


    That was a few days ago, when his commands still carried some weight¡ªnow, he dared not easily dispatch his confidants or troops outside the palace.


    Because the two trusted guards he had sent to the batteries had left and never returned, and most of those he had dispersed to gather information in the last few days had also vanished without a trace.


    Clearly, these men were armed when they left, so the likelihood of them being intercepted was actually very low¡ªit was more plausible that they had simply fled as soon as they left the palace, without attempting to carry out the tasks assigned by the King.


    "Your Majesty! I don''t know either..." the Prime Minister quickly deflected, having lost hope for the Kingdom.


    In the past few days, he hadn''t even dared to send envoys to the commanders of the enemy warships lying at sea, because those envoys too had gone and not returned, not bringing back even a hint of progress.


    And the current state of King City, already nearly consumed by internal strife, was beyond salvation¡ªwithout being able to even find those sent out, how could one manage and control the entire city?


    Moreover, the food stored in the city was rapidly depleting, and famine would soon ensue. When the hungry rioters descended upon the Royal Palace to seek food, what was to be done?


    At that thought, the Prime Minister couldn''t help but smirk bitterly to himself¡ªhis tenure as Prime Minister of Taren Kingdom seemed to have reached its end.


    "You don''t know! You don''t know anything! Do you?" King Taren the Tenth bellowed in frustration and anger, his voice rising to a screeching pitch.


    "Useless rubbish! All of you, rubbish! Traitors!" he yelled helplessly, venting his dissatisfaction and fear.


    Then, he grabbed a water cup and hurled it at the feet of the Prime Minister and other Ministers detained in the palace, screaming, "Get out! All of you, get out!"


    The Ministers and Prime Minister, as if granted a reprieve, quickly exited the hall, while the already enraged King Taren the Tenth turned his attention to a trembling servant standing by.


    "You... come here!" he gestured to the servant, his face darkening.


    Seeing the king summon him, the servant wore an expression uglier than crying and reluctantly moved his frail body towards His Majesty.


    Witnessing such reluctance and fear, King Taren the Tenth grew even more irritable. He strode toward the servant and, with a swing of his arm, delivered a loud slap across the servant''s face.


    The servant was spun in place by the strike, taking several stumbling steps before barely regaining his foothold. But before he could straighten up, the King''s fists, like a violent storm, struck once again.


    Minutes later, King Tarran, panting heavily, stood over the bloodied, lifeless servant, scanning the remaining silent maids and servants: "What are you afraid of? What? Why are you afraid?" he demanded.


    As he spoke, he kicked the battered body on the ground twice more: "What are you afraid I''ll do? Huh? Speak! Why are you so afraid of me? Say it!"


    ...


    Only after the guards, shaken with fear, removed the servant''s corpse and the maids mustered the courage to wash the blood-stained floor did the assembly hall fall into eerie silence, broken only by the sound of rags wiping the ground.


    It was a strange, frightening, quiet.

 Chapter 324 320 new-style warship

    In a shipyard workshop of Shireck, thousands of people gathered around a large ship temporarily modified, conducting the final checks.


    This ship was designed by Shireck''s genius engineer, built through enhancements as an entirely new type of warship that overturned previous sailship designs, adopting an unprecedented layout.


    Indeed, this was a steamship, powered primarily by steam engines, no longer reliant on sails, but propelled continuously by the power of machinery.


    "Gentlemen, we have proven that the smartest people in this world aren''t just from that shitty Great Tang Group! We also have technicians worth boasting about! They too can create the most advanced weaponry in the world!" On the scaffold, the plump Shireck director proudly waved his arms and boasted to all the dignitaries present for the launching ceremony.


    Behind him, the oddly-shaped warship was slowly pushed towards the sea by the workers.


    This dock was actually quite old; its size was not large and indeed not the best choice for constructing large-tonnage warships.


    However, the volume of this warship was not large either, and compared to the ironclad warships of the Great Tang Group, its length could even be considered somewhat pitiful.


    There was no helping it, as the actual Brunas-class warships of the Great Tang Group were hovering around a hundred meters in length, whereas the warship before them was less than 60 meters long.


    But this was already the largest ironclad warship that the Shireck Consortium could build, because if it were any longer, the keel joining techniques they possessed would not suffice to support the heavy hull.


    Despite this, it was still incredibly heavy¡ªthe steel-plated hull meant this warship sat much deeper in the water than other sailships.


    Because of the deep draft, this ship couldn''t enter shallower rivers, and even some smaller seaports were inaccessible to it.


    The fat director of the Shireck Consortium was unfazed by these flaws because the warship before him was truly the first steam-powered warship that Shireck could produce.


    Therefore, he spoke excitedly, sparing no words of praise, and triumphantly announced to all the onlookers: "Next, we are about to witness the launching of this new type of ship! It shall become our new weapon!"


    Warm applause erupted from below, as everyone felt that after a long silence, Shireck was finally back on the right path to development in certain areas.


    The decayed Shireck was finally awakened, no longer complacent, at last focusing on innovation and development like they did a century ago.


    For the shareholders of Shireck, there could be no more exciting news. Their stocks would become more valuable, their net worth would rise! The future was also looking more promising.


    So they clapped excitedly, expressing their emotions. Although they had lost the 11-nation war, Shireck would eventually gain even more!


    The fat man was quite proud, for it was he who had brought this endless potential for development to the group. So recently, he had become the most esteemed representative among the directors and had regained some power that was rightfully his.


    There was no way around it; his workshop was too important for Shireck¡ªit had a set of industrial technology equipment similar to that of the Great Tang Group.


    Moreover, it had two types of new weapons ready for mass production¡ªone was a semi-automatic individual weapon, and the other was a very advanced metal cartridge bolt-action rifle.


    The successful acquisition instantly provided Shireck with two products that could match the individual weapons of the Great Tang Group in performance, thus saving the precariously positioned Shireck Consortium from crisis.


    The young man in front of him had not disappointed Hansen''s expectations. After joining Shireck, he immediately constructed a brand-new warship for them!


    An armored, brand-new, steam-powered warship clad in iron! He resolved Shireck''s troublesome issues in the most direct way possible.


    Shireck''s technicians, who had never seen Great Tang Group''s ironclad warships, struggled without success to understand the principle behind the propeller.


    Even if they guessed the design of the propeller, they lacked the experience to solve the issue of the drive shaft''s sealing technology¡ªthey were completely ignorant about this technological aspect, lacking both data and theoretical support.


    Therefore, Shireck''s steamships had long been unable to hit the water, which left Shireck significantly lagging behind the Great Tang Group in the realm of naval weapons.


    The young man who had just joined Shireck thought outside the box and solved their dilemma.


    He employed the principle of water wheels, installing two huge, symmetrical water wheels high up on either side of the ship, driven by a steam engine to turn the wheels and propel the ship forward.


    Yes, Shireck''s first generation ironclad warships used the design of a paddle wheel ship, a somewhat outdated thought process.


    However, being outdated brought its own advantages¡ªat least this ship did not need to consider watertight structures for the drive shaft, and so the design was substantially simplified.


    Although the speed of this type of ship was slow, it was indeed faster than a sailboat, and, crucially, it didn''t rely on sails. It could sail against the wind, substantially increasing its versatility.


    Of course, the paddle wheel ship had its own flaws¡ªthe biggest two being low propulsion efficiency and the paddle wheel obstructing the placement of cannons on the warship.


    Compared to the Great Tang Group''s warship, which had numerous cannons on its flanks, Shireck''s new ironclad had only a couple of cannons, mounted at the bow and stern!


    But these two cannons were copied from the Great Tang Group''s breech-loading cannons by Shireck, with a performance that was much better compared to the muzzle-loading cannons on previous sailing warships.


    Moreso, these two cannons were installed within rotating turrets, protected by iron plates, thus their survivability was much greater than a muzzle-loader set straightforwardly behind a gun port.


    All in all, this was a brand new warship¡ªthe most advanced warship of Shireck!

 Chapter 325 321 Construction Laines

    Laines was originally a small town where everything was quite ordinary, except for its proximity to the Laines River, which made transportation relatively convenient by water.


    However, the recent changes here have begun to baffle the generations that have lived in this place.


    For they saw outside their city people constructing a large platform, about one meter high and flanked by a row of thick cement pillars.


    Then, from these cement pillars, steel began to extend to both sides, and eventually, workers laid out a network of steel beams on these extensions and attached bricks and tiles to them.


    It resembled a gigantic gazebo, connected to the original city by a wide concrete road.


    Those familiar with all this knew that a railway station was being built, and it was going to be a very large one at that.


    A railway would stretch westward from here all the way to the old Leite Royal City, now known as Jade City.


    Soon, the railway network would be connected, with one route heading north to Ice Crystal City and then directly to Northern Ridge Wolf City, another heading west to Jade City and then continuing westward to Brunas.


    Of course, another line was being built to the south; with Jade City as the transportation hub, it would connect to Dorne King City, completing the basic construction of an entire railway network.


    All of this would take time to accumulate, with a kilometer by kilometer of railway track being diligently laid and built. This would require countless amounts of steel and the collective efforts of innumerable workers.


    The Laines railway station, as a brand new rail link, would also begin to lay tracks, extending to both sides, one connecting to Jade City and the other to the Germelin region.


    This magnificent station is a microcosm of the recent changes in Laines. Apart from the station, a huge waterworks is also under construction, with many roads in the city being dug up for the installation of water supply pipes.


    At the same time, an entire city sewage system was being built, modeled after Brunas''s design and considered one of the most advanced urban sewage systems in the world.


    In addition, a palace was being constructed almost simultaneously, a truly luxurious palace for the Emperor to reside and work in.


    There was also an accompanying power plant, factories for various industrial products, and workshops... The place was like a giant construction site, with frantic construction happening everywhere.


    On the side of the city, a piece of land was being furiously worked upon; this would become the most luxurious shopping street in the new city.


    According to Great Tang Group''s construction plans, this would become an affluent district filled with shops and comprehensive infrastructure.


    And the land price here would be frighteningly high, only the wealthiest imperial tycoons and nobles could afford to live in this area.


    As the builder of this commercial district, Great Tang Group would rely on real estate to generate massive funds, evoking envy from all.


    Becoming an empire was not a simple matter; recently, the ministers of Leite had countless issues to deal with, so they couldn''t be bothered with trivial matters such as a consortium speculating on capital city real estate prices.


    In fact, Laines is not the only city dismantling its walls; Jade City and Wolf City are also taking down their walls, and as for Dragon City and Weigang, there was never any intention to build walls there.


    And other things have already started to make their lives look completely different¡ªfor a small, ancient city like Laines, it had never seen a crane before.


    Especially since this is a new type of device powered by an engine, a machine entirely made of steel with immense power.


    The children of Laines most enjoy squatting nearby every day, watching the cranes fixed on the construction site lift loads that would take dozens of people to lift, hoisting them easily to great heights.


    This is an unprecedented experience, especially therapeutic and stress-relieving...


    Besides the cranes, the children have another interesting place to go, and that is the temporary camps outside the city to see those automobiles they have never seen before.


    For these children, automobiles are definitely a novelty, able to move without being pulled by warhorses, a veritable miracle.


    The military of the Leite Kingdom is equipped with hundreds of Model T automobiles, and many are improved versions of the Model T.


    However, the staff of the Great Tang Group have a wide variety of automobiles at their disposal. Some managers have even replaced their cars with the latest luxury sedans.


    The workers also have trucks that carry more and are easier to drive to choose from, and these vehicles, both in terms of appearance and actual functional performance, are somewhat higher grade than the more common Model T.


    The development of the Great Tang Group has been so rapid that it has made this world look distorted and fantastical.


    Now many places still have only horse-drawn carriages, yet in some extreme cases, automobiles from 1935, 1913, horse-drawn carriages, and even rickshaws can appear in the same scene.


    Railroads have shown their unique role in the war, but in more parts of the world, there isn''t even a proper dirt road...


    Such is reality; Tang Mo is about to create the world''s first airplane, yet some armies... or rather, the vast majority of armies in this world, are still using flintlock guns...


    In Brunas, most people are accustomed to independent bathrooms and water supply systems, yet even in Jade City, these amenities are not fully popularized.


    In Brunas, the electricity coverage rate has already exceeded 90%, but in other regions of the world, you might not even find a single electric wire.


    In Brunas, many important departments have already started to equip telephones for real-time voice communication, but in cities other than this one, communication still largely relies on courier services.


    In Brunas, gangsters might have various models of Left-Wheel Handguns, but in other cities, Rangers might still be wandering the streets with Longswords.


    In Brunas, doctors have even begun to inject medicine to treat various diseases, while in other cities, bloodletting is still widely practiced, witch doctors are still a profession, and praying to deities is considered an "effective" medical approach...


    Now, these changes are all about to come to Laines, and in the near future, this formerly obscure little city will become the capital of the Laines Empire, transforming into a new city that captivates the attention of the world.


    Here, you can see... a glorious future.

 Chapter 326 Incomplete Emperor 322

    On the outskirts of Laines, there was a vast encampment housing soldiers from three legions, as well as a huge tent erected temporarily for the accommodation of Leite VII.


    It could be said that quite a few of the high officials of the Leite Kingdom had moved here with their families, waiting for the moment Jade City''s construction would be completed.


    However, it would be a lengthy process, so they would have to live in tents for at least several more months, sharing the open wilderness with 5000 soldiers.


    It wasn''t that they were eager to move; rather, the King of Leite was anxious to hand over Jade City to Tang Mo as soon as possible so that the Great Tang Group could initiate their grand plan of ascension to the throne.


    The whole plan would cost a staggering sum of money, an amount far beyond what a kingdom in constant warfare could afford.


    Without offering something as collateral, no one could possibly kick off such a massive project, and Tang Mo wasn''t a fool¡ªhe wouldn''t help Leite VII become the world''s newest emperor for nothing.


    Therefore, many ministers of the kingdom were compelled to move, joining their king or rather their future emperor in what amounted to a six-month camping trip.


    This relocation, while chaotic, also breathed unprecedented vitality into the whole Leite Kingdom.


    During the process of relocation, the kingdom''s decaying underbelly was swept clean, at least on the surface, it seemed to flourish.


    Economy, with a year-long push from the Great Tang Group, began to revive, and the momentum of this mass migration swept across most of the nation.


    Countless fortune seekers had already flocked to Laines, and indeed, they found their first pot of gold here.


    The King generously decided that workers involved in the construction of the new city would all receive their own homes in the future city.


    This attracted a multitude, sending many into frenzies. While ministers grumbled and complained, once they received the resettlement fees prepared by the Great Tang Group, they all became understanding and reasonable.


    There was no choice... It wasn''t a lack of principles on their part; it was just that the Great Tang Group had offered too much...


    ...


    Looking at the black and white photograph laid out on the table, the man who was not yet Leines I, His Majesty the King of Leite, still couldn''t quite believe his own eyes.


    The truth was, living in a tent was inconvenient and sometimes boring. Leite VII spent most of his time inspecting the construction site of Laines City to pass the time.


    After all, even though his coronation, victory parade, and relocation were expensive and exhausting, there really wasn''t much for him to do personally.


    Some matters would naturally be taken care of by others without his need to intervene, while some were no longer under the jurisdiction of the soon-to-be emperor...


    Therefore, he began to take an interest in Great Tang Group''s strange technologies, coincidentally, some of which would soon make an appearance at his coronation ceremony.


    Although it was just a small detail of the entire ceremony, this detail truly moved him, causing him to laugh heartily.


    As an Emperor, isn''t what I want and wait for to create history and become the beginning of an era?


    Now I have achieved that, not only founding a dynasty but also becoming a pioneer in another field, being the first!


    This feeling... it''s really good!


    After the photographer left, Leite VII sat back in his seat and dismissed his attendants.


    Once he was sure there were no eavesdroppers nearby, a trusted Minister by his side began to speak calmly, "According to the previous agreement, he will become the Empire''s first hereditary prince."


    "Hmm, give it to him then. With his support, my reign as Emperor will be more stable," Leite VII replied somewhat reluctantly.


    "Yes, and at the same time, we must fix Brunas''s paper currency as the imperial currency. Its credit will be guaranteed jointly by Brunas and the Empire, and Brunas''s paper money will be renamed Imperial Paper Currency, with the unit being... yuan." The Minister continued to inform Leite VII, "The issuance and operation will all be controlled by the Great Tang Group."


    Leite VII, sensing the dissatisfaction in the Minister''s voice, sighed and complained, "Honestly, even though I only understand the basics, I''d rather not have my country''s currency issued and controlled by a merchant."


    "Your Majesty..." The Minister wanted to advise further, for he truly did not wish for the nation''s economy to be in someone else''s hands.


    "Listen to me! I''m not a fool; I know that there are endless tricks involved. With control over the state-sanctioned currency, Tang Mo could easily manipulate everything, and my Emperor''s power has been unprecedentedly undermined," Leite VII said, recalling his duplicitous Finance Minister Simon.


    "But, I''m also aware that it''s a transaction. He has hundreds of students serving in my military, more than half of the Ministers in court act in accordance with the Great Tang Group''s wishes... Even my ''loyal'' Prime Minister has become the damned neutral party! Tang Mo''s infiltration is even more thorough than Shireck''s; I''m practically an Emperor in name only," he said, clearly becoming angry.


    "Your Majesty, you''re taking this too seriously. In reality, we still have a cooperative relationship, and Mr. Tang Mo has no intention of meddling with the power of the Laines Empire," the Minister knew his master did not like to hear this, so after saying it, he hastily added, "Although his power is, indeed, too great."


    Leite VII replied with a grim expression, "I know... That''s why I''ve been biding my time until now! As of today, the conflict between him and me has become irreconcilable."


    "Ah..." The Minister could only feign a sigh, seemingly with a hint of helplessness.


    "He wants the right to issue currency, he wants the economy of the entire country... Even just for self-preservation, what he wants is simply too much... but I have no choice but to grant it to him, for his support is the foundation of my claim to the throne," Leite VII said, sighing involuntarily after hearing the Minister''s sigh.


    Still wary of the other party, yet needing to seek their support; this feeling is really not good, very unpleasant indeed.


    "Right now, the entire country is in a delicate balance, but this balance could be broken at any moment." He felt powerless about the situation, so he had no choice but to accept, "I can trust him, and maybe he really won''t betray me, but what about in ten years'' time? What if he dies, or if I fall ill and die? Will his son covet the throne under my son''s rear?"


    "Your Majesty! Those are issues for the future... Worrying about this now..." The Minister, fearing his master might entertain dangerous rebellious thoughts, quickly interjected with reassurance.


    "I know... I know..." Leite VII, frustrated, cut the Minister''s reassurance off.

 Chapter 327 323 Diary

    I am an arms dealer, and my daily life is actually very monotonous. When I open my eyes in the morning, I have to work busily all day long.


    Every morning, I read the newspapers while having breakfast, and then I listen to the latest news reported by my intelligence network.


    Some of this news consists of summarized content that needs continuous attention, while some are unpredictable, emergency incidents.


    If you want to make money, you need to know about everything happening in this world. The difference in intelligence often affects the decision-making process for handling a situation, and these decisions can ultimately determine the success or failure of the whole matter.


    The better you handle the details, the faster you can solve problems. And solving problems faster usually means earning more money.


    To be honest, I am already about the richest person known in this world. As long as I keep developing systematically, I will certainly become the world''s wealthiest person.


    In the morning, I need to check the company''s account summary report. Through this, I can get a rough idea of how much money I currently have.


    Yesterday, I printed about three million Gold Coins'' worth of banknotes and issued them.


    With this money, the current Great Tang Group actually controls 41 million Gold Coins, with a total currency issuance value of 54 million Gold Coins... it''s basically within a reasonable range.


    Of course, that doesn''t include Great Tang Group''s fixed assets... the land I own, the factories on the land, and other various things, plus technology¡ªperhaps the valuation could be even higher, around... a few billion perhaps.


    I might have temporarily reached the small goal of two to three, or perhaps four to five Jian Lin comrades; frankly speaking, industries are really not as lucrative as playing around with real estate.


    The good news is that I have also started to play with real estate, and it has begun to account for a significant part of my income.


    The bad news is I have no intention of relying on this to develop. I am an arms dealer; I prefer to use the things I sell to destroy everything and then use the things I sell to rebuild the world.


    In my view, most things in the world are weapons.


    Medical drugs are weapons¡ªas long as I control medical care and the R&D of drugs, then all the sick people in this world will be my Soldiers, and everyone''s health will become my battlefield.


    When I can decide who can get medicine and who can only wait to die, the drugs that save lives will become weapons, weapons that control the world.


    Similarly, fashion and art are also weapons. I can use them to change the target''s perception, destroy their worldview and values, and make my enemies unknowingly become my lickspittles, kneeling slaves.


    The ridiculous part is they won''t realize they''ve been conquered. They''ll think they''ve been reborn, become superior beings, and will willingly sacrifice their own personalities and life savings for this.


    Money is also a weapon. When money reaches a certain amount, I can use it to destroy a powerful enemy.


    In fact, even countries with nuclear weapons can be defeated if their economies collapse, if they become poor and desperate. Powerful weapons will only become a burden that crushes them.


    For example, right now, with just one command, the Laines Empire that is still in preparation could collapse, becoming a land of misery and utter despair...


    Similarly, public opinion is a weapon. By controlling public opinion and seizing the world''s voice, if I wish it, the whole world can only hear one sound, then I am like a deity.


    To be honest, some things are very dangerous, and even with a perfect manufacturing process, safety isn''t guaranteed.


    Even I need to be extremely cautious; these are cutting-edge experiments of immense importance to the world.


    As someone with a mind brimming with technical knowledge, I believe it''s my obligation to help the world proceed on the right path.


    It''s my responsibility, my duty, and also my... means of making money! While I take Gold Coins, I give back much more to the world.


    Tang Mo engraved his thoughts into his diary¡ªneatly, penning down every word. He would write an entry occasionally to record and sort out his feelings.


    Similarly, many times his diary would be excerpted for the students to analyze Tang Mo''s thoughts, letting them learn from his advanced ideas.


    This is a most effective teaching method. Everyone is curious about Tang Mo''s thoughts, and it also allows them to see a different landscape through his perspective.


    Just as Tang Mo was writing furiously, the door to his office opened and Harry came in, holding the finalized report of the fashion and art circle.


    He put these documents on Tang Mo''s desk, then placed the stack that might interest Tang Mo at the very top.


    Taking a step back, he finally reported, "Master, here are the photo profiles of the first batch of movie stars that have just been finalized. You can take a look and offer some thoughts."


    Tang Mo paused, then put down his pen and picked up the thick album, bowing his head to turn to the first page.


    He then saw one stunning face after another¡ªsome resembling Audrey Hepburn, some Gal Gadot, and others almost identical to Sophie Marceau.


    The world is vast, vast enough that finding familiar faces isn''t as unlikely as one might think.


    Tang Mo believed that those subordinates who had chosen the movie stars certainly hadn''t seen the movie stars from his world, yet they had still selected, based on male instinct, a collection of females that could be considered works of art.


    "If you find any unsuitable, just tear them out and throw them in the trash," Harry said with a smile to Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo closed the album and handed it back to Harry¡ªbeing a man, he too harbored his own instincts: "Keep them all."


    "Then the number of female guests for tonight''s celebration party will be somewhat plentiful," Harry remarked as he took back the album.


    Tang Mo was indifferent, "Do you think I am someone who cares about a few bottles of fine wine or some delicacies? How about a masquerade ball instead?"


    "As you wish, Master," Harry agreed without any objection. He knew that even if Tang Mo wanted to have a party where no clothes were worn, the women on that list would probably be willing to attend.


    Tang Mo nodded slightly, then instructed, "Send them some pretty dresses, after all, there will be quite a few tycoons coming tonight."


    "Understood!" Harry bowed slightly and then backed toward the door.


    Tang Mo looked down and continued writing his diary: "I don''t like parties, attending parties is a waste of time... And those women, I''m not the least bit interested..."

 Chapter 328 324 Entertainment Circle Raising Gu

    Tang Mo certainly liked parties, as they were reminiscent of the glamorous social gatherings filled with beauties that he often hosted in his previous life. Here, there were true socialites and enchanting belles; it was a place any man would enjoy.


    Naturally, if you didn''t have money, you could never throw such a party. Even the wealthy could only join in, without the means to organize one themselves.


    How much money did Tang Mo have now? Even he wasn''t quite sure anymore. The amount of money he possessed was beyond the comprehension of others in this world.


    Therefore, he had the capability to host such parties, and his technology could make these events appear even more modern and vibrant.


    Because of electricity, the hall truly had sufficient lighting, and everything began to somewhat resemble the settings Tang Mo was familiar with.


    The guests tonight were all wealthy merchants, with no politicians in attendance, because this was essentially a gathering within the entertainment circle, intended to introduce the first generation of leading ladies selected by the Great Tang Group to the rich tycoons.


    If these divinely bestowed actresses weren''t too ambitious and didn''t aspire to reach the pinnacle of the world, they could easily find a patron at this event and develop their careers within Great Tang Group''s movie company, then leave their mark in the annals of cinema history.


    As long as their acting skills were good enough, they might even become "queen of the screen" in the truest sense, becoming the first exceptional actresses of this era.


    The Great Tang Group was already considering setting up the Brunas Awards, which would honor those with extraordinary influence in the film industry.


    And if a woman wanted to go further and reach the top, she would need to overcome challenges, elevate herself enough, then stand before Tang Mo.


    There were too many outstanding women in this world, and having a beautiful face was merely the least valuable addition in the cruel contest among women.


    Do you know how little it can cost to buy one of those seemingly incomparably beautiful women? A few dozen Gold Coins are considered a high price.


    In the shadows, ten Gold Coins could buy a life, and a hundred Gold Coins were a sum that could drive someone insane.


    You think the Nobility commits all sorts of atrocities? In reality, in this world, most women willingly climb onto the beds of noblemen because without their patronage, they might not even have food to eat.


    So, after Tang Mo finished his pleasantries with several merchants, beautifully dressed women occasionally passed by gracefully, whether intentionally or inadvertently.


    Just like in photographs, some of these women resembled Anne Hathaway, while others bore a striking similarity to Scarlett Johansson. It was truly a feast for the eyes, fragrance filling the room.


    It could be said that this was a garden of women exclusively for Tang Mo, a garden for him to appreciate and play with any way he wanted.


    "They all belong to you tonight, Master. If you wish, all of them could be in your bed tonight... Three? Five? Or even... all of them...


    It''s possible."


    "Yes, I''ve heard some," Tang Mo expressed no surprise, as he had long been aware of these matters.


    John startled, then stared at Tang Mo with some astonishment, as though trying to read something from him, "You sanctioned this situation, then?"


    "Sort of! If those ambitious, capable women wish to climb into my bed, they should at least show some capability... so, they should at least take down Susan so that I know she has the ability to replace her and become a better choice for me, shouldn''t I keep my pants on until then?" Tang Mo nodded thoughtfully, as if agreeing with John''s guess.


    Upon hearing Tang Mo admit he was indeed ''raising gu'', John was briefly taken aback then suddenly burst into laughter, "Huh?... Hahaha! Master, the first time I met you, I thought you were an interesting person, really, now I''m even more certain of it, you truly are an... interesting person."


    "You may discover even more sides to me in the future," Tang Mo swirled the wine in his glass.


    John tentatively asked, "Would you like me to give Susan a little warning?"


    Tang Mo stopped John from interfering, all confident, "No need, just keep an eye on her and prevent her from playing foul. I welcome competition, but not the malicious kind that breaks the rules."


    "Understood!" John nodded slightly, "But aren''t you worried that, in the end, no one will be able to replace Susan through competition?"


    "That won''t happen. If there comes a day when she exasperates me to the point of losing patience... I could indeed give her a fitting end!" Tang Mo looked at John confidently, "Do you think she could withstand troubles from a graduate of the Great Hall Women''s Academy if I really sent one after her?"


    John''s expression turned animated, seemingly eager with anticipation, "I''m actually quite looking forward to that scene... Hehehe."


    "Enough with the silly laughter! Get to work," Tang Mo waved his hand, John nodded and, holding his wine glass, backed away.


    He moved to a corner, looked at two waiters who had followed him, and asked in a tone completely different from before, "Did you get all that?"


    "Recorded it, sir!" both waiters replied very respectfully with a nod.


    "The eldest son of Marquis Brunas has taken a liking to Number 116," one of the waiters reported the result of his work after replying.


    "The wealthy Smith has just inquired about Number 76... I''ve already arranged someone to watch her," the other waiter followed up.


    John nodded slightly, then signaled the two waiters with a look. They both bowed slightly and quietly withdrew, blending into the crowd of attendees.


    "I''ve put the pieces in place, the rest is up to you..." John turned his head and spoke to a tall man with a teasing tone in his voice.


    This man, who had no name and was always referred to as ''the bartender'', didn''t speak but simply walked away. As he passed by the stage, the live band was playing their instruments and singing, lifting the atmosphere of the banquet to a climax.


    ```

 Chapter 329 Shipbuilding 325

    The Great Tang Group had been constantly improving their shipbuilding technology, and the most widely tested manufacturing innovation they worked on was a new technique known as welding.


    An ironclad warship is assembled from pieces of steel, and there are only two ways to join steel¡ªwelding and riveting.


    Riveting is a more primitive and cumbersome method of connection, but it has its advantages, the main one being¡ªit''s old enough. A technology that is old enough indicates that it is mature and reliable.


    The Brunas-class warships that Tang Mo initially built actually used a large amount of riveted structures, but afterward, he began experimenting with welded structures on the Wolf-class warships.


    Even though welding is a very advanced manufacturing technique, the biggest problem with new technologies is that training new workers takes time, and it also needs time to be assimilated.


    There was no choice, even for the Great Tang Group, but to train their welding workers step by step, enabling them to master this skill as quickly as possible.


    At the same time, the production of the gases needed for welding also took time, so it was only recently that the Great Tang Group reluctantly began to use the brand-new welding technology to build civilian ships.


    With the new technology available, what''s known as civilian ships, or simply iron steam-powered transport ships, began to be mass-produced at an even faster rate.


    Overall, the new type of warship employed a design of the free wheel from the World War II era, but was simplified in some special equipment, making it more adapted to the current technological manufacturing capacity.


    After all, even for the Great Tang Group, the skill level of the workers was roughly around the year 1910, far from reaching the mature level of the 1940s.


    It was possible to barely manufacture items from around 1940, but that would require concentrating a large number of top talents and could not be mass-produced, which would be more trouble than it''s worth.


    Of course, since the blueprints were directly copied, most of the technical parameters used were those of the free wheel, and they were basically the same model.


    What these ships needed was practicality, the ability to be produced quickly in large quantities, and standardization and homogenization¡ªthey didn''t require any particular performance or aesthetic.


    The empty ship had a displacement of 7,000 tons, the overall length of the ship was 135 meters, and its width, or beam, was an uneven 17.3 meters, with a draft of about 8.5 meters.


    This size was already larger than the warships Tang Mo had previously designed, which did not have this width or this level of displacement.


    In order to obtain as many supplies as possible anywhere, the propulsion system used the most traditional and widely used coal power.


    The entire ship was equipped with three steam engines that together drove a propeller, with a total output of 2,000 horsepower.


    Despite this, the cruising speed of this type of ship was still a weakness, as it only had a meager speed of 20 kilometers per hour!


    Yes, this speed is about equal to 10 knots, which, compared to the Wolf-class cruisers Tang Mo built, was far too slow.


    This type of vessel only has lighting in the cargo hold, the captain''s cabin, and the bridge; other areas use temporary gas lamps for emergencies.


    Welded keels ensure the reliability of the hull, and less important parts extensively use wood as a substitute, which greatly reduces the cost of these ships.


    For ease of manufacture and maintenance, the vessel''s accommodations, the bridge, and the engine are all concentrated in the midship, connected to the propeller by a long shaft.


    In order to lower costs, the latest engines are not installed on these cargo ships; they still use slightly bulky and outdated steam engines, allowing them to refuel in most ports and the mature technology greatly reduces the likelihood of mechanical failures.


    Of course, the Great Tang Group will not admit that using steam engines is to clear inventory, revitalize Northern Ridge''s steam engine manufacturing plants, allowing the investments in Northern Ridge to gain profits from upgrades and transformations.


    The Great Tang Group also will not admit that the production capacity for the newest engines is severely insufficient, and the failure rate is high, so for the time being, they cannot replace the mature steam engines.


    To adapt to the not yet mature shipbuilding methods, Tang Mo has revised and optimized the designs, making the construction of ships faster and cheaper.


    Any non-essential bulkheads have been removed, and there is almost no anti-sinking design; the sole purpose of this is to increase the construction speed and to save the precious steel resources.


    The first Great Tang Group liberty ship took 91 days to build, and this was a record setting time achieved by concentrating a large number of skilled craftsmen working their utmost.


    However, subsequently, the construction time for these ships has been increased to just 68 days per ship! This speed is simply astonishing because even in the ancient era of sailing ships, building a warship took much longer than this record.


    Back then, the timber required for a warship needed to be aired for several years, and the construction of a warship often took more than a year.


    This is why there is a saying "ten years for an army, a hundred years for a navy," the "hundred years for a navy" not only includes the cultivation and accumulation of talent but also encompasses the exasperating building speed of the navy.


    Actually, today, as the Great Tang Group is about to conclude the 11-country war, there are already five liberty ships sailing on the sea. And next, these miraculous merchant ships will be launched every nine days.


    Soon, the Great Tang Group will be able to form a fleet that travels over 20 kilometers per hour and can transport tens of thousands of tons of products at a time, letting them sail on the Endless Sea that once represented isolation and forbiddance.


    For the whole world, this shipbuilding speed is undoubtedly a miracle; it has turned the Endless Sea from a natural moat into a transportation hub, making it a highly coveted strategic location.


    And when these transport ships, loaded with vast amounts of materials, head towards Hotwind Port, the fragile logistics of the Tang Group''s fleet off the coast of the Taren Kingdom will have been thoroughly secured.


    Even without specialized maritime supply ships, it is still possible to manage an improvised transport of some fruits and vegetables, and to replenish some coal with small boats.


    In fact, the ammunition a warship carries to attack a port is really more than enough; there''s hardly a need for resupply.


    Besides, Bernard has received orders that seem to indicate that there won''t be a need for large-scale bombardments in the near future.

 Chapter 330 326 only has one option

    That afternoon, while the soldiers stationed on the battered walls of Taren King City were carefully nursing their barely-better-than-swine-feed meals, a group of enemy troops from distant warships landed.


    He didn''t even dare to touch the Shireck Flintlock Gun next to him, letting the flame in front of him scorch the old container.


    Inside the container, the pasty food was bubbling eerily, emitting a somewhat nauseating smell¡ªthis meal, whose time of the day was unrecognizable, was it lunch or dinner?


    Even the lowest-ranking seamen on the Great Tang Group''s battle ships wouldn''t want a taste of such trash. A sailor carrying a K3 rifle frowned down at the clueless soldiers of the Taren Kingdom, with undisguised disdain.


    "Where''s your commanding officer?" The elf sailor was wearing a very ordinary cap with a visor, and in the center above the visor was the emblem of a dragon.


    "He''s, he''s behind, behind that rubble, over there... The opposite side of the rubble, it''s less likely to be hit by cannon fire," the soldier replied with honesty as if he were answering his own superior, revealing everything willingly.


    He spilled the beans, all without any need for threats or intimidation, reporting the location in great detail and even explaining the reasons for their placement there.


    "Go get him to come here!" The elf sailor waved his hand impatiently and pulled out a well-packaged flatbread from his pocket, handing it to the soldier: "This is no food for humans; take this as a reward! Hurry and call someone!"


    "Yes! Yes!" The Taren Kingdom soldier took the flatbread and nodded his head eagerly before running towards the ruins, clutching the bread.


    He didn''t even bother to pick up his battered Shireck Flintlock Gun, which looked as though it might not even work anymore.


    Soon the soldier returned with an officer. The officer also seemed to have given up hope, not even bothering to bring his service pistol or longsword as he walked over.


    "I hope you can deliver a message for me to your king..." Finally, the elf soldier guard addressed the approaching human official.


    The officer rubbed his hands in a sycophantic manner, "Of course! Of course! Not a problem at all... truly!"


    He naturally felt a fearful respect towards the terrifying seamen disembarking from the warships, obeying them like a domesticated dog.


    Behind the officer, the soldier who had been given the flatbread was wolfing it down, savoring the best thing he had ever eaten.


    The flatbread was delicious, not only hefty in size but also salted and flavored with green onion, which seemed almost unbelievable. In Taren Kingdom, even officers might not get to enjoy such delights.


    ...


    In the Royal Palace, the wall-defending officer who had come to deliver the message was standing aside as if he had hypnotized himself into a statue. Normally, with his status, it would be difficult for him to stand here and listen to the court''s top officials debate such significant matters.


    The utterly outraged King Leite VII similarly interrupted the others'' advice, his smile not reaching his eyes as he retorted, "What do you mean? As the King of Taren, as a King! Am I not even allowed to choose death? I would rather die and pin the infamy of treason and slaughtering nobility on that surname Tang bastard! He won''t get away with it! He will be despised by all kingdoms!


    He will be hanged! Hahaha! Hahahaha!"


    In fact, when he was shouting these words, he was also feeling apprehensive, for he knew that the Great Tang Group had apparently never hesitated to kill an emperor...


    However, to continue to hold out, he still pretended to be resolute, insisting that he would fight to the death...


    But soon, someone threw cold water on him again, "Your Majesty, the army is in complete disarray, and this place could be breached at any moment! You have to think about your own safety!"


    Another minister stood out and began to persuade him, "Yes, Your Majesty! Sometimes retreating is not shameful, especially when the other side has promised to give you a large sum of money..."


    By surrendering, at least they would still have their own wealth and luxury, whereas resisting to the death would bear no benefits. If they did not persuade their King to surrender now, when would it ever be time?


    "Is this a problem that money can solve? Huh? I am a King! I am a King! This is my kingdom! Everything is mine!


    Mine!" Seeing that so many people were advising him to surrender, King Taren X of Taren Kingdom had almost become reckless.


    The ministers, who had almost lost all respect for him, uncompromisingly exposed Taren X''s last shred of dignity, or rather, they revealed his most glaring wound, "But all of this will no longer be yours soon! Your Majesty! If you continue to hold out, this place will collapse and fall very quickly, and you will lose your life..."


    "..." Taren X, who had been contradicted, didn''t even manage to scold the other before he was left stunned and silent.


    "Think carefully! It''s becoming unsafe even to step out of here! The whole King City is now in chaos, we have no chance of waiting for Shireck''s reinforcements... Surrendering might be your best choice!" During his moment of distraction, even more ministers seized the opportunity to join the persuasion effort, seeing that the King seemed at a loss for words.


    After dismissing everyone, a dispirited Taren X sat on his royal throne, his face a picture of despair as he looked at Prime Minister Taren, who was not too far from him.


    "What''s your opinion? Prime Minister... Should we continue to hold out here... or... or... or..." He struggled for a long time, unable to say the two familiar yet strange words "surrender."


    "Defending... is not the solution... We hold out, but we must have hope to do so. The soldiers defending the city and their commanders, many of them have already heard about Shireck''s betrayal... With hope already gone, expecting these hopeless defenders to fight to the last man for you is clearly unrealistic," the Prime Minister seriously explained to Taren X.


    "So... there''s really only the second path to take?" Taren X still seemed somewhat reluctant.


    "From my perspective, the other side hasn''t given you an option... From the beginning to the end, you''ve only had one wise choice," the Prime Minister answered earnestly.


    "Sigh..." After a long silence, Taren X''s resigned sigh echoed in the somewhat empty hall.

 Chapter 331 327 a dead person

    A month later, when the gigantic freewheeler arrived at Hotwind Port, it startled the workers who were building even larger cranes on the docks.


    They had truly never seen such a huge ship, let alone such a massive iron vessel.


    As the ship blew its whistle and docked beside the pier, like a giant beast, it made the beside massive sailing ship unloading its cargo look incredibly tiny by comparison.


    Even though the sailing ship was already quite large, besides the tall masts, one could not see the deck of the freewheeler from its deck.


    Leaning on the railing on the ship''s side, a sailor overlooked the entire dock, where porters were coming and going busily, and not a single one was not curiously sizing up this steel behemoth.


    A total of 100 trucks and the parts for two cranes for loading and unloading, with the rest of the cabins filled with bagged cement, just the transport capacity of this single freewheeler could almost rejuvenate Hotwind Port completely.


    Just a few months ago, the place was nearly attacked by the Taren Kingdom''s troops, but a few months later, it had already become the largest freight port in the south.


    Near the port, the newly constructed coal yard was filled with black coal piled up like mountains, and a direct road for transporting coal to the port had just been completed and opened to traffic.


    The railway of Hotwind Port leads to the Dorne King City. To be honest, its construction was not fast. From the start until now, it had been progressing at a steady pace of about five to six kilometers a day.


    There was really no helping it, the place indeed needed development, but the Great Tang Group really couldn''t spare the strength to develop it for the time being.


    A massive number of railway workers were working on the railway between Jade City and Laines'' capital city. The railway between Ice Crystal City and Jade City was also being furiously constructed.


    Car production never ceased, and the Great Tang Group''s car production lines were running at full capacity, even with overtime on holidays.


    Over 100 cars were produced daily, about 60 of which were sedans, and the rest were trucks. At this rate, the Great Tang Group could produce nearly 40,000 cars a year, which was an astonishing figure.


    With the frenzied construction of freewheelers to dominate the shipping trade of the entire Endless Sea, the capacity for steel production was really struggling to keep up.


    Clearly, it wasn''t that the technology or funding couldn''t keep up, but the pre-industrial production capacity....


    Car production capacity was already maxed, yet it still couldn''t meet the demand, but expanding car production was impossible because producing more cars was futile without enough gasoline supply.


    Similarly, building more oil refineries was useless, because the capacity of the oil fields was there, and more refineries wouldn''t help without crude oil supply.


    So they could only go about expanding oil fields honestly, to increase the total oil production¡ªa lengthy process that couldn''t be solved as quickly as starting from scratch.


    For example, rail production capacity was maxed, but to continue building more rail production plants meant increasing the source steel production.


    But steel production was also maxed, so they needed to mine more iron... Such matters restrained the development of the Great Tang Group, as well as the development of the entire world.


    Each crane was working non-stop, with only their passenger dock devoid of mountainous piles of cargo.


    The sound of car engines, the noise of the waves, the clamor of the working cranes, the shouts of the workers, and the clanging from the shipyards being built all interwove, making the place somewhat noisy.


    But this kind of noise truly conveyed a sense of booming prosperity, an impact that instantly conquered the children who disembarked, and also astonished the members of the Taren royal family who had accompanied Taren the Tenth to Brunas.


    Taren the Tenth had seven princesses and over a dozen children, the eldest being fifteen years old this year, and the youngest still needed to be held.


    They all came to Brunas because, at the very last moment, Taren the Tenth had chosen dignity. He dignifiedly gave up his kingdom, dignifiedly chose a manner of death, and then dignifiedly announced to the world that he had committed suicide.


    Now renamed Tark, he and his family arrived in Brunas by ship, where he would receive a significant sum of money and a luxurious residence of considerable value.


    This was the dignity promised to him by Tang Mo, although an officer Housen of the Taren had killed a captain of the Great Tang Group''s patrol team, avenging that captain by eradicating Taren could definitely be said as revenge.


    A life for a kingdom... it seemed fair. At least Tang Mo thought that such equivalent recompense for debts was fair.


    "Quiet!" The girl''s mother looked very dignified as she scolded, then realized her husband showed no displeasure over their daughter''s exclamation.


    The former Taren the Tenth, or rather, Mr. Tark as he was now known, had his attention captured by the luxury car parked in front of him.


    Experience new tales on empire


    "Mr. Tark?" The driver politely opened the car door for Taren the Tenth, making a welcoming gesture: "I am your driver, sir. The cars behind are all prepared for you and your family."


    With that, Taren the Tenth followed his pointing finger towards the other side and then noticed that there were already seven or eight cars waiting there.


    Besides his luxury car, the rest of the vehicles seemed pretty nice. Taren the Tenth really hadn''t expected that Mr. Tang, whom he''d never met, would truly fulfill his promise.


    He had promised to give him a million Gold Coins, allowing him to live a life of affluence in the days to come, and also promised that he could live incognito, undisturbed by anyone.


    What Taren the Tenth hadn''t anticipated was that he would also encounter modern life in Brunas, something he had never experienced before.


    His residence had electric lights, flush toilets, soft Simmons beds, and he could even retain his original butlers and servants.


    Even more, he could keep his own bodyguards if he could afford them; he was allowed to maintain a bodyguard unit of up to ten men.


    This was certainly much better than surrendering to the King of Dorne. Because of wary considerations, a dethroned monarch would unlikely enjoy such good treatment.


    "Sigh..." Exhaling, Taren the Tenth bent down, entered the small car, and sat on the soft rear seat of the automobile, comfortably closing his eyes.

 Chapter 332 328

    Arriving in Brunas with Taren X were several dozen ships of mysterious origin, none of which flew a national flag, nor were their sails uniform in color, and even their sizes were not quite the same.


    These ships hailed from many different countries or regions, but after being inspected, they were allowed to unload in Brunas.


    Experience more on empire


    Unbelievably, these long-distance sailing ships were filled with iron ingots from an unknown source! Entirely iron ingots! A massive quantity of iron ingots! Top-quality iron ingots.


    After verifying the secret signal, the Shireck maid on the pier handed the document in her hand to a subordinate beside her, watching, expressionless, as the workers and cranes moved the costly, high-quality iron materials from the sailing ships.


    The workers waiting at the dock scrambled to load these goods onto the long-awaited horse-drawn carts and trucks, which then hurriedly made their way to the nearby train station.


    There, trains that could go directly to the Great Tang Group awaited, freight trains that could deliver the iron materials straight to the steel mills, where these raw materials would be refined and processed into the steel products needed by the Great Tang Group.


    Including steel capable of being made into railway tracks, steel for manufacturing gun barrels, steel that could be transformed into sheet metal, steel that could be used as the framework...


    In short, the Great Tang Group had an immense need for steel, and clearly, constructing an entirely new world would require even more steel.


    "We can''t keep this secret for too long," the maid said, looking at Harry, who stood silently beside her. "Even if you''re good at keeping secrets, our clandestine cooperation won''t stay hidden for long."


    "We don''t need to keep it a secret," Harry responded with a relaxed smile as cart after cart of iron ingots was moved out of the dock. "As long as there''s no evidence, that''s all that matters."


    "Sometimes, they don''t need any evidence to take action," the maid replied coldly.


    Harry remained unconcerned, lazily stretching. "Hmm... so why would they want to take action?"


    "What do you mean?" the maid asked, giving him a sideways glance.


    Harry finished stretching, dropped his hands, yawned, and then answered: "Why would they stop something that''s to your advantage?"


    Lately, he had been working with Van Kums on a financial data model, and for three nights straight, he hadn''t had a good sleep.


    They were about to accomplish a feat no one in the world had yet touched, their data model could play the world''s financiers like pawns on a chessboard.


    It was a great mathematical model that transcended the entire era. Once it started operating, the Great Tang Group would have the world''s financial jugular in its grasp.


    The concept was, of course, proposed by Tang Mo, and once Tang Mo presented it, he and Van Kums became obsessed.


    In fact, much of their work was essentially verification or recalculations, but in the process, it seemed they had opened the door to a new world.


    Then, ignoring Harry beside her, she kept telling herself inwardly that she was a lesbian, a lover of women, and the person she liked the most was the powerful Sofia.


    But... are there really men in this world as powerful as Sofia... A young man, a few years younger than her, a strong young man...


    Uncontrollably, her gaze shifted back to Harry, just in time to catch him with a pair of gentle eyes looking at the distant sea.


    In an instant, the powerful, focused, resolute, steadfast... everything imaginable rushed into the maid''s desolate heart.


    At that moment, she felt dizzy and nearly had a nosebleed.


    Harry had just been contently watching a brand-new Liberty ship navigating the sea, knowing that it was the Liberty ship that had been launched yesterday on its trial voyage.


    He was very satisfied with the progress at the dockyard and made a mental note to praise Mr. Parker, who was supervising the operation of the dockyard, at the next meeting.


    When he realized that the Shireck liaison beside him had been silent for quite some time, he turned his attention away from the sea.


    And as he looked at her, he saw the maid''s eyes brimming with curiosity as she scrutinized him up and down.


    "What are you doing?" Harry felt that the way she had looked at him was somehow familiar. He stepped warily aside and asked subconsciously.


    "Nothing... We have many beautiful ladies at Flame Castle. Next time, shall I bring one for you?" Blurted out the maid, as if possessed.


    She probably didn''t even know what she was doing...


    Harry remembered that look; it was the same one his female classmates had when they eyed the latest handbags on the street - full of appreciation, a desire to possess, driven by a collecting fetish and a controlling desire - a demeaning lowbrow taste...


    "No need, thank you, I don''t have time for women." Harry was as straightforward as a beam of light. In his world, the female form certainly did not appeal to him as much as mathematical models did.


    The maid finally realized how she must appear to ordinary people, what sort of monster.


    She wished she could slap him and then shout loudly to bring him back on the right track, "Wake up! You need a woman! A good woman who is worthy of you!"


    But on the surface, she still smiled politely, "It''s okay, if you don''t need one, then it''s easier for me."


    Another vehicle fully loaded with ingots drove past the place where they were standing, drawing Harry''s attention away, and the conversation came to an abrupt end as if nothing had happened.


    A second later, the maid began to miss her beloved Sofia again, while Harry returned to contemplating his data models.


    On the distant sea, the horn of the Great Tang Group''s massive Liberty ship sounded, its wail obscuring all the awkwardness.

 Chapter 333 329 match

    There has never been a shortage of games in this world, especially for the wealthy, who often invent games to while away their abundant time.


    Brunas boasts a colossal racecourse where horse races take place daily, allowing people to squander their money and time on bets.


    Here, tens of thousands wave their betting slips and scream wildly; however, the vast majority are visitors¡ªafter all, locals who work here can''t afford such leisure.


    The casino is naturally a den of iniquitous consumption, and as Brunas''s largest bookie, Tang Mo earned a daily profit that could easily sustain the daily expenses of an infantry battalion.


    Many tycoons recklessly spent here, enjoying games that thrilled their nerves and willingly spending thousands of Gold Coins on grand adventures to prove they were alive.


    Similarly, the flesh trade in Brunas reached new heights with innovative twists. Here, one could find pleasure houses with unprecedented role-play scenarios.


    If you''re willing to pay, they offer every imaginable service, from heroic rescues ending in heartfelt rewards, chance jungle encounters with village girls, love at first sight with wartime nurses, to pets transforming into humans to repay favors...


    Well, there''s nothing you can''t play if you can imagine it.


    Of course, besides these traditional entertainments, Brunas recently introduced a host of new attractions.


    Boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, mixed martial arts... even convict death matches for the thrill-seekers. There are no human rights issues here, so naturally, no complaints about illicit underground fighting rings. Stay tuned for updates on empire


    The rich still crave excitement; they had their secret games before, but watching a life-and-death struggle together and being able to wager on the outcome suits the bored nobles and super-rich with money burning holes in their pockets just fine.


    Now that there was legal killing, Tang Mo didn''t mind revealing even more intriguing activities for all to enjoy.


    He carefully cultivated three soccer teams, Northern Ridge Wolves, Brunas Victory, and Jade City¡ªjust like that, soccer began to flourish in this other world.


    Tang Mo personally attended the first soccer match, and many tycoons and nobles snapped up all the tickets to show their support.


    After that, the sport took off, with each match drawing a full house. Eventually, both Brunas Victory and Jade City were defeated by Northern Ridge Wolves, who became the champions of the inaugural club cup.


    After a two-month break, the competition would resume, this time with more teams participating¡ªDragon City Elites and Great Tang Military Academy would join, along with Great Tang Group Workers, Royal Laines, and Ice Crystal City Adventurers...


    Furthermore, in the developing city of Laines, an enormous stadium was being constructed to support the potentially prosperous future of soccer.


    However, due to limitations in transportation technology, expanding the scale of the soccer league was still not an easy task...


    Compared to a 350 horsepower muscle car, women seem less important. If they could fit this car with a nitrous oxide cylinder, these die-hard men might spend the rest of their days with this car.


    To Tang Mo, there was no crazier race that could better advertise how excellent his cars were and how overwhelmingly superior their performance was.


    This was a giant advertisement, eagerly anticipated by everyone. His cars, engines, and other technologies, were poised to dominate this field for a century¡ª he would be the absolute ruler of this realm!


    It was a competition that promised to rake in money as well as burn through it. Just the research and improvement of engines could consume hundreds of millions or even billions of funds in this pinnacle competition of human mechanical civilization.


    And that didn''t include the costs of a gigantic venue¡ª football stadiums were trivial in comparison to the race tracks.


    But none of that mattered to Tang Mo. He knew that by bringing this venture to life, he would reap countless benefits.


    He was like a master painter on a blank canvas, where any stroke he made would become a classic for generations to come.


    All he needed to do now was keep making rules, bringing those he was thoroughly familiar with to this world to stay leagues ahead in countless domains.


    What''s the easiest way to make money? Be the rule-maker in every field! Right now, Tang Mo was like a deity, madly drafting rules in every realm he could touch.


    He was the rule-maker for all industries, the omnipotent god who, even in play, was the best¡ª the one who played most lucratively!


    "How could anyone''s car be faster than yours?" John, who was in charge of the plan, asked with some confusion as he looked over the racing competition plan that Tang Mo had proposed.


    "Doesn''t this just prove that my car is the best in the world?" Tang Mo asked with a smile.


    "Your car is certainly the best in the world," John affirmed without hesitation, not even needing to think.


    Tang Mo looked at him, "How do you prove it? In a few months, Shireck will be able to mass-produce their cars, and the Dwarf vehicles should be able to do the same."


    "As time goes on, Laines will have their own car companies, Dorne as well; Suthers''s car production lines are already almost finished building..." As Tang Mo spoke, he gestured expansively with his hands: "The number of people in this world capable of producing cars might be more than you can count on two hands."


    "So, when their cars hit the market, and they start promoting how advanced their cars are, how do we prove ours are better, that there''s a reason they''re pricier?" Tang Mo pressed.


    Then, without waiting for John to respond, Tang Mo continued, "Further, developing new engines needs testing, needs the enhancement of their stability, testing their operation in the most extreme conditions, and all of these can be achieved through competition, right?"


    Once the competitions matured, the advertising fees for a single race track could sell for a high price of thousands of Gold Coins, and an entry fee for a car company could sell for more than ten thousand Gold Coins! Tang Mo thought to himself with an inward scoff.


    "Go on then! Do as I say... and soon, you''ll understand the brilliance of these things," Tang Mo gestured dismissively, feigning deep certainty. This confident demeanor gave John the confidence to proceed without hesitation and begin preparations for the racing competition.

 Chapter 334 Buy a team for 330

    This world is not short of people with vision, and in the afternoon, Tang Mo received an aristocratic visitor¡ªan Earl.


    The visiting Earl was not particularly special; he was just very wealthy¡ªthat Earl was a confidant of the Dorne King, and it was he who had introduced Strauss to the Dorne King.


    Previously an Earl, he had been promoted to Marquis for his merits in introducing Strauss and for donating a substantial amount of money to the war effort.


    Of course, his easy promotion to Marquis also indirectly indicated something¡ªthe Dorne King, too, had entertained the idea of ascending to Emperor.


    This Marquis with a unique vision excelled in investing; he had purchased a sizable share in the workshops controlled by the Great Tang Group early on, which meant he had become a shareholder of Great Tang Group''s subsidiaries.


    This made him extremely wealthy and also cemented his resolve to stay in line with the Great Tang Group.


    When one catches the wind of the times, even a pig could fly, no? Moreover, this Marquis, he was certainly not a pig.


    "May I inquire what urgent matter brings the Marquis to me?" Tang Mo''s time was actually very precious, as he dealt with many issues every day, so the chances of him meeting someone privately were not plentiful.


    Even inside the Great Tang Group, many people joked that to warrant a meeting with Tang Mo, one probably had to be of king''s status.


    Of course, if someone was wealthy and willing to invest, Tang Mo didn''t mind spending twenty minutes for a good chat.


    "My lord, I have come this time to inquire... whether you have considered selling a football team?" The middle-aged man known as the Marquis of Bailu went straight to the point as he spoke.


    Clearly, he knew that Tang Mo''s time was extremely valuable; normally, when Tang Mo was willing to meet someone, he preferred getting straight to the point, without any frivolous banter.


    He was simply too busy; the time spent posturing and pretending depth could be better used designing a couple of blueprints to earn more money.


    "A football team? Haven''t I already released the rules for forming a basketball team? If you''re interested, you can recruit your own people, form a team... just pay an entry fee of 100,000 Gold Coins, and you can participate in the upcoming competitions..." Tang Mo looked directly into the other''s eyes and spoke candidly.


    "I wasn''t referring to the basketball team, though... I am indeed forming a basketball team. However, this time my visit is to talk to you, to discuss matters concerning a football team," clarified the Marquis of Bailu.


    "A football team? The Marquis is interested in a football team too?" Tang Mo was surprised, for he hadn''t expected anyone to be so eager to delve into the football scene at this time.


    Honestly, it''s a moneymaking circle, and a very lucrative one at that. The earlier one enters this circle, the more likely they are to make even more money.


    Once the sport develops, or more accurately, under the inevitable support of Tang Mo, each team would become sought-after.


    Tang Mo had originally planned to sell these teams at that time, to maximize his profits.


    Then, on the evening of the day the Marquis of Bailu left, a super-rich individual from the Songmu Kingdom made the same decision.


    He owned nearly all of the saltpeter mines within the borders of the Songmu Kingdom and was also an important partner of the Great Tang Group.


    The purpose of this elf Earl''s visit to Tang Mo was the same as that of the Marquis of Bailu. He too saw the potential in soccer and wanted to invest early to gain an advantage.


    Recently, with the support of the Great Tang Group, the elf had traded his saltpeter mines for a variety of other industries. For instance, a significant part of the Earl''s industry now included food.


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    As he was undergoing restructuring and had accumulated some spare cash, the elf Earl aimed to acquire the only remaining team in Tang Mo''s possession that had played in the first round¡ªthe Jade City Team.


    Naturally, Tang Mo did not refuse the request of this astute individual, selling the Jade City Team to him for 5.5 million Gold Coins.


    Almost the moment the transaction intent was confirmed, the Jade City Team acquired a new name: Jade City Songmu Group Team.


    There was no helping it. Influenced by the Great Tang Group, many nobles and wealthy merchants with significant industries had recently started rebranding their industries as XX Group.


    This was a trend. Names like consortium, which seemed to pale in the face of ''group,'' appeared quaint and hardly usable anymore.


    Suddenly, XX Groups sprouted like bamboo shoots after a rain, and the term ''group'' became less venerable and sacred due to its overuse.


    Regarding this matter, the Great Tang Group didn''t have a good solution, because now, even a slightly larger steel smelting workshop would dare to claim the title of X Steel Group...


    Besides, those imitating Great Tang Group were not merely small enterprises; the Ice Cold Group from Ice Cold Kingdom, the Southern Group from Dorne Kingdom, and a coalition of tycoons from the Leite Kingdom who had formed a joint group, were all substantial in size.


    Although small in scale compared to the Great Tang Group, these groups genuinely deserved to be called groups, and there was no denying that.


    In fact, Tang Mo had been pondering recently whether he should split up his various businesses to make them appear more independent.


    Right now, Tang Mo''s holdings spanned from low to high, including food production in Brunas and Dragon Island, ore processing such as steelmaking and forging, machine tool production, power and energy generation, entertainment-related industries, the emerging sports industry, luxury art goods, military industry, pharmaceutical and medical industries, automotive industry, shipbuilding industry, to banking and financial industries...


    Any one of these industries, taken separately, was a group in its own right; thus, confining them under Great Tang Group seemed unfavorable for the expansion and development of these industries.


    Therefore, Tang Mo intended to reorganize Great Tang into a higher existence, leaning the core leadership circle towards a more reclusive background.


    After all, the size of the economy he controlled had become so vast that his key subordinates now wielded power greater than the kings of kingdoms. Staying behind the scenes was safer for him and his subordinates...


    At least on the surface, it would make Great Tang Group appear less intimidating.

 Chapter 335 331 Dragons Den

    The howling sea breeze caressed Tang Mo''s face with indescribable comfort and pleasure. If one has to be candid, the ride aboard a Wolf-class cruiser cannot be described as comfortable.


    Such warships were not designed for comfort. They are behemoths that dominate the seas, a tool for the Great Tang Group to ensure its maritime hegemony.


    They are killing machines, formidable weapons for rapid assaults, but certainly not crafted for the comfort of their occupants.


    Despite a series of modifications to Tang Mo''s cabin, life aboard such a vessel was still not an easy affair.


    However, for Tang Mo''s safety, the higher-ups of the Great Tang Group had rejected plans for him to travel on a luxurious sailboat or the alternate option of a Freedom-class liner.


    In the eyes of the leadership of the Great Tang Group, sailboats¡ªoutdated, slow and unsafe¡ªwere utterly unsuitable for someone like Tang Mo.


    As for the Freedom-class liner, which came with a myriad of labels from the outset, it was even more out of the question for such an important individual as Tang Mo.


    After all, its slow speed and the significant skimping in its design, where safety requirements had been sacrificed for budget, resulted in a barely functional piece of junk.


    Thus, the final decision was for Tang Mo to travel to Dragon Island on a warship, and the main leadership of the Great Tang Group would relocate to Dragon Island along with him.


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    Tang Mo finally departed from Brunas. The moment he boarded the ship, it seemed as though the city lost its luster.


    All those in the know understood that Dragon City would become the new core city of the Great Tang Group, no longer the once dazzling Brunas.


    "Principal! Dragon Island is within sight! Ahead lies a steel transport fleet from Dorne," a navy officer approached, stood at attention, saluted, and proudly reported.


    "You''ve worked hard," Tang Mo gathered his thoughts and smiled at the officer. Typically, one could discern the relationship between Tang Mo and the speaker based on the form of address used.


    Those close to him often called him "Master," others preferred "Teacher," while those who addressed him as "Principal" or "Mr." suggested a certain distance.


    On the distant seas, indeed, there was a vast fleet of sailboats, which had also spotted the Wolf 2 cruiser maintaining its course.


    What surprised these sailors, frequent voyagers on the Dragon Island route, was their first sight of a Wolf-class cruiser; since Wolf 1 had previously been committed to missions in Winterless City, the security of the passages was ensured by Brunas-class ironclad warships.


    "Look! A new warship! It''s not a Brunas-class!" Those sailors, used to hauling bricks to Dragon Island, were quite familiar with the designations of the older generation of Great Tang Group warships.


    "That''s a new warship, longer... and it looks prettier too," another sailor said enviously as they gazed at the distant vessel.


    Indeed, they envied it¡ªfor they had drunk with the sailors from the Brunas-class warships in the bars on Dragon Island, having learned of the impressive amount those men earned.


    "Two more Brunas-class warships?... What''s the joke... such a large fleet. Has something happened on Dragon Island?" The first mate became anxious upon seeing an entire fleet of the Great Tang Group.


    Now the Great Tang Group had three regiments of security troops in total, with one regiment stationed on Dragon Island, another regiment dispersed in Brunas, and the last one, just formed a few months ago, already deployed to Jade City.


    "Seeing you all truly makes me happy," Tang Mo said as he walked forward, speaking to Roger and Tagg behind him.


    These were the two men he trusted most; hence, he had stationed them on Dragon Island. Indeed, their character had proven to be solid, and they did not disappoint Tang Mo''s expectations, transforming Dragon Island into a robust stronghold.


    Dragon City was still not as large as Brunas¡ªafter all, as an island, its development could not match the rapid pace of land-based cities like Brunas.


    But its advantage lay in being isolated and secure, and it was also suitable for Tang Mo to test a series of new weapons. Now that cars had been mass-produced, airplanes naturally appeared on Tang Mo''s agenda.


    And testing things like airplanes under others'' watchful eyes was somewhat unsafe, so Tang Mo had decided from the start to build an airplane testing facility on Dragon Island.


    Between Weigang and Dragon City, there was a large expanse of jungle that could be utilized, where the land was either superior oil fields, very good farms, or at worst, forests rich in timber resources.


    Establishing an airplane testing facility amongst these jungles could almost be said to be a piece of cake.


    "After all, I have not let you down; when these old bones of mine return to the earth and I meet your parents, I''ll have something to show for it," Roger, who now looked much older, said. Managing an entire island was obviously taxing for him, given his level and ability.


    "You''ve done very well," Tang Mo showed great respect for this elder, who had always been diligent by his side, "I am here now, you can take a break."


    "That''s great! My old bones¡ªoh..." Roger''s face wore a smile as he looked upon the city he had built from nothing, filled with a sense of pride.


    "Your castle has been completed; it''s been wired for electricity following your requests, with telephones and telegraph rooms, and all the servants have been personally selected by me," Roger said as he helped Tang Mo into the car.


    "I am very assured," Tang Mo glanced at Tagg, and Tagg nodded slightly, then joined Roger in another car.


    Three Rolls-Royces, with the rest being trucks responsible for security work. It was unlikely that large-scale enemies would appear on the island, so no military armored vehicles were arranged to escort them.


    Still, five trucks, two in the front and three at the back, protected the vehicle carrying Tang Mo and his party, loaded with the fully-armed elite of a security troop platoon.


    These elites had always been Tang Mo''s personal guard, arriving together with the warship. This was also due to the considerations of security personnel from Brunas.


    In any case, they trusted no one; if need be, they would suspect their own colleagues and devise security plans.


    Along the bumpy ride, Tang Mo caught sight of Swan Castle... Now, it had a new name: "Dragon''s Den."


    In the future, as the most core stronghold of the Great Tang Group, this would be Tang Mo''s home. It had the safest defense systems and was also equipped with the most modern and luxurious interior decorations, even featuring the world''s most advanced technological equipment.


    The entire castle was served by electricity, connected by telephones, equipped with independent backup generators, secret safe rooms, alternative escape tunnels, and an exclusive armory for Tang Mo...


    In short, this place was perfect enough to make any sovereign drool with envy.

 Chapter 336 332 sneezes

    In the narrow corridor, the leading soldier, wearing a camouflaged helmet, observed the path ahead through the crosshairs of his weapon with a stern face.


    When he reached a corner, he slowed his pace. Suddenly, the hand that was holding the forestock of his gun in front loosened, and he raised a fist behind him.


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    The soldiers trailing behind him immediately halted, steadying their Thompson submachine guns as they waited for the next command.


    The soldier with the raised fist opened his fist, turned it into a palm, and swung it outward a few times with a small motion.


    Two soldiers toward the middle of the team instantly understood the signal. One of them sidestepped to lean against the wall and, with his weapon ready, slowly moved forward two steps.


    Compared to the group hugging the wall, these two had a better field of view. They saw no threats at the other end of the corner.


    However, out of caution, they still looked down and spotted some unnatural dust on the ground.


    They pressed down with their hands to indicate the ground and then put together their index and middle fingers, swinging them sideways three times to signal the presence of land mines.


    The leader of the small squad nodded slightly, then began to slowly kneel down. He was wearing a bulletproof vest that was reinforced with steel plates, complete with smoke and hand grenades, and on one side, a total of eight magazines in sets of four.


    This could be the best individual soldier equipment in the world; he also had an S3 pistol (M1911) at his waist, a military water bottle, and a not very useful first-generation gas mask.


    Even the combat dagger had been moved to his shoulder for quicker access.


    All members of the squad wore black cloth masks, with not much difference from the modern special forces, except for their somewhat outdated M35 military helmets, which gave them a fantastically surreal look.


    All wore goggles, which somewhat limited their vision, but also made them appear more sci-fi, like bio-soldiers from some anime.


    Kneeling on one knee, the squad leader received a special device handed over from behind by a teammate.


    It was a small mirror mounted on an extendable pole. The leader stretched this mirror out, close to the ground, to observe the other side of the corner with the principle of light reflection, to detect any dangerous targets.


    Soon, he spotted an ambush at the end of the corner, near a door, where a threat was peeping out and monitoring this area.


    He retracted his observation mirror and handed it back to the teammate behind him, then made a gesture to watch for landmines underfoot and to prepare for an assault.


    All team members nodded uniformly. Then the two soldiers who had broken away as bait swiftly charged past the corner.


    After they grabbed the attention of the ambusher, the leading captain immediately stuck out his Thompson submachine gun and pulled the trigger at the enemy who had just emerged, ready to fire.


    "Tut-tut-tut-tut!" A burst of gunfire sounded, and the target hit by the bullets sprayed red powder all over, collapsing to the ground covered in dust.


    "Tut-tut-tut-tut!" As a result, before the assault troops could rejoice at having taken down the ambusher, another ambusher from another door on the other side leaned out and began spraying bullets at them, unguarded.


    "We''ll talk when you''ve beaten me." Yulin''s expression was one of disdain, as if looking at her own daughter. However, she was only 17 years old herself.


    Indeed, one is the school''s number one powerhouse, the other the principal''s silly new bride. It seemed all the surrounding students wished they could become invisible, desperately hoping not to be dragged into this nuclear showdown.


    "Go take a bath! I''ll treat you to braised beef and vegetarian meatballs for lunch." Yulin was accustomed to looking down from above, as if she were a true queen.


    "Don''t think I''ll be grateful to you. I will eventually beat you until you''re red! The kind that requires a full body wash!" Yue''er handed over her weapon to a nearby instructor as well, leaving behind a hardly impactful harsh remark, and walked away without looking back.


    "What are you looking at? Do you bunch of idiots need to take a bath?" Yulin sneered at the new students trying their best to blend into the surroundings.


    In an instant, everyone knew that the cat-girl Missy whom Yulin dared not deal with had left...


    "Rest for five minutes; the exercise participants will swap their guns! Check the ammunition! The second exercise begins!" Yulin looked towards the new student with the least blue on him, "You''re in charge of commanding, go formulate the attack plan!"


    A group of young newcomers, as if granted amnesty, immediately picked up their weapons and scattered like birds and beasts. The one who played dead as bait also hurried to prepare a new ambush plan.


    With Yue''er gone, Yulin naturally would not accompany them for the exercise anymore, so this time it was up to him to come up with a defense plan.


    Everyone knew that Yulin, the big sister, had not been in the best of moods these last two days, and no one dared to provoke her in that state... Her Majesty the Queen.


    After all, everyone knew, Tang Mo had left Brunas, while Yulin, due to work reasons, had to stay in Brunas, so in a sense, they were... separated (by mistake)?


    Therefore, with Her Majesty the Queen holding back her frustration, naturally, no one dared to provoke this prematurely mating-seasoned female T-rex (big mistake)...


    Tang Mo, now on Dragon Island, sneezed three times in his bathtub. He rubbed his nose, wondering if he had caught a cold from the sauna he had just taken.


    He picked up the wine glass resting at the edge of the bathtub, shook the ice cubes inside, and somewhat regained the feeling he used to have in his own villa.


    Honestly, this feeling was too good, almost making him forget that he had crossed over to another world.


    It seemed that in just a few years, he would be able to turn this place into the spitting image of Earth, and he would reach a summit he had never reached in the world of Earth during this process.


    "Achoo!" Who is cursing me? Tang Mo sneezed again, thinking to himself.


    In the bathroom in Brunas, Yue''er cursed as she scrubbed the blue powder off her ears, "You stinky guy! What did you say about going to Dragon Island?"


    "Achoo!" Tang Mo sneezed yet again, truly beginning to suspect that he had caught a cold.


    In the conference room in Wolf City, where Alice sat at the conference table listening to her subordinate discuss the commercial street construction plan for Wolf City, she cursed in her heart, "Damn guy, leaving without a word..."


    -----------


    Dragon Spirit broke its promise to make up for the missed updates in April... Sorry. But Dragon Spirit remembers, owing 4 updates, there will be no shortfall, and they will definitely be made up!

 Chapter 337 333 Expensive Training

    Tang Mo had recently come to strongly believe in metaphysics, and terms like principal and Island Master make him feel uneasy, as they were honestly not very auspicious.


    However, he could only endure it, since his direct lineage all came from the Great Tang Military Academy; it didn''t seem quite right to not address him as principal.


    Having no choice, as he was committed to cultivating a loyal and capable line of followers through talent development, he had to honestly accept the title of principal, right?


    Yet, with additions like Dragon''s Den and towers and the like, Tang Mo felt like he was lately piled up with DEBUFFS, the sort that spelled his own doom...


    He tried hard to change something, but in the end, he realized he couldn''t change anything; he couldn''t have all his subordinates can him master, he wasn''t that narcissistic.


    But what to call him if not master? If he were to choose another impressive-sounding term, he might as well go with Fu?hrer... Hmm, this was a title Tang Mo thought of offhand and felt it was even less comfortable than principal.


    Indeed, the term Fu?hrer did not have much significance in the other world, but in the world familiar to Tang Mo, if it wasn''t connected with the nation, it was downright eerie.


    On Dragon Island, Tang Mo once again immersed himself busy activities of technological development. Under his direct leadership, the engineers who had gathered here ahead of time were busy designing various models of gliders.


    Aviation was not like terrestrial or maritime technology; although these were cutting-edge, there had still been some reservoir of talent.


    For example, even though automobile drivers came into existence only after the creation of cars, there were certainly no shortage of coachmen and drivers before that.


    They had some sense of driving a car, with only a lack of proficiency. Under such conditions, with just a little training to adjust their habits, it was possible to get automobile drivers quickly.


    Similarly, although steamships hadn''t been around for long, there were still plenty of sailors; old sailors who had been traversing the seas for years could, with a little adaptation, continue to work on the new steamships.


    But airplanes were different; airplanes were truly something new, and this world had no superman who had flown about in the sky in advance.


    Tang Mo knew that although there were dwarves, elves, orcs, and even the ugly demi-human creatures like goblins on this world, they did not actually have any magical powers like magic.


    These species had to earnestly learn physics and mathematics, master technology, and rely on their own labor to work.


    The kind of magicians from film and television who could fly with the wind and cast fireballs with a wave of their hand did not exist.


    And the legendary dragons had been completely extinct for tens of thousands of years due to the rise of mammals. These ancient creatures relied on laying eggs to reproduce, but when they went out to hunt, those eggs became easy prey for small mammals.


    Eventually, this led to the solitary monsters becoming fewer and fewer, hunted to extinction by early humans, elves, and other species, becoming history.


    Tang Mo had even attempted to find a real dragon, but in the end, he had only acquired some commemorative items like claws and scales... Of course, there were also fossils; the collection room in his Dragon''s Den housed a complete dragon skeleton.


    Although they couldn''t completely emulate the speed of parachuting from an airplane, they could still give the pilots some form of questionable escape skill beforehand.


    Raising a pilot was extremely expensive; before these selected talents had even touched a real aircraft, each had already cost Tang Mo hundreds of gold coins.


    Do you know what that means? It means that the money spent on each of them, the money spent on every single individual, was enough to save the fledgling Great Tang Group. Read exclusive content at empire


    The gross profit of a textile factory for a month wasn''t enough to support a single pilot! That was the current state of affairs in the world, and the price Tang Mo had to pay to get a jumpstart on training pilots!


    As these pilots boarded hot air balloons and commenced their daily pre-flight aviation experience training, right next door, at the experimental site, planes for static testing were parked inside hangars.


    This place seemed more like a lumber mill than an aircraft manufacturing factory ¨C the workshops were filled with wood, as early planes were mostly constructed from timber.


    Of course, Tang Mo wished he could start with manufacturing those monoplanes with metal skins, but the reality was his pilots should begin training with earlier models that were easier to handle and safer. Consequently, he had no choice but to start production with old-fashioned aircraft, taking no shortcuts.


    All designs of airplanes are interrelated and not subject to arbitrary changes: because the planes were wooden, the engines couldn''t be too powerful, otherwise the fuselage structure might be easily damaged, so only low-powered engines could be used.


    And since the engines performed averagely and the body made of wood was heavy, the speed of the aircraft was essentially limited.


    The planes Tang Mo produced were not of German make, but the renowned advanced British "Camel".


    In the late stages of World War I, the United Kingdom continuously introduced fighter aircraft with better performance. Honestly, in that era''s aviation technology, including engines, the United Kingdom was truly at the forefront.


    This British-produced "Camel" fighter had excellent maneuverability and powerful firepower. In the last year of World War I, it shot down a total of 1,294 enemy aircraft, becoming one of the most outstanding fighters of the time.


    The "Camel" aircraft was designed by Sopwith F.1 Biplane, the Sopwith Aviation Company in the UK, with a maximum level flight speed of 195 kilometers per hour and a ceiling of 5,800 meters.


    The aircraft''s engines had two machine guns mounted side by side on top, and synchronizing gear was adopted for the guns. The machine guns had protruding humps above them, resembling two camel humps, hence the name "Camel".


    Fortunately, these water-cooled machine guns were basically replicas of the Maxim, which meant Tang Mo could easily install these mature weapons onto the aircraft.


    The design of the aircraft began in 1916 when airplanes in World War I started to make a name for themselves, and intense air combat demanded high maneuverability of fighters. Under this context, the "Camel" took its first test flight on February 22, 1916, and was swiftly put into production, joining combat in July 1917.


    The "Camel" was a single-seat fighter, equipped with two machine guns and capable of carrying 45 kilograms of bombs. Ace pilots like Trollope and Ullate at the time, leveraging the renowned aircraft''s agility and powerful forward firepower, achieved the feat of shooting down six enemy planes in a single day.


    The British Air Force and Naval Air Service both equipped themselves with this type of aircraft, totaling over 3,000 units. In all, 5,490 "Camel" aircraft were produced, and apart from the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, Greece, and the United States all used this plane.


    It was easy to handle and had very good overall performance, making it quite suitable for Tang Mo to train his pilots.

 Chapter 338 Go back to 334.

    ```


    With Tang Mo''s arrival, the construction speed on Dragon Island also began to accelerate crazily. The scale of Weigang had already become quite immense, and its dockyard was even finished, beginning mass production of the Liberty Ships that Tang Mo now needed most.


    Currently, the Great Tang Group owned nine Brunas-class warships and three Wolf-class warships, making it the most powerful naval force in the world.


    This was beyond doubt, as a single Wolf-class warship, in collaboration with three Brunas-class warships, had already annihilated Taren Kingdom, which used to dominate the southern part of the Endless Sea.


    If Tang Mo were to assemble these twelve warships, he could almost take down any country''s port, or completely destroy the maritime trade routes of any hostile nation.


    However, not all the warships at Tang Mo''s disposal belonged to him¡ªin the twelve warships controlled by the Great Tang Group, one belonged to the Leite Kingdom, or, to be precise, the future Laines Empire.


    Additionally, one had already been sold to the Dwarves of the Ice Cold Kingdom, and another to Dorne, which would serve as the flagship of the Dorne Kingdom''s navy in the future.


    At the same time, another warship was destined to be sold to the Songmu Kingdom, and another was likely to go to the Poplar Kingdom.


    That is to say, of the nine Brunas-class ironclad warships at the Great Tang Group''s disposal, only five were truly their own.


    And the Great Tang Group didn''t even plan to keep those five warships, as they had already planned to sell all of their Brunas-class warships.


    The Laines Empire was interested in purchasing, and the Empire of Nanla was also preparing to buy the blueprints to construct more Brunas-class warships on their own.


    Also expressing interest in purchasing was Dorne, now a major maritime power. This nation had seen an unimaginable lengthening of its coastline.


    Previously, Dorne was a country by the sea, and one of its major ports, Hotwind Port, was permanently sold to the Great Tang Group.


    Following the coastline south, Dorne actually bordered the Taren Kingdom, and now all those coastlines belong to the Kingdom of Dorne.


    Most of the islands belonging to the Taren Kingdom had been permanently transferred to the Great Tang Group as the private domain of Tang Mo, the owner of the Great Tang Group.


    However, the other land-based ports already belonged to Dorne, thus Dorne was in great need to establish a huge and powerful navy to protect its coastline.


    Therefore, Dorne''s envoys were always active, hoping that the Great Tang Group could sell them more warships to help Dorne build a modern and powerful naval force.


    Truth be told, Tang Mo was also hoping to sell more ironclad warships, because selling navy ships, even on twenty-first-century Earth, was an extremely profitable business.


    Haven''t you seen how Russia sold an aircraft carrier to India for one dollar, then charged the latter three billion dollars in refurbishment fees?


    Haven''t you seen how Russia extorted Huaxia by selling a Modern-class destroyer, which wasn''t very advanced, for a sky-high price of over one hundred million dollars?


    Haven''t you seen how the Beiyang Fleet overpaid for warships, and yet the sellers still showed an ugly reluctance to sell if they didn''t wish to?...


    Meanwhile, to support the growing population, the infrastructure on Dragon Island is also being expanded and innovated. Larger generator sets are being constructed, and more electricity will enable Dragon Island to develop even faster.


    Compared to Brunas, Dragon Island actually has certain advantages in development. It is a city built from scratch on level land; everything has been constructed according to plan, saving the effort required for renovation.


    Everything here changes with each passing day. The development here is more than twice as fast as in Brunas. The most important factor restricting development here is population, and Tang Mo is working hard to transport more people to Dragon Island.


    Ships fully loaded with people set out to sea every day from Osa, Hotwind, Winterless City, Eternal Winter City, including Brunas.


    Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, and Humans... groups of people hoping to strike it rich are all trying every possible way to get on a ship headed for Dragon Island.


    Sometimes, an entire shipload of criminals from Zheng Country would be directly cut off and then find another ship to send them to Dragon Island.


    In short, although the population is mixed, it has already grown considerably on Dragon Island, swelling from the original hundred and some thousand to an astonishing two hundred and fifty thousand or more recently.


    "Dorne is willing to pay 1.5 million Gold Coins, 500,000 in cash, and 1 million in repayable loans to purchase the Brunas No. 2 Warship... They agree to our delaying delivery," Roger, now back at Tang Mo''s side, took over these reporting duties.


    Harry has been overseeing work in Brunas recently, and Luff, as Chief of Staff, happened to join him on Dragon Island. Surprisingly, the most reliable Tagg became the stabilizing force and was sent back to Brunas to oversee military affairs.


    Tang Mo stood by the window, gazing at the forest sea outside, and without turning his head, he asked, "With this one included, that would make it three Brunas-class warships they have bought, right?"


    "Yes," Roger nodded, then looked down at the report, "The Laines side wants to buy two... Next month, according to the previous contract, we will hand over Brunas No. 7 to them. They hope we can deliver Brunas No. 1 at the same time."


    "Give it to them! No problem. In two more months, more Wolf-class cruisers will be ready to launch. We have already overcome our most difficult period," Tang Mo contemplated for a moment and then decided to fulfill the other party''s request.


    After all, war is unlikely to break out soon, and even if someone dared to challenge the Great Tang Group''s naval supremacy with a few Brunas-class ironclads, Tang Mo''s three Wolf-class warships are more than enough to teach them a lesson.


    "We''re trying to transport Gold to Dragon Island, but for fear of losing it in a shipwreck, we can only manage about five tons at a time," Roger continued his report.


    Since the core of the Great Tang Group has moved to Dragon Island, it seems that the most important treasury should also be moved to the safer Dragon Island.


    Tang Mo plans to turn Dragon Island into the world''s only financial center. In the future, global trade can be completed right on Dragon Island.


    Thus, constructing a world central bank here to gather all the Gold in the world has become a necessary preparation.


    Tang Mo, still fixing his gaze on the distant jungle, said to Roger, "That''s fine, being a bit cautious is never a bad thing."


    "Following your order, we''re preparing to send a fleet to Zheng Country, and Lord Li''ao wants to go back for a visit," Roger broached another matter.


    "It''s fine for him to return in his finery, but this time, let''s not let him go," Tang Mo considered and gave his opinion, "Tell him, not to worry... Wait for the next time. I''ll accompany him back, on the Wolf No. 1... to go back."


    Roger was taken aback, then smiled, "Understood."


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 Chapter 339 The path taken by Great Tang Group 335

    Eternal Winter City was the non-freezing port in the northern part given to Great Tang Group by the Dwarves as payment to settle debts.


    This port is a natural ice-free harbor, arguably the best in the entire Dwarf Ice Cold Kingdom.


    Though they were somewhat reluctant to part with it, the fact was that by the standards of Great Tang Group, this might be the only non-freezing port in the Ice Cold Kingdom territory that could be used immediately.


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    Before the workers of Great Tang Group arrived, this place seemed to have a smaller scale than even the Osa Military Harbor which the Elves had ceded to Great Tang Group.


    Or rather, comparing it to the Osa Port which was already undergoing thorough reconstruction by Great Tang Group was perhaps claiming too much credit.


    The annual throughput here was very limited, which was an important criterion for Great Tang Group to determine the usefulness of a port.


    However, once the people of Great Tang Group arrived, they began remodeling this somewhat chilly harbor.


    Countless machines were delivered here, some were handed directly to the Dwarves, while others were kept at the port.


    Compared to its previous desolation, the place was now bustling with prosperity; the local Dwarves started to call it "the humans'' gold mine."


    Just by securing a job here, these Dwarves could earn money they never dared to dream of before.


    Although the wages seemed low and wouldn''t recruit any workers in Brunas at the same level, for the Dwarves, what the humans offered was far too much...


    Upon the Dwarves'' request, part of the wages could be paid directly in alcohol, so a sizable brewery was built alongside the port.


    The new brew was named Eternal Winter Ale; after the Dwarves got drunk and rambled on, this fine strong alcohol was referred to as "that brewery''s alcohol from Eternal Winter," which eventually shortened to "Eternal Winter''s."


    Later on, somehow through repeated miscommunications, it started being referred to by a nickname similar to "vodka"... Hearing this name, Tang Mo felt even more that these large-bearded Dwarves were striding unhesitatingly down the path of hairevolution.


    Of course, these Dwarves were still relatively normal now; they''d congregate here to put in their work, collect their wages, and then splurge their earned silver coins in the in-port bars.


    In terms of strategic position, Winterless City was even more important for Great Tang Group than Osa, as this port could be said to be one of Great Tang Group''s most crucial strategic points in the future.


    Because of the collaboration with the Dwarves, Great Tang Group owned countless mines in the North, as well as an oil field.


    These strategic materials, along with other strategic supplies purchased from the Dwarves, were almost all loaded onto ships here, to be transported overseas.


    Should something go wrong here, at least two-thirds of Great Tang''s gold mining output, half of its copper mines, and a quarter of its rare metals would not be able to reach Brunas and Dragon Island on time.


    They all looked up to see a towering Ironclad Warship belching plumes of black smoke as it slowly docked.


    They had seen smoke-belching ships before; the Brunas-class Ironclad Warship often came to the port to coal up, always billowing black smoke when it set off.


    But the ship before them was obviously much, much larger than the Brunas-class warship! These sailors couldn''t discern the differences between these steel behemoths.


    So they were stunned, thinking that the Great Tang Group, which ruled these waters, had come up with some sort of brand-new warship.


    However, they soon realized that it was a transport ship, a supermassive one at that¡ªone that could take the place of an entire fleet... a formidable transport ship.


    The newly erected crane lifted car after car, transferring them to the dock to be unloaded.


    All morning, the crane worked nonstop; due to an error, it even dropped an expensive sedan on the ground, turning it into a pile of scrap metal.


    Everyone was shocked because they witnessed with their own eyes that the belly of this great vessel, which had come from afar, contained no fewer than 100 automobiles! And it seemed there were still many more cars inside the ship yet to be lifted out!


    This loading capacity was nearly 20 to 50 times that of a sailing ship! After all, a sailing ship could only carry about five cars at a time.


    Because a sailing ship had only a narrow cargo hold hatch, automobiles could hardly fit inside the ship''s body. Consequently, for any larger cargo, they had to be placed on the ship''s deck, which severely affected the sailing ship''s cargo capacity.


    "My god! That''s an unbelievable capacity!" exclaimed a Dwarf, rubbing his eyes as if he had drunk too much and was still not sober.


    After unloading 100 cars of various models, the crane started to lift machine tools to the dock.


    This time, the workers were even more careful, with the leading dignitaries even declaring that damaging one machine would incur a fine of 500 Gold Coins!


    Many of these machines were already familiar to the Dwarves; the city''s outskirts housed the power plant, and right next to it, the telegraph office, was filled with such remarkable machinery.


    With these fascinating devices, Eternal Winter City could swiftly contact Kings City and even command the Ironclad Warships stationed outside the harbor.


    "Such a ship could almost replace a whole fleet... no wonder we started expanding the dock a month ago..." mused a Dwarf noble, watching the free-sailing ship, "We thought we wouldn''t need such a large dock... Turns out, it was all for this behemoth!"


    "It looks like sea trade is going to be dominated by the Great Tang Group from now on," another Dwarf noble sighed. He was involved in maritime trade himself, which was why he stood at the dock at this time.


    "Hahaha!" The first noble laughed heartily, "Don''t worry, there surely can''t be that many of these huge ships..."


    Before he could finish, he saw another ship, identical to the first, slowly approaching another dock in the distance...


    "Damn it..." he swore involuntarily. In his opinion, even though the Great Tang Group was powerful, surely it couldn''t afford to construct so many massive steel vessels at once.


    The maritime trader beside him shook his head, "Sigh... you''ve obviously never dealt with the folks from the Great Tang Group... If they set their sights on that path, they would crush anyone in their way to dust..."

 Chapter 340 336 good son

    Indeed, as if to confirm his words, the third colossal vessel sounded its steam whistle, like a gigantic beast lying across the sea''s surface, intimidating all surrounding creatures.


    The deep, powerful humming immediately awakened the entire port, and everyone who could see this enormous ship stood up straight to gaze at it.


    Seagulls swirled around the giant ship, which, lacking a corresponding dock, had to reduce speed and wait nearby.


    At another dock, the second Freedom-class ship began to unload its cargo, this time being military supplies sold by the Great Tang Group to the Ice Cold Kingdom.


    Box after box of hand grenades, along with a hundred heavy machine guns and matching ammunition, plus 4,500 second-hand needle rifles.


    Of course, what was even more frightening was that Tang Mo had also brought ten automobiles refitted as armored vehicles to the Dwarfs, as well as 150,000 specially made, thickened cotton coats.


    Just the three Freedom-class ships alone brought enough supplies for Eternal Winter City to digest for a while. Because the cargo hold of the third Freedom-class was filled with various machinery and equipment, enough for Eternal Winter City to build several factories.


    The same scene was unfolding in Winterless City as well.


    There, the Great Tang Group needed rubber and steel for industrial development, also an important and indispensable source of raw materials.


    Hence, building Winterless City was also a matter of concern for the Great Tang Group.


    The builders here were not hired workers or slaves, but hundreds upon hundreds of prisoners of war. With the fall of Xilun and Taren Kingdoms, countless prisoners could only work off their servitude through hard labor.


    These wretches received no wages and had to work diligently for the Great Tang Group simply to stay alive.


    Compared to the Ice Cold Kingdom''s plan to build a long railway, the construction of Winterless City was much simpler¡ªit was situated on an island, so only a port needed to be built.


    When five Freedom-class ships sailed south and entered the port of Winterless City, rebuilt from ruins and rubble, the place was no longer lifeless.


    A large amount of materials unloaded at the dock gave everyone hope. The entire city was about to be revived, swiftly... revived by the Great Tang Group!


    As the saying goes, when the war ends, that''s when everyone desperately begins to overhaul their weapons.


    In the past month or so, the competition between the Great Tang Group and the Shireck Consortium had become even more intense than during the wartime.


    The Shireck Consortium won orders from six Kingdoms, selling them a bolt-action rifle known as the Shireck Model 1.


    This rifle was the 1888 Commission Rifle that Tang Mo had leaked to Shireck; while unremarkable in performance, it was at least comparable to the Great Tang Group''s K3 model rifle.


    Armed with this weapon and aided by Shireck''s traditional influence, they still made a fortune from weapons sales.


    After all, the Kingdoms where they could still exert influence were each facing immense pressure from expansionist states supported by the Great Tang Group.


    The Triple Kingdom Alliance could truly be said to have risen at lightning speed over the past half-year; each of these countries gained some advantages from the War of the Eleven Kingdoms.


    Lately, Tang Mo wasn''t so busy. While focusing on the training of pilots, he also organized a football invitational in Dragon City.


    In the stands of the stadium, Tang Mo watched the players dashing across the field with a bittersweet smile, feeling a profound sense of connection to the pure essence of Huaxia.


    The players of Brunas''s Bailu team were celebrating their goal. The young forward was waving his arms, shouting joyously to the almost silent stands of the sports field.


    Just before, the place was full of cheers and shouts of encouragement. But 20 minutes into the second half, the whole stadium seemed to have lost its voice.


    13 to 0... This was a scoreline filled with fantasy elements. Dragon City''s elite team hadn''t scored a single goal and had conceded 13 to the Bailu team.


    The entire elite team was bewildered. They knew the Bailu team was strong, but they hadn''t expected them to become so formidable after being purchased.


    "I''m starting to regret..." Tang Mo turned to the Marquis of Bailu beside him, his tone heavy with irony, "Where did you find those two forwards?" Enjoy more content from empire


    "Hahaha! One of them is my son! Surprising, isn''t it?" The Marquis of Bailu was immensely proud, believing the best business he had ever done in his life was buying the Brunas Bailu team.


    "Number 11?" Tang Mo hadn''t expected the Marquis of Bailu to have the genetic talent for producing a football forward.


    "No, it''s number 17!" The Marquis of Bailu pointed toward the field. "Number 11 is my guard, and his talent is truly remarkable."


    "Name your price. Number 11... I''m buying him." Tang Mo felt it was necessary to set aside his pride and find a good striker for the Dragon City elite team.


    "Just for playing football?" The Marquis of Bailu didn''t reject the offer.


    "Yes, just for playing football, sign a contract." Tang Mo wasn''t about to purchase a slave, especially since he himself had drafted the transfer rules.


    "Then I''d rather sell you number 17... my son," the Marquis of Bailu unexpectedly said.


    Tang Mo was taken aback, but he quickly guessed the Marquis of Bailu''s thinking: If the elite team from Dragon City won and his son stood out, everyone would still think of the Marquis of Bailu.


    And if the elite team remained lackluster and the Bailu team won, the Marquis of Bailu would still emerge as the big winner¡ªthis was the so-called win-win situation, where he would win twice all by himself.


    "You''re a born footballer!" Tang Mo couldn''t help but admit that the Marquis of Bailu had a real knack for business, and in this world, there were indeed clever minds.


    So he nodded, "I''ll take your son. Afterward, I''ll send him to Dragon City University for training, and I''ll cover all his expenses."


    "The Bailu family appreciates your generosity, Mr. Tang!" The Marquis of Bailu''s smile faded as he expressed gratitude, "I always stand with the Great Tang Group."


    "Oh!..." As they were speaking, Dragon City''s elite team finally found a gap in the opposing defense and scored a goal that saved face.


    The score on the field changed to 13 to 1, and the Dragon City fans in the stands finally erupted into cheers, proving they were still alive...


    Despite its beauty, there seemed to be a flaw... looking at that painfully striking score on the field, Tang Mo inwardly lamented¡ªsome things, the stronger they become, the less playable they are. It''s unavoidable.

 Chapter 341 337 kneeling request when the Qing Dynasty is full

    A Dwarf mounted on a pony gazed at the distant battlefield, a huge castle stood at the end of the frozen wilderness.


    That was Furnace Fortress, the center of the Dwarf world. After the strongest Dwarf Empire that had established the global monetary system crumbled, this place became the holy land in the hearts of all Dwarfs.


    Now, the holy land was right before him, and his troops were less than a day''s march from here.


    However, what lay on this road was not flowers to welcome him, but the densely packed formations of the enemy.


    The rotten Northern Dwarf Empire was a once-mighty nation, now on its last legs, merely a shabby house ready to collapse with a single push.


    Four months ago, the Ice Cold Kingdom, as a newly risen kingdom, joined the ranks of those challenging the Northern Dwarf Empire.


    They were stronger than the other Dwarf Kingdoms around, possessing more advanced tactics and a more formidable military, equipped with more advanced weapons, and had a tactics team from who knows where advising them.


    Contrary to common sense, the Ice Cold Kingdom''s army started a war in the unsuitable winter season, catching the Northern Dwarf Empire off guard.


    Then, the Ice Cold Kingdom''s forces split into five routes, bursting into the heartland of the Northern Dwarf Empire. These troops swept through resistance and directly shattered the Northern Dwarf Empire''s defensive system.


    To the north, 10,000 Dwarf cavalry from Eternal Winter City advanced 400 kilometers in five days, moving into the rear of Furnace Fortress.


    Supporting this force were 200 transport trucks and 40,000 war and pack horses that the Ice Cold Kingdom had gathered.


    The two armies on the main front made rapid progress as well, one capturing Tos Fortress, the most relied upon stronghold on the Northern Dwarf Empire''s border, while the other advanced eastward and took Rubin, the economic hub of the Northern Dwarf Empire.


    The Dwarfs that took Tos Fortress used 30 cannons with a caliber of 105 millimeters. These second-hand heavy cannons were even directly appropriated from Brunas''s security troops, all to support the Ice Cold Kingdom''s troops in successfully capturing Tos.


    The Ice Cold Kingdom''s main force that attacked Rubin created a miracle by routing a 100,000-strong army of the Northern Dwarf Kingdom with only 40,000 troops. The superiority of needle guns was fully exhibited in this battle.


    The 100,000-strong army of the Northern Dwarf Kingdom, armed with flintlock guns, was practically pounded into the ground by the Ice Cold Kingdom''s troops in the battle.


    Amidst the rising waves of crazed "Ura" cheers, the Ice Cold Kingdom''s troops were the first to break through the enemy lines, leading to a comical scene of capturing prisoners.


    The two forces in the far south were not trifling either, with one crossing the southern ice river, cutting off Furnace Fortress''s southern supply line.


    The other force swept through the richer southern regions like an autumn breeze through fallen leaves, completely thwarting the Northern Dwarf Empire''s plan to leverage its vast territory to conscript more soldiers for war.


    Looking at the fighting style of this "surprise force" from the southernmost route, it was almost a replay of Tang Mo''s advance into the southern part of Suthers.


    If anyone were to say there wasn''t a student of Tang Mo involved in the command, no one would believe it¡ªthis student had almost replicated Tang Mo''s classic case of attacking the south of Suthers, pursuing a campaign of living off the enemy territories, causing turmoil in the southern parts of the Northern Dwarf Empire as a liberator.


    The first point is easy to understand. Because they had automobile supplies and a weapon advantage, waging war in winter was not an impossible task for the Ice Cold Kingdom.


    In contrast, the Northern Dwarf Empire, disadvantaged in logistical supplies, was extremely reluctant to go to war in winter¡ªthey''d rather fight in summer when the roads were easier to traverse.


    The second point meant starting the war in winter when food reserves were at their lowest, which could put the Northern Dwarf Empire on the back foot. The Ice Cold Kingdom had grain supplies from the southern regions that were plentiful and cheap, but as a standard landlocked country, the Northern Dwarf Empire did not have that luxury.


    In a situation where everyone used to understand each other''s capabilities, the Northern Dwarf Empire wouldn''t seriously prepare for war in winter, both tactically and strategically, they were very lax.


    The third point was even easier to understand. The other dwarf kingdoms surrounding the Northern Dwarf Empire, who coveted Furnace Fortress, were well known to all. So if they wanted to swallow Furnace Fortress whole, they had to be smart.


    In the past, there had been instances when one kingdom was close to defeating the Northern Dwarf Empire, but the others would either support the Northern Dwarf Empire or outright encircle Wei to save Zhao.


    Therefore, to achieve its war goals, the Ice Cold Kingdom needed to be fast. They had to capture Furnace Fortress before the other kingdoms could react and before the end of winter, to secure their new border.


    By that time, they would become the new overlords of the dwarf world, the new hope for once again unifying the dwarves!


    But everything had to be quick! Very quick! They had to end the war before the other countries could mobilize slowly during winter.


    Then, with the subsequent support from the Great Tang Group and the continuous supply of arms, they, with the might of having swallowed the Northern Dwarf Empire, made the neighboring countries too wary to wage war, and could slowly digest the fruits of victory.


    As for any foolhardy clowns who might dare to declare war on the Ice Cold Kingdom... everyone was actually prepared.


    With tens of thousands of battle-hardened troops and the miraculous staff team of Great Tang, it would be more than enough to defeat a few small kingdoms that didn''t know any better. After annihilating several armies of other kingdoms that came to attack, the rest would no longer dare to act rashly.


    In short, as long as the Great Tang Group was strong, clinging to the Great Tang Group''s thick thigh and calling it "daddy" was the way to go. As long as they offered enough, "daddy" wouldn''t abandon the Ice Cold Kingdom, the dutiful son!


    Although it was somewhat shameless to say this, and the Ice Cold Kingdom would never admit to having such a thought, the fact was that this was exactly what they did.


    After using gold, copper, iron mines and oil as debt repayment, they were even planning to use tariffs to bargain.


    Indeed, voluntarily becoming a vassal state to the Qing dynasty in reality, they definitely ranked as an oddity among powerful nations.


    However, unlike the Qing dynasty which suffered humiliation after losing battles, for the Ice Cold Kingdom, this was a high-stakes gamble.


    If they won, they could become the overlords of the dwarf world, sacrificing only a small part for what countless generations had dreamt of.


    "No matter what, Furnace Fortress is now within our sights!" Moss sat on horseback, eyes filled with longing for the city.


    He hoped to become the first hero to break into Furnace Fortress, a hero of the Ice Cold Kingdom, or rather, of the entire dwarf world...a hero!


    ```

 Chapter 342 Battle of Furnace Fortress 338

    "Boom!" A grenade landed in the position of the Northern Dwarf Empire''s troops, raising a cloud of dust that eclipsed the sun.


    On the edge of the explosion, a soldier was struck in the head by shrapnel and fell, his face covered in blood. Further away, soldiers were knocked askew by the blast.


    The troops of the Northern Dwarf Empire had actually never fought such a battle before; they were suppressed by the enemy''s artillery fire and couldn''t lift their heads, yet they couldn''t see the enemy''s artillery troops at all.


    The traditional tactic of lined-up battle formations had clearly become outdated, and engaging in such tactics was now no different from courting death.


    Tactics had fundamentally changed because of the advancement of weapons. Nowadays, an attacking formation in line was met with one outcome, that was being effortlessly annihilated by the opposition''s machine guns.


    The Northern Dwarf Empire had no experience with such modern tactics, which is why they suffered a great loss in that decisive frontal confrontation.


    100,000 troops were heavily decimated in that decisive battle, which directly led to the present situation where the Northern Dwarf Empire could not send more elite forces to participate in the Furnace Fortress battle.


    The Northern Dwarf Empire also didn''t have time to ponder over new tactics, so they could only think of some clumsy methods to solve the problems they faced.


    On one hand, they abandoned the tactic of square formations, allowing their troops to take cover on the spot, thus avoiding concentrated attacks of artillery and machine guns.


    However, this tactic was primitive; they had no contact with things like trenches, so there was almost no digging operation.


    Therefore, on the outskirts of the defensive line around Furnace Fortress, there were, in fact, no sturdy defensive positions like trenches to stop the advance of the Ice Cold Kingdom''s troops, only some hastily constructed breastworks.


    These constructs provided basically no defense against the attack of 75mm caliber grenade launchers.


    Moreover, the Ice Cold Kingdom, in addition to 75mm field artillery, also carried a large number of lightweight, easily portable mortars.


    These mortars were truly divine when it came to attacking enemy targets around 2 kilometers away.


    Those Dwarves from the Ice Cold Kingdom, the officers often had Left-Wheel Handguns, which to the defenders at Furnace Fortress appeared to be divine artifacts beyond comprehension.


    The enemy''s weapons could fire 6 rounds consecutively, whereas his own side could barely fire off one shot after ages; this wasn''t a fair war at all, was it?


    And many of the veteran soldiers of the Ice Cold Kingdom were equipped with lever-action rifles purchased from the Great Tang Group, which made them more efficient in combat and posed an even greater threat to the Dwarf Troops of the north.


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    "My lord! The frontline looks like it can''t hold on much longer!" a Dwarf wrapped in bandages stumbled over, clearly putting on a pitiful front.


    "I see it! You don''t need to tell me again!" the Dwarf commander responsible for this sector of the battlefield shouted in frustration: "500 men! You couldn''t hold out for even 20 minutes before being crushed by the enemy!"


    "My lord! We did our best! They don''t even show their heads! We have no way of returning fire!" pleaded the battalion commander, his voice laced with a whining tone.


    In truth, he had no good counters, for the Ice Cold Kingdom''s military used updated tactics from the Great Tang Group when they attacked.


    After crushing the enemy''s morale and destroying their frontline defenses, the Dwarf Troops of the Ice Cold Kingdom would do everything they could to approach the enemy''s defensive lines.


    Then, they would determine the enemy''s defensive layout, and immediately bring up the mortars and heavy machine guns¡ªthis was why the early heavy machine guns often came with shields and wheels.


    In early siege warfare, heavy machine guns played a role similar to that of infantry support. Before the advent of assault guns and infantry fighting vehicles, they were the most reliable pillar of fire support for the infantry.


    When the gunners risked enemy sniper shots to push the heavy machine guns close enough to the enemy''s attacking position, the battle was usually already over.


    The countermeasure to this type of machine gun advance tactic was actually very simple: prepare heavy machine guns on one''s own position as well.


    (Please forgive Dragon Spirit''s lack of talent in creating names; it''s Furnace Fortress till the end.)

 Chapter 343 Sudden death at 339

    Alas, the Dwarf Empire of the north had no machine guns. Thus, the Ice Cold Kingdom''s tactics were invincible when facing the Dwarf Empire''s troops!


    Unless there were sharpshooters who could barely suppress the machine guns, troops armed with Shireck flintlock guns simply had no way to contend with the devastating weapon that was the Maxim.


    Moreover, expecting soldiers armed with flintlock guns to fire in the rhythm of snipers was not a very promising option in the first place.


    "Rat-tat-tat!" Off in the distance, that infuriating, unstoppable, constant gunfire began again.


    The roar of the heavy machine guns was like a death chant echoing in the soldiers'' ears of the Dwarf Empire, as if it were a religious rite of passage.


    "Damn it! How have they not run out of bullets yet? Do their bullets cost nothing?" the despairing commander asked, his voice tinged with a sob.


    He wasn''t really expecting an answer, for he knew no one would give him one. He just wanted to vent, to let out the crushing despair and helplessness that was overwhelming him.


    Just like that, a whole battalion of soldiers who had just filled the gaps lay prone on the ground, bombarded twice by artillery and swept by machine gunfire for several minutes, leaving few survivors.


    The few soldiers who had luckily survived the frontline collapse scrambled back to their starting point, only to shockingly discover that apparently none of their comrades had made it back.


    Though nowhere near full strength, a battalion had over 400 men, yet in less than half an hour, fewer than 100 remained, a sight that would demoralize anyone.


    That fluttering flag of the Ice Cold Kingdom in the sky was getting closer and closer to Furnace Fortress, and the white flags being raised all around seemed to be multiplying.


    Valiant fearlessness is just an adjective; when a battle becomes a rout, the vast majority of people will choose to go with the flow and surrender.


    "Sir! Sir!" Seeing his immediate superior preoccupied with a white flag raised high on the flank, the disheveled company commander couldn''t help but speak up.


    He was still waiting for reinforcements. Otherwise, his men were doomed on the battlefield! It wasn''t easy for him to come back; retreating casually in battle made it very easy to be mistakenly shot by the enforcement squad.


    Expecting a flintlock shot to penetrate steel plates, especially from a hundred meters away, was unrealistic. Thus, those Northern Dwarf Empire soldiers who fired from afar undoubtedly became foolish targets to be shot down.


    Still, even so, the limitations of the armored vehicles were unmistakably exposed in this experiment-like battle.


    Without the enemy having even attacked, three of the armored vehicles coming from afar broke down en route to the attack.


    Of the ten armored vehicles that had travailed from the rear to the front line, only six made it, and then three of them went out of operation before even joining the battle.


    Within the remaining three, one had flipped over after falling into a shell hole, injuring the driver inside; another''s wheels were accidentally shot, losing its combat capability mid-way.


    Only one made it into the battle successfully, and it achieved substantial victories¡ªit effortlessly captured a small elevation and defeated the 1,000 soldiers defending it.


    It was also the appearance of this monstrosity that completely broke the psychological defenses of the Furnace Fortress troops, leading to widespread surrenders.


    Hundreds of Furnace Fortress soldiers laid down their weapons and handed over their defensive positions. This caused the entire frontline defenses to waver.


    By the time the fortress''s commanding officers managed to stabilize their troops, it was already the afternoon of the day the battle broke out.


    Having barely secured a moment to breathe at the cost of many lives, the Furnace Fortress troops hadn''t even had the chance to eat a delayed lunch when a series of bad news came pouring in.


    The first piece of bad news was that the southern defense line of 20,000 troops had been breached by the enemy, almost completely annihilated, and was forced to fall back to the city to continue resisting behind the walls.


    The second piece of bad news was that the northern troops had surrendered. They lost the courage to continue the fight against the 10,000 cavalry troops from the Ice Cold Kingdom and put down their Shireck Flintlock Guns.


    The third piece of bad news was that, because of the first two pieces, the lord of Furnace Fortress, the aged Emperor of the Northern Dwarf Empire... had died suddenly... his breath failing to come...


    -------


    This doesn''t count as a make-up update, but I actually only wrote an extra 1,000 words today, truth be told, I didn''t manage to write more, I''ll continue to make it up tomorrow...

 Chapter 344 Fashion Spokesperson at 340

    The news of the Emperor''s demise in the Dwarf Empire of the North hadn''t spread, and the change of hands of Furnace Fortress was still fresh news, yet all of this seemed unrelated to the distant southern regions.


    In the Empire of Nanla, within the Imperial Capital''s Imperial City, a grand palace stood where a woman listlessly fiddled with the leaves and branches on a windowsill flowerpot with her fingers.


    She was stunningly beautiful, yet a persistent fierceness lingered in her brows as if she were troubled by some vexing matter.


    "Your Highness!" a maid entered nervously, reminding her mistress that she had urgent matters to report.


    The woman didn''t turn around, instead she lazily and coldly commanded, "What is it this time... Go on."


    Lately, her mood had really been terrible, another new Imperial Concubine seemed to carry the Emperor''s child, whether a boy or girl was still unknown, which was absolutely another new threat to her.


    How many days had it been since the Emperor last visited her? She could barely remember, probably twenty days?


    Clearly, newcomers were more pleasing. For a man, a newcomer signified freshness, also representing the lust for conquest and other mixed feelings.


    In any case, keeping a man''s long-term affection for one woman was certainly not easy¡ªespecially for an Emperor.


    Of course, history had seen many Emperors who were devoted to one person, so nothing was absolute...


    Actually, the last time the Emperor came here, she had been quite pleased, and she even mentioned a suggestion from her father regarding the procurement of arms.


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    Then, His Majesty the Emperor hadn''t visited her for twenty whole days, which left her with deep regret, regretting why she bothered to help her father with that damned arms business when she had nothing better to do.


    The maid spoke cautiously, "Your father is outside..."


    Previously, the Imperial Concubine had ordered not to see anyone¡ªfor a female officer, a servant, it was really not easy to leave the powerful father of the Imperial Concubine, a prominent official of the Empire, standing outside.


    "Not seeing him! Not seeing him!" the daughter of Mo Kangsen, the distinguished Imperial Concubine of the Empire with faint wrinkles now appearing at the corners of her eyes, a beautiful woman, agitatedly refused.


    "Hahaha! Daughter! I know you are angry with me, but this time, you really should see me." The corpulent Mo Kangsen burst into his daughter''s room without giving the guards any face.


    After all, Mo Kangsen''s uncle was the top official of the Empire, and Mo Kangsen himself wielded great authority; the guards certainly didn''t dare to mess with him.


    Following Mo Kangsen was an equally stunning woman, dressed in an exquisite gown the Imperial Concubine had never seen before, reeking of wealth and commanding respect.


    "Humph!" Still harboring resentment towards His Majesty''s attitude, the Imperial Concubine turned her head away, though she showed no intention of having the attendants who followed evict anyone.


    After all, no one could be sure whether this rather plain-looking woman, whose savvy seemed unremarkable, might actually be Mr. Tang''s canary.


    A woman''s social status is the most elusive of all, as it''s entirely possible that in the span of an afternoon, some woman might suddenly become the President''s wife, a CEO''s lover, or a hero''s lady...


    In tales and anecdotes, numerous villains have met their fate over this very matter. They start by looking down on a woman, never imagining she might be the heroine, and when the hero arrives to mete out justice, the short-sighted villain meets his end...


    As the saying goes, it''s better to strike the rod and look to the master; even when chastising a dog, one must consider its owner. Those who mixed in the mainstream noble circles weren''t fools, so they too would give Susan some respect.


    Only the people within the Great Tang Group knew that Susan had only met Tang Mo a few times; she wasn''t nearly eligible to climb onto his bed...


    However, the tiger skin of the Great Tang Group was very intimidating, and the aura of a fashion star was something to behold, so Susan''s current situation was much better than before¡ªfar, far better.


    "Do you really think that my visit to Brunas was just for fun and games?" Mo Kangsen defended himself shamelessly, "My daughter, I went there for you! Brunas, the capital of fashion, how could I return empty-handed!"


    In truth, he went on a public-funded spree, but upon realizing that everything there was different from what he expected, he remembered his official duties.


    But it was still like adding a feather to his own cap, so why not seize the moment to pull at the heartstrings of his daughter?


    While speaking, Mo Kangsen pulled out his handkerchief with exaggerated sorrow and wiped his face.


    The keen-eyed Imperial Concubine winced when she spotted the luxurious trademark "T" in the corner of the silk handkerchief.


    Anything bearing this symbol was a rarity and a luxury in the Empire of Nanla, and just this silk handkerchief would cost at least 20 Gold Coins!


    After all, the design was what mattered most, what held the most value! This luxurious "Great Tang fashion" silk handkerchief, being perfectly square, contained so much more design language than those of other brands!


    "Your Highness! This item isn''t worth much, there''s nothing special to see here," Susan said, noticing the fleeting pang of desire in the Imperial Concubine''s eyes. She knew exactly why she was there, so she quickly spoke up.


    As she spoke, she cozily moved closer to the Imperial Concubine: "During my visit to the Empire of Nanla, I''ve brought... many gifts for you."


    She knew that as long as she offered up these gifts, not a single woman would despise her, so she fearlessly approached, worrying not whether it would irk the Imperial Concubine.


    Sure enough, upon hearing the word "gifts," the Imperial Concubine''s mood improved, or rather, she became visibly excited: "Miss Susan... what gifts are you referring to?"


    In the Empire of Nanla, Susan, the much-adored fashion icon among the noble ladies, didn''t need her gifts to be overly extravagant; just a few clothes that others didn''t have were enough to delight Her Highness, the Imperial Concubine.


    Thus, the Imperial Concubine was full of anticipation, looking forward to the gifts that Susan, the singer from Brunas, might have brought¡ªgifts she had long coveted.


    "Imperial Concubine Your Highness, there are so many gifts, so many that... I don''t even know where to start," said Susan, her face brimming with a victorious smile that carried a hint of disdain, contempt, and a touch of... condescension within her own domain.

 Chapter 345 341 Pampered Pet

    "I have brought Your Highness the latest from Brunas''s winter fashion week last year, except for the winter warmth items that you won''t need, everything... all of it." Susan didn''t wait for the Imperial Concubine to ask her own questions; instead, she took the initiative to introduce them.


    Suddenly, the Imperial Concubine''s breathing became rapid. She knew that even in the court of the Empire of Nanla, Brunas''s latest winter styles had only just become fashionable.


    There was no helping it; to the fashion capital of Brunas, the far-off Nanla Empire was nothing but an utterly remote backwater.


    The trendy new clothes of each year, by the time they reached the Empire of Nanla, were old news.


    It wasn''t that no savvy merchants had thought to bring Brunas''s newest fashions directly to sell in the Empire of Nanla, but even their delivery speeds weren''t fast...


    Add to that the inherently slow production speeds of Great Tang''s high-fashion clothing and other fashionable items¡ªfocusing on a high-quality, boutique approach¡ªmade the supply even scarcer.


    Therefore, getting one''s hands on Great Tang''s fashion new arrivals months in advance had become a symbol of status and power.


    This time, four months ahead, nearly just over two months after the release of the new items, batches of tailor-made designer clothes were delivered before her. How could the Imperial Concubine not be excited?


    A product of Great Tang was inevitably exquisite! Any attire produced by the Great Tang Group had no chance of being unattractive! Merely wearing the latest gown to a banquet would ensure that she would become the highlight of the entire event!


    As long as she could showcase those beautiful clothes in front of the Emperor, regaining Your Majesty''s favor would not be a challenge...


    With that thought, the Imperial Concubine nearly exclaimed, "Bring me those clothes right away."


    Not a single woman could refuse dozens of new outfits, or rather no woman had the courage to reject dozens of Chanel''s latest designs! Their closets were always lacking one piece of clothing, to say nothing of Prada or Gucci!


    However, just as the Imperial Concubine was about to burst out with her request, Susan continued to speak, "Moreover, I have also brought Your Highness the unreleased new products from Brunas''s spring fashion show of this year."


    "What!" The Imperial Concubine, disregarding her own demeanor, straightened up sharply, as if she were looking at a monster.


    The new product launches of Brunas were almost the single most important event in the eyes of many noblewomen of the Nanla Empire.


    Find your next read at empire


    Being able to obtain the clothes from such a launch nearly simultaneously was the ultimate dream of their lifetimes.


    But now, that dream was laid before the Imperial Concubine¡ªnot only had she realized it, but she had achieved an inconceivable surpassing of it.


    It was the first time she had heard of someone knowing what would be fashionable ten months in advance, and it was also the first time she heard that someone could bring out art pieces from the Great Tang''s new fashion launch in Brunas ahead of time!


    "It''s nothing much. Judging by the time, they should have been on sale there by now, so I brought some along the way, hoping Your Highness would like them," Susan boasted of her "power" with pride!


    Yes, this was the power that women cared about most! They didn''t care who became Prime Minister; what they cared about was whether their shoes were the latest model or the most expensive ones.


    "Like them! Of course I like them! Are the items here? Did you bring them all? I want to try them on! I want to see these clothes now!" said the Imperial Concubine, her tone revealing how truly excited she was at the moment.


    "How is that possible..." Susan scoffed, expressing her contempt for those popular skincare products.


    Then she went on, "What I''ve brought is undiluted, pure plant-based original essence!"


    Well, the ingredients are pretty much the same, but terms like ''original extract'' and ''essence'' in advertising are already cliche in the modern world.


    But in this innocent world, akin to a naive little white rabbit, presenting these terms was absolutely an enthralling work of supreme deception.


    Indeed, upon hearing the words ''original'' and ''essence'', the Imperial Concubine seemed to float away in excitement.


    She knew that the faint crow''s feet at the corners of her eyes might now be saved, that she could become magically young again, and her husband''s affection would return once more!


    With this thought, she felt as if she were floating on cloud nine!


    Of course, she knew Susan didn''t come merely to help her secure the Emperor''s favor; she definitely had her own agenda.


    But what of that? It''s just a few million from the treasury, just the purchase of a few hundred thousand rifles, just a few somewhat unfair treaties and contracts...


    Compared to her own youth, to her radiant glory, these men''s affairs are worthless, aren''t they?


    "Quick! Quick, quick! Bring it to me! I want to try it! I want to try it!" The Imperial Concubine was so impatient that she was jumping up and down.


    Although the etiquette she had learned in the past forbade such behavior, she still acted like a little girl, seemingly cooing to Susan while shaking her arm with a voice almost begging, "Please! Quick! Bring it to me!"


    "Can''t wait, can you?" Susan still didn''t move, instead, she pulled out a small bottle from her ample bosom. It was a simple-looking transparent bottle with no text on it whatsoever.


    "What, what is this?" For a moment, the relatively young Imperial Concubine sensed an almost imperceptible danger emanating from the small bottle.


    "It''s Great Tang Group''s newest product, which will keep the Emperor''s heart in your grasp," Susan said, shaking the bottle slightly, making the blue pills inside rattle.


    "Are you insane? Asking me to give my husband some unknown drug..." The Imperial Concubine almost bit her lip in her last act of rational challenge.


    "Hahaha!" Mo Kangsen, who had been silent, finally couldn''t help but burst into loud laughter, "Look, Miss Susan, I told you, your products couldn''t make my daughter betray the Emperor."


    After saying that, he stood up, walked over to his daughter, "I am proud of you, child! But this is not poison, it''s... the real deal."


    "I''ve taken it in Brunas; in fact, I take it every day." Pointing at the pills, Mo Kangsen unabashedly admitted.


    "It''s a wonderful experience! Your Majesty will think of this place as paradise," he said, taking the bottle into his hands and unscrewing the lid to pour out a pill, popping it into his mouth right in front of his daughter.


    ----------


    There will be another update later, before 12:30. You can wait a bit or watch it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 346 342 pills

    ```


    After doing all this, he wiped his nose and stuffed the remaining medicine into his daughter''s hand, "I need to go back, otherwise I''m going to be overcome by my animal instincts right here in the Emperor''s palace, hahaha."


    "What does he mean?" The Imperial Concubine watched her father, who was about to leave the room, and then looked at the medicine in her hand.


    "This is a drug that sets a man''s desire ablaze, it''s not easy to come by, and it''s a hundred times more expensive than gold! Such a pill would sell for 200 Gold Coins in Brunas," Susan explained.


    "Desire ablaze?" The Imperial Concubine repeated incredulously.


    "One pill, and His Majesty the Emperor won''t leave tonight, two pills, and he probably won''t sleep all night... uh... don''t give him three pills, that would really kill the old man," Susan said in a low voice.


    "Gulp..." The Imperial Concubine swallowed and then looked down at the medicine in her hand again¡ªthis time, she gripped the pill even tighter.


    ...


    Three days later, Mo Kangsen''s woman, many thought she was about to fall out of favor, the Imperial Concubine shined brilliantly at a large banquet hosted by the Royal Family.


    Her skin was tender and smooth, just like a child''s, and at a glance, it made many noble ladies envious and jealous.


    His Majesty the Emperor himself was also surprised by the changes in his concubine, and although he didn''t like this concubine''s interference in state affairs through pillow talk, he still was astounded by her return to the beauty of her eighteenth year.


    Moreover, at the banquet, Mo Kangsen''s daughter wore a gown that was so astonishingly beautiful.


    The women familiar with the brand Great Tang Fashion immediately recognized that the backless design of the gown was an obvious artistic adaptation of the letter T.


    And so, the entire banquet''s conversation centered on Mo Kangsen''s daughter, and even the Emperor spoke with Mo Kangsen for a long time.


    That night, unexpectedly, His Majesty the Emperor stayed in Mo Kangsen''s daughter''s room, and what happened next was even more unbelievable.


    That night, His Majesty the Emperor was reinvigorated and, incredibly, indulged till dawn, following which he had no mind for state affairs during the day.


    Subsequently, the next night, His Majesty couldn''t bear to be parted from pleasure and sought out Mo Kangsen''s daughter again¡ªthe rumors of the Imperial Concubine''s disfavor dissipated instantly.


    From then on, His Majesty the Emperor seemed a changed man and no longer stubbornly maintained a balance between the Empire of Nanla''s procurement of weapons from Shireck and the Great Tang Group.


    He quickly broke the balance, allowed Great Tang Group''s civilian products to be sold in the Empire of Nanla, and announced the lifting of strict regulations on the pharmaceuticals produced by the Great Tang Group.


    Following this, the military of the Empire of Nanla procured 20 armored vehicles from the Great Tang Group and subsequently bought 20 locomotives produced by the Great Tang Group for the service of the Empire of Nanla''s railways.


    All these sudden changes caught many off-guard, with opponents not even having enough time to come up with countermeasures before it was all set in stone.


    "And more importantly! As you know, first, one should not consume too much of the drug! Too much can overwhelm a man! Second, having too much of it might not be a good thing for you." Seeing that the First Imperial Concubine appeared to remain hopeful, Susan continued to persuade her.


    A bit slow on the uptake, or perhaps having completely sunk into the quagmire, willingly manipulated, the First Imperial Concubine asked in confusion, "How so?"


    Susan spoke calmly and confidently, "Think about it, Your Highness, if the drug were abundant, and anyone could buy it on the market, would His Majesty the Emperor... still be able to get it only from you?"


    "..." Upon further thought, the First Imperial Concubine realized the crux of the matter. If others could also get their hands on this drug, then it would lose its value; if other women could obtain it, the Emperor would no longer need to come to her.


    Susan put on the demeanor of someone seasoned in court intrigue, offering valuable advice, "Steady and long-term, Your Highness! In the future, whichever woman His Majesty the Emperor favors, they would need your permission to fully enjoy themselves, isn''t that much better?"


    In reality, she herself had not been involved in any messy relations with men for a long time. On one hand, many lacked the courage, and on the other hand, Susan was waiting for an opportunity to leap into a much better position.


    Regrettably, two years had passed, and things went contrary to her wishes. She failed to receive the favor of Mr. Tang, feeling as if she had been forgotten.


    She lamented her age; those were the years when she had to secure her livelihood and support the opera troupe by giving herself away early... Now, as a flower past its prime, Mr. Tang seemed to have lost interest.


    "That''s right..." The First Imperial Concubine had an epiphany upon hearing Susan''s reminder.


    "Furthermore, His Majesty will be grateful for your generosity, and those Imperial Concubines will rely on your favor... This... is the situation you desire, isn''t it?" Susan continued to impart her supposed knowledge of palace politics as if she were truly experienced.


    In fact, she dared not give even a second glance to either Earl Alice, who held massive military power and was now equally wealthy, or that young brat in the Tang Military Academy who was referred to as the queen, let alone challenge them.


    Now, there was talk of a new Catwoman... Thinking of all this frustrated her.


    "I always knew it! It''s you, sister, who truly has my best interests at heart. Those other people are unreliable!" The First Imperial Concubine seemed to grasp the true essence after hearing Susan''s ingenious strategy, happily sitting back on her bed and lavishing praise.


    The First Imperial Concubine, not sure if she truly saw Susan as one of her own, now believed that she must be a godsend to save her.


    Ever since Susan''s arrival in Nanla, good things kept coming her way¡ªfirst regaining the Emperor''s favor, then becoming a leader among women with fashion, skincare, jewelry, and the taboo drug.


    Now, even which Imperial Concubine wanted to spend an intimate moment with the Emperor required her approval. What was this? This was the epitome of the powerful female lead archetype, a sure winner in life, wasn''t it?


    "Cough... cough!..." Susan coughed, halting some of her unrealistic fantasies, and explained, "With the Great Tang Group backing you, none of this is a problem! You will soon realize, being friends with Mr. Tang is such a blessed thing."


    "Yes, Mr. Tang is my friend! If he comes to the Empire of Nanla, I will ensure he is treated well! He will be the most distinguished guest in the history of Nanla!" The First Imperial Concubine, in a good mood, nodded and said.


    "Did he spend several hundred thousand Gold Coins just so you, a pig, could be treated as an honored guest? Fool!" Susan cursed in her heart while she faked a smile and started a conversation with her ''plastic sister'' about matching shawls.


    --------


    One more chapter.

 Chapter 347 The fake cannot become real even after trying 343 times.

    "No way, I can''t do it!" an aged Dwarf removed his glasses from the bridge of his nose, rubbed his sore eyes, and shook his head regretfully, saying, "I really can''t do it."


    "Look at it again! Take another look!" Beside him, a director of Shireck, a fat man with a body full of fat, sat there with an old man and a woman beside him.


    Three directors from the Shireck Consortium had personally arrived, and the Dwarf craftsman sensed the extraordinary nature of the situation. Thus, he scrutinized the item he had been examining for a long time once more before he finally spoke his inability to fulfill the task.


    Upon hearing the request, the Dwarf craftsman shook his head seriously once again and explained, "My lord, I''ve been studying this item for three whole days now, and every day the moment I open my eyes, I''m working on this thing!"


    The elderly director frowned upon hearing what the Dwarf had to say; the female director beside him also looked despondently as she fiddled with her fingernails.


    The old Dwarf craftsman glanced at the three people and continued, "To me, this is no longer a printed product but a work of art! I can''t understand how such printing technology exists that could produce such... such exquisitely beautiful work."


    "Is it that... exaggerated?" the fat director asked incredulously.


    The Dwarf held the red banknote towards the light of the gas lamp and, in the deliberately left blank space, he saw a clear impression of an ancient Dwarf-cast gold coin.


    He sighed and admired, "In my opinion, it must have gone through many production processes and used at least two kinds of special pulp, which is why you can see the shadow of the gold coin when it''s held up to the light."


    The old craftsman pointed to some wooden barrels piled up in the corner of the wall, looking very weary, "In fact, just to replicate this special pulp, I have already conducted 29 experiments, and regretfully, with my level of skill, I cannot reverse engineer this material."


    As a seasoned expert in the printing industry, his reputation was not unearned. Many of the pulps he developed were considered the finest paper materials of this era...


    But unfortunately, recently, paper from Brunas had completely destroyed the market, with new technologies and new raw materials for paper making completely overrunning traditional papermaking.


    The old Dwarf knew this was a new type of paper currency, and he understood that if it started to spread, those capable of forging it would make a fortune.


    Even more, counterfeiting could destroy this type of money and completely devastate the local economy and finance of the area where the currency had circulated, leading to utter ruin.


    In truth, from a purely technical standpoint, the old Dwarf craftsman also wanted to try his hand at replicating such banknotes, but the other party''s technology was just too advanced, so advanced he felt utterly powerless.


    Therefore, he could only helplessly say, "The other party has great confidence, which is why they dare to use this thing in place of real Gold Coins. In fact, if you were to counterfeit Gold Coins, it might even be easier than to make this kind of paper money."


    Before he could finish, he unhesitantly pushed another identical note to a parallel position: "The cutting is meticulous as well; every banknote has the exact same weight, the same size, the same neat corners. That is easy enough to achieve, but mass production is not."


    "As for the gold coin watermark inside the money, that''s something we can''t copy at all, although maybe with more experiments... perhaps in one year, maybe two... or perhaps ten... it could be possible to create something similar." After saying this, he picked up a bag of gold coins from his desk, peered inside it, and then tied it tightly.


    After sealing the bag, he pushed it alongside the banknotes: "You should know that only something similar can be made; it''s nearly impossible to make it exactly the same! Thus, I must say that the person who thought of this is truly a genius."


    "Together with the precision printing technology I mentioned earlier, frankly speaking, our current printing equipment simply doesn''t have such accuracy. Even if we were to print it forcibly, it would just be a joke." He shrugged helplessly: "I can''t make any money from this... "


    "No need for others to even look; they can distinguish the real from the fake with a simple touch, even a blind person could easily identify it," he said, shaking his head, "not to mention that inscrutable coding. If we also made each one different, the cost might be frightening... but if we made them all the same, then the likelihood of being inspected and caught would skyrocket."


    "The most fatal issue," the old craftsman stood up and sighed, "is that printing such banknotes is basically losing money. Printing a one Gold Coin note might cost about two Gold Coins, which is a loss-making venture."


    The rotund man swore bitterly, his face grim: "Damn it! Did the Great Tang Group anticipate even this?"


    "This money is yours now!" The elder made no move to take back the gold coins or the banknotes and headed toward the door: "If you tell me they did all this unintentionally, I wouldn''t believe it... The integration of all this anti-forgery technology into a small piece of paper clearly shows that they are acutely aware of the importance of security."


    The woman also looked helpless: "It seems we still need to think of another way."


    "What do you think, if we, under the name of the Great Tang Group... distribute inferior forgeries in certain areas, could we cause them trouble?" the fat man had a sudden idea.


    The elder scoffed: "Don''t even think about it, that''s just looking for trouble for ourselves. Pushing this anywhere would lead to huge economic and trade issues, the local officials, including the nobility, the King, they''d all have serious issues with us."


    "Plus, disseminating this in territories we control would be destroying our own economic foundation, wouldn''t it?" the woman felt the fat man had lost his mind.


    "So what if we produce a batch and send it to areas under the control of the Great Tang Group... and then distribute it for free?" the fat man was still somewhat unwilling to give up.


    "I spend money to print a bunch of waste paper, and then send it to others to distribute for free? Do you think that joke is funny? Or do you think I''m an idiot?" the elder sneered disdainfully.


    Yet the fat man was still reluctant to give up: "If we print enough, perhaps we can deceive some people and create chaos, right?"


    The director, now irritated, retorted: "Did you just hear what I said? If I spend two Gold Coins, I can probably print one Gold Coin''s worth of counterfeit! Even if the Great Tang Group bought the forgeries at face value, I''d still go bankrupt first! Damn it... how can they afford to print money like this without fearing losses?"

 Chapter 348 344 cant be faked for real

    ```


    "Of course I''m not afraid! Because we still stand to profit! Although the cost is not low, compared to controlling a region''s financial economy, we''re making a killing!" Tang Mo said with a smile, "As long as I can control the currency of this region, I couldn''t care less about who becomes Emperor here."


    He stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the forest swaying slightly in the wind. His mood was truly better than ever before.


    Just now, he had received news that the Dwarf Empire to the north had been swallowed up by the Ice Cold Kingdom. The Emperor had died suddenly, and there was a subtle trend toward unification among the northern Dwarfs.


    His paper currency would serve as the new official currency of the Ice Cold Empire, circulating within the controlled territory of the Ice Cold Empire.


    This was exhilarating news indeed, signifying that the paper currency system of the Great Tang Group was now circulating in about one-fifth of the world''s regions.


    It included the territories of the Laines Empire, the Dorne Kingdom, Suthers, Songmu, and the Poplar Kingdom. Now the Ice Cold Empire''s region and a part of the Empire of Nanla would be added to that list.


    The fact that the currency printed by Great Tang Group could circulate in so many regions was already quite telling.


    As long as he continued this expansion, the day when his paper currency would cover the entire world was not far off.


    The would-be Emperor of the Ice Cold Kingdom, or rather the future Ice Cold Empire, was very satisfied with the cooperation with the Great Tang Group. He had even sent a batch of noble youths, entrusting them to be placed in the artillery command school under the Great Tang Group for their education.


    Unlike the Great Tang Military Academy, this artillery command school was obviously a notch lower in prestige. It was established to rapidly and massively produce skilled personnel for the current needs.


    Countries that had good relations with the Great Tang Group would select their young people and volunteers to further their studies in the various schools of Brunas and even Dragon City.


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    The subjects they studied included management, financial economics, science and technology, and of course, military.


    The Laines Empire, the Dorne Kingdom, and the Suthers Kingdom even regularly sent selected outstanding youths to study in the various schools of Brunas.


    As for how many of these students would actually return to their hometown after completing their studies, only heaven knew.


    But it didn''t matter. For the rulers of these regions, as long as one was willing to return and serve them loyally, it was an extra gain for them.


    Because according to the regulations of the Great Tang Group, all students who graduated from the schools under Great Tang and voluntarily returned to their home countries were not included in the assigned quote.


    This meant that, for example, if Suthers Kingdom was permitted to recruit a total of 20 graduates from a particular cohort, and 20 graduates were recruited, any additional individuals willing to go to Suthers were permitted as exceptions.


    This also meant that if two more were willing to go back additionally, then there would be 22 graduates returning!


    For kingdoms or empires urgently in need of reform-minded talent and who have come to appreciate the importance of such talent, every additional graduate represented immense wealth!


    Who wouldn''t want a genius capable of changing their nation''s destiny to suddenly emerge at a crucial time in their country? Just like Dorne, which suddenly gained two great generals like Bolton and Strauss, isn''t that delightful?


    Moreover, everyone knows that those tough characters from the Great Tang Military Academy, as long as they are not in a civil war, are simply guaranteed to win when fighting against commanders from other kingdoms!


    Last time Li''ao went in, there were only 100 tons of gold, but even just 100 tons had been enough to make his legs tremble.


    It was truly the most gold he had seen in his life! Bars of gold neatly piled in the room, each weighing 5 kilograms!


    Each entry had to be accompanied by specialized personnel, every access thoroughly checked, and everyone qualified to enter there was an outstanding individual who had established themselves with merit and shed blood for the Great Tang Group over three generations.


    This underground facility was vast and had been constructed by many workers; moreover, it ran along the hollowed-out mountainside, right beneath Tang Mo''s castle.


    It basically also served as Tang Mo''s safety bunker, hence the extremely high standards. Inside, even vehicles could pass through, and the thickness of the steel gates exceeded 20 centimeters.


    Yes, from today''s perspective on Earth, these security measures seem pitifully low, but in this world, there were few weapons capable of blasting through a steel plate 20 centimeters thick!


    If someone really did bring over a 150mm caliber naval gun from the Tang Navy''s Wolf-class warships to bombard this gate, then Tang Mo would admittedly be out of options...


    Now, as the world''s first super gold vault, it had stockpiled over 420 tons of pure gold. Describing it as rich enough to rival nations was by no means an exaggeration.


    Real gold! Dazzling gold! The kind you couldn''t help but take a second look at, genuine gold!


    With this vault, Tang Mo''s bulk trading had become easy and safe. Since many forces stored huge sums of money in Tang Mo''s Great Tang Bank, trade transactions could be completed simply by altering the figures on documents.


    By the end of each month, the accounts were settled, and personnel from both sides stamped and signed off on deals involving hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins, making transactions incredibly convenient!


    Of course, convenience comes with a cost; storing gold with Tang Mo earned no interest. After all, in this era, the bank was something that Tang Mo himself had full control over.


    The concept of interest should appear a bit later and then it was intended to draw in savings from the commoners.


    As for national gold reserves, have you ever heard of them earning interest? My country stores hundreds of tons of gold in the Federal Reserve''s vaults. If that accumulated interest, the United States would go bankrupt within a year.


    "If the transfer is completed and Brunas''s gold is transported here, plus the subsequent income, by the end of this year, our gold vault could reach an astonishing 1,000 tons of gold reserves," Li''ao stated proudly.


    He had never seen anyone with such a talent for amassing wealth. When he saw that 100 tons of gold, he almost cried.


    At that moment, his heart overflowed with tears. If back then he had such a formidable support and so much money, perhaps slapping a court official''s face wouldn''t have resulted in being labeled a criminal and exiled overseas.


    "So much?" Roger was startled by the number. Over three years, in less than four, he and Tang Mo had been worrying over a few hundred gold coins, running around for the operation of a small workshop.


    Now, beneath their feet, was a real mountain of gold!


    Really!


    A mountain of gold!


    ----------


    Today is a rest day; the updates will resume tomorrow.


    ```

 Chapter 349 345 is worth it

    On Dragon Island, atop a deliberately chosen cliff, a man wearing a leather jacket and goggles was carefully adjusting his gloves.


    His outfit was custom-made, featuring zipper designs that had not yet become popular. These zippers were quite intricate, not easy to produce, and naturally, more expensive.


    However, to ensure the pilot''s safety, this costly latest design was rightfully placed on the standard-issue leather jackets of the aviators.


    There was no choice in the matter, for pilots were living Gold, an immensely treasured fighting class, the most expensive in history!


    The pilot was very young; he had goggles on his head, ready to be pulled down to protect his eyes at any moment, and his aircraft actually had a cockpit, a rather enclosed one at that.


    Unfortunately, it was not a complete aircraft with its own power. It was a glider for training pilots!


    This glider was almost entirely made of wood and canvas, with steel cables stretched across it to control the flaps and reinforce its structure. These wires made the aircraft look somewhat complex and added a steampunk aesthetic to the glider.


    Truthfully, the airplanes of World War I were not about aesthetics; the design of aircraft of that era was focused solely on getting them to fly. How they looked wasn''t a concern.


    As for why many people like the backward steampunk style, it''s due to film and television and a pop culture return to antiquity, which has nothing to do with the actual objects themselves.


    Please believe, if you showed a 1914 Air Force pilot a J-8 fighter jet, he definitely wouldn''t think his wooden flyer was better looking.


    Similarly, if in 1914 someone used a syringe to spray black ink on white paper and claimed it was art, they likely would have been considered for a lobotomy.


    "I''m really nervous now!" the pilot said to his classmate, who stood outside the plane, before ground crew helped secure the transparent windshield.


    "Me too! Any of us should be nervous!" his classmate, standing there somewhat dejected at losing the chance to be the first human to fly in an experiment, retorted with indifference.


    On the other side, the glider''s anxious engineer kept instructing the pilot in the cockpit: "Pay attention to your position! Make sure you understand every technical maneuver! Control the flaps, don''t wobble! Do you understand?"


    "Yes, I do! But it''s 60 meters high here! I don''t think this thing can really fly," the pilot inside said, seeming even more anxious.


    He had been to the restroom several times just earlier because he wanted to make sure that he wouldn''t do anything embarrassing on the glider because of a sudden need to pee.


    Of course, asking him to use the restroom before takeoff also served to reduce weight, which might affect the precision and success rate of the flying experiment.


    "I heard the experiment succeeded," said the backup pilot, standing with his hands behind his back and squeezing out a bit of a smile, seemingly trying to offer reassurance.


    "Don''t joke with me, am I not the first?" Hearing that the experiment had succeeded, the test pilot was shocked and immediately became unsettled.


    He had fought tooth and nail to score first place, all for the chance to become the first person in history to truly take flight, hadn''t he?


    Those hot air balloons and airships were nothing compared to airplanes. They didn''t fly; they merely went up! They don''t deserve the title of flying!


    Suddenly, he felt the joystick in his hand become a bit heavier. Then, through the windscreen, he saw the distant horizon.


    And then... he saw the earth, saw the endless forests... Yes, after witnessing the magical sights and a brief moment of stupor, he finally realized his plane seemed to be crashing towards the ground.


    "Pull back to go up, pull back to go up..." He repeated the phrase desperately, pulling the joystick with all his might.


    The next second, the glider responded to his action¡ªquickly, the horizon once again came into view, followed by his nosecone, pointing toward the blue sky and white clouds.


    He felt the G-forces on his body but being used to them, he wasn''t too uncomfortable.


    For someone who had inexplicably become accustomed to vomiting, and took tumbling and spinning as part of the norm, the slight sensation of floating was truly a wonderful, joyous experience.


    He finally understood that all the hardship he had endured, all the suffering he had gone through, was just the price he had to pay for this moment.


    The feeling was so great that he could not to help but want to shout out loud¡ªalthough no one would hear him here, he just wanted to open his mouth and scream to vent his excited emotions.


    Almost instinctively, he aimed his nosecone towards the sky and started to climb, regaining altitude.


    He glanced over his instruments with his peripheral vision and realized his altitude had already exceeded 200 meters.


    Not knowing whether it was madness or something else, the next second he spread his legs apart and yanked the joystick hard to the right.


    The glider, still riding the wind, immediately responded to his action, starting to roll to one side.


    As it rolled, its altitude dropped because of the aerodynamics involved, and the cockpit was filled with the bizarre howling of the wind invading through the seals.


    After completing a roll, the aircraft descended more than fifty meters, but it executed a perfect roll maneuver!


    On the ground, the staff were shocked by the suddenly wild flight maneuver by the test pilot; they had not arranged for such a complicated flight test.


    According to plan, all the pilot needed to do was maintain level flight, then turn, and land at a predetermined location.


    But there, under everyone''s gaze, the pilot just performed a roll, nearly crashing the glider.


    "If he doesn''t crash to death, give him a good beating!" The onsite commander of security forces said as he watched the glider continue to fly off after leveling off, he ordered his aide, "That little rascal has gone too far!"


    "Yes!" The aide grinned.


    "Mind the buttocks! Don''t damage him," remembering the cost of pilot training, the officer also painfully reminded.


    "Yes!" The aide''s smile grew even brighter.


    "A beating would be worth it..." The envious reserve test pilot gulped and murmured resentfully, "I want to fly like that too... I''d take two beatings for it! No! Three would be worth it..."

 Chapter 350 showing off simple skills 346

    Dragon Island, Dragon City Port, the largest, most functional, and most modern super port in this world.


    On the side of this port stood a gigantic shipyard, which had just surpassed Brunas Shipyard in size, the world''s largest shipyard¡ªGreat Tang Group''s Second Shipbuilding Factory, Dragon Harbor Shipyard.


    A dozen or so dry docks allowed for the simultaneous construction of numerous massive freighters, and with the experience gained from building the Freedom Wheel and Wolf-class Cruisers, the Great Tang Group had already proven its ability to manufacture large steel ships.


    Inside this advanced and enormous dry dock, hundreds of workers were at the bottom, piecing together and securing the super-gigantic keels.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Next to these enormous keels, people seemed so insignificant, while beside them, there laid one after another huge and thick steel plates.


    The thickness of these steel plates exceeded 200 millimeters, which for this era represented the most advanced metallurgy and steel manufacturing technology in the world.


    "This thing is simply a monster!" one old worker commented, without raising his head as he riveted the huge keel to the connecting steel structure.


    He knew what he was building wasn''t a Wolf-class warship, for its keel was much more massive than that of a Wolf-class.


    Similarly, it was not a Freedom Wheel either, for though he had built one and the size seemed similar, this thing was completely different.


    According to the design plans, in most places, the thickness of this thing''s hull exceeded 100 millimeters. What did that mean?


    Before this thing came into existence, there was nowhere in the world that needed to use steel plates thicker than 100 millimeters!


    What was even more terrifying was that this wasn''t everything. In many places, the thickness of this monster''s steel surface approached or exceeded 200 millimeters, with the thickest part nearing 300 millimeters!


    It was said that just the heavy steel plates alone weighed over 5,000 tons! What did that mean? The displacement of a Wolf-class Cruiser might not even be more than the total weight of steel used in this giant!


    Based on the size of the keel, the old worker knew that the maximum length of this thing should exceed 150 meters! It might even be over 160 meters!


    The total length of the Freedom Wheel was about 135 meters with a width of about 17 meters. It was the longest and most massive ship in the world thus far, and also the largest steel ship in history.


    However, this battleship clearly broke the world record the moment it appeared, because according to the width of its keel, it was almost 150 meters long and 25 meters wide!


    Without exaggeration, it was the largest ship in the world to date, and also the sturdiest.


    According to the workers'' experience, the hull of a Wolf-class warship could basically resist the cannons of all active navies in the world.


    Therefore, if not fighting against a Wolf-class of its own or a Brunas-class Ironclad Warship, the defensive power of Wolf or Brunas-class was excessive.


    The muzzle-loading solid shot ammunition used by other navies simply couldn''t penetrate the outer armor of Brunas-class and Wolf-class warships.


    Therefore, the old worker really couldn''t figure out why they were building a ship with an "solid" hull thickness approaching 200 millimeters.


    Could it be a ship capable of smashing icebergs, the safest super ship in world history? The old worker guessed in his heart.


    It was now operating smoothly, and Parker looked at it with the same admiration he had for the steam engine years ago.


    This was a reverence emanating from his very bones, a primal worship of the mechanical power of man.


    "Pressure normal! Output power... estimated value... reached!" a worker handed the copied data to Parker and introduced: "According to design standards, it could provide power... surpassing that of the steam engine."


    "Gentlemen! For us, this is just the beginning!" Parker, curbing his joy, signed his name on the record, then addressed all the workers before him: "The boss means to submit the whole power set to the navy next month."


    "We''re going to produce 18 coal-fired steam boilers! And four steam turbines! The design requirements for the complete set are 24,000 horsepower! Gentlemen... the time to prove ourselves has arrived!"


    "This is Great Tang Group''s most cutting-edge power technology! We''re going to show the world! Who! Is the best!"


    "Great Tang! Great Tang!" All the workers were chanting vigorously, their voices almost drowning out those of the steam turbines.


    The whole apparatus continued to work amid the roaring noise, its shaft spinning without tire, tirelessly outputting even more powerful energy.


    This was the world''s first real steam turbine set, a more powerful steam power system.


    With this device, ships could travel faster, and it seemed they could also go farther.


    ...


    "It''s just showing off for the sake of showing off, nothing special," said Mathews, as he covered the blueprints of the super warship named the "Jade City class" with another sheet of paper.


    That was the blueprint given to him by Tang Mo, actually of the battleship named Dreadnought. Before this battleship emerged, everyone thought their own warships were the best in the world. After its appearance, the history of warships in the world was cleaved in two; there was the pre-dreadnought era and the post-dreadnought era...


    And the Great Tang Group''s Jade City class battleship was the otherworld''s Dreadnought!


    "The master hopes to build an invincible warship to showcase the shipbuilding capabilities of Great Tang Group, along with other military design abilities. Therefore, we''ve integrated all the advanced technology, simply stacking new technologies to create a weapons warship that surpasses everything," Mathews spoke as he walked toward his students.


    "This warship will become the master''s flagship and will also be the most powerful warship in the world for the next three years! No exception!" he said passionately: "We must make everyone see the gap between us and the others! If we are eagles, they are but insects! If we are whales they are merely krill! If we are lions, they are but wild rabbits...


    or perhaps, even that is giving them too much credit! They are nothing but doomed corpses, decaying, ignored skeletons!"


    And standing before him, these future industry elites were even more thrilled, almost bursting into cheers.


    Experience more tales on empire


    ------


    Something came up at home today, so here are two updates for now.


    ```

 Chapter 351 Kill her 347

    In the dim underground chamber, Shireck''s elderly council member personally held a torch, walking along the somewhat damp corridor until he reached the end.


    Here, there was an ancient wooden door, which he pushed open. A middle-aged man was already waiting inside the room.


    Seeing someone enter, the middle-aged man got to his feet and bowed respectfully, saying, "My Lord! You have arrived."


    The old man waved his hand, signaling the other to dispense with the formalities, then asked somewhat urgently, "How goes the task I assigned to you?"


    "My Lord, it''s not an easy task," the middle-aged man began hesitantly, reporting: "Assassinating such a figure isn''t so simple."


    "I know, of course I know it''s not easy. If it were, would I have to inquire about it personally?" The old man hung the torch on the wall and found a relatively clean spot to sit down.


    The middle-aged man then reported the latest developments of the situation: "According to our investigation, Mr. Tang is no longer in Brunas. He has now gone to Dragon Island."


    Normally, Tang Mo lived in the Great Tang Group''s compound, which was heavily guarded by troops, making it difficult to act.


    Now that he had gone directly to Dragon Island, to that even safer, more secluded stronghold, it was even harder to take action.


    The old man, of course, knew Tang Mo had gone to Dragon Island. He had even heard that Tang Mo was transporting a large sum of money to Dragon Island: "This is no secret anymore."


    However, what he didn''t know was that his information was actually wrong. Tang Mo wasn''t transporting Gold Coins, but... Gold!


    With some regret, the middle-aged man nodded and continued: "Yes, my lord, but we have absolutely no informants on Dragon Island; it''s as if it''s a blank slate for us, with no embedded agents there at all."


    As an old spymaster, a presence who had always operated in the shadows, he was very confident in his profession.


    Unfortunately, when facing his counterparts at the Great Tang Group, he always felt an inexplicable sense of frustration, as if passively taking hits without any ability to fight back.


    His men would be mysteriously captured, his operations preemptively thwarted by the enemy, and that mysterious organization called Silver Fox seemed to lurk like a persistent nightmare, impossible to dispel.


    "So, how long will you need to infiltrate Dragon Island?" Thinking of Tang Mo, the man who made him lose sleep, the elderly council member couldn''t help feeling an impatient urge to see him dead.


    That man had brought the Shireck Empire to its knees, even stepping on it a few times! This was an utter disgrace, an enmity so deep it could not coexist under the same sky!No?v(el)B\\jnn


    If it were just humiliation, that would be one thing, but this was about the lifeline of wealth, wealth! Everyone was scrabbling for a share of the arms trade¡ªtaking one''s livelihood was as grievous as killing one''s parents!


    After careful consideration, the middle-aged man came up with a somewhat realistic timeline: "Several months won''t be enough, I estimate it will take a year..."


    Startled by this statement, the elderly man suddenly looked at his confidant, half in shock and half in a roar: "Are you joking? I didn''t ask you to assassinate Tang Mo, just to find a way onto Dragon Island..."


    "Since we can''t pose a threat to Brunas on land, working on something near Dragon Island seems easier," he pondered briefly, planning to burn his boats when necessary.


    Clearly, touching Brunas would bring obstruction from the Leite Kingdom, the Dorne Kingdom, the Suthers Kingdom, and Northern Ridge, which was almost in cahoots with Great Tang.


    Even if there was a chance to attack Brunas directly, Northern Ridge would immediately send in troops at any cost to provide reinforcement, which obviously was not an easy success.


    Because even if it was known that Great Tang Group''s security troops were not numerous, Northern Ridge had plenty of troops, and Shireck would certainly not gain any advantage in a fight.


    However, attacking Dragon Island would be different, if he could deceive the Great Tang Group''s naval forces near Dragon Island, a surprise landing could clearly yield a local advantage.


    Transporting thousands of men in one go for a landing, followed by an all-out raid to destroy some of Great Tang Group''s facilities on the island... this was definitely a plan worth trying.


    The more the old man thought about it, the more he felt the plan made sense, and a sinister smile appeared on his face.


    He was naturally a wolf in sheep''s clothing, the most dangerous when he was smiling.


    Read new chapters at empire


    His confidant asked in a hushed voice, "Are you going to make a move on Dragon Island?"


    "Not now! The time is not right yet!" the old man said with a smile, waving his hand, unwilling to admit to his thoughts.


    Then, the middle-aged man continued to ask, "So what should we do now? Assassinating Tang Mo seems quite difficult."


    "If assassinating him is difficult, then we''ll use the same old trick, take out his people first, plunge him into panic, and leave him without his capable helpers..." The old man stroked his beardless chin, changing his plan.


    The middle-aged man asked with a scoff, "I am quite familiar with this... who shall we... kill?"


    "Kill... Earl Ronin Alice of Northern Ridge!" The old man recalled the names and finally chose what he believed was the best target.


    "Her? Why kill her?" The middle-aged man didn''t expect it and asked in surprise and confusion.


    The old man explained, "She is Tang Mo''s woman. Killing her will create panic for Tang Mo! And, Northern Ridge has always had a unique status; her death would bring changes to many aspects."


    He believed it was necessary to ensure his subordinates understood his thinking, as it would enhance their mission comprehension and increase the success rate of their operations.


    That sort of dismissive order, the ''don''t ask so many questions, I have a clever plan'' scenario, only confused his subordinates and caused them to miss many valuable opportunities.


    "Killing her will deepen the rift between Leite Kingdom and the Great Tang Group. The wealthy Northern Ridge doesn''t belong to the Great Tang Group, and Leite would certainly not want to give up on this piece of fat..." the old man''s eyes shone coldly.


    "So, Northern Ridge could become a fuse, an opportunity to provoke animosity between the Great Tang Group and the Leite Kingdom!" As he spoke, the old man chuckled, clenching his fist: "I don''t believe that Leite VII could resist being tempted by Northern Ridge! Hmm-hmm-hmm..."

 Chapter 352 348 Identity Proof

    ```


    "Understood! I will arrange it right away. I personally..." The middle-aged man bowed his head firmly, as if he did not plan to return unless the task was accomplished.


    Seeing the posture of his subordinate, the old man immediately scolded, "Idiot! Let Qiumuluo, that pawn, handle this! Besides revenge, there is nothing left in his mind anyway!"


    "Understood!" The middle-aged man was taken aback and then bowed deeply with gratitude to agree.


    The old man took a deep breath, seemingly calming his emotions.


    Then, he continued with further instructions, "Also, for the choice of weapons, select from those of the Great Tang Group! Let them doubt themselves when the time comes...heh heh...hehe...hahaha!"


    "Brilliant! Your method is truly... brilliant!" The middle-aged man offered a rather obvious flattery.


    Then, their whispers echoed in the small secret chamber, with the fire from the torches flickering, casting two grotesquely distorted shadows on the wall.


    ...


    At Brunas''s passenger port, the entry and exit checkpoint for the Brunas region, a civil service employee was idly sitting behind a window.


    She wore light lipstick, donned a uniform, and lethargically flipped through the record book, checking each tongue-twisting name.


    "Your documents!" Another new traveler stood in front of the window, and the female employee drawled perfunctorily.


    "..." The other party respectfully took out a small book from their pocket and handed it to the female employee on the other side of the iron bars.


    The female employee opened the booklet, looked at the black and white photo inside, then at the middle-aged man across the iron bars and lazily verified, "So you are Franklin?"


    This type of booklet was unique to Brunas as an identity proof for its citizens. Previous booklets contained only names, but the latest generation of ID documents included two-inch photos and anti-counterfeit steel stamps, making them highly advanced and difficult to forge.


    Truthfully, finding a camera outside Brunas these days is not an easy task.


    These gadgets are now considered state gifts, all registered by the Great Tang Group before being distributed. Each can be traced back to its origin, so using this kind of item for forgery clearly involves a great risk.


    With the incorporation of photographs, the credibility of the documents significantly increased, which is another reason spies and stowaways found it difficult to infiltrate Brunas.


    The middle-aged man was noticeably nervous and uneasily replied, "Yes, that''s right, your honor..."No?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Identification number 5170304172156... Did you arrive in Brunas last April?" After checking the code, the immigration officer continued her indifferent inquiry.


    No one could read any joy or other emotion on her face. She was like a cold machine, instinctively causing the person in front of her to feel restrained.


    "Yes, your honor," the man across the iron bars answered, nervously clenching the cap pressed against his chest, swallowing nervously while responding to the woman''s question.


    "No worries, no worries, you''ll understand once you''re there..." The woman smiled, closed the ID in her hand, and placed it on the desk.


    At the same time, the man in front of the iron railings sensed the commotion behind him. He suddenly turned around to see the police who had parted the crowd, already within arm''s reach.


    With a sudden move, he flung his suitcase at the oncoming police and forcefully tried to break into the crowd to escape.


    But before he could swing the suitcase, the charging policemen had already seized the more advantageous position. One officer bore the brunt of the suitcase, filled with clothes, while another swiftly tackled the tall, thin man from the side.


    "Why are you arresting me! Why are you detaining me! I haven''t done anything! I''m innocent!" The man pinned to the ground struggled fiercely and screamed madly.


    Realizing he had no better recourse, the man started to curse loudly: "It''s a cover-up! They''re silencing me! They captured me because I sell cheap salt! I''m innocent! They forced me to raise prices and I refused; they are lapdogs of the Great Tang Group! They..."


    Soon, a piece of rag was stuffed into the man''s mouth, and he was clumsily dragged away by the officers.


    Meanwhile, a group of travelers ready to head to Dragon Island watched everything unfold with cold indifference, calmly resumed their line, and proceeded one by one towards the checkpoint.


    As if they hadn''t seen a person being dragged away at all.


    There was no use; framing the Great Tang Group in Brunas simply lacked traction. Among those queuing here, who wasn''t a beneficiary of the Great Tang Group''s ascendancy? Expecting them to believe Tang Mo was an infamous scoundrel was sheer folly.


    ...


    In Tang Mo''s office on Dragon Island, Li''ao handed him a list from Shireck: "This is the list of undercover agents from inside Shireck this month, complete with their detailed profiles."


    Ever since the collaboration with Sofia began, capturing Shireck''s spies had become a much easier task.


    At the least, the lower-tier spies collectively dispatched by the Shireck Consortium were all on this real-time list.


    "Sofia herself couldn''t get the entire list, as the various board members have their secrets and guard against one another, placing their trusted people. They are unaware of this part of the list," Li''ao continued as Tang Mo perused the list.


    "However, because our support greatly helps her, she gets access to more detailed intelligence," Li''ao didn''t wait for Tang Mo''s response and kept on with the report: "Our own sources, verified against hers, are highly accurate."


    He then briefly mentioned Shireck''s recent armament developments: "Shireck has been building some Ming Wheel Ships lately. These ships are equipped with larger caliber guns and are a new breech-loading design, armored for protection, quite dangerous."


    "However, since they are Ming Wheel Ships, they don''t pose a significant threat to us. Their speed is too low, their propulsion systems too vulnerable, their sighting systems outdated..." his tone became more relaxed as he spoke.


    In comparison to propeller-driven ships, Ming Wheel Ships were far behind. These steamships would soon become obsolete. No matter how much Shireck treasured them now, they would only be the butt of a joke later on.


    "Don''t be complacent," Tang Mo cautioned while reviewing the names and undercover profiles, reminding his subordinate.


    "Yes, Master! The work of rooting out spies is ongoing, and not just relying on intelligence from Sofia; we also have our own system for tracking and verification," Li''ao immediately adjusted his demeanor and bowed as he spoke. Enjoy new tales from empire


    "That''s good, not relying on others is a fine habit," Tang Mo closed the list and handed it back to Li''ao: "Verify thoroughly! Don''t just take Sofia''s word for it! Don''t wrongly accuse an innocent person."

 Chapter 353 349 overtime production

    "Yes, Master!" Li''ao lowered his head, "There''s one more thing. Those we''ve placed inside Shireck via the dandelion connection, as well as the overt routes through Sofia, have started to make an impact."


    He mentioned the production of two types of weapons, "The opposition is currently focusing on improving their production lines and are manufacturing the Shireck Type 1 rifle we provided them with. Also, the Shireck Type 1 pistol has already begun mass production."


    "As they should, if they didn''t make use of it, then they wouldn''t deserve to continue existing," Tang Mo sneered coldly.


    In fact, compared to what Tang Mo provided to the other Shireck council members, he had given even more to Sofia. It''s just that these secret aids had not yet unleashed their true power.


    Once Sofia is somewhat prepared and begins to exploit these technologies fully, she will become the savior of Shireck. By then, the Great Tang Group''s Shireck subsidiary would truly be established successfully.


    Li''ao bowed slightly and continued where Tang Mo left off, "They are currently upgrading their private army and I believe that many of the countries under their control will soon be equipped with these."


    "That''s to be expected, after all, the Shireck Type 1 pistol is very useful, isn''t it?" Tang Mo continued nodding, his laughter growing even more cheerful, "Just that, when they encounter Thomson, they better not be too surprised."


    ...


    "Do you think I might die this time..." Standing on the lengthy runway, an engineer with a pale face looked at the huge machine in front of him, somewhat nervous.


    "If you''re really scared, then let me do it!" Another engineer standing by his side said disdainfully, with contempt.


    "Then why did you take my 10 Gold Coins and give me your place..." the frightened engineer complained discontentedly.


    The engineer who had taken the money and was now feeling some regret decided to rectify his mistake, "If you regret it, take your money back!"


    He now felt that selling his chance to be on the world''s first passenger plane flight for just 10 Gold Coins really was a bit cheap.


    Indeed, seeing his colleague regretting, the engineer who was now less regretful waved his hand, "I don''t regret it, I just feel... this thing looks... not so, not so safe..."


    This airplane was actually a modification of an old World War I bomber, as Tang Mo was in dire need of saving his own time.


    Although he couldn''t travel back and forth between Brunas and Dragon Island in such a backward, unsafe plane, for important documents and items needing rapid transport, using a plane was obviously more convenient.


    And for the transportation of key personnel, using a plane was naturally faster, hence the manned experiment this time.


    Before this manned experiment, this modified transport plane had already flown twice, once unmanned and once filled to capacity with heavy cargo.


    Both flight tests had been successful, so this time an experimental internal flight was organized. 10 engineers were to board the plane, taking off from a secret airfield near Dragon City and flying to Weigang.


    Continue your adventure with empire


    Although the distance was not far, it was indeed a monumental feat.


    The engineer who had sold his first flight experience spoke resentfully, "I''ve said it already, if you think it''s unreliable, you can let me do it."


    This system significantly increased the guns'' rate of fire, ensuring that the staggering calibers of 305-millimeter heavy guns could fire at an acceptable speed continuously until they hit their target.


    The Jade City-class battleship had five turrets, all in a classic twin-gun design, uniformly equipped with 305-millimeter caliber main guns, totaling 10 main guns on the ship. Its broadside could ensure maximum firepower, allowing eight main guns to fire simultaneously, with six guns'' firing arc at the front and rear, also boasting formidable attack capabilities.


    Without exaggeration, there was not a single warship in the world that could face such terrifying firepower, nor was there any that could threaten its thickest armor, which reached 280 millimeters.


    It was an invincible entity, at least until the next generation of warships was commissioned, it was the invincible one!


    Thanks to the use of a new type of power, even this super-battleship with a total displacement approaching 17,000 tons and armor weight exceeding 5,000 tons could reach a maximum speed of 41 kilometers per hour.


    This was no joke, meaning it could even keep up with Wolf-class cruisers and, at least over short distances, could give chase.


    It also meant that it could basically catch up with any ship in the world and tear it apart with its fearsome firepower.


    "The third one! Just two more to go... Finally, we can take a break," said the chief engineer responsible for manufacturing the turrets of the Jade City-class battleship as he massaged his shoulders and sighed with relief.


    "Yeah, we can rest for two days," his colleague standing next to him also remarked. These days, to ensure the production schedule, they had been working overtime day and night, and indeed they were a bit exhausted.


    This wasn''t about working 8 hours a day and then doing 2 hours of overtime. This was about working 10 hours a day, plus 3 hours of overtime!


    In today''s world, there was no such thing as labor law, nor any workers'' rights. Tang Mo was already considered a decent capitalist because there were others far more excessive!


    Now, the standard working hours were 12 hours! This applied to almost all industries! If they really pushed, then working 14 hours a day wasn''t uncommon.


    And that was without overtime pay! An employer like Tang Mo, who only required 10 hours of regular work and paid for overtime, was already the conscience among the conscientious...


    "Are you perhaps thinking too much?" Parker walked over with a stack of documents and spoke up in the noisy workshop.


    "What? More overtime?" The engineers looked shocked.


    "Overtime! But this time, time is tight, and the task is heavy... Mr. Tang''s meaning is... triple wages! Those unwilling can be replaced," Parker reassured them considerately.


    "Ha! You''re joking! I don''t need rest, okay?" Money seemed to wake them up.


    One by one, they energetically flexed their muscles: "Exactly! We don''t need rest at all!"


    "Then what was that complaint just now?" Parker smirked, exposing their act.


    "What we mean is... we work so hard, we tire easily, so... pay us more!" Whether they were workers or engineers, technicians, everyone started to laugh.


    ------------


    Another update is in order.

 Chapter 354 350 New Cars

    As the Great Tang Group developed, the world was also gradually, bit by bit, beginning its true industrial revolution.


    The labor-intensive workshops were being phased out, the crumbling industry was being reconstituted by machinery, and a greater force was bursting forth.


    Due to a severe shortage of production capacity, both the Great Tang Group and the Shireck Consortium initiated a new round of industrial adjustment and layout without any prior arrangement.


    To ensure continued increased capacity in the manufacture of specialized vehicles such as trucks, the Great Tang Group introduced a new car to replace the Model T¡ª the People''s Car.


    The People''s Car''s redesigned shell gave it a more modern appearance, with a style approaching that of streamline sedans around the 1920s, looking very cool indeed. Moreover, this car did indeed undergo some improvements, quite significant ones at that.


    Yet, these improvements, compared to the downgraded engine, still left many car buyers extremely dissatisfied.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    The engines used in the previous cars, although technically subpar, were now replaced by engines with even lesser quality and more disappointing performance.


    Sitting in the "4S" dealership, customers were somewhat dissatisfied with this new model.


    A man in a crisp suit squeezed in front of the counter, yelling at the car salesperson, "What''s this? Is that all the equipment it comes with?"


    "The new model of the People''s Sedan is really terrible, the engine is said to be two-stroke, and the noise is three times louder than before." Beside him, another Brunas resident eager to purchase a car was also quite agitated, having waited a long time for the new model.


    Previous advertisements claimed that the new car would only cost 68 Gold Coins, which was 2 Gold Coins cheaper than the old model, a significant stimulus for the common folk who hadn''t yet had the chance to buy a car.


    Many were waiting for today, ready to purchase their own family car.


    Aside from Brunas, there weren''t many cities with so many gas stations capable of sustaining such a large number of cars.


    In all of Brunas, there were more than 20,000 cars, a number that kept growing as if there were no end in sight.


    Many were concerned that without gasoline or electricity, this huge city with a population exceeding one million could collapse within a single day.


    But this was already a great advancement in world civilization, because in the past, if a city''s population exceeded one million, it would have faced issues like plagues, making it virtually impossible to continue growing.


    Nowadays, though Brunas'' population had exceeded one million, it was still developing rapidly, a miracle indeed.


    "Ah... don''t mention it, the previous engines weren''t up to much, but this time, the issue with engine noise is really serious," a so-called car expert lamented, waving the specification sheet in his hand.


    These advertising flyers were a comparison tool printed by car dealerships to show detailed vehicle specifications.


    They listed how much extra money the optional features would cost, how many colors one could choose from, and in what ways the new model had improved over the old cars.


    This sense of luxury was also a reason why many people get carsick. In fact, up to around 2010, there were many people in Huaxia who got carsick, especially in good cars, largely because of the suspension tuning.


    Moreover, designers at the Great Tang Group did implement a large number of technological innovations in this new car, and it was indeed much improved from previous models.


    Just speaking of the tires alone, there were innovations beyond compare. Previously, due to the production and pricing issues with rubber, the tires of the T-model cars were very narrow and small, which made it impossible to use better suspension methods.


    Now, with islands in the southern part of the Endless Sea and ports all under the control of the Great Tang Group, the production capacity of rubber increased dramatically, as did the transport capacity, naturally bringing down rubber prices significantly.


    With such a backdrop, the Great Tang Group lowered the cost of manufacturing car tires and also increased production capacity.


    The car''s tires could be made bigger and wider due to the reduced prices of rubber, which likewise increased the car''s comfort.


    Plus, as friends who own cars know, the bigger the rims are, the more majestic and aggressive the car looks; hence the new car''s wheels, which were a size larger than those of the T-model, indeed made the new model look more aesthetically pleasing.


    However, due to the underwhelming engine, the new car''s acceleration from zero to a hundred kilometers per hour was so abysmal it took over 20 seconds - the pick-up performance was rubbish and the high-speed performance mediocre.


    In order to further reduce costs, the new car still employed gravity-fed fuel tanks which meant that gasoline entered the engine by natural gravity, so on steep inclines or declines, fuel supply issues could potentially arise, especially when the fuel level was very low.


    In summary, this was a case of aggressively cutting costs, resulting in something that could only be called "a motorbike with a canopy", a civilian car that wore its era''s emblem heavily.


    The design aimed to free up engine production lines which were originally for T-model cars, so that they could produce more important truck engines instead.


    This era desperately needed trucks. The military needed them, local transport needed them; everywhere, there was a void in truck demand.


    You see, every city is undergoing modernization and having a transport vehicle that almost never needs rest is critical to any city.


    Places that purchase trucks often directly buy a series of other things from the Great Tang Group, which are then loaded up and taken away together.


    For instance, areas afflicted by plague would directly buy ten trucks and then fill them with medicine to drive off. Similarly, places awaiting arms would also directly purchase vehicles, pulling behind them 75mm caliber field cannons, with the truck beds full of ammunition to head back.


    The assembled trucks were loaded onto flat railcars, covered with tarpaulin, and then driven straight to Jade City.


    Similarly, such trucks kept heading non-stop to Dorne, Suthers, and even the Ice Cold Kingdom, Poplar Kingdom, and Songmu Kingdom.


    "Are you buying or not? If not, make some space!" Finally, the salesgirl couldn''t stand it any longer and exploded with a roar in the crowd.


    "Hey, what kind of attitude is that..." The car expert couldn''t save face, becoming annoyed and ready to speak up.


    Behind him, a rich, impatient fat man waved his banknotes: "I''ll buy two! Two! If you''re not buying, move aside! Bullying a young lady, what kind of man does that!?"

 Chapter 355 351, with increases and decreases

    The demand for cars was huge, and the shortages in other areas were even greater.


    What had happened to the light bulb factories in Brunas? They had reached the insane point of completely eliminating the quality inspection process.


    The bulbs that were produced, regardless of whether they worked or not, were directly packed and shipped without even testing whether they lit up.


    Those who bought the goods would take their purchases back, test them themselves, then simply report a number back stating how many were defective, and the factory would directly replace that many!


    Even more, due to the need for overtime production, the factories were too lazy to verify the numbers, as long as the quantity was roughly correct, they would write it off!


    Those purchasing light bulbs didn''t dare to lie about the quantity, because nowadays there was no way to meet the demand for these items; if someone were caught committing fraud, they would never have the chance to buy more in the future.


    You have to understand, nowadays, acquiring this item meant immediate profit; there was absolutely no worry about sales! As long as you had light bulbs in hand, they would sell!


    To save on transportation costs, the merchants selling light bulbs even went so far as to rent a room in Brunas to test the light bulbs on the spot and then ship them to other regions.


    They would immediately smash any defective ones they tested and accumulate the tails of the bulbs, sending them back to the factory to prove their innocence.


    And yet, even with an annual production of several hundred thousand incandescent bulbs, it was still not enough to meet the buying quantity of the users.


    So much so that Tang Mo had even directly authorized cities like Southwater and Hotwind to build their own light bulb factories, further expanding the production capacity of light bulbs.


    Similarly, the production of railway tracks had been pushed to its limit, but it was still like trying to douse a fire with a cup of water.


    In comparison to the global boom of railroad expansion, the speed at which the Great Tang Group increased its rail production was simply too slow.


    The original tracks produced in Brunas had nearly doubled their capacity within a year, but still couldn''t meet the actual demand.


    As a result, the share of the Great Tang Group''s tracks in the world''s total railway kilometers dropped from over 30 percent to a laughably puny less than five percent!


    Yes, you read that right; the number of factories in the world that could, and were currently producing rails, was indeed growing more and more.


    In fact, aside from the railroad project on Dragon Island and the Buyu railroad which used tracks from the Brunas factory, other global rail projects hardly used tracks from the Great Tang Group anymore.


    In most cases, local factories were either transitioning or had already started to produce rails of the same specification.


    After all, the trains of this era weren''t fast and the technical requirements for the tracks weren''t high. At worst, the performance might not be great and they would need to be replaced more often, but their use wouldn''t be hindered.


    Under such circumstances, countries around the world were working hard to lay tracks since they were incredibly useful, regardless of whether it was wartime or peacetime.


    They helped nations control their vast territories, assisted the military in transporting weapons and supplies, and facilitated the redistribution of goods and transportation of special products.


    The Great Tang Group now launches a liberty ship every week. Their progress in marine transportation is clear for all to see.


    The arrival of new massive ships has suddenly transported volumes of cargo that previously would have been impossible for an entire fleet, highlighting the importance of the Endless Sea overnight.


    It was only at this point that everyone realized the Great Tang Group had virtually taken control of all the major ports around the Endless Sea.


    Brunas, Heatwave, Osa, Winterless City, Eternal Winter City... These ports have allowed the Great Tang Group to control nearly all maritime activities along the East Coast of the Endless Sea.


    While ports such as Southwater Port in the Poplar Kingdom still existed, due to outdated infrastructure, they had already fallen behind the new modern ports of the Great Tang Group.


    Over time, this gap would only widen, until it became insurmountable, and then ports like Southwater would be phased out, turned into small harbors, fishing villages...


    This was inevitable as the ports controlled by the Great Tang Group could provide technical support for new ships in terms of technology, with more comprehensive and professional services for ship repair, maintenance, and loading, details that ports like Southwater could not keep up with.


    Plus, with the convenience of future railway transportation, the follow-up of matching facilities, and the complementary layout of surrounding industries, Southwater''s competitiveness would be completely nullified.


    People run ships for the sake of profit, right? It''s profitable to transport 1,000 cars from Brunas to Osa and then bring back 20,000 rails from Osa, isn''t it?


    Transporting 1,000 cars from Brunas to Southwater only to find you can''t even gather up a shipload of apples, tomatoes, and potatoes ¡ª wouldn''t that be a ruinous loss?


    Thus, "non-Great Tang" ports like Southwater were doomed to be eliminated in the future, a fact clear to all.


    Unless these countries emulated the Great Tang Group by constructing their own ports, increasing investment, and bringing in talent... but the cost of doing so was just too high.


    Take the Poplar Kingdom for example; in fact, the King of the Poplar Kingdom had already abandoned the Leibart Family-controlled Southwater Port and signed a contract with the Great Tang Group to build a railway from Osa directly to King City.


    Most other countries had a similar mindset ¡ª giving up their own ports and instead seeking cooperation with the Great Tang Group, treating the ports built with Great Tang investment as their own.


    To support these ports, the Great Tang Group was furiously expanding its transport fleet. The maritime transport of the Great Tang is now a behemoth with more than 400 sailing ships and over 30 liberty ships.


    Sometimes, to speed up transportation, the Great Tang Group would even use a Wolf-class cruiser to transport some important goods. Its cruising speed is, after all, much faster than a liberty ship.


    However, such goods are generally rare and very expensive ¡ª such as pricey medicines or certain precious and urgently needed rare metals.


    The scale of this fleet is now slowly changing, with new liberty ships being launched each week to replace old sailing ships, rapidly enhancing the Great Tang Group''s transport capacity.


    Clearly, this impacted many people''s interests... a lot of people.


    -----------


    Two updates today, making some adjustments. Will continue to add more updates tomorrow, heh heh.

 Chapter 356 The pathetic person who was betrayed

    "Two days ago, we received a coded message from Flame Castle, using a top-level encryption," Li''ao walked into Tang Mo''s office and began reporting on Silver Fox''s most recent special operation.


    Tang Mo was drawing a blueprint and without looking up, he responded with a casual, disinterested, "Oh?"


    "The other party contacted a sleeper agent, a common mole used by the Shireck Consortium, and activated this undercover intelligence operative," Li''ao knew that Tang Mo wasn''t actually much concerned with these operational details, as he had far too many other things to take care of.


    He was like a human blueprint machine, having to bring out new ideas from his mind every day, at least one research direction to hand over to his subordinates.


    As modern industry unfolded, there seemed to be more and more brainstorming ideas, and many complementary technologies were only found to be lacking when the time came to use them.


    Some of those, Tang Mo could immediately provide experimental methods for or even produce on a large scale to fill the gaps, while others had to be experimented and proven by his subordinates.


    This was the fundamental reason why he recruited and trained so many technical personnel¡ªif he tried to shoulder the world''s progress alone, he simply wouldn''t be able to move forward.


    "Purpose," Tang Mo flipped to another blueprint, compared the details, then bowed his head again to add something to the previous blueprint.


    "According to Sofia, it seems that the other party is preparing to transfer something to Wolf City, likely firearms," Li''ao continued to report following Tang Mo''s directive.


    Read new chapters at empire


    "To create chaos? Or to sabotage? Or is it... an assassination?" Tang Mo raised his eyebrows slightly, then continued without raising his head.


    He planned to finish the diesel engine blueprint first, because once he set it aside, he didn''t know when he''d be able to pick it up again.


    He was now the leader of the Great Tang Group, not just a draftsman, and if he got busy with other work, it might not be until tomorrow, or even the day after that, before he could return to this blueprint.


    "Sabotaging a factory seems highly unlikely. Although Wolf City has built up many complete industrial systems, the damage that could be caused by attacking Wolf City is very limited," Li''ao dutifully began analyzing the intelligence in his hands.


    "It''s hard to imagine what strategic value there is in attacking a steel mill or blowing up some ammunition production lines," he said convincingly, and Tang Mo didn''t believe the Shireck board would really go berserk and attack a factory that wasn''t worth much.


    Such an attack was inefficient and would lower the bar for competition between the two sides. If it came to direct attacks, the Great Tang Group would surely strike harder than Shireck.


    Tang Mo could guarantee that the explosives he developed were so advanced that they would be unrecognizable to the enemy as such!


    And his undercover agents were of much higher quality than Shireck''s rabble¡ªas if they weren''t even on the same level.


    "Even though the security measures in Wolf City are not very high, and certainly not higher than in Brunas, the likelihood of an attack is too low," Li''ao concluded his analysis in the end.


    "We cannot afford to be careless," Tang Mo continued working on the diesel engine blueprint, yet still reminded him in a multitasking manner.


    He did not wish for his subordinates to become complacent and cause significant loss to the group. Although the group was as large as an empire by now, it couldn''t endure losses in many areas.


    After learning that he could hand over his duties and receive a substantial sum of money to live out his life, the mole was nearly moved to tears with gratitude.


    Then he saw the actual silver and gold, which made him even more convinced. So, he earnestly and carefully transferred his work to his superior, paying attention to every detail to ensure a comprehensive handover.


    The next day, this "retired" mole went to Brunas''s dock with his money, ready to begin his new life with unfettered freedom.


    But before he could board the ship, he was captured and became yet another trophy for Silver Fox. As for his home, there was already a body double impersonating him, living there awaiting the big fish to take the bait.


    "Eh? Ha-ha-ha! Continue, please," Tang Mo finally set down his pen, unable to suppress a smile, and looked up at Li''ao.


    This story was too interesting. Think about how unfortunate the mole was; his own superiors were in cahoots with the enemy and had sold him out...


    Even until his capture, he couldn''t fathom how he could''ve slipped up and given away his identity.


    "The replacement we sent, we even forged his identity proof: photographs, health card, property deeds... a complete set of fake identities. Right now, he''s sitting in his own home, waiting for those operators to make contact," Li''ao boasted, proud of Silver Fox''s accomplishments.


    Once they made contact, there would be no secrets left in this operation, and everything would fall under Silver Fox''s control.


    "Nicely done," Tang Mo spared no praise, "Good job! Make sure the bonuses for the relevant personnel are distributed on time and in full!"


    "Please rest assured! We have never made a mistake in this regard," Li''ao promised confidently. "Once we confirm all the details when they show up, we''ll make sure not to miss a single one, and we''ll have them all in one fell swoop before they make their move..."


    "No! Let a few go! Don''t let them suspect Sofia, make them feel that Sofia has tried and helped!" Tang Mo raised his hand, stopping Li''ao.


    He needed to maintain a certain level of restraint, to continue to bewilder his foes, letting them keep exposing their flaws.


    If they were dizzy with overconfidence, let them continue in their daze! As long as they didn''t want to wake up, they could keep fumbling in the dark until doomsday came knocking.


    "Yes, I understand, Master!" Li''ao bowed and accepted the command.


    "Also, pick some people! Send them to Shireck! Once it''s clear who that bastard is who wants to touch my people... send him off," Tang Mo picked up his pen again, treating the situation as if arranging a trivial matter.


    You should know that in this century, no external force had dared to entertain the insane thought of assassinating a Shireck board member.


    Yet Li''ao reacted as if he''d just heard an insignificant order, slightly bowed, and responded in a low voice, "Yes! I will arrange it now."


    "Go ahead!" Tang Mo continued with the blueprints of his diesel engine, paying no further mind to the command.


    ---------


    Thank you to the Lord of Chaos Being for your tips. Dragon Spirit is very grateful! Today''s update will be very late, and the rest of the chapters can be read tomorrow morning. Apologies.

 Chapter 357 353 boxes have been opened

    The pitch-black night conceals many sins.


    The nights in Wolf City, though now adorned with dazzling lights, were still mostly shrouded in darkness, unlike Dragon City or Brunas.


    An old-fashioned horse carriage slowly traversed the relatively clean streets, its gas lamp casting a drowsy glow.


    This type of carriage was gradually being phased out, but before its disappearance, it remained the world''s most important means of transport.


    Two fine horses drew the carriage through the dimly lit streets and came to a halt in front of an alleyway.


    A skinny man jumped down from the carriage, twisted his neck, then squinted as he surveyed his surroundings.


    The night here was not lively¡ªin fact, compared with other cities, there was nothing different about it; it was just as gloomy.


    The nearest street lamp was several dozen meters away, its feeble light unable to reach the mouth of the alley.


    The man looked around, then stepped aside to make way for another man to emerge from the carriage.


    He, too, stepped aside and kept a vigilant watch on the surroundings. He was much more robust than the skinny man before.


    The two men, standing on either side of the carriage, had a professional air about them. Then, a tall, skinny fellow climbed out from atop the vehicle.


    The man''s face was hidden by a hood, and most of his body was cloaked in black.


    However, as one foot touched the ground, the other landed with a noticeable clunk.


    One of the man''s legs was a prosthetic, and the iron shoe was no substitute for his original limb, giving his gait an uneven, bobbing quality.


    The three men did not linger and proceeded into the depths of the alley, while the carriage did not stay either; it circled around and stopped beside the street lamp.


    Ordinary people preferred to wait in illuminated spots. Deliberately choosing a dark place to stop would only arouse suspicion among the patrolling police. Thus, the seasoned coachman wisely chose a well-lit spot, a kind of prudence only found in those who frequently operated in the shadows.


    The tall, skinny man hobbled to the end of the alley and knocked three times on a familiar wooden door.


    Nowadays, many doors in Brunas were clad in iron sheeting. He disliked the heavy echo that resounded from striking such doors, having been a frequent burglar.


    What happened to basic trust between people? Why use iron for doors? Weren''t wooden ones good? Shouldn''t doors that could be kicked open be preserved?


    After a while, the room''s door was pushed open from the inside. The man who opened it made way, and all three entered.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    The last to go in, the skinny man, peeked out once more before closing the door, ensuring no one was outside before he shut it.


    Surprisingly, the room was lit with electric light, a brightness that caused some discomfort to the three visitors accustomed to the dark.


    "Alright," Marvel nodded, then bent down and lifted his carpet. Underneath was the old floor.


    He lifted several indistinguishable wooden planks to reveal a hidden box beneath them.


    "It was delivered yesterday... it has a special sealant... I was not allowed to open it ahead of time, so I haven''t opened it," Marvel said, gesturing for his two henchmen to come and help.


    The burly henchman and the skinny one stepped forward and, using their combined strength, managed to lift out the heavy, specially concealed box.


    Upon seeing the box, Qiumuluo''s face broke into a cruel smile; it had been smuggled in through special channels, but previously he had personally packed the contents into this box.


    He grinned broadly, meticulously inspected the sealant, and after confirming no one had opened it during transport, he finally took out his key.


    Using the key, he pierced the sealant, turned the lock, and inside was a jumble of handguns. Old, they were Left-Wheel Handguns made by the Great Tang Group. Additionally, inside the box, there seemed to be more than a dozen K2 lever-action rifles.


    Of course, nestled in between these guns were densely packed bullets. Qiumuluo pulled out one of the handguns and took aim with it, then passed it to Marvel.


    "Thanks for your hard work! From here on, leave it to us," Qiumuluo said smugly. While he spoke, the burly man and the skinny man had each selected two handguns and were starting to load them.


    Marvel took the handgun and began loading it for Qiumuluo¡ªafter all, it was quite inconvenient for Qiumuluo, with only one hand, to load a Left-Wheel Handgun.


    "Only a dozen people, and you think you can break into The Earl''s Mansion? Isn''t that a bit presumptuous?" Marvel asked while loading.


    "No problem, we have a detailed plan," Qiumuluo confidently answered, "The security troops around The Earl''s Mansion are currently using handguns. We have rifles, our firepower is stronger, they can''t beat us."


    Though the K2 lever-action rifles couldn''t compare to submachine guns, harassing opponents who only had pistols was not a problem. They had higher accuracy and a decent rate of fire, giving them a clear advantage at close quarters.


    Moreover, they were prepared while their adversaries were not, which meant the latter would quickly fall into chaos, greatly increasing their chances of success.


    In the past, The Earl''s Mansion was difficult to attack because the soldiers and police were one and the same, and the troops stationed there were legitimate soldiers with strong firepower, naturally making it hard to assault.


    But now, Northern Ridge''s regular army was no longer stationed within the city; the security of The Earl''s Mansion was entirely in the hands of the security troops, and their firepower had clearly diminished since they were only armed with handguns.


    "Moving out tomorrow night?..." Marvel''s voice spoke.


    "Yes... we will disguise as delivery men... we''ll make our move at the back door... setting fires while taking advantage of the chaos," Qiumuluo replied.


    Then, there was the heavy sound of moving the box.


    In the next room, separated by just a wall, the noise could barely be heard. Dozens of men, grim-faced and silent, stood carrying Thompson Submachine Guns.


    The leader of the men was pressed against the thin, deliberately carved wall, listening intently to the conversation on the other side.


    Yet, they did not take any action, even as Qiumuluo and the others carried the box away and drove off in their cart.

 Chapter 358 354 knows it crystal clear.

    Nowadays, the profession of Ranger mercenaries is illegal within the scope of the Great Tang Group''s power, and carrying weapons is a serious crime, as the gun ban is very strictly enforced.


    To carry firearms into core areas, such as Wolf City and Brunas, is even more difficult. Under normal circumstances, bodyguards and the like must declare their firearms, and many key locations even prohibit bodyguards from entering...


    However, despite the strictness, there are still those who carry weapons, such as swords, flintlock guns, and some who carry Left-Wheel Handguns.


    The world is in chaos these days, so there are many who carry weapons, and indeed managing this is quite troublesome for the Great Tang Group. Therefore, it''s unrealistic to expect checkpoints to detect every weapon being carried by an individual.


    Short guns can be concealed, but rifles are not so convenient to carry, so they have to be smuggled through connections - since smuggling is necessary anyway, there''s no need to personally carry short guns and unnecessarily increase risk.


    Therefore, this operation simply pooled all the guns together, employing an absolutely secure mole, getting all the weapons to the designated location at once.


    In an Earl''s Mansion room in Northern Ridge, Wolf City, the telephone rang crisply. Alice, who had been holding Tang Mo''s photo and giggling idiotically, had golden hair cascading down her back like waves.


    Her room was now fitted with a crystal chandelier, so it was very bright. The reason she hadn''t gone to bed yet was that she was waiting for a message.


    Alice, master of Northern Ridge, snatched up the exquisite phone and spoke in a pleasant voice, "It''s me."


    After a long silence, having listened to the complete report from the other end, she then ordered, "Begin according to the original plan..."


    Having said that, she hung up the phone with an even happier smile spreading across her face - Tang Mo did care about her! He was always concerned about her safety, what a wonderful feeling!


    That old ghost, although far away on Dragon Island, still arranged for people to watch over every move in Wolf City... Perhaps, this is what love is.


    Because of this deep happiness, she was even willing to use the Earl''s Mansion her father left her as a stage for a show. She would even burn part of it to confuse the enemy...


    But all this... was worth it.


    He offered his assets serving hundreds of thousands of workers in Northern Ridge, making her the richest woman in the world.


    Most industries in Northern Ridge brought her substantial tax revenue. And her own investments, backed by the Great Tang Group, were all surefire, profitable ventures.


    Take, for instance, Northern Ridge''s steel plant, military factory, railway vehicle factory, and the automotive factory that was under construction!


    These factories were generating profits for her every day, and now Gold Coin was almost just an ever-increasing number to her.


    "Huh?" Hearing the change, the other commander was even more surprised. "Wasn''t the plan to let go of some survivors before?"


    The one who took the call replied, "For safety... If both sides got into a firefight, we could have casualties on our side."


    "Isn''t it normal to have casualties?" the other commander still couldn''t understand this change of orders.


    However, the one who took the call just laughed and explained, "But the boss thinks that for such a trivial matter, the cost of our personnel''s lives... isn''t worth it."


    "..." Hearing this reasoning, the other commander who had been ready to argue suddenly felt a warm current flow through his heart.


    A leader who cared about the safety of his subordinates was always worth being loyal to, wasn''t he?


    Seeing his comrade silent, the commander who took the call continued to comfort him, "It''s okay, the newspapers will still publish the usual report: the Earl''s Mansion was attacked, set on fire, and buildings were damaged. That won''t change."


    "I understand..." The commander who didn''t take the call nodded, his chin lifted with gratitude.


    "Then..." the commander who had taken the call confirmed.


    "I''ll execute Plan B and engage on the street side," the one who hadn''t picked up the call responded seriously.


    "Good, you are the frontline commander, and I''ll be waiting here for your victorious news," the officer on the phone found a spot to sit comfortably, enjoying his cigarette.


    "I''m off, then." Snuffing out his own cigarette butt, the frontline commander headed for the door.


    As the frontline commander was about to leave, the overall commander seated finally asked, "There won''t be... any mishaps, right?"


    "With the Earl''s security team included, it''s almost 200 people against 17... What could possibly go wrong?" The frontline commander opened the door, replying with disdain.


    "Alright. I wish you all the best," the overall commander said with a light laugh, feeling somewhat relieved.


    "...Thank you."


    --------


    Here''s an extra update, still owe everyone... 3 more, right? Seems like it.

 Chapter 359 355 Street Night Battle

    Disguised as a carriage transporting food, Qiumuluo hid inside, peering through the gaps of the carriage at the somewhat bleak streets.


    This was only possible in Wolf City; if he were in Brunas, he couldn''t even get close to a significant target area¡ªthere, carriages were basically no longer used for transporting food.


    Such important transport tasks had already been handed over to automobiles, even the comparatively modern trucks, and getting hold of such transportation was not an easy feat.


    Qiumuluo only had one hand left, so he lacked the ability to reload weapons, therefore he had prepared a heap of firearms for himself, discarding them once they were empty.


    After all, these weapons were prepared to frame the Great Tang Group, so it didn''t matter if they were lost.


    He cradled a K2 lever-action rifle, and his waist was also equipped with four Left-Wheel Handguns, his firepower could be described as ferocious.


    Those following him, on average, each carried a K2 rifle and at least one Left-Wheel Handgun, equally armed to the teeth. These men were all hidden in the carriage, anxiously awaiting the moment to begin their operation.


    According to their plan, once the back door was opened to let the carriage in, they would kill the guards and servants with knives and then commence their assault on The Earl''s Mansion.


    Before being discovered, they would light torches and burn the house as much as possible to create maximum chaos.


    If they were discovered, they would crush their enemies with fierce firepower and seize the opportunity to directly attack the main building, killing everyone inside.


    After that, they would use the chaos to break out, retreat according to a predetermined route. With the Earl murdered, the enemies would be headless, allowing them an opportunity to escape with their lives.


    Although the plan did not seem perfect, for instance, the plan for a retreat seemed a bit too optimistic.


    However, Qiumuluo did not believe they had no chance of escaping; he thought the simpler the plan, the more likely it was to succeed.


    A plan with an escape route planned in advance wouldn''t push the executioners to complete their mission at all costs. Only in dire straits would they earn the right to live.


    This was the lesson Qiumuluo had learned from escaping death twice; he was quite confident in himself, believing he was a chosen one.


    If he could even survive under those unfavorable conditions, what else could he be if not a favorite of the gods?


    "Is it... a little too quiet?" The skinny man lowered his voice and said to the burly man beside him, "I feel like something isn''t quite right."


    "Don''t scare yourself, idiot!" Qiumuluo scolded, then explained, "This street is naturally deserted... it''s The Earl''s Mansion''s back door, not some bustling street."


    "Yeah, we chose the wee hours of the morning... how could it be noisy at this time, isn''t quiet normal..." the burly man said as well.


    Their words made sense, so the skinny man felt embarrassed to say more. Under these circumstances, no one else dared to speak, and the fact that he had managed to say anything at all was a feat in itself.


    After all, they were all hidden in the carriage, and thoughtless chattering could easily blow their cover ahead of time.


    Soon, after the carriage regained its silence, the driver gently tapped the partition of the carriage twice.


    Bullets shattered the wooden boards, hurling splinters inside the carriage, slicing through the flesh inside. Blood spattered everywhere, accompanied by desperate screams echoing through the night.


    Bullets also came from the front, and the two startled, tall horses neighed amidst the gunfire, struggling for a moment before collapsing to the ground, their blood flowing through their manes.


    The fake coachman who had been knocking on the door was now nailed to it by bullets. He didn''t even have the chance to draw the Left-Wheel Handgun concealed behind him.


    "Ratatat!" The Thompson Submachine Gun''s relentless and despairing gunfire never ceased, as the well-trained Great Tang Group security troops always had someone firing while others simultaneously reloaded their magazines.


    The reliability of this firearm was quite high, and it was not prone to jamming¡ªat least in an urban environment, the Thompson was an excellent submachine gun.


    The intense suppression kept the adversaries from even raising their heads. The dozen or so people inside the carriage didn''t even understand what had happened before they were turned into sieves by the bullets.


    Finally, another one of Qiumuluo''s subordinates also jumped off the carriage, but he landed right next to Qiumuluo, his body full of holes, and after a few gasps, he lay still.


    Qiumuluo drew a Left-Wheel Handgun from his waist and with one shot extinguished the dim streetlamp overhead. He felt that hiding in the darkness might at least give him a bit of a chance.


    Unfortunately, the brief darkness brought about by the extinguished streetlamp didn''t help him much, for two flares were abruptly launched into the air, illuminating everything nearby.


    It was then that Qiumuluo realized that in the building across the street, nearly all the windows were filled with shooters aiming at their carriage.


    It wasn''t just a few people; there were dozens!


    The opposing side was well prepared! Their move... had been exposed!


    Qiumuluo instantly understood that the opponents had been ready for their operation long before, and they had even dug a huge pit for them!


    The enemy''s firepower was more ferocious than theirs, or to put it another way, it was more ferocious than any gunfire Qiumuluo had ever seen.


    The incessant spray of bullets was practically indistinguishable from machine gun fire, far surpassing the capability of the K2 rifles they had acquired.


    "Ah!" Inside the carriage, another one of Qiumuluo''s subordinates, holding a gun, rushed out. He fired continuously at the dark shapes in the distance, his two Left-Wheel Handguns emitting a steady barrage of gunfire as well.


    However, by the time he jumped off the carriage, his revolver''s bullets were nearly spent. As soon as he ran out of ammunition, he instantly became a lamb waiting for the slaughter.


    Still, being a fierce and tough man, he flung aside the handguns without a second thought, dove to the ground, and scrambled to grab the K2 rifle beside Skinny''s body.


    Thanks to his covering action, two other miraculously surviving members also jumped off the carriage. They each sought cover, taking refuge behind the carriage.


    Bathed in the light of the flares, Qiumuluo lying on the ground finally saw his wounds clearly¡ªhe had been shot in the stomach, and another bullet had hit his leg.


    He crawled a bit on the ground, struggling to roll to the back of the carriage, where he took cover between his two subordinates.


    And the tough man who had opened the situation for them, just as he reached for Skinny''s K2 rifle, was hit by the bullets from above, followed by silence.

 Chapter 360 Death of a Killer 356

    "Ah!" Qiumuluo let out a desperate roar as if to vent the suppressed fury within him.


    He simply couldn''t figure out why his operation had been exposed this time or where the problem had arisen.


    The others seemed to have been aware of all their plans in advance, yet the plan had been concocted on the road with Skinny and Strongman, two people who had no chance of betraying him.


    Suddenly, Qiumuluo thought of Marvel, that seemingly harmless and unproblematic contact.


    "It was him! It was him!" he screamed frantically as blood spurted from the holes in his body, "Come out! You come out! Bastard! Bastard!"


    He struggled to sit up when a subordinate using the carriage as cover was hit by a bullet and collapsed beside him.


    Bullets striking the already lifeless corpse still managed to splatter flesh and blood, some of which landed on Qiumuluo, but he was unaware.


    Having gone mad, he struggled to his feet and rushed towards the gates of The Earl''s Mansion, convinced that if he could break through that door, he still had a chance.


    The wooden door... gave him hope.


    As he readied himself to charge the door, his last surviving subordinate was shot in the head. The skull shattered, and blood sprayed everywhere.


    In the hail of bullets, Qiumuluo finished his preparations, took a deep breath, then limped toward the heavy door reinforced with iron bars.


    He imagined breaking through that door and heroically storming the building to continue the fight against his damned enemies.


    Unfortunately, the moment he collided with the door, he suddenly remembered something¡ªhe was no longer the man he had been three years ago!


    Three years earlier, he had been strong and muscular, with tendons as hard as iron, giving him the brute force to easily break open ordinary doors.


    The man he was now had shriveled to bones¡ªthe wounds on his body had drained him of his vigor, leaving him unable to bustle with as much life as before.


    Therefore, contrary to what he had imagined, he slumped against the heavy door like a lump of mud, only managing to daze himself.


    The cold, heavy door was impenetrable. He felt like he had hit a wall, and everything spun around him.


    By the time he came to, he saw the fake coachman subordinate who had been shot to pieces against the door, staring at him with blood-drenched eyes.


    Instantly, he was scared and wanted to retreat, to get away from the corpse of the subordinate who died with his eyes wide open.


    Before he could even retreat, several bullets struck his back, creating more holes.


    He knew he was finished. Despite having miraculously escaped death so many times before, this time he could sense his end was near.


    At that moment, he was surrounded in a hopeless situation. Unlike before, nobody was going to pull him out of this chaos.


    As he lay against the door, he listened to the gunshots dwindling around him, feeling the life slowly seep out of his body.


    Finally, as he felt close to death, he heard a man''s voice, "This person... look at the tattoo... seems like that wanted criminal..."


    "It''s him! The very murderer who killed Lord Earl Fisheo!" another voice exclaimed, "Don''t let him die! Check his clothes and remove all weapons! Stay alert for safety!"


    In Dragon City, as dawn was barely breaking, in the huge dining hall of Tang Mo''s castle, Li''ao brought news that had just been received: "Master! News just back from Wolf City, our men carried out the plan and wiped out the assassins who targeted Miss Alice."


    Tang Mo had just finished breakfast, a lavish meal consisting of fresh milk, bread, sauce-coated chicken, and seven or eight types of vegetables and fruit.


    For Tang Mo, no matter how extravagant, it was already considered frugal¡ªfor he was now wealthy enough to rival nations, and truly did not need to restrain himself when it came to food.


    The only concern was his own health issues; too much cholesterol, unhealthy eating, leading to high blood pressure, diabetes¡ªthat would be a form of suicide.


    So he had just a little bit of each item, and while wiping his mouth, he asked, "No one was hurt, right?"


    The dining table he was sitting at was incredibly large, capable of comfortably seating dozens of people at once.


    This table was intended for when Tang Mo hosted dinners inside the castle, but no one had yet had the honor of attending such an event.


    "No one was hurt, Qiumuluo is dead," Li''ao reported respectfully, standing by Tang Mo''s side.


    "...There weren''t any surprises this time, were there?" Tang Mo put down his napkin and glanced at Li''ao.


    He had known since yesterday that the leader of the opposition''s operation was Qiumuluo, which was another reason he changed his mind and decided not to wait for them to act, but to strike first.


    Li''ao felt somewhat embarrassed, as after all, part of the reason Qiumuluo had survived until today was Silver Fox''s negligence. So he lowered his head slightly and spoke in a subdued tone, "There were no surprises, it has been confirmed it was him. It''s just that he had lost a lot of weight, which helped him evade many pursuits."


    After a pause of a second, he continued, "He has been punished these past two years; his body had only one hand and one leg, as his one hand and one leg had been amputated..."


    "What kind of punishment is that? He died too easily..." Tang Mo snorted coldly. He had always had a good relationship with Count Fisheo, liking such an upright and open person, so he hated the murderer who plotted against Fisheo to the bone.


    Moreover... Now that Fisheo''s daughter was with him, Tang Mo naturally would not easily let Qiumuluo off the hook.


    "Sorry, the commanding officer on the scene feared a prolonged night might bring more dreams, so they executed him directly. Should we discipline them?" asked Li''ao.


    Tang Mo waved his hand, "What are you talking about! The commander on the front line did well. Continue to follow this judgment in the future! Rather than concern for a dead man, I care more about the safety of our own people."


    "Yes, Master," Li''ao acquiesced, "Everyone will sing praises of your benevolence."


    "Enemies won''t sing praises of my benevolence... Li''ao." Tang Mo stood up. "Is everything alright on Alice''s end?"


    "Nothing is wrong, Miss Alice insisted on seeing Qiumuluo''s body. Then she took people to Lord Earl Fisheo''s grave..." Li''ao answered.


    Tang Mo nodded and headed towards the door, "Well now, the enemy''s claws reaching towards me have been chopped off... So, isn''t it time they realize that reaching out their claws at us is an extremely foolish thing to do?"


    Li''ao followed behind Tang Mo, speaking as they walked, "Our people will begin the action soon..."


    "I don''t want to hear of failure, our men had better come back safe," Tang Mo said, not looking back as he led the way.


    "Yes." Li''ao continued to affirm, "Your subordinate will do his utmost..."


    ------------


    Staying up late is really inefficient... Evading and procrastinating all day and barely able to write out 100 words...

 Chapter 361 357 new technology stack

    Retaliation was certainly immediate, but it took time for operatives to travel to the targeted area, so nothing could be rushed; patience was the only option.


    Tang Mo was patient, so in the following days, he focused his primary attention on the development of aircraft and the manufacturing of the Jade City-class battleships.


    Setting aircraft aside for a moment, the Jade City-class battleship was the first of its kind in this era, symbolizing the very concept of a battleship, and indeed, an invincible leviathan.


    A near-perfect copy of the Dreadnought battleship, the Jade City-class battleship boasted a colossal displacement of nearly 17,000 tons.


    It was bigger than a paddle steamer, and during its construction, it struck awe and fear into the hearts of the workers¡ªits thickest steel plates on the hull measured over 270 millimeters!


    It''s no exaggeration to say that it was a true steel fortress at sea, and in its presence, any warship was nothing more than a toy.


    The hull, already taking shape, amazed every worker with its dense network of watertight compartments, coupled with a propulsion system the likes of which they''d never seen before, highlighting this warship''s extraordinary nature.


    Since the Great Tang Group had yet to possess torpedoes as weapons, such systems were removed from the Dreadnought; instead, it boasted only artillery for offense.


    This simplified the design and allowed the warship to carry extra fresh water, somewhat improving support capacity.


    The Dreadnought was considered a groundbreaking creation because it boldly incorporated a number of advanced technologies.


    Firstly, it had a rational design for armor protection and enhanced its armor across the board to fortify its defense, surpassing all previous designs.


    As a decisive weapon, its armor thickness exceeded that of all previous warships, enhancing its survivability.


    Secondly, in terms of core propulsion, the steam turbine''s performance improvements gave it a significant edge over the old steam engines. Although the Dreadnought had a displacement of over 17,000 tons, it still achieved a terrifying speed that outpaced armored warships.


    This allowed the Dreadnought to emerge as the fastest on the seas instantly upon its debut, securing absolute dominance in evasion and pursuit through its speed.


    Then, in terms of firepower, the Dreadnought did away with secondary armament and courageously standardized the caliber of its cannons; moreover, using the latest technology, it stacked an unprecedented array of 305-millimeter cannons onto the warship!


    This caliber could easily crush an opponent, effortlessly penetrating enemy armor. The immense damage wrought by these large shells made attacking all the easier.


    A total of 10 guns meant that at least 6 could be focused in any given direction, maximizing the projection of its own firepower.


    These cannons were fed by internal autoloaders, increasing their rate of fire and even enhancing the density of the firepower.


    What was scarier was the unified caliber allowed for consistent ballistic performance, making the Dreadnought''s fire control system more precise and easier to command than other warships.


    Uniform ballistics brought welcome advantages; requiring only two sets of gun aiming control equipment as backups for each other, every main cannon on the warship could hit its target, which was previously unimaginable.


    Either configuration would save on the length needed for armor protection, allowing more concentrated and thicker armor to ensure the safety of the ammunition stores and the boiler propulsion areas.


    However, given the era when the Dreadnought was born, there seemed to be no enemy ships capable of contesting it at sea, so these minor defensive details were overlooked in favor of installing an additional turret.


    The Jade City''s mainmast towered over 30 meters high, with a look-out tower on top. Due to the design, the look-out close to the chimney probably wouldn''t enjoy a pleasant smell during operations.


    There was no getting around that; to improve air quality for those inside, the mast had already been raised by at least five meters.


    Counting the flagpole above the look-out tower, this massive mast stood over 35 meters tall, a true testament to standing tall and seeing far.


    The reason for such a tall flagpole was because this warship, since the very moment of its construction, was destined to serve as the flagship of the fleet.


    Here, Tang Mo''s Dragon Banner would be raised, proclaiming to the entire fleet that the master of the Great Tang Group was aboard, while it also served to intimidate the enemy.


    Another mast stood amidships, between the two rear turrets, fitted with an auxiliary look-out tower, as well as telephone and other equipment.


    The entire warship crew totaled close to 800 people, almost the size of an augmented battalion combat unit of the Great Tang Group.


    Operating such a warship was not an easy task, as it had no fewer than 18 boilers and four steam turbine assemblies powering four thick shafts, which in turn rapidly spun the massive propellers under water, providing the thrust needed to propel the ship forwards and backwards.


    With one refueling, it could travel over 10,000 kilometers at economic cruising speed, setting sail from the Great Tang Group''s ports spread across the Endless Sea, with an operational radius covering the entirety of the Endless Sea.


    If accompanied by a supply ship, it could continue to operate at sea for an extended period¡ªthe warship was equipped with numerous cranes, both folding and fixed, allowing it to simply conduct replenishment operations at sea.


    Since the Great Tang Group had no torpedoes and the enemy was unlikely to possess such weapons, the Jade City had removed the conspicuous anti-torpedo net booms on the sides of the Dreadnought, giving the Jade City a cleaner and much more streamlined appearance.


    Regrettably, the workers could not yet see the entire warship; they could only observe it changing day by day, becoming more complex by the day.


    Layer upon layer of decks were stacked up, with complex wiring and ventilation systems being installed in their designated spots.


    This warship was a masterpiece of new technology, incorporating a plethora of advanced technologies including telephones.


    It was also equipped with bona fide radio sets capable of immediate voice communication over short to medium distances¡ªa completely new technology not used on the Brunas-class ironclad warships.


    Do not underestimate these technologies; had it not been for the development of new air conditioning systems, the large vents of the Brunas-class ironclads would have had to be retained on the Jade City-class battleships.


    Now, the new ventilation system gave the Jade City-class a far neater look, and enhanced its protective capabilities.


    All of this was well known to the workers who built it. Had it not been for technological advancements, this warship would be unfeasible for use; indeed, it wouldn''t have been possible to construct at all.

 Chapter 362 358 bark

    As Tang Mo''s super battleship was being built, piece by piece, within the far reaches of the Empire of Nanla, a malaria outbreak was raging.


    In the past, such events would occur every summer, and people were helpless against this deadly disease.


    The assembly of any military force could potentially lead to an epidemic, and malaria was one such disease.


    Once the size of a city expanded, various diseases would sometimes become prevalent, which was a significant hindrance to urban development.


    The advent of Brunas led to a shift in perspective regarding cities for many countries; modern medicine made the existence of megacities possible.


    Due to advancements in medical science, Great Tang Group started promoting the cultivation of cowpox, allowing vaccinators to be immune to smallpox for life.


    Therefore, anyone working within the controlled regions of the Great Tang Group had to be vaccinated with cowpox, thereby ensuring the safety of the city residents.


    Soon, this method was proven to be very effective; Dorne, Suthers, and the Leite region all began adopting this method.


    As a result, in these countries, densely populated cities gradually broke their shackles and started to approach the terrifying size of Brunas.


    Cities with a population of a hundred thousand were evolving into cities of two hundred thousand; capitals that had several hundred thousand inhabitants were now approaching a million.


    All of this went hand in hand; the epidemic prevention methods promoted by Great Tang Group played a key role, as did the obstetric techniques also promoted by the same group.


    Population increase began with raising the birth rate¡ªit was still a very dangerous affair for women of this era to give birth.


    Thus, Great Tang Group began to establish obstetric hospitals to focus on pregnant women, scale up and spread experience, allowing more doctors to master critical techniques.


    The old Prime Minister of the Leite Kingdom was one such beneficiary of these advancements ¡ª his grandson was born and survived thanks to the obstetric technology of Great Tang Group.


    Many of Great Tang Group''s pharmaceuticals became popular in these benefited regions, and hospitals established there were willing to use these drugs.


    Because these drugs were proven to be truly effective, they could bring about rapid recovery. Despite being costly, they ensured that those who could afford them would survive.


    The world was never all that fair to begin with; the rich getting better healthcare was a harsh reality.


    Although Great Tang Group was still trying to keep prices down as much as possible, after several hand changes, the prices still soared.


    Not many could get their hands on affordable medicines, and even then, it was only possible in Great Tang Group-controlled areas like Brunas and Jade City.


    However, the progress in medicine, at the very least, provided people with hope, a faint hope to conquer diseases and continue living.


    This time, the reason why the outbreak of malaria in the Empire of Nanla was so concerning was that the Emperor of Nanla had also fallen ill.


    At the beginning, because he had better sanitation and the care of court physicians, the Emperor did not take his illness seriously.


    Now that the Emperor was seriously ill and could die at any time, taking control of the Emperor was not necessarily a good thing. This was also why he didn''t actually deploy heavy troops to guard the sleeping chamber¡ªhe hadn''t decided whether or not he wanted the Emperor to die by his hand.


    "If I hadn''t come... you would probably have killed His Majesty! Joyce! Take your men and scram!" Mo Kangsen scratched his fleshy head and suddenly raised his voice, taking on a righteous appearance.


    "You! Don''t be smug! Mo Kangsen! His Majesty is fine with me. If anything happens to him in your hands, I would like to see, see how you explain it to everyone in the Empire of Nanla!" Joyce knew about the Emperor''s illness, so he started to backpedal.


    Just now, the doctor who had bled the Emperor had secretly told him that the Emperor might breathe his last tonight.


    Joyce, almost certain that the Emperor was beyond help, eventually decided to let the Emperor die in Mo Kangsen''s hands.


    "You just wait!" With a snort, not daring to recklessly wield weapons outside the Emperor''s sleeping chamber, Joyce left with the other ministers following him.


    Turning around, he pushed open the door and then instructed someone to quickly close it. As soon as Mo Kangsen entered the room, he spoke to a male doctor who was fiddling with a medicine box, "I have put my life in your hands, you''d better be telling the truth."


    "Of course, His Majesty''s physical condition is very poor, but these problems are all caused by the bloodletting from Joyce''s people." The doctor smiled with a reassuring and convincing demeanor.


    As he took out the medication, he continued, "His Majesty merely has malaria, this disease is not fatal."


    Mo Kangsen felt the need to remind the other, "Before you came to me, malaria was basically an incurable disease in the Empire of Nanla! Some people recovered from this disease, but they were the minority, most people would die..."


    In the Empire of Nanla, malaria was truly a deadly infectious disease, claiming the lives of many people each year.


    "With the medication from Great Tang Group, it is no longer fatal... Mr. Mo Kangsen, you will soon witness a miracle." Holding the medicine and water, the doctor approached the Emperor''s bedside and signaled the first Imperial Concubine¡ªMo Kangsen''s daughter¡ªto help the Emperor sit up.


    "I must be crazy, to watch someone give the Emperor some unclear substance to ingest... Could you tell me what this really is? So I can relax a bit..." Mo Kangsen murmured timidly, suspecting he must be insane to undertake such a wild endeavor.


    Logically, an Emperor on his deathbed was definitely a hot potato, especially when the Crown Prince was already firmly established in his position.


    A subsequent investigation would cause him immense pain, and if the Crown Prince truly wanted a scapegoat, Mo Kangsen felt he would certainly be the unlucky one.


    "Hmm, it''s nothing, just a substance extracted from the bark of a tree, you can think of it as a kind of herbal medicine." After administering the medicine to the Emperor, the doctor replied.


    "You actually gave a tree bark to an Emperor to eat?" Mo Kangsen felt as if his whole world had just turned upside down in an instant.


    "Ha... ignorant fellow, you haven''t seen things extracted from moldy substances yet..." The doctor disdainfully mocked Mo Kangsen, this top noble of the Empire of Nanla.


    In his eyes, nobility were just rich fools. Only the great Mr. Tang and those prophetic medical school professors deserved his respect.


    Undeterred, Mo Kangsen scratched his head and continued to ask, "I hope you succeed... What is this medicine called?"


    In his opinion, such a doctor brimming with confidence, who maybe could indeed perform miraculous healings, was not to be offended... who knows when he himself would need such a service...


    "Quinine," the doctor answered laconically.

 Chapter 363 I resigned

    Brunas, within the spacious reception room, Harry rubbed his temples wearily. He was now responsible for the operation of Brunas city and had to work late into the night every day.


    Although the financial center was shifting towards Dragon City, Brunas remained one of the most important cities controlled by the Great Tang Group, and there were countless affairs to manage.


    Every day he had to handle a plethora of matters, including measures to respond to the flu outbreak, updating sewers and laying telephone lines, maintenance of electric lines...


    Plus the repair of roads, expansion of railways, construction of military airfields, and planning of civilian airports...


    These infrastructural developments alone were enough to cause him immense stress, and he still had to represent the Great Tang Group in Brunas, receiving envoys from all over the world.


    There was no helping it. Even though Tang Mo had now gone to Dragon Island, Brunas, being the most famous city controlled by the Great Tang Group, still attracted many envoys from various regions.


    At the moment, there was a Dwarf from the Northern Region, incessantly clamoring in front of Harry: "Everything that Ice Kingdom can give you, we can too! If you are willing to support the Western Dwarf Kingdom, we are prepared to pay any price!"


    The support from the Great Tang Group brought tremendous changes to the Ice Cold Kingdom; the war that annihilated the northern Dwarf Empire made the Ice Cold Kingdom renowned in the Northern Region.


    Many Dwarf Kingdoms had no choice but to acknowledge the threat of the Ice Cold Kingdom; many spies sent back secrets of the Ice Cold Kingdom to their homelands, and then these Dwarf Kingdoms sent envoys to Brunas seeking assistance.


    Their demands were simple: whatever Ice Kingdom had, they wanted too! Whether it was cannons or rifles, steam engines or railway trains, they wouldn''t accept one item less! For this, they were also prepared to offer their mineral resources, to hand over their tariffs, and even more, to cede cities or provide a large number of slaves.


    "Unfortunately, we cannot betray our allies, so... credibility stays credibility, business stays business. If you are willing, we can transfer civil technologies, including agricultural planting, which can effectively improve your living conditions," Harry yawned, speaking in a bored tone the routine platitudes.


    The external policy of the Great Tang Group was set in stone, and he had no power to change it. The other party had no relationship with the Great Tang Group, and Tang Mo surely wouldn''t change the cooperative stance with the Ice Cold Kingdom for something like the Western Dwarf Empire.


    There was no sense to be argued here; it was simply a matter of first come, first served.


    Sometimes love is like that too¡ªthere isn''t any special reason; it''s just that someone arrived first, and those who come later miss their chance¡ªalthough chances do exist, they only start from the number three on the path of upgrading.


    Clearly, the Great Tang Group wasn''t a scoundrel, nor did they plan to easily shake the foundation of their cooperation with the Ice Cold Kingdom, so Harry had no reason to change his position.


    Therefore, the Great Tang Group could offer all kinds of assistance to these later Dwarf Kingdoms, except for substantial help.


    Or rather, the Great Tang Group was at least more humane than the United States¡ªthey were willing to provide agricultural technology, fertilizers, and other materials, providing that the Dwarf Kingdoms were willing to pay for them.


    Even more, as long as they paid enough money, the Great Tang Group was willing to sell expensive new medications, willing to sell civilian light industrial machinery.


    As long as these kingdoms had some ability to develop themselves, these civilian machines could indeed make them prosperous to some extent, accumulating some capital more or less.


    But clearly, the other party was not willing to wait, or rather, they no longer had the time to undergo the slow development process.


    This deal had always been about the Dwarf Kingdom begging the Great Tang Group from the beginning to the end. Only by understanding this could one truly grasp who was in control of the negotiations.


    "Show our guest out!" he ordered indifferently.


    The guards at the sides pushed the doors open, signaling the end of this meeting.


    The envoy from the Western Dwarf Kingdom left with his tail between his legs; despite his reluctance, without a port or navy, and not bordering the sphere of influence of the Great Tang Group, they indeed had no other options.


    They couldn''t threaten the Great Tang Group, nor could they solve their transportation problems, so even if they had better natural resources than the Ice Cold Kingdom, they lacked the leverage to sway the Great Tang Group.


    ...


    The door was pushed open once more, and Harry instantly perked up. If he had only been at thirty percent while dealing with the envoy from the Western Dwarf Kingdom, now he was operating at two hundred percent.


    Because this time, the one who came in was a woman.


    Or rather, a girl.


    Yulin had now matured into a beautiful young woman. She wasn''t the kind of breathtaking beauty that struck one immediately, but she had a charm that grew on you the more you looked at her.


    She was dressed in casual attire, loose and revealing not a hint of curve, with one hand in her pocket and the other carrying a travel bag.


    This former female class monitor had good features, especially her eyes, which were as if they could speak, impressing anyone with just a glance.


    "I''ve resigned, I''m off to Dragon Island." She said, tossing the Tang Group''s exorbitantly priced travel bag onto the coffee table and casually sitting on the sofa like a lazy cat.


    "Ah... boss lady... didn''t the teacher say before he left... you''ll return to Dragon City next year with the experimental project..." Harry felt more nervous negotiating with Yulin than speaking to an envoy of an empire.


    "It''s okay, I''m going so he can scold me." Yulin smiled, revealing two attractive dimples on her face, "Do you think, does he have the heart to hit me?"


    "Gulp..." Harry swallowed nervously, his eyes darting elsewhere¡ªplease, if you''re planning to have a flirty spat with the teacher, don''t drag me into this mess.


    Seeing him silent, Yulin twirled a strand of hair around her finger, "Arrange a ship for me! Otherwise, I''ll be having dinner here with you."


    "You might as well eat me..." Harry agonized as he shut his eyes tight and clenched his teeth, "I''ll arrange the ship for you! Please, hurry on... If Galsa and Dino find out, I''ll definitely be skinned alive..."


    "Thanks a bunch!" Yulin stood up, grabbed the travel bag in front of her, and waved her hand, "I''m off! No need to see me out."


    "Sigh..." Covering his face with his hands, Harry started fretting about how he was going to explain this matter to the principal.

 Chapter 364 360 Tap

    "Sigh... I didn''t end up using this, and it wouldn''t be suitable to bring to Dragon Island, so I''ll just leave it for you." Pulling her hand out of the pocket of a casual outfit just launched by Great Tang Fashion this year, Yulin placed the small and exquisite PPK handgun on the coffee table.


    "You know... you weren''t thinking of kidnapping me just now, were you?" Harry''s eyebrows couldn''t help but tremble as he looked at the handgun Yulin had set on the coffee table and couldn''t help but make a comment.


    "Don''t put it that way, an elegant lady should always carry a weapon for self-defense, no matter the occasion," Yulin said with a smile, that brilliant, intoxicating smile that made Harry feel a bit dizzy.


    This woman... is poisonous.


    Harry knew that she definitely had another handgun on her, and perhaps she had even more than one handgun left on her.


    This woman was even more dangerous than she appeared, with that seemingly harmless and exceedingly sunny smile, there was a determined big heart underneath.


    If she weren''t such a woman, who else would like her so much?


    It''s a pity that in this lifetime, he couldn''t pursue her anymore.


    Harry sighed and realized that he had been leaning against the window, watching Yulin leave in a car for a long time.


    The door was pushed open once again; this time, it was a middle-aged man with a balding head. As soon as he entered, he bowed respectfully.


    This man was quite restrained, just as Harry had been when he saw Yulin in the room earlier: "Mr. Harry, this is the production summary for the copper mine in the Marban area from last quarter."


    As he spoke, he handed over the ledgers, delivery documents, and summaries to Harry, who had just returned behind his desk.


    Harry didn''t take those documents but motioned for the man to set them on the desk. Then Harry said in an even tone, "I''m really sorry for the trouble of you personally delivering these..."


    "It''s my duty, my duty." The man was taken aback, and then immediately bowed even more respectfully, as if he were a traitor kowtowing in front of a Japanese lord.


    "I want to know, why the copper mine production dropped by 15 tons last quarter." Harry toyed with his favorite pen, which was also a product of Great Tang Group, engraved with Tang Mo''s dragon emblem.


    This writing instrument was developed and produced by Great Tang Group. The first batch wasn''t large, and most were given to Tang Mo''s subordinates.


    Although initially, due to production precision issues, these pens were not reliable, they were still cherished by many of the old-timers at Great Tang Group.


    They had participated in the manufacture of these pens with their own hands, and they viewed them as a badge, a proof of their existence.


    Nowadays, better and more convenient pens have become popular in Brunas; Harry himself had many high-quality pens, but his favorite to pick up was still the keepsake given to him by Tang Mo.


    The man, looking a bit nervous, stuttered in response, "I, I am investigating..."


    Harry leaned back in his chair and stared coldly at the man, saying, "There''s no need to investigate anymore. I''ve seen your wage expenditures, and indeed, the workers did work overtime last month, and they were in fine form."


    "My lord... There are always those who shirk their duties..." The balding man, while wiping sweat from his forehead, tried to offer an explanation.


    "Yes..." The bald man, as if pardoned, quickly rolled out of the room.


    ...


    Soon, another Dwarf hurried into Harry''s office, and as he entered, he blurted out, "Sir, has the envoy from the Western Dwarf Kingdom already visited?"


    Harry put down the exquisite PPK handgun left by Yulin that he had been cleaning and admitted, "Yes, he just left."


    The envoy from the Ice Cold Kingdom immediately emphasized with some annoyance, "Sir, I hope you remember that the Great Tang Group has a cooperation agreement with our Kingdom, so you should not be meeting with envoys from the Western Dwarf Kingdom, which is..."


    Harry interrupted him, reminding him firmly, "Mr. Envoy! I hope you watch how you speak! Who the Great Tang Group meets with is our business! No one can interfere... Understand?"


    Many times, his job was to receive all sorts of people, envoys from various Kingdoms, and some businessmen wealthy enough to rival entire countries. He had to negotiate with them to maintain the interests of the Great Tang Group or to establish partnerships.


    Dealing with these shrewd characters was not an easy task. For instance, the attitude of the Ice Cold Kingdom''s envoy was so forceful because they wanted to intimidate Harry with their assertiveness.


    However, their rhythm was disrupted.


    The other party tried to recover their composure, "But..."


    "There are no ''buts''!" Harry did not give the other party the chance to rebound and became even more assertive. After all, he knew that the cooperation with the Ice Cold Kingdom was in its honeymoon phase, and his attitude would not affect the strategic alliance between the two parties.


    As expected, the Ice Cold Kingdom''s envoy, unable to regain ground, began softening his approach, "I understand... Then, Sir, what brings them here?"


    "They hope to receive our support as well," Harry replied truthfully.


    "So, what is the Great Tang Group''s stance, if you may disclose it?" The Dwarf softened his tone further, evidently a bit cautious.


    Harry smiled and gave an answer that greatly satisfied the other party: "The cooperation between the Great Tang Group and the Ice Cold Kingdom remains unchanged, and the Ice Cold Kingdom is still the only Dwarf Kingdom in the Northern Region that we support."


    "Thank you." After hearing this response, the envoy''s attitude made a one-hundred-eighty-degree turn, and his tone became much more cordial.


    Harry was accustomed to this sort of face-changing performance, continuing indifferently, "You''re welcome. Everything follows the contract. Business is business, and the Group has never had any issues with credibility. Trust is the foundation of all cooperation."


    The other party hastily offered himself a way out while emphasizing the significant benefits that the Great Tang Group enjoyed in the Ice Cold Kingdom, "The Ice Cold Kingdom''s credibility is just the same, and we will continue to maintain the interests of the Great Tang Group within our territory."


    His meaning was clear: Don''t forget, you still have a lot of money with us!


    "I''m aware," Harry replied with a double entendre, concluding the meeting.


    ------


    Went downstairs for a nucleic acid test, forgot to send... Realized only after coming back, sorry.

 Chapter 365 361 Expo

    Suthers Kingdom, King City.


    A car sped along the not-so-smooth road, pamphlets fluttering out from the vehicle''s windows. Passersby stopped and picked up a pamphlet, attentively reading the content.


    The pamphlet, printed in colored ink, contained content that seemed to be unrelated to the general public.


    The pamphlet announced that the Great Tang Group was planning to hold the first "World Industrial Expo" in Bruna in three months'' time.


    To be honest, many commoners in Suthers didn''t even know what an exposition meant, fortunate the pamphlet provided an explanation.


    The so-called World Industrial Expo was a super-gathering concerning industrial development. Anybody with advanced technology or innovative ideas related to technology was welcome to join the exposition.


    Anyone, whether from textiles or mining, shipbuilding or any hodgepodge of industries, could attend the exhibition as long as they had new technology.


    If someone showed interest, they could sell their ideas or products, promoting innovative developments and enabling newcomers in the field of industrial technology to quickly see financial returns.


    The Great Tang Group would also present their latest technologies at the exposition, including telephone technology, more precise steam engines, newer models of automobiles, and models of ships.


    Beyond new technologies and ideas, industrial processing innovations were also a key focus of the exposition.


    Both individual workers and factories could participate in a technology competition, showcasing their precision-manufactured parts and pushing technology to become more precise and advanced.


    If someone''s craftsmanship or technological innovation, invention


    At the end of the exposition, the Great Tang Group would judge the most revolutionary innovations and award the Great Tang Technology Gold Prize to the innovators.


    This award, sponsored by the Great Tang Group, offered three levels; the third-class prize was unlimited, and anyone whose design or technology met the criteria could win. There were only ten second-class prizes, and only one first-class prize!


    However, what was different was that the Great Tang Group was wealthy, so all the way up to high school, education was free and compulsory.


    What''s more, as long as the participating children could keep up, they wouldn''t have to pay tuition fees all the way until postgraduate graduation, and they even received subsidies.


    Children who couldn''t keep up were sent to industrial technology schools to continue their education, and they had to master a skill before being placed in a relevant position.


    One could say that this system, which resembled wartime protocols, meant that it was rare to see idle youth in the controlled territories of the Great Tang Group.


    For this reason, jobs like selling newspapers were typically taken on by older individuals who couldn''t keep up with the times. They could support themselves with such work and even contribute a little extra to household expenses.


    The Great Tang Group had yet to introduce retirement insurance or similar systems, so elder care largely depended on the elderly themselves...


    An old man who looked about seventy sat in front of a roadside stall, which displayed a variety of newspapers.


    With the few teeth he had left, he called out loudly, "Come and have a look! The latest news! The Great Tang Group is organizing the World Industrial Expo!"


    Now and then a woman would stop by, dig out some change, and buy a copy of the Great Tang Fashion newspaper.


    "Bruna may become the center of the world! Hosting the most important industrial meeting in history!" Another newsstand at the corner of this street shouted the same message, manned by an old woman.


    There were no fewer than fifteen different newspapers published in Bruna, most of them operated by the Great Tang Group themselves.


    There were papers for workers, business papers, and news and horse racing betting papers. There was a variety to choose from, all quite popular.


    Women preferred fashion newspapers while men mostly read news and business ones¡ªeach to their own, without bothering others.


    With the advent of radio broadcasts, Bruna even built a huge radio tower, and the wealthy were gradually getting used to listening to the radio.


    The emergence of radio stations had affected newspaper sales, much like the impact of the internet on the television industry.

 Chapter 366 362 Hero Postcards

    In order to prepare for this exposition, Great Tang Group spent money to place their advertisements in any corner they could find.


    In the most eye-catching sections of newspapers that were distributed, there were ads for the World Industrial Expo. Newspapers from Dorne and Suthers, as well as those from the Leite Kingdom, all had them.


    In places without newspapers, Great Tang Group crazily distributed flyers, which seemed to be sprinkled everywhere as if they cost nothing. Many people even picked them up to use as toilet paper.


    Almost the entire network of Great Tang Group''s connections had been mobilized, with all the intelligence personnel now having a side job, which was to promote this important expo of Great Tang Group.


    Even in the Empire of Nanla, the first Imperial Concubine personally endorsed the occasion, helping Great Tang Group to hold six balls, each time promoting the expo and distributing tickets and invitations.


    After Great Tang Group''s campaign, almost half the world knew about the expo.


    To prevent dominance by a single entity, Great Tang Group went out of their way to find participants or enterprise factories for the expo in every direction within their reach. Similarly, to give everyone a chance to exhibit, Great Tang Group set the date of the expo three months later.


    Even, to ensure the scale of the expo, Great Tang Group used its influence to compel many factories to participate.


    For example, the locomotive factory built in Suthers Kingdom with the help of Great Tang Group was forced to take part in this expo.


    This was the world''s first vehicle factory apart from Great Tang Group that could independently produce steam locomotive engines ¡ª more modernized than Shireck''s workshops, and the locomotives it produced were more advanced as well.


    Its technology came from Great Tang Group, and the manufacturing standards were all according to Great Tang Group''s requirements, making the technology quite advanced.


    Initially, because the locomotive factory was concerned that their technology wasn''t as advanced as Great Tang Group''s in the same field, they had no plans to attend this expo.


    But Great Tang Group issued a direct command, demanding the factory to send representatives, and even to bring along their product brochures and models, to attend the expo in Brunas on time.


    Similarly, the military industry enterprises from Northern Ridge were also obliged to participate in the expo, as they had only recently completed the development of a 155-millimeter caliber heavy howitzer with the help of Great Tang Group.


    Since sailboats are unlikely to be completely phased out in the short term, there is still a market for them¡ªshipbuilding enterprises in Poplar Kingdom plan to catch the tail end of the era and make their last fortune.


    The Dwarf''s Ice Cold Kingdom is also planning to send representatives to the exhibition; they will be displaying two types of products¡ªmining machinery and Dwarf-made Ice Cold brand cars.


    This is quite interesting because their mining machinery also follows in the footsteps of the Great Tang Group, employing technologies that are mostly obsolete from the Northern Ridge Mining Group.


    Regardless of the outdated technology, they are still prepared to promote themselves and, at least, become a familiar face¡ªthe exhibition is truly understood by them.


    On the other hand, the Dwarves'' car technology was also sourced from the Great Tang Group; in fact, the Ice Cold brand cars are the Great Tang Group''s Model T cars.


    Now, as the Great Tang Group itself has ceased the production of Model T cars, anyone wanting to buy a Model T or its parts has to look to the Dwarves of the Ice Cold Kingdom.


    There was originally no such platform in this world for workshop enterprises to market themselves. With the Great Tang Group establishing such a platform, many astute businessmen immediately grasped its profound implications.


    They don''t mind that the Great Tang Group uses it to promote themselves because they seem to care more about the significance of the expo itself.


    After all, they saw that the Great Tang Group announced that such exhibitions would be held every two years, where any enterprise or individual can promote themselves.


    This is a significant boon, for if they make a name for themselves at this grand event, they can sell their products to places they previously couldn''t have imagined.


    Such a grand exchange can promote commerce, accelerate the circulation of goods, and allow for a broader scope of resource sharing.


    This is an innovation! An unprecedented innovation!


    ---------


    Dragon Spirit got vaccinated yesterday and wasn''t feeling well, so had a strong reaction. Woke up this morning feeling really sick, so today''s update is just treading water, sorry.

 Chapter 367 : Dragon 363

    ```


    "Heard the rumor?" In a dimly lit tavern in Brunas, a man leaned close to his friend with a mysterious air and whispered. His expression was wildly exaggerated, as if he were about to divulge a secret that would shake the heavens.


    His friend, holding a glass of wine, frowned and looked at him, completely clueless about what terrifying secret he was about to share: "Heard what?"


    They were all old buddies, after all. Coming out to drink was just about boasting and shooting the breeze; didn''t they all know each other''s backgrounds?


    One was a foreman of a dock''s loading team, with dozens of loaders under him and a little money in hand, enough to be considered middle class. Although he lived comfortably, he was neither filthy rich nor nobility.


    The other was a minor clerk in the Brunas City construction department, responsible for managing the logistics of city construction materials. He held a bit of authority, but not the guts to take kickbacks and engage in corruption¡ªjust a simple clerk.


    What earth-shattering secrets could these two possibly know? Isn''t it all just hearsay and gossip?


    But when drinking, national secrets and shocking confidential matters will always be evergreen topics. Debating and casually joking while eating and drinking is as normal as it gets for two men.


    The foreman from the docks earnestly began with a so-called secret that was enough to make anyone burst into laughter: "Dragon Island... there are actually dragons living there..."


    Mr. Clerk, who lived a routine life of just going to work and returning home, couldn''t possibly believe such things: "How is that possible? Who told you this? It can''t be true."


    Although many islands in this world remained undiscovered or had only been recently discovered, the existence of dragons was something nobody would believe.


    Dragons had long been extinct; this was an accepted fact. It wasn''t possible for living dragons to be on Dragon Island or else it would have been widely known.


    These days, if someone found a living dragon and caught it to sell tickets, they''d probably make a fortune. Such a creature isn''t some kind of secret that needs to be kept.


    Seeing that his old buddy didn''t believe him, the small dock boss immediately began with a familiar prelude, swearing by it: "My brother''s friend, you know him, that sailor... hasn''t he always been running transport with the Great Tortoise sailing ship?"


    These sorts of claims were always about a friend of a friend, a brother''s friend, a friend''s uncle''s son-in-law''s friend''s brother''s cousin from next door...


    In short, "I have a friend, I have a relative, I have a friend of a relative"¡ªthis is the usual pattern for starting off a story.


    It''s like a sort of disclaimer that says, "It''s not me who''s claiming this, but if you want someone to blame, then go find someone else, I''m just sharing the gossip."


    As expected, Mr. Clerk knew the person and was quite familiar with him: "That drunkard? I know him, did he make up another story to tell you?"


    "Well... it''s not made up, did the Great Tortoise not just make a delivery of fabrics to Dragon Island?" started the dock boss, assuring his claims from the beginning of the story.


    "And then? He saw a dragon?" asked the clerk as he took a sip of his drink and let out a satisfied sound, enjoying the moment and encouraging his friend to continue.


    Chatting or rather, shooting the breeze, requires a back-and-forth banter during these social gatherings for the conversation to flow.


    If you don''t pick up where the other left off, the topic dies, the atmosphere turns awkward, and the drinking session ends unsatisfactorily, right?


    Some airfields were built next to Dragon City, so when planes took off or landed, they were naturally seen by some of the residents of Dragon City.


    The airfields constructed in the central part of the island also saw an increasing number of planes¡ªjust the Camel Fighters alone had been produced by the dozens.


    These machines were unlike Battleships, which took a year or even several years to build. They had a simple structure, were small in size, and could be produced in the dozens in just a day if mass-produced in earnest.


    What really limited the number of aircraft of the Great Tang Group was the scarcity of pilots. It was difficult to cultivate this profession, which relied entirely on the accumulation of time.


    Training pilots from scratch was a complicated matter, requiring at least dozens of hours of training flight time for them to fly independently.


    The first batch of pilots had no choice but to grope their way, and many bold maneuvers had to be discovered through trial and error.


    If it weren''t for Tang Mo providing comprehensive textbooks and personally explaining the theoretical knowledge of flying to the pilots, the training speed of Great Tang Group''s pilots would have been even slower.


    Even so, Great Tang Group now had a few hundred candidates capable of flying planes or gliders.


    To meet these individuals'' flying needs, Great Tang Group arranged a sufficient amount of flight training every day¡ªinevitably, someone would fly beyond the designated boundaries, allowing the people of Weigang or Dragon City to witness it.


    And more and more people were seeing it.


    Especially the locals on Dragon Island, who had seen such flying objects soaring far away in the sky on several occasions.


    Yet what they saw was not necessarily any specific type of airplane but rather various strange and curious things.


    As a result, the stories passed around varied widely. Some claimed to have seen a very small flying monster, while others described something quite large.


    What some saw could have been just a small training glider, and others, perhaps, a large twin-engine airplane with three engines.


    The Great Tang Group alone had three types of training gliders, and adding dual-seat trainers and actual fighter planes, the variety in aircraft only increased.


    When rumors about dragons filled the air, those with insider knowledge heard that a secret factory on Dragon Island was where Great Tang Group was constructing numerous gigantic airships.


    Word had it that these airships were bigger than the cargo airships, equipped with more engines, and could be armed to attack the enemy while flying...


    Of course, such news only circulated among the higher echelons; it was beyond the average person''s earshot. The most they could do was gossip about certain inert gases produced in their factories being dispatched to a secret base in the heart of Dragon Island.


    "So, how much did that drunkard drink..." The clerk, who prided himself on his worldliness, arched his eyebrows with a spot-on expression.


    He believed such tales to be complete nonsense. Besides hot air balloons and airships, only birds could fly in the sky!


    "You don''t believe it?" The foreman of the port''s dockworkers, also uncertain of the truth of what he heard, asked somewhat apprehensively.


    Emboldened by alcohol, the clerk banged forcefully on the table in front of him, boasting arrogantly, "How could I possibly believe... If what he said is true, then I''ll eat this table!"

 Chapter 368 : 364 Spies

    Tang Mo was indeed manufacturing airships, because before airplanes were fully mature, airships could indeed do many things that airplanes couldn''t.


    For example... bombing!


    The colossal airships completely surpass airplanes in terms of load capacity. The amount of bombs that today''s airplanes can carry could startle you!


    The Camel Fighter can carry a 45-kilogram Aerial Bomb¡ªthat''s the total weight! That means, it could carry about two 20-kilogram bombs for a bombing mission. Even the large, three-engine biplanes can''t compare in their carrying capacity to today''s airships.


    Beyond load capacity, the problem of range is also fatal. Airplanes are now essentially authentic protectors of airports, with hundreds of kilometers of combat radius, they are not viable as offensive weapons.


    What''s more, the Great Tang Group had some accumulation in the production of inert gases, which improved the safety issues of airships.


    Moreover, there were no threats like Anti-Aircraft Guns at present, so airships could safely and efficiently carry bombs to bomb targets.


    As the head of the Great Tang Group, and a transmigrator, Tang Mo did have a somewhat low-level wicked sense of humor.


    He was very curious to know what expression the enemies of the Great Tang Group would have when they woke up one morning, opened their eyes, and saw dozens of airships covering the sky.


    If those airships were also painted with frightening shark mouths, wouldn''t that be quite a sight?


    Of course, Tang Mo wouldn''t be crazy enough to paint hammers and sickles on the sides of the airships, but he could paint his own Dragon Spirit emblem, which would surely be no less imposing.


    It just lacked a certain flavor, that sense of the Iron Curtain slowly falling, the unique BGM starting, the double-barreled Tanks crashing through the road signs...


    Even the names Tang Mo gave to these airships¡ªKirov¡ªbaffled people. The senior executives of the Great Tang Group still didn''t know what merit the name Kirov had to be used by Tang Mo to name a secret weapon.


    Tang Mo wasn''t afraid that airships would become completely obsolete with the emergence of airplanes; he could simply sell them afterwards.


    This is the advantage of being a technological pioneer; as long as he didn''t sell airplanes, airships would remain absolutely advanced aerial weapons, able to be sold at a good price.


    As for the enemy developing bombing airships, Tang Mo wasn''t afraid because he had already deployed Fighters on Dragon Island, which meant he already had a strong shield to defend against airships!


    ...


    Setting aside Tang Mo''s vague fantasies of initiating the Red Alert in an alternate world, in the far-off headquarters of Shireck, inside a luxuriously decorated conference room, a group of middle-level intelligence officers were holding a meeting to summarize intelligence.


    The Shireck Consortium had never stopped collecting intelligence on the Great Tang Group, and had even expanded their efforts against them.


    However, in the competition between the two, the newly risen intelligence department of the Great Tang Group had always outmatched Shireck''s intelligence agencies.


    On one hand, the frontline intelligence work was becoming increasingly difficult to execute, with a shortage of field espionage personnel who couldn''t be replaced quickly enough, and on the other hand, the higher-ups wanted even more intelligence on the Great Tang Group.


    In comparison, the difficulties of this task kept intensifying.


    Thinking of the spy wars between both sides, someone clenched their teeth in anger, "We had never encountered such a situation before! We''ve never faced an opponent like this... Those damned Silver Fox people..."


    Another person added their complaints, "Bribing officials is almost impossible, their income ledgers are transparent, the Silver Fox people will investigate, and large bribes simply cannot be hidden."


    "Offering small amounts of money and they don''t care for it, who would betray the flourishing Great Tang Group for a few dozen Gold Coins?" Immediately, there were agreeing voices on the other side.


    The complaining chief grew increasingly sentimental as he spoke, "Even if there are those greedy for money, daring to take the bribe, the information they provide is incomplete, merely guesswork. Worse, there''s also the chance they''re baiting us; our people go to get the data and end up caught on the spot."


    "We''ve lost more personnel in the past two years than in the previous ten years combined... especially in operations against the Great Tang Group..." another person chimed in agreement.


    Sitting at the head of the table, the instigator, the red-haired Sofia, was still idly filing her beautiful nails, not uttering a word, as if all this had nothing to do with her.


    After all, her people had suffered no loss; those sent to Brunas were well-fed and entertained daily, gambling, watching horse races, and their main task was to bring back Brunas''s most fashionable clothing, jewelry, and accessories to Flame Castle.


    And according to the cooperation between both parties, the Great Tang Group would from time to time proactively provide her with technology and intelligence, enabling her to steadily hold her position as the head of the Shireck Consortium, which was more than enough.


    "We can only try our luck with the newcomers now. The old hands know the situation too well to dare to go that way; even if they go, they won''t act, and some even disappear entirely." Someone nearby couldn''t help but sigh.


    Another person joined the complaining, "Disappearances are the least of it... Some have outright defected. Do you remember Black Hawk?"


    "Black Hawk? What happened?" Sofia''s nail filing paused, knowing that Black Hawk was a double agent controlled by the Great Tang Group, she was quite sensitive to this, so she was somewhat alert.


    That person immediately explained, "He sent dozens of telegrams filled with nonsense and false news. Had it not been for other undercover agents sending us real information, we''d still have been kept in the dark..."


    "Even someone as experienced as him has defected?" Sofia feigned disbelief, while thinking to herself that she should send a telegram to remind Tang Mo, to caution him about this double agent on their side...


    "Exactly..." Several intelligence chiefs didn''t dare suspect Sofia''s sincerity, nor did they have the guts to do so.


    "Let''s discuss serious matters!" The intelligence department head, with a somewhat embarrassed face, coughed to return everyone''s attention to the matter at hand.


    "Apologies." The people below immediately ended the topic with chagrin, "Sorry."


    --------


    Getting vaccinated really made me uncomfortable, and the update is delayed again, sorry. If I feel better tomorrow, I''ll make up for it =. =! Dragon Spirit seems to be caught in a never-ending cycle of owing and catching up on updates... how miserable.

 Chapter 369 : 365 New Art

    ```


    "It''s hard to say about Brunas side. The amount of steel transported away is terrifyingly high, possibly exceeding 70,000 tons, perhaps even over 100,000 tons..." Back to the matter at hand, the figure provided by the intelligence chief in charge of the Brunas case was even more ambiguous.


    Dragon Island itself also has steel mills, with massive quantities of pig iron and rough iron being transported to the island for processing and refining every day. Therefore, merely investigating the steel transported to the island is actually meaningless.


    Even though Tang Mo was building a battleship that would consume a significant amount of steel, faced with such enormous numbers, the Shireck side simply couldn''t speculate any issues with Great Tang Group''s usage of metal.


    This was a simple matter if you were consistently consuming 100 kilograms of steel daily and suddenly increased to 200 kilograms a day, everyone would be surprised.


    But if you consume a million tons of steel every day, using an extra 100 kilograms one day would probably be nothing more than a small error, something no one would care about.


    Indeed, some people started to reflect, "In the past, the total annual steel demand of a kingdom wouldn''t even be this much. But now, just the total quantity shipped out is already this terrifying."


    In the past, a kingdom might not require that much steel in a whole year, or rather, even two or three kingdoms combined might not have as much demand for iron ore as a single Great Tang Group does now.


    The intelligence chief responsible for the Brunas direction added reluctantly, "If you include the steel consumed by Brunas itself, the total might exceed 300,000 tons."


    He actually guessed too low, and by half! In reality, just Brunas alone consumed about 600,000 tons of steel in a year.


    Keep in mind, this is only the steel manufactured and consumed by Brunas, not including other cities and regions controlled by Great Tang Group.


    Previously, this might have been the steel production of an empire, or even two empires, but now it had become a corporate indicator for a single group.


    Admittedly, compared to the annual production of several super steel enterprises in Huaxia, this number is not much, but the Great Tang Group is also growing and expanding, isn''t it?


    Especially within the borders of the Ice Cold Kingdom, an even larger steel plant is being established. Once it starts production, Great Tang Group''s steel output seems like it could double again!


    Glancing at the exceedingly beautiful Sofia, seated at the head of the table, the intelligence chief responsible for Brunas direction added, "No joke, just the steel consumption in the regions controlled by Great Tang Group is definitely over a million tons, and additionally, there is a lot of inter-regional transportation that complicates our investigation, resulting in a high redundancy rate."


    "Under these circumstances, trying to calculate exactly how much steel Dragon Island has consumed is impossible." He said this and stopped, shaking his head helplessly.


    "But the people above all want to know the specifics about Dragon Island... Dragon Island is impenetrable, and even if you go, you can only get a quick glance before leaving, so we have to resort to these clumsy methods." The person originally responsible for Dragon Island intelligence was even more frustrated.


    "Sigh..." He sighed, not concealing his own failure, "So in terms of Dragon Island, we have no valuable intelligence to report."


    Sofia set down the file in her hand on the table and encouraged with a smile, "A momentary win or loss doesn''t define anything. The Shireck Consortium has made it this far by defeating countless rivals. It''s just that this Great Tang Group is a bit more troublesome than others."


    She stood up, "Don''t lose heart! Don''t be timid! You must believe that one day, we will achieve the final victory!"


    The first movie shot by Tang Mo, or rather the first movie presented by Great Tang Group, and indeed the first movie in the world, was naturally imbued with numerous intentions.


    Not making use of such an obvious advertising opportunity was something Tang Mo would not forgive himself for. The script he chose was the famous "Roman Holiday," and the outdoor shots were essentially no different from a city promotional film.


    Of course, this movie could not continue to be called "Roman Holiday"; it had been aptly renamed "Encounter Brunas" due to the setting.


    The story itself had also been adapted to some extent, telling of a Princess named Anne who came to Brunnis for an inspection visit.


    Then, after she saw the legendary sights of Brunnis for the first time, she fell deeply in love with the place. To better appreciate the local scenery, she eluded her entourage and guards, venturing out onto the streets alone.


    What followed was, of course, a series of distinctive street scenes shot in Brunas¡ªthe clear blue sky, pubs and teahouses, markets and shops, jewelry stores glittering with gems, and fashion boutiques with the latest trends in skirts and dresses. Everything here was just so beautiful.


    Next, a wonderful love story unfolded. Princess Anne had an encounter with an officer from the security forces of Great Tang Group, a young officer with extensive knowledge, refined manners, and dashing looks.


    And the Princess was gentle and kind, beautiful and benevolent, with a station that was beyond prestigious.


    Amusingly, at this moment, the Princess was penniless and in a bind, leaving the young officer no choice but to settle her shopping bills.


    The officer enthusiastically took Princess Anne around Brunas, visiting the naval dock teeming with seagulls and even climbing aboard the huge ironclad warship...


    Naturally, this was also a product placement by Great Tang Group, allowing for close-up shots that gave the Brunas-class ironclad warship an even greater visual impact.


    The ship''s mighty cannons were bold and imposing, underscoring the heroic quality of the military men. Tang Mo even added a classic scene from the Titanic to this segment of the plot.


    It was during this time that the male protagonist showed off a camera product from Great Tang Group, recording the Princess''s joyful moments all the way.


    Needless to say, this was also part of the advertising¡ªin the entire movie, a plethora of Great Tang Group''s products was featured in commercials, even down to toothpaste sponsors.


    Cars of various models filled the streets, including the latest people''s car launched by Great Tang Group and the new, expensive Rolls-Royce models, all getting their time on camera.


    There was even a car chase scene, where the male lead drove the female lead away from her pursuing guards.


    The plainclothes guards caught up with them when the male lead took Princess Anne to a floating dance hall to attend a ball. The guards asked the Princess to return with them, but she resolutely refused, and when they tried to forcibly take her back, the male lead and his comrades came to blows with the guards, while the willful and mischievous Princess also pitched in, having a lot of fun.


    Taking advantage of the chaos, the male lead whisked the Princess away, while the plainclothes guards were arrested by Brunas''s public security police.


    Throughout the entire tour, or rather, the adventure, the female protagonist, Anne, had completely fallen for the young officer, but her identity became the biggest barrier between them.


    And at this point, all the spectators in the audience were deeply captivated by the movie''s visuals and the storyline.


    The cinema was silent as a tomb, with everyone fixated on the screen as if their souls had been sucked away.

 Chapter 370 : 366 Street

    The plot continued to develop, and ultimately, the female lead still had to return to her own life. The two bid each other a reluctant farewell, and poured out their hearts to each other one last time.


    Then, although the two had temporarily parted ways, Tang Mo, according to his own preferences and for promotional purposes, still changed the story''s ending.


    Here, the plot reached its climax. In the end, the male lead officer heard that the female lead''s country was being invaded. He left Brunas alone and headed in the direction of the female lead''s country.


    The screen gradually faded to black, and a line of text appeared in the center of the screen, "The officer ultimately helped the Kingdom where the female lead resided defeat the invaders and saved the Kingdom, marrying the beautiful Princess."


    Although it was very much like a fairy tale, the entire story still had a realistic backdrop to rely on¡ªanyone who follows the conflict in the 11 countries knows that Strauss and Bolton, the renowned Dorne Duo, are household names.


    Both men are graduates of the Great Tang Military Academy. They had lived in Brunas and indeed, saved the Dorne Kingdom during its most critical moment.


    Even more outrageous is that both of them actually married princesses of Dorne. Aside from the order, their experiences are almost exactly like those of the male lead in Encounter Brunas.


    Therefore, no one questioned the film''s plot for being too perfect or fairy-tale-like. On the contrary, everyone found it easier to believe that it was a documentary about Strauss or Bolton!


    If Tang Mo went even further, he could, at the end of the movie, list a series of instances where graduates of the Great Tang Military Academy wed noble ladies, specifying who married which Princess, who married a Duke''s woman, who married an Earl''s daughter, who blatantly married a female Earl or Viscount...


    No matter how good a story is, it still comes to an end. As the text on the screen gradually disappeared, the lights in the entire cinema turned on.


    The movie screening ended, and yet the cinema was silent. It was as if people had not yet recovered from the story. They just sit there, as if they had embarked on a marvelous journey alongside the lead characters.


    Finally, a noble stood up and started to clap his hands, a slight smile on his face. He clapped incessantly, as if only by doing so could he express his excitement.


    Soon, another person stood up and began clapping. His companion also started to clap her hands, her eyes filled with envy.


    As a socialite living in Brunas, she naturally understood the value of a young officer from the Great Tang Group. To be honest, nobody here thought there was anything amiss with an officer from the Great Tang Group marrying a Princess.


    On the contrary, many thought that if the princess from a nondescript small kingdom could marry an officer from the Great Tang Group, it was possibly considered punching above her weight.


    More and more people joined in the applause, indicating that the movie was a resounding success during its world premiere.


    From that moment on, Brunas would have one more entertainment option. This entertainment capital would become even more worthy of its name.


    Great Tang Entertainment would turn Brunas into a movie city of another world, making Brunas synonymous with movies and TV series!


    "It was really fantastic! The movie... was really fantastic!" Clapping her hands, the previously disdainful socialite was moved to tears.


    She was touched by the pure love of the lead characters and conquered by the beautiful scenes that simply couldn''t be depicted on stage.


    "I can hardly wait to see it again," sighed her noble companion wistfully, gazing at the now-darkened screen, reluctant to leave.


    The female lead was just too beautiful, her sparkling large eyes continually haunting his mind.


    "Not interested," her classmate frowned, immediately declining.


    She knew very well who Yue''er was by her side and how could she agree to take Yue''er to a bar with some other man? Besides, as a student of the military academy, she was not someone any Tom, Dick, or Harry could invite out!


    "Don''t be ungrateful! I''m giving you a chance by asking. Today, it''s best you go with me willingly; if not... you''ll still have to go with me!" The man''s smile faded, with several of his followers behind him flashing obscene leering smiles.


    "As the eldest son of the Zhang Family, there''s no woman I can''t deal with," the man said while reaching out towards Yue''er, who hadn''t spoken yet, "Don''t worry! My family in Zheng Country is top-notch. With me, you''ll live in luxury... heh heh heh..."


    Unfortunately, before his hand could touch Yue''er''s face, it was caught by Yue''er''s classmate, "This is Brunas... if you don''t want to die, take these lackeys and scram!"


    "Oh! This one''s feisty... she''s yours! The orc cat-girl is mine," said Mr. Zhang, his mouth full of filthy language.


    "Heh heh heh!" His followers immediately perked up upon hearing this. To them, abducting a woman in broad daylight was nothing at all.


    In Zheng Country, they were the ones who walked above others. With the Zhang Family''s reach to the heavens, no one dared to oppose them.


    They had just arrived in Brunas today, the bustling city made them a bit dizzy. As they were strolling around, they spotted two beauties.


    The young master of the Zhang Family, used to taking whatever he wanted, certainly didn''t want to miss out on such top-notch females, so he immediately approached, ready to first comfort his little brother.


    "Hey! Today we''ve really met some who aren''t afraid of death," a noble window-shopping across the street saw the scene and immediately stopped to watch the excitement.


    "Some really do think they have too many days left, huh!" Another noble heard this sigh and, noticing the scene too, immediately stood by to watch.


    Such sightings were becoming increasingly rare in Brunas. Those daring enough to abduct women on the streets could be described as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.


    Even more outrageous was someone daring to mess with a student from the Great Tang Military Academy... those two girls were wearing Great Tang Military Academy officer''s uniforms!


    "The show''s starting!" Many people stopped to watch, others joined in cheering and egging on.


    "If you keep harassing us, I won''t be polite! This is Brunas, I don''t care if you''re from Zheng Country or anywhere else!" the classmate shouted sternly.


    "Impolite? What else could you do, hm?" the Zhang Family''s son scoffed.


    After all, he had five or six guards behind him. What could two girls do to him?


    Right after he asked this question, a cold pistol was pressed against his forehead.


    Yue''er held a PPK pistol, asking coldly, "Guess whether there are bullets in my gun or not?"


    --------


    My arm still hurts quite a bit, so there will only be two updates today, sorry.

 Chapter 371 367 Police Station

    "This is a pistol?" the well-traveled young master of the Zhang Family sneered in doubt, "I''ve never seen such a small pistol..."


    "I know Brunas produces a Left-Wheel Handgun that can fire six shots in a row, but the one in your hand is clearly not it," he said as he tried to reach out and push away the pistol Yue''er was holding against his forehead.


    "Bang!" Before he could push it away, Yue''er shifted the aim of her pistol and fired at a Zhang Family guard approaching them, hitting him in the chest.


    The marksmanship taught by the Great Tang Group Military Academy wasn''t the deterrent shooting method learned by police officers, but a deadly art where each shot aimed to kill.


    Yue''er''s shot, which appeared to be without aim, primarily hit the torso, increasing the likelihood of hitting vital organs dramatically.


    The young master of the Zhang Family only heard a gunshot by his ear, and because he was so close, he lost his hearing, replaced only by a piercing ringing.


    Clutching his ears, his mind raced with terrifying thoughts. He believed his ears must have been either blown off or deafened by the shot.


    The pampered young master stumbled to the side, helped by a guard at his flank, nearly falling over.


    On the other side, the unlucky guard who had advanced felt a punch to his chest. Staggering back two steps, he looked down at his torso.


    Then, he saw a small hole in his clothes, and around this hole, bright red blood was spreading wildly.


    "Murder!" By then, some onlookers finally realized something was amiss and began to shout in panic.


    Across the road, the spectating crowd scattered to avoid the chaos that erupted. People pushed and shoved, trying to leave the dangerous area quickly.


    A gunshot echoed through the streets as a shot unfortunate fell to the ground.


    Yue''er''s classmate turned pale upon seeing someone shot; she had not expected that going out to see a movie could result in witnessing a death.


    Hearing the gunshot, the police patrolling in the distance became anxious and pushed through the crowd. They drew their service pistols from their waists and strode toward the source of the sound.


    "You! You dared to fire a shot!" The Zhang Family young master hadn''t expected that in the gun-banned Brunas, someone would walk the streets with a pistol.


    For aesthetics, the Great Tang Group''s women officer uniforms weren''t very militaristic in design, so at first, the young master of the Zhang Family didn''t associate the woman with the military academy.


    Even when he teased women, he purposely avoided those who looked rich and adorned with gold and silver, not wishing to court trouble in such a place.


    Unfortunately, despite his caution, his luck this time was just too bad.


    Yue''er once again pointed her pistol at the frightened and shouting Zhang Family young master as if she was not yet ready to give up.


    A few Zhang Family guards immediately stood in front of her pistol''s muzzle, with one of them coolly warning, "Miss! No matter who you are, offending the Zhang Family comes at a cost! I advise you to put down your gun!"


    "Commander..." A guard who had gone to check on their fallen comrade came over and shook his head slightly, indicating the shot individual was beyond saving.


    "My lord..." These guards from Zheng Country immediately prepared to explain. They too had realized that these two women seemed to have influential backgrounds, and they might have bitten off more than they could chew this time.


    The old officer corrected them, saying, "Call me officer!"


    "Officer! Don''t listen to these young ladies'' nonsense! We haven''t done anything! We are innocent!" the captain of the Zhang Family''s guard hastily claimed.


    "Are you saying that a student from Great Tang Military Academy is lying?" The old officer sneered coldly, questioning in an unfriendly tone.


    After all, this was Brunas, and students from the Great Tang Military Academy were, in some respects, Mr. Tang''s private troops¡ªGreat Tang Group''s elite guard! Naturally, their credibility was much higher than that of outsiders¡ªmuch higher, in fact!


    From the old officer''s unfriendly line of questioning, the chief of the guards guessed his intentions and quickly changed his explanation, "This... There might be some misunderstanding here..."


    He would certainly not admit any wrong on his part, so he could only chalk it all up to a misunderstanding.


    For him, taking a round outside and losing a few men wasn''t an issue, but if he stirred up trouble that couldn''t be settled, the Zhang Family''s patriarch would not let him off the hook.


    Thus, he decided to resolve the issue at hand with tactics he was familiar with.


    He took out some Gold Coins from his pocket and directly stuffed them into the old police officer''s chest, saying, "A little token, just a small sign of respect!"


    Who would have thought the old police officer would react as if electrocuted, immediately pushing away the Gold Coins proffered towards him, as if they were laced with a deadly poison, "What are you doing? Are you mad? You may not want to live, but I do! Take them away! Otherwise, I won''t be polite!"


    What a joke! With a secure job, good benefits, and a high social status, this was a coveted iron rice bowl. You think you can mess that up for me? I''ll never share the sky with you!


    On this busy street, handing me a bribe like that, should I care about my dignity or not? Who knows if there might be a spy watching me from some corner, I''d have to be crazy to take such a small amount of money!


    Also, standing here is an orc beauty, whose weapon might indeed have been given by Mr. Tang. With a person of such high status present, you''re trying to slip me money; should I care about my image or not?


    And the third point... yes, there''s a third point! The old police officer recognized at first glance that the handgun Yue''er was holding was a PPK, a weapon manufactured by Great Tang Group specifically for special forces use!


    For all we know, this orc beauty might actually be a piece from Silver Fox Tavern''s game, an agent from the confidential department, or straight up someone from the disciplinary surveillance department. Whichever department she''s from, I can''t afford to mess with her, can I?


    So, after a series of refusals, when the people from Zheng Country gave up on bribery, the old police officer finally shouted at the apprentice, who had been holding the handgun up for a long time, "What are you waiting for? Take them all in!"


    "You dare arrest me?" At that moment, the young master of the Zhang Family, whose hearing hadn''t fully recovered, poked his head out of the crowd, belligerently shouting, "Do you know who I am?"


    "I''m just asking both parties to go back and assist in the investigation! What are you yelling about? A guilty conscience?" The old police officer struck back unpleasantly, instantly deflating the other''s arrogance.


    Only then did the old police officer remember that there seemed to be... a dead person on the ground!


    He looked down at the unfortunate soul who had stopped breathing, shook his head, and ordered Zhang Family''s guards, "Take this body away, too! It''s important evidence!"


    As he spoke, he bent down to pick up the shiny brass shell casing from the ground, blew on it, and then looked at Yue''er and her classmate, "Put the gun away! Come with me."

 Chapter 372 Double happiness comes to the door 368 times

    "Ring, ring, ring..." On the luxurious and massive desk, a wood and metal phone combining elegance and functionality began to ring.


    Harry rubbed his somewhat sore eyes, grabbed the phone, and his tired eyes suddenly bulged, "What did you say?"


    The hand holding the phone grew forceful involuntarily, and the veins on the back of his hand stood out, "Make yourself clear..."


    "Wait, you''re saying Yue''er... has now been taken to the police station on Cultural Second Road? Are you joking?"


    "Ah? Are you sure someone tried to abduct a woman in broad daylight on the street? How does this sound so... bizarre?"


    "Yes, forget everything else for now, have the security troops take control of the police station... Make sure Miss Yue''er is safe..."


    "I don''t care about the Zhang Family or the Li Family, this is Brunas, and nobody can do anything about it! I''m on my way, don''t do anything rash before I get there."


    After finishing, he slammed the receiver back onto the phone with a heavy clack.


    "Prepare the car!" He stood up abruptly with a worried look on his face, giving the command loudly. The secretary waiting outside the door immediately started arranging the vehicles.


    "Sigh... Just when one lady walks out the door, another finds trouble... Why do I have such tough luck?" He complained as he walked to the door, reaching to take his long leather coat from the hanger.


    Before leaving, he turned back to look at the replica portrait hanging directly behind his chair on the wall, shook his head and sighed, "Teacher, I wish you''d get rid of these women quickly... Hefeng, Osa... Anywhere but Brunas will do."


    In the police station on Cultural Second Road, within the chief''s office, Yue''er was emulating Yulin quite convincingly.


    She sat in the chief''s chair, cradling a cup of hot tea, observing the young and sweaty police chief.


    He was her senior in school, an average achiever who, upon graduating from the military academy, had been assigned to be the chief of police here, a bottom-tier position...


    Despite the title of police chief at the Great Tang Group including the status of reserve officer and being responsible for the arrangement of workers'' national defense training in his area, it was no light workload. Yet, he couldn''t escape the fact that it was almost the worst job for a Great Tang military academy graduate.


    But poor grades notwithstanding, as a complete nobody, he once harbored a crazy dream.


    He had pursued Yue''er, written love letters to her... and so he knew her background very well.


    At this very moment, this embarrassed man, who could well dig a four-bedroom duplex out of the ground with his toes, stood aside, waiting for his "doomsday" to come.


    He now deeply regretted not kicking those two duty officers'' behinds! Wondering why those idiots had brought this great figure into his station...


    After all, with Queen Yulin gone, the biggest terror at the Great Tang military academy might just be the sweet-looking, seemingly harmless cat-eared girl before him.


    And now, it was too late to send her away.


    Nearly 20 cars had already parked outside the police station door, displaying uniformly standardized license plates including vehicles from the security troops, the police department''s upper echelons, and even the military academy''s.


    How he dreaded becoming infamous by the end of the day. His old classmates would likely all come to him for a meal, eager to hear the details, to boast back home.


    Perhaps he''d become the first in Brunas, the first from the Great Tang military academy... to arrest the headmaster''s woman, what a genius.


    "Sigh..." He sighed once more in despair. Following this sigh, the door to his room was pushed open.


    "So what if I did?" The Zhang Family''s eldest son didn''t understand why Harry was asking but readily admitted, "Your master, that is Tang Mo, is a criminal! Our... criminal!"


    He paused, then continued to boast about his investigative results: "According to the law, he might scrounge a living outside Dahua''s lands... But does he want to go back? Back to his homeland..."


    The young master rambled on without noticing that Harry''s hand, out of his sight, was already clenched into a fist.


    "I came to give him good news! Understand? He will have to go back sooner or later, or else he''ll be a wandering spirit... dead without a place to rest..." The Zhang Family''s young master continued to talk to himself on the other side.


    ...


    This time, it was Harry''s turn to be speechless. He didn''t quite understand this line of thinking, but he knew that Li''ao had a longing to return to his homeland.


    He wasn''t sure if Tang Mo felt the same, so he wasn''t in a position to jump to conclusions. Therefore, he walked toward the door, ordering, "Keep them detained for now, don''t make it hard on them, look after them well! I''ll consult Mr. Tang first, then deal with this matter."


    "Yes!" The police gathered at the door understood Harry''s intent.


    "Hey? Don''t go! Come back! Get this damn thing off me! Come back!" Inside the room, the voice of the Zhang Family''s eldest son came out one after another.


    Harry left the police station, then got into the passenger seat of the car. Then, the Rolls Royce started and drove down the road.


    After a long silence, as they were nearing the city hall, Yue''er suddenly started explaining out of the blue, "I don''t want to be bullied like before, treated like an object to be thrown around and given away."


    "I know. I understand you. We should all be in control of our destiny; that''s the meaning of our existence," Harry said without turning his head.


    In the slight jolts of the car, Yue''er''s female classmate sitting beside her wished she could become invisible.


    "I want to go to Dragon Island," Yue''er said abruptly.


    "Hm?" Harry turned his head quickly, hardly believing his luck.


    "I want to go to Dragon Island, to find him," Yue''er felt that there were things she had to face and choices she had to make.


    "...Alright, I''ll arrange it," seeing Yue''er''s determined look, Harry nodded.


    "Thank you," Yue''er was a little excited.


    "No need to be polite," Harry also felt a bit of unexpected joy.


    At last... off to Dragon Island.


    Hmm, everyone''s going, it turned out to be a double blessing...


    --------


    Today I was driven to the brink of madness by my child, who managed to split-screen to watch cartoons while attending online classes... I spent half an hour scolding, and he cried out a couple of times with no real trouble, while I suffered from chest pain and dizziness all day...


    Thinking back on my own childhood, I really need to thank my parents for their leniency...


    The update will be postponed until tomorrow... Yeah, there should be nothing tomorrow... Probably...

 Chapter 373 369 new butler

    In Tang Mo''s castle, there was a laboratory that belonged solely to him. It was equipped with various experimental apparatuses, many of which he had custom-made.


    The equipment, along with many substances he had synthesized himself, were mostly appearing in this world for the first time.


    As a transmigrator, he often carried out his own experiments here, introducing things that had never before existed to this world. It could be said that some of the items here were even more precious than gold.


    At this very moment, Tang Mo was holding two test tubes, mixing a freshly prepared liquid to form a new substance.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    By his side, Yulin curiously examined the liquid in the test tubes, looking eager to try it out.


    "This stuff is very dangerous," Tang Mo said, putting down the test tubes and then taking off his gloves to warn Yulin beside him, "It could very likely burn your skin..."


    "Isn''t it just a new kind of acid... I''m not inexperienced with chemistry," Yulin retorted with a dismissive snort.


    "Don''t underestimate this world! Some substances are extremely dangerous, extremely so," Tang Mo warned his student again, "You''ve studied the periodic table, so you should know how terrifying elements like uranium can be."


    "The teacher hasn''t talked about that, he hasn''t figured out what characteristics it has." Yulin said, shifting the topic as she watched the acid inside the test tubes gradually settle down, "I''m not going anywhere this time, I''ll stay by your side and be your butler!"


    "Nonsense!" Tang Mo looked at Yulin and said, "The position of vice chancellor at Dragon City University is still vacant. You could teach there, and it would be doing me a favor."


    "I won''t! I don''t mind occasionally giving lectures to those students, but I absolutely refuse to go there and be any vice chancellor! I''ll stay here and be your butler." Yulin insisted, with the demeanor of someone who wouldn''t leave unless you agreed.


    "Sigh..." Tang Mo wanted to say something else, but after struggling to articulate his thoughts, he finally let out a sigh¡ªthere were too many areas under the control of the Great Tang Group, so many places couldn''t do without managers with higher loyalty.


    Roger was the person Tang Mo trusted most, and Tang Mo felt that it would be more appropriate for Roger to go and keep watch over a region.


    However, with Roger gone, he really did lack a suitable butler by his side. Yulin was a good choice, as having a beautiful girl around was pleasant to the eye, wasn''t it?


    "I''ve already spoken with Grandpa Roger. Grandpa Roger said he could go to Winterless City and help check on your business there for you," Yulin said with a triumphant smile.


    "Isn''t he just spoiling you by saying that?" Tang Mo was speechless.


    "Not at all. Grandpa Roger said that his body is better suited to living in the south where the climate is milder," Yulin explained earnestly.


    "You..." Tang Mo rose to his feet, feeling somewhat helpless. He no longer had the heart to continue his experiments.


    Yulin followed close behind Tang Mo, showing no sign of reluctance to leave. Although she also liked staying in the laboratory, without Tang Mo, it wasn''t worth her while to remain.


    The Zhang family not only had a long-standing grip on Zheng Country''s court but even meddled in military power¡ªthe actual ruler of Zheng Country, King Zheng Tong, was nothing more than a puppet.


    Zheng Tong''s mother was the sister of Zhang Ming, head of the Zhang family, and Zheng Tong''s grandmother, the current Empress Dowager of Zheng Country, was Zhang Ming''s aunt...


    "That''s not a problem! We haven''t even fully digested our own market yet, what are we thinking about a place as far away as Zheng Country for? Once we''ve got our own doorstep sorted, then it''s time enough to consider the attitude of Zheng Country," Tang Mo dismissively said.


    "Don''t forget, once our Jade City-class battleships are launched, what is Zheng Country but a bunch of chickens and dogs?" As Tang Mo said this, he patted Li''ao''s shoulder: "Just wait another year. After a year, I''ll accompany you on a trip to Zheng Country, and I guarantee they''ll be crying and begging you to recognize your ancestors and return to your lineage..."


    "Your subordinate understands... It was your subordinate who was impatient," Li''ao immediately said, bowing his head.


    "However..." He paused for a moment, then continued with another matter: "There''s also something else. Miss Yue''er has arrived at Dragon Island... She is currently on the Freedom 31 freighter..."


    "She''s come to Dragon Island?" Yulin''s response was much stronger than Tang Mo''s.


    In her view, this cat-eared lass was a persistent nuisance, extremely troublesome! Why couldn''t this damned person learn from Alice and stay put in Northern Ridge?


    "This Harry!" Tang Mo laughed bitterly, knowing full well Harry would definitely not be able to handle these tricky girls, but still he felt that as a disciple, dumping all the trouble onto the master was unethical behavior.


    "Oh, by the way, master, there''s another piece of news. Our self-drawn sea charts are nearly complete, with higher precision compared to the sea charts previously provided by other countries, and we''ve even discovered a few islands..." Li''ao continued his report.


    Tang Mo nodded slightly, as charting maps was something the Great Tang Group had always been doing¡ªmap making was a complicated and important task before satellite remote sensing technology.


    Only when you have an accurate map of a region do you truly have a grasp of the region''s geographical features, allowing for better planning and development of the area and making use of every topographical detail.


    Military-grade maps are not only useful for military purposes but are also very important in other areas. These maps can support many applications including infrastructure development and mineral exploration.


    Correcting sea charts was even more challenging than land surveying, with greater investment required. After taking control of most of the Endless Sea, the Great Tang Group immediately commenced the charting of sea maps.


    This was a challenging and difficult job. Even up to today, after many sailors had sacrificed their lives, the Great Tang Group could finally say it completed the sea charting of the Endless Sea.


    Although there were no more discoveries as astonishing as Dragon Island, several uninhabited islands were found and marked.


    Additionally, the fleet of the Great Tang Group has developed many new shipping routes, ships no longer need to wait for the monsoon to sail anytime, hence, the transport capacity around the Endless Sea has actually increased substantially.


    This was why the merchant ships of countries like Zheng Country, which almost never visited the East Coast of the Endless Sea, appeared in Brunas.


    Previously, Brunas was a place for the exile of criminals, in Zheng Country''s view, it was a barbarous, desolate wasteland under the control of savages.


    "Hmm. This is good news, another opportunity to make a profit," Tang Mo was very satisfied with the progress of the surveying work: "Print them in accordance with the prices we agreed upon in the meeting and sell them."

 Chapter 374 370 Another New Weapon

    Some things are not easily kept secret, such as airplanes, which require fuel supplies, advanced repair facilities, and more logistical support for the pilots, so airports are generally built in places that are not too remote.


    Even for the sake of secrecy, some airports might be located far from urban areas, but an airplane''s flight has altitude.


    Even tens of kilometers away from the city, if a plane climbs to a few thousand meters in the sky, it might still be seen by people.


    However, some things are much easier to keep secret than airplanes. One such thing is another secret weapon from Great Tang Group¡ªtanks!


    In fact, after the automobile was developed, the technical difficulty of producing tanks no longer existed.


    The technological gap between it and armored vehicles was really just the brainstorm of a track system.


    But Tang Mo didn''t need time to accumulate; the idea of the track system was already in his mind.


    Therefore, if there was enough fuel supply and more powerful engines, Tang Mo could make tanks without any technical difficulties.


    In fact, it was indeed without any difficulties that he produced the tank, the ultimate weapon for breaking through enemy lines.


    The new tanks were actually quite rudimentary, but Tang Mo''s experience allowed this weapon''s development to avoid any detours. Experience new tales on empire


    He didn''t fuss with the kind of tank churns from World War I, nor did he bother with over-the-top long tracks.


    Tang Mo directly came up with a more mature tank design, creating something similar to the French Renault Tank''s "big tractor".


    After all, Tang Mo had not yet started mass-producing small wireless communications equipment, so these training tanks actually didn''t possess collaborative combat capabilities.


    They were not equipped with proper cannons; they had only a Maxim heavy machine gun for show, which in reality wasn''t better than the firepower of its armored vehicle predecessors.


    The whole vehicle used a gasoline engine, with the overall length just over 4 meters, and the width barely over 2 meters.


    Actually, this was almost an exact copy of the Tank Mark I blueprints, the only difference being that the weaponry was changed to a Maxim machine gun.


    The reason Tang Mo didn''t directly use the MG13 machine gun was that he had no intention of sending this type of tank into battle, so temporarily using the Maxim machine gun for training soldiers was a compromise to simplify logistics.


    Originally the Tank Mark I was equipped with two machine guns; after Tang Mo''s modifications, only one was installed, which was actually a deliberate consideration.


    Tang Mo''s training tank had one more crew member than the real Tank Mark I, the additional person was responsible for tasks akin to those of a commander.


    The reason for stuffing an extra person into the tank was to train as many tank crew members as possible.


    With such modifications, the internal space was actually a bit more cramped, as an additional person was stuffed in, so this type of tank had a slightly larger turret and thinner armor.


    Even if they couldn''t yet determine what the future infantry tactics would be, they knew that square tactics were utterly without a future.


    After that, their principal told them that in the not-so-distant future, trench warfare tactics would also be confronted with new solutions, and the means of offense by the troops would become more diverse.


    When they witnessed the tank, this new kind of weapon, they finally understood the true meaning of what Principal Tang Mo had told them.


    The new infantry assault tactics were not just about pushing forward with machine guns, not just about the use of hand grenades, nor just about the new offensive tactics born from the use of submachine guns and other modern weapons.


    Their principal was talking about an even more terrifying, more effective breakthrough weapon¡ªjust like the one in front of them, which could easily cross rough terrain and crush enemy trenches, this new type of combat vehicle!


    Tang Mo called this weapon a ''tank'', with the notion of turning deep trenches into smooth paths and overcoming the enemy to triumph¡ªa truly great name indeed.


    This weapon, known as the ''tank'', was countless times better than an armored vehicle, and it gave infantry attacks newer, more powerful support.


    Originally, with the advent of trenches, the attacking side suffered greater losses and the defensive side had a clear advantage. Even Great Tang Group''s elite troops had to be extremely careful when attacking, aiming to break through enemy trenches as quickly as possible to minimize their own losses.


    But now it was different, with this new type of weapon in hand, the attacking side no longer feared trenches or at least could breakthrough them more easily.


    During his days on Dragon Island, Tang Mo had advanced Great Tang Group''s weaponry system by a significant step, exposing students of the Great Tang Military Academy to a whole new weapon tactical system.


    Of course, these students had also visited planes, and they knew that in the Great Tang Group''s testing grounds, one new weapon after another was being developed.


    The students had come to realize that future wars would become three-dimensional and even more bloody.


    They had to stay alert not only for the enemies in front of them but also for dangers from above! They had much more to learn, and they became stronger than those who were not students at the Great Tang Military Academy!


    "If we face off directly, deploying 10 tanks... I''m confident I could take down any position in less than a day!" one student lamented while peering through binoculars at a training Tank No. 1 rolling over a hill in the distance.


    "That''s not necessarily the case! I heard Professor Redman is researching some depth defense system," another student visiting mentioned, putting down his binoculars.


    Defensive technologies were of course not standing still either; Great Tang Group had not only developed new weapons like landmines but also obstacles like barbed wire.


    With the deep defense theory that Tang Mo shared with Redman, in fact, both offense and defense were advancing rapidly, it''s just the rest of the world''s military commanders were yet unaware.


    They didn''t know that planes were about to appear in the skies above battlefields, nor were they aware that tank commanders had been born. They didn''t realize that artillery calibers were changing day by day; they also didn''t know that at the Great Tang Group''s testing range, rocket launchers were no longer a novel concept.


    Compared to its decaying competitor Shireck, the technological advancements of Great Tang Group were on a completely different level.


    The technology that Tang Mo could casually share as an exchange was what other nations'' powers dreamt of¡ªthe decisive technology!


    What they didn''t know was that to make the world adopt his modern technology faster, Tang Mo was deliberately increasing the overall technological level of the world.


    If he were to keep things to himself, it would take the rest of the world at least five more years to reach the current level of advancement...

 Chapter 375 371 is really worth more than its value

    ```


    Sitting inside the cramped, crowded, and oil-scented tank, the young cadet, selected to become a future tank commander, felt incredibly stifled.


    When he entered the military academy and achieved excellent results, being regarded as a top student, he never imagined that he would end up like this.


    In his view, a military commander should ride a tall horse, survey the battlefield through binoculars, make strategic decisions, and command troops with authority.


    Now, he could hardly see what was happening around him, let alone command thousands of troops with any degree of splendor.


    At this moment, due to the noise, he had to yell at the top of his lungs to order the machine gunner next to him to open fire.


    The space inside the tank was truly cramped; for him, it was hardly a place suitable for humans.


    As the tank moved across the rough wilderness, his head occasionally bumped against the cold, hard steel plates of the tank''s outer shell, a truly terrible sensation.


    Moreover, the window he could use to observe his surroundings was just a series of incredibly frustrating slits.


    Through this series of disjointed slits, he could barely make out the environment around his own tank, let alone clearly see the positions where the enemy was hiding¡ªit was an impossibility.


    With such observational conditions, the enemy could hide and fire until they ran out of ammunition and still might not be detected by those inside the tank, not to mention directing the tank to fire back.


    The only consolation was that these new weapons were surrounded by steel plates, making it improbable for the enemy to cause any substantial harm to them.


    The tank''s vulnerable tires had been replaced by sturdy, steel-made tracks, turning this so-called tank into a terrifying presence without a weakness to the light infantry.


    Unfortunately, for those operating the tank, its power was equally terrifying¡ªthe driver responsible for steering the tank forward knew this all too well.


    To keep a straight direction in the complex battlefield environment was extremely difficult.


    In order to avoid obstacles, even a slight turn in the tank''s advance could cause a huge deviation in its direction of travel.


    This was inevitable; today''s tanks were not equipped with GPS navigation devices, so the tank operators had to judge their own positions on the battlefield.


    At shorter distances, this was manageable, as there were some reference points from before departure to roughly determine one''s location.


    But as the distance increased, the tank crews could only rely on their experience and the remaining ninety-nine percent luck to judge the position of their tank.


    At this moment, the "tank commander," who was a top student at the academy, felt he could hardly tolerate it anymore.


    He knew that this exercise was important; the academy had deliberately arranged for over 150 students to witness this tank exercise, but he was on the verge of collapsing.


    The unpleasant smell of machine oil assaulted his nostrils, making breathing feel like torture. Standing on the iron boxes of ammunition, he, who was practically squatting on them, finally opened the hatch above his head.


    Due to the need to cram an extra person inside, the training Tank No. 1 had a pathetic ammunition capacity of just 500 rounds, over three-quarters less than the unmodified Tank No. 1.


    He truly loved the design of this ultimate land warfare weapon! He was very optimistic about the design of these steel-beamed, iron-boned revitalized armored heavy cavalry.


    "If there were more tanks, communication would be most needed... Only by informing each other of their situations could they avoid many unnecessary losses on the battlefield!"


    On the exercise field, the "tank commander" who had opened the hatch finally managed to slow down the tank and avoided another that was almost charging across his path.


    It was only at this moment that the other crew realized they had deviated from the exercise route, which had caused this close call.


    ...


    "Exactly! Communicating the battlefield situation is the foundation of the cooperation between tanks!" the instructor leading the students on a tour began asking questions. After a student finished responding, he started evaluating the quality of the answer: "You spoke well! Classmate!"


    "Teacher! I think communication between tanks is very important, and so is the infantry! Without enough infantry cover, tanks become very vulnerable on the battlefield," another student followed up.


    "You''ve made a good point! You can write a paper on this topic when you get back and hand it to me. The combined attack of infantry and tanks is a good subject; you''re on the right track," the instructor said with a slight nod, taking note of the impressive student.


    While the exercise was in full swing, at the docks of Dragon Island''s harbor, a ferry with the help of a tugboat came to a stop next to the port dock.


    The gangway was lowered, and a beautiful girl with fluffy ears was the first to jump down the gangway, standing on the concrete ground of Dragon Island''s dock.


    "Ha! Dragon Island! Here I come!" Yue''er clenched her little fists and excitedly stated her arrival while gazing at the already super-sized bustling city with vigor.


    "Get in the car!" Before Yue''er knew it, a Rolls-Royce had pulled up beside her with the door already open, and Tang Mo''s voice came from inside.


    "Hm?" Yue''er hadn''t expected Tang Mo to pick her up personally. Excited and a bit shy, she obediently bent her head and climbed into the car.


    Then, it was Tang Mo''s turn to be surprised.


    Because the moment Yue''er got into the car, she threw herself into Tang Mo''s arms without any reservations, and her soft red lips clumsily pressed against Tang Mo''s.


    "You... what are you doing... Mmm..." Tang Mo didn''t get to finish his sentence before Yue''er''s actions cut him off.


    "I''ve caused you trouble," Yue''er said after their lips parted, batting her large eyes at Tang Mo: "I don''t want to be a nuisance to you anymore..."


    "..." Tang Mo had certainly not expected Yue''er to rush from Brunas to Dragon Island just to kiss him.


    "I don''t want to be bullied anymore. I have to... for myself, for you... live well!" With that, Yue''er bravely charged again, aiming for Tang Mo''s lips.


    Tang Mo couldn''t help but smile wryly at being ''attacked'' by a young girl and then reached out to hold Yue''er''s slender waist.


    Ah, you get what you pay for¡ªRolls-Royce really is a good car... This backseat space... indeed... worth every penny.


    -------


    Finally, an update... I still owe everyone 4 updates.

 Chapter 376 372 still has a chance

    In the dim experimental lab, Yulin was playing with a flask. Her delicate fingers gently swayed the liquid inside, her eyes lifeless, as if not focused on anything.


    "Don''t be so listless, sometimes you should learn from that girl Yue''er. If you like someone, go for it; what''s the use of sulking here?" Roger walked up behind Yulin and offered words of comfort.


    In the castle, many people were aware that yesterday Yue''er had arrived at the Dragon''s Den and stayed in Tang Mo''s chamber without leaving.


    Early this morning, the two of them had breakfast together, and it seemed that the metaphorical paper window between them had been completely pierced through.


    Yulin felt a little aggrieved because she was actually the first one to arrive, but now, whether it was Alice or Yue''er, it seemed they had both gotten ahead of her.


    How could she, who had always liked Tang Mo, not feel sad? After all, she was supposed to be the happiest woman in the world.


    "Grandpa Roger... I don''t even know if Tang Mo likes me or not..." Yulin''s voice trembled with grievance as she spoke.


    "Ha, I don''t know about others, but that kid Tang Mo, he''s just a lecherous little devil! With you being such a beautiful girl, how could he possibly not like you." Roger took out a stainless steel hip flask from his pocket, unscrewed the cap, and took a swig.


    This material was developed by the technical department of the Great Tang Group, and it hadn''t yet been mass-produced, so there were only a few of these flasks in the world.


    One was with Tang Mo, another with Roger, and the last one was in the hands of Mathews, who claimed to have quit drinking.


    As for why Mathews needed such an item, nobody knew. Anyway, he had quit drinking... uh... truly quit...


    "Sigh..." Hearing Roger call Tang Mo lecherous, Yulin sighed with resentment¡ªwhat she hated was Tang Mo''s lechery; in the blink of an eye, he had already established "pure" relationships with two women.


    And the crux of the matter was... it didn''t matter if he was impure, but why couldn''t he be impure with her just once, to put her mind at ease?


    "You, stop overthinking," Roger said as he steadied Yulin''s hand, which was shaking the flask. "Listen to Grandpa Roger, just do what you need to do. I''ll find an opportunity to talk to Tang Mo and tell him... your feelings..."


    "Don''t!" Like a startled rabbit, Yulin immediately rejected Roger''s suggestion: "He''s not a fool, he''s just been playing dumb all along. If you tell him, then he will have to make a decision, and I''m afraid..."


    Her love was so obvious, and Tang Mo was certainly no naive boy; how could he possibly be unaware of anything?


    Yulin believed that Tang Mo''s lack of acknowledgment was an attitude in itself. If he didn''t say he liked her, it meant he didn''t.


    "I, an old man, don''t know what you''re all being so stubborn about." Roger picked up the flask, looking at the clear liquid inside, clueless about what it was.


    Roger felt that he understood Tang Mo quite well; he thought of his junior as a passive scoundrel¡ªof course, he didn''t know the word "scoundrel," but he got the gist.


    Tang Mo was definitely not a good man, not the kind of moral paragon who loves only one woman for his whole life.


    However, he wouldn''t actively court women. He would even use his sluggish reaction to reject many women''s advances, like Susan, who was a prime example.


    The best way to deal with such a passive scoundrel was to be proactive, and to stick to him very activenly! As long as she met his aesthetic, met his requirements, he would accept, and do so as a matter of course.


    Roger watched their retreating figures with a smile before shaking his head. Then he glanced at the waste disposal sink, seemingly worried, he quickly caught up to the departing pair, "I say, such terrifying things shouldn''t exist in Dragon''s Den; we need to move the laboratory out! Do you hear me?"


    "Alright, alright! I got it!" Tang Mo shouted back at Roger, feigning impatience.


    ...


    Yue''er hugged her pillow, curled up happily in bed, reveling in her bliss. To lazily enjoy a glass of milk in a soft bed was truly a delight.


    If possible, she wouldn''t move at all that day. This was the life she had longed for, the kind that felt so blissfully content.


    The bedroom was covered with the finest blankets, the walls adorned with priceless paintings, and sunlight filtered through delicate lace curtains onto the soft blanket, which felt ineffably comforting to step on.


    No wonder everyone envied the life of the rich. Yue''er rubbed her fluffy ears against the pillow, breathing in a sense of comfort she had never known before.


    Last night, she had become a woman.


    Yes, it felt good, indescribably good.


    "Miss, here are your clothes." A procession of servants entered the bedroom, bringing food and a set of exquisite school uniforms.


    "School uniform?" Having seen the uniforms of Great Tang Military Academy, Yue''er recognized at a glance that this was from another school.


    "The master said, while you''re here, you should still continue your education, so he has arranged for you to study for a master''s in economics and management at Dragon City University," the head maid explained kindly.


    Everyone knew that this cat-eared lady, who looked stunningly beautiful, was the castle''s first "lady of the house," hence they spoke to her with extra politeness.


    Tang Mo wasn''t opposed to having a few "ornamental" women around, but he preferred for his women to have their own things to keep busy with.


    It''s no fun if everyone just sits around playing mahjong all day, scheming and conniving, right? Tang Mo hadn''t watched "The Legend of Zhen Huan" for nothing, knowing that when women gather, his own household isn''t far from ruin.


    After all, Tang Mo wouldn''t be impressed with someone too mediocre. But those with character and ability, wouldn''t they stir up trouble when put together?


    "Phew! Finally, I won''t be at the same school as that impossibly strong woman," Yue''er wasn''t averse to schooling; she just wasn''t comfortable attending the same institution as Yulin.


    Yulin was simply too powerful, bizarrely so. This made Yue''er, who was actually quite excellent in many aspects, seem commonplace by comparison.


    This time, at Dragon City University, she would be the queen, the queen of Dragon City University!


    Yeah, Yue''er is coming! Peace will befall Dragon City University! Yue''er is coming, and Dragon City University''s queen has arrived! Wahahaha!


    With that thought, Yue''er leaped out of bed and showed off her impressive figure in front of all the maids.


    As a result, two-thirds of the maids lost heart instantly, sinking into a feeling of self-contempt. The remaining third thought that perhaps if Tang Mo went blind or mad... they might still have a chance...


    ```

 Chapter 377 373 Sage

    "Where exactly are you taking me?" Yulin asked Tang Mo with some curiosity as she sat in the spacious backseat of the Rolls-Royce.


    Tang Mo replied with feigned mystery, "You''ll find out in a moment."


    He remembered the romantic moment he and Yue''er had shared in the car yesterday and then instantly felt that thinking of Yue''er while with Yulin was just too despicable of him...


    Wes, who was driving, was wholly focused on the road; he didn''t care how many women Tang Mo was flirting with in the car¡ªsuch things were too commonplace for him to be concerned about; this was nothing for Tang Mo.


    Even if he only achieved one percent, or even one thousandth, of Tang Mo''s fortune, he would still be counted among the most successful men in the world.


    After all, beneath Tang Mo''s castle lay a veritable mountain of Gold! The man sitting in the car commanded the world''s most powerful warships and had the most terrifying connections.


    Even the Emperor of the Empire had to show him some respect, and with just one command from him, the economies of dozens of countries could be plunged into collapse.


    Such a man, having only two or three lovers... That''s a joke, right? Is that even considered promiscuous? No, that''s top-level self-discipline!


    If he were Tang Mo, he figured he''d be changing bed partners every day until he was no longer physically capable...


    Yulin remained silent, staring out the car window, lost in thought. Trees lined both sides of the road, and since it was paved with asphalt, the ride was smooth enough to make one drowsy.


    Then, Yulin sensed a whiff of danger. She saw the checkpoint and the subtle, almost imperceptible stares from soldiers on both sides, focusing on their car.


    She did not doubt that there was a hidden sentry near the checkpoint.


    Wes rolled down the window and handed out his credentials.


    The duty officer at the checkpoint saw the credentials, then raised his chin, stood at attention, and saluted to signal they could pass. The long barrier lifted, and the Rolls-Royce continued forward as all the soldiers faced the car, watching it slowly disappear into the distance.


    "The security here is really tight," Yulin commented with appreciation.


    "Hmm, it seems that after so long at school, you''ve maintained your vigilance," Wes said, tapping his gloved fingers lightly on the solid wood steering wheel without turning to look at her.


    Yulin had learned to fight from him, but then Wes stopped visiting the school often. Tang Mo had since hired a host of combat experts to teach at the military academy.


    It could be said that the military academy''s combat course brought together the best of everything, turning out students who were experts among experts.


    "Stop mocking me, teacher," Yulin modestly replied, now genuinely curious about who would come out on top in a fight between her and Wes.


    "We''re here," Tang Mo announced upon seeing their destination.


    The car came to a steady stop on the edge of the lawn, and through the car window, Yulin saw biplanes with propellers at the front parked on the airstrip.


    "Come on!" Tang Mo said as he opened the car door and climbed out.


    Yulin opened her door as well and then saw an airplane take off from the runway, soaring into the sky with a roar.


    "Ah!" Yulin, seeing a plane up close for the first time, was stunned by the sight.


    Although she had studied the relevant theories and knew that Great Tang Group had started exploring flight early on, witnessing a real airplane up close was still a shocking and novel experience.


    This was the first time in her life that she had seen such a scene. She had had the chance to go up in Brunas''s hot-air balloon to see it, but she had refused.


    Looking back now, refusing to visit the hot-air balloon was the right choice. Her first time in the sky was with the person she loved, and the feeling was simply too wonderful.


    While Yulin was lost in her wild thoughts, Tang Mo gripped her hand tightly. Yulin felt his strength and turned her gaze back to him.


    Their eyes met, Tang Mo looking at her.


    "Do you really not regret being with me?" Tang Mo shouted, overcoming the noise of the engine with all his might.


    Hearing Tang Mo''s question, Yulin was slightly taken aback. How long had she been waiting for this question? Two years? Three years?


    It seemed that from the very first moment she saw Tang Mo, carrying his books as he entered the classroom during her gas-lamp lit night class, her heart had unconsciously harbored this hope, hadn''t it?


    From that time, she had a dream that one day, Tang Mo would hold her face and ask whether she was willing to entrust everything to him.


    "I am willing! I am willing! I love you!" Amid the buzzing of the engine, Yulin responded to Tang Mo with eager passion, though it wasn''t an answer to his question.


    Perhaps feeling that merely responding this way could not express her excited emotions, the next second she hugged Tang Mo tight and kissed his lips. Her wild actions seemed to release all her pent-up emotions.


    Tang Mo responded as well, without holding back.


    Up in the cold of the high-altitude of over three thousand meters,


    the two of them, holding each other, felt much warmer.


    "Why..." Ten minutes later, as the plane steadied on the runway and Yulin emerged from the aircraft, hanging on Tang Mo''s arm, she asked in a plaintive tone.


    "If I kept playing dumb, you might have resorted to drinking Ba?ica?oku?..." Tang Mo''s lips were sore from Yulin''s kisses, he licked them with his tongue before teasingly replying.


    "Would you not soften your heart if I didn''t seek death?" Yulin wanted to pinch Tang Mo''s arm but felt a bit sorry for him.


    "Not exactly, just that I don''t think... I''m a good man," Tang Mo fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette case, pulled out a cigarette, placed it in his mouth, and mumbled his response.


    "Yet I like it," Yulin firmly and stubbornly refused to yield an inch.


    The atmosphere had been built up to this point, but Tang Mo had to start saving himself, "One week, if you still don''t regret it, then be my woman!"


    As if¡ªit definitely wasn''t happening today!


    After several hours of madness last night, he was now practically in sage mode¡ªeven with his youthful vigor, he had to be mindful of his back...


    "Okay!" As expected, it was Yulin, inexperienced in this regard, who let Tang Mo bluff his way through easily.


    "Another one..." Leaning against the car, watching the inseparable couple, Wes lit a cigarette for himself and, amidst the smoke, he sighed with envy.


    -----


    Two updates today

 Chapter 378 374 homes

    Tang Mo finally managed to trick Yulin and rushed back to the Dragon''s Den to find Yue''er - every scoundrel is a master of time management.


    Especially a top-tier scoundrel like Tang Mo, who can legitimately keep two women in the same castle, obviously excels even more at managing his time.


    His Rolls-Royce picked up Yue''er at the Dragon''s Den, and the two of them went off to visit Dragon City University together - they didn''t even stay for a meal at the Dragon''s Den. Tang Mo said he wanted to take Yue''er to experience the cafeteria life at Dragon City University.


    Yulin was so sweet and not in the mood to make Tang Mo uncomfortable, so she stayed at Dragon''s Den and started to organize his work schedule.


    The Great Tang Group, from any perspective, had already become a terrifying behemoth. Tang Mo had to deal with a lot of affairs every day, and if no one helped him, he might have just become a human-like automatic drafting machine.


    Roger had been helping Tang Mo with his travel arrangements these days, and now it was Yulin''s turn to take charge of this task. To be honest, the job itself wasn''t difficult, so Yulin caught on very quickly.


    Recently the Great Tang Group had a few important affairs to handle: first was the arrangement for the World Industrial Expo.


    This included the opening ceremony, the exhibition venue arrangements, the hosting of the entire expo, and speeches at the closing ceremony, among other things.


    Additionally, a highlight of the expo, or rather an event that was taking place in conjunction with it, was the first-ever car race.


    According to the plan, car racing teams from the Ice Cold Kingdom, the Laines Empire, Dorne, as well as Shireck''s clandestinely supported Gobur Kingdom, plus the Empire of Nanla... a total of six teams would participate in the race.


    The race was an exhibition of technology, and the automotive department of the Great Tang Group took it very seriously. Tang Mo was also very concerned, so it was listed separately.


    For instance, the Great Tang Group would establish various factories in the Ice Cold Kingdom and then directly transfer these devalued factories over to Dwarves to manage.


    Investments naturally seek return, and the payback for the Great Tang Group was boats of Gold, dazzling, real Gold!


    In the underground gold vault of Dragon''s Den, the total amount of Gold was almost close to 1,100 tons - and this figure was still rising.


    Only those who have seen so much Gold can comprehend the wealth of the Great Tang Group.


    How much Gold was this? During WWII, France executed Operation Fish, transporting all its Gold reserves out of the country before Germany took control, as a financial reserve for a future fight back to regain control.


    At that time, as one of the European powers, how much did the whole of France have in Gold reserves? 2,226 tons! The Gold Tang Mo now possessed was nearly half of what France had in reserves during WWII!


    Given time, the amount of Gold in Tang Mo''s hands would become even more substantial. By then, no one would be able to shake his financial control.


    Yulin had seen that Gold, more gleaming splendor than she had ever seen in her life. These gold bricks constructed into mountains, and right now, they were beneath her feet.


    At this very moment, four heavy industrial bases were being built, located in Jade City, Ice Crystal City, Hotwind Port, and Eternal Winter City.


    These massive bases encompassed almost the entirety of modern industrial production organizations: chemical plants, machinery plants, power plants, smelting plants, steel plants, machine tool factories...


    Just in land area, these bases were larger than the cities of the past. To accommodate these behemoths, these cities had completely abandoned their wall defense systems.


    Beyond these large industrial bases, the Great Tang Group had also built its own factories in the Empire of Nanla, the Laines Empire, the Suthers Kingdom, the Poplar Kingdom, the Songmu Kingdom, the Dorne Kingdom, and so forth.

 Chapter 379 374 homes_2

    Some were automobile factories, some were train manufacturing plants, some were munitions factories, while others were simply steel mills.


    Overall, the Great Tang Group had basically given up on light industry layouts and turned to providing various production equipment to light industries. On one hand, the Great Tang Group supported the primary industry of agriculture; on the other hand, it monopolized heavy industries.


    Nowadays, the Great Tang Group''s attention focused mainly on the two ends of the industrial chain: They supplied farmers with quality seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, sold agricultural machinery like tractors, and boosted agricultural output.


    On another front, the Great Tang Group supplied mechanical equipment to almost all light industrial enterprises while also maintaining a monopoly on the supply of electricity.


    Apart from the few directly-owned textile factories and light industries of Great Tang Fashion, the Great Tang Group had withdrawn from the textile field and other areas, leaving that market to other merchants.


    And this concession was compensated; the Great Tang Group sold its own shares and naturally took back dozens or even hundreds of times the capital.


    Looking at each account, looking at every record, Yulin felt as if she could see her favorite man working diligently every single day of these past five years...


    ...


    After sending Yue''er upstairs, Tang Mo walked alone through the castle''s splendid hall, leaning against a door nearby, a smile crept onto his face as he watched the figures of an old man and a young person in the distance.


    Roger was handing over duties to Yulin. As Tang Mo''s chief steward, his work was indeed not light: "He always wakes up on time every morning, without needing someone to call him... He is a very disciplined man, that''s beyond doubt."


    Yulin nodded and earnestly said to Roger, "I know."


    "Hmm," Yulin answered obediently, with no sign of her school queen demeanor.


    "I have to warn you again about those dangerous poisons and other messes; you better help Tang Mo throw them out of the castle! Those things are too dangerous! They shouldn''t be anywhere near Tang Mo!" Roger warned her again about this.


    Yulin nodded again and promised Roger, "I''ll arrange for the laboratory to be relocated tonight!"


    Roger nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Also, during lunchtime, Tang Mo likes to have a cup of hot tea, less sugar... with just the right temperature."


    "Okay, I''ve got it," Yulin answered quickly¡ªshe knew Tang Mo''s tastes too well, almost as if they were etched into her very bones.


    Even the food she loved to eat was actually what Tang Mo loved¡ªwhatever she previously didn''t eat had also subtly changed to match Tang Mo''s preferences.


    The queen her majesty wasn''t famous for nothing; she had truly put in some hard work studying Principal Tang''s...


    Roger remembered something else: "On Tuesday morning this week, there''s a 30-minute slot he needs to set aside personally for selecting fashion trends; I haven''t managed to determine the exact time yet... However, it''s only once a quarter, so you can schedule it whenever. The timing is quite flexible, but don''t delay it too much since you need to leave some time for the production department."


    "Hmm..." Yulin was rather interested in this¡ªit''s natural for a woman to be more interested in Great Tang Fashion.


    For a woman to be able to sit beside the godfather of fashion and see every design before the winter or summer collections are finalized¡ªthat was indeed a delightful matter!


    Roger kept describing Tang Mo''s schedule: "Each week, he has to set aside 2 hours to practice shooting... It''s his hobby."

 Chapter 380 374 homes_3

    "Can I accompany him?" Yulin asked.


    "Of course you can," Roger nodded.


    Then, Roger added a time slot, "From 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. is his time for receiving guests. Recently, there haven''t been any important guests invited to the Dragon''s Den, so he has more free time during this period."


    Tang Mo liked to meet guests in the morning and also preferred to discuss business then ¡ª because it was efficient and he didn''t need to have dinner with people he didn''t like.


    Of course, if he encountered someone opportunistic, someone he could have a good chat with, Tang Mo could also flexibly invite them to stay for dinner ¡ª doing so allowed him to take initiative, which suited his style.


    Yulin noted this once again, "I understand."


    She had an excellent memory, almost never forgetting anything she saw ¡ª if not for such a talent, she couldn''t have become the queen of the school that people adored yet feared.


    "Oh, by the way, remember to call John and ask him to pay attention to the opening ceremony of the Dragon City cinema," Roger was getting on in years, often speaking whatever came to mind, lacking coherence.


    In reality, he was more like an ordinary person at work ¡ª keeping all his schedule in a notebook and occasionally taking it out for a look.


    Now, without flipping through his own notebook, he was somewhat disorganized when delegating tasks.


    Yulin didn''t mind and continued to nod, "Sure."


    More than colleagues or superiors and subordinates, she and Roger were like father and daughter, or relatives ¡ª Yulin was someone Roger had watched grow up. To others, she was the unapproachable queen, but to Roger, she was just a well-behaved little girl.


    Roger was always a kind elder, whether in front of Tang Mo or Yulin.


    He had money, he had power, but his castle was empty and cold; he could stack the most valuable art in the world here, but it still lacked something, something he most longed for... a feeling.


    Roger''s words silenced Tang Mo, and the unaware Roger, not far behind him, continued to instruct Yulin, "In terms of work, you actually can''t help him much. However, you can make this place more like a home, and that would be the biggest... help you could offer him."


    "Thank you, Grandpa Roger. I''ll do my best," Yulin assured Roger firmly.


    Roger smiled and reached out to gently tousle her hair, "You''re a smart girl! Always have been! I believe you can do it!"


    Yulin stuck out her tongue like a child, unconcerned with Roger messing up her hair.


    "I say, let''s have dinner together tonight! Like a family," Tang Mo leaned against the door frame, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, and held it in his hand before suddenly speaking.


    His sudden voice startled both of them. Roger stood up instinctively, while Yulin''s smile grew even wider upon seeing Tang Mo.


    "Beef stew for tonight, fried eggplant, baked snails, and those lobsters too... Have Cui Xi stay for dinner as well, and Yue''er, Wes, call Mathews and Parker too," Tang Mo planned to invite all the old acquaintances from Dragon Island.


    "Then we definitely need to open a bottle of Brunas aged four years..." the wine-loving Roger laughed heartily.


    Yulin put on a plaintive expression, "Ah? Can''t we not invite Yue''er?"


    "We''re family!" Tang Mo decided to firmly cement his harem plan, stepped forward, and hooked Yulin by her waist dominantly, shamelessly saying.


    Seeing Yulin give up on the issue, a triumphant Tang Mo''s laughter grew even louder ¡ª ah, his backyard was finally not ablaze...


    -------


    No chapter division, one large chapter presented here. I''m not in the best state today, hence no extra updates... sorry.

 Chapter 381 375 Men and Attendant Students

    In the streets of Brunas, a middle-aged man dressed in coarse cloth ambling among the bustling crowd caught sight. He appeared to be around thirty years old and sported a pair of handsome mustaches. Hands clasped behind his back, he walked through the throngs of people.


    A child carrying a massive bamboo basket followed at his side, displaying an expression of wonder akin to someone who had never before witnessed the ways of the world, marveling at everything he saw.


    The two of them, somewhat out of place, continued their walk. The workers and merchants they passed by in Brunas were dressed in much finer clothes than what they wore.


    "I say, sir... this place is really strange," uttered the child walking beside the man, with a sigh of amazement at the sight of automobiles speeding past along the roadside as they walked.


    Truth be told, before coming here, he had never even seen a carriage without horses, let alone such beautiful ones.


    Dissimilar to the boxy horse-drawn carriages, the automobiles in Brunas were sleek and rounded, more aesthetically pleasing, and instantly more appealing to the eye.


    Furthermore, these vehicles didn''t require horses to pull them and seemed to move even faster than horse-drawn carriages, a clear sign of more advanced technology.


    Upon disembarking from the ship, they had inquired and learned that this machine was called an automobile, a mechanical creation produced in Brunas. These automobiles moved quickly, and in less populated areas, they could even surpass the speed of horse-drawn carriages.


    The man in his thirties walked down Brunas'' bustling streets with an air of composure, hands still clasped behind his back, while onlookers gazed at him with curiosity, "You''ve already noticed something''s off; how could I be unaware of the strangeness here?"


    To be frank, they indeed stood out as not quite fitting in¡ªtheir clothes stood out as particularly unusual in this place.


    Brunas was a city with its own culture where the majority of men donned the respectable Brunas attire¡ªthat is, suits.


    The girls were more casual in their apparel, with dresses and various beautiful skirts all being acceptable, and the latest fashion even featured styles that showed off the legs.


    Walking on such streets, their handmade coarse cloth garments were strikingly out of place.


    Fortunately, Brunas was a city of immigrants, with people from all corners coming together. Naturally, nobody paid too much attention to the style of one''s clothing.


    However, the clothes worn by the two were just too old, patched here and there, which seemed excessively shabby¡ªbear in mind that in Brunas, even the poorest workers hardly ever wore patched clothing anymore.


    Moreover, not just their clothes, but the conversations between the man and the child as they walked were truly a source of amusement for passersby.


    The child walking by the man quickly revealed his naivety once again, pointing towards and exclaiming at a sign in the distance, "Look, look, sir! That sign is lit up even during the day¡ªthat''s truly beautiful from afar."


    Dressed in patched clothes! So poor, yet still with a servant in tow... what a show-off! A disdainful laborer walked past the two, sneering inwardly as he hastened by.


    "Indeed," the man replied, following his servant''s pointing finger and indeed saw the advertisement shining even in broad daylight.


    Later, he personally traveled with a fleet to the Poplar Kingdom, visited the Songmu Kingdom and the Elm Kingdom, and toured the southernmost part of the Endless Sea, a place where pirates started a kingdom, the Taren Kingdom.


    Frankly speaking, none of the places he had visited had given him such a tremendous shock, which was why he stopped his travels at the age of twenty-five and returned to his hometown to settle down and shift his focus to scholarship.


    The child following him was actually his Attendant Student, a little follower he had picked up during his travels.


    At this moment, this little follower excitedly admitted that the journey had been worthwhile, "It seems that the sailor didn''t lie to us."


    This outing was actually a coincidence¡ªowing to their dire financial straits, the two of them had scraped together enough to make their way to Zheng Country to visit an old friend.


    Along the way, they heard of a new city named Brunas rising on the eastern side of the Endless Sea, so they went straight to that old friend to borrow some travel expenses and set off for Brunas...


    "Why would someone lie about such a thing, especially when we were the ones who asked around, not them telling us voluntarily," the man said helplessly, feigning annoyance as he scolded his Attendant Student.


    "Wow! Young... master! Look, look at that! That sister is so pretty!" Upon seeing a girl in a dress approaching, the Attendant Student quieted down for a few seconds, then burst into excitement.


    Truth be told, the girl who came by could not be considered beautiful; it was the dress that accentuated her temperament.


    In this world, in this era, the women seen walking in other cities could only be described as cautiously conservative in their attire.


    Although not wrapped up completely like the women in the Arab world, their clothing was definitely tightly covered.


    However, in Brunas, such outfits had been completely supplanted by new-style dresses¡ªwalking the streets and alleys of Brunas definitely had the flavor of a 1970s Hong Kong film.


    At least in the realm of fashion, Tang Mo had truly raised the aesthetic standards of the world, and that was an undeniable fact, recognized by everyone.


    If there were still some voices questioning the Great Tang Group in the military and other industries, then in the fashion sector, Tang Mo had already achieved legendary status.


    This statement was no exaggeration; any design not approved by Tang Mo or the Great Tang fashion was deemed rubbish! You had nowhere to complain or lament because the only standard for fashion was Tang Mo.


    The man looked to be somewhat of a lecher, as, hearing his Attendant Student shouting, he indeed turned to look.


    Seeing the girl with beautiful curves accented by her outfit, knees and calves exposed, and a fair complexion with a face that could score at least a seven, he admired her thoroughly as she passed by.


    However, once the woman had walked away, he turned back with a seemingly righteous demeanor, "To walk on the road dressed like that, without harassment from ruffians or oppression from the powerful, this place indeed possesses the charm of an earthly paradise."


    "Young... master... I''m hungry," said the Attendant Student, who was strictly ordered to call his master ''young master'' in front of ladies and ''old master'' in their usual interactions, clutching his stomach and begging pitifully as they walked along.

 Chapter 382 Request to see 376

    "I didn''t have breakfast either!" The man sighed, his fingers feeling the few old copper coins left in his money pouch.


    The problem was, he hadn''t noticed a place in Brunas where a few copper coins could buy him a meal. Along the way, entering those incredibly grand restaurants seemed an unattainable dream, perhaps he couldn''t even touch the doorway?


    There were some street vendors selling snacks, but even this street food wasn''t cheap. There was something called a hamburger, stuffed with meat and lettuce, doused in sauce, looking immensely delicious, yet priced scarily high.


    Truth be told, these street-side hamburgers were actually quite affordable. They were, after all, targeting the working middle and lower classes of Brunas.


    However, two or three silver coins for a hamburger was undoubtedly not considered cheap by those who had just arrived in Brunas, as poor as they were.


    In cities other than Brunas, a few copper coins could get you something to eat, and if you were willing to splurge a silver coin, you could eat quite well.


    Unfortunately, the cost of living in Brunas... for newcomers from outside the city, it was frighteningly high. Inevitably, consumer prices had inflated with the economic development, beyond control.


    You see, at some luxury hotels¡ªespecially at the entrance of the Brunas Grand Hotel¡ªvalets were paid with paper money!


    Wealthy people lived extravagantly here, as they could earn in one day what they used to earn in a year. Therefore, not only were their expenditures lavish, but their tips were hefty indeed.


    The phenomenon of casually giving out a gold coin was not rare, and in some upscale venues, there were those who, for the sake of face, would spend a hundred gold coins without a second thought.


    "Don''t worry, with my innate talent, a few thousand gold coins come and go freely, easily earned and easily spent? Wealth..."


    "My lord... maybe stop boasting for now... We don''t even have a place to stay or money for food... Aren''t you worried?" The Attendant Student felt even hungrier and thus spared no face in revealing the man''s true state.


    Looking at the neatly arranged array of strange wooden boxes behind the glass window, and seeing the prices marked underneath, the man swallowed and realized that finding a job to earn money here might not be easy after all.


    The place they were standing at was a radio shop, where radios were still a novel item and priced frighteningly high for this era.


    A decent radio''s current price was around 10 gold coins¡ªkeep in mind, the price of a popular brand car was only around 70 gold coins.


    What''s more exaggerated is that there are naturally more expensive and better radios¡ªrich families naturally want to use high-grade, tasteful designs, so the price of a classic walnut wood designed radio might even exceed that of a car.


    "What you''re saying... does make some sense." Retrieving his gaze, the man truly couldn''t understand why a wooden box with a few circular buttons could be sold for 30 gold coins.


    "Right!" The Attendant Student immediately nodded. He had been carrying the books all along on their journey, and of course, he was the first to feel hungry. The logic was sound, wasn''t it?


    "Let''s go then! Let''s meet this place''s owner and have a talk... If he''s truly capable, staying to assist him wouldn''t be a bad idea." The man spoke with grandeur, striding toward a businessman standing by the road reading a newspaper.


    "Excuse me... How do I get to the Lord''s Mansion of Brunas City?" Approaching the man, he seized the opportunity when the other was flipping through the paper to ask.


    "The Lord''s Mansion? You mean the city hall, right? Just follow this street, head to Bright Avenue, and turn right... look out on your left side, you''ll see the sign." The businessman casually pointed, inadvertently revealing his rather expensive watch as he answered.


    As the size of Brunas City continued to expand, the management team also began to fine-tune and clearly delineate their responsibilities.


    Gradually, the city hall had become merely a symbolic workplace; very few people came here for direct services.


    This was the advantage of a modern management system: more and more detailed divisions of labor, with specialized personnel managing specific tasks, significantly enhancing work efficiency to a certain extent.


    The whole system was efficient and smooth, maintaining better operation of the city during economic growth. As for it gradually becoming overstaffed and cumbersome, that was a different issue altogether.


    Clearly, this compared to other regions where the City Lord and the officials managed everything, was so many times better.


    "I come from the Dahua Empire. My surname is Nangong, with a single name Hong. My ancestor, Nangong Yu''ang, was the eighth Prime Minister of the Dahua Empire..." Formally, the man, named Nangong Hong, introduced himself starting from his ancestors, which was essentially like handing in a resume.


    The gatekeeping sergeant was slightly confused; he really didn''t know why this literary man was standing there showing off to him.


    But to become a sergeant in Brunas, even if just a city hall guard sergeant, he was an educated man.


    He might not be great at showing off literacy, but he could understand the man''s silly introduction of himself.


    So the sergeant interrupted the man engrossed in digging up his ancestry and asked, "So... what exactly are you doing at the city hall? Speak plainly!"


    "I would like to meet with the City Lord; please notify the General..." Nangong Hong stated his intention.


    Where did this fool come from... The sergeant sized up Nangong Hong, feeling that ''fool'' might be an impolite description, and in his mind, switched to another word¡ªbeggar.


    "To meet the Mayor requires an appointment, for complaints go to the office next door to register..." The sergeant unavoidably stuck to his job''s requirement, and even though he considered Nangong Hong as a beggar, he still conscientiously performed his duties.


    He went through the motions, explaining all the possible reasons why someone might come to city hall with the intention of meeting the Mayor, and as he spoke, he pointed in the direction of the neighboring office.


    Let''s be real, if every random person claimed to see the Mayor or the Director, the Mayor wouldn''t have to do anything else all day...


    Having more or less understood the sergeant''s words, Nangong Hong felt a bit embarrassed... He was there to put himself forward as a strategist in search of a job, not to lodge a complaint.


    However, he did understand that he needed to make an appointment in advance to meet the Mayor, but he could not wait¡ªhe hadn''t eaten yet!


    "Well... I, am here to... seek a position..." Nangong Hong could only pluck up his courage and explain awkwardly.


    "Hmm?" The sergeant was taken aback, then realized, "The civil service exam registration closed a while back, come back on the 5th of next month!"


    --------


    Not feeling well, offering two updates for today...

 Chapter 383 377, even officials need to take exams

    Civil servants were something Nangong Hong didn''t know about. Nevertheless, he eventually understood that if one wanted to become an aide or an official here, one had to take an exam.


    The Great Tang Group carefully designed the questions, provided test papers for all participants, and then selected officials based on their accuracy in answering those questions.


    The questions covered a wide range of topics, from psychological tests to elevated policy-making issues. Of course, the majority were basic questions, aimed at assessing the test-takers'' fundamental logic and their methods for handling administrative affairs.


    The test papers were all produced by Tang Mo, then sealed and sent to the currency printing press to be printed and distributed to various exam sites. They were escorted all the way by the security forces of the Great Tang Group to ensure there would be no leaks.


    In fact, these test papers were Tang Mo''s plagiarism of the civil service exams from later generations. As Brunas became more modernized, there was less and less need to modify the content of these papers.


    To outsiders, this was seen as Tang Mo''s commitment to valuing talent, as only someone who truly cared would personally undertake the effort of designing exam questions in the talent selection process.


    Even more extravagant was the fact that because the questions were practical and many were extremely sensitive, each civil service exam became a hot topic of discussion. Betting on the exam topics also became an amusement, a game for many incumbent officials to test their sensitivity to current affairs.


    This set of rules was completely different from those in Zheng Country and Dahua, or rather, almost completely different from the rules everywhere else in the world.


    However, when Nangong Hong listened to the officer explain the general pattern of the civil service exam, his eyes shone even brighter.


    He was a strategist, a traditional strategist, and his life''s learning was aimed at assisting a truly worthy master in achieving great undertakings.


    What sort of person is worthy of assistance? Surely, it would be one with the bearing of a king, the stature of an emperor!


    At that moment, Nangong Hong felt... he might have truly found a ruler worthy of his loyalty.


    From the design of the exam alone, Nangong Hong could tell that the person behind it was a ruthless character capable of achieving great things.


    No joke, exams... from a certain perspective, are the fairest and most effective method of selecting talent.


    In his time, Emperor Taizong of Tang reformed the imperial examination and, with immense pride, remarked that with the reform completed, all the heroes of the world would be within his grasp.


    What does that mean? It means, all the talents of the world, hurry into my... cough, serve under my command.


    Compared to the chaotic systems of hereditary nobility, nobility recommendation, self-recommendation of talents, and the recruitment of explorers, akin to a kindergarten''s way of selecting talent, exams were undoubtedly revolutionary.


    As long as the content of the exam was reasonable, this talent selection mechanism could speedily identify qualified officials and immediately put them to work for the entire organization.


    It''s no exaggeration to say, such selection is incredibly efficient; at least at the "official" level, it can be considered the optimal solution.


    "Brilliant... the exam... why didn''t I think of such a reform..." Clenching one hand into a fist and thumping it into the palm of the other, Nangong Hong appeared to have an epiphany.


    As their names indicated, the four colleges that had spun off strengthened their specializations, divided according to future branches of the military, in a scientific and rational manner.


    Meanwhile, Brunas University spun off Weigang University, effectively expanding its scale of education¡ªboth universities were comprehensive with no distinctive features, and the talents they cultivated were more or less similar.


    After all, the world was short of qualified talent now, and students who had studied in these schools were certainly not worried about finding jobs.


    In fact, students who had the opportunity to study here were already targeted by major powers, with their futures reserved even before graduation.


    "My lord... I''m hungry..." The Attendant Student, kept outside the door, looked pitifully at his master and spoke, dealing Nangong Hong yet another devastating blow.


    Nangong Hong was even more irritated.


    This place was even more perfect than he had anticipated, so perfect that it was somewhat despairing¡ªhe was a strategist, and if the other side had a more professional advisory team, then what use would there be for an outsider like him?


    If you say your expertise is to give advice to others, but if the other party already had a foolproof plan, of what use could you be?


    During his journey, Nangong Hong had observed many details about Brunas, which shocked him no less than a war.


    Even, he felt that not even ten or a hundred battles could compare to the changes this city had brought to the world!


    A brand-new, more efficient bureaucratic system; superior infrastructure that had undergone a complete transformation; a technological revolution that surpassed everything; and the powerful military capability to ensure all of this would not be violated!


    The person who possessed all of this could indeed be called the Chosen One, the one most likely to establish an enduring empire.


    What annoyed Nangong Hong was that such a person was right before him, yet he had no chance to meet him, no opportunity to recommend himself, no chance to assist such a monarch, and no opportunity to help him achieve unparalleled feats.


    "You better leave here quickly! If it weren''t for the expo, a foreigner like you without even a temporary visiting pass would have been arrested a long time ago," said the gatekeeper as he waived his hand and ended the conversation.


    Nangong Hong, as if he had lost his soul, wandered half a street before he began to recover a little. He sighed and suddenly felt even hungrier.


    Rubbing his stomach, he looked at the tall buildings in the distance, enshrouded in smoke and fog, and mustered some spirit again.


    Thinking that the leader of the Great Tang Group, who possessed such amazing technology and an invincible army, had yet to establish his own country, it seemed that the strategists and officials around him were nothing more than mediocre.


    With this thought, Nangong Hong felt he could still make a difference here. He pinched the few copper coins left in his hand, preparing to find a food stall to see if he could buy something cheap to eat...


    The two figures, one large and one small, walked along the street towards the distance; as they walked, the Attendant Student kept complaining that his master had even had a drink along the way, without thinking to save enough for food, and now they had no money for a meal.


    Meanwhile, Nangong Hong, who was walking ahead, kept boasting that he was a prodigy and that one day, when he left home, he would surely ride in those exquisite cars.


    And so, the two of them argued and walked far away, disappearing at the end of the road.

 Chapter 384 378 menopausal women

    As the days passed, Brunas increasingly entered the atmosphere of hosting a grand world fair.


    The streets were filled with various exquisite advertising slogans, and factories and workshops from around the world, as well as renowned merchants and tycoons, were ready to make a splash in this city and earn a fortune.


    Just as Nangong Hong and his Attendant Student were worrying about how to fill their stomachs, at the docks, sailors were carefully moving crates of supplies off a cargo ship from the southern part of the Endless Sea.


    Those supplies were very delicate and expensive¡ªthe real employer renting this huge sailing ship turned out to be the Shireck Consortium.


    This time, they came to Brunas not to cause trouble but to participate in the car race and promote their automobile technology.


    In preparation for this race, Shireck had gone to great lengths, establishing an automobile factory in the Gobur Kingdom and naming it Gobur Automobile Company.


    After almost completely copying the production of the T-model cars, Shireck spent a great deal of effort improving the engine and redesigning the car''s exterior to come up with their latest product.


    To be honest, they still had some foundation in this area¡ªbefore the Great Tang Group emerged, Shireck''s carriages were also very prestigious and fashionable items.


    This time, they implemented many of their past technologies directly into the automobiles, which genuinely improved the performance of their cars significantly.


    For one, Shireck used more aggressive weight reduction methods, supporting the rims with slender bars, making the car''s wheels look like those of modern bicycles, effectively reducing wheel weight.


    Secondly, they added more cylinders to the engine, enlarged the combustion chamber, and boosted their engine horsepower by two-thirds.


    Frankly, it was the technicians from the Great Tang Group who had helped Shireck develop this area, and one of these technicians was still the chief technical advisor under Sofia.


    With technical guidance from the Great Tang Group, Shireck''s automobile technology naturally advanced rapidly. The cars they sent for competition this time were indeed very competitive.


    Brunas still lacked proper steel ships, so Shireck still resorted to old-fashioned sailing ships to transport the race cars.


    This time, however, the sailing ship arriving in Brunas was somewhat exaggerated in size¡ªit was a gigantic transport vessel that was said to have been used by Shireck for transporting enormous defensive cannons.


    In earlier times, those defensive cannons, massive wall-mounted artillery pieces, were incredibly heavy to achieve power and range. Thus, ships built to transport such artillery were specialized for that purpose.


    With the development of field artillery, the market for defensive cannons was shrinking, and nations no longer wanted to purchase such expensive and somewhat obsolete weapons. Therefore, this giant ship was left idle and unused.


    Now, it was just right for transporting race cars.


    It had a large deck space, and the large deck openings ensured that the cars could enter the lower deck chambers for better preservation.


    The sailors were handling with utmost care, for these three cars were not mass-produced models but specially designed for competition.


    Be it men or women, all of Shireck''s spies and secret agents lurking in Brunas had been without exception found and thoroughly eradicated by Silver Fox.


    Only this woman had somehow managed to survive here and was doing quite well¡ªwho knew what heaven-reaching methods she possessed?


    There were rumors suggesting that this woman might have slept with a high-ranking official from the Great Tang Group, becoming his mistress, which was why she had climbed to her current position.


    Others gossiped that the high-ranking official from the Great Tang Group was a woman, who also fancied women, and that''s why the maid had stumbled into good fortune.


    An even more exaggerated version claimed that the owner of the Great Tang Group, the mysterious Mr. Tang, was a pervert who swung both ways and was versatile at that...


    With all these rumors and speculations, it was not surprising that the maid was able to thrive in Brunas. On the contrary, people''s focus shifted to Tang Mo''s preferences.


    In comparison, the Great Tang Group''s racing team was much more professional. They not only had the advantage of racing on their home ground but also possessed a genuine technological edge.


    The engine technology of the Great Tang Group was undeniably ahead of the times¡ªeven by just utilizing the average Rolls-Royce car engine, the performance parameters already crushed the new engines modified by the Shireck Corporation.


    After all, Rolls-Royce had been using 6-cylinder engines since before the 1920s. And 80 years later, 6-cylinder technology wasn''t something the average family car could afford...


    Of course, this still brought up considerations like fuel economy and engine displacement, not implying that six cylinders were definitively more advanced than four. But even with a broad comparison, one could discern some differences.


    The mass-produced latest engines installed by the Great Tang Group in their Rolls-Royce cars already performed better than the custom racing engines Shireck brought out, clearly highlighting the gap.


    However, before the competition began, no one knew just how large this gap was; everyone still harbored hopes of victory in the race.


    In comparison, the racing team from Laines was much more pragmatic; they set a goal of maintaining a top-five position, aiming for the top three.


    From the beginning to the end, they never entertained the fantasy of contesting for the first place, as every member of the Laines car factory was aware that all their technology originated from the Great Tang Group.


    If they were to win despite this, it would not be because of their extraordinary performance but rather because the Great Tang Group deliberately threw the race.


    Expecting Great Tang to throw the race was utterly unrealistic, as it was clear to everyone that this was a major advertising event meant for promotion, so the Great Tang Group would definitely want to secure first place to advertise themselves.


    As for second, third, and even the following fourth and fifth positions, it was down to the skill and efforts of the competing teams. The stage was set by the Great Tang Group; how much they could benefit depended on how much real skill the participants brought.


    On the dock, the maid was still unaware that in the eyes of others, she had already become a woman going through an early midlife crisis, still voicing her grievances with a thunderous temper.


    The people around her were silent as cicadas in winter, forced to display an overly cautious demeanor, busily and fearfully going about their tasks...


    -------


    I''ve been holding it in all day, no inspiration... no inspiration...

 Chapter 385 379 A bold idea

    ```


    "Damn it, why does every random girl I run into on the street have a background? Shit." He kicked a trash can by the roadside, the Zhang family''s eldest son cursed angrily.


    He had been locked up in the police station for 20 days before he was released, and that was after paying a hefty bail.


    In Zheng Country, he had never suffered such humiliation, so the moment he got out, he vented his rage in every possible way.


    Then he saw a cop in the distance looking at him with a mean stare, seemingly ready to teach this public property destroyer a lesson.


    The Zhang family''s eldest son instinctively shrank his neck and nodded apologetically, hurriedly leading his people away from this troublesome spot.


    He had realized now that in this Brunas, the small fry were hard to deal with, and Yama even harder; as a dragon crossing the river, he was thoroughly suppressed by the local snakes.


    "Once I return to Zheng Country, I''ll definitely make Brunas pay! If their goods want to come ashore, we''ll levy twice! No! Three times the tax! I''ll let them know what it means to mess with the untouchable!" he said hatefully as he walked.


    "Young Master, we''ve also looked into it these days, and actually... Brunas''s main business isn''t with our Zheng Country. Most of their goods are shipped to the Ice Cold Kingdom, Poplar Kingdom, and Taren to the south... which is now called Winterless City," his longtime butler explained.


    Previously, because he was negotiating with several bigwigs from Brunas, he couldn''t stay by his young master''s side, which led to the mishap.


    It was also he who had been active in negotiating and paying the fines to bail out the Zhang family''s eldest son.


    "What? Hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins a year... you''re telling me that''s a small business?" The Zhang family''s eldest son didn''t believe it, looking at his family''s butler and saying, "Can crossing the sea really be so profitable?"


    "As far as I know, Brunas, or rather the Great Tang Group''s annual business amounts to tens of millions of Gold Coins... Their business includes arms, medicine, transportation... and so on. To say they''re making a fortune is an understatement," the butler, who had come to understand a bit about the scale of the Great Tang Group over the past few days, said with apprehension.


    In terms of the efficiency of making money, a hereditary household like the Zhang''s was absolutely no match for such wealthy tycoons.


    When it comes to influence, the butler also deeply knew the power of a consortium that could pull out hundreds of thousands of Gold Coin effortlessly.


    The Zhang family may have absolute control in Zheng Country, but if this Great Tang Group wanted, they could easily establish a position in Zheng Country and even in the Dahua Empire behind it with their financial power.


    Even if it were the Prime Minister of the Empire or the royalty and nobility, who would say no to Gold Coins? These people may cherish their reputations, but that''s just for show. They might scorn small money, but they don''t truly regard wealth as dirt.


    "You''re joking, the kind of bribes that a giant like the Great Tang Group could offer could never be small change. Money moves people''s hearts; they could offer so much..."


    In front of such a colossus, even the head of the Zhang family would have to act cautiously and carefully; this was not a problem that could be resolved by waving a hand recklessly.


    "Tens of millions? Heh... this Great Tang Group is really so rich?" The Zhang family''s son seemed to be getting some crooked ideas again.


    "Hmm, of course I must make a trip to Zheng Country. Everything here has already entered the development phase, and I''m going to Zheng Country and Dahua Empire to expand the market. Besides, wouldn''t it be reasonable to buy a couple of plots of land in my hometown, and see my kinsfolk?" Tang Mo, while eating grapes peeled by Yulin, said to Li''ao and Luff among others.


    "But it''s hard to say, those greedy officials in Zheng Country might not act against you because of your identity..." Luff had been looking at the issue from a safety standpoint from the start.


    In his view, it didn''t matter how much money the Great Tang Group made; his first priority was ensuring the safety of the soul and engine of the Great Tang Group¡ªTang Mo himself.


    Everything else was secondary; he even thought that going to Zheng Country was superfluous. Why not just send someone else to explore the market?


    "The scouts have already gone ahead; there''s actually nothing more to say. The master won''t move lightly without making thorough preparations," Li''ao interjected with an explanation.


    He himself hoped to return to his homeland, but he really didn''t want Tang Mo to come with him. Going back implied certain risks which none of those present were willing to take.


    "Rest assured, I''m not planning to go right now. At the very least, I''ll wait until the Jade City is fully constructed," Tang Mo reassured them with a smile.


    To him, if a few sailing ships could blockade the doorstep of the Great Qing Dynasty and trample the Qing Government into the ground, then there was no reason he should be in danger when knocking on their door with a real dreadnought battleship.


    The other side was not some language-barrier cannibalistic tribe. They would surely realize the power of the cannons, wouldn''t they?


    "I still think this kind of thing is unsafe," Luff persisted in his reluctance to let Tang Mo take the risk himself.


    "I don''t mind at all, with that car and the guard squad arranged, even if we have to fight our way back to the Jade City, I''m confident," Wes said, eager for action.


    As Tang Mo''s personal bodyguard, Wes had recently glimpsed the technological prowess of the Great Tang Group: A bulletproof Rolls-Royce car custom-made for him was finally handcrafted to completion.


    The whole car weighed nearly five tons! The doors were a foot thick and even required auxiliary power to open! The wheels were made of solid rubber, and it had virtually no weak points¡ªits chassis could even withstand the blast of a grenade!


    With this car, Wes could ensure Tang Mo''s absolute safety on the road. There was no question as to where the two of them could go.


    Inside the car, there was a weapon box; underneath the rear seats, there were two Thompson Submachine Guns with 8 magazines and 4 drums!


    The glass of the car could withstand pistol bullets, and effectively defend against close-range spray from submachine guns.


    Even in the event of direct fire from heavy machine guns or rifles, by ducking down, the passengers could use the car doors for protection.


    This Rolls-Royce, made specially for Tang Mo, also had a dedicated eight-cylinder engine that enabled this armored-car-sturdy vehicle to reach a terrifying speed of 100 kilometers per hour on flat ground, enough to shake off most pursuers.


    It could be responsibly stated that to ensure Tang Mo''s safety, the Great Tang Group had piled up nearly all of their most advanced technologies in this car.


    "I have no objections either, as long as you let me accompany you," Yulin said as he peeled another grape and handed it to Tang Mo.

 Chapter 386 Eating is the most important thing at 3:80.

    The location of Tang Mo''s meeting was not a spacious and bright conference room, but a rather small cabin.


    At this very moment, they were sailing on the ocean, waves slapping against the hull of the huge ship, and the massive port of Brunas was beginning to loom hazily in front.


    Accompanied by a Wolf-class warship, the two Wolf-class warships, one in front and one behind, displayed Great Tang Group''s unassailable naval dominance.


    Just these two Wolf-class warships alone were enough to destroy the entire fleet of any naval power in the world.


    "Principal! We''ve arrived at Brunas!" The captain personally came over to report to everyone in the meeting, "General Tagg is already at the port to greet us."


    "I said there was no need for all this fuss..." Tang Mo felt it was unnecessary for his people to make such a big deal, and he said so.


    "Basic respect must be maintained, rules are rules¡ªit''s a way for subordinates to show loyalty to you. If they become negligent, over time resentment might arise," Li''ao spoke up to explain on behalf of Tagg.


    Tang Mo nodded helplessly. Great Tang Group was growing ever larger and, even if it was just for show for some of the grassroots level, they still had to make a grand display of it.


    This time, Tang Mo was returning to Brunas to attend the World Industrial Expo, an important event that he naturally took very seriously.


    He was to personally preside over the meetings and attend banquets, to meet certain individuals he had to meet, and to maintain his network of relationships.


    Moreover, he needed to manage the entire Expo, and if he didn''t come over in advance to set up and command, he would feel somewhat uneasy.


    Another reason was that Brunas had always been Great Tang Group''s stronghold; if he, the boss, disappeared for too long, it''s inevitable that the people here would begin to feel uneasy.


    "You''ve worked hard," Tang Mo said as he walked down the gangway, followed by Wes and Yulin, with cranes working in the distance and a forest of various types of tall buildings even farther away.


    "It''s all part of my duties," said Tagg, whose spirits were high because he had been reassigned to Brunas, affording him time again to continue his studies at the Great Tang Military Academy.


    As a senior commander, he had to maintain a keen sense of the latest combat situations. His judgements often determined the life and death of the most elite soldiers of the Tang Army.


    Thus, whenever he had the time, he''d go to the academy to get hands-on with the latest weapons and learn the most advanced tactics.


    Detailed maps of various locations, along with high-precision sand table exercises created in the Great Tang Military Academy, were his favorite things.


    After finishing training and teaching some of the students, Tagg would either be in the secret library studying new tactics or in the sand table room with a group of staff officers, wargaming scenarios¡ªhe was fully engaged with his work.


    The steward stood on the other side, waiting until Li''ao disembarked the ship before reporting in a low voice a few pieces of intelligence that didn''t require Tang Mo''s attention.


    Li''ao nodded slightly, casually gave some suggestions, and continued to walk forward.


    After discussing official matters, the tall and burly steward brought up a personal issue related to Li''ao: "There''s one more thing."


    "Hm?" Li''ao continued walking without slowing his pace, leaning on his cane and uttering a question.


    Without hesitation, the steward continued, "Recently, Silver Fox''s personal guards have found an interesting beggar in Brunas."


    "An interesting beggar?" Li''ao''s expression did not change; he simply repeated the steward''s words.

 Chapter 387 Eating is the most important thing at 3:80_2

    The bartender nodded slightly: "Yes."


    "A beggar... even if interesting, is not worth reporting to me, is it?" Li''ao turned slightly and glanced at the bartender following behind him.


    Without beating around the bush, the bartender straightforwardly relayed what he knew: "This beggar''s surname is Nangong."


    "Nangong Hong?" Li''ao narrowed his eyes.


    "Yes, that''s him," the bartender confirmed.


    "Before I was convicted and deported, becoming a criminal, I knew the head of the Nangong family in Dahua... We had some connection," reflected Li''ao, recalling some incidents from his time in office.


    "So... give him some money?" The bartender, hearing the word ''connection'', thought for a moment and then tentatively asked for instructions.


    Walking past the neatly organized honor guard, Li''ao said to his subordinate bartender: "Nangong Hong was known for his extraordinary intelligence at the age of five and had a reputation for his virtue by the age of seven... Although I have not returned for many years, I would think that given the Nangong family''s upbringing, if he were seeking wealth, he would not come to Brunas, right?"


    "He''s here on a tourist visa... He sneaked in recently because of the upcoming exposition," the bartender said with a smile: "He only brought a little money and can''t afford a hotel."


    "...If he''s here to seek refuge, arrange a place for him first, I will recommend him to meet with the master... With this, I consider the debt repaid," Li''ao pondered for a moment and then instructed the bartender.


    The bartender bowed slightly: "...Your subordinate understands."


    Up ahead, Tagg had already opened the car door for Tang Mo, who got into the vehicle followed by Yulin.


    Tagg didn''t care about the gossip concerning Yulin and Tang Mo''s relationship, and after closing the car door for Yulin, he walked straight to his second car.


    A whole line of Rolls Royce luxury models thus left the dock, attracting sidelong glances from passers-by; many well-informed people knew that only the highest-ranking officials of the Great Tang Group could possibly have such an extravagant entourage.


    ...


    "I can''t take it anymore, I''m going to starve to death... I, Nangong Hong, a prodigy blessed by heaven, never imagined I would starve to death in such a prosperous place..." Nangong Hong, who hadn''t eaten all day, sat forlornly on the curb of the stone-paved road, whining weakly.


    Rubbing his little stomach, the Attendant Student also said weakly: "Master... please stop talking... I''m even hungrier."


    Two days ago, the two of them spent the last few copper coins they had, managing to trade them with a kind-hearted person for a few loaves of bread.


    But... even so, if they could have a few sour pieces of bread now, that would be a wonderful thing...


    Just as the Attendant Student''s mind was filled with fantasies about bread, without warning, a Rolls-Royce that was part of the motorcade came to a stop before them.


    Two burly men got out of the car, and with a quick move, they hoisted the two up into the vehicle. Another man who came down from the passenger seat tossed the bamboo basket carrying books, which was on the Attendant Student''s back, into the trunk.


    The last to get into the car, one of the big men waved a security troops badge at some passersby, and everyone went about their business as if nothing had happened here.


    "You... what in the world... what are you planning to do?" Nangong Hong, frightened by the situation, cautiously asked.


    Could it be that begging on the streets of Brunas is illegal? Are these people going to arrest me to face charges? That couldn''t be it, right? To use such a fine car?


    Sitting in the back seat of the Rolls-Royce, Nangong Hong felt the softness of the rear seats, and for a moment, his thoughts drifted.


    "Shut up!" said one of the burly men sternly.


    "Our master wants to meet you," the other burly man added briefly and then fell silent.


    The Attendant Student swallowed hard. He had been snatched up and thrown into the car without seeing his bamboo book basket, and now he didn''t dare to ask, his expression one of utter misery.


    Luckily, the interior space of the Rolls-Royce was not small. Otherwise, with the two strong men sandwiching Nangong Hong and him, they probably wouldn''t have been able to fit at all.


    Thus, in an awkward squeeze, six people were crammed into the car, with the driver and the man from the passenger seat clearly feeling more fortunate as the back seat, including a child, squeezed four people in total...


    "Who... who wants to see me?" Nangong Hong swallowed hard and asked with a shaken voice.


    "The person you''ve always wanted to meet," the man from the passenger seat replied. He didn''t know why his boss, the bartender, was interested in these two beggars. He figured that since the bartender wanted to see them, it wouldn''t be wrong to create a good karma here, so he didn''t hide anything.


    "Can I... prepare myself first?" Nangong Hong looked at the man''s obviously expensive clothes, then lowered his head to look at his own Beggars'' Sect uniform, clutching his stomach as he spoke.


    "No need," the man from the passenger seat frowned but still provided an answer.


    "We, we haven''t eaten yet!" This time, the Attendant Student mustered his courage and blurted out what he thought was the most important line.


    -------


    Today I''ve written an additional 1,000 words. It seems like my condition is improving, hehe.

 Chapter 388 381 Parallel World Longzhong Plan

    Tang Mo hadn''t seen such interesting people in a long time.


    In front of him sat Nangong Hong, elegant and poised, looking every bit the cultured rogue. Beside him, the little Attendant Student was holding a chicken leg in each hand, happily nibbling away like there was no tomorrow.


    To be honest, at least in terms of appearance, they made a striking pair, memorable and distinct.


    "You''d better make it quick, as I''m quite busy," Tang Mo remarked, glancing at Li''ao who had introduced this man in his thirties named Nangong Hong.


    Nangong Hong didn''t dare put on airs; after all, he was no Zhuge Liang waiting for Liu Bei''s three visits. He was more like Mao Sui, promoting himself proactively...


    Of course, in this world there was no Zhuge Liang, so Nangong Hong had no need for pretenses. He introduced himself directly.


    After introducing himself, he was ready to present his "Longzhong Plan". However, he fell silent for a long time, only to look up at Tang Mo and ask, "Mr. Tang, I really want to confirm one thing, may I ask you a question?"


    "Go ahead," Tang Mo gestured for him to speak.


    "Why not... establish an Empire?" Nangong Hong asked eagerly, anticipating an answer.


    "Actually... there''s no special reason," Tang Mo replied. "As an arms dealer, if I became the Emperor of an Empire, I would lose the ability to exert my influence in many different countries."


    "Why do you think becoming the ruler of a country will make you lose such influence?" Nangong Hong pressed on. "The Dahua Empire can certainly exert its influence on Zheng Country, or Qin Country, with unquestionable power."


    "That requires absolute strength, Mr. Nangong," Tang Mo answered with a smile. "Though the Great Tang Group is strong, it is not yet strong to that extent."


    "Mr. Tang has great talents. Having firmly established yourself in Brunas, you wield influence far and wide but seem to lack a suitable development plan for the Great Tang Group," Nangong Hong shifted the conversation away from the previous point, broaching other aspects of the Great Tang Group instead.


    "Over two thousand years ago, the Dwarves rose to prominence, establishing their capital in Furnace Fortress, and nearly consumed the world. They minted currency, gathered the wealth of the world, and their influence persists to this day," he said, standing up and walking over to the large map in the conference room.


    His finger traced over the numerous Dwarf Kingdoms in the north until it rested on the city marked Furnace Fortress; there, he paused, turned back, and looked again at Tang Mo: "In my opinion, Mr. Tang''s promotion of paper currency and abandonment of Gold Coins in Brunas... your ambition is certainly no less than that of the ancient Dwarf Empire."


    "You''ve opened schools and cultivated talent with far-reaching purpose, aspirations that certainly extend beyond little Brunas," he continued, lifting his hand from the map. "To command the world, all you need are people, money, weapons, food, and hearts..."


    "People, I don''t mean the population, but talent! Those commoners are merely the masses to be ruled. What''s truly important is talent!" As he spoke, he looked towards Yulin and Wes standing behind Tang Mo. "Mr. Tang''s recruitment of wise men means you''ve already got the advantage in this aspect."


    "Mr. Tang, without the heart of a conqueror, what can one do?" After half-heartedly wiping his hands on his clothes, Nangong Hong swallowed the meat in his mouth and spoke. He paused, grabbed his cup of wine, drained it in one gulp, and then let out a satisfied shout.


    Tang Mo casually explained, "Becoming an Emperor, a King, has no benefits for me. Why should I pursue such an empty title?"


    After speaking, Tang Mo made a gesture of spreading his hands: "If I became an Emperor, my current allies would have to guard against me, my market would greatly shrink, my business would be affected, and the implementation of my currency policies would encounter obstacles. Isn''t that just seeking trouble for myself?"


    To be frank, one of the main reasons Tang Mo currently has little interest in becoming an emperor is because a change in position would affect too many aspects.


    As a company, a group, it can remain detached from the world, allowing kings and emperors to lower their guard.


    After all, a company seeks profit, with no direct conflict of interest with the monarchs and the ruling class. Therefore, it can bind these people with interests, achieving the purpose of advancing and retreating together.


    But if, if Great Tang Group were to become an equal state, everyone''s thoughts would instinctively shift.


    For example, the many talents cultivated by Great Tang Group are currently in high demand by various states. But if Great Tang Group turned into a state, these graduates would all be suspected of espionage, and other states might not dare to rely on them.


    This would greatly impact the modernization process of the world and affect the speed of Great Tang Group''s influence.


    Similarly, Great Tang Group is currently sparing no effort to implement its own currency system, with its ambition equally obvious.


    As a company promoting this kind of paper currency, people might only think of it as a way to amass wealth. But if a state were backing this move, everyone would become wary, and the currency reform would be tinged with heavy political colors.


    And this is precisely what Great Tang Group is currently trying to avoid¡ªthey have always been avoiding politics as much as possible in order to maintain an ambiguous cooperation with the power groups.


    Therefore, Tang Mo has not entertained the thought of becoming an emperor or king to date because of his considerations and reservations.


    "Your concerns are valid, but there are benefits to becoming an emperor, too! It can allow Great Tang Group to develop faster and better! You have your own military, the sale of weapons, and the re-equipping of your troops can be somewhat self-sufficient.


    You have your own sphere of influence, which is a huge market," Nangong Hong did not immediately refute Tang Mo but instead listed the benefits of becoming an emperor.


    Obviously, there are benefits to not becoming an emperor, and there are certainly benefits to becoming one¡ªall things are relative.


    He said, "If you become an emperor, you can expand your military without restraint. With these troops, you can enforce your policies through stronger means!" He spoke incessantly, as if dictating strategies for ruling the land.


    "Bribery and binding are only influential, but domineering threats can sometimes be a direct and effective method as well! And only by owning your own empire can you adeptly use a variety of methods in all aspects!" His words made sense, even Tang Mo had to admit¡ªthey were reasonable.

 Chapter 389 382 is nicknamed the king

    His words reminded Tang Mo of the United States, of the five magnanimous people¡ªin another world with which Tang Mo was familiar, the world''s most overbearing five arms dealers were also five nations!


    They were nations, yet it had no impact whatsoever on their arms sales. Therefore, even though Nangong Hong''s words lacked evidence, Tang Mo knew he was right.


    "Similarly, although the Great Tang Group appears to be thriving, it is actually surrounded by crises! With such immense power, how could others not envy and fear it?" Nangong Hong then posed a question to Tang Mo in return.


    To strengthen his persuasion, he even quoted some verses: "Even though the elephant is low-key and cautious, how could it possibly hide behind a tree without being noticed? When the fierce tiger merely passes by, how can the mice and rabbits not tremble with fear?"


    Tang Mo had also realized that, with the continuous expansion of the Great Tang Group, being low-profile could not completely counterbalance the influence of the group anymore.


    In all fields, the Great Tang Group had absolute control; if Tang Mo desired, he could effortlessly destroy a kingdom within the range of the Great Tang Group''s influence.


    This destruction would be economic, political, and even military¡ªall at the same time. He understood this deterrence clearly, and the kings and ministers of those kingdoms could not possibly be completely unaware either.


    Even if they could not see the whole picture, they could still discern clues from the details. Just like Nangong Hong said, an elephant cannot hide behind a small tree.


    "The Great Tang Group has grown so large that its power is strong enough to overturn any kingdom," Nangong Hong firmly believed this after just a few days of observation.


    In fact, many people could see that with just the prosperity of Brunas alone, the Great Tang Group had the capital to wage a war of annihilation.


    However, for various reasons, these people pretended not to know or chose to keep silent even if they were aware.


    Some were blinded by the benefits they received from Tang Mo, becoming willingly ignorant. Others had already boarded Tang Mo''s great ship, just waiting for Tang Mo to set sail.


    In essence, it wasn''t that there were no wise people in the world; it''s just that everyone''s intelligence was being used in different ways.


    While Tang Mo was still pondering these things, Nangong Hong already continued with a new question: "Then... Mr. Tang, if you were a king of a kingdom or an emperor of an empire, what would you think in the face of such a massive entity?"


    "..." Tang Mo didn''t speak because from some perspectives, he simply didn''t care what these people thought.


    The thoughts of the kings and ministers of these kingdoms were of no concern to him! He only needed to wait for the other side to make a choice and show their hand; then, he could counter accordingly.


    "They will be sleepless at night, tossing and turning, guessing at your intentions! Holding such immense power, yet showing not the slightest ambition... You clutch their purses, control their military, and dominate their people, yet no one knows what you want to do. Do you think this is a good or bad thing?" Nangong Hong didn''t wait for Tang Mo''s answer and answered his own question.


    While Nangong Hong was savoring those words, Tang Mo, out of curiosity, posed a question he was increasingly interested in: "So, as Mr. Nangong says, if I were inclined to be an Emperor... where would be a significant place to achieve this?"


    Hearing his question, Yulin, who was standing behind him, tensed up for this was the first time she heard Tang Mo discuss the topic of becoming an Emperor.


    This likely signified that the future development goals for the Great Tang Group might change, transforming from a business conglomerate to an Empire, into a ruling group of an Empire!


    For other countries, this was definitely not good news. Because the Great Tang Group would become a powerful competitor for everyone.


    Wes''s complexion also underwent a slight change¡ªfor him personally, being the bodyguard of the boss of Great Tang Group, and the personal guard of an Emperor of a vast Empire, was somewhat different.


    He swallowed, his mind already fantasizing about driving for an Emperor of an unprecedented great Empire, through a scene of millions of impressive soldiers.


    It''s no exaggeration to say that, for every person in the Great Tang Group, if Tang Mo truly entertained the notion of becoming an Emperor, it would be fantastic news.


    It meant that they would all have an opportunity for promotion, a chance to rise like a dragon¡ªif they seized this chance, they would become the masters of an Empire!


    So, even Wes and Yulin couldn''t help but be stirred at that moment. To become the consort of an Emperor, to become the most trusted guard of an Emperor¡ªhow could that leave them unmoved?


    When Tang Mo asked such a question, Nangong Hong felt he had almost succeeded by a hefty margin.


    Therefore, he became even more composed, and named a country: "Zheng Country!"


    "Hm?" Tang Mo hadn''t expected Nangong Hong to give such an interesting answer. Because this answer actually coincided with his next target. So he looked at Nangong Hong, waiting for him to provide an explanation.


    "At the northernmost part of the Endless Sea, the Ice Cold Kingdom is barren. Although it has a large number of mines, it doesn''t have suitable arable land, making it less advantageous to occupy! Moreover, the Ice Cold Kingdom and the Great Tang Group are allies, with a stable relationship in the short term, and suddenly making them an enemy would be unwise," Nangong Hong then started his analysis.


    "Hmm," Tang Mo nodded, as a sign of approval.


    "We should keep the Poplar Kingdom and the Elves as a northern barrier, to stop the Dwarf Kingdom from restoring its power and prevent them from moving southward with ease! Plus, this has traditionally been within the sphere of influence of the Great Tang Group. Claiming such a place would only bring trouble to ourselves..." Nangong Hong continued explaining.


    "For the same reason, the southernmost Taren does not offer much room for development¡ªsimply a collection of islands, at best a producer of grain. There''s nothing to agonize over there," since he didn''t know about rubber and other industrial raw materials, Nangong Hong''s conclusion was somewhat one-sided.


    Of course, he was unaware of how crucial rubber and some other crops were for the modern industry.


    However, even such a one-sided conclusion was actually quite accurate. To establish a nation in Taren at that time would lead to direct economic conflicts with Dorne, something the Great Tang Group did not want to see.

 Chapter 390 383 is moved

    ```


    "Leite, Suthers, and Dorne are all staunch allies of the Great Tang Group. Meddling in these regions would clearly be irrational, so looking across the entire Endless Sea''s surroundings, the current sphere of influence of the Great Tang Group is actually inappropriate!" Nangong Hong continued to mention one region after another.


    "A single hair can move the whole body; threatening the interests of any one country will cause the other countries to become extremely wary of the Great Tang Group and strengthen their defenses. This would be a loss not worth the gain." After listing these countries, he came to a conclusion, "Therefore, it becomes necessary to look beyond these areas.


    Thus, I believe that annexing Zheng Country to the west is the decision that best aligns with the interests of the Great Tang Group."


    He then spoke of the reasons, "Overall, Zheng Country is not within the traditional sphere of influence of the Great Tang Group, so moving against it has the least pressure and will not provoke a backlash from the allies. If handled well...


    once the Great Tang Group shows a stance of advancing westward, even the countries to the east might breathe a sigh of relief, and it is possible that some Kingdoms might even support the Great Tang Group''s westward advance!"


    His words caused Tang Mo to nod slightly, as this was indeed something feasible. At least, the Empire of Nanla was eager for the Great Tang Group to show a posture of moving westward.


    After all, even saving the life of the Emperor of Nanla could not eliminate his concerns about the Great Tang Group''s eastward advance.


    Speaking of which, Tang Mo suddenly recalled that the Emperor of the Empire of Nanla, having recovered from his illness, had deliberately bestowed on him the title of Marquis of the Empire of Nanla as thanks for the medicines provided by the Great Tang Group... He had yet to decide which of his subordinates to grant this title to.


    "At the same time, taking down Zheng Country would radiate influence towards the Dahua Empire and Shenguo... and could even push its influence as far as the borders of Qin Country..." Nangong Hong gestured with his somewhat greasy hand, outlining a rough area.


    "Moreover, capturing Zheng Country would restrain Shenguo and allow the entire Endless Sea to fall into our hands.


    Is this not what the Great Tang Group has been scheming all along?" Afterward, he looked at Tang Mo, "Although it might be more difficult to take action here than in the countries already under the influence of the Great Tang Group, it would avoid unnecessary trouble and prevent a chain reaction."


    Tang Mo had to admit that Nangong Hong''s insight was indeed sharp¡ªhe had heard bits and pieces about the regions controlled by the Great Tang Group and was able to roughly deduce the expansion vision of the Great Tang Group, which was quite remarkable.


    The Great Tang Group was naturally interested in controlling the Endless Sea, or to be precise, the entire Endless Sea.


    Even, in some sense, the Great Tang Group was just a step away from controlling all maritime trade across the Endless Sea.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Nangong Hong was correct; once the Great Tang Group directly took control of Zheng Country in the next step, the group would have formed a closed loop, and the Endless Sea would become the Great Tang Group''s inner lake!


    Next, Nangong Hong began to detail the benefits of the Great Tang Group''s expedition to Zheng Country: since Zheng Country was a vassal of the Dahua Empire, the people there were of Dahua descent, with black hair and black eyes, at least half of Tang Mo''s homeland.


    By taking over there, Tang Mo would be returning home in glory, at least earning a point for reclaiming his ancestral identity.


    Similarly, because of Tang Mo''s black hair and black eyes, taking control of Zheng Country would not be met with resistance from the local populace, which also counts as a small advantage.


    Furthermore, considering Zheng Country''s distance from Brunas, that its military reforms had not fully unfolded, and its armaments were relatively outdated, Zheng Country was actually quite vulnerable in terms of military equipment, which was another advantage for the Great Tang Group.


    On the other hand, Zheng Country''s internal politics were collapsing, with chaos reigning within, a heartless king, foolish ministers, incompetence at all levels, and utter corruption.


    However, Nangong Hong''s speech had made him start to consider whether his own strategy was too conservative.


    Frankly speaking, his stubborn focus on building his power into a military empire of this world was influenced, albeit slightly, by his previous life.


    He had been an arms dealer before, so in this life, he kept being an arms dealer¡ªonly now with a golden touch and the advantage of foreknowledge, he was doing it better and on a much larger scale.


    It must be said that he was lacking in strategic planning and vision. Before his transmigration, becoming a king-making figure was not something he would even dare to dream about.


    With five major benefactors above him, the thought of becoming an emperor or controlling a country was impossible, and there was no space for such ideas.


    An empire where the Emperor''s word is absolute, in the context of Earth''s big picture, was not something that could emerge against the odds, nor was there any support for it. As for monarchic constitutionalism and the like, Tang Mo had no interest in it.


    One could go through a lot of trouble and at most create a misfit country, playing president for one''s own amusement. But then, how could one engage in politics in a notable country without coming under the influence of the five benefactors?


    Still, if one doesn''t dare to run for office in a major country, what''s the point of being a president of an obscure small country?


    This life was different. Tang Mo truly had the opportunity and the capability to become a real monarch of a country! A monarch whose word is law! A monarch who could determine the fates of countless people!


    Just thinking about it, doesn''t it seem nice? Tang Mo mused to himself, somewhat influenced by Nangong Hong''s speech.


    "Let him stay here for a few days, let him look around... then... after the expo ends, send him to Hotwind Port... let him get a feel for urban construction..." Tang Mo didn''t specify who because he knew Yulin would certainly figure out whom he was referring to.


    This was Tang Mo''s way of preparing to cultivate the Dahua strategist who had come to seek refuge with the Great Tang Group. It also signified that Tang Mo was willing to give Nangong Hong a chance.


    Sure enough, Yulin responded softly, "Understood. What about his Attendant Student?"


    "If he is willing, let the Attendant Student study at Brunas University. If not, let Nangong Hong take him away!" Tang Mo thought for a moment before responding.


    After a few seconds of silence, Tang Mo seemed to change his mind and continued to instruct, "Send a message to Li''ao for me, ask him to also investigate this Nangong Hong."


    He had realized something. If he was going to use Nangong Hong, an investigation was necessary. If there was no such action from Silver Fox''s side, Li''ao would surely guess that Tang Mo had activated another information system.


    This might also make Li''ao uncomfortable, so it would be better to let Silver Fox investigate openly, as this would also be a sort of routine investigation.


    "What about my end?" Yulin hummed in acknowledgment and then asked for confirmation.


    "Investigate as well," Tang Mo paused for a few seconds before giving the answer.


    "Yes! I will select someone to go," Yulin bowed her head as she continued the massage, answering in a gentle voice.


    -------


    First a makeup post. Yesterday my child made me half-dead with anger, not a physical issue... Thank you for your concern, will continue to make up posts tomorrow if nothing unexpected occurs...

 Chapter 391 384 Door-to-Door Delivery

    The sunlight shone on the clean streets of Brunas, and below the traffic lights bustled a busy crowd. Just looking at the scenery here, it hardly differed from a modern street.


    Even more so, it seemed to possess a more modern air than those quaint European streets¡ªbecause when Brunas was being built, aesthetics were not taken into consideration.


    Here, eighty percent of the buildings were the most basic rectangles without any sense of design, constructed quickly and easily under the principle of utmost practicality, and thus a completely new city was laid out at once.


    So, the art students of Brunas were utterly despairing. What they learned seemed completely at odds with everything before their eyes.


    "Excuse me, is this the registration office for the World Industrial Expo?" A woman who was sitting behind the counter, bored as she tended to her nails, heard this inquiry and looked up to see a middle-aged man dressed in traditional nobility attire.


    Seeing the woman look up at him, the man removed his hat and asked more politely, "Excuse me, is this the World Industrial Expo registration office?"


    "Yes, may I help you with something?" The female receptionist revealed a well-trained smile and asked with equal politeness.


    As this was the world''s first such Expo, there weren''t many individuals coming to register for a booth. So, to encourage registration, the receptionists were all selectively beautiful women with exceptionally good attitudes.


    The Viscount, dazzled by the girl''s sunny smile, nervously introduced himself, "Uh... yes, that''s right, I come from the small town of Shulkova, and, and I am a Viscount there, my name is Koss Reiner."


    "Viscount Reiner, might I inquire what brings you here?" The receptionist still smiled, revealing two cute dimples, looking utterly sincere.


    Still somewhat nervous, the Viscount stuttered, "I, I would like to apply, yes, apply for a booth to showcase my latest invention."


    "Oh, could you describe your invention? We need to make a rough judgment to see if your invention qualifies for a booth at the venue," the girl said in a matter-of-fact manner, "Sorry, but since our booths are indeed limited, we must screen applicants to ensure we choose the most promising, greatest inventions to display."


    Although there was actually an abundance of space, Tang Mo couldn''t allow his first Industrial Expo to become a joke.


    Therefore, some screening was necessary, at the very least to ensure that what was placed on the booth wouldn''t be too preposterous.


    What if they accepted everyone, and someone presented a scheme like turning water into oil or a perpetual motion machine? Would Tang Mo expose it or just let it pass?


    "I, I understand, but I assure you, my invention definitely deserves a spot at the exhibit," Viscount Reiner stated with conviction about his creation.


    The young woman was herself quite curious, as she knew that the innovations on display at the Expo were highly impressive and advanced: "Oh? Could you tell me about it?"


    "Of course, of course! I have invented a device that allows people to fly into the sky!" When speaking of his invention, the Viscount became less flustered and spoke with more fluency.


    The girl raised her eyebrows, her voice full of skepticism, "Hmm? Fly?"


    "Yes, fly!" the Viscount nodded in confirmation.


    The receptionist continued to inquire, "An airship? A hot air balloon?"


    "Have you confirmed it?" Yulin, having already heard about the incident en route, asked calmly for confirmation.


    "I couldn''t discern... I didn''t study that specialty..." Mishe admitted, somewhat embarrassed.


    Yulin was silent for two seconds on the other end, then commanded, "Understood! Keep an eye on him! Don''t let him leave... I will arrange someone to go over."


    "Yes!" Mishe once again stood ramrod straight and answered loudly, then, as if performing a ritual, hung up the phone meticulously.


    "My lord, what was that about?" The assistant looked at Mishe, puzzled and curious about who was on the other end of the phone.


    Mishe straightened his clothes, "Let''s go, together, to have a chat with this Mr. Reiner."


    "Which senior was on the phone just now?" Driven by curiosity, the assistant couldn''t help but ask the question.


    Mishe glanced at him, resigning himself to explain, "Ask less! Who else do you think could scare me like that?"


    "Eh... can''t be..." The assistant paused, realization dawning that probably only the school''s ''Your Majesty'' could inspire such reverence from Mishe.


    ...


    "Yulin, what''s the matter?" Seeing Yulin enter, Tang Mo put down his pencil and asked with a smile.


    On his drafting table lay the blueprint of an airplane, evidently more complex and advanced in design.


    Experience tales at empire


    Yulin immediately reported, "The expo registration office has just sent a message, someone claims to have developed a machine that can make people fly."


    "Hmm?" Tang Mo was taken aback; he had not anticipated that the secret weapon in his hands had been similarly devised by the natives of this world!


    If what they had was indeed an aircraft, then that person could truly be described as a genius!


    You see, it had been Tang Mo who had driven the technological development of this world, which was highly asymmetrical. People here had barely grasped the basic technical principles introduced by Tang Mo, let alone developing new technical talents.


    Even Shireck, a high-tech conglomerate in this world, could now only barely modify automobiles with Tang Mo''s covert support. Could someone really have designed an airplane? Tang Mo was highly skeptical.


    On one hand was skepticism, on the other, endless curiosity. Tang Mo was indeed eager to know what kind of person could be so formidable as to create an airplane without any help!


    "I''ve already had someone secure the individual. Do you need me to go and take a look?" Yulin asked.


    Tang Mo pointed to his coat, "Hmm... no need... I''ll go and see for myself."

 Chapter 392 385 two designers communication

    "We cannot be sure if what they''re saying is true..." Yulin warned, her skepticism clear. She truly doubted that they could actually create the so-called airplane.


    Having seen real airplanes and even flown in them, she was well aware of their immense complexity.


    Even the Great Tang Group was constantly exploring and improving in the making of airplanes, how could anyone possibly catch up technologically? She did not believe it!


    "It''s fine! It''s totally fine, Yulin! I''m quite curious to see if he can really bring me a surprise," Tang Mo took the coat from Wes''s hands, visibly excited, "Prepare the car, Wes! Let''s go see this inventor, see if he''s as interesting as he says."


    He was eager to find out how much this world could still surprise him. He had only just begun to feel a sense of belonging in this world, and meeting a technical genius would make that feeling even stronger and more authentic.


    "..." Wes nodded and immediately left the room.


    Tang Mo then wrapped his arm around Yulin''s waist, "Come on, Yulin! Haven''t you flown on a plane too? Let''s go enjoy the spectacle together?"


    "Okay!" Yulin''s face blushed slightly as she nodded.


    Koss Laina sat in the room, lifting his teacup; he had just visited the restroom since this was already his fifth glass of water.


    To be honest, he was beginning to think of leaving. Although there was a beautiful woman chatting with him, it seemed they were not on the same wavelength at all.


    He wished to find someone knowledgeable to discuss airplane design, but the young lady opposite seemed more interested in telling risque? jokes.


    Although many nobles he knew fancied such women, he was an exception; he had a greater fondness for machinery and technology¡ªif not for this obsession, he wouldn''t have holed up at home all day, fiddling with the invention of flying machines.


    The young man named Mishe did have some talent and a keen sense for technology, but his specialty was electrical devices, and after only about ten minutes of conversation, he had left.


    Just as he was about to get up and bid farewell out of boredom, the door to the room was pushed open. This time, two men and a woman entered.


    In the center was a young man of only twenty, but it was clear he was the main character among the three. The woman who had been chatting with Leite immediately stood up and respectfully left the room.


    Leite stood up reflexively, showing respect. Of the three, the oldest man simply leaned against the wall after entering, toying casually with car keys. The stunningly beautiful woman stood quietly behind the young man.


    "I heard you''ve designed a flying machine?" Tang Mo casually sat down on the sofa, looking at the middle-aged man who seemed unsure whether to sit or stand, and started the conversation.


    "Have a seat!" After saying that, he seemed to realize he was being somewhat impatient and gestured with his hand twice, encouraging the other man to relax, "Don''t be so formal, introduce yourself. I am an expert from the Great Tang Group in this area."


    "I''m very, very pleased to meet you," Leite''s eyes sparkled upon hearing Tang Mo''s introduction. He had barely touched the sofa when he jumped up excitedly, then realizing he got too excited, he sat back down.


    In his view, the man was just a dreamer. If the man was willing, he could introduce him to a university to study this field, but beyond that, Tang Mo had no other thoughts. Read new chapters at empire


    "Sir, I have conducted experiments!" He started to say, while pulling out even more drawings from his bag, spreading them one by one on the table: "I made improvements! I have further refined the design!"


    "Hmm? Experiments? Improvements?" Tang Mo looked down at those drawings and found that the flying machine designed by Laina had evolved from a paper kite that completely mimicked a bird into a more sensible large triangle...


    Laina nodded excitedly and said, "Yes, I''ve conducted experiments! I''ve built a ''Flying Wing'' and made some modifications."


    "I have always been in the canvas business. My workshop produces a type of sail, where we brush a concoction made from tree leaves onto sturdy cloth to create airtight sails," Laina explained while pulling out a piece of canvas from his bag.


    As he spoke, he pulled out a section of dried wood: "Using these kind of sails and sturdy supports... I chose a very light kind of vine, which after drying out..."


    "Continue, I am quite interested," Tang Mo smiled and waved his hand behind him, stopping Yulin from drawing her gun.


    Pointing at one of the drawings, Laina continued to introduce his design: "I built a triangular wing using vine because the previously constructed bird-like wings of that ''Flying Wing'' were too heavy, so I had to simplify the structure."


    "A huge triangle, very stable, and material-saving... then I fixed a basket underneath to carry and control the person..." While speaking, he continued to search for another drawing.


    Tang Mo realized that the man''s design still seemed to be at a very primitive stage: "Wait... you haven''t considered the control surfaces..."


    Laina was startled, but as someone familiar with sailboats, he quickly grasped the concept of rudders. Excitedly, he said, "Control surfaces? Ah! That''s a perfect analogy! Yes, like rudders! At first, I indeed didn''t think about how to control it...


    so, I had a pretty bad fall."


    "... You''re lucky to be alive," Tang Mo opened his eyes wide, somewhat at a loss for words before managing to squeeze out that statement.


    "Ha, haha... My butler said the same thing. But eventually, I succeeded! I flew... about 40 meters... at a height of seven or eight meters..." Laina said with a proud laugh, gesturing to illustrate how he flew at the time.


    "You''ve made a glider," Tang Mo offered a very pertinent assessment¡ªhe instinctively used the term he already knew.


    "... I knew it, you are a genius in this field! ''Glider''... this description is utterly precise," Laina was taken aback and then prostrated himself.


    "And then? How did you solve the power issue?" Tang Mo asked curiously, a question that was somewhat embarrassing for Laina.


    Laina rubbed his hands together awkwardly, "I wasn''t able to solve the power issue... I have a Model T car, and I took the engine and transmission from that Model T and mounted it on the ''Flying Wing.'' But they were too heavy, and I didn''t have a complete way to control it, I still need to do more experiments..."


    ---------


    That''s it for today''s two chapters.

 Chapter 393 Bought 386 in full

    "And then?" Tang Mo asked with curiosity. His interest in the man in front of him had been rekindled, due to the other''s almost mad pioneering spirit.


    For the sake of human progress, those who would even put their lives on the line were worthy of admiration. Although the successful were dazzling, the failed still commanded respect.


    Tang Mo would not look down on anyone just because he had a "cheat" like the Golden Finger; when facing these natives who were inspired to step forward, he was full of reverence.


    In the recent period, many such individuals had come seeking fame and had become part of Great Tang Group.


    These people included Elves and Dwarves, and of course, humans. They improved upon Tang Mo''s designs and exhibited unparalleled keenness in many areas.


    Even though some designs were actually unnecessary and proved to be of no use, this spirit still left Tang Mo with a feeling of admiration¡ªthis world also had its brilliant minds!


    Reiner replied somewhat sheepishly to Tang Mo''s question, "Then I saw the flyer for Brunas''s Industrial Expo... I thought, maybe there''s someone here who can understand me, maybe there are technologies that can support my continued exploration, so I came."


    "Great Tang Group must have more advanced engines, the lighter kind, if only there is a way to make the wings flutter, it really could fly into the sky! Like a bird!" Reiner said, gesticulating excitedly as he spoke.


    "Flutter?" Tang Mo was taken aback; he had assumed Reiner was looking for an engine to provide power to an aircraft with a propeller.


    But he found he had guessed wrong again because the other hadn''t even thought about using a propeller to propel the aircraft forward; he was thinking... of flapping wings like a bird.


    Although airships from Great Tang Group had been around for quite a while, most were still the type without power.


    Even if they were powered by propellers, their speed was just too slow¡ªordinary people found it hard to associate this kind of propeller power with faster flying machines.


    Reiner nodded as a matter of course, acknowledging, "Yes, flutter!"


    "Alright." Tang Mo paused for a moment, then nodded, "Have you ever thought about staying in Brunas?"No?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Stay, stay in Brunas?" Sir Reiner seemed taken aback, repeating Tang Mo''s question uncertainly.


    "Yes, stay in Brunas," Tang Mo answered affirmatively. "Stay with Great Tang Group, work for Mr. Tang, and engage in the design and research of flying machines."


    "Uh..." Reiner was visibly flattered and hesitated before he emphasized the original intent of his visit: "Well... I, I just came to, to attend the Expo..."


    "Don''t worry, we can send someone to bring your family to Brunas, or even take you straight to Dragon Island... You could be exposed to the most advanced flying machine design and development work at Great Tang Group, probably something you''ve dreamed of," Yulin, knowing Tang Mo''s intention to recruit, took the initiative to extend the invitation to Reiner.


    "I..." Reiner seemed tempted but also hesitant.


    Before he left, Tang Mo paused, turned to look at Reiner who was still a bit dazed, "From now on, all your research belongs to Great Tang Group! So first, confidentiality! Second, don''t disappoint me!"


    "Yes... Mr. Tang." Reiner stood up, bowed slightly, and watched as the three left the room. Experience more tales on empire


    "Mishe! Well done." As they stepped out of the room, Tang Mo saw Mishe, who was waiting nearby, and praised, "How about an interest in going to Osa? They''re short on hands there."


    "I''d be delighted, Principal..." A smile spread across Mishe''s face; students were always at ease in the presence of the amiable Tang Mo.


    However, when he caught sight of big sister Yulin, he immediately restrained himself¡ªwhile the principal rarely punished students physically, big sister indeed gave a real thrashing.


    "After the fair is over, you will head to Osa! Go report to your senior!" Tang Mo patted his shoulder, and Mishe immediately showed a look of bliss.


    "Rest assured, Principal! Even if I have to toil away to the bone, I will do my utmost to repay the nurturing kindness of the Principal," Mishe assured with a bow.


    "Just do your best, no need for all this dying and toiling talk, it''s pointless," Tang Mo let go of Mishe''s shoulder, walking away with Yulin and Wes, "Live well! That''s what''s interesting..."


    "Wes! Arrange for someone from the security troops to take two squads to Reiner''s hometown and bring back his family. Don''t let anything go wrong," Tang Mo ordered Wes who was driving the car in front of him as he got into his own vehicle.


    "Understood," Wes said, keeping his gaze on the road and without turning back.


    The car fell into silence, and Tang Mo pondered, if someone on this world had thought of something like airplanes, might they also, inspired by Great Tang Group, think of other various concepts?


    For instance, what if someone thought of using propellers to power warships? Would there be a ship like the Brunas-class ironclad warship being built somewhere in this world?


    Following the same logic, since it is already common knowledge that installing steel plates on cars to create armored cars, might someone think of using tracks to pair with engines, and likewise develop tanks?


    Great Tang Group had already opened a door, and among those who entered, or even saw this door, might there be a prodigy who could actually produce something native to this world?


    He hadn''t underestimated the world, nor had Great Tang Group become complacent, so Great Tang Group''s mentality of embracing talents from all over remained superior even to Shireck''s.


    Moreover... this was an atmosphere he had deliberately cultivated¡ªon this path of continuous progress and development, Great Tang Group''s advantages would only become more and more apparent, more and more immense!


    "What are you thinking?" Yulin tenderly wrapped Tang Mo''s arm, asking in a soft voice.


    "Nothing much! I just feel that my fighting spirit has grown stronger!" Tang Mo said with a smile, patting Yulin''s hand, and withdrew his thoughts, "This world is already moving forward according to my plan, which is a good sign... As long as it continues to do so, to develop, one day, it will become what we want it to be... the form."


    "I don''t care what form it takes, as long as I have you, that''s all I need," Yulin said with a sweet smile, leaning her head on Tang Mo''s shoulder, looking every inch the contented woman.

 Chapter 394 Approaching the 387 Expo

    By the time Tang Mo returned to his temporary office, he discovered that Li''ao was already waiting there. He handed his coat to Yulin and asked, "What''s the matter?"


    "I''ve come to report on Nangong Hong," Li''ao said efficiently, or rather, the intelligence network of the Great Tang Group was highly efficient.


    "Mm, go on. I''m listening," Tang Mo walked back to his desk and casually instructed.


    Li''ao bowed slightly and began his report, "The investigation into Nangong Hong has not been completed, but his personal background check has ended. According to the results, there''s nothing suspicious about him personally."


    "Continue," Tang Mo took a cup of warm water from Yulin, took a sip, and said calmly.


    Obediently, Li''ao continued, "He agreed to stay in Brunas to observe for a while, then proceed to take his position at Hotwind Port. He has been sightseeing these past few days without going to any sensitive areas, just observing the local customs and practices."


    "Mmm..." Tang Mo nodded noncommittally.


    "He seems to be very prudent about it, showing no intention of overstepping boundaries," Li''ao continued, "Even when he knew of sensitive areas, he turned around and left."


    "It seems he is indeed a wise man," Tang Mo nodded slightly, approving of Nangong Hong''s discretion.


    "I''ve spoken to him," Li''ao took over the conversation when he saw Tang Mo had nothing more to say, "He doesn''t mind his servants being replaced with our people; he simply needs an attendant to take care of daily life."


    "Like many who have read too much, he lacks the ability to take care of himself..." Li''ao added his own analysis to his statement.


    "Then switch them with our people, and keep an eye on him!" Tang Mo smiled and directly instructed.


    "Understood," Li''ao once again bowed slightly, affirming Tang Mo''s command.


    Li''ao hesitated for a moment, then spoke of the attendant student that Nangong Hong had brought, "It''s unlikely that we will be able to ascertain the identity of the attendant student."


    Tang Mo did not speak because he knew Li''ao would provide his reasoning. The senior management of the Great Tang Group knew Tang Mo''s habit; he would listen to reasons for everything, it was his custom.


    "Since he is an orphan picked up by Nangong himself on the road, with no background to verify, we can only follow up based on the information he has provided, and inquire at his place of birth.


    However, the likelihood of finding out anything substantial is low," Li''ao paused for a moment, then added, "We can''t be sure whether this orphan was planted by another power at Nangong''s side, or if this identity itself is fabricated. There''s also the possibility that he is clean."


    "I understand," Tang Mo nodded, knowing that it was basically impossible to clarify such a person''s background; they could only have the intelligence department keep a close watch on him.


    If there is a mole, they will slip up and cause problems. Tang Mo''s intelligence department had a more advanced organizational structure than their adversaries, as well as stronger technology and equipment, and even multiple channels for intelligence gathering. Thus, should the adversary act, they would certainly be noticed and expose themselves.


    Therefore, Tang Mo directly instructed Li''ao, "Then let him go to school and learn something like classical literature or history. After finishing, find him a job related to book restoration."


    To save face for Nangong Hong, keeping his attendant student in the school for further education seemed appropriate, ensuring that no one would lose face too badly.


    Sure enough, after Li''ao finished his report and left Tang Mo''s office, the atmosphere in the room became subtler.


    Wes was very perceptive, or maybe it was just that he had gathered a wealth of these experiences while by Tang Mo''s side.


    Therefore, he too exited the room, lit a cigarette outside the door, and revealed a knowing smile.


    Meanwhile, inside the room, Yulin had already pushed Tang Mo down, pinning him on the desk¡ªthe situation instantly turned sensuous beyond compare, and Tang Mo began to passively enjoy an unprecedented thrill.


    "I mean... doing this here... isn''t good, right..." Tang Mo, eyeing Yulin''s delicate neck that was so close, swallowed his saliva under pretense.


    Without a word, Yulin responded to Tang Mo with a kiss that sent soothing tingles all over his body. And so, everything naturally followed course.


    Then, perhaps because the feeling was so intense, Tang Mo took control, showing off some of his masculine charm. These things, those in the know, understand.


    Three hours passed quickly, and Tang Mo, now back in his sage mode for some reason, yawned listlessly on the platform.


    It was only when he saw Alice''s train that he fully realized the tremendous impact of wasting ammunition at a time like this, on the subsequent battles. There was nothing to be done, once some things are top of mind, it''s always too late by the time you come to your senses.


    Alice, who hadn''t seen Tang Mo for a long time, immediately gave him a warm hug as she disembarked from the train, then planted a kiss on him.


    Thereafter, a woman''s sixth sense alerted her to something, and she let go of Tang Mo to study Yulin up and down with her beautiful eyes.


    It must be said, some beings can restore the whole picture to what it originally was merely by intuition¡ªlike how a father, with just one look at his son, can guess that his homework is yet incomplete...


    And then... Tang Mo realized he had underestimated the strategic resolve of the school big sister and the Northern Ridge female Earl.


    He imagined the two women could start hair-pulling and clothes-ripping, completely falling out at the train station, possibly inciting an unprecedented firefight between the Northern Ridge guards and the Great Tang Group security team.


    For a moment, he even envisioned the scene where someone pulled out a Thompson submachine gun and started firing.


    But when he snapped back to reality from this terrifying vision, Yulin was already linked arm-in-arm with Alice, discussing whether to have the newly developed spicy hot pot or the light bird''s nest and shark fin porridge that evening...


    If I go back to Dragon Island now... Is it still possible? Tang Mo silently ridiculed himself in his mind¡ªhe felt that selling Brunas-class Ironclad Warships to the Suthers Kingdom, which didn''t even have a port, was far easier than dealing with two women...


    Fortunately, the fair was starting in two days, and he would be occupied. His romantic entanglements would definitely have to be set aside.


    Yes, at that time, he wouldn''t have to worry about his waist.


    That truly was good news.


    ---------


    RNG rocks! Emperor of the Spring! Spent too much time watching the games today... only managed two updates, sorry. And one more thing: Emperor of the Spring rocks!

 Chapter 395 388 Expo

    "Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, welcome to Brunas," Tang Mo began his speech from the temporary podium set up in front of a building covered with a huge curtain, addressing the dense crowd in front of him.


    The World Industrial Expo was being held in Brunas, drawing people from nearly half the world to attend, propelling Brunas to an even more exaggerated height of fame.


    Now, it was almost the most famous city in the world, even more well-known than many capitals of empires.


    Tang Mo was dressed in a suit as usual, which accented his handsomeness ¡ª the reason he did not choose a Zhongshan suit was that at 20 years old, he could not carry the same authority in such an outfit.


    "Let''s extend a warm welcome to... His Majesty Leite VII, King of the Leite Kingdom! The Prime Minister! The Minister of Construction! The Finance Minister... Mr.


    Special Envoy from the Empire of Nanla! The special envoy from the newly established Ice Cold Empire! And... the envoys from Dorne, Suthers, Poplar, Songmu, and the Gobur Kingdom..." Experience more content on empire


    "Wha-la..." Thunderous applause filled the sky, as few in attendance had ever witnessed such a grand event.


    It wasn''t just the King of Leite Kingdom attending in person, but envoys from various kingdoms had arrived in full force.


    The number of social elites and wealthy magnates that had flocked from all over the world was incalculable. To put it bluntly, even the occupants of the cheapest rooms in Brunas''s inns were likely to be top-tier wealthy individuals.


    "Hello, rich gentlemen, elegant ladies. I am Marquis Tang Mo, founder of the Great Tang Group. I am delighted to meet with all of you here in Brunas today," Tang Mo said with a bright smile, for this day was a festive one for him.


    When the applause finally ended, Tang Mo continued: "Lastly, I wish this World Industrial Expo a complete success, and I wish all guests and friends good health, all the best and a wide income!"


    "Thank you all!" After finishing, he walked down from the podium without any delay.


    "Boom!" The World Expo officially opened in Brunas, and countless fireworks were shot into the sky above Tang Mo''s head.


    Although the fireworks were less visually stunning during the day, the sheer number of them was still shocking to everyone.


    As people looked up at the sky, drawn by the multiple explosions of color, pieces of canvas fell away, revealing the entire industrial expo site to all present.


    Tang Mo directly used the design of the Crystal Palace to showcase his formidable industrial strength.


    He wouldn''t bother with an original design, knowing that any existing design he brought out would be "innovative" in this world.


    As a transmigrator who wasn''t burdened by any idealistic scruples, he felt no pressure using it unless it was some stupid design from those who lived comfortable lives and lacked imagination.


    The building was covered in glass, and its transparent design gave the entire Crystal Palace a visually explosive impact.


    Even King Leite was stunned by the building when he saw it.


    He could see through the glass a super-large ship model inside the exhibition hall, numerous unique booths, and even the staff standing guard. The soon-to-be Emperor took a gulp and took a while to recover from the shock.

 Chapter 396 388 Expo_2

    The steel frame structure, combined with concrete, created an atmosphere of piercing solidity for this building, while countless panes of glass served as the final crowning touch.


    Without exaggeration, the building alone made many feel that their journey had not been in vain.


    Not to mention, this expo was merely previewing the exhibits, which included many advanced devices that were definitely worth a firsthand look. Enjoy new tales from empire


    After the rumbling roar of fireworks had passed, at Tang Mo''s invitation, Leite VII, the showoff, became the first guest to push open the grand doors of the Crystal Palace Exhibition Hall.


    Amid the applause of the welcoming staff inside, visitors began to orderly enter this palace.


    Then, everyone was captivated by the expo itself.


    Every exhibition booth here was immensely attractive to the wealthy elites and nobles from across the globe and to the politicians and power brokers who had come from every kingdom and empire in the world.


    A female tycoon and a countess walked together, both dumbfounded by the exquisitely luxurious crystal chandelier above their heads.


    Due to its overwhelming beauty and complexity, these two powerful women from distant lands didn''t even have the courage to inquire about the chandelier''s price.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    All they could do was repeatedly express their amazement, exhibiting their limited vocabulary: "My goodness... my goodness..."


    Finally, as if they had discovered a new continent, they came upon a watchmaker''s small booth. It featured a glass showcase filled with an assortment of delicate and finely crafted timepieces.


    The two were quick to notice the exquisitely crafted new-style wristwatch placed in the center and, with wide eyes, exclaimed in wonder, "Such a small clock?"


    This figure wasn''t considered high in Brunas, as many tycoons were willing to pay for more precise timekeeping and designs that showcased their status.


    After all, in Brunas, all investments made money, and all ventures yielded handsome returns¡ªeven if you just bought a few houses, you''d find property values soaring, and your profits brimming.


    Therefore, a wristwatch costing more than ten automobiles wasn''t strange at all¡ªin the real world, it was nothing extraordinary.


    However, the price still shocked the countess accompanying the tycoon¡ªshe didn''t have many assets, and 700 Gold Coins was not an amount she could casually part with: "How much?"


    "700 Gold Coins, Miss," the craftsman replied politely.


    Without waiting for her companion to speak again, the tycoon declared without hesitation, "What a bargain, I''ll take it."


    She had decided to use this wristwatch as a stepping stone in Brunas, to display her financial strength and then increase her investments in the city!


    Just one glance at the streets and alleys here was enough to captivate anyone; the city was just that splendid, worth the price!


    "Thank you, thank you!" The watchmaker rubbed his hands together and thanked them with a beaming smile¡ªpreviously, he had been a bit worried about whether he could actually sell anything "setting up shop" at such an industrial expo.


    Now, he had no doubts. What concerned him at that moment was whether the watches he had made were enough to sell...


    At another booth, a crowd of tycoons involved in the railway sector was gathering. Many had become rich through railways, and quite a few in Dorne and Suthers were exceptionally wealthy individuals.


    Now, these wealthy folks gathered together, jostling and pushing to get a closer look at the steam locomotive exhibit not far away.

 Chapter 397 388 Expo_3

    The guide stood in front of the crowd, maintaining order while presenting his product, "This is the most advanced steam train in the world, capable of reaching a terrifying speed of 90 kilometers per hour!"


    "The key is the power it can provide, which is more abundant than all previous train engines, allowing it to pull 20 carriages!" he explained as he walked from the front of the train to its tail end.


    Then, he continued, pointing at the train tracks below, "Standard gauge, no modifications needed to use this type of engine head! It''s revolutionary! Perfect!"


    "So, we would like to pre-order three of these engine heads, do you have them in stock?" an elf wearing a top hat asked loudly, waving his arms.


    "There''s no stock available... sir... this is for exhibition purposes... to demonstrate the Great Tang Group''s leading industrial technology... If you want in-stock items, you can place a pre-order," the guide politely responded.


    The elf showed a disappointed expression upon hearing the answer, but still continued to ask, "Then, how long will it be before we can get the stock?"


    "About a year from now," the guide replied with a polite smile.


    An elven tycoon immediately complained, "Oh! Bloody hell! Why do we have to wait so long? We need it now... "


    At his side, a Dwarf was shoving, trying to push out competitors taller than him, "Make way, sir, if you''re not buying, we want to place our order! Damn it! If you''re not buying, then why are you standing so close to the front?"


    "We want to order five engines! And the matching carriages..." he complained as he shouted loudly.


    Watching a machine impress beautiful patterns on a well-cut deer skin, a merchant exclaimed excitedly, "This is Northern Ridge''s new deer skin processing machinery... so advanced! With it, I''d only need three workers to accomplish what would have taken 45 workers before."


    The machine worked smoothly and very quickly, able to imprint a variety of patterns on deer skin, something that previously required many skilled workers to complete but now required just a few workers and one machine.


    Thus, a leather merchant who seemed quite interested said, "Look at its operation, my God! It''s an absolute pleasure!"


    "Yes, assuming your city has an electrical system... Without sufficient electricity, this device would merely be a paperweight," his friend pointed out the catch right away, dampening the enthusiasm.


    After pondering for a few seconds, the leather merchant, who had grown wealthy through his trade, seemed more interested in generating electricity, "What if, I mean if, I bought a set of electrical equipment for my city... Started a power plant... Would there be any prospects?"


    His friend snorted sarcastically and continued to pour cold water, "Prospects? Of course, there are... Do you know? Great Tang''s electrical equipment is also in high demand, with hundreds, if not thousands, eager to start their power plants... You might not be able to get one."


    "My cousin''s grandmother''s step-brother''s daughter-in-law, I heard she''s well-connected in Brunas, maybe I could try to leverage some connections," the leather merchant decided to flaunt his influential personal network to his friend.


    Sure enough, his friend no longer scoffed but earnestly pleaded, "If you can get one... Count me in... I''ll invest 3000 Gold Coins..."


    "Deal! We''ll strike it rich together," the merchant nodded in agreement, quite enjoying the feeling of being sought after.


    Joking aside, if he really secured the electrical equipment, he could make money investing anywhere¡ªwhy would he even consider looking for shareholders at such a time?

 Chapter 398 388 Expo_4

    His friend didn''t catch his perfunctory tone, and instead continued to ask, "Yeah, yeah! Strike it rich together... So, are you still buying that deerskin processing machine?"


    "Buy? Of course, I''m buying. That''s a business passed down from my ancestors, how could I have the heart to abandon it..." The leather merchant was all serious and sincere, but inside he was already figuring out how to invite that "little uncle''s maternal grandfather''s cousin''s daughter-in-law" out for a casual meal...


    "Let''s go check that out..." Seeing a crowd gathering in the distance, his friend pointed and said.


    The leather merchant immediately showed great interest, "Go! Go! Let''s go together!"


    It was only when they got closer that they realized it was a manufacturer of electricity generating equipment, seemingly very successful.


    After all, these days, everyone''s short on electricity and electrical equipment, so how could the booth of such an electrical equipment manufacturer not be bustling?


    The electrical equipment from Great Tang Group couldn''t be acquired by just paying money; one also had to wait in line for production. Naturally, these smaller electrical equipment manufacturers could also snag some hefty orders.


    "Everybody come take a look! Take a look here! This is the brand-new electrical equipment from Ice Crystal River Power Company! Small in size, simple to generate power! Come take a look!" the salesman shouted with all his might. Experience more tales on empire


    "Rest assured... Our transformers, they''re of very good quality... And even if we were to offer a discount, how much electricity do you think a small city uses? It''s not like it''s a massive project, right?" The salesman again put on a trustworthy front.


    "I don''t know why, but it feels somewhat unreliable," the leather merchant started to get cold feet.


    "Alright, I''ll tell you the truth, it is somewhat unreliable... but we do have our advantages," the salesman said through gritted teeth, pulling out his trump card.


    "Advantages, what advantages?" Sure enough, the leather merchant seemed to regain his interest.


    "Price!" the salesman declared.


    "Price?" The leather merchant blinked in surprise.


    "Yes! Price! Our electricity generating equipment is about one-fifth the price of Great Tang Power''s," he said, showing his palm and gesturing.


    ---------


    There''s one more update coming later; it will be a bit late, but you can look forward to it in the morning.

 Chapter 399 389 Gobur brand cars

    "Really?" The leather merchant expressed his shock upon hearing the price, because he knew how much money this could save him.


    With the same amount of capital, he could purchase five times the amount of electricity equipment¡ªeven if the quality of these devices wasn''t great, and only half of them worked, it would still ensure that he had more than double the electricity output.


    For a merchant, more electricity meant more income, and that was all money!


    The sales representative immediately nodded, as he, too, wanted to close this deal as soon as possible, "Of course it''s real."


    "In stock?" The leather merchant decided to let the bastards at Great Tang Electricity go to hell. He could buy cheaper products and transform his city into the second Brunas!


    "In stock!" the salesperson immediately nodded, confirming that they indeed had the goods available on hand, fair and square.


    The leather merchant immediately extended his finger, "Great! I''ll take 10 sets! 10 sets of this equipment you mentioned, including the necessary electrical wires and transformers..."


    He had only recently learned these terms through an introduction, and now he was using them directly.


    The sales representative became visibly overjoyed, gesturing with an inviting hand, "You''re so wise! This way, please! Let''s talk inside!"


    This kind of exchange was frantically happening at many booths, with countless contracts being signed simultaneously.


    Everyone realized the charm of such a grand event, where the amount of trade going on here was almost calculated in billions.


    City electricity, factory equipment, trains and railways, ore, and even entire mines were being traded, all large projects by tens of thousands, but here one contract followed another as if it were a free giveaway.


    ...


    On the other side of the Crystal Palace, at a new and fascinating automobile booth, a brand new car that had never appeared in Brunas shone with a dazzling paint finish, attracting many eyes.


    The car''s design was somewhat rustic, with most of its lines not differing much from the Model T, but there were still some distinct differences from the old Model T of Brunas.


    For instance, this car had bigger headlights, and the front end was longer, making it look more luxurious than the Model T sedan.


    Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this was a copy of Tang Mo''s Model T car, but in a world without proper patent protection laws, no one felt that such plagiarism was inappropriate in any way.


    In the end, the rule was simple: if you can, then copy; if the other party can, let them beat the copier to death; if they can''t, they just have to bear it.


    The presence of this copycat product in the Crystal Palace was testament to Tang Mo''s magnanimity and goodwill, as well as to the depth of the automotive company''s resources.


    Since the Great Tang Group didn''t mind, everyone also gathered around, curious to inspect this rather nice-looking car.


    A potential car buyer, coveting the automobile, glanced at the booth''s slogan with some confusion and asked, "Gobur cars? This doesn''t seem any different from the Model T... It looks just the same."


    Indeed, after hearing the lower price, the few people all paused, "Cheaper?"


    None of these people were particularly wealthy, otherwise they wouldn''t be hesitating now about which brand of car to choose. Price was important to them, saving a dozen or so Gold Coins was certainly a huge temptation. Enjoy more content from empire


    "Yes! Cheaper! Our car, all inclusive, only costs 55 Gold Coins each!" the salesman promptly revealed the car''s low price.


    He actually had no other option, as this pricing was basically selling at a loss to gain attention¡ªcompared to Great Tang''s manufacturing plants, Shireck''s facilities were clearly a notch lower, and not cheap to run.


    Great Tang had priced the T-model car at around 70 Gold Coins, putting Shireck under direct pressure to contend with cost when producing their cars.


    This was unavoidable, as to get a slice of the car market share, Shireck had to grit their teeth and keep up, bearing the pricing pressure from Great Tang and ensuring their car prices were even lower.


    Sofia was a sharp thinker, she knew that as long as she could secure a foothold in the market, it wouldn''t take long to recoup the investments in other ways.


    It was a long-term strategy, an industrial layout where she knew she would lose money, yet had to step up to the challenge, which led her to dismiss the opposition and set the price of Gobur cars at 55 Gold Coins, almost at cost.


    Indeed, her strategy worked, the people who heard the price of 55 Gold Coins were indeed tempted.


    "That''s really not expensive." One of them was even ready to take out his money to buy the car.


    Another nodded continuously, "Exactly! It''s quite a bargain! If you want to own a car, this might be your best chance."


    However, the rest were still full of doubts, one spoke bluntly and without politeness, "But... if it''s not a Great Tang car, it seems there''s no prestige in it."


    "True, if it''s not a Great Tang car, I guess no woman would want to get in it." Another young man ready to buy a car hesitated as well.


    Buying a car as a means of transportation was just one purpose; the other was to solve one''s marriage issues... Clearly, a Gobur car seemed to lack the second function.


    "Let''s not talk about it, talking too much is just tears..." His comment immediately drew nods of agreement from many, as they nodded in unison.


    Just then, someone else raised an even sharper question, "And also, if the car... breaks down, there''s nowhere to get it fixed, right?"


    His words stunned the Gobur car salesman, who was then left speechless as he watched the potential buyers shake their heads and walk away.


    Truth be told, before transporting the cars to Brunas for promotion and sale at the Crystal Palace, Shireck had not considered that selling cars was distinctly different from selling other products.


    A car sale is about the after-sales service!


    Without after-sales support, without technical support, it seemed quite difficult for them to sell a Gobur car in Brunas.


    ----------


    I still owe everyone... four more updates.

 Chapter 400 I have learned 390

    Inside the Crystal Palace, the products on display were truly a feast for the eyes. You might think it was a booth selling carpets, but upon closer inspection, you realized it was a sales booth for automatic carpet weaving machinery.


    Here, one could buy not only watches but also many things that one normally wouldn''t even dare to dream of. As long as you had money, you could easily spend it all here, not a penny spared.


    After sending away the crowd of onlookers, a Gobur sales representative sat down on a stool with a thud and complained to his supervisor, "It seems we really need to set up service stations in various regions to increase our competitiveness."


    Without service stations set up in Brunas, a car breakdown would mean nowhere to repair it, which was an unavoidable issue for consumers.


    So, although Gobur cars were a good value for money and had some pretty good design features, they still managed to sell only a few cars by the end of the morning.


    The few who did buy Gobur cars were quite interesting. One was the secretary of Harry from the Great Tang Group, whose purpose in buying the car was to collect the first mass-produced model by Shireck, as per Tang Mo''s plans.


    Another was a delegate from the Ice Cold Kingdom who bought a Shireck car, perhaps to study their competitor.


    Also, there was someone who bought because the price was cheap enough, and the Shireck salesperson assured him that after the discount, the price would only be 50 Gold Coins, almost a tenth cheaper, and he was promised free future repairs...


    "I''ve inquired, and that''s exactly the model that the Great Tang Group uses. Wherever they want to sell cars, they always open a repair factory first... they''re very thorough," said the thirsty salesperson, grabbing a cup and guzzling water greedily.


    Another team leader also felt it was getting hotter: "Exactly... or at least, cooperate with the Great Tang Group''s people, let them help us repair our cars... after all, it''s all their technology, and the vehicle structure is also similar."


    The exhibition hall filled with glass was crowded, not to mention it was nearing noon¡ªthere was no air conditioning in this era, so the rising indoor temperature was inevitable.


    All Tang Mo could do was to design with more windows and open them at this time to improve the ventilation in the venue.


    Additionally, huge ceiling fans were used to increase air circulation¡ªthe propellers were no secret now, as the shipbuilding division of the Great Tang Group had already displayed a huge ship model in the most prominent position of the exhibition hall.


    "Only if we improve our maintenance and after-sales capabilities, will we be able to sell our cars..." the sales staff easily summarized the trick to selling cars.


    "Yeah! I think... this trip has been really educational... definitely worth it," expressed the Shireck team leader responsible for car sales, relaying his own feelings.


    He was officially the head of sales at Gobur Automotive Company, personally in charge of car sales for this trip.


    Seeing the boss speak like this, the other salespeople quickly nodded and agreed, "Yes, indeed, we learned a lot."


    The delegation from the Ice Cold Kingdom brought quite a few items. They had their own mining machinery on display and had developed the Ice Cold brand car with the technical support of the Great Tang Group.


    To be honest, early automotive technology was not that mysterious¡ªbe it the gearbox or the engine, nothing was super complicated. With some industrial base and a few years of careful study, one could eventually figure it out.


    The salesperson continued, endlessly enthusiastic: "With the assistance of an electrical system, it can provide users with unprecedented powerful services!"


    "On the driver''s side, we added a radio, which can make driving a joy." As he said this, he opened the car door.


    Because the car was expensive, the salesperson even professionally put on gloves to avoid leaving any traces on it: "The driver can listen to a variety of programs on radio stations while driving, listen to music, listen to stories, or listen to news! This can make long journeys interesting, turning driving into an enjoyment!"


    With that, he turned on the radio, and the speakers immediately crackled with the sound of electricity.


    Upon hearing this familiar sound, the surrounding elite and wealthy audience immediately became sentimental: "This is so thoughtful, to actually install a radio in a car is unimaginable."


    "Moreover, with the battery system, it doesn''t need to be started externally anymore. The driver just needs to simply and conveniently turn the key, and the engine will emit a pleasant roaring sound!" The salesperson, having emerged from the car, continued to introduce.


    "Oh... my... goodness... too advanced." After he demonstrated how to start the car, everyone marveled once again.


    "The interior is extensively furnished with expensive genuine leather, soft and comfortable to every inch, with immense space in the back seat... Everyone knows, this has always been a selling point of our Rolls-Royce luxury sedans!


    In the back, you can do whatever you like!" Surrounded by admiring exclamations, the salesperson opened the car''s rear door and continued to smile as he pointed out the selling features of the car.


    "Hehe! Really nice." Indeed, a few real tycoons exchanged knowing nods and smiled. Explore more adventures at empire


    Some portly middle-aged nouveau riches also quickly got the idea, and their expressions became most animated: "Exactly! This design is heartfelt."


    Even a few rather explicit ones hugged their female companions tighter, joining the socialites in emitting somewhat indecent laughs: "Hahaha!"


    "Luxurious wooden steering wheel, paired with a brand-new gearbox! Its speed can approach 120 kilometers per hour, and its mighty control still lets you drive with confidence!" Amidst the laughter, the salesperson kept diligently explaining the car''s features: "Such advanced design, such advanced performance, such attentive details... each one highlights the user''s taste and status."


    "Wow!" Applause broke out, lasting a long time. Of course, the socialites and wealthy individuals gathered here were all aiming to show off their unique tastes and status.


    Once everyone was drooling over the car, the salesperson began distributing pre-printed spec sheets to these magnates: "In the future, such a Rolls-Royce will have a considerate price tag of 12,000 Gold Coins!"


    "Oh..." Hearing this price, many socialites let out gasps of amazement.


    "Hiss..." Quite a few less wealthy businessmen also inhaled sharply.


    -------


    Finally managed to pay back a little debt... still owe everyone 3 updates!

 Chapter 401 Booth 391 Arms

    ```


    "Not bad at all!" The truly wealthy couldn''t hide the glint in their eyes at this moment.


    On the other side, a nouveau riche hearing the price was even more thrilled, "Yes! Once again, we can widen the gap between us and those ordinary people."


    "It''s not expensive! If everyone could afford it, would it still be a Rolls-Royce?" In the end, a gem-bedecked billionaire settled the discussion, voicing his innermost thoughts.


    What they feared was not the high price, but that the goods they used could be afforded by everyone! They wanted others to know they were rich and feared becoming indistinguishable from the masses.


    This was akin to people still buying Gucci plastic bags for thousands of dollars or transparent inflatable vests selling for sky-high prices.


    Wealthy people are not fools; they just go to great lengths to set themselves apart from the poor, and for this, they don''t mind spending a bit more.


    To them, 12,000 Gold Coins was actually not a big deal. If spending this money could make them stand out, they would feel the expense was worth it, a total bargain!


    "That makes sense! I''m going to put my deposit down right now! I''ll reserve one!" Sure enough, a fit and wealthy second-generation heir, nonchalantly spoke up with a debonair appearance.


    Beside the second-generation rich kid, the flamboyant merchant who had rings on every finger and gold teeth showing as he smiled spoke astonishingly, "One car? I''ll buy ten!"


    He owned oil fields in Nanla and with the recent surge in oil prices, he didn''t care about such a trifling amount of money.


    As long as the price of oil continued to rise, his net worth would be frighteningly huge¡ªhe''d been considering donating enough money to buy a position in the Empire of Nanla.


    "Who is that?" A few women immediately started whispering among themselves, and the oil tycoon''s face grew even more smug.


    "Pfft... A country bumpkin." A man laughed and came up behind the tycoon, uttering a sarcastic remark.


    Before the oil rich man could say anything, the newcomer pointed at the car on display and said, "Mr. Tang just said this car''s sold to me! Make sure no one scratches it!"


    His statement immediately made the oil magnate swallow the words in his mouth¡ªhis wealth might have been comparable, but knowing Tang Mo complicated matters.


    "Who is that guy?" A nearby socialite felt herself getting excited.


    Her friend immediately understood where her thoughts were going, glancing at her, "Look at you! Are you really that anxious?"


    "Sister, dear... You don''t even like older men, leave him to your older sister," said the name-dropping socialite, almost drooling.


    Her friend chuckled, leaning in to whisper, "You don''t know? That''s the Marquis of Bailu! Business has been booming for him recently, and I heard his Bailu Team has won 7 straight matches..."


    "No wonder, it''s him..." The women appeared to suddenly understand.


    "This guy is loaded, and he has a very good relationship with Mr. Tang... I heard he has a son who plays football for the Dragon City Team, and he''s quite skilled," On the other side, several men also cast envious glances.


    Such fearsome power endowed this type of artillery with many arduous tasks: breaching the enemy''s fortified defensive areas, destroying the enemy''s solid fortifications.


    With the development of weapons and changes in tactics, many countries around the world began to build solid fortifications at their borders, establishing super fortresses that had not appeared in the past.


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    These fortresses were constructed using cement or huge stones, incredibly solid. Inside these fortified strongholds, heavy troops were garrisoned, equipped with machine guns and artillery, making them very tough to deal with and causing attackers a lot of headaches.


    Therefore, the Great Tang Group introduced this super fortress killer to enhance the attacking abilities of the offensive side.


    As long as there was a way to get this kind of artillery to the front lines, there would basically be no defensive line or fortress that couldn''t be conquered.


    This thing only needed dozens of shells to be hammered down, and it was estimated that the garrison inside even the sturdiest fortress would not be able to withstand the bombardment and would surrender.


    Thus, when the envoys and officers from various countries who came to visit the weaponry exhibition area saw this displayed cannon, everyone was stunned.


    Keep in mind, the hefty barrel of this cannon alone was nearly 3.4 meters long! Along with the gun mount and recoil mechanism, the entire system was over 5 meters tall, and the diameter of the base was likewise over 5 meters, almost reaching 6 meters!


    To describe this cannon as a behemoth was in no way an exaggeration. The world had never before seen such a massive land artillery piece.


    Although the giant muzzle-loaders produced by the Shireck workshop were also very large, the lack of recoil mechanisms and mounts meant they did not have the same formidable visual impact.


    Every officer who saw this cannon was intimidated; they didn''t know how much of a fighting chance their own military would have when facing such an iron behemoth.


    When they saw the display shells placed in front of this big cannon, they were even somewhat afraid, fearful that such huge shells would one day fall on their own heads.


    No defense work could withstand such shells, and likewise, no soldier could maintain the fight under the threat of such terrifying bombardments.


    People whispered in front of this massively intimidating cannon, not even daring to raise their voices. It was an instinctive fear, an awe that came from deep within.


    In comparison, the 155-millimeter towed howitzer and the 105-type light howitzer, heavily promoted by Great Tang, did not shock people as directly as the 280-millimeter cannon did.


    But Tang Mo knew, the real artillery capable of changing the course of war was precisely those medium-caliber, easy to haul pieces that could keep pace with the advancing troops.


    As for the 280-caliber behemoth, it was just a show of skill by Tang Mo, a means to bamboozle those clueless dogs who knew nothing at all.


    They knew nothing, and only liked to buy weapons that appeared immensely powerful in order to deter their rivals.


    Clearly, outfitting your troops with many machine guns and steel helmets wasn''t as straightforwardly effective as deploying ten fortress killers.


    Moreover, when used to defend a city, these massive and extraordinarily cumbersome cannons no longer had the issue of inconvenient transportation; instead, their immense power became the highlighted feature.


    Delightful, isn''t it?

 Chapter 402 392 New Things

    "With such a bustling scene, aren''t you tempted to have a look?" Leite VII asked from the VIP lounge on the second floor, overlooking the sea of people outside the glass windows of the exhibition hall.


    Tang Mo put down his wine glass with a smile and said to Leite VII, "I didn''t expect Your Majesty to come in person..."


    "The Laines Empire is about to become operational, and I need to prepare for the coronation ceremony... Thinking about these matters, I couldn''t rest easy without coming to see Mr. Tang in person," Leite VII said.


    "There''s nothing to worry about, we''ve been cooperating for more than a day or two, and since there haven''t been any problems, it''s unlikely there will be any issues," Tang Mo assured, swirling the fine wine in his glass.


    "Thank you," Leite VII nodded, showing a semblance of belief in Tang Mo''s words. "I''ve heard you''ve launched quite a few new technologies recently?"


    Tang Mo nodded, "That''s right, the production speed of the Brunas-class warships has increased. I''ve built two more and am looking for new buyers."


    Leite VII was taken aback and then made a somewhat reluctant promise, "I can pay to buy them."


    "You should keep your money... Your Imperial Majesty! As far as I know, your financial state isn''t very good and won''t see much improvement in the short term," Tang Mo said with a laugh, declining Leite VII''s kind offer.


    Leite VII breathed a sigh of relief and explained, "We are now bordering the Empire of Nanla; both empires are very vigilant... They are increasing their military presence at the border, guarding against us... We also have to be cautious and construct a defensive line at the border."


    Tang Mo was aware of this, as constructing a defensive line was no small matter. Leite VII had mobilized 100,000 soldiers and conscripted 30,000 civilian workers to embark on extensive construction at the border.


    The Empire of Nanla was also on edge, amassing 120,000 troops at their border and constructing a massive and impressively long defensive line.


    Both sides feared the other would strike first, so their reactions were quite intense. Despite the mediation by the Great Tang Group, which kept both sides informed of each other''s intentions and tried to defuse tensions, the reinforcement of troops at the border continued unabated.


    What was even more ironically amusing was that both sides had purchased vast amounts of cement and even significant quantities of rebar for their defensive lines.


    However, these materials were produced by the Great Tang Group and Northern Ridge, transported over lengthy railway and highway routes, arriving near the border. Enjoy new chapters from empire


    Afterwards, the Empire of Nanla took half, and the Laines Empire took the other half, each using them for their opposing defensive lines...


    The situation was absurd; the bulk of both sides'' armaments came from the Great Tang Group, with artillery of essentially the same model, and even the number of machine guns was evenly matched.


    Yet, this was not the most absurd of all.


    What was truly bizarre was that, when both sides found themselves tight on finances, they both thought of approaching the Great Tang Group for loans... almost at the same time.


    The Great Tang Group lent Gold Coin to both empires, then collected high interest, resulting in both nations spending the borrowed money back at the Great Tang Group on weapons and cement.


    The Empire of Nanla was a bit better off, not as thoroughly infiltrated, but the situation in the Laines Empire was different; Leite VII was painfully aware that Tang Mo knew even more about his nation''s financial affairs than he did.


    He couldn''t possibly ask Tang Mo for anything¡ªthe finance minister of his empire was a lackey of the Great Tang Group, the currency used by his nation was issued by the Great Tang Group, and about half of the empire''s officials were trained by the Great Tang Group.


    Leite VII waved his hand magnanimously, a nonchalant smile on his face as he said, "No matter! If Mr. Tang intended to poison me, I probably couldn''t escape it even in the Imperial Palace."


    Tang Mo laughed along, nonchalantly clearing his name, "You jest, Your Majesty. I am but a businessman. Murder... is not my forte."


    While saying this, he seemed to have forgotten the unsanctified Qiumuluo, as well as Gis who lay buried by the roadside even now.


    Of course, these were still his little secrets unknown to most... As for King Germelin, whose name was almost universally known, it seemed at this moment he had become completely transparent.


    "Hehehe!" Leite VII laughed sincerely.


    "Hahaha!" Tang Mo laughed as well, quite naturally.


    "So cold..." Yulin, tasting ice cream for the first time, let out a comfortable sigh without any guard, squinting her eyes.


    Alice, by her side, had also already put the ice cream from her spoon into her mouth. A rich milky flavor coupled with an exaggerated coolness spread throughout her mouth.


    Instantly, she fell in love with this food.


    Similarly, Yulin, sitting beside her, couldn''t wait to deliver the second spoonful of ice cream to her lips.


    The first time Leite VII tasted it, he was shocked by the food¡ªwhile he wasn''t unused to seeing ice in the summer, and the royal family did indeed store ice in cellars for the summer,


    the idea of making something so delicious out of ice was still quite astonishing to Leite VII. He savored the delightful melting of milk and ice in his mouth and then opened his eyes in surprise, "Excellent! Truly a rare delicacy."


    Tang Mo burst into proud laughter because the real source of his pride wasn''t the ice or the ice cream, but the fact that he had created the world''s first compressor and thereby the world''s first refrigerator!


    Therefore, he could enjoy an endless supply of his own ice on these sweltering summer days, as well as cold drinks and all sorts of chilled delicacies.


    Unknowingly, he had transformed this world into a more wonderful place.


    "How much for this cannon? We at Suthers want to place an order, 10 units!" Downstairs, in the hall, a Sutherian officer, unable to resist temptation, pulled a salesperson aside, lowering his voice to speak.


    He was in need of some ultimate weapons to catch the enemy off guard and break through the border defense.


    The once formidable-looking Maxim machine gun mounted on sandbags had now unfortunately become a pitiable object, garnering no interest.


    The sweethearts of the past had indeed become pathetic old cows upon the advent of bigger, better, and more potent options¡ªwhat a sorrowful and mournful story.


    "Come take a look! Mosin-Nagant Rifles on massive sale! Half price for our generous promotion! Affordable and good quality!" Far off at the Dwarf weapon booth, the salespeople were shouting their lungs out, hoping to end their woeful lack of attention.


    ----------


    I still owe everyone 3 more updates, I''ll get them out slowly... T-T

 Chapter 403 393 Amazing Deals

    Tang Mo didn''t showcase his most advanced automatic weapons at the exhibition; instead, he displayed the mature Maxim series of machine guns.


    This caused his automatic weapons to seem less impressive, so the spotlight was completely stolen by a massive cannon with a 280mm caliber.


    But everyone knew that weapons had already changed the mode of warfare, and what future wars would look like was uncertain now.


    In the past, training a soldier merely required issuing a uniform, a musket, then having them fire a few shots. Nowadays, the cost of training a soldier was obviously higher.


    Steel helmets gradually gained attention from troops of various countries, and although they hadn''t become ubiquitous yet, the number of nations equipping their soldiers with steel helmets was increasing.


    With the widespread use of brass cartridge ammunition, all soldiers now needed equipment to carry ammunition on either side.


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    The standardization of bayonet scabbards and greater attention to soldiers'' boots¡ªunder the continuous influence of the Great Tang Group¡ªmeant that sending a soldier to the battlefield was no longer an easy task.


    The harsh winter was no longer an excuse for halting combat operations, which made winter coats, overcoats, and even wood for heating essentials for the troops.


    To support a unit in front-line combat required more and more logistics personnel and even logistics equipment.


    Without a choice, once a nation had the capability for winter warfare, all countries were forced to seriously consider the risk of being invaded by an adversary during winter.


    As these BUFFs stacked, everyone was surprised to find that the ratio of combat personnel to other personnel in the current composition of troops was nearing 1:1.


    That is to say, a battalion that originally had 500 people essentially amounted to around 1000 people after all the adjustments.


    Clearly, this was too costly! It was necessary to reduce the scale of logistical support and backup troops to maintain a reasonable ratio within the force, in order to achieve an optimal state.


    As a result, everyone began military reforms unanimously¡ªphasing out the old battalion and regiment structures, as commanders started using a more rational modern military framework.


    Battalions were elevated to regiments to maintain basic independent combat capabilities. Regiments were then expanded into divisions, with each division assigned large-caliber support artillery.


    From another perspective, it looked as though the battalion structure hadn''t changed, but more logistics support troops were added at the regimental level, along with medium and small caliber support artillery, while large caliber artillery was allocated at the divisional level.


    Because the advocates of this kind of military reform were mostly graduates from the Great Tang Military Academy, the solutions they offered were highly standardized: Suthers, Laines, Dorne, and other nations had very similar troop compositions.


    Companies and platoons adopted the tripartite system, with one squad comprising 12 men, one platoon having 3 squads totaling 40 men, and one company consisting of 3 platoons, making up 150 men, while a battalion was made up of 3 companies, amounting to 500 men.


    The extra personnel at each level served as administrative staff, logistics personnel, clerks, and signalmen.


    In the same vein, a regiment was composed of 3 battalions, with a total strength of around 2000 men. A division was comprised of 4 regiments, one of which was a logistics support regiment equipped with artillery, automobiles, and carriages, and it did not directly engage in combat.


    With this calculation, a division''s total strength exceeded 8000 men, more than the manpower of five original regiments.


    But this force''s capability for ammunition delivery was more powerful than that of the original ten, or even twenty, regiments.

 Chapter 404 393 Amazing Deals_2

    ```


    In fact, most of the reorganized troops have not yet reached this scale. Currently, the basic organization size for a division level unit in various countries is about 6,000, and understaffing is a serious issue.


    On one hand, war has not broken out, and the military is not in a hurry to fill up to full strength for combat. On the other hand, the shortage of technical positions is really hard to fill.


    Not all countries have a large number of college graduates like Tang Mo to fill the vacancies in the military, so they can only wait or train some people intensively.


    Whether it''s establishing schools for training or recruiting into the military and then training little by little, the speed can''t be too fast. That''s why division-level units in most countries are actually understaffed.


    To make these understaffed divisions as combat-ready as possible, it''s necessary to procure a large amount of weapons and equipment to first beef up the combat sections. Therefore, at this expo, although Tang Mo did not bring out more new weapons, the military procurement by various countries was still booming.


    Moreover, the arms trade is no longer limited to just firearms and ammunition.


    For instance, Dorne, in order to support its massive military reform plan, purchased 1,200 trucks and 200 cars in one go, and this procurement is only the first phase.


    Because Dorne has been continuously buying trucks from the Great Tang Group and shows no signs of stopping.


    Suthers, due to its horse production, has not purchased as many military vehicles as Dorne, but the quantity is still staggering¡ªthey purchased 700 trucks this time, along with 300 cars to equip their troops.


    At the same time, these two countries also purchased grenade production lines and rifle production lines at this exposition.


    Both countries, following the Great Tang Group''s example, designed their own military uniforms, boots, hats, and individual equipment.


    Watching his employees busy below, Tang Mo estimated that at this expo, the total price of arms sold by the Great Tang Group should be over 20 million Gold Coins.


    This is already a considerable figure, and if you add cars and pharmaceuticals, the number will be even more astonishing.


    The ice cream in the dish has begun to melt, and the entire exposition has also reached its climax. People are wildly spending Gold Coins as if the goods here were so cheap! In fact, the goods here are actually expensive; it''s just impossible to buy them anywhere else.


    Tang Mo handed the dish in his hand to Harry, who bowed his head slightly and reported a figure in Tang Mo''s ear¡ªthe total price of the contracts they had just signed.


    Upon hearing a satisfactory number, Tang Mo nodded slightly, and his smile became even more amiable. He said to Leite VII, who was enjoying ice cream, "You must come to watch the car race tomorrow. The excitement not to be missed will absolutely surprise you."


    Leite VII put down his dish and nodded as a matter of course, "Of course, I now have no doubts whatsoever about that! I believe that the spectacles Mr. Tang has organized will be thrilling enough!"


    That was over 10 million Gold Coins! If he could just get his hands on it, he could almost pay off the entire loan from the Great Tang Group.


    "Right now, our sales amount has almost reached..." As Tang Mo spoke, he leaned over to Yulin''s ear and whispered a number.


    Yulin''s eyes widened in shock; she found it hard to believe that in just one morning, the Great Tang Group had already earned 27.5 million Gold Coins!


    Unfortunately, this business secret could not be shared with King Leite VII, because Tang Mo understood the principle of not flaunting one''s wealth.


    Still, Tang Mo felt a bit less satisfied with his achievement because he could not boast about his success in front of King Leite.


    People are superficial; what difference would it make to win if one cannot show off? Wouldn''t that be a waste?


    Emperor Leite VII strained to eavesdrop, but he only caught the beginning of the sentence. The latter number, which he was very interested in, eluded him.


    However, he guessed more or less correctly that Tang Mo''s income by now was at least upwards of 15 million.


    After all, just moments ago he had heard about the sale of the two warships for 10 million Gold Coins, and with the rest added on, Tang Mo must have already surpassed 15 million Gold Coins.


    "That much?" Yulin was somewhat incredulous.


    "Indeed, it''s not a small amount, but we have quite a few items we can sell in the afternoon too; I estimate the final total deal price will be even higher," Tang Mo couldn''t help feeling a bit proud.


    Anyone who could develop their business to the scale of Tang Mo''s could indulge in a bit of self-intoxication without hesitation. He could now be called a world arms dealer, owning innumerable factories and employing a legion of workers.


    His factories'' chimneys stretched from Brunas to Jade City, and from Jade City they extended all the way to Ice Crystal City.


    Along with the factories from Ice Crystal City continuing to Wolf City, the scale of the entire industry had grown vast enough to be daunting.


    The perceptive Emperor Leite VII knew that Tang Mo could not possibly spend the whole day with him, and his presence here would only delay Tang Mo from discussing the company''s secrets with his subordinates; thus, he tactfully rose to take his leave: "I won''t bother Mr. Tang any longer, I''ll go downstairs and enjoy the bustling scene."


    Tang Mo also stood up to see him off: "No worries! It''s not bothering... me... I''ll escort you! Your Majesty!"


    ----------


    Today''s update is short because I went out to eat with friends for Dragon Boat Festival, and I came back late. I''ll make up for it later... sorry.

 Chapter 405 394 World Famous Paintings

    "Oh, by the way, Your Majesty, what do you think if Great Tang Group, in the future, focuses its development on the west side of the Endless Sea?" As he approached the door, Tang Mo seemed to ask casually, as if it were of no consequence.


    Leite VII paused in his step, appearing to be stunned for a second, then he smiled and said, "We''re friends, strategic partners. Since Mister Tang hopes to expand to the west of the Endless Sea, I am, of course, very supportive."


    Tang Mo heard sincerity in that response.


    In the other''s eyes, there was surprise that couldn''t be concealed. Tang Mo could even detect from his voice that sense of relief and joy as if a burden had been lifted.


    "I''ll consider it thoroughly," Tang Mo didn''t say much more, offering just a vaguely noncommittal comment.


    Leite VII nodded his head, then left the room. When he saw his Prime Minister once again, he couldn''t suppress his joy.


    "He said... Great Tang Group is preparing to expand westward..." As the two walked through a hallway filled with artworks, Leite VII couldn''t wait to share the news.


    He didn''t specify who he was talking about, but the Prime Minister naturally knew that ''he'' referred to Mister Tang, whom King Leite took great care to mention.


    "This is good news for us. If he''s willing to move westward, then we can divert more of our energy into enhancing our influence over the neighboring regions," the Prime Minister said after a brief contemplation.


    Leite VII nodded and agreed with the Prime Minister''s opinion, "You''re right. Without him laying out his intentions, many kings and emperors would be losing sleep over it."


    "This man is terrifying. He seems to be interested only in money, but everyone understands that an excess of wealth is also a cause for concern," Leite VII remarked, admiring the famous paintings on the walls with a tinge of envy.


    The paintings hanging in this corridor were gifts from other kingdoms or powers to Great Tang Group, or they were owned by wealthy businessmen who had defaulted on their debts to Great Tang Group and had to use them for collateral.


    Yet, these were sought-after treasures on the market, all items that made Leite VII quite envious.


    "The Weeping Shepherdess..." He stopped walking, looked up at a painting on the wall, and mumbled thoughtfully.


    The Prime Minister paused, startled, then noticed the apparently recently hanged renowned painting ¡ª it depicted an old Dwarf lady wiping away tears among a group of sheep that resembled demons.


    "A masterwork from Furnace Fortress, the beloved treasure of Greybeard, the last ruler of the fallen Dwarf Empire..." said Leite VII, his envious tone tinged with bitterness.


    This painting was akin to the Mona Lisa of this world, almost the most famous ancient artwork known. Its creator, recognized as the world''s greatest painter thousands of years ago, had made his name with "The Weeping Shepherdess."


    Legend has it that the last tyrant of the Dwarf Empire, Emperor Greybeard, who laid his empire to waste, adored this painting so much that he hung it in the most prominent spot in the great hall of the Imperial Palace of Furnace Fortress.


    For thousands of years thereafter, even as the Dwarf Empire crumbled to ashes, the painting remained undisturbed within the palace of Furnace Fortress.


    ... Explore new worlds at empire


    After Leite VII left the room, Tang Mo, having tested the other party''s reaction, also realized that within the sphere of influence of the Great Tang Group, the pressure had indeed grown significant, causing many to be uneasy.


    As it turned out, Nangong Hong was right: if the Great Tang Group made clear its strategy to expand westward, it would relieve their existing allies and also unite these countries affected by the Great Tang Group in a short period of time.


    So, he called over to Harry, "Prepare a map of Zheng Country as accurate as possible, and also... have Chief of Staff Luff and General Tagg come to see me."


    "Yes!" Harry nodded and then went to find the telephone.


    Soon, both men arrived at the Crystal Palace.


    Not hiding his ambition, when Tagg and Luff entered the room, Tang Mo signaled them to come closer, and then the two Great Tang Group military leaders saw the map of Zheng Country spread out on Tang Mo''s desk.


    "If the Great Tang Group wants to launch an attack on Zheng Country by itself... Luff, approximately how much would we need to expand the current military?" Tang Mo stood by the map, chin in hand, looking over the vast territory of Zheng Country which could be described as expansive.


    Even as a vassal state to Dahua, Zheng Country was itself a super large kingdom with dozens of cities stretching over hundreds of miles, not at all smaller compared to the Leite Kingdom.


    To conduct a military campaign over such a vast territory with just a few thousand soldiers was completely out of the question, so the first thing Tang Mo thought of was to expand the scale of his military.


    Although the security forces of the Great Tang Group were elite, even capable of fighting ten to one, there just weren''t enough of them to maintain control over a country.


    "Master, the Great Tang Group security forces were designed and trained with the premise of avoiding as much as possible the provocation of neighboring countries; expanding hastily... might cause unnecessary misunderstandings..." Luff furrowed his brows, tentatively explaining.


    At a glance of the map, Luff recognized it as Zheng Country''s, and for several times recently, the war games at the Great Tang Military Academy had used the map of Zheng Country.


    Hence, he was already very familiar with this particular map, and upon seeing it, he seemed to understand why the mock battles had always used the map of Zheng Country recently.


    Tagg, too, saw the map; he didn''t think too much into it and was simply somewhat excited. It seemed a new opportunity had presented itself before him.


    In the last war, as he was in charge of military affairs on Dragon Island, it was Redman who went to the battlefield and earned the name "Lightning Redman."


    This time, he felt it was his turn; he wanted to seize this opportunity to prove himself and let everyone understand who was the true number one general of the Great Tang.


    Tang Mo continued to gaze at the map, chin in hand, and said, "I will do my best to persuade the surrounding countries to acquiesce to our expansion of the military... You and General Tagg just need to consider from a commander''s perspective, and try to discuss how many troops are needed to attack Zheng Country..."


    Zheng Country, huh..." Upon hearing Tang Mo officially confirm the target of the attack, whether it be Tagg or Luff, both fell into thought.


    "Purely from a military perspective, using force to conquer Zheng Country is not a good choice." When he saw the coast of the Endless Sea which covered almost half of the map, Luff was the first to speak up, "This country is just too far from us, somewhat beyond our reach..."

 Chapter 406 395 is not very easy

    Even the U.S. military in 1944, when conducting transatlantic operations with the UK as a supply base, did not have an easy time landing at Normandy.


    Had they not secured air superiority and used a series of methods to conceal their strategic intentions, they almost got pushed back into the sea by a bunch of SS youngsters.


    Moreover, the Great Tang Group did not have this capability¡ªat attacking a huge country across the sea was definitely not an easy task.


    Of course it wasn''t easy! If it were, would Tang Mo have bothered to summon two people for consultation? He could have simply given an order, and that would have been it.


    It was precisely because Tang Mo knew that this operation was unlike any before and required serious consideration that he summoned his two most trusted generals to discuss and come up with a suitable plan.


    Looking at the coastline of Zheng Country, Luff continued, "If it''s about threatening or defeating them, it''s easy, Bernard''s navy could do it with ease."


    He had great confidence in the navy of the Great Tang Group because it was a technical branch. As long as there was an overwhelming technological advantage, quality could make up for the lack of quantity.


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    Furthermore, once a war started, the number of warships that the Great Tang Group could assemble was not small, and it was unlikely that the enemy could gain the upper hand.


    So with a hint of regret, he remarked, "But if it''s a full-scale offensive, our disadvantage in troop numbers is too obvious."


    Tang Mo smiled, glanced at Luff, and jokingly retorted, "If I wanted to use the navy to bully people along the coastline, why would I need to call you over? I could just summon Bernard to arrange the mission, right?"


    Luff scratched his head in embarrassment and then answered Tang Mo''s previous question, "The security forces of the Great Tang Group currently have two divisions on the books but, in reality, only one and a half divisions'' worth of manpower."


    "One-quarter of the soldiers in both divisions are missing because we are not in a state of war." He briefed the current state of the Great Tang Group''s troops, "As they''re stationed for home defense, both divisions are below full strength, and to go to war, we would need to fill these vacancies."


    In order not to provoke an excessive reaction from the surrounding kingdoms and to avoid agitating these kingdoms, the troops directly under the Great Tang Group have always been limited in number.


    With the development of Dragon Island, the troop numbers were barely expanded to the size of two divisions¡ªbut since it wasn''t wartime, these divisions weren''t at full strength.


    They had most of the administrative infrastructure and weaponry, but a significant portion of the soldier count was missing, which on one hand saved military expenses, and on the other also preserved valuable labor resources.


    You must know that the soldiers of the Great Tang Group''s security forces were not like those recruited from illiterate farmers and vagrants by other powers and kingdoms.


    The soldiers of the Great Tang Group were precious talent, educated, literate, and skilled individuals. Losing even one of them was a regrettable loss.


    "Is there a possibility that with a force of elite troops, we strike directly at the capital of Zheng Country and seize King City, paralyzing their resistance?" Tang Mo pondered for a moment, then came up with a plan to simplify logistics as much as possible and achieve a swift resolution to the conflict.


    Tagg immediately responded: "Theoretically, it is feasible, but from a purely military standpoint, this tactic is not the most rational choice."


    In fact, he had been designing similar plans in his mind since the conversation began because the idea was too tempting.


    If it could be accomplished, the war could be ended swiftly, which would significantly simplify the supply issues associated with overseas operations, while also reducing losses; it would be akin to killing three birds with one stone.


    However, such a military gamble, akin to the stratagem used in the Battle of Guandu, would also entail immense risks.


    Luff immediately nodded in agreement with Tagg''s point of view, then continued to explain to Tang Mo: "Yes, on the one hand, we need to ensure that this deep-penetrating force has plenty of food and ammunition, which is already a difficult task. On the other hand, we cannot ignore the potential consequences if the operation fails."


    "The consequences could be very severe..." Tagg stressed: "If the enemy''s King runs away with his Ministers, abandoning King City, and we come up empty, their counterattack will come from all directions, and our troops will have trouble retreating, possibly facing the risk of annihilation."


    "Or even if we successfully capture the enemy''s King and take control of King City, if the surrounding enemy forces refuse to surrender, our situation remains very dangerous," Luff added another possibility, helping Tang Mo understand the pitfalls of this tactical choice.


    "Therefore, we should ensure as much as possible that the force attacking King City has at least one direction where there is support or safety," Luff said, pointing at King City of Zheng Country and gesturing in several directions.


    Indeed, whether it was Luff, Tagg, or even Tang Mo, they all believed that taking a few cities or capturing a Kingdom''s King City was not a difficult task.


    What they were discussing now was how to control the situation and occupy the entire Kingdom, not just achieving a dramatic quick victory.


    Last time, Redman''s surprise attack on the King City of the Kingdom of Gemalin led to the Kingdom''s sudden collapse, which was not a victory that could be replicated.


    The collapse of Germelin was the result of several factors acting together, not merely the capture of the King City and the capture of the King leading to the downfall of the Kingdom.


    Firstly, the main forces of Gemalin were actually annihilated by the Northern Ridge military after they entered the territory of the Leite Kingdom, leaving the Kingdom of Gemalin almost defenseless and incapable of any counterattack.


    Secondly, the King of Gemalin was naive; he thought the enemy would not kill him, even expecting to negotiate with Shireck afterwards and save the Kingdom of Gemalin... Clearly, he was mistaken.


    So... such a foolish King, coupled with the once-in-a-lifetime vulnerability of the country, created the miracle of annihilating a Kingdom in just over a dozen days.


    To replicate such a miracle, Tang Mo knew it was almost impossible. Therefore, relying on the idiocy of the entire Zheng Country was foolhardy, imagining the enemy as fools before a battle was the kind of stupidity characteristic of Japanese planners.


    ----------


    There will be another chapter update in about 20 minutes.

 Chapter 407 396 Temple superior

    "I understand," Tang Mo nodded, gazing at the map as he shared his thoughts, "However, I must consider the possibility of various changes should the war enter a stalemate phase."


    "Firstly, we must think about The Sheng Country to the north of Zheng Country... A naval superpower, they harbor ambitions," he released his chin from his grasp, pointing with his finger to the Northern Region of Zheng Country, "Look, they have already annexed most of the islands near Zheng Country. If our progress in battling Zheng Country is slow, I worry they may make their own decisions...


    whether to attack us or Zheng Country!" Continue reading on empire


    Clearly, the islands that belonged or might have once belonged to Zheng Country were now under the control of The Sheng Country.


    These Goblins are extremely vicious, and with Zheng Country being so corrupt and weak, obviously, their military strength is not on the same level.


    Moreover, The Sheng Country, founded on their naval power, is clearly more deliberate in naval construction and it''s not surprising that they could defeat Zheng Country.


    Compared to Zheng Country, The Sheng Country is clearly in a period of ascension, with stronger national power, military strength, and aggressiveness.


    With such a neighboring country, Zheng Country is bound to suffer; however, with the backing of the Dahua Empire, The Sheng Country doesn''t have the ambition to swallow Zheng Country whole for the time being.


    But if Great Tang Group intervenes, the nature of the situation could change entirely. If The Sheng Country were to ally with Zheng Country against Great Tang Group, the Group would face difficulties no matter what.


    Likewise, if The Sheng Country took the opportunity of Great Tang Group''s attack to seize some of Zheng Country''s territories, wouldn''t Great Tang Group be unwittingly dressing another bride?


    Therefore, Great Tang Group must prepare for this, and at the very least ensure they can secure the essence of Zheng Country to guarantee their own interests.


    If that effort proves to be thankless, the economic advantages Great Tang Group has accumulated and the psychological advantage of being battle-hardened would vanish.


    Should they wish to recover, it would take years of accumulation¡ªa waste of time that could certainly frustrate Tang Mo for quite a while.


    "On the other hand, Zheng Country''s suzerain ¨C the Dahua Empire might intervene... If Dahua sends troops, what choices would we have to make?" Tang Mo paused before voicing another concern.


    Setting aside The Sheng Country''s meddling, Tang Mo also had to seriously consider the stance of the Dahua Empire¡ªif the Dahua Empire intervened, Tang Mo''s moves in Zheng Country would likely fall apart swiftly.


    The Dahua Empire was not like the Empire of Nanla or the Laines Empire, which were smaller in scale. They were not in the same dimension. The territory of the Dahua Empire is five times that of Nanla, and its population is nine times larger!


    This was no joking matter; if there were to be a conflict with the Dahua Empire, an army of hundreds of thousands could easily advance, and even if Great Tang Group had a tactical advantage, the situation would still be perilous.


    At that point, with instability at the borders and rising resistance within, whether Great Tang Group could secure a foothold in Zheng Country became questionable.


    Should the war drag on, and Great Tang Group be forced to supply reinforcements over the sea, the expenditure would become too great for the resources available, and Tang Mo would have to taste the flavor of defeat.


    Having laid out his concerns, Tang Mo voiced his requirement for the war: "Therefore, I prefer a swift and decisive campaign!"


    "Hmm..." Hearing Tang Mo''s explanation, Luff also understood the importance of speed and fell into thought.


    After all, the Dwarf cars directly used the production lines discarded by the Great Tang Group, so it was not surprising many parts were interchangeable with the Great Tang Group''s Model T cars.


    "I want to order 100 cannons!" At a weapon exhibition booth belonging to Northern Ridge, a representative from a distant country spoke up.


    Because the cannons from the Great Tang Group were just too expensive, he decided to order the cheaper Northern Ridge cannons.


    It was said that the two factories had a deep connection. The salespeople from the Northern Ridge munitions factory hinted blatantly and subtly that their production lines were from the Great Tang Group and that the quality was absolutely guaranteed.


    After some deliberation, the representative made his decision: "I wish to visit your factory! As long as it''s possible, I will order 100 cannons!"


    "Of course!" The salesperson smiled and nodded in agreement¡ªthis was a big deal and the commission he stood to gain was substantial, so naturally, he was grinning like a blooming flower.


    "We need this kind of textile equipment! We are a major cloth exporting country, and if we don''t keep up with the times, we will be eliminated." Next to the textile machinery booth, two ministers from a certain country were in constant discussion.


    Just a moment ago, they witnessed the production speed of the new textile machines, which was far more advanced than the old models.


    If other countries began to widely adopt this kind of textile machine, then their advantage would vanish and even the national finances would be impacted.


    "I''ve already sent someone rushing back to our country..." One minister explained with a hint of helplessness in his voice.


    "Idiot! Send someone immediately to buy a power generator and a telegraph set! Without a telegraph set, are you planning to send someone on horseback the next time you need to send a message?" his superior berated furiously, disappointedly scolding him.


    "Right, I''m sorry..." The official bowed his head in embarrassment, acknowledging his mistake.


    "I want 100 of these watches! Right away!" Not far away, a trader shouted excitedly.


    A common watch that could be bought for two Gold Coins in Brunas could be resold for about five Gold Coins in other regions!


    Only a fool would pass up such a business! Just traveling to and fro a few times could accumulate a large sum of money, then switching to another business would be the path to wealth!


    In Brunas, who didn''t know that just by finding some task to accomplish one could make a fortune? Can''t you see, even those who open fast-food chains selling burgers have become filthy rich?


    The watch booth''s owner was already smiling from ear to ear¡ªsince morning, he had nearly sold out all his stock! Compared to those who sold expensive luxury watches, he as a volume seller of timepieces actually didn''t make too little, and in some ways, he even made more.


    It''s like how a dealership selling Mercedes makes more money in a year than one selling Rolls-Royces.


    "Why didn''t someone think of such a good method before?" The official who was just reprimanded sighed as he watched the trader''s frantic actions.


    "Whoever thought of this expo... must be a genius," his superior said, gazing at the striking ship model and exhaling deeply: "A genius capable of changing the world."


    --------


    Delayed happy Dragon Boat Festival wishes¡ªthe joy of catch-up updates!

 Chapter 408 397 Reserve Officers

    At this Expo, the Great Tang Group showcased many new pieces of equipment, including larger and more advanced mining machinery, brand-new excavators and forklifts, and even more advanced and sensible conveyor belts.


    The more advanced mother machines could produce more precise machine tools, enhancing the accuracy of components that would assemble into better machinery equipment.


    The brand-new fluorescent lighting system was more energy-efficient and brighter than incandescent bulbs, with softer light colors as well.


    A comprehensive water supply and drainage system could more efficiently help cities manage the provision of domestic water and the discharge of wastewater, and the equipment for supplying water to high-rise buildings also became increasingly sophisticated.


    Hard hats modeled after steel helmets greatly improved the safety of workers on construction sites and had become mandatory safety equipment as required by Brunas.


    What baffled everyone was that, at this Expo, the Great Tang Group officially established a six-day workweek with one day off. Tang Mo also strictly mandated that no worker''s working time should exceed 12 hours per day.


    Although these policies were actually unreasonable, in this world and era, the work hour standards proposed by Tang Mo were rarely fully adhered to by businessmen.


    Child labor was rampant, working hours typically exceeded 12 hours, and it was unthinkable for there to be a day off each week.


    However, the Great Tang Group made these working hour standards a criterion for cooperative assessment, which forced everyone to start taking such standards seriously.


    Tang Mo decreed that businesses that did not adhere to these working hour requirements were not qualified to cooperate with the Great Tang Group, including on the technological and financial levels.


    At the same time, if a country did not enforce this policy standard, the Great Tang Group would delay the delivery of arms purchased by that country from the Great Tang Group.


    Moreover, it was not just the Great Tang Group that would adopt such a supply inspection system; factories in Ice Cold Kingdom, Northern Ridge, Dorne, Suthers, and other countries and regions with close cooperation with the Great Tang Group would adopt the same inspection system.


    This was frightening because if they could not meet the standards of the Great Tang Group, it meant that they could not cooperate with the industrial system controlled by the Great Tang Group.


    So, with no other choice, nearly all businessmen had to grudgingly accept this clause, which they considered entirely senseless and utterly unreasonable.


    While these businessmen were gritting their teeth and secretly cursing the Great Tang Group for being meddlesome, more and more workers began to regard Brunas as their Mecca.


    All workers who heard that they could rest one day for every six days of work regarded the day the first World Industrial Expo was held in Brunas as their own festival.


    With the spread of the 12-hour workday and the one-day rest for every six days worked, this day of the year gradually became the World Workers'' Celebration Day.


    Eventually, the first day of the first World Industrial Expo turned into a festival; the last Sunday of May became the workers'' accepted celebration day, on which they would decorate and celebrate their own festival as much as possible.


    But the Expo did not just run for one day; it was to last a week for the first World Industrial Expo.


    In a suburban police station in Brunas, a middle-aged policeman was dozing off at his desk.


    Just as his head was about to hit the desk, an old man in a police uniform walked to the door of his office and gave a knock on the door, which was not fully closed, as a mere formality: "Dang dang dang."


    "Uh?" The drowsy middle-aged policeman lifted his head and looked toward his superior: "Boss, what''s up?"


    "Just received these orders, for you..." The old police officer handed over a document that had just been delivered by the military: "It''s from the military."


    Upon hearing the word "military," the middle-aged policeman''s sleepiness vanished considerably. He got up, walked over, took the document package from the old police officer, untied the paper string, and pulled out the documents.


    Indeed, he saw the familiar forms¡ªit was a conscription order, commanding reserve officers to report to the barracks within a day.


    "What''s going on? Why are reserve officers being conscripted?" the middle-aged officer asked, looking at his superior with some confusion.


    "I don''t know either," the old police officer shook his head and replied: "There''s another one, I''m about to deliver it to Johnny."


    "We''re going to war..." the middle-aged officer''s fingers pinched the conscription document, creating some creases: "And... it''s going to be a great war."


    According to the regulations, to call up reserve officers meant that the Great Tang Group was initiating at least a level two war readiness, which implied that the Great Tang Group intended to at least double its current military size.


    All those familiar with the combat capabilities of the Great Tang Group''s security forces knew very well what such a level of military expansion meant. That was the Great Tang Group''s security troops, feared for their capacity to fight ten enemies with just one soldier!


    On Dragon Island, a fully loaded train pulled up to the platform in the middle of the island. Soldiers who had been waiting there advanced quickly toward the train even before it had come to a complete stop.


    Redman, with his hands clasped behind his back, watched emotionlessly as these reservist soldiers, who had trained countless times, agilely jumped onto the now stationary train.


    They clumsily lifted the tarpaulin on the flatbed railway car, revealing the proud stature of 105mm caliber howitzers, their barrels raised.


    Even the just-drafted second-line combat troops from the Great Tang Group''s security forces were equipped much better than the regular armies of other countries.


    The newly assembled 3rd Division of Great Tang, with a full strength of 10,000 men, was equipped with 40 of the 105mm caliber howitzers alone! In addition, there were even more powerful 155mm caliber howitzers, making them armed to the teeth.


    The entire division was issued 1,000 submachine guns¡ªa luxury other armies could hardly even dream of.


    Even more astonishing was that, almost regardless of the cost, the Great Tang Group provided all three divisions with a total of 3,000 vehicles of various models.


    While other countries were still hesitating about whether to supply their troops with more mules, the security forces of the Great Tang Group had almost completed their mechanization.


    Because of the high degree of mechanization, these troops could carry more weapons, have more ammunition, and possess stronger firepower delivery capabilities.

 Chapter 409 Lord Earl needs 398 soldiers

    If it were only for this, it still wouldn''t reflect the prowess of the Great Tang Group, as the real secret weapons of the Great Tang were not just these well-trained, well-equipped infantry.


    On Dragon Island, the Great Tang also had a unique Armored Corps in this world, equipped with more than 60 No. 1 Tanks, which could destroy fortresses as easily as flipping one''s hand!


    Once this troop appeared on the battlefield, it was enough to crush any enemy head-on. In this era, no one could withstand the onslaught of the armored torrents, no one!


    What''s more terrifying is that this tank unit wasn''t some rookie using tanks for the first time to charge at trenches; they were well-trained tank warfare experts.


    The Great Tang Group''s new weapons were all supported by mature combat tactics; the soldiers did not need to explore the corresponding battle methods on their own.


    With the enhancement of mature combat plans, the combat effectiveness of these new troops was actually exponentially increased.


    Because there was no need for exploration and no detours needed, these troops of the Great Tang Group could present their full combat strength right from the start in front of their opponents.


    This is not an exaggeration at all; from the time the first tank was created to the widespread adoption of mature tank tactics, 22 years had passed.


    The value of Tang Mo was in allowing the Great Tang Group to save these 22 years of exploratory time and directly pushing tank tactics to their pinnacle.


    The same went for the Air Force; Tang Mo did not spend any effort exploring any impossible directions and directly brought out the most mature aircraft design.


    The Camel Fighter was basically the best fighter of World War I; there was no need to take any detours to find this answer.


    While others were still pondering how to fly, Tang Mo had already come out with the best airplane design, so for him, dominating the skies was indeed a simple matter.


    When other countries'' navies were still using sail warships, the Great Tang Group was already building Dreadnought Battleships.


    When other countries had no concept of an air force, the pilots of the Great Tang Group had already begun practicing formation dogfights...


    "For Northern Ridge, for the Earl." More and more men walked out of the crowd, and in a blink, there were already more than twenty.


    "I''m willing as well." A little boy, looking to be only eight or nine years old, walked out with his head held high, full of courage. His youthful voice drew laughter, and his mother pulled him back.


    "There''s no one here who isn''t willing to fight for the Earl." A burly man, with a full beard and holding a sickle, spoke in a deep voice.


    His words stirred the crowd into a fervor, as everyone echoed loudly, "That''s right! We''re willing to fight for the Earl! She gave us the life we have today!"


    The chimneys in the distance were still emitting billowing smoke; everyone could clearly see the changes in Northern Ridge over the past two years. Life was getting better and better, and to protect such days, they were willing to fight to the death against the mightiest of enemies.


    This scene occurred in many towns across Northern Ridge, countless men left their homes, packing their bags and gathering in the initially empty barracks.


    Calculating by this speed, by the end of the World Industrial Exposition, the framework for five divisions in Northern Ridge could be completed, and in just a little time, Tang Mo would have nearly an army of 100,000 at his disposal.


    These troops would be equipped with the most advanced weapons from the Great Tang Group, led by the commanders who understood modern warfare the best in this world.


    Meanwhile, in the distant Osa, hundreds of Orcs were receiving their new weapons, and they too would fight for the Great Tang Group as a way to express their respect.


    In the even more distant Eternal Winter City, a Dwarf hugged his human friend, "My friend, I hear you must leave, which makes me very sad. I don''t know why Mr. Tang is recalling all of you staff officers, but I know he must need you."


    He released the embrace, swept his arm across, showing the fleet docked at the harbor, "Since you have to go, take these 1,200 tons of steel with you! It''s a testament to our friendship! As solid as steel!" Enjoy new adventures from empire


    In Winterless City, countless strong men were singing spirited songs, boarding the sailing ships one after another; they were new recruits, about to be transported to Brunas.


    At the Jade City train station platform, just as many young soldiers, already wearing the uniforms issued to them, were about to board the train. They were simply not wearing helmets nor carrying weapons yet... they were also heading to Brunas.


    There, they would undergo three months of training, after which they would be mixed into various combat units. The terrifying war machine of the Great Tang Group was already turning slowly, unstoppably!

 Chapter 410 Crazy 399 Race

    On the straight and even asphalt track, the white lines stretched continuously to the distant end, where the heat from the temperature caused the air to become distorted, making those lines seem as though they were alive, incessantly pulsating.


    Above head, the signal lights were ceaselessly blinking, and everyone was waiting, waiting for that critical moment to arrive.


    A beautiful young girl in a dress that revealed her calves paraded up and down between the rows of lined-up cars, carrying advertisement boards.


    In the spectator stands, the celebrities and nobility sat beneath sun umbrellas, pointing and commenting on the various cars with their peculiar appearances that looked very odd.


    It was as if they were appraising beauties about to enter their beds, boasting about their wealth of experience to everyone around them.


    Many had crammed car-related knowledge overnight, yet in reality, they barely understood the most fundamental mechanical principles.


    However, this was no issue, for they got to savor thrills they had never before enjoyed, witness speeds they had never seen, and that left nothing to complain about.


    After all, the ticket price had thoroughly distinguished them from the common folk, and that was enough! Great Tang Group knew what they wanted, and that was sufficient!


    "Marquis of Bailu even wants a piece of the racing action? Really?" Spotting a car branded with Bailu Company''s advertisements undergoing final inspections and adjustments, a visiting noble said to his friend beside him.


    "Playing along with Great Tang Group, you can''t lose no matter what, haven''t you figured that out?" Another noble sneered, curling his lip in disdain, "By now, everyone knows, you want to get rich? It all depends on whether Great Tang Group brings you along for the ride."


    As he spoke, he stretched out his hand without any hesitation, and his companion handed him a cigarette and then lit it for him.


    "See this? Cigarettes! I''m going to invest in these when I go back! Something even Mr. Tang of the Great Tang Group enjoys, that''s taste!" He flaunted the cigarette in his hand as if showing off a bar of gold.


    This world had no regulations against smoking in public places, and the women who accompanied these smokers would not mind these men not knowing how to cherish flowers and jade.


    Even so, Great Tang Group had considerately designed a female-only stand, for those women who were eligible to dislike the smell of smoke, with ticket prices that were higher, not lower, than those for the VIP stands.


    "One last minute!" The loudspeakers broadcasted a sensual female voice, and the women walking between the cars, holding various advertisement boards, reluctantly made their way to the exit passageways on both sides.


    The women working here could earn a good amount of money, but what attracted them the most was not the wages; it was the opportunity to show their faces in front of the nobility.


    Haven''t you seen? Several young girls who had just left the stands had received calling cards offered by stewards, household retainers, and guards waiting in the passage, hadn''t they?


    Should these young women wish, they could have the opportunity to elevate their social status that very night, and if they had the means or the skills... they might even completely change their destiny.


    Brunas was not short of overnight Cinderella stories, filled with eroticism and temptation. There was no lack of wealthy individuals here, nor were there a lack of dreamers.


    "Thirty seconds left," The speaker, once again broadcasting the suggestive female voice, increased the tension in the air even further.


    "I really don''t see what''s so interesting about this, it''s just some cars," Alice said, sitting next to Tang Mo, looking down at the cars waiting to start, somewhat uninspired.


    Little did he know, the face of the Marquis of Bailu, sitting in the VIP seats, turned dark as he watched his race car lag behind, evidently on the verge of losing his temper.


    He had actually invested a hefty sum of money, hoping his race car could achieve a good ranking in the competition.


    Unexpectedly, racing was not a game where pouring in money would guarantee success¡ªyou also needed technology, the kind that was incredibly advanced and cutting-edge.


    Regrettably, the Marquis of Bailu''s racing team didn''t actually have much technology; he had simply bought a Rolls-Royce and made some modifications to it, changing the body shell, nothing more.


    As a result, what was a fairly performant Rolls-Royce in the civilian car market didn''t stand out technologically in this competition.


    Seeing how the poor car of the Marquis of Bailu increasingly fell behind the second group, it was utterly out of the running for the championship.


    Meanwhile, the cars from the Ice Cold Kingdom were fiercely battling with those from the Dorne Kingdom. Both parties were chasing and racing, each vying to be the lead of the second group.


    As they approached a huge bend ahead, all the cars had to begin slowing down, but one motorcycle, painted with a certain machine factory''s advertisement, forcibly accelerated to overtake.


    "Slow down! Slow down... It''s over! He''s got no chance!" On the stands, Tang Mo muttered incessantly as he watched the car nearing the bend.


    In the next second, the forcibly accelerated car suddenly lost control and crashed headlong into the guardrail at the side of the track.


    To the watchers'' horror, the car slammed heavily against the guardrail and, due to the immense inertia, the entire body of the car shot upright. It then rolled twice in the air before crashing heavily onto the grass.


    The staff immediately rushed towards the out-of-control car, ready to rescue the unlucky driver.


    At that moment, the stands erupted with frenzied cheers¡ªthe onlookers, who loved a spectacle and yearned for excitement, had their passion ignited by this spectacular crash.


    "That was exhilarating!" One wealthy patron''s eyes shone brightly; this was the most thrilling death he had ever witnessed.


    "Oh my God! Is he dead? Did he die?" Another wealthy patron laughed numbly as he asked.


    For these people, the feeling of witnessing someone racing towards death in such a public spectacle was simply amazing!


    Bare-knuckle boxing or gladiator fights couldn''t be held in broad daylight, as they seemed to cross the moral baseline of humanity.


    But one couldn''t blame the spectators for being cold-hearted if a person crashed their car to death, right? In that instant, those crazed, inhumane onlookers fell even more in love with the sport.


    Their screams of excitement persisted until the over-turned driver was pulled out by the staff.


    Since the unlucky driver hadn''t died, but only seemed dazed, a little faint, and had to be helped away from the sad sight of the car on its roof.


    Consequently, as if disappointed, the cheering from the stands subsided quite a bit...

 Chapter 411 400 boarding

    "Where did this driver with no technique come from? Has he gone mad? Accelerating in a curve?" Tang Mo''s mood was spoiled by the cheering below, as he turned to Harry and asked.


    "It''s a... small team from the Flo Trading Company, not much experience," Harry explained innocently¡ªhe wasn''t the father of these people, how could he be expected to manage such trivia?


    A nameless driver from an unknown small team¡ªwhether they came to the track to train, test run, or get to know the circuit... who knows?


    On the other side, some people from the Flo Trading Company team were not so disheartened, even a little excited.


    Because it was clear they could not win first place, their focus was instead on the advertising effect.


    Obviously, the advertisement on a car that was knocked flying off the track was definitely memorable.


    The race continued, no one stopped for a car that crashed off the track, the cheering carried on, and the roar of the car engines likewise continued.


    The car from Great Tang Group unsurprisingly rushed into first place, but what was surprising was that the Gobur team managed to maintain a leading position in the second group.


    This team was not favored previously, but during the race, they unexpectedly showcased an experienced side.


    Sitting in the stands, a maid''s face showed a relieved smile; this time she had indeed fulfilled her mission and made a name for the consortium.


    When it came to car performance, Shireck''s cars didn''t really have much of an advantage, but their drivers were indeed very experienced.


    This racer''s talent was quite good, impressively using his skills to overcome the other competitors.


    Even Tang Mo had to admit that if both sides were using similar cars, the drivers from Great Tang Group might not be able to beat this driver from Shireck.


    The first lap ended in the blink of an eye, and the car from Great Tang Group had once again rushed past the starting line, prompting another round of frenzied cheering from everyone.


    For the average spectator, the speed of these cars was a bit too fast! Their memories seemed to linger on the moment of the crash, while the cars were already sprinting towards the next lap.


    Five seconds later, many cars from the second tier were jostling each other as they once again rushed past the starting line stand on this side.


    The Dwarves let out an astonishing cheer because their Ice Cold team had taken advantage of the chaos to move into third place.


    The nobles, power brokers, and magnates in the stands felt the trip was worthwhile, yet the race had only just proceeded into the second lap.


    The competition that followed became even more heated when the wheel of one car struck another''s, both losing control of their vehicles. Entangled together, they crashed into and sent a roadside advertisement board flying.


    This time, since the two cars stuck together, there was no risk of flipping over; instead, both cars were just forced off the track and collapsed on the lawn.


    Still, the audience cheered as if they had come here not to enjoy the thrilling speed but to plainly watch car crashes.


    Accidents occurred again quickly when an engine hood of the car representing Northern Ridge suddenly started smoking, followed by a burst of flames.


    Eventually, this car steered off the track, the driver leaped from the burning vehicle in fright, and the fire extinguishing crew rushed up with their buckets of water.


    Fortunately, the car didn''t explode, and the driver wasn''t injured¡ªit was just a plain car wreck.


    ...


    At Dragon Island, Dragon City port, a huge dock where cranes were loading a truck full of cargo onto an iron behemoth.


    The sailors were all bustling about, while the soldiers preparing to board the ships stood in neat rows on the dock. They were troops from the 1st Regiment of the 1st Division of Great Tang Group, numbering over 2,300.


    Do you remember the total carrying capacity of a Liberty ship? One Liberty ship can carry roughly all the equipment of an infantry brigade.


    This time, Great Tang Group had prepared 5 Liberty ships, which was all the available ship transport capacity they could muster.


    To support the 1st Regiment''s operations, these 5 Liberty ships would also carry more landing boats and other equipment for developing Dongwan Island.


    Also, to support the 1st Regiment''s landing operation, the fleet was accompanied by 3 Wolf-class cruisers, a force not to be underestimated.


    There were also many shortcomings, as this was the first long-distance landing operation, so many details were not perfect. Stay tuned to empire


    Great Tang Group, lacking dedicated landing ships, was already facing many problems by using Liberty ships. The soldiers had to climb rope ladders to transfer to landing boats, a task for which the army had not been trained.


    A large-scale oceanic landing operation of such magnitude was uncharted territory for everyone involved, so this time command of the frontline operations was entirely in the hands of the navy''s Admiral Bernard.


    Since everyone lacked experience and Tang Mo planned to establish a Marine Corps in the future anyway, Bernard became the first choice.


    "Do you think this will work?" looking at the army soldiers climbing up the gangway, one after another boarding the ship, the executive officer nervously asked the captain.


    On deck, sailors were distributing paper bags to the soldiers, intended for use when they vomited in the cabins.


    Each person was to receive 3 such bags, an experience drawn from the route between Brunas and Dragon Island.


    Those army officers, soldiers, craftsmen, and civilians, who had never experienced sea transport, couldn''t stop vomiting, making the ship foul and smelly everywhere.


    As a last resort, they had to distribute these paper bags to allow them to concentrate their stomach contents as much as possible.


    Although they could also lean over the ship''s railings to vomit, those who needed to vomit couldn''t ensure they would always have the chance to stay on deck and catch the sea breeze, so the vomit bags were their only lifeline.


    "Can''t be helped, we have to ensure that for at least three days, they have a place to throw up..." the captain replied somewhat helplessly.


    "Dongwan Island isn''t just three days away... we''ll have to drift on the sea for at least a month..." the executive officer continued with difficulty.


    "The rest is just praying that these army landlubbers get used to it while they vomit," the captain had no better solution and could only look at the boarding soldiers and say, "Hopefully, they''ll still have the strength to swim to shore after a month..."


    "Sigh... hoping this time... goes smoother." The executive officer let out a long breath.


    "Yes, hopefully everything goes smoothly," the captain mused.


    ----------


    Will start making up for missed updates starting tomorrow, the little beast at home is finally going to school... haha.

 Chapter 412 401 Explanation

    Brunas, Tang Mo had just sent off Leite VII who came for the Expo and had returned to his office when Li''ao brought some good news, "Master, a message has just been delivered."


    Putting on an air of mystery, he placed a telegram on Tang Mo''s desk, smiling as he stepped back two paces to let Tang Mo read the freshly translated telegram himself.


    Tang Mo picked up the paper and glanced at it with lowered eyelids then a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He pressed the telegram down on the desk and said to Li''ao, "Reply to the telegram, tell them that three days from now will be a good day."


    "Your subordinate understands." Li''ao bowed slightly, responding with his head lowered.


    Tang Mo turned to Harry and continued to speak, "I hear, Sofia''s maid seems to have taken an interest in you?"


    "Many women take an interest in me, she''s not the best of them," Harry hurried to explain for himself.


    As a joke, the identities of Sofia''s confidant Shireck and others were seen as an advantage in the eyes of others.


    But in Harry''s view, these were all significant drawbacks ¡ª so much so that even if she were willing to renounce these identities, he wouldn''t dare to trust easily.


    Moreover, as a student personally trained by Tang Mo, Harry''s standards were exceptionally high; unless it was one of the knowledgeable and sensible females from the Great Tang Group''s school, he probably wouldn''t spare a second glance.


    Even the female nobility of this world or those high-positioned female powerhouses couldn''t keep pace with Harry in matters of knowledge, so he was genuinely reluctant to get involved with such women.


    "To straighten what''s bent, you''re already quite capable," Tang Mo said, his words somewhat puzzling to Harry, who was bewildered as Tang Mo continued, "No worries, find an appropriate opportunity and invite this maid out today."


    He leaned back in his chair and commanded, "Tell her to inform Sofia that within three days, the old man known as ''Smiling Tiger'' will be gasping his last... If they don''t want to take advantage of the situation, then we will make our move."


    "Don''t be nervous, this military operation is not directed at Suthers," Tang Mo picked up his glass, signaling him, and explained, "If it wasn''t to reassure you, Harry would be the one meeting with you."


    "But sir, I''ve been racking my brain and truly can''t think of any force that warrants such a large mobilization of Great Tang Group''s troops..." The envoy from Suthers was still very anxious. He couldn''t simply drop his concerns and trust the Great Tang Group''s intentions based on a few words from Tang Mo.


    "Simple, if I wanted to target Suthers, the troops should be amassing at Ice Crystal City, right?" Tang Mo sipped his fine wine, patiently explaining, "Moreover, if I wanted to attack Suthers, would I need to mobilize so many troops?"


    Explore more stories with empire


    Leaning forward, he stared into the envoy''s eyes, "If I station troops in Jade City, Leite and Dorne get uneasy, if I station them at Ice Crystal City, you in Suthers become highly anxious. But if I assemble them at Brunas... What are you all afraid of, huh?"


    After speaking, he put the glass down on the table, stood up, walked over to the Suthers envoy, gesturing for him not to rise, "What the Great Tang Group does and plans to do, must we report it to you? Should we inform everyone in advance about where we''re going and what we''re doing?"


    "No, no, that''s not necessary," the Suthers envoy immediately waved his hand, he was merely probing, not questioning. After all, Suthers wouldn''t consult the Great Tang Group about everything they intended to do, right?


    The Great Tang Group had been in a foul mood lately, moving troops, preparing for war¡ªwho would dare to provoke them? Were they looking for death?


    "Relax! The formation of the Tri-Kingdom Alliance was facilitated by the Great Tang Group, I''m not about to create an uncontrollable mess! As long as you don''t betray me, I won''t consider disturbing your affairs." Tang Mo walked behind the envoy and gave a reassuring pat on the shoulder.


    After a few seconds of silence, he continued, "This move is intended westward... However, it''s best if you don''t spread this around. After all, I''m sharing my strategic intentions to put your worries to rest, not to give away secrets for you to exploit!"


    "Understood, understood..." The Suthers envoy took out a handkerchief and dabbed the sweat from his forehead, promising Tang Mo, "I assure you, this matter will not be spread... leaked."


    "I hope so! This is about mutual trust. If you betray my trust, I will be very disappointed..." Tang Mo''s hand on the envoy''s shoulder pressed down harder, giving a firm squeeze, "Don''t let me down!"


    "It won''t happen, it won''t." The envoy from Suthers secretly heaved a sigh of relief¡ªapparently, this time, the Great Tang Group''s operations truly weren''t aimed at Suthers...

 Chapter 413 402 date

    Looking into mirror, she carefully outlined her seductive red lips with some exorbitantly priced lipstick, the maid felt quite confident about her perfect features.


    Being able to serve as Sofia''s butler, she was confident in her own appearance. And to have reached this position, her intelligence was absolutely up to par.


    If it weren''t for the stirrings of spring in her heart, she felt she wouldn''t have been so passive before Harry. But everything was predestined, and now she could no longer control some of her actions.


    For instance, every time she went to see Harry, she couldn''t help but dress up meticulously, use the best cosmetics, and wear the most beautiful clothes.


    Even her nails were carefully manicured, and she chose the most suitable bracelets and rings, more attentively than when she had attended the expo a few days ago.


    After confirming that her selection was indeed perfect, the maid finally stepped out, got into the car, and rushed to Harry''s office.


    In the spacious and bright office, this stunning high-level executive from Shireck met with Harry, who was busy reviewing documents.


    The expo had just ended, and Harry''s work was naturally extremely busy. The event facilitated tens of thousands of contracts, and the vast amount of transactions proved the tremendous success of this expo.


    The Great Tang Group was undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary, not only securing a huge volume of orders but also establishing its trademark in almost all high-tech fields.


    It was a war, a grand war, a war without smoke but of utmost importance!


    Through this war, the Great Tang Group established industry standards. With such standards in place, other competitors had to compete according to Great Tang Group''s rules of the game.


    In this competition, Great Tang Group acted both as the referee and a competitor, its advantage was naturally huge. Moreover, with Tang Mo''s foresight, the powerful Great Tang Group was already in an invincible position.


    Harry closed the document in front of him and looked at the maid who entered the room, saying, "There is something Mr. Tang has asked me to inform you about."


    "Do you have time tonight? How about going to Brunas Hotel for a bite to eat?" the maid took a book from the shelf, trying to appear as if she came here often, and was not an outsider.


    Harry felt somewhat drained, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and continued, "I called you here for business."


    "That''s not for you to worry about. You just need to pass the message to Lady Sofia, we''ll take care of the rest," Harry insisted, keeping silent about the assassin''s details.


    As the saying goes, the more one talks, the more one loses. Even if he uttered just a few words, he might accidentally reveal details of the operation, or even expose the method of assassination and the pattern of the action, which could complicate similar operations in the future.


    So, the best strategy was actually to say nothing at all.


    "..." The maid opened her mouth, but no words came out.


    "How about it? Dinner together tonight?" Seeing the deflated expression on her face, Harry couldn''t resist the urge to tease.


    The maid clenched her teeth, "Harry! You really are a jerk..."


    "Thanks for the compliment." Harry revealed a triumphant smile.


    "The more I think about it, the better a man you seem to be," the maid said, no longer as angry when she saw his expression.


    "..." This time, it was Harry''s turn to be deflated.


    The maid, with a satisfied look, walked to the door, turned back with a laugh, "Hahaha! Goodbye! I don''t have time to dine with you tonight, brother, but in three days, it''s on me..."


    "I''m very busy! No time in three days!" Just as the door closed, Harry shouted desperately from his office.


    The maid smiled outside the door, then straightened her expression and walked out of the building, getting into her car, "Let''s go back!"


    A coded telegram was quickly sent back from Brunas to Flame Castle, and when Sofia saw the content, she was silent for a long time.


    A once in a millennium opportunity was thus laid before her! If handled well this time, she might very well swallow many of the smiling tiger''s assets.


    But to prepare in advance would make the other Shireck council members suspect, suspect that it was she who had the smiling tiger killed...


    It was a love-hate decision, truly difficult to choose. Was it better to take the risk of suspicion to reap real benefits, or to feign ignorance and buy some insurance? Sofia found it to be a hard choice indeed.

 Chapter 414 403 Handling

    She never considered warning the smiling tiger, as that was simply not an option! She knew maintaining a partnership with the Great Tang Group was the more profitable choice.


    With that in mind, she seemed to have made up her mind¡ªsince she had chosen profit, there was no reason to sit idle!


    This was a golden opportunity to expand the power of Flame Castle, a chance to secure tangible benefits that were far superior to a false reputation.


    So she quickly made arrangements, started mobilizing her forces, and prepared to seize the chance of the smiling tiger''s sudden death to encroach on his assets.


    ...


    "Ugh... cough cough cough!" In the dimly lit room, an old man was incessantly coughing. For some reason, his health was deteriorating, and even breathing had become painful recently.


    He wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and struggled to open his eyes, glancing at the subordinates standing by his bed. "Did you find anything?"


    "Sir, we''ve tried our best to investigate... but, but we still don''t know what poison you''ve been afflicted with," a man said, disheartened.


    "Sofia, that woman, has been brazenly buying up our properties recently. It must be her doing! It must be her!"


    "Who it is... is no longer important! I''m done for! I know it..." The old man lay on the bed, feeling that his hand holding the handkerchief was beginning to disobey his commands.


    Yesterday he felt unwell, and today his condition had worsened to the state it was now.


    Even a fool would know he had been poisoned, but there was no such poison on the market that could delay its effects and yet be so potent.


    Unable to determine the culprit or even when the poisoning took place made this assassination utterly despairing.


    The doctors were at a loss; they tried nearly every method but couldn''t delay the onset of the poison. The poison seemed unstoppable, easily ravaging the victim''s body.


    Regrettably, he had no chance to dwell on his regret, because the stranger was holding a sophisticated hand crossbow. The coachman had not warned him of the threat inside, clearly having been replaced.


    "It seems sorrow has indeed caused you to drop your guard." The carriage began to rumble and sway as the man holding the hand crossbow spoke emotionlessly.


    "So it''s you who''ve won! Can you tell me? Who sent you? Sofia, or Great Tang Group?" With the hand crossbow pointed at him, the middle-aged man asked with a wry smile.


    "Even though you''re a dead man, I still can''t tell you," the other man said with confidence in his voice.


    Without waiting for the middle-aged man to react, he pulled the trigger. A crossbow bolt pierced the man''s chest, pinning him to his seat.


    "Ugh..." The middle-aged man grunted, just as he tried to struggle, the assailant held him down and covered his mouth: "Shh! Don''t struggle! It will be much easier for you... Relax! Yes, relax!"


    With the assailant''s words sounding almost hypnotic, the minion of Gold Coin gradually relaxed from his violent struggle, his flailing arms drooping, and his legs stretched out more and more.


    Without any doubt of his prey''s death, the assailant dropped the crossbow and tapped lightly on the carriage twice.


    Soon, the carriage came to a stop, and the man inside jumped out, disappearing into the night along with his accomplice dressed as a coachman.


    "Report back to the superiors! The commander involved in the assassination attempt on Countess Alice has been taken care of," he said in a lowered voice after turning several corners and ensuring no one was tailing him.


    His companion, disguised as a coachman, nodded slightly, and then the two of them went their separate ways, quickly vanishing into the darkness.


    It was several minutes later that the patrolling guards discovered the carriage stopped on the road. Curiously, they approached and found the carriage door ajar. After they called out a few times with no response, they realized the coachman was gone, and only a cold corpse remained inside.


    -------


    There are fewer words today; this isn''t considered a supplementary update...

 Chapter 415 The torture along the way on Route 404

    Forcing an army to carry out a cross-sea operation is truly a torturous affair, as those who have never encountered the ocean are sure to suffer from seasickness.


    This type of seasickness isn''t just about feeling unwell; it also comes with exaggerated vomiting, loss of appetite, and in severe cases, it can greatly affect combat effectiveness or even endanger soldiers'' lives.


    The troops of the Great Tang Group lack such combat experience. Their furthest support operation only involved less than a battalion of troops, which was from Brunas to Hotwind Port.


    The transport at that time, since it headed south along the coast, wasn''t too harsh in terms of waves and turbulence, and with fewer people, the problem wasn''t too severe.


    This time, the expedition of the Great Tang Group is directly across the western part of the Endless Sea from Dragon Island, landing on Dongwan Island. This distance is about three times that of the previous support operation to Hotwind Port.


    At this moment, aboard the Freedom 103 transport vessel carrying over a thousand people, the cabin is filled with a nauseating stench, and those soldiers who boarded with full confidence are now listless and lethargic.


    They have been sailing for 29 days. For them, this time has been nothing short of an ordeal.


    Despite having ample food supplies, and the ship''s mess even providing a variety of decent meals, there are now very few people with the appetite to eat these things.


    After all, whatever gets eaten soon comes back up. Under such painful suffering, who would be interested in food?


    "We are speeding up as much as possible! But the Freedom isn''t designed for assault operations, so the speed is very slow," the captain said helplessly to the pale-faced leader of the 1st Regiment, explaining patiently.


    "In terms of speed, we''re actually much faster than a sailing ship... If it were in the past, you would have had to drift at sea for at least another 25 days," the first officer had no choice but to defend his captain.


    "Under these circumstances... the soldiers have almost no fighting strength left. The situation with the 1st Battalion is a bit better since most of them are natives of Brunas and have lived by the sea, so they are somewhat familiar with maritime conditions...


    but the 2nd and 3rd Battalions are from Northern Ridge or Jade City, many have never even seen the ocean in their lives..." The leader of the 1st Regiment lamented for his soldiers, who, whenever there was time, would come to the bridge to ask how much longer it would take to reach their destination.


    He had been asking for over ten days, but it would still take at least two more days before the fleet could reach Dongwan Island.


    Yesterday, the spies who had set off earlier had already reached Zheng Country. After a brief investigation of Dongwan Island, they sent back the first-hand information.


    Brunas didn''t stay idle either; they immediately analyzed and compiled the information, then sent the most useful part to the fleet en route.


    Looking at the Wolf 1 cruiser nearby, spewing rolling black smoke, the captain of the Freedom 103 spoke up, "We are moving at the fastest speed... Just wait two more days, after two days, you''ll be able to land."


    He was also helpless because Tang Mo had already made many meticulous arrangements for this landing, but due to a lack of experience, or technical issues, it was still not foolproof.


    For instance, Tang Mo went so far as to install refrigerator units in several freedom ships participating in the battle, which dramatically improved the food conditions at sea.


    A crudely sketched map hung on the cabin wall, noting approximately two cities and some probable regions where enemy forces might be deployed.


    In reality, such maps would never be used as military maps within the Great Tang Group¡ªthey were at best rough sketches.


    Yet, before setting sail, the most detailed map they could find was an old-fashioned one without even contour lines, devoid of precise topographical details.


    The regimental commander knew that he was, in essence, about to lead more than 2,000 soldiers to attack a location about which they knew nothing.


    Bernard pointed to the map, continuing, "Shen Country has approximately 30,000 troops on the island, divided into 20 legions and 60 battalions. The main force should be stationed in Dongwan, the largest port city in the northern part of the island, with a small deployment in the southern Fengshun City."


    He gave a simple explanation, "Actually, the eastern part of the island is not suitable for our landing, so the fleet has to go around to the western side and choose the gentle sandy beaches to unload our troops."


    "We expect the resistance on the island to be not particularly strong because the enemy forces are scattered and have not built complete defensive positions. They do not know of our coming, and it''s unlikely they will make targeted deployments." After speaking, Bernard looked toward the regimental commander.


    Clearly, he was waiting for the regimental commander to offer some thoughts. The regimental commander thought for a moment and then asked directly about his most pressing concern, "Are you sure there are no defensive positions?"


    He knew his own troops all too well¡ªtheir condition was already very poor. Under such circumstances, if they had to engage immediately with the enemy forces, there were obvious difficulties.


    If they were just landing without immediate combat, a few hours of rest, or even staying in place for two days to recover combat readiness, he had great confidence in his subordinates overwhelming thousands of enemy troops.


    "Absolutely none! This is true for both Zheng Country and Shen Country¡ªthey have not yet upgraded to breech-loading rifles on a large scale, and their main forces still primarily use flintlock muskets. They likely haven''t encountered modern warfare techniques, nor are they prepared for our landing operation.


    That''s why we dare to make a forced landing with such scarce information," Bernard affirmed immediately.


    He paused briefly then continued to encourage the regimental commander, "Therefore, we also conclude that defeating the 30,000 troops stationed on the island will not be difficult; we have an overwhelming advantage in both weapons and tactics."


    Unfortunately, the regimental commander still lacked confidence in his troops, "The biggest problem now is how much fighting power our soldiers still have left... I estimate that by the day of the landing, it would be lucky if we could muster 300 men."


    The only forces he could rely on were the relatively fit 1st Battalion, 1st Company, and 2nd Company; after all, these two companies had been the main reinforcements at Hotwind Port and participated in the Battle of Dorne, possessing both extensive seafaring experience and combat experience.


    As for the rest of the troops, there was really not much hope for them, at least not in the next two or three days.


    "We''ll make do with whatever we can muster; after all, we''re inexperienced. Next time... it will definitely be much better," Bernard reddened with embarrassment, feeling somewhat sorry for these army brothers.


    "Alas..." The regimental commander also felt extremely frustrated, believing that the tasks of overseas landing operations should ideally be handled by the Navy themselves, "Will we be able to see Dongwan Island tomorrow?"


    "Yes, by the morning of the day after tomorrow, you''ll probably be able to eat your meals onshore," Bernard delivered what the regimental commander considered to be the only piece of good news.

 Chapter 416 405 Awful Boarding

    When the regimental commander returned to the Liberty ship and informed the soldiers that they could land ashore the day after tomorrow morning, the atmosphere turned cheerful.


    After such a long sea voyage, they had almost felt that they were going to die on this broken ship.


    But now, they had finally reached the end, finally seen hope¡ªthis caused the young soldiers to let out enthusiastic cheers uncontrollably.


    Even though some were still vomiting, even though some were still listless, everyone began to organize their luggage, checking the equipment they carried with them as required.


    The next day, all the soldiers were forced to eat, and everyone had to appear on deck on time to exercise, to bask in the sun. In the early morning of the third day, soldiers on the bridge finally saw a huge island on the sea level.


    On the escorting cruisers, gun barrels at every angle pointed towards the coastline, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.


    Minutes later, rope ladders were thrown over both sides of all the Liberty ships, and cranes lowered one after another small boat for landing.


    Larger small boats even had gasoline engines as power, while more of them were still manned by sailors, wooden boats rowed with oars.


    Soldiers eager to leave the place crowded the deck; some were asked to help operate the cranes, some helped to remove the canvas covering the small boats.


    Officers threaded through the gaps in the queue of soldiers awaiting orders, loudly reminding everyone, "Don''t panic! Hold steady! Everyone pay attention to safety! When transferring to the small boats! Make sure to be safe!"


    "There aren''t enough lifebelts! It''s impossible to have one for each person!" Inside the bridge, a naval officer frowned as he overlooked the dense crowd on the deck and muttered.


    "They can''t climb down the rope ladders with lifebelts on their backs..." The adjutant felt that this preparation was a disaster.


    Previously, during the landing at Hotwind Port, there was a pier, so the soldiers were more accurately described as disembarking rather than landing.


    But now, with the ship rising and falling in the rolling waves, a bunch of "land ducks" climbing a dozen meters down the rope ladders and then leaping onto the waiting small boats below could almost be described as an extreme sport.


    "Because we''re not sure if there are hidden reefs, we dare not get too close to the coastline... Stopping here is already quite risky" the captain said, putting down his telescope.


    In a chaotic situation, the army soldiers who had almost no training in transferring to small boats began to surge toward the rope ladders.


    What looked like rope ladders woven from ropes thick as a woman''s wrist were actually as soft as mischievous snakes. They offered no sense of security when gripped in hand and were too loose to support one''s weight, swaying and slack.


    Therefore, soldiers who had just climbed over the ship''s side and descended two or three meters began to complain, "My God! Is it this high? Damn it! Who designed this thing... How can we climb when it''s so soft?"


    A soldier climbing down alongside him exploded with annoyance at these irritating complaints and couldn''t help but reprimand in a low voice, "Shut up! Stop nagging! Damn it! I can hardly hold on."


    It was barely dawn, deathly quiet all around, and the Liberty ship at a standstill, devoid of the constant rumbling of machinery.


    "Leave the backpacks! Bayonets and engineer shovels aren''t needed either! Nor the rifles! Helmets! Leave everything on the deck!" Quickly, the officers received their orders and conveyed them through the crowded crowd.


    Hearing the order, the soldiers began to remove the equipment they had taken all morning to put on with difficulty.


    Soon after, a supplementary order came through. The already dazed officers had to continue loudly reminding everyone, "Those who can swim can carry pistols! If you can swim, take some more gear! Pistols and pistol ammunition! All can be taken!"


    "The fully loaded boats can depart now!" Across the sea surface, the sailors'' voices could be heard from time to time as they rowed, maneuvering the wooden boats through the waves towards the coast.


    Initially there were one or two, but the number of wooden boats heading to the shore gradually increased. Some of the larger wooden boats carried special equipment covered with tarpaulin, including manually operated generators and telegraphs for communication.


    "The first batch of boats has already set off!" An officer walked up behind the commander of the 1st Battalion, who was guarding the railing, saluted, and reported.


    The battalion commander nodded; he saw that his troops were already making a sprint for the shore and would soon be landing!


    Unlike the Normandy landings of World War II, Tang Mo''s troops did not have plastic wrapped around their rifles, nor did he need intense artillery preparation.


    He didn''t even need to lay smoke bombs on the beach to cover his landing troops, protecting the soldiers from the slaughter of enemy machine gun fire.


    The Great Tang Group did not have dedicated landing craft with doors that open at the front; they had to rely on the most traditional small boat landing method to send soldiers to the beachhead.


    Unlike the advanced landing patterns of the later stages of World War II, this landing form had shockingly major flaws¡ªthe small boats, once they reached the sand, found it difficult to return to sea.


    The soldiers who boarded the boats first, after a long wait, were nearly at the point where they could touch the beach.


    The surroundings remained eerily quiet, with not even a shadow of the enemy in sight. As they neared the beach, the impatient soldiers couldn''t wait to leap into the water and staggeringly step toward the land they had long yearned for.


    Carrying their rifles, the first soldier to land didn''t even choose a spot; he just plopped down on the golden gravel, taking deep breaths of air and occasionally laughing out loud.


    Those following him ashore were not in much better shape; they helped each other find a clean spot to sit down and unabashedly relished in the safety and stability of the land.


    As for the pre-arranged tasks like seizing the high ground and finding immediate cover, few people could remember them at that moment.


    This was more like a drill than a battle. Or perhaps it couldn''t even be considered a drill¡ªit was more like a spring outing.


    Discarding their weapons and backpacks to the side, taking off their boots and throwing aside their helmets, these first soldiers to land even turned around and went back into the sea to help the subsequent forces with unloading heavy equipment.


    "Finally on shore..." Not inclined to prompt his soldiers to regain discipline, the officer also sat on the beach, comfortably sighing with contentment.


    Now standing on the sand, they still felt a relentless swaying, making them feel nauseated, as if they were women tormented by morning sickness.


    "Yes, finally... we''ve arrived..." The commander responsible for the landing operations, having just staggered ashore, joined the circle of officers with a sigh of relief: "Next time something like this happens, let''s leave it to the 2nd or 3rd Battalion..."

 Chapter 417 406 Chaotic Coast

    More and more soldiers crawled onto the beach. Some removed their shoes to shake the gravel out of their boots, while others went back to help the sailors push the boats back into the sea.


    Soon, nearly 200 men had landed ashore, but thereafter the speed of the troops landing began to slow down.


    Many boats were stuck near the beach, returning at an incredibly slow pace, and most of the troops landing later hadn''t even brought weapons and equipment with them.


    A 105-mm howitzer had been brought to shore, but the ammunition and the truck to tow this big gun were nowhere to be seen.


    The first car to reach the shore was ruined after being unloaded too soon¡ªthe entire vehicle sat in the water, its engine completely wrecked.


    On the contrary, the signalmen and their mounts were much more active. Not only could the horses make it ashore on their own, but they could even help to haul small items of supplies to land.


    "Who told you to be in such a hurry to get the cars ashore? The soldiers are not even up yet. What''s the rush with the equipment? Huh? What''s the rush?" After resting for about fifteen minutes, the commander of the 1st Company finally remembered his job. Pointing at the wrecked vehicle, he shouted at the sergeant in charge of unloading.


    "I don''t know what happened, sir!" said the sergeant, feeling wronged; he wasn''t in charge of loading or unloading goods, after all¡ªwho knew exactly what had happened?


    Perhaps the whole thing was the sailors'' doing and had nothing to do with the army soldiers. Who could blame them when the landing process was so chaotic that no one understood the situation?


    "Where are the scouts? Have they dispersed yet? Are there villages nearby, any local residents? I know nothing. How can I give commands in this situation?" The commander of the 1st Company sighed and turned to ask the officer beside him.


    The officer also looked troubled: "Commander, the reconnaissance platoon directly under the company command hasn''t landed yet. Those horses belong to the messenger soldiers of the 1st Platoon..."


    "What about the machine gun squads? How many have landed now?" It was the first time the 1st Company commander had encountered such chaos, and he was a bit bewildered himself.


    Under normal circumstances, his unit was always complete, the troops moving as directed without any possibility of such a situation occurring.


    The officers below were all equally confused¡ªthe commander of the 2nd Platoon had not even found his own unit yet.


    In the field of vision, two more boats approached the shore, and dozens of soldiers jumped off them. The Battalion Commander was relieved to see that these soldiers were all armed.


    In the distance on the sea, a Wolf-class cruiser belched black smoke as it roamed the periphery of the fleet, while many of the boats that had landed earlier still struggled on their way back.


    "Commander, you better come have a look at this..." A squad leader with a Thompson submachine gun ran up unsteadily to the Battalion Commander.


    Panting, he pointed into the distance, "There''s a path over there, and on the other side... it seems to be abandoned farmland."


    The presence of farmland and a path indicated that people once lived here, which put the Battalion Commander on high alert. He furrowed his brow and raised his hand, signaling the squad leader to come with him to take a closer look.


    The two of them pushed through the shrubbery, climbed what was barely recognizable as a roadbed, crossed a dilapidated path, and saw a field overgrown with weeds in front of them.


    At the end of the field, they could faintly make out collapsed walls, the ruins of thatched huts. Clearly, there were signs of past human activity, but for some reason, it had been abandoned later on.


    After putting down his binoculars, the Battalion Commander looked at the squad leader who had brought the news, "Did you find any locals?"


    The squad leader shook his head.


    The Battalion Commander rubbed his nose and thought for a moment, "Let''s go back! We''ll talk after all the troops have landed."


    They weren''t professional scouts and couldn''t discern the finer points, so it was better to go back and wait for the follow-up troops to arrive. Let the professionals have a look¡ªit would be more effective.


    This trip wasn''t in vain, though, because they confirmed at least one thing¡ªthe landing site was near traces of human activity. If the other side noticed them, it could very likely attract nearby enemy soldiers.


    They didn''t have much time left. Read exclusive content at empire


    ---------


    I guess this could count as an extra update, I''ll continue tomorrow.

 Chapter 418 407 The sudden battle

    The landing troops were vulnerable and chaotic. It was no easy task to deploy soldiers onto the beach in an organized fashion.


    The rising and falling tides affected the speed of the landing crafts, and the Great Tang Group had even initiated this military action without investigating the local hydrological conditions.


    To be frank, this was a military gamble, and no one would be surprised if it failed. The company commander of the first battalion''s first company was almost driven to tears by the troops that had already landed.


    More than half of the second company''s landing troops had arrived without their weapons; a few had handguns, and some carried versatile daggers.


    They were without steel helmets or backpacks, essentially just people who had made it to shore, with no fighting capability whatsoever.


    Now, the only thing these soldiers could do was to stay on the beach, barefoot, helping to pull the rest of the troops and equipment from the sea to the shore.


    The third company was in slightly better shape, but due to distance, the number of men who had landed was very small, just a few dozen.


    So, even two hours after the landing had begun, the first company still formed the main force on the shore, and the number of landed personnel had only grown to around 400.


    Finally, a transport ship full of ammunition reached the shore, and the soldiers clumsily moved the ammunition onto the beach.


    For ease of transport, the shells were packaged in groups of two using a spacious hollow design with a rubber seal on the outside.


    This allowed the soldiers to use the buoyancy to bring the crates ashore, which was a small detail that had been considered in advance.


    Unfortunately, this design was only used for the shells, as it was easier to produce packaging boxes for ammunition, requiring only minor adjustments.


    At this moment, the general situation of the landing troops was as follows: over a hundred soldiers were crowded on the beach, desperately moving equipment from the sea to the shore.


    Another hundred or so were looking for their units, sorting out their equipment, and shaking the sand from their boots.


    All told, the battalion commander had less than one company of troops he could use for combat, and those soldiers were from the first, second, and third companies...


    The entire force had only one functional machine gun, which had just been carried to a small rise at the edge of the beach. Taking advantage of the cover of bushes, they had set up a makeshift defensive position.


    On either side of this position were a dozen soldiers who had quickly established temporary cover; this was all the defense the landing troops had at the moment.


    "Get the first company to build a position on the flank! Deploy along the road we just used..." Without intelligence support from reconnaissance, the battalion commander did not know from which direction the enemy might attack, so he had to disperse his few available troops.


    "Yes!" The squad leader who had returned with the battalion commander after spotting the ruins immediately went to relay the orders.


    "If possible, send someone to take control of that village ruin, check it out..." Before the squad leader had gone far, the battalion commander added to the orders.


    The sole Maxim machine gun, covering the landing zone from the flank, began to roar, and its continuous gunfire instantly dumbfounded the dense ranks of goblin troops.


    In the space of a single breath, seven or eight goblins were laid low on the flank of the troops assaulting the beach. Before the rest could figure out where the enemy was, another four or five fell.


    "Ratatatat!" Like something tireless, the continual sweeping fire from the Maxim machine gun mowed down the bewildered goblin soldiers one after another.


    Finally, those goblin soldiers who had managed to locate the source of gunfire by the muzzle flashes turned direction and charged the exposed machine gun position¡ªonly to regret it immediately.


    The firepower here was more than twice that of the seemingly numerous retreating soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, with a Maxim heavy machine gun ceaselessly firing and the flank covered by two Thompson submachine guns'' terrifying fire.


    Before hundreds of goblin soldiers could even approach the machine gun position, they fell midway through their charge, and the rest turned tail, scrambling back into the bushes behind them.


    On the beach, a small contingent of 3rd Battalion soldiers arrived to reinforce the 2nd Battalion, and they were all armed. In such open terrain, facing a group of goblins who had expended all their matchlock ammunition, the 3rd Battalion''s gunfire quickly crushed the opposition.


    "Ratatatat!" The machine gun on the flank continued its roaring rampage, and countless goblin soldiers fell on the beach.


    The battle lasted about ten minutes, leaving at least 200 goblin corpses near the beach. Then, seemingly realizing they had no chance of winning, the goblins began a desperate retreat.


    Goblins too slow to retreat raised their hands high and knelt to surrender; some were swept down by bullets before they could surrender. The gunfire gradually ceased, the sea breeze dispersed the sulfuric smell pervading the beach, and the white smoke from the matchlocks wafted away with the wind.


    The 2nd Battalion had yet to figure out how these goblins managed to come so close to disrupting their lines, but they now thoroughly regretted not having brought their weapons ashore.


    When the 1st Battalion commander arrived to survey the situation, the battle was already over. The 3rd Battalion had taken over the defensive line from the 2nd Battalion, and a few soldiers were counting the corpses on the ground.


    In the recent engagement, two soldiers from the 2nd Battalion were killed, one ambushed while using the restroom and another unfortunate soul struck in the chest by a bullet from a matchlock, a shot that was nearly impossible.


    If this were to be called a defeat, the cost would have been too insignificant. But if this was considered a victory, the 1st Battalion commander couldn''t help but feel frustrated.


    He walked, stepping unevenly on the gravel, toward the captives who were being guarded, looking down at these dwarfish creatures about 1.5 meters tall, his heart filled with irritation.


    Though Dwarves were also only around 1.5 meters tall, sometimes even just 1.4 meters high, they were clearly much more robust than these goblins.


    At this moment, with their pointy ears, short and skinny stature, greenish skin, and utterly repulsive appearance, these goblins seemed to finally grasp one thing¡ªthese invaders landing on their shore were apparently not from Zheng Country...


    "How did you discover us and deploy in advance here?" the 1st Battalion commander asked, frowning with keen interest.


    A goblin in military garb stared at the 1st Battalion commander, not answering the question but instead demanding, "Who are you, and why are you invading the territory of Shengu?"


    "Shengu''s territory? Isn''t this Zheng Country''s Dongwan Island?" the 1st Battalion commander sneered, then repeated his question, "How did you discover us and deploy in advance here?"

 Chapter 419 408 Inexplicable Artillery Battle

    The goblin officer seemed quite disdainful and had no intention of answering the commander of the First Company''s question. The commander of the First Company waited a few seconds, and finding that the other party seemed to have no intention of answering his question, nodded.


    He looked at the somewhat embarrassed officer of the Second Company and said, "I''ll give you a chance to hit back..."


    The officer of the Second Company was at least 1.78 meters tall. Hearing this, he glanced at the goblin officer who was roughly only 1.45 meters tall, and a cruel smile appeared on his face.


    The goblin officer was taken aback and before he could react, a fist in front of him grew larger and larger.


    Amid the exclamations of the remaining goblin captives, the goblin officer was struck in the face by the punch from the officer of the Second Company.


    At that moment, his world was a kaleidoscope of colors, with only chaotic and fragmented images left in his mind. He remembered his grandfather and seemed to see his own backside.


    After spinning around in place for about a circle, the goblin officer finally realized he might have been hit. But before he could prepare to defend himself, his chin was met with another heavy and forceful uppercut.


    His brain lapsed into a state of shutdown, and his body involuntarily leaned backward. He staggered three steps back and still couldn''t stabilize, eventually collapsing onto the sand.


    The goblin captives behind this officer began to stir, but the shiny bayonets and the dark muzzles of guns brought them back to their senses. Everyone watched helplessly as their commander was pinned to the ground, receiving punch after punch.


    "How did you discover us and set up here in advance?" Picking another captive at random, the commander of the First Company patiently asked the same question again.


    "We didn''t set up in advance, we were just rotated in..." The goblin being questioned glanced at his commander, who was being pummeled on the ground, and swallowed before answering.


    "Rotated in? How many of you are there?" The commander of the First Company faintly felt that things might not be so simple.


    "A legion..." The soldier spoke without reservation, clearly not wanting to get hit.


    "We crushed a company... This means there are still two companies of the enemy nearby." An officer looked at the commander of the First Company, offering a reminder.


    "Get the second platoon to work with the Third Company to deploy a defensive line along the shrubbery! Prepare for the enemy''s next wave of attacks!" The commander of the First Company immediately made a judgment, "People of the Second Company, help set up that 105 howitzer! We might need artillery support."


    "Stop hitting him! Wait for the regiment commander to handle this!" Watching the officer of the Second Company who continued to throw punches while straddling the other, the commander of the First Company called out to stop him.


    Rising to his feet with bloodied fists, the officer of the Second Company looked at the goblin officer sprawled on the ground who had only the energy to moan weakly, spat, and turned to carry out his duties.


    Soon, the troops on the landing site began to mobilize, some helping to set up cannons on the beach, while others armed with weapons started to arrange defenses against the direction of the enemy''s charge.


    As the commander of the First Company had estimated, the Shen Country''s military finally obtained some intelligence from the fleeing soldiers, understanding that the landing force was not the incompetent Zheng Country troops they had been previously fighting.


    Zheng Country''s military was weak in combat and usually dares not launch attacks proactively. Moreover, once they were engaged in melee combat, they would often collapse swiftly.


    This was exactly why the Shen Country''s troops did not form squares and charged directly in an attempt to drive the landing forces of the Great Tang Group into the sea with a melee attack.


    Accustomed to melee combat, they attempted to use their most familiar tactics to dispose of the enemy before them.


    Knowing this, the battalion commander abandoned the idea of getting his own artillery involved in the combat and started to think of other solutions.


    The enemy''s gunfire lacked precision; it was a complete shot in the dark. So while it seemed fierce, it was essentially ineffective.


    A blind cat won''t catch a dead mouse most of the time, and firing solid shot blindly was unlikely to accidentally hit a high-value target.


    Aside from a cannonball that hit the beach, kicking up gravel and leaving a group of soldiers who had just landed covered in dust, most of these cannonballs'' landing spots were unknown.


    "We can''t let them keep firing blindly! If one shot hits by chance, the loss would be unbearable!" When he saw a solid shot plunge into the sea, spurting a water column less than ten meters away from a small boat, the battalion commander felt that sitting idly by was not an option.


    "Even if it''s just to scare them, let the 105 howitzer fire!" He knew that although there was only one cannon, a high rate of fire and powerful artillery from the Great Tang Group were incomparable to Shireck''s muzzle-loading cannons.


    Just as the adjutant was about to relay the order, the Goblin''s artillery fire unexpectedly ceased. The battalion commander was taken aback, then realized... the enemy''s cannon reloading speed couldn''t keep up.


    "The enemy''s gunfire... has stopped... then, should we still return fire?" the adjutant asked with some uncertainty.


    Sighing, the battalion commander thought for a few seconds and made a decision, "Let''s wait for now! Since they can''t keep up with the rate of fire, let''s wait!"


    After he spoke, he gave another order, "Organize troops to scout! Find out the exact location of the enemy''s artillery..."


    Before the battalion commander could finish his sentence, the sound of tearing through the air came from above, the terrifying whistling noise made everyone on the beach involuntarily shrink their necks.


    Dozens of cannonballs whistled past, over the beach, and landed beyond the small thicket where the white smoke had not yet completely dispersed.


    The next second, flames shot into the sky, the earth trembled, and the blast wave carrying broken branches swept everything around, a series of explosions followed, echoing in the sky.


    These were rounds fired by the 150mm caliber guns of the Navy''s cruisers, which passed over the beach, also soared over the troops of Zheng Country, and landed further afield, turning an open space upside down.


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    Unaware that a battle had already started on shore, the lookout on the Navy warship saw the remnants of white smoke from the muzzle-loaded cannon fire.


    That clearly wasn''t their own fire, as most of their howitzers were still on the ships, waiting to be unloaded. The surprised Navy realized that the stealthy landing might have turned into a frontal assault, and the troops on the shore were being attacked by the enemy!


    Bernard, acting as the highest commander on the battlefield, immediately ordered the warship to open fire to cover the landing troops. Out of concern for avoiding friendly fire, they decided to elevate the guns just a tad...


    As a result, these shells flew over the beach and the troops of Zheng Country, falling further away, creating explosions in isolation.


    Fortunately, the warship''s naval guns were equipped with semi-automatic loading mechanisms and had a high rate of fire, allowing for a slight adjustment of the gun elevation to quickly fire a second salvo...


    ----------


    Two updates today

 Chapter 420 409 and then there was nothing left.

    on the sea, landing crafts crisscrossed incessantly as the great tang group''s landing troops were transporting their soldiers and equipment to the beach in the clumsiest of ways.


    some soldiers heard the sound of gunfire from the beach while they were still at sea; some who were transferring to the landing craft also saw the smoke rising from the firing cruisers.


    soon after, everyone heard the dense sound of cannon fire. the roar of the cruiser''s guns reverberated across the sea, with a momentum that was majestic and intimidating.no?v(el)b\\jnn


    the soldiers on their way to shore in small boats were startled by the shells screeching overhead.


    equally startled was the shenwu military commander shengwu yuan, who was frightened by the shells whistling overhead, and then terrified by the horrific explosions behind him.


    the names in zheng country are very interesting; outsiders can generally understand what kind of job someone is good at from their names.


    shen is the family name in shenwu; everyone from shenwu bears the surname shen. following "shen" is their "identity" or "job"¡ªfor army officers, it is "wu"; for navy officers, it is "hai"; for craftsmen, it is "gong"; for farmers, it is "nong"; women follow their father''s surname before marriage, and their husband''s surname afterward.


    the last part of their name is the personal "name," which can be a few characters. this is also an important reason why tang mo rarely does business with people from shenwu¡ªhe doesn''t like it.


    at this moment, shengwu yuan was utterly confused by what was happening, as he still didn''t know what was going on.


    at first, he thought the feeble zheng country had lost its mind, sending some troops in an attempt to take back dongwan island.


    but then the troops he sent out were routed, and the messages they sent back indicated that the forces attacking dongwan island were not the easy-to-deal-with zheng troops.


    so, he immediately changed tactics, hoping to use his artillery to suppress the beach while buying time and sending messengers to contact the surrounding troops.


    what happened next shattered his common sense and exceeded his imagination¡ªthe enemy, wielding some unknown weapons, produced a devastating impact.


    it wasn''t just him; his own troops also started to become restless, shoving each other in fear and uneasily looking back at the rising black smoke columns.


    "no turning back! regain formation!" shengwu yuan drew his waist sword, tightened his reins, and commanded loudly. he had to restrain his own troops and bring them to their senses; otherwise, there was no point in continuing the fight.


    however, even the usually brave shengwu yuan didn''t know what to do at that moment¡ªhe dared not launch an attack readily, nor was he willing to order a retreat, so he could only wait foolishly here.


    as a result, waiting brought on even grimmer developments...


    the second round of artillery fire followed swiftly, with more than a dozen shells falling. this time, the aim was even better, landing directly on the supply units trailing at the rear.


    the navy''s ship guns adjusted the angle, lowering the barrels slightly, so the second volley was much closer to the place where the white smoke from the gun muzzles rose.


    the explosions blew two wagons into the air in an instant, taking the coachmen and the miscellaneous supplies all sky-high.


    if one misfired due to the swaying and hit one''s own position, how could he face his brothers in the army later?


    therefore, he could only cease firing in good faith and wait for definite news from the shore before planning his next move. enjoy new adventures from empire


    it was precisely because of this that the navy''s gunfire suddenly stopped, and everything returned to silence. the commanders of the navy, army, and enemy forces alike were at a loss, trapped in a long wait.


    minutes after the gunfire died down, the 1st battalion commander also realized this problem: he now also did not dare to launch an attack easily to crush the troops of zheng country.


    because if he retaliated rashly, who knew if naval artillery would suddenly fall from the sky! that would have far more serious consequences than the enemy''s attack. he would rather crouch on the beach and take his chances with the enemy''s solid-shot "lucky draw" than to test the navy''s shrapnel...


    just kidding, solid shot! how many people would die out of a hundred shots? that was nothing like the shells used by the navy''s big guns.


    because they did not need to consider weight, naval artillery could use thicker and longer barrels, employing greater chamber pressure, and naturally, they could use heavier shells! therefore, with the same caliber, the army''s artillery was basically no match for the navy''s.


    moreover, we''re talking about shrapnel! real exploding shells! one shot could affect nearly half a soccer field! sending your own troops into that would be tantamount to giving away lives.


    realizing this, the 1st battalion commander immediately grasped the critical issue, "telegraph! where are the hand-crank generator and telegraph? aren''t they supposed to be ashore? can they be used? hurry up and set them up! quick!"


    as he shouted, he ran toward the beach. he had sharply perceived that communication with the naval warships from the beachfront seemed to be the key to deciding the outcome of the landing operation.


    his adjutant followed closely behind, running recklessly toward the beach, and then the two of them, one after the other, searched among the chaotic landing craft for the telegraph equipment that might have come ashore.


    almost at the same moment, bernard also realized that he should establish effective communication with the beachhead. thus, he urged his own liberty ship to deliver the telegraph machine to the shore as quickly as possible.


    at the same time, the 1st regiment commander boarded a landing craft and headed for the coast¡ªhe could no longer just watch his troops engage the enemy from the ship.


    as a commander, he felt he should be directing from the beach, not cowardly hiding at sea! he was an army officer, not a navy sailor!


    regardless of whether there was artillery fire or enemies, the landing craft continued to transport troops to the beach non-stop.


    although the progress was slow, the process never stopped. soon, more than 100 soldiers landed, most of whom were from the 1st battalion, carrying their weapons.


    no sooner had the soldiers climbed ashore than they joined the battle without even taking the time to empty the sand out of their boots.


    almost instinctively, these soldiers reinforced the surrounding defensive positions and established a new machine-gun emplacement with the second machine-gun that came ashore.


    the 1st battalion commander, with about 600 soldiers under his command, even felt he was capable of counterattacking. however, he still hadn''t found the telegraph machine and couldn''t contact the fleet at sea, so he dared not organize his troops to enter the area of recent shelling.


    waiting in place, shengwu yuan did not know that his opportunity was slipping through his fingers. all that filled his mind was the question, "big brother... are you still going to fire or not?"

 Chapter 421 410 Sleazy smile

    of course, shenwu yuan wasn''t idle either. he had his subordinates restore order to his supply troops, tally the losses, and had his artillerymen reload the cannons, making ready for another round of battle.


    unfortunately, the rate of fire of the muzzle-loading cannon was indeed heartbreakingly slow, and the losses in the rear were severe, the chaos significant, so these tasks wasted a considerable amount of time for the shenwu military.


    by the time shenwu yuan was ready again, his current strength no longer held any clear advantage.


    he didn''t know that the troops in front of him had grown from over 400 to nearly 600, nor was he aware that the enemy''s firepower had more than doubled!


    with the addition of a second machine gun, troops from the great tang group could be said to be invincible. the attacks of the shenwu military were simply suicide and posed no substantial threat.


    now, the only thing that could pose trouble for the great tang group was the handful of shireck muzzle-loading cannons that shenwu yuan held in his grasp.


    but this threat was clearly not going to last for long¡ªsooner or later, a telegraph would land ashore, and as soon as contact with the fleet was established, shenwu yuan''s artillery positions were sure to be lost.


    nevertheless, shenwu yuan had some reliance. early on, he had sent out messengers calling for help. the shenwu allied forces stationed further away were expected to arrive within a few hours to reinforce.


    as long as the reinforcements arrived, shenwu yuan was confident he could launch another attack and drive this sinister enemy into the sea!


    as for the enemy at sea, they could be left to those bastards in the navy to deal with. after all, shenwu''s navy was the mightiest in the world. annoying as it was, they had the strength.


    when the navy''s fleet arrived, it would be possible to crush the enemy at hand. it was common knowledge for the shenwu military that their navy had never been defeated since becoming one of the four powers of the endless sea!


    in the past, the navy of zheng country, nearly equal in strength, had been so battered by defeats that they dared not even leave their naval port.


    the fleets of the poplar kingdom and taren kingdom in the western part of the endless sea could only whimper under the domination of shenwu''s navy!


    so, shenwu yuan never considered the possibility of defeat. he was thinking about how to possibly tie down these landed enemies and ensnare them in one fell swoop!


    this was far more interesting than hunting down zheng country''s remnants in the mountains, and it would also add a considerable feat to his military exploits.


    "form ranks! prepare to attack!" finally, after half a day without a new barrage from the enemy, shenwu yuan could not hold back any longer.


    he speculated that although the enemy''s cannons were formidable, they were cumbersome to load and ridiculously slow-firing¡ªwasn''t this in line with objective laws? if a powerful weapon had no flaws, wouldn''t that truly be unreasonable?


    since the enemy''s weapons had flaws in the rate of fire, exploiting this became the preferred strategy for shenwu yuan''s attack.


    at one point, he even thought that the enemy''s weapons were of the kind with tremendous power but required a long time to prepare.


    therefore, he continued to speculate whether he could survive the enemy''s relentless firepower and wait until they ran out of bullets, then charge in and crush the opposition!


    and so, he commanded his troops to launch another attack, and after a barrage of cannon fire, another battalion of shenwu soldiers, wielding flintlock rifles, crossed the shrubbery and charged toward the sands where the great tang group troops had landed.


    as a joke, if the french troops in verdun in 1916 couldn''t manage a frontal assault on machine-gun positions, how could the goblins of shenwu with their flintlock rifles? it must be remembered that the french military of that year still had courage and hadn''t yet learned their signature military salute...


    after leaving behind more than a hundred corpses, this charge ended in utter confusion. unlike the previous one, the shenwu soldiers didn''t even see the beach, nor did they kill a single soldier from the great tang group.


    seeing his offensive falter more with each attempt, the shenwu yuan was frantic with anxiety. he had no idea when the enemy might launch another terrifying artillery attack on his troops, so he had to grit his teeth and press another attack.


    after all, he believed that reinforcements were bound to arrive. as long as he could pin down the enemy on the beach, victory would belong to shenwu.


    "charge again! no retreat!" shenwu yuan stared down from his horse at the officer below and issued a death command, "the third battalion will follow up! all forces advance! retreaters will be executed!"


    he pointed his commanding saber forward and roared with fearsome intensity, "attack!"


    as if responding to his command, that sharp, air-tearing screech appeared once again, shattering all of shenwu yuan''s illusions.


    the naval artillery bombardment from the great tang group began anew. sudden wailing sounds cleared away all the other noisy clamor, and in the moment of silence that followed, horrific explosions erupted among the crowd.


    in an instant, the shenwu army was thrown into chaos, limbs and body parts hurtling through the air, cries and screams intermingled, adorning the hellish scene before them.


    the shenwu army that was preparing to charge had barely assembled. although not in neat formation, they had taken no defensive measures.


    caught off guard by the sudden artillery attack, the inexperienced shenwu soldiers suffered heavy casualties and were thrown into total disarray.


    on the smoke-filled battlefield, shenwu yuan staggered to his feet from behind his fallen horse. he could no longer hear anything aside from a persistent buzzing in his ears.


    he watched as one of his subordinates, face bloodied, approached him, and he also saw beside a stack of bodies, some people sitting motionless on the ground.


    everything had happened so quickly and so unexpectedly. just a moment ago, shenwu yuan was contemplating an assault, but now his mind was filled with the sole thought of fleeing this cursed place.


    almost instinctively, shenwu yuan shoved the blood-covered figure before him aside and began to stagger away, heading in the direction away from the battlefield.


    in his desperation to escape, he ignored the searing pain on his face, didn''t bother looking for his lost sword, and didn''t even consider his subordinates.


    time blurred, and another round of artillery fire landed near the shenwu troops. the dense barrage claimed countless lives, and it also caused shenwu yuan''s forces to completely crumble.


    the remaining shenwu forces scattered like headless flies, completely lacking in discipline. anyone who could still walk was like shenwu yuan, not looking back as they fled into the distance.


    on the beach, the battalion commander¡ªoblivious to the collapse of the shenwu army¡ªstood by the telegraph machine, taking pleasure in the screech of shells flying overhead, and ordered, "fire another volley! it''s too exhilarating! heh heh heh."


    the signalman glanced at his superior officer and could only shake his head and continue his task. while sending the telegraph, he internally scoffed, "you laugh so lewdly; does the regimental commander know about this?"


    ```

 Chapter 422 411 Unlucky Second Battalion

    the ferocious artillery fire wreaked havoc, causing the shengwu troops to completely collapse. after three rounds of bombardment, an eerie silence settled on the battlefield.


    the commander of the 1st battalion ordered a few troops to move out for reconnaissance, but except for corpses, they found nothing.


    on the beach, dozens of shengwu prisoners were still kneeling, and troops from the subsequent landings continued to come ashore, uninterrupted. everything seemed to be returning to its original track.


    this shengwu military unit, which just happened to appear near the landing site, did not drive the great tang group''s landing troops back into the sea; they had only delayed the process somewhat.


    soon, the commander of the 1st regiment, as the highest commander of the army landed on dongwan island''s beach, accompanied by more than 100 soldiers from the 1st regiment.


    with the arrival of the 1st regiment commander, the landing troops finally regained their proper order, and the operation plan to expand the landing zone finally began.


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    the 1st battalion was assembled and they began moving forward, searching in the direction where the enemy of shenwu yuan had collapsed, and expanding the landing zone to the south.


    the troops of the 3rd battalion took over the northern guard duties from the 1st battalion, occupied the village ruins, and began a search to the north.


    the unfortunate 2nd battalion continued to be unlucky. due to a lack of weapons, they were left on the beach to serve as a reserve team, helping the logistics troops unload supplies and personnel from the sea transports.


    by the time the commander of the 2nd battalion came ashore, he was green with regret. he had hoped to eliminate the enemy and make a name for himself, but his battalion had become a logistics force, almost a joke among the entire military.


    since the establishment of the great tang group''s security forces, the 2nd battalion has become the first battalion-sized unit to be directly routed... they were now thoroughly infamous.


    although none of the three battalions were at full strength, the basic combat power of the 1st and 3rd battalions had been restored, thus the security of the flanks of the landing zone was assured.


    therefore, the commander of the 1st regiment focused his main energy on welcoming the subsequent landing troops. since contact with the fleet had been established, the follow-up work was going very smoothly.


    "can''t you be more specific?" the commander of the 1st regiment asked, slightly frustrated.


    "we don''t have an accurate map... it''s hard to estimate," replied the staff officer, shaking his head even more helplessly.


    when they came, they couldn''t find an accurate map, so they had to make do with old maps¡ªin fact, very few maps in this world met the standards of the great tang group, which generally only used their own surveyed maps.


    even many military units, including those from dorne, suthers, and laines, were using great tang group''s surveyed maps, albeit with slightly blurred precision.


    unfortunately, up until now, great tang group had only surveyed certain areas, which did not include zheng country or shengwu country.


    "it''s difficult to draft an operation plan like this. if it''s 60 kilometers, i can have the 1st battalion conduct a surprise attack on fengshun city, and we could launch a total assault by tomorrow morning! but if it''s over 100 kilometers, i have to prepare for two or three days of battle... the difference is too huge," the commander of the 1st regiment complained.


    "we haven''t found a local guide yet..." the staff officer explained with extreme frustration: "the maps of shengwu itself aren''t accurate. they''re basically unusable..."


    he knew that the captured maps were already the more accurate military maps of shengwu, but these maps still did not meet the military map standards of the great tang group.


    the scattered documents abandoned by shengwu were essentially meaningless. a corps commander in an era of poor communications indeed was unlikely to acquire any critical intelligence.


    "not even one guide?" the regimental commander looked up, his gaze turning to the slightly embarrassed commander of the 2nd battalion standing by.


    the commander of the 2nd battalion shook his head and replied, "we haven''t found any locals yet. the villages have been destroyed by the war, and the locals have disappeared."


    "i see. continue to have your men search... try to find locals as soon as possible. with them as guides, things will be much easier," the commander of the 1st regiment said, while he continued to look down at the map.


    the commander of the 2nd battalion truly wanted to grumble and defend his position, reminding the regimental commander that his battalion was capable of fighting.


    but the words at the tip of his tongue ultimately went unsaid. after a meaningful sigh, all the explanations condensed into a single word: "yes!"

 Chapter 423 412 makes one want to vomit

    in the not-so-dense forest, a soldier from battalion 2 was conducting a search and reconnaissance. his squad had not yet been fully armed, so they could only follow behind the main force, clearing the woodland near the landing site.


    their purpose in searching was to find the local indigenous people and scattered soldiers from shenguo, capturing these prisoners to prevent them from posing a threat to the landing troops.


    "why are we so unlucky?" griping a pistol, the soldier pushed aside the leaves in front of him and complained to his comrade, "others go straight to building their careers, but look at us, rummaging through the woods looking for rabbits..."


    "tell me about it!" the soldier walking beside him used the dagger in his hand to chop through obstructing branches, his face showing equal disdain.


    there was no helping it, as they were all well-trained elite soldiers. not going to the battlefield to face the enemies head-on, but rather searching for people in this scarcely-trodden place, was simply a disgrace.


    "those deep mountains and dense forests... how long have we been walking since we left that ruined village?" the soldier with the pistol continued moving forward as he asked.


    the one wielding the dagger glanced at his watch and, while continuing forward, replied, "over 20 minutes, i guess... not too far..."


    as he spoke, the ground gave way beneath him, startling him into a quick grab for something nearby. unfortunately, the branch he seized couldn''t bear his weight and snapped off as well.


    as a result, he tumbled into a deep pit, completely disoriented.


    "damn it!" he cursed instinctively, then suddenly saw his face right up against that of a corpse.


    this corpse had been lying here for a long time, covered in maggots, with flesh already decayed, exposing stark white bones, inducing an uncontrollable urge to vomit.


    as he tried to get up, his hand pressed into the fully decayed flesh, the sticky and slimy sensation combined with the stench that invaded his nostrils almost suffocated him right there.


    numerous flies, due to the sudden disturbance, buzzed into flight, their droning like that of bombers passing by, seemingly bringing the whole world to life.


    enduring the repugnant touch, the soldier braced himself on the bones to push his body up, then struggled into a somewhat cleaner corner.


    only then did he muster the strength to observe his surroundings, the sights making his hair stand on end and involuntarily letting out a cry.


    he, too, wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible, never to return in this lifetime if he could help it¡ªthis place made his skin crawl, his expression tense, and his entire being uncomfortable.


    even the sight of the soft, decomposing flesh made him fear that some monstrous creature might burst out at any moment to kill him...


    so, without looking back, he fled, along with his comrade, retracing their original path until they quickly reached their point of departure.


    the ruins of the village discovered by the commander of the first battalion had now become the second battalion''s headquarters; a field hospital had also been established there, with previously injured sailors and other casualties being settled in.


    "where''s the commander?" as soon as they returned to the ruins, the two men asked the sentry on guard, who, startled by their state, immediately led them to the headquarters.


    upon seeing the commander of the second battalion, the two soldiers tasked with reconnaissance reported what they had seen and heard. shortly after, an eerie atmosphere descended over the entire second battalion.


    the commander of the second battalion immediately reported the matter to the regiment headquarters. the commander of the first regiment, realizing the gravity of the situation, promptly proceeded to the site of the discovered bodies with a guard, a squad from the second battalion, military medics, and nurses.


    there''s a difference between hearing about a horde of corpses and actually seeing them. when the first regiment''s commander saw the rotting bodies, he too couldn''t help but run off to the side and vomit for a while.


    everyone who saw this scene felt their stomachs churn, and even a few young soldiers turned away immediately, not wishing to look any longer.


    "most of them seem to be civilians by their clothing... there are also some in military uniforms, soldiers from zheng country," the medic, wearing a mask, returned to the first regiment''s commander and reported his preliminary observations.


    "how... did they die?" the first regiment''s commander spoke and, smelling that nauseating scent again, felt the urge to vomit once more.


    "it''s hard to say... it requires a careful investigation... with so many bodies, some of which have been ravaged by wild animals, it''s difficult to say what we can find out," the doctor remarked, as though discussing a routine task.


    "i''ll wait here for the results!" the first regiment''s commander felt he had begun to acclimate to the smell and the scene before him: "get me the results as quickly as you can!"


    -------- explore stories on empire


    i''m not feeling well today, resulting in fewer words. sorry. when writing certain paragraphs, i couldn''t help but be influenced by some events, and my mood was quite low.

 Chapter 424 413 The daylily dishes have gone cold

    with each passing second, battalion commander tang mo had actually moved away from that mass grave, yet he still had the illusion that he could smell the stench of death.


    he involuntarily moved even further away, then rubbed his nose with his hand and looked anxiously towards the direction of the mass grave.


    because of this matter, he had handed over the command of the landing operations to the commander of the second battalion, and the number of soldiers here had increased from a dozen to over thirty.


    almost everyone who saw the large pit was stunned by what lay before them; these warriors, who wouldn''t bat an eyelid when killing on the battlefield, had no immunity to such a rotting and foul scene.


    they could kill on the battlefield without any psychological burden, not even a frown from lina. but to slaughter civilians, they indeed needed some mental preparation.


    of course, after a massacre order was given, they might actually carry it out, but to kill people and then not even bother to dispose of the bodies properly¡ªthis, they could not do.


    this was determined by their basic civilized attributes; at least they were still human, with the most basic human nature, not devils brainwashed by some ideology.


    finally, battalion commander tang mo, growing a bit impatient, saw the military doctor, who covered his mouth as he walked over.


    behind the doctor followed a nurse, her mask hanging off one ear and dangling under her chin on the other side. just by looking at her face, it was clear the young girl had vomited more than once.


    the doctor took off his mask, took a deep breath before reporting, "they were killed by people. we did a preliminary investigation; there are 17 children, 84 adults, men and women, 52 elderly... these are civilians, and there are also 31 soldiers wearing zheng country military uniforms."


    "are you sure they were killed by people?" battalion commander tang mo asked, his expression darkening and his tone somewhat displeased, seeking confirmation.


    the doctor nodded without hesitation, affirmatively answering, "yes, they were all killed by people."


    "why are you so sure?" the commander continued to verify.no?v(el)b\\jnn


    "well, this!" the doctor extended his hand, passing an item to battalion commander tang mo.


    "a bullet?" tang mo instinctively reached out for the object, and then saw the doctor place a small lead ball into the palm of his hand.


    the doctor grimaced, "to be precise, it''s a flintlock musket lead ball from shireck, very standard."


    he paused for a moment, letting battalion commander tang mo examine the bullet stained with blood for a while before continuing, "there are also knife marks on some skeletons, likely from chopping blows..."


    it was at that moment battalion commander tang mo realized that the bullet in his palm must have been found in the flesh of the corpses.


    he wanted to discard the ill-omened and disgusting object, yet felt compelled to reconsider. he sighed and continued, "have they gone mad? not sparing men, women, and children?"


    "yes, it seems to be the villagers, all killed," the doctor mused as he thought of the clothes punctured with holes or torn apart, becoming increasingly irritable.


    "wolf 3 and wolf 4 will sortie before tomorrow morning to seize a commanding position and destroy the enemy fleet at the perimeter of the landing area," the staff officer promised, circling a section of the sea on the chart.


    it was a joke, of course; facing off against a couple of wolf-class cruisers was no pressure at all for fleets of dozens of sail warships. the enemy didn''t even have a chance to fire, not a single one could escape.


    "leave a brunas-class ironclad warship to protect the landing site, and we''ll move closer," bernard pondered for a few seconds before making a decision.


    he decided to reinforce the forces intercepting the enemy''s fleet, for a simple reason¡ªhe planned to crush the fleet of the shengwu empire with overwhelming force.


    "after all, discovering the slaughter pit was quite unsettling... although we are not certain it was shengwu empire''s doing, i still need to vent my anger," bernard explained, then left the bridge, "if brunas''s reply comes through, notify me immediately, and... urge the transport ships to speed up..."


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    "yes!" everyone on the bridge stood at attention and saluted as they watched bernard leave.


    during this period, the navy had been busy too. they had made great efforts to transfer the troops to the beach as swiftly as possible.


    they dispatched soldiers who were strong swimmers to risk diving and check the nearby reefs, ultimately allowing their transport ships to move forward by more than 300 meters.


    it might only seem like a short distance, but it had reduced the travel time for the landing crafts and sped up the transportation.


    with the expansion of the landing area, some heavy equipment also reached the beach, with dozens of vehicles and several large-caliber artillery pieces coming ashore, accompanied by reconnaissance cavalry and more signal corps.


    the beach was crowded, and the organizational structure of the units began to take shape. the battalion headquarters moved a bit, relocating to a place closer to the inland.


    the subsequent landing operation unfolded slowly without enemy interference, and the manpower of the 1st battalion had quickly expanded to 600, not too far from being fully staffed.


    the 3rd battalion also received reinforcements, now with a strength of over 300 men, it could stand on its own.


    the 2nd battalion was quite interesting, with more than 400 men already ashore and their subsequent weapons delivered to the beach, so the 2nd battalion was re-armed and had regained its combat power.


    after spending an entire month on the ship, the condition of the 1st battalion was not good, but the enemy was too weak to even make them a little more spirited.


    the troops of shengwu yuan only happened to be nearby; in fact, the military strength of shengwu country here was very sparse, unable to organize a second counterattack.


    according to the estimates of the 1st battalion''s staff, the news of their landing on dongwan island might reach fengshun city by nightfall today, while dongwan port might not become aware of this news until noon or even the afternoon of the next day.


    not everyone in this world has wireless telegraphy devices; clearly, whether it is zheng country or shengwu country, including the dahua empire, they are technologically far behind those countries and regions adjacent to the great tang group.


    whether it be the commander of the 1st battalion or bernard, even the staff in distant brunas were confident that by the time shengwu country reacted and mobilized troops, it would already be 72 hours later.


    by that time... it would all be over!

 Chapter 425 414 pincer attack from both sides

    in fact, the reaction speed of the military of zheng country was much faster than the great tang group had calculated. because... they had telegraph machines!


    yes, that''s right! zheng country actually had telegraph machines!


    as for why they had telegraph machines, it was quite a dramatic story.


    zheng country was a nation established on the power of the sea, resembling the taren kingdom in this regard; both placed great emphasis on the development of their navies.


    previously, shireck had gone astray with the quixotic design of the ming wheel ship¡ªa type of warship meant to be marketed to recover the initial investment costs for its development.


    the buyer they found for the ming wheel ship was none other than zheng country!


    among the four great powers of the endless sea, poplar kingdom had been weakened by the great tang group and taren kingdom had also been beaten down at that time. zheng country was so corrupt that it was a power in name only, leaving the navy of zheng country as the only one interested in the ming wheel ship.


    the navy of zheng country, with its maritime foundations, was indeed innovative and smart. upon their first sight of the ming wheel warship, which propelled itself without the need for sails, they immediately realized its advanced nature.


    steel warships were naturally stronger than sail-powered ones, and when combined with advanced breech-loading cannons, these warships could easily crush wooden sailing ships.


    with the addition of power generators and telegraph machines, the new style of warship also held a commanding advantage in communication and command over sail-powered ships¡ªthey didn''t care whether the power equipment and telegraph machines were pirated versions copied from the shireck consortium!


    therefore, after the high-ranking naval officers of zheng country inspected the ming wheel ship, they immediately placed an order for 30 ships.


    it was thanks to the higher speed, more robust hull, and more powerful artillery of the ming wheel ships that zheng country inflicted a heavy blow on zheng country''s navy in the dongwan island battle and captured this strategic location.


    using the pirated telegraph machines to transmit messages became zheng country''s "exclusive secret technique," giving them the upper hand to keep zheng country under their thumb.


    this time, when the troops of the great tang group landed, the commander of zheng country stationed in dongwan port received the news almost simultaneously with the garrison inside fengshun city.


    because the zheng country navy''s ming wheel ships stationed in fengshun port immediately used their onboard telegraph machines to send the news in the direction of dongwan.


    at the same time, the frontline commanders of the great tang group did not realize that the military presence on dongwan island of zheng country was already quite modernized.


    they had 3,000 men equipped with the shireck type 1 new rifles, a secret weapon so exclusive that not even their own military knew about it¡ªshengwu yuan had never seen such weapons, which is why his troops failed to recognize the terrifying sound of the bolt-action rifles.


    in addition to radio and wireless equipment, the island also had breech-loading cannons copied and pirated by shireck from the first generation of great tang group''s cannons, known as slide-recoil breech cannons.


    however, they were in short supply, with only two... yes, only two! because they were still in trial and had not yet been purchased on a large scale!


    at this very moment, zheng country''s temporary governor of dongwan island, shen wenmao, hurriedly pushed open the heavy door and walked into the grand hall of the city lord''s mansion, originally constructed by zheng country in dongwan city.


    in terms of the strategic stance, zheng country''s superior forces were poised to pincer from both sides, and in terms of mobilization speed, they completely exceeded the imaginations of the great tang group commanders.


    however, due to the distance they had to travel, the landing troops did not encounter any problems on the first night; they were still unaware that enemy forces were slowly closing in from both sides. at dawn on the second day, they began a new round of unloading and landing operations.


    without a port, forcefully unloading on this kind of beach was incredibly difficult. it was already no small task to get vehicles onto landing craft in itself.


    this was also due to the fact that cars from the ancient times were lighter and simpler in structure; otherwise, they would never have been able to board the landing crafts.


    with the unloading distance reduced and procedures becoming more practiced, the landing on the second day went very smoothly.


    after all, with no enemy harassment and no combat on the beach, more heavy weaponry and equipment quickly landed on dongwan island.


    to enhance the troops'' mobility, barrels of gasoline were brought to the beach, along with mess trucks and various auxiliary equipment.


    the re-armed 2nd company finally found its purpose, as more and more engineers and logistics troops landed and began work, leaving less need for the 2nd company''s assistance.


    hence, the 2nd company was ordered to advance eastward, to protect the flank and serve as the battle reserve.


    the 1st battalion commander''s plan was actually quite straightforward: he intended to fight a defensive battle along the road until all the troops had landed.


    after annihilating most of the enemy''s active forces, they would immediately switch from defense to offense, gathering the 1st and 2nd companies for an all-out push south, to capture fengshun city.


    he abandoned the earlier plan of rushing to fengshun city because the landing was too slow, and the previous plan had clearly underestimated the difficulty of landing operations.


    therefore, he revised the battle plan on the spot, changing from a rush to capture fengshun city to a local defense. they would wait for the enemy''s counterattack, then launch a counteroffensive to seize fengshun city.


    once they took that place, the following troops could directly unload at the port, making the efficiency at least ten, if not a hundred times higher.


    this approach not only captured the port to address the subsequent difficulties in resupplying but also avoided the troops being attacked from both front and rear.


    at night, zheng country''s troops couldn''t continue to march, and the great tang group''s landing speed also dropped to an empathetic level.


    both sides spent the night peacefully. on the second day, zheng country''s troops continued to advance both south and north, slowly approaching the great tang group''s defense line, with the great tang group steadily sending more troops ashore, reinforcing their own defense line.


    after the efforts of the 1st battalion and the navy, the 3rd company managed to restore its troop strength to 500 men by the second night.


    the 1st company was in the best condition, with nearly 700 men, while the 2nd company still had only 400, as they had been continuously resupplied with weapons, inevitably slowing down personnel transport.


    waging war requires flexibility; there''s no such thing as a perfect pre-established plan! everything is subject to change, and the outcome remains uncertain.

 Chapter 426 415 Hypocritical Empathy

    brunas, tang mo, in his temporary office, sketched the side view of a component with his pen.


    most of his spare time each day was spent on similar tasks. there was no helping it: the lot of a humanoid, autonomous drawing machine couldn''t be changed by anyone.


    thus, when li''ao came to deliver intelligence or whenever someone sought him out, he was mostly found head down, drawing, or writing some piece of literature.


    successful people were not at ease, and those who woke up each day to seek out the third lead actress from their sophomore year, spend their afternoon in a hotel with the second lead actress, and accompany the first lead actress at a barbecue place at night, only to receive a call and rush off to rescue the fourth lead actress in the wee hours, such scenarios could only occur in novels.


    the reality was that tang mo had to work for several hours every day, then listen to the reports from his subordinates and spot-check production reports from his own factories... yes, spot-check! because he couldn''t keep up with all of them anymore.


    now, the great tang group had established a brand new audit department, which checked the production reports consolidated by various departments daily. however, whenever he had time, tang mo would still check a few reports himself, as it was his habit.


    to make sure that subordinates did their jobs honestly and refrained from cutting corners, those in power must personally inspect the work progress, according to tang mo''s experience.


    a dynasty could slacken from its ascendency within about 50 years. tang mo was certain that if he slackened even a little, his subordinates would cut corners enormously. eventually, the great tang group would quickly decline and become another shireck.


    therefore, the scenario where the president prepared for half a month and then, one evening with a rose in his mouth, performed under the heroine''s window, had an almost zero chance of happening in real life.


    presidents didn''t have the time for such things; the cost was too high¡ªif they truly took an interest, a more rational solution would be to have their personal secretary ask the heroine with a cheque in hand whether she preferred yachts or helicopters...


    just as tang mo put down his pen and shook his sore wrist to alleviate some fatigue, luff and li''ao walked into his office together.


    tang mo knew that there was news from the front line. he asked yulin to pour him a glass of water, then walked over to the two and gestured for them to have a seat, and then commanded, "it seems there''s news, let''s hear it."


    luff immediately began, "master, the news just came in. one of our fleets delivering goods to zheng country was attacked by shenguo."


    "oh?" tang mo was startled. he hadn''t anticipated that while he sent troops to attack dongwan island, shenguo would strike first...


    it seemed the other party was quite bold to give the great tang group a reason to strike back... this time, if they weren''t prepared to settle the bill for provoking the great tang group into war, they shouldn''t expect tang mo to just let it go.


    li''ao then added, "12 sail-armed transport ships were attacked, 11 were sunk, and only one managed to escape to zheng country."


    "then, the survivors from that ship in zheng country found our other transport ships and passed the news back."


    "it seems necessary to deploy a public radio station in zheng country," said tang mo without a hint of realization that he had actually already sent troops to dongwan island in zheng country. discover hidden stories at empire


    "yes, this time the news took too long to get back," agreed li''ao with a nod.


    but he indeed felt a moment of sorrow, inexplicably so.


    he looked towards tang mo and noticed that tang mo''s expression was also somewhat unnatural. like him, tang mo seemed to be struggling to find an appropriate emotion.


    to be frank, being a second-generation criminal, he had even fewer sentiments about his homeland than li''ao¡ªlet alone the fact that tang mo was a transmigrator, who felt even less kinship with his distant ethnic peers. both of his parents had passed away, making his ties with that land seem all the more distant and estranged.


    but in the next second, tang mo became filled with sorrow; he blinked as though he was holding back tears.


    then, he looked at li''ao, his voice choked with emotion, and asked, "the people of zheng country, don''t they all have black eyes and black hair... our own kin?"


    li''ao was taken aback, and then nodded vigorously, saying, "yes, master! they are our kin, all with black eyes, black hair... all people just like us!"


    "they have suffered unjust treatment! our brethren are in agony!" tang mo paused there for a moment, as if to compose his emotions, "they are my people! i cannot let them continue to endure such calamities!"


    li''ao suddenly realized that tang mo had come to view dongwan island as his own territory. thus, everything on dongwan island belonged to tang mo, and any losses on dongwan island were tang mo''s losses as well.


    it seemed that tang mo had indeed harbored ideas of ruling over zheng country! at that moment, li''ao felt a surge of excitement, of fervor... for it seemed that he truly might be able to return to his homeland with dignity and honor!


    "you''re right, master!" therefore, he wholeheartedly bowed to tang mo and said, "we should rescue... our kin!"


    "send a message to all the warships: sink any shence country ships on sight! the great tang group stands irreconcilable with shence country!" tang mo coldly ordered, "immediately notify the envoys of all nations in brunas, requesting they stand with justice and declare war on shence country!"


    "...yes! i understand!" li''ao stood up, his face beaming with a smile, and bowed to tang mo in assent.


    "i''ll go convey the orders to the navy right away," said luff, also looking excited¡ªhe might not have had the same desire to return home in glory as li''ao, but he knew a full-scale war had begun... this meant that the great tang group''s security forces were about to distinguish themselves once again!


    minutes later, harry on behalf of mr. tang notified the envoys of the various countries, and then a piece of news took flight as if it had grown wings and spread across the world.


    the great tang group had declared war on shence country, and... it hoped that all nations of the world that wished to maintain a friendly cooperation with the great tang group would also go to war with shence country!


    when the monarchs of the surrounding countries heard this news, they all breathed a sigh of relief; this time, they could finally be sure that the mobilization of the great tang group''s troops was indeed not aimed at them.


    once assured of the news, these monarchs immediately perked up. the skies had cleared, the rain stopped, and they once again felt capable!


    for a moment, the king of suthers even uncorked a four-year-old brunas in his royal palace. this wine was quite expensive, and he had always been reluctant to drink it.


    but this time, he was happy! so he drank it and even invited the prime minister, sharing an entire bottle straightaway!

 Chapter 427 April 16th whistleblower

    hours later, several countries moved without any forewarning, as if a calm lake suddenly began to boil.


    after receiving the orders, strauss, the naval commander of the dorne kingdom, immediately assembled the fleet and, without a second thought, attacked all the shireck merchant ships conducting trade that they could find in the nearby waters of dorne.


    stay updated with empire


    subsequently, the dorne kingdom declared war on shireck, and the dorne navy assembled a fleet consisting of 2 brunas-class ironclad warships, 12 of the largest sailing warships, and 32 logistical support sailing ships, preparing to join the great tang group''s expeditionary fleet against shireck.


    a few hours later, the poplar kingdom also declared war on shireck, with 2 brunas-class ironclad warships deployed, leading supply ships and menacingly blocking the trade routes on the high seas.


    acting almost simultaneously with the poplar kingdom, the navy of the ice cold kingdom also mobilized with 2 brunas-class ironclad warships, and additionally sent out 12 steam-powered wooden ships, marking a full-fledged deployment of their naval forces.


    the fleet of the leite kingdom headed north without hesitation, reaching the open waters near brunas. the future leines i, also known as king leite vii, declared war on shireck and announced the dispatch of a fleet to participate in the campaign against shireck.


    a fleet composed of 2 brunas-class ironclad warships and 7 wooden steamships was also formidable, with combat power that was incredibly intimidating.


    the songmu kingdom also sent its navy into battle, but they did not deploy their ironclad warships; instead, they called upon 50 sailing warships to help secure the maritime trade routes.


    for a time, it seemed as if the entire endless sea became tumultuous, with naval warships of various countries flying their battle flags, frantically searching the seas for shireck transport ships.


    the moment a target was discovered, intense battles would immediately erupt. shireck''s armed merchant ships suffered heavy losses, and the pure transport ships were either captured or sunk.


    and this was just within a few hours. soon, shireck would realize the horrifying toll they had paid.


    dorne, suthers, leite, poplar, songmu... the five treaty-signing countries declared war on shireck one after another, followed by the empire of nanla, which kicked shireck while they were down and also declared war.


    coal transport ships dominated the seas for a time, as a type of modified vessel with wooden hulls fitted with steam engines began to make their mark.


    the navies of various countries seemed eager to demonstrate their strength in this war and to train their troops, so they brought out their entire arsenals.


    just considering the wooden steamships, there were as many as thirty to forty assembled at brunas, most of which were coal transport ships, serving as supply vessels for the countries'' naval fleets.


    similarly, there was also a large assembly of sailing ships. with their vast numbers, they could transport troops, horses, and even personnel, their advantage lying in their large and abundant capacity.


    although it might take a dozen sailing ships to match the transport capability of a single ming wheel ship, as the main means of transport for various countries, hundreds could easily be assembled, representing a transport force that could not be overlooked.


    "her? why is she joining in the commotion?" harry, overwhelmed with arranging for the ships of various countries to resupply at the port of brunas, was suddenly visited by sofia''s maid, who appeared to have urgent business.


    harry, busy and disoriented, still made time to meet with the anxious maid. as soon as they met, the maid blurted out, "this is serious. i heard you''re having a dispute with shireck, and i''ve come to tell you something important!"


    "hmm?" harry furrowed his brow, knowing that the maid in this state was certainly not here to relax with him.


    the maid nodded, then extended her hand, "pen."


    she read the terms carefully; there weren''t any traps, just the most favorable loan contract. this was truly timely assistance for sofia, who was in the midst of seizing the smiling tiger''s legacy.


    harry passed the pen to the maid, who immediately signed her name, "it seems that when you launch your attack on zheng country, shireck won''t have the energy to slice the cake."


    "isn''t lady sofia already taking a big slice of shireck''s cake for herself? isn''t that enough?" harry retorted.


    "well, let''s say... we each take what we need this time." the maid handed back the second copy of the signed document to harry, then shook the one in her hand, "thank you for the loan."


    "thank you for the intelligence you brought," harry waved nonchalantly.


    "dinner together tonight?" the maid turned around at the door and suddenly looked back. she had always been the more proactive one, always.


    "..." harry didn''t refuse, but just spread his hands, indicating the pile of documents on the table resembling a small mountain.


    the maid nodded, understanding that the great tang group must have a lot of things to take care of after receiving the news, and so she waved the document in her hand and walked out of harry''s office.


    a few minutes later, the intelligence department of the great tang group had wired a telegram to the frontline, confirming the news of the shireck troops'' new rifles and new warships.


    when bernard received this intelligence, it was still night around dongwan island. the troops of the great tang group had landed there two days earlier, with the 1st battalion fully ashore.


    "the shireck model 1 rifle... indeed a troublesome matter," the 1st battalion commander stared at the information from the fleet and voiced his concern.


    if the attacking forces also possessed new weapons, the tactics employed would be much more challenging. the group''s technological edge could be nullified, greatly magnifying the enemy''s numerical superiority.


    they were already outnumbered; if their defenses were breached, they would be in a passive situation.


    "they also have ironclad warships now... this situation appears rather grim," bernard, who had been waiting on the sea for the enemy''s fleet for an entire day, was also caught off guard by these sudden developments.


    having never truly contended with ironclad warships, he was uncertain of the enemy''s real combat strength and could only adopt a cautious stance.


    after all, he held the main force of the great tang navy in his hands; if anything went wrong, he would be the eternal sinner of the group.


    on the other side, the shireck kingdom was still unaware that a series of countries had declared war on it. simultaneously, shireck was also oblivious to the fact that their trade ships at sea had been thoroughly plundered by several countries.


    the naval warships of the shireck kingdom near dongwan island had deliberately synchronized their time to ensure they could launch attacks simultaneously from both sides.


    hence, the fleet heading north towards fengshun city slowed down its advance to wait for the fleet from the south.


    with this delay, the planned encounter extended to the dawn of the third day. both sides awaited the dawn, for the battle that would decide the outcome in the light of day!

 Chapter 428 The First Collision of the New-style Navy No. 417

    the sun rose as usual every day, and the first to welcome the light was the naval fleet of the great tang group lying across the sea.


    at this time, the great tang group and the rapidly approaching navy of the shen country almost simultaneously discovered the billowing smoke lying across the sea.


    indeed, when both sides had steamships participating in the battle, it was quite easy to discover the enemy''s fleet from a great distance.


    the next second, the fleet of the great tang group discovered that they seemed to be caught in the middle¡ªtheir south and north were simultaneously approached by an imposing fleet that clearly harbored ill intentions.


    bernard put down his telescope and made a tactical deployment, ordering all the slower brunas-class ironclads within his fleet to stay behind and protect the transport and landing troops, while the faster wolf-class cruisers were grouped separately and charged toward the shen country fleet in the direction of fengshun city to the south.


    according to bernard''s plan, he should command the faster cruiser fleet to swiftly move south and devour the supposed weaker shen country fleet coming from the direction of fengshun city.


    after completely eliminating the threat to the south, using their faster sailing speed, he would lead the fleet in a loop to join the remaining brunas-class ironclads and pincer the enemy fleet coming from the north.


    quickly, cruiser wolf 1 together with wolf 3 and wolf 4 broke away from the landing fleet, the three warships arranged in a linear formation and charged rapidly toward the enemy fleet to the south.


    at the same time, the fleet of shen country advancing from the direction of fengshun city toward the north also discovered that enemy ships were closing in on them.


    as a result, the experienced shen country commander immediately ordered his fleet to cross the bows and array side-on to face the enemy, centering on the ming wheel ships to prepare for the imminent clash with the great tang fleet.


    the atmosphere suddenly tensed up, waves crashed against the hulls, all gunports on the ships were flung open, and one after the other the shireck breach-loading cannons were rolled out, with their barrels aimed at the distant plumes of smoke.


    through the telescope of the shen country ship captain, three dark warships were rapidly advancing towards them with a speed that seemed almost inconceivable.


    those warships, which appeared very distant, seemed to be subtly turning their bows, as if they were preparing to give chase and bite the tail of the shen country fleet.


    "their sailing speed is very fast..." a middle-ranking shen country officer lowered his telescope and started to say with a worried heart.


    the approaching warships looked more slender than their ming wheel ships and their speed also seemed faster, clearly not easy to deal with.


    this wasn''t about zheng country''s backward and powerless sail warships¡ªjust from the momentum, the enemy''s forces out there were definitely more than ten times harder to tackle than the zheng country navy.


    "it seems they have great confidence in their own sailing speed, actually ready to bite our tail," said the commander standing next to the middle-ranking shen country officer, also lowering his telescope. he was the captain of this warship and also the overall commander of this fleet.


    "clearly, their sailing speed is indeed fast enough to be trustworthy," the middle-ranking commander replied, eyes on the ever-nearing smoke, seeming uneasy.


    "do not fear, we are ironclad warships, they are not our match!" retorted the captain with a cold laugh, showing disdain.


    he too placed great trust in the warship under his feet, for it was a wooden ship with an iron hull, whose defensive capability was obviously several times stronger than that of an ordinary sailing ship!


    achieving the practical result of destroying a sailboat with a single shot was entirely dependent on the excessive power of the shells, not because the type of shell was suitable.


    now, with contact fuses that detonated upon impact, the timing of the shell explosions was perfect as they penetrated the hulls, so the destructive force was fully applied to the ship''s structure, making the damage all the more conspicuous.


    as a direct result, when a shell hit a shen country''s navy ming wheel ship, the explosion instantly blew off one side of the ship''s paddle wheels!


    it''s not an exaggeration at all¡ªthe explosion cut off the paddle wheels on one side and it fell directly into the sea.


    in the face of solid-shot that was virtually invincible against wooden ironclad ming wheel ships, all sorts of problems were exposed the instant they collided with true steel cruisers.


    nevertheless, as the main force of the shen country''s troops, the shen country''s navy was still very tenacious in battle; even though they found themselves in a passive position and at a disadvantage as soon as the battle erupted, they continued to fight stubbornly.


    they kept firing at the warships of the great tang group, even causing considerable trouble to the latter for a time.


    for the first time, a 130 millimeter shrapnel shell hit a warship of the great tang group, blasting a fist-sized hole on the side of the hull.


    the explosion made the wolf-class cruiser shudder, but as it did not cause more significant damage, the warship continued to fire and fight.


    compared to the sail warships and muzzle-loading cannons, the newer ming wheel ships and breech-loading cannons did indeed pose some trouble for the navy of the great tang group.


    the sturdier hulls indeed slowed down the pace at which the great tang group''s navy sank enemy ships. even the worst ironclad ship is certainly much sturdier than a wooden one.


    one ironclad ming wheel ship even remained afloat after being hit by 13 shells, which vexed bernard greatly.


    watching the shen country''s navy warship being blasted to the point that it was almost reduced to a mere hull, but still not scuttled or capsized, floating on the sea like a tomb.


    however, the shen country''s fengshun city''s northern fleet had now entirely lost its combat effectiveness, with all 15 sail warships having been sunk here.


    two ming wheel ships were now also crippled, one slowly sinking and another seeming to be just a hull floating on the sea.


    bernard, already very anxious, immediately ordered the wolf number 3 warship, which had just been hit, to stay behind and continue firing, ensuring the sinking of all shen country warships, while he himself took the wolf number 4 warship northward immediately to reinforce the landing fleet caught in a fierce battle. discover exclusive content at empire


    because, at the moment when he had annihilated the northern fleet of fengshun port, news came from the landing fleet that the enemy''s fleet had broken into the landing zone and started attacking the free-wheel ships.


    this news made bernard burn with impatience because if his landing fleet encountered problems, even if he annihilated all the enemy''s fleets in this battle, it would still be a devastating defeat.


    therefore, he hurriedly led two cruisers back to the battlefield, rushing north to chase away the enemy''s fleet that had entered the landing zone.


    for a while, the sea was covered with clouds of war, and who would win this naval battle was still a question mark. at this very moment, the sunlight had crossed the coastline, shining onto dongwan island, as the land forces of both sides finally clashed.

 Chapter 429 418 People should have dreams

    as time ticked by second by second, the naval warships of shen country indeed made their way into the landing zone. however, the trouble they caused for the naval transport fleet of great tang group was not as much as imagined.


    the three remaining brunas-class ironclad warships were currently battling against three ming wheel ships and fifteen sail warships, and were actually gaining the upper hand.


    in front of them, the numerically superior fleet of shen country''s navy was already enveloped in thick smoke and virtually incapacitated.


    however, due to the sheer number of enemy ships, five sail warships managed to slip through the chaos and into the formation of several freelance wheel ships anchored near the shore.


    these freelance wheel ships hadn''t warmed up their boilers yet, so all they could do was sit there and take a beating¡ªin fact, the landing fleet of great tang group had never expected the enemy to break through their warship defense line and get so close.


    for a moment, the fleet sailors who were still washing up were stunned and could only watch as these towering sail warships wreaked havoc on the outskirts of the fleet.


    of course, they couldn''t just stand there and watch; soon enough, soldiers picked up their rifles and began to fire from the deck to stop these enemy sail warships from approaching.


    the sound of gunfire quickly spread across the sea surface, followed by the booming of cannons, making it seem like the landing fleet was in grave danger this time.


    but in fact, the damage the five sail warships of shen country did to the freelance wheel transportation fleet of great tang group was far less severe than imagined.


    watching their main fleet suffer heavy losses, the shen country warships didn''t dare to rush into the freelance wheel fleet, which was of unknown depth, so they could only fire from the periphery.


    you should know, in the eyes of shen country''s navy commanders, just by size alone, these massive wheels moored on the sea surface were enough to intimidate them.


    merely by looking at these colossal vessels, which were twice the size of the warships, the goblin sailors of shen country felt such awe that they became hesitant and did not dare to advance.


    also, because of the gunfire on the ships, they didn''t dare to recklessly board and risk close quarters combat; therefore, firing solid shot with muzzle-loading cannons became what they deemed as the most prudent method of attack.


    as a result... these solid shots hitting the tall sides of the freelance wheels had little effect.


    most of the cannonballs were deflected right away, and the few that embedded into the hulls failed to penetrate.


    on the other side, the brief window of attack desperately bought by the shen country''s main fleet moving southward was thus squandered in vain.


    by the time bernard led two wolf-class cruisers back to the landing zone, the five sail warships hadn''t been able to do much damage to the freelance wheel fleet...


    immediately following that, they were met with a fierce onslaught from the cruiser fleet of great tang group, turning the whole sea battle into a massacre at sea in an instant.


    the naval commanders of shen country watched helplessly as the five sail warships hovering on the periphery of the enemy''s stationary fleet were obliterated in the blink of an eye, almost choking on their fury.


    he stood on the deck, squinting through the drifting black smoke, and pointed at the distant sinking sail fleet, cursing loudly, "damn it! cowards! why didn''t you board and fight? why didn''t you get close and make a last stand?"


    in reality, just minutes ago, he had already ordered signaling flags for the five sail warships to engage in boarding combat.


    but for some reason, be it the thick smoke or something else, those five warships... clearly did not carry out his command.


    frankly, the enemy was just shelling to bolster their own courage, which had little strategic value. such tactics were forbidden within the great tang group, as precious ammunition was not to be wasted in such a manner.


    both sides were in a stalemate for over half an hour. then, the commander of zheng country, shenwu shen, consulted with shengwu yuan and sent out two battalions of soldiers for another fierce attack.


    zheng country''s forces unfolded in layers upon layers and charged recklessly towards the defensive positions of great tang group''s defending army.


    and then... then they were routed without even coming into machine gun fire! guided by an observation post, the battalion''s mortar unit gave the enemy a lesson in what modern artillery was all about.


    the artillerymen of great tang group, with precise firing tables, were accurate and powerful. with just two rounds of volley fire, they introduced the attacking forces of zheng country to a barrage of artillery fire.


    dozens of shells fell almost simultaneously, exploding among the crowd of zheng country goblins, a sensation that was incredibly satisfying.


    without even reaching the forward positions of great tang group, the enemy suffered more than 500 casualties. shenwu shen and shengwu yuan finally realized the gravity of the situation.


    even they could see that the force they faced had nothing to do with zheng country and was not an enemy they could deal with by themselves!


    so they decided... to wait a bit!


    yes, to wait! they planned to stay put for two hours, waiting for their northern allies to launch an attack and divert the strength of the enemy forces before making their move.


    in shenwu shen''s view, the reason why this force was so strong was that they had put their main strength right in front of his own.


    as long as the northern allies, the troops commanded by shenwu xiong, arrived and began their attack, this enemy force would naturally be unable to take care of both fronts. then, when that time came, his attack would meet much less resistance than now.


    but what he didn''t know was that after repelling two attacks and noting that zheng country''s troops were stationary, the commander of the 1st battalion immediately began moving his own forces.


    the 2nd battalion started to maneuver along the edge of the battlefield towards fengshun city, effectively encircling the forces of shenwu yuan and shenwu shen.


    on the other side, in fact, over an hour earlier, shenwu xiong''s forces had already launched a fierce attack against the 3rd battalion.


    unfortunately, like shenwu shen''s experience, shenwu xiong''s forces also suffered significant setbacks in their attack, similarly losing hundreds of soldiers.


    under such circumstances, shenwu xiong made almost the same judgment as shenwu shen¡ªhe believed that the enemy''s main force was in front of him, and he could wait a bit for shenwu shen to launch an attack and disrupt the enemy''s deployment before making his own move.


    thus, due to poor communication, zheng country''s advantage of a pincer attack vanished into thin air, resulting in passive and separate battles on both sides.


    even more laughably, in doing so, zheng country''s attacking troops wasted over a precious hour just standing idly by.


    what''s even more tragic is that they still didn''t know the news of their own fleet''s crushing defeat. they were still hoping that if their fleet achieved victory, the enemy would be thrown into disarray.


    after all, what''s the point of being alive without dreams? that would be no different from a salted fish.


    -----------


    thank you to reader "better than insufficient, richer than destitute," and "yangyango_o" for the rewards. dragon spirit still owes more updates. i''m ashamed and thank you both for your support. thank you very much.

 Chapter 430 419 Second Battalion Tradition

    all the troops of the great tang group actually have their own special forces¡ªhere, "special forces" doesn''t mean what it typically does to the broader understanding.


    or rather, these so-called special forces are just an early prototype of what real special forces would be.


    every platoon in the great tang group''s security forces has its own independent reconnaissance unit, and these recon units have their own name: rangers.


    their missions are numerous, including freely choosing positions during an attack to take out the enemy''s firepower points, or moving forward in defense to provide early warning for the troops, and so on.


    these soldiers are all hand-picked sharpshooters with rifles that are the best quality and highest precision among selected and calibrated equipment. your next chapter awaits on empire


    they even have their own special camouflage uniforms, which are dyed in a unique way to provide better concealment.


    cao fei was a criminal who was directly transported to brunas and sold to the great tang group, where he became a soldier in the security forces.


    because he trained hard and had extremely accurate marksmanship, he was later promoted to be a ranger, receiving an extra subsidy over other soldiers.


    rangers have to do a lot more work in combat, paving roads across mountains and building bridges over water; sometimes they even have to lie motionless in the grass for a long time, facing very harsh conditions.


    but cao fei felt that these were nothing at all; compared to the suffering he had endured, this was nothing! he had enough to eat here at the great tang group and could regain his dignity as a human being, which was so much better than his past.


    now, he was using a bayonet to clear branches blocking his path, step by step in the wilderness covered in leaves.


    there was no choice; in order for the second battalion to circumvent the side and pinch the shen country''s troops together with the first battalion, avoiding the main roads was a must.


    they could only avoid the shen country''s military stationed along the road and then figure out how to carve a path through the mountains.


    to move swiftly, the second battalion played their clever tactic once again¡ªthey left behind their heavy artillery, only carrying light weapons.


    it''s unknown whether the battalion commander had a natural predilection for abandoning his baggage, but once again, he left his heavy weapons behind with difficulty.


    the way was rugged, or to be precise, there wasn''t really a ''way'' here¡ªas the vanguard of the entire unit, cao fei was cutting a path for his comrades behind him.


    the moss under his feet covered the tree roots, making his steps slippery. cao fei carried his rifle on his back, along with ammunition, a raincoat, and a mishmash of supplies; his backpack contained food, and he had a water bottle at his waist. he had to be extremely careful to make sure he didn''t suddenly fall.


    but despite his care, he still misstepped while crossing the thick roots of a large tree.


    lacking a guide was tragic like this; although they tried to stay as close to the road as possible, the entire marching route was fraught with unforeseen risks.


    the child, imitating him, chewed on the biscuit, heedless of the choking due to the minimal saliva in his mouth, and nodded. "mhm."


    "that settles it! since you''re unwilling to help, just stay here! we''re moving out!" the leader of the first squad was not discouraged and signaled for cao fei to stay while the other rangers continued to lead the way.


    "you''re from here, stay and calm them down! tell the troops passing by not to disturb them, understood?" the leader of the first squad pointed behind and, after placing his steel helmet on his head, instructed.


    "yes!" cao fei saluted. behind him, the soldiers of the first squad had already begun marching one after the other.


    the squad leader carrying the thompson submachine gun passed these people, saw the biscuit in the hands of the boy, and after pausing briefly, he casually took a can from his rations bag and tossed it to cao fei still guarding the spot. "help them open it."


    "alright." cao fei caught the can, nodded, and drew a dagger from his waist to start cutting open the edge of the can using the mechanism on it.


    "made this morning, fresh, not moldy," said a machine gunner assistant who, carrying a belt of ammunition and lugging a two-legged stand, stopped in his tracks, freed a hand, felt his pocket, took out a piece of bread, and tossed it to a woman not far away.


    "say, isn''t our second battalion historically inclined to give away things?" the leader of the second squad of the first platoon commented with a smile, as he passed by and saw the first squad''s assistant machine gunner tossing bread.


    "damn... don''t remind me... it''s embarrassing." observing these locals who were somewhat bewildered, the deputy of the second squad took a raincoat from his backpack, unpacked it, and handed it to a woman. "wrap this around quickly, you''re all exposed..."


    "i''ll see what you do if it rains later," the leader of the second squad retorted sharply but had already taken out his own raincoat as well.


    "no worries, today we''re going to break into dongwan city!" the sweaty machine gunner of the second squad said as he carried the maxim machine gun, talking as he walked toward the distance. "right? squad leader!"


    "only you, my friend, know how to talk!" the leader of the second squad instantly felt more buoyant, as if he could already see the gates of fengshun city.


    "heh! we didn''t even bring the 75mm cannon; what good will it do when we reach fengshun city? in the end, isn''t the first battalion going to benefit?" the leader of the third squad of the first platoon came over, shook his head, and looked utterly disconsolate.


    when cao fei handed the opened can to the civilians who seemed to have been hungry for a while, nearly all of the refugees were shocked by this cost-no-object approach to salting and seasoning their food.


    they didn''t think this cursed method of preservation by heavily salting was unpalatable¡ªthey considered it an unheard-of extravagance.


    helpless, when even subsistence was a problem, inexpensive food full of preservatives was like a blow from a higher dimension.


    the moment they tasted the strangely flavored, starch-rich ham from the can, these zheng country civilians finally confirmed one thing¡ªthe soldiers passing by really did not intend to kill them...


    who would offer so many good things before killing someone? after several women were covered with raincoats and finally had something to cover themselves with, the atmosphere once again subtly changed.


    "i know the way! i can take you around to the back of the sheng country people!" the child, holding a biscuit in one hand and a piece of the starch canned meat in the other, finally spoke up to cao fei.


    cao fei smiled, and the advancing soldiers of the great tang group smiled along...

 Chapter 431 420 for a 50% discount on a hundred-year-old

    ```


    "you''re down to just a few people?" having resumed his position at the very front of the team, cao fei asked the small boy ahead.


    this boy who led the way was named liu zhu, with the common nickname zhu zi, a vulgar and ubiquitous zheng country name, found everywhere.


    the boy deftly parted a leaf and grasped the neck of a small snake, tossing it aside, and without looking back said, "my dad and several uncles were killed by shen country men, the remaining uncles and brothers all fled deep into the mountains... grandpa said, we must always leave some ''fire'' (descendants) behind."


    "we are here now; you won''t have to hide in the mountains anymore."


    "there are only a few of you. there are so many shen country soldiers... our zheng country military has been defeated and is fleeing everywhere..." the boy still did not believe what cao fei said, replying with great disdain.


    cao fei didn''t say much, just smiled and followed behind the boy.


    "to tell the truth, when i came out with you guys this time, i didn''t plan on going back! i want to avenge my dad..." the child stubbornly pushed aside the grass in front of him, then turned to look at cao fei, "how about it? will you let me...?"


    "no! what war could a child like you fight? later on, you need to go to school, learn to write, learn arithmetic, also learn to shoot guns, learn hand-to-hand combat, and you must learn science... there are a lot of things to learn." cao fei tousled liu zhu''s hair with his hand, his face beaming with an extremely peaceful smile.


    he had seen many sights by now; these were beautiful sights he had never witnessed in zheng country.


    in brunas, he saw the streets under the neon lights, glass windows piled full of candy, skyscrapers taller than mountains, and beautiful women that made mouths water.


    he once watched a 280mm caliber heavy cannon roar during an exercise, leveling a mound with a single shot. the massive explosion made the very earth tremble, and from that moment on, he felt that he feared nothing.


    the massive steel ship he traveled on was several times larger than the biggest sailboat he had seen in his life! standing on the ship''s side gazing at the sea, he could even reach out and touch the wings of a seagull!


    liu zhu did not know, but he did; he knew that there were too many things in this world worth seeing, worth waiting for.


    so, as he tousled liu zhu''s head, he continued, "we are here, and you won''t be bullied again..."


    "psh..." liu zhu continued walking forward, thoroughly unconvinced by cao fei''s words; to him, these promises were not worth a dime.


    it would have been better to hand him a shireck flintlock gun, load it with a bullet for him, and let him go gamble his life with those short goblin bandits.


    "up ahead is the roadbed! if you head south, that''s fengshun city; to the north... that''s where the shen country soldiers are." after a morning''s battle, liu zhu, who hid not far away, naturally knew the exact location of those shen country men.no?v(el)b\\jnn


    cao fei parted the shrubbery in front of him and indeed saw a somewhat sloppily made roadbed. he cautiously climbed to the edge of the road, surveyed both sides, and gestured to those behind him.


    the camouflaged rangers, carrying weapons and bending low, crossed the road at top speed, disappearing on the other side in a matter of seconds.


    "please, give me a gun. i want to take revenge..." liu zhu continued to plead, for this might be his only chance for revenge.


    "i promised your grandfather i would bring you back safe and sound! just follow me obediently! i guarantee i''ll help you kill a few more shen country men, how about that?" cao fei was not willing to let a child go to war and negotiated with the small guide.


    so, the centenarian of shenwu, having come back to his senses, immediately made the decision to retreat¡ªgiven the enemy''s ferocious artillery, it was wise to withdraw quickly.


    as long as they retreated into fengshun city, tens of thousands of civilians could be used as human shields, and two legions defending the city could provide reinforcements. at least they could try to hold the defense. in the field facing such artillery, he definitely had no confidence.


    thus, abandoning the wounded on the spot, the shenwu forces that had set out from fengshun city began their retreat. the centenarian of shenwu, without looking back, handed over command to shengwu yuan, and with dozens of cavalry, charged towards fengshun city, much faster than when he had led his troops out.


    on the other side, liu zhu, listening to the distant and dull artillery fire that made his heart pound, was once again somewhat confused.


    he had seen battles before. zheng country''s troops had fought against shenwu''s on dongwan island a few times, but those phalanx confrontations were clearly different from the battle at hand.


    liu zhu even wondered what kind of fight could be considered a real battle: were the bloody scenes of battlefields he had seen before all wrong?


    before he could understand these issues, cao fei nudged him lightly with his elbow, "they''re coming! i''ll count this shot as yours, so watch closely! the second one from the left!"


    in the ranger unit, cao fei always targeted the second on the left. this was a tactical arrangement that had long been agreed upon.


    he rested his k3 rifle on a horizontal tree root, aimed at the galloping cavalry in the distance, gently pressed his finger on the trigger guard, and then softly placed it on the trigger.


    two seconds later, after adjusting his breathing, cao fei pulled the trigger. the k3 rifle jerked back slightly, and a bullet flew out of the barrel.


    amidst a series of crackling gunfire, a third of the charging knights fell from their horses.


    liu zhu''s eyes widened in shock; he had never seen such a clean and efficient way of killing. while he was still in a daze, cao fei had already pulled the bolt back, reloading the rifle with a fresh round.


    "tatatatatata!" the maxim machine gun opened fire, the horses neighed and slowed, and the goblins riding them were thrown off in a flurry.


    the goblins hadn''t grasped what was happening before they were turned into sieves by the bullets flying toward them.


    the centenarian of shenwu grasped the reins tightly as soldiers on his flank fell, shot down one after another. his eyes wide with shock, he failed to see where the bullets were coming from.


    even though they were being surrounded and hindered, shouldn''t the enemy have formed up in a line to block the way? he subconsciously gauged the great tang group''s strategy with the tactics he was familiar with.


    he didn''t reflect on the fact that the 1st battalion blocking their advance hadn''t set up their defense line in the middle of the road either.


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    unfortunately, before he could make sense of it all, he saw a flash of cold light on the hillside a hundred meters away.


    a bullet flew straight at him, hitting the centenarian of shenwu right in the forehead. he reeled backward, clutching at his horse''s mane, not even having the chance to let go of the reins before making the horse rear up with a neigh.


    the centenarian of shenwu tumbled off his horse, and nearby soldiers rushed to help their commanding officer. but those who approached quickly realized that their centenarian seemed beyond help.


    although his father had named him in the hope that he would live a hundred years free from illness and trouble, it was now obviously impossible¡ªhe was far from it, more than half short...


    the shenwu soldiers hadn''t even had the time to retreat before they were mowed down by sweeping gunfire, screaming as they followed their hundred-year-old master to the end.

 Chapter 432 Round 421 is now for the people of the Mirage Country.

    this battle... can it be fought like this?


    liu zhu''s eyes widened, unsure if he was dreaming. cao fei beside him had only fired five shots, and the fight, fast as lightning, had ended just like that.


    he hadn''t quite grasped what had happened when he was merely listening to the dense gunfire, then watching cao fei repeat actions he couldn''t understand.


    it all seemed like a game; he didn''t even wait for the enemy''s counterattack¡ªthe few dozens of cavalry all fell on the road before him.


    even, there were hardly any horses left...


    he swallowed hard, watching as cao fei calmly opened the chamber and let a shiny cartridge case fall at his feet.


    then, liu zhu saw cao fei take out a strip of bullets from the ammo pouch under his ribs and press them directly into the magazine, then turn back and throw the ejected clip onto the ground.


    "four, i missed one; he was lucky," cao fei commented with a hint of regret, seeming slightly unsatisfied, "but he didn''t get away... don''t know who took him down..."


    after speaking, he didn''t hear a response from liu zhu and turned to look at him, only to find the kid staring dumbfoundedly at the rifle in his own hands.


    "hey! now you know how formidable i am, right?" he gently patted the k3 rifle, showing off a bit, "how about that?"


    liu zhu looked down and picked up a brass cartridge case from the ground, curiosity and awe in equal measure as he could still feel the warmth on it.


    cao fei paused for a moment, then knelt on one knee, found the cartridge cases that had just been ejected onto the ground by his feet, and picked up the clip he had just thrown away.


    then, in front of liu zhu, he inserted each cartridge case back into the clip and finally held out his hand, asking liu zhu to hand over the cartridge case he was holding.


    after he snapped the cartridge case from liu zhu''s hand into the clip, he handed the clip with five empty cartridge cases over to liu zhu, "it''s yours now!"


    "gulp." liu zhu swallowed hard and then cradled the five cartridge cases fixed by the clip as if he were holding something incredible.


    "you... you just mentioned... learning... learning what?" finally, the boy recovered from the shock and asked cao fei a somewhat blunt question.


    cao fei was taken aback, and then he laughed, "learn everything, learn how to shoot, learn all sorts of knowledge, and when you grow up, you can earn money, get married, and live a good life."


    "can i be as formidable as you?" even though liu zhu didn''t know how many zheng country people cao fei had just killed, he still felt that the uncle beside him might be the most formidable soldier in the world.


    "one day you will be much more formidable than i am!" cao fei reached out again, ruffling the boy''s hair, "grow up fast, become an adult."


    "mm." clearly, the boy believed cao fei''s words. there was no reason not to; he had witnessed firsthand dozens of soldiers from shenwu country slaughtered effortlessly by zheng country men, utterly powerless to fight back.


    and so, he drew the sword at his waist, charged through the troops on his warhorse, slashing at the collapsed soldiers and urging the remaining ones to fight to the death to break through.


    his ferocity caused the disorganized soldiers of zheng country to regain a semblance of order.


    the flustered goblins from zheng country finally began reloading their weapons; among the chaos, the military band started pounding on the drums, and many of the lower-ranked officers raised their voices in slogans, trying to straighten the ranks around them.


    cao fei, from a distance, watched a man astride a tall horse trying to reassemble his forces in the enemy''s formation. he smiled and pulled back the bolt, reloaded five bullets into his rifle.


    then he smoothly pushed the bolt forward, chambering a round. he rested his cheek on the stock, peered through the rear sight on the spine of his rifle, and sighted the scrambling figure.


    "hoo..." drawing a deep breath, his whole body relaxed, cao fei placed the notch on shengwu yuan, holding his breath to stop any minute trembling.


    a second later, he acted like lightning, squeezing the trigger, the butt of the rifle kicked against his shoulder, and the dwarf mounted on the horse in the distance fell dead in response.


    shengwu yuan felt as if something had struck his chest fiercely. he tumbled from his horse and crashed into the crowd below.


    a nearby goblin officer hurried to check on him, a few soldiers gathered around, and shengwu yuan''s guard dismounted, not caring anymore about the slight semblance of order they had managed to restore, as chaos erupted again in their ranks.


    shengwu yuan was a complete mess, and by the time he finally came back to his senses, he saw fresh blood flowing profusely from his chest. people tried pressing on the wound, but the blood wouldn''t stop, spurting out unabated between the fingers pressed to his chest.


    in that moment, he felt no pain, only a daze, and before he could even understand what had happened, he began to lose consciousness.


    "my lord! my lord! hold on, my lord!" the officer of zheng country holding him cried out with sobs, attempting to encourage shengwu yuan to hang on to life.


    shengwu yuan''s guard also gathered around him, helplessly watching as the blood flowing from shengwu yuan stained his uniform red.


    it was a pity that there was blood everywhere now, and the goblins had become numb to it; otherwise, this scene alone would have been enough to terrify them into collapse.


    as his end neared, shengwu yuan reached out, attempting to point toward fengshun city, but halfway through the motion, his arm lost all its strength.


    that arm dropped suddenly, and the leader of the zheng country troops, shengwu yuan... died.


    his death was quick, lying not even twenty meters from where the hundred-year-old corpse of another from fengshun¡ªanother high-ranking commander from zheng country¡ªhad fallen, almost in the very same place.


    and just as the troops of zheng country had started to rally for a few seconds, they fell back into endless disarray at the death of their commanding officer.


    the fight was far from over, but even liu zhu knew that it was actually finished. he had seen too many zheng country military units fall into such chaos, only to become like lambs to the slaughter, killed one by one by the people from zheng country.


    now, it was the turn of the people from zheng country.

 Chapter 433 422 eyes

    shenwu xiong sat in his own command tent, silently looking at the message that had just been handed to him.


    the message had been sent here with utmost urgency, and its content was from the naval commander to the defensive fleet stationed at fengshun city.


    the message was straightforward: the enemy''s warships were advanced, and our own fleet had already suffered heavy losses and could not break free.


    not long after this telegram reached shen wenmao, who was left in charge of fengshun city, a second telegram arrived from fengshun city itself.


    fengshun city had also received the telegram of the fleet''s destruction, meaning that both fleets were now in grave danger.


    after receiving these two frightening messages, shen wenmao did not dare to delay, and he immediately ordered his signaler to send a message to shenwu xiong with the greatest speed, hoping he could be prepared.


    shenwu xiong, who had been waiting for shenwu bai to launch an attack and encircle the enemy from both sides, was completely stunned upon receiving the message.


    it must be known that the shen country navy was the strongest in the western endless sea, and shen country was a maritime nation, with the army relying on the navy to transport supplies and sustain defenses.


    if something went wrong with the navy, then he was not fighting on dongwan island, but rather, he was trapped! these were entirely two different concepts, and naturally, the tactics would be completely different.


    if the navy had wiped out the enemy fleet, then for each enemy combatant he exhausted here on this front, the enemy''s power would diminish, and in the end, shen country would emerge victorious no matter what.


    but with the naval fleet taking a heavy hit from the enemy, his entanglement with the enemy troops here was a complete waste of his own strength.


    the enemy''s firepower was fierce, which shenwu xiong had experienced firsthand. in all honesty, if not for his confidence in the navy, shenwu xiong even felt it would be more sensible to return to defend fengshun city.


    those were 35 sail warships and 5 ironclad ming wheel ships! a total of 40 warships had been defeated by the enemy fleet...


    not to mention the enemy fleet''s capability, the loss alone almost meant the loss of sea control around dongwan island for shen country.


    in such a situation, shenwu xiong did not believe he still had the assurance of annihilating the enemy''s army. what he should do now was to protect fengshun city and prepare for shen country''s counter-offensive.


    because as long as the port of fengshun city wasn''t lost, shen country still had a chance to turn defeat into victory and the possibility to retake dongwan island!


    if even dongwan port was lost, dongwan island would be unrecoverable! shenwu xiong was very aware, retaking dongwan island from these enemies would be much more difficult than when it had been seized from zheng country.


    so, in just a few seconds, shenwu xiong made his decision: he had to retreat with the troops he had at hand!


    to be honest, he could no longer care about the situation in fengshun city, because in fact... the communication between fengshun city and fengshun had already been cut off by the enemy. thankfully, both sides had ming wheel ships for a slight chance to communicate through telegrams; this was a small fortune amidst great misfortune.


    with this in mind, the old and shrewd shenwu xiong immediately gave the order to retreat, "let the troops with wounded cover the rear, immediately assemble and return to dongwan city!"


    he still had the advantage in numbers. in the direction of dongwan city, he at least had more than 20,000 troops left. according to his judgment, while his forces were insufficient for an attack, they were certainly more than enough for defense.


    as long as he could withstand the enemy''s attack, then he would have the chance to hold his position and wait for reinforcements! this was his opportunity, as well as shen country''s.


    unfortunately, he was unaware that his opponent had already prepared a present for him or rather, for the shen country''s troops on dongwan island ¨C a surprise gift!


    in reality, there was no need to steadfastly defend that gun battery¡ªit was a defensive installation left over by the zheng country military, equipped with thirty-year-old shireck muzzle-loading cannons.


    even by the military standards from five years ago, this artillery fortification and the weapons atop it were already hopelessly outdated and useless, let alone now.


    in fact, when sheng country attacked fengshun city, the zheng country defenders simply abandoned the batteries without firing a single shot.


    the cowardice of those zheng country people was one reason they abandoned the batteries, another reason being the sheer obsolescence of the place; there was no need to defend it.


    nevertheless, shenwu chun decided to station troops to defend that outdated battery, thinking that delaying the enemy''s attack on the port was beneficial, at least giving him time to prepare.


    as a result, inside fengshun port, about 1,000 troops, actually two battalions, were deployed on the seaside, while the remaining 2,000 were defending the other three directions.


    because his forces were somewhat insufficient, shenwu chun had been hoping for shenwu yuan and shenwu chun to return with their troops for defense.


    however, what he received was news that his own troops had been surrounded by the enemy and were likely to be annihilated! the reason he got this news was simple: not a single messenger he had sent out returned!


    in the end, he dispatched some cavalry who eventually confirmed the news of their own troops being isolated and surrounded. then he knew that the enemy was probably headed for fengshun city!


    with no one to rely on anymore, shenwu chun decided to rely on himself. he personally went up to the city walls, arranged the defenses, and prepared to fight to the death for sheng country.


    soon, unidentified enemy forces began to move around, and fengshun city was in grave danger, with everything primed for battle, ready to erupt at any moment.


    all the people of sheng country were tense, relying on the city walls to monitor every move of the distant enemy. it seemed the enemy was not in a rush, merely going through ordinary preparatory work.


    as shenwu chun held his breath, bracing for a tempest to strike, a sudden scream from a goblin soldier broke out in the distance.


    along with this sudden scream, the defensive line of the sheng country troops seemed to waver.


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    looking in the direction from which the shout had come, shenwu chun felt his legs go weak, and he collapsed to the ground.


    he saw a shark with a gaping maw flying in the sky, an evil eye staring down at him.


    this gigantic shark in the sky had crossed the mountains and appeared abruptly over fengshun city.


    although it was still some distance away from fengshun city, the current spectacle felt like torture before death, providing not the slightest cause for cheer.


    as time passed, the soldiers of sheng country saw one giant shark after another fly over the ridge and slowly approach fengshun city.


    to the sheng country people who had never seen such a terrifying sight before, it was almost like a divine sign, a pressure that left them with no desire to resist.


    some people of sheng country began to kneel and worship, while others screamed in hysteria. they began to wonder if they had angered the gods, and some were already prepared to open the city gates and surrender in an attempt to atone for their sins.


    all within fengshun city would never forget this day, with its sky full of sharp teeth and those eyes gazing down upon them.no?v(el)b\\jnn

 Chapter 434 423 battle over

    the people of shenwu were stupefied by everything before their eyes, unable to imagine something so huge could soar through the sky.


    this was simply too insane; they looked up at the eyes that loomed over them and were completely engulfed in terror.


    they felt targeted by a demon, and with the reverence one might have for sharks in the ocean, they couldn''t muster the slightest courage to struggle.


    many knelt on the ground, ceaselessly kowtowing to the monsters in the sky, as if they were pounding garlic.


    numerous soldiers even threw away their guns, fearful that these hovering monstrosities would unleash divine punishment for their disrespect.


    "o heavenly gods above, i have sinned! i have sinned! forgive me! forgive me!" a shenwu officer was no better off than the soldiers beside him, also kneeling on the ground, endlessly chanting.


    shenwu chun had just been scared into falling on the ground, and at this moment, he was in a sorry state. he had already seen seven or eight of these colossal airships slowly descending on fengshun city, completely blotting out the sky.


    of course, he had no idea of the tremendous power these things possessed, for he had never laid eyes on such things before.


    a rabbit definitely can''t tell if an alien is a threat to itself, because it simply doesn''t know what an alien is.


    inside fengshun city, the common folk of zheng country were also dumbstruck by the events unfolding before them; what shenwu people hadn''t seen, they naturally hadn''t either.


    they, too, had never seen what airships looked like and were petrified, unable to speak at the sight of the terrifying eyes on the airships.


    already terror-stricken by the shenwu''s massacres, now witnessing all this, they were scared out of their wits¡ªthey simply didn''t know if yet another, more ferocious devil had come...


    with no idea, and upon first seeing the shark-like paint jobs, they were not even sure if the strange creatures flying above their heads were made by humans.


    goblins were already bastardly enough; if orcs or elves and dwarves were to come, who knew what the scene would be like?


    some women held their children close, while some elders sighed and lamented; the men had wooden expressions, as the entire city seemed like hamsters beneath the shadow of an eagle''s wings, cowering and trembling in corners.


    "mommy..." a terrified child huddled in his mother''s embrace, not daring to look at the eyes in the sky.


    "great calamity is upon us, great calamity is upon us!" an elder leaning on a walking stick stared at the increasingly numerous airships in the sky, lamenting with a voice of despair.


    "boom!" having applied explosives, the great tang ground troops blasted open the gates of fengshun city, with splinters flying everywhere, cutting the shenwu soldiers behind the door into pieces.


    amidst the screams and pleas for mercy from the shenwu soldiers swept over by the explosion yet still alive, soldiers from the great tang group charged into the city with their rifles ready.


    shenwu soldiers, already half dead from fright at the spectacle in the sky, immediately raised their hands; they clearly did not wish to have their heads plucked off by heavenly soldiers.


    timid as mice, they even checked cautiously against the walls at every corner to see if there was any danger.


    when they ran, they tried to keep their heads down as much as possible, incomparable to the big-headed soldiers who barged forward with guns and uniform steps.


    yet it was these soldiers who rushed into fengshun city, capturing groups of shenwu troops without even the frightening sound of gunshots within the city.


    the previously fierce and lawless shenwu soldiers now hung their heads in defeat, their expressions as listless and dejected as the soldiers of zheng country had been.


    what followed was that these somewhat startled civilians of zheng country were surprised to see among these timid-looking strange soldiers, many had a pair of black eyes.


    the commander of the 1st battalion, having entered the city gates, took a statistical report from an officer at the battalion headquarters and looked at the numbers.


    it was more or less what he had estimated, barring the several dozen shenwu soldiers who had been killed at the city gate and the dozen or so who had been injured by the blasts then stabbed to death, the rest of the shenwu troops had surrendered.


    including various commanders and other assorted attendants, there were in all more than 3,100 shenwu prisoners.


    as for the shenwu navy docked in fengshun city, they had all been sunk by a brunas-class warship blockading outside the port.


    the landing fleet transporting the 2nd regiment had directly breached the port, and the 2nd regiment was now unloading; their speed of disembarking was much faster than that of the 1st regiment this time.


    the shenwu country had stockpiled enough food in fengshun city to feed 10,000 people for several months, and all of this was now war booty for the great tang group. additionally, several sailboats that had not managed to leave the harbor to join the battle were also captured.


    in short, the battle of fengshun city, which was supposed to last several hours, ended in just over an hour due to the sudden appearance of the airships.


    the great tang group captured fengshun city without shedding any blood, even seizing intact key facilities such as batteries and docks.


    thus, the deployment of 6 legions of shenwu troops in the direction of fengshun city, totaling 9,000 troops, was completely annihilated by the great tang group. the shenwu forces'' situation of threatening the landing site from both flanks was utterly broken, and the shenwu troops on dongwan island were in grave danger.


    meanwhile, the shenwu navy''s fleet stationed on dongwan island had also suffered heavy losses, with more than 50 sailing warships and 7 ming wheel ships sunk, completely losing control of the sea near dongwan island.


    commanders shenwu yuan and shenwu chun perished in the chaos, and the defending general of fengshun city, shenwu chun, surrendered. the great tang group''s 1st division, 2nd regiment, was able to land at the port of fengshun city.


    the first phase of the battle ended with a complete victory for the great tang group, and the airship troops, while intimidating the enemy with their debut and helping the ground troops achieve a major victory, ended up not dropping a single bomb, feeling extremely frustrated to the very end.


    "have the troops rest and reorganize quickly! there''s still a lot left to do..." the first thing the commander of the 2nd regiment did after landing was to get accustomed to the stable ground. find more to read at empire


    he watched his troops disembark down the gangway, saw the cranes onboard the ships unloading vehicles and heavy weapons onto the narrow docks, his face full of dissatisfaction.


    the port facilities here were so poor that it severely affected their unloading speed, but it couldn''t be helped¡ªthere was just too much here in need of renovation.

 Chapter 435 424 Northbound

    the victor can always walk with their head held high, the company commander glanced at the cautious shenwu chun following by his side and continued forward with disdain.


    he was not familiar with the affairs inside the city, so he had to bring along such a prisoner officer to get a brief on the basic situation within the city.


    as they walked, the company commander was disgusted. he saw a row of bodies hanging from an archway in the street.


    they were the corpses of zheng country people, all dressed in military uniforms, and it looked like they had been hanging there for some time.


    the company commander stopped in his tracks and looked at shenwu chun, dragging out his words as he asked, "i say, what does this mean?"


    shenwu chun carefully raised his head to glance at the hanging corpses and quickly explained, "the people of zheng country were dissatisfied with our military''s occupation and attacked our patrolling soldiers at night, so we killed some prisoners of war and hung them here to warn those stubborn elements..."


    "not a bad idea," the company commander''s face revealed a cruel smile, "i really should hang you up there!"


    after saying this, he looked at his executive officer, "have the shen country prisoners take down the bodies and bury them properly."


    the executive officer was stunned, then nodded and turned to order, "did you hear that?"


    the officers behind him nodded as well, then hurried away.


    the company commander turned his gaze back to the increasingly tense shenwu chun, snorted, and continued forward. how to deal with these prisoners, he had to await the orders from above, not simply act on his own whims.


    on the other side, bernard, upon learning that the 2nd battalion had reached fengshun city and the port had been taken, immediately ordered the transport fleet, which was yet to be completely unloaded, to turn towards fengshun city.


    there was no choice; unloading heavy weapons and equipment in the wilderness was too slow. they had exerted much effort and had only managed to get half of the heavy equipment carried by the 1st battalion ashore.


    the equipment wasn''t guns and machine guns, as these weapons were needed for combat and had mostly been sent to shore as a priority.


    the remaining equipment was bulky and difficult to transport. using landing craft also made loading and unloading difficult, posing a real problem.


    among them were transport carts, vehicles, generators, large field tents, spare weapons and ammunition, and more.


    the goods that arrived at fengshun port with the 2nd battalion were even more numerous and disordered: these troops even brought cement and some rebar to renovate and strengthen the port facilities, repair the port, and expand the port''s throughput...


    the subsequent fleets carried even more varied cargo, including manufacturing machinery, large generators, and boiler equipment, seemingly developing in the direction of a production and construction corps.


    all these were to transform fengshun city, or rather dongwan island, into a forward base, with more than half of the supplies not meant for the battle of dongwan island anymore.


    because in tang mo''s view, the battle of dongwan island, where the great tang group''s 1st division was against shen country''s garrison troops, was practically overkill, a minor affair.


    he didn''t believe for a second that the 1st division would be defeated, and he hadn''t even considered the possibility of the division suffering heavy losses in this battle.


    but, who would have guessed that when it was shen wenmao''s turn, his fate would suddenly become so vexing; such a vast island as dongwan island was about to be lost...


    "what can i do? huh?" shenwu chun frowned and looked at shen wenmao: "i have already sent out the telegram for reinforcement. i''ve also done all that i can do. what do you suggest i do?"


    he had in fact already repeated all the actions that could be done: there were 30,000 troops on the island, now a third of them were lost.


    the troops he could now assemble were almost all near dongwan city. two-thirds of the army, twenty thousand soldiers, prepared to defend the city, and the rest, well, all that remained was to leave it to fate.


    the leadership in shen country wasn''t completely out of the loop, at least much better informed than their old adversary zheng country. after hearing shenwu chun''s report, they immediately made some basic assessments.


    the invading enemy must be equipped with new bolt-action rifles, and they even had heavy machine guns that shireck too could produce.


    despite their high cost and decent performance, shen country really didn''t have the extra funds to equip their forces on a large scale.


    however, with war already upon them, shen country had no choice but to bite the bullet and place a large order with shireck for new weapons, hoping to keep hold of dongwan island and preserve their hard-won fruits of victory.


    on one hand, the shen country leadership informed shenwu chun about the new weapons, telling him not to fear, and to defend dongwan city at all costs.


    on the other hand, they assured shenwu chun that reinforcements equipped with the new weapons would soon be on their way to dongwan island, to allay his concerns.


    with these two assurances, shenwu chun finally gained some confidence. hence, he continued to deploy his troops and prepare for a desperate bout in dongwan city.


    however, shenwu chun, after all, had no combat experience with the new weapons. he was also unaware of tactics such as digging trenches, so he did not make good use of this precious waiting time.


    that was inevitable. after all, even if he were aware of such tactics, the twenty thousand musket soldiers at his disposal could not rely on trenches for combat, could they?


    new tactics are born from new weapons, and outdated armaments are incapable of executing modern maneuvers.


    you tell me, would second or third-generation jets, like the f22, survive if they tried to break through enemy lines? and could a standard missile-2 intercept a df-17 successfully?


    so, shenwu chun gathered his troops, set up camp, and like a fool, waited for his reinforcements, waited for the enemy to arrive...


    meanwhile, the troops from the 1st and 2nd battalions had already begun to mobilize and gather, heading north along the road towards dongwan city.


    it had been three days since the 1st battalion landed on dongwan island, and based on their current marching speed, it was estimated that it would take another three days to reach dongwan port.


    what was tragic was that the airship troops, originally planned to participate in combat, were rendered unable to fight due to malfunctions and insufficient gas refilling, forcing them to stay put.


    however, the navy continued to be as reliable as ever¡ªafter replenishing shen country navy''s coal reserves in fengshun city, the great tang group''s naval fleet proceeded northward as planned, seeking out the remnants of the shen country navy for a decisive battle.


    the shen country navy, meanwhile, had a reinforcement fleet heading south to support dongwan island. this fleet was composed of 15 steam-powered warships as the main force, along with almost all the available sailing warships they could find.


    the commander of this fleet was none other than shen hai, who had previously sneak attacked the merchant fleet of the great tang group.

 Chapter 436 April 25 Occupy Dongwan Island

    the advantage of the navy over the army lies in their speed.


    while the army troops were still assembling and resting, the naval warships, after replenishing some coal and fresh water, immediately set sail north.


    even the three wolf-class warships, being cruisers, had more reserves of fresh water and coal, and thus didn''t even need to resupply.


    the six ironclad warships advanced along the coastline and by noon the next day had arrived north of dongwan island, blocking the off-shore waters of dongwan port.


    the shen country''s navy, stationed at dongwan port, tried to break out but ultimately failed. they suffered heavy losses, nearly wiping out their entire fleet.


    aside from one ming wheel ship warship that remained in the harbor, all other warships that went out to battle were sunk, leaving dongwan island completely isolated.


    as shen country''s fleet was still en route to the south, fengshun city was already on high alert. after the annihilation of the navy, shen wenmao found that he had lost control of the situation.


    although he still had twenty thousand soldiers, the deployment of shen country on dongwan island had been completely disrupted, and even now they had not figured out which forces were attacking them.


    poor shen country, even now, was not very clear that nearly ten countries had declared war on them.


    among those were the dwarves of the ice cold kingdom, the orcs of gales kingdom, the elves of poplar kingdom and songmu kingdom, as well as dorne kingdom, leite kingdom, and suthers kingdom on the eastern side of the endless sea, and the empire of nanla...


    so many countries hunting shen country''s fleets at sea and attacking their sailboats had caused incalculable losses to shen country.


    the current state of the endless sea was total chaos, with naval warships from various nations, flying their battle flags, reigning over the seas with impunity.


    as long as they caught up to a transport ship, they would menacingly check the flags it flew; once they confirmed it belonged to the shen country''s naval fleet, they would launch a frenzied attack.


    sometimes, a warship would follow a large shen country transport trade fleet, waiting until more warships gathered before launching a joint attack.


    there were no large cranes, nor any night lighting, and the docks were small, not to mention there was even a shortage of manpower.


    however, this was already much better than unloading troops in the open countryside, so the subsequent transport fleets were quite satisfied.


    bernard had been driven into a corner and had no better plan than to send a telegraph to the follow-up transport fleet, instructing that if the ships were sailing ships carrying less massive equipment, they should find their own places to unload and not wait in line outside the port.


    consequently, when the fleet of the great tang group was blocking dongwan port, one could see the great tang group''s transport ships unloading goods on the sandy beaches of the west coast.


    supplies piled up like mountains on the beach, some even unguarded, with valuables worth thousands, even tens of thousands of gold coins, simply left there and at best covered with a piece of canvas as a conscientious effort to preserve them.


    this sort of long-distance amphibious operation, lacking a thorough preliminary plan, meant that chaos was inevitable.


    it was relying solely on more advanced weapons and equipment, superior tactics, that victory in the campaign was ensured. it was a strategic victory built upon tactical successes, bearing no relation to strategic planning.


    if nangong hong were to learn in detail about the progression of this campaign, he would certainly be caught between laughter and tears: the strategic concept he had dreamed of had been realized through such a barbaric method and with such a disorderly process.


    however, in the midst of such chaos, the troops of shen country could no longer witness it, as the 1st and 2nd battalions, a total of five battalions including artillery reinforcements, had already moved north towards the vicinity of dongwan city.


    on the morning of the 8th day after landing on dongwan island, the troops of the 1st battalion launched a probing attack, swiftly defeating the shen country forces in front of them, and captured a high point south of dongwan city.


    afterward, the advancing 1st battalion continued to attack, and by noon of the same day, the 2nd battalion had taken the southwestern defense positions outside the city.


    the attack by the 3rd battalion went smoothly as well; by 2 p.m. that day, they had seized the enemy''s outer defense positions in the southeast direction.


    following that, the 2nd battalion''s troops joined the battle, and heavy artillery demolished part of dongwan city''s walls, leading shenwu xiong and shen wenmao to surrender with their remnants.


    with that, the battle on dongwan island came to an end; the shen country troops, numbering 17,000, surrendered and became prisoners. all civilian ships and cargo vessels in the port of dongwan city, including that ming wheel ship warship, were now spoils of war for the great tang group.

 Chapter 437 426 Dongwan Naval Battle

    shen hai led the fleet, escorting the transport ships of shen guo that were ready to reinforce the island, and arrived at the open sea off dongwan island three days later.


    because he had lost contact, he had already determined that dongwan city was more likely to be in a dire situation than not. yet he did not retreat but instead led the fleet to continue charging towards dongwan city.


    according to his plan, he intended to severely damage the enemy naval fleet in the open sea, and then command the land military troops to forcibly charge onto the docks of dongwan port and take back dongwan city.


    he was still very confident in this: on one hand, his naval fleet was large enough; on the other hand, the land army he was escorting consisted of elite soldiers.


    the shen guo naval fleet included 15 ming wheel ships¡ªalready a formidable force that could not be ignored in the western part of the endless sea.


    in addition to that, he had 30 sailing warships and some armed merchant ships to pad the numbers; with such an immense fleet, shen hai did not believe he would lose.


    as long as he crushed the enemy''s naval fleet at sea, then he could suppress the port with shipborne artillery and land the soldiers.


    the soldiers he brought were all equipped with shireck model 1 bolt-action rifles, the elites among the elite of the shen guo land forces.


    once these troops landed, their combat capabilities would naturally be much more formidable than the second-rate troops equipped with shireck flintlock guns. taking back the port would not be a problem at all; they could even advance south to crush the enemy and retake dongwan island!


    it was precisely because he was so confident that shen hai led the fleet to continue advancing south, even though he knew that dongwan port had been occupied by the enemy.


    soon, they reached the open sea outside dongwan port, and then they saw the weak enemy fleet¡ªgreat tang group fleet laid across the sea surface, seemingly not many in number, only six warships in total, with three large and three small.


    however, these warships were very fast, and without waiting for shen guo''s naval fleet to approach, the great tang group''s warships advanced instead of retreating, coming closer with a resolve as if ready for a desperate fight.


    shen hai did not flinch as he had also planned to stake everything on a single battle. seeing the enemy fleet not fleeing, he was overjoyed, and both sides immediately deployed their formations at sea.


    bernard put down the telescope in his hand, turned to his adjutant, and ordered, "maintain a parallel formation with the enemy fleet! load all side cannons! open fire at 2 kilometers! the enemy formation is dense, there''s no need to worry about hit rates."


    "understood!" the adjutant saluted and immediately relayed the orders to the various ships. under a series of commands, the entire fleet turned to align their broadsides with the distant enemy fleet.


    "what else can we do? at all costs! get the army onto the docks!" the man from shen hai, his eyes already red with killing intent, decided to go for broke.


    he knew he couldn''t possibly cover for the slow-moving troop transports in retreat. under the current circumstances, getting the landing troops ashore first seemed to be the best solution.


    as he watched the enemy warships firing again in the distance and yet another vessel on his side exploded after being hit, the man from shen hai grew increasingly anxious.


    the vanguard, previously the cream of the shen hai navy made up of 10 large sailing warships, was almost completely eliminated during the process of turning around.


    if the fight continued, the 15 ming wheel ships that made up the main force of the central army where he was would directly engage the enemy.


    this was the last remaining strength of the shen hai navy. if it were to be destroyed here, the shen hai navy wouldn''t be able to recover for a long time.


    or rather, shen hai might even never recover¡ªif this war didn''t end in a dignified manner, the loss of the navy would put shen hai in a very passive position.


    as he stood by the railing of the ship, watching the enemy fleet firing continuously in the distance, bernard was also inside the bridge of his ship observing this shen hai navy fleet.


    to be honest, this was the most combat-capable enemy fleet he had ever seen. they had swiftly and securely dealt with his incursion, only their warships were simply no match for him.


    but he had no intention of holding back. mercy didn''t suit his persona¡ªso he ordered continuous firing, instructed his fleet to begin a slaughter, encircling the enemy fleet, and prepared to annihilate this massive shen hai fleet right where it was.


    however, what he didn''t expect was that halfway through his fleet''s encirclement, the enemy went mad, began to spread their formation, and attempted to entangle bernard''s fleet at all costs.


    meanwhile, the enemy''s core transport fleet, which had been protected, started a desperate charge toward the port of dongwan city.


    ¡ª¡ª


    i admit i am an idiot, and damn it, i''m starting to fantasize about 004''s long legs, black stockings, and generous chest now...


    the word count is low today because i stupidly watched 003 all day, yeah, watched up until now, and suddenly felt a jolt, lost interest and didn''t know why...

 Chapter 438 427 Overbearing Tactics

    "good heavens! they''re charging towards the port!" bernard was startled to see the enemy forces suddenly change formation.


    at a glance, he knew that their transport fleet was carrying ground troops. otherwise, they would not rush toward the port with such madness.


    his original plan had been to chip away at the "turtle shell" before him, until he had devoured all of the enemy''s warships.


    but clearly, the enemy had no intention of sitting ducks¡ªthey seized the best opportunity to launch a desperate counterattack.


    according to the enemy''s attack strategy, they intended to use the navy fleet to hold off the great tang group''s fewer naval warships, while the landing fleet took the opportunity to rush into dongwan port.


    bernard put down his binoculars and contemplated his next move¡ªhe was now effectively pinned on the outer layer, with dongwan port behind him and the shen hai navy fleet in front.


    he had roughly a few options: first, to continue on the current course, bypass the shen hai navy fleet, and catch up with the enemy''s transport ships on the other side, sinking those about to attack the port.


    the problem was that this method was not easily executed. the enemy might land before he could get there, so it was very likely the landing troops would not be intercepted in time.


    the second option was to maintain the course and continue fighting, leaving the enemy''s landing troops to the army and focus on taking out the naval targets. the advantage of this was that bernard could at least ensure that the shen hai navy warships in front of him wouldn''t escape.


    however, by choosing this, the enemy landing fleet would still cause some damage to the port, which bernard did not want to see.


    the third option was riskier; he could immediately order the fleet to turn around and cut through the enemy formation. breaking their defense line, he would catch up with the enemy''s landing transport fleet.


    the advantage was that this would be the quickest way to catch up with the enemy''s transport fleet, but his fleet would face direct and close-range fire from the enemy cannons¡ªthis was a test of his warships'' defenses.


    in just two seconds, bernard made a bold decision¡ªhe chose the most direct, most effective, and most intimidating way to solve the problem at hand.


    "order the fleet hard to starboard! adjust course! charge the enemy ships!" with his fingers clenched tightly on his binoculars, bernard issued an order that was close to madness.


    he was prepared to willingly give up the t-position advantage and rush towards the enemy''s battle line across the sea with a disadvantageous fleet formation, breaking through their ranks and catching up with the landing transport before the enemy could threaten the port.


    "hard to starboard!" his deputy faithfully repeated his order.


    "hard to starboard! maintain speed!" on the bridge of warship wolf 1, the captain, with his hands behind his back, loudly gave the order to turn with a hoarse voice.


    the helmsman in front of the wheel turned the helm with all his might, and the heavy warship sketched an increasingly wide arc across the sea.


    waves spread out to both sides of the warship until they collided with the spray chopped by another warship, then interweaved together, disturbing each other and gradually fading away.


    although many shells flew towards the charging great tang navy like raindrops, very few actually hit their mark.


    in contrast, the situation on the great tang group''s warships seemed quite different: after approaching the enemy''s ships, the bow cannons spewed flames, and near the sides of the shen hai navy''s warships, explosive water columns rose skyward.


    then, a shell hit a shen hai ming wheel ship, proving that the shireck-made ming wheel ship''s durability was purely a matter of luck...


    previously, several ming wheel ships that had been turned into waste still floated on the sea, leading the great tang navy gunners to believe that the enemy''s warships were exceptionally sturdy.


    but this time, due to bad luck, the shell-stricken shen hai ming wheel ship immediately exploded in a sympathetic detonation. the ship''s ammunition ignited and exploded before anyone could react, sending the ship and its crew sky high.


    the horrific explosion startled the sailors on the ming wheel ships on both sides. they leaned against the railings with their eyes wide open, watching as some debris fell onto the deck of their own warship.


    with armor plating covering them, the ming wheel ships sank almost instantly, and flames from the internal combustion could be seen shooting out of the ship''s funnels. enjoy exclusive content from empire


    while everyone was stunned, another warship was hit and caught fire, losing its combat effectiveness instantly. a few seconds later, a sympathetic detonation blew the ship''s turrets into midair.


    shen hai, who had just lost two warships in an instant, truly experienced the destructive power of the great tang navy''s warships.


    he saw his own warships hitting the enemy vessels, but the great tang navy''s warships did not catch fire; they didn''t even show signs of damage.


    the enemy continued their relentless charge, carrying an unstoppable and terrifying presence, cutting through the shen hai navy''s battle line like a sword.


    "maintain formation! keep firing! i don''t believe it! i don''t believe we can''t sink these monsters!" shen hai clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, ordering his men to persist.


    bernard, inside his own cruiser''s bridge, saw the two fleets about to entangle, and ignoring the enemy sail warships closing in from both flanks, ordered, "break through the enemy''s battle line! don''t get involved with them! it''s unnecessary!"


    following his command, wolf 1 cruiser''s bow main cannon fired again, hitting an enemy ming wheel ship that was nearly in touching distance, and directly shattering one side of the ship''s ming wheels.


    in fact, by this time, the warships of both sides were almost face to face, and shen hai could clearly see the tall, sharp bow of the great tang navy''s ships as well as their upper structures made purely of steel.


    his artillery fire hammering upon these iron walls caused damage, but the effect was negligible.


    meanwhile, the enemy''s cannons, when attacking his warships'' hulls, were devastatingly powerful¡ªhis wooden and iron-clad ships were clearly at a significant disadvantage.


    "boom!" this time, the wolf-class cruisers, with their guns gaining an angle of attack on the broadside, joined the fight, sharply intensifying the great tang group''s attack.


    the ratio of artillery available for direct combat changed swiftly, as more 150 mm caliber guns from the great tang group were brought to bear, and the losses for the shen hai navy fleet became unbearable.


    within minutes, more than five ming wheel ships were destroyed. the remaining warships unable to coordinate their front and rear, completely failed to stop the great tang group from breaking through their defense line.

 Chapter 439 Just be practical.

    ```


    watching the great tang group ships that had already crossed the battle line prepare to leave without looking back, a man from shen hai''s face darkened. he had played his biggest card, but the opponent had easily shattered it.


    he truly hadn''t expected that the secret weapon of shen hai navy, the new model ships purchased from shireck, could be so easily defeated, falling to the enemy in a single round.


    "ram them! ram them for me! sink it!" snatching the navy captain''s collar on his own warship, the man from shen hai roared.


    pointing at the enemy warships breaking through the encirclement, he had lost all reason, deciding to use the most primitive method for an unprecedented redemption.


    it couldn''t be helped, if the shen hai navy fleet were to be destroyed, he, the man from shen hai, would definitely be the greatest sinner! he must achieve some sort of victory¡ªthat was all he could think about at the moment.


    in fact, the ming wheel ships weren''t fitted with rams, and shen hai navy''s warships simply didn''t have the capability to ram into enemy vessels.


    thus, upon hearing the order, the navy captain''s face went pale, and he tried to explain anxiously, "we, we can''t even catch up to the enemy ships..."


    in reality, he didn''t even have the courage to approach. because he had witnessed with his own eyes, just moments ago, that massive enemy warship with a multitude of cannons along its side, opening fire as it passed by a ming wheel ship.


    as the ships brushed past each other, the ming wheel ship was struck by at least five cannons, its entire flank shattered, with the sounds of detonating explosives never ceasing.


    what was worse, soon after the ming wheel ship began to capsize, and within minutes, only its hull was left visible on the sea''s surface.


    it was easy for anyone who wasn''t a fool to see that the enemy fleet completely dominated in firepower, defense, and speed. by now, shen hai had already lost this naval battle.


    "chase them! chase them down!" the man from shen hai bellowed desperately, knowing that if he didn''t pursue them now, by the time the enemy truly crossed the battle line, he would be finished!


    the transport ships rushing towards dongwan port behind him were all wooden sailing vessels with virtually no combat power¡ªif caught by the enemy fleet at sea, they were basically sitting ducks.


    by losing dongwan port, forsaking the landing troops, and letting the fleet be annihilated... his time as the naval commander was nearly over.


    so, he became frenzied, continuously shouting at the great tang group''s navy fleet not far away: "charge! charge at them! just keep fighting, even if we all go down! it doesn''t matter!"


    "sir, please, calm down! calm down!" his adjutant tried to console him incessantly, hoping that he would regain his composure.


    "this, this may still be an opportunity for us! yes, yes! it just might be an opportunity!" said the adjutant, now grasping at straws and having exchanged several glances with the navy captain nearby, he blurted out with sheer audacity.


    upon hearing the shout, the man from shen hai did indeed calm down somewhat, no longer appearing like the madman he had been moments before.


    he turned to his adjutant and asked, "what do you mean?"


    "this, the thing is..." the adjutant didn''t want to die here, so he hurriedly started concocting excuses to persuade the man from shen hai to retreat: "we can abandon the damaged warships and let the sail fleet cover our rear while the rest of us retreat at full speed..."


    the more he spoke, the more convinced he became of his own reasoning. so much so that his tone grew smoother as he continued: "you see, on the vast sea, where will they find us? once we lose sight of them, we can escape!"


    at present, at least seven or eight ming wheel ships remained on the battlefield, bought and paid for with real silver¡ªif they could be brought back, they definitely should be.


    with not even a single proper muzzle-loaded cannon on these sailing ships, they had no choice but to hoist the white flag and surrender.


    consequently, an interesting event occurred; in effect, shen hai had given great tang group an additional 3,000 prisoners, as well as 3,000 free shireck-1 type bolt-action rifles and 10 various types of transport sailing ships.


    a landing battle that should have been very fierce ended before it began. afterwards, bernard, still unsatisfied, pursued them further, sweeping the nearby seas once over, sinking the four damaged ming wheel ships and destroying several shen hai warships that hadn''t managed to get far.


    with this, the battle of dongwan sea came to an end, the shen hai navy suffering a significant defeat and completely losing effective control over dongwan island.


    in the naval battle, the shen hai navy lost seven ming wheel ships, ten sailing ships, ten transport ships were captured, and more than 4,000 sailors were killed in battle and over 4,000 captured!


    adding the troops annihilated in the dongwan island landing battle, in about half a month of continuous fighting, shen hai had lost a total of 13 ming wheel ships and 60 sailing ships¡ªessentially a grievous loss.


    prior to this, shen hai had purchased a total of 30 wooden and iron-clad ming wheel ships from the shireck consortium, essentially losing half of them. faced with such losses, shen hai no longer had the strength to continue disputing over dongwan island.


    moreover, they simply did not have the capacity to worry about dongwan island any longer, as they soon discovered that the fleets that were supposed to be returning home had seemingly vanished overnight!


    as a major maritime trading nation, shen hai''s dependency on the ocean goes without saying. with the ongoing battle of dongwan island, the upper echelons of shen hai finally received a series of unfavorable news.


    now, they knew that many countries had already declared war on them, and on the endless sea, a bloody drama hunting shen hai trade ships was unfolding.


    in such circumstances, making peace and minimizing their own losses became shen hai''s top priority.


    as for dongwan island, in the face of national survival, it was a triviality, hardly worth mentioning!


    in a muddled state, having fought until now, shen hai finally remembered something: they seemed to have not figured out just whom they had offended, nor against what power they were waging war... even if they had to fight, shouldn''t they be clear about who the enemy is?


    or to put it more practically... for peace talks, there needs to be someone to talk peace with, right?


    -------


    i heard a satirical poem today that dragon spirit found amusing, so i changed a few words to share with everyone:


    in the beginning, for aircraft carriers, we pined like dogs; now with ski-jump decks, even those we find flawed. stay tuned with empire


    electromagnetic catapults enter into service, yet bemoan they''re not powered by nuclear reactors.


    once carriers are fitted with nuclear cores, we yearn for fusion to show its force.


    if fusion power cannot take flight, the military fans dare not highlight.


    once the flying aircraft carriers show face, mouths open again to demand star-faring warships in their place.


    ......


    at least, back in the day, dragon spirit truly yearned for aircraft carriers, like a dog in longing... now, i''ve become a big hoofed swine, fickle as the morning and evening sun, haha!

 Chapter 440 Production cant keep up with 429 demand

    "master, dongwan island is now ours," luff pushed open the door and walked up to tang mo, reporting excitedly.


    the 1st division''s troops had taken dongwan island, seized control of the two most important cities on the island, and eradicated all of the defending forces of the shen country. enjoy exclusive content from empire


    tang mo nodded, more concerned about how many casualties his troops had suffered for this impromptu war, "what are the losses?"


    although luff also felt sorry for the casualties, compared to the victory, such losses seemed negligible. he excitedly said, "our army has 7 dead, 29 wounded, and two wolf-class cruisers are damaged."


    hearing these numbers, tang mo felt somewhat relieved¡ªthe losses were very small indeed.


    consequently, he began to take an interest in the situation on dongwan island, asking, "how are things over there?"


    "according to the locals, dongwan island has two coal mines and one iron mine, all of which are high-yield mines. we can set up iron factories there and replenish our coal supply," li''ao immediately chimed in.


    the resources on dongwan island weren''t exactly rich; there was no oil, but there were ample coal and iron mines. these minerals were very valuable and could offset some of the military expenses of the great tang group.


    moreover, if exploited well, the island could completely house factories and set up processing enterprises, preparing the entire troops for landing operations in zheng country.


    at the very least, the place needed to be capable of repairing heavy weaponry, producing enough munitions, and launching a fleet at any moment that could threaten the coastline of zheng country.


    therefore, the transformation of dongwan island had to be completed as quickly as possible¡ªit was imperative to the strategic execution of the great tang group and of utmost importance.


    indeed, after hearing there were some basic infrastructure already on the island, tang mo nodded with satisfaction once more, "very good."


    he wasn''t impressed by the island''s ironworks and mines, but with the strength of the great tang group, quickly transforming these industrial facilities was definitely feasible.


    "according to the plan, we have already started transporting mining equipment to dongwan island, as well as the necessary materials for constructing the port," li''ao added, "the equipment is being organized onto ships and will soon be dispatched to dongwan island."


    luff also contributed, "we''ve captured 20,000 goblins, most of whom can be used to mine coal and iron, which solves our manpower shortage on dongwan island."


    because of the goblins'' massacre on dongwan island, tang mo did not intend to return or release these goblin prisoners. they would work as miners until death, used up until the very last one!


    this was already the most merciful method of dealing with them. according to li''ao, burying all these goblins wasn''t out of the question.


    so, li''ao remarked, "these 20,000 will be a great help in our time of need. the 3rd group is also about to arrive at dongwan; once they reach, there will be no more worries about the island''s defense."


    tang mo was indifferent to the island''s defense. an enemy capable of defeating the great tang group''s troops had not yet emerged.


    if a bunch of goblins with flintlocks could defeat the great tang''s troops, the goblins would have ruled the world long ago.


    even to this day, no country has an envoy stationed on dragon island; all diplomats still operate out of brunas.


    hearing luff''s report, tang mo was already picturing the spectacular sight of four divisions, the 4th to 6th, stationed on dongwan island.


    li''ao added, "these ships are intended to fill the gap after shenguo''s transport losses. there''s a need for transport capacity on the endless sea, so our profits could very well soar to a new level."


    currently, everyone is frantically building various models of transport ships; even shireck has received countless orders.


    everyone can see the losses suffered by shenguo, and they all know what will happen next. thus, preparing in advance to seize the market share lost by shenguo can surely net a handsome profit.


    these days, wealth is scarce. people need money to buy new weapons and equipment in preparation for the next round of expansion wars... so everyone wants to dip into a business that can make money.


    the great tang group has also been producing wooden iron-shell ships that do not require as much steel, although most of these are coastal fishing vessels and other ships such as communication boats and patrol boats.


    these small craft are sold to national security forces, fishermen, and small merchants. as for large vessels, the great tang group has no plans to sell on a large scale just yet.


    regrettably, due to production capacity constraints, it seems unrealistic for the great tang group to aim to make more money by building ships.


    by today''s standards, great tang shipbuilding''s scale can be said to be the largest in the world, yet it still cannot meet the global demand for ships.


    there''s no choice, even china in the twenty-first century couldn''t manage to produce enough ships for the whole world on its own. even at full capacity, china''s shipyards could only satisfy about three-quarters of the demand.


    moreover, the scale of great tang group''s shipbuilding factory isn''t that vast yet ¡ª maintaining the construction of two jade city-class battleships and keeping up the production of ten brunas-class ironclad warships, and five wolf-class cruisers, has nearly engaged all the world''s top shipbuilding workers.


    moreover, tang mo was also rapidly building dozens of freedom wheel ships ¡ª this level of production had already surpassed that of the british empire in 1880.


    the current scale of the great tang group was so vast that even tang mo was taken aback. further rapid expansion was not quite as easy anymore.


    this is because there are only so many talents and workers available. even though the great tang group was feverishly cultivating talent and workers, the supply still couldn''t meet the demand.


    there''s a limit to how much you can achieve by drafting in laborers. as the technology of the manufacturing industry advances, temporarily conscripted labor forces are increasingly unable to operate new digital production equipment.


    the principle is simple. if you want to teach someone to use mechanical equipment to produce a simple part, a few hours of learning is enough for an intelligent person to begin working.


    but if you are training someone to operate a digital machine tool, it''s definitely more complex. at a minimum, that person needs to have a basic understanding of mechanics, the ability to read, and a foundation of learning...


    so now, it is clear to the world''s ship buyers that the best ships are made by the great tang group, but unfortunately, they are not available ¡ª the best accessible ships are manufactured by shireck.


    ```

 Chapter 441 Where did 430 go wrong?

    "the population on dongwan island is now about 200,000, distributed along the coastal areas on the west side.


    originally, there were more than 400,000 people from zheng country here, but after the shenguo occupation, they began massacring the people of zheng country, which reduced the native population by about half," luff glanced at the document in his hand and then looked up to continue speaking to tang mo.


    the data was actually very inaccurate, just a rough estimate based on some temporary statistics.


    the exact figures were estimated to be available after two months, as many civilians from zheng country had fled into the deep mountains to hide, and it would take time for them to come out.


    however, for an island the size of dongwan, a population of 200,000 could indeed be considered sparsely populated. population growth is not something that can be rushed; it can only rely on immigration or accumulation, and it''s a task that takes time to build up.


    time was exactly what tang mo lacked, so he was indeed very angry about the goblins from shenguo massacring the civilians of dongwan island.


    upon hearing the temporary figures from the military, li''ao was also infuriated, "damn it, that''s our population! those unappreciative bastards! don''t they know how many years it takes to accumulate that many people?"


    "no worries, they will have to make up for our losses," tang mo said with a cold laugh, taking out a cigarette and putting it in his mouth.


    "compensate?" li''ao was startled.


    tang mo lit the cigarette, very confidently asking, "what do you think, if i demand shenguo to compensate us with 200,000 laborers, will they agree?"


    as the helmsman of the great tang group, he had already thought of how to extort shenguo and get them to come up with a compensatory solution.


    luff also scoffed, "if they knew the extent of their loss, i think they would agree."


    the military was aware of just how much shenguo had lost over the past dozen days. no one could continue waging war with such massive losses. no one could!


    "but are we just going to let shenguo off just like that?" li''ao looked at tang mo again, somewhat reluctantly, hoping to get an answer from him.


    tang mo sighed, replying with some reluctance, "i know you''re not content, and i''m not either, but unfortunately, there''s no way around it. we don''t have the capability to attack the large island of shenguo in the short term, because we lack sufficient transport and weapon resupplies for the landing troops."


    "if we were to forcibly land on shenguo, we would end up in a tough battle and, in the short term, unable to decide a winner. a prolonged war would hold back our development and destabilize our economy," luff added in explanation.


    "alright, i understand," li''ao said disconsolately.


    tang mo reassured him, "since we can''t annihilate shenguo in one fell swoop, why not shake them down? bluff them and make them compensate us with plenty of stuff..."


    ...


    "grandpa!" holding a "bundle" of tents, liu zhu had a look of unprecedented happiness on his face. in his past memories, whether living under the rule of zheng country or surviving under the occupation of shenguo, it seemed that neither was as cheerful as today.


    cao fei laughed and hung his water canteen back on himself, "i''m not a good person. i''m a sinner. do you know what a sinner is?"


    the girl nodded and then shook her head, "i know about sinners, but you don''t seem like one. you''re a good person."


    she spoke defiantly, seemingly sure of her judgment. cao fei shook his head with a smile, "i am indeed a sinner. according to zheng country''s laws, i should never be able to return here in my life."


    "will you leave?" the girl asked again.


    "well... how should i put this, i will leave. i''ll head to zheng country, to king city... why am i telling you this... you wouldn''t understand," said cao fei with a self-deprecating laugh, rubbing his nose before getting up to leave.


    "can i marry you?" the girl, seeing cao fei about to leave, suddenly became nervous. some women in the distance were also looking this way, and it seemed a few elders were sizing up cao fei as well.


    "ah?" cao fei was startled, not expecting such a bold proposition from the girl and was at a loss for words.


    "my man is dead. if you hadn''t come, i would have starved to death. please have mercy, take me with you..." the woman''s voice grew sadder, and she suddenly knelt beside cao fei.


    cao fei was completely unsure how to react¡ªif this had been in the past, he might have laughed and taken the woman in without any psychological burden.


    but he was no longer the person he used to be; he felt he hadn''t done anything to deserve taking advantage of someone in distress. and yet, when he saw the skinny figure kneeling before him, he felt a pang of pity because of all the wonderful things he had seen.


    if she had been born in brunas, maybe she would be... one of those schoolgirls in uniform walking on the bustling streets, respected as an honored student.


    even as a soldier like him, when confronted with such a scholarly young woman, would feel envy, consider her out of his league, and shyly avert his eyes...


    "please," the girl implored, looking up at him. cao fei could see she was only about fifteen or sixteen, gaunt and still holding tightly to the bread he gave her, afraid to let it go.


    cao fei thought that if it weren''t for the bread in her hand, the girl would probably already be clinging to his leg.


    with a sigh, cao fei reached out and tousled the woman''s dry, yellow hair, raising his voice as if to vent the indignation in his chest, "you''ve all got it wrong! from now on, you don''t have to beg anyone for anything! you will have food to eat, clothes to wear, books to read, the dignity of being human! only in great tang can you live like a human being!"


    "you''re all mistaken!" he glanced at liu zhu and ran off toward the distance, crashing through the obstructing branches without looking back.


    the elder looked at the girl still kneeling on the ground, her face full of bewilderment, then turned to liu zhu and sighed, "what have we done wrong... we''ve taken food, so much... stuff. how can we rest easy without giving up a few women in return..."


    he had seen too much and experienced too much... whether it was the high-ranking officials of zheng country or the thugs from the enemy nation, weren''t they all the same?


    they demanded women, gold, and food... they never left the common people a way to live, treating human lives as worthless.


    as an elder, how could he have been wrong, after witnessing how many people lost their lives to arrive at such an understanding... where had he gone wrong?

 Chapter 442 Why refuse 431

    "why refuse? single soldiers can marry whenever they want to if they volunteer!" tagg, who had just arrived on dongwan island by ship, stared at the battalion commander, puzzled.


    "...this..." the battalion commander scratched his head, seeming a bit troubled, "actually, most soldiers, especially non-commissioned officers and officers, aren''t interested..."


    "but there are still soldiers, right?" tagg tossed his gloves to his adjutant and wiped the corner of his mouth.


    he had just disembarked from the transport ship and vomited his breakfast on the dock; his stomach was still uncomfortable, and he felt queasy and pale.


    it wasn''t just him; the troops of the 3rd battalion who had disembarked were also throwing up all over, and their battalion commander nearly vomited his stomach out.


    this could be the first sea voyage in their lives for these landlubbers, and the follow-up transport ships they were on, namely the liberty ships, weren''t even properly retrofitted.


    frankly, those liberty ships were made for carrying cargo, carrying people was really a stretch. as a result, these landlubbers had to endure all sorts of problems during the voyage, suffering far more than the 1st battalion.


    after all, to ensure the combat effectiveness of the 1st battalion, the transporting liberty ships had undergone some alterations, though the following ships were untouched, as original as they could be.


    to save on construction time, even the anti-sinking design was skimped on, so one can only imagine what the living conditions were like on those ships.


    tagg rubbed his uncomfortable stomach and then continued, "if anyone is willing to marry, the group can subsidize some funds, and provide more food and daily necessities. if there are children born, the rewards will be even larger..."


    he had experience in developing dragon island and knew that what the great tang group lacked the most was population. thus, without a second thought, he applied the same solution used during the development of dragon island.


    "yes! i understand." the battalion commander saluted and then pointed at a car waiting nearby, "that is the car prepared for you. you can use it for now, and it can be swapped out once your official car is unloaded..."


    "is there water? the kind that doesn''t taste of engine oil." after drinking fresh water with a strange taste for several days, tagg looked at the battalion commander directly, not bothering with pleasantries.


    the battalion commander smiled and waved a soldier over, took his water bottle, and passed it to tagg.


    tagg took the water bottle, drank every last drop, and then expressed his relief, "that''s refreshing!"


    after finishing the water, he returned the bottle to the battalion commander and then pointed at dongwan port, which seemed no bigger than a small county town, "it looks small, let''s take a walk... introduce things to me, after all, since you''ve been here for so many days, it shouldn''t be a wasted trip, right?"


    as his territory gradually expanded, tang mo realized that he had too few people he could trust. with hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in the new occupation zones, he had to assign trustworthy commanders to manage the areas.


    tagg was one of his most trusted military leaders, as the commander was indeed trustworthy. roger continued to stay at dragon island to guard the rear, redman and harry stationed in brunas to stabilize the foundation... tang mo indeed didn''t have many people he could count on.


    "dongwan port has always been a naval base operated by zheng country, which has a complete dockyard to repair warships, and an associated shipyard... however, for us, these facilities are practically useless now. they''re only good for repairing wooden sailing ships, nothing else." the battalion commander, familiar with the territory, pointed to the nearby dockyard as he introduced.


    speaking of which, he pointed in the distance, "the former barracks of zheng country are still there. the people of shenguo used them and we haven''t changed them... but the conditions are truly awful. they were originally designed to accommodate 1500 people, and now the 3rd regiment is stationed there. despite that, there are soldiers complaining."


    tagg nodded, the barracks standards of the great tang group''s troops were indeed very scientific and certainly higher than those of other countries.


    it''s not about living in luxury but respecting the soldiers. how can one expect them to fight to the death if they are treated like pigs?


    "the roads here are very ordinary; cars bounce a lot." walking on a dirt road, a patrolling squad of soldiers saluted the 1st regiment commandant and tagg.


    they did not stop, which was also a rule of the great tang group¡ªduring the execution of a mission, this was the extent of courtesy required.


    on the contrary, tagg and the 1st regiment commandant stopped in their tracks to give a proper salute, as they were not on a mission at the moment. rules were rules, and everyone had become accustomed to them.


    after the soldiers passed by, tagg continued walking. at the end of the street, he saw that the police station was already open, and even some locals were queuing up outside the police station.


    "they are reclaiming their houses... the war has left many houses vacant here, we estimate about one-third. some we will requisition, the rest will be allocated to the native inhabitants who have lost their homes and land..." the 1st regiment commandant explained, "many civil disputes are not our concern; let the city hall deal with it."


    "hahaha!" tagg laughed out loud, seemingly already envisioning the aggrieved faces of the young officials at the city hall.


    along the roadside, a line of neatly parked construction vehicles had teams gathered around, pointing at a blueprint, immersed in discussion. everywhere one looked was a hive of activity, like a natural large construction site.


    next to these construction vehicles were the cars belonging to the 1st regiment, and in front of them, carts were being pulled, astonishingly, by 75mm caliber howitzers.


    tagg could tell that this was equipment just offloaded from the docks and belonged to the 3rd regiment¡ªit seemed they were coordinating where exactly they should be sent.


    moving a regiment of thousands is no small matter. every cannon, every shell, even every roll of toilet paper had to be recorded and filed away at the end... the workload was immense and highly complex, far from the simple orders and actions one might imagine.


    just like those airships anchored outside the fengshun port, which to this day still remained in place, having never taken off again.


    because the gas they required for refilling could only be produced on dragon island, and the ships transporting spare gas canisters are still drifting at sea!


    many locals were curiously inspecting the weaponry, vehicles, and carts; they seemed fascinated by the soldiers who had come from afar.


    they had never seen the variety of novel items brought by these troops, in a place where even the gas street lamps that needed constant supervision were pitifully scarce.


    the way these civilians looked at tagg, it was as if they were looking up to a deity high above.


    ```

 Chapter 443 Great news for 432 days

    looking at the indigenous people of zheng country whose clothes were still patched despite living within the city, tagg knitted his brows and turned to the corps commander, "are they truly poor, or is it the war that has brought them to this state?"


    "i''ve asked. they''ve really been exploited to this extent. the officials of zheng country treat them very poorly, squeezing them mercilessly.... after the people from sheng country arrived, it was the same, they didn''t even consider them human," the corps commander said. "there are thousands of mass graves outside the city, everywhere you can see the bodies of the people of zheng country."


    "that''s why we should come here." tagg took off his wide-brimmed hat and scratched his head, "the focus is on the port. we need to improve the throughput as fast as possible, it''s the key to speeding up."


    how could living conditions be improved? goods! having goods was the key! bringing more goods to dongwan island was the start of all development.no?v(el)b\\jnn


    only with development, letting the locals feel the improvement of their quality of life, truly seeing hope, could their enthusiasm be mobilized.


    if the various goods produced in other areas by the great tang group were all converged on dongwan island, the speed of construction on dongwan island could be increased exponentially!


    when constructing dragon island, it started with the construction of the port; this was tagg''s experience and why tang mo had sent him to dongwan island to take charge.


    in fact, the great tang group had already dispatched a civil official to dongwan island, though young, his credentials were already quite high.


    he was dino, one of the three greats of the first intake at the great tang group''s military academy, known alongside yulin and galsa.


    all three of them were class leaders among the first intake of students and were also old hands who followed tang mo, learning by his side from the early days.


    dino had always majored in military command, but he had not yet held a military rank when tang mo temporarily employed him and arranged for him to manage civil affairs on dongwan island.


    assisting him was a retired old man, an amiable fellow, the former minister of construction of the leite kingdom, baus, a man with a stout figure.


    this ambitionless and not particularly skilled chubby man might not have had much of his own opinion, but he was reliable in his work. because he had early ties with tang mo, he resigned from his position as the leite kingdom''s minister of construction and took up a job with the great tang group.


    in short, he was a good-natured man, doing whatever was asked of him, fitting to assist dino as a errand runner.


    the main reason tang mo sent him to dongwan island was to alleviate some of dino''s workload, as dino was also responsible for the construction and arrangement of military facilities on the island, with a heavy workload in the early stages, thus he needed help.


    but tang mo really couldn''t find an experienced and stable person to go to dongwan island ¡ª surely he couldn''t rely on a group of students around 20 years old? he couldn''t be at ease....


    "welcome to dongwan island." dino, who had arrived here first, extended his hand to tagg upon seeing him, saluting, "general!"


    although his current identity wasn''t that of a soldier, he was a student of the great tang group''s military academy and was likely to become a commander in his own right someday, so he still maintained all the habits he had in school.


    "you look much better than i do," tagg also returned a military salute, and the two walked into the governor''s mansion, which the sheng country people had rebuilt on the foundation of the zheng country''s officials'' complex.


    to be frank, the place was grand, but the degree of modernization was very poor, as was the practicality.


    unfortunately, there was no choice, because other facilities needed to be built urgently, so here they could only make do and continue using it.


    "agreed," tagg concurred with dino''s view.


    "are the locals cooperative?" he then continued to inquire.


    dino nodded, expressing his great satisfaction with the locals'' numb acquiescence to cooperation, "for now, it looks fine. i''ve set up some distribution points in certain areas, and the indigenous people in the wilderness are very cooperative. attacks are extremely rare isolated incidents."


    hearing that the overall situation was not bad, tagg also felt relieved. as long as there wasn''t strong resistance, he was confident in stabilizing the situation.


    as he contemplated how to deploy his troops, he heard dino continue, "additionally, general... i need more manpower..."


    "you sly boy, are you eyeing my soldiers?" tagg was taken aback for a moment before laughing and tapping dino with his finger.


    dino immediately assumed an appearance of having no other choice, "i have no choice. if i had a source for manpower, i wouldn''t dare to ask you."


    "the 3rd corps?" tagg was ready to push out the recently arrived troops still suffering from seasickness, who were temporarily of no use, as a bargaining chip.


    "the 1st corps... the 3rd corps just disembarked, let them rest a few days. they can help out with the construction of the iron factory," dino shrewdly insisted, refusing to be tricked.


    tagg didn''t struggle further and agreed directly to dino''s idea, "you rascal! alright! let the 1st corps get some exercise."


    "general, your arrival has brought us a big project," the commander of the 1st corps said beside him, pretending to complain.


    tagg also pretended to rebuke seriously, "stop complaining and carry out the orders!"


    "but our corps''s rangers are out on search and clearance missions..." the commander of the 1st corps thought of a problem.


    "indeed, these rangers are doing very well. the matter about the locals offering women was first reported by a ranger named cao fei from the 2nd battalion of the 1st corps," dino said, quickly explaining as he caught tagg''s glance.


    tagg nodded, "then let the rangers continue their mission. the remaining officers and soldiers of the 1st corps will hand over the defense to the 2nd corps... anyway, the barracks within the city are nothing special, go ahead and switch defense. any difficulties?"


    "none!" lifting his chin, the commander of the 1st corps stood at attention and responded. his 1st corps was the main force among the main forces, and if one day it expanded into the 1st division, he would be the division commander. what significance did these little tasks hold for him? they''re not going to battle, and they would probably get wilderness garrison subsidies.


    plus, the city barracks were nothing great. where else could he pick up such a bargain?


    very soon, the already chaotic dongwan city stirred again with bustling activity as the 1st battalion of the 1st corps moved out of the army camp and the 2nd corps began to take over the defense.


    for a time, the roads were crowded with various vehicles and horses, and the indigenous people looked on curiously at these big-headed soldiers who had only recently arrived, yet were stirring up trouble once more.


    what was different this time was that these soldiers who had come from afar, claiming to be the great tang group military, did not disturb the locals. they did not harass local women or rob and take things at will.


    in their eyes, this was already tremendously good news. this was also the reason why they were so cooperative: they had never seen such "easy marks" who would give them money to work!

 Chapter 444 433 is filled with familiar flavors everywhere

    "mr. tang," three goblins stood before tang mo, their heads bowed as they greeted him with a respectful tone, "we have caused you trouble."


    tang mo did not like this tone at all; it reminded him of some sleazy figures with small mustaches above their lips, speaking with a habit of using inverted sentence structure.


    although he knew this image was unintentionally created by movies, and real-life well-off ''basin chickens'' did not actually have such speaking habits, he still felt an aversion to anything resembling those ''basin chickens''.


    unfortunately, such resentment was a sort of national habit, and it should be respected by principle, shouldn''t it?


    upon hearing the familiar and somewhat annoying phrase "we have caused you trouble," tang mo involuntarily frowned and interrupted the other party, "if apologies were useful, then why would i bother making cannons?"


    "pfft..." wes beside him couldn''t help it and almost laughed aloud. he liked that saying; he believed that great tang group did not need to apologize, that they would solve problems with cannons if wronged.


    from another perspective, great tang group never suffered wrongs lightly; if you spit at me, i''ll bombard your entire family¡ªan even exchange, fair to everyone, right?


    the ones standing here were certainly not good people.


    "we have come with sincerity," one of the goblins, with an oddly half-green skin, continued to explain humbly, "we know we were wrong."


    in reality, they knew that great tang group''s attack on dongwan island occurred before the shen kingdom had attacked great tang group''s fleet.


    but now... the truth behind the outbreak of the war was no longer important; what mattered was ending the war and extracting the shen kingdom from the current perilous situation.


    the shen people were frail, short, and cunningly fierce; a shen deputy envoy clenched his fists upon hearing tang mo''s voice filled with mockery as he called them "little darlings."


    on any ordinary day, being called "little darling" might have provoked him to murder. but now, he simply did not have the guts to act out of line in such a setting.


    setting aside the major situation that shen kingdom couldn''t withstand, even at this moment, he was unsure if he could beat the man and woman standing behind tang mo with his bare hands.


    meanwhile, envoys from various countries knew it was now their turn to set their price¡ªthis was a privilege they deserved for joining the battle and a part of the victorious celebration.


    "open the shen kingdom''s market and exempt all imported goods from commercial taxes for each country!" blurted an envoy from the dorne kingdom, voicing his primary interest. your next chapter is on empire


    "compensate us for our war costs, at least 500,000 gold coins for each kingdom!" added an envoy from the leite kingdom, right beside the dorne representative.


    "hand over all trade routes to guarantee safe passage for each country in the endless sea to the west!" said the poplar kingdom representative, his voice carrying the scent of the sea.


    "guarantee absolute safety for the merchants of each kingdom within the shen kingdom!" followed the envoy from the songmu kingdom.


    names of various chinese cities followed by the word "treaty" sprang up in tang mo''s mind like scraps of paper, as if he himself were sitting beside that humiliating negotiation table in nanjing or tianjin of the past.


    only this time, they were on the winning side... indeed, with the roles reversed, the feeling was immediately different.


    tang mo even wickedly thought: what if, sitting in yamaguchi prefecture back then, they negotiated the cession of okinawa... would writing a novel about li being assassinated while attempting to extort kyoto be a bestseller?

 Chapter 445 433 is filled with familiar flavors everywhere_2

    ```


    or maybe... have old li consider shooting himself six more times, and we''ll force hirobumi ito to cede honshu island as well?


    looking at the scene in front of him, which resembled a vegetable market, the "treaty" content was just too concentrated, almost nearing 100%. it''s likely that after this war, the textbooks of sheng country will surely gain a new term similar to a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society.


    just casually counting: hmm, dorne, suthers, leite, songmu, poplar, ice cold, gales, and the empire of nanla... exactly eight nations, triggering some special effect, tang mo''s guilt feeling +1, deterrence +1, unlocking the achievement "scars of the old empire"?


    as for the usual mocking, somehow, it seems that strange additions keep piling up...


    tang mo shook his head, banishing these strange thoughts from his mind. after everyone had put forward their demands as previously agreed, he also put forward his thought, "after agreeing to these terms, to compensate great tang group for all its losses, and the war... will be over."


    he didn''t specify his conditions, but to the goblins'' ears, this phrase about compensating all losses of great tang group seemed far too vague, enough to make one''s heart hang in suspense.


    soon, their judgment was confirmed, as the beautiful paper from yulin was pressed in front of them. the goblins finally understood what it meant to be outrageously demanding.


    to give an analogy, at this moment, they were like nervous young men asking for a bride''s hand in marriage. when the bride''s parents mentioned the dowry figure, their faces bore an expression of utter shock.


    after harboring the thought of taking zheng country for himself and embarking on a path of domination, tang mo started to analyze the issue from another angle.no?v(el)b\\jnn


    this time he fought alongside eight countries to declare war on sheng country, which for him was also an act of desperation.


    his warships were too few to search all of sheng country''s vessels in the endless sea and attack them, so he had no choice but to utilize the navies of various countries to compensate for his lack of military strength.


    however, looking at the issue from the perspective of maximizing benefits, although great tang group emerged utterly victorious this time, the profits from the war were noticeably diluted by the involvement of various countries.


    therefore, even if tang mo had the capability to obliterate sheng country this time, he wouldn''t make his move under such circumstances.


    what he wanted was to take sheng country for himself and turn it into his own territory, not to divide it among eight countries. that would not be in the interests of great tang group.


    "we can''t afford that kind of compensation! mr. tang, our country is very poor..." the head goblin envoy began to bargain.


    the angle from which he approached was quite tricky, demonstrating the capabilities of sheng country''s diplomats¡ªthrough years of war with zheng country, they had honed a quite skilled diplomatic team.


    competing over trade routes was pointless for sheng country, as they were unable to maintain a grip. their navy had been severely damaged, their merchant ships captured or sunk, leaving them completely powerless to sustain their original scale of maritime trade. thus, fighting over this was meaningless.


    he wouldn''t care about the small things anymore. find your next adventure on empire


    now, tang mo was preparing to take the big things, to remind these goblins that they were still meat on the chopping board.


    "since you''re so poor, we''ll just have to look for valuable things ourselves." tang mo picked at his ear and showed an impatient look, "gentlemen, it seems that shireck wants to keep the war going..."


    "wait a minute! just wait! we''ll compensate! we... we will..." the shireck envoy immediately softened; shireck really couldn''t keep going anymore.


    if the war ended, they could still recover, develop, and recuperate. at the very least, they could bully zheng country and gain some benefits.


    but if the war continued and their maritime trade remained crippled, then shireck would truly be finished. although they wouldn''t collapse directly due to a lack of food like the taren kingdom, it wouldn''t be much better.


    thus, the goblins envoys, who had begun to throw in the towel, in principle agreed to the great tang group''s demands for compensation in slaves.


    as for the number, they still had to bargain¡ªgreat tang group wanted 300,000, and shireck was willing to give 100,000. after much negotiation, the final number settled on was 200,000...


    afterwards, because shireck had no gold coins to compensate other countries, they started borrowing from the great tang group, pledging simple collateral: selling some more slaves to the great tang group. a robust slave for 10 gold coins, a fair price.


    then shireck negotiated the total amount of compensation with the other countries, ultimately bringing the price down to 300,000 gold coins per country. thus, the total amount of compensation shireck had to pay was 2.7 million gold coins.


    in the end, shireck had no choice but to offer up another 100,000 slaves, barely fulfilling the requirement of compensating each of the nine nations and powers 300,000 gold coins.


    then the two parties began to discuss the issue of trade tariffs. shireck clearly did not want to give up this significant income; after intense disputes, they managed to keep fifty percent.


    the great tang group got ten percent of shireck''s tariffs, and the other eight countries each got five percent, which was a satisfactory outcome for everyone.


    the rest was relatively simple. after signing the agreement honestly, shireck, as the last of the old four dominant naval powers in the endless sea, handed over the control of the western endless sea.


    although they still maintained their navy and their fleet was still formidable, everyone knew that the endless sea now had only one overlord.


    and the great tang group got everything they wanted before the war had started!


    ---------


    not feeling well today, only 4,000 words. here is one update... apologies.

 Chapter 446 434 tear down the wall

    "my lord, we dare not! this...this..." an elder stood behind tagg, looking at a section of the city wall in the distance and pleading with a sobbing voice.


    that was the city wall of dongwan, the defensive fortifications their ancestors had maintained for so many years! each new official would strengthen it further, when had the rules ever changed?


    but now, these newcomers actually said they wanted to dismantle these cumbersome walls and even use the rubble to build roads and houses... wasn''t this absurd?


    which was more important, city walls or roads and houses? if the enemy broke through, what good would houses and roads do? if everyone was killed, of what use would those be?


    yet he did not dare to defy this powerful figure who had just taken control of dongwan island. the fact that the man agreed to meet with him was an honor, how could he dare to give orders?


    "soon you will understand, all these things are obstacles in the expansion of our city and the growth of our economy. if not dismantled, do we keep them for the new year?" said the twenty-year-old dino, who stood beside tagg, nonchalantly.


    the elder wanted to argue, but the words stuck in his throat, unable to muster the courage to continue nagging. had it been within his own family, and had a child dared to speak to him like this, he would have long since used his walking stick to greet the other''s face.


    but now, the young man standing beside the warrior seemed to have an exceptional background and spoke without any reservations, appearing to be someone in charge as well.


    "you don''t have to worry. what if i told you even the artillery batteries are going to be dismantled... would you not be scared out of your wits?" dino did not conceal his plans at all.


    in his vision, all these useless obstructions had to be removed without exception.


    he had never heard of such a thing. a port city without city walls or artillery batteries, what would they use to defend if the enemy came?


    could it be that these seemingly powerful occupiers were planning a smash-and-grab, to take what they could and run? perhaps they had no intention of holding their ground? the old man suddenly felt as though he had stumbled upon the truth. when he raised his head again, the gaze with which he regarded tagg and dino was tinged with a different meaning.


    tagg didn''t think much of it, but dino was astute despite his youth and seemed to understand the old man''s intention.


    so, he prevented the old man from mulling over it any further, glanced at his mechanical watch on his wrist and confirmed with tagg, "the city wall part is left to your army, and the artillery batteries to the navy. there shouldn''t be any problems, right?"


    "no problem at all!" tagg answered very precisely, "before i came, i had already confirmed with general bernard. although he cherishes the ammunition, we are indeed in a rush."


    "the old man probably only heard the sound of the cannons during the battle outside the city, not aware of our capabilities." without any intention of avoiding the few country gentry behind, dino directly referred to these respected local elders as "old men."


    upon hearing themselves addressed in such a manner, these elders instantly showed displeasure on their faces. in their view, even the non-humanlike goblins of shen county gave them some courtesy, yet this unruly youth didn''t even understand politeness.


    however, constrained by the other side''s military force and the hundreds of soldiers stationed in the city, they did not dare to show their anger, silently inscribing their dissatisfaction in their hearts.


    after all, fortunes change, and when these imposing soldiers come to grief, falling from grace, these outsiders will then learn how formidable the gentry and magnates of dongwan city really are.


    "so let those people who are preparing to deceive out in the open, but defy in secret, lose all hope. don''t let me catch them in the act..." dino said, all the while looking coldly at those elders who were already distraught and anxious.

 Chapter 447 : 434 tear down the wall_2

    he was well aware that if he didn''t show these people the full strength of the great tang group, they wouldn''t understand that the times had changed.


    not far away, the city''s residents had also been gathered together, inexplicably standing on high ground, waiting for the grand "self-introduction" that was soon to come.


    it would be a memorable bombardment feast, as well as the old dongwan port''s final scene in this world.


    after a moment''s silence, rolling thunder began to sound from the sea. as the rich landlords standing behind dino saw the entire battery being turned upside down, they were so frightened that they could hardly stand steady.


    one by one, thin or fat, the old and middle-aged men were scared silly, collapsing to the ground to feel the tremors emanating from beneath them.


    before their eyes, the grand battery that had been painstakingly built over hundreds of years by ten generations of people was being demolished by cannon fire into a pile of ruins and rubble.


    the massive explosions sent stones flying dozens of meters into the air, dust churned in the sky, and shockwaves carrying fine gravel swept everything around, followed by the rising plumes of black smoke.


    "how about the navy... of my great tang group?" dino didn''t look at the scenes he had already seen but, with the explosion at his back, looked at the locals who were already terrified out of their wits and asked loudly.


    as he asked his question, more artillery fire came, striking the battery, which could momentarily be seen only by the brief flashes of fire amidst the clouds and mist stirred by the explosion.


    however, those local aborigines witnessing these explosions knew very well that if there were soldiers there, or rather, no matter how many soldiers were stationed there, they would be done for by now...


    no wonder these foreigners wanted to dismantle the batteries, no wonder they didn''t need batteries... because no one could breach such a navy and threaten the city from the sea! no one!


    just a few breaths later, the local aborigines witnessed the impressive sight of 155mm caliber cannons dismantling the city walls.


    in the previous battles, two shots from 105mm cannon had brought down a section of the wall, and the local shen country''s troops surrendered, so no one knew what was actually happening outside the city.


    but now, everyone could see with their own eyes the great tang group''s artillery troops were bombarding the walls with their cannons, each shot causing the walls to fracture and collapse amidst terrifying explosions and deafening roars. the war became tremendously alien to them.


    standing over there, the surrendering general of the shen country, shenwu xiong, also witnessed this incredible scene. only now did he finally realize just how thoroughly the shen country had been defeated.


    "you always enjoy teasing people," yulin, with her face blushing to the tips of her ears, turned around, her face blooming like a peach blossom and her eyes misty with spring, "you have a meeting in 15 minutes, will you make it?"


    tang mo coughed. although he was happy to take advantage, if he really caused a scene, he truly wouldn''t have enough time...


    so, he withdrew his hands, stepped back a bit with reluctance, and opened some distance between them: "i heard he''s made a list?"


    "workers, training teachers, engineers, books, food, seeds, agricultural guidance... according to his demands, we might as well move to dongwan island," yulin said as she straightened tang mo''s disheveled clothes, her voice filled with a hint of exasperation.


    "ha, i still need to send soldiers, cannons, ammunition, steel, machine tools, generators, gantry cranes... to dongwan island. transport capacity is indeed tight," tang mo sighed. he was really a bit troubled about how to quickly develop dongwan island.


    you must know, according to tang mo''s plan, at least 100,000 troops would be stationed there, and there had to be a production capacity for war equipment to supply 100,000 soldiers¡ªprobably not enough even in a year.


    or more precisely, far from enough! even with the full support of the great tang group, for dongwan island to catch up with dragon island''s level of development within a year would be a pipe dream.


    don''t assume dragon island was built so quickly because brunas had a prior accumulation of population and technical personnel. now, half of the dividends accrued by brunas had been allocated to dragon island, and further dividing resources for dongwan island was obviously insufficient.


    after all, hotwind port, winterless city, eternal winter port, and osa were all eagerly waiting, hoping that the great tang group could give them more technical talents and materials.


    to support dongwan island, tang mo had pulled out all the stops, even leasing sailing fleets from other countries, desperately transporting materials to dongwan island.


    but dongwan island was in desperate need of so many things. having just gone through a war, agriculture was neglected, the population was dwindling, everything was in dire need of rebuilding.


    thinking of all this, tang mo felt immense pressure. he rubbed his forehead, turning to yulin, "what about that bastard nangong hong? thinks he can give me a bad idea and then go slack off in hotwind port? call him back!"


    "hasn''t he been there for just over ten days?" yulin reminded with a smile.


    "consider it a vacation," tang mo raised an eyebrow, deciding that nangong hong should hurry back and offer him advice, "send him a telegraph."


    --------


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    i was originally free today, but my wife had some trouble at work, and we talked for a long time... sorry, just one update today. i still owe everyone... well, it seems we''re back to owing five updates...

 Chapter 448 : 435 Old Master Qs Unexpected Joy

    looking at the group of innocent-faced children before him, the old master, who had always been the most knowledgeable in dongwan city, sighed deeply, feeling that his life had come to an end.


    although he never thought education was a shameful matter, he had also never believed that every child should go to school and learn to read and write.


    it was simply an absurd idea. where in the world was it the rule for everyone to study? if everyone learned the teachings of the sages and understood various principles, then who would farm the land, who would labor, and who would become slaves and servants?


    what he could least tolerate, were actually those girls sitting timidly and hesitantly in the corner.


    damn it, what was this all about? men and women studying together under the same roof and receiving the same treatment. what on earth was this?


    he sighed again, and glanced at the two soldiers seated near the entrance. with no choice but to carry on, he used the inferior chalk that was running out of powder to write a few characters on the blackened wall, and then had everyone follow along and write them down.


    in the world familiar to the old man, if a girl wanted to learn something, shouldn''t she have a private tutor come to her residence to teach?


    if a boy wanted to study, shouldn''t his family background be checked for integrity, whether he was enlightened, whether he had the determination and resolve, before being classified into different educational tiers?


    lumping everyone together like this was simply an insult to the word ''education''! although he thought so, glancing again at the soldiers at the door, he could only swallow his words.


    the situation was out of his control¡ªthe two soldiers at the door were not there to protect him, but to supervise him. he had to faithfully follow the teaching schedule, and the soldiers had to keep study logs, which, he heard, their squad leader checked every day.


    as a scholar, the old gentleman considered himself to be the most learned within a radius of tens of miles; his students, if not scholars heard by provinces, at least should be the cultivated literati.no?v(el)b\\jnn


    now, well, if these two foolhardy soldiers went out and said he was their teacher, how could he, at his advanced age, live with such dishonor...


    so, the old pedant, his facial muscles twitching with suppressed dejection and anger, had no choice but to patiently teach the pronunciation of the characters written on the blackboard one by one.


    with another sigh, he walked off the podium with his hands behind his back, making his way into the midst of the children who sat behind desks of various kinds. with each step he took along the aisle, his heart ached just a little.


    these were all fine desks that he had seen before: the first row belonged to the li family, known for their dignity and grandeur; the desk on the left in the second row was a treasured heirloom of the zhao family, which he himself was reluctant to use too often; and the one at the back... that one... was his own!


    watching a desk made of precious huanghuali wood placed in the classroom for these little brats to casually use, how could he not feel pained?


    that being said, these soldiers from afar who claimed to be tang people were indeed extravagant, supplying paper as if it cost nothing. every child who went to get it was sure to receive a full allotment, with no hesitation whatsoever.


    what depressed him even more was that on such excellent sheets of white paper, the characters that these children wrote were so twisted and contorted, they truly looked like crawling bugs!


    upon hearing the bell, the elder returned to the lecture hall, drawing out his words as he loudly admonished, "you must realize the opportunity is precious, hard-won! go home and practice diligently, and do not squander your potential!"


    "we will remember!" all the students stood up, including two burly soldiers at the door, responding in a motley chorus to the old man''s parting message. discover exclusive content at empire


    then, as the old man stepped down from the podium, the children in the classroom scattered, because the lessons to follow were what they enjoyed and excelled at.


    classes in subjects like math, physics, and chemistry had yet to start; the textbooks were still adrift at sea. however, other classes had already begun and were very popular.


    agriculture courses taught all the children how to farm¡ªskills the children of the poor already possessed. they just didn''t know the principles, so they studied with extreme earnestness.


    in the afternoon, these children would learn military drills with the troops, a prospect that frightened all the parents.


    they feared their children would be trained as soldiers and sent to the battlefield as cannon fodder. they saw such training as ominous, a ploy by the occupying forces to conscript able-bodied men.


    however, the voices of dissent soon faded because the natives simply lacked the courage to challenge the might of machine guns and cannons.


    months ago, when the goblin nation attacked, they were too scared to resist, so how could they dare challenge the tang people who had driven away the goblins?


    so, everyone could only grumble privately and then watch, uncertain, as their children grew stronger and more spirited.


    the families of children attending school received a half portion of food as a subsidy, the children enjoyed a special food supply at school, and eating at the school cafeteria was completely free...


    for that half portion of food, the families could only hold their noses and take the risk of dutifully sending their children to school. in those days, anyone with food to eat was sovereign.


    whenever they saw bags of flour and other foodstuffs unloaded from the big ships docked at the port, the residents of dongwan city behaved even more subserviently.


    they had never seen so much food before¡ªto them, it was akin to a "golden age."


    in the afternoon, liu guozhu indeed got his wish and received his very own wooden rifle. these rifles, made from local materials and carved with bayonets by the soldiers, were rough and bumpy, barely resembling the actual shape of a rifle.


    yet even so, liu guozhu adored it. he held the object and executed every command given by the drill sergeant.


    he performed each movement meticulously, always envisioning a figure in front of him, a figure as imposing as towering mountains.


    the image of cao fei standing before him, striking down goblin soldiers with a rifle, intoxicated liu guozhu. he wanted to be that person, to ensure that his fellow villagers would never be bullied again!


    "kill!" he lunged with his rifle, shouting fiercely, swift as lightning. though his body was still frail, his actions were exceptionally precise. the officer watching nodded repeatedly, extremely pleased with the class representative he had selected.

 Chapter 449 : 436 Tang People

    the zhao family in dongwan city was also considered to have some influence; their family had been in business for generations, and their business had grown larger and larger, making them the city''s wealthiest.


    however, the wealthiest man was now somewhat aggrieved, as recent times hadn''t been peaceful: when the shen people invaded, they demanded "contributions" from his family and took away most of their wealth.


    later on, after tang people drove away the shen people and came themselves, they scoured his family''s home. even his favorite desk was seized and requisitioned.


    fortunately, although they took away some household items, they left his family a way to survive and did not extort and rob them of their money and wealth again.


    just as the elder zhao was starting to breathe a sigh of relief and pondering his family''s resurgence, an even more devastating blow came.


    it was news that made him even more desperate than the looting of his house, appearing so abruptly before his eyes!


    the dongwan port, which was originally half military and half fishing port, almost overnight, changed its appearance as ships brought in a continuous flow of materials to the docks.


    due to insufficient transport capacity, goods piled up like mountains on the dock, with neatly stacked sacks everywhere containing either cement or flour, a sight to alarm anyone.


    who has ever seen such transportation of food? not even the capital granaries of zheng country might bear witness to such abundance!


    the zheng people, not used to such sights, naturally couldn''t understand what are called newly bred high-quality grains. nor could they comprehend centralized management, mechanized farming, much less pesticides, or fertilizers...


    thus, mr. zhao''s understanding of an abundant harvest was already far behind the times.no?v(el)b\\jnn


    in distant brunas, glass greenhouses were already producing out-of-season fruits and vegetables for the extravagant nobility!


    this is the progress brought by the great tang group. when tang mo sold a weapon to kill a person, his technology fed a hundred! the rate of his killing could not outpace the population growth he spurred, so no one faulted him for selling weapons; instead, some called him the star of peace.


    this phenomenon might continue until he starts selling atomic bombs, because compared to sustaining a population, mankind is more adept at reducing it...


    countless supplies arrived in dongwan city as if bubbling up from the sea floor. even though dino and tagg both felt the transportation was too slow, to the local indigenous people, such speed was frightfully exaggerated.


    the food distribution business was instantly crushed by the great tang grain company. the grain merchants barely had a chance to struggle before they were forced to lay flat and swiftly became subordinate distribution agencies.


    cloths, previously unaffordable by the poor, were now luxuriously fashioned into ready-made clothes and sold cheaply in stores.


    how much do you think brunas work clothes should sell for? naturally, they were so cheap they brought tears to your eyes. the great tang group, intent on stabilizing newly conquered areas, was hardly concerned with such small profits, thus naturally there was a promotion of low prices.


    as a result, the local cloth merchants had nowhere to cry and went bankrupt within a few days. they who laughed at grain merchants yesterday could only now afford to buy food.


    so those who did not have the courage to commit suicide could only weep bitterly at home and, through tears, eat a few more bowls of rice...


    the matter didn''t end there. with subsequent ships'' arrivals, once exorbitantly priced iron pots and kitchen knives also turned into cheap goods.


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    this elder brother even personally went to the port to inspect goods a few days later, rejecting the sick and weak sent by the shen country with such precision that describing him as meticulous was an understatement.


    "we are tang people!" recalling her child''s words from school, the aunt suddenly felt a surge of pride.


    the young wife nodded in agreement. although she didn''t have children in school, her husband worked on the construction site, and he often came home saying he was a tang person.


    if they weren''t all one big family, why would their wages be full and never docked, why would the soldiers passing through commit no offenses, why would the government officials treat them as individuals?


    when people from the shen country came, they exploited and bullied without restraint, so even though the shen people were powerful, they never truly connected; they remained people of the shen country for life.


    but after the tang people came, they helped them resume production, ensured they had food and clothing, and even helped them regain their dignity¡ªweren''t they brothers, then?


    it''s undetermined when the concept of "tang people" first appeared in history, but it indeed emerged during the time the great tang group occupied dongwan island. the locals called the occupying forces of the great tang group tang people, and later also referred to themselves as tang people.


    later on, the inhabitants of the great tang group''s occupied areas also began to refer to themselves as tang people, and the proof of being a tang person lay in their identity cards, complete with their bareheaded photos and steel stamps.


    eventually, in the territories controlled by the great tang empire, everyone called themselves tang people, carrying with them a sense of superiority, as if they were a cut above the rest.


    ...


    "to become a ''tang person''... it''s not that simple!" in his office, dino tapped his fingers on a blank identity card.


    issuing identity cards for hundreds of thousands of people from the great tang group was no small project¡ªtaking photographs, sealing stamps, verifying identities, delineating obligations and responsibilities, and showcasing the promises of benefits. it would take months of busy work at the minimum.


    right now, he didn''t have that much time to deal with such low-priority tasks, his priority was to quickly restore the socioeconomic state to normal.


    the materials and products of the great tang group had completely decimated the local economy of dongwan island; he had to ensure that the economy here aligned with and cycled positively with the great tang group''s system.


    in addition, many troops carrying experimental new weapons would also be arriving. the subsequent work would require his coordination and arrangement with tagg.


    why did weapon development come to a halt? because there was no war! war is the driving force behind weapons research and development!


    when tang mo received the comprehensive summary of all the frontline issues from the battle for dongwan island, the technological reserves of the great tang group were thoroughly scrutinized.


    it wasn''t a joke; some weapons that had never even been heard of in the market were now manufactured as samples and sent to dongwan island for testing.


    the variety of new weapons was vast, but they remained classified. however, the airships as new weapons of the sky had already caught the attention of military factions worldwide.


    ------


    just two updates today, if i''m feeling better tomorrow, i''ll start making up the missed updates.

 Chapter 450 437 new types of troops

    In the conference room, Tang Mo looked at Harry and others, including Luff Leo, with a somewhat annoying gesture spread his hands, "I don''t want it to be this way either, but after all, some things can''t be hidden from everyone forever."


    "Dorne''s envoy has formally requested to visit and inspect the ''flying weapons,''" Harry said. "The envoys from the Suthers Kingdom have also asked to see our new weapons, and according to the bank transfer records, they seem to be ready to pay."


    "No one can refuse ''flying weapons,'' a matter we had already discussed before." Tang Mo shrugged, with a there''s-nothing-I-can-do attitude.


    Yulin smiled helplessly, stood behind Tang Mo, and began to massage his shoulders obediently.


    "Yes, because compared to the ground, the blue sky overhead is still a blank. If there really are weapons in the sky, it means that those who possess such weapons can penetrate deep into enemy territory and attack any target they wish¡ªeven targets deep within enemy land," Luff cautiously commented.


    "In fact, we do have such weapons." Tang Mo, enjoying Yulin''s massage, said with a mischievous smile, "A weapon that can break directly into the enemy''s hinterland from the sky, as if it were no man''s land!"


    The Kirov Airships of the Great Tang Group, or rather the imitative bombing airships, were impossible to keep completely secret on their way to the battlefield.


    These huge beasts traveled in groups across the Western Endless Sea, and it''s imaginable how many transport fleets must have seen them.


    Furthermore, these weapons weren''t exactly discreet when moving about on Dongwan Island, so the transport ships of other countries that came and went to Dongwan Island naturally saw their fearsome silhouettes.


    Tang Mo actually had no intention of hiding these kinds of weapons because only when everyone had seen the weapons for themselves would they truly appreciate their power.


    Once it was realized that these weapons could easily tear through defenses and attack the King City of an enemy''s kingdom, everyone would try hard to equip themselves with such weapons and find ways to procure defensive armament against them.


    Whether buying airships or anti-aircraft machine guns and anti-aircraft guns for defense, the Great Tang Group would make a killing from either, which was an anticipated outcome.


    As an arms dealer, Tang Mo naturally had to sell weapons, and the highest realm of arms dealing is that by showing a small vial of phosgene, one can make all the military forces in the world equip themselves with gas masks!


    Tang Mo''s thinking was also very clear: as new weapons, airships were definitely something he would promote, because after all, his real trump card was the airplane.


    Selling airships actually wouldn''t maximize profit, only the anti-aircraft guns that Tang Mo had already designed, and production of which had started in many factories, were his real big money-making projects.


    The threat of an Air Force would compel all military forces to seriously consider deploying anti-air defenses around their industrial cities, which was also inevitable.


    "Respond to their requests. Tell them that I''ll personally take them to see the military airships the day after tomorrow. If they are interested, everyone is free to place orders." Eventually, Tang Mo gave a clear answer, "Tell them that in addition to airships, we have anti-aircraft guns, anti-aircraft machine guns, and other weapons, and let them get their money ready..."


    "I understand," Harry promptly nodded in agreement.


    In Harry''s view, it seemed that the Great Tang Group would soon receive countless orders, with every country trying hard to order bombing airships, and every kingdom also equipping its King City and heavy industrial bases with innumerable anti-aircraft guns.


    It was not a simple matter, and even up to the twenty-first century, only a few countries could produce high-precision sniper scopes that were up to standard.


    To ensure that the snipers could operate independently, even the rations issued by the troops had been upgraded several notches. No joke, the snipers'' provisions were basically on par with those of the Navy.


    "Don''t worry, your assistant gunner will arrive soon," the officer squatted on the ground, helping Cao Fei sort through the spread-out items.


    Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, cigarettes, and chocolate milk candies, a small mirror, a small wooden comb, a foldable spoon, and fork, spare socks and underwear as well as sealed desiccants... In fact, the snipers even had the latest black technology from the Great Tang Group: simple tablets for purifying spring water.


    Looking at these individual soldier supplies alone, the Great Tang Group''s snipers were already not much different from modern infantry.


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    If these items were replaced with newer materials and the weapons with modern rifles, they would not be inferior to the twenty-first-century Marine Corps at all.


    "Only one?" Cao Fei picked up the hand grenade and asked the officer.


    "You can apply for a second one, but to reduce weight, indeed one was cut," the officer picked up the cigarettes. "Do you smoke?"


    "I don''t," Cao Fei shook his head. "The squad leader took them before."


    "Then it''s my lucky day," the officer said, smiling as he pocketed the cigarettes, but he did not ask for the windproof lighter.


    After all, in the field, lighting a fire is often not just for smoking, but also potentially for cooking. Having a lighter clearly made things a lot more convenient.


    Putting the lighter and the low-end version of the "quick burn" for cooking into the new double-shouldered backpack, the officer got curious, "I heard you married a local girl?"


    "Yes," Cao Fei answered somewhat sheepishly. He hadn''t thought he would ever take a wife, but when the policy came out, he had to respond.


    The locals had an urgent need to marry their women to the occupying military soldiers, in exchange for security and living supplies.


    The Great Tang Group also hoped that through marriage, they could quickly recover the population size and absorb the natives into becoming "Tang People." It was a perfect match, and thus, widespread arranged marriages began.


    As long as one was unmarried, they could take a wife on Dongwan Island. Caught up in such an atmosphere, Cao Fei honestly married the widow that wanted to wed him.


    By marrying him, she immediately received housing in Dongwan City and was assigned to a school where she learned and managed the cafeteria¡ªessentially serving as the cafeteria attendant.


    Because he married a local, Cao Fei was granted leave once every two weeks! He could use this day off to return to Dongwan City and reunite with his wife.


    "Why are they in pairs?" Cao Fei, accustomed to being alone, suddenly brought the conversation back around, asking somewhat uncomfortably.

 Chapter 451 438 Military Reform

    "In the future, your tasks will change¡ªsearch, destruction... many times you will need to operate further afield, and having a partner helps look out for each other. A spotter can also assist you with alertness and observing enemy movements around you," the officer explained.


    After he finished speaking, he paused briefly, then continued, "Don''t be in a rush. Mike has the sniper training manual, and once he''s done with it, he''ll pass it on to you. You have three days to look it over before handing it to Sheldon."


    Cao Fei nodded his head, well aware of the importance of such a manual. A read-through would give him a clear understanding of the role he was expected to play in combat.


    The Great Tang Group''s tactical manual was, without a doubt, a valuable asset, combining practical combat experience¡ªeven internally, it was highly confidential.


    Usually, after circulating it among the appropriate troops, it would be collected back¡ªno copies would be allowed to leak, and the inventory was checked thoroughly.


    Having firsthand experience as a sniper, Tang Mo was crystal clear about the operation¡ªsingle sniper teams would soon be outdated, and the correct development path was in sniper teams.


    Knowing the right direction for future development, Tang Mo wouldn''t use his precious sniper talent for trial and error. He brought out the most standardized sniper tactics manual, proven in combat.


    With such a manual, snipers could avoid paying a high price in battle, and it would also reduce their own side''s losses.


    "I say, how''s the girl?" the officer asked, seemingly more interested in Cao Fei''s new bride than the sniper tactical manual.


    "She''s good, a woman who knows how to manage day-to-day life," Cao Fei replied succinctly. He knew the officer might be asking about the intimate aspects, but he answered in a different respect.


    Sure enough, the officer scratched his head in slight disappointment and stood up, "I''ll go check on Sheldon; he doesn''t smoke either."


    Cao Fei stood up, put his chin up, and saluted formally. The officer waved his hand impatiently, "What''s with all the formality, get on with your business."


    He turned and left while Cao Fei squatted down to continue sorting through his few belongings. To carry the equipment, both the rucksack and tactical vest were newly designed and seemed more comfortable to wear¡ªCao Fei liked them a lot.


    While packing his personal belongings, a photo got tucked into his credentials¡ªit was of a rather frail girl, standing beside him.


    To prevent hooligans from pestering the wives of soldiers who were mostly stationed outside the city, the military had a simple and brute solution.


    They would arrange for each married couple to have a photo taken, then print several copies for each person to use temporarily as identification.


    The women carried these photos with them; should they face an inspection, they could show it, and in case of harassment, it could act as a talisman.


    If the audacious still dared to cause trouble, the military would intervene¡ªafter a few live-fire practices, the bullies who looked for trouble in the city almost vanished.


    It was said that a soldier''s wife was hassled by nine thugs. Despite showing her photo, they persisted. She fled to the streets and cried for help, and the nine thugs were cornered in an alley by twenty patrolling soldiers and beaten for an hour.


    The police arrived later, took over the case after understanding the situation¡ªand continued the beating for another half hour.


    Not everyone feared the sea; at least in cities with harbors like Brunas and Hotwind Port, there were many people who were comfortable with water and didn''t get seasick.


    They had lived by the sea since childhood and taking boats was a routine matter for them; they could be full of life and energy even on smaller, more tumultuous sailing ships, so naturally, they could live on liberty ships as well.


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    While most of these people had already become sailors or naval personnel, there were still a few serving in the army, and this time they had their chance for promotion.


    These soldiers who had come from afar belonged to the Great Tang Group''s 5th Light Infantry Division. Their weaponry and equipment had not even been fully issued before they were loaded on ships and sent to Dongwan Island.


    This unit, which had only completed basic training, didn''t even have a full complement of light weapons. However, soon they received their secondhand weapons on Dongwan Island.


    The Maxim heavy machine guns phased out by the 1st Infantry Division were directly allocated to the 5th Division, while the 1st Infantry Division was now starting to reequip with the lighter and more powerful MG42 general-purpose machine gun.


    Since Great Tang had always been using 8mm caliber bullets (7.92mm caliber), Tang Mo simply took the initiative to use the light weapons as a complete set.


    Now his troops could almost standardize the caliber of their light weapons: apart from the bullets for pistols and submachine guns, general-purpose machine guns, sniper rifles, and rifles all used 8mm caliber bullets, which could at least simplify logistics somewhat.


    The performance of the MG42 machine gun was unquestionable; its continuous presence in World War II meant it certainly had its advantages.


    Of course, it had its drawbacks as well, like all weapons do, but as long as the shortcomings didn''t affect combat use, they could be tolerated.


    Based on combat experience, the Great Tang Group''s military was adjusting its weapon ratio, emphasizing the frontline combat units that valued firepower, believing that an infantry squad should have about three submachine gunners.


    The 1st Division was reequipping according to this experience, increasing the proportion of submachine guns, and also swapping all of its snipers to G43s. The deployment of a significant number of semi-automatic weapons indeed improved the firepower density of the 1st Division.


    To accommodate the increased projectile capacity, the 1st Division had to expand its logistics supply unit, equipping more vehicles to transport more ammunition.


    The same thing was happening on Dragon Island, where the 3rd Division replacing the 1st Division was also equipping with more new weapons. In contrast, the 2nd Division stationed in Brunas had not started reequipping due to the need for secrecy.


    On the 25th day after the battle of Dongwan Island ended, the Great Tang Group had already transported the entirety of the 1st Division, and the majority of the 4th and 5th Divisions to the island.


    The entire Dongwan Island had now turned into a huge construction site, a large barracks, and at the same time, a large school.


    Loads of textbooks and teachers were brought here by ship, and the sound of reading in Dongwan City and the exercises of the troops outside echoed each other, creating an unexpectedly harmonious atmosphere.


    It was also on this day that the first railway constructed by the Great Tang Group on Dongwan Island began construction, laying down the first sleeper. The port inside Dongwan City also got electrified on this day, equipping electric cranes.


    --------


    Sorry, it''s still two chapters... T-T

 Chapter 452 439 Kirov Airship

    ```


    "It''s spectacular! Absolutely shocking!" As they gazed up at the Hardshell Airship parked on the ground, the envoys from Dorne Kingdom didn''t know what to say.


    They had never imagined that one day human war machines could grow to such a massive scale, nor had they envisioned that the sky would become a part of warfare.


    Using hot air balloons for reconnaissance of enemy positions was nothing new, but due to issues with propulsion and safety, hot air balloons had always been nothing more than auxiliary military equipment.


    But now, a new kind of weapon, seemingly capable of changing the pattern of war, appeared before everyone present.


    This was the world''s first weapon that could attack from the sky and genuinely threaten the enemy! It was a weapon that overturned people''s understanding and was the "ultimate weapon" that everyone longed for!


    Every time the Great Tang Group introduced new weapons, it was enough to change the rules of war, evoking both love and hatred¡ªlove for how more powerful weapons could make victories in war come easier, hatred because it meant dipping into their coffers for these advanced weapons once again.


    "The process for producing the filling gas is still immature, so the cost of utilizing this equipment is very expensive," Tang Mo said in front of the airship, complaining to all who had come to this exhibition: "Every weapon has its flaws, doesn''t it?"


    After saying this, he spread his hands and continued, "However, it''s worth paying a bit more for a powerful bombing machine capable of directly attacking the enemy''s hinterland and destroying their industrial system."


    He was right, and each country''s delegates were pondering whether equipping themselves with such a weapon was indeed worthwhile.


    The price was certainly high, as weapons from the Great Tang Group were always expensive.


    But there is reason behind the cost! As long as one purchased advanced weapons from the Great Tang Group, victory was assured¡ªa fact that went unquestioned.


    Just like this time, the airship could carry a large number of bombs, head straight to the enemy''s strategic locations, and attack decisively¡ªan impact that could be the final blow.


    Currently, every nation in the world was striving to complete their industrialization, a result in part of the Great Tang Group''s efforts.


    All countries were building their steel factories, establishing their own heavy industrial bases, locations which were also often pivotal junctions for railways and maritime transport.


    In some cases, these densely populated cities, home to most of the precious technical talent, were even more important than the King City.


    Once such strategic locations and heavy industrial bases, the core factories that produced arms and ammunition, were destroyed, a country''s strategic potential would also wither.


    Therefore, the airship offered a choice to end the war quickly with the smallest cost, using the fastest means possible!


    Those who waged war were all gamblers, and with a high-stakes lottery at hand, how could they not be tempted?


    Imagine dozens of airships flying over the enemy''s heavy industry zones, dropping bombs. Then, the enemy''s factories would shut down for several weeks, with ammunition supplies, weapons production, and materials replenishment all at a standstill.


    "If you buy more, I can make it cheaper. Let''s say... 290,000!" Tang Mo declared generously, conceding a huge profit margin: "Don''t think I''ve earned a lot. This is almost like giving it away for free."


    "To enable buyers to use these advanced weapons independently, we will help set up production facilities for the filling gas, transfer the technology, provide production processes for compatible bombs, assist with factory construction, select locations for airship bases, and train pilots and commanders...


    Including research and development costs, I might even lose money..." He enumerated his costs earnestly, helping many understand why these new weapons were so expensive.


    Indeed, compared to a warship, it might not seem to have much substance. In reality, isn''t an iPhone much less substantial than a van, but an iPhone is more expensive and easier to break?


    Apart from the airships already flown to Dongwan Island, there were dozens of such massive monsters on Dragon Island¡ªTang Mo could deliver immediately as long as the buyer paid up.


    Producing these seemingly huge but actually insubstantial airships was not difficult, at least not as difficult as making something as solid as a Jade City class Battleship.


    Hearing Tang Mo''s "generosity," the envoys had no choice but to honestly pay up.


    The most proactive this time, unexpectedly, was the envoy from Suthers Kingdom. Having exerted the least effort in the previous war and having saved money by not buying naval warships, they were very generous.


    They saw these new-style weapons as their chance to catch up with other countries! Suthers Kingdom had no maritime borders, so their Air Force would become their "second navy," their trump card for overpowering the enemy!


    "We, the Suthers Kingdom, wish to purchase 35 airships... at a total of 10.15 million Gold Coins..." The Suthers envoy opened with a bid that shocked everyone: "We hope Mr. Tang can give us a better price... perhaps, round it up?"


    "Certainly, 10 million Gold Coins!" Tang Mo boldly conceded 150,000 Gold Coins¡ªa few years ago, his entire workshop could not have sold for that "loose change".


    When one person possesses an offensive weapon that others can''t defend against, the rest of the countries obviously can''t sit still.


    "Dorne Kingdom wishes to purchase 20 such Kirov Airships... Can we get them as ready stock?" The Dorne envoy asked eagerly. Discover exclusive content at empire


    He did not even haggle, focusing instead on the delivery of the airships¡ªAs is well-known, the delivery time for the Tang Group''s Ironclad Warships is a wait of a year or even two years; many countries have paid, but the Ironclads are yet to be seen...


    With much chatter, the envoys started outbidding each other. The atmosphere suddenly became lively, and Tang Mo casually delegated the work to Harry standing beside him.


    Business matters did not concern him as much anymore; he was more focused on a terrifying entity that might become known as the Great Tang Empire in the future.


    Soon, the Empire of Nanla ordered 15 airships, Dorne Kingdom ordered 20, Suthers purchased 35, Poplar Kingdom bought 10, Songmu Kingdom purchased 10, and the Dwarves of Ice Cold Kingdom bought 20.


    This time, Leite Kingdom really couldn''t come up with that much money, so they had to content themselves with symbolically purchasing 5 airships, barely making an appearance.


    The reason was that their naval operations overlapped mostly with that of Brunas'' Great Tang Group Navy, so they didn''t plunder many of Shen Country''s transport ships, and they had already incurred too much debt from previous developments, leaving Leite VII truly unable to follow through with the money.


    ```

 Chapter 453 440 Can anyone guarantee that it wont happen

    "It''s alright, I fully understand the difficulties of the Leite Kingdom. After all, I have the accounts right here," Tang Mo consoled the approaching envoy from Leite Kingdom.


    The envoy was quite embarrassed, for he probably knew just how much the Leite Kingdom owed the Great Tang Group...


    In the past, even selling the entire Leite Kingdom might not have covered such a massive amount of money! Yet now, Leite VII had borrowed such an astonishing sum.


    Frankly speaking, if the Great Tang Group were to really demand repayment, almost everyone in the Leite Kingdom would have to sell themselves to pay off the debt.


    On the other hand, Harry had already begun signing contracts with other kingdoms. The Gales Kingdom, established by the orcs and though impoverished, astonishingly purchased 10 airships.


    Of course, Tang Mo could tell what the Orc Prince had been hankering after all this time, which was vengeance against the Elves! With these airships, they could take off from the Sena Plains and directly bomb Poplar Kingdom''s King City or attack Southwater Port.


    Naturally, all this hinged on the crucial premise that their ground defenses could withstand Elvish retaliation; otherwise, Gales Kingdom was at great risk of being annihilated by the Elves once again.


    Unexpectedly, an envoy from the shellfish country also stepped forward, prepared to purchase some airships¡ªthey were quite interesting; even though they lacked funds, they were remarkably audacious.


    Since they had already broken their defenses by nodding in agreement to selling their population to repay debts, this time the envoy from the shellfish country was very straightforward: he agreed to sell more slaves and also put forth a silver mine as collateral, hoping to acquire 15 airships.


    The other kingdoms, which earlier assumed Tang Mo would not agree to sell advanced weapons to the shellfish country, were once again schooled in what it means to be a qualified arms dealer.


    The Great Tang Group didn''t even pause to think before they agreed to the demands of the shellfish country''s people and even stated that if the shellfish country was willing to pay extra, the Great Tang Group was prepared to provide immediate delivery!


    As each nation signed contracts, eager to pay and then find an unlucky neighbor to test the combat power of the airships, Tang Mo led everyone to look at some of his other weapons.


    "I am a person who loves peace," Tang Mo said, standing in front of the newest model of Anti-Aircraft Gun, as he introduced to everyone his meticulously prepared shield: "Therefore, I don''t wish to see offensive weapons on the battlefield that can''t be defended against."


    "I''ve prepared for you Anti-Aircraft Guns to defend against aerial attacks. This type of anti-aircraft artillery has a higher chamber pressure, a straighter trajectory, and can shoot shells higher into the sky," Tang Mo explained fluently, pointing to the big cannon with a 76.2mm caliber: "With this weapon, important cities can be spared from enemy airships'' attacks..."


    What Tang Mo presented was the 13-pounder gun widely used by the British during World War I. This artillery had a caliber of 76.2mm and a firing height of about 8000 meters.


    This artillery could use a time fuze to explode at a pre-set altitude, creating shrapnel that was effective for anti-aircraft warfare.


    Of course, Tang Mo had not provided this advanced ammunition because, for now, this weapon had only one function: to bring down those large and slow bombing airships!


    "..." Faced with such anti-aircraft weaponry and having already signed their contracts, the envoys of the various countries felt as uncomfortable as though they had swallowed a fly.


    Imagine, if the Leite Kingdom did this, they could engulf Dorne or Suthers within days and win the war! Who could guarantee such a thing wouldn''t happen?


    Therefore, for everyone''s safety and so as not to place one''s security in the hands of another''s honesty and trustworthiness, spending money... seemed like a better choice.


    Quite quickly, everyone selected to retain the previous purchase agreement and then began inquiring about the price of Anti-Aircraft Guns.


    Everyone had their say, seemingly indifferent to the fact that they seemed to have been tricked by the Great Tang Group; they were even more eager to hand over their banknotes to the Great Tang Group.


    No one wished to see their King City or industrial city lay exposed to the airships, so the contract for purchasing Anti-Aircraft Guns was also drafted very smoothly.


    Since no one had the funds to cover their entire country with anti-air defenses, it didn''t take long for the envoys to realize that airship attacks could still be successful.


    They just needed to pick the right moment, avoid the opponent''s key defenses, and then stage a surprise attack to achieve strategic objectives.


    No one exposed another safe time to launch airship attacks: nighttime! By choosing the right timing and infiltrating enemy anti-air defenses under the cover of darkness, they could take advantage of the night and achieve bombing success!


    In the end, there were no useless weapons, only useless users¡ªthere was a consensus on this point.


    Another consensus was to spend money: They again purchased over 1000 Anti-Aircraft Guns from the Great Tang Group, and each added a special caliber to their own arsenal.


    Tang Mo used two types of weapons to sweep almost all the war profits into his own pocket this time, even squeezing every country dry in the process.


    The most direct benefit of this arms trade for Tang Mo was that because of the financial strain, various countries began to accept his terms and started using the Great Tang Group''s paper currency in some regions.


    The convenient paper currency gradually began to replace the cumbersome Gold Coins and started to be accepted in many regions. This impact seemed even greater than the sales of weapons by the Great Tang Group.


    Tang Mo was very clear that this subtle influence would grow and that, with the support of currency issuance rights, the financial nuke of the Great Tang Group now had the potential to bring about apocalyptic destruction.


    A few hours later, this arms sale came to an end; nine countries divided up almost all of Tang Mo''s airships and also cleared out the stock of Anti-Aircraft Guns.


    After that, Tang Mo said farewell to these envoys. Before he had time to rest, Yulin brought him news he had been waiting for.


    Nangong Hong, who had barely warmed his seat at Hotwind Port, had already returned to Brunas with his ship.


    ---------


    There will be another update later in the night; you can watch it in the morning. Don''t stay up late waiting...

 Chapter 455 Repair bridges and roads 442 times

    Zheng Country, on the somewhat desolate streets, groups of beggars huddled together, their eyes filled with curiosity as they gazed at the passing carriages.


    Out of an innate fear of the wealthy, they shrank their bodies and crouched in the corners, disheveled, from afar resembling an unattended pile of trash.


    Yet these people were all alive, alive in a pitiable and emaciated state, surviving in a world that didn''t treat them as human beings.


    The passing carriage was clearly extravagant, as it used four wheels and was designed with a complex suspension system.


    The complicated and expensive suspension system allowed the carriage to glide smoothly over the uneven roads, which clearly indicated that the owner must certainly have a taste for enjoyment.


    In these times of war and chaos combined with corruption, no one really cared about regulations anymore. The rich here were the rulers of heaven and earth, the challengers to traditional rules and systems.


    As the carriage drove down the street, the assistants of some shops also began to notice this imposing carriage, because not many people around here could afford a carriage drawn by two horses.


    "I wonder if it''s a big household from King City, it looks really impressive," a shop assistant said enviously upon seeing the coachman on the carriage.


    Just by looking at the silk worn by the coachman, one could easily discern that the person seated inside was definitely someone extremely wealthy or of high status.


    The carriage stopped in front of the government office, and a servant hopped down, walking to the entrance to present his visiting card to the guard.


    At first, the guard at the doorway looked disdainful, but the moment he received the visiting card and felt a weight in his palm, he looked closely and saw that hidden underneath the card was a heavy Gold Coin!


    After Zheng Country''s defeat in the war with Shen Country, suffering heavy losses and a decline in national power, people willing to bribe the guards with Gold Coins had become a rare sight.


    Consequently, a smile immediately appeared on the disdainful face of the guard, and he even bowed a little lower, smiling as he said, "Please wait a moment, esteemed guest."


    He then hurried into the yard with large strides, putting on a show of being diligently at the service of someone who had paid¡ªafter all, a Gold Coin was not easy to come by, and it was always necessary to make the paying guest feel that his money was well spent.


    Well, if one really thinks about it, calling it an esteemed guest is not a mistake, as it''s all part of the service industry, isn''t it? No shame in that...


    It wasn''t long before the guard came back, gesturing for the visitor to enter with great eagerness, "The Lord of the City invites you."


    Only then did the attendant who handed over the visiting card return to the carriage, respectfully helping to open the carriage door, from which a middle-aged man finally stepped out, placing his foot onto a soft stool prepared by a servant in advance.


    Even during the peak times of Zheng Country, there were not many people who were so particular about pomp, and most of them resided in King City¡ªsuch ostentatious displays were not seen in these coastal towns.


    The middle-aged man was clothed in gold and silver, each detail seeming to express his immense wealth and prestige. As he alighted from the carriage, he looked left and right, and then followed the leading guard into the clearly worn-down government office.


    Just by looking at the missing roof tiles and the disorderly pile of timber and stones in the corner, it was evident that the place had been neglected for years, completely embodying an air of dilapidation.


    "Being a dog... what''s so bad about it?" the old City Lord tucked away the money close to his body and spoke, "Pass a message to the benefactor for me. From now on, in Linshui City, I''ll handle any big issues for him."


    "Then I thank the Lord greatly," the middle-aged man said as he stood up and left promptly, not wanting to waste any more time.


    The old City Lord didn''t see the man out but merely waved his hand and then sat there in silence, as if deep in thought.


    Once out of the Lord''s Mansion, the middle-aged man entered a carriage and immediately revealed a submissive demeanor, rubbing his hands together and smilingly reporting to the young man who had not left the carriage, "The task assigned by you, Sir, has been accomplished."


    The young man inside the carriage was fiddling with a dandelion ring on his finger. After hearing the report, he nodded, "Start a soup kitchen tomorrow and distribute to the refugees around the area. Gather all the able-bodied men, and have them clear mountains and build bridges..."


    "Ah?" The middle-aged man appeared confused, seemingly feeling that such tasks did not warrant a bribe of one million Gold Coins to the Lord of the City.


    "Whatever it takes, get the Linshui City port under my control. Spend as much as you need; there is no cap," the young man ordered without looking up as he toyed with his ring, "I want to see the land deed and government authorization this afternoon, and from now on, that place will be my private property... Understood?"


    Although it sounded difficult, the middle-aged man hesitated for a few seconds but agreed, "With enough money, it can be done."


    "Also, find me twenty thousand capable workers. I want to build a dock, and the price is not an issue," the young man continued, "I''ll give you ten Gold Coins per person, and any extra is your commission."


    "How could I possibly accept that... Rest assured, I''ll have all these matters sorted out for you within three days," said the middle-aged man, his spirits lifted at the prospect of earning more money, his grin widening as he spoke.


    "Remember, I don''t care what means you use... Understood?" the young man said, letting go of the ring and looking sternly at the middle-aged man.


    "Don''t worry, Sir, I know what to do," the middle-aged man assured immediately.


    Press-ganging commoners into major construction projects was something he was already adept at. As for concerns about their well-being or devastating their families, what did that have to do with him?


    After all, if he didn''t conscript these people for work, they might starve to death. If he didn''t mistreat these wretches, they would eventually fall victim to others and become meat on the chopping block.


    In the end, if they were to die, who benefited from their death?


    As for why these people were being made to repair bridges and roads, and why they were being made to build docks... that was not for him to consider.


    Why not build something?


    "Additionally, I want to map this area for a few hundred miles around and locate mineral veins. Have the City Lord assign some Soldiers tomorrow to protect my people," the young man made another request.


    "That''s an easy task. My Li Family still has many connections in the region!" the middle-aged man promised confidently, thumping his chest, "Everyone gives us some face!"


    "Do your job well! Your Li Family''s future will surely be much better than the Zhang Family''s... Understood?" the young man patted the middle-aged man''s shoulder.


    "Yes! Yes! Understood! Understood!" the middle-aged man lowered his head, excited.

 Chapter 456 The Strategy of Exhaustion

    Brunas, Tang Mo had already started to introduce his plan to Nangong Hong: "The personnel who arrived early have begun their activities in Zheng Country."


    "With money paving the way, everything proceeds smoothly! Zheng Country is far from being an impregnable fortress, so our infiltration has been very easy," he said proudly. "We have established a wireless telegraph office in Zheng Country, allowing messages to be transmitted back to Brunas instantly. Thus, I am extremely well-informed about many of Zheng Country''s affairs."


    As he spoke, he picked up a fresh apple from the fruit tray on the coffee table and handed it to Nangong Hong, whose complexion wasn''t looking good: "To put it without exaggeration, I might know more... than Zheng Country''s King Zheng Tong himself."


    "Moreover, I''ve started the construction of roads in Zheng Country, and will even build railways and bridges in the future," he continued after Nangong Hong took the apple. "I will use the fastest speed to construct thousands of kilometers of roads, hundreds of kilometers of railways in Zheng Country, expand several ports, and even build some factories there!"


    "Wearing down the people and draining their wealth, exhausting a region! What a clever stratagem!" Nangong Hong quickly caught on and exclaimed with admiration, "Master, you truly have a brilliant plan! This way, indeed, we can set up some things in advance!"


    "But, even so, can we really occupy the entire territory of Zheng Country within the next two years?" He looked at Tang Mo and asked a sharp question that greatly interested him.


    Tang Mo leaned back into the soft sofa and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray beside him: "That is not for you to worry about! Your job is to offer strategic advice; the Military''s Staff Department will find a way to accomplish it!"


    "This subordinate understands," Nangong Hong nodded, not dwelling further on the issue, but instead he inquired about some of Tang Mo''s subsequent arrangements.


    "Master, in the struggle for the world, besides vying for the advantages of weapons, treacherous terrains, and ample supplies, the most important thing is to win over people''s hearts," Nangong Hong then proposed some of his immature opinions on the issue of winning hearts to Tang Mo.


    In comparison to the world before Tang Mo''s transmigration, this one had far fewer senseless disputes. People were simple at heart, and in most cases, the common folk only desired a full belly and a peaceful life.


    For Tang Mo, to become the savior of the Zheng Country''s civilians and emerge as a shining heroic figure was not difficult at all.


    Because Tang Mo possessed an ample supply of Gold Coins and advanced productive forces, he had a natural advantage when tackling the difficult problems that other kingdoms could not manage.


    Nangong Hong felt that Tang Mo should continue to accumulate quietly, operate the regions already in his grasp, muster a greater force, and then seize the opportunity to expand rapidly.


    On this point, Tang Mo had some differences with Nangong Hong, as Tang Mo''s ongoing task was to develop the entire world. He was expanding the entire cake, not just considering the small piece in his plate.


    In Tang Mo''s view, if he were to develop within his own corner, such as Dragon Island, waiting to build an absolutely advanced military before expanding, the efficiency would be painfully low.


    Tang Mo wasn''t interested in seeing his tanks roll over cavalry, or in setting sail with his aircraft carriers to sink the opponent''s sailboats, as it held no meaning.


    What use was there in conquering lands that were primitive, backward, and poor? To spend another ten or twenty years developing these barbaric places? Please, did he have decades to slowly build the entire world?


    Therefore, he didn''t mind letting the world develop some basic industries first, because only in this way could conquest become meaningful.


    A dimensional strike was pleasant to hear about but in reality lacked a foundation of "meaning." Do you know why after ancient empires expanded their territories widely, they would halt their conquests and start endless internal strife? Because expansion became meaningless to them!


    Even the new refrigeration machines had begun to change people''s lives, allowing meat to stay fresh for longer periods, subverting their understanding of preservation.


    Chemical plants producing all kinds of fertilizers had increased grain yields, enabling less land to feed more people, which was a main reason why Great Tang Group did not worry about their own food crises.


    Yet, at the same time, in nations with more land like the Dahua Empire, the Empire of Nanla, Zheng Country, and others, they were still worrying about how to feed their growing populations.


    "Believe me, this world will soon become different! And all these changes are under my control!


    Dominating the world is not just about occupying some land, becoming an unprecedented empire, but about controlling the world, leading it, eventually making the whole world follow in my footsteps, recognizing my choices," Tang Mo swirled the moonlight wine in his glass and said to Nangong Hong with a smile.


    "I believe that day will surely come!" Nangong Hong, after a long heart-to-heart talk with Tang Mo, had begun to worship him.


    In Nangong Hong''s view, Tang Mo was knowledgeable and profound, a master with more vision than himself. Serving such a person excited Nangong Hong greatly.


    A good bird chooses a tree to nest in, and Nangong Hong believed he was such a bird. So after acknowledging Tang Mo as good timber, he was naturally immensely satisfied.


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the same time Tang Mo and Nangong Hong were dining, on the distant Dragon Island, within Dock 1, a huge warship was already taking shape.


    Beneath the towering superstructure were enormous gun turrets that had been fully installed. While some details were yet to be completely constructed, just looking at its initial form was already tremendously shocking.


    This was the world''s most powerful warship, destined to be the flagship of Great Tang Group''s naval fleet, the sovereign of the Endless Sea, the invincible Jade City No. 1 Battleship!


    The workers who built it had been shocked countless times, and were now proud to complete such a massive war machine in the history of the world.


    They looked on day by day, as one watches one''s own child grow, at the battleship filling out day by day.


    The 305 mm caliber main guns were frightening to behold, the high-precision rangefinders had been delivered and placed on the ground next to the warship, and the cabins were being fitted out.


    It''s not an exaggeration to say that once this battleship was launched, the coastal nations surrounding the Endless Sea would reassess their relations with the Great Tang Group.


    Right beside Dock 1, in Docks 2 and 3, two other battleships of the same class were also seeing their hulls completed...


    In a few months, Great Tang Group would have over ten Brunas-class Ironclad Warships, more than ten Wolf-class Cruisers, and one Jade City-class Battleship launched.


    ----------


    There will be another update tomorrow morning, so everyone get some rest early.

 Chapter 457 444" feeling perfectly justified

    The Great Tang Group used the strategy of exhaustion to repair bridges and roads in Zheng Country, laying the foundation for their invasion, which in itself is quite cruel.


    Therefore, everyone in the Great Tang Group was reluctant to bring up this topic, and when doing these activities, Dandelion conducted operations as discreetly and covertly as possible.


    In any case, the Great Tang Group had to appear as a savior in the future, so it was imperative that their reputation remained spotlessly clean.


    However, a conspiracy that would tarnish Zheng Country''s reputation and greatly promote infrastructure was already unfolding in Zheng Country. All that was left for Tang Mo to do was wait.


    During the waiting period, many interesting things happened, such as right before Tang Mo was preparing to return to Dragon''s Den, an unexpected visitor arrived at Brunas.


    An envoy from Zheng Country, four months after the battle at Dongwan Island broke out, finally arrived at Brunas and sought a meeting with Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo also wanted to know what this special envoy from afar wanted to discuss, so he postponed his trip back to Dragon Island and stayed another day in Brunas.


    This Minister from Zheng Country indeed had a commendable appearance, tall and handsome with a graceful and extraordinary demeanor, exuding the relaxed air of someone accustomed to high positions, quite pleasing to the eye.


    "My lord! We have learned that your Great Tang Group has taken over Dongwan Island from Sheng Country," the Zheng Country Envoy said, going straight to the point after greeting.


    The envoy''s good looks made the atmosphere more congenial, and even though Tang Mo wasn''t particularly swayed by appearances, there''s a distinct difference in mood when looking at handsome men compared to monsters, which is true for everyone.


    Tang Mo was in a good mood, so he nodded without denying, "Indeed, that did happen."


    The matter couldn''t be concealed, and Tang Mo had no intention of hiding it, especially since now nearly all of the nations around the Endless Sea were frantically transporting supplies to Dongwan Island.


    The Great Tang Group had always been the one exporting supplies, so there was always a big trade surplus, and other nations often found it difficult to cope.


    Now, finally, due to insufficient transport capacity of the Great Tang Group, they had to purchase large quantities of materials from other nations for Dongwan Island, providing a perfect opportunity for these nations to recover, of course no one wanted to miss out.


    Thus, parts roughly processed by Dwarfs, various rare metals from Osa Port, grain from Southwater Port, machinery from Brunas and Dragon Island, cement from Hotwind Port, and rubber products from Winterless City were all converging towards Dongwan Island in a frenzy.


    In addition, the Great Tang Group also bought vegetables from Sheng Country for Dongwan Island and secretly purchased a large amount of grain and vegetables from Zheng Country to smuggle to Dongwan...


    By doing this, it rapidly improved the quality of life on Dongwan Island and definitely revealed the fact that Dongwan Island had changed hands.


    "Then, on behalf of Zheng Country, this envoy formally requests you to return Dongwan Island, which originally belonged to Zheng Country, back to us..." The Zheng Country Envoy bowed politely, his demeanor courteous.


    "Hmm?" Tang Mo was caught off guard and took a moment to grasp what the envoy was getting at.


    "Don''t be impotently furious like a villain...It affects my previous opinion of you! Go back and tell Zheng Tong that Dongwan Island is now the territory of the Great Tang Group, and that won''t change! Ever." Tang Mo interrupted the other party with a wave of his hand.


    The Zheng Country Envoy frowned and reminded Tang Mo, "Then, Mr. Tang! You will lose the friendship of Zheng Country!"


    In his eyes, Tang Mo was merely a businessman. Losing such a huge market as Zheng Country meant missing out on a lot of money, something Tang Mo didn''t seem to realize.


    "Suit yourself! As long as you''re happy." Tang Mo had no interest in continuing the pointless conversation and ended the talk.


    ...


    A month hurriedly passed, and Tang Mo had already returned to Dragon Island. After stabilizing the impact of the war on the Great Tang Group within Dragon''s Den, new information regarding Zheng Country reached his ears.


    Yulin spoke up, reporting the latest intelligence on Zheng Country: "Zheng Country has officially purchased 30,000 Type 1 rifles and 200 130mm caliber breech-loading field cannons from Shireck... In addition, they''ve also bought 1,000 Gobur vehicles and imported 500 warhorses from Dahua."


    "Furthermore, they have ordered 10 Ming Wheel Ships from Shireck. Even by our standards, it''s a considerable procurement contract." While speaking, she handed the related documents to Tang Mo: "These pieces of information have been confirmed with Shireck; they are accurate."


    "That''s indeed not trivial. It seems there are still some people in Zheng Country who are actually getting things done. Otherwise, without such a fierce reaction, they would all be slackers." Tang Mo put down the report on the formation of the Armored 1st Division and looked up at Yulin.


    Yulin immediately continued with the details, "Actually, it''s not like that. Zheng Country''s purchase of so many weapons is mainly to court Shireck to guard against Shen Country''s invasion."


    "Oh? How do you figure?" Tang Mo asked curiously.


    Yulin provided a reasonable analysis: "We''ve found out that a significant part of these orders were made by Zheng Country with Shireck before approaching us. Perhaps less than one-third were added yesterday."


    "Even if it''s only one-third, that''s still a significant amount." Tang Mo reflected for a moment and felt that Zheng Country''s purchase of so many modern weapons could indeed impact Great Tang Group''s plans to conquer Zheng Country.


    Standing aside, Nangong Hong spoke up as a reminder, "Master, we should start thinking of countermeasures. This is a big batch of arms. In the past, it could have changed the outcome of a war. If we underestimate the enemy, we might pay a heavy price."


    Tang Mo stopped him with a gesture, "No rush. It will take them some time to learn how to use these weapons. Whenever the real battle starts, whether their tactics are suitable is yet to be seen."


    "I can assure you, Mr. Nangong, no matter how big the waves they cause, it won''t stop our progress in conquering Zheng Country!" He pulled out a cigarette and looked at the strategist who had been completely won over by the new weapons on Dragon Island: "Do you think we could lose?"


    "Impossible... Absolutely impossible! We... How could we possibly lose!" Nangong Hong waved his hands in denial.


    -------


    Still owe everyone 5 updates. Dragon Spirit has struggled to come back a little =.=!

 Chapter 458 445 Big Purchase

    ```


    Tang Mo, who had returned to Dragon Island, was still very busy each day. With the continuous advancement of technology, he had to come up with more and better technologies to maintain Great Tang Group''s lead in research and development.


    Every day, he would write and sketch, copying down some technical parameters to distribute among the various R&D departments to inspire their thinking.


    This was a virtuous cycle. Tang Mo couldn''t always be a drafting tool, taking on the entire group''s R&D and design work by himself.


    Therefore, he had to cultivate new talent, to keep the R&D team''s morale high and take on more work on his behalf, freeing him to focus on increasingly important strategic issues.


    In the process of this technological transfer, Tang Mo more often played the role of a decision-maker, preventing his tech team from wasting time on the wrong paths.


    In the meeting room, Tang Mo was listening to reports from various departments on the development progress of Dongwan Island. Lately, it seemed that almost all of Great Tang Group''s discussions revolved around Dongwan Island.


    There was no helping it, since Brunas and Jade City had merged seamlessly and were on the right track, with Harry watching over them, everything was running smoothly.


    The other ports were the same; everyone was busy developing and had set their own development goals. As long as they followed the plan conscientiously, they could become prosperous lands in the future.


    With Tang Mo personally overseeing Dragon Island, there were certainly no issues: as the R&D base and technological stronghold for Great Tang Group, its development naturally faced no problems.


    One only needed to look at the giant shipyards that had been expanded several times, and the hulls at various stages of construction inside, to understand Dragon Island''s status within Great Tang Group.


    Although there were countless affairs to attend to in these places, they were all routine matters that did not require Tang Mo''s constant attention.


    Only Dongwan Island, which was still in its initial construction phase and served as a military foothold, required Tang Mo''s personal intervention on various matters.


    Roger had been left on Dragon Island by Tang Mo and had now returned to his original duties. He spoke up to give Tang Mo an update on the group''s recent actions, "We have imported about 2 million tons of grain from allied nations, most of which are being gathered towards Dongwan Island."


    He explained to Tang Mo why they would not continue to increase the grain purchase quantity, "This is already the limit we can purchase because increasing the volume further would endanger the reserves of the grain-selling countries, a risk they are unwilling to accept."


    Although Great Tang Group exports fertilizers and improved seeds, which indeed increase farming efficiency and allowed allied nations to achieve bountiful grain harvests,


    the issue of food security had just begun to be partly resolved, and many countries were only just emerging from a state of hunger, so there was a general wariness about exporting grain, which meant the volume of grain circulating in the trade sector was actually not that much.


    In exporting grain to Great Tang Group, it was more about reverence and trust. The decision-makers of various countries were somewhat inclined to believe that Great Tang Group''s grain purchases were not a strategic offensive.


    Before Luff could speak, Li''ao replied to Roger''s concern: "You don''t have to worry about that, because we will soon distribute more qualified talents to all areas in need of labor."


    "Better ones?" Roger, not very familiar with intelligence work, asked, looking towards Li''ao.


    Li''ao nodded proudly: "Exactly, we''ve bribed many city lords and officials in Zheng Country. They''ll turn a blind eye to our transportation plan."


    Indeed, he could be proud of his subordinates. The dandelion''s work in Zheng Country could indeed be said to be one of the largest, most invested, and fastest-acting spy operations in world history.


    "You mean the entire region will ignore this large-scale transportation... activity?" Roger asked incredulously because for any country, the population is actually wealth, an indispensable hard resource.


    Li''ao continued with a smile: "Yes, they will use criminals for local infrastructure projects, then send the law-abiding as criminals directly to Dongwan Island."


    Hearing Li''ao''s words, Roger finally eased his mind and sighed with relief, "It seems like our people are doing well over there."


    Tang Mo teased Li''ao for his eagerness in intelligence activities: "Indeed, they spent 30 million Gold Coins in less than 25 days and then came asking me for another 10 million."


    This operation was basically a "money-splashing campaign" with no sophistication involved, just starting with insatiably corrupt officials as breakthrough points, dragging a series of such officials into the mire, and then, when the scandal broke out, even larger officials who could not enforce the law against a group resigned to accept it.


    Turning the giving of money into a done deal, if 10,000 Gold Coins didn''t work, offer 50,000. If 50,000 didn''t suffice, then give 100,000! Keep increasing until the person nods in agreement or someone else nods for him!


    Don''t underestimate the power of this tactic because it has proven to be simple, crude, yet surprisingly effective. Just think, if the United States used its annual defense budget for bribes, how many people would maintain their principled stance?


    Even if someone remained utterly loyal, but let''s face it, if this were actually happening, you can be sure the country would send someone to ''convince'' you to betray and take the money...


    "My God... Really?" When Roger heard Tang Mo casually mention a bribe of 40 million Gold Coins, he felt utterly stupefied.


    He even thought that negotiating directly with the King of Zheng Country might even get them a discount.


    Tang Mo chuckled and said to Roger, "Really, many cities in Zheng Country are now defenseless against us. The local officials will completely ignore our actions, including renovating ports, laying roads, and shipping all the able-bodied locals overseas. All things considered, this money was well spent."


    By defining the nature of the expenses for Li''ao, he also avoided embarrassing Li''ao. Li''ao looked at Tang Mo gratefully, truth be told, he had been quite nervous about using such a large sum of money.


    ------


    More to come later, in about 20 minutes.

 Chapter 459 Such a huge pit in 446

    Roger continued to ask with curiosity, "With the sharp decrease in population, how do they explain to the higher-ups?"


    "According to the books, there hasn''t been any sharp decrease in population! That''s because the tax revenue hasn''t changed at all!" Tang Mo spread his hands, quite proud of his bold move.


    Hearing what Tang Mo said, Roger was even more astonished, "We helped them make up the tax shortfall? How much money would that take?"


    "Not much, just over a million Gold Coins. Compared to bribing, this is just small change," Tang Mo said, even finding himself a bit fond of Zheng Country''s tax system, full of loopholes, utterly inefficient, and very unreasonable, antiquated at its core.


    Under this corrupt system, Zheng Country''s tax revenue was extremely low, as lower officials had long kept the tax records at a very low level.


    The tax evasion by the localities was directly subsidized by Great Tang Group in the form of project funds. Those pitiful taxes were mere pocket change for the entire interest chain and not worth mentioning at all.


    This artificially formed, closed-loop massive system tore Zheng Country''s rule apart and benefited everyone involved.


    The criminals were not exiled but put to reform through labor locally, which amounted to a reduction in their sentences, and everyone was happy.


    The commoners were shipped to Dongwan Island, where they had good food and drink and stable jobs to settle down in. Many also received land, naturally feeling grateful.


    Zheng Country massively embarked on infrastructure development, creating more jobs and highlighting the local officials'' "governing abilities", thereby allowing them to face inspections from above with more dignity.


    Although they lost tax revenue from per capita taxes, the local officials'' pockets bulged even more with the share from the infrastructure project funds given by Great Tang Group.


    The tax revenue reported to the royal treasury rose steadily. With a semblance of prosperity and peace throughout the country, His Majesty the King was overjoyed, and so everyone was happy.


    "Those officials really have the gall to ask for that..." In the end, Roger could only lament.


    Nangong Hong, who was beside them, laughed and added, "Greed is a virtue! If they didn''t ask, how could we have set up such a grand plan in advance?"


    "Hahaha!" Everyone laughed along. After the laughter, they began discussing the establishment of an anti-corruption department and the issue of eliminating such phenomena.


    Once the anti-corruption department was agreed upon, and Yulin was temporarily placed in charge, Roger continued, "Now, all we have left to do is wait. We wait for the construction of their roads to be completed, for chaos to start there, and then we can take their place."


    On the other side, Galsa, who was temporarily managing education, spoke up, "The people from Zheng Country shipped to Dongwan Island are already undergoing education and training. They will become junior technical workers and later contribute to paving roads and construction."


    Though he was young, he was a representative of the academic community, one of the "three prodigies" on par with Yulin. Temporarily filling in as the head of an education department was well within his capabilities.


    "Their influence is also declining. In the past, they would use small favors to sway public opinion, but now, very few people are willing to follow their arrangements. In fact, after we executed some troublemakers as examples, the rest are more than willing to cooperate with us," he concluded before turning to Yulin.


    Yulin continued the topic, "According to Dino''s report, the local population has recovered to around 300,000, of which about 50,000 are immigrants from Zheng Country, and some are our support personnel. Of course, slaves don''t count, these goblins are not planned to be replenished in our scheme...Also, we haven''t included the military numbers."


    "Although the progress is very gratifying, money is indeed being spent like water," Tang Mo nodded, affirming all the work being done.


    "We began importing metals and grain from around the world. The spending is tremendous because this further raised the trade prices of these goods," he continued, "Simply put, we spent almost all of our income from the war against Shenguo without saving a penny."


    "Even so, we had to dig into our pocket to cover some shortfalls." After saying this, he laughed at himself and spread his hands, "By this account, Dongwan Island is now more expensive than many kingdoms."


    "It is indeed valuable! And it should be! In the near future, it will become another production base to support our next move!" After saying this, he did not wait for others to speak but continued.


    Looking at the dockyard designs freshly brought back from Dongwan Island spread on the table, he addressed those present, "Imagine, more and larger dockyards there, building more ships, our production capacity will further increase, and soon we will offset the expenditures from maritime transport."


    Having said what he wanted, Tang Mo leaned back in his chair and looked at his trusted aides, "Sounds good, doesn''t it?"


    "Let''s hope everything goes smoothly," Roger said with a smile, and the others nodded in agreement.


    "How''s the delivery of airships going? We''re selling ships too slowly, it''s getting complaints about our production speed, and we can''t have more problems with the airships," Tang Mo looked to Luff.


    Luff immediately reported on the delivery of the airships, "All the Kirov Airships that have flown to Dongwan Island have been sold. Shenguo bought ten, and the remaining twenty will be ready to fly to Eternal Winter Port to deliver to the Dwarves once they''re prepared."


    Since airships were a secret weapon, always managed by the military, Tang Mo could only ask Luff about the delivery of airships.


    Well-acquainted with his duties, Luff spoke without hesitation, continuing, "The airships stationed in Brunas will be delivered to Suthers, while those on Dragon Island were sold directly to Dorne and Nanla..."


    "Then, as per your instructions, we''ve passed the relevant technology to Shireck. Sofia is very interested in airship technology," he said and then saw everyone present showing a faintly amused smile.


    Well, after everyone became aware of the existence of airplanes, who would still care about airships? Handing this over to Shireck... that''s a rather "big pit."


    I wonder how long it will take for Shireck to fill this pit before stepping into the next big one?


    ---------


    Today is a break, will continue with updates tomorrow depending on the situation.

 Chapter 461 448 Small Actions

    "People from nearby islands are fleeing towards us; we''ve already taken in over 400 refugees who''ve smuggled themselves over lately," Tagg said as he entered the room, first pouring himself a hot cup of water before drinking and discussing the recent happenings.


    When people can no longer survive, the mere whisper of a lifeline nearby is enough to tempt some to take a chance and venture out.


    Recently, with more and more ships passing by Dongwan Island, many inhabitants of surrounding islands started to harbor thoughts of smuggling themselves over to Dongwan Island. Some, in a bid to survive, had already done so.


    "That many?" Dino put down the document he was holding and looked at Tagg.


    The busiest territory of the Great Tang Group was now Dongwan Island, bustling with construction sites and endless tasks every day.


    In just over two months'' time, you could even see chimneys puffing thick smoke near Dongwan City.


    Near these factories, one could faintly hear the roar of machinery; those assembled devices, larger than houses, were an entirely novel sight for everyone in Dongwan City.


    They were curious about everything because the supplies from the Great Tang Group seemed endless! Luxuries like sugar and salt, once unthinkable to indulge in, were now provided without limit and could be freely traded in stores.


    Working for the Great Tang Group meant access to various subsidies, provisions like firewood, rice, oil, and salt; the commoners of Dongwan City were experiencing unprecedented happiness.


    Everywhere was a scene of bustling activity; everyone was working as if their lives depended on it, some overseeing goblins carrying stones, others employed in Dongwan City''s newly established administration.


    After spending many days together, they had grown to like and become accustomed to the Tang People''s way of doing things, and they had also come to understand what true power meant.


    This was no longer a simple matter of crushing with guns and artillery; it was a multi-dimensional, all-encompassing blow that penetrated every detail.


    In the administrative offices of the Great Tang Group, even a casual form exuded an air of icy efficiency and precision. By simply referring to it, those in charge could easily assess the situation, controlling the most core and critical data.


    Complex data corroborated each other; no chance for falsification as any single department trying to fabricate data would be quickly exposed during the cross-referencing process, inevitably attracting the scrutiny of the supervisory departments.


    All the methods employed by the Great Tang Group were far more advanced and refined than anything in Zheng Country. This comprehensive leap into modernization made the original inhabitants of Dongwan Island realize that the Tang People''s victory was no accident, and not merely due to advanced weaponry.


    Baus worked tirelessly, bustling between Fengshun City and Dongwan City, busy and seemingly content. So busy he''d become that he had even lost a considerable amount of weight, appearing more spirited.


    Dino had been occupied with the Dongwan Island port situation lately, his primary concern being the docks and shipyards.


    Seeing the busy Dino raise his head, Tagg nodded and continued, "Yes, they brought a lot of intelligence from the surrounding islands."


    "..." Dino didn''t open his mouth but looked at Tagg, waiting for the General to continue sharing the intelligence he''d gathered.


    "The master? The master approved your plan?" Hearing that Tagg consulted Tang Mo, Dino''s expression became even more serious, "This could provoke a war, a war between us and Zheng Country."


    "Yes. The master approved my plan." Tagg smiled, "There are no regular troops of Zheng Country on the islands anymore, our actions won''t be exposed."


    It was actually easy to understand, the bandits on the islands were in no position to contact officialdom, as they didn''t exist on the records in the first place.


    Now, according to the official records of Zheng Country, there were no regular garrisons on these islands, only so-called "civilian forces maintaining order". As for how combat ready these forces were, how many people they comprised, or what equipment they had, Zheng Country''s side was clueless.


    Therefore, eliminating these bandit troops was something no one would question. The risk of doing so was virtually the same as directly slaughtering the officials of Zheng Country on these islands.


    "Are you confident?" Dino asked knowingly.


    Of course, he knew that the officials on these islands would have to communicate with coastal towns of Zheng Country if they wished to report anything.


    The officials in these towns were already being bribed by the Great Tang Group, busy embezzling funds for their retirements while deceiving their superiors and subordinates; they hardly had time to care about a few isolated islands out at sea.


    They wouldn''t even need additional bribes, a mere word from Dino, and officials of Zheng Country in these coastal cities would keep their mouths shut, turning a blind eye to Great Tang Group''s operations at sea.


    Tagg had obviously thought of this too, even seizing on the key point of taxation: "I personally feel very confident. We only need to pay a small amount of tax to secure these islands."


    Indeed, as long as the tax was paid on time, with a few extra Gold Coins passed along, no one in Zheng Country would know that these islands were lost.


    As for whether those local officials who collaborated with the thieves to bully their own people were dead or alive, it was a small matter that concerned no one.


    In the remote seas, isolated in the far reaches, shrouded in filth, lacking doctors and medicine, who would care if a few insignificant officials perished from illness?


    "Is there any benefit?" Dino asked almost rhetorically, sure that his workload on Dongwan Island was about to increase: "It isn''t a trap of some sort, is it, false intelligence?"


    "The confessions have been compared and verified, and these bandits and officials on the islands lack the wit for such deceit," Tagg replied, visibly elated, "During the process of occupying these islands, we can practice amphibious warfare. By taking the islands, we can gain some population. Moreover, the operation will ensure the security of Dongwan Island."


    "I think... it''s feasible. When do you plan to move?" Dino resigned himself to the fact that soon he would be managing several islands, neither too big nor too small.


    "Today," Tagg answered earnestly, "Before I came here, the fleet had already set out. The first campaign of the newly established Navy Marine Corps First Regiment is highly anticipated."


    "Indeed, but more than that... I''m looking forward to a full-scale war with Zheng Country," Dino lowered his head again, returning to the documents before him.


    He didn''t mind that Tagg had mobilized the military without consulting him because Tagg was directly responsible to Tang Mo on military matters, and he had no authority to interfere. That Tagg had come to brief him on the situation was already showing respect to him, the Governor of Dongwan Island.

 Chapter 462 449 everything goes well

    "Drop anchor!" The massive chains slid into the sea following the command, and on the swaying ocean surface, tiny boats were being pushed out from the sides of the freighters by cranes.


    Refitted side ladders had been securely fastened by sailors, and makeshift iron stairs installed on the ship''s side were crowded with soldiers carrying various equipment.


    "No resistance!" After putting down his telescope, the navy captain on the bridge of the Brunas ironclad warship flanking the fleet said to his executive officer with a hint of regret.


    All the angled cannons on the warship were aimed at the shore, various calibers of gun barrels silently awaiting their moment to roar.


    "Board the boats! Board the boats!" An officer, wearing a life ring around his neck, waved his arms and shouted loudly, leaning on the ship''s railing.


    Having climbed to the end of the rope ladder and with weapons on their backs, the soldiers jumped into the rocking boats with the help of sailors.


    "Be safe! Be safe!" Each soldier reminded their comrades, as they were all in good condition due to only a few hours of sailing.


    Without the exhaustion from long marches or the dizziness from extended time on the sea, they were now the vigorous soldiers of the Great Tang Group, marines who received special allowances every month!


    "He''s in position! Cut the safety ropes now!" After arranging the soldiers on the seats of the boats, a sailor with a sharp dagger severed the ropes tied behind them.


    Learning from the lessons of the last landing, all soldiers were equipped with orange life-saving gear, and before boarding, everyone had a safety rope secured to their backs.


    This rope ensured that should they fall into the sea, someone could still help them back to the surface; though cumbersome and complex, it indeed increased the survival rate of soldiers overboard.


    Amid the din, fully armed marine soldiers began charging toward the shore, their steel helmets bobbing with the waves atop the boats.


    In the waist-deep water, the soldiers leapt from the boats, holding their weapons high, and struggled through the shallows.


    "Move fast! Move fast!" commanded officers during the live exercise, their voices overlapping. No one knew if the enemy would truly appear, so everyone was on high alert.


    After all, during their last landing, they had encountered a sudden counterattack by the Zheng Country troops, so this time, no one dared to take things lightly.


    "Step it up! Take long strides forward! Watch your footing!" A platoon leader, trudging forward with difficulty, waved his arms, urging his soldiers to keep up swiftly.


    Learning again from the last landing, the landing troops maintained their organizational integrity as much as possible. Squads stayed close to ensure the simultaneous landing of entire companies if possible.


    This avoided the chaos of the previous landings: not a single company had been intact, everything was disorderly, relying solely on front-line commanders to organize combat operations.


    Experience after all is something that accumulates over time. And equipment that conforms to experience needs time to be produced.


    Compared with the previous landings, this time the Great Tang Group''s weaponry was clearly a notch more advanced.


    Because the order of landing was rearranged, the entire landing force appeared well-ordered, and it also saved quite a bit of time.


    "We can''t be complacent yet, there are still many details that need to be recorded, refined, and improved!" Bernard earnestly summarized, "With each detail perfected, one less soldier will be lost in future real landing operations! This must always be remembered!"


    "Yes, General! I understand!" The aide-de-camp answered solemnly, "I will keep an eye on this matter."


    "Afterwards, have every soldier write down their feelings! Every non-commissioned officer, squad leader, platoon leader, company commander, and battalion commander must write a summary report!" Bernard reiterated insistently, "Any discomfort should be rectified!"


    "If the equipment isn''t up to par, we''ll modify the equipment! If the tactics are wrong, we''ll change the tactics!" Before the aide-de-camp could speak, he continued, "We both should give some thought to what else might need to be further refined!"


    "Yes, General!" The aide-de-camp stood at attention and saluted.


    "Report! A radio call from the 1st Regiment''s headquarters on the shore: aside from one soldier who sprained an ankle while wading, no one was injured! The subsequent equipment is landing smoothly." A messenger stood behind Bernard, stood at attention, and reported with a salute.


    "Radio back to the 1st Regiment''s commander, celebrate the 1st Regiment''s smooth completion of this live-fire drill! I hope your subsequent battles go just as smoothly." Bernard finished speaking and returned a military salute. Then he accepted a pen from the other party and signed his name on the shorthand telegram.


    On the island, the locals who had spotted the landing troops didn''t seem afraid; they numbly watched these Great Tang Group soldiers, who looked like aliens, passing by their village.


    After hearing what the guides said, these people were even overjoyed, expressing their willingness to lead the way to find those despicable bandits and thieves.


    They had no food left to lay out to welcome the king''s army, but still, they stood by the roadside, their bodies weak, desperately waving at the troops of the Great Tang Group passing by.


    The Great Tang Group''s security troops, passing by, carried on their tradition, tossing the food they carried to the hungry civilians who greeted them from the roadside.


    Soon, civilians picked up the food and wolfed it down, some waving their arms in gratitude as they ate.


    These emaciated people used every gesture they could muster to express their joy to the Great Tang Group''s security forces as best they could.


    "Next time... for something like this... should we bring more food?" Seeing his troops throwing out their raincoats and everything edible they carried, the commander of the 2nd Battalion of the Marine Corps turned to his deputy, asking with a mixture of laughter and helplessness.


    It was an old tradition of his unit, wherever they went, they would throw things out¡ªwhether to the local people or back on the landing site... This... damn, it was the 2nd Battalion''s tradition.


    "Indeed... we should carry more of the softer, easy-to-eat, and slightly better-tasting food... This would facilitate giving out charity..." the deputy, earnestly writing in his notebook, said: "Additionally, we need to remind the soldiers not to waste purified water and not to accept drinking water offered by locals... It''s easy to contract parasites and cause diarrhea."


    "Damn! That''s detail-oriented, I didn''t even think of the water issue." The 2nd Battalion commander looked at his deputy with admiration, "Keep writing; I''ll go up front to take a look."


    After speaking, the 2nd Battalion commander patted his deputy on the shoulder, pulled out two pieces of chocolate candy from his pocket, and approached a dirt-covered child by the roadside.


    ----------


    Tomorrow''s updates will continue during the day.

 Chapter 463 450 bandits

    In the village square, there was a group of women who had been stripped of their clothes. A band of soldiers who had just pulled up their trousers began leering and shouting at the other villagers kneeling on the ground, "Dammit! If you can''t produce the grain, don''t you have any money either?"


    A brawny leader with a musket slung at his waist and carrying a long knife walked among the kneeling crowd and grabbed an old man.


    He viciously threw the old man to the ground, which only made the children in the village cry louder. Everyone was too afraid to lift their heads, let alone plead for mercy.


    "If you don''t hand over your valuables, I''ll kill him!" the muscular man shouted, pointing the tip of his knife at the old man, addressing everyone present.


    "Sir, sir! We really have nothing left! We''ve given you everything we have! Please spare me! Spare me!" the old man cried, lying on the ground and begging for mercy.


    "If you really have nothing left, what''s the use of keeping you?" The brawny man sneered and thrust his long knife forward, piercing the old man''s chest.


    Instantly, the old man lost all strength to struggle, his head drooped to the side, and without even a scream, he passed away.


    "Hurry up and pay! Or you''ll end up like him!" The brawny man pulled out his knife, shook off the fresh blood, and continued to shout threats loudly, "If you don''t hand it over, I''ll start killing the children!"


    "Could it be that they really have no money?" One of the bandits holding a musket whispered to his comrade-in-arms, "We''ve been pressuring them this much, and still hardly a penny to be seen."


    "Probably so, but how would they know our power if we didn''t scare them a bit, huh? Hehe, that woman just now... didn''t you have a go too?" His companion, with a sabre at his side, bragged.


    "Hehehe! She screamed so miserably at first, but didn''t she quiet down later? A couple of slaps and she didn''t dare even let out a fart," the bandit holding the musket said with a lewd laugh.


    "Hahaha!" The companion laughed along; they had been lording over this place for half a year now, with the local authorities too scared to intervene. Who would dare to meddle?


    In order to bleed the village dry, they had initially only robbed food and money, but in the past two months, there had been less and less of both. To extract more resources and to vent their bestial desires, these men had started to prey on the women.


    On the ground lay two men who had tried to resist, their corpses with dried blood. The bandits, dozens in number, were significantly more than the able-bodied men in the village, and were also better armed with guns and knives, making them stronger fighters. Those who dared resist were usually killed, like the two lying on the ground.


    "Ah!" A woman, devoid of clothing, rose frantically from the ground and charged at a bandit soldier closest to her.


    The bandit soldier gaped and swung his long knife, blood sprayed from the woman''s body as she screamed and fell silently to the ground.


    More bandits began laughing, as this was part of their daily routine, something everyone had come to accept. Living in such turbulent times, they felt they were living the good life.


    Killing and arson, taking pleasure in revenge and bullying, every day was about tormenting the weak and taking advantage of others'' wives. What was there to complain about in this life?


    "Hehehe! That''s the spirit." Seeing a woman hacked to death not far away, these men, no longer human, merely expressed their admiration.


    The first thing they thought of was the Official Army of Zheng Country had come to eradicate them! But then they thought again, even if those worthless troops really came back, they wouldn''t attack without any warning.


    The officials in the city still depended on them for collecting taxes, how could they move against them? Even if they were to kill the donkey after it had done its job grinding the wheat, the Official Army didn''t have the combat strength for it.


    "Who is it! A misunderstanding! It''s all a misunderstanding!" The brawny leader sought cover while hunching over, shouting loudly.


    Up to now, he still hadn''t grasped the situation, not to mention organizing a counterattack. They were just like the Official Army¡ªvirtually no combat strength. Bullying the common folks was no problem for them, but to stand in formation and fight a pitched battle? That was a joke.


    "Big brother! The gunfire is coming from the north! We run south!" A bandit with a scar on his face, carrying a flintlock pistol, reminded his boss from behind a well.


    The brawny man listened and found it made sense. He immediately called out to his men: "Run south! To the mountain! Back to our stronghold!"


    The disorderly bandits hurriedly ran south. This time they showed some improvement, for they finally saw who it was they were dealing with.


    These people wore strangely colored clothing with lots of pockets, and they had pots on their heads, looking as foolish as opera singers.


    The enemies didn''t seem numerous, just two, so the dozen or so bandits charged at them recklessly, hoping to kill these two obstacles and escape into the deep mountains.


    But as they got closer to these fearless fools, the two "fools" let their oddly-shaped short guns spit out tongues of fire.


    They had thought these weapons were like flintlock pistols, merely making a bang. But it was only when the battle began that they realized just how wildly wrong they were.


    The Thompson Submachine Gun in such close quarters was like a lawnmower. The Marine who fired first tossed aside the empty magazine, reloaded, and by then there were no more targets standing before him.


    His comrade who had just shot the last bullet began to reload in turn, the two coordinating flawlessly.


    Upon hearing the relentless gunfire, the bandit leader and his accomplices still in the village immediately lost the nerve to break through.


    The joke was, just by listening to the dense gunfire, they certainly didn''t have the guts to go out seeking death. It was unclear how many men the other side brought, or which deity they had managed to offend.


    Marines were already rushing into the village, some beginning to help the women who were barely clothed, others trying to control the disordered villagers.


    A bandit knelt on the ground, crying out for mercy. Soon a Marine ran up to the bandit.


    "Spare me! Spare me!" The bandit knelt and kowtowed, each time he raised his head he shouted with a crying voice, "Please spare me! Spare my life!"


    The Marine holding the rifle glanced at the women lying senseless and naked on the ground, then at the kneeling bandit bowing his head fervently.


    His comrades were covering the violated women with raincoats and tents. He slung his rifle over his shoulder, drew his S3 pistol from his waist, flipped off the safety, and pulled the trigger aimed at the head of the kowtowing bandit.

 Chapter 464 451 group brawl

    It was with great difficulty that he loaded the musket in his hands. The bandit with scars on his face fled into a dilapidated civilian house and watched the situation outside through the window.


    He saw one of his henchmen, brandishing a long knife, attempting to fight desperately against an enemy, only to be neatly shot in the chest and die. He also saw someone kneel down to beg for mercy, who was shot dead all the same, even receiving an additional bullet.


    By this time, he had confirmed that those madmen, who seemed to have come out of nowhere, were probably not intending to spare any of them.


    The opposition didn''t even bother to ask questions and greeted them directly with bullets! What he could do now was to fight back. Fight back with all he had!


    So, he reloaded a bullet into his pistol. His last shot had missed the mark and hadn''t hit the target.


    This was an unavoidable issue; his flintlock wasn''t just out of date, it had also been used for many years.


    It was good for scaring people at a two-meter distance, and could just about manage to kill within that range, but to talk about precision would be a joke. A smoothbore gun with a muzzle-loading design, firing spherical bullets with black gunpowder¡ªtalking about accuracy seemed absurd, didn''t it?


    Moreover, as a criminal, he only ever fired a few shots during military training and usually used his gun to intimidate the common folk at close range.


    With such a skill level, how could he guarantee the accuracy of his shots? Every time he loaded the gunpowder, it was different, completely based on feeling.


    Therefore, just now, even though he aimed at a target, he didn''t hit it at all¡ªnot even he knew where the bullet ended up.


    This time, after reloading his weapon, he planned to wait until the target was closer before shooting, in the hope of hitting someone! According to his plan, he would first injure the person, then take the injured person hostage to escape...


    Hiding inside the building, he watched the situation outside through the window. When a Marine got close while cleaning up the battlefield, he poked the barrel of his gun out.


    A crisp gunshot rang through the air, and a bullet struck the hand holding his gun by sheer coincidence. In an instant, bones shattered, tendons snapped, and blood splattered.


    The man with the scar could clearly see his two flying fingers, the burst white bone, and the torn muscles.


    His musket fell to the ground, and the impact of the gunstock on the flint triggered a misfire, raising a puff of white smoke in the room. The lead shot pierced through the man''s shoe, shattering his toe.


    "Ah!" the man with the scar screamed in agony, falling to the ground. He clutched his right hand, which now only had a thumb with his left hand, and his shot foot curled up as his whole body trembled.


    Eighty meters away, a sniper hidden behind a tree at the edge of the village still held his sniper rifle, aiming at the window from which the scarred bandit had just poked his head.


    The scarred man continued to scream in pain as he rolled on the ground, the only action that slightly alleviated his suffering.


    Hearing the gunshot and the screams, nearby Marines burst into the house, only to see the "salted fish" that was rolling near the wall.


    "Now you know how to scream like a ghost, you know what pain is, huh?" a Marine soldier walked over, stepped on the rolling man with the scar, and asked with a sneer.


    The man continued to scream, without any intention of answering the Marine, who glanced at the man''s injuries and pulled out his dagger to stab the scarred man twice more in the back.


    "Letting him die quickly would be too kind for him, but this time, nobody can save him. Let him wait to die here," the Marine cleaned his dagger on the ragged Zheng Country military uniform of the scarred man and stood up to speak.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    So, while the bandit leader hesitated, the door was pushed open slightly from the outside.


    "Good!" He silently praised in his heart, feeling a renewed sense of hope: It seemed that the other side was inexperienced, so they wanted to recklessly storm the house he was in.


    But before he could feel smug for even a second, a cylindrical tin rolled in. Soon, thick smoke began to billow incessantly from this palm-sized cylinder.


    The smoke was unbearably choking; he couldn''t even open his eyes in the smoke, and quickly the accursed fumes filled the entire room, making it extremely difficult for the bandit leader to breathe.


    His lungs felt as if countless little knives were stabbing inside, and breathing was like countless grains of sand pouring into his throat.


    Uncontrollable tears streamed down, and every attempt to breathe ended in unstoppable coughs. He coughed so violently that he could not even hold onto the knife.


    He was surrounded by pitch black, as he couldn''t open his eyes to see anything around him. Relying on his remaining rationality, he remembered the layout of the room, reached out to touch the walls, and tried to find the door to get out.


    All of this was subconscious, even though he knew he shouldn''t be escaping so wretchedly. But apart from his brain, every part of his body was desperately searching for a way to leave.


    In the end, he found the door and rushed out recklessly. The suffocating smoke seemed to thin out somewhat, and his breathing started to smooth out a bit, finally allowing him to lift his eyelids and vaguely see everything around him.


    With great difficulty, the strong man could barely pry his eyes open a crack, only to see a boot rapidly enlarging outside the crack.


    Only then did he realize that he had actually crawled out of the house and was still kneeling on the ground like a dog.


    In the blink of an eye, his face was "kissed" by a military boot. The force was so strong; it flipped him over.


    Then his stomach took a hit, and whether it was from pain or from the choking smoke, the villain spat out tears once again.


    His arm moved instinctively as if to strike back, but was swiftly met by a powerful kick that shattered the bones.


    Only after he started spitting blood did he manage to see through swollen eyes that there were at least five or six people beating him.


    A group of soldiers surrounded him, giving him a beating with punches and kicks. Once the group had had their fill, the vile bandit leader lay on the ground with just enough breath left in him.


    "It''s all yours..." The leading Navy Marine platoon leader stepped aside to make way, gesturing with a beckoning hand, "Damn, never seen a smoke bomb before... dumbass!"


    The surrounding Marines also made way, watching coldly as the beaten bandit king lay like a lump of mud.


    Behind them gathered the villagers who had knelt before, along with some women clad in raincoats.


    Before they were like fish on the chopping block, like lambs to the slaughter. They didn''t dare to resist; they were at the mercy of others.


    But now they moved, first spitting, then some relentlessly kicking with their feet, non-stop...


    ---------


    I was supposed to make up for missed updates today, but I''m not in good shape, so I only finished two. Don''t worry; there''s one more update tonight, and everyone can read it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 465 452 will act like a dog?

    "Dead?" Standing on the open ground at the entrance to the village, the platoon leader frowned as he watched his soldiers carry the breathless, and in some cases stiff, bodies of women to a secluded spot for burial. "Were they killed by a woman with a rock?" he asked the squad leader who walked over.


    The squad leader nodded, gave the platoon leader a cigarette, lit one for himself, and then snapped his lighter shut, exhaling a cloud of smoke: "Bashed to death with a stone. The flesh was a mess... hard to look at without feeling queasy."


    "We don''t need to bother with that damned bastard anymore; our mission is to eliminate all the bandits we encounter," he said as he watched two soldiers, with the help of the locals, carry a body out of the village.


    From within the raincoat wrapping the body, a dirt-covered arm dangled down, trembling slightly with the steps of the soldiers.


    After a puff of smoke, the platoon leader seemed still somewhat agitated, turned his gaze away, and said to the squad leader, "The orders from above are clear, no prisoners, no need for trials, leave no... survivors! Every bandit, kill without discussion!"No?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Understood! They''re no longer human, no different from wild beasts," the squad leader said with another drag of his cigarette, nodding. "These people don''t have any decent weapons, should we confiscate them?"


    "No need," the platoon leader instructed. "Leave them for the villagers, tell them that troops will come later to collect these weapons, just have them keep them safe for now."


    "Got it," the squad leader said with a slight nod, then noticed the platoon leader staring behind him. Turning around, he saw an old woman in tattered clothing approaching them.


    Find exclusive stories on empire


    The old woman held out her hands, in her palms was a bloody silver ring: "Thank you for avenging my child, this is the only thing of value I have left..."


    "We didn''t come for this," the platoon leader waved his hand, cigarette between his fingers. "You will live lives as people should, no more hunger, no more being bullied."


    The woman stood there dumbfounded, unsure what to do. Her eyes were bone-dry, without any tears left to shed.


    She just stared blankly at the two men in front of her, as if she couldn''t comprehend what they were saying.


    "We''re late..." the squad leader pulled out a piece of bread from his pocket, stuffed it into the old woman''s hands, and closed her fingers over it. "I''ll go check over there."


    After speaking, he saluted the platoon leader and without looking back, walked towards the few who were distributing food to the villagers who were about to starve to death.


    "Ah... wuwuwu..." Finally, jolted back to reality, the old woman broke down weeping, feeling the agony that half a year of life had branded onto her.


    She knelt on the ground, holding the bread and the blood-stained silver ring, crying uncontrollably, inconsolable by anyone who came by.


    A few months earlier, her son had died, and just now, she had witnessed her daughter-in-law ravaged and killed by others.


    Her young grandson had died of illness during the days when the Zheng Country military occupied Dongwan Island when the island was in chaos and all the doctors were conscripted by the military.


    A family of four, who once could barely get by with a few acres of good farmland, had been shattered in just half a year.


    How could she not cry? How could she not feel wronged? She didn''t know who these men were or why they had come. She just felt a pure hatred, wondering why these people only arrived after she had nothing left...


    The disdain was clear on the 1st Battalion Commander''s face as he twitched his lips and shifted the position of his crossed legs, wary of getting his boots dirty. Unlike the ordinary soldiers, officers of the Great Tang Group above the battalion level wore long boots instead of high-topped leather shoes.


    The adjutant standing next to him could hardly hold back his laughter, seeing the predicament; it was clear that the City Lord was well-practiced in begging for mercy. He probably had exercised it frequently and might even have "participated in actual combat."


    "I''m asking you a question! Have you wronged anyone?" the 1st Battalion Commander said, looking down at the City Lord kneeling at his feet.


    "It was others! It was the bandits outside the city! It has nothing to do with me! Nothing to do with me! I''m just the tax collector..." the City Lord hurried to absolve himself of any blame.


    "That''s not for you to decide! Someone will interrogate you later, and whether you''re guilty depends on your previous conduct," the 1st Battalion Commander responded noncommittally.


    "It''s really not my fault! I, I was just greedy, greedy for some money..." the City Lord continued to plead, "General! Spare my life! I am willing to offer all that I have improperly taken..."


    "Don''t try to bribe me with money! I am not like you! If you really haven''t done anything too troubling, you can also choose not to die," the 1st Battalion Commander said in disgust, but he knew there were orders to spare the City Lord''s life so he could help deceive the authorities of Zheng Country.


    So, he unwillingly showed the kneeling Lord of the City a way out, "Can you be a dog?"


    "Yes! Yes, I can! I am your dog! Your dog!" the City Lord nodded rapidly, eagerly clinging to this last lifeline.


    Seeing him like that, one could guess that if necessary, he could immediately start barking a few times to prove his loyalty as a dog.


    "If you want to live, remember two things, I''ll only say them once!" the 1st Battalion Commander stood up, "First! Obey! Do the tasks you are given!"


    "Certainly! Certainly!" the City Lord hurriedly nodded in agreement.


    "Second!" the 1st Battalion Commander was already walking towards the exit, "You''re not my dog! You don''t deserve to be my dog! Someone will come to be your master, don''t give them a reason to kill you!"


    "Yes! Yes, sir!" Knowing that at least for today he would not have to die, the City Lord once again kowtowed, watching as the commander of the 1st Battalion left.


    Walking out the door, the 1st Battalion Commander looked at his adjutant, "When will the supply of goods be complete? When will the subsequent military troops come to take over? We need to hurry, to the next island!"


    The adjutant nodded, "The arrival of subsequent troops on the island will take time... Our supplies also need replenishment. You may not expect it, but the things we''ve lost the most...are only food, candy, tents, and raincoats."


    The 1st Battalion Commander paused in his stride, then nodded, "Push them! Make them as fast as possible."


    "Alright," the adjutant nodded, "It''s good that we came."


    "Yes, it''s good that we came," the 1st Battalion Commander nodded and walked away without looking back.


    --------


    Happy Birthday! I still owe everyone 3 updates... haha.

 Chapter 466 453 Party Struggle

    ```


    Zheng Tong was the ruler of Zheng Country, and less than half a year ago, his kingdom encountered an unprecedented setback. The Shireck Country brazenly declared war on Zheng Country and then easily defeated Zheng Country''s military.


    The enemy used advanced bolt-action rifles, which had a faster firing rate and more powerful firepower. His infantry lost 10,000 men within a single day, and the 70,000-strong army collapsed after only three days.


    The subsequent naval battle was even more tragic for Zheng Country. Although Zheng Country''s navy was also very powerful, its fleet of 40 sailboats was ambushed by 20 Ming Wheel Ships from the Shireck navy, resulting in the annihilation of the entire force and the loss of control over the seas.


    After successive setbacks, Zheng Country had no choice but to bow its head and seek peace, because the neighboring Qi Country and Chu Country were also coveting its territory. Losing Dongwan Island wasn''t the end of the world; at least it was better than losing King City.


    The string of problems that followed left the ruling class of Zheng Country breathless, as the barely maintained state of governance was rapidly crumbling.


    The administrative system that just about made do during peacetime could no longer revitalize the spirit after the defeat; despite Zheng Tong''s continuous efforts to patch things up, in the end, he could only struggle on.


    However, in the past two months, it seemed that the kingdom had regained some vitality, and the coastal areas appeared to have caught their breath.


    This brought a hint of relief to Zheng Tong. His efforts had finally paid off, and those good-for-nothing scoundrels knew to some extent to prioritize the nation.


    In moments of crisis, these corrupt officials, who were rapacious in ordinary times, at least knew to share the nation''s worries, which showed that they still had a sense of shame.


    It was not in vain that he had always treated people with leniency for many years, as it seemed he had indeed accumulated some goodwill for Zheng Country. Heaven bless Zheng Country; this time, they had pulled through.


    The coastal region, which was thought to have no further developments, actually paid part of the taxes last month. Although the local officials had various reasons for withholding about one-fifth of them, the remaining four-fifths were still promptly deposited into the treasury.


    This greatly alleviated Zheng Country''s economic pressure and also gave Zheng Tong the means to stabilize the border military. After receiving a large sum of military pay, Qi Country and Chu Country lost any thoughts of taking advantage of the situation by force, and the situation was once again under control.


    Since the danger of national extinction was no longer present, the big shots in the court naturally drank as usual and danced as usual, forcibly contriving a peaceful and prosperous scene reminiscent of the times of Emperors Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    If those dwarves from Shireck Country couldn''t invade, then everyone might as well continue their embezzlement and forming of factions as usual. Losing Dongwan Island did not affect their serious business of competing for power and status, nor did it affect their daily lives of receiving salaries and tributes.


    Didn''t you see? Even Zheng Tong, seated on the throne, truly believed he was a sovereign of revitalization, so why would others not cooperate with His Majesty, the capable king?


    The Prime Minister of Zheng Country was named Zhang Ming, the head of the Zhang Family, and he was the grandfather of that Zhang Family Young Master who was preparing to forcefully take Yue''er in Brunas Street.


    That Zhang Family Young Master originally planned to lure Tang Mo back to Zheng Country to make his demands, but in the end, due to his incompetence, he did virtually nothing and returned to Zheng Country.


    When he returned, Zheng Country was being beaten up, which scared the Zhang Family Young Master into taking a big detour, but he fortunately made it back home.


    Now, this Young Master is also among the ministers, because he has been to Brunas and was summoned by Zheng Tong for inquiries. Then he was given an official position to facilitate his solicitation of opinions regarding the Great Tang Group.


    The young master of the Zhang Family said it was a place of dazzling lights and extreme luxury. Taverns were everywhere, and women''s clothing barely covered their bodies, showing no sense of shame. Gambling dens and brothels were on every street corner, and the collapse of propriety and music was simply unbearable to witness.


    Moreover, he said that the air in that place was suffocating to breathe, with chimneys outside the city constantly spewing smoke, passersby on the streets showed no respect for the nobility and had no regard for the law, and there were even women carrying handguns.


    Every word he said was true, but when strung together, they seemed somehow off. Zheng Tong was swayed by his words for an entire afternoon, but he also felt it unlikely that such a magical city could exist, one that, in just a few short years, could amass the power to rival a country.


    While Zheng Tong made assumptions, the general representing the military was still speaking. He spoke boldly and loudly in the great hall, explaining the reasons for purchasing weapons: "Shen Country defeated us before because our armaments were neglected and obsolete! If we don''t retrain our military and continually strengthen ourselves, we will incur losses again!"


    "Incur losses? Now that there''s finally some money in the national treasury, you start clamoring to buy weapons and recruit soldiers. In my view, we should first revitalize the livelihood of the people and restore production! It is said that a wealthy country is a strong military, and the will of the people is the greatest weapon!" another Minister immediately retorted, not agreeing at all.


    "The will of the people? Can you use the will of the people to break Shen Country''s ironclad warships? Can you use the will of the people to block Shen Country''s new rifles and cannons?" the general snorted coldly, immediately ridiculing with contempt: "Perhaps when the people of Shen Country come invading, your heart... may not be so loyal, eh?"


    "Slandering! Utter nonsense! My loyalty is as clear as day and night! You''re the one who''s afraid of death, fearful of battle! When Shen Country took Dongwan Island, why did General Han die in battle while you happened to run back here? Hmm?" the Minister hit back unyieldingly.


    The general, unable to maintain his composure, raised his voice several times higher, swearing coarsely, "Accusing me of being afraid of death? How dare you! If we weren''t here right now, I would chop you into pieces, you despicable and shameless scoundrel!"


    "I''m a scoundrel? I have an iron spine and fear no authority! If you dare to chop me, then try it! If you don''t chop me, then you''re just this..." the so-called civilian official on the other side was no more elegant, clearly not of scholarly origin, with a mouth full of crude and offensive language.


    Actually, Zheng Tong was in favor of purchasing some weapons, since the envoy and the young master of the Zhang Family had said that dealing with the Great Tang Group was not easy. Therefore, buying some of Shireck''s new weapons had become a matter of course.


    Wasn''t it because Shen Country had bought a lot of Shireck''s new weapons that they had beaten down Zheng Country? Now if Zheng Country also bought some of Shireck''s weapons, couldn''t they then turn the tables?


    This might be the simplest logical deduction: if everyone had the same weapons, then Zheng Country definitely would not have lost so miserably.


    Therefore, Zheng Tong, along with Li Jun, had a secret military procurement plan underway, and this plan had already been set in motion.


    Zheng Country had ordered a large batch of military supplies from Shireck, including rifles, cannons, Ming Wheel Ships, and more, all at a hefty price. This was also an action by Zheng Tong to support Li Jun in countering Zhang Ming.


    For this matter, Zheng Tong had a disagreement with the Prime Minister, Zhang Ming, because Zhang Ming was strongly opposed to it.


    The current argument was about whether to continue with a larger-scale procurement plan and, if so, where would the money come from?


    According to the military''s view, within the next two years, the troops would switch to 100,000 bolt-action rifles, equip 400 advanced cannons, and purchase at least 50 Ming Wheel Ships.


    Unfortunately, Zheng Country couldn''t afford such a massive procurement project. This was also why the officials from Zhang Ming''s faction were so strongly opposed to it now.


    ----------


    Not feeling well today, writing very slowly. The second update will be very late, so everyone might as well read it tomorrow morning. I''ll postpone making up for the delayed updates, afraid I won''t be able to write anything.

 Chapter 467 454 The ugly person offers a strategy

    It was not without difficulty that the chatter of those below had subsided, and the truly influential Ministers stepped forward. Representing the civil service faction, Zhang Ming complained about the lack of funding, which was the biggest issue faced by Zheng Country at the time.


    Zheng Country had just suffered a defeat to the Shireck Empire, ceded Dongwan Island, and paid a considerable sum in reparations. The national treasury was now depleted, and there was no substantial amount of money left for the procurement of military supplies.


    Zheng Tong had taken it upon himself to purchase weapons from Shireck, which had all but drained the remaining funds in the treasury.


    At this point, what was keeping Zheng Country afloat was almost solely the tax revenue from the coastal cities.


    What they did not know was that it was actually the Great Tang Group that was keeping Zheng Country''s economy blood transfused, to prevent it from being partitioned by others before the Great Tang Group was ready.


    In fact, for the Great Tang Group to throw Zheng Country into chaos right now would be easy: all they needed to do was to cut off the financial aid, and Zheng Country would not be able to sustain itself.


    However, doing so was of no benefit to the Great Tang Group, for they did not have sufficient military strength to take immediate, full control over Zheng Country.


    Once Zheng Country fell into chaos, Qi Country to the north and Chu Country to the south would both seize the opportunity to invade. Ultimately, the Great Tang Group might end up with just a third of Zheng Country''s territory, while Qi Country and Chu Country gobbled up the rest.


    Qi Country and Chu Country were no pushovers, and even if they were, they were still harder compared to Zheng Country. The Tang Group, from top to bottom, knew which was easier to pinch.


    "Your Majesty! While I, too, strongly support the procurement of weapons to strengthen our national defense, the national treasury is empty, and we simply cannot conjure up that much money," Zhang Ming did not express his opposition to the military preparations but instead talked directly about the financial issue.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zheng Tong''s expression turned sour; as the King, he was also aware of how weak his nation was and that he couldn''t afford any more aggressive maneuvers.


    Weapons from Shireck were indeed somewhat cheaper compared to those from the Great Tang Group. However, even so, new rifles and cannons were extremely costly, and when summed up, they amounted to a significant sum that left Zheng Tong gasping for breath.


    "Then, according to the Prime Minister, are we to continue to passively take hits and remain incapable of fighting back?" With no better solutions of his own, Zheng Tong could only draw out his question to Zhang Ming in a prolonged tone.


    Zhang Ming looked down and offered a suggestion that had been repeatedly discussed earlier: "Therefore, your servant supports the initial restoration of tax collection, stabilization of the national treasury, development of the local economy, and thereafter, accumulation of wealth before planning to strengthen the military."


    "But... is there enough time?" Zheng Tong furrowed his brows, stood up, and looked down at Zhang Ming: "Does the Prime Minister really think that the Shireckians, Qi Country, Chu Country, and that damned Great Tang Group, would wait for us to develop for ten years before they come troubling Zheng Country again?"


    "The situation now is like an arrow on the bowstring, a bone stuck in the throat! By the time we''ve painstakingly saved up a few tens of thousands of Gold Coins, the enemies will come and plunder! What then?" Zheng Tong stared at Zhang Ming, waiting for a response.


    To Zheng Tong''s surprise, Zhang Ming laughed and retorted, "Your Majesty! The old servant does not oppose your command to expand the military preparations; it''s simply that the treasury is empty, we have no funds! If Your Majesty had the money... then with just one command, we could proceed freely, and your servants would not object."


    The young man, not handsome but with a notable presence, continued, "The crux of the problem in Zheng Country right now is simply lacking money and manpower."


    "Firstly, Your Majesty may not be aware that spending money on guns and cannons is ultimately not a long-term strategy. Shireck''s arms may be of good quality, but they are expensive. You might save and scrimp to buy one gun, one cannon, but what impact does that have on the entire country?" After saying this, he glanced at Zheng Tong, who was indeed nodding in agreement.


    He went on, "So, Your Majesty, why could Zheng Country manufacture its own flintlock guns and muzzle-loading cannons before, but now not make its own bolt-action rifles and breech-loading cannons?"


    Your adventure continues at empire


    "Sir, you may not know, but we don''t have the equipment to make these new weapons," Li Jun quickly responded.


    "If that''s the case, why not discreetly find some businessmen, promise them benefits, and have them raise civilian capital to buy new equipment and manufacture new weapons? Home-produced will always be cheaper than buying from others," the young man retorted.


    "But we urgently need the guns and cannons," Li Jun asked knowingly, for he had naturally gone over the script with the young man beforehand. Zheng Tong was indeed concerned about this point and widened his eyes, waiting for the follow-up answer.


    "Buy fewer, then raise funds among the civilians to set up factories and organize production to achieve industrialization, producing more materials! This process would require the employment of civilian laborers and the hiring of craftsmen and apprentices¡ªdoesn''t this precisely solve the problem of livelihood?" The young man spoke undeniable truths, so his words were irrefutable.


    Upon hearing this counterargument, Zheng Tong''s eyes lit up: if factories could be established, then of course craftsmen and laborers would be needed, which was part of stabilizing the situation.


    Before he could fully articulate his own concerns, the young man continued, "Once there is production, there will be taxation; with factory investment and business activities, there will be uncountable wealth. Your Majesty, with so many opportunities for embezzlement and graft, would those local officials and civil officers still oppose your plan?"


    This question from the young man precisely addressed Zheng Tong''s most vexing issue! No longer trying to appear inscrutable, Zheng Tong clapped his hands and laughed out loud, "Brilliant! With this, they''ll have a share of the profits and won''t obstruct the plan anymore! Brilliant, truly brilliant!"


    "Eventually, you''ll be able to manufacture your own guns and cannons and build large ships. With more taxes, you can naturally maintain a larger military! Then, won''t a wealthy country with a strong military be easily within reach?" The young man posed yet another question, making Zheng Tong all smiles.


    "But..." After the burst of elation, Zheng Tong remembered the biggest issue and, furrowing his brows, looked to the young man, hoping to get the final answer, "So, sir... how do we convince these greedy businessmen and the noble landlords to actually invest their money in these ventures?"


    "Your Majesty! It''s the prospect of making a profit, of course! Your Majesty can give the Great General an order, allowing him to procure certain items and, in private, promise to give priority to domestic products... promise them substantial gains, even sign contracts with them..."


    "Good! But... but purchasing still requires real money..." Zheng Tong became perplexed again.


    A cold light shone in the young man''s eyes and, lowering his voice, he responded, "Your Majesty, when those factories can produce guns and cannons, and smelt copper and iron... With taxes and the military at your command, could General Li''s sword not be sharp?"


    Zheng Tong swallowed hard, as if he could see a broad and easy path unfolding before him.

 Chapter 468 455 Zheng Country version of the Westernization Movement

    This entire set of development plans actually had no problems, not even the final step of casting aside the grinding stone to kill the donkey, which was entirely feasible in reality.


    Therefore, the strategies proposed by the young man were overt conspiracies. To someone like Zheng Tong with such a mindset, they seemed to be brilliant strategies without any fault.


    But when viewed in the context of the bigger picture, this flawless strategy was indeed a deadly poison that could threaten the fate of Zheng Country.


    Keep in mind, lurking on the sidelines was the Great Tang Group, an ambitious power sharpening their knives, with their current developmental focus placed squarely on conquering Zheng Country.


    When Zheng Country finally developed a bit of industrial foundation and connected its territories with roads, where would be Zheng Tong''s chance to harvest the leeks?


    By that time, Tang Mo''s mechanized troops would control these industrial areas at an even faster pace, directly absorbing Zheng Country''s investments into their own midst.


    When pondering this level, can one say that Zheng Country''s move towards industrialization and playing the Westernization Movement was wrong? No, on the contrary, if Zheng Country fell into decay, Zheng Tong wouldn''t even have a chance to struggle. By starting industrialization, he had at least a slim chance to flail desperately.


    Although he would ultimately lose and his family would be ruined, waiting at home for someone to come and finish the job was different from betting everything on one last desperate gamble.


    No one would choose to sit idle awaiting doom, so even seeing through everything, Zheng Tong would still make the choice to struggle¡ªin addition, Zheng Tong couldn''t see this layer.


    His position had already determined that the concept of Zheng Country being extinct would not enter his mind. That is the limitation; that is the thought pattern of a monarch!


    Any ruler subconsciously blocks out the option that their rule might end, choosing selective blindness until everything becomes irreparable.


    Zheng Tong was no different; he wasn''t special. So naturally, he began to fantasize about a Zheng Country rising against the odds under his command.


    "To kill?" He looked at the young man''s diminutive eyes and tested the waters with a question.


    "Those who are obedient can certainly be utilized for our benefit," said the unsightly young man, who suddenly seemed more agreeable in Zheng Tong''s eyes.


    Pleased with the young man, Zheng Tong turned to Li Jun, "General... Mister, he asks you whether your blade is sharp or not."


    "To kill for Your Majesty, my sword can cut through iron as if it were mud!" Li Jun quickly indicated his allegiance, his smile obsequious.


    "Uh... Hahaha! Hahahaha!" Zheng Tong laughed triumphantly, looking up to the sky. While laughing, he reached out and grabbed the young man''s hand, asking, "With such talent at such a young age, Mister, I wonder where you studied?"


    The young man smiled and replied, "I must confess, I once studied at the military academy of the Great Tang Group in Brunas."


    "Hm?" Upon hearing the name Great Tang Group, Zheng Tong furrowed his brows, his grip on the young man''s hand tightening slightly.


    "What do you think about the strategy he proposed?" Zheng Tong glanced at Li Jun, bringing the conversation back to the "Zheng Country version of the Westernization Movement."


    "I think there is some truth to it. We are short of money to begin with, and Shireck''s weapons are not cheap. If we keep buying Shireck''s weapons, the speed can''t be that fast," Li Jun immediately backed the person he recommended, "Besides, we actually don''t have money now. Without applying this strategy, there''s nothing much we can do, so we might as well give it a try..."


    Zheng Tong immediately nodded in agreement, "Indeed, we have no money left in our hands anyway, so we might as well make a move and let those stingy businessmen stir things up!"


    Having said that, he pressed down on Li Jun''s hand and ordered, "You personally handle this matter. It can''t go through Pang Tong''s hands, understand? Later, I will arrange for a confidant to find you. This kind of business... naturally, the royal family should also get involved."


    "I... understand," Li Jun immediately bowed his head. He knew Zheng Tong''s confidant was surely coming to make a profit, as well as to keep an eye on him; such a big matter, Zheng Tong could not fully trust any single person.


    Even before coming here, Li Jun had already anticipated that Zheng Tong would not allow the offerer of the strategy, "Pang Tong," to participate in the execution of the plan.


    But this unattractive young man didn''t care about these things at all, claiming that he was here only to offer strategies and tactics, and the subsequent operations were none of his concern.


    This openness and indifference also convinced Li Jun, making him believe the young man really had no hidden motives or tricks. Because if he really had a backup plan, he wouldn''t possibly hand over the entire strategy to someone unrelated for execution.


    Indeed, on the next day, this brilliant idea received a nod from the civil official group: they had no reason to refuse such a plan because it was truly bringing them money!


    As long as Zheng Country began building various workshops locally, profits would definitely arise, and the local officials'' extortion, the bribes from sharing profits, and the submitted taxes were all tangible benefits.


    How could anyone oppose such a plan, even Zhang Ming didn''t see any trickery and simply agreed to it.


    It was just that they also made a slight concession: in the process of promoting industry and starting the "Westernization Movement," they had to take care of a few armament factories.


    Such an insignificant request met with no opposition; the King had made concessions and was no longer pursuing the problematic military procurement plan, so naturally, they could turn a blind eye to these so-called armament factories.


    After the plan was approved, the funding process also proceeded smoothly, and many businesses, upon receiving contracts, indeed began proactively raising funds and commenced Zheng Country''s path to industrialization.


    In particular, businessmen from coastal cities were enthusiastic. They not only raised a substantial amount of capital but also immediately started constructing factory buildings.


    Yes, the zeal of these coastal merchants to open factories was alarmingly high. So proactive was their attitude that they started excavating foundations for the factories even before there was talk of purchasing equipment.


    What was even more extraordinary was that roads connecting the various factories seemed to have been laid out already, and a train station had already begun to take shape on the outskirts of the port.


    -----------


    I still owe everyone two updates... After staying up all night, I can finally go to sleep for a while...

 Chapter 469 456 guessed it

    ```


    "Opening a school?" Upon receiving the message, the City Lord of Linshui City put aside the book in his hand, surprised, and looked towards his trusted aide.


    If he didn''t have a bit of strength and his own eyes and ears in loyal service, he couldn''t possibly hold steady his position as City Lord here. Thus, he had a good idea of what those nobles who paid him handsomely were up to.


    Before, they had been hell-bent on constructing roads, roads that adhered to high standards, at least requiring broken stone for the bed and thorough compaction, a specification almost equivalent to the highest-grade post roads in Zheng Country.


    Moreover, these roads were to be raised to prevent water damage, with meticulous construction of the road foundations and the digging of drainage facilities alongside.


    In the eyes of the old City Lord, such expensive roads were entirely pointless, deeming it a waste to construct such high-quality roads for the common merchants and traders who traveled them.


    Yet, he didn''t voice any objections, since the other party had no intention of explaining their actions. In his view, it was likely that these people were preparing to set up workshops or the like on his turf, necessitating a substantial amount of trade to sustain them.


    This also explained why they chose Linshui City ¡ª with the convenience of maritime transport, an improvement to the terrestrial transport would make it an essential traffic hub.


    Later on, those moneyed nobles began constructing factories around Linshui City, which also puzzled the old City Lord.


    Such large-scale factories had never before appeared in Zheng Country. Every day, the factory construction sites were bustling with more activity than the markets inside Linshui City.


    Interestingly, the construction of these factories had started over two months ago. While they had already taken shape, King Zheng Tong of Zheng Country suddenly decreed an initiative encouraging merchants everywhere to raise funds on their own and establish workshops, to share the country''s worries.


    This foresighted construction, preceding the royal command, allowed the old City Lord to discern something unusual: it meant that the nobles bribing him had the power to be privy to the country''s strategic decisions in advance.


    Or perhaps, these nobles had the clout to directly influence national decisions, making the Zheng King Zheng Tong issue orders favorable to them!


    However, the roads and factories outside the city weren''t what shocked him the most; it was the transformational work on the Linshui Port by these nobles.


    Not long after accepting their bribes, the Linshui docks were bought up by these nobles. Now, that place was private property, strictly off-limits to the unaffiliated public.


    Rather than calling it renovation, it would be more apt to say Linshui Port was being rebuilt: construction was everywhere within the port, as docks capable of accommodating massive ships extended towards the sea.


    Beside the docks, there was a vast expanse of shipyards under construction, so massive that a mere glance from a distant highland would leave one astounded by their scale.


    No joke, such a shipyard could build six to eight of the largest sailboats simultaneously; the term ''huge'' no longer sufficed to describe it.


    What the old City Lord didn''t know was that these docks and shipyards were being built to the highest standards, using reinforced concrete and preemptively laying down pedestrian-accessible underwater pipelines for easy future cable connections and equipment placement.


    At the same time, these facilities had spaces reserved for gantry cranes and cargo cranes, ready for immediate installation as soon as the equipment was available.


    This subtractive design approach gave various navies hope for enhancing their fleet''s combat capabilities: possessing half the firepower of a Brunas-class Ironclad Warship, with even faster speed, although with lower defense, it was absolutely worth more than its cost!


    Because these new type of warships could be mass-produced and replace the outdated sailships of the countries, and in naval battles, they could gather to face off against larger Brunas-class Ironclad Warships, it was clearly a good choice.


    Even more enticing was the fact that these warships did not need to wait; the Great Tang Group would soon be able to build them¡ªafter all, they were civilian-standard hulls with a few guns added, and small tonnage made them easy to produce.


    No waiting meant that customers could start production as soon as they placed their orders, which was far more desirable to the navies in urgent need of phasing out sailship warships than waiting in line for the Brunas-class Ironclad Warships.


    The reason Great Tang Group launched these small warships was that Tang Mo had no choice but to step down and compete with the Shireck Consortium for market share.


    Because the production capacity was squeezed, the Brunas-class Ironclad Warship wasn''t a big moneymaker project. It was neither fish nor fowl for Great Tang Group and had become a mere burden.


    The shipyard that produced Brunas-class Ironclad Warships could also build Wolf-class Cruisers, so continuing to produce Brunas-class Ironclad Warships was simply not worth the loss.


    But the warship market could not be easily abandoned, so Tang Mo utilized the remaining small shipyards in places like Osa and Hotwind Port, made some minor modifications, and designed and built this nearshore destroyer with "thin skin but a big filling."


    The power used in this thing was adapted from the power used on the Brunas-class, and the technology was actually quite outdated.


    The cannons it used were also the same as those on the Brunas-class, equally outdated. Even its optical sighting system was from the Brunas-class and was already out of date.


    But none of that mattered! What mattered was that it could still outfight sailships, still challenging several or even more than a dozen frigates.


    To the navies of various countries, it remained a better warship than Shireck''s hot-selling Ming Wheel Ship, and similarly, a more appropriate choice for their situation.


    In the eyes of the naval commanders and the high-level decision-makers of the countries, even if they bought Brunas-class Ironclad Warships, they would not have the capability to challenge the Great Tang Group''s naval power. Thus, for them, the Brunas-class warships were somewhat... excessive in performance!


    They had neither the ambition to challenge Great Tang''s maritime dominance nor the desire to wage war against equally powerful adversaries. So in the short term, everyone actually just wanted to expand their fleets, accumulate experience using Ironclad Warships, and maintain their navy''s size.


    Thus, the cheaper and more economically feasible destroyer became their better choice.


    Consequently, on that day, Great Tang Group''s destroyers were a huge success, with each navy buying at least ten ships, some even purchasing twenty in one go!


    In just one morning, Great Tang Group secured orders for 100 destroyers, and another round of naval arms race commenced.


    It was also on this day that Great Tang Group''s Jade City-class Battleship, Jade City 1, was launched, ushering the world''s navies into the era of battleships.


    ---------


    Next update will be later, everyone can read it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 470 People who cannot keep up with the pace

    At Flame Castle, Sofia closed the ledger and tiredly massaged her temples. She had recently emerged victorious in the wave of internal mergers at Shireck, having almost completely acquired all the industries under the old smiley tiger''s name.


    In addition, she had also bought over a few other directors and expanded her power, almost truly turning Shireck into her personal echo chamber.


    During this process, she upgraded many of her factories and invested in building many new-style factories, almost completing the modernization and industrial transformation of her industries.


    To be able to accomplish industry transformation with such high efficiency and to embrace the countless new technologies from Great Tang Group, one must admit that Sofia was exceptional.


    Not just that, she also almost single-handedly spearheaded Shireck''s automotive industry. Even though the car brand was now called Gobur, its sales were finally picking up.


    Shen Country and Zheng Country, which did not get along with Great Tang Group, both purchased some cars from Shireck. Although the performance of these cars was average, the prices were also modest, appealing to the masses; naturally, they sold well.


    Ice Cold Cars had always been competing with Gobur Cars; both brands took the same approach. The automotive technology from the Dwarves was better, but Gobur Cars were a bit cheaper.


    Overall, both had become the new popular cars, crazily contesting the mass automotive market alongside Brunas''s People''s Car.


    "Giving me the airship technology so easily... It looks like Tang Mo is up to no good," Sofia played with her red hair by her ear and sighed before speaking out.


    The Marquise sitting beside her sniffed dismissively and said, "There''s nothing strange about that, we did pay for it after all..."


    "Do you think money solves everything?" After giving her confidante a glance, Sofia leaned back in her chair to rest with her eyes closed and said, "Do you know how long I begged, and Mr. Tang from Great Tang Group was still reluctant to share the propeller sealing technology with me?"


    "Wasn''t it... two months later?" The Marquise was taken aback by this, then instinctively asked.


    "That''s exactly what I''m concerned about," Sofia pointed to the telegram on her table and explained, agitated, "He stalled me for half a year on the battleship propulsion technology and gave it begrudgingly, but when it came to airship technology including gas filling preparation, factory equipment, and staff training, he didn''t even think before he just bundled it all up and gave it to me..."


    Pausing, she frowned and added, "All in all, considering his character, I always feel like there''s some trick he''s pulled behind our backs with this airship transfer that we are unaware of!"


    "So we reject it?" The Marquise asked unwillingly. She was aware of the airship market prices; even if the prices dropped slightly, selling one for 100,000 would still make them a fortune.


    "Reject it? That''s out of the question... I just want to anticipate and take countermeasures in advance, to avoid being caught off guard when Tang Mo targets us," Sofia said, fingers resting on the edge of the telegram on the table and staring at the paper.


    This was a telegram sent back by her maid; similar telegrams had been increasing recently, and the news was getting heavier and heavier for Sofia.


    That fat man was still proud of his ability to produce the Shireck Type 1 bolt-action rifle and the Shireck semi-automatic pistol (Mauser Bolt-Action Rifle), while he and that flashy woman were still incessantly producing outdated Ming Wheel Ships.


    Sofia was powerless to stop their wasteful practices of slow self-destruction because these projects did indeed bring profit to Shireck.


    But everyone knew that these things were outdated, especially those damned Ming Wheel Ships! Everyone knew they stood no chance against propeller-driven warships, yet there were still fools who came with orders!


    Shen Country made another purchase of 10 such Ming Wheel Ships, while Zheng Country astonishingly ordered 30 in one go, and it was said that they might even place additional orders... Even more absurdly, the Dahua Empire and Chu Country, which originally hadn''t placed great emphasis on naval development, also purchased a batch of Ming Wheel Ships, ranging from ten to twenty each.


    Sofia didn''t know what words to use to describe these fools who spent money on Ming Wheel Ships. They would have been better off buying more expensive but clearly more advanced warships from Great Tang Group!


    She wasn''t ignorant of the fact that there must be personal connections, kickbacks, and bribes involved in this murky business, but such shady deals also diluted Shireck''s profits and influenced, or rather delayed, Shireck''s industrial upgrade.


    The docks that should have been expanded and fitted with new equipment were now working overtime to produce useless Ming Wheel Ships, making Sofia incredibly anxious.


    When Sofia said this, the Countess confirmed again, "So, do we still build the airship factory? The new factory that plans to produce more than three giant airships each month?"


    "Of course! Even if just for the supporting chemical plant, this airship manufacturing factory should be established," Sofia replied immediately. "We should build it, and expand the production scale if necessary!"


    "I understand," the Marquise nodded, indicating she would personally see to this matter: "Leave it to me."


    "Additionally, we must not halt our secret weapon project!" Sofia continued to reiterate. "Our that... brand new ''War Vehicle Project''!"


    "I understand!" The Marquise nodded again, her face showing a proud smile. This project had been proposed by one of her subordinates, a craftsman, and unexpectedly, it became incredibly significant at a critical moment.


    Shireck wasn''t lacking in talented individuals. After Tang Mo had inspired the world, there were those within Shireck who thought about and tried to explore a new future.


    The "airplane inventor" who went to find Tang Mo before, the "War Vehicle craftsman" within Shireck, after being nudged by Tang Mo, many stumbled forward, walking or running. Sofia, panting and trying to keep up, followed in Tang Mo''s footsteps yet couldn''t even catch his exhaust fumes.


    Of course, more people chose to stand still, and there was no helping it: you can never expect everyone to keep up with the pace of world development. On the contrary, most will be left far behind by that pace.


    Like the decision-makers in Shireck who insisted on building Ming Wheel Ships, like those decision-makers who insisted on purchasing Ming Wheel Ships...


    ------


    Well, I won''t make up for the missed updates today, rest and adjust.

 Chapter 471 The 458 Expensive War Machine

    As time progressed, the production capacity of key materials steadily increased for the Great Tang Group, and the scale of the chemical plants on Dragon Island had grown immensely. The petroleum industry had also developed to an extreme extent.


    The entire Dragon Island was a picture of prosperity, and within the military base in the island''s central region, the Great Tang Group''s 1st Armored Division already had proper form.


    This Armored Division was equipped with 370 light tanks, all of which were the enlarged-turret models of the training Tank No. 2. In addition to that, the entire division also had a logistics support battalion, an artillery battalion, a specialized mechanized battalion, and an independent reconnaissance battalion.


    Each tank regiment consisted of 3 tank battalions, under which were 3 companies each, and each company had 3 tank platoons, with a full-strength tank platoon having 5 tanks.


    The company headquarters had two command vehicles, and the battalion headquarters had their own ammunition trucks and fuel trucks, as well as battalion command vehicles. The regimental headquarters also had their own regimental command vehicles and a transportation company. So, in total, a regiment would have 150 tanks and 100 various types of automobiles.


    Just the automobiles used by the three tank regiments exceeded 300 vehicles, and that''s not even counting the division headquarters'' vehicles and those of the support battalion.


    The logistics support battalion alone had as many as 300 vehicles, with personnel exceeding 700, responsible for transporting the division''s supply materials.


    The artillery battalion was also completely motorized, with its artillerymen universally equipped with 105mm caliber self-propelled guns based on the Tank No. 2 chassis. This was also the world''s first type of self-propelled howitzer.


    With these howitzers that could advance alongside the armored units, the troop''s firepower had been unprecedentedly strengthened.


    Because it was still in an absolutely secret phase, the infantry units did not yet know that there was such a game-changing invention; otherwise, they would have fought over this new weapon.


    Since its inception, the self-propelled gun had been the darling of the heavens, coveted by all units. Everyone wanted to have large-caliber artillery that could progress with the troops and be deployed in combat at any time.


    Whether it was infantry or armored units, everyone needed such support firepower; thus, no one doubted that this new howitzer using the "training tank" chassis would have a significant role in the future.


    Tang Mo was very clear that even if Tank No. 2 completely ceased production in the future, the production of the Hornet self-propelled guns would continue. Its performance was solid and could be used for a long time.


    The artillery battalion also comprised 3 companies, each equipped with 15 self-propelled guns. The division had a total of 45 self-propelled guns and 15 fire control vehicles.


    The equipment of the specialized mechanized battalion included repair vehicles, cooking trucks, field medical vehicles, and the intended Anti-Aircraft Artillery Troops...


    The reconnaissance battalion''s equipment was varied, comprising motorcycle units, automobile units, armored cars, and tanks. In the beginning, there were even Cavalry units.


    However, to accommodate the logistics support, the Cavalry was ultimately removed from the Armored Division''s organizational structure, replaced by motorcycles and automobiles.


    This was a necessary decision; one couldn''t possibly add veterinary tools, feed, saddles, or maintenance oil to an already complex logistics project, right?


    With that said, the total number of automobiles in the entire tank division surpassed 1100, and the combined total of tanks and self-propelled guns exceeded 430, which definitely qualified as a behemoth.


    Had it not been for the rapid development of the petroleum industry, it would have been impossible to support the activities of such a large-scale mechanized force.


    If we were only discussing the range of the cannons, the 305-millimeter caliber main guns could even fire directly at targets over 12 kilometers away, but for the sake of accuracy, around 8 kilometers was a more appropriate choice.


    With the use of new technology, this warship maintained a frightening cruising speed of nearly 45 kilometers per hour, despite having a displacement of 20,000 tons.


    In extreme combat scenarios not considering the range, it could even catch up to the Wolf-class Cruisers! So there was no prey in this world that could slip through its grasp.


    Just the sight of its more than 7 meters tall bow was enough to invoke fear. With just a ramming attack, it could destroy a sail warship!


    To ensure the economy of the Jade City-class Battleships, each ship was also armed with 24 75-millimeter caliber guns to handle low-value targets.


    With over ten of these guns on each side, this ensured the fire power density of the Jade City-class Battleship in close combat situations.


    Regretfully, from the launch to the commissioning of this battleship, the Great Tang Group''s Naval Commander Bernard had always been engaged in combat in the Dongwan Island waters and never attended its launch ceremony or commissioning.


    Nevertheless, the Navy still had high hopes for this type of warship, and the best proof of this was the construction of three at one time.


    With the launching of the first Jade City-class Battleship, the Great Tang Group began construction of the fourth vessel of the same class.


    The familiar sight of the huge keel being laid out got the construction workers excited: they had just completed one such battleship, so they were more than familiar with its structure.


    Such a battleship, which invigorates the spirit with just one look, could excite anyone during its construction.


    However, with the increasing number of ships from Dragon Island''s shipping operations and their diverse origins, rumors of the Great Tang Group building a massive warship spread far and wide, reaching all corners of the world.


    Along with this news, rumors about dragons on Dragon Island also spread incessantly. Previously such rumors were scarce, but as more sailors started to talk about it, the matter itself became increasingly intriguing.


    Those who spoke of it described it vividly: there were often things flying in the sky over Dragon Island, moving at high speeds that were certainly not hot air balloons or the like.


    These things would climb and soon disappear into the clouds. Sometimes they would descend bit by bit until they vanished into the distant jungle.


    In conclusion, many swore they had seen such things, yet nobody knew exactly what they were¡ªeveryone said they were dragons, so they all described what they saw as some kind of secret creature from Dragon Island.


    Tang Mo knew that it was impossible to keep information completely secret on an island hanging alone overseas. He could not rely solely on his own fleet to transport supplies to Dragon Island, so it was impossible to prevent the crew from seeing the planes training on the island.


    But a day kept secret was a day gained. As long as he denied it, no one had the courage or the capability to go to Dragon Island to seek the truth, right?


    ---------


    I''ll write more tomorrow during the day, Dragon Spirit is tired, sigh...


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 Chapter 472 459 something terrible has happened

    "Damn it! Who''s firing the guns? Who? Who!" A bandit officer wielding a long saber desperately questioned his subordinates from behind the gate of his mountain stronghold.


    Explore more adventures at empire


    On the wooden ramparts of the stronghold, soldiers armed with matchlocks fell one by one to the sound of gunfire, and now none dared poke their heads out to glance at the terrifying forest beyond.


    Are you kidding? The moment anyone stuck out their head, gunshots would echo from the forest within seconds, and then the head of the soldier who peeked out would burst open like a watermelon struck by a stick.


    "It must be demons! Have we... have we enraged the mountain gods..." A soldier, unsettled, swallowed his saliva and timidly suggested.


    As soon as the words left his mouth, the officer backhandedly struck him across the neck with his saber. The soldier widened his eyes at his leader, momentarily forgetting to scream.


    Blood spurted at the moment the long saber was drawn out, and the soldier collapsed, instantly lifeless.


    "Those who disturb the morale, kill!" The bandit leader flicked his long saber and raised the matchlock gun in his other hand, loudly reminding his subordinates, "Hold the line! Hold it!"


    Having killed so many innocents, he was long desensitized, uncaring and unafraid of any mountain spirits or evil ghosts.


    What truly intimidated him was the sharp report of gunfire outside; he feared the arrival of Zheng Country''s Official Army to eradicate their base, feared an invasion by the people from Dongshan!


    But with the high, treacherous mountains here, there was no way the enemy''s cannons could be brought up, and from below the mountains, they couldn''t use artillery to attack either¡ªas long as they held out, the enemy would find little they could do to breach these sturdy wooden walls. Once the enemy went searching for explosives, they could withdraw at leisure, and that would be days from now.


    Before he could take pleasure in that thought, a massive explosion engulfed the stronghold''s gate, sending shards of wood and billowing smoke that enveloped him completely.


    Countless splinters created a storm, slicing through his flesh. After the blast wave swept past, he was sent flying.


    Amid the lingering gunpowder smoke, a bandit stationed further away saw their domineering leader roll to a halt right before him.


    Just moments after having killed an unfortunate soul, that leader lay face-up on the ground, his face studded with wooden shards and embedded with pebbles...


    Upon closer inspection, it wasn''t an intact bandit leader that had been flung towards him, but rather half of one. One of his arms and one leg were gone without a trace, blood spraying everywhere.


    The sight sent a shiver through the soldier, who dropped his long saber and ran without looking back, even forgetting to check if his superior was still breathing.


    The bandit leader was indeed dead; the explosion had shattered his internal organs, and the shockwave had sliced his body apart¡ªhow could mere mortal flesh withstand such a brutal blast?


    After all, wasn''t that a mortar designed specifically for mountain warfare, easily capable of destroying a wooden gate?


    With the gate destroyed, the surrounding bandits were thrown into disarray. They were tough enough when bullying the common folk, but against the Official Army, they stood no chance at all.


    The women were emaciated, many showing signs of bedsores. They might not have bathed for a long time, many were scruffy with stains all over their bodies.


    After confirming there was no danger in the room, a Marine covered his nose and took a closer look at the room, then stepped back out, looking at his ashen-faced comrade beside him.


    "I say, do you still think the ''kill without mercy'' order is cruel?" The veteran offered a pat on the rookie''s shoulder and asked, "This is up to you?"


    The rookie shook his head, checked the status of his submachine gun, and lifted his head, "You stay to take care of them. Leave the rest to me..."


    An indescribable irritation caused him to stride towards the direction where the bandits were fleeing, and after seeing another bandit kneeling and begging for mercy, he didn''t hesitate to raise his gun and fire, emptying a whole magazine in one go.


    He tossed the empty magazine away, pulled a new one from the pouch under his ribs, inserted it into the gun, racked the slide, and then stormed forward with brimming rage.


    "Disaster! Disaster! Boss! Boss! We lost the mountain gate!" A bandit scrambled up the stone steps to the finest large house in the stronghold, knelt down at the door, and shouted.


    The burly bandit leader, clutching his flintlock, came out; the room was filled with the stench of blood. Two women on the bed were already decapitated, with their blood splattered everywhere.


    The leader, with blood on his chest, looked at his smoking stronghold, his eyes full of rage and fury as he roared, "Bastards! You want to kill me? Not so easy! You just wait, I''ll kill you all! All of you!"


    "Wait till I come back! I will dismember each and every one of you bastards'' family members! Just you wait, just you wait!" He glanced at the bandit kneeling at his feet, then turned and headed toward the back mountain, "Come on! Follow me! There''s a secret passage on the back mountain..."


    The bandit had just been waiting for these words and immediately followed his leader, casting a fearful glance back at the fallen stronghold, with eyes full of reluctance.


    To kidnap so many women again, to establish such a stronghold again, to plunder so many treasures again, to hoard so much food... it won''t be easy.


    He wondered if he and the boss could make a comeback someday... Maybe he could be a small leader then. It would be great to be a small leader, getting more share of the spoils and being the first to sleep with women. Such a life would be delightful!


    "I say, you still think you can run?" Suddenly, a clump of green grass spoke and startled both the boss and the bandit following him.


    Before they could even draw their guns, they were horrified to see that it seemed like the whole woods around them came to life, with dozens of figures rising vaguely in the background.


    "Was that you screaming just now? Ha! Still thinking about running? If every one of us gave you a kick, you''d turn into a photograph!" The commander of the 3rd Platoon, 1st Battalion smirked as he stepped out from behind the trees.


    After saying that, he paused, annoyed, and waved his hand dismissively, "You don''t even know what a photograph is, forget it."


    As his words fell, dense gunfire echoed in the dense forest, and bullets coming from all sides sliced the two figures into pieces.


    "This is the last gang on the nearby islands... right?" The platoon leader looked at the leaves splattered with blood and asked the old fisherman beside him.


    "Yes," the old fisherman bowed his head, covering his eyes with a hand, trying not to let his tears flow¡ªhe had finally avenged his son!


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 Chapter 473 460 Vulnerable Industries

    The Great Tang Group was fiercely developing Dongwan Island, turning it into a modern industrial base. Other countries in the world were not idle either; they were also frantically developing their industrial cities, enhancing their industrial strength.


    Industrial cities sprang up like mushrooms after rain. The population of these cities generally exceeded 200,000, which by past standards, would be considered super-large cities.


    Yet now, the population in these places was still increasing ceaselessly, desperately drawing in labor from the surrounding areas.


    Gobur and the Ice Cold Kingdom''s car factory complexes were so vast, one couldn''t see the end at a single glance. These workshops operated day and night, supplying tens of thousands of cars to all parts of the world.


    The car factories in Jade City and Dragon Island were even larger. Each month, they could produce tens of thousands of various types of cars, including civilian transportation trucks, sedans, and military trucks and jeeps, among others.


    The reason they could produce so recklessly was that oil fields on a much larger scale had started production within the territories of the Empire of Nanla, the Ice Cold Kingdom, the Suthers Kingdom, the Songmu Kingdom, and the Gales Kingdom. The scale of the refineries was also expanding continuously.


    In the past, strategic locations were often passes and transportation hubs. Although these places had strategic value, they were ultimately limited in number.


    Now, each country was discovering more and more strategic locations within their borders, each more important than the last!


    Oil fields were very profitable, and because oil field equipment was diverse and expensive, it was crucial not to lose the oil fields and nearby refineries.


    Similarly, power plants, which cost a fortune to establish, could not be lost either, because they supplied electricity for oil field production and provided energy for industrial cities.


    Moving on, how could one overlook the existence of steel mills, military factories, vehicle factories, machine shops... each providing countless jobs, with equipment as precious as gold?


    Even the railways and highways were vital like blood vessels, easily not to be damaged! Because if even a single railway was destroyed, the transportation of materials would be disrupted, the supply of food to cities and raw materials for industrial production would cease, plunging the enormous industrial cities into chaos.


    Even the least noticeable water plants, sewage systems, and modern hospitals were critical for keeping the cities functioning.


    Modern cities were more fragile, and the modern industrial system was even more vulnerable before warfare, posing a new dilemma for rulers everywhere: how to protect all of this!


    In the process of industrial modernization, every country tasted the benefits of industrialization. Their tax revenues increased, the goods they produced were more abundant, and the quality of life for their people genuinely improved.


    These countries had more money in their hands, and their strength grew stronger, so they were able to afford whatever they wanted: equipment, weapons, medicines...


    The good news was, industrialization freed up more people and provided more funds for each country, and it also gave them the ability to manufacture weapons.


    As a result, arming larger military forces became possible, and the countries were then capable of building more troops to protect the increasingly fragile cities and industrial facilities.


    A few years ago, a conflict between two kingdoms involving twenty to thirty thousand troops was already considered a large-scale operation.


    As large caliber cannons took off unrestrained, the smaller calibers also underwent constant "tinkering." In the past, Shireck used a 130 caliber, while the Great Tang Group had 105 and 155 calibers. Now, the cannons'' calibers varied widely among countries, with some having 100 and 150, some 110 and 152, some 120 and 160, and also 95 and 145...


    Ultimately, judging solely by caliber, everyone drew a clear line between themselves, everyone viewing everyone else with a sense of displeasure.


    Anyway, the development of the petrochemical industry and the mining industry had become the cornerstone for industrial development around the world. The size of the machinery working in those countries'' open-pit mines was now huge, reaching several stories in height.


    They were installed on specially made wide-gauge rail tracks, working around the circle of the mining sites, excavating iron ore or coal.


    The factory chimneys in various countries towered high, belching smoke day and night, and many cities were already submerged in a choking haze.


    Thus, six months after the Great Tang Group took over Dongwan Island, another huge industrial city emerged, named Laines.


    As a brand-new city built with substantial effort from the Great Tang Group, it boasted a complete sewer system and water supply, far exceeding standard electricity facilities, buildings over seven stories high were commonplace, and the spacious streets were all paved with asphalt.


    Facilities such as schools, hospitals, cinemas, opera houses, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, casinos, and brothels were all available in abundance...


    Similarly, on the outskirts of the city, all kinds of factories were as numerous as hairs on an ox, seemingly no less impressive than Brunas from a few years before.


    As the city was built, its population had already exceeded 300,000, and it was common knowledge that in a few years, surpassing a population of 500,000 would be no problem.


    On the broadest street of Laines, the Central Avenue at its core, stood the newly designed, magnificent palace.


    Leite VII finally realized his wish on this day. To the applause and congratulations of the envoys from various countries, he declared himself Leines I and ascended to the throne as Emperor.


    The celebration was grand, with the Great Tang Group even dispatching a contingent of troops to participate in the military parade. Dozens of formations passed the reviewing stand one by one, with the formation of the Great Tang Group''s security corps performing the Huaxia goose step drawing particular attention.


    Tang Mo fulfilled his promise. He provided even more armored vehicles, cars, and cannons for the parade, affording maximum prestige to Leines I.


    The Empire of Nanla also lent its dignity, with the Emperor sending a Prince to attend the ceremony and announcing on the spot recognition of the Laines Empire.


    Following this, Dorne, Suthers, Gales, Poplar, Songmu, Ice Cold, and other countries announced their recognition of the Laines Empire one after another, with Leines I becoming the first Emperor to have his ascension documented on film.


    From this day forth, the name Leite Kingdom would be changed to the Laines Empire, and Leite VII would be replaced by Leines I.


    A new Empire was born.


    ----------


    I will update more tomorrow; everyone should go to bed early. Good night.


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 Chapter 474 Empire Year 461

    "We need sufficient support, especially from the Empire!" Within the brand-new Imperial Palace, Leines I, who had just become the Emperor, was listening to the request of the Dwarf Envoy.


    This Dwarf from the Frozen Kingdom respectfully explained his purpose: "We hope that Your Majesty Leines I can provide help to the Frozen Kingdom."


    "After all, Laines is a young Empire with fairly shallow experience in these matters. Our support, may not necessarily be the most powerful for the Frozen Kingdom," Leines I said as he fiddled with an art piece given to him by Tang Mo, casting a glance at the Dwarf Envoy.


    It''s true that we are allies, but each has its own interests. From the perspective of Leines I, supporting the Frozen Kingdom in this matter could bring no benefits to himself.


    The grandeur of Leines I''s rise to the throne has greatly stirred ambitions in those with intentions.


    Having seized Furnace Fortress and established prestige among the surrounding Dwarf Kingdoms, the King of the Frozen Kingdom also harbored thoughts of claiming an imperial title.


    Therefore, 15 days after the establishment of the Laines Empire, he sent his envoys to seek support from various kingdoms, ready to revel in the title of Emperor himself.


    However, given that everyone had just witnessed the birth of the Laines Empire, there was a lack of interest in supporting another new empire ¨C nobody was eager to watch more powerful empires proliferate.


    Especially the kingdoms that belong to the "Great Tang Corporation System" in the north; directly facing the pressure of the powerful Frozen Kingdom, they were even less keen to see it become an Empire.


    In fact, the Poplar Kingdom and the Songmu Kingdom¡ªtwo Elf Empires¡ªhave always been covertly supporting Dwarf Kingdoms that were at odds with the Frozen Kingdom.


    The Orc Gales Kingdom was also cautiously handling its relations with the Dwarves, unwilling to hastily take a stance on whether to support the re-establishment of a powerful Dwarf Empire.


    The Suthers Kingdom had its own strategic considerations; they did not wish to offend neighboring countries by supporting the Frozen Kingdom, which could lead to tensions along the northern borders. Hence, they diplomatically communicated their neutral position, firmly refraining from involving themselves in the Dwarfs'' imperial affairs.


    Seeing that these four kingdoms all had their own calculations, if the Frozen Kingdom wanted to smoothly advance to a true Empire, it could only look south for its supporters.


    The Dorne Kingdom''s attitude was ambiguous; in the matter of the Frozen Kingdom''s elevation to Empire status, they were actually inclined to agree.


    Not for any other reason but because the King of Dorne was also considering taking up the title of Emperor, and he would not refuse to do a favor for the Dwarves on this matter.


    Soon, the two countries reached a consensus¡ªthe Dorne Kingdom would support the Frozen Kingdom to become the Ice Cold Empire, and likewise, the Frozen Kingdom would also fully support the Dorne Kingdom in becoming the Dorne Empire!


    Now, the Dwarves focused their strategy on the Laines Empire and the Empire of Nanla. With the support of these two Empires, the Frozen Kingdom''s elevation to the Ice Cold Empire seemed highly promising.


    It must be acknowledged that Leines I indeed owed the Frozen Kingdom a favor¡ªhe received their support when he claimed his imperial title.


    But as favors are separate from national interests, Leines I had to contemplate carefully and make a cautious decision.


    If the other two prospective empires were established one after the other, what would he be then? A joke? Or a tragedy?


    Why did he offer so much, even at the cost of incurring huge debts, to become Emperor? Wasn''t it because the title was worth the price?


    Now, just when he was not paying attention, this damn situation had become one where empires were as common as dirt, and emperors were less esteemed than dogs¡ªwith so many emperors around that you couldn''t even count them on two hands. What the hell was the use of the title then?


    Thus, Leines I felt wronged, and even a bit resentful: it seemed that the Great Tang Group had also given all-out support for the Frozen Kingdom''s upgrade to the Ice Cold Empire.


    In other words, behind the rise of the Ice Cold Empire was the machination of the Great Tang Group! With this thought, Leines I once again felt uncomfortable all over.


    It seemed Mr. Tang from the Great Tang Group was becoming less and less reliable! Did this mean he needed to be prepared for defense on the Jade City front as well?


    With these thoughts, he felt terrible all over. The Laines Empire had risen rapidly with the backing of the Great Tang Group, and now it found itself in a passive situation, caught between attacks from three sides.


    The Dorne to the south and the Nanla to the east were small troubles in comparison, but the most lethal was the terrifyingly powerful and unfathomably strong Great Tang Group!


    If it weren''t for the fact that the Group was currently fully engaged in conquering the East Coast of the Endless Sea, Leines I would be even more restless.


    Recently, the Great Tang Group was tackling Zheng Country, but once they took care of Zheng Country on the East Coast of the Endless Sea, where would Tang Mo''s attention turn next?


    Considering its power, the Great Tang Group, after taking control of Zheng Country, would definitely possess the strength of an empire, no longer constrained by population and land, and in the future would also have terrifying mobilization capabilities and wartime potential.


    He had confidence in dealing with the Empire of Nanla and did not believe he would be defeated by Dorne to his south, but the mere thought of competing with the formidable Great Tang Group sent shivers down his spine.


    "Your Majesty! We must consider the opinion of the Great Tang Group on this matter," the Prime Minister said after some thought, uttering words that made Leines I uncomfortable.


    But as uncomfortable as he was, Leines I really had to consider this suggestion. If he ignored the Great Tang''s opinion, he might not even be able to pay the interest on the loans the next day.


    After thinking it through from all angles, Leines I''s annoyance only grew as he looked at the gift from Tang Mo on the table in front of him; he grabbed it and wanted to throw it to the ground.


    His hand was already raised, but it slowly lowered¡ªremembering the so-called price of the object, he couldn''t help but feel a little pain; and considering that it was a "state gift," he worried that the Great Tang Group would take offense if they got word of it.


    Eventually, he put the ornament back in its original place, sighed, and nodded, saying, "Then send someone to inquire about Mr. Tang''s opinion..."


    15 days later, the King of the Frozen Kingdom was crowned emperor at Furnace Fortress, and the Frozen Kingdom was officially renamed the Ice Cold Empire. Both the Empire of Nanla and Dorne Kingdom sent their congratulations, and the Laines Empire also sent a gift to express their goodwill.


    Another month passed, and the king of Dorne proclaimed himself emperor.


    With the succession of three empires being established, that year was thus called the Year of the Empires.


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 Chapter 475 462 undercurrents surge

    ```


    "The undercurrents are surging!" Tang Mo stretched lazily in his office at Dragon''s Den, expressing his feelings to Yulin as he tossed aside the intelligence report in his hand.


    Yulin shrugged his attractive shoulders and replied, "Everyone has their own ideas, especially when there are so many countries involved."


    Influenced heavily by the Great Tang Group, the eight countries formed what appeared to be a united and potent interest group, known to outsiders as the Trade Alliance.


    This alliance, based on trade transactions, had jointly declared war on opposing nations several times, thus it was also a military coalition.


    Such a vast and formidable coalition was naturally worrisome, yet during the somewhat absurd first year event of the empire''s establishment, everyone could see the cracks within the Trade Alliance.


    The Elf Race was dissatisfied with the foundation of the Ice Cold Empire, the Laines Empire resented the establishment of the Dorne Empire, Suthers was covertly contemplating the possibility of becoming a new empire, and the Orc Gales Kingdom had always harbored a deep hatred for the Elf Race.


    These issues had been previously suppressed by the Great Tang Group using trade profits and technological support, while the individual countries were preoccupied with developing their industries and strengthening their national power, with little regard for the finer details.


    Now, as reforms were gradually completed, every country had attained strengths beyond their previous imagination, which naturally led to the development of more ideas.


    As Yulin said, with each individual having their own ideas, the presence of so many countries together made it even more pronounced.


    "It doesn''t matter! As long as they don''t fall out over the tabletop, I can ignore these bothersome trifles," Tang Mo said with a smile, trivializing decisions that could greatly impact bilateral relations as "bothersome trifles."


    As he spoke, he walked toward a giant map that was not entirely precise, saying, "In any case, as long as we take care of Zheng Country, all our problems will be solved. There''s enough land there to sustain a large population and plenty of resources for us to exploit for a long time."


    This was a map of Zheng Country, ten times, even a hundred times more accurate than any previous map of the country. In less than a year, the surveying teams dispatched by the Great Tang Group, working day and night in the field, had finally managed to draw a relatively accurate map of Zheng Country.


    Undoubtedly, if this map were to appear in front of the ruler of Zheng Country, it would become a national treasure.


    However, the maps in the hands of the ruler of Zheng Country were far from as accurate as the one before Tang Mo; in fact, they were not even comparable.


    Tang Mo''s map was meticulously marked with the locations of all the cities in Zheng Country, the road conditions near certain cities, the workshops and craftsmen within them, and the population numbers were all clearly recorded.


    Even as a secret, after the map was drawn, it was annotated with magnets to indicate contents that dynamically changed.


    For example, it showed which city lord had been bribed, where Zheng Country''s military was stationed, which areas had begun constructing railroads, and which roads had been reinforced.


    The extent of the construction at the harbor of Linshui City, its daily throughput, the number of students receiving higher education in schools of the nearby cities.


    Exactly how many people in the coastal areas of Zheng Country were starting to see themselves as Tang People, and how many of the stationed troops there had already turned towards the Great Tang Group.


    In Tang Mo''s view, the trade alliance was after all just an alliance, and it would inevitably face dissolution one day¡ªthe empires wouldn''t peacefully continue to develop indefinitely. These nations, driven by greed, would become impatient and surely ignite wars!


    An unbreakable alliance was a joke; war was eternal. Therefore, what Tang Mo was more concerned about was when he could become Emperor and join the fray to carve up the world.


    "General Luff is perhaps a little too optimistic," Yulin said with a laugh to Tang Mo, "Because we always win, optimism tends to run high."


    The newly established 1st Division of the Naval Marine Corps had occupied almost all of Zheng Country''s offshore islands more than half a year ago and taken control of all of Zheng Country''s trade routes.


    Nowadays, all exported goods produced in the interior of Zheng Country were actually sold to Dongwan Island, and all imported goods received by Zheng Country were actually dispatched by the Great Tang Group. It seemed like trade, but in reality, it was internal resource distribution.


    Having achieved a series of victories in battle, the military''s undefeated record continued. Under such circumstances, it wouldn''t be believable if one claimed there was no sense of optimism or pride¡ªTang Mo himself wouldn''t believe it.


    In fact, even the attack on Dongwan Island, wasn''t it launched under Tang Mo''s command, as the whole military optimistically began it, disregarding objective laws and various problems?


    "Optimism is good! However, we must guard against arrogance and impetuosity," Tang Mo then responded perfunctorily before turning to Yulin, as though inquiring yet seemingly discussing, "So, should we slightly adjust our battle plan against Zheng Country, and start it ahead of schedule?" Discover hidden stories at empire


    "If you were to ask Tagg, he would definitely tell you that everything is ready," Yulin replied with a smile.


    She seemed to answer the question, yet not quite.


    What Tang Mo wanted to confirm was whether the military was ready to start a war. Yulin''s answer was: ready, yet not entirely ready.


    Tang Mo was well aware of Tagg''s character; Tagg would not disobey Tang Mo''s attack orders because of some minor issues.


    But the military probably wasn''t perfectly prepared; in fact, being completely ready for a war is itself an impossibility.


    Even if one thinks everything is foolproof, a variety of issues will still emerge after the outbreak of war. This was something Tang Mo, the arms dealer, knew very well, and also something he was sure he could not change.


    He could address all detail issues through research, but when it came down to actual execution, due to real-world constraints, things would still become chaotic.


    Imagine having plenty of ammunition prepared, but if there''s only limited transport capacity and the ammunition can''t be delivered on time to the front lines where it''s most needed, won''t there still be a problem?


    There will still be problems! He could not ensure that every vehicle would run without faults, nor could he guarantee that each unit would meet planned resistance or predict the enemy''s counterattack direction or intensity.


    In the end, various issues would still arise on the battlefield, so Tagg would not refuse any of Tang Mo''s orders and would loyally carry them out.


    Because he is Tagg!


    -------


    I''m not feeling well today, so there will only be two updates. The rest will be postponed...


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 Chapter 476 Plan 463 Dragon

    Four days later, a news report from Dongwan Island forced Tang Mo to once again convene a full meeting to discuss the strategy for conquering Zheng Country.


    "Things have become complicated," Nangong Hong started, somewhat bemused, after putting down the intelligence report, "I really never thought your measures could be so effective, effective to the point even we''re caught a bit off guard..."


    There was a hint of irony in his words, which made Li''ao somewhat embarrassed. Matters like these were mostly handled by his intelligence department, and such an incident was truly unexpected for him as well.


    Just yesterday, something shocking happened: a man whose wife had starved to death and children succumbed to illness, after losing all hope, fled to Linshui Port and became a dockworker.


    After working on the docks for several months and seeing the better side of the world, he suddenly became extremist.


    He stole a sum of money his supervisor used for paying wages and escaped back to his hometown. Pretending to have a powerful background, he bribed the City Defense Forces and obtained gunpowder for artillery.


    Then, unbelievably, this man used the gunpowder to make an explosive device and blew up the county office that had caused his family''s ruin...


    As it happened, the very office he destroyed was where Zheng Tong''s trusted officials were stationed to spy on Linshui City.


    Too absurdly, before setting off the explosives, the man gave a passionate speech along the streets, promoting the happy life of the Tang People, telling everyone that they were Tang People and not the oppressed Zheng people!


    "The operatives there should report the truth," Li''ao added, "If we don''t remind each of them to calm down as much as possible and wait for our action, conflicts would have already erupted there."


    The Great Tang Group had greatly underestimated the impact of Zheng Country''s corruption and depravity on the livelihoods of its people; they''d been suffering for a long time under heavy exploitation and oppression.


    They were longing for someone to rescue them from their dire straits, for someone to offer them a bite to eat.


    Then, the Great Tang Group appeared, giving these miserable people hope, the hope to become Tang People, to continue living, living happily, living with dignity!


    "The high levels of Zheng Country are trying to investigate the situation in our infiltrated areas, and we''re doing our best to conceal the truth. But as time goes on, this approach is proving increasingly futile," admitted Li''ao, the head of intelligence, regretting his mistake.


    There were already not enough people planted inside Zheng Country, and a big part of them were occupied with tasks like map drawing and bribing local officials, leaving very few to counter Zheng spies.


    Even so, with their own combat prowess, the Great Tang Group intelligence personnel still thwarted over eighty percent of Zheng spies'' attempts to gather information.


    Unfortunately, no defense is impregnable; hoping to completely destroy the enemy''s intelligence network and totally block their vision was an unrealistic pipe dream.


    Therefore, Li''ao had to assume the worst: "The other side has roughly figured out some truths, although we still can''t be certain to what extent they''ve got control, but we can be sure that they are already taking countermeasures.


    Zheng Tong is dispatching his confidants to carry out more meticulous investigations near our controlled areas, and the Zhang Family there is also desperately trying to extract the information they want."


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 Chapter 477 Plan 463 Dragon_2

    Military matters were reported by Luff, who continued with a report on the recent dynamics of Zheng Country''s troops, "On Li Jun''s side, our control is also declining, as he has realized the danger and has already moved his most trusted troops to guard crucial positions within Zheng Country."


    "The basic intelligence of these rulers is still there¡ªthey''ll accept bribes and eagerly intensify their actions without a moment''s hesitation. However, when it comes to actually selling off their power, they become reluctant," Nangong Hong lamented.


    Li''ao passed a new intelligence report to the center of the table, "Yes. There is intelligence indicating that the higher-ups in Zheng Country have begun to consider plundering nationwide by expropriating all factories and seizing the fruits of industrial victory."


    "Once Zheng Tong takes action, our losses will increase and our efforts to manage Zheng Country''s entire territory will be affected," Parker reminded with concern, responsible for overseeing industrial development.


    The Great Tang Group''s investment in Zheng Country has been staggeringly large, including roads as well as factories and schools, among other things. If Zheng Tong were to preemptively grab these assets, recapturing them would inevitably involve some losses.


    Retrieving even half would be considered very fortunate. This is something the industry-rich Great Tang Group was unwilling to try lightly.


    "What is the Staff Department''s opinion?" Tang Mo looked at the map hanging on the wall, followed the progress bar with magnetic cursors, and finally turned to look at Luff before asking.


    In fact, he already had his own answer and was only hoping to hear suggestions from his subordinates.


    Everyone present knew the answer because, during the discussion, everyone''s leanings were quite clear.


    Indeed, Luff provided the reply Tang Mo expected, "Start acting in advance, implement ''Dragon Plan'' before Zheng Tong makes his move."


    "Now?" Tang Mo''s gaze swept across every person seated on both sides of the table.


    Meanwhile, at the Navy Command, Bernard was also issuing embarkation orders to the 1st Marine Division.


    After hanging up the phone, he continued to issue commands, "Assemble the fleet! The Dongwan Island detachment will cover the troop landings, while the main fleet will accompany me northward to pay Chen Country a visit."


    "Doesn''t that mean we''ll miss the landing battle?" The aide-de-camp asked with some regret, looking at his commanding officer.


    "There won''t be any decent sea battles..." lamented Bernard, the commander of the world''s strongest fleet: "Jade City No. 2 will arrive tomorrow, and we will rendezvous with it at sea."


    "Being invincible... sometimes gets boring," the aide-de-camp also sighed, having already witnessed the grandeur of the Jade City No. 1 Battleship. Now, they had two of such warships!


    Linshui City was almost defenseless, and Zheng Country''s naval fleet was practically a paper tiger. Even if they learned the full scope of ''Dragon Plan'' in advance, they wouldn''t have the strength to stop what was about to happen.


    The Great Tang Group''s first wave of landing troops would most likely be transported directly to the port docks for unloading. The Zheng Country troops in Linshui City wouldn''t even put up any resistance.


    According to the plans, this wasn''t really a landing battle at all, but more akin to a routine operation of troop rotation. By the time divisions of troops had spread out in the heartland of Zheng Country, King Zheng Tong would find the enemy at his doorstep.


    Along with the sound of whistles, soldiers started preparing their gear in the densely-packed barracks on Dongwan Island.


    Counting soldiers conscripted from Northern Ridge and other areas, the troop presence of the Great Tang Group on Dongwan Island had grown to a formidable force nearing 160,000 after such accumulation over time. Your journey continues on empire


    Although mostly light infantry divisions according to standard, their combat power was still not something traditional troops could compare with.

 Chapter 478 Plan 463 Dragon_3

    These troops were divided into 8 divisions in total, with 4 being main force divisions, namely the 1st Infantry Division, the 1st Motorized Infantry Division (formerly the 5th Division), the 1st Marine Division, and the 4th Infantry Division.


    There were also 4 light divisions, which were the newly formed 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Divisions.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    In recent months, the troops stationed on Dongwan Island had been continuously training for cross-sea operations; everyone was anticipating the outbreak of war, and waiting for another opportunity to distinguish themselves.


    Unlike the capture of Dongwan Island, this time was truly Great Tang''s nation-building battle, and everyone involved had the potential to gain the glory of the dragon! How could this not excite people? How could it not make them thrilled?


    Inside the port, huge cranes began to lift supplies onto the freighters, the sound of steam whistles echoed in the harbor, and the soldiers crowded on the docks stretched as far as the eye could see.


    In Brunas, Harry quickly made his way into the conference room and nodded slightly to the envoys of various nations. He walked to his own seat, paused for two seconds, and opened his mouth, "Gentlemen, the reason I''ve asked you here is to announce something..."


    Great Tang Group continuing its neutrality was, strictly speaking, good news for everyone. At the very least, Great Tang Group would maintain a facade of fairness, continuing to supply weapons to all nations.


    Similarly, the establishment of Great Tang Kingdom was news worth pondering over for everyone: not using the title of Empire was clearly a result of thorough consideration within Great Tang Group¡ªTang Mo did not wish to provoke the Dahua Empire, and he also avoided the embarrassment of frivolously declaring his own empire during such an awkward moment as an empire''s inaugural year.


    "Following this, the envoys of Great Tang Kingdom will communicate with the distinguished special envoys present, and submit official documents..." After briefly outlining the situation, Harry concluded the meeting, "The specifics are too numerous and will be quite complex. The process may take days, even months. I won''t waste any more of your time."


    "Thank you for coming despite your busy schedules. Goodbye." With that, he left the conference room, leaving the special envoys whispering amongst themselves, abuzz with conversation.


    ---------


    Sorry, I''m still not feeling well, so there''s only one update...

 Chapter 479 464 scoops of rice and jug of soup

    A colossal vessel broke through the mist, its huge bulk docking at the slender pier. The gangway was slowly lowered, after which the people who had been eagerly awaiting on deck hastily disembarked.


    The first to walk down the gangway was a soldier, and behind him were still soldiers, a dense mass of them, one after another, forming silent ranks on the dock.


    They didn''t shout any slogans, simply lining up spontaneously, and once everyone was assembled, they immediately left with their weapons without looking back.


    Soon, an entire unit of soldiers had finished disembarking, including their weapons and a sufficient supply of ammunition to fight a battle.


    The crane lifted cars from the ship''s hold, followed by howitzers, and then boxes and boxes of ammunition secured together.


    Suddenly, at the neighboring dock, another cargo ship stabilized at its berth, and sailors coiled the ropes. The gangway of this massive vessel was also slowly lowered, and similarly, rows of soldiers disembarked in silence, as if worried about disturbing others, before departing from the port.


    An elderly woman setting up her breakfast stall that morning saw the troops leaving the port. She was stunned initially, but then a smile appeared on her face.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    She even stopped hawking her wares, simply spreading out her ingredients and frying golden-brown youtiao in her sizzling wok¡ªthis food item had come over from Dongwan Island and was said to be very popular in Brunas.


    Initially, the recipe had spread from Tang Mo''s kitchen, and later it became the nobility''s favorite breakfast. Paired with soy milk, it was simply irresistible.


    What''s more, it came with a beautiful legend: the youtiao, golden in color like gold bars, so eating it was thought by some to bring a touch of Tang Mo''s wealth, thus it was also called "fried gold bars."


    The soldiers all wore grayish-green uniforms, helmets on their heads, and vests covered in bulging pockets.


    Each soldier carried a backpack that looked very large and heavy, and their belts were hung with shovels, canteens, ration pouches, and bayonets.


    Of course, the ordinary citizens of Linshui City couldn''t comprehend their gear, but the sight of their orderly march, and the forest-like gun barrels that swayed slightly with each step, instinctively filled onlookers with a sense of awe towards these troops.


    "Clap, clap..." A dockworker planning to go to work at the pier couldn''t resist starting to clap his hands at the sight of these troops.


    Ever since he had heard of the Great Tang Group and learned that a sinner would return to lead them to a better life, he had been looking forward to this day.


    Now that he had finally seen the troops of the Great Tang Group, and the arrival of the day when they would come to rescue them, he excitedly clapped his hands in welcome to this majestic and orderly military force.


    After hearing the applause, another passerby joined in clapping their hands, and gradually more and more joined until cheers began to erupt.


    Curious people opened their windows, then shouts of excitement emerged, people brought out water pitchers, and some held cheap fruits; others even generously grabbed eggs.


    Offering modest food and drink to welcome the king''s army!


    At the Lord''s Mansion, a guard rushed in frantically, reporting the news he had just received to his superior, "My lord, my lord! Trouble! Trouble! At the port, many foreign troops have suddenly appeared..."

 Chapter 480 464 scoops of rice and jug of soup_2

    ```


    He was in the middle of speaking when he pushed open the door and froze in place, for the room was long since empty, not even the bedding or coverings remained¡ªthey had been neatly packed and taken away.


    It appeared that last night, this venerable elder had already happily taken his million Gold Coins and gone off to enjoy his retirement.


    Not to mention that Linshui City had already lost the means to resist¡ªhaving soldiers and generals made no difference. This corrupt official, who pocketed no less than a million-plus Gold Coins, naturally couldn''t bring himself to stand against it.


    To speak frankly, had the Great Tang Group won, he might''ve retained a sliver of willingness to cooperate, but how would this corrupt official explain his actions to the higher-ups of Zheng Country if the Great Tang Group lost?


    So, at this moment, grabbing his bucket and running was clearly the right choice¡ªtake refuge in his estate outside the city to lay low, and then decide, based on who emerged victorious, whether to flee to Dongwan Island or return home to enjoy his fortune.


    The choice the Great Tang Group granted this old City Lord was actually quite nice, hence he very cooperatively vanished into the night without a hint of reluctance.


    The guard looked left and right, and finally came to his senses. He hurriedly left the house and sprinted home.


    Linshui City! The times are changing!


    While this guard was rushing home to pack his essentials and plan his escape, within Linshui City''s barracks, the soldiers had already discarded the unappealing and quite impractical Zheng Country military uniforms, donning the Great Tang Group''s uniforms which had been prepared in advance.


    After such a long period of planning, if they still couldn''t control Linshui City''s defense forces, then the Dandelions of the Great Tang Group might as well quit and go back to school for remedial classes.


    The entire operation to seize Linshui City went extremely smoothly, not even a gunshot was heard. Civilians, who had long been claiming themselves as Tang People in secret, quickly brought life back to the streets.


    "Rash and overambitious... This could end badly." Tagg voiced his concern, "Tell all the advance units! All battalions must consolidate their forces!"


    Zheng Country might be a house ready to collapse at a kick, but even so, when that house falls, it can still crush people!


    If such a vast Zheng Country couldn''t muster a few thousand capable fighting Troops, then the nation would''ve been finished long ago.


    While the Great Tang Group''s penetration of Zheng Country''s coastal areas was highly successful, to say that Zheng Country was entirely devoid of fighting strength was something even the most foolish person wouldn''t believe.


    Letting the frontline units be rash could lead to terrible losses! Tagg couldn''t let his men take risks¡ªthey were the elite nurtured by the Great Tang Group for a long time, and any loss would be heart-wrenching.


    "Yes!" The adjutant immediately responded to Tagg''s command.


    "Make it even stricter! Signal all advance units that if they encounter enemy counterattacks, they must retreat immediately! Do not engage where they stand! They must wait for backup to arrive! Only with artillery support can they engage in battle!" Holding command over the Great Tang''s largest combat force, Tagg felt he couldn''t be too cautious, and so he issued an even stricter order.


    The adjutant nodded and responded once more, "Yes, General! I will convey your command at once!"


    ...


    At the outskirts of King City of Zheng Country, outside a workshop, dozens of Soldiers blocked the entrance. An officer held the edict from the King, proclaiming the nationalization of the premises.


    "How can you do this? This is the business my family amassed over three generations; if you''re going to take it, the least you could do is give us an explanation, right?" A young man, supporting an old man gasping in anger, pleaded with those unreasonable Soldiers.


    ```

 Chapter 481 464 scoops of rice and jug of soup_3

    They believed they had given sufficient bribes to officials and thought that even just outside King City, there must be some rule of law. They paid taxes on time yet suffered from extortion, so they felt there should at least be a way to survive.


    But the truth was cruel: despite their efforts, they still ended up with nothing¡ªlike chickens flying and eggs smashed.


    "Make way! This place now belongs to Zheng Country!" the leading officer said with a smirk, shouting without any hesitation.


    This time, Zheng Tong''s order to them was to confiscate those factories and workshops, turning them all into his private property. His decree was very vague, giving his subordinates a lot of room to maneuver when carrying out his orders.


    Originally, Zheng Tong had intended to conscript heavy industry workshops, including metallurgy and steel furnaces, gun and cannon foundries¡ªto support his military preparations.


    But as his subordinates executed the orders, the outcome changed; profitable civilian workshops naturally suffered the same fate.


    The workshop before them was just like that. They were the largest leather processing workshop near King City, boasting over 1000 craftsmen. Making money was certainly possible.


    With a hastily found excuse¡ªclaiming the site could become a production place for military belts¡ªZheng Tong''s trusted guards appropriated the workshop for themselves.


    Around King City, not a single notable workshop was spared! Vinegar brewers, salt dryers, weavers, millers¡ªall were forcibly conscripted, turned into private property of the royal family.


    Amid the chaos, Zheng Tong had thoroughly lost the hearts of the merchants this time. Zhang Ming hurried to request an audience, but Zheng Tong ignored him under the guise of another excuse, leaving the entire King City in a state of panic.


    They were unaware that Linshui City had already changed rulers; they didn''t know that in many places the Dragon Banner was already flying high. But as time passed, they would eventually find out¡ªa storm was coming.


    As Zheng Tong sent his confidants to take control of even larger factories further afield, Zhang Ming finally got his chance to face Zheng Tong. Enjoy more content from empire


    This powerful official, although a threat to Zheng Tong''s royal authority, still had some capabilities. Upon meeting, he immediately advised Zheng Tong, "Your Majesty! Doing this, I fear you may harm the people''s sentiment!"


    He approached the guard and asked, "Tell me, where is Minister Pang now? Why has he not come to report this to His Majesty?"


    The guard glanced at Zheng Tong, lowered his head, and replied, "Responding to the Prime Minister... I also couldn''t find Minister Pang..."


    "Find him immediately! I must see him alive, or his body if he''s dead!" Zheng Tong snapped out of it, slammed the table, and ordered, "Go quickly! Take as many people as needed!"


    Just then, another officer stumbled in, shouting in terror, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! A telegram from Great General Li! Linshui¡ªLinshui City... it''s lost!"


    "What!" Zhang Ming was shocked beyond measure.


    "What?" Zheng Tong took three steps in two to approach, snatching the telegram, and reading the contents clearly.


    Originally, Zheng Tong had dispatched Li Jun to Linshui to personally oversee the seizure of the largest industrial area near Linshui Port in Zheng Country.


    But who would have thought that Li Jun would hear news of Linshui being occupied by Great Tang Group while on his way there?


    "It''s over..." A thought flashed through Zhang Ming''s mind.


    "This, this..." Zheng Tong staggered, supported by a nearby guard, barely keeping his balance.


    Amidst the chaos, the war between the Great Tang Kingdom and Zheng Country broke out.


    --------


    Dragon Spirit is still recovering from illness, feeling weak, and can only update one chapter. Please forgive the sparse updates; it seems like the debt of owed chapters is growing.


    Being ill, my appetite isn''t great, and because I''m not in a good mood, I had a light dinner¡ªBBQ ribs, stewed beef, braised prawns, eggplant in soy sauce, shredded potatoes, marinated duck gizzards, stir-fried cabbage, raw fish slices, fried meatballs, and peanuts... and even drank a bottle of cola...

 Chapter 482 Battle of Tongcheng 465

    Unlike the expedition to Dongwan Island, this time the troops of Tang Mo had stockpiled their supplies on Dongwan Island, so their speed of being dispatched to the front lines became much faster.


    The earlier deployment in Zheng Country, the secretly stockpiled supplies, the locals volunteering as guides, and the extensive network of roads, all made the advance of the Tang Army more convenient and swift.


    Through the sea route between Dongwan Port and Linshui Port, Tagg effortlessly transported his 1st Motorized Infantry Division and the 1st Infantry Division across the strait, and soon more troops completed the transfer.


    Counting the 1st Division of the Marine Corps and the 4th Division of the Army, Tagg had managed to land four divisions on the coast of Zheng Country without much combat.


    The combat effectiveness of these troops was not something ordinary units could match; these main force units were basically full divisions nearing 20,000 personnel each, and the number of artillery pieces equipped by a single division could exceed that of an entire country in the past.


    Responsible for the amphibious landing, Tagg did not want to easily send the 1st Marine Division to the front lines for consumption, so he held this navy unit back, not allowing them to participate in subsequent battles.


    Most of this division''s troops were now stationed around Linshui Port, and because they could not be equipped with a large number of vehicles, this amphibious landing force did not have the capability for long-distance, rapid marches on land.


    Tagg deployed the remaining three divisions in three main directions: to the far south was the relatively weakest 4th Division, pushing southward all the way to the border between Zheng Country and Chu Country.


    The attack to the north was led by the relatively faster 1st Motorized Division, the unit with the most vehicles and fastest advancement; their mission was to quickly push to the northern region of Zheng Country and secure the border with Qi Country.


    The remaining division was Tagg''s original command, the strongest 1st Infantry Division. Tagg ordered them to advance westward, directly towards the direction of Zheng Country''s King City.


    For the follow-up troops, Tagg also made arrangements; the similarly stronger 5th and 6th Divisions were considered as reserves, advancing westward behind the 1st Division, with the 7th Division heading north, and the 8th Division south, serving as reserves for the 1st Motorized Infantry Division and the 4th Division, respectively.


    From north to south, Tagg''s formation was arranged as 232, a total of seven divisions of operational troops. If necessary, there were two additional divisions in the process of being formed on Dongwan Island that could be sent as reinforcements at any time, namely the 9th and 10th Divisions.


    Blocking the way of these troops, the main force of the Zheng Army was about 200,000 strong, with 50,000 deployed on the border with Chu Country, and another 70,000 or so garrisoned on the northern border with Qi Country.


    In other words, the Zheng troops that could be immediately brought into the battle amounted to only about 80,000 at most, completely at a disadvantage in terms of personnel.


    In the hands of Zheng Country''s Great General Li Jun, there were only 40,000 men, and most of these troops were not yet ready for combat.


    In comparison to Great Tang, the level of industrialization in Zheng Country was too low; most of the weapons and equipment they had planned to produce themselves could not be fully deployed in time due to production capacity issues.


    Moreover, due to reasons such as corruption and delays, the equipment modernization of the Zheng Army was not even one third complete.


    In fact, of the troops under the main force of Li Jun, only about half were equipped with the Shireck Type 1 bolt-action rifles purchased from Shireck, and a small number of breech-loading cannons.


    In addition, Zheng Country had another relatively formidable force, the Imperial Guards of Zheng Tong stationed at King City, whose weapons were more advanced and training levels higher.


    Beyond these two units, the majority of Zheng Country''s army was still equipped with flintlock muskets and muzzle-loading cannons, making their combat effectiveness quite a laughable matter.


    Li Jun''s trusted general, the valiant warrior Lu Fang of Zheng Country, was killed on the ramparts, and the 3,000-strong "Li Family Army," Li Jun''s most loyal troops, were completely annihilated.


    Having lost Tongcheng, the Zheng Country forces were at a total disadvantage; what was once a cohesive defensive line suddenly had a breach in the central area, prompting an immediate retreat across the board.


    The biggest problem was that the armaments stored in Tongcheng became spoils for the Tang Army, and with the loss of a significant amount of supplies and baggage, the nearby Zheng forces were effectively incapable of further combat.


    Simultaneously, the mines, ore processing, and metal smelting facilities around Tongcheng, including the Tongcheng ammunition factory and other ordnance factories, had all fallen into the hands of the Tang Army.


    Li Jun did not believe that the remaining forces under his command had the capability to counterattack the Tang Army and recapture the vital Tongcheng ordnance factories.


    Knowing his limitations, General Li immediately led his troops toward King City in a disordered retreat, not bothering to protect the rear.


    Following this, the Tang Army captured over 10,000 fleeing enemy soldiers, achieving a great victory at Tongcheng. With Li Jun''s troops retreating, the nearby Zheng forces immediately showed their true colors, scattering like birds and beasts under the Tang Army''s offensive.


    What began as an 80,000 against 60,000 battlefield in the central region suddenly became 30,000 against 60,000. The Zheng Army''s negligible numerical superiority was completely obliterated.


    Even after rallying the over 20,000 royal guards stationed at Zheng Country''s King City, the military strength in the central region of Zheng Country was only about 50,000. Meanwhile, with the arrival of the 5th and 6th Divisions, the Tang Army now deployed over 60,000 troops in the central region.


    As Tagg put it, he had never fought such a well-provisioned war before! For the first time in the main offensive direction, the Tang Army had a numerical advantage!


    Having captured Tongcheng, Tagg did not rush to advance toward King City; instead, he turned his attention to the southern and northern regions.


    Thanks to the Great Tang military''s victory at Tongcheng, the resolve of Zheng Country''s border troops wavered. Considering their futures, the frontier commanders seriously reconsidered the offer made by the Great Tang Group.


    On the seventh day of the hostilities, 50,000 border troops in the southern region of Zheng Country laid down their arms and surrendered to the Great Tang Kingdom. As per the agreement, they did not abandon their positions but continued to hold the border until the end of the war.


    Two days later, having received assurances of safety, 70,000 border troops in the northern region of Zheng Country announced their surrender to the Great Tang Kingdom. Tang Mo, achieving his goal, took control of the border region and firmly held Zheng Country in his grasp.


    Today, only the area around King City continues to resist Zheng Country. Meanwhile, the 1st, 5th, and 6th Divisions of the Tang Army have begun their advance toward the vicinity of Zheng Country''s King City.


    Tagg, who in less than 13 days had completely encircled Zheng Country''s King City and occupied nearly the entire country, unexpectedly slowed down.


    He decelerated the advance of his troops, taking firm and steady actions without overreaching, and by the 22nd day of the war, had advanced to the outskirts of Zheng Country''s King City.


    Although slower than Redman in the conquest of the Kingdom of Germelin, this pace of advance still reminded the world of a name: "Tagg."


    ----------


    Due to health issues, I will be taking some time to rest and will only be able to update once for now. My apologies to my dear readers.


    ```

 Chapter 483 Battle of King City 466

    A military vehicle wobbled to a stop at the roadside; an officer clad in a greyish-green coat jumped out of the car, took out a cigarette case from his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and placed it in his mouth.


    Another officer in the car rubbed his eyes, then stretched lazily, his hands hitting the roof of the car. He instinctively shrank back and asked languidly, "Where are we now?"


    "About 10 kilometers ahead, Zheng Country''s King City," the officer who had gotten out struck a match, lit his cigarette, and replied as he released a puff of smoke.


    He hadn''t slept for two days and had been pushing on continuously; it was almost his limit, as well as that of his unit. Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    "The first battalion''s first company should be about 4 kilometers ahead, and the second company is right behind us... Has the third company reached its designated position?" The officer inside the car took out a map from his bag, spread it on his knees to have a look, and continued with a hint of irritation.


    The map in his hand had just been recently updated. Although it was more accurate, it was still quite crude. On this map, there were only rough indications of the surrounding terrain, at most serving as a reference for command.


    Therefore, after comparing his surroundings with the map, he finally managed to identify a distant mountain. After glancing at the deserted village ahead, where not a soul could be seen, he scratched his head in complaint, "This damned map..."


    The village by the roadside where they had stopped appeared deserted due to the war, with only a few disorderly, dilapidated houses remaining.


    Signs of troop encampments could still be seen around these long-neglected homes, likely left by Zheng Country''s military, because Great Tang Group''s camps would never be in such disarray.


    "Yes! Understood!" Following the smoking officer''s pointing finger, the security company''s sergeant promptly saluted.


    Behind him, soldiers were already hopping down from the truck one by one, starting to set up a perimeter watch in the surrounding area.


    For ease of production and to save on materials, many parts of Great Tang Group''s military trucks were made of wood.


    The doors of the trucks were wooden, and so were the rear compartments, which saved a large amount of steel and allowed the maximum utilization of different materials.


    Of course, this also had its disadvantages, as it affected the service life of the vehicles. Metal doors, roofs, and compartments were of course more durable and could provide better protection under certain circumstances.


    But in order to equip the troops with more trucks in a short time, engineers from Great Tang Group decided to manufacture many parts of their trucks out of wood.


    Soon, more vehicles arrived at the location, including trucks laden with petrol generators, others transporting wireless telegraph equipment, and then more security troops came.


    Soldiers began to build defensive installations for guard duty around them. Some were digging trenches, while others were setting up machine gun posts behind them for cover.


    The commander of the security battalion finally caught up and then went off to complain to his superiors in the division. His unit was responsible for the security of the division headquarters, but as they moved, the senior commanders of the division were all too easily lost.


    On the way here, at many times, only a single security squad would be following the division commander''s car. Should they encounter enemy stragglers, the consequences were unimaginable.

 Chapter 484 Battle of King City 466_2

    ```


    Therefore, upon seeing the Chief of Staff resting in the village, the commander of the guard battalion began to complain: "Chief of Staff, if something happens, how do I explain it to General Tagg?"


    "I will have a good talk with him, make him pay attention to his safety," the Chief of Staff replied. While he spoke, a female officer from the division headquarters passed by, carrying a large stack of documents.


    "Chief of Staff, the 2nd Battalion made contact! I have marked their position on the map," another officer who followed the female officer reported as he passed by the Chief of Staff.


    The already busy Chief of Staff nodded, then pulled out a map from the clutter on the folding table to check the positions on it.


    The entire division was in disarray... Many troops were still unaccounted for. However, the good news was that those found had already reached their assigned positions.


    On the other end of Zheng Country''s King City, the 155 mm howitzers of the 1st Infantry Division were bombarding the walls of King City from 10 kilometers away.


    The heavy shells landed near the city walls, with one directly exploding at the base, toppling a thick segment of the wall.


    The fractured stones of the wall broke and tumbled, several soldiers stationed at the top were killed by the artillery fire, and the surrounding Zheng soldiers panicked as they passed under the collapsing wall, quickly disappearing into the rolling dust.


    "What do we do now? What do we do now?" Zheng Tong, watching the smoking walls in the distance, questioned Li Jun and Zhang Ming at his side.


    Zhang Ming looked towards Li Jun, curious himself about what plans the Great General of Zheng Country could possibly have to address the crisis at hand.


    "I have already ordered the troops to set up a defensive perimeter; based on the combat manual provided by Shireck, we dug trenches and reinforced artillery at key positions," Li Jun replied, competently and properly, indeed a capable commander.


    He had actually not seen these tactics before, but after suffering several setbacks, he decisively began to use the new methods outlined by Shireck.


    In addition, he deployed a large number of soldiers in the workshops and factory halls outside the Royal Palace and was prepared to contest these vital industrial facilities with the Tang Army.


    "Is there any news from the envoy we sent to Dahua for reinforcements?" Zheng Tong then turned to Zhang Ming at his side and asked.


    Zhang Ming immediately bowed his head: "Your Majesty! There''s no news yet! However, there was information earlier that the road to Dahua was cut off, in chaos, with Tang Army everywhere..."


    "We''ve fallen into the enemy''s trap!" If Zheng Tong hadn''t figured out by now that the strategy proposed by Pang Tong was actually poison for Zheng Country, he wouldn''t be fit to be the king of Zheng Country.


    Next to the vine-covered walls, there was a hastily dug trench by the Zheng Army forces. The soldiers from Zheng Country huddled inside the trench, holding their heads and curling up as shells fell around their positions.


    The vibrations eventually caused the already unstable walls to collapse, and with one explosion after another gradually receding, the Tang Army soldiers dispersed and advanced toward the Zheng Army''s position.


    Amidst the gunpowder smoke, a Zheng Country soldier poked his head out from the trench, spotted the Tang Army soldiers who had already come close to their position, and immediately withdrew his head.


    "This is bad! The enemy, the enemy is coming over here!" The young Zheng Country soldier pressed his voice to the lowest and shouted with all his might.


    Hearing the warning, the Zheng Army soldiers inside the trench quickly chose their positions, poked their heads out, and then their weapons, ready to pull the trigger on those approaching enemies.


    But before they could open fire, bullets from the sniper rifles flying toward them sent those Zheng Country soldiers back into the trench.


    The shot soldier fell on his back, with a hole in his forehead. Seeing their comrade''s head blown open, the remaining Zheng Country soldiers all pulled their heads back, no longer daring to look out carelessly and see how the situation was changing.


    Not everyone has the courage to expose their head to a sniper, let alone the opposite side wasn''t just one sniper! It was a group!


    While these terrified Zheng Country soldiers were huddling in the trench, arguing with their eyes over who should take a peek to scope out the situation, the Tang Army soldiers crawling forward outside the trench had already come very close.


    Carefully withdrawing grenades from beside them, the Tang Army soldiers in pairs pulled the pins from the grenades and then released the safety lever.


    The delayed fuses started to work, and after mentally counting to two, the soldiers threw their grenades forward together.


    Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Explosions suddenly resounded above the heads of the Zheng Army soldiers hiding in the trench, and the soil lifted by the blasts fell upon them.


    Due to the explosions, one after another, the thrown soil seemed to be burying all the people alive in the trench.


    At that moment, at the foot of a Zheng Country soldier, a round grenade tumbled and rolled to the side of his shoe


    ---------


    Brothers, Dragon Spirit is ill and needs a couple of days to recover, so for now we''ll just have one update. Once the illness is over, I will make up the updates.


    ```

 Chapter 485 467 seven days

    This was the latest model of general-purpose hand grenade produced by the Great Tang Group, smaller than the previously used stick grenades to facilitate soldiers carrying them and reduce the logistical support pressure.


    Although stick grenades could be thrown farther and could prevent rolling upon landing, they were far too large compared to the egg-shaped grenades, taking up a significant amount of transport volume and increasing usage costs.


    Moreover, for individual soldiers, carrying egg-shaped grenades was obviously easier than carrying stick grenades, and they could carry more of them in relative terms.


    The troops of Zheng Country had clearly never seen such a round explosive, so when one soldier saw something fall at his feet, his first reaction was to look at the object engraved with horizontal and vertical lines.


    The next second, as the fuse ran out of time, the grenade exploded inside the trench, creating a storm of metal.


    Flames and shock waves mixed with the splintered grenade casing, rampaged through the trench, and engulfed the crowded Zheng Army soldiers.


    A few seconds after the explosion, a Great Tang soldier somersaulted into the trench, holding his Thompson submachine gun at the ready, and warily scanned for movement within the trench.


    "Ah..." moaned a Zheng soldier overturned by the grenade, lying in the trench with a shrapnel-pierced leg, blood gushing profusely. Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    In fact, he could no longer hear his own cries, with only buzzing in his ears. But he knew he was wounded and hoped to exchange with a comrade to save his dying self.


    Unfortunately, most of his comrades could not hear his groans anymore, with bodies lying haphazardly in the trench, the living dazedly trying to regain their senses.


    "Help!" Farther away, a Zheng soldier called for help, his injuries less severe as he had already sat up.


    But his cries only drew bullets from the already trench-penetrating Tang soldiers. At the other end of the trench, the Tang assault trooper who had just rolled in raised his submachine gun and began to fire indiscriminately.


    "Ratatatat!" As the gunsmoke had not yet cleared, the Thompson submachine gun breathing fire spat out bullets like rain into the chaotic crowd of Zheng soldiers.


    Instantly there was a scene of chaos!


    The Zheng soldier who had just sat up took a bullet to the chest and lay down promptly; those squatting at a distance couldn''t even stand before they too were felled by gunfire.


    Seeing the enemy approaching, the Zheng soldiers frantically worked the bolts of their weapons, only to be cut down before they could complete the action.


    The most unlucky of the Zheng soldiers raised his hands in fright but was not spared by the merciless bullets; blood mist sprayed from his chest as he fell.


    Just over a month ago, he was still clutching at tax revenues he dared not even think about in the past and had many more new recruits than before, dreaming of his grand ambitions...


    But in the blink of an eye, he was now trapped in a besieged city, with the Royal Palace already bombed into ruins, and enemy blades and guns were mere kilometers away!


    "How long... how much longer can we hold on?" asked Zheng Tong, who would tremble with each nearby artillery blast, looking towards Li Jun, whose face was equally pale, with an irritating question.


    Li Jun, rubbing the back of his hand, stared at the map of the city''s defense deployment and replied with difficulty, "Morale could collapse at any moment, so it''s hard to say... However, we could hold out for at most seven more days."


    "So soon?" Zhang Ming was shocked, looking at Li Jun. He and Li Jun had fought over power and profit all their lives, but at this moment, he found that it was still this old rival who could be of some use at a critical time.


    The rest of the ministers had either fled or hid, and now there were few to be found! Some had long since taken their families and turned to the enemy, while others had disappeared among the chaotic civilians.


    Yesterday, while it was not yet so disordered, Zhang Ming tried to gather some confidants to discuss how to deal with the situation at hand, only to find that only one came.


    The rest either made excuses of being sick or were simply gone without a trace! These people had all set up private residences within the city, at the very least owning a hidden abode for their mistresses, and now that they were in hiding, they were not easy to find.


    "It''s not that short! Maybe things will be a bit better tomorrow, but Your Majesty, you need to be prepared for the city walls to be breached and the enemy forces to enter the city," Li Jun explained realistically, "Judging by the enemy''s artillery, the city walls cannot be held, at most until tomorrow morning..."


    "What? The city walls will be lost tomorrow?" Zhang Ming was startled again. Not being a military expert, in his view, once the city walls were lost, it was pretty much over.


    "Didn''t you say we could hold out for seven days?" Zheng Tong was also startled by this statement, having thought that Li Jun meant they could defend behind the solid city walls for seven days.


    Li Jun shook his head and explained to these two military laymen: "Your Majesty, Prime Minister! When I said at most seven days, it actually would be remarkable if we can hold out for five days¡ªthat would mean the soldiers are fighting with their lives,"


    He paused, then continued, "The enemy''s artillery fire is fierce, and the city head cannot be defended, so the city wall defensive line will soon be breached. But within the city, with the houses and streets, we can still hold up, and with the civilian chaos... the enemy won''t dare to attack recklessly, so we can barely hold for two more days in the confusion."


    At this point, he swept his hand across the map, sighed, and went on to say, "After a maximum of three days, the troops who have lost oversight and commands will collapse, and what remains will only depend on how much resistance our soldiers have left, and when the enemy decides to come for us..."


    Even during World War II, in the Battle of Stalingrad, the Soviet Army and the German Army still fought amid chaos, with many small units completely disconnected from higher command, battling brutally in the narrow confines, a tremendous test of morale and will.


    These were clashes between two highly modernized forces with strong combat wills. Any non-modern military that requires officers to lead the charge would quickly fall apart in urban combat.


    Li Jun, as a leader of troops, naturally knew the true capability of his forces. He was very aware that once upper command was lost, small, cut-off forces of the Zheng Army would immediately fall into disarray and then begin to collapse.


    Although the troops deployed around the Royal Palace were the most elite of the Zheng Army, the principle was the same. Even the most elite forces could not alter the inevitable outcomes.

 Chapter 486 468 yuan for two days

    However, the process would be somewhat prolonged, Li Jun''s estimate of 5 to 7 days was really just a reflection of his "hope."


    On one hand, he was hoping his troops could hold out a bit longer, while on the other, he anticipated that the Tang Army, wary of casualties, or out of caution, might slow their push.


    Upon hearing Li Jun''s explanation, Zheng Tong''s fragile and sensitive expression began to twitch again. He suddenly grabbed the cup in front of him and smashed it to the ground.


    Li Jun remained silent, while Zhang Ming who had just been immersed in the terror of the city''s breach was startled by the sudden smashing sound of the cup breaking.


    He looked at Zheng Tong, who had become somewhat incoherent over the past two days, finding the King struggling to articulate his thoughts.


    Indeed, even before the battle of Tongcheng erupted, he had considered the possibility of ceding all the land east of Tongcheng to the Great Tang Group in exchange for peace.


    But at that time, Zheng Tong would never have consented to ceding half of Zheng Country for a temporary reprieve. Back then, Zheng Tong''s mind was filled with thoughts of a counter-attack, of recapturing lost territory!


    Zheng Tong could tolerate the loss of an overseas island, or even all the islands, but he could never accept the easy loss of mainland territory.


    Of course, he might have tolerated a little, but east of Tongcheng was about half of Zheng Country!


    Now, at this moment, Zhang Ming had come to see that if he were the decision-makers of Great Tang, he too would not have ceased hostilities at the battle of Tongcheng.


    Even if Zheng Country were willing to offer fealty and tribute, willing to cede half of the nation, Great Tang would not likely call off their troops and talk peace. For Great Tang had readied themselves to completely swallow Zheng Country, why would they settle for only half a meal when the meat was already in their mouth?


    Now, at this instant, Zheng Country was left with only King City, and Great Tang was even less likely to allow Zheng Country to dictate any terms anymore.


    Therefore, although Zhang Ming opened his mouth, he was unable to voice the suggestion to approach Great Tang for negotiations.


    However, he was somewhat unwilling to accept that things were suddenly... over.


    Zhang Ming glanced at Li Jun beside him and after the crazed Zheng Tong had smashed all the cups on the table and stormed out of the room, whispered, "Are we truly defenseless? Can''t our tens of thousands of troops..."


    Li Jun glanced at Zhang Ming and shook his head, "If there were any other way, would I not try it? At this point, any action would merely be the thrashes of the dying."


    "Ah..." Zhang Ming sighed.


    Almost simultaneously, Li Jun also sighed, "Ah..."


    Can''t we... hold out for a few more days?" Zhang Ming asked again, still unwilling to let go, like a lovelorn woman not ready to part ways.


    "I... will try... We''ll hold out for as many days as we can," Li Jun said, feeling somewhat uplifted upon hearing his long-time adversary speak in such a tone, as if gaining a bit more strength.


    Unfortunately, reality proved that Li Jun had misjudged both the fighting power of his troops and the determination of the enemy forces.


    On a quiet night, some were terror-stricken and others sleepless, the silence unbroken by cannon or gunfire, as if everyone was waiting for dawn the next day.


    Indeed, it was impossible for him to find them¡ªhaving reached a dead end, Zhang Ming surrendered to the Great Tang Group at dawn.


    After a night of killing, Li Jun also remembered the besieging army outside the city. So he gathered the troops he could and sent a messenger, surrendering plainly to the Great Tang Group.


    To make himself more valuable, the Zheng Country''s Great General even brought the corpse of King Zheng Tong with him. Everything happened so abruptly and so quickly that even Tagg was not prepared.


    He truly had not expected that this campaign of annexing Zheng Country would end in such a farcical manner.


    Li Jun, who had always strived to play the role of the loyal official, and the resentful Prime Minister Zhang Ming, thus met embarrassingly at the headquarters of the Great Tang Group.


    Li Jun, still with bandages wrapped around his shoulder, and Zhang Ming, dressed as a commoner with his beard shaved off, for a moment didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    "Your five days, seven days... turned out to be just two?" Zhang Ming, still unaware that Zheng Tong was dead, looked derisively at the disheveled Li Jun and asked.


    "I won''t argue with you; you''re lucky. If you hadn''t run fast enough, I would have killed you tonight too!" Li Jun snorted, somewhat regretting that he couldn''t personally slay this longtime rival in the end.


    Zhang Ming, stunned, heard something in that word "also" and stared at Li Jun with wide eyes, "You! You dare commit regicide?"


    "King Zheng Tong, without any question, found me and fired a shot!" Li Jun, eyes bloodshot as if he was a wild beast, pressed forward to Zhang Ming, "If not for my son taking the bullet, I would have been the one dead! My son died saving me; surely, it''s not excessive that I killed his whole family?"


    Hearing Li Jun''s words, Zhang Ming staggered back until he reached a table, where he steadied himself by grabbing onto the edge, finally managing to stand.


    He wanted to say something but found himself speechless¡ªhe believed everything Li Jun said, just from the look in his eyes...


    So he dejectedly hung his head and sighed without speaking further.


    That very night, Tagg sent a telegram to Dragon Island, informing Tang Mo that the war in Zheng Country was over.


    The next morning, troops from the Great Tang Kingdom began to enter the city. With the Kingdom of Zheng vanquished, the few remaining segments of the city walls of King City were now fluttering with Dragon Banners.


    There was hardly any resistance. Civilians of Zheng Country naturally accepted the rule of the Great Tang Kingdom, and just as naturally, they adopted their new identities as Tang People, as they had no fondness for Zheng Country.


    While the world''s nations had yet to come to terms with the sudden emergence of the Great Tang Kingdom, they were now stunned by the news of the Great Tang Kingdom''s annexation of Zheng Country.


    Now, a new dilemma presented itself before the leaders of the trade alliance: how to deal with their relationship with the Great Tang Kingdom!


    Gifting territory and ports to nobility within one''s own country or leasing them to a consortium is one thing, but ceding them for free to a kingdom is quite another.


    Previously, they could place their ports or territories in the hands of the Tang Group without sovereignty concerns. Now, these places were rich and mired in legal territorial disputes...


    Who could resist giving them a second thought?


    --------


    Well, today we''ve finally returned to two chapters a day. Let Dragon Spirit rest a bit, and in a few days, we''ll start to repay the owed chapters... sigh... The number of missed updates keeps increasing, truly a heartbreaking tale for the readers.

 Chapter 487 469 Speaking Reasonably

    "This world! After all, it belongs to us! No matter who comes, they can''t be unreasonable, right? Our land has been legally and legitimately purchased for generations." Setting his teacup aside, Shireck''s largest landlord Liu Yuan spoke slowly and deliberately as he looked at the few landowners who had come to mourn.


    Recently, the Zheng Country underwent drastic changes, causing those who used to make a living under its wing to become panicked. They urgently hoped to get a guarantee from the new rulers, one that would let them continue to live in wealth and peace.


    The few landowners who owned large tracts of land glanced at each other, all a bit embarrassed. Who among them seated here didn''t know the others'' affairs?


    The ancestors of these people may have truly been diligent at the beginning, relying on their initial accumulation to become wealthy. But after they had money, which of their households was free from sordid affairs?


    Taking advantage of bad years to rob cleverly, employing unsightly means to do unspeakable things, driving those who were unwilling to give up their land into ruin...


    Therefore, when they heard words like "reasonable" and "legal," they instinctively felt a chill of terror.


    "Don''t look at me with those eyes, gentlemen... The new ''parent officials'' have no time to concern themselves with our past deeds, nor are they likely to bother with how we live our lives in the future," Liu Yuan said with a sneer, glancing at these men who were as timid as mice.


    "But well, you know, parent officials, parent officials, they all need our filial tributes." He paused for a few seconds, then named his price, "2000 Gold Coins each! Presumably, the new parent officials wouldn''t bother with the wailing of those obstinate peasants."


    There were almost 10 people present, and just like that, 20,000 Gold Coins were gathered¡ªa substantial sum even within Zheng Country.


    After all, they were only landlords, depending on farming to make a profit. To tell the truth, even if they were to sell all of themselves, it was unlikely they could muster the bribe power of the Great Tang Group.


    The thought of having to fork over money again made these people''s hearts ache. The Zheng Country, in the name of strengthening the nation and its military, had already extracted from them once, costing each household 500 Gold Coins to deal with the officials at that time.


    And now, just a few days later, before they had even recovered, Zheng Country had fallen, and they needed to prepare another sum of tribute for the new rulers. This really caused them much distress.


    Outside Liu Mansion, several trucks slowly came to a stop, the doors were pushed open, and a platoon leader jumped out of the vehicle, with one hand on the holster at his waist and the other shading his eyes against the sun as he surveyed the nameplate on the gate.


    Soon, from the trucks behind, a group of uneasy peasants also disembarked, some hunched over at the roadside retching nonstop.


    For the peasants of Zheng Country, riding a truck was an extremely rare experience, so it was common for them to feel queasy and vomit after getting off the vehicles.


    The remaining peasants all looked pale, some genuinely suffering from motion sickness with dizzy and bursting heads, while others were simply frightened¡ªfor them, this place was scarcely different from hell.


    The young official who had come before hadn''t mentioned to them that reporting the landlords'' misdeeds and facing a confrontation was part of the plan.


    At that time, it was just said that reporting would be rewarded with grain and oil... A few who had taken a chance to complain had indeed received supplies, which then led others to follow suit.


    But...


    Stumbling, the doorkeeper managed to see the soldier with a helmet like a cooking pot on his head, who had already rushed into the courtyard.


    The soldiers who entered moved with impressive speed, as they unbarred and opened the gate from inside, and soon, even more soldiers swarmed in, escorting an officer.


    "How impressive!" The platoon leader, walking among his own soldiers with his hands behind his back, looked all around him, full of curiosity about the stately mansion.


    He truly hadn''t expected to find a place that seemed like a paradise in such a desolate area riddled with famine, peasant suffering, and rampant banditry.


    As a night school graduate who had received higher education at the Great Tang Military Academy, everything here instinctively filled him with disgust.


    It was different from the prosperity of Brunas; in his eyes, this mansion was like a castle in the air, built atop countless bones, emanating a foul stench of decay. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Who dares make trouble in the Liu Mansion? Are you looking for death?" A guardian charged out, stunned at first by the unfamiliar soldiers, and then toppled to the ground by a rifle butt to the face.


    "How can you beat someone up just like that?" The man who was hit covered his nose and immediately became reasonable.


    "It was him!" The woman following the platoon leader suddenly acted as if provoked, disregarding everything as she rushed forward, desperate to fight with the bloodied guardian who was still reasoning.


    A soldier stopped her, and as she struggled, she shouted with all her might, "It was him! He led people to beat my husband to death! He threw my son to the ground and killed him! It was him! It was him!"


    The guardian with a bloodied nose was startled to see the woman restrained, but then he became arrogant again, "Oh! It''s you, you crazy hag! You dare come back? You''re asking for death!"


    "I''m pleased you can admit to your crimes," the platoon leader nodded, then with a swift chop of his hand, two soldiers bypassed him, reached the guardian''s sides, and swiftly subdued the still confused man.


    The guardian struggled a bit, but after taking a couple of slaps, he stopped daring to resist. Just then, someone shouted loudly, "Stop!"


    With a grim face, Liu Yuan, flanked by a group of guardians and local landowners, blocked the platoon leader''s path with a contingent of over a hundred men.


    Many guardians carried long knives and swords, and some even bore Shireck flintlock guns that appeared to be of much finer quality than the Zheng Army''s equipment.


    "And who might this be?" the platoon leader asked, smiling.


    "This sir is Liu Yuan, the Old Master Liu," interjected a butler, stepping forward and making the introduction as Liu Yuan himself remained silent.


    "Sir, please give Liu some face. Shall we talk inside?" Liu Yuan suppressed his anger, forced a smile, took a half step back, and with a gesture invited them in for a discussion.


    The platoon leader glanced at the guardians with flintlock guns behind Liu Yuan and also smiled, "With such an imposing array from Old Master Liu, I''m too timid and scared to dare enter."

 Chapter 488 Going backwards in the opposite way to law 470

    Seeing that the other party still refused to recognize his situation, Liu Yuan''s face grew even darker. He snorted with a mocking edge, "In these times of chaos and disorder, I am merely seeking self-protection, dealing with bandits and disorderly soldiers. I hope the official will not take offense."


    "Is this me failing to maintain order?" The platoon leader replied matter-of-factly, "Then Master Liu should enter the city and lodge a complaint with the newly appointed governor."


    "You must be joking," Liu Yuan said disinterestedly, his smile not reaching his eyes.


    "Put down your weapons..." The platoon leader''s smile faded, and he chastised sharply, "pointing a gun at me?"


    "What if I don''t?" Liu Yuan, thinking himself superior in numbers, decided to give these upstarts a lesson.


    "Irrational, then? Resorting to blades and guns first?" The platoon leader asked while nodding.


    "Blades and guns are reason, aren''t they?" Liu Yuan raised an eyebrow.


    "There''s reason in that," the platoon leader agreed, nodding.


    "Ratatat!" The Tang Army soldiers, who had been holding submachine guns, immediately pulled the triggers without any warning. The bullets swept toward the bodyguards wielding weapons.


    Before the usually arrogant bodyguards could react, they fell in droves. Some servants who were just there to make up numbers also suffered greatly.


    After a burst of rapid gunfire, there were not many standing behind the once powerful Liu Yuan.


    "We can talk this over! Let''s talk!" A country gentry, terrified to the point of wetting his pants, clutched at his crotch and wailed.


    "See, when it comes down to it, I''m the one with reason," said the platoon leader, drawing his pistol and keeping his eyes on Liu Yuan. He stepped up to Liu Yuan and prodded his shoulder with the gun barrel.


    Liu Yuan, who had never seen such a terrifying weapon, was utterly stunned. He had only heard about the Zheng Army''s crushing defeat, about Zheng Country changing beyond recognition in just over a month, but he had never actually seen real automatic weapons.


    Those remaining behind him had long since dropped their swords and guns in dread that the terrible sound of gunfire might start again. They had no problem bullying the locals or getting into brawls, but challenging a regular Tang Army unit? That was a joke.


    "My lord... we can talk this over! Please, let''s talk!" The old butler, looking distressed, quickly stepped in front of the muzzle and whispered, "You''re here for money, aren''t you? We can negotiate, please!"


    "You''ve hit the nail on the head. I am actually here for money," the platoon leader said with a smile, lowering his gun because he saw the soldiers surrounding them had already disarmed the remnants of the defeated guards.


    "You''re talking nonsense!" Liu Yuan''s face turned ugly; he felt a sense of dread. The way the other party had stormed in with so many people likely meant they had their sights set on his entire fortune!


    He was too familiar with such tactics¡ªthey were the very same ones he often employed. The other party wasn''t after his dutiful bribes, but most likely after all his family''s wealth!


    As a result, he was afraid. "You all have no evidence! This is slander!" he protested in a trembling voice.


    "I''m the evidence!" another farmer barged in, standing at a distance, he shouted loudly, "My daughter was taken by you, and to this day, we have seen neither hide nor hair of her! I''m the evidence! Give back my daughter!"


    "That''s right! Liu Yuan has done many evils! It was he who deceived my illiterate husband into signing the document that sold our land! He gave us only a bag of rice, ninety copper coins, oh! Ninety!" another old woman sobbed, pointing at Liu Yuan and scolding, "He''s an old beast! An old beast!


    Back then, my husband choked on his anger and hanged himself at home... We are wronged!"


    "This is absurd! Absurd!" Liu Yuan was in complete panic, pointing at the farmers and commoners who exposed his wrongdoings, he scolded loudly, "Troublemakers! They are all troublemakers! This is slander! Slander!"


    "If one or two people slander you, you call it slander I believe, but when every person in every village for miles around slanders you... do you believe it yourself?" the platoon leader sneered, eyeing Liu Yuan as he posed the question.


    "Of course, it is slander!" Liu Yuan bit his teeth, still insisting¡ªhe knew that if he didn''t firmly cling to his claim of innocence, today might spell disaster for the Liu family.


    "I don''t think it''s slander!" the lead platoon leader, with ample experience in these matters, looked towards Liu Yuan''s steward as he spoke, "The women of Liu Mansion''s inner court are here, and just now, at least a dozen guards who were disarmed and captured... here too is your steward... and beside him, your accomplices."


    As he spoke, his gaze swept over the local gentry who were scared out of their wits. Finally, his eyes rested on Liu Yuan, "Guess what, if we arrest so many people and interrogate them one by one, will they all keep their mouths shut, not a single one talking?"


    Liu Yuan shook with rage, pointing his finger at the platoon leader leading the team, "You''re fabricating a confession out of me!"


    The platoon leader''s expression suddenly turned utterly solemn as he leaned into Liu Yuan''s face, speaking in a chilling tone, "Don''t worry! We''ll investigate this slowly!"


    After saying this, he stepped back and waved his hand, "Take them all away! Interrogate them one by one! Seize all the wealth!"


    On the fifth day after Tang conquered Zheng Country, a campaign to rectify land annexation and crackdown on landlords and evil gentry began.


    As the campaign progressed, countless local landlords who had been a scourge on the region were dealt with¡ªsome were sentenced to death, others were arrested and turned into slaves.


    For a time, the reputation of the Great Tang Kingdom was even worse than Zheng Country at its lowest, with some people describing Tang Kingdom as a hellish existence.


    Yet, it was this backward, inhumane kingdom that made the lives of the people within Zheng Country prosper.

 Chapter 489 471 Another sense of heavy losses

    In the heartland of Zheng Country, within the factories of Tongcheng, a group of workers watched in shock as sets of equipment belonging to the Great Tang Group were assembled by professional engineers.


    This was the first time they had seen such complex machinery, and it was also the first time they had truly felt such a massive industrial power.


    It was an irresistible force, a power capable of transforming heaven and earth! These colossal, immensely heavy machines could effortlessly produce more and better industrial products.


    Tongcheng itself was an industrial city, where nearly half of Zheng Country''s workshops and studios gathered. During Zheng Country''s Self-Strengthening Movement, many large factories had also been constructed under the secret investment of the Great Tang Group.


    Originally, the workers in these factories had no idea why they were building such huge and spacious factory buildings. Now, when they saw these mechanical devices, they finally understood everything.


    The railway tracks that had been laid down early on finally had a use. Locomotives produced by the Linshui Machinery Factory suddenly elevated Zheng Country''s transportation by several notches overnight.


    It wasn''t an exaggeration at all. Zheng Country''s first and third railways were put into use almost simultaneously, at a time when Zheng Country had not yet been conquered.


    In the first month after the war ended, from the fourth to the eleventh railways of Zheng Country were once again nearly put into operation at the same time.


    Although the total mileage was still not long, these short-distance railways indeed greatly facilitated transportation within the Great Tang Kingdom.


    With these railways and many pre-built roads, transportation issues were resolved, and the development speed of the Great Tang Kingdom became so fast that it was somewhat incomprehensible to people.


    A single Liberty ship could transport hundreds of cars, and with several Liberty ships in one shipment, the once backward and barren land of the old Zheng Country instantly came to possess thousands of cars.


    Adding to this were the vehicles outfitted by the military which temporarily took on roles as freight transporters. Overnight, more than 10,000 vehicles appeared on the roads of Zheng Country, which was enough to astonish everyone.


    To support these cars, hundreds of service and gas stations were constructed at the fastest speed. Vehicles carrying gasoline were incessant on the roads, and in many places, one could even smell the unpleasant odor of gasoline.


    Overnight, the local people of Zheng Country were able to witness many things they had never seen in their lifetimes.


    Cars and trains, as well as a large number of horse-drawn carriages, brought not only soldiers and cannons but also all sorts of cluttered items.


    Previously precious tableware and pots suddenly became less valuable. Military units would casually give these items to the civilians around their stations, while many other things mysteriously "disappeared."


    If one paid close attention, one could notice some strange yet not so strange items appearing in the daily lives of the people of Zheng Country.


    For instance, many households in Zheng Country came to possess gasoline barrels! These thin tinplate barrels made to hold gasoline, were meticulously taken home by these people, cleaned, and made into water buckets...


    This item was very convenient to use because it had a lid and a handle, and the military units often used them as water buckets as well.


    Conversely, this also made many civilians who had seen the Tang Army willing to help them; the people were more inclined to join such a military, which was beneficial for the Tang Army''s expansion.


    However, when tens of thousands of Tang soldiers acted as generous benefactors at the same time, even the affluent logistics department of the Great Tang Group started to feel a headache.


    The warehouses filled with mountains of raincoats and undergarments were now basically emptied out. All the troops were losing socks, all were reporting losses of their tents and raincoats, and all were experiencing thefts¡ªexcept for weapons and ammunition, everything else had disappeared.


    The medical supplies, dry food, snacks, and the daily consumption of materials by the Tang Army encamped in the wilderness was truly comparable to fighting a dire, real battle.


    An officer in the office lamented with a sense of helplessness, "And this is just one unit! It''s even more exaggerated for an entire battalion; I suspect our troops were not sent to fight but to alleviate poverty."


    "That''s exactly what it was, poverty relief. If we went through the normal aid process for so many supplies, it would be too slow, and the common folks there are living too harshly." An old clerk who knew the ins and outs smiled and lowered his head to continue organizing the data.


    Tens of thousands of large armies, consuming resources every day as they and their horses munch away; even if it were just legitimate consumption, it''s enough to drive one to despair. At that time, there were no computers, everything depended on their manual calculations, and you can imagine the workload.


    A former criminal, an officer with a head of black hair, nodded in agreement: "Isn''t that the truth? In my hometown, the City Lord probably doesn''t live as well as I do now."


    "I believe that, I doubt the Lord of your hometown has ever used a telephone in his lifetime," many in the office nodded in agreement. Before they arrived in Brunas, before coming to Dragon Island, they never imagined their lives could change this way.


    They never thought that light was so simple, that just pulling on a light cord could illuminate their rooms. They also never imagined that just turning on a tap would provide them with an endless supply of clean water. Likewise, they never dared to dream that they could eat their fill at every meal, even to the extent that they didn''t have to lick the rice grains from their bowls.


    Another blond officer made a teasing remark, prompting much laughter: "But he certainly has more women than you! Hahaha!"


    After the laughter, suddenly an official spoke up in a half-questioning tone, "I heard that this time, our losses were also quite heavy. In the battle to attack the Zheng Country''s King City, we lost more than 100 men?"


    The mood suddenly turned somber, for the Great Tang Group had never experienced such a heavy loss since the day of its birth.


    Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    You must understand, when eliminating the Kingdom of Germelin, just for the loss of a few dandelions, Tang Mo executed the Germelin King as a warning to others, even at the risk of offending many kings and nobles.


    And this time, in one war, the Great Tang Group sacrificed so many excellent soldiers and officers¡ªthis could not help but weigh heavily on them.


    An informed person spoke up in a grim tone, "Hmm, the specifics aren''t too clear, but I heard from the people in the next office that they''ve already issued compensation to at least 50 people."


    "Alas... What a pity." Many voiced their sighs.


    "Yes, such a pity," others sighed in unison.

 Chapter 490 472 is not that bad

    Guo Cheng was a businessman, a businessman from Zheng Country.


    He used to deal in cloth, owning his own workshop and also acquiring finished products from other workshops to sell, gaining a modest reputation in many places.


    With the unfolding of Zheng Country''s Westernization Movement, he too set his heart on it and, through connections, purchased a batch of equipment from Dongwan Island; riding the wave of the Westernization Movement, he began Guo''s Textile Factory.


    At the factory''s most glorious time, it had over 1,300 workers, making it the largest textile factory in the entire territory of Zheng Country.


    However, with the outbreak of war, his factory was forcibly requisitioned by Zheng Tong, and even sustained damage; it never returned to its pre-war production capacity by the time the war ended.


    Having had much of his property snatched away, Guo Cheng fell into decline; he spent his days in a drunken stupor, no longer possessing the proud vitality of his earlier years.


    Although the Zheng Country that had caused his ruin was no more, and although Zheng Tong''s entire family met with no good end, Guo Cheng remained dispirited, showing no signs of wanting to pick himself back up.


    Today, however, he was summoned by the new rulers. A Tang Army soldier came to his residence brandishing a gun and delivered an invitation, frightening him to the point where he dared not drink any more alcohol. The next morning, he chose a set of decent, unremarkable clothes and went to the Lord''s Mansion with trepidation.


    He was afraid that if he dressed too well, he might again attract the attention of the officials; and yet, if he dressed too shabbily, he might offend the important officials. Thus, he was extremely cautious, opting to wear something inconspicuous and exercising extreme prudence.


    When he arrived at the Lord''s Mansion, he discovered that everything before him seemed unfamiliar. He saw many automobiles parked in front of the mansion''s entry, with people coming and going, both military and civilian, of all sorts.


    Next to the building, there was a deep trench being dug, and beside it, stone pipes were piled up. It didn''t look like they were constructing a secret passage because these pipes didn''t seem suitable for people to pass through.


    He didn''t have much time to think¡ª the guiding soldier urged him to move forward while explaining something about main sewer lines and telephone wires...


    Guo Cheng had heard of electric lines; he even had them in use at his factory. He had also heard of sewers but had never seen one... However, what these telephone lines were, Guo Cheng truly had no idea.


    Walking through the familiar yet unfamiliar corridor and passing by the similarly unfamiliar yet familiar hall, Guo Cheng arrived at the office where the City Lord previously worked.


    This setup was also something learned from the Westernization Movement. The place where the City Lord used to work was simpler, less intricate than the current yamen (government office).


    The familiarity came from Guo Cheng''s previous visits to this place. He often dealt with the City Lord and therefore frequently entered here.


    As for the unfamiliarity, it was because all the previously opulent paintings and furnishings were gone. In their place were various ladders and construction teams screwing electrical light fixtures into the walls.


    Upon entering the room, Guo Cheng saw an artistically unique-looking young man sitting at the head, dealing with a pile of documents. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    When Guo Cheng entered, the young man with uneven eyebrows and asymmetrical eyes introduced himself, "I am Pang Tong, the city''s governor... Well, you may call me the Mayor or Governor Pang."


    Then, without waiting for Guo Cheng to speak, he immediately followed up, "We''ve called you here to inform you that your textile factory needs to start up as quickly as possible, and its scale must increase..."


    "Ah?" Guo Cheng was taken aback, not yet having come to his senses, and uttered a voice of disbelief.


    When Guo Cheng heard that the purchase was guaranteed, he suddenly perked up: "Really, really?"


    This was incredibly great news! Before, he would produce and sell on his own; whether the capacity was large depended on how well he sold the products.


    Now that someone was going to buy up all his fabric, he only needed to focus on production. How could this not excite him? Money! It meant a continuous stream of income! As long as he worked overtime, he could earn money he never even dared to dream of before!


    Pang Tong smiled, "Do you think I came here just to deceive you once? Do you know how precious my time is? However, all this comes with a precondition."


    "As expected! Things couldn''t be that simple." Startled, Guo Cheng seemed to reconcile with the notion¡ªafter all, nothing good comes without a catch.


    Pang Tong held up four fingers, setting a deadline: "You might make money, but you can''t take it away! All your profits must be reinvested into production, to expand the factory, increase capacity, buy machinery, train workers... In short, within four months, you need to grow your factory to ten times its original size!"


    Guo Cheng felt overwhelmed when he heard this: "What? Ten times? How is that possible? Sir, just the equipment..."


    "You don''t have to worry about the equipment! I can apply for it! Spinning frames, cotton carding machines, combing machines, drawing frames, roving frames, spinning machines... whatever you need, I will provide!" Pang Tong was confident in this regard.


    He was backed by none other than the entire Great Tang Group! What equipment wasn''t available to them? What technology or how much funding was beyond their reach?


    Guo Cheng was torn between laughter and tears: "Then, then is this factory... still mine?"


    Pang Tong assured him positively, "Yes! In the end, you will hold fifty-one percent of the shares in the factory, with the state holding forty-nine percent. Your shares come only with the right to dividends, and selling requires negotiation with the relevant department."


    "Half for, for me?" Guo Cheng hadn''t expected the other party to offer him such a huge advantage.


    Pang Tong nodded, "That''s right, expand it ten times and half is yours! However you look at it, you''ve earned."


    "Is this for real?" Guo Cheng still couldn''t believe it.


    Pang Tong continued nodding, "Absolutely true! I give you three hours to organize your needs and ideas for me! Don''t go back, go to the conference room next door. Find a spot; paper and pens are ready, just ask the people inside for whatever you need. Go."


    "Yes, Sir," Guo Cheng stood up and was halfway out when he turned back, straightening his clothes and bowing deeply to Pang Tong: "Thank you, Sir."


    But when Guo Cheng entered the adjacent conference room, he was astonished to find quite a few people inside. They were scattered in every corner, some furiously writing, others biting their pens in thought.


    Guo Cheng recognized these men; some owned iron foundries, some were mine owners¡ªin short, all of them were prominent businessmen.


    In the last month of Zheng Country''s rule, they had their factories and mines forcefully conscripted and now they were all sitting here. Guo Cheng was no fool; he realized that these people, just like him, had all gone through the same experience.


    He just glanced around, eagerly took the paper and pen offered by a server, and hurried to find an empty spot to sit down and start writing his plan.


    As he wrote, a thought crossed his mind: Great Tang didn''t seem as bad as those landlords and gentry said...

 Chapter 491 473 two factories

    "Your Majesty. We plan to build another automobile production plant in Tongcheng, specifically for the production of trucks and agricultural vehicles. If all cars are transported by sea to the new territories, the costs would be too high," Roger said as he spread out the documents in his hands, passing them to Tang Mo.


    Now, internally within Great Tang, the recently captured Zheng Country has begun to be referred to as "new territories." In fact, in most documents, this newly acquired land no longer has a name of its own.


    Everyone knows that it''s part of the Great Tang Kingdom, just like Dragon Island and other places.


    Previously, we built a factory in Tongcheng where production can start as soon as the machinery is in place. Training for the staff has already commenced, with the plan to recruit 31,000 workers for the automobile subsidiary plant.


    Even with the latest automobile production assembly lines, the level of automation of this era still lags behind. It''s not surprising for an automobile factory to require tens of thousands of workers, and even an automobile city can have more than 150,000 workers tied to auto production.


    What does that imply? Before the rise of the Great Tang Group, having a total population exceeding 150,000 would merit a city to be called a large city. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    "I''ve already approved this project. What''s the matter? Is there any change?" Tang Mo asked, taking the document from Roger''s hands with a hint of curiosity.


    "I have discussed with Princess Yulin, and we think it''s necessary to further expand the scale of this automobile factory because it''s very likely that we will take on even more car production in the future," Roger explained.


    Tang Mo nodded and then thought for a moment. Indeed, as Roger said, merely satisfying their own vehicle supply seems not the most profitable approach.


    Soon, with the dissemination of technology from the Great Tang Group, the Dahua Empire, surrounding Chu Country, Qi Country, and even Shen Country could potentially turn to the Great Tang Group to purchase automobiles and other transportation vehicles.


    Looking in the short term, a car factory producing 10,000 cars per month certainly suffices, but taking the long view, producing 1 million cars per month might not even meet the global demand for cars.


    "Talk about your plans," Tang Mo said without any pretense of being a king, or rather, without any air of royalty at all.


    It''s only been a few months since the establishment of the Great Tang Kingdom and many people are still not accustomed to the fact that Zheng Country has perished.


    Tang Mo himself is among those unaccustomed. His daily work remained the same as before, only now his base wasn''t the Great Tang Group, but the Great Tang Kingdom.


    The various departments of the corporation now each had their own official status: The security forces of the Great Tang Group had been upgraded to the National Defense Army, with the department that manages this force also renamed the Ministry of National Defense.


    All other departments have expanded their scales and changed their tasks, and recently, everyone has been very busy with their increased workload.


    "Princess Yulin and I think another automobile factory could be built to operate in parallel. One factory would focus on production while the other could carry out technological upgrades when necessary," Roger suggested.


    "That''s a good idea, continue," Tang Mo nodded and smiled in agreement.


    "We can''t match everything perfectly; we are not that precise, so there''s no need to nitpick. Just take into consideration the status of each party," Tang Mo reassured Roger, as he had a grasp of the entire workings of Great Tang Kingdom.


    The most ideal scenario was that a factory produced 1,000 gears, all of which were used in car production, and all of the gears were exactly used up.


    The cars produced would then have enough petrol to last them, and they were constantly used for transportation.


    Such precise arrangements could potentially maximize benefits, but over-pursuit of this outcome would be extreme planned economy, destroying market vitality and leading to the eventual collapse of the cycle.


    It''s practically impossible to design every stage of production with such precision, not even computers could achieve it. Thus, all stages in the design process need to have a surplus and account for variables, which is the most rational approach.


    The entire newly acquired territory was simply a treasure trove, where a small investment could yield tenfold or a hundredfold in return.


    It was like Brunas in the old days, teeming with laborers seeking jobs and people willing to give their lives for a piece of bread.


    No exaggeration, it was a market brimming with hope, a factory filled with labor, and a military camp studded with potential recruits!


    Having secured such a place, the Great Tang Kingdom had already gained the opportunity to grow stronger from every aspect, unlike its past circumstances where it was reliant on others and its industries were scattered all around. Finally, the Great Tang Kingdom had its own territory and the freedom to develop its economy without restraint!


    The coal mines of Dongwan Island, the copper mountains of Tongcheng, the oil of Dragon Island, the rubber from Hotwind Port and Winterless City, the iron ore from the icy Northern Ridge, the rare metals from Gales...


    Great Tang Kingdom had almost all the raw materials needed for modern industry, and it also had a reserve of a vast pool of modern scientific and technical talent.


    If this couldn''t lead to a soaring ascent, then other countries might as well be described as hopeless. Two months after Great Tang Kingdom had brought down Zheng Country, the industrial capacity of Zheng''s former lands was not only restored to pre-war levels but also had doubled dramatically.


    Before the surrounding countries could even react, Great Tang Kingdom had turned Zheng''s former lands into a vast construction site.


    In the cities, trenches were dug everywhere as sewer systems began to be built. In the wild outlands, one electrical pole after another was erected, laden with telephone and power lines.


    In the weedy suburbs, stations of various designs were being constructed of concrete, though in front of these stations, not a single rail could yet be seen...


    On the broad rivers, bridges that accommodated both rail and road traffic were under construction, with ready-to-use fortifications at both ends. Upstream of these bridges, engineers planning dams were busy with their survey work.


    Next to the mines, thermal power plants were being built, their towering chimneys spewing smoke night and day, blending with the clouds.


    The once-barren lands began to be sown with crops, and the hillsides were filled with terraced fields recently carved out.


    Tang Country had undergone earth-shattering changes.

 Chapter 492 474 is unimaginably large

    Chu Country, the border.


    Below a simple watchtower was a cluster of buildings constructed from wood, resembling a military camp.


    A wooden fence surrounded it and within were barrack-like structures built of wood. This was a typical border garrison spot, typically housing a battalion of 500 men.


    Under normal circumstances, this border camp should be equipped with at least 10 Shireck muzzle-loading field cannons; however, the border soldiers often had incomplete rosters, so it was likely that such camps would only deploy 5 cannons.


    Similarly, the battalion''s number of combat soldiers would not be at full strength, as commanders would habitually embezzle part of the soldiers'' pay, which was a practice seen with amusement by the higher-ups.


    This was a flaw within the old system; if border commanders wanted to enrich themselves, they naturally had to bleed the soldiers, hence the persistent issue of understaffing.


    In the usual case, neither the King of Chu nor the Ministers wished the border military to become too strong, so they were content to tolerate a certain degree of payroll embezzlement, turning a blind eye on purpose rather than out of ignorance.


    Played right, this strategy created a powerful trunk with weak branches, ensuring strong control and averting insubordination among the border forces. Played wrong, though, it could lead to situations reminiscent of the Song Dynasty or the Ming Dynasty...


    But the oversight functions of the old system were anything but precise, so falling into dysfunction was more the norm, hence the eventual replacement by a more advanced modern military system.


    Sentinels paced back and forth atop the watchtower, while wisps of cooking smoke rose from within the camp. Some soldiers were busily preparing lunch, while others lounged at various corners of the encampment.


    Differing from past situations, at this moment, on the side of the camp nearest to Chu Country, hundreds of refugees were kneeling on the ground, watched over by about a hundred Chu military soldiers.


    The leading Chu officer, with his hands clasped behind his back, looked down with a sneer at the civilians prostrate before him, strolling past each lowered head.


    These civilians, kneeling on the ground, did not dare to raise their heads. Cries echoed from a distance, and among the crowd, women pleaded.


    "Sir! We have nothing left to eat! Please, let us go..." It was unclear who among the crowd was crying out, but it was faintly audible that someone was saying so.


    There were children''s cries as well, intermingling with the women''s sobs, making their pleas even more heart-wrenching.


    "Please, Sir! We really are desperate! Spare us!" someone else amidst the crowd mustered the courage to beg for mercy.


    "You are citizens of Chu Country! Crossing the border is a serious crime! I am merely performing my duty... do not make this difficult for me," the Chu officer scoffed, drawing out his words to shout at the refugees.


    The population of a country is a precious asset, not to be easily forsaken. Civilians crossing the border illegally were committing a grave offense; those caught would be enslaved, doomed to a lifetime of servitude.


    They could not be killed, of course, for the population was wealth. But the ensuing punishment was severe¡ªturned into slaves, they were beyond the protection of the law and became the property of the wealthy.


    "Catching a few hundred this time... The officer is sure to make a fortune," a captain standing at the officer''s side whispered in delight.


    Of course, only a few of these slaves would be conscripted and auctioned off, the majority were destined for a handsome profit in personal pockets.


    Most of the money would certainly be siphoned off by superiors and officials capable of issuing the necessary documents, but he undoubtedly had his share.


    "Hmm?" This time, not just the Chu Country officer but the subordinate officers by his side were stupefied.


    They apprehended refugees and sent them back... but never at such a good price. Looking merely at the price, this deal... seemed doable.


    "That''s too little." Surprisingly, the Chu Country officer laughed greedily, "This is the blood money for me and my brothers!"


    "Two Gold Coins for the able-bodied men, three for the women of marriageable age, the same price for the old and children," the man with glasses took out a Gold Coin and tossed it to the Chu Country officer: "This price is not low."


    The Chu Country officer caught the Gold Coin thrown by the bespectacled man and saw that the Gold Coin was of excellent quality. He rubbed it and then pocketed it.


    Whenever he caught refugees crossing the border, he had to share the profits with his superiors, only keeping his share, which was obviously not substantial. Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire


    But if he turned a blind eye to the refugees crossing the border, letting them pass without reporting the number or needing any complex operations, he could earn multiples of his usual compensation; this was clearly a better option.


    "How many do you want?" Greed glinting in his eyes, the moved Chu Country officer grinned and asked.


    There were a few hundred refugees behind him, and if the man took them all, he could easily pocket close to 1000 Gold Coins.


    Even though he needed to divide some of the money among his men to keep them quiet, he would finally be able to keep the lion''s share, and that was undeniably good news.


    "I''ll take as many as you have." The bespectacled man kept smiling, very composed in his response: "Every person, as long as they can walk over this wooden bridge by themselves, I''ll pay."


    "Are you insane?" The Chu Country officer, completely caught off guard by the vastness of the other''s appetite, was startled.


    "Snap!" The man with glasses snapped his fingers. The two Guards that had been lingering behind the car immediately opened the car''s trunk and took out two large chests.


    They walked to the edge of the wooden bridge and placed the heavy chests on the ground, expertly flipping the lids open to display neatly stacked Gold Coins inside.


    "There are 500 Gold Coins here." The man with the glasses gestured invitingly.


    His Guards returned to the car, brought out two more large chests, and carried them over to the Chu Country officer in the same manner, placing them on the ground and flipping open the lids.


    "Now, there are 1000." The man with glasses spoke casually, "I can pay you first! What do you think?"


    "Who exactly are you?" Terrified by the other''s extravagance, the Chu Country officer swallowed hard and inquired.


    "Me? I''m a businessman," the bespectacled man replied, "A businessman who makes friends everywhere. General, would you like to be my friend?"


    "Of course. You can send someone to collect the people tomorrow, money in one hand, people in the other." The Chu Country officer certainly wanted to be friends with money: "I have many refugees here, more than you could imagine!"


    "Ah, that I believe!" The man with glasses shrugged nonchalantly, "But I also have a lot of money, really... more than you could imagine!"


    Having said that, he turned and walked away, pausing beside the car to look back at the Chu Country officer: "Do you like this car? How about I send you one next time?"

 Chapter 493 475 raw cooked

    "It''s over, it''s all over, it''s over, it''s all over...," a Chu Country refugee farmer muttered in despair at the scene before him.


    He had just been escorted across a wooden bridge amidst a dense crowd of people, into the territory of the Great Tang Kingdom, where he was greeted by this frightening sight.


    Everyone was lined up in a long queue, one after the other like criminals, being directed by soldiers wielding weapons, then queuing up to get their hair cut...


    That terrifying kind of haircut! All men were required to have their long hair tidied up¡ªthose barbers were like madmen, shearing a person''s head clean in just a few strokes.


    He swore he had never had his hair cut like this in his entire life, to him, the process seemed more like a landlord''s sheep shearing than a haircut.


    Not to mention after the haircut, they were also arranged to soak in scalding hot water, just as if they were pigs being scalded in the village for hair removal. In his eyes, they were about to be butchered and turned into buns, or directly eaten!


    He really wanted to run away and resist, but he just didn''t dare¡ªbecause someone had already tried it.


    On both sides of them were strings of thin iron wire, seemingly fragile with small barbs on them, frighteningly sharp.


    Someone had just freaked out from the scene of being "boiled alive" and tried to climb over those fragile iron wire loops to escape, only to end up hanging on them.


    It was a gruesomely hopeless and desperate struggle, a person hanging on the barbed wire wailing for mercy, bleeding and blurring the more they struggled, unable to extricate themselves from the wire that resembled spider silk. In the end, some soldiers helped him down.


    When he was finally taken down, the person only had the energy to moan, covered with dense wounds. Some areas had been torn repeatedly, which was chilling to the onlookers.


    Having been a soldier himself and now over fifty years old, he closely examined the bloodstained wire and was so frightened that he gasped.


    It seemed soft, but it left no leverage for the victim. Once caught, you couldn''t tear or break free, and the barbs would dig into the flesh, incredibly vicious.


    What was more terrifying was that because it was not stressed, it was also difficult to cut with an axe or sword, proving harder to climb over than a wall.


    The disadvantage seemed to be that such material was incredibly expensive, requiring a large amount of steel, something ordinary people would not use on a large scale.


    But when this old farmer looked at the endless iron wire fence, he sighed deeply, wondering what terrible place he had come to.


    In the end, he had no choice but to stand before a huge wooden barrel, despondently monitored by a soldier, and get in.


    It was indeed scalding hot water; the moment he entered the barrel, he felt as though he was being boiled alive. However, after a burst of stinging pain, a long-lost sense of relief followed. Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Hair clippings floated on the surface of the water in the barrel. After soaking for a few minutes, he was finally allowed to stand up, then he walked, bare-bottomed, out of the barrel and awkwardly towards the next checkpoint.


    Here there were only men, so everyone was stark naked, some skeletal with only skin and bones, and some still muscular and robust.


    Following the crowd, the first stop was a stall full of underpants. Everyone was required to put on a pair, then take another pair, and continue to follow the flow of people.


    Almost no one stayed here. Although the old farmer could write a few characters, he could not really be considered literate, so he continued walking forward.


    After only a few steps, he heard someone yelling, "Blacksmiths! Those who understand metallurgy and have skills, come over here!"


    The old farmer saw a robust man with his family stopping here. After a brief conversation, this family was allowed to walk down that fork.


    "Those who know how to farm, come this way!" Soon, after passing several forks, the old farmer heard someone loudly asking for "farmers"¡ªa word sensitive to him.


    He raised his hand and shouted, "Me! I can farm!"


    In his mind, he was sure he would be allocated to a landlord''s property, becoming the landlord''s slave, working the land for a lifetime.


    But he really thought too much.


    He and his daughter were quickly assigned to a barrack, which seemed to have been previously occupied by the border army of Zheng Country. Although only curtains separated the spaces, at least they were settled down, followed by a 10-day quarantine for disease prevention.


    There they had two meals a day, rice and flour-based dishes they wouldn''t have dared to dream of before. This quality of life was beyond their past expectations.


    Previously, he only allowed himself two meals a day during the busy farming seasons, and his lean and gaunt daughter used to have only one meal a day.


    It wasn''t just his family that lived like this; in Chu Country, it was common for women in ordinary families to have only one meal a day.


    Every day, someone sprayed unpleasant disinfectant in the camp, and without tiring, people confirmed each person''s skills. Women were repeatedly asked whether they were willing to learn skills like textile work, while men were repeatedly confirmed on their willingness to join the national defense reserves.


    When everyone thought these Tang People had gone mad, they were dispersed in groups and placed in various locations.


    Only then did the old farmer realize that what had been repeatedly confirmed before truly affected their future lives.


    He and his daughter were arranged to work on a farm, given their own small log cabin. They were then allocated a field that was neither good nor bad, and received well-crafted farming tools.


    The next morning, an elder familiar with farming came with seeds to check if the newcomers really knew how to farm and to allocate seeds and assign tasks.


    After the elder confirmed that the old farmer was indeed skilled in farming, he left behind plenty of seeds, along with ten days of rations, and departed.


    This was the farm''s rule, providing a maximum of ten days of rations to prevent newcomers from fleeing with the food.


    After more than a month of turmoil and over thirty days of fear, the old farmer from Chu Country finally eased his mind.


    Because his water jar at the door was now filled, and beside his plank bed leaned a bag of grain!


    The last time his jar was full and there was rice under the hall was ten years ago. Back then, his wife was still alive, and he could still lift the heavy Shireck Flintlock Gun...

 Chapter 494 Difficulty 476

    Master Xia was a well-known teacher on Dongwan Island, and it was the dream of many Dongwan scholars to be able to study under him.


    Later, when the people from Shenguo arrived on Dongwan Island, those short and clumsy folks burned Qin instruments and cooked cranes, completely ignorant of what civilization was, barbarically tarnishing our culture.


    But those beasts hadn''t been happy for long before the Tang People came over! Overnight, everything changed, and the rules were no longer applicable.


    And so, he was taken to become a private school teacher, teaching a group of clueless children along with a bunch of thick-headed Qiuba soldiers.


    The chaps who couldn''t even write properly commandeered the desks from the homes of the city''s wealthy gentry just to attend classes. On that day, it seemed as if all the culture of Dongwan Island had evaporated, never to be seen again.


    Master Xia thought his life was over, and he began to give up on himself while teaching at school.


    However, he soon was amazed to find that the barbaric soldiers, along with the children who couldn''t write, had changed beyond recognition after a few months.


    At first, the children came in with legs covered in mud and skin as black as charcoal from the sun, their speech jumbled and lacking the proper respect when meeting others.


    What they enjoyed the most were physical education and military classes, where they would run around wildly on the field with the Qiuba soldiers in the afternoon.


    But later, one day, these students suddenly put on new uniforms shipped from Brunas, and all at once, both boys and girls, looked just like the privileged children of wealthy families.


    When they walked through the corridors in groups of three or in pairs, they would stand at attention and salute their teachers with crisp and precise movements.


    Their faces visibly grew rosier, and their bodies stronger. Most importantly, they began getting used to holding their chins up, as if an invisible force was reshaping their souls.


    Light began to shine in their eyes, and they started asking questions that Master Xia couldn''t answer in class.


    They began discussing geometry and mathematics, challenging each other with ballistics calculations, climbing rooftops to measure the wind direction, and deciding their own student number rankings through fighting¡ªa proud tradition from a certain academy, it was said.


    Eventually, Master Xia realized that he had nothing left to teach these children, other than writing.


    Especially when the students stood up in unison as he entered the classroom and greeted him with a loud "Good morning, Teacher," he knew there was no longer any reason for him to stay.


    So, he copied forty pages of calligraphy homework and gave them to each student, instructing them to practice every character well. Then he left Dongwan Island by boat and complied with the arrangements to move to Tongcheng.


    He vividly remembered the day he left, the class monitor came to see him off, a young man named Liu Guozhu, who stood tall and straight on the dock like a pine tree.


    Master Xia shed tears, feeling that of all the students he had taught in his life, perhaps only the last 40 from Dongwan Island were pleasing to his eye.@@@@


    "Since ancient times, who has ever heard of students graduating after just learning to write and recognizing a few hundred characters?" The old man didn''t mince his words and fired away, "I know those students have to learn a lot of other subjects, and they even have to learn how to fight, how to kill! But if they can''t even write properly...


    if the foundation is not solid, how can they learn anything else well?"


    Stay connected with My Virtual Library Empire


    "Uh..." The driving director really wanted to tell the old man that fast-track training, time-saving, and quickly training talent to be dispatched to various positions is a strategic directive from His Majesty the King.


    But he feared that telling the truth to the old man might scare him to death. So he just smiled and said, "The country is in need of talents, and no one else in the world can train them except us. We''re pressed for time... There''s no helping it."


    "Then I will teach in my spare time! As long as the students are willing! Don''t you guys block them! If they come, I''ll provide the paper and pens!" Master Xia''s stubborn temperament flared up again.


    "Fine! As long as you''re willing, teacher, our Department of Education will cover the paper and pens!" The director laughed, quite generously.


    However, his next words gave Master Xia quite a shock, "But you should be prepared, teacher. In the beginning, you might be a bit busy due to limited manpower. As for how busy... well, let me put it this way, there are going to be 40 classes in Tongcheng, 40 classes per grade, and around 50 students per class."


    "How many?" Master Xia felt he might have misunderstood and instinctively asked.


    "You''re estimated to lead at least 8 of those classes, there''s no helping it, we have a limited number of teachers." The young man explained, "We plan to recruit 2000 students at once, and there''s also night school... uh, in total, at least 3000 people or more."


    In that moment, Master Xia didn''t know whether to feel fortunate or to despair. He had long cherished the idea that the world could truly achieve education without discrimination, but he had never truly dared to imagine a school enrolling 3000 students all at once...


    In the middle of their conversation, the car arrived at the school. After visiting his temporary accommodation, the young Director of Education took Master Xia to see the class he would be teaching.


    The students in this class were in the middle of a lesson, with some simple Chinese characters written on the blackboard, and a young soldier was substituting.


    Master Xia recognized this soldier; he was also one of Master Xia''s former students on Dongwan Island who had barely studied for over half a year.


    However, as soon as Master Xia walked into the classroom, he was so overwhelmed by what he saw that he couldn''t speak.


    Because he saw rows of young girls neatly seated in the classroom, most of whom came from the countryside and were not particularly good-looking with their dusky complexions.


    But they were indeed girls, sitting there chattering like a room full of swallows, and just one glance made Master Xia''s head spin, unable to even open his mouth to introduce himself.


    Girls already accustomed to school life stood up in unison and bowed together at the class monitor''s request, enthusiastically greeting Master Xia in chorus, "Hello, teacher!"


    With a glum face, Master Xia responded with a hello to the students, then turned to his young superior, only to find that the latter was seriously examining the ceiling above.


    He had once imagined that the experience of teaching on Dongwan Island was the most harrowing classroom he had witnessed. But he never thought that in his lifetime, he would have the chance to take on an even greater challenge...

 Chapter 495 477 will be realized very soon.

    Redman disembarked from the ship, his face pale, standing on the docks of Linshui Port. Frankly speaking, in comparison to Brunas''s docks, everything here seemed too backward. Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    However, with the establishment of the Great Tang Kingdom, he, as a military leader of this kingdom, had no choice but to focus his efforts where he was truly needed.


    Previously, the land of Jade City in Brunas''s Northern Ridge was nearly the largest controlled sector of the Great Tang Group, so he, a general renowned far and wide, had to be stationed in Brunas for extended periods of time.


    But now, the Great Tang Kingdom possessed vast territories and even more people in need of protection, so the "War God of Great Tang" also had to move his base.


    Accompanying his arrival were over five hundred faculty members and over a thousand military officers transferred from Brunas, along with one hundred thousand sets of corresponding textbooks.


    The Great Tang Kingdom hoped to construct Tongcheng, Linshui, and others into true industrial centers. This would no longer be someone else''s turf but genuinely and entirely their own!


    Here, they could appoint officials without any procedures, didn''t have to pay taxes to others each year, and no longer had to fear that adversaries might find an excuse to reclaim the land at any time.


    Of course, with the combat power of the Great Tang Kingdom, there really weren''t many countries bold enough to openly cause trouble.


    Yet, for a steady supply of goods and verbal support and recognition from other countries, the Great Tang Kingdom still completed a very detailed and comprehensive disentanglement from the Great Tang Group.


    Now, legally speaking, the legitimate territory of the Great Tang Kingdom included Dragon Island and all the lands of the former Zheng Country. The remaining areas still belonged to the Great Tang Group, which operated them as special economic zones under its management, with their territorial sovereignty officially remaining part of various countries.


    However, the Great Tang Group still maintained corresponding control over these territories, merely having to pay taxes annually.


    The cranes just assembled and put into use were unloading cargo from the freighters, and the stockpile of goods in Linshui City was mountainous, reaching a point that was almost terrifying.


    All ports and cities under the Great Tang Kingdom were reciprocating to Zheng Country, and all industrial machinery controlled by Tang Mo had switched into full gear, producing everything possible at a frantic pace.


    Even so, the production capacity was still insufficient, prompting the Great Tang Group to start, for the first time since its establishment, a large-scale continuous procurement of materials from every available region, including industrial products.


    Delightfully, the Great Tang Group even publicly purchased 20,000 automobiles from the Ice Cold Kingdom and Gobur Kingdom, a huge order that finally made the trade deficits of several countries look less embarrassing.


    Previously, their method for maintaining economic operations was primarily through exporting a massive amount of ores and selling various raw materials to cover the costs of purchasing equipment from the Great Tang Group.


    The cranes were lifting machinery from Dragon Island onto the docks, and despite about half a year of preparatory groundwork, Linshui Port''s throughput capacity was still no match for Brunas''s.


    But Tang Mo was already adjusting his deployments. According to the plans of the Great Tang Kingdom, Linshui was eventually going to surpass Brunas. This was no longer news within the Group.


    Therefore, the Great Tang Group was furiously shifting its production capacity to Tang Country. To accelerate the transition, they even sold some of their industries directly to businessmen of Tang Country.


    Once out of Linshui City, or rather on the city outskirts, road conditions were somewhat better, and there were noticeably more vehicles on the road.


    Mainly various horse-drawn carriages mixed with colorful automobiles, many of which were the low-riding agricultural vehicles from the Ice Cold Kingdom, and quite a few Brunas-produced People''s Type 2 as well.


    There were no traffic lights on the roads yet, but there were already City Defense Forces converted into traffic police, frantically directing traffic at intersections.


    The closer they got to the edge of the city, the more stall vendors could be seen through the car windows, surrounding the construction sites and ceaselessly shouting about their wares.


    The shouting outside was inaudible in the noisy car, as the soundproofing of the military off-road vehicle was practically a disaster.


    In order to supply more equipment to more troops, the factories of the Great Tang Group instinctively ignored almost every detail.


    This led to the current situation where, aside from the Great Tang Group''s top-end Rolls-Royce product line, Tang Mo had almost no luxury car brands at his disposal.


    Meanwhile, Ice Cold Automobile, Gobur Automobile, and the rising star Nanla Automobile all had their own nobility series, thus producing many "name brands."


    Tang Mo''s plate was spread too wide, so wide that he could no longer micromanage all of his sub-projects. Therefore, he could only roughly harvest a vast field of "leeks" and regretfully let go of some areas he couldn''t attend to, allowing others to have a sip of the broth.


    Upon reaching Tagg''s military camp, Redman immediately regained his bearings as he observed the increasingly chaotic and volume of strange equipment, as well as the generator trucks providing power for these devices, he knew he had definitely arrived at the right place.


    "Hey! Redman!" As soon as Tagg saw Redman, he stepped forward laughing and embraced him, and Redman warmly responded to his old friend Tagg, who had also witnessed the rise of the Great Tang Group.


    "The ride wasn''t too comfortable, was it?" As an army general, Tagg naturally understood Redman''s discomfort very well.


    Indeed, Redman immediately nodded, "I still feel like I''m swaying! It seems His Majesty has a point in establishing the Marine Corps. Not everything can be handled by the Army."


    Tagg laughed and said, "Now the Navy is starting to do the Army''s work. Does this mean we in the Army have to start doing the Navy''s job?"


    "Hahaha! We can''t, we can''t!" Redman waved his hand dismissively, "I''m here this time to set up an Armored Division. I''ve brought all the framework over."


    "I''m too old to keep up with you young folks'' pace, so all I can do is make sure to keep the home front secure for you," said Tagg, leading Redman into his tent. He pointed to a wireless radio antenna being tested across the way and began, "Back when I fought in wars, we relied on messengers, but now, I can communicate with every company commander at any time."


    "Hahaha!" Redman laughed even more exaggeratedly, taking the Zheng Country specialty tea that Tagg handed him without drinking it, boasting, "Just wait! Soon you''ll be able to contact every platoon, then every squad!"


    "Are you kidding me? How could I possibly manage that?" Tagg retorted in surprise.


    "Tank platoons! Every tank will be equipped with more advanced radios! Even though it''s not possible yet, very soon... we will be able to do it." Redman said confidently.

 Chapter 496 478 is saving up for a big move

    Tang Mo was "charging a powerful move." He was preparing to, before other powers were ready, take full advantage of wireless communications to gain a comprehensive advantage in both tanks and airplanes.


    With such an advantage, he could be proactive in expansion, using fewer troops to achieve greater military results.


    However, installing wireless radio equipment on airplanes required more efficient engines and more mature designs! Only larger and more powerful engines could give airplanes greater carrying capacity, supply more electricity, and allow the use of wireless radios!


    The existing airplanes obviously wouldn''t suffice, so Tang Mo could only develop brand new, more powerful monoplanes as quickly as possible to modernize his air force into the "World War II" era.


    The same was true for tanks. If one wanted to install wireless radio equipment in a tank, it required larger engines and a larger chassis, so the previously used Type 2 tanks were clearly insufficient.


    Tang Mo had no choice but to upgrade the tanks once more, allowing them to be equipped with higher-power wireless radio equipment while also housing more powerful weapons.


    With each nation already having their industrial foundations and production capacities, Tang Mo had to start considering certain contingencies when designing his troops.


    He couldn''t pin his hopes on the enemy never developing anti-tank cannons, so enhanced protection for the tanks became a necessity.


    After much consideration, Tang Mo still decided to choose the German tank development strategy for his troops, primarily because he was unwilling to risk the precious lives of tank crew members.


    Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    Clearly, under the same conditions, German tanks could provide a better combat environment and protection for the crew.


    Compared to these tanks, Tang Mo cared more about people¡ªthe ones operating these tanks! When training personnel couldn''t meet the demands in numbers, minimizing losses and maintaining quantity was a better choice.


    Soviet-style tanks were practically a nightmare for tank crews; early tanks had no place to install wireless radio equipment, which was very detrimental to subsequent development.


    Tang Mo found it hard to imagine his meticulously trained crew members continuously fighting in cramped spaces; such a scenario was nothing short of murder.


    He also wasn''t willing to allow his crew members to drive thinly armored Soviet tanks into enemy defenses regardless of the cost; he couldn''t afford such horrific losses.


    As for American tanks, Tang Mo chose not to use them mainly because their technology was not mature. Early American tanks were too peculiar, and their subsequent development lacked distinctive features, also suffering from insufficient defense.


    So, after weighing his options, Tang Mo decided to faithfully follow in Germany''s footsteps to prosper, and as for later development, that would have to wait until the technology matured!


    Who says you can''t use M1s after adopting Tigers and Panthers? And who said you have to use M1s, anyway? Once you''ve developed, can''t you use the Type 99A? It''s no joke¡ªthe Type 99A is extremely capable!


    In fact, the Great Tang Group had already started producing larger and more versatile Type 4 tanks on Dragon Island¡ªskipping the Type 3 because it was far inferior to the Type 4 in terms of versatility.


    Such combat training occurred daily. All pilots, including squadron commanders, had to personally take to the skies to participate in similar drills and training.


    Every Air Force Commander had to understand what kind of force they were commanding, then embrace new technology, acquire enough skills, and only then could they be promoted and stand out among their colleagues to become senior officers of the new branch, the Air Force.


    They were familiar with radio equipment and had even started learning how to use more advanced communications for coordinating and commanding, overwhelming their opponents.


    "I heard there''s a new exercise today," a pilot who had just managed to climb out of the cockpit with the help of ground staff said to his comrade.


    "Yes! I heard they formed a new company, quite interesting," another pilot replied as he handed his goggles to a ground crew lad, nodding in confirmation.


    The troop''s ground staff was nearly five times the standard number! It included ground personnel apprentices and pilots who hadn''t completed their training; the unit size was astonishingly large.


    "Let''s see if these guys dare to jump out of the planes, hahaha!" Watching the distant sky, two pilots seemed to recall something amusing.


    Their parachute training was a truly bittersweet memory. Leaping out of an airplane from a kilometer high was not for the faint-hearted.


    In a place out of their sight, a large bi-wing airplane, buffeted by the air currents, carried a new recruit who pulled his head back from the door.


    At that moment, he felt he must have been mad to come to such a forsaken place for flight pay and the highest level of rations.


    "Officer! Are you sure this thing will open?" Pointing at the massive parachute pack behind him, the new recruit involuntarily took a step back.


    The lead officer, irritated, checked the parachute release hook tethered to the steel cable for the new recruit, gave a nod, and shouted over the windy gale, "I''m absolutely sure! All you have to remember is your landing technique, you idiot!"


    Remembering the landing technique that had almost become muscle memory, the soldier still didn''t dare to approach the cabin door again.


    Reaching out his hand, the officer pulled the timid recruit back to the door and, before the new recruit could react, kicked him out of the airplane.


    Then, the officer looked at the next new recruit, who was pale, and asked loudly, "Do you need my help too?"


    The soldier hurriedly shook his head and then tremulously moved closer to the cabin door, facing the wind.


    Unfortunately, as he looked down at the ground below, the soldier involuntarily began to shrink back.


    But before he could retreat, someone kicked him in the backside. He tumbled out of the airplane...


    "Ahh..." A faint scream drifted away from the outside of the cabin; in truth, the people inside could hardly hear the agonizing sound. The roar of the engine mixed with the noise of the wind and the tense atmosphere, no one had the inclination to care about any screams.@@@@

 Chapter 497 479 no money

    In the Dahua Empire, within the Imperial City, at the Zhou Residence of the Minister of Personnel, a middle-aged man in splendid robes sat in the highest seat, squinting his eyes, waiting for the person on the guest seat to speak.


    The middle-aged man sitting on the guest seat set down his teacup, pondered for a while, and then opened his mouth to say, "This matter with Tang Country, without Lord Minister''s care, is ultimately difficult to manage."


    This individual was a renowned merchant of the Dahua Empire, his wealth amounting to millions and considered a prominent figure. His restaurants spread across Dahua and were involved in gambling and other industries.


    Minister Zhou Qiang was in his prime, deeply trusted by His Majesty the Emperor and held significant power, acting prudently.


    As his visitor made his intentions known, he revealed a hint of an almost imperceptible smile and began to decline, "His Majesty is not willing to acknowledge Tang Country''s replacement of Zheng Country, easily overturning one of our vassal states, and this has greatly displeased His Majesty."


    Everyone knew that the Dahua Empire was surrounded by many vassal states, among which Zheng Country was relatively weak and compliant.@@@@


    Zheng Country had suffered a bitter defeat in the war against the Shen Country and was already down and out when, within a few days, it was replaced by Tang Country.


    How could this not infuriate the Emperor of the Dahua Empire? One of his vassal states had been eradicated, and the country that replaced it seemed to have no intention of paying tribute and allegiance.


    The puzzled middle-aged man on the guest seat asked, "But... is it really necessary to declare war? With the treasury depleted and the generals lackadaisical, if there''s really a problem, does the Empire''s face even matter anymore?"


    He wasn''t an official, so he could view the Dahua Empire from a different perspective, one invisible to others.


    The current Dahua Empire was not as powerful as it appeared, and it faced troubles both internal and external. The one thing that remained intimidating was the sheer vastness of the Empire.


    "It''s quite simple, look." The middle-aged man laughed, pulled out a promissory note from his bosom, and pushed it toward Minister Zhou Qiang.


    Zhou Qiang frowned slightly, then picked up the promissory note and couldn''t help but shiver lightly as he read it.


    Before his eyes was a deed of servitude for a famous songstress from the Capital City, coveted by many princes and ministers; to his surprise, the other party had brought this very deed to him.


    "Generous," he commented, laying the deed back on the table. Zhou Qiang gave a smile and glanced at the middle-aged man on the guest seat, asking, "I know Mingyue Tower is your property, and this divine entertainer Shu Xiaoxiao is the star attraction you''ve meticulously nurtured... How much did they offer to persuade you to part with her for me?"


    "An automobile production line," the middle-aged man didn''t hide the truth and spoke frankly, "It will be the first in the Dahua Empire, and undoubtedly the most advanced... automobile production line!"


    "Cars? Those newfangled contraptions?" Zhou Qiang recalled having two in his residence, both gifts from others.


    Those contraptions were indeed excellent, no horses needed, just fill them with fuel and they could run as fast as flight, and they were much more comfortable than horse carriages.


    The only downside was that because their shock absorption was too effective, hitting a bump made them tremble and lurch, which was quite dizzying.


    After several rides, Zhou Qiang ended up getting so nauseous that he vomited violently and thereafter abandoned their use.


    "Exactly, that newfangled contraption! Not just these gadgets, but also other fine things," the middle-aged man replied, "With all these, ten million Gold Coins are nothing but a number." Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Really?" Zhou Qiang thought for a moment and felt that such things could indeed make money. He had heard that once accustomed to riding in these machines, one wouldn''t get dizzy, and His Majesty seemed to have an even more luxurious one.

 Chapter 498 479 no money

    The middle-aged tycoon chuckled with a hint of lewdness in his eyes, "I even gave you Shu Xiaoxiao, what do you think?"


    His finger stroked the deed of sale for a moment as if he had finally made up his mind, and Zhou Qiang eventually nodded, "Fine. During the grand court assembly tomorrow, I will speak on your behalf!"


    The wealthy man knew that he had almost sealed the deal, so he stood up and said, "Chief of Staff, I''m certain you will not regret this!"


    ...


    At the same time, inside the residence of the Dahua Empire''s Minister of Works, the old Minister Chen Jing was tapping his chair''s armrest.


    All of a sudden, he stopped and turned to look at his visiting close friend who had come to lobby him, inquiring in a drawn-out tone, "Are you sure they will invest in building twenty factories as promised?"


    "Absolutely certain! As long as the Dahua Empire acknowledges Tang Country in place of Zheng Country, everything will proceed as agreed." The old man nodded assuredly and said, "Great Tang Group has never broken a promise; their word is their bond, and they have an impeccable reputation."


    "To take out tens of millions of Gold Coins for investment is indeed a grand gesture! Such political achievements credited to me will indeed solidify my position. But, my old friend, harboring a tiger may invite trouble... After all, I don''t feel at ease." Minister Chen Jing expressed his worries.


    He feared that his indulgence might rear a ferocious tiger beside the Dahua Empire, which could ultimately devour it...


    However, his old friend directly retorted, "Does the tiger simply walk away if you don''t help?"


    This question struck deep, leaving the Minister of Works somewhat disconsolate and unsure of how to respond. If the tiger that is Great Tang had already arrived, how could it simply leave with ease?@@@@


    The only hope now was for the Dahua Empire to rally and become an entity even stronger than the tiger.


    But... does the current Dahua Empire stand a chance?


    After much thought and a long silence, the old Minister Chen Jing still stubbornly lamented, "After all, there might be a chance to nip this crisis in the bud..."


    In his view, there was one last move, which was to support the Emperor, His Majesty, and use His Majesty''s desire for revenge to wage war against Tang Country, eliminating this future threat.


    But this was risky, for as the Chief of Staff of the empire''s Ministry of Works, he was well aware of the internal and external troubles facing the Dahua Empire, and he knew that going to war did not guarantee victory.


    The elder chuckled, "Hurts? Be content! That doesn''t even include the cannons! Put it all together, and that''s when it really gets pricey."


    Although compared with the weaponry from Great Tang Group, Shireck Consortium''s weapons could definitely be considered affordable by now, such a massive procurement would still take some time for the Dahua Empire to digest.


    Had it not been for the war between Zheng Country and Shell Country acting as a stimulus, had it not been for the pressure from Tang Country, the Emperor of the Dahua Empire would probably not have agreed to such a massive weapons purchase plan so lightly.


    Thinking this, Chen Jing sighed again, "I previously submitted a memorial for the construction of railways, yet Your Majesty has not given a reply... Presumably, it really is a matter of no money."


    "A lack of money is not the issue, we can pay for it ourselves!" the elder said. In his eyes, the railway was the real marvel, capable of connecting the vast expanses of the Dahua Empire, truly leveraging its size advantage.


    Thus, he and Chen Jing were in agreement: even if the country had no money, they from the Ministry of Works would muster efforts to push forward the construction of the railway.


    The Ministry of Works managed Dahua''s industry and construction, and they certainly had their own lucrative revenue streams, so if they wanted to raise money, it wouldn''t be a difficult task. The prerequisite, of course, was ensuring that those who paid got more benefits in return!


    Building railways naturally meant everyone could gain from it, so the elder was so confident, believing that he could raise the funds.


    "Dahua is lacking loyal and righteous men like you... that''s why it has degenerated to this point today!" Chen Jing sighed once more before praising his old friend.


    "However, if it weren''t for an old friend like you looking out for us in the court, those people below wouldn''t dare spend so much money on building what you call railways, so... you are the mainstay for everyone," the elder said, looking at his long-time friend.


    "I understand! I know what to say now," Chen Jing said, closing his eyes and making his choice with resignation.


    At the residence of the Minister of Revenue, Chief of Staff Wang Yuca?i smirked at his loyal subordinates, "If His Majesty still has the intention to wage war tomorrow... you know what to say, right?"


    "The treasury is empty!" A row of ministers and officials from the Ministry of Revenue bowed their heads, speaking in unison.


    --------- Continue your journey with My Virtual Library Empire


    This chapter was poorly written. I started yesterday and only finished it today; I apologize for not asking for another day off... I forced myself to write despite suffering from stomach pain. Please bear with it, and I''m sorry. My health has been quite bad recently; it may be a stomach and intestinal cold or possibly enteritis.


    I dare not go to the hospital, so I can only take medication at home and endure. Updates may not be stable, so dear readers, please be understanding.

 Chapter 499 480 entangled unlearnable techniques

    Inside the Flame Castle, a maid placed a report on Sofia''s desk with utmost respect, bowed her head, and began her report, "Lady Sofia! The envoy from Chu Country has brought us a contract for the purchase of an additional 20,000 Shireck Model 1 rifles. We''ve achieved good sales results in many regions of Dahua."


    A bit irritated, Sofia waved her hand dismissively and casually instructed, "Leave it there, I''m aware."


    After giving her instructions, she turned back to the engineers who were reporting to her. The engineers'' faces were full of dejection, for they had failed to complete their work.


    For more than a year, they had been desperately trying to expand and develop the various technologies from the Great Tang Group.


    The Shireck Consortium had not remained idle; after acquiring the respective technologies from the Great Tang Group, they had launched their own research.


    Some of these research efforts yielded certain results, while others were still at a standstill, with even the basic principles not understood.


    One of the leaders in charge of the engineers clasped his hands together and, with an apologetic look towards Sofia, continued, "The more we compare, the more we realize the enormous technological gap between us and the Great Tang Group, and the result is indeed very frustrating."


    As he spoke, he shook his head and delivered an answer that further irritated Sofia, "In material science, manufacturing processes, product design, and so on... we''re completely behind in every aspect, we don''t even have the ability to catch up."


    This wasn''t the first time Sofia had heard such an answer. She had almost always received similar responses after acquiring some technology that the Great Tang Group had deigned to give her.


    In terms of farming technology, the Tang Kingdom was clearly ahead of the world; the farming technologies and fertilizer production techniques of the Great Tang Group were supporting the explosive growth of the Tang Kingdom''s population.


    But the concept of fertilizer that Sofia had previously understood was mostly animal and human excrement, which was filthy and something she was reluctant to even mention.


    Only to hear that leader continue, he elaborated on the matter of new terminologies he had mentioned, "Yes, you heard it right, new terminologies! Not just new technologies! As soon as they introduce a new technology, the terms used to describe it are entirely foreign to our technical staff."


    Spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness, he regretfully gave an example, "We just learned and deciphered their new technology to produce a steel formula that can be used in rifling barrels, and they have already replaced it with newer products."


    Then he continued to detail just how vast the difference was between them, "While our technical workers are still trying to figure out how to minimize impurities in steel products, the steelmaking departments of the Great Tang Group are already deliberately adding a variety of materials to improve certain properties."


    The shock absorbers in Shireck''s Gobur cars were just springs, while the Great Tang Group''s car springs had performances better suited to the cars they were designed for.


    Their springs could be made corrosion-resistant, harder, providing better support for the vehicles, and endowing the cars with superior off-road capabilities.


    As for Shireck''s car springs, they could only rely on the workers'' adjustments to achieve the desired shock absorption strength; as for corrosion resistance and other performance aspects, they were left to fate. Regarding service life, Shireck generally achieved barely satisfactory standards by increasing the thickness of the spring steel plates.


    This resulted in Shireck''s Gobur cars being quite heavy, with mediocre performance and somewhat fuel-inefficient... Although the difference may not seem significant on the surface, over time, a very clear technological gap becomes evident.

 Chapter 500 480 entangled unlearnable techniques_2

    The engineer on the other side began to speak fluently, as if opening the floodgates, "The most terrifying thing is that while we''ve also invested in materials, we''re still researching and experimenting, yet the other side has already produced second and even third generation mature products for sale on the market."


    He had so many things he wanted to complain about, and taking advantage of this meeting, he spoke out unrestrainedly, "Without the corresponding performance materials, we can''t develop and manufacture, let alone dare to imagine that a certain new type of equipment can be made. It''s just like for the past few decades, we never believed that a large rolling mill could exist."@@plaints were actually rare in the past, because Shireck''s senior management didn''t tolerate such shirking of responsibility by their subordinates.


    In these senior managers'' eyes, since they were paying their engineers and technicians astronomical salaries, the latter should solve the problems they were supposed to solve.


    The usual method for dealing with such issues was basically to execute a few exemplary individuals and then have the remaining others desperately continue to develop technology.


    However, as Sofia gradually assumed control within Shireck, such incidents became rare. On one hand, talent was indeed precious, and it was very painful to just dispose of it. On the other hand, Shireck''s technology was no longer leading.


    Compared to Great Tang Group''s technological edge, it was obviously unrealistic to force their own R&D team to surpass Great Tang Group, as everyone knew that killing all of one''s technological personnel might not be useful.


    Therefore, Sofia began to stop this murderous practice and instead adopted milder means to win people''s hearts, which indeed had some effects.


    At least under her leadership, Shireck''s R&D team had significantly expanded in size and had come up with many achievements, increasing efficiency many times over compared to before.


    "Back then, everyone had seen rolling mills, but who dared to imagine that there would be such large and efficient rolling mills as today?" the engineer vented, no longer able to contain himself.


    Speaking, he glanced at the silent colleagues around him and continued on his own, "The constraints on raw materials prevent us from designing more advanced machinery, and the lack of more advanced machinery, in turn, makes us passive in developing raw materials. It''s a vicious cycle that puts us at a disadvantage everywhere."


    Sofia didn''t blame him because she knew that what the engineer was saying was true. At least in some areas, she also knew a thing or two; she was certainly aware of how frightening the technology of Great Tang Group was.


    Inventing electricity, or rather, the generator was actually nothing special, but to almost simultaneously come up with generators and electrical wires, and to apply this set to the improvement of machinery drive systems, now that was truly frightening.


    The more one understood technology, the more one could see how out of this world it was to come up with a complete and mature set of solutions all at once.


    Who would believe that a country, which ordinarily cannot produce shoes, hats, or masks, could prepare military uniforms for hundreds of thousands of people within a few days upon the outbreak of war? Are they to send conscripted soldiers into battle wearing jeans?


    Similarly, how can the supply of ammunition charge be ensured after war erupts without the corresponding scale of chemical plants?


    A tractor factory might no longer be able to transition to producing modern tanks during a war, yet this very factory can provide the military with tens of thousands of frontline fault diagnostic logistics personnel.


    Never look down on such capability, as training these people from scratch could take so long that it might change the outcome of a war. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    With the development of modern technology, there will be more and more cases where the inability to produce A means B cannot be produced, resulting in CDEF also being unproducible. And that country skilled at producing F might not necessarily have the capacity to produce B, let alone A...


    Rocket and space technology represents missile technology, optical technology is linked to imaging technology, and even culture and education are closely related to the military.


    Sometimes, an innovation in welding technology relies on a breakthrough in the field of chemical gas preparation. This is as intriguing as the idea that ancient blacksmiths and alchemists should often work together.


    Of course, it''s not impossible for illiterate individuals in jeans, armed with machetes, to go into battle, but to forcefully say that a certain Dongying country possesses actual nuclear deterrence is purely a joke.


    In a modern war where seconds and minutes count, boasting that a country can create nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles within three to five days is utterly foolish to the extreme.


    Even the P5 countries with thousands of nuclear warheads still need to hide their nuclear missiles to increase their survivability. How can one expect a tiny nation, under the surveillance of countless satellites and bombardments from missiles and bombers, to erect a ballistic missile over a dozen meters long on an open field once war breaks out?


    And then fantasize that the university''s refining equipment, bigger than a building, would work undamaged for a few days, refining the concentrated material and transporting it to be assembled onto this missile?


    By the time this whole manufacturing, assembling, and launching process is completed, the radiation levels in Dongying''s capital would have decreased to a level safe for entry without protection... No lies, really.


    ------------


    My health hasn''t been good, I''ve lost several pounds in the last two days... My apologies for the poor writing, please bear with it. Publishing this chapter is simply to prove that Dragon Spirit isn''t dead... still alive...

 Chapter 501 He needs to apologize and make amends

    The Dahua Empire, Imperial City, the Grand Court Assembly.


    Emperor Zhao Kai sat on his throne, looking down at the Ministers below with an expression neither sad nor joyful, inscrutable as to his thoughts.


    As an emperor, he wouldn''t easily reveal his stance at such a grand assembly, believing it an effective method of controlling his subordinates.


    But an Emperor is, after all, human. Zhao Kai liked to think he was inscrutable, but many Ministers had already figured out his tactics, and were using certain habits of the Emperor to their advantage.


    It was a game of wits and courage, with the Ministers guessing at the Emperor''s thoughts and the Emperor calculating every Minister''s move. It wasn''t easy to say who won or lost. Maybe they all won, or maybe... they all lost.


    The key issue at this Grand Court Assembly was how the Dahua Empire should handle the subsequent development of Tang Country replacing Zheng Country. In fact, this matter had been discussed twice already, making today the third time.


    Everyone knew what His Majesty''s intentions were, judging from Emperor Zhao Kai''s frequent meetings with Minister of War Shen Chuan and Great General Feng Kezhi.


    This was not a secret. Because Zheng Country was a vassal state of the Dahua Empire, if Zheng Country were to be annihilated and the Zheng family met their demise, how would the Dahua Empire then exert authority over its other vassal states?@@@@


    Unfortunately, the war between Zheng Country and another nation had spurred the Dahua Empire''s military. Great General Feng Kezhi insisted on replacing weapons, while Chief of Staff Shen Chuan supported learning new tactics and training new troops.


    This reform made the originally cumbersome and decaying military of the Dahua Empire even more chaotic, and it was almost certain that it was now incapable of further combat.


    Meanwhile, Shireck also displayed their secret new type of war vehicles and other heavy weaponry like armored cars to the military officer delegations of the Dahua Empire.


    Feng Kezhi''s close associates immediately approved the purchase of these new equipment for tactical research and also commenced the construction of new armoured vehicle factories within Dahua.


    It was because of these reasons that the military''s purchasing costs were so high during this period, and why the Dahua Empire was able to make no response when Zheng Country was annexed.


    "Your Majesty, the nation is weak. Mobilizing the army rashly at this time... is not a wise choice," an official stepped forward, bowing as he voiced his opinion.


    These minor officials were often the pawns before an assault, almost like sacrificial pieces for the bigwigs to test their political enemies'' reactions, as well as to gauge the Emperor''s disposition.


    It doesn''t matter if they''re lost; it''s no great loss...


    Chief of Staff Chu Muzhou squinted his eyes as if asleep. He didn''t even need to bother about who the initiator was behind this expendable piece, because he already knew the overall situation was settled, and this Grand Court Assembly was not as tumultuous as it appeared.


    The War Department''s reluctance to send troops was obvious, and His Majesty''s stance had been worn down to ambiguity.


    Since the main player, the War Department, was unwilling to move, it had already been determined that the war would not break out. Essentially, His Majesty was beginning to shift his thoughts, using the prospect of deploying troops to ponder over the surplus in the national treasury. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire


    In the opinion of the Chief of Staff, as long as the war did not happen, it was worthwhile and necessary for the War Department to spend some money, especially for capable officials like Feng Kezhi and Shen Chuan to spend on revitalizing the military''s might.


    Therefore, he squinted sleepily, not wishing to get involved in this grand show of force.

 Chapter 502 481 He needs to apologize and make amends_2

    "Your Majesty, what Minister Xu has said makes perfect sense. I second his opinion!" Another official stepped out of line, bowed, and loudly addressed Zhao Kai, seated high before him.


    Unlike the previous occasions, this time during the grand court meeting, the so-called "pro-war faction" of the military had not yet begun to stir the waters when the bureaucratic system had already started to sing a dissenting tune.


    It seemed that as the reputation and pain of Zheng Country''s demise gradually faded, it had now become a situation where everyone was reluctant to go to war.


    However, for Zhao Kai, there was no need for him to rush to make a stance yet, since none of the ministers or the Prime Minister had spoken out yet. What was the hurry for him as the Emperor?


    So, the Emperor continued to sit on his throne with an air of feigned ignorance, while the senior officials below remained in their designated places, daydreaming, allowing the less significant figures to showcase themselves.


    By the standards of the efficiency of Great Tang Group''s meetings, such an important grand court meeting was simply held in vain.


    Tang Mo had always believed that meetings which gathered heads of all departments were meant to be coordinating meetings that required the mobilization of every department''s abilities, where there was no need for discussion¡ªonly for assigning tasks and distributing roles.


    As for those wrangling meetings where everyone had opinions to voice and difficulties to raise, the person in charge should go back to their own department to hold them, and after concluding, submit a report, then proceed with amendments and auditing.


    There was no need for performance or dragging in irrelevant matters. Everyone should speak frankly; what was the point of adopting a performative personality... Every single person acting inscrutably - who are they trying to impress...


    Therefore, he was quite averse to such a drawn-out meeting process and often reminded his subordinates not to put on airs before him, but to focus on efficient work.


    Moreover, since the Tang Group was ruled by the word of Tang Mo, everyone trusted Tang Mo''s decisions, thus the efficiency of the meetings was naturally exceptionally high.


    Many matters didn''t require discussion at all; they just needed Tang Mo to give orders, and the others would carry them out. Moreover, most of the time, no one would cut corners during execution.


    Finally, when the expendable frontline forces had nearly dwindled, and enough pawns had made their positions clear with growing momentum, the primary players began to step in.


    General Feng Kezhi, assuming his natural role as a member of the pro-war faction, continued to uphold his unyielding hawkish image.


    But anyone with a keen eye knew that he was, in fact, the least willing to fight, merely helping the Emperor to display a tough stance.


    If everyone were to suddenly keep quiet now and uniformly start to support the declaration of war, that would make for an interesting scene. The Emperor Zhao Kai''s expression while sitting on the throne would then be quite a sight.


    But everyone knew that was not how to play the game, not how things were done. Hence, the Minister of Works and heavyweight Chen Jing stepped out of line, bowing his head to rescue Feng Kezhi from his tough spot, "Your Majesty! I believe now is not the right time to go to war!"


    At last, someone of significance had spoken, and the meeting officially kicked off! The drowsy Prime Minister Chu Muzhou opened his eyes, and Emperor Zhao Kai on his throne finally showed some interest.


    Then came the favorites from the Military Department, General Feng Kezhi and Shen Chuan, genuinely bowing and shouting: "Your Majesty is sagacious! Your humble servants cannot wait a moment longer!"


    Zhou Qiang from the Ministry of Personnel was very proud; backed by investments from Great Tang Group, he could be provided with enough political contributions in the short term to help him more easily win over the neutral faction Ministers.


    The old head of the Ministry of Works, Chen Jing, was also pleased. With the support of Great Tang Group, the railway he yearned for seemed hopeful, along with the construction of those factories, which were all sure to be political achievements. Before long, the Ministry of Works'' influence within the six ministries was set to grow even stronger!


    Shen Chuan of the Military Department breathed a sigh of relief, as his military reforms could continue for a longer duration. With no war on the horizon and no disturbances to contend with, he could significantly enhance the military''s combat effectiveness within the year!


    The other departments were also very satisfied with this outcome¡ªthey simply didn''t want to go to war. Once a war broke out, amidst the chaos, how could they continue to engage in corruption or mix in society? How could they comfortably make money while lying flat in a time of war?


    The concubines of the inner palace were very satisfied; with the matter resolved, the jewelry and gems they received no longer burned their hands. Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire


    The inner servants were also excited because they managed to receive a large sum of money just by casually saying a few ambiguous words¡ªsuch a bargain was simply indescribably lucrative!


    It seemed that, in a world where only the deceased Zheng Tong suffered, everything was settled.


    ...


    Tang Mo, who was unaware that he was supposed to fast and apologize to a deceased person, was sitting in his office reading the report Luff had brought him.


    Luff, who was now rightfully the Chief of Staff, reported, "The assessment results for the paratrooper experimental company are out."


    As he spoke, he passed the list to Tang Mo: "Those without footprints on their behinds and without fractures upon landing, train them as company leaders. Those with footprints on their behinds but no fractures, and those with fractures but no footprints, train them as platoon leaders... the rest, after discharge if they dare to get on a plane again, promote them all to squad leaders..."


    Tang Mo took the report and couldn''t help but smile wryly, "...There''s no helping it, there''s a shortage of talent everywhere; we''ll have to make do."


    "..." Luff was silent for a few seconds, also sentimentally stating, "Indeed... we can only make do..."


    These soldiers, who would be kings among soldiers elsewhere, here could barely earn a passing mark... Luff shook his head in a resignation that could not be wiped away: The competition was really too fierce.


    --------


    My stomach hasn''t improved yet... It''s been three days, and I''ve lost around 11 pounds... Dragon Spirit is too miserable, he dared not turn on the air conditioning for two days in the scorching heat...


    ```

 Chapter 503 482 Lively Border

    The border of Chu Country was swamped with people, almost filling the military camp that had been around for over a hundred years. Women holding children and old men leading oxen made the army camp look more like a bustling marketplace.


    The soldiers responsible for registration were overwhelmed, causing temporary congestion at the place. They scrambled to restore order, shouting loudly with no real discipline.


    There was nothing to be done; these civilians crowded into the military camp were like walking Gold Coins. The soldiers could only scold them, as they weren''t easy to manage.


    "Line up properly! Did you all damn hear me?" a soldier brandishing a firelock shouted at the disordered crowd before him.@@@@


    "Stop crying! Stop crying! I''ll feed you soon! You''ll eat soon!" In front of this shouting soldier, a ragged woman patted her baby in her arms, trying to soothe it.


    Beside the woman stood a man carrying a hoe, gazing coldly at the people around him, eyes filled with the sorrow of leaving his hometown.


    "Moo..." An old yellow ox sauntered by, led by an elderly farmer who passed by the firelock-bearing soldier without bothering to pay him any attention.


    "Gun! Gun!" Several children pointed at the Shireck Firearms in the soldier''s hands from afar, yelling excitedly.


    Some carried shoulder poles with various household items hanging from them; shirtless and wearing straw hats, they apologized politely after bumping into others as they weaved through the crowd.


    Those who were bumped into would grumble a complaint before continuing to bicker, voicing their frustrations about how slow the checkpoint was in letting people through.


    "Line up properly! Did you all damn hear me?" Not being able to save face and having lost his usual authority, the flustered soldier yelled again, knowing no one was listening, and had to find another spot to continue shouting.


    Real Gold Coins! Of full weight and measure! And what''s more terrifying is that this was just the beginning! As long as they kept doing this, they could keep reaping the benefits!


    No joke! If they stayed here for a year, they could simply pull a few strings when they returned home and become a local magnate, rich and influential.


    What a delightful thing that would be.


    As the two of them were complaining about the fierce sun, two Tang Army soldiers wearing steel helmets and grey-green military uniforms boldly crossed the border. They hauled a heavy chest over to the two men''s side.


    From the looks of it, these two soldiers had been here more than once, as several Chu Army soldiers greeted them familiarly along the way.


    The Tang soldiers set the chest down beside the two men, then tore off the cardboard box''s outer wrapping revealing its contents inside. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    In the box were clearly glass bottles, each filled with a strange orange-yellow liquid.


    "Come! Have a drink of something good!" One of the Tang soldiers took out a bottle opener from his pocket and pulled a soda bottle from the box. With a crack, he opened it and handed it to the Chu Army officer opposite him.


    The Chu officer took it, eyeing the oddly colored liquid warily, hesitant to pour it into his mouth.


    The Tang soldier laughed heartily, took out a bottle for himself, popped the cap, and drank, then let out a satisfied burp.


    This finally gave the Chu officer the courage to try it. Taking a sip of the cold, sweet soda, the spicy carbon dioxide tingled his tongue and rushed into his stomach with an indescribable thrill.

 Chapter 504 482 Lively Border_2

    In an instant, he felt his stomach swell, and then, as the carbon dioxide tumbled out from his stomach enveloping the hot air, he couldn''t help but let out a loud belch.


    "Belch..." Clearly pleased with himself, this Chu Military officer was astonished by the magical liquid in his hand, and curiously inspected the exquisite glass bottle, convinced that such a delightful drink must be quite valuable.


    "What is this? It tastes so good." Meanwhile, his aide had already fallen for this orange-yellow beverage.


    Under the scorching sun, to be able to drink something so refreshing was simply too pleasant, wasn''t it? Consequently, he called several confidants over to share this novel experience.


    The group was all smiles and laughter, with some soldiers curiously inquiring about Tang Country from two Tang Army soldiers, who seemed to have no secrets, answering every question. As for whether their answers held any value, only Heaven knew.


    However, when chatting, people always share some things about themselves, and without realizing it, some inside information about the Chu Troops had made its way to the ears of the Tang Army.@@@@


    "Don''t even mention it. They say that in a few days, they''re going to issue new rifles and provide special training, with personnel from above coming to instruct... If this goes poorly, it could mean yet another cut from our share." The officer shook his head, thinking he might receive less for himself again.


    Here on the border, the Emperor is far away, and the higher-ups can''t really manage things. But precisely because the Emperor is far away, any official that comes needs to be taken care of, and no matter what, a portion of money has to go out.


    "Oh? New rifles?" The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was interested. A Tang Army soldier pulled out a cigarette and handed it to the small team leader.


    The team leader, used to the routine, accepted the cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag, enjoying it immensely. He was an old smoker, except previously he used a pipe, which wasn''t as convenient as a cigarette.


    They walked heavily until they reached the door of a barrack, where the Chu Military captain in charge, along with several men, hurried over, not even bothering with the orange soda anymore.


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    Inside the barrack, the Tang soldiers opened the chest to reveal neatly stacked Gold Coins, which could easily be counted without detailed scrutiny.


    "There are 10,500 Gold Coins in total; we gave you an extra 100, off the books. Treat your brothers to some drinks!" The Tang Army squad leader was so generous that he gave away an extra 100 Gold Coins with a wave of his hand.


    The Chu Military captains immediately approached with beaming smiles, verified the count, and after calculating the difference in prices for men, women, children, and the elderly, they found indeed there was an extra 100. They all eagerly rubbed their hands together, looking pleased.


    "Sign here, for the handover." The leading Tang Army squad leader handed over a receipt, watched everyone sign, some even pressed their thumbprints, took back the signed receipt, and walked away.


    As he walked out, he said, "The rest, we''ll settle the count this afternoon!"


    ...


    "You are playing with fire! Do you have any idea how much of a population loss this will lead to?" Looking at the crowded throng of civilians in front of him, the visiting official berated the camp leader, pointing at his nose.


    That afternoon, the newly transferred official from the Chu Kingdom''s Royal City finally saw the border refugees, a situation too big to be concealed and apparently not intended to be hidden.


    Even though the welcoming camp leader tried to bribe the official with Gold Coins on the way there, and gave him a heads-up, the scale of the border crossings still shocked the official.

 Chapter 505 482 Lively Border_3

    The Camp Captain felt aggrieved as well; he had stuffed 100 Gold Coins into the hands of this official on the road as a bribe, which was a substantial sum, "Sir! Didn''t you promise..."


    "I did promise! But I had no idea you''d muster such a grand display on my way here! Look at this! How many people are these? Eh?" The official looked at the Camp Captain, feeling like he was being set up and dragged into trouble.


    The Camp Captain bowed his head, gesturing politely, "Please calm down, sir, allow me to explain..."


    The official glanced again at the dense crowd of commoners gathered in the distance and huffed, "Very well! Give me an explanation! Explain how you dare to be so bold!"


    "If you would follow me, sir." The Camp Captain led the way, taking the new official to a barrack door that had been prepared in advance.


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    "Hmph..." Looking at the door of the barrack, the official glanced at the Camp Captain and stopped in his tracks.


    The Camp Captain gestured again with even more respect in his voice. He opened the door and continued, "Sir, inside here is my... explanation."@@@@


    "How mysterious..." The official stepped into the room and found that there was only a chest inside.


    The Camp Captain, following behind, closed the door and moved in front of the chest, lifting its lid to reveal the Gold Coins inside.


    Upon seeing the Gold Coins, the newly arrived official gasped sharply in surprise, "Hiss..."


    It was his first time seeing a real 2,000 Gold Coins piled up in front of him. While he might have had that much money, he had indeed never produced such an amount at once.


    "Sir! 2,000 Gold Coins, and from now on, every month, there will be 500 Gold Coins... sent directly to your residence... As long as you ensure... my wealth is not cut off," the Camp Captain said, gritting his teeth as he made his offer.


    The Soldiers who entered armed to the teeth assisted in carrying the Gold Coins onto the official''s carriage, and having received his share, the official naturally did not wish to linger and promptly got up to leave.


    As he stepped out of the barrack, his gaze inadvertently avoided the crowd in the distance.


    He did not see the woman clutching her child and complaining at the edge of the crowd, nor the man with the carrying pole weaving through the group.


    However, when his gaze shifted to the other side, he was startled by an ox entering his field of vision, the beast''s loud moo giving him a fright.


    After composing himself and assuming an authoritative air, the new official cleared his throat pretending to be unfazed and, heart full of hypocrisy, murmured with feigned emotion, "The General''s quarters are neat and orderly..."


    He caught sight of a group of slovenly dressed Soldiers, sharing an oddly colored ancient item, their firearms nowhere in sight, and he hesitated, then continued to voice his approval, "The troops are valiant and well-trained..."


    He ended up closing his eyes, spouting off nonsense, "I am gratified and will certainly report to the Ministry of War, asking for rewards for you General!"


    His words took the Camp Captain aback for a moment, witnessing an official''s ability to fabricate nonsense while ignoring the chaos around him, the new official truly had some substance.


    "My thanks to you, sir." The Camp Captain put on a convincingly excited act, thanking the official who had already climbed into his carriage, "I wish you a smooth journey, sir!"


    At that point, he lowered his voice and drew closer to offer a reminder, "As for requesting rewards, there''s no need for that trouble on your part, sir..."


    At the moment, he had no use for the paltry rewards from the court...


    Realizing the situation, the official in the carriage also laughed heartily, assuring him, "Understood! Understood!"


    The Camp Captain''s smile became even more genuine, "Thank you, thank you!"

 Chapter 506 483 Annai

    Glass was no longer a luxury in Brunas, at least not in the office buildings of the Great Tang Group, where glass windows had become standard.


    Standing in front of a glass window, a decently dressed man overlooked the parking lot below and saw a sleek black car parked steadily in its spot.


    The car door was pushed open, and a group of men in black with sunglasses emerged from the vehicle, then walked into the building carrying briefcases.


    The man behind the glass window sighed, then walked over to his desk and glanced at the family portrait placed on it.


    The child in the photo was laughing innocently and joyfully, while the woman looked blessed, with a dignified smile on her face.


    This was a very typical Brunas official''s family, high income, high social status, wielding considerable power and managing vast social resources, able to determine the ownership of tens of thousands of Gold Coins with a single approval of a document.


    Many businessmen and wealthy individuals were willing to cozy up to them, wining and dining them, and gift-giving were common tactics, not to mention the endless schemes like seduction.


    In this gilded den, in this most prosperous and extravagant place in the world, where temptations lurked everywhere, every breath was a gamble, a test.


    And he himself... had ultimately made the wrong choice.


    Someone had already knocked on the door, and the man managed a bitter smile, instructing in the way he was most accustomed and most natural, "Come in."@@@@


    Although he felt prepared, the moment he spoke, he could still hear an uncontrollable tremor in his voice.


    "Yes!" The secretary shivered slightly, then raised his chin high, "Long live His Majesty the King!"


    "Long live His Majesty the King!" The man in black nodded his acknowledgment and followed his colleagues out of the office.


    ...


    Corruption is ever-present, and only through continuous and relentless strict inspection can the probability of corruption be decreased to a tolerable range.


    Tang Mo understood that "where water flows, a channel will form," but he understood another adage more deeply¡ª"A dike is destroyed by an ant hole!"


    His intelligence department was extravagantly spending countless Gold Coins to clear paths, corrupting many opponents, leading numerous enemies to their own downfall, and he was well aware of this.


    That''s why he feared others doing the same to him! That''s why he dreaded that one day his own subordinates would betray him! Hence, the economic investigation department has always been one of the most efficient departments in the Great Tang Group.


    As the Great Tang Kingdom and the Great Tang Group developed, corruption issues began to increase gradually, which was consistent with the norm. Relying solely on education and goodwill to prevent the problem of officials'' corruption and decay was not enough.


    On one hand, Tang Mo gave officials salary increases, dangling the carrot, and on the other hand, he also wielded the stick of punishment, so that these officials would remain in awe.


    The bad news was, despite this, there were still those fearless enough to try, tempted by those who wished to take shortcuts.


    All these people were trained by the Great Tang Group with great effort and time, each of them invaluable. Yet, they ended up being squandered, dealt with accordingly.


    The bad news was, due to the protection of a knowledge gap, most officials and commanders who graduated from higher education institutions established by the Great Tang Group were proud, ambitious, and held political aspirations, looking down on the "old nobility and old gentry."

 Chapter 507 483 Annai_2

    Because of their pride, their descent into corruption was slow, and there were few willing to associate with such people, with most still holding higher expectations for their future.


    Therefore, on a macro level, the bureaucratic system of the Great Tang Group, or rather, the Great Tang Kingdom, was still healthy, very clean, and efficient.


    Establishing a kingdom is actually a very complex matter, involving compromises on interests from all sides, the establishment of a system, the distribution of resources...


    However, Tang Mo had his own blueprint, a template that was almost mature enough to move people. By copying it, he could almost sort out a mature system that others might not be able to fathom in decades.@@@@


    But even with a ready-made template, he still had a lot of work to do in many areas. The most complicated and most important of these was personnel arrangements.


    Wanting to fill the entire administrative system of the Tang Kingdom in one go, to place the right candidates for each position, was actually a very large and very important task.


    Tang Mo now understood just how many details, corners, and annoying trivial matters had to be considered to properly manage a country.


    Such trivial matters... What Tang Mo had previously deemed insignificant had now become decisions that could impact the stability of the kingdom.


    For instance, right now, Roger, Nangong Hong, Mathews, and John were seated together, discussing a very serious topic: benefits.


    The Great Tang Kingdom could be said to have been born from the strategic planning of Nangong Hong, a brand-new country envisioned by Nangong Hong''s strategic concept. This country was meant to be built around Tang Mo as the "Chinese" core, based on the "Chinese" or "Zheng people."


    According to this strategic concept, the Great Tang Kingdom should naturally be dominated by "Chinese," with local people being given priority in the ratio of officials.


    However, the Great Tang Kingdom had its own national conditions. When Tang Mo raised the flag of the Great Tang Group, there was no concept of a "Great Tang Kingdom," and the proportion of convicted citizens among his people was actually very low.


    The real support for the Great Tang Group came from immigrants of various statuses from all corners of the world, including Dwarfs and Elves, with the largest part being the blond-haired, blue-eyed locals from Northern Ridge, Leite, Dorne, and other countries.


    These locals now considered themselves Tang people because they lived in areas south of the Elf settlements and the Dwarf Empire, so they had a geographical name in the past: Nanla people.


    The Empire of Nanla was actually officially called the Empire of Nanla People, but other Nanla people didn''t want to acknowledge this name.


    But the reality was different, for as soon as the military was expanded, all the officer positions would need to be filled by pulling people from the lower ranks of the original forces¡ªthis meant that every officer in the new units would be from the Empire of Nanla...


    All the soldiers would be Chinese, and all the officers from Nanla, an arrangement that was fraught with instability. With local advancement pathways blocked, the detachment between management and execution units was serious, and the mere thought was alarming.


    This model, similar to that of the British Indian Army, was a sure path to chaos, and Tang Mo certainly didn''t want to create such a troublesome situation for himself.


    Therefore, he had already started intentionally cultivating the "Chinese" demographic, but this move couldn''t be too aggressive; it had to be gradual¡ªafter all, the people from Nanla were currently his base, and he couldn''t simply ignore the feelings of his old followers.


    Moreover, since both Brunas and Dragon City, as well as the Great Tang Group itself, were built relying on immigration, a mix of various races existed among the population, not just the Human Race.


    There were many Dwarf workers and immigrants, a considerable number of Elves, and although not as many, there were also Orcs present.


    All of these needed to be taken into account. Mathews and John were brought to this meeting so that they would understand this very point.


    Clearly, Mathews got the message. Speaking resoundingly, he addressed Tang Mo, "I''ve lived in the Great Tang Group for quite a while, and I haven''t felt uncomfortable. As long as Your Majesty doesn''t target Dwarves, we are willing to live freely and equally in Great Tang, and I can assure you of this.


    If there are any who disobey the laws, just deal with them as usual, there''s nothing special about that."


    As a "minority group", the political demands of the Dwarves weren''t high; many of them were immigrants whose main purpose was to make money and didn''t wish to get too involved in administrative affairs.


    Their national character, which saw many of them as craftsmen, also meant that their level of governance was comparable to that of a warrior race.


    As for the Elves, John, who was in charge of the cultural department, sighed. What say did he have? Seriously, what say could he have?


    He even felt that Tang Mo had pulled him over from the Great Tang Group to work in the Great Tang Kingdom just to show his magnanimity and to curry favor with the Elves...


    As for his opinions... well, what opinions did he have... His views were probably something like: Elves are fine, yes, everything''s fine...


    Looking at his subordinates, Tang Mo knew that in the coming year, his primary job would almost be to stabilize his administrative machine so it could start running at full speed as soon as possible.


    The bigger the operation got, the more inevitable such complications were.

 Chapter 508 484 burden

    "Your Majesty!" The new Prime Minister saw Leines I in the spacious and bright office, who had been in an exceedingly good mood recently.


    The Imperial City of the Laines Empire had now been developed impressively. Large factories could be seen everywhere, buildings rose in succession, and a bustling scene spanned as far as the eye could see.@@@@


    Although it seemed to lag a fair bit behind Brunas, this place had already become one of the foremost advanced cities.


    Since the city had considered the large-scale use of electricity from the onset of its construction, as well as a complete sewer system, and the streets on the ground had been systematically planned, it was far more perfect than the old district of Brunas.


    Leines I casually gestured for his Prime Minister to find a seat and then began with a smile, "Who would have thought, the recent turn of events could really be described as an unexpected twist."


    He genuinely hadn''t anticipated that a war erupted far away, across the Endless Sea, would indirectly rescue the Laines Empire.


    Previously, the Laines Empire had been very passive; its forceful territorial expansion and becoming an empire had loaded it with tremendous pressure.


    This pressure was partly tangible, quantifiable figures, and some of it was intangible ¡ª but regardless of form, pressure was ultimately pressure.


    Because the territory was vast, the Laines Empire had to expand its military to deal with threats from all directions; Leines had no choice but to maintain an extremely large armed force.


    Leines I had to ensure a basic defensive capability towards Brunas and Northern Ridge, and also face the real threats from the neighboring Empire of Nanla.


    As long as Gobur was taken, they could effortlessly lay claim to the Shireck Consortium''s automotive industry layout in Gobur, swiftly enhancing their national power.


    Gobur naturally would not just sit and wait to die. Once they sensed danger, they immediately sought help from Sofia, and the two countries started a new round of frantic arms racing.


    The Laines Empire, due to the arms race between the Dorne Kingdom and Gobur Kingdom, also had to begin its own military procurement plan.


    There was no other choice; who could tell whether Dorne Kingdom''s arms purchase was meant for attacking Gobur or targeting them, Laines? Therefore, Leines could only follow suit and buy, and by the same token, the Empire of Nanla also had no choice but to keep buying.


    Then came Suthers buying, Songmu Kingdom buying, Poplar Kingdom buying, Ice Cold Kingdom buying...


    After so much buying, everyone was nearly bankrupt, yet they found that all the neighboring countries were strong, none being an easy target, nowhere to strike to regain their strength.


    With no opportunity for revival, the verge of economic collapse became a fatal wound, and these nations, filled with aggression, sought desperate chances for survival.


    For a time, the borders were filled with fearful whispers, everywhere constructions of trenches and defensive works. Eventually, many countries even diverted the cement intended for infrastructure to building defensive structures along their borders.


    Just when everyone was about to collapse, the Great Tang Group settled its conflict with Zheng Country, and a war that had erupted suddenly ended even more quickly.


    Immediately following, purchase orders reached everyone''s hands. The always input-only Pixiu, the technologically leading Great Tang Group, suddenly began to import all sorts of things in large quantities.


    Previously, the most imported items by the Great Tang Group were steel and oil, with other items barely used to balance a trade surplus.

 Chapter 509 484 burden_2

    Now, the Great Tang Group was not only importing machinery and equipment but even automobiles, showing a sense of desperate need.


    The Ice Cold Kingdom and Gobur Kingdom''s machinery processing industries were the first to receive orders, bringing them hope once more.


    Afterward, the Great Tang Group swept up all the grain available on the international market, spending a large sum of money, and everyone soon breathed a sigh of relief.


    With trade, and a smooth trade cycle, the economy naturally found some room to breathe. After receiving a vast number of orders, relations between the various countries notably improved.


    After all, who would want to risk war when there''s money to be made? Isn''t it better for everyone to peacefully develop and prosper? Why engage in warfare and killing?


    In the past, people were prepared to stab each other in the back because they couldn''t make money. Now, with orders from the Great Tang Group, it makes perfect sense to earn money steadily!


    As for the previous readiness to stab each other, that was all a misunderstanding, purely a misunderstanding! The key point is, it hadn''t happened yet, right? If you haven''t stabbed, it doesn''t count as stabbing, correct?


    Many times, that''s how things are. Once a country sends out a signal of goodwill, what follows is everyone searching for a way to back down honorably.


    For the Laines Empire, with its relatively advanced industry and solid foundation, life improved significantly with the large-scale purchases by the Great Tang Group.


    Firstly, a portion of the loans, or rather, the interest on the loans, could be offset by the goods produced, greatly alleviating the pressure on the Laines side.


    Secondly, the acts of factory production and infrastructure construction themselves brought about a series of chain reactions, which reduced unemployment rates, stimulated local economies, and prompted everything to develop in a healthier direction.


    Anyway, as orders from the Great Tang Group came in one after another, every country saw the hope of stabilizing things first, so they temporarily forgot the dangerous options they had considered months before.


    "At least we''ve stabilized this month! Next month there will be a partial harvest of the grain, and then we can sell some more... it has become possible to pay off some of the debt," the Prime Minister said, also taking a breath of relief with a smile.


    "Yes, since Great Tang is offering such high prices, I believe the other countries don''t have much grain in reserve..." Leines I felt an unprecedented sense of relief.


    "Hmm, you are right, they now have no choice but to rescue an entire country, even for a wealthy entity like Great Tang Group, that''s too much of a strain," he nodded, a smile appearing on his face.


    He felt that he''d been smiling a lot more recently. Previously, he was accustomed to being expressionless, but those around him knew his mood was not very good, always tense.


    Back then, Laines faced internal and external troubles, so he was seldom seen smiling. But now, after resolving many problems and genuinely bolstering national power, his smiles had noticeably increased.


    As he spoke, he felt that perhaps Tang Mo was not that remarkable after all, "So it is said, we only saw the strength of Great Tang Group and overlooked their biggest issue¡ªthey lack at the national power level, there''s an enormous gap between them and us."


    The Prime Minister also agreed, "They lack management experience at the national level, the time it will take for them to complete control over a country is much slower than the speed at which we learn from them and achieve industrialization."


    Leines I was almost ready to applaud, he looked at his trusted subordinate and said, "You''re absolutely right! Very right! Thus, we need to catch up with them, and then... take back what originally belonged to us."


    Without needing to stress it further, the Prime Minister naturally knew what belonged to Laines he was referring to¡ªa shining pearl on the East Coast of the Endless Sea!


    Of course, beyond that pearl, there was Jade City, Northern Ridge... and many, many more things.


    Therefore, he did not mention Brunas by name, instead following Leines I''s narrative, "Yes, Your Majesty! That all belongs to you!"


    ...


    Dragon Island, Dragon''s Den.


    Tang Mo smiled as he put down the document in his hands and said to his subordinates, "A burden? If it were just about feeding the people of Zheng Country, would I need to buy so much grain? So many pieces of machinery? So many cars? So much oil?"


    He paused, his smile broadening, "I, or rather we, are building a brand-new country! The day this country takes shape, it will become the new benchmark for the entire world, it will become the world''s leading superpower! We are creating an entirely new future! Gentlemen! Is that a burden? That is the beacon for the whole world!"


    ---------


    4 days already... I haven''t dared to go to the hospital, just continued to suffer from diarrhea =.=! But the stomach pain has subsided, it''s just frequent trips to the toilet, how miserable. Dragon Spirit will take a few days off and will resume updates once it gets better.

 Chapter 510 485 Another Year

    Dragon City''s soccer team won the game!


    This news failed to brighten Tang Mo''s mood, because the team slaughtered 4 to 0 by Dragon City was the newly established Great Tang State team...


    Indeed, the Great Tang Kingdom soccer team lost, and their defeat was thorough, leaving Tang Mo feeling utterly humiliated.


    Among the eleven players on the field, three were star foreign aids from Brunas, but even so, the Great Tang State team failed to show any performance worth comforting for the fans.


    They were sleepwalking through the entire game, with botched passes, clumsy ball control, and hardly a few shots of quality until the very end.@@@@


    What truly exasperated Tang Mo was that the Dragon City team wasn''t even that strong¡ªseen as easy prey by the Bailu team, only to be bloodily crushed in the league.


    All in all, Tang Mo felt soccer was going nowhere; the teams he sold came to life under new ownership, fiercely fashionable, while every team he held was a hopeless underdog...


    No matter how hard Tang Mo tried, the teams he valued most seemed beyond help¡ªhe just kept losing no matter how he played. Tang Mo was so frustrated he cried out, "Geneva, refund me!"


    Another piece of disheartening news was that most of the vassal states of both the Dahua Empire and the Great Tang Kingdom had acknowledged the fact that Tang Country had replaced Zheng Country.


    One after another, they established diplomatic relations with Tang Country, sent ambassadors, and clarified borders¡ªthe price was that Tang Country gave enough face to the Dahua Empire, sending a diplomatic mission to the Imperial City of the Dahua Empire, where they paid homage and apologized in front of envoys from various countries.


    At the same time, they also showcased their machine guns¡ªactually Maxim guns, with technology purchased from Great Tang Group.


    However, they also had their unique products¡ªthe Shireck semi-automatic pistol (Mauser C96) and the Shireck Model 1 rifle (Commission Rifle).


    In addition, they brought a new model of cruiser designed by Shireck, which performed well, drawing interest from various navies.


    As it was specifically designed to counter Great Tang Group''s downgraded destroyer, it had advantages in both firepower and armor, leading many navies to consider digging deep into their pockets to purchase some.


    But there was no way around it, the true maritime dominator, the Jade City-class battleship, was still a non-selling item of the Great Tang Kingdom¡ªeven money couldn''t buy it.


    The only available options were Shireck''s cruisers, along with Great Tang Group''s ironclad warships and destroyers.


    Yet at the expo, Harry revealed information that the Wolf-class cruisers might be available for purchase soon, causing many countries ready to pay for Shireck''s cruisers to hold off on their purchasing hands.


    It seemed waiting a few days might present better options... After all, the waiters never lose. A few more days and perhaps it would really be worth the wait.


    Over the past six months, the Great Tang Kingdom had witnessed astonishingly rapid development in all areas; Tang Mo''s arrival seemed to have activated some skill inherent to the Chinese race.


    Who would have thought that countless refugees from Chu Country and Qi Country, content with two meals a day, would tirelessly build over 4,000 factories of various sizes, achieving self-sufficiency in cement for the Great Tang Kingdom in just three months?


    Meanwhile, it was these diligent citizens who managed to construct a basic road network that spanned the entire country at a rate of 300 meters per hour¡ªan astonishing feat nearing half the road-building speed of the new China!

 Chapter 511 485 Another Year 2

    It should be noted that the land area of new China, as well as its construction technology, aimed to surpass the Great Tang Group entirely. Achieving even half the construction speed was already a great achievement.


    Although the quality of the roads could not compare, the road standards of the Great Tang Group essentially meant soil and crushed stone compacted into hard surfaces sufficed¡ªyet this was already countless times better than the past transportation system.


    With the connectivity provided by these highways, the pace of industrial production within the Great Tang Group reached an unprecedented height. Many products became self-sufficient within a few months, saving the Great Tang Group a considerable amount of capital.


    These roads, like blood vessels, facilitated circulation and also helped the industrial machinery of the Great Tang Group to slowly revive within the boundaries of the Great Tang Kingdom.


    Thanks to the construction capabilities near mines, the steel output of the Great Tang Kingdom skyrocketed from tens of thousands of tons in Zheng Country to millions of tons.


    This was partly due to the large-scale steel-making equipment brought over from Dragon Island and Brunas by the Great Tang Group, along with their advanced steel-making technology.


    On the other hand, it was because the Tang people were incredibly hardworking, willing to work at the forefront, complaining not even when they only had moldy bread and leaves to eat, for several days at a time.


    After witnessing the frantic work ethic of these individuals, Roger, Mathews, and others truly understood why Tang Mo''s parents and criminals like Li''ao, even when leaving their homeland, could make a name for themselves in a foreign kingdom.


    They were so hardworking that it was somewhat unbelievable. Give them a hoe, and they could cultivate barren mountains and wild ridges, turning them into an idyllic paradise. Hand them a bag of seeds, and they would find a way to level the land, sow, and then patiently wait until the land produced a bountiful harvest.


    With the technological support from the Great Tang Group, the speed at which local production resumed was almost unbelievable. With no need for excessive appeasement, the people who received land immediately became docile, as if they had never experienced any hardship.


    Yet everyone knew that last year, these now-acquiescent farmers and diligent workers were so impoverished they could not even feed themselves or pay taxes and were forced to sell their children and wander in exile, with their cries echoing in the air.


    Now, women who trained for just 10 days in night schools could be seen working diligently in groups, laughing and chatting in the textile factories.


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    They were responsible for watching over 5 looms each, with their hair tied up in white towels, wearing clean aprons, their sleeves rolled up to reveal their arms, working earnestly in front of the noisy machines.


    There are now two hundred thousand such women in the Great Tang Kingdom! That''s why the output of textiles within the kingdom is staggering.


    To sustain production, textile factory owners had to start importing raw materials on a large scale from Dahua as well as Chu Country and Qi Country.


    Cotton, wool, silk... all raw materials that qualified were immediately loaded onto trucks and shipped to Great Tang. This terrifying volume of purchases almost destroyed the local economies.


    What? Chemical factories have hazard pay? Work two days, rest one? And there''s a lung-cleansing holiday and medical insurance? Double salary? I''m in!


    What danger? It won''t kill you on the spot, right? So what''s there to be afraid of? My lousy life isn''t worth much; if I can work for ten years, I''m ahead!


    What? A wireless equipment testing factory? What''s that for? Bad for the ears? No problem, I can handle it! It''s just noise testing, I''m not afraid of going deaf!


    Meals with meat? Subsidies for supporting children? Will there be any extra funeral expenses? Give those to me and I''m there! Really! I''m no coward!


    Tang Mo even suspected that if these desperately poor people were given a large sum of money, they would dare to craft nuclear bombs with their bare hands without protective gear...


    Having three days off a month was legendary welfare to these people, and getting paid on time each month was considered a privilege; if they got extra pay for overtime, that was seen as perfectly reasonable generosity!


    According to the simple view of these hardworking citizens: if you let me live a good life without worrying about food and clothing, I''d feel uneasy if I didn''t work a bit extra for the money.


    The Great Tang Group funded the free training of workers and the supplementary education of farming knowledge for the peasants, while also desperately enhancing the education system, which likewise rapidly advanced the comprehensive national power of the Great Tang Kingdom.


    Never underestimate such details; they are the unnoticed subtle elements that underpin a modern nation. Education is the foundation, the cornerstone.


    Only with the beginning enlightenment of the populace was it possible for the Great Tang Kingdom to implement the concept of a modern state and to spread advanced management systems.


    Initially, to integrate the surrendered troops from Zheng Country into the city defense and border forces, many inept sections were reorganized into the police force.


    These parasites, used to bullying and arrogance, often colluded to deceive upwards and downwards, extorting civilians and covertly defying their superiors'' orders.


    It was the oversight and reporting by the local night schools and students that allowed officials from Brunas to eliminate these parasites and standardize the management systems.


    Only after breaking the old system could a new one be swiftly established, and such a system was precisely the area where the Great Tang Kingdom truly surpassed all other nations.


    ---------


    Not daring to go to the hospital just because I haven''t done a nucleic acid test =.=! Dragon Spirit hasn''t left the house for six or seven days... the ultimate homebody, I might only find out about a zombie outbreak after a week of such nesting...


    ```

 Chapter 512 Flame in the Blizzard

    At the eastern border of the Ice Cold Empire, within an outpost of a neighboring Dwarf barrack, flames were illuminating a group of burly men carrying rifles.


    These Dwarves had large beards, with an average height between one meter fifty and one meter sixty. Each of them wore a leather cap and carried a Mosin-Nagant Rifle in hand.


    The Mosin-Nagant Rifle was a rifle specially designed by the Great Tang Group for Dwarves. The technology was very mature and had become the standard rifle for the armies of seven or eight Dwarf Kingdoms and the Ice Cold Empire.


    Next to the fire, a Dwarf was pinching a cup with hot soup steaming inside. Although it was nearing spring, the place was still very cold.


    To cope with the cold climate, the Dwarves'' winter clothes were very thick, making them look like round balls.


    They sat around the fire, their fronts scorched by the flames, while their backs were cooled by the biting cold wind.


    "This damned ghostly weather!" a Dwarf complained helplessly after taking a sip of the hot soup. If not for the pervasive crisis along the border, they wouldn''t be guarding an absolutely deserted trench in such ghastly weather.


    The entire outpost consisted of two trenches and a watchtower, distanced from the trenches, which wouldn''t be manned at night since nothing could be seen in the dark anyway.


    This tiny defensive position was far from the main road and hardly anyone would come by, so positioning an infantry squad here was more of a symbolic gesture than of any practical significance.


    "We''re quite fortunate, at least we have some hot soup to drink," the Dwarf squad leader comforted his subordinates while knocking ice off his shoes and breathing warmth into his hands.


    Although the trenches could block most of the cold winds, in such weather, standing guard in the darkness made everyone miserable.


    As he took a hard piece of bread from his own food bag, the old soldier faintly heard some noises, so he slightly adjusted the direction of his ears.


    "What''s up?" the squad leader asked upon noticing his most experienced subordinate acting strangely.


    It should be noted that back when the Ice Cold Empire was still the Ice Cold Kingdom, they had suddenly attacked the Northern Dwarf Empire, quickly ending the war and seizing Furnace Fortress.


    Now, everyone feared that the Ice Cold Empire might repeat their old tricks, so they were vigilant. Multiple defensive lines were dug along the border, with a large deployment of forces, forming a continuous and undulating line of trench defenses.


    "It''s nothing." After carefully listening and detecting no abnormal sounds, the Dwarf old soldier shook his head, discounting his previous suspicion.


    Having reassured himself, he secured his food bag and placed the hard bread into his mouth, chewing it thoroughly.


    Individual carrying gear developed by the Tang Group was very popular, prompting various nations to work hard on imitating it, creating unique military carrying equipment tailored to each country.


    Some countries preferred larger water bottles, some made smaller food bags, some used leather for straps, and others used canvas.


    In any case, there was a wide variety, which also increased the recognizability of the troops. After all, if everyone wore identical gear on the battlefield, it would be a farcical situation when a fight broke out. Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire


    The most convenient way to distinguish between them was the steel helmet, so the helmets of different countries generally had distinctive styles. Because of the cold climate in the region of the Dwarf Kingdoms, most countries were reluctant to use steel helmets and preferred leather caps as their standard equipment.

 Chapter 513 Flame in the Blizzard_2

    After all, compared to steel helmets, leather caps obviously hold an advantage in everyday warmth because the raw materials are self-sufficient and inexpensive. But the bigger reason is¡ª these countries greatly underestimated the importance of defensive capabilities.


    This world had not yet experienced a massive and brutal war on the scale of the First World War, so there was no theory to support the idea that generals would make up their minds to popularize steel helmets or similar protective gear.


    Not everyone had a system like Tang Mo, with the ability to accurately anticipate the future. Therefore, some countries simply copied the homework of the Great Tang Group and directly purchased steel helmets, while other countries did not do so for various reasons.


    Some did it to save money, others did it to save money, and still others simply did it to save money¡ª one reason was enough, no second was needed.


    Due to the lack of steel production capacity, a steel helmet was definitely a luxury item: compared to rifles and machine guns, a so-called "hat" could be dispensed with.


    "Nothing will happen," the squad leader still became vigilant. He stood up in the wind and snow, squinted his eyes, walked to the side, stretched his head out to face the wind, and looked in the direction of the border.


    The night was pitch-black; through the horizontally flying snowflakes, everything was a swath of darkness, and the whole earth was so quiet it was chilling.


    "There''s nothing... If someone were approaching, they would have been exposed a long time ago." The veteran soldier also stood up and walked to his squad leader''s side, advised, "Let''s go back!"


    The squad leader thought about it and felt the old soldier had a point. They had been busy on the border for almost a year, not idly; they too had their own advanced weapons!


    They had buried tens of thousands of landmines along this type of border, almost covering every scarcely populated area. Although spread out, there weren''t many mines per kilometer, but the deterrent effect was sufficient.


    Simply burying a few dozen of these new weapons called landmines, and then putting a wooden sign in a place visible to the enemy with a warning about the minefield, was enough to deter any soldiers from the Ice Cold Empire with malicious intent.


    And if the enemy forces invaded on a large scale and stepped on these mines, the explosions would immediately alert the defenders, providing early warning to the defensive troops.


    This thing called a landmine was a new weapon developed by the Great Tang Group, but it quickly became a sought-after marvel that all the kingdoms rushed to replicate.


    To slow down the speed of the enemy''s advance and to inflict continuous damage, this weapon quickly became the commanders'' little sweetheart, instantly surpassing the heavy machine gun, this stout fellow.


    "I''m just being paranoid," the squad leader laughed, patted on the shoulder of his most trusted old soldier, took another look into the distance, retracted his head, and walked back to the campfire.


    A few soldiers stuffed the quickly snow-covered firewood under their feet back into the campfire, making the leaping flames burn more vigorously.


    Daring to sleep was out of the question; in this cold weather, whether they could open their eyes tomorrow was questionable.


    So everyone could only huddle around the flames, waiting for the wind and snow to stop, waiting for the sun to light up the sky again.


    At the moment, only half the bombs were hanging on the racks. Due to the need for a long-distance raid, they had to consider the payload and could only carry half the ammunition.


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    It was precisely because of the previous meticulous payload calculations that they were now safely floating amidst the snow and wind.


    Just when everyone was filled with tension, it seemed like the heavens had heard the prayers of the Ice Cold Empire''s dwarves.


    The snow stopped...


    The wind gradually died down, and the snowflakes no longer fell.


    In the blimp''s cockpit, the captain clenched his fists! The crisis was averted! Their opportunity was still alive!


    In the now quiet night sky, thirty massive silhouettes quietly drifted towards the distant horizon.


    On the ground, as the blizzard ceased, the old soldier by the campfire no longer heard the weird, continuous buzzing sounds from before.


    "The snow has stopped!" The squad leader stretched and felt that the heavens were still looking out for them. At least the snow had stopped in the first half of the night.


    "Yeah! Lucky us!" The old soldier nodded, dispelling the unease in his heart and managed a smile.


    In the heartland of the Kingdom, next to a plain rural cottage, a man pulled out his pocket watch to check the time by the candlestick.


    Then, he picked up the ceramic jar at his feet and stepped out of his house. Guided by the moonlight, he trudged to a clearing where he had spent all day piling wood.


    On top of the woodpile were messy dried grasses, neatly stacked logs, and unswept snow.


    The man swept most of the snow off the woodpile, then poured the black oil from the jar over the wood, immediately following that with pulling a box of matches from his pocket.


    He struck a match and flicked it into the pile, igniting the fuel inside. A great flame shot up into the sky, clearly visible even thousands of meters up.


    Inside the Ice Cold Empire''s blimp fleet''s command center, the navigator excitedly shouted, "I see it! The ground signal is visible!"


    ------


    Today I''m not feeling so bad, thank you for your concern! As soon as Dragon Spirit finds his rhythm, updates will resume.

 Chapter 514 487 A new war

    He pushed open the window, looked at the snow remnants in the yard, stretched lazily, and felt that even the air had become incredibly fresh.


    The stench that had previously drifted over from the Ice Cold Empire was so unpleasant that even breathing was uncomfortable.


    Now, a blanket of snow had covered those foul odors, and they could finally breathe some fresh air properly.


    Almost every country in the world was industrializing, desperately absorbing technology that leached from the Great Tang Group, not wanting to fall behind in the race.


    Even their small kingdom had purchased power generation equipment to supply electricity to the city and the surrounding new factories, embarking on their own path of industrialization.


    However, compared to the profound heritage of larger nations, a small kingdom like theirs was still lacking maturity and could only follow tentatively, imitating their steps.


    Despite that, they had tasted the sweetness of industrialization¡ªthe various iron tools they had previously been reluctant to use had now become incredibly cheap and affordable for the general public.


    With advanced business models coming from Brunas and increasingly convenient sea and land trade, life in the Dwarf Kingdom was getting better and better.


    If it weren''t for the sudden overcast skies and the increasingly thick atmosphere of war, perhaps everyone''s mood could be even better.


    "If only we didn''t have to go to war, that would be truly wonderful," the dwarf who stretched lamented, then suddenly froze.


    Because he saw in the sky a gigantic eye that overlooked the earth with unmatched murderous intent.


    "Adjust course! Continue forward! Drop a bomb every 10 seconds!" the captain peered through the porthole and saw another airship''s bomb explode in the distance, billowing up a magnificent black cloud.


    Unlike the bombing tactics of bombers, it was impossible for airships to open their bays and release all their bombs at once.


    Because of the airship''s slow speed, if it dropped all its bombs at once, that would essentially amount to concentrated bombing of a fixed target.


    Unable to use the inertia scattering principle for carpet bombing, they had to rely on higher bomb drop intervals to compensate for the limited bomb spread.


    However, in terms of bomb drop accuracy, airships were indeed superior to bombers¡ªbecause it was almost like they were stationary above the target, so naturally, the attack precision was astonishingly high.


    At this moment, on the ground in the city below the airship, civilian panic had spread. Everyone noticed those terrible war machines hovering overhead, and screams and cries were unceasing.


    No one had expected that their city, far from the border, would become the first target attacked just as the war broke out.


    Those who thought they were safe were suddenly thrown into chaos and frenzy. Streets were filled with fleeing people, children separated from parents were knocked down, and scattered luggage was trampled everywhere.


    Ancient buildings, unable to withstand the frenzy of the explosions, fell one after another. Debris flew everywhere, people affected lay on the ground, and blood flowed along the cracks in the trembling roads.


    On the city walls, soldiers equipped with flintlock guns futilely reloaded and fired frantically at the huge targets in the sky.


    However, the flintlock guns, with a range of only a hundred meters or so, couldn''t even slightly damage the airships. The reserve troops that hadn''t been reequipped with new weapons due to their distance from the frontlines were now helpless against this sudden onslaught of war machines.

 Chapter 515 487 A new war_2

    They had been in the rear, and the very process of rearming with new weapons had put them behind the beat. Moreover, due to the Kingdom''s small size and weak strength, the pace of rearmament was also pathetically slow. In such a situation, they could only watch helplessly as these airships did as they pleased, not even capable of interfering with the enemy''s assaults.@@ander aboard the airship in the sky also realized this¡ªafter half a day without encountering any machine gun or anti-aircraft gun fire, his courage swelled immediately.


    He had been nervous before, fearing that such an industrial city might deploy anti-air weapons to counter their attacks.


    But now it seemed that the other side clearly had not deployed enough anti-aircraft machine guns or anti-aircraft guns, or perhaps had not deployed such weapons at all!


    At that moment, he became utterly unrestrained, constantly issuing attack orders, throwing the city below into complete chaos.


    They were now high above! Completely unthreatened! Since joining the military, he had never fought such a refreshingly clear-cut battle!


    Having advanced weapons turned out to be such an exhilarating thing! Possessing a technological advantage, they were simply conducting a one-sided massacre of the enemy!


    It turned out that the myth of the Great Tang Group''s invincibility was created so effortlessly! It turned out that the enemies who had once defied Great Tang Group were in such despair!


    "Hahaha! The Ice Cold Empire is invincible in battle! Continue the bombing! Long live Your Majesty!" The airship captain thought of this, a grin plastered on his face; they had won today, a victory without any doubt!


    The feeling of easily grasping victory in his hands made him forget the annoyance from last night''s near crash caused by the sudden blizzard, sweeping away his previous worries.


    ...


    On the ground, the troops, still unaware that their important military storage bases near the border and the locations of their armories had been bombed, were facing the frenzied assault of the Ice Cold Empire''s forces.


    Hundreds of guns were firing madly at their positions, and a series of large and small explosions made it impossible for the soldiers in the trenches to raise their heads.


    Soon, the echo of the Ura battle cry resounded wave after wave, as countless Dwarf soldiers carrying bayonets densely charged towards the still-smoking border defenses.


    The defending troops in the trenches refused to be outdone, and as the Ice Cold Empire''s infantry approached their positions, they began a fierce counterattack.


    A Maxim machine gun suddenly opened fire, its dense bullets sweeping into the crowd of the Ice Cold Empire''s attacking troops, instantly felling more than a dozen soldiers.


    "There are too many craters, and the ground has turned to mud... Armored vehicles are no use now, what a pity," a military officer lamented as he looked at the enemy''s front line, already riddled with holes.


    "If that won''t work, let''s try sending in the Ironclad Infantry..." suggested another officer standing beside him.


    Hearing their murmurs, the commander immediately decided to dispatch the seemingly useless Ironclad Infantry, a special "soldier type" prepared for breaking formations.


    The dwarves in thick armor, the heavy infantry specifically prepared for brutal trench warfare from a bygone era, donned their heavy helmets and armor.


    They were equipped with heavy shields, long swords, and axes, seemingly set on starting a retro wave in modern warfare.


    As a result, this troop suffered severe casualties as soon as they were deployed, while the Ice Cold Empire''s battlefield casualties surged from 1,500 to a terrifying 5,500 people...


    4,000 soldiers were wiped out in a single charge, but their madness still gave the enemy defenders quite the scare.


    The opposition was utterly confused as to why a unit that resembled a ceremonial guard would appear on the battlefield and even started to doubt themselves and fall into disarray.


    In the end, the infuriated senior commanders of the Ice Cold Empire could no longer bear it and committed armored vehicles to the charge, followed by the deployment of two more divisions of infantry closely behind.


    Once more, the farce began; of the 100 armored vehicles that the Ice Cold Empire had stockpiled on the border, a third failed due to engine overload as soon as they were deployed into battle, while the remainder started to get stuck in the mud on the battlefield one after another.


    Some vehicles, due to limited visibility, drove straight into craters and rolled over, while others became mired in the mud and could hardly move an inch.


    The few that managed to get close to the enemy''s position were then destroyed by the brave opposing soldiers with hand grenades, becoming fiery metal coffins.


    However, despite the heavy losses of these armored vehicles, they ultimately served to distract the enemy and covered their own infantry as they approached the enemy trenches.


    Following a fierce bombardment all morning and as the time neared noon, the defenders'' position had been severely damaged by artillery. The attacking infantry finally broke into the trenches, and close-quarters combat ensued immediately.


    With an overwhelming advantage in numbers, the Ice Cold Empire quickly saw their chance and committed their reserves, frenziedly bolstering their forces in a bid to rapidly expand their gains.


    Then came the news that the enemy airships had attacked their rear, destroyed the ammunition depot, and paralyzed the armaments factory, which became the last straw that broke the defenders.


    By noon that day, the entire border defense line of the Dwarf Kingdom, adjacent to the Ice Cold Empire, had collapsed. The Ice Cold Empire''s forces crossed the border, following the fleeing soldiers into the heartland of the kingdom.

 Chapter 516 World War 488

    The speed of information transmission in this world had already ceased to be sluggish. With the advent of the telegraph, a new means of communication, many people were able to receive news from afar the moment it was sent.


    The news that the Ice Cold Empire had declared war on a small neighboring kingdom spread widely by the next day.


    Many nations realized that the impact of this war could extend across the entire world!


    Previously, due to economic pressures, every nation had thought about waging war to deflect internal strife and solve their problems.


    However, as orders from the Great Tang Group started coming in, many nations abandoned such dangerous thoughts, and the looming clouds of war temporarily dispersed.@@@@


    But with the Ice Cold Empire igniting a new war, the atmosphere around the world once again became turbulent.


    The Empire of Nanla, already possessing vast territories, suddenly launched an attack to the south, initiating a new round of expansionist warfare.


    This time, the Empire of Nanla chose a small, obscure kingdom as its opponent, a kingdom so weak in combat that it had only a few machine guns.


    Employing tactics nearly identical to those of the Ice Cold Empire, the Empire of Nanla opened the prelude to war on a night close to spring, when its airship troops launched a surprise attack on the capital of the kingdom.


    Caught completely off guard, the kingdom collapsed on the day its King City was bombed, revealing the power of the new war machinery to the whole world, and for a time, airships became the most talked-about topic of interest.


    The Suthers Kingdom, having prepared a large fleet of airships, thrived in this situation, displaying the horrific face of "future warfare" to all in an even more frenzied conflict.


    On top of that, both sides were evenly matched in artillery strength. The Poplar Kingdom had deployed 500 cannons, while the Songmu Kingdom had 450 at the border to meet the challenge, and the fighting went back and forth.


    Shockingly, at the start of the war, the Poplar Kingdom followed the military tactics of the Ice Cold Kingdom and the Suthers Kingdom, sending airships to strike at the Songmu Kingdom''s rear industrial facilities.


    The result was unexpected, as the airship tactics, which had previously been foolproof, failed this time because the Songmu Kingdom possessed anti-aircraft guns that they had acquired or produced themselves!


    Having witnessed the power of airships in the expansion wars of the Ice Cold Empire and the Suthers Kingdom, the Songmu Kingdom naturally took extra caution.


    They preemptively placed anti-aircraft guns in cities within airship range, near the border, so when the Poplar Kingdom launched their airship attack, they were greeted by a sky full of gunfire!


    The Poplar Kingdom''s airships, embroiled in combat, suffered heavy losses instantly; all 20 airships that were sent did not return¡ªthey were all shot down.


    However, these airships were not entirely unsuccessful. Loaded with ammunition, they crashed into cities and still managed to cause considerable trouble for the Songmu Kingdom.


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    In response, the Songmu Kingdom launched its own counterattack. Their airship troops attacked the border cities of the Poplar Kingdom days later but also suffered heavy losses.


    The airship troops, operating independently, failed to complete their bombing missions. Seven airships were lost without a trace, with the remaining three barely making it back. Their bombing was limited in effect, but the Poplar Kingdom''s anti-aircraft artillery troops had their moment of triumph.


    This aerial skirmish demonstrated to the world that airship tactics were not indefensible. The fragile airborne bombers were not invincible after all.

 Chapter 517 World War 488_2

    ```


    Several rounds of airship usage also taught the whole world a lesson: the correct use of expensive war machines is the key to gaining an advantage; wrong command, in turn, can only waste high-tech equipment that comes at a hefty price.


    At the same time, countries also witnessed the formidable strength of multi-layered trench defense systems bolstered by powerful artillery firepower.


    These defenses effectively helped the outnumbered Songmu Kingdom withstand the powerful attack from Poplar Kingdom while also significantly reducing losses and preserving their fighting force.


    Especially, the permanent defenses constructed of concrete were like killing machines fixed on the battlefield, with countless bunkers functioning like the blades of a meat grinder, devouring the flesh and blood of attackers.


    After fighting for three days with no progress and realizing that they could not break through the border defenses, the Poplar Kingdom had no choice but to change their tactics.


    The Navy of the Poplar Kingdom quickly moved southward to blockade the ports of the Songmu Kingdom, attempting to force the Songmu Navy into battle and seize control of the sea.


    Not to be outdone, the Songmu Kingdom immediately assembled its main fleet and engaged the oncoming main forces of the Poplar Kingdom in fierce battle on the high seas.


    This naval battle was known as: the Poplar-Songmu Sea Battle, the first true modern naval battle in a real sense! Interestingly, the Great Tang Group is the developer, designer, and manufacturer of new weaponry in this world. Yet, it seemed that their association with the first use of new weaponry in actual combat was quite negligible.


    In the Poplar-Songmu Sea Battle, Poplar Kingdom deployed 3 Brunas-class ironclad ships, 7 Great Tang Group-produced simplified destroyers, and an additional 9 new destroyers from the Shireck Consortium. Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    The fleet that Songmu Kingdom deployed to meet them also had 3 Brunas-class ironclad ships, along with 13 simplified Great Tang destroyers and 33 sailing warships.


    The start of the naval battle was quite dramatic¡ªThe Poplar Kingdom fleet had originally missed Songmu Kingdom''s main naval forces but later discovered the 33 Songmu sail warships that had straggled due to being too slow.


    Seeing easy prey, the Poplar Kingdom fleet naturally did not let go of the opportunity to attack this large collection of sailing vessels.


    Similarly having missed the enemy ships, the main Songmu fleet immediately turned and attacked from behind, entering the battlefield.@@@@


    As a result, the numerically superior and more heavily armed Poplar fleet was poorly arrayed, and the inferior Songmu fleet accidentally found a flaw in the enemy''s defenses.


    Their opponents, the Songmu Kingdom, were not faring well either; they had 6 Great Tang Destroyers sunk and an additional 20 sailing warships lost, in what could only be described as a devastating defeat.


    But after this naval battle, the Poplar Kingdom did not succeed in their strategic intention to annihilate the Songmu Kingdom''s Fleet, and because of their own losses, they also lost the capability to blockade the harbors of the Songmu Kingdom.


    Both Navies, afraid of further losses, did not regroup in large numbers for a long time afterward. Both sides only occasionally dispatched one or two warships to attack a few enemy transport and fishing vessels, with limited results. It was less a war of attrition and more an act of spiteful revenge.


    Just as the war between the Poplar Kingdom and the Songmu Kingdom reached a stalemate, Tang Mo prepared to step in and persuade both countries to cease hostilities and maintain the harmony within the trade alliance¡ªthis was when the Gales Kingdom entered the war.


    After withstanding the pressure from the Poplar Kingdom, the Gales Kingdom declared war on the Poplar Kingdom half a month after the start of the Poplar-Songmu conflict, announcing an alliance with the Songmu Kingdom.


    The Poplar Kingdom, which had held an advantage, suddenly found itself in a passive situation, fighting a war on two fronts. John''s father had to rush back to King City and once again mobilize an army of 100,000 to turn back and engage in battle with the Orc troops. What had been an offensive posture against the Songmu Kingdom quickly turned into a defensive stance on two fronts.


    An even more astonishing event occurred: the Orc troops, assaulting the borders of the Poplar Kingdom, were also held up by the border defense lines causing their advance to be obstructed, and after attacking fiercely for three days, they achieved no result.


    At the same time, feeling that the opportunity had come with the enemy engaged in an unfavorable two-front war, the Songmu Kingdom also launched a counteroffensive against the Poplar Kingdom''s border.


    They soon discovered that they could not factually bite through the countless bunkers, trenches, and barbed wire on the border of the Poplar Kingdom.


    After two days of furious assault and the loss of thousands of troops, the Songmu Kingdom, Poplar Kingdom, and Gales Kingdom all abandoned their fruitless offensives and turned to a long period of trench warfare, waiting passively for the enemy to walk into a trap, reminiscent of the "World War I mode."


    For a time, no one could overcome anyone, and as all were not willing to easily make peace, a bizarre scene ensued: the sound of gunfire was incessant along the border, yet there were virtually no scenes of soldiers making any attacks.


    Just when everyone thought that the melee had come to an end, the Laines Empire suddenly declared war on the Dorne Kingdom.


    The Dorne Kingdom then declared war on the Laines Empire¡ªcausing an instant rift that virtually dissolved the integrity of the entire trade alliance.


    The Gobur Kingdom, under the encouragement of the Shireck Consortium, also joined the fray. They declared war on the Dorne Kingdom and allied with the Laines Empire, which instantly further complicated the relationships between the powers embroiled in the war.


    Everyone knew that the Laines Empire had always been a staunch ally of the Great Tang Group within the trade alliance, but now this ally had joined forces with the Gobur Kingdom, which evidently had the backing of the Shireck Consortium...


    This shift forced Tang Mo, who had been preparing to intervene and calm the situation, to retract his hand. He was genuinely curious to see what his group of allies would turn this internal conflict into.

 Chapter 518 Shirecks Iron Shoes 489

    Craters dotted the battlefield in countless numbers, varying in size. The heavily deformed trenches intertwined like a thread, stringing some of the craters together to resemble a pearl necklace when viewed from above.


    Within this necklace of craters, an uncountable number of soldiers huddled, bracing for the impact of large-caliber shells that pounded the ground near them.


    With each explosion, the earth beside them quivered, followed by falling mud and stones that clattered against their helmet rims.


    Most of these soldiers were not wearing steel helmets, but rather caps with visors; they carried canvas ammunition pouches at their sides, filled with bullets.


    As shells fell on both sides of their position, numerous fragments rained down, and the smoke raised by the blasts blanketed the sky, giving the battlefield the appearance of the end of the world.


    The bombardment from large-caliber heavy artillery was terrifying for every soldier. Each firing of these 200 millimeter, or even 300 millimeter, heavy guns carried with them the force of utter annihilation.


    In just two days, the Gobur Kingdom had poured 10,000 large-caliber shells onto the border, Shireck''s 130 millimeter howitzers hammering Dorne Kingdom''s positions as if they cost nothing.


    Each shell explosion in the mud created a massive crater; due to the high density of craters, some overlapped, turning the earlier craters into crescents with successive blasts.


    Along the edges of these craters were the corpses of Gobur soldiers as well as those from the Dorne Kingdom, some torn to shreds by the bombardment, others still intact.


    Many soldiers were mutilated beyond recognition, their remaining halves missing arms or legs, while ragged uniforms hung from the twisted barbed wire, and deformed Shireck rifles and S3 rifles were scattered everywhere.


    It was daytime, and the noise from the artillery made the generator''s operation feasible. At night, the area relied on gas lamps for illumination or simply went dark.


    After all, noise and light could attract enemy artillery; staying hidden was the golden rule for surviving longer on the battlefield.


    "Report!" A non-commissioned officer with a briefcase squeezed into the command post, shook off the mud from his clothes, stood at attention, saluted, and handed the file to the duty officer: "Sir! This is the patrol report from the 2nd and 3rd Regiments."


    To confirm their own troops'' combat effectiveness and have a better understanding of the soldiers under their command, regular patrol inspections were essential.


    Particularly under conditions of being shelled for hours every day, maintaining morale was an imperative task for every commander.


    The officer on duty took the report, glanced at a few figures, then flipped to the previous day''s report for comparison, and subsequently signed his name on the new report.


    The data from the two inspections showed little change, which was good news for him: this meant that the enemy hadn''t mounted a significant attack the previous day, and their own side hadn''t attacked the enemy positions either. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    Since each assault would cost the enemy at least 1,000 men, and their counterattacks would result in roughly the same number of casualties, the absence of such high loss figures indicated that no major offensive or counter-offensive had occurred¡ªa piece of good news.


    "When will our artillery counterattack commence?" Having signed his name, the officer put down his pen and asked.


    The non-commissioned officer stood at attention once again, then responded, "Report, sir! According to the plan, our artillery fire will commence in half an hour."


    "Will the infantry participate in the counterattack?" the duty officer asked once more, inquiring of the message-bearing non-commissioned officer.

 Chapter 519 Shirecks Iron Shoes 489_2

    The sergeant paused for a moment, then quickly began to explain, "General Bolton''s order is for all troops to hold their positions and not to launch any further offensives."


    What a joke, launching a counterattack in front of the enemy''s solid defensive fortifications? Was that not sending the soldiers to their deaths?


    Even if one were grasping for achievements, one couldn''t do so like this, right? If too many troops were lost, there would be an accounting for it!


    Thinking of the daunting punishment, the sergeant who delivered the message immediately invoked General Bolton''s name as a shield for himself.


    Indeed, the renown of Bolton, one of the kingdom''s Twin Jewels, proved useful. Hearing what the sergeant had said, the officer immediately nodded and replied, "Understood. Then we''ll proceed according to the plan."


    "Yes, Sir!" The sergeant snapped to attention and saluted, fearful that the other might make another strange request, and quickly turned to leave the command post.


    Exactly half an hour later, the artillery fire of Dorne Kingdom''s counterattack began. It was the same large-caliber artillery, and nearly hundreds of guns roared in unison.


    The whistling shells flew over the soldiers'' heads, with the screeching sound of tearing air, causing the newly arrived soldiers to tremble with fear.


    Those old soldiers who had grown accustomed to such sounds began to take out their cheap roll-your-own cigarettes from their pockets and enjoyed a moment of "peace."


    They knew all too well that it was only during the roar of these guns that their enemies would stop their own barrage, affording them a slight sense of security.


    Some older soldiers began to put their rations into their mess tins, while others started to build fires in the trenches.


    Some squad and platoon leaders began ordering soldiers to repair the damaged trenches with nearby materials, while others shouted to their subordinates to quickly fill in craters near the trenches.


    All the defenders in the trench got busy, scrambling to reinsert broken pieces of wood back into the walls of the trench where they belonged, while some leaned against the edge of the trench to watch their own shells explode over the enemy''s positions.


    The spectacle was truly magnificent: Shells that whistled overhead plunged into the enemy positions in an instant, lifting the enemy''s barbed wire at the forefront of their positions and scattering the bodies near the wire.


    Pillars of black smoke rose, akin to massive columns, standing between heaven and earth, spreading out over the horizon.


    Because they no longer had to engage in desperate fighting on enemy ground, the soldiers of Dorne Kingdom watching everything unfold appeared relaxed, with even the new recruits daring to point at the rising smoke columns.


    While nations within the trade coalition were declaring war and forming alliances with each other, a vast military force was assembling at a train station in the heartland of Gobur Kingdom.


    The dense crowd of soldiers stood on the platform, waiting to board the train in front of them, some from Gobur, others from even more distant lands.


    Keep in mind that the Gobur Kingdom was one of Shireck''s most important industrial bases, and its invasion had clearly enraged Shireck.


    After confirming that the Great Tang Group, or the Great Tang Kingdom, was unlikely to get involved in this mess, Shireck''s war machine started to operate without any restraint.


    50 newly manufactured airship bombers silently moved towards the front lines of Gobur Kingdom, accompanied by 200,000 swiftly assembled troops.


    With the help of railroads and highways, the speed of troop mobilization was faster than expected, and the transport of supplies was speedier than before.


    What was more frightening was that Shireck intended to use this war, which the Great Tang Group was unwilling to join, to reclaim its former position as the dominant military-industrial power.


    Near the train transporting the soldiers, on another track, a flatbed train had just come to a standstill. The train was filled with vigilant soldiers, many wearing a never-before-seen grey military uniform.


    Behind them, on the flatbed train, lay gigantic pieces of weapon equipment covered with tarpaulins. Through the gaps between the tarp and the flatbed, rows of tiny wheels could be seen.


    Beneath these wheels pressed a device that resembled a chain, which, if the Armored Troops of the Tang Kingdom had seen it, they would have exclaimed its name: "Tracks!"


    Yes, in order to win this war and break through the defensive lines of the Dorne Kingdom, thereby entirely removing the future threat to the Gobur industrial base, the Shireck Consortium had brought out their secret weapon.


    This super vehicle, shod with iron shoes, had an off-road capability many times better than that of armored vehicles. Its brand new locomotion system made it fearless in the face of gunfire and artillery.


    Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    Named by Sofia with high hopes and personally labeled as "Shireck Type 1 Super Combat Vehicle", the "Tank" was thus pushed onto the battlefield by the Shireck Consortium.


    What the Great Tang Group regretted was that they were the original creators of this new weapon called the tank, yet the first time the tank entered the battlefield, it still had nothing to do with the Great Tang Group... You couldn''t help but find this situation both lamentable and laughable.


    ----------


    Dragon Spirit''s health had almost completely recovered. Updates will resume in August, and there will be an opportunity to make up for missed updates =.=!

 Chapter 520 490 True Man

    Great Tang Kingdom, Linshui Port, the huge cranes were slowly turning, lifting one large box after another out of the freighter.


    This was not because Tang Mo had already started using massive container shipping, but rather the Great Tang Group had covered the tanks with wooden boxes for secrecy, as a kind of deception.


    The Great Tang Kingdom was seizing the opportunity of several countries entering full-scale war to expand its military: Tang Mo readied himself to take this chance to quickly establish four Armored Divisions, thus completely transforming the Great Tang''s armed forces.


    He intended to transform motorized troops into mechanized troops, building upon tank divisions to form Armored Divisions, allowing the troops to better meet real combat needs.


    In fact, even in World War II, when Germany invented and widely used blitzkrieg tactics, tank divisions and Armored Divisions coexisted most of the time.


    A tank division made up entirely of tanks could exert the speedy assault of tanks to the extreme, but due to the lack of infantry protection, its performance in siege-breaking was not that good.


    Therefore, under normal circumstances, the Armored Division was a more common organizational setup: a tank regiment in cooperation with an infantry regiment mounted in armored vehicles, supplemented by artillery, to maximize the attack speed and siege-breaking ability. Following a tank division breaching the enemy''s lines, they would immediately engage to expand the victory.


    Hence, according to Tang Mo''s plan, his troops would initially build up four Armored Divisions based on the training provided by tank instructors, ensuring concentrated use of tanks and the capability to launch large-scale pincer attacks in two directions.


    This was a colossal project, not just a matter of assigning tanks and armored vehicles to four units, but it also included a myriad of subsequent tasks of organizing support troops.


    This was an issue that the German industry, insufficient at the time, could not address, but for the Great Tang Group, it was no issue at all.


    Because the Great Tang Group had already established enough factories within the Great Tang Kingdom, at Tang Mo''s command, the hardworking Tang people could quickly produce enough vehicle chassis, which could be modified into a sufficient number of self-propelled artillery.


    With these self-propelled guns, the troops of the Great Tang Kingdom could become less reliant on the power of the Air Force, making it easier for them to overcome the enemy before them.


    At the same time, the advanced nature of Great Tang Group''s aircraft manufacturing production was beyond question, and this also ensured that Tang Mo would have a sizeable aerial force in the future to emulate the German model, equipping more tactical bombers to destroy ground targets of the enemy.


    In this area, Tang Mo was very confident: he had a pilot training system that no other country in the world could possibly have, and he already had over a thousand skilled pilots capable of flying aircraft.


    In this field, no competitor could challenge him, nor did they even have the slightest ability to struggle!


    With this dual approach, his armored forces'' assault tactics could be said to be unrivaled in the world, it was just that he needed a little more time to perfect and prepare.


    Watching tank after tank tightly wrapped and unloaded onto the dock, military music suddenly rang out robustly from another part of the dock.


    It must be said, with Tang Mo as the ultimate ace up its sleeve, Great Tang''s achievements in the arts had already reached a sublime level.


    Just playing a piece of music was enough to be heart-stirring, to ignite the blood and quicken the pulse; even the dockworkers felt invigorated, hastening their work just by listening to it. Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 521 490 True Man_2

    Former Northern Border Defense Commander of Zheng Country, now Earl of Northern Peace in Tang Kingdom, Lu Qianshan, glanced at Zheng Country''s former Southern Border Defense Commander, now Earl of Southern Peace in Tang Kingdom, Bai Fei, and became increasingly nervous.


    Standing in front of them were two generals, one Tagg, who eliminated Zheng Country in a single month, and Redman, who destroyed Gomes in half a month; both were absolute famous generals of the age and also their current direct superiors.@@@@


    That such two busy deities of death would personally come to Linshui Port to welcome someone had Lu Qianshan and Bai Fei guessing who could have such great influence.


    Logically speaking, only His Majesty the King''s arrival would warrant such a grand welcome, wouldn''t it? But it didn''t seem quite right, because according to the ceremonial protocol, the setup for welcoming the King seemed a bit too stingy.


    They all knew that the Great Tang Kingdom was not short of money, the sovereign''s first visit to his conquered land couldn''t possibly be so humble.


    While the two were lost in wild thoughts, the gangway was already lowered, and an old man with a walking stick slowly descended.


    "Mr. Li''ao," Tagg greeted the elder with a smile as he approached, "You''ve traveled over the vast sea, can your body endure it?" Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Haha! I''ve finally returned! Even if my eyes closed right now, I''d die content!" Li''ao laughed heartily, making no effort to conceal the fact of his triumphant return home.


    Li''ao, who had always wished to return to his homeland, finally saw his dream fulfilled.


    At this moment, he felt his steps become lighter, everything he had never dared to dream of was happening before his eyes, giving him an unreal feeling, as if in a dream.


    Several officials from the intelligence department, who had been waiting on the side, immediately bent over in a bow. Being subordinates, they were even more respectful, which made Lu Qianshan and Bai Fei both feel terrified.


    These were individuals known for their ruthlessness, demons who would execute without blinking an eye. Whether punishing corrupt officials or dealing with local gentry, each person here bowing to the elder had their hands stained with blood.


    Once conclusive evidence was secured, no one dragged into their office building ever saw the light of day again; they were the most feared nightmare of the old bureaucrats of Zheng Country.


    If it weren''t for Tagg''s promise not to pursue the past crimes of Lu Qianshan and Bai Fei at the time of their surrender, it''s likely they would have been investigated and would certainly not be alive today.


    Now, these terrifying dignitaries were all bending over and bowing respectfully, which showed just how fearsome the old man who disembarked was.


    Both swallowed nervously, and before they had a chance to reflect, they saw the fearsome white-bearded old man step aside, standing off to the side, then slightly bowed his head.


    Now, Lu Qianshan and Bai Fei understood that just one look from the princess confirmed that anyone with that kind of gaze must be a remarkably exceptional person of this era.


    "Your, Your Highness..." Therefore, Bai Fei was also very nervous, stammering without even realizing it. He was even somewhat resentful, bitter towards the foolish Zheng Tong who didn''t know his own depth.


    Why would you provoke such a divine-like figure for no reason? Wouldn''t it be sweet to just surrender and behave?


    "You two have worked hard. At ease." Sure enough, without the camaraderie of the Great Tang Military Academy nor being one of Great Tang Group''s own, Yulin merely offered a casual word of comfort before she continued on her way.


    Yet even such a casual remark still left the two surrendering earls incredibly tense. They lowered their saluting hands and stood there somewhat helplessly, waiting only for the departure of the princess.


    Before long, Yulin''s motorcade surged out of the port, with Tagg and Redman, as well as Liao who had accompanied Yulin from afar, naturally all part of the convoy.


    The army band that was packing up, the honor guard, and some local officials who had come to greet them all dispersed on their own.


    "Just a princess... yet she has the presence of an emperor... This, this is too intimidating," Bai Fei finally exhaled and expressed his feelings once there were no others around.


    "Isn''t that so... When she looked at me just now, I felt like... like I was being targeted by a venomous snake." Lu Qianshan thought for a long while before he could think of a comparable creature.


    Yulin''s gaze wasn''t as fiercely bold as a tiger''s, but it was filled with a threatening danger within its gentleness, which is why Lu Qianshan felt it was more akin to a highly poisonous snake.


    "Watch your words, be careful..." Bai Fei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, shivering twice when the sea breeze hit him, "This princess is no ordinary person. Just in terms of presence, Zhang Ming, Li Jun, and even Zheng Tong... can''t compare to her."


    "You''re telling me... Do you think this is sheer natural temperament? Born with the destiny of nobility?" Lu Qianshan looked around and continued speaking¡ªhe could now only chat with Bai Fei, the fellow unlucky soul.


    "To subdue such a woman like the princess... Our king... is truly a real man," Bai Fei exclaimed, unable to tell whether he felt more envious or jealous.


    "Hss..." Suddenly, Lu Qianshan recalled the proclamation of the establishment of the Great Tang Kingdom, as well as the king having another consort named Yue''er¡ªif she was as formidable as this consort, just thinking about it felt brutal.


    Daring to make such a strong and fearsome princess hold her tongue, taking another younger one... or perhaps this formidable one was the younger... The king truly epitomized a real man, a paragon for us all!


    Recalling this, Lu Qianshan nodded his head, "Real man indeed!"

 Chapter 522 491 The Frightened Falconer

    Koss Laina wearily rose from his position, rubbing his aching brow and accepted a cup of hot tea from his assistant.


    He took a sip, but his gaze didn''t move from the slanted drawing board in front of him, because there was an airplane on it that seemed perfect to him.


    This airplane was a single-seat monoplane fighter, from design concept to engine performance, it was already at the pinnacle.


    The retractable landing gear perfected the aerodynamic layout of the whole airplane, and at the same time, it significantly enhanced the fighter''s flight performance.


    If a military enthusiast who had traveled through time were standing next to these blueprints, they would immediately recognize the airplane as the famed FW-190 fighter.


    Among the various fighters in the early stages of World War II, the best performing were those of Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom.


    The early American and Soviet fighters were absolute rubbish, without any redeeming qualities.


    Before 1940, the United States mainly equipped its forces with P-40s of that level, which when it came to practicality, were so lackluster they could bring tears to your eyes. Along with the P-40, there was also the Hurricane from the UK...


    As for Soviet fighters, they are even more heartfelt ¨C their fighters around the year 1940 still had open cockpits, and in terms of flight performance, they were only slightly better than biplanes.


    Therefore, after much thought, only Japan''s Zero, Germany''s ME109 and FW190, and the UK''s Spitfire fighter could be considered excellent fighters around 1940.


    Japan''s Zero Fighter indeed had formidable performance, with a long range and strong dogfighting abilities, and in the absence of adversaries, its lack of air defense was hardly a drawback. Nonetheless, Tang Mo was the first to dismiss this option.


    This type of aircraft also had room for future enhancements that the ME-109 lacked; it could easily increase its firepower and had a slightly longer range ¨C a balanced answer in all aspects.


    Moreover, this thing could also carry a heavy bomb, doubling as a dive bomber, or even mount heavy cannons for ground attack, making it very versatile.


    On the other hand, the ME-109, with its fragile structure and high internal space utilization, had a difficult path to improvement. Although it could carry bombs, upscaling the firepower for an ME-109 armed with axial cannons and nose guns was quite troublesome ¨C an undeniable fact.


    Of course, the biggest issue with these two German fighters was their lagging late-stage improvements and performance. But for Tang Mo, that was not a problem at all.


    By then, he could simply produce a Mig-15 or F-86, or even a Mustang P-51, to easily resolve the issue.


    Who says a German article can''t transform into American dollars? And who dictates that American dollars can''t be communist praise? Heaven and earth as my witness, the world''s biggest fan of America is a certain Bunny... *cough cough cough* I didn''t say anything (spreads hands).


    As the top aircraft designer of the Great Tang Group, Koss Laina began his research immediately after receiving these blueprints.


    He found that Tang Mo was nothing short of a genius in aircraft design, supported by even more scientists, geniuses in their own right, shining like stars.


    These scientists had provided Tang Mo with advanced metallic materials that others couldn''t even dare dream of, enabling the design to reach a pinnacle previously unimaginable.


    Just a few years ago, no one would have dared to conceive that technology could produce such thin metal skins, create such precise assembly and riveting techniques.


    Nobody could have imagined that a group of madmen could push engine technology to such a mind-boggling level, allowing an engine to unleash such tremendous, powerful thrust.

 Chapter 523 491 The Frightened Falconer_2

    ```


    In Koss Laina''s view, the FW-190 fighter was the perfect embodiment of brute force in flight, a savage provocation to aerodynamics.


    A year and a half ago, he still believed that only by flapping wings like a bird could one fly in the sky.


    But 16 months ago, he had witnessed what he thought was the ultimate solution for aircraft: the biplane fighter!


    Just when he thought the biplane was the ultimate answer, Tang Mo showed him these blueprints and told him that some of the parts depicted were already being manufactured by the Great Tang Group.


    Every time he looked at the blueprints of the FW-190 fighter, he would be shocked anew by the insane ideas of the Great Tang Group, or rather Tang Mo''s ideas.


    While his competitors were still throwing stones at each other from airships, he had already phased out planes that could fly over 300 kilometers per hour, pushing the speed to beyond 600 kilometers per hour!@@@@


    What did that mean? It roughly meant that when other countries were preparing to change the rules of the sky with their own planes, they would face a real-dimensional counterattack!


    The brand new fighter not only boasted terrifying speed and unbelievable range but also a set of entirely new, miracle-like communication equipment!


    All fighter pilots could maintain contact with ground command, and they also had the capability to switch channels for mutual communication.


    These pilots could tactically coordinate in real-time, provide mutual cover, change tactics on the fly, or execute amended orders!


    For the militaries of other countries that had just managed to introduce the telegraph system at the battalion level or only to the division level, this was yet another domain entirely out of their reach, a domain belonging exclusively to the Great Tang Group!


    Koss Laina could no longer imagine how terrifying the Great Tang Group, with such a significant technological lead, would be in the future.


    This organization now seemed like a god, overlooking the myriad of beings beneath them, watching the world''s chaotic battles unfold with the disinterested gaze of an adult watching children at play.


    When this god grew tired of watching and decided to intervene personally... the world would transform overnight.


    "Sir, I''ve heard the prototype has been produced and will soon be test-flown," the assistant said with a smile, taking the empty teacup Koss Laina handed over to him.


    "All this technology wasted, actually... The Camel Fighter... was pretty good," Koss Laina lamented somewhat regretfully.


    In his view, even the Camel Biplane Fighter, which was currently being phased out on a large scale, was a terrifying presence capable of dominating the skies.


    Tang Mo was determined to ensure that even if in the future he had to sacrifice one of his pilots for every enemy pilot lost, he would still emerge as the victor in the end!


    In fact, he had already achieved this, possessing the world''s largest fleet of pilots. Even if his opponents counted their airship pilots and commanders, they only had a fraction of his pilot numbers.


    Besides, Tang Mo had a force that had never before been seen in the world¡ªa special force that relied on aircraft for mobility and parachutes to reach conflict zones, capable of appearing hundreds of kilometers behind the front line within a single day.


    Each of them was exceptionally elite, equipped with the strongest personal weapons. They could descend from the sky like divine soldiers, striking the enemy in the most unexpected places with the most sudden and resolute attacks.


    Apart from a few high-ranking officials, even the army generals had no clue Tang Mo had given a branch of the army wings, making them into a special existence akin to marine corps.


    Thus, just like the marine corps, they also had their own illustrious name: Great Tang Paratroopers!


    At this moment, the door was pushed open, and after a moment of surprise, Koss Laina finally recognized the visitor. He immediately bowed respectfully and greeted, "Your Highness!"


    Yulin waved her hand and glanced at the blueprint¡ªtreasured by Koss Laina with great esteem¡ªthen smiled and said, "His Majesty is very concerned about the project you''re in charge of, so I came to take a look... By the way, sir, how is your life here?"


    As she spoke, she gestured to her entourage, who immediately followed suit, placing the gifts they had brought one by one inside the room.


    Some were famous liquors special to Brunas like Brunas 3-year and Brunas 5-year, others were delicate delicacies from Dragon Island.


    Koss Laina was flattered and a bit fearful as he said, "I am very well here, enjoying a treatment beyond my wildest dreams. You have taken great care, Your Highness."


    "His Majesty is worried you might feel friendless here, so he deliberately relocated some of your old neighbors from Dragon Island. You will be able to see them soon," Yulin continued with a smile.


    Yulin always provided meticulous care for technical talent, especially those who could alleviate some of Tang Mo''s worries. It was a unique gentleness inherent to women, a silent and nourishing concern.


    To talents who were both loyal and exceptional, Great Tang Group was never stingy. As long as these talents had a need, Great Tang Group would help resolve it.


    In Tang Mo''s words, any problem that could be solved with money wasn''t considered a problem at all!


    Koss Laina felt even more grateful and fearful: "I thank His Majesty and Your Highness for your patronage."


    "Keep up the good work! I have others to see, so I won''t disturb your work any longer, Mr. Koss Laina," Yulin said with a smile as she left, giving plenty of face to Koss Laina.


    "Farewell, Your Highness!" Koss Laina said as he escorted her to the door, feeling an ever-growing debt to the Kingdom.

 Chapter 524 492 Steel Behemoth

    The northern front of the Gobur battleground was littered with countless craters, and it was rare to see any trees that were still intact. Most of the large trees were left with only bare trunks, tilting precariously between the two armies'' lines.


    If one looked closely, almost every large tree had several bodies sprawled haphazardly underneath. This was because there was always the belief that these large trees could serve as cover, allowing one to survive a few seconds more amid the storm of bullets and shells.


    In reality, these locations were often the focus of the enemy''s machine guns and Ranger sharpshooters. Those hiding here were quickly killed, often even faster than those soldiers who simply lay flat on the ground.


    The entire battlefield rose and fell intermittently, and the visibility was not particularly good, but if one was careful to stay prone and then leap forward, one could avoid most of the bullets.@@@@


    However, that''s how people are; in the face of great terror, in the face of death, how many are brave enough to stand and step forward?


    The stalemate at the frontline had persisted for nearly a month, and everyone felt that the war was close to its end.


    No one was able to breach the enemy''s defenses; everyone could only huddle in the trenches, listening to the sounds of artillery and counting the days. This kind of war was a test of endurance, obviously very dull and hopeless.


    Maritime transport was in complete chaos; the prosperity of the Endless Sea had long since vanished, and today, the majority of trade ships seen belonged to the Tang Kingdom.


    The maritime department of the Great Tang Group possessed a vast number of cargo ships, and thanks to these vessels, trade in the Endless Sea still continued uninterrupted.


    However, prosperous trade routes had been reduced to just a few, and it became an unspoken rule that the merchant ships traversing these routes could not be attacked, as these routes were not considered war zones.


    The premise of deflecting a crisis is to achieve victory, but if there are no benefits to be gained from the war, then the shock brought by the war itself would only exacerbate domestic tensions.


    Corruption issues within the Empire of Nanla began to slowly emerge, and the people''s displeasure with the decadent Empire grew, leading to unrest in some areas.


    The war had only erupted six months ago, and although most of this discontent could still be suppressed and controlled, the Empire of Nanla was just barely maintaining stability.


    The same issues also appeared in the rapidly expanding but unstable Laines Empire; people in the Germelin "region" broadly believed the new Emperor intentionally sent them to the front lines to die.


    Citizens of the newly occupied regions were unwilling to join the army and fight, feeling they were being targeted; people from the original regions like Leite had their own grievances, believing inhabitants of new territories like Germelin should not enjoy any privileges¡ªif the people of Germelin didn''t go, then they from Leite wouldn''t either.


    Added to that, the Northern Ridge, Jade City, Brunas, and other traditional regions were not under their control, with the powerful troops of Northern Ridge technically part of the Laines Empire, though they had long become semi-independent. These vexing issues had caused Leines I much annoyance of late.


    The Dorne Kingdom was similarly caught between a rock and a hard place, with pressure from the Laines Empire to the north and engagement in warfare with the Gobur Kingdom to the south, resulting in a quite passive conflict.


    What started as surprise attacks had now turned into trench warfare. Even with the Twin Giants of the Empire, Bolton and Strauss, matters were not looking up.


    Strauss was forced to head north to deal with the Laines Empire''s hundred thousand troops, leaving Bolton to face the protracted battle with the Gobur Kingdom in the south.


    Both sides employed airships and had anti-aircraft guns for interception, sustaining heavy losses. Even the airship troops, akin to suicide squads, were a one-time expendable resource, facing missions from which they never returned.

 Chapter 525 492 Steel Behemoth_2

    In such a macro environment, Bolton felt that the best course of action for Dorne Kingdom was to seek peace with the Laines Empire. By standing back to back, they could withstand the pressure, at least saving half their ammunition and half their troop strength!


    Unfortunately, this idea was dead before it could take off: the Laines Empire actually formed an alliance with Gobur Kingdom, intent on a two-front attack to divide and conquer Dorne.


    Today''s battlefield was absent of the roar of artillery, everything seemed eerily calm. But every Dorne commander knew that such calm often signaled the beginning of a bloodbath on the battlefield.


    Sure enough, the brief tranquility of the battlefield was suddenly shattered by the boom of cannons¡ªGobur''s bombardment had begun.


    Unlike the leisurely, sporadic cannon fire from previous days, this time Gobur''s artillery was so dense it could only be described as terrifying.


    The first volley alone consisted of hundreds of rounds, almost instantly engulfing Dorne Kingdom''s front line defenses in a cloud of black smoke and flying debris.


    The Dorne garrison troops, still unclear about what had happened, were immediately subjected to the second round of artillery fire.


    The soldiers in the trenches were nearly buried alive by the dirt thrown up by the exploding shells, with the deafening blasts of large-caliber artillery shells all around and the ground beneath their feet continually shaking and trembling as if the end of the world had arrived.


    "Damn it! Are the Gobur not planning to live any longer? Can they transport so many shells to the front line in a month? Are they not going to fight next month?" Watching the smoke columns rising in the distance, a Dorne division commander complained, confused as he looked through his binoculars.@@@@


    The officer standing beside him was also somewhat in disbelief, staring at their positions, which seemed to be getting swallowed up, and shook his head, "It seems they''ve taken out at least a month''s reserve of ammunition and fired it all at once, really sparing no expense."


    "That means the enemy will soon launch an attack... and it will be unprecedented in scale, a costly offensive..." the division commander continued, peering through his binoculars at the distant positions as if talking to himself.


    Without looking back, he then commanded, "Send a message to General Bolton, request support from the reserve forces... prepare the 3rd regiment behind us for battle... the front line defenses are likely to be untenable."


    "Yes! Understood!" The officer who received the command immediately cranked the telephone beside him, asking the operator to connect him to the headquarters.


    This complex telephone system was naturally not cheap, and also quite cumbersome to use. Nevertheless, even so, it was the most advanced telephone system Great Tang Group had available for sale.


    And this one had been miniaturized for military use, with improved design and enhanced reliability¡ªthe "select" model.


    Meanwhile, at this very moment at Gobur Kingdom''s positions, where the trench gap had been surreptitiously filled earlier, a colossal steel behemoth was slowly advancing towards the distance.


    At least they would not get stuck in soft mud, nor would they lose their basic mobility if a wheel was hit.


    Of course, tank tracks are not invincible; they''re simply immune to the strikes of light weapons like machine guns.


    But this was already a significant advancement, especially since Shireck''s model of tank had a relatively small exposed area of tracks, so the chances of being hit were quite slim.


    Encased within one-centimeter-thick steel plates, or even several centimeters thick, soldiers could use their machine guns to attack the enemy with impunity. The enclosed and cold environment gave them the courage to challenge the dense firepower of the enemy.


    Thus, amid the rattling and shaking, these steel monsters approached the trenches of the Dorne Kingdom, marking the beginning of the Armored Corps'' first assault on trench defense lines.


    Initially, the Dorne soldiers who had just clawed their way out of the loose soil could only see these "armored vehicles" from afar.


    As before, they thought these things were just a nuisance to themselves. Under normal circumstances, without their intervention, these heavy contraptions would break down on the battlefield and then be targeted and destroyed by weapons like mortars.


    Just by looking at the remnants of armored vehicles scattered across the battlefield, one could tell that using such things to attack enemy positions was as unreliable as performance art.


    However, as the targets drew nearer, everyone began to panic: they could clearly see that these behemoths were not as cumbersome as they had imagined.


    These armored monsters rolled over craters, broke tree trunks, and not even the barbed wire could halt their advance.


    When the soldiers began firing frantically at these armored giants with their weapons, they found their bullets seemingly useless.


    No matter where they shot, they could only see sparks flying, while the dense machine gun fire from above suppressed everyone, leaving no one able to raise their heads.


    "Quick! Call for support! We can''t hold them back!" As a hidden concrete bunker was blasted to pieces, the commander of the Dorne Kingdom''s forces on the front line finally realized that his soldiers would have a hard time securing an easy victory as they had in the past.


    When a Shireck tank rolled over the first trench of the Dorne Kingdom, the Dorne soldiers inside the trench collapsed.


    Like a dark cloud descending, the tank''s body obscured the sky above them, and the rolling tracks kicked up dirt, leaving them in such shock that it was overwhelming.


    Consequently, the Dorne soldiers began to retreat, forced to abandon a trench over two meters deep that they had defended for more than a month without giving up a single step!

 Chapter 526 493 sailing a boat on dry land

    "Adjust the artillery firing angle. Don''t worry about the details, just bombard the first line of defense positions! Try to trap as many of those metal clunkers as possible! If we allow them to calmly organize the next attack, our defense line might not hold," General Bolton immediately responded after hearing about the situation at the front.


    Right now, he didn''t have any dazzling array of anti-tank weapons at his disposal, nor did he have tanks to countercharge against the enemy''s.


    He wasn''t even sure if the Great Tang Group had any similar weapons; naturally, he didn''t know how to deal with this kind of thing.


    But, having rich combat experience, he reacted immediately¡ªat least, his troops had many tactics to deal with enemy armored vehicles.


    However, the most reliable tactic of digging pits to trap the enemy and then using mortars to repeatedly bomb and destroy the targets was unlikely to be effective now.


    From his subordinates'' descriptions, simple ad-hoc tactics such as attacking wheels with light weapons probably wouldn''t work either.@@@@


    All he could rely on now were more traditional and more dangerous methods: sending soldiers with hand grenades or explosives to attack these behemoths at close range.


    Unfortunately, this was still just a temporary tactic. What he needed were stronger weapons to withstand the assault of such weaponry from the other side!


    The frontline troops were in utter disarray, their faces smeared with dust and ash from the sudden appearance of Shirek Bombing Vehicles, and the first line of defense positions were nearly breached in an instant. The battlefield was sprawling with massive and terrifying monsters like Shirek tanks.


    The people of Gobur almost thought they were going to win this war! They fantasized about taking over the lands of the previously conquered Xilun and Taren Kingdoms and the most advanced Dorne Kingdom, expanding their industrial strength.


    They seemed to have already seen the dawn of becoming the Gobur Empire, the most powerful nation in the world.


    Regrettably, the bombardment from the Dorne Kingdom fell like raindrops, abruptly awakening the Gobur commanders who were still basking in the joy of victory.


    Their new weapons were initially effective, but due to their slow movement and lagging technology, they fell just short.


    There was no helping it: Due to the scarcity of track steel and the design philosophy of protecting the tracks, the off-road capability of the massive Shirek tanks was actually quite average.


    The design of tanks like the German A7V followed completely different principles from the British tanks of World War I.


    The British designed their tanks during World War I with the primary goal of using tracks to overcome obstacles and support troops in breaking through enemy defense positions.


    Therefore, British tanks used aggressive over-the-top tracks and increased the tilt angle of the tracks to enhance their ability to cross obstacles.


    On the other hand, German World War I tank design followed a philosophy more akin to that of a land cruiser, prioritizing the protection of their mobility mechanisms and sacrificing some off-road capability for an overall defensive approach.


    Of course, due to technological reasons, the German A7V tank design philosophy was completely flawed and inefficient, but it''s understandable.


    In the era when tanks were just emerging, no one could accurately define what a tank was. Everyone had their own interpretations and ideas.


    When a Shirek Bombing Vehicle was advancing within a position, it was unexpectedly hit by an incoming artillery shell, immediately turning into a heap of scattered metal.


    Another tank, also hit by a shell, burst into fierce flames, and its crew had no time to struggle before being charred black.


    Even 21st-century tanks could not guarantee the survival of the crew after being hit by large-caliber artillery, let alone such land-based cruisers.


    Subsequently, more vehicles were destroyed by shrapnel as shells exploded at close range. The massive shock killed the members inside the tanks, damaged the machinery, and left the tanks paralyzed on the path forward.


    Steel armor only a few centimeters, or even one centimeter thick, could not fully withstand the incoming shells, so when Dorne began to counter-fire, seven or eight Gobur tanks were scrapped on the battlefield.


    However, more than a dozen tanks still broke through Dorne''s defensive line, but lacking infantry cover, they had to face Dorne soldiers'' counter-attacks from all directions alone.


    The battle became intensely fierce, so much so that both sides found it hard to bear.


    On the Gobur side, they had prepared for this attack for a long time and naturally were not willing to give up easily. Moreover, their tanks had already breached the enemy''s positions, and they felt that with just a bit more effort, victory could be theirs.


    For Dorne, it was a matter of national life and death, with many soldiers preferring death to retreat. They firmly held their second line of defense and attempted to recapture their first line through flanking counter-attacks.


    Both sides were continuously reinforcing their troops in the combat zone. Gobur''s forces, hindered by Dorne''s artillery, could not immediately capitalize on their gains, while Dorne''s soldiers were engaged in a fierce battle with Gobur''s tanks and momentarily unable to plug their own gaps.


    The sides exchanged blows in a lively engagement: The Gobur''s follow-up forces were depleting Dorne''s precious ammunition stores.


    If Dorne either ran low on ammunition or their firepower faltered, Gobur could potentially breach Dorne''s defensive lines; meanwhile, Dorne was systematically destroying the Gobur tanks that had penetrated their positions, knowing if they could take out these lethal invaders, the subsequent enemy offense would no longer pose a threat.


    Bullets from all sides pelted the slowly moving Gobur tanks, causing countless sparks to fly off their armor.


    That''s how it is on the battlefield. Soldiers wouldn''t stop shooting just because their bullets couldn''t penetrate the tanks; instead, they would dump their ammunition frantically, focusing on the targets that were easiest to hit or posed the most immediate threat, recklessly firing away.


    No one would coolly analyze: ''My bullets can''t penetrate the tank, so I should target something else.'' In fact, they wouldn''t dare. This is because no one could guarantee that the tank they ignored wouldn''t target them and strafe them while they were shooting at other targets.


    Another reason was the common hope against hope that their very next bullet might slip through a crack into the tank, possibly disabling it and stopping its advance...


    That''s why there were scenes on the battlefield where a tank was so riddled with bullet holes that not even the paint on its surface could be seen.


    Amidst the hail of bullets, that Gobur tank came to a stop, the machine guns from all directions firing fiercely as if it were a steel pillbox embeddedin the midst of enemy lines.


    ----------


    Happy Army Day! Bless our great motherland with invincible might and unstoppable conquest!

 Chapter 527 Simple countermeasures 494

    "Bolton has sent a rather strange telegram." When Luff hurriedly found Tang Mo, Tang Mo was busy enjoying lunch with Yue''er.


    With the departure of Dragon Spirit from Dragon Island, Tang Mo naturally felt he was free again, and teasing Yue''er, who was learning, became his little hobby.


    Tang Mo cut the beef for Yue''er, skewered a piece with a fork, and brought it to Yue''er''s mouth, then he turned to look at a somewhat embarrassed Luff and asked, "What''s the matter?"


    "Gobur has deployed tanks!" Luff replied to Tang Mo''s question with a worried tone, "The southern defenses of Dorne are hanging by a thread!"


    "Huh? Tanks?" Tang Mo was slightly taken aback; he had not expected that the new weapon, which the Great Tang Group was still keeping secret, had somehow been produced by the Shireck side as well.


    Never underestimate the heroes of the world! Thinking this, Tang Mo shook his head and chuckled bitterly, "Ever since I started to manage my own kingdom, I seem to have relaxed my control over the world''s weapon technology quite a bit."


    Although it would be wishful thinking for the enemy to surpass Great Tang in weapons technology, playing catch-up with technology and bullying the little brothers of the Great Tang Group who were still in the past was indeed possible.


    "Interesting, really interesting," Tang Mo applauded and laughed, "It seems I truly underestimated Sofia as an opponent."


    Great Tang has its own secrets that cannot be fully revealed to Sofia; clearly, Sofia too has her own little secrets she does not intend to share with Tang Mo...


    "Our spy in Gobur has seen a large number of airships moving to the front line, over fifty in number," Luff continued to add.


    Airships were different from tanks; tanks could be kept secret using tarpaulins and martial law at railway stations, so the probability of discovery was somewhat smaller.


    However, airships could only fly in the skies, and even if they operated from dusk till dawn, they were still easily detected.


    Therefore, Great Tang''s espionage agents planted in the Gobur Kingdom detected the airship army rushing to the front line at the first opportunity, and sent a warning to Tang Mo.


    "First, let''s figure out how to help Bolton deal with the tanks... After all, if we lose Bolton, there will be problems with the supply of rubber from the direction of Jade City," Tang Mo said, his main concern actually being the special industrial resource of rubber.


    There was no way around it; he could import oil from the Ice Cold Empire, Songmu Kingdom, Suthers Kingdom, and the Empire of Nanla. The oil reserves on Dragon Island could also supply, and the production capacity was quite high.


    Steel and rare metals were not a big problem for Tang Country, given its vast territory, and could also be imported from elsewhere.


    Only rubber, which could only be produced in the south, was an indispensable resource, which is why Tang Mo placed particular importance on it. This was also the reason he positioned Bolton and Strauss in important positions in Dorne.


    "From the direction of Jade City, we only have one infantry division... and it''s a newly expanded unit with actually not very strong combat capability... If they move south..." Luff reminded Tang Mo with some trepidation.


    Great Tang Kingdom had not yet completed the expansion of its troops; although there were divisions with their numbers, not many were fully staffed and combat-ready.


    Moreover, according to Nangong Hong''s design, the main forces were all within the territory of the Great Tang Kingdom, while the troops stationed in places like Jade City and Brunas were actually second-line skeleton divisions, whose combat power was not really impressive.


    Unfortunately, his mood had been interrupted, and Tang Mo was no longer intent on dragging the novel into a 404 error, so he instructed the departing Luff, "By the way, stop by Roger''s office and ask him to come to my office..."


    "Oh right!" He had just finished speaking when he remembered the matter of the airships. He then added, "Also pass the airship intelligence to Bolton! Since he''s already suffered a setback, we should help him make up for it a little. Otherwise, if he loses, wouldn''t our Great Tang graduates'' undefeated record be tarnished?"


    "Yes!" Luff responded immediately after hearing this.


    The Dragon''s Den was now large in scale, with many peripheral offices. The Prime Minister''s office was not far from the core building of the Dragon''s Den, so asking Luff to pass a message was convenient.


    Roger soon arrived at Tang Mo''s office, just as Tang Mo had just had Yue''er sent back to school.


    Wiping the lipstick from his cheek, Tang Mo casually tossed the silk scarf aside and said to the incoming Roger, "Shireck''s new tanks have entered the fray, causing considerable trouble for Bolton at the Dorne southern front."


    Roger was also slightly startled upon hearing this news, then realized the crux of the matter, "I hadn''t expected them to gain the upper hand!"


    "Indeed! With the war serving as an advertisement, their tanks will definitely sell well for a while. We''ve ultimately swallowed a dumb loss," Tang Mo said to Roger with a smile, "But, actually, it''s not a big problem."


    "Backed by a nation, we can no longer sell advanced weaponry recklessly like Shireck..." Roger said with some regret.


    Many of Great Tang''s higher-ups were accustomed to their previous merchant identities and had yet to make the transition, so Tang Mo found Roger''s reaction unsurprising.


    "Every advantage has its disadvantage; it''s an unavoidable situation," Tang Mo waved his hand, "And we haven''t truly been surpassed, so there''s no need to worry."


    He looked at Roger, paused for two seconds, and then continued, "I''ve already had someone telegram Harry, to quickly produce a batch of tanks in Jade City''s automobile factory and Dragon City''s tractor factory to compete with Shireck in the market!"


    "Using our tanks to compete in the market? Isn''t that an overkill?" Roger was still planning for Great Tang''s tanks to make a big splash in the next war.


    "Of course, we can''t use our Model 4; that would be insanity," Tang Mo waved his hand dismissively, a cunning look on his face, "the Mark I...or perhaps the Mark IV... would do just fine."


    In this world, the technology used by the Great Tang Kingdom itself was still too advanced, and Tang Mo felt that by fobbing off some outdated technology, he could make a good profit from a bunch of wealthy fools.


    As for technological dominance, that was something to use when his own troops were beating others, not the other way around.


    "Mark I? Mark IV?" Roger, who wasn''t in charge of the technical aspects, was bewildered by these bizarre codenames¡ªcodenames that would be ambiguous even in the 21st century; who knew whether you were referring to the British World War I tanks or Iron Man''s alloy armors?


    "Don''t worry about it, this task can be left to Harry," Tang Mo looked completely confident.


    --------


    Two chapters resume, thank you everyone for your concern, Dragon Spirit will strive to write diligently!

 Chapter 528 495 Highway, Railway and Dam

    ```


    Compared to the tumultuous eastern continent, the interior of the Great Tang Kingdom can now indeed be described as a peaceful haven, even akin to an idyllic paradise.


    After various countries sold their surplus, or even not-so-surplus, food to Tang Mo, the Great Tang Kingdom managed to get through the toughest times. The people here, supported by the availability of food, lived peacefully and resumed production.


    With this year''s bountiful harvest and the yield brought about by the new types of seeds, the entire Great Tang Kingdom was engulfed in joy.


    The farmers who tilled the land realized that their hard days had finally come to an end. The state reduced the servitude and taxes of the farmers, and even provided some subsidies, leading to an unprecedented improvement in their quality of life.


    With surplus food in hand and extra money in their pockets, these farmers now possessed the most basic purchasing power. And, in the economic understanding of Great Tang Group, purchasing power represents the formation of a complete consumption chain.


    With the promotion of tractors and other agricultural machinery, along with the construction of roads that significantly reduced the cost of transporting grain, farmers began to take an interest in vehicles and other production equipment.


    The Great Tang Group, well versed in this field, immediately introduced the concept of production cooperatives and made a wide range of farming machinery available nationwide through rentals.


    In doing so, it not only addressed the shortage of professional drivers but also solved the employment issues of the graduates of fast-track courses offered by schools.


    As strong as Great Tang''s educational department might be, it was impossible to guarantee that every citizen across the country could become a university graduate, learn profound knowledge, and become pillars of society.


    In fact, there were indeed people who naturally disliked studying; some would rather do physically demanding jobs than sit down and honestly write a test paper.


    So, to address the employment of this group, Great Tang Group introduced fast-track courses, providing technical training to them. This system, similar to technical schools, taught only one skill, and once mastered, they could start working.


    Only with the emergence of this road did the villagers understand what a road was¡ªtheir previous path was merely a wasteland that had been trodden bare of any grass.


    The sides of the river had been tidied up and trees planted. It was said to prevent soil erosion, though no one knew exactly what soil erosion was.


    An old man, who had lived here his entire life, saw people repairing the river embankments for the first time. Floods used to break out every few years, yet he had never seen the local officials or masters show any concern for the levees.


    What was more surprising was that, far upstream, it was said that a dam was being constructed. It would hold back most of the river water and regulate the downstream flow during floods or drought.


    No one knew the amount of immense force needed to hold back a river. They only remembered that the last flood had toppled the high and stout walls of the prefectural city...


    Curious people who had gone to see the dam came back reporting that the structure had already taken shape. It was so vast that they couldn''t find a word to describe it. Ultimately, they pointed to a distant mountain peak and said it was even larger than that.


    Everyone thought they were exaggerating, and no one seemed to take further interest in the giant dam that appeared to be still under construction.


    The people only cared whether there was water in the irrigation channels of their fields, only concerned about the crops in front of them...


    In a town further away, a high platform with a rain shelter made of frighteningly thick steel had been built, looking extravagantly expensive.


    The townspeople said they called it a platform, leading to a special road that stretched out of sight.


    That road was lined with parallel beams, reminiscent of a ladder. On top of the beams, I-shaped steel rails were erected, extending into the distance as if they were endless.


    ```

 Chapter 529 495 Highway, Railway and Dam_2

    Every day, steel monsters that belched dense smoke and made enormous noises stopped at this platform, and then countless goods were unloaded from the carriages trailing behind the beast.


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    Either it was live cattle and sheep, or a large amount of ironware, or snow-white smooth porcelain, or grains...


    The Great Tang Kingdom seemed to possess an endless supply of resources. These steel monsters called trains continuously brought from afar what used to be exorbitantly priced oil, refined flour, and spices, then drove down their prices to unbelievably low levels¡ªitems once only affordable by the nobility.


    Nowadays, if there''s a man in the family who operates an excavator, having vegetable oil at home, or even sneakily hiding a couple of sausage links in the cupboard, is no longer something to boast about.


    If someone had a family member who could ride a motorcycle or deliver mail on a tall horse, they might be envied for a couple of months, but now, being able to drive a truck¡ªthat''s truly impressive.


    Indeed, nowadays, those who can drive trucks are still considered valuable "professional drivers," and in the Great Tang Kingdom, a driver is still a profession, not just a skill.


    The neverending stream of people walked on smooth roads; women, basket in hand, leading children, their eyes filled with an unprecedented sense of peace and satisfaction.


    Nothing was happier than eating one''s fill, and if anything were, it would be being able to eat to one''s fill every single day.


    In the plains, some strange tall towers began to appear, with thick cables connecting these towers that ran all the way to the mountaintops, and soon, villages near those towers had electric lights.


    No one could quite describe the feeling, as countless generations accustomed to sleeping when it got dark suddenly found it no longer seemed so reasonable.


    More efficient transformers made electric power transmission possible, and the power plants built at the edge of mines kept puffing out black smoke day and night, declaring the prosperity of the Great Tang Kingdom to the world.


    At that time, no little girl was concerned about the environment; having a smoking factory at one''s doorstep was everyone''s simple dream.


    Because those who had tasted the sweetness knew that having smoking chimneys meant that the surrounding areas would soon become affluent.


    Even just by pushing a cart in front of these factories and selling wild fruits or snacks, one could earn more Gold Coins than they could have ever dared to dream of before.


    If the person has a bit of a temper, such an inquiry could lead to a fight right there on the street. Even the people from the once-slightly-superior Dahua, now on Tang land, behave humbly and respectfully.


    Everyone has embraced their identity as Tang People, and even many foreign merchants are willing to join Tang Country and become one of the Tang People.


    They soon discover that Tang Country offers significant preferential treatment to its own merchants, like tax relief and help in protecting their interests and safety abroad.


    To give a simple example, in the past, people from Qi or Zheng Country could hardly do business in Sheng Country. But nowadays, humans in Sheng Country are very safe, as the goblins dare not provoke them.


    Just like the old Brunas, Tang Country is virtually a new, much larger Gold Mountain! Those who come here to do business find that no matter what they do, they can reap tremendous profits.


    All they need to do is take the various products from the Great Tang Kingdom back to their own country. A simple resale would earn them much more money than before.


    Everything here seems very cheap, so cheap that it''s almost hard to believe: porcelain products, once affordable only to the Nobility, are now as inexpensive as if they were being given away.


    A common civilian needs to spend only a few copper coins to buy a beautiful rice bowl with lifelike flowers on it, a true work of art.


    In the past, such a porcelain bowl would be a decoration on a noble''s dining table and would cost at least 30 silver coins. But now they are piled up in warehouses, and one can even see shattered "transportation losses" all over the floor.


    A massive amount of industrial goods has replaced many former products; the clunky wooden boxes of the past are now slowly being phased out, replaced by more convenient cardboard boxes.


    More convenient writing paper has replaced the variety of papers from the past, and with the promotion by the Great Tang Group, it has gradually been accepted by all.


    In more and more big cities, everyone is beginning to accept the luxury of using paper for toilet needs, and the flush toilet is becoming a common and hygienic restroom experience for all.


    With the rise of factories, more convenient clothing styles have replaced former attire, and increasingly wealthy people have begun to pursue their own simple definition of beauty.


    Just last year, one could only see men and women dressed in identical work clothes on the streets, but now many have started to spend money in ready-to-wear shops to dress in better-looking everyday clothes.


    Styles from Brunas, sleek and convenient, have become very popular and beloved by women. These vibrant garments adorn the gray streets, and suddenly, like the morning after a spring rain, they bloom all over the world.


    A world that is becoming more beautiful, happier, wealthier, and more... advanced!

 Chapter 530 496 - Thick instruction manual

    ```


    The concept of tracks isn''t technically complex, and practically any industrialized country could manufacture something similar once they understood the principle.


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    The technology involved isn''t advanced because everyone had produced chain transmissions or similar devices before; just enlarge and reinforce them, and you pretty much have the prototype of a track.


    After Gobur had shown off his tanks, Tang Mo no longer felt it necessary to keep his tank troops a secret.


    Previously, tank production on Dragon Island was extremely time-consuming and strenuous. Transporting the tanks by ship had been as troublesome as if the Great Tang Kingdom''s military were always conducting amphibious landings.


    Now, things were better. Tang Mo could proudly produce his own tanks near Tongcheng, substantially reducing the transportation costs.


    Unlike 21st-century tanks, the tanks Tang Mo was manufacturing didn''t have as many sophisticated electronic devices. The truly delicate components were limited to a few details.


    First, to get a tank up and running, a dynamic power system composed of an engine and a gearbox was necessary. This system, now one of the most expensive parts of a tank, proved challenging to industrial capabilities.


    Secondly, Tang Mo''s tanks had a complete and future-improving optical aiming system. This device was the epitome of precision machining, something other countries couldn''t match.


    Finally, there was the vehicle-mounted radio communication system that other nations wouldn''t even dare to contemplate. It ensured smooth communication within the Armored Corps, allowing for sophisticated coordination¡ªa costly and delicate piece of equipment.


    As for the cannon, before the switch to longer-barreled tank guns, the short-barreled, low-pressure 75mm cannons weren''t technically complex, so they aren''t considered precision systems for the time being.


    Tang Mo, or rather, the Great Tang Group, had an absolute lead in automobile manufacturing. The technology of engines and gearboxes, built up over a long period, was profoundly robust.


    Advanced engines provided very reliable power, and gearboxes were copied from relatively mature designs. Therefore, in terms of the power system, Tang Mo''s No. 4 tank was absolutely trustworthy.


    Even in the real World War II, Germany''s No. 4 tank was known for its low malfunction rate and manageable maintenance, a balanced design well-liked by the military.


    Unlike the delicate and costly Zoo series tanks, the No. 4 tank was affectionately known as the "Military Horse" and was seen by soldiers as a reliable combat partner, attesting to the success of its design approach.


    In the field of optical equipment technology, the Great Tang Group also led the world. It remains the largest supplier of cameras, measuring devices for lenses, and optical aiming equipment globally.


    About two-thirds of the world''s optical lenses were produced by the Great Tang Group, and nearly all warships equipped with long-distance optical aiming were manufactured by them.


    Therefore, supplying the most reliable aiming scopes for Tang Mo''s tanks was a piece of cake for the Great Tang Group. Tang Mo didn''t guarantee his optical aiming scopes to be flawless, but he assured that his troops used the very best ones in the world!


    The radio operator was actually under no stress because this was what he had learned at school. After all, the devices were nearly the same, and he could master the operating essentials with just a casual glance.


    What really troubled him was not the radio equipment to his left, but the aircraft machine gun installed right in front of him.


    Because the training was rushed, he only had very rudimentary shooting training at school, making it somewhat of a stretch for him to kill with this device.


    So at this moment, he was staring at the machine gun that used a drum magazine rather than a belt feed, earnestly learning, and repeatedly simulating every step in his mind.


    In the confined space, it wasn''t an easy task to change the ammunition for the machine gun, especially since he also had to prioritize solving radio issues in the meantime.


    The loader was utterly confused¡ªhe was just strong and physically robust, having been assigned to the armored corps solely because it came with a position allowance, offering substantially better conditions than the infantry...


    Now, his job turned out to be pulling shells from various nooks around him in a confined space to stuff them into the cannon and then closing the breech to complete loading.


    The places where the shells were stored were meticulously arranged, some behind the large buttocks of the commander, some to his left, and of course, if the battle was too intense, there were also some rounds stored beside the gunner.


    Some shells were placed behind the driver''s seat, wrapping the loader around like a coffin...


    There was no choice; this was ammunition, and it had to be placed as close as possible to where the loader could quickly reach it!


    Just imagine: to his left were shells, to his right were shells, in front of him were shells, behind him, too, were shells, and under his feet lay a large barrel of gasoline...


    "At least we don''t have to march ourselves, right?" quipped the driver. He, on the other hand, was eager to get a feel of the transmission with its six forward gears and one reverse gear.


    Imagine the bliss of the tank drivers in Germany during World War II¡ªevery No. 4 tank''s engine was made by Maybach. How much would such a thing cost in the twenty-first century?


    Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Maybach, Porsche¡ªluxuries nowadays that many can''t afford were practically being wasted by WWII German drivers... You know why German officers'' uniforms looked so sleek? Because many of the military outfits were tailor-made by BOSS!


    It might be hard to believe, but starting in 1942, the drivers of Germany''s mass-produced Tiger tanks were using steering wheels! Similar technology wouldn''t even be seen on Russia''s T-series tanks until 2022... Yes, they were that ostentatious.


    The gunner, meanwhile, didn''t have much to feel. His job was to aim and fire at targets. The new tank had a clearer and more precise sight, with which he was already familiarizing himself with how to use.


    All he had to do was wait for the loader to finish loading the shells and for the commander to give him the firing order. He''d then step on the pedal and obliterate the target.


    He was actually quite at ease because he had just seen the thickness of the front armor steel plate of this tank.


    Anyone knowing they''ll be going to battle would be nervous, as it''s a natural human response. However, if a 60mm thick armor steel plate was stacked in front of him, that nervousness would surely be greatly reduced¡ªand that''s the very purpose of a tank!

 Chapter 531 497 Breakthrough

    Sometimes things are just so fantastical: Tang Mo''s troops were equipped with M35 helmets, yet they used an improved version of the vest-style equipment.


    Since no one in this world had yet used poison gas, the German Army''s distinctive striped gas mask canisters did not make an appearance.


    The soldiers from the Great Tang Kingdom used the Huaxia sapper shovel for their tactical digging needs, and their puttees were made of leather, the American version.


    Their assault troops carried Thompson submachine guns and M1911 pistols for self-defense, but their rifles were the G43 semi-automatic type and the Mauser Kar98K!


    In the choice of hand grenades, Tang Mo ultimately discarded the German stick grenade black technology in favor of the more conveniently carried American-style grenades, but then he equipped his soldiers with MG42 machine guns¡ªa mix of German and American styles, with no clear advantage for either.@@@@


    All soldiers were equipped with the standard German camouflage raincoats, as well as the classic reversible camouflage smocks used by the German Army in World War II. However, during winter, the soldiers'' standard long coats were modeled after those of the Soviet Red Army.


    Due to Tang Mo''s "hobby," this unit had become a true mishmash. Five parts reminiscent of the German Army, three parts like the U.S. forces, and two parts like the Soviet Army.


    Though Tang Mo favored German designs for tanks and aircraft, he shifted decisively towards the United States when it came to cars.


    Most of the various car models equipped by the Great Tang Kingdom were American models, with the exception of the sedans used by senior officers.


    Additionally, the future air force of the Tang Army would also contain a large number of American-style aircraft, such as the B-17 strategic bombers they were already working on and the C47 transport aircraft responsible for logistics.


    As a more practical model, the C47 transport aircraft had already begun operations during the mass production of the Camel Fighter and, as of now on Dragon Island, there was already a significant number of C47 transport planes.


    When it came to artillery choices, Tang Mo was a true aficionado of American designs, outfitting his units'' artillery with calibers that were 105 and 155 millimeters, Western-style.


    The main reason for such choices was Tang Mo''s plan to return to the Huaxia route in the later stages, as the further the technology developed, the stronger and more advanced Huaxia''s artillery became, adhering to the big-gun doctrine.


    As for anti-aircraft guns, World War II U.S. Army''s were actually quite average (excluding the Navy''s). Because the U.S. entered the war with air supremacy, their ground anti-aircraft firepower was not particularly strong.


    By comparison, the ground forces of Germany, which had been battered by the U.S. Air Force for years and had become well-tempered, seemed to have a strong say in the matter.


    The fame of the German Army''s 88mm caliber Flak cannon was excellent, with the only downside being a bit bulky.


    Moreover, San Dezi''s various self-propelled anti-aircraft guns were plentiful in variety, and it wouldn''t be a problem to get a few of those.


    With the experience and lessons from World War II, Tang Mo would naturally not waste resources on half-track vehicles; he was more inclined to develop fully tracked armored vehicles.


    Therefore, the half-track armored vehicles that were active on various battlefields during World War II might never appear in this other world.


    In their place, there could likely be a light, armored personnel carrier similar to the M3 or BMP¡ªvehicles that would cooperate with tanks on the battlefield, protect infantry, and enable them to keep up with the tanks'' charging speed.


    From this perspective, the dandelion seeds scattered by Tang Mo had already started to take effect. Subtly, they influenced the judgments of high-ranking decision-makers in various countries.


    Not provoking Tang Mo had become an unwritten consensus in everyone''s subconscious, and, many times, this consensus was more effective than an army of 200,000.


    On the fourth day after Gobur Kingdom deployed tanks to the war, many residents of Dongwan Island witnessed yet another unforgettable scene in their lifetime.


    Accompanied by a continuous oppressive droning sound, they saw flocks of objects flying overhead.


    These objects were clearly smaller than airships and faster too. In the blink of an eye, those black dots had formed a chevron shape, and then they began to descend, appearing as if they were about to land on the other side of the mountain.


    The locals all knew that their new governor had earlier ordered the construction of a peculiar facility on the outskirts of Dongwan City. There, a super-large flat ground had been built, accompanied by towering buildings and warehouses of various shapes...


    Now, these omens-of-ill-fortune that could fly were converging in that direction, and a casual count revealed there were as many as a dozen of them.


    "Are those dragons?" a farmer on Dongwan Island asked the village chief standing on the ridge, looking up at the planes landing in the nearby military zone with astonishment.


    "I heard His Majesty comes from Dragon Island... Dragon Island, presumably home to dragons, right?" another farmer stood up, watching another wobbly plane land, and tentatively asked with a hint of trepidation.


    The old village chief gazed at the C47 transport planes landing one after another on Dongwan Island, unable to articulate a rationale. After all, he also did not know what these flying things should be called.


    "I''m not sure either, but... that belongs to His Majesty... so we have nothing to worry about, do we? That''s all we need to know," the village chief said after a pause, having thought it over.


    That day, a squadron of C47s carrying newly graduated students from Dragon City University arrived at Dongwan. They were to embark from there to Linshui to supplement the teaching staff at Linshui University.


    Compared to the earth-shattering debut of tanks on the battlefield by Gobur, the landing of the fleet of planes seemed somewhat subdued.


    But those who knew what all this represented understood who was truly changing the world. This marked the first time in history someone had managed to fly across the ocean, a feat that, in legend, only dragons could accomplish.


    These aircraft, capable of covering a flight distance of 2,500 kilometers in one go, had already led the entire world by two whole eras, yet to be widely recognized.


    In the past, transporting people from Dragon Island to Dongwan Island took about half a year and had to be scheduled during specific months.


    Not long ago, reaching Dongwan Island from Dragon Island by ship still required a month-long arduous voyage.


    Now, after transferring through airports on several small islands, it took just 4 days to arrive! Such is the power of technology!


    No one yet knew these planes had taken off from Dragon Island, crossed half the Endless Sea, and arrived at Dongwan, so everyone was merely shocked, and not dumbfounded.


    If they knew the truth, then there would no longer be any doubt about Great Tang Group''s technological prowess, and no one would care about those clumsy steel bodies twitching beside shell craters on the northern battlefield of Gobur.

 Chapter 532 498 mediation

    Imperial City Laines, the brand-new streets bustled with people hurrying along, the Empire was in the midst of war, inevitably filled with a desolate air.


    No one knew when this war would end, everyone was longing to return to ordinary life. Every day, news from the front could be read in the newspapers, mainly figures of casualties and so-called major victories.


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    For example, some days it was about conquering several of the enemy''s bunkers, about brave soldiers who had selflessly charged into the ferocious battle, receiving great sums of money as rewards, and being awarded medals symbolizing honor.


    In the beginning, everyone was excited for a moment, but now only endless torment and numbness remained. Shops were not as bustling as before, construction sites had all stopped, even the once lively places of pleasure were now empty and desolate.


    A Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost engine roared past the street in the ultimate display of luxury, kicking up a torn flyer, which then fluttered down next to a curbstone.


    Only one sentence remained on this half flyer: "Bailu shopping mall 50% off, leading the fashion trend, what are you waiting for?"


    Inside the seamless Rolls-Royce, the driver steered the wheel steadily, turning onto familiar streets, inching closer to the destination.@@@@


    In the city of Laines, there weren''t many who could afford, or rather who dared to drive, luxury automobiles with large fuel consumptions anymore.


    Since the war broke out, petrol had become a scarce commodity. Leines I had issued a decree, strictly rationing the daily use of petrol for civilian vehicles.


    Each car would be allotted a monthly petrol ration coupon according to registration, with no replenishments upon use, and even some government vehicles were subjected to this rule.


    Hence, the public began to buy and sell these petrol coupons, those lucky enough not to need a car could even earn back their vehicle purchase costs with these coupons.


    As the war escalated, and the Great Tang Group inexplicably reduced the export of petroleum, imported petrol became a luxury, domestic petrol production couldn''t increase, making it even harder to see luxury cars with high horsepower on the streets of the Laines Empire.


    Even Leines I himself had stopped using his beloved Rolls-Royce Royale, who else would dare to defy the Emperor, showing off during such times and inviting trouble for themselves?


    Yet, in these extraordinary times, this luxurious Rolls-Royce car boldly made its way to the front of Leines I''s Imperial Palace, ostentatiously enough to be startling.


    The guard did not dare to neglect his duty, tasked with receiving and sending off visitors, he quickly approached the door of the newly-stopped Rolls-Royce and reached out to pull open the heavy car door.


    The solid sound of the door opening demonstrated the nearly obsessive precision of the car''s craftsmanship to everyone around, as well as the unstinting solidity of the materials used.


    As the door was pulled open by the guard, a foot stepped out of the car, shiny leather shoes hitting the cobblestones, and a middle-aged man emerged from the car.


    The Prime Minister of Laines, waiting at the gate, immediately beamed with a smile and made an inviting gesture, welcoming, "Mister Ambassador, His Majesty has been waiting for you."


    But now? The current situation was that the Laines Empire was at odds with the Empire of Nanla to the east, and both sides were embroiled in conflict, making any hope of obtaining materials from Nanla a luxury.


    At the same time, the Laines Empire was fully engaged in war with the Dorne Kingdom to the south, eliminating any hope of importing resources from that direction as well.


    To the north, Northern Ridge served as a "barrier" between them and Suthers Kingdom. Even if trade was possible, Suthers was heavily influenced by Tang Mo and was part of the trade alliance. Trading back and forth was still just playing house within the economic system set up by the Great Tang Group.


    Trapped in such an "encirclement," if one were content kneeling at the feet of the Great Tang Group, there would definitely be a bowl of soup to drink. However, if one wished to break out of this cycle for more options, in Leines I''s view, the war was inevitable.


    Everything fit logically, the only problem was that he hadn''t achieved the ultimate goal of annihilating Dorne and successfully leading his troops into Gobur, as planned...


    "We are all adults here, Your Majesty," Mr. Envoy said with a smile, wearing an expression that seemed to see through everything. "Let''s not use excuses meant for the common folk in such an important negotiation, shall we?"


    "Mr. Envoy, you jest. In fact, although it''s hard to believe, it was indeed the soldiers from the Dorne Kingdom who fired first," the Prime Minister said, glancing at the embarrassed Leines I and hastening to explain.


    "..." The envoy from the Great Tang Kingdom looked at Laines'' Prime Minister on the side, remained silent, and smiled.


    "It''s pointless to discuss this now, Mr. Envoy," Leines I rallied once more, regaining his composure as he spoke, "I hope you understand that peace is not just your wish. I too hope to let my people bask in the peace of sunlight."


    He paused, gathering his energy before continuing, "However, since the war has already started, ending it is not something I can decide on my own."


    "I am very aware of that," the envoy from the Great Tang Kingdom nodded, then added, "But Your Majesty is also aware, I believe, that this war, if left to Laines alone, is unlikely to last long."


    He emphasized the words "left to" significantly, conveying to Leines I and his Prime Minister a sense of threat.


    Indeed, it was a threat.


    If the Great Tang Group stopped supporting the Laines Empire now, the endless supply of ammunition, bullets, and materials would no longer be transported through Jade City and Northern Ridge to the Laines Empire, leaving the Laines Empire truly in a dire situation, both internally and externally.


    This was the last thing the Laines Empire wanted to see. Therefore, Leines I knew that, no matter what, he had to give face to the Great Tang Group, or rather, the Great Tang Kingdom, during this time.


    That was also why Tang Mo was the first to approach Leines I: the Laines Empire was deeply influenced by the Great Tang Group, and of all the countries involved, it had the least room to maneuver!


    Of course, another reason was that the opponent of the Laines Empire, the Dorne Kingdom, also didn''t have many good options at the moment!


    Once he had settled the issues with these two countries, Tang Mo was confident that he could persuade Suthers and Nanla, which had already received the benefits they wanted, to back down.


    Then, the trade alliance, in name only, could largely be restored, and normal economic trade could cycle once again, naturally improving the economy.

 Chapter 533 499 held on

    ```


    However, the current problem that needs to be resolved is the vacillating alliance between the duplicitous Laines Empire, which seeks some form of strategic security, and Gobur Kingdom.


    The Gobur Kingdom is thoroughly under the sway of the Shireck Consortium, a fact well known to all. As a quasi-enemy force that has always stood opposite to the Great Tang Group, the alliance between the Shireck-controlled Gobur Kingdom and the Laines Empire must be dissolved.


    This is the second purpose of the envoy from the Great Tang Kingdom for this visit.


    "I understand what you mean... We will consider it seriously," seeing his Emperor remaining silent with a gloomy face, the Prime Minister of Laines hurried to step forward and speak, "However, the Laines Empire will not be threatened by anyone! This point must be clear to you!"


    The first part of this statement reflects the stance of the Laines Empire, indicating that the side of the Laines Empire has already felt the threat from the Great Tang Group and will seriously consider the will of the Tang side.


    The latter part is just a formality, a way for them to save face, maintaining the political status of the Laines Empire in front of the Great Tang Kingdom.


    You can''t simply kneel without a struggle and call someone else your daddy¡ªit''s a rather face-losing situation. You need to hesitate, struggle, and ultimately kneel begrudgingly due to circumstances, swallowing your pride and calling out ''dad.'' To outsiders, at least it looks like you kept your integrity...


    The envoy from the Great Tang Kingdom also knew that continuing to be aggressively pushy was pointless; he simply needed to let the other party feel the political pressure from the Great Tang Kingdom.


    So, he explained with a smile, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister, the Great Tang Kingdom will not threaten anyone. We maintain neutrality; that has always been our stance. We are a peace-loving nation, from beginning to end."


    You are a peace-loving force? How can you say something so conscienceless with a straight face? The Prime Minister silently cursed within, though his face continued to bear a smile.


    Damn it, since its inception, the Tang Group has been a munitions dealer directly confronting the Shireck Consortium, and to this day, nearly two-fifths of the countries in the world use weapons and equipment developed and produced by the Tang Group!


    Such a damned warmongering arms magnate has the audacity to say he loves peace! The gods know you love peace!


    After ranting internally, the Prime Minister suddenly realized that arms dealers do indeed love peace: it''s not war they like, but the arms race during peacetimes!


    Although war can consume a large number of weapons and equipment, once it ends, there is a substantial period wherein the interest in armaments wanes.


    Because the war is over, the victor has been decided, and the conqueror no longer needs to maintain a formidable military force to deter a substantial adversary.


    This is like playing Go¡ªif one side is too strong, no high-quality games can ensue. You need an equally strong opponent.


    But an arms race is different. Despite less wartime consumption, weapons do have a shelf life, and plenty are destroyed even during peace.


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    However, the arms race is endless, and the countries involved in it won''t spend any less¡ªbecause their opponents surely won''t slacken either!


    And such competition is relentless. As long as they have a penny, they will spend a penny, sparing no expense because as long as there''s peace, you''ll never beat your opponent, and the arms race will persist.


    Had he known that the tanks Gobur put into the war were of the decrepit A7V level, he could have simply produced some machine gun bullets with armor-piercing tips and that would have been nearly enough to cope.


    Now, however...


    The 76mm caliber anti-aircraft gun, fixed on a low gun carriage, lay concealed on the side of a trench, part of the border defense line that was on the brink of collapse.


    Well-concealed by clever use of the terrain, the Dorne troops made it impossible for Gobur''s forces to spot this insidious flank position from the front.


    The anti-aircraft gun, poking its barrel out, aimed at yet another staggeringly advancing Gobur tank that had burst into Dorne''s defensive position.


    The tank was turning, seemingly having spotted another active Dorne heavy machine-gun position on the other flank that was attracting attention with constant gunfire.


    During this turn, the anti-aircraft gun fired a shell. The high-velocity projectile emitted a chilling whistling sound as it smashed into the steel plate on the side of the Gobur tank.


    Lacking true armor-piercing rounds and thus using a shell equipped with an impact fuze, the explosive went off, its shockwave beginning to distort the steel plate nearby.


    Although not designed as a specialized round, the hammer-like force was still able to penetrate the thin steel plate, impacting the driver inside.


    The Gobur soldier who was just operating the machine gun was instantly engulfed by the explosion, and his assistant gunner beside him met the same fate.


    The machine gunner at the front of the tank felt the blast of air from behind, and the next instant he knew nothing anymore.


    To set up machine-gun fire in every direction, Shireck''s tank designers, much like a ship, installed the power system right in the center of the tank.


    The commanders and loaders fought while stepping over the engine inside the rotatable turret, a design that ensured the tank could be equipped with machine guns on all sides to suppress enemy fire, raising the overall height of the tank significantly.


    After the round penetrated the armor and exploded, the shockwave and shattered steel struck everyone inside the tank as well as the machinery.


    Following the detonation, both the fuel tanks and ammunition went up in flames, and the massive tank disintegrated in an instant, becoming a fiery inferno.


    With six machine guns operated by a total of twelve crew members, and including the commander, gunner, and driver, the Shireck version of the A7V tank had a total of sixteen crew members.


    With that one shot, all sixteen valuable crew members perished in the flames, none escaping.


    The battle continued unabated, not stopping abruptly just because one tank was destroyed. More tanks constantly tried on the battlefield, and Dorne''s final border defense line was still teetering.


    But Bolton held on, withstanding the assault of the Gobur Kingdom, helping to stabilize Dorne''s southern front. This win earned time, time for the Great Tang Kingdom to react and begin mediating the war!


    Everyone knew that after many specialized anti-tank weapons entered the battlefield, and after Dorne''s last line held, Gobur''s offensive was clearly starting to flag!


    Dorne, it seemed, held on!

 Chapter 534 500 pranks

    ```


    "Trash! All trash! We finally got a step ahead of the Great Tang Group, and yet those Gobur incompetents squandered it all away!" Sofia, in a fit of shame and anger, hurled an expensive glass imported from Brunas to the floor, where it shattered into sparkling fragments all over.


    It seems the wealthy always prefer to vent their emotions by breaking something valuable, as if to assert their status when enraged.


    That sense of being able to dominate the existence of all things is addictive, and Sofia seemed no exception to this commonality.


    This woman, who had now managed to control two-thirds of Shireck''s real power through her schemes, had her beautiful face distorted with excessive anger at this moment.


    She had been calculating and painstakingly managing to produce, in the most covert factories under her highest control, steel tanks that had successfully evaded the intelligence agencies of the Great Tang Group. But they failed to deliver a decisive blow on the battlefield.


    In fact, this was a fairly reasonable outcome: in the Battle of Somme, the British troops were the first to deploy tanks, this secret weapon. Although it had some effect, it did not completely break through the German Army''s defenses and failed to achieve the anticipated results.


    Shireck, exercising its influence, spared no expense to transport the stockpiled 50 airships and 300 Shireck-version tanks to the frontline. They originally intended to breach Dorne''s defenses, establish contact with Laines, threaten Jade City, and create pressure on the westward-advancing Great Tang Kingdom to distract Tang Mo from further expansion to the west.


    But who would have known, as soon as the 50 airships engaged in battle, they were intercepted, clearly indicating that Dorne was well-prepared. This loss nearly wiped out Gobur''s Air Force, leaving it nameless and powerless to continue its offensive.


    Even Shireck was affected to some degree: to support the Gobur Kingdom, Shireck had reassigned a group of airship commanders and pilots, resulting in a severe shortage of airship pilots on their side now.


    These airship pilots were officers who could read and write and had at least some educational background; each was a technical talent not easy to come by.


    For Shireck, losing several hundred airship crew members was painful, but it was far from crippling. At least, Sofia was still training a significant number of similar crew members.


    What truly made Sofia uncomfortable was the loss of the "tank" drivers she had painstakingly cultivated and amassed.


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    These people fought in tanks as confined as tin cans and required a certain level of mechanical operation ability, which meant they needed separate training.


    They were far more expensive than ordinary infantry, and not troublesome to raise. Yet, these crew members had suffered more than 3,000 casualties in Gobur''s assault!


    It''s no exaggeration¡ªthis accounted for about two-thirds of the tank crews involved in the battle, which was indeed too many.


    To train so many talents, Sofia had nearly exhausted all her efforts. However, her highly anticipated thunderous strike had not achieved the effect she had hoped for.


    "If only they all were as reassuring as you," Sofia stepped forward to the Earl, lifting her chin with her hand.


    "Would I still have a place in your bed then?" The Earl narrowed her eyes, like a kitten basking in its owner''s affection.


    "Of course, you''re so charming, far better than the others," Sofia said with a smile that conveyed the superior air of someone in command, utterly enthralling the Earl in the process.


    "Lady Sofia..." Blushing, the Earl murmured sentimentally, seemingly having forgotten the fierce battlefield in the northern reaches of Gobur.


    Sofia, with her arms wrapped around the Earl''s slender waist, had almost regained her composure, "You''re right! We must act now, even if we make mistakes, rather than do nothing! Rush the remaining tanks to Gobur! And also, as you''ve suggested, muster at least 300,000 troops, regardless of the cost, and break through Dorne!"


    "Yes, Lady Sofia! Everything... as you wish." The Earl, infatuated, immediately echoed in agreement.


    Just then, a maid hurried into the room, bowed respectfully, and reported to Sofia, "My lady, the head maid just brought back a message."


    Sofia paused slightly, wondering whether her head maid, whom she had sent to Brunas, was now working for the Great Tang Group or Shireck.


    This once-trusted confidant had now become a conduit, a window for communication between Shireck and the Great Tang Group.


    As time passed, many rumors had eroded her trust in her former head maid, but she couldn''t bear to be without the intelligence she provided, and thus continued to make use of this unclearly aligned piece on her chessboard.


    It was rumored that the head maid had become a little fan girl of Harry, the spokesperson for the Great Tang Group, desperately chasing after him. She had probably already disclosed all she knew about Shireck.


    "Give it to me," Sofia was keen to see just how the Great Tang Group would react to their decisive action and all the commotion they had caused in Gobur.


    The maid bowed slightly and handed over a piece of telegraph paper. Upon receiving the telegram, Sofia stiffened briefly, then her eyes immediately blazed with rage.


    Because this telegram was actually a personal message from Tang Mo, written in a rather teasing tone. This deeply irked Sofia; she could not accept it!


    She walked back to her desk and violently slammed the telegram onto it, causing her fiery red hair to tremble with the force of her movement.


    The curious Earl, wondering just what the telegram said, walked up behind Sofia and cooed, "My lady... what''s the matter? Is it bad news?"


    "In a way, it''s bad news. But... the telegram itself is meaningless!" Sofia stated coldly, "It''s like a boring prank."


    The Earl sneaked a glance at the telegram on the desk, widening her eyes in disbelief upon reading its short content.


    Because the content of the telegram read: "Your new weaponry is not bad, but I prefer to call the same type of weapon ''tanks''. I don''t like the word ''war chariot''; don''t use it wrong next time, okay?"

 Chapter 535 501 Collapse Pattern

    ```


    In the Northern Region, the cold had begun to quietly erode everything it encountered, and amidst the ice and snow, countless Dwarf Troops were trudging through with difficulty.


    If one were to ask who the biggest beneficiary of the war was, which resembled more of a civil conflict among trade alliances on a semi-global scale, the answer would naturally be the Ice Cold Empire.


    With many Dwarf Kingdoms nearby that were not only lacking in strength but had also not completed industrialization, and with the racial rifts preventing much support or aid from other kingdoms, these weaker Dwarf Kingdoms were completely powerless to resist being subsumed by the Ice Cold Empire.


    A few kingdoms with some industrial foundations managed to struggle a bit, but those that were purely agricultural or ore-exporting nations were defeated without even the chance to struggle.


    Since the beginning of the war up to now, the Ice Cold Empire had swallowed up three kingdoms and was concurrently waging war with another five.


    With the righteous cause of Furnace Fortress as its blessing and the declaration that the Ice Cold Empire was destined to replace the Dwarf Empire and become the sole legitimate power of the Dwarf world, the empire''s military advancements were as unstoppable as a bamboo splitting apart.


    By the time other powers in the world finally realized that something was amiss, the Ice Cold Empire, which had already possessed a high degree of industrialization, suddenly became an unexpected major power.


    If one were to go by the traditional notion of a strong country in terms of territorial size, the Ice Cold Empire, having absorbed the Northern Dwarf Empire and nearly five other kingdoms, had surpassed the Empire of Nanla to become the second-largest empire in the world after the Dahua Empire in land area.


    If industrialization were to be considered, the Ice Cold Empire had even surpassed the Dahua Empire, showing a subtle trend of becoming the most powerful empire in the world.


    The Dwarves, who had always been exploited by the Human Race, marginalized, and fragmented like sand, seemed to have united overnight and turned back into the formidable Dwarf Empire that once struck fear into the hearts of many!


    As memories of the nightmare when nearly the entire world was dominated by the Dwarf Empire resurfaced, many started to act, hoping that someone could put a stop to this war and then give proper thought to the grave matter of the world''s geopolitical landscape.


    After much consideration, everyone could only think of approaching the linchpin of the former trade alliance¡ªthe Great Tang Group¡ªto mediate with the nations of the world.


    Unfortunately, it appeared that no one else truly had the qualifications.


    "Sir! You must convey our concerns to His Majesty Tang Mo," pleaded the envoy from the Songmu Kingdom to Harry, who was sipping tea, his voice full of anxiety, "If a unified Dwarf Empire emerges again, the pressure on us in the north will be immense."


    "That''s true," added the Orc envoy from the Gales Kingdom, whose stress was even greater at this moment, as Orcs, compared to Elves, were closer to the Ice Cold Empire and felt the immense pressure even more keenly.


    Currently, in a bid to attack the Poplar Kingdom from both sides, the Songmu Kingdom and the Gales Kingdom had united. Their joint approach now was indeed due to the immense pressure they were facing.


    Both had been warring with the Poplar Kingdom and had already amassed their military forces, with their national strength nearly depleted.


    Especially for the Songmu Kingdom, which was a small nation defending against a larger one and was already adopting a defensive strategy¡ªshould a high-level looter come from behind at this point, the game would be over.@@@@


    So, strictly speaking, the war in the Northern Region was mostly separate battles without much intersection.


    There''s no need to mention Suthers¡ªthey would end the state of war themselves. Although the Ice Cold Empire was expanding on a large scale, it was not fighting countries within the trade alliance, so the impact was very limited.


    On the contrary, it was the local battlefield where the Orcs'' Gales Kingdom and the Songmu Kingdom were pincering the Poplar Kingdom that was a bit more troublesome to deal with.


    However, in Harry''s view, or rather Tang Mo''s, no matter how troublesome, it needed to be addressed. Therefore, Tang Mo ordered Harry to first contact Prince Gales IX of the Orcs, who was greatly dependent on the Great Tang Group.


    This former distressed Orc prince, who had managed to reclaim his throne with the help of the Great Tang Group, owed them an enormous debt of gratitude.


    If they asked His Highness Prince Gales IX to end the war honorably, he certainly wouldn''t dare utter a word of dissent.


    After all, compared to countries like the Ice Cold Empire, Laines, or Dorne, the Orc nation of the Gales Kingdom clearly lacked a complete modern industrial base.


    The Gales Kingdom, lacking in self-sufficiency and heavily reliant on supplies from the Great Tang Group, would essentially be signing its own death warrant if it went against Tang Mo''s wishes in this situation.


    First, prepare the Gales Kingdom for withdrawal from the war, then use this outcome to pressure the Songmu Kingdom to agree to a ceasefire; the Songmu Kingdom would certainly agree.


    Because the Poplar Kingdom was currently fighting on two fronts and thus caught between enemies, if Gales withdrew, Songmu would have to face the entire might of the Poplar Kingdom alone, which was obviously an unreasonable demand for Songmu.


    "Once both the Songmu Kingdom and the Gales Kingdom have compromised, that will be our chance to extort the Poplar Kingdom. We will have helped them escape fighting on two fronts; they should give us some benefits, shouldn''t they?" Tang Mo said with a smile to Nangong Hong after receiving Harry''s telegram.


    "Your Majesty is truly ingenious," Nangong Hong said with respectful admiration as he bowed to Tang Mo. He genuinely admired Tang Mo''s tactics, which considered some details even more thoroughly than he had: "Once the war in the north ends, economic recovery is just around the corner."


    "Our established strategy of expanding westward must not waver!" Tang Mo also knew that vacillation was very detrimental to himself. Since they had initially decided to conquer the Dahua Empire first, they had to stick to it to the end.


    "If we followed the enemy''s wishes, constantly shifting our main forces around, wasting time and resources, that would be true folly," he said.


    "We still don''t have enough strength. If we had enough forces, even simultaneous campaigns in the east and west wouldn''t be a problem," Tang Mo lamented somewhat discontentedly at this thought.


    "Your Majesty, I believe that day will surely come," Roger said confidently from the side: "After all, just a few years ago, we had nothing! And now, you own a country!"


    "No, we had a workshop back then," Tang Mo said with a smile.


    Roger nodded, "Hahaha! You''re right, Your Majesty, we did have a workshop."


    Nangong Hong looked at the two of them, enviously: he had come too late and missed the best time. If only he could have met this young man, now laughing in front of him, a little earlier, how wonderful that would have been.

 Chapter 536 502 good news

    Eternal Winter Port, a busy port filled with harbingers of freedom everywhere. Some of these ships are docked at the piers, while others are maneuvering within the port.


    Cranes hoist loads on and off, and the dockworkers are extraordinarily busy. It seems as if the war has not affected this place at all, which is even more prosperous than during the peaceful times of the past.


    The port docks, modernized by the Great Tang Group, have an astonishing throughput. Nearly half of the Dwarf export goods come from Eternal Winter Port.


    Despite the harsh climate, with half of the year being extremely cold, the port''s status as ice-free is all that matters.


    There are about 500,000 Dwarfs living in Eternal Winter City, a third of whom work in transportation and dock loading and unloading.


    These people transport a massive amount of raw materials and important goods from the heartland of the Ice Cold Empire to the docks of Eternal Winter Port all year round, and from there they are shipped out.


    Another third are employed in the city''s factories, which include metal smelting and machinery processing plants. Many raw materials are roughly processed here to save on transportation costs.


    And this port also supplies the entire Ice Cold Empire with a great deal of imported goods, with food being the largest import. Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire


    Due to climatic reasons, food security was a serious issue for the Ice Cold Empire before they acquired land further south.


    A vast empire yet so heavily reliant on food imports, Emperor Binghan the First could say that he had always been quite dissatisfied.


    He hoped his country could achieve self-sufficiency in food to reduce dependence on imports, which is a normal strategic thought for a leader.


    The way Binghan the First solved the problem was by attacking southward to capture lands farther south, acquire fertile fields for cultivation, and thus resolve the issue once and for all.


    In fact, ever since the Great Tang Group started supporting the Ice Cold Empire, food production had been continuously increasing.


    With modern cultivation methods and industrial fertilizers, the southern region of the Ice Cold Empire was already able to reclaim some land for farming.


    However, as these lands were concentrated near the border, Binghan the First still felt no sense of security. Hence, the Ice Cold Empire was so eager to commence war because from their perspective, securing their own food supply was a matter more important than anything else.


    Just last year, the Tang Group aggressively procured food, nearly triggering a food crisis.


    The memory of food prices skyrocketing daily had put immense pressure on everyone within the Ice Cold Empire. Therefore, they finally resolved, at all costs, to solve their food supply problem.@@@@


    Eternal Winter Port needn''t worry about these issues; its residents have always consumed imported rice and wheat. Their food comes from the sea, all brought in by the Tang Group.


    On the streets of the now quite modernized Eternal Winter City, the thin snow cover impacted traffic, with cars jammed tight together and horns blaring incessantly.


    If you wanted to get rich in Brunas, you had to understand the messages written in the newspapers and what they really meant.


    The man unfolded the newspaper and saw the news: the Great Tang Kingdom had contacted several countries, calling on all parties to show restraint, restore peace, and revitalise the economy.


    With the war having raged for the better part of a year, such news could almost be seen as an indicator of the way the wind was blowing.


    The Great Tang Kingdom, which had always held its forces in check and maintained strict neutrality, had entered the fray, and the exhausted countries fighting the war now had to consider the option of peace.


    Peace, for merchants, meant a better investment environment and a reinvigorated economy.


    As long as the countries halt the fighting and resume trade, what does a world just out of a great war and in ruins need? Of course, it needs supplies for reconstruction! Everything that counts, from steel and cement to pots and pans, would become hot commodities!


    He immediately looked up, closed the newspaper, and hurriedly walked towards the stock exchange across the street, with a giant sign hanging on the front.


    A new kind of investment project had recently appeared here, a brand-new venture called futures. With money in hand, you could buy any kind of commodity here, including energy materials and ores, etc.


    Then, without seeing the physical goods, just holding a piece of paper, you could reap a handsome profit when the invested goods appreciated in value.


    The exchange was bustling with people frantically waving their papers, eyes glued to the board where the prices of traded goods were continuously being erased and rewritten.


    The potentially good news of the war''s possible end, known to many, was that grain prices had begun to stabilize, no longer continuing to rise. On the other hand, the price of cement, which had already skyrocketed, was still soaring.


    There was no choice, during the war, cement was a strategic material, in great demand by all countries. It was used in everything from trenches to bunkers, hence the price kept rising.


    Now, with rumors of the war possibly ending, peace construction would similarly require vast amounts of cement and rebar, driving cement prices to new highs.


    I''ve still come a step too late! Seeing the businessmen who had already begun to descend into a frenzy buying up all sorts of material bonds, the small businessman with the newspaper felt a bit disheartened as he squeezed forward.


    Pushing through the crowd, he continually apologized, "Excuse me, sorry, please let me through, I''m going to buy some futures, excuse me, I''m sorry."


    His movements drew the ire of those around him, but everyone was too busy to lodge complaints, so they muttered curses and let it go.


    Outside the exchange, the huge billboard above the street featured a tempting woman posing seductively, beside her was this year''s latest lipstick model.


    The whole world was at war, but Brunas remained a paradise... Some might not have believed it before, but now everyone was deeply convinced of it.


    Because here, more people were talking about the Bailu Team''s 7-1 thrashing of the Great Tang men''s soccer team last night than those concerned about the front-line situation with the Goburs.

 Chapter 537 503 Special Gift

    Yes, the night before at Brunas Stadium, the Bailu team''s home ground welcomed the visiting Great Tang men''s soccer team. The two teams had a friendly match, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.


    With only half of its main lineup playing, the Bailu team could be said to have given the Great Tang national team plenty of face, but, alas, the Great Tang men''s team just couldn''t seize the opportunity...


    Facing the world''s number one team with only half of its main lineup, the Great Tang men''s team put forth their utmost effort. Unfortunately, the number of shots in the first half was a horrifying 31 to 1, with the Great Tang men''s team''s only shot almost high enough to fit two airships under the crossbar.


    In the end, the coach of the Bailu team was so frightened that he kept taking out his handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his brow; he worried that as soon as he left his house, he would be shot into a sieve by the Tang Country mafia.


    The second half of the match, which provoked both laughter and tears, saw the Bailu team substitute all their forwards three times and bring in three substitutes.


    Despite these efforts, the play on the field didn''t improve, and the final score settled at seven to one¡ªa bloodbath.


    In fact, there was a little-known side story to this match, accessible only to those of a certain high status privy to insider information.


    Many had heard that the Northern Ridge Countess had attended the match and wagered 3,000 Gold Coins on a bet that the Bailu team would win by ten to one.


    Everyone knew that the Northern Ridge Countess had been in a foul mood lately, so even the newspapers in Brunas chose to ignore the news of the Countess placing a heavy bet on soccer, presumably out of disgust for the Great Tang men''s team.


    "The more I think about it, the more I feel like Northern Ridge has become my shackle," Alice said, swirling her wine glass with a somewhat hazy look in her eyes as she complained to the woman beside her.


    The maid, who recently felt as if she were on the verge of consummating her relationship with the man of her dreams, sighed and lamented, "We women have it tough. Those men are only focused on their careers, they don''t have time for us."


    "You said it... as we wait and wait, they achieve great success, but we... we just get old," Alice said, looking at the lovely liquid in her glass and nodding with a trace of melancholy.


    This was a low-alcohol beverage made with the finest moonlight wine from the Elf Race, perfect for women to drink, with a sweeter and more fragrant taste.


    Its only flaw was its cost¡ªsourced from the highest quality moonlight wine of the Elf Race, it was already pricey, and the other drinks mixed into it were not cheap either.


    "How can you call yourself old... You are just in your twenties! His Majesty Tang Mo is older than you... Do you know how hard it is for me? Harry is so much younger than me," the maid grumbled and sighed again, setting down her wine glass.


    To outsiders, both of them were the envy of others, and their lives were far more exciting than those of most people.


    The maid, when accompanying Sofia, had wielded a power beyond the wildest dreams of many men, and she was already more successful than ninety-nine percent of the populace back then.


    Now on her own in Brunas, she became a liaison between Shireck and the Great Tang Group, her status too noble to put into words.


    In every banquet she attended, every person present was a socialite, and many Earls and Marquises from various countries would have to nod and bow at the sight of her.


    Because she could obtain information and resources inaccessible to others, her small company''s profitability was astonishing; she didn''t even know how much money she had made in the past two years.


    Indeed, it didn''t matter whether Alice was the Earl of Northern Ridge commanding hundreds of thousands of elite troops or the actual controller of the multi-million Northern Ridge industrial complex; she was still just a young girl.


    "Do you know how many secretaries His Majesty the King has? Do you think there''s one specifically to write love letters to me?" Alice leaned back in her chair, weakly mocking herself.


    Without the nourishment of love, it''s hard for a woman.


    "Don''t be silly, how could he do such a thing..." the maid quickly comforted her but suddenly realized that it was indeed a possibility.


    Men, after all, can be dismissive. Isn''t that the attitude they have towards women they''ve secured? The wealthy buy a bag for their lady during holidays to keep them happy, and those without money... those without money don''t deserve to have a woman.


    Tang Mo was now His Majesty the King who owned a nation! He had to deal with various affairs every day and secretly control and manage the massive Great Tang Group, certainly a tiring task.


    And this King did not lack women, constantly surrounded by romantic encounters, with at least two official ones on the books. With opportunities so close at hand, it was really uncertain whether Tang Mo could still remember Alice, his old flame.


    "Sigh..." With this thought, the maid couldn''t help but sigh. Now that she and Alice had become close friends, she tended to see things from Alice''s perspective, which made her worry a bit for Alice. Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Because I have to oversee Northern Ridge, I don''t even have a proper status. If I were to marry him, my rule over Northern Ridge would have legal loopholes," Alice said, her head aching at the thought of these troublesome matters, "What did I do wrong? Why should the gods punish me like this?"


    "The contributions you''ve made to Northern Ridge, your people will remember them in their hearts," the maid had to comfort her once again.


    Just then, the door was pushed open, and Harry walked in. He went over to Alice, bowed respectfully, and then said, "His Majesty asked me to bring this to you."


    With that, he gestured with a wave of his hand, signaling the servants behind him to bring a piece of equipment, about the size of a mantel clock, in front of Alice.


    Alice had seen such a device before; her Northern Ridge was not a backwater place, of course, it had cinemas. The device in front of her was a projector, but it seemed a bit more complicated.


    Harry then immediately began to operate it. He plugged the device''s plug into the power socket on the wall and then returned to the side of the device, pressing a button on it.


    The disc on the device began to spin, and then Tang Mo''s slightly distorted voice came through the speakers below. What surprised Alice even more was that Tang Mo''s smiling face appeared in the light projected onto the wall.


    "Dear Miss Alice, this is a message from your most loyal suitor, Tang Mo..." From the speakers, Tang Mo''s voice accompanied by the hum of electricity began to play. Watching Tang Mo''s image on the wall, Alice couldn''t hold back her tears any longer.


    Harry gave the maid a look, and, both knowing the situation well, they quietly left the room.


    Leaving Alice alone, leaning against the projector, quietly listening to Tang Mo''s love words spoken just for her.


    "Soon, we will have the opportunity to meet... The times are developing, progressing... I swear, distance will no longer be a problem, trust me..."


    Listening to Tang Mo''s voice, Alice wiped away her tears, unable to hold them back. It seemed all the long waiting was worth it in this moment.

 Chapter 538 504 No war in the north

    Far away in the Imperial City of the Empire of Nanla, within a luxurious palace, Mo Kangsen gazed resentfully at his son-in-law, who was also the Emperor of Nanla.


    This time, he had come to deliver a telegram from the Great Tang Kingdom to Nanla XVI. He had already read the content of the telegram and knew just how important this message was.


    Nanla XVI had just finished reading the telegram, which wasn''t long in content, but the message within was enough to irritate him.@@@@


    His Empire was currently at war with the Laines Empire; however, the Laines'' situation was more passive, and it appeared that he might gain some advantage from the battlefield soon.


    But it was exactly at this moment that the damnable King of the Great Tang Kingdom sent a telegram, requesting him to show some face and make peace with the Laines Empire.


    For an Emperor, Nanla XVI felt that this talk of ''showing face'' was an outright insult to his intelligence!


    In the face of national interests, aren''t personal relationships just child''s play? What Emperor would change national strategies because of private friendships or kinship?


    You must know that the Empire of Nanla had shifted crisis and conflict to their advantage in this war, reaping substantial benefits. Now that he was about to gain yet more from the Laines Empire, how could he possibly stop so easily?


    Why? Huh? Why should he, the Emperor of the Great Tang Kingdom, change his will just because of a few light words in a telegram? Did Nanla XVI not care about his dignity?


    Yet, at least on the surface, Nanla XVI couldn''t really lose his temper; he indeed had to give face to this King of the Great Tang Kingdom he had never met.


    There was no choice; he had once been saved by the other party, who had timely delivered medicine that truly saved the dying Nanla XVI.


    The face of a life-saver must be given, no matter what, but national matters required different considerations.


    Nanla XVI felt that if Tang Mo were to visit the Empire of Nanla, he would definitely treat him with the highest honor and could even disregard the King''s status, deigning to treat Tang Mo as an equal.


    Be it beautiful women or treasures of inestimable value, he would not be stingy; should Tang Mo ask for it, he would not hesitate to even gift the gems from his crown.


    But personal relationships are personal relationships, and now the Empire of Nanla was at a critical moment of rejuvenation and rise! How could he give up such an opportunity because of a telegram?


    "Mo Kangsen... what do you think... I should do?" Having put down the telegram in his hand, Nanla XVI turned to his father-in-law.


    Mo Kangsen felt a bit awkward, scratching his cheek with his hand before carefully replying, "Your Majesty, sometimes, sentimental bonds do sound more comforting than interests..." Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Sound more... comforting?" Nanla XVI truly hadn''t expected his father-in-law to say such a thing.


    No wonder he was puzzled, for in terms of capability, Mo Kangsen, with his seven parts dandy and three parts mediocre, had not much to shine at to leave a deep impression on His Majesty the Emperor.


    That is to say, the entire Northern Region of the continent would restore peace in a short time, and if the Empire of Nanla continued to wage war against the Laines Empire, it would waste the precious opportunity to restore trade and develop peacefully.


    In fact, after expanding its territory to the north, the Empire of Nanla had also reaped some benefits. If it withdrew from the war at this moment, it actually wouldn''t be at a loss.


    In a sense, if what Mo Kangsen said were true, and peace in the Northern Region could indeed be restored quickly, a ceasefire might be even more beneficial to the Empire of Nanla.


    After all, expecting the Laines Empire to collapse under the pressure of fighting on two fronts and then conceding interests would require a great deal of time, like wagering on the cost of war.


    How long the Laines Empire could last, or how long the Great Tang Group, willing to finance Laines to undermine the Empire of Nanla, hoped the Laines Empire would hold out, was beyond the Empire of Nanla''s control.


    If no war dividends were obtained and losses could not be compensated by victory, the advantages that the Empire of Nanla had gained would all be in vain.


    Emperor Nanla XVI fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons. He contemplated how long the Empire of Nanla could last if the Great Tang Group truly began to support the Laines Empire.


    In the end, he concluded that actually, the Empire of Nanla couldn''t hold out for long. Once the war dragged on without hope of victory, everything the Empire of Nanla had swallowed up to now would backfire on the Empire of Nanla.


    It seemed that the other party''s plea for mercy was actually just giving him, the Emperor, a way to step down with dignity. On the surface, he could even claim that he had repaid the favor he owed for his life... With this thought, Emperor Nanla XVI felt as if he had indeed gotten the better end of the bargain!


    After a momentary daze, Emperor Nanla XVI unexpectedly felt some gratitude towards Tang Mo. Then he picked up the telegram again and looked over the text on the paper.


    Following that, he raised his head and instructed Mo Kangsen, "Bring the Ambassador from the Great Tang Kingdom here, I have something to say to him."


    Mo Kangsen knew that he had fulfilled his task and hurriedly stood up to leave the room, his increasingly corpulent body barely squeezing through the door.


    Watching Mo Kangsen''s departure, Emperor Nanla XVI sighed. How wonderful it would be if that undying Prime Minister were dead¡ªMo Kangsen was so much easier to deal with compared to the old man.


    Meanwhile, just as Emperor Nanla XVI was summoning the envoy from the Tang Kingdom, a shocking piece of news suddenly spread, jolting Brunas'' stock market and beginning to impact the futures market.


    Having gained an advantage, the Suthers Kingdom, after annexing a neighboring country, suddenly declared they would exercise restraint in the future, halt all acts of war, and ensured that for the coming year, they would not declare war on any nation unless attacked.


    Upon this announcement, the stock market in Brunas surged, and everyone began to celebrate, believing that the war might finally come to an end!


    Then, just a few hours later, the Ice Cold Empire also declared a cessation of all hostilities. This news set those following the war abuzz with excitement.


    To everyone''s astonishment, negotiations between Gales and Poplar, and Poplar and Songmu, suddenly commenced. Although no one knew how long the talks would last, the news of the negotiations was undeniably out there.


    Even more astonishingly, all three countries simultaneously announced a cessation of all military operations during the peace talks. The war in the entire Northern Region of the continent, within a single day, came to an abrupt end like that.

 Chapter 539 505 New Battleship

    The sound of metal clinking echoed through the shipyard, a large shipbuilding factory owned by Shireck, originally dedicated to producing steel Ming Wheel Ships.


    Now, Sofia had taken it over, and she gathered more than half of the consortium''s elite workers to build the Shireck Consortium''s own super warship here.


    Having acquired propeller propulsion technology, Sofia naturally could not stand idly by and watch the Great Tang Group dominate the seas. Therefore, Sofia wanted to be a challenger, or rather, a sharer of maritime interests!


    The massive hull was redesigned, and this warship sported a brand-new design, presenting an unprecedented challenge to Shireck''s designers.


    In the end, the experienced designers still completed their task, and then began the construction of this behemoth!


    The Shireck super warship took inspiration from the Great Tang Group''s Dreadnought design philosophy. After all, Jade City-class battleships had visited Qi Country and had been to Brunas, their appearance witnessed by many.


    The imposing hull and the mighty cannons on it left a lasting impression on many. Various painters had depicted the Dreadnought docked in the port, one of which even ended up in Tang Mo''s collection.


    Since many technologies had already spread, it was often possible to easily copy a rival''s design just by using one''s eyes.


    Imitating developed designs could save a lot of trouble. Shireck''s new battleships were plagiarized just like that.


    Regrettably, a mere imitation would always fall short, and after copying the exterior, Shireck''s designers encountered unprecedented difficulties in many critical aspects.


    For example, Shireck copied the turret layout and exterior design of the Dreadnought but could not replicate the internal structure of the warship.


    Especially the long-range optical sighting equipment exclusive to the Great Tang Group, which requires precision engineering, was impossible to plagiarize.


    To compensate for the performance gap caused by such issues, Shireck''s solution was to increase tonnage, add more armor, and enlarge the caliber of the cannons...


    This method was akin to boosting the in-game stats: thicker armor and larger cannon calibers naturally meant a more powerful warship.


    However, in reality, a larger caliber doesn''t always mean stronger firepower, nor does thicker armor guarantee higher defense.


    Defensive capability depends not only on the thickness of the armor but also on the technology used to assemble it, the quality of the armor, and the position it''s installed...


    Firepower is not just about cannon caliber but also involves the density of fire, the choice of ammunition types, and considerations of chamber pressure and firing rates.


    Moreover, sometimes technology isn''t something you can surpass simply because you want to.


    The foreman overseeing the construction of Shireck''s Dreadnought was discussing this very "super" Dreadnought with his boss, "Sir, about the lifespan of our 320mm cannon barrels... actually..."


    "You don''t need to worry about that! Although the lifespan may not be impressive, its theoretical performance is certainly stronger than Great Tang Group''s 305mm caliber," the supervisor said proudly.


    If one merely looked at the number of warships, the Shireck Navy''s data was quite frightening: they had 36 new warships and three battleships, plus a dozen or so Ming Wheel Ships left over from the last war...


    Although the Great Tang Kingdom''s navy clearly had more ships and seemed to be of better quality, the Great Tang Navy had to be spread across Brunas, Dragon Island, Eternal Winter City, Winterless City, Linshui, and Dongwan Port.


    Thus, the Great Tang Navy, which had controlled the seas since its inception, seemed to have encountered a challenger this time, an ignorant challenger.


    Unfortunately, the commanders of the Shireck Navy didn''t yet know that the warships they had spent all their money on were essentially large toys with poorer targeting systems, garbage propulsion systems, tonnage without adequate protection, and outdated artillery technology.


    "As far as I know, we''re not the only ones building similar warships, right?" the chief Shireck craftsman asked in a low voice.


    "Indeed, as far as I''m aware, many countries are building their own new warships, some larger, some smaller," said the Shireck Consortium executive with his hands behind his back, quite sentimental.


    In the past, Shireck monopolized the workshops of many countries and nearly had a monopoly on the construction of sail warships.


    Because at that time, whoever built warships needed to purchase cannons from Shireck to arm those sail warships.


    But now, as technology has spread, and some countries have gradually completed industrialization, or at least partial industrialization, they all possess a certain production capacity.


    As these countries industrialized, they took back control of weapon production into their own hands, which actually broke Shireck Consortium''s previous marketing model.


    For Shireck, the loss brought about by many countries gradually escaping its control was already causing them great distress.


    Countries no longer named their warships after the producer; they preferred to use Great Tang Group''s naming method, categorizing their own warships as destroyers, ironclads, cruisers, and battleships. It''s just that actually, no country was equipped with battleships, and most didn''t even have cruisers.


    To catch up with the gap, various countries were trying every means possible to enhance the power of their own navies - if they couldn''t purchase them, they would build their own.


    Consequently, many new types of warships emerged like bamboo shoots after a rain, with many countries also making so-called improvements to their own warships, resulting in a plethora of oddities.


    Some countries primarily focused on imitation, copying the destroyers of the Great Tang Group or the Shireck Consortium.


    Others focused on improvement, arbitrarily equipping destroyers with larger caliber guns, or creating monsters that were between the tonnage of cruisers and destroyers.


    All in all, the development of naval vessels was still in a primitive state, with everyone''s imagination running wild and many immature design ideas.


    It was the same with tanks.


    "By next year, we will see a fascinating picture where those maritime nations with more warships rise up to challenge the dominance of the Great Tang Group," laughed the head of Shireck coldly, as if seeing the Great Tang Group in deep trouble.


    "That''s really great!" the craftsman leader quickly offered his flattery, "With your assistance, Lady Sofia, you will surely win the final victory!"


    "Heh, hahahaha!" The complacent Shireck leader, upon hearing the compliment, became even more smug and laughed heartily.@@@@

 Chapter 540 506 sells tanks

    "This is our newly launched weapon! In fact, we had designed this type of weapon two years ago, but... our chief designer didn''t think it was quite ready, so we didn''t launch it," the salesman introducing the new weapon said with a look of regret, as if everything he said was true.


    He sighed, then continued to the visitors, "Unexpectedly, someone else got there first. Reluctantly, we have now decided to release this still-under-development weapon to meet the defense needs of various countries."


    "We call this brand-new war machine a Tank, Tank! From now on, this weapon will be known as a tank, because the term ''war machine'' just doesn''t do justice to its power," the salesman said, beginning to introduce the behemoth behind him.


    Actually, the salesman wasn''t telling the truth, because Great Tang Group had not designed and produced this outdated tank, which was nearly indistinguishable from a water cabinet two years ago.


    Great Tang Group had initially taken a route similar to that of the Renault Tank, a smaller and lighter model that was leagues ahead of this World War I tank.


    Besides the different design philosophies, Great Tang Group had skipped explorations like over-the-top tracks and directly chosen more advanced engines and gearboxes, also endowing the tank with higher speed and better defense.


    Now, the tanks equipped by the Great Tang Group were already mature models from the World War II era. To bring out such World War I tanks was purely to swindle money from the nouveau riche.


    If Shireck revealed such poor performance similar to the A7V tank, then don''t blame Great Tang Group for suppressing technological innovation.


    As he spoke, the salesman from Great Tang Group began to expound on the exceptional capabilities of this brand-new tank.


    Although these were merely substandard products brought out by Great Tang Group to meet the demands of various countries, they were still the closest thing resembling a tank that the nations could purchase at that stage.


    At least this thing had two over-the-top tracks, allowing it to cross obstacles on the battlefield at a faster speed. In this regard, it was infinitely better than Shireck''s tanks.


    These two types of tanks had entirely different approaches to utilizing tracks: Great Tang Group''s tanks used tracks to give the tank better off-road maneuverability, while Shireck used tracks to ensure that the tank wouldn''t sink into the mud due to ground pressure...


    "The new tank is equipped with short-barreled 75mm caliber cannons on both sides, which can help the tank destroy all enemy bunkers and targets on both flanks!" The salesman''s enthusiastic introduction captivated the visitors, who were awed by this massive breakthrough weapon for fortifications.


    While they had already heard of Shireck''s famed war machines, actually seeing these tanks as weapons was still a shock to them.


    Once such a massive weapon appeared on the battlefield, it indeed could cause the enemy''s soldiers to lose their will to fight. Faced with such weaponry, it''s hard to keep soldiers'' spirits up.


    The majority of weapons in the hands of ordinary soldiers were ineffective against tanks, which ensured that our troops could break through the enemy''s heavily fortified lines with minimal casualties by relying on tanks.


    "It can destroy enemy bunkers and also attack enemy tanks! With this weapon, whether on defense or offense, you can gain a significant advantage," the salesman spoke in a way that piqued all the visitors'' interest.


    The buyers were keen to purchase this new kind of weapon called a tank, in hopes of penetrating troublesome trench lines in the future. Moreover, they hoped to acquire a type of equipment that could counter enemy tanks.


    Certainly, if one''s own tanks could both break through the enemy''s defenses and tackle the enemy tanks, that would mean spending money for a dual-purpose¡ªa deal that was too good to pass up.


    Do you not see, how a nation like Gobur almost defeated Dorne Kingdom, which had two renowned generals of the age, with just tanks?


    If they don''t have their own tanks before the next war breaks out, that is when they will be in real danger.


    Originally, everyone was thinking about purchasing a batch of Shireck''s tanks to equip their troops, but the frontline situation in Gobur made many adopt a wait-and-see attitude.


    Some countries, eager to buy, inquired about the price despite the urgency of the war only to find that, as Shireck needed to commit more tanks to combat, they could not provide any immediately available units.


    If you wanted to get your hands on the tanks, you would have to wait several months, or even a year, a delivery speed that most of the countries'' top echelons felt they could not afford to wait for.


    Those days are long gone when the Great Tang Group could delay delivery for over a year and still have people lining up to buy Ironclad Warships.


    Due to industrial development, everyone now had more choices. When the Great Tang Group couldn''t provide Ironclad Warships on time, didn''t these countries turn to Shireck for new ships?


    Conversely, when Shireck couldn''t provide immediate stock, they all turned back to the Great Tang Group, a move that was utterly natural and sloppy.


    For the countries involved, orders worth tens of thousands of Gold Coins were actually not considered expensive. The Ice Cold Empire''s envoy didn''t hesitate to put down a deposit. Suthers Kingdom did the same, since they had also reaped a large windfall from the war.


    The contracts were even already drafted, with the Great Tang Group set to deliver 500 tanks to both countries within a year, the specific models differing slightly in quantity according to each country''s needs.


    Gales, Poplar, and Songmu, the three countries that had ostensibly returned to peace, unfortunately, did not reap any benefits as they fought for a year, essentially just wasting ammunition.


    Gales was still alright, but Poplar Kingdom and Songmu Kingdom even lost a substantial number of expensive naval and air force units, which can be described as crippling.


    Under such circumstances, the finances of several countries were actually not so affluent; therefore, their procurement of tanks also seemed somewhat frugal.


    They too ordered 300 tanks, but they did not need Great Tang Group to hurry with the delivery. Instead, they were willing to delay the timing in exchange for a cheaper price.


    Soon, they got what they wished for and secured a slightly more favorable price, though the first batch of tanks would not be available until 3 months later.


    After all, with each country placing orders for several hundred tanks, they certainly could not all be produced at once, and so deliveries were scheduled in batches according to the contracts.


    Great Tang Group''s factories in Brunas and Jade City went into full production capacity and began the round-the-clock manufacturing of the Mark 1 tank.


    Subsequently, the envoy from the still warring Laines Empire and the envoy from Dorne Kingdom to the south both arrived in Jade City.


    They too were interested in Tang Group''s tanks and wanted to obtain some immediately. Clearly, they hoped to rely on Great Tang tanks to continue their wars, which they were close to not being able to sustain.

 Chapter 541 507 new layout

    "Teacher! Even you are leaving?" a young apprentice asked in a corner of the bustling workshop, looking at the old craftsman drinking tea from a mug.


    The tea-sipping craftsman blew on the scalding liquid, glanced at his apprentice, and revealed a helpless smile, "I wasn''t originally from Brunas, and this place is not my hometown... So for me, leaving or staying, it makes no difference."


    "But, Teacher! You''ve worked here for five years already!" another apprentice protested with reluctance.


    "Sigh," the craftsman sighed, then looked at the apprentices gathered around him and continued to comfort them, "Great Tang Group has been good to me, offering hope when I was at my lowest. This time, moving to Linshui is the organization''s arrangement, and I have no reason to refuse."


    The old man didn''t mention that to persuade him to go to Linshui, Great Tang Group had offered him double the salary and promised him a house at Linshui Port within two years.


    In Brunas, he hadn''t qualified for a house, but now Great Tang Group was giving him a second chance; how could he not seriously consider it?


    Though Linshui was really far for him, he discussed it with his children, and they all felt that moving to Linshui would provide better opportunities.


    His children had all learned valuable skills; one even worked at the Brunas City Hall. The other two were senior craftsmen, which were highly sought after in the factories of Great Tang Group.


    The officials who spoke with him hinted at some details, such as the possibility for his entire family to move to Linshui and be considered as Tang People afterward.@@@@


    Not only were their salaries guaranteed, but his grandchildren would also be able to attend school in Linshui for free¡ªthe quality of education was high there, and the teachers had been transferred from Brunas.


    Not to mention the way Great Tang Group took them in during their toughest times, providing work and helping them through the hardest years. Just the benefits of moving to Linshui alone were very decent.


    Hearing that their teacher was determined to leave, the apprentices all showed faces of regret. Since they had joined the factory, they had been learning from this old craftsman and knew he had real skills.


    In Great Tang Group, what was most valuable were probably these craftsmen who had accumulated their skills over generations.


    They each had their own trade; skilled workers could even diagnose a machine''s fault just by its sound, determining how it affected the manufacturing precision.


    These workers could tell with a touch if a steel plate was flat, with errors precise to one-tenth or even one-fiftieth of a millimeter!


    If there really is such a thing as the spirit of craftsmanship in the world, then these masters truly possessed it.


    Being able to learn from these masters was a great honor for the apprentices. If they could master eighty percent of the skills, they would become key figures in the factory, maybe even lead their own apprentices and earn multiple salaries!


    The workers inside Great Tang Group were well-compensated, and as their craftsmanship level increased, they could even receive expensive property and enviable wages.


    Some highly skilled workers could even afford their own cars, and the wealthier ones could afford leisure and entertainment in the lavish Brunas district.


    In fact, many had noticed that the Great Tang Group was intentionally or unintentionally shifting its industries toward Dragon Island and Linshui''s Tongcheng.


    After all, those were the real safe havens, and since they were newly established cities, their industrial layouts would certainly be more logical than Brunas. Most importantly, they were completely under Tang Mo''s control.


    In order to industrialize Tang Country as much as possible, the Great Tang Group was frantically reassigning workers, teachers, and management staff from places like Brunas and Jade City.


    This kind of shift was ruthless and came at no small cost, adversely affecting the normal development of Brunas and Jade City.


    Originally, everyone estimated that Brunas'' population would exceed 3 million this year, but now it still hovers around 1.7 million.


    Jade City might have broken through 800,000 inhabitants, but now it just has over 500,000 with almost no change in the past year.


    Besides population decline, factory development has also slowed. Technological innovations that used to take place almost every month have now been at a standstill for a long time.


    The equipment remains the same; the products are still the same. The main products of Brunas are still those from more than a year ago.


    The latest products from the Great Tang Group weren''t born in Brunas but rather in Dragon Island, Linshui, or Tongcheng; it''s been a while since any new products emerged from Brunas.


    On the contrary, the older, capacity-demanding items are now being produced in Brunas: inexpensive civilian cars, free-wheels, outdated traction grenade launchers, and foreign trade rifles and machine guns.


    If it weren''t for the fact that the Mark 1 model foreign trade Tank production was assigned to Brunas and Jade City, the latest military equipment being produced here would still be the Great Tang Group''s simplified version of the Destroyer...


    Such arrangements have caused some dissatisfaction in Brunas and Jade City. They feel that Tang Mo is showing undue preference to the newly acquired territories, neglecting these "old districts."


    However, many also understand that from both a strategic and investment efficiency standpoint, what Tang Mo or the Great Tang Group is doing now is reasonable.


    Tang Mo is building his own kingdom, and industrial relocation is inevitable. Moreover, it is more efficient for the upper management of the Great Tang Group to invest in and build new factories than to upgrade older ones.


    It''s a clear-cut matter: constructing new factories in new areas, selecting staff, and installing completely new equipment is obviously much cheaper than upgrading equipment in existing factories.


    From Tang Mo''s perspective, having already invested his main Troops and management efforts in the western Tang Kingdom, he clearly doesn''t have the spare energy to take care of Brunas and Jade City anymore.


    From a strategic safety standpoint, it is a better choice to introduce new technologies to Dragon Island or Tongcheng, Linshui.


    From an economic standpoint, building brand-new factories in Linshui and Tongcheng while maintaining existing production capacity in Brunas is undoubtedly the most efficient solution.


    In summary, although very reluctantly, at this moment, the Great Tang Kingdom is in the process of relocating Brunas to Linshui. It''s a massive undertaking that will take a long time, but it''s something that must be done.

 Chapter 542 508 moving

    Dragon Island, where Tang Mo nodded in acknowledgement of his own thoughts during a small meeting with Nangong Hong and Roger, "I am indeed relocating the new industries deep into the heartland of the Kingdom."


    "Compared to Brunas with almost no strategic depth and Jade City, Linshui and Tongcheng are obviously more suitable for increasing my investment," he did not hide, "Brunas is no longer a focus area for my business in the future, of this I am quite certain."


    Roger was a little unhappy, for Brunas was once the core industrial zone of the Great Tang Group and also carried his most bitter and glorious memories.


    Having always fought for Brunas, Roger had deep feelings for the place. He also regarded it as his foundation, as well as the foundation of the Great Tang Group.


    Now that Tang Mo was giving up this foundation to shift the focal point to Dragon Island and places like Linshui, this made Roger very uncomfortable.


    Today''s Roger was not only the Prime Minister but also represented the interests of many who had risen to wealth from Brunas with Tang Mo in the early days.


    They were very worried that Tang Mo, after returning to Tang Country, was gradually abandoning the old system and relying on those black-eyed, black-haired fellow tribesmen who came later.


    Tang Mo also knew Roger''s thoughts, and it wasn''t a time when he could feed himself without worrying about his family. Around him, a whole group of people had their own ideas.


    On one side, Roger was deeply concerned about the future of Brunas, while on the other, Nangong Hong was feeling clear and refreshed.


    In his eyes, as long as Tang Mo was willing to shift his focus, then he and the forces newly joined to the Great Tang Kingdom represented by him had hope.


    "The strategic depth of Brunas is indeed a problem," Tang Mo explained to Roger, "There''s no more room for expansion there, so it''s unsafe to place important facilities there."


    Although he now relied on the more talented Nangong Hong, it didn''t mean he trusted Nangong Hong. In fact, the people Tang Mo trusted most in his group were still the old folks brought out from Brunas.


    Therefore, when making decisions unfavorable to Brunas, Tang Mo would explain his intentions to Roger to reassure him.


    "The chaos within the trade alliance this time has exposed many problems. For example, our old friend Leines I clearly has some ideas of his own," Tang Mo pointed to his temple, "Obviously, he is considering breaking away from our influence."


    "The Laines Empire is just a microcosm, actually Dorne, Suthers, these nations are all beginning to try to shake off our influence," Tang Mo said, spreading his hands helplessly, "When there was only Shireck before, they had no choice but to endure. Now that we''re here, they''re ready to hold onto their old lover Shireck to weaken our influence."


    "Sounds infuriating, doesn''t it?" Tang Mo said, laughing himself, "But no matter, they can''t get rid of us so easily."


    Tang Mo was confident about this; if anyone planned to make a move on Brunas, he would definitely receive news in advance. No matter how well they hid, they couldn''t escape his surveillance.


    "Just using heavy artillery, the enemy could threaten the industrial zone of Jade City. If they break through our defense line, we would have no chance to reorganize," Tang Mo stated, cigarette in hand, spreading his hands in resignation.


    Roger seemed reluctant to give up on Brunas, a bustling city that had been built up. He wanted to continue the fight: "But no one will break through our defense line..."


    "War will be prolonged! Prime Minister! By then we will have to keep funneling troops continuously into the trenches for attrition, which is clearly not what we want to see," Nangong Hong interjected, unable to watch any longer, and continued explaining on behalf of Tang Mo.


    He somewhat despised Roger''s stubbornness and felt Roger was far inferior to himself in talent. However, Roger was Tang Mo''s confidant, seemingly irreplaceable in his position.


    So even though he somewhat scorned Roger, he still patiently tried to convince him.


    Tang Mo added, "Moreover, war would shatter our industrial investments and the loss of factories would directly affect our war potential, weakening our production capacity."


    "You know how many new weapons we have..." Roger still believed that with Great Tang Group''s advanced weaponry, defending Brunas shouldn''t be a big problem.


    However, Tang Mo was somewhat embarrassed because it was the very advanced weaponry he had developed that completely reduced the strategic depth between Jade City and Brunas to negligible.


    If it were just the infantry, the distance between Jade City and Brunas could be considered very vast, and the strategic depth ample.


    But then Tang Mo introduced tanks, train guns, automobiles, and airborne dirigibles and airplanes, which suddenly made the strategic depth between Jade City and Brunas a joke.


    Therefore, Tang Mo could only continue with a resigned explanation, "Yes, I am aware of that. It is precisely because we foresaw the nature of future warfare that we put more emphasis on strategic depth. Without sufficient strategic depth, the enemy''s bombers could potentially obliterate us overnight."


    Roger also knew that Great Tang Group couldn''t indefinitely refrain from selling airplanes as weapons. Once everyone had airplanes, the distance between Jade City and Brunas would indeed be trivial. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire


    The range of airplanes taking off from within the Laines Empire would completely cover Brunas. For a Brunas littered with industrial zones, there really wasn''t much time to react.


    Only to hear Tang Mo continue at this point, "Our anti-aircraft guns can intercept the enemy''s dirigibles, but what if the enemy had airplanes? Would we have enough time to respond then? In an hour, maybe two, the enemy''s airplanes could reach Brunas. By that time, would our factories still be safe?"


    Seeing Roger not responding, Tang Mo further questioned him, "Even if we know the enemy''s airplanes are about to strike, do we have time to launch our own airplanes for interception?"


    "This..." Roger, in fact, had understood Tang Mo''s reasoning, but his hesitance stemmed from his emotional attachment to Brunas.


    Seeing Roger wavering, Tang Mo reminded him, "Roger, we are now the rulers of a nation; we should see issues from the perspective of the entire country, not let our emotions for Brunas blind us."


    "Your Grace, I understand," at last, Roger conceded to Tang Mo''s choices, bowing his head and suppressing his personal emotions for Brunas: "I will depart for Chang''an at once!"

 Chapter 543 509 Changan

    ```


    "Prime Minister will understand Your Majesty''s painstaking efforts," Nangong Hong said to Tang Mo after watching the room door close behind Roger.


    Tang Mo placed a cigarette in his mouth, took a deep drag, then exhaled a plume of white smoke, his eyes nearly closed, "He will definitely support me, no matter what I do."


    Looking at the confident Tang Mo, Nangong Hong felt a tinge of envy. He had read through historical records and had never encountered such a deep trust between a ruler and his minister.


    Several days ago, Tang Mo finally decided to rename the former King City of Zheng Country as Chang''an. He hesitated over this name for a long time, eventually giving up the "Western name" and following the local naming tradition, renaming the King City to Chang''an.


    The name signified "long-term stability and peace," and was as elegant and solemn as the name of the ancient capital Tang Mo was familiar with. This newly renamed city would become the new capital of the Great Tang Kingdom.


    Originally, many of the old followers who came with Tang Mo hoped to set the capital of the kingdom in Dragon City since Dragon Island was after all, the most thoroughly industrialized area of the Great Tang Kingdom.


    However, after considering a series of issues, Tang Mo decided to make Chang''an the capital and elevate Dragon City to a secondary capital.


    The Dragon''s Den in Dragon City was designated as an imperial lodge, and the Great Tang Kingdom would build a Royal Palace in Chang''an as Tang Mo''s new home. This huge castle, which combined styles from both east and west, was temporarily named Dragon Nest.


    The brand-new King City of Chang''an was undergoing modernization. It wasn''t just going to construct the world''s most modern electricity and water supply and drainage systems, it was also going to build the world''s first subway.


    At the same time, Chang''an Train Station would also be built into the world''s largest and most luxurious train station. Moreover, Chang''an would construct the world''s first civilian airport!


    No matter from which perspective, the scale of Chang''an''s construction was going to be world-leading. According to plans, the future population here might exceed ten million!


    Roger headed to Chang''an to oversee the work; Tang Mo''s Princess, Yulin, was in command in Linshui; Parker had been ordered to Tongcheng; Redman and Tagg, two of Tang Mo''s trusted generals, were also there.@@@@


    Just looking at the distribution of management personnel, it was clear that the center of gravity of the Great Tang Kingdom had already shifted towards the Western Continent. It was only that Tang Mo continued to preside over the overall situation from Dragon Island to stabilize the eastern regions.


    With such a posture of not looking back, the Great Tang Kingdom made the surrounding states feel at ease.


    Nations that had already begun to distance themselves from the war were revitalizing their economies, while those still embroiled in conflict also breathed a sigh of relief.


    The envoy sent to Brunas from the Laines Empire returned disappointed, as his request to purchase Tanks from the Great Tang Group was rejected.


    The reason given was very sufficient: The orders for tanks from the Empire of Nanla and the Suthers Kingdom had already been signed ten days prior, and lined up behind them were the Gales, Songmu, and Poplar Kingdoms!


    The possibility of buying from existing stock was virtually zero, and the earliest delivery times were three to even five months away.


    Such delivery times naturally dissatisfied the Laines Empire since they were in a hurry to buy tanks for a surprise attack on the Dorne Kingdom.


    "I''m not here for the nonsense about you taking a concubine, that''s for the civil affairs bureau''s investigative department." The young man sneered before inhaling another drag of his cigarette, "I''m here about the issue of taxes."


    Hearing the word "taxes," Mr. Liu''s expression changed slightly, then he put on a smile to explain, "Do not worry, sir, I, Mr. Liu, assure you that..."


    "It''s pointless to tell me these things," the young man waved his hand to interrupt Mr. Liu, "As friends, my visit as a city official is just a reminder. Tax evasion can be a big or small matter, but if it really gets to the tax officials and goes through the process, I''m afraid your vast fortune will vanish like a cloud!"


    "Sir..." Mr. Liu knew the young man in front of him was his benefactor. When Zheng Country had fallen, it was this man who had provided him with wealth, leading to his current prosperity.


    But this young man was also incorruptible, refused all offers, and wouldn''t accept any advantages¡ªcompletely impervious to bribes, Mr. Liu thought.


    Which of the past officials hadn''t been corrupt, easily bought with a few hundred Gold Coins, pulled onto the corrupt boat and treated as one of them?


    Yet this young man before him was exceptionally honest, sticking to the rules in every matter¡ªeasy to deal with but emotionally distant.


    Since he had come today, Mr. Liu knew that there was no joke in the young man''s words.


    However, he was meticulous in his tax evasion, with professional accountants faking the records and several minor officials bribed. He did not really expect to be caught.


    So, he made up his mind that, for the sake of thousands of Gold Coins, he would take the risk no matter what.


    "So obstinate! I''ve said all I had to say! Look after yourself!" The young man didn''t say more and just walked away decisively.


    That threw Mr. Liu into a panic¡ªif the young man had kept talking, he would have thought it was just a scare. But the young man''s brisk departure left Mr. Liu feeling guilty as if he was indeed the guilty party.


    Almost without thinking, he called out to stop the man, "Sir! Wait, sir! Wait! I, Mr. Liu, was temporarily blinded by foolishness, by foolishness! Sir, is there any way to remedy this?"


    The young city official tossed away his cigarette butt, crushed it with his foot, and turned back to stare at Mr. Liu, his eyes narrow: "Right now, take the money and the full penalty to the tax office and settle the account! Fool, if there''s a next time, that 16-year-old concubine of yours had better prepare for widowhood!"


    Having said that, he headed towards the factory gate, seeming too weary to utter another word. Mr. Liu thought for a few seconds, steeled his heart, and immediately went home to get the full amount of money, making it to the tax office before the end of the workday.


    After being scolded mercilessly, a sweat-drenched Mr. Liu finally returned home and explained the situation to his several wives.


    While his first wife was furiously condemning him as a family ruiner, saying he had been frightened into surrendering all the family''s cash, the butler rushed in with urgent news.


    As soon as he entered, the old servant shouted, "The Zhang Family, the Zhang Family''s property has been seized! It''s said that the Zhang Family''s son committed tax fraud and got caught, all their possessions confiscated and fined two hundred thousand, you can hear the cries from a street away, loud and clear..."


    Hearing the butler''s words, the previously domineering first wife immediately lost her temper, and Mr. Liu rose like a phoenix from the ashes.


    The guilty shrew of a wife had to swallow the resentment over her husband taking a concubine, and Mr. Liu''s status in the household rose by +1...


    Only when Mr. Liu, carrying gifts, went to visit the esteemed city official, did he meet with a familiar rejection. This Mr. Liu, who had lived a good long life, felt increasingly confused, not understanding why his past experience no longer served him, leading to his current state of perplexity.

 Chapter 544 510 Sixth Sense

    The most noteworthy news from the Great Tang Kingdom recently is the downfall of the once invincible and domineering Prime Minister Zhang Ming.


    Although the Zhang Family fell into a low ebb with the destruction of Zheng Country, their vast foundation ensured they remained like a centipede which does not topple over even in death.


    Leveraging their complex connections in the localities, the Zhang Family opened many factories and owned vast tracts of land, maintaining a significant prestige.


    Yet such a massive family was completely toppled over due to tax evasion, left with no room to struggle.


    The tax bureau made direct arrests, the military cleaned up without a shred of sympathy, all of the young masters of the Zhang Family were sent to prison, and the old head of the Zhang Family, Zhang Ming, fainted from anger on the spot. When he awoke, he couldn''t utter a single word.


    Within a few days, the Zhang Family''s influence scattered like monkeys upon the tree''s fall, and their former splendor was no more. All their enterprises were nationalized and had nothing to do with the Zhang Family any longer.


    Even worse, all of the Zhang Family''s lands were confiscated, and even their ancestral home was taken to pay the fines. Still, they owed the state millions of Gold Coins in penalties, a sum the Zhang Family might never be able to repay, even for generations to come, with interest compounding on the debt.


    Fortunately, the state showed leniency, giving the Zhang Family a way out: they could declare bankruptcy to clear their debts, but everything to do with the Zhang Family would be no more.


    Who could have imagined just over a year ago, Zhang Ming, the country''s Prime Minister, and his illustrious family, would fall overnight?@@@@


    And who could have thought that all of this was not the result of political machinations, but merely a minor case of tax evasion?


    In just one year''s time, due to the state''s reasonable planning and allocation, the entire nation had access to vegetables and fruits and an adequate supply of salt and spices.


    This is no joke but a great achievement. It should be noted that before the advent of the Great Tang Group, most common people in the world seldom had the chance to eat salty foods, or afford cooking oil and spices.


    It''s precisely because of a sufficient amount of seasonings that many more delicious cuisines could be developed, greatly enhancing the happiness index of the dietary aspect.


    Following this, civilians with a certain economic foundation began to consume in retaliation, boosting the internal demand of the Great Tang Kingdom.


    The first to become in short supply were various canned foods. Due to their novelty and ease of preservation, all sorts of starch-laden canned hams, inexpensive sausage, and instant noodles originally developed for military rations became popular products.


    People who have never tried or seen these items before were frantically buying them, and with the construction of roads, bicycles quickly became a sought-after commodity.


    After all, not everyone is capable of getting a driver''s license to drive a car or willing to buy a motorcycle. However, cheap and practical bicycles are a different story. Once learned, they are perfect for carrying goods or commuting.


    Next, more affluent civilians began to pursue a higher level of happiness: they started buying glass, to make their homes more transparent and bright; then they began purchasing bricks and stones, hoping to rebuild more comfortable dwellings.


    Cement, glass, red bricks... Construction materials began to sell well, many peasants started building vegetable greenhouses, and some villages even started to build roads spontaneously.


    "To get rich, build roads," this slogan was posted everywhere in the Great Tang Kingdom, but the following line was changed to "Have more children, plant more trees"...

 Chapter 545 510 Sixth Sense_2

    There was no helping it; for a soul from the 21st century, Tang Mo felt that a population of two to three hundred million for a country really wasn''t a lot.


    Moreover, in actuality, the population of the Great Tang Kingdom hadn''t reached that level yet. Currently, a census was underway, and Roger''s team estimated a total population of around 40 million.


    This was already a very frightening number, because since the Great Tang Kingdom had conquered Zheng Country, it had been crazily absorbing foreign populations, even spending money to buy population.


    According to Tang Mo''s vision, within the next twenty years, not counting new populations acquired through expansion, the population of the Great Tang Kingdom must at least break through two hundred million! This was an ambitious goal, or rather, an almost impossible target.


    To support this goal, the Great Tang Group brought out many advanced technologies. Many chicken farms were established within the Great Tang Kingdom, using modern, large-scale integrated methods to rear poultry, providing abundant supplies of meat and eggs.


    This technology improved poultry production efficiency, although it reduced meat quality and taste, but it indeed secured the most basic supply of meat.


    For the commoners of the Great Tang Kingdom, these were hardly problems: they previously had no means to afford meat. Now with the provision of meat and eggs, they were too delighted to be concerned about issues like taste.


    Livestock farming was also highly integrated, adopting large-scale farm production methods¡ªthis maximized yield, ensuring basic supply quantities.


    Of course, the biggest problem with high-density breeding is infectious diseases, but this challenge was trivial in front of the Great Tang Group''s medical research institution.


    With Tang Mo''s direction and the continuous research of the world''s most sophisticated talent, the vaccine and medication technology of the Great Tang Group had rolled over the viruses and bacteria of this era.


    Many people brought over from Brunas were familiar with this scene; it was just like what Brunas looked like during construction. Back then, everyone in Brunas also had smiles of happiness on their faces, and they were all filled with hope for the future.


    But the construction in Brunas back then was nowhere near as fast or as good! Even craftsmen and officials from Brunas had to admit, the hardworking Dahua people were truly natural laborers, possibly the best producers in the world!


    Every day, newspapers reported advanced production feats, and countless labor models were selected then widely publicized.


    For the sake of a better life, for the sake of a brighter tomorrow, all Tang People burst out with an unprecedented enthusiasm, building up their locales recklessly.


    It''s well known that comparison breeds discontent, especially when one sees the people separated only by a wall living increasingly better; that feeling truly is painfully unbearable.


    When the commoners of Chu Country, Qi Country, and even the Dahua Empire saw the example set by Tang Country, they became restless. Countless people crossed the border, hoping to pursue a better life in Tang Country.


    And all this, naturally, caused enormous discontent among several neighboring countries.


    From the day it was born, Tang Country never stopped buying population from Chu Country and Qi Country, and this matter has pretty much become a semi-open secret until now.


    The border guards abused their power for personal gain, considering the trafficking of people as a means to fortune. They swept up refugees and bandits en masse, selling all these people to Tang Country.


    Over time, there weren''t so many starving refugees in need of relief available to be trafficked at will, which was an inevitable outcome.


    As the population was sold off in large numbers to Tang Country, Chu Country and Qi Country actually had enough land to settle the remaining civilians. Even if productivity was not as high as Tang Country''s, as long as the population fell to a certain level, the land could sustain everyone.

 Chapter 546 510 Sixth Sense_3

    But human greed is endless, and there''s no way that the border military leaders and the high officials who had received benefits would allow the highly lucrative trade of human trafficking to stop.


    In the eyes of these officials and military leaders, civilians were merely tools for extorting wealth, expendable pawns in their schemes.


    Soon, the military leaders colluded with landlords, local tyrants, and corrupt merchants near their garrisons, and began a series of shady operations.


    They turned a blind eye or even supported landlords in annexing land, forcefully taking over peasants'' fields, and driving the originally prosperous farmers into destitution, turning them into displaced peasants.


    Then, they continued to sell these displaced individuals to the Great Tang Kingdom, earning profits to sustain their ever-growing desires.


    It must be said that the luxury goods of the Great Tang Group greatly expanded the horizons of these officials, military leaders, and landlords, making them realize that on the path of extravagant desires, there was no end in sight.


    At first, the Great Tang Group came with silver and gold to buy people, but later these individuals found myriad ways to exchange human lives for various kinds of commodities from the Tang Kingdom.


    A sophisticated automobile could sell for hundreds of Gold Coins in Chu Country or Qi Country. A string of exquisite gems, woven with a poignant story, could compel a sentimental rich girl to spend tens of thousands of Gold Coins.


    The natives, who had just begun to experience modern technology, suddenly found themselves overwhelmed by the number of things they had neither seen nor used before, cultivating an intense sense of inferiority as if they were isolated in a well of ignorance.


    To eliminate this inferiority complex, they began to wildly praise the products of the Great Tang Kingdom and spontaneously attributed additional value to these goods.@@@@


    It was at this time that an envoy from the Laines Empire, having traveled across the Endless Sea while concealing their identity, arrived in the Dahua Empire.


    This envoy, who had just dismounted from his carriage, revealed his identity and secretly met with Chu Muzhou, the Prime Minister of the Dahua Empire.


    "Prime Minister!" The envoy from the Laines Empire looked somewhat unwell, as the long journey had certainly taken its toll.


    To maintain secrecy, he had traveled by ship to Southwater Port, then took a detour to Sheng Country, ultimately changing ships to reach Qi Country, and from there, took a coach to the Dahua Empire.


    In fact, when he set out on his journey, the Trade Alliance''s civil war had just begun, and now it seemed as though the war was nearly at an end.


    The mission of this secret envoy, initially to liaise with the Dahua Empire to contain the potential involvement of the Great Tang Kingdom in the conflict, had now evolved into coordinating with the Dahua Empire to restrain the Great Tang Kingdom in a possible future war.


    As he carried a telegraph machine, his mission could be updated in real time, a benefit of the technological revolution brought about by the Great Tang Group.


    "Mr. Envoy!" Upon meeting the envoy from the Laines Empire, Chu Muzhou, the Prime Minister of the Dahua Empire, was very polite.


    After all, a visitor deserves hospitality, and this envoy from afar seemed to bring some good news to the Dahua Empire.


    The Dahlia Empire, which had always been displeased with the Great Tang Kingdom, needed more useful allies to jointly confront the increasingly prominent Great Tang Kingdom.


    Frankly, the more Chu Muzhou and Zhao Kai understood about the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution, the more apprehensive they became about the rising Great Tang Kingdom.

 Chapter 547 510 Sixth Sense_4

    The more the Dahua Empire understood the technological advantage of the Great Tang Group, the more they felt that going to war with the Great Tang Kingdom was not a good choice.


    In such an atmosphere, Emperor Zhao Kai of Dahua, who was eager to regain face, no longer even had the mood to clamor for war with Great Tang.@@@@


    "The state letter I submitted...Prime Minister, you must have already read it..." the envoy from Laines said with utmost respect.


    Chu Muzhou nodded affirmatively and said, "Indeed, I have read it. The cooperation between our two countries is unproblematic, and His Majesty the Emperor is very willing to become allies with the powerful Leines I."


    After all, it was only a matter of intent for cooperation, such things came at no cost, merely a matter of saying a few words over drinks, patting each other on the back, and acknowledging friendship; it wasn''t something to take seriously.


    "Furthermore, our country wishes to establish a consulate in your country to handle future communications..." the envoy from Laines tentatively inquired.


    "There''s no problem with that, we''ve even already selected a location," Chu Muzhou didn''t mind offering a mansion to retain the envoys of the Laines Empire.


    Telegraphs were no longer a novelty in Dahua, and producing telegraph machines was no technical challenge for Shireck. In Chu Muzhou''s view, as long as communication was smooth, it would be beneficial for the Dahua Empire to form an alliance with the distant Laines Empire.


    The bartender immediately began to explain, "It''s been filtered by the Electronic Surveillance Department. Recently, the telegraphic communication between the Dahua Empire and the Laines Empire has become frequent, and most of the messages are encrypted."


    "Can they be decrypted?" Tang Mo seemed to guess some of the content in the telegrams, tapped the report in his hand twice, producing a crisp sound.


    "The code they''re using is complex, and we haven''t been able to decrypt it yet," the bartender apologetically answered. "But one thing is for sure, the communication is official, not some merchant''s bad taste."


    "Interesting, things are getting more and more interesting," Tang Mo stroked his forehead with his hand, a slight smile appearing on his lips. "I hadn''t expected that without me interfering, others would take the initiative to target me first."


    Although there wasn''t any evidence yet to suggest a conspiracy between the Laines Empire and the Dahua Empire against the Great Tang Kingdom, Tang Mo still instinctively sensed a hint of danger.


    This might just be the sixth sense developed from years of scheming against others¡ªsharp and unreasonable.


    -----


    Two in one

 Chapter 548 511 three fronts

    Nangong Hong actually held the official position of Minister in the Great Tang Kingdom, which is to say he was the Vice Premier, and most of the time, he did the work of the Prime Minister.


    He was Tang Mo''s think tank, and Tang Mo often consulted him on strategic issues, so it could be said that he was heavily relied upon within Great Tang.@@@@


    From the perspective of seniority, Nangong Hong had already achieved success in reaching his current position, but Roger was someone he couldn''t surpass for the time being.


    After learning about the telegraph issue, Tang Mo immediately had someone summon Nangong Hong, who also clenched his chin upon hearing the news.


    After careful consideration, he tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, can we really conclude that the Dahua Empire is colluding with the Laines Empire against us just based on a few encrypted telegrams?"


    Tang Mo nodded, pointing to his head, "I have this feeling. It doesn''t make sense, but I just believe they are targeting us this time!"


    Despite being assertive, Tang Mo still tried to explain his judgment, "Firstly, ordinary trade economics actions don''t require such high-level encryption... Our intelligence agency can decrypt Laines''s low-level codes, but this time they used a high-level one, which is abnormal."


    "Secondly!" Tang Mo held up a second finger, "Whether it''s discussing economic development or strengthening trade connections, the Laines Empire and the Dahua Empire actually shouldn''t bypass us, situated between them! Only by including our Great Tang Kingdom can they possibly maximize their interests!"


    "Therefore! The only reason to avoid us is that this contact is inherently aimed at us!" After stating this, Tang Mo paused, looking at Nangong Hong.


    "This servant understands." Nangong Hong also accepted Tang Mo''s explanation, as the rise of Great Tang did rely entirely on Tang Mo, and sometimes Tang Mo''s judgment was the basis, which Nangong had no objections to.


    After thinking for a while, he suggested to Tang Mo, "Since the other party has already begun plotting against us, we should also make corresponding countermeasures."


    "First is the sea, our lifeline lies on the sea, and the kingdom relies on maritime transport for half of its materials and products, so we must ensure the Endless Sea remains under our control," Nangong Hong had clearly considered this issue many times, so his report was very fluent.


    Tang Mo agreed with his view, "Bernard''s fleet should have no problems, our battleships are enough to defeat any force challenging our maritime sovereignty."


    "I still think we should ask General Bernard to be cautious to avoid unnecessary losses," Nangong Hong advised nonetheless.


    Tang Mo nodded, "I will have him intensify his guard... However, I judge that although they are colluding against us, if they really make a move, they definitely need to prepare for a while."


    "Then we have time to prepare." Nangong Hong loosened up a bit, "This is good news. Previously, the timeliness of the intelligence I received was too poor, so I am a bit unaccustomed to such timely and accurate information."


    "Soon you will realize just how much of an advantage we hold in intelligence with our technological superiority," Tang Mo said with a smile, somewhat boastfully.


    "Besides, apart from controlling the seas, we now need to ponder what exactly the enemy intends to do," Nangong Hong looked at the huge map hanging in Tang Mo''s office.


    After briefly explaining the Staff Department''s various plans to Nangong Hong, Tang Mo brought up another thought, "Originally, everyone''s opinion was to avoid direct conflict with the Dahua Empire in the first war, if possible."


    "Luff''s opinion was to hold off the troops of the Dahua Empire on the frontline with a defensive posture, and after crushing Qi Country or Chu Country, they would then persuade the Dahua Empire to retreat through negotiation," Tang Mo said, his palm passing over the border area between the Great Tang Kingdom and the Dahua Empire.


    Nangong Hong knew that the Great Tang Kingdom had indeed built some defensive fortifications in that area, although their scale was actually very limited.


    The upper echelons of Great Tang all knew that in principle, that defensive line was merely to deceive the enemy, a blind to prevent the enemy from daring to launch an offensive lightly.


    However, after hearing what Tang Mo said today, Nangong Hong thought that this defensive line might still be necessary to build in the future. At least if it truly existed, then the offensive effort of the Dahua Empire would most likely be in vain.


    However, the words that Tang Mo continued to say took Nangong Hong by surprise again, "But what I am thinking is... if we reconsider this... why not directly attack the Dahua Empire?"


    "Directly attacking the Dahua Empire is not impossible. Based on my previous understanding of the military power of the Dahua Empire, we actually have the capability to crush the Dahua military," Nangong Hong said to Tang Mo.


    Then, without the slightest pause, as if afraid that Tang Mo might misunderstand, he continued, "But! Your Majesty! We must consider one issue..."


    "What problem?" Tang Mo asked curiously.


    "If the Dahua Empire does not surrender, how do we continue the war?" Nangong Hong asked.


    Tang Mo was momentarily at a loss for words, as he had not considered that his armored troops, marching triumphantly, might face resistance from a Dahua Empire that refused to surrender.


    "Once the Dahua Empire grits its teeth and refuses to surrender, our two flanks will be eyed covetously by two affiliate states of the Dahua Empire, and our frontline troops will be far from our rear... this would put us in a very passive situation," Nangong Hong continued to advise. "Therefore, this is not a prudent plan."


    Tang Mo nodded, turning down his own aggressive proposal¡ªin fact, he, who had kept winning until today, did think about resolving the Dahua Empire issue in one fell swoop.


    This mirrored his prior discussions about attacking Zheng Country, where he desired to take down Zheng Kingdom''s King City in one go, reflecting the arrogance accumulated from a series of victories.


    However, Tang Mo was not Hitler; he was not completely blinded by victory and remained open to the counsel of his subordinates.


    So he immediately abandoned his immature idea, returning to normal mode: "It seems that the staff''s plans from Luff''s side are the most reasonable."


    "I also think so, Your Majesty," Nangong Hong quickly voiced his agreement. "I also believe that attacking Qi Country is the most logical choice we can make at this moment, no matter from which perspective."


    "..." Tang Mo remained silent, staring at the map, deep in thought.

 Chapter 549 Prepare for a war on May 12th.

    Nowadays, the tank production factories of the Great Tang Group, including those on Dragon Island and in Tongcheng, are only producing two types of tank chassis. One is the chassis of the Number 4 tank, and the other is that of the Number 2 tank.


    The chassis of the Number 4 tank is basically all used to manufacture the Number 4 tank itself, as the military urgently needs this new type of tank to fill vacancies, leaving no surplus production.


    Production of the Number 2 tank''s chassis continues, primarily for conversion into self-propelled artillery to equip the troops.


    The Great Tang Kingdom was the first country in the world to equip its forces with self-propelled howitzers, starting with a 105mm caliber, which was quite advanced technologically.


    It was because of this new type of artillery that the Great Tang Kingdom''s armored corps could guarantee sufficient artillery support for their ground forces during rapid advances.


    While the rest of the world struggled to equip their forces with large numbers of towed howitzers, the Great Tang Kingdom''s troops were already phasing out some of the towed artillery in favor of self-propelled guns, which could be considered a significant leap.


    In addition to that, the Great Tang Kingdom was equipped with the best military trucks in the world and also had the largest number of automobiles, so the mobility of towed artillery was also well ensured.


    Nonetheless, like other countries around the world that could not achieve full mechanization, the Great Tang Kingdom''s military still retained a large number of war horses.


    Cavalry had actually become obsolete; what remained were reconnaissance troops, signal and transportation soldiers, as well as the horse-drawn transport corps.


    Due to insufficient transportation capacity, the Great Tang Kingdom''s 75mm field guns were still horse-drawn, mostly equipping the light infantry units, which had no choice but to make do with older equipment due to the rapid expansion of the force.


    As its territory expanded, the total number of the Great Tang Kingdom''s troops had reached an unprecedented level. Nowadays, the Great Tang Kingdom had 20 infantry divisions, with a total strength exceeding 400,000!


    One of these was an armored training division that did not undertake combat missions, deployed on Dragon Island, along with a light infantry division responsible for island defense.


    Two more divisions were deployed in Jade City and Brunas, while another division was stationed on Dongwan Island as a garrison force.


    The 1st Marine Division of the Navy was scattered across several small islands with built airfields between Dragon Island and Dongwan Island, with the remaining 14 divisions stationed on the Great Tang mainland.


    Among these, both the 1st and 2nd Armored Divisions had a higher proportion of tanks, while the 3rd and 4th Armored Divisions were mixed with mechanized infantry.


    Of the remaining 10 infantry divisions, 4 were motorized, equipped with a large number of trucks, possessing high mobility and combat effectiveness.


    The remaining six were light infantry divisions, and due to rapid expansion, the combat strength of these 4 divisions was actually quite average.


    These troops were the direct-force units that Tang Mo could proudly present¡ªalthough there were also many military units in Northern Ridge, which Tang Mo could use without any pressure, they were technically part of the Laines Empire.


    The gap in weaponry was still manageable to catch up and make up for, but the disparity in military concepts, the sensitivity to tactical innovation, that was not something one could learn and understand in just a day or two!


    The abundance of military talent graduated from Tang Mo''s military academy supported the modernized military of the Great Tang Kingdom! They were the soul of the Great Tang Kingdom''s military!


    "So you''re saying that if I decide on a certain plan now, then a series of subsequent mobilizations will have to begin?" Tang Mo asked Luff.


    Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    Nangong Hong also realized that if they made a strategic choice now, it would be like shooting an arrow that could not be brought back.


    "Yes, Your Majesty! If we start to deploy resources to the north, we won''t be able to change the decision and send the resources to the south at a moment''s notice... because that''s a huge undertaking. Even with the support of the railways, it can''t be done easily," Luff replied.


    "Moreover, we also have to consider the issue of confidentiality..." Luff continued. "Additionally, I haven''t yet mentioned the details of the subsequent troop formations."


    He cleared his throat and then went on to explain to Tang Mo and Nangong Hong, "If we choose the plan to attack the Chu Country, then there is no need to continue expanding the armored division. The water network there and the mountains are not suitable for armored division maneuvers, so we should form and train more mountain and light infantry divisions to adapt to the terrain there."


    "But if we are going to attack Qi Country, then with plain warfare, according to our theory, armored corps are the best choice. Therefore, we can form a new armored division and add two or three infantry divisions as follow-up troops..." After briefly explaining, he stopped speaking and looked at Nangong Hong and Tang Mo.


    After hearing his explanation, Tang Mo let out a slight sigh¡ªhe wasn''t rich enough to fight two wars simultaneously with strategic supplies!


    Only now did he realize how hard it was for a poor country to wage war: his fuel was only sufficient for one strategic risk, and his troops could not even afford to fail once...


    Even though he was the most qualified person in the world to wage a wealthy war, he still felt the huge constraints and handicaps that reality imposed on him. It was as if he were dancing in shackles, a truly unpleasant feeling.


    In fact, he was aware that he was putting on airs, because at least he could ensure that his first strike would be successful! That was already a tremendous advantage that many kings and emperors dreamt of.


    "I understand now," Tang Mo replied to Luff with a slight sigh, "Continue with the expansion of the army for now. Expedite the troops'' training. As for the matter of resource deployment, I still need to consider."


    Heading south or moving north each had its pros and cons, and Tang Mo couldn''t just rely on a gut feeling to decide when to start a war.


    Today, he had only summoned Nangong Hong to discuss the possibility of a threat to the Great Tang Kingdom''s strategic development if the Laines Empire colluded with the Dahua Empire. He wasn''t prepared to launch a war tomorrow!


    In fact, while waiting for Luff to arrive, he had had a serious discussion with Nangong Hong on whether it was feasible to send envoys to win over the Dahua Empire and break up any possible alliance between the Dahua and Laines Empires.


    After all, compared to facing the whole world alone, uniting with a few allies to reduce some of the pressure seemed to be a more sensible choice.

 Chapter 550 513 Chemists and Engineers

    To control the vast lands, relying on a minority of elite troops would not suffice; ensuring a sufficient number of basic military forces was essential.


    The territory of the Great Tang Kingdom was already quite sizable, and 400,000 regular soldiers could not fully control the entire nation.


    Moreover, out of these 400,000 regular soldiers, at least about 100,000 were not on the mainland of the Great Tang Kingdom but were deployed overseas.


    This meant that the actual military strength of the Great Tang Kingdom was only around 300,000. And these 300,000 people had to be distributed across three defensive lines.


    One defensive line was in the north, guarding against Qi Country, the second was in the west, to resist the Dahua Empire, and the last was in the south, targeting Chu Country.


    The previous military deployment included roughly two divisions per defensive line, about 40,000 people, which accounted for approximately 120,000 soldiers.


    Therefore, the maneuverable forces of the Great Tang Kingdom were left with only eight divisions, four Armored Divisions and four Motorized Infantry Divisions.


    To increase the troops and prepare for future wars, the Great Tang Kingdom had to continue to expand its military, forming four new infantry divisions.


    The high command structure of these infantry divisions was truly trained and had command experience, but the junior officers and the common soldiers were all newly recruited.


    Everything for them had to start from scratch with training, and their equipment was not complete.


    The newly formed divisions were generally only equipped with 75mm caliber infantry field guns, and after being issued with a full set of infantry equipment, they were virtually devoid of any heavy weapons.


    Even though they were all junior soldiers, these soldiers indeed formed a vast foundation¡ªin the future, with the outbreak of war, these junior soldiers all had the chance to distinguish themselves and get promoted, and there were bound to be Chinese among the future middle and senior officers.


    Although reluctant to admit it, the high-ranking commanders of the Tang Army from Brunas were indeed relying on the Chinese, because it was a fact!


    And some Chinese, or rather some locals, had already begun to emerge within the military: many educated young people from Dongwan Island, Linshui, and Tongcheng joined the military and became the backbone at the grassroots level.


    These educated youngsters, who quickly mastered simple equipment maintenance and usage, soon took on roles as squad leaders and platoon leaders in the military. Many even joined the Armored Corps, becoming electro-mechanical operators or gun commanders.


    ...


    A C47 transport plane wobbled down the runway, jumping slightly before its front wheel left the ground and then slammed back onto the tarmac, dragging along until it finally came to a shaky stop.


    The side hatch was pushed open, and a group of travelers from afar, carrying their own luggage, followed one another off the plane.


    The airport on Dongwan Island had been particularly busy lately; every day, the busiest air routes of the Great Tang Kingdom were used to transport key personnel and materials here.


    To ensure the planes'' secrecy, there were no direct flights to the Great Tang mainland for the time being. Nearly all the planes landed at the airport on Dongwan Island and then returned to Dragon Island.


    Although countless people had seen the planes flying overhead, no one had really seen what they looked like. Thus, legends about dragons buzzed around, but a legend remained just a legend. Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Cameras of the time were fairly basic, so on the rare occasion when someone captured an image at sea, the true form of the planes was still indiscernible.


    From the photographs, all one could make out was the vague shape of the character "Ê¿" flying through the clouds, which didn''t prove anything at all.

 Chapter 551 513 Chemists and Engineers_2

    "I''m never riding this thing again," a middle-aged man who had just finished vomiting complained with a handkerchief covering his mouth, still shaken.


    Flying for him was just like riding a roller coaster, especially during the takeoff and landing phases, which were simply life-threatening.


    If it weren''t for the seatbelt keeping him in place, he might well have been thrown out of his seat! When encountering turbulence, the whole plane jolted up and down, offering no sense of safety whatsoever.


    What was more depressing was that the entire flight journey involved taking off three times and landing three times... This was torture multiplied several times over for someone who had never flown before.


    "Just count yourself lucky! At least you don''t have to drift on the sea for so many days," said a man beside him, carrying a briefcase and pulling a suitcase, comforting while walking.


    This type of suitcase was really quite convenient; it had two wheels at the bottom and could be pulled forward with just a slight tilt, ingeniously designed.


    And amazingly, it was given out for free; anyone taking the flight could get one, complete with a logo of a pair of wings to commemorate this incredible flight experience.


    "Yeah! Traveling from Brunas to Dragon Island I took a ship, and that was truly an unforgettable disaster," the middle-aged man squeezed out an ugly smile: "So I''d rather fly than take a ship."


    "Too bad you still have to take a ship one more time," reminded the man with the suitcase: "You have to take a ship from Dongwan to Linshui."


    "Ah... that''s true." The middle-aged man, who thought he had finally gotten past his ordeal, immediately became gloomy, wiped his mouth with his handkerchief again, and continued forward.


    As they were speaking, another C47 transport plane slowly landed, bumping on the runway. Experience more content on My Virtual Library Empire


    In their efforts to rapidly transport personnel back to the mainland, the Great Tang Kingdom had summoned nearly all of their C47 transport planes to carry materials and people.


    Soon, the middle-aged man who put his handkerchief away walked up to the check-in window and pulled out his identification, handing it to the policewoman inside.


    The policewoman verified the authenticity of the ID and then handed it back to the man, "Welcome to Dongwan Island! Mr. Guest."


    The man pocketed his ID and then proceeded toward the gate. The man with the suitcase following him then nervously handed over his own identification.


    The policewoman glanced down at the ID and habitually returned it: "Welcome to Dongwan Island as well, Mr. Schiller."


    Soon, the bus came to a steady stop in front of the municipal hall of Dongwan City, and the officials receiving these foreign experts led them to the governor''s reception room.


    There they saw the pot-bellied Baus, the former Minister of Construction from Leite Kingdom, who had gotten even fatter from eating.


    But his spirits didn''t seem good; he had dark circles under his eyes and kept yawning incessantly, "Welcome to Dongwan City... I know you''ll be heading to Linshui shortly, but I''m very pleased to see all the elites..."


    After he perfunctorily completed his welcoming speech, he instructed his assistant to take the guests for a good meal at the city hall''s canteen, and then he left on his own accord.


    "The governor didn''t mean any harm," the accustomed assistant explained to everyone: "He''s just been too busy lately. The city is expanding, and he has to personally approve all the projects; he''s gotten thin from hunger..."


    "Uh..." Remembering the fat man who almost couldn''t squeeze through the door just now, the experts from various fields who had traveled a long way were all a bit speechless.


    "I''m not joking. The splendor of Dongwan City today is all thanks to Mr. Dino and Mr. Baus," the assistant said, continuing as they walked forward. "It''s just that Mr. Dino has now been transferred to Chang''an to oversee the work, so Mr.


    Baus has to do the work of two people alone..."


    If measured by the work standards of other kingdoms, the Great Tang Kingdom always pushed women as hard as men, and used men like work animals.


    When Baus was Minister of Construction in Leite Kingdom, he could ignore his duties for ten days, and it was likely no one would come looking for him.


    But now, he had to stay up late every night just to get through the daily work reports, and if there was a lot of work, he could only sleep two or three hours a day.


    Meeting some experts from Dragon Island, like today, was considered restful in Baus''s schedule. That''s why he was able to brush them off and use the extra 15 minutes to catch up on some sleep.


    "The governor really is... very dedicated," the crowd commented.


    "No choice, working under Mr. Dino... It''s hard not to be dedicated..." the assistant chuckled and pushed open the door ahead: "Here''s the canteen, everyone! The seafood from Dongwan Island, absolutely delicious!"


    ----------


    I''m not in good shape today, so there''s only one update.

 Chapter 552 Novice in Exercise 514

    Liu Guozhu was very satisfied with his position, as it was the first time he had come across such an advanced war machine.


    For such a skinny young man like him, Tank No. 4 was indeed a behemoth.


    This tank was equipped with the most advanced communication equipment, with frontal armor exceeding 60 millimeters, which was incomparable to those tanks and armored vehicles from other countries.


    Having the chance to command such a tank filled Liu Guozhu with happiness. He could never have dreamed that one day he would be able to maneuver a steel beast across the battlefield.


    Initially, he could have chosen a safer position because he had studied literature and technology in school, which would have allowed him to stay in a safer rear area.


    But he had no hesitation whatsoever and enlisted at the first opportunity during the draft selection, becoming an honored member of the Armored Troops.


    Because he was educated and understood various terminologies, was able to execute tactical orders, and could read operation manuals, he was appointed as the tank commander, responsible for commanding Tank No. 4.


    When he first set eyes on this gigantic beast, he was completely stunned by the steel monster before him. But once he truly learned how to command such a tank, he fell deeply in love with this advanced war machine.


    Honestly speaking, being in the Armored Troops wasn''t that great, and wasn''t comfortable at all. When the hatches were closed for battlefield maneuvers, the inside of the tank was just like a huge sauna.


    The heat from the engine churned in the cramped space, making every soldier unable to resist stripping off their upper clothing to fight bare-chested. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire


    Due to insufficient smoke extraction equipment, after firing, a pungent, unpleasant odor instantly filled the tank and lingered for a long time.


    The dim lighting inside the tank was merely symbolic, dimly lit and only getting used to after extended training sessions.


    However, compared to the infantry who only had steel helmets, at least they had a thick steel plate in front of them to shield them from bullets whizzing directly towards them.


    It was precisely for these reasons that Tank No. 4 was designed with as many as five hatches, allowing all members the chance to stick their heads out to get some air when it wasn''t too dangerous.


    Such a plethora of hatches significantly impacted protection, but even so, Tank No. 4 was still considered the best-protected tank in the world¡ªwithout equal!


    Having so many hatches had its advantages; for one, crew members could rapidly escape the tank if it was destroyed, and on the other hand, it indeed made it easier to resupply ammunition.


    Compared to the first generation of Tank No. 4, Tang Mo made some basic improvements. One of which was the installation of a stowage box at the back of the turret.


    This stowage box was supposed to be added in subsequent upgrades, but Tang Mo went ahead and installed it on the first generation of Tank No. 4, providing some extra storage space for less important items.


    To maintain secrecy, the Armored Corps of the Great Tang Kingdom were deployed in rather desolate areas, with other troops on alert nearby.


    Within this scarcely visited military restricted zone, new commanders like Liu Guozhu tirelessly trained in the basic operations of the tank.


    Thanks to the most intuitive and experienced World War II German Army tank operation manual, the Armored Corps of the Tang Kingdom had a wealth of real combat experience from the start.


    Fatefully reaching the battlefield, they immediately fell into a passive situation due to the terrain, and vehicle one was ''killed'' by the enemy upon entering their position.


    "Turn around! Follow me! We''re going to charge through the side of the position!" Having turned in an open space, Liu Guozhu discussed with the commander of tank two.


    "I''ll listen to you!" The commander of tank two, who was a rookie like Liu, had no idea what to do at this moment and was happy to follow someone''s lead. After all, it was just an exercise. Whether it went well or poorly, he wasn''t going to lose his life, right?


    After finally circumventing the mound, a vast area finally opened up before them. Through the gaps of the observation window, Liu Guozhu managed to get a rough grasp of the battlefield!


    "Eleven o''clock direction! Eleven o''clock direction! Enemy tank spotted!" he alerted his gunner loudly, then ordered his driver, "Turn! Face the enemy head-on! Face the enemy!"


    After issuing two commands, a thought suddenly flashed in Liu Guozhu''s mind: It was unlikely that the enemy tank would expose its side in such an open area!


    In the blink of an eye, he immediately revised his command: "Stop rotating the turret! Stop! Look carefully at the flank! Search carefully! There must be a tank covering at two o''clock! Watch out!


    Tank two! Tank two! Do you see anything? Do you see anything?"


    "I don''t see anything but bushes, I can''t see anything else!" The commander of tank two became anxious, ceaselessly searching for potential targets.


    "Tank two is destroyed! Stop the tank! You''re out!" the referee''s voice came, and Liu Guozhu knew he was now left as the only rookie.


    "Two o''clock direction! Suspected camouflaged bushes, coaxial machine gun fire to confirm target!" Liu Guozhu loudly reported his actions.


    "... Shot effective, camouflage confirmed," the referee announced after a brief two-second silence.


    "Fire!" Liu Guozhu immediately ordered his gunner, who also shouted over the radio, "Fire!"


    "Attack judgement effective!" This time without hesitation, the referee immediately declared, "One enemy tank destroyed..."


    "Ten o''clock direction! Ten o''clock direction!" After eliminating the threat on his right side, Liu Guozhu immediately ordered to rotate the turret.


    Unfortunately, he was still one step too late; the referee group''s decision came through the headset: "You''ve been hit, you are out!"


    "Damn it!" Liu Guozhu pounded his fist against the side of the cannon''s breech, very dissatisfied with his performance.


    Having lost three tanks on his side and knocked out only one of the enemy''s, this looked like a crushing defeat.


    "Not bad fighting!" Surprisingly, over the radio, his platoon leader seemed quite sanguine, and as the exercise had ended, he simply encouraged him over the radio: "Managing to knock out one enemy tank is already very good."


    Liu Guozhu hadn''t come to his senses; he paused, lifted the hatch over his head, and saw that the enemy tank camouflaged as a bush had also opened its top hatch.


    The opponent gave him a friendly thumbs up.

 Chapter 553 Target selected on May 15

    "Why did you order the turret to stop turning?" In the camp, an officer glanced at Liu Guozhu sitting in his position and asked.


    "Based on the contents of the tactical manual regarding cover fire sectors, if the enemy exposes their side armor on an open battlefield, they must have flank cover..." Liu Guozhu could only respond truthfully.


    He had indeed thought at that moment that the opponent would definitely have cover on the flank, which is why he took that gamble.


    "What if you were wrong?" The officer looked up at Liu Guozhu and then continued to ask.


    "Impossible. The enemy is familiar with the terrain; otherwise, they wouldn''t dispatch a single tank specifically to block the narrow path...


    It was Vehicle 1 that was ambushed in this manner." Liu Guozhu thought for a moment and then said, "To be able to set up a machine-gun position on the path to harass us and deliberately arrange for a tank to ambush indicates that the commander would not neglect the front."


    "Hmm..." The officer conducting the debriefing nodded slightly, then smiled and gave Liu Guozhu an additional question, "What if the enemy is well camouflaged and you don''t find the target right away?"


    "If the enemy really fires, I would be able to see the muzzle flash and the gun smoke." Liu Guozhu insisted that he was right: "I can find the target faster, and I might not even need the coaxial machine gun..."


    "I understand," said the debriefing officer as he looked down at Liu Guozhu''s exercise results, wrote a "superior" on it, and then signed his own name.


    Outside the camp, the tank platoon acting as the mock enemy, with five tanks lined up in a row, were all camouflaged with leaves.


    Four tank commanders were surrounding one, continually teasing the unfortunate one: "Heard you got taken out by a rookie?"


    "It was just an accident!" The tank commander who had been hit by Liu Guozhu was a bit downcast as he explained to his comrades.


    "No need to explain! An explanation is just a cover-up! Hahaha!" His platoon leader rubbed the unlucky commander''s head and teased him: "You were really showing off there, shooting once and then pulling back!"


    "I just didn''t expect him to come right at me... I thought he would turn the turret towards Vehicle 5," he said.


    "Speaking of which, that brother is pretty good too, guessing our tactical deployment." Another tank commander, seeing Liu Guozhu coming out of the tent, praised him.@@@@


    "Yeah! A newbie, it''s not easy." The platoon leader also smiled and pulled out a cigarette, putting it in his mouth: "Want to go over and meet him?"


    "Forget it! Let''s wait until he might be transferred to our troops," the commander taken out by Liu Guozhu obviously had no desire to cozy up to the one who took him down.


    The platoon leader lit the cigarette: "Look at you, acting like a child. Forget it then, if you don''t want to go, you don''t have to."


    As Liu Guozhu left the camp and returned to his own tank platoon, the mock enemy platoon leader, in a cloud of smoke, lamented with a cigarette in his hand: "These new recruits are getting more impressive."


    ...


    "Brother, what is this thing for?" A farmer, leaning on a hoe and carrying a straw hat, asked the young man who was fiddling with an instrument on a tripod.


    After adjusting the focus, the young man looked away and smiled as he explained to the old farmer: "It''s nothing, just a small mirror. Just point it at that flag over there and make sure it''s clear."


    With this information, the troops could be sure not to get lost while advancing¡ªif they had to rely on the maps drawn in earlier years, the field commanders of the Great Tang Kingdom would probably have cried.


    Those maps, where a drawing of a mountain meant a mountain, a drawing of a city wall merlon meant a city, were heartbreakingly inaccurate.


    As for what exactly those lines marked as roads represented, only heaven knew¡ªif the rugged terrains could actually be called roads, that is.


    Just like with the attack on Zheng Country, infiltrating and drawing a precise map was a critical prerequisite before any military action.


    Only a sufficiently accurate map could enable commanders to grasp the battlefield situation and deploy their forces rationally.


    Compared to Qi Country''s border defenses, which sounded formidable, the commanders of the Great Tang Kingdom cared more about an accurate map of the entirety of Qi Country''s hinterland.


    Nobody cared about those defenses! Everyone believed that with the new weaponry in their hands, the formidable defense line relied on by Qi Country was as good as paper.


    All the medium and high-ranking commanders of the Great Tang Kingdom were contemplating a series of swift maneuvers to be executed after breaching the defenses.


    Nobody considered Qi Country''s defensive line a threat, even though the expert Shireck had arranged it based on the trench-warfare experiences between Dorne and Gobur.


    In the afternoon, several horse-drawn carriages left the village, leaving behind a group of reluctant local farmers. These farmers had earned more money in the past two days than they would in an entire year.


    After bidding farewell to the youngsters with their odd equipment, the farmers returned to their habitual way of life.


    Meanwhile, far to the south near the Northern Region border of the Great Tang Kingdom, a large group of military experts was compiling maps delivered by dozens of teams.


    They were integrating the relevant landmark photos with the nearby maps as thoroughly as possible to compile a volume, which would then be distributed to all combat units.


    Staff officers meticulously confirmed every potential encampment site, choosing cautiously the villages and cities where command posts could be stationed.


    Every soldier involved in combat operations was to memorize special landmarks they might encounter to ensure that they would not get lost due to disorder or straying from the march route.


    The 2nd Armored Division had recently loaded all their equipment onto vehicles, arriving at their designated base in the northern part of the Kingdom.


    Some high-ranking staff members also knew that the Kingdom''s stockpiles of ammunition and supplies were being shifted towards the Northern Region¡ªincluding shells and bullets, as well as spare barrels and parts.


    Three large field hospitals had been secretly built on the border, and five big barracks with bathhouses and canteens had been set aside.


    Even more, an airstrip had been constructed that could immediately host Air Force units ready for relocation in case war broke out.


    As the preparations for war reached this stage, many of the high-ranking officials already knew that their King had chosen the next target for attack¡ªQi Country!


    -------


    Sorry, I''ve yet to repay old debts, and yesterday I incurred new ones... I fear Dragon Spirit will never be able to repay them all... Sigh...

 Chapter 554 King 516 has arrived

    ```


    Bai Fei felt a bit nervous, standing in the crowd, almost retracting his head into his chest. It was only in moments like these that he desperately wished he were a tortoise, one that could retreat into its shell.


    Even though he was a knight, and a knight of the mighty Tang Kingdom, he still didn''t dare to show off in this setting because standing beside him was Lu Qianshan, and the rest of the big shots, none of whom he could afford to provoke.


    A General who had lost his kingdom, he always seemed out of place on occasions like these. Every detail here, every glance from every person seemed to tear at his old scars.


    Only at times like this did Bai Fei once again remember that he once commanded an army of fifty thousand as a Great General.


    He didn''t dare to harbor any resentment, nor did he have the standing to be angry. He just stood at the dock, idly staring as the cold sea breeze blew.


    Even because the occasion was so grand, he didn''t dare to chat idly with Lu Qianshan standing beside him, foolishly standing still as if he were a clay statue.


    Seagulls circled in the sky, occasionally crying out, as the vast port was nearly cleared. Far away at the dock, warships and the Liberty ship had docked, and the once-bustling port workers were nowhere to be seen.


    The first to dock was the battleship Jade City No. 2, which anchored at the neighboring dock, and even separated by a dock, one could still feel the battleship''s majestic grandeur.


    Just by looking at the giant steel cannons on the deck of the warship, one could understand the formidable power of such a leviathan at sea.


    The soldiers unloading goods at the neighboring dock were unlike any he had ever seen. The cargo they handled was varied, even including luxurious Rolls-Royce cars.


    Bai Fei had seen Rolls-Royce cars before, like the time when they were prepared in advance to welcome Princess Yulin.


    It was after that occasion that Bai Fei realized there were such luxurious cars in the world, extravagant to the extreme.


    The Gobur cars he greatly admired turned out to be just ordinary merchandise that the Tang Kingdom didn''t bother to produce. The truly luxurious car brand in this world was the Rolls-Royce from the Great Tang Group.@@@@


    But now, at this moment, Bai Fei saw another truly luxurious car, a brand-new Rolls-Royce made especially for the royal family of the Tang Kingdom, a super-luxurious safety model.


    Just by looking at the size of the car, one could tell it was exceedingly valuable; Bai Fei had never seen such a large sedan before.


    From its size alone, it seemed to be a small truck, with long hood sides where the engine''s exhaust ports were situated, and one needed only a rudimentary understanding of engines to comprehend the terrifying horsepower of this car.


    If the oppressive aura of this car weren''t enough to keep Bai Fei from even breathing deeply, the personnel arriving to meet it would definitely make him keep his head down.


    Standing in the front row was Princess Yulin of the Tang Kingdom, beside her was Li''ao, head of the Tang Kingdom''s intelligence department, next to him was Chang''an''s governor Dino, and Generals Tagg and Redman.


    All of the big names of the Tang Kingdom had arrived today, none were absent; they stood neatly, even their clothing without a single wrinkle.


    Trains were constantly transporting strategic materials day and night, including food, ammunition, weapons, equipment, and even timbers and hardware parts...


    In this process, all disciplines played a crucial role, including dispatching calculations, statistics and sorting, and distribution management.


    "10 divisions, over 200,000 soldiers, plus 50 military exclusive train sets, 5 transport truck battalions, and 2 independent heavy artillery battalions." Tagg made simple annotations on the map he had prepared in advance and briefed Tang Mo.


    "Given another two months, we could deploy 2 more newly formed infantry divisions, which would increase our offensive force to 250,000." Redman added from the side.


    "That doesn''t even include the strength the Navy and Air Force could commit to the war," Luff explained, "We already discussed this on the ship, Your Majesty."


    "I know, the best scenario is Qi Country''s army clashing with ours head-on, and the worst is them breaking up into small groups to harass our military logistics..." Tang Mo looked at the map, then turned to Li''ao: "Intelligence and secrecy... how are they going?"


    "Secrecy is difficult to manage, with the movement of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. There are seven or eight trains leaving every day. It''s impossible to control everyone involved, including the laborers, managers, merchants, and travelers." Li''ao complained.


    Though he had arrived here in advance, his work was not going smoothly. In fact, due to a severe shortage of manpower, concealing a military mobilization of war level was simply impossible.


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    Unless the other side was all blind and foolish, if they made even a minimal effort, they could obtain some intelligence.


    It''s not necessary to infiltrate Tagg''s office and gain access to the entire campaign plan to get accurate information.


    In fact, it''s easy to discover that Great Tang Kingdom is reinforcing the north by merely investigating the frequency of military trains, observing the transportation of equipment and personnel, watching the convoys of trucks by the roadside, and counting the cannons they tow.


    The atmosphere was already so charged, and given Zheng Country''s previous experiences, it would be truly unbelievable if Qi Country weren''t at all prepared. They might be slightly behind, but they certainly weren''t idiots.


    "Eight days ago, the traffic of people between Qi Country and ours began to decrease, and many checkpoints closed due to troop redeployment," Li''ao briefed Tang Mo on the current situation: "Commanders of the Qi Country border forces familiar to us decreased by seventy percent, their border troops also increased."


    "They only started reacting eight days ago?" Tang Mo looked at Li''ao beside him in disbelief.


    Li''ao shook his head: "Increasing troops and fortifying defenses began at least six months ago, but frequent troop movements started only in the past half-month."


    "Clearly, they have also started making real preparations for war," Tang Mo nodded slightly: "Then, how''s the investigation of their defense line going?"


    "We have largely grasped the enemy''s defensive setup, knowing more than half of their troop deployments." Despite the shortage of manpower, the intelligence organization under Li''ao''s command was one of the most efficient in the world, making it not difficult to investigate the defense deployment of Qi Country.


    "Have arrangements been made for the weak areas?" Tang Mo then turned to Tagg and Redman.


    Tagg and Redman immediately nodded: "All set up. As soon as the war begins, we will focus on these weak points for breakthroughs."


    ```

 Chapter 555 517 Great Tang Kingdom must win

    Then, Tagg began to give a brief introduction to the strategic deployment of the Qi Army: "The Qi Army''s strategic deployment is roughly as follows. The enemy has gathered three main forces in the south, each led by one of Qi Country''s princes."


    "The First Prince of Qi Country is in charge of the central defensive line, which is under the most pressure; the Second Prince is in charge of the eastern defensive line by the sea, and the Third Prince is in charge of the relatively safe westernmost defensive line." He roughly marked three areas on the map, labeling them 1, 2, and 3 respectively.


    After the labeling, he continued, "The strength of the forces is also such that the troops under the First Prince of Qi are the strongest, those under the Second Prince slightly weaker, and those under the Third Prince the weakest."


    "The three main forces have similar numbers of troops, the main difference lies in the weaponry and the level of personnel training. Each force has about 150,000 troops, which is pretty much all Qi Country can muster." Having said that, he looked towards Tang Mo.


    "Isn''t this what we were hoping for?" Tang Mo asked curiously.


    According to the thinking in the Great Tang Kingdom, the more the enemy concentrates their troops for a head-on battle, the better it fits Great Tang Kingdom''s tactical style, and the easier the battle will be.@@@@


    Tagg nodded, agreeing with Tang Mo''s view: "Indeed, if these forces can be encircled and annihilated, then the pressure on us in the subsequent battles will decrease a lot."


    "Then let''s not let these three forces escape, and aim to annihilate them on the spot." Tang Mo decided the fate of the Qi border main forces with a smile.


    All the generals present stood at attention and puffed out their chests: "Yes!"


    "Continue," Tang Mo waved his hand, indicating that everyone should not be constrained. In fact, no one was constrained because this was the first time the King of the Great Tang Kingdom had come to the home country of a foreign land.


    "Up front, the enemy has basically adopted the previous defensive line arrangement of the Gobur Kingdom, three lines of trenches for defense, supplemented by bunkers, and artillery groups deployed in the rear for support." Next to speak was Redman.


    What he talked about was the construction of the Qi Army''s border defenses: "Having learned from the war experience between Gobur and Dorne, Shireck''s military advisors have come up with quite a few new ideas for Qi Country. For example, they placed landmines in many areas they deemed dangerous, and in some areas, they also used barbed wire to block offensives."


    "In terms of trench arrangements, the enemy also made some improvements, placing barracks behind the second line of defense to improve the resting conditions for the troops." He spoke as if he had personally visited the enemy''s positions.


    In fact, it was all thanks to Li''ao. The intelligence agency of the Great Tang Kingdom had almost completely scouted the enemy''s defensive lines and, under permissible conditions, even brought back many photographs.


    It must be said that although the Qi Country''s upper echelons were like facing a formidable enemy, the decay at the grassroots level of their troops was indeed deep-rooted and could not be changed in the short term.


    "To delay our offensive, the enemy has deployed more bunkers in the third line of defense and some segments have been turned into permanent defensive works," he pointed out, indicating the detailed map of the enemy''s defensive lines and photographic materials that were already on the table.


    Tang Mo looked at the photos of the trenches, which had a wartime feel to them, and then asked the generals: "This setup doesn''t seem to be of much use against us, does it?"


    There was no choice; there were still too few pilots, and because confidentiality had to be maintained previously, they couldn''t train on a large scale, so they had to temporarily endure the lack of talent.


    But very soon, with the expansion of the war and the removal of the secrecy surrounding airplanes, training pilots would become more convenient, and the scale would no longer be constrained by secrecy, with the training pace bound to increase several-fold.


    "Since the arrow is on the string and must be sent, it is time we consider recalling the ambassadors stationed in the Dahua Empire, as well as the envoys in countries like Chu Country," Roger said to Tang Mo, "and moreover, a war... always needs a reason."


    "A reason is easy to come by, as long as we make sure that Qi Country fires the first shot," Tang Mo didn''t find this to be a difficult task.


    Thus, he turned to look at Li''ao, who was naturally brimming with confidence: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty! I have already arranged for people to create the conflict."


    "You see, Minister Li still has ways to handle things," Tang Mo smiled, looking toward Yulin: "Then let''s recall the envoys from other countries in my name! Have them come back to report!"


    Tang Mo didn''t believe that Dahua would continue to tolerate provocation after provocation. Especially when Dahua found out that the Great Tang Kingdom''s backyard was unsteady and that Laines Empire was already harboring ulterior motives, they would certainly take action to get rid of the nuisance that was Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo had known from the start that this war would evolve into a true world war. The ongoing civil war within the trade union, far from over, was nothing compared to what was ahead!


    The previous conflict had only affected the Eastern Continent of the Endless Sea, but this war could encompass both the eastern and western continents, and even spread to the entire Endless Sea.


    However, after accumulating strength for such a long time, Tang Mo was not afraid of the war; he even wanted to use it to firmly establish the dominance of the Great Tang Kingdom.


    "That''s a good reason. Since Your Majesty has come, it''s natural for them to return and see you," Yulin said with a smile. It had been a long while since she had seen her lover, and her joy was evident throughout the journey.


    "We must ensure the safety of our people! We cannot rely too much on the enemy''s mercy," Tang Mo reminded everyone: "Next, I''ll have to make an appearance in Tongcheng as you''ve arranged, right?"


    "Your Majesty''s efforts are appreciated! Showing up in the Tongcheng industrial area, displaying concern for industrial development, will numb the enemy, making them believe we''re not fully prepared for war," Roger said to Tang Mo with a smile.


    Tang Mo nodded; he certainly knew he needed to do this. In fact, the newspapers reporting on his inspection of the industrial area were already printed. The whole of Tang Country would follow this public appearance closely and propagate the news that the King cared for the welfare of the people.


    According to the next plan, Qi Army would "invade" Tang Country, provoking the war, and then Tang Country would strike back.


    As for where this counterattack would stop and when it would end, that would be for the Great Tang Kingdom to decide!


    "Then I shall make a trip to Tongcheng. I too want to see what Tongcheng has become," Tang Mo stated, looking at his somewhat nervous ministers, signaling again for them to relax: "Gentlemen... victory belongs to us! There''s no need to be so tense! The Great Tang Kingdom... shall prevail!"


    "Long live Great Tang! Long live Your Majesty! The Great Tang Kingdom... shall prevail!" Everyone in the room echoed loudly, heads held high.

 Chapter 556 518, a thousand people point at

    Laines Empire, Imperial City Laines, within the majestic palace, Leines I was scrutinizing a telegram from afar.


    "Your Majesty, the Dahua Empire has indeed promised that as long as we are willing to conquer Jade City and Brunas, they will also give us plenty of support," the Prime Minister of Laines, who had also read the telegram, echoed in agreement.


    With the promise of the Dahua Empire to tie down the main force of the Great Tang Kingdom on the Western Continent, Laines could seriously contemplate the conquest of Brunas, turning it into a viable option.


    As long as the main force of the Great Tang Kingdom did not return to defend, they would have the opportunity to break through the Jade City defenses and swallow Brunas!


    Leines I felt he would most certainly be the victor of this new war and be the one to reap the greatest benefits!


    The fools of the Dahua Empire certainly wouldn''t realize that Brunas was the most vital part of the Great Tang Kingdom, a pearl atop the crown of the world''s industry!


    Once he seized Brunas, everything would be within his grasp! His empire would become the most industrially developed nation in the world, and he would become the Emperor of the most powerful empire on this planet!


    By then, what would the Empire of Nanla matter? What would the Dorne Kingdom matter? They would all be but mere ants.


    "The Gobur side hopes we can wait a bit longer, their fleet is making preparations! Chu Country and Qi Country have also started to make arrangements," the Minister of Foreign Affairs reported with a smile.


    Leines I clenched his fist triumphantly, very satisfied with his own deployment, "Excellent!"


    "Your Majesty, Sir Simon has given up his title and resigned as the Empire''s Minister of Finance, this issue is rather sudden," The Prime Minister recalled something and said to Leines I.


    Leines I''s expression turned slightly darker, disgruntledly stating, "This damned fellow, was not truly with us to the end!"


    "He wouldn''t leak our plans to the Great Tang, would he...?" the Minister of Foreign Affairs asked nervously.


    The Prime Minister shook his head, reassuring his colleague, "He knows nothing! We have sidelined him from all of our plans!"


    "Not just him,, but everyone associated with the Great Tang has been bypassed. We.. are not fools!" Leines I said with pride.


    He inevitably became excited at the mention, as it was his brilliant design¡ªreassigning officials affiliated with the Great Tang Group to irrelevant departments, then having them watched was a complete severing of Great Tang''s eyes and ears.


    "Let him go, he might be from the Great Tang Kingdom, but he has always worked diligently and did quite a bit for us; letting him live is my way of saying thanks! But... not his money! He cannot take a single penny with him!"


    "As you wish, Your Majesty!" The captain of the guard standing by revealed a greedy look, well-aware that the task of raiding for the Emperor awaited him.


    "What about Suthers?" After instructing his captain of the guard to raid Sir Simon''s house, Leines I immediately questioned his Minister of Foreign Affairs.


    Upon hearing the name Suthers, the Minister of Foreign Affairs felt utterly aggravated, explaining, "That old fox, the King of Suthers, has yet to take a clear stance."


    In short, after generously offering benefits that initially belonged to the Great Tang Group, these countries all saw another possibility: to destroy the Great Tang Group and fulfill their own imperial ambitions.


    Even, to get the pearl that was Brunas, Leines I promised to support the Kings of Suthers and Dorne in proclaiming themselves Emperors!


    Shireck made the same promise, that once the strategic objectives were achieved, both Dorne and Suthers could become empires and receive unconditional support from Shireck.


    To show sincerity, Gobur''s offensive had completely stopped recently, and the war state between Dorne and Gobur had become strangely delicate. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire


    However, the Great Tang Group was keenly aware of a series of changes happening in the various countries recently.


    Harry sent 110 secret telegrams to Dragon Island and Chang''an in one month, reporting the various movements of surrounding powers.


    Immediately, the atmosphere became very tense, and the troops belonging to the security department of the Great Tang Group in Jade City urgently fortified their defenses. Just under three months of peace had passed, and the cloud of war seemed to hover over the Eastern Continent once again.


    What''s more concerning is that this time, it wasn''t just the Eastern Continent, even the sound of war drums from the Western Continent seemed to be getting louder.


    Qi Country suddenly condemned Tang Country for sheltering border-crossing refugees and trafficking the people of Qi Country, rapidly deteriorating relations between the two countries, with the majority of their border trade ports closing.


    The Dahua Empire announced its support for Qi Country, demanding a reasonable explanation from Tang Country regarding the refugee issue on behalf of its vassal, Qi Country.


    Along with this statement supporting Qi Country, the Dahua Empire deployed troops at the border, amassing a 30,000-strong army to flaunt its might.


    Soon after, Tang Mo, the King of Great Tang, made a statement during an inspection in Tongcheng, claiming that his country had not harbored Qi Country refugees and angrily announced the recall of the Tang ambassador to Qi Country.


    Following that, both Tang and Qi started advising their merchants to avoid unstable countries for business. Traders from both countries began to sell off their goods to return home, and the economies of both countries experienced some degree of turmoil.


    Subsequently, Dahua also began restricting its merchants from investing in and doing business with Tang, and Tang responded with the same measures within 10 hours.


    Chu Country, which was already amassing troops at the border, suddenly declared the closure of all trade ports between the two countries, a decision that seemed to stir up a hornet''s nest.


    For a time, several countries were recalling their ambassadors to the Tang Kingdom, and the Tang Kingdom was also recalling its ambassadors to the various countries, as native border checkpoints were completely shut down.


    Then, as expected by Tang Mo, the Laines Empire condemned the Tang Kingdom for disregarding the feelings of its neighbors on the refugee issue, acting willfully and stirring up regional tensions.


    The King of Suthers sent Tang Mo a personal telegram, reminding him to exercise restraint and not provoke new conflicts that could affect the friendly relations between the countries within the trade alliance.


    A day later, the King of Dorne also sent a telegram to Tang Mo, notifying him of Dorne''s concern regarding the refugee crisis.


    Just when everyone thought those were the only countries involved, the Poplar Kingdom suddenly took offense, condemning the arrogance of the Tang Kingdom. Almost at the same time, Gobur also announced a temporary suspension of trade with the Tang Kingdom, and at that moment, it seemed as if the whole world was turning against the Tang Kingdom.

 Chapter 557 519 situation changes rapidly

    Despite the loud cries from these countries, the reality was that Qi Country, which was busily preparing for war, was at the forefront.


    Qi Country was not as corrupt as Zheng Country. While leveraging the power of Great Tang to industrialize, they also absorbed many technologies from Shireck.


    Moreover, the country''s leadership keenly sensed the imminent threat of war. They were trying every means to assemble their troops and build as many defense fortifications on the border as possible.


    To withstand the pressure from the Great Tang Kingdom, King Jiang Xian of Qi Country sent his three most valued sons out, each leading troops to block the possible northward advancement of the Great Tang Kingdom''s military.


    Shireck went even further to assist Qi Country by sending a large military advisory group to help the three princes train new troops and set up defenses.@@@@


    The entire defense line stretched along the border between Tang and Qi, from the seaside all the way into the mountainous regions near the borders of the Dahua Empire. For the construction of this line, Qi Country mobilized 300,000 laborers who had been busy since half a year ago until today.


    Initially, the entire line was required to have at least 4 machine gun pillboxes per kilometer for fire support.


    However, after completion, and as Great Tang was not yet ready for war, Qi Country continued to crazily strengthen the line, eventually increasing the number of pillboxes to 9 per kilometer!


    In other words, on most of the line, there was about one machine gun pillbox every hundred meters, some reinforced with wood, sandbags, and soil, and some even with concrete.


    Most machine gun pillboxes were fortified with wood on both sides of the trenches, and underground shelters were built at intervals in the trenches, with even hidden camps dug out for troop garrisons.


    To support this meticulously arranged defense line, Qi Country purchased a large number of Maxim machine guns replicas manufactured by Shireck, further increasing the density of machine gun fire.


    The three princes each led 150,000 troops and were deployed in three sections of the defense line. They stayed entrenched and did not need to move, holding in their hands a vast reserve of troops.


    According to Shireck''s experience in the wars of Dorne and Gobur, the Great Tang Kingdom''s attack might involve more artillery and the deployment of better armored vehicles.


    Combining the analysis of the mark1 tank released by the Great Tang Group, Shireck''s military advisors were sure that the Great Tang Kingdom had more advanced tanks to break through Qi Country''s defenses.


    To prevent their defenses from being breached, Qi Country employed nearly all of Shireck''s available anti-tank technologies.


    Firstly, on some main positions, Qi Country deployed anti-tank guns modified from anti-aircraft guns supplied by Shireck¡ªa clearly derived experience from Dorne.


    Secondly, Shireck also laid out mines with heavier charges in some areas, specifically designed to destroy vehicles. These were almost the first anti-tank mines to be used on a large scale in actual combat.


    Then, for added security, Qi Country dug anti-tank trenches and installed stone obstacles in front of some positions, also based on the lessons learned from Dorne''s anti-tank operations.


    Last, in some steep areas, Qi Country laid out barbed wire and other obstacles to hinder the fast passage of the Great Tang Kingdom''s troops.


    To support this defense line and ensure its invulnerability, Qi Country also deployed two thousand cannons of various models and calibers behind the line, with the largest caliber reaching 350 millimeters¡ªthese were heavy guns produced by Shireck.


    Finally, having no need to keep up appearances, Tang Mo returned to Chang''an, took charge of the central headquarters, and declared a state of emergency nationwide.


    What followed was time for verbal battles, as various nations took turns warning Tang Mo not to be obstinate and overzealous in his military pursuits.


    They hoped Tang Mo would prioritize the greater good, maintain the precious peace, and not further escalate the situation.


    Seeing the condemnation and warnings from these countries, Tang Mo almost thought they were truly standing on the side of justice.


    In reality, while Tang Mo had designs on Qi Country, both Dahua Empire and Laines Empire were plotting against Great Tang. None was better than the other, so why was he the villain and they the saints?


    Finding it both boring and amusing, Tang Mo didn''t bother dealing with these verbal attacks and had always expressed his stance through actions.


    As soon as Dahua Empire''s 30,000 troops reached the border, Tang Mo immediately announced military drills involving 10,000 troops near the border.


    Five days after Tang Mo''s return to Chang''an, Laines Empire declared it would gradually phase out the currency issued by Great Tang Group and would adopt "Laines Golden Yuan" as its national currency.


    With the situation reaching this stage, it was clear it had become a dire, do-or-die struggle. Leines I seized the assets of Prime Minister Simon''s family, who were attacked en route to Jade City.


    If it weren''t for the sacrifice of dozens from the underworld forces affiliated with Great Tang Group who provided cover along the way, Simon and his family might have died near the border.


    The scent of gunpowder grew stronger. The Prime Minister of Suthers Kingdom suddenly passed away, his son-in-law, also the actual leader of the kingdom''s reforms, disappeared, and the Prime Minister''s granddaughter and her three children vanished as well, which infuriated the Suthers King.


    Suthers announced that the Prime Minister was assassinated by spies with poison, and they were determined to find the murderer. It looked like they were about to pin the blame on the Prime Minister''s son-in-law.


    At that moment, the wind suddenly shifted again. The actual ruler of Northern Ridge, Earl Alice, suddenly issued a decree to officially relocate the Northern Ridge population to Brunas.


    Anyone willing to go¡ªmen, women, the elderly, and children¡ªwould leave their Northern Ridge homeland and move to Brunas¡ªthis was tantamount to openly betraying the Laines Empire.


    As a result, around the same time, both Leines I and the Suthers King received a telegram from Northern Ridge, promising that if both would allow passage, the Earl of Northern Ridge pledged not to destroy the industrial facilities there.


    Following that, a mass migration involving nearly a million people began. With trust in their Earl and aspirations for a better future, many joined the migration without a second thought.


    Within a few days, Northern Ridge''s rural cities were almost half empty! And Earl Alice kept her promise not to harm any of Northern Ridge''s industrial facilities.


    As the Northern Ridge citizens started their migration, the civilians from Osa Port, Hotwind Port, Winterless City, Brunas, and Jade City also began relocating.


    The Great Tang Kingdom mobilized all of its transportation capacity to continuously move the population of these areas to Dragon Island. They even used warships as transport vessels when necessary.


    While the Great Tang Kingdom''s Navy was busy relocating civilians, the Shireck Navy''s warships, ordered from Gobur, were delivered to the port.

 Chapter 558 520 missing General

    Alice rode on her warhorse, looking at the endless migration of people, unable to hide the joy on her face.


    It seemed she had been anticipating this day for many days now; before, the Northern Ridge had been nothing but shackles to her, a prison.


    For her father, Earl Fisheo''s last wishes, she had no choice but to stay in Northern Ridge, overseeing the work here, tirelessly striving for the rise of Northern Ridge.


    But not long ago, the situation in Northern Ridge had become perilously unstable, with rumors that her territory had been used as a bargaining chip, traded to the Suthers Kingdom.@@@@


    Defending this land was not impossible, as long as she mobilized the Northern Ridge Troops and sought assistance from the Great Tang Group, with the support of Brunas and the Jade City industrial zone, Northern Ridge seemed capable of holding out for a long time.


    However, she had to consider more problems: Jade City and Brunas seemed to have also become targets, the support from the Tang Kingdom was too distant to quench a near thirst, and if real trouble arose, the fate of Northern Ridge would be uncontrollable.


    If she took the initiative to compromise, then at least she could preserve the essence of Northern Ridge and secure a better situation.


    The Tang Kingdom had only deployed a division in Jade City, which in truth could not last very long; its significance was more symbolic than practical.


    Once Jade City was lost, Brunas would be nearly defenseless¡ªif Brunas''s port were lost, Northern Ridge would become thoroughly isolated.


    By then, struggling in Northern Ridge would no longer be easy, and Alice did not intend to become a hostage that would make Tang Mo hesitate to act.


    Only foolish women would make men choose between saving them or another person from drowning; the truly wise women choose never to fall into the water in the first place!


    Alice was a smart woman; she knew that if one day the enemy paraded her on the city''s ramparts, forcing Tang Mo to give up the chance for world domination, Tang Mo would undoubtedly choose the most correct option without hesitation.


    The complexity of the pre-war arrangements surprised everyone; when hundreds of thousands began crossing the Vicious Forest, serious issues also arose in Qi Country.


    The hastily mobilized artillery and ammunition could not be transported in time to the front line due to logistical and organizational issues, hence Qi Country was not ready for war as expected.


    As a result, several countries began publicly exchanging insults, cursing each other''s ancestors, yet no one intended to fire the first shot.


    There was a slight hitch in the cooperation between the Laines Empire and the Suthers Kingdom, an issue introduced by Alice herself.


    Alice had sent telegrams to both countries at the same time about her withdrawal from Northern Ridge, catching them both off guard.


    Originally, Suthers intended to exploit Northern Ridge in a war of opportunity when the Tang Army was weakened.


    At that time, as long as they defended against the Laines Empire, they wouldn''t have to worry about incurring the Tang Kingdom''s resentment.


    Unfortunately, plans do not keep up with changes. Alice''s proactive departure from Northern Ridge prematurely exposed this piece of cake to two greedy nations, throwing off a series of strategic arrangements made by both countries.


    The Laines Empire began to consider whether they should take a bite of this cake first, contemplating the possibility of reaping immediate benefits for themselves.


    Meanwhile, Suthers had already lost a Prime Minister and, with no way to retreat, seemed ready to enter the fray first, stirring up the storm.


    ...


    In the pitch-black night, on the desolate streets, within a camp on Dorne''s southern defense line, a group of officers clutched telegrams in their hands, staring at the empty glasses on the table before them.

 Chapter 559 520 missing General_2

    "This order is completely unacceptable! What does it mean?" A Dornish officer waved the telegram in his hand, frustratedly speaking to his peers, "Our King must have been misled by some villain!"


    "Exactly! It''s those scoundrels at the rear that have deceived His Majesty!" Another officer stood up, waving his fist, "We should not carry out such chaotic orders!"


    "But we are soldiers of Dorne! A soldier should follow the orders of His Majesty the King!" A young officer standing on the other side spoke with difficulty, as if referring to something unbearable.


    "What are you saying? How has General Bolton treated you on normal days? How can you, at a time like this..." The brigadier who had spoken first suddenly stood up, glaring and scolding at the colonel opposite him.


    "Of course, I remember the kindness General Bolton has shown me! But... my whole family is in King City, what... what can I do..." The young officer said indignantly.


    "My wife and children are in King City too, I... I... I also don''t know what to do." Another brigadier beside the young officer was also struggling.


    "It must be the Prime Minister! And that damned Finance Minister!" Clenching his fists, a bearded brigadier then spoke out.@@@@


    "At this point, what''s the use of saying which scoundrel has misled His Majesty... The orders have been issued; now it''s a matter of whether we execute them or not." The leading general''s face was ashen, as though he had just lost a position.


    "Sigh..." A group of officers in the tent let out sighs, many with heads bowed down, seemingly unwilling to make a choice.


    "I''m not afraid! I''m damn well on my own!" The bearded officer suddenly raised his head, looking around at everyone, "I''ve always treated General Bolton as my teacher! I don''t care about your choices, I''m telling you! Whoever dares to touch General Bolton will have to step over my dead body!"


    Those called by name either bowed their heads silently, some wiped away tears, others held a steady gaze, as if responding to Bolton''s words.


    "Think it over, if you let me go today, it might be letting the tiger return to the mountain; in the future, it could be me killing all of you present." After Bolton finished speaking, he stood up and walked towards the door, "This might be the only chance you''ll ever get to defeat me."


    "Forget it, General! I think when we meet on the battlefield tomorrow, you''re sure to be defeated by me!" A brigadier stood up, saluted Bolton at attention.


    "Hahaha! That''s right! That''s all you''ve got, and I''ve completely mastered it!" Another colonel stood up, saluting Bolton at attention as well.


    "To hell with it, I''m quitting tomorrow!" The bearded officer clearly did not want to be an enemy of Bolton, bitterly finished speaking, and also saluted Bolton at attention.


    One after another, officers stood up; most said nothing, merely raising their hands quietly to their chests, performing a salute of Dorne.


    Others stood up without saluting but just stared at Bolton, expressionless, seemingly reluctant to let Bolton go yet also without voicing any objection.


    Bolton thus left the camp and entered a small car, leaning on the back seat.


    These officers, who had shared life and death with him and whom he had personally trained, would become his enemies after tonight.


    Just as he said, from tomorrow they would be enemies, not allies, and the greatest respect they could show each other as soldiers was an honorable defeat on the battlefield.

 Chapter 560 520 missing General_3

    "General," the soldier driving the car turned his head to look at Bolton, "are we really not taking anyone with us? The safety along the way..."


    "Stop the chatter and just drive!" Bolton rubbed his sore eyes, growing impatient with his instructions, "If someone really attacks, no number of people will save us... what are we supposed to tell them? Is betraying one''s country so easy to bear?"


    "I''m from Northern Ridge." The driver muttered under his breath and then pressed down on the accelerator; the military vehicle began to shake slightly as it slowly moved toward the camp gate.


    "From now on, we are all Tang People," Bolton wiped his cheeks, then he felt somewhat better. He was a dandelion, a wandering seed.


    Now, he was returning to his homeland, to his motherland, leaving behind everything he knew. But what awaited him was an even more interesting future.


    The car moved slowly within the military camp, the dim headlights illuminating the uneven ground ahead. Occasionally, one could see sandbags piled up with cold cannons behind them or tents dotted with flickering campfires.


    Soldiers patrolling with weapons at the ready saluted the car as it passed by. The weak moonlight did not allow them to clearly see who was inside the vehicle, but they recognized the model of the car. Surely, anyone driving such a vehicle in the camp had to be a high-ranking officer.


    Soon, they approached a checkpoint, surrounded by soldiers. Normally, an officer with the rank of a junior lieutenant would be on duty here, but now they were met by a colonel.


    Ever since the adoption of modern military ranks by the Great Tang Group''s security troops, Dorne''s officer hierarchy had been structured in such a way that a colonel held a significant position of status.


    In the area lit by the car''s headlights, a soldier stretched out his arm to signal the car to stop, while two marksmen beside the sandbags at the side of the checkpoint had already turned their gun barrels to point their Maxim guns at Bolton''s car.


    Standing at the door, a group of officers had come to plead for Strauss, many of whom had also received orders tonight¡ªto deal with Strauss, the traitorous officer.


    "Deputy Commander, Sir! There must be some misunderstanding!" An officer blocked their path, pleading earnestly, "I stake my reputation that Commander Strauss could not possibly betray the Kingdom''s intelligence."


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    "Yes, Sir! You''ve worked with the commander for so long, don''t you know his character?" Nearby, a colonel covered in medals, his hand wrapped in bandages, cried out desperately.


    "Out of the way!" the white-haired Deputy Commander shouted coldly, "Don''t you think about your own children and wives, your fathers and mothers?"


    He gestured, and the guards behind him rushed forward, shoving the obstructing men aside. The procession moved on, while the military officers on both sides watched with an air of misery.


    Again, someone blocked the path, protesting Strauss''s innocence, but they were driven away by the Deputy Commander, some even receiving bloody wounds from the butts of rifles.


    "General Strauss is innocent!" Among the soldiers gathering, someone shouted in dissent.


    With this person''s cry, many more soldiers began to make a racket: "Right! It must be the work of a traitor!"


    "Those cowards who won''t go to the front lines, making us die here, now they frame a good general like Strauss to steal his credit!" It didn''t take long for more to add their own "reasonable" interpretations.


    "Those cowards hiding behind, they should be skinned alive!" The disgruntled shouts of more and more soldiers erupted.

 Chapter 561 520 missing General_4

    However, in the end, they were all Dornish, with lives and homes in Dorne, muttering and cursing persisted until Strauss was escorted into an armored vehicle temporarily serving as a prison transport, yet no one was bold enough to approach and free the prisoner.


    The armored car rattled on, and Strauss finally spoke with his eyes closed, "This doesn''t seem to be heading south."


    "Your sense of direction is still very good," said the Deputy Commander sitting opposite Strauss, his voice somewhat aged.


    "Then, are you preparing to execute me right here?" Strauss scratched his forehead with his bound hands and asked casually.


    "The order I received was to do just that... To avoid prolonged nightmares, to deal with you¡ªa huge problem¡ªright here," the old man replied.


    "You''re still the same," Strauss remarked. "Have you thought about the consequences of what you''re doing?"


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    "In this world, there are many who act without considering the consequences. Our King does, and so do I. I must admit, in this regard, I am very much like our King," said the General after an indeterminate amount of time, feeling the armored car slowing down and then speaking to Strauss.


    "Yes!" All the soldiers turned around, then climbed back onto the truck behind them, following the armored car slowly back south.


    Just as the King of Dorne completely disregarded his two daughters marrying the Kingdom''s two heroes, preparing to take action against the two generals from the Great Tang Military Academy, Strauss and Bolton strangely vanished in the midst of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.


    All the generals were clueless, and quite a few even resigned from their military positions afterward. To avoid further agitating the military and risking a chaotic mutiny, the King of Dorne had no choice but to begrudgingly accept the story of their disappearance.


    What made him even more frustrated was that his two daughters, after crying, creating a scene, and threatening suicide, actually demanded to live in Brunas, no longer wishing to stay in Dorne. As a father, he was helpless but ultimately hardened his heart and refused his daughters'' request.


    With the mind of a petty man, he feared that someone would use his daughters to blackmail the King, forcing him to concede benefits at critical moments¡ªnot that his daughters'' lives were of much importance, but rather... the face of the Dorne Kingdom was!


    At this moment, his regret wasn''t about the two estranged daughters, but about not being able to take out the once renowned Dual Stars of Dorne...


    -------


    Today is a major chapter update.

 Chapter 562 521 telegraph control

    "Are you planning to go back to Shireck, or... stay here?" Harry wiped his wet hair with a towel, gazing at the chief maid, Sofia, who lazily lay on the bed, hugging a pillow.


    "My name is Jenny..." The woman''s voice brimmed with satisfaction. She hummed, stretched out her jade arm to fumble on the nightstand, and then the sound of a lighter flicking open filled the room.


    "Huff..." The woman exhaled a puff of smoke, looking at the slender Harry and said, "What do I have to do to make you let your guard down and see me as your real woman?"


    "Isn''t the fact that you can lie here the best proof?" Harry tossed the damp towel aside and took the cigarette from the woman''s hand.


    "If you''re willing, countless women are queuing up for the chance to lie here." Jenny lit another cigarette for herself and lovingly returned to the bedside.


    "Like you said, that''s only if I want it to happen." Harry stared out the window at the endlessly burning bonfires and his subordinates tossing box after box of documents into the flames to be destroyed, his eyelids drooping, seemingly lost in thought.


    "Hahaha!" The woman laughed joyfully. It was the first time since she had followed Sofia that she had met such a charming man, or perhaps such a group of charming men.


    In the past, she thought all men were nothing but dogs, and if she was strong enough, those hypocritical and shameless vermin deserved nothing more than to grovel at her feet, begging for mercy.@@@@


    Yet since arriving in Brunas, she had met a man whom she did not even dare offer herself to, along with a group of men surrounding him that she would willingly undress for.


    Only now did she realize how alluring a true powerhouse was, like a delicious cream cake, making her instinctively lick her lips.


    "I don''t want anything else, just to be by your side. Wherever you go, I''ll follow," Jenny didn''t realize at that moment how completely her strong-woman image had crumbled, leaving her looking entirely like a devoted little housewife.


    "Follow me... What will you lack?" Harry turned his head, glancing at the enchantress sitting on the bed.


    Jenny laughed heartily, her laughter unrestrained, without inhibitions.


    As for the parts that might be abandoned, be it Brunas or Jade City, both were potential candidates for abandonment. The retreat had already begun at Northern Ridge, and Alice had even for gone her family''s territory just to rush off in search of Tang Mo. Harry knew that as the CEO of the Great Tang Group, he could leave here at any moment.


    However, everything could start anew. The core of Brunas was either in Linshui or on Dragon Island now.


    As long as his mentor was still there, he had the confidence to rise again and take control of everything, even if all that remained was Dragon Island!


    ...


    In Chang''an, the palace that was under construction had stopped work altogether, with most of the builders being redeployed to areas where war might break out to construct military facilities.


    To support the front lines, building enough barracks and repair factories in the war zone was evidently far more urgent than constructing one''s own palace.


    "Spare parts, ground maintenance personnel, ground control center, navigation signal towers... how''s everything prepared?" Ibrahim asked once more, tiresomely.


    "Everything is ready, including the independent field hospital and barracks... I just ran through the rest areas yesterday," the subordinate continued.


    "What''s left... is just to wait..." Ibrahim said, gazing at the hands of the clock on the wall.


    ...


    On Dongwan Island, an old fisherman on the beach watched as his granddaughter played with a huge crab. The crab, larger than a palm, brandished its claws as if trying to scare away the girl.


    The girl, no longer plagued by poverty and well-fed, had grown into an elegant beauty with sparkling, joyful eyes.


    This kind of life had continued for a long while, and the only regret the old fisherman had was that his son and daughter-in-law hadn''t lived to see such a prosperous era.


    Fishermen no longer had to worry about pirate attacks at sea, nor were they oppressed by the ships from the country of mirages.


    Now, he could rent fishing boats from the Dongwan government office and go out to sea. With extensive experience, the old man was even able to take half a month off every year to spend time playing on the beach with his granddaughter.


    "Grandpa! Let''s take this crab to the teacher!" the little girl said as she picked up the crab and waved it excitedly at her grandfather.


    "Alright! Everything''s alright!" the old man replied with a smile, his eyes crinkling into slits as he walked over and watched his granddaughter put the crab into a bamboo basket.


    Just then, the old man suddenly furrowed his brows. Although old, he had sharp senses from years at sea.


    Amidst the sound of sea waves hitting the shore, he heard a continuous buzzing that did not belong to nature.


    He looked up and instantly froze in place, his eyes widening in shock.


    Normally, fishermen and residents of Dongwan Island, had seen strange "cross"-shaped objects in the sky from time to time, flying near or far.


    The old fisherman had seen them too and had even witnessed a few aircraft flying over Dongwan Island at once. He had become accustomed to them and didn''t pay any mind to these irrelevant things.


    But now, at this very moment, what he saw was a swarm of aircraft, like a horde of wasps in formation, flying over Dongwan Island!


    Not just the old fisherman, more and more people in the fields, on the roads, and on the decking looked up and saw the aircraft fleet covering the sky like dark clouds over Dongwan Island.


    A few minutes later, in the Dongwan Island Telegraph Office, a female receptionist bowed apologetically to the people in the lobby, "I''m sorry, sirs, due to military control, telegraph services will be suspended for three days... No telegrams can be sent... Sorry... Sorry..." Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 563 What are you waiting for on May 22nd?

    ```@@@@


    Some things are just so strange. In the Brunas sector of the Jade City at Northern Ridge, where things were the most chaotic, hundreds of thousands of people had already begun to relocate. Yet, in reality, nobody was prepared to fight a battle here.


    On the other hand, at the quiet and eerily silent border between the Tang Country and Qi Country, where a real war was being prepared for, all trade ports were shut, and envoys from both nations had been called back. Everything seemed to have come to a standstill.


    On both sides of the boundary markers, as troops and generals were being dispatched, the situation had already escalated to a do-or-die stance¡ªeven if Qi Country did not want to fight, it had become necessary to carry on with the war.


    No one would complain that their trenches were too deep or too complex before a war, nor would anyone think they had too much ammunition in reserve.


    Within the concealed positions of Qi Country, groups of soldiers were moving boxes of bullets. Commanders had already smelled the scent of war and had started organizing the distribution of the bullets to the soldiers on the front lines.


    The ammo was being stockpiled in the trenches, carefully camouflaged and hidden within the sturdy defensive fortifications.


    Qi soldiers, wearing soft caps and carrying Shireck Model 1 bolt-action rifles, stood guard over the distance. In front of them was a stretch of barbed wire, and beyond that, they could see small mounds on the other side of the border line.


    Compared to them, the soldiers of the Great Tang Kingdom appeared completely unprepared for war. No fine wire networks were visible from the opposite side, nor were there any signs of laborers digging trenches.


    Although the commanders repeatedly warned everyone that the enemy''s defenses might be behind the mounds, no one wanted to believe such ghost stories.


    If the enemy were to build defenses, wouldn''t they take advantage of this high ground? At the very least, shouldn''t they deploy a company of soldiers here? Or have three trenches and a sapper ditch in the front?


    Yet, the Tang Army had none of this; one could only occasionally see some Tang soldiers patrolling by¡ªwearing steel helmets, dressed in gray-green military uniforms, and hastening along with their packs and weapons.


    By all accounts, today should still be a calm and ordinary day, unremarkable and waveless. Everyone would continue to dig trenches, build fortifications, casually eat some unsavory military rations, and rest after lights out in the evening.


    But on this peaceful day, there suddenly arose a commotion¡ªthe loudspeakers set up on the position for broadcasting suddenly crackled to life with a message that nobody anticipated, echoing throughout the positions.


    "The enemy has opened fire! Return fire! Return fire!" The voice from the speakers, accompanied by incessant static, resounded; and then, shortly after, the sound of machine-gun fire really did erupt from a nearby position.


    The company commander, who had not even managed to put on his pants properly, burst out of his command bunker in a fit of anger, loudly demanding what had happened.


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    But nobody knew what had transpired, no one was aware of the specifics. Everyone had only heard machine-gun fire and the news of war''s outbreak repeatedly echoing from the speakers.


    "Who the hell ordered to fire? Who was it!" The company commander, having heard the nearby gunfire, finally managed to get his pants on and then, with his guard, stormed toward the position close by with raging momentum.


    By now, even the soldier who had initially assuredly claimed to have heard the Tang Army''s counterattack gunfire, wasn''t sure whether he had really seen bullets hitting the ground in front of their position.


    At this point, no one knew for certain whether it was their side that fired first at the Tang Army or it was the other way around. Everyone was at a loss, followed by a series of ridiculous actions.


    The Tang Country issued a statement condemning Qi Country for inciting trouble on the border line, invading Tang Country''s territory, and attacking the Tang Army patrol team.


    Qi Country immediately responded in kind, accusing the Tang Army of being the first to fire on their defensive positions and disrupting regional peace and stability.


    As if it were just natural, Tang Country declared war on Qi Country, and within minutes, Qi Country declared war on Tang Country. Neither side seemed to bother about who fired the first shot; they didn''t even go through the process and laid their cards on the table directly.


    The outcome so far still seemed to be within everyone''s comprehension, but what happened next was somewhat confusing.


    After declaring war on each other, the border quieted down: From the Qi side, there was no longer continuous waste of artillery shelling the Tang Army, and on the Tang side, no subsequent actions were initiated.


    The Qi Army, lacking any means of breakthrough, could only stay put in their positions, waiting for the Tang Army''s attack, as their previous plans were defensive.


    After all, the impression that the Tang Army had left on Shireck was one of unpredictable tactical finesse, flexibility, and sharpness. So, the military advisory group from Shireck had prepared the Qi Army generals a tactic of holding their ground.


    Moreover, lessons from the last war suggested that the defensive side always had the advantage, and the offensive side, even with the deployment of new weaponry, could easily suffer losses. Given this context, it was understandable that the Qi Army preferred to stay in their positions and not initiate an attack.


    On the Tang side, because Tang Mo wasn''t quite ready, his reinforcing troops were still gathering along the railway lines, waiting for subsequent transport.


    These newly established units were meant to fill the defensive line. Additionally, Tang Mo''s Air Force hadn''t arrived in its entirety at the war zone yet and needed a few more days for rest and adjustment before he was eager to launch an attack.


    The day after Tang Country declared war on Qi Country, the Dahua Empire announced its condemnation of Tang Country for its arrogance and rudeness; shortly thereafter, Chu Country also condemned Tang Country.


    Amidst these countries'' hysterical condemnations, Tang Army''s B-17 bomber squadrons arrived at the front, beginning their rest and maintenance.


    Another day passed, and two newly formed infantry divisions reached the front, with subsequent heavy weapons and equipment beginning to be put in place gradually.


    That afternoon, the Laines Empire condemned the Great Tang Group for its support of the Tang Country, demanding that the Great Tang Group cease its arms trade with the Tang Kingdom.


    Afterward, Dorne and Suthers also contacted the Tang Group, expressing hope that the Tang Group would reconsider its relationship with the Tang Kingdom. They emphasized that if the Tang Group persisted in its actions, it would affect the commercial cooperation between the two countries and the Tang Group.


    On the fourth day after Tang and Qi declared war, the battlefield was still quiet. In this war that had the whole world watching a form of quiet sitting, everyone started to believe that the once unconquerable Great Tang security forces were nothing special after all.


    On the fifth day at dawn, as the first light of morning shone over this land, Tang Mo received a telegram from Tagg and Redman, claiming that they were ready to attack.


    "Give Tagg and Redman the order to attack... We can''t let our enemies wait for too long. It''s been so long, they seem to have forgotten... Great Tang... has never been defeated!" Putting down the telegram, Tang Mo muttered to himself in a voice no one else could hear, "I''m waiting for the tanks and planes to be in place... What are you waiting for, Jiang Xian?"

 Chapter 564: How can we continue fighting this battle with only 523?

    Chapter 564: How can we continue fighting this battle with only 523?


    The young ground crew member stood at attention and saluted the pilot, who had already climbed onto the wing of the plane. The pilot, after slipping into the cockpit, also returned a standard military salute.


    In front of the slender nose of the FW-190 fighter plane, the propeller slowly began to turn, faster and faster until all its blades seemed to vanish.


    Inside the control tower of the airfield, the commander reminded the pilots to check the instruments on their planes while holding the talker. On the side of the runway, an officer directing the takeoff waved the flags in his hands.


    Pushing the throttle forward, the FW-190 fighter plane sped toward the end of the runway like an arrow released from a bow, then the landing gear detached from the ground and was slowly retracted into the aircraft¡¯s fuselage.


    Inside the slightly jostling plane, the pilot leaning back in his seat peered down at the ground growing ever more distant, watching the buildings shrink to the size of matchboxes.


    To support the offensive of the frontline troops, all the field airfields were built less than 30 kilometers from the front lines, so these FW-190s had barely started to climb when they could already see the enemy¡¯s forward positions.


    ¡°Attention to formation! Attention to formation!¡± The pilot of the FW-190, which carried aerial bombs beneath its fuselage, circled above their own airfield, contacting his wingmen by radio.


    That¡¯s how he had learned during training¡ªto fly in pairs, covering for each other and using dives to bomb ground targets with as much precision as possible.


    ¡°Radio check! Repeat!¡± Inside the control tower, the commander, clutching the walkie-talkie, was nervous because it was his first time directing his troops in actual combat.


    ¡°Instruments normal! Engine temperature normal!¡± Above in the sky, the pilots were also very anxious as they repeatedly checked their instruments, maneuvering their planes into larger flight formations.


    Soon, a force of over thirty fighter planes assembled in the sky for ground attack, densely packed, they flew towards the Qi Army¡¯s position.


    As there was no need to worry about enemy air force interception, all planes were on ground-attack missions, and the fighters were all equipped with bombs instead of drop tanks.


    ...


    Shireck, a steward rushed to Sofia with a telegram from the Great Tang Kingdom, his voice trembling nervously as he spoke, ¡°Ma¡¯am, the message just delivered...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Sofia frowned at seeing her subordinate¡¯s panic.


    ¡°Two days ago, someone, someone saw, an uncountable number of... strange flying objects arrive at the front line...¡± The steward handed the telegram over to Sofia.


    Sofia took the telegram and then asked, ¡°What happened? Something that occurred two days ago, why is it being reported only today?¡±


    She had invested a lot of money in her spies placed within the Great Tang Kingdom, using reliable people and offering them frighteningly high remuneration.


    To gather intelligence on Tang Mo, Sofia had indeed spared no expense. She had finally managed to establish an intelligence system targeting Great Tang, only for it to deliver a report two days late at a critical moment!


    ¡°Ma¡¯am! Tang Country closed all their telegraph offices several days ago, and only lifted the ban today... Our people could only...¡± The steward responsible for intelligence hurriedly explained.


    ¡°Damn it! Didn¡¯t I send them a radio? Why didn¡¯t they use it?¡± Sofia was visibly frustrated, clearly unwilling to accept the explanation.


    ¡°Buzz...¡± Due to the intense maneuvering, the engine¡¯s sound suddenly shifted, and two FW-190 fighter planes, covering each other, climbed one after the other, speeding away like lightning bolts.


    ¡°Drop bombs!¡± On the other side, the second batch of FW-190 fighter planes entering the battlefield found a high-value target on the ground. The pilot in the cockpit gave loud orders, then simultaneously hit the bomb release switch.


    Accompanied by the dive of the plane, the aerial bombs hung on the racks were released from the plane¡¯s body due to inertia, smashing toward the ground in the direction the plane was flying.


    The FW-190 fighter plane that suddenly felt lighter, like a butterfly, lightly pulled up, and under all eyes, flew away swiftly.


    The wingman following this FW-190 didn¡¯t waste any ammunition, and after strafing the ground again, also pulled up the nose, avoiding the fireball that had already exploded on the ground.


    Under the same weight conditions, an aerial bomb contains far more charge than a shell, and the bombs carried by the FW-190s hit the ground and exploded instantly, throwing up a huge flame.


    A black column of smoke rose into the sky, and a 200mm caliber heavy cannon nearby the blast was caught in the shockwave, tipping to one side.


    ...


    Ground troops from Qi Country, unable to react at all, were completely dumbfounded by the scene before them. They had been fighting wars all their lives, or rather their ancestors for hundreds of years, but had never heard of anything that could fight in the sky.


    They had previously thought that airships were about the most terrifying aerial weapon in the world; only today did they realize what true terror was!


    Those things that came and went like the wind were simply undefendable; the anti-aircraft guns prepared for shooting balloons were completely unable to aim.


    The precision-adjusted cradle had to be turned three circles before the barrel tilted up a few millimeters; how could such slow adjustments aim at these roaring objects?


    The now desperate Qi soldiers suddenly began to unravel, because these planes from the Tang Country were not only dropping bombs to destroy gun emplacements and barracks, but even occasionally strafing the soldiers on the ground.


    These demons in the sky looked like vultures, circling over people¡¯s heads, diving down to peck at their flesh.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming again!¡± A Qi soldier ran with his head in his hands, crying out in despair. And he was just one of the thousands of Qi soldiers already in chaos.


    They had waited for the opponent for five days; they thought they were waiting for the enemy¡¯s artillery and soldiers to come up and die.


    What they got instead was something they had never seen themselves, strange birds that could fly over their heads and drop bombs!


    ¡°How... how are we supposed to fight this?¡± Looking at one strange bird after another diving down to bomb and strafe his position, the Qi Army regiment leader turned to his deputy, his tone filled with despair.


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know...¡± His assistant was equally dazed as if his soul had been sucked out.


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 Chapter 565: 524 sharp sound

    Chapter 565: 524 sharp sound


    ¡°`


    The regimental commander actually had no idea that his position was not the unluckiest or the most miserable one today!


    Because his position was not the main target of the Tang Army¡¯s assault, the bombings on his position were actually performed by fighter planes in a makeshift manner.


    The Qi Army positions that stood in front of the Tang Armored Corps were being ravaged by Stuka Dive Bombers right now; those soldiers were the true embodiment of despair.


    The Qi soldiers crammed in the trenches had completely lost their minds by now, covering their ears and screaming in terror.


    Each dive of the hovering vultures above them came with a despair-inducing, piercing drone, a shrill sound that penetrated deep into the soul, as if the Grim Reaper himself was singing.


    The shrill noise echoed miles high in the sky, persisting, drawing ever closer, followed by the sound of machine gun strafing that made the curled up soldiers in the trenches shudder with fear.


    They did not understand why there were such cruel war machines in this world that made such noises while killing, terrorizing people¡¯s minds hundreds of times over.


    Every time a Stuka Dive Bomber made its steep dive, the deliberately installed sirens would start working amid the airstream disturbance, emitting long, deadly whistles.


    For the soldiers waiting to be slaughtered on the ground, every approaching whine that grew closer and closer was tormenting their already shattered will.


    These Qi soldiers, who had long lost their fighting will, were like little girls hiding under beds, watching a velociraptor¡¯s clawed feet stomp in front of their faces, those scythe-like talons repeatedly tapping on the floor by their noses.


    If they had just died, turned into chunks of flesh by a single blast, perhaps it would have been a better outcome¡ªat least they¡¯d be dead, without having to be tormented by such repeated intimidation.


    But it was this incessant hovering between life and death that most tortured the soldiers¡¯ morale. When everyone collapsed, the whole battlefield was not much different from hell.


    ¡°Ah!¡± A Qi soldier, holding his ears, crouched in the trench screaming in despair, his cry echoing with the devil-like scream of the diving Stuka Bomber above the battlefield.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming! It¡¯s coming! It¡¯s here!¡± Finally, the mad soldier stood up regardless of everything, turned around to run, but had only taken a few steps before being shot through the back by an officer enforcing discipline.


    But as the mad soldier fell, more soldiers scrambled, hundreds of them on the position scattering like startled gazelles.


    The Stuka Dive Bomber, having found its targets, dived and began strafing the fleeing soldiers. A series of white smoke trailed across the crowd, and in an instant, dozens were shredded.


    The carefully arranged artillery position was now bombarded beyond recognition; the top-down attack turned the shelters into a joke.


    The massive cannons were simply sitting ducks, clearly visible from the sky, just like targets in a drill, looking exactly alike.


    In this era, aside from the Tang forces, who would think of something like anti-aircraft camouflage? Camouflage nets simply didn¡¯t exist! Next to the big guns, it was impossible to find an anti-aircraft machine gun setup.


    Above in the sky, in the square cockpit of a Stuka Dive Bomber, the pilot looked through the edges of the seagull-shaped wings toward the ground.


    ¡°Hey! That might be an ammunition depot!¡±, the lead plane¡¯s gunner shouted loudly at his pilot, watching the exploding flames behind.


    ¡°No fool would store ammunition in such an obvious place!¡±, the pilot turned his head, also saw his impressive achievement, and yelled back, ¡°It must be the ammunition that hadn¡¯t been transported to the depot yet!¡±


    ¡°Anyway, that sight is too spectacular!¡± The wingman¡¯s pilot also saw his own battle results and became excited: ¡°Hahaha! They¡¯re done for!¡±


    ...


    Behind the Qi Country¡¯s defense line, the First Prince looked up at the sky, his face pale with no color, terribly ashen.


    Above his head, more than 60 B-17 bombers flew in a neat formation, heading majestically towards King City of Qi Country.


    As a prince, he was powerless to stop these enemy aircraft heading for King City, not even able to bluff the opponents.


    Because the altitude at which these airplanes were flying was beyond the threat range of any weapon in his hands, all he could do was watch helplessly, anger being of no help.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± He turned back, looking at Shireck¡¯s military advisor standing by him, demanding, ¡°What on earth are those things?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness! We don¡¯t know either, but they seem very much like airships!¡± A military advisor from Shireck reassured him, his voice firm.


    ¡°Very much alike? Our anti-aircraft guns... can¡¯t hit such small, fast-moving targets! For these things, King City, where my father resides, is undefended!¡±, the First Prince yelled, pointing at the B-17 bombers in the sky.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we will come up with countermeasures as quickly as possible! Or, expedite the production of weapons to fight them!¡±, another advisor from Shireck also had to say.


    ¡°You better be quick! If anything really goes wrong! It will all be too late!¡±, the First Prince did not yet know that at this very moment, his younger brothers¡¯ positions were under attack by these objects flying in the sky.


    Right in front of the ravaged Qi Army defense line by the Stuka, no one was paying attention to this area anymore. Behind a small grove and bushes, a number of Panzer IV tanks were slowly moving forward.


    Zhao Guozhu stuck out half his body, looking at the Stuka dive bombers screeching down in the distance with envy in his eyes. If possible, he too wanted to soar in the sky like a bird.


    Without warning, the Tang Army artillery behind the tank corps started causing trouble. Hundreds of artillery guns that had been assembled roared almost simultaneously, a sound so fierce it even startled the advancing Tang infantry.


    Countless shells tore through the air, screaming as they fell into the Qi Army¡¯s position, and then the entire Qi position was engulfed in thick smoke.


    Seeing this scene, the advisors from Shireck then realized that compared to the concentrated firepower of their artillery in Gobur, the firepower of the Tang Army was truly earth-shattering!


    On the sixth day after Tang Country declared war on Qi Country, when everyone following the war thought that the Tang Army would consider casualties and just sit and wait for the situation to change, the Tang Army¡¯s attack began so abruptly in an unimaginable and unprecedented manner.


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 Chapter 566: 525 Tang Army charges the battle formation

    Chapter 566: 525 Tang Army charges the battle formation


    Liu Guozhu felt like a mackerel hiding in a can, with a giant outside trying to pry open the protective tin, yearning to swallow him whole.


    The gunfire and barrage outside were so intense they made people¡¯s scalps tingle, with bullets coming from everywhere and explosions resounding all around.


    However, the No. 4 tank he was driving remained incredibly sturdy, its thick armor blocking attacks from all directions.


    Bullets banged against the tank¡¯s armor like raindrops hitting a roof, with one bullet striking the armor and ricocheting off, sparking a shower of sparks.


    The sheer volume of incoming ammunition even wore away the paint on the tank, obliterating its original appearance and indicating bullet impacts so dense that some bullets hit exactly the same spots.


    Seated in the commander¡¯s position, Liu Guozhu thought that for infantry to charge in such an environment was sheer madness; even with armor protection, it required immense courage to break through such defenses.


    Peering through the slender gap at the commander¡¯s spot, Liu Guozhu saw a bunker ahead continuously spewing flames, with bullets shooting out incessantly from the small firing holes.


    ¡°One o¡¯clock, one o¡¯clock! Machine gun bunker! Do you see it? Do you see it?¡± Liu Guozhu shouted loudly to his gunner.


    The gunner was operating the turret¡¯s rotation and, upon hearing Liu Guozhu¡¯s reminder, immediately started to align the turret¡¯s scale in his field of vision.


    He worked hard to align the turret scale to the direction of one o¡¯clock and then observed the smoke-filled battlefield through the scale-laden sighting scope.


    ¡°I see it! I see it! Loader! High-explosive shell loading! High-explosive!¡± He had spotted the target, then yelled at his loader.


    The loader responded swiftly, pulling out a shell marked with ¡®high-explosive¡¯ from the ammunition rack and pushed it into the cannon breach without hesitation.


    The next second, the breech block closed automatically, and then the gunner heard the loader¡¯s ready shout. Instinctively stepping on the firing pedal, the shell shot forth from the barrel.


    Accompanied by a violent tremor, the shell flew out of the 75mm short-barreled cannon, heading straight toward the distant target, narrowly missing flying directly into the machine gun bunker¡¯s firing hole.@@@@


    Even so, the shell exploded right next to the firing hole, the enormous blast engulfing much of the bunker, instantaneously silencing the firing hole.


    Qi Army soldiers hidden in the bunker were not intimidated by the Stuka bombers; they stood their ground, trying to halt the Tang Army¡¯s advance.


    But when the Qi Army awaited the Tang forces¡¯ assault, they discovered that the advancing Tang Army was equipped with a weapon they had never seen before.


    This weapon was fast, fitted with a rotatable turret, had two machine guns and a cannon, full of firepower and extremely strong in defense.


    Driving this new weapon, the Tang Army quickly got close to the Qi Army¡¯s front lines. These steel monsters tore through the barbed wire, then began rampaging through the forward positions of the Qi troops.


    In the midst of the Qi Army¡¯s gunfire and shelling, follow-up Tang infantry braved the barrage to fill the wide trenches obstructing the tanks¡¯ path, with sandbag-carrying Tang soldiers being shot down one after another beside the trench.


    On the bare position, Qi Army¡¯s artillery shells soon fell, but there were not many of them, and their accuracy was terribly off.


    Seven or eight shells fell behind the Tang Army tanks, while another two or three shells fell onto the Qi Army¡¯s own positions, and those in full retreat were blown into bitter joy.


    Just then, Liu Guozhu saw a Red Dragon Flag passing over his own tank¡ªit was the Tang Army Infantry coming up to occupy the trenches and positions near the tank.


    The battle continued, but the situation had become one-sided. The Qi Army, already disheartened by the Tang Country¡¯s air assault, was now completely scattered by the impact of the tanks and had withdrawn from the first line of defense.


    However, before they could recover, or rally on the second line of defense, Tang Army¡¯s artillery once again rolled over them.


    ¡°Whoosh!¡± Howling shells landed on the Qi Army¡¯s positions, causing the already terrified Qi soldiers who hadn¡¯t caught their breath to once again break into a cry for their fathers and mothers as they fled in disarray.


    ¡°How can their artillery fire be so fast?¡± A Qi soldier who didn¡¯t even care for his weapon beside him, started running, crying and complaining as he ran.


    ¡°Stop talking! Save your energy!¡± An experienced soldier ran along the trench without looking back, reminding the rookie beside him as he ran.


    ¡°Where is our artillery?¡± Another Qi soldier had in his mind already desecrated his own artillerymen¡¯s ancestry.


    He had barely finished speaking when he saw a 130mm howitzer lying inside a hidden position. Next to it was a smoking crater, and bodies scattered around that had not been dealt with in time.


    This was the handiwork of the Stuka Dive Bomber, with a bomb accurately hitting this gun emplacement, advancing all the artillerymen inside, and the gun itself.


    Staring wide-eyed, his pace slowly slowing down, this complaining Qi soldier foolishly looked at the artillery parts scattered beside the bodies and those incomplete corpses, and in an instant, he even forgot to run.


    During his daze, a sound pulled him back to the harsh reality: that long, increasingly mournful sound from hell echoed over his head again.


    ¡°Buzz... woohoo... woo!¡± Accompanied by that distinct, terrifyingly sharp buzz, a Stuka Dive Bomber returning to the battlefield dropped bombs once again.


    The sound utterly devastated the already retreating Qi Army, and they fell to their knees, raised their hands high, and cried out to the Tang Army for surrender: ¡°Stop firing! We surrender! Please, we beg you! We surrender! Stop firing!¡±


    Following that, they saw the tracks churning as the hefty Type 4 tanks drove past them, rolling over their trenches, rushing towards the distant beyond.


    And the Tang Army soldiers following the tanks began to take over trenches and positions, escorting prisoners, and filling in some trenches and obstacles.


    The noise gradually faded away; it was only at this point that the Qi Army realized the border defense line they had solemnly promised to hold for half a year seemed to have been almost breached by the Tang Army in just one morning!


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 Chapter 567: 526 identifies themselves

    Chapter 567: 526 identifies themselves


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the messenger we sent out come back yet? Where¡¯s the radio operator? Where¡¯s the radio operator? Battalion 1, how are things going with Battalion 1? Who knows? Who actually knows what¡¯s happening over there?¡± Inside a concealed command post, a frustrated general of the Qi Army interrogated his subordinates.


    But his subordinates were almost as confused as he was: they had no idea what was going on, and to this point, the entire troops had not regained control.


    In the beginning, there were these screaming planes continuously circling and attacking overhead, each dive delivering a massive bomb.


    Being utterly unable to resist, his division had almost lost all its heavy artillery, and its positions were left completely riddled with holes.


    To make matters worse, as soon as those bizarre aircraft finally left, their positions were swamped by the Tang Army¡¯s artillery fire.


    It was truly overrun! The enemy had assembled nearly 500 guns focused solely on bombarding his position. The shells fell like they were free, completely destroying his defenses.


    In order to have his troops continue fighting, as a division commander, he had dispatched all the officers and radio operators he could find to pass on orders and fortify the trenches for defense on the spot.


    As a result, few of the personnel he had sent out had returned to report back. And those who did were messenger runners or radio operators from second or third-line positions.


    The news they brought back was almost laughable: some said the front line had been breached by the enemy, others saw a kind of tank they had never seen before wreaking havoc on the battlefield, and yet others claimed that the enemy had broken through the second line of defense.


    He didn¡¯t believe any of these reports. Because he couldn¡¯t accept that the enemy could break through two defense lines so swiftly¡ªit meant his defense had completely failed.


    So, he immediately sent out radio operators again, hoping to gather genuinely useful information. But this time, not a single radio operator returned, all having disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Not far away, another explosion occurred, this time visible without the need for binoculars, the rising black smoke clearly seen.


    The general frowned and moved to the window to look in the direction of the explosion: ¡°Isn¡¯t that the number 10 main bunker of the third-line defenses? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, by the look of it, it must have been directly hit by artillery fire,¡± the adjutant approached and said with a grave expression.


    ¡°Is the enemy¡¯s artillery that accurate?¡± Mentioning this made the Qi Country general¡¯s headache terribly.


    His artillery positions had been completely altered beyond recognition by the Stuka dive bombers, and they were still not operational, making it impossible to join the battle.


    Thus, when the Tang Army launched their ground attack, there was only sparse fire support on his section of the defense line. Most of the explosions were from Tang Army shelling, causing him immense frustration.


    What further irritated him was that a nearby supply station connected by railroad tracks had been bombed, destroying all the ammunition that hadn¡¯t been transported to him in time.@@@@


    This meant that nearly all of the upcoming supplies might not reach him on time. For this division commander, this was definitely bad news.


    Communication had collapsed, and now supplies had been destroyed, and with the enemy choosing this precise moment to attack, the situation had deteriorated to the extreme.


    Now, his only reliance was that His Royal Highness the Third Prince would react swiftly and immediately dispatch support troops to assist.


    The dust thrown up blotted out the sun; in an instant, Qi soldiers in the trench were left sprawling. All they could hear was a ringing in their ears, and their eyes could see nothing.


    Touching his chest, a Qi soldier found his palm covered in blood. Before he had time to scream, a Tang soldier, carrying a submachine gun, hurried past him.


    ¡°Tatatatata!¡± Before the dust from the explosion settled, the continuous sound of gunfire began to echo in the trench. Some were hit and screamed, some begged loudly for mercy, but these sounds were no longer clear to the Qi soldier lying in the corner.


    In the division command post, the Qi division commander who had just sent someone to check what exactly happened on the main position 10, had yet to receive definite news when gunshots rang out outside his command post.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The division commander angrily questioned his subordinates, and at the same time, a Qi officer tumbled into the command post, pointing outside and shouting, ¡°Tang Army! The Tang Army is coming!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense¡ª¡± The division commander wanted to scold his subordinates and tell them to stay calm. But before he could finish his first sentence, a bullet flew in from outside.


    The bullet hit the wall, then ricocheted at an odd angle, striking the kerosene lamp hanging from the roof beam.


    ¡°Dang!¡± With a crisp sound, the bullet shattered the kerosene lamp, startling everyone who instinctively ducked.


    Just as they were reaching for their weapons at their waists, a Tang soldier holding a submachine gun burst into the room.


    He shouted, pointing the dark muzzle of his gun at the high-ranking officers of Qi Country in the room: ¡°Don¡¯t move! Raise your hands!¡±


    These division commanders and officers, who thought they were in the far rear, away from danger, looked at each other, not knowing what to do immediately.


    ¡°Tatatatata!¡± The somewhat nervous Tang soldier squeezed the trigger, releasing a dozen bullets.


    Suddenly, people were tossed around the room, some knocking over tables and chairs, some crouching and scurrying, and others instinctively raising their hands.


    ¡°All of you, put your hands up for me!¡± The Tang private, not sure how he had become the father of a bunch of Qi divisional officers, shouted again.


    This time, all the Qi officers, now mentally prepared, cooperatively lifted their hands without hesitation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! Don¡¯t shoot! I¡¯m the division commander!¡± Fearing the young man would shoot him dead, the Qi division commander, his hands raised high, quickly added, clarifying his identity.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Thanks to book friend: Reader 1545598039260299264 for the reward... I¡¯ve seen your message, sorry this book did not appeal to you~ it¡¯s Dragon Spirit¡¯s fault, T-T


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 568: 527 King City of Qi Country

    Chapter 568: 527 King City of Qi Country


    In the King City of Qi Country, King Jiang Xian was holding a military meeting with a military advisor from Shireck and the generals who stayed behind, discussing how to continue sending reinforcements to the front line to ensure an impregnable defense.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the most dangerous situation is with the Third Prince. His troops are the least equipped, so we should prioritize providing reinforcements to the Third Prince,¡± a veteran general reminded his king with a worried expression.


    ¡°The veteran general¡¯s suggestion is sensible. Although the Third Prince¡¯s defense line is near the border of the Dahua Empire, it¡¯s quite possible that the Tang Army might indeed venture out from there...¡± the advisor from Shireck agreed, nodding his head.


    ¡°Tomorrow, new supplies from Shireck will arrive at the port. I will immediately allocate the supplies to reinforce the Third Prince,¡± King Jiang Xian, seeing everyone¡¯s agreement about aiding the Third Prince, readily consented.


    As everyone was discussing, a servant rushed into the meeting room, and before Jiang Xian could reprimand him, he handed a telegram to Jiang Xian, ¡°Your Majesty, an urgent telegram from the First Prince requesting presentation to Your Majesty immediately...¡±


    Jiang Xian¡¯s face darkened as he snatched the telegram and skimmed through it, his expression suddenly turning panicky, ¡°What does this mean? What is he talking about?¡±


    The advisor from Shireck cast a puzzled look at the telegram in Jiang Xian¡¯s hand, which shockingly stated, ¡°Some extremely fast flying objects are heading for King City. I hope father can prepare in advance and take cover immediately.¡±


    No wonder Jiang Xian was here asking what it meant; the device mentioned in the telegram was too bizarre that even this military advisor from Shireck couldn¡¯t comprehend the true implication.


    What do ¡°extremely fast flying objects¡± mean? Are they airships that fly very quickly? Even if airships could fly fast, how fast could they go?


    Besides, if it were airships, intercepting them would be the solution. What then, was the point of sending such a cryptic telegram? Wait! That¡¯s not right! The telegram didn¡¯t mention airships, but ¡®flying objects¡¯! If they were airships, the First Prince would surely recognize them and would have directly said airships. Why emphasize ¡®flying objects¡¯?


    With this realization, the advisor from Shireck suddenly understood! The Tang Army must have introduced some new type of weaponry that flew at such high speeds they couldn¡¯t be intercepted, prompting the First Prince to send this alarming telegram.


    But how fast is ¡°extremely fast¡±? This fast? That fast? Or so fast? Is this testing my imagination or my comprehension skill?


    The advisor from Shireck felt as if his head was swelling, and at that moment, a Qi Country general took the telegram from King Jiang Xian¡¯s hands and began to analyze it carefully.


    Almost guessing the same as the advisor from Shireck, this veteran general from Qi Country also roughly understood the meaning behind the First Prince¡¯s telegram.


    Only to hear the veteran general say to Jiang Xian, ¡°Your Majesty! This matter is grave! If this old servant¡¯s judgment is correct, we should immediately seek refuge outside the city...¡±


    Because there was no way to calculate the speed of B-17 bombers, the telegram simply used the vague adjective ¡°extremely fast,¡± leaving Jiang Xian and others unable to determine the exact timing of the enemy attack.


    What they didn¡¯t know was that when these B-17 bombers flew over the First Prince¡¯s head toward King City, they were less than two hours away from Qi Country¡¯s King City.


    To be precise, it was less than an hour and a half! While this lengthy duration might have allowed civilian evacuation, Jiang Xian and his group were unaware of it.


    They didn¡¯t know when the enemy would arrive or what destructive power the incoming enemy had, so their reaction was quite sluggish.@@@@


    What made him feel as if he was choking on blood was the fact that his hard-earned ammunition factory, the military factory capable of producing Shireck Type 1 rifles, and the workshops capable of assembling cannons had all been reduced to nothing by the blasts!


    Jiang Xian could even feel his heart bleeding. His entire King City was smoking! His King City was burning! Exploding! Collapsing! Becoming... unrecognizable!


    This was only the first official day of the war! Just three hours ago, he had only just received a telegram from the front lines, the telegram announcing the Tang Army¡¯s initial attack!


    And yet now, his Royal Palace had been bombed! His military factories deep within his territory had been bombed! He, himself, had almost been bombed!


    He looked at the Shireck advisors next to him with rage in his eyes. His gaze said it all without words¡ªwhy didn¡¯t you tell me about such powerful weapons?


    The Shireck advisors also wore bitter expressions. They too were unaware that the Great Tang Kingdom had quietly developed such a terrifying weapon of war in just over a year!


    ¡°Hurry and get production back up!¡± Jiang Xian managed to say, suppressing the fury in his heart after a long struggle.


    Almost immediately after, Jiang Xian realized a grave problem: he was helpless against these ¡°incredibly fast aircraft¡± that came without a trace and disappeared just as quickly.


    The anti-aircraft guns he had prepared for defense against airships, which could only target fixed objects, were so powerless against these planes.


    Just now, there were only a couple booms from the anti-aircraft guns on the ground at the very beginning. After that, only the performance of the bombers remained, leaving the ground anti-aircraft guns collectively silenced.


    If these planes came again tomorrow, what was he to do? If they came the day after tomorrow, what then...?


    ¡°Think of something... Quickly... Think of something...¡± Jiang Xian, feeling powerless, turned to look at the embarrassed Shireck advisors again, his voice weak and almost pleading as he muttered over and over.


    He had no good solution. Now, the only thing he could think of was to hope that these Shireck advisors had some kind of countermeasure.


    But at this moment, even the advisors from Shireck were at a loss, lacking even the courage to speak.


    With that, the first wave of attacks by the Tang Air Force was complete. The tactical air force had destroyed most of the enemy¡¯s supply points and heavy artillery positions in the front lines, while the strategic air force attacked the Qi Country King City, decimating the industrial district of the Royal City.


    The results were glorious.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Here is an additional chapter, I will continue tomorrow.


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 Chapter 569: The village in front of 528

    Chapter 569: The village in front of 528@@@@


    The battle on the ground was still raging on, and Liu Guozhu felt the slight jolts atop his own tank. Peering through the cracks of the commander¡¯s view window, he saw the village ahead and the routed soldiers crowded on the road.


    The Qi Country¡¯s troops had been completely defeated, and these retreating soldiers from the Qi Army finally showed their so-called true colors.


    At least one-fifth of these units were even equipped with Shireck Flintlock Guns, they had no steel helmets, and some weren¡¯t even fully equipped with individual gear.


    The troops of the Third Prince were known to have the worst equipment, which is why they never completed their rearming before the outbreak of the war.


    The original plan was that, with the support of strong defensive fortifications, it wouldn¡¯t matter much if the troop¡¯s equipment was slightly inferior.


    But who could have known that the positions would be completely lost on the first day of combat, exposing the Qi Country¡¯s troops in the open field and revealing their outdated equipment.


    Now, the Qi Army couldn¡¯t even think of organizing a counterattack, they couldn¡¯t even muster enough to reorganize their defenses.


    Liu Guozhu looked at the Qi soldiers blocking his path and felt that wasting time on these enemies, who had long since lost their will to fight, was a crime.


    To him, these men had been frightened out of their wits by the bombers, they would only surrender or flee, completely devoid of any will to resist.


    He thus ordered his driver to drive the tank directly forward, since more Tang Army soldiers were catching up behind him.


    At the rumbling of the engine, the Qi soldiers began to panic. A Tang tank burst through the trees, shot out, and terrified them into a scattered flight.


    ¡°The Tang Army is coming!¡± A soldier screamed at the top of his lungs as he scattered, prompting those around him to start running in chaos as well.


    ¡°Tat-tat-tat!¡± The coaxial machine gun began firing bursts, and the attack from mere dozens of meters away caused countless deaths and injuries among the Qi soldiers who had just settled down to camp.


    These Qi soldiers were latecomers; they had not heard the sound of the tank engines because Liu Guozhu and his men had already stopped here for a rest before they decided to pause in this clearing.


    In fact, the combat quality of the Qi Army was really poor, it could even be said they lacked proper training and didn¡¯t know what combat was all about.


    Before setting up camp, these men had not even sent out patrol squads to scout the perimeter, nor had they arranged for sentries.


    They were merely fleeing and had not anticipated that the enemy¡¯s attack would be faster than their retreat.


    So when Liu Guozhu burst forth, the Qi soldiers panicked once again; they ran out of habit, and some even raised their hands in surrender.


    No one noticed that only one tank, commanded by Liu Guozhu, had broken out of the woods, and nobody saw that there weren¡¯t even any Tang soldiers behind it.


    Yes, nearby there was only Liu Guozhu¡¯s Tank No. 4. He had contacted his platoon leader just minutes ago, and the latter with another tank were currently waiting for supplies in the next village.


    Under his direction, a few from Squad 2 who stayed behind to watch the prisoners came to assist, lifting a 60mm caliber mortar from the truck; a piece of support weaponry commonly equipped by company and platoon level units.


    Because of its small size and ease of installation and operation, it was particularly favored by the frontline troops. In this battle, the mortar seldom had a chance to demonstrate its capabilities and thus was left on the truck, following the advance.


    Now, with the indirect fire support ready, Liu Guozhu felt more assured, and he commanded his tank to turn around, leaving behind a group of puzzled Qi soldiers, and charged towards the nearby village.


    The rumble of the tank¡¯s engine burst forth along with plumes of black smoke. The leading infantry, carrying MG43 machine guns, had already entered the forest, while the remaining troops had spread out, taking attack formations along the road.


    Liu Guozhu commanded his tank to brazenly drive down the highway, charging straight toward the village of Qi Country.


    Soon, gunfire echoed from the village ahead. Liu Guozhu quickly retracted his head and stretched his hand to close the hatch above.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his own infantry lowering their bodies, their advance slowing down.


    All the men skillfully sought cover; it must be said that the combat aptitude of the Tang Army was much higher than that of the Qi Army¡¯s.


    ¡°Attention! Enemy attack! Locate the enemy¡¯s fire source! Can you see the shooter¡¯s position?¡± Liu Guozhu asked his gunner, as he searched through the commander¡¯s observation window for the enemy¡¯s firing location.


    The gunner, peering through his own scope, couldn¡¯t make out the target either, since his view was even more restricted. Although it was clearer, he could only see buildings within the village.


    ¡°Damn it.¡± Liu Guozhu had to once again lift the hatch above him, peeked out quickly, then ducked back in to complain.


    He saw Qi soldiers scattered throughout the village, along with Qi Army trucks, startled warhorses, and a mess of supply boxes piled haphazardly along the roadside.


    ¡°Machine operator! Fire the hull machine gun! Don¡¯t bother aiming, just strafe! Suppress the people in the village!¡± Liu Guozhu loudly issued the firing order.


    Then he ordered his gunner and loader in front, ¡°Load the high-explosive shell! Open fire when you have a target! Don¡¯t wait for my command!¡±


    The loader quickly pulled out a shell from beside him and adroitly slid it into the cannon¡¯s breech. By then, Tank No. 4 was still advancing, but because it was driving on the road without much jostling, the loader was able to operate smoothly.


    Only then did Liu Guozhu belatedly order a halt, and the tank shook slightly before it stopped in the middle of the road.


    The machine operator, who had just hung the drum on the machine gun, pulled the trigger, and the hull-mounted machine gun began its relentless roaring.


    Simultaneously with the machine gun¡¯s ceaseless strafing, the short barrel 75mm caliber cannon on the turret of Tank No. 4 belched a thick cloud of smoke, launching a shell!


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 Chapter 570: 529 assault on the village

    Chapter 570: 529 assault on the village


    The Qi Army, which had been prepared, was somewhat flustered but still persisted in fighting. On the temporary Qi Army position stationed at the entrance of the village, a row of Qi soldiers were crazily firing their Shireck Model 1 rifles towards the direction of the Tang Army tanks.


    After just hearing the sound of the machine-guns firing next door, the Qi Army commander here issued the order to defend the village to the death.


    The Qi troops then began preparing, choosing the hedges at the head of the village and some mud walls as cover, deploying soldiers and also arranging machine-gun positions.


    Additionally, relying on the village, at both sides of the village, the Qi Army had also deployed some soldiers, and even behind these soldiers, two cannons had been set up.


    These were not the routed soldiers of Qi Country but a complete Qi Army force that hadn¡¯t yet engaged in the battle! They were somewhat more combat-ready than those at the positions, as one could clearly tell by the equipment!


    Usually, if they were not main Qi Army forces, they wouldn¡¯t be equipped with novel contraptions like automobiles. Not to mention, after equipping a lot of automobiles, these Qi Army soldiers also had a large number of horses.


    The battle had just begun when Liu Guozhu felt that his attack this time seemed a bit rash. Because when he peered out to observe the enemy, he saw an endless number of Qi soldiers.


    Just by looking at the sheer number of enemies, it wasn¡¯t something his dozen Tang soldiers plus a tank could handle.


    But since the battle had already started, it was too late to say anything. Liu Guozhu knew that now he could only probe and attack first, and if that didn¡¯t work, cover the infantry while they retreated.


    The machine-gun directly in front of the tank was continuously firing, and the gunner had not actually seen any real targets but was simply following orders, wastefully depleting his ammunition.


    Suppressive fire did have some effect though, confused as the Qi Army was, their actual casualties were almost zero, but the incessant gunfire did indeed create considerable psychological pressure on them.


    Next to the tank, the Tang Army infantry had a somewhat better view; they quickly noticed that a large number of enemy forces were moving inside the village, so they immediately launched their counter-attack.


    After the riflemen found cover, they began aiming and firing at Qi soldiers, with rather exquisite marksmanship, striking down some Qi soldiers still in search of cover.


    At this moment, Tank No. 4 suddenly boomed, firing its gun, startling the surrounding Tang soldiers. Everyone looked towards the firing tank, and they saw a cloud of white smoke continuously billowing around the barrel of the tank¡¯s gun.


    The heavy and forceful shell hit the wall of a mud house in the village, creating a big hole directly in it, the massive explosion lifting the roof off, with tiles falling down and clattering on the ground.


    Because there were so many of them, the Qi Army filled the entire village, and in the house hit by the shell, there was also a group of Qi soldiers stationed.


    As a result, this terrifying shell blew more than a dozen Qi soldiers into the air, burying them under the ruins.


    ¡°Tat-tat-tat-tat!¡± Finally unable to hold back, a hidden Maxim machine-gun on the Qi Army position began to sweep fire.


    Bullets hit the severely bullet-marked Tank No. 4 and sparked, but such an attack was obviously not capable of damaging Liu Guozhu¡¯s tank.


    After firing a shell, Liu Guozhu ordered the tank to continue moving forward, getting closer to the village to exert greater pressure on the enemy.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Realizing something in the village could threaten his tank, he forgot to take cover and instead looked out, slightly stunned but frantically searching for the target that had fired at him.


    As he searched for the threat, a figure rushed onto the tank, scrambled on top in an instant, and shouted loudly while pointing at a distant target, ¡°Over there! Where the white smoke is! There¡¯s a big gun over there!¡±


    The person was the infantry platoon leader, who, disregarding the bullets flying everywhere, climbed onto the tank to report his observations to Liu Guozhu.


    Liu Guozhu followed the direction of his pointing and indeed saw a cannon aimed directly at him. He immediately held down the talk button, alerted his driver to start moving, and ordered the gunner to rotate the turret.


    The gunner frantically turned his turret while the commander suddenly started moving tank number 4. Caught by surprise, the infantry platoon leader cursed and rolled off the tank.


    Another shell came flying in, but this time the enemy apparently didn¡¯t expect tank number 4 to suddenly move forward; the shell just blasted away, whistling past tank number 4 once again.


    The Qi Army soldiers in the village seemed to be petrified by the Tang Army¡¯s reckless momentum, as they had never encountered an enemy who communicated amid a hail of bullets.


    Yet, amid the shouts of their officers, they still gathered themselves and began to fire more densely to block the continuing advance of the Tang Army.


    The anti-aircraft machine guns had already suppressed the constantly firing machine-gun positions inside the village, and Liu Guozhu had his turret aligned with the enemy¡¯s cannon that was still firing.


    Just now, to cover tank number 4 as it adjusted its turret, a Tang Army soldier opened fire on the Qi Army¡¯s hidden artillery, exposing his own position and taking a bullet in the shoulder.


    His sacrifice was valuable, as his shot hit a Qi Army soldier operating the cannon, which had not been able to fire another round yet.


    In that brief period, tank number 4 had aligned its turret toward the hidden artillery and fired the third shell.


    The shell hit the artillery position where the Qi Army¡¯s cannon was located, instantly lifting the barrel and blasting the surrounding Qi Army soldiers into the air.


    The battle was still ongoing, and Liu Guozhu didn¡¯t have time to savor his victory. He ordered his tank to continue moving forward, then commanded the turret to realign and aim at the village for another shot.


    The Qi Army had realized they couldn¡¯t stop this tank¡¯s advance, and their defensive line started to waver instantly.


    The Qi Army soldiers positioned at the edge of the village began to retreat towards the interior, abandoning the Maxim machine gun that had been suppressing them, while the Qi soldiers around had already cleared out.


    Startled horses ran wildly through the streets and alleys, as the Qi Army¡¯s commanders seemed to realize that they no longer had control over the situation.


    So they began to regroup their troops, preparing to continue their resistance by relying on the remnants and ruins within the village. They didn¡¯t dare to retreat, for this was a Qi Country army command post nearby, and they dared not abandon so many documents and pieces of equipment to escape like that.


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 Chapter 571 530 is lost

    "Get off the highway! Move to the right!" Liu Guozhu didn''t know if there were any of those hidden cannons nearby, so he decided to choose a safer attack route.


    Anyway, the infantry following the tank were all on the right side of the road, so moving there at this time would provide good cover for these soldiers.


    Thus, Tank No. 4 gracefully turned and charged off the road, its tracks rolling and churning the mud in its wake.


    With its dash down from the roadbed, the soldiers of the Qi Army on the other side could hardly see the iron behemoth. They had lost their target and, at the same time, posed no further threat.


    For a moment, the Qi troops on this side rallied, gathered the dead, and hastily repaired their defenses, managing to stabilize their position.


    But, on the other side, the Qi troops suddenly felt a great pressure. The co-axial machine gun on the tank, which had been targeting the other side, now turned and opened fire towards them, abruptly forcing them to face the fire of two machine guns.


    The main reason Liu Guozhu made this choice was to repay the favor of the infantry platoon leader who had risked his life to inform him of the threat.


    Under such perilous circumstances, he knew that if he couldn''t quickly find and neutralize the threat, both he and his tank were in grave danger.


    Since the other party had climbed onto the tank to deliver the message regardless of the risk to their own life, it naturally followed that he would cover the infantry advancing on the village to minimize unnecessary casualties.


    Of course, there was another reason: Liu Guozhu wasn''t sure if there was another ambush cannon on the left side of the village; since there was one on the right, it was hard to tell about the left.


    By driving off the roadbed like this, the potentially hidden Qi artillery on the left would be obstructed by the embankment and unable to aim properly, thus he had avoided a threat!


    Bullets pinged off the earthen wall as Qi soldiers wailed and scrambled toward the village. With the tank''s cover, the Tang soldiers suddenly found an opportunity to advance; they leapt out from cover and, crouching, moved to positions further ahead.


    At this point of the fight, emotions completely took over, with adrenaline crazily surging; no one considered retreating anymore.


    Liu Guozhu commanded the tank off the road, and his tank jolted abruptly as it moved, obviously precluding reloading while in motion. However, it wasn''t a big deal to stop, reload, and open fire again after.


    "Boom!" The fourth shell was fired, and another house in the village suffered the brunt. Shards of flying debris rose high and then crashed down hard, leaving the surrounding Qi soldiers in a pitiful state.


    By then, Tank No. 4 had reached the edge of the village. The surrounding Qi troops could no longer hold their ground and started to retreat, sharply reducing the pressure on the Tang soldiers following up.


    "Attack! Attack!" Liu Guozhu shouted excitedly, then gripped the handrail beside him, "Charge into the village! Split them apart!"


    He knew that once they broke into the village, they''d avoid the enemy''s artillery fire¡ªno sane person would set up a cannon pointing at their own people, at least not in most cases!


    Seconds later, the tracks of Tank No. 4 collided with the outer earthen wall of the village, breaking through the wall and knocking down the top half.


    As the tracks continued to roll relentlessly, the tank crushed the remaining half-wall, raising its front high and then, as its center of gravity shifted, the front crashed down heavily beyond the wall.


    This aggressive way of crashing through not only terrified the Qi soldiers who saw it, causing an even more frenzied collapse, but it also boosted the morale of the following Tang infantry.


    The entire process occurred without the Qi Army firing a single shot in his direction, as if the battle there had already ended.


    Bending over and adjusting his cap, he vaulted over a collapsed courtyard wall and saw the infantry platoon leader who had just climbed onto his tank.


    The platoon leader had just taken a fall from the tank but thankfully was uninjured, though he was covered in dust and looking quite dishevelled.


    "Sorry!" Liu Guozhu knew he had driven too hastily and seemed to have shaken off this brave comrade, he shouted apologetically.


    "Cut the chatter!" The other man peeked across the street, where the Qi Army''s position was still in place: "Are you crazy? Running over here like that?"


    "Didn''t you just go mad yourself?" Liu Guozhu retorted with a smile, then quickly continued, "Quick, send someone back with a message! Your mortar might accidentally hit your own men!"


    "I''ve already sent someone! I have no idea about the situation on the other side!" the platoon leader said somewhat gloomily: "We''re down to 5 men now!"


    The entire operation plan initially only called for one infantry squad plus the platoon leader, amounting to 13 men at most.


    During the recent assault, one soldier was hit in the head and killed midway, and another was wounded in the shoulder and couldn''t continue fighting.


    Rushing into the village, close-quarters combat claimed another injury, this one less fortunate¡ªthe wounded lost his mobility and had to be carried away by another soldier.


    Moreover, a squad leader had taken a machine gun team to establish a machine gun position on another side, which had effectively split off four more people.


    So now, including the platoon leader, only four infantrymen remained, covering Liu Guozhu''s Panzer IV.


    "Should we retreat?" Liu Guozhu knew if they continued fighting, they might face a disaster. The soldiers'' ammunition was limited, and such intense combat would quickly deplete it. His tank had also used up most of its ammo after fighting its way here.


    "Reluctantly, but I think, pulling out of the fight might be a good idea now," the platoon leader told Liu Guozhu.


    "Platoon leader! Platoon leader! They... they''ve surrendered!" A Tang soldier holding a submachine gun shouted excitedly at that moment.


    "What?" The platoon leader craned his neck to look at the street, just in time to see crowds of Qi soldiers raising their hands high, their eyes wide with fright as they stared at the Panzer IV blocking the road.


    The battlefield fell silent, a few dispirited Qi officers stood in the midst of the crowd; minutes before, they had been engaged in a battle to the death with this steel beast, and now they were ordered to hand over their weapons.


    "Phew..." Liu Guozhu exhaled, relieved but still shaken, and looked at the four dusty, grimy infantrymen beside him, then broke into a silent laugh.


    The platoon leader who had just been contemplating retreat glanced at Liu Guozhu and laughed along, displaying a row of yellow teeth. Skilled in his motions, he fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette, placed one in his mouth, but couldn''t find a match on his person: "Damn... lost my lighter."


    ------


    Well, paying debts...


    ```

 Chapter 572 The war in which not a single shot was fired on May 31

    ```


    At the desolate entrance of the military camp, an old man leisurely puffed on a hand-rolled cigarette under the shade of a tree, with a teapot and small cups neatly arranged on a stool in front of him.


    When a Dorne officer arrived at the scene with dozens of his men, he was greeted by this somewhat comical sight.


    The Great Tang Group''s security forces had evacuated Hotwind Port three days earlier, not even attempting to put up a brief resistance or fire a couple of shots before vacating the barracks.


    Now, only empty buildings remained, undamaged and bearing no signs of destruction. Even the old gatekeeper would water the parade ground every day.


    "Where are the people?" the Dorne officer asked the tea-drinking old man.


    "They''ve all left," the old man answered straightforwardly, flicking ash from his cigarette before taking another contented sip.


    "When did they leave?" The Dorne officer looked again at the quiet barracks nearby and continued his inquiry.


    "Three days ago! They''ve all left," the old man answered again, without a hint of concealment.


    "Did they take all their weapons with them?" The Dorne officer signaled his soldiers to approach the barracks for a closer look.


    "Not exactly, they''ve sealed their weapons in storeroom number three inside the barracks," the old man shook his head as he continued, adding "All the keys for the compound are hanging on the wall in the dispatch room."


    After saying this, the old man even lifted his arm to point, roughly indicating the location of the dispatch room.


    "Thank you, sir," replied the Dorne officer, courteously nodding his thanks before quickly leading the remaining men away.


    Sure enough, the Dorne soldiers found the keys on the wall in the barracks'' dispatch room, and in storeroom number three, they saw the neatly stored Great Tang K3 rifles and Maxim machine guns.


    Boxes of shiny, well-oiled bullets lay in the corner, ready for use as if specially reserved for the invading Dorne troops.


    The situation was the same in the port of Hotwind Port; the docks were empty, the completed ships had vanished, but the equipment used to build them stayed in place, even regularly maintained and oiled.


    The cranes were still there, and some fishing boats continued to ply the waters of the harbor as usual. The remaining locals watched calmly as Dorne''s troops entered the city and then retreated again.


    Since they had found no trace of the Great Tang Group''s forces, what was meant to be a street battle-ready Dorne military embarrassingly withdrew from a city that needed no fighting to be taken.


    Latterly, officials rushing to their respective offices found documents that had been burned, along with data and files left behind for them.


    Everything seemed so natural, as if devoid of any bitterness. The Great Tang Group had thus quietly departed, leaving behind Hotwind Port after five years of operation.@@@@


    The machinery in the factories was all well-preserved, simply awaiting the removal of protective tarps and the return of sufficient labor to resume production immediately. Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    For Suthers''s troops entering Ice Crystal City, the place was almost no different from a dead city¡ªstreets deserted, the factories that used to operate day and night were now utterly silent.


    Nevertheless, Earl Northern Ridge kept her promise; she didn''t destroy a single bridge nor took a single machine when she left. All factories were left as they were, simply without workers.


    This migration, unprecedented in world history, swept away a population of over a million from Northern Ridge, leaving behind mostly elderly who did not wish to abandon their homesteads, and some who believed there were still opportunities to be had by staying.


    The rail tracks were still there, stretching all the way from Ice Crystal City to Wolf City. But all the train engines had vanished, because after all, transportation required engines, so Northern Ridge took them all.


    The busy station remained busy, with the trains heading south from Suthers arriving on time. The ones dismounting from the trains were Suthers''s soldiers, who had finally achieved their dream of taking back the land that was occupied many years ago.


    The impatient Suthers''s soldiers gathered in the square of Ice Crystal City, united in toppling a statue of Count Fisheo.


    The marble shattered upon hitting the ground; Count Fisheo''s head rolled far away, and at that moment, no one cared.


    Almost at the same time, the Poplar Kingdom''s soldiers entered Osa, once again betraying their trust, tearing up the treaty they had to cede Osa.


    What Sir Leibart and his sovereign did not expect was that over fifty thousand elves chose to leave their homeland and temporarily reside on Dongwan Island.


    The Ice Cold Empire reclaimed Eternal Winter City, this large port''s desolate appearance was heartbreaking. Lacking the fleets from Brunas, Dragon Island, and Dongwan, its scale seemed to serve no purpose except decoration.


    Nevertheless, the Ice Cold Empire regained their largest port and also seized an important industrial area.


    Already strong in industrial capabilities, the Ice Cold Empire, in this global feast of dividing up the Great Tang Group, also got a delicious slice of the cake.


    As the Tang Kingdom and Qi Country went to war, the Laines Empire''s troops entered Jade City, similarly without encountering any resistance, and similarly secured everything they desired.


    Millions left their homelands, some heading to Dragon Island, some to Linshui and Dongwan, Jade City... was essentially left with just a shell.


    Even if it was just a shell, Leines I was satisfied; after all, this was his former King City, where he was born and spent most of his life.


    Now that he had reclaimed it, he also wanted to take back one of the most important cities in the world: Brunas!


    With possession of Brunas, even if it was just the machinery and equipment there, Leines I was certain he would obtain untold wealth and a staggering technological advantage.


    On the same day the Laines Empire''s troops entered Jade City, Leines I announced the renaming of Jade City to Leite, restoring the city''s old name.


    Meanwhile, to celebrate his imminent bloodless conquest of Brunas, he also hosted a grand feast for his ministers in Laines City.


    Of course he had to celebrate; under his planning and leadership, the Great Tang Group had become a lamb to the slaughter, everyone''s target.


    Even if the Great Tang Group was to stabilize later on, with the world against them, it would be impossible to seek revenge on everyone¡ªas long as the Great Tang could not carry out comprehensive retaliation, he could ensure he himself remained invincible!


    Isn''t this worth celebrating? Isn''t this a cause for wild joy?

 Chapter 573: 532 when a warning becomes a threat

    Chapter 573: 532 when a warning becomes a threat


    ¡°Your Majesty is truly a divine being!¡± The Prime Minister of Laines, holding a wine glass, walked up to Leines I and smiled as he raised his glass to honor his own Emperor.


    ¡°Prime Minister, your dedication and efforts for the nation are commendable. This success naturally includes your contribution!¡± Leines I, in a great mood, also raised his glass and took a sip.


    The banquet was filled with beautiful women everywhere, dressed in magnificent attire, singing and dancing, bringing the atmosphere to its peak.


    Many nobles, with their arms around the slender waists of women, holding wine glasses and laughing heartily, as if they had already secured their victory.@@@@


    Indeed, in their eyes, they had already grasped their victory: they had taken Jade City and were about to capture Brunas!


    ¡°Have you heard? This morning, that Tang Mo from Tang Country sent a telegram to our Emperor. I bet he was crying when he sent it,¡± a noble bragged pridefully after planting a kiss on his young companion¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Really? Is that true? Hahaha!¡± Another noble, handily roaming over a woman¡¯s body and laughing boisterously, basked in the bashful shoving of the lady in his arms, tipsily asked.


    ¡°Guess what he said?¡± The noble with a face smeared with the lady¡¯s rouge kept everyone in suspense and didn¡¯t spill the beans.


    ¡°Out with it! My old man at home is the Minister of Construction and not as well-connected as your lord father,¡± a drunken noble joined in the conversation.


    ¡°That Tang Mo said, ¡®I leave everything intact for you now, in the hope that when you¡¯re defeated, you could at least do it with some dignity!''¡± The noble in the know scoffed after revealing the message, ¡°Just like a sore loser! Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The noble with his arms around a woman joined in the loud laughter.


    Similarly, the drunk noble also burst into raucous laughter, ¡°Wooh... Hahaha!¡±


    It seemed as though they wanted to use this frenzied laughter to vent the frustration they had been feeling for many years from being oppressed by the Great Tang Group.


    These people laughed unrestrainedly, as no one would find it inappropriate today ¡ª they had just captured Jade City! That prosperous, opportunity-laden city of the Great Tang Group!


    ¡°Did he really send this telegram to Your Majesty?¡± A minister, who had just heard about this, looked toward his Emperor.


    ¡°Yes, just like a sore loser.¡± For the first time, Leines I felt that his rival Tang Mo was so childish, to send such a telegram at the time of a crushing defeat, warning his adversary like a child.


    The question was, whether it was a threat or a warning, did it really have any effect? At the end of the day, doesn¡¯t everything still depend on strength?


    As long as one¡¯s fists are big enough, what can the Great Tang Group do but obediently cede their richest lands?


    The music grew louder, and the corners of the hall became even more chaotic and filthy. It was at this moment that an officer with a grave expression entered the hall and quietly made his way behind Leines I.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Leines I was quite displeased, feeling that the military¡¯s interruption of his victory celebration was no different from making a scene.


    But the officer seemed not to notice his Emperor¡¯s dissatisfaction and whispered into Leines I¡¯s ear, ¡°The latest news from the front line with Qi Country...¡±


    The more he thought about it, the more Leines I believed in his own reasoning, speaking more fluently as if he had everything under control, ¡°So, all we need to do is stick to the plan and take it step by step!¡±


    ¡°Then... should we still take over Brunas?¡± The military man dressed as a general looked towards his Emperor to confirm.


    ¡°Of course! We must take it! Not giving them a foothold means they¡¯ll have a harder time counterattacking! Leaving Brunas would be inviting trouble for ourselves, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± insisted Leines I.


    After speaking, he looked towards the advisor from Shireck again, ¡°Find a way to get Shench Country to join the battle quickly! Stir the waters! Escalate the war! Otherwise... if the Tang Country gains control of the situation, we will all be very passive!¡±


    ¡°Understood! I will convey your intentions to Lady Sofia,¡± the advisor from Shireck quickly replied.


    ¡°Send... a telegram back to Tang Mo...¡± Though reluctant, Leines I still recalled the telegram he received from Tang Mo that morning, ¡°Just say... say that there will be reciprocity, and I will maintain the dignity and decency of the Laines Royalty.¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡± the Prime Minister replied softly. After all, isn¡¯t everything still dependent on strength? As long as the Tang Kingdom¡¯s blade is swift enough, a naive warning becomes a naked threat...


    After a brief pause, Leines I took a few of his confidants back to the banquet hall. He had to continue the banquet because it was a matter of his face.


    Despite the Great Tang Kingdom having shown its blade, the various nations on this side that had taken advantage of the situation had also lost their options. They could only forge ahead on the path they chose, even if the end of that path was a coffin.


    ¡°He actually dares to threaten our Emperor! Ahahaha!¡± Inside the banquet hall, people were still joking about the telegram.


    ¡°Who does he think he is? Just a foolish boy, ha ha ha ha!¡± another noble laughed along.


    To the ears of Emperor Leines I, these laughs were painfully piercing!


    Feigning decorum, he approached the group of nobles and rebuked them coldly, ¡°Not even the semblance of nobility! Where are the manners? The decency? Get out and reflect on yourselves! Each of you is fined 1000 Gold Coins!¡±


    The nobles who had just been laughing carelessly looked at each other, and the general standing beside the Emperor shouted, ¡°Get lost, now!¡±


    Upon hearing this, they scattered like birds and beasts, suddenly unaware of what had happened. Obviously, after the Emperor left the banquet and returned, his complexion had worsened considerably.


    His mood seemed very bad... very bad indeed...


    This Tang Mo, why didn¡¯t he just lie down and wait for death? Why couldn¡¯t he just die?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Two chapters today


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 Chapter 574: 533 Hold the Flank

    Chapter 574: 533 Hold the Flank


    Forward! That was the thought in the minds of all the Tang Army soldiers who had broken through the Qi Army lines. They rushed forward recklessly, seizing village after village, capturing one pass after another.


    Behind them, the Qi soldiers, now completely without a foothold, faced an extremely awkward situation: they seemed unable to plug the holes that the Tang Army kept expanding, round after round.


    No matter how many troops they gathered on both flanks of the Tang Army, they could not make the Tang soldiers retreat an inch; indeed, the numerous assaults by the Qi forces did not even touch the edge of the Tang positions.


    The irony was that most of the defensive works the Tang Army relied on had been built by the Qi Army. The Tang Army had simply modified them a little and used them directly.@@@@


    ¡°Those damn Tang Country Air Force! Every time there¡¯s an attack, they come over to mess things up!¡± The Third Prince complained angrily in his shelter.


    Right before his eyes, Tang Army Stuka Dive Bombers descended from the sky once more, dropping a bomb among the Qi Army¡¯s assembling troops, instantly causing a massive number of casualties.


    An infantry regiment that had just gathered to prepare for an offensive dispersed in an instant, their courage to attack completely vanquished.


    In fact, the casualties inflicted by the Air Force weren¡¯t significant; even that recent bomb had only killed twenty to thirty soldiers.


    But it was this kind of desperate killing, the passive beating without the ability to fight back, that drove every Qi commander to despair. No matter how they encouraged their soldiers, they could not rouse them again.


    The persistent wailing from hell, like an incurable ulcer that couldn¡¯t be shaken off, became a curse. Whenever it sounded on the battlefield, the Qi soldiers would break down and flee without looking back.


    Even though such bombings could actually only cause a few casualties, who would want to be among that unlucky few?


    ¡°We don¡¯t really have any good solutions either; almost all of our heavy artillery in the war zone has been destroyed. The enemy forces are advancing into our hinterland, and we cannot stop their advance!¡± An officer reported to the Third Prince of Qi Country.


    The Third Prince clenched his fists, furious with the situation before him, yet unable to come up with any good solutions.


    Just moments ago, he had learned that the division commander of the Qi infantry division at the breached segment had been captured, and a military headquarters behind the lines had lost contact.


    Just looking at the map, the Qi defenses had been pierced through by the Tang Army, and the Tang forces were even advancing further.


    Those areas hardly had any Qi troops stationed. If the Qi main forces could not stop the Tang advance, what else could make the Tang Army stop?


    The answer was supplies!


    The majority of the Tang Army¡¯s forces had actually been forced to halt their advance, with the fastest-advancing Armored Corps waiting for their fuel and ammunition, waiting for the following infantry to catch up.


    Along the roads were piles of Qi prisoners of war¡ªsome groups so vast that one couldn¡¯t see the end at a glance. Everywhere, they tallied the numbers of prisoners, estimated to be upwards of 30,000.


    Most of these prisoners hadn¡¯t even been disarmed; some were even still living in the barracks they had originally been stationed in.


    Therefore, while organizing troops to try reclaiming the breached defense line and closing the gap, the Third Prince was also deploying troops and issuing orders, preparing to stop the Tang Army that threatened his side flank.


    ¡°Bring out our most elite troops! Yes, the tank corps that Shireck assisted us with! Order them to block the east-advancing Tang Army at Luo Town! It must be here!¡± the Third Prince instructed several generals in front of him while looking at the map.


    ¡°These tanks were given to us to break through the enemy¡¯s lines...¡± a general began to remind him.


    ¡°I know! But what other troops can stop these damned Tang Army? If I lose another headquarters, what else do I have to fight with? Huh?¡± the Third Prince retorted in a fit of rage.


    The general closed his mouth, but another suggested, ¡°Your Highness! Just those dozen or so tanks might not be enough... Shall we send some infantry to support them?¡±


    ¡°Pull one more battalion from the east... No matter what, hold Luo Town at all costs! Not a step back!¡± the Third Prince, left with no choice, had to pull another battalion from the eastern front.


    Although he was also worried about the possibility of another frontal breakthrough by the Tang Army, he was more concerned that the situation at the already-breached location would continue to deteriorate.


    Thus, he had to risk mobilizing defense troops from other sections of his front to reinforce the critical direction.


    In fact, he was worried for nothing, because the Tang Army truly no longer had the capacity for another frontal assault. All troops had been redeployed near the breach, and the numbers at the front were insufficient for offense but adequate for defense.


    After giving his orders, the Third Prince looked at the map again. As long as he could hold Luo Town, at least he could buy enough time for his flank.


    Then, reinforcements either from the direction of King City or from the First Prince from behind could reach the battlefield, reversing the current adverse situation.


    The key factor now was whether he could hold Luo Town, whether he could hold out until these reinforcements arrived, and whether he could drag the war back to a rhythm of holding positions.


    What he did not know, however, was that the real target of Redman, the commander of the Tang Army¡¯s offensive, was actually Nanye, the strategic town to the south! While the Third Prince was carefully trying to secure his minor side flank, Luo Town, the Tang Army was already eyeing the entire main flank of the Qi Army.


    Because there lay the railway that connected to various parts of Qi Country, as well as the rail line stretching to the front lines at the border between Tang Country and Qi Country! Taking control of this railway would improve the logistical support environment for the Tang Army.


    Moreover, by capturing Nanye, they could cut off the supply lines of the First Prince¡¯s main forces and destroy or take the vast stockpiles of strategic materials in Nanye, weakening the fighting capability of the Qi Country¡¯s main forces.


    All in all, Redman¡¯s ambitions were much larger than the Third Prince imagined, or else he wouldn¡¯t have assembled the 1st and 2nd Armored Divisions in the direction of Nanye.


    With hundreds of tanks and support from at least one mechanized infantry battalion, capturing Nanye seemed to be no difficult task.


    As long as the Tang Army completed resupplying and kept their tank units in motion, Nanye, this almost undefended strategic location, could fall in one fell swoop.


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 Chapter 575: Loss has reached one third

    Chapter 575: Loss has reached one third


    In a small village filled with captives, beside a number 4 tank, riddled with bullet holes, Liu Guozhu received the Third Class Cavalry Medal that belonged to him.


    This medal was exclusive to the tank forces, personally designed and established by His Majesty Tang Mo of the Great Tang Kingdom.@@@@


    Being able to receive such a medal on the first day of the war, Liu Guozhu could be said to have stood out among the many armored troops commanders.


    He stood at attention and saluted, then shared a warm embrace with the infantry platoon leader who had also received the Third Class Blade Medal¡ªtheir grueling fight in the afternoon had not been in vain, as soon as the regiment headquarters arrived and took over the prisoners, they immediately received the medals issued by the division headquarters.


    To commend these valiant frontline soldiers, the division headquarters specifically sent a car to transport the chief of staff to them, who personally awarded the medals to both men.


    For higher honors, such as the Second Class Medals, they would need to be reported to the higher-level military headquarters or the frontline command for approval, which would be much slower.


    ¡°Thank you for bravely fighting for the Great Tang! His Majesty will not forget your merits!¡± the equally young chief of staff stood at attention and saluted, smiling as he spoke to the two heroes who had received the medals.


    ¡°Long live the Great Tang! Long live the King!¡± Liu Guozhu shouted, feeling that all the hardships of the previous battle were worthwhile.


    After the small award ceremony was over, Liu Guozhu could finally take a rest. As evening fell, they had to wait for the fuel supply, for the ammunition vehicles to arrive, and to take their meals, so there was basically no need to continue the attack.


    The reconnaissance troops had already spread out to scout the nearby enemy situation. Aside from the newly arrived regiment headquarters in the village, there was also a battalion headquarters of the infantry and some engineers who were preparing to build a supply station there.


    Everyone had a good meal because the Qi Military really had accumulated a lot of good things. There were military tins produced by Qi Country, fresh vegetables, and even beef and alcohol among the war spoils.


    All took the time to rest because after a day of fighting, they were truly exhausted. Some corners were already filled with the sounds of soldiers¡¯ snoring, and collapsed houses inside and out could be seen crammed with sleeping soldiers.


    Liu Guozhu walked to the corner of the village, where he saw the enemy artillery that had threatened the safety of his tank crew and which he had taken out.


    It was a knockoff 76mm caliber anti-aircraft gun, originally meant to defend against airships. It posed almost no threat to aircraft, but obviously, it still had some effectiveness when firing horizontally at tanks.


    The good news was that it had no armor-piercing rounds at all, merely managing with high-explosive shells. The bad news was that even with high-explosives, it could threaten a number 4 tank.


    Since Liu Guozhu had actual combat experience against an ¡°anti-tank gun,¡± the regiment headquarters¡¯ staff hoped he would quickly write up some summary of his experiences and share as much of this knowledge as possible with the other tank crew members in the regiment.


    So that night, Liu Guozhu could stay at the regiment headquarters, enjoy a room with lighting all to himself, and let the clerical officers of the regiment help him polish his manuscript.


    Some said that each of the regiment¡¯s clerical officers was as beautiful as a flower, with ample bosoms and shapely behinds, but Liu Guozhu didn¡¯t see what was so special¡ªafter all, he was still young and somewhat nai?ve.


    Liu Guozhu strolled along the village pathway, where he could still make out mortar shell craters and even found the low wall his tank had crushed.


    Some bloodstains on the bricks and tiles hadn¡¯t yet been cleaned up, and from time to time, vehicles laden with petrol or ammunition would arrive, slowly driving into the village.


    Yes, you read that right! The number of tanks that had to stop midway awaiting repairs from the logistics maintenance troops was greater than those destroyed by the Qi Army.


    As of now, of the 47 tanks in the 1st battalion, only about 30 could proceed normally forward by tomorrow.


    In fact, this was already an incredibly good maintenance rate¡ªwhen World War II began, the German Army might not have had such a high operational readiness rate.


    Similarly, the situation for the 2nd battalion was not much better. They also had only about 30 tanks remaining, with even two of the battalion headquarters¡¯ command tanks broken down.


    The 3rd battalion was in even worse shape, as they were initially only equipped with a little over 30 tanks and were never at full strength¡ªnow, only 15 remained battle-ready.


    A regiment that should have had about 150 tanks now had only about half that number combat-ready.


    Even if we include the tanks repaired and returned to the ranks tomorrow, the best-case scenario would be a restoration of about two-thirds of the combat strength.


    Similarly, trucks from the regimental and divisional headquarters had their share of destruction, mechanical failures, and blockages on the roads... about one-third were of no use.


    This is an inevitable problem for mechanized troops in combat; no matter how reliable the machinery, when it accumulates to a certain quantity, the rate of failure will still be enough to make one¡¯s scalp tingle.


    Not to mention automobiles, even the horse-drawn carriages of the Tang Military¡¯s transport units experienced axle breakages and other malfunctions, as overloading was very common. Some units carried twice the ammunition in order to maintain continuous combat operations.


    Thankfully, these losses had their rewards. After the battle erupted, the Tang Army broke through the line and sprinted a hundred kilometers deep into Qi Army territory.


    This had left all attempts at remedy and adjustment by the Qi Army far behind. Likewise, this pace of advance completely disrupted the preparatory movements of the Dahua Empire¡¯s border troops.


    They originally planned to enter Qi Country in marching formation to assist, but before they could act, the Tang Army was already in front of them.


    This was completely different from the plan: safely entering Qi Country and the preparations needed to breach the Tang Army¡¯s defensive line are not the same concept. The commanders from the Dahua Empire dared not lightly engage in a positional war; their tens of thousands of men could not withstand such attrition.


    The Tang Army, which encountered virtually no significant resistance, stopped that evening; the Qi Army, finding themselves in a disadvantageous and desperate situation, took advantage of the precious night and began to prepare for a counterattack.


    In the eyes of the Qi Country commanders, only by making good use of this precious night to turn the unfavorable situation around could they stabilize their front line before dawn and regain the initiative!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    There will be no additional chapters today; everyone should rest early.


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 Chapter 576: 535 forgot

    Chapter 576: 535 forgot


    ¡°What the hell... We¡¯ve been bombing all day, deployed over a thousand sorties of airplanes... and now you¡¯re telling me we forgot such an important target?¡± Tang Army Commander Ibrahim grimaced as he tapped the document in his hand, glaring at his subordinates.


    A colonel, red in the face with restraint, finally couldn¡¯t help but speak up in explanation, ¡°General, every one of our pilots has flown at least two sorties. There are just too many targets on the ground; we simply can¡¯t hit them all...¡±


    ¡°I understand, but your eagerness to achieve is also a fact,¡± Ibrahim interrupted his subordinate, fully aware of how things worked. ¡°Everyone knows that as soon as they drop bombs, they get credit, so they all prefer to attack targets close to the border to return quickly, then rearm with bombs and strike again!¡±


    ¡°But how could key targets be overlooked? Hm? If this delays His Majesty¡¯s plans, what use is chopping off your heads in apology?¡± He paced back and forth in front of his officers with his hands behind his back.


    It was only after organizing the day¡¯s attack targets that they realized a serious oversight. The Qi Army¡¯s airship base, which had long been marked by ground reconnaissance, had not been hit by any troops...


    This was obviously a bit too much. The main forces of the Air Force bombing units, the main ground attack forces, were all deployed on the western front, with strategic bombers targeting King City in Qi Country,


    The forces executing the bombings on the Qi Country troops in the central front, where the First Prince was stationed, were actually the fighter squadrons of Tang Country. These squadrons were equipped with FW-190 fighters, which had a limited bomb load and were assigned quite vague missions.


    The orders given to these fighter pilots were to disrupt the First Prince¡¯s potential reinforcements moving west. Thus, these pilots also focused their attacks on the Qi Army¡¯s front line positions.


    They merrily strafed and dropped bombs as if there was no one to stop them, achieving significant successes. However, since they were not specialized enemy attack units, some oversights were inevitable.


    It wasn¡¯t until now, as the light faded, that these fighter squadron leaders noticed, while compiling their attack reports, that they had missed a very important target.


    Indeed, that target was the Qi Country Air Force¡¯s most important airship base, located behind the defensive line overseen by the First Prince.


    The base housed more than 40 airships and could be considered the most significant offensive airship base at the front, storing massive amounts of gas as well as some bombs.


    An attack here would amount to the destruction of Qi Country¡¯s Air Force¡ªor at least it could be said to have destroyed more than half of Qi Country¡¯s bombing airship units.


    And now everyone had just realized there was such an important target that they hadn¡¯t attacked!


    This was freaking embarrassing...


    ¡°Notify the ground troops to be on guard... Have them deploy the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Troops for interception as soon as possible,¡± Ibrahim sighed and instructed the officers in front of him, ¡°First thing tomorrow morning, destroy that base! Send out at least 30 planes!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± All the officers stood at attention and saluted, promising loudly.


    ...


    ¡°I knew these winged bastards couldn¡¯t be trusted!¡± grumbled a ground anti-aircraft troop commander, coated in dust and dirt, as he received the orders.


    Next to him, a six-wheeled heavy truck was parked beside the road, with soldiers frantically unloading ammunition from the truck.


    With this device, vigilant soldiers just had to press their ears against it to hear the approaching engines of airships.


    Once they confirmed the approach of an airship, they could command nearby searchlights to turn on, illuminating and searching for the target.


    Once a target was found, the anti-aircraft guns were able to open fire in the night, bringing down those large Hardshell Airships.


    The nights of this era were still pitch dark, and the silent darkness wasn¡¯t necessarily the best camouflage for military operations. The Tang Army was not the only one reluctant to launch large-scale military operations at night¡ªthe Qi Army was also unwilling to deploy troops for major counterattacks in the darkness.


    The primary reason was the constraints of the command system. Once the troops were dispersed, they couldn¡¯t even locate themselves¡ªwhat¡¯s the point of fighting then?


    The Tang side was also distressed; Tang Mo knew the potency of night infiltration because he had seen the mightiest light infantry in action.


    The problem was that the Tang Army wasn¡¯t composed of light infantry, but of an Armored Corps built upon weaponry and equipment. Such troops had lost the ability to conduct large-scale night operations, so Tang Mo was reluctantly forced to give up the sweet spot of night warfare.


    After night fell, the Qi Army began to launch their airships, preparing for a night counteroffensive¡ªbut unlike what the Tang Army expected, the Qi Army¡¯s targets were not the Tang¡¯s frontline airfields or munitions depots.


    In fact, the Qi Army didn¡¯t even know the exact locations of these Tang military facilities; the Tang had concealed them too well for the Qi to start an attack.


    Under these circumstances, the Qi Army¡¯s battle plan appeared very interesting: the assembling airship forces aimed to bomb the city of Anpu in the northern part of Tang Country.


    This could be considered an important strategic node for the Tang Army too, after all, since it had railways, roads, and some vital industrial facilities.


    However, its importance wasn¡¯t as high as the frontline airfields constructed by the Tang or the hidden fuel and ammunition depots.


    Unfortunately, the Qi Army lacked detailed intelligence, so they could only fly blind toward what they believed to be the most important direction, approaching Anpu step by step.


    Around ten at night, an alert sentry from the Tang front lines clearly heard a buzzing sound coming from the distance through the sound locator.


    At first, he didn¡¯t pay attention, but as the sound of the engines became clearer, he suddenly realized it was the noise of enemy airships.


    Hurriedly, he pulled the nearby air raid alarm, cranking its handle and making the circular siren wail, the sound startling everyone who heard it.


    Everyone nearby looked up at the sky, and through the dim moonlight, they all saw those huge, dark shapes floating in the air.


    ¡°Airships! Enemy airships!¡± a soldier yelled nervously, and as his cry rang out, a beam of light suddenly lit up, as if trying to pierce the entire sky.


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 Chapter 577: 536 splits the light of the night

    Chapter 577: 536 splits the light of the night


    On the ground, a huge searchlight more than a meter in diameter suddenly charged up, emitting a brilliant light that instantly pierced the entire sky.


    It was like a holy sword, slicing through the darkness and then gradually tilting, as if to cleave the night itself in two.


    Aboard a Qi Country airship, the airship commander from Shireck was startled by the light before him; he had not expected the enemy to install such a bright bulb in such a godforsaken place.


    ¡°Maintain course! They shouldn¡¯t have that many anti-aircraft...¡± the Shireck captain hadn¡¯t even finished speaking when he saw the beam of light starting to tilt, until it was pressing down on his own airship.


    The light shone on the huge Qi Country emblem on the side of the airship against the background of the night, making the mark look so clear, so dazzling.


    What he wanted to say was that Tang Country couldn¡¯t possibly deploy so many anti-aircraft guns in a place with no defensive value.


    But before he could finish, the anti-aircraft guns deployed on the ground by Tang Country sounded, a succession of tracer bullets rushed into the sky, like a constantly ascending golden spot.


    Before the commander from Shireck could even react to what had happened, he felt a slight vibration beneath his feet in the airship¡¯s cabin.


    Something had penetrated the thin shell of the airship¡¯s cockpit, piercing through the floor beneath their feet and everything it encountered.


    Turning his head, the commander saw one of his subordinates operating the airship torn to shreds by a shell from below.


    Literally to shreds, as the shell had blown off one of his legs, then ripped through the man¡¯s shoulder, turning the poor guy into an unrecognizable, bloody mess in an instant.


    ¡°It... it¡¯s fine... they couldn¡¯t possibly...¡± the airship captain tried to speak to comfort his crew, wanting to tell them that the anti-aircraft guns couldn¡¯t continuously hit their airship without pause.


    Unfortunately, before he could finish, another shell from below pierced the cockpit of the airship, accompanied by a series of clinking sounds that seemed to fly even higher.


    The pale-faced captain looked up to see the fire erupting above his head. To simplify production, the airships produced by Shireck used hydrogen gas, unlike the inert helium gas that Tang Mo insisted on using.


    Hit by specialized tracer bullets, the hydrogen gas filling the airship¡¯s envelope became unstable, some of the gas ignited, beginning to torment the inner framework of the airship.


    Due to the high temperature of the flames, these frameworks began to melt and deform. As they collapsed and destroyed, more air poured into the envelope, in turn igniting more hydrogen gas.@@@@


    It was a vicious cycle, with everything virtually completed within five seconds. By the time the Shireck commander looked up at the fire above his head, it had already turned into an inferno of explosions.


    Then the blast wave engulfed the entire cockpit, and the Shireck commander only managed to let out a hysterical scream before being completely swallowed by the flames.


    On the ground, the anti-aircraft gun crew that had just been pouring tracer bullets into the airship saw it catch fire.


    They saw their target fully ignited, and in the light of the flames, even the framework structure supporting the airship¡¯s envelope was clearly visible.


    The airship commanders from Shireck, along with a few Qi Country flight commanders who were there to make up the numbers, were now scared out of their wits by the fierce ground fire of the Tang Army.


    They didn¡¯t even look back at their companions, fleeing helter-skelter back to the Qi-controlled region.


    An even more tragic event was destined to happen amidst the chaotic escape, as two Qi Country airships collided in the air.


    The huge collision destroyed the hard shell of the airships, directly causing both to crash. The moment they hit the ground, the aerial bombs detonated, literally transforming the Qi Army¡¯s ground positions into unrecognizable ruins.


    The bright flames from the terrible explosion were even seen by the First Prince at the command post, causing the morale of the entire Qi Army to falter, sinking all the soldiers¡¯ spirits.


    The battle thus ended in a way that was laughably tragic¡ªother anti-aircraft gun batteries deployed by the Tang Army didn¡¯t even see the shadow of Qi Country¡¯s airships that night.


    All the glory belonged to the sole participating anti-aircraft gun battery¡ªtheir skill had nothing to boast about, but what was enviable was their luck.


    Probably all the luck of the Qi Country Air Force¡¯s airship troops was taken by this anti-aircraft gun battery, as most of Qi Country¡¯s airships didn¡¯t even manage to cross the border defense line that night, being forced to turn around and return.


    Shireck didn¡¯t expect the Tang Army¡¯s anti-aircraft firepower to be so fierce, not even giving them a chance.


    During the return journey, the Qi Country Air Force started to blame each other for the responsibility: the pot was too big for anyone to carry!


    Fourteen airships, carrying over 300 precious aviation talents, and the price of these fourteen airships was also shockingly high.


    The result was a loss of so many expensive weapons and equipment in less than 20 minutes of combat, without even a glimpse of the target they were supposed to attack¡ªhow could anyone accept such a loss?


    An enraged Qi Country Air Force Commander even sent a telegram during the return journey, furiously accusing Shireck¡¯s advisors of harboring ulterior motives and sending them to their deaths.


    The Tang Army was also very unhappy, having deployed 10 anti-aircraft gun batteries that night, not to mention the field airport air defense troops waiting in earnest.


    You must know that moving these troops to defend positions and standing by costs fuel! So the senior commanders of the Tang Army were also very unhappy that night.


    Especially when Tagg and Redman learned that the Qi Army airships had actually set out at night, attempting to attack the Tang Army, they subtly expressed their dissatisfaction to the Air Force.


    Ibrahim, humiliated and indignant, was determined to launch a counterattack with fighter troops at dawn the next day, hoping to regain their honor.


    In a show of fury, the Tang Army artillery units fired at the Qi Army positions throughout the latter half of the night, and the Qi artillery had to fire back in response, both sides thus making noise throughout the entire night.


    However, everything stopped abruptly with the sunrise of the following day¡ªdaylight brought the technological and equipment advantage of the Tang Army to the forefront once again, returning them to their home ground!


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 Chapter 578: 537 Artery

    Chapter 578: 537 Artery


    As the first rays of dawn touched the airstrip, Tang Army fighter pilots rushed out of their barracks at the sound of command after command.


    The ground crew had long been prepared; they had inspected the airplanes before daybreak, aided by the lights of floodlamps.


    This time, every FW-190 fighter that took off had two 250-kilogram bombs mounted beneath its fuselage; their mission was to completely paralyze the target they had forgotten the day before.


    Soon, the engines of these planes began to roar, propellers spinning rapidly, the leading aircraft already aligning its nose with the runway.


    The first FW-190 fighter screamed down the runway and soared into the sky, followed closely by the second and third.


    All the planes formed up in the sky and then majestically advanced toward the distant Qi Army defenses.


    The Qi Army ground troops, having just woken up, were stunned; they had barely risen from their beds when they saw the scene that had terrorized them the day before.


    Dozens of planes swarmed over their heads, each with the telltale ¡°cross¡± of their engines roaring as they raced past their location.


    Everyone silently prayed that these planes wouldn¡¯t suddenly lower their altitude and circle back to their position.


    Thankfully, it seemed their prayers had been effective. Those Tang Army planes, emanating a killing intent so early in the morning, apparently had no intention of attacking their position.


    Whizzing toward the horizon, the planes disappeared from view, to the quiet relief of all in the Qi Army.


    ¡°Those damn guys... where are they off to bomb now?¡± a Qi Country soldier said, clutching his weapon with a shaking heart.


    ¡°Why bother about that,¡± another Qi Country soldier spoke up, ¡°As long as they¡¯re not bombing us, let them go bomb wherever they want.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I heard our main forces are preparing a counterattack. The Tang Army is going to be finished soon!¡± the squad leader of the Qi Country position confidently reassured his subordinates as he watched the Tang Army planes growing distant.


    ...


    Some were lucky, others were about to face misfortune. Behind the Qi Country positions, an airship had just dropped its ropes and begun to lower its altitude.


    Clearly, the previous night¡¯s attack hadn¡¯t been successful, so the returning airship was landing cautiously. It carried a large amount of ammunition and had a significant volume of hydrogen in its canopy, making it extremely fragile and dangerous.


    The ordeal of landing such a contraption was quite troublesome, often taking more than 40 minutes for an airship to descend.


    The good news was that much of the hydrogen had already been released, as the airship needed to lower its altitude and gradually dock next to a specially constructed building in coordination with the ground crew.


    Inside the building, there were machines for generating hydrogen and stacks of raw materials, with a power plant and munitions depot nearby.


    In short, this was a very complex and specialized ¡°dock,¡± an essential base that had to be constructed for the use of airships.


    He had just seen the enemy¡¯s tracer bullets, a dense swarm streaking across the sky, creating some trouble for the dive-bombing FW-190 fighter squadron.


    To speak frankly, the FW-190 fighter actually didn¡¯t perform very well at low altitudes. The pilots were trained primarily in air combat, and ground attack was only a makeshift role for them. Therefore, most FW-190 pilots were reluctant to linger at low altitudes.


    So when machine gun fire came their way, most pilots would immediately pull up to change their flight path, avoid the attack, and quickly regain altitude.


    In terms of anti-air defenses, ten defenses might be in vain nine times. The existence of ground fixed anti-air firepower was mainly to force the attacking enemy planes to abandon their targets, thereby preserving the strategic targets they were ordered to protect.


    Put plainly, the purpose of anti-air firepower is not so much to shoot down enemy planes as to disrupt them, preventing them from hitting their targets.


    As long as airfields, factories, and bridges were preserved... the anti-aircraft guns could claim victory, regardless of how many enemy planes were shot down.


    Therefore, judging from the results, the few machine guns hastily deployed on the periphery by the Qi Army as temporary anti-aircraft defenses did manage to somewhat disrupt the Tang Army¡¯s bombing.


    Unfortunately, these peripheral anti-aircraft machine guns were too far away and didn¡¯t provide real coverage over the airship base, so their effect was extremely limited.


    After locating, or probing for the locations of these few machine guns, the Tang Army fighter squadrons began to skirt around these fixed points of fire and continued to attack the conspicuous airship base.


    By this time, the first bombs dropped had already reached the airships and the airship base, exploding on impact and destroying everything around them.


    The massive explosions instantly brought down the already not-so-sturdy, and never intended-to-be-sturdy workshop buildings, crushing the machinery inside completely under the rubble.


    This was just a temporary frontline airship base¡ªinflating airships and performing minor repairs were its primary functions. Shireck didn¡¯t have time to build sturdy structures here, nor did he have any emergency repair plans.


    After the first explosion tore off the roof, everyone in the vicinity from Qi Country knew they were done for, that this place was about to become a living hell.


    As expected, a second bomb hit an airship just outside the workshop, causing it to burst into flames instantly, becoming a massive fireball.


    In the interest of cost-saving and mass production, Shireck¡¯s choice to use hydrogen instead of helium to fill the airships proved fatal as the airship detonated almost instantaneously, destroying the entire base.


    The following FW-190 fighter pilots were completely taken aback, realizing that the explosives were so intense that they could no longer find a path to continue their dive bombing.


    Flames engulfed everything, explosions occurred everywhere, and burning updrafts swirled about. The air currents near the airship base were now too unstable, causing the planes to tremble violently each time they approached due to the churning air.


    It¡¯s no exaggeration¡ªthe pilots of the planes that had just dive-bombed suspected they had hit a giant ammunition depot. The continuous explosions beneath them had become a vast fearsome spectacle.


    That feeling was like plunging a knife into a major artery; blood gushing uncontrollably, not only taking the life of the adversary but also terrifying the criminal wielding the knife...


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 Chapter 579: 538 Ways to Turn the Tide of Battle

    Chapter 579: 538 Ways to Turn the Tide of Battle


    On the ground, the word ¡°tragic¡± could no longer describe the scene: Qi Army¡¯s airships were burning one after another, instantly turning the entire base into a blazing inferno.


    There were at least a few thousand workers inside the base, all serving the airships. Some were preparing hydrogen gas, others were repairing equipment, generating power at the electric plant, or cooking in the canteen...


    These thousands of workers, plus the pilots, pilot apprentices, commanders, and other support personnel, amounted to nearly ten thousand!@@@@


    Now, they were all engulfed by the great fire, roasted into jerky, burnt into charcoal.


    The soldiers on the outskirts hadn¡¯t suffered heavy losses, but nearly everyone in the core area had no chance of escape. The fire was simply impossible to quench, and people didn¡¯t even dare to approach it.


    If the wind direction changed even slightly, those in the downwind would be in grave danger. They would be burned to death by the flames before they could flee, or would simply suffocate as the fire consumed all the oxygen.


    ¡°Retreat! Leave this place!¡± Seeing that the target they were supposed to protect had turned into a sea of fire, the commander from Qi Country said to his subordinates.


    He was unwilling to let his men die here. Seeing the fire grow so massive, it was time to leave, or what, wait till they were cooked?


    Thus, the Tang Army on the outskirts immediately began to retreat, while the Tang Air Force fighter units up in the sky were utterly bewildered.


    They still had four-fifths of their bombs undropped, and now their target had been utterly destroyed. Were they supposed to keep dropping their bombs madly into the flames?


    Clearly, that was impossible. So, they could only pilot their planes back, preparing to take out their frustration on the Qi Army frontline positions by dropping all their remaining bombs during the return flight.


    If the Qi Army in the frontline defensive positions knew this, they would surely be speechless. Their Qi Country¡¯s target was too fragile to exhaust the enemy¡¯s ammunition, so all the enemy¡¯s bombs were left over...


    The airship units of Qi Country had been on high alert last night, barely sleeping, only to be annihilated within the span of a few short minutes.


    Literally annihilated¡ªall the airships were reduced to ashes, then the unexploded munitions in the airship¡¯s ammunition storage exploded in sympathy, blasting the already molten frames of the airships into the sky.


    The workers inside the instantly ignited factories didn¡¯t even get the chance to escape before they were turned into medium-rare steaks, and then into charred corpses, eventually being burned into white ash.


    The airship unit that Shireck had supported Qi Country with was completely wiped out, millions of Gold Coins down the drain, along with numerous casualties on both sides... Qi Country¡¯s Air Force was effectively out of the war.


    ...


    On the western front of Qi Country, it was already broad daylight. The Tang Army¡¯s offensive kicked off once again, and Liu Guozhu¡¯s tanks received the order to continue advancing, starting their forward push.


    Originally, the attack on Luo Town was supposed to be the task of the 4th Armored Division, but Redman decided to pull back the units that had suffered heavy losses on the first day and arrange for them on a less intense front.


    So, Liu Guozhu, who had received the Cavalry Medal Third Class on the first day of battle, was ordered along with his troops to march towards Luo Town and seize the position threatening the safety of the Third Prince¡¯s rear.


    While Liu Guozhu watched these Stuka Dive Bombers disappear into the distance, he saw even more planes flying over his location.


    It was his first time seeing these planes; they were larger and the noise of their engines was even louder.


    The B-17 bomber fleet, after bombing the King City of Qi Country and Nanye on the first day, received orders early that morning to begin carrying out tactical missions.


    Qi Country actually didn¡¯t have many strategic targets to offer, and there were not many places worth bombing repeatedly¡ªby the time the industrial district of King City would recover production, it would likely be seven or eight days later.


    And nearly 100 B-17 bombers couldn¡¯t just be left idle, so it was only natural for them to continue taking off to bomb the Qi Army¡¯s frontline defensive troops.


    Though the accuracy of level bombing was doubtful, its impact in terms of sheer power was definitely ten thousand times that of the Stukas. Dropping bombs like raindrops on Qi positions, the deterrent effect was not much less than the screaming Stukas.


    ¡°What kind of planes are those?¡± A curious Liu Guozhu asked, not really knowing who to. Obviously, neither his gunner nor his loader would recognize the highly classified B-17 bombers.


    ¡°Who knows, but... definitely our planes, that¡¯s for sure,¡± the gunner looked up at the departing B-17 bombers and replied with a laugh.


    On another road, the 2nd Armored Division had already begun its rampant charge towards Nanye. They broke through the hastily constructed defense lines of the Qi Army in just 30 minutes, without any delay.


    The steel tide of 50 tanks crushed 4,000 Qi soldiers, then pushed the surrendering Qi troops, dozens of Qi artillery pieces, and supply wagons and trucks off the road, advancing forward with the infantry trailing behind.


    Only after breakfast did the third prince of Qi Country hear the news that his defensive line had been breached once again.


    Another shocking piece of news was that the Tang Army¡¯s troops were closing in on Nanye, and it seemed that the retreat routes for both him and his older brother were about to be cut off.


    ¡°Your Highness! We must consider retreating now! Staying here brings no advantage anymore,¡± a general spoke up, reminding the third prince.


    With the border defense line thoroughly breached and the gap in danger of widening with little hope of closure, continuing to hold their positions after the breakthrough was tantamount to waiting for death.


    ¡°Then what do we do?¡± The idealess third prince looked to his subordinates, asking in desolation.


    He had lost here, and his claim to the throne was almost certainly slipping away, how could he not feel despair and despondency?


    ¡°Retreat! Retreat towards Nanye from Luo Town! Now... if we can hold Nanye, there might still be a chance to turn the tide of the war!¡± The general spoke up directly in response, ¡°Though Nanye is unfortified, it still has 10,000 defending troops! If we can take 30,000 elite troops there promptly, we can reverse the unfavorable situation and stabilize the defense lines anew...¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± The third prince grabbed onto this lifeline eagerly, quickly agreeing, ¡°Retreat! Retreat at once!¡±


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 Chapter 580: The 539 is stuck.

    Chapter 580: The 539 is stuck.@@@@


    Atop a steed, a nimble Knight carried a Thompson Submachine Gun on his back. Clamping his legs against the horse¡¯s sides, he dashed forth along the road, a dark green armband with three eyes arranged in a triangle on his sleeve.


    As he spotted the advancing Tank Troops, he tightened the reins in his hand, and then raised his arm.


    ¡°Luo Town ahead! A large number of enemy tanks spotted, guarded by Infantry! The number is unknown!¡± His warhorse pirouetted on the road, and the Knight, turning back around, shouted toward the tank commander who had poked his head out of the tank turret.


    Tank No. 4 had its turret side hatches open at this moment, allowing fresh air for the gunner and loader, thus reducing the heat inside the stuffy tank and increasing their field of vision.


    ¡°One kilometer from Luo Town! Prepare for battle!¡± the lead tank commander called out to the commanders behind him after he relayed the scout¡¯s report.


    The scout squeezed his horse¡¯s sides and moved counter to the convoy, loudly repeating the intelligence he had gathered: ¡°Luo Town ahead! A large number of enemy tanks! Guarded by Infantry! Numbers unknown!¡±


    ¡°Spread out! Set up firepower in concealed positions on both flanks!¡± Infantry commanders waved their arms, directing their Troops into battle readiness.


    On the trucks following behind the tanks, groups of Soldiers jumped from their vehicles, some grabbing extra ammunition from the ammunition trucks.


    The artillery following the convoy pushed forward, and the modified 105mm howitzer built on the Tank No. 2 chassis, with its massive open turret, shook as it moved off the roadbed, raising its short, thick barrel in an open space.


    To reduce the recoil and ensure that Tank No. 2 could bear it, the vehicle-mounted 105mm howitzer had lowered chamber pressure and shortened the barrel, thereby reducing its range. These were the necessary sacrifices to install the artillery on a vehicle and enhance the mobility of the gun crews.


    After a quick formation, the Infantry had distributed their ammunition and left their baggage in the vehicles. Organizing into fire teams and platoons, they quickly advanced past the tank units still deliberating their battle plan.


    ¡°The enemy¡¯s tanks are all gathered inside Luo Town, posing the greatest threat to us! Their turrets are equipped with large-caliber cannons; these must be our priority targets!¡± The platoon leader glanced at Liu Guozhu and briefly explained the situation.


    Then he continued with his orders, ¡°Liu Guozhu and I are responsible for advancing into the village quickly! Remember, avoid prolonged combat! Destroy all enemy tanks you see! Don¡¯t give them a chance to counterattack!¡±


    ¡°What about the tanks we can¡¯t see inside the village?¡± Liu Guozhu pointed at the map showing only a town marker for Luo Town and asked.


    They didn¡¯t have a detailed map. While the nearby map was fairly accurate, its precision left much to be desired.


    It was already a feat that the cartography spies had managed to produce something this good at the risk of their lives. If they had used the outdated maps, they might not even have been able to locate Luo Town.


    ¡°That will depend on our ability to adapt on the spot! We cannot determine where all the enemy tanks are deployed,¡± replied the platoon leader, glancing again at Liu Guozhu. ¡°Prepare to attack! Dismissed!¡±


    Liu Guozhu jogged back to his own tank, by which time the tanks nearer to the meeting point had already started up.


    ¡°Start engines! Check fuel gauges! Radio test! Position the Armor-Piercing Rounds where they¡¯re handy!¡± He climbed into his tank turret, put on his headset, pressed the transmitter switch, and ordered.


    At this time, Liu Guozhu¡¯s tank broke through the smoke outside the town and found a new target in front of it.


    The tank came to a stop on the road with a slight shake, and the gunner aimed effortlessly before firing. Another Shireck model 1 tank that wasn¡¯t ready for battle disintegrated in an explosion, sending up billowing smoke beside the road.


    ¡°My view is blocked! I can¡¯t see anything!¡± Liu Guozhu pressed his throat mic and loudly reported to his platoon leader.


    If he chose to move forward now, he would have to plow through the Shireck model 1 tank he had just destroyed.


    However, such reckless behavior could lead to a series of problems. It might cause tank number 4 to stall or even damage it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see either. I might be stuck!¡± the platoon leader shouted in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get over the wall, damn it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m reversing! I¡¯ll cover you, get out of there!¡± Liu Guozhu immediately ordered his tank to reverse. ¡°Do you have enemy troops over there?¡±


    ¡°Right outside my hatch, they¡¯re everywhere! They¡¯re firing at me! Damn it! Bloody hell!¡± the platoon leader cried out desperately over the channel.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Liu Guozhu¡¯s tank reversed a dozen meters and then saw the platoon leader¡¯s number 1 vehicle deep in enemy territory.


    ¡°Coaxial machine gun! Fire! Nine o¡¯clock! Sweep them! Sweep them!¡± While loudly commanding his gunner to fire rapidly, Liu Guozhu lifted his own hatch.


    He needed to see clearly what was happening on the other side to make a further judgment. As he poked his head out, the coaxial machine gun on the turret of his tank number 4 roared to life.


    ¡°Tat-tat-tat-tat!¡± A hail of bullets hit the steel plates of the platoon leader¡¯s number 1 vehicle, sparking a shower of sparks.


    The Qi Army soldiers climbing on number 1 vehicle were instantly torn apart, their flesh shredded by the relentless gunfire. The vehicle was quickly cleared of the dense crowd surrounding it.


    ¡°Platoon leader! Can you hear me? Platoon leader!¡± Liu Guozhu pulled his head back in and pressed the throat mic, shouting loudly, but no matter how loudly he called, there was no response.


    ¡°Goddamn it... Gunner, cover me! Keep firing! I¡¯m moving over to check on the platoon leader!¡± Liu Guozhu cursed, then tore off his headset. He climbed out of his turret and jumped off the side of his tank.


    Fortunately, a burning Shireck model 1 tank on the other side of the street was producing a thick cloud of smoke, concealing the Qi Army¡¯s view from the other side; otherwise, Liu Guozhu¡¯s actions would have been tantamount to suicide.


    He drew his M1911 pistol used for self-defense from his waist, crouched, and ran towards the platoon leader¡¯s tank with the pistol in hand.


    Behind him, the coaxial machine gun on the turret of tank number 4 kept firing non-stop, splattering the armor with bullets that flung off the tattered bodies that lay on top.


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 Chapter 581: 540 hurry up and roll back

    Chapter 581: 540 hurry up and roll back


    Liu Guozhu didn¡¯t know where he got the courage from, or perhaps he was beguiled by the memory of earning a medal in the last battle when he had fought outside his tank.


    So there he was, holding his pistol and rushing to the front. As soon as he crossed the low wall by the roadside, he saw a Qi Army soldier shivering and hiding there.


    The other soldier was startled by his appearance, and Liu Guozhu hadn¡¯t expected to find someone hiding here either. He raised his pistol and pulled the trigger, the recoil causing his hand to jerk slightly upward.


    The bullet struck the Qi Army soldier square in the face, blood splattered instantly, some even reaching Liu Guozhu¡¯s own face.


    The suddenness of it all stimulated Liu Guozhu¡¯s nerves, snapping him back to reality. This was a genuine battlefield where any decision might cost him his fragile life.


    But in the current situation, Liu Guozhu couldn¡¯t just ignore everything and run back to his tank; he had to pluck up his courage and continue forward, climbing onto the tank that was within arm¡¯s reach.


    The closer he got to the number 1 tank, riddled with bullet holes from machine gun fire, the more corpses Liu Guozhu discovered under his feet. Just as he was about to touch the treads of the number 1 tank, he stepped on a mutilated ¡°corpse¡±.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The corpse suddenly grabbed Liu Guozhu¡¯s ankle, screaming loudly, blood all over its face. This person had only one arm left or, rather, one breath left in him.


    Liu Guozhu was startled by this person, but just as he was about to shoot this enemy who was clearly about to die, he noticed another Qi Army soldier nearby pulling his bolt.


    The enemy chambered a round and then aimed his gun at Liu Guozhu. Of course, Liu Guozhu couldn¡¯t bother with the flesh beneath his feet anymore; he directly raised his hand to aim his gun at the enemy.


    ¡°Bang!¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Both men fired almost simultaneously. A bullet from the Qi Army soldier tore away Liu Guozhu¡¯s shoulder strap, and his entire body staggered half a step backward in the direction of his shoulder.


    The bullet fired by Liu Guozhu struck the man¡¯s chest; the Qi Army soldier dropped his weapon, clutched the hole in his chest, and doubled over on the ground without further movement.


    Only then did Liu Guozhu remember that someone was still grabbing his ankle, so he looked down and saw that the person holding his ankle was completely dead.


    After shaking off the powerless hand, Liu Guozhu climbed onto the chassis of tank number 1, whereupon the gunner, seeing Liu Guozhu, ceased firing to avoid accidentally shooting the fearless tank commander.


    From atop the tank, Liu Guozhu could see the situation on the other side, where seven or eight terrified Qi Country soldiers were hiding.


    Without hesitation, he raised his gun and fired, emptying his magazine at the group. Two or three Qi Army soldiers fell as they were hit, while the others awkwardly raised their hands, shouting, ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! I surrender! I surrender!¡±


    Liu Guozhu didn¡¯t bother with these scoundrels. He drew another magazine from his waist, flung away the empty magazine from his M1911 pistol, reloaded, and chambered a round.


    The next second, the Qi Country soldiers, realizing Liu Guozhu was reloading his pistol, reacted instantly, pulling their bolts and aiming their guns at him.


    Ignoring the Qi Army soldiers who were still operating their weapons despite loudly declaring their surrender, Liu Guozhu once again began to pull the trigger. He didn¡¯t dare to test whether the enemy would keep their word; he wanted to keep on living.


    The Qi Army infantry, already prepared for battle, had their bayonets fixed to the rifles, gleaming menacingly.


    ¡°It¡¯s over! In the end, I¡¯m still going to die a foolish death here,¡± thought Liu Guozhu. Regret, resentment, helplessness.


    He raised his pistol, aimed at the enemies who were only inches away, ready to fight to the death with his last magazine.


    As Liu Guozhu desperately pulled the trigger to fire the first bullet, a rapid burst of gunfire came from not far away.


    A Tang Army soldier holding a Thompson Submachine Gun vaulted over the wall, raised his gun, and began firing at the Qi Army soldiers.


    Another Tang Army soldier raced over and soon raised his rifle, firing shot after shot without stopping.


    Quickly, more Tang Army soldiers vaulted over the wall, some with hand grenades and some with submachine guns.


    ¡°Charge!¡± a Tang Army officer waved his arm, urging his soldiers over the obstacles and launching an attack on the enemy.


    The Qi Army soldiers who had been charging at Liu Guozhu were instantly decimated; some raised their hands to surrender, some knelt on the ground, and others retreated backward. The battle here ended in an instant.


    A Tang Army soldier holding a rifle came to check and was startled by the blood-soaked Liu Guozhu, exclaiming, ¡°Holy sh*t! Big brother, are you okay? Are you hurt? Should I call a medic?¡±


    Clutching his pistol, Liu Guozhu moved his gaze sluggishly and cast the soldier a glance. The butcher-like look in his eyes immediately made the other man clamp his mouth shut.


    He slowly got to his feet, staggered, and climbed back onto Tank No. 1, knocking on the hatch: ¡°Platoon leader! Platoon leader! Are you still alive? Platoon leader!¡±


    The hatch was lifted from the inside. The commander of Tank No. 1, who was also their platoon leader, emerged from the tank, startled by the sight of Liu Guozhu: ¡°You¡¯re injured? How did you get over here? Did you man the machine gun on your tank and hit my tank?¡±


    ¡°You scared me to death, not responding... Why didn¡¯t you answer?¡± Sitting on the turret of the tank, Liu Guozhu complained, completely exhausted.


    ¡°My radio went silent just now...¡± the platoon leader explained, then noticed the communication antenna on the outside of his tank had been shot off: ¡°Damn it... it¡¯s been damaged... no wonder.¡±


    Realizing everything, the platoon leader smiled and looked at Liu Guozhu, as if he had crawled out of a sea of blood: ¡°You did good, kid! You knew to come rescue me! I haven¡¯t taken care of you for nothing... Now roll back! I¡¯m fine!¡±


    Wiping the blood off his face, Liu Guozhu silently waved his hand, then stood up, climbed over Tank No. 1, and headed towards his own tank without a word.


    Seeing the loader emerging from the turret and the gunner with a pistol in hand, Liu Guozhu grinned and said, ¡°Now go back! I¡¯m fine!¡±


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 Chapter 582: 541 The Town Under Surveillance

    Chapter 582: 541 The Town Under Surveillance


    The Tang Army¡¯s northern frontline command headquarters, housed within a manor built by old nobility on the outskirts of Anpu, was dotted with erected wireless communication antennas.


    Officers hustled to and fro, and many female secretaries crowded around a long table, heads bent organizing various documents and intelligence from the front line.


    In the vast command hall, a map of Qi Country hung on the wall, and a woman officer wearing a tilted boat-cap was climbing a ladder to update the positions of the opposing troops displayed on the map.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Our military has essentially paralyzed the enemy¡¯s airship bases, destroying over 50 of Qi Army¡¯s airships. The enemy¡¯s Air Force should have completely lost its combat capabilities,¡± reported the liaison officer from the Air Force, hands behind his back, briefing Tang Mo on the front line¡¯s situation.


    The achievements of the Air Force were nothing short of astounding; over 300 planes which flew for the first time already logged 2000 sorties, nearly destroying all the significant material nodes of Qi Army¡¯s front line, and also paralyzing Qi Country¡¯s Air Force.


    Just yesterday, they bombarded King City in Qi Country, causing massive destruction to Qi Country¡¯s strategic material production, supply, transport, and mobilization.


    One could say that they exceeded their own mission, providing ground forces with an unimaginably strong support.@@@@


    The Armored Corps were not to be outdone; Luff immediately reported the latest battle situation: ¡°On the ground, our Tank troops have occupied Luo Town an hour ago, cutting off Qi Army¡¯s western group¡¯s retreat path to the north.¡±


    The Armored Corps led by Liu Guozhu had crushed the Qi Army forces that arrived earlier in Luo Town and positioned themselves there, ensuring the safety of the 2nd Armored Division and the 4th Armored Division advancing on Nanye.


    Of course, now that Luo Town had changed hands, Qi Army¡¯s logistical support was completely severed, particularly for the Third Prince, who was in a very passive situation.


    Gesturing roughly on the map, Luff said to Tang Mo, ¡°If the enemy wishes to retreat north to Nanye, they must recapture Luo Town...¡±


    Tang Mo, pinching his chin while looking at the massive map, could see, even as a military layman, that the battlefield situation was highly advantageous to the Tang Army.


    The attacking Tang Army was like a scythe, on the one hand shielding against potential reinforcements from the Dahua Empire advancing from the east, while on the other extending its tentacles around the rear of the Qi Army.


    The sharpest blade of the scythe was already at the Qi Army¡¯s neck; the 1st Armored Division that reached Luo Town had two railways extending from their position, one heading southwest into the Third Prince¡¯s territory and the other southeast towards the First Prince¡¯s territory.


    This area was roughly the middle between the two princes¡¯ territories and also the only railway lifeline connecting to their rear homeland.


    After all, the railway mileage in Qi Country was not extensive; it did not have many railway lines offering more options.


    Therefore, cutting off Luo Town meant that the railway supply lines of the First and Third Princes had been completely severed.


    Watching the female officer place a tank symbol representing the 1st battalion of the 1st tank regiment of the 1st Armored Division at Luo Town¡¯s position, Luff confidently assured Tang Mo, ¡°Luo Town is now defended by a tank battalion and a grenadier battalion from the 1st Armored Division, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    ¡°If Luo Town is lost and if Redman also takes Nanye, then the First Prince¡¯s Troops must take action,¡± remarked a logistics department general, following with his analysis.


    The handful of surviving airship forces dare not be dispatched to the frontlines anymore, as it would be akin to forcing their precious airship commanders to march to their deaths.


    The enemy¡¯s new anti-aircraft weapons combined with airplanes forming a defensive net left no room for the airship forces to operate, indefinitely delaying the plan to bomb Anpu.


    In reality, even if there were brave souls willing to continue the airship bombing missions, the Qi Army no longer had any airship bases at the front to use...


    ¡°The Tang Army has approached Luo Town, and we have already telegraphed the Third Prince, telling him to hold Luo Town at all costs and ensure the safety of our supply routes,¡± a general said, focusing on Luo Town while briefing Jiang Xian.


    Seeing Jiang Xian¡¯s gaze fixed on Luo Town on the map and not moving away, the general hastily added, ¡°The Third Prince previously telegraphed back saying he had dispatched an additional battalion of soldiers to Luo Town and sent all the tanks he had there...¡±


    ¡°Originally one battalion... now it¡¯s two battalions and fewer than twenty tanks?¡± Jiang Xian said with a frown, unconsciously confirming it out loud.


    The Third Prince had 150,000 troops. A third of them had lost contact in the head-on clashes with the Tang Army, and some of the remaining troops were still stationed at the original border defense positions.


    Thus, the forces that the western front troops could now spare numbered around thirty thousand. Deploying 3,000 soldiers to Luo Town, a location that was not at the forefront of defense, and reinforcing it with tanks and artillery, seemed quite a generous expenditure.


    But as a monarch, Jiang Xian instinctively felt a hint of danger. So he lifted his head and looked at the ministers and the Shireck military advisor around him, saying, ¡°That location is critical for the supply operations of hundreds of thousands of troops; we must strengthen the garrison forces!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, should I have the Third Prince continue to send reinforcements to Luo Town?¡± the officer proposed cautiously.


    ¡°Send the First Prince with the 1st Army over there! In addition, move the Third Prince¡¯s most elite 3rd Army to hold position in Luo Town!¡± Despite his concerns, Jiang Xian personally issued orders to deploy the troops.


    Although the most logical counteroffensive would be to strike back along the border defense line, cut off all supplies for the Tang Army forces invading Qi Country, encircle these troops and annihilate them.


    Jiang Xian was aware, counting on the not-so-elite troops under the Third Prince, such a strategy was virtually impossible to realize. Even if he decided to deploy the elite forces under the First Prince, it would likely take three or even four days to reach the battlefield.


    He looked at the direction of the Tang Army¡¯s advance reported from yesterday, which was clearly aiming towards Luo Town and Nanye.


    He had already ordered the Imperial Guards stationed in King City to reinforce Nanye and strengthen Luo Town¡¯s defenses, which was clearly essential.


    Due to communication delays and lagging reactions, although Jiang Xian realized that Luo Town and Nanye might face dangers, he was completely oblivious that the Tang Army had stirred up chaos in his rear on the very next day of the battle outbreak.


    The King had not anticipated that Luo Town, which he intended to secure, had already been lost, nor did he realize that his forces deployed along the border, now numbering in the hundreds of thousands, had their supplies mostly cut off, with the significant risk of being encircled.


    ¡°Yes! I will go send the telegram immediately...¡± After hearing his king¡¯s command, the officer turned and rushed to the telegram room.


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 Chapter 583: 542 Clumsy Dispatch

    Chapter 583: 542 Clumsy Dispatch


    The Third Prince was in the process of mobilizing his troops, but due to disconnection in command and the chaos of the war zone, his troop mobilization was extremely slow.


    No one dared to mobilize a large force under the harassment of Tang Country¡¯s Air Force, yet without grouping, there was no way to deploy and move the troops, essentially trapping the Qi Army in a vicious cycle.


    Relying entirely on messengers for communication, their efficiency couldn¡¯t possibly compete with that of the Tang Army, which was equipped with radios.


    The outdated command system of the army forced Qi commanders not to let their troops leave the camp in small groups.


    If they did so, then the Qi Army wouldn¡¯t even need to fight the Tang Army; they would collapse on their own.


    Therefore, two hours after the order was issued, the Third Prince found that most of his troops were still dawdling on the spot with not the slightest sign of moving.


    With the way things were going, he couldn¡¯t expect these troops to leave their positions and camps by tonight.


    Most likely, many units were hoping to have a good night¡¯s sleep in the safety of their camps or positions, and then to consider any action the next morning.


    ¡°They are defying orders! They¡¯re sabotaging me!¡± The Third Prince fumed inside his command post as he furiously threw a teacup to the ground.


    He had intended to retreat quickly, lead his troops northward, and adopt the posture of returning to defend Nanye, which, at the very least, could stabilize the flank near King City.


    But the delay in troop mobilization was driving him to the edge of panic. Judging by the time, the Tang Army would have almost reached Nanye by now, and if he didn¡¯t move fast, should any issues arise in Nanye, he would really get trapped in Luo Town.


    ¡°Your Highness! The 3rd Army is already moving northward. With them, we still have hope,¡± said a general, attempting to console the Third Prince as he saw him throw the teacup on the ground.


    ¡°Finally, there are competent men.¡± The Third Prince felt slightly better upon hearing that his elite 3rd Army had perfectly executed his orders and praised them.


    He was very anxious now because the situation he faced was completely different from what he had envisioned, making him feel very insecure.


    The previous tactical plan had been that the Tang Army would seek to break through along the entire front. No matter where the Tang Army attacked, they would be bogged down by defensive positions, which would then allow the Qi Army to hold their ground and await reinforcements comfortably.


    The most likely target for attack was the central war zone guarded by the First Prince. In actuality, the western front where the Third Prince was located was the safest!


    Because this area bordered the Dahua Empire, if the Tang Army couldn¡¯t break through after a prolonged siege, reinforcements from the Dahua Empire would arrive in time. Then, when the two forces combined, the Tang Army would immediately find themselves at a disadvantage.


    However, this seemingly perfect defensive plan was utterly disrupted on the second day of battle when the Tang Army breached the Third Prince¡¯s defense line and then cut off the connection between Dahua and Qi Country from the side.


    What was even worse was that the Tang Army surging into the heartland of Qi Country was unstoppable. It seemed increasingly apparent that they had upset all the Qi Army¡¯s arrangements and were set on a rapid resolution.


    ¡°Your Highness, if we cannot clear the line between Luo Town and Nanye, we can only wait for death,¡± the general explained, ¡°Losing Luo Town, the First Prince will also lose rail support, and he will surely need to solve his own supply problems.¡±


    ¡°...¡± The Third Prince did not speak; he looked at the other party, waiting for them to make things clearer.


    The general did not keep him in suspense and continued to explain, ¡°The only retreat route that can provide supplies for the army along the way is now the rail line under the Second Prince.¡±


    He pointed on the map, ¡°This railway line, the Second Prince needs it to take his troops back to King City, the First Prince also needs it for his return, but when will it be our turn?¡±


    The Third Prince suddenly realized that if he wanted to flee, according to the order of distance, he could only be the one to cover their retreat! What it meant to be the last to run was clear even to a fool.


    Never mind whether his two brothers would let him run, whether the Tang Army would even give him a chance was questionable by then.


    Having grasped this crucial point, the Third Prince gritted his teeth and decided to bet his fate on recapturing Luo Town¡ªafter all, there was no escaping now. If they fought here, perhaps they might win.


    ¡°Order the 3rd Army to continue marching north! At all costs! Retake Luo Town!¡± The Third Prince commanded hysterically, betting everything he had, ¡°As soon as the follow-up troops are ready, march out! Launch a fierce attack on Luo Town! Whoever retakes Luo Town, will be my lifesaver!¡±


    ¡°I shall head to the front now to supervise the battle! If Luo Town is not retaken, I shall die there in battle!¡± The Qi Country general donned his military cap and promised the Third Prince.


    ¡°You go first, I will follow soon! Hope when next we meet, it will be in Luo Town!¡± The Third Prince, also spurred by a surge of ferocity, declared sternly.


    When the Third Prince ordered his loyal 3rd Army to march north, the First Prince also began mobilizing the 1st Army as soon as he received orders from Jiang Xian.


    At the same time, he reinforced the 1st Army with 100 of the Shireck Model 1 tanks that Shireck had supported him with. The purpose was to ensure that his elite 1st Army would have the capability to break through enemy lines upon arriving at Luo Town.


    Meanwhile, in Luo Town, the Tang Army was also busy preparing for defense, as the 1st Armored Division was ordered to hold Luo Town at all costs.


    The grenadier units were reinforcing the defense positions built by the Qi Army within the town, and they were also constructing new defensive works on the outskirts of the town.


    Besides increasing the machine gun fire support on both flanks, the Tang Army also deployed artillery behind the town. In addition to the 105mm caliber self-propelled guns that accompanied the tanks in the attack, there were also newly arrived 155mm caliber howitzers that could be towed by trucks.


    For the Tang Army, these were the largest caliber support artillery they had: long-ranged and powerful, and could be towed by trucks.


    On another front, to support the ground troops, the Tang Country Air Force also stopped aiding the Tang Army attacking towards Nanye, and instead focused their attention on the 1st Armored Division.


    Hundreds of airplanes were loaded with bombs, waiting for takeoff, and for a while, everyone¡¯s attention seemed to converge on Luo Town.


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 Chapter 584: Since Im here already

    Chapter 584: Since I¡¯m here already


    In fact, the battle at Luo Town had not completely ended when the 3rd Army of Qi Country was assembling. When Liu Guozhu climbed back onto his tank, the defensive forces of Qi Country had not yet given up their resistance.


    Fierce gunfire continued within Luo Town, stretching from the train station all the way to the power plant in the east, with Qi Army soldiers persisting in combat.


    Their resistance was ultimately suppressed by the 1st Armored Division, though. Wherever the tanks went, the troops of Qi Country simply had no ability to retaliate.


    Tank No. 4, brought to a battlefield of World War I caliber, was just too powerful. The military of Qi Country basically had no way to counter this weapon and could only rely on valor to meet the enemy with their flesh and blood.


    Even though at the train station, a Qi Country soldier armed with explosives ultimately managed to destroy one of the 4th company¡¯s tanks, his efforts could not change the defeat and surrender of the Qi forces.


    The 3,000 soldiers stationed at Luo Town from Qi Country were almost entirely wiped out, and the soldiers who barely survived chose to surrender honorably. They handed over their weapons and were then escorted by the Tang Army to the rear.


    Immediately after, the Tang Army did not dare to slack off, judging from the combat effectiveness of the Qi soldiers who defended Luo Town and from the interrogation of Qi commanders, they learned that Qi Country had already begun to notice the importance of Luo Town.


    Or rather, the Qi Army had realized that Luo Town was in grave danger and was trying every possible means to send reinforcements there.


    All signs indicated that the Qi Army would certainly attempt to recapture Luo Town, so the Tang Army had to set up a sturdy defense line here to meet the imminent enemy forces.


    ¡°Move quickly! We have no time to waste!¡± a Tang Army commander urged while shoveling dirt, reminding his subordinates.@@@@


    In the upcoming battle, a complete and robust line of defense was their only reliance to maintain combat effectiveness or, in other words, to save their own lives.


    Fortunately, every Tang grenadier was equipped with a standard Engineer Corps shovel, enabling them to construct the defense line rapidly.


    Each soldier dug a foxhole, which would soon be connected as construction progressed, forming trenches.


    Real trenches differ from those in movies; to avoid artillery bombardment, they are often contorted and twisted, rarely straight.


    Why don¡¯t movies accurately reproduce real trenches? The reason is simple: real trenches offer poor lateral visibility, affecting filming, and they lack the imposing presence of straight trenches, so they make artistic compromises.


    After connecting the foxholes to form trenches, the Tang Army began to construct more solid machine gun flanking positions on both wings of their trenches.


    These flanking positions appeared to be unremarkable individual soldier positions when viewed from the front, but hidden machine guns lay in wait at a slant across from their own positions.


    Once the enemy approached their main positions, the hidden machine guns would open fire from the flank, suppressing the enemy¡¯s advancing forces and inflicting heavy casualties.


    The crossfire from both wings is a tried-and-true classic setup, so most of the lower-level commanders graduating from the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s military schools would adhere to the book as much as possible.


    Quickly, behind the collapsed buildings, mortar support fire from the company level had already determined firing angles and sectors.


    Those with no immediate tasks were helping to unload ammunition from trucks, then distributing it as much as possible to the participating units.


    Because of the presence of these planes, the numerical advantage of the Qi Army¡¯s artillery was completely nullified; half of their dozens of artillery pieces were either in hiding or destroyed.


    The remaining half fared no better in the face of Tang Army fire. The commanders of Qi Country had not anticipated that the artillery of a single Armored Division of the Tang Army could exchange fire with all the artillery of their two or three infantry divisions.


    For Qi Country, this wasn¡¯t even the most troubling issue. The most troubling issue was their first exploratory attack had not been launched by noon.


    After the fifth wave of Tang Army Stuka Dive Bombers arrived on the battlefield, the leaders of the Qi Army finally realized that the planes overhead might truly never leave.


    Without having launched a single attack and already suffering over a thousand casualties, the commander of the 3rd Army of Qi Country finally commenced the first fierce offensive, gritting his teeth.


    Ignoring their casualties, the Qi Army artillery once again launched an artillery assault. They fired dozens of rounds, enveloping Luo Town in thick smoke.


    Afterward, the 3rd Division of the 3rd Army of Qi Country threw in an infantry regiment, a human wave surging towards the Tang Army¡¯s position.


    ¡°Charge! The first to breach Luo Town will be rewarded with 50 gold coins!¡± A Qi Army commander waved his Mauser Bolt-Action Rifle, rallying the Qi Country soldiers moving forward with bayonets at his side.


    It was easy to distinguish the soldiers of Qi Country without helmets; they looked quite different from the Tang Army soldiers wearing M35 steel helmets. The Tang Army soldiers were all equipped with tactical vests, while the Qi Army soldiers only had the most basic gear belts.


    At the forefront of the position, the decoy machine gun nest enticing the Qi Army troops opened fire first. The MG42 machine guns, with their distinctive and menacing sound of tearing fabric, roared to life.


    A barrage of bullets met the Qi Army soldiers head-on, and they fell in droves, unprepared. The remaining Qi soldiers immediately spread out further, hunched over as they inched forward.


    ¡°Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!¡± The Maxim machine guns covering the advance of the Qi soldiers also roared angrily, fiercely spraying bullets towards the origin of the tracer rounds.


    The 3rd Army, under the third prince, truly was an elite combat unit. From the outset of the engagement, their combat discipline showed to be far superior to other Qi Army troops.


    Their attack was more methodical, with machine gun cover and artillery support, clearly well-trained, and their commanders fully understood the performance of their weapons and equipment, combining them effectively to unleash greater power.


    However, as impressive as they were, their performance was only exceptionally good by the standards of the First World War.


    Very soon, the Tang Army¡¯s mortars deployed in the town began to give the attacking Qi soldiers a taste of hardship. They were broken up by a barrage of fire, and the first probing attack quickly collapsed into a rout.


    It was only at this point that Qi Army commanders seemed to remember, the Tang Army¡¯s ease of penetrating defenses, slicing through them like cutting melons and vegetables, did not mean everyone could easily break through well-prepared defenses.


    Without the cover of Air Force and Tanks, it seemed ... the Qi Army couldn¡¯t breach the defensive positions of the Tang Army the same way.


    But they no longer had the option to retreat; after all, there¡¯s a saying: since we¡¯re here...


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 Chapter 585: 544 Crazy Demon

    Chapter 585: 544 Crazy Demon


    ¡°These bastards! Even after being bombed like that, they still have so many cannons!¡± a Tang Army soldier, hiding in the trench, grumbled as he shook the loose soil off his body, holding his rifle.


    A shell had just landed near his position, raising a cloud of dust and nearly burying him alive.


    Debris from the sky clattered against his M35 helmet, creating a cacophony of clinks and clangs, and now and then, medics ran past, dashing toward the cries for help.


    Even if the trenches were dug well, there would still be unlucky ones hit by shells. Some would be blown to pieces instantly, while others with severed arms or legs lay on the ground wailing loudly.


    There were also the less fortunate who suffered grazing shrapnel wounds... These were the unluckiest, too lightly injured to be pulled from the line, bleeding yet continuing to fight.


    The most merciless aspect of war is that, whether you¡¯re brave or cowardly, whether you¡¯re a soldier or a civilian, everyone dies eventually.


    The first one to stand up and charge might be struck down by a bullet, or he might emerge unscathed. Similarly, the second soldier who jumps out of the trench to follow might also be hit, or he might escape harm.


    If you¡¯re too scared to advance, squatting in the trench with your eyes closed won¡¯t necessarily keep you alive; it¡¯s possible that a shell will land and you¡¯ll peacefully go to another world. But if you move, there¡¯s also a chance you¡¯ll be hit and die.


    Bullets don¡¯t have eyes, nor do they distinguish between good and evil, and they certainly don¡¯t show mercy. As they leave the barrel, there are only two outcomes: hit or miss.


    In the sky, a Stuka dive bomber swooped down with a bone-chilling screech, dropping a bomb close to the ground.


    At the Qi Army¡¯s position in the distance, another muffled explosion was heard, and a plume of smoke shot skyward, the object of the blast unknown.


    The Qi Army was not about to show weakness either, as another shell landed near the Tang Army¡¯s position, the massive explosion lifting a curtain of dust into the air, filling the atmosphere with the choking scent of burning.


    Huddled against the edge of the position, a platoon leader peered through his binoculars at the Qi Army¡¯s position. Then he ducked back, loudly warning his subordinates, ¡°They¡¯re coming again! Prepare for battle! The Qi Army is starting their assault! Get ready!¡±


    Everyone began checking their ammunition, the sound of rifle bolts being drawn back filled the air. Then another shell from the Qi Army landed, this time striking Luo Town behind them.


    A low building collapsed with a crash, throwing up a cloud of dust. At this point, no one even bothered to look back, as they had all become desensitized to the destruction.


    In fact, some Tang Army soldiers with time to jest even started a betting pool on how many buildings in Luo Town would remain after the battle.


    ¡°Here they come!¡± With everyone ready, the Qi Army soldiers had already advanced, stepping over the bodies of their comrades, inching closer to the Tang Army¡¯s defensive position.


    The battle erupted immediately, as the Tang Army¡¯s machine gun hidden in the front position once again roared into action. That annoying sound of tearing cloth once again tormented the ears of the Qi soldiers, who had even complained about the Tang Army always having uniquely irritating and noisy weapons and equipment units.


    The MG42 machine gun had a high rate of fire, so most of the Tang Army chose to use ammo belts. This means Tang Army¡¯s logistics support was quite good, and the generals placed high importance on it; otherwise, they would not have been able to afford using a weapon that spent bullets like water.


    At that moment, the Qi commanders at the front realized that the Tang Army they had been continuously fighting had not been truly serious.


    Now with the hidden firepower joining the battle, the Tang Army¡¯s three-sided cross-fire made Qi Army casualties double instantly.


    The blood-enraged Qi soldiers did not retreat. With their enforcement squads pushing forward, they recklessly forced their own troops to continue the assault.


    Five to six thousand men were thus squeezed onto the battlefield, innumerable dead or wounded remained staunch, unable to advance an inch or allowed to retreat even half a step.


    As time passed, ammunition at the Tang Army positions began to run low. One soldier lifted the ammunition box under his feet only to find it more than half empty.


    ¡°Ammunition! I need ammunition over here!¡± Almost at the same moment, a soldier on another side pulled the last magazine for his Thompson submachine gun from the pouch on his chest and yelled loudly.


    ¡°The reserves are almost out! Ammunition delivery will take another ten minutes...¡± The platoon leader, while loading new ammunition into his K3 rifle with a stripper clip, shouted loudly.


    ¡°The Tank Corps should counterattack now! If they don¡¯t get a move on, we¡¯re not going to last!¡± After all, it was a hastily built defensive position. Qi Army¡¯s reckless charge had caused quite some trouble for the Tang Army. A battalion commander, lowering his binoculars, spoke to the liaison officer beside him.


    ¡°The battalion commander has already sent the message to the Armored Corps, but I don¡¯t know why there¡¯s still no movement,¡± the liaison officer, raising his own binoculars to observe the enemy troops now closely approaching their positions, said anxiously.


    ¡°No choice! We wait... If something really goes wrong, they¡¯ll pay dearly with their lives!¡± The infantry battalion commander was clearly irritated; he didn¡¯t want to lose the outer defenses of Luo Town on the first day of battle.


    If the Qi Army were truly let into Luo Town for street fighting, their numerical advantage would be fully utilized. Though it wasn¡¯t certain that Tang Army would lose, falling into a passive situation was an inevitable result.


    On the other side of the battlefield, the Tang Army¡¯s Armored Corps had already received orders to leave their hidden reverse slopes. Even though they were already some distance from the battlefield, at this moment, they did not charge toward the side of Tang Army¡¯s defense position.


    After a discussion, 1st Company decided the payoff would be meager if they merely repelled the Qi Army. Revealing the carefully hidden positions would be a loss-making business.


    Thus, they decided to go big: raid the Qi Army¡¯s rear, destroy their artillery positions, and turn the assembly points upside down!


    This plan took advantage of the speed of the Armored Corps. If successful, the rewards would be greater than a direct attack on Qi front-line troops.


    So, after leaving 2nd Battalion¡¯s 3rd Platoon of 4 tanks to attack the Qi Army¡¯s offensive flanks according to the original plan, the remaining five platoons, a total of 18 tanks, circled around with great momentum from another side to the flank of the Qi 3rd Army.


    While the Tang Army infantry waited desperately for their own tanks to make a flanking attack to relieve their pressure, the 1st Battalion of the 1st Armored Division of the Tang Army charged wildly once again.


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 Chapter 586: Ask for Directions 545

    Chapter 586: Ask for Directions 545


    Liu Guozhu was certain that the map in his hands must be fake. He compared it with all the landmarks in front of him, yet he couldn¡¯t find his exact location.


    It wasn¡¯t just Liu Guozhu, the entire 1st Armored Corps had been thrown into confusion; they didn¡¯t know where they had reached or how far they still were from the enemy troops they were searching for.


    To avoid being detected by the Qi Army¡¯s outer sentry units, they had to take a huge detour. But after making such a detour, they couldn¡¯t find the road on the map anymore.


    In the beginning, they could still hear the booming sounds of artillery fire from the battlefield, but now they could hardly hear it distinctly. There were no villages around, and the roads were not quite what they had expected.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t this road be a first-class highway?¡± After looking at the map he was holding, then raising his head to look at the road ahead, Liu Guozhu asked the platoon leader next to him with frustration.


    The platoon leader, also frustrated, bowed his head to check the map he was holding and became puzzled as well: ¡°Yes, shouldn¡¯t it be a first-class highway?¡±


    Previously, the platoon Liu Guozhu was in had participated in the battle of Luo Town. The commander¡¯s vehicle had problems; its communication system¡¯s antenna had been broken, and it seemed the equipment had malfunctioned as well.


    Therefore, entirely deprived of command capabilities, the platoon leader had no choice but to stay behind in Luo Town to wait for the repair troops to catch up and fix the fault, as well as his radio equipment.


    As a result, the command of Liu Guozhu¡¯s platoon was handed over to him¡ªhe was, after all, a combat hero and the only person in the entire platoon who had been awarded the third-class Cavalry Medal.


    At this very moment, Liu Guozhu was commanding three tanks: Tank No. 2 and Tank No. 5. Tank No. 4 had broken down halfway due to a transmission system failure during an earlier fight and had not returned to the unit yet.


    ¡°Could the map be wrong, and we¡¯re actually here?¡± Liu Guozhu asked with some uncertainty.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s possible, but shouldn¡¯t we have made contact with the Qi Army from here? What are we doing, not even seeing a shadow of the Qi Army?¡± The platoon leader raised his head and expressed his confusion.


    They judged their position based primarily on two pieces of information: first, the comparison of the terrain and landmarks around them with the map, and second, based on the strength of the Qi Army units they encountered and the confessions of captured prisoners.


    But now, it seemed they were truly lost. The frustrated Liu Guozhu had to climb onto the tank once more and adjust their direction again, according to what he and the platoon leader had discussed.


    ¡°Cross this dirt road and take a look, then advance vertically for 3 kilometers along this road! If we don¡¯t run into the Qi Army¡¯s sentry units, then we¡¯ll think of something else,¡± was roughly the conclusion drawn by the platoon leader after consulting with the company commander.


    After Liu Guozhu climbed onto his own tank, he immediately issued the combat orders. He instructed Tank No. 2 to cover his left flank and Tank No. 5 to cover his right as the three tanks crossed the ¡°highway¡± in front of them.@@@@


    Soon, the three tanks had crossed the road and began to advance in the direction perpendicular to the road. They quickly passed through the fields on the other side of the road, then broke through the shrubs and crossed a patch of forest.


    Before they had completely crossed the forest, they spotted Qi Army troops at the edge of the woods. These soldiers showed no intention of constructing fortifications; instead, they were cooking food there.


    ¡°Tank No. 2! Do you see the enemy troops straight ahead? That white tent!¡± Liu Guozhu shouted his question while advancing.


    ¡°Then where is the headquarters?¡± Liu Guozhu asked again.


    The officer from Qi Country raised his hand, trembling, and pointed in a certain direction far away. He reacted instinctively, then just as instinctively recoiled his pointing finger a little.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Liu Guozhu waved his hand, almost giving the Qi Country officer a military salute. He did salute, just not in a standard way.


    And, funnily enough, the officer from Qi Country, also subconsciously, returned a salute to Liu Guozhu¡ªthe Qi Country military salute.


    Sometimes things just happen in the most miraculous ways, with the nearly impossible occurring on the battlefield in the most unbelievable manner.


    An officer from Qi Country was pointing the way for a Tank soldier from Tang Country, then suddenly snapped back to reality and began to sprint into the distance. The Tang Army soldiers didn¡¯t even have the heart to open fire and kill this most cooperative muddle-headed ally.


    The three tanks of the Tang Army that had burst out of the woods chased one another towards the nearby Qi Army camp, filled with tents and innumerable soldiers.


    The sentries of the Qi Army had noticed the disturbance on the outskirts, but before they could issue a warning, Liu Guozhu¡¯s tank had already reached them.


    The scene turned chaotic in an instant. The Qi Army soldiers, who had no inkling that the Tang Army might counterattack and strike here, were utterly unprepared for combat.


    The first to suffer were the camps that had just been set up. After the Qi Army had attacked all morning without success, the commander of the 3rd Army finally started considering the prospect of spending the night in the fields.


    So, he ordered the rear guard troops to set up camp, but barely had the tents been erected when the Tang Army tanks arrived at their doorstep.


    Thus, the troops from Qi Country, in their haste and unable to even locate their weapons, could only do as their comrades before and shout at the top of their lungs, ¡°The Tang Army is coming!¡± before fleeing aimlessly towards more distant grounds.


    The brave Qi Army soldiers who attempted to return fire could hardly do anything. What did they expect, to take up the Shireck model 1 rifles in their hands and fire at the Tang Army¡¯s No. 4 tanks?


    When Liu Guozhu¡¯s tank rolled over a white tent, like a tiger descending the mountain, rushing past a group of Qi Army soldiers crouching and surrendering, he didn¡¯t even know which unit of the Qi Army he was attacking.


    Equally bewildered were the attacked rear guard troops of the 3rd Qi Army. They, too, did not have the faintest idea where this Tang Army troop had come from, slicing into their defensive area from the flank.


    This area housed a newly set up Qi Country field hospital, numerous military vehicles, and carts for transportation, and even the Qi Country headquarters and the artillery positions.


    In short, this place was pretty much the Qi Army¡¯s rear base, stacked with valuables but guarded by pitifully few men. And even these sparse defensive troops weren¡¯t prepared for combat.


    Because a significant number of Qi Country troops were engaged in battle with the Tang Army for the outskirts of Luo Town, they had never imagined that the Tang Army, already stretched to its limits in defense, would have the spare capacity to send an Armored Corps to disturb their rearguard.


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 Chapter 587: 546 Silent gunfire

    Chapter 587: 546 Silent gunfire


    In fact, Liu Guozhu was also a bit stunned; he hardly knew what to do anymore. The sheer number of Qi Army troops before him had left him feeling undecided.


    He didn¡¯t know whether to stop and wait for reinforcements or to continue the offensive. Both options carried enormous risks for him.


    If he chose to stop, he and his two remaining tanks would be unable to control the at least 1000 Qi Army captives before them. Worse still, the surrounding Qi troops might realize they were only facing three Tang tanks and immediately counterattack.


    If such a situation were to occur, they would be in complete danger. Venturing deeply into enemy territory, isolated and unsupported, even a retreat might not shake off the pursuit of the Qi Army¡ªit would be no different from death.


    But if Liu Guozhu chose to press on with the attack, it would mean continuing to charge deep into the Qi Army¡¯s territory, essentially throwing themselves into encirclement. If the Qi Army snapped to and began striking back from all directions, retreat from the fight would become even harder.


    However, Liu Guozhu didn¡¯t have much time to ponder, as he couldn¡¯t afford to stop now. If he did, at least a few hundred Qi soldiers around him would certainly slow him down.


    ¡°Continue forward! We can¡¯t let these prisoners trip us up! Otherwise, we¡¯re finished!¡± Liu Guozhu, driven to desperation, ordered his driver, ¡°If they don¡¯t make way, run them over! The machine gun is ready to fire at any time!¡±


    The driver also realized that if they stopped here, surrounded by thousands of Qi soldiers, they were in for trouble.


    So, he accelerated, with the tank¡¯s tracks spinning rapidly and the engine roaring, scaring off the surrounding Qi soldiers as they hurriedly made way.


    ¡°That¡¯s a field hospital! Do you see those tents over there?¡± Liu Guozhu exclaimed as if he had discovered a new continent, noticing another camp at the far end of the site.


    It was a field hospital newly established by the Qi military, which was essentially just a place to house the wounded.


    Due to its provisional setup, there was a severe shortage of staff and even doctors and nurses were scarce. Obviously, in these details, the Qi military was in no way comparable to that of Tang Country.


    In Tang¡¯s infantry companies, there were military medics aplenty; so many that each platoon was allocated at least one, sometimes even two!


    In contrast, a Qi infantry battalion would be considered well-off with two doctors, while most units might have only one, or they might be available only at the regiment level.


    Clearly insufficient for combat needs, the proportion of Qi soldiers receiving medical treatment was pitifully low.


    Previously, when fighting trench warfare, the pre-constructed field hospitals with some medical equipment managed to alleviate some of the medical pressure.


    But now, having abandoned the trenches to engage Tang forces in open ground, this shortcoming became starkly apparent. The Qi¡¯s military logistics and supply system for field operations was simply too fragile.


    Countless wounded crowded the hastily constructed encampment, with woefully few tents available, forcing many injured soldiers to lay in the open fields awaiting aid.


    Yet instead of Qi doctors they were waiting for, it was their comrades from a nearby camp running around like headless chickens who arrived.


    Some of the severely wounded were trampled to death by the fleeing troops, and even some of those with minor injuries who managed to get up were knocked down again and stomped to death.


    They had just heard someone shouting that the Tang Army tanks were coming, and before they could understand what was happening, they saw a Tang tank descend from the embankment and start firing.


    Qi Country¡¯s artillerymen who were bombarding Tang positions had never imagined that Tang forces would appear here; some Qi Army loaders were still holding shells, standing there stupefied.


    The Qi Army artillery position had been under severe strain all morning. Since dawn, they had been continuously harassed by Tang aircraft above them.


    Bombs fell from time to time, destroying their cannons, killing their comrades¡ªthis was the primary reason why Qi forces had not yet been able to completely overpower the Tang artillery fire.


    Liu Guozhu¡¯s tank maneuvered around a massive crater left by a Stuka, firing bullets that sparked against the barrel of a Qi artillery piece.


    At that moment, the Qi Army was truly in disarray; they fled in all directions, with only a few alert squads futilely attempting to fire back with their rifles.


    Unfortunately for them, their attacks could not stop Tank 4, commanded by Liu Guozhu, from rampaging through the Qi positions, not even slowing it down.


    ¡°Boom!¡± After aiming at a target close at hand, the gunner in front of Liu Guozhu stepped on the fire pedal, and a shell blasted out, hitting a Qi Army 250-millimeter caliber mortar directly.


    The thing, nearly as large as a water tank, lost its barrel in the explosion, tumbling to the ground like a huge bell.


    More Qi soldiers raised their hands high, not knowing how many Tang troops had attacked; they chose the safest surrender to save their lives.


    Everything had fallen into chaos, and the artillery fire of Qi Country had abruptly ceased. The Qi Army¡¯s 3rd Army soldiers, who had been advancing, were suddenly panicking.


    Previously they had had relentless artillery suppression, which gave them the opportunity to barely approach Tang defensive positions. Now that this supportive fire had stopped, as they were under Tang firepower, what were they to do?


    Retreat? It was hard enough to have advanced to this stage, and they were on the verge of breaking through the Tang defensive line, pushing Tang forces back into Luo Town. How could they give up?


    Continue the attack? Without artillery support, relying solely on human lives to fill the Tang firepower traps, how many would need to be sacrificed?


    Probably, even if all of them died here, it was doubtful they would force Tang forces to retreat half a step, right?


    Thinking this, a Qi frontline commander became angrily embarrassed, turned back, and looked behind him, ¡°What the hell are those damn artillerymen doing? Keep firing!¡±


    No one answered him, because the Qi artillery position was still silent, as if they had used up all their shells.


    ¡°Cowards! Don¡¯t they know victory is within reach?¡± After waiting another few seconds and finding that his own artillery fire was still silent, the Qi officer drew his pistol from his waist, ¡°Forget it! Brothers! Today we fight those Tang people to the end!¡±


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 Chapter 588: 547, the madman on the ground

    Chapter 588: 547, the madman on the ground


    Onboard a Stuka dive bomber carrying out a mission at the front line, the pilot gazed down at the earth beneath his feet. He was like an eagle soaring in the sky, surveying his territory.


    The Stuka, originally designed solely for dive bombing with its moderate flying speed and lackluster flight performance, was not really suitable for bombing missions alone.


    Such an aircraft had virtually no self-defense capability when attacked by enemy planes¡ªof course, that didn¡¯t apply to ace pilots like Ru?deler.


    But now, in the skies, aside from the Tang Army¡¯s aircraft, there were only birds left, so it was only natural for the Stuka dive bombers to carry out missions alone.


    Given the enemy¡¯s inability to reach the sky, the Stuka¡¯s poor flying performance was more than adequate, even superior... At this point in time, using Stuka as a fighter plane was not a problem at all.


    Two Stuka dive bombers, one trailing the other, entered the war zone air space. Below them, they could see various points of burning smoke, some caused by artillery shell explosions, others left as scars by aerial bombs.


    Although the previous attacks had indeed obstructed some of the visibility, the view from the sky was still crystal clear. Everywhere, the Qi Army was preparing to assemble, crowding on the already narrow roads.


    ¡°Do you see that road full of horse-drawn wagons? 11 o¡¯clock ahead,¡± the pilot in the lead aircraft reminded his wingman from behind the compartment divided into sections by iron bars, preparing to select a target to attack.


    At this time, the enemy had no awareness of air defense; they didn¡¯t even practice basic dispersal and concealment. It might be the easiest era for pilots to achieve distinction¡ªjust dive, pull up, and they could establish their own merits.


    The only threat was the possibility of encountering Maxim machine guns temporarily raised to fire at the air.


    As long as they avoided these machine guns, they could easily complete their attack and achieve glorious results, blowing the crowded wagons and soldiers into midair.


    ¡°I see it! Very clear!¡± the wingman¡¯s voice came through the radio, accompanied by a bit of static noise.


    ¡°You drop the bomb!¡± The lead aircraft pilot maneuvered his plane to clear the attack path, decelerated calmly, and ceded the main attack to his wingman.


    This was a set of attack experience that the pilots had summarized after several bombing runs: the ground targets were too numerous to bomb completely, so everyone would find high-value targets to attack. However, if the lead aircraft attacked first, then the wingman was often left to engage later-discovered high-value targets, which could lead to the awkward situation of missing the target without the chance for a corrective strike.


    Therefore, it was logical to have the less experienced wingmen initiate the attack first. If they missed, the lead aircraft could make a corrective attack.


    After adjusting, the wingman began his attack. As he pushed his control stick, he loudly reminded the aircraft behind him, ¡°I¡¯m starting my dive! I¡¯m diving! Keep up with me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right behind you!¡± Almost simultaneously, the lead aircraft pilot also pushed down his control stick, and the two planes began their dive towards the ground, one after the other.


    The speed of the Stukas suddenly increased, and the air began to frantically disturb the fan near the landing gear, causing the whistle inside to spin and produce that distinctive, piercing sound.


    Thereupon, all the Qi soldiers who were bustling on the ground ceased their clamor. The coachmen pulled on the reigns, soldiers held their lunch boxes, and everyone looked up in unison, turning their eyes toward the familiar yet foreign sky.


    ¡°I see it! I see it!¡± It didn¡¯t take long for the lead plane to locate the target on the ground that his gunner had seen earlier, which was two advancing Panzer IV tanks amidst a field pocked with craters and gun smoke.


    On the engine deck of the tanks, a blood-red Dragon Banner was draped. The two tanks were pushing through the Qi Army¡¯s artillery positions, with Qi Army soldiers running in every direction, a sight that was quite spectacular.


    ¡°Only two tanks? You¡¯ve got to be kidding! How did they get here?¡± The wingman pilot was amazed to see the two friendly tanks deep in enemy territory.


    ¡°What¡¯s so curious about that, we¡¯re here too!¡± the lead pilot prepared for the attack, then commanded, ¡°No bombs! Stick close to me! Dive and strafe! Scatter the Qi Army troops in front of them!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± The wingman tightened up behind the lead plane, and the two aircraft once again tilted downward, descending into a dive from an altitude of two thousand meters.


    For the pilots, the entire diving action was as thrilling as riding a roller coaster. All the flaps of the airplane were lowered in order to decrease the speed of the impact with the ground.


    That annoying, battle-disrupting screech sounded once again, echoing over a battlefield already in utter chaos.


    The Qi Army, already disoriented by the Tang Army tanks on the ground, could not pay attention to the terror overhead and continued to run forward wildly, allowing the two planes to close in.


    What followed was a hail of ammunitions unleashed from the sky, which made a thudding impact as they hit the ground, ricocheting into dense crowds and slicing through flesh and bone.


    The large-caliber aerial guns swept through, leaving behind nothing but limbs and pervasive gun smoke, followed by the roar of the plane¡¯s engines as they whizzed by overhead and gradually faded into the other clamor.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear now! They¡¯re our tanks! And there are more to the north... Why aren¡¯t they moving together?¡± As they pulled up, the wingman pilot nervously asked his lead pilot.


    ¡°How would I know! These lunatics are even more brash than us! Damn!¡± the lead pilot cursed while keeping an eye on his altimeter as it slowly restored altitude.


    They had penetrated deep behind enemy lines because they were flying in the sky, but those ground lunatics who had penetrated this deeply, did they no longer want to live?


    ¡°So what do we do?¡± the wingman pilot continued to gaze at the ground and asked.


    ¡°What can we do? What else can we do?¡± the lead pilot resumed his search of the ground, looking for nearby high-value targets: ¡°See that group of tents? Drop bombs! Create chaos and cover them! A bunch of madmen who don¡¯t care for their own lives!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± the wingman pilot laughed excitedly: ¡°I like them, total maniacs!¡±


    ¡°Shut it! Keep up with me! Prepare for the dive!¡± the lead pilot ordered: ¡°Drop bombs simultaneously! Ensure the target is destroyed!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± the wingman pilot stopped laughing and responded solemnly.


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 Chapter 589: The tank riddled with bullet holes 548

    Chapter 589: The tank riddled with bullet holes 548


    ¡°Why has the artillery fire stopped?¡± In the tent, the commander of the 3rd Army raised his head and looked toward his aide.


    The aide was also puzzled and turned to another officer, ordering, ¡°Go see what¡¯s happened! Why are there issues at such a critical moment? Tell them to continue the shelling! At all costs...¡±


    The officer nodded slightly before rushing out of the tent. There, Tian Heng, the confidant of the third prince and the actual commander of the Qi Army¡¯s western front, looked tense and kept his eyes on the map.


    He promised to recapture Luo Town before the third prince arrived, and now, at the most crucial juncture of the battle, the artillerymen of the 3rd Army had failed.


    ¡°The enemy¡¯s air force is always destroying our artillery... It might be because of the recent bombing...¡± the commander of the 3rd Army explained helplessly.


    Planes of the Tang Army had been active the whole time, wreaking havoc everywhere, with Qi Army¡¯s vehicles and artillery being their primary targets, which indeed troubled the Qi artillerymen.


    Qi Country¡¯s artillery fire was intermittent, faltering at the most critical times when their beleaguered infantry needed support.


    This was also why, after several fierce attacks, the Qi Army always fell short, often being driven back when they were close to the Tang Army¡¯s positions.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the reasons! Luo Town is the essential route for us to go north! We must break through here at all costs...¡± Tian Heng, the confidant of the third prince and Qi Country general, insisted.


    He could not let down the third prince¡¯s trust in him; he had to lead the troops to break through Luo Town and allow the third prince to journey north back to Nanye.


    ¡°The third prince has arrived!¡± At that moment, outside the great tent, the guards announced loudly. As their voices faded, the tent flaps were pushed aside, and the third prince burst in, dusty from the road, and threw his gloves to his attendant as he entered.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t we taken it yet?¡± The impatient third prince, with a grim expression, went over to the map and immediately asked his confidant Tian Heng.@@@@


    ¡°Your Highness! The enemy¡¯s aircraft have been harassing us constantly, making troop assembly difficult, thus wasting some time,¡± Tian Heng immediately replied: ¡°Please, Your Majesty, be patient. By tonight, I shall recapture Luo Town... ¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± Hearing his trusted subordinate¡¯s assurance, the third prince¡¯s expression slightly improved.


    The journey here hadn¡¯t been easy for him either, with Qi troops crowding the roads; his speed by car barely exceeded walking.


    What was even more frustrating was the occasional need to avoid attacks from Tang Army aircraft¡ªwhile other troops might not have been used to taking cover from air assaults, his guards were experienced and quickly learned how to play hide and seek.


    Therefore, along the way, they often had to disembark and hide, dragging their feet until now, finally reaching the front-line command post.


    ¡°The follow-up troops are arriving, and we have a numerical advantage by several times! As long as we attack with full force... we will definitely recapture Luo Town!¡± Tian Heng was full of confidence, and indeed, the situation seemed favorable for him.


    Besides the 3rd Army, several battalions had gradually caught up. Though these troops were not elite, they could still add fuel to the fire at the critical moment without a problem.


    When the time came, they could rotate in and out of combat; the Qi Army could rest while the Tang Army had no time to rest, and in the end, the Qi Army would undoubtedly hold the advantage.


    Not to mention, at night, Tang Army planes would not be able to harass them, allowing the Qi artillery to fire continuously, pestering the Tang Army all night long.


    He tackled the Third Prince to the ground, and then the massive explosion erupted behind him, tearing open the tent they were in and flinging everyone inside through the air.


    The officers who were still standing were instantly torn apart by the shockwave, their bodies shattered and sent flying into the sky. The few officers who had been lying down were instantly silenced, leaving only devastation behind.


    The explosion blew away the tent and did not spare the tables inside; maps were swept into the sky, then burst into flames and turned to ash.


    All the surrounding tents were affected by the blast and instantly blown away. The generator and radio in a nearby tent were destroyed, and the bodies of the signalmen lay scattered and broken beside the ruined equipment.


    Tian Heng felt a burning pain in his back, and instinctively reached to touch it, only to see his hand smeared with blood when he looked at it groggily.


    He knew something had pierced his back, or at least left a long, deep wound behind.


    He couldn¡¯t concern himself with his wound now, for he saw that the Third Prince beneath him had his eyes tightly shut, apparently unconscious.


    So, he quickly slapped the prince¡¯s cheeks, calling out non-stop, only to realize in shock that he couldn¡¯t hear any sound at all.


    His ears rang, and he couldn¡¯t even hear his own shouts. But he had no other choice, and kept shouting relentlessly, calling out against all odds.


    He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed before he finally faintly heard his own voice. He could dimly hear his own cries, which sounded somewhat broken, ¡°Third Prince! Your Highness! Your Highness!¡±


    Eventually, guards parted the rolling smoke and approached, and an officer kneeled on one knee, supporting the blood-covered Tian Heng, ¡°General! Are you alright, General?¡±


    ¡°Quick! Call a doctor! Save His Highness! Save the Third Prince! Hurry!¡± An almost frantic Tian Heng shouted hoarsely.


    With his cries, the Third Prince finally opened his eyes, still dizzy and unsure of what had happened.


    But soon, he realized that he had nearly been killed by the bomb. Frantically, he clutched Tian Heng¡¯s arm, ¡°General! Save me, General! I... I might be injured! I¡¯ve been injured!¡±


    When he saw the fresh blood on his hands, he was terrified to death. He thought he was done for, though in truth that blood was mostly Tian Heng¡¯s...


    While he was shouting, a huge dark shape burst through the smoke, its rolling tracks crushing overturned furniture.


    It was a No. 4 tank, covered in bullet marks!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Thank you, Your Majesty the Emperor, for the reward! The first leader of this book is born! Dragon Spirit updates too slowly, my apologies for any anxiety caused... anxiously.


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 Chapter 590: 549 The Miserable Third Prince

    Chapter 590: 549 The Miserable Third Prince


    His Royal Highness the Third Prince was utterly bewildered. Throughout his life, he had been clothed in silk and fed with jade, growing up in the Royal Palace and enjoying the sustenance provided by the nation, practically one of the most fortunate few in the world.


    Although the court curriculum was extremely strict, and his father was very stern, his life was undoubtedly happier compared to those who couldn¡¯t afford enough food or clothing.


    If he wished, there would be beauties willing to undress for him every night. If he so desired, treasures of inestimable value would be presented to him with both hands.


    In fact, from a traditional standpoint, the three princes of Qi Country were still quite capable. At least, they were much stronger than the few incompetent fools in the royal family of Zheng Country.


    This was also the reason why King Jiang Xian had always relied heavily on his three sons. From the perspective of cultivating successors, he was clearly excellent and a victor.


    All three of his sons were quite impressive, having studied military knowledge, possessed a certain level of tactical experience, and capable of leading troops on behalf of his royal father to alleviate his worries.


    And the Third Prince thought so too; he felt that he was a competent commander. He had always believed that even on the most brutal battlefield, he would have the courage to face the fiercest enemy.@@@@


    Just now, the injured Tian Heng, who was holding the Third Prince, made him recall his life, and he felt that he should not die here, absolutely not!


    But at this moment, as the pampered Third Prince truly faced the enemy close at hand for the first time, the thing beneath him almost gave way, nearly leaking all the liquid stored in his bladder.


    This was the first time the Third Prince had seen Tang Army¡¯s tanks up close, and also the first time he saw them from such a short distance. The enormous vehicle was right before him, its tracks rolling, drawing ever closer.


    The terrifying pressure made the Third Prince finally understand why his position had been breached in a single day. He finally comprehended how his soldiers, mere flesh and blood, could stop such steel behemoths?


    So he wanted to shout, to surrender, to turn and run. But he was still sitting on the ground, held by a bloody damn fool.


    ¡°Your Highness! Are you alright, Your Highness?¡± The Third Prince¡¯s guard anxiously asked the bloodstained prince while watching the Tang Army¡¯s tanks charge over.


    The Third Prince didn¡¯t know if he indeed was injured, so he could only shout at Tian Heng, ¡°Let go of me! Let me up! Let me up!¡±


    Tian Heng, enduring the severe pain in his back, rolled over and moved his body aside. It was only then he saw a Tang Army¡¯s tank less than ten meters away from them.


    He, too, was seeing an enemy tank at such a close distance for the first time, and he could clearly see the dense bullet marks on this tank.


    For a moment, as a commander, Tian Heng¡¯s mind flashed with a thought: How long would one have to fight on the front lines to get hit by so many bullets?


    It¡¯s a pity that now was not the time to dwell on these things. He struggled to get up, propped himself with one hand while shouting to the people behind him, ¡°Take the Third Prince away! Get him out of here! Quick! Get him out quickly!¡±


    As a commander, he truly dared not imagine how troublesome it would be if the Third Prince of Qi Country were to be captured on the battlefield.


    Once the Third Prince was captured, the Tang Army could make a big deal out of his identity, then use this royal relative as a bargaining chip in the subsequent peace negotiations to demand massive benefits.


    These Qi Country guards, holding their weapons, fired at the tanks; even knowing that their weapons could not damage the target, they could not stop.


    In battle, whatever weapon you have, you use. What sense does it make to not fight just because the weapon in your hand isn¡¯t suitable?


    Moreover, they were protecting the Third Prince! It was their duty, the most important mission they had to complete!


    Like mowing grass, these guards who had not fled were one by one knocked down by bullets, as if they were wheat sheaves cut down by the scythe formed by tracer bullets.


    In front of Liu Guozhu¡¯s Tank No. 4, the bullets from the coaxial machine gun showed no mercy as they swept across the targets directly ahead.


    Tian Heng watched in despair as the flames burst from the machine gun on the left side of the Tang Army tank in front of him, Then, as darkness swept over him, he collapsed straight onto the ground.


    His head was penetrated by a tracer bullet, and the blood spurting from the back of his head flowed everywhere. Until his death, this Qi Country general hadn¡¯t closed his eyes.


    The very next second, the Third Prince, whom he was devoted to serving, had his chest pierced by bullets and stumbled, falling onto the body of a guard.


    That guard had been vigorously pulling the Third Prince, hoping he would get up quickly. But suddenly, the prince jerked backwards, and the excessive force used by the guard made him tumble to the ground.


    When he stood up and saw the Third Prince, with his chest cavity shattered by bullets, lying there, he knew he was finished. Jiang Xian would not let him off, and not just him, but his family as well.


    But he no longer had a life to wait for Jiang Xian¡¯s disposals, because in the next second, another bullet arrived, shattering his head as well.


    The vehicle electrician, operating the machine gun, would not miss such a clear target so close by. He too had thought about taking prisoners because he knew they only had two tanks.


    There was no point talking about taking prisoners; if it weren¡¯t for the fact that the enemy had voluntarily stayed behind, fleeing in all directions, these people from Qi Country couldn¡¯t have been caught or finished off.


    Moreover, taking prisoners requires some kind of communication, right? How would the enemy know whether you wanted to take prisoners if you kept firing and charging forward without stopping?


    Pop open the hatch and loudly declare, ¡°Throw down your weapons, and don¡¯t kill, surrender quickly?¡± Stop joking... Try sticking your head out and see! Even the tank commander, who¡¯s such a ¡°stubborn¡± guy, wouldn¡¯t dare, let alone anyone else...


    So he obeyed the orders and continued firing, completing his task ¡ª killing enemy officers was no small feat either, and safety first, right?


    And so they continued firing and advancing until all the Qi Country guards in front of them were completely wiped out. Only then did an excited shout finally come through the headphones from the platoon commander of the 2nd Company: ¡°1st Company, 1st Company! Where are you? Where are you?¡±


    Thank God, in such a chaotic battle, the unstable radio... it finally worked!


    ¡°I¡¯ve passed the Qi Army¡¯s artillery position! I¡¯ve just ambushed a section of the Qi Army¡¯s artillery!¡± Liu Guozhu was overjoyed and, pressing the throat microphone, responded loudly.


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 Chapter 591: Born in the late 1950s

    Chapter 591: Born in the late 1950s


    ¡°Thank God this damn radio is finally working!¡± The excitement in the platoon leader¡¯s voice came through. The communication had been poor before, and finding the first platoon hadn¡¯t been easy for him.


    Liu Guozhu also sighed with relief and pressed the talk button, ¡°My tank isn¡¯t a command vehicle, and I can¡¯t find tank number five, repeat, I can¡¯t find tank number five.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you care about your comrades in tank number two?¡± came a resentful voice from the headset. ¡°There are at least a hundred Qi Army prisoners in front of me... a big, dark mass.¡±


    ¡°Want a suggestion for tank number two?¡± Liu Guozhu grinned and laughed.


    ¡°What suggestion?¡± The commander of tank number two was immediately curious.


    Liu Guozhu, smiling, responded with a press to his throat microphone, ¡°I suggest you make them throw away their weapons!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡± The commander of tank number two was almost amused: ¡°Do you think everyone is as foolish as you, daring to open the hatch and go out?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The sudden silence on the battlefield made Liu Guozhu relaxed, and he laughed without any reservations.


    ¡°Hold your position! We¡¯re right on your flank! I can even see your tank!¡± The platoon leader of the second platoon shouted excitedly over the channel.


    ¡°Over here, I can see some Qi Country military officers wearing different uniforms! They might be their headquarters!¡± Liu Guozhu reported, peering through the gaps of the viewing window at the tents scattered around, as well as maps and chairs.


    ¡°You¡¯re really damn lucky!¡± The platoon leader of the second platoon cursed enviously, and then Liu Guozhu saw a number four tank bursting through a wooden cart and appearing to the north of his tank.


    By this time, the Qi troops had completely collapsed, with hardly anyone returning fire. The only sounds were the faint gunfire and the piercing screech of the Stuka dive bombers in the distance.


    ¡°The battalion commander means, since we¡¯ve paralyzed their artillery positions, retreating now is our best option,¡± the second platoon¡¯s tanks approached, making the radio communication a bit clearer.


    Accompanied by the interference of electrical current, Liu Guozhu agreed, ¡°Leaving here is indeed a good idea. If the people from Qi Country knew we only had so few forces, they would definitely come back at us.¡±


    ¡°Without infantry cover, we can¡¯t sustain a prolonged fight here,¡± the platoon leader of the second platoon continued. ¡°We¡¯ve run out of machine gun bullets, and we¡¯ve used up a third of our shells.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Liu Guozhu wasn¡¯t a fool, and he was aware of the fact that his tank¡¯s machine gun ammunition was running low.@@@@


    The machine gun atop tank number four wasn¡¯t an MG-42 but its predecessor, the MG-34T with a circular barrel jacket. This machine gun was more complex to produce than the MG-42. Its advantage was that it could be mounted inside a tank.


    This machine gun had no cooling holes on the barrel, and the barrel was thicker and cooled slightly better, ensuring that the machine gun could fire continuously for longer periods. Since it was mounted on a vehicle, the weight wasn¡¯t much of a concern.


    Inside the tank, the machine gun couldn¡¯t use a belt feed, so the MG-34T used drum magazines. Total ammunition reserves inside the tank ranged from 3,000 to 3,500 rounds. Given the MG-34T¡¯s rate of fire, it was easy to run out quickly.


    To be able to combat continuously, armored troops always carried extra ammunition. Originally, tank number four was designed to carry 3,000 rounds of machine gun ammunition, but everyone tried to cram in as much as possible, sometimes carrying over 4,000 rounds.


    ¡°Commander, we¡¯ve come a long way, without resupply and no new orders. We¡¯re just blindly rushing to Luo Town...¡± His subordinate glanced at the disheveled, message-bearing deserters, then looked at his own commander and began to plead.


    ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± The commander, who had a fiery temper, stared at his subordinate and directly cut off his rambling.


    ¡°Commander... the messengers we dispatched haven¡¯t returned, I think it¡¯s necessary to confirm what¡¯s going on with the 3rd Army,¡± the officer cautiously suggested, afraid of angering his superior.


    After a few seconds of silence, the Qi Army¡¯s commander, who appeared to have a bad temper, also felt helpless and explained, ¡°What can I do? I¡¯ve sent out two messengers, none have returned. What can I do? Change orders on my own? Do I not want to live anymore?¡±


    Sometimes, following the rules doesn¡¯t guarantee that problems won¡¯t arise. The battlefield is ever-changing, and anything can happen. Every decision a commander makes is their responsibility.


    When their regiment set off, they had orders to reach Luo Town by nightfall, and at that time, the news of Luo Town¡¯s loss had not yet reached the Qi Army.


    Then the troops began to move, and communication became erratic: tens of thousands of troops were either still in their positions or on the move, and everywhere was chaos.


    For their regiment, for example, since they started moving, they had basically lost contact with the western frontline headquarters. The headquarters couldn¡¯t locate them, and they couldn¡¯t find the headquarters.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped. The third prince was supposed to stay put, but he rushed to the front lines in a panic. As soon as he left, he left behind a huge mess.


    Their regiment had not yet made contact with the headquarters since they departed. As the commander, he had sent out five messengers, none of whom had found their superior units.


    The headquarters of their division also couldn¡¯t be located, and even when trying to find the third prince¡¯s command, there was no success.


    Thus, he could only proceed toward Luo Town according to the original orders, and then encountered another regiment from a different division. They crowded together on the road, and it took them a whole morning to cover less than 7 kilometers.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to make contact, but he genuinely didn¡¯t know where the hell the commanding officers were! His messengers could only ask around, groping blind in search, and whether they found anything or not, they would eventually be embarrassingly alerted to the fact that they did not know where their own troops had advanced to...


    On the way, they were blindly searching. On their return, they couldn¡¯t even find their way back... This was also why he was reluctant to send messengers¡ªthe more he sent out, the more were lost. What was the point of sending them if it was of no use?


    ¡°So, commander, we need to understand what¡¯s happening. Are we just going to keep heading to Luo Town like this?¡± The officer under his command was becoming anxious, imploring with a sense of urgency, ¡°If it¡¯s been recaptured, all is well, but if not...¡±


    ¡°Then aren¡¯t we just in time to recapture it?¡± The commander glared at him, then looked dissatisfied at the two deserters, ¡°You said the Tang Army launched a surprise attack on the rear guard of the 3rd Army from the flank and broke into the artillery positions. Where is this happening?¡±


    ¡°...The north, about 4 kilometers...¡± One deserter vaguely pointed in the direction he had fled, not giving a clear answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m just a loader. When someone told me to retreat, I just ran,¡± the other deserter answered honestly.


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 Chapter 592: 551 things have gotten serious

    Chapter 592: 551 things have gotten serious


    In fact, very few of the Qi soldiers who witnessed the Tang tanks survived, because those who actually saw them rarely made it out alive.


    Most of them had fled following other deserters, simply running in a daze at the cries they heard; if they ran too slowly, their lives would be at risk...


    ¡°After all this, you haven¡¯t even seen the Tang Army and you¡¯re already deserters?¡± The group leader laughed bitterly, his tone full of dissatisfaction.


    The two deserters did not know that their command post had been overrun by the Tang Army; right now, Tang tanks were rampaging through the Qi Country¡¯s 3rd Army headquarters. Actually, it made sense¡ªthey had no way of knowing what was happening behind them.


    At this moment, only those Qi soldiers who had fled from the vicinity of the headquarters might know that the 3rd Army¡¯s command post was finished.


    But even among those who had been near the 3rd Army headquarters during the defeat, very few truly knew that the command post was gone¡ªeven those who saw it with their own eyes wouldn¡¯t dare spread rumors.


    What if they were wrong, or what they said didn¡¯t match reality, and it unsettled the soldiers¡¯ hearts or disrupted the deployment, affecting the battle? Wouldn¡¯t that be an unforgivable mistake?


    So unless someone had seen with absolute certainty that the Tang Army had leveled the headquarters, and seen the First Prince¡¯s head chopped off with their own eyes, who would dare speak recklessly?


    At times like these, it was safest and most secure to simply say one didn¡¯t know or wasn¡¯t clear...


    After some thought and lacking the mood to execute two deserters from other troops, the Qi Army group leader didn¡¯t bother to do such thankless work and waved his hand, telling the two deserters to scram.


    Then he had his subordinates spread out a map to carefully examine the markings, trying to figure out exactly where he was and what exactly he should be doing.


    ¡°If we cross over here, we should be at the 3rd Army¡¯s headquarters... The distance shouldn¡¯t be too far...¡± Looking at the markings on the map, the Qi Army group leader tentatively figured out his approximate location.


    Their military maps were not precise; in fact, over the past hundred years or so, they had no need for precise maps.


    ¡°That should be about right. Should we head over there?¡± His subordinate officer nodded and then asked.


    ¡°Head over there to do what? Just a few of us, let¡¯s ride over to take a look!¡± Looking at the congested mass of people, carts, cattle, and horses from the two infantry regiments around them, the group leader signaled his men to find some war horses.


    Clearly, being behind had its advantages; most of the high-ranking officers in the Qi Army retained the skill of horseback riding, much like officers from the Northern Ridge faction in the Tang Army, such as Tagg, were adept at riding.


    Several war horses were thus led over, and the Qi Army group leader rode off with seven or eight guards, leaving his troops behind and charging toward the rough direction mentioned by the deserters.


    The journey was not easy, as they encountered many disoriented and scattered troops from Qi Country and gathered more and more information from these soldiers.


    First, they learned that the Tang Army tanks had indeed attacked the 3rd Army¡¯s headquarters¡ªthis information was more or less confirmed.


    After confirming this news, the Qi Army group leader realized that this offensive was probably not going so smoothly.@@@@


    With the 3rd Army¡¯s headquarters under attack and the extent of the losses still unclear, if the 3rd Army was in chaos and collapsed, then simply rounding up these deserters could take over two days.


    Clearly, the division commander responsible for directing the offensive had also figured out the reason behind it.


    He furrowed his brows and muttered to himself, ¡°Something is not right! Why hasn¡¯t the messenger I sent for contact returned yet? Send someone else! Figure out...¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, the messenger rushed back in a flurry and stood at attention before him, ¡°Sir!¡±


    ¡°Speak!¡± the division commander urgently commanded.


    ¡°Our command post was attacked, and the rear troops are in disarray. I couldn¡¯t find General Tian Heng nor the army commander...¡± the messenger reported.


    ¡°What?¡± The division commander in charge of the frontline combat was taken aback, his eyes widening.


    The officer beside him promptly asked, ¡°Were they bombed? Attacked by enemy aircraft?¡±


    ¡°The fleeing soldiers said, said there were Tang tanks... The scene was in chaos, he said he didn¡¯t see it... but I asked several people, and they all mentioned Tang tanks,¡± the messenger continued his report.


    ¡°That¡¯s bad!¡± The division commander finally realized the severity of the situation and cried out in despair. After his cry, he immediately ordered, ¡°Retreat! Take the organized troops and recapture the command post first!¡±


    The officer didn¡¯t dare to delay and immediately sent out several messengers, ordering the troops that hadn¡¯t engaged in the assault to assemble and quickly fall back toward the direction of the army headquarters.


    Meanwhile, the Qi Army regiment commander who returned to his own headquarters with bad news became even more perplexed. He had not found Tian Heng, nor had he received his new orders as he hoped.


    He was unsure whether he should continue to march towards Luo Town and then launch an attack upon encountering the Tang Army, to keep attacking Luo Town.


    Nor did he know where to camp, then where to place his troops¡ªthe Qi troops were accumulating more and more, clearly requiring a vast open space for encampment.


    If he hesitated for a moment longer, the Qi soldiers arriving in the aftermath would almost have occupied all usable spaces.


    Upon this realization, he finally decided to immediately move his troops off the road and set up tents in a spot that looked suitable, waiting for definitive orders before considering the next course of action.


    Just as he was organizing his troops to rest on the spot and unloading the baggage from the wagons, he finally received definitive news: someone had witnessed with their own eyes that General Tian Heng and the Third Prince had been killed in battle!


    This shook the morale of the entire Qi Army; everyone looked bewildered. And at this very moment, a thought of despair rose in the minds of the Qi commanders, ¡°It¡¯s over! Things have escalated!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Adding an extra chapter, will continue tomorrow


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 Chapter 593: The Melancholy of the First Prince 552

    Chapter 593: The Melancholy of the First Prince 552


    The First Prince of Qi Country received a frontline report from Luo Town while he was still in his headquarters, unmoved.


    He was not as anxious as the Third Prince, and had more experience too¡ªhe knew that rashly moving could cause communication chaos, so he simply decided to remain in place.


    However, he didn¡¯t just stay put idly; he sent his confidant Qin Xiong to lead troops ahead and provide support to the battlefield at Luo Town as swiftly as possible.


    In order to ensure his troops could resolve the issue upon arrival, the First Prince spared no expense, tasking the 1st Army to lead the charge.


    The First Prince¡¯s thinking was straightforward, he believed that only by having Qi Country¡¯s most elite troops pave the way, there was a possibility to breach Tang Army¡¯s defenses and recapture Luo Town.


    By the time Qin Xiong set out with the troops, the First Prince had already received news that Luo Town had fallen. Still, he believed that with the 3rd Army there and his own 1st Army reinforcing, Luo Town could still be retaken.


    His rationale was that Tang Army had come from afar and was not yet firmly established, without a solid defensive line to rely on, and with Qi Army¡¯s advantage in numbers, it should be possible to retake Luo Town and repel Tang Army.


    However, after seeing Tang Army¡¯s aircraft, the First Prince was not so blindly optimistic.


    He felt that if Tang Army could break through Qi Country¡¯s border defenses within a day, Luo Town was likely lost.


    Thus, he had his trusted 1st Army at the forefront for a reason: after recapturing Luo Town, he planned to swiftly move his main forces north to Nanye to stabilize the front.


    Frankly put, rather than considering the march of the First Prince¡¯s main forces northward as a determination to retake Luo Town, it¡¯s better described as a determination to break through and escape!


    Originally, the First Prince thought that by the time his troops reached Luo Town, the Third Prince¡¯s 3rd Army would have already reclaimed it, allowing his own trusted main forces to quickly pass through Luo Town and continue fleeing north.


    But reality slapped his face hard: his 1st Army had only left its base for one day when the Third Prince¡¯s 3rd Army collapsed!


    Qi Country¡¯s top three main forces, a massive army of tens of thousands, had been routed by the enemy after just one day of combat!


    The 3rd Army was on the offensive! The enemy was on defense! Under these circumstances, the 3rd Army was actually shattered by the enemy¡¯s defending forces!


    What was even more unbelievable was that the commander of the 3rd Army, along with Qi Country¡¯s high-ranking General Tian Heng, and his beloved brother, had all gone missing!


    The First Prince did not believe that the simultaneous disappearance of these senior commanders was a coincidence; in his view, they were surely done for!


    The best-case scenario was that they all died in battle, and the worst-case scenario was that they had been captured! For Qi Country, the capture of a prince was nothing short of a great humiliation!


    But he could no longer afford to worry about how to handle the situation of his brother being captured. What he needed to consider was the fate of the 150,000 troops under his command.@@@@


    Relying solely on fragile highways and severely insufficient horse-drawn carriages was not enough to support such a large military force.


    Secondly, the Infantry troops that arrived later fortified the defenses of Luo Town¡ªby the fifth day of the battle of Luo Town, there were 3 Infantry regiments, over 6,000 men, with reinforced artillery providing fire support!


    Last but not least, after repairs and replenishment, the 1st Armored Division¡¯s Tank units had essentially regained combat effectiveness, with over 200 tanks ready for battle, a disparity of force that the Qi Army could not bridge with numbers alone.


    To put it bluntly, the Tang Army had also amassed a formidable force at Luo Town, and had even surpassed the Qi forces in terms of artillery.


    Of course, all this was unknown to the Qi side. That¡¯s why the First Prince remained confident, believing his troops could retake Luo Town and clear the supply lines.


    ¡°Order the follow-up troops to continue advancing! Push along the railway and the road!¡± the First Prince commanded as he took the telegram.


    Because the Tang Air Force had focused on bombing the Qi troops near Luo Town, the scale of the Tang Air Force faced by the First Prince was very small, posing little threat.


    That was the main reason he still had the confidence to assemble his forces and continue to reinforce Luo Town: many units of the Qi Army on the western front collapsed at the mere sound of Stuka dive-bombers, without the need for Tang planes to even drop bombs.


    ¡°Additionally... Your Highness... There¡¯s still no news from the western command,¡± reported the officer who had brought the telegram, not yet departing.


    He was the officer in charge of telegrams, so the task of locating the western commander and restoring communication also fell to him. He had not managed to contact the Third Prince or Tian Heng up to now, so he had to brace himself to speak up.


    ¡°I... understand! Send a telegram to General Qin Xiong in my name, ordering him to ensure his own safety upon arrival at the front line...¡± worried that his confidant would meet the same fate as Tian Heng, the First Prince added, ¡°Tell him to do his best to find my brother and General Tian Heng and the others...¡±


    ¡°Yes! I understand!¡± The officer saluted sharply and then turned to leave the headquarters. He didn¡¯t believe that there could be any sort of miracle from the Third Prince¡¯s side at this point. In his view, the Third Prince was likely captured or, worse, killed outright.


    After watching his subordinate leave, the First Prince looked around the underground command bunker situated behind the central defense line.


    Though not aesthetically pleasing, it boasted safety and solidity with reinforced concrete ceilings, electric lighting inside, and appeared quite modern. At least here, one could shower daily, enjoy electric lighting, and avoid sleeping in tents.


    According to the plan, he would have to leave here before long. As soon as Qin Xiong set up camp, the First Prince was to begin his journey, relocating his headquarters to where Qin Xiong had established his.


    A temporary command post was neither safe nor comfortable... Thinking again of his missing brother, the First Prince felt a pang of melancholy.


    His own trip to Luo Town would be a blessing or a curse, depending entirely on whether his 1st Army could deliver the results he was expecting.


    Meanwhile, the Second Prince, who had been stationed on the eastern front without sustaining major losses, received a telegram from King City.


    The message was brief, ordering him to immediately withdraw troops and take the train to retreat at the fastest speed possible. Qi Country¡¯s next move was happening earlier than anticipated.


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 Chapter 594: 553 Battle Situation Changes

    Chapter 594: 553 Battle Situation Changes


    No one is a fool, and King Jiang Xian of Qi Country, who had been diligently managing state affairs for over twenty years, was certainly not one either.


    He had previously detected that the likely directions of the Tang Army¡¯s attack were Luo Town and Nanye, so he began to consider how to deal with the current situation immediately.


    Right now, Qi Country could be said to be very passive, their hinterland was extremely empty, essentially devoid of defensive forces.


    To reinforce Nanye, Jiang Xian had even dispatched the last troops guarding King City, leaving the capital of Qi Country empty and defenseless like an unfortified city.


    Jiang Xian was far from naive enough to believe that his mere force of over 20,000 imperial guards could achieve any miracle in Nanye, because if there were any miracles to be had, they would have happened already.


    From start to finish, the one Jiang Xian placed his hopes on was the defense by the frontline troops, breaking through Tang Army¡¯s defense from behind, and forcing them to abandon their plan to capture Nanye.


    In other words, Jiang Xian was relying on the Third Prince and the First Prince to fall back; he believed his two sons could seize back the initiative on the battlefield with one brilliant counterattack.


    However, as a king, he couldn¡¯t naively pin all his hopes on a military operation with an uncertain outcome.


    Therefore, while giving the Third Prince and the First Prince strict orders to break through the railway between Luo Town and Nanye at any cost, Jiang Xian also issued an order to his second son.


    This order was for the Second Prince on the eastern front to immediately pull out his elite forces and move along another railway to reinforce King City.


    Knowing the emptiness of Qi Country¡¯s King City, Jiang Xian couldn¡¯t allow this dangerous situation to continue. He would certainly choose the most secure and quickest method to redeploy troops back to King City.


    Currently, it seemed that going through Luo Town might not be the fastest option. If the First Prince and the Third Prince failed to retake Luo Town, then everything would become an illusory reflection, like a castle in the air.


    So the shrewd Jiang Xian almost immediately ordered the elite 2nd Army from the eastern defense zone to return to King City.


    The Tang Army was on the move, and so was the Qi Army. Both sides were mobilizing troops and dispatching generals, hoping to strangle the enemy with their own arrangements.


    ¡°Report!¡± A shouted response jolted the King of Qi awake from his seat.


    Inside a manor on the outskirts of Qi Country¡¯s King City, Jiang Xian¡¯s eyes were so tired that he could barely keep them open. He was nearing fifty this year, and his body no longer allowed him to overexert himself.


    But the war prevented him from relaxing. He had been staying up all night for several days, and his whole body had grown thinner.


    With dark circles under his eyes and a face marked by creases, the wrinkles seemed to come alive with the movement of his lips, curling and wriggling as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    If Jiang Xian had gone to sleep, his attendants would never have let him be woken up like this. But in order to keep control of the latest intelligence, Jiang Xian adamantly refused to rest, which is why he fell asleep in his seat.


    ¡°Our forces deployed on the outskirts of Nanye for surveillance... have been completely wiped out.¡± The officer looked somewhat grim as he stood straight and answered.


    In fact, these forces were not numerous; the Qi troops deployed near Nanye consisted of only a division, a mere three regiments at most.


    These forces could not all be placed outside, so in reality, the Tang Army had severely damaged only about one to two regiments of Qi forces.


    But sometimes, things were so mysterious: Qi Army really had only that many troops, so they truly couldn¡¯t bear the fact of having one or even two regiments completely annihilated.


    That was a second-class medal! With such a medal, one need not kneel to officials and would also receive a subsidy. So far, not a single one had been awarded throughout the entire army!


    The staff officer sitting next to him felt as if his mouth was full of sourness: ¡°General Redman suggested awarding the first-class Cavalry Medal...¡±


    ¡°Liu Guozhu, that lucky guy!¡± Luff couldn¡¯t help but sigh upon hearing the conversation. As Chief of Staff, he was not able to charge into battle at the front lines.


    In fact, when Luff, one of the veterans of the Great Tang Group, used to lead troops, Tang Mo only had around a hundred guards under his command. Thus, Luff could never have a Blade Medal or Cavalry Medal, which was a regret for him.


    The other staff officers all echoed in agreement: ¡°Absolutely!¡±


    ¡°But I still have to criticize him! If only we had caught one alive, that would have been great,¡± a staff officer interjected, somewhat reluctantly.


    Luff gave the officer a glance, feeling that he was ungratefully longing for more: ¡°What are you thinking? What are you thinking? In that situation, it¡¯s a bit much to expect the armored troops to capture someone alive, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The officer was also a straightforward guy and, spreading his hands, still felt some regret: ¡°Ah, I know, but I still feel a sense of pity... After all, if we had really caught someone alive, that would have been great.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth... So about that medal? Are we still awarding it as a first-class one?¡± The opinion of their Staff Department was very important for the awarding of medals.


    Luff waved his hand and gave his view: ¡°Wait, wait for the newspapers... or rather, wait for His Majesty¡¯s decision.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Seeing the boss speak, everyone immediately agreed.


    On the flank of Luo Town, within the 1st Battalion 1st Company of the 1st Armored Division, Liu Guozhu¡¯s crew was still scrubbing their tank.


    Even though they had already washed the intake grilles on the rear upper hull of their tank turret, they could still smell a stench of decay.


    They didn¡¯t know if it was misperception or something else, but despite having laid something beneath the bodies during transport, it didn¡¯t seem to help. Everyone felt the smell lingered, so they could only wipe it down once more...


    ¡°Boss, do you think... we could get another medal for this?¡± an ammo loader curiously asked while vigorously scrubbing the grille seams with a cloth.


    ¡°How would I know...¡± Liu Guozhu too was continuously wiping down his beloved vehicle: ¡°That¡¯s not for me to decide...¡±


    As he talked, the oil from the wiping smeared on his hands, and at that moment, he instinctively wiped his cheek.


    Then he ended up with a big oily streak across his face, completely unaware of it.


    The returning electrician immediately burst into hilarious laughter, unreserved and carefree.


    Amidst their laughter, another squadron of ten Stuka Dive Bombers roared overhead, flying toward the distant Qi Army positions.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Not feeling well today, just two updates. I¡¯ll make up for it tomorrow.


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 Chapter 595: General Qin Xiong, age 554

    Chapter 595: General Qin Xiong, age 554


    As Jiang Xian called his 2nd Army back from the eastern front to reinforce the defenses of King City, inhabitants within Nanye witnessed a sight they would never forget.


    Hiding behind the windows of their homes, they saw a No. 4 tank rush past the deserted streets.


    Soon after, vehicles filled with Tang soldiers and trucks towing artillery followed suit, sweeping through the streets of Nanye without stopping.


    The 4th Armored Division didn¡¯t waste time on the peripheral Qi troops and, upon learning of Nanye¡¯s weak defenses, charged straight into the city area without hesitation.


    Despite having city walls, the remaining defending infantry battalion commander ultimately chose to surrender with dignity.


    The small Qi force stationed there, even if they engaged in street fighting, to be honest, it wasn¡¯t really enough to make a significant attrition.


    Moreover, with the combat effectiveness of the Qi Army, if they really spread out for street fighting, how long they could hold out was a huge question mark.


    In order to increase his bargaining chips for surrender, the Qi commander and local officials handed over all the supplies stockpiled in Nanye to the Tang Army without causing any form of destruction, not even entertaining the thought of it.


    By the time the 4th Armored Division entered the city, there were enough supplies stockpiled there to feed 100,000 people for four months, as well as a variety of ammunition, and even a complete train station was preserved intact.


    What came as a pleasant surprise to the Tang commanders was that, for fear of being attacked and bombed en route to the front line, 20 locomotives were still parked here with over 100 rail cars stored.


    These trains instantly filled the transportation void for the Tang Army within Qi territory, while also saving a significant amount of time in the transportation of supplies.


    Thanks to the grain captured in Nanye, the Tang Army could now continue fighting in Qi territory for at least a month, ensuring the food supplies for their troops.


    Jiang Xian was still unaware that Nanye had already changed hands by this time, nor that the Tang Army tanks were already crossing Nanye, headed for his King City.


    The battle for Luo Town continued under these circumstances, with the Qi Army still preparing to retake the vitally important Luo Town, unaware of Nanye¡¯s loss.


    Only after the loss of the 3rd Army and the arrival of General Qin Xiong at the front line did the Qi forces regain their spirits and began organizing a proper offensive.


    But by this time, the Qi Army discovered that the Tang forces blocking their path had fortified their defensive positions, reinforced their troops, and arranged their armored corps on the flanks.


    Reaching this stage, Qin Xiong also knew it was unlikely to break through the defense ahead. Therefore, the first thing he did upon arriving at the front was to send a telegram to the First Prince, advising him to take a detour from the eastern front and lead his troops to retreat.


    ¡°Now, to continue reinforcing Luo Town is futile,¡± he said in the telegram, ¡°A position that cannot be reclaimed by 100,000 troops will not be reclaimed by 150,000 either! Continuous troop inflow will bring logistical pressure, which is clearly unwise.¡±@@@@


    ¡°Quick, come and help!¡± A guard unhooked his canteen to help wash Qin Xiong¡¯s face. By the time these men had clumsily rinsed his eyes, the marauding Stuka dive bombers overhead had already departed.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± complained a Qi officer who had witnessed such a thing for the first time, looking discontentedly at the Qi regimental commander beside him.


    With an embarrassed expression, the commander promptly reported, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s always like this with Tang Country planes. We¡¯ve gotten used to it.¡±


    Qin Xiong, who had been fortunate enough not to encounter Stukas along the way, now realized that their disregard for Tang Country¡¯s air force stemmed from the fact that the Tang air force had never considered them a primary target.


    If such howling were to occur on the central battlefield, Qin Xiong believed that his own troops would fare no better than the western allies.


    ¡°We must attack right away...¡± Qin Xiong uttered grimly. After a pause, he continued, ¡°Add another regiment! For the next assault, at least three regiments! No retreat until we¡¯ve touched the Tang Army¡¯s positions!¡±


    Before long, the Qi Army launched another assault. Waves of infantry clambered out of makeshift trenches to advance, braving the continuous artillery fire from the Tang Army and stepping over the bodies left from earlier, in a scene of tragic grandeur.


    They had no other choice but to use their lives to gauge the strength of the Tang Army. They were quickly enveloped in artillery fire, with the Tang Army¡¯s mortar fire joining the fray, making the barrage impenetrable.


    Amidst the smoky battlefield, it was getting hard to see even silhouettes. The Tang Army¡¯s artillerymen obviously possessed precise range card parameters, allowing them to methodically lay down fire based on firing charts.


    In stark contrast to the Qi Army¡¯s artillery that was constantly harassed and whose training lagged seriously behind, the Tang Army¡¯s artillery corps was professional and advanced, demonstrating a fighting capability that was on a whole other level.


    The Tang Army¡¯s 155mm howitzers, with their long-range and powerful blasts, were nothing short of a nightmare for the attacking Qi forces.


    Just three rounds of concentrated fire, and the infantry on the battlefield from Qi Country had already lost their will to attack. The supervising officers fired a few shots haphazardly before retreating, failing once again to assess the Tang Army¡¯s weaknesses and strengths.


    ¡°The western troops¡¯ morale has collapsed. Relying on them is probably just wasting time,¡± Qin Xiong¡¯s aide-de-camp remarked anxiously after seeing their retreating forces.


    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Qin Xiong also knew that depending on these rattled fellows wouldn¡¯t accomplish anything, so he had to readjust his deployment, ¡°Let¡¯s send the armored corps to try! At the very least, to give the enemy a different challenge.¡±


    He tried to lighten the mood with a joke, ¡°If we keep fighting like this, those damn Tang people will probably fall asleep.¡±


    However, as the Qi military officers in the command post were preparing to join their superior in a laugh to alleviate the tension, the untimely howl of the Stuka dive bombers resounded once more.


    This was quickly followed by the trembling of the earth and a deafening explosion... Without question, another unfortunate artillery position had likely just been sent sky-high by a 500-kilogram aerial bomb.


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 Chapter 596: 555 Qi Army Tank

    Chapter 596: 555 Qi Army Tank


    This time, Qin Xiong finally witnessed the strange aircraft with inverted seagull wings, named the Stuka Dive Bomber.


    In fact, very few within the Tang Army understood this name, and generally, they just thought it was the designers at the Great Tang Aviation Group¡¯s idea of a bad joke.


    In reality, these designers were merely continuing with the naming convention set by the chief designer, Tang Mo. When Tang Mo presented the design concept for this aircraft, he had scribbled the odd word ¡°Stuka¡± in a corner of the blueprint.


    After the project was green-lighted, the engineers of the Great Tang Group simply started calling this type of aircraft Stuka, just as they would call the FW-190 fighter butcher.


    It¡¯s unlikely that Tang Mo would ever name his own fighter FW-190, nor did he wish to carry on with the name butcher bird¡ªso he decided to simply drop a character, renaming it to Butcher.


    The imposing force of the Stuka Dive Bomber swooping down from the sky was much more powerful than that of the Butcher, watching the Stuka plunging down sharply from afar, Qin Xiong felt the muscles in his body tense up.


    That kind of disheartening noise left such a deep impression on him; he slightly understood why the Western Front troops hated these enemy planes so much.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just shoot that damn plane down from the sky?¡± Qin Xiong, annoyed, asked from within the trench while watching the Stuka dropping its bombs.


    The Qi Army lacked an officer specifically in charge of anti-aircraft defense, and the man in charge, while wiping the sweat from his forehead, explained with equal frustration, ¡°General... we don¡¯t have the appropriate weapons...¡±


    It¡¯s hopeless to rely on Maxim guns raised for anti-air defense; they are truly not very effective. Not to mention, the Stuka itself has steel armor protection, and when it dives and pulls up, its machine guns and cannons suppress anti-aircraft fire. Relying on not-so-professional machine guns for anti-air defense is simply inadequate.


    Moreover, the anti-balloon guns purchased from Shireck couldn¡¯t rotate fast enough to keep up with the Stuka, and were nearly as good as decorations.


    ¡°...¡± Qin Xiong fell silent, he just stared at the enemy aircraft climbing back up, his eyes filled with envy.


    If he had such weapons at his disposal, wouldn¡¯t breaking through the defense line in front of him be much more likely? Of course, he didn¡¯t know that on the second line of defense of the Tang Army, there were already four Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns set up per company...


    After preparing all morning, and being harassed by planes all morning, the tank forces of Qi Country that followed the 1st Army of Qi to the front lines of Luo Town, were finally ready to launch their attack and appeared before the battle formation of both armies.


    After a long wait of several days, the Tang Army grenadiers, who were dozing in the trenches, faced some new changes.


    A soldier on guard duty rubbed his eyes, took another look at the distant enemy position, then shrank back and started calling out with joy, ¡°They¡¯re coming! The enemy is coming again!¡±@@@@


    ¡°So what if they¡¯re coming, why the hell are you so happy?¡± An old soldier, sleepy amid the booming cannon fire, retorted with his eyes closed.


    ¡°Tanks! Their tanks are advancing!¡± The sentry explained eagerly. Hearing his explanation, the surrounding Tang Army soldiers immediately perked up.


    Not as a joke at all, they lay full of anticipation at the edge of their position, gazing towards the distant enemy.


    Indeed, they saw the enemy tanks, looking like large ships, slowly moving their massive bodies closer to the Tang Army¡¯s defensive line.


    ¡°Stop the tank!¡± Less than two minutes after advancing and cresting the small rise ahead, Liu Guozhu shouted in shock upon seeing the dense Qi Country tank forces ahead.


    He really hadn¡¯t expected the enemy to have so many tanks, and these tanks... they looked extraordinarily ugly...


    After spotting these tanks, he ordered a halt, then continued to give orders to his gunner: ¡°Open fire once you have a target! No need to ask for my permission!¡±


    Following his command, the gunner didn¡¯t hesitate to press the pedal, and the 75mm short-barreled cannon of tank number 4 fired, sending a shell directly at a Shireck Type 1 tank, which was engulfed in flames.


    With a gasoline engine, thousands of rounds of bullets, dozens of shells, and more than a dozen men crowded together above a massive fuel tank, the likelihood of an explosive demise for Shireck tanks was astonishingly high.


    ¡°Ha!¡± After blowing up a tank with a single shot, Liu Guozhu had no intention of ordering his tank to advance any further.


    In this situation, firing from the high ground seemed a better way to achieve results than charging forward.


    Next to Liu Guozhu¡¯s tank, the platoon leader¡¯s vehicle seemed to have the same idea. Both tanks did not continue to advance but kept firing from their position.


    The loader, sweating profusely, once again pulled a shell from the ammunition rack, pushed it into the breech, and closed the breech block.


    Almost immediately, the cannon in the turret recoiled violently backward, and a spent shell casing was ejected.


    An odious smell of burning hung in the air of the tank once more, making every breath Liu Guozhu took an urge to cough.


    He opened the hatch above his head, allowing more air to circulate into the vehicle. Just then, his gunner fired the third shell.


    ¡°Missed!¡± the gunner complained sullenly. There was no helping it; with the current level of technology, even the best gunner could hardly guarantee a 50% hit rate.


    ¡°Get us closer!¡± Liu Guozhu felt they should improve their hit rate, otherwise, if they ran out of ammunition too soon, it would be very awkward.


    ¡°Fire the high-explosive! No worries! I think the HE rounds can take them out too.¡± As they moved forward, Liu Guozhu suggested ideas to his gunner and loader despite the jolting of the tank.


    At this time, the Qi Army tank commanders, who were attacking the Tang Army positions, seemed to have noticed the Tang tanks flanking them.


    After a moment of panic, many small turrets on Qi tanks began to rotate, and countless side-mounted machine guns on their hulls started to fire at the approaching Tang tanks.


    But Liu Guozhu and his men had closed the distance between them to the extreme! Just now, the number 4 tank that was ahead of them had charged past the blazing wreck of a Shireck Type 1 tank!


    Soon, Liu Guozhu¡¯s own tank also burst through the rolling smoke and passed the iron coffin glowing red from the fire.


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 Chapter 597: 556 doesnt distinguish between friend and foe

    Chapter 597: 556 doesn¡¯t distinguish between friend and foe


    ¡°Stop! Fire! Reload!¡± Liu Guozhu peered through the slit in the observation window and saw a Qi Army tank in the distance rotating its turret.


    The hunk of metal opposite them looked incredibly bulky, with short legs and a small head, almost like a clown. In comparison to the Tank No. 4, the Shireck Type 1 tank indeed seemed quite bizarre.


    It had a turret as well, but it was very small. Mounted on it was a 75mm gun, also a short barrel, designed to destroy the enemy¡¯s fortifications.


    The difference was, this cannon was aimed directly without an optical sighting system¡ªits accuracy, basically depended on lottery luck.


    From the very beginning, this gun was not meant to fight enemy tanks, so it was incomparable to the similar weapon on Tank No. 4.


    Even though the short-barreled 75mm cannon on the Tank No. 4 was also a low-pressure gun with weak armor-penetrating capability, it was still equipped with an optical sight, allowing it to fire at targets from a longer distance.@@@@


    Continuous commands flowed from Liu Guozhu¡¯s mouth. The Tank No. 4 paused briefly, and a shell was fired.


    Taking advantage of this brief pause, the loader had already reloaded another shell. By the time Liu Guozhu shouted the command ¡°Advance,¡± the gunner was already selecting his fifth target.


    All along their route, they had really resembled cavalry of ancient times, slicing into the battlefield, disrupting the enemy¡¯s formation, and breaking through the enemy¡¯s square formations.


    Every enemy tank they encountered received a shell from them, transforming the opponent into an explosion of flames.


    At this moment, the gunner was at the pinnacle of exhilaration, for he had just used nine shells to take out five tanks!


    For him, this was already an extraordinary performance. After all, this was on the battlefield; to achieve better results than during regular training was something to be proud of.


    ¡°Ahead! An enemy tank! Aim!¡± Liu Guozhu spotted an enemy tank not far ahead and loudly commanded.


    As he issued the command, the enemy tank¡¯s little cannon fired a shell, spewing a blast of flame.


    ¡°It¡¯s firing! It¡¯s firing!¡± The gunner had just pointed the sight at this Qi Army tank and was startled by the spouting flame.


    ¡°It¡¯s not attacking us! Don¡¯t panic! Stop! Aim at it! Fire!¡± Liu Guozhu loudly reminded his crew, then immediately followed with the command.


    His tank came to a stop once again; the vehicle wobbled slightly before coming to a rest.


    After a simple adjustment to the turret angle, the gunner fixed the crosshair of the sight on the Qi Army tank that had just fired.


    The next second, he pressed the pedal, firing a lethal shell. Tank No. 4¡¯s short barrel, too, ejected a burst of flame, and right then the Qi Army tank on the opposite side exploded.


    The feeling was incredibly satisfying; the tenth shell allowed the gunner to score his sixth kill of the day! And at that moment, the tanks of Qi Country on the battlefield seemed to be dwindling.


    ¡°Retreat! Get out of here! Quick!¡± On the other side, in a Qi Country tank, a commanding Qi officer ordered loudly.


    Right next to his tank, a Shireck Type 1 tank had already exploded and was burning, billowing thick smoke.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to say, but in this situation, can those tanks of ours... make it back?¡± Qin Xiong asked angrily, gritting his teeth.


    ¡°This...¡± The General who tried to intervene paused, looking embarrassed, and hung his head in acquiescence without saying anything more.


    ¡°Chased by Tang Army tanks, our tanks probably can¡¯t even return! It¡¯s better to take the chance while the enemy and our forces are intermingled, to take down the enemy tank units...¡± Qin Xiong made up his mind, and commanded fiercely, ¡°Fire! Cover the battle zone!¡±


    The Qi Army tank unit fighting fiercely on the battlefield had no idea they had already been abandoned by their commanders. The Tang Army Armored Corps that had broken into the battlefield also did not know that their enemies had prepared a nasty surprise for them.


    Just as Liu Guozhu was preparing to stop and fire another shot to send a reversing Shireck Type 1 tank to the heavens, a 130mm howitzer shell landed on the ground in front of him and exploded, lifting up a curtain of dust that hid the sky.


    ¡°Damn! Artillery fire!¡± Liu Guozhu was startled by the sudden explosion, then quickly realized someone was bombarding his area.


    ¡°Artillery! Watch out for artillery!¡± He grabbed the intercom, and as the second shell landed, he shouted hoarsely.


    Meanwhile, a Type 4 tank advancing was hit directly by a shell, and the huge explosion blew off its turret, leaving only the burning hull paralyzed in the position.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time a Type 4 tank had been destroyed, but it was the first time Liu Guozhu had witnessed it with his own eyes.


    ¡°Turn right! Turn right! Head towards our own position! Get out of here! Get out as fast as possible!¡± Amidst the chaos, the command from the battalion headquarters timely reached all the tank commanders¡¯ ears.


    ¡°Turn right! Accelerate! Charge towards our own defensive position! Fast!¡± Liu Guozhu also realized this was the quickest and shortest path out of the artillery fire.


    Almost all the Type 4 tanks began to turn at once, then sped away without a second thought, leaving behind a battlefield that resembled hell, littered with the remains of tanks, to escape the fire zone.


    In the distance, on the Qi Army¡¯s position, the Qi Army tank unit commander, who responded a hundred times faster than his own troops, was now in tears without tears.


    He didn¡¯t understand how they managed to manipulate these steel behemoths so exactly, so he could only watch as the shells fell in the midst of the battlefield now occupied only by Qi Army tanks.


    A few seconds later, he suddenly remembered something, burst forth, and grabbed Qin Xiong¡¯s arm, ¡°General! Stop the artillery fire! Stop it now!¡±


    Seeing the Tang Army escape, leaving behind a few destroyed Type 4 tanks, Qin Xiong also felt it was meaningless to continue the bombardment. He sighed, and with some regret, commanded, ¡°Send the order to stop the artillery fire...¡±


    In his view, the loss of his own tank unit was not a pity; the real regret was not being able to take down the formidable Tang Army Armored Corps with them.


    If he had a choice, he would prefer to have both sides¡¯ armored corps wiped out together. At least then, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about someone taking out his headquarters...


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    Extra chapter update


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 Chapter 598: 557 Awkward Retreat

    Chapter 598: 557 Awkward Retreat


    Liu Guozhu was in a shabby state, and as he had his tank turn around, another shell dropped, nearly flipping his tank over.


    The massive explosion made him feel the vibration inside the tank, a mix of relief from a narrow escape and terror.


    ¡°Speed up! Full speed! Quick!¡± Liu Guozhu, wanting to leave this wretched place as soon as possible, didn¡¯t want to stay here for another minute.


    Not far from his side, a No. 4 tank that had been hit directly by a shell had its hull torn apart, a horrible sight to behold.


    The shell had smashed the No. 4 tank¡¯s turret directly, the deformed turret flew far away, and the remaining body immediately caught fire, with the tracks ceasing amidst the flames. Due to the intense heat, the road wheels were detached from the body and rolled away to the side.


    The road wheels of the No. 4 tank were surrounded by rubber rims, and these flammable materials were all consumed in the raging fire.


    Everything from the tank¡¯s headlights to the paint riddled with bullet holes was peeling off and breaking apart in the fire and then gradually disappearing.


    When everything finally came to a stop, only the rusty armor of the tank remained, barely showing the original contours of the body, nothing more.


    As for the crew members inside, they had long been burned to ashes, leaving nothing behind. They would turn into charred remains, and over time crumble into dust.


    ¡°There are our trenches up ahead!¡± The driver, while steering the tank forward in a mad rush, shouted to Liu Guozhu.


    ¡°I know! Don¡¯t mind it! Just go over it!¡± Liu Guozhu figured that as long as the soldiers weren¡¯t blind, they¡¯d definitely notice them barreling towards them.


    Sure enough, in the trenches, the grenade-throwing soldiers of the Tang Army, who had seen the artillery hitting their own tank units, also saw their tanks swiftly turn and charge towards them.


    ¡°Tanks! Tanks are coming! Bend down! Get down! Get down!¡± An infantry platoon leader, seeing his own tanks frantically approaching, immediately turned and shouted to his soldiers.


    Upon hearing his cry, the soldiers of the Tang Army in the position immediately started to dodge, some bending down, some simply running off to the distance.


    In no time, the first approaching No. 4 tank rolled over their own trench, as if it was charging at them.


    The tracks crushed the edges of the trench, continuing to move with the soil, then flung the mud clinging to it onto the steel helmets of the Tang Army soldiers, clanging noisily.


    After the first tank rumbled past their own trench, the second tank charged over recklessly, rushing past everything.


    Without the time to look back at the tanks that had passed, the grenade-throwing soldiers of the Tang Army, who had not yet encountered the Qi Army tanks, were once again rolled over by their own.


    ¡°Hey! You bunch of cowards! You only know how to pick on your own kind, eh?¡± One of the soldiers, discontented, knocked the mud off his helmet, turned back, and cursed at the passing tank loudly.


    Before he could finish his curse, a veteran soldier next to him reached out, grabbed his neck, and pushed him back into the trench.


    The next second, the No. 4 tank of Liu Guozhu, with its not-so-wide tracks, collided over. It almost hit the back of the reckless soldier¡¯s head.


    The colossal body of the No. 4 tank swept past over the soldier¡¯s head. If he had looked up, he could have seen the maintenance hatch reserved on the bottom of the tank.


    Tanks, after all, are a new type of weapon and equipment, and it¡¯s more than common for them to have some issues on the battlefield. For an Armored Division with several hundred tanks, being able to maintain two-thirds of them in battle-ready condition was already a very high level of combat readiness.


    ¡°They¡¯re really ruthless, beginning the indiscriminate bombardment while their own men were still out there,¡± a tank commander, who had a bandage wrapped around his head, complained to Liu Guozhu while leaning against a tank.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Liu Guozhu pointed at his own head and asked the other party.


    ¡°The tank shook violently, and I hit the handrail...¡± The tank commander was too embarrassed to admit that he was running too eagerly, and gave a vague reply.


    ¡°You¡¯re actually lucky,¡± said the platoon leader as he came over, carrying a map and some documents, and said after looking in the direction of the third platoon, ¡°One of the tanks from the third platoon was destroyed... later on... all the tank commanders will have to go there for a memorial service.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The tank commander, still leaning on the tank with a bandage on his forehead, stood at attention and saluted.


    Liu Guozhu also stood at attention and saluted, ¡°Understood!¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, Liu Guozhu, the regimental commander has read your report, and he¡¯s very satisfied! The matter of you killing the third prince of Qi Country has been confirmed, and the division will send someone to commend you, so don¡¯t worry,¡± the platoon leader seemed to remember something and said to Liu Guozhu, ¡°The second platoon leader specifically asked me to thank you...¡±


    ¡°Thank me for what?¡± Liu Guozhu looked genuinely puzzled.


    The platoon leader showed a smile and pointed in the direction where Liu Guozhu was, ¡°At such a young age, where did you learn so much about the ways of the world? Get out of here!¡±


    Although it was a rebuke, there was no dissatisfaction to be heard, and it seemed that the platoon leader was very pleased with Liu Guozhu, his subordinate.


    The Tang Army¡¯s retaliation was swift and decisive. In the afternoon, countless bombers visited the area where Qi troops were stationed.


    This time it was not just three or five planes carrying out bombing missions as a matter of routine, but an all-out deployment of 50 Stukas, plus 60 FW-190 ¡°Butcher¡± fighters.


    Qin Xiong had never seen so many aircraft deployed by the Tang Army before. He hid in his command post and watched helplessly as his troops were bombed to the point of screaming for their fathers and mothers.


    With more than a hundred planes dropping bombs in rotation, Qi Country¡¯s ground troops failed to organize a single attack until darkness fell.


    The unique sound of the Stukas echoed in the sky all afternoon, their continuous howling sapping the fighting spirit of the Qi Army. No matter how much the commanders urged, the troops were unwilling to leave their hiding places to assemble and launch an attack on the Tang Army defenses.


    As the chief commander of Qi Country, Qin Xiong had no good solution either. Although he was seen as a rather professional senior commander in the Qi military, he was indeed helpless against the Tang Army of another caliber.


    After witnessing the power of the Tang Army, what occupied Qin Xiong¡¯s mind now was how to get away from the cursed place of Luo Town.


    At this time, the news of the loss of Nanye also reached Qin Xiong¡¯s ears. Clearly, recapturing Luo Town had become undisputedly superfluous for the Qi Army.


    Because their plan to open a line of transport between Luo Town and Nanye had utterly failed with the fall of Nanye.


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 Chapter 599: Wait in place at 558

    Chapter 599: Wait in place at 558


    When the First Prince saw the telegram sent by Qin Xiong, he was completely dumbfounded. He no longer knew what to do.


    His father had ordered him to immediately recapture Luo Town, but Qin Xiong had a pessimistic attitude toward the recapture of Luo Town. As Qin Xiong¡¯s partner, the First Prince believed in the judgment of this renowned general from Qi Country, so he was reluctant to ¡°wade into muddy waters¡± at Luo Town.


    However, Jiang Xian¡¯s orders were very clear, which was to assemble the troops and attack towards Luo Town to recapture this vital stronghold.


    Developments often go beyond people¡¯s expectations: the First Prince hadn¡¯t yet made up his mind to go to Luo Town when Qin Xiong sent him news that the Armored Corps had been almost completely lost.


    Combined with the earlier disappearance of the Third Prince near Luo Town... the First Prince felt that Luo Town was hell, a dangerous zone that should not be easily entered.


    Looking at a newspaper from the Great Tang Kingdom in his hands, the First Prince was even more conflicted now. The newspaper was Chang¡¯an Daily from Tang Country, dropped by the thousands by B-17 bombers of the Great Tang Kingdom onto the frontlines of Qi Country.


    By now, many of the officials and soldiers of Qi Country had already seen these papers that fell from the sky, and had seen the enormous photo on the paper.


    One photo was of a row of neatly arranged corpses, among which strikingly were the Third Prince, Tian Heng, and the commander of the 3rd Army.


    All three were in their military uniforms, but the Third Prince had several holes in his chest, Tian Heng was a grisly sight, and the commander of the 3rd Army had been beheaded.


    Even though the photo was somewhat blurred due to the printing, it was still clear enough to recognize the military uniforms on these corpses.


    Everyone now knew why the Third Prince and his men could not be found, because they were already dead, slain by the Tang Army!


    Below that photo, there was another picture, of Nanye. On the picture, the flag of Tang Country¡¯s dragon hung on the walls of Nanye.


    Anyone who saw this newspaper would probably waver¡ªtheir cities in the rear had already been occupied by the Tang Army! Their generals had already died in battle!


    Even the First Prince was scared senseless because he dared not imagine the tremendous impact the loss of Nanye would have on the defenses of Qi Country.


    King City was practically defenseless now, and the troops on the eastern front had yet to engage in battle, and it was estimated the war would be over before they could.


    He even wanted to send a telegram to his father, he really wanted to persuade Jiang Xian to find an excuse to negotiate while there was still a chance.


    Making an enemy out of such a formidable country was a complete mistake. Against an opponent of this caliber, even the Dahua Empire might not fare well if it directly intervened.


    ¡°Organize these... messages... and send them to His Majesty,¡± the First Prince released the newspaper from his hand, letting it fall on the table, and commanded the person beside him.


    The guard next to him quickly bowed his head, taking a pile of files that had been gathered together and left. Here, were intelligence reports from various sources.


    Some were about the loss of Nanye, some were about the disappearance of the Third Prince, and others described the Mark 3 Tanks and the Butcher Fighters.


    The most detailed were the descriptions of the Stuka Dive Bombers¡ªespecially the special, terrifying sound they made.


    King City was defenseless, and the Tang Army could attack at any moment. Under these circumstances, if pressure wasn¡¯t created behind the Tang Army, they would certainly focus their attention on King City.


    Jiang Xian understood this perfectly, but the first thing he needed to do was to recall the Imperial Guard he had sent out to strengthen the defenses of King City.


    So, he immediately gave his order to the generals in front of him, ¡°Order the Imperial Guard to retreat immediately! Quickly!¡±


    Now that Nanye had been lost, the Imperial Guard dispatched there were like lost souls in desolate wilds. If they were surrounded by the Tang Army, they would be annihilated in an instant.


    As the monarch of Qi Country, Jiang Xian no longer had faith in the field capabilities of Qi Country¡¯s troops. If the Qi troops could actually make a difference in the field, the situation would have taken a different turn.


    Only then did Jiang Xian start a series of troop mobilizations and commands: ¡°Send a telegram to the Second Prince! Ask where the 2nd Army has reached! Tell them to speed up! Tell them to join me as soon as possible!¡±


    After urging the 2nd Army, Jiang Xian began sending telegrams to the First Prince: ¡°Telegraph orders to the First Prince¡¯s troops, to launch a fierce attack on Luo Town at all costs! At any cost!¡±


    He spoke with the most severe and firm tone to the officer sending the telegram: ¡°Find a way to tell him! The survival of the kingdom hinges on this battle, he is a prince of Qi Country, he must shoulder the responsibility befitting a prince!¡±


    Following that, Jiang Xian sent a telegram to Qin Xiong, ordering him to take command of the remaining troops on the western front and lead the troops from both the central and western fronts to recapture Luo Town by any means necessary.


    The First Prince, who had been ready to lead his troops in a great detour along the eastern railway to retreat as per Qin Xiong¡¯s advice, was packing up when he received another telegram from his father in King City.


    In the telegram, his father forbade him to retreat, instead issuing him a do-or-die order to be laid to rest in Luo Town if necessary.


    This put the First Prince, who had prepared to flee to the northeast, at a loss, and he ended up spending another day unsuccessfully at the central front command post.


    He had yet to understand that waiting in place was not only a waste of time but also left the troops under his command stranded on the spot, unable to move an inch.


    While the Qi Army at the front line was wasting time marching in place, Jiang Xian¡¯s Imperial Guard was encircled north of Nanye by the pioneering forces of the 4th Armored Division.


    The only sizable Qi troop near King City was thus wiped out by the Tang Army on their retreat.


    And on the same day, Qi Army still stationed at the western front stopped resisting, laid down their arms, and chose to surrender with dignity.


    The Tang Army accepted their surrender and also took over the defensive positions of the Qi Army. The western bulge of Qi Country, the only threat to the supply line of the Tang Army, had been flattened by the Tang forces.


    The next day, the Tang Army did not continue their offensive but waited for further supplies to arrive. Both the 4th Armored Division and the 2nd Armored Division needed a replenishment of fuel and ammunition.


    That day, the First Prince was still in his command post, neither advancing to the front line at Luo Town nor retreating towards the northeast.


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 Chapter 600: 559 Accidental Fall

    Chapter 600: 559 Accidental Fall


    Above the sky, the Stuka Dive Bombers of the Great Tang Kingdom were howling towards the ground. Then, without any attempt to pull up, they slammed into the earth and became a dazzling blaze of fire.


    There was no warning, nor any interference from anti-aircraft fire. This was the second aircraft the Air Force troops of the Great Tang Kingdom had lost in these days.


    The first aircraft crashed on the runway on its return flight due to improper operation; it was an FW-190 fighter. The pilot, with broken bones, was pulled out from the slightly deformed cockpit by ground personnel and sent to the hospital.


    This time, the two pilots aboard the crashed Stuka Dive Bomber were not so lucky. They were unable to parachute out in time, crashing with the aircraft and exploding in a fiery blast.


    It wasn¡¯t only encounters with enemy interceptors or being hit by ground artillery that could result in aircraft losses.


    Even in peacetime, it wasn¡¯t so unthinkable for a commercial airliner, which had been subjected to countless inspections, to suddenly experience a mechanical failure.


    Moreover, this was a time of war. All aircraft, even if they had minor issues, wouldn¡¯t affect their deployment.


    Some pilots would even volunteer, preferring to fly into battle with an aircraft that had a minor malfunction. This was considered a sign of bravery.


    Now, the Great Tang Group had lost their first aircraft in war, along with two heroic and fearless pilots.


    The remaining covering aircraft circled in the sky for a long time, as if it had lost its partner, not reluctantly leaving until its fuel ran low.


    On the ground, surrounded by parts scattered from the explosion around the still not fully extinguished flames, the charred bodies of the Tang pilots were utterly beyond recognition. Outside the severely deformed cockpit, countless Qi Country soldiers timidly surrounded the wreckage.


    They observed the devil that had fallen from the sky with terror, clueless about how the thing could have flown into the heavens.


    They looked at the thin, burnt, and deformed sheet metal, the half of the propeller that had been blown off, and the engine that was now unrecognizable.


    To them, these items, including the broken wings, the snapped long-wave radio antenna, and the twisted metal bars on the cockpit canopy, were beyond their comprehension.


    They viewed this object in much the same way as a group of Earthlings would gather around to observe a UFO. Their meager knowledge made it impossible for them to understand what lay before their eyes.


    Imagine, if you will, a person from the year 1980 encountering an iPhone 13 ¡ª they might not even have the courage to disassemble it for study.


    Engineers would not recognize the battery that¡¯s about the size of a piece of chewing gum, nor would they comprehend the mysterious vibrating module, or the CPU¡ªabout the size of a little fingernail¡ªwhose processing power rivals that of a massive computer...


    But in front of these soldiers from Qi Country was a Stuka Dive Bomber! Just a minute ago, it had been soaring through the sky, ready to drop a 500-kilogram bomb on the heads of these very soldiers from Qi Country!


    Meanwhile, another advisor from Shireck was continuously snapping photos of the scant remains of the airplane, not sparing his film at all.


    In his hand was a camera produced by the Great Tang Group, compact and precise, clearly very valuable.


    ¡°Do you see the perforations here? They¡¯ve made progress in materials science...¡± While photographing the wreckage of the Stuka Dive Bomber, the advisor from Shireck remarked.


    ¡°Yes, and the machining precision has improved as well... Even though it¡¯s burned like this... The perforations are uniform, the sheet metal that¡¯s left... We probably couldn¡¯t manufacture it, it¡¯s too thin,¡± the other advisor from Shireck, who had just been glaring at the Qi Country officer, agreed.


    Despite the wreckage being only a shadow of its former self, these experts, who have been studying this field for years, could instantly spot certain advancements.


    It was a shame that most of Shireck¡¯s advisors were focused on military command, so these two technical experts had been temporarily brought in from a distant location.


    It was precisely because they were waiting for their arrival that two days were delayed, during which the wreckage of the Stuka Dive Bomber suffered unimaginable destruction.


    ¡°And the weapons? There should have been weapons!¡± Knowing from previous reports that this type of aircraft was obviously armed, the photographer advisor from Shireck suddenly realized something and asked.


    ¡°During the dive, there should have been two 20mm caliber autocannons! We have collected their bullets!¡± Another expert from Shireck turned again toward the Qi Country officer, filled with dissatisfaction.


    They might have arrived two days late, but those parts would only be of use in their hands¡ªwhat use could Qi Country make of similar wreckage fragments? After all, they couldn¡¯t even manage their own basic industry, let alone copy an airplane; they couldn¡¯t even produce a car.


    The current industry in Qi Country was at a level where they could produce some bullets and shells and repair cars made by countries like Shireck.


    ¡°This... I really don¡¯t know,¡± said the Qi Country officer, who in fact knew exactly what was going on but still pretended ignorance.


    He was of course aware of where the two autocannons that had been burned on the plane and the similarly burned and deformed MG-34 machine gun had gone, but he could not say.


    Some of these weapons had been ordered to be taken to King City, and one of the autocannons seemed to be desired by some dignitaries from the Dahua Empire, along with some fragments and parts, all of which were being prepared to go to the Dahua Empire.


    In short, there were too many people in Qi Country whom they could not afford to offend; many coveted the military technology of Great Tang, even if it was just a glimmer of hope, even if it was just an ephemeral wish, they wanted it! They wanted it badly!


    ¡°...¡± Although frustrated, the advisor expert from Shireck still held back from losing his temper because he needed the cooperation of the others, to somehow transport all the wreckage to Beiyuan City.


    These items would then be shipped from there to Shen Country, transported from Shen Country back to the south controlled by Shireck, with the final destination being Flame Castle.


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 Chapter 601: 560 Confidential

    Chapter 601: 560 Confidential


    ¡°General! The battle damage assessment is in, and it¡¯s confirmed that one plane did not return¡ªStuka Dive Bomber number 80095 has crashed,¡± an officer reported to Ibrahim within the bustling Air Force headquarters.


    ¡°Has the wreckage been dealt with?¡± Ibrahim¡¯s first reaction was the issue of technical leakage of the aircraft! This was a matter of grave secrecy, and he did not want his enemies to be able to build fighters capable of flying in the sky so soon.


    Even if it was the outdated camel model fighter, it was still a tangible threat! Once these damned old planes appeared in the sky, the fighters under Ibrahim¡¯s command would most likely not be able to be deployed for ground attack missions.@@@@


    Nevertheless, despite his subconscious concern for the wreckage of the crashed plane, Ibrahim immediately followed up with another question, ¡°Which pilot was sacrificed?¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant Durman and Flight Trainee Sergeant Faraday were the ones killed in action,¡± the officer reported. ¡°Wingman Pilot Halsey and his accompanying flight trainee Braco confirmed that the aircraft was completely destroyed in a fire and explosion.¡±


    ¡°Has the cause of the accident been investigated and clarified?¡± Ibrahim asked next.


    ¡°It has been clarified. The dive brake was damaged during the dive and the flaps malfunctioned during the pull-up, causing the aircraft to plummet to the ground,¡± the officer immediately responded.


    It had been two or three days since the people below had been handling this matter. They investigated the testimonies and dispatched planes for reconnaissance and confirmation.


    After dropping two bombs in a low-altitude dive and finding the results mediocre, the pilots of these planes also brought back definite news: the wreckage of that aircraft had been destroyed beyond further destruction.


    Of course, the accident investigation was also very thorough. The engineers checked their design drawings, and the ground crew checked over the more than 160 Stuka Dive Bombers at the front line.


    Only after confirming that there were no issues with these aircraft did the Stuka Dive Bomber units resume their duties.


    Yes, that¡¯s right. After nearly a month of combat, the number of Stuka Dive Bombers in the Tang Army did not decrease but instead increased by nearly forty.


    The main reason was that there were almost no combat losses, coupled with a large number of reinforcements from the rear. The number of pilots at the Tang frontline was also increasing, so the size of the squadrons was expanding accordingly.


    If you include the B-17s, which had been expanding production like mad recently, the more than 300 aircraft that the Tang Army had at the frontline had increased to over 440.


    The B-17 bombers had increased from the initial 100 to now 150, making them the model with the most significant increase in numbers.


    On the other hand, the Butcher Fighter, which hardly had any combat escort missions, had increased by fewer than 30 because it had always been used as a bomber, which was clearly somewhat inappropriate.


    The Tang Country Air Force, in dire need of weapons for ground attacks, most desired the B-17 and Stukas, and were not very enthusiastic about the Butchers.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed not a design issue, it should be just an accidental malfunction,¡± the officer concluded after a brief introduction to the ground crew¡¯s fault investigation process.


    Since the aircraft provided by Tang Mo were mature models, there definitely wouldn¡¯t be any problems with their design, therefore, these weapons and equipment had been quite mature since their induction.


    Beiyuan Port was roughly at the intersection of the cross and the hook of the ¡°ÃÅ¡± character, with the railway extending southward from Beiyuan representing the ¡°hook¡±, which was the eastern theater of operations and the location of the Second Prince¡¯s station.


    It was because this ¡°vertical¡± of the ¡°ÃÅ¡±, the section from Luo Town to Nanye, had been cut off by the Tang Army from west to east that King Jiang Xian of Qi ordered the distant Second Prince to lead the 2nd Army around Beiyuan to rush to the aid of King City.


    Now, Ibrahim planned to use a bombardment to cut off Qi Country¡¯s railway south of Beiyuan to create some trouble for the retreating Qi eastern group.


    ...


    Elsewhere, in Anpu City, the headquarters of the Tang Army in the northern stronghold of Tang Country, Tang Mo was listening to Luff¡¯s report: ¡°Your Majesty, the 4th Armored Division has already captured Nanye; they have encircled the Qi Army¡¯s Imperial Guards. If we can continue north along the railway, our forces can threaten the enemy¡¯s King City.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, our military operations in Qi Country are quite successful. If the 2nd Armored Division can maintain the supply line along the railway, then the 4th Armored Division can advance to Qi¡¯s King City and capture it,¡± the general in charge of logistics added.


    ¡°The following troops are moving north, everything is going smoothly, although there was a bit of chaos at the outset,¡± the infantry general immediately said.


    Tang Mo, stroking his chin, listened to his subordinates¡¯ briefing. He had been studying battlefield command recently and had finally developed some understanding and viewpoints of his own on the war.


    At that moment, the liaison officer from the air force also spoke up: ¡°On the air force side, we have bombed Qi¡¯s industrial district in King City once again. Now the only thing they can rely on is the coastal Beiyuan City.¡±


    ¡°The production capacity of Beiyuan is nothing for us to covet,¡± Tang Mo continued to stroke his chin, sharing his own views: ¡°Leaving it to Qi Country won¡¯t have any impact on the war. But once Qi Country capitulates, we can immediately put it to use, so there¡¯s no need to bomb it.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a plan to cut off the railway leading north to Beiyuan City?¡± Tang Mo raised his head as he said this, looking towards Luff.


    ¡°Yes, according to the plan, the Flying Fortresses will take off today to bomb and destroy the railway,¡± Luff replied.


    Tang Mo nodded in satisfaction: ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s enough! Letting some of Qi¡¯s troops escape won¡¯t change the situation; what I want is to paralyze the vast majority of Qi¡¯s troops at their original border defense positions.¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed on the map: ¡°The more Qi troops are stuck at the border defense line, unable to move, the easier it will be for our armored corps.¡±


    As the founder of the Tang Army, Tang Mo was in no way worried about the 2nd or 1st Armies of Qi Country causing trouble for his troops. The only thing he didn¡¯t want to face was Qi Country¡¯s hundred-thousand-strong army entrenched in King City engaging him in urban warfare!


    As long as the Qi troops were exposed in the open, as long as they did not resort to the most primitive scorched earth policies, Tang Mo was not worried that the war would slip out of his control.


    Having said that, he placed his palm on Qi¡¯s King City on the map: ¡°Now, only this issue remains! Take down Qi¡¯s King City, and end this war!¡±


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 Chapter 602: 561 returns to the team

    Chapter 602: 561 returns to the team


    After a bumpy journey, a C47 finally came to a steady halt in the middle of the runway at Anpu¡¯s military airport. The cabin door opened, and two people dressed in the uniform of major generals, carrying briefcases and holding their hats, descended the gangway.


    ¡°Welcome, both of you!¡± Luff said with a smile to the newcomers.


    The guards on either side stood to attention and saluted, holding their Mauser 98K rifles in front of their noses. The two major generals returned the salute and then followed Luff to a campsite filled with radio antennas.


    The campsite was right next to the airport, and one could see Bofors anti-aircraft guns erected nearby. Cars were parked everywhere, with Rolls-Royces not being uncommon.


    ¡°His Majesty is in the base. Now that you two have returned safely, I have someone I can use here,¡± Luff said as he led the way.


    Strauss, who had come a long way, had a somewhat pale complexion as it was his first time flying, and he had flown all the way from Dragon Island to Anpu.


    Although the agony was considerably shortened in time, the degree of suffering had not lessened in the slightest. Despite being decent, the C-47 transport plane was still an old aircraft from the World War II era, and the riding experience was rather uncomfortable.


    General Bolton was also not in good spirits, having little experience with flying. In the turbulent airflow, he had thrown up more than once throughout the journey.


    ¡°I heard that the 4th Armored Division...¡± Strauss began to inquire while following Luff, ¡°is advancing quickly toward Nanye?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve just got off the plane, so the news might be a bit slow. They¡¯ve already taken Nanye and are now attacking near King City,¡± Luff said, updating Strauss with a smile.


    ¡°So fast?¡± Bolton was startled by the speed of the advance. When he boarded the plane, the Tang Army was still near Nanye; now that they had captured it, the speed was indeed formidable.


    If one looks at the bigger picture, after seizing Nanye, the situation was greatly in favor of the Tang Army: The Qi Army could no longer maneuver on a large scale and had become meat on the chopping block.


    ¡°His Majesty means that we can speed up even more,¡± Luff spoke without turning around. ¡°And indeed, we have sped up.¡±


    ¡°Faster still?¡± Strauss was startled by the answer, his steps faltering momentarily as he nearly tripped over himself.


    Both he and Bolton had previously conducted rapid attack operations and had shocked the world with their actions in Dorne.


    However, back then, they faced much weaker enemies, with both sides committing at most a few hundred thousand troops to battle.


    The situation was now completely different since all countries had a certain industrial base, and armies often involved hundreds of thousands of soldiers. In such circumstances, to achieve a swift and decisive victory was clearly even harder.


    Therefore, neither Strauss nor Bolton had ever contemplated that they or anyone else could launch such a lightning-fast offensive to end a war.


    In their view, the war that Redman fought years ago, which led to the obliteration of the Kingdom of Gemalin within just over ten days, was a classic that seemed impossible to replicate.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we always been creating miracles? Or should I say, hasn¡¯t His Majesty... always been leading us in creating miracles?¡± Luff stopped, turned his head back, and said to the two men.


    ...


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Bolton snapped his legs together, making a clicking sound, ¡°I will do my utmost!¡±


    While the three of them were reminiscing, a tall and burly bartender in charge of intelligence walked over. He slightly bowed his head and whispered into Tang Mo¡¯s ear, ¡°Your Majesty, there is intelligence from within the Ice Cold Empire.¡±


    ¡°Speak,¡± Tang Mo said, not intending to hide anything; he still trusted the dandelions he had carefully cultivated.


    ¡°Shireck has copied our Type 4 Tank and produced the Shireck Type 2 Tank, and sent the blueprints unconditionally to the Ice Cold Empire and the Laines Empire...¡± the bartender spoke a little louder as he reported.


    Then he continued, ¡°Just over an hour ago, the King of Dorne proclaimed himself Emperor, and the Laines Empire along with the Ice Cold Empire and other countries declared recognition of the Dorne Empire...¡±


    ¡°So they were prepared all along,¡± Tang Mo revealed a meaningful smile as he looked at Strauss and Bolton in front of him.


    The two generals were somewhat embarrassed; after all, they each had a hand, more or less, in Dorne¡¯s rise to power.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be constrained! It¡¯s not your fault! I won¡¯t bother about how Dorne jumps around, we will settle this score sooner or later,¡± Tang Mo reassured them, allowing them to relax a bit.


    ¡°My debt is not so easily owed!¡± Tang Mo turned his head to look at the bartender, ¡°Get the specifications of the Shireck Type 2 Tank sorted out!¡±


    ¡°Your subordinate understands!¡± The bartender bowed slightly and then retreated.


    After having a drink with the two, Tang Mo began to ponder over the Shireck Type 2 Tank. It seemed the enemy could save a lot of time by mimicking his actions.


    Shireck already had experience in manufacturing tanks and after witnessing Tang Mo¡¯s Type 4 Tank, they played the game of copying.


    Making an exact replica was obviously unlikely; however, copying the basic outline of the tank was certainly no problem.


    The Shireck Type 1 Tank already had a small turret, copying a slightly larger one wasn¡¯t difficult. Since the Shireck Type 1 Tank already had tracks, mimicking them wasn¡¯t a challenge either.


    So Tang Mo had already guessed what the Shireck Type 2 Tank might look like, but this kind of copying didn¡¯t affect him much.


    Copying the appearance is easy, but copying the soul is the key: without the support of wireless radio, the Type 4 Tank is just junk.


    Without the cooperation of the air force, without the so-called Blitzkrieg system, even if Shireck produced a Maus Tank, what of it? It¡¯s just a target.


    Moreover, Tang Mo didn¡¯t dislike such copying, because only with continuous copying could the more advanced weapons and equipment in his mind have the possibility of seeing the light of day again.


    It would be too boring if only weapons like the Stuka Dive Bomber were to be used; Tang Mo was planning to sell some A-10s for fun... or come up with some F-5s, F-16s, and Mirage 2000s to sell.


    Then, playing target practice with his Hongqi-9 or playing a Turkey Shoot game with the J-20, wouldn¡¯t that be interesting?


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 Chapter 603: 562 paratroopers set out

    Chapter 603: 562 paratroopers set out


    ¡°Have you all handed in your letters?¡± a military officer shouted to the soldiers seated in two rows inside the cramped cabin of the jostling plane, his hand resting on the bulky reserve parachute strapped to his chest.


    Due to poor soundproofing, they could clearly hear the roar of the airplane¡¯s engines on the wings. They could see the clouds streaming by near the wing and the deep blue sky above.


    Streaming through the round portholes, the sunlight illuminated the crowded cabin. Each person could see the faces of their comrades, and on every face were expressions of both nervousness and excitement.


    This was their first mission, so they were very nervous. It was also their first mission, so they were excited.


    Compared to regular soldiers, each one of them could be said to be armed to the teeth. Each soldier was equipped with a Thompson Submachine Gun, with at least seven magazines carrying over 210 rounds of ammunition.


    Beneath their feet, in their packs, were another four spare magazines; if these packs were not lost during the parachute drop, they would have an additional 120 rounds of reserve ammunition.


    In addition, each paratrooper was equipped with an M1911 pistol and three extra magazines, with another three magazines¡¯ worth of ammunition stored in their packs.


    Beyond that, they each had a smoke grenade, three hand grenades, and there were machine-gun weapon boxes to be dropped with them containing accessible MG-42 machine guns.@@@@


    In terms of individual equipment, they could be considered the strongest infantry in the world. And these elite troops would also be fighting on the most dangerous battlefield in the world.


    They would fly directly into the heart of the enemy territory on planes, parachuting from thousands of meters above the enemy-controlled area to commence combat in enemy territory.


    ¡°All done!¡± the paratroopers, with their hands on the weapons fixed in front of them, responded in unison to their officer¡¯s question.


    Like the German Army of World War II, the Tang Country Paratroopers¡¯ helmets were specially made with even rims to prevent the parachute cords from snagging and injuring their necks.


    These paratroopers, who had been through countless grueling trainings and had each been kicked out of a plane, were now completely accustomed to the insane game of parachuting.


    ¡°Remember your targets! Every landmark building! Recall all the photos you¡¯ve seen before! Assemble immediately after landing! Carry out the operational plan!¡± the lead officer at the front of the turbulent plane yelled out, reminding everyone of each detail.


    Before leaving, they had all repeatedly confirmed their targets. Their mission was to destroy a bridge east of King City of Qi Country, completely cutting off transport to the east side of King City, and then wait for the support of the 4th Armored Division on the ground.


    The bad news was that they might have to hold their position for more than three days, with just two battalions, over 900 soldiers.


    The good news was that, just like during their regular training, the enemy had virtually no anti-aircraft fire, so they wouldn¡¯t encounter much danger before landing.


    As the commanders tirelessly reminded the soldiers of various things to be mindful of after landing, the indicator light above their heads lit up, suddenly heightening the tension in the cabin to a fever pitch.


    Seeing the red warning light flashing, the commanding officer ceased his incessant instructions and, raising his arm high, barked the order, ¡°Check your parachutes!¡±


    ¡°Check your parachutes!¡± All the soldiers began to assist their comrades in checking their parachute equipment and then started checking their own. Each paratrooper raised an arm as a signal that they were ready.


    But he soon hit the ground. The moment his feet slammed into the earth, a tremendous force sent him tumbling.


    This was possibly his most undignified landing yet, and before he had time to gather up the parachute behind him, he heard the sound of machine gun fire.


    ¡°Damn Maxim,¡± he cursed inwardly, and then reached for the Thompson submachine gun strapped to his chest.


    ¡°Enemy attack! Enemy attack!¡± Not far away, the fear-filled voices of Qi soldiers rose steadily, followed by the sounds of grenade explosions.


    ¡°Who the hell tied this?¡± He found he couldn¡¯t unstrap the Thompson submachine gun fixed to his chest despite his efforts and cursed inwardly out of urgency.


    In fact, he had tied it himself, fearing the weapon would not be secure and might fall off mid-air, so he wrapped it with extra binding wire deliberately.


    The previous plan had assured that they wouldn¡¯t encounter any significant forces from Qi upon landing. Who would have thought they¡¯d land right near the military positions of Qi Country?


    ¡°The intelligence guys should be killed!¡± After he virtually cursed all the generals in the intelligence department of the Tang Army, he finally managed to get hold of his Thompson submachine gun and held it in his hands.


    With a weapon in hand, he finally felt a bit more confident. By then his parachute had completely touched down, and he quickly removed the parachute pack from his back and tossed it aside.


    ¡°Tat-tat-tat-tat!¡± About 40 meters away, the continuous sound of machine gun fire erupted, the unmistakable sound of the Qi soldiers¡¯ Maxim machine guns.


    Peeking from the grass, he took one glance and could see a Maxim machine gun pointed towards the sky, with seven or eight Qi soldiers around it, shouting and firing into the air.


    With so many targets in the sky, the enemy might not have noticed that some of the Tang Army had already landed. Feeling lucky, the paratrooper retracted his head, untied his spare pack from his feet, and tossed it aside.


    Unable to fight with the pack on, he left these unnecessary items at the spot. He also removed the spare parachute pack from his chest, which immediately made him feel a lot lighter.


    Now, having freed himself, the paratrooper began to crawl forward. He moved past the little pit that was his cover, silently approaching the incessantly firing Qi machine gun position.


    Just then, through the gaps between the leaves, he saw a Qi soldier pointing in his direction.


    It was clear that the man had seen his parachute; indeed, it was difficult not to notice such a large expanse of white.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Knowing he might have been exposed, the paratrooper immediately aimed his submachine gun at the Qi soldier who was pointing and pulled the trigger.


    ¡°Tat-tat-tat!¡± A burst of gunfire peppered the target, and blood spurted out¡ªthe distance was too close, and the sudden attack left the surrounding Qi soldiers bewildered.


    They had not expected the enemy to suddenly emerge around them, and amidst their nervousness and confusion, they initially could not locate where the attack came from.


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 Chapter 604: 563 Xiang Ziyu

    Chapter 604: 563 Xiang Ziyu


    ¡°What the hell is going on? There shouldn¡¯t be any Qi soldiers nearby!¡± Pondering this question, the Tang Country paratrooper raised his weapon and began firing.


    The Qi soldier opposite didn¡¯t react in time; still pointing in the direction of the Tang Army, he was hit in the chest by bullets sweeping towards him.


    The Qi soldier screamed as he fell, and even as he dropped, he was still pointing towards the position of the Tang Country paratrooper.


    Many of the surrounding Qi soldiers realized the danger at that moment; they all looked towards the Tang paratroopers nearby, one after another, raising their weapons.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A Qi soldier, in his panic, fired a shot, but it missed the Tang paratrooper.


    In his panic, the Qi soldier began pulling on his rifle¡¯s bolt, but the Tang paratrooper certainly wouldn¡¯t give him a chance to shoot again.


    ¡°Tatatata!¡± The Tang paratrooper pulled the trigger, firing bullets at the Qi man who had shot at him, watching as flowers of blood blossomed on the soldier¡¯s body.


    Inside the sandbag fortification, seven or eight Qi soldiers had discovered the threat beside them. The machine gunner had stopped firing into the sky and instead aimed the muzzle of his gun at the enemy to his side.


    The paratrooper, with blood in his eyes, certainly wasn¡¯t going to give these men a chance to kill him in turn. He advanced while firing, recklessly moving closer to the enemy.


    Seeing the enemy charging towards them like a god of death, the Qi soldiers panicked. Some wanted to run, while others pulled repeatedly with trembling hands at the bolts of their Shireck rifles.


    At such a distance, the bolt-action rifles clearly weren¡¯t as useful as submachine guns. Before they could aim at the paratrooper, he had already reached the edge of the sandbag fortifications.


    He fired wildly, bringing down all the enemies before him, until there were no more bullets left in his chamber, then he stopped.


    By then, the only ones left standing in the fortification were the assistant gunner of a Qi machine gun position, awkwardly standing on the other side of the gun, dumbfoundedly looking at the Tang paratrooper with an empty gun.


    Both men paused for a moment, then suddenly, the next second, they both reacted. The Qi soldier immediately reached for the bayonet at his waist, while the paratrooper reached for the pistol at his.


    The Qi soldier with a bayonet shouted as he charged past the machine gun, while the Tang soldier drew his pistol and aimed its dark muzzle at the target, pulling the trigger.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A single, crisp shot rang out, and the Qi soldier screamed as he fell to the ground. He seemed to try to struggle to his feet, but the paratrooper didn¡¯t give him another chance.


    Whether to vent or to make sure the other man was dead, he shot twice more, splattering blood from the body on the ground.


    Then, he rolled into the trench and, stepping on the blood of corpses, slipped and fell inside the fortification, his face nearly planting onto a dead man¡¯s face.


    At that moment, another Qi soldier rushed into the circular fortification, panicking and shouting, ¡°Why has the firing stopped? Why...¡±


    He cut off halfway when he saw the bodies all over the place and then he saw the Tang paratrooper struggling to stand.


    Without waiting for the dust to settle, the paratrooper got up and rushed towards the trench. He didn¡¯t dare pause for even a second, as without any cover, one shot could likely leave him dead right there.


    As if he could hear his own breathing, he passed through the green smoke of the explosion, choking on the burning smell that irritated his lungs, his heavy equipment making his movements appear clumsy.


    But still, he made it to the edge of the trench, and without hesitation, rolled into it. He saw Qi soldiers struggling on the ground and others turned into indistinguishable messes by the grenade.


    He fired two shots at the screaming Qi soldiers on the ground, then heard something flip into the trench behind him.


    At the last moment, he spun around ready to shoot, only to hear the person who flipped into the trench shout, ¡°Friendly! Don¡¯t shoot!¡±


    ¡°Damn!¡± After realizing that the person who flipped into the trench was also a Tang Country paratrooper, he cursed instinctively while still holding his submachine gun.


    ¡°You should use the code word!¡± The paratrooper, who had taken two machine gun positions, leaned against the trench¡¯s edge, glanced in the direction of the communication trench: ¡°Blue Sky.¡±


    ¡°White Cloud!¡± The newcomer looked at him as if he were an idiot, then after they confirmed the code, he continued, ¡°There¡¯s something off with these Qi troops!¡±


    ¡°Of course I know something¡¯s off! There are too many of them, at least 300 people from Qi Country! They¡¯ve set up two machine guns on a 50-meter-long position! Bastards!¡± The paratrooper who knocked out two machine gun positions gestured, ¡°They have continuous communication trenches and ample ammunition; this position has been established for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Two? I only saw one...¡± The newcomer paratrooper was surprised and paused briefly before speaking.


    ¡°Over there! There¡¯s another one, I took it out.¡± The cautious paratrooper pointed roughly in the direction: ¡°Someone¡¯s coming!¡±


    He readied his submachine gun, preparing to fire; seconds later, three Qi soldiers with bayonets charged in.


    The Qi soldiers who entered were immediately flipped by the side¡¯s gunfire, submachine gun versus bolt-action rifle, in such narrow confines, it was a total rout.


    Seeing another three enemy soldiers go down, the new paratrooper moved to the other side of the trench: ¡°We need to get to the other side of the trench! Otherwise, we risk getting hit by grenades!¡±


    They didn¡¯t know if the Qi soldiers had grenades, so they couldn¡¯t take chances. Moreover, they had to clear a safe zone for the buddies behind them.


    ¡°Cover me!¡± The newcomer shouted and then rushed forward, his submachine gun blazing, turning the remaining seven or eight Qi soldiers in the trench into sieves.


    ¡°Blue Sky!¡± While they were clearing the trench, more paratroopers came together; they immediately spoke the password as they approached, bringing seven or eight more people and livening up the place all at once.


    ¡°Xiang Ziyu!¡± Finally, a paratrooper squad leader flipped into the trench and recognized the paratrooper who had just taken out two Qi machine gun positions.


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 Chapter 605: 564 has a big fish.

    Chapter 605: 564 has a big fish.


    Xiang Ziyu was loading the third new magazine into his weapon when he saw his squad leader and was very happy, ¡°Squad leader!¡±


    ¡°When did you get here?¡± The squad leader leaned at the edge of the fortification, observing the Qi Army soldiers moving through the trees, and asked his subordinate.


    ¡°Me? When I landed, the machine gun position over there was laying down suppressing fire. After I took out that position, I found another machine gun nest... It¡¯s that one over there!¡± Xiang Ziyu replied.


    The squad leader looked at Xiang Ziyu, genuinely not expecting that this one subordinate had single-handedly taken down such a large defense position, ¡°Two machine gun positions, did you kill more than thirty people all by yourself?¡±


    ¡°More or less, but someone helped me out later. He¡¯s not from our platoon; I don¡¯t recognize him,¡± Xiang Ziyu honestly answered.


    ¡°You really did well, kid! You¡¯ve made me proud!¡± The squad leader grinned and then saw more paratroopers gathering nearby.@@@@


    After all, there were no gunshots here, so it seemed to be relatively safe. Some paratroopers who landed later naturally gravitated here to find their comrades.


    ¡°Did you find anything? There¡¯s something off about the Qi Army here!¡± The squad leader took another glance at the Qi troops in the forest behind the position, who seemed to still be maneuvering, and continued to question Xiang Ziyu.


    ¡°They have too many machine guns, and their combat will is pretty tenacious!¡± Xiang Ziyu looked down at the bodies at his feet and said, ¡°No one surrendered. They fought fiercely and were eager to engage in bayonet combat.¡±


    As he spoke, he remembered the three Qi soldiers who had charged in with bayonets, desperate to fight. These Qi soldiers didn¡¯t retreat and attacked recklessly, clearly not ordinary Qi soldiers.


    ¡°I think so too, they shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± The squad leader pulled back his head and said to Xiang Ziyu, ¡°We¡¯re some distance from Donghe Bridge, and far from King City of Qi Country. Hiding a force in a place like this is obviously not reasonable!¡±


    ¡°And this Qi force is too elite. So there must be a reason worthy of deploying so many troops here!¡± Xiang Ziyu added.


    ¡°We need to figure out the reason!¡± The squad leader frowned and then gestured, ¡°Are you willing to risk your life?¡±


    ¡°I am not.¡± Xiang Ziyu replied very straightforwardly.


    ¡°Good! You have three minutes to collect ammo. We¡¯re going to have a look in the woods and see what¡¯s really going on!¡± The squad leader completely ignored his subordinate¡¯s answer and directly issued the order.


    Xiang Ziyu immediately dashed along the trench to where he had landed, where his discarded parachute and rucksack were located, along with spare ammunition; he had to retrieve these supplies.


    By the time Xiang Ziyu returned to the trench and found his squad leader again, he saw two other comrades.


    The squad from the neighboring section had taken another stretch of trench not far away, and this time they had captured two prisoners, finally clearing up the situation.


    The platoon leader coming over from the other side was excited. He had gathered all of his soldiers and announced shocking news, ¡°Stationed here are the Imperial Guards of Qi Country! Behind them in the forest is a manor! King Jiang Xian of Qi has been hiding from the bombing there all along!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a big fish!¡± Xiang Ziyu¡¯s squad leader got excited too, feeling that this must be an opportunity given by the heavens for them to make a significant accomplishment.


    ¡°The Company Commander and I both think this is an opportunity!¡± The platoon leader pointed his finger in the direction of the manor, ¡°The Company Commander wants us to launch an attack and take that manor as soon as possible!¡±


    But they dared not complain about these high-ranking officials they ordinarily revered, and instead kept explaining that the enemy was still far away.


    Watching as the Prime Minister walked out with some officials, several bewildered Ministers immediately surrounded him: ¡°Prime Minister! Ensure His Majesty returns to the palace at once!¡±


    ¡°Prime Minister! What should we do now?¡± another Minister stepped forward, clutching at the Prime Minister¡¯s sleeve, asking anxiously.


    On another side, a Minister, no longer concerned about appearances, directly urged in disheveled clothing, ¡°We should return to the city! It¡¯s safer there!¡±


    ¡°Step aside, I must see His Majesty. You all wait here for the time being!¡± Though the Prime Minister tried to appear calm, it was clear he was also nervous.


    At the manor¡¯s gate, soldiers with rifles slung over their shoulders were pulling on the reins of warhorses. Beside them, an officer was gesturing to his subordinates: ¡°Get the carriage ready! Hurry, prepare the carriage!¡±


    Cars were available, plenty of them. But at a time like this, many still believed carriages to be more reliable; at least they wouldn¡¯t break down halfway...


    While some were preparing carriages to escape, others were thinking of repelling the Tang Army. On the outskirts of the courtyard, Qi officers, armed with guns, were directing their subordinates to quickly set up a new defensive line: ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Don¡¯t panic! Set up the defenses by the courtyard wall! Don¡¯t let the Tang people infiltrate!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s my official hat? Where¡¯s my official hat?¡± Ironically, amid all these commands, some incongruous voices could be heard.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The shrill screams of maidens pierced the sky as the distinctive rat-a-tat sound of Tang Army Thompson Submachine Guns grew increasingly intense, gradually drowning out the turmoil.


    ¡°Is it safe to return to King City?¡± Jiang Xian¡¯s face looked dreadful as he eyed a group of generals in the room and asked.


    ¡°Your Majesty! It¡¯s uncertain how this will turn out,¡± replied the head of the guard battalion, Captain Ma, his face contorted with distress. ¡°Previously, I could guarantee safety, but... but the Tang forces outside have descended from the heavens. I cannot be certain now, especially if we encounter Tang people on the way...¡±


    ¡°So, the travel back to the city might not be safe either?¡± Jiang Xian squinted his eyes; he felt a suffocating pressure in his chest.


    ¡°I am willing to sacrifice my life to ensure Your Majesty¡¯s safety,¡± declared Captain Ma solemnly, bowing to Jiang Xian.


    Jiang Xian, feeling unwell, clutched his chest and ordered, ¡°Then hold the ground first! Find out how many enemies there are, and where they are!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Captain Ma quickly bowed and then prepared to leave the room.


    Just at that moment, the Prime Minister entered through the door. He bowed to Jiang Xian before saying, ¡°Your Majesty! The situation is critical; shouldn¡¯t we head back to the palace first?¡±


    Jiang Xian found a seat to sit down and waved his hand, ¡°The enemy situation is unclear; the Imperial Guards believe it¡¯s inadvisable to act rashly...¡±


    The Prime Minister understood upon hearing this: with unclear enemy intelligence, being attacked on the road would be even more troublesome. It might be better to stay put for now, especially since they had well-fortified defensive structures, didn¡¯t they?


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 Chapter 606: Attack of the 565 Paratroopers

    Chapter 606: Attack of the 565 Paratroopers


    ¡°Xiang Ziyu, cover our retreat!¡± the squad leader called out to Xiang Ziyu beside him after assigning the tasks.


    He was protecting this soldier in the best way he could. This soldier had already performed exceptionally well during the landing, having earned much merit.


    Under such circumstances, medals would be awarded at the end of the battle to recognize his achievements; such an outstanding soldier should not be put at risk again.


    Xiang Ziyu understood the squad leader¡¯s care for him and had no objections. On the contrary, he thought that it wouldn¡¯t be fair for one person to take all the credit¡ªwhat about his comrades?


    So Xiang Ziyu nodded, picked up his Thompson submachine gun, and followed behind the other paratroopers, climbing out of the trench that had already been captured for some time.


    Inside the trench, paratroopers from two companies were assembling the equipment that had been dropped with them. It was a simple telegraph machine with an independent and advanced power supply.


    Yes, this device was very reliable and secure. It consisted of two asymmetrical crank handles... a hand-crank generator.


    To ensure a stable power supply, there was another identical device, and they worked together to power the entire telegraph machine, requiring four people to operate simultaneously.


    That¡¯s right! Four people operating at the same time! Two people were responsible for holding down the two hand-crank generators to keep them from shaking.


    The other two put effort into cranking the handles hard, making the device start generating electricity¡ªthen the real telegraph operator could use the telegraph machine to send messages, establishing contact with other troops.


    ¡°Are we through yet?¡± the company commander of the paratroopers looked anxiously at his men operating this very primitive-looking device from within the trench.


    Actually, it was very advanced: To make it portable for the paratroopers, the set was made as compact as possible while still being stable and reliable, almost a marvel of technology.


    ¡°We¡¯re sending messages now, but it¡¯s going to take time for the other side to respond!¡± the telegraph operator, holding the headphone to his ear, lifted his head to explain, ¡°Gunfire might interfere with the transmission!¡±


    ¡°Stop complaining! I can¡¯t make the Qi Country troops put away their guns!¡± the company commander impatiently pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket, took one, put it in his mouth, and then struck a match to light it, continuing to ask anxiously, ¡°Did they receive the message?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sending it for the fifth time! No feedback, I really don¡¯t know if they got it or not!¡± the frustrated telegraphist explained again.


    Xiang Ziyu, following behind a paratrooper from his squad, both of them crouching, passed through a thicket of bushes and were startled by the sight ahead¡ªa deer carcass lying on the ground, apparently dead for two or three days given the state of decay.


    The smell of rot was all around, and swarms of flies were buzzing chaotically. The two had to squint as they moved through this grim scenery.@@@@


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to end up like this if I die,¡± the leading paratrooper said to Xiang Ziyu behind him. ¡°If I¡¯m gone, I hope someone buries me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better not die!¡± Xiang Ziyu followed behind, as the sound of gunfire grew clearer. They were nearing the outskirts of the manor and saw some Qi Country troops mounting an attack on the Tang Country paratroopers across from them.


    The Qi Country soldiers charged into the woods only to be repelled by the paratroopers, who had set up defenses using the woods and shrubs.


    The situation was pretty good, at least the wall was sturdy, blocking the grenade blast and not collapsing from the shockwave.


    ¡°Ratatat!¡± Another group of Tang Army soldiers cleaned up five or six Qi Country soldiers who had rushed over from the flank as the grenades exploded.


    By now, Qi soldiers near this side of the manor walls had mostly been taken out. The gunshots were some distance away, and amidst the chaos, it seemed the enemy had not realized the Tang Country Paratroopers had come so close to the walls.


    ¡°Breach the wall!¡± The squad leader shouted to the cover team that had caught up.


    The paratrooper previously left by Xiang Ziyu to handle the situation sprang forward, digging at the wall¡¯s corner with his dagger, then stuffed a stick of dynamite into the hole and lit the fuse.


    ¡°Dynamite!¡± All paratroopers retreated to either side of the wall, everyone knew this was far more dangerous than the grenades.


    Moreover, if the wall got damaged by the explosion, flying debris was inevitable, and no amount of caution was too much. So everyone gave a wide berth, much more cautious than when using the grenades.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Accompanied by a thunderous blast far more severe than the previous grenade explosions, a section of the wall shattered, filling the air with dust, and reducing visibility at the breach.


    However, such smoke was excellent cover for the attacking force. Squinting their eyes, all Tang Country Paratroopers shouldered their weapons and charged forward.


    It was no joke¡ªbefore setting off, their mission had already been made clear: the King of Qi Country was hiding inside! Capturing him would be a great achievement. Who didn¡¯t want to become famous and receive promotions? Everyone had joined the army, risking their lives for the chance of winning battles and earning glory for themselves and their families.


    ¡°Kill!¡± A Tang Country paratrooper with his submachine gun at the lead, stepped on the surrounding rubble and charged into the breach in the garden wall.


    The ground was littered with fallen ladders, shattered jars, and chairs and tables tossed aside¡ªthe Qi soldiers must have relied on these to climb the wall.


    All the Qi soldiers here had already been killed by the two grenades and the subsequent dynamite explosion.


    The second paratrooper who charged through the breach tripped over a Qi Army corpse, stumbling nearly to the ground. He struggled to regain his balance, barely managing to stay on his feet.


    The paratrooper following him saw his awkwardness, but before he could mock, a bullet flying straight at him struck his head, and he fell down stiffly.


    ¡°Ratatat!¡± The fourth paratrooper to enter saw his fallen comrade and immediately started firing in the direction of the incoming bullet.


    More paratroopers poured in, some darting to the sides as they entered, clearing space, others began firing right away, covering their incoming comrades.


    Xiang Ziyu leaned against the wall at the breach, continuing his cover fire. He would wait for all his comrades to charge inward before following up to finish the job.


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 Chapter 607: Inside Manor 566

    Chapter 607: Inside Manor 566


    King Jiang Xian of Qi sat in the room, his face already full of displeasure as he listened to the gunfire outside. He had never imagined that one day, his enemies would be so close to him.


    He had always thought of himself as a good king, and took pride in controlling the court, leaving his ministers without the slightest ambition.


    He really never dreamed that one day he would be driven to such a sorry state by the southern neighbor, because just over a year ago, that neighbor was the weak Zheng Country!


    That Zheng Country, which had been ground into the dust by the Shen Country, its national strength exhausted and its people suffering, was on the verge of being divided between his Qi Country and the more southern Chu Country.


    But now, in less than two years, this weak Zheng Country had just changed its national title and damn it, turned from weak Zheng into strong Tang!


    How could anyone accept this? How could that incompetent King of Zheng be compared to him, Jiang Xian?


    Just as his head was full of these thoughts, a sudden explosion nearby almost knocked him off his chair.


    But before he could steady himself, another explosion sounded, frightening him once again into trembling all over.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Already feeling oppressed in his chest, he could not bear it any longer and shouted angrily. He wanted to mask his fear with rage, but no matter how one listened, there was a strong undercurrent of cowardice in his voice.


    Before anyone could answer him, an even more brazen explosion shook the earth, making Jiang Xian feel like even the stool beneath him trembled with the ground.


    His face turned the color of clay, and his breathing felt heavy. He clutched his chest, his icy and cruel eyes fixed on the door like a wild beast.


    No one knew what had happened. The Prime Minister standing beside Jiang Xian was also panicked. He hadn¡¯t expected that those detestable Tang People could attack so near the estate.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty!¡± Captain Ma, responsible for the estate¡¯s security, stumbled into the room with a pistol, looking somewhat disheveled.


    His actions frightened the maids hiding in the corner and the eunuchs to tremble with fear, and some of the more cowardly had already begun to cry out.


    Realizing that he might look intimidating, Captain Ma quickly composed himself and knelt on one knee before Jiang Xian: ¡°Your Majesty! The enemy has blown up the garden wall, and the palace guards are almost unable to hold on, you must leave now!¡±


    ¡°Would the road be definitely safe?¡± The Prime Minister also wanted to leave, but what he feared most was that Jiang Xian would not be able to return to King City.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether the road is safe or not, but I do know that if we delay here much longer, it will surely be unsafe!¡± Captain Ma replied with a gloomy face.


    He had been quite sure that they could hold the place for a while, at least for a few hours to see the situation clearly before deciding on the King¡¯s departure.


    But he had never imagined that the enemy forces would be so formidable, reaching near the garden wall in less than 20 minutes.


    What was more terrifying was that the Tang Army had machine guns with ferocious firepower and exceptionally good individual soldier quality; he felt they were the elite of the Tang Army.


    In fact, he had guessed right. These paratroopers were indeed the precious ones of Tang Mo; they were all highly educated recruits with complex and intricate training, selected according to the standards of officers.


    Xiang Ziyu didn¡¯t even glance at the glaring Gold; he pulled the trigger and began to open fire at everyone in front of him.


    He knew that in situations like this, mercy was not an option¡ªwho knew which of these officials or ladies might have a pistol hidden in their pockets for self-defense?


    He feared death, so he insisted on making the enemy die first, allowing him to live just a little longer!


    ¡°Tatatatat!¡± The submachine gun¡¯s muzzle spit out tongues of fire, and the Tang people in front fell chaotically.


    The officials who were just fighting over a car screamed like pigs being slaughtered, clutching their chests. The once arrogant Qi officers toppled over, crashing heavily to the ground off the trucks.


    The scurrying servants bloomed with crimson flowers of blood, and the screaming maids were instantly silenced as the bullets hit them.


    The scene instantly changed from one kind of chaos to another, and as more Tang Army paratroopers joined in the firing, there were hardly any people from the Qi Country left.


    Xiang Ziyu, having emptied his magazine, flung it away and pulled a new one from his chest to insert into the gun. This time he didn¡¯t bother to pick up the spent magazine, knowing that if they really won this battle, they¡¯d have plenty of time to retrieve their dropped gear.


    ¡°Advance the attack!¡± The squad leader, holding his weapon, stepped over the body of a Qi soldier and headed toward the gate on the other side.


    The paratroopers, having reloaded, immediately followed suit, and Xiang Ziyu also trampled over bodies to get through the courtyard bloodied with deaths and corpses.


    Passing by a car imported from the Ice Cold Empire with the Ice Cold brand, the driver sat in the driver¡¯s seat with his eyes wide open, a gaping wound in his chest still bleeding.


    The car was riddled with bullet holes, and many maids¡¯ bodies lay haphazardly beside it. Just before, many Qi soldiers had used them as human shields.


    Xiang Ziyu went all the way to the doorway without finding any survivors; he leaned against the wall and could hear even more commotion from the courtyard next door.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that just a few walls away, King Jiang Xian of the Qi Country was being helped to flee by the Prime Minister, heading toward the carriages. The straight-line distance between them was actually less than fifty meters.


    ¡°There are a lot of people next door too!¡± Xiang Ziyu said to the squad leader on the other side of the door, ¡°They are waiting for us!¡±


    ¡°Then let the grenades take a look first!¡± The squad leader pulled out a hand grenade, and Xiang Ziyu did the same.


    The paratrooper facing the gate also pulled out a grenade, the three of them exchanged glances, simultaneously pulled the pins, and then released the safeties.


    Xiang Ziyu stepped back two paces, and with a bit of force, threw the grenade to a further distance. The paratrooper facing the gate took a running start and threw his grenade as far as possible.


    The squad leader didn¡¯t throw hard, just lobbed the grenade over the other side of the wall; they tried to spread out the three grenades to cover more ground.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡± The three grenades exploded almost simultaneously on the other side, and at the same time, both the squad leader and Xiang Ziyu kicked the wooden door open.


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 Chapter 608: 567 Desperate Call

    Chapter 608: 567 Desperate Call


    Near the border with Qi Country, at a Tang Army field airfield, Air Force Commander Ibrahim was looking at the officer who had come to deliver the telegram.


    The officer reported to Ibrahim the message sent back by their paratroopers from the front line, ¡°Our paratroopers have encountered the Imperial Guards! Jiang Xian¡¯s location has been found, he is in a manor near the drop zone!¡±


    Upon hearing this news, Ibrahim was shocked. The paratroopers were there to carry out the mission to take control of Donghe Bridge, yet they were dropped haphazardly and managed to locate the hiding place of Qi Country¡¯s King?


    After he got over his shock, he couldn¡¯t help but enviously mutter to himself, ¡°What kind of luck do they have?¡±


    An officer on the other side grabbed the telegram, glanced at it, and quickly spoke up to remind, ¡°General! Never mind that, the paratrooper division¡¯s plan has changed! They want to capture Jiang Xian alive if possible!¡±


    ¡°Not a bad idea, but can they take out Qi¡¯s Imperial Guards?¡± Ibrahim asked incredulously.


    The officer continued to remind, ¡°General! I¡¯m not sure exactly how many Imperial Guards there are, but the paratroopers are under the command of our Air Force. If the losses are heavy, Your Majesty might have a certain opinion of you.¡±


    Ibrahim subconsciously hadn¡¯t considered the paratroopers as a real part of the Air Force, so it took a moment for him to react.


    However, after his subordinate¡¯s reminder, he immediately realized that those paratroopers behind enemy lines were also under his command as ground forces of the Air Force!


    So he immediately gave the order, ¡°Almost forgot they are our Air Force men too! Command all planes that can take off to prepare for bombardment on the new coordinates! Inform the paratroopers to deploy ground identification markers to avoid friendly fire!¡±


    ¡°Yes, General!¡± Several Air Force officers stood at attention, saluted, and left with his orders.


    Soon, pilots on their way to various targets all heard the change of attack orders through their headsets.


    Commanders of various regiments issued orders to the planes closest to King City of Qi Country to go and support the paratrooper combat operations.


    ¡°Bluebird Bluebird! Calling Bluebird! Alter course! Target adjustment! Target adjustment! 4 kilometers east of Qi Country¡¯s King City! Search for areas with obvious ground combat! Mission: Support our ground forces in combat! Mission: Support our ground forces in combat!¡±


    ¡°Understood, Bluebird!¡± High in the sky at an altitude of over six thousand meters, in the cramped cockpit of a Stuka Dive Bomber, the pilot, wearing an oxygen mask, responded with a constrained voice.


    After he responded, he pulled on his control stick, and his plane responded to his maneuver, nimbly deviating from its course.


    ¡°Bluebird 2, follow me!¡± As he altered his course, he called out to his wingman with a roaring sound.


    ¡°Bluebird 2 understood!¡± The wingman¡¯s pilot also pulled the control stick and followed his leader, racing toward the distant target.


    On the other side, eight Butcher FW-190 fighters that had just crossed the border also received orders to change their attack targets.


    These planes had already lowered their altitude, and now they began to climb again. In the radio, all pilots were excited because this time¡¯s attack target was the King of Qi Country!


    In the newly activated field airfield in Nanye, about a dozen Air Force pilots were putting on their gear and running toward their planes on the other side of the runway.


    Rows of Stuka Dive Bombers were parked there, and the ground crew had already loaded them with 500-kilogram aerial bombs at the fastest speed.


    Explosions of grenades were everywhere, as were the typewriter-like crisp sounds of Tang submachine guns, and the Qi soldiers¡¯ screams of agony filled the air, with no one able to step forward to end this chaos.


    Even the guards surrounding King Jiang Xian were somewhat disorganized. Hindered by the cluster of ministers and generals, they couldn¡¯t even form a proper defensive formation.


    They were only responsible for protecting Jiang Xian, but now they had to safeguard dozens of generals, ministers, princesses, maidservants, servants, and menials.


    There was no choice, for having hidden here for so long, Jiang Xian had also summoned several concubines, who could have imagined that favoritism would ultimately doom these women?


    ¡°Get His Majesty on the carriage! Quick! Get His Majesty on the carriage!¡± Finally, after passing through a scenery spot, the Prime Minister saw the waiting carriage and excitedly started shouting.


    He finally saw hope, as long as he could get the King back to King City, they might have a chance! Although King City was also vulnerable, it was still easy to muster a couple of thousand miscellaneous soldiers. Besides, this suddenly appeared Tang force, parachuting from the sky, might not dare to storm into the city!


    With this thought, the Prime Minister finally relaxed. He helped Jiang Xian onto the carriage, tried to look back, but was held back by Jiang Xian.


    King Jiang Xian, clutching his chest and deathly pale, mustered all his strength to say, ¡°Go with me! Back to King City! Back to King City...¡±


    Just then, a round iron ball flew over the courtyard wall. This grenade, at least twenty meters away from the carriage, landed and rolled to the feet of a Qi general.


    Amidst the chaos, no one noticed this object flying in, and of course, the general had no idea of the tragedy about to befall him.


    He tried to push forward, hoping to use the excuse of protecting the King to escape with the carriage.


    The next second, the grenade exploded, its shrapnel piercing and tearing his lower body, and the blast wave sent his mutilated upper body skyward.


    Everyone nearby was hit, and instantly there were dead and wounded all around. Following closely, another grenade flew in and exploded near the carriage.


    Jiang Xian, startled by the explosion so close by, shuddered, and then felt a searing pain in his chest as if he had been struck by a shrapnel fragment.


    The Prime Minister realized something was wrong, quickly climbed on the carriage, disregarding the crowd behind, and exhaustedly shouted to the coachman, ¡°Go! Hurry!¡±


    The recent explosion had terrified the horses, which were already whinnying uncontrollably, and the coachman, already scared out of his wits, was jolted by the Prime Minister¡¯s order. With a shake of the reins, he spurred the pained horses, and the carriage began to lurch forward.


    Guards at the front were unexpectedly knocked down by the carriage, and in panic, others followed running alongside it. The abandoned ministers chased after the carriage, cursing, while the forsaken women trailed behind, crying as they ran.


    On the carriage, the Prime Minister could no longer be concerned with that. Clinging to Jiang Xian¡¯s hand, he desperately called out to his sovereign, ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Wake up, Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    An additional update¡ªI truly apologize for the regret but the inevitability.


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 Chapter 609: Ive been playing 568 for quite some time.

    Chapter 609: I¡¯ve been playing 568 for quite some time.


    Donghe Bridge, or Donghe Grand Bridge, was a modernized megabridge newly constructed by Qi Country this year. It was made of reinforced concrete, with its main components ordered from Tang Country, constituting a double-track railway bridge of considerable spectacle.


    This great bridge spanned the Donghe River and served as the most vital transportation chokepoint in Qi Country as well as the gateway to the eastern side of the King City.


    During its construction, to ensure the absolute safety of the bridge, defensive fortifications were built on both sides of the bridge, the most impressive of which were the four five-story bastions at each end.


    The construction of such colossal bastion towers was in part for aesthetics and also had practical value.


    These four massive bunkers could house troops tasked with guarding the bridge, maximizing the security of Donghe Bridge.


    Qi Country had stationed four companies here, an entire battalion¡¯s worth of troops, to ensure the bridge would not be sabotaged by infiltrating Tang Army.


    And this place was the primary objective of the Tang Country Paratroopers¡¯ operation. They aimed to seize control here, ensuring that Qi Troops could not pass through Donghe Bridge to reinforce the vulnerable King City.


    ¡°Were those Tang Army planes dropping people or bombs just now?¡± a Qi Military officer stationed at the bridge questioned, as he had witnessed the airborne threat from several kilometers away but was uncertain how to react.


    ¡°They probably weren¡¯t bombs. If they were, there¡¯d be no need for white parachutes,¡± the responding soldier obviously didn¡¯t know the correct term for ¡°parachute.¡±


    There was no helping it; Tang People had come up with far too many novel contraptions in recent years, and the most entertaining daily activity for those from Qi Country was to gather together to learn these new terms.


    Their previous ignorance even extended to not knowing the correct terms for radio and concrete; only in the past few days had they finally picked up words like ¡°airplane¡± and ¡°tank.¡±


    In short, the people of Qi Country had grown accustomed to seeing strange devices they couldn¡¯t identify, then belatedly learning the new terminology to appear less ignorant.


    ¡°Could it be they dropped something to sabotage the railway?¡± one company commander asked somewhat nervously.


    They were stationed at this bridge because of the railway, weren¡¯t they? Sabotaging the bridge was theoretically the same as sabotaging the railway.


    ¡°We¡¯re not railway guards. It¡¯s not our job to deal with a broken railway!¡± The battalion commander snorted, indicating that other matters were none of his concern, ¡°Tell the men to hold the bastion! As long as we don¡¯t lose this position, we can¡¯t go wrong!¡±


    As of now, the Qi forces stationed here remained unaware that part of the Tang Army¡¯s paratroopers had initiated an attack in the opposite direction and were close to capturing the King of Qi Country.


    ¡°Damn Tang People, how do they always manage to come up with such muddled contraptions?¡± the irritated battalion commander complained to the company commander standing beside him.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me! I heard that the front line... seems to be in a rough spot,¡± the company commander lamented in agreement.


    He had a friend on the southern defensive line who had died a few days ago. The death notice was sent directly to him because that man¡¯s wife had already run off with someone else...


    ¡°When the enemy has pushed this far, how could the front line be anything but troubling?¡± the battalion commander was resigned, with an air of having seen through it all.


    But the reality was that by the time war broke out, the Qi Army hadn¡¯t completed the full rearmament, and in the western part of the southern defenses under the command of the third prince, a portion was still equipped with Shireck Flintlock Guns.


    So most Qi Army infantry companies were only equipped with one Maxim heavy machine gun, and it was considered not bad to be allocated two.


    Some of the main force units, like the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Armies, could barely get three heavy machine guns per company (additional machine guns on the defensive line not included).


    Since many machine guns were installed on the southern defensive line as points of fire support, Qi Country had always been short on machine guns.


    At this moment, the Qi Army stationed here was suffering the same shortage. Though it appeared they had four companies, each was only equipped with two machine guns.


    The Tang Army paratroopers were different, however, as each of their squads had their own machine gun teams, and almost every member was equipped with automatic weapons. The firepower density was on a completely different level.


    Now that the two sides were embroiled together, the Tang paratroopers¡¯ superior firepower density immediately became evident. They rampaged through the trenches, the Qi Army, no matter how hard they tried, couldn¡¯t get the Tang soldiers to pause even for a moment.


    ¡°Hold the line! Hold the line!¡± outside the bridgehead bunker, a Qi Army company leader waved his arms, hoping his men would be even braver.


    However, he was quickly taken down by incoming bullets, and the Qi soldiers around him immediately scattered. Interestingly, because of the chaos on the battlefield, the Qi soldiers on the other side of the railway bridge, unaware of what was happening, were firing at their compatriots taking hits.


    In the confusion, some Qi soldiers mistook their comrades for Tang soldiers, firing incessantly, and forcing those holding their positions to face enemies on both fronts.


    Consequently, a downright absurd scene unfolded: the Qi soldiers being fired upon waved at their distant comrades, signaling them not to shoot, but they were quickly taken down by the Tang Army from behind.


    Yet when those caught in the crossfire turned to engage the Tang soldiers, their allies behind them shot them in the back of the head...


    This back and forth ignited the fire in these embattled Qi soldiers, who turned their guns towards their compatriots on the other side of the railway and started firing back.


    The whole scene was in utter chaos, to the extent that even the Tang Army had a hard time figuring out what was going on.


    Thinking the Qi people were in-fighting, they ignored the Qi soldiers firing at each other and charged toward the bridgehead bunker, which was within arm¡¯s reach.


    The Qi soldiers on the outskirts of the bunker were so frightened they dove inside, while those inside had to take on the role of executioners, firing at the Qi soldiers outside...


    At this moment, the Tang Army paratrooper commanders were bewildered, watching from the safety of their trenches as Qi soldiers beat up on their own, the fight raging fiercely.


    ¡°Have they gone mad?¡± The company commander of the 2nd Paratrooper Battalion of Tang Country, leaning on the edge of a trench, watched the Qi soldiers continually firing at their own and incredulously asked those around him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, it¡¯s been going on for a while now... but it does save us the trouble,¡± one platoon leader replied, checking his magazine as he spoke.


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 Chapter 610: 569 come out quickly

    Chapter 610: 569 come out quickly


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± the Prime Minister of Qi Country, gripping Jiang Xian¡¯s hand, ceaselessly called out on the rocking carriage. Behind them, the sound of guns from the Tang Country Paratroopers had already begun to ring.


    ¡°There are a lot of officials here!¡± a Tang Country Paratrooper observed Jiang Xian¡¯s carriage and also the disorderly crowd following behind it.


    Among them were Qi Country¡¯s high-ranking officials, as well as the Princess of Qi Country, and there were also palace maids and attendants... With colorful attire, it was obvious that there were VIPs present.


    Since there were VIPs, naturally, they were targets to either be killed or captured. Their forces were limited; they only needed Jiang Xian.


    As for the lives of these others, they might as well be dog lives¡ªuseless to kill with one bullet, or maybe two.


    ¡°Chase them down!¡± Xiang Ziyu, who had unconsciously charged ahead, held his submachine gun and ran forward, throwing caution to the wind.


    Ahead of him was Jiang Xian¡¯s carriage, and if he could catch up, he might capture the King of Qi Country!


    While the idea of capturing Jiang Xian alive was running through his head, a bullet flying straight towards him suddenly yanked him back to reality.


    The sound of bullets whizzing past his ears made Xiang Ziyu stagger, and he fell forward to the ground.


    The bullets that zipped past him also startled the squad leader running beside him; only then did he remember that those around the King were guarded.


    The equipment of these Qi Country Guards wasn¡¯t the Shireck Model 1 rifles that required one to pull the bolt after each shot!


    These Qi Country Guards were armed with the infamous Shireck Model 1 semiautomatic pistols¡ªalso known as box cannons, breechloaders! The renowned Mauser pistol, capable of semiautomatic firing!


    Clearly, the Qi Guards, now with no evident disadvantage in terms of firepower, had finally made the Tang Country Paratroopers realize the danger.


    Many Tang Country Paratroopers who had been charging forward without any care were now frantically searching for cover¡ªthey were all human, how could they not fear death?


    ¡°Ratatat!¡± While dodging, a Tang Army Paratrooper continued to spray bullets. He drew the attention of the Qi Guards, with several of them aiming and firing at him.


    Bullets hitting near his feet kicked up a cloud of white smoke. Others whizzed close by, striking the distant courtyard wall behind him, leaving a trail of bullet marks.


    But these masters of contouring the human target with at least a dozen bullets, managed not to hit the paratrooper, allowing him to finally find a flowerbed to hide behind and slide to avoid the rest of the attack.


    Having tumbled to the ground, Xiang Ziyu had finally managed to fire again. Lying flat on the ground, he used the body of a Qi official as cover and emptied his magazine at the carriage not far away.


    Bullets hit the wheels of the carriage, and the splinters that flew up ripped off the mudguard, while a ricochet hit a nearby Guard.


    The Guard was hit in the ribs, his breechloader falling from his grasp. Clutching his wound, he looked towards Xiang Ziyu, the one who had injured him.


    At that moment, Xiang Ziyu was busy reloading his magazine. His squad leader was right behind him and took the opportunity to fire another round at the unfortunate Qi Guard.


    There was no way around it; who could carry hundreds of bullets in their pockets while on duty beside King His Majesty? Everyone was neatly carrying a revolver, and including the bullets hidden in their pockets, they had, at best, thirty or forty rounds in total.


    Such a quantity of ammunition was barely enough for a brief engagement. To their deaths, these Guards never imagined they would one day face enemies equipped with submachine guns in a head-on firefight.


    The disparity in firepower between semi-automatic pistols and submachine guns was fully demonstrated in this battle: in close-range combat, submachine guns are always stronger than pistols.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A Qi Country Soldier rushed to the side of the carriage, raised his rifle, and took a shot at the distant Tang Country Paratroopers.


    A Tang Country Paratrooper fell, shot in the abdomen, losing his combat ability instantly.


    But Xiang Ziyu, who had already reached the carriage, immediately fired seven or eight bullets at the Qi Army hiding behind another horse.


    Some bullets hit the horse, some hit the Qi Country Soldier, and in the end, both man and horse struggled and fell, while the remaining Qi Country Soldiers recklessly charged forward, seeming determined to recapture the carriage that was of such importance to them.


    The Tang Country Paratroopers were not to be outdone, pressing in with their submachine guns. The clear sound of the Chicago Typewriter rung out, and the Qi Soldiers who had charged over instantly fell.


    ¡°Listen up, those inside! You¡¯re surrounded! Come out and surrender!¡± Seeing the carriage was now under his control, the squad leader excitedly shouted to the people inside.


    Accompanying his shouts, the few remaining paratroopers had already rushed to the front of the carriage, taking position on either side of the courtyard gate, on guard at the perimeter.


    Xiang Ziyu cautiously held his submachine gun at the other side of the carriage, truly worried that the people inside would start firing out without notice.


    The carriage already had its share of bullet holes, including ones from Xiang Ziyu and the Tang Country Paratroopers who hadn¡¯t deliberately avoided the carriage. They weren¡¯t special forces trained for hostage rescue and hadn¡¯t undergone such training.


    What they drilled every day, ingrained in their muscle memory, was to eliminate all threats, kill all enemies capable of firing, protect their lives as much as possible, and accomplish the core mission after parachuting!


    So, to them, capturing King Jiang Xian of Qi alive and killing King Jiang Xian of Qi made no difference at all. Even when it came to being recognized for their achievements, there would be no difference.


    ¡°Come out quickly! Or I¡¯ll start shooting!¡± While shouting, Xiang Ziyu wisely changed positions. He had called out to the enemy during training before and was ¡°shot¡± through the door by the enemy.


    The instructor eventually ruled he had been killed through an obstacle, a lesson he remembered vividly and dared not forget. It was such experiences that made him even more cautious.


    ¡°Creak...¡± Accompanying Xiang Ziyu¡¯s shouting, the carriage door was slowly pushed open from the inside.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. Two chapters today, updates will continue tomorrow.


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 Chapter 611: 570 two bodies

    Chapter 611: 570 two bodies


    The person inside the carriage did not speak but simply pushed open the door. Because they were unsure if the person inside was armed, Xiang Ziyu and his squad leader did not dare to approach carelessly.


    ¡°I am the Prime Minister of Qi Country!¡± At this moment, an elderly man¡¯s voice came from the carriage. He spoke slowly, stepping out of the carriage as he spoke.


    There were bloodstains on his body, and fresh blood had dyed his official robe red. His movement exiting the carriage was somewhat sluggish, and his eyes were full of bloodshot threads.


    ¡°Where is the King!¡± Upon seeing the old man emerge from the carriage, the paratrooper squad leader asked with his weapon ready, ¡°Is he inside?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is certainly inside.¡± The old man smirked bitterly and answered, ¡°He is already dead ...¡±


    Long before Tang Country¡¯s paratroopers reached the carriage, Jiang Xian of Qi Country had already died. Something had been amiss when he boarded the carriage; in fact, at that time, His Majesty, the King of Qi Country, had already passed away.


    He had been suffering from a serious illness for some time and had been taking medicine. Just now, he had been frightened and jolted for a long while, and his illness had finally worsened, leading to his death before he could be captured.


    ¡°Squad leader! He¡¯s injured!¡± Upon seeing the bloodied Prime Minister of Qi Country, Xiang Ziyu noticed the Prime Minister¡¯s wounds.


    Whether he failed to evade in time or was trying to protect Jiang Xian, the Prime Minister had several bloody holes in his body, which at that moment were still oozing blood, staining half of his body red.


    The old man was merely holding on, standing in front of two enemy paratroopers, maintaining the last vestiges of his country¡¯s dignity.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity, whether you are the Prime Minister of Qi Country or its King ... you will not be capturing any of us.¡± The Prime Minister shivered, nearly losing his balance.


    In reality, he should have been dead by now, but he was still insisting, standing there stubbornly, unwilling to fall.


    In the end, after an indeterminate amount of time, he finally lost all his strength and collapsed heavily onto the ground tiles, closing his eyes.


    Only at this moment did Xiang Ziyu and his squad leader approach, cautiously peering through the wide-open carriage door to see the scene inside.


    Inside the carriage lay a man dressed in splendid attire, motionless on the floor with bloodstains and bullet holes in the seat next to him.


    Xiang Ziyu climbed into the carriage, knelt on one knee, and looked down at the man lying on the ground. It was indeed Jiang Xian, an exact match to the photograph previously circulated among the Tang Army.


    ¡°It should be him.¡± Xiang Ziyu said to his squad leader outside the carriage, ¡°He¡¯s definitely dead, and there are no gunshot wounds on his body.¡±


    The squad leader furrowed his brow, then hopped onto the carriage, pushed Xiang Ziyu aside, and emptied the magazine of his firearm into Jiang Xian¡¯s body, ¡°Now he has gunshot wounds!¡±


    He lifted his head to look at Xiang Ziyu, ¡°Your credit is already substantial. Remember, this is the honor of our squad, our platoon, our company, even our battalion! You know what to say!¡±


    ¡°I understand! Squad leader.¡± Xiang Ziyu knew the credit wasn¡¯t his, so he accepted everything quite frankly.


    Their squad had killed the Prime Minister and the King of Qi Country! This was a collective honor for their squad! Or rather, it could become an honor for their entire paratrooper troops!


    Just like the Qi troops, none of the Tang planes circling above the manor knew that the King of Qi Country was already dead.


    They continued with the attack plan, dropping one heavy bomb after another, as if money was no object.


    At the same time, the all-out counterattack from the Qi troops on the ground further convinced them that the King of Qi was still inside the manor at that moment.


    So they kept dropping bombs, one after another, onto the small manor obscured by thick smoke, disregarding visibility.


    Soon, a pilot inside a Stuka noticed something different. He saw Tang paratroopers retreating, and those Dragon Banners, serving as friend-or-foe identifiers, seemed to be moving back as well.


    So, holding down the communication button, he reported, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening, but I see our flags retreating!¡±


    Below him, paratroopers on the ground had retreated to their drop zones, where their identifying Dragon Banners were even more conspicuous.


    After confirmation, the pilot continued to report over the radio: ¡°Repeat, I see the Dragon Banner retreating!¡±


    Soon, another Stuka Dive Bomber pilot also confirmed the news: ¡°That¡¯s right! I also see the paratroopers retreating! I don¡¯t know why, but they¡¯re moving towards the open area!¡±


    At that moment, the voice from headquarters came through the headset: ¡°I order you to cover our forces, cover the retreating paratrooper troops! Repeat! Cover the retreating paratrooper troops! Block the Qi Army¡¯s pursuit!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± replied the pilot of the circling Stuka Dive Bomber immediately.


    However, after the two Stukas made a wide circle around the manor, they still didn¡¯t see the Qi troops chasing from the thick smoke.


    It seemed the Qi Army had no intention to pursue, so the Tang paratroopers retreating from the battle did so at their leisure; they even managed to find and take with them almost all of their bags and gear.


    So, after circling twice to confirm the situation, the pilot of the Stuka Dive Bomber assigned to cover the ground troops spoke again: ¡°Beehive! Beehive! This is Wasp One! This is Wasp One! I do not see Qi troops in pursuit! Repeat! I do not see enemy troops in pursuit!¡±


    Another pilot from a different plane also reported: ¡°This is Wasp Four! I also do not see enemy troops in pursuit!¡±


    ¡°I do not see them either!¡± said another pilot through the radio.


    ¡°Keep watching, keep watching!¡± came the somewhat resigned reminder from headquarters over the radio: ¡°Subsequent forces, continue bombing the target! Ensure that the manor is completely destroyed!¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged, Sir!¡± replied the pilot who had just arrived at the battlefield, still excited. After responding, he pushed his control stick down: ¡°Starting my dive now, cover me!¡±


    His wingman followed, shouting excitedly, ¡°I¡¯m right behind you!¡±


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 Chapter 612: Long live the 571 Tank

    Chapter 612: Long live the 571 Tank


    Near Donghe Bridge, the paratrooper 2nd company¡¯s troops were inexplicably spectating. They truly didn¡¯t understand why two forces of the Qi Army were fighting each other.


    By the time these Qi Country troops finally figured out what was going on and realized they had targeted the wrong enemy, the Tang Army already had their guns pointed at their foreheads.


    In the bridgehead bunker where the Qi Country¡¯s company commander was located, lacking in automatic weapons and without grenades, the Qi Army quickly lost the outer positions and even lost the first floor of the bridgehead bunker in the process.


    The Qi soldiers still holed up on the second floor tried to struggle, but their efforts turned to naught with the explosion of a grenade.


    The Qi soldiers, who were knocked about by the blast, hadn¡¯t reorganized their defenses when the charging Tang soldiers riddled them with bullets.


    Soon they lost the second floor, then the third.


    With nowhere left to hide, the Qi Country¡¯s company commander was indeed a tough nut to crack. He glanced at his own men guarding the stairwell, but in the end, he took off his feathered cap.


    ¡°Stop fighting! We surrender! Don¡¯t shoot! As long as you guarantee not to kill us, we surrender!¡± he shouted downward.


    Quickly, the voice of the Tang Army came from below: ¡°Throw down your arms; no killing! Our company commander has said, as long as you surrender, your lives will be guaranteed!¡±


    Hearing this, the Qi Country company commander immediately agreed: ¡°We surrender! Come on up!¡±


    After shouting this, he ordered his subordinates, ¡°Put down your weapons! Continuing to fight is just delivering ourselves to death, there¡¯s no need.¡±


    Upon hearing their commander speak thus, those Qi soldiers hidden in the bridgehead bunker cooperated and laid down their weapons.


    They were already in disarray; having someone lead the way in surrendering matched their hopes.


    With almost no opposition, the Qi soldiers one by one handed over their rifles, then discarded their bayonets hung at their waists, and walked down the stairs one after the other.


    Below the stairs, the Tang soldiers holding submachine guns also avoided the danger of storming the building. Their grenades were limited and they were worried about the bridgehead bunker being destroyed by grenades, so they too were happy to see the Qi Army surrender.


    When the Qi Army chose to surrender, the Tang paratroopers did not opt for a ruthless slaughter but instead let the disarmed Qi people roll out of their defenses.


    On the other side of the railway, the Qi Country troops that had just brutally killed their own did not show weakness this time; they continued firing, trying to stop the Tang Army from crossing the railway.


    Unfortunately, their Maxim machine gun deployed outside soon fell silent. The Tang snipers, like invisible demons to these Qi soldiers, devoured the lives of each one.


    The Qi soldiers, unaware of who was attacking them, dared not go operate that Maxim machine gun any longer, feeling as if a devil was lurking next to it.


    Without the support of that machine gun, the firepower of the Qi troops visibly dropped a notch. The sporadic rifle shots were drowned out by the crisp sound of typewriters, almost inaudible.


    Originally, on the battlefield, the Qi Army always overwhelmed the Tang forces with numbers, sometimes even reaching a ratio of ten or even fifteen to one.


    ¡°Get lost! Aren¡¯t you a paratrooper? Aren¡¯t you a paratrooper?¡± The second battalion commander, clearly annoyed and embarrassed, retorted, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been so good-natured and let you take the opportunity, killing the King of Qi Country would have been our second battalion¡¯s doing, got it?¡±


    ¡°Your face is really thick,¡± the first battalion commander, who had expected such a response, laughed and punched his friend, then looked again towards the other end of the bridge.


    ¡°Stop looking; I¡¯ve had the explosives planted. If the enemy tries to force their way across with a train, we¡¯ll blow up the bridge. If they try to cross with men, we¡¯ll turn this place into a river of blood!¡± the second battalion commander pointed to the paratroopers who had planted the explosives between the two bridgeheads.


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to do it,¡± the first battalion commander considered the idea for a moment and felt that the second battalion commander¡¯s plan was sound. They might as well leave the bridgehead on that side alone, as they couldn¡¯t come across anyway.


    Although the enemy would occasionally fire a shot or two to intimidate, with snipers watching through scoped rifles on this side, the shooters on the other side of the bridge didn¡¯t dare show their faces after several were killed.


    The Tang Army used paratroopers to capture this strategic point so that the subsequent troops could quickly utilize this railway bridge.


    Otherwise, they could have just bombed and destroyed it; it wasn¡¯t worth the cost in human lives. The paratroopers¡¯ mission was to hold the bridge until the following troops arrived.


    However, if it came to a dire situation where the Qi Army¡¯s main force reached the bridge before the Tang Army¡¯s reinforcements, then the paratroopers would have to consider blowing up the bridge.


    At the same moment, aboard the turret of a No. 4 tank, the commander of the first unit of the 4th Armored Division of Tang Country put down his binoculars.


    He had seen the towering walls of King City of Qi Country and the industrial zone of King City, still billowing thick smoke.


    There, hundreds of towering chimneys, some of which were still emitting thick smoke: many factories were still working, striving non-stop to support the Qi Country¡¯s war machinery.


    ¡°Those unrepentant bastards!¡± he re-entered the tank turret, exposing only half his upper body, and said, ¡°Forward! Let General Redman spend the night in King City of Qi Country tonight!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t first battalion quicker than us? Can we still make it to King City now?¡± The gunner, picking his nose, said in the shaking tank.


    ¡°Hahaha! They advanced too quickly and got redirected to support the madmen on the right flank,¡± the commander said with pride, ¡°Rest assured, this time, the honor of being the first into King City will be ours; no one can snatch it away!¡±


    ¡°Long live Great Tang!¡± Shouts of excitement came from other tank commanders over the radio, and soon, even more followed with their own cheers, ¡°Long live Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Long live Tanks!¡± Unconsciously, someone suddenly shouted out, ¡°Long live the Tank Crews!¡±


    Through the forest, tank after tank of No. 4 Tanks emerged, followed by self-propelled guns converted from No. 2 Tanks.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Many commanders laughed along, and then more joined in the cheering, ¡°Long live Tanks! Long live the Tank Crews!¡±


    These tanks broke through branches, crushed shrubs, and with their bodies marred by mottled shell marks and stains of blood that couldn¡¯t be completely wiped off, charged toward the distant city shrouded in dust and smoke.


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 Chapter 613: 572 Qi Armys Logistics

    Chapter 613: 572 Qi Army¡¯s Logistics


    The King of Qi, Jiang Xian, was dead, more dead than one could imagine. When an officer of Qi Country found the carriage overturned by the explosion of an aerial bomb, all he could see was the bullet-riddled corpse of the King of Qi inside.


    He held the corpse and wept bitterly, and many soldiers of Qi Country gathered around, silently witnessing everything that was happening.


    The airplanes of Tang Army continued to circle overhead, occasionally diving to strafe the crowd.


    The terrifying missiles had left huge craters in the estate, blasting the place beyond recognition, with houses collapsed and structures shattered.


    Everywhere there were corpses, some once untouchably noble, some powerful enough to sway the court, and others just like them, simply the most ordinary soldiers.


    Now, less than half of the Imperial Guard regiment was still alive, but those alive had already lost the target they were supposed to protect.


    The entire central mechanism of Qi Country had been destroyed by the attacks from the sky in just the past two hours, with almost nothing left.


    Had it not been for the convenience of some people staying in King City, perhaps the entire governmental affairs of Qi Country would have been paralyzed at that moment.


    Anyway, the Prime Minister of Qi Country was dead, his body lying next to the carriage. The King of Qi was dead, his body had just been carried out of the carriage.


    Several of Qi¡¯s important generals were dead, some bodies recoverable, others blown to pieces beyond recognition.


    A whole host of Qi¡¯s important ministers were dead, some beside the carriage, some in the corners of the courtyard, including one who was a bit more fortunate, crushed under the body of one of His Majesty¡¯s concubines.


    As time went on, more ministers were found; they had all died, killed in haste by the Tang Country Paratroopers as they tried to escape in another courtyard.


    Captain Ma was also dead, he had taken his own life... It¡¯s not just that he couldn¡¯t escape blame with the King dead, but with so many court officials dead at once, he had virtually no hope of living on.


    Any family from anyone who died here, if they decided to pursue the matter, he as the captain of the Imperial Guard would have had his family exterminated.@@@@


    So he chose to die with dignity, giving himself and those seeking vengeance that dignity.


    By the time his men heard the gunshot, it was too late; Captain Ma had shot himself in the head, and the bullet had gone through his temple, presenting a horrific sight.


    This made things even worse, as everyone now lacked command and leadership, especially after the spiritual totem, His Majesty, had just died, and almost all state ministers were annihilated... The remaining lower-ranking soldiers had no heart to fight under the harassment of the airplanes.


    They found some stretchers, carried the bodies of the Prime Minister and His Majesty the King, and then, without caring for the remaining corpses, they just left.


    Nobody realized that the Donghe Bridge, the eastern gate of King City, had already been occupied by the enemy, nor did anyone think of counterattacking or searching for the Tang Country Paratroopers. The Qi soldiers retreated like this, abandoning the smoking, burning estate, taking a few corpses and fleeing back to the King City of Qi Country in disarray.


    What they didn¡¯t know was that a Tang Army Armored Corps was already en route to the estate, and another Tang Army Armored Corps was advancing towards the King City of Qi Country.


    In short, they knew nothing, intending only to bring back the news of the death of the King of Qi to the King City, and then find someone with authority to take over everything.


    ...


    You have to understand that now, every shell he used had to be transported from the permanent defensive positions dozens of kilometers to the south.


    The food his troops ate also came from there, and the stored food and ammunition there were not infinite, either.


    Originally, the food stockpiled at the southern front was thought to be enough for about a month and a half of defense on site. The thinking was that there was no need to hoard so much since the supply lines could continue to be supplemented via railway.


    On paper, the numbers were sufficient to last three months, but in reality, because Tang Country had gone mad buying up grain in the previous two years, many astute individuals had diverted some strategic reserves, enriching their own purses first.


    The war had been raging for over a month now, and with several granaries and ammunition depots on the southern front having been destroyed or captured, the supply situation was close to hitting rock bottom.


    If the hundreds of thousands of troops found out they were out of food and ammunition, there would be no reason to continue the war...


    ¡°General, the Tang Army¡¯s tank units have advanced far enough to threaten our flank,¡± an officer rushed back with a message that alarmed everyone in the command bunker.


    After receiving reinforcements and rest, the 1st Armored Division of Tang Country launched an offensive on the flanks of the main Qi forces near Luo Town.


    Since the Tang forces inside Luo Town already had ample troops, they didn¡¯t have to worry about their defense lines being breached anymore.


    The 1st Armored Division of Tang Country, free from worries of rear defense, quickly resumed the role of an offensive force and began an encircling attack that threatened the flanks of the Qi forces attacking Luo Town from the north.


    Having cleared several nearby villages, they took up positions that were quite troublesome for the 1st Army.


    ¡°We must think of a solution,¡± another officer, glancing at the silent Qin Xiong, voiced his thoughts.


    Waiting here was definitely a dead end; they were almost out of capacity to keep assaulting Luo Town. If they didn¡¯t plan an escape now, were they actually preparing to dig their own graves here?


    Qin Xiong also knew that he couldn¡¯t continue to hold out here and, with a sense of dreary resignation, he closed his eyes and finally gave the order, ¡°Command the 1st Army to retreat 10 kilometers to the rear, vacate the positions, and hand over the defense zone to the 19th Division.¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone understood that Qin Xiong was preparing to first withdraw the First Prince¡¯s family assets, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.


    Qin Xiong then continued to command, ¡°Stop the offensive, pull the troops back, and construct defensive works on the spot...¡±


    As a renowned general of Qi Country, Qin Xiong still had his pride: even if he was preparing to flee, he wanted to appear as if he were still holding on firmly...


    There was no way around it. From any perspective, he could not abandon the positions near Luo Town: He had to put on a show of intending to break through Nanye south of Luo Town and march all the way to King City to rescue His Majesty the King. Otherwise, how could he explain himself to Jiang Xian?


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Here¡¯s another update


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 Chapter 614: 573 Dahua Court Council

    Chapter 614: 573 Dahua Court Council


    Zhao Kai stood in the great hall, staring at the group of ministers in front of him, his face so frosty it seemed one could scrape off the frost with a knife.


    He was incredibly sullen, his anger apparent to anyone who looked. In the center of the great hall, there was an enormous table, upon which a map was spread.


    This map was of Qi Country, and it included part of Dahua¡¯s territory; on another side, there was a corner of Tang Country.


    Underneath this map, another map peeked out, showing just a corner¡ªit was a full map of the Dahua Empire.


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®impossible?¡¯ Huh? What do you mean, ¡®can¡¯t be done?¡¯ Over two years, I¡¯ve spent money building hundreds of kilometers of railway! And now you¡¯re telling me that it¡¯s impossible to dispatch a hundred thousand troops to the border of Qi Country?¡± Zhao Kai glared at Minister of Works, Chen Jing, and rebuked him harshly.


    Chen Jing kept his head down, unfazed as if a dead pig in face of boiling water. Whether these railways were useful or how useful they were couldn¡¯t be negated by just a few words from Zhao Kai, so he didn¡¯t bother to defend himself.


    Everyone knew that, at present, the transportation throughout the north, south, east, and west of the Dahua Empire relied on these railways and the highway systems built around them.


    Without these highways and railways, the Dahua Empire would be at least ten times behind where it was now! Chen Jing¡¯s contributions had long been recorded in history, and they had nothing to do with Zhao Kai¡¯s reproach.


    All present knew that the current passive situation was not due to a waste of money spent on railway construction, but rather because not even more money had been wasted on it!


    The current rail network of the Dahua Empire was desperately scarce. According to estimates, the total mileage of railways and highways needed to increase to five times the current distance to barely meet basic requirements.


    If they wanted to continue developing, then the total length of the railways would need to be increased by tenfold! That was the consensus of everyone from the Ministry of Works to the Ministry of War and other departments.


    ¡°Your Majesty! There are too few railways at the border, and our troops are slow to mobilize and difficult to manage. The Ministry of Works has indeed done its utmost,¡± Minister of Revenue, Wang Yuca?i, who knew the difficulties of the Ministry of Works, had no choice but to stand up and explain at this moment.


    According to the Ministry of War, railways should be built between borders and military strongholds to facilitate troop movements.


    However, railways built in border areas during peacetime are liabilities, unused and requiring money for maintenance.


    Therefore, railway construction should be as beneficial to people¡¯s livelihood as possible and consider maintenance costs. Thus, after a meeting with compromises on all sides, the current Dahua railway network was established.


    The railways of Dahua were built around the main north-south and east-west lines, which then extended out to most cities.


    This type of railway network was primarily focused on passenger and freight transport during peacetime, making it profitable and very lucrative.


    It was because of these profits that the Ministry of Works had the means to continue extending these railways, creating a virtuous cycle, which was the main reason why Dahua was able to build such a large-scale railway network in a short time.


    However, railways built with a focus on civilian use were not as convenient for military purposes: the radial railway lines spreading from the core of the Dahua capital were too rushed to include ring lines, so horizontal transport at the ends of these lines was actually impossible.


    It was a move to strategically intimidate Tang Country¡ªeveryone present thought that verbal intimidation was the lowest-cost option and wouldn¡¯t have any issues, so they all nodded in agreement.


    Mobilizing troops northward to reach the Dahua-Qi border was the necessary course of action; even if they weren¡¯t attacking the Tang forces, they could still defend the existing Qi-Dahua border section, which was killing two birds with one stone.


    However, such mobilization should have been swift, yet now it was excruciatingly slow¡ªthe mere dispatch of the 5th Army had already overwhelmed the already inadequate border road system.


    ¡°On the other hand, Your Majesty, we should also contact Shin Country and Chu Country! If both are willing to deploy troops and broaden the scope of this war, then we will still hold absolute advantage.¡± Speaking purely from a strategic standpoint, Minister of Personnel Zhou Qiang suggested.


    ¡°Chu Country is fine, but contacting Shin Country... is that appropriate?¡± Great General Feng Kezhi frowned, voicing his doubts, ¡°Goblins are not of our kind to begin with, and they once rampaged through Zheng Country. Now, taking them as allies, we might breed trouble for the future...¡±


    ¡°This Tang Country is already a tiger or wolf. If we don¡¯t drive the tiger to devour the wolf, our Dahua borders will never know peace!¡± Zhou Qiang continued to explain his strategy.


    In his view, Tang Country was the true menace, so even if it meant allying with the despised Goblin dwarves, they should first contain Tang Country.


    Why was he so opposed to Tang Country? Because Tang Country had implemented a series of agricultural reforms internally and was systematically abolishing landlords, destroying the traditional scholar-gentry class.


    In Zhou Qiang¡¯s eyes, destroying a country was no big deal, but reforming the traditional social order threatened the very livelihood of the Nobility and scholar-gentry class, which was unacceptable.


    Therefore, Zhou Qiang would rather join forces with the Goblin dwarves, whom he usually despised, than allow a Tang Country that disregarded the scholar-gentry Nobility to rise.


    ¡°Carry out Minister Zhou¡¯s plan! Jiang Run!¡± Zhao Kai made up his mind and turned to the Minister of Rites, who had a low profile, and commanded.


    ¡°Your servant is here!¡± Minister of Rites Jiang Run, in charge of foreign affairs, stepped forward and responded with a bow, ¡°Your servant will arrange it at once.¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡± Finally encountering a minister who was not evasive, Zhao Kai¡¯s expression lightened somewhat. ¡°Besides, contact Shireck and the Laines Empire! Make trouble for Tang Country on the other side as soon as possible! Otherwise, if this gets ugly, no one will be able to escape the consequences!¡±


    ¡°Your servant understands!¡± Jiang Run continued to respond.


    After all, he was only responsible for diplomatic affairs, and executing the decree when it came would not entail much cost, so there was no need to question anything.


    ¡°Also, reach out to Chu Country to discuss the feasibility of attacking the southern part of Tang Country!¡± Lastly, the Emperor of Dahua added this instruction.


    ¡°Your servant obeys the order! Your servant will do everything possible to relieve Your Majesty of your worries,¡± replied Minister of Rites Jiang Run, assuming the role of the agreeable official.


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 Chapter 615: This matter is entrusted to you.

    Chapter 615: This matter is entrusted to you.


    Just at that moment, an official rushed into the grand hall, clutching a telegram and approached Zhao Kai.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Zhao Kai, his face clouded with displeasure as if the entire world owed him money.


    ¡°Your Majesty! A telegram just came from Qi Country... King Jiang Xian, he has passed away,¡± the official replied in a low voice.


    ¡°What?¡± Zhao Kai was taken aback, quickly snatching the telegram to examine the words, his face full of disbelief, ¡°Idiot, could there be a mistake?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely. They used the agreed upon cipher,¡± the minister replied at once, wash his hands of responsibility completely.


    There was no time to delve into his subordinate¡¯s attitude of passing the buck, as Zhao Kai read the telegram once more, then tried as best he could to accept such a terrible truth.


    Jiang Xian was not particularly old, and in Zhao Kai¡¯s mind, the man could have lived at least another twenty years.


    But what he never expected was that the otherwise in the prime of his life, King Jiang Xian of Qi Country, would exit the stage of history in such an undignified manner.


    ¡°Does the telegram say how the King of Qi died?¡± Zhao Kai looked to the minister bringing the news, his expression shifting continuously as he asked.


    He no longer knew which expression was appropriate for handling these ridiculous mishaps that left him not knowing whether to laugh or cry. If you say Qi Country was playing him, Zhao Kai, even the King of Qi played himself in it, wasn¡¯t that a bit too dedicated?


    But if you say Qi Country wasn¡¯t acting, they¡¯ve just started the war, lost Nanye, with hundreds of thousands of troops trapped, seemingly on the brink of collapse... How could there be no actors in a war that turned out like this?


    ¡°The telegram mentioned it, said there were troops from Tang Country that descended from the sky and launched a surprise attack on the King¡¯s camp; the King led his troops in a bloody battle and unfortunately succumbed to his injuries,¡± the minister replied immediately, producing another telegram and handing it to Zhao Kai.


    Zhao Kai took the telegram, scrutinized it for a long while, and then handed it to General Feng Kezhi beside him, ¡°You have a look too!¡±


    Now, Zhao Kai felt like murdering the King of the Laines Empire and Shireck¡¯s witch Sofia.


    Could the intelligence report be any less reliable? Before the battle, they talked it up with all sorts of grand promises. But once the fighting started, not a single word proved true!


    Initially, they said that as long as Qi Country resorted to scorched earth tactics and strictly defended their lines, even after half a year Great Tang would achieve no victory.


    But now, well, including the initial week of both sides sitting idle, it took less than 10 days for Great Tang to breach Qi Country¡¯s border defenses!


    Those were the defenses that Qi Country had meticulously constructed over more than half a year, with a triple line of defense and reinforced bunkers as permanent defensive works!


    The defenses were completely breached within two days of the start of the battle, and then Qi Country¡¯s southern stronghold, Nanye, was lost, leaving Qi on the verge of collapse without time for Dahua to provide support.


    When they started their diplomatic blackmail against Tang Country, Zhao Kai had no idea that Tang had a new weapon called an airplane.


    It wasn¡¯t until about ten days ago that the military intelligence department of the Dahua Empire officially confirmed that Tang Country possessed terrifying airplanes that dive and screech; with each bombing run, their precision munitions could create a crater with a radius of tens of meters!


    Similarly, it was only about twenty days ago that he, the Emperor of Dahua, learned about the existence of a weapon called a tank in the Tang military arsenal¡ªmighty at destroying fortifications and seemingly indestructible!


    General Feng Kezhi was silent for a moment, then he raised his head and replied, ¡°Your Majesty, your servant believes the odds of victory are about thirty percent.¡±


    ¡°Only thirty percent?¡± Zhao Kai was obviously dissatisfied with this response.


    General Feng Kezhi explained, ¡°Your servant and colleagues have also analyzed the battle reports provided by Advisor Shireck. Your servant believes that without the support of new weapons like tanks and planes, it is indeed hard to breach the enemy¡¯s defenses with just infantry.¡±


    ¡°This is also why we previously thought Qi Country could hold out for over half a year! Gauging by our own military¡¯s capabilities, to break through Qi Country¡¯s border defenses would indeed take half a year or even longer,¡± he spoke logically, as Zhao Kai listened without saying a word.


    The veteran of Dahua continued, ¡°So, conversely, attacking Tang Country¡¯s border defenses would also require about half a year, and it¡¯s uncertain whether we could even break through.¡±


    Then, General Feng Kezhi analyzed the combat effectiveness of the Tang Army from various angles: this army molded by Tang Mo had stronger individual firepower, more advanced machine guns, and their squad- and platoon-level fighting capabilities completely overpowered those of comparable Dahua units.


    Simultaneously, the Tang Army had a clear advantage in artillery, both in quantity and quality, surpassing Dahua, another unfavorable factor.


    Even more vexing was the fact that the Tang Army also had a massive number of automobiles and an ample supply of fuel reserves, meaning their troops could maneuver faster and had more abundant logistical support.


    Furthermore, Tang Country¡¯s infrastructure was better developed, with more railways, stronger transportation capabilities, and higher productivity¡ªthese were all advantages Dahua could not match.


    Additionally, the Tang Army¡¯s self-propelled artillery, tanks, and planes, along with various modern weapons, were continuously emerging, changing some of the tactical rules. Engaging in combat with the Tang Army under such circumstances was no different from courting death.


    Having summarized up to this point and seeing that Zhao Kai¡¯s expression had turned very gloomy, General Feng Kezhi concluded, ¡°Your Majesty, your servant believes that if we engage in direct combat with Tang Country at the border, the odds of victory are only thirty percent!¡±


    ¡°However!¡± Just as Zhao Kai was trying to suppress the anger in his heart, General Feng Kezhi suddenly changed his tone and uttered this word.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Zhao Kai glanced at him, puzzled.


    ¡°Your Majesty! If Chu Country engages Tang Country in the south to draw some of their attention and Sheng Country stalls Tang forces in the north with Qi Country, and Laines and Dorne take action on another front, once they all begin to wage war, we declare war on Tang last, our odds of victory can be increased to seventy percent,¡± General Feng Kezhi laid out the scenario he thought had the highest chance of success.


    Upon hearing his general put it that way, Zhao Kai was somewhat satisfied. It seemed that the situation was not impossible, only that it required some manipulation.


    As long as it was feasible, it was a better prospect for Zhao Kai than just sitting and watching Tang Country consume Qi Country.


    He had already watched the extinction of Zheng Country; this time he did not want to watch helplessly as Qi Country met the same fate.


    Thus, he looked toward Jiang Run of the Ministry of Rites again and ordered, ¡°Minister Jiang, you¡¯ve heard, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Your servant has heard everything,¡± Jiang Run bowed his head, knowing his work seemed to have become very important. He immediately assured, ¡°Your servant will not let Your Majesty down and will strive to achieve the situation needed by General Feng for the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Good! Minister Jiang, I entrust this matter to you!¡± Zhao Kai nodded in satisfaction.


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 Chapter 616: 575 as long as you dare

    Chapter 616: 575 as long as you dare


    ¡°I say, just how many people are you planning to take away, hmm?¡± Standing on the docks of Brunas, a Laines military officer looked impatiently at the Tang Country military officer beside him and asked.


    He had been here to take over the defense for three days already, but the docks were still crowded every day with all sorts of people, accompanied by bags and luggage of various sizes, ready to leave what was once the wealthiest city in the world.


    In his view, it was entirely an enigma: there was a complete and advanced water supply, as well as electricity and lighting systems; countless factories outside the city offered employment opportunities, and the municipal management was so perfected it was astounding.


    Why would anyone want to leave such a place that was like a paradise? Two months ago, every house here was worth a fortune!


    Yet, just because the Great Tang Group left, just because the Laines Empire was about to occupy it, it seemed as if overnight, the place had turned into hell.


    The stock market in Brunas had plummeted overnight ¨C from a crowded land of fortune to a desolate, empty building.


    Countless people sold off their shares; stocks that were once worth ten or more Gold Coins each were dumped for just two silver coins!


    Two months ago, an 80-square-meter house here could sell for an exorbitant price of 30,000 Gold Coins. Just one month ago, no one would touch it for 4,000 Gold Coins. Yesterday, that same house would sell for only 500 Gold Coins, and today, just 300...


    At the height of Brunas¡¯ prosperity, if the Great Tang Group had sold it, they could have bought an entire Kingdom.


    But now, it seemed as if overnight the place had reverted to some insignificant fishing village, that worthless, impoverished little town of the past.


    ¡°As long as there are people willing to leave, they can board the ships. That was the agreement between us, wasn¡¯t it?¡± The young Tang Country military officer, with his hands behind his back and a smile on his face, watched the civilians leaving for Dragon Island and said to the Laines Empire officer beside him.


    He paused for a moment and then continued, ¡°You are getting so much for free; it would be unjust if you didn¡¯t give us this form of compensation, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    When the Great Tang Group left, they didn¡¯t take anything with them according to the agreement: including the countless factory facilities outside the city, including power plants and water works, including the docks for shipbuilding and the enormous gantry cranes.


    The entire Brunas City¡¯s excellent electrical system, the plumbing, the sewage, and the communication networks... all were left for the Laines Empire.


    They didn¡¯t even destroy the telephone system, which was an advanced technology not yet widespread in Laines City.


    Moreover, when the Tang Country troops withdrew, they left behind all their weapons and equipment. Including original cannons, machine guns, rifles... as well as ammunition for these weapons.


    They took nothing! The weapons were neatly stacked in the barracks, even the steel helmets were left behind. The soldiers¡¯ bedding, even the basins they used to wash their faces, were all left in place.


    Even the receiving Laines Empire military couldn¡¯t believe that the opposing side would really leave everything behind. The Great Tang Group upheld their reputation to a faultless extent, compelling the Laines Empire forces that were taking over Brunas to likewise adhere to their prior agreements.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already moved at least half a million people! Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± the Laines Empire officer emphasized dejectedly as he watched Brunas nearly empty out.


    Children might be excited, as they could get up close to the large cannons on the deck, which would definitely be a novel experience.


    But adults were less inclined to travel on such slender military vessels, with their poor seaworthiness, cramped quarters, and often restricted movement, making long voyages quite oppressive.


    ¡°If everyone wishes to leave, we will transport everyone.¡± An officer from Tang Country glanced at an officer from Laines and smirked without warmth in his reply, ¡°It¡¯s the agreement!¡±


    ¡°We have received orders that in three days, if you haven¡¯t left by then, we have the right to shut down the entire port,¡± the Laines officer warned.


    ¡°That¡¯s your concern.¡± The officer from Tang Country replied indifferently, ¡°You can shoot me at any time, as long as you dare.¡±


    The Laines officer snorted coldly, extremely dissatisfied but still shut his mouth. Although he was ordered to threaten the remaining staff of the Great Tang Group, both military and civilian authorities had warned him not to start a fight.


    These people either regularly received bribes from the Great Tang Group or had witnessed the might of the Tang Army. They were as cautious as possible when taking advantage of the Great Tang Group.


    Having obtained what they wanted, they certainly wouldn¡¯t cause unnecessary complications. Leines I did not wish to engage in a firefight with Tang Army warships in the ports of Brunas during the handover.


    Even if he were foolish, he wouldn¡¯t make the blunder of smashing his own bowl: he wanted to peacefully see off the Great Tang Group and then develop Brunas into one of Laines¡¯s most important port cities.


    ¡°The Laines Empire will protect all those who stay! We will reduce taxes, secure workers¡¯ rights, and recognize the property ownership of every individual who remains...¡± At the dock¡¯s main gate, Laines soldiers also with megaphones, kept advertising the policies of the Laines Empire.


    Their propaganda indeed had a certain soothing effect on the people, and many chose to stay. After all, the area still buzzed with life and prosperity.


    Many opted to purchase real estate offered at low prices and stayed there. For them, this choice was a gamble that, if won, would ensure easy living for the rest of their lives.


    Despite some looking back with reluctance, and others deciding to stay while in the queue, the docks remained wide open, and the line of boarders was still impressively long.


    In the second month of the war between Qi and Tang, Brunas was still in the process of a peaceful handover. Although Northern Ridge had become a part of the Suthers Empire, and in fact, Brunas already belonged to Laines, they all abided by their agreement, not restricting the freedom of immigrants.


    Today, there were still those from Northern Ridge who had been indecisive but finally made up their minds, rushing to Brunas to board a ship and leave the continent for the new territories of Countess Alice.


    There were also a few who regretted their decision and took ships from Dragon Island back to Brunas¡ªreturn voyages had plenty of spots available, so getting back to Brunas was very convenient.


    And on the Endless Sea, even though the ship fleets continued to come and go ceaselessly, behind this prosperity, everyone could feel that the long-suppressed storm seemed about to arrive.


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 Chapter 617: 576 wise allies

    Chapter 617: 576 wise allies


    Leines I pinched the telegraph in his hand, his expression flickering. He handed the telegram to the Prime Minister and then muttered to himself furiously, ¡°Are they all idiots? Are they all fools?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening with Qi Country? The King was killed?¡± After receiving the telegraph, the Prime Minister also mumbled with a similarly ugly expression.


    In their eyes, a country¡¯s King or Emperor is heavily protected and a key defensive focus; how could they be killed so easily?


    ¡°So he¡¯s dead! But how could they spread the news of this incident so carelessly? Now the whole world knows. Haven¡¯t they thought about the consequences?¡± Leines I complained to the Prime Minister, utterly despondent.


    The Prime Minister also realized the gravity of the situation, he took another look at the telegram in his hand, and then said to Leines I with some uncertainty, ¡°Your Majesty! This, Qi Country is probably in chaos!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not probably, it should already be in chaos.¡± Leines I closed his eyes wearily, rubbing the bridge of his nose and said tiredly, ¡°No choice, the telegram says, Qi Country¡¯s Prime Minister is dead too, most of the Ministers are gone, there¡¯s really no one with a brain to take charge of the situation.¡±


    This was actually the most important reason Leines I deduced that Qi Country was already in chaos: Qi Country no longer had a leader.


    King Jiang Xian of Qi Country was dead, his Prime Minister was dead too, and within the ranks of the government, nearly all the significant officials who held any sway were gone.


    In such a scenario, with no leader and everyone having their own agenda, it was as if headless dragons¡ªor better said, demons dancing chaotically¡ªit¡¯d be impossible to expect them to handle any real affairs.


    The telegraph they held in their hands was probably concocted by some treacherous scoundrels with ulterior motives.


    Logically, the death of a monarch, with the heir apparent being distant, should at least be kept secret for a while, as they should hurry to arrange for a candidate to succeed, and find a respected successor to take control.


    But now Qi Country had broadcast the death of their monarch to the whole world, clearly there was impurity in their intentions.


    ¡°Your Majesty, in my opinion, this is clearly a fallout between those supporting the Second Prince and those supporting the First Prince of Qi Country.¡± The Prime Minister, no stranger to political struggles, immediately assessed the domestic situation of Qi Country upon hearing Leines I¡¯s words.


    Indeed, just as he had guessed, the Ministers supporting the Second Prince wished to keep the death a secret until the Second Prince, who was already on his way to King City, could return and take control.


    Bearing in mind the logistics, it was obvious that the Second Prince was closer to King City and was the most likely candidate to succeed.


    However, the Ministers supporting the First Prince felt otherwise; they wanted to inform the First Prince, who was far away on the southern front, to blow the lid off this affair and urge the First Prince to prepare early.


    Of course, in practice, this involved telegraphing the First Prince while also urgently notifying the Dahua Empire to seek legal support for the ¡°eldest legitimate son¡±¡ªa two-pronged approach...


    ¡°Yes!¡± the Prime Minister bowed slightly once more, concluding the conversation.


    Elsewhere, within the still frigid realm of the Ice Cold Empire, in the capital Furnace Fortress, boiling lava collected into scorching pools, bubbling incessantly.


    Next to this blazing pool, the robust Dwarf King Binghan the First looked down upon the churning flames and scoffed to his confidant, ¡°Ridiculous. Do they take us Dwarves for fools? Declaring war on Tang Country now, what would we fight with? Rely on our Dwarf navy? Hmph... if we compare it to the Tang people¡¯s warships, ours can hardly be called a navy...¡±


    The confidant began to complain, ¡°Tang Mo has always had a formidable navy. If we rashly go to war, those massive warships previously seen at sea might just destroy our Eternal Winter Port. They¡¯ve always been reluctant to provide us with advanced warships, always on guard against us.¡±


    Binghan the First kept his eyes on the roiling lava, ¡°It¡¯s not a possibility, but a certainty. Although it looks like Leines got Jade City and Brunas, we¡¯ve torn up many more treaties. Steel and copper, as well as precious metals ¨C we¡¯ve halted all supply to Tang Country; they must absolutely detest us to the bone!¡±


    He paused, then turned and walked toward the distant palace, ¡°That¡¯s why we shouldn¡¯t add to the hatred. It would be detrimental to us in making future decisions! If there¡¯s further warfare to come, we shouldn¡¯t become the battlefield, nor the primary target for Tang¡¯s aggression!¡±


    The confidant asked knowingly, ¡°Then what should we do, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°First, let¡¯s watch and see which other countries are eager to step forward! In any case, we won¡¯t be the first,¡± Binghan the First said without looking back as he walked, ¡°Wait for the reaction of the Mirage people, they... are much more anxious than we are.¡±


    In the southern part of Qi Country, the First Prince looked at the telegram in his hand but could not muster a shred of sadness. His father had died, yet all he felt was excitement and rage.


    Excitement because he might soon become the King of Qi Country, even though the kingdom seemed on the verge of collapse ¨C at last, he had the chance to be a king!


    Rage because his younger brother, that damned Second Prince, dared covet the throne and was now leading troops towards King City! This was utterly unforgivable!


    ¡°Where¡¯s Qin Xiong? What¡¯s taking him so long? I, the King of Qi Country, command him to report to me immediately, right now!¡± he said discontentedly, looking up and sternly ordering a servant beside him.


    ¡°Your Highness! We¡¯ve already sent a telegram to Qin Xiong, but he...¡± The officer hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he was silenced by the prince¡¯s fierce glare.


    The stern General rebuked, ¡°Get out!¡±


    After dismissing the foolish subordinate, the General continued, ¡°Your Majesty! We¡¯ve sent a telegram to General Qin Xiong.¡±


    The First Prince¡¯s face brightened instantly ¨C he liked this new title. Hearing it made the throne seem almost within reach.


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 Chapter 618: 577 Ordinary Morning

    Chapter 618: 577 Ordinary Morning


    Waking up, Tang Mo opened his eyes on a bed with little elasticity. He was used to sleeping on hard beds because in both worlds, he spent most of his time sleeping on them.


    In his previous life, he was always traveling around the world, spending most of his time on the road, whether on a cargo ship escorting arms or on an airplane, the beds were not so soft.


    In this world, at first, he was sleeping in his office; there were no so-called conditions, a bed and bedding were all he had. Even now, he preferred to sleep on a hard bed, and he would find it difficult to fall asleep on a soft mattress.


    He rubbed his face, then sat up on the bed, took a glass from the bedside table, drank a sip of the cool boiled water inside, and finally woke up completely.


    On a table not far away lay an unfinished drawing, weighed down by the technical manual he was still working on.


    Even during wartime, he had to ensure more than 2 hours of ¡°technical development¡± time every day. With these technological reserves and guidance, the Great Tang Group could always lead the world, becoming the most technologically advanced entity on this planet.


    What time did he work until last night? He forgot. Anyway, he went to sleep on the bed as soon as he felt tired.


    As a king, his life was quite boring. What he did every day and at what times were basically fixed, as pitiful as a wage earner.


    The most tragic part was that he even had to hope that every day would be this boring and monotonous because any disruption to his routine meant that something big, which his subordinates couldn¡¯t handle, had happened.


    So, while he boringly arranged his work every day, he dared not pray for any major changes.


    This morning, no servant hurriedly woke him, which meant at least there was no major incident last night. Or at least, there was no major incident that others couldn¡¯t handle.


    What a beautiful day it was. Tang Mo twisted his neck, stretched lazily, and pressed the electric bell beside his bed.


    ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty!¡± The servant, who had been waiting outside, immediately opened the door, helped Tang Mo make the bed, and opened the curtains and windows.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± Tang Mo walked to the washroom and took the toothbrush from the maid¡¯s hand to start brushing. When he walked out with a clean face, his breakfast was already laid out on the dining table.@@@@


    This might be the kind of treatment he did not have in his past life, and it was one of the benefits of being a king. He had countless people to serve him and hardly needed to do anything himself.


    The white bread was stacked obliquely on the plate, and the milk beside it radiated the fragrance of nature. The fried slices of meat were adorned with the most luxurious spices, even the maid standing by, awaiting orders, was so pleasing to the eye.


    ¡°Good morning. Did you sleep well last night?¡± Tang Mo asked as he sat down while the man accompanying him also took a seat.


    Wes nodded while spreading jam on his bread, ¡°Of course, I slept well. If I didn¡¯t, there wouldn¡¯t be many people in the world who did.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, here¡¯s the morning briefing of headlines from all domestic newspapers,¡± his personal secretary wheeled in a cart and nodded slightly to Wes, then reported to Tang Mo.


    ¡°Is there anything worth paying attention to?¡± Tang Mo gestured with his hand, beckoning for something, as he spoke.


    Tang Mo didn¡¯t feel the least bit surprised, as for him, Susan was just a peripheral figure, someone who could be replaced at any time.


    So he looked towards his personal secretary and instructed, ¡°Let Princess Yue¡¯er choose someone suitable to take over Susan¡¯s work, and... if there¡¯s a chance, deal with the traitor. We can¡¯t let others think that we are so weak that we can¡¯t hold a knife...¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± the personal secretary noted down Tang Mo¡¯s orders once again.


    Tang Mo¡¯s thinking was simple, he hadn¡¯t soothed his women in a long time, and not giving something for Yue¡¯er in Dragon Island to do meant that he would probably be drained dry the next time they met.


    Thinking of Yue¡¯er made him think of Yulin, who was holding down Chang¡¯an, and then of Alice who had reached Dongwan Island...


    Women, ah, so many women, it¡¯s really a bit much for his old waist to bear¡ªfortunately, after the war broke out, he had moved to Anpu, where he had been able to recuperate and regain some vitality.


    Men, ah, it¡¯s not easy...


    After finishing breakfast, Tang Mo went with Wes to the neighboring headquarters. The duty officers were still busy, and the female officers were compiling telegrams from the front lines, registering and archiving them.


    Upon seeing Tang Mo, Luff immediately stood up to greet him, ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Morning,¡± Tang Mo casually waved his hand, signaling the staff officers not to be so tense, ¡°How¡¯s it going at Donghe Bridge?¡±


    ¡°The paratroopers have secured the bridgehead, and there are no signs of a large-scale counterattack from the enemy. We expect ground troops to reach the paratroopers¡¯ area by this morning,¡± Luff replied.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s good news,¡± Tang Mo said, walking over to the map table and looking at the situation of the two armies. It was too early; the huge map hanging still hadn¡¯t had the positions of the troops updated yet.


    After casually inquiring about Anpu, Nangong Hong spoke, ¡°Your Majesty. Qi Country is surely in turmoil by now, should we pull back the paratroopers to allow the Second Prince to safely reach King City?¡±


    Tang Mo looked at the map, feeling that taking King City was a more appealing idea, ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, I think it makes more sense for us to just take King City directly.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we don¡¯t need to complicate matters. As long as we follow the original plan to capture King City and end the war quickly, that¡¯s enough,¡± Luff, too, looked askance at Nangong Hong¡¯s proposal to relinquish a clear advantage just to set someone up.


    ¡°Following the previous plan, troops on the front line of Qi Country that surrender will all be treated as civilians. If they refuse to lay down their weapons, they will be taken as prisoner slaves and sent to the mines,¡± Tang Mo was already considering the issue of how to utilize those prisoners of war.


    Nangong Hong reminded, ¡°Your Majesty. The First Prince of Qi Country still controls at least two hundred thousand troops. He remains a threat to us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, in a few days, he¡¯ll be worrying about what to feed his army of two hundred thousand,¡± Luff said with a smirk, having just learned about the food shortage in the Qi Army from the interrogation of prisoners relayed from the front.


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 Chapter 619: 578th return to King City

    Chapter 619: 578th return to King City


    Tang Mo also felt that it was about time to stop worrying about the war in Qi Country, ¡°All we need to do now is wait, they might start fighting among themselves! Qi Country is already mine for the taking, it¡¯s just a matter of time.¡±


    Indeed, from the moment the Tang Army had breached the border defenses and captured Nanye, they had already achieved strategic victory.


    Or rather, from the moment the Tang Army revealed aircraft and tanks, dragging warfare into the era of three-dimensional combat akin to World War II, the outcome was already determined.


    ¡°What if the Dahua Empire gets involved?¡± Nangong Hong was still somewhat worried.


    However, Tang Mo was very confident in his military forces, ¡°If they get involved, we will devour as many as they send! My mines and construction teams are in dire need of slaves, I can even accept 200,000 POWs.¡±


    One should know that the disadvantage, or rather the weak point, of the Tang Army lay in its lack of manpower, unable to rapidly expand its forces to the desired scale.


    But now things were different. With the five divisions that had withdrawn from Northern Ridge, plus one division from Jade City and Brunas, the Tang Army now possessed the mobility of six divisions.


    Previously, these troops could not be mobilized for combat. But now, as Alice¡¯s dowry, they had been fully integrated into the command structure of Tang Country.


    With these troops, whether it was defending against Chu Country to the south or withstanding the attacking pressure from the Dahua Empire, there was plenty to spare.


    The five divisions from Northern Ridge were no improvised army of peasant slaves; they were elite forces trained by instructors from the Great Tang Group.


    They already possessed formidable fighting capabilities, a powerful presence that could easily crush the military forces of other countries. They would be more than capable in field battles, let alone simply stationed at the permanent defense lines along the border.


    Not just any country had the formidable breakthrough and field combat capabilities of the Tang Army. Therefore, simply filling the fixed positions with twenty thousand men would make an attack by one hundred thousand elite troops from the Dahua Empire akin to throwing their lives away.


    ¡°I thought our Tang Country had no more slaves,¡± Wes said with a chuckle, teasingly.


    Tang Mo wasn¡¯t embarrassed and laughed heartily, ¡°Hahaha! Indeed, we don¡¯t, but I¡¯m not a good man. I¡¯ll still make use of slaves from other countries.¡±


    ¡°I know, neither am I a good man,¡± Wes nodded and reaffirmed his stance.@@@@


    ...


    In the southern part of Qi Country, at the border defense line, an officer looking at the empty granary knew the day would be incredibly long.


    ¡°We have run out of food,¡± he turned to his superior. The general¡¯s face turned pale, aware of the consequences if the thousands outside discovered they had no food left.


    ¡°Quickly send someone to inform... His Highness the First Prince! Fast! Have him think of something!¡± Finally, with no other options, he ordered his subordinates, ¡°Calm the soldiers down by telling them there will definitely be dinner.¡±


    Not far off in the First Prince¡¯s command center, under the dim light, a very dusty Jiang Xian strutted to the First Prince and carelessly tossed his feathered military cap onto the table.


    He exhaled deeply and then said to the First Prince, ¡°Your Majesty! Matters have become extremely difficult, we need to reconsider our strategy.¡±


    ¡°General Qin, I¡¯m completely at a loss and have become disoriented. I fear my brother might reach King City first and be enthroned by the people. What should I do?¡± Full of worries, the First Prince asked for advice.


    Qin Xiong smiled and spoke, ¡°The Tang Army forces that launched a surprise attack on the late king¡¯s manor might not necessarily have aimed for the king; they are likely targeting Donghe Bridge!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The First Prince¡¯s eyes widened, as if grasping at a lifesaver.


    ¡°The late king¡¯s manor is extremely hidden, and the Tang Army might not be aware of it.¡± Qin Xiong speculated, ¡°That force is very likely trying to seize Donghe Bridge! Their goal is to block our army¡¯s reinforcements and then capture King City!¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± The First Prince felt like he had an epiphany.


    ¡°Therefore, that Tang Army unit should be near Donghe Bridge right now. They cannot retreat, nor do they have the means to retreat!¡± Qin Xiong explained, ¡°Thus, your brother¡¯s return to King City might not be as smooth as expected.¡±


    ¡°Our pursuit of the Second Prince is met by the Qi Country¡¯s military behind us, and they may not truly dare to fight against Your Majesty with all their strength! But the Tang Army is in front of the Second Prince. Can he win against them?¡±


    A smile began to spread across the First Prince¡¯s face: If both his First Army and the Third Prince¡¯s Third Army couldn¡¯t break through the Tang Army¡¯s defense line, what chance did his younger brother¡¯s Second Army have?


    ¡°So... is it possible that by the time we reach Beiyuan, the Second Prince will still be blocked at Donghe Bridge?¡± The First Prince asked Qin Xiong with a crafty smile.


    ¡°Exactly, Your Majesty! By the time we pursue him all the way to Beiyuan City, King City might already have been occupied by the Tang Army, and You will be in command at Beiyuan while the Second Prince is still out in the field...¡± Qin Xiong continued.


    ¡°Haha! Good! Hahaha! Excellent!¡± The First Prince, having come to a realization, clapped his hands and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do as you suggest, General! Order the troops to requisition food locally!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Qin Xiong quickly bowed and then summoned the commanders, beginning to issue orders.


    The Qi Country¡¯s troops near Luo Town commenced their retreat, then halted almost all attacks against the Tang Army, immediately easing the pressure on the Tang forces.


    Supplies began to become abundant, with the frontline troops receiving more food and ammunition, as well as plenty of fuel.


    Meanwhile, the Tang Army paratroopers stationed at Donghe Bridge, on that very morning, were finally joined by the vanguard of the Fourth Armored Division. With tank cover, the paratroopers took the bridgehead on the other side of the bridge, securing complete control of the important crossing.


    At the same time, the Qi Country¡¯s Second Army, which was returning to defend King City, also arrived at Donghe Bridge and launched an attack on the nearby Tang forces at noon.


    However, their probing attack was swiftly repelled. Though they lacked artillery support, the paratroopers were shielded by tanks. The Qi forces had traveled a long distance, and, similarly, their artillery had fallen behind and were not able to catch up, leaving them without artillery support as well.


    In a context where both sides only had infantry firepower, the Qi forces, intent on storming the position, were clearly unable to capture it. Therefore, they could only station their forces there, waiting for follow-up troops to advance.


    It was at this moment that the Second Prince, who was eager to return to King City to claim the throne, learned that Donghe Bridge had been seized by the Tang Army.


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 Chapter 620: 579 is the one we killed

    Chapter 620: 579 is the one we killed


    On the eastern side of Donghe Bridge, the dense masses of Qi Country troops crowded the road, where an officer caught up with his own troops and loudly questioned why these stationary soldiers remained in place: ¡°Why have we stopped? Huh?¡±


    According to the plan, his troops should have crossed Donghe Bridge and headed west, and by this afternoon they could have reached King City. But now it was almost noon, and they were still wasting time near Donghe Bridge, which was absolutely ridiculous.


    Who didn¡¯t know that during wartime, every minute and second was precious, and each hour could very well determine the outcome of a war?


    An flustered junior officer ran over, stood at attention, and reported: ¡°Sir! The garrison inside the fortress at the end of Donghe Bridge opened fire on us, and we had to pull back.¡±


    He was also completely baffled. There was supposed to be a battalion of Qi Army stationed here, which by all accounts should be as impenetrable as a fortified wall.


    With such solid defensive fortifications, even if the troops of Tang Country really came over, they should not have lost their position so quickly.


    Upon hearing what his subordinate said, the general who had come to ask about the situation furrowed his brow in disbelief: ¡°The garrison at Donghe Bridge opened fire on you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they killed over eighty of our men.¡± The officer nodded and pointed in the direction of the bridgehead. He was indeed not lying; the advance troops had naively walked over and the enemies began firing indiscriminately, sending them scrambling for cover...


    The Qi soldiers, not understanding the situation, were thrown into disarray, and those in front were killed while the remaining men rolled and crawled along the railway embankment, looking for cover as they retreated. Upon returning and checking, they found that the front platoon had been nearly decimated.


    ¡°Impossible! We¡¯re already close to King City, how could there be enemies here!¡± The general was even more incredulous upon hearing his subordinate¡¯s words.


    This place was Donghe Bridge, and just a bit further ahead was King City. If Tang Army appeared here, did that mean King City was lost?


    For him, this was simply inconceivable. Although he had heard the news of Qi King Jiang Xian¡¯s death, he still didn¡¯t believe such a large contingent of Tang¡¯s military could be here.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know either.¡± Faced with his superior¡¯s questioning, the Qi officer was just as confused. What he knew was probably not even as much as his superior.


    Suddenly, the loyal officer of the Second Prince realized the key point: those blocking their return to King City might not be the Tang troops at all, but could very well be people of the First Prince!


    It was possible that the First Prince, knowing he couldn¡¯t return to King City faster than the Second Prince, deliberately notified his confidants inside King City to take troops and block Donghe Bridge!


    Coming to this conclusion, he suddenly understood.


    This damn well was a battle for succession!


    Immediately, he looked wisely at his subordinates and firmly commanded: ¡°It¡¯s definitely not the enemy! It¡¯s very likely the First Prince¡¯s confidants causing trouble! They want to prevent His Majesty from returning to King City!¡±


    Fighting Tang¡¯s troops was one thing, but battling his own people in a succession struggle was quite another; while he may not have had the guts to fight Tang¡¯s troops, he had more than enough courage to engage in a fight for the throne...


    His men also came to their senses and seemed less frightened: ¡°You¡¯re right! It must be so!¡±


    As soon as their leader spoke, it made them forget that the unique sound of firing they had heard, which resembled that of a cloth-ripping machine, was not something the Qi Army had!


    Slightly displeased, he pushed aside his cowardly subordinate, the Qi officer took up his binoculars and looked towards the distant fortress at the bridgehead: ¡°Move! Idiots!¡±


    They thought, everyone was fighting for wealth and glory, and what the First Prince could offer, the Second Prince could provide as well.


    As long as they let them through, returned to King City, and helped the Second Prince ascend the throne, everything could be negotiated. Was it just money they wanted? Positions of power? They would give it.


    ¡°The Second Prince will soon become His Majesty! With the Second Prince, wealth and honor will be abundant! Let us pass! Rewards for everyone!¡± They initially shouted ¡°His Majesty,¡± afraid the other side wouldn¡¯t understand, they explained a bit more.


    The Second Prince, though not yet enthroned, had already taken to calling himself ¡°His Majesty,¡± just like the First Prince.


    At first, the soldiers of the Tang Army were confused by the shouting, but after listening a bit more, they finally understood the Qi Army¡¯s calls.


    This misunderstanding was better left unclear, for once they understood, the paratroopers who had been fighting for so many days immediately burst into insolent laughter, ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°What are they shouting?¡± The Tang Army¡¯s paratrooper battalion commander didn¡¯t hear clearly what the other side was shouting and looked toward a comrade with good hearing.


    The soldier, amused, looked at his commander and said, ¡°They¡¯re shouting that His Majesty guarantees amnesty! And promises us wealth and honor.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty?¡± The commander was somewhat bewildered¡ªwasn¡¯t the King of Qi killed by them?


    ¡°They¡¯re talking about some Second Prince, about to become His Majesty,¡± the soldier explained further.


    The commander could barely contain himself, his face full of malice: ¡°Get someone with a loud voice to tell them, their former king Jiang Xian was killed by us!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Hearing their commander say this, a few paratroopers beside him immediately joined in with the malicious laughter. Their commander really had a wicked sense of humor.


    ¡°Soldiers of Qi Country! Surrender! We¡¯re the Great Tang paratroopers! Your King Qi, Jiang Xian, was killed by us!¡± Soon, above the bridgehead, there was someone shouting with a booming voice.


    When he shouted, even the gunfire seemed to stop, and his slightly hoarse voice echoed over the battlefield, causing the Qi Army soldiers lying on the ground to tremble.


    ¡°What!¡± The Qi Country officer who heard the shouts turned deathly pale. He had heard everything clearly but still couldn¡¯t believe his ears.


    ¡°What are they shouting?¡± Farther away, a Qi Army general commanding the operations asked someone near him.


    Soon, all Qi Army attacking soldiers were in disarray, now realizing that it was these Tang forces who had killed their former king!


    A Qi Country officer, desperate, got up and ran back, ¡°Retreat! They are Tang Army, not our own!¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± The remaining Qi Country soldiers also started running.


    The machine guns roared behind them, but these Qi soldiers had no care for that anymore, running desperately, running recklessly, just wanting to get away, far from the demons behind them.


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 Chapter 621: 580 feathers

    Chapter 621: 580 feathers


    ¡°What!¡± Upon hearing the news, the Qi Country general overseeing the battle was taken aback, his expression immediately turning grave.


    He felt confident that he could crush the riotous troops sent by the First Prince or, at the very least, bribe them into surrendering.


    But if the opposing side was the enemy¡¯s military, that would make things much more difficult. Although the Second Army, as Qi Country¡¯s main force, had not yet engaged in direct combat with the Tang Army, they were not exactly fearful, but along the way, they had indeed heard about the Tang Army¡¯s prowess.


    They managed to break through the border defenses in two days, conquer Luo Town and Nanye within a month, and even threatened King City of Qi Country...


    They killed the Third Prince and General Tian Heng, and routed the elite Third Army... Such battle achievements were indeed enough to cause alarm and panic.


    ¡°General, what should we do now?¡± one of his subordinates asked with a woeful expression.


    ...


    The several probing attempts had all been executed by troops from his unit. Now, having sent more than 300 men in three companies, only about 80 returned. How could he not be distraught over such losses?


    Seeing that Qi Country was already in chaos, having troops meant having power. As the leader of his battalion, he saw that his unit was on the verge of being decimated, so his face naturally turned to an extreme grimace.


    The leading general was also out of ideas, so he simply gave the order, ¡°Send the message along the railway to inform the Second... to inform His Majesty the King.¡±


    He was not in a position to decide and could only send the message to the Second Prince, letting this ¡°His Majesty the King¡± make the final decision.


    However, about ten minutes after the messenger had left, the general realized that if he waited here doing nothing, he certainly wouldn¡¯t please the new king.


    His Majesty the King had only recently ascended to his position and needed talent to fill his court. If he did not take this opportunity to show his worth, it would seem quite inexcusable.


    Thus, the general once again looked at his subordinates and ordered, ¡°Waiting here will do us no good! Rally the troops! Attack one more time!¡±


    He was not an imbecile incapable of anything; he had a certain level of competence. After digesting the shock of the Tang Army taking Donghe Bridge, he decisively began his tactical deployment.


    ¡°Gather all the nearby machine guns! Cover the troop¡¯s advance! Get those machine guns close enough to suppress the enemy¡¯s firepower!¡± Knowing he had no artillery support, he planned to use machine guns to suppress the Tang Army¡¯s machine guns.


    ¡°Moreover, don¡¯t add fuel, directly press on with a full battalion! It¡¯s okay if we suffer greater losses! As long as we can take the two east-side bridgeheads, that would be a great achievement!¡± After saying this, he looked at a fully organized battalion leader and patted his shoulder, ¡°This time, it¡¯s your turn!¡±


    Having finished, he continued to instruct, ¡°Rest assured! I guarantee we will compensate for this time¡¯s losses! And if you capture a bridgehead, you¡¯ll be rewarded with 10,000 Gold Coins!¡±


    Upon hearing the bounty of 10,000 Gold Coins, the battalion leader immediately perked up. Now with a dozen machine guns at his back and a hefty reward as incentive, his combat willingness was quite resolute.


    As a result, the battalion leader immediately replied, ¡°Rest assured, General! I will spare no cost to take the bridgehead and cover the army¡¯s crossing!¡±


    Money speaks volumes. With Gold Coins as a reward, the Qi Army organized the attack at double the speed! Soon, more Qi soldiers were surging along the railway.


    Within the crowd, a Qi officer waving his pistol shouted loudly, ¡°Charge! Avenge His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± The Qi squad leader, oblivious to the fact that his grey feathered helmet had betrayed him, was still pondering how the squad leader next to him had died.


    The man lay at his feet, desperately trying to plug the hole in his neck. Regrettably, no matter how hard he pressed, the blood kept spurting out from between his fingers, like a small fountain.


    His legs kicked weakly on the ground, slowly coming to a stop. He saw the squad leader of the neighboring squad, wearing a grey feather, desperately trying to compress the wound, pressing so hard that he could hardly breathe.


    As life was slipping away, he could hear the other calling for help; he could also see his face. Looking down at him, the other squad leader was urgently calling his name, urging him to hold on.


    He wanted to speak, but his mouth was full of blood; as he opened his mouth, a stream of red liquid burst out. He saw it all too clearly.


    In the next second, before he lost consciousness, the head of the neighboring squad leader beneath the military cap suddenly burst open, blood sprayed onto his face, abruptly bringing some clarity back to his confused mind.


    The neighboring squad leader with a burst head fell heavily onto his chest, having died before he exhaled his last breath.


    Eventually, the wound on his neck claimed too much blood, and he too lost consciousness. Before he completely succumbed to the darkness, he felt the dead body lying on his chest was extremely heavy, so unbearably heavy.


    And so, the attack by Qi Country collapsed once again, as there were no longer enough officers to keep the troops moving forward.


    In the midst of the chaos, all the soldiers fled. When the roll call took place later on, they found that more than eighty percent of the officers from this battalion had not returned.


    The battalion commander had fallen, all three platoon leaders had died, eight out of nine squad leaders were dead, and only seven squad leaders came back. Additionally, the sharpest losses were suffered by the machine gunners...


    In short, this military force had basically lost its ability to fight, and their attack hadn¡¯t even made the Tang Army¡¯s hidden machine gun nests reveal their positions.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? How do they have so many sharpshooters?¡± The Qi Country¡¯s Generals were about to go mad, unable to fathom how the enemy¡¯s tactics could be so peculiar.


    Try as he might, the General couldn¡¯t imagine that the Tang Army had scopes that magnified three and four times, and that the Tang Army sharpshooters¡¯ kill ability from one hundred to two hundred meters was a notch above traditional marksmen.


    Having never tasted pork doesn¡¯t mean one hasn¡¯t seen pigs run. The Qi Military leaders also pinpointed the crux of the issue: accurately shooting a target amidst thousands of troops required a mark of identification.


    The Qi officers had feathers in their helmets, and the senior officers¡¯ feathers were even colored, which was like putting an arrow on top of their heads pointing downwards...


    As for the heavy losses among the machine gunners, it was quite expected: they were all near the machine guns, also easily identified and killed.


    ¡°Get the officers to take off the feathers!¡± Having suffered and finally understanding the key issue, the Qi General ordered, ¡°Change the battalion! Attack again! I refuse to believe this!¡±


    Having removed the feathers from their helmets, the Qi officers once again gathered courage, leading their troops into a new round of assault.


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 Chapter 622: 581 Qi Country collapsed

    Chapter 622: 581 Qi Country collapsed


    Near Donghe Bridge, Xiang Ziyu lay in the trench, somewhat bored as he watched the Qi Army launch another attack.


    They surged forward en masse, only to be pushed back by machine gun fire. The continuous ripping sound of the guns made it impossible for the Qi troops to get close.


    The Maxim machine guns supplied to the Qi Army did not come with shields or wheels; they were a lighter version, improvised for easier transportation and carrying, but this had cost them the ability to assault head-on.


    Without the protection of shields, carrying the heavy machine guns within range of the enemy¡¯s to return fire was an extremely challenging task.


    Without heavy artillery support, capturing bunkers, especially bridgeheads like solid and towering fortresses, was very difficult.


    However, the Tang Army was also under pressure; their ammunition was scarce and resupply was difficult, which made conserving ammunition necessary.


    ...


    The battle raged until the afternoon when this Qi defensive force, which had not seen much of the Tang Country Air Force, witnessed a true strategic bombing.


    The Tang Country¡¯s Flying Fortress Bombers, in dense formation, bombed the Qi Army spread along the railway, preventing Qi¡¯s heavy weapons from deploying timely to Donghe Bridge.


    The Second Prince had also learned that his path ahead had been blocked; he rushed to the front lines, only to realize his troops were stuck halfway to King City.


    If it had been Qi rebels in front of them, it would have been simple, but the Tang Army at Donghe Bridge was a different matter.


    He had to struggle to break through here, for this was his only chance to return to King City, ascend to the throne, and hold legal and orthodox authority.


    So, he returned to the bombed railway section to personally supervise the Qi troops and somehow managed to transport the immobilized heavy cannon from the railway to participate in the battle at Donghe Bridge.


    While the Second Prince was striving for his troops to retake Donghe Bridge and clear the way ahead, another tank unit from the 4th Armored Division penetrated into the Kingdom of Qi¡¯s King City.


    Encountering almost no resistance, they seized the outer defenses of King City. After minimal negotiations, the Qi troops stationed on the city walls surrendered their weapons.


    Unaware of the situation, the ministers within the city found the Dragon Banner of Tang Country already hoisted outside the walls.


    In the suburban industrial districts, the working Qi laborers were astonished to see Tang Army trucks entering their factories one after another.


    The Tang soldiers, recognizable by their steel helmets, were unmistakable, especially since the engine hoods and roofs of the trucks were painted with the red Dragon Banner.


    Everything continued as usual, and the Tang officers assured everyone that the Tang Army would not threaten the safety of any civilians.


    Meanwhile, inside King City, Tang tanks boldly drove on the streets, terrifying the Qi civilians who were still in the dark.


    They had vaguely heard that Tang forces had occupied Nanye, but they had never imagined the Tang Army would reach the heart of Qi Country so quickly.


    It was evident that with the fall of Qi¡¯s main decision-making body to paratroopers, the control of the remaining Qi officials over the country had collapsed.


    He left in haste, with the remnants of the 1st and 3rd Armies, and some other units that retained a relatively complete combat effectiveness.


    The remaining Qi forces were mostly made up of incomplete formations or units with low combat capability and insufficient training.


    The day after the First Prince decided to retreat, the Tang Army¡¯s 1st Armored Division launched an attack on the flank of the remaining Qi forces.


    Liu Guozhu¡¯s unit charged forward a full 60 kilometers, almost completely encircling the Qi defensive forces near Luo Town.


    Meanwhile, the First Prince and Qin Xiong led their battered forces eastward, striking towards the original defensive zone of the Second Prince.


    Before leaving, the Qi Army took all the food they could find in the entire defense zone, killed the civilians who refused to cooperate, and committed every possible misdeed.


    They never intended to return, or rather they never imagined that they would one day be able to win back this land¡ªthe southern part of Qi Country, in the eyes of the First Prince, was essentially already Tang Country territory.


    War is often like this: In the beginning, the sides are evenly matched with give and take, but as one side¡¯s resources are depleted and the situation collapses, everything suddenly becomes surreal.


    The day after the Second Prince retreated towards Beiyuan City, the First Prince¡¯s troops in the southern region of Qi Country incorporated some of the Qi forces left behind in the Second Prince¡¯s defense zone and then opened fire on the small units loyal to the Second Prince.


    Internal conflicts within Qi Country began amidst the invasion by foreign enemies, and in just one day, the situation spiraled beyond control.


    Both Qin Xiong and the First Prince knew that their problem was not a lack of troops on hand, but rather insufficient supplies.


    If they took in too many troops, it would become a major drag on them. Thus, they had no intention of incorporating the forces abandoned by the Second Prince; they planned to pilfer these troops¡¯ equipment instead.


    Of course, the troops left behind could not just watch the First Prince take away their food and ammunition, so they too took up arms.


    Unfortunately, there weren¡¯t many Qi forces capable of defeating the elite 1st and 3rd Armies of Qi Country, and moreover, the commanders weren¡¯t necessarily willing to fight earnestly.


    The result was that the First Prince¡¯s forces broke through and managed to seize all the food and ammunition from the Qi troops stationed in the southern defensive line.


    The remaining forces, devoid of food, thus lost the courage to hold on. Some dispersed like birds and animals, while others simply headed further south to surrender to the Tang forces on the northern defensive lines.


    They made simple demands in their surrender: ¡°Big brother, we don¡¯t ask for anything else, just don¡¯t treat us as prisoners of war. Give us something to eat as civilians, and that¡¯ll be enough!¡±


    As a result of this surreal turn of events, the Tang Army¡¯s northern reserve forces unexpectedly took in a large number of prisoners of war and even inadvertently took over part of Qi Country¡¯s southern defensive line.


    Without any exaggeration, the war situation in Qi Country had utterly collapsed in the last few days. Without powerful reinforcements, it was highly likely they would be completely occupied by Tang Country within a month.


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 Chapter 623: 582 Mirage Country Joins the Game

    Chapter 623: 582 Mirage Country Joins the Game


    To describe the current situation in Qi Country in one sentence, that would be: Delivering packages under Big Ben, with disarray above and shipment below...


    The style of the Tang Army also underwent a change, as the Armored Corps once again charged forth, taking down a large number of cities with unstoppable momentum.


    Deprived of food, the large-scale Qi troops remaining in the country began surrendering en masse. The First Armored Division created a huge encirclement, and the 100,000 Qi soldiers inside astonishingly chose to surrender without much struggle.


    Although most of these troops were a mixed bag under the command of the Third Prince, and a part were deserted by the First Prince.


    But even if they were a mixed bag, those troops may not be good at war, but as labor force, they were more than capable. With just a bit of pacification, it would not hinder Tang Country from taking them over to work as laborers.


    However, at this moment, Qi Country¡¯s neighbor across the sea to the north, could no longer sit still: if Qi Country collapsed instantaneously, they would have no room for maneuver.


    ...


    Therefore, encouraged by the Laines Empire, Ice Cold Empire, and Dahua Empire, Shen Country finally could not help but enter the fray at this moment.


    Shen Country dispatched a huge naval fleet, transporting two of their divisions to Beiyuan City, and along the way they also sent over some shells and food, providing support free of charge to the Second Prince of Qi Country who had no way out.@@@@


    The Second Prince had no other choice but to follow the advisor Shireck¡¯s instructions and opted to sell sovereignty in exchange for Shen Country¡¯s support.


    In his view, at least he would still be an emperor as a puppet, but if he were attacked by the Tang Army, he would only be a corpse.


    Moreover, his eldest brother was approaching rapidly from the south, with a trail of looting and killing. If he did not have the support of Shen Country now, he would truly be left without a place to be buried.


    Having thought it all through and truly without a better choice, the Second Prince decided to sell the northern part of Qi Country directly to Shen Country, and he announced to the world through telecommunication, making the sale a reality.


    The Great Tang Empire, upon hearing the news, was overjoyed and almost immediately announced recognition of Shen Country¡¯s rule over Beiyuan City.


    Following suit, the Ice Cold Empire and Laines and other empires also declared that they recognized Shen Country¡¯s purchase of Beiyuan City. After all, this was Qi Country¡¯s loss, not theirs.


    Even, the emperors had a faint sense of anticipation, hoping that Tang Country, in a fit of rage, would declare war on Shen Country.


    Tang Mo, holding the news of Beiyuan City being sold to Shen Country, looked towards Li¡¯ao, who had delivered the news, and asked, ¡°What do you think we should do?¡±


    ¡°Based on the current situation, if we want to end the war as soon as possible, then we should recognize the transaction of Beiyuan City,¡± Nangong Hong replied from the side. ¡°However, this is not without costs.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the cost...¡± Tang Mo nodded slightly and placed the report on his desk. ¡°If we choose to end the war now, the current pressure would be greatly relieved. Domestically, we can end the wartime state and the economy could recover to a higher level in a short period of time.¡±


    He finished speaking, then suddenly shifted tone, ¡°But, then we lose the moral high ground! Gentlemen, the Great Tang Kingdom will never tolerate Tang People being cruelly abused by goblins! Nor will it allow the Tang People to be ruled by goblins!¡±


    In Shenwu Liang¡¯s view, the individual combat capability of the Shen Country troops was stronger than that of the Qi people. With forty thousand elite troops in defense, he was confident in repelling the Tang Army¡¯s assault.


    As a land forces General, he was actually more concerned about his own rear, the maritime supply line between Beiyuan City and Shen Country. If there were issues with this supply line, the factories and farmland of Beiyuan City alone could not sustain such a large force.


    Keep in mind that if you include the elite Second Army of the Second Prince, as well as the conscripted forces and the troops that fled the First Prince¡¯s pursuit, just the original Qi soldiers amounted to fifty thousand in Beiyuan.


    With the additional planned reinforcement of troops from Shen Country, Beiyuan City might need to sustain one hundred thousand, or even one hundred and fifty thousand, garrisoned soldiers. Clearly, a small Beiyuan could not manage this alone, so these forces also required support from Shen Country.


    ¡°Sir!¡± A Shen military officer walked in, so short he almost looked like a child. He saluted before starting his report, ¡°Those Qi are uncooperative, unwilling to be conscripted for digging trenches...¡±


    ¡°Do I need to teach you how to handle this?¡± General Shenwu Liang glanced at his subordinate dismissively, ¡°Kill the leaders among the Qi, and if they still don¡¯t obey, continue killing!¡±


    ¡°But, what about Jiang Zhi... Would there be...¡± This Shen officer hesitated, reminding his superior cautiously.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a puppet! Ignore his opinion! If he¡¯s not satisfied, let him come to me!¡± General Shenwu Liang snorted coldly and waved his hand dismissively.


    He even thought, when the sovereign of Qi, Jiang Xian, named his sons, he might have named them based on what they lacked.


    This Second Prince was named Jiang Zhi, but there seemed to be no wisdom to be seen. If they hadn¡¯t needed a puppet, this Second Prince might already have grass growing over his grave.


    ¡°Yes! I understand, sir.¡± His subordinate immediately bowed and complied.


    ¡°Furthermore, to save food... reduce the rations for the laborers once more! Mix in some bran and sawdust... After all, they are just for digging trenches, their deaths are of no consequence!¡± Shenwu Liang returned his gaze to the map, with a profound look, ¡°We¡¯re not counting on these people to become soldiers; it doesn¡¯t matter how many are expended! As long as they are not our people from Shen Country!¡±


    ¡°Yes! I understand, Sir!¡± The Shen officer bowed his head again, affirming his compliance.


    They, the goblins, came here to occupy Beiyuan City with the goal of seizing it forever. It didn¡¯t matter how many Dahua people there were; ultimately, they were all to be eliminated.


    This logic had been applied on Dongwan Island, and using it here again was nothing out of the ordinary. In short, all these people from Qi were disposable commodities...


    ¡°Go! Increase the number of conscripts to one hundred thousand! No matter what, we need to establish a defense system in Beiyuan that even the Tang people would not dare to attack lightly!¡± General Shenwu Liang¡¯s smile grew prouder as he admired the increasing number of defensive works marked on his map.


    This was his masterpiece, his work of revenge! He was here to make the Tang Army pay the price that they didn¡¯t pay when they forcefully took Dongwan Island!


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 Chapter 624: 583 Tang People’s Extravagance

    Chapter 624: 583 Tang People¡¯s Extravagance


    ¡°To the King of the Shen Country, do not heed the slanderous words of the petty, lest you ruin the foundation built over a hundred years and err in the lives of millions of beings...¡± From the radio, the Tang Country¡¯s foreign affairs department was reading the letter from the Tang King to the King of the Shen Country.


    Most of the civilians in Qi Country actually didn¡¯t feel any change in their lives¡ªthey were living the same daily routine, with the only difference being the additional crater holes that appeared near their doors a few days ago.


    The war seemed to have ended quietly; in the vast majority of the lands of Qi Country, the common people didn¡¯t even hear the sounds of guns.


    The progress of the Tang Army was so rapid that the previously planned, layered defense strategies to block their advance had become obsolete before being put into use.


    And for the people inside Tang Country, the war seemed to have little to do with them.


    Apart from the orders, still so many orders, that required them to work overtime in production and construction, the war seemed to only exist in the battle reports on the radio.


    ...


    Every morning, they listened to the announcements of where the Tang Army had made breakthroughs upon waking, then listened to how many enemy troops the Tang Army had annihilated during meals...


    Ultimately, it was only occasionally, when a family¡¯s door suddenly displayed a white mourning banner and a golden plaque was added below the house number, that everyone realized there had been another hero who had perished on the frontline.


    These departed souls were true heroes who had brought glory to their country and even made their families different due to their passing.


    Their families were exempted from half of the taxes, their children were entitled to better free education, and they even received some land to rent out and supplement their household income.


    The civil affairs officer responsible for the area would visit regularly, inquiring about any hardships faced by families who had lost loved ones and would bring rice and flour for consolation.


    The military also had its own surveyors to ensure that the allowances and other preferential treatments were implemented.


    Though death is always a sad affair, being able to leave behind so much for a family through one¡¯s death made it seem less fearsome to many.


    As the war progressed, the number of people signing up for the military increased, and many immigrants from Chu Country began to enthusiastically join the army, willing to trade their lives for a proper identity for their family members.


    Being a Tang person was an enviable status for those living in Tang Country, a coveted identity, a... true identity.


    ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready! Dinner¡¯s ready!¡± The thunderous machinery could hardly drown out the foreman¡¯s loud calling as he walked between equipment taller than a person, shouting to the worker monitoring the gauge pressure.


    The worker, covered in grease, spread his hands and wiped them on his clothes that seemed to wring out oil, showing an embarrassed smile, ¡°Can¡¯t leave while the machines are running.¡±


    ¡°You little rascal! Skipping lunch every day! Think an hour¡¯s overtime will make you rich, huh?¡± The supervisor feigned anger, slapping the young man¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I have to bring your meal every time! You doggone runt!¡±


    ¡°Hehehe!¡± The young man grew even more embarrassed, scratching his head and not minding the grime from his fingers staining his hair, ¡°My family is poor; it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    ¡°Take care of yourself!¡± advised the foreman before he made his way back through the gaps between the machinery, crisscrossed with pipes.


    Indeed, the work environment here wasn¡¯t great; it was hot and noisy, and the only seat available was cramped and uncomfortable. But working here made him feel alive again, like a real person.


    So he took down the towel that had been hardened by the heat of the pipes, kneaded it until it was somewhat softer, and hung it back in its place. He twisted two valves, maintaining the pressure at its normal level.


    At the other end of the workshop, huge machinery was opening and closing, rolling out sections of steel plates, which were neatly stacked at the end of the machine.


    Over there, a man who also wasn¡¯t planning to have lunch was monitoring the height of the steel plates. As soon as there were enough, he would have to move these plates and take them to the warehouse next door.


    Next to their factory were continuous chimneys belching dense smoke, stretching into the distance and merging with even more chimneys to form a forest constructed of steel and concrete.


    This was a new industrial zone built by the Great Tang Group to replace some of the factories that had been shut down outside of Brunas City.


    On the newly constructed railway, a train whistled past; it was the latest model of locomotive made by the Great Tang Group, with greater hauling capacity and faster speed.


    Following behind this train was a long chain of flat railcars, upon which stood a number of newly produced Tank No. 4s.


    As more and more factories were put into production, the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s capacity to produce Tank No. 4s also began to rise.


    This batch of Tank No. 4s was to equip the 5th and 6th Armored Divisions, which were currently training in the western region of the Great Tang Kingdom and were in urgent need of weapons and equipment.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped. Because they were going to war with Qi Country, the tanks that were meant for their training were diverted to the first four Armored Divisions.


    As a result, they had to use horse carts and various other makeshift items to simulate tank training. The two divisions together could not even muster a hundred vehicles.


    But as time passed, their difficulty was eventually resolved: a few days ago, due to sufficient production capacity, they received 50 Tank No. 4s ahead of schedule, finally living up to the name of an Armored Division.


    From the radio in the factory canteen, the proclamation to the King of Shi Country continued: ¡°Occupying our Beiyuan City is seeking one¡¯s own destruction! We hope that the King of Shi Country realizes reality and stops daydreaming. If you persist in this folly, the result will inevitably be self-humiliating! If Shi Country continues with its treacherous heart and fails to repent, then only death awaits!¡±


    Underneath the loudspeaker, along the long tables, rows of workers were wolfing down their food. Clutched in their hands were snowy white buns, while their plates contained pickles and a bland cucumber soup. Nonetheless, they ate heartily, as this was already a meal hard to come by for them.


    The factory offered a free lunch; though not much, it allowed those accustomed to only two meals a day to enjoy three meals daily. They had nothing to complain about; for them, this meal was already an extra benefit.


    It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that perhaps only the Tang People had the luxury of eating three meals a day in the entire world!


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 Chapter 625: 584 songs

    Chapter 625: 584 songs


    ¡°`


    The Tang Army¡¯s 1st Armored Division finally came to a halt, just as they were about to catch a glimpse of the Endless Sea.


    Along the way, they had captured almost 20,000 prisoners, fully demonstrating the Armored Corps¡¯ characteristic of striking as swiftly as the wind and as fast as lightning.


    There were even times when their opponents didn¡¯t know the enemy had arrived, and the guns of the Tang Army¡¯s armored vehicles were already pointed at their heads.


    However, such relentless rushing came at a cost, and now they were left with little more than 130 tanks. The rest were either paralyzed on the way or had been destroyed and abandoned.


    Liu Guozhu lay next to a tank, washing up. He had been pushing forward day and night for over twenty-four hours, and although it was now noon, he still brushed his teeth and washed his face before settling down for a good sleep.


    ...


    Compared to the infantry who marched on foot, he was quite fortunate. At least his tank didn¡¯t mind carrying his daily necessities and tent, nor did it mind carrying his food and drink.


    After all, to keep up with the pace of the tank units, the infantry reportedly threw away anything they could on the way.


    It is unclear from which war the Tang infantry learned this special skill to trouble the logistics department by discarding items.


    Once they started moving, they would toss things about; upon encountering refugees, they¡¯d give away what they couldn¡¯t carry; when in high spirits, they¡¯d even throw away the money in their pockets...


    Therefore, for the logistics department of the Tang Army, the war was also a desperate and chaotic tragedy.


    Troops marching forward scattered their belongings, while those returning started collecting refuse: The roads were full of Qi Country soldiers captured by the armored corps, so hands inevitably had to be assigned to escort these soldiers to prisoner-of-war camps or holding areas.


    Thus, the units left behind to guard the prisoners on their journey back began to pick up all sorts of junk en route.


    At the beginning, the soldiers¡¯ intentions were quite humble: they just wanted to retrieve their own discarded items.


    For example, they might have thrown away raincoats and spare clothing and socks in the rush of an attack, and they hoped to find these belongings on their way back.


    Although soldiers wouldn¡¯t be fined for discarding some of their gear, they would still face criticism and education, and they might encounter difficulties when retrieving new supplies.


    So, getting some items back meant they¡¯d face two fewer reprimands when criticized. But over time, this scavenging behavior gradually changed its nature.


    Because you could never guarantee that what you picked up was your own, the practice subtly transformed.


    If you lost a raincoat while rushing, but found two pairs of socks and underwear instead, what then?


    So, just pick up a bit more. After all, you¡¯d take it back, maybe trade it with the guy in the next unit who found a lunchbox, or haggle with the logistics manager...


    ¡°Ha, ptui!¡± Spitting water onto the tank tracks, Liu Guozhu felt a sense of accomplishment as he flicked off a clump of mud that stuck there.


    His tank was almost unrecognizable from its original paint color, especially the front armor, which was full of mottled bullet marks and a corner already showing rust from a shell hit.@@@@


    One of the headlights was knocked off, whereabouts unknown, so last night they could only travel with one headlight, struggling to keep up with the main force.


    ¡°Hey! Brothers! Shouldn¡¯t we also sing a song for our infantry comrades?¡± The company commander came over and hollered at the scattered soldiers nearby the camp.


    He clapped his hands to draw everyone¡¯s attention: ¡°Let¡¯s have one! Who will start?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± The platoon commander from the 1st platoon leaned against a tank, fixing his cap on his head, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll start us off, and everyone can follow along!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± All the tank soldiers hooted and hollered, their monotonous military lives and the oppressive atmosphere of the battlefield making these young men immerse themselves entirely in whatever little amusement came their way.


    Those who had been kicking the can stopped, and everyone looked at the platoon commander from the 1st platoon, waiting for him to start.


    Amid the rising and falling chorus of ¡°Ma Cuihua¡± in the distance, the 1st platoon commander softly began to sing a song all the tank soldiers knew: ¡°My dear, if one day, I can¡¯t return...¡±


    ¡°My dear, if one day I can¡¯t return, please don¡¯t grieve for me!¡± Everyone joined in the singing, their voices were not loud as there weren¡¯t as many of them as there were infantry, but the novelty quieted the infantry, who all stopped to listen to the tank soldiers¡¯ song.


    ¡°My dear, if one day I can¡¯t return, please don¡¯t grieve for me. Even if my soul is consumed by flames no longer here, at least I will have a coffin of steel.¡± Tang Mo wrote these lyrics, and a composer from this world wrote the melody.


    The tune wasn¡¯t as catchy as Katyusha and was somewhat awkward, but it was still their own song, and the one they loved the most!


    ¡°My dear, if one day I can¡¯t return, please don¡¯t grieve for me. By then my beloved tank would have turned into wreckage, but luckily I will be buried with it.¡± Liu Guozhu sang loudly and cheerfully as he remembered the tanks hit by shells and the blazing fires.


    ¡°I¡¯ve touched scorching gravel and seen the whiteness of snowflakes, Great Tang¡¯s boundary markers are my tracks. I¡¯ve fired deadly shells and sung the most beautiful beats, not even a cheetah is as fast as me!¡± he sang with gusto, especially that line about the boundary markers being his tracks.


    He loved that line; beyond his tank lay the frontiers of the Great Tang! Wherever his tank rolled over, that land was Great Tang¡¯s territory!


    One day, his tank would roll into the Dahua Empire¡¯s Imperial Capital, crushing those who had once scorned him, those who had tried to conquer him.


    ¡°If one day, I return in my tank, as soon as I¡¯ve stopped the tank, I¡¯ll go hug you tight, my love,¡± the 1st platoon commander finished the last line, his expression soft, with a faint smile on his face.


    Along this journey, his tank, his troops, had proved to him and to the whole world just how strong they really were!


    ¡°Well sung! Another one!¡± On the road, the soldiers with rifles laughed out loud and shouted.


    ¡°Scram! Move out! I reckon after another three to five kilometers, you¡¯ll be seeing Qi Country¡¯s bayonets!¡± A tank soldier yelled back.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± All the infantry laughed.


    ¡°They have bayonets, we have fabric rippers!¡± A burly man carrying an MG-42 machine gun tapped his weapon and shouted. Instantly, there was even more laughter.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re off to catch Qi Country prisoners!¡± An infantryman called back, ¡°Hanging with you guys, we won¡¯t catch any prisoners!¡±


    Another infantryman, moving forward, added in self-mockery, ¡°Following the armored troops, we starve for three out of nine meals! Hahahaha!¡±


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 Chapter 626: 585 various new weapons

    Chapter 626: 585 various new weapons


    The next day, Liu Guozhu discovered that even more troops had caught up, and various logistic support units also began setting up next to his camp, then the security units extended even further forward.


    The first to arrive were the field meal trucks and water trucks, followed by the installation of water pumping equipment. Tents were erected one by one, and an open-air bathing area was constructed with simple wooden planks separating the shower lines.


    This was a military camp, where women seldom came, so everyone was quite uninhibited. Many people even went to bathe without wearing any clothes.


    After all, bathing was timed, and each common officer and soldier was only given five minutes. If they wasted time undressing, they would never finish in time.


    On the fifth day that the Armored Corps halted their offensive, the logistics support retrofitting team finally arrived, bringing raw materials to retrofit the Type 4 tanks right there for the Armored Corps.


    In battle, too many problems had been exposed. Actual users of the weapons needed to provide better improvement proposals to make them more reliable and complete.


    ...


    For example, the Type 4 tank, as the war continued to evolve, was not perfect and required retrofitting.


    The ability to retrofit at the front lines meant they were minor repairs and adjustments, some even requiring the Armored Troops to assist by hand, so the entire camp was bustling with activity.


    A worker was scraping the paint off the side of a tank, and where the paint had already been removed, a welder was welding triangular iron pieces onto the side of the tank.


    These triangular iron supports were for mounting the tank¡¯s side skirts, which the Type 4 tanks produced before the war did not have to enhance side protection.


    As the war continued, the Type 4 tank¡¯s frontal armor was still adequate, but its thin side armor was clearly not quite suitable for the demands of future warfare.


    Therefore, Tang Mo immediately used the simplest method from World War II to give a simple upgrade to all the Type 4 tanks.


    All in-service Type 4 tanks were to be fitted with side armored skirts. Such additional external steel plates effectively strengthened the tank¡¯s side defense.


    In addition, all Type 4 tanks on the front lines had to have a piece of armor welded onto the front to increase defensive capabilities, raising the thickness of the frontal armor to 60 millimeters.


    The fully-weighted Type 4 tanks equipped with these armors saw a substantial increase in protection. The welded steel plates with gaps from the main armor were effective against impact-fuzed shells, reducing the risk of these shells penetrating the tank.


    To be honest, it wasn¡¯t of much use, but having it was better than not, and the soldiers still liked the feeling of being cared for at all times.


    The loader, driver, gunner, and mechanic were all handling a large steel plate, hanging it on the already installed side bracket on the other side.


    This bracket had a latch that could secure the heavy steel plate, keeping it from falling off due to vibrations and scrapes during the tank¡¯s movement.


    Similarly, brackets also needed to be welded around the turret of the Type 4 tank, and such steel plates were hung. This was the main method to increase turret protection.


    Consequently, the overburdened Type 2 tank chassis went out of production, and as the production capacity for the Type 4 chassis became sufficient, it took on the 155 mm howitzer, becoming the latest type of self-propelled artillery for the Tang Army.


    After testing, the engineers of the Great Tang Group replaced the original 150 mm howitzer of the ¡°Wild Bee¡± with a 155 mm one, extending its range to 14 kilometers and greatly enhancing its firepower.


    The brand-new ¡°Wild Bee¡± had formidable combat capabilities. In comparison with the 105 mm self-propelled howitzers currently in use by the Tang Army, it had a longer range, greater power, and higher compatibility with Type 4 tanks.


    Another new weapon was the Type 4 assault gun distributed to the infantry. This piece of equipment originated from the infantry¡¯s request; they wanted a breakthrough combat vehicle of their own.


    If they encountered enemy defenses, they would have to wait for tank support, which greatly reduced the efficiency of the infantry¡¯s operations.


    Therefore, the infantry commanders hoped to acquire an armored fighting vehicle that belonged to the infantry, to provide more timely battlefield support.


    Later on, many departments suggested that it might be beneficial to equip the infantry with some anti-tank capabilities, allowing them to independently confront enemy armored tank vehicles.


    These two requirements together spurred the development of a brand-new armored fighting vehicle: the Type 4 assault gun.


    Unlike the historical ¡°Stug IV,¡± this assault gun was actually equipped with the same short-barreled 75 mm gun mounted on the Type 4 tanks, with performance parameters and all other indicators being exactly the same.


    Because it used the Type 4 tank chassis instead of the Type 3, the new ¡°Stug IV¡± could carry more ammunition than the ¡°Stug III¡± and had slightly stronger sustained combat capabilities.


    Like the assault guns familiar to Tang Mo, this new Type 4 assault gun also lacked a turret and had a low profile design, which also reduced production costs and construction expenses.


    Differently from history, Tang Mo had no plans to produce tank destroyers because his tanks, in terms of quality and quantity, were destined to overpower the opposition. Instead of producing tank destroyers, it made more sense to produce more armored divisions equipped with tanks.


    However, he didn¡¯t completely resist the temptation of tank destroyers and planned to equip infantry units with better-performing anti-tank destroyers at a suitable time. But by then, the chassis might not necessarily be from Type 4 tanks.


    So far, only 45 Type 4 assault guns had been produced, expected to be equipped to three companies, forming part of the artillery battalions under the control of the infantry division¡¯s armored sections.


    Subsequently, there were plans to establish an armored battalion equipped with Type 4 assault guns belonging to the infantry, to support the troops, and to provide temporary anti-tank firepower to the infantry. In addition to that, it could also serve as a makeshift indirect fire suppressor, truly a jack-of-all-trades on the battlefield.


    The reason for such low production was due to a severe shortage in the production capacity of the Type 4 chassis, which was needed for tanks and for the conversion to the 155 mm self-propelled howitzers, making it impossible to spare enough to manufacture assault guns in the short term.


    Therefore, at this stage, the assault gun was still experimental and not yet widely deployed. Whether it could become a renowned friend of the infantry or not still depended on whether the production capacity of Type 4 tanks could be further increased.


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 Chapter 627: Ultimatum 586

    Chapter 627: Ultimatum 586


    Another entirely new weapon was a peculiar type of artillery support firepower. Unlike traditional cannons, it lacked a gun barrel, and the launching rack was mounted directly on a truck, making it look like a row of railroad tracks.


    Indeed, this contraption was the Katyusha Rocket Launcher, a new, area-covering fire support weapon provided by Tang Mo to the troops.


    This device was a modern version of ¡°shooting a swarm,¡± with its strength not being precision but volume.


    Compared to traditional artillery, the point of using an entire company to pour a battalion¡¯s worth of artillery fire onto the enemy¡¯s position in an instant was the very reason this gadget existed.


    Due to its powerful impact and low entry barrier, the Tang Army had not yet equipped it on a large scale, and the security classification was very high. In fact, the Tang Army did not even consider deploying this weapon to the Qi Country frontline.


    At the same time, Great Tang Group also received feedback from the frontline infantry. They complained that the Thompson Submachine Gun was too large and cumbersome, with insufficient range, and hoped for a brand new weapon to replace it.


    ...


    The Armored Corps also thought that equipping members solely with pistols for self-defense was inadequate and similarly required better automatic weapons to enhance their ability to fight off the vehicle.


    In short, after the test of actual combat, everyone had some complaints about the weapons in their hands ¨C it was not that their weapons performed very well, but that their opponents¡¯ weapons performed too poorly.


    Thus, the development of new weapons was put on the agenda. As for which weapons Tang Mo would choose to equip the future Tang Army, that was his business.


    Because Tang Mo was currently engaged in matters that seemed more urgent than selecting new weapons for troops in the future.


    He was evacuating his diplomats from Shenwu Country and preparing to use the Air Force to pay a proper visit to the Shenwu troops who had come from afar to occupy Beiyuan City.


    ¡°Our ships are already at sea, all relevant personnel have been evacuated from Shenwu Country. Before leaving, our diplomatic envoys also presented a state letter to their king, expressing our position,¡± Roger reported the diplomatic situation to Tang Mo succinctly.


    Tang Mo nodded slightly. The order to break off relations and declare war with Shenwu Country was issued by him personally, so he was equally aware that the war between the two countries was about to erupt.@@@@


    ¡°Furthermore, we have announced to the public that we do not recognize any land transactions between Qi Country and Shenwu Country! We do not acknowledge Shenwu Country¡¯s ownership of Beiyuan City!¡± Roger added, ¡°At the same time, we have declared that the strike against the Qi Army in Beiyuan City will continue as usual, with no changes due to Shenwu¡¯s intervention.¡±


    ¡°What about Shenwu Country¡¯s response?¡± Tang Mo asked.


    ¡°They condemned us, and the Dahua Empire and Laines Empire both advised us to restrain ourselves,¡± Roger replied.


    Tang Mo continued to nod slightly, then turned to Luff, ¡°On the Army side, what¡¯s the situation with the First Prince?¡±


    ¡°They retreated hastily and did not construct any solid defensive fortifications. Our troops are advancing steadily, and the territory under his control is being progressively reduced by us,¡± Luff immediately answered Tang Mo¡¯s question.


    ¡°Time,¡± Tang Mo asked again.


    ¡°Within 7 days, we are confident that we can completely annihilate the forces under the First Prince...¡± Luff answered without hesitation, providing a very precise timeline.


    Behind this trench line was Shenwu Country¡¯s main defensive line, where countless hidden bunkers and reinforced concrete pillboxes had been built, equipped with a large number of machine guns to provide a fire support.


    To prevent Tang Army¡¯s tank corps from advancing, Shenwu Country had also acquired a number of 76mm caliber anti-balloon guns to fire at tanks directly.


    Their idea was simple: as long as they could force the Tang Army¡¯s tanks to slow down, they could use dense firepower to paralyze these steel monsters.


    Shenwu Liang was very satisfied with the defense plan he had discussed with advisor Shireck; he didn¡¯t believe that the Tang Army could break through such a carefully arranged defensive line.


    Although Shenwu Country couldn¡¯t quickly transport Shireck¡¯s tanks over for the battle, they still tried to increase their troop strength as much as possible.


    On this circular defense line, they had stationed 6 divisions with over 60,000 men. These troops were well-trained and very combat-effective.


    Hiding in the trenches with bunker firepower for support, they could well utilize the range advantage of the Shireck rifle; one could say they were quite well prepared.


    In addition, since the Shenwu Country had a tough time against the Tang Army during the battle of Dongwan Island, they took this battle very seriously. They knew that Tang Army might attack them, so they were also prepared for an assault.


    Shenwu Country gave great importance to the battle of Beiyuan City, viewing it as a crucial battle for avenging their humiliation, which is why they had committed their elite as much as possible.


    According to the plan, with the further escalation of the war, they were likely to maintain a force of over 200,000 in Beiyuan City.


    What gave Shenwu Liang full confidence was that Shireck, in secret collusion with the high-level leaders of Shenwu Country, had devised a plan for a counter-attack on Tang Country¡¯s mainland.


    If this plan was successfully implemented, then Tang Country¡¯s industrial production capability would be greatly damaged. This was the confidence underlying Shenwu Country¡¯s insistence on this battle.


    No matter what, Shenwu Liang felt he held the winning cards; from every aspect, he had ample trump cards.


    As he stood on the defensive position filled with soaring aspirations, some specks gradually appeared in the sky, hardly visible at first.


    Then, these specks became more and more numerous, increasingly dense. After that, the Shenwu Country¡¯s military on the ground began to hear a continuous, somewhat oppressive sound of engines.


    As those specks drew nearer, the oppressive sound grew louder until everybody realized where it was coming from. They looked up and saw the sky darkened by the planes of the Tang Army.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    How I wish that back in those days, we had planes that could fill the sky... I am just that superficial.


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 Chapter 628: 587 precise adjectives

    Chapter 628: 587 precise adjectives


    ¡°The effect of our bombing on the targets is really not so good.¡± On the slightly bumpy airplane, the pilot, clutching the control stick, complained to the co-pilot seated beside him.


    Behind them, the navigator chuckled: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter; we have plenty of bombs, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    ¡°Bombing Beiyuan City risks harming civilians. Your Majesty is compassionate and hopes that we focus more on these goblins,¡± the co-pilot chimed in.


    ¡°The perimeter defenses are right ahead!¡± Glancing down at the earth below his feet, the pilot reminded the bombardier.


    The bombardier gave a thumbs-up: ¡°I¡¯m ready! Open the bomb bay doors!¡±


    With his command, mechanical sounds mingled with the wind, and the bomb bay doors of the Flying Fortress below slowly opened to either side.


    ...


    The plane¡¯s fuselage began to jostle even more because of the disturbance in the airflow, with bombs densely packed on the racks.


    The B-17 bombers that took off from Nanye didn¡¯t need extreme range, so they could take off without full fuel loads, reserving their takeoff weight entirely for the payload.


    A fully-loaded B-17 is terrifying; it can carry over eight tons of bombs internally¡ªwhat¡¯s the concept here? A B-17 can match the firepower of 16 Stuka Dive Bombers!


    However, the comparison is not strictly accurate because in terms of bombing precision alone, a Stuka might be more accurate than a B-17, and in a way, more ammo-efficient.


    ¡°Begin bombing!¡± The bombardier pressed the button and felt the bomb detach from the rack behind him.


    Then the second bomb, and the third, like raindrops, these aerial bombs disconnected from the bomber¡¯s racks and scattered in the wind before plummeting rapidly.


    Under the desperate gaze of the Shenwu soldiers, these bombs fell onto their positions, and the shockwaves from the ensuing explosions quickly radiated outward.


    The bombardier on the plane could clearly see, just like raindrops falling into a lake and creating ripples, his bombs were making similarly expanding waves.


    Then from the center of those circles, massive explosions boiled up furiously, engulfing everything nearby.@@@@


    The once intact trenches were instantly swallowed by the rising dust, and seemingly impregnable machine-gun bunkers were torn to pieces in an instant.


    The small statures of the goblins were torn apart in the blast wave, as if by knife-like gales that sliced through everything standing in their way.


    The Shenwu troops were witnessing aircraft as a weapon for the first time, foolishly staring at the planes overhead, recalling all the descriptions they had heard from the people of Qi Country.


    The people from Qi Country had told them that airplanes are dreadful monsters, each appearance bringing terrifying death.


    Those Qi Country folk, scared out of their wits, seemed like a joke as they described how their industrial areas were effortlessly leveled by the massive bombs dropped by the gigantic planes.


    Regrettably, things didn¡¯t go as he wished. The sound continued non-stop until the small black dot in the sky turned into an airplane, and the noise eventually broke everyone¡¯s defense, causing people to start crying and screaming non-stop!


    Watching the airplane that seemed destined to crash into the ground drop a huge aerial bomb, then sharply pull up at the last moment and speed away, Shenwu Liang finally understood how accurate the Qi Country people¡¯s adjectives for airplanes were.


    Not exaggerated in the slightest and even restrained somewhat for the sake of saving face. It turns out these Tang Country airplanes were truly formidable, and those Qi Country people weren¡¯t really cowards.


    Just as he realized this, a 500-kilogram aerial bomb finally hit the ground. The moment it touched the earth, a destructive force was unleashed in a torrent.


    Unlike the 100-kilogram or even 50-kilogram bombs dropped by the B-17 Bombers, the 500-kilogram aerial bombs carried by Stukas had an even more terrifying destructive capability.


    Just one near miss was enough to completely destroy a bunker and the nearby trenches. The defensive structures, which had consumed vast amounts of manpower and resources, even at the expense of civilian lives, vanished in an instant.


    The explosion of this bomb shook the earth, and even hundreds of meters away, the force of the blast could be clearly felt.


    But before these Shenwu people could start to panic, a second bomb of the same kind was dropped, and the same scenario repeated itself as the ground trembled once again beneath their feet.


    The dreadful howling in the sky continued, as if it were a sound from hell. Each time this sound rang out, the Shenwu Soldiers could only pray in their hearts, hoping that the target was not their location.


    ¡°That, that... General! I, I won¡¯t just stand here, stand here anymore...¡± The Second Prince stammered, preparing to flee. He had no desire to gamble his life away in this place.


    Before Shenwu Liang could say anything, the Second Prince had already started to run away with his Qi Country guards. Shenwu Liang glanced at him, knowing he couldn¡¯t keep this puppet there, so he let him escape.


    ¡°General! You, you should take cover too,¡± the Shenwu deputy by his side urged him anxiously as he watched the Stuka Dive Bombers plunging from the sky.


    Before, he never thought those new things flying in the sky of the Tang Army could be so formidable, but having seen them today, he now realized the severity of the problem.


    Only by witnessing this kind of terrifying attack with one¡¯s own eyes could one understand why the Qi Country¡¯s military had crumbled so utterly.


    ¡°Woo...¡± As he made his suggestion, the devilish howl in the sky started up again.


    All the Shenwu Soldiers around him looked up. Only those who have experienced it firsthand could understand what it feels like to hear that devilish sound headed straight for them!


    Now they knew what it felt like, that sound coming closer, aimed right at them. It was despair screaming, it was the reaper calling them!


    The next second, an aerial bomb detached from the undercarriage of a Stuka, rapidly enlarging within Shenwu Liang¡¯s pupils.


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 Chapter 629: Traveling 588 miles to deliver a gift

    Chapter 629: Traveling 588 miles to deliver a gift


    ¡°Boom!¡± A earth-shattering explosion, Shenwu Liang couldn¡¯t hear anything at all. The bomb had hit the high ground where he was, leveling the area to the ground.


    Or rather, turning the small mound into a large crater would be a more accurate description: Shenwu Liang¡¯s body was nowhere to be found, and not even the corpses of the guards beside him could be located.


    A bit further away, the Qi Country guards who had already moved some distance were knocked about, many of them shaken to death.


    The Second Prince of Qi Country, with blood seeping from his ears, staggeringly rose from the ground, the world seemingly devoid of sound.


    ¡°Ah! Ah!¡± He screamed in terror, his head spinning as he tried to stand by feeling for the trench wall.


    A continuous buzzing was all he could hear in his ears, the air filled with the suffocating smell of dirt, and his eyes clouded by dust and ash, unable to see the path below his feet.


    ...


    But no one bothered about the prince anymore, as all the guards were too preoccupied with their own disarray.


    The Shenwu soldiers inside the trenches lay on the ground, some of the softer trench walls had collapsed, and before the Second Prince could even stand, he tripped over a guard curled up at his feet and once again fell to his knees.


    ¡°Save me! Help me!¡± he called out loudly, but he couldn¡¯t be sure if he was truly making a sound. He thought he couldn¡¯t hear his own cries, couldn¡¯t hear anything at all.


    The recent explosion had temporarily halted the functioning of his eardrums, and also disoriented his sense of balance. And everyone around him was in a similar state.


    ¡°Buzz...¡± He still couldn¡¯t hear anything, he rubbed his hands, propped himself against the trench wall, and with a struggle, relied on his legs to stand. The Second Prince touched his body with his other hand and was relieved to find no gaping holes.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty!¡± finally, a guard approached to help steady the swaying Second Prince. But the prince couldn¡¯t hear his calls, nor could the guard hear his own shouts.


    In some ways, not being able to hear the terrifying howl of the Stuka Dive Bombers in the sky anymore was a stroke of luck for them.


    Because the bombing hadn¡¯t stopped, the Stukas were still diving relentlessly. The Shenwu soldiers cowering in the trenches were still being tormented.


    Little did they know, the retribution for driving Qi Country civilians to build defenses, indifferent to their deaths, slaughtering and maltreating these civilians, would come so swiftly.


    The Tang Country planes, like messengers from hell, executed their revenge in the most direct and ruthless way.


    That sound rose again, and finally, the Shenwu troops broke free from their fear, snapping out of their dazed state. They didn¡¯t perform any better than the Qi Country soldiers, quickly succumbing to panic.


    In the trenches, some soldiers screamed along with the howling Stukas. Scared out of their wits, they clutched their heads, screaming incessantly, instantly spreading fear throughout the entire trench.


    ¡°Spare me!¡± Some Shenwu soldiers knelt on the ground, praying to the sky, unsure if the Tang Country pilots could see their piety.


    Other soldiers abandoned their weapons and fled, disregarding the calls of their superiors, leaving their positions.


    The Shenwu heavy artillery positions became the hardest hit area by the Stuka Dive Bombers, virtually devoid of any anti-aircraft weapons, the Shenwu gunners could only despair at their fate.


    After all, the artillery from Qi Country mainly consisted of 130 mm caliber, with some 200 mm caliber fortress cannons and siege cannons. They were all products of Shireck, not compatible with the Tang Army¡¯s weaponry at all.


    Destroying them would have been a waste, so the Tang Army sent all the Qi artillery shells they could find to the front line, pouring them onto the Shenwu military positions.


    The Qi Country cannons, which had not had a chance to demonstrate their power in the Qi-Tang war because they were not deployed in time, finally asserted their might in these barrages against Shenwu.


    The captured Qi artillerymen also finally had a chance to manipulate their weapons: one shell after another was pushed into the chambers and then fired from the barrels, charging towards the still-smoking Shenwu positions.


    For a while, the whole battlefield boiled over again, with columns of smoke rising thickly and densely, to the extent that, viewed from a distance, the entire Shenwu positions seemed to be engulfed in black smoke.


    For the Tang Army, such artillery fire was entirely free, so they didn¡¯t mind prolonging the bombardment, expressing their dissatisfaction with Shenwu.


    But the recently bombed Shenwu defenders were truly in despair: they had come from afar, supposedly to seek revenge and settle scores.


    Little did they expect that after crossing oceans to come here, they were actually delivering their own heads on a platter!


    Having never experienced such tactics before, the people of Shenwu completely collapsed. They finally understood what level of firepower density war could involve!


    The war they had imagined, where each side exchanged a few shots, did not occur. They had just arrived and had firsthand experience of the cruel reality of war.


    Sadly, their artillerymen didn¡¯t even have a chance to fire back, as most of their artillery positions were already paralyzed.


    The few cannons that managed to return fire, which should have bolstered their own morale with their roar, were drowned out by the continuous explosions of the enemy¡¯s shelling.


    ¡°We can¡¯t fight this war at all!¡± a Shenwu officer complained, cowering inside a shelter constantly being dusted with falling ash and dirt.


    His brother had been taken prisoner during the battle of Dongwan Island and was said to have died in the mines there. His younger brother had been given away as war indemnity and sent to Linshui to become a slave; his fate was still unknown.


    That¡¯s why he had wanted revenge, that¡¯s why he had come here. But he desperately realized that everything happening before his eyes had nothing to do with revenge.


    ¡°They should really make those government bigwigs come have a look!¡± another officer, equally downcast, stared at the kerosene lamp hanging and swaying above his head, nodding in agreement with his companion¡¯s words.


    Before he could finish speaking, an artillery shell struck the shelter they were in directly. The beams broke instantly, and the wood that served as the roof, along with the thick layer of earth on it, buried everything in the room.


    A Shenwu messenger sprinted along the trench, passing one uncollected body after another, treading on the blood-soaked earth, and rushed into a shelter built on the reverse slope.


    Gasping for breath, he handed a note to the Shenwu division commander before him: ¡°Sir... General Shenwu Liang... the general has... unfortunately, perished. You are now the highest... the highest commander here.¡±


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 Chapter 630: 589 Suitable Slave

    Chapter 630: 589 Suitable Slave


    The last refitted transport vessel for personnel left Brunas, an old man hunched over, picked up the rusty chain from the ground, and locked the dock of the port.


    The huge crane, erected on the other side, had been out of operation for two days, as the ships that carried various metals to this place had become scarce.


    The port of Brunas now probably only had one-third of its capacity during its peak times, causing the entire city to become desolate as well.


    The Nobility and the rich had obtained everything they wanted, occupying luxurious houses here, turning these lands, once belonging to the Great Tang Group, into their private property.


    In the distance, the chimneys that seemed to merge with the city emitted smoke from only a small portion, signifying that Brunas¡¯s once terrifying production capacity had now been significantly reduced.


    However, for the Laines Empire, everything was worth it, since they have the land and the population, and now they had obtained technology and machinery; soon everything would improve.


    ...


    They could restore production here, making Brunas great once again. This was also their slogan, and countless people flocking here to strike gold would arrive continuously, revitalizing the city.


    Accompanying the departure of the last transport ship, the fleet of the Great Tang Kingdom also began to assemble on a large scale. Apart from the squadron remaining at Dragon Island, the rest of the warships began to gather toward Dongwan Island.


    The five Jade City-class battleships had been renamed Dongwan-class, and these dreadnoughts still remained the most powerful presence on the sea.


    Unlike the Army, both the Navy and the Air Force are branches dominated by technology; only by mastering more advanced technology can they maintain an advantage over the enemy and achieve victory in war.


    Clearly possessing a technological advantage, the Great Tang Group¡¯s Navy was undoubtedly the most powerful!


    Bernard had been frustrated enough for long enough, having been responsible for ensuring transportation in the southern part of the Endless Sea all this time; his Navy had also been reduced to a large transport team.


    All of the warships were scattered at sea, some escorting transport fleets, and some directly serving as transport vessels.


    Now, after transferring a large number of personnel, they were finally able to become combat units again, ready to pay a visit to their enemies.


    The sharp bows of the warships sliced through the sea, with rolling white waves extending continuously to the distance. The warships, over one hundred and sixty meters long, sailed the sea like small islands, presenting a magnificent sight.


    With the Dragon Banner hoisted high on the warship masts, Bernard stood on the bridge, already beginning to calculate how to launch an attack on the Qi Country Navy.


    ¡°Intelligence shows that the shipping lane between Qi Country and Beiyuan City is very vulnerable; if we cut off this route, the Qi Country Navy will surely appear,¡± said the aide standing next to Bernard, speaking to his superior.


    Bernard nodded slightly, as this was also part of the combat plan he and his staff had devised. In fact, as long as the transportation line from Qi Country to Beiyuan City was cut off, the Navy would consider the mission accomplished. However, from top to bottom, from staff to Bernard, what they really wanted was to completely annihilate the Qi Country Navy.


    They hoped to destroy the Qi Country Navy in one battle, blockade Qi Country¡¯s ports, and attack along the Qi Country coastline... In short, according to Bernard¡¯s plan, the Navy was almost set to destroy the entire Qi Country coastline within range.


    Nevertheless, Tang Mo wasn¡¯t dissatisfied with this because, compared to preventing Shenguo troops from intervening in Beiyuan City, retrieving scattered personnel from around the world and bringing them back to Dragon Island was clearly more important.


    ¡°Tell them not to rush! Let them rest at Dongwan for five days!¡± Tang Mo delayed the Navy¡¯s northbound time, ¡°Order Bernard, including himself, to rest well! Inspect the warships, replenish supplies and fuel... In short, be fully prepared before heading to Linshui,¡± he commanded.


    Tang Mo didn¡¯t want his fleet to rush into battle after a long voyage and suffer an embarrassment like the Sharussian fleet, who hurried a thousand miles only to deliver their heads on a platter.


    He needed the fleet to maintain its optimal state, to ensure absolute superiority over the Shenguo fleet! He wanted to resolve the threat from the north of the Endless Sea once and for all and control the regional sea power.


    Because he understood the profound impact this naval battle would have; as long as the Shenguo Navy was defeated, he could spend the next several years without restraint, facing the challenges from the Dahua Empire with the sea at his back.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± The Navy liaison officer promptly responded and then turned to convey Tang Mo¡¯s decree.


    Tang Mo then turned his attention to the Air Force liaison officer beside him and ordered, ¡°Instruct Ibrahim to maintain bombing on the outskirts of Beiyuan City!¡±


    After issuing the order, he looked towards Luff, ¡°Have the artillery troops continue shelling the Shenguo positions! Use up all the 130mm caliber and 200mm caliber shells from the Qi Country¡¯s stockpile!¡±


    He had no intention of allowing ground troops to attack, even harboring a bit of a wish to attract more Shenguo troops and annihilate them at the foot of Beiyuan City.


    According to Tang Mo¡¯s thinking, it would be a waste just to destroy 60,000 to 70,000 Shenguo troops near Beiyuan City. If possible, he wanted to wipe out more than 150,000 Goblins or at least capture around 100,000.


    He needed these slaves to build more railways and roads, and to mine and process minerals without regard for their own lives.


    In short, he needed cheap labor that could work overtime, didn¡¯t require payment, and whose abuse while laboring would go unnoticed by others!


    While the Great Tang Kingdom was now powerful, it was not entirely perfect. Tang Mo knew he had many constructions that needed time and manpower to complete, so he hoped this war could provide him with at least an additional 200,000 slaves.


    He had already secured 100,000 prisoners from Qi Country, and for the remaining 100,000, he hoped to fill that with Goblins from Shenguo, as he had already used Goblin slaves on Dongwan Island, without any additional guilt. They naturally submitted to hardship, endured labor, and had a strong work ethic, which made them very comfortable to use.


    Considering these factors, it seems the people from that country really were fit to be slaves. They were meticulous and orderly, often producing industry experts; if overworked or if they erred, they would take a slap and immediately bow apologetically... Truly the conscience of the industry! It must be said, such intensely diligent slaves are rare these days.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Luff noted Tang Mo¡¯s orders, also feeling that instead of spending resources and effort to remelt the shoddy weapons and equipment from Qi Country, it would be more convenient and simpler to use them directly.


    There was no choice, despite the Tang Army¡¯s more advanced weaponry, the long transport distances meant that the logistics troops couldn¡¯t promptly deliver sufficient ammunition to the front lines where it was needed.


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 Chapter 631: 590 ammunition model

    Chapter 631: 590 ammunition model


    ¡°`


    There was no choice, for the speed of the troops¡¯ attack was simply too fast, and even with the logistics engineer corps giving it their all, they could only manage to connect Tang Country¡¯s railway network with Qi Country¡¯s.


    With this railway line in support, Tang Country¡¯s trains could haul goods all the way from the northern part of Tang Country to King City of Qi Country, providing a relatively ample supply to all Tang Army units along the way.


    However, further away, things became more troublesome. For example, the 1st Armored Division, far from this railway, could only rely on trucks and horse carts for supplies.


    This railway line was also responsible for supplying Tang Country¡¯s Air Force, transporting fuel and bombs. These were consumables that needed continuous replenishment.


    At the same time, the railway also had to provide supplies to the 4th Armored Division, which had crossed Donghe Bridge and was a major fuel consumer.


    ...


    Because it had to handle so many supply transportation tasks, the railway was under heavy strain and could only guarantee the most basic material supplies for the remaining troops.


    This led to many troops lacking ammunition, or lacking in food supplies... Under such circumstances, some troops had to halt and wait for supplies, while others could only conserve ammunition and barely get by.


    The good news was they had captured a large number of Qi Army artillery, which could be barely used as a stopgap. The bad news was that in order to use these shoddy Shireck-made artillery pieces, Tang Army had to convert some captured Qi artillerymen into regulars, letting them continue to fight under Tang Army¡¯s watch.


    Tang Mo was no god; he could not conjure up a host of infrastructure. Railway mileage needed time to build up, and factory capacity needed time to accumulate as well.


    Qi Country¡¯s backward industrial base and infrastructure were creating problems for Tang Army. Those details that seemed trivial in the eyes of Shireck¡¯s advisory group were practically a disaster for Tang Army.


    Now, Tang Army¡¯s ground forces, especially the Armored Corps, had halted their advance and were standing by, largely to alleviate the logistical support pressure.


    ...


    Tang Mo was very busy recently. He saw the various suggestions for improvements to weapons and equipment put forward by the frontline troops, and he needed to organize these requests, then figure out how to improve it all.


    For him, this was also an important task, as well as his old profession. The reputation as a humanoid self-propelled drafting machine was not for nothing¡ªhe was now single-handedly holding up the already quite sizable Great Tang Group.


    Despite the countless engineers in the whole group to assist him, the workload for Tang Mo himself was still enormous.


    Although he did not need to bear the risks of operating at the world¡¯s cutting edge without anything to reference or emulate, Great Tang Group still had to devote a lot of manpower and resources to explore and adapt to a range of new technologies.


    Tang Mo was using his knowledge to drag the entire Great Tang Group forward, so in many respects, the R&D personnel did not even fully understand the principles of some new technologies before they had to turn them into mature products ready for use.


    For instance, the chemist Guest was recently researching the technology related to the mass production of plastics, yet even he himself was not quite clear how important this stuff would ultimately be.


    It was precisely because of the option of the assault rifle that Tang Mo so decisively discarded submachine guns from the frontline troops: with better and more suitable weapons available, there was no need to retain the submachine gun, a mediocre option.


    When the assault rifles were ready to be distributed to the troops, submachine guns that had yet to be deployed by other nations would all be relegated to second-line forces, barely clinging to use as individual defense weapons.


    As for the model of the Tang Army¡¯s assault rifle, Tang Mo directly brought out the more renowned AK-47 assault rifle.


    This time Tang Mo had no way to simplify the ammunition types used: even if he adopted the German Army¡¯s own STG-44 assault rifle, its ammunition was completely incompatible with that of the MG-42 machine gun.


    Since total incompatibility was the case, Tang Mo simply chose the easily produced and reliably performing AK-47 as the standard weapon for his troops.


    After all, that thing truly had an excellent reputation. In an era before the proliferation of attachable accessories, it could be said to be the best assault rifle¡ªwithout equal!


    Tang Mo¡¯s reasoning was straightforward: since no assault rifle could guarantee ammunition compatibility at this stage, why not just go ahead and use the best assault rifle available to begin with.


    Later, when conditions improved, leaning towards Western-style assault rifles would be the way to go. With the current level of technology, there was no immediate need for holographic sights or tactical flashlights with infrared aiming or other such novel gadgets; the AK¡¯s advantages in reliability and ease of manufacture were infinitely amplified.


    While Tang Mo was keen to use various Huaxia weapons, the application of new materials in Huaxia¡¯s latest individual weapons meant that copying the technology was a complete no-go. With no other choice, he would have to wait until his own technology advanced further before he could utilize them.


    You could say that Huaxia¡¯s Type 56 is very good, with quite excellent performance, and that would be true. But isn¡¯t the Type 56 essentially an AK?


    Following these modifications, the future variety of the Tang Army¡¯s weapon ammunition was locked into three types: 9mm Luger cartridges, 7.62mm rifle cartridges, and 7.92mm machine gun cartridges.


    Compared to the current situation, this added one type of ammunition, but it also introduced a new weapon called the assault rifle, effectively simplifying logistics to the greatest extent.


    The new weapons would be widely replaced after this war ended to ensure that the Tang Army maintained a performance advantage in single-soldier weapons in the next conflict.


    This also marked the beginning of the Tang Army¡¯s weapon innovation; war is the catalyst for the birth of new weapons, and only the grimmest of wars spurs humans to invest a hundredfold of passion into weapon development.


    And as time went on, these weapons gradually became more familiar to Tang Mo: he finally reached a point where he could easily decide what weapons and equipment his troops would use, not relying on blueprints but on his own experience.


    After all, he had sold MP5 submachine guns, but never MP-38 submachine guns... those were already the darlings of collectors and museums in Tang Mo¡¯s time.


    Beretta handguns, MP5 submachine guns, AK-47... Tang Mo excitedly sketched the blueprints while his heart raced with excitement. His era was truly on the horizon!


    So engrossed was he in his drawing that the corners of his mouth curled upwards, and he was completely oblivious as the door was pushed open and Alice walked in.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 632: Technology 591 is developing

    Chapter 632: Technology 591 is developing


    ¡°Sooner or later, you have to pay for your actions; the girls you flirt with, sooner or later you have to sleep with them. The thing is, being slept with counts as sleeping too... which just proves again, you have to pay for your actions sooner or later...¡±


    By the time Tang Mo realized he might be drained again, he had in fact already been drained. After enthusiastically expressing his longing, Alice rested her chin on her hands and, separated by the drafting table, watched Tang Mo contently.


    This man was handsome in every way; at least in her eyes, he was perfect without any flaws, truly a gift from heaven to her.


    It wasn¡¯t in vain that she had given up her father¡¯s hard-earned Northern Ridge, bringing so many of her people from thousands of miles away to join him¡ª it all seemed so worth it!


    ¡°I really like the new job you found for me, Minister of Finance... Mmm, this job really suits me.¡± Alice felt extremely happy, for a woman, isn¡¯t it right to keep a close eye on her man¡¯s purse strings?


    As for those surplus gaudy vixens... forget it, who made her man so outstanding? If he doesn¡¯t attract bees and butterflies, wouldn¡¯t that mean there¡¯s something wrong with her taste?


    ...


    Tang Mo had already wasted nearly an hour, so he was in a hurry, making corrections to the drawings in front of him.


    An MP5 submachine gun was still too advanced for Great Tang Group, as many of the materials actually needed substitutes.


    For example, high-strength plastic was something Great Tang Group couldn¡¯t produce¡ªso Tang Mo had no choice but to use wood to replace the better-performing polymers.


    No choice, although it increased the weight, but sometimes if you can¡¯t keep up with materials science, you just can¡¯t keep up. If Tang Mo could immediately mass-produce all the materials, then why not go high-end with a mix of HK416 and UMP45?


    So, the forend of the alternative world version of the MP5 submachine gun was made of wood, with metal embedded inside to ensure strength.


    At the same time, Tang Mo believed that most of the mass-produced MP5 submachine guns would have collapsible folding stocks, which meets the troops¡¯ needs.


    For the soldiers who expected to be issued these weapons¡ªarmor troops, Navy sailors, motorized troops, artillery, logistical personnel, and policemen¡ªthese people all care about the size of the weapon.


    As for the few versions with a fixed stock, Tang Mo also planned to use wooden stocks! No choice, since plastic wasn¡¯t that widespread yet.


    As for the AK47 whose drawings had already been released, of course, it was a later, improved version, with added muzzle devices, and a more reasonable stock, basically the AKM version.


    Or rather, this creation was already the third generation of AKM improvements. To further modify it would be to develop the smaller caliber assault rifle AK74.


    However, Tang Mo hadn¡¯t released a more advanced small caliber assault rifle, as he still had a long way to go in terms of gunpowder, precision machining, and materials science, and thus couldn¡¯t achieve mass production yet.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you.¡± Having not seen Tang Mo for a long time, Alice still missed her beloved dearly. As she spoke, she nudged Tang Mo¡¯s calves with her foot.


    Ha! Woman! You underestimate me! Tang Mo remembered what they had done in the office just before, and at this moment, he felt an unparalleled sense of calm. This level of flirting was nothing, after all, he had already entered sage mode.


    Of course, that included the most classic torpedo technology! Aboard the small submarines, the most cutting-edge technologies of the stage were almost entirely employed.


    Actually, Tang Mo was reluctant to develop torpedoes because his Navy still had absolute advantage, and he didn¡¯t want such technology to accidentally spread and give the opposing side a chance to turn the tables.


    You see, Tang Mo¡¯s fleet could almost be described as invincible, but if Tang Mo¡¯s opponents acquired submarines, the situation could become really tricky.


    To maintain maritime order and ensure the safety of shipping routes is far more difficult than disrupting routes and sinking transport ships. If the enemy had submarines, it would mean they had hope for the weaker to overcome the stronger.


    Tang Mo didn¡¯t want to give these bastards any hope!


    But Tang Mo had to develop torpedo weapons because he had carrier-borne aircraft technology to research. Besides, torpedoes could also endow his destroyers and cruisers with the potential to punch above their weight.


    Only with such technologies could carrier-borne aircraft inflict greater damage on surface vessels. Although aerial bombs were effective, if the method of attack was too one-dimensional, it was easy for the enemy to defend against.


    Therefore, Tang Mo brought out torpedo weapon technology and was ready to train some Navy-exclusive pilots on Dragon Island.


    He could readily produce the technology as long as there were no bottlenecks in production. However, training pilots, a technical task, still required time to accumulate; he did not possess a magic ball capable of stuffing knowledge and experience directly into someone¡¯s brain...


    As more specialized weapons and equipment developed, the requirements for soldiers became increasingly higher. Just like how Tang Mo initially lacked Navy sailors, he now needed tank operators, pilots, submariners, and paratroopers...


    Training these technical military specialties took time, and accumulating more such talents required accumulation. There was no other way; everything had to be done step by step.


    Imagine, in the future, tank gunners might need to operate infrared equipment, adjust more advanced and precise targeting devices, operate fire control computers, and even repair crosswind sensors... College graduation might just be the minimum requirement.


    That is to say, the technical talents Tang Mo was currently training, who were highly sought after by various countries, might only qualify as gunners or commanders in the future!


    What does this imply? Tang Mo probably would have to improve the current educational quality of schools by tenfold before he could have the potential to produce commanders at the battalion or regimental level.


    The soldiers were no longer recruited from a group of farmers given basic bayonet training, a couple of days of marching drills, and then handed a rifle to shoot targets for a few days.


    Artillerymen had to learn indirect fire aiming, be able to identify shooting tables, set fuses, and understand how to maintain and calibrate artillery!


    Officers had to calculate logistical support distances, compile ammunition reports, read the latest precise maps, and even study wireless radio knowledge.


    In such circumstances, the quality gap between troops was vast as the sky is from the earth, and mere bravery was no longer sufficient to determine the outcome of a war.


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 Chapter 633: Fleet 592 returns

    Chapter 633: Fleet 592 returns


    ¡°`


    ¡°Dong dong dong!¡± Just as Tang Mo finally finished one blueprint and was ready to replicate a second, someone knocked on his door.


    ¡°Come in!¡± Tang Mo casually commanded, then saw a tall and burly bartender walk in, standing by the door.


    The guards knew Alice was visiting Tang Mo, so unless there was urgent intelligence, they would not have allowed the bartender to knock on Tang Mo¡¯s door.


    What they didn¡¯t know was that Tang Mo was a normal man and couldn¡¯t squander his resources without pressure as some novels might suggest.


    Everything that needed to be done had been completed; he even had time to draw blueprints for over an hour under Alice¡¯s watchful eye.


    ...


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Tang Mo no longer cared much about the frontline situation, as he believed victory was already assured, leaving nothing to worry about.


    Unless the Dahua Empire or Chu Country could declare war on Tang Country immediately, there wouldn¡¯t be any significant changes on the battlefield.


    Hoping that troops from Shen Country would break out and crush the encircling Tang Army, or expecting the First Prince of Qi Country to rally a counterattack, was utterly unrealistic.


    The First Prince was running low on ammunition; the main reason he had held out this long was that the Tang Army hadn¡¯t gone all out to attack him.


    As for Shen Country, being shelled and bombed daily, they were too frightened and preoccupied to even consider mounting a counterattack.


    The bartender spoke up, ¡°Your Majesty! We¡¯ve received reports of sighting a large number of airships in the southern waters of the Endless Sea.¡±


    ¡°Airships?¡± Tang Mo was slightly taken aback; he truly hadn¡¯t expected Shireck to have the courage to use such outdated and expensive yet largely ineffective weapons.


    For him, these weapons were pure scams; the only reason he¡¯d use airships was to advertise them.


    ¡°Yes, a sailor from a merchant ship spotted the airship fleet. They¡¯ve reported the situation; dozens of airships are now not far from Dragon Island.¡± The bartender briefly summarized the situation.


    Upon hearing this, Tang Mo could barely suppress a laugh. ¡°Well now, are they targeting Dragon Island?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Clearly, their plan is to launch a surprise attack on Dragon Island and destroy our industrial facilities there,¡± the bartender nodded and informed Tang Mo.


    Hearing this news, Tang Mo began to wonder if the Shireck decision-makers had lost their minds.


    Knowing full well that the Tang Army had new weapons like fighters, yet still daring to deploy airships, transcended courage, verging on recklessness.


    ¡°The Air Force estimated their speed and determined that they would approach Dragon Island at night! Our fighters simply cannot intercept them,¡± the bartender added.


    ¡°Bartender, share the news with them,¡± said Tang Mo as he sat next to Alice, grabbed a glass of boiled water from the coffee table, and took a sip.


    Before long, those who arrived late were apprised of the situation. Luff¡¯s expression became grave, and the Naval Liaison Officer furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Your Majesty, if Shireck indeed deploys their navy, we might very well fall into a passive posture near Dragon Island,¡± Luff said to Tang Mo after carefully choosing his words.


    The Naval Liaison Officer also contributed, ¡°Your Majesty, if the enemy forces bombard our harbors, we will lose our shipyards and docks, which would severely affect the production capacities of Dragon Harbor and Weigang.¡±


    What Tang Mo was most concerned about was exactly this: that the enemy was just creating chaos, not intending to land on Dragon Island. They only needed to smash the bottles and jars on Dragon Island, and it would take Tang Mo considerable time and effort to restore production capacity.


    The most frustrating part was that Dragon Harbor hosted more than just shipyards and docks, holding the most critical facilities: the oil refinery and pipelines.


    If these were damaged, Tang Mo would no longer guarantee his energy supply. All his advanced troops were oil guzzlers, and if the energy supply was disrupted, the Tang Army would end up as tragically as the German Army in 1944.


    ¡°I suggest we recall Bernard¡¯s fleet! At least that can stabilize the situation on Dragon Island,¡± Luff said to Tang Mo, ¡°Oil is of utmost importance, not to mention Dragon Island also has various factories. If the docks are destroyed, we¡¯d have no shipping for at least a week, which is frightening.¡±


    To him, the oil supply was of the greatest importance. The people of Beiyuan City from the Qi Country didn¡¯t even bear comparison.


    The Naval Liaison Officer nodded, ¡°Your Majesty! I also think that without General Bernard¡¯s main fleet, relying solely on the subdivision fleet won¡¯t ensure the safety of our ports. Moreover, if the enemy attacks Weigang and Dragon Harbor at the same time, the subdivision fleet wouldn¡¯t be able to secure both ports concurrently!¡±


    ¡°Ha! Shireck really has made a good deal out of this! They used a bunch of obsolete airships to force my main fleet to turn back...¡± Tang Mo lamented reluctantly.


    Locating the enemy¡¯s fleet in the vast ocean is not an easy task; therefore, it¡¯s still uncertain whether the enemy has warships involved in this attack on Dragon Island.


    However, to prevent the situation from worsening, Tang Mo¡¯s side could only assume that the enemy fleet was nearing Dragon Island. To ensure no mistakes, Tang Mo¡¯s side would have to recall their main fleet.


    After his sigh, he had to admit a reality, ¡°It seems our enemies are smarter than we thought!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Luff started to advise again, thinking Tang Mo was reluctant to give up the excellent opportunity to severely damage the Chu Country.


    But Tang Mo stopped him, ¡°Let Bernard return! Securing Dragon Island is of paramount importance! We cannot afford any mistakes! He will surely be frustrated, but there is no helping it.¡±


    After ordering his fleet to turn back south, Tang Mo continued, ¡°They¡¯ve pulled this stunt; surely they have something else planned! Order the Navy¡¯s Patrol Ships... to keep a close eye on Chu Country Navy fleet movements!¡±


    ¡°Now, we must consider something else...¡± After issuing the command, Tang Mo looked at Luff, ¡°If Chu Country¡¯s Navy moves southward, attempting to cut off transport from Linshui to Dongwan, and from Dongwan to Dragon Island, what should we do?¡±


    Originally, the Tang Country Navy was prepared to completely annihilate the Chu Country Navy, but now, the tides of offense and defense seemed to have turned. The hamstrung Tang Country Navy was lured to the south, and Tang Mo felt the pressure of a blockade for the first time.


    Annoyed, he added, ¡°Since they¡¯ve sent an airship fleet to pose us a tough question, don¡¯t expect that bait to make it back! Order the Air Force on Dragon Island to strike! Shoot down all the airships! Leave not a single one!¡±


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 Chapter 634: 593 Radio Navigation

    Chapter 634: 593 Radio Navigation


    ¡°Damn it, I¡¯ve never been trained for sea-based flying,¡± a Great Tang pilot lamented as he adjusted his cap, heading towards his plane.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your leader can navigate, and we will send out radio signals to guide you to land. There¡¯s no need to be concerned,¡± an Air Force Commander reassured him.


    Nearly all of the Tang Army¡¯s ground attack pilots were on missions within Qi Country¡¯s borders, leaving mostly those stationed at Dragon Island without sea flying training.


    It wasn¡¯t entirely without exceptions; there were instructors on Dragon Island who were familiar with naval combat, but they all had to fly the precious Stuka Dive Bombers now.


    With no alternative, to lead more fighters into battle, the experienced pilots all had to fly dual-seater aircraft to command and navigate.


    In other words, these seasoned instructor pilots were responsible for leading the way, while the novice pilots were in charge of flying the fighters and executing attacks.


    ...


    This was the best option available, ensuring that the greatest number of fighters could be deployed in one go under complex real-life combat situations. And even though the novice pilots were inexperienced in sea flying, they could follow the instructors back after completing their attack.


    This time, the backup gunners sitting in the rear of the Stuka¡¯s cockpit were responsible for navigation; they marked their own routes and received radio navigation signals.


    In essence, the veteran pilots¡¯ mission was not to attack, but to safely bring these young pilots back from the sea.


    At the edge of the airfield runway, a group of flying instructors was verifying their maps with the commander of this operation.


    There was a large circle on everyone¡¯s sea chart, and the commander pointed to it, saying, ¡°The enemy¡¯s movement range is most likely within this elliptical area.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± an instructor asked while scrutinizing the circle on the map.


    The commander nodded and replied confidently, ¡°Very certain. This estimate is based on the airship data we have. If the enemy intends to reach Dragon Island at night, they cannot leave this area! Once they exit this range, they would only be able to bomb during daylight.¡±


    ¡°Calculated with the speed of our airships? Does that mean the actual range could be smaller?¡± another instructor surmised, suggesting the search area could be reduced.


    The leading officer shook his head and explained, ¡°It¡¯s uncertain because we can¡¯t ignore issues related to payload and gas bag filling. We¡¯ve consulted with airship engineers, who have given us a lot of relevant data.¡±


    As he spoke, he picked up a sheet of calculation paper provided by an engineer during a previous meeting: ¡°A fully loaded airship cannot depart from the edge of the Endless Sea and reach Dragon Island, hence they must have reduced the number of bombs carried in order to load more gas containers.¡±


    Airship gas bags inevitably leak over time, and regardless of how high-quality the materials are, they will gradually lose air. This is the biggest issue preventing practical utilization of airships.


    As the gas leaks, it must be replenished. The airships could only depend on their own equipment to refill the gas bags during flight, hence the need to reduce the payload, further decreasing their weight.


    ¡°The Navy has already dispatched two destroyers, and in addition, they¡¯ve relocated four merchantmen and fifteen fishing boats equipped with radio devices to the relevant waters... There shouldn¡¯t be any serious issues,¡± said the officer, setting aside his compass and looking up as he spoke.


    He was of Chinese descent, with black hair and black eyes, and his name was Xiao Yun. Before joining the Air Force, he had been a penal citizen, making a living in Brunas.


    Being able to serve as a senior commander in the Air Force at this time meant he was very successful. He had flown Camel Fighters as well as Butcher Fighters and was well-experienced, with a good command of the Air Force¡¯s dispatch and direction.


    Simply from the mapping exercise he had just finished, it was clear that he was an outstanding commander. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have stayed behind at Dragon Island to take charge of the Air Force here.


    ¡°Three squadrons, each heading in different directions, will search the entire area without leaving any blind spots, provided that their flight paths and search ranges are correct,¡± Xiao Yun said, looking towards the radio operators and asking, ¡°Is the signal normal?¡±


    ¡°No feedback from the signal tower yet, but everything is functioning normally on our end,¡± the officer stationed by the equipment immediately answered.


    ¡°Keep a close watch!¡± Xiao Yun ordered, then picked up the radio handset: ¡°Seagull, Seagull! This is Big Ship, this is Big Ship! Respond if you receive.¡±


    ¡°This is Seagull, this is Seagull! Received, received!¡± came the clear voices of several lead aircraft pilots through the headset.


    They were still close to Dragon Island, so the signal was very strong. Moreover, there was not much electromagnetic interference, since only the Tang Army in the world had such advanced radio equipment.


    ¡°On your way to the target area, watch what¡¯s beneath your feet!¡± Xiao Yun commanded while holding the handset: ¡°Report immediately if you spot any suspicious ships.¡±


    ¡°Seagull 01 understands!¡± ¡°Seagull 02 understands!¡± A chain of acknowledgments came through the headset.


    Simultaneously, the fleet that remained at Dragon Island had also dispersed. Aside from the warships assigned to lead the rescue fleet to rendezvous with the Air Force, all other vessels had already left the harbor.


    Great Tang¡¯s Navy did not have the habit of being wiped out while clustered in port; even at a disadvantage, they would set sail to tear a piece from any enemy daring to violate the Great Tang Kingdom.


    However, from the time the airships were detected until now, the Shireck fleet that was the greatest concern to the upper echelons of Great Tang had not been found.


    Without aircraft carriers or satellites, the ocean was simply too vast. Unless the route was known in advance, or the enemy fleet could be barricaded near the harbor, finding a fleet in the vast ocean was not an easy task.


    Thus, the Tang Army¡¯s commanders had not dared to let down their guard, unable to confirm whether the fleet existed or not, they had to proceed as if the enemy fleet was indeed present.


    They were scholars; they would not take risks but would opt for the best solutions, using the most reasonable methods to face the enemy. You could call them clumsy, but they remained the finest commanders in the world.


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 Chapter 635: Fall into the trap on ones own accord

    Chapter 635: Fall into the trap on one¡¯s own accord


    ¡°Originally it was us who had blocked the Shenwu army, and then cut off their supply lines. Now look, the Navy can¡¯t come up, and we even have to worry about these Shenwu people running away,¡± complained a military general at the meeting.


    His words reminded Tang Mo of a rather unpleasant memory: Dunkirk. The German Army at the time had let slip away what should have been an army completely annihilated¡ªthe United Kingdom forces.


    So Tang Mo¡¯s expression was not good, but he still remained silent, listening to reports from his subordinates. The Army was caught off guard by the recent changes, and it seemed all their attack plans needed redrafting.


    ¡°Previously we were afraid they wouldn¡¯t come, now we¡¯re afraid they might run, this is indeed a frustrating change,¡± Luff pressed his hand down, trying to soothe the agitated mood of the Army¡¯s logistics department.


    He, too, was helpless. Since ground attacks were back in order, the already scarce railway supplies, which were mainly provided to the Air Force, took priority.


    Otherwise, from where would the bombers get so many bombs and fuel to throw so recklessly at the enemy¡¯s positions?


    ...


    But now, with ground forces needing to expedite the attack, the logistics department just remembered there¡¯s a whole host of problems yet to be solved.


    The supply share for the Armored Corps had never been fulfilled, and most of the transport was of modified parts¡ªnot much in the way of fuel and ammunition, so urgent replenishment was needed.


    Infantry ammunition and fuel supplies also needed to be expedited, and the Air Force needed reserves of bombs and fuel to support the troops.


    All of these issues combined, could you blame the logistics commanders for cursing? Anyone would be driven mad by such recklessness.


    ¡°We¡¯re currently attacking the remnants of the First Prince¡¯s forces, hoping to open up a second railway line to improve our logistics,¡± said Tagg, who was responsible for the eastern frontline attack and was reporting the situation in Anpu, thus joining the meeting.


    From the fact that the commander-in-chief was still at the rear, one knew that the Tang Army hadn¡¯t been prepared to launch a large-scale ground offensive.


    But the situation had forced them here, and the Tang Army had to speed up and change its strategy.


    ¡°The ground military operations will target the First Prince first! On one hand, it¡¯s to open up a new supply line; on the other hand, it¡¯s to begin a thorough clean-up,¡± Tang Mo declared. ¡°One must eat one bite at a time; you have to finish one dish before moving to the next, so let¡¯s start with this dish¡ªthe First Prince of Qi Country.¡±


    After finishing, he continued, ¡°All plans to air-raid Beiyuan City are canceled! Let¡¯s just leave that be for now. If the Shenwu people run off, we¡¯ll settle the score with them slowly. If they don¡¯t run, isn¡¯t that exactly what I want?¡±


    ¡°The Dahua Empire has condemned our attack on Shenwu territory,¡± a diplomat began, offering a reminder. ¡°This condemnation came 3 days later than the one from Chu Country.¡±


    ¡°I suppose even Zhao Kai himself is reluctant to say that Beiyuan City belongs to Shenwu, right?¡± Tang Mo sneered, utterly unconcerned about the Dahua Empire¡¯s condemnation.


    A condemnation, if effective, would have seen his Great Tang Kingdom obliterated countless times already. More than the condemnation from the Dahua Empire, he was worried about the several countries on the Eastern Continent.


    Just as everyone was beginning to grow impatient, a gunner stationed at the rear of the cockpit on a Stuka Dive Bomber, who was temporarily doubling as a navigator with a pair of binoculars, finally saw the target he had been searching for over ten minutes.


    ¡°Target spotted! Target spotted! One airship! 2 o¡¯clock!¡± He immediately opened the communication channel and shouted to everyone, ¡°Coordinates... 173, 821.¡±


    The distant Dragon Island command center and the frontline pilots almost simultaneously heard this pleasant voice!


    ¡°Received!¡± ¡°Received!¡± Calls of acknowledgment echoed through the channel as one plane after another began to tilt its wings and race towards the target.


    At nearly the same moment, a crew member inside the airship, leaning against the window, also spotted the approaching specks. His face turned pale as he turned around and yelled loudly, ¡°Enemy attack! Enemy attack!¡±


    The airship actually had weapons for self-defense. Mounted on each side of the airship was a Maxim heavy machine gun, providing suppressive fire for the vessel. They could fire at ground targets to strike back at ground-based anti-aircraft fire, and they certainly were capable of attacking approaching aircraft as well.


    However, compared to the gondolas, the larger and more vulnerable airship gasbags were in greater need of protection. Coincidentally, the approaching Tang Army pilots had also chosen these gasbags as their preferred targets.


    ¡°Don¡¯t miss this time!¡± The lead plane¡¯s pilot reminded his wingmen as he gained altitude.


    The wingman pilot glanced at the huge gasbags below and smiled, ¡°This time, it¡¯d be hard to miss even if I wanted to, Sir!¡±


    The leading Stuka tried to maintain its course as much as possible, making minimal maneuvers to ensure the accuracy of navigation.


    There was no choice, the system wasn¡¯t yet fully mature, so everyone was very careful; no one wanted to end up ditching dozens of planes in the water.


    But the Butcher Fighter Troops had already spread out and launched their attack on these enormous targets. At that moment, someone noticed that there seemed to be a ship under the airships on the sea.


    ¡°That ship looks suspicious!¡± The Stuka pilot, looking at the ship below, warned his navigator behind him.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a warship, nor is it our target!¡± The navigator took one look and lost interest in the unidentified vessel, ¡°You guess how these airships are able to fly so far without getting lost? They had arranged navigation ships in advance! They provided the course!¡±


    ¡°They really know how to play!¡± On another plane, an instructor couldn¡¯t help but blurt out his criticism.


    No sooner had he spoken than the giant gasbag of a Shireck airship in the distant sky burst into flames, the explosion momentarily reddening all the nearby clouds.


    ¡°Wow!¡± An excited cheer rang out on the radio channel. And so, the slaughter began!


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 Chapter 636: Continuously falling fireball

    Chapter 636: Continuously falling fireball


    For the pilots of the Tang Army, attacking a zeppelin, such a gigantic target, was practically a form of entertainment.


    The Butcher Fighters turned in the sky and easily slipped in above the airship, a position where enemy fire couldn¡¯t reach and where they could relentlessly attack the most vulnerable part, the top gasbags.


    Knowing their target before taking off, the entire squadron of fighters was equipped with Tracer Bullets, which could ignite the hydrogen in the airship¡¯s gasbags. Although not as effective as incendiary rounds, they were much better than regular bullets.


    At that time, Air Force ammunition didn¡¯t have incendiary bullets because there was no extensive need. So they had to make do with Tracer Bullets, which actually had a similar effect.


    A Butcher Fighter thus dived in close, beginning to strafe along the spine of the airship at an extremely close range.


    The bullets easily penetrated the airship¡¯s hard shell, pierced the thin skin cover, and burst into the separately compartmentalized gasbags.


    ...


    Some bullets even cut through the supports of the hard shell, which when struck by the bullets created sparks, before quickly bending and breaking due to insufficient strength.


    Accompanied by a squeaking and squalling noise, the gasbags began to collapse and were damaged, leaking hydrogen, which violently exploded and burned upon contact with the sparks, devouring everything around it.


    In an instant, the top of the airship was engulfed in flames, and one could even see the as-yet-unmelted network of supports swaying in the shadows among the fierce flames.


    The next second, the explosion consumed the cockpit attached to the bottom of the airship, followed by the bombs and hydrogen tanks in the magazine also detonating.


    Within a mere ten seconds or so, the airship had already fallen into the sea, ending its brief brilliant existence. Until it smashed into the sea surface, it remained a ball of fire.


    In the face of fighters, the fragility of the airships was completely exposed, unable to protect their large, slow, and vulnerable gasbags, which were the airship¡¯s greatest weakness.


    Because the attack was a long-distance surprise operation, and they had to navigate over the sea, it was impossible for these airships to deploy machine gunners above the gasbags for added defense. Therefore, they could only withstand the beating, helpless.


    As for the machine guns mounted on either side of the cockpit, they were not meant for anti-air operations but for suppressing targets on the ground...


    Expecting these weapons to pose any threat to the Butcher Fighters was overly optimistic. Without even basic anti-air sights, hitting the target depended entirely on the gunner¡¯s snap judgment.


    Yes, snap judgment. They hadn¡¯t received anti-air training, and some were simply Infantry machine gunners.


    Stationed at these gunner stations because they had been requisitioned, many were so fearful of heights that their legs turned to jelly, so who knew how much combat effectiveness they retained.


    Soon, a third airship was ignited by Tracer Bullets. The enormous explosion once again lit up the sky, even casting the outlines of other airships into stark relief.


    Because of too many fires, the surrounding clouds seemed to catch fire too. The scene before one¡¯s eyes was so magnificent that it seemed completely unrelated to cruelty.


    But in fact, to the airship crew members of Shireck, this sight was quite simply the gates of hell opening.


    Because the airbag above his head had started to catch fire. He could see the flames had devoured the airbag, and he watched as they were about to engulf the gas-filled airbag and spread into the airship¡¯s cockpit.


    ¡°Lower the altitude! The commander orders all airships to lower altitude!¡± shouted the airship captain excitedly, having finally received a decent order since the battle started.


    But as soon as he issued the command, he realized he no longer needed to carry out this belated order: the pipework above him had already caught fire, the air was filled with scorching flames, and his lungs felt as if they were boiling.


    ¡°Maintain continuous attacks! Watch the fuel!¡± commanded the Tang Army officer leading the battle, reminding his pilots as the fighters under his command tirelessly attacked the cumbersome, fragile airships.


    ¡°Understood!¡± replied the novice pilots excitedly, following their instructor¡¯s orders¡ªthis was much more satisfying than target practice or dogfighting with each other, simple and spectacular!


    At that moment, another squadron of fighters flew in from afar, the search squadrons from other areas rushing over.


    Since the enemy had been located, staying in other regions was pointless. Coming over to join in the bounty seemed only natural.


    Soon these planes had joined the fight, and the scene with too many monks and not enough porridge became somewhat chaotic. Everyone wanted to make their mark, leading to a frenzied scramble for contributions.


    Shireck¡¯s airship troops, trying to descend in altitude and seeking a glimmer of hope, despaired as their opponents gave them no chance to escape.


    A few attacks could send an airship plummeting rapidly; the airships¡¯ descent could not match the speed of bullets tearing across the sky.


    Just as the Shireck commanders on the airships were falling into despair, a third squadron of Tang Army planes appeared in their view.


    Was this necessary? For a moment, they felt the Tang Army¡¯s overkill tactics were simply excessive. Could they not leave a way out? Could they not offer some dignity?


    As they cursed bitterly in their hearts, their airships also began to burn. Now, the number of airships remaining in the sky was truly scarce.


    The once-mighty formation of over fifty airships was now reduced to less than ten still airborne.


    The airship troops, numbering over a thousand personnel along with so many costly airships, were obliterated in the brief span of less than twenty minutes in a location unknown to them.


    ¡°Damn it.¡± The Shireck commander cursed just before the flames turned him into char, and then his clothing suddenly ignited.


    The wheel beside him and the speaking tubes began to warp and deform, and then, along with the burning debris, the falling cabin crashed into the sea, scattered and plunged into the dark abyss.


    Two minutes later, the last of Shireck¡¯s airships also crashed, and various debris floated on the sea surface¡ªwhat remained of this airship unit in this world.


    They bore witness to the existence of this airship unit, becoming their last proof of having been here.


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 Chapter 637: I dare not gamble with 596.

    Chapter 637: I dare not gamble with 596.


    Shireck actually couldn¡¯t muster so many airships anymore; among the many that came here, over 30 were borrowed from Gobur Kingdom just to make up the numbers.


    Unfortunately, this surprise attack on Dragon Island was doomed to failure from the start: even if these airships managed to breach the aircraft interception line, they still had to face the defenses of searchlights and anti-aircraft guns, making it impossible to inflict any damage on Dragon Island.


    Tang Mo was never really afraid of these airships; what he truly worried about was Shireck being able to persuade several countries of the Eastern Continent to unify their navies and launch a sneak attack on Dragon Harbor and Weigang.


    In Earth¡¯s world before Tang Mo¡¯s transmigration, countries were divided into maritime and continental nations. Each had its own advantages and disadvantages.


    Continental nations possessed more abundant resources and had the massive size and potential for development. Maritime nations enjoyed convenient transportation and relatively safe environments.


    In comparison, continental nations had to contend with more complex geopolitical situations and lacked the pioneering capabilities and flexibility of maritime nations.


    ...


    On the other hand, maritime nations faced their own challenges of limited developmental potential and the inability to control the seas the way they controlled land.


    Among Earth¡¯s civilizations, the United States, the so-called geographically favored nation, was almost the only entity globally that possessed characteristics of both maritime and continental nations. Hence, for quite a long time, it became the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world.


    What was more infuriating was that the geographic advantage of the United States allowed it to avoid the disadvantages of both types of nations almost simultaneously: it did not have to worry about the complex regional situations continental nations face, nor did it concern itself with the lack of control over the oceans due to its land spanning two oceans.


    The unfortunate one was Tang Mo¡¯s Great Tang Kingdom, which was also a ¡°dual-form¡± nation that combined characteristics of both continental and maritime nations.


    But his kingdom was not the chosen nation like the United States; instead, whilst incorporating the advantages of both types of nations, it also retained all their disadvantages.


    The Great Tang Kingdom indeed had vast territories, but unfortunately, its neighbors were full of hostility: the Dahua Empire, Chu Country, Qi Country, and Shen Country were all covetously lying in wait, and wars had already erupted.


    At the same time, by controlling many islands in the Endless Sea, including the lucrative Dragon Island, the Great Tang Kingdom was indeed a maritime nation that needed to maintain a strong navy.


    The crisis at Dragon Island was a reflection of the inadequacy of the Tang Imperial Navy¡¯s power: without a navy strong enough to suppress all enemies, it fell into a passive state, hindered at every turn.


    But Tang Mo didn¡¯t have a good solution either because as a continental nation, the Great Tang Kingdom needed to maintain a strong army, so it was impossible to tilt all resources towards the navy.


    And on the naval front, it was a gold-devouring behemoth. No matter how much money was thrown at the navy, they could easily spend it all!


    The most infuriating thing was that even if a fortune was spent on building the navy, or rather no matter how much money was given to the navy, it was the only force that could lose all its assets in a single morning.


    According to Qi Country¡¯s rhetoric, both Shenwu Bear and Shen Wenmao had their hands stained with the blood of Qi people; they were but faithful dogs sitting at Tang Mo¡¯s feet, demons that licked Tang Mo¡¯s shoes!


    So, the little intelligence Qi Country had about Tang Country mainly came from Shireck and the Dahua Empire, as only they were capable of planting some intelligence agents within Tang Country to gather news.


    Now, the intelligence fed back to Qi Country was: the Tang Army¡¯s main fleet had been sighted near Dongwan Island, where they replenished coal and fuel, and then their whereabouts became unknown.


    They did not know whether this fleet had headed north or south. Whether it was making for Linshui or had returned to Dragon Harbor.


    This message was just too vague; vague to the point where the Qi naval forces dared not make any rash moves: they too feared that the Tang naval forces might suddenly appear in the offshore waters of Qi, destroying their ports and smashing everything in their homes.


    Therefore, before getting the movements of the Tang fleet, they also dared not deploy their forces to threaten the ports of Linshui and Dongwan.


    There was no choice; stick-swinging to beat a wolf menaced both ends¡ªTang Mo worried for the safety of Dragon Island, while Qi Country also feared their ports being attacked by the Tang Army.


    But if Qi Country found out that the Tang fleet was not in the north but had returned to Dragon Island... then they would gain the courage to take action. They could directly attack Linshui Port and cause trouble for the Great Tang Kingdom.


    Bernard knew his battleships were a core strength, so he had to concentrate their use. If they were spread thin, they might be individually destroyed by Qi¡¯s fleet, which would be an even bigger problem: he trusted in the combat power of the battleships, but if an accident happened, the Great Tang Kingdom could lose its supremacy at sea, something he could not tolerate.


    ¡°News just in from the Air Force, General!¡± his adjutant came over with a telegraph and said, ¡°It¡¯s good news! They have shot down all the airships approaching Dragon Island, and at least half of the enemy¡¯s plan has failed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the remaining half that¡¯s the real headache,¡± Bernard replied without lifting his head or putting down his compasses, ¡°We still haven¡¯t found any trace of the enemy¡¯s fleet!¡±


    ¡°I actually prefer the idea that the enemy doesn¡¯t have such a fleet,¡± the adjutant once again expressed his opinion: ¡°Does Shireck really have that much influence to convince the nations to give up their most expensive, invaluable warships for his use so casually?¡±


    In fact, many people had thought of this. The likelihood of Shireck¡¯s fleet attacking Dragon Island was, in fact, very low. It was highly improbable for nations to hand over their warships to an unfamiliar commander, as these represented naval dominance.


    Who would not fear that at the crisis moment, their precious warships would be used as cannon fodder? What fairness could there be in an allied fleet? If in the end only Shireck¡¯s own fleet remained, wouldn¡¯t the Endless Sea once again belong to Shireck?


    So, the probability of such an allied force emerging was indeed very low.


    ¡°But we still dare not take the risk,¡± Bernard scratched his head helplessly and sighed, ¡°Especially now that we have already lost Brunas.¡±


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 Chapter 638: 597 candles seventeen

    Chapter 638: 597 candles seventeen


    In the early morning of Brunas, the groggy guards were listlessly watching an old man sweeping the streets pass by them.


    The place had become much quieter than before, and the elders who remained never ceased telling the young newcomers about the former glory of Brunas.


    Brunas was once safe enough to leave your doors unlocked, and even the beggars here earned several times more than farmers in other places.


    Without the slightest exaggeration, this place was once the richest on the entire planet. Those who had never been to Brunas couldn¡¯t fully comprehend its former prosperity.


    In fact, after just a few days living here, anyone could easily understand just how extravagant it once was.


    The streets were lined with electric streetlights, the power consumed in one night enough to make some cities green with envy. Moreover, every night countless neon lights would twinkle in its streets and alleys.


    ...


    There were 7 large casinos, more than 30 small ones operating all night, and massive cinemas that played the latest movies continuously every evening.


    At the horse track outside the city, bettors waved their tickets and shouted frantically every week, with so many parked cars they could even cause traffic jams.


    The factories in Brunas employed thousands of workers who cycled or drove in swarms that filled the city streets like a tide when the work day ended¡ªa truly spectacular sight.


    The city¡¯s air was permeated with a scent of industry that filled its citizens with pride, though the severe pollution had them coughing constantly. If window frames went a day without cleaning, a layer of black coal dust would settle upon them.


    The huge spherical storage tanks of the chemical plants were connected to the surrounding factories by steel pipes, and even while walking the paths of these factories, you couldn¡¯t see the complete sky above.


    This was Brunas, the industrial jewel that Leines I had obsessed over, going to great lengths in an attempt to possess!


    Unfortunately, Brunas was no longer the same as it had been. Despite the Laines Empire¡¯s best efforts to revive its brilliance, it simply couldn¡¯t be restored to its former state.


    Although numerous compensation policies were introduced and a large influx of workers was relocated, the decline of Brunas was still irreversible and apparent, unstoppable by any means.


    The once bustling Brunas Grand Hotel, previously hard to book, now had an occupancy rate less than half of what it used to be.


    The Silver Fox Tavern, a hive of activity six months ago, was now tightly shut, its sign damaged and neglected, with no one to repair it.


    The nobility of the Laines Empire, having come here, divvied up the previous wealthy districts and took away some profitable industries, leaving the rest to an irreversible decline and desolation.


    Even so, the Laines Empire still made a killing: The machines and equipment left behind by the Great Tang Group were worth billions, instantly providing Laines with more than tenfold the production capacity.


    This sudden boost in output even caught the Laines side off guard, causing indigestion: they didn¡¯t even comprehend the purpose of many production projects.


    It was a fleet! The Laines had transferred a fleet from the south to Brunas! At a glance, there appeared to be seven or eight warships, all ironclads, a dark and formidable presence that carried a sense of overwhelming wealth and power.


    The dockworkers watched these warships slowly moor, while their foreman impatiently shouted behind them, ¡°Get back to work! Get back to work! What are you staring at? Haven¡¯t you seen enough over the years?¡±


    Accompanied by his shouts, the workers reluctantly bowed their heads and resumed unloading the freshly docked catch.


    The old sweeper had disappeared without a trace, and the Laines Empire soldiers on guard didn¡¯t pay any mind. He stood there with his weapon on his back, curiously observing the lineup of warships in the distance.


    In a building near the dock, the hunched figure of the old man knocked on a door. His knocking was rhythmic and soon an elderly woman inside opened the door.


    Exchanging a glance, the old man pressed his hand a few times into the palm of the old woman, and then casually left.


    The woman closed the door, then walked to another room, sliding open the wardrobe to reveal a hidden door and entered the neighboring room.


    This room was next to her own dwelling, and on the desk sat a telegraph machine. The woman took out a codebook from her pocket, placed it beside the telegraph, put on headphones, and began to work.


    She tapped diligently, and soon she sent out the most important intelligence. Afterward, she stowed the codebook and calmly returned to her own room.


    In the telegraph room on Dragon Island, an officer on duty tore off a message he had just recorded and handed the telegraph to another officer on duty behind him, ¡°A telegram from Candle 17!¡±


    ¡°Candle 17? From Brunas?¡± The duty officer immediately looked down at the content of the intelligence, and the next second he turned and ran, his usual leisurely demeanor gone.


    The echo of his boots striking the floor tiles rang out in the hallway, and soon a telegram flew across the Endless Sea to Anpu.


    ¡°Intelligence from Brunas! A message from Candle 17, the Laines fleet has been located, in Brunas!¡± an officer burst into the conference room, shouting loudly to everyone.


    ¡°Phew!¡± The naval liaison officer let out a sigh of relief, and a bit of tension eased on Luff¡¯s face as well.


    ¡°It seems that the enemy fleet hasn¡¯t fully assembled, at least Laines hasn¡¯t participated in this military operation against Dragon Island by Shireck,¡± a general took off his cap, scratching his head in relief as he spoke.


    ¡°It appears to be the case,¡± Tang Mo also showed a smile¡ªclearly, the opposing sides hadn¡¯t completely joined forces, which was definitely good news for the Great Tang Kingdom.


    ¡°Report!¡± Another breathless officer charged into the meeting room with more good news, ¡°The Ice Cold Empire¡¯s fleet has been located too, their fleet has returned to Eternal Winter Port!¡±


    ¡°Good! Except for Shireck¡¯s fleet, only Dorne and Gobur¡¯s fleets are left posing a threat to us,¡± Tang Mo¡¯s smile broadened.


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 Chapter 639: Chase the enemy till hes poor.

    Chapter 639: Chase the enemy till he¡¯s poor.


    ¡°`


    After three days of preparation, the Tang Army began a new round of offensive on the front-line battlefield. It¡¯s better to exhaust all efforts to chase down the defeated enemy than to rest on one¡¯s laurels and emulate the overlord. Tang Mo had no desire to imitate the Fu?hrer at Beiyuan City, watching the defeated troops of Shireck leaving and creating an other-world version of Dunkirk.


    However, the primary target of this military operation was the remnants of the First Prince¡¯s troops that had occupied the eastern railway line.


    The attacking units of the Tang Army primarily consisted of two infantry divisions that Tagg commanded, which had maintained a defensive posture on the northern front, as well as the 1st Armored Division and another motorized infantry division that had swept across.


    Four divisions, a force nearing 100,000 troops, faced off against the First Prince¡¯s forces, which actually had less than 100,000 soldiers left. For the first time in its history, the Tang Army had a numerical advantage over its opponent.


    According to Tagg, he had never fought such a well-resourced battle! Since he started as a military commander at Northern Ridge, he had always believed it was only natural for elite units to engage the enemy, who had the absolute advantage in numbers.


    ...


    But today, Tagg realized that elite didn¡¯t necessarily mean few in number, that a truly powerful force could crush the enemy in both numbers and quality!


    In the southern sector of the battlefield, two infantry divisions that had the advantage of convenient transportation were ready and launched a fierce attack on the Qi Army.


    The rearguard 3rd Army of Qi Country had no ability to resist and directly abandoned their defense positions. These troops from Qi Country crumbled along the way, even losing most of their weapons.


    They had already clashed with the Tang Army several times and were psychologically shadowed by their defeats. If it weren¡¯t for a lack of troops, the First Prince of Qi Country would not have wanted to use such a disheartened force.


    Unfortunately, he truly had no other forces to deploy, so he had no choice but to place this unit in a relatively less critical direction.


    As a result, in just one day, the once elite 3rd Army of Qi Country was beaten into a complete rout, fleeing in utter disarray.


    The next day, the famous 3rd Army of Qi Country proved through their actions that their performance the day before was actually not their lowest point.


    That morning, after running all night, they simply laid down their arms and surrendered. The surrender of these over ten thousand troops more or less exposed the entire flank of the First Prince.


    This was truly bad news for the First Prince, or rather, a disaster: he no longer had enough troops to fill the exposed gap in his flank.


    Of course, there was some good news: he didn¡¯t have to fill that gap anymore!


    At noon that day, the Tang Army¡¯s 1st Armored Division broke through the defensive lines of the elite 1st Army under the command of the First Prince.


    The Tang Armored Corps pierced through to the command post of the First Prince, and the Qi Country 1st Army collapsed. Eventually, after two days, they chose an honorable surrender.


    By this point in the battle, the last stronghold of Qi Country, a group centered around the 1st and 3rd Armies under the First Prince¡¯s control, had completely collapsed.


    But Tang Mo knew that his Navy had completed the most important mission: Bernard had risked his life to transport Tang Country¡¯s most important population safely to Dragon Island.


    ¡°Until Shireck¡¯s fleet is spotted, order Bernard¡¯s Fleet to stay on standby! No rush! Just hold firm,¡± Tang Mo halted the Navy¡¯s desire to move northward.


    Then he turned to the Air Force liaison officer, ¡°How is the training going for the pilots who have executed the most missions, those who have begun training for maritime attacks?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty! We have already selected our most elite pilots, who have started training for maritime attacks in coastal cities like Linshui, Dongwan, and Fengshun,¡± the Air Force pilot spoke up: ¡°The urgently produced sea-target delay fuses have also been distributed to combat units! The test results are excellent, and they significantly enhance the destructive power of aerial bombs against ships.¡±


    Tang Mo, a Huaxian before he crossed over, had known since he was young that the best way to protect his coastal areas promptly was to form forces based on the ¡°fast submarine and patrol boat¡± model.


    He didn¡¯t have enough torpedoes to make use of submarines and fast boats, but he had plenty of planes! And the enemy¡¯s navy had no proper anti-aircraft capabilities, so planes were his best choice for protecting ports right now.


    Stukas equipped with 500 kilogram aerial bombs needed just one direct hit to solve the problem!


    And as long as reconnaissance was sufficient, planes could intercept much faster than warships. They could easily cover a few hundred kilometers around the ports, attacking much faster than warships waiting on standby in the ports.


    In fact, Tang Mo was also trying to set a big trap for the Shireck Navy: If his air force could indeed sink enemy ships, the rashly attacking Shireck Navy was sure to suffer a huge loss.


    And by destroying this northern enemy fleet threatening his ports, the pressure of facing an enemy fleet directly at the northern ports could be completely eliminated.


    By then, he could follow in the footsteps of a certain emperor, throwing off his sleeves and loudly declaring, ¡°From now on, the tables have turned!¡±


    As long as his Air Force succeeded once, the territorial waters of the Great Tang Kingdom would no longer be where the enemy warships could come and go as they please. He also wouldn¡¯t have to send his own Fleet back and forth to search for the enemy fleet!


    In the not too distant future, his Air Force could ensure the safety of the maritime areas near the coastline, and the Navy would only need to focus its forces on protecting the shipping routes.


    He indeed possessed the disadvantages of both a continental and a maritime nation, but he had higher technology, which allowed him to overcome these disadvantages with more rational and powerful methods! This was the confidence underlying his insistence on having both land and sea.


    ¡°Have them accelerate their training! At the same time, they should handle patrol duties!¡± Tang Mo instructed the Air Force liaison officer, ¡°There must be no slackening!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± The liaison officer immediately stood at attention and saluted.


    ¡°Then, send a telegram to Redman! Tell him! Try launching an attack in the direction of Beiyuan City!¡± Finally, Tang Mo looked up and said to Luff, ¡°Let¡¯s see the effect!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Luff and the others also quickly stood at attention and saluted.


    Having advanced his command post to the King City of Qi Country, Redman soon received Tang Mo¡¯s orders to attack. He immediately ordered the 4th Armored Division to advance while a motorized infantry division on the flank followed suit.


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 Chapter 640: 599 may have already started

    Chapter 640: 599 may have already started


    Shenwu Sanlang was among the most capable of the veteran soldiers in Shen Country. He was highly valued, and his tactics were quite steady.


    When this little old man, standing only one meter forty-five, arrived at Beiyuan City, a scent of death already permeated the city.


    Beiyuan City, which had long since lost its ability to function normally, was now full of corpses due to starvation, almost indistinguishable from hell itself.


    Shen Country soldiers could be seen looting everywhere, and many houses had been forcibly occupied by the injured from Shen Country, as well as military ruffians.


    The commanders of Shen Country who were aware of the situation did not intervene, as they had also realized that the Tang Army seemed to have no intention of bombing Beiyuan City.


    Despite the fact that the positions outside were bombed beyond recognition, the city of Beiyuan was still relatively safe. Tang Army airplanes hardly ever visited, and when they did, it was only to drop leaflets.


    ...


    The content of those leaflets was infuriating, claiming things like the people of Shen Country were demons, and that the Tang Army would soon liberate Beiyuan City; just reading them was maddening.


    ¡°Damn it! Are you blind?¡± An aide-de-camp on the passenger side rolled down the car window and cursed at the despondent Shen Country soldiers who were looting and blocked Shenwu Sanlang¡¯s car.


    Seeing that it was an officer, the roadblockers reluctantly made way, which made Shenwu Sanlang feel somewhat embarrassed.


    As a General, he could clearly see that these domineering soldiers from Shen Country, who were wreaking havoc in the city, clearly lacked the courage to go back into combat.


    They could be commanded to bully civilians from Qi Country, but to expect them to face soldiers was naive. They would crumble upon contact, unable to hold their ground even for a moment.


    ¡°These soldiers are finished, they have lost their honor, and they have lost their shame,¡± Shenwu Sanlang said with a heavy heart from inside the gently swaying car.


    He did not know what these soldiers had gone through to end up in this state. All he knew was that he was here for the future of Shen Country, to bring victory to his homeland.


    Therefore, he must revive the troop¡¯s spirits, maintain the high morale of the subsequent troops, and then lead these soldiers to defeat the Tang Country Military attempting to attack Beiyuan City.


    ¡°I heard the Tang Army¡¯s artillery is fierce, and their airplanes are very formidable,¡± the aide-de-camp in the front seat turned and said, ¡°Many soldiers have been frightened.¡±


    ¡°Fear is the most useless emotion in this world!¡± Shenwu Sanlang said icily, expressing his view.


    ¡°General Shenwu Liang died in battle, so the headquarters emphasized the safety of commanders... they¡¯ve urgently issued steel helmets to all officers at the rank of battalion commander and above...¡± the aide-de-camp still reminded him.


    The death of Shenwu Liang was quite a shock to the upper echelons of Shen Country; after all, he was a military commander of quite a high rank.


    In the past, such commanders would almost never fall in battle: they either had time to retreat or time to surrender, and would hardly ever be killed in action.


    Yet Shenwu Liang was bombed to death by enemy aircraft before the battle even truly began¡ªthis was absolutely shocking for the Shen Country Military, which lacked specialized anti-aircraft units and basic knowledge of air defense.


    Thus, in a very urgent manner, Shen Country¡¯s highest command structure, the headquarters, rolled out a commander safety plan: temporary issuance of steel helmets to senior commanders to ensure their safety.


    When it comes to this headquarters, one can¡¯t help but admire the imagination of Shen Country¡¯s upper levels: during a visit to Brunas, they accidentally learned that Great Tang Group had a Staff Department. All of Great Tang¡¯s decisions came from this Staff Department.


    It was said that the second generation of Shireck tanks was starting production in the Ice Cold Empire, but mass production still needed time, and the Ice Cold Empire needed tanks too. It was unlikely they would supply enough tanks to Shen Country any time soon.


    Although Shireck was very supportive, Shen Country had nonetheless acquired Shireck Type 1 tanks, sending dozens of such junk to Beiyuan City.


    But anyone with a brain knew it was impossible to count on these things to work miracles: Qi Country deployed over 100 tanks to the battlefield, but everyone saw the outcome.


    It was regrettable that, because Shen Country was an island nation, military spending and equipment priorities meant that the army always ranked behind the navy.


    So, Shenwu Sanlang knew that his anxiety was of no use, as the high command of Shen Country still valued the navy above all else.


    Just as Qi Country¡¯s military collapsed, Shen Country placed a huge order with Shireck for various warships.


    Up to this moment, Shen Country remained the country that purchased the most warships; they bought all the battleships manufactured by Shireck, truly a naval superpower.


    If you look just at the total tonnage, Shen Country had even surpassed the Great Tang Kingdom and had the most total tonnage of warships on the Endless Sea.


    But the battleships made by Shireck were technically inferior, and their combat strength was not high, so overall, the Navy of Tang Country was still the strongest.


    This was also a point of frustration for Tang Mo: he had to build a powerful army and air force to maintain the attributes of a continental nation. However, Shen Country was an entirely maritime nation; they could focus their efforts on developing the navy.


    The car continued through desolate streets and finally stopped in front of a rather inconspicuous building.


    To avoid being bombed, Shenwu Sanlang cunningly shifted his command post. Instead of moving into the refurbished Governor¡¯s Mansion left by Shenwu Liang, he found a random building to hide in.


    ¡°General!¡± Just as he was about to enter the door, an anxious officer standing by the entrance handed him a piece of telegram, ¡°A message just came in! The Tang Army has resumed shelling our western defenses!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shenwu Sanlang directly snatched the telegram, scrutinized its content, and asked, ¡°Have reinforcements been sent out?¡±


    ¡°Not yet... You hadn¡¯t arrived, and we...¡± the officer tried to explain.


    But he was cut off by Shenwu Sanlang, ¡°Send the reserves up immediately! Tell them to make their own decisions based on the frontline situation!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just shelling, General!¡± the officer reminded.


    ¡°Humph!¡± Shenwu Sanlang scoffed, ¡°For all we know, the attack by the Tang Army has already started!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Here is an extra chapter for today; more to follow tomorrow and the day after.


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 Chapter 641: Battle of Beiyuan City at 600

    Chapter 641: Battle of Beiyuan City at 600


    Shenwu Sanlang¡¯s guess was not wrong; in fact, while artillery fire was being prepared, the Tang Army¡¯s tanks had already started their attack. The speed of the Tang Army was even faster than Shenwu Sanlang had imagined.


    Covering the infantry as they advanced steadily forward, the tanks¡¯ treads rolled over a battlefield already filled with craters, and the positions that were bombed and shelled earlier had not yet been completely repaired. The soldiers of Qi Country hiding in the trenches were suddenly scared witless by the sudden onslaught of the Tang Army.


    The machine gun posts quickly began to roar as they tried to stop the attacking Tang Army. However, the tanks of Tang Country covered each other, coordinating flawlessly, and soon one tank halted, its turret slowly turning towards the firing machine gun post.


    The Tang Army infantry hiding behind the tanks all lay down, coordinating perfectly. After spotting the machine gun post, they suppressed the enemy¡¯s firepower with bursts from their submachine guns.


    Finally, the coaxial machine gun on the tank¡¯s turret began its assault, tracer bullets flew towards the fire-spitting loophole in the bunker, and then the gunner who had found his target stepped on the firing pedal.


    With a loud boom, the 75mm cannon spewed a puff of white smoke, a shell rushed towards the bunker and then exploded near its firing hole.


    ...


    The enormous destructive power silenced the bunker in an instant. After confirming that the enemy was completely silent, the No. 4 tank once again began to advance.


    The soldiers of the Tang Army behind it got up and continued to move forward. Directly in front of them, another plume of black smoke rose into the air¡ªthat was another shell from a tank hitting a different target.


    The soldiers of Qi Country had never seen such terrifying war machines. Stationed in the trenches, they were now utterly panicked.


    The commander of the Qi Country military, having no other choice, drew his Longsword and loudly ordered all the soldiers to fix their bayonets, preparing for close combat, ¡°Fix bayonets! When they get close to the trenches, fight them with everything we¡¯ve got!¡±


    This was about the most realistic plan he could think of, as his position didn¡¯t have any anti-tank guns, leaving him without any means to counter the tanks of the Tang Army.


    Whether it was machine guns or rifles, they were far too weak against the No. 4 tank. They were utterly unable to stop the advance of the Tang Army, so they could only watch as the tanks of Tang Country delivered their infantry right in front of their trenches.


    Soon, the Tang Army¡¯s No. 4 tanks approached a massive anti-tank ditch. This great pit indeed caused significant trouble for the tanks of the Tang Army.


    There was no choice but for the engaged tanks to begin bypassing it; they had deliberately searched for collapsed trench sections beforehand and then began to cross the anti-tank ditch at these points.


    Due to a lack of coordination, the artillerymen of Qi Country failed to launch a counterattack when the Tang Army tanks slowed down and concentrated, squandering this golden opportunity.


    Soon, Tang Army tanks emerged from the destroyed sections of the anti-tank ditch and once again spread out in formation.


    This time, regardless of what they did, the military of Qi Country could no longer halt the attack of the Tang Army¡¯s tanks. Soon, the tanks of the Tang Army, shooting as they rolled, rumbled over the defensive trenches of the Qi Country soldiers.


    The next second, soldiers of Qi Country who had just fixed their bayonets to their rifles were shot into sieves by the Thompson Submachine Guns in the hands of the Tang Army soldiers who leaped into the trenches.


    They had barely managed to avoid the tank treads and not get crushed, only to quickly have their thoughts of fighting with bayonets dashed by the dense fusillade of bullets.


    That night, fearing a night assault by the Shen Country army, Redman ordered the 4th Armored Division to withdraw, giving back about half of the territory recaptured during the day to the battered Shen Country defenders.


    During that day, Shen Country suffered at least 4,000 casualties, and their defenses on the western side lost a large area.


    Just by looking at the losses, it was clear that the Shen Country troops near Beiyuan City could already be described as having suffered heavy losses. Although there were hundreds of thousands of Shen Country troops, if they lost 4,000 people every day, in less than 10 days their forces would be nearly wiped out.


    It was also that night that Shenwu Sanlang, who had been actively counterattacking, realized he might have been tricked!


    The Tang Army seemed to be luring Shen Country troops into open-field defensive positions, especially targeting those assigned to counterattack missions. This inflicted heavy losses on Shen Country forces without damaging the city of Beiyuan behind them.


    Therefore, he had to abandon his original counterattack plan and seriously considered the feasibility of contracting his defense line.


    On the other side, Redman was also tallying up his own losses: the 4th Armored Division had lost two tanks during the attack, both of which were broken down and abandoned on the battlefield.


    The crew destroyed these tanks when they retreated, leaving nothing for the people of Shen Country. By the time the Shen Country troops got close, these tanks were reduced to little more than charred frames.


    There was no choice; gasoline engines were just that capricious.


    In addition, the accompanying grenadiers suffered 155 casualties. Despite the Tang Army having the upper hand, it was still difficult to avoid personnel fatalities amidst the chaos of the battlefield.


    Another horrifying reason for such an exchange rate was the vast disparity in medical capabilities between the two sides: the Tang Army had a complete rescue mechanism, field medics, and helmet protection.


    On the contrary, Shen Country had none of these: their soldiers wore soft caps instead of helmets, medics were considered talent and kept far from the battlefield, and they lacked tradition and mechanisms for evacuating the wounded.


    Under such stark contrasts, the casualty figures were brutally honest.


    On the first day of engagement, the Shen Country military suffered a significant defeat. They abandoned the foolish idea of trying to recapture their lost positions and instead began fortifying their defensive positions like mad under the cover of darkness.


    Previously they did not bother because they assumed the Tang Army would not attack lightly, but now that the Tang Army had indeed attacked, they had no choice but to earnestly renew their damaged trenches and strengthen their defenses based on them.


    However, the night was doomed to be anything but calm: news came from the southern defensive positions of Beiyuan City that the Shen Country troops stationed there had spotted Tang forces moving northward, taking over the defense duties from the Qi Country troops across from them.


    That¡¯s right, the First Prince¡¯s troops had been completely annihilated, and now the Tang Army had encircled Beiyuan City from both the southwest, completely.


    It also meant that another main Tang force, the 1st Armored Division, was already pressing against the front line of Shen Country¡¯s defenses. Suddenly, Shenwu Sanlang, in charge of defending Beiyuan City, felt twice the pressure.


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 Chapter 642: 601 long-eyed bullet

    Chapter 642: 601 long-eyed bullet


    In the pitch-dark barn, First Prince Jiang Shan was like a startled bird, his mouth parched as he peered through the gaps in the wooden planks, watching the open space in the distance.


    The guard by his side heard a noise and instinctively covered the First Prince¡¯s mouth. They had been hiding here for two days now, and in all that time, they had only drunk some water and hadn¡¯t eaten anything at all.


    Just yesterday, a unit of the Tang Army had passed by¡ªfive tanks and seven or eight trucks, accompanied by several dozen soldiers, which scared them so much that they climbed up the beams and didn¡¯t come down until midnight.


    Due to the war, this barn had been deserted for a while now. No one had come to it, and the Tang Army hadn¡¯t thoroughly searched the place.


    In reality, the First Prince and his guards were overthinking it; compared to quickly advancing to Beiyuan City to join the battle, the Tang Army had little interest in capturing him, the First Prince of Qi Country.


    If Qi Country were still actively resisting, then capturing its First Prince could definitely be leveraged to advantage, at the very least to gain some benefits.


    ...


    But now, Qi Country had become history, so what use was there in capturing another First Prince of Qi?


    Therefore, Tagg, who was in charge of the main attack on the unit of the First Prince, hadn¡¯t issued any orders for his capture, and the troops at the grass-roots level only made a symbolic search; if they didn¡¯t find him, they continued to march northward.


    It wasn¡¯t that the soldiers of the Tang Army were not diligent in searching for the First Prince of Qi; there was too much chaos, Qi soldiers had to be rounded up, prisoners gathered, and local order restored¡ªthey were too busy to manage anything else.


    Capturing tens of thousands of dispersed Qi prisoners of war was already a daunting task, and deliberately searching for the First Prince of Qi was clearly inefficient. It was a more serious matter, better left to the intelligence department to exert effort on.


    Soon, both men realized it was a false alarm; no one was interested in this dilapidated barn, and there were no enemies around to capture them.


    After letting out a sigh of relief, First Prince Jiang Shan feebly pushed away his subordinate¡¯s palm and complained, ¡°I think we should just surrender. Where can we even run to now?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty! The people of Qi Country still support you! As long as you return to King City, contact those former officials of the kingdom, Your Majesty, you still have much you can accomplish!¡± the subordinate hastened to reassure.


    As he spoke, he looked outside. Yesterday evening, Qin Xiong said he was going to find food and left with two others. They had not yet returned, and he didn¡¯t know if something had happened to them or if they had lost their way.


    When they originally fled, they had several hundred people with them, even a radio, as well as horses and cars.


    But they had been pursued and ambushed by the Tang Army on the way, some deserted with supplies to surrender, and in the end, there were only five people left; they didn¡¯t even have their horses anymore.


    The cars had been abandoned by the roadside long ago for lack of fuel, the valuable horses had been stolen amidst the chaos, and the radio, too heavy to carry without the transport of carts or cars, was also left behind.


    Eventually, even the rifles were discarded for being too cumbersome to carry; they had reached the barn with only their handguns and ammunition.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! As long as you can escape this dangerous area, there¡¯s still a chance!¡± This subordinate clearly hoped to cling to the First Prince as a lifeline, to secure a bright future for himself.


    He knew that Qi Country was finished, so a comeback in Qi Country for him and the First Prince was impossible. However, if they could flee to the Dahua Empire, they could at least live in wealth and honor relying on the status of an exiled prince of Qi¡ªthat¡¯s why he hadn¡¯t fled yet!


    In truth, the First Prince knew what these subordinates were thinking. His continued determination wasn¡¯t also because of such an elusive hope?


    As a prince of Qi Country, he also knew that restoring Qi Country by his own power was a fool¡¯s dream. But escaping to the Dahua Empire, there was still some hope.


    The pursuing Tang soldiers were even faster. Letting their hunting dogs loose, they chased after them, yelling, ¡°Stop! Run and we¡¯ll shoot!¡±


    ¡°Bang!¡± One of Qi Country¡¯s guards turned and fired a shot.


    ¡°They have guns! Take cover!¡± The following Tang soldiers instinctively ducked their heads. But now, they pursued with even more resolve, shouting, ¡°Catch them! Do not hesitate to kill resisters!¡±


    They continued to shout ¡°Stop!¡± at the fleeing party about to enter the woods, despite their intent to capture them alive.


    ¡°Bang!¡± The Qi guards fired again.


    ¡°Damn it! Fire!¡± The latest shot finally enraged the pursuing Tang soldiers. Upon the officer¡¯s command, everyone raised their Thompson submachine guns.


    ¡°Ratatatat!¡± The next second, seven or eight submachine guns opened fire simultaneously, spraying the escaping five with bullets like a rainstorm.


    ...


    ¡°What? Killed?¡± Holding the phone, Li¡¯ao couldn¡¯t quite believe what he had heard.


    The news just received from the front lines stated that a search party had killed the fleeing First Prince of Qi Country and also killed the Qi general Qin Xiong...


    He had been quite confident in capturing these important figures alive and presenting them to King Tang Mo.


    Unfortunately, who would have thought that the search party, initially firing to intimidate, would overperform and kill the First Prince of Qi, the most important individual on their first shot.


    As a result, Qin Xiong and the others turned back to try to rescue him, but they were all killed. In the end, only two guards were captured, confirming the identities of the deceased.


    The situation was really awkward: five people in total, two guards, a Guard Commander, a general, and a prince.


    And they killed three¡ªthe prince, the general, and the Guard Commander...


    The bullets, as though endowed with vision, capriciously and seemingly deliberatively killed the three most important individuals.


    However, when Li¡¯ao nervously reported the truth to Tang Mo, he didn¡¯t see anything amiss with the situation.


    He ordered Li¡¯ao to reward and promote as deemed appropriate. To him, the First Prince of Qi Country was a dispensable entity.


    With the killing of the First Prince and his companions, Qi Country was, in a certain sense, thoroughly obliterated. Nowadays, Beiyuan City was nominally Shahar¡¯s territory; Qi Country... no longer existed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Two updates today, one more tomorrow.


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 Chapter 643: Train Home 602

    Chapter 643: Train Home 602


    ¡°Ever seen paratroopers like us?¡± Sitting on the train, the squad leader looked at Xiang Ziyu and joked, ¡°It¡¯s too frustrating, we still have to take a train to go home.¡±


    They had been sent to Donghe Bridge by plane, where they also killed the King of Qi Country, Jiang Xian. Now that their holiday was over and they had no further assignments, they could only return to their original base by train.


    The latter half of the train was filled with wounded soldiers, some without arms, some without legs. These men would be taken to hospitals in the rear for careful treatment and then assigned to local offices to perform clerical work.


    There was no helping it; literate and qualified civil servants were simply too rare to meet demand, and the military had kept the best talent for themselves. For those soldiers phased out due to injuries, being placed in local positions was definitely a coveted opportunity.


    It was said that squad leaders who were injured could at least become village heads if placed locally, and platoon leaders could even become county heads.


    As for company and battalion commanders being sent to local positions, there was still no news. After all, commanders of this level in the Tang Army rarely died in battle, and those with specialized injuries were even fewer.


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s much safer than flying,¡± Xiang Ziyu didn¡¯t feel riding a train home was anything to be ashamed of.


    At least, they all came back safely. The urns of their comrades¡¯ ashes and the collected personal effects stored next to them could no longer voice any complaints.


    The entire train carriage was like a place where a smoke grenade had been dropped; nearly everyone was smoking, puffing clouds of smoke without feeling there was anything wrong with it.


    Those who had been on the battlefield quickly needed a mental crutch, and cigarettes were probably the cheapest and most effective form of such a dependance. As long as soldiers had these, they could calm down during tense battle breaks and numb all sensations.


    Xiang Ziyu originally didn¡¯t smoke, but now he had learned to. With a cigarette pinched between his fingers and the second-class Blade Medal hanging on his chest, he looked quite imposing.


    Soldiers who could earn a second-class Blade Medal in their first battle were truly brave warriors. Such people would be quickly promoted and treated as talents for key training.


    In fact, on his return this time, Xiang Ziyu would be awarded the first-class Blade Medal, becoming the first soldier in the entire military to receive this level of commendation.


    He was now a star amongst the paratroopers, as well as a War God in the eyes of the infantry. His posters had already begun to be distributed everywhere, representing the valiant fighting spirit of the soldiers of the Great Tang Kingdom.


    All the paratroopers in the carriage had enjoyed a seven-day holiday in the King City of Qi Country. They could walk in the streets enjoying the peaceful sunlight and see the Nobility of Qi Country bowing and scraping to them, while also witnessing the perverse opulence of the old world.


    To be frank, if a place was backward and isolated enough, entertainment could flourish to stupefying levels¡ªKing City of Qi Country was as flashy and debauched, with some ¡°amusements¡± that could only be described as perverted.


    As long as one had money and power, it seemed that King City of Qi Country was also a paradise, comparable to the paradise of Brunas.


    And the Tang Army, which had just occupied this place, seemed to have both money and power, meeting the conditions to be above others here perfectly.


    Therefore, in the past seven days, the life of Xiang Ziyu and his companions was enviable. Every day when they woke up, their tables would be piled high with all sorts of food, as if the world had never known what it was to worry about food shortages.


    When Xiang Ziyu, with a second-class Blade Medal on his chest, stepped out of the carriage, the officers on the platform stood at attention and saluted in unison.


    This was the glory reserved for frontline combat heroes; officers and soldiers below the rank of colonel must stand at attention and salute upon seeing such heroes.


    However, this salute was more ceremonial in nature and did not require awaiting a response before the saluter could finish the gesture. Xiang Ziyu earnestly returned a military salute and then followed his comrades towards the exit of the platform.


    The war had not ended yet; they had no extra leave. They were to wait here for new weapon equipment, then begin adaptive training.


    Tang Mo planned to give priority in distributing the new weaponry to the paratroopers to enhance their combat capability.


    After all, paratroopers were few in number, of higher soldier quality, rich in combat experience, and in greater need of handy weapon equipment.


    The weapon distributed to the paratroopers was the newly produced AK assault rifle, named in the Tang Army as the Type 56 assault rifle¡ªTang Mo simply did not want to explain to his engineers why this rifle was called the Kalashnikov-47 model.


    So, he directly assigned a number and named his mass-produced AKM assault rifle the ¡°Type 56¡± assault rifle.


    As for why the number 56 was chosen, Tang Mo bluntly answered that he liked the number, with no special significance.


    In any case, the newly mass-produced Type 56 assault rifles from the Great Tang Group were immediately issued to the paratroopers to replace the Thompson Submachine Guns in the paratrooper units. The deployment also began with the new 7.62x39mm ammunition.


    Seizing the opportunity of the rifle upgrade, the paratroopers also switched to a brand-new Beretta 92F pistol. The new pistols had already been distributed to many officers for a series of battlefield tests.


    Although the 9mm pistol rounds couldn¡¯t outperform the .45 caliber rounds, they still had their own advantages: the new 9mm caliber pistol could carry 2 additional rounds, giving soldiers more options on the battlefield.


    At the same time, against unprotected targets, the 9mm round¡¯s stopping power was still sufficient.


    Moreover, the downsizing of pistol calibers matched with the increase in the primary weapons¡¯ firepower for the paratroopers: although their pistols were slightly reduced in power, the replacement of the submachine guns with assault rifles significantly improved combat effectiveness.


    The Type 56 assault rifles distributed to the paratroopers featured a metal folding stock, considered a special provision.


    Once the paratroopers had tested the new weapons, they immediately fell in love with them, preferring them over the submachine guns for their greater firepower, lower recoil, shorter barrels, and easier handling.


    They were not too keen on what was called the Model 9 pistol¡ª the Beretta 92F, feeling the 9mm bullets lacked the power of the .45 caliber rounds.


    However, with the assault rifles in hand, they were not opposed to making their secondary weapons more portable.


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 Chapter 644: 603 kick

    Chapter 644: 603 kick


    This world is not peaceful in every corner. After Tagg¡¯s troops approached the southern defense line of Beiyuan City, he ordered his artillery to start a probing attack.


    The Tang Army didn¡¯t have the luxury to replace all their artillery with self-propelled guns, so the artillery Tagg had at his disposal was relatively outdated.


    In order to support the armored clusters on the western side, the Tang Army concentrated almost all of their self-propelled artillery in Redman¡¯s troops. This resulted in Tagg¡¯s artillery being, in fact, towed guns.


    The heavy and clumsy towed howitzers were not quick to advance, but they were reliable and cheap, indeed filling the void left by self-propelled howitzers.


    When Tagg¡¯s troops pushed 100 155mm caliber howitzers to the frontline, the Tang Army¡¯s artillery fire made the opposing Shen Army quite uncomfortable.


    The shells from these heavy guns fell like raindrops on the Shen Army¡¯s positions, reminding them of the horrific scenes from half a month ago.


    ...


    But the Tang Army had more than just 155mm caliber howitzers; they also had 105mm caliber howitzers and even smaller 75mm caliber field guns.


    So many guns were enough to form a battery, providing dense artillery suppression on the Qi Country¡¯s positions. Soon the Shen Army gave up some less important frontline defensive positions and, taking everything they could, retreated to their core defense area.


    ...


    Struggling out of the loose soil in a trench nearly leveled by artillery fire, a Shen Army soldier bit down hard as he pulled his arm out of the dirt, which was indeed good news for him.


    Because many Shen Army soldiers had already become dismembered, being able to find his own arm was definitely something to be thankful for.


    He struggled out of the mud that the shells had lifted and then dumped onto him. Then he peeked over the edge of the trench, eyeing the distant Tang tanks.


    Seeing that they were about to charge over, he hurriedly picked up a Shireck-manufactured rifle from the corpse beside him, worked the bolt, and chambered a round.


    Although this bolt-action rifle was slow to fire, it also had its advantages: at least it was very reliable and not easily damaged.


    The Shen soldier squinted and aimed at a distant Tang tank, desperately pulling the trigger¡ªhe really had no other weapons left but to deal with the enemy¡¯s tank with a rifle.


    Sometimes things are just that extreme: The weapon in your hands might not always be able to destroy the enemy in front of you, and when your weapon is insufficient for the battle, you still have to fight on to the end! That¡¯s war!


    Do you think there will definitely be an anti-tank gun beside you when the enemy¡¯s tanks roll up? No! You might only have a dagger! Do you think you must have a shoulder-fired anti-air missile when the enemy¡¯s planes start to dive? Please, you might be holding an anti-tank mine digging a hole...


    ¡°Bang!¡± A gunshot broke the brief calm on the battlefield, the bullet struck the tank¡¯s thick armor, and a crisp sound was far heard, ¡°Dang!¡±


    The Shen soldier ducked his head back, breathing a little nervously. He could smell the offensive odor of corpses, the choking scent of soil, and the smell of gunpowder.


    It was only then that the approximately 1.45-meter-tall Goblin soldier remembered his own height. In front of the Tang Army soldier, nearly 1.85 meters tall, he was no different than a first-grader.


    In those days, Goblins generally stood between 1.4 and 1.5 meters tall, virtually indistinguishable from children. The forceful kick made the Goblin soldier realize the disparity in their stature. He was sent flying backward, a sight so astonishingly pleasing to the eye.


    It was as if a high school bully was picking on a child who had just started first grade; the scene was immensely shocking.


    The moment the kick landed, even the Tang soldier had a strange and guilt-laden word pop into his mind: Child abuse! If this moment could have been frozen and an X-ray taken, one could clearly see that the Goblin, sent flying by the kick, had several ribs broken.


    He really wanted to complain: Can you even call this a fight? Even Brunas¡¯ women are taller than these Goblin dwarfs!


    The fallen Goblin soldier finally realized he had been kicked to the ground, so he tried to struggle up, but due to the pile of bodies underneath him, he couldn¡¯t sit up no matter how hard he tried.


    Finally, he managed to sit up, only to be greeted by a barrage of bullets coming straight at him! The Tang soldier had long since reloaded his magazine, naturally not sparing his bullets.


    The Goblin soldier, who had managed to sit up, looked down at the bullet hole in his chest and saw the unstoppable flow of blood spurting from the hole; he reached down and touched it.


    Then, he carefully looked at the fresh blood on his fingertips, and the next second, he fell straight back.


    The counterattack by the Goblin military had begun like a tide and receded just the same. Accompanied by the sharp sounds of the ¡°Chicago typewriters,¡± all the Goblin soldiers lay on the ground. These Goblins, who could only scream, were ultimately no match for bullets.


    The Tang tanks, previously not far from the Goblin army¡¯s position, had also rolled over the Goblin troops¡¯ trenches and ascended onto the little high ground.


    Following this tank was another one. Further behind were the Tang soldiers who had already started leaping into the trenches.


    The battle had only just begun less than two hours ago, yet Tagg¡¯s infantry-focused group had already captured a significant portion of the positions held by the Goblin army.


    Now, Beiyuan City, bordered by the sea to the southwest, was getting pummeled from two directions, and Shenwu Sanlang, who was in charge of commanding the operations, was overwhelmed with anxiety.


    He had already committed a considerable number of reserve troops. If he still couldn¡¯t stop the Tang Army¡¯s offensive, then he would have no choice but to consider a plan to contract their defense line.


    But this plan was not well-received: The main base of Zheng Country felt there was absolutely no need for this, assuring that they would soon supply new provisions and send reinforcement troops. Moreover, Shenwu Sanlang¡¯s plan to contract the defense lines¡ªwouldn¡¯t that be losing face for Zheng Country?


    Thus, after struggling for two days, the Goblin troops were still entrenched in their battered positions, anxiously awaiting the Tang Army¡¯s subsequent assault each day.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Today I¡¯m not in the zone; only wrote two chapters. The update will be deferred by a day. Sorry.


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 Chapter 645: 604 Environmental Duo

    Chapter 645: 604 Environmental Duo


    ¡°`


    ¡°Theoretically, if we breach from the stern, the likelihood of a hit is the highest,¡± said the lead pilot, pointing at a model warship on the table to all the surrounding pilots.


    ¡°The enemy ship might change course,¡± a young pilot mused as he looked over the model warship on the table, simulating the entire attack process in his mind. The other pilots didn¡¯t speak; they were also curious about this issue.


    All these pilots had been carefully selected from the Air Force, each having independently completed at least ten bombing missions, with extensive experience flying Stuka dive bombers.


    The one who asked the question was a youth from Brunas, who had already flown 40 bombing missions in a Stuka dive bomber, with confirmed combat results that included 20 machine gun bunkers, 15 artillery positions, and 5 anti-aircraft fire points.


    He was only 20 years old, still very young, and what surprised Tang Mo the most was that the youth¡¯s name happened to be Ru?deler, which seemed like a bonus for someone with dive bomber experience.


    ...


    As a dive bomber pilot, this young man named Ru?deler was very talented, with a third-class Thunder Medal pinned to his chest.


    With the full-scale outbreak of war between Tang Country and Qi Country, Tang Country¡¯s system of military medals became more systematic: infantry, paratroopers, and marine corps could receive the Blade Medal; naval warship personnel could receive the Wave Medal; Air Force pilots could receive the Thunder Medal, and Armored Troops could receive the Cavalry Medal.


    Secondary Air Force units, including anti-aircraft gun units, could receive the Aegis Medal; secondary Army units, including artillery, could receive the Earthfire Medal; and Navy submarine personnel could receive the Abyss Medal.


    In this manner, each branch of the armed forces had three types of medals available to them, each medal with three levels.


    Having a third-class Thunder Medal meant that Ru?deler was already an excellent pilot. His question was naturally taken seriously by the instructor.


    The instructor explained, ¡°The enemy¡¯s warships are actually not fast, so their course changes can be easily predicted.¡±


    As he spoke, he changed the position of the ship model, making a turning motion. In his other hand, he held a model of an airplane, simulating a diving movement.


    ¡°We can adjust our diving angle following their movements; it¡¯s easy for us, being faster,¡± he said while simulating the entire process of a Stuka dive: ¡°You just need to be careful when pulling up! That¡¯s all.¡±


    Indeed, nearly all the warships in the world, including those of Great Tang¡¯s own Navy, had no anti-aircraft firepower.


    All the guns on the warships lacked the angle to fire into the air, and there were also no aiming devices for anti-aircraft use.


    For warships, the threat of aircraft had never materialized, so the only thing on a warship that could potentially aim at a Stuka was the Maxim machine gun.


    Real anti-aircraft guns had not yet appeared! So, these warships became quite vulnerable once within the attacking range of airplanes.


    ¡°So, the angle of approach is something we can decide at will! Without strong counter-firepower from the enemy, we won¡¯t face any obstacles when entering from the rear,¡± continued the instructor.


    ¡°Then, as they are relatively stationary to us, we just need to use our past experience to drop bombs and attack,¡± he concluded, then lifted his head, ¡°Any more questions?¡±


    ¡°No more!¡± All the pilots shook their heads.


    ¡°The Navy has deliberately brought in three freewheelers to simulate enemy ships, and all personnel should intensify real combat training to prepare for the expulsion of the enemy¡¯s warships,¡± commanded the instructor loudly.


    He knew that some specific targets still required large-caliber cannons for destruction. Making some heavy artillery could be useful, yet he still had no such plans.


    He seemed a bit stubborn in this regard, believing that those solid defense structures could be completely taken care of by bombers.


    This stubbornness stemmed from his memories of a past life: in the world he was familiar with, large-caliber artillery seemed to have been phased out by the mainstream countries.


    Lighthouse Country and the bunnies were keen on using guided artillery shells and precision missiles to deal with problems, and their artillery commonly only employed 155mm caliber guns.


    However, because of the torpedo issue, Tang Mo realized that his grasp on the future direction of weaponry might have some problems.


    He wouldn¡¯t be able to come up with precision-guided weapons in the short term, so it seemed he really did need some large caliber guns as a transition.


    If he waited until the troops urgently needed them to start production, it might indeed be too late. As a weapons merchant, Tang Mo naturally hoped to provide every soldier with the best equipment.


    But now, also serving as a king, he had to consider whether providing the entire army with the most advanced weapons was cost-effective. Sometimes he also admitted that even Lighthouse Country, with all its wealth, couldn¡¯t afford to supply each soldier with an ample quantity of missiles.


    In fact, another reason for not equipping the troops with large-caliber artillery was poverty! Tang Mo needed more tanks, more planes, more warships, so concessions had to be made when it came to heavy artillery.


    Issuing his troops with Beretta 92F pistols was for a similar reason: the pistol was easy to produce and inexpensive, with nothing special required in terms of materials. Compared to the M1911 pistol, it seemed much more suitable for mass production and equipping the troops.


    The choice of 7.62x39mm bullets was the same: although its performance was not outstanding, this type of bullet was easy and cheap to produce, with no technical difficulty involved.


    A C-47 transport plane slowly landed at the civilian airport¡¯s runway. As the cargo door opened, two men were the first to emerge from the plane, descending the steps.


    The two were the only employees of the Great Tang Group¡¯s environmental improvement project department, and their purpose for this trip was to investigate the industrial waste water discharge issue in Linshui.


    An important reason for their visit was the fishery department¡¯s report of reduced fish catches: this could potentially lead to a food shortage crisis.


    If it wasn¡¯t for concerns about food issues, they wouldn¡¯t have disturbed these two employees who were in charge of environmental protection. After all, in this world, the basic concept of environmental protection did not even exist.


    ¡°The air here is much better than in Tongcheng,¡± the young assistant sniffed twice and said with a look of enjoyment.


    As the group¡¯s only environmental authority, the middle-aged man confirmed what his assistant said. However, he clearly didn¡¯t think this was the factories¡¯ doing: ¡°Well, it¡¯s by the coast, after all.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do now?¡± the assistant asked curiously.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check the seafood market; perhaps the situation there is similar to that near Dragon Harbor,¡± said the middle-aged man with some worry. ¡°If it is, we¡¯ll need to write a report for His Majesty the King.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    There have been many family matters these past two days, and Dragon Spirit has been in poor shape, finding it hard to even maintain updates. I am not satisfied with my own writing, so please forgive me! Today will still be two updates; the catch-up will be delayed by one day... Let¡¯s see what my condition is like tomorrow.


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 Chapter 646: 605 Supply Limit

    Chapter 646: 605 Supply Limit


    Sometimes, rapid development comes with a price. Environmental protection is indeed important, but for the sake of development speed, sometimes sacrifices have to be made.


    The Great Tang Kingdom isn¡¯t strong enough yet to be able to simply relocate heavily polluting factories to other countries. Even smelting plants and chemical plants, which are major polluters, are still in non-stop construction to this day.


    Tang Mo wasn¡¯t ignorant of the fact that cleaning up pollution afterward is more difficult and labor-intensive. But he simply had no way to ensure environmental protection measures while pushing for industrialization.


    On one hand, he lacked the necessary technology, and on the other, he lacked sufficient talent.


    In terms of technology, Tang Mo prioritized the development of urgently needed subfields. But as he was just one person, he had to make his own choices about which technologies to develop and which to temporarily give up.


    Previously, Tang Mo¡¯s choices in technology pertaining to thunder were not good enough, even though this was weapon technology, which he was very familiar with.


    ...


    But when it came to environmental protection technology, Tang Mo had not invested any effort into research. This led to such tasks falling to those below to ¡°figure out on their own.¡±


    The reality was that the Great Tang Group¡¯s environmental protection technology research team consisted of a total of two people, and all their research was still in the theoretical stage.


    Right now, the Tang Country was still madly raising literacy rates and training more professional talents, with no time to train specialists in environmental protection.


    What he needed to ensure was sufficient food production and industrial capacity. And to achieve this goal he was already giving his all.


    Most of the talents trained by all universities and high schools in the Great Tang Kingdom went into the military, and a smaller fraction became administrative management staff.


    Add to that engineers, skilled technicians, high-end technical personnel, etc., a portion was divided away. Who didn¡¯t need the remaining talent?


    This wasn¡¯t a world where college graduates were worthless, and master and doctorate degree holders were everywhere! This was an era where you could find work after 5 weeks of training and recognizing 500 characters!


    What worried Tang Mo every day was that he needed to produce dozens of tanks and airplanes each day, and a warship or a freight ship every week.


    The workers of the Great Tang Group worked non-stop every day and still couldn¡¯t meet Tang Mo¡¯s production needs, let alone spare hands to worry about the pollution issue.


    All the capable people had already been distributed by the more important departments, leaving behind those who couldn¡¯t recognize a single big character, and what they cared about most was how much food was left in their family¡¯s rice barrel.


    In this world, eighty percent of the common people didn¡¯t even know what diabetes was, nor understood how terrifying cancer could be.


    To them, going outside and being choked by smog to the point of coughing was not intolerable: Compared to hunger and poverty, smog was trivial!


    Environmental protection? What a joke! Hadn¡¯t Chang¡¯an not yet become smog-filled? Wasn¡¯t it true that the river water hadn¡¯t killed anyone yet? Weren¡¯t the colorful lands still capable of growing crops?


    To the people of this era, environmental pollution was just an unfamiliar term. No one cared, no one paid attention.


    In fact, the Laines Empire, Ice Cold Empire, Dorne Empire, and Poplar Kingdom did not send their own fleets to mingle in this murky water.


    They feared Tang Mo¡¯s fleet attacking their rich ports: Their main profits this time hinged on plundering the territories of the Great Tang Group.


    Imagine, if ports like Winterless City, Hotwind Port, Brunas, Osa, Nan Shui, and Eternal Winter City were smashed by warships of the Great Tang Group, what would become of the Endless Sea.


    However, since Shireck had the idea of attacking Dragon Island, they would not worry about the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s retaliation, so they dragged Gobur¡¯s navy along and fiercely set their sights on Dragon Island.


    With 15 cruisers and 30 destroyers, Shireck mobilized nearly its entire naval estate for this outing.


    It was a pity that they did not know the Tang Kingdom¡¯s naval forces had sailed south to Dragon Island, lurking nearby, ready and waiting for Shireck¡¯s sneak attack fleet!


    And this fleet of the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s navy had 3 battleships, 15 cruisers, and 20 destroyers.


    Just speaking of combat power on paper, the Tang Country¡¯s navy clearly had the upper hand, and their three battleships could easily destroy Shireck¡¯s sneak attack fleet.


    As for why Shireck didn¡¯t have any battleships, that was because they had sold all the battleships they built to the Shen Country¡¯s navy...


    ¡°Dorne¡¯s fleet has been found... Adding to the previously confirmed fleets of the Laines Empire and the Ice Cold Empire... Most of the fleets¡¯ positions have now been confirmed,¡± Li¡¯ao reported to Tang Mo with confidence about the intelligence department¡¯s findings.


    ¡°We still haven¡¯t received a message from our people hiding in Gobur,¡± he added immediately.


    Tang Mo nodded slightly without saying a word, then looked directly at the head of the Air Force following the nod.


    Ever since wireless navigation was successful, the Air Force stationed on Dragon Island had commenced daily patrolling and search operations. With squads led by experienced old instructors¡ªfour planes in a formation¡ªthey kept a continuous watch over the waters near Dragon Island.


    This was not part of previous Air Force training, but now, in order to carry out maritime strike missions, all Air Force pilots had been trained in maritime search and attack.


    ¡°Your Majesty! We have not found the fleet yet... However, based on fuel calculations, they should be appearing soon,¡± the Air Force liaison officer assured, chin up.


    Once again, Tang Mo nodded: The enemy fleet was not nuclear-powered, so it naturally had a limit to how long it could operate. The longer the delay, the closer Shireck¡¯s sneak attack fleet was to reaching its supply limit.


    ¡°Continue to monitor the airspace near Dragon Island! As soon as the enemy fleet is spotted, report to me immediately!¡± He casually ordered.


    Recently, his spirits were high since his Minister of Finance had gone back to Chang¡¯an for work. So, he had been sleeping well at night, at least unburdened by the need to contribute public funds.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± The Air Force liaison officer stood at attention and saluted in response.


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 Chapter 647: 606 The enemys hand grenade

    Chapter 647: 606 The enemy¡¯s hand grenade


    ¡°`


    Liu Guozhu peered through the narrow observation slit, watching the enemy¡¯s machine-gun pillbox ceaselessly firing in the distance. It was less than 200 meters away from his tank, surrounded by collapsed barbed wire and Beiyuan soldiers¡¯ trenches.


    ¡°Right front! Watch the right front!¡± he shouted loudly inside the noisy tank, reminding his gunner ahead, who pressed a button, causing the turret to start turning to the right.


    The external hanging steel plates made the No. 4 tank¡¯s turret look like it had expanded one size larger, leading Beiyuan to mistake this shape for a new model of tank.


    However, they soon corrected this misjudgment after destroying a tank and confirming the characteristics of the wreckage. The Tang Army¡¯s tanks had not been upgraded, which was definitely good news for other nations.


    Such is war, regardless of how advanced weapons are, losses will occur, and even if losses are minimized, they are still losses!


    ...


    ¡°I see it! I¡¯ve got it!¡± Soon, as the turret rotated, the gunner saw the same target Liu Guozhu had identified through his own scope.


    The enemy continued their relentless firing, forcing the advancing Tang Army to halt, waiting for friendly tanks to destroy the damned firepoint.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The gunner stepped on the firing pedal, and a short-barreled 75mm caliber howitzer fired a shell, hitting the target 200 meters away dead on.


    Great Tang Group¡¯s lens processing technology was very advanced, ensuring precision, which greatly aided the precise aiming systems of the No. 4 tanks, helping the Tang Army¡¯s gunners to aim at their targets.


    Although the low chamber pressure and short barrel of the 75mm caliber howitzer did not provide good ballistic performance, within a distance of about 200 meters, it still had very high accuracy.


    The shell struck just a few centimeters next to the firing port of the machine-gun pillbox, instantly blowing off the bunker¡¯s roof and killing all the Beiyuan soldiers inside.


    The continuous sound of the Maxim machine guns finally halted, and the surrounding Tang soldiers felt the pressure of the attack lift all at once.


    A Tang Army bugler lying on the ground seized the bugle beside him and sounded the clear call to attack: ¡°Tweet-hee, tweet-tweet, tweet-hee, tweet-tweet-tweet!¡±


    This was one of Tang Mo¡¯s stubbornnesses, as well as his homage to some mysterious force from the East. The witch¡¯s flute, the call of the Grim Reaper, the bewitching sound of the attack, the prelude to victory... In any case, once this sound was played, an overwhelming attack would commence, crumbling any formidable defenses into dust.


    But in this world, advancing with the resounding sound of the bugle were not just well-trained infantry but also tanks rolling forward on their tracks!


    ¡°Dead ahead! There¡¯s a hidden firepoint straight ahead! They are adjusting the angle of the machine gun!¡± Liu Guozhu spotted another target and loudly warned his comrades.


    The gunner rotated the turret once more, as bullets fired by Beiyuan soldiers hammered against the tank¡¯s steel plates, dense and frequent like raindrops.


    What suffers the most damage during a tank¡¯s assault on enemy defenses? The paint! The enemy¡¯s light weapon bullets would hit the tank densely, practically serving as polish for the tank¡¯s exterior paint.


    Some shrapnel and larger-caliber weapons could possibly penetrate the layer of steel plates hanging around the No. 4 tank; hence, there couldn¡¯t be anything valuable stored between those steel plates and the vehicle¡¯s hull.


    In the next instant, he recognized that the action of swinging their arm was exactly like Tang Army soldiers throwing hand grenades.


    Indeed, the next second, a hand grenade exploded near his tank. The rising smoke obscured Liu Guozhu¡¯s view, but he did not sustain any material damage.


    He was inside the tank, already wearing headphones, which had protected his ears to some extent, preventing him from losing his hearing from the blast.


    Moreover, the shockwave caused by the hand grenade did not penetrate the tank¡¯s armor, so although Liu Guozhu felt the blast, he was not injured.


    ¡°Damn it, hand grenade!¡± Despite the lack of visibility, the loader beside him also felt the familiar vibration.


    ¡°It¡¯s not ours! Damn it! The Beiyuan soldiers have hand grenades!¡± Liu Guozhu pressed the throat microphone, and reported loudly to his platoon leader what he had just seen: ¡°I saw Beiyuan soldiers throwing hand grenades!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Are you sure?¡± The platoon leader¡¯s voice came through the headphones urgently.


    ¡°I saw them throw something at me, then it exploded!¡± By this time, Liu Guozhu¡¯s tank had already rolled over the Beiyuan trench, with the tank tracks flipping mud down onto the Beiyuan soldiers in the trench, scaring them so much that they didn¡¯t dare to raise their heads.


    ¡°I see your position! Keep moving! Leave the rear to me for cover!¡± The voice of the platoon leader kept coming.


    ¡°Understood! I¡¯m continuing to advance!¡± Liu Guozhu continued to shout: ¡°Advance! Suppress the Beiyuan firepower directly ahead! They¡¯re retreating! They¡¯re retreating!¡±


    ¡°Left side! The bunker on the left!¡± ¡°Right side! Fire! Fire! There¡¯s a machine gun over there!¡± Shouts from other tank commanders could also be heard through the headphones.


    They appeared to be communicating, but what they were shouting was mostly useless. There was no helping it, as a third of the tank platoon¡¯s commanders had been replaced before going into battle.


    Liu Guozhu had heard that the third that got pulled out was assigned to new Armored Divisions as commanders. Unwilling to leave the 1st Armored Division, he had stayed behind.


    However, he had also been promoted. He should have been reassigned as platoon leader, but since he had requested to stay with platoon 1, he had missed the opportunity for this promotion.


    Despite the somewhat chaotic communication, the Tang Army¡¯s offensive was still swift. With the cover of more than 40 tanks, the advancing Tang infantry pierced through Beiyuan¡¯s outer defense lines in just a morning.


    The battle wasn¡¯t particularly fierce since the Beiyuan troops were contracting their forces. They intended to focus the main battlefield inside Beiyuan City and weren¡¯t planning to tangle with the Tang Army in the outskirts any longer.


    Nevertheless, they did not simply hand over their outer positions; instead, they sent some troops to hold their ground to the last.


    In essence, these troops were sacrificed, abandoned. They had no reinforcements and were not allowed to retreat. They were ordered to fight to the last man and had even written their wills before departing.


    Unfortunately, those unafraid and willing to die were in the minority. Even with political commissars and zealous commanders enforcing discipline, many among the Beiyuan defenders still chose to surrender.


    They laid down their weapons, and among these weapons, the commanders of Tang Country¡¯s frontline forces made some surprising discoveries.


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 Chapter 648: Progress of enemy troops 607

    Chapter 648: Progress of enemy troops 607


    ¡°`


    ¡°This is a new weapon used by the Shen Nation soldiers! A grenade! It¡¯s not our model, the appearance is very different.¡± Looking at the somewhat familiar equipment, a Major among the Tang Army commanders gathered around the captured weapon box picked up one of the Shen Nation troop¡¯s grenades and said.


    The thing he was holding was a grenade produced by the Shen Nation, and it looked very similar to the first generation wooden-handle grenades used by the Tang Army.


    The Tang Army themselves had already stopped using that device and had subsequently transferred the inventory at a low price, almost giving them away, to the Northern Ridge Troops.


    Later on, the Northern Ridge Troops used it in battle, especially during the campaign that eradicated the Kingdom of Germelin, where they consumed a large number of these stockpiled grenades.


    After that battle, the inventory of wooden-handle grenades became chaotic, as it was impossible to reconcile the numbers of those used or lost on the battlefield.


    ...


    It was said that most of the stockpiled grenades were used up during training when Northern Ridge began their relocation, but still, a batch of them disappeared without a trace.


    Anyway, there were many opportunities for the first generation of grenades produced by the Great Tang military industry to be taken away for study.


    Of course, simply studying and copying was not that big a deal, as the technology for such grenades was not insurmountable. The technology was very simple, easily produced by workshop craftsmanship.


    For Shireck, capable of producing shell fuses and even owning many factories, making grenades was not difficult, so the Tang Army was not panicked or astonished when they saw the enemy¡¯s grenades.


    ¡°They even referenced our wooden-handle design,¡± another veteran officer snorted coldly, lifting a grenade that could serve as a hammer and looked at the white text on it.


    ¡°Shireck, Type 1... Can¡¯t they come up with a new name?¡± another officer disdainfully remarked.


    ¡°We need to be careful with this thing when we attack,¡± said the Major who had spoken earlier, surveying the circle of officers, then continued to remind, ¡°Summarize this, report it up! Alert all the soldiers! The remaining samples, send them to the division headquarters as well.¡±


    In trench warfare, if the enemy started using grenades on a large scale without warning, an unprepared Tang Army could suffer unexpected losses.


    In fact, in this battle, Tang Army soldiers had already died from the enemy¡¯s grenades. Attacking a trench, the enemy threw seven or eight such grenades, and caught off guard, the Tang Army lost four soldiers and wounded more than a dozen.


    ¡°It¡¯s really infuriating,¡± grumbled the veteran officer holding a grenade, glancing at the text on it again, feeling somewhat angry, ¡°We¡¯ll make those damn Shireck bastards pay their blood debts with blood when we get the chance!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! But now we have to let those goblin-like creatures that slaughter humans taste our fury!¡± the officer beside him patted his shoulder and comforted him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We¡¯re keeping a tab on every single debt, and we¡¯ll make them pay!¡±


    ...


    At the Anpu, the highest command of the Tang Army, a group of technical officers was gathered together, discussing the latest discovered enemy weapons.


    These weapons were actually quite interesting: The Shen Nation military used a brand new 50mm caliber cannon on the front line, which had its stand modified to allow quick elevation and lateral movement of the barrel.


    Simply put, this was a very primitive small-caliber anti-aircraft gun, which was already significantly faster at aiming than the old 76mm caliber balloon guns.


    ¡°No helping it, we can¡¯t stop them from copying our homework,¡± Luff also felt helpless.


    Things like helmets could be copied just by glancing at them and imitating the cat. As for performance, no one cared about that.


    The design being unscientific doesn¡¯t matter; as long as the soldiers are issued helmets to wear, that¡¯s already progress. Haven¡¯t you seen? Qi Country was destroyed, and its soldiers still only wore soft caps?


    It¡¯s just that they can¡¯t replicate airplanes by just looking at their shape; if they could, Shireck would probably already have a proper Air Force by now...


    ¡°It seems that it¡¯s about time we let them know, our weapons aren¡¯t just something they can casually copy and understand,¡± a general turned to Luff and suggested, ¡°Hasn¡¯t Your Majesty ordered us to speed up the pace of our offense? To put some new equipment into action?¡±


    ¡°Agreed!¡± Luff approved the suggestion, ¡°Let the Rocket Artillery Troops try out their edge, and let our enemies know our might!¡±


    In the distant southern part of Beiyuan City, a newly constructed makeshift train station saw a train slowly come to a halt on the platform.


    On the flat train cars, covered with tarpaulins that only allowed one to discern they were some sort of truck, new weapons were transported to the front line.


    Until they were unloaded from the train, the trucks¡¯ cargo areas remained covered with tarpaulins, and the soldiers nearby could only vaguely make out a series of racks at the rear of the trucks, slanted toward the sky, looking rather strange.


    Soon, these trucks reached the previously designated area. The surrounding guard troops were driven even further away, and no one knew what these trucks actually were.


    This weapon was still under the highest level of secrecy; the front-line soldiers had no idea that a rocket artillery battalion was ready for battle just behind them.


    As the loaders belonging to the Rocket Artillery Troops hung the rockets one by one on the launch rails, the world¡¯s first type of rocket artillery was prepared for battle.


    The observing infantry generals and the testing technicians, even Tagg, attended this live-fire demonstration of the rocket artillery.


    With an order given, everyone immediately felt the shock brought by this weapon. Gunsmoke enveloped the entire artillery position, and the dust raised instantly swallowed all the launch vehicles.


    Witnessing the trail of smoke streaking towards the sky and fading into the distance, the spectacular sight left all the observers with their eyes wide open.


    In just a few dozen seconds, an entire battalion¡¯s 24 rocket artillery vehicles fired a total of 384 rockets at the predetermined enemy positions.


    This was nearly equivalent to the entire ammunition dumping capacity of the Great Tang¡¯s southern front artillery. The instantaneous dump capacity of the rocket artillery was formidable, to say the least.


    Seeing all this before him, Tagg didn¡¯t know what to say; six years ago, he had been overjoyed at acquiring a Left-Wheel Handgun. But now, he did not know which adjective to use to describe the weapon before him.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    There will be an additional update today, coming within half an hour.


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 Chapter 649: 608 rocket launcher

    Chapter 649: 608 rocket launcher


    On the Shen Country¡¯s position that had just been attacked by the new weapon of the Tang Army, a soldier felt as if he had just crawled back from hell.


    He watched helplessly as the area around him was engulfed by artillery fire, the massive explosions almost simultaneously devouring the entire region. This sudden disaster vaporized more than half of a Shen Country battalion in an instant.


    ¡°Ah! Ah!¡± the few Shen Country soldiers who were lucky enough to survive screamed in a panic, unable to hear their own voices.


    The wounded lying on the ground called out helplessly, but no one cared whether they lived or died. Everywhere there was rolling smoke, everywhere there were severed limbs and broken bodies.


    From the fall of the first rocket to the explosion of the last, it all happened in less than a minute.


    But unlike previous bombardments, this artillery coverage was faster and more abrupt, catching everyone off guard.


    ...


    In fact, the most effective part of the artillery attack was just the first round. The sudden fall of the shells could cause massive casualties.


    The subsequent bombardments were merely to destroy defensive positions, not simply to continue inflicting casualties.


    The advantage of the Katyusha rocket launcher was that a large number of shells could almost simultaneously cover an attack area, giving the enemy no time to prepare and thereby achieving the greatest killing effect.


    This advantage was something that traditional artillery could hardly match. If the traditional artillery troops wanted to achieve a similar effect to the Katyusha, they would have to mass assemble, which obviously was not necessary and not feasible.


    However, there were also disadvantages to the Katyusha: inaccurate attack precision, expensive ammunition costs, and too little delivery power.


    The issue of inaccuracy could be compensated for by technological progress. In another world that Tang Mo was familiar with, the precision of the rabbits¡¯ rockets could match that of missiles.


    The expensive cost of the shells, though, would be an issue that plagued the Katyusha for its whole life: Compared to traditional shells, its propellant was more precious. Even if it was made cheaper, it could not be more cost-effective than traditional shells.


    After all, a rocket shell was a projectile carried by its propellant towards the target, whereas the shell of a regular artillery round could be recycled after firing...


    The relatively weaker delivery power was also a fundamental flaw in the Katyusha¡¯s design: To increase the range of the Katyusha, the ammo¡¯s volume had to be increased, which meant that compared to similar artillery shells, the rockets were larger in size but had relatively smaller warheads.


    But that too could be improved: You wouldn¡¯t dare to make your shells so thick and big, would you? But rocket shells could! They could theoretically be made tens of meters long and weigh hundreds of tons! Aren¡¯t the things that launch satellites also called rockets?


    In theory, a missile was also a type of rocket shell, just one that had been equipped with a guidance system.


    The Shen Country soldiers who had barely survived the Katyusha attack still did not realize that they had been hit by a new type of weapon. They only felt that they might have been greeted by all the cannons from Tang Country.


    A Shen Country officer who had narrowly survived straightened his steel helmet and looked out to see the chaos of his position.


    Once neatly dug trenches were now surrounded by craters, and the previous bunkers had become ruins. He could still only hear the ringing in his ears; not far from him, a soldier was pressing on his comrade¡¯s bleeding wound.


    Take the musket, for instance, it may not have been better than the bow and arrow when it first appeared, but with its bang and billows of smoke, it had an imposing presence that just felt right compared to the bow and arrow.


    The aftermath of the bombardment was being observed by special assessment personnel, and precious video footage was also being recorded: cameras, after all, were not such a novelty in the Tang Country, having been used since the coronation of Leines I.


    ¡°It¡¯s spectacular,¡± Tagg admired, looking at the launching smoke that still hadn¡¯t dissipated, as he put down his binoculars.


    ¡°It does look impressive, but I wonder about its power,¡± another general remarked, equally impressed by the display.


    ¡°If its actual effect is half as shocking as it appears, there shouldn¡¯t be any survivors at the enemy¡¯s position,¡± the commander of the 1st Armored Division expressed with a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, if the power is sufficient, with such an imposing attack, the enemy should have been crushed,¡± Tagg agreed, handing his binoculars to the adjutant beside him.


    These generals had come here to evaluate new weapons. Although the Great Tang Group¡¯s security forces were the forerunners of the Tang Country¡¯s National Defense Army, now they were entirely separate organizations.


    The Great Tang Group is the Great Tang Group, and the Tang Country National Defense Army is the Tang Country National Defense Army. Whether or not to procure the new weapons from the Tang Group requires the assessment of the National Defense Army.


    Others might not draw such a distinct line, but what kind of personality does Tagg have? He¡¯s famously methodical and principled in his work.


    ¡°To know the specific extent of destruction, we¡¯ll have to wait until our troops take over the enemy¡¯s position,¡± he said, turning to the technicians next to him: ¡°I am personally very satisfied with the speed of the attack, it¡¯s continuous and very sudden.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Receiving praise from General Tagg brought smiles to the faces of the technicians.


    Although the weapon was developed under the orders of Tang Mo, and the technology was provided by him, receiving appreciation from General Tagg was in itself a reason for happiness.


    Many weapons that would later be successful in the modern era had been complained about by soldiers during their actual use. Tang Mo could only select suitable weapons based on his experience, but couldn¡¯t ensure that they would be loved by the users.


    Take the simplest example, the Thompson submachine gun ¨C famously known as the ¡°Chicago Typewriter¡± ¨C indeed had its drawbacks; it wasn¡¯t much better than the MP40 or the Boposha submachine gun. In fact, in some respects, it was even worse.


    The design of the Thompson submachine gun made it nearly impossible to use a folding stock, so it couldn¡¯t be equipped to tank crews like the MP40. Its expensive cost also limited the number available for issue. Only someone as rich and powerful as Tang Mo could afford to equip his forces with this weapon on a large scale, like the American military did.


    ¡°The 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment has already moved up, followed by the 1st Battalion of the 14th Infantry Division.¡± The commander of the 1st Armored Division hung up the phone and reported the battle situation to Tagg: ¡°The enemy is putting up only sporadic resistance...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good news,¡± Tagg said, once again looking towards the rocket launcher development team¡¯s technicians: ¡°Thank you, you¡¯ve reduced the casualties of the front-line troops.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our job, or rather, the purpose of our work!¡± the lead technician replied with a smile: ¡°To produce better weapons so that the Great Tang... can continue to be victorious!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Please find the additional update here.


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 Chapter 650: 609 Assault Artillery

    Chapter 650: 609 Assault Artillery


    When Tang Mo saw the helmet of the Shen Country¡¯s military, he was a bit dumbfounded. He had been in this world for almost seven or eight years, and yet there were still people trying to challenge him in the development of new weapons.


    He touched the cold steel helmet with his hand, and its surface wasn¡¯t even treated, slightly worn, it would reveal the iron underneath.


    That thing was reflective, and on the battlefield, it was almost equivalent to a target indicator, quite effective at attracting the attention of the enemy snipers.


    ¡°Others are trying to compete with me in the development of new weapons? Interesting, very interesting,¡± Tang Mo looked left and right, as if admiring a piece of artwork.


    ¡°Your Majesty, they are also improving their anti-aircraft guns,¡± Luff reminded his king.


    ¡°Hmm, I am aware,¡± Tang Mo walked a circle around the helmet and then lifted his head to look at Parker, who was in charge of industrial production, ¡°Parker! How are the preparations on your side? We should also show some new things.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Your Majesty! The first submarine has already been launched at Dragon Island, but because it still needs tuning, it hasn¡¯t formed combat capability,¡± Parker replied, ¡°Additionally, our brand-new production lines have begun operations in Tongcheng, and the production of airplanes will soon double.¡±


    The industrial strength of Tang Country was steadily increasing, the previously absorbed population dividend was starting to show gradually.


    Even in a state of war, Tang Mo had never stopped the economic development of his nation. Although affected to some extent, the economy and industrial scale were still maintaining a relatively high growth rate overall.


    The world¡¯s largest airplane factory had been completed in Tongcheng, and the world¡¯s largest artillery production base was now operational.


    The world¡¯s largest chemical factory had also started mass-producing sulfuric acid and other products. Seizing the opportunity of this relocation, Tang Mo had integrated most of the workshops, abandoning the small enterprise model, and allowing Great Tang Group to start reducing costs through massive-scale production.


    The whole process seemed thrilling, but in reality, it wasn¡¯t very difficult. Because the technology was actually mature, it was just a matter of constructing the necessary facilities.


    Since Tang Country actually lacked for no resources, Tang Mo didn¡¯t need to worry about the raw materials for his nation.


    All he needed to do was to provide enough ¡°ideas¡± to Parker and Mathews, and Great Tang Group¡¯s strong industrial foundation could turn those ideas into reality.


    ¡°Next month, you¡¯ll have at least 30 more Butcher Fighters, 150 Stuka Dive Bombers, and 100 Flying Fortress Long-Range Bombers,¡± Parker said confidently, ¡°If the pilots don¡¯t drag their feet, your Air Force will become even stronger.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, the Tongcheng tank factory has already started mass production of the chassis for the No. 4 Tanks. Next month, there¡¯ll also be more than 170 new tanks joining the ranks, and with the original capacity, you can form a new Armored Division every month.¡± As the industrial minister of the kingdom, Parker¡¯s work was actually very well done.


    He was just a blacksmith originally, but as Great Tang Group developed, Tang Mo arranged for him to supervise a workshop.


    And Parker himself did not disappoint Tang Mo¡¯s high expectations, becoming self-taught and rising to his current position of industrial minister of the kingdom, responsible for the overall industrial development and construction of the nation.


    ¡°Production capacity is still not enough,¡± Tang Mo sighed, appearing a bit like Versailles. After all, the ability to produce 300 tank chassis a month practically equated to the industrial level of World War II Germany.


    To Tang Mo or whoever at such a level, it might not be enough, but for other countries, this level could already be called an ¡°achievement.¡±


    ¡°For the submarines, there can be no relaxation of safety requirements!¡± Tang Mo quickly shifted topics, after discussing tanks he immediately brought up submarines again.


    These new types of weapons are not those that run on land; even if something really went wrong, at worst one could ditch the vehicle and escape.


    Submarines operate submerged in seawater; if there really was a problem, a lot of people could die! And every one of these individuals was a professional, irreplaceable talent carefully cultivated by the Great Tang Group.


    The complexity of such vessels was truly unprecedented; every valve and every button could potentially trigger an accident, essentially making it a ¡°coffin under water¡± in the truest sense.


    In real historical accounts, submarine accidents due to crew members mishandling valves were not unheard of, and there were even nuclear submarines that sank themselves because a torpedo exploded due to technical failures.


    Even more bizarre were cases of subs sinking due to uncultured use of the new toilets causing sewage backflows... No joke, the danger level for submariners was more than tenfold higher than that of battleship soldiers.


    Therefore, Tang Mo was so cautious; he did not wish to rush progress and let his precious submariners risk their lives.


    ¡°I¡¯ll warn the Navy side,¡± Parker immediately nodded: ¡°We¡¯ll prioritize safety above all else.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Tang Mo patted Parker on the shoulder: ¡°If there¡¯s anything else, let¡¯s discuss it all today. It wasn¡¯t easy traveling here from Tongcheng; don¡¯t make the trip for nothing.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s overcapacity in engine production. Even though our automobiles and tanks are using them, the output of engines is still in excess,¡± Parker said to Tang Mo: ¡°If you don¡¯t plan to build another tank factory, then we need to carefully consider how to utilize these engines.¡±


    Tang Mo clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them, showing a slight headache from these intricate production issues.


    If it were any other country¡¯s emperor, they would not need to worry about such things. But since he was a technical emperor and the core of Great Tang¡¯s industry, he had to get involved in these detailed and trivial matters.


    It wasn¡¯t that people like Parker Halley were not competent; but no matter how they balanced it, the final production-related decisions still had to be endorsed by Tang Mo.


    Because outsiders could not understand Tang Mo¡¯s industrial layout and sometimes the excess capacity he produced was actually a proactive stroke of genius.


    What no one knew was that this time, Tang Mo indeed had a bit of a headache. These gasoline engines were actually producing at an excess capacity; he had to give serious thought to how to use up the surplus engines.


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 Chapter 651: 610 more new equipment

    Chapter 651: 610 more new equipment


    ¡°`


    Some things are just so frustratingly tricky. Those in charge of organizing production know that the most perfect situation would be, that in a month, you produce 3 gears, 3 iron plates, and 3 rotors, which just enough to assemble into three motors.


    But in reality, what often happens is that you end up with 5 gears, 3 iron plates, and 1 rotor in a month. In the end, only one motor can be assembled, leaving 2 iron plates and 4 gears leftover.


    A perfect balance is also impractical, because if everything went just right, then suddenly if there¡¯s a need to produce some new item that requires an increase in gear production, it would become very troublesome.


    Therefore, how to balance the excess capacity without wasting too much and still meet sudden increased demand becomes a science.


    Tang Mo was now facing this problem. His engine production capacity was high, but the production of other parts couldn¡¯t keep up, so those engines were being produced for nothing.


    ...


    ¡°At this rate of production, they¡¯re going to have to shut down and stop production next month,¡± Parker said helplessly.


    The surplus engines produced, after setting aside those reserved for maintenance and replacements, and those for next month¡¯s tank chassis production, were still in excess.


    This meant that if similar engines continued to be produced next month, there would be even more inventory that couldn¡¯t be dealt with.


    What rendered Tang Mo speechless was that both Parker and Mathews knew that they were working hard to develop diesel engines to replace these gasoline engines.


    The surplus gasoline engines might end up completely idle, turning into useless excess materials, which would be a problem to handle at that time.


    ¡°It really is a troublesome issue,¡± Tang Mo knew that the Tang Army would soon be equipped with newer model tanks, which would be fitted with diesel engines, feature more advanced rear-positioned gearboxes, and sloped frontal armor designs.


    The current Type 4 tank chassis would continue to serve as a second-line support chassis, just like the current Type 2 tank chassis.


    So, after thinking for a while, he seemed to come up with an idea, slapped his forehead, and said to Parker, ¡°Wait here for a moment, I¡¯m going to get something.¡±


    After saying that, he stood up and quickly walked to the door, returning to his office. He then came back with a stack of blueprints.


    His troops still didn¡¯t have a proper infantry transport that could truly replace the half-track armored vehicles.


    Thus, an armored vehicle that could be mass-produced, was cheap and durable, and with almost no drawbacks except for high fuel consumption, seemed to be ready to be introduced.


    That¡¯s right, Tang Mo was planning to put the M113 armored personnel carrier into production, a very practical, economical, and ¡°outdated¡± armored vehicle that used gasoline engines.


    This thing had no cutting-edge technology, it was entirely a conceptual design. It appeared to replace the misguided half-track armored vehicles, similar to the BMP.


    However, the M113 used gasoline engines, which would consume Tang Mo¡¯s excess gasoline engine capacity, so there was no need to worry about the diesel engines required by the BMP-1 competing with their own diesel engine capacity¡ªperfect!


    ¡°These can make it easier for our Armored Grenadiers to keep up with our tanks¡¯ advance, allowing them to initiate attacks together with the tanks,¡± Tang Mo had been considering how to bring the concept of armored vehicles into use.


    Currently, in the Tang Army¡¯s combat units, there is only one type of tank, the No. 4 tank, and if you add in self-propelled guns and assault guns, there is at most one more based on the No. 2 tank chassis, which is quite straightforward.


    But with the addition of the M113 armored personnel carrier and the Cougar wheeled armored vehicle, the complexity of supply logistics instantly doubled from what it was before.


    The frontline soldiers must be over the moon. Damn, who cares about logistics¡ªwhoever does it is just out of luck. Plus, with the subsequent diesel engine tanks and more than five types of cars...


    Even Tang Mo himself felt it, yes, that was really a San Dezi kind of situation!


    Moreover, Luff, who stood by, imagined the various units the Tang Army had formed in his mind and suddenly realized a problem.


    Something was not right, very wrong indeed!


    Equipping the infantry with No. 4 assault guns and providing armored infantry with armored transport vehicles, both their actual and blueprint armored vehicles, as well as the No. 4 assault guns already being equipped to troops, were far more powerful than Shireck¡¯s tanks.


    You say, when your own infantry¡¯s combat power is stronger than the opponent¡¯s armored troops, this doesn¡¯t leave any path to survival for the opponent at all.


    The most frustrating part is that the reconnaissance units have been issued 8-wheel armored reconnaissance vehicles fitted with autocannons and machine guns, which are fiercer than the opponent¡¯s tanks. What¡¯s the point in the reconnaissance units sending back intelligence, why not just take out the enemies they spot themselves? Is there even a need to go through such pointless extra steps?


    Tang Mo had also realized this issue: the weapons and equipment he was issuing to the second-line units seemed to be stronger than the opponent¡¯s main battle equipment.


    But he couldn¡¯t be blamed for that! He gave the opponent a chance, but they just weren¡¯t up to it!


    Thinking of this, Tang Mo glanced at Luff and saw the same sentiment in his eyes: Shireck must be about to cry, and probably cry for a long time, right?


    Whether Shireck is crying or not, Parker doesn¡¯t know; all he knows is that he himself is about to cry. He came to report on the engine¡¯s overcapacity, and as a result, he ended up with two new production lines.


    Next month, not only does he have to modify the engines¡¯ design and production to meet the needs of the new equipment, but he also has to oversee the construction of two new factories... It¡¯s not just a matter of maxing work¡ªit¡¯s outright doubling!


    Why is it so tragic for him?


    Too bad he couldn¡¯t sigh and groan in front of Tang Mo, so he could only assure Tang Mo, ¡°Your Majesty, please rest assured! I will complete the task and strive to set up the new equipment production lines as early as possible!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard on you!¡± Tang Mo once again patted Parker on the shoulder, and this time he genuinely felt a bit sorry for his old pal, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Alice will help out.¡±


    Parker was almost in tears when this was brought up: That lady is much tougher than you. You at least offer words of consolation, but when she sets targets for me in her office, she does it as if it¡¯s the most natural thing in the world¡ªas if I should be grateful just for completing them, and if I don¡¯t, it¡¯s like I deserve a thousand cuts.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Happy holidays to everyone, and a happy birthday to our motherland!


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 Chapter 652: 611 Scrap-picking Shireck Consultants

    Chapter 652: 611 Scrap-picking Shireck Consultants


    The southern district of Beiyuan City has almost become a testing ground for the new weapons of the Tang Army.


    After several rounds of experimental volleys with their new type of rocket artillery here, the Tang Army deployed the No. 4 assault gun in the attack, covering the infantry as they advanced.


    It was the first time the soldiers of the Shen Army had encountered this kind of turret-less, low-profile, and exceedingly practical new ¡°Tank¡±.


    There was good reason to classify these armored vehicles as tanks, after all, these weapons indeed closely resembled tanks, and were even more effective against fixed targets.


    Not having a turret and being extremely low-profile meant that the No. 4 assault gun could evade most attacks on the battlefield; it could also comfortably approach targets due to its low height, and then open fire.


    This new weapon for infantry support was incredibly useful, and it was directly assigned to infantry commanders, ready for immediate use without waiting, providing very effective instant firepower.


    ...


    Whenever the infantry encountered obstacles during the attack, they could immediately appear on the battlefield and easily demolish those obstructing fire points with their 75mm caliber cannons.


    Don¡¯t think that the 75mm infantry gun is weak or lacks good methods against solid fortifications. In fact, this infantry cannon is quite powerful and can destroy a very wide variety of targets.


    Don¡¯t assume all defense works are like those three-meter-thick reinforced concrete permanent fortifications; such fire points or gun emplacements would even be important support points on the Maginot Line.


    Most defense works would be doing very well if they could even stack half a meter of concrete on the front side.


    When it came to such fire points, a 75mm caliber gun, in a direct fire situation, could take them out incredibly easily.


    With armored protection and the ability to easily cross obstacles with tracks, the No. 4 assault gun could advance very close to fire points and solve the problem with a single shot.


    If there were no assault guns, the soldiers would either have to wait for the arrival of tanks or blow up such targets with explosives by any means necessary.


    Or, they might risk pushing a 75mm infantry gun to close range to fire, but such a method would be too cumbersome, only resorted to by commanders when there was no other choice.


    When soldiers of the Shen Army first saw the No. 4 assault gun, they found that this headless tank could easily hide behind any reverse slope on the battlefield and fire at them with a barrage of ammunition; their days became even harder.


    How should I put it? All of a sudden, they felt like their already not so affluent life had taken another blow, a feeling of misery upon misfortune.


    Really, there was no way around it; the No. 4 assault gun, being only about 2 meters tall, could carry a radio set, a machine gun and a large cannon, as well as several dozen millimeters of armored steel plate, and drive up to within 50 meters of a Shen gun bunker¡ªhow could the battle still be fought?


    Thus, this entirely new tank intelligence was immediately sent to the distressed Shenwu Sanlang. At the same time, the advisors from the Shireck Consortium also learned of this news.


    Now, inside a nondescript civilian house in Beiyuan City, the advisors from Shireck were also presented with an array of captured Tang Army weaponry, a sight to behold.


    The advisors from Shireck didn¡¯t know that the Tang Army had already begun to equip their troops with more powerful assault rifles to replace the submachine guns that other countries hadn¡¯t massively equipped yet.


    ¡°But upon closer thought, is it possible to assume that Tang Country is already overburdened?¡± another Shireck advisor offered his opinion, ¡°The kind of new, turret-less tank they¡¯re producing... could it be because their resource supply can¡¯t keep up, and they have to simplify production to come up with such bizarre contraptions?¡±


    At this moment, Shireck¡¯s advisors still hadn¡¯t figured out that the No. 4 Assault Guns belonged to the infantry, so it was inevitable that some misjudgments would occur.


    Upon hearing this, it seemed as if a new world¡¯s door opened before several Shireck advisors: Yes, why would the Tang Army equip two types of weapons with similar functions?


    The forward-unthinking advisors of Shireck still categorized tanks as ¡°assault vehicles,¡± so in their view, tanks and assault guns performed the same type of tasks.


    Only the technicians from Great Tang Group, under the influence of Tang Mo, had classified tanks as combining the functionalities of both ¡°destroyer tanks¡± and ¡°assault vehicles.¡±


    The tank classifications were inherently different for the two sides, and obviously, Great Tang Group¡¯s classification was more accurate. Hence, the appearance of the No. 4 Assault Guns didn¡¯t fall within the understanding of Shireck¡¯s technicians.


    There was no helping it, as assault guns were indeed just a product of the times. In the future, their combat missions would be divided between infantry fighting vehicles and tanks, disappearing into the annals of history.


    ¡°What you said makes sense! Are they trying to save costs?¡± With the train of thought unlocked, Shireck¡¯s advisor began to speculate.


    ¡°That must be the case, otherwise why not equip the troops with the same type of tanks? Isn¡¯t that more appropriate?¡± someone nearby agreed.


    ¡°Should we send a telegram back home right away? And let Shen Country know this news as well?¡± Excited voices began to emerge, encouraging everyone.


    ¡°Yes! Not just Shen Country, we should let the Dahua Empire, Ice Cold Empire, Laines Empire, and Dorne Empire know as well!¡± another person clapped his hands, as if he had discovered the truth.


    In their eyes, the Great Tang Kingdom that was nearly at the end of its rope, seemed like a decrepit house that would collapse if someone just gave it a kick.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not delay! Quick! Send a message back to headquarters right away! Have Lady Sofia broadcast this news!¡± the lead advisor hurriedly said.


    He knew that, whether or not his speculation was correct, the news would ultimately be sent out¡ªbecause everyone needed a reason, a reason to suppress Tang Country.


    As long as they released this favorable news, naturally, there would be people who chose to believe it, and then join the war against Tang Country.


    Just like sharks that sense the scent of blood.


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 Chapter 653: Fleet 612 found

    Chapter 653: Fleet 612 found


    ¡°Prioritize allocating the stocked Thompson submachine guns to the Navy for use,¡± Alice commanded without looking up, addressing the officials on both sides of the meeting room.


    ¡°They don¡¯t have an urgent need for close combat; it¡¯s merely a matter of standard equipment. Using the Type 56 submachine gun is the same as using the Thompson,¡± she explained briefly before turning to the next agenda item.


    Since Tang Moyuan was directing the battle from Anpu, those stationed in Chang¡¯an included a few princesses, among whom were Yulin and Alice.


    Yulin, who graduated from the military academy, has been focusing on personnel recruitment and conscription, while Alice has been entrusted with production and economic matters.


    Alice, who was always keen on such affairs in Northern Ridge, naturally excelled, arranging everything in an orderly fashion.


    ¡°First, issue the Type 56 submachine guns to the Armored Corps. They have a demand for this kind of weapon. Assign one gun per vehicle to start, and consider increasing the number once production ramps up,¡± she said, already moving on to the matter of the Type 56 pistols.


    ...


    Great Tang Group recently standardized three types of weapons, all named with the number 56, which has become the answer for the naming convention of light weapons for the Great Tang Kingdom going forward.


    The previous method of using odd letter combinations has been entirely phased out in favor of a simple numerical naming pattern.


    In the future, the AKM assault rifles produced by Tang Group will be called the Type 56 assault rifles, the MP-5 submachine guns will be renamed as Type 56 submachine guns, and the Beretta 92F pistols will be called Type 56 pistols. In short, the light weapons of the Great Tang Kingdom will be dominated by the number 56 for the foreseeable future.


    ¡°For pistols, prioritize the troops that need sidearms: the artillery, motorized infantry, and logistics personnel... And let¡¯s switch the officers to the Type 56 pistols,¡± Alice declared the pistol rearming plan without discussion.


    She was decisive when it came to handling matters, rarely considering other opinions, because she believed her approach was the best.


    In fact, she was indeed excellent at coordinating such intricate rearming plans to perfection.


    Due to the expansion of the armed forces, the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s previous policy of well-trained soldiers actually started to lag behind developmental needs.


    The Tang Army used to issue pistols to all infantry, but it was later found to be somewhat wasteful: in most situations, soldiers never had the chance to use their sidearms because submachine guns were so widespread within the Tang Army.


    Therefore, subsequent units were generally equipped only with primary weapons, and the provision of pistols was not continued.


    This approach not only simplified logistics but also streamlined soldiers¡¯ training: it¡¯s not just about handing out weapons; if a soldier needs to master two types of weapons, they require two kinds of training, which is an additional training cost.


    Moreover, beyond training costs, there were also maintenance expenses. All weapons required regular upkeep, oiling, and cleaning, which indirectly added to the soldiers¡¯ own burden.


    Plus, carrying two types of ammunition imposed an extra burden on the soldiers. If they didn¡¯t carry a secondary weapon and its ammo, they could carry one or two more primary weapon magazines, which clearly increased their firepower sustainability.


    Therefore, while having a pistol at the waist looks cool, it isn¡¯t necessarily of much use in actual combat. There are benefits to carrying it, and reasons not to.


    Thus, Alice¡¯s directive to prioritize new pistols for officers, artillerymen, motorized infantry, and logistics personnel was quite sensible.


    Due to the frequent nature of the patrols, everyone had grown too lazy to use any codenames. Words like honeybee, blossom, dragon¡¯s nest, and the like, had been used almost to the point of exhaustion.


    ¡°Eastern patrol group, coordinates 117, 219... two unidentified ships spotted, please verify identity! Please verify identity.¡± The radio operator on board the plane, having taken the coordinate information from the navigator, reported loudly. The Flying Fortress was so large that its crew could even walk around inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m checking the shipping list! Keep a close watch on this fleet.¡± In the command tower, the duty officer grabbed the shipping list to start checking.


    ¡°Third ship spotted! It¡¯s a large fleet!¡± The two Flying Fortress Bombers, already adjusting their course, spotted a third warship.


    The planes, definitely faster than the ships, quickly discovered more targets after adjusting their course specifically to circle around.


    ¡°Fourth ship! Fifth ship! Lots of ships! Reduce altitude! Maybe we can confirm if they are warships or not!¡± the pilot on the navigating plane started to descend, once again passing over the top of the entire fleet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless! Keep your distance!¡± echoed a reminder in the headset from the command tower, ¡°I¡¯m still looking at the shipping list! It takes time!¡±


    ¡°I think... you no longer need to check the shipping list!¡± shouted the pilot on the now-lower plane, opening the throat microphone.


    ¡°They have deck guns! They have turrets! They are warships! These ships are warships! Damn it!¡± he yelled at the command tower as he flew past a Shireck-made warship that was picking up speed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also found the shipping information; there shouldn¡¯t be any transports at your location! Damn it! Sound the alarm! Sound the combat alert! We¡¯ve found the enemy fleet!¡± Excited, the command tower even forgot to close the line.


    ¡°Stay on them! I¡¯ll immediately dispatch planes to relieve you!¡± The duty officer quickly picked up the communicator again and ordered loudly, ¡°Gain altitude! Just maintain contact! Be careful! Don¡¯t be impulsive!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a patrol plane! Sir! I¡¯m not carrying any bombs! Repeat, I can¡¯t launch an attack!¡± the pilot explained helplessly. He couldn¡¯t attack even if he wanted to. What was he supposed to do, ram the plane into the enemy ship? Ridiculous!


    Obviously, the fleet below had also spotted the two circling bombers. On the deck, some personnel began to look up into the sky, pointing at the two Flying Fortress Bombers.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been discovered!¡± a Shireck navy officer inside the bridge turned to the Gobur Kingdom¡¯s navy commander-in-chief.


    ¡°It was only a matter of time. Didn¡¯t the telegram say they had a new type of weapon called airplanes, fast... It¡¯s only logical to use them,¡± said the Gobur navy commander with a wry smile.


    He grabbed the binoculars and looked toward the planes in the distant sky, ¡°I¡¯ve already advised three times against this operation... But you wouldn¡¯t agree.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice...¡± The Shireck officer smiled bitterly too, ¡°After the airship incident, I also felt this attack... wouldn¡¯t be so easily successful.¡±


    ¡°If the enemy warships are nearby and we get discovered, we¡¯re finished,¡± said the Gobur navy commander, putting down his binoculars and pointing at the distant planes, ¡°Too bad... we¡¯ve already been discovered!¡±


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 Chapter 654: Crazy Bombing Plan 613

    Chapter 654: Crazy Bombing Plan 613


    ¡°Hurry! Hurry! Move faster!¡± clutching his parachute, a pilot sprinted forward while urging the ground crew following him.


    The young members of the ground crew held bright orange life jackets and fuel sticks that could burn intensely as they ran towards their planes.


    As they ran, they donned their gear with the base¡¯s alarm blaring shrilly; all the duty pilots were already preparing to strike.


    On the runway, one plane after another was being fueled, with ground crew members running back and forth with hoses.


    Special vehicles laden with ammunition for the bombers trembled as they drove past the planes being prepped, as ground crew awkwardly removed 500-kilogram aerial bombs from their racks.


    Technicians constantly checked the condition of their aircraft; all instruments had to function normally, and engines had to be in good working order to carry out bombing missions.


    ...


    Shouts were everywhere, people used hand signals to pass messages, and the first planes prepped were being pushed to the long takeoff runway.


    The Stuka Dive Bombers were ready¡ªthough their range was not as far as the Flying Fortress and they had smaller payloads, they had one advantage: precision!


    In an age without missiles, how to accurately drop bombs on the enemy¡¯s head from high altitude was always a topic, a tough one that made countless engineers scratch their heads.


    To solve this, dive bombers were introduced, minimizing the bombing distance, lowering the altitude, and aiming at the target with the nose of the plane¡ªthe dive bomber was the most accurate air-to-ground attack solution of its era.


    The same was true for naval combat! Dive bombers could drop bombs as close as possible to warships, with a precision that was noticeably higher than that of the Flying Fortress.


    However, this time, the Flying Fortress would also participate in the attack, these massive planes were to launch an attack in a rare, desperate manner against the enemy.


    ¡°Let the Stuka Dive Bombers attack first! If they cripple the enemy fleet, our low-level bombing can proceed more easily!¡± an officer under the wings of the Flying Fortress stressed the discipline of this bombing run to all the participating pilots.


    The tactic they were adopting was insane, reliant solely on the enemy¡¯s lack of serious anti-aircraft firepower.


    ¡°All flying altitudes are set at 1,000 meters! Keep formation! If the enemy has anti-aircraft weapons firing, do not make evasive maneuvers!¡± he said, demonstrating with gestures and repeatedly stressing the importance of maintaining formation.


    Carpet bombing, covering the enemy fleet with a rain of bombs, might be an insane early aerial naval combat tactic.


    After finishing his briefing, the officer also comforted the somewhat anxious pilots, ¡°Theoretically, the enemy doesn¡¯t have powerful anti-air weapons! The Maxim gun is the best they can find!¡±


    You see, the Flying Fortress was not designed for low-altitude bombing; such tactics certainly ensured coverage efficiency but also meant significant risks for these large aircraft.


    The ground crew member laughed and patted the pilot on the shoulder, ¡°Heh-heh-heh-heh! If you are afraid of dying, fly back here, bomb our enemies into the sea, and let them feed the sharks!¡± After finishing, he turned to help the machine gun operator, or perhaps the navigator, behind him.


    ¡°Right! Let them feed the sharks!¡± The navigator echoed loudly with a laugh.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The pilot also started to laugh.


    On another Stuka plane nearby, the pilot had already pressed the transmit button and loudly tested, ¡°Radio check!¡±


    The voice from the tower came through clear and distinct, ¡°Radio check complete! Communication normal! The channel is very clean!¡±


    The pilot was also very satisfied with the signal, ¡°I can hear you! Command tower, command tower, the signal is very clear!¡±


    Since the plane could trail a very long communications antenna on its back, and because the interference was relatively weaker in the sky, the aircraft¡¯s radio communication was actually much less disturbed than that of the Tank Troops.


    From the tower, permission to take off was transmitted, ¡°You are cleared for takeoff! Pay attention to the radio navigation signals.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± The pilot adjusted the plane, aligning it with the runway. The engine roared laboriously into life, and the propeller, spinning rapidly, vanished from the pilot¡¯s view.


    ¡°The lead Flying Fortress is at your 3 o¡¯clock!¡± At the same time as this plane shot off the runway and left the ground, the reminder from the tower reached the pilot¡¯s headset.


    ¡°Climb! I¡¯m in front of you!¡± The lead plane was already waiting in the air, ¡°Climb, climb! Begin formation!¡±


    ¡°What a joke, do we have fighter escorts?¡± The Stuka pilot muttered as he climbed, spotting the formations of Butcher Fighters in the sky.


    ¡°They¡¯re not escort fighters; they¡¯re on attack missions like you guys, just responsible for cover,¡± the navigator behind him explained.


    ¡°Cover?¡± the pilot mumbled in surprise, not believing these fighters had any offensive capabilities against naval targets.


    ¡°Yes, cover!¡± The navigator affirmed with a nod, not caring that the pilot couldn¡¯t see him.


    ¡°Hope they don¡¯t get in the way then,¡± the pilot gave up on questioning and controlled the plane to catch up with the lead aircraft. A dark mass of Stuka Dive Bombers surged towards the distant horizon of the sea.


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 Chapter 655: Between Sea and Sky 614

    Chapter 655: Between Sea and Sky 614


    ¡°`


    ¡°Woo... Woo...¡± The red alarm above our heads spun and flashed a frightening glow. In the narrow corridor, the Navy soldiers in white shirts scrambled toward their battle stations with rapid steps.


    On the bridge, the duty officer stood with his hands behind his back and chin raised, overlooking the deck at the bow. The sailors there were quickly gathering the clothes drying on the ship¡¯s railings.


    Drying clothes and sheets on warships is actually a naval tradition among various countries¡ªwhether during the age of sailing warships or the era of ironclad battleships.


    It was only after warships were equipped with specialized drying facilities that this practice of airing out laundry gradually declined.


    Moreover, to accommodate this airing of laundry, naval warships would sometimes utilize the masts to hoist ropes, much like setting sails, to sun-dry a large number of sheets and bedding at the same time.


    ...


    Such large-scale drying of clothes is, of course, allowed and institutionalized. On days with particularly good weather, the captain would announce a ¡°Laundry Day,¡± allowing all officers and sailors to wash and dry their clothes, ensuring they were fresh and dry.


    Long-term combat at sea requires maintenance of dry, comfortable clothing to prevent bacterial growth, which is also a guarantee of combat readiness.


    As for whether clothes and sheets could be hung on the cannons... in fact, the cannon barrels are quite thick, and using words like spread out or flattened would be more appropriate.


    In reality, during non-combat time, it¡¯s not unusual for soldiers to lie on the deck, sunbathing on top of the cannons or turrets, which does not directly reflect the Navy¡¯s combat effectiveness.


    Thus, the yarns about some navy soldiers drying bedding and clothes on warship cannons, thereby revealing a breakdown in discipline that is exploited by the enemy, leading to defeat in the war, are just to get a laugh and shouldn¡¯t be taken seriously.


    ¡°How much longer do we need?¡± Bernard strode into the bridge, followed by his aide-de-camp. The two came to the side of the duty officer, and the Great Tang Navy Commander asked urgently.


    ¡°The boilers need another four hours to prepare... The Air Force attack squadrons have already taken off,¡± the officer on duty replied embarrassingly to his superior¡¯s question.


    All Navy officers knew how anxious Bernard was. They had been waiting too long in these waters, so long that it was difficult to keep their heads held high.


    The Army was bleeding in a hard-fought battle under the walls of Beiyuan City, the Air Force had already changed the war¡¯s momentum, but the Navy, having spent a fortune, hadn¡¯t even fired a shot since the war began!


    This was truly humiliating!


    Keep in mind the cost of a single dreadnought is a staggering million Gold Coins! Thick steel, huge cannons, precision optical sights... If all of that were converted into Tanks, it could probably equip several divisions!


    Moreover, every time a naval warship set sail, it consumed vast amounts of fuel and needed provisions and supplies, making it a veritable gold-devouring monster.


    Yet such a powerful naval fleet often found itself aimlessly patrolling at sea, on standby because they could not locate the enemy fleet or determine the situation.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do; it can¡¯t be rushed,¡± Bernard said in return, comforting his subordinate. He moved to his own position, and his expression seemed much more relaxed than the day before.


    Seeing the curiosity of his subordinates, Bernard explained, ¡°Now that we¡¯ve found the enemy, everything is starting to look up. As long as we wipe out this enemy fleet, we can head north!¡±


    Even the older Ironclad Warships had Maxim heavy machine guns equipped for small targets on their decks. These machine guns were not designed for anti-air use, but they could serve some purpose against aircraft.


    However, it was quite clear that relying on those Maxims, which lacked anti-air sights and tracer bullets to adjust fire, was not a good idea.


    Sadly, these were the only weapons Shireck¡¯s raiding fleet had at their disposal, so they had no choice but to find a way to increase their anti-air firepower.


    So, soldiers within the warship¡¯s cabin who had no other duties took the individual weapons stored in the armory and hurriedly rushed to the deck.


    Shireck Type 1 rifles! These were all they could find. In order to survive, they had to stand on the deck, aiming at the dive bombers that were already climbing, preparing to fight for their lives with rifles.


    ¡°Damn! Turn the ship! Tell the fleet to turn! We can¡¯t just wait here to die!¡± The Shireck commander, finally snapping out of it, began to scream hysterically.


    He certainly hadn¡¯t thought that sneaking up on Dragon Island this time was a suicide mission. He believed his fleet would be difficult for the enemy to find and thought he could approach Dragon Island under the cover of night and then bombard Tang Country¡¯s vital oil and gas facilities.


    Then, amidst the chaos, using high speed, he would quickly escape, complete the mission and become Shireck¡¯s savior...


    Although he wavered when the airship troops were wiped out, the follow-up order was for him to continue the mission, and with no other choice, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.


    At this moment, he finally realized that this operation was likely just a suicide run, a reckless probe with no effect whatsoever!


    ¡°Turn the ship!¡± The commander of the Gobur Kingdom Navy also felt that continuing forward was akin to a death sentence and thus also ordered, ¡°All warships, turn around! Cover each other until we break free from the battlefield!¡±


    In the sky above, through the windshield, the Tang Army pilots looked down at the fleet on the sea below. The hurried turning of the warships caused the white waves on their sides to become asymmetrical, and all the warships in the fleet began to trace a beautiful arc across the sea.


    ¡°Begin the attack! Cut in from the rear! Dive! Dive!¡± The commander¡¯s voice came loudly over the communication channel of the first batch of attacking Stuka Dive Bombers.


    These Stukas, already stripped of their sirens, fell one after another from the clouds, angling their noses towards the giant targets on the sea.


    In their sights, the targets, once the size of sesame seeds, gradually enlarged to the size of willow leaves.


    Then, these willow-leaf-sized targets grew even larger, to the point where the pale yellow color of the deck wood became distinguishable.


    The warship¡¯s gun turrets, bridge, and chimneys began to stand out, and the flight paths of the tracer bullets fired by the leading Stukas could be clearly seen.


    ¡°Rat-tat-tat-tat!¡± As the distance closed, the pilot of Stuka Dive Bomber also pulled the trigger, with the autocannons on the wings roaring to life.


    The sailors on the opposing deck were thrown into chaos, while the soldiers holding rifles ducked and scattered, no longer caring about incoming aircraft.


    ¡°Clack!¡± At a very close altitude to the warship, the pilot released the 500-kilogram bomb mounted under the belly of his plane. The huge bomb, propped up by the release rod, detached from the plane, avoided the propeller in front, and headed towards the warship on the sea below.


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 Chapter 656: 615 fierce Aerial Bomb

    Chapter 656: 615 fierce Aerial Bomb


    If dive bombing a destroyer or cruiser during World War II, the hit rate was actually not as high as one might imagine.


    Aircraft attacking ships in the WWII era was not an easy task, facing the dense anti-aircraft fire on the warships, it was generally difficult for aircraft to obtain a very good attack window.


    The anti-aircraft guns on warships were not meant to shoot down aircraft but to force them to attack from less than ideal distances or angles, creating opportunities for the warships to evade torpedoes or bombs.


    But without such dense and continuous anti-aircraft firepower, warships stood little chance against aircraft.


    As long as there was an angle not covered by the barrage, aircraft could use it to make a close approach, creating damage and consequently causing the warship to lose more anti-aircraft gun positions, trapping the warship in a vicious cycle.


    Additionally, in the WWII era, whether it was a battleship or cruisers and destroyers, they all had fairly high speeds.


    ...


    Upon encountering enemy aircraft, they would quickly perform S-maneuvers to dodge potential torpedoes and bombs.


    These warships¡¯ speeds were at least 25 knots and some even reached a high speed of up to 35 knots¡ªhitting a warship moving in such a frantic manner actually required a lot of experience and luck.


    Unfortunately, the Shireck fleet in front of them didn¡¯t have the conditions to resist: they had no dedicated anti-air weapons; not to mention an anti-air barrage, they didn¡¯t even have anti-aircraft guns.


    Besides, the general cruising speed of these warships, after conversion, was only in the teens, relying on such ¡°damaged speed¡± to dodge bomb attacks was downright delusional.


    The first aerial bomb pierced the surface of the sea and then exploded, raising a huge splash. The column of water shot up even higher than the Stuka dive bomber that had just pulled up.


    The destructive power of a 500-kilogram aerial bomb was quite astonishing; even if it didn¡¯t hit the warship directly, it still caused the entire ship to sway.


    The soldiers on the deck of Shireck were scared pale, grasping whatever was within reach to prevent being thrown into the sea.


    Some of the unlucky ones even dropped their rifles in order to stay upright, having never seen such a tall column of water in their lifetimes!


    Before the splashes had a chance to fall, another new aerial bomb plunged down, directly smashing the thin deck of the warship.


    Although the horizontal armor of these warships was a few tens of millimeters thick to make them a bit sturdier, to say this armor was of much use was a joke.


    Their design was primarily to withstand naval guns with calibers ranging from dozens of millimeters to about a hundred millimeters at long distances.


    But what pierced through this layer of armor was a 500-kilogram aerial bomb! Its speed and weight were something that the thin layer of armor could not withstand.


    The bomb instantly pierced through the deck, shattered the wood planking, and smashed the steel plates, leaving twisted edges around the breach.


    But more planes began to dive, with the pilots in the shaking cockpits trying to align their sights as closely as possible to the warships sailing below.


    Occasionally, a bullet would fly head-on, but it couldn¡¯t cause any damage. At the lowest point near the warship, the pilots pressed the bomb release button, continuing to drop bombs near these warships.


    Some bombs fell into the water, causing columns of water. Others hit the warships directly, replicating the previous explosions.


    For these technologically unadvanced warships, the power of a 500-kilogram aerial bomb was terrifying.


    Basically, as long as there was a direct hit, whether the bomb struck the ammunition depot or the boiler area, it would cause catastrophic damage.


    Great Tang Group had never sold advanced warships, especially battleships with innovative armor designs. Shireck was completely groping in the dark when it came to warship design, following a hapless, surface-gloss approach.


    This crude imitation and replication, supported by the power systems and artillery sold by the Tang Group, was barely usable. But it was revealed to be sorely lacking at the critical moment.


    Inexperienced armor design, unscientific compartment designs, sacrificing critical area armor for speed, and an even non-existent firefighting and emergency repair system...


    All of these made today¡¯s unusual naval battle gruesome. Tang Army¡¯s planes dived one after another to drop bombs, keeping a wide distance between them to avoid interference.


    And on the sea surface, Shireck¡¯s ambush fleet was left with nothing but despair. In the blink of an eye, three of their warships had been sunk, and they only had 45 warships in total.


    ¡°Should we let the fleet scatter?¡± Shireck¡¯s commander was seriously contemplating a breakup, everyone for themselves.


    ¡°If we scatter, without mutual cover, won¡¯t we die even faster?¡± The Gobur Kingdom¡¯s Navy Commander-in-Chief glanced at him and dismissed the suggestion.


    Then, the Gobur officer proposed his own idea, ¡°We only have one choice now, surrender! Raise the white flag and pray they treat prisoners of war with courtesy.¡±


    ¡°Impossible! Absolutely not!¡± Shireck¡¯s commander glared at the Gobur Kingdom¡¯s Navy Commander-in-Chief with anger in his tone, ¡°We must never surrender! Even if these warships sink, we can¡¯t hand them over to the enemy!¡±


    A warship, no matter how inferior, is still a warship! Handing these warships over to the Great Tang Kingdom would increase the kingdom¡¯s naval fleet strength even more.


    Therefore, for Shireck¡¯s commander, the complete annihilation of the warships here was more acceptable than surrendering.


    ¡°Then our only choice is to accelerate away from here.¡± The Gobur Kingdom¡¯s Navy Commander-in-Chief knew the other party would never agree, so he could only smile bitterly and speak up.


    He had no choice but to follow Shireck¡¯s commands; his country was already shackled to Shireck¡¯s chariot, his family, his everything no longer belonged to him, ¡°Keep holding on, let¡¯s see whether we all die first or their planes run out of ammunition.¡±


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 Chapter 657: 616 rifle air defense combat

    Chapter 657: 616 rifle air defense combat


    ¡°They¡¯re turning around! They¡¯re fleeing into the distance...¡± said a pilot from the cockpit of a Stuka Dive Bomber that had run out of bombs, staring at the enemy warship below.


    Through the headphones, came the voice of a pilot from another plane, ¡°This is easier than expected, they¡¯re not making evasive maneuvers!¡±


    ¡°I told you the instructor was overestimating them! They¡¯ve never seen planes before, how could they possibly have practiced evasive maneuvers?¡± Meanwhile, other pilots joined in with the ridicule.


    In reality, during the age of sail warships, the navies of various countries did have some corresponding tactics, but the generational change in warships led these tactics to become extinct.


    The Great Tang Group developed the ironclad warship, which, whether in terms of speed, defense, or firepower, significantly surpassed previous ships, making naval battles seem like a chasing game.


    After various countries had re-equipped their fleets with the new ironclads, they didn¡¯t fully grasp the tactics suited for these modern warships.


    ...


    To put it simply, they weren¡¯t quite proficient in using the new warships and hadn¡¯t completely adapted to modern naval warfare. This included the naval battles between the Poplar Kingdom and the Songmu Kingdom, where both sides suffered great losses because their tactics were essentially rigid.


    Everyone would just charge forward and exchange fire directly with the enemy at close range, much like the strategies of the sail ship era.


    In such an environment, naval combat tactics had actually regressed, and within a very short period, everyone seemed to have forgotten what naval battles used to look like.


    Yet another warship was hit and caught fire, crippled and waiting to sink¡ªafter it exploded, the entire hull began to tilt to one side, the warship¡¯s listing past the point of no return.


    Soon, the masks of the warship fell sideways into the sea, the bodies on deck along with debris all slid into the water, and the underside of the hull emerged above the surface, surprisingly not yet covered with many barnacles.


    Shireck had been continuously producing warships at full capacity, with their shipyards churning out Shireck Destroyers, a simplified copy of those made by Great Tang¡¯s industry.


    These warships, being somewhat stronger in firepower, were favored by various countries. Everyone was frantically purchasing them, and the numbers in use even exceeded that of the Great Tang Group¡¯s simplified destroyers.


    New warships had just been built, and before barnacles even had the chance to grow, they were sunk here, a truly regrettable and painful loss.


    If all this steel could be sent to Tang Country, perhaps dozens more tanks could be produced, it seems another armored battalion could be armed.


    Not far from this capsizing warship, another, larger cruiser was also slowly sinking.


    Compared to Shireck¡¯s destroyers, Shireck¡¯s cruisers appeared to be a bit sturdier. It wasn¡¯t capsizing or breaking apart, just sinking slowly, nothing more.


    Unlike the dramatic explosions and twisted fractures of other ships, this warship was quite fortunate. Its ammunition depot did not detonate, and the power chambers were relatively intact.


    It was only that the side of the hull had been blown open with a hole, and seawater was pouring in, with no one to stop the inevitable, as everyone on board had already abandoned ship and jumped into the sea.


    The sea was littered with sailors who had gone overboard, some clumped together, others scattered about.


    Two seconds later, a massive explosion blew away half of the bridge, and the warship¡¯s smokestack collapsed to one side. Another warship was thus cut off from the fleet, slowing down gradually until it came to a final halt, lying motionless and slowly sinking in the sea.


    Compared to the bombs that hit warships, there were actually more bombs lost at sea. After all, training is training, and actual combat is something entirely different.


    The fact that pilots with only bombing training managed such brilliant results on their first naval attack wasn¡¯t so much a testament to their strength as it was to the weakness of their opponents.


    How does the saying go? ¡°It¡¯s all about outshining your peers¡±: When navy commanders had yet to learn how to maneuver in an S-pattern, a high bombing hit rate was hardly surprising.


    However, there were still some smart individuals. One Shireck Destroyer quickly began to turn, but it was unclear whether it was to leave the fleet or simply to confuse the adversaries in the sky.


    By turning, the Shireck Destroyer avoided a bomb headed for it. After the bomb splashed into the water, the Shireck Destroyer changed course again with another turn!


    It wasn¡¯t apparent during the first turn, but after two consecutive maneuvers, the dive bombers¡¯ pilots noticed the pattern: the enemy had instinctively innovated a way to dodge bombs.


    Although its speed was low and there wasn¡¯t much anti-aircraft protection, these two successive maneuvers still reflected the intense survival instincts of the captain-commander on the destroyer.


    However, this quick-witted move by the Shireck Destroyer was not a widespread phenomenon. Most of the Shireck ships within the surprise-attacked fleet still acted confused and passive, like sitting ducks.


    Thus, the subsequent Stuka Dive Bombers, concerned with efficiency, abandoned the agile destroyer and rushed toward those seemingly stunned targets.


    Soon, another warship caught fire and exploded, and some of its shrapnel even landed on the deck of a nearby ship.


    This first historical air-to-sea battle in the world was clearly a resounding victory for the Air Force: so far not a single aircraft had been shot down, yet seven or eight warships had been sunk!


    The soldiers in the water looked up at the sky, watching enemy planes circle their warships like vultures, feeling indescribable emotions.


    As for their own fate, it was uncertain, since they didn¡¯t even know if any vessel would come to pick them up.


    Drifting at sea for too long, even those who could swim would eventually perish¡ªthey had no sufficient life-saving equipment, as the small boats from the warships had already sunk with the ships to the ocean floor.


    Before long, sharks would arrive to gnaw at the bodies floating on the surface. Then they would be attracted to the living people bobbing in the water, attempting to upgrade their meals.


    ¡°Help! Save me! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Finally, someone cracked under the pressure and started to cry out. Waving their hands at the sky, they hoped someone would notice them in the water.


    Though the chances were slim, at least they could... have that one in a million chance to survive.


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 Chapter 658: 617 horizontal bombing

    Chapter 658: 617 horizontal bombing


    ¡°We¡¯re finished.¡± As he watched warships catching fire and exploding in the distance, the Navy Commander of the Gobur Kingdom turned his head and said to Commander Shireck beside him, ¡°My family works for your company and gets paid by you, so I have no choice but to stay here. But in fact, you know better than I do that our best option right now is actually to surrender.¡±


    ¡°Impossible! If we surrender, I, you, all of our families, none of us will have a good ending! You know this better than I do!¡± In turn, Commander Shireck pointed his finger at the Navy Commander of the Gobur Kingdom, loudly reminding him.


    They had long since sold their souls to the devil, and everything they had no longer belonged to them. So they had no choice but to follow this path into the darkness.


    The Navy Commander of the Gobur Kingdom sighed. He knew he had no choice, so he moved his chest away from the other¡¯s finger and continued to watch the distant sea, watching another warship blow up.


    They brought a total of 45 warships, and now only 30 remained, fleeing like panicked deer chased by a pack of wolves.


    They ran in a frenzy, as the wolves behind them kept slaughtering them relentlessly, until the entire army was lost without any chance of escape.


    ...


    In despair, he closed his eyes, not wanting to see those hopeless scenes. But the terrifying sound of explosions still echoed in his ears, making his body tremble uncontrollably.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Another Stuka Dive Bomber dropped its bomb. This time it missed, exploding in the sea and creating a huge splash, making the warships nearby seem much smaller by comparison.


    There were still many Tang Army planes, but indeed few carried bombs. After all, most Stuka Dive Bombers had been sent to the Qi Country front, and there weren¡¯t many left.


    However, these few remaining Stuka Dive Bombers made such a shocking impression with their attacks that they left a deep mark on everyone.


    Seeing these damn Tang Army planes buzzing around like flies that wouldn¡¯t go away, Commander Shireck became agitated again.


    He always felt that his warship would be sunk soon, even feeling as if he could already sense the soggy feeling of being submerged in the water.


    ¡°We should think of a way...¡± He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he heard the crew outside the bridge shouting loudly.


    He saw them pointing at the distant sky, seemingly spotting some remarkable sight. He quickly pushed past the other officers on the bridge and went to the wing bridge, looking up to see groups of Flying Fortress Bombers.


    The Flying Fortress Bombers flew at a very low altitude, so low that one could see the bomb bays already open on the planes skimming above the sea.


    These bombers were arranged in a very dense formation, like dark clouds obscuring the sky, evoking a sense of despair in anyone who looked at them.


    Even the Navy Commander of the Gobur Kingdom, who had never seen such a sight, became panic-stricken, as the bombers were obviously planning to fly across his entire fleet.


    This action couldn¡¯t be a mere whim; it had to be based on some rationale. At that thought, he immediately had a bad premonition.


    Soon, he witnessed what these planes were really up to. As the first bomb dropped, a rain of bombs began to fall from the large bombers.


    Then, a second bomb exploded in the middle part of the ship, swallowing a Maxim heavy machine gun that was firing at the sky, along with its gunner whose body was shattered into pieces, which, alongside the Maxim¡¯s parts, were flung into the sky.


    Another bomb then struck the bow of Shireck¡¯s fleet flagship, blowing away the turret there. Thick smoke obscured the bridge¡¯s view as the fiery gusts poured into the bridge, and the foul stench of char made it hard to breathe.


    Since the bombs carried by the Flying Fortress bombers were relatively small, mostly 250 kilograms and some even smaller aerial bombs, their penetration effect was slightly lacking.


    Furthermore, most of these bombs hadn¡¯t yet been fitted with the cutting-edge delay fuses and were only equipped with traditional impact fuses.


    Such fuses are generally less effective when it comes to damaging a ship¡¯s hull, but they are exceedingly effective at destroying the superstructure of a warship.


    Even though being hit by these bombs didn¡¯t cause the warships to take on water rapidly and sink quickly, after such a blanket bombing, the ships¡¯ speeds had all decreased, and their deck firepower had almost completely fallen silent.


    Barely managing to get on his feet, the commander in chief of the Gobur Kingdom¡¯s Navy, leaning on the nautical chart table with his hand, surveyed the havoc within the bridge.


    Some, injured by the vibrations, lay bloodied on the floor, while others got up staggering, their arms clearly broken.


    Although they hadn¡¯t been directly hit, it wasn¡¯t easy for the commanders inside the bridge. By the time they remembered who they were, their warship had already begun to tilt slightly.


    The explosions and vibrations hadn¡¯t directly destroyed the hull, but they were still able to twist the steel plates, leaving cracks and gaps in the ship¡¯s body. The seawater pouring in from these wounds was not inconsiderable, and without proper damage control, it could become even more severe.


    ¡°Quick! Repair it! Repair the warship!¡± The somewhat experienced commander in chief of the Gobur Kingdom¡¯s Navy immediately issued the order. Having commanded sailing warships, he knew full well the catastrophic consequences if the ironclad warship wasn¡¯t saved in time.


    The commander from Shireck, who had just managed to get up, was already shell-shocked. Lacking any real combat experience, and having just walked through death¡¯s door, he was paralyzed by fear.


    The other warships at the front were now engulfed in the rain of bombs dropped in the carpet bombing, catching fire and exploding one after another.


    The entire fleet had descended into an inferno. Aboard the leading warship, a gunner heroically raised his Maxim heavy machine gun and aimed at the dense cloud of bombers overhead, squeezing the trigger.


    ¡°Die, you devils! Ah!¡± He roared desperately as the side of the machine gun rattled with the jumping chain of bullets, and the casings clinked crisply as they fell onto the deck at his feet.


    As he screamed, an aerial bomb plummeted straight down, growing ever larger in his eyes. Eventually, the bomb hit the machine gun¡¯s position and exploded, engulfing everything around it instantly.


    The formation of Flying Fortress bombers roared past the fiery explosion, startling the pilot of one aircraft that was suddenly hit by bullets.


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 Chapter 659: 618 falling flying fortress

    Chapter 659: 618 falling flying fortress


    ¡°Damn it! We¡¯ve been hit!¡± the pilot flying the aircraft found his control stick had become heavy, and as he tried to regain the feel of controlling the plane, he realized that his aircraft wasn¡¯t responding at all.


    ¡°My control stick is malfunctioning! Co-pilot! Take over the controls! Quick!¡± Seeing that there might be a problem with the plane, the pilot yelled at the co-pilot.


    Then he saw the co-pilot clutching his thigh, looking at him with a pained expression. A bullet had come from below, piercing the fuselage of the plane and going through the co-pilot¡¯s thigh, apparently also puncturing the roof of the cabin.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s been shot! Someone¡¯s been shot!¡± Watching the blood flowing from the co-pilot¡¯s thigh staining his pants red, the captain almost forgot that his aircraft seemed to have lost control.


    He grabbed the control stick, realizing it had completely lost control over the plane; he looked through the side window at the wing next to him and saw one of the engines still emitting black smoke.


    It seemed virtually impossible that a Maxim heavy machine gun with .45 caliber bullets could threaten a B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber.


    ...


    In World War II, to bring down these sturdy airborne monsters bristling with defensive firepower, Germany had to install an array of large-caliber weapons on their planes: 20mm cannons, 30mm cannons, and even rockets over 100mm in caliber...


    However, there¡¯s always an exception, and even the sturdiest aircraft might suffer unexpected failures due to bad luck.


    This particular plane had the misfortune of getting hit by a burst of machine-gun fire seconds before the bombing run ended, and it manifested all sorts of glitches as if by some specter.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say nothing could shoot down a Flying Fortress?¡± The bomb aimer, who came running at the shout, saw the bleeding co-pilot, furrowed his brows, and complained.


    There were only five people on the plane because at this moment, the B-17 bombers produced by Great Tang Group hadn¡¯t been fitted with defensive machine guns, so there was no need for a full crew.


    ¡°We¡¯re losing altitude! I don¡¯t know if the steering is still working! But I can see black smoke on the wings!¡± the captain, clutching the stick, said to the two beside him.


    ¡°Flight Fortress number 397 is going down! Calling the tower! Calling the tower! Repeat! Flight Fortress number 397 is going down! We are crashing! Location... location unknown! Near the bombing zone! Near the drop zone!¡± the captain repeated the message of their impending crash into the radio handset.


    The two who were further away hadn¡¯t had time to come over yet, but they surely already knew about the injury because of the radio.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bullet hole underneath the fuselage, a bullet pierced the bomb bay doors.¡± Another crew member who hurried over reported the aircraft damage he saw along the way: ¡°One of the doors won¡¯t close and this could be bad news.¡±


    ¡°Doors? It won¡¯t close? The bomb bay?¡± The bomb aimer looked at his newly arrived comrade with surprise, asking anxiously.


    ¡°Yes, and it seems we are getting closer and closer to the sea.¡± On his way over, he had seen the sea surface below the fuselage.


    ¡°We¡¯re done for...¡± said the co-pilot, still bleeding and pale-faced, ¡°We¡¯re not going to be the first Flying Fortress crew to crash, are we?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t talk like that,¡± the captain moved the control stick, trying to regain control of the plane, but he failed, and the plane started to turn to one side, then couldn¡¯t be corrected again.


    Annoyed, he tried to pull the control stick to return the plane to normal flight status. But he clearly failed, and the entire aircraft descended a great deal more in altitude.


    With concerted effort, they transferred the unconscious crew members out of the plane and escaped from the aircraft one by one.


    By then, their plane was almost sinking, and the crew had to hurriedly move away from the Flying Fortress Bomber, of which only the tail was still floating on the surface of the sea.


    ¡°Now, this is all we¡¯ve got.¡± Pointing at the whistle on his shoulder, the electromechanical engineer self-deprecatingly joked with a mix of laughter and tears.


    Everything had been so hurried that they had forgotten the flares stored in the airplane¡¯s locker, neglected to grab the life raft that had been shot through with eight holes, and also left behind the air bottle.


    In short, they awkwardly crawled out of the plane, awkwardly drifted in the seawater, forgetting all the survival skills they had learned before.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the navigator? Do you see him?¡± the captain, holding onto the unconscious co-pilot, turned back to ask the equally disheveled bomber.


    ¡°Captain! Captain! I¡¯m here! I¡¯m here!¡± Separated by the span of an airplane, the navigator was waving his arms and shouting loudly.


    Everyone was accounted for, and the captain sighed with relief. Then he looked up at the empty skies and the silent expanse of sea.


    It seemed they were far from the battlefield, far from the clamor¡ªthey didn¡¯t even know which corner of the world they were in.


    ¡°Someone will come to rescue us,¡± the captain reassured his subordinates weakly.


    ¡°I hope they come soon,¡± the electromechanical engineer, already somewhat afraid, kept the unconscious co-pilot afloat as he looked anxiously around.


    Honestly, this feeling was really bad. Aside from the sound of the waves, there was an unsettling silence. It was as if they were the only people left between heaven and earth. A terrifying sense of desolation washed over them, torturing every nerve.


    ¡°I have a bad feeling, a really bad feeling,¡± the bomber said as he idly moved his hands in the water, with seawater from his hair dripping onto his anxious and fearful face.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a minute! Don¡¯t scare yourself!¡± the captain said, staying afloat thanks to his life jacket. Rather than saying he was holding onto the unconscious co-pilot, he was actually relying on the co-pilot¡¯s buoyancy.


    The navigator was still tirelessly paddling in the distance, trying to swim over and regroup with them, but it seemed he was also not very good at swimming, floundering for quite some time without getting much closer.


    After all, they were aviators, and swimming really was an additional skill. Some only knew a bit, while others were completely helpless in the water.


    ¡°I hope they come find us soon,¡± said the electromechanical engineer, wiping seawater from his face as he looked at the co-pilot, whose complexion had turned exceedingly pale.


    ¡°Yeah, I hope they get here quickly,¡± the captain echoed, looking at the sky.


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 Chapter 660: I hope theyre okay.

    Chapter 660: I hope they¡¯re okay.


    ¡°`


    Some things are actually quite peculiar, with luck and misfortune often being just a relative comparison process.


    If these pilots were lucky, they would not have been hit and crashed during the bombing formation of over a hundred aircraft.


    But if they were unfortunate, at least dozens of pilots confirmed their crash location, watching them break away from the formation and plummet towards the sea trailing black smoke.


    In the radio channel, many pilots were reporting the news that a Flying Fortress had been shot down, everyone reporting what they had seen.


    On a Flying Fortress that was already returning to base, the captain was holding the communicator and reporting everything he saw, ¡°Control tower! Control tower! A Flying Fortress has been hit! Yes! I don¡¯t know by what, but it¡¯s definitely not a malfunction... It¡¯s smoking...¡±


    ...


    On another aircraft, when the commanders confirmed the issue, the captain replied through the communicator, ¡°I understand, smoke could also indicate a malfunction, but it seems it really could have been hit! I can¡¯t judge, I can¡¯t leave the formation to confirm if it actually crashed!¡±


    Because enemy gunfire could not be seen, it was impossible to confirm with visual observation alone whether that Flying Fortress had indeed been hit.


    After all, a row of inconspicuous bullet holes could not be seen clearly from a distance. As for a smoking engine... a malfunctioning engine could smoke as well...


    Thus, some pilots, when reporting the situation, could only use as vague descriptions as possible, ¡°I saw one of its engines smoking, it seems unable to control its flight attitude, yes, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a mechanical fault.¡±


    ¡°The enemy wasn¡¯t using tracer bullets, I couldn¡¯t see what it was hit by, yes, I can¡¯t confirm.¡± In the meantime, another aircraft with a relatively better view had a pilot also talking about this same event.


    As the bombing was about to end, many pilots had seen the crashing Flying Fortress Bomber.


    Other pilots were reporting the approximate coordinates of the crash, ¡°Approximate crash coordinates: 100, 200! Near the bombing target area! Repeat! Approximate crash coordinates: 100, 200! Near the bombing target area!¡±


    The lead navigators were also referencing their current position, trying to calculate the spot where the plane had just crashed. Their calculations were very inaccurate, they only knew their own position approximately after all.


    And there were pilots in the same squadron confirming the specific number of the crashed plane, ¡°Yes! The crashed plane¡¯s number is 397!¡±


    With one report after another, the command tower had almost confirmed that they indeed had a plane crash, and it was their first loss of the day.


    An officer hurried over and saluted Xiao Yun, ¡°Commander! It has been confirmed that there are no patrolling planes nearby...¡±


    He placed two telegrams on the table next to Xiao Yun, ¡°Just now, two patrolling Flying Fortresses returned due to fuel depletion, and the formation¡¯s Flying Fortresses are also on their way back...¡±


    ¡°What about the second batch of bombers?¡± Xiao Yun looked at the other party and asked. What he really meant was whether the second batch of bombers could possibly go find the downed plane.


    The subordinate officer understood and immediately reported, ¡°The second batch of bombers are all Stukas, all carrying 500 kg aerial bombs, insufficient fuel, unable to carry out search missions.¡±


    ¡°Which patrol boat is the closest to that area?¡± Xiao Yun looked down at the two telegrams on the table, then asked again.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already made contact. There¡¯s a ship nearby. It should reach the pilot¡¯s location where he went down into the water in about 20 minutes,¡± the subordinate reported some good news.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, at least there¡¯s some good news following the bad,¡± Xiao Yun said with a smile.


    Soon, the officer who had gone to confirm the news returned, bringing bad news: ¡°The Navy has confirmed the news, sir. They have no combat ships on a mission nearby. It seems we can only rely on the ¡®Barracuda¡¯ now.¡±


    ¡°Has the Flying Fortress taken off yet?¡± Xiao Yun nodded and then asked. He knew that now they could only rely on themselves as much as possible.


    The subordinate also nodded: ¡°Yes, sir. We¡¯ve urgently launched two Flying Fortresses to the accident site... But, they have a long way to fly...¡±


    Xiao Yun sighed: ¡°All we can do now is wait.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Boom!¡± Another warship from Shireck could no longer bear the burden and exploded into a fireball on the sea surface.


    If the warships attacked by Stuka Dive Bombers would sink directly, then those hit by small Aerial Bombs were mostly only damaged.


    Although these remaining warships looked battered, the damage was not fatal. Most of the explosions occurred on the deck with no risk of taking in water.


    But because these warships had such poor damage control, and many didn¡¯t even have specialized damage management equipment, it became all too common for minor wounds to become fatal damage.


    After all, this was an era forcefully elevated by Tang Mo¡¯s technology. The development of the Navy under the influence of such deformed technology led to the birth of warships that couldn¡¯t actually be called modern.


    Honestly copying the technology of the Great Tang Group, Shireck was unable to make its warships surpass those of the Great Tang Group in terms of cost and combat effectiveness. Therefore, modifying the invisible details to save costs became an inevitable choice.


    They omitted some compartments and fire doors that seemed to have little use, reduced the diameter of the fire-extinguishing hoses, and even waived damage control training upon delivery.


    Moreover, Shireck didn¡¯t have the Cruisers and Battleships of the Great Tang Group to copy, so they didn¡¯t even have the concept of flooding to preserve the ammunition chambers.


    On ordinary days, these minor details wouldn¡¯t reveal whether a navy was strong. At that time, everyone was focused on the number of turrets, the caliber of the guns, and the thickness of armor and other aspects.


    Because these combat-oriented data could more intuitively reflect the strength of a navy. But in reality, damage control capability is an equally indispensable part of a navy¡¯s strength.


    Now, the Gobur Kingdom¡¯s Navy Commander finally realized how important firefighting was. He also understood why when he visited the Ironclad Warships of the Great Tang Group years ago, they had two independent water pumping and firefighting systems.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 661: 620 all return to silence

    Chapter 661: 620 all return to silence


    Just as the sailors of the Shireck Navy were desperately trying to save their warship, which was engulfed in thick smoke and fierce flames, someone peered through the billowing black smoke to see groups of Stukas approaching from a distance.


    ¡°Planes! Planes!¡± an officer shouted, pointing at the sky to alert his companions, but most of them were helpless against the threat.


    Helpless, their few Maxim machine guns, some of which had been destroyed, hardly had any ammunition left.


    These machine guns were originally installed on the warships, not for anti-aircraft combat. Their purpose had been to deal with small enemy boats that got too close.


    In fact, one could say that the use of these machine guns for suppressing mutinies among the sailors was far greater than their anti-aircraft function.


    So the ammunition reserves for these machine guns were not plentiful at all, but which gun hadn¡¯t fired off several thousand rounds during the previous anti-aircraft combat?


    ...


    ¡°Bang!¡± A Shireck soldier armed with a rifle fired another shot into the sky, but at this time those terrifying planes hadn¡¯t even begun their dive.


    No one bothered to stop him, for at this time, anyone who still had the courage to stand on deck and fire a rifle at the sky was already considered brave.


    Many more were lost in confusion amidst the chaos, some were busy putting out the fire on deck, some were helping to carry the wounded, while others were being rallied by their officers to prepare for anti-aircraft combat.


    At the machine gun emplacement, the machine gunner was busy replacing the boiling water in the machine gun¡¯s cooling tank: the gun had become so hot during the recent fighting that the water was scalding.


    Through the rolling thick smoke, the gunner could see, up in the clouds, the bent wings of Stuka dive bombers directly plunging down, targeting the damaged warships on the periphery.


    ¡°Ammo belt! Ammo belt!¡± the gunner shouted loudly, urging his assistant to bring ammunition from the adjacent storage room.


    All around his feet were spent cartridges; some rolled further away as the warship pitched and heaved, and some stopped next to dead bodies, their path blocked.


    Other cartridges, rolling along, were glued in place by fresh blood, trapped there, and slowly engulfed by the spreading pool of blood.


    ¡°Ratatat!¡± In the distance, a Butcher fighter jet, tasked with providing cover, began a diving strafing run, and its intense fire pierced through the flames, tore through the black smoke, and ripped through the crowd, clattering on the deck.


    Then, in the despairing eyes of the Shireck sailors, the Butcher fighter burst through the thick smoke and roared overhead, causing everyone to instinctively shrink their necks.


    Before they could even be relieved that they had survived the first round¡¯s less ferocious attack, a second Butcher fighter jet burst through the black smoke, surged over the flames, and rained a barrage of bullets on the ¡°lambs¡± on deck.


    Those poor souls, who had just been grateful to be alive, were now shattered and tossed about; the survivors finally remembered that they had the right to flee.


    Consequently, a frenzy erupted on deck again: some, paralyzed with fear, rushed into nearby iron doors, trying to shrink away like turtles; others leaped straight over the railing into the sea to end it all.


    ¡°Order all remaining warships to destroy their codebooks,¡± said the Shireck commander, afraid that the Great Tang Kingdom might capture some warships and reveal Shireck¡¯s codes. He closed his eyes and spoke.


    ¡°You are braver and more formidable than I imagined,¡± sighed the Gobur Navy¡¯s Commander-in-Chief, then ordered the new captain beside him, ¡°Send the message, let all warships destroy the codebooks, destroy the radios...¡±


    The former captain of this cruiser had passed away from grievous wounds, and now the executive officer acted as the captain. Upon hearing the order, he immediately set out to execute it.


    After sending out several telegrams reporting the fleet¡¯s losses and the likely catastrophic outcome, the Shireck commander dispatched his personal last words.


    Afterwards, the officers on the bridge, taking advantage of their position and duties, also sent out some telegrams to handle their personal affairs. After the last person tearfully troubled the radio operator, the Gobur Navy Commander-in-Chief sent out his own personal last words.


    As for the common soldiers, sailors... they did not have the privilege of writing any last words. Not far behind the bridge, the radio operator removed his headset, and with the executive officer, they ignited the codebook at the corner of the external iron staircase and watched as it turned to ashes.


    At that moment, another cruiser not far from them suddenly exploded violently. Without being attacked again, it became a ball of fire and disappeared into the sea.


    The dazzling fire illuminated the faces of everyone on the deck of the flagship. They stared blankly at the distant warship being devoured by flames, unable to even register an expression.


    Just a minute ago, they had managed to extinguish a major fire at the bow. As damage control personnel with little experience and severely understaffed, they had actually done quite well.


    But clearly, not everyone had their abilities. The peers aboard that distant cruiser had failed, the ammunition magazine had detonated, and there wouldn¡¯t be many survivors on that warship.


    There were some that didn¡¯t explode. Some destroyers sank as severe water ingress caused their bows or sterns to submerge while sailing.


    Other warships had a severe list, with one side of their hulls already submerged in water, the incline getting so severe it was hard to stand steady.


    Such warships were actually quite fortunate; at least their crews had a chance to abandon ship.


    However, the attack continued, and those remaining Shireck warships kept trying to escape by every means possible. Even a three-legged gazelle would attempt a few strides when chased by a leopard; no one gives up the struggle at the brink of death.


    But, as it happens, sometimes the struggle is truly futile. Another warship was sunk, and the number of Shireck warships remaining on the sea was now very few.


    The remaining Stuka dive bombers seemed to lose patience; they swooped down together, like vultures, feasting upon the remaining warships.


    The Gobur Navy¡¯s Commander-in-Chief closed his eyes, and then the bridge he was on was engulfed in an explosion. All fell silent, and in the end, this fleet simply could not accomplish their mission.


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 Chapter 662: 621 Rescues Strange Ship

    Chapter 662: 621 Rescue¡¯s Strange Ship


    Once again, a Flying Fortress Bomber flying over the sea battlefield carried a designated observer who was relentlessly peering through binoculars, surveying the sea beneath.


    The work of searching for the downed airmen wasn¡¯t easy at all. They didn¡¯t have advanced gadgets like GPS, so they could only rely on the coordinates reported by airmen on their return flight to approximately determine the search area.


    The frustrating thing was when the two B-17 Flying Fortress Bombers carrying out the search mission returned to the given coordinates, they found the situation entirely different from what they had imagined.


    All over the sea were floating debris, pieces from sunken warships, and sailors and bodies bobbing on the surface.


    The sailors of Shireck, hoping to be rescued, would also wave to the planes of the Great Tang Kingdom flying overhead. With time, they had drifted apart, covering a vast area, severely impeding the search and rescue mission.


    ¡°There are too many people here! We simply can¡¯t determine the position of the pilots!¡± An annoyed lookout dropped his binoculars and complained loudly.


    ...


    Unable to precisely pinpoint where the airmen went down, they dared not abandon these enemy-occupied waters. So they had no choice but to keep searching honestly, continuously disturbed by the clutter.


    ¡°Look for orange life jackets! They¡¯re all wearing orange life jackets!¡± the pilot reminded, ¡°And there might be an inflated life raft! That¡¯s also orange! The targets should be obvious!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any large orange objects! Not even small ones. There are damn red, green, yellow, even white fragments everywhere! It¡¯s too distracting!¡± another pilot opened the radio and started to complain as well.


    ¡°Is there any way to make these damn Shireck castaways stop waving their hands? Dammit!¡± The bombardier, feeling his eyes were straining, put down his binoculars and began cursing.


    ¡°Barracuda calling, should they continue to adjust their heading towards us?¡± the radio operator asked.


    ¡°Have them maintain their heading for now! We can¡¯t clear this area, so we can only keep looking! To hell with it!¡± the pilot-in-command was losing his temper. His comrades were soaking in the water, and he felt powerless, which made him anxious and irritable.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got another group ahead, and even more beyond that... Are you sure there¡¯s none in this area?¡± The navigator¡¯s voice came through the radio to everyone¡¯s ears.


    This question silenced everyone¡ªthey were uncertain. Who would dare to claim certainty in such a situation? Below them wasn¡¯t a clear sea surface, but a chaos of people and debris spread out. How could anyone be sure they hadn¡¯t missed something?


    ¡°Five more search squadrons have taken off, we¡¯ve never searched for targets at sea before, we lack the experience... but now... we have it,¡± the radio operator called out again.


    Without turning his head, the co-pilot, looking at the sea on the other side, said, ¡°I hope they¡¯re okay. I wouldn¡¯t want our own comrades to die because of our lack of experience.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hope they¡¯re okay!¡± everyone echoed in agreement.


    ...


    ¡°How long have we been here?¡± The downed pilot-in-command, feeling like he could barely kick his legs anymore, looked at his damaged wristwatch while soaking in the water.


    ¡°I feel like it¡¯s been at least 5 hours,¡± replied the radio operator, clutching the life jacket of the unconscious co-pilot, his voice tinged with nervousness.


    ¡°Forget it, we¡¯ve only been here for 2 hours.¡± After checking his own watch, the navigator provided the correct answer.


    ¡°Wait! I think, I think I heard something!¡± The captain suddenly signaled everyone to be quiet, and they all felt the hair on the back of their necks stand up.


    As they were filled with suspicion, something cut through the water not far away, leaving waves spreading on either side.


    Minutes later, the whole sea seemed to churn, the disturbance so great that the airmen floating on the surface could not fail to notice.


    The object was less than a hundred meters away, and as they stared dumbfounded, a periscope broke through the water, disrupting the surrounding sea, revealing a massive steel hull.


    Seawater cascaded off the hull, with water droplets continuously falling from the welded ladder. At the front of the hull, a long deck breached the surface, making a deafening sound as it disturbed the waters.


    The sight before him was unbelievable to the captain, who had lived a long life and had never heard of a ship that could submerge in water and then emerge on its own.


    It wasn¡¯t just him; the navigator, the mechanic, the bombardier beside him had never seen, nor even heard of, such a thing in their lifetimes.


    Yet everything in front of them forced them to believe that there really was a ship in the world that could surface from underwater on its own!


    ¡°Shit!¡± The captain couldn¡¯t help but curse as he looked at the smooth vessel in the distance, complete with deck guns on its deck.


    In the distance, on the towering hull, a circular hatch was pried open from the inside, and a middle-aged man in a leather jacket poked his head out, unconcerned by the seawater dripping on his head, as he emerged from the hatch.


    He looked out, a smile on his face as he addressed the floating airmen, ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you say you were pilots? How come you¡¯re swimming here?¡±


    The men soaking in the water even forgot to reply, unsure if the person calling out to them was... human.


    ¡°No sense of humor.¡± The submarine had already approached, less than twenty meters from the airmen, and the captain on the hull lit a cigarette and criticized.


    On the deck near the surface, a few sailors reached out their hands to the airmen: ¡°Come on! Quick!¡±


    Next to them, another sailor tossed ropes into the sea: ¡°Rope! Over there! Can you climb up yourselves?¡±


    Meanwhile, a sailor dived into the sea, swimming towards the airmen.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I¡¯ll make up for the missed chapter.


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 Chapter 663: 622 submarine

    Chapter 663: 622 submarine


    From the moment they hit the water, the panicked flight crew were close to tears. Being grasped and hauled onto the world¡¯s only submarine of its kind, they lay sprawled out, gasping on the wet deck.


    ¡°Quick! Help me pull him up!¡± The flight engineer, who had been holding onto the copilot, shouted for assistance to get the unconscious copilot onto the submarine: ¡°He¡¯s injured!¡±


    However, the sailor who had jumped into the sea ignored him and just pushed him towards the submarine. As he pushed, he explained, ¡°He¡¯s already dead!¡±


    The crew hadn¡¯t realized that they had been floating in the sea with a corpse for over an hour, never letting go until they were rescued.


    ¡°You all did well.¡± The submarine¡¯s captain stood atop the command casing, looking down at the men and shouted loudly.


    Knowing he had lost a crew member, the pilot sat in silence, soaking wet. Though the seawater wasn¡¯t ice-cold, his mood was far from good.


    ...


    ¡°If you had come just a bit earlier, just a bit... he might not have died.¡± The bombardier murmured softly, holding onto a sailor who had passed him a cigarette.


    ¡°He¡¯s been dead for a while now. We didn¡¯t come here for you guys.¡± The sailor spread his hands in a helpless gesture, ¡°You should thank your lucky stars. We just happened to be passing by.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t come to rescue us?¡± The navigator asked in surprise, having thought this unseen ship that emerged from the sea¡¯s depths was there to find them.


    ¡°No, we are the engineering technicians testing this ship, along with a few representatives from the Navy... This project is still highly classified, so not many in the Navy are even aware of our existence,¡± the man with glasses explained.


    This warship was not yet commissioned into the Navy and was still in the testing phase. Aside from a few Naval submariners on board for training, only a small portion of the leadership of Tang Country knew of this warship¡¯s existence.


    Even now, the warship did not have its own name, and when referred to, it was simply called ¡°that warship.¡±


    ¡°We were just testing some... special feature of this warship.¡± Due to secrecy, even after everything had been seen by the flight crew, the personnel on the submarine still couldn¡¯t mention sensitive terms like ¡°diving,¡± ¡°submerging,¡± or ¡°underwater travel.¡±


    ¡°If we hadn¡¯t seen your orange vests and observed carefully for a while, confirming your identities, we might not have even surfaced,¡± he said while pointing upwards toward the captain¡¯s position, ¡°You should be grateful to our captain, he¡¯s a good man.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! I am the pilot of Flying Fortress Bomber number 397, here¡¯s my bombardier, flight engineer, navigator... I request that you take the copilot¡¯s body back with us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... difficult...¡± Hearing the request to bring back a body, the submarine crew looked uneasy: ¡°We have no way to preserve the body.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t out of any superstition that they hesitated, but... they were on a submarine. The ventilation was already poor, and to stack a corpse inside would make the odor... nearly lethal.


    ¡°We are Air Force, we don¡¯t have the tradition of a sea burial.¡± The pilot looked up at the captain above him.


    This might be why every German submarine crew member in World War II was so highly decorated: besides sinking enemy warships, they really couldn¡¯t find anything else interesting to do.


    Even though the identities of the airmen could be confirmed, access to the submarine¡¯s engine room, the torpedo bay in the front, and even lingering in the command room was not allowed for them.


    Even so, the risk of leaking secrets was still tremendous: the interior space of the submarine was so compact that every inch had to be utilized, and secrets could be seen everywhere.


    You see, even the toilet on the submarine was high-tech and strictly off-limits for these Air Force airmen.


    ¡°Thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, we might have been soaking in the sea for much longer,¡± said the pilot, extending his hand.


    The captain reached out and shook the pilot¡¯s hand, ¡°No need to be polite, I hope we can fight side by side again in the future.¡±


    In reality, the pilot was being a bit too optimistic. He didn¡¯t know that at that moment, planes were still circling non-stop, looking for his aircraft and had even expanded the search area.


    Since the submarine had not been listed with the Navy, the Navy was also unaware that a new type of warship was cruising in the combat zone.


    Night fell quickly, and thousands of Shireck Sailors, along with various officers, cooks, and stokers, could only despairingly continue to soak in the water, waiting.


    In actuality, the rescue operation had already begun. The Sailfish had pulled up more than 50 Shireck prisoners. However, they still hadn¡¯t found their own downed airmen, and the search and rescue operation had to be hastily concluded before nightfall.


    The patrol plane returned to base, discontent, leaving the area, while the search was handed over to a Fengshun-class Destroyer that had arrived later.


    The massive searchlights swept back and forth across the sea surface, with plaintive cries rising and falling. As the darkness fully descended, these became increasingly feeble.


    The warship¡¯s sharp bow sliced through the sea surface, sometimes even colliding with floating debris as well as corpses and survivors.


    But after a busy round of searching, they still couldn¡¯t find the airmen, who might have been in the water for 5 hours.


    Then, Xiao Yun, who was in charge of this search and rescue operation, received a telegram from the Navy, saying that 5 airmen had already been found...


    And after that, the Shireck prisoners soaking in the water finally received the order to rescue them...


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 Chapter 664: 623 does not exist

    Chapter 664: 623 does not exist


    The ships that had assembled for the rescue of the five pilots finally began to concern themselves with the fate of the officers and soldiers of Shireck who were adrift on the water¡¯s surface; to them, this was definitely good news.


    One after another, ropes were thrown down and the captives were hauled onto the ships. After they were stripped of their clothes and confirmed to not be carrying any weapons, they were locked in the spare watertight compartments.


    A crowd huddled together, much like pigs and sheep. Though it seemed humiliating, it was still better than remaining in the water.


    The guards who watched over them politely and professionally explained in detail the use of the valves inside the watertight compartments before they left.


    Every captive from Shireck was painfully aware that by opening those valves, they could allow water to flood into the warship, causing it to list to one side.


    However, they also knew that if they did so, the compartment they were in would quickly fill with seawater, and there was no way to make the guards outside the door open it to let them out.


    ...


    Thus, to avoid everyone ending up underwater in a tin can again, the Shireck officers conscientiously drove those near the valves to the absolute safe corners.


    As a result, actually, many of the Shireck POWs from this incident were indeed saved. According to post-event statistics, although they had missed the optimal rescue window, at least 1000 people became survivors of Shireck¡¯s stealth attack fleet.


    As for the more than ten thousand Shireck and Gobur Kingdom sailors who perished, truly no one cared.


    Such is war, devoid of any mercy.


    ¡°It¡¯s really speechless, the navy actually says that they don¡¯t even know what ship rescued the five pilots?¡± Xiao Yun, looking at the liaison officer and several officers from the air force who had come to deliver the message, could hardly believe it.


    ¡°Yes, that ship isn¡¯t part of our fleet, nor a civilian vessel; therefore, we don¡¯t know about its existence,¡± the liaison officer explained with a shrug, stating the plain truth.


    Xiao Yun also knew that their air force also had some planes that ¡°didn¡¯t exist,¡± at least even he didn¡¯t know what those planes looked like or what functionality they possessed.


    But really, is such an absurdity acceptable? A non-existent ship rescued his pilots? How on earth could he write this report?


    ¡°The telegram sent by the other party was delivered directly to the shipyard,¡± the liaison officer had to explain further.


    The docks used for building submarines are classified and, in theory, do not exist. This non-existent dock informed the shipyard, notifying the shipyard¡¯s officials that a non-existent ship had saved five pilots...


    At this point, it seemed it was not the time to worry about the non-existent ship: upon hearing that the entire stealth attack fleet had been annihilated, the navy¡¯s main fleet immediately headed north without looking back.


    The task of rescuing the Shireck POWs was left entirely to the naval guard forces of Dragon Island and the now-proven ¡°powerful air force.¡±


    With the performance of the planes having reached a sufficient height, no one doubted the air force¡¯s capabilities in naval warfare anymore.


    Sinking 45 enemy ships was a good example. With such a force guarding Dragon Island, Bernard felt very reassured.


    In fact, the navy¡¯s chief commander no longer cared about the safety of Dongwan Port and Linshui Port, for he knew that the air force there was fiercer and more numerous.


    Hence, his purpose in heading north this time was very clear: it was to blockade Beiyuan City, even to seal off the Sheng Kingdom and to seek a decisive battle with the main force of the Sheng Navy.


    It truly wasn¡¯t within his power to decide on that matter, because as soon as they made landfall, several officers from the intelligence department showed their IDs to the pilots on the dock.


    The dragon emblem on the IDs and the ranks below, along with the units to which these individuals belonged and the professions they practiced, all invoked a chilling, bone-tingling sensation of dread.


    In fact, anyone involved in cases handled by this group could boast they didn¡¯t wet themselves with fright.


    After these individuals clarified their intentions and had the pilots sign non-disclosure agreements, they could basically say nothing at all.


    To the pilots, they might as well have been transported back to Dragon Island directly by angels, swam back on their own, or subdued a whale and rode on its back to return...


    In short, they could return any way they fancied, except by encountering a non-existent vessel.


    They never saw the pipes-filled cabins or the command center dim with instrument lights; naturally, they also never saw a strange ship emerging from underwater.


    Everything was non-existent, everything unspeakable...


    ¡°Then how am I supposed to write my report?¡± Xiao Yun fumed, feeling betrayed by his own subordinates.


    The pilot was equally frustrated, as he was unable to mention any details to his superior officer at that moment and even had to lie: ¡°We were rescued by a fishing boat.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡± Xiao Yun asked with a hollow laugh.


    ¡°The Finkel Number,¡± the pilot continued without even a blush.


    ¡°The Finkel Number?¡± Xiao Yun, who certainly did not know of any Finkel Number, was not in charge of Dragon Island¡¯s ship scheduling.


    ¡°Yes, the Navy will have records of it, the Finkel Number,¡± the pilot nodded with certainty. He even began to hypnotize himself into thinking that the submarine that had rescued them was indeed called the Finkel Number.


    ¡°...¡± Xiao Yun watched wordlessly as he turned to the standing electrician.


    The electrician nodded, wearing a face of devout belief: ¡°That¡¯s right! Sir!¡±


    Xiao Yun then looked at the navigator and the bombardier.


    ¡°The Finkel Number! A very fine fishing vessel, sir,¡± the two promptly replied, even describing the appearance of the fishing boat as if they had truly seen it.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Two chapters today, catch-up chapters to follow the day after tomorrow.


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 Chapter 665: Evolution of Equipment 624

    Chapter 665: Evolution of Equipment 624


    Beiyuan City, outer frontline.


    The troops of Shenwu had been holding out for many days, and as a result, their losses were devastating. The forces stationed in the positions had been replaced several times, with new soldiers transported from Shenwu arriving daily, continuously being unloaded at the port of Beiyuan City.


    Originally, Shenwu had planned to commit around 200,000 troops to Beiyuan City, but now they had already sent at least 300,000 troops there.


    The war still saw no sign of ending. The Tang Army simply ignored Shenwu¡¯s cries for negotiation, not even receiving envoys bearing white flags.


    Moreover, the new weapons deployed by the Tang Army on the battlefield were increasingly dreaded by Shenwu¡¯s defenders. Planes and tanks were considered polite compared to those confusing and bizarre things that suddenly appeared and had never been seen before, always causing headaches for Shenwu soldiers.


    In the southern part of the front, the Tang Army had introduced rocket artillery and assault guns, and also deployed a type of Stuka Dive Bomber without the siren device.


    ...


    The dive of the new bomber was slightly louder than the Butcher Fighter but conversely increased its stealthiness, often causing the terror of this aircraft to be overlooked.


    Furthermore, Stuka Dive Bombers without the siren device were faster, more fuel-efficient during flight, and clearly more suited for actual combat.


    In fact, the Tang Army started removing devices from their planes that affected speed, making the early-produced Stukas more fuel-efficient.


    Indeed, the Tang Army¡¯s tanks had also seen different models appear. The 3rd Armored Division, stationed at the old border between Qi Country and the Dahua Empire, was reequipping with new tanks and sending their decommissioned tanks to the front lines to reinforce the 1st Armored Division.


    The new tanks that the 3rd Armored Division was equipping had increased armor thickness at the front of the hull and turret, a redesigned turret shape to enlarge the interior space, and an added extractor fan to remove the cannon¡¯s exhaust fumes from inside the tanks.


    At the same time, the brand-new tanks were fitted with smoke-launching devices on both sides of the turrets, endowing the tanks with additional self-protection measures.


    To simplify models, the Tang Army still improvised on the chassis of the No. 4 tank because, after all, other countries still couldn¡¯t produce a decent tank that could force the Tang Army¡¯s Armored Corps to upgrade.


    What was originally two battalions of airborne troops had been expanded into a regiment and another battalion, doubling in size and equipping with completely new weapons.


    Uniformly armed with the Type 56 assault rifles, the firepower of this unit had greatly increased compared to the past: the assault rifle, using rifle cartridges, was obviously superior to the Thompson Submachine Gun which used pistol cartridges.


    As for the pistol with reduced power¡ª who cared? With the desirable assault rifles, the presence of pistols was greatly diminished.


    From this time forth, there was a gap in power between sidearms and primary weapons, leading soldiers to prefer using their primary weapons rather than pulling out sidearms to show off.


    This type of earplug, found in large numbers on the front-line Shenwu soldiers, consequently led the Tang Army to reduce the number of dive bombers fitted with sirens... This could perhaps be considered a form of competitive progress.


    What¡¯s more interesting is that the forces of the Dahua Empire, who were observing the battle from the sidelines, seemed to also begin distributing steel helmets.


    The speed of this spread of experience was so fast that it even caught Tang Mo by surprise: His adversaries were improving themselves faster than he had imagined.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that, with the help of equipment left behind by the Great Tang Group, both the Ice Cold Empire and the Laines Empire had started mass-producing more automobiles and ships to equip their troops.


    While the Grand Tang Air Force triumphed outside Dragon Island, annihilating Shireck¡¯s surprise attack fleet, Brunas¡¯s first ship not made by the Great Tang Group was launched.


    Other countries were desperately trying to catch up with the pace of Great Tang, fearing that any delay on their part could lead to a cruel retaliation from Great Tang.


    Seeing the strength and terror exhibited by the Great Tang Group on the outskirts of Beiyuan City only spurred them to continuously strengthen themselves more actively.


    Shenwu Sanlang, conducting a secret inspection of his core defensive line¡ªa line that was more than ten kilometers from the actual front and the longest-operated Shenwu line¡ªif this defensive line were lost, Shenwu Sanlang would withdraw all peripheral troops and enter Beiyuan City to engage in a fight to the death with the Tang Army in street battles!


    Looking at row upon row of ¡°elite¡± soldiers with steel helmets, he was actually very satisfied. Such troops looked much more spirited than those who wore soft caps in the past.


    What delighted him even more was that soldiers who were issued steel helmets had at least a 30% lower chance of dying from stray bullets, noticeably slowing the rate of troop casualties.


    For Shenwu Military, which had recently been on the receiving end of constant beatings, this was exceedingly good news.


    In fact, after receiving this feedback, the Shireck advisors in Shenwu immediately relayed the information back to their headquarters.


    Then, various countries began distributing steel helmets; this time everyone finally understood why the Tang Army had started having their soldiers wear ¡°iron pots¡± on their heads so early.


    What puzzled many, though, was that the Tang Army had made extensive use of steel helmets even when there weren¡¯t as many cannon shells and explosive grenades on the battlefield. No one knew where the Tang Army had gained the experience to develop such miraculous items.


    ¡°General! A message from headquarters!¡± A Shenwu military officer with short legs hurried over to Shenwu Sanlang and passed him a telegram.


    Shenwu Sanlang bowed his head to take the telegram and immediately saw a message that made him laugh and cry: the Tang Army had destroyed Shireck¡¯s dispatched dirigible fleet, annihilating a Shireck fleet!


    This message was almost the same as telling Shenwu Sanlang that his troops¡¯ rear might be in danger. Whether or not Shenwu¡¯s Navy could withstand the Tang Army¡¯s fleet once it arrived was something only heaven knew.


    ¡°What exactly are Chu Country and the Dahua Empire doing? Are they really going to let us, Shenwu, take the brunt alone?¡± Shenwu Sanlang complained, dissatisfied, ¡°We need support, more support!¡±


    ¡°Urge headquarters to quickly resupply me with a hundred thousand artillery shells! And food and other military supplies¡ªI want them all!¡± Turning to the officer who brought the message, Shenwu Sanlang made a broad demand.


    He had a feeling that counting on those Navy scoundrels was futile; in the end, he could only rely on himself!

 Chapter 666: 625 industrial layout

    Chapter 666: 625 industrial layout


    The recent operations of the Tang Army¡¯s Armored Corps had been quite monotonous, as they lost the opportunity to make rapid flanking maneuvers and surge forward aggressively. They could only follow the infantry, slowly squeezing forward, inch by inch advancing.


    This was completely at odds with their previous tactics, and left them somewhat at a loss: The prefer the unrestrained rush forward, and were not particularly interested in covering infantry.


    Thus, equipping infantry with assault guns was actually a relief for the Armored Corps, freeing them from the heavy burden of supporting the infantry.


    Moreover, the senior commanders of the Tang Army were unwilling to sacrifice tank units in siege battles. They preferred to let these armored units run like cavalry, strike the enemy like lightning, encircle and destroy their opponents.


    So, on Luff¡¯s recommendation, both Tagg and Redman withdrew their armored units. The 1st and 4th Armored Divisions began to rest and resupply, handing over the main offensive tasks to the cheaper infantry.


    On the other hand, in order to reduce infantry casualties and test new weapon systems, the main thrust of the attack could only be delivered by units equipped with assault guns.


    ...


    The Air Force was also deliberately stockpiling fuel, conserving ammunition, and reducing the number of aircraft sorties, as the rear factories had decreased their output capacity due to expansion efforts.


    In addition, with the Air Force reallocating some of its units to coastal defenses, this directly resulted in a drastic decrease in bombing runs by the frontline Tang Air Force and a steep drop in support density.


    As a result, the offense of the Tang Army had slowed down, which also aligned with the continued strategy of luring the enemy.


    It seemed that this situation had given Shen Country and other nations a misconception: they believed the Tang Army was running out of steam.


    Planes were fighting less and less, armored units were almost invisible, and more and more tanks without turrets were appearing ¡ª all signs seemed to point to the weakening of the Tang Army!


    For everyone, this news was undoubtedly exhilarating; it was also another reason why Shen Country kept reinforcing Beiyuan City without halt.


    In fact, Tang Country¡¯s reduction of front-line engagements and slowing of the offense aimed partly to entice Shen Country to continuously reinforce Beiyuan City, and partly to reallocate resources and improve the domestic industrial production environment.


    Alice had lately been restructuring the industrial capacity within Tang Country, which was a necessary task: many new factories needed to start production, which required withdrawing skilled workers from mature facilities, inevitably reducing the output of some existing factories.


    Although the Great Tang Group¡¯s apprenticeship program had gone a long way to mitigate the shortage of workers, the construction of new factories would still inevitably affect the production of the old ones.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped: the country¡¯s industrial development could not stop, and the need for more factories meant that existing human resources had to be allocated rationally.


    Recently in Anpu, a new production line was being built to manufacture a type of armored vehicle known as the Model 113. This all-tracked armored personnel carrier was not complex in design and relatively cheap, potentially a good fit for large-scale equipping of the troops.


    Supporting this new factory meant withdrawing 100 skilled workers from the tractor factory and the plant producing tank chassis for the Model 4.


    Tang Mo¡¯s calculation was to assign the task of severing the enemy¡¯s maritime supply routes and encircling Beiyuan City to the navy fleet, which hadn¡¯t been involved in battle. This would minimize casualties and alleviate the pressure of siege warfare.


    He had confidence in his own fleet, or rather, he had great confidence in the Dongwan-class battleships. As long as these warships reached the battlefield, the situation could fundamentally change.


    As a result, the military supplies for Shireck¡¯s forces would be completely cut off, and the ground troops trapped in Beiyuan City would be in a dire situation.


    All along, Tang Mo had been mindful of at least 100,000 Shireck prisoners of war in Beiyuan City! With these laborers, Tang Mo could undertake his next development plan, laying two new railways and building a large number of factories.


    Anyway, these laborers were free of charge and didn¡¯t need much consideration for their life or death. If Shireck wanted to negotiate peace, they would have to pay a war indemnity, which would be an additional income.


    In short, Tang Mo was already contemplating the post-war division of spoils, his sights set beyond the current battle situation.


    The Great Tang Group hadn¡¯t slowed down its growth due to the war, but rather accelerated it significantly.


    And the advisors from the Shireck Consortium who were stationed in the Ice Cold Empire finally saw a pile of junk from the front lines of the war with Qi Country.


    As expected, most of the equipment didn¡¯t reveal much; their understanding of these weapons was still too superficial.


    The entire world was actually being dragged forward by the industrial production ideas of Tang Country; they couldn¡¯t even keep up with copying, let alone learning, understanding, and surpassing.


    Tang Mo was able to present a mature metal formula that had been validated through countless experiments and practice, whereas the same formula would require Shireck¡¯s technicians to experiment repeatedly, retracing the steps taken by Earth¡¯s civilizations in the past.


    That was the disparity between them; the more precise and complicated the technology, the more pronounced this was. By the time Tang Mo introduced even more advanced things, perhaps these Shireck engineers still pondering over the old technologies wouldn¡¯t even understand what they were looking at.


    ¡°Damn it, can¡¯t they obtain some finished products?¡± a Shireck advisor complained irritably as he tossed a piece of rusty metal onto the table.


    How could he discern anything from a machine gun wreck that was severely warped and deformed, lacking many parts...


    ¡°Stop complaining! Getting these things already isn¡¯t bad at all,¡± an advisor from the Shireck Consortium suggested without lifting his head, ¡°You should know that the Great Tang Kingdom hasn¡¯t retreated a step since the war began!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve always been on the offensive, and any abandoned or damaged equipment would be left behind them, not falling into our hands! These few items were obtained by those below at great risk to their lives.¡± He put down a paratrooper¡¯s steel helmet still stained with blood and sighed as he explained.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see that thing called an airplane and see if it can inspire some ideas,¡± another impatient Shireck engineer from the side suggested.


    He had come all the way from Brunas to the Ice Cold Empire just to take a look at the wreckage of an airplane...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    I have something unexpected today and can¡¯t make up the chapter. I will make it up tomorrow.

 Chapter 667: 626 Silent and Soundless

    Chapter 667: 626 Silent and Soundless


    A somewhat new Number 4 assault gun was rolling over the corpse of a Shen Country soldier on the frontline. It was doing its best to get as close as possible to the enemy positions to take out those recklessly firing Shen Country gun emplacements.


    Thanks to its low profile, the assault gun could use the uneven terrain to seek excellent protection for itself. It was advancing cautiously, doing everything possible to avoid exposing its flanks to enemy fire.


    ¡°Be careful! Careful! Circle around that little mound!¡± the commander shouted through the observation window, directing his combat vehicle to keep moving forward.


    This armored vehicle, belonging to the infantry division¡¯s artillery, was twisting its not-so-massive body, surprisingly agile.


    After circling around some obstructions that blocked their view, they spotted a machine gun emplacement that was firing and suppressing the advancing Tang Army infantry.


    So, the commander anxiously yelled, reminding his gunner of the direction to aim, ¡°Ahead! Gun emplacement!¡±


    ...


    In the somewhat cramped space, they were crammed together with ammunition and fuel tanks, which really seemed very secure and reliable.


    ¡°I see it! I¡¯m aiming!¡± the gunner, his face pressed to the rear of the sighting scope, answered loudly.


    The loader had already stuffed a shell into the breech before, so now they could fire directly. The commander then loudly gave the command to fire, ¡°Shoot!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡± the gunner stepped on the firing pedal, and a 75mm caliber shell flew out of the barrel with a loud noise, striking the distant target.


    Immediately after, a column of smoke rose near the distant gun emplacement, and then the machine gun emplacement, which had been spitting out flames non-stop, fell completely silent.


    The gunner shouted excitedly, ¡°Hit the target!¡±


    Together with his shout, the Tang Army soldiers who had been suppressed by the machine gun fire rose from their hiding holes, carrying hand grenades and submachine guns, and once again began to charge forward.


    Upon seeing the rising smoke and hearing the gunner¡¯s shout, the commander also yelled excitedly, ¡°Well done! Get over there! Cover the infantry as they move forward! Help them get closer to the trenches! Watch out for the enemy¡¯s hand grenades!¡±


    ¡°Turn! Turn!¡± Circling around the mound, the assault gun was now exposed within the enemy¡¯s line of fire.


    Bullets began to pound on the tank¡¯s steel armor like raindrops and were bounced off, leaving only a spray of sparkling sparks.


    Through the observation window, the commander could see Shen Country soldiers moving in the trenches, so he complained anxiously over the intercom, ¡°I think we should install a machine gun on top of our vehicle! Damn it, turning is too much of a hassle!¡±


    The driver could also see outside and felt the environment, filled with enemies, to be unfriendly, ¡°I think so too! They are attacking us! The bullets haven¡¯t stopped.¡±


    ¡°I bet the spare track links hanging outside are all smashed... Damn it!¡± Remembering that his tank had two track links hanging in an external storage recess, the commander said with a look of distress on his face.


    Carrying those things was primarily to alleviate the pressure on logistics, and they could also provide a degree of armor protection in critical moments.


    However, facing such a barrage of gunfire, the rubber on the rims of the track links was likely doomed, and it was hard to ensure they would not be scarred by bullets.


    Compared to the earliest model of Tank No. 4, the armor had nearly doubled, and with the addition of side skirts, this was essentially top-tier protection.


    Compared to the various composite armors of later days that easily reached one meter in thickness, the sheer weight of today¡¯s homogeneous steel armor was astonishing and reaching 80 millimeters wasn¡¯t an easy feat.


    Moreover, to prevent losses of the precious armored corps, Tang Army had already pulled back the four early-entry main force armored divisions for rest and reconditioning at the secondary line. For the Battle of Beiyuan City, whether it was Tang Mo, Tagg, or Redman, none intended to continue using armored troops in combat anymore.


    ¡°Ahead! Ahead! See that mound? Keep an eye on that one! I sense something off there!¡± the tank commander cautioned his gunner as they moved forward.


    The gunner saw the suspicious mound and immediately became fully alert, peering through the scope that allowed for a clearer, farther view, hoping to detect something.


    As he concentrated on observing the mound, an uncontrollable tremor suddenly shook the ground beneath his feet.


    ¡°Boom!¡± A thunderous explosion knocked the advancing Tang Army soldiers to the ground. Some got up covered in dust and looked towards the direction of the explosion, just as a billowing cloud of smoke obscured the sky.


    Everyone¡¯s ears rang with the buzzing noise, the explosive disorder momentarily silencing the cacophony of battle.


    ¡°Damn it! What was that?!¡± A Tang Army platoon leader, holding his helmet, shouted from the edge of a crater to the soldiers beside him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! Sir! It nearly scared me to death,¡± a soldier replaced his magazine and pointed towards the distant black smoke: ¡°Our assault gun is done for!¡±


    ¡°Hell!¡± The platoon leader cursed, then looked in the direction of the enemy troops, changed position, and looked toward the No. 4 Assault Gun, which was mostly obscured by smoke: ¡°Damn it, its tracks are broken off!¡±


    ¡°The crew¡¯s probably done for!¡± the soldier said as he loaded a new magazine, pulling a grenade from his pack: ¡°Should I cover you while you check?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t the ammunition inside explode?¡± The platoon leader ducked his head back, unwilling to take the risk: ¡°How about I cover you, and you take a look?¡±


    After a jest, the two men took cover for a few seconds. The platoon leader poked his head out again, peering through the still-settling dust at the No. 4 Assault Gun destroyed by a landmine: ¡°Can¡¯t see anyone coming out, nor any fire. Seems safe enough. Cover me, I¡¯ll check it out!¡±


    ¡°Careful, sir!¡± The soldier pulled the pin on the grenade, released the safety, and with a strong swing of his arm, hurled it as far as possible into the enemy¡¯s defensive position.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Amid the sound of the explosion, the platoon leader leaped from the crater, hunched over, and hurried toward the woebegone No. 4 Assault Gun.


    Just half a minute before, this assault gun had dominated the battlefield, boldly covering the Tang soldiers as they advanced.


    This second, it lay silent and crippled.


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 Chapter 668: 627 brutal close combat

    Chapter 668: 627 brutal close combat


    As the platoon leader ran forward, a bullet whizzed past his steel helmet. The Shen Army troops quickly spotted him and fired several shots at him.


    Fortunately, there were no machine guns nearby, and the sporadic single shots were actually very inaccurate, so the platoon leader managed to sprint to the crippled No. 4 assault gun without harm.


    With the hunk of metal as cover, the bullets assaulting him greatly decreased. It was behind the No. 4 assault gun that the platoon leader noticed several Tang Army soldiers lying on the ground.


    He knelt on one knee and examined the corpses of these soldiers. Some had bloody orifices, others wounded chests; all had been killed by the recent explosion. The damn large mine had achieved in an instant what even the Shen Army might not have accomplished.


    Wiping his face, the platoon leader stood up and carefully inspected the paralyzed No. 4 tank, whose tracks had snapped from the blast and hung loosely on the deformed drive wheel.


    The entire muffler had fallen off the exhaust pipe mounted at the back of the vehicle. Of the eight road wheels, two from the front four were missing, with two lying next to the tank wreckage.


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s over...¡± Seeing such a horrific scene of the explosion, the platoon leader knew that the chances for the assault gun¡¯s crew inside were slim.


    He tried from the back and, with great effort, climbed on top of the assault gun. Using the rear sloping surface as leverage, he carefully prepared to crawl near the hatch to try and see if he could open it.


    Just as he was about to do so, the soldiers covering him shouted at him loudly. He looked over and saw his subordinates gesturing at him.


    They pointed forward and then made a hand signal for the presence of the enemy. Then they were suppressed by incoming bullets and pulled back into the crater.


    The platoon leader understood; the Shen forces also wanted the remnants of this assault gun, hence they had started a countercharge trying to approach it.


    Peeking out, sure enough, dense Shen Army soldiers burst out of the trenches, brandishing gleaming bayonets, charging towards the assault gun.


    ¡°What have I done wrong in this lifetime to suffer here!¡± the platoon leader ducked back, pulled out a hand grenade from behind his pocket, pulled the pin and threw it.


    The enemies were very close, at least 30 of them. He had to defeat them here to have a chance to retreat to a relatively safe position.


    The Tang Army soldiers on the flank fired, their bullets sweeping across and knocking down seven or eight Shen soldiers who had followed and were about to rush out of their trenches. They cut off the reinforcement of the Shen soldiers ahead, but those who had charged out first were now very close to the No. 4 assault gun destroyed by the mine.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The hand grenade thrown by the platoon leader exploded amidst the crowd of Shen soldiers, lifting off five or six unlucky bastards.


    The surviving Shen soldiers were thrown into disarray by the blast. Seizing the opportunity, the platoon leader stuck his head out, picked up the Thompson submachine gun and began spraying bullets.


    ¡°Tatatatatata!¡± The pleasant sound of the typewriter echoed in the platoon leader¡¯s ears. One by one, the Shen soldiers in front of him fell down, and in a blink of an eye, another five or six were dead.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A Shen soldier shot at the Tang Army platoon leader, who drew his head back in time, the bullet missing him by inches.


    After emptying his magazine, the platoon leader discarded the empty one and quickly loaded a new magazine, chambered a round, and once again stuck out his head.


    ¡°Tatatatatata!¡± He pulled the trigger, and the typewriter continued its crisp firing sound. Bullets poured out like rain, and the Shen soldiers on the opposite side fell one after another once more.


    But he was only one man, able to secure one side but unable to cover the other: Shen soldiers from the other side of the assault gun¡¯s wreckage were making their way around it, now dangerously close.


    The enemy wouldn¡¯t give him a chance to reload, and one of the charging Shen soldiers stabbed the Tang platoon leader¡¯s thigh with a bayonet.


    The piercing pain shot through him, and in anger, the Tang platoon leader¡¯s arm, holding the pistol, was grabbed by another charging Shen soldier, who rendered him unable to pull free no matter how hard he struggled.


    Just as he was about to completely despair, a Tang soldier with a bayonet charged forward, and like a fierce tiger, he sent the Shen soldier in front flying.


    With a step on the head of the Shen soldier who had grabbed the platoon leader¡¯s arm, using it as a foothold, he leapt high and impaled the stunned Shen officer through the chest with a thrust.


    Before the Shen soldiers, who had not yet advanced and were shouting in readiness to fight to the death, could react, more Tang soldiers arrived, each with a Thompson submachine gun firing relentlessly.


    Those Shen soldiers who had climbed onto the assault gun¡¯s roof were hit by bullets and tumbled down from the vehicle, landing heavily on the ground, no longer fierce.


    A series of gunshots rang out continuously, and as the Shen soldiers fell, no living enemies could be found nearby.


    The Shen soldier who had just stabbed the Tang platoon leader¡¯s thigh had not managed to withdraw his weapon before he received a blow from someone¡¯s gun butt on his head, falling rigidly to the ground.


    Before he could get up, a bayonet was thrust into his chest, and blood spurted from the groove, staining the brownish-yellow uniform of the Shen military crimson.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always said that bayonet fighting is about the Model 1 rifle!¡± exclaimed the muscular Tang soldier wielding a 98K rifle with bayonet attached, withdrawing his weapon.


    ¡°Oh, give it a rest, buddy! You just weren¡¯t quick enough to switch to a submachine gun,¡± said another officer, holding a Thompson, as he approached the wounded Tang platoon leader, looking down at the man on the ground: ¡°Sir, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Damn it, which of your eyes see me as alright? Get me a medic!¡± exclaimed the platoon leader of the Tang Army, gasping for air propped up against a Shen soldier¡¯s corpse, his hand covering the hole in his leg, half laughing and half crying.


    ¡°Platoon leader! Are you okay?¡± Just then, the platoon leader¡¯s own troops arrived, with several soldiers anxiously gathering around and asking.


    ¡°Get me a medic!¡± Looking at his blood-soaked trousers and the hand over his wound, the platoon leader weakly repeated.


    ¡°Medic! Medic!¡± shouted the soldier who had just offered to cover him, his voice booming, and soon a medic with a medical kit rushed over.


    In the distance, the Shen position had been breached, and the Tang Army was pressing their attack. The remaining Shen troops could no longer afford to pay attention to the assault gun destroyed at the front of their position.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Another update will follow later, after midnight.


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 669: 628 no one appreciates

    Chapter 669: 628 no one appreciates


    ¡°Squeak...¡± A heavy mask with dark lenses shielded his face as a welder kneeled on one knee, bending over a steel plate, busily working on a welding point.


    The electric welding in his hand emitted dazzling light, and sparks shot out around him, illuminating a row of neatly arranged tank hull semi-finished products nearby.


    This was a production base for the No. 4 tank chassis located in the Tongcheng industrial area. Next to the welder, a group of apprentices wearing sunglasses huddled close, learning how to operate electric welding and join two pieces of steel together.


    In fact, the technology for the No. 4 tank wasn¡¯t exactly advanced¡ªif one were to observe closely, they¡¯d notice many rivets on its chassis.


    Also, due to design reasons, there were many openings on the tank chassis, including maintenance ports for the tank and escape hatches at the bottom for the crew to evacuate.


    The giant gantry crane at the top of the workshop transported a freshly produced semi-finished chassis to the corresponding position, while the other side of the workshop was designated for installing fuel tanks and other parts.


    ...


    Following that, these chassis would be moved further away, where engines and gearboxes were hoisted in place, and the central drive shafts installed.


    That area was even busier with a large crowd of workers waiting. They would use wrenches to tighten screws, a job that by the twenty-first century was almost entirely contracted out to robotic arms.


    ¡°Buzz...¡± As the crane moved, the loud sound of the electric motor echoed in the workshop, punctuated by the crackling sound of welding, almost resembling a symphony.


    Every process was extremely precise and complicated, even to the point where sometimes, rust-proof paint had to be applied in advance to ensure the longevity of the internal parts.


    Such a large factory was in full production every day, and as long as the supply of raw materials was uninterrupted, all the links in the chain would keep moving.


    In a noisy corner of the production workshop was an iron staircase leading upstairs to the management office of the workshop.


    At this moment, the workshop manager, smoking a cigarette, looked down at the newly arrived blueprints with a puzzled face, turning to the engineer who delivered the new blueprints, ¡°Changed again?¡±


    They had just revised the blueprints a few days ago, further increasing the front armor thickness of the hull. The previous batch of chassis, which had been ¡°cutting corners,¡± featured a front armor that was 30 millimeters thick¡ªthinner than previous versions.


    This batch of No. 4 tank chassis was exclusively for the artillery corps, intended for mounting 155 millimeter caliber howitzers to create Wild Bee Automatic Cannons.


    Since they were self-propelled guns, there wasn¡¯t a need for thick front armor, so they decided to save on material and, by doing so, also reduce the weight¡ªa classic case of killing two birds with one stone.


    ¡°Yes, the front-line troops suffered a serious loss. A self-propelled gun ran over a landmine, and the entire crew was killed, along with five infantrymen nearby,¡± the engineer explained with a pained expression.


    He pointed to the elimination of the bottom escape hatch on the blueprint, as well as several inspection ports, saying, ¡°Military requirements.¡±


    It seemed that several artillery regiments were about to receive their weapons and equipment¡ªor at least, a portion of the desperately needed arsenal.


    There was no helping it; with the constant expansion of Tang Country¡¯s military, there were almost no troops fully equipped with all their intended weapons.


    Most Armored Divisions had only two-thirds their tank quotas to make an appearance, and newly formed Armored Corps even maintained their training with just a third of their tanks.


    Meanwhile, there was a significant shortage of cars as well, with many troops supposed to receive 500 vehicles only ending up with 300 or maybe 400.


    However, compared to tanks, a heavier type of equipment, the shortfall of cars was not so substantial, and the replenishment rate was also much quicker.


    These self-propelled cannons in front could probably be issued to several artillery regiments, with a regiment being thrilled to get 10 such cannons.


    ¡°Minister Mathews is coming to inspect this place tomorrow, and I hope the area under my responsibility will not encounter any problems,¡± the Director said to the secretary sitting in the front passenger seat.


    He didn¡¯t actually like the People¡¯s Brand cars; the suspension was poor, the engine power mediocre, and the riding experience was very unpleasant.


    Unfortunately, since Brunas was lost, the production of luxury cars was somewhat affected, and Tang Country now had a serious shortage of middle and high-end car production capacity.


    Considering that in Chang¡¯an and other areas, there was still a large number of nobles waiting for good cars, it seemed only natural for local government departments outside to be assigned only People¡¯s Brand cars.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Director... I checked just yesterday, the operation of the factory is very normal, and there¡¯s no problem with the newly built Lion Wheeled Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle factory,¡± the secretary immediately turned around to report, ¡°You just need to accompany Minister Mathews for a walk and take a casual look.¡±


    ¡°You have worked hard,¡± the Director, who was only 23 years old, closed his eyes and started to doze off, looking very formidable.


    His secretary was a former official of Zheng Country, retained to assist with the work here. This secretary was once a high-ranking official in Tongcheng, now 48 years old.


    Because of manpower shortages, there were still quite a few ex-Zheng Country officials in Tang Country. Those who remained were the better-reputed and capable ones among the former Zheng Country officials.


    The corrupt and incompetent were dealt with during the conquest of Zheng Country, and the incapable were eliminated in the subsequent employment cutbacks.


    In short, those who had survived until today were talents to some extent. However, these people could only serve as deputies or secretarial clerks, and they were not able to govern on their own.


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard! It¡¯s all part of my job, part of my responsibility,¡± said the secretary, who was even a few years older than his superior¡¯s father, with a smile of modesty on his face following the praise from his boss.


    After the train passed, the barrier rose high, and as the car crossed the railroad track, it jolted badly, but the road ahead was smooth and shortly the young Director was indeed fast asleep.


    On both sides of the road, there were endless fields, with beautiful scenery that seemed to go unnoticed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    An additional chapter to make up for the previous one.

 Chapter 670: 629 a little worker

    Chapter 670: 629 a little worker


    Lu Ming moved his heavy body and pushed open the room door in front of him, the creaking sound echoing in the somewhat dim corridor.


    This was a brand new dormitory, a typical one built to the standards of the Great Tang Group of this era.


    Each floor had a long corridor with doors to rooms on either side, and next to each door was a small window, not meant for people to enter or exit, a very typical apartment-style design.


    Besides the independent bathrooms, each unit had only one room and a windowless living area, with the kitchen right next to the door, adjacent was the narrow window opening onto the corridor.


    Logically speaking, it was impossible to raise children in such a house, but the workers didn¡¯t mind. They used to be homeless, and now they had a home, so they didn¡¯t care about the details.


    Lu Ming, who had always been eking out a living in the Dahua Empire, was a typical migrant. He was actually from Chu Country but had lived in the Dahua Empire with his mother since he was a child.


    ...


    His mother was a woman who hid her past, high-end speaking somewhat like an escort, low-end speaking just a call girl without a fixed workplace.


    By selling her body, she brought him up and then died sick and penniless in the Dahua Empire.


    Not yet twenty years old, Lu Ming, without any source of livelihood or money for rent, could only begin his wandering life. He later followed some migrants to Tang Country, having heard that there were job opportunities there.


    Indeed, the rumors didn¡¯t deceive him, he found work here and also obtained free training opportunities, becoming a worker.


    After signing a contract akin to selling himself, he started to receive some wages every month and got to live in the factory¡¯s dormitory building free of charge.


    There, each dormitory room had bunk beds, with eight men to a room, each floor had a simple kitchen, only two toilets, and communal sinks for washing.


    Just work here for 20 years, and one could regain one¡¯s freedom and win the reward of housing, moving into the apartment building he was now living in.


    As it happened, he had learned a lot in just half a year¡¯s study here. The master who mentored him got a promotion and a raise, and he too became the backbone of the factory¡¯s technology.


    That contract was reasonably shortened to 15 years, and his usual wages were substantially increased. What thrilled him even more was that the factory often organized social events with a weaving mill in the same city, to introduce the workers to some female workers.


    All young folks in the prime of their youth, men and women got to know each other, correspond, and eventually come together, get married, and become a family.


    Later, Lu Ming learned that this was a strategic move by the factory, a birth strategy to increase the population of Tang Country: it saved on dormitories while also encouraging marriage and childbearing.


    ¡°How did Aunt Li find out?¡± Lu Ming asked his wife, his words muffled as he continued to eat.


    Her spirits lifted immediately as she explained, ¡°There was a letter from the front lines, along with an appreciation letter from the military representatives, very official, praising Aunt Li¡¯s son for his bravery. They mentioned an injury subsidy and a medal. Tax exemption too, it all sounds so enviable.¡±


    The authentic medals of the Great Tang Kingdom were sent directly to the soldiers¡¯ homes, while the soldiers on the front lines wore replicas to prevent loss during combat.


    However, there was one exception: when a soldier had no family, both the medal and its replica were given to the soldier, with the authentic one usually stored within the logistics department at the division or army level.


    The military¡¯s unique postal system was also highly developed, and since the railways were connected, letters sent from the front could quickly reach their designated destinations.


    ¡°The honors won with life cannot be envied.¡± Lu Ming continued eating and shared his opinion.


    His wife nodded vigorously, ¡°Mhm! You¡¯re right, we shouldn¡¯t envy such things! You are a skilled worker and don¡¯t have to go to the front, which is wonderful.¡±


    The state had already recruited soldiers twice, and despite adhering to the principle of volunteering and offering high subsidies, it still made people nervous.


    In the newspapers, on the radio, and even through the factory loudspeakers, there were reports of victories on the front lines and triumphs of our troops. However, people talked, questioning the logic of continual victories coupled with ongoing conscription.


    But to protect everyone¡¯s new way of life or to perhaps seize a future opportunity, strong young men from various places still joined the military, forming troops one after another.


    Although many knew that most of the newly recruited troops were sent either to the south or to the east and remained in training without being deployed to the front lines, the concern remained.


    People worried about themselves, whether the good days were coming to an end, and whether the country might perish... In short, a certain sense of patriotism had sparked in many.


    ¡°Being stable and safe is what truly matters.¡± Lu Ming didn¡¯t think it was wrong to be cautious, as everyone had their own way of being patriotic: it was hard to say whether he, a worker who installed parts on dozens of tank chassis every day, contributed more to his country than a soldier on the front lines.


    ¡°Do you think our Tang Country can win?¡± His wife, knowing nothing of such matters, pinned her hopes on her husband working in the military factory: ¡°Our way of living will certainly continue, right?¡±


    ¡°Definitely.¡± Lu Ming paused, then nodded firmly: ¡°If we still lose with such powerful weapons, wouldn¡¯t the soldiers on the front be useless?¡±


    He thought of the steel behemoths welded together in the factory. If anyone could defeat the tanks of Tang Country, that would be truly unbelievable.


    Such beasts were not to be overcome by human strength, and he firmly believed that the Tang Army, armed with such formidable power, would be invincible on the battlefield!


    With this thought, he felt the grains of rice in his mouth taste even sweeter. So he chewed vigorously, his cheek muscles bulging with each bite.


    He felt he should work even harder, produce more tanks, so his good days could continue just like this, forever.

 Chapter 671 Chapter 671: 630 is very lucky

    Finding a warship speeding across the vast ocean was not an easy task, especially when that warship possessed a high cruising speed.


    The engine technology of the Great Tang Group had always been the best in the world, a fact that even Shireck did not question.


    In the two previous car racing competitions hosted by the Great Tang Group, their team had deservedly won first place.


    This also indirectly reflected the robust technological reserves of the Great Tang Group in the power system sector, coupled with their astonishing sense of innovation.


    Weigang-class cruisers, formerly known as the Wolf-class cruisers, had sharp bows that sliced through the waves like arrows, racing across the vast sea.


    This warship had been ordered to set sail from Linshui Port, embarking alone on a mission to harass the maritime transport lines of the Shenguo to the north. However, it was pretty challenging to locate Shenguo''s transport ships on the boundless sea.


    Although they roughly knew the Shenguo peoples'' shipping routes, there were also a large number of Shenguo warships patrolling nearby, so the Tang warship had to be very careful to avoid startling the enemy.


    You see, the warships in service with the various countries'' navies were all equipped with wireless telegraph machines; their communication capabilities were far better than those of the infantry.


    Once these sentries were alerted, the enemy''s navy would quickly arrive, overwhelming and sinking the outnumbered intruders with their superior numbers.


    If the main fleet had not already advanced northward, being quite close to the combat zone, the Navy of the Tang Country would not have been so eager to send out a warship to make its presence felt.


    Now, with Bernard''s fleet beginning its northward pushed, everyone felt more confident, and the calls for action got louder, leading to this operation codenamed "Knocking on the Door."


    This operation involved dispatching a cruiser, using its speed to cut off the transport line between Shenguo and Beiyuan City.


    The captain of the Tang Army stood on the bridge, peering through binoculars at the distant sea, not wanting to miss a target nor to stumble into a trap.


    "Are we in the right position?" the captain asked, the third time since entering this shipping route.


    The navigator, busy charting their course on the navigation table, once again confirmed their trajectory and nodded in response, "Yes, sir! I think we''re on their route now."


    "Maintain course!" the captain ordered, then walked over to the navigator and spoke, "Let''s hope you''re right, we really haven''t encountered any enemies here."


    "I hope I''m not wrong either." The navigator smiled awkwardly, and the truth was that no one could guarantee with absolute certainty that they were error-free.


    It was entirely possible that they were not even on the enemy''s route at all, that they could be hundreds of kilometers away from it; such was the wildly inaccurate state of navigation technology of the era.


    So, until the enemy was truly discovered, everyone on the bridge felt restless, uneasy, and somewhat neurotic.


    Sea battles without radar or reconnaissance planes were just like this, dull and awkward: sometimes days or even weeks could pass without seeing a sign of the enemy.


    "Should we adjust our course?" the executive officer asked uncertainly, voicing his opinion.


    The captain shook his head and explained helplessly, "The more we maneuver, the harder calibration becomes. Any more messing around, and we''ll have to return to base."


    "Moreover, we can''t really prove that we''re not on their route," he said, lifting the binoculars to his eyes again and aiming at the distant sea.


    "Distance 10 kilometers!" Without any adjustments to the rudder, the cruiser''s sharp bow had by then realigned with the distant target.


    "Fire a shot to scare them, maybe they will surrender," the captain decisively commanded the artillerymen standing by at the ready.


    "Boom!" A few seconds later, a cannonball raced toward the target. However, due to the distance, where the projectile splashed down was quite far from the enemy vessel''s position.


    "The enemy has completed their turn!" the lookout shouted loudly.


    "Return rudder! Bow towards the enemy! Continue the chase!" the captain, with an excited expression on his face, fixed his gaze on the enemy transport ship growing larger in sight.


    A target like this that would not fight back was exceptionally easy to strike; attacking such a vessel was quite satisfying indeed.


    "Enemy ship distance 8 kilometers!" As time inexorably passed, the rangefinder officer once again updated the actual distance between the two.


    "Keep firing! All the bow''s cannons, fire whenever you have a clear shot! No hesitation! No need to wait for further orders," the captain said.


    "Boom! Boom boom!" The three cannons at the bow roared to life, one shell after another soaring toward the distant target.


    "Missed!" the spotter near enough chuckled in frustration¡ªsix shots fired, and not a single near miss, let alone news of any straddling the target.


    The captain, peering through his binoculars, consoled with, "Don''t rush! Take your time! They can''t escape!"


    Before his words had completely faded, another shell flew out of the bow turret. This time it did not disappoint, as it landed accurately on the stern of the enemy ship, still desperately trying to escape.


    "Boom!" A loud explosion followed, and flames burst from the rear of the enemy ship, which was quickly engulfed in black smoke.


    "Beautiful!" Even the captain himself excitedly cheered, reflecting the amount of luck involved in the shot. Honestly, had they fired three more broadsides and hit, it wouldn''t have surprised anyone present.


    This time they had struck gold with just seven shots, hitting the enemy vessel at about 6 kilometers away, enlivening the atmosphere aboard the entire warship instantly.


    "Enemy ship slowing down!" came good news from the observation post.


    "Enemy ship distance 5 kilometers!" the rangefinder officer reported again, lifting his head.


    "It seems like the enemy ship is hoisting a white flag!" the first mate, holding a telescope and looking through the dissipating smoke, spotted a large white flag.


    "Hm?" The captain paused for a moment, then began to scrutinize carefully.


    Indeed, the enemy had raised a white flag.


    "Cease fire! Close in! Let''s see what''s going on!" the captain frowned, unsure of what trick the enemy ship was trying to play.


    The distance between the two ships continued to decrease rapidly, and soon the Tang Army cruiser was alongside the Sheng Country transport ship, which had reduced its speed.


    Only then did the Tang Army captain realize that this was, in fact, a Sheng Country troop transport. To increase efficiency, the ship, initially only able to transport one battalion, had squeezed in two battalions, over a thousand people.


    The reason they surrendered was because they knew they couldn''t escape. If the artillery fire continued, those thousand-plus infantrymen would have to sink with the ship and feed the fish at the bottom of the sea.

 Chapter 672 Chapter 672: Demon 631 in Beiyuan

    "What should we do? There are over a thousand people on board... Captain, should we sink it?" The first officer looked at the damaged transport ship by the side and turned his head to look at his own captain.


    The captain lowered his head, also not very willing to give such an order, but according to the previous action plan, he indeed had no obligation to take prisoners.


    The Tang Army''s shipping routes were very safe; the route from Dongwan to Linshui was entirely within the range of airplanes. The Shenwu Navy feared the airplanes and had never attempted to disrupt the sea transportation.


    Due to a shortage of personnel, the Tang Army also had no desire to engage in sea combat, so they had dragged things out until now.


    Now the situation had fundamentally changed; the Tang Army''s main force fleet had moved north, and this cruiser had set out from Linshui to provoke them in advance.


    After allowing the Shenwu transport fleet such a long leash, the Tang Navy began to prepare to collect its dues.


    Since it was time to collect dues, there naturally wouldn''t be any messy rules. War is that cruel, especially for the navy.


    "Fire and sink it... We can''t continue our hunt with such a damaged ship in tow. Anyway, they surely had time to send out their coordinates," the captain said after a long silence, still issuing the order to fire.


    On one hand, it was because the combat plan clearly stipulated that surrendering enemy ships were not to be taken in, and on the other hand, it was because the various atrocities committed by Shenwu in Qi Country had indeed angered many Tang people.


    Even though Tang People were engaged in war with Qi People, at least that was a dispute among humans. Even in the eyes of Dwarfs and Elves, Goblins were not considered human, deemed even lower than Orcs.


    "Yes, Captain!" The aide had hesitated at first, but upon hearing the order, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to loudly command, "Fire!"


    The big guns, which had already been trained on the transport ship, fired in succession, leaving a row of holes in the waterline of the ship, which then began to tilt sharply.


    The Shenwu soldiers on the deck shouted and cursed loudly, and then they could only watch helplessly as the slender cruiser of the Tang Country sailed away.


    That day, the Shenwu Navy received two telegrams: two troop transports had been sunk, and there was no news of another sailing ship.


    ...


    The busy sea transport line between Shenwu Country and Beiyuan City suddenly saw Tang warships appear, which made the senior ranks of Shenwu''s navy anxious.


    However, the direct victim of this incident was the commander of the Shenwu troops trapped in Beiyuan City, Shenwu Sanlang.


    He had always been worried about his supply line at the rear, and sure enough, this fragile supply line turned out to be just as problematic as he had feared!


    Without the ammunition and bullets produced in Shenwu Country, the Shenwu troops holed up in Beiyuan City would soon run out of the ammo in their hands.


    What made Shenwu Sanlang even more desperate was that these new weapons in his hands were also shipped from Shenwu Country. He had just confirmed their effectiveness and planned to produce more similar weapons to stop the Tang Army''s assault, but now there were problems with the supply line behind him.


    "I don''t have a ship for you," Shenwu Sanlang bluntly stated. "If you want to leave, you''ll have to find your own vessel."


    "The Navy has already provided us with ships, thank you for your kind intentions, General," the Shireck consultant continued with a smile, as if boasting about his wide connections.


    "Then I won''t see you off," said Shenwu Sanlang, waving his hand and effectively showing them out. There were over 300 consultants from Shireck in Beiyuan City, which was why Shenwu Sanlang used the term "gentlemen."


    "Goodbye!" The Shireck consultant turned and left without any sign of attachment.


    "I hope we''ll have the opportunity to meet again," Shenwu Sanlang muttered darkly under his breath at the back of the departing Shireck consultant.


    "Did you say something?" The Shireck consultant turned around with a beaming smile.


    "Nothing, I wish you a safe journey," Shenwu Sanlang replied, his smile looking more natural.


    Once the Shireck consultant had turned and left, Shenwu Sanlang''s face darkened once again.


    What he didn''t know was that, in the corridor, the face of the Shireck consultant had also turned dark and grim, frighteningly so.


    Inside the room, Shenwu Sanlang turned to his adjutant, "Our supply lines just got disrupted, and they''ve already got the news? Do those bastards at home who have dollar signs in their eyes have no sense of confidentiality whatsoever?"


    They had just received the news that their supply line had been attacked by the Tang Country Navy, yet the consultancy group from Shenwu Country had packed their bags in an alarmingly short time. Clearly, Shireck''s infiltration of the higher echelons of Shenwu Country was very effective. This had to be reported to the sovereign!


    At the same time, he was also considering whether to transport the various treasures they had looted from Qi Country back to Shenwu Country. These were the fruits of his labor, and he had to protect them as much as possible.


    Remember, all of these were money! All his money! With this wealth, even if he were no longer a general, he would have a worry-free life for the rest of his days, wouldn''t he?


    The adjutant remained silent, having just learned of the supply line attack from his General, and was completely disoriented.


    What he was thinking now was to find a pretext to return to his country, to stay as far away from this dangerous place as possible.


    After all, it was said that Tang People were not so friendly to Shenwu people. To this day, Shenwu prisoners on Dongwan Island were still forced to dig pits in the coal mines¡ªthe meaning of suffering hardly did it justice.


    It was said that the great traitor of Shenwu, Shenwu Xiong, had defected to the Tang People and was even harsher towards Shenwu prisoners than the Tang People themselves. He was despicable, even worse than the Tang People.


    While internally cursing Shenwu Xiong, Shenwu Sanlang commanded, "Starting today, of the ammunition being brought in, thirty percent should be sent out of the city to support the outer troops, and keep seventy percent within the city in preparation for street warfare!"


    "Yes, General!" The adjutant was startled and then saluted, speaking in a lowered voice. He knew that once this order was carried out, almost all of the troops outside the city, except for a few Main Force Divisions, were virtually abandoned.


    "Don''t worry! It''s been so many days and the Tang Army still hasn''t bombed the urban area. What does that tell you? It means they are hesitant to destroy their prey; they want to capture a relatively intact Beiyuan City!" Shenwu Sanlang smugly explained to his adjutant. "The less willing they are to destroy it, the safer we are!"


    "Then, we''ll fight a decisive battle with these Tang People in the city! We''ll turn Beiyuan City into the Tang Army''s graveyard!" He clenched his teeth and said with a dark and ominous face.

 Chapter 673 Chapter 673: 632 artillery bombardment on Beiyuan City

    ```


    Just as Shenwu Sanlang was fantasizing about engaging the Tang Army in street battles within Beiyuan City, using the infrastructure the Tang Army was reluctant to destroy to wear them down, a sudden explosion came from the distance.


    Shenwu Sanlang and his adjutant both stared in shock before rushing to the window, where they saw black smoke billowing from inside the city.


    "What''s going on?" a flustered Shenwu Sanlang angrily asked, not knowing whether he was questioning himself or his adjutant.


    But the adjutant at his side was just as clueless, standing dumbfounded before the window, at a loss for what to say.


    He racked his brains to find an answer to the question his general had posed and finally squeezed out a comforting guess, "Maybe, maybe there''s been some mismanagement with the munitions or other flammable and explosive materials, it could be an accident."


    This was the most reasonable explanation he could think of, and it was less alarming than the idea that the Tang Army had started bombarding the city, which made it somewhat reassuring.


    But before he could internally congratulate himself on his quick thinking, another explosion occurred in the distance. This time, they watched from the window and saw it clearly.


    "It''s artillery fire!" They were all soldiers, and they instantly recognized the shots as being from the Tang Army''s large caliber artillery.


    "What''s happening..." Shenwu Sanlang asked again, and even though he didn''t elaborate, his adjutant clearly understood what he really meant.


    What Shenwu Sanlang wanted to know was why the Tang Army had suddenly started bombarding Beiyuan City. This went against Shenwu Sanlang''s judgment and completely upset his plans.


    No matter what the Tang Army was thinking, their bombardment had already begun. Another shell fell, hitting a two-story building and collapsing two-thirds of it.


    The enormous vibration shattered all the glass in the surrounding buildings, which were all freshly installed less than a year ago.


    Rooftop tiles slid off from the shock, crashing and scattering on the ground, sending civilians inexperienced in war screaming in terror as they ran for their lives.


    Because they had never witnessed such a terrifying explosion, they didn''t even know to get down, and just stood there foolishly, waiting to see if the shells would land at their feet.


    Even when the sounds of nearby descending shells were obvious, they couldn''t distinguish them and hurriedly "picked up their boxed lunch," becoming corpses strewn around the craters.


    This was the Tang Army''s 155mm howitzer in action; they had just received orders to open fire from the newly captured positions on Beiyuan City.


    Previously they had been cautious, entirely because they didn''t want to startle the Shenwu forces into retreating without a second thought, abandoning Beiyuan City.


    Now, with the Navy having moved northward, and nearly 300,000 Shenwu defenders unable to retreat within a few days, the Tang Army''s attack had become unbridled.


    Another shell fell and hit a street barricade; sandbags stacked atop were blown into the sky, some even flying into the windows of nearby buildings.


    After a dozen or so shells had fallen, everything fell silent again. Aside from the several plumes of black smoke rising from within Beiyuan City, there was no other sound to confirm that the bombardment had indeed taken place.


    Pulling out his pistol and waving it, the officer from Shenwu, desperate and infuriated, could only watch as the civilians from Qi Country worked silently, heads down.


    Though they were shaking with fright, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and reach for the corpses on the ground. Even a woman began to vomit continuously.


    The officer from Shenwu approached the vomiting woman and shot her in the chest. The sound of the gun terrified the surrounding civilians from Shenwu, causing them to scream, while the Shenwu officer burst into laughter.


    He then continued to shout at the crowd: "Get to work! This road needs to be fixed by nightfall! Otherwise, I''ll kill you all!"


    As he shouted hysterically, the civilians and soldiers alike heard a buzzing noise and all turned their gaze to the distant skies.


    There, a swarm of dots was rapidly approaching. In people''s vision, the planes grew larger and larger.


    "Tang, Tang Country''s planes!" A Shenwu soldier screamed in terror, his voice quivering with fear.


    "Run!" Someone from among the civilians also shouted, and suddenly, the civilians from Qi Country, who had just been fearful of the soldiers from Shenwu, broke through the encirclement of military guards and ran wildly towards the distant streets.


    High above in the sky, a large formation of Flying Fortresses, one after another, had now flown over Beiyuan City. The presence of the bombers was quickly noticed, with many people pointing at the sky.


    Panic spread rapidly as the civilians within Beiyuan City seemed to realize that a great disaster was about to befall their city.


    Some Maxim machine guns set up on rooftops started to fire frantically at the sky; unfortunately, their pitifully short range was no threat to the large bodies of the B-17 Flying Fortresses.


    In fact, the probability of a Flying Fortress being shot down by Maxim guns, like the one that happened during the previous maritime attack, was extremely low.


    Normally, even if a Maxim gun fired a hundred bullets and all of them hit, it might still not bring down a Flying Fortress.


    It truly was a Flying Fortress in name and nature, sturdy enough to make all its enemies despair! To bring down such a fearsome bomber, the German Army in World War II even had to equip their combat planes with large numbers of 20mm and 30mm caliber cannons.


    Moreover, the previous time, to ensure hits on the large ships at sea, they had used low-altitude bombing, which is what gave the Maxim guns a chance.


    This time, the bombers of Tang Army were generally flying at an altitude of 2000 meters, a height where Maxim guns simply couldn''t attack any targets.


    Therefore, machine gun fire was completely futile, doing nothing but increasing the city''s panic.


    Amid the roar of machine guns, these Flying Fortresses hovering over the city opened their bomb bays.


    Then, one by one, the bombs detached from their racks and, guided by the airflow, plunged rapidly towards the ground.


    The once overbearing Shenwu soldiers who just a moment ago appeared invincible scattered like birds and beasts, leaving only their officer staring up at the sky, now mostly obscured by the planes.


    Then the rain of bombs fell, and an Aerial Bomb landed perfectly on his face, squarely on top of his head, instantly replacing what used to be his skull.


    The subsequent explosion shredded his body, the shockwave swept through everything around it, and then, unstoppably, shattered the glass in all the nearby buildings.

 Chapter 674 Chapter 674: Shameless person 633

    After so many days of silence, the Tang Army began its first true assault on Beiyuan City. This assault was devastating.


    A single strategic bombing turned Beiyuan City, this human hell, into another kind of hell altogether.


    The few stone buildings collapsed in the explosions, and while most of the numerous wooden structures remained relatively intact, they all suffered some damage.


    The Tang Army didn''t use incendiary bombs, mainly because they had no intention of resorting to such cruel tactics in Beiyuan City, which was bound to come under their own jurisdiction.


    Countless 250-kilogram bombs left dense pits across the city, marking the once unassailed city with scars.


    Beiyuan City didn''t even have bomb shelters, lacking any sort of modern defenses, so the damage it sustained was immeasurable.


    Because of the potential for taking over, the industrial area piled on the outskirts of the city was relatively well-preserved, after all, it wasn''t the main area targeted by the bombings.


    On the contrary, the residential areas and the port docks¡ªwhere the Shengwu forces were most concentrated and reliant upon¡ªreceived special attention.


    After the Flying Fortress Bombers carpet-bombed the entirety of Beiyuan City, Stuka Dive Bombers took special care of the port area, turning it completely into ruins.


    The transport ships that couldn''t leave the docks in time were sunk right beside them, and several busy docks were utterly destroyed.


    Beiyuan City''s coastal defenses were targeted by aerial bombs, those outdated muzzle-loaded coastal guns, less valuable than the bombs themselves, were destroyed on their emplacements.


    To say that the coastal batteries of Beiyuan City were outdated wasn''t entirely true; when they were built, Qi Country did take it seriously, going as far as to spend a lot of money to have Shireck''s engineers experiment with new technology.


    For instance, they installed a mechanism on the heavy muzzle-loaders for quickly adjusting firing directions, employing a very complex structure made of high-quality steel.


    In the end, these black, cumbersome, and massive coastal guns became excellent targets for the Stuka Dive Bombers.


    Just dive at these things, and with a high probability, the bombs would hit the batteries directly, making it extremely convenient and quick.


    The Shengwu military was simply not prepared for an aerial defense operation, although they did have some camouflage nets and other equipment, focus was on the outer defense positions and none were used on these large military targets.


    Frankly, they never anticipated that the Tang Army would be willing to massively destroy these defense facilities and port docks built by Qi Country.


    But for the Tang Army, bombing docks and coastal batteries was actually the most cost-effective form of attack.


    Remember the Dongwan Port renovation project? According to Tang Country''s development model, the least valuable parts of an old city are the city walls, batteries, and the narrow docks that are difficult to overhaul.


    To rebuild Dongwan Port to Tang standards, they demolished their own walls and batteries and reconstructed the docks.


    "Your Majesty the King of Qi, calm down. The foreign minister will definitely ensure your safety, please rest assured of that," Shen Wenxi said with a full smile, as if he truly regarded Jiang Zhi as a sovereign king.


    But even though Jiang Zhi was scared out of his mind by the bombardment from the Tang Army, he wasn''t really stupid. He knew very well that Shenwu had never regarded him as the King of Qi, not even as a partner.


    During the conversation, the rumble of cannons echoed from outside; this was the heavy artillery of the Tang Army bombarding the city walls at the edge of the city.


    With the collapse of the city walls, the ground trembled slightly, and the Shenwu army outside had already begun retreating into the city, and Shenwu''s resolve was starting to waver.


    Having lost the dock, they no longer received any substantial supplies. Conversely, they also couldn''t organize a major retreat.


    The Stuka Dive Bombers, hanging with bombs, circled from sunrise to sunset, and the Shenwu''s large vessels already dared not approach Beiyuan City anymore.


    It was only at night that they used small boats and similar tools to transport some important materials into the city and then took out some so-called seriously wounded.


    In fact, no seriously wounded left; what was transported away was nothing more than the wealth of Qi Country. Moreover, these riches had now become the private property of senior Shenwu military officers.


    Without these gold and silver jewels, these antiques and collectibles, these Gold Coins and treasures, who would want to remain in Beiyuan City to fight for their lives?


    "Let me go, please! I beg you!" Jiang Zhi collapsed once again at the distant sound of cannons. He knelt in front of Shen Wenxi all of a sudden, hugging Shen Wenxi''s waist and wailing.


    Shen Wenxi was taken aback; he hadn''t expected this former Second Prince of Qi Country to have fallen so far, shamelessly begging like this.


    Just as he was about to offer a few words of comfort, a Shenwu Guard pushed open the door and said, "My lord, there''s a fight at the dock."


    Accordingly, Shen Wenxi, neglecting the Second Prince with a face full of snot and tears, hurriedly took his men to the dock. What he saw was a fierce fight between a group of rogue soldiers and the dock''s guard.


    It wasn''t just the Second Prince who wanted to leave; those Shenwu officials and soldiers who had come earlier looking for an easy score, but now realized this place was a veritable hell, had long since lost any desire to stay.


    They wanted to leave but discovered the dock was destroyed, few ships could dock, and a riot erupted spontaneously.


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    These people had looted quite a few treasures and money in Beiyuan City since they arrived earlier as robbers. They originally intended to offer some bribes as tribute, then escape back to their country to launder their loot.


    But now being told that no one could leave, this instantly ignited their rage. Thus, the two sides started brawling, escalating into intense street gunfights.


    As both the garrison and the rogue soldiers only had rifles, the bloodiness of the gunfight wasn''t as high as one might imagine.


    It was more like a large-scale American quick draw duel, mostly consisting of shouting matches, a shot fired here, a shot fired there, then more people joining, a shot from them, a shot from us.


    By the time Shen Wenxi and the infuriated Shenwu Sanlang arrived, the gunfight had actually subsided, leaving nothing but a sprawl of corpses on the ground.

 Chapter 675 Chapter 675: 634 pistachios

    Shireck''s advisors had left, and they had their ways of leaving Beiyuan City no matter what. These men took small boats from the docks at night before transferring to larger ships to return to Shen Country, even escorted by warships along the way.


    Now, because Tang Country warships frequently attacked Shen Country transport ships, the shipping route between Beiyuan and Shen Country was no longer safe.


    So whether it was transporting materials or troops, escort by warships was required. However, compared to the number of transport ships, there clearly weren''t enough Shen Country warships to go around.


    This directly led to a serious problem: whether it was because the ports were destroyed, or transport required escort, the total volume of shipments to Beiyuan City from Shen Country had been reduced by four-fifths!


    Eighty percent, a full eighty percent!


    With so much ammunition lost, and so many reinforcements missing, the Shen Country military defending Beiyuan City fell into despair.


    Injured soldiers who should have been transported back were stranded within Beiyuan City, and the place was rife with wounded, with military rogues running amok, keeping Shenwu Sanlang furious at all times.


    Meanwhile, the Tang Army was also encroaching upon the Shen Army''s control outside the city, destroying Shen Country''s defense lines, forcing Shen troops to continually retreat towards Beiyuan City.


    "Boom!" A shell landed on the main defensive belt set up by Shen Country outside the city. Before the dust it had kicked up had a chance to settle, a row of Shen Country soldiers carrying their rifles moved past the trench.


    Not a hundred meters from this trench, a Tank 4 assault gun was turning around. Its treads rolled over the edge of the trench, and the falling mud terrified the Shen Country soldiers underneath to the extreme.


    Just as the Shen Country soldiers huddled under the assault gun, preparing to attack its rear once it passed, a Tang Country grenadier jumped out of the trench at the side of the assault gun.


    He held a Thompson submachine gun and sprayed bullets at the Shen Country soldiers hiding in the trench, knocking them all to the ground.


    A Shen Country soldier charging with a stick grenade shouted and ran forward, only to be killed by another Tang country grenadier who had jumped into the trench. The two then lay down on the other side.


    The grenade exploded amidst a group of Shen Country defenders, spurting a mist of blood. The unbridled Tank 4 assault gun continued forward, with more Tang Army soldiers jumping down into the trench and then flipping out to follow behind the moving vehicle.


    "Tat-tat-tat!" The remaining Tang Army soldiers who entered the trench began to incessantly attack both sides, being much more cautious than before.


    Because their opponents now had steel helmets and grenades, their combat power in the trenches was rapidly rising.


    With the deadly weapon that was the hand grenade now in their possession, the Shen Army''s combat effectiveness in the trenches had noticeably improved ¨C they were no longer powerless under the Tang Army''s pressure.


    "Watch out for grenades!" Following this shout, another grenade exploded. It wasn''t clear if it was thrown by the Tang Army themselves or lobbed over by a Shen Country soldier. Continue your journey with My Virtual Library Empire


    After the explosion, the distinctive chattering sound of the Tang Army submachine guns rang out again, indicating that the grenade had not had the desired effect.


    Because they lacked automatic weapons, the Shen Country military still found themselves in defeat at the hands of the Tang Army soldiers in the trenches, even with the presence of hand grenades.


    "Fix bayonets!" Next to him in the trench, a Shen platoon leader had drawn his saber and was giving orders loudly.


    Following his shout, Shen soldiers drew their bayonets from their waists and fixed them onto their rifles, which were nearly as tall as they were.


    "Long live the King! Long live the King!" They cried out madly, ready to leap out of the trenches and engage in a decisive battle with the approaching Tang Army.


    But amid their cries, a grenade rolled to their feet. A loud blast followed, filling the area with black smoke.


    The Shen soldiers in the trench were thrown into disarray, and before the rest could get to their feet, Tang soldiers arrived from the flanks, continuously firing their weapons, stopping to reload on the spot once their ammo was spent, while comrades behind them surged past to maintain the rapid advance.


    Such fast-paced progress caught the Shen soldiers off guard. Inside the concrete bunkers, including the leading Shen commander, everyone had to immediately engage in battle. They defended the entrance and managed to hold off Tang Army''s first wave of attack.


    At extremely close range, both sides kept firing relentlessly, with grenades exploding near the entrance of the Shen defense works from time to time.


    Soon, the Shen defenders couldn''t hold on any more: they only had a few pistols, and the rest were armed with Shireck Model 1 rifles, which were far less powerful than the Tang Army''s Thompson Submachine Guns.


    On average, by the time Tang soldiers emptied a magazine, the Shen could barely get a shot off in return. If they could hold out in such a fight, they would truly be War Gods.


    As the Tang Army drew closer, their grenade-throwing accuracy became more exaggerated: it wasn''t long before a grenade was precisely thrown into the bunker''s doorway, followed by a dull explosion inside.


    "Boom!" The Shen soldiers were blown off their feet. The Tang soldiers took the opportunity to charge into the bunker, turning everyone attempting to flee or rise into a sieve.


    "I surrender!" A Shen officer hid behind a table, raising his hands, but before he could stand up, a Tang soldier sprayed a volley of bullets in his direction.


    The thin wooden board was no match against the bullets, so when the Tang soldier finished firing and came over to check, the Shen officer was already dead.


    "It gave me a scare," the Tang grenadier who opened fire explained somewhat awkwardly, "It was just a reflex..."


    "Nobody''s blaming you," another grenadier kicked the body on the ground, reassuringly indifferent, "Dead is dead, just apologize afterward and it''s done."


    Seeing the rookie actually start to step forward, his squad leader quickly put a hand on his shoulder, "He was just pulling your leg, and you were actually gonna do it?"


    "Huh?" The new soldier finally realized he had been played by the veteran. He scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed and somewhat flushed.


    "Let''s go, Happy Nut," the veteran who joked shook his gun barrel, ready to cross through the entire bunker and exit from a door on the other side.


    "I''m not called Happy Nut," the new soldier defended himself.


    "Alright, Happy Nut. Got it, Happy Nut, let''s go... Happy Nut." Around here, no one cares what you''re called unless you can survive and make everyone know that following you means survival!

 Chapter 676 Chapter 676: Crazy Assassination 635

    In the former City Lord''s Mansion of a small town in the southern part of the Tang Kingdom, the office, now retrofitted with glass, was exceptionally bright.


    Sunlight fell upon the original City Lord''s vast desk, warming its surface and making it extremely comfortable to rest one''s elbows upon.


    A young man and an older man sat facing each other, a large stack of unprocessed documents lying before them. However, one was reviewing the files while the other was talking.


    "My lord, please be mindful of your safety. You''ve impacted these people''s interests, and they definitely won''t leave you be," an official who served as the deputy warned gravely, a native of Zheng Country.


    As an experienced official of Zheng Country, he knew the ropes. He was aware that if someone didn''t play along with the script of the powerful clans, they were likely to make the non-cooperative individual suffer an "accident."


    Just yesterday, their governing council had unilaterally begun to audit taxes, and half a month prior, they had forbidden local clans from keeping slaves, simultaneously issuing orders to confiscate weapons from the hands of the local nobility and to disband their private guards.


    This series of executive orders caused almost every person who wielded real power locally and influenced the economy to suffer.


    The former Zheng Country official, who had served in this place for years, heard some rumors last night. He learned that the local clans and magnates were already impatient and prepared to show the new, merely twenty-three-year-old governor a lesson.


    "I didn''t come here to haggle with them. If they cooperate, I will share profits with them. If not, they can piss off!" the young man replied without lifting his head from the accounts, "This is Great Tang, not Zheng Country. It''s about time you old-timers changed your way of thinking."


    "My lord, your safety is crucial. Having served as an official for many years, I''ve seen my share of superiors, but never one quite like you. I truly admire a young man like you, so..." The nearly fifty-year-old deputy continued on and on.


    "Hand me that," the young man said, raising his head and pointing to a regional production report beside him, then giving the order.


    The deputy sighed, picked up the report, and passed it to the young man, opening his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately holding back.


    "I know what you want to say." The young man continued without looking up, pointing at his own head with one hand, "The situation here is already quite complex. Had I taken it slowly, it might take ten years to deal with these entangled nobles... but I don''t have time to waste on them."


    "If they wish to kill me, then you''ll witness an immediate and dramatic change here. If they don''t dare, then I can save a lot of time," the young man concluded, then lowered his hand from his head and tapped on the report, "Quite daring, aren''t they!"


    After speaking, he took up a pen and circled a figure in the report. "Missing at least 350 Gold Coins."


    The old man quickly took the report and compared it to the data before him, also showing surprise, "This is too, too audacious. What do you intend to do, my lord?"


    "If they disband their private troops, surrender their weapons, and are willing to cooperate with the subsequent regional reforms, I might let this sum go," the young man said, standing up with a smile, "Let''s go. The local police are hardly reliable; we''ll borrow some manpower from the stationed troops. In any case, we need to cleanse the police of corruption first. Otherwise, how are we going to use these lazy bums later on?"


    He murmured words of comfort between spitting out blood, "It''s crazier than I imagined. But this time, they won''t escape. Cough cough cough!"


    "Sir, Sir, save your energy! We''re, we''re going to the hospital right now," the old man, already in tears, shouted loudly.


    "Too late..." the young man, smile still on his face, muttered as his consciousness began to blur: "Didn''t let it be in vain..."


    He closed his eyes and his body went limp, no longer supported by strength. Quickly a car arrived to take him to the hospital, and more people gathered, adding to the chaos.


    The telephone rang insistently in the office. A military officer lazily picked up the receiver, listening to the voice on the other side.


    His expression turned ice-cold as he listened in silence until the person paused, then he said, "Stop crying, and explain the situation clearly. I''m listening, take your time."


    "I understand. All of you, don''t act rashly. I will report this incident. You can be sure that Sun Ze won''t have died in vain," he said before hanging up.


    Then, he picked up the receiver again and said somberly, "Hello, connect me to the Security Bureau, thank you."


    After getting through, he reported the situation. After a long pause, he said, "That''s the situation. Yes, leave it to me. No one will get away."


    After ending the call, he immediately picked up the phone again, "Hello, it''s me. Sound the combat alarm, troops assemble."


    "Woo!" Seconds later, the piercing alarm echoed throughout the entire barracks. Soldiers grabbed their weapons and helmets and hurried out of their barracks to form squares under the commanding voices of their officers.


    Then, they climbed aboard trucks. Lastly, an officer with a wide-brimmed hat and his aide got into a jeep at the front, and the roar of the engines stirred up the camp once more.


    It was late in the evening, and with headlights on, a column of military vehicles rumbled into the city. Civilians returning home late saw soldiers erecting barbed wire at the intersections.


    "Curfew tonight! The whole city is under martial law! All citizens must immediately return to their residences! Anyone who disobeys will be shot on sight!" shouted a soldier, his chin raised, standing in the middle of the street with a submachine gun, announcing the citywide curfew.


    Some, upon hearing about the incident, hurried away from the fierce-looking soldiers, who seemed to be holding back anger.


    Others tried to inquire but were pushed away by the soldiers, who then sternly warned them to go home immediately or face the consequences.


    Soon, streets that had returned to a semblance of prosperity were deserted, filled with military trucks and armed soldiers. In the shadows, one could make out .42-caliber machine guns mounted at street corners.

 Chapter 677 Chapter 677: 636 you dare to trick me

    ```


    On the following day, the weather was splendid.


    There wasn''t a cloud in the sky, and it had not changed because of the assassination of the governing official here.


    Outside the Government Hall, various models of luxurious cars filled the space, some produced by Gobur, some by the Ice Cold Kingdom, and others from Brunas.


    Next to the cars, fierce-looking guards were stationed, some gathered in groups idly chatting, some observing the surrounding guards who were somewhat different from before, creating an obviously desolate atmosphere.


    The police were no longer on duty; in their place, fully armed troops from the National Defense Army were standing guard, holding Thompson Submachine Guns and not allowing anyone near to strike up a conversation.


    Inside the Government Hall, a group of nobles wearing expensive clothes, along with their butlers and servants, crowded the hall, seemingly unaffected and in good spirits.


    Underneath their feet lay two men, akin to beggars in appearance, so badly beaten they were beyond recognition.


    Sitting across from them was a young man with a large-brimmed hat, his legs crossed, smiling just the same. With his hands tucked, resting on his knees, his booted feet swung back and forth, watching the people in front of him performing their nonstop act.


    "Assassinating the governing officer is such a despicable act! People like that should be beaten to death alive!" a former Zheng Country noble chuckled with pride, kicking the man lying at his feet who was beaten beyond human recognition, and declared, "As distinguished families with local fame, we naturally detest such things."


    "Therefore, we dispatched someone last night to find out who the real perpetrator was, and we even caught the criminal for you gentlemen!" Having said that, he gestured and a menacing subordinate stepped forward, grabbing the severely beaten man by the collar.


    They had actually calculated it all already. At present, Tang Country was engaged in relentless battles with the Sheng Country at the frontlines. The battle for Beiyuan City, which should have ended quickly, had dragged on without a clear victor.


    What does this indicate? It indicates that the military of the Great Tang Kingdom no longer possesses significant combat strength! To stabilize the situation and ensure domestic tranquility, the higher-ups in Tang wouldn''t want to blow things out of proportion.


    As long as they hand over a scapegoat, this side will naturally seize the opportunity to graciously back down, and the matter will eventually be buried.


    "Gentlemen, is it him?" the nobleman surveyed the eight police officers who had come to act as witnesses, having been on duty at the main gate the day before, and asked, pretending to be serious.


    "Yes, yes, it''s him, it''s him!" Several police officers hurriedly nodded, all chorusing their agreement. As if the murderer they had seen the day before was indeed this man.


    "Lord Hao, you''ve seen it too, haven''t you?" the nobleman turned to an elderly man standing aside, a former official of Zheng Country, and continued to elongate his question.


    At this moment, the young military officer who seemed to have been afk in his leading seat, suddenly tilted his head, as if his soul had returned to his body, and looked at the old man.


    After seeing the face of the noble, whose expression had started to turn gloomy and threatening, and then looking at the young military officer sitting there, the old man remained silent for a long while, struggled for a long time before he clenched his teeth and finally shook his head, "It doesn''t match the physique."


    "9... 8..." The young officer continued to count down, not even sparing a glance at where the man was, "Looks like you''re quite united. Hope you can hold out."


    "You cannot execute us without any evidence!" The leading noble was becoming hysterical, "We are all innocent!"


    "Bang!" Raising the pistol, the young officer shot the previously chattering former Zheng Country noble in the head, and blood once again sprayed out.


    "You wouldn''t stop talking just now, do you know how annoying you are?" The young officer glanced at his watch, "Ah, sorry, two seconds early. Nobody would mind, right? After all, it was a little short on time, easy to make a mistake."


    "What if I apologize to him, would that be alright?" The officer walked over to the corpse of the noble, and looking down at his smashed face, said, "Sorry about that, I fired too quickly. If you mind, go ahead and scold me. If you forgive me, then don''t make a sound."


    After he finished speaking, he lifted his head and looked once more at the silent local notables, "See, he has forgiven me."


    "It''s him! He sent the assassin! It was him!" A noble, pale with fright, pointed at the body on the ground and cried out.


    "Him?" The officer looked at the body lying on the ground, his expression one of disbelief.


    "Yes! Yes! It was him!" The noble, thinking he had found a way out, continued excitedly, "We are all innocent! Completely innocent!"


    "Bang!" The young officer lifted his hand, and with one shot, he hit the so-called quick-witted noble in the chest, causing the surrounding people to quickly scatter, moving away from the new corpse.


    The young officer walked over and fired two more shots at the noble that had fallen and was still gasping for breath, "Damn it! You dare try to trick me! You dare to play games with me! What were you thinking? You think you''re clever, huh? Ah?"


    He was already seething with anger. Sun Ze, the man who had been assassinated, was an acquaintance of his, a schoolmate and fellow graduate. After graduation, one chose the military, the other civil governance.


    They had a good relationship and both served in the same city, one governing, the other leading local troops. They often met, and even their wives were best friends.


    Not long ago, both their wives became pregnant, and they agreed that if both children were boys, they would be as brothers; if girls, as sisters; and if one of each, they would arrange a betrothal.


    But before the pregnancies became evident, Sun Ze was assassinated; upon hearing the news, Sun Ze''s wife cried herself into unconsciousness, nearly affecting the fetus.


    In a state of uncontrollable fury, the young officer emptied his pistol, then finally stopped. It proved that trying to be clever at such times doesn''t always pay off. Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Sir! Please, have mercy on me! I wasn''t involved in the assassination! I don''t know who was!" A female noble, no longer haughty as before, suddenly knelt down and started wailing, "Spare me, please. Whatever you want, I''ll give it, I''ll give everything!"


    -------


    These two updates are for yesterday, and today''s is being written.

 Chapter 678 Chapter 678: 637 - A Special War

    For the people here, the military officer standing before them was a ruthless Yama King, one who cared not for reason. Their only wish now was to walk out of this hall of the Yama King alive.


    "Sir, I will disband my private army as soon as I get back. I''m willing to offer 1,000 Gold Coins! From now on, I will support and carry out any order from His Majesty the King! Sir, sir! I truly am not the murderer!" another wealthy merchant collapsed as well, likewise kneeling on the ground and crying out loud.


    "Look at you all, what are you doing..." The officer, with a pistol in his hand, looked at the people kneeling on the ground and continuously kowtowing, and shook his head, "I just lost a classmate and am feeling a bit sad, that''s all. Look how scared you''ve got."


    "If only you had this realization earlier, how great that would have been. But alas... it''s too late." As the officer spoke, he put the pistol back into his waistband, impatiently waving his hand.


    The next second, the soldiers holding submachine guns on all sides started spraying bullets, and instantly, blood splattered within the crowd. These nobles, who once covered the sky with one hand here, piled up like mud, and in the end, silenced completely.


    "Sir... killing so many people without evidence, won''t there be... issues from above?" The old official, who followed the young officer to the gate, bent over, carefully avoiding the bodies on the ground, and asked in a whisper.


    Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire


    "The case of Sun Ze has already reached His Majesty, and His Majesty''s reply was... to prevent future troubles, all governing officials within the kingdom must make a choice today."


    "There are only two options. 1, deal with all potential threats locally. 2, the local area is cooperative and does not require handling." The officer looked at the older man, "This is not a game, it''s a war!"


    The two walked out of the gate like that, with luxury cars nearby littered haphazardly with bodies. Just as gunshots were heard inside the room, the cleansing had already begun here too.


    The luxury car doors were covered with bullet holes, and some of the horses in front of the lavish carriages had also been shot dead, lying on the ground.


    There was blood everywhere, bodies everywhere. The two walked forward, walking over the blood on the ground, over the corpses that were once fierce, cruel, strong, and vicious.


    Every bastard lying here carried a heavy burden of sin! They relied on the power and influence behind them to bully men and women, committing every imaginable evil.


    They colluded with the City Defense Forces, bribed the officials here, and even dared to openly defy the royal power, acting as if they were the true masters of this land.


    Now, they lay here, turned into sieves by bullets that rained down like droplets, even unable to escape justice by hiding in their cars.


    Unexpectedly, there were civilians gathered in the distance, who, upon seeing people exiting the administration building, burst into cheers after a few seconds of silence.


    These people had run amok here for far too long, never paying any price for whatever they did. Like leeches, they sucked blood from everyone in this city until their bellies were bloated.


    Now, these people had finally been dealt with, so the civilians, who dared not speak their anger before, began their revelry.


    In their shouting, in the courtyard of the distant administrative building, the police officers who had just given testimony, with their hands tied behind their backs, were being forced to kneel on the ground and then shot in the back of the head one by one.


    With each gunshot, the remaining officers kneeling on the ground would cry out and beg for mercy, but the shooting never stopped, until the last crying voice also faded away.


    He approached the two former Zheng Country generals, who looked as if they were about to lose their nerve, and asked, "You both were Ministers of Zheng Country. What do you think, am I doing the right thing?"


    "This subordinate dares not question Your Majesty. Whatever Your Majesty says is right, this subordinate will hold it to be right," Bai Fei hastened to answer Tang Mo''s question.


    "Those people deserve to die! They all deserve death! This subordinate believes what Your Majesty is doing could not be more correct!" Lu Qianshan also hurriedly bowed his head.


    "Both of you are indeed wise and insightful," Tang Mo said noncommittally, simply nodding his head before continuing, "Then would you be willing to deal with those who look upon the Kingdom with enmity, disturbing the order and ignoring commands, committing wanton acts of rebellion for me?"


    "This subordinate, this subordinate is willing," Bai Fei, with sweat on his forehead, bowed his head and agreed somewhat reluctantly.


    Lu Qianshan also didn''t wish to accept this task, for his identity did not fare well to begin with. Leading his men to slaughter the old Ministers of Zheng Country, his reputation would be beyond redemption for the rest of his life.


    But in desperate times, he couldn''t afford to think about his own reputation. If he really had an unwaveringly loyal heart, he wouldn''t have surrendered in the first place.


    Therefore, he too quickly bowed his head, offering the same answer as Bai Fei, "This subordinate also wishes to relieve Your Majesty of concerns."


    Tang Mo nodded slightly, then issued a command, "Then the two of you will do me the favor, rooting out those rebels and exterminating them, putting an end to future troubles for me."


    "The more you kill, the more accurate, the better, the prettier... then, I assure you here, I''ll give you a future, and our friendship will be seen through from beginning to end," Tang Mo said, drawing out his words as he looked at the two old Zheng Country Ministers who dared not even lift their heads.


    After a pause of a few seconds, he continued, "But if you kill the wrong ones, kill too few, do it incorrectly, make a mess of it... then our friendship will also come to an end. Do you understand?"


    "This subordinate... understands," Lu Qianshan answered bitterly.


    Bai Fei too responded as though he had swallowed a fly, "This subordinate accepts the order."


    "Bartender, take them to work, arrange manpower for them, let them each carry out their investigations," Tang Mo looked towards the tall and burly bartender, assigning tasks to the two Zheng Country turncoat generals.


    Everyone present knew, assigning an official from the Brunas faction was not quite proper at this time, and using a capable local official seemed somewhat wasteful.


    Putting these two turncoat generals to use was clearly a very rational personnel decision: whether they performed well or not, in the end, they wouldn''t be able to bring the boiling public sentiment back to Tang Mo''s court.


    If they did well, then Tang Mo would have eliminated a malignancy, disciplined the atmosphere, and increased his control over the entire Kingdom. Perhaps he could even gain one or two useful talents to make full use of.


    And if they performed poorly, then getting rid of the two of them wouldn''t cause Tang Mo any heartache nor any real loss.


    "Thank Your Majesty! This subordinate will definitely handle the task well." Lu Qianshan, realizing the implications, now wore a relieved expression. He understood this was a path given to him by the King; if he walked it well, it could become his road to advancement.


    "This subordinate thanks Your Majesty, this subordinate will certainly relieve Your Majesty''s concerns," Bai Fei also became excited, with a string of names already in his mind, a group he felt he should personally see off. These names shimmered like gold, each one seemingly spelling "promotion."

 Chapter 679 Chapter 679: 638 The savagery in ones bones

    Warships as massive as mountains sailed across the sea; this was an ultimate maritime weapon built by Shireck, comparable to Dongwan-class battleships.


    The cruiser was longer and wider than Dongwan-class battleships, with larger-caliber guns and, of course, slower speed. Shen Hai had purchased this type of battleship to counter the Dongwan-class battleships of the Tang Navy.


    At this moment, commanding this warship was Shen Hai''s naval commander, Shen Hai Yinan. This naval general had previously provoked the Great Tang Group and was still living quite comfortably.


    However, he now faced a dilemma: his fleet simply couldn''t cover the entire shipping route between Beiyuan and Shen Country, resulting in a significant loss of transport ships recently.


    Three or four Tang cruisers operated alone, active on this route; they would strike and then flee, leaving the Shen Navy exhausted and unable to capture any Tang naval warships.


    Looking at the bodies of Shen sailors floating on the sea, Shen Hai Yinan''s face became extremely unsightly.


    He possessed the world''s largest-tonnage battleship, yet his enemies refused to engage him in an honorable battle.


    "These bastards, all they do is hide and seek," he stood on the bridge, watching his sailors despondently recover the bodies from the sea, searching for the pitifully few survivors.


    Indeed, there were survivors, although the temperature of the sea water was already very low near the North Sea, some people were still lucky enough to stay alive.


    However, those lucky enough to survive were few and far between; sometimes, there would be hundreds of bodies floating densely on the sea, with only a few still breathing when brought onboard.


    The actual number of casualties was far from the true losses of Shen Country: in fact, there were even more army soldiers that sank with the ships¡ªnot everyone from the Island Nation knew how to swim, and going down with the ship wasn''t rare. Not to mention, some were weighed down by their equipment when they fell overboard, sinking even faster.


    The loss of lives was secondary to Shen Country; what truly pained the leaders was the loss of the not-so-easily produced weapons and equipment.


    With each transport ship sunk came the loss of hundreds of cannons of various models, tens of thousands of shells, and millions of bullets.


    These munitions were supposed to be sent to Beiyuan City for the battle, but now they had all sunk to the bottom of the unfathomably deep sea, never to see the light of day again.


    The true number of losses had not yet been tallied, but just by roughly calculating the total number of troops and munitions that left shore, minus the portion received by Beiyuan City, the navy''s higher-ups were already seething with anger.


    They couldn''t stand to see such losses. Army generals cursed the navy for betraying the country in meetings, leaving the navy leaders unable to lift their heads.


    As a front-line combat commander, Shen Hai Yinan had actually been risking his life trying to locate the main force of the Tang Navy, preparing for a decisive battle.


    He believed that only by annihilating the main fleet of the Tang Army could he possibly protect the entire shipping route and no longer worry about enemy warships'' harassment.


    However, lately, he led the Shen Navy fleet on a wild chase across the seas like a headless fly, failing to find any Tang warships.


    The enemy had higher speeds and always acted individually, which also led to the Shen Navy wasting lots of fuel and time.


    "General, since we can no longer obtain sufficient supplies, should we consider reducing some of the consumption of materials?" the officer suggested with a cruel expression on his face.


    "Hmm?" Shenwu Sanlang glanced at him and grunted in acknowledgment.


    "The two hundred thousand Qi people in the city consume a large amount of food daily. They will compete with us for food, might guide the Tang People, reveal our defense secrets, and necessitate us to divide our forces to monitor and guard against them..." The officer rattled off his thoughts and then stopped.


    Shenwu Sanlang nodded, internally agreeing with the officer''s idea. They indeed shouldn''t waste any more manpower and supplies, so it was time to reduce the burden.


    Then, pretending to contemplate, he ordered, "We must not arouse a civil uprising, which would cause us trouble! Do it gradually, try not to stir up too much commotion."


    "Yes, General!" The officer, seeing that Shenwu Sanlang accepted his suggestion, wore a sinister smile, "I know what to do."


    "We have to deal with the people who are consuming food, and also find a way to get the food out of their hands!" Shenwu Sanlang quickly added another instruction.


    In his eyes, the lives of Qi people were worthless; killing them was just killing them, but the food was his capital to continue holding Beiyuan City, which he had to collect and control as much as possible.


    The officer who offered the strategy immediately stood at attention and saluted, responding once more, "Yes, General! I understand."


    Shenwu Sanlang waved his hand, signaling the officer could go about the task, then he continued to stand by the docks with his guards, watching the Qi strongmen repairing the pier, pondering whether to let these people go.


    Killing them would surely affect the progress of repairing the docks, and it would be even harder to capture such a large free labor force next time. So he hesitated, but this hesitation did not prove he had the slightest shred of humanity left.


    From that day on, a systematic massacre began in Beiyuan City. The Shen troops moved from block to block, gathering civilians and cruelly slaughtering them with bayonets. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Unwilling to waste bullets, they mostly used bayonets to kill, but as resistance grew fiercer and more people became aware of the truth, they later employed machine guns in the slaughter.


    Records show that the people of Shen Hai killed more than 310,000 local civilians during the battle of Beiyuan City, nearly wiping out all the Qi people in the city.


    After the war ended and a recount was done, Beiyuan City, which originally had gathered people from surrounding towns and included the defeated Qi troops, had a population close to 400,000. In the end, fewer than 40,000 survived.


    Only one tenth of the city''s population survived, with the rest falling to war, starvation, and massacre.


    Smoke rose everywhere in the city as the Shen troops looted block after block and set fire to some buildings. They burned bodies and evidence, and even managed to prevent the potential spread of plague within the city.


    What was even more unexpected for them was that the dense gun smoke also obscured the field of vision, affecting the bombing accuracy of some Tang bombers...


    As for this blood debt, Tang Mo was certainly going to demand repayment.


    In his eyes, the goblins of Shen Hai no longer had any right to exist; they would be eradicated by the Tang Army from this planet, leaving no trace behind!

 Chapter 680 Chapter 680: 639 Tang Mos Benevolent Government

    Compared to the capital Chang''an, the living conditions in Anpu actually aren''t very good. This place serves merely as a temporary frontline command center, hosting liaison officers from various troops, as well as a large group of staff officers. Everywhere one looks, there are radio antennas used for communication.


    In addition to the alert troops, officials'' cars, and logistics supply troops, the originally not-so-large city is almost filled to capacity.


    Like the other cities of Tang Country, this place is also undergoing a series of modernization reforms, including the addition of complex sewage systems, the construction of more tall buildings, and the building of various factories in the suburbs.


    The entire place seems like a gigantic construction site, albeit an odd one where soldiers can be seen everywhere.


    Even a temporary airfield was built here, so that commanders from other regions could quickly and conveniently visit their ruler.


    And the general headquarters where Tang Mo resides is a manor on the outskirts of Anpu. Previously, this manor belonged to a nobleman from Zheng Country who fled to Qi Country at the time of Tang Country''s conquest of Zheng, and whose life or death is now unknown.


    Compared to the capital Chang''an that has been developed for many years, there''s almost nothing noteworthy here apart from a power plant for electricity.


    The room Tang Mo occupies has undergone minor renovations, and the conditions are relatively good¡ªat least he has his own bathroom and can bathe inside his room.


    Even with the victories of the war, the sandbags piled up at his window were moved away, suddenly improving the lighting in the room, so that during the day, at least, there''s no need for electric lights.


    This made Tang Mo feel somewhat better, since at least he didn''t always have to conjure up images akin to an underground bunker environment, and naturally his mood improved considerably.


    Alas, such a good mood ultimately vanished after the Sun Ze incident erupted. Now the whole of Tang Country is undergoing a massive purge, with a bloodbath of killing.


    How terrifying was the scale of this purge? Frightening enough that during the operation, even the Tang Army suffered casualties! This shows just how fierce the resistance faced was and how bloody the purge.


    Nangong Hong realized that the new policies of Tang Country would face opposition from traditional forces and anticipated resistance in implementing similar policies.


    But he hadn''t expected Tang Mo to start the purges in such a decisive manner, not even intending to give any leeway for those old forces to survive.


    Such pushback even sparked turmoil, and in some rural areas, private armies even took on a rebellious stance. However, due to the strength of the Tang Army, the situation remained under control.


    That''s why he came to meet with Tang Mo, to discuss whether it was reasonable to initiate such purges without first concluding the external war.


    Yet, after seeing Tang Mo looking spirited and lively, he knew all such chaos was far from making his lord feel anxious.


    Tang Mo was continuously in control, even the purging and slaughtering of the old powers had been proactively initiated by him after careful deliberation.


    According to his old personality, he should have picked an unlucky country to declare war on, then exhumed the ancestral graves of its king¡ªthat would truly vent all his pent-up fury.


    Without waiting for Nangong Hong to speak, or perhaps Tang Mo was just venting and not actually giving Nangong Hong the chance to reply, he went on, "But in the end, he was too idealistic, or to say, our young academic officials were simply too idealistic. They lacked flexibility and the ability to cope with the complexities of society."


    "Thus, our young officials either quickly become corrupt and serve as a shield for local tyrants, or they rigidly follow my orders and pursue their governing ideals. This is our weak spot, a shortcoming that cannot be changed," Tang Mo said, while pointing at the newspaper, indicating for Nangong Hong to pick it up and read it.


    Hearing Tang Mo say this, Nangong Hong remembered the two young people who had been dealt with before; they took what they shouldn''t have and thus lost their heads, literally.


    It''s a pity¡ªif they had resisted those temptations, they might have seen a different world, reaching heights that they couldn''t have even imagined for themselves.


    When Nangong Hong picked up the newspaper and saw its contents, he knew that this time, those self-important old nobility, old finance magnates, and old bureaucrats had lost.


    They lost thoroughly, and there would be no one to light incense and reminisce about them. Because the man in front of him, the Tang King, had issued a decree of tax reduction nationwide.


    The common people, especially those with lower incomes, saw a five percent reduction in their monthly taxes. Although it didn''t seem like much, it was a substantial benefit that directly affected them.


    Moreover, this was on top of agricultural subsidies for farmers, who hardly had to pay any taxes at all. Essentially, this policy was equivalent to giving all workers a five percent pay raise!


    To compensate for the shortfall created by this tax cut, Tang Mo increased the tax burden on the wealthy class¡ªand by a considerable amount, to twelve percent!


    Nangong Hong knew that the man sitting before him, named Tang Mo, was the greatest tycoon in the country. He imposed a twelve percent tax hike on himself and would surely enforce it strictly!


    In an instant, Nangong Hong wasn''t sure why Tang Mo was doing this. If it was just to accumulate wealth, he already had more than enough.


    Meanwhile, Tang Mo continued talking about Sun Ze, "If we want to implement new policies and overturn the old social system, to advance the nation''s politics, we must rely on our own trained cadres and officials because those from the old system cannot grasp the essence of this political theory."


    As he spoke, he sighed, "But employing our own officials leads to a governmental structure that''s too young, inevitably leading to various issues."


    "The good news is, we have the support of the people and the military. As long as we don''t mess up, our enemies won''t be able to cause any turmoil," Tang Mo finished his meal and, wiping his mouth, signaled to the maid that the table could be cleared.


    Wes, who hadn''t said much throughout the entire time, wolfed down the last of his deep-fried dough stick and then poured the remaining soy milk down his throat with abandon, casually handing the bowl to the maid. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Tang Mo looked at Wes''s mannerisms and shook his head, "The bad news is that in this revolution, the price we have to pay will be significant; there will be sacrifices, just like Sun Ze. He''s not the first, nor will he be the last."


    "I hope this killing makes everyone realize that we have limits! Those who don''t cooperate may lose money or status, but resisters will certainly die! That''s why we''re seeing a roll of severed heads now," he made a cutting motion with his hand, "Killing, so that in the future we may not have to kill. The more we kill now, the less we may have to kill in the future. This is the benevolence of the system; this is my humane rule."

 Chapter 681 Chapter 681: 640 Blood Hand and Man-eating Shark

    People are incredibly prone to corruption; they crave happiness yet cannot clearly comprehend what true happiness is. Materially, it only requires one indulgent generation to set the social mores off on a wild, uncontrollable sprint across a thousand miles.


    At seven or eight, we could only sip on domestically produced sodas, drooling over the orange-yellow drinks packed with spice colorants and additives. But by thirty, we insist on some fancy nonsense like adding Alpine pink coarse salt to our meals for health and purity.


    In merely fifty years, the diligent, intelligent, and frugal people of Huaxia went from filling their bellies to carelessly discarding bowls of rice and noodles. If it were anyone else, this pace would only be quicker.


    Back then, strapping a beeper to our hips had us walking tall and proud. In less than twenty-five years, we''ve reached a point where we''re not hip until every necklace, bracelet, watch, and phone we wear is internet-connected.


    In Tang Mo''s era on Earth, the youngsters of Huaxia drove imported cars¡ªwheels were aplenty in the streets; they wielded smartphones, shopping and paying online with a few taps; they sported waterproof, breathable tech-material jackets and limited-edition sneakers endorsed by stars. Yet, these very people proclaimed their lack of freedom, their discontent with joy and happiness...


    Reason suggests they should be as hard-working as their predecessors, and what they''ve obtained is countless times better, so why bemoan a lack of joy and happiness?


    Browsing short videos, gaming, clubbing at tourist spots, skiing, surfing... Aren''t these more fun and interesting than playing marbles, listening to the radio, or playing cards?


    Television ceaselessly peddles anxiety, stirs opposition, and markets a deadly doctrine of entertainment. It seems as if women must possess a designer bag to justify their existence, and men must sport a luxury watch to be deemed successful.


    What Tang Mo urgently needed to do was to fully tap into the potential of these people, who don''t even know what happiness is before they become irrevocably corrupted by materialism. He planned to help them create wealth sufficient for their own squandering.


    He wasn''t a good person¡ªor rather, he was the kind of real good person, the devil that should be overthrown by the revolution. He exploited his workers in a more covert and efficient manner and even intended to make these workers feel indebted to him.


    He knew well that, with time, the days when feeding people could buy their loyalty would vanish. People who are not hungry begin to pursue more, and Tang Mo had seen too many whose greed could never be satisfied.


    Improving people''s living standards has to be a gradual process, in line with the country''s overall economic and technological levels, and should rely on actual industry as much as possible. Relying on finance is tantamount to disabling oneself.


    Even in real estate, after the waves recede, some ruins might remain¡ªat least there would be some remnants, like dilapidated buildings, still standing.


    But if it''s finance we''re dealing with, a rise and fall could evaporate a country''s wealth accumulated over decades in an instant¡ªevaporate, understand? Evaporation means nothing gets left behind.


    So the reconstructed stock exchange in Chang''an City is actually quite small, and Tang Mo''s Great Tang Group really doesn''t need to raise capital or borrow money to expand. It is already massive enough; world-renowned giant corporations seem insignificant in comparison.


    Companies like Apple Inc. and Samsung are merely little brothers in front of the Great Tang Group, whose reach and status in its fields are beyond even what Tang Mo could imagine.


    What the other countries feared and dreaded most was that Tang Mo''s approach was already proving to be effective, and the vitality displayed by Tang Country was something those decayed empires could not compare to.


    Thus, these countries banded together and, along with Shireck, targeted Tang Country. They knew all too well that Shireck was technologically backward but had no other choice. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire


    It wasn''t that they chose Shireck and, deceived, came to oppose Tang Country upon believing Shireck''s nonsense¡ªit was their own opposition to Tang Country and their determination not to rest until its defeat that made them stand with Shireck.


    Shireck felt the same; the emergence of the Great Tang Group had changed the competitive landscape, introducing this new pattern straight into the industrial sector.


    The conservative Shireck was forced into battle, but retreating every step of the way for not being able to adapt to the new competitive model was like desecrating the graves of old financial tycoons like Sofia.


    If it were another old consortium rising to power, Shireck Consortium might not even resist so resolutely. After all, if the other side won, the game would still be played the same way, and the table would remain the same.


    But if Great Tang Group won, it would mean a change in the rules and a new way of playing the game, or rather, it would be like flipping the table...


    This is why Shireck went to such lengths to prevent the rise of Great Tang Kingdom, and why there is an irreconcilable conflict between them.


    "The two of them have done very well, even better than I expected," Tang Mo affirmed their achievements: "I don''t care whether they are bloodthirsty butchers as long as they do the right thing, I will not interfere."


    "Although it seems a bit inappropriate to say this now, as your minister, I still need to remind Your Majesty that ruthless officials are like axes and saws; after use, it''s safer to put them away," Nangong Hong weighed his words, then cautiously advised.


    Tang Mo nodded slightly, "Thank you for reminding me at a time like this. In fact, I have already prepared a way out for the two of them."


    Throwing the tabloid that described how Bai Fei would eat babies alive in the night into the trash bin at his feet, Tang Mo clapped his hands as if despising the newspaper for being dirty: "Bai Fei will eventually join the Army''s Staff Department. Lu Qianshan will be handed over to the Navy to Bernard..."


    "In short, they will fade from the public eye and continue to serve me in the military," Tang Mo changed his tone and continued, "Of course, the premise is that they both stay on the right path!"


    Nangong Hong knew that these two were always under Tang Mo''s surveillance; Tang Mo would not allow them to do anything that might endanger the rule of the Great Tang Kingdom.


    But what he didn''t expect was that Tang Mo had actually planned a retreat for the two: in the past, when a monarch made use of such people, they would eventually be killed to appease public anger.


    There''s nothing surprising about that," as if seeing the astonishment on Nangong Hong''s face, Tang Mo didn''t pretend to be profound but explained directly: "I won''t treat anyone who works hard unfairly, and I won''t let down those who are loyal to me!"


    He sneered, casting a glance at the newspaper in the trash bin: "The most important thing is, I don''t think there is any public anger that needs to be appeased. Once all those who spread rumors are gone, you''ll find that the people will be as calm as a lake, without a single ripple."

 Chapter 682 Chapter 682: Our Fleet is in location 641

    Just as Nangong Hong was about to take his leave, a servant brought in a new piece of intelligence. After Tang Mo received the intelligence, he was slightly stunned, and then his expression turned even colder.


    He handed the telegram to Nangong Hong, who took the thin sheet of telegram paper, only to realize the terrible weight it carried.


    For it was written on the telegram, "Shen Army slaughters over a hundred thousand residents of Beiyuan City, and the massacre continues to this day."


    "Your Majesty, this..." Nangong Hong looked up to Tang Mo, to see a face that was extremely unsightly.


    "If I do not avenge this, I am not fit to be King!" Tang Mo clenched his fists and said through gritted teeth.


    Then he turned to the servant and commanded, "Go, summon Luff! I must know the location of our fleet!"


    Even when the coastal line was threatened by the Shen Navy''s fleet, Tang Mo had never shown such anxiety, nor had he ever asked about the whereabouts of his own fleet.


    But now, he was asking, which made Nangong Hong acutely aware that Tang Mo was truly enraged and ready to make the Shen people pay the price. Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire


    Soon, Luff rushed in and reported to Tang Mo that Bernard''s fleet was nearing the war zone.


    "Your Majesty! Bernard''s fleet has left Linshui and is on its way to the war zone. It is estimated that it will soon appear near the Shen Nation''s shipping route," Luff, pointing at the map, gave an approximate position of the fleet.


    Tang Mo nodded slightly, then commanded, "Don''t be courteous with the Shen people! We will not accept any form of surrender; we want no prisoners¡ªsink all the Shen ships we see! Do not spare a single one!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty, I will immediately send the electrical order to Bernard," Luff replied, bowing his head slightly, knowing that a true slaughter was now beginning.


    ...


    On the vast sea, aboard the flagship Dongwan 3 battleship of the Tang Army''s main fleet, Bernard received the specially addressed telegram from his aide.


    After seeing the bloody words on it, he immediately issued the combat order, "Raise the blood flag! Gentlemen, His Majesty''s will! This battle, we take no prisoners!"


    "Raise the blood flag!" the aide repeated the order loudly. Below the national flag and the Navy flag, a bright red banner slowly rose; the signal lamps flashed incessantly while the surrounding warships continuously signaled with flags, the whole fleet bustling with activity.


    "Correct the course! The whole fleet, turn 5 degrees to port!" Bernard commanded again, they were now approaching the enemy''s shipping route, and the entire fleet was brimming with murderous intent.


    All the warships slightly shifted their course; the three leading battleships, massive as mountains, straddled the sea, and billowing smoke poured out of their stacks, rolling over the surface of the sea relentlessly.


    "The Fengshun Class 31 on the perimeter spotted a Shen transport ship heading due east!" Soon, a signalman came to report that the patrol destroyers on the fleet''s outskirts had located a target.


    "Sink it!" Bernard ordered without hesitation.


    "At once, General!" the signalman went to convey the order immediately.


    Hatred only breeds greater hatred, and those idiots yelling for forgiveness must have water on their brain, mentally ill. The only way to forgive an enemy is to bury them by hand, and burying them alive makes forgiveness even easier!


    "Should we conserve ammunition?" The executive officer put down his binoculars and turned to ask his captain.


    "Continue the attack!" the captain calmly replied, holding his binoculars and admiring his handiwork.


    Soon, the enemy ship, now close at hand, had its deck tilting and sinking into the water. The sea was strewn with Shen sailors and the wounded being transported back home.


    "Give them a quick end!" the captain said, putting down his binoculars, "I''m being very merciful already."


    Following his orders, the machine guns on the destroyer roared to life. Tracer bullets swept across the sea like rain, and in moments, the water was stained red with blood.


    Soon, another Fengshun-class destroyer approached, its side signaling with flags, informing the fleet''s main force of its imminent arrival.


    In the distance, the black smoke billowing from three Dongwan-class battleships intertwined in the air above the horizon, presenting a magnificent sight.


    Finally, the transport ship from Shen Country, overwhelmed by the amount of water it took on, capsized in the sea, leaving only a barnacle-covered hull slowly disappearing from the surface.


    That huge propeller was just a knockoff, copied from the propellers used on the Great Tang Kingdom''s Liberty-class transport ships¡ªonly without fully understanding them, they were all show and no go, the performance presumably a bit worse.


    "Let''s go!" Watching the sunken ship that wouldn''t flip back over, the captain of the Fengshun-class destroyer responsible for perimeter patrol and search felt somewhat reluctant as he ordered.


    The destroyer, which had slowed down for an easier attack, now picked up speed again and headed into the distance, leaving the other destroyer behind to continue toying with the unlucky Shen men in the water.


    Very soon, the surviving sailors and wounded from Shen Country were witness to a shocking sight. The colossal Dongwan-class battleships, their smoke billowing, advanced closer.


    All they could do was look up at the sea beast, despair welling up from deep within, for this was the most powerful war machine built by humans up to this point.


    Looking down at these survivors from the side of the ship, the Tang Navy sailors were indifferent. They had heard about the Shen Army''s massacre of civilians from Qi Country, so they looked at these survivors as if they were looking at a bunch of dead people.


    Soon, more warships passed by, as this area used to be the busiest shipping lane in the northern seas.


    There should have been countless Shen Country transport ships here, along with a substantial Shen Navy fleet cruising around.


    "We haven''t pinpointed the exact location of the enemy''s fleet yet, but the cruisers that came here for a raid earlier provided some vague coordinates," the navigator said to Bernard, looking down at the map beside the chart table.


    He pointed at several marked locations: "They had contact with the enemy''s fleet here, here, and here, and got away with their speed... This suggests that the enemy ships should be operating within this range."


    "Is there any way to find them?" Bernard was eager for battle.


    "Not easy, if they are still around, then they should be in this area; if they''ve run out of fuel and returned, we might find nothing," the navigator shook his head as he replied.

 Chapter 683 Chapter 683: 642 Yard

    ```


    Finding an enemy fleet in the vastness of the sea is no easy task, even if you know the general area of their activity. It''s like two blind men fighting, with no idea where the opponent is.


    If the speeds of the two fleets are about the same, then playing hide and seek becomes even more exhausting: even if they spot each other, one fleeing and the other pursuing can lead to an endless chase.


    That''s why aircraft carriers later emerged as a weapon: during World War II, airplanes provided a vast reconnaissance range for the fleets, essentially lighting up the map, which was incredibly convenient.


    As technology advanced, the reconnaissance planes that lit up the map became less important than launching direct attacks, with longer ranges and more significant impact, quickly replacing battleships and becoming the navy''s new favorite.


    Even after the advent of radar, the scouting range and attack distance of carrier-based aircraft could not be matched by radar, so aircraft carriers'' position in the navy remained as solid as a rock.


    It wasn''t until satellites and ultra-long-range anti-ship missiles became prevalent that aircraft carriers faced a real safety crisis, but they still remained the most effective means for maritime information gathering and tactical strikes, and thus an essential part of naval operations.


    Unfortunately, Tang Country''s navy did not yet possess this divine tool, so Bernard could only grope around blindly at sea, searching for the Shen Hai navy''s main fleet.


    In fact, at the same time, the main fleet of the Shen Hai navy was also searching for the main fleet of the Tang navy.


    Because they had a bit of intelligence gathering capability, Shireck''s side received news from spies in Linshui Port.


    They saw the main fleet of the Tang Army leave Linshui after resupplying fuel and materials, and the direction was quite clear.


    From the trajectory of the Tang Army, they first resupplied in Dongwan, then headed north to Linshui, resupplied there again, and left, heading northward all the way, naturally targeting the sea routes between Beiyuan City and Shen Hai.


    Therefore, Shenwu Sanlang led the fleet once again to set out, preparing to intercept the Tang Army''s fleet and engage in a decisive battle with this exhaustedly extended Tang force.


    Unfortunately, Shenwu Sanlang did not have an aircraft carrier either, so he could only light up a few dozen kilometers of the map around him. Such a small area, set in the vast sea, was equally useless.


    Thus, both sides were keen on a decisive battle, yet neither could find the enemy''s fleet. Hence, Tang Country''s fleet had to once again take up the task of intercepting Shen Hai''s transport ships, forcing the opponent to come forward.


    However, this method required time, and Bernard would have to continue waiting patiently for a direct confrontation with the enemy fleet.


    ...


    Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    In Beiyuan City, outside the gate of a courtyard, seven or eight Shen Hai soldiers, brandishing Shireck-1 rifles with bayonets attached, smashed at the gate of a household with their rifle butts.


    The old man living there had three sons and was a grain merchant in the city, making him moderately wealthy. But as the scale of the Battle of Beiyuan City grew, he could no longer carry on his grain business, and his life became harder day by day.


    "They''re here, they''ve come." The old grain merchant, anxious as ever, opened the door, and the short-statured Shen Hai soldiers rushed into the courtyard.


    "How dare you! You dare to resist?" the Shen Hai officer sneered and shouted.


    The old grain merchant, seeing his wife and child killed just like that, promptly cried out, "Two are dead, two are dead! For the others, I''ve paid! Have mercy, please have mercy, sir!"


    The Shen Hai officer snorted and, looking at the three remaining people, spoke again, "If you resist, the price changes. Hand over your money quickly, or I''ll kill another one!"


    Upon hearing this, the old grain merchant started howling, "Have mercy, sir, have mercy! There''s not even half a copper coin left in this family!"


    "Really nothing left?" The Shen Hai officer grimly smiled, eyes wandering toward the youngest son.


    "Gone, all gone!" The boy, not yet eighteen, already terrified out of his wits, nodded rapidly.


    "Looks like there really is nothing left." The Shen Hai officer seemed somewhat regretful, for it appeared this family really had been drained of all they had to offer.


    "Truly nothing left!" cried the old grain merchant.


    "Sigh..." With a sigh, the Shen Hai officer shook his head and commanded, "Since there''s no money left, what''s the point of living..."


    No sooner had he finished speaking, the surrounding Shen Hai soldiers, wielding their bayonets, surged forward. The remaining father and sons clung together, screaming piteously as they were stabbed to death in the courtyard.


    "Seal the door with a placard, have someone clean up tomorrow, ready for use by other troops." The Shen Hai officer had never intended to spare any of them from the very beginning.


    His goal had been to extort all the money and food from these families and then put them to death, seizing even their residence.


    And such incidents had become common, the Shen Hai military committing arson and murder throughout the city, with law and order long since collapsed.


    What outraged the people of Qi Country most was that His Highness the Second Prince, who should''ve been their protector, was now neither seen in life nor found in death, showing no intention of intervening.


    Throughout the neighborhood, cries and pleas for mercy rose and fell, yet the Shen Hai showed no signs of stopping. They didn''t even have time to dispose of the bodies for fear the nearby civilians would run away upon hearing the noise.


    But the acts of bone-breaking and marrow-sucking had to be carried out¡ªafter all, the loot belonged to them¡ªby the decree of Shenwu Sanlang, all looted money was personal profit, while grains were confiscated!


    This also served as an incentive for the Shen Hai soldiers to commit atrocities. With personal gains at stake, the subordinates were all the more willing and efficient in executing his orders.


    At this very moment, the whole of Beiyuan City had turned into a living hell with the Shen Hai garrison, who had at least maintained some pretense before, now completely unrestrained. They roamed like wild beasts, savagely slaughtering the people of Qi Country who had once welcomed them.


    "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! You must do something! If this continues, all of us from Qi Country will be slaughtered!" A servant cried and knelt before the Second Prince Jiang Zhi, pleading for his master to intervene, at the very least to restrain the Shen Hai so they wouldn''t be so excessive.


    But Jiang Zhi, as if deaf, just sat there and said not a word.

 Chapter 684: Lost Supplies 643

    Chapter 684: Lost Supplies 643


    Even someone who has lost all sense of decency and conscience actually cares about face, though in most cases, when someone truly loses all conscience, their pursuit of face takes on a very strange direction.


    For example, in ancient times, making a king always feel indebted to you would pretty much mean you¡¯re not far from having your family exterminated and your house raided.


    The Second Prince of Qi Country now found himself caught in this contemptible circle of self-consistent moral logic.


    He felt that none of this was his fault, nor was it the fault of the people of Shenwu. All the problems he faced were actually because his father refused to promote and trust him, to hand over the entire Qi Country to him.


    As for blaming Tang Country, he resisted the idea deep in his heart, for he did not dare. For Tang Country was so powerful that not even the people of Shenwu could defeat it, so powerful that he didn¡¯t even dare to entertain the idea of blame.


    Does that sound strange? Indeed, it is strange. However, that¡¯s exactly what Jiang Zhi thought to himself, no matter how odd it might be.


    ...


    He never asked how his subjects were currently being slaughtered, nor dared to investigate how his own country was being destroyed by Tang Country.


    Now, the ones he blamed most were his brothers, his deceased father, those ministers who delayed him, who kept him from power...


    The slaughter outside had been going on for days, and in truth, Beiyuan City had already become a domain of ghosts. The number of Qi people had sharply decreased, the streets were littered with the wounded of Shenwu, Tang Army was at arm¡¯s length, and Jiang Zhi felt as if he could see his own end coming.


    His recent several requests to Shenwu Sanlang to go to Shen Country were denied: Shenwu Sanlang knew that the shipping route to Shen Country was no longer safe.


    They didn¡¯t wish to stay, but by now, leaving was no longer an option. Apart from the occasional supplies they still received daily, the supply line was no longer capable of supporting the entirety of Beiyuan City.


    Shenwu Sanlang, who had been vigilantly guarding the outskirts of the harbor area, sensitively noticed that the supplies he could receive were rapidly diminishing day by day.


    Previously, despite Tang warships¡¯ harassment, it was barely possible to resupply Beiyuan City with goods, but now, fewer and fewer transport ships could reach Beiyuan City.


    Most of the transport ships could only time their arrival in nearby waters at night, and then quickly depart before dawn. Fearing the airplanes flying in the sky, the entire resupply process was fraught with anxiety.


    To Shenwu Sanlang¡¯s further irritation, as Beiyuan City¡¯s port was destroyed and blockaded, shortages began to emerge, particularly in supplies that previously seemed less important.


    For instance, coal and fuel, which were usually stored in the harbor area for the small resupply ships and patrolling warships, had now been destroyed or exhausted.


    The loss of these fuels meant that the already severely inadequate number of transport ships, especially those with insufficient range, could no longer carry out transport missions.


    There was no choice, for once a ship sailed out, it could not return, so they could only rely on larger vessels to carry out the resupply missions.


    But as Beiyuan City¡¯s port was attacked and the conspicuous docks were severely damaged, even desperate repairs could not restore them quickly enough to accommodate large transport ships.


    So, the Shen Country¡¯s maritime resupply found itself in a ridiculous contradiction: only large ships could carry out transport missions, yet the docks could only allow small ships to dock.


    As a result, not only did they lose half their transport capacity because small ships couldn¡¯t be used, but the damaged docks also made unloading from the large ships difficult.


    A few days ago, Shenwu Sanlang discovered that heavy artillery vehicles and other equipment could no longer be unloaded ashore, and the unloading of ammunition had become extremely cumbersome and inefficiency had dropped to a despairing level.


    Some ships could only manage to transfer a hundred or so rounds of ammunition to smaller boats with ropes overnight, which then delivered the ammunition to the shore.


    But such a laborious effort all night long yielded only enough ammunition for a single artillery company¡¯s daily consumption, enough to drive Shenwu Sanlang to despair.


    After summarizing the lessons learned, Shen Country¡¯s transport ships would no longer sail to Beiyuan City with thousands upon thousands of rounds of ammunition, because they had to return before they could finish unloading.


    It was unthinkable to sail 200 kilometers back before dawn the next day and then sail back again to continue unloading ammunition, wasn¡¯t it? Such actions not only squandered fuel but also severely wasted transport capacity.


    Therefore, Shen Country had to alter the cargo structure inside the transport ships: they tried to transport smaller items as much as possible to facilitate sea transfers and improve efficiency.


    Finally, they figured out the best strategy was to transport personnel as much as possible: let soldiers board with light weapons and ammunition, as this was most economical and convenient.


    So, unnoticed, Shen Country sent another 50,000 soldiers to Beiyuan City and took back about 30,000 wounded.


    The reason why more people were sent than received was partly due to the higher importance of unloading, which meant that there had to be more time allocated to it, and consequently, the time for the wounded to board was reduced. On the other hand, the returning vessels invariably carried some private cargo.


    To transport the plundered goods back to Shen Country was a core national policy: the entire nation of Shen was waging this war¡ªif there were no returns, how could they possibly continue?


    A portion of these plundered supplies needed to be given to Shireck to continue purchasing weapons and pay off previous debts, while another portion was distributed to the families of the fallen as a consolation.


    Of course, a large part was the nobility¡¯s cake¡ªonly with these profits would they continue to support the war. Even the king of Shen got his share of the cake.


    As for the dead Goblin civilians, to everyone in Shen, they were just numbers. Aren¡¯t people just resources to be consumed?


    ¡°The people of Tang still refuse to negotiate with us?¡± Shenwu Sanlang, seated in his commandeered office, looked at the inventory list he was holding and asked Shen Wenxi, who was beside him, with some impatience.


    Shen Wenxi shook his head, replying absentmindedly, ¡°They won¡¯t accept any kind of negotiation, the terms provided by Tang¡¯s diplomats are completely unacceptable.¡±


    His answer seemed contradictory¡ªhe said the people of Tang simply did not give Shen an opportunity to negotiate, yet he also mentioned that Tang set terms that were just unacceptable to Shen.


    Shenwu Sanlang detected the underlying message: the terms offered by Tang were so stringent that the entire leadership of Shen felt that Tang wasn¡¯t truly aiming to negotiate but was prepared to prolong the war.


    ¡°What exactly do they want?¡± Shenwu Sanlang asked curiously.


    Sighing, Shen Wenxi indulged Shenwu Sanlang¡¯s curiosity, ¡°Reparations of 100 million Gold Coin, 300 thousand slaves, execution of war criminals...¡±


    ¡°War criminals?¡± Shenwu Sanlang was momentarily taken aback, seemingly particularly concerned about this matter.


    Nodding, Shen Wenxi explained, ¡°Yes, criminals! The Tang people believe that Shen wrongfully initiated the war and that during the conflict, our military leaders committed atrocities and must be punished.¡±


    Ha!¡± Shenwu Sanlang scoffed.


    A person knows exactly what they have done, even if it¡¯s perfectly concealed from others. Shenwu Sanlang did not have a split personality to shield himself from his actions, so he was well aware of the recent events in Beiyuan City.


    These were acts that he had orchestrated, and they had continued with his tacit approval. If Shen indeed had war criminals, then he, Shenwu Sanlang, was definitely among them.


    He never considered himself at fault, as all his choices were made with the interests of Shen¡¯s military in Beiyuan City in mind.


    As Beiyuan City¡¯s surrounding siege tightened and its harbor was destroyed, the city¡¯s food and ammunition supplies dwindled.


    In such a scenario, slaughtering civilians to conserve resources for the military seemed like the best choice. Furthermore, the practice of Shen¡¯s military brutally expanding and occupying territory, for their settlers to take control, was almost a universally recognized tradition.


    What Shen had done on Dongwan Island was exactly this, and now they were doing the same in Beiyuan City¡ªit was hardly surprising.


    ¡°We all know that if we actually give Tang hundreds of thousands of slaves, their development would accelerate even faster. Plus, the 100 million Gold Coin we can¡¯t afford¡ªnone of these conditions are acceptable to us,¡± Shen Wenxi continued.


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Shenwu Sanlang agreed, ¡°So now we¡¯re left with only one option¡ªto fight to the death here!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let a single soldier fall into the hands of the Tang people. We¡¯re going to turn Beiyuan City into true ruins, and every Shen soldier here will die in the final battle!¡± His expression was ferocious and somewhat terrifying, ¡°They will get nothing! Only a Beiyuan City that no longer exists!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also what the higher-ups want,¡± Shen Wenxi said, ¡°They hope we¡¯ll continue to hold out here, thwarting Tang¡¯s offensive and buying as much time as possible.¡±


    ¡°As long as we hold on, there is hope!¡± As a civil officer, Shen Wenxi couldn¡¯t expect military performances, so he could only talk about what he was familiar with, ¡°The international situation will change. Our allies won¡¯t just watch us get swallowed by Tang!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Shenwu Sanlang also put his hopes on the international situation¡ªin his view, as soon as Chu Country and Dahua Empire declared war on Tang, the value of this isolated city would soar.


    At least, the Eastern Continent nations, eager to kick Tang while it was down, would immediately join the feast to carve up Tang, providing maximum reinforcement for Beiyuan City!


    With these reinforcements, he could turn defense into offense, achieve a comeback, and become the most famous general of Shen, and even the entire world!


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 Chapter 685: 644 circling on the sea

    Chapter 685: 644 circling on the sea


    On the sea between the distant Beiyuan City and the Shen Hai Kingdom, the clouds of war were gathering as well.


    Finally, with both sides willing to engage in battle, and one not wanting to retreat while the other eager to advance, the long-brewing battle of the Northern Sea finally erupted.


    The participating forces were evenly matched, with the Shen Hai Kingdom putting forth nearly its entire naval assets, and the Tang Imperial Navy deploying its main fleet.


    Bernard had a total of three Dongwan-class battleships, 45 cruisers and destroyers, making up a total naval force of 48 warships.


    The Shen Hai Kingdom fleet, commanded by Shenhai Yinan, possessed four battleships and 51 cruisers and destroyers, totaling 55 warships.


    Both of them knew that what could truly decide the outcome of the naval battle were the battleships in their hands! The other warships were merely there to kick an enemy when it¡¯s down after the decision had been made by the battleships, incapable of truly altering the course of the battle.


    ...


    Thus, both sides naturally formed up with their battleships in the lead and the rest of the warships following, arranging their formations over a distance of more than 30 kilometers.


    Both parties were very cautious, for whether it was Bernard or Shenhai Yinan, they were both acutely aware that what they held in their hands was the entirety of their respective nations¡¯ naval assets.


    Standing on his own bridge, Bernard didn¡¯t utter a word out of tension, silently staring at the billowing black smoke on the distant horizon, not even blinking.


    On the other side, Shenhai Yinan was not much better off, even making fists unconsciously with both hands to stop them from trembling.


    ¡°Enemy ships at 29 kilometers! Moving in the same direction as us!¡± an officer loudly reported the distance between the two sides.


    The fleets were drawing nearer, with the battle lines roughly parallel; the Shen Hai Navy sought engagement actively, so it was they who were gradually closing in on the Tang Imperial Fleet.


    ¡°Maintain course!¡± Bernard didn¡¯t think of anything clever; he decided to use his side¡¯s advantage to win this naval battle in an upstanding manner.


    He knew that his fleet had a higher speed, so he planned to concentrate firepower on the enemy fleet¡¯s lead battleship, and after inflicting serious damage, seize the T-position advantage and bring all his firepower to bear, aiming to sink the enemy ships first and obtain the upper hand.


    Meanwhile within the Shen Hai Navy fleet, Shenhai Yinan, sitting on the flagship, was also pondering how to defeat the enemy.


    As a seasoned navy veteran, Shenhai Yinan was of course well aware that the Tang Army fleet was much faster than the Shen Hai Navy¡¯s fleet. If the other side hadn¡¯t been seeking battle, they could have easily retreated, giving the Shen Hai Navy no chance at all.


    But the enemy hadn¡¯t retreated; instead, they had formed up ready for a decisive engagement, which indicated that the opponent¡¯s commander had made up his mind to settle the battle here with him.


    Shenhai Yinan knew this was his only opportunity. If he won here, the tremendous pressure on the sea route between Beiyuan City and the Shen Hai Kingdom would be alleviated, and his country could possibly succeed the Tang Country as the new sovereign of the Endless Sea.


    And he had at least a few advantages: firstly, he had always been a naval officer, with extensive experience in naval warfare that Bernard couldn¡¯t match; secondly, he had a clear advantage in the number of battleships and the number of main guns; thirdly, the destroyers purchased from Shireck by the Shen Hai Navy were slightly better than the cut-down Fengshun-class destroyers, giving the Shen Hai Navy an overall advantage.


    However, within the context of the entire fleet, these advantages were not pronounced and could even be said to be nonexistent.


    ¡°The enemy ships haven¡¯t changed their course! The distance between us and them is getting closer,¡± reported an anxious Shen Hai Navy officer to Shenhai Yinan, who was waiting eagerly.


    The Shen Hai Navy¡¯s warships lacked precise rangefinding systems, so the officers could only rely on rather inexact estimates to gauge the actual distance between the opposing forces.


    Compared to the Shen Hai Navy, the commanders of the Tang Imperial Navy had much more accurate control over distances. At almost the same moment, an officer of the Tang Navy also reported their distance: ¡°Enemy ships at 27 kilometers from our fleet!¡±


    ¡°It seems they¡¯re thinking the same as us, preparing to settle matters here,¡± the executive officer said to Bernard as he watched the smoke from the enemy fleet on the sea surface.


    Bernard nodded, then immediately issued a command to change the fleet¡¯s direction: ¡°Hard to port! Correct course to the west! Increase the distance!¡±


    This sudden turn order drew querying looks from all the officers prepared for a tense showdown.


    Bernard, after seeing the enemy fleet, had no intention of letting the adversary escape. However, how exactly the naval battle should be fought was something he had actually been hesitating over.


    Previously, he had prepared to clash directly with the enemy ships, to have a thrilling battle with the battleships facing off against each other, and to determine the outcome through sheer strength.


    But just now, it seemed he had an epiphany: in naval combat, the side with the speed advantage clearly could make the choice, the choice of how to enter the battlefield!


    His fleet had the advantage, so there was no chance the enemy could flee. Therefore, after seeing the sky filled with black smoke, he had been contemplating the method to secure complete victory.


    Just moments ago, he had come up with a good idea: since the enemy had also come seeking battle, they wouldn¡¯t easily retreat.


    He could fully utilize the superior speed of his vessels to change from the current head-on collision course to a more prudent approach of moving in opposite directions and ying to bite each other¡¯s tails in the decisive battle.


    In this way, his own fleet¡¯s destroyers and cruisers could shake off the enemy¡¯s battleships with their speed advantage. Meanwhile, his battleships could leverage their speed to clamp down on the enemy¡¯s small ships and pound them fiercely.


    Once those Shen Hai destroyers and cruisers were dealt with, turning back to gnaw on the tough bone of the Shen Hai battleships would surely be safer, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Bernard understood that Tang Mo had entrusted the entire Navy¡¯s assets to him, showing his trust, and that war was not about being reckless or fierce. It was the most rational tactical choice for a commander to preserve oneself while inflicting the greatest damage on the enemy.


    ¡°Hard to port! Change course! Reformation of the fleet!¡± The executive officer immediately relayed Bernard¡¯s command, and the Great Tang¡¯s fleet began the turning maneuver. The originally orderly line of battle instantly became chaotic.


    If the fleet were to turn collectively, the formation would end up with destroyers at the front and battleships at the rear. This was clearly not what Bernard wanted, so after the turn, the entire fleet needed to adjust, eventually forming an about-face with the formation unchanged.


    On the other side, as the Shen Hai Commander watched the Tang Army fleet gradually approach, a flicker of surprise crossed his face upon seeing the disorder of the Tang Imperial Fleet, followed swiftly by a surge of foreboding.


    ¡°Could they be turning to flee?¡± This was the first thought in his mind, and it was pretty much what he feared the most.


    He had hardly considered the possibility of the enemy defeating him, so his worst-case scenario was the Tang Army fleet escaping and then continuing to use their speed advantage to harass Shen Hai¡¯s supply lines.


    That would bring endless trouble to Shen Hai¡¯s maritime transport, something the Shen Hai Navy least wanted to see.


    However, he quickly dismissed this possibility in his mind. An enemy Navy with speed advantage staying behind deliberately to engage with the main fleet of Shen Hai clearly showed their intent to do battle as well.


    The Shen Hai Commander didn¡¯t believe that Tang Country¡¯s naval commander would suddenly lose courage and turn tail to run. If they were really that timid, they would not have chosen to face the engagement in the first place.


    Since the enemy wasn¡¯t running, the worst-case scenario had unfolded: the enemy fleet wanted to use their speed advantage to bite the tail of the Shen Hai Fleet.


    ¡°Naive!¡± The Shen Hai Commander scoffed, also starting to order a change in formation. The Shen Hai Fleet began to sweep out a circle to the north with the four leading battleships as the center and the battle line as the radius.


    Figuratively speaking, the Shen Hai Fleet was playing a game of eagle catches chicks with the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s Fleet: the four battleships were like the hens blocking the front, with the smaller warships all sheltered behind them.


    Because these smaller ships had relatively higher speeds and were taking a shorter inner track, it was virtually impossible for the Tang Army to catch up to them.


    By the time Bernard had completed the fleet¡¯s turn and was prepared to reorganize the attack aligning toward the Shen Hai Navy Fleet, they found that the Shen Hai Fleet was drawing a giant tai chi symbol along with them.


    The two sides had started in a parallel state, but now, using their own battleships as centers, they intertwined to form a large circle continuously rotating towards the center.


    Clearly, this formation was too disordered and not suitable for both sides to engage in battle, so the Tang Country Fleet changed course once more, extending their formation in preparation to cut across the ¡°T¡± head of the Shen Hai Fleet.


    However, the Shen Hai Fleet also extended its formation along the Tang battleships, maintaining the parallel position of the two fleets.


    After one hour of maneuvering, both sides returned to the parallel course, only the original east-west parallel lines had now become north-south parallel lines.


    Obviously, Bernard, with his average experience, couldn¡¯t gain an advantage over the experienced Shen Hai Commander in naval battle tactics.


    Even more so, relying on his extensive naval combat experience, the Shen Hai Commander compensated for his fleet¡¯s technological inferiority with his understanding of naval battles, maintaining a standoff until the end.


    After a series of maneuvers, the actual distance between the two sides had shortened to 17 kilometers, and until now, neither had opened fire on the other.


    On the Tang Army¡¯s side, they were prepared to fire the first volley at a more assured distance and then adjust their trajectory based on this round of shelling.


    On Shen Hai¡¯s side, it was awkward as they simply lacked the ability to fire at this range. They needed to close the distance further to increase their shells¡¯ accuracy.


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 Chapter 686: Salvo of 645 missed

    Chapter 686: Salvo of 645 missed


    ¡°Begin the attack!¡± When the two fleets drew within about 12 kilometers of each other, Bernard issued the firing command.


    He didn¡¯t raise his voice; he simply gave a very ordinary command in the way he usually spoke.


    The aide-de-camp hesitated for a moment, then snapped to attention, saluting as he loudly repeated the commander¡¯s order, ¡°Fire!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡± The battleship¡¯s main cannons, long since ready, roared almost simultaneously, although only one gun from each turret belched flame.


    Seconds later, another elevated gun barrel also ejected flames. The deafening and overwhelming roar rose again as the blast wave from the guns dispersed the waves beside the ship¡¯s hull.


    This sudden barrage took the Shen Hai Navy by surprise; they hadn¡¯t expected the Tang Army¡¯s cannons to start attacking from such a distance.


    ...


    However, soon the shells began to fall, spouting water columns about two hundred meters from the Shen Hai Navy¡¯s battle line, posing virtually no threat.


    Though the projectiles from the 305-millimeter caliber heavy cannons were extremely powerful, they only produced astonishingly huge water columns and didn¡¯t harm the Shen Hai warships in the least.


    Yet, the terrifying power of the cannons still caused Goblin General Shen Hai to furrow his brow¡ªhis cannons were of a larger caliber, yet their power was not much greater than the enemy¡¯s projectiles he witnessed.


    So, was there really any use to the pitiful fifteen-millimeter increase in caliber that Shireck had racked his brains to achieve? In this moment, Goblin General Shen Hai couldn¡¯t help but doubt.


    While he was doubting, inside the Tang Army fleet¡¯s dimly lit turrets, the ingeniously designed autoloaders were at work. Chains wound around bars, slowly pushing forward, and thus a new shell was loaded into the chamber.


    Following the machinery¡¯s movement, the bar retracted, a side hatch opened, and three cylindrical bags of propellant rolled into the groove. The bar pushed forward once more, shoving the propellant charge into the breech.


    As the bar withdrew, the gunners expertly closed the breech, and then raised their arms to the gun captain. The gun captain was ready to fire, but stood still, waiting for the new firing command to arrive.


    Almost simultaneously, behind the rangefinding equipment located below the warship¡¯s conning tower, the spotter called out a series of data, ¡°Missed! Off by a distance! About 100 meters! Send the data to the calculating center!¡±


    The officer with the phone nodded slightly, then let go of the receiver he had been covering with his hand, and shouted loudly, ¡°Miss missed, off by a distance! About 100 meters!¡±


    Inside the warship, in the chamber responsible for ballistic calculations, officers turned the scale discs meticulously checking the firing parameters¡ªthey used mechanical computers, highly complex and relying entirely on the combination of mechanical gears for computing firing solutions.


    ¡°Lower the gun barrel, parameter 5!¡± After contrasting the calculated results, the officer behind the non-commissioned officer immediately grabbed another phone, ¡°Lower the gun barrel! Parameter 5!¡±


    In the four turrets aimed at the enemy¡¯s battle line, all the fire control officers received the call at the same time and almost simultaneously issued commands to adjust the firing parameters.


    This was the advantage of having uniform cannon calibers; with unified command and coordination, the fire density increased, shooting accuracy improved, and hit rates rose¡ªthis was the advancement of the dreadnought¡¯s fire control system.


    Amidst a series of commands, all the large guns¡¯ barrels began to lower slightly, followed by a brief silence.


    Within seconds, as the warship swayed left and right with the waves, it finally began to return to a state of equilibrium, with the onboard lateral rolling monitoring devices indicating the ship was about to stabilize port and starboard.


    In the instant the warship stabilized, half of the guns were fired again, sending eight shells speeding toward their target. The next second, the remaining half of the guns fired as well.


    Looking through his binoculars, Bernard was still watching the splashes from his own artillery, unable to clearly see if his shells had actually hit the enemy.


    ¡°Is that ballistic computer really any use?¡± Bernard wondered. He felt the mechanical devices installed on his warship were truly underperforming in actual combat.


    In previous training, they seemed adequate, and it looked like they could significantly improve the hit rate of their guns, but now it didn¡¯t seem as useful as he had imagined.


    At least at a distance of over ten kilometers, after two full salvoes, they still hadn¡¯t hit any enemy warships, which was quite frustrating.


    ¡°In theory, it¡¯s very advanced, far superior to what¡¯s used on cruisers.¡± The aide-de-camp was also uncertain because, after all, this was the first time battleships were being used in real combat in this world.


    ¡°...¡± Bernard didn¡¯t speak. He knew he might be a bit impatient, but in a naval battle of this scale, victory or defeat could be decided in an instant, and his anxiety was natural.


    If someone claimed to be able to face such a battlefield without concern, that would be utter nonsense¡ªanyone would be nervous, especially at such life-or-death moments.


    ¡°Missed! Off by a distance! About 100 meters!¡± The spotting station repeated the previous report once again.


    His words left the messenger officer speechless: ¡°What the hell, it was just that the distance was off by 100 meters, and after lowering the gun muzzle, it¡¯s still off by 100 meters. Are you asking for a beating?¡±


    The observer also felt awkward, made an exasperated expression, and began to explain, ¡°It¡¯s indeed off by quite a bit, I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re going to get us killed sooner or later!¡± The officer cursed, and released his hand from the microphone, repeating the message he had just repeated, ¡°Missed, the distance is too long! Approximately 100 meters!¡±


    ¡°Are you guys sick or something?¡± Sure enough, after hearing the exact same parameters, the officer from the calculations department started to get really agitated.


    Still, he dutifully conveyed the parameters, of course this time the non-commissioned officers in front of the calculating device didn¡¯t bother to calculate and just directly gave the corrected parameters.


    Their commander was also happy for the break and simply transferred the same parameters to all the turrets: ¡°Lower the gun muzzle! Parameter 5!¡±


    Soon, all the turrets completed the adjustment, waited again for the ship to stop rolling, and then fired a salvo.


    This time, they came very close to the enemy warship, the huge water columns even made the Goblin¡¯s battleships look tiny in comparison, and the splashing water even fell on the upper structures of the Goblin battleships.


    A man of Shen Hai had already started to feel scared, thinking that the enemy¡¯s gunfire was putting too much pressure on him.


    The firing rate of large-caliber guns on the enemy¡¯s warships was incredibly fast, with two salvos fired continuously in just a few minutes¡¯ time.


    You have to know, even though the guns were larger in caliber, the firing rate of the battleships customized for the Goblins by Shireck was despairingly slow.


    If they could fire a shell every fifteen minutes, the man of Shen Hai thought it would be an exceptional performance from his gunners.


    What frightened him even more was that the enemy¡¯s gunfire adjustments were also incredibly accurate. It might have been almost twenty minutes since the battle began and he had not been hit once, but Tang Army¡¯s gunfire was clearly getting closer and closer to him.


    ¡°If you have a lock, take the shot when you have a chance!¡± The man of Shen Hai, unable to keep his patience, turned to his executive officer and ordered.


    The subordinate felt a bit awkward and tentatively explained, ¡°General, the enemy has not yet entered maximum range. Firing now might cause us to miss the opportunity for the first volley.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve already fired two salvos! If we wait any longer, the next salvo might hit us!¡± The man of Shen Hai said with some frustration.


    He also did not dare to easily change his own course to evade the enemy¡¯s salvos, as it was entirely a matter of luck.


    Sometimes you could travel in a straight line and the enemy might miss you with several salvos. But if you got scared and changed course, you might just run into the enemy¡¯s corrected trial shots.


    Not to mention, maintaining a steady course also made it easier for your own fire adjustments, which is why naval battles rarely saw orders to frequently change course.


    Of course, there are no absolutes. Situations would arise for orders to turn when one side held a huge advantage, or one side wanted to make an escape, and so on.


    ¡°At a distance of 10 kilometers, perform calibration! We can¡¯t just take hits passively!¡± After weighing his options, the man of Shen Hai decided to return fire at extreme range.


    It was to both boost his own troops¡¯ morale and because the man of Shen Hai realized they also needed trial shots for range finding, and his Navy from Shen Hai Country did not have the ability to hit the target with their first salvo.


    So all he could do now was wait, wait for the distance between the two sides to get a bit closer, even closer.


    And at this moment, the battleship of Great Tang Group that had once again completed loading fired another salvo.


    This salvo once again flew over the naval battle line of Shen Hai Country¡¯s Navy, but this time it was even closer to the ships of Shen Hai Country.


    The distance between the two fleets was closing bit by bit, and soon the distance had reached about ten kilometers. A few minutes later, both sides almost simultaneously unleashed salvos.


    The sudden barrage made Bernard jump, as he saw a series of flashes on the battle line of Shen Hai Country¡¯s Navy, followed by a thick screen of white smoke.


    He waited nervously, waiting for fate¡¯s judgment. To his relief, it seemed that the gods in the heavens were fair, and they did not favor the Goblin Navy by bestowing miracles upon these Goblins.


    The shells fired by the Goblin Navy fell about five hundred meters from the naval battle line of Tang Country¡¯s Navy, raising towering columns of water. But no matter what, Bernard did not allow himself to get tense again.


    And his fleet¡¯s salvo brought some encouraging good news: although they still had not hit the enemy, the shells¡¯ landing points were now between the two forces, and for once did not fly over the naval battle line of Shen Hai Country¡¯s Navy!


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 Chapter 687: 646 blank sheets of paper

    Chapter 687: 646 blank sheets of paper


    The loading of the main guns on the battleship was a slow process, and in fact, even with mechanical loading machines, it was very difficult to increase the firing rate of the main guns on a battleship.


    Since they were not modern battleships and the loading system¡¯s efficiency was indeed not high, the main guns of the Dongwan-class battleships of the Tang Army fired at a rate of about one shot every few minutes.


    The lengthy and irritating wait made Bernard frequently lift his binoculars to look at the enemy warships in the distance.


    There was no activity from the enemy¡¯s side at that time either, as their main guns also required time to load. Bernard was silently counting to himself, trying to calculate the firing frequency of the enemy ships.


    Of course, there were more professionals doing this job, where other sailors used stopwatches to calculate the enemy¡¯s firing frequency.


    But soon they all took a deep breath of relief because, once again after their own side had finished loading and fired, the enemy¡¯s warships remained silent, without launching a new round of cannon fire.


    ...


    There was good news and naturally bad news as well. The good news was that the enemy ships really did have a slow loading speed, taking half a day without firing a second volley. The bad news was that their own shells had missed once more, still falling short.


    The distance between the two sides was closing steadily, but with the mechanical ballistic calculation equipment, the soldiers in charge of operating the equipment had already roughly summed up their experience.


    The point of impact for each shell reflected the speed at which both fleets were approaching each other. As long as they adapted to this speed and properly allowed for the necessary lead time, they could improve the accuracy of their hits.


    After several trial and error attempts, the officers responsible for the ballistic calculations finally put forth a new plan with a set of data they believed to be reasonable.


    Then, all the turrets and cannons were once again readjusted to this data.


    Following that, the gunners fired the cannons again. Bernard felt the slight vibration of his warship beneath his feet, the feedback of power when the 305-millimeter caliber giant cannons roared.


    ¡°Boom! Boom!¡± A succession of booming sounds echoed through the air; the shells traveled nearly ten kilometers and once again diagonally smashed into the sea, raising towering columns of water on both sides of the Shen Hai Navy¡¯s warships.


    The spotter at his post, holding his binoculars, excitedly shouted so loud that even Bernard in the command tower could hear him: ¡°Straddle! Straddle! Near miss!¡±


    ¡°Straddle! Near miss!¡± many officers also shouted excitedly, after nearly an hour of effort, they finally heard this good news.


    ¡°Beautiful!¡± Bernard couldn¡¯t help but excitedly clench his fist; he had finally heard the cry he had longed for.


    As if the enemy ship had been hit, everyone celebrated excitedly. While they were celebrating, the enemy ships fired a second volley.


    All the officers inside the command tower of the bridge became tense again, and soon a lot of shells fell, smashing into the water and splashing towering water columns.


    Whether it was due to the Shen Hai Navy¡¯s well-trained skills or unbelievable luck, the point of impact for this second volley was noticeably very close to the Tang Army¡¯s line of battle.


    However, before the towering columns of water had even completely fallen, three Tang Army battleships once again fired salvo.


    Luck still wasn¡¯t on the side of the Tang Army; although it was another straddle, all were near misses! The Shen Hai Navy once again escaped by a hair¡¯s breadth, with the closest shell skimming past their warship¡¯s mast and falling far beyond.


    The man from Shen Hai was already turning pale, standing on the bridge of his warship, the shell that had just fallen had scared him into a cold sweat.


    He heard the piercing whistle of the shells, which proved that the shells that had just fallen were very very close to him.


    What scared him even more was that for two consecutive times, the enemy¡¯s shells had fallen around his warship. This indicated that the enemy had very advanced aiming methods and could accurately direct their cannons to adjust the firing angle.


    The enemy¡¯s warships were faster, and their cannon loading and preparation were faster too. After firing two or three volleys, he was only able to return one salvo. In terms of firepower density, the Shen Hai Navy was obviously at a disadvantage.


    On his warships, the cannon loading speed was very slow, and they could only roughly adjust the shooting angle with the help of aiming scopes, so hitting the enemy ships clearly required more luck.


    This overwhelming sense of inferiority was very uncomfortable for the man from Shen Hai; had he known the enemy¡¯s warships were so powerful, he wouldn¡¯t even have planned such a decisive battle.


    Heaven knows how much pressure he was under now; the warships lined up here were almost all of the Shen Hai Navy¡¯s assets.


    If anything happened to these warships, Shen Hai would have lost control of the sea, which was tantamount to being at the Tang Country¡¯s mercy.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for those idiots in the army, how could I have taken such a risk to have a decisive battle with the Tang Country Navy at this place!¡± the man from Shen Hai cursed to himself internally.


    ¡°`


    But even after the cursing, he still had to consider how to deal with the unfavorable situation before him. Although his fleet of battleships had a slight advantage in numbers, it seemed that the combat power exhibited by the Tang Army was a bit more formidable.


    ¡°General, should we... adjust our course?¡± the executive officer of the Shen Hai, a man who seemed quite nervous, asked.


    He too was worried about being hit by the enemy first, so at this moment, he was already considering the idea of evading enemy fire. Since their own cannons were still a far cry from hitting the enemy warships, wouldn¡¯t it be a better option to maneuver and avoid the enemy¡¯s gunfire for now?


    However, Shen Hai did not think so. It wasn¡¯t that he was reluctant to lose the firing parameters obtained from two full salvos, but based on his naval battle experience, dodging sometimes did not change the outcome of being hit.


    He felt that naval gunnery was basically a matter of luck; with good luck, a couple of salvos could hit the target, but with a bit less luck, even more than a dozen salvos might not strike the mark.


    If they started to adjust their course now, perhaps the originally missed shells would just end up hitting their mark, wouldn¡¯t that be handing the advantage to the opponent?


    So, after pondering for a few seconds, he shook his head and decided to keep to his course, aiming to close the distance between the two sides to eight kilometers or even seven kilometers as quickly as possible.


    At a distance of seven or eight kilometers, the Shen Country Navy¡¯s cannon hit rate would increase significantly, because at this range, just relying on experience and roughly-made aiming scopes, one could hit the target, which was quite large to begin with, with a bit of luck.


    Thus, Shen Hai shook his head, gritted his teeth, and stuck with his choice, ¡°Maintain our course! Let¡¯s talk after the third salvo!¡±


    Following his command, the Tang Kingdom Navy¡¯s battleships fired another salvo, with the shells whistling fiercely toward the direction of the Shen Country Navy.


    After several rounds of probing with artillery fire, the mechanical ballistic calculation equipment finally produced a fairly perfect solution.


    On the swaying sea, the third Shen Country Navy battleship in the line was suddenly struck by something, bursting into a dazzling flame.


    One shell had struck directly at the center of the warship¡¯s hull, first piercing through the side wall of the first layer of buildings on the deck, then blasting through the floor below, and crashing into a lower compartment before exploding at the top of the boiler.


    Another shell had pierced the hull of the Shireck-made battleship near the waterline, leaving behind an ominously large hole.


    In just a moment, the battleship constructed by Shireck had its outer shell torn apart by the explosion, and in less than thirty seconds, it was engulfed in thick smoke, its speed reduced to almost a standstill.


    In the grisly first round of explosions, parts even flew onto the decks of the two other battleships at either end of the stricken vessel.


    The damaged warship then drifted increasingly farther away from the ship ahead, and was soon overtaken by another battleship following behind.


    Shen Hai turned as pale as death; he had once marveled at the hundred-millimeter-thick armor on the Shireck-made battleships, thinking these vessels were sturdy sea fortresses.


    However, in a blink of an eye, the supposedly indestructible Shireck battleship was hit by a Tang Kingdom warship and completely lost its combat capability.


    At that moment, the Shen Country¡¯s battleships were as fragile as a piece of paper!


    ¡°Turn immediately after firing! Take evasive maneuvers!¡± With his expression completely uncontrollable, Shen Hai clenched his fist and issued orders to his executive officer.


    ¡°Boom!¡± This time, the Shen Country Navy¡¯s 320mm caliber heavy cannons roared. Only this time, instead of the original four battleships, only three managed to fire a full salvo.


    The battleship that had just been hit seemed to have utterly lost its ability to fight; thick smoke obscured the bridge, making it look like a gas canister about to explode at any moment.


    Indeed, as the Shen Country Navy¡¯s shells once again fell into the sea, stirring high columns of water, the completely immobile Shireck-made battleship that had almost been overtaken by its own cruisers, blew up!


    The explosion almost lifted the entire upper structure of the warship off, and flames engulfed the massive turret between the two smokestacks.


    The main turret in the very front was hurled into the air by the explosion and then crashed heavily onto the round gun mount.


    The battleship, which had been constructed without proper understanding and simply copied larger versions of cruisers and ironclad warships, exposed all of its flaws at that moment: defenses severely inadequate due to just being an upscaled version, armor thickness compromised for speed was incapable of withstanding large caliber artillery fire.


    The outdated propulsion system forced Shireck to cut back on the battleship¡¯s armor, the choice of 320mm caliber main guns to outdo the Great Tang Group had an incredibly slow rate of fire, and the targeting system, which couldn¡¯t be copied, had to make do by enlarging targeting systems from other outdated Great Tang Group warships.


    In short, the Shireck battleship, which was only outwardly formidable, exposed its true frailty the second it was struck by a shell: it was essentially a battlecruiser that lacked a fire control system, had only the speed of an ironclad, and was equipped with merely the armor of a heavy cruiser...


    ¡°`


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 Chapter 688: 647 does not want to be buried with the deceased.

    Chapter 688: 647 does not want to be buried with the deceased.


    ¡°Eighteen folds in a thin-skinned, hefty-filled dumpling...¡± This phrase is used to describe Dog-Ignore buns, but at this very moment, it seemed quite fitting to describe Shireck¡¯s battleships as well.


    What was a thick armor for other warships was like a sheet of cowhide paper in front of the Tang Army battleships¡¯ 305 mm caliber guns.


    Seeing his own warships, as huge as mountains, explode and capsize on the sea, Shen Hai Yinan felt like he was about to cough up blood.


    The Navy he commanded was Shen Country¡¯s last hope, with many of these warships having been purchased through donations and fund-raising efforts by His Majesty, the King, and the country¡¯s nobles and ministers.


    To assemble such a powerful fleet, the entire Shen Country had practically pawned their own trousers. If anything went wrong with this fleet, then he, Shen Hai Yinan, would almost certainly become the nation¡¯s criminal.


    Therefore, he knew he must either retreat with the fleet intact right now and then commit suicide to apologize for the disgraceful incident of a sunken battleship, or he must lead the fleet to completely annihilate the Tang Imperial Fleet in front of him to compensate for the loss of a battleship.


    ...


    Unfortunately, he was clearer than anyone that neither option was achievable. He could neither guarantee the fleet¡¯s safe return given their slower cruising speed, nor could he ensure the complete destruction of the Tang Army¡¯s fleet.


    However, he must try! If he gave up now, he would indeed be responsible for Shen Country¡¯s downfall, but if he turned defeat into victory, he would become the hero of the entire nation!


    ¡°How much longer until we can fire?¡± Shen Hai Yinan asked his adjutant with a sense of urgency, unable to wait any longer.


    Before the adjutant could reply, the Shen Country Navy¡¯s salvo once again commenced. A sequence of booming artillery drowned out other noises, illuminating the sea with flashes of fire; it was a spectacular sight.


    The moment he heard the sound of his own cannons, Shen Hai Yinan silently prayed in his heart, hoping that his guns would be extraordinarily lucky and strike the enemy¡¯s ships¡ªit was his last hope.


    However, if prayers had been effective, Tang Mo might have long since been cursed to death by Shireck¡¯s people.


    Shen Hai Yinan¡¯s prayers were doomed to be ineffective; the more someone prayed for something purely based on luck, the less likely it would happen.


    So, during the second round of volleys, the Shen Country Navy could only watch the columns of water rising nearby, stunned. They had tried their best, the shells¡¯ impact points had gotten closer, but still, none hit the Tang Army¡¯s Navy.


    As the distance between the two fleets closed, cruisers from both sides began their artillery duel, turning a once sporadic, earth-shattering artillery roar into a dense, rain-like pattern.


    A barrage of 150 mm caliber guns joined the fierce artillery feast, with columns of water regularly rising near the battle lines of both sides, causing everyone to grow exceptionally tense.


    Not all warships are invincible, so even the combat involving smaller caliber guns is a matter of life and death for the captains of destroyers and cruisers.


    Because of the higher rate of fire, battles between smaller calibers were even more brutal and bloody. Soon, a Shen Country warship was hit by a shell, followed by a Tang Army ship starting to smoke after being hit.


    Both sides kept pouring their ammunition toward each other¡¯s battle lines, firing nonstop in a frenzy, slightly numbed by the chaos.


    Compared with land army battles, naval battles were more like a routine job where each person played their part. The gun loaders couldn¡¯t see the enemy¡¯s warships; they were simply responsible for continuously loading the cannons within the enclosed turrets.


    At the same time, soldiers in the boiler rooms were relentlessly shoveling coal into the boilers and twisting valves to ensure the giant machines, as tall as buildings, produced the power the captains required.


    Half, or perhaps the majority of soldiers, couldn¡¯t see the enemy at all. A second before their death, they would not even feel the war had erupted around them.


    ¡°Fire!¡± the cruiser captain, peering through his telescope, mercilessly gave the order to attack. On a nearly parallel course off his starboard side, a line of Shen Country warships was relentlessly firing in his direction.


    Flashes of gunfire twinkled ceaselessly along both sides¡¯ battle lines, and billows of white smoke spread through the blackening sky, a sight incredibly magnificent.


    Suddenly, a Shen Country cruiser was hit and caught fire; below the already smoky funnels, more thick black smoke billowed from the point of impact.


    On this side, a Tang Army destroyer had been hit, its metal hull twisted and compartments wrecked, with the dead sailors lying haphazardly in what was left of the cabins, blood streaming along the wires and pipes.


    Meanwhile, the Shen Country battleships that had begun to turn came under another salvo from the Tang Army. The originally fourth in line was hit, emitting thick black smoke.


    Having started to turn, the ship was struck near the stern, as shells pierced the rear main gun turret, causing a sympathetic detonation in the aft magazine.


    The thick armor twisted and deformed under the horrific internal explosion and only after the savage shockwave tore through the compartment did it gradually subside.


    In the instant of the explosion¡¯s expansion, the steering gear and drive shaft at the stern were completely destroyed, and after the warship¡¯s smokestack belched a burst of flames, the entire warship lay immobile, sprawled dead in the water.


    In less than a minute, the stern of the warship began to sink at a visible speed, the aft portholes, which were previously above the waterline, were nearly swallowed by the waves.


    ¡°The enemy ship is turning!¡± the lookout quickly reported the enemy¡¯s maneuver since the previously calculated precise firing parameters seemed greatly off target.


    ¡°Near-miss rounds! The enemy vessel is extending the range! Recalculate parameters... for speed... let¡¯s reference the previous data first!¡± an officer shouted to the calculating soldiers in the dimly lit cabin under the yellow light, covering the telephone receiver with his hand.


    They had just worked out the parameters to hit the enemy ship and had only fired two rounds of artillery when the enemy began to turn... it was simply torturous for those who studied mathematics.


    Amid a round of curses, everyone got back to work; some began turning dials in front of them, aligning corresponding parameters to derive a relatively accurate firing solution.


    Meanwhile, within the warship¡¯s command tower on the bridge, Bernard watched as the Shen Hai Navy¡¯s battleships began to turn, a victorious smile spreading across his face.


    He had already severely damaged two enemy battleships, and now the balance of absolute numbers had shifted: a three-to-four ratio had become three-to-two, placing him in the advantageous position.


    At the same time, through the previous engagements, he had become certain of the clear superiority of his own warships. Now free from his earlier tension, he was filled with the joy of impending triumph.


    ¡°Adjust our heading! Helm to starboard 5! Chase them down!¡± Bernard, not knowing the enemy¡¯s speed and angle of turn, could only vaguely use fine adjustments to maintain distance with the enemy fleet.


    ¡°Helm to starboard 5! Adjusting course!¡± The executive officer loudly relayed the command, and billowing black smoke poured from the smokestacks of both fleets¡¯ warships, indicating that both sides were continuously burning coal to maintain maximum cruising speed.


    ¡°Fengshun 31 has been hit by enemy fire, heavily damaged... Its speed can only be maintained at around 10 kilometers, and it has already fallen out of formation,¡± an officer reported from behind Bernard, confirming recent losses.


    ¡°Fengshun 19 lightly damaged, Weigang 21 lightly damaged...¡± The officer continued to report, listing the light damage status of five warships in succession.


    Hearing the string of losses, Bernard¡¯s face showed signs of strain. He looked toward the enemy and inquired, ¡°What about our victories?¡±


    ¡°Sunk one enemy vessel, severely damaged two, and damaged six. The engagement continues,¡± the officer immediately responded.


    The news of the victories slightly improved Bernard¡¯s complexion; although the losses were still substantial, achieving such glorious results was very satisfying.


    After all, the gap between smaller warships was not as vast as imagined, and the Tang Army had sacrificed some quality for quantity, making such an exchange rate notable.


    ¡°Let those who can keep up with the formation do so; those with reduced cruising speeds are to immediately leave the formation and are given leave to return alone or stand by outside the combat area!¡± Bernard gave the order.


    ¡°Understood, General!¡± The officer saluted sharply, then set out to convey Bernard¡¯s commands.


    Shireck looked at his own battleship critically damaged during the maneuver and staggered, nearly collapsing.


    It was as if he had experienced the impact of the battleship¡¯s explosion himself; he steadied himself on the table and it took a good while for him to compose his emotions.


    The King of Shen Hai had entrusted the Navy fleet to him because of Shireck¡¯s decisive, daredevil, and uncompromising pirate nature.


    But now, Shireck watched helplessly as more than half of his nation¡¯s most precious battleships were lost, leaving him completely disoriented.


    He was ceaselessly considering how to lead the remaining fleet away from the battlefield to minimize losses while also contemplating how to explain the situation to his Majesty, the King.


    At this moment, he was acutely aware that this was not an issue his own death could resolve; he had doomed the fortune of Shen Hai, personally delivering the entire naval fortunes of Shen Hai to hell.


    ¡°How, how can I... explain this to His Majesty?¡± Shireck looked at his executive officer in despair, not even considering the possibility of turning defeat into victory.


    His executive officer¡¯s face was ashen, for he was afraid, full of fear, not wishing to accompany the general and be buried alongside this iron coffin beneath them.


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 Chapter 689: In the 648 eyes there is light

    Chapter 689: In the 648 eyes there is light


    ¡°General... General...¡± After thinking for quite a while and forcing his foolish brain to keep working, the aide-de-camp finally spoke up, ¡°Now, we can only fight a desperate battle to the end, we need to think of a way... to turn the tide.¡±


    He knew there was absolutely no way for them to run; before the exchange of cannon fire began, the Tang Army¡¯s fleet had already demonstrated their astonishing speed.


    When the Shen Hai Navy just altered their course, the Tang Navy¡¯s warships managed to make a large detour and keep up with the Shen Hai Navy¡¯s change in direction.


    In the face of such a vast difference in speed, any attempt to flee would be suicidal: they couldn¡¯t voluntarily withdraw from the battlefield, as that would only give the enemy the opportunity to chase them and systematically devour their forces.


    If they only had cruisers and destroyers, there might have been a chance to scatter and flee, since these smaller warships were faster and had a better chance of escape.


    Regrettably, what they could least afford to lose were the costly and precious battleships, which were the key to deciding victory at sea.


    ...


    ¡°Our rate of fire is too slow... there¡¯s nothing we can do...¡± explained a man from Shen Hai with a grim expression. He had already lost the courage to fight a decisive battle, and his whole being was plagued with indecision.


    In truth, the more ferocious and cunning a villain behaves when they have the upper hand, the more cowardly and timid they become when faced with a strong opponent.


    This man from Shen Hai was one of those people; he was extremely cruel when his navy had the advantage, often plundering and even slaughtering innocent fishing vessels and merchant ships.


    However, when facing the main fleet of the Tang Army and the mighty genuine battleships, he wasn¡¯t even performing as well as his aide-de-camp.


    But, in his moment of despair as he acknowledged that Shireck¡¯s ragtag battleships simply couldn¡¯t compare to the original ships of the Great Tang Group, he suddenly realized something.


    Yes, if he didn¡¯t struggle now, it seemed he was destined to die anyway! If he struggled, there might be a slim and faint hope!


    Suddenly, he turned around and commanded loudly, ¡°Turn! Point the bow toward the enemy ships! Close in on the enemy¡¯s battle line at full speed!¡±


    This was his do-or-die tactic since the Shen Hai military¡¯s warships couldn¡¯t match the speed of the Tang Army¡¯s warships, and it seemed their defenses also couldn¡¯t withstand the attack of the Tang Army¡¯s cannons.


    Under such circumstances, they had nothing to rely on but the intimidating advantage of their main cannons, with their 320mm caliber.


    If they were to engage at an extremely close distance, leveraging the firepower advantage of the 320mm caliber main cannons, he might take out two, or maybe even three of the enemy¡¯s battleships.


    At that point, even if both sides suffered heavily and he died here today, he wouldn¡¯t be the idiot cursed by the entire nation of Shen Hai for bringing disgrace upon the military.


    With that thought, he involuntarily clenched his fists: ¡°Even if only the bow cannons can attack, we must close the distance quickly!¡±


    The helmsman who heard the order was slightly taken aback, and then, with no choice but to bite the bullet, he carried out the man from Shen Hai¡¯s command.


    He turned the wheel in front of him, and the two high-speed Shen Hai battleships started to turn in unison.


    Seconds later, the Tang Army¡¯s lookout spotted something unusual. He rubbed his eyes, then raised his telescope again, confirming the fact that two Shen Hai Navy battleships were turning.


    He then yelled loudly, ¡°The enemy ships are turning! Attention! The enemy ships are turning! The enemy ships are making a quick turn!¡±


    Bernard, upon hearing the news of the enemy ships turning, picked up his telescope to take another look at the distant targets, and saw the two Shen Hai battleships turning their bows, seemingly set on not fleeing after all.


    ¡°What are they trying to do? They were trying to escape just a moment ago, and now they¡¯re charging towards us?¡± Unable to figure out what the enemy ships were planning, he frowned and looked towards his aide-de-camp.


    His aide-de-camp shook his head, equally puzzled by what the enemy commander intended to do. However, soon, a staff officer who deemed himself clever offered his opinion, ¡°General, it might be a tactic to lure us in.¡±


    ¡°They change direction first as a feint to disengage, tempting us to follow. Then they suddenly turn back towards us, shortening the distance between us,¡± the staff officer explained.


    Bernard nodded in agreement with this analysis, but now the distance between both sides had already reduced to about 8 kilometers, so he saw no need to change his orders because the enemy was rushing over.


    ¡°If the distance continues to close, their chances of hitting us will increase,¡± the aide-de-camp still reminded Bernard.


    Bernard hesitated because an increase in the enemy¡¯s chances of hitting his warships also meant that the chances of hitting the enemy ships would equally increase on their side.


    He now faced a choice: if he ordered an increase in distance, it would ensure safety. This kite-flying tactic was the most steady approach to secure victory without sustaining damage.


    On the other hand, if he ordered to maintain course, it would mean preparing to decide the battle before the enemy ships could come closer. This would greatly test their own gunfire¡¯s accuracy, and the luck of the enemy ships.


    Initially, Bernard was inclined to employ the RUN & GUN kite-flying tactic to end this naval battle securely, completely annihilating the opponent without sustaining any damage.


    However, he soon realized a serious problem! Time!


    Glancing at his wristwatch, Bernard knew that if this naval battle continued to drag on, the sky would gradually darken.


    If night fell completely, the Shen Hai Navy, no matter how disheveled, could successfully break away and flee a thousand miles.


    By sunrise tomorrow, the Tang Army would not be able to find a single Shen Hai naval warship that had stayed behind.


    It was a difficult choice whether to risk letting some of the Shen Hai Navy escape to ensure his own safety or to decisively engage here and annihilate the Shen Hai Navy completely, accepting some losses.


    Bernard pondered hard, with each passing second seemingly pressuring him to make a decision that would determine fate.


    ¡°Enemy ship¡¯s bow is now directly facing us!¡± As if to remind Bernard, his executive officer put down the binoculars and shouted loudly.


    In the end, Bernard cautiously chose the strategy of ¡®flying a kite.¡¯ He did not feel that taking risks was necessary, for he had already won this naval battle.


    The Shen Hai military¡¯s navy would certainly not be able to recover quickly, he had already taken control of the northern sea¡¯s dominance, cutting off the shipping route between Shen Hai and Beiyuan City, he had achieved the strategic objective.


    In such a situation, there was no need for him to take further risks. Holding onto the victory already in his grasp, he could send the good news back home.


    Thus, Bernard lifted his head and commanded, ¡°Correct course, helm to port fifteen! Increase the distance from the enemy ship!¡±


    Hearing this command, the executive officer knew that Bernard had made up his mind to consolidate the victory already in hand. Saying nothing more, he immediately repeated Bernard¡¯s orders loudly.


    Following that, the Tang Army¡¯s warships began to turn, and this maneuver, in the eyes of a Shen Hai man, immediately engulfed him in despair.


    His enemies really did not give him any chance. The enemy commander wisely used the advantage of speed to increase distance, preparing to take further advantage in a long-range artillery battle.


    Such pitiless tactics had no aesthetic appeal, but they were the most rational and safest choice.


    ¡°They¡¯re actually avoiding battle! They shamelessly avoid battle!¡± The Shen Hai man watched the turning Tang Army battleships and roared in annoyance and embarrassment.


    ¡°General, the forward main guns are loaded and ready to fire,¡± the executive officer kindly reminded the Shen Hai man.


    Grinding his teeth, the Shen Hai man swung his arm forward ordering, ¡°Fire! This is our last chance!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡± The two Shen Hai battleships¡¯ forward main guns belched dazzling flames, and a few seconds later, next to the Tang Army battleships that were turning, spectacular pillars of water rose up.


    Amidst these water pillars, as if heaven was rewarding the desperate, flames erupted from the stern of the Dongwan No.1 battleship; one of the Shen Hai¡¯s shells had hit the main gun turret at the stern of Dongwan No.1 battleship!


    ...


    ¡°In reality, a larger caliber is not always better for cannons. Modern technology is multi-dimensional, and there are more ways to enhance the power of a weapon than just a brute increase in caliber,¡± explained an engineer in the naval shipyard of Linshui City inside the Great Tang Kingdom, giving a lesson to a group of students about warship cannons.


    ¡°The biggest difference between naval guns and army guns, especially howitzers, is actually the barrel length and chamber pressure,¡± he essayed while drawing on the blackboard, beside which stood a cross-section model of a ship¡¯s cannon.


    ¡°Put simply, naval cannons belong to the gunnery system, while army artillery tends towards howitzers,¡± he said dropping the chalk and picking up a pointer to tap on the blackboard, ¡°because only with high chamber pressure and a high caliber ratio can a cannon achieve higher muzzle velocity, faster projectile speed, a flatter trajectory, and a longer range.¡±


    His students were taking notes, and he allowed them some time to do so. His back was towards the dense blackboard notes; there was a lot to cover in this lesson.


    ¡°With technological advances, army artillery will also evolve towards gun-howitzer systems, but for now, we can¡¯t afford to equip our artillerymen with the expensive naval guns,¡± he concluded, then set down the pointer and picked up the model, moving into the aisles between the desks.


    ¡°True, naval guns have many advantages but they also have significant issues, notably their weight and cost,¡± he expounded. ¡°Under similar technical parameters, gunnery is more costly and heavier and thus unsuitable for army use. The navy, however, doesn¡¯t have such concerns.¡±


    ¡°Compared to the crucially important and pricey warship, the cost of the gun seems much cheaper, so naturally equipping warships with better-performing cannons becomes the obvious choice,¡± he summarized.


    ¡°So, Shireck¡¯s 320mm caliber heavy cannons aren¡¯t necessarily more powerful than our 305mm caliber heavy cannons?¡± a student asked, raising his hand.


    The teacher laughed as if hearing a funny question, but afterward, he answered seriously, ¡°Of course, our heavy cannons use the most advanced metallurgical technology, the materials are the best provided by our technical department, and they offer the highest performance parameters. If Shireck could surpass that, why would they still be going to great lengths to recruit so many technical engineers?¡±


    ¡°Believe me, there is no team in this world with more advanced technology than us.¡± His confidence was palpable, and his eyes shone with light.


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 Chapter 690: 649 burst chamber

    Chapter 690: 649 burst chamber


    Bernard broke out in a cold sweat as he witnessed the enemy¡¯s shells hit his own battleship and set off a ball of flame.


    He could even feel his hands trembling, and he had already begun to regret adjusting his course, which allowed Dongwan No. 1 battleship to be hit by enemy fire.


    ¡°Did I make a mistake?¡± he asked himself in self-reproach, ¡°Does the God of War prefer a braver commander?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t even wait for the report from Dongwan No. 1 battleship, and instead grabbed the binoculars hanging in front of his chest to look at the smoke billowing from Dongwan No. 1.


    ¡°How is Dongwan No. 1? Is the damage severe?¡± He asked immediately, his aide didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    Because they also didn¡¯t know the extent of the damage to Dongwan No. 1, they were looking towards Dongwan No. 1, trying to discern something from it.


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside the flagship¡¯s bridge of the Shen Hai, a man curled his lips, nearly laughing aloud.


    He had begun to despair, knowing that if he couldn¡¯t annihilate the enemy¡¯s fleet, just the responsibility for the loss of over half the Navy¡¯s battleships would probably cost him his head.


    But now, the tide of battle had reversed. As long as he could keep hitting enemy ships and sink three of Tang Army¡¯s battleships, to recapture naval dominance, the situation would be different.


    Thus he clenched his fists, invigorated, and shouted, ¡°Beautiful! Well done! Keep firing! Sink the enemy ships! Sink them! Sink them!¡±


    Unfortunately, the battleships produced by Shireck had main guns with reloading speeds that couldn¡¯t keep up with his shouting, otherwise the Shen Hai Navy could have immediately begun the next salvo.


    Although he had just witnessed a miracle, as his warships¡¯ cannon fire hit the enemy¡¯s ship, with firepower waning, he was now agonizingly waiting for his warships to complete the next reloading.


    He was hoping, before the next reload was completed, the enemy¡¯s ships wouldn¡¯t continue to flee, wouldn¡¯t pull away and increase the distance, making it difficult for his cannons to aim.


    What Shen Hai¡¯s man didn¡¯t know was that Bernard, already enraged, had begun to review his plan and was preparing to face the enemy¡¯s challenge.


    Inside the command tower of Dongwan No. 3 battleship, Bernard revised his orders. He abandoned any cunning tactics and decided to face his opponent head-on.


    So, he issued a new command, ¡°Stop turning! Resume previous heading! Continue firing! Sink them before they come any closer!¡±


    ¡°General!¡± the aide hesitated slightly, feeling that Bernard was acting rashly. This impulsive behavior was actually a major taboo in the military.


    ¡°Carry out the order!¡± Bernard insisted on his own idea, ¡°I¡¯ve already backed down once! The War God has punished my cowardice! Now I decide to confront everything with courage! May the God of War bless me! Long live the King!¡±


    ¡°Long live the King!¡± The aide saluted crisply and loudly conveyed the fleet commander¡¯s orders, ¡°Stop turning! Resume previous heading! Continue firing!¡±


    ¡°Stop turning! Restore the heading!¡± The helmsman turned the wheel and loudly repeated Bernard¡¯s orders.


    In the calculation room, the officers were busy running calculations due to continuous course changes. While those above only had to issue orders casually, they had to work non-stop to re-determine the firing parameters of the guns.


    It was a whole set of complicated and tedious operations. They couldn¡¯t see the enemy and could only faintly hear the sound of cannon fire. They sat at their stations in front of dials and scales covered with dense numbers and markings.


    Elsewhere, on Dongwan No. 1 battleship, which had been hit on the gun turret, damage control personnel frantically grabbed hoses and rushed to the impact site, only to find there was no cause for alarm.


    The enemy¡¯s shell had not penetrated the armor on the main gun turret, leaving behind only a very daunting scar.


    The two 305mm caliber main guns on that turret were likely unusable, and the lifeboats piled on the turret¡¯s top were done for.


    But the damage was not serious, it didn¡¯t even affect the warship¡¯s speed. Three gunners in the turret were seriously injured, and the shooting commander was pulled out of the turret covered in blood.


    There were two gun loaders killed, and seven were stunned, but compared to a destroyed ship and lost lives, these losses could be considered very minor.


    So the damage control officer immediately found a compartment with a telephone, and reported the extent of the damage. In fact, due to the minor damage, there was pride in his voice.


    ¡°Yes, yes! Captain! The turret is not breached, 11 seriously injured, 27 slightly injured. No fire! None! It didn¡¯t even affect the drive shaft, very lucky, yes, extremely lucky!¡± After reporting, he hung up the phone and continued directing repair work.


    They had to put out any open flames, check every corner to ensure there were no issues, especially in the ammunition store directly below the main artillery turret.


    Soon, this good news reached Bernard¡¯s ears. Dongwan No. 1 battleship wasn¡¯t significantly damaged, could still keep up with the fleet, and continue the fight.


    Bernard sighed with relief, and upon receiving this good news, he finally refocused his attention on the enemy warships that were rapidly approaching.


    After a round of salvos for calibration, the main guns of the Tang Army once again found their mark, producing astounding effects in the following barrage.


    There was no help for it, as the distance between the two sides narrowed, the range-finding equipment became increasingly accurate. With the continuous improvement of data precision, the precision of the Tang Army¡¯s gunnery system also saw a furious climb.


    To speak fairly, at this distance, if they still couldn¡¯t hit the enemy ships, then the advanced equipment Tang Mo had come up with would truly be nothing but a laughingstock.


    For the Navy of Shen Hai, this battle was both fortunate and unfortunate. The good fortune was that this round of salvos from the Tang Army didn¡¯t hit the flagship of Shen Hai, but the misfortune was that Shen Hai¡¯s leading male witnessed the tragedy unfold to its bitter end.


    At least three shells hit the advancing Shireck Battleship; two shells struck directly at the conning tower, while another hit the main gun turret at the front.


    The battleship exploded with an earth-shattering blast in an instant. The Tang Army¡¯s shells not only detonated the main gun¡¯s propellant but also blew up the warship¡¯s boiler power system.


    Like a knife through melted butter, the three shells penetrated the heart of the Shireck Battleship, taking only a moment to completely destroy the costly maritime giant.


    The explosive disintegration of this battleship was like a wake-up call, suddenly snapping the hopeful Shen Hai back to sobering reality from his fantasies of turning defeat into victory.


    He stood there, mouth agape, staring at his own warship, which had split into two and then suddenly into three sections, speechless for a long while.


    ¡°Orders... order... order the Cruisers and... and... Destroyers... Fleet to retreat...¡± Finally, he managed to squeeze out such a command through his teeth.


    He had not ordered the smaller, faster ships to retreat earlier because he harbored some hope of turning the tide.


    Now that the illusion had shattered, he knew, from every angle, that he should do everything in his power to preserve more for Shen Hai.


    He must do this as a citizen of Shen Hai¡ªit was his mission! Even if only one warship could escape, it would add the slightest shred of hope for Shen Hai¡¯s future!


    He stuttered uncontrollably as he spoke, knowing his fate was sealed. He was afraid of such an end, fearful of this outcome.


    ¡°General! We have finished loading! Should we continue to fire?¡± His aide approached and broke the oppressive atmosphere.


    Shen Hai knew this was their last chance. If they could hit the Tang Country¡¯s warship at this range, there might still be an opportunity.


    Thus, he ordered without hesitation, ¡°Fire! Fire! Everything hinges on this moment! For Shen Hai! For His Majesty the King!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡± The warships of Shen Hai fired, but contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, flames burst out from their own ships and thick smoke billowed.


    Shen Hai felt the deck tremble beneath his feet, nearly losing his balance. It took him two unsteady steps to finally regain his footing without falling.


    When he looked through the forward porthole at his front deck, his face turned pale with anger.


    One of his 302mm caliber main guns had malfunctioned!


    Whether it was because Shireck had rushed their production, or for some other reason, this gun had chosen the worst possible moment to fail him spectacularly and infuriatingly.


    Shen Hai, who had hoped that this salvo might salvage some dignity for the Navy of Shen Hai, stared dumbly at the main gun turret destroyed by his own gun, even lacking the energy to curse.


    If a human advisor from Shireck had been by his side at that moment, he would have surely pushed him off the bridge to crash onto the deck!


    Shen Hai even forgot to issue the command to turn, as it seemed... his forward main gun was no longer usable.


    Whether he wanted to flee or continue to fight, presenting his stern to the enemy was now his only option.


    This sudden mishap also startled the Tang Army¡ªevery gun position preparing to fire paused for a moment, creating a brief hush over the battlefield.


    However, the Tang Army¡¯s gunners quickly remembered their duty. They fired their shells, blanketing the flagship of the main fleet of the Navy of Shen Hai with the most intense barrage.


    Shen Hai heard the shrill sound of the shells slicing through the air towards him. He looked up to the sky, and soon after, his bridge turned into a ball of flame.


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 Chapter 691 Chapter 691: Good news comes from afar.

    "Phew..." Bernard breathed a sigh of relief as he witnessed the enemy ship, so close at hand, being smashed into an explosive firework by a cannonball.


    He finally clenched victory in his grasp, ending months of shame for the navy''s participation in the war without firing a single shot with an almost one-sided great victory.


    It was only at this time that he discovered his palms were drenched with sweat, even the hat''s lining had been soaked through by the sweat on his head.


    With slightly slow movements, he raised his hand to take off his hat, then turned to his adjutant, "We have won."


    "Yes, commander! I think, we have achieved a complete victory." The adjutant said with a smile, addressing Bernard, "We''ve done it, we''ve annihilated the enemy''s four main warships!"


    "General! The cruiser fleet is reporting; the enemy cruisers and destroyers are fleeing in all directions. Shall we continue the pursuit?" The communications officer came forward, handing him a telegram.


    "No need, get into formation! Cover and help the injured warships retreat from the combat area!" Bernard took the telegram and issued the order.


    Feeling much more at ease, he spoke more freely, and the entire bridge was filled with the joy of victory¡ªafter all, this was the first time since the formation of the battleship fleet that they had achieved a meaningful victory.


    "When Dongwan 1 went to Shen Hai to intimidate the goblins, they should have known not to mess with us!" Bernard said solemnly as he put his hat back on.


    "Oh!" Cheers erupted from the bridge.


    "Alright! Such good news must be reported to His Majesty immediately! Send a telegram... All four enemy main battleships annihilated, not a single one escaped!" Bernard, in high spirits, gave the order to the communications officer.


    "Yes, General! Congratulations!" The officer saluted sharply before going out to carry out the task.


    This good news was something everyone felt should be reported to the King, thousands of miles away, as soon as possible, so that the waiting generals could also share in the joy.


    Soon, in the front-line command center at Anpu, Tang Mo, who was in a meeting with the generals, received the telegram reporting Bernard''s overwhelming victory.


    When the officer handed the telegram to Tang Mo, Tang stood up and loudly announced the navy''s victory, "Gentlemen! Bernard has annihilated four Shen Hai battlewagons. We''ve won!"


    "Long live His Majesty the King!" All the generals rose, saluting Tang Mo, congratulating the brilliant victory.


    "The navy has cut off the enemy''s sea lines of communication, we now control the sea! The Shen Army trapped in Beiyuan City are like turtles in a jar." Tang Mo continued joyfully, "Next up, it''s our turn!"


    "We can''t easily let go of those from Shen Hai!" a general said, "Even though the people they persecuted are from Qi Country, those dead from Qi Country are your future subjects! We must retaliate severely for what the Shen people have done!"


    "That''s right, Your Majesty! We must affirm our legitimacy; the subjects of Qi Country are also Your subjects! We cannot ignore this!" Nangong Hong also added his opinion.


    Tang Mo nodded, lowered his hands to calm the meeting, "I understand, I understand all of it! The goblins in Beiyuan City must all be executed! If Shen Hai wants reconciliation, they will have to cough up another 300,000 laborers and compensation money!"


    Hearing this decision, Parker, who was in charge of overseeing the construction of a large number of new industrial areas, seemed hesitant to speak. He was truly reluctant to waste the labor force of the goblins from Beiyuan City.


    Although these goblins deserved to die, and Parker didn''t think they should be pardoned, he felt it would be more profitable to let them die of exhaustion and starvation on construction sites rather than killing them off on the battlefield.


    "I know what you''re thinking, but these demons, whose hands are soaked in blood, can no longer be used, they have lost the right to be considered human, and they cannot be tamed. Killing them is the safest option, and I will replenish the labor force you need with the subsequent goblin workers," Tang Mo said, seeing the conflict in Parker and explaining.


    ...


    "We''re finished!" Receiving the telegram from home, Shenwu Sanlang collapsed into his chair, muttering pale-faced.


    Shen Wenxi, who had been standing by his side, snatched the telegram and carefully read its contents. His face, too, turned ugly as he sat down heavily in a chair nearby.


    They had once fantasized about the Tang fleet being defeated and being able to regain control of the seas, to restore transportation and reinforcement to Beiyuan City.


    At the very least, they could continue to reinforce Beiyuan City, bringing enough ammunition to withstand the increasingly fierce attacks of the Tang Army.


    Alas, all these could now only be dreamed of. The situation they found themselves in was even worse than before.


    Previously, they were merely cut off from most of their supplies; now, their transportation routes had been completely severed.


    What did this signify? It meant that even if they were willing to risk taking the ships back to the Shen Country, there was a high probability of being intercepted and sunk by enemy vessels along the way.


    They couldn''t return home unless the war ended now unless their motherland, the Shen Country, could negotiate peace and swiftly conclude hostilities with the Tang Country. Only then would they have a chance to return to their homeland.


    But this could only be their fantasy because the terms set forth by the Tang Country were truly difficult to accept, which is why the war had lasted up to the present.


    "We''re finished," Shen Wenxi muttered in a daze, echoing the sentiment: they were indeed very passive because just a moment ago, they had lost yet another peripheral defensive position!


    That was a very important defensive position¡ªpreviously, the Shen Country had even dug an underground ammunition depot there to store ammunition.


    But yesterday, the ammunition there had been exhausted by the defending army; without ammunition, the Shen Country military had to retreat back to the city, giving up the fortress and trenches there.


    The despairing fact was that nearly 200,000 Shen Country soldiers were trapped in the city without sufficient ammunition or heavy weaponry support, and could only engage in street battles with the Tang Army.


    But it seemed that the Tang Army was not particularly interested in street battles¡ªthey had taken over some of the peripheral districts and rescued a batch of Qi Country citizens before ceasing any large-scale assaults.


    The war had come to this state, and Shenwu Sanlang had no hope for victory left. All he fantasized about now was holding out until the Tang Country was willing to make peace.


    "I knew it, the Navy bunch of bastards is utterly unreliable! They wasted so much of the national treasury, only to fail! If all that money had been given to our land army, we would have won the war long ago!" Shenwu Sanlang thought more and more aggrievedly, clenching his fist and slamming it down hard on the table.


    You must know, those expensive steel warships cost a fortune each, and the Shen Country had paid nearly all they had to slowly accumulate such a sizeable force.


    Yet it had only taken one day, one single day! The fleet that had taken more than two years to amass was utterly annihilated in a single morning!


    All that money, had it been given to the land army, how many artillery guns would that be? How many tanks? How many vehicles and machine guns? How many divisions and regiments could have been formed?


    Such a multitude of forces, even if the enemy were to kill them, would take a month, or even several months, right? But the Navy, oh, they lost all the bets in one morning!


    "Without so many warships, how would we defend the maritime borders of the Shen Country?" Shen Wenxi shook his head. For an island nation, the Navy will always be the priority force to develop, and this was simply unchangeable.


    This was the island nation''s tragedy: once the Navy lost, it meant they had gambled away all their assets, leaving them incapable of holding on any longer.


    Therefore, Shen Wenxi could see it clearly: "For us, the Navy''s such complete defeat might not be a bad thing."


    "Hmm?" Shenwu Sanlang looked at him, drawing out his tone to show his confusion.


    Shen Wenxi continued to explain, "With the Navy''s defeat, the King Your Majesty will no longer continue this war. Soon we will enter peace talks with the Tang Country, and as long as we hold out, we will have hope of safely returning home!"


    "You''re right! It''s very possible, we could even return as heroes!" Shenwu Sanlang spoke excitedly. "Although the Tang Country says it wants to punish war criminals, we''ll just need to find a few scapegoats to take the blame...."


    "Exactly!" Shen Wenxi revealed a smile. "Let''s hope we, and the officers and soldiers here who have heroically fought for the Kingdom, can all return!"


    Shenwu Sanlang nodded, sweeping away his earlier dejection and reigniting his hope, "That''s right! Beiyuan City is a good bargaining chip! As long as we hold it, the Tang Country people will have to show sincerity if they want it! Hahaha!"


    ...


    In the main base of the Shen Country, the generals of the Shen Navy were sitting on both sides of a long table with wry smiles on their faces, waiting for their King Your Majesty, who was absent.


    They had all received the news: the battleships made by Shireck were no match for those of the Tang Army, leading directly to the Shen Navy''s miserable defeat.


    Shireck''s consultant was crestfallen for he had just learned that during the battle, there was a catastrophic explosion of the main guns produced by Shireck, causing an accident that severely affected the course of the battle.


    It turned out that the Shireck battleships, which they copied from others, were complete failures. Their armor couldn''t withstand the cannon shells fired by the Tang Army, their speeds were slower than the enemy''s, and they were bested in both firepower and maneuvering.


    These were the contents of the last telegram sent by Shen Haiyi, and Shireck''s consultant felt these were excuses from an incompetent Shen Haiyi who was shifting all blame onto Shireck.


    However, fools knew that if what Shen Haiyi said was false and Shireck''s battleships were indeed strong and had overpowered the Tang Army''s as they claimed, the outcome would not be what we see today....

 Chapter 692 Chapter 692: 651 Blame-shifting Consultant

    A weapon ultimately can be used or not, whether it is good or not, and exactly how to use it, all need to be tested by war. The final outcome may not satisfy everyone or even most people.


    In the history of humankind, many weapons have been created out of wishful thinking. Designers hoped these weapons would perform miracles on the battlefield, but in reality, they proved to be mistakes, things that should not have existed.


    There were also weapons that existed in large numbers and were used extensively, but they were not necessarily outstanding. They had various problems that in some cases were never corrected.


    Take, for example, the Bismarck battleship, whose anti-aircraft capability was terribly poor. If one speaks of its appearance, it surely ranks in the top three among battleships. But when it comes to technological level... Perhaps it was the strongest battleship of World War I during World War II?


    Then there are the tank destroyers, approved by United States generals, which lacked overhead protection. These machines were essentially similar to tanks, yet they were categorically singled out. In actual combat, they didn''t perform exceptionally and were still used as tanks.


    As for the decision to equip paratroopers with bolt-action rifles that could be disassembled into two pieces, but not even considering trying submachine guns, it pales in comparison to the fame of the Mouse tank and the Ferdinand heavy tank destroyer.


    So, even if a weapon has undergone countless tests and has been widely deployed, it doesn''t necessarily mean it will be problem-free.


    That''s why, in most cases, the military itself, including weapon manufacturers, would send personnel for battlefield research to prove the effectiveness of the weapons they purchased or produced.


    At the same time, they would make targeted improvements to the weapons based on problems encountered during use, making them more suitable for the battlefield.


    Remember, the main purpose of these improvements is to win wars, not to reduce casualties. They seek the most economical and appropriate entry point and do not favor any specific characteristics.


    Of course, in this process, shifting blame is also an important task. The military would complain about the poor performance of weapons causing them losses; manufacturers, on the other hand, would prove there was nothing wrong with their weapons.


    "There is no indication that our battleships have any quality issues. The situation is not clear at the moment, General," Shireck''s advisor said, shaking his head at the goblin general across from him.


    "Although Shen Hai Yi deserves death for his sins, the telegram he sent before his death does indicate that the main guns of the warships produced by your consortium exploded at a critical moment!" The general from Shen Hai said with a grim face, lowering his voice emphasizingly.


    "It''s possible he was deflecting blame, General," the advisor retorted, pushing all of the guilt onto the deserving Shen Hai Yi.


    "You are prevaricating! This is not the attitude of cooperation! Sir!" The general from Shen Hai raised his voice slightly, yet still suppressed his own voice.


    Shireck''s advisor also knew he couldn''t completely deny such things, and his tone softened considerably as he explained softly, "General, even if one cannon exploded, it was a fluke. This does not prove that our weapons have a serious quality issue."


    Anyway, it was no longer possible to continue the investigation. On the cruisers and destroyers of Shen Hai returning from various locations, there probably weren''t many witnesses present at that time.


    In fact, after the Tang Army sank four of Shen Hai''s battleships, they dispatched cruisers to carry out a sweep until nightfall, and those cruisers responsible for covering the retreat finally left the area.


    The defeated fleet of Shen Hai had no intention of caring for their compatriots who had fallen overboard; they fled for their lives, heading straight back to the ports of Shen Hai without looking back.


    Because they couldn''t match the Tang Army''s warships in speed, if they had delayed any longer, they probably would have been sunk as well. So they fled thoroughly, abandoning their comrades completely.


    Reports from the prisoners confirmed this: In this battle, the Tang Army captured a total of 172 personnel from Shen Hai''s military, while Shen Hai accounted for over 6,700 casualties.


    Indeed, the Tang Army had sunk four of Shen Hai''s battleships, three cruisers, and five destroyers. The vast majority of soldiers on these ships sank with them, and most of those who abandoned ship to escape froze to death in the cold northern waters.


    Shen Hai''s Navy truly suffered a grievous blow this time, losing almost all of their elite maritime forces in this battle.


    "When I came here, I had already discussed with headquarters that we could offer a cruiser to your country free of charge as compensation. This is our biggest concession," Shireck''s representative said generously, offering a compensation plan fearful that Shen Hai would not agree.


    He was indeed right; it was only a cannon of Shireck''s that had exploded. Compensating with a cruiser worth more was already quite sincere.


    ```


    However, this compensation plan is clearly unacceptable to Shen Hai, as it is akin to Shireck selling them a Rolls-Royce with faulty brakes resulting in a total wreck and loss of lives. Then Shireck says, "How about I compensate you with two brake pads?"


    "This is obviously unacceptable! Mr. Envoy! I want to stress that our Shen Hai has always been at the forefront of the battle against Tang Country! If we are completely defeated, the rise of Tang Country will be unstoppable! By then, the fate of Shireck will be much clearer to you than to me!" the Shen Hai general glowered, threatening Shireck''s advisor.


    Shireck''s advisor made a gesture of innocence, "We will not accept any extortion, General Sir! If you do not accept it, there''s nothing I can do but express my regret. However, the failure of Shen Hai has truly nothing to do with our military equipment."


    "Regardless! We need more warships! If the Tang Army blockades Shen Hai, we will suffer immense losses in the future!" The Shen Hai Navy general did not want to completely offend Shireck. His ultimate goal was actually to obtain more warships from Shireck to solve the problem of Shen Hai Navy''s crushing defeat and lack of warships.


    "That''s not difficult, but in the short term, we indeed cannot provide more warship support for the war in Shen Hai, General Sir," Shireck''s representative said regretfully, spreading his hands in a gesture that seemed to suggest that he was also pained about not earning this money.


    What he said was indeed true, as Shireck had previously dispatched warships, and together with Gobur''s fleet, launched a surprise attack on Dragon Island.


    The result was that the entire attacking fleet was annihilated, even to the point where Gobur''s side is still not daring to publicize the matter.


    As compensation, Shireck needed to quickly build some warships to replenish Gobur''s Navy, while also restoring its own naval power.


    Before these losses were recovered, it was improbable for Shireck to be able to provide more large warships for Shen Hai.


    Moreover, even with imitation, cost cutting, and different construction standards, a battleship is still a battleship after all. Shireck could hardly produce more battleships in a short period of time.


    Besides the four battleships sold to Shen Hai, Shireck had received four more orders, and now these four underperforming battleships were still lying in Shireck''s dockyards.


    What worried Shireck''s upper echelons now was the potential spread of the news about the Northern Seas battle, leading the countries that had ordered these four battleships to cancel their orders...


    There was no choice, as most had tentatively placed an order for one battleship each, exploring and experimenting with this novel military equipment in the spirit of inquiry. Only Shen Hai dared to buy four at once, and that was indeed rare.


    Or to put it another way, all the countries were being cautious about vying for maritime supremacy with Tang Country. Shen Hai had no choice, as unlike Shen Hai, the other countries had vast land territories and did not have urgent needs for sea transportation.


    "You must give us some help, right? Could it be that so many countries will just watch idly as Shen Hai is annihilated by Tang Country?" The Shen Hai Navy general asked somewhat agitatedly.


    Shireck''s advisor shook his head, then after a moment of contemplation he said, "Navy construction cannot be completed in a short time. Since we have already paid a price to beat the clock, we can''t afford to waste more precious time."


    He paused for a moment, then continued, "That''s why we plan to cause some trouble for Tang Country from another direction, to make them compromise..."


    "What do you mean?" asked the Shen Hai general, not quite understanding.


    "We will request Dahua Empire and Chu Country to put pressure on Tang Country. If they do not quickly make peace with Shen Hai, then the war will escalate," Shireck''s advisor said. "If Tang Country is worried about the war dragging on, they will make certain concessions, at least ostensibly restoring peace with Shen Hai."


    "That''s indeed a plan. Your Majesty would also accept peace talks. As long as we can avoid the Tang Country''s fleet blockading our ports, we can accept some not too onerous conditions," the Shen Hai general said thoughtfully, then compromised.


    "Look! Now we have come to an agreement. My visit this time was to persuade you to not tenaciously persist in war! Remember! The military posture of Dahua Empire and Chu Country is just a bluff; they are not genuinely prepared for war!" Shireck''s advisor cautioned, "So don''t expect them to actually start a war to draw Tang Country''s attention. Everything... is fake!"


    "I understand," the Shen Hai general nodded, accepting this argument.


    "This is just a bluff, and it''s the most generous help we can offer now!" Shireck''s advisor said, "Seize this opportunity to end the war! We have already lost Qi Country, we cannot afford to lose you, Shen Hai, as well."


    "Hearing you say this, I don''t know whether to be relieved or not..." the Shen Hai general sighed, accepting the consolation from Shireck''s advisor.


    ```

 Chapter 693 Chapter 693: Such a fair price of 652

    In the reception room refurbished by Anpu, Tang Mo had finished his work and took the time to meet two envoys who had come from afar.


    The two anxious dwarves sat on the sofa and immediately stood up when Tang Mo entered the room, bowing in greeting and said, "Great King of Tang Country, your admirers convey their sincerest greetings to you."


    Tang Mo made a rather casual gesture, then proceeded to the seat of honor, sat down, and crossed his legs, "Gentlemen, the Ice Cold Empire is not close by. You didn''t come all this way just to greet me, did you?"


    "Your Majesty jests," the leading envoy from the Ice Cold Empire said with an awkward laugh, hurriedly waving his hands to explain, "Of course not, or rather, not just to greet you."


    Tang Mo recognized this dwarf envoy; they had met before in Brunas. Back then, Tang Mo was still a merchant, and this gentleman was a representative of the Ice Cold Kingdom.


    Now, it seemed both had taken a step forward, Tang Mo had become the king of a nation, and the representative had become an envoy of the empire.


    However, the step Tang Mo had taken was somewhat large and had left his old acquaintance from the Ice Cold Empire a bit embarrassed.


    "Then let''s discuss why you have come to see me. You know me; I dislike beating around the bush. Time is money, my friend." Tang Mo took a cup of wine from Wes''s hand but did not offer the two distant dwarves a cup, which clearly indicated an attitude.


    Concerning the Ice Cold Empire''s breach of faith, Tang Mo certainly wouldn''t let bygones be bygones. To say he held grudges might be an exaggeration, but to call him forgiving would be a grave misunderstanding of the man.


    Like many from Huaxia, he believed in the principle of offering fine wine to friends and a hunting rifle to wolves. In Tang Mo''s view, everyone who had ever wronged him fell into the category of the wolf...


    The two dwarves glanced at the wine in Tang Mo''s hand and, with a hint of bitterness, averted their eyes. They knew their visit wouldn''t be easy, but they had reasons they couldn''t ignore.


    Some empires don''t rely on sea transport and don''t worry about Tang Country controlling the Endless Sea, so they can temporarily ignore the challenge of Tang Country''s invincible battleships.


    But every nation has the same vast sky above their heads, and they must all seriously consider whether Tang Country''s airplanes might drop bombs on them.


    Yes, the two dwarves had come for the airplanes.


    The lead envoy laughed awkwardly again, then began to speak, "The Ice Cold Empire made choices out of necessity, and despite great pressure from many countries, we have remained neutral throughout the war..."


    "Hmm, it seems you''ve paid quite a price," Tang Mo moistened his throat with the wine, then gestured with a light wave of his hand, at which point Wes placed the documents just obtained from the intelligence department on the table.


    "I found many good things near Beiyuan City, including Ice Cold branded cars, 130mm caliber howitzers, and apart from Mosin-Nagant rifles and the bodies of dwarves, I''ve found almost all industrial products from the Ice Cold Empire that could be bought..." Tang Mo gestured for the two dwarves to flip through the files, "There are photos, and detailed records of how they were seized from the hands of people from Shireck and Qi Country."


    "Your Majesty..." The dwarf attendant began to say something but was stopped by a hand from the lead envoy. The dwarf didn''t even look at the pile of intelligence documents, but pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his brow, while also carefully considering his next words.


    Soon, he reorganized his speech and stated, "Your Majesty, you were once a merchant, some matters, as you know, are business matters... We, we..."


    "You''re right, business is business," Tang Mo nodded slightly, agreeing surprisingly with the dwarf envoy''s point.


    However, his following words made the two dwarves uncomfortable again, "However, you dwarves are really not good businessmen. You''ve taken my products without paying, so... isn''t it a bit inappropriate for you to be talking about business ethics?"


    The ports and a large amount of mines that the dwarves had promised to Tang Mo were all taken back when he founded Tang Country.


    These assets were priceless because Tang Mo had given the dwarves a complete industrial system and the opportunity to build a majestic empire.


    With Tang Mo''s backing, only then could the Ice Cold Kingdom industrialize so rapidly, defeat the surrounding nations, and become today''s strongest in the Northern Region¡ªthe Ice Cold Empire!


    "You established a country, Your Majesty! If we didn''t reclaim our lands leased to you, it would be tantamount to betraying our nation''s territory, and that is legally impermissible. Please understand our constrained position," the dwarf envoy insisted, as he steeled himself for the explanation.


    "You didn''t seem to care so much about your territory before," Tang Mo said sarcastically, swirled the wine in his glass, "but in the end, you did not fulfill your promise to me! You took my goods without paying the agreed price!"


    As he spoke, Tang Mo looked toward Wes, "Wes, do you remember the price the last person who owed us money paid?"


    "Remember," Wes nodded gently, "and they forgot the price they paid, now they''re on the debtor''s list again."


    "Oh! I remember now, the Poplar Kingdom, right?" Tang Mo nodded, as if he had just remembered such a place, "No worries, Wes, when we have time, we''ll go collect the debt."


    This was almost a blatant threat, and the dwarf could hear it too, but he truly had no recourse.


    After all, his visit was a petition for assistance, so he had to keep a very low profile, and even if his smile was stiff, he had to continue: "This time, we promise to pay in full."


    "Your credibility isn''t that great, forgive my bluntness, but since you took my Eternal Winter City, your promises are worthless to me," Tang Mo curled his lip, showing disdain.


    "..." Even with a thick skin, the Dwarf Envoy was at a loss for words. In the eyes of the Great Tang Group, the credit of the Ice Cold Empire was truly bankrupt¡ªa fact that could not be disputed.


    They had taken back Eternal Winter City, which belonged to the Great Tang Group, and occupied all the mines belonging to the Great Tang Group, even appropriating the machinery for mining the ores.


    In the face of such facts, to talk about credibility was utter nonsense: this was not a matter of a few thousand Gold Coins, it was a breach involving tens of millions, even billions of Gold Coins.


    However, the Dwarf Envoy still wanted to try to convince Tang Mo, so he spread his hands and countered, "Forgive my directness, Your Majesty... it''s not just our Ice Cold Empire that has lost its credibility with you, is it?"


    "Poplar Kingdom, Suthers Empire, Laines Empire, Dorne Empire... you see, you surely can''t refuse to do business with almost the entire Eastern Continent, can you?" The dwarf seized on the key point, hinting at the idea that many offenders could not all be punished.


    Tang Mo nodded, and then pointed in the air at the other party: "Not bad for someone who''s been to Brunas for a few days, your ability to focus on key points is quite good."


    "In a sense, you are still my principal," the dwarf immediately climbed up by association, his smile becoming more natural and brilliant.


    "So, tell me, what do you... want to buy from me?" Tang Mo genuinely couldn''t afford to give up a market spanning half the world, so he decided to first listen to their demands to see if he could change his precarious position of being at odds with the world.


    "We plan to buy the technology to manufacture airplanes," the Dwarf Envoy stated his intent, his face full of hope as he stared at Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo didn''t refuse immediately but pondered while staring into his glass for quite a while. As the two dwarf envoys began to grow restless waiting, he finally asked, "So, what kind of price do you plan to offer for my airplane manufacturing technology?"


    "One hundred million Gold Coins... how about that?" the Dwarf Envoy ventured, offering what seemed like a very appealing price.


    Tang Mo shook his head, clearly very dissatisfied with the price: "Sorry, but that money wouldn''t even cover the losses from the occupation of Eternal Winter City and the mines..."


    "We can return the mines to you..." the Dwarf Envoy gritted his teeth, adding another huge sum to his proposal.


    To his surprise, Tang Mo burst into hearty laughter: "Hahaha! I dare not accept your mines, for who knows when you might take them back again, then I''d have to go through the trouble of debt collection. I''m very busy and have no interest in playing such tiresome, fickle games with you."


    At this point, the Dwarf Envoy was at a loss for words; his empire couldn''t afford more Gold Coins, as giving more would seriously disrupt the normal economic operations of his own country.


    But to make up the difference with things like mines, given their history of unreliability, proved to be a problem for them.


    "If one family can''t afford it, why not have several chip in together? Money in one hand, goods in another, clean and straightforward¡ªwouldn''t that be nice?" Tang Mo couldn''t help but suggest an idea to the dwarves.


    "Your Majesty, do you mean...?" The dwarf perked up at the prospect of Tang Mo truly being willing to sell the airplane technology, and excitedly inquired.


    "Since the Ice Cold Empire alone can''t afford it, add Shireck, as well as the Dorne Empire, Laines Empire, Suthers Empire... and the Dahua Empire... would that work?" Tang Mo reeled off the names of several countries in one breath.


    "How, how could that be possible?" the dwarf asked, obviously startled and unsure of Tang Mo''s intentions.


    "One billion per country! What a fair price..." From Tang Mo''s eyes, the dwarf saw a fierce gleam.

 Chapter 694 Chapter 694: 653 I am the referee

    "Your Majesty, this, this is not a... a reasonable price," the Dwarf Envoy said, his face turning somewhat white upon hearing Tang Mo''s words.


    "Under normal circumstances, as an arms dealer, oh, as a seller of advanced weapons, I believe it''s only when I wish to change the strategic balance of a region, or even the entire world, and prepare to instigate regional disputes that I would choose to unilaterally sell powerful weapons capable of altering the rules of warfare," Tang Mo spoke in circles, saying a few grand truths that the Dwarf, if he did not think carefully, could hardly understand.


    The Dwarf Envoy quickly figured out the convoluted meanings, understanding that Tang Mo''s implication was that he was not going to allow the Dwarves to gain sole possession of airplane technology and thus break the existing balance of power in the Eastern Continent.


    Damn it! Big brother, haven''t you always been doing this? You even supported certain countries, then wiped out many kingdoms! Do you remember that yourself? Huh?


    After complaining internally, the Dwarf Envoy also had to admit that what Tang Mo had said was indeed something he must consider.


    If the Ice Cold Kingdom managed to master airplane technology itself, it could indeed build a formidable aerial force to seek larger benefits to the south.


    However, in this process, the surrounding countries, especially the Elves, and even the humans further to the south, would fiercely oppose it.


    But for the sake of giving his homeland a chance to gain enough advantages in the future, the Dwarf Envoy was still determined to make an effort.


    "Why is the Great Tang Kingdom an exception?" Compelled by some unknown force, the Dwarf Envoy asked a very naive, yet very realistic question.


    Tang Mo said indifferently, "The Great Tang Kingdom is a player, I''m the referee... Since I''m both a player and a referee, then I must have some privileges to break the rules, right?"


    "Your Majesty! Then it''s pointless for us to acquire this technology, isn''t it?" The Envoy from the Ice Cold Empire sighed, genuinely not expecting Tang Mo to admit so frankly to his own cheating.


    But he also knew that he was utterly unable to prevent Tang Mo from doing so, because, as Tang Mo said, he himself was the referee, the very maker of the game''s rules.


    Thus, he spoke frankly, not bothering to hide the ambition of the Ice Cold Empire to procure airplane technology and continue its expansion.


    "No, if you don''t buy it, other countries will gain an advantage over you," Tang Mo waved his hand and laughed as he explained to the familiar face before him: "The principle is very simple, just like when you bought airships; it''s an open strategy. I''m not worried about you seeing through my intentions."


    Tang Mo pointed to his head, "Look, I''ve told you straight up that I can sell airplane technology, and I''m prepared to sell it to everyone, but you still have no way to refuse, and have to come to me for a deal."


    He had the Dwarf Envoy figured out, certain that they could not refuse the deal, so he appeared somewhat arrogant, "If one country doesn''t buy it, I''ll raise the price, two hundred million, three hundred million, five hundred million..."


    "You''re truly a businessman, Your Majesty, whether you have become a king or not, you''re still a merchant," the Dwarf Envoy spoke with some resignation: "So, as long as we pay, can we purchase the airplanes currently equipped by the Great Tang Kingdom?"


    "Of course not, you are only buying airplane technology, not the most advanced airplane technology," Tang Mo naturally shook his head.


    "What? Your Majesty, I don''t understand what you mean," the Dwarf said, anxious to stand up.


    "What you''re getting is first-generation airplane technology, that''s all," Tang Mo said as if the Dwarf should have known this all along: "Otherwise, do you think I''m crazy? Would I offer the experimental data on materials, plus the manufacturing equipment, as well as the airplane designs, allowing you to possess aviation technology comparable to that of the Great Tang Group, all for a billion?"


    "But, Your Majesty! You already possess more advanced technology. Selling outdated technology at such an exorbitant price of a billion, isn''t that a bit excessive?"


    "Of course it''s not excessive, technology is but a thin piece of paper! Mr. Envoy! Once you have the technology, you can naturally develop it yourself. If you develop quickly enough, you can at least still gain a technological advantage over the neighboring countries," Tang Mo tilted his head as if he had already compromised as much as he could on this matter.


    "But we ultimately do not have the most advanced technology!" The Dwarf Envoy emphasized somewhat disgruntled.


    Tang Mo spread his hands nonchalantly, "You can also choose not to buy."


    The Dwarf Envoy reluctantly retorted, "What use is it for us to receive outdated technology?"


    "The uses are plentiful," Tang Mo almost immediately answered his question. "You could have enough airplanes for reconnaissance, to correct artillery fire parameters from the air... air-drop bombs, use fewer planes to defend against the enemy''s airships, and make them quickly phase out such outdated equipment."


    Then he continued, "Of course, most importantly, you will be able to train pilots who can fly planes at the fastest speed... Soon you will find that no matter how many pilots you have, it won''t be too many... The earlier you train them, the sooner you''ll have pilots!"


    After he finished speaking, he spread his arms, looking very considerate of his customers, "Trust me, we can produce as many planes as needed, but pilots can''t be trained in an instant... Oh, speaking of which, we offer top-notch pilot training services, training costs for a single pilot are only 1500 Gold Coins!"


    "You must be joking," the Dwarf Envoy nearly cried when he heard the price.


    He knew Tang Mo wasn''t spurting random numbers¡ªafter all, Tang Country indeed had a head-start advantage in pilot training. Besides, he was familiar with the Great Tang Group''s pricing standards, where a higher price often equated to better results, one of the cornerstones of the Great Tang Group''s rise.


    "I''m not joking. Pilots receive a ration standard twenty times higher than the infantry, and the elimination rate is also very high, with each one meticulously selected. They also have to actually control airplanes in my schools... learn tactics, operations, theory, simple troubleshooting..." Tang Mo listed, and even he thought he had set the price a bit low.


    However, he quickly cheered up, deciding that whatever he lost by setting a low price for the pilots, he would earn back double in ground crew and airplane production worker training programs!


    Moreover, after upgrading the training programs, he planned to increase the training fees for pilots tenfold, or even a hundredfold¡ªhe couldn''t keep it this cheap...


    "This will make your Great Tang Kingdom the target of many once again, Your Majesty! If you hope for the other countries to soften their attitudes towards Tang Country, you should show some sincerity when trading the airplane technology," the Dwarf Envoy shifted directions, emphasizing his point.


    "I think just the opposite, Mr. Envoy! I think if the other countries wish for Tang Country to share its technology, they should show their sincerity as well," Tang Mo returned the Envoy''s words back to him.


    "We can pay the price you ask... but we hope to obtain more advanced technology!" Seeing that the bargaining was heading towards failure, the Dwarf Envoy came up with the idea of getting Tang Mo to offer more technology.


    But Tang Mo, already holding a firm grip on the counterpart''s thoughts, emphasized uncompromisingly, "Airplane technology is very complex. If I were to reveal the current airplane technology, it would be equivalent to disclosing many years of all our tech research results. Do you think that can be exchanged just with some resources and several hundred million Gold Coins?"


    "That''s countless resources and several hundred million Gold Coins! Your Majesty! Ten years ago, it wasn''t easy for a kingdom to come up with 10,000 Gold Coins," the Dwarf Envoy reminded Tang Mo.


    "Look how much the Gold Coin has devalued. In less than ten years, the purchasing power of several hundred million Gold Coins has come to this," Tang Mo mock-complained.


    Having said that, he intentionally reminded the Dwarf Envoy, "Speaking of which, I heard that the currency reform in the Suthers Empire has failed?"


    Without Tang Mo''s support, the economic condition of the Suthers Empire was actually not too good. Their Emperor appeared to be quite radical, wanting to immediately rid themselves of the influence of Great Tang''s paper money, which led to a series of disasters.


    If not for the significant advantage that Northern Ridge presented, he might have collapsed even faster. As a result of his series of harebrained schemes, the people of the Suthers Empire ended up relying even more on Great Tang''s paper money.


    "Your sources are as reliable as ever," the Dwarf Envoy sighed awkwardly. "They can''t pull out a billion Gold Coins to trade for airplane technology."


    "That''s okay, I can accept part of the payment in paper money, and I can also accept copper, iron, zinc, nickel, and other metals, petroleum, gasoline... all acceptable," Tang Mo magnanimously laid out the conditions, "But this time, I don''t want any real estate."


    "Alright, as you wish," the Dwarf Envoy nodded. It would indeed be an impossible task for his empire to come up with a billion Gold Coins all at once.


    It made sense for Tang Mo to demand a portion in paper currency; to maintain the purchasing power of his own issued paper money, he naturally had to prove its value.


    However, the demand to produce so many minerals and ores as well as agricultural goods would nevertheless be a significant expense that all countries must incur, even significantly impacting their own national development.


    "Don''t be so downcast, Mr. Envoy. I assure you, if Shireck''s envoy were here, he would be much more willing to pay up than you," Tang Mo sneered. "So at least in terms of vision, the people of Shireck have it... It''s just that their brains, they often forget to bring them from home, that''s all."

 Chapter 695 Chapter 695: 654 is even more uneasy now

    ```


    "The envoy from the Dahua Empire seemed to be greatly startled by this piece of news; he remained silent for a long time before canceling the meeting with me," said Prime Minister Roger in his office after the Dwarf Envoy had left, meeting with Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo nodded slightly, seeming to have already guessed the main purpose behind these countries'' sudden move to resume negotiations with Tang Country.


    He tapped lightly on the desktop and said to his Prime Minister, "Actually, I have guessed it; they''ve come this time to apply pressure on us."


    "They hope we''ll end the war with Shen Country, and moreover, we must not settle scores with Shen Country. That''s their bottom line," he continued, walking over to the map of Shen Country, gazing at the vast island, "Though I really want to, now is not the time to devour this damn country in one bite."


    He turned back to look at Roger: "In fact, we need about a year or so to continue expanding our military, accumulate strength... and during this process, we need more minerals, more steel, more workers, more... everything!"


    "We are lacking in everything; we lack time, raw materials, and even population! Therefore, we cannot go to war with the Dahua Empire and Chu Country immediately." As he spoke, he personally poured a glass of Brunas 3-year for Roger, "Even though I know they are bluffing, I can only afford to give them this face."


    "This is a necessary compromise," Roger said to Tang Mo, "You need time to consolidate your occupation of Qi Country and make its civilians accept you as their king."


    "Indeed, but the good days when we could easily buy population and continuously absorb surrounding areas'' populations are over. Chu Country will no longer let us absorb their population, neither will the Dahua Empire," said Tang Mo somewhat regretfully.


    For him, the previous year was the real good time when he could absorb tens of thousands of fleeing populations from the surrounding three countries every day, and how to accommodate these people was a daily concern.


    At that time, he was indeed busy and happy. He arranged all kinds of jobs for these refugees, and then led these civilians, who had just become Tang People, to build Tang Country into an industrial nation in one fell swoop!


    Don''t underestimate this achievement; just go and see what the other empires that took over places like Brunas and Northern Ridge managed to do, and you''ll know just how outstanding Tang Mo''s subordinates were.


    "The good news is that even during wartime, our population growth in the past year has been the fastest in a century," said Roger, who was in charge of these matters and, therefore, had a say.


    The development of the Great Tang Kingdom has entered the fast lane; a country that has basically achieved industrialization, its population growth is incomparable to that of traditional agricultural nations.


    Keep in mind that large-scale poultry farming has become a bottleneck for many countries: without chickens to boost meat production, the world would hardly ever see cities with populations over three million.


    The emergence of modern, advanced, and systematic sewage systems, and the widespread availability of high-rise buildings, made the population explosion of big cities possible.


    Had it not been for the pharmaceutical companies of the Great Tang Group introducing a series of medicines, population concentration would mean the outbreak of epidemics and the prevalence of contagious diseases¡ªonly the preliminary establishment of a modern medical system enabled the increase in population to be realized.


    Every link is very important; it can be said they are truly indispensable. At the same time, a complete and massive industrial system provides employment opportunities for these expanding populations, completing the last piece of this entire cycle.


    Modern society is a precise and efficient large-scale circular system, akin to a high-speed running machine with every part serving its function for the operation of the whole machine.


    "What I want is not just to develop faster than the last hundred years but to outpace our own development," Tang Mo felt no need to boast about his achievements.


    What''s there to be proud of if you annihilate a knight in plate armor with a 99A main battle tank?


    Tang Mo was very clear that after the start of industrialization and informatization, the pace of human development over 200 years was about ten times that of the previous 15,000 years of evolutionary progress! The amount of information exchanged and transmitted in one day of the 21st century equals the total amount of information transferred from the beginning of Earth until 1999.


    In other words, a 12-year-old child today is exposed to more information than any wise monarch of the past; whereas Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty needed five days to figure out what trouble had arisen in the Hetao Corridor, with telegraphy, Tang Mo can learn what has happened on the Eastern Continent in less than half an hour.


    Therefore, there really isn''t any comparability. What Tang Mo can do, or what he needs to do, is only to surpass himself!


    He only has himself to compare to; he only has himself as a benchmark! He has already outpaced the whole world, hence he can only race against himself.


    It''s rather ironic, from another point of view, as Tang Mo is trying to engage in a high-speed race with the beautiful Lighthouse Country of present-day Earth. One day, he will surpass this non-existent hypothetical enemy.


    "That truly is a grand objective," Roger, massaging his somewhat sore neck, said to Tang Mo, "You''ve established a nation, and I, this old frame, might not be able to keep up with your pace much longer."


    "It''s okay, Uncle Roger, what you need to do now is to help me take care of home," said Tang Mo with a smile.


    "That''s also why I insist on not retiring," Roger too smiled. He knew the trust Tang Mo had in him, and he was trying his best to reciprocate the trust given to him by Tang Mo.


    ```


    Controlling a vast nation was not an easy task, and Tang Mo, no matter how powerful he was, needed a large group of trusted confidants to help him with his work.


    Clearly, Tang Mo was fortunate, for he had met a group of trustworthy people very early on.


    The amiable Roger, the straightforward Tagg, the insincere Wes, and Yulin who loved him to the marrow of her bones... In short, he was very satisfied with his current situation, which was much more fulfilling and warm than before his transmigration.


    "Get Harry to find something for his wife to do!" After comforting his Prime Minister for a moment, Tang Mo said to Roger, "He''s been honeymooning on Dragon Island for so long, it''s time he did something for the Great Tang Group."


    Roger began to laugh, "Your Majesty, he''s so busy he barely has time to have children, and yet you think he''s on vacation, haha."


    "Isn''t he on a vacation? If he thinks he''s doing well enough, I''ll send Yulin to Dragon Island to see if there''s anything that needs improving!" Tang Mo said with a smile, pulling out his whip.


    "If you really did that, then Harry probably would really not have time for children," Roger hurriedly intercepted before Tang Mo could directly deploy their Flying Eagle, and he managed to save Harry''s life: "I''ll send him a telegram right away and have Jenny get in touch with Shireck''s side."


    "Let her ask Sofia, that cheap woman, if she wants airplane technology!" Tang Mo''s gaze fell onto the wooden model of a biplane that he had just ordered to be brought to him.


    What he was selling was the airplane technology from the World War I era, including fabric-covered wings, a wooden fuselage, and a small motor engine...


    Well, if this thing were scaled down, fitted with a swept wing, equipped with an engine on the back, fitted with remote control, and loaded with 50 kilograms of explosive... it could have a second life in the twenty-first century... Back then, it had a resounding name: a kamikaze drone.


    But now, it was just a wooden plane with fabric-covered wings! It was slow to fly, had little cargo capacity, and was almost useless.


    However, these severely outdated planes, which were just beginning to be sold, represented a future, a bright, efficient, and prosperous future!


    "I think Shireck will definitely send someone," said Roger, rising to his feet.


    "Get Harry to prepare some delicacies for Jenny, something romantic, after all this is high-value intelligence, isn''t it?" Tang Mo said with a mischievous smile, showing no sign that he was the master of a nation with territories comparable to an empire.


    ...


    "Darling!" Before long, Harry, who had hurried home early, embraced his wife Jenny in the courtyard of their villa, where she was watering the plants.


    "Why are you home so early this year? Have you ever finished work on time?" With a blissful look on her face and gently resting a hand on her slightly swollen belly, Jenny asked.


    "That is something for the maids to do; you really should take care of yourself now," Harry said, dodging Jenny''s question with a smile and a gentle reminder.


    "I used to be a maid," Jenny held Harry''s arm without any hesitation about her past.


    Harry had no qualms, and directly asked, "Can you still contact Flame Castle?"


    "What do you mean?" Jenny''s face changed slightly, and she asked with some trepidation.


    "No special meaning, Your Majesty wants you to let Sofia know that if she has time, to send an envoy over... The Great Tang Group is prepared to sell the technology for airplanes." Harry spoke as if he were mentioning a trivial matter, bringing up the airplane technology that was previously top secret.


    "My goodness..." Jenny immediately became flustered upon hearing this news, "This is top secret! Harry!"


    "Not anymore," Harry replied smugly, "As long as Sofia is willing to pay one hundred million Gold Coins, she can have it!"


    "How much? Only one hundred million Gold Coins?" Jenny looked incredulously at Harry.


    "For every country... to pay one hundred million Gold Coins!" Harry boasted with pride for Tang Mo''s ingenious pricing strategy: "All in all, about... ten billion or so, right?"


    "How much?" This time, Jenny was even more shaken.

 Chapter 696 Chapter 696: 655 Buns and Guide

    Beiyuan City, in the southern outskirts, within the Tang Army''s defensive position, a child was guzzling water into his mouth from a canteen.


    He drank his fill with relish, then grabbed the bun in front of him and stuffed it into his mouth. For him, this might have been the best-tasting thing in the world.


    After swallowing two buns, he reached for the third, but a large hand held him back. A squad leader carrying a Thompson submachine gun stopped the boy''s action and said, "Come back and eat after you finish the task."


    "I''m afraid I won''t come back," the boy said honestly, expressing what was on his mind with a hint of pleading in his eyes.


    "You''ve been starving for so long, you can''t eat up! You can only eat this much! Otherwise, you''ll be bloated to death in a while," another old soldier, with a cigarette in his mouth, warned the boy.


    The boy shook his head, a very mature look on his face: "I would rather be bloated to death now than continue to starve. You haven''t starved before, that feeling..."


    He hadn''t finished his sentence when the old soldier with the cigarette hit him on the head: "Damn, I''ve only been full for a few days, and you say I''ve never starved? Listen to me, don''t eat anymore! You can hold it, but you can''t keep eating."


    "Can I take as much as I want?" Hearing the old soldier''s words, the boy didn''t care about the hit he had just taken and immediately asked excitedly.


    "Right, you can hold it, but you definitely can''t go on eating." The squad leader nodded in agreement after looking at the medic in the platoon, who was about thirty-five years old and had a cigarette in his mouth.


    The boy immediately began stuffing buns into his pockets, not caring if they were dirty; he just kept pushing them in, one after another, as if his pocket was Doraemon''s magic pouch.


    The children in Beiyuan City nearly all had such a pocket sewn from old cloth on their chests, convenient for scrounging for some food in the ruins.


    Soon, the boy had stuffed his only front pocket full; he had taken about seven or eight buns, his stomach bulging comically.


    In reality, his limbs were thin and weak; long-term malnutrition had given him a somewhat strange appearance. Compared to a human being, he now looked more like a goblin who couldn''t get enough food.


    "Let''s go!" Seeing that the guide he had found was finally full and had taken enough, the leading squad leader issued the command to depart: "Lead the way and avoid those people from the mirage country."


    "Okay!" The boy nodded and then moved forward, walking quickly as if his feet weren''t afraid of stones in the mud or sharp shrapnel.


    "Damn, he looks just as poor as I did!" Following behind the boy, a soldier murmured unhappily, seeing his former self in this child''s silhouette.


    In those days, that''s how everyone survived; before becoming Tang people, they might never have owned a pair of shoes in their lives.


    When the Tang Army came over, they really had a full meal for the first time, and then they all found out that they didn''t have to worry about food anymore.


    So when the Tang Army called up soldiers to defend this country that had been established for just over three years, they picked up weapons without hesitation and became Tang Army soldiers!


    No joke, he now had shoes, pants, a tactical vest, and a raincoat, making him feel more and more like a person.


    "Stop talking, we''re all the same," the squad leader with the Thompson submachine gun, walking behind him, remembered his own childhood as well.


    Back then, everyone was poor, poor people all looked a mess, so everyone thought that''s just how life was. But now they all knew, there was another way to live in this world, something called dignity.


    Stepping over pieces of broken bricks, and without anyone knowing, these Tang Army soldiers made their way to the vicinity of Beiyuan City''s city walls.


    This area had been bombed into a large collapse, and the sides appeared to be cleared and repaired, but for some reason, the work was paused later.


    The sight was unbearable, the outside of the city walls piled high with a heap of corpses, all civilians from inside the city, the ones at the bottom already half-rotted, while the bodies on top were still quite fresh.


    The little boy stopped where he was about to expose himself, then turned around and made a shushing gesture.


    Quickly, he peered out and made a strange gesture toward that side. Then, from the corner over there, a hand extended, gesturing for them to come quickly.


    "Follow me! Three at a time! They will be back soon!" the boy turned back, lowered his voice, and said a word, then ran forward, clutching the pocket on his chest.


    The squad leader, with two soldiers alongside, hurried up, and the four of them ran to the other side and hid behind that wall, panting heavily.


    "Look up there!" the little boy pointed at the top of the wall, signaling the squad leader to check the situation on the city wall. The squad leader poked his head out and quickly saw several Shen Country soldiers patrolling the edge of the destroyed wall before they looked down and then left.


    "Why don''t they set up a defense line below?" The squad leader didn''t quite understand the arrangement of the Shen Country people and asked worriedly.


    "Because it''s not safe! You guys often bombard the walls, so they dare not stay on the walls, nor near the walls," the boy answered with experience.


    As the few Shen Country patrol soldiers walked away from the wall, the squad leader extended his hand, gesturing a ''5'' with his palm.


    The next second, the assistant gunner carrying the machine gun ammunition led the way, followed by the gunner with a 42 machine gun and three other soldiers, all of whom charged over together.


    In this manner, a platoon of more than 40 people quickly infiltrated the interior of the city wall. They had their own missions, so they quickly dispersed after a brief coordination.


    The remaining men were responsible for setting up a defensive line before the general assault to cover the flanking machine gun positions. The squad leader, following the little boy and his friends, moved forward along the ruins, as if traversing mountains and valleys.


    This was near the city wall, where buildings had been collapsed by the explosions from bombarding the wall. It was possible that some shells, influenced by the wind or other factors, could deviate from their target and land near these civilian structures.


    Moreover, seemingly to prevent Tang Army tanks and assault guns from entering the city, the Shen Country military had also deliberately destroyed these buildings, allowing the debris to serve as anti-tank obstacles.


    Actually, in urban warfare, attacking forces are not very willing to destroy buildings because the resulting rubble can block streets and prevent heavy weapons from providing cover for advancing infantry.


    So, scenes of tanks or heavy artillery fiercely bombarding buildings are actually not common, and the effectiveness in real combat is average at best; it''s just satisfying to watch.


    Only if the attacking forces encounter exceptionally robust buildings transformed into fortresses that they can''t breach after a long time, will they resort to heavy weapons to destroy the buildings and dislodge the defending troops.


    On the other hand, defending forces are more inclined to blow up buildings during their retreat to halt the enemy''s advance.


    Stepping on the wooden frames and collapsed walls, the Tang Army squad leader, not far behind the little boy, saw him pull a bun with black handprints on it from his pocket and hand it to a companion who had been waiting at the gap in the wall all the time.


    They were two frail little girls, both short and thin, their legs so skinny that their knees seemed swollen.


    Following the three boys, they soon arrived at a ruined courtyard. The group had entered through a gap in the rubble, discovering only afterward that it was a well-concealed spot.


    Rubble and debris surrounded the courtyard on all sides, making it easy to overlook such a relatively intact space without a thorough search.


    In the yard, there were a few adults and many more children, most of whom, it seemed, had lost their families.


    Since it was impossible to hide many people here, it was likely that many had left their children and parted in pain.


    The boy shared his bun with his mother, and then the disheveled woman held the dirty-looking bun in her hands and silently wept.


    "Can you lead these people out of here? Go back the way we came, to our position," the squad leader asked the guiding boy with reluctance, concerned for their safety: "This place is going to be a battlefield soon, and it will be very unsafe for you."


    "Sir, they are always looking for us, always trying to kill us... We''ve never been safe," the boy replied as he tore a bun in half and handed it to two children at least three years his junior, fighting back tears.


    To them, this place was hell. Had they not observed for days and found this route out of the city, they would not have met these soldiers from Tang Country.


    "Take them out of here! Trust me, once you get to our position, you''ll be truly safe," the squad leader repeated, looking over the courtyard of the weak and infirm.


    "This is our home, and I''m not going anywhere!" the boy stubbornly responded: "I promised my father I''d stay here and wait for him to return..." The child shook his head with unwavering resolve.


    The squad leader reached out and, ruffling through the boy''s hair laced with fleas and twigs, said nothing more.


    "Set up the position over there! Protect this courtyard," he instructed, pointing to a half-collapsed two-story building in the distance, addressing the machine gunner: "This spot is great, an excellent place to engage the enemy!"


    The soldiers went to their respective positions in turn as planned: machine guns were placed high, snipers found concealed spots for themselves, and in the end, only the squad leader was left, crouched on the ground, smoking and gazing absently at the people in the courtyard.


    He knew that this place would soon become a battlefield. If the Shen Country military did not want to lose the nearby districts too quickly, a counterattack was inevitable. Then they would discover the Tang Army troops already infiltrated, and a fierce battle would ensue...

 Chapter 697 Chapter 697: Troops that have seen blood in battle

    Glancing at his watch, the Tang Army squad leader in the yard looked up, aware that the artillery barrage was about to begin, and the Tang Army''s assault was about to commence.


    Indeed, as he stood up and patted the mud off his trousers, the whistling sound of shells began tearing through the sky above him.


    According to the intelligence provided by the little boy, the coordinates of the Tang Army''s artillery strike were very specific: they avoided areas that might still contain Qi Country civilians, concentrating the bombardment on regions where the enemy Troops were stationed.


    The earth shook, and compared to the artillery battery of over a hundred 155mm howitzers, a single person was utterly insignificant.


    The heart-wrenching howl of shells ripping through the air involuntarily made the children in the yard cover their ears. They did not cry or shout, which somehow made it all the more heartbreaking.


    Soon, the shells flying overhead began to land, and the ground started shaking nonstop, with debris rolling down the slopes, crumbling walls breaking apart once more, and the relatively intact doors of the yard creaking at that very moment.


    Then came the deafening roar of explosions, getting closer and closer, mixed with other sounds¡ªthe collapse of buildings, the breaking of glass or ceramics, and the dry branches of nearby trees creaking and swaying in the artillery fire.


    Similar bombardments had happened every day in the past few days, only the purpose had not been as clear as today.


    However, none of those bombardments had been as fierce as today''s, because after this round of artillery fire, there was to be a real assault.


    Soon, the vigilant Troops of Qi Country realized something was amiss. They saw the Tang Army''s assault guns and tanks, and also noticed the thousands of infantrymen charging with grenades.


    Fierce fighting quickly erupted, but the gunfire came from within the city. The reinforcing Troops of Qi Country suddenly found defense lines constructed by Tang Army Soldiers on the road they were advancing on.


    "What''s going on?" A Qi Country commander looked disbelievingly at his subordinates, unable to understand how the enemy had appeared inside the city walls.


    His subordinates also couldn''t answer this question because they had recently been preoccupied with killing Qi Country civilians and looting local property, completely neglecting the city''s defenses.


    Logically, wasn''t it the responsibility of the troops stationed at the city defenses? It shouldn''t be up to their internal garrison troops.


    "Useless!" Seeing his subordinates unable to answer, the commander violently pushed one aside, drew his command knife, and pointed forward: "Attack! Take this position, annihilate the Tang Army!"


    "Long live Qi Country!" Fueled by the ferocity built up from slaughtering civilians for so many days, the Qi Country Soldiers howled as they charged with bayonets toward the Tang Army''s defensive position.


    "Ping!" With a crisp gunshot, a Qi Country platoon leader leading the charge screamed as he rolled down the rubble pile, the shot from the Tang Army sniper echoing oddly across the battlefield.


    Immediately after, the sound of submachine guns rang out, and a blanket of bullets swept down the Qi Country Soldiers who were charging up the rubble, knocking them all down.


    In just an instant, at least a platoon''s worth of Qi Country Soldiers fell on the path of the assault, but those devils, their eyes bloodshot from killing, still screamed and surged forward, stepping over the bodies of their comrades, inching closer to the Tang Army''s defense line.


    "Hahaha! See that? Soldiers who have killed and seen blood are different!" the commander of Qi Country boasted smugly to his subordinates, convinced that his troops only needed one charge to capture the enemy''s position.


    As long as they could quickly reach the breach in the city walls, they could prevent the Tang Army from entering the city, and they could hold the position.


    While the Qi Country commander was relishing in pride, the Tang Army''s machine gun position on the flank opened fire. Tracer Bullet rounds suddenly swept into the crowd, mowing down group after group of densely packed Qi Country Soldiers.


    The already uphill-attacking soldiers of Qi Country instantly collapsed. The courage they had bolstered through slaughter dissipated in an instant amidst the relentless chatter of machine guns.


    The remaining men cried out and fled backward, abandoning their wounded and dead comrades amidst the rubble and ruins.


    The scene before him turned the Qi Country commander''s face into an expression of extreme distaste. He had just fantasized about breaking through the Tang Army''s defense line in one fell swoop, but now the enemy had counterattacked so swiftly.


    Therefore, he continued to wave his saber, loudly encouraging his soldiers: "Attack! Attack for me! Those who charge will be rewarded! Everyone will be rewarded with Gold Coin!"


    If bloodshed could not motivate the morale, money would be tried. Indeed, the Qi Country Soldiers rallied once more, a new batch storming in, blending into the retreating crowd, and launching another assault.


    They clambered over the ruins and debris like ants, moving forward incessantly, stepping over the fresh corpses left by their companions, recklessly advancing towards the Tang Army''s defense lines.


    This time, more Chicago Typewriters sounded, more bullets flew straight at them, and the Qi Country Military, charging in tight formations, once again experienced what it''s like to be in a hail of bullets.


    They didn''t even have time to regroup before the advancing soldiers of Qi Country were once again routed. The defeat had come so swiftly, they hadn''t even spotted the majority of the Tang Army''s hiding spots.


    The enraged military of Qi Country launched another attack, their numerical advantage so overwhelming they didn''t mind losing more men.


    After all, if they could just block the breach, it would be seen as a great success. No one would question the loss of life, and if the casualties were high, they could even request reinforcements.


    No sooner had an assault force of over two hundred men been repelled than another two hundred plus charged forward with guns, shouting loudly as they closed in on the Tang Army''s position once again.


    "Damn, there are really a lot of them," the machine gunner who had found a new firing angle flipped open the gun''s magazine. His assistant loaded a new belt of ammunition and stepped aside, supporting it.


    The gunner worked the action, readying himself to open fire once more and pressed his sight against the dense mass of Qi Country soldiers.


    The next second, he pulled the trigger, the buttstock thudding against his shoulder, with a continued heavy force that gave him an unparalleled sense of security.


    Every few rounds, a tracer bullet streaked out of the barrel, allowing him to accurately determine whether his fire was covering the intended targets.


    With the assistance of tracer bullets, the machine gun''s accuracy increased dramatically. Another wave of Qi Country soldiers fell, their bodies nearly covering the front of the Tang Army''s defensive line.


    Without counting, it was clear that nearly 300 bodies lay there. Everyone was experienced, so they knew that an entire battalion of the Qi Country forces had been virtually wiped out.


    Seeing a third of his troops annihilated, the battalion commander of Qi Country grew anxious. He wanted to supervise the battle himself but feared getting his head blown off by a Tang Army sniper.


    So he hesitated, paced around his hiding spot, and ultimately dismissed the idea of risking his life.


    "You!" He grabbed a company commander and ordered, pointing to the fleeing troops, "Rally them for me! Attack again! One more attack! At all costs! Take this place!"


    In an attempt to motivate his men, he even played the expert, "The Tang Army doesn''t have much ammunition! They must be running low! Just one more attack and they''ll collapse!"


    After speaking, he pushed forward, shoving his chosen sacrifice out from the ruins where they were hiding. The company commander staggered but managed to find his footing, ducked his head, and immediately trotted off towards the troops.


    Running significantly reduced the chances of being hit by a sniper, a lesson paid for with Qi Country lives and verified by countless others; it was exceptionally accurate.


    But this time, it seemed the company commander''s luck had run out. Tripping over a stone, he barely managed to stay upright and stopped mid-way.


    His previous sprint may have drawn the attention of the Tang Army sniper. Then suddenly, a gunshot was heard, and the Qi Country company commander, intended to round up the fleeing soldiers, was dead with his brains splattered on the ground.


    Watching his chosen scapegoat get killed, the battalion commander of Qi Country turned to another company commander, "You... go!"


    The company commander swallowed hard, gritted his teeth, and rushed out from cover. He moved swiftly, carefully bypassing the previous company commander''s body and finally found a relatively safe spot to start loudly berating the collapsed Qi Country soldiers to stop retreating.


    The battlefield remained in chaos. At that moment, at the end of the rubble, on a fairly spacious street, a number 4 tank crushed the stones that blocked its path, shielding a squad of infantry as it revealed its tracks at the street corner.


    "Tang Army! The Tang Army are coming!" The remaining company commander had sharp eyes and immediately spotted the enemy on the other side.


    Knowing that the situation was beyond recovery, the Qi Country battalion commander bit his teeth and pushed the sharp-eyed company commander, "You! Lead your men and hold them off! Once we''ve taken this side, we''ll come to support you! Go now!"


    The battalion commander had received a strict order not to retreat a single step and to hold the line at all costs. Since he hadn''t reached the city walls yet, he could only try again.


    It didn''t matter in the end; it was just soldiers dying. He knew another battalion was on its way.


    "Attack! A reward of 50 Gold Coins for those who lead the charge!" The battalion commander, brandishing his saber, paced back and forth, loudly announcing the rewards with an air of imposing grandeur.


    Meanwhile, in a courtyard, a Tang Army squad leader left his rations with a little boy, saying, "Take care of the people here. If you run into Qi Country men, run fast!"


    After his instructions, he headed towards the battlefield, stripping the submachine gun from his back and quickly climbed to the top of the wall.

 Chapter 698 Chapter 698: 657 thought it through

    "The Tang Army has begun attacking the city!" Shen Wenxi appeared in a flurry at the secret command post where Shenwu Sanlang was located near the docks.


    Gunfire and cannonades outside intensified, and Tang Army bombers started to appear in the sky, dropping aerial bombs accurately on the intersections and squares where the Shen Army was assembling.


    Beiyuan City is a complex metropolis, segmented into several distinct parts which are easily identifiable from the sky.


    The northern part of the city is the industrial zone, where many emerging factories are located, with chimneys and workshops visible everywhere.


    With the start of the Tang Army''s bombardment of the city, the area had already turned into ruins. The Tang Army had no intention of keeping these outdated machines¡ªjunk purchased from the Ice Cold Kingdom and Qi Country, and to the technicians of Tang Country, they were barely worth the price of scrap metal.


    The residential area is the largest, but due to the short time allotted for renovation and no particular effort to correct the situation, the buildings are mostly low-rise, with two or three stories being considered tall. There are also a few structures that are about four or five stories high.


    If it''s a slum, then there are lots of dilapidated buildings. Although some have yards, typically, four or five families would crowd into them, leading to severe congestion.


    These places had also been wrecked by the Shen Army themselves, as they deliberately set fires and committed murder here, leaving behind heaps of rubble and vacant houses.


    The well-conditioned buildings that are left now serve as barracks for the Shen Army and are also a prime target for the Tang Air Force¡ªdropping bombs on these locations easily annihilates a large number of the wounded from the Shen Army.


    Another area is the port district, where the majority of the Shen Army''s anti-aircraft weaponry is deployed, with Maxim guns as well as 76mm caliber anti-aircraft guns.


    The Shen Army desperately hoped to prevent the Tang Army''s bombers from destroying their vital ports, though their combat efficiency was not high.


    Up to now, in carrying out the mission of bombing Beiyuan City''s port, the Tang Army had lost only two aircraft, while nearly all usable equipment in the entire port had been destroyed.


    The downed aircraft were both Stukas, lost to ambush by the Shen Army''s anti-aircraft machine guns while dive-bombing.


    As they faced more and more bombing runs, the machine gunners of the Shen Army also started drawing on their experience. They began consciously leading their targets and only firing during the Tang planes'' dive-bombing runs.


    "I''m not deaf, I obviously know they have begun the attack." Shenwu Sanlang looked at the water in the cup on the trembling table and did not seem particularly anxious.


    He knew the Tang Army''s invasion of the city was just a matter of time; in fact, his troops had pretty much lost control of the industrial zone outside the northern city walls.


    "I can''t fall into the hands of the Tang Army! Tonight, arrange for a ship to get me and Jiang Zhi out of here!" Shen Wenxi stared at Shenwu Sanlang, issuing his demand.


    "The port is already gone, as you very well know." Shenwu Sanlang shook his head: "No one can leave here anymore."


    "Don''t give me that nonsense!" Shen Wenxi slammed his hand on the table in front of Shenwu Sanlang and shouted angrily, "The air raids stop at night, surely a ship can get away then!"


    "Today, an hour ago. The Great Vast Wave destroyer, the Calm Wave transport ship... The Great Vast Wave transport... all sunk." Shenwu Sanlang smiled as he delivered a terrifying piece of news to Shen Wenxi.


    "How is that possible! How is it possible! The Tang Country''s planes couldn''t possibly fly that far!" Shen Wenxi yelled in anger, attempting to puncture what he thought was Shenwu Sanlang''s "lie."


    "They weren''t sunk by planes." Shenwu Sanlang''s smile grew even more chilling: "They were sunk by Tang Army warships, a whole convoy, sunk without a single survivor!"


    "..." Shen Wenxi realized their fleet was finished, but as a civilian official, he hadn''t previously grasped what losing sea control meant for a port city.


    Now he understood, they were truly encircled! It''s not just about being unable to return to Qi Country¡ªit''s that during this period of holding out, they would receive no support, no supplies.


    "I should have left here earlier." Overwhelmed, Shen Wenxi found a chair to sit down, muttering to himself.


    "Hah! You thought you could leave? Did you get the paperwork? Did headquarters authorize your departure?" Shenwu Sanlang mocked his compatriot.


    He knew that the other man had only just received the relevant documents, waiting for permission, before rushing here, hoping to leave this place for the safety of Qi Country.


    Unfortunately for Shen Wenxi, he still thought too highly of himself; if the fleet hadn''t been destroyed and the sea routes were still open, why would headquarters possibly authorize their departure?


    ```


    "Do you have any idea how much stuff we''ve taken from Qi Country? Do you know how many people are eyeing it right now? It''s impossible to leave, how could we possibly get away?" Shenwu Sanlang sat down with a smug look, the picture of triumph.


    "You! You knew all along! And you still stayed here?" Shen Wenxi lifted his head in desperation, staring at Shenwu Sanlang before him.


    Shenwu Sanlang burst into a hearty laugh, "The day I started slaughtering the Qi people and plundering their wealth to transport to Shen Country, I had already arranged an exit strategy."


    He pointed to himself, "At least half of my share is secure. As for the rest... that''s beyond my control."


    "So that''s it! I was short-sighted! No wonder, no wonder! Hahahaha, that''s exactly it, hahahaha!" While shaking his head, Shen Wenxi chuckled bitterly, appearing utterly mad.


    He continued to laugh, then looked at Shenwu Sanlang, "So what you''re saying is, the money we plundered was, from the beginning, out of reach for the tens of thousands of soldiers here, right?"


    "Not necessarily," Shenwu Sanlang shook his head. "If we could hold our ground, win the battle, and repel the Tang Army... then the huge sum of money we sent back to the country would indeed be distributed."


    Shen Wenxi nodded again, then shook his head, "Is it because of this money that I was left behind to die?"


    "I don''t know about that." Shenwu Sanlang handed an empty wine glass to Shen Wenxi, filling it with wine, "But I''ve come to realize in the past few days that the higher-ups seem to have been eyeing a sum of money for a while now, to deal with Shen Country''s crisis."


    After all, the Shen Army had been crippled in the battle at Dongwan Island, and in theory, they didn''t have sufficient funds to quickly recover national power and conscript troops to expand the navy.


    Yet, Shen Country managed to do just that! Anyone who thought about it carefully could guess that Shen Country must have accumulated a lot of debt and squeezed out quite a bit of its own finances!


    The country was undoubtedly aiming to profit from this war, to pay off debts and achieve self-redemption, because of this bad debt.


    That''s why Shen Country was the first to choose a side and send troops to the battle after Qi Country fell into a passive state during the Qi-Tang conflict, and they had their reasons for doing so.


    "Boom!" A loud explosion rang out as a Tang Army aerial bomb was dropped near the harbor, causing the secret command center where the two men were located to shake violently.


    The chandelier above their heads swayed slightly, but unfortunately, it had been unable to light up since the day before. The last generator set in the power plant in the port area was destroyed, and Beiyuan City had lost all its electricity supply.


    Now illuminating the room were some hastily installed candlesticks on the walls, their flames crazily flickering with the vibrations of the explosion, tearing at every shadow around, making the basement seem as if it were filled with dancing demons for a moment.


    "General! General!" An officer rushed in, his voice clearly bearing bad news. As expected, upon opening the door, he began to report the situation outside, "We''ve lost the northern wall, and the south side is also collapsing!"


    "What about the reinforcement troops? Weren''t they dispatched already?" Shenwu Sanlang asked in a drawn-out manner, as if out of obligation.


    "The three battalions in the north have been defeated, the soldiers are nearly wiped out..." the officer replied with a grimace, "On the south side, the troops are counterattacking, but the losses are massive, they''re nearly spent."


    "Send the reserve forces according to the earlier plan! Push forward! Hold the line! If we can''t successfully counterattack, then use the ruins and buildings to hold our ground! Hold on! We must hold on!" Shenwu Sanlang waved his hand, dismissing the officer.


    With the battle reaching this state, as a commander, there was little he could do. So-called street-fighting was every man for himself; without walkie-talkies for detailed instructions, they could only rely on the fighting spirit of each troop to continue resisting.


    "How much longer do you think we can hold out?" Shen Wenxi asked Shenwu Sanlang once everyone had left.


    Shenwu Sanlang shook his head, responding, "No one can know such things now. How long each unit can fight depends entirely on their ammunition, their numbers, and how many living are willing to continue fighting."


    He paused for a moment and then continued, "It''s possible that after three days, we''ll still hear gunfire in the city, or perhaps by this time tomorrow, we''ll be dead. Anything could happen, and whatever happens, I wouldn''t be surprised."


    "Boom!" Another explosion came, but this time it was a 155mm howitzer shell that fell, not as loud and at a greater distance.


    The battle continued unabated, and like ants, the Shen soldiers moved through the streets, ordered to the frontline with no idea of the situation they were about to face.


    The commands they received were vague, telling them to engage the enemy upon contact, to hold every house, every yard, every wall!


    For those goblins who had previously committed murder and arson around the city, the real horror of war was just beginning. Their hell was right in front of their eyes!


    ```

 Chapter 699 Chapter 699: 658 Dahua Royal Court Debate

    "Boom!" Far from Beiyuan City, on the coast of the Goblin''s territory, a tattered little fishing village unexpectedly received a shell, blowing the roofs off several houses.


    On the distant sea, a Weigang-class cruiser belonging to Great Tang was playfully lobbing its main gun at the entire village.


    The Goblins, frightened into a clumsy flee by the cannon fire, glared at the warship on the sea, cursing and shouting, yet notably not daring to take a single step onto the beach.


    The King of Great Tang Kingdom had ordered the Tang Navy Commander to attack any target within range in Goblin''s territory, including coastlines, harbors, vessels, fortifications, or even the unlucky souls walking on the beach.


    In short, slay gods should they block the way, slay Buddhas should they stand in the path!


    Therefore, Bernard, aside from leaving a few destroyers and cruisers to blockade Beiyuan City, had taken the main fleet out to the seas surrounding Goblin''s territory, except for Dongwan No.1 battleship which returned to Linshui for repairs. The other two battleships had been sent to the offshore waters of the Goblin Kingdom.


    The never-before-seen events shocked the entire Goblin Nation. The largest port in the southern Goblin territory, Great Southern Bay, had been left in utter ruin.


    When a battleship attacks a harbor, the precision of its cannons becomes less important. Targets are stationary and large, making it easy for Bernard''s fleet to accomplish their mission.


    The outdated Great Southern Bay fortifications, which hadn''t seen renovations in nearly 100 years, were armed with Shireck muzzle-loading cannons of 100mm caliber...


    At the time of their purchase, these were monstrous guns, with wooden structures for turning mechanisms, considered very advanced weaponry.


    Alas, they belonged to an era a hundred years past. What threat could a solid shot from a 100mm caliber muzzle-loading cannon pose to armor more than 200mm thick?


    In fact, there was no need to guess, as the range of these cannons wasn''t even sufficient! Great Tang''s two destroyers, using their 150mm main guns, fired salvo after salvo and Great Southern Bay''s fortifications became history.


    Following that, the Tang main fleet entered the harbor, and the battleships'' main cannons began to pour down their shells.


    Those were 305mm high-explosive shells! That was the roaring fury of 16 main guns firing simultaneously! That was a spectacle the old men and women of the Goblin Kingdom, having lived sixty years, had never witnessed!


    The local officials holed up in the city were so terrified that they couldn''t speak, realizing what sort of enemy their nation was fighting against only when they saw a smoking chimney blasted off into the sky by a shell.


    The children''s cries and the desperate screams sounded so insignificant and helpless against the overwhelming explosions tearing everything apart.


    Violence can never be forgiven, so to repay cruelty with kindness remains just a beautiful wish. To stop killing with killing proves the most effective method!


    Unless you slit your enemy''s throat and bleed them dry, chopping them into pieces on a butcher''s block, the remnants will never learn a word called "awe."


    "He who kills my kind shall be executed!" Muttering this slogan shouted when the King of Great Tang issued his orders, the loaders once again operated the machinery, winding the chains to load a huge dark green shell into the gun''s chamber.


    After all the procedures were completed, there was a moment of silence. Then a new round of salvo began, and countless shells crossed the distance, raining down upon the city of Great Southern Bay.


    The fishing boats docked in the port were turned into sieves by the 150mm caliber secondary guns, leaving only the masts standing above the water.


    A coal transport ship, its bow raised high, was slowly sinking into the water due to the flooding, with coal debris staining the surrounding sea like ink.


    Bernard didn''t find the Goblin''s main fleet in Great Southern Bay; he sank merely three destroyers and one cruiser that tried to flee.


    After suffering massive losses, the Goblin''s main fleet had fled north to avoid battle. What was left behind was essentially a token force, quite insignificant in size, even negligible.


    While sinking these remaining warships, some were even seen with unrepaired damage from the previous naval battle, clearly bearing the scars of past engagements.


    The Goblins had neither the time to repair these injuries nor the confidence that the wounded ships could make it north without capsizing en route, so they were left behind to chance their survival.


    As it turned out, the luck of the Goblin Navy seemed to have run out after they damaged Dongwan No.1 battleship; all four ships were sunk in the harbor, unable to even struggle against the battleships.


    If the cruisers and destroyers had been equipped with torpedoes, a devastating weapon, Bernard would naturally not dare to let his fleet enter the bay for close ranged combat.


    Unfortunately, the few torpedoes in the world were still undergoing testing in submarines near Dragon Island; thus, cruisers and destroyers in this world stood no chance of retaliating against battleships.


    Inside Great Southern Bay, Goblin officials sent out news of their attack, and soon after, the higher echelons of the Goblin Kingdom learned that their "hometown" had been hit.


    ```


    For an island nation, this was an absolute disgrace and an absolutely fatal situation.


    Suddenly, notices to mobilize troops were issued everywhere, only to find that these hastily conscripted troops probably didn''t even have a decent rifle to their name.


    Without warships, without heavy artillery. They couldn''t possibly expect these soldiers to swim with Shireck Model 1 bolt-action rifles to fight against the enemy''s warships with bayonets, could they?


    So, while a massive number of troops were being conscripted, negotiations for peace also began immediately within the court of the Shenguo.


    Initially, because of Tang Country''s harsh conditions, Shenguo''s government and people were unwilling to bring up the matter of negotiation.


    But as the situation on the battlefield continued to deteriorate, broaching the topic of negotiation became less embarrassing.


    ...


    In the distant Dahua Empire, within the Imperial City, Emperor Zhao Kai watched as a group of ministers argued endlessly about something.


    It was well known that the relationship between Dahua Empire and Tang Country was extremely tense. As a result, Dahua Empire had even conscripted some military forces temporarily to fill up the borders next to Qi Country.


    Even at the most critical moment of Qi Country''s desperate struggle, the upper echelons of Dahua Empire had seriously discussed attack plans against Tang Country.


    Unfortunately, the sudden death of Qi Country''s King Jiang Xian caused the situation to deteriorate too quickly, and as a result, Dahua Empire swiftly missed the opportunity to deploy troops.


    As the Tang Army showcased various types of new weaponry on the battlefield, the generals of Dahua Empire grew increasingly pessimistic about waging war against Tang Country and so, the declaration of war against Tang kept being postponed, leading to the current stalemate.


    The situation was a bit like when Tang Country annihilated Zheng, with a group of ministers clamoring every day about insufficient preparations and inadequate military strength, making Zhao Kai quite irritable.


    He wanted to use the military to attack Tang Country, but he also worried that going it alone could genuinely lead to defeat. Thus, he once again found himself caught in this endless argument between him and his ministers.


    However, an advisor from Shireck soon brought some good news, news that was also confirmed by the ambassadors of the Ice Cold Empire and other countries.


    Tang Country was prepared to sell airplane technology, which Dahua Empire greatly feared, and they were also willing to sell battleship technology!


    This immediately made the military faction of Dahua Empire drool with anticipation, and they hoped Emperor Zhao Kai would spend money to acquire these technologies to catch up and, like the Tang Army, have a powerful air force.


    Compared to the slow-moving airships, this seemed to be the ultimate solution for aerial weaponry¡ªeven if it was outdated, it indeed pointed out the correct direction for development!


    "A billion! That''s a billion! We simply don''t have that many Gold Coins!" Minister of Revenue Wang Yuca?i complained with a frown, standing on Zhao Kai''s side. This time, he really couldn''t come up with that much money.


    But he wasn''t as poor as he made out to be. With the ongoing industrialization, countries in this world were clearly much wealthier than before.


    Countries had started issuing paper money to varying degrees, although none as stable as those issued by Great Tang Group. In the course of trade, everyone couldn''t help but use the paper money issued by Great Tang Group. In this smokeless currency war, Great Tang Group seemed to hold the winning hand.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay! We can use some of the previously accumulated Tang Country banknotes, or we can compensate with ore... it''s all fine! All doable!" General Feng Kezhi said with a smile, after all, he was the one asking for money from the Ministry of Revenue.


    "Tell me, purchasing tanks and cannons from Shireck, building our own factories to produce machine guns and cars... how much money have you spent?" Zhao Kai slammed the table in anger. "What''s the result? After spending so much money, you still say you can''t win when it comes to war! What use are you to me? What use at all!?"


    Minister of Rites Zhou Qiang, who stood with the ministers, felt the pinch as well: "Can it be less... a whole billion Gold Coins..."


    "You may think it''s expensive, but Shireck''s envoys are already on board!" Minister of Rites Chen Jing, this time, stood on the military''s side because if airplane technology could be secured, it would certainly enhance the Ministry of Industry''s various production technologies.


    Spending the military''s money to score points for the Ministry of Industry was naturally something Chen Jing, as a minister, was willing to do.


    Indeed, after a series of collaborations with Tang Country, Minister Chen Jing increasingly felt that the technology of the Great Tang Group was unfathomably deep. He had now completely changed his attitude and no longer supported waging war against Tang Country.


    But just because he didn''t support it, didn''t mean others didn''t. At least Emperor Zhao Kai was a proponent of the war; had the ministers not intervened, Dahua Empire would have declared war on Tang Country months ago.


    "If Your Majesty wishes to wage war against Tang Country, then we must purchase this airplane technology," Minister of War Shen Chuan took a step forward and explained, "If we don''t do this, our million-strong army would be vulnerable to enemy attacks from the skies, wouldn''t they?"


    ```

 Chapter 700 Chapter 700: If 659 does not do business, what should be done?

    The office, though not spacious, had actually begun to exude a sense of life. Tang Mo, having worked in Anpu for a long time, had even started to get used to everything in this cramped office.


    He tossed a stack of reports onto the desk and complained to the few confidants in front of him, "If it weren''t for these things, I wouldn''t be in such a hurry to throw out airplane technology after this war."


    Mathews, who had come from afar, picked up a report and only saw "Ethylene Project Construction Plan" written on it.


    He knew about the ethylene project, knew that many engineers had been transferred to it recently. Tang Mo planned to construct an ethylene production plant in Linshui with an annual output of more than 200,000 tons, to supply raw materials for the entire empire.


    And this was only an insignificant part of Tang Mo''s chemical plant; what he was going to build was a massive modern chemical production base.


    He desperately needed organic glass, he desperately needed plastics, he desperately needed various synthetic fibers, he desperately needed all kinds of chemical derivatives.


    A person from the 21st century really understood too well the importance of material science. Chemistry could provide humanity with almost unlimited new materials of all sorts, enabling people to turn past dreams into reality.


    This was no joke; with this large chemical plant, Tang Mo could replace all the forends on the mass-produced MP5 submachine guns with plastic material, making the MP5 closer to the real MP5 submachine gun!


    With these chemical materials, Tang Mo could improve the cockpits of various airplanes he produced, no longer needing to piece together flat glass with iron strips into airplane cockpit covers!


    Not joking at all, various plastics were the foundation of modern industrial development, just like steel, they upheld the modernization of the entire nation.


    Without these chemical plants producing plastics, the world could only remain in a steampunk state, looking up at countless new technologies above their heads but unable to grasp them.


    Parker picked up the second report, which was about the construction plans for the second phase of the docks at Linshui Port. The entire side of Linshui, originally a desolate cliff, was to be flattened and transformed, and then designed to become the world''s largest shipbuilding factory.


    The gantry cranes there would be taller than Brunas''s buildings and could lift a mountain range in one go! With such cranes, super ships weighing over 50,000 tons could be built!


    Parker, who had seen the Dongwan-class battleships, knew that building Dongwan-class battleships did not require such large gantry cranes, so the monsters planned for the new shipbuilding project were much more terrifying than the Dongwan-class battleships, with a total displacement of 20,000 tons!


    He had heard that the navy''s designers had already come up with 406mm caliber naval guns, which although the number seemed a bit odd, were technically mature.


    Parker also heard that Mathews was experimenting with making these guns, which theoretically could attack targets over 30 kilometers away, and a single shell could create a crater as large as a soccer field!


    Increasing the production scale of the Linshui shipyard was only part of the Great Tang Kingdom''s dockyard construction plan. Tang Country also planned to build another dockyard in Dongwan, dedicated to producing special warships with a higher level of secrecy.


    As for what these special warships were exactly, neither Parker nor Mathews were quite clear; one only knew that those special warships had hardly any cannons, while the other only knew that the new warships generally were not large in tonnage.


    The third document was also a large project plan, prepared to expand the oil fields in Qi Country to ten times their original scale.


    The entire plan involved laying a long oil pipeline, connecting Linshui with the oil fields in the eastern part of Qi Country. All the oil produced from this oil field in the future could be quickly transported to Linshui for processing via the pipeline, with an expected capacity increase of more than thirty times!


    Just the pipeline alone would consume endless amounts of steel and other metals, along with pressure equipment and other assorted technologies, and the entire construction plan was expected to take two years to complete.


    In Tongcheng, Tang Mo was going to transform and expand the existing steel factory, turning it into the largest steel smelting base in the world.


    Once complete, the size of this steel base would surpass the current entire Tongcheng, and by then, Tongcheng would be able to process fifty percent of the Great Tang Kingdom''s total metal mining output!


    Another steel manufacturing base would be established on the old lands of Qi Country, which would undertake another thirty percent of the metallurgical capacity; once both bases were operational, the entire Great Tang Kingdom could almost double the current world''s steel production capacity!


    This was no joke; it was, in effect, reversing and challenging the world''s ore mining technology anew.


    Reliance on manual labor for mining and transportation was already utterly inadequate to meet the production demands of Tang Country''s steel factories. Therefore, Tang Mo had to improve mining technology and increase the ore mining speed of the entire world.


    The plan below discusses the national highway construction. Tang Mo felt somewhat superstitious about undertaking large-scale, high-standard highway construction before a war, but for the sake of infrastructure, he still signed his name on the document.


    According to the plan, Tang Mo intended to build more than 20,000 kilometers of highways across the Great Tang Kingdom, establishing fuel stations and maintenance points at regular intervals.


    At the same time, the new highways could act as emergency runways for airplanes, and if necessary, could be closed off for military use, enabling troops to rapidly mobilize at speeds exceeding 250 kilometers per day using vehicles!


    In other words, with this highway system, Tang Mo''s main force would only need a month to be deployed to any border area where they were needed.


    To build these highways faster and better, Tang Mo needed to produce enough asphalt, a sufficient number of construction machines, and perhaps even build a series of manufacturing plants.


    Beyond the highways, Tang Mo also planned to lay more railways: He aimed to connect Beiyuan, Pingning, Nanye, Luo Town, Anpu, Chang''an, Tongcheng, and Linshui, and to construct new and improved railway lines between Dongwan and Fengshun and between Dragon City and Weigang.


    Simultaneously, he was looking for locations near these cities to construct brand new civilian airports to establish a more efficient transportation network.


    With air transportation, the deployment of personnel would be much more convenient, and the transport of letters and parcels could be done much more timely and quickly.


    The spies dispatched by Tang Mo only needed to deliver the film to the border, then hand it over to the Great Tang Air Force, and transport planes could deliver the photographic information to Chang''an at speeds a hundred times faster than before.


    What concerned Tang Mo more was the boost in efficiency. In the past, someone wanting to travel from the Eastern Continent to the Western Continent might have to spend a lifetime.


    Now, if one had money, in just a bit over a month, one could make the journey! This increase in efficiency could speed up the entire world''s development and make the exchange of progress-promoting communication unimaginably fast.


    "Radar... factories? Related to radio equipment?" As Parker looked over a personnel transfer list in his hands, he realized what kind of production these newly built factories were specifically intended for.


    "All these projects starting almost simultaneously really make one''s heart ache," Mathews remarked, too finding Tang Mo''s construction plans astonishingly ambitious.


    In the past, if he had seen just one of these projects, he might have shaken his head and said it was impossible for him. But now, they saw dozens of such large-scale projects all at once, and they didn''t even have a sliver of doubt.


    Remember, each of these projects required training tens of thousands of workers and several hundred thousand construction personnel. Building them all at once could keep every citizen of the Tang Country busy for a year or even many years.


    "Do you know that, to support all these projects, I''ve almost had to mortgage my trousers?" Tang Mo said, scratching his head and making a self-deprecating comment.


    "You''re the richest man in the world, Your Majesty! If you''re broke, then probably everyone in the world has gone bankrupt," Mathews joked, and then noticed that Tang Mo wasn''t laughing, so he paused in surprise.


    Parker also sensed something in the brief silence, his eyes widening as he turned to Tang Mo, "Your Majesty! My God, you didn''t actually pay out of your own pocket, did you?"


    "Van Kums told me that by past standards, I am bankrupt," Tang Mo shrugged indifferently, as though talking about something that had nothing to do with him, "It''s not that funny, is it?"


    He pointed to the plans in front of him and said to the two men, "I need to come up with 60 billion Gold Coins... Although thinking about this sum already gives me a headache, it''s really not the main issue."


    Tang Mo spread his hands, "What really worries me is that I can''t get you 33 million tons of steel, 500,000 tons of nickel, and 9 million tons of petroleum in a year..."


    "We need to construct 5,000 factories of various sizes in the coming year, build 40,000 buildings, repair and rebuild the streets of 100 towns both large and small, and construct roads to connect all these together..." Tang Mo leaned back in his chair, sighed, and said, "Gentlemen, without selling anything, how shall we develop?"


    Parker and Mathews returned the plan documents to Tang Mo''s desk and sighed along with him.


    The Great Tang Group''s military might be invincible, but up until now, their numbers hadn''t risen to the level that would allow the Great Tang Kingdom to sweep across the world.


    They were too few! So few that if thrown into the vast territory of the Dahua Empire, these troops would be so scattered they couldn''t even control all the towns at the battalion level.


    As for the tanks, planes, and cannons needed to arm these people, they still hadn''t gathered enough! Not to mention the extra weapons and equipment that would be needed to further expand the military.

 Chapter 701 Chapter 701: Being the King of 660 is not easy.

    Tang Mo wanted so much, so very much. He wanted mobile phones, artificial satellites, ballistic missiles, nuclear weapons, airplanes, and yachts!


    He wanted to return to the life he was familiar with, where he could take an Airbus A320 from his King City to Linshui for a vacation, lying on a yacht and frolicking with his wives.


    He wanted to take out his phone with facial recognition unlocking, casually press a few buttons, and be able to find his Prime Minister to hear him report on yesterday''s stock market trend and the future national development plans.


    He wanted to eat lobsters from the North Seas and taste the sweetest moonlight wine, let the whole world appreciate the music from his memory, and see those movies that spread the positive energy of Great Tang!


    But all of this was not something that could be achieved effortlessly; the whole world needed to develop, and some things could not be conjured out of nothing.


    Take stealth fighter jets, for example¡ªif your opponent doesn''t have radar, then a J-20 or an F-22 is actually less practical than an F-15 or an SU-27.


    In order to return to the life he was familiar with as soon as possible, to enjoy the many conveniences brought by modern society sooner, Tang Mo did not want to waste precious time.


    He didn''t want to keep the technology and blueprints in his head, foolishly wait for twenty years, and then hold a bulky mobile phone and grin stupidly... That would be too tragic; by the time he could use an iPhone 4S, he would be 60 years old. How could he get excited about that?


    What constrained him was not technology but the time it took to popularize these technologies! What restricted Tang Mo were not those brilliant flashes of inspiration that needed time to settle, accumulate, and explore, but damn it, the raw materials that loomed higher than mountains!


    Tang Mo was clearer than anyone that only the fragile, practically non-existent industrial foundation of the world could stop him.


    As long as he pushed his country to a basic level of excellence, its development speed would enter the fast lane. If Tang Country entered the level of the late World War II era in various fields, then he would only need one year to produce a real computer!


    Then, after two more years, he would be able to manufacture rockets and artificial satellites easily and create atomic bombs. Another two years and he could send people to the moon!


    That''s why he revealed his airplane technology and his own outdated battleship technology, to pay for the raw materials necessary for the development he needed.


    He no longer had time to engage in a colonial plundering system which, while tempting, required a massive amount of time.


    Tang Mo was very clear that by the time his troops swept through the Dahua Empire, restored the local production order, and forced the local Dahua civilians to willingly send the raw materials produced to the factories in Tang Country, it would take at least thirty years.


    After Parker and Mathews left, Li''ao, responsible for intelligence, walked in with a cane. He looked quite hale, naturally feeling much better since he had returned to his homeland.


    Smiling, he reported while standing on the carpet, "Shireck has responded; they have sent a delegation of 300 people who will soon arrive at Dragon Island."


    "The Laines Empire is also very interested in the airplane technology; they have sent a large delegation. The Emperor of Laines Empire also sent a telegram saying that their appointed special envoy will explain the misunderstanding of the Laines Empire''s reclamation of the port of Brunas." After saying this, he paused when bringing up two other countries, "Dorne and Suthers..."


    Tang Mo was startled, then he remembered that the official stance of Tang Country had not yet recognized the existence of these two empires, "No problem, if they want to call themselves empires, let them be, I don''t mind."


    Li remained unchanged and continued reporting, "These two countries have also sent special envoys; it seems they will arrive on the same ship as the delegation from the Laines Empire. They are traveling on Sir Bailu''s merchant ship."


    "In addition to purchasing airplane technology and inspecting battleship technology, they have other requests..." After reporting the first purpose of the delegations, Li raised their other intention.


    "Hmm?" Tang Mo looked towards Li.


    The old man explained with a smile, "Remember we thought the diplomatic environment had deteriorated and all the empires had withdrawn their ambassadors? They want to restore diplomatic relations and have asked for our permission to establish embassies in Chang''an, Tongcheng, Linshui, Dongwan, Dragon Island, and other places."


    "They have quite the appetite, have the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reject their request, and tell them that at most we will only allow them to establish an embassy in Chang''an." Tang Mo knew right away what these people were up to and therefore coldly rejected the requests of the countries.


    During the Cold War, the embassies of various countries were almost open intelligence collection bases. Allowing for their existence was equivalent to leaving an espionage risk in the host cities, and Tang Mo wouldn''t easily allow so many embassies into technologically sensitive areas.


    Selling technology is one thing, but having it stolen is another matter. Tang Mo was a businessman, not a philanthropist.


    Li immediately nodded, "Your servant understands."


    "Is there anything else?" Tang Mo continued to ask.


    "The special envoy from the Ice Cold Empire wishes to visit our Tank production line; he said that if that''s not possible, he can first visit Tongcheng..." Li followed up immediately with an answer to Tang Mo''s question.


    Tang Mo once again sneered disdainfully, "Ha! Wishful thinking! Still wants to probe my bottom line? Let him stay put in Anpu properly! The surveillance on him cannot be withdrawn! Instead, additional manpower should be added!"


    Hearing Tang Mo''s command, Li''ao once again responded, "Yes! Your Majesty!"


    "Right, they are going to see them sooner or later anyway. If they are interested, why not let them take a look at the Dongwan-class battleships?" Tang Mo then seemed to remember something, immediately adding another sentence.


    Since the battleship technology was already prepared for sale, it made sense to show them the disparity. Once they realized just how rubbish Shireck''s so-called battleships were, they would be willing to spend money to purchase Tang Mo''s battleships.


    However, whether battleships would still be the core of naval warfare in the future and how much combat power they could exert, that was not something Tang Mo was willing to explain to these fools.


    "They will be interested," Li''ao said with a smile, bowing slightly.


    Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Hmm, that would be best," Tang Mo agreed.


    "Furthermore, the delegation from the Dahua Empire crossed the border yesterday and is heading towards Chang''an. We have dispatched personnel to escort them along the way," Li''ao continued to report on the movements of the envoys from various countries.


    Tang Mo was indeed interested in these people from the Dahua Empire but was only interested, nothing more. Therefore, he gave his orders in a businesslike manner, "Keep a close eye on them. If they dare to wander off, treating them as prisoners is also acceptable."


    "Yes! Your Majesty!" Li''ao too responded in an official manner, nodding in agreement.


    Tang Mo then remembered his neighbor to the south, "What about Chu Country?"


    "Envoys from Chu Country have also been dispatched, but they will only reach the border area tomorrow," Li''ao was just as well-informed about the envoy group still within the territory of Chu Country.


    He even knew the identity of the special envoy from Chu Country, who was in the delegation, the unit number of the troops escorting the delegation, and the weapons they were equipped with.


    In fact, the focus of Tang Country''s intelligence infiltration was Chu Country; compared to the Dahua Empire, Tang Mo''s intelligence department knew much more about Chu Country.


    Tang Mo was aware that Li''ao had always been personally handling the Chu Country side of things, and that Chu Country had been infiltrated like a sieve; thus, he did not continue to inquire about Chu Country.


    Because he knew if there were any explosive news from that side, Li''ao would definitely report it to him immediately.


    So, he asked about the last group of envoys, "Then tell me about those adorable little creatures from Shenguo."


    Li''ao chuckled, knowing full well that the adjective ''adorable'' used by his own monarch was actually a term of cruel and heartless mockery.


    Moreover, he also knew that for some reason, the monarch sitting before him harbored a deep-rooted hatred for Shenguo.


    He did not know why, but who cared about the why? Perhaps a goblin stepped on Tang Mo''s shoes during his time in Brunas? Who knows? As long as Tang Mo disliked them, those goblins were as good as dead in Li''ao''s mind.


    Of course, Li''ao was also aware of the events that took place in Beiyuan City and Dongwan City. Simply based on what the goblins did in these areas, Li''ao saw nothing wrong with Tang Mo''s disgust for them.


    His thoughts aligned with Tang Mo''s: it was only right for these damned goblins to be buried alongside those humans they had killed!


    Thus, when it came to the demands of the goblin side, Li''ao''s tone was clearly filled with scorn and sarcasm, "Shenguo has requested that we halt our assault on Beiyuan City. According to them, they can withdraw the troops stationed in Beiyuan City and hand over Beiyuan City to..."


    Sure enough, upon hearing these demands, Tang Mo''s expression showed contempt, "They sure have some nerve! Tell them that the goblin military in Beiyuan City... they no longer matter! If they don''t accept our terms, don''t bother coming this time!"


    "At once, Your Majesty!" Li''ao nodded, then stepped back. Clearly, his report had come to an end.


    Tang Mo lowered his head and continued with his drafting. After all, he was a ruthless humanoid automaton of drafting, who had to dedicate time each day to develop new technologies that did not belong to this era.


    He really had no other choice, for the technology of the Great Tang Group had already surpassed the understanding of this world, and if he did not work hard, those responsible for realizing these technologies might not even understand the blueprints...


    My shoulders... Two hours later, Tang Mo moved his aching arms from busyness and was forced to put down his pencil, straighten up, and take a walk.


    The job of being King... is not easy at all.

 Chapter 702 Chapter 702: The 661 Revenge Battle

    Inside Beiyuan City, on a street filled with rubble, a Type 4 tank was advancing, followed by cautious Tang Army soldiers armed with weapons.


    After two days of resistance, the Shen Army troops were almost completely in a state of collapse. They had lost organized resistance, each fighting on their own, but still stubbornly clinging to battle.


    Because they knew better than anyone that their hands were stained with blood, no one would spare them, they were already... doomed.


    The Tang Army was unwilling to bear the infamy of killing prisoners, so they basically did not accept the surrender of the Shen Army. After a few attempts, the people of Shen Country had almost completely abandoned the idea of surrender.


    Even if they were left with only a stick, they had to bite the bullet and fight a bloody battle to the end against the Tang Army''s tanks. This was their destiny, as well as their final outcome.


    "Ah!" A Shen Country soldier without bullets, holding a weapon, shouted as he stood up from the ruins. He charged at the Tang Army soldiers, wanting to fight them in a bayonet duel.


    What met him was a gunshot and a bullet flying straight at him. The Shen Country soldier fell, his body crashing onto the rubble with a dull thud.


    The Tang Army''s formation continued to advance, they searched every building, clearing out segments of rubble, dragging out those Shen Country people who had been hiding inside and hadn''t eaten in two days, then killing them in the streets.


    As the battle went on, many in the Tang Army had become accustomed to the things they were doing because they had seen too many things they had never seen before and understood why their superiors did not regard the Goblins as human.


    Often they would push open the doors of a building only to find it filled with dead Goblin wounded. Most of these corpses were suicides, while some were killed by other Shen Country people.


    Later, the Tang Army also found starved Shen Country wounded soldiers. A room was piled with corpses of Goblins that hadn''t been dealt with, simply sealed up with a tag on the door as if that closed the matter.


    Everywhere, one could see the suicides of Shen Country soldiers, and discarded weapons were everywhere. Cannons that had fired all their shells were simply overturned in the streets and alleys, painting a picture of the apocalypse.


    The Goblins were so ruthless to their own kind, utterly inhumane, which made the Tang Army soldiers greatly disgusted.


    Yet if it were only this, the Tang Army soldiers would not have considered the Goblins a species other than human. It wasn''t until they saw even more corpses, more corpses of Qi Country people, that they truly realized how cruel these Goblins were.


    From the buildings that had been set ablaze, the Tang Army found numerous charred bodies; Shen Country soldiers often used this convenient method when dealing with Qi Country civilians.


    They would find buildings that wouldn''t start fires in the surrounding houses, then herd the civilians inside, and immediately set the house alight, burning alive everyone inside.


    These Goblins would also pile up the bodies of Qi Country people they had killed in one room, then simply seal the room''s door and leave.


    When the Tang Army soldiers checked such houses, upon opening the door, an overwhelming stench and countless flies flew out, nearly scaring the young Tang Army soldiers to death.


    The sight of thousands of flies swarming out was something no one would want to experience a second time. And the scenes inside these houses were of the sort that just one glance could cause psychological trauma.


    The soldiers who saw the scenes inside the houses had continuous nightmares for two days, to prevent them from attacking friendly forces, the troops even confiscated their weapons.


    When they finally chose brave soldiers to muster the courage to go in and deal with the corpses, they quickly came out and made their suggestion, "Burning them, might be the best method."


    There was no need to hide it or make propaganda about it, such places could be encountered all over Beiyuan City, thus all kinds of stories quickly spread among the troops.


    And then almost all the soldiers began to faithfully execute the orders given to them by their superiors, just shoot when they saw the enemy, no hesitation needed.


    Sometimes, one has to marvel at the tenacity of human life, even in the state of Beiyuan City, there were still a large number of Qi Country people who had survived.


    They hid in cellars, on beams in houses, amidst the ruins, and in any place they could hide.


    Most people were emaciated and tormented by hunger and fear, but they had survived, seeing the dawn that belonged to them.


    The Tang Army was once again played by the refugees, who had a glorious tradition in this regard. They brought out everything they could offer.


    Raincoats, canned goods, rations, clothing and footwear... These supplies were lost in large quantities again. The troops that entered the city, numbering over 10,000 soldiers, lost nearly 20,000 sets in total.


    To take care of these survivors, who were poorly clothed and starving, the Tang Army opened evacuation routes that allowed these people to temporarily leave the city and live in the surrounding camps.


    And the task of settling these survivors was even more enormous than the task of attacking Beiyuan City itself. Discover hidden stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    There was no way to predict beforehand that the people of Shen Country would massacre civilians here, turning a siege into a desperate war of revenge.


    "We are currently counting the number of people, but there are at most 20 or 30 thousand... Initial estimates suggest that at least 200 thousand people died in the massacre," at the entrance of a relatively clean building in the city, an officer of the Tang Army was reporting his work to his superior.


    "Provide them with food and clothing as much as possible, now they are all our compatriots," the colonel looked at a few children standing by the roadside with compassion and instructed.


    The children, skinny and heart-wrenching, wore large military boots of the Shen Country soldiers stained with dried blood, wrapped around their waists were the underwear of Tang Army soldiers, their upper bodies were bare, and they held unwrapped candies in their hands.


    Curiously, they watched the tanks and cars parked in the distance, as well as the soldiers who were moving equipment into the rooms.


    Thick smoke billowed throughout Beiyuan City, with gunfire and explosions audible from afar. However, it was clear that they were safe here, as this place was now considered part of Tang Country''s territory.


    The colonel, who had begun to take over the entire city, once again warned the few subordinates around him, "Prohibit soldiers from finding water sources on their own within the city! Have the epidemic prevention experts inspect all wells. This place is hell; nothing is safe."


    "Yes, sir!" saluted a captain beside him, taking note of his superior''s order.


    "Remember to clearly state the reasons in the report that the combat ability of the No. 4 assault gun in urban combat is not as good as that of the No. 4 tank!" the colonel looked at another subordinate and assigned a task, "Also, the report on landmines¡ª we lost another three soldiers to them yesterday. Tell the platoon leaders and squad leaders to be smarter, don''t just randomly open doors!"


    "Understood! All troops entering the city have been strengthened with safety awareness training, but in combat, some still forget," his subordinate replied somewhat helplessly.


    The Shen Army rigged the few remaining hand grenades or explosives and landmines they had into booby traps, randomly deployed behind some doors.


    Even they might not remember exactly where they buried a powerful explosive charge, so the Tang Army entering the city for urban combat suffered significant losses.


    At least 100 soldiers were killed or injured by these devices, which had become a major cause of the Tang Army''s casualties.


    "Try to identify and account for the bodies, and find every victim possible! If we don''t do this job, no one will be able to make sense of it later," the leading colonel patted his subordinate''s shoulder and continued to speak about the massacre, "Investigate every living survivor. Ask them for names - their names, their neighbors'' names, friends'' names, teachers'' names, even their enemies'' names!"


    "Yes, sir! This is exactly what we''re doing," the officer nodded slightly and replied.


    "Those damn bastards, to cover up their crimes, burned all the population records and household registration materials in the Lord''s Mansion! They''re bloody... madmen, bastards!" cursed the colonel, "I should have strangled that Shenwu Sanlang with my own hands!"


    Speaking of him, he immediately asked, "Speaking of which, has that guy not been found yet?"


    "We interrogated the prisoners we purposefully left behind. Before their deaths, they confessed that Shenwu Sanlang was in the harbor area. We''ve just taken that area, and the cleaning operation is not yet completed," the subordinate officer said.


    After speaking, he added, "Please understand, sir, killing tens of thousands of Goblins hiding in the rubble takes time. They''re like rats, evasive and hard to find."


    "Alright! Get to it," the colonel nodded and tried to muster a smile for the few young boys across the street before entering his new headquarters.


    Finding a relatively clean house in this city was no easy task, as this place had truly become almost a complete ruin.


    In another part of the city, some Shen Country prisoners of war knelt on the ground with their hands over their heads, despairingly watching the people of Qi Country on the opposite side of the road, who were spectating the scene.


    Not long ago, their situation was the complete opposite. Now with numb expressions, they lacked the ferociousness they showed when they were driving and slaughtering the people of Qi Country.


    Now, they heard the rustling sound of the Tang Army soldiers cocking their weapons behind them, and then their heads shattered under a series of gunshots.


    The officer who gave the order for the execution looked towards the remaining dumbstruck Goblin prisoners, loudly ordering them to carry the bodies from the ground onto carts filled with Goblin corpses.


    Then, these remaining Goblins would be watched over as they led the carts, using their own bodies and those on the carts to fill in the large craters.

 Chapter 703 Chapter 703: 662 Big Voice

    Shenwu Sanlang sat amidst the ruins, watching his guards wipe down their Shireck automatic pistols.


    These things were nothing more than "box cannons", classic Mauser pistols. Up to now, Qi Country still hadn''t equipped any submachine guns, so they had to make do with these.


    Theoretically, its combat effectiveness wasn''t as good as a professional submachine gun like the Thomson. But having one was better than none, and in the hands of the Qi people, the Mauser pistol remained one of the most precious weapons.


    Apart from this weapon, lever-action rifles, PPK pistols, Qi Country''s troops also had a mishmash of rapid-fire weapons.


    There was no choice, as due to a lack of similar weaponry, many countries used almost all channels to equip more automatic weapons to fill the void, which brought about many problems.


    For instance, the PPK pistols sold to the civil and police markets by the Great Tang Group were not really suitable for battlefield requirements.


    The caliber was too small, the stopping power insufficient, and the magazine capacity too low; aside from the occasional burst of fire in close combat, it was almost useless.


    However, Qi Country''s military still equipped a lot of PPK pistols, mostly acquired from other countries to arm officers and guards.


    Lever-action rifles had similar issues; they could only use flat-nosed bullets, were prone to malfunctions, and were not suitable for battlefield use.


    But there was no choice, since Qi Country didn''t have any qualified submachine guns, so they could only procure a batch of such weapons in an attempt to bridge the gap in close-range rate of fire as much as possible.


    Although lever-action rifles had a much higher rate of fire than bolt-action rifles, they still weren''t as good as submachine guns, so they had to be used reluctantly.


    These weapons might just about suffice under normal circumstances, but in the current state, all sorts of problems were exposed.


    The chaotic battlefield caused the intricately built lever-action rifles with gaps to jam frequently, leading to the abandonment of most similar weapons.


    After all, nobody wanted to fire a shot on the battlefield only to be greeted by a misfire that could easily cost them their life.


    An even more lethal issue was that the bullets were not interchangeable, whether for the PPK, the Mauser pistol, or the lever-action rifle.


    When used less often and with smooth supply, this wasn''t too much of an issue. But now, having lost the supply, the various ammunition types rendered these weapons powerless.


    A gun without bullets was no different than a fire stick¡ªQi Country''s standard-issue Shireck Model 1 rifle was actually the Committee 1888 rifle, using 7.92mm standard rifle ammunition.


    Apart from this ammunition, Qi Country soldiers could scarcely find any other types of bullets to use in Beiyuan City nowadays.


    "They are looking for us..." Shen Wenxi slumped on a pile of rubble, like a lump of mud, "I thought you''d stay in command, calmly facing whatever is coming."


    "No one wants to die, and I don''t want to die either!" Shenwu Sanlang ignored Shen Wenxi''s sarcasm and defended himself, "Why should I choose to die when I can live?"


    He had gone mad, and before he left his covert command post, he had ordered the execution of all the women he had captured, not sparing a single one.


    He could have let those abused women, some of them barely coherent, go. But he had still given the order to have his men execute all these miserable women.


    "I want to live! Isn''t it they who want to capture me? I will stay alive on purpose, and I will kill every human being I encounter..." With bloodshot eyes, Shenwu Sanlang revealed a deranged smile and clenched his fists as he spoke.


    "What you''re doing is pointless! And it will involve me! Kill me!" Shen Wenxi complained discontentedly to Shenwu Sanlang.


    "Then leave by yourself!" Shenwu Sanlang said coldly, "Declare your identity, surrender to the Tang Country people! Perhaps, they might spare you a way out... Hahaha!"


    His troops had scattered, gunfire was everywhere, and the docks had been lost, with several Tang Army tanks still parked on the open ground there.


    From a distance, Shenwu Sanlang saw those heavy units, and only now did he understand how terrifying and oppressive they could be if they appeared in one''s line of sight.


    Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Compared to the iron clunkers of Qi Country, the Tang Army''s tanks were obviously stronger, Shenwu Sanlang could tell at a glance.


    The Tang Army, having taken control of most of the city, was sweeping the streets, searching for survivors, and clearing out the remnants of the Qi Country military.


    Overall, most of the fighting had ended, and the remaining small-scale battles could not affect the outcome of the campaign anymore.


    All of this, both Shenwu Sanlang and Shen Wenxi were very clear about. They were finished; no one cared about their fate anymore.


    Because just before they evacuated their secret command post, they had sent dozens of telegrams to headquarters using man-powered electricity.


    They pleaded for help, cried out for rescue, and even at the end, when inquiring about their own fate, they received no response.


    Yes, in order to engage in subsequent negotiations with the Great Tang Group and to quickly end the disadvantageous situation of their coastline being blockaded by the Tang Country''s battleships, the Shenwu headquarters had sold out Shenwu Sanlang and Shen Wenxi.


    Although they would not openly admit to giving up on Beiyuan City, everyone in Qi Country, including the ruler, had stopped mentioning the name of Beiyuan City.


    Previously, when they held meetings, the majority of the topics had revolved around Beiyuan City.


    But as the main fleet of Qi Country was decimated, Beiyuan City became a taboo, a Voldemort-like forbidden word that people dared not to mention.


    "Following you, I might be able to live a few more days," Shen Wenxi knew that with his ability, it was nearly impossible to survive in this kind of environment without Shenwu Sanlang.


    It was even possible that Shenwu Sanlang would order him to be killed during his attempt to leave, to avoid any subsequent trouble.


    Shenwu Sanlang smiled, his smile resembling that of a scheming courtier whose plot had succeeded. Indeed, he had considered that if Shen Wenxi had the thought of leaving, especially with the intention of taking others with him, he would definitely eliminate him.


    He already had too few guards in his hands; he couldn''t allow Shen Wenxi to take people away. Right now, having more people was the basis for survival, even if surrounded, wasn''t it possible to hold out a bit longer?


    Please note that he had no courage to commit suicide; otherwise, he wouldn''t be fleeing. Since they had arrived here, their thoughts had been the same: to live even one more second was good.


    "General! There''s one of our squads up ahead," a guard who had gone to scout crawled back, his joy apparent: "Over a hundred men, and the commander is still alive!"


    "That''s great!" Shen Wenxi immediately stood up, feeling as if he might be able to live a bit longer.


    But soon, his hope was extinguished by a bucket of cold water.


    Shenwu Sanlang glanced at the scouting guard and asked, "Did they escape over here, or have they been nearby the whole time and already clashed with Tang forces?"


    The guard was taken aback, then answered truthfully, "General, they''ve been here all along and repelled an attack by the Tang forces once before."


    "Then we won''t go over there, let them keep holding their position," Shenwu Sanlang shook his head, dismissing the idea of joining them: "The Tang forces will soon encircle them and eliminate them. We must leave here quickly, it''s not safe anymore."


    Upon hearing Shenwu Sanlang''s explanation, Shen Wenxi realized that the old ginger was spicier. He had only been thinking about joining up with a large force, forgetting the truly fatal factor: the Tang Army!


    Gathering troops to protect oneself wasn''t the key; the key was to avoid being found by the Tang Army as much as possible! If they were found by the Tang Army, how many troops could block their assault?


    Just as he was admiring Shenwu Sanlang''s shrewdness, a series of rapid gunfire erupted behind him.


    A Tang search party had discovered the Qi troops hiding here, and in the process of encircling them, had been spotted by the Qi guards on watch.


    Immediately there was an exchange of fire, and several of the perimeter guards of Qi were hit and fell, scaring Shen Wenxi so much that he immediately ducked for cover, while Shenwu Sanlang quickly hid among the crowd.


    He grabbed his Guard Commander and yelled at him to hurry up and lead people to protect him as they fled. In order to break free from the pursuers, he decided to retreat in the direction of the routed troops they had just discovered.


    You see, he was not willing to go and join up with the routed troops, but he was very much in favor of using them as shields.


    At this very moment, he could not care less about Shen Wenxi''s life or death. With a few people in tow, he turned and ran, abandoning those left behind in the blink of an eye.


    On the other side, the Tang soldiers also sensed something different about this Qi military force during the firefight: the previous Qi Army used Shireck Automatic Rifles, which took a long time to fire a second shot after the first.


    So in such close combat, after taking a shot, the enemy usually charged with bayonets.


    But this unit was entirely different; they had many pistols, and their firepower was clearly higher, so they were likely either elites or the guards of some big shot.


    So the Tang Army attacked even more ferociously; they also wanted to capture those Goblins who had ordered the massacre of the Qi Country civilians and let them taste the agony of living being worse than death.


    "There''s a big fish here! Don''t let him get away!" the commander of the Tang forces yelled to his subordinates from the other side of the debris: "Killing him is fine too! It''s a great achievement!"


    Shen Wenxi, who had just taken a couple of steps before tripping on rubble, looked up to see one of the guards armed with a Mauser Rifle shot through the chest and falling nearby.


    So frightened that his legs trembled and he couldn''t even stand up straight, he started shouting loudly to save his life, to prevent someone from shooting him like a dead fish: "I''m Shen Wenxi! I''m a high official! Don''t shoot! Don''t shoot! I surrender! I surrender!"


    The loudness of his voice was such that even Shenwu Sanlang, who had already run a good distance away, heard it...

 Chapter 704 Chapter 704: 663 Awkward Reunion

    Shenwu Sanlang didn''t dare to look back; he sprinted forward desperately, not caring how many people could keep up with his pace.


    In fact, not many people managed to react and run with him, except for his Guard Commander and a few clever Goblins that followed behind him.


    They kept running forward, non-stop, with one unlucky individual even losing his oversized shoes and not bothering to turn back to pick them up.


    As for Shen Wenxi, he had already raised his hands by now. Standing there with trembling legs, he watched as the guards by his side were shot down one after another.


    Soon, when only seven or eight people remained, the gunfire started to thin out. This was partly because the Shenwu guards had indeed run out of bullets and partly because the Tang Army had ceased firing.


    A group of soldiers dressed in camouflage uniforms, armed with Thompson Submachine Guns unsuitable for urban alley fighting, emerged from all directions. The dark muzzles pointed at everyone, ready to shoot at the slightest provocation.


    "Who is Shen Wenxi?" A Tang Army soldier holding his weapon cautiously called out. Then, those few unlucky Shenwu survivors who had lived through the ordeal all looked towards Shen Wenxi, who was raising his arms.


    This disheveled civil official was now covered in dust, lacking the usual air of arrogance, standing there like a destitute dwarf.


    The Tang Army commander lowered his Thompson Submachine Gun and walked over to Shen Wenxi. He scrutinized him closely before asking, "Were those who just ran away Shenwu Sanlang?"


    "I... I don''t know, I''ve never seen..." Shen Wenxi began with a lie, almost instinctively, a reflex response.


    Unfortunately, before he could finish, he was struck hard across the face. The slap resounded crisply, leaving the high-ranking Shenwu official dazed and unable to react.


    He had never been slapped so directly before, so he stood there in a moment of stunned silence, his eyes filled with bewilderment and blankness.


    "Lie again, and I''ll knock the teeth out of your mouth." The leading Tang Army officer had no intention of treating the prisoner gently. He just wanted to know Shenwu Sanlang''s location because it was key to his merit.


    As for Shen Wenxi, who was considered trash, once captured, he had no value. Capturing him was a merit in itself, one that he didn''t need to fight for.


    So he didn''t mind missing a few trivial parts when turning in this reward, such as fingers, teeth, ears...


    The inspectors wouldn''t make things difficult for him; at most, they would ask a couple of questions about the process, give him a warning not to make it a habit, and then proceed with the bonus and medals.


    "I am an official of Shenwu... I surrender... I should..." Shen Wenxi finally came to his senses and began to assert his status, hoping for fair treatment.


    Unexpectedly, or maybe he did expect it but didn''t believe it would happen, before he could finish his plea, the other man actually grabbed the butt of his Thompson Submachine Gun and struck Shen Wenxi fiercely.


    This blow was no simple slap; Shen Wenxi clutched his cheek and screamed as he fell to the ground, blood and several yellowed teeth spilling onto the pavement.


    "Damn, so much talking, you think you Shenwu officials are so precious?" The Tang Army commander felt a rush of cathartic relief after delivering a solid hit with the gunstock.


    He kicked Shen Wenxi again and cursed as he looked towards the other Shenwu prisoners, "Is this bastard really Shen Wenxi?"


    The group of Shenwu guards hastily nodded their heads, as if being too slow would lead to their own demise. Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Was Shenwu Sanlang among those who just ran?" The leading commander continued to question these guards, now completely terrified.


    The Shenwu guards kept nodding, and a few, fearful that the Tang Army officer before them wouldn''t be satisfied, added, "Yes, and our Guard Commander, they both ran."


    "See, these people are much smarter than you." The Tang Army commander spat at Shen Wenxi, who was curled up on the ground like a prawn, and grunted at his subordinates, "Let''s go! Take these people back!"


    Then he surveyed the surroundings. "Count those bastards lucky for running fast. We''ll contact our allies later to tighten the encirclement! Let''s see where they can run!"


    ...


    Where could Shenwu Sanlang run to? He did indeed find an escape route, leading his few men around in circles before sneaking to the ruins on the southern side of the city.


    This area was already under the control of the Tang Army, but the search had become less stringent.


    Shenwu Sanlang decided to find a place to hide. If they were careful, they might be able to avoid detection for a while. Once the war was over, he could disguise himself and even escape back to his country.


    So, he and his subordinates moved cautiously through the ruins, hoping to find a relatively good hiding place.


    The outcome was that just as they climbed over a half-collapsed low wall, they happened to see a Qi Country civilian standing there with a bucket, staring at them.


    "Don''t make a sound! Or I''ll kill you!" Clutching a pistol, Shenwu Sanlang lowered his voice to warn the wrinkled-faced old woman.


    "Ah! People from Shen Country! People from Shen Country!" Yet the woman paid no heed and started shouting loudly. Amidst the quiet ruins, her cries were deafening.


    Shenwu Sanlang hurriedly fired his gun, shooting two bullets before the woman finally shut her mouth. But soon they heard footsteps around them, as if the whole ruin had come alive.


    "Tang Army!" A guard who had just climbed the wall widened his eyes because he saw a row of Tang Country military vehicles not far off, with Tang Army soldiers already climbing obstacles to head their way, weapons in hand.


    "Damn it!" Shenwu Sanlang gave the fallen old lady another kick and cursed again unsatisfiedly, then quickly took off running blindly in the other direction: "This way! Run fast!"


    "General! I''ll cover your retreat!" The guard on the wall called back, then fired two shots at a distance.


    Shenwu Sanlang had no time for anything else; he ran like a startled bird, being pushed in another direction, without even uttering a word of formality.


    The Shen Country soldier, who had stayed behind and was shooting, got hit unexpectedly by a bullet from the opposite direction that pierced through his head.


    He fell from the wall, collapsing in the courtyard. Within less than ten seconds, the boots of the invading Tang Army soldiers could be heard stepping next to his body, followed by a series of commanding shouts.


    "Not just one person! These footprints are a mess!" someone yelled.


    "They went that way! Chase them!" another voice followed.


    "Check the courtyard! Don''t let anyone slip through!"


    "Check on that old lady, medics! Medics! Go see if you can save her!"


    Meanwhile, Shenwu Sanlang, desperately fleeing forward, could even hear the shouting behind him. He had never imagined they were so close to the Tang Army, nor had he thought the civilian from Qi Country would issue such a resolute scream despite the risk to her own life.


    "General, you go on ahead!" The two remaining guards stopped running; their weapons were out of ammunition. By staying behind, they planned to sacrifice their lives to delay the pursuing enemy.


    Shenwu Sanlang didn''t even look back; by now, his mind was only on his own survival, and he no longer cared for anyone else.


    Soon after, intense gunfire erupted behind him; the distinct clatter of the Thompson Submachine Gun indicated that the two who stayed behind to cover for him likely faced grim odds.


    "General! Run fast!" His Guard Commander halted, watching Shenwu Sanlang escape into the distance and instructing him.


    He then turned around, aiming his gun towards the gap in the ruins, the same path they had taken earlier, believing the Tang Army would soon appear from there.


    And indeed, a member of the pursuing Tang Army soon showed up, just poking his head out to look before swiftly dodging the Shen Country Guard Commander''s determined shot.


    After that miss, the Guard Commander knew he was done for. He turned to run, trying to find another cover, but a bullet quickly caught up with him, boring a hole through his back.


    He collapsed to the ground, exhaustedly closing his eyes. He could hear the sound of leather boots by his ears, gradually fading away.


    Then, his breath ceased, and consciousness left him as he entered the deep darkness.


    Shenwu Sanlang, now at a dead end, continued to weave through the ruins, knowing he was done for but still unable to face it, to stop struggling.


    He kept running, but his strength was almost spent. He hadn''t eaten for hours and was now incredibly hungry.


    The PPK pistol he was holding only had one bullet left. There was no way to reload; once fired, one less bullet remained. He had used two precious bullets just recently, and the remaining one was now all Shenwu Sanlang had to his name.


    Finally, it seemed he could no longer hear the footsteps behind him, and the ruins ahead became harder to navigate. He felt a hint of regret, wondering why he had so ruthlessly destroyed Beiyuan City to this extent. If he had restrained himself, perhaps the path now would be easier.


    The next second, just as he was lamenting, he climbed over a low wall, and the view suddenly opened up ¡ª a clean courtyard, with relatively intact houses beside it.


    Shenwu Sanlang paused for a moment, then noticed the courtyard was filled with people of all sorts¡ªchildren and the elderly, men and women.


    These civilians, clad in Tang Army raincoats, holding various cans, also watched Shenwu Sanlang...

 Chapter 705 Chapter 705: Emergency rescue 664

    ```


    "You! You... don''t, don''t come any closer!" Shenwu Sanlang raised his pistol, pointing the muzzle at the civilians of Qi Country in front of him, sternly warning them.


    But his voice, even to his own ears, unexpectedly trembled uncontrollably. He was ostensibly fierce but inwardly timid, he merely postured, he was already... at the end of his rope.


    A child squatting by the wall stood up, his gaze filled with hatred as he stared at Shenwu Sanlang. He took a step forward, frightening Shenwu Sanlang so much that he immediately aimed the gun at this new threat.


    However, as Shenwu Sanlang shifted his aim, men and women on the other side also took a step forward, in an uncoordinated yet firm advance.


    "Don''t come any closer! I''ll shoot if you do! I''ll shoot!" Shenwu Sanlang shouted frantically, no longer able to maintain his composure.


    He knew that if he didn''t raise his voice to drive away these Qi Country survivors filled with hatred, there was no way he could leave this place safely.


    So he no longer cared to keep his voice down to avoid the pursuers behind him, nor did he worry that his shouts might attract the nearby Tang Army.


    He had to deal with the situation at hand to at least buy himself some time to escape. He waved his weapon, feigning a ferocious expression.


    But what he didn''t see was that many people were squatting beside him, holding all sorts of foodstuffs. Since the moment he had climbed over the wall, intrigued, they hadn''t made a sound.


    Now, the civilians who had not realized who had climbed over their wall finally snapped out of their shock. The two people closest to Shenwu Sanlang suddenly stood up and before Shenwu Sanlang could react, they reached out and grabbed his pistol.


    Shenwu Sanlang was stunned for a moment, then tried to raise his pistol again, but it was too late. The other person''s palm exerted force, and his small PPK pistol dropped to the ground.


    Due to its weight and metal material, the pistol slid out two or three meters away, rolling right to the feet of a Qi Country survivor.


    But no one picked up the pistol; they stepped over the weapon, and in an instant, a group of people surrounded Shenwu Sanlang.


    Before Shenwu Sanlang could cry out, his face was solidly kissed by a fist.


    Right then, he felt that he probably couldn''t save his teeth. The next second, his fall propelled by the punch came to an abrupt halt, as two other fists hit his ribs directly.


    At only 1.45 meters tall, Shenwu Sanlang was not much different from a child. Without weapons, his actual combat ability was about on par with Wudalang. Now surrounded by dozens of people, there was absolutely no chance for him to fight back.


    So there he was, taking punches left and right, and when he could no longer bear it, his whole body just sprawled on the ground.


    The surrounding civilians, still unsatisfied, immediately closed in and began punching and kicking him. A woman, whose family had been killed leaving only her to escape, now found her chance for revenge, screaming as she picked up a stone from the ground.


    She pushed through the crowd and smashed it down on Shenwu Sanlang''s already bloodied face, immediately causing the barely alive Shenwu Sanlang to spit out fresh blood.


    Just as everyone thought it was over, it seemed they only then came to their senses. They scrambled to find pieces of brick and debris, gripping them tightly in their hands and ferociously pelting Shenwu Sanlang.


    The spray of blood splattered on them, yet they did not stop. Shenwu Sanlang''s screams had long ceased, and even his low moans couldn''t be heard after a while.


    Finally, a soldier from the Tang Army pursuing Shenwu Sanlang leaped over the wall and into the fray, witnessing the somewhat agitated crowd.


    Closely following, a second soldier climbed over and parted the crowd beating Shenwu Sanlang, "What are you doing! What are you doing? Step back! Everyone, step back! Who are you hitting?"


    "Listen to the officer, everyone step back, step back!" Holding half a brick covered in fresh blood, the boy finally regained his senses and cooperatively began to shout.


    The crowd gradually made way, many people discreetly dropping the stones and shards in their hands, then moved in groups to farther locations.


    Some began looking for the food they had set down moments ago, some started to wipe the blood stains on their raincoats, in short... it was as if the whole affair had nothing to do with them. Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    "This is Shen Country''s military uniform." The soldier who came after Shenwu Sanlang bent down to check the blood-soaked clothes on the ground, confirming it.


    "It''s even an officer''s outfit. Look, it''s dirty but the style is right," another soldier added.


    At that moment, the little boy aptly picked up the PPK pistol from the ground and handed it to the two Tang Army soldiers, "This belongs to this guy!"


    "Thanks!" A soldier received the pistol and thanked the boy with a smile. The boy casually waved it off, as if it was nothing major.


    The gesture amused the two Tang Army soldiers, who bent down to check the bloodied figure on the ground again, finding that the Shen Country officer, despite having been hit countless times with rocks, miraculously still had a faint breath.


    ```


    "What''s going on?" Just at that moment, an officer scaled the wall and entered, seeing Shenwu Sanlang on the ground who had been beaten half to death, he asked.


    "When we arrived, he was being beaten by civilians, and he wasn''t dead yet... We were in the process of checking his identity," a soldier replied, standing at attention.


    The officer glanced at the "person" on the ground and shook his head slightly, "He''s already been beaten to this extent, I guess there''s no saving him now..."


    "He is very likely to be Shenwu Sanlang," a guard reminded, "During our pursuit, we heard someone calling out ''General''."


    "Hmm, then let''s wait for the medics," the officer nonchalantly walked over to Shenwu Sanlang''s side, and, coincidentally, his military boot came to rest directly on Shenwu Sanlang''s two fingers.


    He had no intention of moving, pulled out a cigarette case from his pocket, took out a cigarette, and placed it in his mouth.


    One soldier, understanding the situation, stepped on Shenwu Sanlang''s other hand and struck a match to light his superior''s cigarette.


    Watching the Qi Country civilians each busy with their own tasks, the officer exhaled a puff of smoke and remarked with emotion, "The folk customs here are really unspoiled..."


    "Yes, yes..." The soldier who lit the cigarette nodded in agreement.


    It was not until the cigarette was almost finished that the officer snapped out of it and chided, "I say, what are you waiting for? Call for the medics! Go fetch someone quickly!"


    "Ah!" The two soldiers finally snapped to action, picked up their weapons, and ran towards the gate, shouting as they went, "We''ve caught Shenwu Sanlang! Where are the medics? Medics!"


    ...


    "Your Majesty! We''ve found Shenwu Sanlang, and we''ve caught Shen Wenxi too," Tang Mo soon heard the news from Li''ao.


    "Found? Is that so?" Tang Mo picked out the distinction in the report and turned to Li''ao for confirmation.


    "Yes, Your Majesty, Shenwu Sanlang is dead," Li''ao regretfully nodded, confirming Tang Mo''s speculation, "He was caught by the civilians of Qi Country, and at that time, he was beaten beyond recognition."


    "Didn''t let the medics save him?" Tang Mo stretched leisurely, feigning ignorance as he asked.


    "How could we not seek help? We are very humane," Li''ao responded immediately, "Our medics promptly provided treatment, they amputated his damaged hands and feet on the spot and then transported him to the field hospital..."


    Tang Mo nodded, "Hmm, the handling seems quite timely."


    "Indeed, Your Majesty, very timely," Li''ao earnestly echoed Tang Mo''s words, "The medial officer in the field hospital is truly skilled, not only did they immediately remove the necrotic tissues, but they even took care of his severely damaged lineage root."


    "Then why couldn''t General Shenwu Sanlang hold on?" Tang Mo inquired curiously, as if he truly cared about the matter.


    "The injuries were too severe, at first, he was still saying nonsensical things, but later, due to the inflammation, he developed a high fever, uttering nothing but obscenities, so we could only... take care of his tongue as well," Li''ao said, shaking his head with regret.


    "Later, we even sent more specialized physicians to provide support, I heard they opened up his throat and fed him some liquid food... But in the end, his condition still worsened," he added after shaking his head.


    As if recalling something else before Tang Mo could ask further, Li''ao continued, "Though General Shenwu Sanlang couldn''t speak afterward, he still shed tears of gratitude. The Propaganda Department took photographs to prove that we indeed tried everything for his treatment. He passed away peacefully, and very... heroically."


    "Ah... such a pity," Tang Mo sighed, and it was unclear whether he was lamenting how quickly Shenwu Sanlang died or that Shenwu Sanlang hadn''t held on.


    "What about Shen Wenxi?" Tang Mo thought that since these two were pillars of Shen Country, it would be better for the family to stay together.


    "My suggestion is to hold a ceremony in the square and burn him to appease the people of Beiyuan City. It

 Chapter 706 Chapter 706: 665 visiting warship

    ```


    "Really hit?" Looking at the huge base in front of him, and then at the turret that had been replaced on the shore, the Dwarf Envoy asked the official who was accompanying him incredulously.


    The official from Tang Country had a smile brimming over his face, for the astounded dwarf in front of him was always ready to spend a fortune.


    No matter from which perspective, the Dwarfs were wealthy, for although the northern lands they inhabited were not conducive to farming, they were certainly not short of mineral resources.


    These metal and fuel resources were now very valuable, for whatever Tang Country lacked would become extremely prized.


    There was no choice, on the one hand, the exporting countries wanted to balance out the trade deficit with Tang Country, and on the other hand, it was true that Tang Country needed a tremendous amount of raw materials.


    In the past, the steel demand of a nation would be only a few thousand to tens of thousands of tons, maybe up to a hundred thousand tons, but Tang Country''s use of steel had now reached the horrific level of tens of millions of tons.


    It wasn''t as if they were just using steel, it was as if a giant steel-eating monster was at work! With such huge demand, how could the price of steel not soar?


    "Didn''t you see it with your own eyes?" The accompanying official looked at the Dwarf Envoy, gestured towards a group of engineers measuring data in the distance, and said, "The 320mm caliber main gun shell from a Shireck battleship hit at a distance of about five kilometers."


    "It didn''t penetrate?" The Dwarf Envoy took a few steps forward, staring at the somewhat ferocious scar, and subconsciously asked again.


    "No penetration!" The agent laughed heartily, walking forward with Mr. Envoy until he had a close look, then continued to ask, "How about it? Mr. Envoy, do you see it clearly now?"


    "I, I see it now." The Dwarf Envoy finally understood why such a battleship would cost so much steel.


    It was practically a solid lump of iron! Such thick armor steel plates, such formidable cannons, put together, they were the very definition of overwhelming power.


    He could hardly think of anything that could completely destroy the steel monster before him.


    "Now you see why the weapons from Great Tang Group are expensive, don''t you? Genuine materials! In places you can''t see, every single detail is conscientious." The official spread his arms proudly, making an encompassing gesture, "You will soon understand that what we''re selling is integrity."


    Yes, aren''t all your sales about integrity? An airship so expensive it''s blood-curdling, and although the gas used is inert and not prone to explode, the price is truly unbearable.


    If your airships weren''t so expensive, would everyone need to buy Shireck''s hydrogen airships to make up the numbers? But this is just great; they are like floating bombs in the sky, ready to explode at the slightest spark...


    Of course, such complaints are pointless, expensive isn''t a flaw of the product, it''s a flaw of the consumer... As a Dwarf Envoy, he wasn''t brave enough to complain at this moment.


    He just focused intently, watching the industrial technological achievements of Great Tang Group being slowly unveiled before his eyes.


    Along with the explanation, he ascended the gangway step by step, saw the steel armor structure beneath the wooden floor, saw the densely packed watertight compartments, and saw the intricate and precise piping.


    At the same time, he also saw the complex wiring, the elaborate and elaborate mechanical computing equipment, the advanced boilers, and the specially prepared onboard fire suppression and explosion mitigation water systems.


    The technical staff detailed each feature of these devices, and with every function mentioned, Mr. Envoy felt a sense of awe.


    Really, as a civil servant, he had never imagined that a weapon could be so exquisitely complex; he had also never thought that technology could truly determine victory or defeat on the battlefield.


    So he groped around like an idiot, here a touch, there a glance, trying to commit everything to memory.


    But then he realized that it was futile; he couldn''t remember any detail because there were just too many of them here.


    He couldn''t even understand the operating principle of the mechanical computing devices. When the Tang Army soldiers demonstrated the device, he stood there dumbfounded, and a few minutes later, he found that he remembered nothing, then stood foolishly in front of a boiler, his mind filled with turning shafts and gears.


    "We''ve tested these compartments; they can dissipate the shockwaves produced by explosions." In the somewhat dim compartment, the technical staff explained the reason behind the slight deformation of some compartments.


    "It''s a marvelous design." Mr. Dwarf Envoy from the Ice Cold Empire nodded along, then he was at a loss whether the other party was intimidating him or explaining the entire battle of the Endless Sea to him.


    According to the Tang Army, they commenced firing from a distance greater than 10 kilometers and swiftly achieved the accomplishment of sinking a Shireck battleship.


    The Navy of the Kingdom of Dorne had to change their battle strategies, moving closer to the Tang fleet and thus losing the initiative.


    ```


    Following that, the decisive battle became a one-sided massacre. The Tang Country Navy, with three battleships, faced the Shireck Navy''s four battleships. As a result, at the minor cost of being hit by a single cannonball, they sank all the enemy warships!


    The Shireck Navy, as the most powerful navy in the northern waters of the Endless Sea, was entirely incomparable to the Ice Cold Empire.


    Although the Ice Cold Empire was wealthy and had vast territories, in reality, it had always prioritized land forces and paid little attention to the development of its navy.


    Now, after the annihilation of the Shireck Navy, there was no one left in the entire Endless Sea who could rival the Tang Country Navy. To the Dwarf Envoy, this sounded very much like a threat.


    "How about it? If you are willing to purchase, we can sell you the complete production technology for these battleships, including blueprints, and we could even improve upon them and redesign a more advanced and powerful model," the Tang Country official suggested earnestly as he escorted the Dwarf Envoy on a tour.


    "Although it''s a bit expensive, it can at least guarantee the safety of the Ice Cold Empire''s northern sea routes. When it comes to safety, spending a bit more money is always worth it," he went on confidently, enticing the Dwarf trailing behind him.


    Regrettably, if this offer had been made a few months earlier, he, as the Dwarf Envoy, might have considered whether it was worth the money to build a navy fleet of their own.


    But now, he no longer had a choice: the order from Binghan the First, Emperor of the Ice Cold Empire, was to purchase airplane technology, which for the eagerly militarizing Ice Cold Empire, was of paramount importance.


    After all, as proven, with a strong understanding of airplane technology, the coastline could be protected by aircraft ¡ª this was the best option for many land-based countries.


    As for building a powerful navy, they didn''t really care about that: unless it could bring them benefits, they would only consider spending less money to give it a try.


    Land was the foundation for these countries: as for those who once valued their navies, they had all been eradicated by the Tang Army, and no one else was to blame¡ªonly Tang Mo could be faulted for acting too ruthlessly.


    The Taren Kingdom was once a naval superpower, but now it had been completely annexed and erased by Dorne. The Poplar Kingdom also used to be a naval powerhouse, but it obviously hadn''t kept up with the pace of development in recent years.


    As for Shireck, the country that valued naval development the most, had purchased so many warships from Brunas over the years. However, after the disastrous battle in the North Sea, it essentially fell from the ranks of naval powerhouses.


    Thus, Tang Mo''s introduction of battleships for sale at this time was quite awkward. Those interested had either been killed or crippled, and the rest were a bunch of ignoramuses.


    "We accept pre-orders, Mr. Envoy. You can pay with steel, cobalt ore, nickel ore, and the prices are very favorable," the Tang Country official continued to earnestly promote his products.


    However, the Dwarf Envoy shook his head with a wry smile, regretfully saying, "Sir, I think even nickel ore is something we can no longer afford. We now have to work hard to produce these ores to pay for the airplane technology fees you require."


    "It''s such a shame," the Tang Country official said, somewhat reluctantly letting go of such a big deal, but there really wasn''t much that could be done.


    Who could blame them? The airplane technology of Tang Country was simply too expensive: one billion Gold Coins for a country. How many countries could actually afford to pay such a large sum in full?


    In the end, isn''t it all about using various kinds of materials to offset the debt? Iron ore, copper ore, cobalt, nickel, oil, and so on...


    They even had to use some industrial products to offset the cost, such as the cars produced by these countries, as well as some cheap industrial machinery and equipment.


    Although Great Tang could produce all of the industrial machinery, there was an obvious focus on the production process. For those low-end devices that were not urgently needed, Tang Mo did not mind directly importing some for use.


    In any case, in order to enhance the technological level of Great Tang, Tang Mo was eagerly drawing nutrients from every corner of the world. He was greedily absorbing everything, propelling Great Tang forward relentlessly.


    "There''s nothing to regret; you''ve already made ten to a hundred times the profit on the airplane technology," the Dwarf Envoy remarked with feeling, continuing to walk forward.


    The interior space of the Dongwan-class battleship was over a hundred meters long, giving him plenty of time to continue his walk.


    He walked step by step, feeling the might of Tang Country''s military power. He repeatedly asked himself why no one listened to him when he knew from his time in Brunas that Great Tang Group was not to be provoked.


    His Emperor, his friends, didn''t believe a word he said. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    --------


    My back still hurts quite badly today; I''ve struggled to write just two chapters, delaying the promised updates. Sorry.

 Chapter 707 Chapter 707: Support 666

    "The chamber pressure of this kind of cannon is more than twice as high as that of our own cannons; they must have new materials... otherwise, it would definitely explode," said a Shireck engineer as he removed his glasses, speaking to a colleague beside him while looking at the blueprint of the 305mm caliber ship cannon.


    "If it weren''t for seeing this complete set of blueprints, who would have thought that the main gun turret armor of the battleships from the Great Tang Group exceeded 300 millimeters in thickness? So thick... How did they make their warships float?" another expert exclaimed in awe.


    These individuals had come directly from the mythical nation, therefore they arrived in Tang Country ahead of others and saw the blueprints for the Dongwan-class battleships that the Great Tang Group was selling.


    To be allowed to see these blueprints, they had paid a deposit of 30,000 Gold Coins, and they were only entitled to leave Tang Country after the purchase project was completed.


    Now gathered in this small room, they marveled at the exquisite design of each blueprint before them. They really had not expected that the battleships designed by themselves at Shireck would be so much inferior to those designed by the Great Tang Group. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    "The person who came up with this solution must be a genius," the expert looking at the cabin designs said, slapping his thigh, moved nearly to tears by the meticulous design.


    The technician sitting next to him disagreed, feeling that if he were provided with the sophisticated propulsion system from the Great Tang Group, he too could be more daring, installing more armor on his own warships.


    You should know, at that time, he had also come up with a scheme for heavy armor, which now seems not too far off from the protective level of the Dongwan-class battleships from the Great Tang Group.


    But, regrettably, that scheme was ultimately rejected because the limitations of the power system meant that Shireck''s battleships could not utilize so much heavy armor.


    If that much steel plate were installed, Shireck''s battleships simply wouldn''t be able to move: their speed would probably only be a pitiful few kilometers per hour, to say nothing of chasing down an enemy, they might be set adrift as soon as they hit the water.


    Only by using the propulsion system from the Great Tang Group could the new battleships be fast enough and worthy of being used as main battleships.


    Over the years, Shireck had also designed some rather bizarre warships, some of which truly bore the remnants of the warships from the era of the Beiyang Fleet.


    Unfortunately, most of these warships were limited by their power systems and could not be mass-produced. They could only serve as prototypes, left to be eroded and destroyed by nature by the seaside.


    Now, the problem seemed to be solved; after paying a lot of Gold Coins, Shireck appeared to have obtained a more powerful engine that could support those previously impractical fantasies.


    "There''s actually another variant design that emphasizes speed, with one fewer gun turret, focusing on high-speed performance... It''s more suitable for oceanic operations, allowing the warships to arrive at the scene faster, enabling the Navy to deploy the maximum force where it''s most needed at the greatest speed," said a Tang Group designer as he walked in, holding other warship design blueprints and thoughtfully introducing them: "You might want to take a look; it could open up some new ideas."


    The Shireck side had already confirmed the purchase of the Dongwan-class battleship as well as several designs for improved, extended-type warships from the Great Tang Group.


    The Great Tang Group even promised to engage in technical exchanges with Shireck''s engineers, to discuss the development and design of battleships and to guide those clueless fools.


    Of course, all of this came with a cost!


    For this, Shireck had to pay a staggering price of 170 million Gold Coins, and the cost for one Dongwan-class battleship would be extra!


    They now had the privilege to see these things, which was entirely about helping Shireck verify the authenticity of the blueprints, to decide whether to proceed to the next phase of cooperation.


    After all, aircraft technology was the main event, the true prize that Shireck¡ªor other countries for that matter¡ªsought to acquire.


    After watching the person from the Great Tang Group leave with the blueprints and the door being closed again, Shireck''s engineers once again lowered their heads and started to examine the new blueprints.


    Actually, the room was already cluttered with many boxes topped with blueprints. There was no helping the disarray¡ªa single battleship''s blueprints alone numbered in the tens of thousands and were quite a sight when all laid out.


    Of course, this did not even include the technical blueprints for materials and metallurgy; if those were added, there would be even more.


    Bowing their heads over the blueprints, Shireck''s engineers began to converse again: "They''ve lengthened the warship somewhat, which increases the speed... The buoyancy is relatively higher as well. It''s marvelous."


    "And they can carry more fresh water; how did they think of that?" someone immediately nodded in agreement, deeming it a stroke of genius.


    The more they looked, the more excited they became, as if they were opening the door to a new world. The technology of the Great Tang Group astonished them while also propelling them forward at breakneck speed.


    They were so engrossed that they almost missed the dinner hour and, after being reminded twice, everyone put down the blueprints they were holding and left the room, led by the waiters, except for one person who didn''t leave.


    By the time the waiter checked the room for the third time, he immediately greeted him and said, "I want to see your boss."


    "Sir, I don''t know what you are talking about," the waiter replied politely.


    "I want to see your boss! I''ve been a senior engineer at Shireck since I was 21! I want to see your boss, please... take me to him." The middle-aged man spoke, almost breaking into a sob.


    A few seconds later, the waiter he was staring at sighed helplessly and then opened the door, leading him in the opposite direction.


    Soon, another room''s door was pushed open, and the waiter led the middle-aged man into a luxurious room where a man was sitting.


    "Someone came so quickly?" asked the man seated in the room, glancing at the Shireck engineer who followed the waiter in.


    "Yes, sir! He insisted on seeing you." After the waiter replied, he left the room.


    "So... you are ready to betray Shireck?" The intelligence officer from the Tang Country''s security department asked with a smile, posing a very heart-piercing question.


    "I have never felt that this is a betrayal. If I must say there''s betrayal, it''s Shireck who has betrayed technology, betrayed me," replied the middle-aged man. "They can''t give me what I desire. I''ve been at the forefront of the whole world my entire life. But Shireck''s backwardness has stopped me from progressing."


    "You''re an interesting person. Would you like something to drink?" The security department officer gestured, and it was only then that the Shireck engineer noticed a cabinet full of fine wines behind him.


    "No, no need, thank you," the engineer waved his hand and said, "Keep me, I am willing to serve you!"


    "Then you will need to show us your talent," the security department officer said with a smile, standing up to pour himself a drink and another one for the man: "As long as your skills are solid, we can shelter you."


    "Give me a few assistants, and I will prove my capability," the Shireck engineer said firmly.


    "No, you don''t need assistants for now. You have to go back and continue working for Shireck for a year. After a year, you will be qualified to come back, bringing honor and achievements with you." The man extended the glass, signaling him to take it: "Here''s the deal, you send us the intelligence we need, and we will arrange the position you want for you."


    "I understand," the Shireck engineer''s hands shook slightly, having never imagined that one day he would become a spy.


    "You don''t need to be afraid; we don''t need much from you! You just work as usual, and wait for our people to activate you," the intelligence officer swirled the wine in his glass: "We''ll only use you once and will arrange a way out for you. Trust me, there''s no better deal than this."


    "I will cooperate," the engineer swallowed, then raised his glass and drained it, as if he had made a significant decision.


    "Go on, the banquet is quite nice. Eat plenty of good food; you probably won''t be able to enjoy such delicacies after you go back," the intelligence officer gave the dismissal order.


    The next second, as if he''d just remembered something, he added: "Oh, remember this phrase ''Li Bai, Du Fu.''"


    "Hm?" The Shireck engineer paused and turned back to look at the officer.


    The officer smiled and said, "It''s the password for when someone comes to you. You ask if he is Li Bai, and he should reply that he is Du Fu... If the person admits to being Li Bai, then he is not one of ours. Understand?"


    "Understood, understood..." The Shireck engineer nodded and then left the room. As the door closed behind him, the intelligence officer also downed the wine in his glass.


    "He won''t be the last one," the door on the other side opened and the bartender from the intelligence department, a tall and muscular man, walked in.


    "Yes, he won''t be the last one. Based on our estimates, we think we can plant about three more ''nails'' within this group," the officer nodded and said, "However, people who actively come to us like this will probably be rare."


    "No worries! Even having one such person this time would be enough," the bartender smiled and looked towards the door: "Having too many would actually be problematic."


    "Indeed, if they all come to us, I''d be concerned someone might be planting sand in our rice," the officer chuckled, pouring a drink for the bartender.


    "You know, someone will always be checking them. As long as they are alive, they will be under scrutiny..." the bartender looked down at his glass and said, "One of us wouldn''t slip up, right?"


    "You''re right," the officer smiled, agreeing with the bartender''s remarks.

 Chapter 708 - 667 Three Goals

    Because the war had brought devastation to the small village outskirts, and the uneven dirt road at the street corner was anything but smooth, a tank slowly rolled its tracks, finally stopping at the corner.


    The soldiers sitting on Tank No. 4 started hopping off after the tank came to a stop, carrying Thompson submachine guns, their boots thudding dully against the ground.


    Afterward, one by one, the soldiers in the trucks parked behind this tank also climbed out of the vehicle, beginning to sort out their weapons.


    "Everyone knows the mission, right?" the leading officer asked his assembled subordinates in a hoarse voice.


    "Understood!" all the soldiers answered in unison.


    "Then move out! The target must be eliminated!" the officer glanced at his watch, raised his head, and gave a forward wave of his hand.


    All the soldiers started sprinting forward, their orderly footsteps rustling pleasingly. On the village road, an early-rising farmer who had just stepped out with a hoe was startled by the appearance of these soldiers at his doorstep.


    "I¡¯m a good person!" he swallowed his saliva and said to the Tang Army soldier wearing an M35 helmet who passed by him.


    "It¡¯s okay, sir! We¡¯re here to arrest Zhang Jia, the criminal oppressing the peasants," the officer leading the team paused, smiling as he spoke with his hand on the pistol at his waist.


    "His house is over there!" Upon hearing that they were there to arrest that scoundrel landlord, the farmer immediately pointed out the direction.


    The leading officer smiled and tilted his head slightly, adjusting the brim of his cap with a hand: "It seems we have the right person."


    "You should have come earlier! That bastard has done far too many bad things," the farmer said excitedly: "You won¡¯t let him go again, will you?"


    "No... he¡¯s as good as dead." The officer¡¯s hand resting on the holster of his M1911 pistol lightly patted it. He was still smiling, hardly looking like someone about to kill.


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    "Really?" The farmer was not scared but rather seemed quite excited. He looked toward the direction the troops were heading and set down the hoe on his shoulder: "Shall I take you to him?"


    "No need, there might be a gunfight over there shortly, and it could get very dangerous. This is a military operation," the officer waved his hand, declining the farmer¡¯s offer: "Starting tomorrow, the civilian official will take over here, and everything will have to go through legal channels. It won¡¯t be easy for us to act then."


    He paused before continuing to explain: "That¡¯s why we came over to get the job done today."


    While they were talking, the troops had already blocked the gate of the landlord¡¯s house, a few men knocking on the door. As the household servant opened it, a dozen soldiers rushed in, storming into the sizable estate.


    "You should have come earlier, much earlier. If you had come a few years ago, many in the village, including my father, wouldn¡¯t have died," the farmer said, his eyes reddened, as he watched the soldiers enter the yard and spoke to the officer beside him.


    "Who are you?" someone in the yard shouted loudly, but his question was answered with a crisp gunshot. Subsequently, all the villagers came out to watch the excitement, pointing at the landlord¡¯s courtyard where the gunshots continued.


    However, it was clear that the villagers were not panicked; they didn¡¯t scatter and run. Since the gunfire was erupting in the landlord¡¯s home, they even seemed a bit gleeful.


    "Help! I surrender! I surrender!" Soon after, another voice shouted loudly, followed by the wailing and crying of women, coming through intermittently.


    An off-road vehicle came bouncing down the road at breakneck speed, passing the tank parked at the village entrance and driving up to where the officer stood before screeching to a halt.


    The car door was pushed open, and a young man jumped out. He wasn¡¯t wearing a uniform but rather a set of clothes similar to a Zhongshan suit, with the jacket long enough to cover his thighs.


    He was so hasty in jumping out of the car that he even sprained his foot, walking up to the officer with a limp, angrily challenging: "Has your military gone mad?"


    "Our military? Gone mad?" The officer looked at the slightly limping man before him, feigning confusion as he retorted: "Why would you ask that?"


    "I¡¯m the civilian official here! You can¡¯t just slaughter any civilians here!" the young man pointed to his chest, rebuking loudly.


    Carelessly taking a cigarette from his pocket, the officer put it to his lips. Then with a flick, he opened his lighter, shielding the flame with his hand to light the cigarette, exhaling a puff of smoke.


    He snapped the lighter closed after a click and, with the cigarette clamped between his lips, took a couple of deep drags before speaking through the swirling smoke: "You¡¯ll officially take over here tomorrow. Right now, it¡¯s still a war zone here, still under the jurisdiction of the stationed troops, which is us, the battalion! Understand?"


    "That¡¯s sophistry! Do you even know what you¡¯re doing? I want you to explain to me, what exactly¡ªyou¡ªare¡ªdoing¡ªnow!" the young man pointed toward the direction from where the gunshots were still sounding, questioning sharply, emphasizing each word.


    "This is a military operation... Military operations are classified, and civil departments have no authority to inquire," the officer raised his shield.


    "You! As the already appointed local civil officer, I now demand that you explain the undisciplined act of slaughtering civilians!" The young man continued relentlessly while flexing his ankles.


    "Well, since you asked, we suspected there were rebels in this village plotting to attack the soon-to-be-appointed civil officer here," the military officer explained, flicking ash from his cigarette as he looked at the young man.


    "Me? You¡¯re saying Zhang Jia¡¯s entire family plotted to assassinate me?" The young man¡¯s face showed disbelief, yet he was powerless to contest it.


    He had the authority to demand that the military produce evidence, but that process was rather troublesome. By the time the military arranged for witnesses and forged evidence, perhaps a year later, his application process might still not be completed.


    Though the Great Tang Group was swift and decisive in almost all matters, some procedures were as slow as a group of office sloths.


    It wasn¡¯t a deliberate delay; it was just that there were too few clerical workers, the department was not that important, nor was it given importance¡ªin short...there were no people, no resources, and no time...


    This was really a matter of helplessness, because everyone was needed everywhere; there were vacancies everywhere, and everywhere was developing and expanding. It was normal for some departments to fall behind the pace.


    "Yes, we received a report that they were hiding guns and harboring assassins," the officer said earnestly.


    "I... This is Qi Country! You could find some guns for self-defense in almost any landlord¡¯s or rich noble¡¯s house! They have house guards to protect their property, which is what you call assassins!" The young man knew such things all too well.


    This was framing! This was the reckless taking of lives.


    "For the military, any threat... even a potential threat, must be thoroughly eradicated," the officer¡¯s gaze became sharp as he earnestly said, "We don¡¯t take risks. We don¡¯t gamble the lives of our own people on the idea that ¡¯the other side is safe.¡¯"


    "To us, if they have guns and are unwilling to cooperate, those are already reasons enough for elimination." He put the cigarette in his mouth, inhaled deeply once more, and the cigarette quickly turned to ashes, the burning tobacco glowing red.


    "But it¡¯s still the reckless taking of lives, and tomorrow... this place will be removed from wartime control and become a safe zone." The young man looked at the officer, "What you¡¯re doing is a classic case of military interference in local affairs."


    "I wouldn¡¯t dare do that, don¡¯t put a hat on me," the officer quickly denied, "and this is for your own good, don¡¯t take it the wrong way."


    "You kill my people the day before I take office, and you say it¡¯s for me..." The young civil officer couldn¡¯t continue halfway through his sentence.


    He lifted his head and gazed at the officer for a long time without speaking.


    The sound of gunshots in the distance gradually subsided, and the landlord Zhang Jia¡¯s family, who had lorded over the area for decades, were all killed without a single survivor.


    It was decided by the military that the landlord¡¯s gold coins would be confiscated, but because of time constraints, they could only be left to the local civil officer. The rest, including furniture, clothes, utensils, and food, had been distributed to all the civilians in the village that day.


    The land owned by the landlord was distributed by the civil officer to civilians lacking the means of production; frankly, this was tantamount to another wealth redistribution.


    But the military¡¯s intentions were not so simple. If it were just about killing these old nobles of Qi Country and dividing their wealth, the military might not deign to do so.


    In fact, such events were unfolding on a large scale within Qi Country¡¯s territory. Almost all the soldiers stationed by the military left their barracks and once again made a show of force in the villages of the occupied areas of Qi Country, brutally eliminating the country¡¯s old nobles, landlords, and tyrants...


    "Understand now?" The officer threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it with his foot.


    The young civil officer sighed, "You killed people just to provide me with some startup capital?"


    "Ha! You wish it were that beautiful!" The officer scoffed, "That¡¯s the least important objective!"


    He became serious, staring at the young man, "You only have one life, and we risk ours enough; you still have a good life ahead of you... Do you remember what I said? Even potential threats must be eliminated! We don¡¯t want another Sun Ze to arise; you, and all the civil officers, need to stay alive. That¡¯s the second objective, understood?"


    Having said that, he stood at attention and saluted, "Of course, killing these uncooperative people, allowing His Majesty¡¯s decrees to be executed more accurately, more loyally, faster... that¡¯s the ultimate purpose."


    Glancing at the courtyard of the landlord¡¯s house not far away, the young civil officer twisted his ankles again, and the pain returned, "Got a cig?"


    -------


    My waist hurts a lot, writing is very slow, I can only maintain two updates, please forgive me...

 Chapter 709: Beef Jerky on the Light of Route 668

    Beiyuan City was in the midst of reconstruction, swarmed by civilians seeking high-paying jobs from all over, along with the military, bringing a burst of vitality to the area.


    But in reality, the city was still full of ruins, and bodies of all sorts could be seen or excavated everywhere.


    People had grown accustomed to the sight of digging up an arm with a shovel in the debris, and some even found valuable items on these bodies, profiting from the dead.


    Some bomb craters were being repurposed, dug out directly for laying pipes, improving the city¡¯s sewage system.


    In fact, other cities in Qi Country were hardly distinguishable from battlefields now, with trenches dug out everywhere, so much so that one might mistake them for still being at war.


    The military was frenetically busy; they had to clear the ruins and, upon receiving reports from workers, inspect the site for hazardous materials.


    Some places contained hidden ammunition from the Shen Country military, mostly bullets but also grenades and land mines, and even some large-caliber shells.


    These items had to be disposed of quickly and properly¡ªcivilians lacked the experience, so the military had to send personnel for the task.


    All the munitions had to be transported to a designated location and detonated, and the resulting large craters were also convenient for laying pipes, killing two birds with one stone.


    As for the harbor area, the scene was even busier¡ªworkers there needed to repair at least one dock as quickly as possible so that transport ships heading north could dock.


    In any era, shipping is the most formidable mode of transport¡ªa transport ship loaded with cement pipes docking is comparable to the transportation power of hundreds of trucks.


    Another priority was the repair of the train station and railroads, as rail transit would immediately elevate the pace of Beiyuan City¡¯s reconstruction.


    Construction sites were everywhere, workers pushing wheelbarrows and bicycles, refilling the dug-out pits with debris after laying pipes, then repeating the process over and over.


    The work near the city wall was much simpler; workers had to clear all the trash near the collapsed walls.


    Huge stones and green bricks were transported to the harbor area, cast into the sea to build bigger and more advanced docks.


    In the city center, several towering cranes rose, tasked with constructing the first batch of skyscrapers in the city.


    Cement was plentiful, Great Tang Group had set up cement factories in many places, employing highly advanced production techniques.


    These cement and steel factories provided raw materials for the swift development of Tang Country, securing resources for infrastructure¡ªwhen Tang Mo wanted to build skyscrapers, he always had access to cement and steel, which was quite an achievement.


    It was hard to imagine this as a city that had ended its battles, when occasional explosions still occurred, black smoke spiraled up, causing the construction workers to be on tenterhooks.


    Military trucks parked along the streets, with grenade-throwing soldiers carrying submachine guns, maintaining order while smoking cigarettes.


    They had another mission¡ªto collect various weapons, including pistols, rifles, bullets, shell casings...


    Ten shell casings for a copper coin, a pistol for two silver coins, a rifle for three silver coins, with money paid for machine guns and gun parts depending on their condition.


    In any case, civilians were eager; children scavenged for bullets and shells in the ruins, found broken gun parts, and even intact rifles.


    Of course, they also found adults to deal with the rotten corpses lying next to the weapons they discovered.


    Besides light arms, the Tang Army had to allocate personnel to haul heavy weapons such as machine guns, anti-aircraft guns, and cannons.


    Also, damaged Ice Cold branded cars, Gobur branded vehicles, and other automotive wrecks had to be removed for recycling.


    Unfortunately, these cars were now stripped to the frame, with small parts and less sturdy components having been salvaged by civilians.


    Truck after truck of rice, flour, and canned vegetables were delivered to Beiyuan City from the directions of Pingning and Anpu, the food coming by rail could be directly offloaded to nearby regions.


    The Great Tang Kingdom never lacked food, especially when the whole world was prepared to pay for airplane technology, making the food embargo a complete joke.


    Before the war, Tang Mo had stockpiled a large amount of food, intending to stabilize prices and calm the public upon taking over Qi Country.


    In fact, the situation turned out much better than Tang Mo had expected: The Prince¡¯s killing and plundering in the southern Qi Country for food had completely pushed the citizens toward Tang Country.


    The disaster in Beiyuan City once again stimulated the civilians of Qi Country, turning the Tang Army from invaders to liberators overnight.


    Together with the Tang Army¡¯s rough redistribution of wealth within Qi Country, the civilians had already begun to accept the rule of Tang Country.


    When the envoys from Shen Country arrived in Beiyuan City by boat, what they saw was such a busy and fulfilling scene.


    As they rode in a car past the cleared main thoroughfare, they saw trucks carrying the rotting corpses of Shen Country soldiers to be burned outside the city.


    On the bodies, it was clear to see Shen Country¡¯s brown, shit-like military uniforms. These bodies, stacked together, looked like a small mountain of Jin¡¯ou watches.


    "The warriors of Shen Country should not be treated like this." Inside the car, an envoy from Shen Country, annoyed, glared at the truck transporting bodies outside the window and said through gritted teeth.


    "Minister Shen Wenxin, now is not the time to think about these things..." The lead envoy from Shen Country bitterly spoke to soothe his deputy, "We should focus on the bigger picture."


    "Minister Shen Wenyu... We, we really have failed the desperate struggle of so many brave warriors..." said the minister from Shen Country, who was named Shen Wenxin, painfully to his superior, Shen Wenyu.


    As the foreign affairs minister of Shen Country, Shen Wenyu sighed and said, "The life and death of the kingdom is now in the hands of others. We must at all costs ensure the survival of Shen Country, this... is the best comfort for the fallen soldiers!"


    "You... are right," Shen Wenxin nodded slightly, and when he looked up again, his gaze still reluctantly followed the truck carrying the corpses that was moving in the same direction as theirs.


    The driver was also from Shen Country; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t dare to talk so openly and without restraint in the car. The car they were in had been bought from equipment captured by the Tang Army, these Dwarf-produced Ice Cold brand cars were better suited for the Goblins of Shen Country.


    While members of other races felt that the cockpit of an Ice Cold brand car was somewhat cramped, the Goblins of Shen Country found the interior space decent, even a bit too large...


    When they normally used cars, they needed to modify them, raising the brake and gas pedals before they could drive on the road, so every Goblin car purchased by Shen Country came with a set of small accessories to raise the brake and gas pedals.


    These Ice Cold cars were Shen Country equipment seized by the Tang Army. Initially, Shen Country had also purchased them from the Ice Cold Empire. Now they had to pay again to buy them from the Tang Army, which was quite ironic¡ª they were paying twice for the same car...


    Because the envoys from Shen Country were coming to sue for peace, or in other words, to bring money, Tang Country did not deliberately make things difficult for them.


    Soon the car stopped next to a small square in the city center, the flowerbed was filled with rubble and broken stones, barely resembling its original form.


    As the envoys from Shen Country got out of the car, they were startled by the tall crane nearby, having never seen such construction machinery, they looked up at it for a long time.


    When they came back to their senses and withdrew their gaze, they then noticed a corpse hanging near the city hall they were heading to.


    The lower half of this corpse was burnt black, the upper half naked, covered in scars. More horrifying was the face of the corpse, contorted in agony; clearly, he had been alive when burned.


    "Shen Wenxi!" Although the face was severely distorted and the body was roasted so that it was barely distinguishable from a mummy, Shen Wenxin recognized his former colleague at a glance.


    "These Tang people are really too cruel!" He lowered his voice, fearful of being heard by Tang officials who were not far off, coming to greet them.


    At that moment, he had only heard that Shenwu Sanlang was dead, not knowing yet of the sliced death Shenwu Sanlang had suffered.


    "Welcome both of you to Tang Country," the leading official from Tang Country said in a harmless manner, making it impossible to associate him with the well-done corpse not far behind him.


    "Legally, this is still a disputed area... Sir! We have come this time to discuss this very issue," Shen Wenyu spoke up, emphasizing the point.


    "Oh?" The official from Tang Country was not annoyed but responded with an ¡¯oh¡¯ before saying, "Just because of what you just said, during the negotiations, Shen Country will have to put up an additional 50,000 gold coins."


    "You!" Shen Wenxin wanted to step forward to argue but was held back by Shen Wenyu, "Beiyuan City is already in your hands, yet you continue to be so unrelenting. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit too greedy?" Stay updated via Freewebnovel


    "Looking greedy is not a problem, the main thing is to eat enough to be full," the young official from Tang Country laughed heartily.


    "You¡¯ve already got it in your mouth, why the rush?" Shen Wenyu frowned in embarrassment and continued to ask.


    "Haven¡¯t swallowed it yet, right?" the Tang official raised an eyebrow.


    "Sigh..." Looking at the confident Tang official, Shen Wenyu had a strong premonition that this time the peace talks would cost Shen Country dearly.


    "Don¡¯t be so tense, differences are differences, but friendship is friendship... The banquet will be lavish, and the guest of honor is a special envoy from the Ice Cold Empire. The cuisine will be plentiful; the special envoy must thoroughly enjoy himself," the Tang official gestured invitingly, with a beef jerky-like street lamp ornament hanging in the background, looking ever so eerie.

 Chapter 710 - 669 Deputy Chief Engineer

    "Lu Ming!" In the bustling workshop, the workshop manager called out to the engineer who was busy at work. Lu Ming looked up and saw the manager approaching with a stack of documents, smiling as he walked over.


    "What¡¯s up, Boss?" Lu Ming said with a smile as he stood up, rubbing his hands on his coveralls. His fingertips were covered in machine oil, and there were quite a few parts dismantled from the machinery next to him.


    "What happened, ran into a problem?" The manager, curious about the disassembled engine, asked.


    "No, the team developed a new material and wanted to test the shaft strength, so I¡¯m just helping them replace some parts." Lu Ming pointed towards the engine still being assembled and explained to his superior.


    The superior nodded, then continued speaking to Lu Ming, "Well, I came to ask you, are you interested in going to Anpu?"


    "Anpu?" Lu Ming was puzzled upon hearing this place, not aware of anything in Anpu that would require his involvement.


    "Yes, Anpu! They¡¯ve already built some factories there, and the machinery is being installed. A new factory is about to be set up." The workshop manager handed the documents to Lu Ming, "The higher-ups are looking for a production head for engines, someone who knows it all, and I recommended you."


    "Me?" Lu Ming felt unexpectedly nervous upon hearing his superior¡¯s words. Although he truly was a very capable engineer, the idea of being solely in charge was still somewhat daunting to him.


    "I asked your mentor, and he said you were fully capable, and besides... I¡¯ve observed your work attitude, so I decided to recommend you." The superior tapped Lu Ming¡¯s arm with the documents in his hand and said with a smile.


    "Thanks, thank you, thank you, Boss." The first thing that came to Lu Ming¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t the prospects of promotion or wealth. Instead, he thought about the likelihood of being separated from his wife¡ªhe would have to go work in Anpu, while his wife could only stay in Tongcheng.


    "Don¡¯t be so formal, if you have any requests, let me know, and I¡¯ll discuss it with the leaders to see if we can help you out." The leader gestured for the two of them to walk outside.


    Lu Ming turned back and instructed his apprentices, "Assemble it carefully according to the blueprints, no mistakes! I¡¯m going to test it when I get back!"


    "Understood! Master! You get busy!" The apprentices behind him clearly heard that Lu Ming was going to be transferred; they were all very happy for him, grinning broadly.


    "Take it easy! Master!" Another apprentice gave Lu Ming a thumbs-up with a grin, looking as if he was ready to take over the rest of the tasks.


    "I¡¯ll deal with you guys when I come back!" Lu Ming pointed at these beloved apprentices of his, then turned and followed his superior out of the noisy workshop.


    "I actually don¡¯t want to see you transferred, considering your skills in this area..." Having stepped out of the workshop doors and walking down the path, the workshop manager spoke to Lu Ming, who was following behind, "But the people above see potential in you, and it wouldn¡¯t be right for me to hold you back and ruin your prospects."


    He sighed deeply, looking into the distance, "The conditions over there definitely won¡¯t be as good as here, and the living accommodations might be a bit worse, but don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll all be built up sooner or later."


    "Moreover, your position might get a promotion, and the compensation will definitely be better, so the future will absolutely be brighter." After saying this, the leader looked at Lu Ming, earnestly advising him, "If you encounter any difficulties, just write to me. We¡¯re acquaintances after all; there¡¯s no need for formalities."


    "Boss, I, I..." Lu Ming¡¯s eyes reddened. He knew that the workshop manager, who was about his own age, was a good man¡ªmeticulous and fair in his dealings, respected by everyone in the workshop.


    "Spit it out and see if we can address any difficulties; if you don¡¯t say now, once you get to Anpu you¡¯ll have nowhere to bring them up." The factory area was lush with green trees; wherever trees could be planted, green vegetation had been placed.


    Even without an environmental consciousness, the factory still strongly encouraged planting trees for the sake of aesthetics, and the area surrounding the factory was filled with tall trees.


    "I¡¯m worried about my wife... If I go to Anpu, she can only stay in Tongcheng..." Lu Ming scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed to admit.


    "Okay, I understand. You prepare for the handover first. I¡¯ll talk to the leaders about your wife, to smooth things over¡ªwe can¡¯t have someone working hard and split up their family, right?" The leader patted Lu Ming¡¯s shoulder, "When you get there, give it your all. Don¡¯t let down the reputation of our Tank Factory!"


    "Yes, Sir!" Lu Ming replied, emulating the posture of a soldier making a promise.


    "Return the documents to my office after you¡¯re done with them; this is classified, got it?" pointing at the documents in Lu Ming¡¯s hands, the superior reminded him.


    "Understood!" Lu Ming nodded slightly.


    After the leader left, Lu Ming stood still and opened the materials given to him¡ªthe title on them was grand: Anpu Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle Production Base.


    Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle? It was a piece of equipment Lu Ming was unfamiliar with; he glanced at the diagrams and some basic introductions to get a rough idea of it. Continue reading at Freewebnovel


    In theory, it performed better than tanks currently used by other countries, and its eight-wheel design had maximized off-road capabilities.


    Although it slightly sacrificed off-road capability, the greatly improved highway driving ability granted this new weapon extremely high battlefield mobility.


    The troops that used this weapon could advance quickly, reaching the battlefield before the Armored Corps, providing reliable intelligence reconnaissance for the subsequent armored units, and even completing breakthrough tasks independently.


    It would completely replace the military horses extensively used by the Tang Army¡¯s scouts, giving the reconnaissance units good protection. It could also carry radio equipment, something Cavalry couldn¡¯t do.


    What Lu Ming didn¡¯t know was that the brand-new armored reconnaissance vehicle could also carry better observation and aiming equipment, which also enhanced the reconnaissance unit¡¯s battlefield perception.


    In a little over a month, the workers of Tang Country built a huge industrial park in Anpu. Although it still looked like a construction site, it wouldn¡¯t be long before they could start producing some parts.


    After all, the railway in Anpu was already there; there were no issues with the transport of raw materials. Workers drawn from various factories were assembling, and most of the machinery had also been transported.


    As for the fact that the greenery in the factory area wasn¡¯t planted yet, the walls of the factories were makeshift chain-link fences, many of the factory buildings were nothing more than shacks, and the dormitories had only just laid their foundations... These seemed unimportant.


    Compared to the hardships they had endured in the past, these difficulties were insignificant. The workers of Tang Country could still endure hardship because the rewards were high, and they were willing to do so.


    Since Tang Country was in a period of ascendance, with many new factories being born every day, there were also many new positions available. With so many paths for advancement, occasional hardship seemed like no problem at all.


    Soon, those willing to endure hardship would attain higher positions and enjoy better treatment, creating a virtuous cycle that propelled the relentless forward development of Tang Country¡¯s industry.


    Lu Ming continued to look down at the document, and he saw his position, which was the deputy chief engineer in the new factory. The chief engineer was someone he knew, whom he had met once in Tongcheng, and his technical level was indeed very high.


    "I hope she can transfer with me..." Lu Ming thought, then prepared to return the documents in his hand.


    As dinner time approached, Lu Ming returned to his small apartment. He pushed open the door and said to his wife, who was cooking, "I¡¯m home."


    "Hmm, you start mopping the floor. I¡¯ll be done here soon," his wife said without lifting her head from the cutting board where she was slicing a small piece of chicken.


    Lu Ming was somewhat distracted. He set down his briefcase and washed his hands in the basin nearby, then rubbed them on the somewhat grimy towel¡ªhis fingernails were full of grease and looked jet black; they never seemed to get completely clean.


    "What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t seem very happy," his wife said, sensing Lu Ming¡¯s low spirits, and looked up to ask.


    "I might be transferred, promoted to deputy chief engineer," Lu Ming explained.


    "That¡¯s great news! We should celebrate... Should I go buy some more meat?" his wife excitedly suggested, "Or, we could try that new restaurant that opened. I heard it¡¯s expensive, but the food is really good."


    Lu Ming shook his head, "Never mind, I did get promoted... but, but the position is for deputy chief engineer in Anpu."


    "Anpu?" As soon as she heard that her husband might be transferred to another city, Lu Ming¡¯s wife¡¯s enthusiasm faded. She continued cutting the chicken and asked, "Doesn¡¯t that mean we¡¯ll have to live apart?"


    "Yeah, most likely." Lu Ming sighed; he didn¡¯t want to be separated from his wife. He knew this often happened in the past; many workers would go out for two or three years, and by the time they returned, their wives would have had two children.


    "But what about our apartment?" His wife hadn¡¯t thought that far yet, but she was concerned about what would happen to the small apartment they had worked so hard to get.


    According to policy, it wasn¡¯t possible for two workers to have two apartments, so either Lu Ming would have no place to stay in Anpu or they would have to give up the small apartment she cherished.


    "Sigh... I¡¯ll talk to the leaders again tomorrow. If it doesn¡¯t work out, I just won¡¯t go," Lu Ming sighed again, deciding to forgo this opportunity for the sake of his small family.


    In fact, moving to Anpu posed another hidden problem for him: if he had children in the future, the educational resources in Anpu obviously couldn¡¯t compare to those in Tongcheng.


    "How can that be okay!" his wife blurted out the moment she heard Lu Ming was considering turning down the opportunity. She had been very happy earlier that day, but after hearing about this issue from Lu Ming, her mood had also declined.


    The chicken, which she had just bought and was cutting, suddenly didn¡¯t seem appetizing anymore.


    -------


    There will be two releases today as well.

 Chapter 711: Adjust 670 jobs

    The couple had a muddled and anxious night, and when they went to work the next day, they both seemed a bit out of sorts.


    For the first time, Lu Ming¡¯s wife left for work without tidying up their love nest, even forgetting to remind Lu Ming to be careful on the road.


    "Hey! Li Hui! What¡¯s the matter with you, you look like you¡¯re out of it." On the way, she ran into a colleague, and it wasn¡¯t until then that Lu Ming¡¯s wife, Li Hui, snapped back to reality and exchanged a few embarrassed pleasantries before the two of them walked to the factory together.


    They were old acquaintances, and as they chatted, they brought up the matter of Lu Ming¡¯s promotion; the colleague immediately exclaimed with surprise, "That¡¯s a good thing! Why do you look like you¡¯ve lost your soul?"


    "I think it¡¯s a good thing too, but the thought of living apart from Lu Ming just dampens my spirits," responded Li Hui as she walked along, pushing her bicycle.


    They were now approaching the factory gate, which was busier and necessitated that they push their bikes in.


    Bicycles, as an extremely convenient mode of transport, were very popular among the workers. During the times of commuting to and from work, the crowded multitude of bicycles resembled a tidal wave that filled the streets and alleys.


    This was mainly because bicycles were cheap and didn¡¯t consume too many resources. They were convenient for production and didn¡¯t require much skill, which led to their rapid proliferation.


    The workers who first saw these bicycles weren¡¯t picky about the smoothness of the bearings, nor did they care about the frames being too heavy. Manufacturing bicycles was really a matter of just having the hands to do it.


    The bicycle factory in Tongcheng couldn¡¯t really compare with the one in Linshui in terms of technology, so the Linshui bicycles were more popular. But, due to the sheer demand, Tongcheng¡¯s bicycle business was also doing well.


    Because he had a higher income among the workers, Lu Ming bought his wife a Linshui bicycle¡ªa new model with a slanted crossbar designed for ladies, which drew the envy of many female workers. And marrying Lu Ming, a skilled production backbone, made Li Hui the object of jealousy among many unmarried girls.


    "If I were you, I¡¯d quit my job and go with him. That would be better than earning this little money here," said the colleague, enviously.


    The female workers¡¯ wages were not high, amounting to only a few dozen silver coins each month. In Brunas, this would already be considered the minimum income standard.


    But in the less expensive Tongcheng, things were different. Besides, women were traditionally not considered part of the productive force; having the opportunity to contribute so many silver coins to the family income was highly attractive to many women.


    "Lu Ming doesn¡¯t earn much either, and without my few dozen silver coins, we probably couldn¡¯t even afford meat in Anpu," said Li Hui as she walked past the security guard, flashed her identity card, and then pushed her bicycle into the factory.


    This textile factory was quite large, providing employment for over seven thousand female workers, and the fabrics produced here were quite renowned around Tongcheng.


    "Trust me, just go with him. Otherwise, some little vixen might snatch away Lu Ming, and then you¡¯ll have nowhere to cry," her colleague emphasized once again in the changing room, which intensified Li Hui¡¯s worries.


    She wrapped her short hair with a white headscarf and pondered her colleague¡¯s words, her anxiety growing heavier.


    The two of them left the changing room, passed through a corridor, and arrived at the production workshop. Here, the looms were spinning rapidly, and the roaring sound made conversation very difficult.


    The duty worker waiting by the machines handed over the sign-in logbook for shift change to Li Hui and her colleague, and they signed their names.


    The women in charge of the night shift were mostly over forty years old. Since they were mostly past childbearing age, they were assigned the night shift.


    The medical standard of this era was apparent; without advanced technology or sufficient gynecological healthcare staff, late-age childbearing remained a very dangerous act.


    To maintain fertility rates, all factories prohibited women of childbearing age from working night shifts, with night shift workers generally presumed to be older males and females.


    Soon, Li Hui began her busy day of work, operating the machines quickly, overseeing two devices at a time, focused and with clean, deft movements.


    It seemed that only by working tirelessly could she forget that her husband was soon to leave, and that misfortune would soon have them in different corners of the world.


    As she continued to work nonstop, the person in charge of the workshop came over with another female worker and arranged for her to take over Li Hui¡¯s tasks: "Keep an eye on things for her. I need to speak with Li Hui about something."


    The female worker nodded slightly and then took over Li Hui¡¯s work, while Li Hui followed her supervisor to the corridor by the changing room.


    After the door was shut, the roaring of the machinery became much quieter. The supervisor looked at Li Hui with a smile, sizing her up, and nodded in satisfaction, "Not bad, a good girl."


    Li Hui was somewhat confused. She stood there at a loss, not knowing why her supervisor had come to see her.


    "I heard your husband is being transferred to Anpu?" the supervisor asked Li Hui with a smile.


    Li Hui was startled, wondering who the blabbermouth was that had so quickly passed the news of Lu Ming¡¯s transfer to the supervisor.


    "Lu Ming is quite good," the female supervisor praised without any preamble, then continued, "The reason I¡¯m here is to inquire about your opinion. Your husband Lu Ming is going to be transferred to Anpu to serve as the deputy chief engineer. Have you considered, do you want to follow him to Anpu?"


    "I want to go!" Li Hui said without a moment¡¯s hesitation, revealing her thoughts.


    "Well, there is a textile factory over there; we¡¯ve been in touch with them. They have a supervisor who wants to come to Tongcheng... After you go there, you will replace her work... It¡¯s just that the position alternates between a month of night shift and a month of day shift." The female supervisor looked at Li Hui and explained for her to decide: "See if you can accept it."


    "I can! I can accept it! Thank you, thank you, leaders, thank you, leaders!" Li Hui felt she was about to cry.


    She had thought she would have to live apart from her husband, but then suddenly there was the opportunity to go to Anpu together. How could she give that up?


    Even though it meant spending half the time on night shifts, it was much, much better than living apart, wasn¡¯t it? Right now, she wished she could immediately share this good news with Lu Ming. She thought maybe they should buy some pork or beef tonight! The two could have a good meal to celebrate! Otherwise, going to a restaurant would be okay too!


    "Actually, you should give it some thought. If you go with him, the education for your children might be a bit worse compared to Tongcheng. As you know, Tongcheng is also considered a big city and is a lot better than Anpu," the female supervisor reminded Li Hui.


    Seeing that Li Hui still insisted, she nodded and said, "Then get ready, pack up the apartment. When you leave, you¡¯ll need to return the house to the factory."


    Read exclusive adventures at Freewebnovel


    "Okay, okay." Remembering the small home she had tidied so neatly, Li Hui felt a sudden pang of reluctance. It was her first home, into which she had poured so much emotion, and she knew every nook and cranny of it intimately.


    "You really are fortunate," the female supervisor said, looking at Li Hui, who was about to be promoted to workshop manager just like her. She smiled and said, "Both of you getting promoted together, just counting your side, the salary increases by fifteen silver coins... Tsk tsk."


    "Your husband Lu Ming really is capable, managing to have Tongcheng Industrial Bureau call Anpu Industrial Bureau to coordinate personnel arrangements... That¡¯s truly a huge favor. I¡¯m giving you the day off today; go get ready, celebrate a bit," the supervisor finished the conversation and turned to push open the big door of the workshop to return.


    Although the two would likely have no further interaction after this, Li Hui was pretty much certain to be promoted to workshop manager, so leaving a good impression and creating a positive relationship was something anyone would do. After all, if that connection were ever needed one day, it wouldn¡¯t be awkward.


    The leader had left, leaving only Li standing there, still kind of unable to digest the good news. Everything had happened so quickly, it felt a bit unreal to her.


    Suddenly, she came to her senses, leaned against the wall and let out an excited scream: "Ah! Hahaha! This is great! This is great!"


    ...


    When Lu Ming came to the office of the workshop leader again, he learned that his wife was going to be transferred with him. He knew that this favor owed was somewhat large.


    "Don¡¯t feel pressured, just work hard! Take good care of the factory the country has entrusted to you!" the person in charge consoled Lu Ming, who once again had red-rimmed eyes, "There isn¡¯t a dormitory for you over there yet, and the conditions will be tough. Prepare yourself mentally; it¡¯s definitely not going to be as good as in Tongcheng."


    "Please rest assured, leader! I, Lu Ming, will give it my all and not let our Tank Factory No. 2 lose face! I will definitely build up the armored reconnaissance vehicle factory in Anpu," Lu Ming said excitedly, standing straight like a pine tree.


    "Good! When you return, be sure to thank your teacher. He, this old face... he wouldn¡¯t even lend it to me for once," the person in charge sighed, "Speaking of which, I met him even before you did."


    "My teacher cares about me," Lu Ming said, scratching his head awkwardly. He decided that before he left, he would definitely treat his mentor to a good meal at a restaurant.


    "Go on! I reckon your wife already knows. Today, I¡¯m giving you the day off. Go and celebrate properly, and may you... soon have a big, fat son," the person in charge said with a mischievous grin.


    Lu Ming immediately blushed. The factory was mostly men, especially in the production workshop where women were rare, and it was common for them to joke around and tell risque? jokes.


    "Thank you, leader!" Lu Ming said shyly with gratitude. He truly appreciated those who had helped him, grateful for the country, and for the King whom he had never met but who had brought him hope.

 Chapter 712 - 671 Armored Grenadier

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    Compared to the armored reconnaissance vehicle factory in Anpu, the M113 armored vehicle factory in Tongcheng was set up more smoothly.


    So, when Lu Ming and his wife boarded the northbound train, holding a bunch of luggage and standing in the narrow aisle, smelling the stench of feet filling the carriage, the first batch of M113 armored vehicles had already been produced.


    There wasn¡¯t much technology involved with these things, they were essentially just a bunch of steel plates welded together, and even the engines were mature models produced by the Tongcheng engine factory.


    All of the technology used in the M113 armored transport vehicles was very basic, including the gearbox and engine, which were basically existing models with no modifications.


    Such trade-offs made all of the specifications of these armored vehicles very mediocre, or rather, it made them perform exceptionally balanced in all respects.


    It could traverse mountains and rivers with a very low breakdown rate, and due to the vehicle itself not being heavy, it was even relatively fuel-efficient compared to others.


    These armored vehicles only had steel plate protection, and their bulletproof capabilities were not strong; but compared to cars, they were definitely much better. Therefore, for motorized infantry, their introduction indeed enhanced their chances of survival.


    Sometimes, things are that simple: having something is always better than nothing. Previously, the infantry had no armored vehicles, but now they did, and even if the performance was not great, at least they had something.


    It could tow 155mm caliber artillery, carry ammunition for various cannons, transport the wounded, transport infantry, and haul various pieces of junk like tents and equipment.


    This thing was truly a jack-of-all-trades on the battlefield; if conditions allowed, it could even tow a damaged No. 4 tank out of a dangerous combat zone.


    The vehicle¡¯s body, which could withstand bullets from rifles and machine guns, could provide quite good protection for the grenadiers, transport infantry to follow tanks into an attack, and reduce grenadier casualties.


    A MG42 machine gun mounted on top of the vehicle could also provide continuous covering fire, and there was a steel shield in front of the machine gun to protect the shooter.


    The original plan was to install a 12.7mm caliber machine gun, but considering the supply of ammunition, they ultimately went with the same MG-42 machine gun as the infantry, which certainly made supply much more convenient.


    However, the MG-42 machine gun was definitely not as effective in terms of suppressing firepower as the 12.7mm caliber machine gun, so this arrangement would surely need to be revised in the future.


    The Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s first regular armored grenadier corps received this batch of mass-produced M113 armored transport vehicles.


    They loved this brand new weaponry, because with these armored vehicles, they found it much more convenient to carry ammunition and place miscellaneous items, giving them more options during combat.


    In addition, the corps was equipped with No. 4 assault guns, a weapon proven to be a very effective assault weapon in the positional battles near Beiyuan City.


    With this weapon, the infantry¡¯s casualties had dropped to an unbelievably low level. Under the cover of the No. 4 assault guns, the Tang Army would suffer on average less than one casualty when capturing an enemy fire point.


    The enemy had almost no way to deal with this low-profile armored combat vehicle, except for the pre-laid landmines. The 75mm caliber short-barrel cannon mounted on it could destroy a bunker with a single shell, making it a perfect killing machine.


    The Tang Army¡¯s newly organized armored grenadier division, equipped with these modern weapons, could definitely be described as formidable.


    The entire division was fully equipped with Type 56 assault rifles, artillery equipped with Wild Bee Automatic Cannons, No. 4 assault guns, and M113 armored vehicles, as well as trucks and motorcycles to supplement transport capabilities.


    Such a force, apart from the massive consumption of gasoline, had virtually no downsides; they could follow behind armored corps, quickly expand the breakthrough, and keep up with armored corps tearing through the enemy¡¯s depth defenses.


    Tang Mo was trying to organize similar troops to supplement the armored divisions, mix them into more combat-effective corps for easier logistical management and planning.


    The current scale of the Tang Army had more than doubled since before the war, now boasting a force of 600,000 men, a total of 32 divisions! Tang Mo did not plan to disband these troops and even intended to expand further.


    For him, although this war had ended, the next one was imminent! The Tang Army needed more troops to ensure the security of the Great Tang Kingdom.


    Among them were at least seven armored divisions and two newly formed armored grenadier divisions, in addition to eight motorized grenadier divisions, with the rest being standard infantry divisions.


    Due to insufficient production capacity, almost all of the units were under-strength. The number of more than 300 tanks that were supposed to be in an armored division had in fact never been correct.


    Most armored divisions were only equipped with slightly over 200 tanks, some were under repair, some were damaged waiting for replenishment, and others were understrength, always waiting for new personnel and equipment.


    Most of the infantry divisions were also waiting for more weaponry, including artillery and rifles, and the various command equipment was also in short supply.


    Organizing units was actually very easy; just gather some soldiers for training, then issue weapons to everyone and that was it.


    At the same time, forming a troop was extremely difficult. To ensure this troop had sufficient combat effectiveness, it required rigorous training, providing the soldiers with plenty of salaries and rewards, as well as equipping them with more weapons and gear to support their efficient combat operations on the battlefield.


    In the combat operations against Qi Country, the Tang Army had already reaped the benefits of communication equipment. The coordination of frontline command had become more convenient and quicker than before, which greatly enhanced the combat effectiveness of the Tang Army.


    To maintain this flexible and efficient command, the Tang Army commanders even went as far as distributing tanks and vehicles equipped with radios among the troops to act as communication relays.


    Armored divisions with a plethora of radio-equipped tanks and the Air Force¡¯s formidable combat power drew even greater attention from the Tang Army¡¯s commanders at all levels, who treasured these new types of weapons and equipment like precious jewels.


    Soon, the call to equip the infantry with more radios soared. Wireless communication equipment was popularized to the battalion level and even pushed down to the company level.


    Unfortunately, due to the massive demand, wireless communication equipment originally planned to be available at the company level, like tanks and scout planes with automatic cannons, became "scarce resources" fiercely competed for by various troops.


    In short, as the Tang Army expanded, the troops were severely lacking in everything.


    ...


    In the distant Ice Cold Empire, inside a huge factory previously established with the assistance of the Great Tang Group, a brand-new tank had been produced amid the noisy workshop, looking quite impressive.


    This brand-new tank was designed by the engineers of the Ice Cold Empire, referencing the images of the No. 4 tank.


    Although it did not look the same, the overall layout was indeed identical: one turret atop the hull, using a main gun, with the engine located at the rear of the hull.


    This tank, named the Ice Cold Type 1, was equipped with a 90mm caliber short-barreled gun, and the front armor of the hull reached an astonishing thickness of 50 millimeters, completely outclassing the Shireck Type 1 tank.


    "Other than being a bit slower, it is very close to the Great Tang Group¡¯s No. 4 tank," an engineer from the Ice Cold Empire, who now knew the correct name for the No. 4 tank, said with a full voice to several people nearby.


    "The downside is that it doesn¡¯t have a radio communication device. All of Tang Army¡¯s tanks have that kind of equipment!" an engineer from Shireck remarked with some regret as he looked at the piece in front of him.


    "We don¡¯t have such equipment; there¡¯s nothing we can do about it." The Dwarf engineer spread his hands, expressing the same regret.


    However, he quickly added, "But it doesn¡¯t matter, we¡¯ve reserved space for installing subsequent devices!"


    The Tang Army¡¯s communication system was no longer a secret. Some unburned components from destroyed Tang Army tanks and assault guns allowed others who had seen these wrecks to speculate some things.


    Furthermore, the quick response of the Tang Army exceeded that of other countries¡¯ militaries. If one were to say that the Tang Army didn¡¯t possess a new type of command and communication equipment, it would be unbelievable to everyone.


    Comparing the two, knowing that the Tang Army possessed some new equipment wasn¡¯t difficult. The real challenge was... how to replicate this equipment!


    Over the years, many engineers from various countries had conducted some basic research on radio technology. They had also developed some of their own gadgets based on the technologies of the Great Tang Group.


    It¡¯s just that these devices were not yet mature and could not be used in tanks or airplanes like the Great Tang Group¡¯s wireless communication equipment.


    "It¡¯s a pity we can¡¯t catch up with this war." As the leading engineer watched his newly created Ice Cold Type 1 tank unable to be immediately deployed into battle, he sighed with regret.


    "Don¡¯t worry! The next war won¡¯t be too far away! This time we let Tang Country take advantage of the new weapons. Next time, we won¡¯t give them the chance!" an engineer from Shireck consoled.


    He had been involved in the design and manufacturing of the Ice Cold tank, and similar designs had already been sent back to Flame Castle... In short, soon Shireck would have new tanks emerging, and very soon newer tanks would appear all over the world!


    With advances in airplane technology... before the next war arrives, the technological advantage of the Tang Army will no longer exist, and by then, it would be the time for the countries supported by Shireck to showcase their dazzling strengths!


    These people certainly didn¡¯t know that what their leaders had spent a great deal of money to acquire was merely some outdated technology, and the tanks they were copying were actually far from the real No. 4 tanks.


    However, these things were indeed sufficient to deal with other neighboring countries. After successfully replicating the Ice Cold Type 1 tank, the Emperor Binghan the First¡¯s ambitions began to stir once again.


    This Dwarf Emperor felt that he once again possessed the strength to move southward, to unite all Dwarves under his banner!


    Only because the war between Qi and Tang had not formally concluded did he exercise more caution towards Tang Country. Thus, he rested his impetuous spirit, waiting for a better opportunity.

 Chapter 713 - 672 is not what he endowed

    In the ruins of Beiyuan City, a child was hunched over, searching for some valuable trinket. He had already picked up quite a few shell casings and just needed a few more to exchange for his reward.


    For the civilians remaining in Beiyuan City, this was a unique benefit to them. They had suffered too much here, and now, at last, it seemed that their hardships were coming to an end.


    The civil affairs officials of Tang Country assured that every native resident living in Beiyuan City would be provided with housing free of charge.


    This was a policy aimed at soothing the hearts of the people of Beiyuan City while also encouraging those natives to resume production and construction.


    The natives, or rather, the survivors, were very cooperative. They were doing what they could, especially tasks like searching through ruins¡ªa group of children were particularly good at this.


    The little boy stopped walking. He stared at a piece of broken stone for quite some time, then looked around at some of the surrounding broken walls.


    He was more than familiar with the area, as he passed through it every day. He knew it like the back of his hand, and no change would escape his eyes.


    He knew that someone had been here, and that they had moved some stones, which made him alert, carefully inspecting everything around him.


    Scavenging was restricted to certain areas, and the other children wouldn¡¯t come here to cause trouble. Everyone had many things to keep them busy, so who would come back to play pranks?


    After looking around, the boy discovered some disordered footprints. They were inconspicuous and wouldn¡¯t have been noticed if one didn¡¯t look closely. After navigating some rubble and broken stones, he found a very hidden passage.


    This passage in the ruins was not obvious. If one didn¡¯t frequently walk here, they wouldn¡¯t even notice that there was a walkable path.


    Its location was quite concealed in a difficult-to-navigate area. If the boy hadn¡¯t deliberately come to search, he would have never found it.


    Because of frequent foot traffic, the ground here even had traces of movement. The boy looked down at his feet, shuffling forward bit by bit, moving towards the end of the narrow passage.


    His heart was racing. After swallowing a gulp of saliva, at the end of the path, he saw a door.


    The door was part of a slanted wall that had not completely collapsed. Compared to the surrounding rubble and dust, the door seemed too clean.


    The boy did not approach the door. He took slow steps back, retreating step by step, until he reached a relatively safe area. Then he turned and ran at full speed.


    The troops stationed in the city had just reiterated the scavenging rules the day before, saying if they encountered anything strange, they must report it immediately.


    The boy would not forget the gentle reminder from the young officer. He hurried through the ruins effortlessly.


    After climbing over a collapsed wall, the boy saw the military truck parked at the corner of the street and the familiar, mild-mannered young officer.


    "Officer! Officer!" The child waved at the young officer, then dashed across the road bustling with cars, straight to the young officer¡¯s side.


    "Be careful! Mind your safety!" the young officer shouted with a smile, then signaled for the passing cars to wait a moment and let the boy cross the street.


    Cars honked and whizzed by, and the boy reached the young officer, panting heavily and pointing in the direction he had come from, "Officer! I¡¯ve discovered, I¡¯ve discovered a suspicious place!"


    "Take it easy," the young officer said, his smile fading.


    "In the area I¡¯m responsible for, I found a door! Someone was definitely there last night!" the boy explained.


    The officer narrowed his eyes, knowing that this area should have been cleared already, theoretically leaving no civilians hiding.


    It was unlikely to be hidden enemy forces, and if there were any, they would definitely be just a few scattered stragglers.


    "Are you sure?" the officer looked into the boy¡¯s eyes.


    The boy nodded earnestly, "There¡¯s a door, very hidden!"


    The officer nodded slightly and looked behind him, "I need a few men! Come with me and take a look! It could be civilians too scared to show themselves, or it could be people from Qi Country! Bring good weapons, don¡¯t be careless!"


    "Got it!" Several soldiers immediately began to check their weapons, two fiddling with submachine guns while another two removed rifles slung over their backs.


    These troops stationed inside Beiyuan City were part of General Tagg¡¯s Southern Command. Most of these troops were infantry divisions, a large part of which had not yet completed rearmament.


    Their weapons were Mauser 98K rifles, with a few equipped with Thompson submachine guns and snipers using G43 semiautomatic rifles¡ªquite a mix of arms.


    This was inevitable. The Tang Army was also in the midst of a large-scale rearmament, so it was normal for the weapons and equipment to be somewhat mixed up.


    Five people quickly arrived near the ruins under the boy¡¯s guidance. They carefully surveyed the terrain and found that it wasn¡¯t a good ambush spot, so they proceeded and reached one end of the hidden path.


    "A house that hasn¡¯t completely collapsed, looks like it could be a rich family¡¯s mansion," the young officer said, gun in hand, leading his men into the concealed passage.


    Moving ahead, the officer¡¯s boots made light crunching sounds on the rubble. He walked up to the door and noticed that the wooden door really didn¡¯t match the surroundings.


    The officer turned around and gestured for cover; two grenadiers raised their submachine guns, ready to coordinate their next move.


    The leading officer kicked open the wooden door and rushed into the dimly lit room; as he peered inside, he saw a man lying on the slanted floor and a dark figure crouched in the corner.


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    The room reeked of a nauseating stench, and flies buzzed ceaselessly, flapping their wings.


    Several soldiers stormed into the room. The figure in the corner struggled to stand up, pulling a PPK pistol from his bosom.


    Unfortunately, before he could resist, one of the entering soldiers smacked him across the face with the butt of his rifle.


    In pain, the figure clutched his face and screamed as he fell; the pistol in his hand also dropped to the floor with a thud.


    "Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t shoot! Don¡¯t shoot! It¡¯s me! It¡¯s me! I am Jiang Zhi! I am the Second Prince of Qi Country, Jiang Zhi! Don¡¯t kill me! Don¡¯t kill me!" the man lying on the floor raised his hands and yelled loudly, his voice full of despair and trembling.


    He was genuinely afraid, his voice becoming shrill. He held up his hands, not even managing to stand in the gloomy room.


    This Qi Country Second Prince, who should have been above it all, now had a face covered in beard and disheveled hair, indistinguishable from an ordinary prisoner.


    He stank, his once valuable clothes stained all over, and the attendants who once followed him were nowhere to be seen.


    "Jiang Zhi?" The young officer from Tang Country hadn¡¯t expected to inadvertently capture such a big fish.


    He picked up the pistol, walked over to the fallen man, and stepped on his hand asking, "And who might you be?"


    "Ah! Ah! I¡¯m just... the lowly commander of Jiang Zhi¡¯s guard! I am the Guard Commander!" cried the skinny guard, his frame nothing but skin and bones.


    "He is Jiang Zhi?" The officer looked down at the man on the ground and continued to ask.


    "Yes! Yes! He is Jiang Zhi! He is the Second Prince! The Second Prince of Qi Country!" the Guard Commander answered loudly.


    "Take them away!" commanded the leading young officer, waving the pistol in his hand.


    The accompanying soldiers, thrilled, swarmed forward and tied up both men tightly. They didn¡¯t care about the wails and howls as they dragged them out of the room.


    The young officer searched the room and found some ammunition and some worthless documents.


    As for food, there was none at all. So the officer guessed why the two had to venture out at night.


    Their supplies had run out, so they had to look elsewhere to fill their stomachs, which had exposed them.


    Realizing this, the young officer turned to the child, still not willing to leave: "You did well! Thanks to you, we caught this bad guy so quickly."


    He went over, took out a Gold Coin from his pocket, and pressed it into the boy¡¯s palm: "This is your reward, don¡¯t let the other kids see it, alright?"


    In these times, a Gold Coin was a fortune, which is why the officer took a moment to remind the boy of the wisdom of not flaunting one¡¯s wealth.


    The boy nodded vigorously; it was the first time in his life he had ever seen a real Gold Coin, and that Gold Coin was now in his palm.


    So he carefully clenched the Gold Coin in his hand and left the filthy hideout with the officer.


    ...


    "Your Majesty!" More than an hour later, Li¡¯ao reported to Tang Mo in his office, "We¡¯ve found Jiang Zhi, the Second Prince of Qi Country."


    "Oh?" Tang Mo did not even lift his head, clearly uninterested in Jiang Zhi. Frankly, Tang Mo disliked Jiang Zhi, finding him no better than a pig or dog for failing to protect his subjects.


    "He says he¡¯s willing to abdicate, to hand over Qi Country to you rightfully and legitimately," Li¡¯ao explained his purpose: "I think it¡¯s feasible, at least..."


    "What does he want?" Tang Mo still didn¡¯t look up.


    "He hopes to live," Li¡¯ao replied.


    "Impossible! Li¡¯ao. Whether the rule over Qi Country is justified or not is for the people of Qi Country to judge... not for him to bestow with a mere word! He is not worthy!" Tang Mo raised his head: "Got it?"


    "Yes! I understand, Your Majesty!" Li¡¯ao bowed his head, casting aside any trace of pity he had just felt.


    --------


    Dragon Spirit owes updates and will make them up after recuperating. Let me recover first, and then I¡¯ll catch up.

 Chapter 714 - 673 Compensation

    The Kingdom of Shireck ultimately signed the peace treaty, agreeing to all demands of Tang Country, including compensating Tang Country with 300,000 laborers as well as a payment of 100 million Gold Coins.


    Everyone knew well that the Kingdom of Shireck simply didn¡¯t have the funds to compensate Tang Country, yet they had no choice but to sign the peace treaty.


    Beyond that, the Kingdom of Shireck was also reluctantly the first country in the world to recognize Tang Country¡¯s conquest of Qi Country. They acknowledged Tang Country¡¯s occupation of Qi Country, disgracefully including a petition urging Tang Mo to declare himself Emperor.


    The Dahua Empire was firstly very dissatisfied with the petition since Zhao Kai definitely didn¡¯t want to see a so-called empire emerging on his nation¡¯s border, nor an Emperor who would be his equal in status.


    However, the Ice Cold Empire soon afterwards issued a statement expressing they hoped Tang Mo would take the title of Emperor and rename the Great Tang Kingdom to Great Tang Empire.


    For reasons unbeknownst to anyone, many countries took this action that required no substantial investment, but could curry favor with Tang Mo and fan the flames between the Dahua Empire and Tang Country, as if it were all a game.


    Everyone was aware that Shireck¡¯s being the first to urge Tang Mo to take the imperial throne was done under duress, as in truth, they were among the least willing to see Tang Country become an empire.


    But the situation was stronger than the will, as Shireck had been confronted with the imposing battleships and artillery of Tang Country¡ªthey could only act as Tang Country¡¯s mouthpiece and obediently speak on behalf of Tang Country¡¯s interests.


    Moreover, they owed Tang Country a staggering 100 million Gold Coins, which they also had to repay as soon as possible.


    In reality, the Kingdom of Shireck didn¡¯t have the money to pay off its debts. They had bloodwashed Beiyuan City actually to repay the debts to Shireck, so where could they find extra funds to compensate Tang Country?


    Thus, most of the sum Shireck owed would have to be converted into Goblin slaves, to be provided to Tang Country as an equal compensation for war reparations.


    Compensating with slaves alone was obviously not feasible, Shireck couldn¡¯t muster such a large population to waste¡ªthey still needed to replenish their military lost in the battle of Beiyuan City, revive production, and people were needed everywhere, making it impossible to capture slaves on such a large scale again.


    In theory, every instance of driving refugees into slavery to repay debts would damage the King of Shireck¡¯s reputation among the common people of Shireck. Having already committed a similar act once, they were not keen on intensifying the approach this time.


    You see, while the Goburs were ruthless in their external expansion, they still had to maintain a degree of face when dealing with their own people.


    Therefore, the 100 million Gold Coin war reparations from Shireck were in fact demanded by Tang Country from the countries that had betrayed their trust.


    The negotiations that Shireck went through these days were essentially a process of demanding money from all the powers that had incited Shireck to declare war against Tang Country.


    In the end, the Ice Cold Empire had no choice but to covertly provide 10 million Gold Coins of support to Shireck, and the Laines Empire was also forced to contribute 12 million to "help."


    In the end, biting the bullet, Shireck had 20 million Gold Coins of its debt forgiven by Shireck to help them through the difficulty.


    It seemed like an act of allies sharing hardships, but in reality, it was a band of thugs chipping in to keep a captured brother silent by paying a settlement.


    In the blink of an eye, hostilities had ceased for over a month, and although the peace treaty was signed only today, in fact, the war had been over for more than a month.


    The discovery of the corpse of Jiang Zhi, the Second Prince and the last eligible heir to the Qi throne, among the ruins, signified the official demise of Qi Country.


    This nation was likely to become history, and the territory of Qi Country would continue to exist as part of the land of Tang Country.


    Large-scale construction had already begun, with construction sites everywhere. The speed of Tang Country¡¯s construction was so fast that it was astonishing.


    Finally, the remote envoy team from Shireck arrived in Linshui, having traveled by C47 transport aircraft from Dragon Island to Linshui, getting a firsthand experience of what an aircraft was all about.


    Honestly, they didn¡¯t like this mode of transportation, as the turbulence and the G-forces experienced during takeoff were quite uncomfortable.


    Yet they were also terrified by the frightful speed of the C47¡ªthey had crossed half the Endless Sea in just a few days, something unimaginable in the past.


    The only source of their discontent was that this type of C47 transport plane was not included in the current range of aircraft technology for sale; they could only purchase a much cruder, more primitive tri-engine transport plane.


    Upon arrival in Linshui, the Shireck envoy team didn¡¯t meet with sales personnel from the Great Tang Group. Instead, their first meeting was with the Foreign Affairs Department of Tang Country.


    And, in fact, their meeting wasn¡¯t about the purchase of aircraft, but rather about discussing compensation related to the attack on Dragon Island.


    Diplomats from Tang Country sat on one side of the long table, staring at the Gobur envoys who had arrived in Linshui with the Shireck team, and spoke, "The incident of Gobur¡¯s fleet nearing Dragon Island is something for which we still need an explanation from the Gobur Kingdom."


    The envoy from Gobur hastily waved his hands, denying the fact that the Gobur fleet was preparing a sneak attack, "The fleet of the Gobur Kingdom merely strayed into the area, there was no intent of any sort! Our warships did not cause any actual damage to Dragon Island..."


    In fact, when Tang Country was at war with Qi Country and the other country, Gobur was ready to declare war on Tang Country¡ªif their fleet¡¯s sneak attack was successful, they would have joined the war within 24 hours.


    Unfortunately for them, their attack failed, whether it was by airship or by warship, both attempts were unsuccessful.


    Therefore, unable to involve their army in the war, Gobur immediately abandoned the idea of joining the conflict, as their navy had already been decimated, and joining the war would be meaningless.


    Thus, even after the other country was thoroughly defeated, Gobur remained deaf and mute to the situation, even when Tang Country condemned Gobur¡¯s sneak attack on the broadcast channels, there was no response from Gobur¡¯s side.


    Tang Country, at its core, also did not wish to escalate the war, so after the condemnations, they did not entertain counter-declaring war on Gobur, and the matter was shelved, dragging on until today.


    However, since Tang Mo had already taken the lead in selling airplanes, extorting Gobur Kingdom and Shireck became an inevitable action.


    Therefore, the diplomat from Tang Country, with a cold laugh, retorted, "Do you even believe your own explanation?"


    The Gobur envoy, an experienced operator, immediately dodged responsibility, "As absurd as it sounds, that¡¯s exactly what happened!"


    The assertive diplomat from Tang Country looked down on the somewhat embarrassed Gobur envoy and threatened, "If you don¡¯t speak honestly and are not prepared to give a serious explanation regarding the combined Shireck and Gobur fleet¡¯s sneak attack on Dragon Island... then we can also take certain matters to the extreme!"


    Gobur, too, was a country with coastal cities, and they were truly afraid of angering Tang Country, lest the terrifying Tang Navy fleet be ordered to sail south and blockade Gobur¡¯s ports.


    If it came to that, the situation would be difficult to resolve. After all, deploying the fleet cost money, and if Tang Country indeed deployed its navy, they would not rest until they had plundered a substantial amount of wealth.


    Caught between a rock and a hard place, the Gobur envoy weighed pros and cons and promptly took out a response they had negotiated beforehand: "Gobur is willing to pay reparations of 2 million Gold Coins... and hopes to repatriate prisoners at the price of 300 Gold Coins per person..."


    You just want money, right? Isn¡¯t it okay if I give it? After all, annihilating my fleet didn¡¯t really cost you much, so why not pay to avoid disaster?


    "Alright, let¡¯s do it that way," said the envoy from Tang Country, who hadn¡¯t intended to seriously fall out with Gobur over this, nor did they expect Gobur to offer more money, so the agreement was made with a nod of content.


    After securing a hefty sum of Gold Coins from various countries, the whole world seemed to be tightening its belt, and of course, Gobur was no exception.


    If they pushed Gobur too far under these circumstances, the risk was actually significant. Despite showing strong combat capabilities, without several years of stable development, Tang Country¡¯s own economic situation would encounter problems too.


    The Tang Country diplomat¡¯s nod came so swiftly that it even surprised the Gobur envoy a bit, making him momentarily think he might have offered too much and should have bargained...


    After settling matters with the Gobur envoy, the young diplomat then turned to the Shireck envoy sitting aside: "Now it¡¯s your turn, the representatives of Shireck... Can you explain why your airships and warships were in the waters around Dragon Island?"


    The Shireck envoy played the same game of denying responsibility: "In fact, that was not orchestrated by Lady Sofia. Shireck is a union, not dominated by one alone. Lady Sofia is just one member of the council, and even as the chairwoman, she couldn¡¯t stop the councillors from taking matters into their own hands."


    "And then what?" The Tang Country diplomat leaned back in his chair, waiting for the continuation of the explanation.


    The Shireck envoy provided the name of a scapegoat: "This military action against Tang Country was initiated by Marquise Serianna on her own, and does not represent the collective will of Shireck."


    This Marquise was actually Sofia¡¯s arch-enemy, the woman who had always been conspiring with the late Smiling Tiger and the fat man.


    The diplomat from Tang Country cut straight to the point, bluntly asking the core question, "To convince me of this... how much money does Shireck plan to offer?"


    "...10 million Gold Coins," replied the Shireck envoy straightforwardly with a price.


    "Sounds quite sincere... doesn¡¯t it? However, we do not wish for similar incidents to continue, so this esteemed Marquise Serianna... must be handed over to us for handling," the Tang Country diplomat laid out the condition.


    "Agreed," said the Shireck envoy, not even attempting to haggle.


    So the Tang Country diplomat immediately realized something and stated plainly, "Using someone else¡¯s hand to commit the deed is something that should only be done once. If there¡¯s a next time, we will have to discuss Lady Sofia¡¯s credibility issues."


    "...We will convey this message," the Shireck envoy was taken aback for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 715: Newcomer 674

    Citizens of the Tang Country like to call themselves Tang People. They love their country and also deeply adore their King, His Majesty Tang Mo, who brought them hope.


    When they heard that there were countries urging their deeply beloved King to proclaim himself Emperor, they were overjoyed and immediately stirred into excitement.


    Lately, the most frequent topic of discussion among workers and farmers has been the matter of their King proclaiming himself Emperor.


    Every one of them was excited, and many felt that living within the borders of the Great Tang Empire would surely be happier than living in the Tang Kingdom.


    Plane technology sales went very smoothly, bringing enormous wealth to the country. For a time, the Tang Kingdom seemed to have endless food, inexhaustible steel, and countless slaves.


    It wasn¡¯t just goblin slaves; many countries used slaves to make up the numbers, offsetting part of the payment for purchasing planes.


    That was a hundred million Gold Coins! If they were paid in gold, few countries could afford to fork out that much money all at once.


    Even if they could afford the sum, not every monarch would be willing to pay it.


    The cost of capturing slaves was very low. Just snatch up some displaced people and bankrupt freeholders, pin a crime on them, and that would be much cheaper than mining.


    As for Gold Coins, well ¡ª spending money would be out of the monarch¡¯s own pocket, but capturing slaves was practically a cost-free transaction for them. It was obvious which option offered more profit.


    So, in the recent few months, countless slaves from various countries were sent to the Tang Country, including many dwarves and elves.


    Goblins were still the majority, with a total of 400,000 goblin slaves sent to Linshui, then distributed across the Tang Country, to be used up as expendables.


    Even providing these goblin slaves with decent water and food, their mortality rate remained astonishingly high.


    Just around three months had passed, and the first batch of goblin slaves that arrived at Tongcheng were nearly all dead.


    Goblins did not see humans as people, and Tang People didn¡¯t see goblins as people either. The hatred between the two peoples had reached an irreconcilable point.


    The docks of Beiyuan City were filled with goblins treated like livestock, undertaking the most grueling physical labor, using their lives to rebuild the city they had destroyed.


    After such a long period of construction, the Beiyuan City, once full of rubble and ruins, had changed its appearance, its streets gradually becoming level, with some areas beginning to return to normal.


    The ones responsible for managing these goblin slaves were the elf and dwarf slaves, who reported directly to the Tang People. Only by relentlessly exploiting the goblins¡¯ labor could they maintain their own positions.


    In a sense, the rich and advanced Tang Kingdom was actually barbaric to an appalling degree: slavery still existed here, it was a slave society, heavily using slaves without concern for their well-being...


    Or perhaps, from a humanitarian standpoint, Tang Mo was no good either; he cruelly exploited those other than the Tang People to develop his country.


    Batches of gold were sent to the Tang Country, disembarking at Linshui, loaded onto trains and then escorted by the military to Chang¡¯an.


    As the Tang Country continued to develop, storing gold in Dragon Island had obviously become less convenient. Thus Chang¡¯an became the new gold reserve base, and a new financial center was being established.


    It seemed that cities like Brunas would no longer appear because Brunas was a special case. At the time, Tang Mo didn¡¯t have many places to develop, so everything had to be crammed into one city like Brunas.


    Now, Tang Mo had a vast country, so he didn¡¯t need to fit all functions into one city anymore.


    Therefore, even though Linshui was a city with a very excellent geographical environment, Tang Mo had no intention of making it the second Brunas.


    The financial functions of Brunas were placed in Chang¡¯an by Tang Mo; Brunas¡¯s entertainment attribute was dispersed to many different cities.


    Similarly, the industrial attributes of Brunas were located in Tongcheng and Linshui and were also spread to Dragon Harbor and Dongwan.


    Linshui and Dongwan, along with Dragon Harbor, became extremely busy, with countless ships delivering various ores produced in the Eastern Continent to these ports.


    Sailboats were almost phased out by various countries; now, the white sails that could still be seen in the ports were almost all fishing boats setting sail to sea.


    All nations were building a large number of modern transport ships, both wooden and steel, but generally, they began to use steam power.


    These steamships improved the shipping efficiency of the Endless Sea route and also led to a qualitative leap in ship design for each country.


    Major nations with shipbuilding experience began to build their own navies, although they also purchased battleship blueprints from the Tang Country, using them as references to design their own flagship warships.


    Inside the port of Dragon Harbor, a transport ship laden with personnel docked at the pier, and the gangway was slowly lowered as a group of young people curiously inspected the huge cranes and the heaps of cargo filling the port, one after another descending from the vessel.


    They were so curious about everything here, because they had never seen such a bustling and massive harbor before.


    In the distance, the lines of oil pipelines cutting through the hills made the entire harbor look filled with a unique steampunk vibe.


    "This place really is so bustling!" one young person excitedly slapped his companion¡¯s back, urging him to look at the two brand-new Dongwan-class battleships docked at the Dragon Harbor pier.


    These two battleships had begun construction before the outbreak of the Tang-Chi war, and had not been able to participate, eventually being launched after the war had ended.


    From any angle, the performance indicators of these two warships actually could no longer be considered advanced, and it was estimated they would soon be sold, possibly to the Poplar Kingdom or the Dorne Empire.


    "Look, look at that battleship! It¡¯s so big!" young people exclaimed excitedly, attracted by the Dongwan-class battleships, pointing at the turret covered with tarpaulins and clicking their tongues in admiration.


    "Hey! Hey! Quick! Look over there! In the sky! In the sky!" another young person shouted as if he had discovered a new continent, his volume peaking once again.


    All the young people looked up, towards the sky. There, two B-17 Flying Fortress Bombers returning from patrol were lowering their altitude, preparing to land at the military airport near Dragon City.


    "Are we here to learn how to fly these? That¡¯s great..." They watched the two planes soaring in the sky, their eyes filled with envious gazes.


    Indeed, they were the pilots meticulously selected by the Shireck Consortium, brought to Dragon Island for training. They were to complete three months of learning here and then take the flying skills back to Shireck.


    This was part of the service, charged separately. Every pilot sent to Dragon Island for training required a substantial additional payment; although Shireck was troubled by the cost, they had to pay.


    Soon, the enormity and prosperity of Dragon City conquered these young men who came to learn airplane piloting skills.


    Sitting in the truck that had come to pick them up, they observed everything on the streets along the way: actually, they also had a secret mission, which was to record everything on Dragon Island and bring it back to Shireck.


    On the streets, one could see cyclists everywhere, and so many cars on the road that they couldn¡¯t speed up, with congested traffic and honking sounds everywhere.


    The shops lined the streets, their floor-to-ceiling glass windows showcasing mannequins dressed in fashionable attire. While the commerce here was not as prosperous as Brunas once was, it was still much better than other cities.


    Because the people here had high incomes, various entertainment venues could be seen on the streets. There were movie theaters and nightclubs, naturally including casinos and nightclubs, with the neon lights flickering even during the day.


    Just one look at these streets, and one knew Dragon City was not lacking electricity; those newly risen cities wouldn¡¯t dare to squander such precious energy!


    And when they arrived outside the city and saw the densely packed chimneys like a forest, they knew the level of industrialization on Dragon Island was quite high.


    Just one breath of the choking air was enough to guess that production was ongoing every day here, with a capacity so great it was frightening.


    By the time the truck, full of these young people learning to fly, arrived at the airport in the middle of the island, these young men finally witnessed what it meant to be rich and powerful.


    Single-seater biplanes were parked in a long row beside the runway, easily numbering in the hundreds. One must know Each of these finished aircraft, when sold to other countries, was incredibly expensive.


    Upon entering the airport gate, everyone saw the warning signs for "Attention: Landmines" planted on the adjacent open ground, and they also observed the carcasses of wild rabbits electrocuted on the barbed-wire fence.


    Then, the truck slowly stopped, and these rookies from Shireck, who had come from afar, met their instructors.


    At dinner time, they saw dwarves and elves who came to learn how to fly, and they also saw classmates from the Laines Empire and the Dorne Empire.


    The Great Tang Kingdom was fair to all, and after seeing the exquisite food in the canteen, these new Shireck pilots actually felt a little bit of value-for-money happiness.


    At least, the food here was worth the exorbitant tuition fees they had paid...


    After that, the nightmare for these future pilots began. They thought they would be able to touch the airplanes the next day, but what awaited them was endless running and various experiments to withstand dizziness.


    Although each one had been carefully selected, within three days, half were eliminated!


    The remaining half now understood why they had to eat so well; if they didn¡¯t eat and sleep well, they would have been tormented to death by the training curricula within three days.


    They also finally understood why they often saw various kinds vomit on the roadside of the base.

 Chapter 716: Study Flight 675

    Tang Mo had several aircraft dedicated to himself, each of these C47s underwent stringent inspection and modification, making them fundamentally different from those C47s operating commercially.


    Although not as luxurious as those heavily modified planes of the 21st-century tycoons, they could essentially be described as comfortable.


    Each time his plane took off, fighter jets also launched to escort it, ensuring the King¡¯s absolute safety in the air.


    The Butcher fighters escorting, the FW-190 fighters, were unsurpassed in performance¡ªthey were the most advanced weaponry that this era and this world had to offer in the skies.


    The interiors of Tang Mo¡¯s C47 aircraft were redecorated with an additional layer to isolate noise and make the best use of the internal space to enhance the comfort of the flight experience.


    Such modifications increased the range of the aircraft while reducing the number of crew members. Under normal circumstances, Tang Mo¡¯s private plane could only accommodate four people.


    Compared to today¡¯s presidential aircraft, Tang Mo¡¯s plane was more like a small private business aircraft rather than a large official one.


    After all, the C47 was too small, offering limited space for modifications: such a plane could carry just so many paratroopers and could transport only a handful of people without any changes.


    Even Tang Mo couldn¡¯t hold meetings on his private aircraft. However, he could issue commands to forces on the ground while airborne, something other countries were unable to do.


    These types of aircraft were not for sale, as Tang Mo neither wanted to sell the production technology for all-metal airplanes nor release the advanced engine technology prematurely.


    After all, World War II-era technology was interlinked¡ªif other countries mastered the engine technology of the C47 transport aircraft, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to adapt it for single-engine fighters.


    Even if the performance was slightly inferior, it would immediately equip those countries with fighters that were usable, which was not what Tang Mo wanted to see.


    If that happened, Tang Mo¡¯s Air Force pilots would face challenges; they could be shot down, a loss that Tang Mo considered too costly.


    He wanted his adversaries to have aircraft, but they should be outdated with minimal resistance capability. Tang Country¡¯s fighter pilots should be able to shoot down these enemy crafts as if they were hunting, without expending much at all.


    Hence, the technology he released was actually biplane technology, with covers made of canvas and bodies of wood.


    Such aircraft could be mass-produced cheaply, but their performance, frankly, was not impressive. They merely solved the issue of availability, not usability.


    Yet, when young people from around the world experienced this entirely new weaponry, they were still awestruck by the biplanes that, albeit rudimentary, could indeed take to the skies.


    When they were first packed into the back seats and strapped in by ground crew, they were as nervous as tourists about to ride a roller coaster.


    Unaware of the challenges they would face, they clenched their fists in tension, watching the propeller spin to life and feeling the engine vibrate the aircraft body.


    "Don¡¯t be nervous! This is just an introductory flight, all you have to do is concentrate and enjoy the whole process," said a young Tang Country flight instructor in the front, who was also quite youthful¡ª in fact, they were all recent flight school graduates themselves.


    Tang Mo couldn¡¯t possibly search for a group of experienced pilots to teach; he wasn¡¯t foolish. Each subtle action of those pilots could be a life-or-death lesson learned through hard experience, so how could they easily show it to others?


    Everyone was young, but the young pilots were truly in a league of their own. After a few days of interaction, the young interns from various countries were thoroughly impressed by these youthful Tang Country instructors.


    In terms of knowledge, these instructors were far superior, all having been trained as elite talents by Dragon City University. Even if they weren¡¯t pilots, they were more than capable of excelling in any job.


    In terms of ability, there was no question; they were trained to become formal pilots, and the investment Tang Country made in them was not for nothing. One could say that each of them was built with money.


    "I, I¡¯m not, I¡¯m not nervous," stammered the apprentice, speaking shakily during their first time stepping away from the ground, challenging gravity.


    Everyone has firsts. The first time sitting in a commercial airplane, even in the spacious and comfortable cabin, most people still feel nervous.


    The situation now is, if you were soaring skyward in an open-top car, would you be able to maintain a very calm demeanor and face it with equanimity?


    "It¡¯s alright, if you throw up, at least there¡¯s no glass around you!" The young instructor in front turned around and chuckled, and after those words, the trainer aircraft began to sluggishly move forward.


    With the roaring of the engine, the plane taxied on the runway, gaining more and more speed.


    Just as it was about to sprint to the end of the runway, the apprentice pilot in the back suddenly felt a floating sensation as their body followed the lift of the aircraft¡¯s frame.


    His feet no longer sensed a firm connection with the ground; his body seemed to have started to float. The plane undulated up and down in such a strange way that it was indescribable.


    Because it was an open cockpit, he, wearing goggles, could clearly see the earth below gradually growing distant, the trees at the far end of the airport runway, their canopies already below his feet.


    He could breathe in the scent of the forests carried by the strong winds; he could also feel that thrilling sensation of flying high above.


    "Wow! It¡¯s so beautiful!" As he watched the trees swiftly recede and shrink, the young flying apprentice from Shireck became utterly excited.


    This was a sensation he had never felt before, one that those flying in commercial planes would never be able to experience.


    Small planes are actually quite erratic in the air due to the airstreams; their bumpiness is completely different from large planes, and the feeling of controlling them is also distinct.


    "This is awesome! So much fun!" The novice, experiencing this sensation for the first time, was shouting with excitement in the back, but soon his voice grew fainter.


    There¡¯s no helping it, as when a normal person sees the ground receding further and further below them, fear starts to grow¡ªthis is the innate respect for heights found in our genes, a demon that all pilots must overcome.


    "My goodness... How, how high are we now?" The apprentice who had been shouting and laughing loudly now forgot his frenzy and started to be afraid again.


    "Just over 1,300 meters, don¡¯t be nervous; our climb limit actually exceeds 4,000 meters," the young instructor called out, relaxed: "There¡¯s a strong wind! You can close your mouth tight!"


    After he finished speaking, he kept controlling the plane¡¯s ascent with a smile, dissatisfied with the painfully slow climb rate of the old biplane.


    If it were an FW-190 fighter, by now he might already have reached an altitude of 5,000 meters, right? That kind of enclosed, pressurized cockpit would be more comfortable, and the plane would be faster.


    Compared to the fighters equipped by Tang Country, these old trainers were practically antiques, more clumsy and more difficult to control, making them highly unlikable.


    "Our current altitude is 1,500 meters!" This time the instructor didn¡¯t turn around, merely calling out an altitude before continuing to pilot the plane higher.


    Truth be told, even wearing a leather jacket, even wrapped in a scarf, even with goggles on, the apprentice still felt cold.


    Though the windscreen sliced through the strong wind, some of it still hit the apprentice in the face, and the icy air was creeping into the gaps of his clothing; he didn¡¯t even care to look down at the increasingly distant ground anymore.


    "Instructor... how, how high are we, are we planning to, to fly today?" He tried to make his speech more fluent, but regretfully, he couldn¡¯t.


    "Around 3,000 meters should do! The first time, no need to push the limits," said the instructor, piloting the ascending plane without turning back.


    After a brief pause, the instructor continued, "Later, I have to demonstrate some maneuvers like rolls and dives¡ªthat¡¯s the exciting part."


    The apprentice sitting behind truly wanted to tell his instructor that he didn¡¯t need excitement right now; what he needed was to safely return to the ground.


    "What did you have for breakfast?" After a long climb, the instructor asked a rather odd question out of the blue.


    While the flying apprentice was still pondering what he had for breakfast, he suddenly felt the plane abruptly pitch upward.


    His body seemed to grow heavy, and he had no choice but to lean against his seat, his gaze gradually turning upward to the sky.


    Then, he felt his blood rushing to his head, and the earth beneath his feet came back into his field of view, although it was now above his head.


    The old biplane executed a clumsy somersault in the air, during which the apprentice pilot nearly threw up his breakfast.


    He tried hard to clench his mouth shut, striving to keep his ingested food in his stomach. After all, breakfast here was really lavish and too expensive for him to waste any.


    After turning a somersault, the plane began to dive, and during the dive, it performed two barrel rolls.


    Consequently, the apprentice was unable to hold back his breakfast any longer, and he started to vomit incessantly... Luckily, there was indeed no cockpit cover around, and the vomit was scattered by the wind.


    However, some of the partially digested mush still managed to stick to the apprentice¡¯s own face and even cover his goggles.


    Seeing nothing, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of security. He could no longer see the earth rushing towards him, nor the terrifying scenes of sky and ground interchanging.

 Chapter 717: Socially dead at 676

    He gripped the airplane¡¯s armrest with all his strength, to the point where the veins on the back of his hand bulged prominently. He was truly afraid, afraid of being thrown out of the airplane and plummeting thousands of meters to smash into the ground.


    For him, this might be the most tragic death he could imagine. So he clung desperately to everything as if doing so would bring him a sense of safety.


    Later on, with his eyes closed, he felt the slight jolt of the airplane landing. He could sense the velocity of the airplane decreasing, and the roaring wind around him gradually fading away.


    Someone patted the back of his hand that was still tightly clutching the armrest unwilling to let go, until he regained consciousness and saw the ground crew¡¯s face full of laughter through the gap left by the sticky fluid he had vomited.


    Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he released his grip, removed his dirty goggles, and only then did he realize that his face had gone numb from the wind.


    The ground crew helped him unbuckle his seatbelt, and two people dragged him out of the cockpit as if they were dragging a dead dog.


    Only then did he notice that his clothes were covered in stomach acid and various crushed foods, which, having been in his stomach for a while, had mostly dissolved and looked even more disgusting.


    When he finally managed to stand on his own, the two ground crew members let go of his hands. That¡¯s when he also saw the vomit on his pants...


    He felt like he might have just ¡¯socially died¡¯; he swore he had never been as disheveled as he was today in his entire life.


    Dwarves standing in the distance, along with Elves and apprentice pilots from other countries, all laughed at him, mocking him and the dozen or so other unlucky fledglings who flew with him.


    All the apprentices had vomited, it was just a matter of who vomited more, and whose was a little less. There was no real difference, everyone had their share in this embarrassment.


    A massive ¡¯social death¡¯ event, and one that they had paid a hefty price to achieve, to add to the tragedy: according to the fee schedule, one real flight cost 25 Gold Coins for fuel, which couldn¡¯t be considered cheap at all.


    But apart from the ¡¯social death¡¯ that made one wish for the ground to swallow them up, he still felt the trip was worth it. The feeling of flying was simply too great, everything was just too thrilling.


    For someone who had never left the ground before, soaring through the sky was definitely one of the ultimate dreams. That feeling just couldn¡¯t be described; it was wonderful and full of unknowns.


    And as one of the better-performing apprentices in the first group sent by Shireck to learn flying, he had another mission: to write a letter describing his feelings here and his own recommendations to the high-level officials of Shireck.


    His letter was very important; it was a critical reference for Shireck to decide whether or not to continue training pilots.


    So later that night, during the apprentice pilots¡¯ precious private time, he unfolded a piece of stationery and began to write about his feelings for the day and his opinions:


    "Respected Lady Sofia and other Nobles, the first batch of apprentice pilots to arrive on Dragon Island, Jason, greets you with the utmost respect."


    "Today, we experienced flying for the first time. We got on the airplane and felt what it¡¯s like to fly, controlled by the instructors!"


    "I swear, this is a skill worth learning! Without Tang Country¡¯s instructors¡¯ training, we might never truly master flying."


    "It¡¯s completely different from driving a car. It¡¯s a three-dimensional, much more complex process. We can hop up and down, the feeling is just too... wonderful! If I hadn¡¯t experienced it myself, I wouldn¡¯t believe such a feeling was possible."


    "My suggestion is to immediately send more people to learn how to control and pilot airplanes. Without a sufficient reserve of personnel, we will miss out on many opportunities in the future."


    "We should at least replenish the number of those who are eliminated, and if possible, select some new trainees."


    "That includes those who have studied in Brunas. Their theories are too profound; many of us simply can¡¯t understand them."


    "I can only grasp the basics, those complex mathematical formulas and geometric drawing, I barely understand; this seriously affects my theoretical knowledge."


    "Jack looked really wretched yesterday; he vomited out his entire breakfast. When the plane landed, you could still see the remains of his vomit sticking to the fuselage."


    "Okay, I admit I vomited too. When the ground and sky kept appearing before my eyes, I felt my head was about to be thrown off. I vomited continuously, the dizziness was unstoppable, and by the time everything was back to normal, I had been dragged out of the airplane by the ground crew like a dead dog."


    "Those Dwarves laughed at us, and then they got on too. I was by the runway, vomiting stomach acid, while watching the airplane roll in the sky."


    "It was only then that I realized what I had just gone through... Gods above, from a distance, I realized that I had been rolling so dramatically in the sky, soaring through the heavens, like a real bird!"


    "Isn¡¯t this why I came here to learn? Such flying is simply too enviable! Each movement is so graceful, it¡¯s beautiful enough to make one envy."


    "Stop talking about airships; those things can only be called ascending, they don¡¯t compare to flying! They¡¯re leagues apart from airplanes!"


    "After those Dwarves landed, I had a good laugh at their expense. The stuff they threw up was hanging from their beards, and I heard one Dwarf nearly killed himself when his vomit went up his nose."


    "So, we joined the Elves in laughing at the Dwarves... and later, we all laughed at the Elves, too."


    "In any case, everyone¡¯s breakfast was wasted this morning. By lunchtime, we saw that many hadn¡¯t regained an appetite. They were so listless, they even spoke without vigor."


    "Nevertheless, I could still sense everyone¡¯s determination. No one dropped out, we all want to learn how to fly. It¡¯s an opportunity we¡¯re not willing to miss."


    "There you have it, my direct impressions from today. I¡¯ve recorded them to send back to the consortium, hoping they might serve as a useful reference for you lords."


    Having written the last sentence, this young man, part of the first group who had suffered a social death that morning and then watched as everyone else did the same, folded the letter twice and slipped it into an envelope.


    Sending telegrams from Dragon Island is far too expensive, and coded messages are forbidden, so letter writing has become the most feasible means of communication.


    Not that there¡¯s any secret information¡ªnothing will come up even if it¡¯s inspected¡ªregarding timeliness, well, that cannot be helped.


    If there¡¯s something urgent, it¡¯s not that telegrams cannot be sent; just say less, picking the most important things to share.


    About two-thirds of the international apprentice pilots who first arrived at Dragon Island have already been eliminated. Many failed the cultural classes and were sent back home.


    There¡¯s no helping it¡ªthe literacy rate in this world is quite low, and typically only the Nobility have the privilege of receiving higher education.


    But old-world education in literacy isn¡¯t enough; students must also quickly catch up with the new curriculum, which is admittedly asking a lot. Many feel quite frustrated at being eliminated at this stage.


    When each country conducted its selections, according to Tang Country¡¯s requirements, they gathered the physically fittest elites, which was already one in a hundred, a hundred times stricter than selecting gunners!


    Now, after eliminating yet another portion for still not meeting the physical standards, what¡¯s left are truly one in ten thousand talents.


    "Where on earth are we going to find replacements?" his companion, who had been watching him write the letter, spoke up, "You know as well as I do how we were chosen. A new selection? Good people aren¡¯t that easy to find."


    "I¡¯m just fulfilling my duty!" He sealed his own letter and, holding it, walked out of his dormitory.


    He crossed the corridor, passed by the exercise yard, and followed a path through the woods until he reached the office specifically for sending and receiving mail.


    "Sending a letter?" The guard sitting inside the office gave a polite smile and greeted him warmly.


    Service with a smile, after all. The foreign apprentices studying here are all big sponsors. Each one of them has paid a substantial tuition fee. It¡¯s said a Shireck apprentice could support three pilots from Tang Country, so a bit of enthusiasm is only proper.


    "Yes, sending a letter!" The apprentice handed over his mail obediently, and the recipient placed it in a basket designated for student correspondence.


    Inside the basket, there were already a few envelopes. Judging by the handwriting and addresses, there were those from the Ice Empire as well as the Laines Empire and Dorne Empire.


    As the Shireck apprentice turned to leave, he saw a Dahua Empire pilot trainee holding an envelope, looking somewhat embarrassed.


    As they passed by each other, they saw the purpose in each other¡¯s actions.


    It seemed everyone had the same task, to uncover the truth about whether being a pilot had a future, and to report their findings back to their own countries.


    What made them even more embarrassed was that today they had all socially died in front of one another. Except for a few whose constitution was unusually strong and who hadn¡¯t vomited, the rest were quite bedraggled.


    "Have you had dinner?" The Shireck apprentice couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    The Dahua Empire trainee nodded, then shook his head, "I had a few bites, but it made me feel uncomfortable, so I gave up."


    "I didn¡¯t eat either," sighed the Shireck apprentice. "Hopefully, we¡¯ll get used to the training the day after tomorrow."


    The Dahua Empire apprentice, who in some sense shared the same trench, nodded, "We have to work hard to catch up with the instructors!"


    "Right! We must be even stronger than them! If not, when we go back, the gap between us and them will mean the apprentices we train will have an even greater gap!" The Shireck apprentice said with a nod.

 Chapter 718: Good stuff from neighbor 677

    It wasn¡¯t just a group of airmen desperately learning and training; in fact, in a secluded part of the sea, unknown to the public, another group of people was also desperately studying and training.


    They had practically become non-existent, simultaneously piloting and controlling a ship that did not exist! This ship had not returned to port for a long time, continuously traveling on the ocean, relying on a supply ship to replenish its fuel and food at sea.


    On deck, all the men had beards on their faces, looking like Viking pirates, smelly and with their fronts stained with oil.


    These sailors had been living at sea for more than a month, exhausting their fuel and almost using up all essential living supplies.


    The transport ship that arrived was a supply ship specially modified for submarine crews, replenishing diesel and various food for this submarine as part of this training and experimentation.


    The purpose of this trip was to test the combat limits of the submarine crews at sea, which also included some technical personnel among the trainees.


    In reality, because extra technicians had been added, the number of people aboard the submarine was greater than usual, therefore the consumption was also larger than under typical conditions.


    However, for safety considerations, it was still necessary to carry these personnel; at least with them present, the submarine would not be paralyzed at sea due to technical failures.


    At this moment, this submarine was no longer the only one from Tang Country; the second submarine had also been launched, and the third one had joined the fleet not long ago.


    The other two submarines were responsible for training the submariners, conducting stealth navigation training in the waters near Dragon Island at this time.


    Both submarines carried two sets of crew members, with an apprentice at every position, which allowed for training a greater number of qualified submarine officers and soldiers more quickly.


    The training of submarine personnel was not easy; Tang Mo strictly trained his submarine troops according to German World War II submarine training manual.


    They had to make do with sleeping in places originally meant for storing torpedoes, every corner inside the submarine was transformed to install hammocks, and then twice the number of personnel was arranged to live as possible.


    Each submarine carried only a few training torpedoes, and for the sake of safety, even some of the practice torpedoes were not loaded with explosives.


    Yet training unfolded under these harsh conditions, avoiding the surrounding fishing boats and cargo ships, like phantoms they honed their skills, turning themselves into cold and shadowy assassins of the sea.


    Yes, they were assassins! Their frequent training exercise was to track distant cargo ships at periscope depth.


    They simulated taking up positions at the torpedo tubes, then adeptly aligned their bow with the direction of the enemy ship¡¯s advance, and then pretended to launch torpedo attacks at the target.


    At night, these sailors would even surface and stealthily follow distant cargo ships, watching these massive vessels enter Weigang or Dragon Harbor before finally resting content.


    The training of the two submarines was very concealed, but it was not completely without flaws. At least, many ships reported various strange experiences after entering the vicinity of Dragon Island to the maritime authorities of Dragon Island.


    They claimed they were tracked by unidentified vessels, and some even captured photos of vague outlines.


    These outlines were actually not clear, only a shadowy figure could be dimly seen on the moonlit surface of the sea.


    Judging from the shadow, it was a huge object, looking somewhat like a whale, yet somewhat longer and thinner than a whale.


    Most of these reports were dismissed by the Tang Country maritime departments with reasons such as "whales" and "dolphins," but it was harder to avoid the issue during the day.


    Many seamen claimed to have seen a strange "shark fin," something like a tube that wasn¡¯t very fast, increasingly odd the more they looked at it.


    However, most of these seamen only saw that tube-like object from a distance, so they weren¡¯t sure if what they saw was indeed a shark fin or a dolphin¡¯s dorsal fin.


    Because from certain angles, the fin also looked like an elongated "straight line," similar to a tube, so that was also a plausible explanation.


    But explanation aside, the real sensation of being followed was indisputably authentic. Thus, some legends started to spread, suggesting the presence of sea monsters near Dragon Island.


    As the saying goes, speakers might be unwitting, but listeners could be intentional, and many started linking these sea monsters to the previous rumors of "dragons" on Dragon Island.


    There had also been rumors of dragon resurrections on Dragon Island before, but it was later proven that those weren¡¯t dragons, but secret aircraft from Tang Country.


    Now there were rumors about sea monsters, leading people to feel that this legend might also have a somewhat tenuous connection to new weapons.


    But guesswork remains guesswork, for without any evidence, everyone could only speculate and continue searching for evidence within these speculations.


    The factories on Dragon Island were working overtime day and night, producing outdated aircraft models, including the tri-engine biplane transporters, tri-engine biplane bombers, biplane fighters, and biplane trainers previously used by Tang Mo.


    These planes were selling very well, creating a steady stream of profit for Tang Mo. With pilot training and the sale of these planes, Tang Mo had earned over 120 million Gold Coins.


    Countless materials were sent to Tang Country as compensation goods, including grain, iron ore, copper ore, tin ore, saltpeter, nickel ore, and countless slaves.


    And now, these things had turned into highways, into railways, into locomotives, into all kinds of weaponry and military equipment.


    In the past few months, various countries had paid more than half of their dues and had obtained many new technologies from Tang Mo.


    With raw materials in hand, the development of Tang Country became even faster. Tang Mo already had technology, and now he had labor and raw materials, constructing at a shockingly fast pace.


    Recently, Tang Mo had been busy equipping his troops with new Type 56 assault rifles and outfitting the forces with M113 armored reconnaissance vehicles and Lion armored scout vehicles.


    Of course, there were also the renowned Bee 155mm self-propelled howitzers, and the famous No. 4 Tanks and No. 4 Assault Guns.


    There were more and more planes, including a large number of transporters and bombers. The Tang Army¡¯s fighter squadrons had always been very small in scale; the number of Butcher Fighters hovered around 300 and had not grown significantly.


    These heavy weapons and equipment were all waiting for large-scale enlistment, as the troops required a large number of tanks and armored vehicles and gradually became gluttonous gold-consuming behemoths.


    The mobilization of any heavy-armored corps required a vast amount of resources, especially fuel. Nowadays, when a Tang Armored Division started up, it consumed roughly the same amount of fuel as three motorized infantry divisions.


    To feed these fuel tigers, Tang Mo had no choice but to import a large amount of fuel from Chu Country and Ice Cold Empire at a very high price to fill the gap in increased consumption.


    The main oil production area of Tang Country was Dragon Island, which, despite its high output, was rather inconvenient to transport. Therefore, Tang Mo was eager to find a stable, continuous supply source of oil.


    Chu Country was an obvious choice; once swallowed, Tang Country would almost have achieved its strategic goal in becoming self-sufficient in oil.


    Unfortunately, Tang Mo could not yet declare war on Chu Country directly; although he had a technological advantage, he was severely limited in manpower.


    The vast territory of Qi Country forced him to waste his troops on garrisoning these newly acquired lands. His regular army had been expanded to several hundred thousand, but a third had become new garrison troops.


    The number of troops actually available for offense seemed not much more than before the outbreak of the Tang-Qi War, but Chu Country¡¯s military strength was much larger than previously estimated.


    An attack on Chu Country had to be strategic; unlike the plains prevalent in Qi Country, the mountainous landscape of Chu Country meant that armored corps seemed to have little effect in combat.


    According to the suggestions from the Staff Department provided by Luff, if the Tang Army wanted to conquer Chu Country, they would need to train 300,000 infantry and be prepared for losses of over 100,000 men.


    This estimate was somewhat pessimistic, but the actual results were not much different. The war would likely start off smoothly for the Tang Army, which could expect to capture the capital of Chu Country within two months.


    But after that, many Chu troops would retreat to the mountains and harass the Tang forces. The war would be protracted, and Tang¡¯s casualties could be three times that of the Qi annihilation!


    The Tang soldiers would have to capture each undulating mountain using the most primitive methods, and by then each inch of land would likely be soaked in blood.


    However, for Tang Mo, there were gains for every investment; the mountainous terrain of Chu Country meant it not only had an abundance of oil fields but also countless mineral deposits.


    Steel, copper, nickel... even rare earth elements, and uranium, which Tang Mo would definitely need in the future, were likely plentiful.


    It was fair to say that occupying Chu Country would allow Tang Mo¡¯s Great Tang Kingdom to achieve a closed-loop economy, becoming a completely self-sufficient nation.


    Then, no matter the adversary faced, Tang Mo could respond confidently. He could even close his doors and develop alone, pushing technology to heights beyond others¡¯ reach.


    Regrettably, the Dahua Empire would not continue to watch Tang Mo¡¯s expansion. Zhao Kai would definitely not sit idly by and let Chu Country be swallowed.


    So, declaring war on Chu Country was almost tantamount to declaring war on the Dahua Empire, forcing Tang Mo to seriously consider whether he had the capacity to wage war on two fronts.


    This was not an easy question to answer; even if his elite forces could defeat the armies of Chu Country or the Dahua Empire, the strategic disadvantage could drain the Tang military¡¯s strategic reserves.


    He could fall into a two-front war and exhaust his strategic fuel reserves in the conflict, which was not a scenario he wanted to face.

 Chapter 719 - 678 to get a new neighbor

    In the meeting room, Tang Mo looked at Nangong Hong, Luff, and Redman and Tagg who had already returned from the front line. The intelligence department was also ordered to attend this meeting; the bartender and Li¡¯ao sat at the conference table, looking at Tang Mo at the lead position.


    These important ministers were his confidants and also the heroes who had helped win the war against Qi Country. However, they were not sitting here to discuss rewards; instead, they were discussing how to conquer Chu Country.


    "Oil is a very important production resource, so capturing the oil wells of Chu Country is our next expansion plan," Tang Mo began, stating the topic of this meeting.


    "But the problem we need to solve now is that the Dahua Empire has become very wary of us, Zhao Kai¡¯s patience is limited, and if we continue to risk attacking Chu Country, it¡¯s very likely we will face enemies on both fronts, getting stuck in a protracted two-front struggle," he concluded and walked to the front of the map, pointing his finger at the long western border.


    That part of the border was once shared by Zheng Country and the Dahua Empire, and another part by Qi Country and the Dahua Empire.


    Now, these borders all belong to Tang Country and the Dahua Empire. If a war were to break out, all these places could potentially become battlefields.


    "It¡¯s not realistic to build a defensive line; for such a long national boundary, if it all becomes a fortified area, the expenditure would truly be astonishing," Tang Mo rejected Luff¡¯s suggestion: "Hence, the Staff Department suggests that building a defensive line of thousands of kilometers in length is utterly impractical."


    Tang Mo had no intention of becoming like France; the Maginot Line was so solid, so impregnable, yet in the end, wasn¡¯t it just an artefact?


    The best defense is to attack; Tang Mo would rather expand by five more Armored Divisions and fight it out with the Dahua Empire than play turtle in its shell.


    "Concrete has always been a strategic material, and it is still in short supply. Dozens of cities are under construction, and the population is continuously growing; if the housing supply is inadequate, it will affect the development of our Great Tang¡¯s civil welfare," Roger, as Prime Minister, voiced his opinion from the perspective of civil welfare.


    Concrete and steel reinforcement are hugely in demand for construction; diverting them to build defensive lines would definitely affect the economic development of the country.


    Tang Mo didn¡¯t want to pay a significant price to build a long and ultimately useless defensive line in the west, so he did not agree with Chief of Staff Luff¡¯s defensive line plan.


    "The Dahua Empire can¡¯t keep tolerating us, so if we rashly start a war, Zhao Kai will definitely declare war on us this time," Nangong Hong, as an expert, spoke his mind.


    He was of Chinese descent and very familiar with Dahua Empire¡¯s behavioral logic. If Tang Country continued to provoke the dignity of the Dahua Empire, then the Dahua Empire would certainly seek a reckoning.


    "Even without building a defensive line, relying on the flexible defense of the troops in the field, using air force reconnaissance to provide intelligence, and counterattacking in the areas where the enemy forces attack, we can actually hold the line," Redman, who had recently been studying the use of Armored Corps, had already enlightened himself with many insights.


    His tactics had become very similar to the defensive theories in World War II, roughly standard for Armored Corps to act as firefighters on the battlefield, plugging the gaps.


    The German Army had been using this tactic throughout the latter part of World War II, especially when the situation on the Eastern Front was crumbling; if used well, it was possible to fight while retreating and endure for a year or half a year.


    "This approach is too risky; if we also struggle in the ravines of Chu Country, it¡¯s equivalent to miring ourselves in the quagmire of war," Tagg shook his head and said, "We should think of a more secure method."


    "Indeed, such a gambit is too unsuitable for us; if anything goes wrong, the entire situation could collapse," Roger nodded his head, agreeing with Tagg¡¯s opinion.


    "We can¡¯t build a defensive line on the western front; it¡¯s too long," Roger as Prime Minister emphasized again, not having enough surplus concrete to waste on such an extensive border defensive line.


    Tang Mo was also deeply worried about the current situation: he indeed needed the oil from Chu Country, but how to get it... needed careful consideration.


    The dilemma lay before them; if they did not solve it, they would never be able to find a solution to their oil shortage issue.


    The meeting room was very quiet, as everyone attending the meeting was thinking, trying to figure out a way to avoid a two-front war and make the situation more favorable for Tang Country.


    But after much contemplation, no one had a good solution. So everyone was silent, quietly looking at the somewhat disorganized maps and documents.


    Tang Mo stood in front of the map, suddenly had a revelation as he looked at the upside-down map. An idea flashed in his mind: if he reversed the current plan, it seemed to be more feasible!


    He quickly stepped up to the map and organized his thoughts once again. Then next second, he chuckled, and his laughter sent a shiver down the spine of his confidants in attendance.


    "Hahaha! Hahaha! Good! Good! This way seems not bad at all! Not bad!" Tang Mo held the map upside down as if he had discovered a whole new continent.


    The people around him did not understand what had happened to Tang Mo. They looked at each other, not knowing how to advise Tang Mo to remain calm.


    ```


    Fortunately, without any urging from them, Tang Mo reined in his smile and then proposed his revised plan: "If we just reverse our attack and defense directions, wouldn¡¯t that work?"


    "Your Majesty, what do you mean?" Luff was somewhat confused and asked Tang Mo with a furrowed brow.


    Tang Mo explained with a smile: "If we deploy our troops defensively in the direction of the Dahua Empire, the long battlefront will inevitably lead to weaknesses here and there."


    As he spoke, he gestured on the huge map hanging on the wall of the conference room: "So we can set up a defensive line in the southern part of the Kingdom, blocking Chu Country from advancing north to attack us. Wouldn¡¯t that work?"


    "This?... Your, Your Majesty!" Several people looked at each other, feeling that Tang Mo¡¯s proposed plan was a bit too crazy.


    "Defensive fortifications may not be able to stop Dahua¡¯s troops, but blocking Chu Country¡¯s troops would be easy! They don¡¯t have that many forces; it¡¯s impossible for them to counterattack!" Tang Mo, clenching his fist, pointed out the advantages of this change.


    "But, Your Majesty, aren¡¯t we after Chu Country¡¯s oil fields?" Tagg spoke up, puzzled: "Deploying a defensive line in the direction of Chu Country, and then attacking it, wouldn¡¯t that be even more wasteful?"


    "No! His Majesty means... attack the Dahua Empire first!" Nangong Hong, as the strategist, was the first to catch on. His eyes widened; although he guessed Tang Mo¡¯s idea, he still found it hard to believe that Tang Mo had such audacity.


    "Attack Dahua Empire? The oil fields? Hiss..." Luff also came around and drew a sharp breath.


    "Your Majesty, do you mean... we are going to seize the eastern oil fields of the Dahua Empire?" Li¡¯ao, who was in charge of intelligence, of course knew that the Dahua Empire had oil fields in the east, and that they were not small in reserve.


    "Exactly! What we want is the oil fields, not Chu Country! As long as we can take over the eastern oil fields of Dahua, the effect is the same!" Tang Mo nodded, very satisfied that his subordinates could keep up with his line of thought.


    The Great Tang Kingdom needed oil, so having a new oil field in hand would suffice; it didn¡¯t necessarily have to be Chu Country¡¯s oil field.


    Whose oil isn¡¯t oil? As long as it provides a stable supply of oil, Dahua¡¯s oil fields are just as good as Chu Country¡¯s.


    After Tang Mo realized certain issues, he said with a light-hearted laugh: "Of course, we don¡¯t really need to build a genuine defensive line at the border with Chu Country! Because with Chu Country¡¯s elite forces, if they dare to come out to the plains to battle us, their losses would be tremendous."


    For him, Chu Country was but a second-rate player. The timid King of Chu, even if he knew that Tang Army¡¯s defensive line was a bluff, would not dare to act rashly.


    Therefore, Tang Mo became more excited as he talked: "We just need to invest some budget into creating fake fortifications and laying nonexistent mines. Whether or not Chu Country dares to attack is a question mark."


    "Using sham projects to deceive Dahua might not work, but it¡¯s more than enough to fool Chu Country..." He drew a line on the border, which was less than a third of the length of the original plan.


    After drawing this line, Tang Mo continued to gesture on the map: "By doing this, we can concentrate our superior forces and decide the outcome with Dahua! As long as we defeat the Dahua Empire, we can gain an advantage in one fell swoop."


    "With the support from the eastern oil fields, we won¡¯t fear a war of attrition! As long as the war drags on, Dahua will be the first to falter!" He was confident in winning the upcoming war with the backing of the eastern oil fields.


    "Staff Department! Based on this idea, draft a more detailed and viable plan for me! I need a plan that can be put into action right away, with each element being as rational as possible!" Tang Mo looked towards Luff.


    Luff stood at attention and saluted: "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    "The intelligence department also needs to take action. Collect as much intelligence on the Dahua Empire as possible! Maps, customs, population, military numbers, weapons and equipment, generals¡¯ preferences... all of this, we need to get our hands on as quickly as possible!" Tang Mo turned to the butler and Li¡¯ao.


    "By your command, Your Majesty!" Both men also rose to their feet and bowed in response.


    "Roger! Nangong Hong! You may select some personnel to serve as civil officers, to take control of the eastern oil fields and nearby cities later on." Tang Mo then looked towards the other two men.


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" Both men also stood up and replied.


    "Redman! Tagg! Ibrahim! Get ready! ... Within two years, we will have to decide the outcome with Dahua." Tang Mo spoke with boundless confidence.


    "Your subjects are willing to lead the way for Your Majesty!" The three generals stood at attention and saluted, answering in unison. They knew that the opportunity for new achievements was now laid before them.


    ```

 Chapter 720 - 679 Navy Arms Race

    The new round of the arms race began the moment Shenchu Country signed a peace treaty with Tang Country. After purchasing battleship technology from Tang Country, many nations started constructing their own battleships.


    The Ice Cold Empire built the Everwinter-class battleships, increasing their displacement based on the fearless battleships, taking the displacement up to 30,000 tons, which was larger than the battleships of the Tang Army.


    This brand new design of battleships adopted an upgraded power system, with greater output power, ensuring the warship¡¯s cruising speed.


    At the same time, the ships¡¯ armor became thicker, their defensive capabilities were enhanced, and their cannons became more powerful.


    The 305mm caliber main guns were no longer exciting enough for customers, so a 350mm caliber quickly became the top choice for the Everwinter-class battleships.


    All the new technologies were purchased from the Great Tang Group, including the barrel technology for the cannons and the chamber pressure data, among others...


    However, the brand-new battleships indeed had an all-around performance advantage over Tang Country¡¯s Dongwan-class battleships, even in terms of cruising speed, by a small margin.


    The entire battleship was equipped with a total of five gun turrets, using the most advanced central axis layout, which was more advanced than the turret layout of the Tang Army¡¯s own Dongwan-class battleships.


    As this class of battleship commenced construction, the whole world was set into motion. Those countries with coastlines and harbors began the successive construction of their own battleships.


    Once the battleship came into being, it became the ultimate weapon for naval supremacy; the cruisers and destroyers built before were just minions who couldn¡¯t make it onto the high-stakes table.


    Therefore, the Laines Empire immediately began constructing the Brunas-class battleships, with a displacement of 32,000 tons, also employing the Great Tang Group¡¯s 350mm caliber naval guns that had higher chamber pressure and longer range, and were more precise.


    The brand-new Brunas-class battleship¡¯s firepower configuration, just like the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s Everwinter-class, adopted a design with five gun turrets and the same caliber of main guns, but the difference lay in the Brunas-class¡¯s larger tonnage, more cabins, and somewhat thicker armor.


    After all, there was a bit of a latecomer¡¯s advantage, so from the design stage, the Brunas-class aimed to outperform the Everwinter-class on all performance indicators.


    In fact, the Brunas-class did just that, with better sinking resistance, higher defense, and a cruising speed that was about the same; overall performance was slightly better than the Everwinter-class.


    The Dorne Navy directly purchased two Dongwan-class battleships and, at the same time, hired designers from the Great Tang Group to design a battleship unique to Dorne.


    Because they were willing to invest heavily, Dorne¡¯s battleships even had a bit of a breakthrough implication¡ªthey could be classified within the scope of second-generation battleships.


    Dorne¡¯s battleships adopted 380mm caliber main guns, sacrificing the number of main guns for a significant increase in caliber.


    The entire warship was equipped with four gun turrets in the classic front-two rear-two arrangement, totaling eight main guns, which purely in terms of gun caliber had already overpowered all previous battleships.


    The design of the warship was basically a copy of the Bavaria class, with some performance aspects approaching those of World War II era battleships.


    Its tonnage had already approached 35,000 tons, with ultra-thick armor and a clever design, definitely making it a maritime fortress.


    Dorne started construction on two such battleships, naming them the Endless Winter-class battleships¡ªthree countries coincidentally chose to name their new generation of battleships after port cities, and incidentally, all three were previously port cities belonging to the Great Tang Group.


    Chu Country also commenced the construction of new type battleships, with the shipbuilding plan having somewhat of the shadow of the Dahua Empire.


    Chu Country, which had never paid much attention to maritime defense, built three large battleships at once, basically copying the design of the Tang Army¡¯s Dongwan class and conservatively choosing 305mm caliber main guns.


    Interestingly, Chu Country took a different path from other countries, opting for another route of shallow-draught gunboats: their new type of battleship had a displacement of only 18,000 tons, which was even smaller than the Tang Army¡¯s Dongwan-class battleships.


    Because they reduced the tonnage, Chu Country¡¯s battleships had their gun turret arrangement redesigned, also adopting a more efficient central line layout and reducing the number of turrets to four.


    Shireck did not sit idle either; they built five battleships in one go, plagiarizing the casting technology of the Great Tang Group, and set their battleship main guns to the relatively mature caliber of 350mm.


    Compared to the Dorne Navy¡¯s aggressive choice of 380mm caliber main guns, Shireck was relatively conservative in its choice of main guns, but they definitely did not skimp on the other aspects of investment.


    Shireck¡¯s battleships reached an astonishing displacement of 33,000 tons, which were also huge behemoths with endless steel forging their superb defense, and with access to an excellent power system, Shireck did not skimp on installing thick enough armor on the sides of the battleships.


    Shenchu Country had not been idle either; although they had gone completely bankrupt, in order to maintain their coastlines and protect the lifeline they depended on for survival, they still, gritting their teeth, mustered all their national strength to build their own new type of battleships.


    They actually did not have the docks to build such massive warships, so they had no choice but to order dock equipment from both Shireck and the Great Tang Group and constructed two qualified docks at their Great Southern Bay port.


    The construction of the docks significantly delayed the time it took for the Navy to build battleships, so they referred to the battleships of other countries and then modified some of their own battleship¡¯s technical parameters.


    After suffering from the disadvantage of inferior equipment in the battle of the North Sea, the Navy was determined not to fall in the same spot twice.


    They chose an odd caliber of 410 millimeters for their battleships, gritting their teeth to expand their battleship¡¯s caliber by another 30 millimeters.


    In order to enhance their battleships¡¯ combat capabilities, they even squeezed in the installation of 5 main gun turrets, resulting in an alarmingly long battleship hull.


    Finally, to accommodate the propulsion system and stack on enough armor, their battleships¡¯ tonnage seriously exceeded the standard, reaching an astonishing 40,000 tons!


    It was said that many designers were involved in the design of this class of warship, and some even anonymously consulted the designers from the Great Tang Group. Of course, such consultation wasn¡¯t cheap.


    With help from the Great Tang Group, the Empire of Nanla also designed and built their battleships on their own; nearly every coastal country in the world joined the ranks of battleship construction.


    The Poplar Kingdom also started building their own battleships, and the Songmu Kingdom did not want to fall behind, so they built their battleships too.


    However, both countries, limited by national power, chose a design concept similar to that of Chu Country: their battleships had a smaller tonnage, closer to the concept of a shallow-draft gunboat.


    Compared to the destroyers and cruisers built previously by various countries, many new battleships were equipped with various models of anti-aircraft guns.


    For the threat from the skies, almost all warships were crazily being refitted, and the upgrades were all about "installing new anti-aircraft weapons."


    The airplanes of the Tang Army left a deep impression on navies worldwide; possessing anti-air capabilities became a fundamental consensus among global navies for their expensive battleships.


    Since there was no need to consider size or portability, the anti-aircraft guns installed on warships were much more advanced in performance.


    Many countries referred to the anti-aircraft guns introduced by the Great Tang Group, installing specialized sights on their mass-produced anti-aircraft guns and increasing their rate of fire.


    Installing these guns on battleships, cruisers, and destroyers became an all-out effort for navies around the world.


    Warships were too expensive; each one was precious. To have one sink was truly heartbreaking. Any chance to improve anti-air capabilities was seized; they couldn¡¯t just let soldiers take to the deck with rifles to shoot at the skies, could they?


    Thus, the battleships of these countries, or should we say all warships, were fitted with a large number of anti-aircraft guns, which could be considered an early widespread adoption of technology.


    The calibers and technologies of these anti-aircraft guns varied greatly, with some coming from Shireck, and some from the countries¡¯ own research and development, creating a highly mixed and chaotic state.


    Why had so many countries suddenly started building battleships? They had their own calculations.


    These countries felt that in terms of air force, they couldn¡¯t compete with Tang Country, which held an absolute technological advantage, at least in the short term. Since they could not secure the advantage, defeating Tang Country would require other methods.


    They then remembered the Tang-Chu War, when the Tang Country¡¯s Navy fleet was restrained and unable to move northwards to join the battle.


    As a result, these countries saw what they thought was Tang Country¡¯s weak point: cutting off the sea route between Dragon Island and Linshui would seemingly cripple Tang Country¡¯s industry.


    The fragile maritime transport line between Linshui and Dragon Harbor appeared to be Tang Country¡¯s Achilles¡¯ heel. Cutting off this transport line would leave Tang Country¡¯s air force and army formidable but facing a predicament with no fuel supply.


    From the perspective of these countries, developing the navy and choking Tang Mo¡¯s maritime supply line, while avoiding Tang Mo¡¯s air force, seemed like the best solution to defeat Tang Country.


    The investment was substantial, but the effect was also quite remarkable, so countries began building their own battleships, preparing to dominate Tang Country¡¯s fleet at sea.


    Now, Tang Country had 5 serviceable battleships, while the other countries had none. However, in two years, Tang Country would have, at most, 10 battleships, but by then there would be roughly 35 battleships belonging to other countries on the Endless Sea...


    According to plans, at that time, the number of battleships would be: 6 from the Navy, 5 from the Ice Cold Empire, 2 from the Poplar Kingdom, 2 from the Songmu Kingdom, 4 from the Laines Empire, 7 from the Dorne Empire, 5 from Gobur (Shireck), 4 from Chu Country.


    Alone, the Tang Country Navy seemed unable to respond to the collective challenge posed by so many countries.

 Chapter 721 - 680 The Great Development of the Tang Country Navy

    ```


    How could the Great Tang Kingdom possibly be absent from the arms race?


    In fact, the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s arms race had never stopped since the beginning, and Tang Mo had always been finding ways to update the weapons and equipment of the Tang military, never resting for a moment.


    The Tang Navy was not intimidated by the crazy expansion plans of other countries¡¯ navies; it even crazily joined the arms race.


    According to the plan, the Tang Navy would be equipped with more than 20 submarines before the next war arrived, to cut off the enemy countries¡¯ supply lines and deal heavy blows to their main fleets.


    There¡¯s no need to elaborate on the combat power of these submarines, since the enemy would be completely unaware of their existence, thus having no guard against them whatsoever.


    Tang Mo even felt that his submarine fleet could definitely sneak into enemy ports and slaughter their warships! Similar to the sneak attack by Prien on the Royal Oak battleship, the Tang Navy could even perform many such actions!


    As long as Tang Country did not sell the related technology, those countries would not have any anti-submarine means! They would lack depth charges, and they would not have any anti-submarine tactics or strategies.


    Just like in the battle with the Dorne Empire, where the enemy had no means to deal with airplanes, they could only watch helplessly as their ships were sunk by submarines!


    Besides submarines, Tang Mo also installed torpedoes on the newly produced standard destroyers, endowing these small warships with the capability to challenge large warships.


    The Tang Navy was universally equipping torpedoes as a kind of secret weapon; its power could definitely give their opponents a big surprise.


    Only at this stage did Tang Mo finally manage to produce a complete World War II-era destroyer.


    The new type of destroyer was equipped with five 127mm caliber naval guns, a lot of anti-aircraft guns for air defense, and the killer feature against the enemy¡¯s large warships was the torpedo tubes installed in the middle of the hull.


    This new type of destroyer was actually a Fletcher-class destroyer, except that Tang Mo had changed the central torpedo launcher to the German caliber, and the torpedoes that were brought out were the German version.


    In order to accommodate the torpedoes used by U-boats, Tang Mo had to slightly modify the torpedo tubes on the Fletcher-class destroyers¡ªthe two were both 533mm in caliber, so the design was kept as quintuple-tube configurations.


    However, overall, it was still the design of the Fletcher-class destroyer, with balanced capabilities in air defense, surface combat, and anti-submarine warfare.


    This was also a major reason why Tang Mo chose this type of destroyer: he needed a balanced type that could be mass-produced without changing the model!


    As a World War II-era destroyer planned for nearly two hundred ships, the Fletcher-class design was actually very reasonable.


    It had a laundry and a high-standard kitchen, suitable for long-range navigation, capable of undertaking a variety of tasks.


    Additionally, it was fast, adequately armed, without any obvious defects, and could definitely be said to be a very successful destroyer.


    What¡¯s more satisfying is that the Fletcher-class destroyer was outfitted with both surface and air search radar, and it also had sonar, allowing it to serve as an escort on patrol missions.


    Radar, another of Tang Mo¡¯s secret weapons, was also being equipped on a large scale, especially on navy warships.


    For Tang Mo, navy warships were also not cheap, so he hoped to provide the best weapons and equipment for the navy to minimize his losses.


    The whole warship had a displacement of 3,000 tons, was 115 meters long, 12 meters wide, and had a draft of 5.5 meters. Its maximum speed could reach an astonishing 68 kilometers per hour, which was already the extreme speed for destroyers.


    Even by the twenty-first century, the fastest speed of the main destroyers of various countries was just this speed, without much improvement.


    In addition to the five 127mm caliber naval guns on the deck, there were also twin-mounted Bofors 40mm caliber anti-aircraft guns, 20mm caliber Oerlikon autocannons, and a large number of anti-aircraft machine guns.


    Furthermore, a plethora of 12.7mm caliber machine guns were installed wherever space was found. This time, Tang Mo gritted his teeth and brought out another ammunition caliber for the navy...


    He was also helpless because the MG42 machine gun could no longer be used just to make do; its power was really too small to be placed on warships. So, reluctantly, 12.7mm caliber heavy machine guns had to be used, and the navy¡¯s logistics department could only pinch their noses and accept the addition of a caliber.


    At the same time, the Wolf-class cruisers turned completely out-of-date, so Tang Mo brought out a new design for a light cruiser and completely put a stop to the construction of Wolf-class cruisers.


    ```


    The brand new warship was the Cleveland-class light cruiser constructed by the United States during World War II; it essentially served as a destroyer flotilla leader while also being a very decent anti-air cruiser.


    Tang Mo¡¯s main reason for choosing this intermediately-tiered cruiser design from before World War II was its appropriate tonnage, allowing it to serve as a transitional vessel for the time being.


    He had considered rolling out the Des Moines-class cruiser directly, but with a displacement of 20,000 tons, it was equivalent to that of the Tang Country Navy¡¯s Dongwan-class battleships, which seemed an unwarranted waste.


    One must realize that at this time, countries generally were constructing battleships as the main force for naval combat, and the 203mm caliber main guns of the Des Moines-class cruisers truly lacked power. This made the automatic loading system of their main guns seem somewhat superfluous.


    So Tang Mo decided to give up the path of heavy cruisers, believing that casually building some light cruisers to strengthen fleet anti-air defenses would suffice.


    After all, he was aware of the aircraft carrier technology, and his future fleet would most certainly be built around aircraft carriers, so both heavy cruisers and battleships were already excluded from his plans by Tang Mo.


    While big guns on huge ships are the romance of men, they seem primitive compared to the aircraft of carriers.


    But Tang Mo couldn¡¯t solely produce destroyers as that would make the Navy¡¯s fleet look too thin. Therefore, he still needed some cruisers and battleships for "match-ups," requiring large warships to withstand the close-up attacks of enemy forces.


    After all, early carriers lacked fighting capability at night¡ªwith darkness falling, they could only rely on battleships and cruisers for protection.


    With the Cleveland-class cruiser¡¯s 10,000-ton displacement, a design dedicated to anti-air guns, and a higher cruising speed, it completely met Tang Mo¡¯s requirements for a "cruiser." It wasn¡¯t the best, but it was the most suitable one for Tang Mo to use as a transition.


    Additionally, Tang Mo was also building two brand new battleships, choosing not to use the 406mm caliber main guns but instead adopting the 380mm caliber of the German Bismarck-class.


    Since the Dorne Navy was funding the research and development, Tang Mo decided to directly adopt it for his own use: the Tang Army¡¯s new battleships would be based on the Bismarck-class!


    This was actually an odd choice: theoretically, there were many battleships better than the Bismarck-class used by the German Navy, and the overall protective design philosophy of German battleships was not advanced, with the performance of the Bismarck-class itself not being particularly outstanding.


    Yet for the purpose of serving as a shield for aircraft carriers, the Bismarck became a fitting choice: Japan¡¯s Yamato-class battleships were too expensive, the United States¡¯ Iowa were too fragile as battlecruisers, Hood was even less impressive, and the Vittorio Veneto-class had been critically hit before, leaving the Bismarck as a seemingly more robust option.


    Since they were to serve as shields, sturdiness was sufficient. Tang Mo didn¡¯t plan for his battleships to operate independently, and minor issues in details were easy to address.


    However, the 37mm caliber hand-cranked guns on the Bismarck-class battleships were truly unreliable and had to be completely replaced. Tang Mo retrofitted his new type of battleships with 40mm caliber Bofors anti-aircraft guns and also installed 20mm caliber Oerlikon cannons.


    The original dual-purpose guns of 128mm caliber were also changed to 127mm, to be common with Navy destroyers. At the same time, the entire warship underwent some armor design modifications to improve its defensive capabilities, pushing the displacement up to 53,000 tons all at once!


    The new warships were also equipped with new radars and a fire-control system, although all of this was still on paper for now.


    In order to confuse other countries, the Dongwan-class battleships continued to be built without interruption, but these new Dongwan-class battleships were all intended for sale. Two would be sold to the Dorne Empire, and the existing five would also be gradually sold off in the future.


    The real trump card of the Tang Country Navy was the more secretive construction of aircraft carriers on Dragon Island, where keels were being laid down.


    Since the Endless Sea is often in good condition, Tang Mo did not choose the Atlantic ship design of British and German carriers when selecting carriers, which is why Ark Royal and Zeppelin were eliminated.


    The fully enclosed bows and hangars significantly reduced the number of carrier aircraft, and this was something Tang Mo couldn¡¯t tolerate. Initially short on carriers, if he couldn¡¯t carry more aircraft, he would certainly flip the table.


    The chimney design of the shabbily-built carriers from the relatively comfortable Island Nation was unsightly and their performance was also not very good, so Tang Mo was unwilling to adopt them.


    Hence, the American Essex-class aircraft carrier, which had the best performance and was aesthetically pleasing, became Tang Mo¡¯s first choice. After all, the technical difficulty in constructing carriers of the World War II era was not high, so a direct copy would suffice.


    After all, the Essex-class carriers can be said to be very successful World War II carrier designs, and there was no need to go out of the way to seek other carriers for modifications.


    As for carrier-based aircraft, Tang Mo planned to continue using his own FW-190 and Stukas for the time being, given that the early carrier aircraft performance from the "beautiful country" was not that great. When a real performance upgrade for the carrier aircraft was needed, it wouldn¡¯t be too late to pull out designs like the Corsair.


    For now, the performance of the Stukas and FW-190 Butcher Fighters was definitely sufficient, and maintaining some commonality with the Air Force aircraft would work. Currently, the Stuka Dive Bomber production factory on Dragon Island was hurriedly retrofitting prototypes to equip the Stukas with the capability to carry torpedoes. As for dive bombing, that has always been the Stuka Dive Bomber¡¯s forte, requiring no modifications whatsoever.

 Chapter 722: Show mercy

    Tang Mo returned to Chang¡¯an after concluding his affairs in Qi Country and moved into a brand-new palace built especially for him.


    The palace was enormous, yet regrettably, only a limited area had been completed. Approximately one-fifth of the main complex was finished, with Tang Mo¡¯s residence being just barely done.


    The entire Royal Palace had undergone a transformation from its previous castle style, incorporating elements of traditional Chinese design¡ªbecause the palace complex was so vast that it no longer had anything in common with a castle.


    Chang¡¯an... even in a different world, it could only be called Chang¡¯an!


    Glorious and grand, Chang¡¯an stood as the pinnacle of the world. After Tang Mo renamed the city Chang¡¯an, it became the Chang¡¯an of Great Tang, a unique city surpassing all other imperial cities and capitals around the world!


    It must be said that some things happen naturally, while others come unexpectedly.


    Tang Mo had worked tirelessly and finally reaped the rewards in this summer: both his Imperial Concubines, Alice and Yulin, were pregnant.


    This gave Tang Mo, who had never quite fully integrated into this world, a profound sense of belonging. Before the crossing, he had no descendants, and his occupation did not allow him the luxury of such thoughts.


    In that environment, having descendants and women to worry about would mean that he had a vulnerability, something he had to care for and protect.


    Therefore, he remained unmarried and childless; even with his immense wealth and nightly festivities, he never entertained the idea of marriage and having children.


    But now, he had women who truly belonged to him, as well as his own children. So when he learned that he was to have descendants, he was incredibly delighted.


    For a kingdom, the birth of an heir to the king, especially a highly beloved one, was undoubtedly a joyous occasion and definitely a cause for national celebration.


    The military suggested holding a victory parade in honor of the prince¡¯s birth to showcase the kingdom¡¯s strength and joyously celebrate as a nation. After all, following the victorious campaign against Qi Country, Your Majesty had not flaunted his achievements.


    The Prime Minister agreed the proposal was feasible. Roger had a large number of Gold Coins to spare and didn¡¯t mind the extravagance of celebrating just this once.


    Thanks to a wealth of technology transfer income, Tang Country had reclaimed a significant amount of its domestically issued currency, the Tang Yuan. This currency, officially known as the Great Tang Golden Yuan, had become a global currency due to its circulation.


    Nowadays, Gold was only physically transported for large-scale international payments; for lesser amounts, merchants preferred trading in Tang Yuan.


    After all, this currency was very convenient and could actually be spent as money, instilling strong confidence in many merchants.


    Keep in mind that even during the previous wartime status, Tang Country was willing to accept Tang Yuan for the sale of various goods, making such a resilient currency even more popular and beloved.


    Because having a pocket full of clinking Gold Coins or Silver Coins was never as convenient as carrying a few banknotes.


    Great Tang, quietly taking control of the world financial system, was more powerful than it appeared. Unbeknownst to many, Tang Mo seemed to have the power to influence the treasuries of many kings around the world.


    Half a month ago, the first son of the king of Great Tang was born, with Yulin, the Princess, as the mother. Last night, Alice gave birth to a son, and instantly the kingdom was blessed with two princes.


    Tang Mo was very pleased to suddenly have two sons within a span of just over ten days and issued a special pardon for many slaves and criminals with minor offenses.


    Nearly 400,000 Goblin slaves were not included in the pardon. To celebrate their master¡¯s welcoming of two sons, they worked overtime, building more than 100 kilometers of railway and over 200 kilometers of road.


    Some Goblins, in their excitement, even forgot to rest and ultimately died from exhaustion while working diligently, prompting much sympathy and reflection.


    In memory of these diligent Goblins striving for redemption, Tang Country even erected a monument for them, praising the friendship between Tang and Shen Countries, and extolling the self-sacrificing and industrious spirit of these international Goblin friends.


    Moreover, Shen Wenmao and Shenwu Xiong, who were specifically in charge of the Goblins, were awarded the Great Tang International Medal, especially established by Tang Mo for the two of them.


    The process of awarding medals to the pair came with a little incident which, intentionally or not, was spread around and became the butt of jokes among all the Goblin slaves from Shen Country.


    During the award ceremony for the two crafty Shen, their short stature presented a problem; it would certainly be inappropriate for Tang Mo to bend down to award them, but having them stand on stools seemed too informal.


    In the end, the only solution was to find the shortest Minister, who presented the medals on behalf of Tang Mo, which consequently lowered the ceremony¡¯s prestige quite a bit.


    The construction of Great Tang State was taking shape, with very smooth roads everywhere and a variety of cars visible throughout.


    If judged by the number of vehicles, Great Tang could boast of being the most advanced country in the world, as cars had already replaced horse-drawn carriages as the primary means of transportation.


    And then there were the trains; the technology of Great Tang¡¯s railways had advanced, and the old train models were mostly relegated to branch lines now.


    The railway transport capacity increased by two hundred percent within a year; this can truly be described as miraculous.


    The increased capacity reflected tangibly in the lives of the common people: whereas before it took several days to travel from Tongcheng to Chang¡¯an, now it only required one day, the improvement in efficiency went without saying.


    Tang Mo took a flight from Chang¡¯an, passing through Nanye, and after spending over a dozen hours, arrived in Pingning, a piece of news that filled the whole world with great interest in the forthcoming aviation miracle.


    It¡¯s no joke, the Great Tang Group was training more than 20,000 pilots on Dragon Island for the whole world, and they were all studying flight hard every day; the youngest among those who first came into contact with planes could now fly freely in the sky.


    In the flight instructor¡¯s meeting room on Dragon Island, a team leader slammed a document on the table, looked at a group of young flight instructors, and said helplessly, "Listen, go easy on the students who are about to graduate, don¡¯t let them leave with regrets."


    "After all, you are teachers, why be so competitive? Let them win a round, then send them home happily on the ship!" He cajoled them earnestly, a picture of frustration at their not living up to expectations.


    In fact, he was very satisfied with these trainee pilots because often accompanying pilots from other countries for training, their flying skills had been honed quite well.


    But the commanding officer still couldn¡¯t show satisfaction; otherwise, these young pilots from Tang Country would become even more arrogant.


    So his tone was filled with a stern reprimand: "Do you hear me?"


    "Yes!" all the young men stood at attention, holding their heads high, and replied.


    Continuing to tap on the document, the team leader emphasized, "Make it clear! You are teachers! Teachers! Our job now is to serve these students! They have paid! There are 7 gold coins in your allowance from them! Understand?"


    "Understood!" all the flight instructors continued in response.


    Feigning impatience, the team leader waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to make themselves scarce: "If you understand, then scram! Go back and think about how to lose once, but not too ugly¡ªyou can¡¯t let it be too obvious!"


    "These kids, none of them make life easy..." Once the flight instructor had left and the door was closed, the team leader rubbed the bridge of his nose and complained to his assistant behind him, "If they become really skilled, what are we to do if they suffer losses in future conflicts?"


    "Eventually, others will figure it out on their own." The assistant offered comfortingly.


    "I hope they never do!" the team leader shook his head, then asked, "How¡¯s the work over at the security department? Have you heard anything?"


    "How could they possibly let me know about their work?" The assistant shook his head and then added, "But I¡¯ve picked up on a few things."


    "A few?" the team leader asked curiously.


    "Eight or so," the assistant confidently offered a number.


    "How many?" The team leader was taken aback, then looked at his assistant somewhat exaggeratedly: "From the first batch of over five hundred students, the security department planted dozens of spies?"


    "It¡¯s not that many when you think about it; who¡¯s to say there aren¡¯t spies planted amongst us by others? We can¡¯t fully trust and use them all..." the assistant explained cryptically.


    "True," the team leader nodded, then pondered, "What do you think, should we lend a hand? As a favor to the security department team."


    "Team leader, that wouldn¡¯t be good, would it? It might seem like we aren¡¯t discreet in our work if they find out," the assistant cautioned.


    The instructor team leader nodded his head, agreeing with the sentiment: "True, it¡¯d be superfluous. If they need something, they¡¯ll surely come to me..."


    No sooner had he finished his sentence, an officer from the security department knocked and entered. The man didn¡¯t beat around the bush, pulling out a list: "One hundred fifty, some are our own people, give them a good ranking during the assessments, thanks."


    "Got it, I¡¯ll handle it," the instructor team leader glanced at the list.


    "Burn it once you¡¯re done with it." The visitor reminded. Clearly, this list wasn¡¯t meant to last long because some names on it might one day become air force generals of certain countries, or high-ranking officials in their staff departments.


    "Sure!" The instructor nodded, moving over to pull open a small cabinet and taking out a bottle of fine Linshui liquor: "You guys sure are busy, I hear another thousand came today, right? I¡¯ve got some booze here, want a drink?"


    "No choice, it¡¯s all a lot of worry. I¡¯m not allowed alcohol during work hours, rules of the security department," the visitor sighed wearily: "I better go, still a heap of work this afternoon. The Air Force is impressive, huh, Linshui fine liquor..."


    "Take it, it¡¯s on me," tossing the bottle to the visitor, the instructor team leader¡¯s face beamed with a smile.


    "Thanks!" Taking the bottle, the visitor expressed his gratitude: "Everyone knows the Air Force has good perks. Playing this feels like a game of landlord, haha."


    Playing cards had been popular for quite a while now and the game of fighting landlords had obviously become a hit.

 Chapter 723: Attack 682

    ```


    Crackling, the newspaper in her hand was crumpled into countless wrinkles as the lady at breakfast, face cold as frost, threw the wrinkled paper onto the dining table in a fit of rage.


    "That bastard, he actually has two children all of a sudden! Damn it, why doesn¡¯t he die, why doesn¡¯t he die?" Her meticulously applied makeup couldn¡¯t hide the viciousness on her face as she cursed loudly, her angry voice echoing throughout the room.


    The spacious, enormous dining room housed only a massive table that was frightening in size, and everything here was sumptuously luxurious, with gold-cast candlesticks everywhere.


    Regrettably, these candlesticks were all covered in dust because above them, the great chandelier illuminated everything with electric light.


    In the war between Tang Country, Qi Country, and the illusory country of Gold Coin, Shireck¡¯s northern fleet commander was actually this beautiful vixen¡¯s confidante.


    Back then, she saw an opportunity for profit and thus orchestrated Shireck¡¯s fleet¡¯s surprise attack on Dragon Island. Unfortunately for her, neither the airship troops nor the warship troops succeeded.


    Sometimes that¡¯s just how things are; if you win and succeed, what follows is a shower of flowers and applause. But if you fail, everything changes.


    The other Shireck directors who had been silent about her actions criticized her openly after the failure, including Chairman Sofia, who had previously secretly indicated her support; they all changed their stance.


    Nearly everyone blamed her, resenting her for the loss of a large number of airships and for the utter defeat of Shireck and Gobur¡¯s modernized fleet.


    Not to mention the lost money and lives, she also turned Shireck into a completely passive and disadvantaged position in subsequent negotiations with Great Tang, which became an excuse for many directors to denounce her.


    As a result, she had to compensate with a lot of money and even had to sell off a portion of her Shireck shares to quell some of the anger.


    However, it was clear that things did not end there. She heard that the red-haired wench Sofia had betrayed her, trading her as a bargaining chip to that King of Tang Country.


    The fate of those who offended Tang Mo was fresh in the memory of many Shireck directors: that smiling tiger, who once wielded great influence within Shireck and even dominated over Sofia, died mysteriously at home and had his wealth divided up after his death.


    With this precedent in mind, many Shireck upper-class members are now extremely cautious about their diet, fearful of being poisoned and haunted by paranoia, leading to a life that¡¯s neither fully human nor ghostlike.


    This beautiful vixen before us belongs to this group of people; every day her food must be specially checked by individuals who must also be absolutely loyal confidants.


    Even the men who accompany her to bed each night are subject to repeated checks. This way of life was driving her mad, and every day of poor eating and sleepless nights tormented her, leaving her increasingly deranged.


    The maids cleared away the leftover food, leaving only the middle-aged woman cursing continuously in the dining room. She once had a brilliant half a lifetime, basking in success up until seven years ago when her wealth was enough to rival nations, and her power immense.


    Unfortunately, with the rise of the Great Tang Group, her days worsened by the day. Her wealth rapidly depleted, and her good days came to an abrupt end.


    "Madam, your car is ready," the butler came over, bowed respectfully, and reported to the still-attractive, yet aging, baroness.


    The woman huffed and stood up, complaining as she walked, "What could be so important it can¡¯t be discussed over the phone..."


    In her residence, the best phones produced by the Great Tang Group had been installed, providing clear voice quality and great convenience. These devices, widely used on warships, were also commonplace in Brunas for civilian use.


    However, for regions south of Gobur and controlled by Shireck, such devices were still prohibitively expensive, and only the true elite could afford to have a phone installed to show off their status.


    The lover inviting her happened to be one of her trusted agents, managing her new textile and machine tool factories, a very capable subordinate, which is why she gave him face by personally visiting his mansion to discuss future production issues.


    Because of their strained relationship with the Great Tang Group, the machinery and equipment produced by some of Shireck¡¯s factories were bestsellers, also netting Shireck a considerable profit.


    Escorted by a few guards, the carefully dressed yet vexed baroness got into her Rolls-Royce and, with two other cars for escort, drove out of her estate.


    The city streets were fairly smooth, and the Rolls-Royce, with its shock-absorbing features finely tuned by the Great Tang Group, lulled the baroness with its comfort, almost sending her to sleep.


    She sat in her car, half-asleep, watching the unbusy streets since it was working hours and not many were at leisure like herself.


    However, it was at that moment that gunfire suddenly rang out on the streets. Accompanied by a crisp gunshot, the car driving ahead to clear the way suddenly skidded to one side.


    ```


    It didn¡¯t slow down and crashed into the wall of a building by the roadside, deforming the front engine cover. In an instant, the car started emitting a plume of blue smoke and, almost blocking the middle of the road with its rear, hindered the path of the Marquise¡¯s car.


    "Bang!" Another gunshot rang out, and the rear windshield of the following car instantly shattered, followed by the car coming to a halt, its driver slumped over the steering wheel, blood splattered all over the dashboard.


    The Marquise¡¯s Rolls Royce didn¡¯t accelerate to ram the accident-stricken lead car but instead came to a sharp stop. The driver of her car pushed open the door and started running, only to be shot dead by the guard in the passenger seat.


    However, a crisp gunshot sounded from afar once more, and the trusted guard in the passenger seat collapsed in response, a bleeding hole opened up in his forehead.


    "There¡¯s an assassin!" In the car behind, the remaining three guards scrambled out, looking around for the shooter.


    "The driver¡¯s compromised!" Taking cover inside the car with the Marquise behind him, the head of her guard detail drew his pistol and said.


    He glanced at the car that had hit the wall in front, hoping that some of the other guards inside would survive and get out to help them fight.


    The Marquise was beside herself with rage but didn¡¯t speak out. She¡¯d guessed that the lover who had invited her out had betrayed her, as had the driver by her side!


    It was unlikely that these people were spies planted by Tang Country. More probably, they were "insiders" from within Shireck. Sadly, these so-called insiders seemed to act even more cruelly and viciously than enemies.


    She couldn¡¯t blame anyone but herself, as she was also that kind of person and would make the same choices if she had the chance and the power.


    "Protect me back home, I¡¯ll give you a hundred thousand Gold Coins!" The Marquise gritted her teeth and offered a sky-high price, not wanting to die. The best option right now was to make her guards fight desperately.


    Unfortunately, she still underestimated the determination of the assassins who came to kill her. At the same moment she mentioned the price of a hundred thousand Gold Coins, the crisp sound of a Thompson Submachine Gun suddenly erupted.


    The chatter of the gunfire was surprisingly melodious, but to the Marquise¡¯s ears, it was no different from the knocking of an evil spirit at the door.


    The guards using the cars for cover, who were searching for the gunman, were unexpectedly turned into sieves by bullets raining down like drops of water.


    Who could have imagined that in a city with good public order and local troops of their own, there would appear a band of fierce bandits armed with sniper rifles and submachine guns?


    The two who managed to crawl out of the car that crashed into the wall also had their flesh torn apart by the incoming submachine gun bullets.


    The bullets left countless holes in the bodies of these guards, blood splattered everywhere, and the scene was so sudden that it almost seemed beautiful.


    "Get out!" Knowing they couldn¡¯t hide anymore, the lover-guard pushed the Marquise out of the car. Just as the door opened and the Marquise screamed as she fell out, the submachine gun opened fire, killing the lover-guard shielding her in the seat.


    The bullets left numerous holes in the seat, the stuffing inside scattering all over, and the guard holding the pistol was shaking violently as if electrocuted.


    "Don¡¯t kill me! I have money! Don¡¯t kill me!" The Marquise saw people encroaching from both flanks, screaming and holding her head. This was her final bargaining chip, her last hope.


    Two men armed with Thomspon Submachine Guns with drum magazines enveloped her, one in front and one behind, their boots not more than three meters from her.


    The gunfire did not cease. The two hitmen raised their submachine guns and delivered a chilling, desperate message, "His Majesty, the Tang King sends his regards!"


    The Marquise looked up in terror, only to be met with a hail of bullets. A bullet pierced her forehead, and her back was shredded by the bullets that followed.


    She fell into a pool of blood, screaming; her blood-drenched, magnificent dress painting a horrific picture. The three cars were riddled with bullet holes, and every corpse on the ground was riddled with holes as well.


    Two cars came charging out from the side, stopping behind the submachine-gun-wielding assassins. They swiftly discarded their weapons next to the bodies, then quickly got into the vehicles and disappeared at the other end of the street.


    After a long while, civilians began to poke their heads out of the surrounding buildings, curiously observing the corpses on the road and the cars that had been shot to pieces.


    It took a while longer before the City Defense Forces finally rushed over. They casually cleaned up the mess and cordoned off the surrounding blocks but were reluctant to close the city gates to search.


    Several well-dressed men arrived hurriedly, wailing on the outskirts, feigning inconsolable grief.

 Chapter 724 - 683 are all building airplanes

    Everyone knew that the Marquis Shireck, a woman as venomous as a serpent, was betrayed by Sofia, and everyone also knew she had been killed by an assassin sent by Tang Mo.


    But everyone kept silent, as if nothing had happened. Shireck was building airports all over the world, and various countries were also constructing similar runways on their own soil.


    This emerging infrastructure was still blank in the world, but as they began to welcome pilots graduating and returning to their respective countries, these nations also started constructing their own infrastructure.


    It was hard to imagine that all at once, over 200 airports were being constructed worldwide, whether for civilian or military use, everyone was very enthusiastic about developing this brand new weapon facility.


    The airship factories that were once active have now begun transforming, and the countries that obtained airplane manufacturing technology were tirelessly producing their own planes.


    Bi-winged, two-seater planes became everyone¡¯s favorite model to produce because these could be used as trainer aircraft, allowing for the large-scale training of pilots.


    In addition, countries that obtained large bi-winged planes were eager to put these planes into transportation.


    Important letters, objects, and personnel could all be transported by these planes, and in many countries¡¯ skies, such planes could be seen soaring.


    Emperor Leines I of the Laines Empire, in a show of ostentation, reviewed his newly established Air Force troops in his Imperial City, Laines.


    When he saw 32 bi-winged, two-seater trainer planes fly over his head, he became ecstatic.


    He had seen those rough, unclear videos of planes active on the battlefield, but none had the same thrilling momentum as today¡¯s event.


    The more than thirty planes flying across the sky also excited the civilians of Laines Imperial City, who were happy to see their homeland become so powerful.


    "We are copying Tang Country¡¯s tanks, and we¡¯ve made some modifications to them; we¡¯ve reinforced the frontal and side armor of the tanks, redesigned the load-bearing wheels... and equipped our own tanks with a 90mm caliber cannon," an official from the military industrial department confidently reported his achievements to the highly excited Emperor.


    Thanks to Brunas¡¯s industrial base, the industrial strength of the Laines Empire was actually quite high. Even though those factories and equipment hadn¡¯t been improved or updated for a long time, they were still among the most advanced processing equipment in the world.


    With these factories, the industrial production capacity of Laines was formidable; they not only replicated tanks but even had the strength to make some design improvements.


    Although they equally hadn¡¯t equipped the tanks with qualified communication radios, in both firepower and protection, these tanks of the Laines Empire surpassed Tang Army¡¯s Type 4 tanks.


    "Very well, how is the mass production of the tanks progressing?" Leines I shifted his gaze from the sky and looked toward the Minister to inquire.


    "The nobility who took over those factories assure Your Majesty they can provide ten tanks per month," the official in charge of the military industrial department assured with a bow.


    "That¡¯s too slow, far too slow," Leines I said dissatisfied, "Tell them I want twenty per month! Find a way to make it happen!"


    Though Leines I spoke with an air of wealth and power, in truth, his coffers were nearly empty.


    Purchasing airplane technology cost him a whopping 30 million Gold Coins in cash. If it wasn¡¯t for some earnings from exporting food and mechanical equipment before, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford such a huge sum.


    Even with the profits provided by Brunas, he was still somewhat financially stretched. Facing those greedy nobility, Emperor Leines I often felt powerless.


    The times were changing too fast, and every aspect needed a large amount of money for support: his Infantry hoped to be equipped with more rapid-firing weapons, which in itself was a large sum of money.


    In the battle between Tang Country and Sheng Country, many new weapons were put to the test, such as anti-aircraft guns, hand grenades, landmines...


    All these weapons required money to purchase, but which military procurement didn¡¯t need money nowadays? Buying planes needed money, training pilots needed money! Acquiring tanks needed money, and naturally, training tank crews needed money too! Buying battleships also needed money, and of course, training sailors required money.


    The design of the submachine gun required money, the mass-produced hand grenades needed money, landmines needed money, anti-aircraft guns needed money, ammunition, and shells... none of it was cheap!


    If you don¡¯t buy, that¡¯s fine, but the neighboring empires certainly will. This is a full-scale arms race, and those who are reluctant to spend money will become the losers of the next war.


    Those countries that had outfitted dozens of airships were frustrated to find that their airships were all obsolete, those massive objects floating in the air had no choice but to be retired, and the millions of Gold Coins spent on their purchase had all been for naught.


    Similarly, with the emergence of planes and battleships, the previously mass-produced cruisers and destroyers were all outdated; they had to either go back to the factory for renovation and upgrades or could only be relegated to second-line service as nearshore gunboats.


    The old, outdated gun batteries of the past all needed to be upgraded and transformed; the fragile harbors needed larger caliber, more powerful cannons to enhance their defense.


    At the same time, many regions required the construction of airstrips, establishment of ground command centers, and the outfitting of countless aircraft.


    Even though these airplanes, made of wood and canvas, were actually not expensive, the sheer number ordered made the costs substantial.


    According to the contract, all nations purchasing airplane technology needed to send personnel to the factory on Dragon Island to learn the technology of airplane manufacturing.


    Meanwhile, the Great Tang Group also provided supporting production equipment, supplied blueprints for manufacturing aviation engines, and offered training on theories such as lift and thrust.


    After these technicians returned to their own countries, the first batch of airplane manufacturing factories was born. Everyone was frantically building aircraft, with some countries placing orders for thousands of units at a time.


    Even though everyone was aware that these airplanes were technically outdated, to master the technology and train new pilots, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and build these wooden planes.


    At the same time, engineers who had mastered early aviation technology started their own creative developments.


    Some factories produced triplanes with superior lift, while others began to enhance engines, looking to install more powerful new engines onto the aircraft.


    The engineers from Shireck were even more direct; they began to imitate metal fuselages, preparing to copy Tang Country¡¯s metal monoplane fighter with a propeller, directly elevating their product to a level close to the current Tang Army fighters.


    For a time, all sorts of bizarre aircrafts made their debut, truly like a dance of demons. However, many pilots who returned from overseas expressed that the best airplane they had ever flown was still the original "Camel" fighter plane, unaltered, in its authentic form.


    They fondly remembered the times they tangled in the skies with their instructors in these single-seat fighters. That feeling, in their view, was more comfortable than anything else.


    In fact, with airplanes, the war that was originally confined to land had expanded to the skies above, and this ability to fly also upgraded the understanding of the world for many countries in many aspects.


    With airplanes, more detailed and accurate maps could be made more conveniently, and the maps of the countries around the world were no longer those primitive, almost unusable versions.


    Drawing from the leaked military maps of Tang Country, each nation began using aerial photography to create precise maps of their own territories.


    Everyone began to understand and recognize their own lands more deeply. Viewing the Earth from above became a trend.


    With airplanes, the mobility of people increased like never before; Shireck¡¯s consultant from the Ice Cold Empire could even take a plane and rush back to Gobur within a week, an impossibility in the past.


    A traveler from Dorne broke the world-circumnavigating record, reducing it by 70 days in one go!


    Actually, his record was not that fast, as if Tang Mo wanted, he could simply dispatch a C47 transport plane to break his record. And he didn¡¯t even need to deploy the FW-190 Butcher, as that would be too overbearing.


    Without exaggeration, the world was undergoing a dramatic change, and such change was also creating incredible wealth.


    The common people worked frantically and then exchanged the money they earned for electric lights, radios, bicycles... things they wouldn¡¯t have dared to even dream of in the past.


    The wealth of nations was increasing at an unprecedented rate, and money previously hidden away by the nobility was now rolling around at an astonishing speed. Once this money began to circulate, it seemed that everyone became beneficiaries almost instantly.


    The lives of the common people were improving, the wealth of nobles, landlords, and merchants was increasing, national taxes were soaring, and the massive wealth accumulated by the state was being spent at an astonishing rate...


    Those who had controlled the means of production and hoarded the wealth¡ªnobility, merchants, landlord financiers¡ªwere shocked to discover that their original economic theories had collapsed, replaced by a more advanced operating model.


    It was a process both painful and joyful for them. Because they had never found it so easy to make money, yet they also had to accept that spending money was just as easy.


    "I understand, Your Majesty. I will go to Brunas at once to oversee the production of these people," the Minister said with a slight nod to Leines I, and quietly retreated when he saw a wave of the hand.


    Leines I returned to his palace, a building that was also constructed by the Great Tang Group. It was magnificently luxurious and certainly symbolized the power of the Laines Empire.


    The place where he had stood was just the outer office area of the palace. Further inside was his castle.

 Chapter 725 725: 684 top luxury goods

    A corpulent elf shuffled his heavy steps down the wharf, swept by the sea breeze. Despite years of trying to maintain his image, John had started to lose control.


    He was now fat, truly fat. His once slender figure had vanished without a trace, leaving behind a body of over 230 pounds.


    What consoled him, though, was that his bulky frame was wrapped in expensive fabric, masterfully tailored so that each piece of his attire fit perfectly, each detail impeccable.


    Bespoke tailoring was never cheap, especially when seeking out Chang''an''s fashion Godfather to personally cut a Tang suit¡ªsuch a luxury was staggeringly pricey.


    Today''s Tang suit was the equivalent of the western suit, a term that would not exist in this world. Originating from Brunas, the western suit had now acquired the formal designation of "Tang suit."


    Exquisite Tang suits were incredibly expensive, and the one John wore was so precious it moved people. A normal person couldn''t fathom spending 500 Gold Coins on a single set of clothing, but John was far from ordinary.


    This tough figure overseeing Great Tang''s entertainment industry had almost completely lost the concept of money. The earnings from one of his casinos in a single night were enough to make a minor tycoon envious for a long time.


    He had cautiously offered his loyalty to Tang Mo, who in return had granted him the power to make or break trends in certain realms today.


    Never question such power, John had become the world''s fashion and entertainment barometer, or rather, the standard by which people spent money.


    If he wished to popularize something, a simple snap of his fingers was enough. By the next season, the price of that commodity would skyrocket.


    Once lauded by this big shot, any wine would instantly become the sought-after treasure at banquets. John''s capability in this area was beyond doubt; he indeed had the prowess!


    The best example was the previously exalted "Brunas Four-Year" wine, which had been relegated to second-rate status all because John hinted that the subsequent releases from the Laines Empire''s Brunas series were mediocre in taste...


    The world now unanimously recognized "Chang''an Fine Series" as the best-tasting wine, which came in three tiers: bronze, silver, and gold. Gold-tier Chang''an, apart from special allocations to Tang Mo, rarely circulated in the market.


    Thus, many prestigious nobles and wealthy merchants who had come to Chang''an following Tang Mo''s footsteps held the silver-tier Chang''an in high esteem, praising it as a divine brew descended to earth.


    The irony was, Tang Mo knew very well he hadn''t improved any brewing techniques. The now-celebrated silver-tier Chang''an was actually made with the same formula as the damn Brunas Three-Year.


    Every time he saw those so-called wine masters swirling the clear liquid in their glasses and describing to a group of devout and tasteful nobles the ethereal texture of silver-tier Chang''an, Tang Mo felt the world was becoming increasingly fantastical.


    As Tang Mo''s invisible hand in the fashion and entertainment world, John had indeed achieved everything Tang Mo hoped for.


    Now, businessmen who had made more in recent times than they could in the past hundred years, found that even a hundredfold increase in their wealth was still not enough to indulge their lavish lifestyles.


    In Brunas, they thought a Rolls Royce was already very expensive, but in Chang''an, they realized it was merely an appetizer.


    The Chang''an supercar was small and fast, offering a driving experience that a Rolls Royce could never match. Of course, the price of a sports car was naturally higher, as a better engine meant higher speeds, more aggression, and cooler appearance¡ªall enhancing the driver''s taste.


    Therefore, it became commonplace for a car to be priced comparably to a Tank; if you didn''t buy one, you couldn''t claim to be a car enthusiast.


    After the wives and lovers of these wealthy merchants attended a banquet hosted by the Princess, they returned to find that love could be so... expensive.


    At the banquet, two dignified Princesses each wore a diamond ring. While such sparkling gems were never cheap, no one had thought they could be so exorbitantly expensive.


    "A diamond is forever, a legacy enduring," was a cliche?d slogan that gained a hint of validity once spoken by the royal family, priceless as it was.


    After John''s packaging and foundation-building, diamond products that cost thousands of Gold Coins appeared. Suddenly, they became the testament of love, a status that seemed threatened without a diamond ring for the noble ladies and esteemed women.


    Just as these spendthrifts thought they had reached the pinnacle of luxury, John, under Tang Mo''s direction, introduced something even more frightening.


    Yes, yachts! Why settle for mere cars and watches? The true symbol that proved the wealthy could indeed flaunt their wealth was the yacht!


    This isn''t the kind of "small boat" that''s just a few dozen meters long, what Tang Mo introduced was the nearly one hundred-meter long "true¡¤ luxury"! Real tycoons must own this kind of luxury!


    The price of a yacht can run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins, lavishly furnished and technologically advanced; in the 21st century, this was an important means for top tycoons to show off their wealth.


    When John invited a few tycoons, who had more money than they knew what to do with, to Linshui for a tour of the yacht docked at the Linshui Wharf, those who considered themselves rich suddenly felt their earning speed might not be fast enough. It''s not often they feel this way...


    "Like it?" John''s chubby fingers, holding a cigarette, exhaled a puff of white smoke as he looked at the yacht, which had a displacement of over 3000 tons, with smug satisfaction.


    As he smoked, he turned back to the several super-rich who were too shocked to speak and continued to tempt them, "Imagine painting your favorite name on the hull, how would that feel?"


    "You could take a hundred naked girls out to sea, no one to disturb you, swimming on the ship, fishing, counting the stars in the sky at night..." John''s face bore a smile, looking like he had a few people''s number.


    "I''m very rich, Mr. John," a tall man remarked as he gazed at the snow-white yacht docked at the wharf, with its high hull, "I used to think so... until today. I saw this, and now I know that I might not be rich enough."


    "Hahaha! The money you made last year could have bought you a King in the past," another woman rich in lavishness, with several diamond rings that screamed for an "IQ tax" on her fingers, laughed heartily.


    After having her laugh, the woman turned to John, "If I bought a yacht like this and named it Fralas, do you think Fralas would be willing to marry me?"


    Fralas was a star recently promoted by Great Tang Entertainment, a hot commodity, and his latest movie, "Chang''an Love," was absolutely on fire.


    The wealthy woman before him was also a fan of Fralas, and quite possibly an archetype of a brainless fan. However, she knew the rules well; you couldn''t make a move on a celebrity under Great Tang Entertainment without John''s nod of approval.


    "That would depend on whether your Fralas would be moved by Fralas herself," John squinted, saying innocently.


    The savvy rich woman caught on to John''s implicit approval, and her smile widened. John''s words meant he wouldn''t interfere with her pursuit. The subtext was: as long as you don''t go through improper channels, Great Tang Entertainment would not interfere.


    With John''s assurance, the wealthy woman naturally knew the deal was more than half done. No star could refuse such a pursuit, especially since she wasn''t ugly¡ªin fact, one could say she still had her charms.


    In a sense, a twenty-year-old man falling for a forty-five-year-old woman is definitely true love, especially when the woman owns a yacht.


    "Thanks! But you''ll have to take extra care of our Fralas''s career," the woman said as she lit a cigarette, bargaining for a new condition.


    John was startled, it seemed the wealthy woman was serious this time. He nodded in agreement, giving her due respect: "Fine, I''ll get him another movie..."


    "Speaking of movies, that''s when I''m wide awake," a burly tycoon chimed in from the side, "I''ve recently taken a goddaughter under my wing, and she''s got potential. Mr. John, my old friend, since you''re planning another movie, how about looking out for my daughter?"


    "Sure! You''ve asked, how could I possibly refuse?" John flicked a cigarette butt worth one Gold Coin onto the ground and stamped it out, "There''s a 3% discount for orders placed today and it won''t last beyond that."


    "You''ve just given me another reason to make money," the burly man feigned a wry smile, "One yacht! I''ll send the check over tomorrow."


    "I''m taking this one, it looks good," the rich woman said while smoking, "The Fralas! I can hardly wait to take my little Fralas to see this ship."


    "I''ll take one too," said the middle-aged man standing on the side who hadn''t spoken until now, "However, you mentioned earlier... can the style be customized?"


    "As expected of the Marquis of Bailu..." John clapped and laughed, "As long as you pay, we naturally have to meet your requirements."


    The wealthiest of the group, the Marquis of Bailu, truly deserving of the magnate title, nodded, "The person I admire most in my life is your master, Tang Mo... In this world, he earns money better than the God of Wealth himself."


    "It''s all for business," John said with a smile, unable to hide his admiration for Tang Mo. With his personal effort today, he had sold three yachts, which made his trip worthwhile.


    Almost at the same moment, far away in the palace of Chang''an, Tang Mo was preparing the next round of money-making plans¡ªhaving sold private yachts, it wouldn''t be too excessive to sell a few private planes next, would it?

 Chapter 726 726: 685 baseline

    Guest strode excitedly out of his laboratory; his prized student had recently made a significant discovery¡ªa substance extracted from plants.


    He took the sample, along with a stack of messy reports, and got into the car prepared especially for him, traveling all the way to Chang''an''s Royal Palace.


    The main body of Chang''an''s Royal Palace was still a construction site, where a professional construction team was laying complete pipelines for the underground of the entire palace.


    These pipelines were large enough to drive through, with the purpose of laying the groundwork for future improvements, allowing the remaining underground construction to be completed entirely within the pipeline.


    Therefore, the entire project was incredibly time-consuming, as constructing a massive underground structure with the current technology was certainly no easy feat.


    Tang Mo would, of course, carefully craft his own lair. He had built an underground shelter that could withstand a nuclear strike and was preparing to construct a doomsday subway, which would enable him to rapidly evacuate from his palace and, within half an hour, cover 50 kilometers to a more professional underground facility.


    This system wasn''t known as an underground nuclear shelter yet; it was being constructed under the guise of an underground defense work. No one understood why a reinforced concrete structure 10 meters thick was built at the core of this system, and there were even rumors that the Emperor was building his own vault.


    Passing through the bustling construction site, Guest handed his credentials to the sentry on guard and passed through the first security checkpoint.


    Soon, he arrived at the second checkpoint, where the guard pulled out some documents and a small glass bottle from Guest''s document bag.


    Looking at the powder inside, the guard''s expression darkened, "Dr. Guest, I hope you realize that bringing an unidentified substance into the Royal Palace is a very dangerous matter."


    Guest could only explain the medication he was carrying to the lieutenant, "Lieutenant, sir, I have come to present this drug to His Majesty. If you don''t let me bring it in, how am I supposed to show it to His Majesty?"


    "Alright, I understand." The lieutenant went to the sentry box beside the checkpoint, picked up the telephone receiver, cranked the handle, and spoke, "This is checkpoint 2. Dr. Guest wishes to present a new type of drug to His Majesty... Yes, that''s right, I understand."


    "Please wait a moment." After hanging up the phone, the lieutenant returned to Guest, stood at attention, and said, "You will need to wait here for a moment, someone will escort you in."


    Shortly after, a major accompanied by four soldiers arrived at the checkpoint and then escorted Dr. Guest inside.


    After passing the third checkpoint, Guest finally met Tang Mo, who was working in a room filled with modern ambiance.


    Seeing his chemistry advisor, Tang Mo put down the documents he was holding and asked, "Dr. Guest, I''m glad you''ve made new progress. You mentioned discovering a substance that could make a lot of money. I''m intrigued. Tell me about it, let''s see what you''ve found."


    "Your Majesty! It wasn''t my discovery, but one of my students. He specializes in plant purification, and he found a very peculiar substance."


    "Oh? Go on," Tang Mo motioned with his hand and Wes, who was becoming more and more like a butler, immediately took out two glass cups from the cabinet behind him and poured a little less than half a cup of four-year-old Brunas in each.


    This drink was now so scarce that every bottle drunk meant one less to enjoy, and the price had become exorbitant, making drinking it freely a luxury only Tang Mo could likely afford.


    Guest was very excited as he believed his student''s discovery was simply too great, "In the jungles further south of Chu Country, there are some orc natives; they have a flower there that is extremely beautiful."


    He thought Tang Mo would definitely like such a thing and that it would soon become a profitable new venture.


    As Tang Mo took a cup from Wes''s hand, he frowned slightly upon hearing Guest''s words. He was very sensitive, especially to such matters.


    "Poppy?" Tang Mo''s sharp gaze swept over Guest, and Wes, sensing something was amiss with Tang Mo, deliberately scrutinized the chemistry doctor as he handed the remaining cup to Guest.


    "The locals call it ''yingtu''... I''m amazed Your Majesty is so knowledgeable and already familiar with this flower," Guest exclaimed admiringly, then continued to introduce his student''s great discovery, "My student heard that this flower is particularly famous locally for producing a substance that can excite, bring joy, and make one forget pain!"


    "Your Majesty, if your soldiers on the battlefield used this substance, they would fear death no more and fight with a hundredfold bravery!" Guest''s face beamed with a smile as he spoke and started to pull out a purified crystalline powder from his briefcase, "And just a little..."


    "And just a little can make one forget pain, explode with inspiration, even feel like they are facing the gods, right?" Tang Mo played with the glass cup in his hand while his eyes rested on the bottle of opium-based purify.


    "Your Majesty... have you, have you already researched this kind of thing?" Upon hearing Tang Mo say this, Guest immediately reined in his smile.


    He had wanted to take credit for his student''s work in front of Your Majesty, but if his student''s research had outpaced Your Majesty''s, then things could get very bad.


    Everyone knew that Your Majesty was also a research fanatic, or rather, he was the greatest researcher in the world. It was not surprising to Guest that Tang Mo had worked on similar projects.


    In fact, Tang Mo had secretly tinkered with such things in the lab, and his secret troops had used these substances to control important figures, with the aim of controlling the intelligence of a nation or influencing its decision-making.


    But Tang Mo despised such things from the bottom of his heart. He strenuously controlled their development and even concealed the fact that he had once created something similar.


    Now, someone else had developed this substance, and it was presented to him in an ironically obvious manner.


    "I have indeed researched this substance..." Tang Mo admitted to Guest''s speculation, then continued, "Since your student has researched it, he must also know about its addictive nature and that it can destroy human tissue, doesn''t he?"


    "What?" Guest was startled, and then suddenly stood up, "This substance is toxic? He, he said he..."


    "He has already used it, right?" Tang Mo stared at Guest, "That foolish young man, he has no idea about the danger of this stuff. Once used, it becomes addictive, making life agonizing after withdrawal!"


    "Therefore, I will not allow this kind of thing to appear within the borders of Tang Country! Apart from medical use, anyone who is involved with it will be executed without mercy." Tang Mo looked at Guest and said, "Do you understand what I''m saying, Dr. Guest?"


    "I, I understand," Guest said, as cold sweat broke out on his forehead. It was the first time he had heard Tang Mo speaking in such a grim tone about a technical issue.


    In previous discussions of chemical technology with Tang Mo, he had always felt enlightened, but this time, he detected a thick murderous intent in Tang Mo''s words.


    "Go and summon Roger, Li''ao, Yulin... John... and Luff over," Tang Mo looked at Wes and instructed, "Call a meeting, I want to talk about this matter personally."


    Soon, the bigwigs of Tang Country entered Tang Mo''s conference room one after another, into the spacious and bright hall, under the shadow of a set of massive chandeliers.


    Li''ao and the bartender controlled Tang Mo''s intelligence department, Yulin had another set of espionage and security systems in his hands, and the always-military-aspiring Dino managed the police system. These people sat around the conference table, looking at each other wondering why Tang Mo had summoned an emergency meeting.


    Soon, Guest began to speak at the meeting, detailing the refined substance his student had researched.


    "I don''t care what the reasons are, this drug must not be used! If I find out someone is secretly using this stuff, I will personally put an end to them," Tang Mo declared after explaining the harm of this substance, making his stance clear.


    "No selling, no production. Destroy it all wherever it''s found! I don''t care about other countries, but on my territory, anyone growing such plants, anyone manufacturing such drugs, anyone touching the related profit chain, any use of such substances... only one fate awaits them: Death! Execute without mercy!" Tang Mo scanned the room, emphasizing his point word by word.


    "Yes!" Everyone stood up, finally understanding why King Your Majesty had called them here.


    Luckily, most of them were unaware of the existence of such substances, so they could readily agree. This attitude also reassured Tang Mo.


    For an earthling who had traveled through time and space, Tang Mo''s loathing and hatred for this substance could be said to be innate.


    He had a zero-tolerance policy for such things starting from 1840, a memory seared by flame, a suffocation from a noose around the neck, the humiliation and indelible pain of a nation standing up from the abyss of suffering.


    "Sweep the nation! Destroy any and all cultivation of such plants, death penalty for anyone trying to bring this plant into Great Tang!" Tang Mo stood up and glanced at Li''ao. Li''ao understood and returned a reassuring look to Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo was not a good man, he had never mourned for his own wickedness or cruelty. What had been done had been done, and he had no regrets.


    And ten or even fifteen years later, all those who were still alive today would understand just how great and sacred this meeting held by Tang Mo really was.

 Chapter 727 727: 686 Confrontation

    "What a damned nuisance," an old woman muttered as she watched a police officer in a black uniform roughly yank out the Yinju flowers she had tenderly cultivated for two years. The flowers were beautiful, and she had been taking great care in growing them.


    Unfortunately, by decree of His Majesty the King, the entire Kingdom had banned the cultivation of this plant. Not a single one was to be kept, a policy so strict it was... excessive.


    "This is the law! The Tang Country has banned the cultivation of these plants! They''ve been classified as dangerous goods!" The young officer stuffed the uprooted plant into a sack and tossed it into the back of a truck parked on the street. Returning, he warned the old woman, "Growing this plant, from now on, is punishable by death!"


    "My goodness, really?" A farmer watching the scene unfold gasped in shock, his eyes wide.


    "Of course, it''s true," the young patrolman replied, removing his wide-brimmed hat to let his damp hair breathe.


    He fanned himself with the hat and said to the onlooking crowd, "Stealing more than 100 Gold Coins only gets you three years! But get caught with this thing, and you''re looking at a bullet! Don''t say I didn''t warn you all!"


    Many people suddenly realized just how terrifying the matter was¡ªembezzling a large sum didn''t warrant death, but growing a lousy flower did, indicative of how much His Majesty despised this plant.


    "In those days, when His Majesty''s mother died, His Majesty saw her grave was full of Yinju flowers! That''s why he hates these flowers and has sworn never to see them again!" the patrolman explained, climbing back into the truck.


    His words helped everyone understand why His Majesty had declared that these flowers were not to be seen anywhere in the Tang Kingdom.


    Saddened by this history, these citizens, already enjoying the benefits of the Great Tang Kingdom and beginning to identify as Tang people, immediately sympathized with their King.


    They really adored His Majesty, who had brought them good days and full bellies.


    If His Majesty didn''t want to see these flowers... then so be it, they wouldn''t plant them. After all, it was just a type of flower, no big deal.


    And so, the farms that were previously growing these flowers changed crops, with the government hall even offering subsidies and tax relief for switching to other agricultural products.


    Under the supervision of the patrol, those who had privately cultivated the flowers obediently destroyed them.


    To prevent any curious minds from uncovering the secret, Tang Mo even crafted a set of lies to conceal his true intentions.


    In this way, a vigorous campaign to ban the flowers kicked off in the Tang Country, and an insidious drug calamity that corroded the soul was silently suppressed.


    In the Prime Minister''s office of the Tang Country, Roger sat in his study, handling documents concerning the construction of new power plants. Last year, the Great Tang Kingdom generated over 200 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, almost equal to the total output of all other countries combined.


    This year, the Tang Country plans to double that figure, reaching a total electricity output of 400 billion kilowatt-hours!


    It was an ambitious goal, and achieving it would elevate the industrial development of the Great Tang Kingdom to a new level.


    Roger was truly staggered by the speed of construction; he deeply felt that the people from the Zheng Country and Qi Country areas annexed by the Great Tang Kingdom seemed more industrious than the civilians from the Brunas region.


    These Chinese, or rather these Tang people, were just too fiercely competitive, to an infuriating extent. They loved building their homeland with a passion that knew no bounds.


    Scenes seldom seen in Brunas were now common throughout the entire Great Tang Kingdom.


    In Chang''an, a bustling place, he often saw workers sleeping in factories, construction workers overtime until it was completely dark, then collapsing to sleep right on the construction site covered in cement dust.


    This intense work ethic directly led to a construction pace several times faster in the Great Tang Kingdom. Every aspect of production was pushed to the limit, and the results quickly became evident to all.


    Smokestacks in Tongcheng grew each day, and the once-small town of Anpu now approached a population of 700,000 in just over a year!


    Great Tang was replicating the Brunas miracle at a pace of one Brunas per year. Five years ago, Roger would have never believed such a thing could happen.


    Back then, the development speed of Brunas was completely beyond Roger''s understanding. Now, the growth rate of the entire Great Tang Kingdom... surpassed everyone''s comprehension.


    After all, the governors leading each city, each town in the nation, had seen Brunas. They understood the Brunas model and were familiar with its methods.


    All they had to do was replicate it, systematically guiding the cities they managed down the path of modern urban development, transforming them into sanctuaries akin to Brunas.


    Everyone was racing to grow, all armed with a nearly identical development theory: to be wealthy, first build roads, have more children, and plant more trees!


    Population is competitiveness, roads are the veins of industry, oil is the blood of industry, industry is the symbol of wealth, buildings are a city''s muscles!


    So, constructing buildings, repairing roads, building factories, and planting fruit trees on barren hills became the work that the entire Great Tang Kingdom was engaged in.


    The nation continuously perfected its infrastructure; railroads and highways had already begun to form a network. The billions of Gold Coins seized from various countries had not even had the chance to be deposited in Tang Mo''s treasury before they were converted into various infrastructure constructions, turned into power plants, into rail tracks, into asphalt, into diverse technological laboratories.


    Roger''s eyes became somewhat sore from looking over these documents; he rubbed his eyes, then turned a page and continued reviewing those familiar figures.


    He had to understand this data periodically; it represented his control over the country and was a task he must complete.


    In the kitchen of the Prime Minister''s residence, a cook was preparing tea for the kingdom''s Prime Minister; this was her job, as the Prime Minister always needed a cup of refreshing tea at this time every day.


    The tea she brewed was very much to the Prime Minister''s liking, so she''d always performed this job. Today was no exception; she repeated every step just as she had on previous days.


    At that moment, a maid came in with a beaming smile, greeted her, and then started chatting about all sorts of trivial matters.


    The cook didn''t become suspicious; after all, they were colleagues that had known each other for a long time, so she made tea while occasionally replying to the conversation.


    She didn''t stop her work; practice made perfect, and there wasn''t a hint of confusion. The maid, who had come to chat for some unknown reason at that time, moved closer to the tea-making table as if she wanted to be closer to the cook.


    "I would advise against doing that," came another woman''s voice from behind the two of them. A maid, who usually didn''t stand out, approached them and swiftly grabbed the wrist of the chatty maid.


    The normally smiling maid suddenly changed color; she tried to pull back her arm nervously but found that the other''s grip was as strong as a vise¡ªshe couldn''t break free.


    Suddenly, her other hand grabbed a fork from the table and stabbed at the maid who had caught her arm.


    But she found that the maid calmly dodged the fork; the other hand struck the back of her wrist, flinging the fork from her hand and almost destroying her wrist in the process.


    The arm that had been caught now lacked strength, and a small packet containing poison dropped to the ground. The smiling, chatty assassin understood that her mission had failed and that she was going to be caught here today.


    "Who are you!" the cornered assassin shouted harshly.


    The maid who had thwarted the poisoning didn''t speak and led her away from the cook. Then, she coldly answered the assassin''s question, "The one taking your life!"


    "Hey!" The assassin tried to retaliate again, flinging her recently struck wrist and, ignoring the pain, threw a punch.


    She felt that if she could break free from her opponent''s restraint and cause some chaos, there might be a chance to escape.


    Unfortunately, while she calculated her escape, her captor drew a dagger from nowhere and stabbed her directly under the ribs.


    Instantly, she lost the strength to resist, but her opponent didn''t relax their guard. Instead, they pulled out the knife and stabbed her several times in succession. Quick and decisive without hesitation.


    The female assassin fell to her knees; she didn''t understand why she had been exposed or why the other party didn''t capture her alive to interrogate her about who had sent her...


    But before she could think it all through, she was already out of breath, kneeling there at the end of her life. The event happened so rapidly that the cook forgot to scream.


    She stood there with her mouth covered, not knowing what to do. She couldn''t comprehend why a colleague she recognized was an assassin or why another colleague she knew could kill an assassin...


    "Are you all right? I''m a security officer arranged by the Ministry of Internal Affairs within the Prime Minister''s residence. Don''t be afraid. You are safe now; she''s already dead," said the maid, still holding the dagger, as she revealed a smile with a drop of fresh blood on her face.


    In the room, Roger looked up to see the Guard Commander of the Prime Minister''s guards approaching him, "What happened? What''s the matter?"


    "A covert assassin from Shireck has been caught," the Guard Commander replied. "It was an undercover agent arranged by the Ministry of Internal Affairs who caught her."


    "It''s alright, as long as she''s been caught. She notified me when she came in; there''s no need for alarm," Roger said, lowering his head to resume his work. "Is the tea still drinkable?"


    "I''ll go hurry it up," the Guard Commander, relieved by Roger''s response, stood at attention and saluted before turning and leaving the room.

 Chapter 728 728: 687 what a coincidence, me too

    "How do you know that the person who made the move was sent by Shireck?" Tang Mo, snatching a moment of leisure amidst his busyness, was studying a kind of fried chicken coated in breadcrumbs. He lowered his head to fiddle with the chicken wings in the frying pan, asking without lifting his gaze.


    He wanted to recreate the deep-fried food he had tasted, including the burger patties that were first chopped into minced meat and then spread out and pan-fried.


    Actually, Tang Mo was a gourmet lover, it was just that he really lacked the talent for it. Although the food he made by following recipes was adequate, it always seemed to lack a certain feeling.


    After explaining the principles to other chefs, the dishes "invented" by Tang Mo tasted completely different. It was as if the chefs infused them with soul, and they instantly became delicious.


    Therefore, chefs familiar with all of this considered Tang Mo to be a true culinary inventor, a real chef.


    But this culinary inventor, admired by many renowned chefs, was in fact a complete novice in cooking.


    In the past in Brunas, he still had time to delve into gastronomy, but now that he had become the King of Tang, the king of a nation, he really didn''t have much leisure time left.


    Now that he had to spend over an hour each day with his two sons, he had even less time to attend to various miscellaneous matters.


    Fortunately, with Roger helping with the kingdom''s matters and Harry taking care of the company''s business, he was able to carve out some time, thus avoiding the fate of working himself to death.


    Li''ao, standing by his side, replied, "We cracked an encrypted telegram that was sent to a merchant who has only been in Chang''an for the last half a year."


    He began to explain the process of decrypting the code, looking somewhat embarrassed, "Although our efficiency in decrypting codes is low, our cryptanalysis department is not just for show; we can still decrypt some secret messages, just not at a high rate."


    In fact, as soon as Tang Mo popularized the use of telegrams, he had the intelligence department start working on decrypting codes. The entire organization was quite large, and there were numerous talents in the field of intelligence among them.


    Unfortunately, due to everyone''s lack of experience, the work of code-breaking was actually not going smoothly. Most of the cracked codes were obtained by capturing spies and forcing the information out of them by questioning.


    However, in a way, this world is still fair; toil will yield harvest¡ªor at least the opportunity for a harvest...


    Depending on brute force experimentation and some clever mathematical calculations, the Great Tang''s intelligence department still managed to break some codes and obtain some valuable intelligence.


    This time, the security department Li''ao was in charge of had decoded a secret message from Gobur that contained a covert operation plan to assassinate Prime Minister Roger, "Then, we discovered it was an activation command for a lurking assassin, so we began surveillance on the people the target was in contact with."


    "So you guys followed the vine to find this maid?" Tang Mo used long chopsticks to turn the chicken wings in the oil, asking curiously.


    Li''ao nodded, "That''s about right. The other party was very cautious, and we didn''t have conclusive evidence. After all, that was someone from the Prime Minister''s residence, so we couldn''t just take action. We had to let the security personnel who had already infiltrated the Prime Minister''s residence make their move."


    Tang Mo, pleased with the work of the intelligence department, commenced, "Not bad, looks like the money I''ve spent on the intelligence department over the years hasn''t been wasted."


    "Your subject is willing to die for Your Majesty," Li''ao chuckled after being praised, bowing his head in thanks.


    "That''s an overstatement, I know your loyalty. By the way, are you sure that telegram was sent by the woman who is now deceased?" Tang Mo didn''t lift his head; he felt the chicken wings in front of him might be ready soon.


    The plan to assassinate that seductive traitor was already in motion, and Sofia had provided various kinds of cooperation.


    It was actually a trade, with Shireck offering up a scapegoat, letting Tang Mo kill her to vent his anger properly.


    Only if Tang Mo were satisfied, would Shireck then qualify for further trade dealings¡ªa sort of reason, creating an appearance of settling old scores on the surface.


    The Marquis lady from Shireck was the designated fall guy, and during the assassination, Sofia''s people provided assistance. This is why Tang Country''s assassins could brazenly kill someone in the core area controlled by Shireck, then escape so calmly and effectively.


    Only because Sofia gave the nod, and other Shireck''s stewards tacitly consented, could such an incident where someone could kill and then retreat unharmed occur.


    However, the scapegoat wasn''t necessarily willing to die, and that criminal abandoned by everyone might have wanted to struggle one last time. The retaliation and unwillingness of this person would make sense.


    Li''ao was confident about the source of the code, so he answered, "Yes, the encryption method of the telegram belongs to this woman. I suspect this was her last counterattack... as long as she died, this kind of assassination reprisal would be activated."


    This set of codes had been used before and later verified¡ªeven the airships and fleet from Shireck that tried to attack Dragon Island had used this code system.


    After Tang Country''s intelligence department cracked this set of codes, they compared them with previously intercepted telegrams, managing to decode many outdated messages and seize some intelligence that was no longer timely.


    At that point, Tang Mo looked up, fixing his eyes on Li''ao, and asked earnestly, "Hmm, she is indeed dead, isn''t she?"


    "Yes, she is indeed dead. Sofia''s recent actions, as well as almost all indications, suggest that she truly is deceased," Li''ao immediately responded.


    Tang Mo still felt it was somewhat illogical for such a telegram to suddenly appear, so he exhorted, "Take a good look into it, don''t make a fool of ourselves."


    "Yes! Your subordinate understands," Li''ao nodded seriously once again. He didn''t want to become the butt of a joke either; if the target that his agents had personally killed came back to life, wouldn''t his intelligence department become a laughingstock?


    "Furthermore, that security officer has been exposed. Recall him and send two new faces to replace the dead and the reassigned," Tang Mo continued to instruct.


    Li''ao bowed slightly and agreed, "Yes! Your subordinate understands."


    Tang Mo had arranged for absolutely loyal guards to be placed beside all the ministers, some in plain sight and some in secret, but these people were not surveillants. They did not have the duty or mission to report on the individuals they were protecting.


    Tang Mo would hand over the lists of these people to the corresponding subordinates, then have the security personnel find an opportunity to make contact with their protection targets to achieve mutual trust and familiarity with each other.


    He was not playing espionage politics; he truly did not wish for any harm to come to his followers. Having seen far too much deception and personally ordered umpteen assassinations, Tang Mo was more wary of such things and did not want similar events happening to his acquaintances.


    After Li''ao left, Tang Mo passed the chopsticks in his hand to a servant by his side¡ªhis leisure time was over.


    Even though the chicken wings in the frying pan were actually done and could be eaten, Tang Mo left all the same.


    It wasn''t until he reached the door that he ordered the people behind him, "They should be ready, take them out and send them to Tagg... Redman was the one who received the last reward."


    Having said that, he walked out of the room, then hurried to the bathhouse, took a thorough shower, changed into a clean set of clothes, and after making sure he no longer smelled of grease, he opened the nursery door with a beaming smile on his face.


    Yue''er was in the room using her fuzzy ears to amuse Tang Mo''s oldest son, and she was quite melancholic about this. Though there was no such thing as reproductive isolation, it was rare for orc cat-earred females to conceive children with humans.


    The odds were already low, not to mention that Tang Mo rarely engaged in such activities with her. Hence, Princess Yue''er was now the only one among Tang Mo''s three princesses who had not given birth to an offspring.


    A toddler over one year old had little resistance to fluffy, autonomously moving things. The little fellow stood at the edge of the wooden bed, one hand bracing against the wooden railing, while the other endlessly fumbled on top of Yue''er''s head.


    The little one liked his "mother" very much; grabbing Yue''er''s ears with one hand while foolishly smiling at this mother figure who wasn''t his birth mother.


    "Awoo! Aren''t you afraid of the tiger?" Yue''er put on a frightening pose, without any actual intimidation, as she playfully threatened the little one.


    The little guy grinned, and his shiny drool simply dribbled down his cheeks, looking adorably clumsy.


    The nannies on the side couldn''t help but chuckle, one of them coming over to wipe the prince''s mouth and another trying to stop the First Prince from climbing over the wooden railing to come closer.


    "If you like it so much, have one of your own..." Yulin, off to the side, was checking some clothes that had been brought over, especially made for the two little ones.


    She was mid-sentence when she saw Tang Mo push the door open, and while the oblivious Yue''er didn''t realize her man was already behind her, she muttered resentfully, "I wish I could, but I haven''t seen him around in seven or eight days..."


    "Is there a possibility that you are actually blind?" Tang Mo, holding back laughter, stood behind Yue''er and asked.


    Yue''er''s ears trembled, and then she suddenly turned around, exclaiming with surprise, "Your Majesty! What brings you here?"


    "I came... to see these two little ones," Tang Mo stated bluntly and honestly.


    "Ha! How did you manage to deceive Alice and Yue''er..." Yulin chuckled on the side.


    "Only mentioning Alice and me, why don''t you include yourself?" Yue''er then turned to Yulin and teasingly asked.


    Yulin sighed, deliberately adopting a defeated expression, "Me? I came for free."


    "That''s true for me too!" Yue''er, who had been through it all, widened her eyes in feigned surprise.


    Tang Mo pretended not to hear, lifting up his oldest son and kissing the child''s tender little cheeks, "Daddy is here! Do you miss me, do you miss me? Heh heh!"


    ----------


    Thanks to reader CC9527 for the reward, truly grateful... I''m unworthy, still owing updates... sigh...

 Chapter 729 729: 688 peace is just an embellishment

    There''s nothing quite as satisfying as playing with your own child. This feeling is genuinely wonderful, a sensation that made it all too easy for Tang Mo to lose track of time.


    Raising a child is such an interesting affair, especially when you have dozens of servants to help you look after the kids and a 36D wet nurse to feed them, without having to consider the cost of bringing up a child.


    Tang Mo''s wealth had grown to such an extent that even if his descendants were complete idiots, each more corrupt than the last, it would still be enough for them to squander into the next century.


    The wealth accumulating every second was about the lifetime goal of a standard tycoon in this world.


    Therefore, the children''s clothes that Yulin was inspecting might appear ordinary, but if placed on Earth, they would be akin to haute couture children''s wear sewn by Prada''s head designer.


    From material selection to tailoring, every part of the process was done with unique craftsmanship, strictly to a nearly obsessive standard. The fabric of the clothes was chosen for its top-notch softness and breathability, and each stitch was meticulously planned in its direction and placement.


    Every servant moving about in this room was a deeply trusted and immensely loyal female medical graduate, whose daily responsibility encompassed attending to the princes'' every need, from their diet to their daily routines.


    Yulin and Alice would take turns moving their offices here, meaning the two children were hardly ever out of the royal family''s sight.


    These might be the happiest princes, as Tang Mo even played the role of a scribe once, "stealing" all the nursery rhymes he knew to play for his sons.


    "Whoa! Up high! Hehe! Am I amazing or what? Whoosh! Up we go!" Tang Mo hoisted his son up and down, having the time of his life.


    His movements were actually quite amateurish, causing the surrounding maids and nurses to watch with trepidation. But the First Prince seemed to be enjoying himself, emitting bell-like laughter amidst his father''s playful ups and downs.


    Seeing Tang Mo so fond of the son she bore him, Yulin''s face was covered with a contented smile. As she had said, she fell in love with Tang Mo herself, and bearing him a healthy son was her greatest wish.


    The sunlight streamed through the bright windows, filling the spacious room. Everyone seemed to be smiling, and the world appeared to be filled with beauty.


    But in reality, that was not the case. There were dark corners in the world where the sunlight could not reach, and not everywhere enjoyed tranquil times. In fact, war has always been the main theme of this world, with peace being but a rare ornamentation interspersed among it.


    The two young princes, just over a year old, could neither sense the scent of war in the air nor feel the suffocating calm that precedes a great battle.


    Just a few months ago, the Songmu Kingdom, which had been struggling to hold on, finally succumbed and was defeated and annexed by the Poplar Kingdom. The King of the Poplar Kingdom proclaimed himself Yangmu Yi, elevating his kingdom to the Poplar Empire!


    The war was rife with the shadow of Shireck, with many new weapons being deployed. The world''s first aerial combat unfolded, with the Poplar Kingdom''s fighter squadron destroying Songmu Kingdom''s air force at a cost of more than half its size.


    Planes resembling the Camel Fighter made a name for themselves in this war, providing vital reconnaissance for the ground troops and ushering in the era of three-dimensional combat.


    The tanks of the Poplar Kingdom also performed splendidly, breaching Songmu''s defenses and preventing them from dragging the war into a stalemate with trenches and bunkers as they had done in the previous war, leading to a swift conclusion of conflict.


    Because of these new weapons, the Songmu Kingdom didn''t even have time to struggle. The envoys they sent to the Tang Country for help hadn''t reached Linshui before their kingdom was defeated.


    In this process, over 40 battleships were commissioned worldwide, including 4 from Tang Country, 6 from Dongwan, 5 from the Ice Cold Empire, 4 from the Poplar Empire, 4 from the Laines Empire, 7 from Dorne, 5 from the Gobur Kingdom, 2 from the Empire of Nanla, and 4 from the Chu Country.


    If all these battleships were completed, Tang Country would have 7 battleships, with the remaining nations totaling 37 battleships.


    Of the 7 battleships from the Dorne Empire, two were purchased from Tang Country, making the total number of newly built battleships 39, and the combined total 44. Tang Country would peak at 9 battleships before transferring two to Dorne.


    And this was just the count of the battleships. Surrounding the Endless Sea and the Demon Sea, the number of cruisers being built by various nations exceeded 100, with destroyers amounting to over 500.


    Just Tang Kingdom alone built 90 destroyers in less than two years; nobody thought this pace of shipbuilding was just for fun.


    Everyone was militarizing; it''s just that no one was explicitly saying it.


    From the data, it was evident Tang Mo wasn''t idly maintaining the scale of his two mighty fleets. He abandoned his advantage in numbers, opting instead to expand his technological edge.


    What others didn''t know was that Tang Mo''s fleet would include over 40 submarines and 4 aircraft carriers in the future...


    Therefore, simply comparing the number and scale of the fleets is actually inaccurate, Tang Mo''s technological advantage was too great, so much so that it was completely beyond others'' imagination.


    Tang Mo''s destroyers were equipped with torpedoes and radar, with these new equipment enhancements, the actual combat efficiency of these destroyers had already far surpassed their rivals.


    Those rivals, in trying to counter the new tanks developed by Tang Country, were actually not as tactically adept as Tang Army''s Number 4 tanks that had been in use for quite some time.


    Because those imitation models, which looked good on paper and seemed to outperform the Number 4 tanks, had no proper radio communication systems, which allowed the Tang Army to still have an overwhelming advantage in tactical coordination.


    Of course, if Tang Mo knew that the armor thickness of his opponents'' tanks had increased to a certain degree, he just needed to switch the short-barrel, low-velocity 75mm caliber cannon for a long-barrel 75mm caliber tank gun.


    Anyway, no country would be able to produce a heavy tank that a long-barrel 75mm caliber tank gun couldn''t penetrate within a short period of time. And even if such heavy tanks were actually produced, those cumbersome, moving-target-like things would definitely be no match for the elite Tang tank crews!


    In terms of air force technological superiority, the Tang Army seemed even greater¡ªthough other countries had many planes, what the Tang Army had in the sky was much more advanced than those numerous biplanes.


    Despite the great developments in aviation technology around the world this year, with many countries introducing their own monoplanes, some even improving skin technologies and introducing aircraft made of a mix of metal and wood, these planes were few in number and not particularly impressive in performance.


    The Tang Army still relied on the same old three: the Butcher Fighter, Stuka Dive Bomber, and Flying Fortress Long-Range Bomber.


    Even though they had been in use for nearly three years, their technology was still advanced and unmatched by the planes of those countries that considered themselves aviation powerhouses.


    Compared to those countries constantly thinking of annihilating Tang Country, Tang Mo''s Tang Country didn''t seem to be adequately prepared for war.


    The Great Tang Group was still producing a variety of things at a leisurely pace, seemingly not focusing all their attention on the military field.


    ...


    In the country of illusions, Great Southern Bay''s shipyard gates slowly opened, and the 7th secret battleship being built by the illusionary country''s navy plunged into the sea, stirring up white spray.


    Yes, the illusionary country played a trick of deceiving heaven to cross the sea, overstating their battleship numbers. Publicly, the illusionary country built 6 new battleships, but in reality, the number started was 7!


    They hid a battleship, hoping to unexpectedly deploy this "non-existent" reinforcement in a future naval battle, striking down their adversary!


    And their hypothesized enemy, or rather, their rival, was the Tang Imperial Fleet, which had defeated the illusionary country''s navy in the Battle of the North Sea.


    For the illusionary country''s navy, that defeat was a humiliating disgrace! They lost the naval battle and even let Tang warships bombard their coastline.


    That painful defeat had left the illusionary country with hundreds of thousands of their citizens stranded in Tang Country as slaves to this day; how could such hatred be forgotten?


    So the illusionary country''s navy was entirely rebuilt with the Tang Navy in mind: larger main gun caliber, thicker armor, faster sailing speed!


    Even the number of warships was coincidentally the same; including the secretly built battleship, the illusionary country''s navy also had exactly 7 battleships, equaling the number possessed by the Tang Kingdom''s navy!


    This deeply ingrained competitive spirit was evident to any discerning eye. The soldiers on the warships of the illusionary country''s rebuilt fleet even shouted orders about attacking Tang warships Dongwan X during training.


    Unfortunately for them, what they didn''t know was that on an island north of Dragon Island, a place not open to outsiders, some elite pilots of Tang Country were on a very short, special runway, diligently training in takeoff and landing techniques.


    The modified Butcher Fighters with arresting hooks installed at their tails were repeatedly taking off and landing on that runway, the pilots were striving hard to catch the hook on one of the four transverse arresting cables.


    The pilots brought here for training had to be tight-lipped, not revealing a word of what they saw on the island, not even knowing why they could only take off and land on a runway less than 200 meters long.


    Everyone was preparing for the next duel, some practicing internal skills, some practicing boxing, some practicing with knives, some casting Longswords... and some, loading bullets into their submachine gun magazines...


    The one loading bullets into his submachine gun at this very moment was joyfully playing with his son, the room filled with laughter and cheer, the golden sunshine seeming to isolate all cold things outside of that room.

 Chapter 730 730: The disaster of 689

    The most wondrous thing about this world is that not everyone''s affairs proceed according to the script.


    While all nations were actively preparing for a large-scale war, the planet''s weather suddenly became unpredictable.


    Tang Mo, watching the raindrops pitter-patter against the window in his son''s room, couldn''t hide the sorrow on his face.


    The heavy rain had persisted for two days now, and the construction sites within Chang''an City were nearly submerged. The incomplete drainage system was facing its greatest test.


    All of Chang''an had turned into a marshland, with water levels almost reaching the ankles on the ground.


    Everywhere, workers in raincoats were hustling to repair various facilities amidst the rain, trying their best to maintain electricity for the entire city.


    Fat raindrops pounded on the billboards while children scurried below, rushing across the streets for school¡ªunyielding obligations, untouched by rain or even if knives were to fall from the sky¡ªthey had no excuse to miss any lesson.


    "Your Majesty!" Alice, holding her child, walked up behind Tang Mo and began to comfort the man who now commanded a nation.


    Tang Mo turned around, forcing a smile, "Alas, I have no idea how the disaster-stricken areas are coping. It''s really worrying."


    Indeed, while Chang''an was overwhelmed by ceaseless rain, it isn''t where the rainfall was most extreme. The real disaster zone was actually in Chu Country, where the situation had completely spiraled out of control.


    The flood disaster in Chu Country had spread throughout the territory, with two-thirds of the region affected. Most of the farmlands were ruined, and many cities had lost contact.


    Intermittent downpours for more than twenty days turned rivers into reckless torrents in the valleys. The lands became marshes as far as the eye could see¡ªwith millions of people displaced from their homes.


    Under normal circumstances, Tang Country only had to watch the disaster befall its enemy country, but Tang Country''s southern part was also enduring the ordeal of incessant rains.


    The rivers in upstream Chu Country were utterly beyond control. The floods rampaged down the mountainsides, rushing into Tang Country''s southern region and devastating it considerably.


    The defensive lines both sides had built along the borders became flood zones. Trenches and bunkers constructed with great effort were now submerged in water, forcing the border troops to withdraw from these fortified zones to higher ground.


    Both countries were dedicating their full efforts to disaster relief. However, the results showed that Tang Country was managing somewhat more effectively, also suffering comparatively less damage.


    After all, Tang Mo, upon founding Tang Country, had invested in hydropower and cleared waterways, providing some level of preparedness for the floods.


    Dams built for power generation had played a buffering role at critical moments, and river embankments constructed for irrigation were indeed sturdy enough.


    The dredged channels for navigation had also slightly deepened the riverbeds. These measures, completed in advance, had helped Tang Country withstand the previous three flood peaks.


    "You''ve already done well. In the past, such torrential rains and floods would have normally led to a country''s complete collapse. It''s quite common," Alice said, trying to offer solace.


    She recalled a story her father had once told her about a devastating flood in the Leite Kingdom that had caused the deaths of nearly a fifth of the population, ruining a year''s worth of cultivation. That flood seemed to be smaller than this one.


    "If I''m not mistaken, a conspiracy against our country is about to begin shortly," said Tang Mo as he stood up, sighing deeply. "I thought it would be next year or the year after. It seems I have been careless."


    He reached out and touched the Second Prince, who was now sleeping in his mother''s arms, then bent down to kiss his eldest son in bed before stepping out.


    There was still much work he had to attend to personally; he had to be busier than anyone else now, needing to be aware of many things as soon as possible.


    "How''s it going?" After closing the door behind him, Tang Mo looked at Luff, Roger, and others waiting in the hallway.


    "Things are worse than we''d estimated. Chu Country might completely give up now. They''ve almost exhausted their resources; expecting their help is out of the question," the Minister of External Affairs said, shaking his head as he explained to Tang Mo.


    "We''re in talks with them to provide 100,000 tons of grain as initial aid, but they want us to increase the total aid to one million tons," the Minister of External Affairs mentioned, his expression sour.


    "They might as well come and rob us," Tang Mo''s expression darkened upon hearing the figure. Clearly, the other side was not simply asking for aid, but trying to extort it.


    It was an utterly shameless move. They couldn''t handle the floods upstream and were dumping everything downstream to Tang Country.


    If not for his side''s superior infrastructure, stronger embankments, and better preparedness, he could have been inescapable this time.


    Actually, to say that Chu Country was completely laid flat by the disaster isn''t entirely accurate; it''s just that there are more mountains in Chu Country, and the floods rushed directly along the valleys to Tang Country, resulting in less damage on the Chu side.


    This also has to do with the policy of governance: in Chu Country, the common people aren''t usually taken seriously, so when disaster strikes, they tend to take it as something normal. In Tang Country, however, it''s the exact opposite¡ªthe citizens have high expectations of the state.


    "How are the food reserves holding up?" Tang Mo looked toward Roger.


    Roger bowed his head and replied, "The food situation in the Northern Region is still manageable, and we are already supporting the south. We can ensure three meals a day for the civilians, which is about the limit."


    "Very good, better than I had estimated! You all have been very diligent! This time, as long as heaven doesn''t break us, victory will follow!" Tang Mo nodded, offering encouragement to the civic officials.


    As he walked, he continued to ask Roger, "We must ensure the defense of Tongcheng. If it comes to it, we will have to take measures at the upstream. But before any action is taken, we must ensure that all civilians are evacuated¡ªthis is imperative."


    "Yes, Your Majesty, your servant understands," Roger continued to affirm.


    "We must protect Tongcheng at all costs; it''s the industrial hub and cannot afford issues," Tang Mo''s guards pushed open the conference room door, and Tang Mo strode in first.


    "Rest assured, Your Majesty! As long as the people stand, the city stands!" Roger assured once more.


    Tang Mo nodded, then turned to Luff who followed behind, "What''s the situation with the military?"


    "Reporting to Your Majesty! We have mobilized 300,000 troops, positioned at the main three rivers and their tributaries, with the highest priority mission of securing the dikes," Luff promptly reported. "Additionally, another 150,000 servicemen are actively being mobilized to reinforce the disaster areas."


    "The roads are extremely muddy, making it very difficult for our troops to advance. Some sections have been destroyed by the floods, and most soldiers can only proceed on foot," he pointed to several areas on the hanging map. "In some areas the situation is slightly better, and heavy equipment can enter."


    He moved along the main rivers within Tang Country, sequentially introducing the deployment for the flood resistance operation: "Four light infantry divisions are deployed around Tongcheng, currently working on encircling the city with sandbags and concrete."


    "Apart from the Armored Division, almost every troop has drawn a portion of their forces to join the flood fight. The least contribution from any troop is one company from a division, and the most is two battalions from a division," Luff said. Then he stood beside the map, awaiting Tang Mo''s further instructions.


    A Minister wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to someone beside him, "Looking at it now, having city walls isn''t entirely without benefit."


    Roger heard the complaints from his subordinates and chastised with a cold snort, "What''s the use of saying these things now! Redman''s task is to defend Tongcheng at all costs!"


    "How is the breach handling coming along?" Tang Mo asked as soon as he sat down.


    Someone immediately reported, "All five breaches have been addressed; the contractors implicated in cutting corners are being pursued for accountability..."


    "The troops are working at the breach, with strict orders to seal it by sunset today," Luff assured, chin held high.


    Tang Mo nodded and said, "If we secure a region, the civilians there won''t need to relocate, and won''t have to suffer... If we secure a region, we have the crops of that region maturing, and we have an area that doesn''t require extensive relief supplies."


    "This is a battle for our families! For our citizens! For our country! And for the spirit of Tang People!" he looked around at every Minister present: "We abandon not a single civilian! We fight for every Tang person to the end!"


    "Send telegrams to the countries of the eastern continent, especially those in the north unaffected by the disaster. We''ll take however much food they have!" Tang Mo looked to the Finance Minister Simon, "As long as the price they ask is within a reasonable range, accept it all!"


    "I have been doing precisely that, Your Majesty!" Simon rose and answered, "I have also purchased cement and other materials from the Ice Cold Empire and Shen Country."


    "Good work! Additionally, let''s transport some of the strategic reserve grain stored on Dragon Island... start with one-tenth, as a precaution," Tang Mo continued to order.


    Simon continued to nod in agreement, "I will see to it immediately after the meeting."


    "All border areas must remain vigilant! Our enemies may seek to trouble us through this disaster!" Tang Mo looked again to Luff, standing beside the map, and gave his command.


    Luff stood at attention, "By Your Majesty''s command! I will instruct the Navy and the border garrisons to enter second-level combat readiness status!"


    "The intelligence department has to stay alert as well! Don''t let any sign slip unnoticed!" Tang Mo turned his head, looking toward Li''ao.


    Li''ao also stood up, "You can rest assured, Your Majesty!"


    Outside the window, the rain continued to pour down unceasingly, the dense raindrops hitting the conference room window, making a pitter-patter sound.

 Chapter 731 731: 690 lost the raincoat again

    An off-road vehicle drove on the muddy road, its wheels sinking into a water-filled pothole and splattering mud.


    The body of the car, already covered in mud, got even dirtier, its wheels caked in yellow mud to the point that the anti-slip tread was almost indiscernible.


    A torrential downpour washed over the windshield, and despite the wipers scraping back and forth, the driver''s view remained poor, unable to see the road ahead clearly.


    "Commander! The road ahead is blocked." The already slow-moving vehicle, jostling along, stopped in the middle of the road, blocked by a landslide.


    Huge boulders lay on the road, some having rolled far down the slope, while further away, obscured by mist and rain, nothing was clear.


    Several people in military raincoats moved back and forth on the road, continually shuttling to move small stones to the side of the highway.


    Because of the rain and the lack of tools, their progress was slow; they hadn''t cleared even a square meter of the mud and stones after quite some time.


    "We can''t get through here!" An old man responsible for clearing the road approached the vehicle and shouted to the officer inside.


    The officer rolled down the window and shouted back at the old man, "Why are only a few of you clearing the road? If the road is blocked, the following heavy equipment can''t get through!"


    Raindrops floated into the car through the window, dripping onto the leather seats with dull thumps. Dark clouds pressed down from the sky, leaving hardly any light visible.


    "The young folk are all at the river embankment! Those a bit older have been called to patrol and to watch over the crops and houses... Only us few old timers are left to do what we can," the old man explained.


    He spoke, grinning to reveal a mouthful of yellowed teeth missing the front ones, as if attempting to smile, but unable to muster a proper one in the end.


    "Old sir! The embankment isn''t far from here, right?" The officer leaned out, letting the rain pelt his wide-brimmed hat.


    "Not far at all, not far at all! Just follow the field ridges, about 1 kilometer and you''ll be there," the old man pointed in a direction, a direction without a road.


    The officer swung the car door open, jumped out, and pulled his raincoat over himself. His bodyguard also got out of the car, donning his raincoat as well.


    "Xiao Zhao and I will go straight there! You and the driver stay behind to help! When the following troops arrive, have them clear the road first! When you''re done, find me on the embankment!"


    "Yes, Commander!" The driver and another guard got out of the car, stood at attention, saluted, and then removed the shovel and pickaxe fastened to the front engine cover of the vehicle.


    Such tools are standard on military vehicles, and the two men, each wielding a "long-handled weapon," began to work in front of the vehicle.


    With the help of the two, the work progressed much more quickly. Meanwhile, the officer who had arrived by car, along with his bodyguard, stepped off the roadbed.


    Their tall leather boots sank into the wet and slippery mud, moving unevenly, with no pattern to their steps. There really was no path here; the two''s descent was as ungainly as it could get.


    Soon, their boots were soaked, with socks clinging to their feet as sticky as chewing gum. The soles were caked with mud, and while the uppers had been muddy too, they were quickly washed shiny clean by the rain.


    A distance of one kilometer took the two nearly 30 minutes to walk. They hadn''t reached the embankment yet when they saw a cluster of military tents collapsed in disarray.


    Packaging from military food rations lay scattered everywhere, some floating in puddles, others half-buried in the mire and sand.


    Since becoming a brigade commander, the officer had never seen such a dirty and disorganized military camp, so he frowned, pulled open the flap of a tent, and stuck his head inside.


    Dozens of soldiers, muddy all over, huddled together like corpses, densely packed. The tent was full of stench as if something had gone rotten.


    Just as he was about to scold them, the brigade commander closed his mouth again. He let the flap fall back into place, not wishing to disturb the sleeping soldiers. He sighed and pointed ahead, "Let''s go! Let''s take a look at the embankment!"


    The sky seemed to have sprung a leak, rain constantly pouring down. Sometimes the droplets were so light they took time to wet clothes; other times, the downpour was like water being sloshed from a bucket.


    Rain beat upon the officer''s wide-brimmed hat, running off the brim to form a curtain of water. The brigade commander trudged along the rugged path, every step an effort. It could be said there wasn''t even a path here, just a mushy track of footprints the people had worn into the mud.


    Unsure what had gotten into his shoe, the brigade commander felt a pebble stabbing his foot. But he couldn''t stop; he saw more and more people around him.


    "Put some muscle into it! We need a hundred sandbags more, quick!" On the embankment, a man wearing only shorts, with his upper body bare and a drenched military cap, was loudly encouraging the soldiers before him.


    A group of nearly naked soldiers were swinging shovels, shoveling mud into sandbags held open by their comrades. Their muscles twisted in the rain, and many parts had already burst open with flesh.


    The only indication that these people were soldiers was because they were all wearing military caps, and some still had camouflage pants on their lower bodies.


    Human skin is delicate, and prolonged immersion in water makes it even more vulnerable. Those arms bearing wounds still showed not the slightest intention of resting at this time.


    "As long as there are people, the dyke stands! Even if people perish, the dam shall not! Behind us is our homeland! Behind us are our parents and fellow villagers! Whoever dares to go soft at this time, I''ll be the first to look down on him!" While shouldering a sandbag on his shoulder, a muscular man shouted loudly.


    His voice didn''t carry far in the rain, but he kept on encouraging his soldiers, "I''m your platoon leader! I''m carrying two bags, who of you would be content to carry just one?"


    The surrounding soldiers did not speak, or perhaps they no longer had the strength to speak. They bowed their heads to shoulder the sandbags, and then climbed step by step up the dike, stacking the sandbags in their designated places.


    A few civilians wearing raincoats checked the sandbags over and over, filling the gaps between them with the sand from behind.


    "Commander!" Recognizing the officer in the raincoat, the camp commander with his upper body bare stood at attention and saluted.


    The commander returned a military salute and then looked at the soldiers soaking in the rain, "You lot of dogs, you''ve all thrown away your raincoats again?"


    "It''s inconvenient to work in them. Besides, with all the moving around, we quickly get wet inside too; they''re of no use," the camp commander said with an embarrassed smile. "The civilians need them, so we gave them to the locals."


    "I''ll have a bone to pick with you later! Look at your soldiers! What a state they''re in!" The commander climbed up to the dike, looking down at the soldiers who were still tirelessly working: "This is no way to do things, let them rest in shifts."


    "Commander... They''ve only been up here for four hours," the camp commander wiped the rain from his face and explained awkwardly.


    "What about the ones in the tents?" The commander''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "Yes, they were up all of last night. I just sent them to rest, and now it''s 2nd Company doing the work," the camp commander said, as rainwater flowed down the soaked brim of his hat and dripped from his chin.


    "And 3rd Company?" The commander''s voice choked up; he felt for these soldiers and their wretched state. To be honest, facing enemy gunfire back in his day, he had never been this miserable.


    "They''re over there, taking turns with 3rd Company of the 2nd Battalion. We''ve been here for three days now, commander... when will the reinforcements arrive?" The camp commander hesitated for a few seconds before he uttered a statement he was embarrassed to make.


    After he spoke, he quickly explained, "Commander, as you know, if we''re on the defensive, calling for support means I''m a coward, but my soldiers haven''t closed their eyes in two days and nights, commander."


    Extending his hand, he glanced at his wristwatch, "Three hours! The 2nd Regiment will be here! Then you have 10 hours to rest!"


    "Keep the dyke secure! Not one step backward! For His Majesty!" The visiting commander shook off the water on his wristwatch and ordered firmly.


    "Yes, sir! Mission will be accomplished! Sir! Long live His Majesty the King!" The camp commander stood at attention and saluted, as if suddenly reinvigorated, and shouted toward the distance, "Reinforcements will arrive soon! For His Majesty the King! Fight to the death!"


    "You go rest. I''ll take command!" The commander reached out to stop the camp commander who was about to leave.


    "But that''s not right, I..." the surprised camp commander quickly waved his hands in protest.


    "This is an order!" Raising his arm, he gave a military salute to the other man, the commander''s tone stern, "Get down and rest! When you''re needed, if there''s a problem I''ll use you as a sandbag on the dam!"


    "Yes, sir!" With no choice, the camp commander could only salute with teary eyes, then turned and looked back three times as he descended from the dyke.


    The rain seemed to have lessened quite a bit; at least the visibility had improved. The commander who had taken over the commands soon noticed a little girl, drenched, walking back and forth atop the dike.


    She carried a basket on her back, handing water bottles to soldiers who had just put down their sandbags. Her small frame was disproportionate to the large basket she carried, and because she had to stop frequently, her pace was slow.


    When she reached the commander, she paused in surprise, because the familiar "big brother" had been replaced.


    She handed a water bottle, half-drunk by someone, to the commander. The sight appeared rather comical: behind her in the basket, she carried water bottles filled with boiling water, around her neck hung empty water bottles, and in her hand was the half-drunk one...


    The commander took the water bottle, without the slightest look of distaste, drank up the water inside, and then returned the bottle to the girl.


    He then took off his raincoat and carefully put it on the girl, helping her to wear it. Then he turned back, looking at his own aide-de-camp, "Go back and report, I... lost my raincoat again."

 Chapter 732 732: 691 plus fifteen

    As a commander of an infantry division, on any given day he was a rather respectable man, his boots were always spotless, his uniform always pressed to perfection.


    Even his military vehicle was frequently cleaned, helped by his aide-de-camp, the driver, and the guards.


    He felt he had to be a role model, standing there with dignity, like a pine or a cypress, inspiring his soldiers to move forward.


    But now, he was in a sorry state. His boots could protect his calves, but the rain kept pouring in. His boots felt like fish ponds, and he guessed his feet were probably bleeding.


    There had been a damn pebble in his boot when he walked over, which, insulated by a sock, only made the sole of his foot slightly uncomfortable. But now, soaked, his feet were likely wrinkled and pale, the once insignificant pebble having turned into a sharp blade that could pierce the skin.


    His clothes were thoroughly soaked, clinging to him uncomfortably. Suddenly he understood why many people here were reluctant to wear clothes at all, as clothing itself became a restraint...


    As much as he wanted to, he still decided not to take off his uniform; his uniform represented the dignity of the Tang Kingdom. So he stood in the rain, clearly identifiable as a colonel at a glance.


    The soldiers around him seemed to work faster, knowing their division commander had arrived. He just stood there, unmoving in the rain, like a statue.


    The persistent rain made the work extremely difficult; concrete simply wouldn''t set in this weather, the sand and soil would wash away with the rain, and eventually those seemingly impervious dams would spring leaks or even breach.


    But to save the towns behind them, the villages, to protect the civilians still hurriedly harvesting their crops, to preserve the newly built roads, the freshly laid railroad tracks, the recently erected telegraph poles... they could only continue to reinforce those precariously poised embankments.


    "Take a break?" asked a civilian without a military cap, sheltering under a conical hat, shoveling earth while addressing the soldier propping up a sack.


    The soldier shook his head, wiping the mix of rain and sweat on his face, "No, I''m scared of being poor again, just when I''ve seen my home become wealthy. That house, that land, that money, and grain, nobody can take them away! Not even the heavens!"


    The man with the conical hat nodded, continued to dig with his shovel, scooping the muddy soil into sandbags one shovel at a time.


    He knew that''s how it was; having finally eaten his fill and dressed warmly, no one could take this life from them, not even the heavens! But he also knew that the homes of these soldiers were not behind them; some came from the north, others from the east, and had no reason to be fighting desperately here.


    Previously, the soldiers of Zheng Country wouldn''t care about such matters; they would just lean on the city gates with their muskets, extorting tolls and snatching the fruits from the carts of farmers coming to town to sell their produce.


    In times of disaster, floods, or strife, no matter what calamities befell, those soldiers would just shut the city gates and drive away the refugees from atop the walls, gazing coldly at the desperate and starving masses outside the city.


    But now, it seemed like something was changing. The once imposing military lords were now fighting side by side with these civilians.


    Though these lands had nothing to do with these soldiers, they still hadn''t left; instead, they stood at the forefront, shielding the common folk!


    From the moment they saw these official troops rushing to the embankments, the nearby civilians understood a phrase that the government officials had told them, which they hadn''t understood at the time: the soldiers of Great Tang don''t have the habit of hiding behind civilians.


    People''s hearts are made of flesh; when an army chooses to stand with the people, they become invincible.


    In the past, no one cared about the life or death of civilians, a human life at that time was worth less than a dog in a noble''s estate.


    After every major disaster or epidemic, the unclaimed land would end up as the private property of the wealthy and powerful, and for those affluent merchants, natural disasters were opportunities to fortune.


    But the detestable villains hated to the bone had all been killed by the new, young magistrates; those who used to oppress the people were all dead.


    Now, nobody oppressed the civilians anymore; the land had been fairly distributed to everyone. Although ownership of the land nominally belonged to the Tang Country, the deeds clearly granted the people the right to cultivate it.


    These lands were now their own, and they would not give them up, even in death! Let alone a flood, even if Death himself came, they would fight to the very last moment!


    Those who stood beside you in battle, those who shed blood with you, they were your brothers! Today, these soldiers became my kin, my brethren!


    "It''s leaking! It''s leaking! Quick! Someone come! Someone come!" A patrolling woman screamed heartrendingly, and the surrounding soldiers instinctively rushed towards the direction of the shouts.


    They were covered in mud, not looking back, grabbing their tools and rushing towards where the river water was gushing out: "Quick! Block it! Go! Go people!"


    The first soldier didn''t even think before pressing the half-filled sandbag against the spraying spot, then his entire body pressed onto it, followed by other soldiers who clumsily began to help, their shouting rising and falling.


    "From over there! Look from that side!" Dirty river water was jetting out on this side, while on the levee, there were people shouting and giving directions.


    Soon, two soldiers and a few locals jumped into the raging waters, tied with ropes, and dived underwater to inspect.


    The bare-chested men struggling in the churning waves seemed to exude a stubbornness like declaring war against the heavens.


    "You all go! We don''t want the land anymore, we don''t want our houses anymore, hurry up and leave!" Seeing that the levee could no longer be defended, a local grabbed a platoon leader who was filling sandbags and shouted loudly.


    "You go first, we haven''t received orders to retreat!" The platoon leader lifted the sandbag and ran towards the levee without looking back, his voice gradually dissipating in the rain.


    The breach in the levee was getting larger and it seemed beyond control, there weren''t enough sandbags, and it appeared that everything was too late.


    Enduring the intense pain in his feet, the division commander stepped towards the breach, commanding loudly as he walked: "Those with sons and daughters, follow me! The rest of you retreat immediately! Wake up those who are resting! To the levee! To the levee!"


    He arrived next to the breach and looked at the surging water, gritting his teeth: "Use humans to block! Third row, go down first! If not enough, second row goes on top!"


    "Sir, sir!" The man who had just urged the soldiers to leave squeezed through the crowd and grabbed the division commander''s arm: "Sir! It can''t be blocked! There''s no time! Please leave! We will remember this favor! Please go first!"


    "Move aside! Hurry up and organize the civilians on the levee to evacuate! Take the elderly, children, and women first! Go to higher ground! Hurry!" He pushed and stumbled, nearly losing his balance.


    A guard with quick reflexes reached out to support him, preventing him from falling embarrassingly: "Married men with children, get in the water! Don''t try to be heroes!"


    One after another, soldiers jumped into the water, no one turned back or hesitated, they linked arms and stood there, forming a human wall to hold back the raging river from the breached levee.


    The soldiers who followed constructed a new defense line in the reduced flow, stacking sandbags one by one, along with the pre-prepared wooden planks, to reinforce the entire levee.


    By nightfall, the levee finally stabilized, another flood peak had passed, and the reinforcing troops arrived; another new battalion charged onto the levee, shouting as if facing fierce enemies.


    The division commander was helped down from the levee; he couldn''t walk anymore. When he took off his boots, his socks came off with them, along with half a piece of his foot''s skin.


    In a tent only dimly lit and damp, he personally picked out a sharp pebble from the bloody sole of his foot.


    He cried, tears flowing uncontrollably. It wasn''t the pain that made him cry, or perhaps the pain did make him cry¡ªhis foot didn''t hurt, his heart did. His crying was terrible, and he couldn''t hold back his own voice.


    Of the two rows of soldiers who went into the water, 15 were washed away, never to be seen again by anyone. They left behind only their name-tagged uniforms hanging in the tent and their canteens left with the local civilians...


    These relics were now in his tent, because all the other tents were already overcrowded.


    In the early hours of the next day, the city hall accounted for five missing soldiers. Two nobles, who had contracted for the levee project, were brought out and executed by firing squad in front of everyone on the levee.


    The local civilians were even somewhat bewildered because the levee built here was possibly the strongest they had seen in thirty years.


    But nobody pleaded for these two men, because before the night was over, they had lost fifteen benefactors.


    The rain seemed to have lessened a bit, but the levee was still very dangerous. There was more construction material coming in, and along with the trucks came new sandbags and tools.


    Women and children began to move to higher ground as instructed, and because they had to leave their homes, more than half of the military tents and raincoats that came with the troops were lost. No one bothered about these things¡ªthey never had from the start.


    A man wearing a bamboo hat still stood guard on the levee, hoping to find the few young soldiers whose faces he recognized. But he never saw those young men again; their features were actually quite blurry in his memory, because their faces were always covered with rain.


    Yet he refused to forget these people, so he stood guard on the levee, hoping they would return, but they would never come back, never ever again.

 Chapter 733 733: 692 together

    "We don''t need the house anymore... we don''t need it... please come back... come back." He sat there murmuring as if he had gone mad.


    Countless soldiers passed by his side, barechested, carrying leaking sandbags filled with mud and water, rushing towards the embankment, dropping the sandbags, and then quickly returning.


    Their shoulders were raw and swollen, and every step they ran, water squeezed out of their military boots.


    There were still civilians on the embankment, civilians whom no amount of persuading could move. They muddled together with the troops and obeyed orders just like the soldiers.


    But no matter what you said, these people just wouldn''t leave. And what was both amusing and sad was that they were also incessantly trying to persuade the soldiers to leave.


    They said they didn''t need their houses, they said they didn''t need their crops. They would rather rebuild their homes and accept a year of failed harvest than continue to watch these soldiers sacrifice their lives.


    And those soldiers fighting beside them said the same, asserting that they would rather sacrifice their lives than give up their "position"!


    They didn''t want to lose, even if their opponent were the heavens themselves; they didn''t want to fail! They had already lost many comrades-in-arms, so they had to make sense of those sacrifices.


    "It''s not like we could meet them later and say we ran away, we lost, we gave up the dam," one soldier said with a naive smile, uttering words that were both stubborn and reluctant: "Besides, we eat the food provided by the military, we take our pay; having eaten your food, how could we have the face to leave?"


    So everyone was persuading everyone else, civilians and soldiers alike stayed put, all standing on the embankment, continuing the task they had been repeating for a long time.


    Everyone was shirtless, everyone stood together, and in the face of nature''s vastness, human beings as insignificant as ants managed to hold up a long, thin line that the floodwaters couldn''t wash away.


    The raging power belonging to the gods, the floods that had almost always been irresistible in the past, seemed at this moment unable to wreak their havoc, restrained by countless insignificant humans, pressed into the path it was originally meant to take, all the way east.


    At Linshui Port, aboard a warship anchored at the harbor, an officer with a somber expression walked in front of the sailors, who had lined up in two rows on the deck.


    Everyone stood at attention and saluted. After the officer returned the salute, he started speaking in a hoarse voice, "Those who can swim, who are sure they can stay afloat for an hour without sinking, raise your hand."


    All the arms were raised, not a single one was left down.


    "Are you guys crazy? Raise your hand if you can swim! Those who can''t, especially the technicians who can''t swim, put your goddamn hands down!" the officer scolded.


    No one lowered their arms; they were all still raised.


    "Wang Erhe, can you freaking swim?" Out of options, the officer turned to a radar operator he knew well, a rookie who obviously hadn''t learned to swim yet.


    "Reporting, sir! I''m learning. I can float now!" The young soldier identified responded with his chin raised.


    "Put your hand down!" The officer ignored the explanation and kicked Wang Erhe in the shin. He didn''t use much force, but he looked fierce.


    Very reluctantly, the young soldier lowered his arm, while the rest continued to defiantly keep theirs raised, pairs of eyes firmly on their commander.


    "I know what you all are thinking, but this is a level two combat readiness! If we really go all out, you all will die!" The officer looked at his sailors, tears welling up in his eyes.


    "Captain! We''re not afraid!" a young sailor shouted boldly.


    "Right! Captain! We''re not afraid!" the other sailors also echoed loudly, "Send our life jackets to the disaster relief troops! They need them more than we do."


    The captain lowered his head, silent. It took a while before he lifted his face again, now covered in tears, "Fine! I''ll join you in this madness! If we die, we''ll all be brothers in the sea!"


    He turned to his executive officer and gave an order, "Organize people to deliver two-thirds of the life jackets to shore! They''re to be trucked out to support the disaster area tonight!"


    "Yes, Captain! Mission will be completed!" The executive officer saluted solemnly, his chin lifted with a determination never seen before.


    There weren''t enough life jackets and inflatable rubber boats in the Navy, and these items were not abundant in regular reserves. Thus, the Navy had to allocate a batch to support the disaster area.


    How much to allocate was for the Navy to consider. Upon hearing that 70 soldiers had gone missing in the waters and more than 2700 were injured, the count of usable supplies the Navy could spare suddenly increased.


    Lifeboats became useless, and life jackets were "temporarily unnecessary." Overnight, it seemed as though everyone in the Navy could swim, as if those requesting seasickness medication before were not them.


    Bright orange life jackets, one after another, were tossed into the beds of trucks. Even some of the rubber rafts from the warships were unloaded.


    In the factory at Linshui, a row of female workers were busy at their stations, while several workshop leaders stood on ladders, hanging a banner that read, "Work overtime to produce life vests, strive to be the first in disaster relief!"


    The entire factory was running at full capacity, working around the clock in three shifts to produce the urgently needed various disaster relief materials. Initially, the factory produced life vests for the Navy, and its products included life rings, inflatable rubber boats, raincoats, tents, and more.


    Now, these items were in dire shortage, so the female workers started accelerated production to support the nation''s needs at the earliest opportunity.


    The machines ran non-stop, and raw materials were continuously consumed. The women slept in the factory, only returning home once every three days, and took a half-day off every nine days, demonstrating their determination to support the nation''s disaster response efforts with their actions.


    They were thin and not beautiful, with many worn by life to the point of wrinkling their faces, and it was only in these few days that they had come to know of a "cosmetic" called camellia oil.


    Yet, it was these women, mostly uneducated with a literacy rate below twenty percent, who completed the daunting production task.


    They made no complaints, eating their meals beside the machines. Their hands flew over the work just like the machines, sewing straps on both sides of the orange life vests.


    Millions of women workers just like them existed in the Great Tang Kingdom. The country had given them hope, and they repaid their nation with their diligence and dedication.


    The drainage system in Tongcheng was completely overwhelmed. The streets were flooded up to the knees, but the factories didn''t stop working. Countless engineering vehicles drove straight from the factories to the embankments at the city''s edges.


    This was a war, a war that tested the Great Tang Kingdom!


    But the people of the Great Tang Kingdom, who had just brushed the edges of a beautiful life, were fearless. Unwilling to let go of the hand holding on to happiness, they unleashed unprecedented strength.


    This strength could defeat gods and instilled fear in those watching the Great Tang Kingdom. Such power to overturn systems kept the old forces awake at night.


    In the Dahua Empire, inside the imperial court, a group of ministers waited with grim expressions for their Emperor to make the final decision.


    Shireck''s envoy had already explained the stakes; now might be the best chance to defeat the Great Tang Kingdom.


    Much of the Tang Army''s main force was scattered along the riverbanks participating in disaster relief, and the defense line against Chu Country had been utterly destroyed by the floods.


    "They have tied their own hands and feet! Your Majesty, they have ensnared themselves!" Shireck''s envoy spoke enticingly. "But if we indeed wait for this natural disaster to pass, the hearts of Tang Country''s people..."


    At that mention, all the ministers present couldn''t help but inhale sharply. If Tang Country were to weather this disaster, then who else in the world could stand against Tang Mo?


    This demon, who had demonstrated a wholly different national system, would, at that time, be able to call to arms. Naturally, those commoners who had benefited from his grace would follow him.


    At that time, whether it be the Dahua Empire or Shireck, wouldn''t they both become like fish on a cutting board, to be flattened and rounded at Tang Mo''s whim?


    "But to muster an unjust army... Your Majesty..." Prime Minister Chu Muzhou still wanted to dissuade, as the southern part of the Dahua Empire was also affected by the disaster. Launching a war at this time seemed too excessive.


    After the last war ended, many empires had urged Tang Mo, who had annexed Qi Country, to declare himself Emperor. Tang Mo gave the Dahua Empire enough respect and did not show intentions of putting himself on equal footing with it.


    Without declaring himself Emperor or showing unfriendly intentions, attacking them while they suffered a disaster was not a noble act.


    "We have missed too many opportunities. If we don''t break Tang Country this time... then we will never... have another chance again!" The envoy from Shireck, with his head bowed, persuaded once more.


    Before the other ministers could speak, he continued to up the stakes: "Qi Country, Laines Empire, Dorne Empire, Ice Cold Empire, Poplar Empire... all will stand with us this time!"


    "The tangible benefits of the war will all go to the Dahua Empire! The other countries just want Tang Country''s technology... After one war, Your Majesty... your empire... will become the most powerful... Empire on the Western Continent!" After throwing out this massive bait, the envoy from Shireck wore a triumphant look on his face.


    Sure enough, Zhao Kai was moved. None of the previous statements had touched his heart, but this last one hit the mark.


    This was truly an opportunity that came once in a millennium! If he defeated Tang Country, then he would be able to expand his territory by tens of thousands of miles!


    And these places were lands of plenty: Tongcheng, which Tang Country had been developing for years, the magnificent Chang''an, and Linshui, the seaport that the Dahua Empire had long coveted!


    He really wanted all of this, because he believed himself to be the unparalleled Emperor of the Dahua Empire! An overlord deserving of all this!


    Therefore, the hand resting on the armrest of the chair couldn''t help but clench tightly, forming a slightly trembling fist!

 Chapter 734 734: Route 693 West Disadvantage

    "Hello?" The intelligence officer grabbed the phone in front of him and heard yet another piece of news, "Okay, I got it. I''ll report this immediately!"


    He hung up the phone and walked over to the officer in charge of compiling information, "Our covert observation outpost on the border has confirmed it. Dahua''s military is mobilizing."


    Everyone in the intelligence room was busy. Intelligence from various regions piled up like mountains, with some even detailing the enemy''s military unit numbers and corresponding ammunition reserves.


    "There was news yesterday that the 11th Division of the Dahua Empire was moving southward; it seems to be true." The officer compiling intelligence raised his head and marked an arrow on the map, "Such frequent movements are very suspicious."


    Ocassionally an NCO would push a trolley in, bringing in various changes detected from the Dahua Empire by different departments.


    Updates such as which general was reassigned where or which official appeared on the border. Secret news from inside the Dahua Empire''s court, as well as some secret orders from the Emperor of Dahua.


    Despite targeted infiltration towards the Dahua Empire, it would be too fanciful to think that Dahua could be infiltrated as easily as a sieve.


    Corrupt nations often have relatively powerful intelligence agencies because this is the only reliable way for rulers to control the country and understand public grievances. Therefore, the intelligence department of the Dahua Empire still has some capabilities, and the infiltration by Tang Country is not completely successful.


    After several confrontations, Tang Country controlled some channels of information sources and could obtain some orders related to Emperor Zhao Kai of Dahua, but that was about it.


    Considering military matters are tightly kept secrets, it''s nearly impossible to directly obtain the combat orders issued by Zhao Kai.


    However, corresponding intelligence still promptly reached the hands of the Great Tang Kingdom''s intelligence department. For instance, the increase of train services and the allocation and transport of grain.


    "The enemy''s telegraph communications have tripled in intensity, and our Signal Detection Department has basically confirmed it, the activity of Dahua''s military is well above normal levels," another officer passed over a stack of documents, fretfully saying, "This is not a good sign."


    "They''re planning an attack while we are organizing disaster relief? That really complicates things." The leading officer scratched his head, looking at the mountain of documents in front of him, "Everything seems to be against us."


    "We''ve intercepted even more enemy telegrams at the Navy... so many that they can''t handle it, let alone decode it. Various incoming and outgoing telegraph messages¡ª even the ones sent in clear text are too numerous to read," complained a liaison officer from the Navy.


    He slapped the telegrams in his hand and sighed, "Actually, there''s no need to translate them anymore. With so massive a volume of telegrams going back and forth, a fool could tell what they''re doing."


    This was not a small-scale war, nor was it a sudden, senseless attack by some fool. Since the time Chu Country had just suffered a disaster, several empires had already been considering instigating this large-scale war against Tang Country.


    Telegrams were being exchanged incessantly, envoy Shireck was bustling about, military troops deployed at the border were constantly moving, and reserves of ammunition were being concentrated towards the front line.


    It wasn''t just that the intelligence department of the Great Tang Kingdom was terrifyingly efficient. In fact, even a blind person could see that war seemed inevitable now.


    Some countries had even started rationing food, and the elite troops in the heartland of the Dahua Empire were already secretly setting out.


    "On Qin Country''s side, our intelligence agents have sent back confirmation that some of their elite troops have entered the Dahua Empire... It''s very clear now, the Dahua Empire will definitely declare war on us within a few days!" another officer who had just received the intelligence yelled as soon as he put down the phone.


    If it weren''t for the impending war, the Dahua Empire would definitely not allow another country''s troops to enter its territory. Clearly, this time, the Dahua Empire had made up its mind to go to war!


    Clearly, the Dahua Empire planned to use the weather to offset the air superiority of the Tang Army. If they dawdle and miss the opportunity to strike, once the weather clears, the air force of the Dahua Empire wouldn''t be a match for that of the Tang Kingdom.


    So it''s highly likely that within the next couple of days, the Dahua Empire may initiate warfare in the border areas.


    But the Tang Army was not sitting idly by. Although the situation was highly unfavorable, the Tang Army had accelerated their war preparations as soon as the intelligence department received the first piece of information suggesting that the enemy might go to war.


    Despite the severe disaster, the Tang Army was still using the remaining transportation capacity to transport reserves of ammunition and war materials to the combat zone.


    Villages and towns near the border were also prepared, with civilians beginning an orderly evacuation. Those who didn''t wish to leave were stockpiling food in case of emergency.


    Chang''an, within the yet-unfinished palace where Tang Mo was, rain crashed against the windows, making a pitter-patter sound. The room was very quiet, with only Tang Mo speaking.


    "The situation is very unfavorable for us," the King of Tang Country said, looking at the map and speaking to Roger and Luff among others. "Things have deviated a bit from what we anticipated."


    "Our previous plan was to attack the southern part of Dahua Empire, seize the southern oil fields, and annihilate 400,000 to 500,000 troops of the Dahua Empire, forcing them to seek peace," he said, pointing to the map and explaining the previous battle plan.


    Then, he sighed and continued, "In preparation for such a plan, we constructed defensive lines on the border of Chu Country, hoping to hold back the Chu army. However, we were not well-prepared for defense against the Dahua Empire."


    "Now, the floods have destroyed our defensive lines in the southern region, essentially canceling out our elite forces with the least combat-effective Chu forces. Currently, we have no choice but to face the main forces of Dahua Empire on the western front, which is one of our disadvantages," Tang Mo said, then turned to look at Luff and Ibrahim, "In addition, the severe weather has negated our aerial superiority."


    "Planes can''t take off, nor can they support the frontline combat; the battle zone is muddy, making it difficult for tanks and armored corps to deploy," Tang Mo sighed¡ªnearly all the advantages of his mechanized forces were gone.


    What remained was only the disadvantage in troop strength. He had prepared about 20 divisions, roughly 400,000 men, on the western front. Now, to support the disaster area, about 150,000 had been redeployed, leaving only 250,000 troops to face an army of over 1 million from the Dahua Empire.


    Not only were the troops insufficient in number, but these forces also lacked proper defensive fortifications to rely on because the Tang Army originally intended to attack in this direction and had not considered defense at all.


    According to Tang Mo''s plan, before the offensive began, he was to redeploy about 100,000 troops from the southern region to join the attack. Coupled with the advantages of the Air Force and armored corps, the Tang Army had a chance of victory.


    But now, without the Air Force able to participate in the war and the Army facing an enemy force four or five times its size, the entire western front seemed very tense.


    And this was just one aspect, because the various pieces of intelligence sent by the information department suggested that this was practically "the First World War against Tang"!


    The four aircraft carriers planned to be commissioned next year obviously could not be rushed to join the battle now, but half of the battleships from the navies of various countries had been launched into service.


    Tang Country currently had a total of seven battleships, while the combined number of battleships from various countries worldwide exceeded twenty, seemingly giving Shireck an absolute advantage.


    The only hope was on radar and submarines, two types of new weaponry, which were what the Tang Navy would rely on to turn defeat into victory within the next year.


    "The coming 20 days to 1 month could be critical in determining the outcome of this war," Tang Mo said solemnly to his generals. "We will face the main forces of Dahua Empire with inferior troop strength... If we can hold our ground, then once the weather improves and the Air Force can engage, our pressure will drastically reduce."


    "Conversely, if we are defeated by the enemy in this bad weather, then it will be too late for the Air Force to join the fight... By then, we will be in a comprehensive disadvantage."


    "Even after holding our position for a month, we would still be at a disadvantage due to the floods severely affecting national transportation and causing major infrastructure damage, requiring time to recover," Tang Mo walked back to the table, his hands resting on the edge. "It is expected that we will be forced into a defensive stance for half a year."


    "However, we are not without the hope of winning. As long as we persevere, the goddess of victory will smile upon us!" He looked around at everyone, then concluded the meeting, "So! Go prepare."


    Due to the weather, forcefully launching planes was risky and could lead to accidents, so Redman and Tagg could only travel by train to the western front. They had to depart in advance to reach their respective headquarters before the outbreak of war.


    The recent meeting had altered the previously drafted offensive battle plan, modifying the entire operational plan into two parts.


    The now redefined western front attack plan was divided into two directions: southwest and northwest. The overall commander for the southwest direction was General Tagg, and for the northwest direction was General Redman.


    The troops in the southwest would undertake defensive tasks, and at all costs, withstand the assault from Dahua Empire''s army for three months.


    Once the weather improved, the troops in the northwest would attempt a counterattack under the cover of the Air Force, exerting pressure on the flanks of Dahua Empire''s offensive troops.


    Of course, unlike the previous plan, this offensive, due to the lesser number of troops involved, would merely be a feint; it would not be possible to advance swiftly and take over the significant southern regions of Dahua Empire and control the oil fields there.


    With the war imminent and disaster relief extremely urgent, Tang Mo had been very busy these few days; he had not even left his office except for meetings.


    After the meeting, Tang Mo sent a telegram to Sofia in Flame Castle from afar. The content was very simple, just one sentence: "This time, simply offering a scapegoat won''t do!"

 Chapter 735 735: World War I for the first time

    It was shocking, or rather, it bordered on the comical, that Chu Country, the one most severely affected by the disaster, became the first to declare war on Tang Country.


    The reason for the declaration of war was that Tang Country''s flood control and rescue efforts had interfered with normal drainage and flood discharge practices, which greatly harmed the citizens of Chu Country. Therefore, Chu Country had no choice but to declare war on Tang Country.


    Merely one minute after this declaration of war, the Dahua Empire officially declared war on Tang Country with the reason being to protect their vassal state, Chu Country...


    Within half an hour, the Laines Empire, Dorne Empire, and Ice Empire successively declared war on Tang Country, with astonishingly similar reasons: they condemned Tang Country''s disaster relief actions for disregarding the lives of Chu Country''s citizens, thus declaring war on Tang Country.


    Hearing such reasons really evoked a mixture of laughter and tears. Their reason for attacking a country was simply because that country had performed its flood control and emergency response too well.


    Following that, Tang Country took a strong stance and declared war on all the countries that had declared war on them, including the Dahua Empire, Qin Country, Chu Country, Shen Country, Ice Cold Empire, Poplar Empire, Suthers Empire, Laines Empire, Dorne Empire, and Gobur Kingdom.


    In essence, Tang Country was declaring war on half the world, pitting itself against so many countries.


    On this day, the First World War officially erupted, with the Anti-Tang Allied Forces battling the Tang Army. The disparity in military strength was so staggering it was shocking, yet the war still began.


    Almost simultaneously with the declarations of war, combat erupted. In a complete contrast to the previous slow pace, amidst the continuous drizzle, the Dahua Empire''s border troops began bombarding territories within Tang Country.


    Having prepared for a long time and holding an absolute advantage in military strength, the Dahua Empire assembled over 3000 cannons, thoroughly plowing the areas they suspected to be occupied by the Tang Army.


    As these shells landed on Tang Country''s soil and kicked up plumes of black smoke, a telegraph crossed the ocean and flew to a certain sea area.


    Waves slapped against the deck as the smoking submarine commander, leaning against the conning tower, stared blankly at the distant horizon. A sailor emerged from the hatch behind him and shouted at his captain, "A telegram from Linshui."


    The captain flicked his cigarette into the sea, turned around to receive the telegram, and glanced over the content.


    Then he crumpled the message into a ball, stuffed it into his pocket, and with a gloomy expression, walked over to the hatch, "War has broken out! Our mission is to attack Brunas Harbor! Pay a visit to our ''old friends'' there!"


    One by one, the sailors who had been airing out on the conning tower crawled back into the submarine; clothes hanging from the rail had also been gathered and brought inside.


    Adjusting the white naval cap atop his head, he was the last to enter inside the submarine, securing the hatch above him, "Change course, head for Brunas! Sink any and all ships we encounter!"


    He descended the steel ladder, strode to his battle station, and addressed the crew operating the submarine, "Our homeland is being ravaged by floods, our brothers in the Army are helping our families fight the disaster! And these bastards plan to annihilate our country at a time like this!"


    After pausing briefly, he asked everyone, "What should we do?"


    "Fight! Fight!" Everyone shouted loudly.


    The submarine''s location was not far from Brunas, and they had already reached their designated position before the outbreak of the war.


    With the war''s outbreak looming, Tang Country''s Navy had begun strategic deployment. Their submarines had been dispatched with orders to maintain communication at all times.


    Now, the war had broken out.


    "Open the valves! Dive! Periscope depth! Battle stations! Check the bow torpedoes!" the captain bellowed his orders as white foam encircled the submarine, and the floating deck gradually sank beneath the water.


    The conning tower cut through the water, shattering the waves straight ahead, and surged toward the direction of Brunas. The snorkel began to rise, and over time, the Dragon Banner-adorned conning tower also began to sink.


    In Dragon Harbor, the duty officer grabbed the telephone, "Hello! All warships, light your boilers! Start preheating! Be ready to leave port in 20 hours!"


    "War has begun! The war has already started!" The harbor resonated with the warning sounds from the loudspeakers. Sailors started to muster and board ships while smokestacks of distant warships began to belch thick black smoke.


    The neatly docked Dongwan-class battleships began warming their boilers, and preparations for departure were underway for both Wolf-class cruisers and two models of destroyers.


    The last truck carrying life jackets entered the harbor, distributing the newly made life jackets to sailors about to embark onto ships.


    Above the newly-installed bridge of the Dongwan-class battleship, radar equipment that had been shrouded in canvas finally revealed its true form.


    The few remaining Dongwan-class battleships of Tang Country had all undergone modernization refits, installing more anti-aircraft guns and also adding radar fire control systems.


    This extended the theoretical range of the main guns of Tang Country''s battleships to over 20 kilometers, significantly strengthening their combat capabilities.


    Some merchant ships from other countries that had just arrived at the port were naturally detained, and many of Tang Country''s transport ships heading to foreign ports also lost contact, tallying incalculable losses worldwide on this day.


    Far out at sea, aboard the bridge of a newly-built Linshui-class destroyer, the captain of Tang Country received a telegram. After reading it, he immediately issued combat orders, "Turn on the radar! All personnel, prepare for battle!"


    Instantly, alarms began to sound, and the duty radar operator powered up the radar, causing the circular screen to light up green, its grid lines reflecting a faint glow against the backlight.


    On an accompanying destroyer of the same class, lights were flashing urgently¡ªa signal inquiring whether their lead ship had received the same message.


    The sharp bows of the two destroyers rose and fell against the rolling waves, the spray they kicked up at the crests rising as high as a few stories.


    Atop a mountain on Dragon Island, two soldiers climbed a tall metal frame and tore off the tarpaulin covering it. A neat row of connected antennas revealed their true form, an early warning radar system capable of detecting aerial targets over a hundred kilometers away.


    Meanwhile, on the runway of an airfield, the propellers of two B-17 Flying Fortress bombers designated for patrol began to spin, and the already boarded pilots gave a thumbs up to the ground crew beside them.


    After the outbreak of war, the number of patrol aircraft naturally increased manifold, yet the defenses around Dragon Island remained as solid as ever, given that the Tang Army''s main fleet was deployed here, along with submarines lurking in the shadows.


    Upon hearing the news of many countries declaring war on their own, the military and civilians of Tang Country, who were fully engaged in flood relief, became enraged.


    All they wanted was to live a good life, to survive well¡ªwhy was there always someone trying to bully them?


    Thinking this way deep in their hearts, the common people, who were busy with their daily struggles for survival, fully erupted in anger. In many places, people spontaneously organized, petitioning the authorities, supporting their King, Your Majesty, eager to volunteer for the defense of their homeland.


    Three hours after the outbreak of the war, Tang Mo issued a decree, calling for the national mobilization for war, requiring reservists to report to recruitment centers at all levels.


    At the same time, Tang Mo issued another decree, asking the people to remain calm, to focus on flood control and disaster relief to stabilize the home front, and to support the front lines through production and other means.


    In the western frontiers of Tang Country, the Dahua Type 1 tanks made by the Dahua Empire crossed the border, covering an innumerable number of Dahua Empire soldiers and launching an attack on Tang Country.


    The tanks of the Dahua Empire were copies of the Shireck Type 2 tank, with a combat weight of 15 tons, equipped with a 90mm caliber short-barreled gun, and they resembled a larger version of the T-26 tank.


    The performance of these tanks was fairly balanced, with average defense and firepower similar to the tanks of the Tang Army, and their mobility was also comparable.


    The only problem was that these tanks lacked communication equipment, making coordinated command quite inconvenient and thereby reducing their combat effectiveness significantly.


    Yet, their concrete specifications were there to be seen, and they were certainly much more advanced than the early Shireck Type 1 tanks. When over a hundred such tanks began their attack, escorting twenty thousand soldiers, their momentum was indeed formidable.


    These troops belonged to the 3rd Armored Division and Infantry Division of the Dahua Empire''s 3rd Armored Army, and their target was the important border city of Xicong in Tang Country''s western front.


    As a border city, Xicong was an industrial hub with various light industries and also a junction for many nearby railways. Many of the products that Tang Country exported to the Dahua Empire before the outbreak of war passed through here.


    Being a key transportation hub with a large airport and a commercial gateway, capturing Xicong virtually represented achieving the initial strategic goals of the Dahua Empire.


    Tagg naturally focused his defenses here, as Xicong housed the Tang Army''s largest munitions depot on the border, storing a massive inventory of military supplies, with three field airports behind it, and two hundred military aircraft of various models parked there.


    Losing Xicong was no laughing matter; it could adversely affect the entire course of the war. Therefore, Tagg stationed his main forces here, preparing to resist step by step, to buy time.


    Unfortunately, he only had hastily constructed defensive works, and most defenses could barely be deployed relying on the terrain, desperately resisting against the enemy''s superior numbers and overwhelming firepower.


    Thus, the Dahua Empire''s military quickly crossed the border and penetrated the territory of the Great Tang Kingdom, marking the first time that Tang Kingdom''s lands had been invaded by enemy forces since its establishment.


    In the northern part of the western front, the roles were reversed. The Tang Army assembled its 1st, 2nd, and 3rd main armored divisions, and thousands of tanks, launching an offensive against the Dahua Empire.


    The sky remained cloaked in dark clouds, and the rain continued to pour down as if weeping for the world.

 Chapter 736 736: Li Family Village 695

    In the drizzling rain, a platoon of Tang Army soldiers dressed in raincoats trudged along a muddy road, carrying ammunition and weapons and following behind a No. 4 assault gun.


    Soon, these soldiers arrived at a small village where the civilians had already evacuated, leaving only a few men behind.


    These men quickly stood in front of the short assault gun, volunteering to guide the troops, introducing the local terrain and claiming their homes still had food supplies.


    However, the soldiers did not take the food. After revising the map details based on the locals'' descriptions, they asked the men to leave the dangerous area immediately and take all the food they could carry with them.


    Then, the soldiers began to set up defensive lines around the small village. Everyone was busy; some were digging trenches, others were burying mines.


    In an instant, the once peaceful and tranquil village had turned into a dangerous battlefield, as if every corner hid lethal means of killing.


    The distant rumble could be heard, indistinct as artillery fire or the muffled roll of thunder.


    Unnoticed, the rain had stopped, the sky still laden with thick clouds, crystal-clear water droplets hanging from the leaves, and the puddles underfoot remained as turbid as ever.


    The low-profile assault gun was covered with branches, concealed behind a thicket of bushes. The tank commander leaned out, peering through binoculars at the wilderness in the distance.


    This was the main route for the attack on Xicong, and a defensive line they had to hold. The enemy was expected to arrive here in a few hours, and everyone knew it would be a tough fight.


    Soon, a truck appeared on the highway extending west. As it approached, the white identification paint below the car''s radiator grille, distinguishing friend from foe, became evident.


    It was a counterattack unit retreating from the front lines, half filled with wounded soldiers and the other half who had expended all their ammunition, forced to retreat to this point for rest and reorganization.


    Soon, the wounded continued their retreat eastward in the truck, leaving behind soldiers who, after receiving ammunition, stayed to reinforce the defenses here.


    Approximately another hour passed, and a No. 4 tank riddled with bullet holes escorted three Type 113 armored vehicles to this location as well.


    The grenadiers continued to collect their ammo, and logistics trucks from the east also arrived in the village, bringing in more ammunition amidst the bustle.


    "Your counterattack units fought brilliantly, significantly slowing down the enemy''s progress. They will likely only reach here by the afternoon," the battalion commander stood in the shadow of the village''s tallest two-story building, offering a cigarette to the retreating tank commander.


    The latter accepted the cigarette, lit it, and then exhaled a puff of white smoke saying, "The battlefield is too muddy, isn''t it difficult for both us to maneuver and them to advance?"


    The troops'' organization had become disrupted: the forces retreating from the front were already a mixed composition. Some were tanks supported by the Armored Corps, others were infantry''s own assault guns, all mingled together, temporarily commanded by various battalion and regiment commanders.


    There was no choice since there were no defensive works, which meant that the light infantry was almost incapable of stopping the enemy tank clusters'' assaults. The Armored Corps had to be broken up to serve as a firefighting team.


    Those who retreated here was a typical "small unit" configuration: one tank and two armored vehicles from the Armored Corps, with the remaining armored vehicle and truck from the grenadier units.


    As the frontline pushed deeper into Tang Country, the defensive forces of the Tang Army gradually increased. It wasn''t just a boost in manpower, but equipment was also strengthening.


    The slow-moving heavy artillery units began to appear on the battlefield later on. The closer to the railways, the more plentiful the supplies, and consequently, the Tang Army''s artillery fire grew more intense.


    However, as the Dahua Empire''s military continued their offensive, they also gradually moved away from their own supply lines. The mud was not just the friend of Dahua''s military; it was also aiding the Tang Army in resisting the advances of Dahua''s forces.


    "Lucky you came, or just relying on us to hold here, we probably couldn''t last until tomorrow," the tank commander said, looking towards the direction from which the enemy would come, his words laden with worry.


    The battalion commander nodded, smiling as he reassured the other, "Aren''t we here now? Two more Hornet units will soon arrive, and then we''ll let those damned bastards see what we''re made of!"


    "I''m not trying to scare you, but this time the enemy is different!" the tank commander warned the commander, "They''re well prepared, and their artillery fire is strong, otherwise we wouldn''t have been in such a sorry state."


    With no Air Force to weaken the artillery, the Dahua Empire''s artillery finally got the chance to utilize their firepower advantage to give the Tang Army a taste of what fire suppression really felt like.


    It was an unfortunate situation. Usually, the Tang Army had the support of the Air Force, and their artillery emphasized mobility, so they were naturally at a numerical disadvantage.


    Although you could say the Tang Army had more self-propelled artillery, and it was more advanced, when it came to sheer numbers, obviously, the Tang Army''s self-propelled artillery was not so advanced that it could offset the advantage of numbers.


    "They''re coming!" On the outer defenses, the No. 4 assault gun''s commander who had been on the lookout put down his binoculars and held down the intercom, alerting his crew.


    On the highway in the distance, Dahua''s military tanks followed one after another, with dense groups of soldiers on both sides of the roadbed.


    The drizzle had barely stopped, and the mobility of Dahua''s troops had somewhat increased. Commanders were all desperately rushing, trying to make up for the time wasted earlier due to the ambushes by the Tang Border Defense Force.


    They had no choice, for they had not anticipated that the seemingly unimpressive border defense force, with its limited manpower and ammunition, would put up such a fierce fight.


    By the standards of the Dahua Empire, these border defense units of the Tang Army, if placed under Dahua commanders, would be the treasures at the bottom of the box, the core of the main force.


    Soon the Tang Army switched to camouflage mode, and the company commander grabbed the newly installed field telephone in the temporary camouflaged shelter: "Hello? Hello! This is Li Family Village! The enemy has appeared! Yes! Yes! I assure you, we''ll hold our positions!"


    After hanging up the phone, he looked at his adjutant: "Hold fire until they''re closer, don''t waste ammunition! Give them a fierce one as much as possible!"


    "Understood!" The adjutant smiled and nodded: "Everything is arranged; let''s show the Dahua people the might of us Tang people!"


    In the foxholes, the grenade soldiers of the Tang Army peeked out their Type 56 assault rifles, with the dark barrels aiming towards the approaching enemy in the distance.


    But before they got within range, an enormous blast sent a leading tank of the Dahua troops and seven or eight soldiers flying into the air.


    It was an anti-tank mine planted by the retreating Tang Army, and the horrific explosion caused the Dahua troops to halt. They waited in place, dumbfounded, for ten minutes before regaining order and continuing their advance.


    This mine seemed to send a dangerous signal, and the Dahua troops began to spread out gradually, not advancing solely along the road anymore.


    As a result, the mines buried by the roadside began to take their toll, with explosions one after another causing continuous interruptions in the advance of the Dahua troops, preventing them from gaining speed.


    Eventually, it seemed that the commanders from the Dahua Empire lost patience; about a dozen tanks, covering roughly a battalion of troops, hurried their pace aggressively and charged towards Li Family Village.


    Many villages in Tang Country are named after the most prominent family surname within them, and while there are not a hundred Li Family Villages, there are at least eighty; the one here is just one of the inconspicuous ones.


    However, with the population growth and improved economic conditions in Tang Country, the scale of its villages has already surpassed that of small towns in other countries.


    This place is not like villages in other countries with just several dozen straw huts; here, there are over a thousand residences, even quite a few two-story buildings.


    On the east side of the village, there are two small factories, one processes the oranges grown nearby into canned oranges, and the other is a repair shop that can even perform simple maintenance on tanks.


    Of course, the village''s electricity is transmitted from towns further away; it doesn''t have its own power station, and the water plant is still under construction and not yet completed.


    Even so, compared to the frontier villages in the Dahua Empire, this Li Family Village is indeed more than twice as prosperous.


    "A bunch of fools; after fighting all day, they still haven''t learned how to walk properly!" Watching the swarming Dahua troops, a Tang Army sniper hiding in a concealed position spat out the grass stalk he was chewing on.


    He raised his sniper rifle and peered through the scope at the enemies staggering along in the mud next to the tanks, their rifles in hand. His crosshair moved back and forth between their heads and chests.


    The Dahua''s soldiers could not be blamed for failing to see the Tang Army that was practically within arm''s reach, because the camouflage work of the Tang Army was too good.


    Their helmets were covered in fabric and camouflage nets, and many of the experienced veterans had even inserted small branches with leaves into them.


    Together with the camouflage raincoats of the Tang Army, from afar, their outlines were cut by the camouflage patterns, blending into the natural colors so that they became unrecognizable. So when they were less than a hundred meters from the village, the concealed Tang Army defenses still went unnoticed.


    But because the Dahua troops had suffered too much from the attack the day before, they would unconsciously slow their pace when everything seemed too quiet.


    This was a sign of respect for the dead and an acknowledgment of the enemy¡ªeven though they hadn''t learned the deeper tactics of survival, they had developed an awareness of self-preservation.


    "Ratatatatat!" Finally, a grenadier at the front pulled the trigger; the continuous gunfire of the assault rifle shattered the surrounding silence.


    In the distance, a cannon fired; the artillery shell whistled overhead, crashing into the steel plate at the front of the turret of the leading Dahua Type 1 tank.


    The immense force tore through the already thin steel plate, followed immediately by the ignition of all inflammable and explosive materials inside the tank.


    With a colossal boom, the tank exploded, the body burst into flames, the turret flew off, and the surrounding Dahua Empire soldiers were knocked down.

 Chapter 737 737: 696 Second Offensive

    "The third one!" Hidden in the corner, the sniper cradled his G43 semi-automatic rifle. Looking through the four-times scope, he accurately took down a Dahua soldier who was aiming his rifle, ready to fire.


    The enemy soldier clutched his chest and fell to his knees in the crosshair, struggled twice, then face-planted into the mud and disappeared.


    In the past, the standard equipment for Tang Army snipers was the 98K rifle, which was later upgraded to the G43 semi-automatic rifle to keep the caliber consistent with the MG-42 machine gun, simplifying logistics. This model remained in use.


    Compared to the frequent upgrades of heavy weapons, the urgency to update the weapons wielded by the soldiers wasn''t as pressing. After all, they all served to kill¡ªthe equipment was somehow cobbled together to suffice until today.


    However, with the addition of the four-times scope, the G43 sniper rifle boasted decent accuracy and superior sustained fire capability within the engagement range of 200 to 300 meters.


    Because it eliminated the need to work the bolt, the sniper could calmly watch his target die before seeking the next one.


    Soon, another Dahua soldier, who stopped to raise his rifle and shoot, was spotted and the Tang Army sniper pulled the trigger once more¡ªthe Dahua soldier fell the next second.


    This was simply a massacre. When the concealed MG-42 machine guns of the Tang Army started howling like tearing cloth, the army of Dahua could not stop retreating.


    The charging Dahua soldiers seemed accustomed to the sound of the ripping machine and began to turn and run wildly, not even sparing a glance at their wounded comrades as they fled the battlefield.


    The Dahua Empire tank units, struck by artillery that destroyed several tanks, began to back up, leaving behind the blazing wreckage to cover the infantry''s retreat.


    They abandoned the remnants of five tanks and suffered around two hundred casualties¡ªcorpses of Dahua soldiers littered the battlefield everywhere, and the dismal moaning of those not yet dead could still be heard.


    In less than 20 minutes of fighting, a tank battalion and an infantry battalion were nearly crippled and lost their combat effectiveness. And this was only the start of the battle at Li Family Village.


    Unbeknownst to them, a fine drizzle began to fall from the sky, tickling their faces, making it hard to tell if it was the rain or the chill wind blowing in their faces.


    The Tang Army soldiers carefully cleaned up the battlefield, taking care of any Dahua wounded still clinging to life.


    For the soldiers defending Li Family Village, these past two days had been a relatively easy time. If the Dahua military continued to attack, they could effortlessly repel them.


    However, the real test would come on the third or fourth day when the follow-up Dahua troops would start to press in from both flanks and those terrifying heavy cannons would join the battle.


    Once the Dahua artillery arrived, the fighting would be no joke. Without exaggeration, they would level Li Family Village to the ground.


    The frontline commanders of the Tang Kingdom had underestimated the Dahua Empire''s fervor for this war¡ªduring the night, the Dahua military hauled their 150mm howitzers onto the battlefield in the rain. And there was more than one!


    The next morning, as the rain still poured, a whistling shell fell into Li Family Village, collapsing a building and severely damaging surrounding structures.


    The supply trucks parked in the village began to evacuate immediately, and the Tang Army''s battalion commander had to rush through the rain to a field hospital set up in a corner of the village, to remind a doctor and a nurse there to stay safe.


    The shelling showed no sign of stopping, with dozens of cannons bombarding for over an hour. Hundreds of shells fell on and around the village, toppling many buildings. However, the rain kept the dust at bay, leaving the battlefield eerily clean.


    Because it was regulated, the ammunition storage was dug into shelters. However, for the sake of convenience, many soldiers would still stay in residential areas.


    With the enemy''s shelling commencing, the good days were over. The houses were no longer safe, and places to take shelter from the rain had decreased significantly.


    There was no choice but for all the soldiers to sleep in more concealed tents, disperse as much as possible, and ensure they were well camouflaged.


    "Without aerial reconnaissance, we can''t determine how far the enemy''s flank has advanced," the battalion commander, freshly returned from the field hospital, shook the droplets off his body and complained as he looked at the map.


    If the enemy began attacking the flank, he would have to prepare corresponding forces there because according to the defense plan provided by the regimental headquarters, his position was protruding.


    This meant facing the danger of being attacked from three sides¡ªbut this also enticed the Dahua Empire to focus their attention on Li Family Village.


    Relying on Li Family Village and continuously using fueling tactics was Tagg''s strategic design to hold Xicong. As long as Li Family Village could captivate the main force of the Dahua Empire, he would have enough time to dig a bigger trap in Xicong. The goal wasn''t just to hold Xicong, but to turn it into a graveyard for the Dahua military!


    So when Li Family Village came under bombardment, the infantry division of the troops stationed there immediately reinforced their own with three assault guns and added two Wild Bee Automatic Cannons.


    By noon, the rain had subsided slightly, and the Dahua military immediately launched a new round of attack.


    They were actually under pressure to attack, since weather forecasts were basically non-existent at the time, and everyone had to guess the weather conditions.


    The rainfall could stop at any time, and as soon as the Tang Country''s Air Force appeared on the battlefield, no one could predict the consequences.


    The clouds and precipitation neutralized the aerial superiority of the Tang Army, which allowed the Dahua troops to launch such a smooth offensive and calmly deploy artillery.


    If they missed the rainy period, their attack would face greater difficulty, which was something the entire Dahua Empire hoped to see.


    Thus, accelerating the attack became their only option, even though their transportation was also affected by the rain, and even though they were reluctant to launch a large-scale campaign in wet weather.


    Still, Dahua''s higher-ups knew that they had to capture Xicong before the end of the rainfall, cut off Tang Country''s southern transportation hub, and seize the food and other materials that Great Tang had reserved in Xicong.


    At the same time, they could drive away the Tang Country''s Air Force deployed near Xicong, increasing the attack distance for the Tang Country''s Air Force and weakening its impact on the battlefield.


    All this had been discussed before the battle, they were established strategic goals, and were endeavors the Dahua military was determined to achieve at all costs.


    So, disregarding the rainy weather and everything else, they fought desperately in their attack, not hesitating even if the losses were significant.


    Thus, the second battle for Li Family Village erupted, it was still a frontal assault, still the most traditional "human wave tactic". The only difference this time was the cover of superior artillery, and dozens more tanks on the frontal battlefield.


    "The enemy has so many tanks! And, their quality seems much better than the ones before," the battalion commander lamented, furrowing his brow as he watched a Dahua Type 1 Tank approaching their defensive line.


    As he spoke, the Dahua tank attempting to close in on the Tang Army''s defensive line was hit by a shell, caught fire, exploded, and was left paralyzed on the spot.


    A Number 4 Assault Gun, hidden on the flank, used its low profile and good concealment to destroy many enemy tanks without being exposed.


    It had destroyed five tanks in yesterday''s battle, and as of today, it had taken out seven more of the enemy''s tanks. Yet, despite this, the Dahua military showed no sign of retreating.


    Clearly, the other side had also received desperate orders, as this attack was definitely at any cost. The nearly one battalion''s worth of Dahua infantry suffered heavy casualties, and then another battalion charged forward, stepping over the bodies of their comrades to continue their advance.


    In fact, the more the battle progressed this way, the more the battalion commander of the Great Tang side worried about the flanks of his defensive line. The south was relatively secure with another battalion''s defensive line, but to the north, there was only a depleted "squad" pulled back from the front line.


    Relying on the woods, one tank, a few armored vehicles, and less than a company of soldiers... If the enemy detoured to attack that forest first, it might actually fall into their hands.


    If that forest was lost, his flank would be like a nail was hammered into it; assaulting Li Family Village from that forest would basically cut down the attack distance by hundreds of meters.


    This was no joke; if things turned out poorly, he might be forced to retreat into Li Family Village and fight in the streets.


    But even though he knew the enemy might attack that forest, he had no spare forces to send in support. Just one look at the current battlefield, and he dared not redeploy even a single platoon to sit idly in the forest.


    "We''ll see how things go later..." That was the best decision he could make. In a few hours, the other three Number 4 Assault Guns that were on the way would arrive, and he could then station one over there...


    Little did he know, at this moment, the tank commander hidden in the forest had already spotted the row of Dahua Type 1 Tanks in the distance through the slits of the periscope.


    The commanders of the well-manned Dahua Empire were not fools, of course; they were naturally going to use their numerical advantage.


    When they had established that a direct attack wasn''t very effective, they had already spread out their troops and extended to both wings, ready to attempt a probing attack from both sides.


    "Load armor-piercing rounds! Aim!" the tank commander ordered loudly. The loader pushed a round into the chamber and closed the breach.


    The gunner''s eyes were glued to the sighting scope, pressing the crosshairs onto one of the advancing Dahua Type 1 Tanks through the reticle on the lens.


    "Fire when you''re confident! The enemy is too numerous, it''s too dangerous to let them get closer!" The commander didn''t dare take risks, for his tank''s armor was not much to speak of either, it couldn''t withstand the 90mm short-barreled gun of the opponent.

 Chapter 738 738: Battle of the 697 Dense Forest

    "Boom!" the gunner stomped on the pedal, and a shell flew out of the forest, covering hundreds of meters, and smashed directly into a Dahua 1 Tank advancing forward.


    The tank''s front armor was penetrated, flames erupted, and then it came to a halt, paralyzed and puffing thick smoke.


    The other Dahua Tanks continued to advance, not even realizing their comrade had been hit. But the Dahua Soldiers following behind the tanks descended into chaos, for they had witnessed the entire event.


    However, these soldiers quickly regained order and continued to follow their tanks, stepping through the moist soil inch by inch.


    "Boom!" Hidden in the forest, the No. 4 Tank fired another shot, but this time fortune was not on their side. The trajectory of the shell was visibly low, ultimately smashing into a raised mound of earth and ricocheting off, its destination unknown.


    After all, hitting an enemy tank on the move at such a distance meant the hit rate could not be very high. In those days, the accuracy of tank guns relied almost equally on the crew''s experience and the manufacturing precision of the optical sights'' lenses.


    Even so, the first-round hit rate of cannons was quite low. The gunners had to rely on their own experience to correct the trajectory, making the firing rate a very important performance metric.


    Within the cramped confines of the tank, the loader pulled out a shell from the most convenient spot, shoved it into the breach, closed the breech block, and then shouted, "Loaded!"


    "Boom!" With hardly any delay, the gunner stomped on the pedal again, firing another round. This time, he adjusted the elevation angle of the gun and slightly rotated the turret, the projectile hitting a Dahua 1 Tank advancing in the distance.


    This tank, with its turret not quite centered and slightly askew, also had its front armor penetrated by the shell, which immediately set it ablaze with fierce flames.


    The tank''s hatch was flung open by someone inside, and one Dahua tank crew member who was lucky enough not to be killed jumped out of the tank, ignoring the flames on his calf, and madly dashed towards the distance.


    About two seconds later, the burning tank became uncontrollable, huge flames burst through the open hatch, and in a moment of secondary explosion, the tank''s turret was blown off.


    The Dahua Tanks moving forward were also searching for their enemy. Although the damp woodland reduced the visibility of the white smoke from the tank''s gun muzzle, continuous firing still let out wisps of white smoke that slowly crawled in front of the No. 4 Tank.


    "Boom!" The Tang Army gunner did not pause for a moment, and as soon as his loader had reloaded, he fired again.


    Eliminating the enemy at a longer combat distance was the only thing he could do right now; once those enemy tanks got closer, their situation would be utterly dire.


    They were not the kind of Ace tankers from Germany driving Tiger King Tanks to pick on Sherman tanks; their tanks were just as fragile as the enemy''s. The only things they could be proud of were their radio communication, the tank driver''s proficiency with the weapons systems.


    This shell missed again, but still managed to cause some damage. It struck the ground, bounced up, and broke the tracks of an advancing tank.


    It was sheer luck that crippled an attacking tank, and thus, three of the enemy''s tanks had been "taken out."


    Two of the Dahua Tanks stopped and returned fire. Two shells flew into the forest, whistling past the heads of Tang Army machine gunners in the trenches.


    The flying projectiles broke branches, shattered twigs, and splintered bark, scattering wood chips in all directions.


    Clearly, the Dahua Empire''s tankers had not yet located their target; they were simply firing blindly, and the trajectories of their shells were far from the concealed Tang Army''s No. 4 Tank.


    Knowing he had not been exposed, the Tang Army tank commander pulled his head back in and excitedly shouted to his gunner, "Keep firing! They haven''t found us yet!"


    "Boom!" Accompanying his shout, the No. 4 Tank trembled, and another shell flew out of the barrel, heading straight for the enemy tanks in the distance.


    It covered a long distance, rotating continuously in flight, until it hit the front steel plate of the opposing tank. It melted through the metal as smoothly as a hot knife through butter, leaving a hole surrounded by charred edges, then continued its destructive path inside the tank.


    The Dahua Tank crew inside was pierced by flying shrapnel, dying at their stations without a chance to scream.


    The gasoline engine of the Dahua 1 Tank ignited once more and exploded into flames amidst the drizzling rain, turning into a brilliant fireball.


    Like most early tanks, the Dahua Empire''s Dahua 1 Tank also used a gasoline engine. After all, it was the most commonly used and most thoroughly understood power system across nations.


    Every country had its own automobile industry; coming up with more advanced gasoline engines was not a problem. If six cylinders weren''t enough, they''d make eight - fuel consumption didn''t matter as long as it worked.


    The issue was quite serious since this thing used gasoline, which could lead to catastrophic explosions. Although the Tang Army had used it as well, back then there weren''t many anti-tank weapons capable of penetrating the armor of a Type 4 tank, were there?


    Now, most of the Tang Army''s Type 4 tanks had been refitted with diesel engines, which offered more torque and better performance, and the issue of catastrophic explosions had also been significantly reduced.


    Next to the Dahua tank that had been hit and exploded, another Dahua tank''s tracks rolled on, moving forward, while the Dahua soldiers following behind it avoided the burning tank hull and continued to move forward with their weapons.


    In fact, many of them had already spotted the approximate hiding place of the firing Type 4 tank, but they had no way of informing the allied tanks charging ahead.


    They had no choice but to grit their teeth and follow their own tank, continuing to move towards the Tang Army. That was all they could do, and the only thing they could do.


    If it were the Tang Army, the communications troops following the infantry could at least relay their observations to the attacking tank units, informing them of the enemy''s approximate position and facilitating a rough aim before engagement.


    Although the tactics were poor and the experience lacking, the tank units of the Dahua Empire were still gradually closing the distance between the combatants, relying on their numerical advantage.


    Another Dahua Empire tank that had not been attacked was providing cover for the infantry as they neared the forest. In the nick of time, the concealed Tang Army machine guns started roaring.


    The tracer bullets were highly visible in the slightly hazy drizzle, streaking like lasers into the Dahua military''s ranks.


    The Dahua soldiers, who had crowded behind the tank and were immediately baptized with bullets upon exposure, were instantly thrown into chaos.


    In the midst of the gunfire, a Tang Empire Grenadier in a foxhole leaped out and threw the prepared explosives toward the enemy tank that was on the move.


    "Boom!" A massive explosion engulfed the tank, also enveloping Tang Army soldiers who were close to the explosion. Everyone nearby''s ears were filled with a buzzing sound, and many Tang soldiers in the trenches were nearly buried alive by the earth hurled by the blast.


    The long-awaited artillery support had finally arrived; two Wild Bee Automatic Cannons fired shells that landed precisely at the edge of the forest.


    The shells lifted dirt into the air and pinned down the surrounding Dahua soldiers on the spot, forcing them to lie flat and not daring to raise their heads to continue their advance.


    Another Dahua Empire tank started to turn, its turret-mounted machine gun firing wildly. A Tang Army soldier trying to approach the tank was hit and fell, with the explosives in his hand detonating beside his body, lifting a canopy of mud into the air.


    "Boom!" A distant artillery shell arrived, fired from a Type 4 tank. The shell hit the side of the Dahua Empire tank that was turning, and then that tank exploded.


    The continuous and violent explosions made the situation unbearable for the surrounding Tang Army soldiers. They hid in their foxholes, as if undergoing a trial by fire straight from hell.


    When they gathered their courage once more, the enemy was within striking distance. A close-quarters battle ensued, with the sounds of assault rifles and battle cries echoing throughout the forest.


    The fight near the Type 4 tank was still ongoing, and as the battle continued, the loader''s pace had noticeably slowed down.


    The ammunition at his hand''s reach was all used up, so he had to increase his movements to fetch more distant ammunition.


    This further depleted his stamina, causing the Type 4 tank''s rate of fire to slow down noticeably. But at this moment, there were already seven or eight burned-out Dahua Type 1 tank wrecks on the battlefield.


    The number of Dahua Empire tanks participating in the attack had noticeably dwindled, but their position was now very close to the firing Type 4 tank.


    Worryingly, several of these tanks had spotted the Tang Army tank firing at them, and they were taking aim and shooting, trying to eliminate this sole threat.


    A Dahua Empire tank fired, the 90 mm main cannon blasting out a shell. The projectile grazed the turret of the Type 4 tank and flew past, striking sparks off an upper protrusion of the tank.


    "We''ve been hit!" The electrician yelled anxiously, feeling a slight jolt in their tank.


    "No! Don''t scare yourself! We haven''t been penetrated!" The commander reassured everyone loudly and then continued, "Fire when you have the target in sights! The enemy is closing in!"


    The gunner was already aiming at an enemy who had also stopped to aim at them. Both tanks'' barrels were pointed at each other.


    "Boom!" "Boom!" Almost simultaneously, both tanks fired their shells.

 Chapter 739 739: 698 lucky people

    Two tanks almost simultaneously struck each other, and the No. 4 tank''s shell pierced through the enemy''s turret armor, while Dahua''s tank also penetrated the No. 4 tank''s hull armor.


    The usually composed commander of the No. 4 tank felt as if his tank had been heavily slammed by a battering ram. His head nearly smashed against the steel hull, and the violent noise made his hair stand on end with fear.


    Almost instinctively, he lifted the hatch above him, bellowed an order to abandon the tank, and then scrambled out.


    Even though the No. 4 tank had been refitted with a diesel engine, which greatly reduced the risk of sympathetic detonation, instant abandonment after being pierced remained an unquestionable lifesaving measure.


    The gunner also pushed open the side hatch and darted out of his own tank. The cold air around him rushed over his face, immediately sobering him up quite a bit.


    Without even checking to see if he was hurt, he and the commander took off from the tank, running desperately towards the distant woods.


    The driver and the mechanic quickly followed after them, both of them fortunate, as there was no sign of blood on their clothes. The shell that had pierced the tank hadn''t harmed them but had instead destroyed the gearbox and the radio equipment between them.


    But not everyone was so lucky; the loader hadn''t left the tank, so he must have been wounded or killed instantly.


    No one dared to look back at him, nor did anyone have the courage to search for him. They could only run across the battlefield, riddled with flying bullets, towards a safer place.


    Soon, behind them, the No. 4 tank was once again hit by an enemy tank shell, which emitted a deafening clang.


    The shell left a black cavity on the side skirt of the tank''s hull. Immediately following, the remaining ammunition inside the tank detonated sympathetically.


    The explosion set the tank ablaze, the fuel burning relentlessly, illuminating the surrounding trees with its flames, which burned fiercely even amidst the drizzling rain.


    "Damn it!" The commander cursed as he ran, thinking of his comrade who had most likely been burned alive inside the tank.


    There was a concealed shell scrape up ahead. He took a leap and jumped into it. In his clumsy rush, even his wide-brimmed cap flew off, landing by his feet.


    The mechanic and the driver also jumped into the shell scrape. The gunner who was running a bit slower, was hit by a bullet on his shoe, another bullet struck his heel, shattering the back of his shoe.


    When he finally jumped into the shell scrape and saw the smoking sole of his foot, he swallowed his spit in fright. Today might have been his lucky day, having narrowly escaped Death''s scythe twice.


    "You guys sure run ugly," commented an old grenadier lying in the shell scrape, watching the distant battle.


    "Next time, if you get a chance, you can demonstrate how to run a bit more elegantly," the commander, who had just realized his headset was still around his neck with the wire torn by himself, said as he drew his pistol from his waist.


    He had an MP5 submachine gun in his tank, but his escape had been too panicked and hasty to consider fetching any weapon.


    "Did the tank''s fire suppression system work?" He asked, as it only now occurred to him in his anxious flight that he had a report to write.


    "You can talk about that if you manage to make it back alive," replied the old soldier, extending his assault rifle and aiming the muzzle of his Type 56 assault rifle at a distant target. "Another tank is charging up here!"


    Upon hearing the veteran soldier''s words, the commander crawled to the edge of the shell scrape and looked out. Beside their burning No. 4 tank, a Dahua Empire Type 1 tank was slowly maneuvering around.


    "Damn it, if our tank were still here..." The commander watched despondently as his own tank burned and the enemy tank moved to pass by its wreckage. He clenched his fists and complained.


    "Infantry is following behind... this is going to be tough to deal with," the old soldier murmured, equally frustrated after seeing the Dahua infantry accompanying the Dahua tank.


    With so many men following close to the tank, launching an attack on it became rather inconvenient. These Dahua infantry weren''t practicing any sophisticated infantry-tank coordination; they were simply huddling near the tank to avoid incoming bullets out of fear.


    As these troops were preparing to bypass the burning remains of the No. 4 tank and advance on Tang Army''s position, two more shells fell, striking to the left and right of the group.


    The close range explosions devastated the advancing Dahua Type 1 tank, leaving it immobilized on the spot.


    From the Tang Army''s position, one could clearly see the Dahua tank crew, popping open their hatches and scrambling to escape the vehicle.


    The other shell hit the midst of the Dahua soldiers, sending over a dozen of them flying. They suffered heavy casualties and ended up retreating in chaos.


    The Dahua tanks that hadn''t reached the tree line began to back up, and the Dahua infantry following them also started to retreat.


    The Tang Army breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, they had lost their only support¡ªthe No. 4 tank was still burning in the light rain, flames stubbornly flickering at the engine grille on the rear of the hull, resistant to being extinguished by the rain.


    The Tang Army soldiers began to clean up the battlefield, killing those enemy soldiers who were not yet fully dead, then moving the bodies away from their positions.


    Despite wearing raincoats, the Tang Army grenadiers were still drenched, and fighting in such gear was not an easy task¡ªit made it very difficult even to pull out a magazine from the chest.


    The four tank crew members who had lost their tank didn''t even have raincoats, but they didn''t leave; they stayed to help.


    They were lucky, at least when the tank was destroyed, they managed to escape in time and didn''t lose their lives.


    Braving the rain and wearing sodden clothes, the four crew members came to the side of their tank and saw its charred hull and the turret that was blown off to some distance.


    Then they also saw the Dahua Military''s tank that they had destroyed last, and on the hatch of the tank, half a body was protruding¡ªthen the blackened corpse of a Dahua crew member, charred by fire.


    The group didn''t dare to approach their own Tank No. 4, because they were afraid of smelling the pungent odor left by burning fat. Or to put it more bluntly, they were frightened of seeing the loader''s corpse.


    So these men came to the enemy''s tank wreckage instead, where the unwelcoming odor didn''t seem so nauseating anymore.


    "Damn it, these bastards attacked us while we were dealing with the disaster, they are really despicable," the electrical mechanic said through gritted teeth as he kicked a corpse.


    For safety, he was holding a Beretta 92F pistol for self-defense, now the standard personal weapon for all pilots and tank crews.


    The tank commander also used the same model of weapon, but he discovered something surprising. In the bushes next to the enemy''s tank, he saw his own loader.


    "What the hell! What are you doing here?" The commander, holding his pistol, looked in surprise at his subordinate, covered in mud.


    "I, I ran in the wrong direction," the loader said, a bit embarrassed. He had been very strong, but his recent actions didn''t match his intimidating appearance at all.


    He had jumped out of the tank through the side hatch of the turret just as it was hit by a shell. Although Tank No. 4''s defenses weren''t great, it had a lot of escape hatches. Each member had their own exit, making evacuation and ammo resupply much easier.


    The loader ran into this thicket without thinking and then realized he had strayed from the main force.


    Dahua Empire soldiers were everywhere, and in his fear, he quickly hid in the bushes and played dead. The good news was that in the chaos no one saw him; the bad news was he had been wounded in the thigh by friendly fire.


    It was such an absurd situation, the enemy had retreated haphazardly, and the wounded loader eventually realized he had been cut in the thigh by a fragment from friendly fire.


    The retreating Dahua Empire soldiers, who found him bleeding, thought he was a corpse and didn''t bother with him before leaving.


    Surviving by playing dead without firing a shot, the loader was indeed lucky to have lived through the battle.


    The commander immediately laughed, not caring how his loader had cowardly hidden in the bushes to play dead. What mattered to him was that his loader was still alive.


    The electrician and the driver who rushed over also broke into laughter, and the gunner, walking in mismatched shoes, came over and started laughing foolishly as well.


    Unnoticed, the rain got heavier, and it seemed the enemy''s attack had temporarily ceased. So, they supported the injured loader and returned to their own positions.


    The medic hurried over and removed the sharp shrapnel from the loader, who was uncertain whether to consider himself lucky or not.


    In the rainy conditions, bandaging was impossible, so the crew members could only make a simple stretcher to carry the injured man back to the field hospital in Li Family Village for better wound treatment.


    When they left the woods, they saw a supporting assault gun and two reinforced Tank No. 4s arriving.


    If these allies had been there earlier, perhaps their tank would not have been destroyed, and they would not have been in such dire straits.


    But that''s war, and not everything goes smoothly. Both sides are doing their utmost to fight, and good luck is just that¡ªluck in the truest sense.


    Soon, a new round of Dahua Empire artillery bombardment began, but after about a dozen shells, it stopped due to the heavy rain.


    In the misty rain, all combat plans were reluctantly halted, with Dahua''s commanders waiting for subsequent artillery and troops to catch up.


    And the Tang Army waited too, for their ammunition and reinforcements to arrive, for more heavy equipment to come, for a bright and clear tomorrow.

 Chapter 740 740: 699 Lively Brunas

    ```


    Off the coast of Brunas, the busy sea lanes were bustling with countless small ships, most of which were of modest tonnage and used for short-haul cargo transportation.


    Although most navies in this world had phased out sailing ships, the scale of military shipbuilding programs was so vast that civilian transport developments hadn''t progressed as quickly as one might have expected.


    Most of the coastal transport ships had wooden hulls and were small, rendering them of little value for attack and with limited cargo capacity.


    Nevertheless, many large ships had been built, some civilian liners exceeding 3,000 tons, truly deserving of the title "giant ships."


    Near the farther outside anchorage, countless patrol boats shuttled back and forth, and the massive smokestacks of warships belched thick smoke, further darkening the already dimming sky.


    The Laines Empire had declared war on the Great Tang Kingdom, and the navy had more or less entered a state of war. Despite the sudden onset of the rainy season and the equally sudden floods, the Laines Empire had completed its battle preparations as swiftly as possible.


    All the warships had assembled, and the immense fleet stationed off the coast of Brunas bestowed endless security upon the new residents of Brunas.


    No joking, the four Brunas-class battleships were formidable forces indeed, complemented by more than ten cruisers and nearly twenty destroyers. The fleet was such an upgrade from the old Laines fleet that it could be likened to trading a shotgun for a cannon.


    They were waiting, for the Dorne fleet moving northwards to join them. Then they would set sail, converge with the Poplar Empire''s fleet to the north, and head to Shencountry.


    After resupplying in Shencountry and merging with its fleet, they would attack Linshui. With an overwhelming military advantage, they aimed to completely destroy Linshui Port and cripple the Great Tang Kingdom''s sea transportation.


    To counter the aerial threat, every warship participating in the operation had been fitted with numerous large-caliber machine guns to enhance their anti-aircraft capabilities¡ªa veritable porcupine in terms of armament.


    In the banquet hall of Brunas 1, the flagship battleship, advisers from Shireck were prematurely celebrating the victory they anticipated alongside the naval commanders of the Laines Empire.


    It''s worth noting that the assembly of dozens of battleships seemed unbeatable in their eyes. They simply couldn''t fathom what Tang Mo could do to resist such a powerful fleet.


    "Don''t worry, we won''t be taking too many risks this time," reassured the adviser from Shireck to the Laines Empire''s admiral, "Even if we only cut off the enemy''s deep-sea routes and sink their oil tankers, we are guaranteed to win!"


    They had no reason to lack confidence, as the Dahua Empire''s ground forces had already breached Tang Country''s borders. Reinforcements from both Qin Country and Chu Country were on the way, piling on the pressure like a mountain.


    If that wasn''t sufficient, they could pass through Shencountry to transport troops from the Ice Cold Empire and Shencountry themselves to land in Beiyuan City, exerting pressure on Tang Country from another side.


    Moreover, with their superior navy attacking Linshui''s eastern harbors and Dragon Harbor, the Tang Kingdom was systematically disadvantaged and left with no opportunity for resistance.


    Even if Tang Country had aerial superiority, the anti-Tang alliance also had an Air Force, with a total exceeding ten thousand aircraft!


    Although most of these planes were old-fashioned biplanes, persisting without allowing Tang Country to exploit their air superiority and disrupting their combat deployment was, at least to some degree, achievable.


    No matter how one calculated it, the advantage was on their side, which was thrilling for the high-ranking figures of the participating empires. After all, the demise of Tang Country presented numerous benefits for them.


    On one hand, they could carve up Tang Country''s wealth, technology, and take everything they wanted.


    On the other hand, they could destroy the sleep-stealing Tang Country development model, snuff out the spark they detested, and prevent the spread of Tang Country''s reform methods that might influence their nations.


    In summary, it was beneficial for all the countries involved, a once-and-for-all war, so there was no reason not to fight! They also had no reason to allow Tang Country to continue existing.


    "I still suggest focusing on cutting off the enemy''s supply lines! There''s no need to enter dangerous coastal regions to fight," expressed the admiral of the Laines Empire, concerned about potential risks to his warships.


    "Relax! The navy of the Ice Cold Empire is converging with that of Shencountry. They will be the first to attack; we are merely there to help, so there''s no danger," the adviser from Shireck continued to assure.


    In his view, by the time the subsequent fleets reached Shencountry, the maritime battle would probably be over. The combined naval might of Shencountry and the Ice Cold Empire was already enough to crush Tang Country''s navy.


    At that moment, an officer knocked and entered the not-so-large banquet hall, walked over to his superior, and said in a lowered voice, "Sir, we''ve just received a message; Tang Army''s attempt to breach the Dahua Empire''s border defenses has been thwarted."


    ```


    Redman''s attack was not going smoothly; he had assembled an armored force to launch an offensive, but progress was slow due to the lack of air superiority.


    To avoid unnecessary casualties, the Tang Army withdrew from the battle, which greatly boosted the confidence of the Allied Forces and made them believe that the armored onslaught of the Tang Army was not as formidable as they thought.


    "After all, the numerical advantage of Dahua''s military is too apparent, they have at least 300,000 troops defending the northern front, while the Tang Army might not even total a hundred thousand..." The smile on the face of the admiral from the Laines Empire widened, and he too began to feel that the war meant to annihilate Tang Country might truly be within reach of victory.


    Floods were ravaging the interior of Tang Country, and it was besieged by so many empires from the outside, one could say it was beset by internal and external troubles and had little chance to turn the situation around.


    Thus, he raised his glass to Shireck''s advisor and said with a smile, "Then, here''s to our flag leading to victory!"


    "To our flag leading to victory!" Shireck''s advisor also smiled and raised his glass, but before either of them could drink, a distant, ethereal boom was heard.


    "Hmm?" Despite the thick armor and being inside the hull, the dull explosion was still clearly heard by everyone. Shireck''s advisor frowned, and the admiral from the Laines Empire also looked displeased.


    If something went wrong at this time, like a boiler explosion or ammunition catching fire, they would truly want to execute a few unfortunate souls to set an example.


    "What''s gone wrong?" the admiral from the Laines Empire asked, holding his glass and looking annoyed at the person next to him: "Go have a look!"


    The officer, upon receiving the order, hurriedly turned and went out; by the time he climbed up to the deck, he saw that it was already crowded with sailors, who were pointing and chattering about Brunas''s number 3 Battleship in the distance.


    He pushed through the crowd, then saw Brunas''s number 3 Battleship, billowing with thick smoke. He was slightly startled by the sight before him, and, somewhat frightened, muttered subconsciously, "What... what happened?"


    "Don''t know... Brunas''s number 3 Battleship suddenly exploded, not sure what happened, could be..." The sailor, who heard the murmur, answered the question, but just as he was about to suggest a boiler explosion as the cause, Brunas''s number 3 Battleship''s bow also suddenly exploded with a loud bang.


    Even though it was no longer bright outside, aided by the lights from Brunas City in the distance and the dying rays of the sunset, it was still possible to see clearly that the explosion had slightly lifted the bow of Brunas''s number 3 Battleship, warping the deck.


    "What... what on earth... what''s happened..." The officer sent to investigate stared at the exploding Brunas''s number 3 Battleship in disbelief.


    At that moment, on the sea far away, where no one was paying attention, a tube-like device traced a small ripple on the surface of the water, slowly advancing, its lens aimed at the Brunas''s number 2 Battleship which was moored behind Brunas''s number 3 Battleship.


    "Prepare torpedoes!" the captain of the U-11 submarine, with his face against the periscope, issued a low command. Inside the dim command room, the crew repeated the captain''s order.


    In the forward torpedo room, the soldiers opened the torpedoes'' safety mechanisms and then unscrewed the front torpedo loading hatch covers, strenuously pushing the torpedoes into the torpedo tubes which had already been fired.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, the three torpedo tubes were already aimed at the target moored at the anchorage; for this submarine, that battleship was completely an undefended prey.


    "Fire!" Having completed the turn and aiming of the submarine, the captain issued the attack order once again.


    Since the enemies were completely unaware of the existence of such a weapon as a submarine, they had too much ample time to change firing positions, aim, and then launch the torpedoes at leisure.


    And Tang Mo''s 533-caliber torpedoes were later improved for reliability, mature designs with no issues of hitting the target without exploding.


    Being mature products tested through the battlegrounds of craftsmanship and design, there was no need for the testing phase, allowing for rapid mass production and deployment.


    "Torpedo launch!" The sailors repeated their captain''s command, opening the torpedo tubes of the submarine and then skillfully turning the compressed air valves in the dark.


    With the opening of the submarine''s torpedo bay doors, a torrent of bubbles surged toward the surface. Following that, three torpedoes were successively pushed out by compressed air, accelerating towards the distant target.


    The propellers spun rapidly, churning up a trail of bubbles, and a white wake appeared on the sea surface, extending directly from the submarine towards the distant Brunas-class battleship.


    Three straight lines headed directly forward, inching closer to the target, and at this time, most of the sailors aboard Brunas''s number 2 Battleship were still crowded on the deck, watching the commotion of Brunas''s number 3 Battleship.


    They were completely oblivious to the fact that beneath their feet on the battleship''s flank, three white lines were already on the brink, about to slam into the steel beneath their feet.

 Chapter 741 741: 700 Port Ghost

    "Boom!" Just as the Brunas No. 3 was hit by a torpedo, flooded with water, and started to run aground at the anchorage, a horrific explosion suddenly erupted from the side of the Brunas No. 2 battleship.


    Sailors on the deck were engulfed by the explosion, and fragments of the deck were thrown into the air along with some of them.


    Everyone was stunned, not knowing what had happened, only a few realized that they might have been attacked.


    But this was Brunas Military Harbor! There were patrol destroyers on the lookout outside, so how did the enemy launch an attack without any alarms?


    In the blink of an eye, a massive explosion sounded again, as the Brunas No. 2 battleship was hit by another torpedo. The side of the ship, which had little to no torpedo defense design, flooded heavily, and the entire warship began to list.


    The sea water rushed in like mad through the twisted cracks in the steel plates, immediately filling up the watertight compartments. Since many of the compartment doors were destroyed by the explosion, it took just a moment for the sea water to flood the corridors, spreading further.


    The flooding was simply too rapid, the devastating effect of the torpedo far exceeding that of shells, as the damage was below the waterline. A volume of water that ten shells could not have caused was easily inflicted by a single torpedo.


    It was like the floods that happened in Tang Country, the water that surged into the cabins instantly swallowed up chairs and hammocks, resting sailors, and large-caliber shells scattered around from the vibrations. Those powerful 350mm caliber shells now soaked in the water, at least spared the risk of sympathetic detonation.


    The water quickly flooded the engine room, where stokers and sailors, still dazed from the explosions, were suddenly thrown into disarray by the rushing water.


    The soldiers frantically tried to escape, but watertight doors that couldn''t be closed in time did nothing to stem the flow of water, quickly resulting in the full flooding of the lower compartments.


    Subsequent explosions, the second and third, rendered all efforts to save the ship fruitless, as uncontrollable flooding in the lower decks of the battleship led to an unstoppable list.


    Battleships of that era had no underwater defenses against torpedoes and even had their lower defenses deliberately reduced to save weight, making them exceptionally vulnerable to torpedo attacks.


    With three dreadful explosions, the Brunas No. 2 battleship already listed at nearly forty-five degrees, and soon one side of its deck plunged into the water.


    Fortunately, as it was a natural anchorage, the water was no deeper than ten meters. Brunas No. 3 had already sunk to the seabed, its bridge and smokestack still visible, not completely submerged.


    Brunas No. 2 was unlikely to sink entirely either, its one side soon resting on the seabed while the other, still somewhat buoyant, remained afloat, looking exceedingly wretched.


    By this time, even a fool could tell this was no mere accident. As a result, all warships docked in the harbor raised anchor and set sail, turning the entire anchorage into chaos.


    In the water, there were people calling for help, but the tall-sided warships did not care about the lives of these men, as they sped away from this perilous area.


    Brunas No. 1 and Brunas No. 4 battleships signaled to nearby vessels with flags, requesting protection for their safety.


    "No chance now! The enemy''s ships have started moving!" Watching as he lost the angle for an attack, the captain of the U-11 submarine muttered frustratedly.


    He had hoped to take a shot at another battleship, but regrettably, the slow speed of his submarine underwater meant he ultimately missed the perfect opportunity to strike.


    So he could only grudgingly turn the bow around, using the two torpedo tubes at the stern to try his luck.


    After launching two more torpedoes, the U-11 submarine had fired all its immediately available torpedoes. Reloading would take considerably more time.


    In order not to be detected by the enemy, the captain retracted the periscope and led his submarine slowly towards the open sea.


    In the midst of the chaos, the sky had completely darkened, and searchlights swept back and forth across the water, everyone on the lookout for potential enemy "saboteurs."


    Yes, after asking many of the outer patrol destroyers, the fleet commanders assumed the mysterious explosions were the work of enemy spy saboteurs.


    After all, it wasn''t possible for enemy warships to silently infiltrate a heavily guarded anchorage, so internal sabotage or infiltration by a small group became the more plausible assumption.


    While everyone was playing a thrilling game of ''Werewolf'' on their own warships, a cruiser that had already started up and was positioned to protect the side of Brunas No. 4 battleship, the flagship of the Laines Empire''s main fleet, swept its searchlight across a white wake on the water surface.


    The sailor operating the searchlight frowned and then swept the light back to the wake, confirming the unusual trail did indeed exist. He adjusted the light closer, trying to find the end of the trail.


    However, by the time he saw the wake bearing down on the side of his cruiser at breakneck speed, it was already too late.


    His eyes widened in horror as something unidentified closed in on the ship''s side, followed by an explosion that tore the hull apart. He himself was thrown into the air by the violent tremor.


    With water columns rising on either side, the cruiser was lifted from the center by the explosion, its bow and stern bending into a grotesque angle. Then, as the raised middle section quickly fell back down, both ends of the warship were again hoisted high by the waves.


    The Admiral of the Laines Empire''s Navy, who had just reached the bridge and was preparing his fleet for battle, witnessed the explosion. He saw the cruiser before him folding in half right in front of his eyes.


    Another explosion followed, hitting the broken cruiser again. The still disturbed stern was engulfed in explosion once more.


    The towering water column rose nearly a hundred meters high, with the falling seawater even splashing against the bridge windows of his flagship.


    "Where is the enemy? Find the lurking spies who sabotaged the warship!" ground his teeth in fury, the Admiral of the Laines Empire''s Navy clenched his fists, giving his orders word by word.


    He hadn''t yet heard the whistling of shells, nor had he seen any fall. Therefore, he believed it must have been sabotage, and he had to find those damned saboteurs!


    "Sir! The destroyers on perimeter patrol haven''t detected any enemy warships! They heard no artillery fire, saw no flash of gunfire," an officer reported anxiously.


    "Destroyers on the perimeter are searching the surface and have not found any suspicious small craft..." another officer promptly added in his report.


    "Increase patrols inside! Armed guards! All active personnel to move in groups of at least three! Watch over each other! Prevent deliberate sabotage of the warships!" the Admiral issued a string of orders, as he couldn''t rule out the possibility of internal sabotage.


    After all, it was common knowledge that Tang Country''s intelligence personnel were omnipresent, and the possibility of internal crew sabotage could not be dismissed under unknown circumstances.


    With this in mind, he continued to order, "Check every corner of the warship! Report any suspicious items immediately!"


    Already on edge, he didn''t know what to do; if his resolve hadn''t been firm, he might have ordered the flooding of the ammunition storage to prevent potential sympathetic detonation by now.


    Unbeknownst to him, at this moment, the mastermind behind the massacre of Brunas Harbor''s fleet had already broken contact and was leisurely slipping away into the depths of the ocean.


    "What on earth has happened?" Shireck''s advisor arrived late, walking into the bridge and looking towards the sinking cruiser in the distance.


    "We''ve been attacked. It''s either explosives planted by spies or something else. Either way, my fleet is finished!" the Admiral replied bitterly, his voice even breaking with emotion.


    He had not yet seen his enemy; his fleet had not even left the harbor, and half of his four main battleships had already been sunk!


    That was half of their core battle strength! Those were the mightiest warships at sea, built at great expense by the Empire! They were the battleships on which his Emperor had placed such great hopes!


    Just like that, two battleships were inexplicably sunk! Two entire battleships! How was he to explain this to his Emperor?


    What he did not know was that the same had happened in several other ports. Gobur''s fleet had avoided the attack by setting sail north to Dorne beforehand.


    However, Gobur''s ports were not spared; several of the largest-tonnage transport ships docked in the port were sunk, all settling at the bottom of Gobur''s largest harbor.


    At the same time, Dorne''s Winterless Port was also attacked, with two cruisers mysteriously sunk, and a 12,000-ton transport ship was not spared from calamity.


    The Poplar Kingdom''s fleet suffered heavy losses as well; a battleship was sunk, and two cruisers settled at the bottom of Osa Military Harbor, completely paralyzing it. Their Southwater Port also encountered a "ghost", with three civilian ships sunk, again with no sign of the attacker.


    Eternal Winter Port sustained heavy damage, with a flagship Eternal Winter-class battleship sinking heavily at the port''s anchorage and two cruisers going under.


    In the Great Southern Bay of Sheng Nation, the chaos was even more rampant, with over ten ships attacked and smoke billowing everywhere. However, the Sheng Nation''s fleet had set off early and narrowly escaped disaster.


    In the absence of knowledge about the existence of new weapons like submarines, the navies of various nations have referred to these attacks as "ghost attacks", and because Brunas Harbor suffered the heaviest losses, these ghosts of Tang Country have thus been dubbed the "Brunas Ghosts."


    The Allied Forces'' fleet, before even fully assembling, had already lost four battleships, and many ports were crippled by the attacks.

 Chapter 742 742: 701 new type Tank

    "Sir!" Shaking off the drizzle clinging to his military uniform, Liu Guozhu stood at attention and saluted inside the warehouse, greeting his superior.


    "Do you know why I have called you here?" The other handed Liu Guozhu a thick file and then signaled him to follow his pace.


    In the illumination of a row of lights, Liu Guozhu walked behind his battalion commander, passing areas stacked with ammunition and spare parts.


    "I don''t know!" Liu Guozhu answered honestly; his mind was still preoccupied with why the Armored Corps he belonged to hadn''t been dispatched by General Redman to the front line to join the battle.


    After all, there was a meeting about the halted offensive, wasn''t there? It mentioned that the enemy''s defense line was solidly built, and the front-line troops were lacking heavy firepower support.


    "We have been talking about replacing your weapons and equipment with new models for a while, and now it''s finally happened. First, we will start with the 1st Battalion of the 1st Regiment of the 1st Armored Division to test out and see if it works well," the logistics officer walking in front of the battalion commander turned back and said to all the tank commanders with a smile.


    "Take a look! This is our ''Panther Tank'', an absolute super tank!" Arriving in front of the new tank, the logistics officer pointed at the parked vehicle and introduced it to all the tank commanders present.


    It was a tank significantly larger than the No. 4 tank, equipped with a long-barrel 75mm caliber cannon. Its body was longer, also employing the classic drive shaft design, with the gearbox in the front and the engine in the rear.


    The entire body was very symmetrical, using a sloped armor design with steep angles on all sides, and side skirts for additional armor reinforcement.


    The upper hull armor had done away with the closable vision ports, adopting the later-model Panther G-type hull front design, emphasizing defense.


    The most distinctive feature was the tank''s use of a special double-row road wheel layout and a wide track, completely different from the No. 4 tank, with only simple openings on the huge gun mantlet.


    Indeed, Tang Mo had directly brought out an improved version of the classic World War II Panther tank. This tank provided nearly all-around high-strength protection, and its cannon''s firepower was definitely adequate.


    After improvements, the running gear was no longer particularly fragile, and Tang Mo had also implemented his own diesel engine design to reduce the risks of spontaneous combustion associated with petrol engines in such tanks.


    Aside from some complexity in the production process, this might well be the best tank of the World War II era¡ªthe frontline soldiers loved it for its balanced combat effectiveness and higher reliability.


    The most important upgrade was the use of a classic 75mm caliber long-barrel tank cannon, which could easily penetrate the majority of known World War II tanks at distances beyond 500 meters.


    Equipped with this cannon, Tang Mo''s tank units wouldn''t have to change their cannon caliber for a while.


    Meanwhile, new armor-piercing rounds designed specifically for this cannon were also put into production, and together they packed an even more exaggerated punch.


    This series of improvements granted the tanks of the Great Tang Kingdom immense tactical advantages: their tanks were nearly impervious to enemy fire, while they could destroy any adversary from a safe distance.


    Of course, there were improvements, as the Panther tanks were equipped with a more powerful diesel engine, which provided stronger propulsion, and a better generator.


    With more electrical power, they could install better lighting, a more capable turret rotation motor, a more powerful radio, and a stronger fume extraction system.


    The shape of the main gun turret was also redesigned; while the main body''s shape remained, storage bins previously used on the No. 4 tank were added to both sides, maintaining some of the soldiers'' habitual use.


    On one hand, these storage bins increased practicality, and on the other hand, they enhanced the tank turret''s side defense capability.


    The rear maintained the ammunition replenishment hatch, but additional connecting structures were welded on, and a stowage basket was mounted, covering the circular hatch.


    After these modifications, the Panther tank''s turret appeared bulkier, yet functionally it was somewhat improved. With the more powerful motor, the rotation speed was even faster.


    As for the widely criticized double-row road wheels, they weren''t as universally detested as the rumors suggested¡ªat least they performed very well, giving the tank crew a more stable fighting platform and also enhancing protection around the wheels.


    In any case, the pressure was on the logistics and factory production units; the frontline tank operators had few issues using them.


    Tang Country itself was an industrial powerhouse; putting the pressure on the rear tank factories was clearly manageable, given that the production speed of the Tang Country''s Panther tanks wasn''t slow at all.


    In summary, while the new tank''s exterior resembled the classic Panther, its performance was of a more advanced, improved model, certainly qualifying as the best main battle tank of World War II.


    "In the coming days, you all can familiarize yourselves with the brand new tanks at your base, get accustomed to their various performance indicators, and also go through the user manual thoroughly."


    The intelligence department of Tang Country was naturally aware that various nations were manufacturing their own new tanks, so the research and development department of Tang Country couldn''t possibly stand still.


    The chassis of the previous No. 4 tank had already been mostly repurposed to other armored support vehicles. The number of No. 4 tanks within the armored corps of the Great Tang Kingdom had never reached its peak.


    Each armored division only had more than 200 tanks, but according to the organization, each armored division should be equipped with more than 300 tanks.


    The gap was deliberately reserved. The reserved part was for the positions prepared for subsequent new tanks.


    The Panther Tank was the "main battle tank" that Tang Mo had introduced. He needed a tank with balanced defense, mobility, and firepower to support his armored corps until more advanced tanks could be produced.


    "Finally, we don''t have to use short-barreled guns anymore!" Among the armored troops of the Great Tang Kingdom, there had long been complaints about short-barreled guns.


    After all, low-velocity short-barreled guns had less power, smaller projectiles, and curved trajectories, thus not particularly suitable for use as tank guns.


    This was the fundamental reason why many tanks during World War II, which had larger caliber guns mounted on their chassis, were ultimately phased out.


    Low-pressure guns relied more on indirect fire when aiming, which made for a frustrating trajectory that increased the difficulty of targeting for tank crew members.


    What''s more, due to cost reasons, some tanks didn''t even have the appropriate aiming devices for their indirect-fire guns, resulting in pitiful accuracy when using these guns.


    However, being equipped with a long-barrel gun made all the difference; hit wherever it''s pointed, significantly reducing aiming difficulty and eliminating the need for adjustments based on habit, obviously a more suitable firepower solution.


    As an exceptionally skilled tank commander, Liu Guozhu actually liked the current Panther Tank very much. Although he didn''t quite understand the significance of the double-row road wheels, he really liked the 75mm caliber long-barrel tank gun installed on the tank before him.


    He lowered his head, flipped to the section describing the main gun, and saw the firepower test parameters¡ªthere it was written, it could penetrate a No. 4 tank at a distance of about 1000 meters.


    This was a bit frightening; Liu Guozhu had previously commanded No. 4 tanks in battle and knew their frontal defense was among the strongest of current known tanks.


    Yet the main gun of the new tank could penetrate the frontal armor of a No. 4 tank at a distance of 1000 meters, which could simply be described as defying the heavens.


    This signified that the new tanks could fire as soon as they sighted the enemy, and could ensure they destroy any enemy tank within the distance of detection!


    "Truly formidable." Looking down at the data, Liu Guozhu felt his blood was about to boil. As a tank commander, wasn''t his dream to one day have his tank roll over all enemies?


    "The tank uses the latest aiming scopes produced by the Chang''an Optical Instruments Factory, with higher precision than the aiming scopes used by No. 4 tanks! And it''s also equipped with a small mechanical computer, which can simply calculate the shooting parameters." After reading the introduction about the optical instruments, Liu Guozhu believed his tank was really very powerful.


    What excited him even more was that for the first time, a new tank was fitted with a top machine gun for the tank commander, giving him some support while sticking his head out to command the battle.


    "There''s also a power interface. I wonder what it''s for, it says it''s for external equipment... no idea what kind of external equipment though..." muttered another commander standing next to Liu Guozhu, scrutinizing the additional interface next to the commander''s position.


    Of course, they did not know that it was an outlet reserved for night vision equipment; Great Tang Group was developing an infrared night vision system for the Panther Tank, to confer combat capability in night-time or low-visibility conditions.


    "Although I don''t know why its front is sloped, it does look better than the No. 4 tank." Liu Guozhu looked at the tank with slopes everywhere and sincerely remarked.


    "Yeah, it does look a lot more handsome." The commander standing beside him kept nodding, agreeing with Liu Guozhu''s words.


    The theory behind sloped armor design was still in its experimental phase; besides Great Tang Group, tank designers from other countries were not yet conscious of this aspect.


    What they were still considering was how to fit a larger engine into the chassis and then, in turn, mount thicker armor on the body.


    "But it''s not so easy to climb upon." Liu Guozhu chuckled, walked over to the camouflaged tank, and stretched out his hand, touching the cold steel.


    ----------


    In the past, it was always necessary to modify foreign tanks before using them, especially those "troublesome" double-row road wheels. This time, I will indulge myself and not modify them; just use them as they are. Hahaha! Purely the author''s personal preference, not to say this choice truly has any basis or advantage, so don''t take it too seriously.

 Chapter 743 743: The unlucky injured person

    Li Family Village, a shell fell beside the already collapsed house, raising dust that reached for the sky. The air was saturated with cold dampness, but the rain had stopped, and the heavy dark clouds overhead hardly let through any sunlight.


    In the slightly murky view, soldiers from the Dahua military were climbing over crater after crater, launching another assault on the ruins within Li Family Village.


    Soon, the unique sound of a sniper''s G43 rifle rang out, its crisp reports echoing in the sky, signaling that the battle was far from over.


    On the contrary, the battle was just beginning! Accompanied by the sound of gunfire, the Dahua soldiers roared once again, shouting "Long live His Majesty the Emperor," as they charged forward with bayonets fixed.


    Their tactics were still primitive but had improved significantly. They no longer maintained their formation; instead, wherever they took fire, they immediately went prone and advanced, evading the incoming bullets.


    Although their casualties were still extremely heavy, at least these Dahua soldiers had used their heads to come up with some strategies.


    "Tat tat tat tat!" From the rear, a Maxim heavy machine gun began firing in support of the infantry''s assault, bullets hitting shattered fences, crumbling low walls, and collapsed rooftops.


    "Bang!" A gunshot came from nowhere, and the Dahua gunner operating the Maxim machine gun fell face downwards. Quickly, another person took his place and continued to operate the machine gun, firing relentlessly.


    Obviously, they still hadn''t located the sniper, shooting blindly instead, and amidst the hail of gunfire, the attacking Dahua soldiers kept advancing non-stop.


    In the muddy craters, the Dahua soldiers shouted their slogans as seven or eight of them worked together to push a Maxim heavy machine gun, complete with a shield and wheels, into the designated position.


    Under their feet lay the corpses of Dahua soldiers, their boots stepping on those pitiful bodies that had been soaked pale by the muddy water in the bottom of the craters, as countless Dahua soldiers continued to carry out the attack orders from above.


    A tank from the Dahua Empire rolled over the mud, crossing over a black tank wreck and knocking down a section of already shattered fence.


    As it prepared to continue forward, its tracks hit a landmine, and a huge explosion erupted into the sky, severing the tank''s tracks and killing everyone inside.


    The surrounding Dahua Empire soldiers fell in droves, and when they got back up, their numbers had thinned significantly. They blindly climbed over obstacles, then were shot to death by bullets coming head-on, becoming entangled in fences, wooden stakes, barbed wire, and shrubs.


    In close-quarters combat, the grenade-throwing forces of the Great Tang, who had mostly completed the switch to Type 56 assault rifles, clearly still held the advantage.


    The Dahua soldiers were still using the mediocre performance Shireck Model 1 rifles, which were only good for bayonet-fighting at close range.


    Sadly, the grenade throwers of the Great Tang Group didn''t give the enemy any chance to fight with bayonets. They fired wildly, using the crudest methods to eliminate the enemies before them.


    Of course, unlike the last time the Tang Army fought the Shen Army, this time both sides made massive use of hand grenades, with the Dahua Empire using the Shireck-manufactured stick grenades, which were copies of Tang Country''s first generation design.


    Tang Country used egg-shaped grenades with pre-fragmented casing, similar to those used by the United States during World War II. Both types of grenades were classic, so the battlefield became exceedingly brutal with the appearance of these grenades.


    Once they got close to each other, Dahua Empire''s soldiers pulled the cords beneath the grenade sticks, tossing the white-smoke-emitting grenades toward the Tang Army.


    Gruesome explosions followed from that direction, shards flying everywhere. Before the ringing in their ears from the blast subsided, these Dahua soldiers leaped to their feet and charged toward the Tang Army''s position still shrouded in gunsmoke.


    The Tang soldiers, having just dodged the grenades, came back to their senses at that moment and raised their weapons to fight back.


    The dense sound of gunfire enveloped the battlefield. Dahua soldiers who had charged with bayonets against the enemy position shook as bullets hit them, trembling as if they had stepped on live wires before collapsing.


    More Dahua soldiers stepped over the bodies of their comrades, weapons in hand, continuing the assault. They finally climbed over the low wall and tangled with Dahua soldiers who had no time to retreat.


    The sound of gunfire gradually became sparse, and another assault was repelled by the Tang Army. Corpses from the Tang Army were present, but there were more from the Dahua soldiers, all piled together, creating a scene of bloody brutality.


    After a brief pause, more intense artillery shelling landed near Li Family Village, turning additional buildings into complete rubble, and once-smooth roads into craters.


    If one were to look down upon the area, it resembled the surface of the moon, pockmarked with craters of all sizes, large ones next to small ones, layer upon layer, with no end in sight.


    Among these craters were scattered the wrecks of various tanks, easily over 100. The majority belonged to Dahua Troops, with one Panzer IV and two Sturmgeschu?tz IV assault guns belonging to the Great Tang Kingdom.


    "Ah..." In a house formerly belonging to a wealthy family, two doctors were intently cutting into a soldier''s body. The soldier on the bed let out twisted, piercing screams, and the blood on the ground couldn''t even be wiped clean.


    Lacking better means to treat large wounds, they could only choose to cut away the necrotic parts. This was the most primitive healing technique, and it was also the most effective.


    However, such a simple and brutal approach would leave the soldiers with disabilities difficult to repair. But to save a life, who could worry about that?


    Amid the screams, another soldier lost his arm. The anesthetic had run out, and replenishment was more than an hour away.


    The enemy had sealed off the road leading to Li Family Village with large-caliber artillery. Although they hadn''t completely cut off Tang Army''s supplies, it certainly complicated their resupply efforts.


    The ambulances transporting the severely wounded had to be extremely cautious when passing through the blockade, significantly reducing the efficiency of evacuating casualties.


    "Hold him down!" Another wounded soldier was carried into the operating room by two other soldiers with lighter injuries.


    Compared to the poor devil who just had his elbow blown off by a shell, this soldier was clearly more fortunate.


    Without time to wash away the blood on the operating table, the doctor inserted his fingers into the hole in the soldier''s arm.


    Before the soldier could scream, the doctor spread the wound with his fingers while the other hand''s tweezers reached in. With a pull, he extracted the deformed bullet embedded in the muscle.


    Blood immediately gushed out, soaking the torn camouflage uniform of the soldier. The doctor casually tossed the bullet, now held by the tweezers, into the tray beside him. At that moment, the wounded soldier finally regained his senses in pain and began to cry out wildly.


    "What''s the use of yelling... It''s all done and you''re still shouting," the doctor said with a snort of contempt. Humiliated by the doctor''s mockery, the soldier tried to suppress his emotions and was about to close his mouth.


    But before he could, a nurse stuffed disinfecting gauze soaked in alcohol into the wound, and instantly, the soldier felt as if he had been shot again.


    "Ah!" He screamed once more, nearly passing out from the pain. However, the nurse saved him: the force of the bandaging brought the soldier back to his senses, due to the pain.


    The windows, which should have provided sufficient lighting, were entirely blocked by sandbags, not allowing even a sliver of sunlight to penetrate.


    Despite being two rooms away, the deafening clatter of the diesel generator still made everyone in the operating room restless and agitated.


    Bombs falling in the distance caused the ground beneath their feet to tremble incessantly, while dust and plaster fell from the ceiling now and then, causing the chandelier to sway gently without stopping.


    Just one day before, Dahua Empire''s shells had hit a power pole, causing all the nearby buildings to lose their electrical supply. The materials for emergency repairs had run out, so maintenance could only continue the next day.


    The factory beside the village that could repair tanks had turned into a battlefield. In the midst of ruins, soldiers from both sides fought relentlessly. It wasn''t until reinforcements from Tang Army arrived in the afternoon that they managed to clear out the Dahua soldiers.


    The water treatment plant had been utterly destroyed by the bombardment; the Dahua Empire clearly did not want Tang Army to keep using the facility to improve their living conditions.


    No way around it, the Tang Army stationed in Li Family Village had to earnestly find their own ways to solve their water supply issues, just like the Dahua Army opposite them.


    The good news for both militaries was that there was no shortage of water here. By simply using a raincoat to set up a rainwater collector, one could easily gather plenty of fresh water. After dropping a few disinfection tablets and boiling, it was safe to drink.


    The bad news was, only Tang Army had disinfection tablets. The Dahua Military seemingly had not equipped such items, and the likelihood of them getting sick from drinking unboiled water was much higher than that of Tang Army, which had the village to rely on.


    "Tat-tat-tat!" In the ruins, a Tang Army grenadier jumped into a crater, killing the last panic-stricken Dahua soldier, ending this round of battle.


    Peace returned to the battlefield, leaving only the sound of exploding shells in the distance. The rain started to pour down once again. The soldier who just narrowly escaped torment by the nurse was now taken to a makeshift open-air ward in the yard, which was simply a tented area open on all sides.


    Staring blankly at the rain shelter above his head, he couldn''t quite comprehend what he had been through.


    Suddenly, he felt hungry. Although his arm still hurt terribly, and there were still some untreated shrapnel wounds painfully throbbing on his body, he could distinctly feel the hunger.


    He wiped his nose and felt an urge to cry because he sadly discovered that his ration bag seemed to have... disappeared.

 Chapter 744 744: 703 the will of the people

    The atmosphere in the office was quite nice, and the rain falling outside was irrelevant to the dryness within the room. The streams of water on the window ledge and the hot tea in the cup complemented each other, one cold and the other warm.


    Despite the numerous tasks, more than triple the usual amount, being able to sit in the room handling official business in such weather was actually a very comfortable matter indeed.


    This was just an inconspicuous little office in the hinterlands of the Great Tang, where a minor administrative officer worked.


    There were several levels of administrative officers in the Great Tang Kingdom, with some for small towns and others for large cities, each responsible for different areas.


    Above the city administrators, there were higher-level chief administrators who also called themselves administrators, though their administrative rank was much greater.


    Over an entire region, there would be even higher-level officials¡ªtraditional grand chancellors¡ªcompetent and diligent officials of the King, ruling over their respective domains.


    "The 20th flood crest has already passed, and the levees within our jurisdiction are still solid," the administrative officer nodded with satisfaction upon reading the contents of the report. This signified that his work, during the period of the flood, was comparatively decent.


    The troops were still stationed on the levee, the common people were returning to their homes, the rainfall was gradually lessening, and everything seemed to be returning to normal.


    Then, he would need to organize manpower to rebuild the levee, clear the roads, and restore destroyed homes, and while at it, plant some crops that could mitigate losses.


    Each task was a challenge for him, each required his command to execute, and all were crucial to the economic recovery of a region¡ªno detail could be overlooked.


    While the troops were still there, he should make full use of this free labor force, and there should be no problem with them helping to restore the electricity before they departed.


    After all, these troops had been stationed here for a while, and the common people trusted them greatly, and the soldiers had also received much kindness from the people.


    Whenever the troops were busy on the levee, the common people were responsible for cooking and delivering water; the relationship between them was already deeply symbiotic, and fixing a few power lines was certainly a minor issue.


    Once electricity was restored in the small town, the school could resume its classes. With the school taking in students, the town''s human resources could be freed up to resume production.


    These were all top-priority matters; as long as people started to work and resume production, the local cement factory could begin operation. The cement produced would speed up the repair of the levee and the construction of houses.


    After a virtuous cycle was established, the entire town would recover from the floods'' devastation, and then they could help the surrounding villages.


    A chain of interconnected tasks, all required his arrangement, so he picked up the official seal in front of him and affixed his official stamp on a plan.


    "Administrator Sir!" A subordinate knocked and entered, speaking somewhat awkwardly as he greeted, not quite knowing how to start.


    "Speak your mind," said the young administrator as he began reading the second report, pondering whether purchasing thirty trucks would fit into the subsequent reconstruction plan, and he instructed.


    The person hesitated briefly, then reported, "A vicious brawl has broken out in the town."


    "They''ve come to blows? What happened? Why?" The administrator lifted his head, looking at his subordinate with a worried expression.


    The current disaster had not fully passed, and such a malignant incident happening at a time of national crisis was indeed troublesome for him.


    The subordinate immediately explained, "Here''s what happened. Somehow, a group of about a dozen vagrants in the square started proclaiming that because the King is incompetent and indulges in luxury and brutality, the gods sent down calamities to punish the country."


    "What?" The administrator was stunned, then quickly realized the situation was not as simple as it had been portrayed.


    As expected, the subordinate continued, "An old woman passing by couldn''t stand to listen and questioned where these strangers were from. They didn''t answer her and just repeated that it was divine punishment upon Tang Country and that the calamity and wars would stop only if the King''s brutal rule was overthrown."


    "This is premeditated spreading of rumors..." The young administrator stood up, his face darkening, and said, "Where are these people now?"


    "The old woman wouldn''t have it; during the flood, she was carried to safety by our soldiers. Her house collapsed, and she is currently living in a tent provided by our National Defense Army," the subordinate continued. "And then she started to make a fuss."


    "Once the old lady began to fuss, her neighbors and fellow villagers gathered around. After hearing her out, everyone started to argue vociferously that His Majesty is unparalleled in benevolence, and that escalated into a dispute," he finished, spreading his hands, "And as the argument went on, the people of our town... well, they are not very articulate..."


    Right, it was conceivable. Ever since he took charge of the town, he discovered that the people of Zheng Country were indeed simple and honest, stubbornly rational, unquestionably the best people in the world.


    Being inarticulate, one feels they never out-argued the opponent, and not out-arguing someone seems like a loss. Feeling the loss, it doesn''t seem in character for Tang People to not reclaim it, so using some traditional methods to determine the winner is absolutely understandable.


    "Our people didn''t suffer any losses, right?" The governor raised an eyebrow, his first question not about any illegal matters. It can''t be helped, the folks are simple and honest, and it''s all due to his capable guidance.


    "How could that happen, we only sent out five guys against their fifteen, and in a few moves, all the opponents were down on the ground..." His subordinate beamed with pride, evidently a straightforward fellow himself.


    The diet of the Tang People had improved, with three meals a day, and recently they even got all kinds of canned fruit and lunchmeat from the military supplies; their hard work in farming and emergency situations truly toughened them up.


    In other countries, these brawny farmers and workers would definitely be excellent candidates for soldiers, but in Tang Country, they were just the average men.


    If you say one can fight several, it might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it''s basic operations for one to take on two from another country, nothing to brag about.


    "Five?" The governor''s tone became stern, as if he felt they were understaffed and worried about being at a disadvantage.


    "Yes, just five. The hundred or so who rushed up later could only be knocked to the ground; several shoes were even lost, those who were slow didn''t get a chance to join in." His subordinate shook his head regretfully.


    "No one died, right?" The governor''s attitude shifted at once, a mix of satisfaction and a touch of concern, as if he was worried that a case of manslaughter in his jurisdiction would be inappropriate.


    "How could that be. Our town is simple and honest, everyone is a decent literate person in ordinary days." His subordinate replied earnestly: "Although they look a bit rough, I assure you, they were all still breathing."


    Only then did the governor relax, and he instructed, "Keep a close eye on it; don''t cause any trouble. Hand it over to the security department for investigation, get every detail clear, Your Majesty''s reputation must not be tarnished!"


    "Understood!" the man nodded slightly, then left the office.


    ...


    On the river dike, in the drizzle, a man disguised as a homeless vagabond sidled up to a group of bare-chested men taking a rest.


    He looked around and whispered to a man who looked drowsy from exhaustion, "Were you forced to work here as labor? Let me tell you... this Tang Country, everything''s backwards, the King is simply no good..."


    The man raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and looked at the other, revealing a strange smile on his face: "Go on, tell me more..."


    The slanderer, just having started his criticisms with great zest, soon realized that he was surrounded by a group of men with peculiar smiles on their faces.


    They were all bare-chested, wearing thick orange vests, their muscles constantly twitching; other than the rushing water of the river and the sound of rain, everything was hauntingly silent.


    "Bury him?" A lieutenant looked at the major beside him, who finally couldn''t help but burst into laughter: "This is the first time I''ve seen such bravery. Alright, let''s oblige him, bury him."


    "You, you! What are you, what are you going to do!" The man panicked, questioning loudly.


    "So you die with full knowledge, we are the National Defense Army from the 1st Battalion of the 7th Motorized Infantry Division, not any labor workers." A soldier said with a smile as he stepped forward, his muscular build quite intimidating.


    "Fight!" It wasn''t clear who shouted, but then there was the muffled sound of fists hitting a face, and the man didn''t even get the chance to cry for help before he was pinned down in the mud by a group of men.


    "Well done, I''ve never seen such a shameless fellow before!" An old local who came to bring water, while handing a canteen to a soldier, spoke out.


    "You haven''t seen one before? What about a few years back when someone came here insulting Zheng Tong, were you that furious?" The soldier asked, chuckling as he drank.


    The old man shook his head and also laughed: "How could that be, ten years ago someone cursed Zheng Tong in front of me, and we all joined in. But our King, Your Majesty, is different, he''s a good king! Us common folk, we pray morning and evening, hoping that His Majesty will ascend to the throne."


    "It''s only a matter of time," the soldier finished the hot water in the canteen and handed it back to the old man: "Thank you, grandpa."


    "Hey! You don''t need to be so formal, you all came to help us, this old man is grateful! Come back and chat. I''m going to take water to those lads; fighting is exhausting, they need to rest..." The old man waved his hands and descended from the dike carrying a carrying pole.


    While walking, he called out: "Hey there, lads! Take a break, take a break! Let this old man get a few kicks in for fun, take a little rest, have a drink of water, there''s no rush to continue fighting!"

 Chapter 745 745: 704 Crows mouth

    On the fourth day of the attack on Li Family Village, perhaps due to the news that Tang Country''s Navy had stealthily attacked various nations'' ports with great success, the Dahua Empire''s assault intensified.


    The soldiers charged like a tidal wave, seemingly indifferent to losses. As they shouted their slogans and pressed forward, the Dahua artillery''s bombardment continued without cessation.


    Along with the rain, hundreds of shells fell, densely carpeting Tang Army''s positions, subjecting them to a taste of what fire suppression truly meant.


    The repeatedly reinforced trenches, under the ravages of shellfire, became battered beyond recognition. With every explosion, the earth trembled, and the water filling the foxholes seemed never to regain stillness.


    A soldier, carrying an ammunition box nailed together from planks of wood, hurried through the narrow trenches to an inconspicuous machine gun position near the end and set down the delivered ammunition box.


    He opened the box, took out the ammunition belts, and in a makeshift rain shelter cobbled together from raincoats, completed the handover with the assistant gunner, "Five belts, 500 rounds, use it sparingly, okay? It might take me half an hour to make another run."


    "Don''t worry! We''ll definitely not waste any, but you''ve got to hurry back with more; the enemy is mounting another attack," responded the assistant gunner, his clothing soaked, surrounded by many leaks, because this was no villa, definitely far from comfortable.


    The soldier, clad in a raincoat, gave an affirmative nod, turned his head, and slipped back into the rain, while distant open grounds, pocked like the surface of the moon, were struck again by more falling artillery shells.


    "They''ve been firing for more than three days and still haven''t adjusted their fire control?" The machine gunner looked at the exploding area with some disdain and muttered.


    The Dahua military''s artillery force was massive but commanded in a staggeringly inflexible manner. Their combat experience was scant, and their tactics were rigid.


    Over the course of the attack, they rarely managed to pour shells onto the most accurate locations promptly; they either fell short onto the no-man''s-land between the two armies or overshot into Li Family Village, utterly failing to exert effective suppression.


    Compared to them, the Maxim heavy machine guns pushed forward by Dahua soldiers, with shields attached, posed a far greater threat. They at least provided immediate and precise fire suppression within visual range.


    "Tatatata!" In the woods on the other side, the machine guns began to roar. The continuous sound, akin to fabric tearing, had a unique cadence amid the rain.


    The attacking Dahua Troops, under the cover of tanks braving the rain, charged into the woods, and a chaotic skirmish ensued as both sides attempted to settle the outcome there.


    Accompanied by the ongoing fight, a terrifying screech suddenly tore through the air. Even amidst the pattering rain, the chilling sound was distinctly audible.


    It was the noise of extra-large caliber shells ripping through the air, which was followed by plumes of black smoke rising skyward from the woods.


    A dull and despair-inducing explosion emanated from within the timberland; the Dahua Empire''s 300mm heavy artillery had finally joined the battle.


    From 15 kilometers away, the Railway Cannons of the Dahua Empire joined the conflict with their fierce roar, rendering the frontline battle even more gruesome.


    "Damn it! The enemy''s heavy artillery! Are they not waiting for their own troops to retreat before they fire?" The Tang Army commander ground his teeth in anger at the sight before him.


    He had arranged numerous defensive Troops within the woods, as it was a critical area. Little did he expect the Dahua Empire to resort to indiscriminate attacks.


    Without waiting for their own Troops to retreat, their artillery eagerly commenced covering fire. Countless shells rained down, blasting the trees into a zigzagged mess.


    In reality, he was unaware that the Dahua Empire''s artillery had simply miscalculated their coordinates, inadvertently directing the barrage intended for Li Family Village onto the woods to the north.


    This artillery strike, a blessing in disguise, indeed inflicted heavy damage on the Tang Army defensive Troops stationed to the north of Li Family Village.


    "It''s over, several of our Tank Model 4s in the woods are done for, along with a battalion of soldiers!" The Tang Army commander turned deathly pale as he witnessed the barrage raining down.


    Watching the continuous assault of the Dahua Troops on the woods, the Tang Army commander knew that his flank was likely to be lost.


    "The reinforcing platoon has been called back; they lost seven or eight men and just couldn''t make it across. The artillery fire was too fierce," reported an officer, returning in disarray with the news of the failed reinforcement.


    Within the woods, nearly deafened by bombardment, the combat continued relentlessly. Grenadiers, beside the destroyed Tang Army tanks, exerted their utmost effort to fend off the enemy''s approach.


    They fired their Type 56 assault rifles nonstop, pouring bullets into the enemy''s ceaseless waves. As the last magazine was emptied, the soldiers had no choice but to pull out hand grenades and affix bayonets to their assault rifles.


    Finally, the last machine gun position went silent as the gunner, out of ammunition, smiled ruefully and drew his sidearm.


    "The enemy is coming!" The commander shouted a warning to everyone and aimed the muzzle of his pistol at the advancing Dahua soldiers.


    "Fix bayonets!" A platoon leader pulled out the distinctive spike bayonet of the Type 56 assault rifle and belted out, "Long live His Majesty the King!"


    "For His Majesty the King!" All the soldiers who had run out of bullets drew their bayonets and affixed them under the muzzles of their guns.


    Tang Mo, when designing weapons, didn''t make the bayonet a fixed folding style, but rather a detachable design.


    Following the commands, Tang Army soldiers fixed their bayonets, pulled out their only remaining hand grenades, and engaged in a bayonet fight with the charging Dahua troops.


    Just after the explosion of the grenades, Tang soldiers burst out of the smoke like fierce wolves, catching the front-line Dahua soldiers by surprise; the Dahua fell to the ground, skewered by the Tang bayonets.


    "Kill!" Tang soldiers charged with overwhelming momentum; though few in number, they launched a counter-attack. They crossed the wreckage of their own tanks and the enemy tanks, and at one point even pushed the Dahua soldiers who had charged into the woods to the edge of the forest.


    Cries and shouts of killing filled the air, along with the clashing of cold metal, cries for mercy, and wailing, turning the entire forest into a scene of frenzied activity.


    Unfortunately, the disparity in troop numbers was just too great, and the less than two hundred Tang soldiers were quickly overwhelmed by the thousands of Dahua forces.


    One by one, the attacking Tang grenadiers fell, while the number of advancing Dahua soldiers showed no signs of decreasing.


    "Ah!" Having emptied his last magazine, the Tang commander threw his pistol to the ground, picked up an Engineer Corps shovel beside him, yelled, and charged at the enemy following his men.


    He ran forward non-stop and, upon colliding with the first enemy, swung the iron spade in his hand, cleaving it into the opponent''s neck.


    Before he could withdraw his weapon, a Dahua soldier thrust a bayonet into his chest. Blood splattered, covering the assailant''s face.


    The Dahua man who had pierced him was young, no more than twenty years old; he was clearly terrified by the blood, drew his bayonet, and stabbed viciously a second and third time.


    Only when the officer of the Tang Country lay on the ground motionless did the young man exhaustively stop. Amidst the rain, more Dahua soldiers stepped over him and ran wildly into the woods.


    Whoever took this forest first would be rewarded with a Gold Coin! Retreaters would be executed without mercy! These were the orders from above, the reason for their frenzied attack!


    "Boom!" Another round of artillery shells fell, but this time it wasn''t the Dahua Empire''s artillery, it was the Tang Army''s artillery unleashing their ammunition.


    The panicked Dahua soldiers, caught off guard, instantly lost hundreds of men. However, they ultimately occupied the forest and began to construct their own positions.


    "Rat-tat-tat!" On the newly resupplied machine-gun position, Tang gunners began to fire. The Dahua forces attacking Li Family Village in the rain again collapsed.


    They left behind hundreds of bodies, and after successfully seizing the forest on the flank began their hasty retreat.


    Now, they didn''t have to launch an attack from the remote open ground anymore. If they attacked from the side of the forest, they could breach Li Family Village in just a few dozen meters.


    The urgently reinforced grenadiers had already begun building a defensive line along the northern side of the village, relying on the ruins within the village to set up flank machine-gun positions, and concealing snipers within the buildings.


    "Huff! Huff!" Just when everyone thought there would be a brief pause in the fighting, the Dahua Empire''s heavy railway cannon, with corrected coordinates, roared once more.


    Huge shells cut through the air, falling onto Li Family Village, and then exploded inside buildings and on the streets.


    The massive explosions blew off roofs, brought down walls, and left craters with diameters of a dozen meters on the ground.


    The terrifying blasts made the entire village shake, almost as if all the shattered glass from the buildings were clattering down.


    Another building, which had seemed relatively intact, collapsed with a thunderous crash, its roof tiles shattering and burying a scrapped jeep under the rubble.


    The jeep had been destroyed by previous shelling, its engine broken, and its body full of shrapnel holes. Now, it was completely done for, leaving only the rear end exposed.


    The bombardment continued unabated, as if the Dahua Empire''s shells were free of charge. Then, the Empire''s 150mm heavy artillery joined the frenzy, and the Great Tang Kingdom''s defenders endured this onslaught for several more hours.


    "I really am a jinx," muttered the demoralized Tang Army machine-gunner in the trench, watching his rear get bombarded into what seemed like a ghost town.


    He had just said that they hadn''t made any progress, and then they had proven him wrong.


    "You''d better not talk anymore." The assistant gunner felt slightly ashamed too and complained from his damp foxhole, "Jinx."

 Chapter 746 746: 705 Advance and Retreat

    "The loss of the woods on the flank means that there''s no practical point in holding out in Li Family Village anymore. Just one small mistake, and the troops stationed there would be in great danger," Tagg, staring at the map, said to the surrounding generals.


    His gaze followed the highway behind Li Family Village eastward, finally settling on the city of Xicong, "Have them pull back. The objective of holding Li Family Village has been achieved. Let Xicong handle the next step."


    "General, we can continue to hold out for more than two more days," the commander responsible for the defenses in Li Family Village said earnestly.


    "I believe in your resolve, but there''s no need to waste troops in Li Family Village anymore. If we don''t stick to the plan and allow Dahua''s troops to come in, it won''t be easy for Redman to make his move," Tagg shook his head; he knew that his troops could have held their position if they had gritted their teeth and held firm.


    However, if they fought too resolutely, they would fix the enemy in place, and then their strategic intent of targeting the oil fields behind these Dahua troops would not be easily realized.


    Sometimes, it isn''t about not being able to hold on that necessitates a retreat, but rather drawing the enemy in to close the door and beat the dog.


    As for Xicong, it was nothing but bait, a location that had been decided to be surrendered long ago.


    "Carry out the orders," Tagg stood up straight and looked at his subordinates, "Rest assured, in Xicong, we won''t retreat a single step!"


    "Yes, sir!" All the generals stood at attention and saluted.


    The reason the Tang Army''s frontline had few cannons and did not use rocket launchers was that most of the heavy weaponry that was difficult to move was being gathered in Xicong, not sent to the front.


    Those towed heavy cannons had already been deployed in Xicong. They had complete artillery positions, abundant ammunition, and a well-supplied artillery line.


    As for the secret weapon rocket launchers, Tagg had not revealed them prematurely. He was preparing to hit Dahua Empire hard in Xicong, to let the commanders of Dahua know what real firepower coverage meant.


    In Xicong, the Tang Army had amassed 300 rocket launchers and more than 1500 cannons. The density of their fire was now no less than that of the Dahua Empire.


    On the Dahua Empire side, the higher-ups were celebrating. They had stopped the Tang Army''s advance in the Northern Region and held their defensive positions. For the entire anti-Tang coalition, this was exhilarating news.


    It showed that the natural disasters had drained the strength of the Great Tang Kingdom, and the Tang Army no longer had the power to launch a substantial attack.


    Therefore, the Dahua Empire officials were very excited; they believed this to be a hard-won great victory, a strong counterattack following the severe blow to the coalition''s navy.


    Shireck was also excited. After all, this was the first time any country had thwarted the Tang Army''s advance, fully worthy of publicity and celebration.


    As a result, the Dahua Empire held a banquet, and the Emperor of the Dahua Empire, Zhao Kai, even personally attended, raising the status of the celebration.


    However, in reality, the military side of the Dahua Empire was anxious. The commanders of the Dahua military found that the Tang Army was extremely fierce in combat and terrifyingly mobile.


    They had not yet been able to annihilate any Tang Army units at the brigade level since the beginning of the war, and even battalion-level units were rarely entirely wiped out.


    If the Tang Army wanted to retreat, they simply could not catch up. The enemy had mules, trucks, and even armored vehicles to help them move quickly. They could rapidly break contact with the Dahua military, even in muddy conditions.


    Although limited in number, the artillery units of the Great Tang Kingdom were almost all equipped with self-propelled guns, allowing for astonishingly fast deployment and withdrawal of the Tang Army artillery. Typically, these artillery units could retreat along with the troops, unlike the Dahua Army''s artillery, which was always a beat slower than the infantry, whether advancing or retreating.


    The war had been going on for over a week now, and the actual advance speed of the Dahua military was far lower than expected. They hadn''t even taken Li Family Village, let alone Xicong, their earlier strategic target.


    According to the pre-war plan, they were supposed to have taken Xicong within a week and started pressing towards the central cities of Tang Country such as Sishui.


    Taking Sishui would allow them to comfortably deploy defenses along the convergence of four rivers nearby, putting the Dahua Empire in a sturdy stance of being ready to advance or retreat as needed.


    Moreover, by capturing Sishui, an advance to the southeast could threaten Tang Country''s heavy industry base in Tongcheng, and advancing to the northeast could threaten Tang Country''s political center, Chang''an.


    But now, they hadn''t even taken Xicong! Although the Tang Army overall still seemed at a disadvantage and the Dahua military did indeed achieve some minor victories on the battlefield, the Dahua military had wasted precious time!


    Seven days had passed, and the Dahua Empire''s greatest reliance on weather conditions was clearly changing.


    The rain was gradually becoming less dense. Heavy rains were almost no longer occurring, and the frequency of moderate rains had also decreased. Now, more often than not, the battlefield was only misted with a persistent drizzle.


    That is to say, the flood disaster that has been dragging Tang Country down is passing, and the disadvantageous factors for Tang Country are disappearing, while the advantages of the Dahua Empire are slowly fading away.


    For the frontline troops of the Dahua Empire, this was not good news: once the Tang Army recovered, the problem would become very serious.


    On the one hand, if the domestic flood disaster ceased or diminished, the Tang troops that had been mobilized to help locally would quickly return to the front.


    By that time, the numerical advantage of the Dahua military would gradually be offset, and the quality advantage of the Tang Army would be infinitely magnified.


    On the other hand, the Air Force of the Tang Army would return to the battlefield, and once those advanced planes appeared, ground operations would become much more difficult.


    Despite being somewhat prepared and having built a sizable Air Force, the commanders of the Dahua Empire''s Air Force still lacked confidence when facing the Air Force of Tang Country.


    Qian Jinhang, the general in charge of commanding the Dahua troops on the southern front, was filled with concern. He gathered with his superiors, Shen Chuan and General Feng Kezhi, around a map to discuss subsequent strategies.


    "If my troops can''t take Li Family Village by tomorrow, then we''ll have to consider whether to pull the troops back and strengthen our defenses," said Qian Jinhang, a veteran general with outstanding capability and abundant experience.


    He had already noticed the difference between the two sides, which is why he favored caution¡ªif the strategic objective could not be achieved, then a prompt and secure defense should be adopted to negate the enemy''s advantage.


    Shen Chuan, the Minister of War, had to consider not just the situation on the battlefield but also the political climate, so he shook his head decisively and said, "Your Majesty would never allow you to stop the attack. If you stop, then this offensive would amount to a failure."


    "That''s right, we must figure out a way to take Sishui! This is our only chance! We must strike at the vital points of Tang Country before the disaster ends, or we will fall into an overall disadvantage!" General Feng Kezhi also agreed with Shen Chuan''s viewpoint.


    He wasn''t worried about the Emperor''s face; purely from a military perspective, if this offensive failed to take Sishui, then the army could potentially face comprehensive defeat.


    Shen Chuan was anxious; as the Minister of War, he saw issues that frontline commanders might not.


    In the 7 days since the battle began, the frontline troops had suffered over 20,000 casualties, and this was while Dahua''s military was on the offensive. What did this imply? It practically meant that the Dahua Empire had wiped out the equivalent of two divisions in just a short week!


    Considering the ammunition expenditure, tank losses, and overall materials consumed by the offense, the figures were astronomical. The Emperor wouldn''t care about these things, but he, as the Minister of War, had to take them into account.


    The allocation of funds from the Ministry of Revenue was already being delayed, and Wang Yuca?i, the Minister of Revenue, had privately met with him twice, during which they exchanged their views.


    Wang Yuca?i had explained the financial pressure on the Ministry of Revenue, yet even so, Shen Chuan knew that the military must maintain its offensive stance, beyond any doubt! If the troops stopped, the situation would spiral out of control, and the Ministry of Revenue would face even greater pressures.


    "My troops are desperately attacking. In fact, some units have not rested for two days, yet Li Family Village, besieged on three sides, is still in the hands of the Tang Army. I''ve already lost over five thousand men there!" Qian Jinhang emphasized heavily.


    As he spoke, an officer entered the meeting room, excitedly reporting, "Report! Good news from the frontline!"


    "What good news?" Qian Jinhang''s eyes lit up, and he immediately asked.


    "Just received word, our forces have occupied the flank of Li Family Village, and there is a breach in the Tang Army''s defense line there," the officer reported.


    "Hmm?" Qian Jinhang immediately moved to the map, focusing on the woods north of Li Family Village, then became excited.


    As a military man, he naturally understood the importance of this location. With this area under his control, the Tang Army within Li Family Village would inevitably be at a disadvantage.


    "Good! That''s excellent!" Shen Chuan was also thrilled when he heard the news; he had just been worrying, but now the frontline situation had changed.


    To take Li Family Village meant there would be no strongholds to impede the Dahua Army''s advance to Xicong¡ªit was as if Xicong lay just ahead of the Dahua Army!


    "Very good! Very good!" General Feng Kezhi also recognized the significance of the small woods to the defense of Li Family Village. He knew that if the Tang Army did not want to be forced into passive defense, they would inevitably give up Li Family Village and retreat.


    So, in his view, Li Family Village was already in the bag.


    Indeed, the next day, his troops marched into Li Family Village. The Tang Army had withdrawn, leaving behind nothing but ruins and seven or eight damaged vehicles. They left in such haste that they didn''t even plant booby traps or destroy the roads.

 Chapter 747 747: 706 disappointment

    Time indeed had begun to gradually take the side of the Tang Kingdom.


    As the battle for Li Family Village was decided and the Dahua Empire''s military continued its attack on Xicong, the rainfall in the Northern Region suddenly ceased.


    The sky began to clear, and the long-missed sunshine bathed the earth. During this brief period of clear weather, the Tang Country''s Air Force finally took action.


    150 Flying Fortress Bombers, laden with bombs, and escorted by 20 fighters, flew towards Fengjiang, the Dahua Empire''s largest city in the north.


    The counterattack began so suddenly that the Dahua Empire was completely unprepared.


    Although the Dahua Air Force also took off their planes to intercept upon sighting the Tang Army''s aircraft group, they found they couldn''t catch up to these enemies that came and went like the wind.


    Everything was in vain; not only was there a clear gap in speed between the aircraft on both sides, but there was also a huge difference in the altitude they could reach.


    Thus, the Dahua Air Force could only watch helplessly as the enemy''s planes crossed their defense lines and flew over Fengjiang.


    As the largest city in the eastern part of the Dahua Empire with a population of over one million, Fengjiang was also an emerging industrial city.


    It housed not only the largest textile mill in the Dahua Empire but also countless light industries. At the same time, it was a transport hub and a distribution center for goods in the eastern region.


    On this day, just when the people finally felt relieved to see the clear weather and thought they could go out for a walk, the piercing sound of air-raid sirens suddenly echoed throughout the city.


    It was then that the residents of Fengjiang realized their country might actually be at war with a neighboring nation.


    In their daze, they had yet to grasp the gravity of the situation because they believed their city was more than 400 kilometers from the border and that battle flames could not possibly reach them.


    But the Tang Country''s Air Force soon made it clear to everyone that times had changed! Squadrons of bombers dropped bombs like raindrops, and then these bombs submerged Fengjiang in a sea of dust and smoke.


    Huge explosions destroyed the skyscrapers that Fengjiang had managed to build, and the already congested streets were filled with craters of all sizes.


    The workshops of the textile mills were struck by bombs, instantly claiming the lives of dozens of people. Realizing the enormity of the situation, the civilians of Fengjiang finally started to panic amidst screams and cries.


    The pace of technological advancement in this era was too fast, fast enough to make people overlook some details. These details were not apparent in everyday life, but once problems arose, they were magnified, making people realize that they were still living in a state of backwardness.


    Fengjiang was such a city. With the Dahua Empire''s industrialization, Fengjiang''s local civilian life improved day by day using the momentum of this industrialization.


    They felt their lives were decent, seeing the city change anew every day. Here, they had power plants, flashing advertising signs, and smoking chimneys. They had smooth streets and countless cars of various models.


    It seemed that the city was getting closer and closer to resembling Brunas, becoming more and more modern. But it wasn''t until the Tang Country''s bombers flew over the city that the residents realized a severe problem: they did not seem to have any bomb shelters!


    The city''s facade grew increasingly glamorous with skyscrapers everywhere, but places like the sewer system were neglected. Successive City Lords, prioritizing outward appearances in city construction, chose to overlook essential utilities like drainage systems and civil defense projects.


    Now, more than a million people desperately seeking bomb shelters realized too late that even the city''s sewers were frequently problematic, let alone digging underground shelters.


    Although wealthy households had cellars, and many homes had basements for storage, these were places for storing wine or potatoes¡ªthey offered no protection against bombs!


    Thus, the streets of Fengjiang were filled with people running in chaos, which only enhanced the effectiveness of the Tang Army''s bombing.


    Huge aerial bombs scattered across the city''s streets and alleys. Over a hundred bombers easily completed their dropping of bombs and then turned back on their original course to return home.


    By the time these planes had left, Fengjiang was in shambles. The already fragile power supply system was almost entirely paralyzed, and everywhere there were bodies, craters, and collapsed buildings.


    More than two hours later, the sky began to drizzle again, and the rolling clouds of dust gradually thinned out.


    In the rain, the grieving civilians of Fengjiang searching for their family members also came to realize that the gears of war had fully erupted.


    On the eighth day after the outbreak of war, Emperor Zhao Kai of the Dahua Empire had just thought about hosting another party to celebrate his military''s capture of Li Family Village and the direct assault on Xicong, when he received the shocking news that Fengjiang had been bombed.


    That was the largest city in the eastern Dahua Empire! That was a transport hub deep within his empire''s territory!


    "What did you say! Say it again! Fengjiang was bombed? More than three thousand people dead? Over fifty thousand homeless?" Zhao Kai sat on his throne, overlooking the attendant who had come to report, his voice filled with rage.


    The ministers on both sides were greatly shocked. Among them, there were those who had served in Fengjiang or who had family members there. They had never considered that Fengjiang, a city within the heartland of the Empire, would one day be directly attacked by the enemy!


    "What is the Air Force doing? Why didn''t they intercept?" Zhao Kai''s question, asked in shock, left Shen Chuan, the Minister of War who had just rushed back to the Imperial Capital, without any face.


    The Dahua Empire had equipped a total of three different models of fighter jets. One type was a biplane modeled after the Great Tang Group''s Camel Fighter, which, to be honest, didn''t perform very well and was basically just there to make up the numbers.


    Another was a fighter produced by Shireck that used a central monoplane design. The round fuselage looked a bit cute, and its performance... was only slightly better than that of the Camel Fighter.


    It adopted a fully enclosed cockpit, so it could barely fly at altitudes between 7,000 and 8,000 meters, and it wasn''t very fast either, but it was indeed much higher than the Camel Fighter.


    The third type of aircraft was the latest improved fighter jet, roughly the otherworldly version of the I-16, with a performance gap that was very obvious compared to the Butcher Fighter equipped by the Great Tang Kingdom.


    Even though the brand new Dahua Type 1 fighter jet was mediocre, it was still the most advanced fighter jet developed and manufactured by the Dahua Empire. But there were few of these jets, and most were deployed near the Imperial Capital and in the southern front.


    In the Northern Region, which was in a defensive position, the fighter squadrons were equipped with the outdated Camel, which would be a feat if they could intercept the Flying Fortress and Butcher.


    Regrettably, Shen Chuan could not explain it that way. He could only hang his head, waiting for the Emperor to finish venting before finding a private opportunity to explain the situation.


    "A bunch of useless people! Good for nothings!" Zhao Kai had always felt that it was his ministers who had held him back, preventing him from becoming a ruler of unparalleled wisdom and martial prowess who had expanded the nation''s borders.


    However, recalling that his front-line troops had just taken Li Family Village and were advancing towards Xicong, Zhao Kai still managed to suppress the anger in his heart.


    He ordered, "Strengthen the anti-air defenses in the Northern Region! Send more planes! We can''t let Tang Country attack Fengjiang again!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" Shen Chuan bowed his head, acquiescing to Zhao Kai''s demand. From his standpoint, he couldn''t let the Tang Country Air Force run rampant in the eastern and northern regions of the Dahua Empire.


    The immediate task was to rush to the aircraft manufacturing plants to urge them to increase production of the newest type of planes and to boost the strength of the Northern Air Force.


    Besides, more anti-aircraft guns needed to be produced and deployed in strategic areas to intercept enemy planes, or at least to a degree that would cause the enemy Air Force some concern.


    At the very least, it should show an attitude that would let the citizens know they had not been abandoned and that the Empire was still working hard to protect them.


    These tasks should be the responsibility of the Ministry of Works. After the court session, he would need to have a good talk with Chief of Staff Chen Jing. At the very least, he should force Chen Jing to agree to increase the production of new aircraft and anti-aircraft guns.


    "So frustrating!" Zhao Kai stood up and left in a huff¡ªunable to display his sagacity and martial prowess, unable to hold a grand victory celebration, unable to proclaim the merits of capturing Li Family Village was indeed an irksome matter to him.


    After Zhao Kai left, a group of ministers huddled together and whispered amongst themselves. Their main concern was whether the enemy''s planes would appear over the Imperial Capital.


    "It shouldn''t be possible under normal circumstances; their range wouldn''t be enough," explained Shen Chuan, who still possessed some theoretical knowledge, to the anxious ministers.


    The other ministers were somewhat reassured by this explanation and then began to inquire about the outcome on the southern front.


    "Does taking Li Family Village mean we''re close to winning?" Minister of Personnel Zhou Qiang, who didn''t understand military matters, asked a rather superficial question.


    As Prime Minister, Chu Muzhou had some understanding of military matters. He knew that although it seemed Dahua Empire had the advantage, the situation was still very delicate.


    However, he couldn''t burst their bubble; he could only maintain his silence, listening to Shen Chuan carefully avoiding the heart of the matter: "Not necessarily. In fact, we can only say that we''ve stabilized the situation once we have taken Xicong."


    "Aren''t we on the offensive?" another minister seized Shen Chuan''s wrist and continued to inquire.


    "Only by capturing Xicong can we possibly advance to the Four Waters! Once we''ve taken the Four Waters, then we can rest easy!" Shen Chuan went on to say, "But General Qian Jinhang is experienced and capable. Since he has already captured Li Family Village, taking Xicong should be like reaching into a bag to obtain something!"


    Hearing him say this, a few ministers finally felt some agreement. They didn''t want to know too much; just knowing that taking Xicong meant victory was enough.


    By then, when presenting reports at court or when analyzing the situation, they would at least have a reference point and wouldn''t be talking nonsense.


    ----------


    Dragon Spirit has a pretty serious waist injury, so he can only update reliably recently, not daring to make up missed updates or incur new debts. I ask for everyone''s understanding with the unstable updates. Sorry about that.

 Chapter 748 748: 707 Xicong Battle

    In fact, the day Fengjiang was bombed, several other areas in the Dahua Empire were also visited by Tang Country''s planes, which were tactical bombers, not long-range strategic bombers.


    The Butcher and the Stuka took off frequently, conducting reconnaissance and bombing on the northern-central border between Dahua and Tang Country, destroying every target they could find.


    The humming sound of the Stuka Dive Bomber resonated in the sky, instilling immense fear in the soldiers of the Dahua Empire who were seeing this kind of plane for the first time.


    It was also their first realization of just how deadly a dive bombing from the sky could be as they huddled in their trenches like mice hiding in their holes.


    However, for them, the disaster passed quickly. The clouds thickened again, and the Tang Army''s planes disappeared once more, making everything seem like it had returned to the day before.


    The Dahua soldiers were jubilant. They repaired their demolished trenches and fixed defensive positions, and they also collected the bodies of their fallen comrades.


    Commanders of the troops in the southern regions of the Dahua Empire also began to realize the severity of the problem. It was evidently less rainy than it had been in the previous days.


    Now, the sky was always overcast, but it didn''t rain as often, so they all knew that the Tang Country''s Air Force, which was like a swarm of locusts, was about to start mobilizing again.


    So they began accelerating their attack on Xicong, recklessly pushing their troops to the walls of the city. Two days after capturing Li Family Village, the vanguard of the Dahua Empire''s forces reached the outskirts of Xicong.


    Dozens of Dahua Type 1 Tanks were destroyed by the Tang Army''s Assault Gun Mark IV en route, paralyzing them on the attack path. The Dahua military retreated about a kilometer, then launched their attack once more.


    The Tang Army soon retreated to the suburbs of Xicong, where they deployed their defenses using the houses. The Dahua military rested overnight, and at the break of dawn the next day, they commenced their attack.


    A battalion of the Dahua military cautiously approached the edge of the city under the cover of seven or eight tanks. This area was still covered with tile-roofed houses, but further away, the four- and even eight-story buildings of Xicong were visible.


    Tang Army snipers, in coordination with the infantry, repelled this attack. The Dahua military left behind more than a hundred bodies and had no choice but to retreat to where their assault had begun.


    However, by noon they had launched another attack, this time with about two regiments of soldiers, thousands of men under the cover of hundreds of tanks, once again nearing the urban edge of Xicong.


    Unlike the previous probing attack, this time the Dahua military hoped to establish a beachhead on the edge of the city. They aimed to capture a section of the urban area to prepare for the upcoming street battles.


    But they were repelled. Despite deploying an attacking force of over two thousand soldiers and using a regiment''s worth of tanks, they still failed.


    In the process of their attack, the Dahua military encountered a new piece of Tang Army equipment, a terrifyingly unreasonable magical weapon.


    Right, their tanks, just as they were about to break into the city''s edge, encountered a hidden Tang Army anti-tank position.


    Or rather, it wasn''t an anti-tank position but an anti-aircraft position... The anti-aircraft gunners, when faced with the enemy tanks charging at them, used the Bofors 40mm Anti-Aircraft Guns as direct-fire guns and aimed at the Dahua Type 1 Tanks.


    At a very close range, the anti-aircraft guns suddenly opened fire, and with anti-air capabilities began strafing. Twenty-some tanks didn''t even realize where the enemy was before they were destroyed by the oncoming shelling from the side.


    In about five minutes, the menacing twenty-some tanks were wiped out. The Dahua attacking force immediately lost the will to continue the fight and had no choice but to retreat from the battle.


    The fierce battle continued in the afternoon. This time, the Dahua military deployed some artillery and once again sent two regiments, more than two thousand men, to launch the attack.


    The two forces collided once again, and the Tang Army held their ground once more¡ªif anyone thought that Tagg''s carefully arranged defenses in Xicong would lose their outer defense on the first day, they would be greatly underestimating this Great Tang general.


    After a day of intense assault without any results, Qian Jinhang, who had arrived at the front line of the Dahua Imperial command, realized that taking Xicong through sheer force was highly unlikely.


    Therefore, he didn''t rashly continue the attack the next day but waited for the subsequent reinforcements to arrive gradually. The number of Dahua troops was increasing, and so were their heavy weapons and equipment.


    Just as Qian Jinhang felt that he had amassed enough troops and was ready to attempt another attack, the Tang Army''s artillery fire precisely inundated the encampment of his forces.


    With coordinates that had long been measured, combined with the precise parameter reports from the observation posts, the Tang Army''s textbook artillery fire educated their Dahua counterparts.


    Having witnessed the Tang Army''s artillery fire first-hand, Qian Jinhang also intuitively realized the vast gap between the artillery capabilities of the two sides.


    Although the Tang Army''s display was not massive and the number of shells wasn''t overwhelming, lacking that feeling of earth-shattering oppression, the precision of their shell impacts was incredibly accurate, and the coverage area was of high-value¡ªit was like hitting the bull''s eye with pinpoint accuracy.


    After this round of artillery barrage, Qian Jinhang had no choice but to once again postpone the timing of the offensive. Only after waiting in place for two more days did they barely have enough resources to launch an attack.


    The Dahua military had learned their lesson this time, as they lost dozens of tanks and vehicles, and over five hundred men were killed in the previous bombardment, which directly crippled two regiments... So they dispersed their forces, advanced covertly, and approached the Tang Army''s positions before initiating the attack.


    With over a hundred cannons covering them, three infantry regiments charged towards their target. The Tang Country''s defenders quickly retaliated, and both sides exhibited their skills on the defensive lines at the city''s edge. Eventually, the Dahua troops managed to capture a small piece of the rubble, securing an initial foothold in the outermost perimeter of Xicong city.


    However, Qian Jinhang, who had been supervising the battle at the front line, soon realized that this might be a sinister trap set by the Tang Army.


    Although the Dahua troops had captured an initial foothold, the efforts to reinforce this position and transport logistical supplies were heavily targeted by the Tang Army''s firepower at both flanks.


    If the Dahua military wanted to deliver a box of ammunition to this bridgehead, they would suffer the loss of seven or eight men, and possibly two boxes of ammunition!


    Thus, with no alternative, Qian Jinhang had to steel himself and launch an offensive the next day to expand this bridgehead.


    After losing a regiment, a casualty of thousands of men, Qian Jinhang finally secured the bridgehead''s flanking defense positions, firmly establishing his ground.


    But the subsequent barrage of fire that came with it inflicted heavy losses on the Dahua Empire''s attacking troops!


    For every step forward, the Dahua Empire paid a hefty price. Still brawling in the outskirts of Xicong, they had just captured a few dozen buildings and surrounding ruins, already incurring losses of over 4,000 men.


    This was not good news; while the Dahua Empire''s military held an absolute numerical advantage, such a rate of loss was simply unbearable.


    In two weeks, the attacking Dahua troops had already suffered losses exceeding 40,000 men, a figure that nearly amounted to one-tenth of the total attacking force!


    What did this mean? It meant that at least half of Qian Jinhang''s men could be described with a word like "decimated"! These forces had barely any fighting power left and were desperately in need of reinforcements and arms and equipment.


    And this was just the loss of soldiers, not to mention the vehicles, tanks, and artillery; Qian Jinhang felt even more troubled.


    Since the beginning of the battle, the Dahua Empire had lost nearly 200 cannons of various calibers, some damaged by their own fire and others destroyed by the Tang Army.


    The situation with the vehicles was similar, with over 500 of various models destroyed mid-journey, and an additional 200 barely operational with faults, at risk of breaking down at any moment.


    The muddy roads forced the Dahua Empire''s military to face a significant number of vehicles becoming damaged and immobilized. Their vehicles, already known for poor reliability, were now frequently paralyzed on the roads.


    Not to mention tanks; in the battle for Li Family Village, the Dahua Empire lost over 110 tanks, excluding another 100 immobilized due to malfunctions on their path of advance. In the days near Xicong alone, the Dahua Empire lost 200 tanks!


    Yes, this number represented the total tank strength of two Armored Divisions! In other words, two tank divisions in the Dahua army had unwittingly "evaporated."


    At this rate of progression, before even catching sight of the Sishui River, Qian Jinhang felt he might end up as a commander without troops.


    Yet he had no choice; the strategy set by the Dahua Empire was to capture Xicong. At that moment, Xicong lay before him; he had every reason to take the city.


    So the Dahua troops launched another offensive, fighting desperately along the streets, driving back the Tang Army''s flanking troops, and capturing more suburban buildings.


    Each house had to be fought for, and each seemingly intact home was turned into a pile of ruins.


    Grenades were hurled by soldiers from one house into the next, and after earth-shaking explosions, both sides shot at each other frantically through the walls separating the kitchens from the living rooms.


    On the broad city roads, Tang tanks encountered the Dahua Empire''s tanks in narrow conflicts. At one intersection, both sides fired and destroyed each other, leaving only the wreckage of two tanks burning in the middle of their respective paths.


    The battle continued from morning until midnight, then paused for less than two hours before erupting again.


    The Dahua Empire soldiers, who had just seized a block, had not yet stabilized their ground when the Tang Army''s counterattack arrived. The Dahua troops were quickly driven out of the streets, and the Tang forces once more occupied the area.


    The bullet-ridden flag of the Dahua Empire was tossed under the feet of Tang soldiers, and a Red Dragon Flag, riddled with bullet holes, was raised once again. And all of this was just the beginning!.

 Chapter 749 749: Sniper in the Ruins of 708

    Upon entering Xicong, the Dahua military soon realized the battlefield had taken on a different appearance: the Tang Army''s camouflage uniforms were extremely difficult to identify within the city, and the combat became brutally vicious and bloody.


    The Tang Army''s automatic firepower held a pronounced advantage in urban warfare, with small units infiltrating the city''s streets and alleys, proving a hundred times more agile and a hundred to a thousand times more formidable than the Dahua troops.


    The grenadiers moved freely among the ruins, familiar with the terrain and easily entangling with the Empire''s forces.


    In an inconspicuous pile of rubble, a Tang sniper hidden in the corner was observing a squad of Dahua Empire soldiers that had just arrived through his scope.


    These soldiers were completely off their guard; they also did not know that in a nearby corner, someone was watching them with an icy gaze.


    They chatted and laughed as they began to prepare their lunch, and some even sat on piles of rocks, taking off their helmets. They had just fought a tough battle and eliminated a Tang soldier who had not managed to retreat in time.


    The helmets of the Dahua Empire were quite distinctive, closely resembling those of the Germans, with a sharp spike on top¡ªit was unclear whether this was for decoration or practical use in combat.


    However, the quality of these spiked helmets was very poor, far from exquisite. Their protective capacity wasn''t great either; the only advantage was that they were easy to recognize.


    Therefore, it was very simple for the soldiers to identify each other; they just had to look for a spike on the top of the enemy''s head.


    Since it wasn''t raining today, the Dahua soldiers did not wear the dark green raincoats¡ªfollowing Tang Country, many nations had started to design their military uniforms in green or khaki colors to improve their soldiers'' concealment.


    Those military uniforms in bright yellow, vibrant green, bright red, and sky blue from earlier years had disappeared, and everyone had started down the drab path of practical combat wear.


    "Did you see that? I just killed a Tang Country soldier," boasted a young Dahua soldier, tidying his rifle while showing off to a comrade beside him.


    On his wrist was a watch, clearly not his property. Judging by the model, this watch appeared to be a commemorative gift issued to infantry by the Dahua Empire upon completing one year of enlistment; it was likely that the Dahua soldier had stripped it from a dead body.


    "I saw," replied the Dahua veteran, taking off his helmet and fiddling with his hair, answering absentmindedly, "He was surrounded and wouldn''t surrender, so you got lucky."


    Killing a Great Tang soldier was rewarded with a gold coin; anyone who managed to kill more than ten could be discharged and return home. It was an unlikely possibility, but such a reward system indeed existed within the Dahua military.


    "I always feel a sinister presence here," complained the Dahua platoon leader, warily surveying his surroundings, to a squad leader by his side.


    The squad leader nodded slightly, agreeing, "It''s as if Tang soldiers are hiding in every building; I''m on edge to the point of insanity."


    On their way, they encountered Tang soldiers in many inexplicable places, and fierce battles erupted at any moment, with considerable losses on both sides.


    In fact, if it weren''t for the higher-ups prohibiting retreat for any reason, they would have already broken down¡ªhere, there was no way to escape, and even surrender wasn''t easy.


    The distance of engagement was extremely short, requiring instant reactions¡ªyou could be tossing up your hands in surrender while your opponent had already thrown a grenade at your feet.


    While they conversed, the sniper positioned above had already aimed his gun at the chest of the platoon leader, who had just felt the vicinity to be unsafe.


    From the subtle differences in clothing, he could discern the enemy''s rank. Cut down the commanding officer first, then the rest, a disorganized crowd, would be easy to handle.


    "Bang!" Without any warning, a sudden shot rang out, and the platoon leader, who had just been talking to his subordinate, shook the water bottle in his hand before it dropped in front of his shoes.


    The water flowing from the bottle mingled with the mud on the ground, splashing onto the leader''s filthy boots.


    A second later, the seated platoon leader slumped over, cradling into the embrace of the squad leader. The Dahua squad leader saw the fresh blood on his superior''s chest and instinctively looked toward the direction of the gunfire, forgetting to take cover in his shock.


    Then he caught a glimpse of a glint in the corner of a window on the second floor of the ruins, and right after, his head was penetrated by a bullet.


    It was at this moment that others began to realize that they might have been ambushed by a Tang sniper. They frantically started looking for cover, but couldn''t find a completely safe spot right away.


    "Bang!" The third shot echoed, and a Dahua soldier who stood up to run collapsed, clutching his stomach and writhing, trying to move away from the dangerous area.


    A soldier who was just about to start cooking nearly tripped over his mess tin. As he bent down to pick it up, a bullet struck below his ribs, sending him crashing into his own pile of wood.


    "Save me!" the soldier clutching his stomach wasn''t dead yet, lying on the ground pleading to his comrades hidden in the distance, who dared not raise their heads.


    But no one paid attention to him; everyone was frantically searching for the sniper who had attacked them, filled with hatred and ready to make the enemy pay.


    Unfortunately, in the area they could see, there were gaps everywhere, collapsed walls, and rubble and debris scattered all around.


    Clothes and bedding of various colors belonging to the civilians, along with some bedside wooden cabinets, were strewn among the ruins. To find a deliberately hidden enemy in such a short time was not an easy task.


    However, the Tang Army sniper who had been observing from the shadows for quite some time was different; he almost remembered the location of every enemy, so it was easy for him to identify those men amid the colorful wreckage.


    So he took aim calmly and fired again, hitting an enemy who was watching his position.


    The Dahua soldier''s head drooped powerlessly, leaning against the cover he was hiding behind, his helmet rolling off to the ground, still smudged with bright red blood.


    The Dahua soldier who had been cooking no longer made a sound; just moments ago he had been crying and shouting, but now only his body could be seen heaving with rapid breaths.


    The Dahua soldier clutching his stomach and calling for help was lying not far away. However, his condition was relatively okay, and he kept calling out annoyingly and restlessly.


    The remaining Dahua soldiers had probably guessed the hiding spot of the Tang Army sniper, and so some of them had aimed their gun barrels toward the only half-remaining window in the ruins on the second floor, and many had even pulled their bolts back.


    The first Dahua soldier who peeked out and took aim was shot directly in the forehead; the rest couldn''t help but start firing at that window.


    The dense bullets hit the wall around the window; some pierced through the remaining glass on the window ledge, making a sharp crackling sound.


    After a round of intense shooting, the soldiers of Dahua started to advance cautiously, with those at the front continuing to fire, while the old soldier, bragging about his military exploits to a youngster, went around the low wall from the side, closing in on the two-story ruins that hadn''t completely collapsed.


    They climbed carefully onto the second floor, peeking at the position of that window. There was no one there anymore, though a few shell casings were still scattered on the floor.


    "Don''t shoot anymore! He''s run off!" the old soldier didn''t dare approach the second floor and shouted from a distance.


    The young man following him found a neatly crafted mess tin in the corner, still steaming with hot soup.


    He swallowed hard, walked over excitedly, and had just picked up the mess tin left behind by the enemy when he heard a crisp yet subtle click.


    "Don''t!" the old soldier wanted to stop the young man from touching the mess tin, but it was too late; everything he didn''t want to see had already happened.


    A grenade fell from behind the mess tin, its surface etched with horizontal and vertical lines like a piece of chocolate. Before the old soldier could take any defensive action, the grenade exploded violently amidst the ruins.


    The old soldier was flung out by the shockwave, smashing through the window from which the sniper had fired, and plummeting straight down to the ground level outside.


    The young man was also blasted away; one of his arms sent flying a great distance, still wearing the commemorative watch he had stripped from a corpse.


    The soldiers from the Dahua Empire outside ceased firing; they assessed their losses. Both the squad leader and the section leader were dead, and the soldier who had been cooking had also taken his last breath.


    The one with the stomach wound seemed to have a chance of survival, but whether he could wait for a medical officer to save him was anyone''s guess. There was no need to check on the soldier who had been shot in the head; his brain matter had already sprayed out.


    Both men who went after the sniper had been blasted away by the grenade; the young soldier was certainly dead, and the old soldier ejected was also dead.


    A cunning ''booby trap'' grenade took the lives of both men, also teaching the remaining Dahua soldiers a lesson: Don''t rashly chase a retreating enemy; they might have already prepared an exit route.


    They could no longer stay in this place; the Tang Army''s artillery could cover the area at any moment. So, dragging along the unfortunate wounded, the remaining soldiers of Dahua left, leaving behind a field of corpses.


    And on the street next to this battleground, the wrecks of more than twenty Dahua tanks, destroyed by anti-aircraft guns a few days ago, still lay scattered about.


    The burning flames had been extinguished by the rain, and the charred, twisted bodies could still be seen inside the scorched tank hulls. In the distance, the rumbling of artillery fire never ceased, as if demons whispered incessantly in one''s ears.


    The battle of Xicong had just begun, but for the soldiers of the Dahua Empire, hell had already appeared before their eyes. This place was a trap meticulously prepared by the soldiers of the Great Tang Kingdom, where every corner could hide a lethal danger.

 Chapter 750 750: 709 Detergent Powders Amazing Uses

    The Poplar Empire, Southwater Port, thrived with shipping activity. Merchandise from the Ice Cold Empire, exports of the Poplar Empire itself, and vessels from the southern Laines Empire all converged here.


    The city, which had developed over many years, boasted numerous tall buildings and, thanks to a relatively abundant supply of electricity, was starting to resemble Brunas to some degree.


    It should be known that during the past couple of years, Brunas hadn''t developed at all under the operations of Laines Empire, so many cities were aiming to catch up.


    Take for instance the Eternal Winter Port that specialized in exporting minerals and automobile civilization, or Winterless City, the top port of Dorne Empire.


    All these cities were gradually reaching the level of Brunas, they just hadn''t yet completely caught up.


    In the bustling outskirts of Southwater Port, a destroyer was patrolling the waters. Lately, all allied ports had been uneasy, and everyone needed to be extremely cautious.


    Tang Country had developed a very dangerous underwater weapon, a fact that had been proven. A sailor at Brunas Port, during its attack, claimed to have seen a white wake under the water.


    At first, people were skeptical about this news, but as more ships sank, such claims grew increasingly credible.


    More than one person claimed to have seen that underwater trail, so the existence of Tang Country''s peculiar underwater weapon became an accepted fact.


    Latter on, the appearance of Tang Country''s underwater weapons had also been witnessed ¨C to save torpedoes, Tang Country''s submarines often surfaced to use their deck guns to sink civilian ships...


    Yes, Tang Country''s submarine tactics originated from wolf pack tactics, primarily focused on disrupting transportation. Their mission was to delay the enemy''s shipping, sinking every visible vessel that was not flying the Tang Country Dragon Banner.


    To conserve precious torpedoes, Tang Country''s submarines often surfaced to engage in combat, and even sometimes robbed to increase their operational endurance at sea. The items they robbed included fruits and grains being transported on ships, clean clothes, freshwater, and the crew''s personal valuables.


    What was even more infuriating was the exceedingly revolting tactic that the submarine officers and soldiers of Tang Country''s Navy had devised.


    To save on ammunition, sometimes they would even set off with a dozen fewer rounds of ammo, using the space for storing rounds to carry a disgusting artifact: laundry detergent.


    Yes, that''s right, a chemical agent used for washing clothes ¨C laundry detergent! And the use of this laundry detergent was quite simple: mix it with water!


    Sometimes Tang Country''s submariners wouldn''t even sink the enemy''s supply ships, especially those low-value fishing boats and small steamers. When they encountered such ships and if the enemy surrendered, they would mix laundry detergent into the ships'' freshwater tanks and then simply sail away.


    Leaving behind an enemy with completely contaminated freshwater, adrift and utterly clueless at sea. Without freshwater, these ships had to head back to port as quickly as possible, abandoning whatever cargo they carried or missions they were executing.


    And infuriatingly, no matter how much the water tanks contaminated with laundry detergent were cleaned, refilling them would always result in some disgusting bubbles floating on the water, with the taste of chemicals lingering stubbornly when drinking.


    This tactic conveniently left some smaller ships behind, so that on their next venture there would still be something to sink... It also allowed the enemy to save more torpedoes and shells for when they had no anti-submarine forces present, to engage more valuable targets.


    They were like pirates, pillaging on the high seas, creating chaos at will and invoking the hatred of the countries in the anti-Tang alliance. And these cursed submarines would appear and disappear without trace, leaving no way to retaliate.


    The alliance lacked sonar, and nearly all anti-submarine warfare options were off the table. Even if they saw a submarine dive into the water from a distance, they were helpless.


    Even more frustrating, the slightest carelessness could lead to warships being ambushed by submarines. It was bad enough watching helplessly as submarines dove, but moving too slowly might even result in getting sunk, a truly infuriating situation.


    Within two weeks of warfare, the Eastern Continent''s anti-Tang alliance countries had already lost a significant number of transport ships. Their main fleets were haphazardly evading, in a constant state of panic.


    A collier, laden with coal, was navigating the high seas, with the captain standing in the pilot house, nervously peering through his binoculars at the calm sea.


    His ship was nearing Southwater Port, where a patrolling destroyer seemed to loom in the distance. Under normal circumstances, he would have been fairly safe at this point.


    But he remained extremely tense, intently watching the distant sea because he had witnessed with his own eyes a ship mysteriously sunk right before him.


    It was just a deafening explosion, then the ship broke in two and sank rapidly into the sea. The towering water column, as high as the tallest building, haunted his dreams every night ever since.


    "Port side! Port side! Captain!" the sailor on watch, stationed higher up, shouted loudly, instantly tense the atmosphere on the bridge.


    The captain quickly moved to the port side, raised his binoculars, and then he saw it ¨C a dark, shiny tube, resembling the fin of a shark, exposed above the water!


    He was so terrified that his soul nearly fled his body and promptly ordered, "Speed up! Quick! Increase speed!"


    "Captain! We... we''re already at maximum speed," one of his subordinates hurriedly reminded him.


    To shake off a potential submarine, the ship had been traveling at its highest speed the whole way, which significantly shortened its travel distance and also affected the mechanical lifespan.


    But in the interests of survival, no one objected to this approach. Everyone was acutely aware that the Tang Country''s submarines seemed to have only one weakness, which was that their speed wasn''t much faster than that of a civilian steamer.


    If everyone''s speeds were similar, then there was a chance of shaking them off by escaping, which was the only chance for a civilian ship.


    The captain was somewhat panicked, as he wasn''t a military officer and couldn''t maintain composure in the face of the enemy.


    He issued another order, commanding the ship to alter its course: "To the starboard! Hard starboard! Turn! Quick!"


    The crew was nervous as well, so they immediately executed the captain''s command. They didn''t know how to dodge torpedoes, but moving away from that periscope poking out of the water seemed like the right choice.


    The helmsman immediately steered the rudder, and everyone anxiously waited. The coal-laden ship wasn''t actually very fast, and its bulky body began to turn slowly.


    But everything seemed to be too late already. Today, that submarine appeared to want to return home, or perhaps they had just set out to hunt.


    They launched a torpedo, which meant either they were planning to use up their torpedoes before returning to port, or they had plenty of torpedoes and tried firing off a couple to see how it felt.


    In any case, that damned Tang Country submarine had launched a torpedo! The white trail on the water''s surface was painfully clear, a sight of utter despair.


    A torpedo rapidly approached and struck the mid-aft section of the steamer during its turn. In the moment of the collision, the explosion caused the surrounding water to churn violently.


    The towering pillar of water lifted the coal-laden ship high, and due to its force, the bow lost buoyancy and plummeted, breaking the ship in half swiftly before being slammed back onto the water.


    The back-and-forth bending lifted the bow and stern again, followed by water pouring into the breach in the already broken hull.


    The ship, heavily laden with coal, had barely enough buoyancy, and the incoming sea water filled the engine room in a matter of seconds.


    In just a few seconds, the steamer began to sink, and the water within the hull raged through corridors and cabins, bursting through doors and flooding the crew''s living quarters.


    The twisted metal emitted eerie sounds, the screeching and grinding noises painfully sharp amid the tumult of the turbulent sea.


    The captain, who had barely managed to get to his feet, noticed the floor tilting; his pen rolled across the floor, and the sea chart had already fallen off the table.


    Through the porthole, he could see the distant sea but the single periscope of the enemy was too far to discern clearly.


    The ship beneath his feet was also about to submerge. Only this time, the descent would be irreversible.


    "Quick! Send out an SOS! Lower the lifeboats! All hands abandon ship!" he looked at his first mate and bellowed the orders.


    The first mate had just gotten up and hurriedly went to find the signal gun hanging on the wall. The Elven destroyer cruising nearby seemed to have noticed the situation and was hurriedly turning to change course.


    Fortunately, they were already very close to Southwater Port, and there were patrolling destroyers nearby; the sailors from their coal ship didn''t have to stay in the water for too long.


    So, as the ship swiftly sank, the surviving sailors were already rigging the lifeboats to be lowered into the water.


    Meanwhile, the Tang Country submarine that had fired the torpedo was nowhere to be found. It had retracted its periscope and disappeared without a trace.


    The Elven destroyer quickly approached the site of the incident but didn''t slow down. After glancing from afar, it turned and left.


    This selfish and cold-hearted act elicited a stream of curses from the sailors who had fallen overboard from the coal ship, but given that no one could confirm whether the submarine had truly departed, the actions of the destroyer were arguably reasonable.


    If they slowed and stopped, they might have been sunk there as well. Hence, upon seeing that there were lifeboats from the sunken ship, the destroyer quickly left.


    In fact, they had also notified a nearby, smaller fishing vessel to come and help, which could be considered as having fulfilled their responsibility.


    On this day, at least seven transport ships from various nations were sunk in the Endless Sea, making it yet another day of heavy losses for the Anti-Tang Alliance.

 Chapter 751 751: 710 New weapons new countermeasures

    "The higher-ups are pushing us to come up with weapons against submarines. Let''s all brainstorm and see if we have any good ideas," a Shireck engineer said as he walked into the room and tossed a stack of documents onto the table to his subordinates.


    A group of people looked worried, and one of them spoke up, "There''s no way. We''ve been thinking for so many days, but we still can''t solve the most critical issue."


    "Yeah, we can''t detect submarines in advance¡ªthat''s the biggest problem," another experienced engineer sighed and added.


    They hadn''t known the term ''submarine'' before, but the Tang Country''s radio had informed them of the corresponding vocabulary.


    The enemy was essentially laying all their cards on the table: just one move of lurking underwater, yet Shireck couldn''t come up with any method to counter it.


    "We''ve developed a type of bomb that can be dropped into water and explode at a fixed depth," a weapons development engineer continued, "That part isn''t hard, the hard part is... when to drop that bomb."


    "The shipyard has already installed the corresponding guides on the newly built destroyers for launching these underwater bombs, but it''s simply giving the captains a random attack option," someone by his side shook his head, expressing frustration.


    Without sonar, deep-water bombs were actually not very useful, and everyone here knew that finding the enemy was the most important method.


    "I suggest setting up some large fishing nets near the harbors. Maybe that could prevent enemy submarines from infiltrating?" proposed an engineer sitting at another table.


    "We''re already doing that. We''ve set up huge fishing nets at Gobur''s naval base and at Dorne''s Winterless City harbor, hoping it will be effective," the leading Shireck engineer leaned back in his chair, appearing utterly despondent.


    Recently, they were installing the same equipment on new battleships, as well as on battleships sent back to the shipyard for retrofitting.


    Several supporting rods, similar to side paddles of a ship, were installed, and then with these rods, fishing nets were hung to prevent the "bombs" launched by enemy submarines from getting close to the warships.


    "As for civilian vessels, there''s really not much we can do. If warships can''t solve their self-defense problem, it''s even less likely for civilian transport ships," another expert shook his head, indicating helplessness.


    It was different from World War II. Back then, at least destroyers had sonar, deep-water bombs, and fleets escorted by destroyers. Submarines needed meticulous tactical planning to cause trouble.


    But now it was different; destroyers were too preoccupied dealing with submarines themselves, leaving no foundation for the concept of escorting to emerge.


    Fleets encountering submarines could only flee, let alone escort civilian ships¡ªin this situation, every country''s transport ships could only rely on themselves.


    As he spoke, he lit a cigarette. This thing was originally smoked only by the Brunas, but it had become increasingly popular and had turned into a widespread habit.


    After exhaling a puff of smoke, he continued, "On one hand, we can only make transport ships maintain as high a speed as possible, which is the best strategy we know of so far."


    "But fully loaded transport ships don''t travel very fast!" another person pointed out the problem.


    "Then they''ll just have to load less!" the smoking guy suggested more and more impractically. If every ship carried one-fifth less, it would mean a direct reduction of one-fifth of the transport capacity, a loss so immense it could be described as devastating.


    The situation would only worsen with the addition of transport ships lost to sinking; no one could bear such consequences.


    "Damn it, who would have thought that laundry detergent could also become a weapon!" an engineer said, starting to lose his composure.


    "Torpedoes should be quite large, not very portable, and probably expensive," an adjacent military consultant analyzed, "They''re reluctant to use them, often sinking our ships with small-caliber artillery after a robbery."


    "Could we take advantage of that? Equip merchant ships with some concealed weapons... Try to capture a submarine, or sink the enemy!" he looked toward the engineers, inquiring about the feasibility from the technicians.


    "That''s feasible!" a designer immediately got excited: "We could temporarily fit some merchant ships with 90 or 100 mm caliber naval guns!"


    "Makes sense! And they could be dual-purpose, for both surface and air targets! That way, couldn''t the merchant ships have some anti-air capabilities as well?" Another expert chimed in, nodding.


    So everyone started discussing, from the selection of the guns to whether installation should be voluntary and whether to charge a fee for it.


    After the discussion, they decided to install 90 mm caliber anti-aircraft guns on the sides of a few transport ships currently under construction, giving them the capacity for a gunfight with submarines at critical moments.


    The additional cost and the extra gunner staffing would have to be borne by the shipping companies themselves.


    "We''ve also experimented with some ''torpedoes'', actually, the principle behind them is very simple, but some details still need to be perfected," added the engineers who worked on developing the torpedoes to the discussion.


    After learning of the existence of torpedoes as a weapon, engineers from Shireck and various nations also began researching this new type of weapon, hoping to equip their navies'' fleets with these terrifying arms.


    Everyone was actually quite clear that threats from below were extremely lethal, as the main warships of all countries almost entirely lacked underwater defenses and were in a completely exposed state.


    To sink those heavily-armored battleships using cannons was very difficult. Not to mention the low accuracy, even after a hit, the amount of damage inflicted was generally quite limited. But torpedoes were different; just one could severely damage those expensive battleships.


    Plus, these things really didn''t involve much technology¡ªeveryone knew the principle of buoyancy, and it only took a simple design, referencing the principles of propellers and shells, and adding an internal buoyancy tank to create a primitive torpedo.


    However, such primitive torpedoes had many problems, such as how to solve the sensitivity of impact fuses in a liquid environment, how to give the torpedo a stable propulsion system, and how to maintain the torpedo at a reasonable depth. These details were not yet resolved.


    So, making reliable torpedoes that could be used was impossible in the short term, but related research had already begun, and everyone was investing considerable passion into this area.


    "We must hurry with the installation of submarine nets, and then position more patrol vessels near the reserved sea lanes!" suggested the military advisor, anxious.


    Recently, their navy had become a particularly unlucky target; the new weapons of the Tang Country''s navy were emerging incessantly, truly giving them a headache.


    The main fleet, once absolutely assured of its superiority in numbers, was now hiding and skulking about like a rat crossing the street. It had become an adventure just to return to a port for resupply, not to mention enforcing a blockade on Tang Country''s shipping.


    While they were discussing various technical problems, an officer pushed open the door of the office, rushing in.


    With a grave expression, he placed a telegram on the desk and said to everyone present, "Bad news! Very bad news! The navy of Tang Country has started using new tactics with their submarines."


    "New tactics?" On hearing this, everyone crowded around, carefully reading the telegram, and their faces turned particularly sour.


    Just recently, in the Great Southern Bay of the Gobur state, a Gobur patrol destroyer and seven or eight transport ships had been inexplicably lost. It was confirmed that torpedoes from submarines had not been responsible for sinking the destroyer!


    The device was a type of bomb floating in the water, fastened by an anchor chain, and it looked somewhat like a sea urchin.


    As there had always been high-intensity patrols by ships, it was certain that no Tang Country navy warship had appeared nearby. This "mine," functioning in principle like a landmine and clearly laid by submarines.


    "Great Southern Bay is now all but completely blocked. All vessels entering or leaving are scared out of their wits. The Gobur state has no choice but to organize people to dive and check the sea lanes..." said the officer delivering the news, "They discovered one of these ''mines'' and only then realized they existed."


    "Damn Tang people, damn Great Tang Group! How do they always manage to come up with such annoying things?" an engineer near breaking point exclaimed.


    A few of these mines could create panic and render a port inoperative. The actual power of these things might not be very great, but their deterrent effect was absolutely real.


    What''s even deadlier is that the mines were laid by submarines, and no one knew when they were in place, making mine-clearing exceedingly difficult.


    It''s not like you can mobilize thousands of people to wade in the water every day to check if submarines had been by or if there are any mines, right?


    So, the previous worry about a reduction in carrying capacity by one-fifth was actually optimistic. If you account for the impact of mines on ports, you''d be lucky to maintain half the original transport capacity.


    Such a decrease in carrying capacity would lead to a sharp decline in the production capacity of the entire anti-Tang alliance and even the civilian economy would be affected.


    So even though it''s unlikely that the flames of war would reach the Eastern Continent, the actual impact had already spread to all of the countries in the anti-Tang alliance.


    "Damn it!" the lead engineer, frustrated and angry, slammed his fist onto a technical drawing on the desk¡ªthat was a plan to retrofit existing destroyers with "underwater bombs."


    Without appropriate storage and safety measures, these devices were simply mounted on deck tracks. As for where to place the bombs, how to access and use them, it was left to the sailors'' imagination.


    It''s not that they couldn''t be used; it just wasn''t that convenient. As for their effectiveness, it was roughly similar to a placebo...

 Chapter 752 752: 711 Northern Air Combat

    As the rain in the south became increasingly scarce, the skies in the north suddenly cleared once more. The dark clouds finally dispersed, allowing sunlight to penetrate through the gaps in the clouds and illuminate the damp earth.


    The soldiers of the Dahua Empire lifted their heads in the muddy trenches to gaze at the sky above, remembering what a swarm of planes, like locusts covering the sky, had looked like the last time it had cleared.


    The terrifying howl of the Great Tang Kingdom''s tactical bombers had kept them awake at night, and just recalling it made them shiver uncontrollably.


    It was indeed an unforgettable memory; the Stuka Dive Bombers emitted a loud, piercing hum as they dived from thousands of meters above, causing everyone to cower in the trenches, resigned to their fate.


    Now, only a few days later, with the skies clear once again, the air force of the Tang Country would surely visit their defensive lines again.


    Swallowing hard, an older Dahua soldier couldn''t help but look up at the sky once more, truly afraid that those terrifying planes would appear again overhead, circling like vultures.


    "Don''t we have planes too?" a young Dahua soldier couldn''t help but ask his platoon leader, who was a bit tense and kept looking up at the sky, not even answering the question from his subordinate.


    Soon, that familiar buzzing sound of engines faintly emerged in the sky, and everyone instantly tensed up, gripping their weapons, waiting for the enemy to appear.


    The sound of the engines grew louder until everyone could clearly hear the terrifying noise of the propellers spinning, and then a Stuka Dive Bomber broke through the clouds and began its dive.


    The sirens mounted on the landing gear started their long, terrifying screech once again, the noise echoing in everyone''s ears, sending involuntary shudders through their bodies.


    "Enemy planes! Enemy planes!" cried out some of the more fearful soldiers, pointing at the sky, and accompanying their shouts, a 500-kilogram aerial bomb smashed into a nearby position.


    The huge explosion threw up a curtain of black smoke and dust that obscured the sun, and the soldiers could feel a violent tremor under their feet.


    The soft mud somewhat mitigated the damage from the bombs, but the power of a 500-kilogram bomb was still formidable, and with the terrifying accuracy of the Stuka Dive Bombers, the destruction was still shocking.


    More and more Stuka Dive Bombers began their descent, tearing through the clouds with their wingtips and aiming their noses at their respective targets.


    The 20mm caliber cannons deliberately mounted under the wings began strafing during the dive, destroying any target spotted on the ground.


    To be honest, due to the wartime experience from the Shireck, the air defense camouflage of the Dahua Empire was actually quite good, but they still couldn''t really hide.


    Many tents were still made of white cloth, and although many artillery positions were covered with camouflage nets, they were a slightly different color from the surroundings.


    Altogether, when the Tang Army''s planes strafed and dove, the defensive lines of the Dahua Empire inevitably fell into chaos.


    One bomb after another was dropped, followed by the anti-aircraft guns on the Dahua Empire''s positions starting to fight back.


    It''s just that these outdated, underperforming anti-aircraft guns couldn''t really threaten the bombers of the Great Tang Kingdom.


    There was no helping it; the improved anti-aircraft guns, which could adjust their aim fast enough to keep up with modern planes, were too few in number. Therefore, the majority of the anti-aircraft artillery used on the Dahua Empire''s front lines were old anti-balloon guns that had been modified, serving only to a certain extent as a deterrent.


    The Dahua soldiers operating the anti-aircraft guns were almost dislocating their arms turning the cranks, but they were still unable to target those Stukas that pulled up and away as swift as the wind.


    This time, there were even more planes carrying out the bombing mission for the Great Tang Kingdom because the clouds in the sky had thinned, visibility had greatly improved, and the airfields deep in the Kingdom had more time to launch planes.


    Hundreds of Stukas and more than 50 Butcher Fighters circled above the battlefield, tormenting the ground troops of the Dahua Empire.


    Just as the Dahua troops on the ground were enduring the enemy''s onslaught while cursing their own air force, the air force squadrons of the Dahua Empire finally appeared.


    In the cockpit of a Butcher Fighter scouring the medium-low altitude for attack targets, the pilot was surveying the land below when a volley of bullets came from the side, startling the pilot into maneuvering his plane to dodge.


    The bullets left a row of holes in his wing and tail, and even a chunk of the cockpit glass was shattered.


    "I''m under attack! I''m under attack! Enemy planes! Enemy planes!" he quickly climbed with his plane while scanning his surroundings.


    His aircraft was damaged, and he wasn''t sure if the engine had been hit. So he was very anxious, reminding his comrades while calling for help over the radio, "I''ve been hit! The cockpit canopy has been pierced! Request to return! Request to return!"


    Because pilots were too valuable, the pilots from Tang Country had all been instructed to avoid recklessness; if their aircraft malfunctioned or were hit, they must return immediately, without the need to continue fighting.


    The wingman flying behind him climbed with him, seeing a faint trail of black smoke from the side of his leader''s aircraft, he immediately said, "Lead aircraft! Lead aircraft! Your plane is slightly smoking! Disengage from the battlefield! I''ll cover your exit from the battlefield!"


    On the other hand, the Tang Kingdom Air Force, startled by the sudden assault from the Dahua Air Force, also swiftly recovered. They were all battle-hardened pilots and, in terms of experience, definitely more formidable than the rookies from the Dahua Empire.


    Inside the cramped cockpit of the Butcher Fighter, a young pilot wearing an oxygen mask peered through the bright canopy, searching for his target.


    He gently nudged his control stick, aligning his aircraft''s nose with an enemy fighter that was preparing to attack a Stuka Dive Bomber.


    In his sights, the enemy aircraft looked extremely ugly. He was familiar with the type of aircraft ¨C Tang Country''s intelligence department had thoroughly scrutinized the Dahua Air Force''s fighter equipment.


    This was a Shireck Type 1 fighter, with a top speed of only 200 kilometers per hour, basically the level of aircraft performance from the end of the World War I.


    It also had an open cockpit, unable to fly too high, the engine performance was mediocre, and it was armed with two 7.92 mm caliber machine guns.


    The enemy aircraft was circling, aiming its nose at a Stuka Dive Bomber that was far away diving, but its pilot hadn''t noticed that above him, a Butcher Fighter had already targeted him.


    "Too slow! You''re too slow!" the young pilot with the oxygen mask muttered to himself, piloting his aircraft in a swift dive towards his intended target.


    During the dive, his speed could reach up to 600 kilometers per hour, triple that of the enemy plane! The two aircraft were products of completely different eras, separated by an enormous chasm.


    In a flash, the enemy aircraft in the young pilot''s scope had become very large. He pulled the trigger, and a short burst from the 20 mm caliber wing-mounted cannon sent tracer bullets sparkling towards the Shireck Type 1.


    To be honest, using a 20 mm cannon to shoot such an enemy aircraft seemed a bit wasteful. A few cannon shells hammered the plane, its wooden wings instantly shattered, breaking off in midair.


    Adjusting his heading, the young pilot steered his fighter clear of the wingless enemy aircraft in his path, then lined up his sights on another same-model Dahua fighter in the distance.


    The aircraft from both sides were very distinct; Tang Country''s planes bore dragon emblems on their wings, while the Empire''s fighters had white pentagrams painted on theirs.


    "Ratatat!" At a close distance, the young pilot in the Butcher Fighter pulled the trigger again for another short burst. Three cannon shells plunged into the enemy plane''s fuselage in an instant, tearing the aircraft in two.


    The young pilot began to climb with his aircraft, and while climbing, he continued to look for his next target through the glass of the canopy.


    "Your instructors were all my apprentices... You should be calling me ''Great Uncle Master!'' But sadly, you no longer have the chance..." He mumbled to himself, piloting his aircraft in a circle before elegantly rejoining the melee.


    Soon, he found a third enemy plane and turned it into pieces. He could even sense the enemy pilot''s nervousness and despair, for it seemed as if they had given up struggling as he dove.


    Quickly, more fighters from the Dahua Empire appeared in the skies, and additional Tang Kingdom fighters also joined the fray.


    After a brief chaos from the initial surprise attack, the Tang Kingdom''s Butcher Fighter troops quickly regained their composure. They had always been escort fighters, and now they finally had the opportunity to return to their old role.


    Apart from two planes that returned with injuries and two others that followed for protection, the remaining forty-plus Butcher Fighters tangled with about a hundred Empire''s fighters in a melee.


    Then, another hundred-plus Empire''s fighters arrived as reinforcements, and fifty Tang Kingdom fighters also joined the battle.


    The roar of the engines echoed through the sky, with planes trailing black smoke falling from the heavens one by one. The aircraft from both sides entangled with each other, creating chaos in the skies.


    The soldiers of the Dahua Empire on the ground were exhilarated by the sight of their planes, shouting out in excitement.


    However, they quickly realized an embarrassing fact: the planes that seemed to be falling... were all theirs.


    Then, the cheers stopped abruptly. The Dahua soldiers looking up at the sky seemed as if something had gripped their throats.

 Chapter 753 753: Master 712 beats up apprentice

    The pilots of the Dahua Empire were mostly trained by their own flight instructors who had studied in Dragon Island and Tang Country.


    Their textbooks were directly purchased from Tang Country, and their flying habits and understanding of flight were actually derived from the new pilot training manual of Tang Country.


    These pilots also underwent some aerial dogfight training, but unfortunately, what they learned was only superficial, and they had virtually no exposure to core combat tactics.


    They didn''t even know the cooperative tactics between lead and wingman aircraft, fighting each as alone, which would be a disaster when facing the aircraft of the Tang Army.


    The Dahua Empire''s pilots were inherently technologically inferior and received shorter training¡ªfor although the Dahua Empire had built a huge air force and established flight schools to train graduates, these pilots seldom flew fighters for training after joining the service.


    There was no choice but to conserve fuel. Compared to the fuel consumed by cars, aircraft engines were even more precious and the fuel they burnt was also more expensive.


    In a situation where fuel was needed for development everywhere, it was a good choice for the air force to reduce the training volume. After all, taking off once would consume a tank of fuel, far more expensive than a car.


    As a result, training couldn''t keep up, so in terms of actual operational level, these air force pilots from the Dahua Empire lacked real dogfighting experience.


    They didn''t even dare to perform high-difficulty maneuvers, because the planes didn''t support them during training, and the performance of the planes after they joined the service wasn''t great either. The commanders were afraid of accidents, so they didn''t allow pilots to perform flying actions like rolls.


    So these pilots were inherently a notch below the pilots from Tang Country, and they were even more timid and disorganized in combat.


    Another reason they were at a disadvantage was that the performance of the Shireck Type 1 fighter was just too poor. This aircraft wasn''t very advanced, just slightly better than the Camel Fighters sold by Tang Country.


    With its severely lagging speed and insufficient ceiling, the Shireck Type 1 fighter was no longer the most advanced fighter even within the Dahua Empire.


    However, in preparation for the southern offensive, the Dahua Empire still deployed the prepared new fighter "Dahua Type 1" to the southern front lines in dire need of air force support.


    Thus, what was left on the northern front lines were just these outdated Shireck Type 1 fighters.


    The Shireck Type 1 fighter didn''t just have a fuselage and wings made of wood, it also lacked an enclosed cockpit made of clean glass.


    The most outrageous part was that due to being hastily put into production, it still lacked any communication systems. It was actually relying on "hand signals" to convey orders.


    In a situation where it was nearly impossible to communicate after taking off, expecting the pilots to execute intricate coordination was nothing short of delusional.


    When contrasting the two sides¡ªone high and the other low¡ªthe gap between them became all the more apparent. The young man flying the Butcher Fighter effortlessly shot down four enemy aircraft and then once again pulled his plane to a height unattainable by the enemy.


    The pilots of the Dahua Empire were extremely desperate. Their planes were too slow, unable to catch up or escape, just like fish on a chopping board, helpless under the knife.


    Even the Stuka Dive Bombers carrying out dive-bombing missions could easily shoot down these intercepting aircraft of the Dahua Empire.


    The gap was truly too vast.


    After shooting down another enemy aircraft, the young man piloting the Butcher Fighter revealed a smile, as today''s harvest was already immense. Upon returning, his squad leader would surely praise him.


    Soaring in the sky like an eagle, keenly seizing fleeting opportunities to defeat opponents, that was what a fighter pilot should be doing!


    Before this, they had no such opportunities, only able to carry bombs like the pilots of Stuka Dive Bombers and perform ground attack missions, which was extremely dull.


    Engaging in dogfights with the enemy''s fighters, like today, was the dream of a fighter pilot, the kind of battle they truly desired!


    In the past, there were no enemy planes, so such thoughts could only be hidden deep within the hearts of fighter pilots. Aside from training, the fighter pilots could only diligently practice ground attack missions, pushing through the boredom.


    Now, everything was back on track! The fighter pilots could finally face the enemy''s planes and engage in elegant combat.


    Elegant, indeed elegant.


    The young man gently nudged his control stick, allowing the nimble warplane to spiral through the sky. It was like a hawk dominating a sparrow below it or a shark circling around sardines.


    The twin-row radial engine at the nose of the FW-190 fighter roared pleasantly, driving the propeller in front to spin rapidly.


    This mature and efficient power system enabled the warplane to reach speeds near the limits of propeller aircraft.


    The finely tuned control stick provided excellent feedback on the status of the aircraft, giving the pilot more confidence in executing complicated maneuvers.


    After circling almost at will in the sky, the young pilot from Tang Country found a Dahua Empire fighter trying to flee the battlefield on the outskirts and once again opened fire, effortlessly shooting down the opponent.


    Every time he attacked, he subconsciously used short bursts of fire, a tactical method he had devised during his routine tail-chase training.


    The Butcher Fighters produced by Great Tang Group were overall excellent, except for some minor issues with weapon selection.


    Originally, there was no need to equip fighters with 20mm caliber cannons to deal with those flimsy wooden fighters for the Great Tang Kingdom.


    Using the standard 7.92mm caliber machine guns of the Tang Army was sufficient against the Anti-Tang Alliance, yet Tang Mo still decided to equip his own fighters with 20mm caliber cannons.


    On one hand, 20mm caliber cannons were indeed convenient for strafing the ground; on the other, it was about reserving some technology in advance to deal with potentially newer enemy fighters and bombers that might appear later on.


    However, this meant a drastic reduction in the amount of ammunition carried, which forced pilots to be constantly mindful of conserving ammunition during attacks.


    This was quite unfriendly to rookie pilots, but in the eyes of veteran pilots, such a defect was hardly worth mentioning.


    At least the destructive power of the 20mm caliber cannons was sufficient, just a few shots were needed to completely destroy those fragile enemy planes.


    ...


    While the soldiers on the ground of the Dahua Empire gasped in despair, the field airfields behind them were also being visited by bombers from Tang Country.


    The Flying Fortress Bombers which had earlier carried out bombing missions over Fengjiang were not on a mission of retaliation this time, but to genuinely destroy the enemy field airfields.


    After carpet bombing by the Flying Fortress Bombers, the two field airfields, which had been scouted out in advance, had basically lost their capability to launch and recover aircraft.


    Before the engineers repairing the airfields could begin work, military officers saw another group of Stuka Dive Bombers from Tang Country delivering precise strikes on all of the Dahua Empire''s airfields.


    The runways, which were quite smooth originally, now bore numerous black craters. Repairing these craters would take time, and time seemed to be what the Dahua Empire was most in need of these days.


    Approximately two hundred Flying Fortress Bombers dropped bombs that destroyed not only the runways but also some buildings along the runway edges.


    The bombing accounted for the destruction of over 150 Camel Fighters that had not managed to take off, as well as about 50 Shireck 1 Fighters.


    At the same time, 10 of the Dahua Empire''s manufactured twin-wing large bombers were destroyed, along with an ammunition depot near the airfield.


    Although there were not many bombs in the ammunition depot, just some machine gun bullets used by planes, the loss was still heavy for the Dahua Empire.


    Because these were not ordinary bullets but tracer bullets that Dahua Empire and Shireck had cooperated to develop with difficulty.


    In aerial combat, without tracer bullets to mark the trajectory, pilots had no way to correct their shooting deviations.


    Therefore, tracer bullets were almost an essential item in air warfare. Such ammunition technology was demanding and the price was certainly not cheap.


    The Dahua land army was not willing to use this expensive ammunition; only the Air Force had no choice but to opt for it.


    But this bombing had almost scrapped all the tracer bullets used by the fighters in the two airfields. How could it not cause the commanders of the Dahua Empire Air Force to wince?


    At the same time, 30 more Flying Fortress Bombers carried out a bombing mission over Fengjiang. This time, thirty Flying Fortress Bombers focused on Fengjiang''s industrial zone.


    However, the accuracy of the bombing was a little off, and the luck was not as good as the squadron that bombed the field airfields, so the aerial bombs fell onto the civilian residential area of Fengjiang City.


    This bombing caused just under a thousand injuries and left at least 10,000 people homeless and displaced. The streets were in disarray, and the sound of fire brigade sirens echoed over the city.


    It was also on this day that of the 200 planes the Dahua Empire scrambled to intercept Tang Country''s Air Force, only a few managed to return, struggling. These planes, unable to land due to the damaged runways, ultimately had to make forced landings on the grass next to them.


    As a result, several pilots were injured, and only one lucky individual escaped unscathed.


    The remaining two hundred or so pilots were shot down, dying in this unprecedented large-scale air battle. Meanwhile, the Tang Army created a miracle by destroying two hundred enemy aircraft without suffering a single casualty of their own.


    The loss of more than two hundred pilots and over four hundred planes of various models in a single day also caused alarm at the top level of the Dahua Empire.


    It seemed that their painstakingly assembled Air Force truly could not compare with that of the Tang Country. Now, the only hope of defending the Empire''s skies lay in the Dahua 1 Fighters developed by the technicians of the Dahua Empire.


    Of course, what could still prevent Tang Country''s Air Force were dark clouds and rainfall...

 Chapter 754 754: 713 Chu Yangren

    Sometimes, having low expectations isn''t entirely without benefits. The disaster in Chu Country was in fact much more severe than in Tang Country, but because the people of Chu had such low expectations, it seemed as though there was no problem at all.


    The people of Chu had grown accustomed to their bureaucratic system, which lacked any governance capability, so they held no expectations for their own country.


    Because they had no expectations, they also had no complaints against the nation. Thus, even when they lost their lands, their homes were flooded, and they drowned in the rivers, they could only blame their misfortune on being born into their current plight.


    And because there weren''t many roads, factories, or other forms of infrastructure, Chu Country''s losses in the floods were not significant.


    At one point, the King of Chu took pride in this situation, even fostering a bold theory that it was better to let things take their own course than to strive for development.


    In addition to embracing an extreme version of passive governance, Chu also feared its northern neighbor, the Tang Country, and thus clung tightly to the embrace of its suzerain, the Dahua Empire, and declared war on Tang.


    However, even as they declared war, Chu knew that they didn''t have much to offer except for four small battleships and the dead soldiers.


    These dead soldiers were cultivated from childhood. Because the country was so poor, every year countless children were taken in by nobility, including the Chu royal family, and ultimately trained to become dead soldiers.


    Their lives didn''t belong to them, but to their masters. From a very young age, they knew that one day they would have to repay the debt they owed to those who granted them the right to live.


    Chu Yangren was one such person. His family was poor and couldn''t afford to raise a child like him, so from a young age, he was sent to serve in a Chu royal household. Everyone in Chu knew what sort of place that was, and even families driven mad by poverty seldom sold their children there.


    Therefore, the children who grew up there knew that their parents had sold them off, and they fetched a good price.


    It was only after he fought and grew up in such an environment, eventually becoming a ruthless killer devoid of humanity, that he realized what kind of people his parents had cast him to for the sake of money.


    He had no name of his own. Or rather, the most powerful dead soldiers raised by the Chu royal family all shared the common name, Chu Yangren.


    When carrying out tasks, they would be given one name after another, one following the other. For instance, at the moment, his name was Guo Ergou. It was a very common name, one that was widespread in Tang Country, Chu Country, and Dahua.


    Walking in the rain, Guo Ergou looked at the mud-soaked streets and seemed to finally regain some genuine feeling.


    When he had first gone undercover here, he was somewhat uncomfortable with the neat asphalt roads and had a keen interest in the strange round manhole covers.


    The huge billboard signs on the streets and the flashing lights left him bewildered. The three-story and four-story buildings that were gradually being built behind the billboards instinctively filled him with fear.


    Everything felt unreal and illusory to Guo Ergou, and he never dared to dream that such a place could exist in the world.


    He saw beyond the town there were endless fields, and roads that stretched smoothly into the distance.


    He witnessed large chimneys erected in the factories of the suburbs, spewing dark smoke that clouded the sky, contrasting with the bustling traffic on the streets.


    He saw precious steel laid across sleepers, extending continuously as if money was no object, reaching all the way to Tongcheng, to Chang''an, to places whose names he couldn''t even pronounce.


    He watched people build dykes, plant trees and forests, and saw how they transformed overnight from rags to happiness, all donning work uniforms.


    At first, everyone in his small town wore the same clothing. They wore something called work uniforms; everyone in the city wore navy-blue clothes, both men and women looked the same.


    On the front of the clothes was the emblem of the Bailu Group, and on the back were the big characters for Great Tang Bank¡ªapparently the names of sponsors.


    The uniforms were not particularly attractive but were extremely cheap. The first batch was almost issued as relief supplies and cost nothing at all.


    He clearly remembered receiving such clothing himself, made from a thick material he had never seen or touched before, without a single patch on it!


    That was a luxury he had never seen in all his time in Chu, where patching clothes was a common practice.


    Latter, by the third year, he had grown accustomed to the changes in the world before his eyes. Even though he was in a small town, the clothes on the streets were beginning to burst with color.


    Initially, the women who wore pink or white dresses were the relatives brought by the ruling officials and military officers, and were very easy to recognize. Later on, the merchants'' families too began to wear such dresses, revealing pretty shoes and delicate ankles.


    At that time, he thought the country had fallen into decadence, with shameless women and dissolute men... but those pale ankles sure were beautiful.


    In any case, the small town he was ordered to infiltrate and live in was situated by a large river. It wasn''t as prosperous as Tongcheng or Chang''an by the water, but it was just as enchanting as a heavenly paradise.


    As an old immigrant who also donned a work uniform, Guo Ergou actually had a life of his own. Since he was all alone, he toiled in the factory every day, his workplace''s benefits and his own income even allowed him to eat three meals a day.


    If it weren''t for the fact that he had a woman back in Chu Country, a very gentle woman, who was pregnant with his child when he left, he might have completely forgotten his past by now.


    Alas, he was no longer alone; he had to sacrifice his life at a crucial moment to continue the lives of his son and his woman.


    This was the duty of a man, and it was the meaning Guo Ergou had found for his own existence! If he didn''t want his son to fall into the cycle and become another Chu Yangren, he had to give up his own life.


    Everything was cause and effect; it was a destiny he could not escape in this lifetime.


    The fact that he had been able to live for such a long time in Tang Country and see how beautiful the world could be, he was already content.


    For a moment, he even felt grateful to the old eunuch of Chu Country who had raised him and sent him to such a place to carry out his mission.


    For such a long time he hadn''t been given any assignments, allowing him to live here continuously, enjoying a calm and fulfilling life.


    But all of it was an illusion, merely a wishful thinking, a fantasy. Because a flood came, followed by a war.


    Chu Country declared war on Tang Country, which made Guo Ergou incredibly tense. The identity he had nearly forgotten was now sending his heart racing, making him terribly anxious.


    Because of necessity, he, who usually stoked the factory''s boilers, found himself on the embankment, repairing it side by side with the military soldiers, repeatedly fending off the deadly floodwaters.


    During the process he was scared out of his wits, fearful that those devils who had raised him would come knocking. But everything still happened; one day, someone approached him with a badge, handing him some items.


    If he didn''t cooperate, that badge could possibly end up in the hands of the Tang Country police, which bore his bloody handprint and his true identity.


    His son would be castrated and turned into a new Chu Yangren, his woman would be sold into a brothel... All of it tormented Guo Ergou as if it were a nightmare.


    Rainwater beat against the hood of his raincoat, making a pattering sound. To him, at that moment, the beauty before his eyes was like a distorted and tearing hallucination from hell, making him wish for death.


    Right in front of him was the dike, where soldiers were still busily working. Guo Ergou even spotted the sandbags he had stacked on the embankment and saw the soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder with him against the disaster.


    The other nodded at him and smiled revealing a set of white teeth.


    He also smiled back at the other person, walked along the embankment, and chose a place where there were fewer people...


    In fact, he was clutching a bomb in his hand and could light the fuse with an expensive metal lighter whenever he wanted.


    At this time, he was in extreme pain because everything he cared about, everything he had built with his own hands, had to be destroyed by his own hands¡ªthis was a tragedy, a complete devastation.


    In the end, he could only blame himself for not being born into a better life. He silently thought to himself, his chest filled with hatred towards his parents for making him a Chu Yangren.


    He lit the fuse and walked to an inconspicuous spot, sat down on the dike with tears streaming down his face, letting the thick smoke from inside his raincoat drift out from his collar.


    Guo Ergou closed his eyes as rainwater struck his raincoat''s hood, producing a crackling sound. Before him churned the fierce torrential river, and behind him was everything beautiful he had longed for.


    Just you wait! Tang Country will seek vengeance! If possible, Chu Country will be destroyed, and everything that tormented him will be ruined! There would be no more Chu Yangren in the world, and if his child was lucky, he would become a Tang Person, a true Tang Person.


    By then he would have a school to attend, he would grow up healthy, become a worker, and meet a woman as gentle as his mother...


    Hmm, his luck must be better than mine. That''s what Guo Ergou thought.


    "Boom!" A loud noise cut off Guo Ergou''s thoughts, and at the same time, a pile of sandbags collapsed due to the explosion, allowing the rampant floodwaters to complete the rest of the job, breaking through the embankment and charging towards the distant fields.


    "The dike has burst! The dike has burst!" The people patrolling the bank and the surrounding soldiers were startled by the explosion and ran towards this location, shouting loudly as they approached.


    -----------


    I''m sorry, I got carried away writing and forgot to post... Today will make up for it with a total of four chapters.

 Chapter 755 755: 714 is also a person

    ```


    As the final flood peak was about to arrive, as the sky gradually cleared, it seemed the most challenging moment had passed.


    Still, the dam burst¡ªnot from natural disaster, but human calamity. The explosion was heard loud and clear by all nearby.


    "Why! Why would someone do this? Does he have no humanity! Any humanity at all?" an old man cried out in the rain, watching helplessly as the water level surged beneath his feet.


    The raging river overflowed into the fields, instantly submerging all in its path, crumbling every house it met.


    A nearby village was reduced to rooftops in moments, farmers who couldn''t escape in time sat on tiles, dumbstruck by the expanse of water before them.


    The disaster struck so suddenly that people, just returned due to stabilizing situations, couldn''t evacuate in time, and hundreds went missing in the raging floodwaters.


    "Everyone to the dam! At all costs, we must block the breach!" the commander, who was just having a meal, rushed to the scene in nothing but his underpants, his eyes bulging with fury at the sight of the torrent bursting from the gap: "Spare no expense!"


    "Yes!" All officers present stood at attention and saluted; their troops were desperately fighting at both ends of the breach, trying to seal it.


    But the current was too strong; sandbags disappeared as soon as they were thrown in. Soldiers were forming a human wall, hoping to lessen the force of the flow, stabilizing the sandbags and rocks thrown into the water.


    A truck loaded with rubble pulled up at the breach, and the soldiers atop shoveled the stones down from the bed.


    The soldiers surrounding the truck disregarded the danger and began to pass the stones hand by hand, hurling them into the breach.


    "The current''s too strong! It can''t be blocked!" The colonel commanding the troops cursed furiously, standing knee-deep in the water: "Those bastards! They just can''t stand to see us live well!"


    "When it''s our damn turn on the front lines, we won''t show any mercy in killing them!" A company commander, passing with a sack, wholeheartedly agreed with his colonel.


    They strived to live in this harsh world, building their homes¡ªwhy wouldn''t those people let them have a chance at life?


    "Right! No mercy!" Gritting his teeth, the colonel watched his troops struggling in the floodwaters, watched as civilians and military from nearby rushed in droves to assist at the breach.


    More and more people arrived, but the breach wasn''t shrinking in the slightest; the might of nature was unstoppable, and the concept of battling the elements seemed like a joke in the face of a real disaster.


    Caught between heaven and earth, frail lives had to admit one thing: human strength sometimes reached its limits! The water level behind them rose higher, with only treetops peeking above the surface, and many neighboring villages had turned into a wetland.


    "Hiss..." In the cab of a truck loaded with stones, a noncommissioned officer defied orders and lit a cigarette. He watched the rain on the windshield, blurring everything in sight.


    He had a son, nine years old, studying in third grade at a Tongcheng primary school, the best in his class.


    But he only had the one son. His wife starved to death on the journey fleeing north from Chu Country, starving so he could eat and he could keep his strength to care for their child. She barely touched any food.


    Overwhelmed by hunger, she eventually ate a lot of dirt... and died upon seeing the border of Tang Country, among the throngs of refugees.


    She never experienced the goodness of Tang Country, never knew what neon lights looked like, never saw the prosperity of Chang''an, nor the grandeur of Tongcheng.


    But he had.


    He lived in Tongcheng for three years¡ªor, to be precise, his son had lived there for three years. As the child of a serviceman, the boy received considerable care from his teachers.


    As a father, he learned to drive and became a motor transport soldier. Driving was still a rare skill then, being able to handle a truck well and understand basic repairs was no easy feat.


    Each time he returned on leave to see his son, there were many changes. The boy had grown taller, and his clothes looked decent. He had learned to make fried rice with egg and could wash his socks himself, even taking very good care of himself.


    A few social workers in the school took care of the children''s laundry and meals. These women were not young but very experienced, looking after these "left-behind children" quite well.


    This year the children visited the Tongcheng airport, seeing many things even high-level Shireck engineers hadn''t seen, under the guidance of their teachers.


    When he came home this year, his son showed him drawings of airplanes and talked about the joyous experience of touching a propeller blade.


    Now, his mind was filled with his son''s smiling face at that moment and his wife''s weak voice just before she closed her eyes for the last time.


    His wife had urged him to raise their child well, to endure the hardship, to swallow his pride, to not stir up trouble in Tang Country, to obey the law and not to lose his life.


    She never went to school, but her innate goodness couldn''t be erased. He had never remarried; all his earnings went to his son. The Great Tang Bank was trustworthy, especially for military personnel¡ªeven if they died in battle without an heir, it never made an error with their accounts.


    ```


    The wages and pensions of those soldiers who had become martyrs were timely deposited into something called a fund, which provided aid to other military families and orphans.


    He had a son, a very bright son, a Tang person like himself, so his son was bound to live a carefree, happy life as a descendant of a soldier in this world.


    His son had touched the propellers of airplanes! His son had ridden on trains and in cars! There were radios in school, along with electric lights and telephones...


    He would grow up and become someone useful!


    Isn''t it just about not valuing one''s life? If you all don''t value your lives, I can also throw mine away! My wife, I might have to break my promise, I managed not to start trouble, but this life... we owe it to this country.


    For the first time, he casually flicked ash in the cockpit, a truck he had driven for two years and cared for diligently, never allowing it to be mistreated.


    Every time he got in the truck, he would check the soles of his shoes; every time he cleaned the truck, he meticulously removed the dust from the crevices with his hands. The gear stick shone from his handling, and the wooden steering wheel had taken on a patina from his grip.


    The windows were always sparkling clean, even carefully wiped down after his son sat in the passenger seat.


    But this time, he recklessly flicked the ash and expelled a puff of white smoke. Everything felt so natural, his nonchalance mixed with a hint of resoluteness.


    "Turns out, smoking while driving feels quite good," he muttered, pressing down on the clutch and starting the engine. The engine purred smoothly, then started churning, the body of the truck beginning to shake slightly.


    "The idle is high, huh... old buddy... you''re not mad at me, are you?" he caressed the steering wheel, gently shifted the gear stick, lightly lifted the clutch, and smoothly pressed the accelerator.


    That last question, "you''re not mad at me, are you?", even he didn''t know if it was addressed to the truck, his deceased wife, or his son far away in Tongcheng.


    He smiled because he knew his gentle wife no longer had the chance to be upset with him, and his truck couldn''t possibly hold a grudge either, while his son in Tongcheng might, but, once the son grew up, he would surely understand.


    The heavy truck moved forward slowly, its headlights lit up, its horn honking. Soldiers coming to unload stared momentarily, then instinctively stepped aside.


    Then they just watched, wide-eyed, as the truck wobbled toward the breach.


    "Beep! Beep!" The horn was sounding incessantly, and the soldiers carrying sandbags turned their heads to see a truck charging toward them.


    The front of the truck, like the bow of a warship, cut through the river water, and the bright headlights made it impossible to see the person inside the cockpit.


    In panic, people instinctively got out of the way; the commander, watching from afar, opened his eyes wide, then yelled instinctively, "Stop! Stop your damn truck!"


    Under the gaze of the crowd, the truck did not stop. Instead, it gained speed after passing the obstacles ahead.


    It plunged into the raging river, and in a moment, the furious waves engulfed the front of the truck and surged into the cockpit.


    In just one second, the river water rose above the driver''s chest, but he persisted, resolutely pressing the accelerator.


    The truck lurched as it ran over something, then the front dipped slightly due to the force of the water; soon, the cargo area too began to sink.


    Positioned across the breach, the truck significantly obstructed the flow of water, and the surrounding soldiers, now grasping the situation, hurriedly began throwing more sandbags into the gap.


    A few soldiers in orange vests, good swimmers, entered the river with ropes tied around their waists, seemingly trying to save someone.


    But as soon as they dove in, they were swept far away by the current, unable to get close to the sunken truck, now invisible even at the roof.


    The water flow slowed down, and the sandbags, supported by the truck''s body, were finally holding. As more and more sandbags were thrown in, the breach was being gradually filled.


    Another truck also drove into the water but, because the flow had lessened considerably this time, the driver was rescued.


    More people began to jump into the water, and with the support of the two trucks, a human wall was established, reducing the flow even more, allowing people to stand more firmly.


    The water level nearby was noticeably dropping, the river, which had been at knee level, was gradually receding to the calves, and though the expanse beyond was still inundated, it all seemed once again under control.


    The river continued to churn, rushing eastward.


    The rain seemed to be easing.

 Chapter 756 756: 715 in a single line formation

    Outside Xicong City, Qian Jinhang stood on a high ground, peering through his binoculars at the thick smoke billowing from the distant city.


    Behind him stood a row of officers, including some photographers who had accompanied the military. The atmosphere was quite good, with everyone chatting and laughing as if celebrating their troops'' glorious victory in entering the urban area.


    Indeed, it was a great victory. After the loss of more than ten thousand men, the Dahua Empire''s military had finally broken into the urban area of Xicong, engaging in a brutal and bloody street battle with the Tang Army.


    Despite the ferocity of the Tang Army''s artillery and their heroic battle, the Dahua military still managed to achieve a phased victory regardless of the cost.


    Although much time was wasted during the Battle of Li Family Village, in the Battle of Xicong, the Dahua military seemed to have made up a lot of ground.


    Time appeared to be on Dahua''s side once again, as the Tang Army was clearly on its last legs, and everything was progressing according to the planned timetable.


    However, there was also plenty of bad news, such as Qian Jinhang''s troops suffering too great a loss to maintain this kind of relentless offensive momentum.


    If it weren''t for the continuous reinforcements and the constant offensive combat state, Qian Jinhang''s troops would probably have collapsed long ago.


    The troops suffered massive losses, and replenishment of ammunition became difficult as they moved further away from supply stations, and the bad weather didn''t help either, causing the morale of the Dahua military to begin to wane.


    "We''ve consumed too much ammunition, and the new recruits aren''t up to par in fighting strength..." After putting down the binoculars, Qian Jinhang complained to an officer standing behind him.


    "Don''t worry, General! Reinforcements have already arrived at Li Family Village, two divisions! You''ll be able to continue the offensive soon," said that officer nonchalantly, looking down at the mud on his military boots.


    This man was a Prince, a brother of Emperor Zhao Kai, born of the same father and mother. Assertively helping Zhao Kai fight for the throne, he earned a deep trust from the Emperor.


    Zhao Chen was not concerned about the loss of two to three thousand men each day; he was more concerned about the mud on his expensive leather boots.


    "Prince, although there are a million troops on the southern front, deploying over four hundred thousand directly in front of Xicong in such an extended line formation always feels a bit risky," Qian Jinhang said with a worried look, hoping that the Prince in front of him would remind his elder brother on the throne not to micromanage any further.


    The current military plan to attack Tang Country was drafted under the interference of the Emperor, who was clueless about these matters. Everything seemed reasonable, yet it was full of wishful thinking.


    The plan was assured that Tang Country would be demoralized by disasters, that the weather in Tang Country would continue to be poor, that Tang Country would fall into a disadvantage due to fighting on three fronts, and that the Dahua Empire would definitely emerge as the final victor.


    But Qian Jinhang, a frontline general, knew that Tang Country was not as weak as the Dahua Empire had initially imagined, and the execution of the assault plan greatly differed from the original expectations.


    The original plan was to send 200 to 300 thousand men to break into Xicong, defeat the Tang Army, then move eastward to attack Sishui. The plan was to push the frontline near Sishui, solidifying their position with the terrain advantage, and threatening Tongcheng to force Tang Country to capitulate.


    However, because the Tang Army''s resistance was very successful, the Dahua side had to concentrate more troops to break through the Tang Army''s defense.


    As a result, there were perhaps too many Dahua troops in the direction of Xicong¡ª a full half-million! Almost half of the Dahua forces amassed near Xicong.


    What''s more deadly is that this might not be the final number. As the war progressed, to quickly resolve Xicong and then attack Sishui to the east, Zhao Kai ordered troops to be pulled from various places, preparing to increase the force in the direction of Xicong to between 700,000 and 800,000!


    Such a large force required a logistical support system that the original plan was not prepared to accommodate.


    So, reinforcing troops isn''t necessarily a good thing, at least not until the supply issue is resolved.


    As the war went on, the Dahua Empire''s frontline troops clearly felt that their artillery support was no longer as intense as in the first few days of the conflict.


    The shells fired became fewer and of smaller caliber, making the Dahua offensive increasingly weak. If it weren''t for the street battles in recent days, these issues would be even more apparent.


    It was difficult, after all, to transport a 300mm caliber shell to the frontline, much more difficult than delivering two 150mm caliber shells.


    To supply food for hundreds of thousands and ammunition for individual soldiers, not to mention new troop reinforcements, the already fragile logistical supply system of the Dahua troops had been overburdened for many days.


    If it weren''t for the good quality and plenty of railways within Tang Country, the advancing Dahua Empire''s forces might have already collapsed.


    "If you can take down Xicong quickly, these problems won''t be problems anymore," Prince Zhao Chen lifted his head, looking towards the distant city under the clouds, spewing black smoke, and said.


    The rain had just stopped, and the air was still filled with a moist scent; the distant city finally began to emit smoke, all of which was exhilarating to the senses.


    "I heard the rain in the southern part has lessened quite a bit; how are things on Chu Country''s side?" Qian Jinhang, not wanting to bring up his own offensive, thus changed the subject.


    He really didn''t want to say much, the opposing commander was said to be a general named Tagg, an officer from under the Nobility Fisheo of Northern Ridge in the Leite Empire.


    But afterwards, he followed Tang Mo, always keeping a low profile. However, Qian Jinhang, having faced Tagg, found that he could unequivocally be called a renowned general of this era.


    The other''s tactics and stratagems weren''t fierce but instead gave off a feeling of being standard and by-the-book. All the plans and movements seemed to have a traceable logic, yet when combined, they always seemed to form the optimal solution.


    This Tagg''s style of moving and deploying troops was so steady that it made Qian Jinhang panic¡ªit was the crushing reality of seeing everything yet being unable to shake off the chains.


    Each time, Qian Jinhang could roughly guess what Tagg planned to do, but he was unable to stop it, nor could he take any countermeasures. In the end, he could only act out the play according to Tagg''s script. He could even foresee the end that Tagg had prepared for him.


    This was also why Qian Jinhang was concerned about the security of his flanks: he felt that Tagg was preparing to encircle him. In the north, another Tang Country commander, Redman, with his Armored Corps, was the deadly blade Tagg held over Qian Jinhang''s head.


    Once the rains ceased and the weather improved, and Tang Country recovered, with the cover of the Air Force, if Redman''s Troops launched a swift attack southwards, Qian Jinhang''s forces could really end up surrounded near Xicong.


    By then, hundreds of thousands of troops could be annihilated, and the southern region of the Dahua Empire would find itself in very precarious circumstances.


    Actually, the Dahua Empire was not unprepared; the 200,000 elite troops borrowed from Qin Country were meant to fill the defensive gaps.


    However, due to bad weather and transport capacity issues, these troops from Qin Country were still en route, and it would take some more time for them to reach the designated positions.


    During this period, whether the rain in Tang Country would stop was a question of metaphysics.


    If the heavens blessed the Dahua Empire by causing the rain in Tang Country to continue, then the Dahua Empire indeed had a hope of winning this war.


    But if the weather followed objective laws, and the rain in Tang Country naturally stopped after falling so long, then the Dahua Empire might fall into a passive situation.


    The situation was just that, but as a person directly involved, Qian Jinhang felt it all more acutely than others.


    "Counting on Chu Country? Don''t overthink it. If they can hold off a portion of Tang Country''s forces, that''s enough. If it really comes to a fight, they''ll probably be asking us for support," Zhao Chen dismissively offered his assessment.


    To be honest, as a Prince, Zhao Chen had quite the foresight. He was much stronger than those second-generation officials who merely coasted through life but somehow still had to maintain his image as a profligate, a kind of "affectionate" tribute to his older brother.


    "No matter what, please have Han Zhiyuan hold the northern line... don''t let anything go wrong." Qian Jinhang heard the sound of shells whizzing overhead; their artillery had started bombarding the city before them again.


    Despite the dampness, despite the soaked ground, still the shells lifted huge plumes of smoke. From a distance, the entirety of Xicong seemed to be enveloped under the Dahua Empire''s overwhelming firepower.


    The ground was trembling slightly, and the thunderous booms echoed in the distance. Another battle was unfolding in the city amid the roar of explosions, marking the beginning of a fierce fight.


    Qian Jinhang couldn''t see any of this, he only saw the new plumes of black smoke raised by the shells in the market area of Xicong; he didn''t know how many Soldiers had emerged from the ruins, taking steps toward the enemy.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of Xicong, Tagg was also observing from a distance this city, which was destined to be abandoned as bait according to his plan.


    It was already one-third in ruins, and in the foreseeable future, it would probably all become ruins, leaving nothing whatsoever.


    After the war, it would be rebuilt; a brand new city would rise from the rubble. As a hub city for the oil pipeline, it would become wealthier and even more splendid.


    But for now, the suffering of the city couldn''t be lessened by the slightest, the Tang Army soldiers stationed in this city, nearly devoid of civilians, would have to hold off the Dahua forces for a month within what had become a fortress!


    "Send another division into Xicong! Let it be the 28th Infantry Division! Remember, don''t fire too ferociously; we don''t want to scare off the enemy! We should seem weaker, act the part, and draw in the enemy as much as possible!" Tagg didn''t turn around as he instructed the adjutant behind him.


    "Yes, General!" The adjutant saluted smartly and then grabbed the telephone receiver from the desk: "Hello? Connect me to the headquarters of the 28th Infantry Division."

 Chapter 757 757: 716 a sack for carrying liquor and a bag for carrying food

    The sun shone down on the earth, and the dense clouds had dissipated, leaving only patches of white clouds in the sky, with the fragrance of moist soil permeating the air everywhere.


    The bad weather had ended abruptly in the central and northern parts of the Tang Kingdom, where the rain had ceased, and a pleasant breeze made the climate delightful, temporarily making everyone forget the gloomy skies that had prevailed just a few days ago.


    Such weather was simply perfect for the Tang Army¡ªit was like a moonless night for murder or a high wind for arson¡ªthis weather suited the Tang Army''s combat operations, where their efficiency in killing would be extraordinarily high.


    The 1st Armored Division, which had just been re-equipped with new tanks for a little over a week, could no longer hold back and, under the cover of the Air Force, launched another attack on the Dahua Empire''s border defense line.


    For reasons of secrecy, the Panther Tanks did not appear at the front line, and the assault mission was still initiated by troops equipped with Type 4 tanks.


    However, this time, the Tang Army''s tactics were completely different from the previous month, instantly shattering the Dahua Empire''s defense army''s basic understanding of the Tang Army.


    Initially, the Dahua military had grown accustomed to the Tang Army''s counterattacks through bombardments during good weather, so when they saw the Tang Army''s bombers, the Dahua soldiers did not panic.


    But as the number of bombers began to increase, everyone realized that this attack might be far more fierce than they had anticipated.


    Five hundred Stuka Dive Bombers took off simultaneously, joining the frenzied bombardment of the Dahua Empire''s border defense line¡ªa rarity in the history of the Great Tang Kingdom''s Air Force command.


    Such a massive number of Stukas, escorted by more than 200 Butcher Fighters, covered the sky, frightening the Dahua Empire''s Air Force so much that they dared not send planes to intercept.


    In fact, they even took off planes in a hurry, relocating those precious Shireck Type 1 fighters to second-line airfields to preserve their strength.


    The bombing could be described as cruel¡ªevery target visible from the air was greeted by the Stuka Dive Bombers.


    That unique, frightening howl echoed in the air continuously, with no respite all morning.


    To support Redman''s offensive, Ibrahim assembled 800 Stuka Dive Bombers, nearly committing over half of his assets in one place.


    These planes took off nearly 3,000 sorties that day, destroying every ground target they could find.


    At the same time, a dense formation of Flying Fortress Bombers once again took to the skies, continuing the bombardment of Fengjiang, destroying the Fengjiang train station and cutting off Fengjiang''s transportation lines once more.


    At noon, along the vast border line, the Tang Army assembled more than 200 rocket launchers and fired over 3,000 rockets at the Dahua Empire''s defense army positions in one breath!


    These rockets almost simultaneously landed on the Dahua defense army''s positions within a few minutes, the dense barrage almost instantly crippling the Dahua Empire''s defenses.


    The Dahua defense army, who had just entered their positions to prevent the Tang Army''s assault, was caught off guard and immediately overwhelmed by the rocket fire, losing their lives.


    The Dahua border defense line, already enveloped in thick smoke from the Stuka Dive Bombers'' attacks, was once again smothered in billowing smoke that blotted out the sky.


    Before the dust raised by the explosions had a chance to settle completely, the Tang Army, under the cover of more than a hundred Type 4 assault guns and more than a hundred Type 113 armored vehicles, launched an attack on the Dahua Empire''s border defense line.


    Different from before, this time the Tang Army''s attack could be described as an overwhelming force that met with no resistance¡ªthe first offensive had breached the first layer of the Dahua Empire''s border defense line.


    Although they lacked heavy artillery, the Tang Army fully utilized the strength of its Armored Corps, firing at close range and destroying the Dahua Empire''s defense line''s reinforced concrete bunkers.


    The Type 113 mortar carrier vehicles were also deployed in combat, helping the infantry clear the way forward and compensating for the small caliber of the Type 4 assault guns.


    The well-coordinated Tang Army then expanded the breach, tearing a gap more than 3 kilometers wide before the Dahua military''s artillery could react.


    The following Tang forces poured into this gap like a tidal wave, echoing the breakthrough of the Qi Country''s border defense line, with even the duration of the engagement being nearly the same.


    By evening of the same day, the Tang Army had expanded the breach to over 10 kilometers, and the spearhead of the vanguard armored units had appeared on the flank of the Dahua Empire''s General Han Zhiyuan''s troops¡ªwhich was in fact the flank of the main Dahua Empire forces attacking Xicong!


    That night, upon learning that the defense line had been breached by the Tang Army, Han Zhiyuan immediately organized a counterattack, but the well-prepared Tang Army did not give the Dahua forces any opportunity, and both sides fought fiercely through the night, with the breakthrough point still controlled by the Tang Army.


    By the next morning, the Dahua military found that their prayers had not been answered by the heavens: the sky was still clear, with barely a cloud to be seen.


    This time, the Dahua Empire''s Air Force no longer had any excuses to protect themselves, they had to deploy, cover the ground troops in launching a counter-attack, close the breach, and push back the Tang Army that had broken through the defense line.


    More than 200 Camel Fighters and over 100 Shireck Type-1 Fighters took off in formation, heading magnificently toward the skies above the battlefield.


    The Tang Army, having busily deployed a radar unit at the gap overnight, soon detected the incoming enemy aircraft, and their fighters took off to join the battle shortly afterward.


    Over 100 Butcher Fighters divided up these kills that had been delivered to their doorsteps, the air battle could be described as nothing short of a massacre.


    After an embarrassing loss of over 100 fighters, the Air Force of the Dahua Empire fled in complete disarray, while the Tang Army lost only one fighter due to mechanical failure.


    The ground battle was also fierce, the Dahua military sought to block off the Tang Army, attacking the controlled breakthrough point desperately, but the Tang Army would not budge and even committed an Armored Division to launch a counter-charge.


    The battle lasted until late into the night, by which time the Tang Army had expanded the breach to over 20 kilometers, and the Dahua Empire''s counter-attack had utterly failed.


    The attacking 2nd Armored Regiment of the 1st Armored Division of the Tang Army did not stop there, they pierced through toward the southwest, advancing 50 kilometers in one breath, destroying several artillery positions set up deep within the Dahua Empire''s defense line.


    The next day, Han Zhiyuan realized he could no longer hold off the Tang Army''s advance and had no choice but to send this news to Qian Jinhang, who was fiercely attacking Xicong.


    Upon learning this news, Qian Jinhang immediately sensed that the situation was grim, and sent a telegram to Feng Kezhi and Shen Chuan, hoping they would issue a retreat order.


    After all, the over 500,000-strong army led by Qian Jinhang, attacking Xicong, along with the backup troops, saw nearly 750,000 soldiers of the Dahua Empire with their heads under the enemy''s guillotine.


    If they could retreat in time and hold off the Tang Army''s advance, although inevitably at a disadvantage, there was at least hope of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.


    By the time Shen Chuan received Qian Jinhang''s telegram, he was already at his wit''s end, having learned two days earlier of the Tang Army breaking through the defense lines in the Central Region.


    For the past two days, he had been trying to plug this gap, but neither he nor Feng Kezhi could reverse the tide of battle.


    They had issued countless desperate orders, gathering the most battle-ready elites of Dahua, yet they still could not repel the Tang Army or seal the gap in the defense line.


    Feng Kezhi had not rested for three days and was constantly at the command center, amassing all the troops nearby the breach once again, mustering 30,000 soldiers in another attempt to recapture the lost positions.


    Because Feng Kezhi was preoccupied with front-line matters, Shen Chuan was the only one reporting the situation when it came time to report.


    He presented Qian Jinhang''s telegram to Emperor Zhao Kai and then asked, "Your Majesty! Qian Jinhang''s main forces are in peril, may we allow them to retreat first and stabilize the supply line before considering our next move?"


    "Retreat?" As expected, upon hearing this, Zhao Kai''s anger flared. He slammed the table furiously and stood up swiftly, looking down at Shen Chuan like a tiger eyeing its prey.


    The atmosphere instantly grew extremely tense, and the meeting room fell into a prolonged silence before Chief of Staff Chu Muzhou spoke to ease the tension, "Chief Shen! Such words should not be spoken lightly! If the troops in Xicong retreat, what would the emperors of other nations think? How can we stabilize morale if it collapses?"


    "Prime Minister Chu, Your Majesty... General Qian is at the front line and knows more than we do. If he suggests a retreat, he must have his reasons." Shen Chuan thought it over and decided to pass the buck to Qian Jinhang, hoping that it would make it easier for him to speak in front of Zhao Kai.


    "That''s the sign of cowardice! Afraid of death and too scared to fight!" Zhao Kai''s voice suddenly rose sharply, as if his tail had been stepped on.


    "Tell Qian Jinhang! If he dares to retreat, I will definitely behead him!" Zhao Kai roared, his voice echoing throughout the room.


    The siege of Xicong was a victory that he, Zhao Kai, had firmly in his grasp - a victory no one could snatch away! He wanted to conquer Tang Country, destroy Tang Country! He wanted the world to know who the true Emperor was!


    Shen Chuan remained silent; Chu Muzhou waited a while for Zhao Kai''s sense to return to some level of calm before he spoke, "Your Majesty! It''s alright for General Qian to continue attacking Xicong, but securing his rear is also a necessary action."


    "Han Zhiyuan is just a rice bucket!" Zhao Kai blurted out without any regard for the fact that just one month earlier, he had praised Han Zhiyuan as the pillar of the military for having stopped a probing attack by the Tang Army.


    "Send an order to Han Zhiyuan! No! Shen Chuan! You go tell Feng Kezhi! He must retake the position within three days and plug the gap in the defense line!" Zhao Kai looked at Shen Chuan with a stern gaze.


    Shen Chuan immediately stood up and bowed, promising, "Your Majesty! I shall carry out your command at once and convey it to Great General Feng."


    "Hurry! This is a matter of utmost urgency! No delay can be afforded!" Zhao Kai waved his hand dismissively, looking impatient. After Shen Chuan left the room, he snorted coldly, "These military people are all useless! A bunch of rice bags that will bring ruin to the country!"

 Chapter 758 758: Its our turn in the 717th round

    Han Zhiyuan, utterly incompetent, was leading his available troops in a counterattack, but the challenges he faced were like insurmountable mountains.


    His troops had barely assembled when they had to confront the bombardment from the Tang Country''s air force, suffering heavy losses, which made their attack much weaker.


    There was no helping it, as the temporarily assembled heavy weaponry clearly couldn''t have fixed and concealed shelters, resulting in losses far greater than when they were stationed in defensive positions.


    Because the hastily assembled troops lacked transport equipment, securing ammunition was also a big problem. In any case, Han Zhiyuan did his best, striving to assemble the troops, desperately blocking the Tang Army''s advance.


    At this point, he finally understood the might of the Tang Army¡ªtens of thousands of troops were advancing at a rate he had never seen before, as if nothing could stop this Tang Country force from moving forward.


    The tactics of both sides were completely different, not even operating on the same level: Tang Army''s small units were usually ad hoc combat teams made up of soldiers from different units, who sometimes even had overlapping unit numbers.


    Tanks from the 1st Armored Division were mixed up with armored vehicles from the 1st Mechanized Grenadiers, accompanied by a group of 1st Motorized Grenadiers soldiers following in trucks.


    Sometimes it was even more chaotic, with assault artillery from infantry divisions and tanks mixed together, followed by engineer support squads.


    In short, a Tang Army combat team was wildly diverse, with a myriad of armored vehicles alone, causing some confusion within the Dahua military.


    They didn''t know which Tang Army unit was attacking them, nor could they determine how many front-line combat troops had been deployed by the Tang Army.


    These people were seeing the Tang Army''s armored reconnaissance battalion for the first time, which was assigned to the Armored Division and equipped with the latest Lion armored reconnaissance vehicles.


    The new eight-wheeled armored reconnaissance vehicles rapidly pushed forward along the highways, eliminating Dahua troops attempting counterattacks and deeply penetrating into the Dahua military''s defensive areas, slicing their forces into smaller segments.


    Then, the arriving armored corps started to compress these divided and surrounded Dahua units, which had no idea what was happening.


    Before the commanders of these surrounded Dahua troops confined to narrow frontlines could figure things out, Stuka dive bombers roared down from the sky, sending the densely packed troops to their demise.


    This belonged to the Great Tang Kingdom''s information warfare, no different from the US military slaughtering Iraqi forces during the Gulf War.


    With a complete communication system, the Tang Army''s armored reconnaissance vehicles, tanks and some armored vehicles, as well as the air force bombers, were all equipped with a large number of radios.


    They could maintain relatively smooth communication¡ªalthough there was still a significant gap compared to the instant communication of the 21st century, compared to the completely incommunicado Dahua military, the Tang Army was already advanced to another dimension.


    One of the crucial factors determining a commander''s decision-making ability is the transparency of the battlefield. For Tang commanders, the battlefield was almost unilaterally transparent, with agile and timely commands at the battalion and even company level, while the Dahua troops resembled paralyzed zombies stuck in place.


    The Dahua military didn''t even know that the Tang Army was attacking while they were assembling; their confused reports claimed they were being attacked by friendly forces.


    They couldn''t even describe what the weapons attacking them looked like, so these reports led to a series of misjudgments, creating even greater chaos.


    In fact, tactics are determined by the composition of weapons and equipment. Even the most brilliant commanders cannot lead armored units into the mountains for flanking maneuvers.


    If the Eighth Route Army during the anti-Japanese war had tanks and armored vehicles, as well as anti-aircraft guns and self-propelled artillery, do you think they would still be burrowing into mountain ravines to engage in guerilla warfare?


    No, they would push straight along the roads, then divide and encircle enemy forces near Beiping, and call in bombers to eliminate these unfortunate invaders.


    Similarly, the more chaotic the battlefield, and the more dispersed it is, the more it tests a force''s battlefield awareness and communication capabilities. Without good communication, it''s impossible to maintain operational effectiveness on a chaotic battlefield.


    This is no joke. That kind of approach, relying solely on the initiative and sensitivity of the troops to fight a disorderly battle, is something that very few countries in the world can truly grasp.


    In the 21st century, the US could carry out long-distance infiltrations by small units, which was supported by helicopters and an overwhelming electronic system network.


    But seventy years prior, there was a force that managed, in a near-total absence of radios, to virtually allow the majority of participating forces to conduct unlimited flanking and bypass maneuvers¡ªa marvel in the history of warfare.


    You need to understand that in such a confused state of combat, letting a commander know where his troops are positioned is a century-old dilemma¡ªthis determines how you reinforce and redeploy these troops, and how you resupply them.


    It''s impossible to stick rigidly to battle plans; such static planning only leads to more chaos in subsequent relocations.


    So relying entirely on instinct, solely on the combat effectiveness of small units, and trusting the decisions and tactical arrangements of grassroots officers and soldiers is the most core and powerful key to this set of tactics.


    In the battles against Qi Country and the mirage nation, the Tang Army had already verified and completed this set of tactics. They utilized combined and intermingled troops to achieve widespread radio use at the company and platoon level: although battery technology still couldn''t meet the standards, couldn''t be lightweight and miniaturized, it was not possible to reduce the size of radio equipment to make it easy to carry.


    However, tanks and armored vehicles are all equipped with radios, so the grenadiers following these tanks and armored vehicles can also be located and directed.


    This was the significance of the German Army''s mixed combat teams at the beginning of World War II. It achieved the commanders'' comprehensive control over grassroots units and allowed various types of equipment and weapons to be tactically coordinated.


    Such a tactical system that seems not new today was actually world-leading in an era when radio equipment had just begun to spread.


    The German Army relied on this set of tactics to be invincible in the early days of World War II, coordinating the Army and the Air Force, and creating the exquisite synergy of blitzkrieg.


    In the twenty-first century, mixed units were presented to the world in another, more advanced form: the Synthetic Battalion and Brigade System.


    Today''s advanced troops are once again combined, forming a massive and complex tactical system. Unlike 80 years ago, the significance of such a tactical equipment system is no longer in the widespread use of radio communication but rather in striving to support the informatization of frontline troops, enhancing situational awareness and battlefield control.


    There is no way around it, as today''s communication systems, information warfare equipment, including various small individual soldier weapon systems such as drones, are all too dependent on power supply replenishment.


    So while the equipment doesn''t need to rely on heavy vehicles for transport and deployment, power supply replenishment does need vehicles to complete it, causing the troops to once again transform from combined arms at the division level to functionally dispersed and highly integrated at the brigade and battalion level...


    The demands of war actually haven''t changed from the beginning; it''s just that, in order to meet these demands, the equipment of the troops keeps improving and evolving, one could say it''s simply finding the best solution for the time, converging on the same goals time after time.


    The Tang Country troops, adopting German tactics and forming combat teams at the battalion level, were able to maintain the integrity of their communication systems while advancing quickly.


    They charged towards the Southwest, capturing the villages and towns along the way before Han Zhiyuan was ready.


    What was more terrifying was that, due to the swift pace of the assault, the Tang Army captured countless more Dahua Empire prisoners of war than expected.


    They surrendered en masse, not even having time to unload their weapons from the trains. Now in control of the railway lines, the Tang Army''s supply became even more plentiful, which then allowed them to advance faster and repurpose the painstakingly constructed railway network of the Dahua Empire for their own use.


    Soon, the Tang Country''s Engineer Corps following the combat troops quickly repaired and reopened the railways destroyed by the Dahua Empire''s military, strongly supporting the advancing troops.


    As the weather gradually improved, the Tang Army''s offensive became even more ferocious. Liu Guozhu stood beside his covered tank, watching the scenery endlessly retreat on both sides of the train.


    He had not joined the 1st Armored Division in entering the Dahua Empire immediately but had waited within the territory of Tang Country, following the train into the Dahua Empire only after the railway was repaired and operational.


    During this period, he trained relentlessly in the rainy weather, learning how to operate the complex and expensive Panther Tank.


    Now he and his crew had become very familiar with the use of this tank and had a deep understanding of the performance of the new model.


    The new tank''s side armor had already reached the frontal protection level of the Panzer IV, and the thickness of its frontal armor was incredibly strong.


    The enemy''s tanks, equipped with short-barreled 90mm caliber cannons, were almost unable to penetrate the armor of the Panther Tank from any direction, while the Panther Tank''s long-barreled 75mm caliber cannon could easily penetrate the Dahua Type 1 Tank within effective range.


    Now, as the Tang Country military continued to push forward, Liu Guozhu''s elite Armored Corps was about to enter the battle. They planned to use the power of their weapons to crush the Dahua Army blocking their southward advance and cut off the supply lines of the Dahua Army near Xicong at the fastest speed possible.


    "Looks like the rain has really stopped... Today is another good day," the loader said as he walked over on the slightly swaying flatbed car, holding a can of fruit.


    This item was very common in the Great Tang Army''s supplies because Qi Country had a large amount of land that was previously planted with various fruit trees, with peaches being the most abundant and growing best in the North.


    Previously, due to transportation issues, these fruits couldn''t be preserved for long. Now with canning technology, a large amount of canned fruit had become the soldiers'' first choice for nutritional replenishment.


    "Yes, the rain has stopped, and it''s our turn to take the field!" Liu Guozhu agreed, looking up at the long cannon barrel covered with canvas above his head.


    ------


    Hmm, couldn''t sleep because of back pain, woke up in the morning and wrote another chapter. Continuing to update, I still owe everyone... countless chapters.

 Chapter 759 759: Tank in Yard 718

    The further south they went, the worse the weather conditions became, with dense clouds in the sky severely affecting the operations of the Tang Country Air Force.


    However, the rain had indeed stopped, and although many places were still overcast with dark clouds, it was just cloudy without rain.


    The Tang Army''s battle groups advanced swiftly toward the southwest, even nearing Wangchun City in the southwestern region of the Dahua Empire.


    Wangchun City, known for its pleasant climate, hence the name, was not very large, but still boasted a population of three hundred thousand, with neither electric power plants nor railway stations in short supply.


    The reason for such advancement was that these infrastructure projects were all contracted by builders from Tang Country, as this was a pivotal city for the Dahua Empire''s railway construction.


    To the south of Wangchun City lay the Dahua Empire''s main rear area for the troops attacking Xicong; traveling past Tengyun City and then heading south leads to South Wind Pass, from where the Dahua Empire''s forces attacked Xicong by rail, moving east.


    Therefore, if the Dahua Empire wanted to stop the Tang Army''s advance, the best option was to defend Wangchun City, and if not that, at least stabilize their position at Tengyun City.


    In any case, if South Wind Pass were lost, everything would fall apart. That''s why Han Zhiyuan had rushed to Wangchun City himself, hoping to halt the Tang Army''s march here.


    The Tang Army''s target was also Wangchun City; with this city taken, the Tang Army''s flank would be covered, allowing them to continue southward without fear of the Dahua forces launching a large-scale counterattack from the western flank.


    This was a strategic point, inevitably a focal point of contention between both sides.


    The Tang Army committed three temporarily assembled battle groups to the fight, with these groups only amounting to a few thousand soldiers.


    The Dahua Empire had not mustered many troops in Wangchun City either, just over ten thousand soldiers cobbled together from nearby areas. In terms of tanks and artillery, the Tang Army had the upper hand, while the Dahua Empire had the advantage in numbers.


    On the fifth day after the Tang Army broke through the Dahua border defenses, they arrived at Wangchun City, which was a complete surprise to the military of the Dahua Empire.


    Han Zhiyuan thought the Tang Army would attack Wangchun City at the earliest two days later, but in reality, they reached the outskirts of Wangchun City that very day and immediately launched an assault on the city.


    An infantry battalion easily breached the Dahua military''s outer defense line with the support of armored vehicles and assault gun tanks, as the combat capabilities of the two sides were not on the same level.


    The seasoned grenadiers of the Tang Army were exceptionally fierce in urban combat, wielding assault rifles, their combat effectiveness unmatched by the Dahua forces armed with committee-issued rifles.


    Moreover, most of the Dahua forces hastily assembled at Wangchun City were recruits, with virtually no combat experience, incapable of holding their positions.


    The Tang Army launched a single charge and broke into Wangchun City, blasting through the city''s ancient walls and storming into the urban area for street-to-street fighting.


    The leaderless Dahua forces quickly collapsed, with many even surrendering outright and handing over their weapons.


    "What''s the situation on the eastern side of the city?" In the Lord''s Mansion, a harried Han Zhiyuan paced back and forth in his makeshift command center, fraught to the extreme.


    The sound of gunfire in the city grew more intense, and Han Zhiyuan''s personal guard commander even urged him to leave immediately.


    But Han Zhiyuan did not go; he was one of the Dahua Empire''s famous warriors, and in terms of bravery, he considered himself second to none.


    Abandoning the city and running away at such a time was something he simply could not do. In fact, all he could think about was how to hold this place, to block the advancing Tang Army.


    As long as he held his position here, the lengthy and vulnerable battle line of the attacking Tang Army would be exposed, ultimately becoming a weakness, forcing them to retreat and abandon the territory they had seized.


    This was the best possible outcome for the Dahua Empire and for him personally, and the "hope" he was determined to strive for.


    He now had a force of ten thousand men at his disposal, backed by a city of no small size. Including the panicked and collapsing civilians, there were hundreds of thousands of people here! The Tang Army would need time to take control of the city, and he did not believe they had the audacity to actually rush in and engage in urban combat with him.


    "There is no news from the eastern part of the city; the phone lines haven''t been laid yet." Han Zhiyuan''s command staff had barely managed to arrive at Wangchun City the day before, and various preparations were not yet complete. They were no more familiar with the city than the Tang Army. So an officer awkwardly responded to Han Zhiyuan''s question, his voice gradually weakening.


    "Hurry up and get that line connected! I want to know where the 3rd City Defense Regiment is, whether they are still at their original defensive positions!" Han Zhiyuan''s voice grew angrier as he spoke, eventually scolding coldly, "You go confirm it yourself! Get those phone lines connected! If you can''t, don''t bother coming back!"


    "Yes, General! I will find them immediately! If I cannot, I won''t come back!" the officer replied, promptly saluting.


    No sooner had the officer left the Lord''s Mansion''s hall than a nearby artillery shell exploded, shaking the ground.


    It was a 150-millimeter cannon from the Tang Army shelling the city, with impact points only about a hundred meters or so from the Lord''s Mansion.


    The terrifying sound of explosions made everyone involuntarily shrink their necks, and then the chandeliers in the Lord''s Mansion''s hall began to sway creakily due to the vibrations.


    Bits of dust kept falling from the ceiling, landing on the maps spread out on the tables, creating a continuous rustling sound.


    On the dust-covered map, the Tang Army''s offensive was marked¡ªaccording to the positions on the map, the Tang Army should have still been a hundred kilometers away.


    But in reality, the Tang Army was already assaulting the city, not just with a vast number of armored vehicles and tanks, but even 150mm caliber heavy artillery!


    Han Zhiyuan, of course, knew about a self-propelled artillery called "Wild Bee" that the Tang Army had. It was mounted on a tank chassis with off-road capabilities close to that of a Panzer IV, capable of advancing alongside the tanks.


    Thus, he was extremely envious of the Tang commanders because some tactics he had never dared to dream of in the past were within the realm of possibility for them to try.


    "Report! General!" A messenger with a bandaged head ran into the hall, disregarding the fresh blood on his body; he knelt on the ground and began to wail, "General! The 2nd Battalion is finished! The 2nd Battalion is done for!"


    The 2nd Battalion was defending the most dangerous northeastern side of Wangchun City, the main direction of the Tang Army''s incursion from the south.


    To help the battalion withstand the onslaught of the Tang Army''s attack, Han Zhiyuan had reinforced it with the more than 1,000 elite soldiers he brought with him.


    However, what he hadn''t anticipated was that, in the end, it was the 2nd Battalion that first ran into trouble; the defense line held by more than two thousand men crumbled as if done for.


    "Stop howling! Who are you mourning for!" Han Zhiyuan snapped coldly before immediately asking, "Speak properly! What exactly happened to the 2nd Battalion?"


    The soldier who had come with the message choked back sobs and hurriedly narrated the events: as expected, the Tang Army had deployed their elite main force on the eastern front, where the 2nd Battalion''s outer defenses fell one after another under the protection of tanks.


    The 2nd Battalion''s commander hadn''t realized the severity of the situation yet. He was considering holding out a little longer before ordering the troops to fall back near the city walls, where he planned to regroup and continue fighting.


    But in reality, he didn''t even manage to order a retreat before the entire battalion was overwhelmed by the dense artillery fire and the fearsome tanks of the Tang Army.


    Out of the battalion of more than 500 men holding the positions, it seemed that less than 20 managed to run back, and the Tang Army, following closely behind the fleeing Dahua military, charged directly to the city wall. Then, the combat engineers promptly set up explosives and demolished the robust city walls that had stood for over three hundred years.


    Afterward, the Tang Army swarmed in, forcing the 2nd Battalion to retreat in defeat. Knowing they were in trouble after losing their positions, the commander of the 2nd Battalion committed suicide with his gun, and then the remnants of his forces disbanded in disarray.


    The one who came to deliver the message was entreated by the dying battalion commander to return with the news. In the time it took him to reach the Lord''s Mansion, the 2nd Battalion... no longer existed.


    The 3rd Battalion was contacted to take over, but the 2nd Battalion seemed beyond salvation. Han Zhiyuan began to feel a sense of dire urgency.


    The combat troops he had brought with him, including the guards, were at most 2,000 strong; the other eight thousand were city defense forces, along with second-line troops assembled from nearby posts.


    If these troops could hold their ground, they would manage well enough in offensive battles, but if the tide turned, the collapse of these forces would almost match the speed of the enemy''s advance.


    "This is bad! Get everyone to pack up! Retreat to the west of the city!" Although he still had courage, Han Zhiyuan did not want to die here meaninglessly, so he planned to lead his elite troops south to continue the retreat.


    Worse comes to worst, they would hold out in Tengyun; as the saying goes, "Where there''s life, there''s hope," right? He comforted himself in his mind, then started organizing people to sort through the documents, intending to burn them all as kindling in a while.


    Hearing Han Zhiyuan''s orders, the officers around him immediately started bustling about. Some sorted documents, while others began stuffing telegrams and papers into trash cans.


    Suddenly, someone lit a match and tossed it into a metal trash can. The papers didn''t burn completely, and the acrid gray smoke that billowed out immediately irritated everyone''s noses.


    While they were still burning things, Han Zhiyuan heard the sound of gunfire not far away. He was startled and quickly stepped out of the room, crossing the hallway, only to see his own guard captain.


    "What''s happening? Where''s the shooting?" As soon as Han Zhiyuan saw the guard captain clutching a pistol, he immediately asked.


    The guard captain turned pale, replying, "General! There''s big trouble¡ªa Tang Army tank is right around the street corner! My men are trying to stop the Tang soldiers from getting close to this place!"


    "What?" Hearing this, Han Zhiyuan''s voice suddenly rose sharply with alarm. He instinctively gripped the pistol at his waist and commanded, "Hold your ground! Cover the headquarters'' retreat!"


    Before he could finish speaking, a Panzer IV tank knocked down the courtyard walls. The imposing tank, churning its not-so-wide tracks, twisting its massive frame, appeared before everyone''s eyes.


    "Ah!" A female secretary in the headquarters screamed in alarm as the non-combatant officers in the courtyard began to panic, scrambling for cover with their heads in their hands.

 Chapter 760 760: 719 Han Zhiyuan

    ```


    "Tut-tut-tut!" The Mark IV tank''s coaxial machine gun spewed flames, tracer bullets wreaking havoc through the crowd.


    In an instant, flesh and blood flew everywhere. The secretary who had just screamed had her head blown off by a bullet, and instantly fell silent. A male officer beside her took a bullet in the abdomen, screaming as he fell next to the woman''s corpse.


    Cars that had no time to start were riddled with bullet holes from the machine gunfire; drivers slumped in the cabins, pressed against the steering wheel continuously honking the horn.


    The Tang soldiers following the tank were within striking distance. A soldier threw a hand grenade, which rolled into the midst of the crowd.


    Then, with a massive explosion, the blast flung the surrounding Dahua officers and soldiers into the air, followed by the grenadiers shouldering Type 56 assault rifles and beginning their slaughter.


    A barrage of bullets enveloped most of the courtyard. One after another, the Dahua officers who got hit fell, and Han Zhiyuan, who had just drawn his pistol, took a bullet to the arm, suddenly splattering blood everywhere.


    "Ah!" He screamed in agony as the gun also dropped to the ground. The captain of the guards immediately shouted in panic, "The General''s been shot! The General''s been shot! Quick! Cover us! Cover the General''s retreat!"


    He supported Han Zhiyuan and almost dragged the wounded man to a relatively safer place.


    Han Zhiyuan had lost his pistol, and the throbbing pain in his bleeding arm was causing his forehead to be drenched in sweat.


    He slightly regretted coming to this damned Wangchun City. He slightly regreted trusting those City Defense Forces and second-line troops too much.


    "Fire! Fire! Don''t run! Nobody run!" Despite being covered in blood, Han Zhiyuan kept shouting non-stop.


    There were many members of the guard forces in the courtyard, and the officers were armed with pistols. Under no circumstances should they be butchered like this.


    Yet, the situation now was that everyone in the courtyard was frantically running away, some kneeling and begging for mercy, with nobody firing back.


    A hundred or so people were actually being slaughtered by a few Tang grenadiers, and then, like defeated curs, they knelt and begged for mercy, awaiting death. Han Zhiyuan felt a sudden sense of pathos.


    The officers who followed him on normal days, which one of them didn''t boast of unparalleled bravery? When commanding from the rear, they all seemed very impressive, and sometimes they would even draw their pistols and slap them on the table during arguments.


    Sadly, now, those officers who dared to pull out their guns during fights, drinking bouts, and quarrels over women were crying like women!


    It turned out, they were all pretenders! These men were just acting in front of Han Zhiyuan, catering to his preferences.


    They knew Han Zhiyuan liked a rough style, so they all pretended to fear neither heaven nor earth.


    Now, with the actual battlefield before their eyes, these officers who had never seen combat couldn''t even muster the courage to pull out their guns and pull the trigger.


    "They''re all worthless! A bunch of good-for-nothings!" Han Zhiyuan clutched the wound on his arm, his eyes bulging with rage, loudly cursing.


    But the people passing by him didn''t even glance his way, as if they didn''t notice there was such a madman there at all.


    "Shoot! Resist! You''re all soldiers of the Dahua Empire!" Han Zhiyuan yelled as he reached out to grab a subordinate passing by.


    But before his hand got halfway, a bullet came his way, hitting the deserting officer beside him.


    The officer staggered a few steps and then collapsed a few meters from the gate.


    The captain of Han Zhiyuan''s guard urged, "General! We must not linger here! We must leave this place swiftly!"


    "You want to run, too?" Han Zhiyuan glared at his own captain of the guard, questioning sharply.


    "No, General! This place is dangerous, your safety is of the utmost importance!" the captain of the guard continued to urge anxiously.


    After all, Han Zhiyuan was a General, the commander of hundreds of thousands of troops in the Central Region! As long as he was alive, these troops would not fall into disarray, but if he were gone, how could these troops continue to block the Tang Army advancing from the south?


    "This is not the time for stubborn pride! General! If something happens to you, General Qian Jinhang will be in danger!" The captain supported Han Zhiyuan, tried to pull him into a building while persisting with his entreaties.


    But as he was pulling Han Zhiyuan, the coaxial machine gun of the Mark IV tank finally swept over.


    The bullets first penetrated Han Zhiyuan, then the guard captain. It was as if a hammer had struck their chests; the two men shuddered and then struggled as they fell.


    Han Zhiyuan, a valiant warrior of the Dahua Empire, thus met an untidy end in Wangchun City, leaving behind a defense that was in shambles and practically non-existent.


    The attacking Tang grenadiers didn''t bother to look at the fallen Han Zhiyuan, since there were just too many Dahua troops around.


    They fired desperately until the entire courtyard fell silent. The corner was full of kneeling, huddled prisoners of war, and only then did combat finally pause.


    ```


    ```


    These fortunate Tang Empire Grenadiers had captured dozens of senior officers almost without breaking a sweat.


    "Who is Han Zhiyuan!" Finally remembering his most important purpose for the assault here, the leading Grenadier officer asked the kneeling captives.


    "Sir... that, that is Han Zhiyuan!" A Dahua officer pointed shakily with his finger, indicating a corpse not far away.


    The commander of the Tang Army''s Grenadiers followed the man''s finger and saw the body of Han Zhiyuan lying there.


    He walked over, looking down at the corpse and noticed the clothing was indeed very lavish. Judging by the style, it was that of a General, and it was quite possible it really was Han Zhiyuan.


    "Is he really Han Zhiyuan?" Not quite believing the body at his feet was their target, the Tang commander asked again to confirm.


    Many Dahua officers quickly nodded, confidently answering, "Yes, yes! That''s Han Zhiyuan! Han Zhiyuan!"


    Speaking up now could mix in a good personal record, at least making captivity a bit more comfortable. These forthright Dahua officers weakly thought to themselves.


    The street battles within the city gradually calmed, and gunfire also became sparse. The subsequent Tang forces arrived, and the main troops entered Wangchun City.


    The Tang soldiers who first captured the city had already continued southward, breezily leaving the captives and the city they had taken to those who came after them.


    Due to the disintegration of the Dahua military''s will to fight and the Tang Army''s surprise attack, the Dahua defenders didn''t even have the chance to deal with the railways of Wangchun City.


    The Tang Army occupied an intact train station, and the tracks were in good condition; there was even an engine stationed at the railway station.


    The battle had ended so swiftly that even the Dahua civilians in the city hadn''t realized their city now belonged to the Tang forces.


    By the time they realized this, the Tang Army had started rotation duty at the location, and these soldiers were very friendly, not causing much disturbance to the civilians of Wangchun City.


    That afternoon, the news that Wangchun City had changed hands and fallen to the Tang Army reached General Feng Kezhi''s headquarters. He was silent, not uttering a word for a long while.


    Han Zhiyuan''s rank was not high, but his status was indeed significant! At least in many people''s eyes, Han Zhiyuan was one of the few soldiers who still had a bit of courage.


    But now, Han Zhiyuan was dead!


    The frontlines of the Dahua Troops were in chaos, the Tang Army had occupied Wangchun City, and General Feng Kezhi was no longer confident whether Tengyun City could be held.


    If Tengyun City were lost, South Wind Pass would be endangered! At that point, the nearly one million troops commanded by Qian Jinhang would be surrounded and cut off from support.


    General Feng Kezhi couldn''t think of a good solution to the predicament he faced: retreat was unrealistic, as his own Emperor Zhao Kai had just issued a death order a couple of days ago, and he dared not easily defy his Emperor Your Majesty''s arrangement.


    As for his Emperor who liked to micromanage, often issuing absurd death orders, Feng Kezhi had already become accustomed to such madness.


    Meanwhile, Redman was riding in an armored command vehicle, speeding southward on Dahua''s roads. The vehicle moved over the uneven ground, jostling slightly due to the rough road conditions.


    Sitting beside him, a radio operator removed his headset and handed a telegram to his General, "Sir! Just received this message! The Air Force has already been deployed!"


    The weather in Wangchun City was clearing up again, and the Tang Army''s subsequent bombers started to bomb the Dahua military outside the city district¡ªeasily scattering enemy forces approaching the Tang positions.


    One Stuka after another circled near Wangchun City, attacking any Dahua stragglers trying to rush into the city.


    On the other hand, the gap in the Dahua military line behind Redman had been further widened by the Tang forces, now over 20 kilometers in depth and breadth.


    That afternoon, at the same time Shen Chuan learned of Han Zhiyuan''s death, a Tang military train arrived at Wangchun City.


    Liu Guozhu''s Tank Battalion, which had been trailing behind, had endured until now and finally reached the frontline.


    According to the plan, they would flank the main attacking forces, directing their assault on the distant Tengyun City.


    It was reported that the Dahua military was assembling on the Tang Army''s flank, with a large scale of tank forces in motion.


    Redman did not want his flank compromised, so he positioned his elite troops equipped with new tanks there, ready to surprise the Dahua Empire''s counterattacking forces.


    This surprise included a long-barreled 75mm caliber tank gun, along with high-performance armor-piercing rounds! With these new tanks stationed on the flank, Redman had the confidence to boldly use the remaining armored forces to continue pressing southward.


    By evening, the Dahua Troops began a large-scale assembly. Invoking the slogan "Avenge General Han Zhiyuan," they converged under the cover of night, preparing to strike the next morning and cut off the Tang Army''s supply lines.


    ```

 Chapter 761 761 720 Panther Tanks

    ?Chapter 761: 720 Panther Tanks Chapter 761: 720 Panther Tanks Liu Guozhu sat in his seat, feeling the comfort the new tank brought to him: interleaved road wheels were not exactly maintenance-friendly, but for the entire tank crew, they were a godsend.


    In terms of comfort alone, these interleaved road wheels might be superior to those of modern tanks. However, after weighing other performance factors, designs like this were completely abandoned.


    Tang Mo¡¯s thinking was actually quite similar to that of German designers: he planned to use Tang Country¡¯s already leading industrial capacity to give this advantage to all the fighters on the front line.


    The Panther Tank was a prime example of this mindset: before the next generation of tank technology emerged, it was already the best and most powerful machine.


    Compared to comprehensive capabilities, it outperformed all other contemporary tanks, including the famously formidable T-34 tank, in every aspect.


    The wide tracks combined with the interleaved road wheels gave the Panther Tank extreme stability when crossing obstacles, with almost no jostling.


    This allowed the Panther Tank to aim and reload while on the move, and the tactic of short stops for shooting enabled the Panther Tank to fire a sufficient number of shells during brief engagements.


    ...


    At the same time, its large chassis could carry 80 rounds of ammunition, a quantity comparable to the No. 4 tank, so the Panther did not sacrifice sustained combat capability despite the increased shell size.


    But for the gunner and loader, this new tank wasn¡¯t without drawbacks: in order to increase the tank¡¯s armor protection, the turret side hatches they used to enter and exit were eliminated.


    Thus, they couldn¡¯t stick their heads and upper bodies outside during travel, nor enjoy the view outside. Ventilation was definitely worse, but the side armor thickness was incomparable to that of the No. 4 tank.


    Also, the driver¡¯s observation window at the front was outright removed, replaced by a periscope¡ªa direct boost to the frontal armor¡¯s defensive capability, but it did indeed affect the driver¡¯s experience while on the march.


    The alternative was to raise the driver¡¯s seat during normal conditions, allowing them to poke their heads out of the tank for direct driving.


    There were disadvantages, though; if it was a rainy day like the ones before, operating the tank would become much more troublesome.


    In any case, it was a matter of give-and-take: gunners and loaders sacrificed ventilation for better protection and a more powerful gun, with drivers and radio operators gaining sturdier armor as well.


    The commander had the most comfort, so Liu Guozhu¡¯s experience was the best; he could stick out part of his body and watch the thick smoke still rising from the villages they passed.


    This was a small Dahua village, with only a few houses whose backyards were piled with straw. The village, with fences half-torn down and some neglected farmland beyond, had been occupied by the Tang Army troops; the villagers had run off to who knows where.


    ¡°It will soon become a battlefield here,¡± said the driver, eyeing an open space not far off where a Camel Biplane Fighter had crashed at some unknown time.


    The white pentagram on the fuselage made it clear this was a Dahua Empire fighter; considering the damage, it was likely the pilot had been wounded rather than killed.


    When the Tang Army troops advanced to this position, they had not encountered resistance from the Dahua troops, who had departed rapidly without so much as setting a fire behind them.


    ¡°Yeah! According to the messages from the battalion, a Dahua armored corps was spotted nearby, or we wouldn¡¯t have been dispatched here,¡± Liu Guozhu spoke into his transmitter to his driver.


    Because of the switch to a more reliable design, the communicator inside the tank was quite good; the noise was not too loud during communications, and the sound came through quite clearly.


    The loader inside the turret could only listen dejectedly to his commander and driver chatting; having no chance to peek outside at the world.


    Divided by the gun¡¯s chamber, the gunner on the other side could at least use the sight to view the distance, but compared with before, his field of vision truly couldn¡¯t be described as good.


    The Panther Tank¡¯s retrofitted diesel engine roared cheerfully, driving the tank smoothly over the obstacles ahead.


    In the village, a unit of Great Tang grenadiers was gathered in conversation. The commander at the lead pointed out certain spots in the distance, discussing with the soldiers how they might set up their positions here shortly.


    A truck was parked at the back of the village, with a Type 113 Armored Vehicle providing cover for it. Installed with only a single machine gun, the armored vehicle looked rather bulging and not very lethal.


    ¡°Just one tank coming over, isn¡¯t that a bit too few?¡± the gunner, eyeing the open ground before his scope, finally asked.


    Liu Guozhu, for his part, was unconcerned, ¡°The other tanks of the platoon are on the flank. All we need to do is block any enemy trying to enter the village, no problem! The terrain here is to our advantage.¡±


    They had deliberately chosen to establish defenses here because the terrain was rather narrow: with mountainsides to the south, enemy tanks were unable to deploy. If the enemy attacked only with infantry, the Tang Army¡¯s grenadiers would repel them.


    If Dahua Armored Corps charges in from the north, the forest there would slow their attack, followed by a line of three other tanks in a relatively open area engaging in battle and wiping out all the enemies.


    Only when attacking the village from the west would it be necessary for Liu Guozhu¡¯s crew to intercept, and on this battleground, the suppression power of a single Panther Tank was already extremely terrifying.


    As for why a tank platoon has only four tanks, that¡¯s because one broke down on the way¡ªmalfunctions are actually quite common with complex armaments such as tanks.


    ¡°Rest assured! We still have a Lion-model armored reconnaissance vehicle ahead of us! When it retreats back, that will be enough,¡± Liu Guozhu said while lifting the binoculars hanging in front of his chest and looking toward the distant sky.


    There, a fighter plane clearly from the Dahua Empire was circling, a biplane, very distinct.


    The air force of the Great Tang Kingdom had long stopped using biplane aircraft: even the reconnaissance planes didn¡¯t use the similar bi-wing design.


    It was the Dahua Empire, however, that often employed the obsolete and slow Camel Fighter for reconnaissance missions: this was indeed a good choice, at least providing valuable intelligence for the Empire¡¯s ground forces.


    After all, the Dahua Empire had thousands of Camel Fighters. Although outdated and unsuitable for air superiority roles, they still could be put to some use.


    ¡°I suppose they already know we are here.¡± After putting down the binoculars and glancing at the huge national flag laid out on the ground by the infantry, Liu Guozhu casually remarked.


    Since there wasn¡¯t much space on top of the Panther Tank for identifying friend or foe, the previously used identification markings on top of the Type 4 tanks had essentially been canceled.


    To prevent friendly fire, the task of laying out markings for air recognition was transferred to the infantry. Grenadiers made it a habit to spread national flags wherever they went, on rooftops and the ground.


    Despite this, incidents of friendly fire were still common, causing considerable consternation within the army; the air force meetings discussing the issue were just as frequent.


    These things can¡¯t be helped. Even during the Gulf War period on Earth, American aircraft managed to bomb British armored vehicles, and such incidents could happen in any era.


    ¡°Hello? Yes! This is me! Understood!¡± Receiving communication from the platoon leader, Liu Guozhu took off his headset and climbed out of the tank: ¡°Everyone come out for some air! According to the reconnaissance battalion, enemy tanks and infantry have been spotted nearby, and battle could break out at any moment, so take the chance to breathe!¡±


    The gunner and loader both climbed out of the tank, taking food out of the storage box on the side of the tank turret.


    The steel plate on the outside of the Panther Tank¡¯s storage box could withstand close-range machine gun fire, so it was possible to store some food and clothing.


    Anyway, if they took fire from a shell that could actually penetrate that layer of steel, losing some clothes and food wasn¡¯t too high a price to pay.


    After the few of them ate a couple of canned fruits, the Lion-model armored reconnaissance vehicle that had retreated earlier stopped on the other side of the village.


    The commander of the reconnaissance vehicle brought back news of the enemy: about seventy to eighty tanks, along with a large number of infantry.


    It seemed that the Dahua Empire was indeed making significant efforts to take back Wangchun City, being able to assemble such a large force under disturbance from Tang Country¡¯s air force was no easy feat.


    Sure enough, less than half an hour later, the Empire¡¯s soldiers appeared in the Tang Army¡¯s field of vision. The atmosphere suddenly grew tense, and Liu Guozhu¡¯s crew members also entered the tank to make final preparations.


    ¡°Load armor-piercing rounds!¡± Liu Guozhu commanded, peering through his binoculars at the Dahua military assembling at the end of the clearing in the distance.


    ¡°Armor-Piercing Rounds!¡± The loader pulled a shell from the most awkward position, pushed it into the gun chamber, closed the breach, and repeated loudly.


    This particular shell was designed to attack the enemy tanks, ensuring the high barrel pressure of the 75 mm gun could easily penetrate the enemy tank¡¯s front armor from a distance of one kilometer.


    Most of Liu Guozhu¡¯s tank was hidden behind a small reverse slope, with only the turret and a small part of the chassis exposed.


    With the shrubs in front of them, spotting a tank hiding here was no easy task. This was an important part of the Tang Army tank training syllabus¡ªthe commander had to remember all the conditions for choosing a position.


    As the enemy approached, Liu Guozhu issued the firing command, ¡°Aim at the lead Dahua tank, and fire when ready!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡± Before he even finished saying ¡°fire,¡± the gunner stomped on the firing pedal, and an armor-piercing round flew out of the Panther Tank¡¯s recoiling barrel, racing towards the distant target seeking its doom!

 Chapter 762 762 Ive never seen 721 before

    ?Chapter 762: I¡¯ve never seen 721 before. Chapter 762: I¡¯ve never seen 721 before. The Dahua military forces that were attacking had not yet fully deployed their formation, and, according to their experience, there was usually a distance of about 1000 to 500 meters before they would hit the enemy¡¯s defenses.


    This distance was the normal combat range. At this distance, the hit rate of tank guns could be significantly improved.


    But this time, they were stunned by a sudden artillery shell when they were about 1500 meters away from the village.


    The shell forcefully penetrated the front armor of the Dahua Type 1 tank, passed through the entire turret, and afterwards cut an infantryman in two.


    Yes, in front of everyone¡¯s eyes, the unfortunate soldier was hit directly by the shell after it changed its course having pierced through the armor. The immense force of the impact split him into two parts; his legs remained in place, while his upper body was flung far away.


    For a moment, everyone was shocked, including the Dahua officers who were urging their troops forward, telling their subordinates they were about to enter the enemy¡¯s firing range. They widened their eyes at the sight of the paralyzed tank wreckage and momentarily forgot what they were supposed to say.


    You should know that the tanks of this era, including the Tang Army¡¯s extensively equipped Type 4 tanks, used low chamber-pressure, short-barrel tank guns.


    ...


    Low chamber pressure has its advantages¡ªthe recoil of the gun is small, so the tank doesn¡¯t need to be too heavy, nor does the tank turret need too high structural strength.


    However, such guns also have their disadvantages¡ªthese guns had smaller shells and typically had average range, and most importantly, they had a curved trajectory.


    A curved trajectory is not conducive to long-range firing, and requires more precision from the aiming devices, so even the Tang Army¡¯s Type 4 tanks could only open fire at distances between 500 to 1000 meters in order to ensure accuracy.


    However, the Panther Tank¡¯s high chamber pressure, long-barrel 75 mm caliber tank cannon was entirely different: its high chamber pressure meant a straighter trajectory, so its accuracy at long distances was much higher than that of the Type 4 tanks.


    This change was enough to support the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s Armored Corps to comfortably open fire at distances exceeding 1000 meters, attacking those Dahua tanks which had little in the way of armor defense.


    Frankly speaking, the tanks of the Dahua Empire were not without improvements¡ªwhen they first appeared, their armor was basically at the level of the Japanese Type 97 tank during World War II.


    Which means, in terms of actual protective capability, it was slightly weaker than the Type 4 tank, and the sides and rear could only withstand attacks from 12.7 mm caliber machine guns.


    However, in actual use, Dahua¡¯s Armored Corps still reported problems with insufficient armor protection on these tanks, so subsequent models underwent many improvements.


    The biggest improvement was imitating the tanks of the Tang Army by welding some steel plates to the sides and adding thicker armor to the front.


    This improved model was known as the Dahua Type 2 tank, but in fact, it was just a Type 1 with exactly the same internal structure¡ªonly the armor on the front was increased by 30 mm.


    This improvement allowed the Dahua Type 2 tank to barely withstand the firepower of the Type 4 tanks at a distance of 1000 meters.


    So, apart from the first widely equipped 3000-plus Dahua Type 1 tanks, this Type 2 tank was also gradually supplied in over 1000 units.


    The problem is, although armor thickness is an important indicator of a tank¡¯s defense, the quality of the armor itself is equally crucial.


    For example, during the Second World War, the T-34 and IS-2 tanks looked impressive on paper, but the results in actual combat were often disappointing.


    In the German Army¡¯s combat records, tank commanders often mentioned that they could destroy these Soviet tanks, which supposedly didn¡¯t have weak armor, from relatively long distances.


    The underlying reason was that in pursuit of production quantities, the quality of armor was neglected: the Soviet tanks¡¯ cast turrets were supposed to be better, but they were actually quite poor in defense due to the presence of a large number of bubbles.


    Being capable of producing such a large quantity of tanks in a short period of time is one aspect of the Dahua Empire¡¯s industrial capabilities; the generally average quality of the tanks is another reason for the rapid production rate.


    Therefore, at a distance of 1500 meters, the Tang Army¡¯s new tanks could easily penetrate the Dahua Type 2 tanks, or in other words, the Dahua Type 1 tanks with reinforced armor.


    ¡°Speed up! Speed up!¡± Since they hadn¡¯t moved close to the usual combat distance, the tank commanders of the Dahua Empire had not yet entered their own tanks. This gave them a good view and they saw the tank being destroyed. Instantly, all the tank commanders were shouting, telling their tanks to pick up speed.


    To continue advancing unhurriedly would only make them sitting ducks for the enemy. Not knowing how the enemy managed to fire from such a long distance caught the Dahua Armored Corps¡¯ commanders off guard, so they had to employ their most skilled traditional technique: ¡°Speeding up.¡±


    This was their only trick in offense because the Dahua Empire¡¯s tank sighting system was extremely backward, so their normal combat range was only around two hundred meters; this severely limited the Dahua tanks in utilizing their firepower advantage.


    To put it bluntly, the 90mm caliber cannon they went to great lengths to equip on the tanks had a slight performance edge over the Tang Army¡¯s short-barrel 75mm caliber tank gun, but it was all wasted by the crappy sighting system.


    Soon, these Dahua tanks that were not yet ready for combat began to accelerate. As they recklessly charged forward, another shell came flying toward them, piercing through the body of another Dahah tank.


    The gasoline burned fiercely, and the Dahua tankers inside didn¡¯t have time to crawl out of their tank before they were swallowed by the flames.


    One Dahua tank passed by the wreckage of this tank, and the intense flames made the following Dahua soldiers dodge in all directions.


    The sky-filling thick smoke kept rolling, and atop the tanks in the rear, the Dahua Empire tank commanders, who were half out of their turrets, watched their charred comrades with a tense expression, their cheeks reddened by the reflection of the flames.


    People tend to converge on certain habits. After tanks became widely used, it became quite common for tank commanders in the Dahua Empire¡¯s Armored Corps to stick their heads out of the hatch.


    With poor visibility and virtually no communication, the tank commanders of the Dahua Empire preferred to pop out of their turrets to command the battle. This was not exclusive to Tang Army commanders; it was a common practice among tank commanders all over the world.


    The Dahua troops, still not knowing who was attacking them, aimed to quickly cross the open field, but they soon encountered trouble.


    Two Stuka Dive Bombers arrived at the battlefield and began strafing the ground. Such an attack was fatal to the Dahua Military, as their formation quickly descended into chaos.


    With 500kg aerial bombs detonating on the ground, the Dahua Military¡¯s offense was severely hampered. The remaining tanks began to reverse, and the infantry also seemed to consider retreating.


    However, this retreat was soon halted. More Dahua Military tanks pressed forward, the orders from above being clear, ¡°No retreat.¡±


    At least thirty tanks continued to advance towards the village, hidden under the smoke that obstructed their view. The defending Tang Army grenadiers opened fire first, and a sniper blew the cap off a lucky Dahua tank commander¡¯s head with a single shot.


    The startled commander quickly ducked back into the turret, and at that moment, another Dahua tank had its turret blown off by an incoming shell.


    By then, many tanks of the Dahua Empire had discovered their enemies upfront: the smoke from the gun muzzles had thickened, revealing the hiding place of Liu Guozhu¡¯s Panther Tank.


    In fact, he had to move his position anyway¡ªthe increasing exhaust from the gun barrel was starting to affect his gunner¡¯s aiming.


    Faced with the decision to reverse or advance, Liu Guozhu chose to advance! It was a risky move, but it had its advantages. If he chose to reverse, he would have to back up quite a distance to avoid the smokescreen in front of him.


    Add to this, the smoke from the engine¡¯s exhaust pipe at the rear of the tank would also swirl to the front, which needed to be considered.


    Advancing was different: he would leave the exhaust and the dense smoke from the barrel behind him, ready to open fire immediately upon stopping.


    So, his Panther Tank charged out of the reverse slope, broke through the bushes ahead, and exposed its distinctively shaped body to all Dahua troops.


    At the same time, the Panther Tank that had just steadied itself emitted another burst of thick smoke, and a shell sent another Dahua tank approaching from a distance flying.


    It really was sent flying! The power of the shell overflowed, piercing through the entire body of the tank and causing it to stop in its tracks instantly.


    Immediately afterward, the Dahua tank detonated, and the violent explosion affected the Dahua Empire infantry nearby, forcing the surrounding Dahua tanks to dodge in disarray.


    In fact, the shock this shell brought to the Dahua Empire¡¯s tank commanders was far less than when the Panther Tank smashed through the bushes and revealed its true form.


    Although due to the camouflage, these Dahua Empire tank commanders couldn¡¯t immediately recognize the tank with the sleek, clean, sloped armor they had never seen before.


    But they still realized at once that this was a type of new Tang Army tank they had never seen before! At that moment, their eyes involuntarily widened.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a Tang Army Number 4 tank!¡± a Dahua commander blurted out, and as he shouted, the enemy tank emitted another flame, and the shell came whistling, hitting another Dahua tank precisely.


    Since their old gunner was attacking almost stationary targets coming head-on, his hit rate was frighteningly high, after all... he had sacrificed his unique hatch to acquire what was now in front of him, a more accurate 5 times magnifying sight.


    And of course, there was also the long-barrelled 75mm caliber tank gun he dearly loved!

 Chapter 763 763 722 is even further away

    ?Chapter 763: 722 is even further away. Chapter 763: 722 is even further away. Sometimes having weapons that are too advanced is not entirely a good thing for the front-line soldiers, as a drastic reduction in participation actually poses a serious problem.


    Turning a battle into a beachhead landing game is the dream of every soldier, because life is the most important thing.


    However, the loss of engagement could indeed be a dull affair; just like Liu Guozhu at this moment, who found the battle in front of him somewhat boring.


    He didn¡¯t even have to make too many decisions¡ªhis job was merely to assist the gunner in finding the next target, then after the gunner fired, he searched for another target...


    For them, this game felt like an ultra-realistic beachhead landing game, stationed at a cannon, using a powerful artillery to destroy the oncoming enemies.


    ¡°Missed!¡± The gunner, noticing his shell had deviated from the target, lamented loudly without a hint of panic in his voice, but full of regret.


    As the tanks of the Dahua Troops were destroyed one after another, the angle between them and the attacking enemy tanks gradually widened.


    ...


    Therefore, aiming began to get difficult because they had to take into account the advancing speed of the enemy tanks in advance. Thus, their shells began to miss their marks, and it took about two or three shots to destroy a target.


    After all, they had no crosswind sensors or ballistic computers; all operations had to rely on the gunner¡¯s personal shooting experience, and the 5x magnifying precision scope in front of him.


    This was a skill, and anyone who has played shooting games knows that leading shots through sights is a challenging task.


    Because you have to quickly judge the distance between the enemy and yourself at the fastest speed, which is a matter of experience, you need to refer to the scale on the scope, compare the actual size of the target, and quickly calculate an approximate distance.


    In modern main battle tanks, this task is generally instantly completed by a laser rangefinder, but in that era, it was the job of the little brain behind the gunner¡¯s eyes.


    Once the distance is established, then you calculate the lead based on the enemy¡¯s relative speed, which likewise requires experience and calculation, and also relies on the gunner¡¯s experience for manual operation.


    It¡¯s like old players in a shooting game who start shooting based on experience the moment they open the scope, with a low probability of hitting on the first shot, and adjustments are all dependent on touch and experience.


    Moreover, it is unlikely that the enemy will maintain a constant speed, even a passive deceleration or turning due to terrain could affect the hit rate after the shell is fired.


    God knows if those advancing Dahua tanks would slow down because of a rock in front or suddenly change direction to avoid an ally...


    In short, it was basically impossible to destroy an enemy tank with two shots; successful hits could only be attributed to good luck.


    The only situation that could guarantee hitting accuracy was when both sides were relatively still, so attacking the Dahua tanks heading straight for them was when they had the highest hit rate.


    Generally, the gunner and the tanker would first choose to fire at the enemy tanks facing their own because it was easier to hit, and at the same time, they could take out the targets that posed the greatest threat to them! After all, those targets that were difficult for you to hit were also likely difficult for them to hit you!


    Therefore, for a World War II era tank, rate of fire was actually a very important performance indicator. Hence, the IS-2 tank that used two-piece ammunition was definitely not a good tank, as its rate of fire could be frustratingly described.


    Moreover, it had a pitiful ammunition supply of only 28 rounds; aside from the frustrating consumption for calibration, it is estimated that only one-third of the shells could hit the target.


    This meant that the IS-2 tank had extremely poor endurance in combat, and the only reliable tactic for victory was to use the 122mm caliber cannon at point-blank range for a one-shot kill.


    However, combined with the tactics of the Soviet Army¡¯s tanks that had already gained an advantage during the middle and later stages of the war, the IS-2 merely relied on its high health and thick armor to hold the line, covering for the T-34s flooding the German Army, so these shortcomings weren¡¯t apparent in actual combat.


    Liu Guozhu¡¯s crew members were all veterans; they had experienced the war against Qi Country and had become quite in sync. The gunner had a wealth of practical experience, and after switching to the Panther Tank, they had undergone numerous live-fire drills, so their technique was quite solid.


    He calmly adjusted the turret of the Panther Tank, re-aimed at the target, and once again directed the elongated barrel towards the distant Dahua tank.


    The next second, he stepped on the pedal again, and a shell thundered out, hitting the Dahua tank¡¯s body with precision.


    Another burst of flames, another Dahua Empire tank lay crippled on the battlefield. Because the power of the 75mm caliber long-barrel cannon was simply too great, it was guaranteed to penetrate its target at any angle.


    As the distance between them continued to close, a Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicle that had been hidden on the flank and had not fired suddenly shot, destroying a Dahua tank attempting to maneuver close to the village.


    This completely disrupted the formation of the Dahua tank units, as they had already encountered an unfathomably strong opponent in the front, and the Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicle that opened fire became the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back.


    ¡°They¡¯ve stopped! I have them in my sights!¡± The gunner in the front reported what he saw to Liu Guozhu behind him. The next second, the body of the Panther Tank shook slightly¡ªa 90mm caliber shell had struck the upper armor of the Panther Tank, causing the vibration upon impact.


    The shell¡¯s muzzle velocity was quite low, so it was easily deflected by the sloped armor, leaving a dark streak on the armor before flying off to who knows where.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the gunner returned fire on the enemy that had attacked their tank, and with one shot from the Panther Tank, it penetrated the Dahua tank that was stationary and reloading its ammunition.


    The gasoline engine of the Dahua tank exploded violently, the fierce blast and expanding flames engulfed the crew members inside the tank body; none of them made it out.


    Having upgraded to a new type of diesel engine, the Tang Country¡¯s Panther Tanks boasted a considerably safe power system, with high torque and low risk of sympathetic detonation. The only drawback was the retention of the central drive shaft, failing to completely relocate all power to the rear.


    However, this minor flaw wasn¡¯t really serious, because theoretically it only increased the overall height of the Panther Tank, but in a way, it balanced the center of gravity.


    Of course, having the power pack entirely located at the rear was the mainstream trend, so the Panther Tank also became the last type of tank Tang Mo showcased with a ¡°pure German lineage.¡±


    ¡°Were we hit?¡± the nervous electromechanical engineer asked from the front row, as theoretically, his seat was the most dangerous spot in the tank.


    If a shell happened to hit the curved shield of the Panther Tank, striking the underbelly¡¯s shell trap, it could potentially penetrate the hatch above him and take him out.


    The place where he sat, right at the front, had the armor most likely to be hit¡ªone of the parts of the tank that made people the most uneasy.


    Adding to the frustration was the fact that to give him something to do, there was a viewport in the armor right in front of him, the only opening in the Panther Tank¡¯s frontal armor: he manned a course-direction machine gun, which was typically used to engage the enemy...


    ¡°Yes, we were hit... but the tank¡¯s fine!¡± Liu Guozhu peered through the observation slit of the tank to assess the situation on the battlefield.


    He saw that the enemy tanks were starting to reverse, and the infantry following alongside the tanks were also retreating. These Dahua soldiers dragged their wounded comrades away like the receding tide.


    Liu Guozhu let out a sigh of relief, knowing that in just under an hour of combat, they were nearly out of spare rounds.


    The Panther Tank was stocked with 79 shells, and they had fired a total of 63. To be honest, this number was already astonishing.


    The battlefield was littered with burning tank wrecks, and not a single one belonged to Tang Country. Following the Air Force¡¯s exaggerated K/D ratio of 200-0, the Tang military started to show its might as well.


    Just now, in this encounter of tanks on a narrow path, roughly more than 50 Dahua tanks were destroyed, which could be said to be the annihilation of more than a full-strength tank battalion by Tang Army¡¯s one tank and one armored reconnaissance vehicle.


    Just the Panther Tank under Liu Guozhu¡¯s command had destroyed at least 35 tanks, which could be considered an outstanding performance.


    An average of fewer than two shells per tank destroyed¡ªthis figure was definitely something worth boasting about¡ªmainly because at the start, the formation of the dozen or so Dahua tanks rushing straight ahead was excessively dense, and the angle was good, which improved the hit rate of Liu Guozhu¡¯s crew.


    Later on, the distance of the engagement between the two sides also shortened significantly, which was a huge advantage for Liu Guozhu and his team.


    Liu Guozhu murmured distractedly while watching the retreating enemy forces, ¡°They¡¯re retreating!¡±


    ¡°Quick, resupply the ammunition...¡± the loader, who was now exhausted and the most pitiable inside the tank, barely had the energy to speak. He had loaded 63 shells in one go just moments before.


    Drenched in sweat, his military uniform soaked through, he was now slumped inside the tank, too reluctant even to stand up.


    ¡°You rest for a while, let the electromechanical engineer and the driver come with me to resupply the ammunition later.¡± Liu Guozhu also knew that his loader had just worked relentlessly, so he tried to console him.


    The company¡¯s ammunition resupply vehicle was on its way, but they had to retreat to the other side of the village to find a concealed location to replenish the spent ammunition¡ªthis was a regulation to prevent enemy bombardment.


    After Liu Guozhu¡¯s tank was resupplied with ammunition, the main forces of the tank battalion had arrived, bringing with them a full combat squad.


    The Tang Army then launched a counterattack, breaking through the defense line of the severely weakened Dahua military, and swiftly took control of a more westerly village.


    The fighting continued until nightfall, and the Dahua military¡¯s hastily arriving commanding officer found, to their dismay, that their attempted counterattack had left them even further from Wangchun City...


    ¡ª¡ª-


    For today, just this one update, tomorrow I¡¯ll make up for today¡¯s. Sorry.

 Chapter 764 764 723 a mess

    ?Chapter 764: 723 a mess Chapter 764: 723 a mess The sound of the tank engine shattered the tranquility of the village, its rolling tracks breaking through the fence, and the slender gun barrel being the first to emerge from the bushes, followed by the most striking feature of the Panther Tank¡ªthe sloped armor.


    Liu Guozhu stuck his head out, holding binoculars to observe the low-lying fields in the distance, where on the ridges, some ammunition boxes that had not been carried away were still piled up.


    This area had clearly been occupied by Dahua military forces, but they must have discovered the approach of the Tang Army and then fled in panic.


    The village civilians hadn¡¯t had time to escape yet. They watched the tanks, almost larger than their homes, rumble past their doorways, shaking off clumps of mud from the walls.


    ¡°113 calling 115! 113 calling 115! It¡¯s safe here! No Dahua troops!¡± Liu Guozhu held the transmitter and informed the friendly tank moving in alongside him.


    The commander of the other tank responded with a tease, ¡°115 heard! 115 heard! I see it too! They¡¯ve left quite a bit of stuff on my side.¡±


    On the other side of the village, tank 115 stopped beside a pile of household goods abandoned by the Dahua military, appearing almost as if it was standing guard over the junk.


    ...


    Because there was no time to take it away, a 100-mm caliber howitzer had been abandoned there, with a few ammunition boxes beside it, empty of shells but surrounded by scattered cartridge cases.


    In previous engagements, Dahua artillery units obviously had fired on the Tang Army from this position, although Liu Guozhu and his men had not come under shell attack; heaven knows where the Dahua troops had actually aimed their guns.


    Next to the cannon lay a cart with broken wheels, with its reins messily draped over the shafts, clearly the main reason the Dahua military had abandoned the artillery piece.


    ¡°Do you see the hillock to the south? And that patch of woods! I would bet Dahua troops retreated in that direction,¡± Liu Guozhu, assured after surveying the terrain around, said to the commander of tank 115.


    ¡°Let me check! A house is blocking my view! Wait a second! Okay, I see it... Judging by the terrain, they could indeed have retreated there,¡± agreed the commander of tank 115 with Liu Guozhu¡¯s assessment.


    Clearly, after suffering several defeats during their retreat, the enemy did not take the main roads, as the Tang Army¡¯s Lion-type armored reconnaissance vehicles had been searching along them for Dahua¡¯s main forces.


    Had the enemy retreated along the highways, they would have been spotted and overtaken by the more mobile Tang Army and annihilated.


    So after being routed several times, they abandoned the idea of retreating along the highways: they had suffered heavy losses in a few battles for villages west of Wangchun City and were subsequently surrounded by the attacking Tang Army, making survival a near impossibility.


    Quickly, two large encirclements formed, and the slower Dahua troops became the prisoners of the Tang Army.


    About 100,000 were encircled by the Tang forces, and these hastily gathered, nearly supply-less troops surrendered.


    After again suffering heavy losses, the surrounding Dahua commanders finally realized that their plan to counterattack Wangchun City might have been a bit too optimistic, so they quickly began to retreat.


    The battle had been ongoing, though previously the Dahua forces were on the offensive, while the Tang Army had laid a trap and were waiting at their leisure.


    Now the situation was reversed, with Dahua troops east of Hidden Sword Gorge retreating, while the not-so-numerous Tang Army was advancing.


    In such a context, Redman reported the situation encountered, and Tang Mo and Luff, far away in Chang¡¯an of Tang Country, swiftly seized the opportunity: they clearly realized that east of Hidden Sword Gorge, there seemed to be no substantial Dahua forces!


    Therefore, the original plan to sever the Dahua military¡¯s supply lines near Xicong was immediately revised to the much vaguer: ¡°Seek out and engage the enemy east of Hidden Sword Gorge.¡±


    Redman, having received the order, immediately utilized the advantages of his Air Force and Armored Corps. In the relatively flat terrains east of Hidden Sword Gorge, his strategy was to attack haphazardly, consuming as many unorganized Dahua troops as possible.


    Thus, when the mission was distributed to the troops, the command everyone received was simply, ¡°Maintain the offensive!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and see! If Dahua troops are hiding there, two tanks rolling over will be enough to wipe them out,¡± Liu Guozhu put down his binoculars and continued to suggest to the commander of tank 115.


    The commander of tank 115 did not reject the idea. In truth, over the past few days, he had come to understand just how powerful his tank really was. Even if there was a whole Dahua infantry battalion on the other side, the two tanks would face no danger.


    Still, he offered his opinion, ¡°Just drive the tanks over, no matter whether there¡¯s Dahua military there or not, the view is better on that side.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Keep formation! Avoid the main road, they might have planted mines,¡± Liu Guozhu reminded, then gave an order to his driver, ¡°The hillock on the left! Head over there! We¡¯ll take the lead! Tank 115, follow us!¡±


    ¡°Roger that!¡± The operator immediately responded to Liu Guozhu¡¯s command, piloting the tank to adjust its direction slightly, callously breaking through a small tree, and heading for the hillock.


    Next to the tank, a child from a Dahua village, bare-bottomed, wiped his nose and waited, his large eyes fixed on the huge tank as it rumbled away.


    It was only then that the woman hiding in the house realized her child had not followed her inside. She rushed out frantically, and in the dissipating exhaust of the tank, she scooped up her son and dragged him into the house, where she began spanking the child fiercely.


    Because the advance was so rapid, Liu Guozhu and his two tanks were not even followed by any grenadiers.


    The two tanks charged up the slope one after the other, and then Liu Guozhu and the commander of tank number 115 were stunned.


    Before them lay chaos¡ªa hundred or so white tents, Dahua tanks parked around the tents, and some trucks as well.


    They also saw craters on the ground, overturned tables tossed aside, and all sorts of other random mess.


    There were soldiers¡¯ clothes, backpacks, some stretchers, and the bodies of soldiers scattered on the ground.


    Clearly, the Dahua troops stationed here had completed their assembly, likely comprising an infantry battalion and seven or eight tanks. It was very possible they were the same troops that had abandoned the village, only to be hit by an aerial assault from the Great Tang Air Force while they were encamped.


    Next to the craters lay fallen military horses that had no saddles on their backs. This suggested that the Dahua troops hadn¡¯t been prepared for battle. They were suddenly attacked and scattered in all directions.


    In the end, their commander¡ªif he had survived the air raid¡ªhad given up the camp, taking whatever troops remained and leaving behind a scene of utter devastation.


    ¡°We were just a step too late, otherwise there would have been a bloody battle,¡± the commander of tank number 115 lamented as he looked over the ruined camp.


    ¡°Yes, if they¡¯d learned to camouflage against air attacks, they might have held out until we got here,¡± Liu Guozhu agreed, nodding as he surveyed the grim battlefield.


    This was merely his reflection; in reality, his words meant little. While the Dahua Empire might have some anti-air camouflage for their permanent fortifications, moving troops simply had no concept of air defense.


    Their military supplies had largely started to be replaced en masse only over the past two years, so they hadn¡¯t adapted to the current battlefield environment.


    Their tents were still primarily white, and they used many black horse-drawn carriages. Compared with the Great Tang troops, who had almost entirely adopted camouflage, the difference was night and day.


    A somewhat dispirited Liu Guozhu ordered a retreat to find a spot with taller grass to conceal themselves. Tank number 115 did the same, selecting a position to leave the direction they anticipated the enemy might attack from open.


    Clearly, if there were any nearby enemies, they would likely be in the forest. However, Liu Guozhu and his men were not keen on entering the woods to court trouble.


    Since the enemy had already been spooked by the air raid, it was unlikely they could organize a counterattack soon. A smarter move was to wait for the reconnaissance troops who had taken a roundabout route to bring back information before taking action.


    Soon, the company arrived in the village behind them, and the communication trucks and supply vehicles also made it.


    The supply personnel accompanying the convoy bustled about, unloading fuel drums from the trucks and ensuring that each tank was filled with diesel as much as possible.


    The air was thick with the peculiar smell of diesel, forcing anyone who wanted to smoke to leave the village and head farther out to light up.


    Liu Guozhu leaned against his tank, fished out a melted piece of candy from his pocket, unwrapped the sticky wrapper, and stuffed the misshapen lump into his mouth.


    A wave of sweetness instantly filled his mouth. Although the sugar distributed by the military wasn¡¯t very pure, the taste was indeed stimulating and refreshing to a young person.


    It had been two days since they left the chaotic village they had fought over. In these two days, they had been advancing westward, without even digging a single trench.


    The Tang Army had unexpectedly adopted an offensive stance on this defensive front, a move that truly surprised everyone.


    It wasn¡¯t just the Dahua side that was caught off guard, even the Tang Army hadn¡¯t expected this. Liu Guozhu¡¯s tank battalion was advancing westward, already pushing nearly 70 kilometers ahead of the main defense line!


    This was a significant bulge in the line, too large to be ignored: even the Tang Army themselves felt the achievements they¡¯d made were a bit too great.


    ¡°What are the orders from above? Do we continue to push forward?¡± the commander of tank number 115 asked as he approached Liu Guozhu, with an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth.

 Chapter 765 765 724 A Puzzled General Feng Kezhi

    ?Chapter 765: 724 A Puzzled General Feng Kezhi Chapter 765: 724 A Puzzled General Feng Kezhi Liu Guozhu nodded, then looked toward the west, ¡°The commander wants to keep pushing 30 kilometers west, to reach Hidden Sword Gorge and then stabilize the defensive line.¡±


    ¡°Really, isn¡¯t the Sword Pavilion just beyond Hidden Sword Gorge?¡± The tank commander was slightly stunned when he heard the name, then a smile appeared on his face.


    This advance toward Sword Pavilion probably meant that the upper echelons of the Dahua Empire were no longer worried about whether Wangchun City could be retaken, but rather about the very foundation of the nation.


    After all, Sword Pavilion was one of the three provinces where the founding Emperor of the Dahua Empire began his rise to power, with the ancestral graves of his grandparents still buried there. Zhao Kai simply couldn¡¯t afford to lose it.


    If that place were really breached by the Tang Army, Zhao Kai could be said to have lost the ancestral legacy, which was absolutely unacceptable to him: he cared most about face, so such a disgraceful event was something he desperately wanted to avoid acknowledging.


    Consequently, he forgot the order he had previously issued for the military to fight back and retake Wangchun City, and he strictly ordered General Feng Kezhi to hold Hidden Sword Gorge at all costs, without retreating a single step.


    Additionally, he personally appointed a member of the Royal Family, Prince Zhao Jie, as the frontline commander, who rushed to Sword Pavilion to supervise the battle.


    ...


    This move displeased both the Minister of War and Great General Feng Kezhi, as it was tantamount to the Emperor micro-managing troop deployments on the front lines, a major taboo in military strategy.


    However, a series of previous failures left the Minister of War Shen Chuan and the Empire¡¯s Great General Feng Kezhi without any ability to stop the meddling Zhao Kai, creating turmoil at the battlefront.


    On one hand, in an attempt to recover from the defeats, Feng Kezhi personally directed troop movements, hoping to reorganize an effective defense and stabilize the front lines before seeking an opportunity to counterattack and recapture Wangchun City.


    On the other hand, the hastily departed Prince Zhao Jie, carrying imperial orders, supervised the entire southeastern war effort, holding the authority to maneuver the troops.


    Meanwhile, the frontline commander named Ding Hong, who was tasked with rallying routed soldiers and taking over the mess left by Han Zhiyuan, was directing the response to Tang Army¡¯s assaults based on the actual situation.


    In fact, it was the previously unknown Ding Hong who was truly effective, as he was the commander directly facing the Tang Army¡¯s assault


    Compared to Han Zhiyuan, this senior¡¯s ability was actually not up to much; he was perfectly capable in a rear management role, focusing on logistics, but leading troops directly against the world¡¯s most ferocious Tang Army was clearly beyond his capability.


    During these days, what he did most was to send telegrams to General Feng Kezhi for advice on tactics, and he constantly amplified the frontline pressure by a factor of ten in his reports to Feng Kezhi, hoping to get more support.


    After all, ever since Han Zhiyuan died in battle at Wangchun City, the situation had taken a sharp downturn, with Dahua¡¯s military forces consistently facing defeat. If Ding Hong didn¡¯t depict the situation as dire, how could he explain it to his superiors?


    Thus, General Feng Kezhi in the Imperial Capital was receiving messages virtually consisting of where the Tang Army had struck next, how the defending forces had surrendered without a fight, how much fuel and ammunition had been lost, and calls for support, among others.


    And the strategies that the Great General came up with based on such news were largely conservative, commanding the troops to withdraw.


    There was no helping it; Feng Kezhi at least understood that his orders were delayed from the frontline¡¯s actual situation, so he could only first command the troops to withdraw to a relatively safe position to stabilize before considering further actions.


    But in the course of this retreat, Ding Hong pulled back the defensive line from west of Wangchun City to a position backed by Hidden Sword Gorge.


    This was a position that could not be given up¡ª even Ding Hong knew that if he ran away and lost Sword Pavilion, not to speak of his official hat, even his life might not be spared.


    So he changed his usual approach and started requesting a counterattack, since he could no longer care about the troops¡¯ loss or the intensity of the battle.


    As a result, the Dahua military forces, who had somehow managed to flee all the way to Hidden Sword Gorge and retained some resources, were left largely depleted due to Ding Hong¡¯s reckless actions.


    It was not until this moment that the remote-commanding General Feng Kezhi in the Imperial Capital realized how formidable General Redman was.


    Before experiencing it first-hand, he had only heard of Tang Country¡¯s so-called Five Tiger Generals: Redman, known for rapid assaults, Tagg who excelled in defense, Bolton and Strauss who commanded respect in Dorne, and the naval commander Bernard.


    But how formidable these individuals were, he truly had no concept: not until Redman charged through the ranks, killing Han Zhiyuan and throwing the southeastern region of the Dahua Empire into utter chaos, did Feng Kezhi realize just how substantial the ¡°Five Tiger Generals¡± were.


    It was then that he also became aware of what kind of a monster Qian Jinhang had been fighting against for so many days! After all, given Redman¡¯s prowess, Tagg, who stood alongside him, was clearly no pushover.


    And suddenly, Feng Kezhi realized that what Qian Jinhang had been reporting all along, that the Tang Army was not routed but was withdrawing intentionally, and that the battle at Xicong was exceedingly difficult, might actually be true!


    What really made Feng Kezhi anxious wasn¡¯t Qian Jinhang far away in Xicong; it was what the real intentions of the Tang Army were.


    Previously, the Tang Army launched fierce attacks on the defense lines, breaking through Dahua¡¯s border defenses and then advancing southward from the Central Region. Anyone with a lick of sense could see that the Tang Army was preparing to cut off Qian Jinhang¡¯s supply lines and encircle his hundreds of thousands of troops.


    This was the result Shen Chuan, General Feng Kezhi, and even Shireck¡¯s advisors feared the most: the Tang Army encircling Dahua troops near Xicong, devouring Qian Jinhang¡¯s forces, and then turning back to attack Dahua¡¯s southeastern regions.


    After all, annihilating nearly a million Dahua troops really put Dahua in a passive position. However, by the time the Great Tang¡¯s troops finished off Qian Jinhang¡¯s forces and turned westward, in fact, they had already wasted quite a bit of time.


    From Dahua¡¯s perspective, Qin Country¡¯s troops could arrive by then, and while the situation looked passive, it was not necessarily unwinnable.


    But now Redman¡¯s troops had changed their direction of attack. Although a contingent was still heading south, the force moving west was also advancing rapidly.


    This left General Feng Kezhi unable to discern the Tang Army¡¯s intentions: he didn¡¯t know whether the Tang Army intended to breach Hidden Sword Gorge, capture Sword Pavilion, and plot against the entire southeastern region of Dahua, or if they were preparing to trouble Qian Jinhang.


    So he hesitated, unable to make the right judgment, and influenced by the micromanagement master Zhao Kai, he began to waver.


    In a duel between swordsmen, a moment of hesitation can cost a life. Similarly, in a war between two countries, a commander¡¯s indecision can affect the outcome of the battlefield.


    ¡°Is it Hidden Sword Gorge... Sword Pavilion City, or Tengyun... South Wind Pass?¡± Feng Kezhi narrowed his eyes and muttered to himself as he looked at the map in front of him.


    At this very moment, he truly envied his adversary named Redman, who could command such a formidable army on the battlefield. It was the lifelong dream of all generals.


    Unfortunately, dreams are just dreams. The Tang Country¡¯s troops were indeed formidable, and it seemed that only Tang Mo himself could command and maneuver them.


    General Feng Kezhi, who let out a sigh of relief, then saw Shen Chuan, the pale-faced Chief of Staff, who had just walked in. This Minister of War had been in the utmost gloom over the last two days.


    Emperor Zhao Kai had been in a state of explosion all this time, and every time Shen Chuan, as the Minister of War, attended court, he would be singled out for censure.


    The atmosphere in the court was very solemn, and the peril of Sword Pavilion also made it impossible for the military department to raise its head before other court officials.


    Everyone was deeply concerned about the security of the Empire¡¯s southeastern regions. Even if just for show, they had to perform for His Majesty¡ª at least, they had to demonstrate that they all valued the Emperor¡¯s ancestral tomb.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Looking at the depressed Shen Chuan, Feng Kezhi asked with a slight trace of schadenfreude. He, stressed by the war, had been specially exempted from attending court sessions, so he was glad he didn¡¯t have to see His Majesty¡¯s sullen face.


    But before he could gloat, he saw the first to walk into the room, who didn¡¯t speak but only walked to the map and looked up¡ª it was His Majesty the Emperor.


    ¡°Your servant has seen Your Majesty!¡± Feng Kezhi immediately stepped forward, knelt, and bowed his head to greet Zhao Kai, ¡°I was not aware of Your Majesty¡¯s arrival and did not meet you from afar, please pardon my transgression.¡±


    ¡°Rise!¡± Zhao Kai commanded without turning his head, ¡°Tell me about the situation at Sword Pavilion...¡±


    His tone was not very friendly, clearly emotional¡ª the military¡¯s performance these past few days had infuriated Zhao Kai.


    Previously, the military had been the most adamant about needing funds: reforming, purchasing new equipment, and even establishing factories and laying railways, spending money like running water.


    What had the military assured him back then? Feng Kezhi and Shen Chuan had claimed that only through such measures could Dahua¡¯s military win the next war.


    Now that the next war had arrived and it was being fought in such a shoddy manner, how could Zhao Kai be satisfied? He had spent a fortune! To reinforce the military, he hadn¡¯t expanded his harem for two years, and he hadn¡¯t had his gardens tended to for over three!


    Feng Kezhi picked up on Zhao Kai¡¯s dissatisfaction and immediately began to explain, ¡°Please rest assured, Your Majesty! I have already organized the troops to build a defense line at Hidden Sword Gorge. With a big river in between, it will be as hard as climbing to heaven for the Tang Army to attack Sword Pavilion!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhao Kai snorted, ¡°A few months ago, you also said that it would be as hard as climbing to heaven for the Tang Army to break through our border defense line!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty...¡± Feng Kezhi tried to explain further.


    Zhao Kai, however, waved his hand dismissively, ¡°Hold Sword Pavilion at all costs! That is the bottom line! If it really can¡¯t be done... let Qian Jinhang give up Xicong.¡±


    It was the first time since the war began that Zhao Kai had allowed Dahua¡¯s front-line troops to retreat, indicating the importance he placed on Sword Pavilion.


    ¡°In this way, Qian Jinhang¡¯s troops could even be pulled back, threatening the Tang Army from the flank. With his hundreds of thousands of troops, the Tang Army will definitely have to retreat from Sword Pavilion.¡± Overjoyed, Feng Kezhi bowed his head eagerly and flattered, ¡°Your Majesty is wise and insightful, I... I am humbled by Your greatness.¡±

 Chapter 766 766 Redman, Nervous at 725

    ?Chapter 766: Redman, Nervous at 725 Chapter 766: Redman, Nervous at 725 What General Feng Kezhi did not know was that, at the same moment, Redman was also terrified by his own frontline combat troops.


    He had never seen such a way of fighting, nor had he ever seen such a reckless group of lunatics! The flanking forces of the southbound Tang Army had always been insufficient, yet the commanders of the Tang Army¡¯s front line managed to launch a round of ferocious offensive momentum with so few soldiers.


    These not-so-numerous troops advanced to the west, fought two encirclement battles within three days, annihilated the 100,000 Dahua troops that were prepared to counterattack, and occupied a vast area of territory.


    Because they fought so well, all the troops originally planned for defense were drawn into the battlefield by these frontline combat troops, like planets swallowed by a black hole.


    The stockpiled fuel was depleting rapidly, and the troops that transported ammunition were dispersed and diluted. It was even impossible to find the trucks from the company and battalion-level convoys, and now the transportation and supply were measured in squads and platoons.


    Even more exaggerated was that, at the frontline battle area, supplies even relied on truck drivers to find the troops themselves to complete the last leg of transportation. Not only was this very dangerous, but it also often led to chaotic situations.


    Some supply troops happened to run into the defeated Dahua troops during transportation, and then they even captured more than a hundred prisoners. About a dozen drivers, with their submachine guns, stood by the trucks transporting fuel, guarding the prisoners until the follow-up infantry arrived before they could continue on their way.


    ...


    The fragile supply often arrived late, which in turn was the main reason for the Tang Army to stop their advance. In contrast, the Dahua defensive troops¡¯ lines simply could not stop the Tang Army¡¯s advancing steps.


    The problem with the supply was not the most serious; the most serious issue was that the Tang Army¡¯s forces had been split by the vast territory of the Dahua Empire into numerous small groups.


    At the beginning, the Tang Army¡¯s combat formations were mostly at the scale of divisions and regiments, an infantry battalion plus tank and artillery battalions, accounting for supply and command units, was comparable to a reinforced regiment.


    Latter, as the battles continued, these troops were fragmented by the battlefield into ever smaller sizes. In the beginning, the Tang Army could fight large-scale annihilation battles and devour more than ten thousand of Dahua¡¯s main military forces at once.


    But later, the battles became smaller and smaller, and the size of the combat teams began to shrink gradually: several battalions¡¯ reinforced regiments started to turn into several companies¡¯ reinforced battalions.


    Even the supply troops had no formal organization, a few trucks from a transportation company would follow such combat teams as they advanced, and that was considered ¡°having supply¡±.


    Because as the fight continued, the fact that the Tang Army was getting farther from their supply stations and supplies were getting scarcer was true, but Dahua had problems of their own.


    The problem on Dahua¡¯s side was that the command was becoming more and more disordered as the battle went on, and the troops were getting worse ¡ª there was simply no morale to speak of, and they were in full retreat unable to organize any effective action.


    Not only was the offensive not guaranteed, but even retreats were problematic. Many troops scattered as they ran, and even their officers could not be found.


    Under such conditions, although the Tang Army had many shortcomings, they still maintained a rapid offensive. Even though their forces were dispersed into small groups, they still pierced into the flesh of the Dahua Empire like sharp needles.


    Now, the Tang Army¡¯s units had completely lost their formation: sometimes, a single assault gun providing cover for a platoon of soldiers could control a village, and sometimes, they did not even have armored vehicles, just an infantry platoon daring to proceed on the constantly advancing road.


    Liu Guozhu was just so: he and Vehicle 115 had even lost the cover of infantry, blindly continuing forward, not at all concerned about the possibility of enemy counterattacks.


    When the troops were scattered to this degree, Redman got a little restless too. He feared that the enemy might launch a sudden counterattack at some point, and his thin line of defense, as thin as a sheet of paper, would collapse entirely.


    He did not know whether the Dahua troops were really that weak or were brewing some kind of counterattack plan. He even suspected that the enemy¡¯s commanders were digging a big pit for him, just like the pit Tagg dug for Qian Jinhang.


    Even if the commanders on Dahua¡¯s side had no mature plans for a counterattack, the situation was not so optimistic: Redman worried that, if his troops ran into a large group of Dahua forces, they would be drawn into a hard fight.


    After all, this was within the enemy nation¡¯s territory. If the troops encountered reinforcements of more than ten thousand enemies or gathered fleeing soldiers during the attack, they might suffer a disadvantage.


    Because the Tang Army was too scattered, they could no longer achieve the encirclement and annihilation of large enemy forces. They could only ensure their tactical advantage by constantly breaking through and disintegrating the enemy.


    Therefore, these days he kept urging the Air Force to take off for reconnaissance. Whenever the clouds were slightly thinner, the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s planes would continuously circle over the territory of Dahua.


    Even if the Dahua Empire¡¯s planes took off to intercept, the Tang Army¡¯s planes still used their altitude advantage to continue their reconnaissance relentlessly as if they wanted to see through the whole Dahua Empire.


    Unfortunately, he had no spy satellites to disperse the fog of war. The battlefield was not particularly transparent to the generals of this era, so command was still somewhat of an art.


    Redman, who had always advocated for offense, was under unimaginable pressure, sleeping only two or three hours a day, his entire being growing increasingly haggard.


    Despite having staff to help share the burden, the state of the war¡ªturned into a child¡¯s play¡ªleft Redman in constant agony, his days filled with unease.


    The outcome of battles, critical to victory, resting in the hands of a tank, a company commander, or even a grenadier was a terrifying thought.


    What pained him most was his fear of hearing about defeat at the front line, yet what he heard was victory after victory. Receiving good news amidst despairing anticipation was undoubtedly what made Redman crumble.


    Yet he could not be dissatisfied, because good news was, after all, better than bad. Every time he imagined his King, Tang Mo, suffering defeat due to his mistakes, his whole body would tremble uncontrollably.


    Unwilling to betray Tang Mo¡¯s trust, Redman refused to rest, even with dark circles under his eyes, resembling a vampire.


    Or perhaps he simply couldn¡¯t sleep. The moment he closed his eyes, he subconsciously believed a telegram had arrived from the front line. This had nearly become a conditioned reflex for him, so every half hour, he would ask if there were any telegrams from the front.


    ...


    Qian Jinhang had not slept well these days either.


    His troops had been fighting in Xicong, and after a fierce battle, the Dahua military had nearly surrounded the city from three sides¡ªit was within Dahua Empire¡¯s grasp.


    Yet, Qian Jinhang had actually halted all military efforts to attack Xicong a week earlier, knowing that his supply lines were in grave danger.


    Initially, he received telegrams about the situation from the rear, and General Feng Kezhi assured him that he only needed to stabilize the forces and maintain pressure on Xicong¡ªthe danger to the rear would be resolved soon.


    But with the fall of Wangchun City and the death of Han Zhiyuan in battle, Qian Jinhang began to receive only occasional and unfavorable news from General Feng Kezhi.


    Even though General Feng Kezhi didn¡¯t intentionally conceal information, Qian Jinhang was still unable to grasp the full situation¡ªonly able to speculate and piece together the dire circumstances facing Dahua from scattered telegram contents.


    Yes, extremely dire!


    This was a fact Qian Jinhang knew all too well: without needing to see for himself and based simply on the quantity of supplies being sent from the rear, he could tell that the Tang Army was almost at Tengyun City¡¯s doorstep.


    Although Dahua had stockpiled a massive amount of military supplies at South Wind Pass, as the war continued, it was inevitable that supplies had to be transported from Dahua¡¯s hinterland to the front line.


    However, since the Tang Army had drawn near to Sword Pavilion, it was impossible for supplies to be sent towards South Wind Pass anymore.


    Most materials originally destined for South Wind Pass were now rerouted to Sword Pavilion, with some being sent to reinforce Tengyun City, hoping that the troops there would halt the Tang Army¡¯s onslaught.


    As a result, the Dahua troops near Xicong had no choice but to rely on the reserves at South Wind Pass: hence the quantity of materials arriving at the front had halved, partly due to intentional withholding and partly due to genuinely strained logistics.


    This was also inevitable: some of the trains and vehicles that originally supported the Dahua forces attacking near Xicong were diverted to transport supplies to Sword Pavilion and Tengyun, leaving Qian Jinhang¡¯s forces with reduced transport capacity.


    Moreover, the rainy weather in the southern region compounded the difficulty of transport, thus the front line received even less supply.


    Without sufficient supplies, Qian Jinhang naturally couldn¡¯t launch any significant offensive, and like the Tang Army, he was left to watch time slip away in the rain.


    Only, while the Tang Army waited for their encirclement to tighten, Qian Jinhang awaited something he himself might not even know. Without orders to retreat, he could only patiently wait in place, helplessly awaiting his ultimate fate amidst the ruins of the one-third of Xicong City he had captured.


    ¡°General!¡± An officer entered Qian Jinhang¡¯s command post, saluted crisply, then handed over a telegram.


    Qian Jinhang took the telegram and upon reading its contents, a smile spread across his face: it was a bitter smile, a helpless smile, a smile of despair.


    For the telegram was from General Feng Kezhi, the orders were clear and seemed casual: ¡°Order, the rearguard under Qian Jinhang¡¯s command must immediately move to South Wind Pass, and command will be transferred back to General Ding Hong.¡±


    In other words, General Feng Kezhi had withdrawn the troops attacking Xicong and redeployed them to South Wind Pass! And it seemed in consideration of His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s feelings, General Feng Kezhi did not order Qian Jinhang to retreat.

 Chapter 767 767 Lessons of history 726

    ?Chapter 767: Lessons of history 726 Chapter 767: Lessons of history 726 ¡°The troops are too few; we must focus on encircling and annihilating Qian Jinhang¡¯s forces,¡± Tang Mo, staring at the map, said to Luff and the others standing behind him.


    ¡°Although I¡¯m an outsider and don¡¯t want to interfere with the commanders on the battlefield, attacking Sword Pavilion really is risky,¡± Tang Mo¡¯s gaze rested on the city of Sword Pavilion as he continued to speak.


    The Tang Army had deployed roughly 40,000 troops in the direction of Sword Pavilion, only about two divisions, which had to be spread out over a quite extensive defensive front.


    Although this defensive front was now effectively an offensive front, such a small force trying to control such a vast area was a very dangerous thing.


    ¡°Despite the fact that capturing Sword Pavilion would be more advantageous for us, this plan has actually exceeded the entire troops¡¯ capabilities,¡± Tang Mo also felt a bit reluctant because taking Sword Pavilion indeed had many benefits for Tang Country.


    From a macro perspective, obtaining a strategic foothold to the west of Hidden Sword Gorge would allow the Tang Army to maintain a high-pressure situation in the southeastern region of Dahua, using fewer troops to contain a large number of enemy forces.


    This bridgehead could also directly threaten Dahua¡¯s cities to the west of Hidden Sword Gorge, while at the same time undermining the very foundation of the Dahua Empire.


    ...


    Of course, from the perspective of war, as long as Sword Pavilion was in hand, then the defensive line of Dahua¡¯s troops in Hidden Sword Gorge would be incomplete, and the natural defenses would no longer be impregnable.


    Moreover, consistent with the judgments of the Dahua side: after capturing Sword Pavilion, the Tang Army would be able to completely disrupt the Dahua Empire¡¯s strategic deployment in the southeast before Qin Country¡¯s troops could approach the battlefield, which is definitely a permanent solution to the issue of the Dahua Empire.


    To put it more vividly, losing Sword Pavilion would be like the Song Dynasty without Yan Yun, strategically on the back foot the entire time.


    Unfortunately, as beneficial as it is, the Tang Army indeed doesn¡¯t have the means to just gulp down this seemingly delicious piece of fat.


    Tang Mo had not been without thoughts in this regard; he had even redeployed some troops, trying to squeeze out forces from other directions to reinforce the attack on Sword Pavilion.


    But after making an effort, he could only redeploy about 40,000 troops¡ªwhich seemed quite substantial, but alas, still fell short of Tang Mo¡¯s expectations.


    As for the subsequent 30th and 31st divisions filling the defensive line, there was no problem, but a direct attack on Sword Pavilion still seemed to be beyond their capabilities.


    Both of these units were newly formed second-line infantry garrison forces, expecting them to charge through like Armored Corps as if on a rampage was unrealistic, and capturing Sword Pavilion clearly required more than forty thousand troops.


    Sword Pavilion is not Wangchun City; it is a large city with a population of over 500,000. It was previously a transportation hub and commercial center for the Dahua Empire in the southeastern region. Now with numerous industrial layouts, the population is growing even faster.


    In Tang Country, such a place would be regarded as a big city, let alone in the Dahua Empire. To capture such a city, a few tens of thousands of Tang troops would definitely not be sufficient.


    Because the forty thousand Tang reinforcements could not all be committed to urban combat, they had to solidify their defensive line along Hidden Sword Gorge and maintain the security of their supply lines at the rear... The troops directly available for a frontal assault might not even amount to twenty thousand.


    In other words, Tang Mo, at best, could commit slightly more than one division¡¯s worth of troops at Sword Pavilion. For the strategic objective of capturing and holding Sword Pavilion, this is tantamount to trying to douse a cartload of firewood with a cup of water.


    Therefore, Tang Mo wisely decided to put aside the unrealistic idea of swiftly devouring the Dahua Empire and focus on achieving the pre-war strategic objectives that had been set.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient! Impatience won¡¯t get you hot tofu!¡± Tang Mo consoled the military¡¯s generals, ¡°As long as we achieve our objectives, isn¡¯t that a victory?¡±


    ¡°True, but it¡¯s still a bit disheartening to see the benefits right before our eyes and not be able to take advantage of them,¡± Luff was actually a bit reluctant, as many generals in the Staff Department had been quite optimistic about the decision to attack Sword Pavilion.


    In the view of these staff officers, defeating Sword Pavilion and breaking the Dahua Empire was the truly great victory! For this victory, they were even willing to temporarily disregard the oil fields in the southern part of the Dahua Empire.


    They reasoned that with the oil fields on Dragon Island, Tang Country¡¯s need for oil was not that urgent. As long as Sword Pavilion was taken, turning around to capture the southern oil fields would be a piece of cake.


    This line of thinking from the Staff Department stirred up some of Tang Mo¡¯s vague yet profoundly etched memories: it was a tough decision concerning whether to strike at Moscow first or the Caucasus.


    In that difficult decision, the man with a small mustache on his upper lip chose the greediest option of ¡°I want it all,¡± resulting in him not getting anything and losing the entire war.


    Tang Mo decided to learn from past experiences and not waver on strategic objectives. Thus, he resolved to adhere strictly to the plan, not assigning tasks beyond the troop¡¯s capabilities and ensuring the safest possible gains with a cautious and measured approach.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to feel discouraged! Order the troops to halt their advance in Hidden Sword Gorge! The main force, however, should continue to push south, block Qian Jinhang, and defeat him¡ªwe can¡¯t let him retreat!¡± Tang Mo made his decision with firm resolve.


    In actuality, things were not as simple as the Staff Department had imagined: once the Tang Army focused on Sword Pavilion, it would trigger a series of uncertainties.


    The biggest issue was that Qian Jinhang might lead his soldiers back to South Wind Pass, where the Dahua Empire had previously constructed solid defensive fortifications and stockpiled vast amounts of strategic materials.


    As long as Qian Jinhang held out in South Wind Pass, with Dahua Empire¡¯s southern oil fields at his back and supplies coming from Chu Country, he could essentially reactivate the entire southern region.


    By that time, whether the Tang Army could successfully occupy their earlier strategic target¡ªthe Dahua Empire¡¯s southern oil fields¡ªunder such complex circumstances, remained an unknown.


    Therefore, Tang Mo believed that capturing South Wind Pass as quickly as possible, trapping nearly 800,000 Dahua troops in the wilderness to annihilate them, would leave the southern oil fields at their mercy, ripe for the taking by Great Tang.


    The reason the Staff Department had thought it possible to capture both Sword Pavilion and the oil fields was entirely due to the front-line troops¡¯ exceptional performance. The soldiers had given the commanders too much confidence, resulting in some strategic miscalculations by the decision-makers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold yourself too high, nor underestimate the enemy... Luff, victory can blind us to the path at our feet. I established the Staff Department mainly to have a group of people who can correct each other¡¯s mistakes, not to have a bunch of fools making them together!¡± Tang Mo walked up to Luff and patted his shoulder as a reminder.


    Fortunately, in the world he had come from before ¨C where that man with the small mustache had made similar errors, nearly conquering all of Europe ¨C the powerful Third Empire had perceived their adversary as a dilapidated house that would collapse with a mere kick.


    Regrettably, history had proven that the dilapidated house didn¡¯t collapse with the kick but instead unleashed a horde of tough guys...


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty, we became complacent,¡± Luff lowered his head, admitting his mistake with some shame.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, wire Redman to continue the southern offensive! Direct the supply materials preferentially to the troops in the south!¡± Tang Mo issued a direct command: ¡°I too was misled by the 1st Armored Division¡¯s excellent performance until a few hours ago, when I realized that we, the snake, do not possess the capability to swallow the elephant. Not yet, at any rate.¡±


    Minutes later, a telegram reached Redman, who had just arrived in Wangchun City and had just selected his headquarters, delivered by an officer with a message from Chang¡¯an.


    ¡°His Majesty orders us to capture South Wind Pass according to the planned operation...¡± Redman handed the telegram to his Chief of Staff: ¡°The logistical troops must also prioritize supplying the advancing troops in the south.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty is cautious,¡± the Chief of Staff took the telegram and breathed a sigh of relief: ¡°General, now that you¡¯ve received this telegram, you can finally take a rest, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep,¡± Redman rubbed his sore eyes and groaned wearily: ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling nauseous since yesterday...¡±


    ¡°Your meals are too irregular, and just eating dry biscuits all the time is a bit negligent,¡± the Chief of Staff reminded Redman to take care of his health: ¡°You should pay attention.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re one to talk? Haven¡¯t we been eating together lately?¡± Redman twisted his neck and then exhaled: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you and lie down for a bit. Wake me immediately if anything happens... Don¡¯t delay anything!¡±


    ¡°Understood! I¡¯ll keep an eye on the 1st Armored Division. If there¡¯s any trouble, I know the severity and will definitely wake you,¡± the Chief of Staff assured him, who, in fact, also had not slept properly for two days and nights but was still in somewhat better shape than Redman.


    Both of them had only managed to catch brief moments of sleep in the bouncing cars, and meals were also consumed hastily in the vehicle or by the roadside.


    There was no helping it; the troops were continuously advancing. Redman preferred to progress with the troops to stay closer to the front lines¡ªa habit developed by veteran commanders, and Tagg was the same.


    They didn¡¯t quite trust communication equipment and always felt there was a discrepancy between their subordinates¡¯ reports and reality. Therefore, they were accustomed to seeing things for themselves, which was a good habit but, in some respects, also a bad one.


    Hearing his Chief of Staff say this, Redman entered the adjacent bedroom and, not even bothering to take off his uniform, he lay down on the bed and promptly began to snore.


    The Chief of Staff smiled as he helped his commanding officer close the bedroom door, then went over to the recently used telephone, picked up the receiver: ¡°Draft an encrypted document, send a telegram to the 1st Armored Division, instructing them that their advance must stop at Hidden Sword Gorge!¡±

 Chapter 768 768 727 has changed

    ?Chapter 768: 727 has changed Chapter 768: 727 has changed Unlike Redman, Tagg had a good sleep. His command post was always fixed, and the military forces were almost always stationed in the same location, with no major troop movements, so on the whole, things were quite comfortable.


    He had a nice breakfast and then read some domestic newspapers: the floodwaters were receding, and many places had already resumed production.


    The newspapers reported the navy¡¯s submarine fleet¡¯s splendid victories; they had sunk over a million tons of the enemy¡¯s transport and war vessels, forcing the enemy¡¯s main fleet to not dare to launch a decent attack on Tang Army¡¯s ports until now.


    In the photo was a navy submarine captain in Linshui receiving the third-class Abyss Medal from Admiral Bernard. He was smiling brilliantly, and his salute was in perfect form.


    Another page reported on Tang Country¡¯s plans to build a larger port in Beiyuan City to support the industrial development of the northeastern region.


    The report stated that the Great Tang Railway Group was trying to build a new railway between Beiyuan and Pingning to increase transport capacity and ensure the supply of raw materials for the Pingning Automobile Manufacturing Group.


    Building a larger automobile manufacturing plant in Pingning was also one of Tang Country¡¯s very important strategic plans. In the future, all of Tang Country¡¯s heavy trucks would be produced there, including some large vehicles for special purposes.


    ...


    Nanye¡¯s automobile factory and Pingning¡¯s corresponded with each other, one focusing on civilian cars and the other on trucks, as the industrial layout of the Great Tang Group was gradually unfolding across the vast territory.


    This was a huge project, and there wasn¡¯t any sign of slowing down due to the war: half of Tang Country seemed like a construction site, with construction workers diligently laboring every day, making their hometowns even better.


    Or you could say... making their hometowns even more damaged: industrial pollution was becoming apparent, and many areas¡¯ rivers were already gold, dark red, or bright purple.


    To rapidly build factories, large quantities of trees were being cut down, with the wood processed into planks, and without even completing the basic drying process, it was hammered up as makeshift building material for factory use.


    Some factories in the southern regions didn¡¯t even need walls; they just fixed a foundation, set up the shelter, placed the machines, and could start production.


    By contrast, factories in the Northern Region had to be built more solidly and needed hot water pipes for heating, which also made them more costly.


    When Tagg saw that the 3rd Mechanical Factory in the south had resumed partial production, a smile appeared on his face: he knew that factory, it was one of the first to go operational in the Great Tang Group.


    That was quite far to the south. If the 3rd Mechanical Factory there had resumed production, it really meant that the flood was almost over.


    For Tang Country, this was good news.


    If the floodwaters receded, the paralysed production in the southern part of Tang Country would gradually recover, this production capacity would immediately affect the front-line troops, providing them with a strong combat capability.


    Moreover, once the floodwaters receded, the Tang Army could dispatch even more troops to the front lines, and then Dahua Empire¡¯s advantage in troop strength would no longer exist.


    Tagg took out one hand and grabbed the spoon to stir the hot lean meat porridge, continuing to read various pieces of news in the newspaper.


    In a corner of the third page, a piece of news caught his eye: it was an official Tang Kingdom denunciation of Chu Country¡¯s terrorist attack, severely chastising Chu Country spies for attacking dams, causing civilian casualties, and their scoundrel behavior.


    Of course, being placed in such an unobtrusive spot actually said a lot about the official stance of Tang Country: when the rain stops, I¡¯m too lazy even to denounce you! Bombers will fly straight over, so you just wait!


    Next to the news, there was a commentary on a heroic deed that praised a driver who threw caution to the wind, driving his vehicle into the breach and blocking the gap blown open by the enemy, saving countless lives¡ªa glorious act.


    The further back you read, the more trivial the news seemed. It included the opening of a new flight route from Linshui to Tongcheng, allowing civil aviation passengers to commute between these two cities more conveniently.


    A new type of engine that was low in fuel consumption and high in power had been developed, capable of replacing current technology. The southeastern coastal region was promoting aquaculture, with fishermen earning tens of thousands of Gold Coins...


    The news on the last page left Tagg somewhat astonished: the third Princess of the Great Tang Kingdom, Miss Yue¡¯er from the Orc race, had actually taken on the role of the National Environmental Protection Commissioner, establishing an environmental protection investigation department.


    This signified that the Kingdom had formally begun to pay attention to environmental protection, focusing more on sustainability in the process of economic development.


    Tang Mo wouldn¡¯t wait until it was impossible to turn back before trying to save the situation¡ªhe had always been paying attention to environmental issues.


    It¡¯s just that there had never been enough time or energy to manage it. But with the incessant development of industry, people were gradually starting to notice changes in the environment around them.


    Big cities are always shrouded in a veil-like fog, and people walking on the streets can¡¯t help but cough uncontrollably.


    Strange illnesses began to increase, and many hospitals saw a rise in women giving birth to babies with deformities. If this trend were to continue, it would lower Tang Country¡¯s population growth.


    The fish in the rivers were dying in droves, and even the sea foam on the beaches was rolling with a metallic luster¡ªif this continued, worse things would happen.


    Thus, the Department of Environmental Protection, which had always been understaffed with only two idle workers, started to get into action, and His Majesty even generously allocated a special fund of one million Gold Coins.


    The Princess¡¯s job was to oversee this spending: according to the plan, the environmental agency would establish standards, and all factories had to reduce their wastewater emissions to within these standards within a set time.


    Frankly, this was a role with great or minor authority: if strictly enforced, many factories might face fines or shutdown punishments; if implemented with some flexibility, many factories could easily save thousands upon thousands of Gold Coins.


    Tagg saw things from a different angle. While most people were paying attention to the establishment of the environmental department, Tagg was focused on Princess Yue¡¯er.


    Assigning Yue¡¯er to this position meant that Princess Yue¡¯er, who had always been behind the scenes, had finally taken center stage in Tang Country¡¯s politics: she began to wield power and started to share His Majesty¡¯s concerns.


    Princess Yulin, of the King¡¯s direct lineage, had always controlled the Interior Ministry, holding power that could counterbalance Li¡¯ao¡¯s Security Department; Princess Alice of the Northern Ridge lineage presided over the Finance Department, similarly wielding great power and standing toe to toe with the Economy Department¡¯s Simon.


    Now, Yue¡¯er, who had always been mysteriously studying in school, finally stepped into the limelight and began to emerge as a public figure of the royal family, entering everyone¡¯s field of vision.


    Whether this was a good thing, no one knew, but it was a change... And change itself is a signal, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Commander! According to yesterday¡¯s plan, our forces on both wings are counterattacking... Intelligence indicates that part of the enemy forces is fleeing towards South Wind Pass,¡± a military officer entered the room, stood at attention beside Tagg, and reported the latest situation.


    ¡°That¡¯s not our concern. If they want to go to South Wind Pass, we can¡¯t stop them, but make sure to keep a tight grip on both wings,¡± Tagg put down the newspaper he had finished reading and picked up his porridge, gently blowing on it.


    Unlike Redman, Tagg put more emphasis on planning. He liked to play it safe and was not inclined to take risks. This was directly related to his honest, stubborn, and rigid character. He was better at meticulously following Tang Mo¡¯s orders without cutting corners.


    This made him appear very composed, as if everything was under his control, and this sense of composure infected those around him, making them become steadier as well.


    Therefore, the Tang Army on the southern front and the forces moving south from the Central Region looked completely different, as if they were two people with entirely different personalities.


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The military officer saluted again and then left the room. The porridge was still steaming, and Tagg continued to eat it with relish.


    The rain outside the window had noticeably lessened, and no longer pattered loudly against the window ledge. This lifted Tagg¡¯s spirits, for the weather was turning more and more in favor of the Tang Army.


    ¡°Boom!¡± A muffled explosion came from the distance. It was not thunder, but the sound of Dahua¡¯s military cannons! The nearby region of Xicong was becoming livelier once again, as Qian Jinhang seemed prepared to make a final struggle.


    Dahua¡¯s troops were desperately launching fierce attacks, seemingly in an attempt to change their fate: if they could capture Xicong, at the very least they would have one more barrier to cover their retreat.


    Or perhaps, Qian Jinhang wasn¡¯t thinking about that at all: he seemed more like he was burying his own troops, choosing a gravesite with good feng shui for himself.


    ¡°They¡¯re really not making it easy,¡± Tagg finished the porridge in his bowl, stood up, stretched, and then walked out of the room.


    Just as he reached his office, another officer rushed in, so excited that he forgot to knock on the door.


    ¡°Commander! Just received great news! Great news!¡± The excited officer handed a telegram to Tagg, his voice several pitches higher: ¡°Our army has entered Tengyun; the place is almost empty, it seems Dahua¡¯s troops have abandoned it!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Tagg was taken aback, then took the telegram, looked it over carefully, and showed no sign of joy.


    It seemed more practical to have the troops at South Wind Pass reinforce Tengyun than to have Tengyun¡¯s forces retreat southward. This way, backed by the plentiful resources at South Wind Pass and with more time to prepare, Dahua¡¯s military would stand a better chance of holding the position. Once they joined with the retreating forces from Xicong, the situation at South Wind Pass seemed to be stabilizing!


    So Tagg approached the map and muttered, ¡°It seems the enemy also has wise men. Abandoning Tengyun, they¡¯re pulling all their troops back to South Wind Pass... They¡¯re ready to fight to the death there.¡±

 Chapter 769 769 728 South Wind Pass

    ?Chapter 769: 728 South Wind Pass Chapter 769: 728 South Wind Pass Under General Feng Kezhi¡¯s orders, Ding Hong actually did take a legitimate action. He was commanded to withdraw all the Dahua Troops near Tengyun to South Wind Pass, and the Troops carried out the order with considerable speed.


    The somewhat panicked Dahua Troops were still very swift when executing the retreat order, they followed the commands without hesitation and in doing so, saved themselves.


    Amidst the drizzling rain, these Troops abandoned Tengyun and, taking with them the heavy weaponry they could carry, they fled to South Wind Pass in one go.


    Soon, the Tang Army occupied Tengyun, capturing it according to plan, and then the armored units began their advance towards South Wind Pass.


    The battle broke out near South Wind Pass quickly; a Tang Army Armored Corps battalion attacked along the highway and encountered the Dahua defenders about 10 kilometers away from South Wind Pass.


    The two sides immediately engaged in intense combat, after losing two Type 4 Tanks, the Tang Army gave up the continued offensive and then both parties began a standoff there.


    About an hour later, follow-up Tang Troops arrived and launched another attack on the enemy at South Wind Pass. The Dahua Troops deployed tanks, and both sides clashed viciously once again.


    ...


    As a result, the Dahua defenders miraculously held their ground, while the Tang Army lost another 4 tanks but did not take over the village occupied by the Dahua Troops nor did they seize the defensive positions on the flanks.


    Despite the rain pouring down, the Dahua Troops still managed to dig trenches and reinforced them with sandbags.


    Relying on a supply station behind them, and with abundant artillery shells, the Dahua artillery continued to fire, creating a considerable hassle for the Tang Army¡¯s offensive.


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep fighting like this! Our losses will be massive,¡± remarked a regimental commander, who was responsible for this combat group, somewhat resentfully while watching his own tank units start to retreat in the distance under cover of smoke.


    This wasn¡¯t actually his regiment; he was merely appointed temporarily as the commander of this combat battalion.


    The entire combat group included not only the tank battalion that first reached the area but also another recently arrived armored grenadier battalion and some self-propelled artillery.


    It also included some logistical trucks from support units as well as a variety of other miscellaneous units advancing along with the Troops.


    Truly, it was a mishmash of units: there were a few Type 4 assault guns, but they were understaffed, roughly just a company¡¯s worth, now being used as fire support and hastily integrated with the self-propelled artillery units.


    There were also two lion-type armored reconnaissance vehicles, which didn¡¯t have significant offensive capabilities, given their thin armor, so they could only be deployed on the flanks for surveillance and cover.


    The tank battalion commander standing to the side also wore a look of helplessness, sighing as he asked, ¡°What do we do then? They have South Wind Pass behind them, with plenty of artillery shells.¡±


    Due to the rain, the smoke released by the tank units didn¡¯t work effectively, almost having no impact. However, the tanks still managed to cover the retreat of a small number of grenadiers, bringing back a considerable number of wounded as well.


    Among the officers present, aside from this regimental commander, the highest rank was that of the tank battalion commander, making him essentially the second-in-command of this combat group.


    The recent offensive had cost him many tanks, almost one-sixth of his battalion¡¯s fighting strength.


    If he had a choice, he wouldn¡¯t even want to continue such a forceful assault on the enemy¡¯s positions¡ªthe damn job, according to the manual, was meant for assault guns.


    To have tanks tackle fixed enemy defenses meant for infantry assault guns was simply a waste. His tank¡¯s role should be like that of heavy cavalry, surging forward, advancing a thousand li in one day into the enemy¡¯s heartland.


    But the closer they got to the south, the more rainy weather they encountered, and the armored units, having lost air cover and having to battle the mud, were robbed of their former agility and became clumsy and inept.


    ¡°The enemy has dug trenches and laid mines; we must wait for the following Infantry to come up,¡± the regimental commander concluded simply, then ordered the struggling Troops to retreat, ¡°Have your tanks pull back as well. It¡¯s not worth continuing to waste time and lives.¡±


    The tank battalion commander, somewhat blinded by the heat of battle, was a bit unwilling to see his tanks lost in vain, and so spoke up with a hint of annoyance, ¡°If we do this, today¡¯s efforts will be wasted. The infantry is still more than ten kilometers behind us.¡±


    ¡°Then we must wait,¡± the commander of the combat group suggested.


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll have my men cook some food, find a place to shelter from the rain,¡± the battalion commander finally resigned himself, silently agreeing with the commander¡¯s opinion after a few seconds of silence.


    In fact, after calming down for a few seconds, he too realized that his force was indeed incapable of breaking through the defense line before them. The enemy also had tanks that would counter-attack the moment their line was about to break.


    Despite the Tang Army¡¯s powerful tank force, the rain had shortened the distance between the two sides, and with the Dahua tanks in a defensive role, and not needing to rely on communication for coordination, the gap between the two sides was greatly diminished.


    In such a situation, to continue using the fuel and tactics to waste Tanks, to squander the precious tank crews, seemed too irrational.


    The Regimental Commander wore a raincoat, but some places were already soaked through. However, he had his own car, and didn¡¯t need to keep getting drenched outside.


    The Armored Corps grenadiers also had Type 113 armored vehicles to shelter from the rain, needing only a few men to set up sentry posts. The Tank Troops had even less to worry about, as they simply needed to close the hatch to stay dry from the rain.


    Therefore, the Regimental Commander squinted at the sky and began to reassure, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we are the Armored Corps, the enemy surely suffers more in the rain than we do.¡±


    ¡°Who knows, I¡¯m suffering quite a bit right now. Those were six tanks! All mine!¡± The Battalion Commander peered through the curtain of rain at the not-too-distant battlefield.


    It had returned to silence there, only the Tank wrecks soaked by the rain were faintly visible, with wisp-like smoke still drifting out from the gaps of the hatches.


    Although the Regimental Commander had ordered a cessation of the attack, he was not content, so he immediately cursed, ¡°This damn weather! If it had stopped raining, we should have arrived here yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this damn weather. If it hadn¡¯t been raining, we might have even had a chance to catch up with the retreating Dahua Troops from Tengyun,¡± the Tank Battalion Commander sympathized with the sentiment and agreed in the same vein.


    In the distance, the retreating grenadiers had already carried the wounded onto the truck beds, while the truck drivers and some following logistics Engineers were putting up tents. Some soldiers, clad in raincoats, gathered under the trees where the rainfall was slightly lighter.


    The ground was all muddy, with water seeping into boots at every step, soaking the socks through. Under such conditions, after a day of walking, one¡¯s entire foot could swell up and turn pale from blisters.


    The skin would wrinkle together, becoming fragile. Then due to friction, it would rupture into continuously bleeding wounds.


    If not promptly treated, these wounds could quickly become infected, affecting the entire sole of the foot. Fungal cross-infections would ultimately destroy nerve tissues, forcing doctors to consider amputating the entire lower leg to stop the rot and the spread of disease.


    The design of military boots is quite contradictory. If designed for regular use, it¡¯s best to have high tops that can protect the lower leg and be tight enough for Soldiers to adapt to long-distance treks.


    But if considering wet and waterlogged conditions, making it easy for Soldiers to remove the boots becomes an urgent need¡ªregrettably, high boots are not easy to take off.


    That¡¯s why Infantry in World War II often used leggings, some made of wrap-arounds, others of leather, or canvas material.


    The high-top military boots of the Tang Army weren¡¯t easy to remove, but in times like these, if you didn¡¯t take off the boots and dry your feet quickly, you could easily lose several toes...


    That¡¯s why the Engineers began setting up tents during the attack and why some Soldiers would dive into the truck cabins after returning, starting to take off their own boots.


    Another two trucks stopped at the roadside in the rain. They were Troops that had come along the highway, identifiable as another Motorized Infantry Regiment. Most of the people didn¡¯t disembark, only two men in raincoats came to find the command of the fighting team to check in.


    This was an understanding. As long as they found an organized unit, these Troops that had gotten lost on the way would immediately join and become a new unit.


    This way they could ensure the size of the Troops and maintain the combat effectiveness of the attacking forces. The downside was not absent, however. For example, if casualties occurred, their own units wouldn¡¯t be able to tally them in short order.


    So far, the Tang Army itself had not been able to tally up the losses since the war began. That would require follow-up counts and compilations for a conclusion.


    If this was the case with the Tang Army, the Dahua defenders across them were utterly tragic. In fact, despite their fierce and stubborn fight a moment ago, in reality, this group of Soldiers didn¡¯t even wear raincoats.


    They had already been soaked through in the trenches, and fearing another assault from the Tang Army, they dared not retreat and could only stupidly wait, huddled in the muddy trenches.


    The Dahua Tank Troops hidden on the other side of the village fared a bit better at least they could hide inside the Tanks to avoid the rain.


    However, the Tang Army clearly had no plans to let these Dahua Tankers have an easy time soon, several No. 4 assault guns began their bombardment, focusing on what might be the Dahua Tank Troops hiding behind the village.


    After several shells fell, the Dahua Tank Troops had to shift their positions. Although only one Tank was damaged, the startled tankers had to consider their own safety.


    No sooner had they left the range just bombarded, the Tang Army artillery abruptly ceased. In fact, the Tang Army did not dare to waste too much of their own shells, bombarding such ¡°suspicious areas¡± without thorough reconnaissance was simply a few rounds of shelling and that was that.


    Thus, both sides cursing under their breath, ended a day of fighting with the rain still continuing, and the Troops of the Tang Army also kept arriving in succession.

 Chapter 770 770 729 copy homework

    ?Chapter 770: 729 copy homework Chapter 770: 729 copy homework When Qian Jinhang, who was fighting fiercely at Xicong, heard the news of Tengyun¡¯s loss, he nearly passed out. His adjutant, quick and alert, supported him just in time to prevent the Dahua general from making a fool of himself in front of everyone.


    Nevertheless, the situation deteriorated rapidly, an undeniable fact. The hundreds of thousands of Dahua Troops gathered near Xicong could almost be said to be hanging by a thread.


    Even though Qian Jinhang knew that about 200,000 troops were already retreating, drawing gradually closer to South Wind Pass, he still was extremely nervous.


    God knew whether the Tang Army would seize South Wind Pass first, or if his retreating troops would get there first to stabilize their position.


    These days, he had been waiting for news, for confirmation that the 200,000 army tasked with retreating had indeed reached South Wind Pass.


    If his troops arrived there first and secured the rear, the Dahua military could be said to still have a chance to turn defeat into victory.


    Yet, if the news came that the Tang Army had occupied South Wind Pass first, then his status as a Dahua general would almost be forfeited at Xicong.


    ...


    What pained him most was that despite waiting anxiously, he still hadn¡¯t received a new order from General Feng Kezhi to retreat with the others.


    That meant, in General Feng Kezhi¡¯s view, pulling back 200,000 men to strengthen the defense of South Wind Pass was already the best choice.


    As for abandoning Xicong, Feng Kezhi had never considered it from the beginning: it was very likely a certain tacit agreement between him and the Emperor of the Empire, Zhao Kai.


    Namely, Emperor Zhao Kai had tacitly consented to Feng Kezhi¡¯s retreat of 200,000 men to secure the rear of South Wind Pass, and Feng Kezhi had agreed to the Emperor¡¯s ongoing strategy to attack Xicong.


    Therefore, Qian Jinhang had been fiercely attacking Xicong these past few days, knowing it was something he had to do. The immense loss was unbearable for the Dahua Troops, and the tremendous pressure was exhausting Qian Jinhang both physically and mentally.


    Over these days, Qian Jinhang hadn¡¯t even had a proper meal once. Although his troops already controlled a good half of the city, he still felt as if he were halfway into a coffin.


    While Qian Jinhang was dazedly sitting in his room, blankly staring at the map of Xicong on the wall, there came a knock at the door.


    ¡°Good news! General! Good news!¡± an officer burst through Qian Jinhang¡¯s room door, excitedly handing a telegram to the somewhat feeble Dahua general.


    Just like his adversary, Qian Jinhang had also been very tense these days, too tense to sleep well. Though he had moved his headquarters into Xicong and found a relatively intact house as a bedroom, it still couldn¡¯t guarantee him a good night¡¯s sleep.


    Indeed, in such a life-and-death situation, if anyone could still sleep soundly, that would be truly bizarre.


    With dark circles under his eyes, he accepted the telegram and, upon reading the message, heaved a sigh of relief¡ªthe Tang Army might have taken Tengyun, but South Wind Pass was secured.


    Although it wasn¡¯t the command to retreat that he had hoped for, the news of Ding Hong repelling a Tang Army attack at South Wind Pass was still very heartening.


    The rain outside the room had stopped at some unknown time, and the sky remained heavily clouded, the air still filled with the scent of dampness.


    But Qian Jinhang felt somewhat reassured, as it seemed the Tang Army¡¯s rampage in the southeast of the Dahua Empire was finally being contained.


    The weather with rain made camping outdoors somewhat miserable, so Qian Jinhang had moved into a house in the suburbs of Xicong.


    The several rooms here had fortunately not been destroyed in the combat and thus became Qian Jinhang¡¯s temporary headquarters. Although rudimentary, they at least provided shelter from the wind and rain.


    With these rooms, Qian Jinhang no longer had to endure the noise of rain pattering on his tent or sleep in a cramped camp bed every night.


    Though being too close to the front line meant it seemed somewhat unsafe, it was unlikely that the Tang Army could pinpoint Qian Jinhang¡¯s location, so artillery fire couldn¡¯t be so precise.


    Indeed, the Tang Army had never fired its cannons aimlessly. Such actions were often characteristic of the artillerymen of the Dahua Troops...


    ¡°If our troops can return to South Wind Pass, this place will be considered basically secure,¡± said the officer who came with the message, his face beaming as he sought to comfort his general.


    Qian Jinhang nodded slightly and then stood up, exhaling deeply, ¡°Make me something to eat... I... seem to be a bit hungry.¡±


    In the last two days, he hadn¡¯t eaten properly, and suddenly after hearing the good news, he felt hungry.


    Upon hearing his words, both the adjutant and the head of the guard visibly relaxed, as Qian Jinhang¡¯s condition had been rather poor these past few days.


    So everyone quickly got busy. The general¡¯s personal chef started working on the adjacent stove, cleaning the best ingredients that could be found.


    Even in harsh environments or while marching, a senior officer¡¯s meals still have a standard. But how long that standard can be maintained¡ªnobody knows. Didn¡¯t Yuan Shu want to drink honey water, only to be rebuffed by his cook?


    At this moment, the Dahua military was far from being in dire straits, so when Qian Jinhang¡¯s meals were served, they were still very abundant.


    The main dish was pork, and there was also a fish. The fish, probably caught from the nearby river, was very fresh.


    After eating his fill with a great appetite, Qian Jinhang immediately felt comfortable all over. Then the general, who hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep for several days, made some simple arrangements and went back to catch up on his sleep.


    ...


    On the other side, Redman, who suddenly couldn¡¯t sleep well again, felt the enormous pressure on his shoulders: if he couldn¡¯t take South Wind Pass, then the Dahua military might use it to turn the entire war situation around.


    Therefore, for him, he must take South Wind Pass in order to continue carrying out the mission given to him by Tang Mo.


    Frantically anxious, Redman wished he could go to the battlefield to oversee the battle himself, but soon enough, an even bolder plan came from Chang¡¯an.


    Ding Hong, a general of the Dahua Empire, was deploying defenses at South Wind Pass. It was clearly unlikely that he could completely capture this important Dahua strategic material base anytime soon.


    In terms of military strength, after receiving orders to gather the Tengyun garrison forces and assembling another twenty thousand troops in the surrounding area, the number of troops stationed at South Wind Pass neared fifty thousand. They wouldn¡¯t be easy to swallow all at once.


    Even if Redman gathered all he could, the number of troops he could assemble to attack South Wind Pass in the short term would be just two or three ten thousand¡ªobviously insufficient for urban combat.


    Moreover, according to earlier intelligence estimates, more than one hundred thousand Dahua military forces retreating from Xicong were moving to reinforce South Wind Pass. Once these troops entered the pass, continuing to vie for South Wind Pass would become even less likely.


    Time was clearly on the side of the Dahua Empire; if Ding Hong could hold out for a day or two, the situation would turn very unfavorable for the Great Tang Kingdom.


    However, this delicate situation was not too familiar to him, but Tang Mo was all too well-versed in it: the enemy trapped defending a city, with a sizable number of reinforcements outside...


    Wasn¡¯t this just the kind of situation that a certain rabbit excelled in, ambushing reinforcements? Upon hearing the news, Tang Mo immediately realized this could be an opportunity!


    So he immediately sent a telegram to Redman, ordering him to capitalize on the Dahua military¡¯s urgency to hold South Wind Pass and the advantage of having emptied their nearby forces. After resupplying, he was to lead the Armored Corps around South Wind Pass, boldly infiltrating and first dealing with Dahua reinforcements approaching the pass!


    This was a bold plan, yet it had considerable feasibility! While the Tang Kingdom¡¯s Armored Corps might not have much advantage in attacking a well-defended city, they were perfectly suited to attack enemy troops on the move in field battles.


    Compared to the rabbit¡¯s light infantry maneuvers and encirclement tactics, Tang Mo¡¯s use of the Armored Corps for frontal clashes was much more straightforward and clear-cut.


    ¡°His Majesty is indeed His Majesty,¡± Redman said, admiring Tang Mo¡¯s audacious plan, unable to find any other words.


    This general, known as a famous commander in his time, actually had a bit of pride, and truth be told, he never even considered Feng Kezhi within his view.


    However, every new thing he heard from Tang Mo filled him with shock and a sense of sudden enlightenment.


    He really didn¡¯t know how the king¡¯s mind worked, as after designing so many advanced weapons, his understanding of tactics was also of such a high level.


    Of course, Redman didn¡¯t know that Tang Mo¡¯s tactics were also copied from real tactical masters, so he was indeed nothing but shocked.


    If the Tang Army¡¯s Armored Corps could crush the Dahua forces returning to defend South Wind Pass, they could buy more time to attack the pass. For Redman¡¯s Armored Corps, this was indeed much simpler than a head-on assault on South Wind Pass.


    Once the Dahua forces retreating to defend were defeated, it would be easier to turn the guns back and handle South Wind Pass¡ªby then, the following Tang infantry units would have mostly arrived, and the attack on South Wind Pass would be much easier.


    Moreover, Redman felt that the Dahua troops defending South Wind Pass, upon hearing that their reinforcements have been wiped out, might no longer have the courage to fight to the death.


    A feint to intimidate the mighty, a warning to the complacent. Hopefully, by then, the Dahua general Ding Hong stationed at South Wind Pass would stick to his vows and hold out to the last.


    ¡°Urge the following supply convoys to hurry to the designated location! All Armored Corps, and mixed combat teams, after resupplying, carry as much fuel and ammunition as possible and bypass South Wind Pass!¡± clutching the telegram from Tang Mo, Redman issued a series of commands.


    An hour later, the Tang Army¡¯s vanguard chose a relatively secluded distance and began to bypass South Wind Pass.


    Since the nearby Dahua troops had all been transferred to South Wind Pass, and they were executing a scorched-earth policy, they had even taken away all the local civilians... so they almost didn¡¯t notice this significant movement by the Tang military.


    Interestingly, at this time, Ding Hong was resting, and Qian Jinhang was sleeping. The Dahua frontline commanders were all in their beautiful dreams...

 Chapter 771 771 An army of 730 filled with resentment that reaches the skies

    ?Chapter 771: An army of 730 filled with resentment that reaches the skies Chapter 771: An army of 730 filled with resentment that reaches the skies On the highway, the military stretched as far as the eye could see, Dahua¡¯s soldiers trudged through the damp air, step by weary step on the road back home.


    They were very depressed because they had finally made it past South Wind Pass through Li Family Village, and then from Li Family Village to Xicong.


    Along the way, they truly suffered: the constant drizzle meant they could only cover a few kilometers each day, mired in mud, severely tormenting the feet of Dahua¡¯s army.


    It¡¯s already been mentioned that this kind of weather is very unfriendly to the soldiers¡¯ feet; wet boots would lead to foot rot, and the soldiers were widely afflicted with athlete¡¯s foot. Cross-infections of fungi could be so severe they were intolerable.


    Thus, the march from South Wind Pass to Xicong was extremely slow. The soldiers grumbled, and the officers were just as miserable.


    Compared to the well-equipped Tang Army, Dahua¡¯s troops were worse off in the details and gear; they didn¡¯t have enough rainproof equipment. The quality of the raincoats was poor, and almost half of the people didn¡¯t even have such gear.


    Those without had to make do with traditional straw coats and leather, but they would end up drenched as they walked along the road.


    ...


    The flu was rampant among the troops. If they hadn¡¯t purchased some medical preparations from Great Tang, Dahua¡¯s military might have collapsed by this point.


    Even so, the consumption of medicines was huge; military doctors were busy all day soothing those unlucky enough to be coughing and feverish.


    It wasn¡¯t until this point that Dahua¡¯s troops, gathered to advance on Xicong, remembered they were here to fight a war.


    But they hadn¡¯t yet seen the enemy from Great Tang, and they were already close to annihilating themselves. Just as these troops were impatiently waiting to vent their frustration on the Tang people at Xicong, they received the retreat orders...


    Qian Jinhang didn¡¯t even know how to bring up the matter to these troops. They had trudged so far through the rain, only to have to turn back without having fired a single shot.


    For everyone, this was devastating news. Thus, after pacifying the soldiers¡¯ emotions for over a day, these troops that had received the order to return to defense began to march back painfully slowly.


    Because of the rain, the tents were almost completely soaked. Most of the white canvas, coated with water-resistant tung oil, was about to lose its waterproof effectiveness.


    The heavy items were piled haphazardly on the wagons, and the soldiers looked up at the gray sky, helplessly taking steps once again.


    Their shoes were wrapped in mud. The supply convoy had repeatedly crushed the soil, and the road they had come by was now very muddy.


    The soldiers marched with deep and shallow steps, occasionally seeing a group crowded in the middle of the road, collectively pushing a wagon stuck in the mud under a chorus of chants.


    Among the soldiers crowded on the road were cannons of various calibers. These were all valuable assets of the troops, not to be abandoned lightly.


    So, while moving along, soldiers had to continually stop to help push these heavy lumps of iron out of the mud pits, which meant the pace of the troops could be described as crawling.


    They moved across the ground as slowly as turtles, and having barely covered a few miles, they¡¯d again have to consider the matter of encampment¡ªalthough they had only just left the previous camp a few hours before, they now had to find a relatively dry spot to camp and settle again.


    This is why they had been marching for so many days, and the Tang Army had already taken Tengyun, yet they had only just reached Li Family Village.


    There was no choice, for morale had been worn down to near breaking point by the continuous march, and even Dahua¡¯s commanders did not dare to forcefully prod these volatile soldiers on the verge of explosion.


    ¡°Li Family Village is up ahead, the vanguard has already passed there... With roughly two more days, we should be able to return to South Wind Pass,¡± a commander stated from a high ground, overlooking his troops.


    Like a giant serpent, his troops twisted along the road, with encampments covering both sides of the land, filled with endless wagons, vehicles, and artillery.


    ¡°The road will soon be easy to travel. Didn¡¯t they keep saying they were working on it, laying stones from South Wind Pass all the way to Li Family Village?¡± another officer reminded himself, comforted by the previous telegrams.


    ¡°What took them so long?¡± the leading Dahua commander snorted coldly, clearly very dissatisfied with the Engineer Corps.


    This road should have been fixed long ago; at least some stones could have been laid to facilitate troop movements. Enhancing supply efficiency could have made things easier on the front, couldn¡¯t it?


    But due to rainfall and the situation of the war, the plan to repair this road had clearly been delayed. It had only recently been worked on, barely reaching near Li Family Village.


    ¡°`


    However, they had also reached Li Family Village, and the roads ahead were all in good condition, which was undoubtedly good news for the Dahua troops.


    This meant they could quickly make their way back to South Wind Pass, where they could enter the city, at least enjoy several hot meals, and stay in houses with roofs for a few days, giving the troops a chance to properly rest and recuperate.


    As for the threat of the Tang Army advancing south towards South Wind Pass, in the eyes of the retreating Dahua military commanders, it wasn¡¯t considered a significant concern.


    After all, once they reached South Wind Pass, with more than 200,000 soldiers stationed at the fortified supply transfer station, the Tang Army would likely have no quick solution to overcome them.


    ¡°I wonder how General Ding Hong is doing. He should have no problem holding for two days, right?¡± the leading commander asked, with his hands behind his back as he breathed in the damp air.


    It had rained only a little over the past two days, and the weather was generally not bad, which at least didn¡¯t pose any obstacles to marching. It was certainly much better than a downpour.


    Although clear weather was not particularly good news for the overall military situation, it was obviously still a positive for the retreating Dahua troops.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the previous telegram mentioned that General Ding Hong has at least 50,000 soldiers at his command; holding for two or three days should pose no problem,¡± a general beside him confidently stated.


    Never mind that the Tang Army had traveled a long distance with few in numbers, even if they also had 50,000 soldiers, the Dahua troops, relying on permanent fortifications, should be able to hold out for two or three days with confidence.


    ¡°Moreover, didn¡¯t Ding Hong just send a telegram a few hours ago saying that he had repelled another Tang Army attack? The outer defense line of South Wind Pass is still intact and as solid as gold soup, right?¡± the general added afterward.


    ¡°The situation on the battlefield changes rapidly; we still need to be cautious,¡± the leading general said worriedly. He couldn¡¯t put his finger on what might go wrong, but he was always concerned that something would.


    This feeling could be described as a sixth sense or intuition, much like the rats that sense the silence before a ship sinks, or a wife, suspicious of her husband¡¯s infidelity...


    While the two were talking, a fast horse galloped from the road behind, with the rider shouting loudly, ignoring the cursing soldiers on the road, and charging through the crowd without slowing down.


    The soldiers walking on the road quickly made way, but soon the rider charged off the road and toward the high ground where they stood.


    That rider was whipping his horse incessantly, and it wasn¡¯t until right in front of the hillside, when he encountered the guard troops, that he dismounted.


    Staggering up to the high ground, he arrived in front of several generals, breathless, and pointed in the direction of Li Family Village, speaking in a low, mournful voice, ¡°Bad news! The Tang Army! The Tang Army is coming!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the general who came up to support the courier was startled by the news, nearly dropping the messenger to the ground.


    The courier stumbled, lifted his head, and mournfully repeated, ¡°Bad news! The Tang Army is coming! They¡¯ve already reached Li Family Village! They¡¯re at Li Family Village now!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! How could the Tang Army possibly be at Li Family Village!¡± the leading general said sternly, rebuking the other.


    In defense, the rider quickly pleaded, ¡°General! I am a messenger from the 1st Regiment of the 204th Division of the vanguard... We had just arrived at Li Family Village when we discovered tanks from the Tang Army within the village. Then the fighting began, and the entire 1st Regiment was routed; more than half of the 204th Division¡¯s headquarters was gone. I was ordered to bring this message!¡±


    The courier articulated the situation clearly and concisely, providing such a detailed account of the battle that the generals had no choice but to believe that an unexpected Tang Army force had indeed appeared in Li Family Village.


    ¡°A tank unit... this... it can¡¯t be that the Tang Army outflanked us from both wings and has surrounded us, can it?¡± one general furrowed his brow, contemplating a possibility.


    ¡°There have been no reports from the northern forces. It seems unlikely...¡± another general immediately objected. However, his tone lacked conviction, and his voice faded as he spoke.


    But soon another possibility was raised, ¡°Could it be that something went wrong at South Wind Pass? If the Tang Army came from South Wind Pass, that would be bad news.¡±


    At this suggestion, many turned pale with fear: if South Wind Pass was truly lost, their situation would be dire. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be, how could Ding Hong lose South Wind Pass?¡±


    Elsewhere, the leading general was frowning, gazing in the direction of Li Family Village¡ªhe no longer wished to guess whether South Wind Pass had fallen or whether the Tang forces from behind had caught up from the flanks.


    Because these issues were no longer important, what consumed his mind now was: where should these nearly 200,000 troops of his go?


    Without the solid fortifications of South Wind Pass, or even much tank cover, how could they face an attack from the Tang Army in this wilderness?


    ¡°`

 Chapter 772 772 731 to fight again at Li Family Village

    ?Chapter 772: 731 to fight again at Li Family Village Chapter 772: 731 to fight again at Li Family Village ¡°No matter what, we can¡¯t hold out. We must take Li Family Village! Only by continuing west to South Wind Pass do we have a chance at survival!¡± Quickly, the leading general of the Dahua military grasped the critical nature of the situation.


    If we have our troops set up camp immediately, holding out in the open field, perhaps the entire unit won¡¯t fall into disarray, but what follows would be troublesome.


    From every aspect, it seemed they were encircled in the same pocket as Dahua¡¯s troops from Xicong. It would be foolish to return to Xicong through the original route, for that was clearly a dead end; they must break through!


    There was no choice in the direction of the breakout¡ªit had to be Li Family Village! Taking Li Family Village and fighting their way back to South Wind Pass was their only option.


    ¡°General! This... this... How are we going to fight this?¡± A general wore a troubled expression, spreading his hands and asking dejectedly.


    They all knew the state of their own troops, which had been full of complaints all the way and whose morale was already on the verge of collapse. Returning to South Wind Pass might restore some spirits, but to fight a battle in a place like this, the troops might as well disband themselves.


    ¡°Gather the elite! Each unit must pick the best to lead the charge! We cannot shrink back! We can only give it our all to take down Li Family Village! To carve out a lifeline for ourselves!¡± The leading general of the Dahua military clenched his fist, loudly encouraging everyone.


    ...


    ¡°With every step we take backward, we move further away from our country! Once truly surrounded, those hundreds of thousands of troops would be beyond redemption!¡± The more he spoke the quieter the surroundings became, and through his guidance, everyone saw the rationale.


    If they broke through, they would have a chance at life, but without a breakthrough, wouldn¡¯t they just be trapped within the borders of Tang Country?


    What was even more frightening, they didn¡¯t even have time to stop for a rest, to regroup their forces: because with every moment of delay, the Tang army stationed at Li Family Village could grow stronger.


    ¡°General! I will go to the 204th Division and take a look right away! Immediately organize our forces for the assault! No matter what, we must recapture Li Family Village!¡± A general volunteered, ready to supervise the frontline battle and quickly take back Li Family Village from the Tang army¡¯s occupation.


    As he spoke, the Tang army¡¯s commander in Li Family Village had already ordered tanks to roll out of the village, continuing to strike eastward against the Dahua troops.


    Throughout their advance, they had almost encountered no resistance, only completely annihilating less than two platoons of the enemy¡¯s garrison in Li Family Village.


    And before they could send out their own scouts to continue pressing eastward, they ran into the vanguard of the Dahua¡¯s retreating troops: the 1st Battalion of the 204th Division.


    As a result, fierce battles broke out within the village, and the Tang vanguard quickly overpowered the vanguard of the Dahua forces, driving them out of the village.


    Because the battle ended so quickly, the routed battalion of Dahua forces couldn¡¯t discern the true scale of the Tang army.


    Based on the Dahua forces¡¯ experience, they believed the Tang forces here comprised at most an armored battalion with dozens of tanks.


    But what they didn¡¯t know was that the Tang forces here consisted of a tank regiment, along with a reinforced mechanized infantry regiment, an artillery battalion, and an additional armored reconnaissance battalion.


    In effect, the Tang forces behind Li Family Village amounted to roughly a division¡¯s worth of troops, and additionally, more forces were gradually converging on this area.


    After all, the Tang army was also preparing to launch an offensive, so a substantial force had been assembled. With such a commanding numerical advantage, the Tang commander naturally wouldn¡¯t wait within Li Family Village for the enemy to come knocking; his mission was to strike first!


    Hence, after meeting the Dahua vanguard head-on, the Tang army immediately went beyond the barrier of Li Family Village to deploy their forces in the more spacious area behind it.


    Then these tanks, covered by armored cars and wheeled armored reconnaissance vehicles from the armored reconnaissance battalion, charged headlong into the Dahua forces, who hadn¡¯t yet realized what was happening.


    These Dahua forces were still on the move, having just received orders to halt and rest aimlessly on the road when they saw the Tang tanks advancing along the highway, like lambs witnessing their doom.


    The huge bodies of the enemy tanks rolled over the crowded masses, their coaxial machine guns ceaselessly strafing, taking down the gathered Dahua soldiers who were too late to flee.


    Disturbance arose among the attacked, while those behind remained unaware of what was happening. The soldiers, who¡¯d been complaining about marching in the rain, were soon exposed to the harsher realities of war.


    ¡°Run! The Tang forces are coming!¡± Finally, the situation couldn¡¯t be concealed any longer; someone screamed in alarm, shoving others and bolting down the embankment.


    Beneath the embankment was the Dahua force, which had just started making camp and preparing meals¡ªthis was also a method of encamping when the army was on the move.


    What was originally a clever anticipation of tasks had now turned into a sheer disaster.


    The routed soldiers began to crash into the campsites, while from the other end, Tang tanks rolled on, simultaneously crushing everything in their path.


    Some dizzy officers began to scurry away with their heads in their hands, as Tang¡¯s tanks rolled through like rhinoceroses plowing through dry brush.


    Dahua soldiers assaulting the camp trampled over each other, followed by grenades from the pursuing Tang tanks exploding amidst the crowd.


    Distant Dahua soldiers, upon seeing the explosion, immediately realized the danger, their first thought not of counterattack, but of fleeing in blind panic along with the routed.


    The Dahua military had lost all restraint, and officers could only flee alongside their disbanded units. In fact, they lacked the courage to stay behind, preferring to drift along with the current in such circumstances.


    From this moment, the whole situation spiraled out of control, which was why Tang commanders believed their forces could easily rout the Dahua troops in the open field.


    Armored corps, when attacking such mobile enemy forces, had a distinct advantage, much like cavalry. The scene was just like when the German Army came across the hastily mobilized French forces in the outdoors during Operation Barbarossa in World War II.


    A great number of French troops could only surrender, for they could neither outrun nor outfight the tanks...


    It was the same now, with vast numbers of Dahua troops casting aside their armor and weapons in their disarray, countless men kneeling in the mud, hands raised in surrender.


    Because there were so many, even the Tang Army didn¡¯t bother to stop and look at these surrendering Dahua troops, leaving just a few men to guard these enemies who had long lost the will to fight, while the rest followed the tanks and armored vehicles surging forward.


    Standing on the high ground, a commanding officer of the Dahua forces painfully closed his eyes, for he had just ordered the deployment of troops to recapture Li Family Village when Tang¡¯s onslaught threw all his plans into disarray.


    What drove him to despair was that, seeing the scale of Tang¡¯s attack, this was not a minor unit but a main force of the Tang Army.


    Seeing over a hundred tanks and armored reconnaissance vehicles appearing on the battlefield at the same time, he knew he was finished, everything was over.


    ¡°General...¡± his adjutant, with a choked voice, looked to his superior and pleaded, ¡°We must leave now! There¡¯s still a chance in the chaos of battle.¡±


    ¡°Leave? Where to?¡± The leading officer laughed bitterly, ¡°Even if we leave today, where can we go? Retreat to Xicong? To live for two more days, what¡¯s the use?¡±


    His string of questions left his adjutant speechless. Thus, in greater sorrow, he waved his hand dismissively and said, ¡°You go! Return to Xicong... I¡¯m not going anywhere. I¡¯m staying right here.¡±


    As he spoke, he pulled out the pistol from his waist and, to everyone¡¯s shock, pointed the barrel at his own head.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A gunshot rang out, and the blood-streaked pistol fell into the mud next to a pair of mud-caked military boots. Then the boots wobbled and, along with their owner, toppled over.


    Watching his superior commit suicide, the adjutant froze for a moment, then, ignoring the body in the mud, turned and ran toward the distance.


    Leaderless warhorses neighed non-stop in the sound of artillery, abandoned cannons lay aside, and ammo boxes from overturned carriages were strewn everywhere.


    The 150mm caliber howitzers, painstakingly accumulated and manufactured from various places, were now of no interest to anyone.


    The Tang forces that emerged from Li Family Village plunged into the heart of the Dahua troops like a sharp knife, melting away any Dahua force they encountered as easily as a hot knife through butter.


    The flanking Dahua troops began to disband, those near the center surrendered in large numbers, and the entire battlefield was filled with howls and shrieks, a scene of utter carnage everywhere.


    Soldiers whose feet were stuck in the mud did not have time to escape before they were knocked down by oncoming tank treads, crushed into the muck, flattened into meat patties.


    Blood mingled with the muddy paths, turning practically the entire road blood-red. In the distance, in the fields, upturned tents were everywhere, bodies piled upon the embankment so densely that the original color of the earth was indiscernible.


    Soon, the tanks were rolling not over muddy paths but over bodies within the mire. Treads adorned with mud, the mud mingled with fresh blood, and the blood in turn wrapped with mud.


    Once again, a light rain began to fall from the sky, as if weeping for the tens of thousands of scattered souls. Among the rain, cries and sounds of gunfire were shrouded in a misty haze, everything becoming surreal as if it were a silent film slowly fading away.


    By the time the remnants of this two hundred thousand-strong force retreated back to Xicong, there were no more than fifty thousand left, and all this would happen days later. Now, the Dahua senior commanders were still unaware of the defeat at Li Family Village.


    At this time, Qian Jinhang was still sound asleep, and Ding Hong at South Wind Pass was equally dreaming sweet dreams. In his dream, Ding Hong saw the return of the two hundred thousand-strong army to South Wind Pass, and at that time, he became the hero of the entire Dahua Empire.


    It was he who saved the disastrous situation in the southeast, he who held the vital southern oil fields. Returned to the Imperial Capital, he sat on an equal footing with General Feng Kezhi, and even Shen Chuan would have to address him as Great General!

 Chapter 773 773 Alternate Dimension Paulus 732

    ?Chapter 773: Alternate Dimension Paulus 732 Chapter 773: Alternate Dimension Paulus 732 No matter how beautiful a dream is, eventually, one must wake up. Ding Hong was awakened by an officer who had rushed over in a hurry, and he was quite reluctant to be roused from sleep. However, as soon as he heard the voice of the other party, he lost any trace of sleepiness.


    ¡°My lord! My lord! Disaster! It¡¯s a disaster! The Tang Army has crushed our reinforcing troops; we¡¯re finished!¡± The officer who had come to deliver the message was nearly in tears, and it took him tremendous effort to convey his words completely.


    In fact, it¡¯s not surprising that he was so frightened. Anyone who heard the news that an army of two hundred thousand had been defeated would lose their composure.


    On one hand, that was two hundred thousand reinforcements¡ªhaving one¡¯s own reinforcements crushed by the enemy meant they were now utterly isolated. Who could remain calm at such a time? It was natural to feel utterly despairing, right?


    On the other hand, that was an army of two hundred thousand! If the outer enemy forces could defeat an army that large, then surely defeating their fifty thousand would be a piece of cake for them. What were they to do?


    Before going to sleep, Ding Hong had sent a telegram claiming that he had thwarted the Tang Army¡¯s attack at South Wind Pass, but anyone who had experienced that battle knew what really happened.


    ¡°What did you say! Say it again!¡± Ding Hong had just gotten out of bed and was still a bit dazed. He thought he had heard wrongly, so he asked the officer to report again.


    ...


    Truth be told, listening to such a report again during such times was torture, but the officer faithfully fulfilled Ding Hong¡¯s wish, ¡°My lord, it¡¯s bad news! The Tang Army has crushed our reinforcements; we now... can only rely on ourselves!¡±


    Hearing his subordinate speak thus, Ding Hong shivered and then he suddenly stood up, moving quickly toward his command post, ¡°Impossible! This cannot be! This cannot be!¡±


    Almost at the same time, having received the news, Qian Jinhang also rose from his bed. He got up woodenly, then dressed and walked into the already crowded command post.


    It wasn¡¯t a very large room, with a map hung on the wall roughly marking the areas controlled by both military forces.


    Next to it was a large table covered with a larger-scale local map, showing the situation in the entire southern region.


    The officers who had learned of the news were standing there anxiously, waiting for their general to resolve the difficult issues they now faced.


    Qian Jinhang walked among them and then spoke with the response he had contemplated all along, ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t panic. I have heard the news, but the situation is not as bad as you all think.¡±


    As a veteran general, he certainly knew what kind of end awaited them if the situation collapsed.


    So, he had to stabilize these commanders. Only if they believed that there was still hope, could he keep the situation stable and have them continue holding out at Xicong.


    ¡°Listen to me!¡± Seeing that some were still very anxious, Qian Jinhang continued to speak reassuringly, ¡°I¡¯m serious, the situation is not as bad as everyone imagines, so listen to me explain.¡±


    Once everyone gradually calmed down, Qian Jinhang continued, ¡°Although the Tang Army has defeated our reinforcing troops, I actually believe that they are unlikely to have taken South Wind Pass.¡±


    ¡°If they had taken South Wind Pass, then there would be no need to advance further to Li Family Village. They could simply wait at ease at South Wind Pass for our troops to run into trouble,¡± Qian Jinhang explained clearly, which restored some sanity to the anxious crowd.


    ¡°Furthermore! The defeated army of two hundred thousand didn¡¯t actually suffer significant losses.¡± Qian Jinhang then spoke about the defeated troops, ¡°Once we regroup, at most we will have lost tens of thousands of soldiers, the rest have just been scattered in the chaos, unable to regroup, that¡¯s all.¡±


    These were his conjectures, and indeed he guessed a part of the situation correctly. The Tang Army had not taken South Wind Pass, and this was something he had got right.


    ¡°After taking Tengyun, Ding Hong will definitely regroup his troops, mainly deploying defenses at South Wind Pass. It¡¯s the inevitable choice because we cannot afford to lose South Wind Pass! However, such an arrangement will deplete the surrounding troops, allowing the Tang Army free passage, which is why they bypassed South Wind Pass and appeared at Li Family Village,¡± Qian Jinhang felt more convinced by his own reasoning, which also clarified his thoughts.


    ¡°So we still have a chance!¡± He affirmed his tone and said to his subordinates, ¡°Even though it seems like the Tang Army has surrounded us, we still have a chance!¡±


    Actually, in Qian Jinhang¡¯s hands, besides the infantry attacking Xicong, there was a significant portion of the Armored Corps ready to rush toward the Si Shui region after the Xicong campaign concluded.


    In other words, the Dahua military forces in the Xicong region actually had quite a few armored units. Now, if Qian Jinhang was willing to commit these armored units and turn their spearheads towards Li Family Village, he still had a great chance to break through.


    At least, that¡¯s what he believed.


    But what he didn¡¯t know was that the Tang Army had deployed an armored division to Li Family Village, specifically the elite 2nd Armored Division.


    With this force holding the fort, it was unlikely that Dahua¡¯s military could break through the Tang Army¡¯s defenses. The main reason for Qian Jinhang¡¯s misjudgment was his lack of understanding of the true strength of the Tang forces.


    Of course, even if Qian Jinhang knew that the Tang Army had indeed encircled his troops, he had to keep speaking tough.


    Otherwise, what could he say? Could he tell his subordinates, ¡°Brothers, we¡¯re done for, the Tang Army has surrounded us, we can only wait for death, go back and write your last letters?¡±


    Don¡¯t joke around, even at the last moment, he had to keep deceiving, not only all his subordinates but also himself.


    In the eyes of this comparatively experienced senior commander, Dahua¡¯s military situation was actually very dire, and any decision was a risk.


    Some might think that breaking out was the most important thing at this time? But that¡¯s not really the case! Blindly mobilizing troops for a breakout is also very risky.


    If it were so easy to mobilize troops, like playing a game with the click of a mouse, then anyone could be a commander, right?


    Firstly, the troops supporting the encirclement from all sides cannot be easily withdrawn. These troops need to hold their ground and ensure the basic strategic depth of their side.


    At the same time, the most capable troops must be quickly drawn out and moved to the direction where the breakout is needed¡ªthis requires speed, yet it must be as secret as possible.


    Everyone understands the principle¡ªif one carelessly reveals the intention to breakout and escape, the actual combat strength of the troops supporting the encirclement will be known only to heaven.


    After quickly and secretly withdrawing the main force under the premise of maintaining secrecy, what follows is to have these forces choose the weakest direction of the enemy¡¯s encirclement to start the breakout. Whether they can win is another matter.


    In Qian Jinhang¡¯s situation, the actual battlefield was like this: Dahua¡¯s forces currently occupied half of Xicong, with many troops stationed in the city. In this weather, this was the best choice.


    To breakout, one had to expose a troop in the wilderness and engage in field battles with the Tang Army from Li Family Village. This was actually very disadvantageous because Dahua¡¯s combat effectiveness was noticeably weaker in field battles.


    Whether they could defeat the enemy was completely unknown, and Qian Jinhang himself was not sure, so he had to consider the outcome of a failed breakout.


    On the other hand, he now had no way to breakout: the roads leading to South Wind Pass were filled with fleeing soldiers, and it would take at least two days to gather them. How could his troops move along the crowded roads for combat without cleaning up these defeated troops?


    Moreover, he had just found out about the troops¡¯ defeat, and he still did not know what stance General Feng Kezhi or the Emperor had taken.


    As a commander of hundreds of thousands of troops, all he could actually do was wait: only after the people above made decisions could he carry out the next command and deployment.


    The simplest question: had the higher-ups told you to run? If General Feng Kezhi ordered him to continue aggressively attacking Xicong, but he abandoned Xicong and broke out early, then even if he led his troops to breakthrough successfully, he would still be considered a deserter, a criminal deserving of death.


    Another issue, if he abandoned Xicong and led his troops to breakout, the situation with hundreds of thousands of troops moving to the wilderness would be worse than staying put.


    This was an army of hundreds of thousands, consuming astronomical amounts of food daily. If he abandoned the city and camped in the wilderness, the mobility and self-sustenance would decline severely. By the time they reached Li Family Village, the situation would likely have changed drastically.


    So he could only wait here honestly, much like Marshal Paulus who waited in place for a month. His situation in Xicong compared to Paulus¡¯ was strikingly similar.


    They both had to consider the weather, while also facing pressure from domestic higher-ups. In short, they could not make flexible decisions about their own fate, but had to honestly wait for others to decide their life or death.


    However, after hearing their superior¡¯s explanation, many of Dahua¡¯s senior commanders calmed down.


    In their view, it was indeed true: they still had hundreds of thousands of troops, and there was no historical precedent for such a large number of forces being encircled.


    Therefore, many of them, after realizing the situation, were very optimistic. They believed that it would be very easy for hundreds of thousands of troops to breakout no matter what.


    But what they didn¡¯t know was that many details in Qian Jinhang¡¯s explanation were actually wrong. For instance, half of the defeated Dahua troops had become captives of the Tang Army. So, the forces returning to Xicong were not as numerous as they imagined.

 Chapter 774 774 733 good choice

    ?Chapter 774: 733 good choice Chapter 774: 733 good choice ¡°`


    In fact, for Qian Jinhang, waiting did not necessarily mean sitting ducks; just like commanders of armies that had been surrounded throughout history, being encircled did not necessarily mean waiting to die.


    Didn¡¯t the famed General Zhang, under the principal¡¯s command, prepare a grand play at Meng Lianggu, where they encircled the enemy on all sides and struck from the center?


    I don¡¯t break out, but aren¡¯t there rescue forces on the outside actively moving towards me? For Qian Jinhang, waiting a bit more for Ding Hong from South Wind Pass to come to his rescue was also a strategy, right?


    Unfortunately, at this moment, Ding Hong at South Wind Pass had no intention of recapturing Li Family Village or breaking through the encirclement.


    Different from Qian Jinhang, who was waiting for news in Xicong, Ding Hong at South Wind Pass was like an ant on a hot pot at this very moment, not knowing what to do.


    The situation he faced was different from Qian Jinhang¡¯s; he needed to solve a very real problem: Without reinforcements, how could he defend South Wind Pass?


    This was a very real problem, because the Tang Army¡¯s next target would definitely be his South Wind Pass!


    ...


    Although the capture of Li Family Village had already resulted in a complete encirclement of the Dahua forces near Xicong, and the Tang Army¡¯s 2nd Armored Division stationed near Li Family Village could receive supplies from both the south and north sides from within the Tang Country,


    this supply route was somewhat troublesome, but supplies didn¡¯t have to come through South Wind Pass, so not taking it was not an impossibility.


    However, whoever controlled South Wind Pass decided another issue: as the Tang Army continued to advance southwest to capture the crucial southern oil field areas, South Wind Pass was a must-fight-over location and a strategic bridgehead!


    So, whether it was surrounding the Dahua forces at Xicong or attacking South Wind Pass, they were all about the Tang Army going after the oil fields.


    Given this big picture, the Tang Army¡¯s attack on South Wind Pass was inevitable, and it would be foolish to engage in a war of attrition with the Dahua forces at Xicong, relying merely on the defense lines of Li Family Village.


    The best option for the Tang Army now was to strike here and occupy it while the Dahua forces were too slow to reinforce South Wind Pass, completely sealing the opening in the encirclement around Xicong, and seizing the essential route south to the southern oil fields.


    ¡°What to do, what to do?¡± Ding Hong, a bit at a loss, paced back and forth in his office, completely out of ideas.


    What he had relied on was the quickly approaching two hundred thousand troops to defend; with such supplies, defending a city could last at least a fortnight.


    By that time, other reinforcements from Dahua would have arrived long ago, and the Tang Army, struggling for so long under the city walls and running low on supplies, would have to retreat.


    But the current situation was that the Tang Army had defeated the closest Dahua reinforcements, and South Wind Pass had become a lonely city in a short period of time.


    Tens of thousands of troops might seem numerous, but in practice, they were insufficient for a battle: once the Tang Army¡¯s reinforcements arrived and the siege began, Ding Hong might very well have to either survive or perish with South Wind Pass...


    ¡°My lord, we still have fifty thousand troops here...¡± a general frowned and reminded his commander not to panic.


    In his view, South Wind Pass could still hold on and wait a few days to see how things unfolded: they had fifty thousand people here! The Tang Army had diverted part of its forces to occupy Li Family Village, and the remaining forces outside the city might not even be ten thousand.


    In the past, Dahua¡¯s temperament would have meant the fifty thousand defenders inside the city might have sallied forth and fought the ten thousand enemies outside, to see who was to be feared.


    Now, fifty thousand troops hunkering down within the city, being surrounded by a little over ten thousand, would be embarrassing enough to talk about, and yet the defending commander was being frightened into such disarray by the enemy¡ªit was simply a disgrace!


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand a damn thing! The Tang Army has already surrounded South Wind Pass on three sides! With such a passive situation, what can fifty thousand troops do?¡± Ding Hong cut off his words sharply and reprimanded loudly.


    After Han Zhiyuan¡¯s death, he had been in charge of commanding the Dahua military forces in the southeast region, gathering stragglers and arranging defense lines and actually possessed a certain capability.


    However, despite all his maneuvers, he had a very clear understanding of the combat effectiveness of the Tang Army. He knew exactly how formidable the Tang Army was, better than anyone else.


    Those generals who thought they could engage in a war of attrition with the Tang Army using the complex urban terrain had never seen the real Tang Army. Would the Tang Army not fight street battles? What a joke.


    The Tang Army was actually very proficient at urban warfare, you know? Those who said the Tang Army couldn¡¯t handle street fights were simply intimidated by the Tang Army¡¯s armored corps!


    In fact, when the Tang Army was first established and had no tanks, they trained for street fighting and jungle warfare. The Tang Army¡¯s experience in complex terrain warfare, that¡¯s the Ancestor of all military forces in the world!


    ¡°`


    It was simply because the Tang Army¡¯s armored corps and air force, combined in dazzling blitzkrieg operations, overshadowed the Tang Army¡¯s infantry, who were adept in urban combat and mountain warfare.


    The Tang Army, then known as the Great Tang¡¯s Security Forces, got their start in Vicious Forest by engaging bandits in rough terrain, which cultivated their tough foundation. Later, the officers who trained daily in urban combat at the Great Tang Military Academy were all trained by the Tang Princess Yulin, one shot at a time.


    It¡¯s true to say that the Tang Army took casualties into account during urban combat, but to say that the Tang Army didn¡¯t know how to fight in cities would be a joke.


    To put it bluntly, the Dahua military was actually less adept at urban warfare! When the Tang Army really got tough, how long did Han Zhiyuan¡¯s troops last in Wangchun City? Sorry, but they couldn¡¯t even hold out for a day before being decimated by the Tang Army¡¯s urban assault team!


    Although he had successfully halted the advance of the Tang Army on the outskirts just over a day ago, the loss report kept him awake with irritability through the night.


    His troops had been in the rain for a day, and upon their return, some had fevers and others caught colds. Along with the soldiers who died, he had lost over 2,000 men in the small village outside the city in one go.


    Although this number might not seem large at a glance, it was actually quite significant: Most of the Dahua troops stationed at South Wind Pass were assembled from local forces on short notice, and few were battle-worthy. Thus, the loss of 2,000 capable troops was particularly painful for Ding Hong.


    ¡°This general is not talented! I¡¯m willing to relieve you of your worries, General!¡± the somewhat simple-looking officer bowed his head and volunteered a plan, ¡°I¡¯m willing to lead an elite force of 5,000 to the east for a counter-attack and recapture Li Family Village, thereby restoring contact with General Qian Jinhang!¡±


    In his view, at this very moment, there must be very few Tang Army soldiers in Li Family Village, and if he led 5,000 elites there, it would be akin to achieving victory the moment they arrived, as easy as flipping one¡¯s hand over.


    Once he rescued Qian Jinhang and led his troops back to South Wind Pass, wouldn¡¯t he become a national hero, a famous general of his time? At the thought, this obscure junior officer couldn¡¯t help but feel smug.


    Hearing the other party wanted 5,000 men, Ding Hong almost swung his arm around to slap this idiot. The forces at South Wind Pass were already stretched thin, and if you were to take away another 5,000, what would I even have left to defend?


    However, just as he was about to raise his hand, he immediately restrained himself: If the other party could indeed find triumph amidst chaos and recapture Li Family Village... wouldn¡¯t that truly turn the tide of the war?


    In war, isn¡¯t it all about probing for weaknesses? Who could ensure that the Tang Army was really seeking fortune amidst danger and had only sent a few troops to Li Family Village as a bluff?


    If he really managed to recapture Li Family Village, wouldn¡¯t Qian Jinhang¡¯s large forces be revived? At that thought, Ding Hong... Hmm, the position of Great General seemed to be within reach once again.


    With this in mind, Ding Hong¡¯s expression changed, and he turned to the junior officer, squeezing out a smile, ¡°Excellent! With such courage, I am reassured! For the Empire, for His Majesty the Emperor! I will give you 5,000 elite troops, and order you to recapture Li Family Village and reestablish contact between our military and General Qian Jinhang!¡±


    Upon hearing Ding Hong say this, the officer was overjoyed and immediately promised, ¡°Please rest assured, General! I will definitely recapture Li Family Village. If I fail, I will present my head to you!¡±


    Once the officer left Ding Hong¡¯s command post with an entire division of troops, Ding Hong immediately summoned his confidant.


    He needed a backup plan. Sending the officer to attack Li Family Village was partly because Ding Hong harbored the thought of taking a risk, and partly to send out the uncontrollable main fighters and troops from the city.


    What remained were some nearby stragglers and Ding Hong¡¯s own direct division, who were easy to talk to.


    After whispering a few words to his confidant, Ding Hong¡¯s confidant left South Wind Pass with his orders. Approaching Redman¡¯s camp under a white flag, he relayed Ding Hong¡¯s willingness to negotiate a surrender and hand over South Wind Pass to Redman.


    As a result, that day brought clear weather, and Tang Army reconnaissance planes and patrol fighters could be seen all around South Wind Pass.


    The 5,000 troops sent to stealthily attack Li Family Village from South Wind Pass were bombed by the Tang Country¡¯s air force en route. When they reached Li Family Village, they were met by more than 100 Tang Army tanks and over 2,000 grenadiers.


    The combat strength of the two sides was not at all on the same level, and in just over an hour, this force was completely annihilated within the encirclement to the west of Li Family Village, their losses substantial.


    The Dahua officer, who had been confident he could retake Li Family Village, ultimately fulfilled half his promise: indeed, he no longer had a head, but certainly couldn¡¯t bring it back to see Ding Hong.


    That night, Ding Hong learned that the 5,000-strong force had been entirely wiped out at Li Family Village. At this point, he had less than 42,000 troops left in his hands.


    Of these troops, aside from the 5,000 he brought with him and another 5,000 pulled from Tengyun who were combat-worthy, the rest were hastily assembled second-tier forces.


    After a night of contemplation, or rather a night spent wrestling with his thoughts, Ding Hong gave the order early the next morning to lay down arms, surrender to the Tang Army, and hand over South Wind Pass.


    Then, under the complex gazes of the Dahua soldiers, the Tang Army began to enter South Wind Pass.

 Chapter 775 775 734 Varieties of South Wind Pass

    ?Chapter 775: 734 Varieties of South Wind Pass Chapter 775: 734 Varieties of South Wind Pass Sometimes, events are ironically dramatic, and it was such a day at South Wind Pass, where a series of small, ridiculous yet poignant stories unfolded, each more fascinating than the last.


    First off, a Dahua General Staff officer was going through the files at South Wind Pass and noticed the still-operational telegraph room, where a Dahua military officer had just received a telegram from the Imperial Capital.


    The Tang Army staff officer was extremely surprised, as he was unaware that the Dahua garrison¡¯s own telegraph machine was still in use. So, he took the telegram from the surrendered, oddly-composed Dahua officer and read the contents.


    The message was filled with irony, as it was personally sent by General Feng Kezhi. The telegram ordered Ding Hong to stay at his post without making any judgment, simply to hold South Wind Pass at all costs.


    The telegram also stated that he would command Qian Jinhang to break through the encirclement, which would shift the pressure of the Tang Army to the east side of Li Family Village, making South Wind Pass much safer... If Ding Hong could hold South Wind Pass, that would be a great achievement.


    Unfortunately for General Feng Kezhi, who had promised to secure South Wind Pass, the pass had already surrendered. Ding Hong got his wish, receiving 100,000 Gold Coins, and was now sitting in a car heading north to Tengyun, humming a song and looking at the cheque while fantasizing about his future happy life.


    This was no small sum of money, but Redman was more than willing to compensate Ding Hong for sacrificing South Wind Pass: Ding Hong¡¯s entire family was still in the Imperial Capital, and it was likely that they would never again enjoy any glory or wealth.


    ...


    Of course, for the overall war situation, Redman and Tang Mo both felt that spending a mere 100,000 Gold Coins to resolve the issue of South Wind Pass was very worthwhile.


    At the very least, being able to take South Wind Pass without bloodshed meant all of Tang Army¡¯s strategic objectives had been met. As long as they sent a small force towards the southern oil fields while encircling Qian Jinhang¡¯s forces, all problems could be resolved.


    After seeing the telegram, Redman, after consulting with Tang Mo, graciously replied with another telegram, stating the fact that South Wind Pass was now under the control of the Tang Army.


    In fact, after his own telegram vanished without a trace, General Feng Kezhi guessed a bit of the truth and even ordered the entire military to change the encryption codes.


    Just as the Dahua troops were frantically changing their codes, General Feng Kezhi received a telegram from his adversary. Redman personally sent a telegram to Feng Kezhi, informing him that he had taken South Wind Pass.


    Afterwards, Feng Kezhi replied to Redman¡¯s telegram with great sportsmanship, only sending two words: ¡°Congratulations.¡±


    However, it turned out that Feng Kezhi¡¯s sportsmanship was only superficial: less than 20 seconds after sending his ¡°congratulations¡± reply to Redman, he telegraphed orders for the southern oil field garrison to destroy all production facilities.


    Unfortunately, by this point in the war, anyone with clear eyes could see that the Tang Army had gained the upper hand.


    If they didn¡¯t carve out more options and prepare more bargaining chips for themselves, wouldn¡¯t that be foolish? Therefore, the deputy commander of the Dahua forces stationed at the southern oil fields initiated a mutiny, killed the commander intent on executing Feng Kezhi¡¯s orders, and sent out a messenger to surrender.


    Of course, that was all later; Redman, still basking in the joy of capturing South Wind Pass, was unaware of the fact that the southern oil fields had decided to surrender.


    Moreover, taking South Wind Pass didn¡¯t go as smoothly as imagined. Although the majority of the Dahua troops had laid down their arms and did not resist, intense battles did occur in some local areas.


    ¡°My Dahua Empire ought to have some who will prove with their lives that His Majesty the Emperor has loyal warriors and our nation has unyielding people!¡± an officer at the entrance to a military camp refused to surrender his weapons as the Tang Army prepared to take control of the garrison.


    The opposing officer firmly explained his choice, with no intention of a sneak attack. He shooed away the Tang soldiers who had come to take over, and when the Tang Army appeared again, he ordered two warning shots to be fired.


    Subsequently, a battle erupted in the city. The Tang troops launched a fierce attack, quickly breaching the defense line of this Dahua force.


    After more than an hour of fierce fighting, just as the defenders were about to be annihilated by the Tang Army, they set the ammunition depot ablaze, sending a tenth of Dahua¡¯s stockpiled ammunition at South Wind Pass into the sky.


    The explosion was horrific, and the surrounding Tang Army suffered significant losses, with at least a hundred dead, and the Dahua troops around the ammunition depot were almost entirely wiped out.


    After the dust settled, approximately 700 Dahua soldiers who refused to surrender died in the battle. The explosion destroyed a large part of the city, reducing the surrounding area to ruins.


    The greatest loss, however, was to the local civilians. At least 2,000 people died or were injured in the blast, and tens of thousands were left homeless.


    This incident proved that there were indeed courageous fighters among the Dahua troops; these mid-level officers couldn¡¯t determine their own fate, but they would make their own choices.


    It wasn¡¯t that the Dahua forces had stockpiled all their munitions in the city, but rather that there was such an abundance of ammunition and military equipment at South Wind Pass, it was unimaginable, so materials and munitions were everywhere.


    Stretched from the train station all the way to the city¡¯s outskirts, South Wind Pass had stockpiled over a million artillery shells of various types, along with at least a thousand cannons of different models.


    To deal with the possible appearance of the Tang Army¡¯s air force, the entire city, from the suburbs to the urban areas, had deployed over a thousand anti-aircraft soldiers and scattered more than a hundred anti-aircraft guns wherever there was space.


    Most of these anti-aircraft guns were advanced new models, some of which the Tang Army had never seen before, ranging from 50 millimeters in caliber to the larger 76 millimeters, and even up to the sizable 100 millimeters.


    Of course, there were also several hundred thousand tons of food for the army: this might be one of the greatest gains for the Tang Army from capturing South Wind Pass¡ªit was, after all, enough to feed Dahua¡¯s million-strong military for more than a dozen days.


    It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that even in the Great Tang State, which was not short of food, such a quantity of supplies would be considered a staggering asset.


    If one were to include bedding, clothing, tents, rain gear, vehicles, tanks, fuel, spare parts... then the total materials stockpiled within South Wind Pass amounted to an astronomical figure.


    Initially, these supplies were meant to be transported to Xicong to support Qian Jinhang¡¯s offensive. But as the Tang Army closed in, the transport of supplies was forced to halt, and everything ended up stockpiled at South Wind Pass.


    Having lost this support, one can only imagine just how dire the situation had become for Qian Jinhang, now stuck defending Xicong.


    Another battle erupted near the train station, as the Dahua troops stationed there tried to escape by train. However, their escape routes were quickly blocked, leading to an intense firefight with the Tang Army¡¯s tanks.


    A battalion of over five hundred Dahua soldiers fought to the last moment. A train was destroyed on the tracks, and the clothes and bedding piled up at the station were set ablaze in a hopeless act by the defending force.


    The fire continued to burn, disrupting the use of the train station, and the thick black smoke that rose engulfed half of South Wind Pass. The choking smell permeated the city, and it didn¡¯t disperse for three days.


    If one were to consider it from a strategic perspective, this battalion of Dahua soldiers had created the greatest obstruction possible for the Tang Army with their sacrifice.


    They wasted more than two days of the Tang Army¡¯s time putting out the fire, preventing their use of the South Wind Pass train station, delaying the Tang Army¡¯s transport and movements, and also buying precious response time for the defense of the southern oil fields.


    Regrettably, during the time they had bought, the besieged troops in Xicong didn¡¯t break through towards Li Family Village, and the defenders of the southern oil fields didn¡¯t set the oil fields ablaze like they had.


    The sturdy defensive fortifications were of no use; the concrete dugouts, the stretched barbed wire, and the concealed bunkers were all handed over intact to the Tang Army.


    The soldiers of the Dahua troops stationed in these fortifications all laid down their weapons, and the mountains of ammunition, wrapping still unbroken, just piled up in the ammunition depots, even watched over by guards.


    The inventory of piled-up materials took dozens of Tang Army staff officers, along with their secretaries and clerks, a whole day to sort and they barely managed to account for an approximate total. The complex and chaotic documents were so numerous, they couldn¡¯t even fit into several rooms.


    The Dahua official in charge of these files, the Left Supervisor of the Ministry of Soldiers, committed suicide by swallowing his gun in his own office: he was completely unaware of Ding Hong¡¯s surrender when the news came that the Tang Army had already entered the city.


    This desperate Dahua high-ranking official didn¡¯t even have the time to escape, and ultimately, for the sake of his family, he chose a dignified end. At least his family in the Imperial Capital would have a chance to survive, not everyone was as cold and heartless as Ding Hong.


    General Feng Kezhi helplessly arrived at the Imperial Palace by car, then reported the worsening situation in the south to Emperor Zhao Kai, ¡°Your Majesty! I just received the news that the traitor Ding Hong has surrendered to the Tang Country... South Wind Pass... is lost.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Zhao Kai, who had heard just a few hours before that the situation in the south had stabilized, suddenly stood up from his seat.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was too unsettled, but the news had indeed shocked him. The loss of South Wind Pass meant the entire situation in the southern region had collapsed.


    With the southern oil field region cut off by mountains, it was essentially no longer contiguous with the Dahua Empire. The vast territories southeast of Hidden Sword Gorge were almost as good as fully under the control of Tang Country.


    What was more terrifying was that the several hundred thousand troops under Qian Jinhang¡¯s command were encircled, and it was estimated they would all be lost... Unless something unexpected happened, the Dahua Empire¡¯s war could be said to be completely lost.


    ¡°Your Majesty, with the collapse of the southeastern situation, I...I have failed your expectations,¡± said General Feng Kezhi, kneeling on one knee and lowering his head to Emperor Zhao Kai.


    Although this series of failures was not solely his responsibility, as the Great General of the Empire, he could not shirk the blame for such a grave issue.


    Even though it was not the best moment to be scapegoated, he, General Feng Kezhi, had to clearly express his attitude and offer the blade to Zhao Kai first.

 Chapter 776 776 735 Defends Xicong

    ?Chapter 776: 735 Defends Xicong Chapter 776: 735 Defends Xicong To be frank, Zhao Kai still hoped to cause some trouble for General Feng Kezhi, aiming to strip the Great General of some of his power.


    However, if it meant trading the southern oil fields and the vast territories in the southeast just for an opportunity to undermine the authority of the Great General, Zhao Kai wasn¡¯t willing to do so.


    The price was simply too steep.


    So, he exhaled, adjusted his mood, and said, ¡°Leave the affairs of the southeast to Zhao Chen...¡±


    He paused, then continued, ¡°As for you, Great General... I ask that you redeem yourself through meritorious deeds and rescue General Qian Jinhang!¡±


    ¡°Your servant obeys the command! I shall do my utmost to rescue Qian Jinhang... and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers under his command!¡± General Feng Kezhi bowed his head in obedience. He certainly knew that Zhao Kai was not really concerned about Qian Jinhang but rather about the perimeter of Xicong, those hundreds of thousands of soldiers of his Dahua Empire!


    Only by bringing these hundreds of thousands of soldiers back to the Empire could Dahua continue the fight! After all, they couldn¡¯t afford to lose!


    From Dahua Empire¡¯s perspective, the southern oil fields that were supposedly blown sky-high were actually safe and sound. However, this piece of news was also received quite late by the Tang Country side.


    ...


    Redman, who had taken South Wind Pass, was still focusing his attention in the direction of Li Family Village where the main force of the Tang Army was tightening the encirclement, preparing to surround Dahua¡¯s troops under the walls of Xicong.


    Qian Jinhang, who had just received the news that South Wind Pass had fallen, was utterly shocked. This news essentially negated almost all of his previous judgments.


    The strength of the Tang Army at South Wind Pass had been reinforced, and the Tang Country troops that crushed the reinforcing troops at South Wind Pass were now standing firm with the support of South Wind Pass and Li Family Village.


    And Qian Jinhang¡¯s previous estimate that he could rally a hundred thousand defeated troops was also wrong. He had wasted two days and had only managed to gather tens of thousands of troops.


    Yet his capital was still substantial; the Dahua troops near Xicong still controlled over 600,000 soldiers and a vast area.


    But to Qian Jinhang¡¯s despair, his chances of a breakout were almost nonexistent now: the previous thinnest side of the encirclement at South Wind Pass had become extremely solid, and it was impossible to break through in this direction.


    He knew, deep in Xicong as he was, that he couldn¡¯t even take Xicong, let alone turn back and capture South Wind Pass.


    So Qian Jinhang kept the loss of South Wind Pass a secret, soothing his subordinates as best he could, telling them he would act immediately upon receiving orders to break out, leading the troops towards South Wind Pass.


    For the sake of his own lie, he even began to actually assemble troops, reallocating the Armored Corps that had initially been prepared to strike at Four Waters City of the Tang Country to the direction of Li Family Village.


    But in fact, he had already received a do-or-die order from General Feng Kezhi, commanding him to break out towards South Wind Pass at all costs and retake it.


    General Feng Kezhi¡¯s order actually had two purposes: one was indeed to get Qian Jinhang to break out, as there were no Dahua forces nearby that could rescue him.


    The other was actually to sacrifice Qian Jinhang, using his breakout to draw the attention of the Tang Army, buying Prince Zhao Chen more time to strengthen the Hidden Sword Gorge defense line.


    This was definitely a kill-two-birds-with-one-stone tactic. The only problem was whether Qian Jinhang had the capacity to break out, or how long he could last in Xicong.


    Qian Jinhang wasn¡¯t prepared to follow General Feng Kezhi¡¯s orders because his forces couldn¡¯t sustain combat in the open field. The reality was if he stayed put in Xicong, perhaps he could last another ten days or so; if he left Xicong for Li Family Village, he would likely completely collapse on the way.


    To the north was the fortified defense line of the Tang Army without any significant strategic positions, and hundreds of thousands of troops simply couldn¡¯t move in that direction.


    Heading south was out of the question; that was the border with Chu Country, and the myriad mountains stretched far and wide. Out of those six hundred thousand men, it would be decent if even twenty thousand made it to Chu Country and found civilization.


    Moreover, if he did escape with a few tens of thousands to Chu Country, with all the artillery and tanks lost, not to mention the ammunition and fuel... how could he return to Dahua?


    After receiving the order from General Feng Kezhi, Qian Jinhang was aware that the breakout command included dual intentions, insisting he must fight! Regardless of how he fought, he had to draw the attention of the Tang Army.


    Therefore, fleeing to Chu Country was not an option; if the Dahua forces took to the mountains, the Tang Army would only need to deploy some troops to ensure that Qian Jinhang¡¯s forces couldn¡¯t turn back.


    Then, at least two hundred thousand Tang soldiers would press towards Hidden Sword Gorge, threatening Sword Pavilion... and the situation of the Dahua Empire would truly be precarious.


    If South Wind Pass was lost and then Sword Pavilion went too, the Dahua Empire would lose everything, inside and out. At that point, what remained, whether for General Feng Kezhi or Zhao Kai, was a thought too frightening to entertain.


    Qian Jinhang understood General Feng Kezhi, or perhaps he had long seen through Zhao Kai. In this situation, he had no other choice but to hold on as long as possible; this was what he could do and must do.


    Therefore, he secretly sent a telegram to General Feng Kezhi, informing the Great General of the Empire of the situation he faced: ¡°Breaking through is impossible for me, holding firm in Xicong might allow us to hold on for a few more days.¡±


    After seeing this reply, General Feng Kezhi was somewhat moved. It was only then he realized that it was Qian Jinhang, whether Han Zhiyuan or Ding Hong, who truly understood him.


    But now there was no way to safely bring Qian Jinhang back, so General Feng Kezhi resolutely sent a telegram to Qian Jinhang, ordering him to defend Xicong and fight to the last moment.


    At the same time, General Feng Kezhi once again visited the Imperial Palace and met with Emperor Zhao Kai, seeking a higher military rank for Qian Jinhang, adding the word ¡®Great¡¯ before the title of General.


    Yes, Qian Jinhang too had become a Great General, albeit a second-grade Great General, a rank still inferior to General Feng Kezhi¡¯s as a Great General of the Empire.


    This title was already quite awe-inspiring within the Dahua Empire, for in the past decades, the Dahua Empire had not seen a second ¡°Great General.¡±


    Thus, just like the real Paulus surrounded by enemy forces, this other-world version of Paulus got promoted, possessing somewhat an air of supreme ministerial authority.


    Magic began to unfold as, under the clear awareness of almost everyone, General Feng Kezhi sent a new telegram ordering Qian Jinhang to hold his ground in Xicong, not to retreat a single step.


    Emperor Zhao Kai extensively praised Qian Jinhang¡¯s loyalty and patriotism in the imperial court, hoping Qian Jinhang could hold his position in Xicong to draw the main forces of the Tang Army.


    Shen Chuan announced that the Dahua Empire had newly recruited one million soldiers, joining forces with troops from Qi Country and Chu Country, preparing to retake the South Wind Pass, and to fight a decisive battle to the death against the Tang Army!


    A series of promotions and pledges, a series of real and fake guarantees, somewhat calmed the morale of the Dahua Troops near Xicong; for the time being, no officers were clamoring to break through anymore.


    However, difficulties don¡¯t just disappear if you ignore them. As Qian Jinhang endeavored to maintain the status quo and began to reinforce the defenses near Xicong, his supplies were visibly dwindling.


    After all, they numbered 600,000 people! They needed to eat every day, they had to fight every day, and it would be a real wonder if their stockpile of supplies did not diminish.


    Soon, the Dahua Military was no longer daring to waste its ammunition lightly: some minor operations were no longer permitted, and many positions were strategically abandoned.


    After all, every artillery shell fired was one less, and every shot was one bullet less; who would dare to waste resources in these circumstances? So, they had to retreat to save supplies.


    For Qian Jinhang, giving up some defensive positions wasn¡¯t entirely without benefit; at least it made the distribution of supplies and the coordination of troops more convenient, and it saved some waste on transit.


    But everyone noticed that they were getting further and further from South Wind Pass¡ªthe Dahua Armored Corps, which had been sent towards Li Family Village, retreated over thirty kilometers after being squeezed by the Tang Army¡¯s Armored Corps.


    This retreat led to another realization: the fuel in their possession was also being consumed incessantly. Tanks used it, automobiles used it, soldiers still needed it for warmth.


    The headquarters of various divisions needed lighting, especially for troops camped in the field; officers also needed to burn some fuel for warmth and to dry out, and furthermore, to maintain communication, they needed to generate electricity.


    Therefore, as time went on, every unit began to experience a shortage of fuel. Many vehicles and tanks were abandoned, which in turn caused the combat efficiency of the Dahua Military to plummet drastically.


    Food was the fastest to go; although the Tang Army was squeezing the encircled Dahua Troops, they deliberately did not annihilate the Dahua Troops within the encirclement on a large scale.


    As a result, the numerous Dahua Military did not lose soldiers, so the daily consumption of food was enormous.


    Qian Jinhang could cut down on ammunition usage, he could save on fuel expenses, but what he couldn¡¯t do was make his soldiers eat less.


    The Dahua soldiers crowded on an increasingly smaller area did not care about the thoughts of those above; two meals a day were essential for them.


    That was already the bottom line: under normal circumstances, troops should be ensured three meals a day to maintain better physical strength and combat effectiveness. However, since not many countries in this world could ensure enough food for everyone, most countries¡¯ basic military enlistment promise was two meals a day, not like the Tang Army¡¯s three meals a day.


    But if they couldn¡¯t be full even with two meals a day, then the troops from these countries wouldn¡¯t just lose combat effectiveness ¨C they would mutiny, they would collapse and scream, they would drag their own officers out and beat them to death.


    This was not without precedent; in earlier years, the Dahua Empire¡¯s own troops had experienced similar events, and among the militaries of weaker states like Chu Country and Zheng Country, such incidents were even more numerous.


    In the end, with no other option left, Qian Jinhang could only let some troops attack Xicong, hoping to find some food in the city to supplement his nearly depleted military rations.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The make-up for yesterday¡¯s leave is hereby presented.

 Chapter 777 777 Ladies and gentlemen, what do you think

    ?Chapter 777: Ladies and gentlemen, what do you think? Chapter 777: Ladies and gentlemen, what do you think? Finding food in Xicong had become a difficult task as well. The area was nearly stripped bare, and most civilians had already left before the war began.


    Therefore, seeking food in Xicong implicitly suggested that you may as well die in battle there, so that the saved resources could feed others.


    As a result, a large number of Dahua¡¯s second-line troops were sent into Xicong, where they struggled in the ruins and streets.


    Qian Jinhang learned he had been promoted to Great General by the Emperor while having his meal. His subordinates even celebrated for him, and the kitchen prepared him a special meal on short notice.


    However, by the next evening, he received some troubling news: The Tang Army had seized the southern oil fields and had started repairing the severed pipeline from the oil fields to South Wind Pass.


    This pipeline, in fact, was built with the assistance of the Great Tang Group back when the relationship between the Dahua Empire and the Great Tang Kingdom seemed quite amicable on the surface, and many cooperative projects were launched.


    For instance, the Great Tang Kingdom helped Dahua build an aircraft production line specifically for manufacturing Camel Biplane Fighters, which were considered decent performers at the time.


    ...


    These aircraft were even exported by the Dahua Empire to Chu Country and Qin Country, generating foreign exchange earnings that brought a tidy profit to Dahua.


    The oil pipeline project took one and a half years to complete, prompting a surge in domestic demand within the Dahua Empire and boosting oil production by more than tenfold, which instantly resolved Dahua¡¯s oil usage issues.


    At that time, some of this oil was even exported to Tang Country in exchange for a vast array of mechanical equipment purchased from Tang.


    With this machinery, the Dahua Empire started its industrialization and gradually laid the industrial foundation for this ancient empire.


    But now, these pipelines were under the control of the Tang Army, becoming part of Tang Country¡¯s oil infrastructure: with the southern oil fields, the domestic shortage of oil in Tang Country was swiftly alleviated.


    In fact, at South Wind Pass and the southern oil fields, the military supplies captured by the Tang Army included not only ground equipment but also aerial weaponry.


    Due to the weather, the air force troops gathered by the Dahua Empire in the southern region could not be relocated, leaving the planes parked in field airfields to become part of the Tang Troops¡¯ spoils of war.


    Across at least 10 different field airfields, the Tang Army captured over 800 aircraft of various types from the Dahua Empire in one fell swoop.


    However, for the Tang Army, these captured aircraft were essentially of no practical use and almost indistinguishable from junk.


    The bulk of these planes were Camel Fighters, not much different from those once in practical use by the Tang Army, outdated and made with wooden fuselages and biplane wings.


    In other words, these planes were not even fit to be sold as scrap: their fuselages were made of wood, their wings covered with canvas, and the only thing of slight value was perhaps the engines.


    And these engines were technically obsolete, to the extent that even the Dahua Empire itself had lost interest in such aircraft.


    Previously, the Dahua Empire had independently designed and developed a large multi-engine bomber using the engines from four Camel Fighters. Although its performance was mediocre, it solved some of the issues with the surplus Camel Fighter engines.


    This bomber was slow and had a low payload, almost useless, but it still addressed the issue of possessing bombers for a few countries: Qin Country purchased 300 units and Chu Country equipped about 200 units.


    The Dahua Empire itself equipped 500 units, and the Tang Army even captured a good number of these makeshift bombers¡ªalthough they really weren¡¯t of much use, and the Tang Air Force scorned the safety of these large toys.


    Including the captures in the Central Region, the Tang Army had by now taken more than 1000 Dahua aircraft.


    If we include Dahua¡¯s aircraft shot down, the Dahua Empire had suffered a loss of nearly 2000 aircraft of various models since the start of the war.


    Interestingly, according to Dahua¡¯s own records, due to crude production techniques and other issues, over 100 of their planes crashed, accounting for one-twentieth of the total losses!


    Despite the large numbers, Dahua¡¯s air force was far from crippled. Their advanced aircraft were not deployed on the front lines, so they escaped destruction.


    A large number of planes were destroyed or captured on the ground, so the loss of Dahua¡¯s air force pilots was not severe, with only a few hundred killed or injured.


    Nevertheless, such losses still significantly weakened Dahua¡¯s control of the airspace over the battlefield. As the weather gradually improved, more and more Tang Air Force planes took off, and air dominance naturally fell into the hands of Tang.


    For the first time in two months, the skies over Xicong showed signs of clear weather, the sunshine illuminating the damp city shrouded in smoke.


    A Flying Fortress Bomber circled above the outskirts of Xicong, seemingly conducting reconnaissance to reassess the number and positions of the besieged Dahua troops.


    Nobody paid any attention to the aircraft above their heads because within the Dahua troops, whose defensive depth was being gradually compressed, various voices began to emerge.


    Even those loyal to Qian Jinhang began to discuss the feasibility of breaking out: the promised rescue from the Empire seemed to be non-existent, and holding out in Xicong was no different from waiting for death.


    ¡°Great General! We must try to break out! Staying here is a dead end!¡± an anxious officer reminded Qian Jinhang.


    The environment here looked quite good because it was a residential area near Xicong, with several houses that had not collapsed, dry and fully functional.


    Even though it lacked the direct sewage system of some parts of the urban district, it was much better than being stationed out in the field.


    In the not-too-large room, another general, seeing Qian Jinhang silent, also spoke up, ¡°Great General! The promised rescue, the counterattack... we haven¡¯t seen anything. Shouldn¡¯t there be an explanation?¡±


    Many of the generals in the room were actually Qian Jinhang¡¯s confidants, and their troops were among the most capable of the encircled Dahua forces.


    The forces Qian Jinhang had previously committed were second-line, non-core troops, so the actual losses to his loyalists were not significant.


    The generals present were anxious because they still had the means: their troops were relatively intact, they had a higher priority for supplies, and so their combat effectiveness was still guaranteed.


    But as the situation became increasingly dire, those with the most hope were also the ones most eager to struggle.


    A general began to complain, ¡°Right, we haven¡¯t received a single telegram! Where are the troops that are supposed to rescue us? They should be nearing South Wind Pass in a few days, should they not at least inform us?¡±


    The general standing next to him spread his hands, ¡°They tell us to hold on, to keep fighting in Xicong, but they should at least tell us when reinforcements will arrive, when we¡¯ll be resupplied!¡±


    These generals were not blaming Qian Jinhang, but pointing the finger at the rescue promised by the Empire¡ªthey had been fighting in Xicong for several days now, yet there had been no word from the reinforcements that were supposed to reclaim South Wind Pass.


    As commanders of forces numbering thousands or even tens of thousands, who would be truly foolish? They had believed in the reinforcements, but only because they trusted that the Dahua higher-ups wouldn¡¯t utterly abandon hundreds of thousands to their fate.


    But as time trickled by, this trust dwindled inexorably to the point of unsustainability.


    At this very moment, almost everyone had guessed that the so-called reinforcements did not actually exist. In fact, they were absolutely right¡ªthe counterattack on South Wind Pass promised earlier was nothing more than a deception.


    Since they had guessed as much, what was the use of discussing these matters here? There was no point. Their presence was not to complain about the higher-ups¡¯ abandonment.


    Everything said so far was just a prelude; the implicit message was, ¡°We all know the truth now; there¡¯s no point in pretending, sir.¡±


    With the conversation having reached this point and seeing that Qian Jinhang remained silent, the topic gradually shifted to a more realistic direction, ¡°The weather is getting better, and once the Tang Army¡¯s planes start bombing, our situation will become even more passive.¡±


    Since rescue was hopeless, wasn¡¯t breaking out on their own still an option? That was actually what everyone wanted to discuss at this meeting.


    One of the generals thus reminded Qian Jinhang, ¡°The soldiers are already complaining about the worsening food; we have already consumed most of our carried supplies, which are now filled with sawdust, watered down... The troops are becoming restive, and it¡¯s becoming hard to suppress them.¡±


    ¡°Our ammunition is dwindling by the day; if we continue fighting, we might not even have enough to attempt a breakout! You must say something, Great General!¡± Someone from a corner also chimed in.


    Qian Jinhang, visibly annoyed, glanced at the corner where the voice came from, sighed, and then, after signaling for everyone to be quiet, finally spoke, passing all the blame to Prince Zhao Chen at Sword Pavilion, ¡°I was also deceived by that bastard Zhao Chen!¡±


    ¡°But, sir...¡± Several generals had more to say but were cut off by Qian Jinhang.


    He waved his hand and said, ¡°We cannot defeat the Tang Army¡¯s Armored Corps in the field; abandoning Xicong would lead us to a certain death...¡±


    Without waiting for the generals to say more, Qian Jinhang continued, ¡°Continuing the fight now is pointless, yet surrendering at this point would dishonor the Empire and the trust it has placed in us.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, the only option is to endure! Until we run out of food, until we use up our ammunition... Holding on for ten days, half a month, until our defenses along Hidden Sword Gorge are secure, we... will make further plans.¡± While speaking, Qian Jinhang surveyed everyone present, ¡°What do you all think?¡±


    While he appeared to be asking, he had already made his decision; inviting these generals here was merely to notify them.

 Chapter 778 778 737 Strauss heads south

    ?Chapter 778: 737 Strauss heads south Chapter 778: 737 Strauss heads south The rainfall in the south had indeed diminished substantially, and Chu Country, too, was greeted with the long-absent clear skies. However, for Chu Country, this was hardly good news.


    On the very day the weather cleared, the bombers from Tang Country appeared in Chu Country¡¯s skies. The Tang pilots, who held deep-seated enmity, did not hesitate to drop their bombs on several major cities in the northern part of Chu Country.


    The civilians of Chu Country could be said to have seen such foes for the first time: flocks of bombers, darkening the sky as they flew en masse over the cities, before bombs began dropping like raindrops from above their heads.


    Carpet bombing was brutally relentless upon a city; the bomb blasts caused rows and rows of the flimsily constructed houses to collapse.


    Buildings already rendered as dilapidated as shanties by the rain were effortlessly knocked down by the bombs, and after the explosions, the thunderous collapse of buildings that failed to withstand could still be heard intermittently.


    These cities were completely paralyzed; their almost non-existent civil systems collapsed utterly, and all civilians of Chu Country began to despair, starting to despise those high-ranking Chu officials who had pressed them into war, for they believed that Tang Country was invincible.


    Indeed, their thinking wasn¡¯t wrong, for Tang Country truly was invincible to Chu Country. The only thing in Chu Country that could slightly intimidate Tang Country were the southern mountains, continuously stretching across the land.


    ...


    And those popular rumors about Tang Country had likewise influenced the thoughts of these Chu civilians: consistently secretive propaganda touting Tang Country¡¯s power and its civilians¡¯ happiness never ceased and had even intensified lately.


    Originally, these large cities had just managed to break free from the disaster of the floods, barely catching their breath, when massive explosions once again shattered the peace of their lives.


    Not until this point did the nobility and high-ranking officials of Chu Country remember¡ªseemingly¡ª that they were still in a state of war with Tang Country.


    Suddenly, nobles fleeing southward jammed the muddy roads, crowding together with the poorly-clothed and hungry refugees, throwing everything into complete chaos.


    Just as everyone in Chu Country began to worry about the conditions on the front lines, turmoil erupted within their own borders.


    Having starved for too long, the refugees finally could no longer bear the burden and chose the most drastic way to vent their frustration.


    The incident began when some of the south-fleeing Chu nobility encountered a group of refugees who hadn¡¯t eaten for three days due to the ravages of the flood.


    These scantily clothed refugees could no longer hold out and make it to the next city to beg and try their luck. With no other options left, they stopped the convoy of nobles, hoping the latter would spare some food for them.


    The nobles of Chu Country, accompanied by their families and Guards, of course were unwilling; they saw the demanding populace as nothing more than highway robbers and so they ordered their Guards to clear the way and disperse the refugees to let their massive convoy proceed.


    But as Guards and refugees scuffled, some refugees tried to grab weapons from the Guards. Left with no choice, the Guards began to retaliate and opened fire, killing many people.


    The remaining crowd immediately became unrestful, and the cornered individuals erupted with a fighting strength never seen under normal conditions.


    These people charged without regard to their own lives, attacking the defense line of the noble convoy, and ultimately, at a terrible cost, achieved a reversal: they broke through the line, killed the Guards, and plundered the entire convoy.


    The situation spiraled out of control, and the refugees, losing all reason, morphed into equally violent criminals: they didn¡¯t just steal the food; they also killed nearly everyone in the convoy.


    The women of the noble families were all raped, and the children cruelly murdered. The vengeful refugees then scattered, carrying away with them everything they could.


    The plundered noble, with a few Guards, managed to escape alone, and then he brought the Chu Country Military to conduct what he called vengeance.


    A massacre on a larger scale began, with every refugee on the road being inexplicably killed. Bodies piled up along the roadside, and alongside the recently subsided floodwaters, a large-scale epidemic quickly broke out.


    As the epidemic raged and refugees were left homeless, the officials indiscriminately slaughtered them, leading to an increase in resistance.


    It might sound complex, but when this series of chain reactions unfolded over a few days, Chu Country erupted into a massive ¡°uprising.¡±


    Overnight, dozens of forces were rallied; organized refugees in Chu Country killed the corrupt officials, slaughtered the tainted bureaucrats, attacked the rich landlords, and distributed food, throwing more than half of the country into turmoil.


    Don¡¯t for a moment think that this was just a simple case of the commoners fighting the nobility, nor should you assume that the spy department of the Great Tang Kingdom is incompetent.


    If Chu Country had their own Chu Yangren, then Tang Country naturally also had their own ¡°Tang National Security Committee.¡±


    If given the chance, these agents who had long lurked within Chu Country¡¯s borders were far more adept than those Chu Yangren who only knew how to perform suicide attacks.


    They fully utilized their advantages, employing the most advanced communication equipment to contact Tang headquarters and immediately turned a civil disturbance into a large-scale peasant uprising.


    Lacking enough weapons? Tang¡¯s small troops took advantage of the chaos to infiltrate and deliver them! Airdrop them from planes! Even bribe part of the Chu military to buy some!


    Sometimes, some of the infiltrated Chu military units would intentionally lose battles, abandoning their weapons to the organized ¡°Welcoming Tang Army,¡± or simply surrender and join the rebels.


    These Welcoming Tang Armies were actually organized by Tang¡¯s intelligence department, with their slogan being to welcome the Tang Army for a better life!


    Such matters hardly needed propagating; the better life of the Tang people had not been a secret in Chu Country for years. Everyone shared the same black hair and eyes, was hardworking and kind-hearted; why should they suffer in Chu and go hungry?


    Why not join Tang, become Tang people, work hard like them, earn money to buy more food, and improve their living conditions?


    Moreover, taking advantage of clear skies, the Tang Air Force would often scatter leaflets, proclaiming they would take in civilians without food and were willing to coexist peacefully with Chu people who defected. Suddenly, many coerced rebel armies claimed they were Welcoming Tang Armies, embracing the slogan to welcome the Tang Army, become Tang people, eat rice and flour, wear new clothes, and live better lives.


    Soon, the unorganized civil unrest transformed into organized resistance. Coupled with Chu¡¯s perennially poor civil affairs, the Northern Region of Chu instantly slipped out of control.


    The Chu leadership was thrown into chaos; they never imagined the day would come when they¡¯d be crushed by a neighboring state¡¯s system and have to face civilian uprisings.


    In their panic, Chu¡¯s king ordered the military to suppress these resisting civilians even more brutally, while in a state of insanity, he also ordered the execution of the nobleman who had caused trouble by retaliating against the rioters.


    This nobleman, his eyes already red with killing, had some capability, and upon learning of the Chu king¡¯s order to eliminate him, he immediately raised his own banner of revolt, pulling some border forces with him to create a three-way stand-off with the rebels and Chu Country.


    The three forces battled each other in the Northern Region of Chu, while the border defense was virtually nonexistent.


    Then, the Northern Region of Chu became even more chaotic. The Tang Army, which was wrapping up its flood disaster relief work, immediately changed its plans. Commander Strauss personally led two divisions of troops to swiftly move south, advancing along the plains.


    As Strauss marched south, he immediately received a response from the Chu refugees. Countless civilians came out joyously with food and drink to welcome the royal troops; in no time, the city flags were changed to the Great King¡¯s Banner, and the Great Tang conquered five cities within three days.


    Half of the Northern Plains changed hands in an instant, with some border area¡¯s tens of thousands of Chu troops surrendering without firing a shot and immediately raising the Dragon Banner of Tang.


    The forces deployed by Tang weren¡¯t actually numerous, but the further south they pressed, the more they grew: by the time Strauss entered the heartland of the Northern Plains of Chu, he had nearly a hundred thousand troops.


    Then, one of Dorne¡¯s renowned twins, a new star of the Great Tang Kingdom, Strauss, with his twenty thousand elite troops, launched a surprise attack on the revolting Chu nobleman, driving straight in for over 120 kilometers and capturing him alive.


    This Chu nobleman, who had a terribly bad reputation among the rioters, with many wishing to cannibalize his flesh, was beheaded by Strauss and had his head displayed on the walls of Chu¡¯s largest city in the North.


    As a result, the refugees¡¯ support for the Tang Army reached its peak. Wherever the Tang Army went, they established control by proclamation, and Strauss managed to pacify the entire Northern Region of Chu while Great Tang forces were still resisting on the outskirts of Xicong.


    The situation happened so suddenly that even Chu Country couldn¡¯t understand how it all came about.


    Many people only realized afterwards that behind all these upheavals, there loomed the shadow of Tang¡¯s security department causing mischief.


    Chu Country¡¯s use of Chu Yangren to throw two bombs into Tang seemed ineffective, but Tang¡¯s use of spies in Chu led to the loss of a quarter of Chu Country!


    The gap between both countries¡¯ intelligence agencies was evident at a glance, causing the spies from other countries preparing to cause trouble within Tang to become much more cautious.


    Chu¡¯s disastrous defeat made other countries finally realize something: the intelligence department of Tang, once powerful and omnipresent, had vanished in recent years... where had it gone... what had it done.


    Strauss¡¯s series of victories in the Northern Region of Chu eliminated the threat from Chu to the recently annexed southern oil fields of Great Tang.


    This campaign secured enough strategic space for the already Tang-owned southern oil fields, allowing Great Tang to now safely extract oil there.


    Five days later, the Chu king announced a decree to relocate the capital, moving from the affluent area by the edge of the Northern Plains and mountains to a small city amidst the poorer southern mountains and harsh landscape.


    While Chu announced the relocation of its capital, the battle within the encirclement of Xicong surprisingly continued.


    The fame of Strauss, along with Chu¡¯s relocation of the capital, once again struck awe across the land.

 Chapter 779 779 Morning in the 738 Industrial City

    ?Chapter 779: Morning in the 738 Industrial City Chapter 779: Morning in the 738 Industrial City ¡°`


    ¡°Extra! Extra! Seven days, fifteen cities captured! General Strauss wins a major victory in the south! Our military sweeps through the northern part of Chu Country!¡± The rain had stopped in the streets of Tongcheng, and an old man selling newspapers called out incessantly with his hoarse voice.


    The streets here no longer held much standing water, and many cleaners were using huge brooms made of bamboo to tidy up the mud that had solidified on the asphalt roads.


    Cars sped through the streets and alleys, signaling that the city had once again sprung back to life. Workers bustled everywhere, and neon signs flickered all around.


    Even though the war was still ongoing, life inside Tang Country was actually very peaceful. In people¡¯s conversations, there might be more talk about the flood than the war.


    Since the troops were winning one victory after another, driving the invading enemy out, everyone was quite at ease, convinced that they would surely win the ultimate victory.


    ¡°Give me a copy,¡± a well-dressed man rolled down his car window and handed a banknote to the old newspaper seller.


    The old man knew a big sale had come his way, immediately grinning from ear to ear as he pulled out a newspaper from the pouch slung across his chest, handed it over, and offered a stream of auspicious phrases while bowing and scraping: ¡°Your Excellency may your wealth flow in abundance! May you enjoy boundless prosperity! Here is your change, may you have a smooth ride and achieve success with ease!¡±


    ...


    With the popularization of radios and an increasing number of loudspeakers, newspaper sales were not what they used to be. So, if vendors didn¡¯t take initiative, they couldn¡¯t earn more income.


    Therefore, while selling newspapers, they also brought along a wet cloth to wipe down the dust on car hoods, while calling out a few well-wishes, which had become many newspaper vendors¡¯ basic skills.


    At first, it was one or two people doing this, but once others caught on to the trick, it became common practice.


    Meanwhile, seeing a fellow vendor already doing brisk business and occupying the other side of the street, another old newspaper seller called out with even more gusto: ¡°Great victory! Great victory! Our army has taken the major town of Ningjiang from Chu Country! A hundred thousand troops of Chu Country have turned tail and surrendered at the very sight of our forces!¡±


    Due to the Great Tang Child Protection Law, it was impossible for any school-age children to be out selling newspapers on the street since all of them had to attend mandatory national education.


    Instead, there were some illiterate old people; it might be a bit too much to expect these old men and women to operate machinery as workers, so they made the most of what they could by doing odd jobs.


    Generally, the younger old men were the ones sweeping miscellaneous debris from the streets, while the old women would help in public areas.


    All in all, under the management of the Tang Kingdom, you would hardly see anyone idle. Everyone here had to work, and everyone could find a suitable place for themselves.


    Of course, everyone having work meant that everyone had food to eat. This was unimaginable in the past. According to the experience of how states operated previously, it was simply impossible for a kingdom to ensure everyone could eat their fill.


    This was where the Tang Kingdom stood out: Its operation model was entirely different from that of kingdoms and empires of the past, with each part seeming more advanced, exuding a sense of overwhelming superiority over other nations.


    There were simply too many ways to make money within the kingdom, the ¡®cake¡¯ was just too big, so vast that the nobility and merchants who previously lived off exploiting the common people couldn¡¯t be bothered to struggle with the public for profits. They only needed to casually set up a company or build a factory, follow behind the Great Tang Group to get some benefits, and that was enough for them to live a life of glory and riches.


    It truly is no joke, it¡¯s an era where you can make money doing almost anything. Paper, candy, salt, socks... whatever you produce can be sold out in an instant.


    It¡¯s an era where everything is in shortage¡ªpeople lack clothing, food, entertainment, and hope.


    So whatever you¡¯re selling, even if it¡¯s just a newspaper filled with hope, it can be sold clean out! Not a single one left!


    In the villages, even though most people couldn¡¯t read, there would still be government officials or some young interns willing to read the newspapers for everyone, to disseminate some of the policies issued by the state, and talk about the great construction projects.


    Thus, even in little villages far from the coastline, the common people knew that at the distant, only-heard-of Linshui Port, another enormous cargo ship exceeding twenty thousand tons had been built, even using the latest shipping standards.


    Two farmers could discuss after dinner whether the plastic products produced in Pingning would pollute the nearby soil and potentially affect the local spring plowing and sowing.


    The third newspaper vendor began to wave his newspapers and also started to shout, ¡°The imperial Dahua troops in Xicong have their territory squeezed, hundreds of thousands of invading forces are lacking clothes and food, their future hanging by a thread!¡±


    Above his head, a huge chimney belched thick smoke while on the other side of the yard wall was actually a massive steel factory.


    Trains loaded with iron ore would pass through the streets of Tongcheng, and whenever a train crossed, striped black and yellow barriers would descend at the street¡¯s edge, stopping pedestrians and vehicles alike.


    ¡°`


    Then the long train would thunder through the divided streets, pulling its deafeningly loud whistle, as car after car swept past people¡¯s eyes, never pausing for what seemed like an age.


    The signal lights on the side kept flashing a red glow, and the bell-like alert sounds tirelessly clanged on and on, continuing long after the train had departed before they finally ceased.


    The vast factories were a maze of pipes, some of which even stretched across the streets overhead like overpasses.


    The shiny metal pipes, fastened together at intervals with rivets and screws, if you looked closely, even had wild cats or birds perching on them.


    As hygiene conditions improved, the number of rats throughout the city even diminished greatly. However, pollution still persisted, with crevices in the streets filled with coal ash and the remnants of combustion that caused incessant coughing.


    A pale-yellow shirt would turn black at the collar and cuffs in just one day, and if the wind blew the wrong way, the backdraft from the city¡¯s smelters would scorch people¡¯s airways, making every breath exquisitely painful.


    This was no exaggeration; on the contrary, it signified the prosperity and greatness of Tongcheng. This colossal industrial city sustained more than three million tirelessly working laborers.


    Due to its expansive terrain, Tongcheng covered an even larger area than Brunas and its growth was even more exaggerated.


    After all, with more heritage and experience, cities like Tongcheng had already far surpassed the production capabilities of the past city of hope, Brunas.


    The whole city seemed ablaze, the presence of factories drastically altering the way of life for its people.


    Living off the land and the waters, families that relied on the factories naturally enjoyed various degrees of benefits: in the winter, the air near their homes was warm, and many bizarre things shockingly cheap.


    Like scalding hot water: near the factories, there were often many affordable public bathhouses, which had become a cultural phenomenon, also economizing the cost for people to stay clean.


    Truckloads of industrial waste hot water could be bought for very little, with steamy water trucks filling up the tanks in the bathhouses, then freely used by the bathing enthusiasts.


    Another benefit was sawdust, the waste wood cuttings from the factories, abundant and of little use, could be bought for a small amount of money to burn at home.


    Compared to firewood, sawdust burned quickly, flaring out before long. But it was cheap and ignited easily, and so it was often used as kindling for starting fires.


    Sometimes, mixed with coal slag that children gathered near the factory gates during their free time, if used sparingly it could last for days, saving quite a fortune...


    Another advantage of industrial areas was convenient electricity, as factories required power, urban areas began to see more developed electrical infrastructures.


    Following a series of developments, the electricity system in Tongcheng had become quite comprehensive, with power reaching every household and streetlights massively widespread throughout the city.


    In other nations¡¯ cities, such a thing would still be considered a luxury. But in the Great Tang Kingdom, it was no longer something out of the ordinary.


    Whether it was Chang¡¯an, Linshui, Tongcheng, or Dragon Harbor, these cities were all lit up by electric lights, and many places had even started using brighter and more advanced ¡°fluorescent tubes.¡±


    Amidst the cries of newspaper sellers, a bustling day in Tongcheng began. Vendors pushing their breakfast carts lifted the lids of steaming bamboo steamers, shouting out to start selling their food, with cars gradually increasing on the streets, and the horns becoming incessant in the traffic jams.


    The shop assistants in businesses about to open were unloading wooden boards plastered with discount notices from their display windows and leaning them against the door.


    In a recently opened tailor shop, the proprietress splashed wastewater from washing up onto the sewer cover at the door. Above the sign, a middle-aged woman hung out the bedsheets to dry, and on the rooftops above, the glowing billboard that had twinkled all night still showed the pretty lady with her bright smile, holding a cigarette case from Tongcheng¡¯s tobacco factory.


    Off to work, throngs of cyclists blocked the intersections, the excited voices of acquaintances greeting each other contributed to the extraordinary clamor on the streets.


    The loudspeakers inside the factory walls started playing music full of electrical interference, marking the start of Tongcheng¡¯s day and the day of countless workers.


    No one could sense the shadow of war in such a life, everyone relished the unprecedented existence they were living, and it was from this lifestyle that they saw something called hope.


    (Many things in this chapter were experienced by Dragon Spirit, familiar yet heartwarming)

 Chapter 780 780 739 people come to join the army

    ?Chapter 780: 739 people come to join the army Chapter 780: 739 people come to join the army ¡°`


    Since the war was still going on, no matter how peaceful people¡¯s lives seemed, it was impossible not to notice signs of it.


    In fact, whether it was Tongcheng, Linshui, or even Chang¡¯an, one could see recruitment offices filled with crowds of people.


    These publicly announced recruitment centers were each overwhelmed with people gathered there, voluntarily joining the Troops as ¡°idlers¡±.


    The officers in charge of reviewing applicants sat with looks of helplessness, for the number of young people arriving there prepared to fight for their country was too many to handle every day.


    On hearing of various countries declaring war on Great Tang, the Tang People became enraged! The good life they had worked so hard for couldn¡¯t be given up easily, and they were ready to fight anyone who tried to take it away!


    Thus, on the day the war erupted, despite the pouring rain, countless people rushed to the recruitment centers, expressing their wish to fight for His Majesty the King.


    Regrettably, although Tang Country had declared a wartime state and started national mobilization, related regulations were still strictly enforced.


    ...


    According to the laws of Tang Country, many professionals were not allowed to enlist: this included workers with specific jobs, workers in certain listed factories, teachers and students, those who had been Tang People for less than one year...


    These regulations were actually sensible, such as the rule that immigrants must be residents for a full year before they qualified to join the Military: on one hand, this was meant to ensure the composition of personnel within the Military and prevent enemy agents from infiltrating and sabotaging; on the other hand, it was to avoid forcing those who had not yet enjoyed the benefits of being Tang People into conscription.


    However, life in Tang Country was so good that immigrants there had long since begun to consider themselves Tang People, so many gathered at the recruitment offices, unwilling to leave, and complained about not being allowed to enlist.


    This was an inescapable situation, after all, joining the Military was also a way to quickly integrate into Tang society: as long as there was a member of the military in the family, considering the military-supportive mindset, that household would enjoy a range of privileges, and socially, people were more likely to accept the family.


    ¡°Disqualified! Son, you¡¯re just eighteen years old and studying machine tool operation, which means there¡¯s no need for you to be here,¡± the officer at the recruitment office explained as he reluctantly handed back the identity proof to the young man with a flushed face.


    He had to explain this many times every day, but there was nothing he could do, as similar people kept coming, and he had to patiently repeat similar words all over again.


    ¡°But! My father thinks I should become a Soldier! He says our family has been taken care of by His Majesty the King, and we should do something for His Majesty,¡± the young man obviously did not want to accept this fact and still stood there, arguing his case.


    If it weren¡¯t for Tang Country taking them in, his family might have starved to death in the famine of Chu Country by now. Now they were not just living well but enjoying a blissful life they could never have dreamed of before.


    If they were unwilling to exert themselves for His Majesty the King under such circumstances, they would feel worse than pigs or dogs.


    He had an older brother who was already working in a factory; their father guarded the factory at night, and their mother worked in a textile factory. Last year, they were even blessed with a new little brother and sister.


    So he came, his brother had tried the day before yesterday and was sent back, which is why he came today. His family wouldn¡¯t miss one person, and he could die on the battlefield for his country.


    He was prepared before coming, even if he simply stepped onto the battlefield and got blown up by a shell, they should offer up a life for His Majesty the King¡¯s righteous war.


    This is the simple mindset of ordinary people: whoever gives us a way to live, whoever gives us hope, we shall fight for them.


    Unfortunately, sometimes things just don¡¯t turn out as one hopes: when someone drives the common people onto the battlefield, they tend to avoid that person at all costs; but when people willingly volunteer to fight for an individual, that person does not always want to push them into the abyss.


    ¡°Son, your task now is to learn! Once you have acquired knowledge, you should serve the country at positions where you¡¯re most needed! That... is your mission!¡± The officer forced an ugly smile and continued to waste his saliva comforting the other.


    He felt he should be wielding a submachine gun, fighting the enemy life or death on the front line¡ªthat¡¯s what a soldier should be doing.


    Not like now, endlessly repeating nonsense to a bunch of kids: ¡°Go back! Don¡¯t waste my time! Nor your own!¡±


    ¡°I should be good enough!¡± Shoving aside the young apprentices in front of him, a middle-aged man with stubble slapped his identity proof onto the desk.


    His body was robust, although his clothes were shabby. He plopped down in the seat the young boy had just vacated, baring his muscular arms: ¡°I¡¯ve been a soldier, give me a gun, and I alone could take down five of Dahua¡¯s trash!¡±


    ¡°The records say you were a soldier in Dahua...¡± The officer looked up at the strong man in front of him, a bit torn between laughter and tears.


    ¡°`


    The Tang Country issued identity cards to every citizen, detailing their basic information, accompanied by a small booklet that catalogued their history before and after arriving in the Tang Country.


    Each page contained stamps of approval from the relevant departments, along with the use of high-quality anti-counterfeit paper, and also included photos; it was quite comprehensive.


    ¡°Uh...¡± The other party became slightly embarrassed, then scratched his head, ¡°When I enlisted... I wasn¡¯t faint-hearted!¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve only been here for eight months... sir,¡± the officer shook his head, continuing formally, ¡°The regulations only allow citizens of the Tang Country who have been here for more than a year to enlist in the military.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already been here for eight months! Officer!¡± The robust man became agitated upon hearing this, leaning forward in an attempt to get closer, ¡°I am a Tang person! I have lived here for eight months already!¡±


    ¡°I have no choice, unqualified is unqualified, even if I let you through, you would still be eliminated in the subsequent reviews,¡± the officer helplessly continued to explain.


    ¡°Please!¡± Initially, one might have thought that the stout man would continue to create a fuss, but he suddenly softened, his face contorted with tears as though he was about to kick away a stool and kneel down: ¡°Give me a chance for revenge! Those bastards embezzled my military pay, and I had no money to treat my father¡¯s illness! I want to slaughter those mongrels! Please give me a chance!¡±


    ¡°...¡± The officer, who was already feeling lenient, was ready to casually nod and turn a blind eye to let the stout man through.


    However, when he caught sight of the crowd queueing up behind the stout man out of the corner of his eye, he knew that if he didn¡¯t stick to the rules, at least two thousand applications for enlistment would have to be approved at the recruitment center today.


    This was no joke: if you allow one person through, then you must let everyone who witnessed it through as well, otherwise the angry crowd might tear the place down...


    Grabbing the cup in front of him, he took a big gulp of warm water, and the officer finally regained his composure, once again painstakingly escorting the tearful stout man out of the recruitment center.


    Then, although it was futile, he still raised his voice to the crowd queuing at the door, ¡°Anyone who does not meet the enlistment criteria can leave now! Especially workers, teachers, doctors! Those with special blood types are also not allowed...¡±


    Seeing that the crowd showed no sign of dispersing, he had no choice but to emphasize again, ¡°Moreover, I must remind you all! Enlisting now does not mean you¡¯ll be sent to the battlefield right away! You must go through rigorous training for over three months! Who knows if the war will even be over by then!¡±


    He spoke the truth; the Tang Army never had a practice of sending untrained recruits into battle. On the contrary, the Tang Army emphasized the training of new soldiers, which lasted at least twice as long as other countries.


    Moreover, these new soldiers were often scattered and directly supplemented into existing troops after training, so that the veterans could impart some experience to the new soldiers who just arrived on the battlefield, increasing their survival rate.


    If it was necessary to deploy a new regiment into battle as a unit, the commanders of the Tang Army would try to assign these troops simpler tasks first.


    Seeing that he had said so much and yet the people queuing were still not dispersing, the officer sighed, ¡°Fine! Keep queuing! I will review each one! Those who are not qualified, go back quickly... sigh...¡±


    He shook his head and returned to his seat, resuming the process of checking IDs one by one, identifying both those who were qualified and those who were not.


    Those who were eligible were given a form and instructed to report to the military camp outside the city. For those who were not eligible, he would still explain and send them away.


    Those who got the form were overjoyed, even flaunting their approved application to the people in the queue as they left.


    Those who did not get a form were immensely disappointed, some cursing and some crying, as if they had missed their own wedding.


    Despite such strictness, in the half month after the floodwaters receded, the Tang Country still managed to enlist 500,000 people, forming 25 divisions in one go.


    Although these divisions were light infantry divisions, with many troops not even outfitted with enough Type 4 assault cannons and self-propelled guns in time, these troops were still genuine infantry divisions.


    By the standard of other countries, these divisions were well-equipped and abundantly provisioned, comparable to front-line forces! Nonetheless, cautious as ever, the Tang Army still arranged these troops on the second line, participating in intense training at their respective stations.


    Of course, that is a story for another time.


    In the currently ongoing battle zones, only the outer perimeters of Xicong remained, with Qian Jinhang¡¯s commanders and their soldiers seemingly staring at the end of their own fates.

 Chapter 781 781 Telegrams before 740

    ?Chapter 781: Telegrams before 740 Chapter 781: Telegrams before 740 Within Flame Castle, in a luxurious hall, a woman with fiery red hair was shouting at a group of her subordinates.


    Her voice was hoarse and strained, revealing her fear, her weakness, and a shred of unsettling despair.


    The woman paced back and forth in front of her seat, her long, straight legs occasionally flashing from underneath her skirt, pale enough to make people drool.


    In every aspect, she was a seductive beauty. It was just unfortunate that everyone knew she was way out of their league.


    In the past, this woman was incredibly powerful, and even in distant lands, few dared to speak her name.


    When people mentioned her in conversations, they would obscurely refer to her as ¡°Her Excellency,¡± but now, she was furiously powerless concerning her own safety.


    Before the outbreak of the war, she had received a telegram from Chang¡¯an. The sender of the telegram was a man whom many women would dream of offering themselves to.


    ...


    A King under thirty years of age, a King with untold wealth, commanding the strongest military in the world! Perhaps soon, this man would become an Emperor before hitting thirty.


    This man was different from other Emperors; he was in his twenties, not someone who merely inherited an empire.


    If given the chance, she would still want to meet Tang Mo. She was quite curious about what he looked like, as it was said that his handsomeness made many women flock to him in droves.


    It was just a pity that His Majesty, the King of Tang Country, was unwilling to be photographed... But I digress. His Majesty sent her a telegram during the outbreak of the war, a telegram filled with threatening implications.


    The telegram was short, simply indicating that this time, they wouldn¡¯t let things slide easily. Although it didn¡¯t seem useful at the time, as the war progressed, that seemingly harmless threat began to loom over her like the Sword of Damocles.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t know about the Sword of Damocles, but that didn¡¯t lessen her sense of empathy.


    That¡¯s why there was a meeting today, similar to this one. The meeting¡¯s content wasn¡¯t substantial, and in Tang Country, such meetings could not even be called effective.


    This type of meeting only involved continuous shouting by the person who convened it, with most people merely spectators, listeners who feigned deafness and had no sense of participation.


    The woman paced around, walking back and forth while using her pleasant voice to vent her dissatisfaction, ¡°They haven¡¯t even used those parachutists falling from the sky! Hundreds of planes haven¡¯t joined the fight! Those are not the junk we produced! They¡¯re genuine metal-skinned planes!¡±


    She was dissatisfied with her subordinates¡¯ incompetence and the Shireck Consortium¡¯s overall poor performance throughout the war.


    The Consortium used its influence to unite so many empires, yet all those empires failed to secure victory.


    This truly exceeded Shireck¡¯s previous experience in stirring up trouble. In the past, if Shireck wanted to determine a country¡¯s fate, bribing a few Ministers might have done the trick.


    At worst, as long as they really tapped into Shireck¡¯s influence, wars would erupt, and the outcome between a few kingdoms would be easily decided.


    But now, the scale and the form of war had entirely surpassed Shireck¡¯s control. A war could no longer be decided by the life and death of just a few thousand people; the participating troops easily surpassed a million!


    What determined the outcome of the war weren¡¯t even the troops on the front lines, but the smokestacks puffing in the rear, the vast farmlands that couldn¡¯t be seen at a glance, and the neon lights flickering in the streets and alleys!


    When the annual revenue of one single street of debauchery exceeds the annual tax income of an entire kingdom, how could the scale of the war not become terrifying?


    In the past, if launching a large-scale war involving thousands over a few thousand Gold Coins was considered logical, then now, mobilizing millions for the sake of a few billion Gold Coins... What¡¯s so surprising about that?


    Watching the most influential Shireck figure pacing back and forth, one of the responsibles lowered their head and explained, ¡°My lord, we understand, but the Dahua Empire has already put forth its best effort. To this day, hundreds of thousands are still struggling within the encirclement, and it¡¯s still uncertain whether Hidden Sword Gorge can be held.¡±


    The woman flicked her head, and her red hair bounced in response, ¡°At this point, the Navy remains inactive! Dare you say you¡¯ve done your best?¡±


    A military advisor immediately stepped out, bowed, and continued to explain, ¡°The joint Navy fleet is still hiding in the north of She?ng Country, which isn¡¯t a shipping route, so almost no ships pass through there! If the fleet acts rashly, then our only hope of turning the tables will be lost!¡±


    To them, the woman standing before them was nothing more than a merchant, a wealthy outsider to the realm of power. She knew nothing and was merely venting her own emotions.


    Yet she was the leader, this woman who knew nothing. She interrupted the explanation and continued to roar, ¡°That is not a hope of turning the tables! War! This is war! A war we must win!¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t put in all our effort! Waiting to lose this war! Then Tang Country will rise! Tang Mo, that bastard, will destroy everything!¡± Sofia couldn¡¯t bear it, she truly couldn¡¯t bear to lose this fate-determining war without giving it her all.


    But she wasn¡¯t the emperor of the world, and she couldn¡¯t make all the empires engaged in the war throw themselves into the conflict without reservation.


    The fleets of battleships that were the pride of various empires absolutely would not execute Sofia¡¯s commands at any cost. Especially those orders where the outcome of victory or defeat was uncertain!


    Before the advent of the submarine force of the Great Tang Kingdom, these battleships fitted with anti-aircraft guns and a large number of cruisers were bold enough to challenge the dragons and tigers of Dragon Island.


    But now everyone was worried, concerned that Tang Country had deployed a large number of submarines at Dragon Island, and that the fleet would suffer heavy losses if it approached.


    Who would dare to give such an order? Who would dare to carry out such an order? If these costly battleships were to sink... wouldn¡¯t the naval development that various nations had striven for over the last two years become a joke?


    ¡°My lord, if I may speak frankly, Tang Country has already risen!¡± A director sitting to the side sighed and inserted his comment at this moment.


    These directors were not Sofia¡¯s subordinates; they stood with Sofia out of pressure or interest only.


    Each director was once a terrifyingly wealthy force, but now they were increasingly finding, with desperation, that even if they, their fathers, and their ancestors were tied together, they could not match Tang Mo in the speed of amassing wealth.


    In just a short decade, Tang Mo had gone from an unknown successor of a small blacksmith shop to a godly tycoon who built palaces out of gold...


    What was despairing was that this rich bastard was now engaging in flipping the table: he was destroying the foundation of all nations, attempting to establish an entirely new social order!


    Sofia slammed the table in frustration and emphasized to that director, ¡°That¡¯s why we must destroy him! Kill Tang Mo! Ruin Tang Country! Only like this can the world continue to exist!¡±


    ¡°The northern plains of Chu Country have changed hands, and the southern oil fields of Dahua have also been occupied by Tang Country, intact. Although it¡¯s just a claim from Tang Country, the accurate news will soon come back,¡± the military advisor reluctantly continued, standing by the map and explaining the situation on the battlefield for everyone.


    Most of the people sitting here were actually merchants. They were skilled at bribery or selling weapons, but they didn¡¯t understand war, and they failed to grasp the changes that were happening.


    They couldn¡¯t really be blamed, for in the past, they only needed to push things to the point of war, and the rest was no longer their concern.


    They had their own specialties; their concerns were to whom they should sell arms, without a need to consider the question of who would win or lose.


    After all, from their perspective, it didn¡¯t matter who won because the victor would also buy their weapons, so it was irrelevant.


    But now things were different. There wasn¡¯t just the Shireck Consortium selling weapons in this world. What frightened and despaired them was that this new arms dealer seemed to have weaponry that was even more advanced than Shireck¡¯s.


    ¡°If everything Tang Country is declaring to the outside world is true, then the Dahua Empire has in fact already lost this war...¡± He said this while gesturing on the map.


    After he finished speaking, it seemed that he noticed the unfriendly looks from the directors, including Sofia, so he added, ¡°What we can hope for now is only the Qin Army, but whether they can withstand the attack from Tang Country is something no one knows.¡±


    ¡°What I want is not to withstand Tang Country¡¯s attack! What I want is a counterattack! A counterattack! To take back the southern oil fields and win the victory in this war!¡± Hearing this advisor¡¯s words, Sofia got even more angry, raising her voice loudly as she scolded.


    ¡°Unlikely, Lady Sofia, very unlikely. More than ten war advisors in contact with us, including those who graduated from the Great Tang Military Academy, all believe that this war is already over,¡± someone said helplessly.


    On the other side, someone shook their head, ¡°If we could have dispatched troops from Chu Country before its defeat to cut off Tang Army¡¯s incursion into the southern oil fields, there might have been a glimmer of hope for turning defeat into victory. But now Chu Country¡¯s northern plains are lost, and the bridgehead for the attack is in Tang Country¡¯s hands.¡±


    ¡°Besides, Chu Country really doesn¡¯t have the ability to counterattack Tang Army. Although there are hundreds of thousands of troops in the south of Chu Country, these troops coming out of the mountains probably wouldn¡¯t be enough for Strauss to kill,¡± the advisor standing by the map took the opportunity of the crowd to quickly voice his own opinion.


    Hearing these words, Sofia became even more infuriated, clenching her teeth so firmly that rage seeped through them, ¡°Strauss... Redman... Tagg... Why, why does Tang Country have so many famous generals? So many?¡±

 Chapter 782 782 741 surrender is negotiable

    ?Chapter 782: 741 surrender is negotiable Chapter 782: 741 surrender is negotiable On the other side, in the central part of the border line between the Great Tang Kingdom and the Dahua Empire, which is slightly north of the area where the Tang Army had launched an attack and broke through the Dahua border defense, within a command post of the Tang Army, an officer was reporting to his superior, ¡°General! The preparations for the counterattack are all set, waiting only for your command.¡±


    Standing in front of the map and studying the target points on it, the commanding officer turned around and nodded slightly to the group of commanders standing behind him, ¡°Order the troops to begin the attack! We can¡¯t let the world remember only Strauss, can we? I, Bolton, son of a Blacksmith, it¡¯s time for them to see that the hammer that forges metal is indeed the hardest!¡±


    ¡°Yes, General!¡± Everyone present stood at attention and saluted, shouting loudly, ¡°Long live Your Majesty! Long live Great Tang!¡±


    The officer who received the orders left one after another, and soon all the tasks for the offensive were distributed.


    The head officer remaining in the command post finally showed a relaxed expression, walked beside the map once again, and muttered to himself, ¡°Everyone¡¯s looking at Hidden Sword Gorge? Everyone¡¯s looking at Xicong? Hahaha, do they think I, Bolton, don¡¯t exist? Alright, I¡¯ll show them that back in Dorne, there were two generals!¡±


    He was the son of a blacksmith; if it weren¡¯t for the Tang Military Academy, if it weren¡¯t for His Majesty, he guessed that he¡¯d probably still be forging iron for a living.


    But now, he was a general! Commanding a hundred thousand troops, he battled the enemy on the bloody battlefield.


    ...


    Today he was a famous general of his time, one of the renowned duo of Dorne, the kind of commander that kings and emperors dreamt of having.


    As Strauss made a name for himself in Chu Country, Bolton naturally wanted to show his prowess within the Dahua territory. Otherwise, if the world only remembered Strauss from the Dorne duo, what would become of him, Bolton?


    Therefore, on the first day of the new month, the Tang Army suddenly launched a new round of assaults at the breakthrough point in the Central Region. Two infantry divisions led the way, directly breaking through the Dahua military¡¯s defense line, tearing open a gap approximately ten kilometers wide.


    Afterward, the commanding officer of the Central Region, Bolton, committed the 6th Tank Division from the Tang Army reserves in the Central Region to the battlefield, beginning a deep assault into Dahua territory.


    In just one day, the 6th Tank Division covered seventy kilometers, drawing a magnificent arc, severing the supply lines of four divisions of the Dahua Empire¡¯s reserve troops in the Central Region.


    The Dahua military crumbled, scrambling to escape the encirclement of the 6th Armored Division. The Tang Army that faced them then advanced, biting into the Dahua troops that had abandoned their positions.


    The chase was on, and three days later, the Dahua defensive forces gave up their resistance, surrendered their weapons, and the rupture in the Central Region of Dahua territory widened to nearly a hundred kilometers.


    Since the Tang Country had already taken control of the oil fields in the southern region and was nearly out of the oil crisis, the Great Tang Staff Department allocated about half of their oil reserves to the astonishingly successful Bolton, allowing him to continue expanding his victories in the Central Region.


    The Great General of the Dahua Empire, General Feng Kezhi, donned his armor and led the Empire¡¯s reserve forces to the Central Region¡¯s battlefield.


    Relying on the mountains and rivers of the Central Region, General Feng Kezhi maneuvered his troops in coordination with the remaining local forces, finally stabilizing the situation.


    However, compared to the situation before, an obvious indentation had appeared on the border area of the Dahua Empire, and a significant stretch of territory fell under the hooves of the Great Tang¡¯s cavalry.


    In the southern region, the troops of Qian Jinhang, already encircled, were still struggling. However, after a full month, they had devoured almost everything edible within their controlled area.


    Initially, they extended their meager food supplies by mixing sawdust, tree bark, and various leaves into their meals, managing to hold on for a while longer.


    Latterly, food became almost invisible, and the soldiers had to subsist on tree bark, roots, and leaves. Some even resorted to eating leather goods.


    At this point, the troops began to slaughter their horses and searched for anything edible. Mass desertions occurred within the military, with many surrendering their weapons so that they might dine on a full meal from the Tang Army.


    At this moment, the remaining half-million troops within the encircling siege depended on relief from the Tang Army for minimal stability.


    Yes, you read that correctly, ¡°relief¡± from the Tang Army. The Tang Army had sent some military rations, barely allowing Qian Jinhang to maintain the situation. The Tang Army even stopped compressing Dahua forces further, slowing down their offensive.


    About a fortnight ago, Qian Jinhang had sent people to negotiate with the Tang Army, initiating discussions about surrender. In his view, he had done his utmost for the Dahua Empire.


    Without any reinforcements or food supplies, his troops had managed to last this long, which could be considered a miracle.


    But such extraordinary performance came at a price, and the price was that he would ultimately surrender with the title of Great General, along with tens of thousands of troops, to the Tang Country.


    ¡°Great General! The 100,000 troops on the perimeter have laid down their weapons as agreed and have been taken into custody by the Tang Army...¡± An aide entered, addressing Qian Jinhang who was sitting in front of the desk.


    Distracted, Qian Jinhang replied, ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°Great General... it¡¯s not too late to change your mind now,¡± another subordinate who was organizing documents reminded Qian Jinhang with a hint of unwillingness, glancing at his somewhat withered spirit.


    Qian Jinhang slightly nodded his head, then shook it, ¡°There¡¯s no turning point left. Since they have promised not to mistreat the prisoners of war, the best outcome is for these soldiers to surrender their weapons.¡±


    Because the Tang Army intended to distribute these prisoners in different locations, they didn¡¯t make all the Dahua troops within the encircled area surrender at once.


    The Dahua prisoners who surrendered in batches were not treated in the usual manner of the Tang Army and were not sent to various regions to serve as labor.


    In fact, Tang Country was very friendly towards the people of Dahua, which was completely different from the treatment of the goblin prisoners from the Sheng Country. Logically speaking, the tall and strong people of Dahua, in every aspect, were more talented for labor than the goblins.


    Unfortunately, in Great Tang, there was no need to hide one¡¯s discrimination. Everyone looked down on goblins, and so their treatment was worse, an unavoidable reality.


    For the Dahua troops encircled, there truly was no better option than surrender. They were unable to break through, nor could they continue to hold out.


    The weather had cleared up significantly. The previous continuous rainfall had ended, and even the raging rivers were no longer ferociously tumbling.


    To the Tang Kingdom, clear weather was the perfect time for killing and arson. Countless planes took off, patrolling back and forth in the sky.


    One merely had to look up at the sky to understand the futility of persisting. Had Qian Jinhang not swiftly changed his stance, the bargaining chips in his hands might have diminished by a hundred thousand men.


    Sometimes, things are peculiarly wondrous. Two generals of the Dahua Empire would, in the near future, run into each other on a certain street in Chang¡¯an.


    One was a fierce general who commanded a million-strong army and once nearly snatched Xicong from Tagg¡¯s grasp, while the other was a traitor who surrendered and sacrificed an army of a million and a southeast territory of the empire.


    Their fates would be vastly different: Starting from the moment Ding Hong surrendered, he could only live as an obedient wealthy man. The fact that he was alive in Chang¡¯an was already an act of grace by the honest and trustworthy King of Great Tang.


    Qian Jinhang¡¯s situation was completely different. He was a great general of Dahua but destined to be a commander of Great Tang. Although he could no longer lead troops in combat, there was a place for him in the Staff Department.


    After all, the Tang Kingdom was also short on talent. A general who could command nearly a million soldiers, manage their needs, and drive them into combat was a treasure wherever he went.


    Even if it were only to find deficiencies and devise strategies for Luff in the Staff Department, someone like Qian Jinhang was still useful.


    As for the disposition of the six to seven hundred thousand troops, the higher-ups of Tang Country had already arranged it appropriately.


    They would be scattered and sent to cities in dire need of labor forces to undergo labor reformation, working for three years.


    After the completion of three years, they had the right to choose to stay or return to the Dahua Empire. If they chose to stay, they would receive a sum for settling down, meaning that their three years of labor in Great Tang was actually paid.


    Those who chose to leave naturally would not receive any money, but how many would actually decide to leave after three years, only heaven knew.


    According to Tang Country¡¯s laws, if such personnel chose to stay, the Tang Kingdom had the right to demand from the Dahua Empire their family members and relatives within three degrees of kinship.


    Of course, the Dahua Empire had the right to refuse the request, but at the risk of certain repercussions, such as a declaration of war from Great Tang or sanctions, among others.


    In reality, the name Tang Kingdom could possibly no longer exist soon, as many senior officials within Tang Country had begun to earnestly consider whether they could take things a step further.


    That¡¯s right, the Tang Kingdom could very well rename itself the Great Tang Empire after achieving complete victory in this war, and Tang King Tang Mo, was soon to become the Emperor of Great Tang Empire.


    This was not Tang Mo¡¯s doing, but rather, a wave initiated bizarrely by a large group of officials who launched an earnest entreaty.


    In the beginning, it involved a bunch of old men and old ladies who had nothing better to do in Chang¡¯an City, those who participated spontaneously. They had a respectable title known as village elders.


    In other words, they were the bunch of old folks living off the country in Tang¡¯s homes for the aged. They jointly petitioned for Tang King to ascend to the throne and transform the Tang Kingdom into a true Great Tang Empire.


    If you say there wasn¡¯t someone manipulating behind the scenes, even Tang Mo wouldn¡¯t believe it. Now that the plate has grown larger, many ministers had their own thoughts, and Tang Mo couldn¡¯t expect them always to maintain the so-called simple folk customs...


    ¡°`

 Chapter 783 783 Go further 742

    ?Chapter 783: Go further 742 Chapter 783: Go further 742 It was only known to him that Nangong Hong and Roger had both secretly participated in the hype of this matter. The voices within the military hoping for Tang Mo to become Emperor had grown so loud they couldn¡¯t be contained.


    Even many generals had discussed this openly, and they all tacitly referred to Tang Mo only as ¡°Your Majesty,¡± deliberately avoiding the use of the phrase ¡°Your Majesty the King.¡±


    Nowadays, in the charges, soldiers were no longer encouraged to shout ¡°Long live His Majesty the King;¡± instead, everyone uniformly cried out ¡°Long live His Majesty¡± or ¡°Long live Great Tang...¡±


    With almost everyone¡¯s encouragement, the higher-ups of Great Tang began to consider the prospects of their current royal positions as they transitioned into imperial ones.


    Sometimes, just a change in title could instantly excite people, like, for example, when a woman suddenly shouts ¡°husband¡± in bed one day...


    In fact, on a macro level, the Great Tang Kingdom had already become the world¡¯s largest by territory, strongest by economic strength, and most populous kingdom.


    In terms of overall strength, Tang Country had long possessed the scale of an empire, yet it had always refrained from pursuing the goal that many rulers aspire to their entire lives.


    ...


    Logically speaking, after Tang Country occupied Zheng Country, swallowed up Qi Country, seized the northern part of Chu Country, and carved out a large chunk of Dahua Empire¡¯s territory, it had become a colossal entity comparable to the Dahua Empire.


    Meanwhile, with the support of the Great Tang Group, the economy and industry of the entire empire had achieved remarkable accomplishments, modestly speaking, they were world-leading.


    In such an environment, who wouldn¡¯t want their country to become the newly rising empire, and who wouldn¡¯t want the wise and valiant King to become a genuine Emperor?


    Of course, after the King became Emperor, it would certainly be cause for happiness if their positions as Prime Minister and Minister could evolve into those of an Imperial Prime Minister and Imperial Minister.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. If becoming Emperor means we can send 3,000 more tons of food to the front lines each month, I can ascend the throne and proclaim myself Emperor right away,¡± Tang Mo said helplessly to his subordinates.


    ¡°But the problem is that a title, whether imperial or otherwise, is just a superficial name. It can¡¯t bring us any real benefits, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to rush into becoming an Emperor,¡± he continued, spreading his hands to explain to his ministers.


    ¡°Your Majesty, when the time is ripe, we should seize the opportunity,¡± Nangong Hong cautiously advised. ¡°Your ascension to Emperor will also support and encourage the work of your subordinates afterward.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, if we don¡¯t show our firm stance, the enemy will take us even less seriously,¡± Prime Minister Roger agreed.


    In truth, it wasn¡¯t that they were obsessively fixated on the title for the sake of it; rather, there were indeed benefits to proclaiming oneself Emperor in certain aspects.


    For instance, when Tang Country faced the Dahua Empire, they were nominally inferior to the Dahua Empire. That¡¯s the protocol, the ¡°rule¡± upheld in international relations.


    Although there have been instances when kingdoms have ignored protocols and broken rules due to their power, rules are rules, and protocols are protocols.


    The Leite Kingdom, eager to become the Laines Empire, actually valued similar benefits: on the international stage, an Empire¡¯s words carry a weight that a Kingdom¡¯s words cannot match.


    Though Great Tang Kingdom could demonstrate an attitude as firm as an Empire¡¯s based on its strength, at the end of the day, the name of an Empire is far more appealing than that of a Kingdom.


    The most crucial issue is... why not?


    Just as Nangong Hong said, when the time is right, there¡¯s no advantage to stubbornly refusing to proclaim oneself Emperor. No matter how low-key Tang Mo is, he can¡¯t change the fact that he is disliked by certain people.


    These people, specifically the old nobility, old businessmen, landlords... in short, the beneficiaries of the old world order, dislike him, resent him, even to the point where they would be happy to see him dead. Even if Tang Mo abdicated and stopped being King, it¡¯s unlikely it would change their views of him.


    So, why not become Emperor?


    ¡°Alright, since you¡¯ve already taken things this far, let¡¯s proceed as you wish,¡± Tang Mo gave in, going with the flow.


    Despite everyone¡¯s urgency, there are still established procedures to follow. The first is to seek the approval thrice, demonstrating that Tang Mo¡¯s becoming Emperor was the will of the people.


    Emperors in this world are not like those on Earth who need divine rights or to call themselves the Son of Heaven. To put it plainly, their thrones are won by force, needing no one¡¯s conferment.


    However, on the other hand, since these emperors are made by force, they require recognition from foreign states: if you haven¡¯t subdued your neighbors, even if you proclaim yourself Emperor, it won¡¯t be acknowledged by everyone.


    This was why the Laines Empire, when proclaiming their empire, needed the support of Tang Mo, ensuring that the surrounding countries influenced by the Great Tang Group would nod in acknowledgment.


    On the side of the Great Tang Kingdom, things were also by the book: remember when Tang destroyed Zheng, it was recognized by Zheng Country¡¯s suzerain, the Dahua Empire, and Tang Mo paid a certain ¡°price¡± for it.


    After Tang had defeated Qi and vanquished Shenguo, it already possessed the capital to become an empire. However, Tang Mo, choosing to remain low-key, had forsaken the opportunity to ascend directly to imperial status at that time.


    Until today, Tang Country had become the mightiest nation on the East Coast of the Western Continent, and the elephant could no longer hide behind the mouse with its low profile.


    Therefore, it was time to start organizing the preparations for the King¡¯s coronation as Emperor at the very least, forming a preparatory department to start researching the details...


    Simultaneously, the Foreign Affairs department also needed to start preparing. After the war had been decided, or more precisely, after Tang Country¡¯s great victory, they had to figure out how to dispatch diplomats to make other countries submit and recognize the existence of the Great Tang Empire.


    On the other hand, it was necessary to win over the populace as much as possible, incorporating the newly occupied territories into the empire, and find every way to get the people from these regions to support their new King¡¯s rise to Emperor.


    In short, this matter could be as significant or as minor, the work as extensive or as limited, as one planned for it to be. There was no hurry, nor could there be because hastiness in claiming an imperial title was not a good omen, true in the world of Earth as it was in this one.


    ¡°Your subject understands!¡± Roger¡¯s face broke into a smile upon hearing that Tang Mo had agreed to the matter. His greatest wish was finally going to be put on the agenda.


    In his younger days, he had a close friendship with Tang Mo¡¯s father, Tang Qi, always considering himself as half a senior to Tang Mo: his greatest wish, after the establishment of Tang Country, was to one day personally elevate Tang Mo to the throne, achieving immortality!


    Even though all these were the results of Tang Mo¡¯s own efforts, being able to play a role, to help his old friend¡¯s son become an Emperor that he dared not even dream of, indeed was his dream.


    Nangong Hong also let out a sigh of relief: he was genuinely concerned that Tang Mo might once again veto the suggestion of becoming Emperor. He had always dreamt of assisting a wise ruler to achieve an everlasting golden age, and now being able to push this wise sovereign even further certainly brought his dream one step closer.


    ...


    Along the winding roads, there were railroad tracks stretching as far as the eye could see, with trucks moving on the roadway, alongside a slow-moving train.


    The soldiers on the trucks curiously watched the train passing by, observing the flatbed rail cars covered with tarpaulins.


    Based on the silhouettes, everyone could guess that these tarped weapons and equipment were tanks. They were larger than the assault guns they had seen and also sported a long, imposing barrel.


    From some details, these were new-model tanks they had never seen before, as the parts exposed were completely different from the No. 4 tanks they were used to seeing.


    The new tanks had interleaved road wheels, wider and more sturdy tracks, and an interesting slanted front armor plate.


    These were the so-called No. 5 tanks, or mass-produced Panther Tanks, which were being sent to the front line along with the Armored Corps.


    Following the train pushing towards the front line, the trucks were towing towed howitzers. These 105mm caliber howitzers were manned by gunners, jostling along on the dusty roads.


    It was by no means a comfortable affair, as the number of advancing troops kicked up such an amount of dust that it obscured the sky, compelling people to wrap scarves around their noses and mouths.


    However, compared to the infantrymen marching on the road beds, the gunners who had seats and didn¡¯t need to walk were already very fortunate.


    The foot soldiers who didn¡¯t even have the luxury of a road had not only to endure the dust kicked up by the trucks, but also the long journey¡¯s toll on their legs.


    The two divisions of the Tang Army encountered each other on their journey, exchanging glances and forming a magnificent spectacle.


    In the sky, dozens of Stuka Dive Bombers, having just completed their bombing missions at the front, were returning to base. They clearly observed the friendly forces marching on the ground below.


    Even without descending, they could easily discern the moving troops of over ten thousand men simply by the conspicuous dust on the ground.


    Following the No. 4 assault guns belonging to the infantry were various types of armored vehicles, including armored personnel carriers transporting infantry, self-propelled guns, and Bofors Anti-Aircraft Guns being towed for air defense.


    The command vehicles, much larger than ordinary vehicles, were very easy to recognize even from the air. These special vehicles were modified from oversized trucks.


    They were bigger than the trucks, had a more enclosed cabin, steering mechanisms were specially designed, able to carry four radios, and had their own independent generator equipment.


    More impressively, it featured a dedicated resting room for the commander: though small, it housed a field bed.


    These command vehicles became very popular once mass-produced, and were already widespread down to the divisional level in combat units. During transit, the thick radio antennas wobbled back and forth with the vehicle¡¯s jostling, visible from a distance.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    The next update will be slightly late, you can view it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 784 784 743 Zhao Family members

    ?Chapter 784: 743 Zhao Family members Chapter 784: 743 Zhao Family members ¡°`html


    The flood gradually subsided, and Tang Country¡¯s national strength began to recover rapidly. The troops previously delayed and scattered in local areas were gradually redeployed to strengthen various directions.


    The speed of troop redeployments increased as the roads began to be repaired. Great Tang was originally the nation most focused on infrastructure in this world, and when these infrastructures came into play, their power was formidable.


    With long railway mileage and good roads, troop movements in Tang Country were extremely convenient, allowing for more unexpected assembly.


    Unseen and unheard, they assembled six divisions and launched the Central Region campaign while also sending two more divisions to the plains of Chu Country controlled by Strauss and four more divisions towards Hidden Sword Gorge.


    This meant that Tang Army¡¯s troops were increasing in all battle zones, while at the same time, they were continuously eliminating the enemy forces in front of them.


    With one side increasing and the other decreasing, the troop comparison between the two sides was undergoing significant changes. Dahua and Chu Country, already in a strategic defensive state, felt immense pressure increasingly.


    *The pressure was overwhelming for the enemy, but it was the opposite for Tang Country. This sensation of gradually entering the groove made many generals ecstatic.*


    *For everyone, the supply line behind them became smoother and smoother, reinforcements increasingly more frequent, and supplies increasingly timely. This feeling was incredibly satisfying.*


    *It was like realizing there were still 200 backup rounds and four first aid kits after firing for twenty minutes, like halfway through a raid opening a bag only to find 100 large potions, or like being home for a week without buying groceries yet discovering two boxes of instant noodles and sausages in the kitchen.*


    By this point in the war, Tang Army began to unleash its power. The frontline generals of the Dahua Empire finally experienced Tang Army¡¯s most straightforward and fundamental combat style: bulldozing.


    ...


    What kind of battle command was best for graduates of the Great Tang Military Academy? No need to ask. Everyone who had studied there would give you the same answer.


    As long as logistical support met the requirements, they would use the simplest and most direct means to gather superior forces and launch an attack in the most reliable way.


    The principles adhered to by these commanders of Great Tang were that if ten aircraft could be dispatched for support, they would not just send nine; if 100 cannons could be used, they would not just use 50 for support!


    If possible, Tang Army would concentrate hundreds of tanks on the battlefront over several kilometers. As long as they had enough fuel and ammunition, Tang Army hoped for more tank support.


    While other countries struggled with transporting two simple rations to frontline troops, the logistics support commanders of the Great Tang Group learned in their classes that toffee and cigarettes were guarantees of high troop morale.


    ¡°You can¡¯t let soldiers only eat flat cakes just because they can fight on them! That¡¯s dereliction of duty; warriors fighting for the country deserve the best of everything!¡± This was a famous saying everyone in the logistics and supply department of the Great Tang Military Academy had heard, and it was their code of conduct.


    Their mission was to find ways to send more ammunition and food to the frontline troops. This was not an empty statement.


    With the support of more ammunition, more air support, more reinforcements, more tanks, and more armored vehicles, Tang Army was... invincible!


    *Already harboring a spirit of resentment, those officers and soldiers who, during disaster relief, had been embraced and revered by the people, understood why they fought.*


    *The soldiers of Great Tang belonged to the people of Great Tang! They protected the people, and this was the faith they fought for! Do you know what faith is? Equipped with this, the soldiers of Great Tang... were invincible.*


    *What was it like when your country was humiliated and invaded by others in times of disaster?*


    Vengeance and hate were unfamiliar to Tang Army, yet this feeling made them realize what they hadn¡¯t grasped during past smooth and successful battles.


    No one knew how fierce these troops fought upon reaching the front lines. Because anyone who experienced their ferocity... no longer existed.


    Their aggressiveness was such that when they reached the front lines, they temporarily increased Tang Army¡¯s loss rate. Their attacks could even be described as reckless, and their defense was more tenacious, as solid as a rock.


    ...


    In the grand hall of the Dahua Empire, Zhao Kai was tortured by the recent battle situations until his face turned pale. He hadn¡¯t heard any good news these few days; it seemed as if the entire empire was about to perish.


    Two months ago, Tang Army¡¯s bombing of Fengjiang was a shocking piece of news in the court, but now? No one cared about the bombings anymore, because even with Feng Kezhi in command, the Tang Army led by Bolton already threatened Fengjiang...


    Listen, listen! Was this even human speech? Before, the enemy planes only bombed a few times, but now... the enemy tank tracks were already not far from Fengjiang!


    Zhao Kai¡¯s complexion had been poor lately, the various bad news ravaged his ability to sleep well or eat. If anyone suffered the most from the demise of the empire, it was just him, the emperor.


    The other ministers could continue to hold office; if things went south, they could return home and become rich gentlemen or even migrate with their entire families to another country to survive.


    But he couldn¡¯t; he was the emperor of the Dahua Empire, the owner of this nation, with no retreat.


    So, even he, under the barrage of bad news, became depressed and miserable.


    He looked down at the ministers, his hoarse voice echoing in the hall, ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s no way to counterattack? Didn¡¯t the reinforcements from Qin Country already arrive? What about the reinforcements from Shu Country? Where are their reinforcements? Where have they arrived?¡±


    At this point, no one wanted to respond, not even Shen Chuan, the Minister of War overseeing these matters, who kept his head down in silence.


    So Zhao Kai continued speaking to himself, ¡°Send a telegram to Zhao Chen! Send a telegram! Tell him to prepare and start counterattacking! If he says he¡¯s not ready, ask him when he will be ready! When can he start counterattacking?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Shen Chuan finally couldn¡¯t sit still. Before Feng Kezhi left, he warned that if the troops lost much more, the situation may become unsustainable.


    So, he immediately stepped out and bowed his head to Zhao Kai, saying, ¡°Your Majesty, calm your anger! Currently, on all battlefronts, our forces are not in an advantageous position. Forcing the frontline generals to counterattack now will worsen the situation.¡±


    Just as everyone expected, Zhao Kai ignited like a barrel of gasoline, exploding instantly, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? If we don¡¯t retake the southern oil fields, if we don¡¯t take back Wangchun City, Tengyun City, and South Wind Pass... Dahua Empire won¡¯t rest! Won¡¯t rest!¡±


    Chu Muzhou weighed his options, stepped forward heavily, dragging his aged frame, and said, ¡°Your Majesty, calm your anger! I believe the war must continue, but how to fight... we should listen to the generals¡¯ opinions...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already heard too many of their opinions! But what was the result? The result was them being cowardly and afraid of death, making excuses and stalling!¡± Zhao Kai didn¡¯t show the Imperial Chancellor any face, even feeling this old man was a bit presumptuous.


    So he dismissively scolded, ¡°Before, I thought we should take the opportunity while Tang Country was unsettled to avenge Zheng Country! But every one of you didn¡¯t know how many benefits Tang Mo granted you! Just refused to agree to declare war on Tang Country!¡±


    For an emperor to accuse his ministers of accepting enemy bribes was a very serious charge, so Chu Muzhou immediately defended himself, ¡°Your Majesty, calm your anger... watch your words! None of us took a penny from Tang Mo, the heavens can be our witness!¡±


    The remaining ministers also began wailing, as if greatly wronged, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, we served with integrity, and have never taken a single penny of enemy funds!¡±


    The cries made Zhao Kai¡¯s head swell like a drum, and he immediately roared, ¡°Enough! When Ding Hong gathered the defeated troops and stationed at South Wind Pass, what did you say? You said Ding Hong was an able minister, a famous general! The pillar of my Dahua! An exceptional commander!¡±


    ¡°I almost gave him the honor of Great General back then! Almost!¡± Recalling this, Zhao Kai became even more agitated, pacing furiously before his throne like a beast eyeing its prey, ¡°The result was he surrendered! He surrendered!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! He actually surrendered! Handed over the southern oil fields! Gave the southeastern land of Dahua Empire to Tang People!¡± Zhao Kai laughed out of extreme anger, his voice raised to a sharp pitch.


    But he hadn¡¯t finished, still wanting to shout, ¡°Now! That person you similarly called an able minister and a famous general, Qian Jinhang, is flirting with the Tang People in Xicong! The hundreds of thousands of troops of Dahua Empire! My hundreds of thousands of troops! Are on the verge of being handed over to Tang Mo! Handed over to Tang People!¡±


    Qian Jinhang¡¯s situation was no longer a secret, as this involved the surrender of hundreds of thousands of troops, impossible to conceal.


    In fact, after deciding to surrender, Qian Jinhang sent a telegram to the Dahua Empire, acknowledging everything he had done, clearly reporting to his former employers the final date of complete surrender.


    General Feng Kezhi actually understood Qian Jinhang, as he had ordered him to hold the position and delay time¡ªQian Jinhang very well completed the task assigned by Feng Kezhi, holding out till the agreed time, even exceeding the task.


    But Emperor Zhao Kai didn¡¯t understand. From his perspective, Qian Jinhang should have fought to the death, battled to the last man, then committed suicide for the nation; only then would he have lived up to the honor of Great General bestowed upon him.


    This series of events made Zhao Kai increasingly distrust outside generals, so he more frequently appointed royal family members he had previously been wary of.


    Zhao Chen was one of them, Zhao Jie another, now... he thought of more Zhao family members.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 785 785 744 North-South Transport

    ?Chapter 785: 744 North-South Transport Chapter 785: 744 North-South Transport ¡°`


    The Great Tang Kingdom is an interesting country, with strong production capacity and abundant raw material supply, capable of manufacturing a vast amount of materials and equipment every day.


    Yet this country seems to be in a perpetual state of shortage, lacking oil here, steel there, and even occasionally facing a crisis in food supply.


    Compared to other countries, Tang Mo, as the King of the Tang Country, was truly tormented and joyfully afflicted by this phenomenon.


    Every morning, the array of news he heard was always a mix of good and bad, some worth celebrating and others headache-inducing.


    For instance, when he heard that Qian Jinhang had already boarded the train and would soon arrive in Chang¡¯an, he was so happy that he even considered adding a bit more to his breakfast.


    But when he heard that the disaster relief supplies in the southern regions were about to run out, he felt that having an extra bite seemed almost sinful.


    In fact, vast tracts of land in the Tang Country were in a state of abundance, especially the northern areas unaffected by calamities. Qi Country was also a major grain producer, especially around Beiyuan City, which, like the northeastern plains of some country, was an excellent place for agriculture.


    ...


    The soil there was extremely fertile, and the terrain was very flat: and a lot of bodies had been buried during the war two years back... Hmm, it was absolutely a prime spot for cultivation.


    Unfortunately, transporting grain from the north to the south was not easy, as the railway lines in the southern regions had been destroyed by floods, cutting off transportation and requiring some time to repair.


    The hastily repaired railways were heavily used by the military, after all, about one million troops and captives were stationed around Xicong in the southern regions, and all these people needed to eat.


    In the meantime, the Tang Country had no choice but to redistribute the grain hoarded in the southern regions to even further south: the areas impacted by Strauss¡¯s battles were simply too large, and the populations too vast.


    It was no joking matter. The entire northern plains of the Chu Country, or now the southern plains of the Tang Country, were crowded with tens of millions of refugees who had no food, had just suffered a disaster, and had been entangled in battles with various troops for a long time.


    Compared to disaster-afflicted areas in the Tang Country, the southern plains could truly be described as utterly devastated: the locals were ragged, emaciated, and appeared ghost-like, turning the whole region into a ghost realm.


    There were no alternatives. If relief efforts weren¡¯t urgently coordinated and the livelihood of the people wasn¡¯t restored, then the Tang Country¡¯s occupation of the region would equate to inheriting an endless and insoluble trouble.


    Only by ensuring the people had food to eat and jobs to do could the area genuinely settle down and become an inseparable part of the Tang Country.


    Thus, despite the fact that the southern regions themselves were also short of grain, the Tang Country had no choice but to reroute its reserve disaster relief grain to its newly occupied southern plains, to barely sustain the former citizens of the Chu Country who were barely clinging to life.


    The effect was significant: after receiving the aid, the chaos in the southern plains subsided at a visibly fast pace.


    The locals surrendered their guns and gradually began to resume production under the organization of Tang Country officials. Their lands were actually quite fertile, but unfortunately, previously, these lands belonged to the nobility of the Chu Country.


    Now, the Tang troops helped them kill off these landlords, drove away those high-and-mighty Chu nobility, and turned these fertile lands into ownerless territories.


    Then, the Tang Country enacted decrees stating that these lands would be allocated to the farmers for cultivation at no cost, which quickly stabilized public sentiment, and the rest fell naturally into place.


    Although the Chu Country also attempted a few counterattacks, their troops were annihilated by the Tang Army as soon as they left the mountains and entered the plains.


    When it came to fighting on the plains, the Tang Army could truly be regarded as the best in the world, while the Chu forces were second-rate, so they were almost guaranteed to lose.


    However, in the muddy southern regions, where roads were virtually nonexistent, the mobility and repositioning of the Tang Army were greatly hindered, which suddenly brought road construction back to the agenda.


    Regrettably, the Tang Country was already too preoccupied to think about constructing temporary railways and roads on the southern battlefront, as the already fragile transportation lines of the Chu Country were strained to support even the existing material deployments.


    Oil, ammunition, food, medicines... all these were in urgent need. Where was the capacity to consider some damned cement asphalt road roller?


    To put it frankly, had it not been for the capture of a batch of extra food supplies prepared by the Dahua Empire at South Wind Pass, the situation for the Tang Country might have been even more passive.


    The food supplies from South Wind Pass indeed alleviated a critical need for the Tang Country, but those supplies were also disappearing at a visibly fast rate.


    Firstly, the surrendering Dahua troops in the southern oil field region numbered over a hundred thousand; they too needed food and drink, and the southern oil field region itself had been tormented by rainfall for a long time, making it impossible to be self-sufficient in food.


    ¡°`


    Therefore, a portion of the grain stored at South Wind Pass must also be allocated to the southern oilfield regions: since they surrendered so thoroughly and managed to preserve the oilfield facilities intact, it¡¯s only right that we ensure they don¡¯t go hungry, don¡¯t you think?


    Additionally, the newly conquered Wangchun City and Tengyun City also need food supplies. Previously, Dahua Empire had exploited these cities to gather military rations, and now they¡¯re under the control of Great Tang Kingdom, it would be wise to win over the hearts of the people, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s own afflicted southern regions cannot be neglected. If the newly occupied areas have food and our core territories go hungry, that would be unjust and the people¡¯s morale would surely disperse.


    So, Tang Mo had to figure out a way to use all available resources to transport the remaining grain from the north to the southern regions.


    This was a massive project, testing the transport conditions, transportation capacity, and the strategic resolve of an entire nation.


    For this reason, many areas in Great Tang Kingdom were paying the price for transporting the grain: many metals needed for industrial production in Tongcheng were starting to run short because the food transport was encroaching upon the industrial transport¡¯s share.


    How to arrange the operation of the entire railway system efficiently was a complex and delicate science. Even the slightest mistake could affect the transportation efficiency.


    The people in charge of scheduling were not of high rank and were scattered across various railway sections, each operating independently and being responsible for their own regional arrangements.


    This led to unavoidable scheduling chaos in many areas, which further highlighted the problem of insufficient transport capacity. Even though the railway management of Tang Country was already the most advanced in the world, it was still impossible to avoid mistakes during busy periods.


    The good news was that air transport, which was the first to recover or rather less dependent on ground infrastructure, played a tremendous role.


    C-47 transport planes loaded with grain landed in droves at the temporary airfields near Xicong. After unloading the grain, they transported prisoners from Dahua Empire to the north for re-education through labor.


    Those Dahua prisoners, who saw a real airplane, touched a real airplane, and flew on an airplane for the first time in their lives, vomited themselves half to death in the sky while also experiencing the true meaning of ¡°traveling a thousand miles in a day.¡±


    This was double the transport efficiency: on the one hand, directly delivering grain from the north to the southern regions in dire need of it, and on the other, relocating mouths to feed from the south to the north.


    With the transportation issue being severe in the north and south, the east-west transport was naturally affected. A large number of trains were diverted to support the north-south routes, inevitably reducing railway transportation capacity in the east-west direction.


    Therefore, after barely completing the offensive towards Fengjiang, the westward advancing cluster led by Bolton near Fengjiang had to halt their offense, allowing the front to stabilize.


    Sometimes, a war is not just about who can fight; Tang Army¡¯s offensive was thus constrained by its own logistics, forced to abandon an excellent situation.


    Initially, while Dahua Empire was in chaos due to heavy losses, Tang Army could have launched attacks on Hidden Sword Gorge and the Fengjiang defense lines, potentially achieving a breakthrough and greater victories.


    But unfortunately, troop movements could not keep up with the pace, and many forces could only mobilize slowly via road, unable to arrive promptly in the war zone to expand their victories.


    In the end, they could only watch helplessly as the Dahua Troops fortified their defense and increased their forces, awaiting reinforcements from Qin Country...


    ¡°The current situation is that our forces in Xicong have been completely liberated, accounting for over three hundred thousand soldiers,¡± Tang Mo said as he met with Luff after breakfast for a small two-person meeting, where Luff gave a brief overview of the situation.


    ¡°The plan from the Staff Department is to send a hundred thousand troops to approach Hidden Sword Gorge to establish a new defensive line there. There¡¯s no need for us to continue our assault from this direction; the Dahua Military is well-prepared, with the natural stronghold of Hidden Sword Gorge to rely on. An attack from us here is unlikely to be advantageous,¡± Luff explained to Tang Mo the reasons for such an arrangement.


    After finishing, he paused, and seeing that Tang Mo showed no intention of speaking, he continued: ¡°The situation in the southern regions is still very tense, so I plan to send two divisions south to support Strauss.¡±


    The remaining forces, according to the Staff Department¡¯s plans, would be redirected to the western front, to join forces with Bolton¡¯s western offensive group, and together with the upcoming supply reinforcements, launch a new round of attacks on Fengjiang.


    However, moving two hundred thousand troops to the Fengjiang war zone is no easy task at present.


    It might well take until the last few days of autumn to complete the entire transport operation. This is practically a joke; by the time all the troops have assembled, it might have already started snowing locally.


    Moreover, after such a long time, Dahua Military surely would have been fully prepared and waiting. Initiating an offensive when the weather is turning cold and air support is once again less reliable is clearly unwise.


    ¡°It seems that this year¡¯s warfare can only go so far,¡± Tang Mo said, though somewhat reluctantly, he could only accept the reality.


    Luff nodded, ¡°If the other side doesn¡¯t end this war, next year we might achieve even greater victories.¡±

 Chapter 786 786 745 is seen clearly

    ?Chapter 786: 745 is seen clearly Chapter 786: 745 is seen clearly Flying the Butcher Fighter through the skies, seated in the cramped cockpit, feeling the engine¡¯s vibration, enjoying the turbulence of the air currents, this was the job of the pilots from Great Tang.


    Actually, they really liked to fly. That feeling of rolling in the sky, diving and opening fire on the enemy, watching tracer bullets draw beautiful curves, piercing through the enemy¡¯s wings, was truly captivating.


    But such battles were few and far between. These days, the bulk of their work resembled their current mission, flying through blue skies and white clouds, looking down upon the land, yet without any sign of enemy fighters.


    Helplessly, after a few slaughters, the pilots from the Dahua Empire finally realized their aircraft were not really planes at all, so they simply stopped taking off altogether.


    Although the Tang Army ground forces often found several dozen Camel Fighters at some secretly built field airbases during their previous rapid advancement, these planes never took to the skies for combat.


    They were neatly parked inside hidden hangars, with rooftops camouflaged with vegetation, but the buildings were deserted, with neither pilots nor ground crew to be found.


    These pilots, who had once studied on Dragon Island or had been trained by graduates from there, finally understood just how formidable their teachers, or rather their senior mentors, were in the face of the brutal war.


    ...


    Thus, the aerial combat between the Dahua Empire and Tang Country had become what it was now. Guided by hastily established ground radar stations, Tang Army planes patrolled the skies without finding any opponents.


    What used to be interesting dogfights turned into tedious patrols, and in order to save fuel, the scale of takeoffs for Tang Army aircraft was reduced to the bare minimum.


    Previously, Tang Army fighters would appear in groups, with dozens of aircraft densely filling the sky, presenting a frightening scene.


    These planes would often carry bombs under their bellies, and in the absence of enemy aircraft, they would seek ground targets to attack.


    But later on, as the Dahua troops grew more aware of air defences and anti-aircraft guns became more widespread, ground attacks by fighters were explicitly prohibited.


    Despite some still engaging in it, at least within the Tang Country Air Force, commanders had come to believe that ground attacks were not the main role for fighters,


    and the spectacle of dozens of planes taking off in formation gradually decreased, with the number reduced to patrols of eight-aircraft formations.


    Later on, since even eight-aircraft patrols were unable to find the enemy, they began to reduce them further, down to groups of four.


    Eventually, most patrol tasks were given over to two-aircraft teams: ground troops hardly saw any more cover-the-sky aircraft movements, only occasionally observing a pair of planes in the high skies circling above, indiscernible from the ground, like flies.


    While fighter sorties became less frequent, the workload of Air Force commanders did not ease up. By General Ibrahim¡¯s orders, all pilots who were freed from their regular duties had to train more apprentices, cultivating more pilot seeds for the nation.


    It was a huge project, for from the support for the southern region through air transport, everyone had seen the importance of air transport.


    In the future, Tang Country aimed to establish the world¡¯s largest air transport force and a civilian aviation fleet of the greatest scale. All these required pilots to operate and a large ground crew team for support.


    Therefore, apprentices were being trained frenetically at every airfield, with so many young people gathered together, playing with the world¡¯s most advanced and expensive flying machines, how could it not be a matter of great concern?


    Now, the tasks of these unlucky front-line Air Force commanders were not to command aerial combat or provide ground support but to keep an eye on these youngsters, preventing them from causing trouble.


    Keep in mind, even the cheapest Butcher Fighters are not inexpensive to procure, and crashing one would result in writing a plethora of reports.


    Not to mention that if an apprentice pilot crashes and loses his life, the situation becomes far more serious. Compared to the aircraft, these reserve pilots, who have received over two years of education, are more precious.


    Just the other day, an accident where a ground crew apprentice lost his arm to a propeller was enough to have several commanders in trouble up till now, creating a chilling effect whenever it¡¯s mentioned.


    Compared to the front-line Air Force, the rear Air Force transport units are now so busy that they hardly have time to eat.


    Taking off from various airfields, they are filled with food bound for the southern regions. In order to solve the food shortage in the south more quickly and efficiently, Tang Mo ordered all available C-47 transport planes to be used for transporting grain.


    Even the paratroopers¡¯ C-47s were no exception, so these days, the Tang Army paratroopers actually have no way to participate in combat¡ªunless they walk to the front line.


    But walking to the front line has its difficulties too: the roads are clogged with infantry units traveling to the front, these troops crowd the highways, carrying all sorts of supplies, and anyone wishing to pass must get in line...


    ...


    On a northbound train speeding along, there were carriages crammed with Dahua troops who had been taken prisoner. These captives were still in their Dahua military uniforms, the only thing missing were the steel helmets, left behind at Xicong.


    The mood among the prisoners was stable¡ªthey had all been given a good meal before boarding the train, the first decent food they had had in over a month.


    After this meal, they were to be sent to Luo Town, where they would have to work diligently for three years. Though no one knew exactly what they would encounter during those years, they saw something different in the Tang soldiers who were watching over them.


    Each guard tasked with overseeing the prisoners repeatedly emphasized what they needed to be aware of while working in the factories at Luo Town.


    The incessant repetition had made it clear to everyone what their future actions should be: the nagging was oddly comforting, as one wouldn¡¯t waste their breath on the dead.


    If what these Tang soldiers had promised held true, and there would be three meals a day at Luo Town, then living as a captive in the Tang Kingdom for the rest of one¡¯s life didn¡¯t seem too hard to accept.


    Most of the carriages were cramped, with barely any space to sit¡ªand if you managed to sit down, standing back up was near impossible.


    However, two carriages were comparatively spacious, filled with the wounded and some Dahua Empire officers.


    Having surrendered, these officers had no intention of going back: the Dahua Empire wasn¡¯t kind to officers who surrendered, and it was very likely that their families had been dispatched and reduced to servitude. They had understood these consequences when they chose to surrender.


    Qian Jinhang hadn¡¯t chosen to take a plane to Chang¡¯an; he opted to return by train. On the one hand, because in those days planes weren¡¯t safe, and even Tang military officers would avoid flying if they could, and on the other, because Qian Jinhang wanted to see for himself what the Great Tang he was about to serve was really like.


    To be frank, Qian Jinhang was terrified of certain Great Tang systems as he too belonged to the old bureaucracy and nobility, similar to Lu Qianshan and Bai Fei.


    Therefore, he wanted to observe more of the Tang Country, to see what the real Tang Kingdom was like, and whether it was as those people claimed, the grave of the old world.


    It was something he had to do because to convince himself to serve the new king, he needed to find something to sustain him.


    The train raced across the wilderness, and they were soon approaching Sishui, Qian Jinhang¡¯s previous target of attack, a place he had failed to reach despite his best efforts, yet saw effortlessly after his surrender.


    As they approached Sishui, the train began to slow down. It was said they needed to wait for a southbound train to pass before they could enter the station.


    Following an unenduring wait, Qian Jinhang saw the platform at Sishui. Honestly speaking, he hadn¡¯t expected a train platform could be built so magnificently.


    As one of the Tang Country¡¯s transportation hubs, the sheer scale of the Sishui railway station could accurately be described as massive. Southbound and northbound passengers, as well as some military personnel, crowded the platforms, giving the impression that the whole world had gathered there.


    Qian Jinhang hadn¡¯t expected Sishui to be so prosperous, nor had he anticipated that those former nobility and landlords who described their world as ¡°struck by disaster¡± and ¡°the enemy of the world¡± could have constructed a state to such a degree.


    If this were the enemy of the world, then what should those rulers who allowed their people to go hungry and unclothed be called?


    But Qian Jinhang knew what they thought; in their eyes, individuals like Zhao Kai, Leines I, and Binghan the First were considered ¡°wise and benevolent rulers,¡± ¡°models of a prosperous era.¡±


    To be honest, Qian Jinhang himself had always believed so too. He thought that for a general to follow a monarch like Binghan the First or Leines I, expanding the empire, was the ultimate achievement of one¡¯s life.


    But now, he felt he had been wrong or perhaps the world had been wrong. Those nobles, landlords, gentry, and merchants, they must have gotten something wrong.


    If they weren¡¯t wrong, then why was the world before him, the world that belonged to the Tang Country, so utterly different? They had advanced beyond everyone else in just a few years. If they were mistaken... why?


    Qian Jinhang, silent, looked through the train carriage glass at the distant crowds, the people who packed the platforms, with smiles occasionally visible.


    Those were smiles that came from the heart, filled with satisfaction and anticipation. Such smiles were rare in Dahua on an ordinary day, let alone during wartime.


    It was as if these Tang people were unconcerned about their country losing the war, like the conflict that had cost Dahua millions of soldiers had nothing to do with them.


    Qian Jinhang discovered that he... seemed not to see as clearly, or understand as intimately, as an ordinary passerby here.

 Chapter 787 787 746 New Weapon in the Broadcast

    ?Chapter 787: 746 New Weapon in the Broadcast Chapter 787: 746 New Weapon in the Broadcast The 1st Armored Division advanced north from Hidden Sword Gorge, almost sweeping through the Dahua Empire¡¯s flank positions. The advanced Panther Tanks began to appear frequently before the Dahua Empire¡¯s troops, further confirming the existence of this new type of tank.


    The high-level military of the Dahua Empire was thrown into a panic upon receiving this new intelligence, as they really did not want to see the new weaponry of the Great Tang Kingdom.


    Within the command center in Fengjiang, General Feng Kezhi of the Empire was being tormented by the fiery warfare of late.


    Although his troops had stabilized their positions, the pressure was actually far from light for this commander.


    On one hand, he had to always be ready to cope with the troubles caused by the Emperor¡¯s ignorant command from behind, and on the other, he had to prepare for an even fiercer attack that the Tang Army might launch afterward.


    It¡¯s a joke, the Tang Army¡¯s halting of their advance was clearly not a result of the Dahua military¡¯s defense being effective, so General Feng Kezhi was very clear that when a force voluntarily stops its march, it¡¯s mostly to wait for reinforcements to arrive for a fiercer onslaught.


    It¡¯s like boxing, one only pulls back their fists to organize a more threatening offensive. General Feng Kezhi understood this principle, so he had to be on strict alert.


    ...


    The good news was that in the northwest of Dahua, in the Qin Country with its harsh natural conditions, the world¡¯s bravest and most skilled soldiers were arriving at the front line one after another, to fight for the Dahua Empire.


    Although these troops from Qin Country sometimes didn¡¯t obey orders well and often violated agreements to plunder nearby villages to gather military pay and provisions, they were indeed fierce in battle.


    But there was plenty of bad news too, such as the confirmed reports about the Tang Army¡¯s new tanks.


    General Feng Kezhi looked at the officer delivering the message with an impatient face and asked with a tone filled with helplessness, ¡°How come there are new tanks again? Are you sure they¡¯re not just an improved version of the Number 4 Tank?¡±


    The officer nodded affirmatively and answered General Feng Kezhi¡¯s question, ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re not. Those new tanks are very easy to identify, with the tank¡¯s hull using a large piece of sloped armor.¡±


    With his last shred of hope dashed, General Feng Kezhi¡¯s expression grew even grimmer. But he was somewhat psychologically prepared, because even he knew such news was generally not mistaken.


    After all, the Number 4 Tank had been in use on the battlefield for quite a while, with its appearance, equipped with side skirts and a ring of curved steel plates around the turret, being very recognizable.


    Moreover, the Number 4 Tank¡¯s front hull armor was vertically divided into upper and lower sections, a detail that was certain.


    Upon hearing from the messenger officer that the Tang Army¡¯s new tanks had sloped frontal armor, General Feng Kezhi knew these were indeed not Number 4s.


    So he went straight to the question he was most concerned about, ¡°Why are they sloped? Is there any explanation for that?¡±


    The precise thickness of the armor of the brand-new Panther Tanks and why it was designed with sloped armor were mysteries to the Dahua military; their understanding of these new tanks was almost nil.


    The Number 4 Tanks had a record of being destroyed on the Qi Country battlefield. At the time, Qi Country and Shireck¡¯s consultants spared no expense to obtain many remnants of the Number 4 Tanks.


    Even later when troops from another country destroyed the Number 4 Tanks, they took photos, recorded them, and measured many data points.


    Although the data found from the wreckage was not precise, it provided some reference: it is quite different from being completely in the dark not knowing anything at all.


    The unknown sometimes signifies fear!


    The officer shook his head, knowing nothing, ¡°I don¡¯t know, the engineers are still experimenting, but the data is not accurate, there are no results for now.¡±


    ¡°Why have they already begun mass production, and our engineers here still haven¡¯t copied the results?¡± The next second, General Feng Kezhi blurted out a question that engineers from Shireck often asked.


    The officer also gave an answer that Shireck¡¯s engineers often used in response to these kinds of questions, ¡°We have almost no knowledge of the new technology, what we¡¯re using now is all outdated technology from the Great Tang Group that hasn¡¯t been fully understood; there¡¯s no helping it.¡±


    In recent years, Tang Country¡¯s new weapons have been emerging one after another, new technologies are always a headache for the chasing Shireck designers and engineers.


    Every new weapon that appeared was constructed from one, or even ten or dozens of new technologies.


    Such iteration cannot be accomplished without first mastering the old technology: copying isn¡¯t always easy, manufacturing complex weapons equipment is not as simple as shading a few ABCDs on an answer sheet.


    Old technologies are half-understood at best, and it¡¯s impossible to keep up when new ones come out. If a country can¡¯t even repair a MiG-21 properly, who would believe they can manufacture stealth planes?


    Shireck was in this predicament, still researching the power systems of battleships and the design philosophy of armor protection, still trying to get planes into the monoplane era, still pondering whether to equip tanks with a couple more turrets to fulfil the long-cherished dream of a land cruiser...


    Under such conditions, figuring out why the Tang Army¡¯s tanks use sloped armor certainly posed a difficulty for them.


    But they believed that they would soon experiment and find data, discovering that sloped armor provides slightly better protection than vertical armor, and then adopt a similar design approach for their next generation of tank designs...

 Chapter 788 788 746 New Weapon in the Broadcast_2

    ?Chapter 788: 746 New Weapon in the Broadcast_2 Chapter 788: 746 New Weapon in the Broadcast_2 It¡¯s a pity that by the time Shireck¡¯s new tanks enter mass production, it will likely be a year later, and by then, the war will probably be over.


    ¡°Think about the Air Force. We might be in a better situation here in the Army, but I heard their planes are a whole generation behind the enemy¡¯s, completely incapable of fighting.¡± After offering this explanation, that officer inexplicably mocked the Dahua Air Force.


    Lately, the commanding officers of the Army have been quite critical of the Air Force, tossing verbal jabs, even using veiled criticism during meetings, accusing the Air Force of inaction...


    The cause of this was the Air Force¡¯s recent avoidance of combat, which had led to dissatisfaction: the expensively assembled Air Force had 90 percent of its planes destroyed on the ground, with pilots too scared to take to the skies for combat, allowing the Dahua Army to be bombarded by the enemy Air Force¡ªhow could anyone not have an issue with that?


    The Air Force Commanders themselves were actually quite aggrieved: their pilots were not as skilled as their adversaries, nor were their planes. Going up was simply a death sentence; how were they to fight this battle?


    Intending to preserve their strength, they had therefore stopped engaging in air combat, but once air superiority was lost, the Army¡¯s discontent was almost uncontrollable.


    General Feng Kezhi was aware of the Air Force¡¯s predicament and understood the choice to avoid engagement before the arrival and increase in numbers of new planes at the front line.


    ...


    But while he understood, whether those below him did was beyond his control: to silence criticism, the Air Force had to present results.


    Hearing Army officers start to mock the Air Force both openly and covertly, General Feng Kezhi chuckled bitterly and steered the topic back to the Army: ¡°Where do we stand anyway? Our Dahua Type 2 tanks are already under a lot of pressure fighting against Tang Country¡¯s Type 4 tanks, and now there¡¯s this damn new tank¡ªits name I don¡¯t even know! And that¡¯s not all... there¡¯s also that, that what...¡±


    He couldn¡¯t remember the name of the armored vehicle he had heard about earlier, which had inflicted heavy losses on the Dahua Military¡¯s reconnaissance troops, almost as much as enemy tanks had.


    The aide-de-camp immediately kindly reminded him: ¡°It¡¯s an eight-wheeled armored vehicle. Extremely fast on highways and often raids our troops. That thing also emerged in this war, never having been seen before during the battles in Qi Country.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± muttered General Feng Kezhi, finding the impression of Tang Army¡¯s Lion-type tanks, which had first appeared in the direction of Wangchun City, etched more deeply in his mind.


    After all, that vehicle had appeared before him, causing many unexpected troubles. It was much more agile than tanks, and its ability to appear and vanish like a specter made it particularly troublesome to deal with.


    The Lion-type armored reconnaissance vehicles, often acting alone, had excellent off-road capabilities. Light vehicles with heavy guns also had a formidable anti-tank capacity. Those vehicles could retreat as fast as they advanced, hitting and running without ¡°giving a damn¡±!


    The Tang Army¡¯s basic reconnaissance tactics were to advance for reconnaissance, withdraw when advantages were found, relying on their maneuverability not just to fully scout out Dahua¡¯s defensive deployments, but also often to fire a few shots and gain the upper hand.


    This was why General Feng Kezhi hated these vehicles so much. Once, during an inspection at the front line, he had encountered a Tang Army weapon of this kind. The enemy had attacked his convoy out of nowhere, and it was only because he had alighted from his vehicle and entered a shelter in time that he had narrowly escaped disaster.


    The aide continued: ¡°The broadcast said that thing is called a Lion-type armored reconnaissance vehicle, a kind of wheeled armored car. The engineers believe that by using wheeled vehicles, the enemy is deliberately seeking higher travel speed.¡±


    General Feng Kezhi finally remembered it was called a reconnaissance car, and he grew even more furious: ¡°Right! A reconnaissance car... Well, their reconnaissance cars are all more formidable than our tanks! Whereas our reconnaissance troops still use cavalry! Cavalry on horses!¡±


    Dahua¡¯s troops didn¡¯t have advanced things like armored reconnaissance vehicles; they didn¡¯t even have wireless communication equipment.


    Therefore, the reconnaissance troops of the Dahua Military were extremely outdated, tantamount to being a replica of Tang Army reconnaissance units from five years ago: a vast number of cavalry units, relying on the naked eye to find the enemy, and after scouting, running back to report everything they had seen firsthand.


    This task was not only dangerous but also highly delayed: by the time the cavalry returned to report, enemy tanks might already be within one or two kilometers.


    The Tang Army¡¯s off-road speed was almost on par with the cavalry, which is why Dahua¡¯s troops were always unable to catch up or escape. The huge disparity in armaments left General Feng Kezhi with no choice but to maintain a defensive position, much to the frustration of this Great General of the Empire.


    Standing beside General Feng Kezhi, the technical consultant from Shireck awkwardly admitted the technical disadvantage: ¡°Indeed, the enemy¡¯s heavy armored vehicles present a significant threat to our tanks, including the Lion-type armored reconnaissance vehicles, as well as the Type 4 tanks and Type 4 assault guns... and that all-new kind of tank can destroy all of our various tank models.¡±


    However, he quickly offered a defense for his consortium: ¡°We can confirm that the Tang Army has an advanced type of onboard real-time communication equipment, and we are conducting research in this area. Results will soon be forthcoming.¡±


    General Feng Kezhi glanced at the Shireck consultant and refrained from exposing his lie: Shireck had promised many research endeavors, but all of them were in dreams.


    Technology that the Great Tang Kingdom had been using for years, not only had Shireck failed to develop, but they hadn¡¯t even understood the basic principles.

 Chapter 789 789 746 New Weapon in the Broadcast_3

    ?Chapter 789: 746 New Weapon in the Broadcast_3 Chapter 789: 746 New Weapon in the Broadcast_3 It was the single-winged all-metal skinned fighter that the ingenious craftsmen of the Dahua Empire eventually developed first... Sadly, compared to the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s Butcher Fighter, it was far from being on par.


    After ranting about the Tang Army¡¯s Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicle, General Feng Kezhi finally remembered the new enemy tanks that had just appeared in his battle zone. He looked at the officer who had come to deliver the message and continued to ask, ¡°The new tanks... The new tanks... What other characteristics do they have?¡±


    The officer immediately answered the Great General¡¯s question: ¡°According to the testimonies of our surviving tank crews, and the infantry, the most distinctive feature of the enemy¡¯s new tanks is an inclined armored steel plate at the very front of the vehicle...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already mentioned that,¡± General Feng Kezhi waved his hand impatiently.


    That officer glanced awkwardly at the notes in his hand, then added, ¡°Uh, also, the enemy¡¯s new tanks feature interlaced double-row road wheels, one pressed against the other, very complex. Our engineers have not yet analyzed what the purpose of this design truly is.¡±


    By the same token, Shireck¡¯s engineers, still contemplating the subtle relationship between tracks and ground pressure, were unlikely to understand the ingenuity of the double-row road wheels.


    Moreover, the precision required to manufacture such a structure was high, and it was much more complex than the suspension systems of road wheels from other tanks of the Second World War era. This was also a major reason for its obsolescence: the smooth ride it provided was not as clearly beneficial as the logistical nightmares it caused.


    ...


    However, for the tank crew, these complicated road wheels were truly fantastic: while traveling through the countryside, the stability of the Panther Tank was exceptional, which, in a way, guaranteed a higher continuous combat capability for the tank crews.


    Of course, Shireck¡¯s engineers could not immediately grasp the subtle relationship between the number of road wheels, their diameter, and the entire suspension system.


    In the past two years, they had barely managed to transplant and improve automotive suspension systems onto tanks, to ensure that tanks could endure combat in rough terrains.


    This was a completely different approach from that of the Tang Country engineers, who focused on making tanks more comfortable and user-friendly, while Shireck¡¯s engineers aimed to make tanks functional enough for strained combat conditions...


    General Feng Kezhi looked at the Shireck engineer standing beside him, already somewhat embarrassed, and considerately abbreviated the explanation, ¡°Continue!¡±


    He had already realized that the technical consultant from Shireck likely knew no more about the Tang Army¡¯s cutting-edge military equipment than he himself did, General Feng Kezhi.


    Even more likely, this consultant knew less than the Dahua military forces at the front lines: at least Dahua¡¯s troops were the first to encounter the Tang Army¡¯s Panther Tanks. If they hadn¡¯t, Shireck might not even be aware of their existence.


    This was similar to how the Qi Country¡¯s military was the first to realize just how terrifying the Tang Country¡¯s Air Force was, and how the soldiers of the Shen Country were the first to employ steel helmets, hand grenades, and mines.


    The Soldiers at the forefront, risking their lives, were always the first to seek solutions: If they didn¡¯t find ways to save themselves, they could only die at their posts.


    And the engineers in the rear, seemingly without the same urgency, treated weapons and equipment development as more leisurely: A slow pace merely meant a smaller bonus.


    However, front-line troops, often limited in cultural knowledge, could easily overlook certain details: for example, in their description of the Panther Tank¡¯s characteristics, they neglected a crucial aspect regarding the tank¡¯s body.


    The Tang Army had already begun using wider tracks to reduce the ground pressure of the tanks, an improvement that seemed subtle but was extremely significant intelligence!


    If it had been examined by a professional, one could at least deduce that the weight of the Panther Tank significantly exceeded that of the Tank No. 4, which would suggest the Panther¡¯s level of protection had substantially improved.


    The report in that officer¡¯s hands made no mention of the tracks because the front-line Dahua troops didn¡¯t think the width of the tracks posed any threat to them. What mattered more to them was the new tank¡¯s cannon!


    So, when the officer spoke again, his words focused on the cannon, ¡°The third characteristic is that the enemy¡¯s new tanks are equipped with longer-barreled cannons... somewhat resembling the long-range guns on warships, they look more imposing.¡±


    He also couldn¡¯t assess the cannon¡¯s firepower because the armor of Dahua¡¯s tanks was already thin; the Tang Army¡¯s short-barreled 75 mm guns could pierce them just the same, only the penetration distance was shorter.


    Hence, his description of the new cannons was vague, employing an unprofessional-sounding adjective: ¡°imposing¡±...


    General Feng Kezhi himself had some knowledge in this area, being a military man well-versed in artillery performance.


    So he glanced again at the embarrassed Shireck engineer beside him and said, ¡°A more powerful cannon! I don¡¯t need an engineer to tell me that, a longer barrel means a more powerful weapon!¡±


    ¡°Yes, General! Indeed, the power is greater... The enemy now prefers to open fire from beyond 1000 meters, destroying our tanks that try to get close.¡± The officer nodded as he looked at the data on the report.


    The report stated that units equipped with the new Tang tanks tended to engage at longer ranges, with the furthest confirmed kills recorded at an unbelievable 1500 meters.

 Chapter 790 790 746 New Weapon in the Broadcast_4

    ?Chapter 790: 746 New Weapon in the Broadcast_4 Chapter 790: 746 New Weapon in the Broadcast_4 Logically speaking, a tank more than a kilometer away would not appear large in a gunsight, and hitting a target at a distance of 1500 meters would mostly be down to luck, like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.


    But even if it¡¯s a blind cat, it still has to be a cat. The fact that Dahua¡¯s military tanks could be destroyed from such a long distance indicated firstly that Tang Army¡¯s tank guns really could hit that far and that hard, and secondly, that Tang Army¡¯s sighting equipment could see and aim that far!


    ¡°That far? No wonder our tank troops are suffering increasing losses.¡± Therefore, when General Feng Kezhi heard what the officer had reported, he immediately furrowed his brows.


    He already had a limited number of tanks, many of which had earlier been sent to support Qian Jinhang in the attack on Xicong. Now, facing a tougher opponent, he had to be even more cautious.


    ¡°General! General! The latest news! The newest intelligence!¡± At that moment, an officer responsible for listening to Tang Army broadcasts came in, shouting as soon as he entered the door.


    ¡°Speak!¡± General Feng Kezhi looked at him and commanded.


    ¡°The enemy admitted the existence of this new type of tank in their broadcast and referred to this new model as the Panther Tank!¡± The officer, as if having found a treasure, proudly announced the name of the Panther Tank. It seemed Tang Army did not mind showing off their new weaponry.


    ...


    ¡°Panther Tank?¡± After hearing this name, General Feng Kezhi seemed to think of something unpleasant, his expression grew much more somber.


    ¡°Panther Tank!¡± The officer nodded, certain he hadn¡¯t misheard, and the Tang Army had considerately repeated it many times over.


    The broadcast claimed that this new type of tank was invincible on the battlefield, forcing Dahua¡¯s military to flee at the sight of it, and suggesting that Fengjiang was about to fall into the hands of the Tang Army.


    Clearly, there was quite a bit of exaggeration in this report. At least the Dahua officers in Fengjiang were aware that there was still a distance to the front line, and Tang Army had not advanced to the outskirts of Fengjiang as they claimed in their broadcast.


    Finally, as if he had remembered something upon hearing the name for the first time, General Feng Kezhi had an epiphany: No wonder the enemy¡¯s armored reconnaissance vehicles are called ¡°Lion,¡± the naming convention had changed.


    The new armored reconnaissance vehicles were designed to support this new model of tanks, which is why they were equipped with firepower systems nearly equivalent to the No. 4 tanks.


    It appeared that Tang Army planned to switch to this new type of tank en masse in the future, which also suggested that the No. 4 tanks they were previously catching up to were being phased out by Tang Army.


    In fact, that was indeed the case. Tang Army was accelerating the mass production of their own Panther Tanks and was also providing more new types of ammunition for the Panther Tanks.


    The long-barrel 75mm caliber guns were extremely powerful, and functionally, they were much better than the short-barrel 75mm caliber guns.


    For the time being, it seemed unlikely that any nation in the world could produce a tank better than the Panther Tank anytime soon, so Tang Army could comfortably manufacture more of these tanks for their own use.


    Of course, all this was unknown to General Feng Kezhi, who was currently considering how to build more anti-tank ditches, to make the defense lines in the south more secure.


    Since the Tang Army¡¯s new tanks were advancing from the south to the north, they would certainly appear first in the south of Fengjiang.


    The Dahua Empire was not entirely unprepared either; the Qin Army had arrived at the front lines, bringing more anti-aircraft guns and heavy artillery, which greatly strengthened the defensive forces in the direction of Fengjiang.


    As long as they could hold Fengjiang, then the losses the Dahua Empire had suffered and the impact caused would be negated. The situation would stabilize, and the Dahua Empire would have a chance to catch its breath!


    That was the opportunity General Feng Kezhi was striving for!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Two-in-one

 Chapter 791 791 747s new rival

    ?Chapter 791: 747¡¯s new rival Chapter 791: 747¡¯s new rival In the Fengjiang combat zone, the Tang Army was launching an attack in an attempt to capture an unnamed small village. Under the cover of a No. 4 assault gun, a platoon of Tang soldiers approached their target cautiously, as usual.


    As they approached the outskirts of the village, the platoon leader in charge of commanding the battle realized something was amiss.


    He knelt on one knee behind the last piece of cover and carefully observed the quiet little village in front of him.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right, the flanking assault gun should have been discovered by now, why hasn¡¯t the enemy opened fire?¡± He narrowed his eyes, seemingly trying to locate the enemy¡¯s position.


    This small village was strategically located, and it was unlikely the enemy would give it up easily. The Tang Army¡¯s attempt to capture the village was due to its unique position, hoping to take it and set the stage for the next phase of the fight.


    ¡°Has the machine gun team on the flank reached their position?¡± Sticking one¡¯s head out for a long time was obviously not wise, so after observing for as long as possible, the platoon leader retracted and looked to the other side.


    ¡°Can¡¯t see clearly! But I guess it¡¯s about time.¡± The person beside him gave a rather vague answer, because they had been unable to keep an eye on the machine gun team on the other side all the way.


    ...


    ¡°Then let¡¯s stick to the plan! Keep as low as possible, cut through along the outer walls of the buildings, and avoid the open ground on the other side!¡± The platoon leader instructed the soldiers following him and then raised his fist.


    He then made a chopping gesture forward, and all the soldiers began to cross the bushes, moving at high speed towards the outskirts of the village.


    Everyone pressed their bodies as low as possible, because they all knew that under such circumstances, it was very likely that enemies had already aimed at them.


    Just as everyone was about to cross the last open space, the sound of machine guns suddenly came from the flank.


    ¡°Tat-tat-tat-tat!¡± The unmistakable sound of Maxim guns caused all the running Tang soldiers to immediately hit the ground. Of course, some were hit directly and fell to the ground.


    ¡°Machine guns!¡± The soldier lying on the ground immediately shouted out loud. Their machine guns sounded like chainsaws, completely different from what the enemy used, and were very easy to distinguish.


    ¡°Position! Position!¡± The downed officers adjusted their own hiding spots and loudly responded to their subordinates.


    ¡°Can¡¯t see clearly!¡± In fact, it¡¯s impossible to see the clear trajectory of tracer bullets when they are coming straight at you in combat, due to the nature of light.


    Tracer bullets work by adding burning material to the rear of the bullet, causing it to burn while in flight, leaving a bright trail along its path to help allied shooters adjust their aim.


    But a bullet flying straight at you blocks some of the brightness, so on the chaotic battlefield, identifying the enemy¡¯s tracer bullet trajectory is not an easy task¡ªat least, not as obvious as the laser-like trails seen in movies.


    And... the Dahua military is not equipped with tracer bullets on a large scale...


    ¡°Position!¡± The enemy¡¯s machine guns continued to fire, and the suppressed Tang soldiers grew more and more restless¡ªthey had to reach a safer position quickly, or they would only become less secure.


    Finally, some soldiers found the position of the enemy¡¯s flanking machine guns and also discovered why the covering position on the flank had not opened fire to suppress the enemy: ¡°Behind that wall! To the left, that wall!¡±


    The enemy¡¯s machine gun position was tricky; they had given up much of their field of fire and were hiding behind a wall, which blocked the view of the Tang flanking machine gun team, which is why they had not fired until now.


    ¡°Damn it! Which wall?¡± Hearing the reported position, some of the veteran soldiers couldn¡¯t help but curse out loud.


    Bullets landed around these soldiers, kicking up clumps of dirt. In such an environment, no one spoke calmly.


    A Tang soldier couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He felt that if he continued to lie on the ground, he would eventually get shot, so he leaped up from the ground, holding his Type 56 assault rifle and charged towards the village.


    He hadn¡¯t run two steps before he was hit by a bullet coming straight at him, and then he tumbled to the ground.


    Someone spotted an enemy soldier wearing a green uniform hiding behind a fence; the flash from the shot he had just fired gave away his position.


    ¡°Directly ahead! In the corner of the fence on the far right! Gunman! Gunman!¡± The soldier who saw the enemy¡¯s position reported the shooter¡¯s location accurately.


    In the blink of an eye, he even forgot that the Dahua troops wore uniforms that were a brownish yellow, close to the color of the soil.


    ¡°Chen Ting! Chen Ting!¡± The platoon leader in charge of the assault called out the name of his soldier loudly amidst the gunfire and whizzing bullets.


    The soldier named Chen Ting shouldered his G43 semi-automatic rifle and extended the barrel from his position as indicated by the report. Through the scope, he indeed spotted the enemy, who was not hiding but was reloading his rifle behind a fence.


    He could see very clearly that the enemy¡¯s helmet style was completely different from Dahua¡¯s troops, the rifle in his hand was also different, and the color of the clothes was distinctly different as well.


    This enemy was not a Dahua soldier! As this thought flashed through his mind, Chen Ting still pulled the trigger, hitting the enemy¡¯s head with a single shot.


    Struck by the bullet in the face, the soldier he had never seen before fell backwards, and another Tang Army soldier leaped out from his temporary cover and charged straight ahead.


    However, he had not run two steps before he was hit by bullets coming from another direction and fell on the path forward.


    At that moment, it seemed that everyone realized that the opponent they were facing was different from the Dahua troops they had been exchanging fire with!


    It was evident from the well-prepared defensive positions of the enemy that these people were veterans forged by years of combat, with rich battle experience.


    ¡°Tatatata!¡± The Tang Army soldiers, with somewhat better cover ahead, finally located the enemy machine gun that was ceaselessly roaring. A soldier raised his assault rifle and unleashed a volley of bullets toward the enemy machine gun, its muzzle flashing with fire.


    At last, the annoying sound of the machine gun paused temporarily, giving the Tang Army an opportunity to continue their advance.


    Seven or eight soldiers leaped up and started sprinting forward. The enemy clearly did not expect their opponent to demonstrate such audacity.


    Thus, only one of them was felled by a crisp shot from a rifle, while the rest of the soldiers made it to a relatively safer and better position, before the enemy machine gun on the flank roared to life once more.


    In fact, the enemy hidden within the village was also taken aback by the Tang Army¡¯s combat discipline. Based on their previous experience, when a probing attack had reached this point, the enemy should have been repelled.


    But to their surprise, the Tang Army, numbering only thirty or forty, still maintained a high fighting spirit, showing no sign of retreating.


    What was more troubling for them was that on the other side of the village, there was a more troublesome big guy causing havoc on their flank, which they had not yet found a good way to deal with.


    Yes, indeed, it was the No.4 assault gun of the Tang Army that had initiated the attack on the flank. At this moment, it had closed in on the village.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right! The assault gun has moved up! Normally, Dahua¡¯s troops should have started retreating by now!¡± Lowering his binoculars, the Tang Army company commander who had been watching the situation near the village turned to his adjutant, ¡°Something¡¯s not right!¡±


    Logically, with the enemy being pinched from both sides and without a good way to respond, the forces stationed in the village should have retreated.


    But the enemy had not given up so easily; they desperately organized defense lines relying on the collapsed houses in the village, and they continued to fight even after being overrun by the Tang Army.


    Hearing the continuous explosions coming from the village, the commanding officer even had the illusion that the enemy was deliberately allowing their No.4 assault gun to get close to the village.


    ¡°This is bad...¡± said an officer, clutching the radio communication headset, listening to the anxious shouts of the crew members inside the No.4 assault gun.


    The enemy was trying to sever the connection between the No.4 assault gun and the Tang Army infantry following it, and those soldiers hiding among the ruins kept launching assaults, throwing multiple grenades to try to destroy their assault gun.


    The channel crackled with the order from the tank commander to reverse, which meant the commander had decided that retreating was the safest option.


    ¡°Send first platoon, second squad up! Provide some support! There should be a company of the enemy, fighting fiercely, not like Dahua¡¯s troops,¡± the company commander finally couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, feeling that allowing the first platoon to continue to be tied down at the same place would lead to losing control of the situation.


    ¡°Yes!¡± The runner beside him immediately ran to the second squad, which was on standby at the start line. The gunfire in the distance grew denser, and the sound of grenades began to rise and fall.


    Of course, the Tang Army was not to be trifled with; once they got closer to the enemy¡¯s defensive line, they began to utilize their fire superiority, throwing grenades desperately to suppress the enemy¡¯s firepower.


    In terms of combat experience and will, the Tang Army was also second to none. So after figuring out a solution to the sudden situation, the Tang Army gradually began to stabilize their position.


    Just as the second squad was preparing to approach the village, whistling shells enveloped the entire battlefield, with about twenty 150mm caliber shells falling, covering both the persisting friendly forces and the attacking Tang Army in a barrage of artillery.


    However, with the falling of this round of shells, the battle finally had a victor, and the remaining enemy soldiers began to retreat, with only a dozen or so managing to escape in the end.


    The brief battle left a deep impression on the Tang Army, and reports were quickly delivered to Bolton¡¯s hands, all signs indicating that a new opponent had appeared in front of the Tang Army.

 Chapter 792 792 748 Qin Army

    ?Chapter 792: 748 Qin Army Chapter 792: 748 Qin Army ¡°The Qin Army has already appeared on the battlefield,¡± Tang Mo put down the report in his hand and massaged the bridge of his nose. He had been a bit busy recently, and his body was struggling to keep up.


    He couldn¡¯t neglect the several Princesses just because of the war, and on top of that, he had to work overtime to bring out new technologies and develop more research ideas... So, inadvertently, he felt a bit drained.


    After all, he didn¡¯t possess the mental strength of a great sorcerer, nor the physique of a berserker¡ªhe was just an ordinary man, incapable of accomplishing things that were beyond his ability.


    ¡°Your Majesty, although being young is good, you still need to exercise some restraint,¡± only Roger had the authority and standing to make such a remark.


    Tang Mo chuckled foolishly twice, changing the subject, ¡°Luff, is the Qin Army really as formidable as the report suggests?¡±


    A slightly embarrassed Luff nodded and quickly took up Tang Mo¡¯s topic, ¡°Bolton has already tried fighting a few battles, clashing several times with the enemy, and in summary... our losses are more than just a little bit greater than before.¡±


    ¡°Normally, we would have to lose a dozen or even several dozen soldiers before we could snatch a village or a high ground from the hands of the Qin Troops... If it were Dahua Troops, we might only need to lose seven or eight men to achieve that.¡± After saying this, he sighed, ¡°The enemy is brave and tenacious, with resilience, but their weapons and equipment are slightly inferior.¡±


    ...


    To earn such evaluation from the Chief of Staff of the Tang Army, the combat strength of the Qin Army must indeed be strong. It was clear that not all the military circles of the Chinese were ineffectual.


    ¡°We captured some of the Qin soldiers and interrogated them. They disclosed their unit codes, and then they seemed to know nothing else,¡± Luff, seeing Tang Mo not speaking, continued to add, ¡°Now, we have learned approximately the unit codes of 4 Qin Army divisions.¡±


    As he spoke, he walked up to the map and roughly gestured, ¡°Very scattered, here, here, and here... all are defensive positions, General Feng Kezhi clearly also understands the combat strength of the Qin Army, placing them in the most important positions.¡±


    ¡°Is it true that the Shu Troops have also started to appear in the southern region?¡± Tang Mo posed another question. The subordinate countries of the Dahua Empire had all declared war on Tang Country, and their troops were also reinforcing the front lines.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Redman has also spotted different troops in the direction of Hidden Sword Gorge, their weapons and equipment differ from Dahua Troops, identifying them as Shu Country¡¯s Military,¡± Luff nodded in response.


    The combat style of different troops varies, making it very easy to distinguish them. Even if they wear the same military uniforms, they would display entirely different behaviors during combat. What¡¯s more, the Qin Army and the Shu Troops¡¯ uniforms and weapons are completely different from those of the Dahua Empire.


    At present, Tang Army had clarified the Qin Army¡¯s equipment situation. Because of the natural barrier of Hidden Sword Gorge, there was no further news from the Shu Army side for the time being.


    The steel helmets of the Qin Army resembled those of the Ice Cold Empire, showing their choice to align with the Ice Cold Empire in the modern military system.


    The troops from Qin Country wore long green military coats, and their rifles were Mosin-Nagants; their bayonets differed slightly from those of the Ice Cold Empire, being finer and longer.


    It was evident that Qin Country placed high importance on its military¡ªsoldiers were generally equipped with water bottles and other complete, modern gear, clearly a result of careful consideration.


    This aspect was significantly different from the earlier Qi Country and Zheng Country, and from this, it was easy to tell that Qin Country was not weak and was willing to spend heavily on its military.


    ¡°It seems, capturing Fengjiang and crushing the Dahua Empire in one fell swoop, won¡¯t be easy after all,¡± Tang Mo sighed with slight disappointment.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. Although the Qin Army is tough in small-scale skirmishes, we still can¡¯t be sure about large-scale engagements,¡± Luff consoled Tang Mo.


    ¡°In small-scale engagements, both sides¡¯ fighting spirit and courage are the keys to victory. As long as we dare to fight and dare to struggle, we can achieve certain results,¡± he said. As the Chief of Staff of the Tang Army, his insights, gained over many years, were still valuable.


    Therefore, his analysis made a lot of sense to the high-level officials of Tang Country seated around him, ¡°But in large-scale battles, the human factor is greatly diminished. The competition lies in logistics, strategic reserves, and I believe that our advantages are still very obvious.¡±


    Tang Mo understood the implications of Luff¡¯s words: The Staff Department did not intend to give up on next year¡¯s spring offensive. Whether they could fight and defeat Qin Country and Shu Country would only be known after the battle.


    He also felt that it would be very unsatisfying not to try. After all, if the Tang Army could capture Fengjiang, then they would maintain a relatively complete front line.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s continue preparing for the spring campaign,¡± he said, and with that, the war meeting came to an end.


    ...


    A submarine from Tang Country had been sunk; the sea surface was coated with oil slicks. Dozens of submarine officers and soldiers were captured, all because they hadn¡¯t expected that a transport ship would be armed with two 150mm caliber naval guns!


    Even though these two naval guns did not even have gun shields, just covered with canvas as a temporary setup on the deck, they were still naval cannons...


    When attacking a submarine without armored protection and with only one gun, a larger caliber naval gun clearly had the advantage.


    Caught off guard while trying to seize some provisions for sustenance and continue causing chaos on the sea, the officers and crew of the Tang Army submarine suffered a significant loss.


    They truly had not anticipated such dirty tricks from the enemy: first luring the Tang Army¡¯s submarine closer with a white flag, then suddenly opening fire with the naval guns, which severely damaged the submarine¡¯s hull.


    Both sides fought fiercely for nearly an hour; unable to dive, the officers and soldiers on the Tang Army submarine fought bravely, nearly sinking the freighter.


    After all, neither side had armored protection and was vulnerable to cannon fire... but in the end, the freighter took advantage of its greater tonnage and managed to sink the unfortunate U-boat.


    However, such an event was unlikely to happen again in the future: before being sunk, the crew of the submarine destroyed their code machine and sent their encounter back to the submarine command center on Dragon Island.


    This incident attracted the high attention of Navy Admiral Bernard, who strictly ordered U-boats from then on to cease using piracy tactics.


    Indeed, this command was not good news for the anti-Tang alliance¡¯s shipping convoys because, from then on, Tang Army submarines would initiate direct torpedo attacks.


    Although this reduced the efficiency of Tang Army submarines and shortened their cruising time, it also made their attacks much more ferocious.

 Chapter 793 793 749 A Different Test Flight

    ?Chapter 793: 749 A Different Test Flight Chapter 793: 749 A Different Test Flight ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Even with the oxygen mask on, Sun Rui could still hear his own tense breathing. He once thought he had gone crazy to undertake such a mad endeavor.


    At this very moment, he was piloting a Stuka Dive Bomber, descending towards the endless blue sea below him.


    His plane wasn¡¯t carrying any weapons and was rocking up and down in the strong sea breeze. Sun Rui could feel the bumpiness of his plane, but that wasn¡¯t the reason for his anxiety.


    The main reason he felt crazed was because directly ahead, pointed at by the nose of his plane, was a ship tossing on the sea; that ship turned out to be the very airstrip he was about to land on!


    Yes, it was the first aircraft carrier in the history of this planet, the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s Aircraft Carrier Tongcheng No. 1.


    The aircraft carriers of this era didn¡¯t really have much sophisticated technology, and compared to the expensive battleships, they were much cheaper to build.


    Completely different from the first nations to build aircraft carriers on Earth, Tang Mo had the foresight in this area, so he didn¡¯t take any detours.


    ...


    The first designed aircraft carrier featured a straight flight deck that ran the entire length of the warship, with the island positioned to one side and a fixed funnel installed.


    The overall design was almost a copy of the American Essex-class aircraft carrier, right down to the primary specifications.


    The warship¡¯s main dimensions were 265.79 meters by 44.99 meters, with a standard displacement of 27,100 tons and a full load displacement of 33,000 tons.


    The crew complement was 2,750¨C3,450 people, including the aircrew and sailors, as well as commanding officers, doctors, nurses, mechanics, and so on...


    The power came from four steam turbines, steam propulsion, four shafts, and four propellers, with a top speed of 33 knots, an operational range of 20,000 nautical miles at 15 knots, a flight deck of 262.13 meters by 29.26 meters, and a maximum aircraft capacity of 85¨C95 planes.


    Although the aircraft carrier of the Great Tang lagged slightly behind the historical Essex-class in terms of the number of aircraft due to different plane models, it was a matter of only a few planes.


    Even possessing a nearly 30-meter-wide and 262-meter-long flight deck, the aircraft carrier seemed pitifully small in the eyes of the pilot about to land on it amidst the vast sea.


    Especially in the eyes of the pilot participating in the landing experiment... Sun Rui was the first test pilot in the world to land a plane on an aircraft carrier.


    He started at a high point, piloting a fixed, single-wing metal-skinned carrier-based aircraft. This plane had also been weighted to simulate the additional heft of the carrier-based aircraft¡¯s folding wings.


    Due to time constraints, although the airplane was modified, it did not use a folding wing design. Therefore, some iron blocks were stacked on the co-pilot¡¯s seat to simulate the actual weight of the plane.


    On the Aircraft Carrier Tongcheng No. 1, the experiment participants were all looking up, watching the wobbly plane that was approaching closer and closer.


    They were also very nervous, extremely so: if that plane crashed onto the deck of the aircraft carrier, it wouldn¡¯t just be a simple matter of the experiment failing. Afterwards, the carrier would have to return for repairs, and a new test plane would have to be manufactured.


    Sun Rui was even more nervous as he repeated the steps he would have to perform in a few moments over and over in his mind, lowering the tailhook as he neared the carrier.


    He had to control his plane, enter the carrier¡¯s runway at an appropriate angle, catch the arresting wire with the tailhook to decelerate the aircraft instantly, and complete the landing.


    If he flew too high, he would miss the arresting wire and would have to pull up immediately, causing the plane to take off again to ensure his own safety, as well as that of the plane and the aircraft carrier.


    But if he flew too low... well, then he would crash into the stern of the carrier with no chance to bail out.


    In control of all this was a set of signal lights. They faced the carrier aircraft¡¯s landing approach directly, indicating to the pilots their precise position by the angle.


    Unfortunately, these indicators could only provide a rough guide, as the aircraft carriers themselves never stopped swaying on the high seas.


    Fortunately, precision wasn¡¯t needed for aircraft landing, as there were four arresting wires, and the carrier-based aircraft pilots needed only to hook the tailhook onto any one of them to succeed.


    There was a reason for choosing the Stuka Dive Bomber as the experimental aircraft type: this plane used fixed landing gear, it was slower, and its structure was easier to reinforce, making it more manageable than the Butcher Fighter.


    As the distance closed, the carrier in front of Sun Rui¡¯s eyes kept getting larger, inching closer, and descending bit by bit until he could see the row of distinct lights through the cockpit glass.


    He could clearly see the landing signal lights, indicating that he was in the correct zone. The weather was very good today; looking from the sky, the carrier itself hardly showed any noticeable sway.


    ¡°Your attitude is great! Keep it steady!¡± came the loud reminder through the headset from an observer on the carrier, clutching the communicator.


    Sun Rui could feel his palms sweating as they gripped the control stick, his leather gloves felt wet and oppressively hot.


    It was too late to think about removing them now; he was already in the landing path. Any issues would have to wait until he was safely on the carrier.


    So, biting the bullet, he checked his instruments and attitude once more. The ten seconds or so of landing distance felt like an hour¡¯s flight to him.

 Chapter 794 794 749 A Different Test Flight_2

    ?Chapter 794: 749 A Different Test Flight_2 Chapter 794: 749 A Different Test Flight_2 ¡°`


    As the final few seconds ticked away, the previously tiny flight deck that loomed below had rushed up towards him, almost obscuring the entire ocean.


    Caught off guard, Sun Rui felt his two main landing gears strike something, sending vibrations that made him grip his control stick tightly, his hair standing on end.


    Despite his countless ground-based training drills, where he had grown accustomed to landing with the guidance of deck indicator lights and to taking off and landing on the small designated runway,


    he had only thought his experimental project had something to do with some damned ¡°short takeoff and landing experiment¡± and hadn¡¯t imagined that he would be taking off and landing on a ship equipped with a runway...


    Those damned secrecy departments had only informed him a few days ago that, as one of the most outstanding pilots, he would participate in and complete the most confidential ¡°aircraft carrier¡± plane takeoff and landing experiment.


    Now, as his landing gear hit the aircraft carrier¡¯s deck for the first time, he was still trembling with tension.


    This was an entirely different affair compared to the takeoff he had just completed, where all he needed to do was go full throttle and pull up at the end of the flight deck.


    With headwind navigation, the plane had ample lift, carried no ammunition, and had even halved its fuel load, so the takeoff trial presented no risk at all.


    ...


    But landing was different; even with the certain knowledge that bungee jumping was not dangerous, the rush towards the ground still provoked an instinctive fear.


    He gripped his control stick tightly, and when the landing gear bounced and settled back onto the deck, he nearly performed a climbing pull-up maneuver.


    Just as he was about to forcefully pull up his plane, it felt as though a giant had suddenly grabbed hold of him from behind.


    The tremendous inertia pitched him forward, his weight pressing onto his safety harness, and he could feel a massive force straining his neck, causing his head to feel twice as heavy in an instant.


    Yet his heart relaxed at that moment, because a deeply ingrained habit told him everything matched his past experience.


    His tailhook had caught the arresting wire; he knew it without needing to check. His plane had been snagged, securely stationed on the deck of the aircraft carrier.


    The waiting personnel inside the island structure had already rushed out; they dashed to the Stuka whose propeller hasn¡¯t completely stopped spinning, and the ground crew clambered onto the wing, impatiently prying open the cockpit canopy.


    Sun Rui still felt a bit unreal, not yet freed from the surprise of his first aircraft carrier landing.


    Months of training, all for today¡¯s single landing. He had flown thousands of hours, with almost all his time devoted to takeoff and landing drills.


    While others soared the blue skies, he could only aim the nose of his plane at the runway over and over again; he hadn¡¯t even taken a proper look at the scenery next to the airfield, because during each landing, his eyes were fixed on the glowing indicator lights.


    Now, his efforts had finally paid off; he had succeeded! He had landed on a movable... runway!


    Yes, that¡¯s right! He now possessed a movable airfield, a breakthrough of immense significance for the entire Navy.


    From now on, the Navy need not fear enemy airports built along the coast, nor worry about having fewer battleships than the enemy.


    The measure of a Navy fleet¡¯s strength would no longer be the caliber of its cannons, nor the thickness of its armor. It would be the quantity of radars, the performance of its airplanes, and the number of aircraft carriers!


    ¡°You¡¯ve succeeded!¡± The first words spoken as the canopy was pried open came with a laugh from a ground crew member, his face framed by a thick beard, as he shouted to Sun Rui.


    ¡°`


    Sun Rui tore off his raised visor and revealed a smile, ¡°Hmm! I made it! Or should I say, we made it!¡±


    ¡°Ha! You¡¯re right! We made it!¡± The old man continued to laugh heartily, as if he had completed the carrier landing himself.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± Another officer, who had climbed up on the wing of the plane, shouted to Sun Rui, who was struggling to climb out of the cockpit.


    He was the commander of their flight squadron and Sun Rui¡¯s former superior. Sun Rui gave a thumbs-up, ¡°I feel pretty good, what¡¯s for lunch? I¡¯m planning to eat a bit more to celebrate.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s beer from the Linshui factory, and plenty of it! The kitchen has prepared a double-layered cream cake for you!¡± The commander was excited, they had completed the maiden flight experiment that even His Majesty cared greatly about, it was almost as if they had moved the airplane to the sea.


    With an aircraft carrier, coupled with the planes¡¯ ultra-long range, the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s navy could switch from defense to offense in a few months¡¯ time, and really show those fools what the iron fist of justice looks like.


    The navy¡¯s food provisions were already of a higher standard, and as naval aviators, their treatment was even better without saying. Apart from submariners, no one in the military had better provisions than they did.


    Besides, this was a flight test project, and having a cake to celebrate was only natural: if the infantry boys from the army saw it, they¡¯d probably be stimulated to tears.


    It really confirmed that saying: ¡°The Air Force are the young masters¡¯ troops, the Infantry are the beggars¡¯ troops¡±... While the frontline infantry puzzled over how to eat compressed biscuits without getting them stuck in their teeth, the Navy had pretty much phased out compressed biscuits already.


    Everyone on the runway was celebrating, many tossed their hats into the air. Seeing the plane land smoothly on the deck, they felt as if they had already won the war.


    On the accompanying Linshui-class battleship crammed with sailors, they too witnessed the astonishing sight.


    The Army¡¯s pride and joy, the airplane, had just landed on a warship, and it seemed that from today onward, the Navy had its own ¡°Air Force¡± too.


    They even cheered along, waving their hats and arms towards the distant Tongcheng No. 1 Aircraft Carrier.


    At this moment, they even felt a bit proud since besides them, not too many people knew that a new type of warship had been born into this world.


    It wasn¡¯t equipped with large-caliber guns nor thick armor, but this odd-looking warship was the ¡°secret weapon¡± that their King cared so much about.


    At this time, none of them realized yet what this moment truly meant for battleships. In the eyes of these sailors, Linshui No. 1 Battleship was still the mightiest surface vessel of the Great Tang Kingdom.


    This Tang Country¡¯s ¡°Bismarck¡± class battleship remained powerful, yet somehow, it seemed tinged with the flavor of a hero in twilight.


    Although the battleships of Tang Country might appear wistfully heroic at the end of their days, others¡¯ battleships were under a very real threat from the Tang Army¡¯s aircraft carriers, and that¡¯s not a hero¡¯s twilight, but a poignant march towards death...


    Despite the fact that few people had yet grasped the enormity of the threat that carrier-borne aircraft posed to battleships, and despite most still focusing on the submarines currently in the limelight, soon... everyone would understand the crucial role an aircraft carrier played in the history of naval warfare.


    ¡°I love cake!¡± Sun Rui was excited at the mention of the cake; he had a sweet tooth, and cream cake became one of his favorite foods after King had invented it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Take a break, this afternoon you¡¯ll fly twice, you once, Zhang Hu once.¡± The commander patted his shoulder and simultaneously arranged the following tasks.


    Soon, the ten pilots who came along this time would all complete carrier landing missions. Then, they would take their experience back with them, and the next time... they would set sail with fifty pilots, to quickly verify the formation combat capability of the carrier-borne aircraft.

 Chapter 795 795 750 back-and-forth battle situation

    ?Chapter 795: 750 back-and-forth battle situation Chapter 795: 750 back-and-forth battle situation Tang Mo heard the good news while having lunch; his aircraft carrier had completed the fighter jet take-off and landing experiments, and he foresaw the birth of a modernized fleet with an aircraft carrier at its core.


    As long as this fleet existed, Tang Mo would be able to control the Endless Sea and even extend his reach to the Demon Sea, controlling the world¡¯s two largest oceans and establishing a maritime hegemony for Tang Country.


    However, there was also some bad news that greatly annoyed Tang Mo. Warships from the Anti-Tang Alliance had appeared on the sea lane between Dragon Island and Dongwan, ambushing Tang Country¡¯s transport convoys.


    In fact, the navies of these countries had been attacking Tang Country¡¯s fleet all along, exploiting their numerical advantage. They launched surprise attacks across the vast sea, striking and then fleeing, causing significant trouble for Tang Country¡¯s maritime transport lines.


    To date, the Alliance¡¯s sneak attacks on Tang Country¡¯s fleets had sunk more than 1 million tons of transport ships, severely affecting Tang Country¡¯s oil transportation.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Tang Country was doing so well on land, having directly seized the southern oil fields of the Dahua Empire to ease domestic demands, the situation of Tang Country might have been even more passive.


    Even though Tang Mo¡¯s submarine forces were also continuously sinking the enemy¡¯s transport ships, and even faster than the Alliance was sinking Tang¡¯s transport ships, this mutual destruction was still quite unsettling.


    ...


    The Alliance warships appearing on the sea routes from Dragon Island to Dongwan were mostly cruisers and destroyers, which were fast and numerous, with formidable fighting capabilities, causing the Tang Army great headaches.


    Both sides engaged in small-scale battles on these sea lanes; sometimes, it was just one destroyer against another.


    The scale was always small; if the enemy numbers were too great, they simply didn¡¯t engage and turned to flee instead. In over two months of skirmishes, the Tang Army lost seventeen or eighteen destroyers, while the losses for the various countries¡¯ warships were roughly twenty to thirty.


    Despite the greater losses for the foreign fleets, they had indeed achieved some success. The loss of Tang Country¡¯s transport ships was significant, and this had already severely impacted some industrial production.


    Nevertheless, this passive situation was only temporary as Tang Country¡¯s navy was intensifying its escort efforts, and overall, Tang Country still maintained the initiative.


    In a few months¡¯ time, once Tang Country¡¯s aircraft carrier began to be combat-ready, the maritime situation would undoubtedly lean toward the Tang Army.


    What Tang Mo was waiting for was just for the aircraft carrier to join the naval ranks.


    ...


    South of Fengjiang City, on a high ground, Tang Army soldiers were in the rugged trenches, cleaning up a battlefield littered with bodies.


    The wreckage of a destroyed Panzer IV assault gun was still emitting heat, and two Tang Army soldiers were counting dog tags torn from the bodies of their comrades.


    Every Tang Army soldier had an ID tag to certify their identity, which also facilitated the accounting of casualties or fatalities.


    The task of collecting such ID tags was very harsh; each one soaked in fresh blood represented a young soldier who had departed forever.


    The distinctive M35 helmets of the Tang Army were quite conspicuous on the battlefield, easier to distinguish than those of the Dahua Empire soldiers and the Qin Army soldiers.


    The defensive positions here were ingeniously designed; in fact, it was the first time the Tang Army had encountered such defensive fortifications.


    The Qin Army had buried a Dahua Type 2 tank in the position, exposing only its turret and had carefully camouflaged it.


    Such ¡°steel bunkers,¡± arranged this way, reached the peak in terms of concealment and defensibility, not easily detected or destroyed.


    Numerous times, the Tang Army¡¯s Panzer IV assault gun shells had hit the earthen mound in front of this buried Dahua tank, unable to destroy this highly threatening target.


    Due to the effective camouflage, it was also difficult to detect such ¡°bunkers¡± from the sky. Only when the frontline Tang Army troops launched an assault did the soldiers encounter this cursed obstacle in their path.


    The machine gun on the tank could easily suppress the advancing Tang soldiers, and then the Qin soldiers would launch a counterattack from predetermined positions, annihilating the Tang soldiers pinned down by machine-gun fire one by one.


    By the time the Tang Army had gathered enough tanks and armored vehicles to come to the rescue and eliminate this fire point, casualties had already been incurred, and it was all too late.


    In the recent assault, the Tang Army had lost over thirty soldiers, equivalent to the total annihilation of a platoon.


    Even though the combined forces of the Dahua troops and the Qin Army had also lost nearly a hundred men, such an exchange rate was unprecedented.


    ¡°The enemy¡¯s positions are becoming more fortified,¡± said a battalion commander, looking at the not yet dried bloodstains on the walls of the trench, speaking with a pained voice.


    The combat effectiveness of Qin Country¡¯s army was quite high. They would plant booby traps in their positions and even feign death to take approaching Tang soldiers down with them.


    A piece of ground often required repeated contests, and both parties would suffer heavy casualties before victory was determined. Although the Tang Army always managed to capture the ground they aimed to take, the cost had been rising steeply.


    Because the defenses around Fengjiang were becoming thicker and the number of troops was increasing, the impact of the Tang Army¡¯s armored assault tactics was diminishing.


    It was much like the Battle of Kursk; with the thickness of the Soviet defense lines laid out, the German Armored Corps would advance ten-plus kilometers a day only to find themselves still deep within enemy lines and taking heavy fire, failing to achieve a breakthrough.

 Chapter 796 796 You come and I go, the situation of battle_2

    ?Chapter 796: You come and I go, the situation of battle_2 Chapter 796: You come and I go, the situation of battle_2 The Tang Army was the same, having fought throughout the day only to realize that they had to fall back at night, relinquishing the positions they had captured during the day. This was because they were still stuck between enemy lines, incapable of sustaining the losses from a night-time counterattack.


    ¡°It¡¯s tough to fight, the enemy¡¯s defense lines are becoming more and more like permanent fortifications. We¡¯ve lost several assault guns and tanks, yet we still can¡¯t take those damned trenches,¡± another officer cautiously peeked out and looked towards the distant quiet enemy positions, lamenting helplessly.


    ¡°Keep the troops concealed. The enemy¡¯s artillery fire will be coming soon,¡± the company commander glanced at the body of a Qin soldier lying sideways at his feet, his face had been struck by bullets and was already unrecognizable.


    ¡°What¡¯s with these damned Qin people, coming here to play with our lives...¡± The officer also glanced at the Qin soldier who had died a grim death, complaining bitterly.


    Everyone had heard about the fierce nature of the people from Qin Country in the northwest, and after frequent encounters, the commanders of the Tang Army had finally experienced the ferocity of Qin soldiers.


    Compared to the troops from the Dahua, they were even more fierce and determined, and they learned combat tactics extremely fast. They belonged to those born with a knack for using their brains in battle, increasingly resembling the Tang Army the more they fought.


    They learned tactics from the Tang Army, absorbing lessons and experiences, and after being subjected to air raids by the Tang Army a few times, they immediately changed their tactics and began to compensate for their deficiencies.


    ...


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard the Dahua Empire gave Qin Country quite a bit of money... Who knows,¡± the company commander didn¡¯t understand why these lunatics would cross the Dahua Empire just to play with their lives against Tang Country.


    All he knew was that these enemies had arrived, and as the stronghold of the defensive forces, they helped the Dahua Empire, already quite passive, stabilize their footing.


    Newspapers said Qin people were poor and had always been reliant on relief from the Dahua Empire, so this time it was about repaying a debt. Others said that the Qin people felt that if the Tang army destroyed the Dahua, it would leave them vulnerable, so they joined the war.


    In any case, everyone¡¯s reasons sounded logical, and no one knew who was correct... Perhaps they all were, for reasons are often complicated.


    ¡°The First Armored Division has already closed in. I heard there¡¯s going to be one more attempt before winter to test it out, but I don¡¯t know if it will work,¡± the officer followed the company commander, walking along the rugged trenches towards the other end of the high ground.


    The trench the enemy had built looked very professional, with zigzag shapes combined with concealed dugouts, minimizing the impact of the Tang Army¡¯s artillery.


    As they spoke, two Stuka Dive Bombers were carefully circling in the distance. Their engine sounds were low, and their flight path in the sky was erratic.


    The recent close air support missions had become increasingly dangerous. Professional ground-attack Stuka pilots began to complain, saying that their adversaries were increasingly like a porcupine.


    The enemy began to equip a large caliber machine gun among their ground troops in the front line; some of these machine guns had calibers of 13 millimeters, others 14 millimeters, with substantial firepower.


    Normally, these machine guns could also shoot flat to deal with the Tang Army¡¯s Type 113 armored vehicles. In emergencies, a burst of gunfire could be quite threatening.


    Aside from the Panther Tanks, the remaining armored vehicles of the Tang Army were actually vulnerable to being destroyed by these Anti-Aircraft Guns, especially the Dahua military¡¯s 76mm caliber anti-air guns. If hidden well and ambushing with a single shot, even the side armor of a Panther Tank was at risk of being penetrated.


    A large number of anti-aircraft guns required the Tang Army¡¯s planes to be extremely cautious before diving, avoiding potential ground fire to ensure their safety.


    Compared to the previous unconstrained dive attacks, such complicated attack procedures had already reduced the Tang Army¡¯s bombing efficiency.


    What had relatively improved was the Dahua¡¯s anti-air experience: the troops of the Dahua army, long suffering, could almost be said to have the deepest understanding of anti-air combat.


    Although their weapons and equipment were still not quite right, to avoid being hit, the soldiers still managed to exercise initiative and quickly improve their combat skills.


    Usually, Dahua troops would choose an open place to set up several fake positions to distract the attention of Tang air force pilots. Occasionally, a real anti-aircraft machine gun would indeed be deployed at these fake positions to produce a deceiving effect.


    The real main attack firepower was independently set up: they would choose small hills with open lines of sight on the edges of the fake positions and build impressive anti-aircraft machine gun emplacements on them.


    They would cover their main positions with camouflage nets, disguise themselves as much as possible, and wait like hunters for the Tang dive bombers to fall for the trap.


    This tactic initially achieved some results; some less experienced Tang pilots would fall for it and get shot down.


    However, as time went on, Tang planes also began to become more vigilant. Under normal circumstances, they would adopt tactics like pairs of planes covering each other in bombing runs or several planes circling and taking turns to cover each other, to avoid the risk of sneak attacks.


    That is to say, Tang anti-enemy attack pilots would circle in the air continuously, carefully identifying targets not to give the enemy the chance to deceive with fake positions.


    After locating the real positions, the Tang planes would often dive in groups of two or more, covering each other.


    Once the real anti-aircraft artillery positions were spotted, the higher-altitude covering group would immediately dive down to suppress those anti-air forces, helping friendly planes get out of danger.

 Chapter 797 797 750 back-and-forth battle_3

    ?Chapter 797: 750 back-and-forth battle_3 Chapter 797: 750 back-and-forth battle_3 The Tang Army front-line troops also did some minor modifications to their aircraft, adding protective steel plates to vulnerable parts, with a focus on safeguarding the pilots and navigators.


    Consequently, the weight of the Stuka Dive Bomber increased and its range was affected. As a result, most of the modified Stukas often had their sirens removed.


    That is to say, most of the Stuka Dive Bombers of the Great Tang Kingdom in use today actually didn¡¯t have the device that emitted the piercing scream during a dive anymore.


    However, due to the deeply ingrained impression, the enemy forces still had a strong aversion to Stuka Dive Bombers and would instinctively seek cover whenever they saw aircraft diving.


    The Tang Country Air Force, after a long period of combat analysis, realized that they were in fact lacking a medium bomber to execute the task of bombing enemy positions.


    The hit accuracy of the Stuka Dive Bombers was not a problem; the issue was that they carried too few bombs. They weren¡¯t designed for bombing enemy frontline positions in the first place.


    As dive bombers, the best operational status for the Stukas was to keep advancing with the troops, destroying enemy strongholds, traffic junctions, paralyzing their movements, and preventing the enemy forces from regrouping and counterattacking.


    ...


    To put it simply, they needed to be on the move. If both sides¡¯ front lines began to solidify, the inefficiency of the Stuka Dive Bombers in single mission tasks became more apparent.


    After dropping a single bomb and then having to return to base, at most performing a dive and strafing a few more times¡ªthis kind of attack was becoming increasingly insufficient in the face of the Dahua Empire¡¯s more experienced air defense troops.


    If they used the Flying Fortress to carry bombs for bombing, it was too large. This high-altitude bomber was more suitable for strategic bombing and was an overkill for attacking enemy positions.


    The cost of a single launch of a Flying Fortress was not cheap, requiring a lot of fuel. Its bombing accuracy was not high, and was not a good choice.


    Thus, many troops submitted their reports, hoping to add a new model of aircraft that could carry a greater number of bombs and whose flight attitude was more agile.


    In Tang Mo¡¯s view, the front-line units probably lacked a support aircraft similar to the B-25 or the JU-88.


    As for which to choose, Tang Mo hadn¡¯t decided yet. Both types of aircraft had their advantages and could be put to use.


    Selecting weaponry for the troops was a complex matter, so it required more time for consideration. It was highly unlikely that the pilots of the Tang Army would get to use a new aircraft in this war. They could look forward to the next war.


    Even in Tang Country, with the technical support of Great Tang Group, producing a new equipment and rapidly equipping the troops was not an easy task.


    This required front-line troops to provide various requirement reports, which would then be discussed collectively to make decisions. Often, what the troops desired was not very precise and their pursuit of performance was somewhat fantasy.


    If they were to create everything these pilots wanted, then it¡¯s likely that the Tang Country Air Force would be equipped with J-20 fighters...


    ...


    General Feng Kezhi stood in front of the map, his back to the Air Force Commanders who had been complained about and denounced countless times by the ground forces.


    The performance of the Dahua Empire¡¯s air force in the battlefield was evident to all. The expensive air force units, built at a great cost, had been so thoroughly dominated by the Great Tang Air Force that they no longer dared to take off and face the enemy. This was an indisputable fact.


    But to say that the Dahua Air Force was full of cowards and fools would be too disparaging. The Dahua Air Force always wanted a fair chance to compete with the enemy.


    They were not willing to engage in a do-or-die battle against the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s Butcher Fighters with their biplane Camel Fighters, because that would be suicide.


    They believed that the entire air force should at least be re-equipped with Dahua Type 1 Fighters to be qualified to fight against the enemy head-on.


    As the battle continued, the number of modern fighters in the Dahua Empire Air Force also increased. They had finally built up some reserves and thus were contemplating a test of strength against the Tang Army.


    But how to compete, how to surprise them, those were the issues that preoccupied Feng Kezhi¡¯s thoughts. Putting precious fighters into battle to fight it out with Tang Army¡¯s Butcher Fighters would only result in small attritional losses, which in fact wouldn¡¯t really affect the overall battle situation.


    Deep down, Feng Kezhi still didn¡¯t trust his own air force. He didn¡¯t believe that simply swapping to a slightly better-performing fighter could determine the outcome of air combat.


    So he discussed with the Air Force Commanders and laid out what seemed to be a more reasonable operational plan: a sneak attack on the southern oil fields.


    Previously, the Dahua Empire planned to destroy all the southern oil fields, but in fact, their local garrisons did not carry out this plan, and let Tang Army take over the southern oil fields.


    This led to the Tang Army¡¯s ability to replenish through the southern oil fields, continuing to maintain their offensive at the front and causing great pressure on the Dahua Empire¡¯s main battlefront.


    Feng Kezhi harbored persistent thoughts about the southern oil fields. He believed that deploying the air force to bomb the southern oil fields would be an excellent option.


    In his view, as long as the southern oil fields were destroyed, the Tang Army¡¯s offensive would be paralyzed, and the pressure on the main battlefront would be greatly alleviated.


    A carefully planned surprise attack could swiftly reverse the battlefield dynamics. Feng Kezhi believed that this was the true purpose of the air force¡¯s existence.


    Therefore, he gathered the Air Force Commanders to discuss the feasibility of this plan. He also received a satisfactory answer from the Air Force Commanders: they stated that the plan was completely feasible.

 Chapter 798 798 750 back-and-forth battle_4

    ?Chapter 798: 750 back-and-forth battle_4 Chapter 798: 750 back-and-forth battle_4 First, oil fields are extremely vulnerable targets and are very easy to strike. The enemy has just occupied the area recently and it is not easy for them to establish a complete air defense system.


    Second, the Dahua Air Force has been strengthened, especially the bomber fleet, which has not suffered significant losses, and can be reassigned in a short time to form a large-scale bombing fleet for missions.


    Lastly, the number of escort fighter squadrons of the Dahua Troops is also sufficient, making daytime bombing highly feasible.


    ¡°We have four-engine bombers produced by Shireck, and though they¡¯re slow, their payload is still acceptable. As long as we take off with more planes, we can ensure the destructive power against the oil fields,¡± assured a Dahua Air Force commander with full confidence.


    Although the performance of his bombers was very outdated, the quantity was still considerable. They had not been put into real combat before due to fear of losses, so the organizational structure had been maintained in very good condition.


    Now, hearing that General Feng Kezhi wanted them to counterattack, he immediately perked up and prepared to let his bomber fleet make a significant impact.


    Although a single aircraft did not carry a large payload, he indeed had a considerable number of planes at his disposal, so he generously held up two fingers: ¡°If needed, assembling two hundred planes is no problem.¡±


    ...


    ¡°I think two hundred bombers is still too few. We should gather three hundred and at all costs, destroy the southern oil fields,¡± another commander felt a more aggressive approach was necessary.


    The size of the Dahua Air Force had always been very large, with tens of thousands of planes before the war. Even though most were biplanes and triplanes, the scale was indeed substantial.


    While everyone began discussing how to destroy the southern oil fields and how many planes to deploy, an officer, looking anxiously toward General Feng Kezhi, asked a rather sharp question, ¡°But I have a doubt, if we completely destroy the southern oil fields, aren¡¯t we... planning to never take them back?¡±


    ¡°...¡± For a moment, everyone present fell silent. They seemed to have never considered this issue, seemingly never realizing that the place called the southern oil fields was actually once part of the Dahua Empire.


    Even General Feng Kezhi avoided the issue deep down. He actually knew that he or the Dahua Empire did not have the capacity to take back the southern oil fields, but he dared not admit this problem.


    In the end, someone awkwardly spoke up, clarifying their perspective: ¡°I think it¡¯s highly unlikely that we¡¯ll take it back.¡±


    Hearing this, others quickly nodded their heads in agreement, supporting their companion¡¯s viewpoint: ¡°Yes, the chances of taking it back are extremely low. And regardless of whether we can or not, we must destroy it! Even if we can reoccupy it in the future, we should still demolish it!¡±


    Such opinions were continuously voiced, and one even increased the number of aircraft further: ¡°Makes sense, then I believe we can assemble more than 500 planes to attack the southern oil fields!¡±


    Three hundred bombers and two hundred escorting Dahua Type-1 fighters... with such a massive number, it was almost guaranteed that the distant southern oil fields could be destroyed.


    At the same time, Luff pushed open the office door of Tang Mo, handing him a document while he was busy at work: ¡°Your Majesty! This is the proposal to increase the air defense forces at the southern oil fields. Given the significance of the southern oil fields to our military operations, the Staff Department believes it is necessary to send additional planes and deploy more Anti-Aircraft Guns to ensure the oil fields will not be disturbed by enemy aircraft.¡±


    ¡°Approved! I also believe... the southern oil fields should strengthen their defenses!¡± Tang Mo picked up the report and, looking down at the first page, saw the suggestion to deploy 88mm caliber anti-aircraft guns at the southern oil fields.

 Chapter 799 799 751 Southern Sky

    ?Chapter 799: 751 Southern Sky Chapter 799: 751 Southern Sky ¡°`


    The place got its name, Youdianzi, from the frequent layer of dark crude oil found on the land; it was once an important oil production area, or a petroleum production zone.


    Later, the Dahua Empire introduced advanced oil extraction equipment from the Tang Country and began to establish oilfields here; Youdianzi became purely a geographical name and started to be subordinate to the oilfields.


    The lives of the people here didn¡¯t become any richer because of oil production; on the contrary, they suffered terribly because of the nobility¡¯s oppression. Only recently were the nobles, who had always been powerful and oppressive near the oilfields, completely eradicated.


    Unlike in the past, after the Tang Army arrived here, they began to repair the oilfield facilities, brought in many pieces of equipment, and also distributed food, giving the local folks a good start.


    However, the shadow of war has always loomed over this oil-rich land. After the Tang Army arrived, they began to transform the airport and construct a plethora of military facilities.


    On the mountains near Youdianzi, steel antennas taller than the trees were erected, no one knew what they were, only that they were a new type of weapon from the Tang people.


    After these steel structures were deployed, people were no longer allowed up the nearby slopes; the locals all received compensation, and no one clamored to go hunting in the mountains anymore.


    ...


    The Troops from the Tang Country would regularly deliver various kinds of food to the villages at the foot of the mountains, even delicious instant noodles and luncheon meat, and occasionally condiments such as soy sauce. These supplies were far tastier than any rabbits caught while hunting, so interest in hunting waned significantly.


    Recently, trucks that had never been seen before started to arrive in Youdianzi, carrying all sorts of cannons. A warehouse was constructed, surrounded by barbed wire and signs warning of the dangers of munitions.


    Those tall cannons were soon placed in positions fortified by sandbags and camouflaged with nets; they had excellent fields of fire all around.


    The artillerymen of the Tang Country, dressed in clean uniforms, would operate these cannons daily. A single cannon would be serviced by a dozen people, as if it was something incredibly precious.


    In fact, the local people couldn¡¯t see that the Tang Army had also deployed a large number of Anti-Aircraft Guns around them. How important the southern oilfields were, only the Tang Army knew.


    In places like Youdianzi around the periphery of the oilfields, the Tang Army had deployed many new 88mm Anti-Aircraft Guns. They were large and agile, making them excellent anti-aircraft weapons.


    At the same time, in order to command these Anti-Aircraft Guns, the Tang Army also installed radars on the surrounding high ground to provide early warning and rudimentary fire control.


    With the support of these radars, the Tang Army¡¯s Anti-Aircraft Guns could calmly set time-delay fuses to explode the shells at relatively precise altitudes.


    And within the core inner circle of the oilfields, the Tang Army had deployed a large number of smaller caliber Anti-Aircraft Guns. Numerous Bofors 40mm Anti-Aircraft Guns, along with searchlights, formed a nearly impenetrable net of firepower.


    This was just the nighttime air defense; daytime air defense was handed over to the Air Force fighter squadrons. More than 150 Butcher Fighters were stationed at airports near the oilfields with the aim of intercepting any enemy aircraft trying to approach the oilfields.


    Indeed, the 88mm Anti-Aircraft Guns were not without their drawbacks; for stability in shooting, they had a heavy base design, and their weight approached 5 tons while being transported.


    But these drawbacks seemed trivial compared to their excellent performance: they had a fearsome rate of fire for their caliber, as well as very precise anti-aircraft sights, fast response, and a terrifying anti-air capability.


    After all, when it came to air defense capabilities, it was indeed hard to find another Anti-Aircraft Gun that could purely outperform the 88mm in terms of performance.


    Inside the air defense command center of the Tang Army in the southern oilfields, a group of commanders were studying the operational plans of the Dahua Air Force. They had to anticipate every possible move of the enemy and prepare targeted contingency plans.


    Everyone was very busy, cross-referencing various pieces of information, determining the enemy¡¯s time of action and the specific scale of the operation.


    This was science, an analysis based on substantial intelligence data. The so-called breaking of the enemy¡¯s codes was almost a joke here.


    No one believed in decrypted messages because such messages could also be intentional leaks by the enemy. Therefore, even if content from decrypted messages were available, it could only serve as a reference and had nothing to do with decision-making.


    What really influenced the commanders¡¯ decisions was actually data, those bits of intelligence that were not easily faked or that would be costly to fabricate.


    If the enemy planned to attack from one direction, communication messages would correspondingly increase: this was not easily faked, and no matter how secretive, the volume of messages for large troop movements would uncontrollably increase to tens or hundreds of times the norm.


    At the same time, the amount of oil, food, and ammunition being gathered would also increase accordingly. If these data could be obtained, they would prove the other side was actively preparing a bona fide military action.


    An Air Force technical officer assured Xiao Yun, the deputy commander of the Air Force who was in charge of operations, ¡°The enemy bombing the oilfields will definitely choose to do so in formation during the daytime, as their technology dictates. They lack sufficient navigation equipment at night.¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 800 800 751 Southern Sky_2

    ?Chapter 800: 751 Southern Sky_2 Chapter 800: 751 Southern Sky_2 ¡°They don¡¯t have advanced communication equipment, and their channels are all under our surveillance, so it¡¯s impossible for them to organize large-scale bombings at night,¡± he said, resting his hand on several black-and-white photos.


    These photos were taken before the war and depicted the Dahua Empire¡¯s biplane, four-engine bombers. These aircraft looked quite outdated and could not carry many bombs.


    But they were far more advanced than airships; at least they could carry bombs to the target area at a higher speed without worrying about their huge bodies being easily hit by anti-aircraft guns.


    After finishing his explanation, he provided a relatively accurate statistic, ¡°Deploying anti-aircraft guns is just a precaution. In fact, the likelihood of daytime bombing by the enemy is 80%, and the chance of it happening at night is less than 10%.¡±


    Xiao Yun furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°How come that doesn¡¯t add up to 100%?¡±


    He personally came to the southern oil fields to ensure their security. These oil fields were the main resource supporting Tang Country¡¯s war efforts, and no problems could be afforded.


    The officer hurriedly added, ¡°The remaining possibility is that the enemy gives up on the option of bombing... and I think that¡¯s even more unlikely! They will definitely bomb.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Why?¡± Xiao Yun asked with a smile, enjoying listening to his subordinates analyzing problems. Sometimes, he could supplement his own thoughts with their ideas and come to the correct conclusion.


    Without hesitation, the officer answered, ¡°If it were me, I would put all my eggs in one basket and give it a try. The potential payoff is too tempting to not take the risk.¡±


    Xiao Yun nodded in agreement. Taking such a gamble did seem worth it; he would make the same choice.


    Destroying the southern oil fields would be worth the loss of hundreds of aircraft. Even losing a thousand planes wouldn¡¯t matter.


    Nevertheless, he still agreed with his subordinates¡¯ analysis and nodded, saying, ¡°Night navigation is very complicated for us, so they probably have not mastered similar technology.¡±


    He then voiced his own thoughts, ¡°Is there a possibility that the enemy uses an easier method for navigation... like lighting fires on the ground as a guide...?¡±


    Tang Mo had warned him to be extremely careful concerning the southern oil fields. Therefore, he anticipated every possible action the enemy might take, leaving no detail overlooked.


    His staff officers immediately started talking over each other, adding, ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯ve been focusing on lately: flammable materials, people with questionable identities, and surrendered Dahua troops. We haven¡¯t stopped, we¡¯ve been checking everything.¡±


    They had already guessed that the enemy might use ground navigation for night bombing, so they paid extra attention to surveillance, ¡°To avoid any problems, the Army has also deployed three reconnaissance battalions in the vicinity. If there are any issues despite that... I really wouldn¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    ¡°Without wireless communications and relying solely on ground lights for navigation, night formations are almost as good as suicide,¡± added the Air Force technical officer who had just spoken.


    It¡¯s not that lighting a few bonfires on the ground could make it easy for a formation of aircraft to fly to their target overhead at night.


    With World War I-era aerial formation technology, it was questionable whether these planes would manage to reach the designated area without encountering various issues after takeoff.


    In the room next to the command center, a radar operator sat in front of a screen, idly observing the electronic signals on the green display.


    Soon, the operator, who had been doing nothing, adjusted his posture and stared intently at the screen¡ªbecause he saw a blip on his screen that represented a flying object.


    ¡°Enemy aircraft approaching!¡± He put down his teacup and looked up at another non-commissioned officer beside him.


    This massive piece of equipment was not particularly multifunctional; his responsibility was to detect the relative position of enemy aircraft, while the person seated beside him calculated their altitude.


    The integrated three-coordinate equipment was not yet mature, so this highly confidential radar was still dedicated to measuring altitude and direction separately.


    ¡°Altitude 4000 meters!¡± The other non-commissioned officer calculated the altitude and then informed the duty officer of the parameters.


    The duty officer picked up the phone and began notifying the air defense positions. The enemy bomber formations they had been waiting for had finally arrived.


    ¡°Woo... Woo...¡± Air raid alarms resounded over the entire oil field, with everyone looking up towards the distant sky.


    At the once-quiet airfield runway, pilots clutched their leather caps and stylish oxygen masks as they madly dashed across the lawn towards the combat aircraft, which were fully prepared for action.


    The tanks of the Butcher Fighters were already filled with fuel, and all machine guns loaded with ammunition. One after another, ground crew gave thumbs-up, stood on the wings, pulled the sprinting pilots onto the planes, and pushed them into the cramped cockpits.


    ¡°I told you they would come during the day!¡± a pilot exclaimed, fastening his cap over his head as he shouted excitedly at the ground crew.


    The roar of the engines was so loud that they had to shout at the top of their lungs to communicate. The ground crew once again gave a thumbs-up, ¡°You guessed right! Now guess again how many enemy planes you¡¯re going to take down later!¡±


    ¡°I think I can take down at least 5!¡± shouted the pilot exuberantly as he squeezed into the cockpit, just before the ground crew closed the hatch over him.

 Chapter 801 801 751 Southern Sky_3

    ?Chapter 801: 751 Southern Sky_3 Chapter 801: 751 Southern Sky_3 Inside the headquarters, echoing with alarms, Xiao Yun finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the enemy¡¯s technology indeed did not allow them to use nighttime bombing to destroy the southern oil fields.


    That made things easier. As long as the enemy bombed during the day, his air force could deploy interceptors, and the Butcher Fighter Jets were far more formidable than the inexperienced 88 mm caliber anti-aircraft guns.


    ¡°The fighter jet troops are urgently taking off, and 10 patrol fighter jets have already headed to intercept! The number of enemy planes is unknown, but according to the radar, it¡¯s more than 50!¡± A military officer nervously reported the status of the airspace.


    Although radar had been employed in actual combat in the Central Region, this new technology was still so novel that it left people feeling uncertain.


    Xiao Yun stood in front of the map, watching as a female officer used a pushrod to move wooden airplane models to their respective positions; the entire airspace situation was clear at a glance. A massive air battle, unprecedented in scale, was about to erupt.


    On the other side, in the cold sky, pilots of the Dahua Empire tightly wrapped their leather coats around themselves. A thick scarf was wound around his neck; the cold air hit his face, numbing his mouth.


    They were flying at an altitude of over 3,700 meters, where the air was bitterly cold. All the bombers were fully fueled, with a row of relatively small bombs hanging under the wings.


    ...


    The payload of these bombers was actually not very high, even less than that of the massive airships, but their speed was fast, making them unlikely targets for ground anti-aircraft guns.


    Lacking radio communication equipment, the formation of these planes in the sky depended entirely on visual contact, with pilots mainly communicating through hand signals.


    Most of the mission had to be pre-arranged before takeoff, with only basic communications possible, sometimes even needing to shout loudly when flying close to convey messages.


    This technology simply did not support nighttime bombing. Thus, knowing that they might be intercepted by Tang army planes, the Dahua Empire¡¯s air force chose to carry out the bombing of the southern oil fields during the day.


    What emboldened these bomber pilots was the escort of over 100 Dahua Type-1 Fighter Jets flying above them. The rear part of these fighter jets was made of wood, but the front wings and nose were metal-skinned, with a single wing design that was quite advanced.


    Compared to Shireck¡¯s fighter jets and the Camel Fighter Jets sold by Tang Country, Dahua Empire¡¯s self-designed Dahua Type-1 Fighter Jets were faster, featuring retractable front landing gear, hence they performed very well.


    It was because of this escorting fighter jet that the commanders of the Dahua Empire¡¯s air force gained the courage to launch a daytime strike.


    This time, they assembled 200 bombers and escorted them with 100 Dahua Type-1 Fighter Jets, aggressively targeting the southern oil fields occupied by Tang Country.


    Unaware that Tang army possessed advanced radar equipment, Dahua had kept this bombing mission strictly confidential before execution.


    Previously, they noticed that their planes were always detected and intercepted by Tang army, initially thinking there was a traitor leaking plans.


    Having no choice, as many pilots and commanders had trained in Tang Country, the high command of the Dahua air force assumed infiltration was rampant and approached security with utmost strictness.


    To execute this ¡°secret mission,¡± Dahua even isolated the pilots, forbidding personal belongings, directly pulling them to the base to ensure no leakage of plans.


    After some self-congratulatory fuss, the bombing mission finally commenced. Yet, right after the planes took off from Sword Pavilion, they were detected by a frontline Tang army radar station.


    Dahua Empire¡¯s bombers were also equipped with defensive machine guns, with open cockpits on the nose and spine, where gunners stood to fend off approaching aircraft.


    On entering the airspace controlled by Tang Country, all Dahua pilots tensed up. Though their formation was so vast that it seemed endless, every pilot flying in this group knew this sky was not theirs.


    Here, the rulers were those ugly-looking fighter jets bearing dragon emblems on their wings, with bulging, conspicuously yellow-painted noses.


    Despite their unattractive appearance, these Butcher Fighter Jets, known for their incredible speed and fierce firepower, were monstrously strong.


    No one wanted to encounter them in the sky, especially since Tang army¡¯s planes often appeared in groups that were just as numerous as those of the Dahua Empire.


    Unlike Tang pilots who could chat through radio communications, Dahua¡¯s pilots could only fly their planes in solitude once they ascended.


    In the turbulent airflow, they conducted their monotonous tasks with utmost attention, loaded with fuel and ammunition, the cumbersome bombers had almost no maneuverability, and all a pilot could do when attacked was pray.


    The good news was that they were escorted by faster, more capable fighter jets overhead, significantly more powerful than the previous Camel Fighter Jets.

 Chapter 802 802 751 South Sky_4

    ?Chapter 802: 751 South Sky_4 Chapter 802: 751 South Sky_4 Previously, those biplanes were really underperforming. When encountering Tang Army fighter jets, they often had to seek cover by merging into bomber formations, one could hardly tell who was escorting whom.


    The Dahua pilot clutching the machine gun lifted his head, looking up into the sky where a dense formation of Dahua Type 1 fighter jets was present, which reassured him a great deal.


    However, soon he tilted his ear, as if searching for something. Amid the howling wind, he seemed to hear something amiss.


    ¡°Enemy planes! Enemy planes!¡± The pilot in front of him turned his head and shouted loudly, alerting him to immediately prepare for battle, ¡°Tang Country planes are charging over! Get ready to fight!¡±


    The gunner clearly heard his pilot¡¯s shout, and while pulling the bolt of his gun, he gave a thumbs up.


    This gesture proved more effective than shouting. At least, when the pilot saw it, he turned back and took control of the plane seriously.


    The atmosphere immediately tensed to the extreme. Soon, the sound of machine gun fire started coming from a distance. Due to visibility issues, the gunner searched for a long time without seeing the curve of any tracer bullets.


    ...


    He knew the battle had started, but as he couldn¡¯t see where exactly it was happening, he kept searching relentlessly for any sign of the enemy.


    Suddenly, he spotted a black dot sweeping past the edge of the bomber formation, with a speed that was chilling to the core.


    The roaring sound of its engine was frighteningly loud, swiftly darting between two Dahua bombers with the agility of a petrel in a storm.


    It banked sharply and pounced on an unmaneuverable bomber. A row of glowing bullets tore through the bomber¡¯s fuselage, ripping the fragile body into pieces.


    As the severed bomber disintegrated, countless fragments scattered in the wind, and the Dahua gunner stood at his post, watching in horror as someone was pulled out of the plane by the airflow and disappeared with the wreckage from his sight.


    He stood there dumbfounded, even forgetting that he was on a battlefield, entranced until another Butcher fighter jet burst into his view, reminding him that he was also prey to this beast.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Finally, he screamed, pulling the trigger at the fleeting target far ahead, the first tracer bullet drawing a faint arc in the air, its destination unknown.


    Frankly speaking, these small-caliber machine guns are really unsuitable for air combat. Unfortunately, that was the only self-defense weapon available on Dahua Empire bombers.


    Compared to the 20mm cannons equipped on Tang Country fighter jets, both destructiveness and bullet trajectory were far inferior. The only advantage of such machine guns was their sufficient ammunition capacity, allowing frantic Dahua gunners to keep firing.


    ¡°Ratatatat!¡± Extremely tense, the gunner held down the trigger, madly strafing the Tang Army fighter jet that flew past.


    Regrettably, despite his best efforts to adjust his aim, the curve of tracer bullets merely followed the disappearing silhouette of the Tang Army fighter jet, hitting nothing.


    ¡°Steady!¡± his pilot turned back nervously once again, admonishing the gunner behind him, ¡°Don¡¯t run out of bullets! Damn it!¡±


    Compared to the massive fleet of Dahua Empire aircraft, the number of ferocious Tang Army fighter jets at this moment indeed wasn¡¯t large.


    If one were to count carefully, there were only about ten Tang Army fighter jets, far too few to shake the massive formation of Dahua bombers.


    After all, this was just a patrol squad in Tang Country¡¯s airspace; the real intercepting Tang Country fighter jet troops were still on their way.


    Yet, lacking communications, the Dahua pilots were unaware of this; they were already intimidated by these meteor-like Tang Army fighter jets. Watching a handful of enemy planes move freely within their formation, wreaking havoc left and right, many Dahua Empire pilots grew increasingly anxious.


    ¡°Damn it! Where are our escort fighter jets? Why haven¡¯t they come over yet!¡± a bomber pilot, lifting his head, searched for allies, muttering under his breath.

 Chapter 803 803 752 excited shouts

    ?Chapter 803: 752 excited shouts Chapter 803: 752 excited shouts It turned out that depending on oneself was better than relying on others. Hoping for Dahua Type 1 fighter jets that were far away was unrealistic in the face of Tang Army fighters; fighting fiercely to the end was the only chance for survival.


    Gunners on the aircraft futilely aimed their crude gun sights at the swift-moving Tang Army Butcher Fighter Jets, the roar of the engines echoing in their ears, even drowning out the sound of their anxious heartbeats.


    After emptying a magazine, the gunner anxiously began to reload his gun, and as they struggled to feed bullets into their machine guns, they could only watch helplessly as yet another bomber was split in half in the air.


    The wooden fuselage stood no chance against the devastation of the 20mm cannons. Just a brief attack was enough to shatter a massive-looking bomber in the sky.


    On the bombers of the Dahua Empire, gunners weren¡¯t equipped with parachutes, though parachutes were standard issue for all pilots in Tang Army manuals. The Dahua Empire didn¡¯t think self-defense gun operators on planes warranted the expense of a costly parachute pack.


    They were expendable anyway; these gunners were no nobler than tank drivers, so their fate was left to destiny.


    There was a theory that providing these gunners with parachutes would lead them not to cherish their planes, choosing to escape in critical moments instead.


    ...


    Thus, the Dahua Empire bound the lives of these gunners with the planes, making them more appreciative of their chances to survive, better protect the planes, and be willing to fight until the last moment.


    In any case, whatever damn theory it might be, the gunners on the Dahua Empire planes had no parachutes. They could only live and die with their planes¡ªsuch was the harsh reality.


    While trembling hands inserted the drum magazine on top of the machine gun completing the reload, the bomber that had been struck was already spiraling toward the ground in the distance.


    The wings, no different from paper mache, were perforated by cannon shells, then cruelly torn to pieces by the airstream, finally disintegrating in midair and disappearing from view¡ªa nightmarish scene that replayed endlessly in the minds of the gunners who witnessed it.


    At least tanks had a layer of steel armor to provide the crew inside with some sense of safety. Fighting alongside makeshift mosquito nets of wood and canvas at nearly 4000 meters in the air truly required courage.


    Finally, after pulling the gun¡¯s action and hearing a click, the gunner mustered a bit of courage again.


    He tensively scanned the skies, looking for the enemy aircraft marked with the golden dragon emblem on its wing. He didn¡¯t know where the enemy was; he could only hear the sound of the engine and the howling wind.


    Leaning out, he tried to look below his feet but was caught off-guard by a burst of bullets that scared him into a cold sweat.


    The bullets hit near him, leaving a row of holes in the wooden fuselage. Fortunately, his aircraft did not break apart, and the row of bullet holes also missed the lower half of his body, still inside the plane.


    These were bullet holes from the defensive guns of a friendly aircraft, nearly scaring him to pee his pants. He carefully checked his lower half, relieved to find no blood-splattered holes, and finally took a deep breath.


    The pilot in front of him had been cursing loudly for a while, clearly feeling the deep malice from the guns of a nearby friendly aircraft.


    ¡°Damn it! These blind idiots!¡± the pilot vented his emotions while checking his body.


    ¡°Are you blind! Damn it!¡± After realizing he was unharmed, the nearly shot gunner also yelled curses at the distant friendly aircraft.


    He couldn¡¯t hear what the other side was shouting, only seeing the opposing gunner waving his arms non-stop, seemingly boasting about his prowess or perhaps apologizing.


    In any case, they didn¡¯t know what the other side was trying to express, and it seemed the other side couldn¡¯t hear their curses either. Both sides gestured with their hands, but clearly, their communication was almost completely ineffective.


    ¡°Damn it! I have no idea what he¡¯s saying!¡± The gunner pointed with his fingers at the bullet holes in his own plane, signaling the other side to see the fright he¡¯d suffered.


    The person continued to wave his arms, apparently explaining that he hadn¡¯t intended to strafe his own people with the machine gun.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve strafed them back! Let them feel what we felt!¡± the pilot turned around and yelled loudly, egging on his gunner.


    Of course, such an act is better left unsaid; if they were lucky enough to fly back, a gunner who did that would probably be executed immediately¡ªthe valuable ones were the pilots, not these expendable gunners.


    Pilots required significant time to train, while gunners only needed to be strapped to a rotating chair and spun around a few times; if they didn¡¯t throw up, they could be strapped to a plane and sent into battle...


    ¡°If I run into this guy on the ground, I would surely punch his teeth into his stomach!¡± The gunner waved his arms, signifying to the other side to be cautious in his own way.


    As for whether the other side could understand his gestures, only the clouds would know; he couldn¡¯t understand the other side¡¯s gestures, but he insisted that his gestures must be clearly understandable to them.

 Chapter 804 804 752 excited shouting_2

    ?Chapter 804: 752 excited shouting_2 Chapter 804: 752 excited shouting_2 The machine gunner on the spine of the nearby bomber continued to gesture incessantly, seemingly wanting to argue with his comrades here.


    But as he continued to make various gestures with his arms, a row of tracer bullets tore through the fuselage of the bomber he was on.


    This time, it wasn¡¯t bullets from a small caliber machine gun, it was fatal ammunition swept out by a Butcher Fighter¡¯s 20mm cannon.


    The hefty projectiles splintered the wooden fuselage, and instantly penetrated the gunner who was still raising his hands, his arm instantly detached from his body, flying into the air amidst a mist of blood.


    The next second, the bomber that had been hit from below by the Butcher Fighter broke apart at the gunner¡¯s position, and his mutilated body, along with the rear half of the bomber, scattered backwards, disappearing without a trace.


    The shocked Dahua machine gunner didn¡¯t dare to move for a long time, until another Butcher Fighter surged up from below into his field of view. Only then did he realize the fight was still on.


    The bomber flying alongside them had only its front half remaining. Without its tail, it didn¡¯t immediately crash but instead descended in a stable manner.


    ...


    The nose gunner turned his head back and was shouting something loudly at the pilot, but no one could hear him clearly.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, start shooting!¡± Seeing his gunner had stupidly forgotten to fire again, the bomber¡¯s pilot turned around and shouted a reminder, ¡°Be careful not to shoot straight! It¡¯s easy to hit our own men!¡±


    ¡°I, I know!¡± The gunner, already scared stiff, felt his leather gloves were all sweaty, and despite the altitude of 4,000 meters, it no longer felt cold; he was so hot he wanted to sip some water to moisten his throat.


    But it was too late to reach for the canteen at his waist, as a Butcher Fighter drew a circle above him and began a violent dive.


    With the roaring sound of its engine that seemed to tear the air apart, the Butcher Fighter closed the distance to the Dahua bomber formation at an extremely fast pace.


    In the perspective of the Dahua gunner, the Butcher was charging right at his plane, so he instinctively aimed his machine gun at this significantly threatening target.


    ¡°Ah!¡± He didn¡¯t know if he was trying to intimidate the enemy or bolster his own courage as he pulled the trigger while shouting loudly. His gun spat out flames and roared, ¡°Ratatatat!¡±


    Unfortunately, his judgment was seriously flawed as the Butcher Fighter, which had seemed to dive toward him, suddenly rolled sideward, deviating from its original path.


    A few tracer bullets flew towards the distance, but failed to touch any target. The diving Butcher Fighter, after shredding another distant Dahua bomber, drifted away, its agility inducing despair.


    Although they were unsure how many of their bombers had been shot down, all Dahua pilots were certain that their losses were substantial.


    Although there seemed to be only a few Tang Army planes in this piece of sky, the enemy¡¯s attacking efficiency was frightening, and the cannon¡¯s destruction effect on bombers was so great it was desolating.


    It seemed that from the very beginning, the enemy had optimized their approach for attacking large targets, as their fighter jets seemed to be tailor-made to combat large bombers from the design stage.


    Regretfully, the bombers of the Dahua Empire, though equipped with defensive machine guns, were never a mature design from the start.


    They had only two gun positions, one on the nose and one on the spine, with just two guns for defense that couldn¡¯t cover around the aircraft. In other words, the Dahua Empire¡¯s bombers had weaknesses everywhere.


    This was completely different from the WWII-era B-17, whose defensive armaments were so numerous they provided a terrifying, 360-degree coverage for the bomber. Attackers had to be extremely cautious when engaging a B-17, as they could be easily shot down by the bomber¡¯s defenses if not vigilant.


    But the Dahua Empire¡¯s bombers had only two defensive machine guns, almost null against the Butcher Fighters.


    Choosing the right angle, Butcher Fighters could easily cut into the attack line and fire comfortably from a safe place, effortlessly tearing apart the large, seemingly formidable yet completely unarmored Dahua bombers.


    One after another, bombers fell from the sky for all to see. Even if not all were observed, those wrecks trailing thick smoke toward the ground proved the losses of this bombing mission.


    Although the air battle seemed lengthy, in reality, the conflict had lasted only a brief while.


    No one knew whether they had any hope of reaching the target or if they would have a chance to return to the Dahua Empire.


    Just as everyone was succumbing to despair, suddenly a different aircraft cut through into the fray.


    This plane latched onto a Butcher Fighter that had just dived down, attempting to cut in from the rear to take down the arrogant Tang Army aircraft.


    The pursued Butcher Fighter began to swing left and right, trying to shake off the pursuer at its tail. Another Butcher followed close behind to bite back at the Dahua Empire¡¯s fighter aircraft.

 Chapter 805 805 752 Excited Shouts_3

    ?Chapter 805: 752 Excited Shouts_3 Chapter 805: 752 Excited Shouts_3 ¡°Ratatat!¡± Knowing he had lost his chance, the Dahua Empire Fighter Jet reluctantly fired a burst of Tracer Bullets before swiftly disengaging and yielding its advantageous position.


    The wingman from the Tang Army successfully covered the lead aircraft, drawing away from danger. Immediately after, it banked sharply in the sky, making a wide circle to seek out new targets.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Seeing their Fighter Jet appear, the machine gunners on the bomber waved their arms and shouted uproariously, unable to contain their excitement.


    When the Dahua Empire¡¯s bomber pilots saw their escort Fighter Jets arriving, they too erupted into cheers.


    The bottled-up emotions were instantly released, accompanied by the roaring of more engines, seemingly boosting the morale of the Imperial Air Force once again.


    ¡°Buzz...whoo...¡± This time, the diving Butcher Fighter didn¡¯t secure a stable opportunity to attack. After its dive, it quickly pulled up, narrowly avoiding being tailed by the swiftly approaching Dahua Type 1 Fighter Jet.


    Though the Fighter Jets of the Dahua Empire were still not quite on par with the Butcher equipped by the Tang Army, the gap was no longer so apparent.


    ...


    Both being monoplane Fighter Jets, the speed difference was less than 100 kilometers... Even though they lacked enclosed cockpits, their maneuverability seemed somewhat better. The Dahua Type 1 Fighter, while still lagging in high-altitude high-speed scenarios, wasn¡¯t at a significant disadvantage in dogfights at 3000 meters.


    The pilots from the Tang Army seemed to realize this too; after their high-speed diving attacks failed, they immediately climbed rapidly to disengage, not sticking around for a pointless dogfight with the pilots from the Dahua Empire.


    Leveraging their power advantage, the Tang Army aircraft maneuvered vertically to shake off their adversaries and then regroup to form another attack.


    However, they soon discovered that the enemy Fighter Jets... seemed to be slightly more numerous!


    At about 4500 meters altitude, there were several Dahua Type 1 Fighter Jets waiting for an opportunity to strike. They had not mixed into their own bomber formation, instead waiting on the outskirts for the chance to engage.


    Swiftly, they found their opportunity. As the Tang Army Fighter Jets failed in their attack and banked away, the Dahua pilots started their offense.


    In stark contrast to the usual two-aircraft formation of the Tang Army, the pilots of the Dahua Empire employed a five-aircraft formation, a cumbersome method that limited maneuverability but emphasized frontal firepower.


    With their numerical advantage, the pilots from the Dahua Empire joined the battle in waves, turning the already chaotic aerial combat into complete pandemonium.


    The Dahua Type 1 Fighter Jet, a new weapon within the Imperial Air Force, was flown only by the finest pilots, meticulously selected for their skill.


    These pilots were superior in technique and more flexible in thinking than average pilots. Many of them had past opportunities to engage with Tang Army aircraft.


    After their attacks failed, these pilots quickly dispersed, using their aircraft¡¯s smaller turning radius to disrupt the formation of Tang Army Fighter Jets, creating more attacking opportunities for their comrades.


    Faced with so many Dahua Type 1 Fighter Jets for the first time, the pilots from the Tang Army were taken aback. Originally tasked with intercepting Dahua bombers, they found themselves entangled with the Dahua Empire¡¯s Fighter Jets, instantly thrown into disarray.


    ¡°Buzz...¡± In the sky, the intense screeching noise from the diving aircraft filled the air. A Tang Army Butcher Fighter rolled to dodge the relentless strafing from a Dahua Type 1 Fighter behind it. The two aircraft chased each other, zooming right over the heads of the entire Dahua bomber formation.


    Another Butcher Fighter cut in from the side, but before it could initiate an attack, it was forced to change course by two other Dahua Type 1 Fighters.


    Compared to the Fighter Jets of the Tang Army, there were simply too many Fighter Jets from the Dahua Empire, so many in fact that the pilots from the Tang Army were beginning to fluster.


    ¡°Damn it, die!¡± Spotting a Butcher Fighter swinging wide after escaping the Dahua Fighter pursuing it, a panic-stricken Dahua gunner shouted as he aimed his machine gun toward the Butcher Fighter.


    This time, he did not fire blindly, but waited and observed the Butcher Fighter¡¯s flight path seriously.


    Though this was his first battle, he felt he had a knack for combat. At least he was good at identifying patterns and aiming purposefully.


    After confirming the flight path of the Butcher Fighter, he carefully calculated the lead necessary, the pattern he had figured out.


    Since the enemy¡¯s Fighter Jet was continuously accelerating, if he didn¡¯t fire ahead, the bullets would only trace a line where the enemy aircraft had flown past, missing the target completely.


    Only by firing ahead, roughly estimating where the enemy would pass, did he stand a chance at shooting down his adversary! With this thought, he shifted his gun muzzle slightly forward.


    The opponent didn¡¯t know that in such a corner, a machine gunner was aiming at him. So, after shaking off the Dahua Fighter, he didn¡¯t make any drastic maneuvers immediately.


    This gave the Dahua gunner a rare opportunity! The gunner fired ahead, seemingly aimlessly, emptying the remaining bullets from his drum.

 Chapter 806 806 752 Excited Shouting_4

    ?Chapter 806: 752 Excited Shouting_4 Chapter 806: 752 Excited Shouting_4 A row of Tracer Bullets tore through the air, enveloping a patch of sky that seemed to contain nothing. But in the next moment, something remarkable happened: a Butcher Fighter Jet suddenly rushed into the airspace as if it had collided with the flight of bullets.


    Soon, the engine of the Butcher Fighter began to smoke. The aircraft stopped climbing, its altitude started to drop, trailing long plumes of black smoke. It gradually pulled away from the fight and wobbled toward the distant ground.


    ¡°I shot it down! Hahaha! I hit it!¡± Seeing his Tracer Bullets hit the Butcher Fighter, the Dahua gunner raised both hands, shouting loudly and celebrating his recent valiant performance without cease.


    On another distant Dahua bomber, a pilot who also witnessed the Butcher Fighter being shot down waved his arms, seemingly overjoyed at the enemy¡¯s downfall.


    ¡°Oh! I won! I hit him! He¡¯s finished!¡± The Dahua gunner was beside himself. If it weren¡¯t for the seatbelt around his waist, he might have jumped out of the plane.


    ¡°Did you shoot down an enemy fighter?¡± The pilot operating the plane in front of him didn¡¯t see the victory, but turned around excitedly when he heard the shouting from behind.


    ¡°Yes! I hit him! I hit him!¡± The gunner kept shouting, as if the person he had just killed was the king of Tang Country.


    ...


    While shouting, he stuck out his head, peering down at the Butcher Fighter trailing thick smoke as it fell, as though confirming his kill.


    He saw the Butcher Fighter, which had dropped significantly in altitude, plunge toward the ground. He saw the cockpit canopy of the Butcher Fighter open, a Tang Country pilot bail out of the cockpit, then a pristine white parachute blossom open like a small flower.


    Seconds after losing control, the trajectory of the Butcher Fighter became completely erratic, and soon it crashed into the ground, disappearing from sight.


    The parachute quickly vanished from view too. After the Butcher Fighter went down, it seemed like all the Tang Army Fighters had also disappeared from the battlefield.


    Everyone was cheering; they had fended off the interception of the Tang Army. Although the battle inflicted heavy losses, it appeared that Dahua had won.


    The Tang Country Butcher Fighters, breaking away from the fight, relied on their speed to trail the flanks of the Dahua bomber formation. No longer approaching carelessly, they just followed from a distance, as if discussing a strategy.


    But they were hopelessly outnumbered, outnumbered to the point where they couldn¡¯t penetrate the defense of the Dahua Empire¡¯s Fighter Jets. On the Dahua side, the gunner, still ecstatic from shooting down an enemy Fighter, continued to cheer loudly. He felt it was his heroic performance that had driven off the Tang Army Fighters.


    But in the next second, his shouting abruptly ceased¡ªbecause he saw near a distant cloud, a dark mass moving closer.


    ¡°Damn it...¡± The bomber pilot also spotted the gathering storm clouds in the distance, muttering in a voice laden with despair.


    The joy of victory dissipated in an instant; only now did he realize that they had been entangled in battle with just a dozen or so Tang Country Butcher Fighters.


    They fought a long battle, thinking they had won. But it was only the downing of a single Tang Army Butcher Fighter.


    Now... at least 50 Tang Army Butcher Fighters lay before them, like a dark cloud pressing down, bearing down on their aircraft formation.


    ¡°Watch your altitude! The enemy has escort Fighters! Don¡¯t entangle... First group, tear an opening; second group, engage!¡± Through the breathing mask, the Commander¡¯s voice, with a faint electromagnetic interference, reached the ears of all the Butcher Fighter pilots.


    ¡°Break formation! Free engage! Take down all targets!¡± The next second, upon receiving the command, the Tang Army Fighters began to climb, their engines roaring through the sky.

 Chapter 807 807 753 Intense Air Combat

    ?Chapter 807: 753 Intense Air Combat Chapter 807: 753 Intense Air Combat As squadrons of Tang Army Butcher Fighter Jets swooped down from the higher skies, the pilots of Dahua finally realized the disparity in combat capabilities between the two sides.


    Before, they could barely hold their own with numbers, but now, they discovered that the enemy¡¯s numbers had completely surpassed their estimates.


    Although they all felt that the Tang Army would definitely deploy heavy troops at the southern oil fields to defend against the surprise attacks from the Dahua Air Force,


    they really never expected to encounter over 50 Butcher Fighter Jets here.


    In fact, they were wrong because this time, a whole 70 Butcher Fighter Jets joined the battle. They were divided into two groups, slashing into the battle circle from the left and right in different directions.


    When the first batch of 50 intercepting Butcher Fighter Jets began their dive attacks, the entire formation of Dahua aircraft started to fall into disarray.


    The demoralized pilots of Dahua were all looking and waiting... They wanted to find a reason to immediately return to base.


    Because they had no radio communication equipment, they were unable to listen to the Commanders¡¯ orders in time. They didn¡¯t know whether they should abort the mission or stubbornly head towards the target they were doomed not to reach.


    ...


    ¡°Damn it, did you see the signal to return to base? Look to the left! The pilot of the bomber on the left!¡± Amidst the chaos, the pilot turned back to ask the machine gunner sitting behind him.


    The machine gunner looked blankly to his left, trying to find the pilot who could convey the orders, but all he saw was a pilot on a bomber, looking off into a more distant place.


    It was already difficult enough to use hand signals and shouting to pass messages in a sky with no enemies.


    With enemy aircraft brazenly charging through the sky, who could accurately relay messages? Everyone was desperately fighting, and it was clear that their eyes were too busy to keep up.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything! There are too many planes over there!¡± The machine gunner turned back and shouted loudly to the pilot in front of him.


    During his shouting, a Butcher Fighter Jet with a bright yellow nose whooshed over the distant bomber, startling everyone into involuntarily flinching.


    At an altitude of 4,000 meters, the Tang Army¡¯s Fighter Jets could reach speeds over 500 kilometers per hour by diving, which was too fast for Dahua¡¯s pilots. They had barely reacted before they were shredded by cannon fire from the Butcher Fighter Jets.


    Inside the cramped cockpit of the Butcher Fighter Jet, a young pilot gripped the control stick with both hands, weaving through gaps between enemy planes, with scenery whipping past on both sides.


    He had just shaken off a Dahua Fighter Jet that was trying to keep up with him, and now he had ample time to hunt down his target.


    Within the gunsight before him, the terrified expression of a Dahua bomber pilot was clearly visible.


    The distance rapidly closed in, and he pulled the trigger¡ªa string of Tracer Bullets shot out in a straight line towards the bomber, and then crashed into the aircraft¡¯s nose, destroying everything there.


    The Dahua machine gunner operating the front guns was flung out by the cannon fire, and the fragile nose disintegrated in the Butcher Fighter Jet¡¯s gunsight. The entire bomber lost control and plummeted downwards, trailing long black smoke to the ground.


    Gently banking the control stick to the right, the Butcher Fighter Jet he was piloting elegantly dodged the oncoming bullets and passed shoulder to shoulder with an incoming Dahua Model 1 Fighter Jet.


    On the tail of his Butcher Fighter Jet were fifteen white silhouettes of planes, representing the total of 15 enemy planes he had already shot down, proving that this young man was indeed a true ace pilot.


    Tang Country¡¯s requirements for ace pilots were actually quite high; one needed to shoot down 10 enemy planes to qualify as an ace, and only by shooting down more than 100 could one qualify as a super ace.


    Many people were striving to become a super ace, and the young Wang Hai was doing the same. He was only 19 years old this year, but he had already been flying Fighter Jets for over two years.


    Previously in the Central Region, he had shot down 15 enemy planes with the air combat theories he had developed, becoming the star of his Troops. Then he was selected and transferred to the southern oil fields to intercept the Dahua Air Force.


    Today, he was determined to push his tally to over 20 because he knew that after today, it would be very difficult for the Dahua Empire¡¯s Air Force to muster the courage for such a large-scale deployment again.


    This was an opportunity, a rare opportunity!


    After a roll to extend the gap from the enemy plane, Wang Hai contacted his wingman, ¡°I¡¯m climbing to regain altitude! Watch my back, and if any enemy plane bites at me, let me know immediately.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± came the instant reply through the headset. Another Butcher Fighter Jet with a distinct identification color on its nose closely followed Wang Hai, and the two planes, one after another, skimmed past the edge of the Dahua Air Force¡¯s formation, quickly climbing toward 5,000 meters.


    Two Dahua Model 1 Fighter Jets followed them, and although they weren¡¯t fast, they still tenaciously chased the tail of the Butcher Fighter Jets.


    After all, they were the elite pilots of the Dahua Empire, piloting fairly capable fighter jets, and they still wanted to prove themselves in this chaotic battle.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got someone on our tail!¡± the wingman pilot warned Wang Hai, who was flying ahead, ¡°They¡¯re holding on tight!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m turning! Covering you! Pay attention to safety!¡± Wang Hai began to turn his aircraft, drawing a large circle in the sky.


    He increased the thrust of the plane¡¯s engines, the roar pleasant yet powerful. Accompanied by the disturbance of the airflow, the Butcher Fighter¡¯s fuselage began to vibrate gently.


    The distant sky and earth seemed to have swapped places, Wang Hai¡¯s nose drawing a large circle and ultimately re-aiming towards the heavens.


    ¡°Two of them! I can see their positions now! They¡¯re still behind you! Watch your six!¡± Although young, this pilot from the original lands of Zheng Country had quite some savvy experience. Wang Hai instructed his wingman to continue luring the enemy while he quickly cut back into the battlefield.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got my sights on them! They can¡¯t escape now!¡± Instead of tailing the enemy plane, the youthful Wang Hai opted for a more efficient and skillful flanking attack.


    This required him to calculate precisely the lead time for firing, but it indeed gave him more opportunities to open fire.


    The very next second, he pulled the trigger. The 20mm caliber guns on the wings of his aircraft fired in short bursts. Several tracer bullets drew a straight line towards the last Dahua fighter jet.


    The brilliance of the tracer bullets penetrated the body of the enemy aircraft, and then the Dahua Type-1 fighter jet¡¯s engine began to emit thick smoke. While climbing, the entire aircraft suddenly fragmented, turning into a blaze of exploding flames.


    This was Wang Hai¡¯s tactic; he preferred to attack the last enemy aircraft first since the ones flying ahead wouldn¡¯t know what was happening and wouldn¡¯t react.


    Sure enough, the Dahua fighter jet that had no idea there was danger approaching its flank continued to climb, doggedly pursuing Wang Hai¡¯s wingman.


    Wang Hai was in no hurry. Utilizing his speed advantage, he adjusted his course, continuing to aim his nose at the still oblivious target at a distance.


    ¡°Steady... steady...¡± he muttered softly, controlling his emotions. At the moment when he was about to pass by the opponent, he pulled the trigger, releasing a volley of cannon fire.


    He saw with his own eyes his shells leaving a row of bullet holes in the enemy¡¯s fuselage, and then his jet surged past the enemy craft, leaving it behind.


    The bullet holes extended from the enemy¡¯s nose and engine bay all the way back, piercing the cockpit as well as the root of the wings.


    The canopy of the opponent¡¯s cockpit was shattered by the cannon fire, and Wang Hai even saw the pilot¡¯s blood splatter on the broken cockpit glass.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken him down! I¡¯ve got him!¡± After confirming that the Dahua Type-1 fighter jet was disintegrating and falling, Wang Hai loudly reminded his wingman over the radio.


    ¡°Confirmed! You got him!¡± The wingman circled around half a turn, saw the wreckage of the enemy jet with its wings starting to break off, and said, ¡°Congrats, that¡¯s your third today!¡±


    ¡°Not enough! I need to take down at least 10 more to be satisfied!¡± Wang Hai grinned, eager to fill his aircraft¡¯s tail with the markings of his victims.


    ¡°Then you better hurry back! Otherwise, Group 2 will have cleaned up those bombers,¡± the wingman pilot joked.


    ¡°Right! You should take down three today as well! Then you¡¯ll be an ace pilot!¡± Wang Hai piloted his aircraft to climb, watching the altimeter gradually point towards the number 4700 meters.


    ¡°Sounds great!¡± The wingman was also interested in the topic, ¡°But it seems someone doesn¡¯t want us to head back...¡±


    He saw not far away, a five-plane formation moving towards them. That was the enemy¡¯s formation pattern; clearly, they were being targeted once again.


    ¡°Ha! Then let¡¯s shoot them down quickly!¡± Wang Hai continued to climb. Through the cockpit glass, he also spotted those troublesome enemies: ¡°Cover me, strike and break off, take down the two on the left first! Shred their formation!¡±


    ¡°No problem! Following right behind you!¡± The wingman¡¯s voice reached Wang Hai¡¯s ears.


    ¡°After 5000 meters, level off! Get the speed up!¡± Wang Hai glanced at the altimeter and again pinpointed the enemy¡¯s location.


    ¡°5000 meters!¡± The wingman confirmed the altitude. The two Butcher Fighter jets were highly manoeuvrable at this altitude, one ahead, one behind, one high, one low, racing towards the oncoming enemies at great speed.


    And those Dahua fighter jets were also zooming towards the two Tang Army aircraft in front.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Adjust your body, one update today.

 Chapter 808 808 754 Iron Rain

    ?Chapter 808: 754 Iron Rain Chapter 808: 754 Iron Rain Fengjiang, the front line of the Tang Army, a commander set down his binoculars and turned his head to look at the artillery position beside him that was preparing to fire.


    He never expected that one day he could assemble so many cannons, as if all the artillery of the Great Tang Kingdom had come to support his troops in battle.


    No joke, from yesterday on his flank position, various heavy artillery had started to deploy, including 155-mm caliber howitzers and numerous 105-mm caliber guns.


    These guns were all very advanced new models, most of them towed, but there were also more than 30 self-propelled guns of 155 mm caliber.


    Assembling so many artillery pieces was because the commander of the Tang Army, Bolton, planned to launch a massive offensive before the winter snow, aiming to capture Fengjiang and end this year¡¯s campaign.


    For this, he gathered 300 artillery pieces from the Central Region, supplied them with ample ammunition, to support the offensive operations of six infantry divisions.


    Of course, he also prepared some ¡°lucky gifts¡± for his opponents: a full 100 rocket artillery pieces! These rocket artillery would launch an attack simultaneously, destroying all enemy defense structures marked on the map.


    ...


    Before the bombardment began, the Tang Army would deploy 300 Stuka Dive Bombers and Flying Fortress Bombers to bomb the Southern Region positions of Fengjiang first, to avoid the smoke from the artillery obscuring the targets and affecting the air strike results.


    Everything was being prepared intensely, the six infantry divisions also moved towards the designated attack areas, supported by more than 300 tanks and assault guns.


    Just looking at this number, one could tell how much the Tang Army was banking on this attack. Bolton was tired of being entangled with the Dahua defensive forces in the Fengjiang area and longed for a victory, and the Tang Army also hoped to end this year¡¯s war with a great triumph.


    ¡°What strongest infantry! In front of us, there is no such thing as the strongest!¡± the officer commanding the artillery sneered, handing the binoculars to his deputy, ¡°What we value is steel! Let the steel deplete the enemy¡¯s blood! Once they have bled dry, we will let our own soldiers charge!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we have more cannons, more ammunition, and we shouldn¡¯t risk the soldiers¡¯ lives!¡± the deputy agreed deeply with his superior¡¯s words, nodding his head.


    As he spoke, the Tang Army¡¯s bomber groups had already crossed over their heads, countless bombers roaring past, then flying towards the distant enemy positions.


    Like Mount Tai crushing down, these planes shadowed the sky like dark clouds; when they flew over the enemy¡¯s positions, bombs dropped like rain.


    The ground started to tremble and shake continuously; the highlands controlled by the Qin Army and Dahua forces were immediately engulfed in flames. Billowing black smoke joined together, and from afar, it looked like the entire horizon was ablaze.


    Stuka Dive Bombers swooped down, dropping 500-kg heavy aerial bombs on the enemy¡¯s positions.


    Newly built trenches and bunkers were blown into the sky by ferocious explosions, stones scattered everywhere, and in just a minute the entire highland was completely unrecognizable.


    On the Tang Army¡¯s side, however, everything was very quiet, everyone watching from a distance this earth-shattering bombardment.


    For the first time experiencing such fierce bombings, the soldiers of the Qin Army finally realized that despite their bravery and skill in battle, their current enemy was completely different from any opponent they had faced before.


    After stockpiling ammunition for more than a month, the Tang Army finally showed its fierce fangs. Before the bombers had even departed, the Tang Army¡¯s Rocket Artillery Troops unleashed a furious roar.


    Countless rockets flew out of the rails behind the truck, charging and crashing towards the Qin Army¡¯s position, which was still emitting thick smoke.


    Seconds later, the Qin position was once again engulfed in flames, thousands of rockets landed at the same time in a brief moment, flipping the entire position¡¯s soil into the sky.


    A steel-formed torrential downpour cleansed the entire highland, tossing trees, sandbags, stones, and soil up into the air. These items hadn¡¯t even had the chance to land when they were blown even further by the blast wave caused by the artillery.


    300 large-caliber artillery roared together, their deterrent power equally devastating. The troops stationed at the positions of the Qin Army were utterly frightened, and after the artillery fire continued for over half an hour, they still hadn¡¯t managed to organize any effective counterattack.


    In fact, they truly had no strength left to counterattack: their artillery positions were decimated after the air strike, followed by the rocket artillery attack, and now they were trying to withdraw the few remaining guns.


    ¡°Hello? Hello? We need support! I need support here! The Tang Army¡¯s artillery is too fierce! Hello? Hello? Speak!¡± Clutching an expensive telephone, the Qin Army¡¯s commander roared in fury and humiliation.


    Above his head, due to the vibrations, clumps of earth occasionally fell, hitting the map spread on the table, making a crackling sound.


    Qin Army had just seen this novel gadget with Shireck¡¯s assistance. After using it previously, they had marveled at how advanced these ¡°walkie-talkies¡± were, but now, when they needed to use it, they realized it really wasn¡¯t very safe.


    After yelling into the microphone for a long time, the frontline commander of the Qin Army had not been able to connect with the general behind him, and the support he needed was even more out of the question.


    The bombing and shelling from the Tang Army had already lasted for over 40 minutes, and the intense barrage had nearly destroyed all of the Qin Army¡¯s painstakingly constructed frontline positions.


    Under such a fierce attack, merely relying on the Qin soldiers stationed at the front was clearly insufficient¡ªhe needed more artillery support, he needed the assistance of the Dahua military...


    An officer from the Qin Army, wearing a steel helmet, ducked into the headquarters and started immediately brushing the dust off his uniform, ¡°Sir! The artillery position reports they can¡¯t retaliate; they only have two cannons left!¡±


    Hearing his subordinate speak like this, the commander of the Qin Army burst out furiously, ¡°Even with just two cannons left, they must fire! Retreating during battle is punishable by execution! Doesn¡¯t he care about his military honors? Doesn¡¯t he want his noble title anymore? Does his whole family want to die?¡±


    The reason the Qin Army was so formidable was that they had a system of military honors. Soldiers could be promoted and even receive noble titles by distinguishing themselves on the battlefield, advancing to another class.


    This reward mechanism encouraged the Qin soldiers to bravely advance in combat, naturally making them much more formidable than other nations. Coupled with the very strict disciplinary system of the Qin Army, their bravery was well known far and wide.


    Compared to the Dahua Empire and the likes of Zheng Country, Qin Country was established in the northwest; its people were fierce, and the nobility was skilled in combat, creating a national system that was overall more progressive and flexible.


    Simply put, Qin Country was similar to early nomadic tribes where everyone played rather clean and straightforward, about honoring and rewarding based on merits without much trickery, hence a higher efficiency and smoother operation.


    The officer who entered later took off his steel helmet, tousled his short hair, and walked to the front before saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit late to talk about this now? With the grand display made by the Tang Army, surely they wouldn¡¯t have done this just to shell us a bit for amusement, right?¡±


    The leading commander was somewhat uncertain because previous attacks by the Tang Army hadn¡¯t involved such intense artillery preparation, so he hesitated to send the troops in: ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit too soon to send in the main forces to hold the positions?¡±


    The later-arriving officer shook his head and reminded, ¡°If it¡¯s too late, we might not have enough time... Right now, no one knows if the Tang Army has truly started their attack.¡±


    He had witnessed how the Tang Army coordinated their infantry and tanks¡ªthe artillery never ceased, tanks and armored vehicles pushed forward rapidly, giving the Qin Army no time to prepare.


    If the bravery of the Qin Army had indeed caused significant trouble for the Tang Army, then the skilled warfare of the Tang Army had also left a deep impression on the Qin forces.


    Qin commanders had never before encountered such a formidable adversary; when they fought savage orcs in the far northwest, they had never encountered such difficulties.


    Where would orcs have so many cannons? Where would there be skies filled with planes? Where would there be machine guns that sounded like fabric being ripped, making one¡¯s heart and flesh tremble?


    Nodding in agreement, feeling it prudent to be cautious, the Qin commander immediately adopted the suggestion: ¡°Send one battalion to check it out!... Wait! Two battalions! Push forward! If Tang Army attacks, immediately send someone back to report!¡±


    Upon hearing the order, the officer who had just entered knew he had to relay the order again, so he placed his steel helmet back on his head and loudly acknowledged, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°And what about Dahua¡¯s artillery? Go find the liaison officer from Dahua! If they don¡¯t open fire to retaliate, on behalf of his superior, I¡¯ll chop his head off!¡± Somewhat irritable, the commander of the Qin Army added another line: ¡°It seems the telephone lines have been cut; you¡¯ll have to run there again.¡±


    In his opinion, those cowardly Dahua people, who only relied on their country¡¯s wealth, superior equipment, and large populations, truly did not deserve so much fertile land; they did not deserve to be the sovereign over their Qin Country!


    After having put on his steel helmet again, the officer nodded: ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡±

 Chapter 809 809 755 Strongest Infantry

    ?Chapter 809: 755 Strongest Infantry Chapter 809: 755 Strongest Infantry ¡°I swore to General Bolton! If the 7th Infantry Army of the Tang Army cannot see Fengjiang City by nightfall today, I¡¯ll bury myself at the forefront of the battlefield!¡± On the launching field, the Army Commander of the 7th Infantry Army of the Tang looked ahead at the battlefield while saying to his staff, ¡°I¡¯m not joking!¡±


    ¡°General...¡± The Chief of Staff scratched the back of his head, feeling somewhat uneasy, ¡°The Qin Army is battle-hardened; there¡¯s no need to say such things...¡±


    ¡°Get lost! The Qin Army is battle-hardened? Am I, a person of Tang, a coward? Is my Tang Army afraid of death? Relay my exact words to the entire army! From now on, my 7th Army of the Great Tang will be known as the toughest fighting force in Tang Country!¡± The bearded Army Commander cursed without looking back.


    In his view, the tanks of the Tang Army had already begun their charge, covering their infantry. Amid the dark gunsmoke on the horizon, Tang Army soldiers, wearing M35 steel helmets, followed behind the tanks like ants, bending forward as they advanced on the distant enemy positions.


    ¡°I moved sandbags on the riverbank. They came to smash my home, to kill my parents? I just want to ask one thing,¡± the Army Commander with the big beard put down his binoculars and looked back at his officers, ¡°Do we, the people of Tang... look easy to bully?¡±


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know, us Tang people being polite enough not to bully others can already be considered a favor. Isn¡¯t courting death to provoke the people of Tang?¡± He snorted coldly, ¡°Yet these bastards just had to come and they actually turned Xicong into ruins!¡±


    ¡°I lay my words here, the first ones to storm into the Imperial City of the Dahua Empire will be us, the 7th Army!¡± After saying so, he once again turned his gaze toward the distant battlefield, where a blood-red Dragon Banner had been erected.


    ...


    On the bomb crater-filled field, Tang Army soldiers held Type 56 assault rifles, howling as they leaped into the deformed trenches.


    They stepped on the corpses of Qin soldiers lying all around, following behind the No. 4 assault guns that were diverting to avoid craters, tirelessly continuing their advance towards the enemy¡¯s deeper positions.


    ¡°Ratatatata!¡± On a battlefield, the Maxim machine guns of the Qin Army started to roar, and bullets hitting the ground kicked up clouds of white smoke.


    Tang Army soldiers who were keeping low hurried across this area of intense gunfire; those responsible for covering pulled up their assault rifles, spraying bullets towards the place where flames of gunfire flickered in the distance.


    The two sides exchanged fierce gunfire at close quarters, and as soon as the Tang Army approached the enemy¡¯s fire point, they immediately pulled out hand grenades and lobbed them at the enemy¡¯s machine gun positions.


    The violent explosions kicked up dust that even landed on the steel helmets of Tang Army soldiers. Before the smoke had completely cleared, the Tang Army soldiers charged forward, shouting loudly.


    They trampled over the artillery-churned, loose earth, jumping into trenches still warm from the grenades, mowing down the bloodied Qin soldiers who were still struggling with their assault rifles.


    ¡°Ah!¡± A crazed Qin soldier charged over from another trench with a bayonet, and the Tang Army soldiers shot him down, then continued their attack along the trench.


    ¡°Watch your step! Look out for booby traps!¡± While running forward, a squad leader loudly reminded his troops.


    Tang Army soldiers running at the forefront had blood in their eyes; while sprinting, they reloaded their magazines, firing at every enemy in sight, taking down one Qin soldier after another.


    ¡°Don¡¯t retreat! Don¡¯t retreat!¡± On the other side of the trench, a Qin commander was screaming hoarsely, his voice so raw that everyone nearby could hear him clearly: ¡°Fix bayonets! Fight to the death!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! They really think they¡¯re invincible, huh?¡± A Tang soldier at the front pulled a bayonet from his waist and fixed it to the tip of his assault rifle: ¡°I¡¯m done with these sons of bitches!¡±


    ¡°They take advantage of our flood to bully us, we¡¯ve been too kind! Fix bayonets! Let¡¯s see who the real boss is!¡± Another young Tang soldier was completely enraged, pulling out his gleaming bayonet and attaching it to his rifle muzzle.


    To them, these Qin soldiers who had come from afar to aid the Dahua Empire were utterly abetting tyranny. This war had nothing to do with them in the first place!


    It was disgusting enough that the Dahua Empire had provoked this war. The fact that these Qin troops had traveled far and wide to participate in a war full of malice towards Tang Country made it all the more detestable.


    ¡°Kill!¡± After fixing their bayonets, the leading Tang Army soldiers shouted loudly and stepped forward once more along the trench.


    To their side, a No. 4 assault gun advanced along the trench, its tracks rolling, and a row of wheels spinning incessantly inside, giving the running Tang soldiers even more courage.


    Because a steel monster was by their side, and following that steel beast were even more and more young people, willing to fight to the bitter end to defend their happy lives.


    ¡°Ah!¡± From the flank, a Qin soldier with a bayonet charged, shouting. The Tang soldier gripping an assault rifle parried the incoming blade with his own bayonet and, with a swift turn of his body, swung the butt of his rifle.


    The wood stock¡¯s end had a metal plate to prevent wear, and the cold metal struck the Qin soldier¡¯s face, shattering half his molar teeth.


    Before the Qin soldier had time to cry out, another Tang soldier following up stabbed the bayonet into the Qin soldier¡¯s chest.


    Because he thrust with too much force, the bayonet plunged deeply into the body of the Qin Army soldier, as if nailing him against the wall of the trench.


    Blood gushed from the groove designed for bleeding and quickly soaked the Qin Army soldier¡¯s uniform. After withdrawing his bayonet, the Tang Army soldier spat contemptuously at his now kneeling opponent and continued to run forward, following the others.


    This soldier from the Qin Army collapsed headlong into the bottom of the trench, his blood staining the mud beneath him. Charging Tang Army soldiers kept pouring in, stepping over his body, one after another.


    Even though their rifles were a bit longer, the Qin Army had little advantage in bayonet fighting: the Tang Army ate better, their bodies markedly stronger, and they were equipped with an abundance of automatic weapons, which were an enormous advantage in trench warfare.


    With the concentration of numerous tanks and the pressing forward of the smoldering 7th Army, which had been holding back behind the embankments for a while, the Tang Army¡¯s assault was unimaginably fierce from the start.


    The Qin Army, who had always thought they were formidable, finally came to realize that their opponents, the Tang Army, were also formidable, and seemingly even more so.


    Many harbored the illusion that the side with superior weaponry would be more cautious with their lives, showing a weaker will to fight.


    But the Tang Army was completely different; they had a stronger fighting spirit, unwavering belief, and fearless tactics-oriented combat prowess that surpassed all opponents.


    The Tang Army¡¯s possession of more advanced tanks and numerous artillery pieces didn¡¯t mean they were timid. It was merely that, with their fine weapons, they disdained to show their other side.


    They were truly the strongest land force on Earth! Not merely the strongest with a ¡°light¡± adjective added, but the strongest in the truest sense!


    Upon reaching a crossroads, the leading Tang Army soldier halted and knelt on one knee, pulling out a hand grenade from his waist.


    Another Tang Army soldier following him did the same at the turn, stopping and also pulling out a grenade.


    The two exchanged a glance and nearly simultaneously pulled the pins, releasing the lever of the safety mechanism.


    After counting silently to two, both men threw the grenades down the pathway, and shouts of desperation soon followed from the trenches: ¡°Hand grenades!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡± ¡°Boom!¡± Two explosions sent dirt and smoke into the air. The following Tang Army soldiers charged into the crossroads without hesitation, beginning to spray gunfire at those enemies knocked to the ground by the grenades.


    Seconds later, the anti-aircraft gun emplacement was utterly quiet, with the corpses of Dahua soldiers lying chaotically all around a 76mm anti-aircraft gun that had already been wrecked by artillery.


    ¡°These aren¡¯t Qin troops!¡± The squad leader from Tang Country made a quick check of the newly captured position, holding his assault rifle.


    Scattered papers lay on the ground, and there was a crater from an exploded shell on the other side of the anti-aircraft gun. Empty ammunition boxes were strewn about, with a kerosene lamp hanging in a corner.


    Above was a tattered camouflage net, most of its adornment of plants had been blown away, likely by artillery hits, indicating that these Dahua soldiers were not artillerymen but ordinary infantry stationed here.


    ¡°These are not Qin troops! The positions behind us aren¡¯t Qin troops either... once we get past that patch of woods up ahead, we¡¯ll be able to see Fengjiang City,¡± stated the assistant squad leader, picking up a map from the ground and deciphering it briefly before pointing in a direction.


    Looking in the direction he indicated, there was indeed a forest that had been ravaged beyond recognition, with Tang Army tanks firing on the edge, as if there were Dahua troops¡¯ tanks hidden within the woods.


    ¡°The General will probably not die today,¡± quipped the irreverent squad leader, revealing a set of relatively gleaming white teeth.


    ¡°If the platoon leader hears you, he¡¯ll definitely kick your ass,¡± the assistant squad leader shook his head and gestured to the soldiers behind him, ¡°Machine gun crew! Set up a defensive position over there! Don¡¯t let the enemy flank us!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The machine gunner who had been running behind and gasping for breath picked up his pace again, with the assistant gunner clutching ammo drums and carrying belts of ammunition, equally drenched in sweat.


    The Tang Army¡¯s attack was too rapid, so much so that the machine gunners had run for a long time without finding a chance to fire... For them, the experience of this battle was truly dire...


    But there was no helping it, for they were... the strongest infantry.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    There¡¯s too much phlegm, coughing all day long, coughing and then spitting... My throat is broken, full of blood in my phlegm, scary to look at, like coughing up blood. But it doesn¡¯t hurt, the symptoms aren¡¯t severe, yeah... that¡¯s just how it is.

 Chapter 810 810 Opponents who have been to Dragon Island on Route 756

    ?Chapter 810: Opponents who have been to Dragon Island on Route 756 Chapter 810: Opponents who have been to Dragon Island on Route 756 Wang Hai dodged an enemy fighter jet attempting a head-on collision while he began to regain his altitude. It must be said that the Dahua pilots were still very brave.


    Even though they knew their skills were slightly inferior and their equipment couldn¡¯t match up to their opponents¡¯, they still chose to fight bravely.


    However, their tactics were too outdated, and the weapons they had indeed couldn¡¯t keep up with the Tang Army¡¯s fighter jets, which made their choices seem clumsy.


    Wang Hai didn¡¯t mock these people for their clumsiness and admired those who were willing to try changing the fate of their nation through their efforts.


    He chose the most respectful way to shoot down these brave opponents. Just now, he had executed a series of rolls in the sky to seize a very advantageous position and shot down the fifth Dahua fighter jet of the day.


    Note, these victories were all fighter jets, which, compared to shooting down nearly defenseless Dahua bombers, meant that the difficulty of shooting down a Dahua Type 1 fighter jet was of course greatly increased.


    As a very seasoned fighter pilot, Wang Hai piloted his plane to regain as much altitude as possible and to shake off any enemy fighter jets that might be following him.


    ...


    The Butcher fighter jet climbed rapidly because of its powerful engine, so it still had good maneuverability and power even at altitudes above 8000 meters.


    In contrast, the Dahua Type 1 fighter jet was practically powerless above 7000 meters. The unsealed cockpit also caused Dahua pilots to rapidly lose their combat effectiveness at that altitude.


    Therefore, the safest method for Tang Army fighter pilots was to control their planes to climb as quickly as possible, shaking off the Dahua fighter jets that were following behind.


    As long as they weren¡¯t intercepted by other enemy planes midway through the climb, the Dahua pilot trailing behind had basically no way of catching up or maintaining altitude and could only watch helplessly as their opponents gradually distanced themselves, the whole process being incredibly frustrating.


    However, the fact that they forced Tang Army fighter pilots to start to ¡°play dirty¡± was proof of the Dahua pilots¡¯ level. They had indeed grown a lot from a few months earlier, and the performance of the fighter jets had also improved significantly.


    ¡°The fighter jet following you has been pulled away!¡± A voice from the wingman came through the headset, reminding Wang Hai that the threat behind him had receded.


    ¡°I¡¯m preparing to circle around... They¡¯ve lowered their altitude to around 5000 meters! It seems they¡¯re trying to lure us into a dogfight.¡± Wang Hai turned his head to look through the canopy of his cockpit toward his lower side.


    There, against the backdrop of the earth, two Dahua Type 1 fighter jets were circling, clumsily learning the dual-fighter tactics of the Tang Army, with each jet covering the other.


    It¡¯s just that their learning came with a price. Of the five fighter jets earlier, now only three remained flying in the sky.


    Two Dahua Type 1 fighter jets had been shot down, their pilots bailing out successfully. The Tang Army pilots, in a show of knightly spirit, refrained from ¡°kicking them while they were down,¡± allowing them to land safely.


    This was not so much about mercy, for the landing spots of the parachuting Dahua pilots were also under Tang Army control. Patrols were probably already waiting there to capture these unlucky individuals.


    ¡°Dive in for the attack and then run! Use that trick we pulled on the instructors at flight school!¡± The wingman pilot¡¯s thinking was clear. During their training at Dragon Island flight school, they had no choice but to employ hit-and-run tactics against instructors, seeking better opportunities to fire.


    This hit-and-evade tactic was a standard Tang Nation Air Force attack strategy, and the entire attack process was based on the assumption that their jets were more advanced than the opposition¡¯s.


    Tang Country confidently ensured their jets demonstrated superior performance over other nations¡¯ air forces, thus allowing them to devise a seemingly ¡°invincible¡± strategy for their pilots.


    Although the hit-and-evade tactic couldn¡¯t truly be called invincible as it had many weaknesses and flaws, when there was a speed difference of over 100 kilometers per hour between the opposing fighter jets, it at least maximized the advantages of one¡¯s own aircraft.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll cover you! You initiate the attack this time! Watch the flanks, there¡¯s another enemy plane to the left!¡± Wang Hai saw another enemy aircraft and reminded his wingman.


    The solitary Dahua Air Force fighter jet seemed confident, not merging with its two partner aircraft but instead operating independently, with other plans in mind.


    Judging from its position, either the Dahua Type 1 fighter pilot intended to serve as bait, attracting Wang Hai and his partner to attack, giving their comrades opportunities to strike, or he was waiting for a chance to ambush when Wang Hai and his wingman prepared to attack the other two jets.


    In any case, it was a reasonably smart tactic, somewhat better than the three jets clustering together waiting for death. At least now, they all had a chance to shoot down an opponent!


    ¡°I¡¯m starting my dive now! Three, two, one! Follow me!¡± The wingman pilot immediately commenced the attack after confirming the enemy¡¯s position.


    After all, there were still easy-to-hit bomber targets waiting for them over there, and they needed to quickly deal with these escort fighter jets before they could go and rack up achievements against the bombers.


    In the next second, two Butcher Fighters rolled halfway and then rapidly descended, their engines roaring as their noses targeted the Dahua Fighter Jet that was circling, ready for a dogfight.


    While piloting his aircraft downward, the young Wang Hai kept his eyes on the distant solitary enemy aircraft, feeling that the opponent was watching him ¡ª a pilot¡¯s intuition.


    As expected, as he began his dive, the lone enemy aircraft suddenly charged towards him, closing the distance to the two diving Tang Army Fighter Jets from a relatively concealed angle with great speed.


    ¡°That lone wild dog is charging at us! He¡¯s got good control of his angle!¡± Wang Hai warned his wingman while simply maneuvering his aircraft to accelerate.


    The wingman, who seemed to have noticed the problem as well, dove and confirmed, ¡°Should we abort the attack?¡±


    ¡°You take aim at one and shoot, I¡¯ll break away to engage him! If your attack fails, immediately pull out at full speed, and I¡¯ll shake him off as quickly as possible to regroup with you,¡± Wang Hai said to his wingman, glancing at the altimeter.


    Not wanting to give up on what felt like a missed opportunity, the wingman immediately agreed to Wang Hai¡¯s assignment, ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll leave the tough one to you and try to take down one first!¡±


    Wang Hai didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he just pulled on the control stick, altering his aircraft¡¯s dive trajectory into a graceful arc in the sky, whereupon the two aircraft immediately went their separate ways.


    ¡°He seems like a veteran... probably trained at Dragon Island too...¡± Wang Hai deduced the opponent¡¯s likely background from their practiced maneuvers.


    Those pilots trained at Dragon Island generally had solid skills. Although the Tang Country instructors held back somewhat with these foreign students, the content of the Tang Country¡¯s Fighter Jet flight training was not overly reduced, so graduates from Dragon Island were still of a certain caliber.


    While they couldn¡¯t recite vector maneuver theory backward like Tang Army pilots, they had developed their own set of flying skills based on their rudimentary dogfighting experience.


    Like the pilots from World War I, these pilots might not be able to train many more as instructors, but they had their own way of handling an aircraft.


    Knowing his opponent would be tough, Wang Hai took care not to underestimate him. He piloted his aircraft to turn at a higher speed, trying to get on the enemy¡¯s tail.


    The opponent was also turning, hoping to get in close to launch the first strike. The Dahua pilot already had the advantage, so it seemed he might get the first chance at an attack.


    However, Wang Hai didn¡¯t panic. When he saw the enemy cutting in, he suddenly started to climb, avoiding a head-on encounter.


    The Dahua Fighter Jet pilot, unwilling to give up, also climbed in pursuit, but his aircraft was clearly no match for the Butcher Fighter¡¯s speed, and the gap between them visibly widened.


    Wang Hai continued to climb, then climbed more, his aircraft nearly vertical to the ground, followed by a tumble, making the ground appear overhead.


    He planned to roll over in a big tumble to get on the enemy¡¯s tail, and the enemy pilot immediately figured out his intent.


    The enemy pilot gave up the chase at once, veered the nose to the right, and started to evade a head-on collision with Wang Hai: his goal had been achieved, as his allies had gained a two-on-one advantage due to his interference.


    Wang Hai naturally wouldn¡¯t give the enemy a chance to escape. After rolling upright, he pointed his nose at the opponent and began to use the absolute height advantage to close the distance quickly.


    As he approached, he used the shaky aim reticle to continually lock onto the distant enemy aircraft, which swayed back and forth, uncertain if it was deliberately evading or if the airflow was continuously disturbing its flight path.


    Controlling his own aircraft, Wang Hai was very patient. Tang Army Fighter Jet pilots had grown accustomed to conserving their ammunition, as they were always equipped with cannons and had to consider the amount of ammunition before opening fire compared to machine guns.


    Having already shot down so many aircraft, Wang Hai¡¯s ammunition was running low, and he didn¡¯t want to waste any more precious cannon rounds, the chips with which he scored his combat achievements.


    So, without a sure opportunity to attack, Wang Hai patiently waited, like a cat toying with a mouse, following behind but not striking with his claws.


    The enemy aircraft still dodged to the left and right in his aim reticle. Wang Hai wasn¡¯t in a hurry, waiting for the struggling enemy aircraft to grow larger in his field of vision.


    ¡ª


    One update today, no more waiting for you folks =.=!

 Chapter 811 811 757 waited an entire afternoon

    ?Chapter 811: 757 waited an entire afternoon Chapter 811: 757 waited an entire afternoon In front of Wang Hai, the crosshairs of the gunsight quivered left and right, as a Dahua Model 1 Fighter Jet swayed back and forth without pause.


    Before him, the altimeter was spinning rapidly, and his altitude had plummeted from 5000 to less than 3000.


    As the opponent appeared near the crosshairs once again, Wang Hai suppressed the urge to fire, waiting for the plane to align with his trajectory once more.


    Sure enough, after patiently waiting a while, the enemy plane quickly moved toward the direction of the gunsight¡¯s crosshairs.


    Wang Hai didn¡¯t hesitate; he seized the opportunity and briefly squeezed the trigger, watching as the path of a tracer bullet pierced right through the enemy aircraft that had just flown back into the crosshairs.


    A second beam of light also penetrated the wing of the Dahua fighter jet, leaving a hole behind.


    The struck Dahua fighter jet shuddered, began to trail black smoke, and started descending, while Wang Hai maneuvered his own plane to its side, watching the opposing pilot flip open his cockpit canopy and struggle to clamber out of the plummeting aircraft.


    ...


    The enemy pilot stretched out his body, using the airflow to detach from the plane, which, without its canopy and emitting flames, trailed thick smoke and began to fall out of control at an increased speed.


    Then Wang Hai saw a white parachute bloom open; the enemy aviator had pulled his chute, drifting toward the ground with the wind, bit by bit.


    Wang Hai, controlling his own fighter jet, started to ascend and no longer watched the enemy pilot he had downed.


    Excited shouts from his wingman still reached his ears through his headset; the ally had also brought down an enemy plane and was fiercely dogfighting another.


    Just as he himself had done in dealing with the opponent, Wang Hai did not hesitate; he took control of his fighter jet and dashed toward the distant chase between the two airplanes.


    The trailing plane was an enemy aircraft since his wingman was continually calling out to Wang Hai over the radio, hoping Wang Hai could help him shake off the persistent enemy at his tail.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic! I¡¯m on my way! Zigzag! Zigzag! Don¡¯t let him get you!¡± Wang Hai sped up, shouting loudly to his wingman.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to break away! Not enough speed!¡± His wingman sounded a bit nervous, but the fact that he could still respond showed he was in reasonable condition.


    ¡°Hold steady! I¡¯m coming! Turn left! I¡¯ll cut in and open fire!¡± Having found a shortcut, Wang Hai issued orders to his wingman.


    Obviously, the wingman had seen Wang Hai and immediately yelled back excitedly, ¡°I see you! I see you! To the left! To the left! I¡¯m coming your way!¡±


    In Wang Hai¡¯s view, his wingman¡¯s Butcher Fighter Jet swiftly veered, rushing in his direction.


    That enemy fighter, locked on the wingman¡¯s tail, was also banking left, the two planes very close to each other, underlining the perilous situation the wingman had been in moments before.


    ¡°Break away! Break away!¡± With his reticle trained on his own wingman, Wang Hai loudly reminded him.


    The ally veered to the right, a sudden turn that exposed the Dahua fighter right behind him.


    Wang Hai did not hesitate and opened fire immediately, unleashing a barrage straight ahead, hitting the nose of the Dahua Model 1 Fighter Jet.


    The enemy¡¯s engine emitted black smoke and then burst into flames. Wang Hai adjusted his aircraft¡¯s nose and did not witness any pilot eject from the burning aircraft.


    After circling around, he once again looked down at the ground below, seeing the burst of flames and the trail of black smoke.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see the pilot bail out! Did you?¡± Wang Hai withdrew his gaze and asked his wingman.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see it either. I only saw that he caught fire...¡± The wingman took a few seconds before replying.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back! Hopefully, there are still bombers left to strike,¡± Wang Hai said after glancing at his altimeter in front of him and speaking to his wingman.


    ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll follow you.¡± The wingman fell in behind and flew slightly behind and beside Wang Hai. Together, they had just downed five enemy planes, which definitely qualified as a significant victory.


    ¡°Watch your fuel levels!¡± Wang Hai, seeing his altitude restored to 4000 meters, gave another reminder.


    ¡°About half left.¡± The wingman provided a relatively precise figure: ¡°Should be enough!¡±


    ...


    On the other side, amidst the chaotic skies, the pilots of the Dahua bombers finally saw signs of retreat being made.


    This was the gesture they had long been waiting for because everyone knew it was unlikely they could break through the Tang Army¡¯s fighter jet defenses to reach their bombing target.


    Over 20 Butcher Fighter Jets of the Tang Army charged into the battlefield, their arrival becoming the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back.


    Without fighter jet escorts, the Dahua bombers suffered heavy losses, with planes being shot down every moment. The sky was filled with the glow of tracer bullets and the terrifying flashes of explosions.


    The sight of the giant bombers breaking apart in the air was no longer unusual, and the gunners and pilots scattering with the wreckage were so numerous that the survivors began to grow numb.


    At first, because there were so many bombers and communication was poor, many pilots didn¡¯t know how many had been lost on their side.


    But as time went on, more enemy planes appeared, and fewer Dahua Empire bombers remained. Earlier, there were more than half left, but now, less than a third remained.


    Despite there still being over a hundred bombers, the pilots and gunners aboard no longer had the conviction to fight on, or perhaps no longer had the capacity to do so.


    On a Dahua bomber that had miraculously not yet been shot down, a gunner pulled out a drum magazine from beneath a row of bullet holes made by friendly fire and shouted to the pilot in front, ¡°This is the last drum! I¡¯m out of ammo!¡±


    ¡°Conserve it... Conserve it...¡± the pilot cursed desperately, not turning back as he maneuvered the plane to begin heading home, ¡°We¡¯re returning, maybe we¡¯ll make it back if we¡¯re lucky!¡±


    They had just been ordered to drop all their bombs, lightening the load and thus making the journey faster than on the way there.


    If they continued at this pace, they might actually have a chance to shake off the Tang Army fighter jets pursuing them and make it back to Sword Pavilion.


    The possibility of such an opportunity made everyone aboard the planes breathe a sigh of relief ¨C after all, no one wanted to die here.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± While they were talking, the gunner saw a Butcher Fighter Jet of the Tang Army rushing in. A tracer bullet struck the wing of their bomber, tearing a hole in the canvas wing covering, which flapped wildly in the wind.


    ¡°Damn it! The spar isn¡¯t broken, is it? Check it! Check it!¡± The pilot, feeling his plane becoming harder to control, shouted anxiously.


    Pale with fear, the gunner, who didn¡¯t even have a parachute, knew he¡¯d be the most unfortunate one¡ªif the plane crashed, he¡¯d be the one... or rather, among those who suffered most.


    So he quickly checked the punctured wing, noting that a steel cable seemed to be cut, and the several unrestrained spars nearby were slightly swaying in the wind.


    But the problem didn¡¯t seem too bad, at least they weren¡¯t broken, and the damage to the canvas on the wing wasn¡¯t too severe.


    Plus, they had already dropped the bombs below, lightening the plane¡¯s load, so the overall lift was still in surplus.


    ¡°One of the steel wires is broken! But it¡¯s not a big problem!¡± the gunner shouted loudly, ¡°Stabilize the plane! Don¡¯t let us fall!¡±


    He was, joking aside, the most anxious person right now. What would you feel if you suddenly noticed a broken support on the rollercoaster track ahead, or if you were about to be launched in a free-fall ride and realized two screws had come loose on your seat?


    Now they were at an altitude of 3000 meters ¨C far more dangerous and thrilling than any rollercoaster or free-fall ride!


    ¡°You think I want to fall? Shut up! If you shout again, I¡¯ll throw you down,¡± the pilot, also very tense, his voice shaking as he screamed.


    If he could, he also wouldn¡¯t choose to trust his life to the seemingly unreliable parachute strapped to his back.


    ¡°Damn it, shut up!¡± Not hearing a reply from the gunner behind him, the pilot repeated firmly, ¡°I still want to go back!¡±


    ¡°Maybe... we can¡¯t make it back,¡± the gunner¡¯s voice came from behind him. The pilot was startled, then suddenly turned his head, following the gunner¡¯s gaze, and saw 16 more Butcher Fighter Jets appearing below the clouds.


    ¡°Damn it, how many fighter jets do they have,¡± the pilot muttered with a bitter smile.


    Above them, Wang Hai, who had just flown back with his wingman, began a new round of diving attacks. This time, no Dahua fighter jets interrupted their assault.


    They calmly lined up their fighter jets¡¯ noses with the Dahua bombers below, which were in complete disarray, rapidly closing the distance.


    Then, at a confidently close range, they opened fire abruptly, turning their targets to shrapnel. The cannons were so effective against the wooden fuselage that a short burst was enough to tear the massive bomber into pieces.


    Accompanied by the intense sounds of the machine guns, one after another Dahua bomber began to fall, disintegrate, and catch fire.


    Meanwhile, at the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Troops¡¯ position on the outskirts of the southern oil fields, an officer frowned as he looked at the sky... He and his Troops had been waiting here for an afternoon now, and he hadn¡¯t seen a single enemy plane...

 Chapter 812 812 758 Royal Family Nobles

    ?Chapter 812: 758 Royal Family Nobles Chapter 812: 758 Royal Family Nobles For a pilot, parachuting is not an easy task; losing one¡¯s airplane and entrusting one¡¯s life to a mere piece of torn fabric is undeniably a mortifying experience.


    Hanging shakily on the parachute in the cold wind, Zhao Feng felt that he might crash to death in this unfamiliar place.


    Although he was from Dahua, he had never actually been to the southern oil fields, nor had he visited Wangchun City, Tengyun, or South Wind Pass.


    But now, he had indeed arrived, and in a most unforgettable manner, too: he floated in the wind, the ground beneath him drawing ever closer.


    Coming from the Zhao family, Zhao Feng¡¯s heritage was indeed extraordinary: he was a member of the royal family, although nowadays, aside from the family tree, he really had no connection to the actual royal members.


    His great-great-grandfather and the then-Emperor were brothers, and he had been made a duke of the United Kingdom, a prominent royal relative at the time.


    Unfortunately, the subsequent heirs were lackluster, lacking capability and the courage to take sides or invest, eventually falling out of favor when a new emperor ascended the throne and ending up with a demoted title.


    ...


    Thus, the once distinguished duke became a marquis, the marquis was demoted to an earl, the earl, after a couple of generations, became a viscount, and the viscount, having committed a crime and been punished, was demoted to a baron...


    Later on, the titles continued to decline to minor colonel positions... and by the time it reached Zhao Feng, he was almost unable to maintain even a minor officer rank, which is why he seized the opportunity to learn to fly on Dragon Island.


    After becoming a pilot, he managed to preserve his colonel rank by riding the wave of Dahua Empire¡¯s construction of the Air Force, barely scraping by as an officer.


    This time, as an elite pilot who had trained on Dragon Island, he was ordered to pilot the most advanced fighter jet for an escort mission, only to be shot down in this godforsaken place.


    He didn¡¯t even know where he had fallen, and the moment his legs hit the ground, he even thought he might never get out of a wheelchair for the rest of his life.


    The massive impact felt like it had broken his legs, and before he could even check if his legs were indeed broken, the white parachute above him fell down, disorienting him completely.


    Scared half to death by his own parachute, Zhao Feng hurriedly reached up to lift it off him, only to be flipped over by a gust of wind.


    Ignoring the pain in his knees, Zhao Feng began to unstrap himself; his parachute gear, imported from Tang Country, was good quality and relatively easy to remove.


    The parachutes used for bomber pilots were all replicas made in Dahua Empire, the quality of which nobody really knew. However, the parachutes for their fighter pilots, like him, were all imported from Great Tang, reputed to rarely have quality issues.


    Panting heavily, Zhao Feng crawled out from under the completely grounded white parachute. The good news was that his legs weren¡¯t broken, so he could still walk; the bad news was that walking was now his only option...


    In the wilderness, surrounded by trees and bushes, only the spot where he had landed was clear, and there seemed to be a small village in the distance.


    Zhao Kai carefully identified his bearings, then saw not far from where he landed, what seemed to be the burning wreckage of a fighter jet.


    He reached down to his waist and drew a Left-Wheel Handgun. This was the standard self-defense weapon of Dahua Empire pilots, each equipped with six bullets, fair to all ages.


    Holding the gun, he staggered toward the smoking wreckage. He didn¡¯t know if there would be anything there, but curiosity still drove him to approach.


    He thought, if he could encounter an unlucky companion there, maybe the two of them could help each other out and not be so terribly alone.


    However, a watched pot never boils; what looked like a short distance was not easy to traverse. The grass was tall, and walking through the muddy, uneven ground seemed to take forever without covering much distance.


    Being a noble of the Dahua Empire, if he were captured, would it embarrass the royal family? As he walked forward, Zhao Feng allowed random thoughts to swirl through his mind.


    If he encountered enemies, should he fight them to the death? Should he shoot five enemies first, and use the last bullet on himself?


    If he did that, would the Emperor commend him? Would his two children then receive nobility titles?


    Probably? He might even be promoted to a minor colonel... This minor colonel title was different from a real military rank, belonging to a lesser ¡°noble¡± title, likely even less prestigious than a feudal lord¡¯s ¡°knight¡± designation.


    As he was ruminating, Zhao Feng reached the crashed plane and closely examined it, recognizing that it was a Dahua Empire bomber, although most of the hull had been damaged during the crash, leaving only a small part visible.


    He saw the support bars at the remaining wing roots and the broken steel cables. Then he saw a dead gunner in the front of the cockpit, hanging there like a piece of dried meat.


    Staggering forward, Zhao Feng winced involuntarily as he moved beneath the hanging gunner. He saw the body of the machine gunner, riddled with bullets, and the cockpit shattered to pieces.


    The firepower of the Great Tang¡¯s artillery was terrifying indeed, something Zhao Feng had just experienced firsthand. His plane had been hit by only two shots before he had to immediately abandon it and leap from the cabin.


    Had he hesitated a few more seconds, he might not have had the chance to deploy his parachute: his plane broke apart swiftly, splitting in midair into two.


    Through the choking gun smoke, Zhao Feng made his way past a broken wing to inspect the bomber¡¯s cockpit, shocked to find the pilot still there, slumped over in his seat.


    He hurried over to check on the pilot who hadn¡¯t managed to eject, whispering as he approached in an attempt to rouse the unfortunate soul, ¡°Hey! Wake up! Are you alright?¡±


    There was no response from the hanging pilot; only upon closer inspection did Zhao Feng realize the unnaturally twisted angle of the pilot¡¯s neck. The impact of the crash had broken the pilot¡¯s neck; he was already dead.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Zhao Feng cursed, then heard the sound of another plane crashing above him.


    He looked up to see another bomber being shot down, plummeting towards the other side of the forest. He watched someone jump from the plane and deploy their parachute.


    But then, he witnessed the parachute failing to fully open, balling up and swaying back and forth in the wind, rapidly dragging the pilot to the ground.


    Zhao Feng couldn¡¯t bear to watch; he closed his eyes, almost hearing the dull thud of flesh hitting the ground.


    This was the last Dahua aircraft he saw; when he opened his eyes again, he could no longer see any fighting squadrons above.


    It seemed the Tang Army¡¯s planes had departed, and the planes of the Dahua Empire had either left or been shot down¡ªnone had escaped.


    Coughing twice from the smoke of the burning wreckage, Zhao Feng grabbed his handgun and left the valueless remains of the bomber.


    All four aboard the plane were dead, including the two pilots and both machine gunners.


    The rear gunner¡¯s head was nowhere to be found; Zhao Feng had nearly vomited everything in his stomach when he went to check.


    In fact, there was nothing left in his stomach, so he dry-heaved for a while before quickly leaving the gruesome site.


    As he staggered away from the wreckage, he saw the people coming for him¡ªor rather, the Tang Army troops coming to capture him.


    When Zhao Feng saw the Tang Army soldiers carrying rifles, he bent over, raised his handgun, and prepared for battle.


    At that moment, he thought of his child at home, his waiting wife, and all the messy thoughts that had crossed his mind earlier.


    He contemplated fighting desperately right here, showing these Tang people the dignity and pride of the Dahua Imperial Royal Family.


    But just as he was about to fire the first shot, a Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicle burst from the nearby bushes, its massive frame startling the birds around it into flight.


    The tank commander, leaning on the turret, immediately spotted Zhao Feng hiding in the grass. Pointing out Zhao Feng¡¯s location, he loudly alerted the surrounding infantry, ¡°Be careful! He¡¯s got a handgun!¡± As he ducked back into the turret, the nearby Tang Army grenadiers immediately ducked down, hiding in the tall grass.


    Zhao Feng was startled by the enormous eight-wheeled armored vehicle and lost all confidence in his ability to fight his way out.


    What a joke, he was a pilot, not one of those novelistic Ranger mercenaries¡ªhe might dare to ambush an enemy, but tackling several at once and contending with an armored vehicle? Impossible.


    So he quickly threw away his Left-Wheel Handgun as if it burned his hand. Then, moving deftly, he raised his hands and shouted loudly, ¡°I am from the Dahua Royal Family! Don¡¯t shoot! Don¡¯t shoot, I surrender!¡±


    The identity he had been ready to fight for had now become his lifeline. Fearing they hadn¡¯t heard him or might shoot, Zhao Feng stood up and shouted again, ¡°I am of the Dahua Royal Bloodline! Don¡¯t shoot! Don¡¯t shoot! I surrender!¡±


    Seeing him toss the handgun through the observation window, the armoured scout car commander who had been ready to shut the hatch instead popped back out.


    Hearing Zhao Feng¡¯s shout, a broad smile spread across the commander¡¯s face: ¡°Did you hear that? We¡¯ve caught a member of the Dahua Royal Family!¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha!¡± The surrounding Great Tang soldiers burst into laughter, then gathered around, ¡°Don¡¯t crowd, don¡¯t crowd! Come have a look, see what a relative of the Emperor of Dahua looks like!¡±

 Chapter 813 813 759 Nameless Ones

    ?Chapter 813: 759 Nameless Ones Chapter 813: 759 Nameless Ones Outside Fengjiang City, in a forested area, the ground was littered with bomb craters of all sizes; trees lay toppled in disarray, mixed with some fragmented corpses.


    Walking out of this forest, one could see the smoke-laden district of Fengjiang City in the distance. It appeared as if it was ablaze on the horizon.


    The Tang Army had dropped at least 3,000 aerial bombs here, destroying a large number of buildings within the city district.


    Thousands upon thousands of Dahua people were leaving the city that was no longer liveable; it had essentially become one massive barracks.


    General Feng Kezhi was in a covert underground bunker in the suburbs, looking at the map and witnessing the fine line inching closer to the district of Fengjiang City.


    This line represented the Tang Army¡¯s troops, which were rapidly nearing Fengjiang City. The hundreds of thousands of troops he had deployed here, in the end, had failed to halt the advance of the Tang Army.


    What was it to be the strongest infantry on the ground? The fierce Qin Army, combined with the tens of thousands of Dahua troops, could not stop the Tang Army that was at a clear numerical disadvantage.


    ...


    ¡°South Forest Camp must hold! If we lose that, I want the commander to bring me his head!¡± Feng Kezhi waved his hand irritably, dismissing the officer who had come to request reinforcements.


    He had already sent 10,000 men to that location, but in just the span of an afternoon, these 10,000 had been decimated and forced to retreat for reorganization.


    The Tang Army¡¯s artillery seemed to be squandered without concern for cost, which was completely different from their previous tactical approach!


    The Tang Army¡¯s past shelling was very precise; upon acquiring the enemy¡¯s coordinates, they would launch a brief yet highly accurate barrage. After causing considerable casualties with a few well-placed shots, they would immediately cease fire and search for the next opportunity.


    This tactic was extremely effective, with immense suppressive and deterrent power, and it caused significant casualties, making it difficult for the Dahua troops to adapt.


    But this time, the Tang Army¡¯s tactics seemed to have reversed, closely resembling the artillery tactics used by the Dahua Empire: they amassed a large amount of artillery, without verifying coordinates, and upon suspecting Dahua troops in a particular area, they would immediately fire sustained barrages for suppression.


    Countless shells pounded the Dahua troops¡¯ positions without restraint, leaving the adeptly camouflaged Qin Army dazed and disoriented.


    The skillfully arranged crossfire positions set up by the Qin Army were not designed to withstand such intense artillery fire. So, once the Tang Army began its relentless bombardment, the Qin Army¡¯s intricate positions became obsolete.


    This was the epitome of unreasonable coverage fire, the legendary ¡°If you¡¯re rich, bomb them out!¡± Under the Tang Army¡¯s relentless artillery pressure, their advance was unstoppable, and by the afternoon they had already approached the district of Fengjiang City.


    ¡°It¡¯s been confirmed, the attacking force isn¡¯t the 1st Armored Division of the Tang Army; it¡¯s, it¡¯s the previously undistinguished... the, the 7th Infantry Army.¡± An intelligence officer burst into the command center, reporting to a waiting Feng Kezhi.


    ¡°The 7th Infantry Army?¡± Feng Kezhi felt his mouth go dry; he truly had not expected an inconspicuous unit to possess such formidable combat power.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that this infantry army was expanded from the Tang Army¡¯s 7th Infantry Division, which had been formed just before the outbreak of the war, and had not really seen any major battles.


    Their most notable combat history was when the predecessor, the 7th Infantry Division, had participated in operations against Qi Country. Compared to such distinguished units like the 1st Armored Division of the Tang Army, they did indeed seem rather green.


    ¡°Yes, the 7th Infantry Army. This unit¡¯s main force had previously been working on dyke construction near Tongcheng and had only recently assembled and reached the front line,¡± explained the intelligence officer. ¡°The commander is someone named...¡±


    The intelligence officer from the intelligence department did not finish his sentence, as looking up the names of many Tang Army commanders was in fact a waste of time.


    Those names that weren¡¯t John or Tom were common, and with records as blank as a sheet of paper before, left the upper echelons of Dahua almost to the point of breaking down.


    Everyone initially wanted to ascertain the character and commanding style of the opposing commander, to understand what level they were at, what kind of battles they had fought before... in short, to gain some understanding of the adversary, right?


    It was like when armies clashed, Xiahou Dun waving his sword at the front, declaring his name, and then the opponent in silver helmet and armor loudly announcing, ¡°I am Zhao Zilong from Changshan!¡± And then, after a fierce skirmish, it would seem like a well-matched fight.


    But it seemed that the Great Tang Kingdom simply didn¡¯t have what you¡¯d call famous generals of the era; inquiries always led to Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Er Mazi¡ªutterly nameless.


    If these obscure generals had performed poorly or had mediocre military achievements, that would have been the end of it, merely suggesting that the Tang Country had no famous generals.


    But the problem was that these Zhang San and Li Si were one more formidable than the other, one more difficult to deal with than another¡ªeffectively making the various levels of Dahua Empire generals look like complete fools.


    ¡°`


    It should be noted, the three most renowned generals previously acknowledged by the Tang Army were Redman, Strauss, and Bolton. Among these three, two had achieved their impressive reputations in Dorne.


    However, it wasn¡¯t until Dahua Empire actually engaged in battle with the Tang Army that General Feng Kezhi realized there was another general in Tang Country with a less prominent reputation¡ªTagg. This elder brother had always been guarding Tang Mo¡¯s home, which seemed to place him in an even higher position than the other officers.


    ¡°I understand now,¡± General Feng Kezhi sighed once more, then muttered to himself as if mocking his own predicament, ¡°It¡¯s just another graduate from the Great Tang Military Academy, after all.¡±


    He had gotten used to it recently, accustomed to those damned young officers who effortlessly penetrated the defenses he had painstakingly established. Then, upon investigation, he discovered the opponent was merely ranked 79th in the second batch of graduates from the Great Tang Military Academy...


    Now, General Feng Kezhi even considered enrolling himself, to attend that cursed Great Tang Military Academy for some refresher courses, to personally understand why all the graduates from this school were so fierce!


    If he knew that these academy graduates were trained daily to simulate battles among themselves¡ªpitting each other against ¡°aliens¡± enhanced tenfold¡ªhe would probably be spitting blood in frustration.


    After all, these were individuals who were nurtured by instructors with ¡°supersonic airplanes,¡± ¡°tanks capable of night combat,¡± ¡°submarines faster than ships,¡± and ¡°artillery shells with eyes.¡± Hence, to these academy graduates, the enemies on today¡¯s battlefield were nothing more than child¡¯s play.


    ¡°This time it¡¯s really not the case. It¡¯s said that this officer is one of the old men under Count Fisheo, previously the second-in-command in Fisheo¡¯s Northern Ridge Legion. He¡¯s already over fifty years old this year, sporting a full beard.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± General Feng Kezhi sighed yet again, offering no further comment.


    As he sighed, an Air Force Commander hurried in, stood at attention, saluted, then lowered his voice to deliver some bad news, ¡°Report! Great General! The message from Sword Pavilion has come in, the planes that took off to bomb the southern oil fields have almost been completely destroyed.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± General Feng Kezhi was shocked, as he was well aware of the scale of this operation. The Dahua Air Force had amassed more than 400 planes at Sword Pavilion¡ªhow could they have been completely destroyed?


    ¡°Only 60 planes returned to base, and nearly all of them were damaged. Of the 100 new model fighter jets that provided escort, only 7 returned. The bomber units suffered heavy losses.¡± The Air Force officer explained with a grim expression, ¡°His Royal Highness the Prince says, in the short term, an air raid on the southern oil fields is nearly impossible now.¡±


    The ¡°His Royal Highness the Prince¡± he mentioned was Prince Zhao Chen, who was in charge of defensive operations at Sword Pavilion. Given his assessment, it seemed the situation with the air force there was indeed dire.


    ¡°Send a telegram to His Royal Highness the Prince, earnestly requesting him to put the bigger picture first, and to think of whatever methods possible! If we don¡¯t destroy the southern oil fields, or at least suppress their output, the military operations of the Tang Army will likely be unfavorable for the Empire,¡± General Feng Kezhi demanded through gritted teeth.


    Before the Air Force officer could even leave with the message, another military officer from the Army burst in. He ran up to General Feng Kezhi in a panic, whispered in his ear, ¡°Great General, Southern Forest Station... it¡¯s lost.¡±


    General Feng Kezhi¡¯s eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and he glared menacingly at the officer, reprimanding sharply, ¡°Idiots! Are the men of the 81st Division all morons?¡±


    The Army officer hung his head in shame, ¡°Great General, I did not know. The Tang Army concentrated all its artillery fire on our position...¡±


    He felt that General Feng Kezhi should see the battlefield for himself¡ªto witness the fierce intensity of the Tang Army¡¯s artillery! Protected by tanks, the artillery barrage of the Tang Army was like a wall, cutting off all reinforcements from the Dahua Troops.


    The positions were bombed into a devastating state. Reinforcements were unable to advance, the wounded from the front lines couldn¡¯t retreat, and the losses were horrifying, leaving no way to hold the defenses...


    When he personally saw the Tang Army hoist the blood-red Dragon Banner on the position, his first reaction was to capture the Division Commander of the 81st Division to set an example.


    But he soon learned that the Division Commander had already died on the battlefield, proving himself a brave and fearless soldier. Yet, despite this, the position was lost, and the Tang Army was drawing closer to Fengjiang City.


    ¡°What¡¯s that sound?¡± Before General Feng Kezhi could even start reprimanding the defending forces for their poor performance, he heard a distant rumble and demanded sternly.


    The Army officer¡¯s face was pale as he awkwardly explained, ¡°After the Tang Army took over Southern Forest Station, they began shelling Fengjiang City... It must be, it must be the sound of artillery, I suppose?¡±


    ¡°Damn it! Incompetents!¡± Enraged to hear that Fengjiang was under artillery fire from the Tang Army, General Feng Kezhi cursed furiously, ¡°Prepare to counterattack! Retake Southern Forest Station at any cost!¡±


    He knew that if he didn¡¯t find a way to stop the Tang Army¡¯s shelling of Fengjiang, then the city was as good as lost. If Fengjiang fell, his career as an Empire Great General... would probably come to an end.


    But that was not the key issue. The crucial point was if the Tang Army captured Fengjiang before winter, the tide of attack and defense would completely turn. The Tang Army would have city fortifications to rely on and railway transport for support during the winter. Conversely, the Dahua Troops would be forced to spend winter in the open fields.


    For the Dahua Military, which already had subpar logistics, this was absolutely not good news!


    ¡ª¨C


    My wife is sick, thus there¡¯s only one update today =. =! This disease really does start with stubbornness, indeed.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 814 814 The Battle for Factory 760

    ?Chapter 814: The Battle for Factory 760 Chapter 814: The Battle for Factory 760 The sky had completely darkened. Normally, the Tang Army would cease its attacks at this time, because nighttime combat presented too many disadvantages for them, far less comfortable than during the day.


    But this time, the Tang Army fired illumination rounds and began a frenzied assault on the Dahua military positions in the already darkened evening. Caught completely off guard, the Dahua defenders even lost the outer defensive positions south of Fengjiang City.


    Amidst the relentless artillery fire, the Tang Army¡¯s vanguard rushed into a building on the edge of the city. The ground was still littered with various ammunition boxes that hadn¡¯t been taken away in time, and some bowls and chopsticks were still set on the tables, suggesting that some Dahua soldiers had just been eating dinner there.


    ¡°Check the ground carefully! Don¡¯t get taken out by booby traps!¡± The squad leader slung his assault rifle behind him, grabbed a piece of rough paper from the table, and using the light that hadn¡¯t completely faded outside, looked over the text on it.


    Nothing important¡ªit was just a list detailing the use and replenishment of ammunition. It seemed to be a small munitions storage point near the front line, unlikely to hold any significant maps or documents.


    ¡°Clear!¡± A Tang Army soldier, after inspecting the whole yard, entered the house and said to his squad leader, ¡°They all ran, didn¡¯t leave a single person behind.¡±


    Due to the barrage, the walls of the courtyard had collapsed, and there were two huge craters on the edge of the yard. The massive shockwave had even destroyed the nearby hovel along with the surrounding wall.


    ...


    Not far away, one could see the trenches built by the Dahua troops, but now they too were deserted. Another infantry squad had taken over the place and was fortifying the position.


    Further ahead was a perimeter wall that looked somewhat sturdier. Beyond that wall lay an abandoned factory, with half of its chimney still faintly visible.


    ¡°This¡¯ll make the commander happy. We¡¯ve reached the edge of Fengjiang,¡± the squad leader said with a victorious smile on his face as he peered through the window at the wall.


    Their 7th Army had really made a name for themselves this time, fighting nearly ten kilometers, breaking through countless enemy lines, and finally reaching this point!


    The factory¡¯s perimeter wall was also riddled with holes and had collapsed in many places. It was easy to guess that the Dahua troops must have organized a new defensive line against the outer wall, though it was unclear exactly how many men were deployed there.


    As he observed the wall, a number 4 assault gun supporting the attack of the 7th Infantry made its way to the side of the courtyard. The infantry squad that followed took cover and began resting, with many pulling out biscuits and crushed instant noodles to sate their hunger.


    There was no chance for hot meals on the battlefield, so one had to replenish one¡¯s strength in the simplest way possible. The Tang Army was relatively well-off in this regard¡ªthe Dahua military did not have such a variety of foods.


    The squad leader of the recently arrived infantry walked into the house, rifle in hand, and greeted the earlier leader, ¡°How is it? Have you checked out the front?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. The wall over there looks quiet, but I think there are at least two machine guns,¡± replied the first squad leader, pointing outside at the distant factory wall.


    His infantry squad had dwindled to just 7 men; he didn¡¯t want to lose more men here, so he slowed down the pace of the attack.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take the lead. Do you have machine guns? Set up a support fire on the flank?¡± Suggested the newly arrived squad leader, peering out the window before ducking back in.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll establish a machine gun position on the flank to cover your advance!¡± The other squad leader nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Got hand grenades? Lend me some,¡± the other squad leader continued, pressing his demand, ¡°You¡¯ll get your share of the credit when we go back.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± the generous first squad leader gestured. His troops had fought their way here and did not lack this kind of cooperative combat merit.


    During their previous assaults on Qin Army positions, as long as half of the battle merit was assured, their unit could expect a collective commendation, with each receiving a Blade Medal, that was certain.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± The latter squad leader nodded, then called for people to collect the spare hand grenades and ammunition. Their progress to this point had largely relied on borrowing ammunition from each other.


    Replenishing ammunition during an attack was not always easy to keep up with, so units had to rotate, allowing the unit in the main assault to wait for reinforcements to arrive, and then switch battle positions or simply hand over their ammunition for the main unit to continue using.


    Soon, another round of attacks began, with the Tang troops advancing toward the yard wall under the cover of the number 4 assault gun.


    The Tang Army squad leader, who had moved to a flanking position with his machine gunners, noticed Dahua troops near the yard wall on the move.


    The enemy didn¡¯t seem to have many men, and one machine gun had already revealed its location, firing to try to repel the Tang Army¡¯s assault gun.


    ¡°See that machine gun? Suppress it!¡± the squad leader shouted, pointing at the enemy machine gun spewing flames in the distance.


    The machine gunner set up his weapon and aimed at the distant enemy machine gun, then pulled the trigger, beginning to fire in bursts.


    Due to the force of the pull, the ammunition belt hanging by the side of the machine gun jerked, and several casings fell to the ground with a clinking sound.


    When the ripping sound of the machine gun fired up, Dahua¡¯s position silenced immediately. Bullets struck where the machine gun had just opened fire, shrouding the area in white smoke.


    Soon, Dahua¡¯s defending forces discovered a Tang Army machine gun position on their flank; seven or eight soldiers tried to approach it, to eliminate the threat.


    They carried their weapons, hugging the base of the courtyard wall as they moved closer, but were pinned down en route by the squad leader¡¯s assault rifle.


    The opposition didn¡¯t expect the Tang Army¡¯s gunfire to be so fierce. They beat a hasty retreat, leaving behind two or three bodies shot in the middle of the road.


    The distant battle raged on; the tread of a Tang Army No. 4 assault gun rolled over a section of the courtyard wall, sending Dahua¡¯s defenders scurrying for cover.


    Following Tang soldiers began lobbing hand grenades over the wall, a series of explosions lifted a huge cloud of smoke, and Dahua¡¯s defensive line started to collapse.


    Some soldiers threw down their weapons and knelt to surrender, while others carried their weapons and bolted toward the factory. The fleeing defenders were then cut down by bullets from behind, collapsing beside the factory.


    Meanwhile, some lucky Dahua soldiers reached the corner and hid behind the factory, but the fighting by the courtyard wall persisted.


    The remaining Dahua defenders who neither surrendered nor fled continued the fight, leaning on their battered positions as they fired wildly at the No. 4 assault gun.


    A bullet hit the assault gun¡¯s armor, sparking a shower of sparks; a nearby Tang Army soldier seemed to be hit by the ricochet and fell to the ground.


    Immediately, his comrade dragged him to relative safety, only then seeing that a ricochet had hit his unfortunate friend¡¯s arm, leaving a bloody hole.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay! It¡¯s just a shot in the arm!¡± Seeing his comrade screaming in agony on the ground, the rescuer shouted loudly.


    With his shout, the assault gun in front fired a shell, its blast momentarily deafening everyone.


    Behind the tank, the machine gunner lay down next to a destroyed bunker, and then aimed the machine gun at the enemy position still resisting.


    The assistant gunner supported the ammunition belt, waiting for the gunner to be ready to fire. The rip of the machine gun sounded again, the dense tracer bullets outlined against the darkening sky looked like dazzling lasers.


    ¡°Over there! Over there!¡± With a relatively clearer vision, the assistant gunner saw Dahua soldiers trying to retreat and loudly alerted his gunner.


    The gunner adjusted the machine gun¡¯s sweep angle, knocking down Dahua soldiers who had jumped from the trenches.


    The battle continued, with Tang troops who had followed up overrunning the factory¡¯s perimeter. They stormed into the factory amid fierce gunshots.


    Forced to abandon the now useless scrapyard, Dahua troops left behind some damaged machinery and a cache of ammunition as they fled in disarray to another building.


    But before they could reach the other factory, a No. 4 assault gun fired a new shell straight through the wall of the building, collapsing a section of it.


    Thinking they had found new cover, the Dahua military emerged even more disheveled; they popped out of the refuge only to be felled by the Tang Army soldiers waiting outside.


    The intense gunfire continued. When the Tang Army thought they had captured the factory, Dahua troops organized a large-scale counterattack.


    This time, Dahua forces went on the offensive as Tang troops defended within what had become half-ruins of the factory.


    The fierce battle for this not-so-important place went on all night, with the sound of gunfire echoing through the sky. Around midnight, the Tang Army bombarded the outskirts of the factory, the intensity shaking the earth and sky.


    The vigor of Dahua¡¯s counterattacking troops softened after the artillery strike, perhaps fearing additional reinforcements would be met with even fiercer artillery fire.


    Eventually, as dawn broke on the second day, Tang Country¡¯s 7th Infantry Army still held control over the factory. They had pushed into Fengjiang City, fulfilling their promise.


    Although the day¡¯s battle claimed the lives of over 1,000 Tang Army soldiers, the Tang Army¡¯s irresistible advance also fully made the Qin Army and Dahua military realize that they faced an enemy armed to the teeth with steel¡ªa powerful beast.


    ¡ª¨C


    Today, one more update. Dragon Spirit wishes everyone a happy New Year¡¯s and hopes the pandemic ends soon. May life return to normal, good health to all, and resilience against all illnesses.

 Chapter 815 815 761 keeps attacking

    ?Chapter 815: 761 keeps attacking Chapter 815: 761 keeps attacking When dawn was barely breaking, the Tang Army commenced its assault on Fengjiang City. Unlike the usual Tang Army which waited for Dahua Empire¡¯s counterattack, the 7th Army deployed new troops and initiated another advance into the city district.


    Without any artillery preparation, the Tang Army started the attack. The Dahua troops were unprepared and faced what could only be described as war fanatics.


    Before breakfast at the temporary headquarters of an infantry battalion stationed in a factory they had seized the previous night, the battalion commander gathered his three company commanders to assign tasks for the attack.


    He stood at a rubble-filled corner with a table in front of him while nearby soldiers distributed ammunition that logistics had delivered in the middle of the night, just in time.


    Pointing at the hastily drawn map on the table, the Tang Army¡¯s battalion commander briefly described the situation, ¡°Beyond the factory is a street! Across the street is a residential area which is quite chaotic!¡±


    ¡°The artillery fire from yesterday must have completely destroyed it. I guess it¡¯s now just ruins. Dahua¡¯s troops might not defend in the ruins, but we must be cautious.¡± After that, he looked at his three key subordinates.


    ¡°As the first assault squad, 1st Company will rush into the ruins to clear any possible Dahua or Qin Country troops stationed there. If we encounter fierce resistance, we will call for artillery support.¡± The 1st Company commander pointed to the marked residential area on the map and confirmed.


    ...


    The battalion commander patted his shoulder confidently and guaranteed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, including the artillery from the adjacent battalion, we have a total of 20 mortars. As long as they dare to be there, we dare to flatten it!¡±


    The 1st Company commander nodded his head and reassured, ¡°Then there¡¯s no problem. The main attacking 1st Company will seize the target.¡±


    The 2nd Company commander took over the discussion and repeated his mission, ¡°2nd Company will bypass along the street to establish defensive positions on the flanks. Our men confirmed this morning that the side also has a factory, and the terrain appears fairly open.¡±


    The battalion commander turned to the 3rd Company commander, whose unit had sustained the greatest losses from the previous day¡¯s main assault, now reduced to just over 80 soldiers.


    With a questioning tone, he asked, ¡°3rd Company suffered heavy losses yesterday, and today¡¯s task is relatively light. Can you handle it?¡±


    The 3rd Company commander immediately assured solemnly, ¡°No problem. We will establish defensive positions on the other side. If the enemy counterattacks from this direction, we will repel them.¡±


    Looking at the 3rd Company¡¯s commander, the battalion commander nodded and then reminded, ¡°Pay attention to sniper placement and try not to set booby traps... they just complicate things for us. Understand?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that they were unwilling to destroy the city, but they needed to consider the follow-up troops. If they planted a lot of mines here, it would be almost impossible for the following troops to use this area.


    ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Hearing the battalion commander, the company commanders immediately responded.


    The battalion commander looked at his subordinates once more, waved his hand, and adjourned the meeting, ¡°Let¡¯s begin the attack then!¡±


    The company commanders, grasping their steel helmets, walked out of the partly collapsed factory ruins, and the various units, after being prepared, began the attack according to the pre-planned offensive.


    At a Dahua defending force¡¯s position where soldiers were eating breakfast, a sentinel suddenly shouted loudly. They hardly had time to clear their bowls and utensils before the battle fiercely erupted.


    ¡°Tatatatatata!¡± The distinctive sound of the covering MG-42 machine gun resonated in the early morning sky as a squad of Tang Army soldiers, armed, swiftly crossed the street.


    A soldier was shot in the thigh while running and fell in the middle of the road, only to be hit by more bullets.


    Blood spread along the uneven road, filling the gaps between the stones and the road surface. No one paid attention to this new corpse, as the city was littered with dead bodies.


    The Tang Army soldiers who had crossed the road immediately began to organize fire suppression. The firepower of the Type 56 assault rifle was very formidable; a fire team of three to five could overpower a full squad of Dahua defenders facing them.


    More Tang Army soldiers crossed the road, and immediately, Dahua troops from a higher position in the ruins started throwing hand grenades down, attempting to push back the Tang Army that had crossed the street.


    Several hand grenades exploded near the foxholes where Tang Army soldiers sought cover in the rubble, making it difficult for them to raise their heads.


    A Tang Army soldier, hit by shrapnel, was covered in blood as a medic knelt beside him, ceaselessly trying to stop the bleeding, but the blood continued to stain the unique camouflage uniforms of the Tang Army.


    A squad leader who had crossed the road was gesturing various hand signals to his fellow troops across the street, calling for artillery support and indicating the enemy¡¯s approximate coordinates.


    ¡°Boom! Boom!¡± Soon, the Tang Army¡¯s mortar shells began to hit the ground, with the first few shells landing behind the Dahua military¡¯s ruins defense line. However, as time progressed, several more shells landed right on the Dahua forces¡¯ defense line.


    Unfortunately, the next few shells landed on the road and also blocked the Tang Army¡¯s further advance.


    ¡°Damn it! The dispersion is so wide, haven¡¯t they ever fired a mortar before?¡± Holding his steel helmet and terrified nearly to the point of wetting his pants by his own troops¡¯ shells, the Tang Army squad leader cursed loudly.


    He had just been ¡°cross-fired¡± by a friendly shell from behind. If the aim had been even slightly more exaggerated, it would have ¡°sunk¡± all the seven or eight brothers who had crossed the road.


    Braving the artillery fire and gun smoke, the squad leader had to stand up, gesturing as noticeably as possible to make the supporting fire from his rear a bit more accurate.


    From the Tang Army¡¯s starting position, the squad leader stood up facing away from the enemy without any cover, waving his arms like a madman prepared for suicide.


    After the second round of shelling, the mortar shells from the Tang Army were much more precise, mostly landing on Dahua¡¯s defensive positions, shrouding the area in gun smoke and momentarily silencing the gunfire.


    The squad leader who stood up to gesture was also luckily not hit by bullets; although he gestured for a long time, by the time Dahua soldiers reacted and fired at him, the bullets all miraculously missed this brave soul.


    So, they say on a bloody battlefield, the madman risking his life might not necessarily be the first to die, and the coward hiding in the corner might not necessarily live to a ripe old age.


    Everything depends on whether fate still wants you alive; if it doesn¡¯t, even if you are hidden in the most secluded bunker, you might still be taken away by a stray shell...


    Another group of Tang Army soldiers crossed over the corpse lying in the middle of the road and rushed across, putting the Dahua troops on the back foot.


    Their closer-range firepower density truly was no match, and once suppressed, it became easy for the Tang Army to approach and eventually wipe them out with thrown hand grenades.


    The scene before them unfolded thus, the Tang Army grenade throwers inching closer under a barrage of bullets, crawling near the Dahua troops¡¯ ruins defense line, and then pulling out hand grenades to deliver their ¡°gifts.¡±


    After a series of explosions, another few dozen Tang Army soldiers had crossed the road. They began climbing the ruins under machine gun cover and gradually drove the Dahua defenders from their high ground.


    The Dahua soldiers who lost the high ground immediately became disarrayed, began retreating, and then the collapse continued unstoppably.


    The Tang Army began firing from behind them, killing those Dahua soldiers trying to flee. These Dahua defenders, initially in large numbers, died in droves on the route of their retreat.


    The road seemed to have become safe, so Tang Army¡¯s 2nd company began a flanking maneuver across the road. A passing medic, upon checking a corpse in the middle of the road and realizing the person was beyond saving, ran forward a few steps, catching up with his large unit.


    ¡°Boom!¡± A large-caliber shell fell, landing on a rubble pile beside the road, the massive explosion scattering stones and dirt and making the earth tremble with its roar.


    That was from the Dahua forces¡¯ 150mm howitzer; clearly, the enemy seemed intent on supporting their troops, but the Tang Army had already expelled the defenders from the ruins, and the enemy¡¯s artillery fire landed behind the advancing Tang forces.


    However, soon, several large-caliber shells fell on the industrial area where the Tang Army¡¯s battalion headquarters was located, showing that the Dahua artillery troops had shooting parameters that included the suburban factory now occupied by the Tang Army.


    Sadly, after seven or eight shells fell, the enemy ceased their shelling¡ªbecause day had already begun to break, and the engine sounds of the Tang Nation Air Force¡¯s dive bombers began echoing across the entire Fengjiang City.


    Hundreds of Stuka Dive Bombers carrying a type of bomb never before seen by the Dahua Empire commenced their day¡¯s work.


    This weapon could certainly be described as brutal for the Dahua soldiers stationed in Fengjiang City.


    The Great Tang Group¡¯s chemical plants had supplied the Tang Army with a large quantity of fresh and expensive chemical agents. Among these agents was one used to produce illumination and smoke signal flares.


    Yes, the Tang Nation Air Force had begun equipping white phosphorus bombs, prepared to use this terrifying weapon to surprise the Dahua forces: the emergence of new weaponry often reaps countless lives, and this time was no exception.


    The Stuka Dive Bombers, laden with white phosphorus bombs marked with various warning signs and painted in special colors, swooped down from the sky and dropped these special bombs onto the heads of the Dahua defenders.


    Immediately following, a horrific scene unfolded. White smoke permeated the battlefield, as if everything were burning, everything emitting smoke, the air filled with a suffocating scent mixed with scorching heat, tormenting everyone.

 Chapter 816 816 762 Demons Flame

    ?Chapter 816: 762 Demons¡¯ Flame Chapter 816: 762 Demons¡¯ Flame When it was first produced in the factory, white phosphorus was a colorless or pale yellow, semi-translucent waxy substance with a strong pungent smell, reminiscent of garlic.


    Its ignition point is extremely low, only about 40 degrees Celsius, and it could combust through friction with the air or if mishandled, with even a small amount of the powder reaching this temperature.


    Thus, under normal circumstances, it could be assumed that the substance would ignite upon contact with oxygen, burning with a yellow flame while releasing dense smoke.


    It could be used to combust materials that regular combustibles struggled to set on fire, capable of burning intensely even in confined spaces with low air density. Typically, the burning temperature could exceed a terrifying 1000 degrees Celsius, effectively annihilating all carbon-based life forms within its effective radius.


    Another characteristic of white phosphorus bombs was that once they made contact with an object, they kept burning until extinguished. Traditional methods were useless in putting out the flames. Therefore, once it came into contact with human skin, the burning would persist, penetrating the flesh and eventually reaching the bones.


    The iconic dense white smoke it produced contained a strong chemical irritant that could severely affect the eyes and nose, even causing irreversible damage.


    That¡¯s why such substances were banned under international conventions on Earth, occasionally brought to light in news reports by various countries whenever used, with the users inevitably branded inhumane.


    ...


    However, in this world, no such conventions existed because such weapons had never before been seen on the battlefield, never revealing their horrifying capabilities to the world.


    In the path toward self-destruction, humanity truly had a knack. Those who had truly witnessed the apocalyptic devastation capable by human weapons could hardly take zombie movies seriously anymore.


    If humanity unreservedly opened its arsenal, taking out just two or three treasured weapons and casually tossing out a few, a city could be engulfed in the aroma of roasting meat for three days and nights.


    The reason these weapons don¡¯t seem so terrifying to us is that nowadays, no one dares to use them extensively, risking global outrage; to divorce dosage from effects is an act of hooliganism.


    Just by deploying a hundred or so planes to carpet-bomb Raccoon City, in ten days, the number of zombies left with lower bodies might be fewer than the giant pandas in Sichuan...


    The Dahua soldiers who were still unaware of the potency of white phosphorus bombs soon realized that these ¡°dud¡± blasts, which didn¡¯t seem so powerful at first, might be more terrifying than they appeared.


    Airburst fuses made the white phosphorus bombs explode mid-air near the ground, and then the fiery flames dragged the white smoke down to the earth.


    Following that, the solid ruins began to burn, even stone walls emitted plumes of white smoke.


    Forget gas masks; the Dahua soldiers without even a handkerchief instantly felt as if the air breathed into their lungs was slicing through their alveoli.


    Then, the soldiers contaminated with white phosphorus started smoking from their bodies, screaming as they tore off their burning clothes, trying desperately to extricate themselves from the flames.


    Bystanders who were kind enough to help soon realized their own palms were smoking as well, pain followed, and melted skin began to flake off their bones with every flicker of the flames.


    Screams echoed everywhere, some beat their hands against the ground, others rolled trying to disperse the thick smoke enveloping them.


    ¡°Help! Save me!¡± cried a Dahua soldier as he ripped off his gear, shouting for assistance.


    The comrade who was helping him could no longer tend to him as the flames had engulfed his whole body, writhing in the dense smoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come near me! Stay away!¡± cried another soldier, panic-stricken, aiming his rifle with tearful eyes at his comrade who had managed to tear off the burned straps.


    It wasn¡¯t crying per se; the dense smoke was just too irritating to open his eyes. The soliciting soldier, having discarded his gear, realized his palms were smoking too, that something was still ablaze behind him.


    The pain in his back made breathing difficult; he collapsed, rolling on the ground trying to alleviate the pain.


    Yet no matter how much he flopped like a fish out of water, he was unable to reduce the flames devouring him by even a little.


    The whole process was slow and agonizing, impossible to interrupt, while the untouched soldiers coughed and gasped in the suffocating white smoke, screaming and cursing.


    No matter what they did, it was in vain; the world seemed to be ablaze, Fengjiang City at that moment was a veritable hell.


    Soon, the irritating smoke engulfed the northern part of Fengjiang City, drifting with the wind. Flames danced everywhere, and everywhere there were charred bodies, already beyond struggle.


    The shouts gradually faded, leaving behind an odd aroma of meat tinged with an unpleasant chemical odor. Those who smelled it couldn¡¯t help but start retching, and anyone who had seen people struggling and writhing in the flames became madly hysterical.


    Any touch from another person would cause those who had already mentally collapsed to subconsciously flinch and twitch, fearing that their bodies had been set alight, mistaking any sensation for the flames consuming them.


    Because of the appearance of White Phosphorus Bombs, all the planned counterattacks of the Dahua defenders for the day were canceled. The Tang Army had captured a large area of the southern part of Fengjiang City, even without facing the fierce resistance that had been expected.


    In the evening, General Feng Kezhi, disregarding the danger, personally inspected the area affected by the White Phosphorus Bombs. He walked on the still-warm soil amidst air that slightly choked, and he watched the still-burning roofs of buildings with trepidation.


    Ten years ago, the battlefields he knew involved facing off with Shireck Firearms in lines, beating drums, and shouting slogans while fighting in the fields.


    But now, the battlefield before him had transformed. It was more terrifying than the hells described in poetry; bloody and brutal were inadequate descriptions for this scene, where every corner reeked of suffocating despair.


    A wounded soldier whose arm had nearly been burned off by a bit of white phosphorus lay on the ground; as General Feng Ke passed by him, not even his eyes moved.


    Another wounded soldier, who had lost both legs, sat there, having been tormented to the point where he no longer had the energy to cry or shout.


    Not far away were piles of cleared corpses, most of them burnt black, resembling the stacks of firewood next to a furnace, foolishly indistinguishable from one another.


    Indeed, human fat could burn as well; once ignited, it could keep burning until nothing was left.


    ¡°Great General!¡± Finally, an unwounded officer spotted Feng Ke approaching with a group of people. He stood at attention and saluted, his voice filled with resignation.


    Everyone knew there was no hope left in this war! Witnessing such terrifying weapons, watching so many die in the seemingly unquenchable inferno, no one harbored any hope for victory.


    Previously, the thought in the minds of commanders of the Dahua Empire was: We have lost this war. Now, having witnessed the White Phosphorus Bombs, what the soldiers and officers of Dahua thought was: We are finished!


    With a mere gesture to the officer to complete his salute, General Feng Ke walked up to him and stopped.


    He spoke in a hushed voice, filled with profound sorrow, ¡°Do you think the Tang People will continue to use this weapon tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Great General,¡± the officer shook his head, honestly admitting his greatest concern was facing that damned bomb again the next day.


    It would suddenly split open in mid-air, covering a large area. Hidden inside a building would mean suffocating from the burning doors and windows, while running out into the open would mean being ignited by those relentless flames that would not be extinguished.


    For the soldiers of the Dahua Empire, this thing was simply indefensible; whatever they did, they could not stop the flames from continuing to burn.


    Someone had seen a burning soldier jump into water, managing with great difficulty to extinguish the flames on him, but as soon as he climbed out, his body began to smoke again.


    Therefore, the officer could only sigh pessimistically, ¡°That thing just keeps burning, almost never stopping. Wounded are everywhere, hundreds injured in each battalion, some say it¡¯s the flames of hell.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we must stop those Tang People who cooperate with demons at Fengjiang!¡± General Feng Ke patted the officer¡¯s shoulder, ¡°If we lose, the demons will destroy the world.¡±


    Although General Feng Ke managed to stabilize the soldiers¡¯ morale a little by exploiting the rampant rumors about the hellfire, he knew this was by no means a solution.


    If the Tang Army continued to use this horrific weapon, the Battle of Fengjiang would soon end in a disastrous defeat for the Dahua Empire. Although the approach of winter would undoubtedly pause the advance of the Tang Army, what about next year? And after that?


    While General Feng Ke was furrowing his brows considering his strategy, a roof that had been burning in the distance finally collapsed under the weight, crashing down into the house below with the sound of a crack and bringing flames inside.


    Suddenly, the choking smell of burning rushed over, and General Feng Ke felt his eyes sting unbearably, each breath feeling like torture.


    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± General Feng Ke covered his tearing eyes with his hands, as his Guards also coughed incessantly.


    ¡°Quick! Protect the Great General! Get him out of here! Move!¡± In the midst of darkness, General Feng Ke heard someone yelling, felt someone grab his arm, and began to run forward with uneven steps.


    When he opened his eyes again, a nurse had just finished cleaning his eyes with a cotton swab. His eyes were very sore, but he had not lost his sight.


    This brought him a sigh of relief: at least he had not become blind.

 Chapter 817 817 763 find connections

    ?Chapter 817: 763 find connections Chapter 817: 763 find connections Some places are destined to remain unaffected by war, and a manor on the outskirts of Chang¡¯an City shows no signs of such conflict at this moment.


    It is still bustling, still affluent, still lively, with plenty of comings and goings¡ªyou wouldn¡¯t even realize this manor is located in the suburbs of Chang¡¯an City, as the road that passes by it is even better than the best highways in many countries.


    The butler, standing at the entrance, smiled and nodded in acknowledgment to a man who was about to leave, who even respectfully bowed slightly and was all smiles, ¡°Thank you for escorting me out here, I greatly appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, you are our master¡¯s esteemed guest, it is natural for me to see you out,¡± the elderly butler replied with a smile, his response exceedingly gracious.


    The man almost bowing to the old butler was the owner of a sugar enterprise, with a net worth in the millions of Gold Coins.


    Yet, here, even when just facing the manor owner¡¯s butler, he still appeared so humble, for this manor was Bailu Manor.


    The manor¡¯s owner had a soccer team that had won the Club Cup championship for five consecutive years, and had defeated the Tang Country national men¡¯s soccer team just a few weeks ago in a friendly match with a score of 12-1.


    ...


    In fact, there were many teams capable of defeating the Tang Country soccer team, but to win with such disregard, without giving any face at all, was something only the Bailu team could do.


    Because of the war, the soccer World Cup that Tang Country had been planning all along was completely scuttled, and even the specially built soccer stadiums had their construction halted due to the war.


    However, soccer, as a sport, was still very popular in Tang Country; during their leisure time, everyone liked to watch matches and were accustomed to spending a little money to buy the national soccer betting lottery.


    It was common knowledge that the Tang Country men¡¯s soccer team was poorly performing, so the betting odds were terribly tragic. The betting line was Bailu team giving seven goals, and the final score was fixed on the fantastical number of 12-1.


    Therefore, today¡¯s newspapers harshly criticized these national team players of Tang Country as incompetent, suggesting that it would be better to send them to the front lines and select a new batch to reorganize the team.


    Indeed, this Bailu Manor was currently the residence of the Marquis of Bailu, who originally came from the South but had the foresight to follow Tang Mo loyally to make their fortune.


    He had joined Tang Country right after its establishment, becoming a genuine Tang Person. Now his business was growing bigger, and his wealth was rising accordingly.


    Having such a manor in a place like Chang¡¯an was indeed a demonstration of power. Despite its suburban location, the actual area of Bailu Manor was even larger than the embassies of other countries in Chang¡¯an!


    Chang¡¯an, as the political and cultural center of Tang Country, has developed too rapidly over the years, so fast that it was hard to believe: before the outbreak of the war, the city¡¯s area was already comparable to that of the Dahua Imperial Capital.


    And the real estate prices within Chang¡¯an had already skyrocketed, owning one¡¯s property in such a location had become proof of economic strength.


    It has been proven that real estate development is always a catalyst and a poison for economic prosperity, which if drunk blindly, allows one to show the most brilliant side to the world before dying.


    At some point, phrases similar to ¡°Chang¡¯an is big, but living here isn¡¯t easy,¡± had become a common understanding among many ordinary people.


    Although the real estate prices in Chang¡¯an seemed outrageously high to ordinary people, even the most foolish economists knew that the capital of any country is not supposed to be affordable for every incoming commoner.


    The Marquis of Bailu had indeed been growing his business increasingly larger, under the auspices of Great Tang Group, virtually expanding his enterprises to all regions around the Endless Sea.


    Although the war had reduced his income by three-quarters, the remaining quarter still made him one of the richest men in the world.


    Because he was so wealthy, many rumors described the Marquis of Bailu as an exceptionally handsome man with blond hair, blue eyes, a strong jawline, and a round, perky butt¡ªan enchanting man with charm on all sides.


    The reason the Marquis was described this way was that many believed the Tang King, Tang Mo, had a penchant for such appearances and liked the Marquis of Bailu, thus taking extra care of this businessman.


    This rumor, inflated by certain people and powers, continued to circulate among commoners, who, despite their love for their king, didn¡¯t mind joking about it during tea breaks and meals.


    Only upon meeting Marquis of Bailu once could one scoff at such rumors, for in fact, the Marquis was old enough to be Tang Mo¡¯s father. He indeed wished he could be Tang Mo¡¯s father-in-law; unfortunately, his only three daughters were either married off or they strongly resembled him in appearance.


    Marquis of Bailu¡¯s wife was indeed very gentle, having been a well-known beauty from a distinguished family before marrying the Marquis. Sadly, the Marquis had a square face, and no matter how elite his daughters were, they too could only boast the super-rich square face.


    One could not say their looks were hideously unique, but they were definitely not pretty¡ªhoping that the Marquis¡¯s daughters would make Tang Mo fall in love at first sight was hardly likely. The traditional method of spending lavishly seemed even harder than the former option.


    The Marquis of Bailu was very wealthy, but compared to Tang Mo, his money was only good enough to buy a yacht to occasionally splurge in Tang Mo¡¯s hands.


    Jokingly, one could see what kind of women fantasized about becoming princesses every day: the hottest leading actress in Great Tang Group, wealthy ladies from affluent families, daughters from old political families with immense capital...


    Whenever there was a banquet at the royal palace, how many people sent their highly selected, heavenly-beautiful daughters or wives? Later, some were warned and fell into misfortune. Those sending wives and sons ceased, but those sending daughters still relished the opportunity.


    Wherever Tang Mo showed up at the banquet, one could see Empire sings, pure-desire Oirans, domineering female CEOs, clumsy glasses-wearing women, white-haired reclusive beauties, the rarest beautiful Elf Princess seen only once in seven thousand years, the strongest armored female warrior over eighty thousand miles... They were as numerous as fish in a river¡ªa spectacular sight.


    Recently, many people had sought out the Marquis of Bailu because such a significant figure naturally had many subordinates and vassals working for him. These people leaned on Bailu Group as Bailu Group relied on the towering Great Tang Group.


    As the end of the year approached, naturally, there were many more visitors¡ªsome came to give gifts and pay respects, others came to report work, and of course, some visited the Bailu Manor with other intentions.


    Indeed, recently, many people who seemed to be businessmen on the surface but had other backgrounds behind them came to meet this great lord.


    In the room, having just seen off the so-called Sugar King, the Marquis of Bailu did not even switch to another reception room but met another businessman who had traveled from afar right in the same place.


    These days, any businessman daring to sail from the Eastern Continent to the Western Continent had somewhat messy other identities, which was an open secret that these individuals seemed not keen on hiding.


    Since the Tang Army defeated the Dahua troops at South Wind Pass, achieving its strategic goal, such individuals began to be frequently active.


    ¡°Marquis, as you know, our country is small, so sometimes we are forced to make irrational choices following some powerful nations,¡± said the businessman, appearing constrained, as he tremulously spoke.


    Despite having seen the prosperity of Brunas, now in Chang¡¯an City, in the opulent manor of the Marquis of Bailu, he still seemed like a naive country bumpkin. He was shocked to find that the four-story main building even had two elevators!


    When he arrived, his car passed inspection and directly entered the underground garage, and as he took the elevator through the corridor to the conference room, he saw countless expensive fluorescent lights!


    Nowadays, in Brunas, only the wealthy could use fluorescent lamps, an extravagance found almost exclusively outside of Tang Country.


    ¡°I fully understand your helplessness¡ªwar... halts the economy and hinders development. Our wealth... has all turned to ashes,¡± the Marquis of Bailu said bureaucratically, gesturing to a servant to pour a not inexpensive wine for his guest.


    ¡°My emperor has given me a mission, thus I have come to see you, Marquis of Bailu... hoping you could speak kindly on my behalf to the great King of Tang Country and secure an audience with His Majesty, the Tang King,¡± the businessman, who appeared to be there on business, pulled out a check and pushed it towards the Marquis of Bailu.


    The amount on the check was most enticing, a willingness to pay ten thousand gold coins just for an appointment¡ªit was indeed a substantial sacrifice.


    However, the Marquis of Bailu did not reach out to take the check; he lowered his eyelids, silent as if asleep for a few seconds, then suddenly said, ¡°I cannot help you meet with His Majesty, the Tang King. The whole world is waging war against Tang, and lately, His Majesty is constantly busy with matters of the battlefield.¡±


    As if he hadn¡¯t detected the sarcasm in the words of the Marquis of Bailu, the businessman from afar continued adamantly, ¡°The Suthers Empire is very sincere.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± responded the Marquis of Bailu, lifting his eyelids to look at the other.


    The man focused on Marquis of Bailu¡¯s eyes, emphasizing slowly, ¡°If the Marquis is willing to facilitate peace talks between our two nations and restore peace between Great Tang and the Suthers Empire, the Suthers Empire is willing... to make some efforts to quickly achieve peace.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± said the Marquis of Bailu, noncommittally.


    Biting his teeth, this man from the inland Suthers Empire, or rather a spy disguised as a businessman from the Suthers Empire, lowered his voice, ¡°Although Shireck has connections everywhere, the alliance is not ironclad! We happen to know some things, about... the approximate location where the alliance¡¯s fleet is hiding...¡±

 Chapter 818 818 764 morally noble

    ?Chapter 818: 764 morally noble Chapter 818: 764 morally noble Fengjiang City, Tang Army Soldiers stationed on the ruins rubbed their eyes and then aimed their guns at a Dahua Empire officer who was walking out from the opposite side.


    He did not pull the trigger because the other party was holding a white flag. The flag was large, made out of a bed sheet, and easily recognizable.


    Following the officer carrying the white flag were two unarmed attendants, who also appeared to be officers.


    The three of them were clearly very nervous, walking very cautiously. He waved the white flag in small motions as he walked, as if afraid that someone might not see it.


    ¡°Hey! I say, squad leader! Look over there! Look over there! There¡¯s someone surrendering with a white flag.¡± the Tang Army Soldier excitedly called to his leader.


    The squad leader peeked out and also saw the three extremely nervous Dahua officers, ¡°Indeed! Don¡¯t go out! Watch carefully for deceit. Let¡¯s talk after they come closer!¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the Dahua¡¯s Emperor has surrendered?¡± the soldier was still excited, for him, if the war could end right now, it would be absolutely good news.


    ...


    Even the most battle-ready wouldn¡¯t love war. The Tang Army had been fighting on the front line for several months, with countless people sacrificing their lives for this war.


    Even Dahua, having the upper hand, had already lost over thirty thousand people since the war began, determined by the scale of the war.


    ¡°What are you thinking? This isn¡¯t a surrender; this is negotiation. Probably the air force used a new bomb the day before yesterday and scared these Dahua fools badly, so today they came running wanting to negotiate with us,¡± the squad leader smacked his soldier¡¯s head as he spoke.


    Indeed, after nearing the Tang Army position, these three people began their performance. They waved their white flags and shouted loudly towards the Tang Army position, ¡°We are here to deliver a message! Don¡¯t shoot! We are here to deliver a message! Don¡¯t shoot!¡±


    ¡°Raise your hands high! Walk over here slowly!¡± at the Tang Army side, a company commander who rushed over shouted loudly.


    Thus, the three Dahua officers went with the flow, immediately raised their hands, and held the bed sheet horizontally as they stepped into the controlled area of the Tang Army.


    After meeting the Tang Army company commander, the leading Dahua officer visibly calmed down; the most dangerous part was his journey across, as long as they didn¡¯t shoot him dead right away, he didn¡¯t have to worry too much about his life.


    Everyone says the Tang Army is fierce, and the Tang Country is a state of collapsed rituals and music, but no one says Tang Country disregards international conventions.


    Clearly, not only does Tang Country abide by a series of international conventions, but it is also a promoter and proposer of many international consensuses.


    Tang Country has great respect for diplomats. This time, when several countries united to declare war on Tang, Tang Country did not trouble these countries¡¯ ambassadors but simply escorted them out of the country.


    Moreover, Tang Country¡¯s relinquishing of Brunas and Northern Ridge was virtually a benchmark of credibility, still praised by many to this date, making Tang Mo, a businessman by origin, much more reliable than many royal families.


    So, after seeing the Tang Army company commander, the officer immediately introduced himself, then stated his purpose, ¡°I am General Li Ping from the Dahua Empire, I wish to meet your commander.¡±


    ¡°I am the commander,¡± the Tang Army¡¯s company commander confidently replied, feeling an equal dialogue with the Dahua general was not an issue.


    ¡°I want to see a senior officer who can make decisions!¡± the Dahua officer named Li Ping¡¯s face turned red, and it took him a while to squeeze out this statement.


    He had initially intended to speak politely, but after deliberating, he changed his mind: if he couldn¡¯t be somewhat proud even in the presence of a Tang Army company commander, how could he face the fierce warriors of the Great Tang Kingdom?


    ¡°Alright.¡± the Tang commander also felt that perhaps he wasn¡¯t in charge of negotiations, so he nodded his head and sent someone to find the battalion commander.


    After the battalion commander hurried over, he too felt that he probably couldn¡¯t represent Tang Country in negotiating with the Dahua Empire, so he sent a message to the regiment headquarters.


    The regiment commander was a understanding man; without going to the front line himself he knew he wasn¡¯t the person the other side wanted to see, hence he immediately reported the matter to the division commander.


    The division commander directly dispatched two cars to pick up the people but didn¡¯t bring them back to the division headquarters; instead, he sent them directly to the military headquarters.


    The bearded military commander knew about the entire situation before the cars arrived, and he called Bolton, but Bolton wasn¡¯t interested in meeting such a Dahua officer.


    Ultimately, the matter was handed over to the bearded military commander to handle; Bolton only left one instruction: if the other party was here to seek peace, everything should wait until representatives from the Ministry of External Affairs arrived.


    In a temporarily chosen village outside, inside a tent set up amidst the abandoned farmland, Bolton met with the arriving Dahua officer, Li Ping.


    The other party didn¡¯t disdain the primitive conditions but rather expressed admiration for how Tang Army soldiers managed to promptly grow some vegetables using the farmland.


    The weather had already started to cool, and at this time, only fast-growing vegetables could barely be harvested before winter arrived.

 Chapter 819 819 764 morally noble_2

    ?Chapter 819: 764 morally noble_2 Chapter 819: 764 morally noble_2 The Dahua Empire¡¯s neglected farmlands were not wasted by the soldiers of Great Tang, a feeling that made Li Ping, an officer of the Dahua Imperial Army, quite uncomfortable, although he couldn¡¯t quite express why.


    After all, the ground he stood upon was now under the control of Great Tang, and wherever he looked, there were the field tents of the Tang Country.


    ¡°I am the commander of the 7th Infantry Army of Tang Country...¡± The man with the large beard simply introduced himself and then waited for Li Ping to continue.


    Li Ping got straight to the point, and his words surprised the bearded man, ¡°I am not here for negotiations. The purpose of my visit is to discuss the issue regarding your country¡¯s use of a new type of bomb in Fengjiang City.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The bearded man raised his eyebrows, intrigued by the topic. He had assumed that the other party¡¯s purpose for coming was one of two things: either as a representative of the Dahua Empire coming for negotiations or representing himself to surrender.


    In either case, he just had to do his job. But now, he realized that the other party wasn¡¯t here to surrender or to negotiate, but to negotiate, as Li Ping had said.


    ¡°This weapon is really... too... it¡¯s just beyond the bounds of human decency,¡± Li Ping stuttered a little before thinking of an adjective to describe the white phosphorus bomb.


    ...


    Having witnessed the power of such a bomb, he was deeply disturbed. He looked seriously into the bearded man¡¯s face and made a earnest request, ¡°On behalf of General Feng Kezhi and the Dahua Empire, I ask that your country no longer uses such... such excessively powerful weapons.¡±


    The commander of the 7th Army was shocked by these words, his eyes widening as he looked at Li Ping, seemingly trying to discern something from Li Ping¡¯s face.


    After a while, when Li Ping was nearly unsettled by the stare, the bearded commander scoffed and retorted, ¡°Are you suggesting that we have even more powerful weapons but should stop using them just because you say so?¡±


    ¡°I know, I realize this request is absurd...¡± Li Ping¡¯s face felt so hot he thought it might ignite, and he stammered his explanation, ¡°But, but if you could see for yourself the Dahua soldiers hurt by your new weapon, you¡¯d know that such weapons should never exist on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°In the age of swords, firearms should not have appeared on the battlefield. In the age of firearms, revolvers, machine guns, and bolt-action rifles should also not have appeared,¡± the bearded commander said in a calm tone.


    He had witnessed it all. When he fought alongside Count Fisheo at Northern Ridge, he never considered that war would turn into something unrecognizable to him.


    Back then, Northern Ridge only had 3,000 elite soldiers; a war would nearly end with the loss of over a thousand men. There were no tanks, no planes, nor warships like sea fortresses at that time.


    More than a decade later, he now commanded a regular infantry army equipped with assault guns and self-propelled artillery, an army of tens of thousands and thousands of trucks and cars...


    Now, powering his way was the Air Force¡¯s new bombs that could make the enemy howl in terror, and even to send someone to make such a ludicrous request...


    Look, how wondrous the world is.


    Hearing the bearded man speak so, Li Ping, the general from Dahua, immediately replied, ¡°I understand, but have you considered that the use of such evil weapons could seriously damage the reputation of Tang Country...¡±


    He knew it was absurd to make such a request and had never thought he would find himself carrying out such a foolish task.


    But Great General Feng Ke had found him and assigned him this seemingly childish task.


    When he left, General Feng Ke begged him to complete the mission, insisting that he must stop the Tang Army from continuing to use white phosphorus bombs, no matter what.


    Having seen the devastating effect of white phosphorus bombs, Shireck¡¯s advisory team also believed that such weapons were exceedingly treacherous and that they should be internationally banned as weapons of the devil.


    The commander of the 7th Army questioned further with skepticism, ¡°Why would it impact us?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s a weapon that only a devil would possess! It¡¯s the flames from hell!¡± Li Ping couldn¡¯t help but invoke ghosts and spirits in an attempt to instill fear in the other party.


    But the other party clearly had no fear of devils or perhaps had a superior logic. To the Tang People, using new weapons to reduce their own casualties was an indisputable correct choice, ¡°Ha! Why isn¡¯t it a weapon of the gods? Why isn¡¯t it the punishment that the gods have bestowed upon you sinners?¡±


    ¡°This...¡± Hearing this argument, Li Ping found himself at a loss for words: from his perspective, these weapons were certainly evil, but the Tang commander believed that they represented the just side, the side of righteousness.


    This posed a problem: on the issue of waging war, the Dahua Empire was already in the wrong, as they had been the first to launch an invasion during Tang Country¡¯s flood.


    Now, with the other side holding onto righteousness, trying to associate the Tang People with the devil was not going to be easy.


    They simply didn¡¯t think they were wrong, so no sophistry or fallacious argument could disturb their thinking: that¡¯s the advantage of holding the high ground, the side of justice is always impervious to all and irreproachable.

 Chapter 820 820 764 morally noble_3

    ?Chapter 820: 764 morally noble_3 Chapter 820: 764 morally noble_3 ¡°You seize the opportunity during a disaster, capitalize on the flood to declare war on us... and now you turn around and talk to us about reason and justice?¡± The big-bearded commander laughed at his own words, amused by such nonsensical arguments.


    ¡°I...¡± Li Ping felt his mouth dry, words stuck in his throat, unable to come out.


    However, since he had braved coming here, he couldn¡¯t simply give up; giving up would mean Fengjiang City was lost, and the Dahua Empire was doomed!


    So he persisted, enduring, searching for more words to make his case more persuasive.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then how about we make a trade? The Dahua Empire promises... to stop any sabotage activities targeting the southern oil fields! How about that?¡± Finally, believing he couldn¡¯t convince the Tang People on moral grounds, Li Ping brought out his second proposal.


    The oil production bases of Tang Country, or rather, those of the Dahua Empire occupied by Tang Country, were still within the bombing range of the Dahua Empire¡¯s bombers, a bargaining chip offered by General Feng Kezhi for negotiation.


    ¡°A joke, your bombing attempts a few days ago were already thwarted!¡± The big-bearded commander had, of course, heard about the recent fierce air battles and immediately refuted Li Ping¡¯s statement.


    ...


    This exchange was impossible because the conditions for the exchange did not hold: Tang Country¡¯s Air Force was stronger, and the Dahua bombers had no chance of returning from their missions, rendering further attacks unfeasible.


    ¡°You can ask your higher-ups about this... better yet, ask your King himself!¡± Li Ping felt a surge of triumph, thinking he had regained the upper hand.


    In fact, over the past two days, at General Feng Ke¡¯s behest, Zhao Chen had organized several more bombing raids targeting the southern oil fields from Sword Pavilion.


    Since daytime raids were easily intercepted by Tang Army fighter jets, Zhao Chen had switched to nighttime raids, stealthily bombing the southern oil fields.


    However, these few stealth bombing raids, on a traditional scale, had a bit of a... gap in magnitude.


    After all, the Dahua Empire lacked the technology for night formations and corresponding radio navigation, so organizing dozens or hundreds of planes for nighttime raids was out of the question.


    Thus Zhao Chen could only send up a few planes at a time, at most a dozen, relying purely on luck to carry out nighttime stealth attacks on the southern oil fields.


    The entire process could be described as fantastical: During the first raid, all bombers lost their way and none returned.


    The next day, they tried again, and a dozen bombers failed to locate their target, while half were shot down by Tang Army anti-aircraft guns.


    The third time was finally a success! Yes, a success! But only one plane lucked out and flew over the southern oil fields, dropping bombs to complete the raid.


    Unfortunately, those bombs only destroyed a section of the pipeline and ultimately delayed Tang Country¡¯s oil production by just over two hours.


    But General Feng Ke believed that such bombing would deter the Tang Army leadership, making them wary. It was perfect as a bargaining chip to exchange for a promise from Tang Army not to use white phosphorus bombs.


    With the discussion reaching this point, indeed it was not a decision that a mere commander could make. So the big-bearded commander, who had a status equivalent to Tagg in the Northern Ridge, immediately sent a message to Bolton.


    Bolton was baffled, not expecting the other side to behave so shamelessly, all for the sake of securing a ban on the Tang Army¡¯s new weapon, the white phosphorus bomb.


    Yet the proposed exchange was too enticing, so Bolton had no choice but to pass the message on to Chief of Staff Luff.


    Luff immediately took the message to Tang Mo and solicited his opinion, and Tang Mo was surprisingly generous in his response, ¡°Agree to their terms!¡±


    ¡°But, we take the lead in getting the whole world to sign a treaty, prohibiting the research and use of white phosphorus bombs!¡± Tang Mo said this with a triumphant smile on his face.


    ¡°Your Majesty! We can solve the problem with nighttime air defense very soon... agreeing to this now, won¡¯t we be at a loss?¡± Luff was privy to many secrets; he knew that the Air Force had a hush-hush plan for a nighttime air defense weapon, and he also knew that the plan seemed to be taking shape.


    ¡°At a loss? No, not at a loss! When have you ever seen me lose out?¡± Tang Mo smiled even more, waving his hand and saying, ¡°Go on! Proceed as I¡¯ve instructed! And then release it in the papers, set the tone high! Say we are considering the common people, for humane spirits, to reduce slaughter, we voluntarily give up the victory at our fingertips!¡±


    ¡°With the moral high ground, we alone can berate others!¡± Having said this, Tang Mo bowed his head and continued to draw up a schematic for a new type of weapon.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    I only wrote this much today, and it¡¯s not enough for three chapters, so it won¡¯t count as a makeup update.

 Chapter 821 821 765 new weapons are too many

    ?Chapter 821: 765 new weapons are too many Chapter 821: 765 new weapons are too many ¡°Since they think some weapons should not appear on the battlefield, let¡¯s take this opportunity to add some of the weapons that disgust us to the list as well. Isn¡¯t it all about humanity? Whoever lacks humanity becomes the enemy of the whole world,¡± Tang Mo blew on the ink-still-wet blueprint and continued speaking to Luff.


    He looked down and was very satisfied with the new fighter jet with air intakes at the nose, perceiving it as a revolutionary new generation of fighter jets from its outward appearance alone.


    After admiring his masterpiece, Tang Mo raised his head and looked at Luff again. ¡°What about all those landmines? What happens when they injure civilians after the war? How will you clear the mines that occupy the fertile lands and roads? Isn¡¯t that inhumane?¡±


    Hearing Tang Mo¡¯s reminder, Luff suddenly had an epiphany: if they could link landmines to white phosphorus bombs and get everyone to ban landmines as well, that would indeed be a good thing.


    However, he quickly reacted and asked, ¡°So, we... we reached an agreement with the Dahua Empire using white phosphorus bombs... isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Tang Mo smiled and shook his head, ¡°We¡¯ve only unilaterally reached a temporary agreement with the Dahua Empire, not a similar agreement signed with all countries! So this affair isn¡¯t over; we need to continue working on it in the winter.¡±


    For an arms dealer, he was all too familiar with this game. Countries pull out weapons lists they detest, ban them altogether, paving the way for newer, more cruel, and efficient weapons.


    ...


    ¡°For now, the issue with white phosphorus bombs can be put aside, but we should consider the issue with the oil fields in the south,¡± Tang Mo changed the subject, bringing up the Dahua Empire¡¯s bombing of the southern oil fields.


    ¡°Although the new weapons have started production, training still takes time. Relying solely on ground-based anti-aircraft fire is not enough to protect the oil fields,¡± Tang Mo said. ¡°Intimidating the Dahua Empire to stop their harassment of the southern oil fields might also be a strategy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault as your subordinate, if only I had crossed Hidden Sword Gorge at that time...¡± Luff guiltily bowed his head and blamed himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, the conflict erupted suddenly, and we weren¡¯t prepared,¡± Tang Mo waved his hand to comfort him, then continued. ¡°It¡¯s not just about relying on the Dahua Empire to uphold the treaty, but about buying time to prepare ourselves.¡±


    ¡°By the way, we have received intelligence about the probable location of the enemy¡¯s combined fleet, which is very troublesome and tricky,¡± Tang Mo consoled Luff and then proceeded to assign him his next task.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± Luff was curious.


    ¡°To the north of Mirage Country!¡± Tang Mo didn¡¯t keep him guessing but directly answered Luff¡¯s question. ¡°So, prepare in Beiyuan City, and let¡¯s send our opponents a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Luff nodded, fully aware of what Tang Mo meant.


    Currently, most of Tang Country¡¯s submarines were scattered in the central area of the Endless Sea, with the northernmost positioned in the south bay area of Mirage Country, laying mines and attacking merchant ships.


    Gathering them would take time, and moving them further north would require the support of a northern port.


    Therefore, making some preparations in Beiyuan City in advance was necessary to provide logistical support for the submarines.


    At the moment, the Tang Nation Navy had no other weapons that could threaten the massive combined fleet; submarines were the only option.


    By next year, perhaps the Tang Nation Navy could consider sending its own aircraft carrier fleet north for training, but for now, they could only rely on submarines, a large number of submarines.


    ¡°Tell the Air Force to stop the trouble of transporting white phosphorus bombs, and pull out the stockpiled incendiary bombs... since we promised the Dahua Empire not to use white phosphorus bombs, we must remain truthful,¡± Tang Mo brought up the topic of white phosphorus bombs again. ¡°Use conventional bombs for recent bombings, and once white phosphorus bombs and landmines are on the list of banned weapons, we¡¯ll send the Dahua Empire a big gift with incendiary bombs.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Luff chuckled. The Tang Army¡¯s weapons inventory was indeed endlessly innovative; if both parties kept pulling out new weapons for depletion, the enemy might end up having to fight the Tang Army¡¯s tanks with dining spoons.


    He also understood what Tang Mo meant by Tang Country always standing on the moral high ground: it was about absolute confidence in their own weapons research and development. Tang Mo could ensure that weapons outside the confines of treaties would always be produced and handed over to the Tang military.


    Actually, Tang Country¡¯s plans for developing new weapons had been disrupted by the brave actions of the Dahua Empire¡¯s Air Force. Even Tang Mo hadn¡¯t anticipated that the immature Air Force of the Dahua Empire would launch almost suicidal desperate attacks on the crucial southern oil fields.


    Without any ground guidance or radio guidance, using basic astrological judgments and the most outdated bombers, the Dahua Empire incessantly harassed the southern oil fields at night.


    This action utterly disorganized Tang Nation Air Force¡¯s weapon innovation plans: the urgently needed new weapons of the Air Force were new, more efficient ground-attack aircraft and medium bombers.


    Although the Stuka Dive Bomber could psychologically intimidate and devastate enemy soldiers, the effectiveness of this shock was rapidly diminishing with the ongoing war.


    When the enemy had no way to counter dive bombers, the Stuka certainly was able to act without restraint and make the most of its advantages.


    However, as the enemy¡¯s anti-aircraft firepower grew stronger and their preparations more robust, the Stuka¡¯s shortcomings, such as low airspeed and low bomb capacity, began to emerge.


    Thus, by the end of August, the Tang Nation Air Force had received a new type of attack aircraft from the factory, known as the IL-2.


    This attack aircraft corrected some of the Stuka¡¯s deficiencies, enhanced ground attack capabilities, and improved striking efficiency.


    Compared to the Stuka, the new IL-2 attack aircraft featured four 20mm caliber cannons, doubling the firepower of its cannons!


    The Tang Nation Air Force¡¯s version of the IL-2 attack aircraft removed the standard two 7.62mm caliber machine guns, replacing them with two 20mm caliber cannons.


    However, it wasn¡¯t without cost. The original ammunition load was reduced from 300 rounds to 210 rounds, slightly decreasing its sustained combat capability.


    The IL-2 could carry aerial rockets and smaller bombs, offering clearly heightened attack flexibility.


    It could serve as a useful complement to the Stuka, with the dive bomber utilizing large aerial bombs to precisely destroy robust targets, while the IL-2 served as a standard ground attack aircraft.


    As for the reason behind naming this aircraft IL-2, the official stance was that the experimental model had been named IL-1, hence the mass production model was designated IL-2.


    It was only natural for His Majesty the King to name this new aircraft ¡®IL,¡¯ similar to the Stuka. Everyone was unaware of the reason; it was merely a special name.


    Another new aircraft, which began testing in the military from August, was called the Junkers. It was in fact Germany¡¯s Junkers Ju 88 multipurpose aircraft.


    This aircraft was one of Germany¡¯s more successful designs, carrying a bit of an obsession. It could also be used as a bomber capable of performing dive bombing.


    Thus, when used as a bomber, it was reluctantly in line with the usage habits of Tang Nation Air Force pilots.


    It could dive bomb, though not as professionally as a single-engine Stuka. However, its bomb load far surpassed that of the Stuka.


    The Junkers Ju 88 could carry more than double the ammunition and had more than twice the range of the Stuka dive bomber, supplementing the Tang Army¡¯s lack of medium bombers.


    Additionally, this aircraft could be modified into a night fighter equipped with radar and enhanced firepower, becoming a highly specialized bomber killer.


    Tang Mo chose it for its versatility, clearly seeing that the German Army had more insights into the use of night fighters during World War II compared to the B-25.


    This rather unsightly but highly capable bomber could even carry two torpedoes, serving as a torpedo attack aircraft or maritime striker in coastal regions.


    If technology upgraded later, its greenhouse-style nose could provide the gunner with a good line of sight, allowing them to use command-guided bombs to strike targets.


    While the bomber carrying Fritz-guided bombs during World War II was the DO-217, clearly, with modifications, the Junkers Ju 88 could also carry similar weapons.


    Both types of aircraft were initially experimental tests for ground attack roles in the air force, only for news to break out about Dahua Empire¡¯s air raids on southern oil fields.


    The Tang Army had to adjust, slowing down the medium bomber experiments and prompting the factory to continue producing the Junkers medium bombers converted into night fighters.


    As a result, the project to equip the troops with medium bombers stalled, while the night fighter project was accelerated, throwing the whole testing process into total confusion.


    This was the original intent behind the secret weapons project for night battles that Luff heard about: everything was a temporary change from a bomber project to a night fighter project.


    ¡°Go ahead, and tell Bolton to do as I just instructed, agree to start negotiations, and buy time! After a month or two, we won¡¯t be as worried about night attacks on the southern oil fields,¡± Tang Mo arranged everything, then signaled that Luff could leave.


    With radar support and the secret weapon of night fighters, Tang Mo felt quite secure about the air defense over the southern oil fields. After all, the performance of the Junkers night fighters far surpassed any aircraft Dahua Empire used for nocturnal bombing missions.


    After standing at attention and saluting, Luff turned and walked out of Tang Mo¡¯s office: ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±

 Chapter 822 822 766 Agricultural Inspection

    ?Chapter 822: 766 Agricultural Inspection Chapter 822: 766 Agricultural Inspection Moist air carried the fragrance of the earth. Across the fields, busy figures bustled about.


    Although a few months ago it had been a continuous drizzle, this year turned out to be a good one for many places.


    Harvest. To a farmer, that meant happiness. To have worked hard all year and then to reap the rewards from the ridges of the fields signified a beautiful beginning to everything.


    If one only looked here, one might believe the world was completely at peace. If one only looked here, it seemed as if war had long since faded away.


    Owing to its early rise as an Industrial Nation, the agriculture in Tang Country grew even more advanced. Not only were there no burdensome taxes or miscellaneous levies here, but there were also considerable agricultural subsidies.


    With the absence of the landlord class and the nobility to exploit them, the farmers of Tang Country earned significantly more than their counterparts in other countries. This encouraged an unprecedented enthusiasm for farming among them, fulfilling self-sufficiency.


    Vast lands brought their own advantages. Although certain areas of Tang Country suffered disasters, others benefited from unprecedented harvests thanks to the moist seasons of spring and summer.


    ...


    The agricultural technology of Tang Country, especially in grain breeding and chemical fertilizers, was unmatched by any other country, which naturally led to an increase in food production.


    With the introduction of chemical fertilizers like urea, increased per acre yields were an inevitable outcome. Paired with improved seed varieties, the people of Tang no longer depended entirely on the whim of the weather for their sustenance.


    So even if many places in the Southern Region experienced crop failures, the grain production in the Northern Region of Tang Country still ensured the entire nation¡¯s food security remained unaffected.


    The farmers of the Northern Region, who already received food subsidies, lived very prosperously this year, which further solidified their support for the Great Tang Kingdom that had only ruled here for three years.


    Compared to the former Qi Country, Tang Country was better in every respect, and the populace, having enjoyed the benefits, made the most pragmatic decision.


    Over fields brimming with golden wheat ears, a train loaded with oil barrels traveled slowly northward. Its destination was Beiyuan City. Recently, there had been many such tankers, and the local farmers were no longer surprised by them.


    A young official walked barefoot in the fields, wearing a straw hat that made him look no different from the farmers beside him.


    But the locals all knew that he was an administrative official, a ¡°big officer¡± in charge of several nearby villages.


    It was this official who had brought new varieties of seeds that allowed everyone to increase their incomes and have a good year just last year.


    Poor families that used to live on debt now had a little in savings. Everyone gratefully addressed the young man as ¡°Your Honor.¡±


    ¡°Make sure to accurately count the number of ducks and chickens in each household. This part is tax-exempt, so there¡¯s no need to conceal anything!¡± the young man instructed as he walked along the field ridges, addressing the village chief who followed him.


    He was here on inspection. As an administrative official, he needed to understand the grain production and details of the people¡¯s livelihood in his jurisdiction; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t pass the annual assessment.


    Mediocre officials had no future in the Great Tang Kingdom. Anyone with even minimal expectations for their career would not be content merely sitting in their office, reading reports that sung praises.


    ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± the village chief responded with great respect for the administrative official. Even though he had once been an official in Zheng Country, the young man in front of him was much more professional in local governance.


    The gap between the Old Bureaucrats and the new officials was immense, with stark differences in their selection systems and educational content. In the eyes of the Old Bureaucrats, the modern administrative officials of Tang Country seemed more like clerks than high-ranking officers.


    These young officials had been trained in highly mechanized, targeted governance approaches: they knew the tricks of borrowing money for road construction, increasing land output, and enhancing the happiness of the people¡ªbelonging to the hands-on, industrious faction.


    Their methods of managing the populace were simple and direct: those who complied received benefits and money, while those who didn¡¯t were left behind, forced to watch others become prosperous.


    These theories, combined with the resettlement of cautious and nervous migrant peasant refugees from afar, forged the orderly society at the grass-roots level of Great Tang today.


    Destitute refugees from afar, without any background, had to comply with the arrangements of Tang officials in order to be settled and receive basic living supplies, making obedience a necessity.


    ¡°`


    Then, because of their obedience to commands, they reaped benefits and became prosperous¡ªso they became even more convinced by the officials who commanded them and more supportive of the Kingdom.


    This created a virtuous cycle; as two or three years passed, with living standards continually improving, the people increasingly conformed to the management system of Tang Country.


    Because they trusted the officials, the people almost unconditionally cooperated with the officials¡¯ policies, and with the collective effort and concerted action, the outcomes of the officials¡¯ plans and decisions improved significantly.


    Because of their support for the nation, the people were even willing to temporarily forsake their immediate interests, choosing to trust their country and wait for the better promises it would give them.


    Therefore, when they heard about disasters occurring in the Southern Region, the Northern Region immediately provided massive amounts of food supplies to support their brothers.


    It was also because these common folks identified with their identity as Tang People that they enthusiastically enlisted in the military when war broke out, suddenly increasing the military strength of Tang Country from several hundred thousand to the million-level.


    ¡°The pastoral areas in the North have also seen an increase in cattle and sheep yields this year, so the prices should fluctuate downwards. If there is a surplus, we can make some purchases to improve everyone¡¯s meals,¡± the executive official bent down, touched the full grains, and nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°How could that be?¡± remarked the village chief, taken aback by the young man¡¯s words, then hurriedly waved his hands to explain, ¡°Sir, instead of that, why not distribute the surplus to let each family manage their own expenses?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t collective purchase be cheaper? This way, we could distribute quite a bit more...¡± The young man paused, apparently realizing something, then continued, asking, ¡°Is there something wrong with my idea?¡±


    ¡°The subordinate does not dare to criticize your decision, sir. However, the subordinate believes that such a bountiful harvest is rare. If we do not save some, I fear in the event of a disaster like what happened in the South, the people might...¡± The village chief quickly explained.


    The young man nodded, realizing his idea had been a bit too idealistic¡ªalthough procuring a batch of cattle and sheep meat would allow the people to celebrate a good year, indeed, distributing money might be more tangible.


    Immediately he accepted the village chief¡¯s suggestion, after all, the Zheng Country officials were indeed mediocre, but in terms of living through hard times and being down-to-earth, they were far better than himself, a parachuted executive official: ¡°You¡¯re right, distributing the surplus is the correct approach.¡±


    ¡°Purchasing should still be focused on salt, initially satisfying people¡¯s hunger. With a surplus, only then can we stabilize the public¡¯s heart,¡± he said, praising the village chief who followed behind, ¡°I heard you used to be a City Lord, you have a lot more experience than me.¡±


    ¡°Your subordinate wasted many years and never cared for the common folk, truly shameful. Now, being able to work under your excellency is a redemption for past wrongdoings. Your subordinate doesn¡¯t seek to benefit the community... just to live the rest of my life without guilt...¡± The village chief, who was certainly past fifty, said with a look of shame.


    ¡°Recognizing and correcting mistakes is what matters. Cherish this opportunity and do not make the same mistakes. Because next time, you won¡¯t be an official of Zheng Country. You¡¯ve studied the standards of punishment for Tang Country officials,¡± the young executive warned, then continued, ¡°Your evaluation for this year is roughly Grade A-Four, which is quite good. Keep it up.¡±


    ¡°Your subordinate is ashamed; your subordinate thanks you, my lord,¡± the village chief, his face lighting up with joy, immediately expressed his gratitude.


    You must know that obtaining a Grade-A official evaluation isn¡¯t easy. For a local official, an evaluation like this is an affirmation, with corresponding rewards at the end of the year.


    ¡°You really should thank me... I¡¯m only a Grade B-One!¡± laughed the young executive as he continued forward, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the village just dug a new fishpond? That¡¯s good news! Let¡¯s go and take a look!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Your subordinate will lead the way for you right away! Speaking of that Liu Laosi who dug the fishpond, he¡¯s a clever one. He saw others doing it on his travels and thought to give it a try...¡± The village chief promptly quickened his steps and led the way.


    ¡°Good initiative! If the common people are willing to think innovatively, we must support them! For technical matters, consult the agricultural aid team often; we absolutely cannot let those daring to experiment end up losing everything,¡± the executive official instructed from behind.


    ¡°Absolutely! Of course! Speaking of that, your subordinate really admires those officials in the aid team; they seem to understand everything. They helped design Liu Laosi¡¯s fishpond and even sourced fry for him. One person even moved in beside the fishpond, watching over the fry day and night, more diligently than Liu Laosi himself,¡± the village chief said with a hint of admiration in his voice.


    ¡°I bet by next year, Liu Laosi will be the wealthiest household in your village,¡± the executive official said, familiar with this process and somewhat wistful.


    Naturally, he had experience in this area; whether in Brunas or on Dragon Island, those first to abandon traditional farming would become richer faster. With a desire for change and the technical support of Tang Country officials, they could avoid most risks and naturally profit more.


    ¡°Then next year our entire village will dig fishponds...¡± the village chief resolved immediately.


    ¡°Slow down! You have to ensure your village meets grain production targets; otherwise, even if you let every household in your village buy a car, the highest evaluation you can get is still Grade B!¡± the young executive promptly warned, ¡°I¡¯m putting it out there, if you don¡¯t meet next year¡¯s targets, your A-Four will drop to B-Four!¡±


    ¡°How could that be, how could that be!¡± The village chief, embarrassed, scratched his head and continued to lead the way with a smile.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 823 823 767 a fish

    ?Chapter 823: 767 a fish Chapter 823: 767 a fish Before long, they arrived at the fish pond and sure enough, there was a white tent by the pond, with a young man squatting on the edge, carefully examining the schools of fish swimming within.


    The fish had grown much larger since they were first put in, their schools a pleasing sight. The man known as Liu Lao Si stood by the young man, his face covered in a blissful smile.


    He was a southerner, having spent his childhood in Chu Country, living off fishing along the river; his father was a fisherman.


    Later, when his father passed away from illness and the nobility of Chu Country took over the river and forbade him from continuing to fish, he was left with no choice but to become a vagrant.


    Following the other migrants northward, he eventually arrived in Tang Country, and then was sent into the territory of Qi Country, where he was settled in this village.


    Passing through Zheng Country¡¯s old lands, Liu Lao Si had traveled north by train, an experience that opened his eyes.


    Alongside the railway, he saw fish ponds in some of the Tang Country¡¯s villages, which he memorized. Once he settled down in Qi Country, he brought up the idea with the officials from the aid group.


    ...


    Naturally, some people supported his idea, and with an experimental nature, the aid group waived many fees and enthusiastically helped him forge a new path to prosperity.


    For the university students within the aid group, this was also an accumulation of experience. It was their graduation projects, as well as a record for their future governance or technical research, which is why they were so eager.


    With both sides having their needs met, the collaboration was naturally pleasant. Seeing the governing official approach, Liu Lao Si immediately went up to greet him, and his eagerness was apparent, ¡°Governor, how come you¡¯re visiting such a dirty place... be careful where you step, Village Chief... don¡¯t get your shoes dirty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see your fish pond! Very good, knowing to choose a new path is excellent,¡± the young governor said, maturely patting Liu Lao Si¡¯s shoulder.


    Although Liu Lao Si was seven or eight years older than the governor, due to long-term malnutrition, he was quite a bit shorter. When the governor reached out to pat him, it looked as if an elder was encouraging a younger one, which seemed quite harmonious.


    The young man squatting by the fish pond now stood up and greeted the governor with a salute. The two talked for a while, discussing some details of fish farming, and then the governor was ready to conclude this inspection.


    Upon hearing his intention to leave, Liu Lao Si quickly stepped forward to insist, ¡°Sir! Since you¡¯ve come, you must have a meal before you go! I¡¯ve scooped up a few fresh fish! You must try them, you really must!¡±


    In this regard, many peasant migrants were painfully seasoned; their life experiences had twisted their relationship with officials into believing that officials¡¯ accepting bribes was the norm, and they were willing to pay for it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t! I¡¯d still like to keep my head for my next meal,¡± said the young governor hastily, waving his hands as he did not want to let this meal turn his year-end performance rating from B1 to C3 or even C4.


    If things went poorly, the city¡¯s governing office might even call him out for a critique in a separate meeting, which would probably make him infamous in the Nanye region.


    ¡°You¡¯re being too polite, Sir. There¡¯s no one else here; just eat one fish from me. I, Liu Lao Si, can afford it. You and Brother Zhang have given me a new lease on life; accepting this fish from me, Liu Lao Si, is giving me face,¡± insisted Liu Lao Si sincerely, as he tried to retain the governor once more.


    He truly wanted to repay those who had given him a chance to live; without them, he¡¯d probably still be living as he had in Chu Country. He felt grateful and obligated to offer these benefactors a fish.


    The young governor shook his head, declining Liu Lao Si¡¯s insistence once again, ¡°I know I could accept a fish from you today, and you could afford it. But desires are inexhaustible. Today I take a fish from you; tomorrow, I might demand a car, and you couldn¡¯t afford that! So it¡¯s better not to start and refuse this fish. That way, both you and I can be at ease.¡±


    ¡°Get out of the way! Think you¡¯re the only clever one? Just properly grow your fish. If you become wealthy yourself, both I, the Governor, and the Village Chief will be happy! Understand?¡± The Village Chief was much more straightforward as he was the actual supervisor of the village. Liu Lao Si often dealt with him on regular days and, naturally, was more open with him.


    After the Village Chief scolded him, Liu Lao Si indeed shrank back and rolled away without saying another word. The governor smiled, gave a few more instructions, and headed toward the head of the village.


    ...


    Li Ping was somewhat dizzied by the sudden stroke of fortune, as a few Tang Country diplomats had unexpectedly arrived and, in principle, had agreed to Dahua Empire¡¯s request to ban the use of white phosphorus bombs in exchange.


    ¡°His Majesty The King of Tang Country harbors benevolence, and Li Ping admires him unreservedly!¡± When Li Ping got the response he wanted, he naturally did not hesitate to praise the King whom he had never met, as flattering words cost nothing.


    ¡°I hope your country will send a dedicated person to negotiate as soon as possible. May we reach an agreement quickly, preventing the soldiers at the front line from losing their lives in vain,¡± the Tang Country diplomats said, elevating the issue of killing to a matter of saving lives with much professionalism.


    Li Ping indeed hoped to finalize the matter directly, but the other party wanted to submit a formal treaty, so he had no authority to proceed further.


    He was simply a general of the Dahua Empire, without the power to conduct foreign relations. Besides, he was only a ¡°special envoy¡± sent by Feng Kezhi himself, and could not represent the Dahua Empire in signing any agreements.


    Thus, Li Ping naturally could only go back to report first, and then send someone else to come back to conclude the treaty. He didn¡¯t know this was Tang Country¡¯s stalling tactic, so his mood was naturally ecstatic.


    ¡°Before concluding the treaty, both sides should exercise restraint, and with fair principles and humanitarian spirit, address this matter,¡± the diplomat from Tang Country said with noble righteousness, as if there was a dazzling light radiating from behind him.


    Li Ping very much agreed with this direction of conversation. As long as the other side started to talk about morality, the use of White Phosphorus Bombs would be shelved, which was definitely good news for the Dahua Empire.


    Indeed, what the diplomat from Tang Country said next made Li Ping feel as if he were under a lucky star, ¡°Before any agreement is reached, our side promises... as long as the Dahua Empire does not bomb and harass the southern oilfield facilities, our side will cease the use of White Phosphorus Bombs against the Dahua Empire.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you...¡± Li Ping felt as if he had been bathed in the righteous light of the Great Tang Kingdom. Besides saying thanks, he didn¡¯t know what else he could say.


    After Li Ping brought the news back to Fengjiang City, the noble rhetoric sounded very different to General Feng Kezhi¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Tang Country is afraid we¡¯ll continue to harass and bomb the southern oilfields!¡± This was General Feng Kezhi¡¯s first reaction after hearing the news that Li Ping had brought back.


    The second message he discerned from Tang Country¡¯s response was that Tang Country was prepared to firmly follow this path of righteousness. They had cast themselves as the victims, as the invaded party, yet even so, they were determined to seize the moral high ground.


    When it came to righteousness, Tang Country had clearly played its cards well. Nowadays, anti-war sentiments had already begun to surface within the Dahua Empire.


    Some recluses who normally weren¡¯t very useful, but who had good reputations among the common folk, had also flocked to Tang Country, speaking on its behalf.


    Issues of this sort began to trouble the court of the Dahua Empire. Coupled with repeated defeats at the frontline, the Dahua Empire¡¯s court and public had already lost patience and confidence in the war.


    Although General Feng Kezhi had his own thoughts, he had no choice but to play ball with Tang Country¡¯s overture. It might be said that the soccer team of Tang Country wasn¡¯t great, but the diplomatic department¡¯s skill at playing the ball was very high.


    This belonged to the category of open strategies, the kind the Dahua Empire had to grudgingly accept: Tang Country had taken the moral high ground, from which they were invincible in battle. Any resistance would earn the label of evil treachery, making the situation frustratingly powerless.


    General Feng Kezhi¡¯s original plan was to lure Tang Country onto a moral pedestal from which they could not easily descend. If Tang Country remained reluctant to give up the White Phosphorus Bombs as a weapon, they would lose their moral standing.


    But who could have anticipated that Tang Country would stand firm, reversing the roles and instead involving the Dahua Empire, rendering their harassment of the southern oilfields unjustifiable.


    Back and forth, it seemed the Dahua Empire was losing more.


    General Feng Kezhi gave a glance at Li Ping, who was still in the dark, and sighed with a gloomy expression, ¡°You may step down now!¡±


    After Li Ping had left, General Feng Kezhi began to reckon whether he could endure a few more bombings by White Phosphorus Bombs and continue airstrikes to the southern oilfields...


    In General Feng Kezhi¡¯s eyes, since Tang Country was willing to forego White Phosphorus Bombs rather than allow the southern oilfields to continue being bombed, it meant that those oilfields were more important to Tang Country!


    He grabbed the phone and suddenly stopped in his tracks. A few seconds later, he replaced the receiver on its cradle.


    Originally, he had intended to call Sword Pavilion for another discussion with Zhao Chen, to continue bombing the southern oilfields.


    But on second thought, he felt this matter seemed to offer no benefit to himself: As the Great General of the Empire, he was no longer trusted by the Emperor. If the situation in Fengjiang City worsened further, His Majesty The Emperor would likely deal with him first.


    Trading the bombing of Fengjiang City with White Phosphorus Bombs for a victory at Sword Pavilion... seemed like a bad deal for General Feng Kezhi personally.


    After struggling for a moment, he picked up the receiver again, hesitated for a while, and then hung up irritably. He knew his heart was in turmoil! He was annoyed because in such a state, he no longer had the desire for victory, the pride in seeking to win, leaving only a high-positioned person¡¯s selfishness.


    In such a state, let alone competing with the powerful Tang Country for victory, it was even uncertain whether he could maintain the current situation and let the Fengjiang campaign end with dignity.


    Grinding his teeth and steadying his emotions, he finally picked up the phone again. He felt he had to conquer himself; this was the pride of a warrior! It was the honor he must defend: ¡°Hello! Connect me to Sword Pavilion!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Here¡¯s an extra chapter.

 Chapter 824 824 Zhao Chens Dilemma 768

    ?Chapter 824: Zhao Chen¡¯s Dilemma 768 Chapter 824: Zhao Chen¡¯s Dilemma 768 Zhao Chen was a prince of the Dahua Empire, dignified in status and capable in abilities. He organized defense troops in Sword Pavilion, withstanding the frontal pressure from the Tang army.


    Speaking of which, due to the existence of the Hidden Sword Gorge¡ªa natural barrier¡ªthe possibility of a frontal attack by the Tang army on Sword Pavilion was actually not great.


    Coupled with reinforcements from the Shu Country, the Hidden Sword Gorge defense line of the Dahua military could be described as solid as a rock. The Tang army was also aware of this information.


    Therefore, while the battle raged fiercely in Fengjiang City, the troops on both sides of the Hidden Sword Gorge remained quiet, with no one attempting to break this delicate balance.


    While everyone on the ground maintained restraint, it did not mean that the same courtesy was observed in the skies. The air battle around Hidden Sword Gorge had in fact been ongoing for seven or eight days.


    Throughout those seven or eight days, the Dahua Air Force had been launching its new Dahua-model fighter jets to face the Tang Nation Air Force, with both sides fiercely battling near the line of actual control.


    Every day saw more than a dozen Dahua fighter jets shot down. Although the Tang army had not yet completely secured air superiority, the losses of the Dahua Air Force were already unbearable.


    ...


    While a daily loss of a dozen jets might not seem much, relatively speaking, it was definitely not insignificant. Added to the losses from previous battles, the remaining troops were distraught, everyone was tense, fearing they might become the next tragic hero to be shot down.


    To put it into perspective, the Dahua military had already lost over 300 bombers and more than 200 new-model fighter jets.


    Moreover, the pilots of all the bombers and more than 150 fighter jets did not return to their units; these were tangible losses.


    Even considering just the number of pilots, the loss of over 450 pilots was certainly a significant blow for the Dahua Empire: training those pilots had cost real silver, and each pilot¡¯s worth was no less than that of the planes themselves.


    If the consumption of the precious, low-production, new-model fighter jets was also considered, the Dahua Air Force was actually overwhelmed by the battles fought in those days.


    Calls to preserve strength grew louder, and Zhao Chen himself wondered whether it was worth continuing the night bombing missions that led to no return.


    Indeed, Zhao Chen need not deliberate any further, as he truly no longer had the capital or strength to continue large-scale aerial battles.


    On one hand, the Dahua Air Force was running out of pilots, and the advanced fighter jets could not keep up with the consumption. Frontline air force capabilities were severely damaged, rendering it incapable of launching further offensive campaigns.


    On the other hand... the Tang Nation Air Force was not idle either. One of the main reasons they continually launched aerial battles was to protect their own bombers, performing repeated strikes on the Dahua airfields near Sword Pavilion.


    Since the Dahua aircraft taking off from Sword Pavilion could carry out bombing missions on southern oil fields, the Tang army¡¯s frontline airfields naturally included the Dahua airfields near Sword Pavilion in their range of attack.


    In order to reduce the anti-air pressure on the southern oil fields, the Tang Nation Air Force took the initiative to strike out, deliberately destroying any Dahua airfields they could find.


    After suffering the most devastating daytime bombings, the Sword Pavilion airfield was destroyed by the subsequent arrival of the Tang Nation Air Force and their Flying Fortress Bombers.


    It was truly destroyed! The Tang army dropped hundreds of bombs in one go, nearly turning the entire airfield runway into a plowed field.


    The largest airfield near Sword Pavilion was rendered completely inoperable for taking off or landing planes from that day on, and even the wreckage of planes near the runway, affected by the bombings, hadn¡¯t been cleared up to this day.


    The remaining smaller airfields had also been found by the Tang army¡¯s reconnaissance aircraft, then targeted for elimination by the Stuka Dive Bombers.


    Under such an offensive, virtually all of the Dahua Air Force¡¯s frontline field airfields were destroyed, making it impossible to organize another large-scale air raid on the southern oil fields.


    Just as Zhao Chen picked up the telephone receiver, air raid alarms were still resounding in Sword Pavilion. As the Tang army found no targets to attack, they began massively bombing Sword Pavilion, causing Zhao Chen immense distress and earning him a scolding from Zhao Kai.


    It¡¯s worth noting that Sword Pavilion is a pivotal location for the Dahua Empire, carrying additional significance. That Sword Pavilion was bombed meant that Zhao Kai couldn¡¯t disregard the matter.


    But war is war; it doesn¡¯t spare even the Imperial Capital of the Empire, one can only endure when under attack.


    Yet reason is still reason, and the Emperor wasn¡¯t expected to always act reasonably. Zhao Kai¡¯s inability to manage effectively infuriated him once again, resulting in Zhao Chen being thoroughly scolded over the phone.


    ¡°Hello! This is Zhao Chen!¡± Picking up the receiver, Zhao Chen knew the call was from General Feng Kezhi and did not mince words, skipping many formalities.


    General Feng Kezhi also skipped idle chatter, directly mentioning his efforts to contact the Tang Country and the exchanges made with them.


    After hearing General Feng Kezhi¡¯s words, Zhao Chen sneered coldly, ¡°Great General! You are retreating step by step on the battlefield, but you have astounding results in negotiating with the enemy.¡±


    Ignoring Zhao Chen¡¯s mockery, General Feng Kezhi continued to speak, sharing his views on the matter, ¡°Tang Country agreed even to such nai?ve requests of mine, it appears, Prince, that your harassment around the southern oil fields has been effective, causing great distress to Tang Country!¡±


    Hearing someone praise his achievements, Zhao Chen was still quite pleased. Since General Feng Kezhi had started with positive remarks, he too set aside his scornful and mocking thoughts.


    ¡°Now, I think, Prince, if we continue to pressure Tang Country around the southern oil fields, might we seize the opportunity to end this war ... gracefully?¡± General Feng Kezhi finally voiced the thoughts he most desired to express.


    He no longer harbored any hope for victory, nor did he dare to guarantee that he could continue to hold off. The idea of recapturing the southern oil fields and pushing the front lines back into Tang Country¡¯s territory was even more like a pipe dream.


    The reality was, Fengjiang City was barely defendable now, and continuing the fight could result in losing a few more cities in the hinterlands, possibly bringing the Imperial City within the reach of Tang Army bombers.


    If Tang Army¡¯s bombers appeared above the Imperial Capital, it would completely erase the dignity of the Dahua Empire. Such a turn of events would be much more terrifying than losing the Sword Pavilion.


    Thus, in General Feng Kezhi¡¯s view, gracefully requesting a truce and giving up some interests to end the war... was a beneficial choice for the Dahua Empire.


    In fact, this was not just his opinion, but also that of many, including Zhao Chen, who supported this view.


    During the process of deploying troops and confronting the Tang Army, Zhao Chen had profoundly experienced the might of the Tang Army, which helped him understand the previous collapses of the Dahua Imperial forces.


    Although Zhao Kai was still furiously angry, Zhao Chen sensibly stood with the pragmatists, ¡°This unjust war launched against Tang Country indeed needs to be brought to an end.¡±


    What frustrated Zhao Chen and General Feng Kezhi was that they could choose when to start the war, but could not decide when it would end.


    Tang Country¡¯s continuous victories made it so that the Dahua Empire no longer had the conditions to request a peace. Reality was so cruel¡ªwhy would anyone stop fighting when victory was at hand?


    ¡°You make a lot of sense,¡± Zhao Chen¡¯s expression grew solemn, believing Feng Kezhi¡¯s idea was feasible.


    Bombing the southern oil fields might not bring a decisive victory for the Dahua Empire but might make the Tang side seriously consider the option of a ceasefire.


    As long as the opponent was no longer aggressively pressing forward, and as long as they were open to negotiations, then the Dahua Empire could end this war in the graceful manner as Feng Kezhi suggested.


    Isn¡¯t this the outcome everyone desires?


    For the Dahua Empire, the war indeed needed to end. Borrowing troops from Shu Country and Qin Country had already made it difficult for the Dahua Empire to hold its head up among its vassals.


    If this war continued, it¡¯s possible the influence of the Dahua Empire over these vassal states could diminish, eventually leading to these countries breaking away from their dependence on the Dahua Empire and worsening the environment around it.


    If the war against Tang Country transformed into a complete collapse of the hegemony of the Dahua Empire, it¡¯s likely that Zhao Kai, the prideful Emperor, would truly resort to violence.


    As subjects of this decaying empire, neither Zhao Chen nor General Feng Kezhi wanted to see the situation deteriorate to that breaking point.


    So when Zhao Chen listened to General Feng Kezhi¡¯s reasoning, he immediately agreed with his judgment, ¡°If it is truly as you say, I think applying more pressure on Tang Country could indeed make them seriously consider negotiations.¡±


    ¡°However, I also have difficulties; the Tang Army has been continuously bombing our airfields, making it difficult for me to organize any substantial bombings in the foreseeable future.¡± After agreeing with General Feng Kezhi, Zhao Chen spoke about his own predicaments.


    Even though he agreed with General Feng Kezhi¡¯s judgment, wanting to continue night raids on the southern oil fields while withstanding bombings from the Tang Army would require time to prepare.


    It wasn¡¯t a simple matter of issuing orders and having the troops execute them¡ªfor the pilots in the Dahua Empire¡¯s Air Force, carrying out nighttime bombings on the southern oil fields was hardly different from being ordered to commit suicide.


    Getting one person to willingly carry out a suicide attack was hard enough, let alone a group.


    ¡°Please, Prince, organize a new bombing campaign as soon as possible. If it¡¯s delayed for too long, I fear Fengjiang will not hold.¡±


    ¡°Has the situation deteriorated to such an extent? You¡¯ve managed Fengjiang for months and yet, in just a few days, it has come to this dire situation?¡± Zhao Chen, with a serious expression, asked incredulously.


    Although he disliked looking at General Feng Kezhi, he was aware of his capabilities. He didn¡¯t think General Feng Kezhi was incompetent, but even such a capable general was unable to defend Fengjiang City.


    ¡°It was previously stable because Tang Army¡¯s main forces weren¡¯t there... Yesterday, the front-line Qin Army spotted a new Tang Army unit we¡¯ve never seen before.¡± Feng Kezhi¡¯s voice was heavy over the phone, ¡°The 1st Armored Division of Tang Country has arrived in Fengjiang.¡±

 Chapter 825 825 769 Great Tang Main Force

    ?Chapter 825: 769 Great Tang Main Force Chapter 825: 769 Great Tang Main Force When Liu Guozhu arrived at the outskirts of Fengjiang City, their mission had already shifted from assisting the 7th Army in breaching Fengjiang City to expanding the defensive line on both flanks of Fengjiang City.


    That is to say, their task was to attack along the perimeter of Fengjiang City toward both flanks, to create a semblance of surrounding the city and pose a threat to the flanks of Fengjiang City.


    Thus, as the 7th Army was engaged in a room-to-room struggle with the Dahua troops stationed in Fengjiang City, the 1st Armored Division of the Tang Army began a fierce battle with the Qin Army on the flanks of Fengjiang City.


    A Panther Tank moved slowly across the battlefield, and sitting at the commander¡¯s position, Liu Guozhu carefully searched for potential enemy hiding spots.


    In such an unsafe location, he wouldn¡¯t rashly stick out his head: a Tang Army tank commander had previously been killed by a sniper for exposing his upper body to direct the fight, so the Tang Army¡¯s Armored Brigade began to enforce strict safety precautions for its commanders.


    With his face pressed against the slit of the observation window, peering through the narrow gap at the battlefield shrouded in gunsmoke, Liu Guozhu caught sight of the chaotic scene.


    The ground was littered with craters and destroyed trenches everywhere. Next to the craters, one could vaguely discern some bodies, mostly belonging to the Qin Army, with a few from the Dahua forces.


    ...


    ¡°Left front!¡± Liu Guozhu spotted a suspicious target¡ªit seemed as if something was concealed there, ¡°11 o¡¯clock direction! Appears to be an anti-tank gun! Can you see it?¡±


    ¡°I think I see it!¡± the gunner replied after adjusting the turret¡¯s orientation, face against the sightscope, ¡°Not very clear, could be a dummy target, or a destroyed artillery position...¡±


    His words had barely finished when he saw a flash of light through the sightscope. After the flash, a cloud of dispersing white smoke billowed out.


    ¡°Whoosh! Bang!¡± A shell whistled in, striking directly against the Panther Tank¡¯s front armor.


    However, the shell didn¡¯t penetrate the thick frontal armor of the Panther Tank; it bounced off the sloped armor and flew off to the side.


    The immense force caused the advancing tank to shudder as if hammered forcefully, and Liu Guozhu himself was jolted with shock.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been hit!¡± the radio operator shouted nervously, having only a thin layer of armored steel between him and the shell.


    ¡°I know! It didn¡¯t penetrate!¡± Liu Guozhu loudly reassured his subordinates, ¡°Aim and fire! Stop the tank! Stop the tank!¡±


    The Panther Tank smoothly halted in place as Qin Army machine guns and rifles around them began to fire fiercely, bullets striking the tank like raindrops pattering on the armor.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The Panther Tank fired a shell, but due to the hasty aiming, the shell collided with the earthwork in front of the Qin Army anti-tank gun position, deviated from its trajectory, and was flung out far away.


    ¡°Missed! Missed!¡± Liu Guozhu shouted as he watched his shell fly off.


    ¡°I know! High-explosive round! Load high-explosive this time!¡± The gunner shouted back, and then the loader pushed a high-explosive round into the chamber.


    ¡°Loaded!¡± The sturdy loader loudly reported after the breechblock closed, following which the gunner fired the second shot.


    This shell once again struck the earth near the emplacement but did not ricochet this time; instead, it exploded upon collision with the emplacement.


    The erupting smoke obscured the view, leaving it unclear whether the anti-tank gun position was destroyed.


    Nevertheless, following orders, the loader pulled another shrapnel shell from the ammunition rack beside him and pushed it into the chamber.


    ¡°Loaded!¡± The loader confirmed loudly after completing the action.


    ¡°Advance! Advance!¡± Liu Guozhu commanded loudly.


    Following his command, the Panther Tank that had just been hit spewed a plume of black smoke from its exhaust at the rear, and the massive body once again began to move forward.


    Liu Guozhu looked through the observation window at the smoking area again, his tank slightly shaking, eager to confirm whether the anti-tank gun that had threatened them was destroyed.


    In fact, the so-called anti-tank guns were a term used internally; these cannons might not be specialized anti-tank guns but simply used by the enemy to attack their tanks.


    Even if it was a shrapnel cannon or an anti-aircraft gun, as long as it fired at a tank, in the eyes of the tank crew, that artillery piece was classified as a ¡°standard anti-tank gun.¡±


    ¡°Keep an eye out! That anti-tank gun position from earlier! I still can¡¯t be sure if it was destroyed!¡± Liu Guozhu loudly reminded his gunner.


    The gunner was also cautious, ¡°Understood! I¡¯m on it! They haven¡¯t continued firing, it looks like...¡±


    His words were not yet finished when another shell flew toward them, this time not hitting Liu Guozhu¡¯s tank but striking the side of it and kicking up a patch of dirt.


    The other side was using a solid shot that wouldn¡¯t explode, looking very much like the armor-piercing rounds used by the Tang Army themselves. However, the other side¡¯s gun¡¯s chamber pressure seemed to be insufficient, with the armor-piercing ability seeming somewhat inferior.


    ¡°It¡¯s still firing! It¡¯s still firing!¡± Seeing his own tank nearly hit again, the gunner yelled out loud in fright.


    ¡°I see it! The original position! Around 11 o¡¯clock direction, on the edge of the gunsmoke! Can you see it?¡± Liu Guozhu peered through the slit and saw the enemy¡¯s artillery that was firing at them.


    ¡°Stop the tank! I¡¯m preparing to fire!¡± It was impossible to guarantee accuracy while moving, so the gunner yelled loudly.


    ¡°Stop the tank!¡± Liu Guozhu skillfully gave the command.


    He could see through the observation window¡¯s slit the enemy positions in the distance where they were nervously adjusting their artillery, preparing to fire again. Both sides were racing against time, trying to eliminate their opponent with the next shot.


    The Panther Tank shuddered slightly before coming to a stop. The enemy artillery position that had always been in the gunner¡¯s sights now became still on the crosshairs.


    The gunner pressed the firing pedal, and a shell shot straight out of the barrel, cut through the air, and struck the side of the enemy¡¯s anti-tank gun position, raising a cloud of dirt.


    ¡°You missed! You didn¡¯t hit it!¡± Liu Guozhu, who was continuously observing, saw where the shell had landed, which seemed to be even farther off than the first.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± The gunner cursed, and again shouted, ¡°Loader! Continue with high-explosive rounds!¡±


    ¡°High-explosive round! Loading!¡± Upon hearing the command, the loader immediately pulled out a new shell, shoved it into the cannon breech, and closed the breech block: ¡°Ready to fire!¡±


    Compared to the larger targets like tanks, anti-tank gun positions hidden in enemy lines were sometimes more troublesome.


    With good cover and a concealed profile, these artillery pieces hastily repurposed as anti-tank weapons posed a serious threat, and they were among the most disliked opponents by the Tang Army tankers.


    ¡°Boom!¡± White smoke rose once more from the enemy¡¯s position, and another shell landed not far from the rear side of the Panther Tank.


    The enemy also missed, wasting another excellent opportunity. In these short-notice battles, shooting accuracy was generally not high; it all relied on rate of fire to make constant adjustments.


    Evidently, the Tang Army¡¯s 75mm long-barreled cannon had a higher rate of fire. The Panther Tank stopped in place to reload and then fired another shell.


    This time, the Qin defenders¡¯ luck seemed to have run out. The shell blew away the shield in front of the gun and scattered the limbs and severed arms of some artillerymen.


    Following the Panther Tank, the Tang Empire Grenadiers began their charge, with the loud military bugle resounding through the sky; the Qin Army¡¯s defense line, once again as expected, collapsed.


    It seemed that in the face of the Tang Country forces¡¯ attack, the bravery and good fighting of the Qin Army was collapsing more and more quickly, and their defenses seemed to be getting weaker and weaker.


    ¡°What kind of monster is that? What kind of monster is that?¡± as a Qin soldier watched helplessly his own 76mm caliber anti-aircraft gun fired in a flat trajectory, hitting that strange tank he had never seen before only for the shell to be deflected by the tank¡¯s sloped front armor, he shouted in fear.


    A tank that couldn¡¯t be destroyed was simply a nightmare for infantry. The Qin Army concentrated their firepower in hopes of destroying the Tang Army¡¯s Panther Tank, only to find this new kind of tank, whether from the front or side, was much stronger than the number four tank they had previously faced.


    After multiple fruitless efforts, the Qin Army began to retreat. They did not understand why the Tang Army possessed so many advanced weapons beyond their ability to counter, nor why the Tang Army had seemingly inexhaustible ammunition.


    After many fierce battles, the Qin Army had recognized the gap in weaponry and firepower density between the two sides, and the tremendous losses far exceeded what Qin Country¡¯s commanders had predicted.


    This had led the Qin Army to re-evaluate this war, which was originally not much to do with them, to ponder why they should persist in a deadly struggle against such a formidable opponent.


    On one hand, the principle of a shared fate forced them to continue their alliance with the Dahua Empire and resist this rising Great Tang Kingdom on the East Coast.


    On the other hand, they were entertaining some thoughts they had not dared to entertain before: Could it be that the hegemony of the Dahua Empire was destined to collapse, and could it be that Qin Country¡¯s time to rise was coming?


    Amidst this dilemma, the originally staunch Qin Army¡¯s performance on the battlefield began to change in flavor. Directly reflected in their combat actions, it meant that the Qin Army began to preserve themselves, starting to retreat more naturally than before.


    They had come to understand, but for this, the Dahua Empire was about to lose important defensive positions. In just one day¡¯s time, Tang Army¡¯s 1st Armored Division had captured a quarter of the defensive positions around the outer area of Fengjiang City.


    ¡ª¨C


    Two chapters today, more to follow tomorrow.

 Chapter 826 826 770 Tang Army formation change

    ?Chapter 826: 770 Tang Army formation change Chapter 826: 770 Tang Army formation change If one were to simply look at the map, the offensive posture of the Tang Army near Fengjiang would be easy to understand. A part of the Tang Army had already broken into the city, while the wings of the Tang Army were trying to peel this city away from the actual control line of the Dahua Empire.


    Along the city¡¯s edge, the 1st Armored Division of the Tang Army advanced like a hot knife through butter, capturing nearly a quarter of the city¡¯s outer perimeter at an unstoppable pace, while on the other side, the 5th Armored Division of the Tang Country was attacking more slowly, but they managed to cut into the defences of the Dahua garrison.


    In less than half a month, Fengjiang City had gone from being a dozen kilometers away from the front line to an almost semi-encircled state.


    Its flanks were all troops of the Tang Army; and if the Tang Army were likened to sea water, then Fengjiang City had become a semi-peninsula hanging over the sea.


    The Dahua garrison stationed in Fengjiang City was resisting doggedly. After receiving assurances from their commanders that ¡°the Tang Army would not continue to use white phosphorus bombs,¡± their fighting courage gradually returned.


    However, their defences had already been broken through, the Tang Army had entered the city and controlled a large area, so the Dahua troops had lost the best opportunity to drive out the Tang Army from Fengjiang City.


    The battle between the two sides raged fiercely within the city. Soldiers of the Tang Army and the Dahua military fought over each block, sometimes spending several hours over a two-story building.


    ...


    Of course, such brutal contests were in the minority because the characteristics of city buildings meant that Fengjiang City could never become Stalingrad, nor could the Dahua military realistically hope to fight the Tang Army in the city for too long.


    Most of the houses in this city were single-story, more than half of which were wooden structures, and it hadn¡¯t changed much from decades ago. All changes were concentrated in the industrial area that had sprung up hastily on the outskirts of the city.


    Therefore, in the white phosphorus bombings, Fengjiang City suffered such extensive loss of buildings, such great fires broke out, and the tragedy was so intense it was crushing.


    Because there were not so many brick and stone structures, not so many tall buildings, not such a complex city structure, the possibilities of relying on street blocks and alley battles were reduced enormously.


    In this regard, Fengjiang City was different from Beiyuan City in Qi Country before. Beiyuan City, being a coastal city, had used a lot of stone for building houses to guard against the disasters brought by the sea winds, making the urban environment much more complicated.


    While in Fengjiang City, often just two hand grenades or a single artillery shell would be enough to damage a building¡¯s structure severely, making it difficult to continue to hold and fight relying on it.


    Of course, this environment also created some problems for the offense: the buildings that were taken down were not easy to use; most became dangerous structures and lost their function.


    General Feng Kezhi had a simple idea: If Fengjiang might be indefensible, then they should destroy the city. The goal was to prevent the Tang Army from using the urban buildings to spend the winter, to minimize the advantages the Tang Army would gain after occupying the city.


    Since the Great General of the Dahua Empire was himself supervising the battle in Fengjiang, the strategic thinking of the Dahua military was very clear.


    When giving up certain blocks, they would often plant bombs in advance or use hand grenades to destroy the buildings or turn them into dangerous structures.


    The parts that could not be destroyed in time would later be targeted by artillery fire, with the aim of preventing the Tang Army from utilizing the areas they had conquered.


    This strategy was particularly evident during the struggle for Fengjiang Railway Station. As the Tang Army¡¯s tanks began to approach the station, the Engineer Corps of Dahua immediately blew up the station without the slightest hesitation.


    By the time the Tang Army¡¯s tanks had covered the grenadiers and taken the station, it had already turned into ruins, and the broken rails had even been carried away.


    What the Tang Army got were just some disfigured platforms, shattered stones and tiles, and some remaining wooden planks along with buildings like the waiting rooms that had collapsed by half.


    ¡°The enemy isn¡¯t trying to preserve Fengjiang; they¡¯re destroying everything usable before losing it,¡± several generals reported the latest situation to Bolton with a sense of helplessness while standing in front of the map.


    ¡°Their intention is very clear. They¡¯re not planning to let us rely on Fengjiang to spend the winter in one or two months,¡± another general added with a shake of his head.


    Bolton looked towards the commander of the 7th Army, with his full beard, seeking his opinion: ¡°Your troops have been fighting in the city. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°This is entirely different from the battles I¡¯m familiar with. To be honest, I¡¯m not very adapted to this form of warfare. This isn¡¯t about seizing a city; it¡¯s about destroying it,¡± said the bearded commander with a sigh.


    ¡°In the past, when we went to war, we often just fought in the open field. Once the enemy¡¯s field troops were annihilated, the war was pretty much over,¡± he paused for several seconds, as if recalling his past time in Northern Ridge: ¡°The purpose of the war was to decide the winner...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still deciding the winner now,¡± Bolton felt the other¡¯s line of thought was a bit too old-fashioned.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± the bearded general also felt he was being sentimental: ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, if this were ten years ago, the commanders of the Dahua Empire would have abandoned Fengjiang already, and they would have sent envoys to sue for peace with us.¡±


    In that era, because of the slow advancement of troops, as well as the inability to keep up with firepower, manpower, and logistical support, battles were on a much smaller scale.


    Even if victory was achieved on the battlefield, the attacking side was unable to freely expand a local victory into a complete triumph.


    Therefore, even if one won a decisive battle, the defeated party would simply seek peace and pay indemnities, losing only one or two cities, which could even be redeemed with money or slaves.


    Ten years later, today, the scale of war has completely escalated. The size of military involvement in a war is a thousand times what it used to be! The benefits that the victorious party must secure are naturally also a thousandfold greater than before.


    Due to the strengthened logistics by ships, trains, and trucks, a vast and comprehensive war could be supported, and the military forces with firepower boosted by advanced machine guns, artillery, and even tanks and aircraft, were naturally far superior to the past.


    ¡°However, now they are fighting us in the cities and, by making such decisions, they are depleting my manpower and destroying the city I am about to capture, which makes me feel like I have not achieved my offensive objectives,¡± the bearded man said after some thought, sharing his feelings.


    ¡°I think so too, if we continue to contend with them in the urban areas, what we will end up with before winter is a vast ruin, not Fengjiang City,¡± Bolton nodded, agreeing with the latter part of the bearded man¡¯s point of view.


    Then he changed the subject, pointing to Fengjiang City¡¯s flanks and continuing,¡±That¡¯s why I changed tactics afterward and began utilizing the Armored Corps to initiate attacks on both wings, trying to encircle Fengjiang and expel that General Feng Kezhi from Fengjiang City.¡±


    In fact, this was the true purpose of the Tang Army¡¯s attempt to encircle Fengjiang: Bolton felt that as the Empire¡¯s Great General, Feng Kezhi would certainly not allow himself to be trapped; he would surely retreat his headquarters to a safe place before the city was surrounded.


    Once Feng Kezhi left Fengjiang, the resolve of the Fengjiang garrison would waver under the pressure of being surrounded and without Feng Kezhi¡¯s supervision, revealing vulnerabilities in the execution of their scorched-earth policy for Fengjiang City.


    In comparison to the urban guerrilla warfare against the Dahua military, Bolton still felt that the Tang Army seemed better able to utilize and exert its strengths in open-field combat.


    Indeed, this was clearly the case.


    After nearly two to three months of intense fighting with the Great Tang army, the Qin Army which had come from afar, appeared to be battle-weary and had lost its edge.


    Despite receiving supplies from Dahua, they were still ¡°foreign troops,¡± and things were not as convenient as they had originally planned.


    It must be known that the reason the Qin Army had come was not as previously agreed upon: they came to loot amidst chaos, not to send coal in the snow!


    The promise given to the Qin Army by Dahua was that the Dahua military would invade Tang Country, with the Qin Army as the reserve force to be deployed at crucial moments to decisively crush the Tang Army¡¯s last lines of defense.


    Then, the Dahua Empire would take Tang Country¡¯s land and population, with the Qin Army taking the Tang Country¡¯s wealth, and technology to be shared among them, creating a harmonious family.


    However, the current situation was: the Great Tang Kingdom was clearly the victor, with the frontline already pushed to Fengjiang. The Dahua Empire was completely defeated, and the situation was very clear.


    Thus, the Qin Army was unable to obtain the large amounts of wealth from Tang Country as per the agreement, nor could they acquire the desired technology, resulting in a loss of both men and treasure.


    In addition, logistical supply problems had to be added to the mix. With the Qin Army having traveled from afar, the plan did not involve much need for resupply; they were supposed to appear on the battlefield at the critical moment, as the final decisive force that would crush a Tang Army on the brink of collapse.


    Even in the Dahua Empire¡¯s logistics plan, there was no serious provision made specifically for supplying the Qin Army.


    As a result, the Qin Army ended up filling in for the Dahua Empire¡¯s collapsing central defenses, which was entirely different from the plan.


    The already overburdened Dahua transport line, struggling to support their own troops, had no extra capacity to spare on the Qin foreign troops.


    Under such circumstances, fighting a battle with the wind was not a major issue, but fighting against it was a completely different scenario.


    The Qin Army¡¯s weapons and ammunition, being the same as the Dahua Empire¡¯s, could still be borrowed from the Dahua military for use. However, other aspects were not so easily managed, given the Dahua forces were not well-off either.


    For example, medical supplies, which the Dahua Empire barely had enough for themselves, and the Qin Army had brought very little, quickly ran out. After all, they had come to plunder, expecting smooth sailing¡ªwho would need vast amounts of medical supplies?


    But who could have foreseen that they would end up fighting tough battles, brutal defensive wars, and their own medical supplies would be insufficient almost immediately?


    This directly affected the morale of the Qin Army: if the wounded couldn¡¯t receive proper treatment, who would dare to risk their lives?

 Chapter 827 827 Promotion of the 771-year-old General

    ?Chapter 827: Promotion of the 771-year-old General Chapter 827: Promotion of the 771-year-old General Medicine was one aspect, or perhaps for the Qin Army, the lack of some supplies wasn¡¯t their greatest concern.


    Even when the Dahua military had deducted a portion of the Qin Army¡¯s food supply, it didn¡¯t make the Qin officers explode in rage, ¡°After all, the Northwest is bitterly cold, and the Qin Army is used to poverty. They didn¡¯t eat well to begin with, so eating a little less is bearable.¡±


    Even after having part of their rations deducted, the soldiers of the Qin Army still felt that the food distributed to them was somewhat better than what they ate in the Northwest.


    What the commanders of the Qin Army cared most about was that the Dahua side had severely underestimated the combat power of the Tang Army. This was intolerable to them, and it was what they least wanted to face.


    They had never seen the tanks of the Tang Army before, and those pieces of junk produced by Shireck and sold to Qin Country by the Dahua Empire were not even comparable.


    When shells hit the armor of these tanks, they were immediately deflected. Those tanks rampaged across the battlefield and were unstoppable.


    Only when the tracks were occasionally blown off did these behemoths come to a halt, yet the Qin Army was still helpless against these iron lumps and could only allow these invincible monsters to wreak havoc on their own positions.


    ...


    Under the protection of these new tanks, equipped with sloped armor and long-barreled cannons, the already formidable grenadiers of the Tang Army became an even tougher opponent.


    This was the first time the Qin Army, born in a land of harsh cold and always fighting against savage foreign tribes, encountered such a powerful adversary. For a moment, they even felt a sense of admiration for finding an opponent worthy of their skill.


    Whether in terms of combat discipline or weaponry, the Tang Army almost completely surpassed the Qin Army: this at one point led the Qin Army to despair, as they felt like they were facing an enhanced version of themselves.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t come here to fight to the death against such an opponent!¡± This thought began to surface in the minds of the officers and soldiers at all levels of the Qin Army.


    It was with this thought process, compounded by a lack of medical supplies, scarce logistics, and unstable food and pay affecting morale, that the Qin Army¡¯s performance on the battlefield started to change.


    The Qin Army, which used to fight the second-tier troops of the Tang Army to a standstill, now behaved no differently than the troops of the Dahua military.


    Most of the time, they would put up a symbolic fight and then begin to retreat, giving up defensive positions.


    This behavior infuriated the generals of the Dahua Empire, as General Feng Kezhi had regarded the Qin Army as a valuable force, previously always placing the Qin troops in the most critical defensive positions.


    But as the Qin Army¡¯s combat performance deteriorated, he had no choice but to start replacing Qin troops with Dahua units and, conversely, positioning the Qin units in less critical areas.


    This, in turn, affected the attitude of the Dahua logistical units in supplying the Qin Army: since they were no longer the main force, they had even less right to receive supplies.


    Amidst this vicious cycle, the battlefield performance of the Qin Army changed so much that even the Tang Army found it somewhat bewildering.


    Some Tang commanders even thought for a time that the Qin Army probably only had 10 to 18 thousand elite forces left, who had fought to the last man in previous positions, and the rest were useless...


    The reality was not so. The Qin Army was intentionally avoiding casualties and using this method to express their dissatisfaction with the Dahua Empire.


    Yet this discontent directly led to the collapse of the situation near Fengjiang: the reserves that the Dahua Empire had painstakingly built up were once again prematurely thrown into the battle to stabilize their teetering defense.


    The reserves that General Feng Kezhi had planned to use for a local counterattack to trouble the Tang Army were quickly depleted in this process of endless stopgap measures.


    This was the fundamental reason why General Feng Kezhi began to plan the destruction of Fengjiang City: his reserves were almost exhausted, and the plan to repel the troops of the Great Tang Kingdom from Fengjiang with a single counterattack was essentially unfeasible.


    Therefore, for General Feng Kezhi, retaking Fengjiang City was almost impossible, leaving only the option to destroy Fengjiang City to prevent the Tang Army from using the city.


    ¡°Let¡¯s slow down the 7th Corps¡¯ attack in the urban area for now; there¡¯s no need to fight so desperately, a show of force will suffice,¡± Bolton commanded to the bearded officer, ¡°You¡¯ve already made a name for yourselves; His Majesty has personally praised your bravery.¡±


    ¡°The 7th Corps¡¯ foundation was brought up from the Northern Ridge. I cannot disgrace the old Earl,¡± the bearded officer stood up and saluted smartly, ¡°We now offer our loyalty to His Majesty. The 7th Corps is willing to become a sharp blade in His Majesty¡¯s hand, piercing any place His Majesty points to!¡±


    ¡°Take a seat!¡± Bolton, full of smiles, pressed his hand downward, signaling the bearded commander from the Northern Ridge not to be so stiff.


    It should be noted that this bearded commander had quite senior credentials. He was an important commander in the Northern Ridge during Fisheo¡¯s time, even ranking slightly higher than Tagg.


    What a pity that Tagg followed Tang Mo¡¯s rise in the Great Tang Kingdom and became one of Tang Mo¡¯s most trusted military commanders.


    Tagg was now one of the most popular candidates for Marshal, but this commander from the Northern Ridge was still just a commander, a commander of an infantry corps.


    It should be known that in the land forces system of the Tang Kingdom, the default order assumes the commanders of Armored Troops to have the highest status and the brightest futures, followed by the commanders of mechanized grenadier units and then motorized infantry commanders.


    As for ordinary infantry commanders, they were already at the level of local garrison troops and simply weren¡¯t noteworthy.


    The bearded man was currently the commander of a motorized infantry military, even subject to the command of the young Bolton, which was considered a somewhat inferior position.


    However, this time the 7th Army really made an impression in front of Tang Mo, serving as the spearhead of the attack, they bullheaded their way to the foot of Fengjiang City, being the first to break into Fengjiang, they could truly be described as fiercely brave.


    They broke through the previously troublesome Qin Army¡¯s defense line, the subsequent Dahua military defenses, and have been fighting relentlessly up to this moment, not retreating a single step!


    This was an excellent battlefield performance. The Great General Feng Kezhi of the Dahua Empire, personally commanding troops gathered in Fengjiang, the Dahua military¡¯s main forces, repeatedly counterattacked but failed to recapture any position from the hands of the 7th Army; it must be acknowledged that the 7th Army continued the Northern Ridge Legion¡¯s tenacious fighting style with their achievements.


    The meeting ended quickly; after all, a plan to suspend urban combat and shift the focus to field battles outside of Fengjiang didn¡¯t need so much time to arrange and discuss.


    After the meeting ended, as everyone was packing up and preparing to head home, Bolton called out to the bearded commander, who was about to rush back to the 7th Army¡¯s headquarters.


    ¡°General Eric! I¡¯d like to have a word with you alone,¡± Bolton approached the bearded commander of the 7th Army, signaling that he wanted to walk out with him.


    After everyone left, Bolton then spoke, ¡°The directive from the Staff Department is to have the 7th Army prepare to pull out.¡±


    Eric was stunned, looking at Bolton, he pleaded, ¡°Although the 7th Army has suffered some losses, we can still fight! We can overcome the difficulties, we...¡±


    ¡°The Staff Department is not doubting the combat capability of the 7th Army,¡± Bolton interrupted Eric¡¯s words, then continued to explain, ¡°Rather, it is actually... an order from His Majesty.¡±


    Before Eric could recover from his shock, Bolton continued, ¡°Lately, calls to elevate the status to an Empire are growing louder, and those civil officials in the court can hardly wait to crown His Majesty tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°This is good news.¡± As a staunch supporter of the monarchy, Eric seemingly danced his eyebrows upon hearing that Tang Mo was to become the Emperor.


    ¡°Indeed, good news,¡± Bolton nodded, ¡°Therefore, the Staff Department, the Military Department, and some military generals... all think that we should form larger operational groups...¡±


    ¡°Corps?¡± This rumor had been circulating, and Eric had heard of it, but he found it hard to imagine that gathering hundreds of thousands of people into one unit would necessitate such a massive battle to make use of it.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, Corps,¡± Bolton continued nodding, ¡°His Majesty intends for the 7th Army to be a trial case, to establish a 7th Corps... and you are to be the first commander of this Corps.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The bearded Eric was startled by the news, staring at Bolton in shock, it took him quite some time to regain his composure.


    ¡°This decision has already been finalized, just not yet made public, so you can¡¯t talk about it when you go back,¡± Bolton went on without waiting, as there was much more he needed to say.


    ¡°Yes! I understand,¡± Eric swallowed, quickly nodding in agreement.


    ¡°The reason it¡¯s not announced is that the rank of Corps commander is that of a Lieutenant General,¡± Bolton reminded Eric.


    Eric was no fool; he immediately realized the key issue: If Bolton was a Lieutenant General, and Eric was promoted, then Bolton would no longer be able to command him.


    So, it was likely that Bolton would also be promoted, to a Full General, in order to continue to serve as the Commander of the central theater within the hierarchy.


    Since Bolton was to be promoted to Full General, then the legendary military trio: Tagg, Redman, and Bernard, were probably about to receive their Marshal¡¯s batons.


    Such important news required step-by-step implementation¡ªupgrading to an Empire naturally meant rewarding the troops, promoting generals... after all, overcoming the Dahua Empire was already a great victory, and it was only natural for generals to be rewarded for their service.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Knowing the gravity of the situation, Eric spoke with a more solemn tone.


    Seeing that Eric understood, Bolton did not say much more. They were both smart people; if any mistakes were made, it was up to him to take responsibility.


    Thus, the future Full General walked shoulder to shoulder with the soon-to-be Lieutenant General Eric out of the meeting room and saw him off to his car.


    This gesture was noticed by many observant people outside the central theater¡¯s command building; hence, everyone started to guess that the old Northern Ridge veteran, who had always been humble, was probably about to take a significant step forward this time.


    His promotion meant that many others would be promoted as well, explaining the smiles on everyone¡¯s faces and the atmosphere becoming somewhat lighter.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    A supplementary chapter will follow later, to be delivered in half an hour.

 Chapter 828 828 772 new weapons deployed to the battlefield

    ?Chapter 828: 772 new weapons deployed to the battlefield Chapter 828: 772 new weapons deployed to the battlefield Even amid a less-than-ideal combat situation, there were many favorable pieces of news; for example, the performance of the Dahua Empire¡¯s Anti-Aircraft Artillery Troops had been quite impressive of late.


    Their battle achievements visibly improved because the performance of their weapons was improving and their combat methods continued to evolve.


    The Tang Army¡¯s dive bombers¡¯ uniquely piercing and terrifying noise could no longer intimidate these anti-aircraft gunners, who were no longer novices.


    They used their new weapons to fight more bravely, inflicting heavy losses on the Tang Army¡¯s Stuka Dive Bomber Troops.


    This was no joke; from when the clouds dispersed and the Air Force could join the battle, up to the present moment, the Tang Army had already lost more than 200 aircraft of various types, with over 170 pilots killed.


    The majority were dive bomber pilots, along with some fighter pilots; by contrast, the Flying Fortress Bombers on deep-strategic bombing missions suffered the least losses.


    Because not many anti-aircraft guns could reach the altitude at which Flying Fortress Bombers flew, and the Dahua Empire¡¯s fighter interception troops couldn¡¯t fly up to ten thousand meters, the Tang Army¡¯s large bombers carrying out high-altitude bombing missions were often very safe.


    ...


    If one were to plot the range of the anti-aircraft guns, it would form a small hemisphere, with a slightly lower ceiling and a slightly longer range¡ªplaced on the ground, it resembled a large bowl.


    So, the higher the altitude, the smaller the coverage area of the anti-aircraft guns, the lower the firepower density, and thus, the weaker the air defense.


    In order to cope with high-altitude bombers, anti-aircraft guns had to be deployed densely, increasing the aerial firepower density; this in turn made the defended area per unit of anti-aircraft guns even smaller.


    As a result, when used in concentration, anti-aircraft guns had difficulty preemptively deploying without detailed intelligence support and lacked the mobility to intercept enemy bomber troops effectively. This is the origin of the saying, ¡°Air defense is not as solid as it sounds.¡±


    However, fortunately for the Dahua Empire, their anti-aircraft guns, due to their inadequate performance, were all used for field air defense, which had ironically strengthened their field air defense firepower by giving up in-depth air defense.


    Thus, it was understandable why the losses of the Tang Army¡¯s Stuka Dive Bombers targeting Dahua field troops remained high.


    Cruel wars spur progress; no one is a fool, and people are all the more willing to bring out their subjective initiative when their lives are at stake.


    Technicians of the Dahua Empire and engineers from Shireck Consortium, facing the powerful air force of the Great Tang Kingdom, were desperately developing new, more advanced, and powerful anti-aircraft weapons.


    In numerous experiments, the Anti-Tang Alliance introduced many makeshift weapon systems, along with brand new designs of entirely new equipment.


    For example, the Dahua Empire temporarily mounted four machine guns together to increase firepower density to raise the probability of shooting down Tang Army aircraft.


    Frankly speaking, although this weapon may seem to lack technical content, its effectiveness turned out to be somewhat better than expected. Compared to those ideas seeking improvements with new technology, this simple and brute-force approach had an immediate effect.


    Yet, as effective as it was, it was only better than the previous solitary machine gun used for air defense; it was not as if this weapon system was truly ¡°invincible.¡±


    Its greatest issue was that this method of coupling the machine guns to increase firepower density did not increase range, and the air defense effects were still unsatisfactory.


    Range is crucial for anti-aircraft guns. The range of an anti-aircraft gun determines its ceiling, the number of guns deployed, and the duration of the firing window for attacking.


    The Tang Army aircraft were equipped with 20mm caliber cannons, which, whether in range or destructive power, were far superior to Maxim machine guns, easily suppressing these coupled guns.


    Thus, the Dahua military urgently needed stronger anti-air artillery, satisfying the need for range. In other words, the Anti-Tang Alliance needed anti-aircraft guns of calibers greater than 20mm.


    They didn¡¯t have the Bofors 40mm caliber anti-aircraft guns equipped by the Great Tang Kingdom, nor the 88mm caliber all-purpose guns of the Tang Country. Therefore, they had to conduct their own research and came up with a variety of odd contraptions.


    One of the first was the Dahua Empire¡¯s twin-mounted 25mm caliber anti-aircraft guns. These focused on firepower density and improved range, performing quite well.


    Yet, they had their drawbacks; the high cost made the Dahua military laugh and cry. The production of tanks, cannons, aircraft, etc., was already stretching the Empire¡¯s budget to its limits, not to mention the stringent manufacturing demands of such artillery.


    Surely it was a joke to even contemplate stopping other weapon production lines to manufacture these costly anti-aircraft guns?


    Another of its issues was its bulkiness: the entire piece weighed four and a half tons, only a ton lighter than an 88mm caliber anti-aircraft gun. Moving it required a truck with good performance since the horsepower of ordinary vehicles was insufficient.


    Shireck Consortium had provided the Dahua Empire with the technology for 30mm caliber anti-aircraft guns, and they began producing this type of single-barreled anti-aircraft weapon with slightly inferior performance.


    Although the performance of these 30mm caliber anti-aircraft guns was slightly poor, they were a massive improvement compared to the old anti-balloon guns that had been used previously.


    With these high rate-of-fire, small caliber specialized anti-aircraft guns, the Empire¡¯s field air defense capabilities significantly increased, so it was only natural that they achieved commendable results.


    After a substantial purchase of these small caliber field anti-aircraft guns, the Dahua troops gradually mastered some ¡°new tactics.¡±


    They would use these anti-aircraft weapons as temporary anti-tank guns to deal with the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s armored vehicles: even if they couldn¡¯t destroy the No. 4 tanks and Panther tanks, they were quite effective against the Lion-type armored reconnaissance vehicles and 113 armored personnel carriers.


    In addition, Dahua also bought a number of large caliber anti-aircraft guns, of which the most common were the 76mm caliber anti-aircraft guns, evolved from anti-balloon guns, serving both anti-air and anti-tank purposes.


    Compared to their outdated predecessors, the performance of the improved new-style 76mm caliber anti-aircraft guns had greatly progressed. They were fitted with specialized mounts for faster elevation and rotation, and their range had also significantly increased.


    For easier target acquisition, the initial velocity of the shells for the new 76mm guns had nearly doubled; in other words, aside from the caliber, it was almost like designing them anew.


    Compared to the unimpressive Dahua Air Force, the ground air defense troops had achieved remarkable results, and with the anti-aircraft artillery troops protecting the ground forces, those pesky Stuka dive bombers could no longer dive down with impunity, helping to stabilize the morale of the troops. Therefore, Dahua¡¯s anti-aircraft artillery troops had become cherished assets in the eyes of commanders at all levels.


    At a Dahua anti-aircraft gun position, the gunners were resting in the shade covered by camouflage nets. The loaders were busy loading shells into special magazines, as the 30mm caliber anti-aircraft gun they serviced was magazine-fed.


    An observer responsible for vigilance peered through his binoculars, searching the distant skies, while the military officer commanding the anti-aircraft gun sat on a sandbag, overseeing a nearby camp.


    This was a small-scale logistics supply hub, which wouldn¡¯t otherwise have been granted the focused protection of anti-aircraft guns. Dahua¡¯s anti-aircraft guns were not yet abundant enough to cover every area.


    On nearby high ground, three mutually supporting anti-aircraft guns were positioned. If enemy planes attacked, they could coordinate a defense, fending off any annoying Stuka dive bombers.


    In fact, if they could entice the Stuka dive bombers to waste their precious 500kg bombs on destroying anti-aircraft gun emplacements, that would be considered worthwhile.


    After all, the camp below, stocked with ammunition, medical supplies, and food, was worth far more than a single anti-aircraft gun.


    ¡°Enemy planes! Enemy planes!¡± The ever-vigilant sky-watching observer suddenly shouted in alarm.


    The officer, who had been sitting there deep in thought, immediately looked in the direction indicated by the observer. Indeed, there were several small black dots rapidly approaching.


    The officer immediately grabbed the whistle around his neck and blew it forcefully, alerting the nearby two other anti-aircraft guns to rapidly prepare for combat.


    Soon enough, the responding whistle sounds rose. The other two anti-aircraft guns raised their barrels, clearly ready for action.


    The Dahua anti-aircraft gunners didn¡¯t have to wait too long, as Tang Nation Air Force bombers began to bear down on them. As the distance narrowed, the officer monitoring the Tang planes frowned.


    ¡°Wings not turning... Fighter jets?¡± The officer, noticing that the incoming planes did not have the seagull-wing design, murmured in confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the Butcher, right? It doesn¡¯t look like it!¡± The gunner heard his superior¡¯s mutter, peered through the sight for a while, and was puzzled too.


    ¡°Could it be our planes...¡± Not recognizing the incoming planes as the usual Stuka dive bombers or the Tang Army¡¯s escorting fighter jets, known as Butchers, the Dahua commander filled with uncertainty.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen our planes look like this...¡± As the four planes came closer, the gun chief had not finished his sentence when he changed his argument, exclaiming, ¡°Yellow nose! They¡¯re Tang planes!¡±


    The bright yellow was the Tang Nation Air Force¡¯s identification color for friend or foe, painted on the nose and wingtips to prevent fratricide. Because of their planes¡¯ overwhelming performance advantage, Tang air force paint schemes had always been quite brazen.


    While speaking, he had already stepped on the pedal, and his 30mm caliber anti-aircraft gun began to roar: ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    The expensive tracer bullets, one after another, surged toward those rapidly approaching Tang planes, which, upon being attacked, immediately scattered and altered their flight paths.


    As they dodged and exposed their underbellies, the unique shape became even more apparent, with the Great Tang dragon emblem on their wings glistening in the sunlight.


    Between the dragon emblem on the wings and the fuselage, some exceptionally slender bombs were suspended ¨C unfamiliar details that made the Dahua commander standing beside the anti-aircraft gun extremely uneasy.

 Chapter 829 829 773 Il-2 attack aircraft

    ?Chapter 829: 773 Il-2 attack aircraft Chapter 829: 773 Il-2 attack aircraft ¡°Circle back! Circle back! See that firing anti-aircraft gun position! Prepare to attack! Prepare to attack!¡± Inside the swiftly turning aircraft, a Tang Army pilot shouted through his oxygen mask while yanking his control stick.


    ¡°I¡¯m circling from the left! He¡¯s trying to attack me! They¡¯re trying to attack me!¡± exclaimed the pilot excitedly from within the cockpit of another plane veering to one side.


    The two aircraft diverged in different directions, tracer bullets chasing one of them across the ground as it gradually moved away, but they were always a step slow.


    ¡°Raise the angle! They¡¯re probably going to dive!¡± Based on their past experiences, the Dahua Empire¡¯s anti-aircraft artillerymen began cranking their wheels to point their guns higher into the sky.


    On both sides, the anti-aircraft gun positions did not fire nor reveal themselves, a routine they were already well acquainted with. As soon as the enemy began to dive, they would fire from the blind spot in their field of view, ambushing the Stukas on their fixed paths.


    This time, however, the Tang Army aircraft, after veering far away, did not begin to climb but flew back at this unfamiliar altitude.


    Meanwhile, two other aircraft climbed at a distance, distracting the Dahua anti-aircraft artillery troops who were adjusting their firing angles, while the two Tang Army planes that didn¡¯t climb directed their noses straight at the anti-aircraft gun position that had just fired at them.


    ...


    ¡°Cover me! Testing new weapons!¡± The lead pilot was somewhat excited, ready to deploy the new weapon in combat.


    New weapons provided by the Great Tang Group were often tremendously powerful and produced unexpected and extraordinary effects when used for the first time in battle.


    He was indeed eager to see how the new aerial rockets he was carrying compared to bombs in terms of power and battlefield performance.


    Unlike the traditional Stuka Dive Bomber, the attack angle of his Il-2 Sturmovik was flatter, and the method of attack was completely different.


    If the Stuka utilized the diving momentum to elevate bombing precision to the level of a missile, enhancing the destruction rate with each bomb, then the Il-2 Sturmovik¡¯s method of attack was like grazing the ground, raking it with concentrated fire!


    For destroying sturdy targets, the Il-2 Sturmovik¡¯s effectiveness was not as good as the Stuka Dive Bomber¡¯s, but it performed better than the Stuka when targeting a wide spread of ground targets.


    Piloting this Il-2 Sturmovik that appeared for the first time over the battlefield, the Tang Army pilot aligned the crosshairs on his sights onto the just-fired Dahua anti-aircraft gun position.


    His sides were protected with thick armor steel plates, and the glass in front was several centimeters thick. His entire body was wrapped in armor, maximizing his safety.


    Thus, he was not worried at all, calmly aiming his aircraft¡¯s nose at the target on the ground. Then, he pulled the firing trigger, igniting the aerial rockets mounted beneath the wings.


    The aircraft¡¯s body trembled gently the next second as two rockets ignited, trailing thick smoke from under the wings of the Il-2 attacking the distant hillock.


    To ensure safety, the Tang Army pilot initiated an attack using two rockets in a salvo.


    Without having time to confirm the effect of his attack, he immediately pulled up the aircraft, performing an evasive maneuver. As Dahua¡¯s anti-aircraft units often appeared in pairs, he had to keep changing his flight path constantly.


    Only unpredictable changes could obscure the Dahua anti-aircraft gunners hidden in corners plotting attacks, preventing them from firing prematurely.


    Indeed, another anti-aircraft gun position couldn¡¯t resist revealing itself, firing at the climbing Tang Army Il-2 Sturmovik but was then suppressed by the cannons of another Il-2 that followed.


    Four 20 mm caliber cannons firing simultaneously was undoubtedly a spectacular scene. The firing anti-aircraft gun position instantly fell silent, its camouflage net shredded by the cannon fire and blown aside.


    As the two Il-2 Sturmoviks pulled up, two obliquely approaching rockets hit precisely the Dahua Empire¡¯s anti-aircraft gun that had fired first.


    The 132-mm caliber rockets were absolutely powerful; the huge explosions engulfed the hillock and the Dahua anti-aircraft guns on it.


    One rocket hit its target accurately, and the other landed very close to the Dahua anti-aircraft gun position.


    When the Dahua officer, just strafed by the Il-2 wingman, clumsily got up to look back at their comrades¡¯ position, all he could see were the flames burning.


    ¡°What new weapon is this?¡± flashed through the Dahua officer¡¯s mind, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.


    They had just begun to adapt to the rhythm of fighting with Tang Army dive bombers when the Tang Army introduced a completely new type of aircraft and tactical approach.


    ¡°Why, why are the Tang People always ahead of our Dahua Empire? Why, why are we always caught off guard by the Tang People¡¯s advancements and suffer for it?¡±


    By the time he realized something and looked toward the anti-aircraft artillery position he was in charge of commanding, all he saw was chaos and bodies strewn everywhere.


    Just moments ago, a dense rain of 20mm caliber artillery shells had swept through, shredding the Dahua soldiers near the anti-aircraft guns.


    Some unfortunate souls were literally cut in half by the large caliber shells while others, luckier, had a large hole in their bodies but their corpses remained largely intact.


    Less than half of the remaining men, terrified by the bloodshed, stood frozen in place, letting the blood under their feet spread and flow.


    ¡°Fill in! Control the horizontal! You control the elevation! The rest of you, load! Load quickly!¡± he shouted as he went over to take over the command from the gun leader.


    He lifted the body of the gun leader, whose shoulder had been blown off, from the seat and then sat down himself, his place stained red with blood, peering through the sight at the clear blue sky.


    At that moment, two Il-2 ground attack aircraft, which had regained some altitude, swung back around, their noses again pointing in this direction.


    ¡°Doot! Doot!¡± A series of crisp whistle sounds cut through an area of exploding, burning flames from an unseen place.


    That was the last unseen anti-aircraft artillery position using whistles to check on their allies. The Dahua officer sitting in the gun leader¡¯s position grabbed the whistle around his neck, placed it to his lips, and blew rhythmically.


    The whistle from the other side seemed a bit excited; they too were relieved to have support. More complex tactical instructions could not be conveyed by whistle, so they were each fighting separately.


    While the Dahua officer was signaling with his whistle, the Tang Army¡¯s two Il-2s each launched a pair of rockets, then split paths in a maneuver to preemptively avoid any head-on attack.


    Powerlessly watching the enemy fire rockets from afar, the Dahua anti-aircraft artillery troops had no way to counter these ¡°self-propelled bombs.¡±


    They could only fire at the white smoke trails and then wait for their own doom. Soon, four rockets consecutively struck the anti-aircraft artillery position, followed by four raging fires erupting.


    The blast wave flung around broken bodies and fragments of anti-aircraft guns, turning the entire position into a sea of flames; in the scorching soil lay a whistle with its string snapped.


    The third anti-aircraft artillery position then opened fire, as it had to make its presence felt; otherwise, the two high-flying Il-2s would begin attacking the supply base below.


    With no alternatives, they fired, exposing themselves to ensure the safety of the distant camp.


    But as soon as they opened fire, the two lower Il-2 attack aircraft launched their assault. The lead aircraft aimed its nose at the target and began firing its 20mm cannon.


    The wingman followed and also began its assault, unleashing over 100 rounds from eight cannons, engulfing the last Dahua anti-aircraft artillery position in a shower of shells.


    The gunners and commanders at the last anti-aircraft artillery position had never dreamed they would be directly suppressed by eight air cannons.


    Just as the Dahua officer was thinking of how to possibly shoot down one enemy aircraft to report back to the air defense commander, he hadn¡¯t even spit out the whistle in his mouth before a 20mm shell shattered his head.


    Elsewhere, the amply-armed Il-2 ground attack aircraft launched an attack on that supply area, devastating the Dahua logistics troops with intense strafing runs.


    With no anti-aircraft gun cover and no solid shelters to hide in, facing the terrifying rain of cannon shells, they had only the most primitive way to preserve their lives.


    Indeed, the most primitive way: duck and cover, scramble in all directions! But they hadn¡¯t run far when they were overtaken by shells from behind and torn apart by the horrific kinetic energy of the shells.


    Rocket after rocket destroyed the supplies laid out on the open ground, explosions set off in succession, and ultimately, the fire engulfed the ammunition depot, turning small explosions into a massive blast.


    With no Dahua troops to salvage the supplies or to extinguish the fire, the Dahua rear-support troops, terror-stricken by the sudden aerial assault, dispersed under the relentless attack of the four Il-2s.


    And these four Il-2 attack aircraft from the Tang Country, having completed their assault plan and tested their various weapons, left the devastated Dahua camp behind, streaking off into the distant sky.

 Chapter 830 830 774 The Tense New Bomb

    ?Chapter 830: 774 The Tense New Bomb Chapter 830: 774 The Tense New Bomb ¡°Great General! Great General!¡± A Dahua military officer rushed into General Feng Kezhi¡¯s underground headquarters, standing in front of Feng Kezhi with a face full of terror.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? In such a panic!¡± Feng Kezhi rebuked, looking at the other disapprovingly before continuing to pour over the map.


    His biggest concern in the past few days had been the Tang Army¡¯s flanking attack on Fengjiang City. Now, seeing Fengjiang City about to be fully surrounded, Feng Kezhi was naturally very anxious.


    Everyone knew that if Fengjiang City was lost, Zhao Kai would definitely take issue with Feng Kezhi. Everyone was guessing whether the title of Great General might just vanish.


    ¡°Great General, just received news that a supply storage camp has been destroyed by Tang aircraft,¡± the officer hurriedly reported, swallowing hard.


    ¡°Significant losses?¡± Feng Kezhi continued to look down at the map, asking somewhat indifferently. For Feng Kezhi, the only thing the Dahua Empire had left to show was perhaps the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Troops.


    Since the performance of the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Troops was good enough, Feng Kezhi didn¡¯t trouble them often. He only gave orders, letting the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Troops figure out the solutions on their own.


    ...


    ¡°300,000 rounds of ammunition, 10,000 rifles, and... food supplies for two divisions have been destroyed,¡± the officer said nervously, announcing the results of the Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s air raid.


    Unlike the Dahua Empire¡¯s stealth attack on the southern oil fields, Tang aircraft often achieved astounding results.


    This time was no exception; the food supplies needed for just two divisions were a great loss for Feng Kezhi.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Troops deployed there?¡± Feng Kezhi froze for a moment, then quickly asked after hearing about the losses, beginning to feel uncomfortable.


    ¡°They were deployed. Because it¡¯s an important area, the number of Anti-Aircraft Guns was even increased! I heard, I heard there were three 30mm Anti-Aircraft Guns...¡± the officer quickly answered.


    Hearing about three Anti-Aircraft Guns, Feng Kezhi was even more astonished: today, the enemy had not dispatched a large fleet to bomb Dahua positions... If there were only a few Stuka Dive Bombers, they shouldn¡¯t have been a threat to the safety of the camp.


    The Dahua officer delivering the message immediately added, ¡°Tang Country has introduced a new type of aircraft, they¡¯re not quite like the Stukas.¡±


    On hearing that Tang Army had introduced new weapons, Feng Kezhi felt his blood pressure surging towards his head.


    What he feared most now was hearing reports with a lot of content, one point being: Tang Army¡¯s new weaponry.


    Last time, Tang Country had employed White Phosphorus Bombs to bombard Fengjiang City, almost collapsing the front lines of the Dahua Empire, nearly causing Fengjiang City to change hands due to that very attack.


    Feng Kezhi was aware of the significance of Tang Country¡¯s new weapons; every time these weapons appeared on the battlefield, the Great Tang Kingdom moved toward victory.


    But after carefully listening to the explanation from the officer who delivered the message, he somewhat grasped the situation.


    The new type of weapon was an aircraft, not one of those damn terrifying special bombs. So he was slightly relieved, as a new type of aircraft brought less pressure to him than a new type of bomb.


    According to the descriptions of survivors, the new Tang aircraft didn¡¯t have the bent wings like the Stukas, the wheels could retract into the body, and they looked similar to the Butcher Fighter Jets.


    However, they differed from the Butcher Fighters, having pointed noses. These new Tang aircraft could launch a terrifying kind of bomb that could fly independently.


    They didn¡¯t dive vertically like the Stukas but were adept at launching side attacks, destroying targets with concentrated firepower.


    After hearing words like ¡°new type¡± and ¡°bombs that can fly on their own¡±, Feng Kezhi became nervous again. He particularly despised the word ¡°bomb¡±, the pressure from the White Phosphorus Bombs had been far too great.


    Since he felt guilty, he became even more sensitive to these terms. Every time they were mentioned, it made him feel frightened.


    There was nothing he could do; after all, he had begged Zhao Chen in Sword Pavilion to continue launching night raids on the southern oil fields, and he had succeeded.


    Now Zhao Chen was trying his best to assemble new attack forces, preparing to send the oil fields, which were occupied by the Great Tang, sky-high.


    But once this plan was put into action, the Tang Army would certainly retaliate. His fear of the Tang Army¡¯s new weapons came from the fear that retaliation would come unexpectedly.


    Soon, he shook off this negative emotion, ¡°Only four? It seems they are new weapons for Tang forces as well, thus far not mass-produced.¡±


    The officer who came with the news agreed with this view, but he was more concerned that their familiar anti-air defensive actions were going to change because of the appearance of the Tang Army¡¯s new aircraft.


    There was no choice, previously the focus was on firing shells high into the sky, forcing those dive bombers to either abandon their attack mission or hastily conclude it and leave the anti-air zone.


    But now, the Tang Army had a new type of aircraft that could enter from the flanks: as long as the Tang Army wished, both types of aircraft could coordinate with each other, employing richer tactical layers to destroy the Dahua Empire¡¯s air defense systems.


    ¡°But, Great General, our anti-air troops will definitely suffer a huge blow to morale,¡± the officer pondered then advised General Feng Kezhi, ¡°Great General, please prepare early!¡±


    ¡°What more can I prepare for! I can only hide in this pitch-dark place myself!¡± General Feng Kezhi gave a bitter smile, looking up at the gas lamp above him, some self-deprecating humor in his voice.


    Fengjiang was now almost encircled on all sides, with the song of Chu closing in on three fronts. As the Empire¡¯s Great General, he was hanging by a thread, with a bleak future¡ªbefore he came, he had promised Chief of Staff Shen and His Majesty the Emperor Zhao Kai that he would hold Fengjiang City at all costs.


    But he might have to go back on his word: he most likely wouldn¡¯t be able to hold Fengjiang, so he could only wait for the Empire¡¯s punishment, to endure His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s wrath.


    Lately, he¡¯d been hesitating because it seemed there were two paths before him: the first was to relocate his command post, abandon Fengjiang and then fall on his sword before His Majesty The Emperor as an apology.


    The second path seemed a bit more stalwart. He could stay in Fengjiang City, fight to the last moment, and then die as an apology for the bounty of imperial grace, a decent explanation to Zhao Kai and Chu Muzhou of Shen Chuan.


    However, it seemed that whichever path he chose, the outcome would ultimately be death, a fate he was quite reluctant to accept.


    He was a General! Revealing his potential in the military in his teens, he became a General in his twenties, and it wasn¡¯t long before he became the Empire¡¯s Great General, deeply trusted by the late Emperor.


    Even after Zhao Kai succeeded the throne, his position as the Empire¡¯s Great General was stable as an old dog. He was at the pinnacle of imperial service; how could he possibly wish to die here in his prime?


    Thinking this, he looked again at that map, watching the Tang Army encircling from both flanks, and General Feng Kezhi seemed to come to some resolution.


    ¡°You go down first!¡± He waved his hand, signaling the officer could leave, as General Feng Kezhi closed his own eyes.


    Many gas lamps hung above his head, in General Feng Kezhi¡¯s underground command post, there wasn¡¯t even a single decent electric light.


    The electricity had long been cut off, so there was no use for it. However, the dim environment did give General Feng Kezhi a bit more sense of safety. Unfortunately, with the ongoing war, even this tiny sense of safety was about to disappear.


    ...


    Behind a patch of bushes, standing atop the uniquely sloped armor of the turret, Liu Guozhu held his binoculars, observing the distant enemy positions.


    That¡¯s right, he was once again at the very front of the entire Armored Corps, even the Lion-type armored reconnaissance vehicle couldn¡¯t keep up with his pace.


    Because they encountered a sneak attack shot at flat trajectory from a dual 25mm anti-aircraft gun, the Lion-type armored reconnaissance vehicle that was coordinating with Liu Guozhu was destroyed.


    Several members inside the reconnaissance vehicle died, with only one driver surviving. So now, it was just Liu Guozhu¡¯s Panther Tank continuing the offensive.


    That well-hidden dual 25mm anti-aircraft gun, which had destroyed the Lion-type armored reconnaissance vehicle, was eliminated by the tank commanded by Liu Guozhu.


    Along with it, about thirty Qin Army soldiers at the anti-aircraft gun¡¯s position were also taken out. They did not retreat, or perhaps they had no chance to retreat, so they fought valiantly until the very end.


    Until the Tang Army grenadiers charged in and, under the cover of Liu Guozhu, got close to the Qin Army positions, and then cleared out those Qin soldiers who refused to surrender with hand grenades.


    The battle was very fierce, so fierce that towards the end, two Dahua Type 2 Tanks entered the battle. These were provided to the Qin Army by Dahua, similar to the previously destroyed dual 25mm gun.


    Liu Guozhu destroyed those two Dahua Tanks belonging to the Qin Army, refreshing his own record to 55 various enemy armored vehicles.


    This was a fairly exaggerated number because it was foretold that many tank commanders were unlucky, possibly enduring half a year on the frontline without ever seeing what a Dahua Tank looked like.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be tough to hit, up ahead it¡¯s Dahua¡¯s own flag... It looks like the Qin forces have already been breached by us,¡± putting down the binoculars, Liu Guozhu turned back and said to his crew members.


    ¡°The position has been carefully arranged, probably hiding anti-tank guns,¡± Liu Guozhu then reminded his comrades a couple of times.


    ¡°Shall we let the Rocket Artillery Troops and the self-propelled artillery following us go ahead and give it a try?¡± The gunner spread his hands, ¡°Our tank¡¯s ammunition is almost exhausted, and there¡¯s no decent replenishment...¡±


    ¡°Listening to you! Let¡¯s wait!¡± Liu Guozhu revealed a smile, advancing with just one tank would indeed be somewhat irrational.


    ¡°When you entered the village with a single tank and captured more than 100 Dahua soldiers, you should have waited then...¡± The gunner looked up and complained.

 Chapter 831 831 775 screen

    ?Chapter 831: 775 screen Chapter 831: 775 screen ¡°Ugh...¡± Zhao Kai was pale, leaning on the shoulder of an attendant, retching non-stop into a basin as if he wanted to vomit out everything in his stomach.


    He had just made an unwise decision: he ordered the screening of a recorded footage from the frontline in his grand hall.


    As Tang Country¡¯s film industry flourished, cameras were no longer a mystery, and many countries purchased these expensive devices to record various oddities.


    For instance, such equipment would make an appearance during court banquets, where nobility used to show off their wealth by filming when film was still very expensive a few years ago.


    The camera would capture those extravagant noble lives; in the silent films without sound, noblewomen curiously gazed at the lens, flaunting their lavish dresses.


    These images were also precious, documenting the lifestyle of the nobility, reflecting the local customs and culture as well as the changes in fashion and makeup over the years.


    It must be said that Tang Country¡¯s makeup and fashion had deeply influenced many countries, with Tang¡¯s dresses gradually becoming the mainstream attire for noblewomen abroad, differing only slightly in style according to regional trends.


    ...


    At the same time, various countries were also vigorously forming their own film teams to shoot stories in order to counter the subtle cultural invasion from Tang Country.


    For example, Tang Country exported more than thirty films to various countries each year before the war, most of which were very popular.


    These films spread the ideology of Tang Country, featuring content that infuriated the old nobility.


    For instance, the positive figures in Tang films were often charitable and morally upright new-style nobles, who were outstanding social elites. They appeared handsome and wealthy in films, punishing the uncharitable villains, and were warmly welcomed by audiences.


    Among the most famous films was one called ¡°Count of Kunlun Mountains,¡± which told the story of a commoner whose wife was taken by the local old nobility, and himself pushed off a cliff, only to be saved by a captain of a Tang warship, who then took him to Dragon Island for advanced learning. Eventually, he skilled up, became a wealthy noble of Tang with a fortune, and then heroically rescued his wife and exacted his revenge.


    Originally this story wasn¡¯t anything special, just an old-fashioned tale of revenge. But coupled with the backdrop of the rise of Tang Country, it became more convincing.


    Many people made their first fortune in Brunas that year, and many changed their lives in Tang Country.


    In Tang Country, indeed one could become an admired and beloved government official through learning, and one could realize one¡¯s political ambitions through hard work.


    Thus, when a very realistic story about aspirations was presented to everyone, it had a profound and fascinating impact.


    Consequently, many countries began to make their own films, telling their own stories¡ªand with it, the method of recording images spread, quickly gaining popularity in a wider range of fields.


    Later, upon discovering that cameras could record real situations from afar, shooting and bringing back these precious live images became an important use of cameras.


    Shireck¡¯s engineers used this method to analyze the battlefield performance of weapon systems and often brought cameras to the frontline for use.


    Following that, as Tang Country¡¯s new weapons were increasingly deployed on the battlefield, capturing footage of Tang Army¡¯s weapons also became an important part of recording and analyzing Tang¡¯s equipment and copying weapon designs.


    This time, by chance, a camera had filmed the Tang Country¡¯s White Phosphorus Bomb raid on Fengjiang City, and Shireck sent the film back to the Imperial Capital of Dahua for processing and analysis as conditions there were better.


    Having heard the news, Zhao Kai was very curious about the White Phosphorus Bombs, which even General Feng Kezhi had mentioned with caution in his report. He truly wanted to know how terrifying this weapon was that even Feng Kezhi feared it.


    Therefore, Zhao Kai summoned the advisors from Shireck and ordered them to play the footage of the frontline attack by White Phosphorus Bombs in his palace.


    Initially, Shireck¡¯s engineers refused, as they had seen the content and thought it was too horrific and not suitable for Zhao Kai to watch.


    However, Zhao Kai insisted on seeing it for himself, and even called in Shen Chuan, Chu Muzhou, and Minister Chen Jing of the Ministry of Public Works, among other ministers.


    In the end, the Shireck side agreed to Zhao Kai¡¯s request, thinking: If you want to see it, we¡¯ll show it to you, but don¡¯t blame us for not warning you if there are problems.


    The result was that Zhao Kai saw on the big screen the attack of the White Phosphorus Bombs that burst open in the sky like thousands of meteors hitting the earth.


    He saw with his own eyes soldiers smeared with burning white phosphorus writhing on the ground like eels, struggling incessantly.


    In the footage, houses were on fire, and thick smoke billowed everywhere. Officers waved their arms helplessly while soldiers on fire screamed beside them.


    Because there was no sound, Zhao Kai couldn¡¯t hear the tragic cries of the soldiers. But he could clearly see their open mouths, the hysterical despair so palpable that it could be felt through the screen.


    The scene quickly became crowded with the injured, including soldiers whose arms had been burned away, amid ruins and barricades built from rubble and broken bricks.

 Chapter 832 832 775 screen_2

    ?Chapter 832: 775 screen_2 Chapter 832: 775 screen_2 The entire city was ablaze, with tall columns of black smoke in the distance. Fengjiang City was already unrecognizable, almost completely destroyed.


    Dahua soldiers cradled their weapons, faces numb as they stared into the camera lens, some even with wrinkled brows. Many were no longer young, yet a great number were barely of age.


    These conscripted soldiers had just experienced a disaster, and the catastrophe was still unfolding as they faced the camera lenses.


    The fire blazed for three whole days and nights before it was quelled, consuming numerous wooden structures and leaving nothing but piles of pitch-black ash.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a weapon of this world at all,¡± Chu Muzhou said with a pale face after glancing at Emperor Zhao Kai, who was continuously vomiting, and then speaking to Chen Jing, the Minister of Works, by his side.


    Chen Jing sighed deeply and responded to the Prime Minister with another sigh, ¡°We¡¯ve just begun to figure out how to make some planes and tanks, and they¡¯ve already brought out a plethora of new things... The craftsmen have done their utmost, but...¡±


    Chu Muzhou knew that the Ministry of Works had indeed done everything it could. Chen Jing had been living in his office those days, personally urging the craftsmen to quickly improve weapons and equipment to bridge the gap between Dahua¡¯s troops and the Tang Army.


    ...


    But the fruits of their labor were negligible. The craftspeople of Shireck, unable to comprehend the technology, made it just as elusive to the craftsmen of the Dahua Empire.


    That the Dahua Empire managed to produce new tanks and planes was a herculean national effort, the very limit of the empire¡¯s technical capabilities.


    As for the bomb more terrifying than devils themselves, the Ministry of Works truly had no means to contend with it¡ªeven if they had access to white phosphorus, the Dahua Empire lacked bombers capable of infiltrating Tang Country to drop these bombs, didn¡¯t they?


    And new bombers? Forget about it in the short term. The new aircraft production lines of the Dahua Empire, barely able to assemble the Dahua Type 1 fighter jets, simply had no capacity to produce bombers.


    Even if there were a second production line, it would be dedicated to the Air Force¡¯s demand for fighter jets, churning them out to ensure an anti-aircraft capability, rather than manufacturing bombers.


    Moreover, with engine production capacity already falling short, the Dahua Empire had no additional engines to spare for bomber production; even if they could construct the airframes, there would be no engines to power them.


    ¡°Manufacturing artillery, anti-aircraft guns, tanks, planes... the Ministry of Works has no spare manpower to tend to anything else...¡± Chen Jing shook his head, signalling there was truly no solution.


    ¡°I am aware of Minister Chen¡¯s hardships,¡± Chu Muzhou offered no blame, immediately trying to provide comfort, ¡°It¡¯s just that these white phosphorus bombs are indeed too vicious; it¡¯s truly disturbing to witness.¡±


    It¡¯s not as if Dahua¡¯s civilian officials had ever set foot on a battlefield, but even those who had led troops and fought battles were unfamiliar with the kind of wartorn scenes shown in these images.


    Compared to the wars they knew of, or had heard about, the continuously burning and collapsing city depicted was akin to the hellish landscapes described in scriptures.


    ¡°To fight against such an opponent and to hold out without defeat thus far is nothing short of a miracle,¡± Minister of Revenue Wang Yuca?i mused in a low voice to Jiang Run, the Minister of Rites, beside him.


    Jiang Run wiped the cold sweat from his face and nodded in agreement with Wang Yuca?i¡¯s words, ¡°Minister Wang speaks the truth! Tang Country truly is as ferocious as wolves and tigers, uncivilized... inhuman!¡±


    Everyone present was terrified by the horrific scenes depicted, and only at this moment did all the ministers in attendance finally gain a tangible understanding of the severity of this war.


    Up until now, the war had been nothing more than cold numbers to them¡ªhundreds of thousands dead, millions of Gold Coins lost... To them, these figures were too abstract to feel real.


    At this moment, the stark reality was laid out before them, and for the first time, they began to seriously ponder. To contemplate whether this war was necessary to continue any further.


    Among all present, none felt more vindicated than Shen Chuan. As the Empire¡¯s Minister of War, he had been the one consistently berated, the one nobody wanted to be around.


    Now, as others finally experienced the pressure he had been under, he could retaliate. At last, he could smugly fold his hands and utter the classic line, ¡°If you think you can do better, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Minister Shen...¡± Emperor Zhao Kai was still retching on the side, disrupting the meeting and making it impossible to continue. Chu Muzhou shifted closer to Shen Chuan, lowering his voice before asking, ¡°In your opinion, what should be done?¡±


    He didn¡¯t specify the matter, but Shen Chuan knew what he was referring to.


    Chu Muzhou was asking about the war... or rather, how to clean up this mess.


    Eventually, Zhao Kai composed himself. Although many wished he would just keep vomiting, vomit to death even, he managed to regain his seat on the throne.


    His face was deathly pale as he looked down at his ministers and it took him a while before he managed to say, ¡°Gentlemen... do you have anything to say?¡±


    His pallor was partly due to the shock from the gruesome scenes and partly from the exertion of his retching.


    Having embarrassingly lost face like this in front of all his ministers, the prideful Zhao Kai felt thoroughly unwell.


    On the one hand, he internally rebuked Shireck¡¯s people for their insensitivity in showing him such nauseating material; on the other, he felt an even deeper hatred for the Great Tang Kingdom that caused his public humiliation, loathing that scoundrel named Tang Mo.

 Chapter 833 833 775 screen_3

    ?Chapter 833: 775 screen_3 Chapter 833: 775 screen_3 Zhao Kai was born into indescribable privilege and had never before felt such hatred towards a country, a person. In the past, if he hated, he could vent his hatred immediately.


    Someone defied him? Kill them. A vassal state offended him? Issue an imperial edict to reprimand and send troops to the border to intimidate.


    But with the rise of the Great Tang Kingdom, the Dahua Empire found an adversary too formidable to provoke and yet impossible to eliminate, an existence that Zhao Kai loathed but could not resolve.


    The intense hatred only enraged Zhao Kai, but in that very moment, as he was bent over vomiting stomach acid, a terrifying thought struck him.


    The Imperial City, the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire... It was an old metropolis, where much of the city was built of wood! If the Tang Army bombarded the Imperial Capital with White Phosphorus Bombs, the city that had flourished for hundreds of years could be destroyed in an instant.


    Zhao Kai dared not imagine his own palace ablaze, his body burnt and skin cracked.


    And so he was afraid, he felt fear, a sensation so unfamiliar and bewildering to him. At the same time, this feeling was so very uncomfortable that Zhao Kai found himself unexpectedly calming down.


    ...


    Several Ministers stepped forward and began to vehemently denounce Tang Country for its cruelty and inhumanity, its heart as vile as a demon¡¯s, deserving death to the utmost!


    If their curses were effective, it¡¯s likely the Dahua Empire would have united the world centuries ago, and wouldn¡¯t be in the sorry state it was in today, beaten by Tang Country.


    However, the tone still had to be set. There always had to be a few low-level officials to speak first, to repeat the rhetoric, creating an opening for the real high-ranking officials to discuss serious matters.


    After these Ministers shouted their slogans, the first to step forward was Chief of Staff Jiang Run. His advice this time was audaciously bold, declaring that the Empire had lost control of the war and that it would be best to end it as soon as possible.


    ¡°Your Majesty! The Empire needs to recuperate and plan for the wellbeing of the people, send an envoy to negotiate peace with Tang Country!¡± Jiang Run humbly lowered his head, offering his suggestion.


    As the Ministry of Rites, all foreign affairs were under his jurisdiction. This time, with the defeat calling for peace, his Ministry could not shirk responsibility, so he took the initiative to shoulder it, also ensuring the Emperor remembered his willingness to undertake the task.


    At the mention of peace for the first time since the war began, Zhao Kai raised an eyebrow. He truly wanted to scold, but as the words reached his lips, he swallowed them back.


    Despite his continuing hatred for the incompetence of his Generals and the refusal of Tang Country to simply submit, he had to admit that seeking peace might be the best option now available.


    ¡°My opinion is that we should reinforce the front lines to stabilize our defenses...¡± Shen Chuan, at this point, stepped forward, contrary to the suggestion of seeking peace.


    Chu Muzhou glanced at Shen Chuan¡¯s retreating figure and lowered his head once more. He had just discussed with Shen Chuan, the Minister of War, who had shared his thoughts with Chu Muzhou, the Prime Minister.


    Shen Chuan¡¯s idea was simple: if you can¡¯t win on the battlefield, everything is zero. Negotiations can only happen once you¡¯ve steadied your position on the battlefield and demonstrated your strength, then there¡¯s hope for talks!


    If Fengjiang City were to fall and there were more defeats before winter, allowing the Tang Army to penetrate deep into Dahua, under those circumstances, why would Tang Country be willing to negotiate with the Dahua Empire?


    Chu Muzhou also felt that if the Tang Army continued to win, if he were the Prime Minister of Tang Country, he wouldn¡¯t be inclined to negotiate so easily either.


    That¡¯s why Shen Chuan suggested bolstering forces at the front, this was his view as the Minister of War regarding the situation: ¡°Your Majesty! If we cannot stop the Tang Army¡¯s advance, even if Tang Country agrees to negotiate, their demands will be frighteningly high.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right...¡± muttered the Ministers behind him, abruptly changing their previous mockery of Shen Chuan, now beginning to discuss animatedly and praising Shen Chuan¡¯s sagacity: ¡°Minister Shen¡¯s advice is sensible.¡±


    ¡°More troops? Weren¡¯t 500,000 conscripted just a few days ago to be sent to the frontline?¡± Yet, not all opinions were the same, as some Ministers immediately showed their disgust for the conscription.


    Conscripting civilians into the army was no small matter. The Dahua Empire had already conscripted five times in quick succession, and it was fair to say that public discontent was boiling, with complaints everywhere.


    The first conscription aimed to use a million troops to attack Tang Country and seize Xicong. Dahua drafted 700,000 new soldiers, most of whom ended up as captives with Qian Jinhang.


    The second conscription was to counter Tang Country¡¯s retaliation, calling up 300,000 people nationwide, these forces were basically spent.


    The third was when the Tang Army fiercely attacked South Wind Pass, drafting 200,000 people nearby. Before the 200,000 could be put to use, the Tang Army had already captured South Wind Pass, and those troops dispersed.


    The fourth conscription was for the Hidden Sword Gorge defense line¡ªZhao Chen, in the Southern Region, drafted 900,000 in one go. The region still hasn¡¯t recovered from the floods and conscriptions to resume production.


    The fifth was General Feng Ke¡¯s defense of Fengjiang, drafting 300,000 new recruits along the way, who have almost all been consumed at the Fengjiang defense line. The reserve forces are nearly depleted, in dire need of reinforcements.


    In total, 2.4 million robust men were mobilized, which in the past would have sufficed for ten wars. Yet this single war hadn¡¯t concluded, and they had been utterly depleted.


    Therefore, Shen Chuan brought up this new round of conscription plans that were severely criticized before, at this meeting.


    Despite being a headache, the Dahua Empire had indeed reached a point where it had no choice but to conscript again for the war.

 Chapter 834 834 775 screen_4

    ?Chapter 834: 775 screen_4 Chapter 834: 775 screen_4 ¡°Your Majesty! General Feng Kezhi, in Fengjiang, must contend with the Tang Army while also guarding against Qin Country¡¯s two hundred thousand barbarian soldiers,¡± Shen Chuan bowed his head, his voice echoing in the great hall.


    Zhao Kai also understood that the troops borrowed from Qin Country were, after all, borrowed troops and not his own.


    If these Qin soldiers were lost, his Dahua Empire would have to compensate! Moreover, if Qin Country pulled back these troops, he couldn¡¯t do anything about Qin Country.


    Therefore, the Dahua Empire certainly should replace them with its own troops on the front lines as soon as possible; only by doing so could they ensure stability.


    Zhao Kai agreed with the conscription. In his view, increasing troop strength on the front lines was much more appealing than the recent clamorous proposals to directly seek peace.


    Moreover, having just witnessed the terror of the White Phosphorus Bomb and revising his impression of Shen Chuan, who had been maintaining the frontline without collapse, he was even more willing to support Shen Chuan.


    So, Zhao Kai asked, ¡°May I know, Minister Shen, how many new recruits do you think would be appropriate?¡±


    ...


    When he asked this question, he was already thinking that if Shen Chuan¡¯s request was not too excessive, he would immediately decide to fulfill Shen Chuan¡¯s needs.


    But who would have thought, Shen Chuan directly replied, ¡°Your Majesty, I believe that we should immediately conscript 1.5 million new soldiers and send them to the front lines as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Not... how many?¡± Hearing the number Shen Chuan stated, Zhao Kai felt like he was having a breakdown. What do you mean, one point five million? Are you fully awake?


    If they really conscripted 1.5 million people, in total, the Dahua Empire will have drafted nearly 3 million troops for this war.


    How is life supposed to go on? You must remember that those heading to battle are in their prime! What does ¡®in their prime¡¯ mean? Youth! Middle-aged! They are the labor force, the precious core of production!


    Those are the people needed for farming; next spring, they are supposed to be working the fields and engaging in agricultural production! If they die in battle or are lost, what happens to next year¡¯s spring plowing? Are we not repairing the dikes and canals anymore? Are we not mining anymore?


    There are already reports from the imperial censors saying that every household is in mourning. If we conscript another 1.5 million people, aren¡¯t we afraid that there will be rebellions?


    ¡°Minister Shen thinks we need 1.5 million!¡± Shen Chuan felt that, taking advantage of this opportunity, he must fight for more resources, no matter what, to support General Feng Kezhi on the front lines.


    The reason he suggested this number was actually well-calculated. Excluding the 200,000 Qin soldiers, who were increasingly reluctant to work, at least 1 million were needed to hold the defense lines and prepare enough reserves for General Feng Ke to continue his maneuvers around Fengjiang.


    Considering the current situation of the war and Tang Country¡¯s new weaponry, he needed to request an additional 500,000 to bolster other areas of the defense line to ensure absolute security.


    By this calculation, 1.5 million was actually a very conservative number¡ªin a normal situation, even 2 million wouldn¡¯t be too much.


    ¡°Minister Shen! Not only can His Majesty not agree to your number,¡± Chief of Staff Chen Jing interjected, seeing Zhao Kai on the verge of an outburst, ¡°but my Ministry of Works also cannot supply so many weapons and equip these 1.5 million men!¡±


    Shen Chuan sighed, knowing that Chen Jing meant well. But with Chen Jing¡¯s explanation, his hope for the 1.5 million was dashed. After all, this was the last shred of hope he was fighting for on behalf of Feng Ke.


    Without this hope, he feared that General Feng Kezhi in Fengjiang would not be able to hold out much longer.


    Listening to the ministers of the Dahua Empire court arguing back and forth, Shireck¡¯s advisors also looked grave. The war they had planned now seemed to be lost. But with loss comes the need for someone to take the blame, for someone to be held accountable... Last time, lives were lost. What about this time?

 Chapter 835 835 776 a telegram from Changan

    ?Chapter 835: 776 a telegram from Chang¡¯an Chapter 835: 776 a telegram from Chang¡¯an In this world, there is a castle with fiery red outer walls, renowned far and wide. Those who live within its stronghold are exalted beyond words, deterring any casual mention of her name.


    Indeed, this castle was none other than Flame Castle, and the woman residing within, known as Sofia, was the true ruler of the Shireck Consortium.


    The opulent decor lent this apparently ancient edifice an air of modern elegance within.


    Expanded windows, though having lost their defensive function as concealment, brought in better lighting and added to the grandeur of the exterior.


    Throughout the rooms, expensive electric lights had replaced older fixtures, with some chambers even boasting pricey fluorescent lamps.


    In a room filled with priceless sofas and works of art, several telephones unexpectedly adorned the coffee table, right beside lamps engraved with eagles, their bases capable of holding two pens.


    Sofia sat on the sofa, tossing a telegram concerning the Ice Cold Kingdom aside with a chuckle¡ªHer stunning face even more bewitching as she sneered, ¡°As soon as the winds change, they all contemplate flight.¡±


    ...


    Recently, as the war continued to deteriorate, nations across the Eastern Continent actually harbored thoughts of withdrawing from the conflict.


    Originally, everyone¡¯s intent was to defeat Tang Country and divide its legacy amongst themselves, but the course of the war bore a stark contrast to their expectations.


    At the onset, all nations believed that a massive united fleet could easily seize maritime dominance, sever Tang Country¡¯s sea lines of communication, and ultimately force Tang Country to capitulate and surrender their advanced technologies.


    Frustratingly for them, reality unfolded differently: Tang Army crushed Dahua Empire with ease on the battlefield, securing a land combat advantage.


    And at sea, those damned new Tang naval submarines sunk millions of tons of the allied transport ships, forcing the once dominant alliance fleet to cowardly hide in the northern part of the Endless Sea, too frightened to show their faces.


    The Laines Empire Navy suffered heavy losses, with many nations¡¯ ships unable to return home, turning the entire maritime battle on its head from the pre-war estimations.


    When victory seemed assured, it was one thing to invest resources in anticipation of sharing the spoils, but bearing the brunt of a defeat and entwining oneself in a potential loss was quite another matter altogether.


    Now, with a naval battle they couldn¡¯t win and a land war they were poised to lose substantially, many opportunistic nations began to consider withdrawing from the alliance.


    Even some nations did not make any concerted effort to mask their intentions from Shireck, expressing their dissatisfaction with the Shireck Consortium¡¯s repeated miscalculations¡ªIt¡¯s just how people are sometimes; despite their own decisions and multitude of ideas, with Shireck Consortium¡¯s persuasion only a secondary factor, when push comes to shove, they still place the blame on Shireck.


    Of course, Shireck was not wronged either, they indeed were meddling from the inside and it was they who primarily orchestrated the alliance.


    Sofia had known a month ago that ministers from the Ice Cold Empire began advising their Emperor to quickly dispatch envoys to reconcile with Tang Country, in order to withdraw from the alliance and the lengthy but unwinnable war independently.


    Half a month earlier, rumblings of opposition to continued warfare surfaced in both the Suthers and Dorne Empires.


    More and more nations were contemplating exiting this so-called alliance, considering the feasibility of negotiating peace unilaterally with Tang Country. Such matters had already stirred unease within Shireck, making Sofia sense danger.


    Shireck was never a place for wanton behavior; it had many stakeholders and directors representing an even more complex and substantial conglomeration of interests.


    On this point Shireck and Great Tang Group were utterly dissimilar, the latter always being a company solely belonging to Tang Mo, thus those involved with Shireck regarded Great Tang Group as a thorn in their side.


    This sentiment was aligned with the reluctance of the many empires to see Tang Country grow and prosper: Tang Country, on a national level, was an anomaly; its system, its soul, its operations, and its speed of progress alienated it from other nations.


    Likewise, Great Tang Group was wholly different from other corporations and consortia; its mode of expansion and development was utterly irreplicable, with Tang Mo¡¯s rise putting the traditional merchants and tycoons on edge.


    Tang Mo and everything he represented were changing this world¡¯s rules, establishing a new system in the making. Should they fail to keep pace, whether the old empires or kingdoms, or the old corporations and consortia, all would be consigned to history¡¯s rubbish heap, decaying into obscurity.


    As the era of transformation loomed, some chose to resist with futile efforts, like destroying Tang Country and Great Tang Group¡ªSofia was one such person.


    Others were willing to learn and make concessions in exchange for greater benefits, adapting to ride the currents of history. The Marquis of Bailu, for example.


    After the last defeat, voices within the Shireck Consortium were already splintered. Some believed that as businessmen, they should engage in any deal, insisting that as long as Great Tang Group could pave lucrative paths for them, Shireck need not doggedly pursue Great Tang Group¡¯s downfall.

 Chapter 836 836 776 from Changan with a telegram_2

    ?Chapter 836: 776 from Chang¡¯an with a telegram_2 Chapter 836: 776 from Chang¡¯an with a telegram_2 Despite these voices not being mainstream, Sofia, who controlled more than a third of Shireck¡¯s strength, easily suppressed these discordant proposals. Yet, someone had thought this way, and naturally, there were others who continued to think the same.


    You see, Sofia was the first one to make a change back then, sending maid Jenny to contact Tang Mo and secretly eliminating several main competitors to ascend to her position.


    Since she had chosen the route of clandestine cooperation with Great Tang Group, she naturally had to guard against others following her example and secretly colluding with Great Tang Group to eventually overthrow her.


    Looking at the telegram in front of her, Sofia was annoyed as she drew a snow-white cigarette from the polished metal box with her delicate hands.


    This cigarette was very thin, a product launched by Great Tang Group, a signature cigarette exclusively for the enjoyment of female nobility, branded as ¡°Rose.¡±


    Upon its release, ¡°Rose¡± cigarettes quickly became favored by the nobility women, who viewed these as important symbols of their status being on par with men.


    Thus, the more successful, wealthy, and widowed female nobility enjoyed lighting such a cigarette at gatherings to display their status and taste.


    ...


    Of course, there was another important reason¡ªit showed their wealth: one cigarette could buy a month¡¯s worth of food for an ordinary family.


    Sofia held the cigarette in her hand and lit it with her attractive, equally expensive lighter, exhaling a mist of smoke.


    Amid the swirling white smoke, her gaze became somewhat distant. Just yesterday, a number of Shireck¡¯s shareholders, that is, board members, had formally expressed their discontent with her.


    Everyone used their connections and contacts, investing real money and silver, but what for? Wasn¡¯t it all just to make a profit?


    If there¡¯s a lot of money to be made, the leader is deemed capable, a guiding light, a good captain of this commercial warship setting sail.


    But if money isn¡¯t made, then it¡¯s time for a serious discussion. If things aren¡¯t working, it¡¯s worth trying someone new; no need to hang on a crooked tree.


    What these board members meant was, if Shireck lost this war again, Sofia would at least have to give up her position as chairperson and the control over Shireck.


    Although Sofia still held a third of the consortium¡¯s shares, the other shareholders combined had enough to oust her and initiate various criticisms against her.


    Sometimes things go like this: when you list your company on the stock market, countless investment firms are willing to provide funds, gloriously branded as ¡°financing,¡± more affirmatively as endorsing your business direction.


    However, if your company¡¯s stocks continually lose money, many would sell off their shares for cash, ignoring your desperate pleas, regardless of how you illustrate your company¡¯s future prospects¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t even give you a second glance.


    Shireck was once a global influence in the arms industry, providing cannons, warships, rifles, and bayonets to nearly every country worldwide, arguably the most influential ¡°private enterprise.¡±


    The company even had its own private armies in many countries and wielded more power than even kings.


    But all that¡¯s in the past now.


    Today, the Shireck Consortium is actually in a very bad shape: in negotiations with various nations, too many Shireck-affiliated officials have been exposed, squandering all former residual awe and esteem that Shireck had amassed.


    You see, persuading many countries to make similar decisions is not an easy task. Even during Shireck¡¯s prime, certain costs had to be paid, involving various exchanges of interests.


    Everything needed to be compensated with the benefits obtained thereafter. Being associated with Shireck meant having soup to drink, benefits to reap¡ªthat¡¯s the important reason these countries were willing to honor Shireck.


    But in the recent decade, the countries involved with Shireck have either been annihilated or continuously suffered devastating failures. Under such circumstances, countries willing to align with Shireck without preconditions have become exceedingly rare.


    Now, the general attitude is: what you want us to do, we would consider doing, even offing a beloved friend or family but... for a price.


    Exchanges of interests come in various forms, and Shireck, to persuade so many countries to oppose Great Tang Group and Tang Country, paid wonderfully diverse and strange prices.


    Sometimes, it meant Shireck voluntarily giving up officials from various countries whom they had bribed but whose loyalty was somewhat questionable.


    Over the years, officials bought by or associated with the Shireck Consortium have been continuously falling from grace, either going home to embrace childcare or clanging into jail without further ado.


    Emperors of various countries have consolidated their power, employing many young people and infusing fresh blood into their national courts.


    Simultaneously, Shireck had no choice but to spend its reserves to provide military aid to many countries. This was also a part of the collaboration, motivated by the selfish interests of these nations.


    It¡¯s hard to say whether this was good news; amidst Shireck¡¯s reluctant compromises, technology began to spread wildly, and the industrial strength and technological reserves of various countries saw substantial progress.


    To put it plainly, as technology spread, everyone had a bit of capital; they could develop some weapons and equipment on their own without relying on Shireck.

 Chapter 837 837 776 from Changan with a telegram_3

    ?Chapter 837: 776 from Chang¡¯an with a telegram_3 Chapter 837: 776 from Chang¡¯an with a telegram_3 Dahua¡¯s Type 1 fighter jets and Type 2 tanks, the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s Ice Tanks, and the battleships secretly built by Mirage Country were all results of this technology proliferation.


    Because of the industrial foundation of Northern Ridge and Brunas, the Suthers Empire and Laines Empire led in the front row of industrialization. The industrial zones of these two empires were all built by the Great Tang Group, naturally much stronger than those imitation goods.


    These two countries had now developed their own tanks and planes, which unexpectedly performed quite well.


    Sofia had no idea when the phonograph had stopped. The record had been spinning, the needle had already left the outermost track, and no one had reset it onto the record.


    Looking through the smoke, Sofia bitterly took a deep drag of her cigarette as she glanced at the huge lily-like horn of the phonograph imported from Tang Country.


    This gadget was also produced by Tang Country! Everything she liked, everything she spent money on pursuing: those beautiful shoes, those luxurious cars, those bright light bulbs, the cigarette in her hand, the phonograph by the wall... everything was imported from Tang Country.


    She so hated Tang Mo, hated the commercial empire he had built single-handedly, yet she almost filled her meeting room and bedroom with products made in Tang Country.


    ...


    For Sofia, this was an immense irony.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± she cursed aloud, trying to kick over the coffee table in front of her, only to fail in moving it at all because it was truly substantial and hefty.


    Outside the door were guards and servants on standby, but they would only come in when Sofia pressed the bell on the coffee table¡ªthe room¡¯s door was indeed very thick with excellent soundproofing. Sofia demanded this because she didn¡¯t want the sounds she made in the room to be heard by those outside.


    Recent troubles had even kept her from seeing her female companions for a long time, and whenever she thought of this, she grew even more irritable.


    Thinking that she might be purged after the war ended, she thought Dahua Empire¡¯s Emperor Zhao Kai was a loser, Chu Country and Qin Country were both losers, Mirage Country, Ice Cold Empire, Suthers Empire, and Laines Empire were all worthless!


    Those directors of Shireck were shortsighted losers! They were all incompetent people who had driven her to a dead end!


    Unconsciously, she remembered the telegram that Tang Mo had sent her on the day the war started. She recalled the line on the telegram: ¡°This time, just pushing out a scapegoat won¡¯t work!¡±


    Before, every time she read this line, it seemed like Tang Mo¡¯s helpless curse.


    But now, these words floated before her eyes like menacing ghosts, lingering persistently.


    Could it really be as that damned man had said, that this time she had to pay the price for her actions?


    Damn it! Did he still want to kill her? Sofia thought ferociously in her mind. She glanced at her own hands holding the cigarette, smooth and flawless white.


    Each of her fingers adorned a sparkling gem ring, every fingernail meticulously manicured to perfect curves.


    As a woman, she possessed almost everything enviable: her hair was thick and naturally fiery red, like an explosive flame, vibrant and passionate.


    Her neck was slender, a neck naturally made for wearing necklaces. Every time she flicked her hair, revealing this irresistible neck, all the men would involuntarily swallow their saliva.


    Wherever gaze fell, her bosom was prominent, Sofia, who had been educated from childhood in nobility, had developed a fine figure, mastered in the poised and graceful dance, a presence that made even women¡¯s hearts flutter.


    Those long legs, that drove countless men wild and made countless women envious¡ª even Sofia herself would be captivated when she touched them.


    What made it even more unfair was that she was smarter than many. From a young age managing a huge commercial empire, she was more sensible than her peers and more excellent than many business prodigies.


    Besides her excellence, she was also rich... truly rich. If there wasn¡¯t a rising star named Tang Mo in this world, her wealth could truly compete for the title of the richest in the world.


    How could such an excellent person like her resign herself to die willingly? How could he bear to let herself die?


    Men, they just wanted her, didn¡¯t they? Sofia narrowed her eyes, feeling at that moment she guessed Tang Mo¡¯s motive.


    Exactly, she felt Tang Mo¡¯s telegram was prepared to use the most secure and simplest way to end the competition between Great Tang Kingdom and Shireck.


    Obviously, if Tang Mo married her, Sofia, he could instantly take over one-third of Shireck¡¯s shares and gain her, Sofia Director¡¯s, full support.


    The more she thought about it, the more she felt she guessed the truth, a slight blush appeared on Sofia¡¯s face, which she quickly suppressed.


    She kept reminding herself that she, Sofia, did not like men, even if it was the strongest man in the world, she wouldn¡¯t... at least not easily submit.


    For a moment, she somewhat understood why her maid, Jenny, stayed in the Great Tang Kingdom and married a man named Harry.


    But in an instant, her rebellious anger surged again: To succeed, to have such wishful thinking! She would never come together with her enemy, never!

 Chapter 838 838 776 A telegram from Changan_4

    ?Chapter 838: 776 A telegram from Chang¡¯an_4 Chapter 838: 776 A telegram from Chang¡¯an_4 As she sat on the sofa lost in her thoughts, a knock came from the door. Sofia ordered the person outside to come in, knowing that if someone was disturbing her at this time, it must be something very important.


    A maid walked in and presented a telegram with both hands, respectfully handing it to Sofia: ¡°My lord, it¡¯s a telegram from Chang¡¯an in Tang Country.¡±


    ¡°I understand... you may go!¡± Sofia felt her cheeks burn with heat; she even wanted to toss the telegram into the bin.


    For her, the most difficult decisions might well be those concerning personal relationships. In business, she would never be so anxious and flustered.


    What to do? At that moment, Sofia genuinely feared the telegram in her hand, worried it might be a love letter from Tang Mo.


    If it were of such content, Sofia didn¡¯t know if she should refuse or accept it.


    As a competitive businesswoman, she felt she should admit defeat and pay the price for losing the war. That was reasonable, wasn¡¯t it?


    ...


    If Tang Mo really had such demands, she could simply satisfy his wicked desires: she could also use this relationship to threaten Shireck¡¯s competitors, secure more Tang Country technology, revitalize Shireck, and gain the upper hand.


    She was confident in her body, with a beauty that could bring down empires, and there wasn¡¯t a man alive who wouldn¡¯t be interested in her face.


    At times like this, she no longer dwelled on her preference for women; for someone like her, doing something distasteful was merely a matter of weighing benefits. Just think of it as being bitten by a dog! Subconsciously, that¡¯s how Sofia convinced herself.


    Having pondered so long that the maid who delivered the telegram had left and closed the door, Sofia still hadn¡¯t opened the telegram from Chang¡¯an in Tang Country.


    She held the folded piece of paper in her palm, as if grasping the future, as if regaining control of Shireck¡¯s power.


    A telegram for me... for me... Having started to plan how to demand the technology for weapons such as the Butcher Fighter Jet and Flying Fortress Bomber after spending a passionate night with Tang Mo, Sofia finally looked down at the telegram in her hand.


    Apprehensively, she extinguished the half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table and nervously unfolded the letter.


    Inside was a very short sentence, but not the content Sofia had anticipated: ¡°Have you decided whether to use poison or a pistol?¡±


    Sofia closed the telegram, then opened it again... she couldn¡¯t quite believe what she was seeing.


    Eventually, she confirmed the content of the telegram had nothing to do with romance or affection.


    There were no hints of flirtation or eroticism in the telegram; it was filled with chilling indifference.


    ¡°Have you decided whether to use poison or a pistol?¡± Sofia read the sentence again, picturing a young man standing before her, genteelly placing a green vial next to a pistol on the table.


    All her previous coquettish rejections, all the confidence borne of being a woman, dissipated at that moment. She even began to wonder, if she liked women, perhaps Tang Mo liked men...


    Staring at the telegram in her hand for a long time, Sofia finally snapped out of it: the man far away in Chang¡¯an was not one of those vulgar ruffians who could be brushed off lightly¡ªit seemed a bit of wishful thinking.


    Thus, with a troubled expression, Sofia pressed the bell on the coffee table, and the door was immediately pushed open; a servant who had been standing outside entered the room and asked with a bow, ¡°What are your orders, my lord?¡±


    ¡°Prepare the car! I need to go out!¡±

 Chapter 839 839 777 New

    ?Chapter 839: 777 New Chapter Chapter 839: 777 New Chapter Tang Country, Tongcheng, inside a workshop of a factory, a technician was adjusting a device larger than a computer case.


    He was very dedicated, and the gears within the device were compacted one atop the other, complex to the point of being overwhelming. The entire setup was precise and complicated, with every detail shimmering with the brilliance of industry.


    This was a mechanical gyroscope correction device, which could adjust the rotation of gears driven by an electric motor based on the gyroscope¡¯s motion, to manipulate some critical parts¡¯ operation.


    The whole device was incredibly complex, and the precision required dedicated technical workers using magnifying glasses for careful adjustments.


    ¡°It¡¯s outrageous, the precision of this thing has surpassed our understanding,¡± an engineer said to his colleague who had just put away his screwdriver.


    That colleague lifted the magnifying glasses from his eyes and smiled, ¡°You know what this thing is for, so you should understand why it needs to be so precise.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering how such a terrifying weapon could have emerged in this world.¡± The engineer carefully closed the cover on the side of the device, then began gently screwing in the screws on the frame.


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, 1700 kilometers is not a short distance. To make something fly that far on autopilot, precision is non-negotiable,¡± said the engineer still wearing the magnifying glasses, laughing as he placed the screwdriver in a box next to him.


    Lying in the middle of this workshop, covered with a canvas, was a huge cylindrical object with four sharp glide wings protruding from the tail.


    Yes, this was a missile, and possibly the first ballistic missile that would be involved in actual combat in this world!


    To get this thing off the ground, Great Tang Group¡¯s chemical factory had continuously invested in new production technologies, piling up science until it was advanced enough to produce rocket fuel.


    Despite the production of these highly unstable chemicals being quite difficult, Tang Country had managed to create sufficient nitric acid and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine manually in the chemical laboratory for a rocket to ascend.


    These substances, either highly corrosive or highly toxic, were all deadly. If poured into the missile, the missile¡¯s specially treated body would only have a lifespan of two or three hours.


    Therefore, the missile bodies stored in this workshop were empty, and everything would have to wait until preparations were complete to proceed.


    To ensure that this high-quality imitation of the DF-3 could fly over 1000 kilometers smoothly and deliver the ¡°gift¡± to the Emperor Zhao Kai of the Dahua Empire, engineers of Tang Country had put in an incredible amount of effort.


    They had to ensure that their inertial guidance system remained reliable, controlling the missile at altitudes above 100 kilometers, flying at speeds of 4 to 6 times the speed of sound all the way until it hit the target.


    The good news was that the target to be hit was several kilometers wide and long, so large it was impossible to see the edges at a glance.


    The bad news was that this target was about 1700 kilometers away from their launch site, and the actual flight trajectory couldn¡¯t be verified or measured.


    ¡°A few days ago, didn¡¯t we launch a test rocket?¡± As they finished tuning the equipment, the two began to chat again.


    ¡°Yeah, I participated in the experiment, the overall operation of the rocket had no problems, and the final landing point was within the designated range,¡± the engineer with the magnifying glasses said as he nodded, removing his gloves and tossing them on the table.


    As he spoke, he also took off the magnifying glasses and placed them on his workbench, ¡°It flew 300 kilometers, with a deviation controlled within 210 meters.¡±


    ¡°That sounds pretty good, doesn¡¯t it? Six times the distance, the deviation is probably also six times as much, that¡¯s just less than 1,300 meters, completely within the data requirements,¡± his colleague complained, rubbing the sparse hair on his head, ¡°Why do we still need to improve precision then?¡±


    ¡°Out of the previous fifteen tests, nine failed. These are handcrafted, with too much randomness, which is very unsettling,¡± the clearly more skilled engineer with a receding hairline grabbed his water cup, took a sip, and then continued.


    Frankly, with the current processing precision, attempting to create a ballistic missile with a range of 2000 kilometers was indeed a bit of a stretch.


    However, the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire was about 1500 kilometers away from the border of Tang Country, a distance that could no longer guarantee the safe bombing from flying fortresses.


    Therefore, for Tang Mo to send Zhao Kai a grand gift, he had to think of a better solution: a missile that could go without returning was clearly the right choice.


    Originally, with the technological accumulation of Tang Country, producing a relatively simple V2 rocket was not difficult, but the V2 rocket was too small with a range of only about 300 kilometers, insufficient for Tang Mo¡¯s need to attack the Capital of the Dahua Empire.


    Thus, the technical department of Tang Country had no choice but to start with the more difficult, technologically advanced strategic ballistic missile, copying the closely ranged DF-3 missile as a model.


    Due to technical difficulties, the missile had reduced length to minimize the range and set it to a very suitable 1700 kilometers, essentially a custom fit.


    This reduced the difficulty of attack precision, theoretically keeping the error within seven or eight kilometers.

 Chapter 840 840 777 New _2

    ?Chapter 840: 777 New Chapter_2 Chapter 840: 777 New Chapter_2 ¡°In other words, if we aim for the very center of the Dahua Empire¡¯s capital, there¡¯s a high probability that this missile would land within the city of the Dahua Empire¡¯s capital.¡±


    When such abysmal attack accuracy was laid out in front of Tang Mo, he even considered canceling this unreliable attack plan.


    In his recollection, the attack accuracy of the DF-3 missile was roughly between 1 and 2 kilometers, hitting a city-sized target was still pretty easy.


    Anyway, he didn¡¯t want to kill Zhao Kai outright, so he didn¡¯t see a problem with the attack accuracy being between 1 and 2 kilometers, even without a nuclear warhead.


    But the attack accuracy calculation results provided by his scientists, engineers, and technicians were an absurd ¡°ten kilometers¡± that left him not knowing whether to laugh or cry!


    Such accuracy meant that even if the target was a large city with a population of hundreds of thousands or millions, it could still miss its mark...


    Tang Mo thought of that man with a tuft of Little Mustache between his lip and nostril, and he felt that his missile plan was nothing compared to Germany Three¡¯s V2 rocket festivity.


    ...


    In World War II, more than 18,000 V-type missiles were launched by Germany Three, achieving the ¡°glorious¡± success of killing over 30,000 people... It was beyond painful to watch, the sheer genius of killing a hundred enemies at the cost of three thousand of oneself.


    Tang Mo felt that if he were to employ the DF missiles currently being developed to attack the Dahua capital, he would be no different from Mister Adolf.


    However, in the recent days, the plan he had abandoned was seeing a glimmer of hope again: previously Tang Mo wasn¡¯t prepared to use this secret weapon in the war against the Dahua Empire, but now Tang Mo planned to use it to scare Zhao Kai and push for a swift end to this war.


    Plainly put, it was just a bluff, to make Zhao Kai feel the pressure of an attack on the capital, and decisively push him to surrender and seek peace.


    A large-scale launch was definitely unaffordable, but launching one or two wouldn¡¯t pose any problem. Hence, Tang Mo began exploring every possible way to help his engineers improve the missile¡¯s attack accuracy.


    Regrettably, the manual missile creation method in the lab could barely produce technologically updated missiles, but couldn¡¯t guarantee their quality.


    The previous prototype units, pure copies of V2, practically provided no useful experimental data for Tang Mo¡¯s engineering team.


    Some missiles crashed after flying more than a hundred kilometers, others had a staggering attack deviation of ten kilometers; it was terrible to witness.


    These data were almost random; occasionally, a missile would meet the design requirements perfectly, executing orders impeccably, and landing near the targeted area.


    Yet, experimentals that were identical in every way could also appear with a five-kilometer error, completely missing the target!


    Keep in mind, this was just a trial model with a range of only 300 kilometers, but the missiles intended to be fired into Dahua Empire territory had a range of a whopping 1700 kilometers!


    No one could guarantee that a combat-type missile could carry 1500 kilograms of explosives to fly 1700 kilometers and precisely land on the roof of some unlucky individual in the Dahua Imperial Capital.


    Therefore, to be cautious, engineers and technicians from the Great Tang Group split into two completely different teams, producing two identical DF-3 missiles in the factories of Tongcheng and Nanye.


    As for why the first combat-ready missile was named DF-3, that was due to the King¡¯s bizarre weapon naming convention. Everyone was accustomed to those strange and baseless weapon names.


    So the world¡¯s first ballistic missile to be ready for combat wasn¡¯t called West Wind or South Wind, nor North Wind¡ªit was oddly named East Wind, starting straight off with the third generation...


    ¡°The next round of testing is for the second generation, the DF-2, with a range of 1000 kilometers, and we will conduct three trials. If the experimental data prove our inertial guidance system is reliable, we might consider continuing to the next steps...¡± The two of them talked as they walked towards a massive missile body covered by a tarpaulin.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t believe it. If someone told me ten years ago that we¡¯d have something like this, I might have laughed and said they were crazy,¡± murmured an engineer who was involved in the development of such cutting-edge technology as he touched the canvas covering the missile.


    This might be the first time in the world that we have the means to attack targets over a thousand kilometers away. With such weapons, the Imperial City, over a thousand kilometers away from the border, would no longer be safe.


    And at this very moment, the original inhabitants of this world still didn¡¯t know that, in Tang Mo¡¯s mind, the ultimate form of this weapon was actually meant to be used in conjunction with a brand new super weapon.


    Once the two combined, they could open a new chapter.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth? Even as I stand here looking at this big fellow right in front of me, I can hardly believe it could fly 1700 kilometers and hit a target in the Dahua Imperial Capital,¡± another engineer exclaimed excitedly.


    ...


    The cold sea water slapped against the deck as a U-type submarine bobbed up and down in the churning waves.


    Leaning against the frost-covered railing, the submarine¡¯s captain peered through his binoculars, meticulously searching for any potential targets on the sea surface.


    ¡°Captain! I think we¡¯ve been had! There¡¯s no way there are any enemy warships in this godforsaken place!¡± a sailor on the submarine, wearing a thick woolen coat, shouted to the captain beside him over the noise of the waves.

 Chapter 841 841 777 New _3

    ?Chapter 841: 777 New Chapter_3 Chapter 841: 777 New Chapter_3 ¡°Whoosh!¡± The waves carrying the sea breeze struck again, crashing against the submarine¡¯s casing and breaking into countless white droplets that splashed everywhere.


    ¡°We could¡¯ve sunk two transport ships in the south by now.¡± Another officer, who had come out for some fresh air, complained as well.


    Their submarine had been operating to the south of Dragon Island since the war had begun, mainly targeting the transport ships sailing from Gobur to Dorne.


    In a few months, they had sunk over 50,000 tons of transport and fishing vessels, yielding significant results.


    Unfortunately, they were recalled to Dragon Island, and right after resupplying, were ordered to move northward and transfer their supply base to Beiyuan City.


    Compared to Dragon Island, the submarine maintenance facilities in Beiyuan City were simply too poor; repairs took longer and the resupply conditions were subpar.


    The already autumn-stricken Beiyuan City was cold, and due to poorer economic conditions compared to Dragon Island, there were hardly any places for the officers and soldiers to relax during their downtime.


    ...


    What frustrated the submarine crew most was that they thought they would continue to attack merchant ships south of Mirage Country. However, their actual mission was to head north to Mirage Country and search for that elusive joint fleet.


    The northern waters of Mirage Country were rough, the seawater ice-cold, and the temperatures even lower, occasionally featuring icebergs. Such an unlikable and terrible place was indeed hard to appreciate.


    Compared to the warm and pleasant climate of the southern waters, where targets were easily found, this place felt like a banished realm.


    Wrapping his coat tighter and adjusting the scarf around his neck, the captain finally understood why they had received such a pile of seemingly useless items before leaving Beiyuan City.


    Their boots were special rubber boots, waterproof and warm¡ªtotally different from the water shoes previously issued. They had leather gloves, as well as scarves and coats. As the captain, he even had his own exclusive leather jacket, seemingly designed for waterproof warmth.


    Now it seemed that these thoughtful items must have been suggested by captains who had previously undertaken missions here; those who hadn¡¯t been here couldn¡¯t have considered all these details so thoroughly.


    Amidst the heaving waves of this sea area, the bobbing submarine appeared exceptionally tiny, and thus it was unsteady while sailing.


    To conserve fuel and maintain a high speed, all the submarines had to navigate on the surface; in this era, these ¡°submarines¡± could better be described as ships capable of submerging.


    Even during attacks, if conditions allowed, submarine commanders preferred to stay surfaced and fire, contrary to what most people imagined.


    Only when facing the enemy¡¯s anti-submarine forces did submarines dive to conceal themselves, somewhat akin to ducking and crawling; if they wanted to move quickly, it was easier to rise (surface).


    So, although they could dive to avoid the rough seas, the submarines, intent on making haste, still floated on the surface amidst the surging waves, like a frail skiff.


    ¡°Search carefully! Instead of complaining, you might as well check the map again! There are no shipping lanes here; everything depends on us!¡± The captain glanced down at his compass, coughed, and yelled, ¡°If you¡¯re really upset, then go below and swap shifts! Let someone willing come up!¡±


    Indeed, the few men standing on the casing stopped complaining. They were fortunate to step outside the cramped interior of the submarine for some fresh air, a luxury compared to those on duty below.


    This captain only knew that their mission was to conduct a search here; he wasn¡¯t privy to more detailed information.


    Since the war had started, all submarines had been ordered to search for the enemy¡¯s main fleet, so this didn¡¯t come as a surprise to them.


    What they didn¡¯t know was that this time, a total of 15 submarines had been dispatched to search for the enemy fleet in the northern waters of Mirage Country!


    This number was nearly the whole operational strength Tang Country could muster, excluding those out for repairs and maintenance or assigned to other regions.


    Tang Army¡¯s intelligence department seemed convinced that the Alliance¡¯s main fleet was hidden in the northern seas of Mirage Country, hence they really pulled the submarines there to start the search.


    Apart from the 15 submarines, Tang Country¡¯s Navy also deployed three destroyers; this was the maximum force they could provide.


    To be honest, even with the Navy¡¯s all-out effort, the available warships and submarines were still too few for the vast area they had to search.


    The good news was that two of the three destroyers were equipped with radar, boasting strong searching capabilities. The bad news was that the remaining submarines and destroyers had to rely on telescopes to locate targets.


    It was not a pleasant task¡ªtedious and dull, far from heart-stopping excitement. To some extent, it could easily drive one to despair.


    In times devoid of battle, life on a submarine was even harsher than on a real warship. They lacked portholes, had virtually no decks, and had incredibly restricted areas for activity.


    Fortunately, it was somewhat less taxing than the submarines of Germany Three; they weren¡¯t attacked by surprise by seaplanes dropping depth charges from above.


    ...


    Sofia¡¯s car stopped at the entrance of a very regular estate; her bodyguard opened the door, and she got out of the car, walking in alone.

 Chapter 842 842 777 New _4

    ?Chapter 842: 777 New Chapter_4 Chapter 842: 777 New Chapter_4 The heavy door of the room opened from the inside, and the three-story castle seemed to bear the weight of many years. The ground around was strewn with decayed leaves.


    Two women dressed in black stood to the left and right of the hallway when they saw Sofia, each bowing slightly and greeting, ¡°Lady Sofia.¡±


    ¡°Is she ready?¡± Sofia asked over her shoulder, without turning her head, as she walked forward.


    ¡°Reporting to you, my lady, she is ready at all times,¡± one of the women following Sofia responded.


    Sofia said no more but walked straight to a large door and stopped. The two women in black moved forward and pushed the door open for Sofia.


    The room inside was lavishly decorated, in stark contrast to the dilapidated exterior of the castle. A woman sat inside reading a book and slowly lifted her head when she heard the door being pushed open.


    The woman¡¯s face was delicate and by some measures, very beautiful. However, her presence here at this time made her appearance all the more sinister.


    ...


    She bore an identical likeness to Sofia, with fiery red hair like Sofia¡¯s. When she looked up at Sofia, the latter even felt as though she was looking at another version of herself.


    But she knew that this woman was not her. She was a nameless daughter of poor peasants.


    ¡°Your chance to repay me has come,¡± Sofia said to the woman seated on the sofa, her tone cold.


    ¡°Thank you, my lady, for your care over these past decades. What do you wish me to do for you?¡± The girl looked up at Sofia¡¯s exquisite face and asked calmly.


    ¡°Die... for me,¡± Sofia stated the girl¡¯s fate indifferently, as if it was a matter completely unrelated to her.


    Indeed, even though it was a woman named Sofia who would soon die, it was not her; it had barely anything to do with her.


    ¡°Very well, Lady Sofia.¡± The girl smiled. She knew that the years of glory and riches had not come without a price. From the moment her parents had received the Gold Coins, she had become an object owned solely by Sofia.


    ¡°Do you have any last wishes? I can fulfill them,¡± Sofia asked after a few seconds of silence.


    ¡°Thank you, but there¡¯s nothing else I require of you,¡± the girl said thoughtfully, bowing to Sofia before leaving with the two women in black.


    ¡°Use a gun...¡± Sofia chose a method of death that might further damage the face, to minimize the difference between the corpse and herself.


    The two women in black who closed the door after Sofia acknowledged the instruction and then followed ¡°Sofia¡± out of the decrepit castle.


    ¡°You drove me to this... a blood debt must be repaid with blood!¡± Sofia knew she would probably have to hide in this castle from now on, her complexion turning exceedingly grim.


    She walked to another door at the end of the room, opened it herself, and step by step, passed through the corridor to another building. Here, her confidantes awaited her, ready to report on the transfer of her wealth and the progress of hiding it.


    Faking one¡¯s death was not a simple affair. To preserve her vast fortune and still keep the capital needed for revenge, Sofia meticulously managed the transfer of her assets.


    Everything had to be prepared without anybody noticing before presenting her own ¡°corpse¡± to Tang Mo¡ªonly completion of all the steps would make her ¡°death¡± truly established.


    It was a long process, yet she had plenty of time. The battle between Dahua and Tang Country over Fengjiang City would not end before the winter; the war would continue.


    Everything remained under her control. The only variable was Tang Mo¡¯s lack of lustful intentions; he truly considered her an opponent and employed ruthless measures in dealing with her.


    With these thoughts, her face became even more wretched, twisting grotesquely in the candlelight of the threadbare chandelier, like some demon or goblin.


    To maintain secrecy, this place had remained unchanged for more than a decade, and only a select few knew of its existence. Only Sofia¡¯s most core subordinates knew of this Sofia doppelga?nger.


    But the current Sofia, accustomed to the products of Tang Country, found the place unbearably uncomfortable.


    Had she not feared assassination by the Tang People, she wouldn¡¯t have resorted to switching with her doppelga?nger so soon... All these thoughts intensified Sofia¡¯s irritation. She grabbed a cup and violently threw it to the ground, where it shattered, its crisp echo reverberating through the empty room.

 Chapter 843 843 The alliance of 778 each harboring their own ulterior motives

    ?Chapter 843: The alliance of 778 each harboring their own ulterior motives Chapter 843: The alliance of 778 each harboring their own ulterior motives Splendor isn¡¯t just limited to Flame Castle, but also to King City in Chang¡¯an: originally the capital of Zheng Country, naturally it had a royal palace.


    The palace of Tang Kingdom had to be rebuilt, and the site chosen was in a new district outside the city; the original palace was thus reassigned for other uses.


    Now, the best-decorated place here is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs¡¯ guesthouse; additionally, several other areas were directly passed on for offices of various departments.


    Standing here were delegates from multiple nations, all of them anxious. They had previously declared war on Tang without hesitation and were now shamelessly discussing ceasefire terms.


    Even many countries were unaware that others had sent delegates until they met here and suddenly realized it.


    It seemed that the so-called Anti-Tang Alliance had long existed in name only, with each country harboring their own deceptions and fighting Tang independently.


    Under a splendid chandelier, the envoy from Laines Empire disdainfully looked at the envoy from Dorne, his face filled with an expression suggesting, ¡°You¡¯re really unscrupulous.¡±


    ...


    The envoy from Dorne, however, seemed calm, continuously conversing with the envoy from Suthers as if they had been good friends for many years.


    Although Suthers Empire had already secretly connected with Tang Kingdom, the representative from Suthers still pretended to be a novice, chatting endlessly with the envoy from Dorne Empire.


    The dwarf from Ice Cold Empire felt ashamed; he had previously come to Tang Country and facilitated the earlier ceasefire agreement. Yet just after more than two years, his homeland had declared war on Tang again.


    The attractive and handsome elf maintained his gentlemanly demeanor, his height sharply contrasting with the envoy from Mirage Country standing beside him.


    These envoys from various nations all shared one goal¡ªending this aggravating war quickly.


    Their navies simply couldn¡¯t gain the upper hand against Tang Nation¡¯s navy; everyone¡¯s trade routes were severed, and the losses were substantial.


    To them, continuing this war was nothing but a disaster! Earning money was what these people yearned for, losing it was absolutely unacceptable.


    ¡°Have you heard that Tang Country used a very powerful new bomb in Fengjiang City?¡± Gobur¡¯s envoy leaned into Ice Cold Empire¡¯s envoy and asked, seemingly trying to make conversation.


    Everyone knew that Tang Army had used a new type of bomb on the battlefield; everyone was eager to make backdoor deals and negotiate because of Tang¡¯s inexhaustible new weapons.


    That damned Panther Tank, the recently secretive new airplanes, and the submarines that made all other countries¡¯ main fleets wary¡ªincluding the bomb that ignited the entirety of Fengjiang City.


    Everyone was afraid that, unexpectedly, Tang Country would unleash something unprecedented and set fire to some nation¡¯s capital.


    This was no joke¡ªsending soldiers to the front line to die was one thing, but risking their own lives was something the Emperors of the nations were not keen on.


    ¡°Yes, and there¡¯s word that in the southern region of Fengjiang, Tang Army has deployed a new airplane for combat, even tougher than the Stuka, very powerful,¡± uttered the envoy from Ice Cold Empire gravely.


    The news had come from the Dahua Empire: Tang Army¡¯s brand-new weapon was unnamed, but its attack style completely differed from conventional Stuka Dive Bombers, notably enhancing Tang Nation Air Force¡¯s ground attack capabilities.


    Depressingly, it seemed all of Tang¡¯s airplanes were superior to any fighter jets currently producible by others; how could other nations¡¯ air forces compete?


    ¡°Dammit, we spent a billion Gold Coins on airplane technology! The main reason our country declared war on Tang was because we couldn¡¯t repay that debt,¡± complained Gobur¡¯s envoy, not quite truthfully.


    Everyone knew that was nonsense; it wasn¡¯t about being unable to pay¡ªit was about not wanting to pay. That was what everyone thought, so they eagerly initiated a joint war against Tang.


    When the war started, many had debt with Tang yet unpaid: this debt accrued interest, and repaying it with minerals, goods, or crops would affect each nation¡¯s own production and development; altogether, repayment was uncomfortable for everyone.


    Thus, they thought war might nullify their debts, which became a secondary reason for considering war against Tang.


    Another reason was technology, and Tang¡¯s wealth... ultimately, when these people came together, their logic was that of bandits and thugs. On one hand, they planned not to repay, and on the other, they also schemed to extort more.


    Unfortunately, once the war broke out, everyone gradually came to realize that Tang was not easy prey.


    Among those who had the mind to gather and talk, the imperial envoys were not the ones in the worst situation.


    The truly most miserable were the envoys from Dahua Empire and Chu Country, who gathered together but had no mind to speak.


    Both countries were direct participants in the war; they also bore the heaviest costs.


    Chu Country had almost lost its most valuable northern plains. Though it still had oil fields to sustain it, its war potential was nearly depleted.


    With Tang Country strongly pressing from the north and Shu Country covetously watching from the west, its borders with the Dahua Empire were cut off¡ªit truly faced threats from all sides.


    They were terrified that the Dahua Empire would betray them and negotiate peace with Great Tang alone, effectively handing Chu Country over, which made them extremely anxious.


    The envoy from the Dahua Empire had a tough role, his main purpose being to negotiate peace. However, Zhao Kai had not given him much leverage.


    Being an envoy with some intelligence, he knew that such a small offering would never be enough to make Tang Country make concessions, so he sat in the corner, full of worry, staying silent.


    Sitting with him was Shireck¡¯s envoy, who had come here to sign an agreement with Tang Country, listing a ¡°Prohibited Weapons List¡± that highlighted humanitarian concerns.


    This treaty was initiated by Tang Country, and many nations were ¡°forced to respond.¡± No one questioned Tang Country¡¯s justification, so they were willing to sign such a treaty and promised to work actively toward refining this ¡°very ethical military armament standard¡± in the future.


    Everyone was puzzled as to why Tang Country would use white phosphorus bombs, a terrifying weapon, as a bargaining chip in exchange for technically simple land mines.


    Two days ago, Tang Country¡¯s diplomatic and technical personnel had already contacted Shireck¡¯s envoy, and both sides had a heated discussion on the regulations surrounding the use of land mines.


    Shireck believed that land mines, being effective defensive weapons, should not be banned since they could effectively prevent trespassing between countries and were not offensive weapons.


    Tang Country, however, insisted that land mines contaminated the soil, affected post-war reconstruction, were difficult to clean up, and were indeed a cruel weapon of war that must be prohibited from production, transportation, and use in any form.


    The disagreement persisted, and finally, a compromise was reached: Tang Country agreed that its manufactured white phosphorus bombs would be banned from use within any urban or rural areas, just like land mines should not be deployed in such locations.


    At the same time, the deployment of land mines in wilderness areas had to be clearly marked for ease of post-war cleanup.


    However, there were differences regarding the use of white phosphorus bombs outdoors¡ªultimately, the more likely outcome was that Tang Country could continue to use this weapon outdoors, but once other countries acquired similar technology, a supplementary treaty could follow to ban its use outdoors as well.


    Everyone continued to strive for their interests, and the ¡°Prohibited Weapons List¡± was still not finalized up to this day.


    Regarding the Dahua side, it was also quite interesting. The Dahua Empire hoped to buy back Fengjiang, Wangchun City, Tengyun, and South Wind Pass, naturally including the southern oil fields.


    Buying back such a vast piece of land was almost impossible. Even if Tang Country agreed, the Dahua Empire could not afford it.


    Thus, this was probably another strategy of the Dahua Empire¡ªthey actually intended to buy Fengjiang City because that was the only city important to Dahua Empire yet dispensable to Tang Country and willing to be sold.


    If the Dahua Empire lost Fengjiang, their strategic depth would be compressed, leaving Tang Country with a salient inside Dahua¡¯s territory¡ªa situation uncomfortable in any perspective.


    But if the Dahua Empire could regain control of Fengjiang, at least on the surface, their line would be contiguous, and they could reorganize their defenses around Fengjiang.


    Conversely, Great Tang Kingdom did not need such a city. If the Dahua Empire really offered a high price, Tang Country might actually consider selling Fengjiang.


    However, the price, that¡¯s another matter entirely.


    As for Wangchun City, Tengyun City, and South Wind Pass, those were crucial locations, definitely ones that Tang Country needed to keep in its hands.


    With South Wind Pass, whether going through Tengyun or across the northern plains of Chu Country, the southern oil could be shipped out, and both places were now under the control of Tang Country.


    As long as the southern oil fields met no issues, Tang Country had a major oil production base, much more convenient than the oil available on Dragon Island.


    Additionally, the route boasted several mines, all valuables that Tang Country could directly utilize¡ªwhy would they ever consider giving them up?


    Moreover, Tang Country was not short of money, at least much wealthier than the Dahua Empire. If it came to negotiating territory sales, Tang Country might even counteroffer to the Dahua Empire, saying, ¡°Buddy, are you selling Hidden Sword Gorge and Sword Pavilion? If you are willing to sell, I might as well pay a bit more.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Dear readers, Dragon Spirit has noticed some complaints in the past few days about only one post¡ªDragon Spirit wants to clarify: the single update from the other day was not due to laziness but because the two updates were combined into one 6000-word chapter... Dragon Spirit has been wronged!

 Chapter 844 844 779 unacceptable harsh conditions

    ?Chapter 844: 779 unacceptable harsh conditions Chapter 844: 779 unacceptable harsh conditions In the hall, representatives from various countries were discussing the possibility of achieving peace with Tang Country. They all knew that with time progressing, the war truly could not continue.


    Maritime trade had completely collapsed due to endless interdiction battles, and the nations incurred significant daily losses in both transport ships and resources due to the sea battles.


    The halted trade was also causing stagnation in these countries¡¯ commercial activities, and emperors with no tax revenues even had started to cut their expenditures.


    No one could, or rather, no one was willing to endure such circumstances. Who would persist in a war that offered no benefits and no visibility of victory?


    Soon, diplomats from the Great Tang Kingdom entered the room, bringing with them the conditions from Tang Country, which the emissaries from various empires on the eastern continent were very eager to learn.


    However, upon seeing the terms, they were all terrified by the stringent conditions, so much so that their faces turned pale. They could not accept the terms, yet they did not have the courage to refuse and were left frozen in place.


    At this time, the wisdom and martial prowess of the Suthers Empire became apparent: they were the first to approach the Marquis of Bailu, thus their price had already been set.


    ...


    The Suthers Empire, not having participated in the naval battles, suffered no losses. They were only affected by the war economically, which led to a downturn.


    Therefore, their losses were minor, and they had not inflicted any substantial damage on Tang Country, which meant they did not need to pay much in the way of war reparations.


    Moreover, showing sincerity, they had revealed the approximate location of the joint fleet. Consequently, they were nominally to pay 1.5 million in war reparations, but in reality, they only needed to pay 150,000 Gold Coins.


    This was as if nothing had happened at all. The Suthers Empire could immediately resume trade with Tang Country upon the arrival of peace and could even purchase some of Great Tang Group¡¯s advanced weapons and equipment.


    As for the other countries, their situation was severe: Dorne, Gobur, Laines, Poplar, the Ice Cold Empire, and Mirage Country, all took part in the campaign against Tang Country¡¯s maritime shipping lines.


    Therefore, although Great Tang Kingdom¡¯s submarines and destroyers had sunk a large number of their transport ships, these countries still had to compensate Tang Country for the massive losses.


    After all, if they wished to restore peace and end this war with no hope of victory, they would need to first admit defeat. This was the bottom line insisted upon by Tang Country, and many nations were considering whether to compromise.


    Tang Country even hoped Suthers would be the first domino to fall. If the Suthers Empire accepted, willing to be the first to admit defeat and backstab the other countries by signing a treaty, Tang Country would even waive the 150,000 Gold Coins for Suthers.


    Additionally, Tang Country would also cancel the penalty fee for Suthers, which was the overdue payment for the purchase of aircraft technology due to the war.


    Together with the penalty fee, this amount roughly equated to several million Gold Coins. If waived, it would undoubtedly be a major benefit for the economy of Suthers.


    To put it frankly, Suthers was tempted. They began to discuss privately with other countries, conveying their hopes to surrender at the earliest, urging other nations to understand their choice.


    This attitude naturally upset many nations, but those nations did not dare to provoke the Suthers Empire too sharply. After all, being a landlocked nation, it had not caused any harm to Tang Country; their relatively small compensation was a foregone conclusion.


    Yet for the other countries, the situation was not so easy, for the war indemnities they had to present to Tang Country were astronomical.


    After calculation, each country involved in strangling Tang Country¡¯s maritime shipping line was to compensate 50 million Gold Coins to Tang Country! This figure essentially renewed the debt each country had from previously purchasing airplanes.


    In other words, it was as if the countries had made two years of payments for aircraft technology purchases, only to see them wiped out. Essentially, they still owed Tang Country 100 million Gold Coins, needing to be paid in full over the next two years.


    If including overdue fines and other charges, the amount would likely need to be a bit more: while expecting the war to mean no need to pay the debt, they ended up owing even more due to the conflict.


    Of course, for the countries that only needed to pay the reparations, they could manage with money, however bitter it might be.


    The truly tragic ones were the Dahua Empire and Chu Country. Both had lost their territories in the war, and it appeared these lands were almost certain not to be recovered.


    In fact, to avoid losing even more, they had to quickly sign a peace treaty with the Great Tang Kingdom, finalizing their borders, lest Tang Country push further.


    This was not mere speculation; it was a real threat. If peace did not arrive before the end of winter, Tang Army could very likely continue their assault from the direction of Fengjiang, bypassing the natural defense of Hidden Sword Gorge, and penetrating deep into the heartland of the Dahua Empire.


    By then, the Dahua Empire might face the risk of national collapse.


    It should be noted that Qin Country had officially signed a memorandum of understanding with Tang Country through diplomatic channels, declaring its intent to withdraw from the war before winter. Shu Country had done the same, each compensating Tang Country with 10 million Gold Coins, paying tuition fees, so to speak, for an acquaintance made through conflict.


    If Dahua Empire and Chu Country did not sort things out with Tang Country before the withdrawal plans of the two countries began, they might end up paying a far greater price on the battlefield.


    ¡°`


    Hence, Chu Country was the first to make a decision: since the Dahua Empire had already lost and they no longer shared any borders with the Dahua Empire, they might as well kneel down and acknowledge a new ¡°father.¡±


    After all, being a small and weak nation, recognizing a father was not disgraceful. Therefore, the offer Chu Country made to the Tang Kingdom was: the tributes I paid to the Dahua Empire before, I will give them to you now! From now on, I¡¯m your little brother, and you are my suzerain!


    This bold maneuver was something the Tang Kingdom¡¯s diplomats had not anticipated; they had never imagined that after defeating the Dahua Empire, Chu Country would immediately kneel in submission.


    Moreover, Chu Country had other bargaining chips: they were willing to sell their oil production, asking only that Great Tang spare them as if they were a dog.


    Upon learning this news, the Dahua Empire immediately proposed a more generous plan: since Chu Country had knelt, I formally sever ties with Chu Country, acknowledging that Chu Country is no longer a vassal of the Dahua Empire and recognizes the vassal relationship between Chu Country and the Tang Kingdom.


    Additionally, the Dahua Empire formally acknowledges the status of the Tang Kingdom, and if the Tang Kingdom wishes to become an Empire, the Dahua Empire is willing to accept.


    These were just the additional terms; the real surrender terms were not few: the Dahua Empire was willing to compensate the Tang Kingdom with one billion Gold Coins, officially ceding southern oil fields, South Wind Pass, Tengyun, and Wangchun City to the Tang Kingdom.


    At the same time, the Dahua Empire promised to renegotiate tariffs with the Tang Kingdom, opening Fengjiang City as a port for trade, establishing a Tang Kingdom goods trade zone, and promoting free trade and commercial exchanges between the two countries.


    For this purpose, the Dahua Empire will spend an additional 5 million Gold Coins to buy back parts of the western side of Fengjiang City, with both parties occupying half of Fengjiang City for more convenient bilateral trade.


    The Tang Kingdom promised that the 5 million Gold Coins paid by the Dahua Empire for redeeming half of Fengjiang City would be used for the reconstruction of Fengjiang, building train stations and airports, establishing normal ports, restoring prosperity to the region, and maintaining stability in the area.


    As the negotiations continued, terms become clear, and everything seemed inevitable. The previously oppressive atmosphere turned lively, and during the evening banquet, with the exception of the envoy from the Dahua Empire, the envoys from various countries were toasting each other as if they had all fulfilled their missions.


    However, the treaty had not been signed yet, and the war continued; the lights and wines of Chang¡¯an City did not reach those still under a barrage of fire.


    Strauss was still gathering the fleeing refugees from Chu Country in the southern front of the Tang Kingdom, still busy with repairing riverbanks and building roads, thoroughly enjoying the work.


    Bolton was still expanding his positions on the outskirts of Fengjiang City, almost encircling the city that had already been brought to the negotiation table.


    Deep in the ocean, Tang Kingdom¡¯s submarines were still searching for the joint fleets of various countries, ready to teach these hiding foes a lesson.


    And on the outskirts of the southern oil fields, rows of anti-aircraft guns stretched as far as the eye could see, the light beams of nighttime searchlights incessantly waving, resembling a captivating light show.


    The steady Tagg was arranging troops in Hidden Sword Gorge, exerting unprecedented pressure on Zhao Chen. The southern defense line of the Dahua Empire, soon to lose Shu Country¡¯s support, was once again becoming less secure.


    The thunderous Redman had already led his troops northward, stationed in the southern region of Fengjiang City, like a sharp knife pressed against the throat of the Dahua Empire.


    In a factory covered with tarpaulins, the twenty-meter-long missile had been fully tuned, awaiting more experimental data before it could be filled with launch fuel and aimed at a target over 1600 kilometers away.


    Sadly, Zhao Kai, His Majesty The Emperor of the Dahua Empire, was unaware that his throne had been targeted by a new type of weapon previously unseen.


    It was a foregone conclusion that the Tang Kingdom had emerged as the complete victor of this war; it was just a matter of when those envoys from afar would be willing to bow their heads in acknowledgment of their errors.


    Glasses clinked, music echoed, and Great Tang¡¯s beautiful girl group performed energetically on stage, showcasing fiery dances and songs.


    The envoys, who had never seen such a spectacle, seemed to glimpse another splendid Brunas. They applauded and cheered, savoring the once-inaccessible fine wines.


    As he looked back at the entrance to the former Royal Palace of Zheng Country, the Dahua Empire¡¯s envoy sighed helplessly.


    The previous owner of this palace was once a vassal of the Dahua Empire, yet now it had become a place for other countries to feast their guests. The Dahua Empire had taken a fall, but who would be next?


    ¡°Today, you have not fulfilled your promises, you have not kept your commitments, and tomorrow... who will help you against this... flourishing Great Tang?¡± he muttered before getting into the car that his subordinate had opened for him.


    He needed to return and telegram the Imperial City, seeking the Emperor¡¯s guidance on whether the Empire could accept such peace terms.


    The car gradually disappeared into the distance, blending into a sea of lights. It mingled with the long stream of traffic and vanished without a trace.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Today there are two updates... which amount to 6000 words...


    ¡°`

 Chapter 845 845 Plan 779 canceled

    ?Chapter 845: Plan 779 canceled Chapter 845: Plan 779 canceled ¡°Final check! Wings and landing gear! Be careful! Get ready to take off!¡± At dusk, in a forest covered with camouflage nets, a giant biplane bomber was making its final preparations for take-off.


    The aircraft¡¯s belly was laden with over a dozen bombs, it was at its maximum bomb load capacity. The plane was filled with fuel, and two gunners were dressing in their clothes, wrapping thick scarves around their necks.


    The Tang Army¡¯s bombers had always been doing their best to destroy the Dahua Air Force airports in the direction of Sword Pavilion, and this place had been carefully camouflaged to avoid attacks from the Great Tang bombers.


    The runway was disguised as farmland, usually covered with branches and other miscellaneous debris, to ensure it could not be spotted from the sky.


    Meanwhile, in the wooded area on the side of the airport, four anti-aircraft gun positions were hidden to ensure the airport¡¯s security when enemy aircraft attacked.


    There were only three bombers stationed at the entire airport, all of which were hidden in the woods under camouflage nets.


    Because it was small in size and carefully camouflaged, this airport had never been discovered by the Tang Army¡ªit served as a secret base for the Dahua military or, rather, an ace up their sleeve that threatened the southern oil fields.


    ...


    ¡°Remember, you must maintain your course! Deviating will make you unable to find the target!¡± an officer handed a celestial instrument to the rear gunner and solemnly instructed.


    Nighttime bombing, without radio guidance or ground guidance, finding the target and maintaining course was very challenging.


    Thus, everyone on the plane had to cooperate fully; every person had to play an important role.


    Compared to daytime bombing, they did not need to face the dangerous Butcher Fighter Jets, but the risks were still significant.


    They had to navigate their bearings through the stars along with a compass to eventually fly over the southern oil fields.


    In Tang Country-controlled areas, they could be attacked by Tang Army anti-aircraft guns at any time and also had to be cautious of enemy spotlights.


    In short, they had to be extremely careful to approach the target and then complete the mission of bombing the oil fields¡ªas for whether they could fly back to Sword Pavilion, only heaven knew.


    Previously, there had not been a single record of a bomber safely returning from a night mission, so for these pilots, undertaking this mission was nearly indistinguishable from a suicide mission.


    Even the gunners performing the nighttime bombing differed entirely from ordinary gunners. Nighttime bombing gunners also took on the navigator¡¯s role, determining celestial positions, observing the compass, and occasionally using some of the ground lights to vaguely gauge their position.


    Plainly put, these gunners were also precious talents; they were the technically skilled elites chosen from thousands.


    What made it even more distressing was that these selected elite talents were inevitably going to be sacrificed in the upcoming bombing mission.


    They were doomed not to return, which was genuinely saddening. Knowing they would not return and still being willing to climb aboard the plane here was even more heart-wrenching.


    ¡°I know, I learned all this in school! If I can fly that far over the sea, I can surely lead everyone back!¡± the young gunner replied with a smile.


    ¡°Check the instruments! Don¡¯t let there be any problems!¡± a ground crew member, after helping the pilot aboard the plane, once again confirmed.


    The pilot nodded, once again inspecting the status of the instruments inside the cockpit under the illumination of an oil lamp.


    ¡°Good luck!¡± the commander of the aircraft¡¯s unit stood by the wing of the plane, bidding farewell with teary eyes.


    ¡°Thank you! We will definitely succeed!¡± the co-pilot stood at attention and saluted, then prepared to climb aboard his plane with the escort of the ground crew.


    Everything was ready, and soon they would rush to the runway, take off under the moonlight, and fly into the Tang Country-controlled area to execute the mission of bombing the southern oil fields.


    Under the moonlight, a car slowly stopped in the wooded area, an officer opened the car door, anxiously scrambled out of the car, and rushed toward the brightly lit distant airplane.


    ¡°Stop! Everyone, stop!¡± The officer ran while holding onto his hat, and as he shouted, many people around the airplanes turned toward him.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, the officer ran to the wing of the plane, gasping for a while before he managed to catch his breath and said, ¡°Order from the prince!... The bombing mission is canceled!¡±


    ¡°What joke is this? Canceled?¡± the officer of the bomber troops frowned, puzzled as he took a document from the other¡¯s hand.


    An aide passed him a kerosene lamp to illuminate the document. It read that due to the peace talks, all night raids on oil fields were temporarily canceled.


    ¡°Why is the mission canceled? Wasn¡¯t it said that a cease-fire agreement had not been signed yet?¡± The commander of the bomber squad asked again.


    ¡°His Majesty personally ordered the prohibition of attacking the southern oil fields...¡± The officer explained, ¡°Canceled! The mission is canceled!¡±


    ¡°Yes! I understand!¡± The air force commander of the Dahua Empire nodded slightly, then turned towards the planes, ¡°Turn off the engines! Help the pilots and gunners down.¡±


    The ground crew heard the order and hesitated for a few seconds, then began to clamber onto the planes.


    They helped the pilots down from the plane, and then the commander, in front of everyone, canceled the bombing mission, ¡°Gentlemen! The mission to bomb the oil fields is canceled, stand by tonight... I need to go back and verify the prince¡¯s order.¡±


    After saying that, he nodded slightly to the soldiers and walked towards his own car under the dim light.


    ...


    ¡°Do you see that black smoke on the horizon? We might have found that damned fleet!¡± A boat captain stood on the casing, pointing to the distant sea and shouting to the sailor beside him.


    The sailor lifted the binoculars, looked in the direction the captain was pointing, and indeed saw some lingering black smoke.


    ¡°Yes! Captain! I think we found them!¡± The sailor put down the binoculars, excitedly told his captain.


    ¡°Go back! Order them to speed up! Prepare the torpedoes! Victory belongs to Great Tang!¡± The captain shouted loudly, lifting the binoculars again to look towards the distant target.


    The waves were still beating against the slender submarine, hitting the casing with splashes flying everywhere. The submarine advanced through the ocean, cutting through the tumultuous sea with its sharp bows.


    The long-wave radio antenna was skewed all the way to the front deck. Through this antenna, even without using binoculars, one could see the black smoke spreading over the sea surface.


    Not only this submarine had found the target, on the other side, in the north, sailors on another submarine of the Tang Army were also excitedly pointing and shouting at the distant black smoke.


    Inside the cramped submarine, sailors were already adjusting torpedoes, preparing for the upcoming battle. They intended to send all those damned enemy warships to the bottom of the sea; they had won this war.


    ¡°Wake up all the crew! Sound the battle alarm! Let everyone freshen up! Drink less water, eat less food!¡± The duty officer issued one battle command after another, and occasionally sailors ran by under the dim lights.


    The dense array of dials and readily visible instruments declared the complexity of this submarine. The sonar soldier was already in position, wiping his beloved headset.


    Everyone was tense because the exact situation was still unclear. Honestly speaking, if the enemy¡¯s fleet was moving in the same direction as them, the submarines of the Tang Country really couldn¡¯t catch up with those fleeing enemy warships.


    Even when traveling on the surface, the speed of submarines of this era was only comparable to that of merchant ships, much slower than warships.


    So everyone was hoping that the enemy fleet¡¯s course would be head-on, which would give them a chance to converge.


    For submarines, the moment of convergence was the window of attack; chasing was just a waste of time.


    The good news was that since they had gradually noticed the black smoke from the enemy fleet, it meant they were getting closer to the opponent, indicating that they had a chance to catch up.


    ¡°Commander!¡± Just when the atmosphere had reached a certain tension, the communications soldier tore off a piece of telegraph paper and handed it to the captain who had just returned inside the submarine, ¡°An urgent telegram from General Bernard.¡±


    ¡°Uh?¡± The captain paused for a moment, then took the telegram, ¡°Cancel the attack on the enemy fleet...¡±


    ¡°Must be a mistake?¡± After drifting at sea for over ten days, enduring the harsh cold, and finally finding the enemy fleet, cancel the attack? The submarine captain of the Tang Country found it utterly incomprehensible.


    ¡°It must be a mistake...¡± The first officer took the order, convinced there must have been an error in the content of the telegram. He glanced at the captain and also saw reluctance in his eyes. So he thought for two seconds, then gave his suggestion, ¡°How about... we pretend we didn¡¯t receive this telegram... and continue the attack?¡±


    ¡°Have you lost your mind? Pulling that old trick?¡± The captain immediately rejected his suggestion; disobeying orders in wartime could lead to a court-martial.


    However, the captain evidently had no intention of giving up either, ¡°But it¡¯s possible there was an error in the order! Maintain our course! We¡¯ll catch up! There might still be new instructions coming.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The first officer saluted excitedly and then immediately issued the order for the submarine to maintain its course.


    On the sea surface, one submarine was ordered to turn around, tracing a large U-shaped white track on the surface. Meanwhile, the other submarine maintained its course and continued to rush full speed toward the black smoke on the horizon.

 Chapter 846 846 781 stays in Fengjiang

    ?Chapter 846: 781 stays in Fengjiang Chapter 846: 781 stays in Fengjiang Fengjiang City, on the western side of the city where a highway runs, the landscape is filled with craters as far as the eye can see, resembling the surface of the moon.


    At first glance, this place appears mundane, just an ordinary battlefield, but those who know the details understand that this is the last remaining road connecting Fengjiang to the Dahua Empire.


    As time went on, the Tang Army¡¯s intention to encircle Fengjiang became increasingly apparent. Now, Fengjiang was almost entirely cut off from Dahua.


    Armaments and shells transported into the city encountered bombing planes and artillery fire from the Tang Army, and out of ten shells shipped across the blockade line, usually only two or even one remained.


    Although there were still many weapons and ammunition stored in Fengjiang, this was clearly not a solution. If the Tang Army succeeded in fully encircling Fengjiang, the situation for the Dahua military would definitely become even more embarrassing.


    ¡°Great General! You should also leave this place,¡± urged General Feng Kezhi¡¯s adjutant anxiously in the basement once again.


    He had been accompanying General Feng Kezhi in commanding battles in the Fengjiang region. Recently, the situation took a drastic turn for the worse, with almost the entire city being surrounded by the Tang Army.


    ...


    As a Great General of the Empire, General Feng Kezhi should have left Fengjiang for a safer place to command the battles.


    But General Feng Kezhi had not left; he remained in a concealed bunker on the outskirts of Fengjiang City. Since the battle of Fengjiang began, he had not moved his headquarters.


    Although the upper echelons of the Dahua Empire hoped that General Feng Kezhi would find a safer place for his headquarters, because the safety of the Great General was, after all, a matter of national pride for the entire Dahua Empire.


    However, General Feng Kezhi believed that only by staying on the front lines did he have the right to command those soldiers fighting on the front lines and to deploy those commanders holding their positions there.


    In fact, it was precisely because of General Feng Kezhi¡¯s perseverance that his conduct inspired the troops¡¯ morale, allowing the Dahua Empire¡¯s defenders to hold on until now without showing any sign of collapse.


    Theoretically, after witnessing the terror of white phosphorus bombs and being surrounded on three sides, the Dahua troops stationed in Fengjiang City should have already shown signs of collapse.


    But, inspired by General Feng Kezhi, these Dahua troops did not fall apart; instead, they managed to hold their ground in the streets and alleys of Fengjiang City, engaging in stubborn street fighting with the Tang Army.


    Of course, in some sense, their ability to hold out so far was also due to the Tang Army ceasing street combat and instead focusing their attention on field battles outside of Fengjiang City. However, it cannot be denied that General Feng Kezhi¡¯s personal supervision on the front line also had a significant effect.


    ¡°I have no intention of leaving,¡± General Feng Kezhi said with a smile, waving off his loyal subordinate, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s safe here.¡±


    ¡°Great General, you can¡¯t joke with your life,¡± the adjutant still worried about General Feng Kezhi¡¯s safety, continuing to urge him.


    General Feng Kezhi, having nothing better to do, explained to his subordinate, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have already figured it out. It¡¯s fine.¡±


    As he spoke, his hand caressed the city map of Fengjiang: ¡°Even if Fengjiang is surrounded, the negotiations won¡¯t last until Fengjiang completely falls. Even the Tang Army can¡¯t swallow the 250,000 troops I command in just a few days!¡±


    Inside the encirclement, there were indeed 250,000 Dahua troops, among them some of Dahua¡¯s elite, so their combat effectiveness was assured.


    Besides, he was personally commanding these forces. It would be no problem for these troops to hold out for more than ten days, something he was well aware of.


    On that front, without waiting for ten days, within five days, the negotiations would probably conclude. The Dahua Empire¡¯s defeat was already certain, with no desire to continue the fight, signing a peace agreement would not be delayed.


    As the Great General, he knew the content of the negotiations. Fengjiang City would become a trading port, to be jointly administered by the Dahua Empire and Tang Country... The Dahua troops surrounded in Fengjiang City would surely be sent back to the Dahua Empire.


    These things were certain, so he was not in a hurry at all; rather, he was quite calm. After briefly explaining these reasons, he turned again to his confidant: ¡°Therefore, staying here and not leaving is the best choice.¡±


    Jokingly, listen to those people, retreat to a safe area? I guess I would just be controlled as soon as I arrived, right?


    Having become the Great General of the Empire, General Feng Kezhi did know a bit about Zhao Kai¡¯s methods. He knew that Zhao Kai had been dissatisfied with him even before the war and, after the war, it was expected that he would be the one to take the blame.


    If it were just taking the blame in a trivial manner, at worst, it would result in demotion and reprimand, to serve as a warning to others. But this time, General Feng Kezhi knew that he was likely to be dealt with severely.


    Zhao Kai¡¯s approach was different from the former Emperor of the Dahua Empire, Zhao Xian. Zhao Xian¡¯s principle was to suppress royal authority, appoint competent ministers, and maintain a balance in the court to the greatest extent possible.


    However, when Zhao Xian died and Zhao Kai ascended the throne, the new Emperor¡¯s ideas were the complete opposite of Zhao Xian¡¯s. He favored nepotism, trusting more in those brothers who had willingly surrendered authority to him and protected his rise to the throne, and also placing great trust in the seemingly cautious and obedient uncles.


    After all, compared with those like General Feng Kezhi, Shen Chuan, Chen Jing, and Chu Muzhou in the court, who would open their mouths to say ¡°this won¡¯t work, that won¡¯t work,¡± the attitude of the royal family relatives in supporting Zhao Kai seemed much more pleasant to hear.


    So Zhao Kai had always been actively appointing royal family relatives, including the two princes Zhao Chen and Zhao Jie. Moreover, for several years now, Zhao Kai had been seeking opportunities to replace the less obedient General Feng Kezhi with the more compliant Zhao Chen.


    It was almost impossible to keep such matters secret from those with vigilant eyes, and naturally, General Feng Kezhi was also aware of it. However, he had previously thought that it was not so serious and that at most he would retire and cede his position to a wiser individual.


    But later, on the issues of opposing war with the Great Tang Kingdom and the appointment of Qian Jinhang, General Feng Kezhi completely enraged Zhao Kai, and the nature of the problem changed drastically.


    For that reason, General Feng Kezhi had never left the front line at Fengjiang, always trying to prove his worth through his efforts.


    He hoped that Zhao Kai would consider his dedication in defending Fengjiang and his efforts in reversing the dire situation of the war, giving him a chance to retire honorably.


    But fate was unkind, the Tang Army¡¯s assault was too sharp. Even with the troops from the Qin Country, General Feng Kezhi couldn¡¯t hold onto Fengjiang.


    This made General Feng Kezhi somewhat desperate, somewhat defeated. He was very clear that there must be a mess waiting for him on Zhao Kai¡¯s side.


    ¡°Sigh...¡± Hearing General Feng Kezhi¡¯s explanation, his aide-de-camp also sighed in difficulty. He understood General Feng Kezhi¡¯s predicament and knew that this Great General had been expending great efforts on the military modernization of the Dahua Empire for many years.


    Without General Feng Kezhi, a large part of the Dahua Empire¡¯s troops would probably still be using Shireck¡¯s flintlock guns. Without him, the Dahua Empire wouldn¡¯t possibly have an air force, nor so many advanced military factories.


    But these contributions couldn¡¯t make up for General Feng Kezhi¡¯s repeated defeats in the war against Tang, nor could they allow Emperor Zhao Kai to tolerate a military giant who always opposed imperial authority.


    With General Feng Kezhi around, there was always someone in the military who would stand up against Zhao Kai¡¯s decisions, providing a backbone for the other generals.


    If General Feng Kezhi were to die, then Zhao Chen could take over everything, and Zhao Kai could control the military through the royal family relatives.


    Just as the two were discussing whether to take the chance to escape while there was still a path to retreat, intensive gunfire erupted near the road full of craters.


    In no time, a Panther Tank, covering the Tang Country¡¯s grenadiers, charged onto the road embankment. Soon after, a second and a third tank joined the assault.


    That day, the Tang Army completely overtook the last road connecting Fengjiang with the Dahua Empire, surrounding Fengjiang City.


    At the same time, the high command of the Dahua Empire confirmed astonishing news: their Empire¡¯s Great General, Feng Kezhi, was still inside the encirclement.


    The telegraph sent by General Feng Kezhi was concise, declaring that he would share the fate of Fengjiang City to repay His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s grace. In the telegram, he vowed that as long as the city stood, he would live; if the city fell, he would die!


    For some reason, upon receiving General Feng Kezhi¡¯s telegram, Emperor Zhao Kai felt an inexplicable sense of anticipation.


    For an instant, he even hoped that Fengjiang City would just be overrun by the Tang Army, completely occupied!


    After all, in his view, the terms of negotiation had already been laid out, with Tang Country and the Dahua Empire each occupying half of Fengjiang City. The Dahua Empire would recover its half of Fengjiang City after the war, no matter what.


    If that was the case, allowing the Empire¡¯s Great General to follow the fate of half of Fengjiang City, dying heroically in the final stages of this failed war, wouldn¡¯t that be poignantly beautiful?


    If by chance the last bullet ended General Feng Kezhi¡¯s life, that would add an even more aesthetic sense of appreciation.


    So, when the ministers below the dais were fervently discussing whether to redeploy forces to launch a counterattack and reopen the corridor, Emperor Zhao Kai, wordlessly overlooking these people, remained as calm as the surface of a still lake.


    When someone proposed letting General Feng Kezhi lead a breakout, Emperor Zhao Kai smiled. He spoke up to comfort everyone, feigning a deeply pained and heartfelt demeanor.


    However, shortly after that, he kept the Minister of Rites, Jiang Run, behind and hinted to Minister Jiang that he, the Emperor, was somewhat dissatisfied with the previous negotiation terms.


    Jiang Run discerned the Emperor¡¯s intention: it was nothing more than to slow down the pace of negotiations, increasing the chance of ¡®accidents¡¯ befalling General Feng Kezhi within Fengjiang City.


    Therefore, he immediately agreed with Emperor Zhao Kai¡¯s opinion, indicating that negotiations were extremely arduous and time-consuming.


    Jiang Run¡¯s attitude brought great satisfaction to Emperor Zhao Kai. However, the subsequent news was less pleasing to him.


    Several countries from the Eastern Continent had already signed peace treaties with the Tang Country, some of which had even settled their reparations. This news suddenly pushed the Chu Country and the Dahua Empire into the spotlight; the whole world was watching them, waiting for them to hurry up and put their signatures on the treaty.

 Chapter 847 847 The order 782 has been cancelled

    ?Chapter 847: The order 782 has been cancelled Chapter 847: The order 782 has been cancelled Why did all the countries so quickly sign a peace treaty with Tang Country? This matter has to be traced back to one day earlier.


    On the turbulent seas of the northern waters, within a submarine that persisted in chasing after those plumes of black smoke, the captain constantly hesitated about whether to disobey orders and launch an attack.


    After all, he was a military man, having learned the strict rules of orders and prohibitions at school; he alone knew how great his pressure was.


    If the orders he had received were real, continuing the attack would not earn him any rewards; instead, he would be held accountable.


    As he struggled with his decision, he suddenly thought of a solution. He immediately sent a telegram back to headquarters, reporting his situation.


    ¡°I have discovered the enemy fleet and have seized the attacking position! Request to commence attack, please approve!¡± He handed the telegram¡¯s content to the signal soldier, who immediately transmitted it.


    In distant Linshui City, inside the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s Supreme Command headquarters, an officer hurriedly rushed into General Bernard¡¯s office and handed him a telegram from the ocean.


    ...


    Bernard carefully examined the text and felt, through the words, the captain¡¯s eager anticipation for the battle.


    Eventually, Bernard, who had been silent for about a minute, lifted his head and ordered the officer who brought the telegram, ¡°Send a telegram, informing all submarines on duty that the Navy¡¯s headquarters mistakenly sent a telegram that was supposed to be dispatched 10 hours later, very sorry. The updated order now is, the cease attack order will officially take effect after 5 hours...¡±


    The officer who had hurried to deliver the telegram evidently also hoped the submarine troops could once again achieve a new feat, and upon hearing Bernard¡¯s order, a smile was clearly unstoppable on his face.


    He stood at attention, stifling his laughter as he loudly responded, ¡°Yes, General! The communications department is very sorry for the serious work mistake...¡±


    ¡°Get out! Do you think it¡¯s your turn, you bunch of brats, to take the fall?¡± Bernard feigned anger and scolded, then had the officer leave to send the telegram.


    Bernard and others left his office; he sat in his place and thought for a long time before grabbing the phone on the desk, ¡°Connect me to Chang¡¯an, I want to speak to Your Majesty.¡±


    The phone was quickly connected, and Tang Mo¡¯s voice came through from the other end, ¡°This is Tang Mo, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Bernard rose to his feet, standing as he relayed the recent decision to Tang Mo. After finishing, he paused for a few seconds before continuing, ¡°I hope my decision does not adversely affect Your Majesty¡¯s strategic choices.¡±


    ¡°Thinking of me now?¡± Tang Mo laughed on the other end of the phone, ¡°Weren¡¯t you quite the man when you were altering the orders just now?¡±


    Bernard bowed his head awkwardly, unsure of how to explain.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like your decision to change orders privately,¡± Tang Mo¡¯s tone suddenly became serious, and even over the phone, Bernard could sense Tang Mo¡¯s warning.


    However, Tang Mo¡¯s voice soon softened, even carrying a hint of appreciation, ¡°But I like your supportive attitude toward the submarine troops seizing the opportunity.¡±


    ¡°This time it¡¯s okay, but I hope there¡¯s no next time,¡± Tang Mo warned his Supreme Commander again.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Bernard knew sweat was already beading on his forehead; he bade goodbye and hung up the phone, feeling as if for that moment, his marshal¡¯s rank might have flown away.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be so presumptuous next time.¡± He wiped the sweat from his forehead, muttered to himself, then leaned back in his chair, looking at the Dragon Banner hanging on the wall opposite, and let out a deep breath.


    ...


    Far away in the northern waters, aboard a wave-crushing submarine, the captain had been grinning like an idiot ever since he received the telegram.


    Every face was actually brimming with smiles as they felt an exhilarating sense of dedication upon hearing the headquarters¡¯ command.


    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration, for they had the backing of a country that understood them, a country willing to support any crazy decision they made.


    At that moment, they suddenly felt their hearts were broader than the vast ocean before them, and their courage greater than the waves crashing against them.


    ¡°Torpedo fuses checked! Torpedo depth set!¡± Inside the forward torpedo compartment, under a hammock made of ropes, beside the sleek torpedo, a torpedo soldier pressed his hand onto the cold, smooth shell of the torpedo and shouted loudly.


    ¡°Load torpedo number 1! Pressure gauge! Check the pressure gauge!¡± A sailor, turning the dial in front of him, repeatedly confirmed.


    Every valve here was fraught with danger before operation, and each pipe and canister of compressed gas within the submarine served a unique purpose, not to be tampered with lightly.


    ¡°Water pressure is normal! We can start loading!¡± After repeatedly checking the pressure gauge, two sailors, one on each side, pulled open the rear cover of the torpedo tubes.


    All the soldiers in the torpedo bay worked together, pushing the torpedo, which was laid flat on a cart, towards the opened hatch, and then collectively pushed it into the torpedo launch tube.


    ¡°Close the hatch!¡± After ensuring the torpedo was properly secured in place, the two sailors repeatedly confirmed this before sequentially closing the two torpedo tubes.


    ¡°Lower torpedo tube is loaded! Begin loading the upper torpedo tube!¡± The cramped compartment bustled with activity, as the massive fleet seemed to be visible now in the distance.


    ¡°Prepare to dive! Any closer and we might be spotted...¡± The captain stuffed the telegram from the Supreme Commander into his pocket and issued the diving command, ¡°We can¡¯t wait for dark... it¡¯s all down to luck now!¡±


    ¡°Dive!¡± The first officer excitedly gave the command, and with his order, the lights in the command cabin instantly turned to a dim red.


    There was no choice, without the ability to use the ventilation valves and diesel engines, conserving power was crucial¡ªall electricity had to be used as much as possible to propel the submarine¡¯s movements, and everything else was minimized as much as possible.


    The command room was actually quite fortunate; at least it had dim red lighting, while some less important compartments went completely dark.


    ¡°Open the valves! Dive!¡± Shortly, the order spread to every corner of the submarine, the engine room also dimmed, with the diesel engines still roaring cheerfully.


    The submarine, as it cut through the waves, lifted its sharp bow high with the waves only to crash back down upon the sea.


    This time, however, its foredeck did not re-emerge from the sea; the water washed over the deck and splashed against the 105mm caliber cannon, stirring up sprays of water.


    The second wave came head-on, this time only striking against the submarine¡¯s casing. The submarine¡¯s slender body was now completely submerged, only visible from above.


    The numbers on the side of the casing were becoming indistinct, and the top railing, due to prolonged use, was slightly twisted and deformed. Between the blurred numbers and slightly distorted railing, there was a dense pattern of gray-white silhouettes of ships¡¯ sides.


    These patterns represented the submarine¡¯s battle achievements¡ªthe sinking of enemy ships¡ªsignifying its glory and the bravery and skill of the crew.


    As another wave crashed head-on, the submarine¡¯s casing submerged, extending its snorkel and periscope through the rolling waves.


    ¡°Full speed ahead!¡± The captain, eyes fixed to the periscope, directed calmly as he stared at the distant horizon.


    Their underwater speed naturally could not compare to full speed on the surface; it dropped by half.


    This speed was nothing close to the mythical underwater dragons, and was more akin to a dog-paddling duck. Yet, in this state, they were nearly invincible¡ªthe ghosts of the deep, the assassins of the ocean.


    ¡°Bow torpedoes loaded!¡± an officer reported loudly in the dim command room. Then, he continued loudly, ¡°Stern torpedoes loaded!¡±


    ¡°You, check the model of that warship...¡± Stepping away from the periscope, the captain took a thick manual from a shelf, which opened to pages filled with silhouettes and photos of enemy warships.


    ¡°It should be a cruiser from Mirage Country... behind it... behind it is a supply ship... so big, at least 10,000 tons!¡± The first officer slightly rotated the periscope, excitedly whispering.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush to fire! These are just peripheral targets... look for the battleship!¡± The captain flipped to the page on battleships, inhaling the sickening smell of engine oil, ¡°Let me know once you find it.¡±


    ¡°I see it! I told you, such large black smoke, it must be a large fleet!¡± The adjutant grew excited, having seen through the periscope the large turning body.


    ¡°Enemy large warship! Looks like a battleship!¡± The adjutant yielded his place, ¡°I think it¡¯s a battleship.¡±


    The captain pressed his eye to the eyepiece, comparing the targets in the lens against the silhouettes of warships in his mind. Suddenly, the silhouette he saw matched the one he remembered, leading him to exclaim excitedly, ¡°Winter-class battleship! No mistake!¡±


    That was a large battleship built by the Dorne Navy, which had directly hired designers from the Great Tang Group to design their empire¡¯s main battleships.


    Due to generous investments, Dorne¡¯s battleships adopted a new design, using 380mm caliber main guns; it sacrificed the number of main guns for a significant increase in main gun caliber.


    The entire warship was equipped with four turrets, arranged two in the front and two in the back, totalling eight main guns. Judging just by the layout of the guns and the distinctive bridge, one could easily recognize this beautiful warship!


    This battleship¡¯s displacement neared 35,000 tons, definitely qualifying as a behemoth! At this moment, the warship was turning at sea, followed by a sister ship nearly identical to it.

 Chapter 848 848 783 White Contrails

    ?Chapter 848: 783 White Contrails Chapter 848: 783 White Contrails That was a warship designed largely based on the Bavarian-class battleships, designed by Tang Country designers, so the performance was well understood by the Tang side.


    At this moment, this behemoth with a full load displacement of nearly 40,000 tons was turning, with even more warships moving in the distance.


    ¡°Two torpedoes! Aim at the target! Adjust the bow!¡± Having spotted the distant warship through the periscope, the submarine captain excitedly began issuing attack orders.


    Due to the great distance, they had to launch the torpedoes early, calculating angles accurately to hit the target.


    As for closing the distance, it was actually impossible; if the submarine tried to get closer, it couldn¡¯t approach the target directly, because even a single periscope tube during the day at sea could easily be spotted.


    If they navigated submerged and surfaced closer to the target, it would be extremely dangerous for the submarine itself: if there was a warship passing by where they surfaced, a collision would occur, and it was obvious that the submarine would be at a disadvantage.


    Even with imprecise sonar to judge the positions of other warships, such action was very risky: too many propellers, too many warships, the sonar could not precisely locate each target.


    ...


    Thus, firing torpedoes secretly from a safe distance was a wise method: facing such a dense formation of warships, the torpedoes were bound to strike a target.


    All they needed to do was release all their torpedoes and wait for these torpedoes to hit their targets.


    ¡°Torpedo No. 1 ready!¡± the officer in charge of launching the torpedoes shouted loudly, looking at the pressure gauge, and after a two-second pause, he confirmed the status of the second torpedo: ¡°Torpedo No. 2 ready!¡±


    ¡°Aiming angle calculation complete! The bow is aligned with the attack route!¡± Seeing the mechanical computer accurately calculate the launch angle, the adjunct shouted loudly.


    ¡°Fire!¡± The captain yelled, and following his shout, the torpedo launching officer pressed the launch button, injected seawater into the torpedo tubes, and powered the torpedoes inside.


    The submarine¡¯s forward torpedo tube hatch slowly opened, expelling the remaining bubbles, which floated towards the surface.


    Then, the energized torpedoes were pushed out of the torpedo tubes by compressed air, their propellers churning the murky seawater, rapidly advancing straight ahead.


    Right after, the second torpedo tube opened, and amidst the bubbling, the second torpedo also surged toward the distance with a trail.


    ¡°Torpedoes No. 1 and No. 2 launched!¡± the torpedo launch officer reported loudly in the command capsule.


    ¡°Adjust course! Aim at a new target! The enemy¡¯s speed is the same; they are turning! Correct attack direction... two degrees! Calculate the attack angle!¡± the captain ordered the adjunct.


    ¡°Adjust, left rudder two degrees!¡± The helmsman, beside him, immediately began turning his wheel, starting to correct the direction of his submarine.


    ¡°Launch torpedoes!¡± the captain decisively gave the order to attack once more.


    Already waiting for this command, the torpedo launch officer repeated the captain¡¯s order and then resolutely launched torpedoes three and four.


    They did not intend to miss such an opportunity to attack; so long as they could launch enough torpedoes in a brief period, they were sure to achieve significant results.


    Amidst the bustle, the submarine once again adjusted its course and launched two more torpedoes at the distant massive joint fleet.


    These were their last two bow torpedoes; if they wanted to launch torpedoes at the fastest speed again, they would have to turn the submarine around and use the stern torpedo tubes to launch two more torpedoes.


    ¡°Turn! Turn!¡± the submarine captain did just that, hoping to use the time it took for the submarine to turn to reload the bow torpedoes, then after launching the stern torpedoes, use the bow torpedoes for a new round of attacks.


    ¡°Turn! Hard left rudder!¡± the helmsman, exhilarated, manipulated his wheel, and the submarine¡¯s rudder quickly veered to one side, the whole submarine turning rapidly in the calm water below.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope they hit the target!¡± the sailors, wiping down the spare torpedoes, issued their most heartfelt prayers.


    At a distance, on the masts where the lookouts stood shivering with cold, their mouths puffing out puffs of white mist¡ªthis was the northern sea domain of the Mirage Country, where low temperatures were always the prevailing theme.


    Had it not been for the lack of popular shipping routes, they would not have hidden here to evade the Tang Country¡¯s secret weapon submarines, wasting several months of time.


    On the Invincible No. 2 battleship, sailors grumbled about the months spent drifting at sea, cursing those damned naval commanders.


    They periodically received supplies at sea and refueled in small ports, the whole process meticulously cautious, much like squirrels.


    Such a massive fleet should have been invincible, advancing into the enemy¡¯s harbor to destroy their fleet. But since the start of the war, they hadn¡¯t even had the courage to head south for a look.


    ¡°Damn it, when will this ever end?¡± a sailor said, hands clasped together as he jumped and cursed, ¡°Those officers are in the cabin drinking every day, making us stand out here in the wind!¡±


    The companion standing next to him had a nose red from the cold and, emitting a white breath for comfort, said, ¡°I heard they¡¯re talking about peace. I think we¡¯ll be going home soon.¡±


    Everyone had a basic judgment about this war; many things had become meaningless, and it was time for it to end.


    Maintaining such a large fleet wasn¡¯t cheap, and since it had been of little use, shouldn¡¯t it be disbanded?


    The war was lost, and the previous plan to strangle the Tang Country¡¯s maritime transport line had completely failed. What was the use in continuing to persist?


    ¡°Hope it ends soon, this godforsaken place! I don¡¯t want to stay here another minute!¡± complained a lookout with crossed arms, who then spotted a strange white streak in the sea.


    Honestly, he had never seen what a torpedo looked like, but he had heard descriptions and knew a straight white line couldn¡¯t naturally form in the sea.


    ¡°Hey, look at that white line over there! What¡¯s happening?¡± he said, grabbing the binoculars hanging on his chest and alerting his companion.


    The sailor with the freezing red nose quickly grabbed his own binoculars, looking in the direction his mate had pointed out.


    Through his lens, he saw the white trail approaching their location at high speed.


    While he was stunned, the sailor who had first spotted the white trail had already grabbed the phone on the lookout post, yelling to the duty officer on the bridge irrespective of anything else, ¡°Starboard! Starboard! A white trail spotted! Rapidly heading toward our ship! Rapidly heading toward our ship!¡±


    As the duty officer had just picked up the receiver, he kept hearing shouts of ¡°Starboard, starboard,¡± and looking through the porthole, he saw the white trail, which nature could not account for, speeding toward his location.


    In fact, they¡¯d been receiving various messages about ¡°submarines¡± all along, although they had never actually seen one, they studied them every day.


    The crew was no stranger to torpedoes, having heard countless times about powerful white trails.


    Thus, the moment he saw it, he knew it was a torpedo, almost as a reflex.


    But knowing was one thing, and solving it was another. Until now, there was little success in evading torpedoes, and how to dodge them was still anyone¡¯s guess.


    Those captains who could decide upon a glance whether to reverse or turn the helm left or right to avoid a torpedo all needed relevant experience and learning.


    But now, expecting this duty officer to figure out how to dodge this torpedo just by looking at it once... It seemed beyond his abilities.


    Lacking the skill, he could only close his eyes and try, so he clenched his teeth and loudly commanded, ¡°Full left rudder! Fast! Full left rudder!¡±


    Since their warship was already turning left, now going full left rudder to increase the turning radius seemed like a prioritized evasion choice.


    ¡°Full left rudder!¡± Along with his command, the helmsman quickly spun the huge steering wheel, loudly repeating the order.


    ¡°Signal the cruiser ahead! Have them scan the sea! Quickly!¡± the duty officer urgently ordered, ¡°Sound the battle alarm! Call the captain¡¯s quarters! Ask the captain to come to the bridge immediately!¡±


    He spoke very fast, clearly very anxious. The next second, the entire warship¡¯s battle alarm rang out, and simultaneously, the warship began to turn rapidly.


    With the undulating waves, the warship, looking like a giant sea island, began to turn faster, much more agile than it appeared.


    The warship¡¯s bow smashed through the waves ahead, engulfing the four huge cannons on the deck with breaking waves, then bursting out from these splashes, displaying the vigor of steel.


    ¡°Rear! There¡¯s another trail in the rear!¡± shouted an officer who had been observing the sea, panic in his voice.


    Hearing the shout, the duty officer immediately walked to the side, looking through the porthole toward the rear of the ship.


    Indeed, he also saw the white trail, but it appeared the second torpedo at the rear couldn¡¯t hit them.


    He couldn¡¯t help feeling relieved, believing it was because of his command to turn that his warship had avoided the second torpedo!


    Putting down the binoculars, he immediately added an order, ¡°Immediately signal the Indomitable No.1 Battleship in the rear! Warn them to watch out for submarines! Watch the sea!¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, he continued shouting, ¡°Also! Send a telegram to all the warships, we¡¯ve encountered a submarine attack! Watch the sea!¡±

 Chapter 849 849 784 Each person minds their own business

    ?Chapter 849: 784 Each person minds their own business Chapter 849: 784 Each person minds their own business ¡°Commander!¡± an officer who had been closely watching the approaching torpedo warned, ¡°We might not be able to dodge it!¡±


    He saw that the white wake was already alarmingly close, almost forming a ninety-degree angle with their massive vessel. No matter how they tried to turn now, they could no longer avoid the torpedo¡¯s assault.


    Navies around the world mostly followed the Great Tang Navy¡¯s construction standards, hence the prevalent use of ¡°Commander¡± over ¡°sir¡±.


    This differed vastly from many countries¡¯ armies, where it was quite common to address commanders as ¡°sir¡± in some nations.


    ¡°Damn it...¡± He picked up the binoculars again and saw that the white wake was very near; the duty officer cursed under his breath but couldn¡¯t issue any more orders.


    They had already missed the best chance to evade, and it was now almost certain that the torpedo would hit the warship.


    ¡°Brace for impact! Secure everything around you!¡± In the unavoidable situation, the duty officer could only issue orders.


    ...


    ¡°Brace for impact! Torpedo collision imminent! Torpedo collision imminent!¡± the officer with the microphone repeated the duty officer¡¯s commands non-stop.


    As time ticked by, the white wake eventually connected with the warship¡¯s side, and a massive explosion suddenly lifted the waves, severing the massive battleship in half.


    Suddenly, everyone felt a tremendous vibration under their feet as if a giant had lifted the ground and then slammed it back onto the sea surface.


    Everyone was thrown to the floor, disoriented by the blast. Even though they were prepared for the impact, the violent shaking that followed made everyone realize they had underestimated the torpedo¡¯s power.


    The thick steel plates of the hull couldn¡¯t withstand the multiplied tearing force from below the water, twisting, deforming, and being completely punctured.


    Cold sea water rushed into the compromised cabins below the waterline, swiftly engulfing everything inside.


    The sailors inside those cabins didn¡¯t even manage to cry for help as most of them had already died in the explosion.


    There might have been survivors in nearby cabins, but they, too, were lost to the darkness brought by the sea water, dying swiftly and cleanly.


    The cabins that had been torn open by the shockwave began to take on water; sailors who had just managed to get up staggered around in the waist-deep cold sea water, trying to make their way to safer areas.


    ¡°Water is flooding in! Water is flooding in!¡± someone helped close the waterproof gates in the corridor while loudly cautioning his comrades, ¡°This side is closed off! This side is closed off!¡±


    With his shouting, the deliberately designed one-way gates were shut, isolating everything on the other side.


    Of course, there were other exits to escape through, but only if one could get there before all spaces were filled with sea water.


    Having just risen from the ground, the duty officer immediately began directing the damage control personnel to inspect the extent of the leakage. Given the severity of the explosion, the damage to the warship was undoubtedly severe, and he urgently needed to stop the inflow to keep the warship afloat.


    ¡°Hurry! Go check the leakages! Fast!¡± he ordered the damage control officer while continuing to shout, ¡°Keep the warship at cruising speed! Keep turning!¡±


    This whole protocol was something he had learned from the Great Tang Military Academy; he was a promising student, and every Empire Navy was in dire need of such talent.


    Although he couldn¡¯t serve as the main officer after studying in the Tang Country, serving as an executive officer was still very promising, a fact well known to all.


    ¡°Assess the damage! Check the ammunition storage! If it¡¯s risky, flood the ammunition storage immediately!¡± he moved to the chart table and had someone bring over the structural blueprints of the warship, ¡°Fast! Bring over the blueprints! Calculate the warship¡¯s reserve buoyancy! Quickly figure out the total amount of water intake!¡±


    While he was speaking, the captain, who appeared to be in his fifties, entered the bridge. His naval uniform was slightly dirty, evidently from a fall on his way there.


    Upon entering, he inquired about everything that had happened and took over the subsequent command. However, the duty officer had organized things well, and he didn¡¯t change any orders.


    The cruiser that had just been making way was hit by a torpedo and was now tilting sideways, looking extremely flustered.


    Clearly, it wasn¡¯t just a single torpedo attack; at least up to now, two torpedoes had hit their targets, causing massive damage to the allied fleet.


    ¡°Windless 1 is sending a message that they have dodged a torpedo and are speeding away from this area... they wish... they wish us good luck,¡± the communications officer reported to the newly positioned captain with a telegram in hand.


    ¡°Thank you for their blessings... Additionally, please inform the fleet commander... we need help.¡± The captain glanced at the cruiser capsizing beside them and instructed the communications officer.


    ¡°Taking in too much water, speed has dropped to 20 kilometers... We can¡¯t keep up with the fleet¡¯s pace anymore.¡± An officer, likely having bashed his nose, said in a nasal voice with a bruised face.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Just as he finished speaking, a distant cruiser was also hit. The explosion from the torpedo soared high into the air, nearly snapping the cruiser in two.


    ¡°Has the boiler room taken on water?¡± The captain, after only a glance at the explosion, showed no concern for the lives on that warship. He turned his head and asked the officer on duty.


    ¡°The damage control commander just went down there; no news has come back yet, sorry, I can¡¯t confirm the situation,¡± the young duty officer immediately responded.


    ¡°No need to apologize, you¡¯ve done well.¡± The captain comforted his own executive officer, who had just been on duty, and then continued to ask, ¡°What do you think the situation is now?¡±


    ¡°The torpedo approached from the starboard side, which means the enemy¡¯s submarine is on the starboard... We are moving full speed to port, moving away from the enemy ships.¡± The executive officer answered the captain¡¯s question without hesitation. ¡°According to the intelligence we have, the enemy¡¯s submarines should not be able to catch up with us... We just need to watch the sea at our stern, make sure no torpedoes come up and damage our rudder or propeller, and we can get away.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good idea! His Majesty The Emperor entrusted this warship to me, hoping I would bring it back. Although it¡¯s damaged, it¡¯s better than sinking here.¡± The seasoned captain nodded, agreeing with his executive officer¡¯s judgment.


    Even though their warship was damaged and slowing down, it was unlikely that submarines could catch up to them. So even though they were wounded and damaged, it wasn¡¯t a big problem.


    After all, they were on a battleship, which could withstand damage far better than those fragile cruisers.


    The two cruisers that were hit were now almost completely capsized. That¡¯s the price of insufficient tonnage and protection!


    ¡°South Bay 1 has sent a telegram, they¡¯re asking what¡¯s happening with the submarines?¡± The communications officer walked back in; many countries¡¯ warships were sending telegrams, asking each other about the attack.


    There were dozens of warships here; the ones at the far end hadn¡¯t even seen the explosion and were still completely confused.


    But soon, these uninformed warships understood the situation, as a battleship at the core of the fleet, the Eternal Winter 1, was soon hit by a torpedo and burst into flames.


    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration; even from two or three kilometers away, you could still see the enormous battleship of the Ice Cold Empire billowing with thick smoke.


    It was struggling to turn, attempting to avoid further potential attacks, as with a battleship¡¯s size, a single torpedo was unlikely to cause substantial damage.


    This was fundamentally different from the damage caused by shells or missiles, as torpedoes don¡¯t cause penetrative injuries. The primary damage from torpedoes comes from the oscillating blast in the liquid, rupturing the ship¡¯s body mainly from the explosion within the water, rather than breaking through and exploding again inside.


    Thus, the principle meant that torpedo attacks caused flooding, not sympathetic detonation¡ªmassive flooding could even immediately suppress any sympathetic detonation, even if the torpedo hit the ammunition depot, it would not trigger it.


    With the battleship¡¯s massive size in the equation, unless there¡¯s a sympathetic detonation, flooding alone was unlikely to sink such a large ship quickly.


    Thus, a torpedo could severely damage a battleship but was unlikely to sink it. These damaged battleships would immediately run, heading back for repairs.


    This was the case for the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s Eternal Winter 1, as well as for the recently hit Dorne¡¯s No Winter 2 battleship.


    Just as everyone was tensely scanning the sea surface, fearing another attack, a ship loaded with food and fuel was hit.


    A torpedo, narrowly missed by a cruiser, struck this unfortunate supply ship directly, splitting the civilian vessel into two.


    This unarmored ship was not as sturdy as a warship; it was immediately broken in two by the column of water created by the explosion, and upon falling back into the sea, it suffered secondary damage.


    Sinking even faster than the two previously hit cruisers, within just a few minutes, only the masts of the supply ship were left visible on the surface of the water.


    Subsequently, this so-called joint fleet began to flee disorderly toward the distance. In the chaos, even two cruisers collided, one sinking the other...


    The remaining warships were also damaged by torpedoes, including one of Gobur¡¯s battleships. But as the saying goes, ¡°Every man for himself,¡± the fleeing ships didn¡¯t look back, abandoning their wounded comrades entirely.


    Due to the attacks on the joint fleet and the heavy losses incurred, countries immediately sent telegrams to their envoys who were far away in Tang Country negotiating peace, ordering them to sign a treaty with Tang Country as soon as possible to prevent irrevocable damage to their fleets.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Sorry, two chapters offered today. The Year of the Dragon Spirit update will be postponed to tomorrow.

 Chapter 850 850 785 Dawn of Peace

    ?Chapter 850: 785 Dawn of Peace Chapter 850: 785 Dawn of Peace ¡°Tap, tap, tap, tap...¡± High heels clacked on the floor tiles as she walked down the long corridor to a large door.


    Yulin rarely came personally to deliver documents to Tang Mo since she also had many things to keep her busy. As the Kingdom¡¯s beloved consort, her authority was no less than that of a government department minister.


    The door was quietly pushed open; Tang Mo was sitting at his desk, carefully outlining a huge blueprint. The blueprint looked exceptionally complex, with several layers inside and out, round and plump like a fat man.


    ¡°When will you be able to put down your drawing pen and take a proper rest?¡± Seeing the compasses and various rulers scattered around Tang Mo¡¯s blueprint, Yulin couldn¡¯t help but complain.


    ¡°I wish I could, but if I don¡¯t have some things firmly in hand, I always feel uneasy in my sleep.¡± Tang Mo smiled, putting down his pen and asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°The sisters are all very worried about your health; they asked me to check on you.¡± Yulin handed over the documents to Tang Mo, ¡°Just so happens that the Foreign Ministry sent this, so I brought it over.¡±


    She glanced at the blueprint and realized it was somewhat different from what she understood, so she curiously asked, ¡°What is this? You never taught this back in school.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Ah? This? Peace.¡± Tang Mo responded without raising his head, ¡°With this, the world will see peace.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good news; after all, we are one of the largest and most profitable arms dealers in the world,¡± joked Yulin.


    Tang Mo continued to look at the documents in his hands, ¡°I¡¯m talking about Tang Country. With this, Tang Country could maintain peace forever. As for other countries, how could they possibly cease their wars? They will keep fighting, forever until time stops.¡±


    ¡°¡®Forever until time stops,¡¯ such an elegant phrase, too bad you¡¯re using it in this context,¡± Yulin chuckled.


    She tossed the document she was holding onto the blueprint, stretched lazily, and said, ¡°Tell the Foreign Ministry that next time they can throw these protest documents directly into the trash; they don¡¯t need to send them here for me to glance over.¡±


    ¡°Several countries have protested that we attacked their fleets; they believe that since peace negotiations have already started, there should be restraint,¡± said Yulin as she moved behind Tang Mo and began massaging his shoulders.


    With his eyes closed, Tang Mo indulged in the comfort and answered lazily, ¡°That¡¯s their view. As long as they haven¡¯t signed the peace agreement, the war isn¡¯t over!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve signed; now it¡¯s us who haven¡¯t,¡± said Yulin, quite pleased with her man, proud of everything Tang Mo did, viewing him as an idol.


    Even though they were an old married couple and even had a child, she still believed the man leaning against her chest was the best in the world.


    ¡°Alright, since there¡¯s no advantage to be gained now, have the Foreign Ministry bring over the treaty. Delaying isn¡¯t going to help. Restoring order is important; it lets everyone make money more easily,¡± Tang Mo, enjoying the pressure Yulin was applying, felt most of his fatigue leaving his body.


    He gently raised his hand, and Yulin ceased her massaging, ¡°You should get back to your department; you have plenty of work too.¡±


    ¡°On my way here, Yue¡¯er asked me to tell you she misses you,¡± said Yulin as she let go of him and walked towards the door.


    ¡°I also wish I could spend more time with you and the kids. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t afford to relax just yet.¡± Tang Mo lowered his head, swept the protest documents from various countries off onto the floor, and bent over to continue sketching the lines on the blueprint.


    Yulin slightly bowed then meticulously closed the door for Tang Mo. She paused for a few seconds at the portal before turning and retracing her steps.


    As a woman, she actually wasn¡¯t very fond of Alice and Yue¡¯er. Yet, as they intermingled, she was gradually coming to accept some things.


    To tell the truth, all three women were intelligent, and they knew that domestic strife would only cause trouble for both Tang Mo and themselves. Thus, they all maturely decided to accept reality, even the most naive Yue¡¯er.


    The new palace of the Great Tang Kingdom was being rebuilt, with about a hundred people resuming work in the past few days. They were constructing a row of buildings with red bricks and blue tiles, which looked quite festive.


    As victory in the war approached, the atmosphere throughout Tang Country was relaxed, and disaster relief and consolation efforts were proceeding orderly. Road construction and infrastructure development seemed to be getting back on track.


    The frontlines looked very promising¡ªthe Tang Army had completely surrounded Fengjiang and dealt heavy blows to the combined fleet in the northern seas.


    Two submarines launched a sudden attack on the entire fleet, critically damaging four battleships and sinking four cruisers, with the rest dispersing.


    Including at sea, the Tang Army had achieved a comprehensive victory; the Anti-Tang Alliance no longer had any chance of turning the tables, and even some countries had begun to withdraw from the war.


    The Suthers Empire was the first to submit a peace treaty with Tang Country, and at the same time, the Laines Empire, which had suffered the heaviest naval losses, dutifully paid reparations.


    The most interesting case was Chu Country, where the King of Chu directly submitted a document to Tang Country, officially declaring itself as a ¡°perpetual dependency¡± of Tang Country.


    This was not a title that could be recognized casually¡ªit required settling relations with the previous suzerain country first before it could be announced to others.


    Clearly, Chu Country was convinced that the Dahua Empire no longer had the energy to pursue its disloyalty. After submitting the document of dependency, Chu Country also announced it recognized the legitimate occupation by Tang Country of Chu Country¡¯s northern plains, thus perfectly playing the role of the filial son.


    The King of Chu had taken matters to this point, groveling so completely that it made it somewhat awkward for Tang Country to make further demands.


    As the saying goes, ¡°don¡¯t slap a smiling face¡±¡ªeven if it was to set an example for other countries, the diplomatic department of Tang Country felt it should not further embarrass this filial ¡°prized stallion¡±.


    On the other hand, it was also because the diplomats of Tang Country were inexperienced and lacked depth in their practice¡ªthey had truly never imagined that one day they would arrogantly take on a dependent like this...


    Being a vassal state, Chu Country, was not easy¡ªacknowledging a ¡°father¡± was not a matter to be taken lightly either. According to the treaty, Chu Country was required to provide Tang Country with 13 million tons of oil every year in the future, a figure more than four times its current oil production capacity!


    Yes, you read that right. Chu Country¡¯s current annual oil production was around 3 million tons, but in the future, it must supply 13 million tons of oil annually to Tang Country as a form of... filial piety.


    Of course, this required a process, namely, oil companies from Tang Country had to help Chu Country increase its annual oil production to 25 million tons.


    In other words, Tang Country would first use its technology to help Chu Country enhance its oil extraction capacity. About half of the increased capacity would go to Tang Country, while the remaining half would be kept by Chu Country to divide among themselves.


    Additionally, Chu Country had to fully open its market to Tang Country, allowing Tang People to invest in sectors like grain, electricity, roads, real estate, and healthcare within its territory, allowing Tang People to build factories and schools on Chu land.


    Chu Country guaranteed that all Tang merchants investing in Chu Country would only be charged the most basic taxes, and Tang Country would also enjoy the most favored nation treatment for import and export costs. These sets of terms were even more humiliating than the treaties signed by the Qing Government.


    And in exchange for such concessions from Chu Country, Tang Country provided a guarantee: if Chu Country were invaded by other countries, then Tang Country would send troops to protect it, ensuring the royal family¡¯s legitimate governance over Chu territory.


    After much deliberation, Tang Country agreed to this request from Chu Country, thus Chu Country became a vassal, a thoroughly subordinate ¡°younger brother¡± to Tang Country.


    Consequently, the conflict in the southern region had completely ceased. The guerrilla forces of Chu Country had all retreated back to their mountainous areas, and Strauss¡¯s troops no longer had to carry weapons while repairing roads at the foot of the mountains.


    Upon hearing this series of good news, businessmen from the southern region immediately crossed the border with their technology and capital.


    Armed with Tang Country ID cards as their amulet, they moved about unobstructed in Chu territory, more arrogant than even the local nobility.


    The nobility of Chu Country were no fools; they immediately followed suit, driving carriages with their families back to the former northern plains of Chu Country, now the southern region of Tang Country.


    They used their savings to purchase land here, fawned over officials from Tang Country, and worked hard to integrate into society, embracing the wave of reversal.


    Better to be a dog in times of peace than a person in times of chaos, these nobles of Chu Country no longer wished to stay and live the dangerous life of uncertainty in Chu Country. They preferred to stay in Tang Country, enjoying the glory and wealth that belonged to them here.


    Anyway, earning unscrupulous money in Chu Country and spending it in Tang Country had become the new fashion for the nobility of Chu Country, as they tried to transform themselves into Tang People¡ªthough this still required some time.


    Not everyone coming to Tang Country could obtain Tang identification documents. Tang identification documents used to be the easiest in the world to obtain, as the enslaved refugees bought within Tang territory would receive their identification.


    But, following the victory in this war, Tang Country seemed to be tightening its naturalization process¡ªTang Country already had enough people, and it now needed time to assimilate the lands it had annexed in recent years.


    While the war had completely ceased in the southern part of Tang Country, the war in the western regions was still raging fiercely.


    After besieging Fengjiang City, the Tang Army immediately launched a new round of attacks on the Dahua military, eventually driving the troops nearest to Fengjiang 20 kilometers away.


    The whole world was watching this place, waiting for this war to end here. But peculiarly, both the destined-to-fail Dahua Empire and the victorious Great Tang Kingdom seemed to not want the war here to stop.

 Chapter 851 851 786 Tang Country fell into a trap

    ?Chapter 851: 786 Tang Country fell into a trap Chapter 851: 786 Tang Country fell into a trap In the conference room, the Ministry of Rites Official from the Dahua Empire envied the Tang Country officials¡¯ privilege of wearing watches of city-level value on their wrists.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that the apparently invaluable watch worn on the opponent¡¯s wrist was actually standard issue for officials within Tang Country. Every person was given one upon taking their position, and engraved on the back cover were the four big characters for ¡°Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty.¡±


    Tang Country treated its officials quite well; many senior officials were assigned frighteningly powerful Rolls-Royce luxury cars.


    Even mid-level managers had access to official cars, and these vehicles were of no lesser quality. In other nations, even the nobility might not afford such luxury cars.


    It was precisely because Tang Country provided such generous compensation for its officials that their measures for dealing with official corruption and dereliction of duty were also exceptionally brutal. Those who took bribes could implicate their families, and those who used their power for personal gain faced merciless punishment.


    ¡°In my country, if an official shows off their wealth, they will be impeached by the Imperial Censor and punished by His Majesty,¡± a Dahua official said as he picked up the tea cup and gently sipped.


    The fragrance of the tea was overwhelming and soul-soothing¡ªcertainly a rare and fine tea. The ostentation of Tang Country was beyond the imaginings of Dahua officials; they couldn¡¯t comprehend the actions of Tang officials.


    ...


    These people rode in the finest automobiles and enjoyed the highest-end technologies but often made vulgar decisions: They could be found eating and chatting in crowded noodle shops just like other citizens and could even be seen smiling as a group of complaining old women pointed fingers and scolded them, as if they had a split personality.


    They couldn¡¯t wrap their heads around the fact that the foreign ministry of Dahua could afford a can of fine tea that could bring prosperity to many tea farmers, nor could they understand how Tang Country could spend a lavish 30 million Gold Coins to build the Forbidden City.


    If in the Dahua Empire, an Emperor dared to say he would spend 1 million Gold Coins on a garden, there would probably be Imperial Censors hurling themselves to death in the grand hall the very next day.


    Yet in Great Tang, when the King of Tang Country announced he would spend 30 million Gold Coins to construct an unprecedented palace, everyone stood up and applauded as if they were a group of devout pilgrims.


    When the common people of Chang¡¯an heard about this, they miraculously spread the news and many even began to celebrate grandly.


    The officials from the Dahua Empire¡¯s Ministry of Rites might never understand that the entire construction project of the Forbidden City could generate countless jobs in Tang Country, make many contractors rich, implement numerous new technologies, and give rise to many new enterprises...


    ¡°So you can only wear it secretly at home?¡± The young diplomat from Tang Country said as he swung his arm, making the watch emit a pleasant jingle.


    Preoccupied with his tea, the official from Dahua¡¯s Ministry of Rites did not answer the question from the Tang diplomat, or perhaps he felt it beneath him to answer, or dared not answer...


    ¡°His Majesty The Emperor believes that the return and ransom of prisoners of war needs further detailed discussion, as it¡¯s of great significance, and thus cannot be taken lightly,¡± said the Ministry of Rites Official from Dahua after a few seconds of silence, speaking leisurely as he put down his teacup.


    ¡°We might sell you half of the Fengjiang captives, but Xicong... I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to return any to you,¡± the Tang diplomat said with a smile that suggested, ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡± facing the Dahua official across the table.


    Different from before, the Dahua Ministry of Rites Official seemed much more resolute, his hand pressing on the table as he fixated on the Tang diplomat: ¡°In Xicong, we have 700,000 of our finest soldiers! You¡¯re unwilling to return a single one, which shows a total lack of sincerity.¡±


    ¡°Xicong is devastated, those people are war criminals, some have been executed, and others must toil as slaves for three years to pay for their actions! They have already been sent where they belong, how could we return them to you?¡± the Tang diplomat gave no ground.


    The Ministry of Rites Official from Dahua also held firm: ¡°Then we want all of the captives from Fengjiang! Not a single one less!¡±


    The Tang Country diplomat¡¯s brow furrowed imperceptibly, sensing a slight difference in the attitude of the Ministry of Rites Official today.


    However, in a typically accustomed fashion, he still promptly replied: ¡°We can only give you half!¡±


    ¡°Then the terms we previously agreed upon regarding the prisoners of war are null and void!¡± The official from the Dahua Empire¡¯s Ministry of Rites seemed quite satisfied, a look of scorn appearing on his face.


    Seeing the opposition¡¯s stance so tough, the Tang diplomat immediately made a decision: ¡°Let¡¯s take a break...¡±


    He stood up, left his seat, and exited the room to enter another where many people were already waiting, even including a few military officers.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear, they¡¯re intentionally picking a fight this time,¡± a middle-aged official with a lit cigarette between his fingers said to the diplomat who entered the room.


    ¡°Do they think there¡¯s still a chance in this war?¡± a few officials from the foreign ministry looked toward the military representatives.


    The representatives were visibly uncomfortable; one colonel shook his head: ¡°They no longer have any chance of turning defeat into victory... unless they can consume the 1st Armored Division, repel the 3rd Armored Division on the flank, break back into Fengjiang, and defeat the 9th Infantry Army stationed there...¡±


    ¡°If they had that capability, we would be the ones seeking peace talks with them by now,¡± another officer explained. ¡°The Air Force¡¯s reconnaissance planes have confirmed they haven¡¯t amassed a force capable of counterattacking with more than a hundred thousand.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that they¡¯re bluffing? Trying to intimidate us to negotiate paying a lesser price?¡± An official looked towards the diplomat in charge of the negotiations.


    ¡°Have they gone mad? The situation is so unfavorable to them, yet they¡¯d risk doing this, just to take back an extra hundred thousand prisoners?¡± The official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs found this speculation unbelievable. ¡°Do they have such audacity?¡±


    ¡°Unlikely. Their recent actions suggest that they want to buy some time, but it shouldn¡¯t be for the purpose of prepping a counterattack,¡± the diplomat in charge of negotiations analyzed. ¡°If they were really gearing up for a counterattack, they would be keeping a much lower profile than they are now.¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement with the diplomat¡¯s opinion¡ªif the other side was indeed preparing for a counterattack, they certainly wouldn¡¯t make it so obvious¡ªthey would use a more cautious approach to conceal their intentions.


    Putting on an air of confidence just to make Tang Country cautious would likely be counterproductive. After all, Tang Country held the advantage. If Tang became vigilant, any counterattack by the Dahua Empire would be tantamount to suicide.


    ¡°What does the intelligence department think?¡± Everyone turned their attention to an intelligence officer nearby.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any concrete information here; there are all kinds of rumors.¡± The official in charge of intelligence shook his head, emphasizing the need for accuracy in their reports and refusing to speculate without basis.


    As he shook his head, another intelligence officer interjected, ¡°However, we just received some intelligence. It¡¯s not from our channels; it was provided by Chu Country.¡±


    He paused for a second, then continued amidst surprised looks, ¡°Chu Country had previously planted a spy in Fengjiang, a completely loyal dead-agent... Chu Yangren, have you heard of him?¡±


    Seeing many people nod, he went on, ¡°We were looking for various pieces of intelligence in Fengjiang City, and to curry favor with us, Chu Country gave us an interesting piece of information. They confirmed that during the days we were surrounding Fengjiang City, General Feng Kezhi of the Dahua Empire was still within the encirclement and had no intention of retreating.¡±


    For a moment, everyone fell silent.


    General Feng Kezhi had been in Fengjiang City just before the siege, a fact that inevitably led to wild speculations.


    ¡°He¡¯s still in the city?¡± An officer looked incredulously at his colleague. ¡°He¡¯s in the encirclement?¡±


    ¡°This makes things interesting. Shouldn¡¯t the Dahua Empire be more eager to negotiate, to rescue the troops inside Fengjiang City? Even if only half of them could escape, we¡¯re not likely to be able to stop Feng Kezhi from returning to his country, right?¡± An official, puzzled, turned towards a diplomat beside him.


    After a moment of thought, one of the diplomats had a realization, ¡°They couldn¡¯t be aiming to let Feng Kezhi die in there, could they?¡±


    ¡°Buying time, waiting for us to fully occupy Fengjiang, and then Feng Kezhi would be doomed?¡± someone quickly added, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a reasonable explanation.¡±


    ¡°If Fengjiang falls, even if Feng Kezhi returns to his country, he could be disposed of at will. If he dies in battle, that would be even better... but being captured by us would mean the same thing. He certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to continue serving as the Great General of Dahua,¡± a few people who grasped the key point quickly pieced together several possibilities.


    ¡°My goodness, what a shocking secret,¡± a group of people exchanged glances, one of them couldn¡¯t help but remark.


    The diplomat in charge looked at his colleagues, seeking their advice, ¡°So, what do we do now?¡±


    Almost unanimously, the diplomats said, ¡°What to do? Since the Dahua Empire is not in a hurry, let¡¯s play along and give them a show.¡±


    The leading official patted the shoulder of the diplomat, ¡°You go back, and since they want to buy time, let¡¯s just play along and drag it out! As for Fengjiang City... we won¡¯t be returning a single prisoner!¡±


    When he returned to the conference room, the official from the Dahua Empire¡¯s Ministry of Rites noticed a change in the demeanor of the Tang Country¡¯s diplomat.


    The negotiations, initially dominated by his own strong opening, were immediately taken over by the Tang Country¡¯s diplomat. The two people, or rather two teams, kept throwing out conditions, revisiting and rehashing the peace agreement that had nearly been secured.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not satisfied, then wait until we¡¯ve taken Fengjiang! Come back to discuss these terms then!¡± Narrowing his eyes, the Tang Country¡¯s diplomat made a sharp probe.


    As expected, upon hearing these words, the official from the Dahua Empire¡¯s Ministry of Rites immediately laughed, ¡°It¡¯s a deal then! If Fengjiang City is lost, we will agree to all the terms you mentioned today!¡±


    ¡°Good! Let¡¯s settle on that!¡± The Tang Country¡¯s diplomat put on an act as though he had been outwitted.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Today¡¯s writing is slow, so the update will have to wait until later in the night. Don¡¯t wait up, folks; just check it out tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 852 852 Alive we must see the person, dead we must see the body

    ?Chapter 852: Alive we must see the person, dead we must see the body Chapter 852: Alive we must see the person, dead we must see the body Outside Fengjiang City, Bolton pulled out a chair for the bartender from far away, who rarely wore the intelligence department¡¯s military uniform, ¡°So, we¡¯ve been tricked?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the foreign affairs department has already retaliated with their own ruse, and now the remaining work is up to you and me.¡± The tall and muscular bartender sat down, taking the cup from Bolton¡¯s hand, ¡°In the past, I was always the one pouring drinks for others.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I remember when I went to the Silver Fox Tavern in Brunas, you were behind the bar, looking like a gang leader.¡± Bolton turned around and grabbed his own cup from the table.


    His command post was now set up inside a factory building on the outskirts of Fengjiang City, where fierce battles had erupted when it was occupied, and he could still pick bullets out of the bullet holes in the walls.


    Compared to the wooden houses inside the city, the factory was considerably more solid. Built by an owner eager to make money at great cost, it had survived the war without being destroyed.


    The windows on the roof had already been repaired, especially since the weather outside was quite cold by this time, particularly at night, with the chilly winds carrying the hefty malice of autumn¡¯s end.


    The soldiers had started constructing field barracks, digging a rectangular pit in the ground, then beginning to support it with wood, and finally covering it with a thick roof, creating accommodations with fairly good camouflage.


    ...


    If they could be built before winter arrived and stocked with wooden beds, then they wouldn¡¯t have to suffer in the cold outdoors.


    Every troop at this time had skilled craftsmen; the tall fellow who was terrible at shooting next to you could well be a competent carpenter, while your squad leader might be an angler capable of catching dozens of big fish in winter.


    The Tang Army outdoors was constructing enough barracks for overwintering, while the opposing Dahua troops were making similar preparations. Actually, there had been very little fighting here, or at least it seemed that the war had paused since Fengjiang was besieged.


    ¡°I am now a gang leader too.¡± The bartender raised his cup, making a toasting gesture, ¡°Back then you were just a kid.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t expose my past embarrassments. I was just a student then; I only went to the Silver Fox Tavern during school holidays to drink some free beverages,¡± Bolton said, scratching his head, seemingly unaware that he was soon to be promoted to a higher rank.


    After that, Bolton took a sip of his drink and then asked, ¡°What do you need from me this time?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s intent is that since the enemy no longer wants General Feng Kezhi, we might as well take him in.¡±


    ¡°To capture him alive?¡± Bolton curiously asked.


    ¡°Preferably... Moreover, His Majesty also seems to want to test if the special forces trained over the years are actually effective,¡± the bartender replied openly without hiding anything, ¡°There¡¯s no absolute order; probably it¡¯s also to take General Qian¡¯s feelings into account.¡±


    Qian Jinhang had arrived in Chang¡¯an and had accepted the position of Chief of Staff of the Tang Country, essentially receiving a Major General rank.


    Rank-wise, he was higher than the surrendered Generals Bai Fei and Lu Qianshan from Zheng Country.


    You see, Bai Fei and Lu Qianshan had become executioners, creating massive turmoil, and each had managed to secure a Major General rank, finally obtaining a formal identity in the military.


    Now, Bai Fei was working in the intelligence department, assisting the bartender, known for his brutal and decisive actions, a far cry from his previous aimless life in Zheng Country.


    Lu Qianshan had found a position as a naval officer, now working under Bernard and taking a straightforward path, currently doing quite well in the Navy.


    Due to his outstanding capabilities, and because he had defected with nearly 600,000 surrendering troops during unclear battle situations, Qian Jinhang had been given a higher starting point than the two generals from Zheng Country.


    Now serving in the Staff Department, he was still adjusting, assisting Luff and had come up with many good ideas.


    Don¡¯t think that such an old soldier was out of place commanding a modern army like the Tang¡¯s; based on his experience, he could offer many strategic suggestions.


    Including Feng Kezhi, these generals from old eras weren¡¯t foolish, they just weren¡¯t accustomed to modern warfare. However, their insights were far more impressive than what the military academy quick courses in the Great Tang could teach.


    ¡°General Feng Kezhi is a Great General in the Dahua Empire, if he surrenders, giving him a Major General rank here might not be appropriate, it would be awkward when he meets General Qian in meetings,¡± Bolton nodded, understanding the nuance.


    You see, if we were to nonchalantly give a high military rank to any surrendering enemy general, the value of a Tang general would be diminished.


    Qian Jinhang had set a precedent by leading a large army to defect when the battle situation was still unclear; that doesn¡¯t mean that the Tang Kingdom would accept just anyone who came their way.


    Even though General Feng Kezhi had a big reputation and strong capabilities, he still needed to be evaluated before any discussions of major responsibilities could be had.


    ¡°Brunas also predicted that General Feng Ke was likely within the encirclement of Fengjiang,¡± said the bartender with admiration, ¡°He believes that the Emperor of Dahua, Zhao Kai, is not tolerant of others and Feng Ke knows that he would definitely be held accountable if he returned, so he has no choice but to stay.¡±


    ¡°Does he plan to die in battle here?¡± asked Bolton, very curious.


    ¡°Or surrender!¡± pointed the bartender, ¡°I¡¯m here to handle this situation.¡±


    ¡°The same question, how can I coordinate with you?¡± Bolton swayed his drink, ¡°Consider it a repayment of the favor.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± the bartender nodded, ¡°Within two days... crush the Dahua defense forces inside Fengjiang City... can you do it?¡±


    ¡°You really think highly of me, taking down General Feng within two days... you have such confidence in me?¡± Bolton asked, somewhat mockingly.


    ¡°Dorne¡¯s twins, eh... Don¡¯t you want to be one of the Empire¡¯s twins?¡± the bartender replied with a provocative smile.


    Bolton couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity, ¡°Why do you think I can definitely achieve this?¡±


    ¡°Because... the Emperor of Dahua hopes you can,¡± said the bartender, leaning closer to Bolton and lowering his voice, ¡°There will be a faction in the Dahua military that will surrender, opening a gap for you.¡±


    ¡°Damn, betraying their own kind is something they¡¯re good at.¡± Hearing the bartender, Bolton immediately understood: The other side wanted to eliminate General Feng by using the Tang Army to kill this troublesome ¡®Great General.¡¯


    Their tactic was rather straightforward: in Dahua, some generals would follow the Emperor¡¯s orders and choose to surrender swiftly during the Tang Army¡¯s offense.


    This secret was originally not meant to be known by Tang Country, but some in the Dahua Empire were somewhat petty, fearing heavy losses, and reluctant to return these troops loyal to the Royal Family.


    Thus, they had no choice but to ¡°leak¡± their strategy early to Tang Country, hoping for collaboration to quickly repatriate these troops.


    Of course, Dahua had high hopes in their strategy, thinking that Tang Country was unaware of General Feng Ke¡¯s situation. From their perspective, only their top officials knew General Feng¡¯s whereabouts and believed it impossible for the information to leak.


    But in reality, Tang Country had already almost confirmed General Feng was in Fengjiang City and had initiated a series of operations against him.


    The plan from Tang Country¡¯s Staff Department was simple: if possible, rely on special forces to capture General Feng.


    If this man could be useful, then they would retain him; for Tang Country, the value of one General Feng far exceeded 100,000 Dahua captives.


    If he proved disobedient, they must ensure this man dies in Fengjiang. This was why the bartender did not insist on capturing him alive. Simply put, the orders from above were ¡°bring him back dead or alive.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say then. I¡¯ll order the assault in two hours, as per instructions. As long as the enemy surrenders, we will accept,¡± understood Bolton, knowing the bartender wouldn¡¯t have shared this if the intelligence wasn¡¯t accurate.


    ¡°No need for extensive artillery preparation. Just show a little force, and they¡¯ll raise the white flag,¡± the bartender downed his drink and placed the glass on the map of Fengjiang City, ¡°I¡¯m going to coordinate the special forces operation. Give me some time to get them acquainted with the maps and infiltrate in advance... Start your assault four hours later, alright?¡±


    ¡°No problem! Do you want me to provide some heavy support?¡± Bolton asked with a sly smile.


    ¡°What?¡± the bartender, having never observed the battlefield directly, was a bit puzzled by Bolton¡¯s statement.


    ¡°I could deploy tanks and armored vehicles for assault at the location you need, to support your men,¡± Bolton confidently laid out his plan, ¡°If you need, air force jets and dive bombers can also join the battle.¡±


    ¡°You know, in the military, overconfidence is frowned upon... Even when a lion fights a rabbit, it uses all its strength. You shouldn¡¯t be careless,¡± Bolton, confident in his expertise, reminded the bartender to avoid any mistakes.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown up since those days at the Silver Fox Tavern, kid,¡± the bartender, who was much taller than Bolton, patted his shoulder, ¡°You all have grown up, into reliable men.¡±


    He walked towards the door, smiling, ¡°Let your tanks and planes stand by. There¡¯s advanced communications equipment over there; if they locate the target, they¡¯ll notify your men for support.¡±


    This was the first real external operation executed by the Tang Country special forces. They had conducted missions before but those were within the country, somewhat resembling training exercises.


    However, this time, they were to venture deep into enemy lines to find a man named General Feng Ke.

 Chapter 853 853 The Beginning of the 788 Fengjiang Rebellion

    ?Chapter 853: The Beginning of the 788 Fengjiang Rebellion Chapter 853: The Beginning of the 788 Fengjiang Rebellion In the basement beneath a ruined area within Fengjiang City, General Feng Kezhi looked at a confidant and commanded, ¡°Just do as I told you...¡±


    The confidant nodded slightly and then turned to leave the basement. General Feng Kezhi glanced around the somewhat empty headquarters and sighed deeply.


    He knew that the Dahua Empire¡¯s military had members of the Royal Family mixed in like grains of sand, and he had even had to tolerate it before.


    Now, he couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware of what some people were preparing to do; after all, he was the Great General of the Dahua Empire, and he was all too familiar with some of the unique operational modes within the Empire.


    If at this time the Emperor didn¡¯t set a trap for him, that would have been truly surprising. He even felt relieved because he knew some information.


    Only this familiar rhythm could calm him down: the Dahua Empire really didn¡¯t plan to keep him, and he could only honestly wait here to die.


    However, for General Feng Kezhi, there was a difference between waiting to die and really waiting to die; it was completely different whether he sat and waited for death or showed his value here.


    ...


    For a Great General, appearing utterly incapable, even in death, would ultimately be a joke.


    So, even for his own sake, he had to perform brilliantly in the last battle of his career, showing his worth.


    ¡°Now, I have played all the cards in my hand. It¡¯s up to you, Your Majesty The Emperor, whether you are more cunning or I have the better move,¡± General Feng Kezhi closed his eyes and murmured, then fell silent again.


    ...


    On a defensive position within Fengjiang City of the Dahua Empire, a Dahua soldier at a commanding height of the ruins spotted a team of Soldiers he had never seen before moving in single file.


    These Soldiers he had never seen were all wearing a type of steel helmet he hadn¡¯t seen before, dressed in light-colored camouflage, seemingly designed specifically for urban ruins.


    Compared to the ordinary Soldiers of the Great Tang Army, these men were carrying more equipment, some even equipped with devices that had antennas.


    All the Soldiers moved cautiously, the bodies of several slain Soldiers of the Dahua Empire lying at their feet.


    ¡°Hiss...¡± the Dahua soldier retracted his head, preparing to alert his comrades at the other position. However, a man dressed like the squad below slowly stood up behind him.


    The man had a deep gray mask on his face, featuring the lower jaw of a shallow skull. The area around his eyes was painted black, giving him an unfathomably deep appearance.


    Before the Dahua soldier could turn around, the masked man sliced open his throat with a dagger. The Soldier clutched his throat and fell, while the man with the skull mask stepped aside.


    He gave a thumbs up to his companion behind him, then looked down at the struggling Dahua soldier beneath his feet, found a good position, and expressionlessly began guarding the surroundings.


    On the other side of the ruins, at a Dahua Empire position, a soldier seemed to realize there was a problem with the flank of his position.


    He frowned, looking at the disturbance on that position, and his hands involuntarily began to raise his rifle. But before he could complete the motion, his head was penetrated by a bullet.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A crisp gunshot sounded, and the Dahua military position immediately became chaotic. Many ducked their heads, then one after another yelled, ¡°Sniper! There¡¯s a sniper!¡±


    They dared not raise their heads again, nor gauge what had happened. With no sniper scopes, Dahua Empire¡¯s snipers dared not confront Tang Country¡¯s snipers head-on.


    Dahua¡¯s military could only form some sharpshooters, barely learning Tang Country¡¯s sniping tactics, ambushing Tang Army Soldiers under certain circumstances.


    Once Tang Country¡¯s real snipers arrived, all these so-called sharpshooters of the Dahua Empire had to run. Those who didn¡¯t flee were essentially hunted down.


    Under Tang Country¡¯s fourfold, even sixfold, sniper scopes, they were just prey, naive prey at that.


    The sniping tactic, the experience level of the snipers, and the quality of their equipment in Tang Country were not something the Dahua Empire could match.


    To date, apart from Tang Country¡¯s high-precision optical instrument factory, other countries could barely produce usable telescopes¡ªsniper scopes were far inferior.


    In complex battlefield environments, vibration and bumps could affect the precision of these optical instruments, so most countries¡¯ snipers had to make do with ordinary rifles that lacked optical scopes.


    And in the Endless Sea, over sixty percent of the optical scopes were imported products exported from Great Tang; their own domestically produced items were likewise inferior in precision.


    As chaos erupted on one position, another flank, already breached by special forces, saw military vehicles speed by on a road, seemingly not at all like charging into an enemy camp.


    Inside the carriage, the man dressed in a Dahua military uniform tossed his cigarette butt out the window, his arm resting on the rolled-down glass, watching as the Dahua special forces by the roadside gave them a thumbs up.


    These vehicles were all used by the Dahua Empire, adorned with the insignia of the Dahua Empire, and inside the carriage, the soldiers, all dressed in Tang Country special forces gear, were arranging their weapons.


    After driving forward for two blocks, the small convoy encountered a checkpoint. A barrier of barbed wire blocked the front, and beside it stood an old-fashioned 76 mm caliber anti-aircraft gun pointing upwards.


    ¡°Stop the car! Which unit are you from?¡± A Dahua military squad leader stopped the vehicle, while the machine-gunner beside him aimed his Maxim machine gun at the unfamiliar trucks.


    They hadn¡¯t heard the front lines had been breached, so they weren¡¯t sure if these trucks were enemies; they could only ask them to stop for confirmation.


    ¡°We are the Imperial Guards... here on a special mission,¡± the man in the passenger seat casually handed over his credentials.


    Obviously, the Dahua squad leader had never seen such credentials. He looked at them suspiciously, even doubting their authenticity because of their fine craftsmanship.


    The commander of the Tang Country special forces sitting in the vehicle also felt awkward; those credentials were clumsily made, and now it seemed... they were a bit too deceiving.


    ¡°Let them through.¡± At this moment, a Dahua officer walked out from a building on the side. The soldiers around the checkpoint, hearing their commander say this, immediately returned the credentials and lifted the barrier to let the trucks pass.


    ¡°Sir, are they really Imperial Guards?¡± The inexperienced squad leader looked at his superior with confusion. He had never seen credentials printed so exquisitely; they appeared very high-end.


    The officer glanced in the direction the vehicles were heading and sneered, ¡°Whether they are real or not, what does it have to do with you? In a few minutes, we will be raising the white flag to surrender. Why bother with such trivial matters?¡±


    The reprimanded Dahua squad leader quickly shut his mouth. Following the commander in surrendering was a life-saving act with which no one would disagree, and he couldn¡¯t change anything anyway.


    ...


    At another position, a major general was discussing the details of the upcoming surrender with his confidants.


    According to the agreement, as long as they surrendered their weapons, they could safely depart and return to the territory of the Dahua Empire.


    He had even received a telegram from inside the Dahua Empire, stating that if he brought his troops back, he would be greatly commended and not face any punishment.


    In their view, surrendering their weapons was the best choice; if they fought to the death, at least half of them might end up dead here.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do; this is a decision from those above us. We can¡¯t change anything,¡± the leading general said, shifting the blame away with ease.


    His subordinates also sighed in relief because if they really had to fight to the death, they too might lose their lives in the process.


    Just as everyone was easing up, sudden intense gunfire erupted outside the door. Everyone was stunned, not even having the time to react before the headquarters¡¯ door was kicked open.


    A group of Dahua soldiers stormed in, led by a colonel who was holding a shotgun and coldly surveyed everyone in the room.


    ¡°How dare you! What are you trying to do? Revolt?¡± An officer in the room, upon seeing the other¡¯s rank, immediately began scolding.


    His words had barely left his lips when he was shot through the head. The colonel shook his pistol and shouted angrily, ¡°It is you who are revolting! Fleeing the battlefield and surrendering to the enemy! Disrupting our military heart! Your deaths are deserved!¡±


    ¡°Feng Kezhi! You bastard! Even in death, you drag us down with you!¡± Knowing his chances were slim, the leading general erupted into curses.


    But gunfire erupted, and everyone in the headquarters was thrown into chaos. Soon, all was silent again, and the colonel walked out of the headquarters.


    He looked at the silent soldiers and lower-ranking officers outside, then shouted loudly, ¡°Dahua soldiers! There are no cowardly traitors who surrendered here! From now on, I am in command! For the Empire, for His Majesty! We fight to the death!¡±


    The soldiers following him raised their arms and echoed his shouts. Soon, more joined in, and as the voices grew louder, the colonel began issuing orders to reorganize the defenses.


    While chaos reigned within half of Fengjiang City under Dahua¡¯s control, with friendly fire breaking out, on the Tang Army¡¯s positions, the cannons were raising their barrels.


    Bolton checked his watch; the attack time he had agreed with the bartender was fast approaching, and his troops were ready to commence their assault.


    Actually, he was quite nervous now, not nervous about whether the attack he was about to launch might falter, but nervous about whether those unseen Tang special forces could complete their mission.


    If they accidentally fired on their own people, would he regret it, would he blame himself...

 Chapter 854 854 789 amidst the chaos, smart people invest

    ?Chapter 854: 789 amidst the chaos, smart people invest Chapter 854: 789 amidst the chaos, smart people invest ¡°Boom!¡± In accordance with the agreement, the Tang Army¡¯s assault began. An artillery shell landed beside a building, raising dust that obscured the sun.


    Not far from the billowing smoke, a white flag was swiftly hoisted. Below it, in the Dahua Army¡¯s command post, some Dahua soldiers were carrying the bodies of their comrades.


    Just moments ago, these soldiers, identifiable by the white cloth tied around their arms, had attempted to storm the headquarters of this division, only to be completely annihilated by the guard units.


    Leading them had been a battalion commander whose identification showed that he belonged to the direct forces of Great General Feng Kezhi, and his purpose for being here was clear.


    Unfortunately, he was intercepted beforehand and intense gunfire broke out between the two sides. In the end, all of Feng Kezhi¡¯s loyalists who had come to take over command perished here, overwhelmingly outnumbered.


    The leading Dahua Division Commander looked at the corpses with a grim expression. He hadn¡¯t expected Feng Kezhi to send men to kill him; he had nearly been wiped out moments ago.


    Elsewhere, Tang Army soldiers, under the cover of tanks and assault cannons, were crossing the Dahua Army¡¯s defensive lines. The Dahua soldiers gathered their weapons into a pile, as if creating a bonfire.


    ...


    Empty-handed, they sat atop the rubble, watching the well-equipped and martially adept Tang Army soldiers pass before them.


    Not far away, on the defenses of another division, several machine gun positions were fiercely firing away. The Dahua defenders here had not surrendered but were prepared to hold their positions.


    Not all Dahua troops had received the order to surrender. Many were loyal to Feng Kezhi or not part of the Royal Family¡¯s direct forces. Naturally, they were unaware, and they were also caught off guard as their flanks had already been overtaken.


    These units soon realized the problem: they had lost their flanks, and the Tang Army was encircling them.


    On the other hand, since the rear had descended into chaos, the Tang Army had begun to push deeper into the territory, causing supply logistics to break down.


    Many positions ran out of ammunition. As they fought, the Tang Army pressed in from all directions. The Dahua defenders, disoriented, became cannon fodder or prisoners of war.


    The front-line positions were lost inexplicably, some of the second-line defenses simply surrendered, while others were oblivious to what had happened.


    Some logistics supply points were still executing Feng Kezhi¡¯s orders, distributing materials to resisting troops, only to find Tang Army tanks entering their courtyards.


    At some command and logistics centers, confusion reigned as friend turned on friend in messy skirmishes, as though everywhere there was a struggle for control of command.


    For a time, phones couldn¡¯t get through, or if they did, there was no one to pick up. Worse still, beside phones that rang unheeded, Tang Army soldiers stood. No one knew if on the other end lay a dead body or a Dahua General who had surrendered.


    Without command, the Dahua troops descended into disarray, and reinforcements had no idea whether they ought to leave their barracks or where to offer support.


    Consequently, most troops could merely stand by, watching helplessly as fellow forces hoisted white flags in the distance.


    ¡°They¡¯ve surrendered?¡± a Dahua battalion commander, shocked at the sight of the white flag on a nearby building, asked the officer next to him.


    The leading regimental commander¡¯s face bore a wry smile, ¡°How did it all fall apart like this...¡±


    ¡°No, should we send someone to... inquire about the situation?¡± the battalion commander suggested, reluctant to accept the turn of events.


    ¡°Would anyone who went there even be able to come back?¡± The regimental commander scratched his head, ¡°Keep the troops on stand-by...¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what to do next. There was no one issuing orders, and he couldn¡¯t just arbitrarily deploy troops amidst such chaos.


    At that moment, a communicator, covered in dust, burst into their defensive area and was apprehended by soldiers.


    The apprehensive-looking communicator, held by the shoulder, clarified his purpose: ¡°Great General Feng Kezhi¡¯s orders: you are to hold your positions and not retreat a step. Reinforcements will arrive by nightfall.¡±


    ¡°The Great General¡¯s orders?¡± The regimental commander looked at his identification, then nodded, ¡°Understood! You may go back and tell your superiors we will hold our ground.¡±


    Relief washed over the communicator¡¯s face. He nodded and quickly turned to dash out of the encampment, racing back the way he had come.


    ¡°Battalion commander, are we really going to hold our ground here?¡± the anxious battalion commander at his side asked.


    The battalion commander nodded, ¡°Otherwise? With just our eighteen hundred men, if we go out, we might be taken as rebels and disarmed. Do you think those who surrendered wouldn¡¯t fight us, or that the Tang Army would let us go?¡±


    As he explained to his subordinates, the telephone on the table behind him rang. The ringing startled a few men as the battalion commander walked over and picked up the receiver, ¡°Hello? This is Barracks number four...¡±


    From the receiver, a stranger¡¯s voice came through, ¡°This is the Division Commander of the 226th Division of the Dahua Empire. I order you and your troops to lay down your weapons, raise a white flag, and surrender to the Tang Army! As long as you stop resisting, you can all save your lives and return home safely! I assure you, the Tang Army does not kill prisoners! Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°...¡± After a few seconds of silence, the battalion commander swallowing his saliva, managed to reply, ¡°I... I¡¯ve already received orders from Great General Feng Kezhi... He orders me...¡±


    ¡°Your flanks have already surrendered, and the troops behind you might surrender too! You won¡¯t receive any reinforcements or ammunition supply. If you keep holding out there, you¡¯ll be wiped out in less than an hour! Think about it, for yourself and for your men! Is it worth sacrificing everyone¡¯s lives for a futile resistance!¡± the man claiming to be a Division Commander continued to persuade.


    ¡°I... I understand.¡± The battalion commander swallowed his saliva again and, finally, changed his mind, ¡°I will lay down my weapons... I hope the Tang people can guarantee our safety.¡±


    ¡°You have made a wise choice! Pile up your weapons at the entrance, hang white sheets inside the camp, stay there, and you will be safe,¡± the person on the phone was obviously very pleased, his voice rising substantially.


    After hanging up the phone, the battalion commander turned around, letting out a sigh and shaking his head, ¡°Surrender, we won¡¯t have any reinforcements. Lay down your weapons, they promised to ensure our lives are safe.¡±


    Yet another white flag was raised, and some soldiers began piling their weapons at the entrance of the barracks, waiting for the Tang Country military to take over their post.


    Soon, a number 4 tank rolled down the street in front of the gate, and a dozen Tang Army soldiers entered the camp. A platoon leader representing the Tang Country military accepted the surrender of this Dahua infantry battalion, and thus, over a thousand men were disarmed.


    The Tang Army barged through aggressively, and naturally, there were Dahua troops stubbornly holed up in some buildings, trying to halt the advance of the Tang Army.


    But it didn¡¯t take long before they saw the Tang Army¡¯s tanks and assault cannons, and then they were flushed out of the collapsing buildings by artillery shells, only to be cleanly mopped up by the Tang Army¡¯s assault rifles.


    Such troops were few and grew fewer as the battle continued. Organized resistance gradually disappeared, and the remaining Dahua troops could only shrink back within their control zones, easily encircled and divided by the advancing Tang Army.


    ...


    At a crossroads, soldiers shouldering their weapons looked bewildered as a convoy of military vehicles stopped in front of them. They didn¡¯t know what was happening, only aware that gunfire was coming from everywhere, seemingly battles were being fought all around.


    ¡°We are Imperial Guards, is your command post up ahead?¡± Offering a beautifully patterned, anti-counterfeit-laden ID, the Dahua military officer disguised as a Tang Country special forces commander asked with a smile to the Dahua military officer who came up to check on them.


    The officer took the ID, glanced at it briefly, and pointed to the street behind him, ¡°Head north along this street, and you¡¯ll come across a checkpoint. That¡¯s a direct-reporting guard force; they¡¯re very strict with checks.¡±


    Smiling as he took back the ID and nodded respectfully, the convoy of military vehicles slowly started up again, heading in the direction the officer had pointed to.


    ¡°Sir, these people... what are they doing?¡± A subordinate looking at the departing military vehicles asked with confusion.


    ¡°What are they doing? Either they are Tang People in disguise looking for Feng Kezhi. We¡¯re going to surrender; what¡¯s the point of sending them the wrong way only for them to really find their way back and kill us like stamping on an ant?¡± sneered the Dahua military officer, ¡°Or maybe they truly are Imperial Guards sent by His Majesty The Emperor to kill Feng Kezhi. Why should we meddle in idle matters? Just wait for the Tang Army to come and disarm us, and we¡¯ll be done.¡±


    In fact, on the way here, if properly checked, the Tang Country special forces¡¯ disguise could easily have been exposed, but that¡¯s just how they raced along, as if they were in no man¡¯s land. They even asked for directions, and many people actually guided them.


    There were plenty of smart people around, and in such chaotic times, they would make wiser choices. Even the Dahua defenders, who wanted to resist to the end, wouldn¡¯t stupidly block something they knew full well.


    In the eyes of these people, it made sense for His Majesty The Emperor to deploy a mysterious force to gracefully send the Great General ¡°on his way¡± at a critical moment.


    So even if they had doubts about the identity of this ¡°Imperial Guard¡± seeking Feng Kezhi, they wouldn¡¯t investigate and make trouble for themselves.


    Because, to them, fighting a bloody battle against the Tang Army to the end was a completely different matter from intercepting and battling the Emperor¡¯s hidden task force.


    In the underground room where Feng Kezhi was hiding, the Great General of the Empire was clutching the unresponsive telephone receiver, staring blankly at the pistol on the table.


    No one knew what he was thinking because chaos had already begun in the command post. Some civilian officials had disappeared, and others were busy destroying documents. Without concerning themselves with the outer battle situation, just looking here was enough to sense an intense apocalyptic crisis.

 Chapter 855 855 Being prepared means no worries

    ?Chapter 855: Being prepared means no worries. Chapter 855: Being prepared means no worries. Groups of soldiers emerged from the ruins, raising their hands in silence as they congregated along the path laid out by the Tang Army.


    They had held out for over a month inside Fengjiang City, and now the time had come for them to surrender their weapons.


    As they gathered, they placed their rifles by the roadside, where an array of weapons had now piled up.


    There were Maxim heavy machine guns and so-called light machine guns developed by Shireck, crude in appearance and performance.


    It was precisely because of their poor performance that, aside from the Tang Army, many nations¡¯ main machine guns remained the Maxim, the same equipment used by the Tang Army eight or nine years ago.


    This era saw the great development of weapons; every year brought new ones into existence. For a weapon to remain in use for eight or nine years truly said something significant.


    Of course, the most common were the committee rifles, the Shireck model 1 rifles, which had no particular advantages but also no intolerable shortcomings, so they continued to be used.


    ...


    It became the world¡¯s most successful bolt-action rifle, as the Mauser KAR98K used by the Tang Army itself was already rendered obsolete by assault rifles.


    The outdated 98K rifles were often provided at extremely low prices to the allies of Tang Country, including the refugees from the northern region of Chu Country during their uprising.


    Great Tang Group also sold the production technology for the KAR98K rifles, including the production lines, but not many countries purchased them.


    After all, most nations had already chosen the Shireck model 1 rifles. Without much improvement in performance, there was little reason to switch.


    They did, however, wish to be heavily equipped with assault rifles, but they hadn¡¯t fully mastered the necessary technology, and there wasn¡¯t time to equip similar weapons.


    Nevertheless, many countries were researching assault rifles; it was relatively easier to replicate individual weapons than complex tanks and aircraft, so their progress was decent.


    Great Tang Group took notice of this and a heated debate was underway within Tang Country on whether they should introduce the Type 56 assault rifle to the market when Shireck was about to launch its own.


    This could prevent the embarrassing situation of the 98K failing to capture the market, allowing Shireck to make a fortune, and it would allow them to wage a price war with cheap weapons, making it hard for Shireck to recoup the technological costs of developing new weapons.


    The battle in Fengjiang City progressed faster than Bolton had anticipated; his troops swiftly took over numerous critical positions, controlling well over four-fifths of the city¡¯s districts.


    Such rapid progress also minimized the damage to the remaining buildings, preserving some robust high-rise structures, including the former Lord¡¯s Mansion.


    Had the Emperor of Dahua not issued the order to surrender, General Feng Kezhi estimated that they could have held out for at least another ten days relying on the ruins.


    Even if they had all cooperated, perhaps Fengjiang City would not have been encircled. The situation would seem much better for them.


    But reality did not entertain ¡®if¡¯s, and the Tang Army had already captured most of the city. It was too late for regrets.


    Internal strife among Dahua¡¯s defending forces also accelerated their collapse, with some areas breaking into fights over command, losing half of their numbers before the Tang Army even arrived.


    Those who had won, advocates of continued battle, were disheartened as they were forced to surrender and disarm, quickly joining the ranks of the disarmed troops at the designated detention locations.


    They had been determined to fight on, to serve their homeland, but the harsh reality forced them to capitulate: they lacked logistical support and were running out of ammunition, with no possibility of holding out any longer.


    The peace faction surrendered all the more readily, handing over their supplies, including locations within the city where materials were stockpiled, directly to the Tang Army, giving them a great advantage.


    Sitting in his headquarters, General Feng Kezhi was aware that the situation had spiraled out of control. The shift in circumstances was faster than he had anticipated, and Zhao Kai¡¯s methods of betrayal were more ruthless than he had imagined.


    Out of the 250,000 strong army, at least 70,000 were influenced by the royal order and chose to surrender, with about 50,000 succeeding and the resolve of another 20,000 waning.


    The Tang Army broke through the defenses of the 50,000 troops who had surrendered, and amidst the ensuing chaos, a complete collapse spread.


    Forces that had not planned to surrender were caught off guard by the Tang Army¡¯s sudden assault, resulting in heavy losses. Many more units, confused by the circumstances, chose to surrender.


    Neighbor troops who couldn¡¯t stand by turned to clean up these traitors who had raised the white flag of surrender. Fierce fights quickly broke out, leading to a situation that spiraled completely out of control.


    The Tang Army didn¡¯t even know who to support; many times, they took the opportunity of the chaos to eliminate both sides engaged in the firefight. Such actions intensified the casualties; within a few hours, approximately more than 10,000 people had died.


    The most tragic part was that these soldiers, who should have fought bravely, ended up dying at the hands of their own, and their death was even more baffling.


    The commanders sent out to take control of the troops couldn¡¯t find their own units. Some units left their stations on their own and were then annihilated by friendly forces; some units held their ground and quickly ran out of ammunition, being wiped out by the Tang Army.


    General Feng Kezhi had imagined many possible outcomes for himself, but what he truly hadn¡¯t anticipated was sitting in such an embarrassing situation in his own underground command post, having lost control of almost all his troops.


    Even above his head, he couldn¡¯t hear the rumble of artillery; the heavy weapons fire inside the city had actually completely ceased. The majority of the Dahua military artillery positions scattered throughout the city had been abandoned by now.


    The Dahua artillery, equipped with various calibers of cannons, along with the surrounding guard units, had given up resistance. They sat quietly next to their cannons, waiting for the Tang Army to come check the ammunitions and take over those cannons that actually still had decent performance.


    Although not numerous, within the encircling perimeter of Fengjiang City, the Dahua troops still had more than 400 cannons. These weapons and equipment could actually still be sold off after a discount.


    Even if second-hand, as long as they were cheap enough, someone would definitely be willing to pay. The Dahua Empire itself was actually a fine buyer, as long as they didn¡¯t mind the absurdity of spending money to buy back their own weapons.


    ¡°It looks like today is the day I¡¯m going to die here,¡± General Feng Kezhi mocked himself with a laugh, pouring himself a glass of distilled spirits of decent quality.


    It was already not easy to find such alcoholic drinks in Fengjiang City; only he, as a great general, still had access to alcohol supplies while under siege.


    About two kilometers away from him, the special forces unit that had infiltrated the Dahua Empire finally encountered the core guard unit of the Great General of the Dahua Empire.


    These troops, directly belonging to the Great General himself, definitely had combat effectiveness online, and they were also more inclined to fight to the very end for the Great General, still maintaining a certain level of fighting spirit at this moment.


    The special forces of Tang Country also knew that they couldn¡¯t get past this kind of unit with a few hastily made false identity documents, so they dispersed their forces in advance, leaving only a few empty military vehicles as a probe.


    As expected, the other side demanded to inspect the vehicles. The soldiers on both sides of the checkpoint were very vigilant, even prepared to sweep the trucks with gunfire immediately.


    Knowing that they would soon be exposed, the Tang Army¡¯s special forces chose to strike first. They knocked down the enemy soldiers who came up for inspection through the vehicle doors, then drove through the checkpoint, triggering a battle.


    The ambushing special forces opened fire immediately. Snipers took out the most threatening Maxim gunners on the checkpoint.


    Subsequently, a fierce battle ensued. The three trucks driven by the special forces were destroyed, and the drivers inside were all killed.


    The fifty special force members who had arrived by truck quickly advanced, annihilating all the Dahua soldiers at the checkpoint before breaking into the core area of the Dahua command post.


    As the sound of gunfire neared, more and more Dahua Empire soldiers rushed over. After all, there was at least a battalion¡¯s worth of guard troops here, and inside the inner circle, at least a company of the Great General¡¯s personal guard which were the die-hards, General Feng Kezhi¡¯s most trusted, ready to fight to the death.


    Despite this, the special forces of the Tang Army were still penetrating like steel needles, inching towards General Feng Kezhi¡¯s hiding place.


    Inside the basement, General Feng Kezhi¡¯s adjutant opened the door to the basement and reported the news of Tang Army soldiers appearing nearby, ¡°Great General! A small unit of the Tang Army is trying to get close to us.¡±


    ¡°Tang Army?¡± General Feng Kezhi was very curious. He didn¡¯t really believe that this unit was definitely sent by Tang Country. In fact, he suspected these people were disguised as Tang Army, assassins sent by Zhao Kai to kill him.


    ¡°The exact situation is unknown, but our men are stopping them. The enemy¡¯s firepower is ferocious; we have suffered significant losses,¡± the adjutant added anxiously.


    He was not very clear about the situation on the battlefield either and had only heard a brief description from the person who had come back to report.


    He had come here to persuade General Feng Kezhi to relocate quickly or make some other plans.


    ¡°Just a small unit, there¡¯s no need to panic, let the guard troops handle it,¡± General Feng Kezhi, as a great general, maintained his composure in the face of danger.


    He knew very well that even if the outer perimeter had completely collapsed, it would still take time for the Tang Army to reach him. The enemies appearing here now were unlikely to be many.


    It was far from the point where he needed to flee. Going out at this moment would truly give others an opportunity to exploit.


    But still, it was better to be prepared for all eventualities... Thinking this, he walked behind his desk, opened a drawer, and took out a very exquisite pistol, placing it on the table.

 Chapter 856 856 791 the real assassin

    ?Chapter 856: 791 the real assassin Chapter 856: 791 the real assassin In fact, the Tang Army¡¯s special forces didn¡¯t know where General Feng Kezhi¡¯s command post was located; they raided one building after another, capturing Dahua military officers within for careful interrogation.


    ¡°You¡¯d better start talking! Where is Feng Kezhi?¡± looming over a Dahua military officer who was kneeling on the ground with his hands over his head, a Tang Army special forces soldier questioned fiercely with an assault rifle in hand.


    The officer was clearly terrified, as he was a civilian officer in the military, who had never been on the battlefield and didn¡¯t dare gamble with his own life.


    So he immediately confessed, answering the Tang Army¡¯s question, ¡°Across the street, in a courtyard over there, there¡¯s a basement...¡±


    As a civilian officer, he had previously attended meetings at General Feng Kezhi¡¯s command post and even met General Feng Kezhi.


    There were also some antennas for radio use in that courtyard; one glance, and you could tell it was a command post, that was something they couldn¡¯t hide.


    More interestingly, there were also some temporary phone lines connected, a new thing that hadn¡¯t been there in Fengjiang City before. With the progression of the war, General Feng Kezhi had set up his command post here, and that¡¯s why there were so many temporary phone lines deployed.


    ...


    Even in an attempt to conceal, there were camouflage nets hung up, disguising it as ruins¡ªan apparent hiding of a critically important target.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re getting close! That courtyard should be the location of General Feng Kezhi¡¯s headquarters; otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be so much communication equipment.¡± Looking toward the distant command post, the special forces commander signaled to his team, ¡°Handset!¡±


    A special forces soldier carrying a handset came forward, handing over the bulky communication device, larger and heavier than a 2.25-liter cola bottle, resembling an old-fashioned mobile phone, to his superior.


    ¡°This is Team 1, reporting now... coordinates...¡± he said, looking over at a sergeant who was checking a map and a compass.


    The sergeant looked up and stated two numbers directly. The commander relayed the coordinates to the allied forces on the other end of the handset, ¡°Carry out an attack according to these coordinates... help us neutralize the nearby defense forces.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± the voice from the handset came through, slightly distorted by static, ¡°Deploy smoke to mark your position... to avoid friendly fire.¡±


    ¡°Received!¡± the special forces commander handed the handset back to the signaler and then pointed to two soldiers, ¡°Roof! Yellow smoke!¡±


    Less than a minute later, the Il-2 attack aircraft and Stuka Dive Bombers, which had been circling over Fengjiang City, immediately began their dive.


    Using artillery for such a target seemed somewhat inappropriate, as it could easily cause friendly fire, or outright destroy the important target.


    So, generally, such cover attacks were entrusted to the Air Force, because their attacks were a bit more precise¡ªat least, they didn¡¯t have such a high probability of leveling an entire area.


    The attack method of the Il-2 attack aircraft was different from that of the Stuka Dive Bombers. These planes were better suited for a low-angle approach to the target area, followed by a strafing run.


    Two Il-2 attack planes cut in from another side of the battlefield, using their under-wing rocket launchers to flatten the two buildings on the north side of the structure engulfed in yellow smoke.


    Soon, another two Il-2 attack planes joined in the strafing, using their four 20mm caliber machine guns to fire directly at the coordinates, turning the camouflage net covering the courtyard into shredded rags.


    The Dahua troops, now almost devoid of anti-aircraft fire, could only watch helplessly as the eight Il-2 attack aircraft took turns assaulting them.


    They had initially held a numerical advantage and were trying to eliminate the infiltrating Tang Army troops. But they were quickly overwhelmed by the aerial attacks, hiding in various buildings that were all turned into ruins by machine-gun fire and rocketry.


    The soldiers on the street were even less fortunate because two Stukas dropped large bombs, leaving two craters more than ten meters in diameter on the nearby streets.


    The nearby Dahua troops suffered heavy losses. Originally covered in camouflage nets and hiding in shadowy places, the Dahua Empire¡¯s vehicles and carriages were now fully exposed. The blast wave from the explosions lifted their disguises, and all the vehicles suddenly became visible to the pilots of the Tang Nation Air Force.


    Another Il-2 attack plane flew low overhead, riddling the entire street with its four machine guns, turning a dozen vehicles parked on the street into mangled wrecks. Underneath the flying debris, at least 20 Dahua soldiers were killed.


    ¡°Careful! Careful! Don¡¯t hit the yellow smoke area! That¡¯s friendly territory! Friendly!¡± came the voice of the operations commander in the pilot¡¯s headset.


    The lead pilot also continually reminded others to evade bullets sprayed by the enemy¡¯s anti-aircraft machine guns.


    His evasion was a bit late, and the opponent¡¯s machine gun bullets pelted the heavy steel plate at his side, making a clattering noise.


    His aircraft¡¯s fuselage had been punctured, and it seemed the fuel tank might have been leaking slightly, control was dwindling, and the plane¡¯s response time had become slower.


    Fortunately, he was still able to fly, so the Il-2 attack aircraft, trailing wisps of smoke, broke away from the assault squad and headed back toward the Tang Army-controlled area.


    On the ground, the routed Dahua troops no longer had the capacity to deal with the infiltrating Tang Army soldiers; they were being herded eastward by the Tang aircraft¡¯s machine gunfire, resembling a scurry of rats crossing the street.


    ¡°Advance, advance!¡± The Tang special forces, seeing the enemy in front of them in disarray, immediately moved forward. They laid down a heavy screen of yellow smoke in front of them and swiftly crossed the streets under the cover of smoke, rushing into the Dahua military headquarters where the walls had already collapsed.


    In the courtyard, the remaining Dahua forces were still desperately resisting, but they were quickly overwhelmed due to the superior firepower of their adversaries.


    Some Dahua soldiers hid in the buildings, shooting out of the windows, others piled the contents of the rooms into barricades, trying to stop the Tang soldiers from storming inside.


    In the basement, the intense gunfire from outside could now be heard clearly, and the recent bombings by the planes had terrified the clerical officers hiding there.


    The innermost room¡¯s door remained firmly closed, with General Feng Kezhi still in his room, cleaning the sophisticated handgun he held.


    ¡°Great General, it¡¯s time to leave! We can¡¯t hold this position any longer!¡± The adjutant, who had just stepped out to assess the situation, was once again urging his superior officer to flee.


    He really hoped that General Feng Kezhi would heed his advice and escape immediately. If Feng Kezhi wouldn¡¯t leave, he too would have no choice but to stay...


    No one wanted to die for nothing; if there was a chance to live, most people would choose the path that let them cling onto life. Even if it meant only living for one more day, wasn¡¯t that better than nothing?


    ¡°Go on, I...¡± Looking at the handgun in his hand, Feng Kezhi, without raising his head, spoke somberly to his adjutant, ¡°I am prepared to stay here and not leave.¡±


    ¡°I promised Chief of Staff Shen that I would not be taken prisoner... it¡¯s also a way to give an account to the esteemed Chief of Staff,¡± he said, and after finishing those words, he let out a long sigh as if he had exhausted all his strength.


    ¡°Great General!¡± The adjutant took a step forward.


    Feng Kezhi gestured with his hand, signaling the other to leave quickly, ¡°Go! Go! I hope I will be the last to die in this war. If you want to surrender, do it quickly. Don¡¯t throw away your lives in vain.¡±


    Outside the door, the gunshots grew even fiercer. The unique sound of the Tang Army¡¯s Type 56 assault rifles was at close quarters, and the submachine guns equipped by the Dahua Empire forces kept firing continuously.


    A hand grenade rolled into the room and exploded by the window; the shrapnel tore apart the crowded Dahua officers and soldiers nearby.


    The gunfire began to thin out, but the remaining Dahua forces still put up a stubborn fight, defending every room, vowing not to retreat a single step.


    ¡°Great General!¡± Inside the basement, the adjutant still wanted to step forward, ¡°You can¡¯t just die in vain like this.¡±


    As the adjutant, he had followed Feng Kezhi for over a decade; how could he not have feelings? Asking him to leave Feng Kezhi behind to die alone was unthinkable; he would rather stay with Feng Kezhi to the end.


    ¡°You are still young; you might even get promoted if you go back. Go on... go now!¡± Feng Kezhi continued to wave his hand, insisting as he gave the order, ¡°This is my command! Carry it out!¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, the room¡¯s door was pushed open. A Dahua officer wielding a handgun burst in, shocking the two men inside.


    Without hesitation, the officer fired his gun, and a bullet struck General Feng Kezhi in the chest as he stood up. Feng Kezhi raised his hand and shot back, but after being hit, the officer shot Feng Kezhi again.


    In the chaos, the adjutant finally realized that this Dahua officer, lurking within the headquarters, had been waiting for this opportunity! This person... was the true mole planted by Emperor Zhao Kai!


    Subconsciously, the adjutant drew his pistol, shouting for help while firing at the officer who, despite having been shot, kept firing at Feng Kezhi.


    Feng Kezhi collapsed in the chair, falling backward; the third bullet from the officer went straight into the solid wood table, scattering the documents on top.


    However, the wounded assassin was then hit by Feng Kezhi¡¯s adjutant. He turned around as if he wanted to fire back, but riddled with several bullets, he lost strength, stumbled backwards, and then fell.


    The adjutant, having nearly emptied his magazine, rushed to Feng Kezhi, who had fallen behind the table. One bullet had hit right below Feng Kezhi¡¯s right collarbone, another in his abdomen, and blood had already stained his Great General uniform.

 Chapter 857 857 792 dead Great General

    ?Chapter 857: 792 dead Great General Chapter 857: 792 dead Great General ¡°Someone help! Quickly, someone help!¡± The adjutant, cradling the unconscious General Feng Kezhi, called out loudly, ¡°The Great General is injured! Go get a doctor! Quickly!¡±


    The room door behind him was once again kicked open by someone, the sound not at all like something Dahua military personnel would dare to do.


    Startled, the adjutant quickly turned around to see a soldier dressed in gear he had never seen before. The soldier was equipped with complex tactical gear, with various pockets on the chest that made him look bulky, completely different from Dahua¡¯s soldiers.


    Even more frightening was that the charging soldier was wearing a mask with the jaw of a skull painted on it, that under the dimly lit room, looked like a ghost clad in military fatigues and a steel helmet.


    ¡°Drop your weapon!¡± The intruder, holding a short-barreled assault rifle, pointed the dark barrel at the adjutant, not relaxing his vigilance in the slightest.


    The adjutant knew his pistol had no bullets left; he had just fired his last round at the assailant who had burst in. His pistol magazine was empty.


    Thus, he wisely threw his gun away and continued to shout with a sobbing voice, ¡°Quick! He is the Great General Feng Kezhi! He¡¯s been shot! Save him, please!¡±


    ...


    The soldier made way, and another soldier entered the room, both sweeping the room cautiously, left and right.


    The third to enter was someone that looked like a squad leader. He lowered his assault rifle, circled the table, kicked away the exquisite pistol by Feng Kezhi¡¯s hand to ensure safety, then knelt on one knee.


    After examining the gunshot wound on Feng Kezhi, his expression was grave, ¡°He has lost a lot of blood, the gunshot wound is severe.¡±


    ¡°Save him, he is General Feng Kezhi! A very important general! If you save him, he will certainly be useful,¡± the adjutant said, putting aside everything else, revealing the identity trying to persuade these unknown soldiers to save General Feng Kezhi¡¯s life.


    Although he didn¡¯t know where these men were from, their actions upon entering the house showed they were not there to kill Feng Kezhi, so he had to grasp this last life-saving straw.


    ¡°Medic! Medic!¡± the squad leader looked up, calling out loudly toward the door, the two soldiers also joining the call, and soon a soldier with a large pack rushed into the room.


    Unlike the other soldiers, his weapon was a dark submachine gun that had not been seen on the frontline, with a slimmer magazine that could easily be distinguished from the Type 56 assault rifle.


    This soldier, who came in later than the others, was not equipped with a pistol, suggesting his weapon load had been greatly simplified.


    He ran to Feng Kezhi¡¯s side, knelt down on one knee, and immediately reached out to touch the still-bleeding wound on Feng Kezhi¡¯s abdomen, ¡°It didn¡¯t hit the liver... very lucky...¡±


    Fresh, crimson blood flowed over his fingertips, and this seemingly ordinary soldier behaved very calmly, as if he were accustomed to life and death, probing inside Feng Kezhi¡¯s wound without hesitation.


    The sight turned the adjutant¡¯s face deathly pale as even he, who considered himself a tough man, had never witnessed such a gruesome scene.


    ¡°The bullet didn¡¯t go through, no exit wound at the back...¡± As if speaking to himself, the medic pulled out a special package of a tourniquet from the side pocket, ¡°Help me with this.¡±


    He handed the tourniquet to the squad leader, then the hand that had been probing the wound retrieved an irregularly shaped bullet from Feng Kezhi¡¯s abdominal cavity.


    Handing the bullet to the stunned adjutant, the Tang Army medic instructed without looking up, ¡°Keep it as a souvenir, you can show him when he wakes up... This is not a Type 56 bullet. Didn¡¯t your guys shoot him? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    While talking, he took the gauze from the squad leader¡¯s hands and pressed the messy tourniquet onto Feng Kezhi¡¯s wound with his bloodied hands, ¡°The intestines might be perforated, there¡¯s internal bleeding in the abdominal cavity, he needs to be treated immediately...¡±


    ¡°Hold this down for me.¡± He gave way for the squad leader to take over, and then began inspecting another gunshot wound on Feng Kezhi¡¯s chest, ¡°I need someone to help here!¡±


    Hearing the call, a Tang Army soldier from the doorway immediately came over, crouching down to ask, ¡°I¡¯m here, what do you need me to do?¡±


    ¡°I need you to bring a stretcher.¡± As he spoke, he used his blood-soaked hands to remove his backpack, from which he extracted some metal rods, assembling them with a camouflage cloth to miraculously form a stretcher, ¡°He¡¯s lost a lot of blood and needs immediate treatment, it¡¯s already too late, this place won¡¯t do, we have to move him.¡±


    ¡°Lift him onto the stretcher, if possible, get a vehicle... as quickly as possible, head to our field hospital... There¡¯s plasma there, and the right tools.¡± As he spoke, he pulled out another tourniquet, covering Feng Kezhi¡¯s chest wound.


    ¡°Quick! Go find a vehicle! Call headquarters! Say we¡¯ve found General Feng Kezhi, he¡¯s wounded! He needs medical attention!¡± the squad leader immediately ordered.


    The soldiers outside the door hurried off calling for more help, they had already taken control of the entire headquarters; the Dahua officers had surrendered.

 Chapter 858 858 792 The Dead Great General_2

    ?Chapter 858: 792 The Dead Great General_2 Chapter 858: 792 The Dead Great General_2 The area outside the command post was shrouded in yellow smoke, with white sheets and tablecloths hanging everywhere. The Dahua military here had already ceased resistance, just like other Dahua troops elsewhere.


    ...


    ¡°We surrender! We surrender!¡± When they saw a No. 4 tank crush half of a low wall, revealing its colossal body, the Dahua soldiers on the other side of the ruins raised their hands in succession.


    The battle within Fengjiang City began to fragment. Organized resistance had already crumbled a while ago, with only some spontaneous small units engaging in guerrilla warfare.


    But they could no longer determine the outcome of the battle¡ªwithout logistical support, they would soon run out of ammunition and lose their combat capability, left with no choice but to surrender honestly or be killed.


    In the sky, one could sporadically see the silhouettes of IL-2 attack aircraft circling; the already sporadic sound of artillery gradually quieted down, and throughout Fengjiang City, one could see large numbers of surrendering Dahua defenders.


    Some soldiers sat despondently on the ground, using numb gazes to look at the Tang Army, who stood around them with weapons at the ready.


    ...


    Yet some Dahua soldiers curiously inspected the heavy armored vehicles of the Tang Army that they had previously never had time to observe closely.


    Honestly, the tanks of the Tang Army, compared to those of the Dahua military, always had an indescribable aesthetic.


    These No. 4 tanks, which had been improved upon many times, had a ring of iron around the turret, and side skirts hanging on the flanks, looking sharp and handsome.


    Up close, these Great Tang grenadiers weren¡¯t so ferocious after all. They wore nice M35 steel helmets and carried various pieces of equipment in disarray, dirty and disheveled.


    The Type 56 assault rifles, which Dahua soldiers had grown to hate deeply, hung behind these Great Tang soldiers, with magazine pouches on their chests, bayonets, water bottles, food bags, and engineer shovels hanging from their armed belts.


    What most tantalized the Dahua soldiers was the Tang Army soldiers¡¯ food bags. All Dahua soldiers knew that they were filled with an assortment of delicious foods like a treasure pouch.


    The Tang Army soldiers commonly had rations of canned goods and biscuits, as well as instant noodles and candy, including chocolate and beef jerky for rapid energy recovery.


    In recent months, the Tang Army had even begun distributing tea bags and juice concentrates to the rank and file, luxuries not even Dahua officers enjoyed, coveted by every Dahua soldier.


    Unfortunately, as the situation deteriorated, the bodies of Tang Army soldiers became less and less common, and many mouth-watering items were rarely seen by Dahua soldiers.


    Interestingly, at this moment, many of the Tang Army soldiers guarding the prisoners had smoldering paper rolls in their mouths, and due to the increasingly cold weather, quite a few were wrapped in scarves.


    The more experienced Dahua veterans knew those smoking items were called cigarettes. Some had tried them¡ªcoughing from the pungent taste, they couldn¡¯t see why they were so popular among Tang soldiers.


    Many Tang Army soldiers also had colorful ribbons hanging from the buttons on their chests. Of course, the group of Dahua prisoners didn¡¯t know those were the ribbons of the Blade Medal, an honor many Tang soldiers defended with their lives.


    In the distance, a white flag was fluttering in the wind above the Lord¡¯s Mansion, and soon there were more trucks on the streets, more Tang Army soldiers.


    No matter how one looked at it, this place was under Tang control. The Battle of Fengjiang was over, or rather... this war was over.


    As everyone began to prepare for the tranquil times after the war, a column of military vehicles rumbled down the street.


    Judging by their direction, these military vehicles were heading south of Fengjiang City, previously controlled by the Tang Army, adorned with the Dragon Banner of Great Tang, the lead vehicle being an actual armored reconnaissance car.


    ¡°Hey! Driving so fast, rushing to be reincarnated?¡± An officer leaning against a tank fanned the rolling dust in front and squinted in the direction the convoy disappeared.


    ¡°Which unit is it, anyway? Isn¡¯t the armored reconnaissance vehicle up front from the 9th Army¡¯s reconnaissance battalion?¡± The neighboring tank commander walked over and leaned against the tank¡¯s skirt: ¡°I heard they¡¯re going to give this place back to the Dahua Empire?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve heard so, but that¡¯s none of our business anymore. We just wait for our leave and then head home.¡± The officer lit a cigarette for himself, watching the Tang grenadiers marching across the street. He spat twice, discarding the grit in his mouth.


    For them, one piece of good news was enough. The war was over; they no longer needed to continue advancing westward, no longer had to drive tanks under artillery fire, no longer needed to surge over trenches to lead the charge. It was enough.


    ¡°In my beautiful homeland, there¡¯s a fine young girl! Her rosy cheeks are like the red sun, her lovely enchanting eyes, like the bright moon at night!¡± The Tang Army soldiers, sitting on the roadside resting with weapons in arm, began to hum a ballad.


    Many joined in the humming. Everyone knew... the war was over, and everyone looked forward to the true arrival of peace.


    Teams of Dahua soldiers, under the watch of the Tang Army, began to move westward. They were excited because they knew they were to be returned to the Dahua Empire; they would return to their homeland, alive to their families.

 Chapter 859 859 792 The Dead Great General_3

    ?Chapter 859: 792 The Dead Great General_3 Chapter 859: 792 The Dead Great General_3 There were far too many people who died in this war, and for those rank-and-file soldiers who had been tormented on the battlefield, to be alive to see the end of the war was a kind of liberation.


    The Dahua commanders who were allowed to carry weapons displayed the grace of the nobility¡ªthey executed the Emperor¡¯s final orders, and they were not responsible for any part of the final humiliating chaos.


    Even after returning, they might be awarded and promoted to higher-ranking officers, becoming favorites in the eyes of the Emperor.


    Thus, their eyes were bright, and smiles even hung on their faces. It was impossible to tell they were vanquished prisoners of war, standing beside a group of victors.


    Standing beside these Dahua officers, the officers of the Tang Country were also exceedingly happy, having accomplished strategic goals they had not even dared to dream of before, achieving a complete victory over the Dahua Empire.


    Along the way, they had captured Wangchun City, seized Tengyun, taken South Wind Pass, and acquired the southern oil fields... They had also captured the northern plains of Chu Country and taken Fengjiang.


    They were the victors of this war, and therefore, they were entitled to feel happy. They had the right to stand beside the Dahua officers, lifting their chins to look down on the Dahua prisoners like worthless ants.


    ...


    ¡°This is the third batch of ten thousand!¡± Standing on an off-road vehicle, a division commander of the Tang Army had his hands behind his back, rubbing his white gloves behind him, and said to a Dahua general standing beside his car.


    This general was not a prisoner, but an officer sent by the Dahua Empire to receive the prisoners and bring them back to the country. He was very cautious; hearing the words of the enemy commander behind him, he immediately agreed, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the third batch of ten thousand.¡±


    ¡°According to the agreement, we will return 130,000 prisoners from Fengjiang City. That is the final number; there must be no mistakes,¡± the Tang Army¡¯s division commander watched as another group of Dahua prisoners began to cross the checkpoint and continued to say.


    ¡°You¡¯re correct,¡± the general from Dahua continued to affirm: ¡°Thank you for your country¡¯s generosity. I hope there will be no more misunderstandings between our two countries, and may peace last forever.¡±


    If you lose, you wish for peace to last forever; if you had won, you¡¯d be desecrating my ancestors¡¯ graves! The division commander of the Great Tang sneered contemptuously, continuing to look down upon the seemingly endless stream of Dahua soldiers passing by his jeep.


    In front of the checkpoint, soldiers responsible for tallying were organizing the forms in their hands, surrounded by other soldiers carrying weapons and reporters who were continuously clicking their cameras.


    The war had finally ended, and naturally, such good news had to be recorded. The Tang Country would also actively promote its own civilization: returning a vast number of prisoners, a veritable paragon of moral standards.


    With their propaganda in full swing, the fact that there were still over 300,000 goblin slaves within Tang Country and over 600,000 Dahua prisoner laborers became less glaringly offensive.


    ¡°Before coming here, His Majesty The Emperor asked me to confirm a piece of news. General Feng Kezhi of our nation... His unfortunate death in battle, is it true?¡± After a long silence, as if both men were absorbed by the endless line of prisoners, the general from the Dahua Empire suddenly asked.


    The division commander from Great Tang answered smoothly, ¡°Yes, our soldiers stormed General Feng Kezhi¡¯s headquarters and found that he was already dead.¡±


    It seemed as though a weight had been lifted, and the Dahua officer spoke with an undertone of excitement, ¡°That¡¯s truly regrettable. I heard...did he take his own life?¡±


    The death of Feng Ke was certainly great news to bring back to the Dahua Empire¡ªThe Emperor would surely be overjoyed.


    In a sense, for Emperor Zhao Kai of the Dahua Empire, even the defeat in the war against Tang Country was no longer so saddening thanks to Feng Ke¡¯s death.


    But although Feng Ke really was dead, he had been assassinated with two gunshots before the arrival of the Tang Army¡ªwhich was not a very respectable way to die, was it?


    Thus, the Dahua general asked tentatively, hoping the Tang Country would help make Feng Ke¡¯s death appear to be a more honorable end.


    A look of disdain filled the face of the commander from Tang Country, but in the end, he opened his mouth to say, ¡°Indeed, just as the general said, General Feng Ke remained loyal and honorable. He did not want to disgrace the Emperor¡¯s kindness. Before our forces broke into his headquarters, he took his own life with a gun.¡±


    ¡°So it is... very well.¡± After hearing the response from the Tang side, no longer feigning politeness, the Dahua officer beamed with joy: ¡°Our Emperor will surely be most comforted.¡±


    ...


    In a well-preserved building within Fengjiang City, the bright sunshine streamed through the spacious floor-to-ceiling windows, and on the clean bed, Feng Kezhi slowly opened his eyes.


    ¡°Hiss...¡± He felt the pain in his chest and abdomen, and just as he struggled to sit up, the wounds became even more painfully unbearable, causing him to involuntarily inhale a breath of cold air.


    The man who was engrossed in reading ¡°The Impact of Infantry Communication Technology Advancements¡± by the bedside looked up and smiled upon hearing the noise, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    ¡°I... How long have I been unconscious?¡± Feng Ke looked towards the other person, noticing his not-black curly hair and the face that was clearly not of Han Chinese descent.

 Chapter 860 860 792 The Dead Great General_4

    ?Chapter 860: 792 The Dead Great General_4 Chapter 860: 792 The Dead Great General_4 He closed the book and placed it on the bedside table, as the man from the Eastern Continent answered, ¡°Three days, you were unconscious for three days. You have a strong body; the doctors said that a normal person might have already died, but you pulled through.¡±


    ¡°As good as dead,¡± General Feng Kezhi diverted his gaze, looking out the window. There wasn¡¯t much to see, just ruins and rubble.


    Not every building could withstand an urban alley battle, especially in cities like Fengjiang, where many buildings were made of wood.


    The building outside the window had been hit by artillery and had turned into ruins, with only a few wooden pillars and a corner of a wall remaining.


    This was the first floor, and the fact that he could see the ruins opposite proved that the room¡¯s outer courtyard wall had also collapsed. General Feng Kezhi watched the ruins in front of him, silently waiting for the man behind him to speak.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing to be alive,¡± Bolton, sitting beside General Feng Kezhi¡¯s bed with his legs crossed, instructed the nurse standing by outside the door, ¡°He¡¯s awake now, prepare some food according to your usual rules.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± General Feng Kezhi turned his head again.


    ...


    ¡°I am Bolton,¡± Bolton introduced himself simply. Indeed, he didn¡¯t need to elaborate much, as the name Bolton was well known in Dorne and absolutely resonated throughout the Dahua Empire.


    General Feng Kezhi had studied many generals from Tang Country, and Bolton and Strauss were definitely among those he had focused on.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard much about you,¡± General Feng Kezhi managed a pained smile, ¡°I never imagined I¡¯d meet you in person.¡±


    ¡°Nor did I expect to meet the Great General of the Dahua Empire, General Feng Kezhi, so soon,¡± Bolton replied modestly, ¡°I guess it¡¯s true that we wouldn¡¯t have met if we hadn¡¯t fought.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± General Feng Kezhi agreed with Bolton¡¯s statement and then nervously asked a question, ¡°Why... did you save me?¡±


    ¡°In fact, we didn¡¯t save you, Mr. Feng Kezhi. Officially, you are already dead. We¡¯ve announced your suicide publicly, and the Dahua Empire has acknowledged this version of the story.¡± Bolton looked into General Feng Kezhi¡¯s eyes and spoke in a relatively light tone, ¡°The General Feng Kezhi who died has been greatly mourned and is now revered as the loyal and brave hero of the Dahua Empire by tens of thousands.¡±


    ¡°Loyal... brave... how ironic.¡± General Feng Kezhi¡¯s face became animated, his depression mixed with self-mockery, and his bitterness tinged with a hint of humor.


    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re now a noble, so don¡¯t be too sad,¡± Bolton was not very good at comforting others, ¡°You are bedridden for now, so why not think carefully and choose a good sounding new name for yourself?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± General Feng Kezhi agreed without any fuss.


    Bolton was taken aback, then burst into laughter, ¡°You¡¯re a funny man. Get well soon. Our... His Majesty The Emperor wishes to meet you.¡±


    ¡°The Emperor?¡± General Feng Kezhi murmured before it dawned on him¡ªTang Country had become the victor, so it was only natural for the Tang Kingdom to transform into the Great Tang Empire.


    Thus, Tang Mo, who they had always called a rebel, had naturally become the revered Emperor of the Great Tang Empire.


    ¡°Good!¡± General Feng Kezhi nodded as energetically as he could.


    ¡°Then take good care of yourself! I won¡¯t disturb you any longer. Mr. Feng...¡± Bolton stood up, reaching for the book ¡®The Impact of Infantry Communication Technology Advancements¡¯ on the bedside table.


    ¡°Could you leave that book for me to read?¡± General Feng Kezhi suddenly spoke out.


    Bolton paused, then withdrew his hand, ¡°Sure! It¡¯s a new edition of the textbook. I hope Mr. Feng will review it after reading.¡±


    Bolton paused again, then withdrew his hand, ¡°Sure! It¡¯s a new edition of the textbook. I hope Mr. Feng will review it after reading.¡±

 Chapter 861 861 793 Dead People

    ?Chapter 861: 793 Dead People Chapter 861: 793 Dead People By the time General Feng Kezhi managed to sit up with the help of others, ten days had passed, and he contentedly leaned against his pillow, flipping through ¡°The Impact of Infantry Communication Technology Advancements,¡± finding the read increasingly enjoyable.


    Unlike those obscure and difficult military treatises passed down from ancient times, this book no longer discussed ethereal military concepts, nor did it emphasize the personal quality of commanders or delve into the ever-changing battle scenarios.


    The contents of this book were all substantive, addressing the impact of advancements in communication systems on the functioning of troops.


    It elaborated why the Tang Army employed combat units on a large scale on the battlefield¡ªa special and somewhat quirky formation.


    The book began with ancient signal fires and progressed through torches, flag signals, and drums, concluding with later communication soldiers.


    The author believed that even with limited technological conditions, to enhance officers¡¯ sensory perception and control over the battlefield, ancient troops would spare no expense, using their most elite forces and rarest warhorses to carry out the transmission of battlefield intelligence.


    Between the lines, Feng Kezhi felt what the author emphasized, having experienced similar situations himself.


    ...


    To secure battlefield communication, only the commander¡¯s most trusted soldiers would be selected as communication officers, who might even personally deliver the commander¡¯s orders at specific times.


    Similarly, to ensure timely communication during the Flintlock Era, one of the most important roles of Cavalry was to convey messages. Maintaining a Knight could cost as much as supporting more than a dozen flintlock gunners.


    Thus, when Feng Ke experienced the wireless telegraph, he was utterly astounded. A commander, or even the Monarch of a country, could learn within minutes what was happening in a certain area, and this communicative efficiency had completely transformed the mode of war.


    In the past, from the assembly of troops to the march to the front line, and until the final outcome of a battle, it would take months for results to be determined.


    Now, provided there were enough radio stations, a commander could accurately control the movement, location, and status of a troop unit... even the loss of contact itself was information.


    Furthermore, with the invention of the telephone by Tang Country, battlefield communication had ascended to a new height. Once phone lines were laid down, commanders could instantly connect with any unit they wanted to contact with hardly any delay.


    The moment the other party picked up the phone receiver, a battlefield commander could effectively control all the information of that unit, asking whatever he wanted to know, knowing whatever he needed to know.


    Feng Kezhi had always felt that one of the reasons the Tang Army was at the forefront of the world¡¯s powerful militaries was its innovation in means of information and intelligence transmission.


    And at this moment, as Feng Ke read ¡°The Impact of Infantry Communication Technology Advancements,¡± he realized just what kind of changes the Tang Army was implementing.


    The book narrated how the Tang Army, to ensure communication, had disrupted its traditional troop organization to let Infantry accompany Tanks and armored vehicles, including self-propelled artillery, forming a combat team to guarantee that every unit could be immediately located and could instantly report the information they encountered.


    For this, the Tang Army paid the price of organizational chaos: to empower the autonomous movement of troops, the Tang Army threw the pressure of supply upon the logistical support units, further decentralizing the command authority of different levels of troops to these combat teams under chaotic conditions.


    Putting it positively, the Tang Army, relying on excellent qualities, could still manage temporary formations and seek opportunities for battle under a disordered command system.


    Negatively, this meant the Tang Army could quickly find itself in a self-destructive disarray during combat, entirely dependent on the initiative of middle and lower-tier officers to continue the fight.


    The Tang Army was essentially gambling on whether the enemy or themselves would succumb to chaos first and start disintegrating completely.


    Then again, by utilizing the radios on tanks and armored vehicles to ensure the exchange of information, they ensured the effectiveness of communication, rampaging across the chaotic battlefield to eliminate those enemy units that had been isolated and unable to exchange information for coordination.


    Could foreign militaries learn this system? They could... but also could not. They could because, theoretically, if they read this book in front of them, they could understand and learn these tactics.


    However, to master this system, there were several prerequisites: an elite and efficient group of lower and middle-tier commanders, an advanced battlefield communication system, and a robust logistical support system.


    With these three prerequisites, one could replicate the formidable power of the Tang Army and build a top-tier military.


    In reality, though, almost no one possessed all these conditions of the Tang Army: they lacked advanced educational institutions to cultivate talent, did not have a reservoir of advanced communication technologies, and they also lacked a reliable logistical supply system.


    Years went by, and military forces around the world seemed increasingly advanced, yet they were still under extremely outdated ideological leadership. They did not understand this system, and even when some ideas began to emerge, they were merely superficial proofs.

 Chapter 862 862 793 dead people_2

    ?Chapter 862: 793 dead people_2 Chapter 862: 793 dead people_2 ¡°`


    Militaries around the world were still doing the same thing: Once they got trucks, they equipped them to the frontline troops, attempting to increase their battlefield mobility. But these units, now equipped with a large number of trucks, were hampered by a limping logistical support system in actual combat, suffering from lack of fuel or maintenance that couldn¡¯t keep up.


    As a result, it often happened that the frontline troops had plenty of trucks, yet they were severely damaged or rendered inoperable, their mobility no different than that of ordinary infantry.


    In recent years, nations had been ceaselessly researching how to improve these issues and began to emphasize enhancing the capabilities of logistical units.


    But what was infuriating was the emergence of the Tang Nation Air Force, which exacerbated the serious issue that transportation support units couldn¡¯t survive under the overwhelming power of a strong air force.


    This, in turn, meant that all the money invested into logistics by these countries was wasted: railways would be bombed, supply points attacked, and ground targets like trucks destroyed. The losses in logistics would directly reflect on the performance of the frontline combat troops, still dragging down the overall efficiency of the units, despite some improvements in supply chains.


    Therefore, how to protect the fragile supply system became a new subject to tackle, and even General Feng Kezhi started to pity those adversaries of the Tang Nation¡ªthey had to invest even more money and technical effort into their air forces.


    What General Feng Kezhi found most terrifying was that, when he reached the last third of this book, he saw the Tang Nation¡¯s own summary of their tactical shortcomings.


    ...


    That is to say, even if someone could really copy the Tang Nation¡¯s military might by piling up money and imitating them in a crazy fashion, they would still be defeated by the Tang Army. Even more, the Tang Army wouldn¡¯t have to pay a heavy price to defeat such imitators!


    In the final part of the book, it simply introduced the current individual communication system of the Tang Army. Although not in detail, it still left General Feng Kezhi stunned.


    The Tang Nation had begun mass production of communication devices that could be carried by individual soldiers, signifying that commanders could micro-manage smaller units.


    With the advent of such miniaturized communication systems, the Tang Army would no longer have to bothersomely mix units together, and could instead dispatch and command troops in a timely manner under single combat unit types.


    The battlefield of the future would become very different, and the generals of the Tang Nation were already learning about this change in advance. This was their true terrifying aspect! While other countries were still struggling to catch up with the Tang Nation, they leisurely took another step forward.


    Moreover, they didn¡¯t even shy away from the spread of such technology, freely leaving this kind of book for someone like him... a general who had met defeat, to pass the time.


    Thinking of this, General Feng Kezhi closed his eyes and sighed bitterly. Only at this moment did he realize that the Great Tang Kingdom didn¡¯t even need to win him over, a general from a rival empire, for to this emerging kingdom, generals like him were nothing but exquisite artifacts covered in cobwebs and dust.


    Antiques might be valuable, but they are, after all, relics of the past. Their only purpose is to showcase former glory, displayed in museums for people to contemplate.


    Amidst his sighs, the door to his room was pushed open from the outside, and a figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat and Tang Nation¡¯s military uniform entered. Upon entering, he exclaimed, ¡°Great General!¡±


    General Feng Kezhi recognized the visitor and awkwardly squeezed out a smile, ¡°Jin Hang... you, how did you get here?¡±


    ¡°I heard about what happened to you, so I applied to come see you... Your Majesty... Did Zhao Kai really act out of jealousy and strike against you?¡± Qian Jinhang took off his military cap, tucked it under his arm, and walked to General Feng Kezhi¡¯s bedside, his words carrying a hint of emotion.


    ¡°A general who has lost a battle no longer warrants being called capable. I¡¯m already dead, now just an idler,¡± General Feng Kezhi remarked as he moved the book he had read once from his body and placed it on the opposite side from where Qian Jinhang stood.


    He was now overly protective of the book; every time a nurse came in, he instinctively watched it, always fearing it might be taken by someone.


    ¡°Ah...¡± Qian Jinhang sighed standing beside the bed, then lifted his head and spoke, ¡°I have written a letter of recommendation, Your Majesty...¡±


    He paused briefly when he mentioned that term, as if he was afraid General Feng Kezhi wouldn¡¯t discern the distinction, ¡°Your Majesty is wise and will surely reuse your talents, Great General...¡±


    ¡°Why bother, I... forget it, I¡¯m just a captive now, whatever happens to me doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± General Feng Kezhi laughed self-deprecatingly, ¡°I was previously afraid to imagine seeing you, but now that you¡¯re here, I also have some things to say, consider them as... the last words of the Feng Ke you knew.¡±


    Bird calls could already be heard outside the window, the rubble and debris by the collapsed wall had been cleared away, and Tang Nation vehicles could be seen on the streets. Most of them were troop-transport trucks, and there were also some engineering vehicles that General Feng Kezhi had never seen before.


    On the ruins across the street, some civilians were moving stones and broken wood pieces. There were quite a few differences between the buildings of the Tang Nation and those of the Dahua Empire. Among the biggest differences was that the Tang Nation tended to use cement to construct taller, utilitarian, tube-shaped buildings without much aesthetic appeal.


    To be honest, this represented a regression in aesthetics; those cold reinforced concrete structures, prison-like with only palm-sized windows, appeared gloomy and frightening.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 863 863 793 dead people_3

    ?Chapter 863: 793 dead people_3 Chapter 863: 793 dead people_3 The inherent impression did not affect the construction team of Tang Country in building such structures, because they could provide housing for more people while also facilitating the construction of drainage systems.


    General Feng Kezhi had not yet seen what a tube-shaped building looked like, so he knew less about the already transformed King City of Zheng Country than Qian Jinhang, who was beside him.


    In his early years, General Feng Kezhi had visited the King City of Zheng Country with his father. At that time, he looked down on that rundown place where every detail exuded an inferiority to the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire.


    It was like visiting Kyoto in Japan, where you could only see the cramped precision. If you went solely to appreciate this precision, you would indeed feel a comforting sense of ¡°like father, like son.¡±


    But, if one had experienced the grandeur of the Weiyang Palace and seen the inherent elegance and luxury of Chang¡¯an, then who could understand their bitter sorrow after those envoys returned from Tang Country?


    ¡°We are all remnants of a bygone era. Others respect you by calling you General. Before you learn their advanced ways, it¡¯s best to talk less and do more,¡± General Feng Kezhi withdrew his gaze from a distance and advised Qian Jinhang who was already sitting at the bedside.


    ¡°Great General, your teachings are correct¡ªI have been studying diligently these past days. I deeply feel the strength of the Tang military and have been cautious and meticulous to avoid mistakes,¡± Qian Jinhang immediately nodded and responded.


    ...


    ¡°I am not lecturing you; I am speaking from my heart. These past days, I have thought about many things. Everything about Tang Country, which we once detested to the core as rebellious, looks different when you step out of the opposition circle and look back,¡± Feng Kezhi said softly but very seriously.


    He did not pause but continued on his own: ¡°Everything that Tang Country is doing now might be another path to changing the world. Although we can¡¯t see it clearly or understand it... it might not necessarily be wrong.¡±


    ¡°You are able to think this way, which is already much more impressive than Qian Jinhang,¡± Qian Jinhang revealed a smile, half complimentary and half serious, ¡°I only realized the truth of it after arriving in Chang¡¯an.¡±


    He paused for a few seconds, as if recalling that miraculous journey: ¡°When I left the Xicong battle zone, I saw crops soaked in mud along the railroad. The farther north I went, the better and more abundant the crops grew. I saw villages with new houses, and I saw magnificent cities and grand railway platforms.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, although I don¡¯t think those buildings are more magnificent than the palaces of the Dahua Empire, those buildings that seemed like miracles were dwellings for the common people, platforms for the public to travel by train... the difference shocks me to this day.¡±


    ¡°I envy you; you saw the scenes I wanted to see. When I can leave here, I also want to see the landscapes you¡¯ve seen,¡± Feng Kezhi said somewhat enviously.


    ¡°Great General, you will definitely see those landscapes,¡± Qian Jinhang smiled, his face full of sincerity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Great General anymore... I¡¯ve thought about some things these days, or rather, I¡¯ve come to understand some things about the Tang military. The title of Great General really feels increasingly ironic,¡± Feng Kezhi waved his hand and told Qian Jinhang.


    He forced a smile: ¡°In the Tang military, I might only be qualified to be a Division Commander at best. Besides, the Great General is already dead. I am now just a man without a name, an insignificant person.¡±


    ...


    In the study, Tang Mo smiled as he set aside the recommendation letter that Qian Jinhang had written to him: ¡°It seems that our captive Great General does have some personal charm.¡±


    ¡°Qian Jinhang is also unlucky. After Feng Kezhi was captured by us, he had to steel himself to clarify his stance,¡± Prime Minister Roger said with a smile at his side.


    Two people, one surrendered and another captured, the one who surrendered held a high position, and it was never too comfortable for him to deal with his former superior who was captured afterwards.


    ¡°But based on the past period of usage, this Qian Jinhang still has some capabilities. He has commanded hundreds of thousands of troops, with control over the military and logistical operations of large troops. His experience is immensely helpful to the young staff officers,¡± Luff who was sitting on the other side also said.


    ¡°I know... If these old antiques were not so stubborn, they¡¯d actually have room for progress. How could someone who managed to become a general be a fool?¡± Tang Mo tapped his finger twice on the recommendation letter: ¡°What I¡¯m concerned about is, what position should be given to this Feng Kezhi.¡±


    ¡°A civil post... might not be quite suitable, right?¡± Roger knew that Tang Mo had called him here because it was possible that Feng Kezhi could be temporarily accommodated on the civilian side.


    Although it might not be his professional field, a period of adaptation, letting Feng Kezhi compromise for a few years, would help ease the tension on the military side and alleviate awkwardness.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better to keep him in the military. On one hand, talents like him are rare, and on the other hand, we should also show some magnanimity,¡± Luff said on the side.


    ¡°Then tell me, what position would be comfortable?¡± Tang Mo looked at Luff and asked, ¡°Four Marshals is something we¡¯ve already settled on, and the subsequent generals all have their own qualifications. Even old generals like Eric only have the rank of lieutenant general...¡±


    Both Bai Fei and Lu Qianshan were lieutenant generals, and Eric and Qian Jinhang were also lieutenant generals. If a captured person were given the rank of a general, it would somewhat upset many people.

 Chapter 864 864 793 dead people_4

    ?Chapter 864: 793 dead people_4 Chapter 864: 793 dead people_4 ¡°You say everyone deserves credit for their hard work, and everyone has endured hardships, tirelessly and without complaint for several years. Are we no better than a prisoner of the enemy nation? There definitely needs to be an explanation for this; otherwise, many people will have a knot in their hearts.¡±


    Luff thought for a few seconds, then asked, ¡°How about starting with the rank of Major General?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that seem a bit insulting to Feng Kezhi?¡± Roger looked at Luff and asked.


    ¡°How about a temporary Major General rank, to start with a stint at the Great Tang Military Academy... What do you think?¡± Luff added.


    Tang Mo nodded. This was indeed a good idea. By not letting Feng Kezhi join the army ranks or assigning any practical duties right away, letting him instead go and study, could be considered a form of promotion as well.


    Keep in mind, majors graduating from the military academy, as long as their grades are excellent, can also be promoted to lieutenant generals once they¡¯re out.


    Moreover, within Tang Country¡¯s military, there¡¯s an unspoken rule that front-line military leaders should all be top graduates from the Great Tang Military Academy.


    ...


    In other words, Feng Kezhi could very well become the first army ¡°defector general¡± to lead troops into battle in Tang Country, and might even become the first ¡°defector general¡± to do so.


    Since Lu Qianshan¡¯s arrangements in the Navy were still undecided, it was not certain if Feng Kezhi could become the first in the entire military, but it was very likely he could be the first in the army.


    After all, Qian Jinhang went directly into the Staff Department and never went to Great Tang Military Academy for further education. So, he would essentially remain in the Staff Department for his post.


    ¡°That¡¯s a solution, but I¡¯m not sure what Feng Kezhi himself thinks about this.¡± Roger also liked the idea and looked towards Tang Mo.


    ¡°Let Bolton and Qian Jinhang take care of it! They love a spectacle, don¡¯t they? Let them handle it!¡± Tang Mo said with a smile, effectively settling the matter.


    On the other side, another ¡°dead person¡± sat on a not so comfortable sofa inside a decrepit castle, looking at the report brought to her by a trusted subordinate.


    ¡°We have successfully transferred 30 million Gold Coin to a safe place, and there are another 15 million in the process,¡± the subordinate reported with some trepidation.


    ¡°Not enough! It¡¯s too little! Far too little!¡± Sofia clenched the report, symbolizing her actual wealth, and wailed as if her world was ending.


    Her wealth at its peak amounted to billions; although it was mostly in real estate, investments, and the depreciated value of factories, her wealth was substantial in a certain sense.


    Someone had once estimated Sofia¡¯s net worth, and with Shireck¡¯s series of operations copying Great Tang Group, at her wealthiest Sofia had nearly a billion Gold Coin.


    But with the failure of the anti-Tang war, Shireck¡¯s value had diminished, and Sofia¡¯s wealth was not what it had been at its peak.


    What made her even more depressed was that her assets were being devoured by the shareholders of Shireck, and she was unable to fight back effectively. She could only hide and bide her time in the shadows...


    That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t dare let anyone notice she had faked her death, nor could she transfer all her wealth ¨C she had to leave most of it behind, to leave her ¡°corpse¡± for those jackals to feast upon, so they would carelessly miss the clues she was still alive.


    ¡°My lord... if we move more, and faster... it¡¯s inevitable we¡¯ll leave some traces. Everyone else might be okay to deceive, but Great Tang¡¯s intelligence department, I¡¯m afraid, can¡¯t be fooled,¡± the subordinate also said in frustration, explaining the situation.


    ¡°Forget it! Follow the plan as it is! It must be covert!¡± Sofia was also afraid that Tang Mo would find out the truth about her faked death.


    For some reason, she felt an inexplicable fear of Tang Mo, much like a roe deer naturally maintains a wariness of cheetahs and tigers.

 Chapter 865 865 Representative of Shireck 794

    ?Chapter 865: Representative of Shireck 794 Chapter 865: Representative of Shireck 794 After dealing with the matter related to General Feng Kezhi, Tang Mo sent Roger and Luff away, then he headed to another meeting room where a middle-aged man was waiting for him.


    The middle-aged man was very proper, sitting on the sofa without even leaning against the backrest, merely resting there waiting. Upon seeing Tang Mo enter the room, he immediately stood up.


    ¡°Sit,¡± Tang Mo said casually with a wave of his hand. Wes, who was almost always with Tang Mo, casually walked up to the liquor cabinet, opened it, and took out a bottle of fine wine.


    The two Imperial Guards who had been in the room turned and walked out, closing the door behind them. Suddenly, there were only three people left in the room: one sitting on the sofa very stiffly, one standing next to the wine cabinet pouring wine... Tang Mo sat opposite the middle-aged man.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you are representing the Shireck Consortium?¡± Tang Mo crossed his legs and asked.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, I am fully authorized to represent the directors of Shireck to discuss the possibility of cooperation with Your Majesty,¡± the man immediately replied.


    ¡°To cooperate with the Great Tang Group?¡± Tang Mo asked, puzzled.


    ...


    ¡°Yes! Your Majesty, Shireck and the Great Tang Group,¡± the representative of Shireck nodded as he responded.


    Tang Mo laughed, ¡°Well, you should be speaking to the person in charge of the Great Tang Group about cooperation, right? Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t find Harry...¡±


    ¡°In fact, this time, he might not be able to make the decision,¡± the representative of Shireck squeezed out a smile and said.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Tang Mo¡¯s interest was piqued.


    The representative of Shireck continued, ¡°The Shireck Consortium was established over two hundred years ago, originally as a quarry. After development, it began to research and develop iron tools for mining stones and unexpectedly invented the flintlock mechanism, turning into an arms consortium.¡±


    ¡°Because it was profitable, many people joined later, including royals, nobility, and wealthy clans... In short, many people invested, and gradually a board of directors evolved with a decision-making structure,¡± the man did not state his intention and started babbling about his company¡¯s history.


    He did not pause; after finishing his company¡¯s development history, he continued, ¡°Now, the entire consortium owns more than thirty large shipyards, hundreds of rifle factories, can produce cannons of various calibers, and has a complete production chain.¡±


    It was not an exaggeration; Shireck¡¯s actual wealth was still countless, and its profound foundation was comparable to that of the Great Tang Group.


    The only difference was that the Great Tang Group had a technological advantage that Shireck could not match, and these advantages compensated for their lack of foundation.


    But if it came down to reality, possessing numerous mines, iron factories, arms manufacturing plants, and complete sales channels, the volume of the Shireck Consortium was definitely not to be underestimated.


    That was also why they had always had the capital to compete with the Great Tang Group: however, over the years, Shireck¡¯s repeated failures had severely wasted the capital they possessed.


    ¡°Is this a threat or a boast? You don¡¯t need to tell me all this, I¡¯ve investigated the Shireck Consortium, knowing what you have, how much... So you¡¯d better get to the point, my time is limited,¡± Tang Mo interrupted him directly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty, I¡¯ll keep it short... The poor decisions of Director Sofia pushed you and Shireck to opposing sides, which was irrational and unfortunate,¡± the representative of Shireck quickly apologized, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be enemies, for our fundamental interests aren¡¯t conflicting.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a new way to put it,¡± Tang Mo countered. ¡°We are inherently competitors fighting for the same market, how can there be no conflict?¡±


    ¡°In fact, many of our directors don¡¯t care about the market; they¡¯re only interested in their own profits. If their profits can be secured, or say, if there¡¯s a chance for them to make more, they are very willing to show their friendly side,¡± explained the representative of Shireck.


    ¡°I think I understand...¡± Tang Mo nodded. Being a clever man, he quickly grasped the logic.


    Previously, in the eyes of Shireck¡¯s shareholders, the Great Tang Group was too weak, so they never considered cooperation.


    These people thought that with a flick of their fingers, the tiny Great Tang Group would be crushed to dust, with no chance of resistance. Thus, they arrogantly made the decision, using their own power to crush the Great Tang Group.


    But the reality proved that they were too naive, the Great Tang Group was not as fragile as they had imagined, and instead, it survived under their oppression.


    Moreover, as time passed, the benefits brought by technological progress began to emerge, and the Great Tang Group thrived, even beginning to compete in many areas with the Shireck Consortium.


    Under such circumstances, many shareholders of Shireck should have started considering cooperation or compromise, but subsequent developments caused them to miss this opportunity.


    Because of the emergence of the Great Tang Group, a catalyst for change, weapons around the world began to be updated, and due to its size, the Great Tang Group couldn¡¯t capitalize on this huge opportunity quickly enough.


    Thus, Shireck began to benefit simultaneously, a large number of munitions orders allowed Shireck to consume the lion¡¯s share of the huge cake, while the Great Tang Group, although making a hefty profit, saw Shireck¡¯s market value soaring.


    This meant that while the Great Tang Group enlarged the overall cake, Shireck ended up consuming more than half of it! Since they were making money, and even more so, the shareholders of Shireck weren¡¯t in such a hurry to consider how to deal with the relationship with the Great Tang Group.


    However, with the end of this anti-Tang war, and Tang Country emerging triumphantly, Shireck suffered heavy losses, and everyone had to seriously consider their next move.


    Jokingly, continue to oppose the Great Tang Group? On what grounds? How to oppose? The Great Tang Group could easily pull out a jumble of weapons and annihilate Shireck in the arms market without leaving a trace.


    Possessing a huge production capacity and employing countless technical workers, but lagging comprehensively in technology and unable to catch up, Shireck¡¯s value was diminishing by the day.


    Rather than failing comprehensively in competition, becoming decrepit, and reaching a point of being worthless, it was better to think about how to make the most of the remaining Shireck shares while there was still a chance.


    ¡°The board of directors of the Shireck Consortium unanimously believes that the former chairman, Sofia, is no longer suitable to serve as chairman... Thus, she has been dismissed. Her shares in Shireck have been frozen by the board, and she... she no longer has any relation to the Shireck Consortium,¡± Shireck¡¯s representative, upon hearing Tang Mo say he understood, noticeably relaxed.


    Tang Mo understood his meaning and did not immediately end the conversation, indicating that there was still some feasible play here, so his purpose for coming here was, you could say, achieved.


    Now, what he said was a statement, proving the sincerity on the part of Shireck: Sofia has severed her ties with Shireck, if Tang Country wants retaliation, they should find Sofia and kill her, Shireck will just pretend to not see.


    This was the same tactic used previously by Sofia representing Shireck, betraying the former female director, a maneuver so familiar it sent chills.


    Indeed, Tang Mo sent a telegram to Sofia, and he indeed harbored thoughts of letting Sofia end her own life. After all, at his position, he definitely had a temper, and he wouldn¡¯t be comfortable until Sofia was dead.


    You initiate a war against me, wanting to fight to the death, and after losing you say simply ¡°sorry¡± and you think it¡¯s over? If ¡°sorry¡± worked, what would we need DF-41s for?


    Following this, the representative from Shireck brought up his real purpose for the visit: ¡°The directors of the Shireck Consortium do not wish to see their shares diminish in value, so they hope that you... could make an offer to purchase Sofia¡¯s frozen shares... and become the new, largest shareholder of Shireck.¡±


    To the shareholders of Shireck, this was a good deal, they didn¡¯t want their shares in Shireck to become worthless, so the best solution was to get Shireck back on its feet.


    Even now, selling shares of Shireck, they were already a step too late: the anti-Tang war was already lost, who would be interested in buying shares of such a company now?


    Those interested couldn¡¯t afford it, those who were not interested wouldn¡¯t buy, slashing the price wasn¡¯t just cutting flesh; it was gouging out the heart¡ªkeep in mind, the Shireck shares were something they had acquired at a great cost, and now selling without any buyers meant that the efforts of several decades and generations were being washed away.


    This clearly did not align with everyone¡¯s interests, thus selling off shares was not a good option, a more suitable option fitting their demands was: finding a buyer!


    Find someone rich, capable, able to make Shireck rise again, able to make everyone¡¯s shares once again valuable!


    It wouldn¡¯t hurt to let this person eat the meat while they drink the soup, as long as the soup was more nutritious, richer and tastier than the past meat, drinking soup wouldn¡¯t be anything dishonorable.


    ¡°Everyone is here to make money... as long as it ensures everyone¡¯s interests, Shireck would not wish to be Your Majesty¡¯s enemy,¡± said the representative from Shireck.


    ¡°So, I would really like to know, what would I gain from such an acquisition?¡± Tang Mo smiled; he was familiar with doing business, having engaged in it extensively before. Therefore, he quickly grasped the essential point and then posed his question.

 Chapter 866 866 795 given away for free and still no one wants it

    ?Chapter 866: 795 given away for free and still no one wants it Chapter 866: 795 given away for free and still no one wants it Shireck is now a mess, and the most valuable thing Tang Mo could get from investing his money and efforts is nothing but the framework of Shireck itself.


    Actually, this framework contains many things that Tang Mo had desired before but couldn¡¯t obtain: such as human resources, mineral resources, and sales channels.


    However, although these things look good, Tang Mo might not be able to fully utilize them: could he really take these things and use them completely as his own?


    Everything within Great Tang Group is his alone, the people are his people, and the possessions are his possessions, so he can direct them as easily as moving his arm, doing as he pleases.


    But it¡¯s completely different with Shireck. For Tang Mo to have a firm grip on Shireck and to be the one calling the shots inside Shireck is somewhat difficult.


    Just look at Sofia, even after she really had become the chairman of Shireck, wasn¡¯t she still squeezed out by others?


    Just one failure is enough for everyone to express their dissatisfaction with you, and the subsequent matters become utterly ruleless¡ªthis is also a cruel portrayal of the internal struggle within the Shireck Consortium.


    ...


    Sure enough, after Tang Mo asked this question, the representative from Shireck began to illustrate the benefits that Tang Mo could have predicted himself, ¡°Your Majesty, you can obtain Shireck¡¯s human resources, we have a massive workforce, experienced and compliant workers! They can be immediately put to work without a waiting period for you.¡±


    ¡°In addition, we have countless mineral resources, iron mines, copper mines, oil fields... Whatever you need, we can find it for you! You don¡¯t need to worry at all, everything is ready and directly at your service.¡± He spoke as if all these resources were truly laid out before him.


    Truthfully, these things are indeed exciting: just think about it, if Saudi were to say they¡¯re selling all their oil fields to you, wouldn¡¯t you feel an inexplicable surge of excitement?


    But in reality, a person with the wealth to buy all those oil fields considers many more issues; they wouldn¡¯t hastily think of it as a great investment deal, they would think, weigh the options, and judge carefully.


    Tang Mo is the same. He is now a billionaire and doesn¡¯t need any gilding on the lily, so he just listened quietly, to the explanations from the other side.


    The Shireck representative kept talking non-stop, showcasing the benefits of acquiring Shireck, ¡°Should you be willing to join, then Shireck¡¯s influence will also become your influence around the world. You could influence the decision-making of some countries and secure many projects and orders previously unimaginable...¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯ve mentioned, I¡¯m actually quite interested in, but... do these benefits really exist?¡± Tang Mo asked, after waiting for the other party to finish speaking, posing a question that baffled the representative.


    ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t quite understand,¡± the Shireck representative was somewhat at a loss, stuttering as he spoke.


    ¡°Firstly, I¡¯m not very familiar with the internal workings of Shireck, I don¡¯t know by what methods you effortlessly stripped away so many of Sofia¡¯s shares... however, since controlling shares doesn¡¯t allow one to rest easy with control over Shireck, then what use would buying these shares be to me?¡±


    ¡°You could kick Sofia out of the game and deliver her life to my hands. Then someday, you might also kick me out of the game... right?¡± Tang Mo¡¯s pointed question left the other party unsure how to answer.


    ¡°As far as I know, many of your shareholders have bought shares in several companies within the Great Tang Kingdom and thus made a tidy profit. You dare to do this because you know that our laws protect your rights, and we never encroach on anyone¡¯s private property.¡± Tang Mo smiled, as if mocking his opponent, ¡°But you are different, you act without law or rules, you often betray and sell out... committing fratricide. How can I... trust you?¡±


    ¡°Your so-called industries are spread across the entire world, and the massive workforce you speak of is also scattered across the globe, how can I utilize such dispersed production capacity? I can only leak my technology; I would have to hand over my technology to these factories scattered around the world for these production capacities to be of any use,¡± Tang Mo finished saying and looked at the other party before continuing on.


    ¡°But what happens after the technology leaks? You start to disobey my orders, begin using my technology to make money; what can I do about it then? Sofia took away quite a bit of my technology, initially cooperated with me, as you all know, but later she still initiated the anti-Tang war, still betrayed the covenant. This... is a fact,¡± he said, pausing for a bit, as if waiting for an explanation from the other side. But without getting a response, he continued the conversation himself.


    ¡°Moreover, this resource issue you mentioned is even more ludicrous. Hasn¡¯t Great Tang Kingdom, Great Tang Group... suffered enough on this resource issue already?¡±


    He sneered and then asked with full sarcasm, ¡°Do you know how much Gold Coin we were owed before this war broke out? Countless iron mines they owe us, tens of millions of tons of oil! But they are all fantasizing about using a war to weasel out of these debts!¡±


    ¡°How many years has it been since the Brunas incident? Have you already forgotten? We had mines in the Laines Empire and in the Suthers Empire, we were living well in Brunas, but soon we were driven out, our mines, our wealth were all taken...¡±


    He fired off these questions in a row, not looking for an answer, so he didn¡¯t wait for the other party to speak before continuing on.


    The representative of Shireck kept wiping his sweat non-stop. After wiping it, he hadn¡¯t even managed to put his handkerchief back in his pocket when he felt liquid beginning to slide down his forehead again.


    Talking about this made Tang Mo very pleased! He was originally the creditor, and now he finally saw the debtor.


    So, he looked at the sweat-wiping counterpart and said non-stop, ¡°Even now, you haven¡¯t paid off your debts, yet you plan to sell me the mines and ports, which you can take away at any moment, as resources again? And you also boast to me that these resources are what I desperately want...¡±


    ¡°Exactly, they are what I have always wanted! But now, aside from the mud pressed under the tracks of Great Tang tanks, which grain of sand belongs to me?¡± He gestured to the floor below and said, ¡°Only here, is mine! I¡¯m pretty sure no one can take it away...¡±


    ¡°So, instead of buying them and then waiting for you to turn your face and snatch them from me, isn¡¯t it better to wait for my million elite soldiers to take them themselves? Isn¡¯t that the rationale?¡± he asked, unable to suppress a laugh himself.


    A well-fed army, advanced weaponry¡ªit seems being a world superpower is really exhilarating. He could now relate to the attitude of Americans in ¡¯92.


    Without waiting for a reply, Tang Mo brought up the third point: ¡°As for Shireck¡¯s connections, how many do you have left that can be of use to me?¡±


    When it came to this, Tang Mo was even more confident, ¡°I¡¯m not boasting, but because of the anti-Tang war you launched, your influence in the Western Continent has already plummeted, your influence in the Dahua Empire is almost gone, and Shu Country and Qin Country were never your main areas of operation anyway.¡±


    Now, in the Western Continent, Shireck¡¯s influence has indeed collapsed. The several Chinese countries were originally not infiltrated by Shireck, and now after a big defeat, they¡¯re even less likely to be influenced by Shireck.


    Therefore, Tang Mo was very composed, ¡°Chu Country is now my little brother, and the barbaric lands south of Chu Country are also out of your reach... Eastern Continent... Well, the emperors of the few empires who are preparing to pay reparations hate you to the bone, and the few remaining Dingzi on their royal courts are now living with their tails between their legs, right? Influence? Don¡¯t make me laugh...¡±


    ¡°On the contrary, by joining Shireck, I would encounter problems that originally did not belong to Great Tang Group.¡± Tang Mo continued, seemingly not content until he had entirely disparaged Shireck¡¯s worth.


    He spoke at length, causing the person across from him to sweat profusely, ¡°Your reputation among the working class is already bad, you exploit workers, mistreat engineers, and recklessly kill innocent people. By acquiring Shireck, I might even inherit all this hatred...¡±


    Wes, who was standing by, couldn¡¯t help but smile upon hearing this; he had experienced this oppression with Tang Mo. Back then, he was a Ranger, and Tang Mo was just a nobody. They struggled together under the shadow of Shireck, and nearly lost their lives in a war initiated by Shireck.


    ¡°You also haven¡¯t left a good impression on the ruling classes in various countries, meddling with imperial authority and infiltrating noble circles, making every country smoke-filled and chaotic, with many righteous ministers wanting to kill you sooner rather than later...¡± Tang Mo said as he gestured for Wes to pour him a glass of fine wine. After talking for so long, he was a bit thirsty.


    While Wes was pouring wine, Tang Mo continued, ¡°The mines you have scattered around the world generally follow traditional development patterns, requiring bribes to local dignitaries, exploitation of locals, backward technology and low productivity... I might even lose money first to upgrade production technology when taking over these places...¡±


    The more he spoke, the more he felt as though Shireck was a giant pit: ¡°My heavens, I don¡¯t even need an actuary to do the math, just thinking about it... Shireck is like a liability. Even if you offered it to me for free, I¡¯d have to think twice...¡±


    In fact, the Shireck representative sitting opposite him was also having deep doubts: Could it be... that Shireck¡¯s value had plummeted this much? Really, nobody would want it even for free?


    ¡ª¨C


    Yesterday¡¯s chapter was a 6000-word double chapter, Dragon Spirit didn¡¯t slack off... How unjust! Dear readers!

 Chapter 867 867 796 Subcontractor Factory

    ?Chapter 867: 796 Subcontractor Factory Chapter 867: 796 Subcontractor Factory Of course, even if offered for free, there would be a large group of people recklessly vying for it. Unfortunately, those clamoring for control of the Shireck Consortium lacked the qualifications to govern Shireck.


    However, Tang Mo was indeed one of the few who really didn¡¯t care about acquiring Shireck, as he currently had no shortage of assets and was too occupied digesting his victories.


    First and foremost, Tang Country hoped to quickly develop the southern oil fields to aid Chu Country in exploiting their oil resources, aiming to enhance their production capacity to a satisfactory level.


    This was no minor project, with the investment in oil field facilities alone estimated to take over six months. Factoring in pipelines and transportation routes and ports, the project scale could be even larger.


    Additionally, Tang Country had promised to construct Fengjiang City and restore places like Wangchun City, Tengyun, and South Wind Pass to their normal infrastructure levels.


    After the flood disaster, the upstream water projects of Chu Country, along with the embankments of major rivers, also required urgent repairs.


    Taken together, these projects already amounted to a massive undertaking. When adding the need to restore development plans in his own country disrupted by the war, the series of construction projects arranged would likely keep Tang Country occupied for at least a year.


    ...


    If Tang Country wanted to pursue further development, constructing more highways and factories, and infuse more human and material resources into their technology, it would require even more time.


    Therefore, it was implausible for Tang Mo to allocate significant resources to manage the mess at Shireck, and he wasn¡¯t really interested in strengthening his control over Shireck.


    With so many issues at hand, it was unlikely that Tang Mo would forsake essential pursuits or slow down his own developmental pace to play any real or deceptive games with Shireck.


    However, if Shireck genuinely wanted to attach itself by offering substantial benefits to Tang Mo, or even willing to give shares to Tang Mo for free, he wouldn¡¯t mind giving them a taste of sweetness.


    After all, the Great Tang Group had accumulated a large stockpile of inferior weapons that couldn¡¯t be sold post-war, and these weapons needed disposal; transferring technology to Shireck was indeed an option.


    For instance, the large number of Thompson Submachine Guns, produced by the Great Tang Group and already destined for obsolescence, was one such weapon.


    The Tang Army was already transitioning to the MP5 submachine gun, so the outdated Thompsons had to be disposed of in large quantities.


    This type of weapon was clearly unsuitable for the Tang Army¡¯s use, as the workers needed to focus on producing newer weapons, thus leaving the production line for this older weapon abandoned.


    Another example is the 75mm field guns long equipped by the Tang Army, which still appeared quite efficient. However, the Tang Army had become quite dissatisfied with these weapons.


    Their supporting role was often replaced by mortars and assault guns, and their need for trucks for mobilization made them inconvenient.


    Their only specific use was in mountainous warfare, which was uncommon, and thus retaining a large stock of these cumbersome infantry guns was clearly inappropriate.


    The Tang Army was preparing to massively phase out traditional infantry guns and replace them with different types of artillery. But with many of these weapons installed and multiple production lines for the guns and shells, a clean disposal was necessary.


    Additionally, following this war, various navies urgently needed plenty of anti-submarine equipment, and battleships also needed to strengthen their submerged parts to address the increasingly severe torpedo threat.


    The Great Tang Group also held several designs for modern battleships that they needed to urgently sell, enticing various navies to build several new battleships quickly.


    This in itself was a big pit, but it could also be a chance for a big profit if they could convince various countries to jump into it, making Shireck¡¯s idle shipyards and the desire of various countries to build new battleships very appealing.


    If they could ensure that over a dozen battleships commenced construction this year, then it was unlikely that various navies would venture into experiments with new things like seaplane operations anytime soon.


    Similarly, the Tang Army¡¯s ¡°ripping machine,¡± also known as the famous MG42 machine gun, wasn¡¯t exactly cutting-edge, irreplicable technology.


    After experiencing enough troubles with general-purpose machine guns, various countries were seeking to develop similar weaponry. Outfitting them with some light machine guns was just a matter of time. Instead of waiting for armies from various countries to emerge with a myriad of light machine guns, it would be better to utilize Shireck¡¯s production capacity to seize this opportunity first.


    In Tang Mo¡¯s view, if he could lead the managers at Shireck to earn money, they wouldn¡¯t be thinking crooked thoughts any time soon.


    Everyone involved were businessmen, and making money was certainly the most important thing. They had always been honest in this regard and would only turn their backs when Tang Mo could no longer help them make money.


    Adding to that handguns and various types of ammunition, Tang Mo could casually find in his trash bin enough items to make Shireck Consortium massively profitable.


    It was precisely because the Shireck Consortium was still a viable entity, even if barely, that Tang Mo had the patience to listen to the representative finish speaking. He had the leisure to converse at length solely for this reason.


    The other party was indeed astute, and after a brief moment of astonishment, he caught on. He looked at Tang Mo while still holding the handkerchief he had used to wipe his sweat, ¡°So, Your Majesty, what exactly would it take for you to... accept our request?¡±


    Tang Mo held up a finger. ¡°Firstly, I need control of the Shireck Consortium! This power isn¡¯t for you to give, but for me to seize and hold unequivocally...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult... You must understand, the alliance of the Shireck Consortium is based on power and wealth. It¡¯s unrealistic to expect everyone to give up their power and wealth,¡± the representative immediately shook his head.


    ¡°A bunch of behind-the-scene players who shun the light! Talking about power...¡± Tang Mo mocked, then raised a second finger continuing, ¡°Next, I won¡¯t buy shares of Shireck Consortium with money! I will use technology as my investment... As for what kind of technology, I have the say! After all, as long as it keeps making money for Shireck, you shouldn¡¯t have any reasons to object, right?¡±


    ¡°This point... I can¡¯t agree to directly, I need to go back and consult with the directors... Then, I can give you an answer.¡± The representative hadn¡¯t expected Tang Mo to set such terms, and he started feeling uncomfortable again.


    As a businessman, he probably understood what Tang Mo meant: he wanted the massive production capacity of the Shireck Consortium but didn¡¯t plan to allow Shireck to possess technology that could compete with the Great Tang Group.


    In other words, in Tang Mo¡¯s plans, Shireck would become a secondary factory for the Great Tang Group, still making money, but always subservient and minor.


    Under this constraint, Shireck would forever only produce outdated weaponry and become a subsidiary of the Great Tang Group. Perhaps, these former powerful and influential directors of Shireck, the ¡°meat eaters,¡± could turn into clowns too frightened to even ¡°drink soup.¡±


    How many people would tolerate such a change? How many are willing to endure the threat of being kicked out by Tang Mo without even a sip of soup after losing everything?


    ¡°It¡¯s alright; we have plenty of time to wait,¡± Tang Mo nonchalantly shrugged.


    He had plenty of time, as he wasn¡¯t in a position to expand further within the year anyway. The land of Tang Country was already immensely vast, and Tang Mo could freely execute his plans within his own territory.


    But on the other hand, the situation was different for Shireck, as every day of delay could likely worsen their predicament.


    Hence the Shireck representative couldn¡¯t afford to delay. He immediately spoke up, ¡°Your Majesty! We really did come with the utmost sincerity this time! Please consider our proposal; working together could indeed bring us greater benefits!¡±


    ¡°I understand what you are saying, but I¡¯ve proposed my conditions, which have already shown my sincerity. You better go back and carefully discuss it with those directors and see if they agree to my terms,¡± Tang Mo took a cup of wine from Wes and raised it towards the Shireck representative.


    That was clearly a signal to see the guest out. So Wes went over and gestured for the visitor to leave.


    The other party also understood that staying any longer was pointless, so he got up somewhat awkwardly, bowed to Tang Mo, and was escorted out by Wes.


    Despite the considerable authority granted by Shireck¡¯s directors to this representative before coming here, there were still some things he couldn¡¯t decide on his own. He needed to go back and send telegraphs to those directors to confirm the next steps for negotiation.


    Every person had to be persuaded, each condition thoroughly considered. Given the massive amount of capital involved in this negotiation, it could not be handled without extreme caution.


    ¡°I heard the bartender is back from Fengjiang; go find him, I have tasks for him,¡± Tang Mo instructed as Wes returned.


    Wes nodded and stepped out of the room to find a phone.


    Meanwhile, Tang Mo was calculating in his mind how to securely and effectively leverage the Shireck Consortium, drain its remaining value, and let its carcass serve as nourishment for the ascent of the Great Tang Group.


    The bartender, who was supposed to report to Tang Mo today about the special forces¡¯ operation plans, quickly arrived in Tang Mo¡¯s reception room. He hadn¡¯t expected that before hearing his report, Tang Mo would assign him a new task.


    ¡°Have someone look into it! If it¡¯s profitable, using Shireck isn¡¯t out of the question,¡± Tang Mo stood by the window, watching the departing Shireck representative, and instructed the newly arrived bartender, ¡°Work together with the military¡¯s intelligence department to speed up the results.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty! We will initiate the investigation immediately to see just how much is left of Shireck,¡± the bartender nodded slightly, then left Tang Mo¡¯s room.

 Chapter 868 868 797 survey results

    ?Chapter 868: 797 survey results Chapter 868: 797 survey results Within the walls of Chang¡¯an City, there were many institutions, but one from the very beginning emanated an uncomfortable air. It was always somewhat cold, reminiscent of the chill in a morgue.


    The entrance to this place was small, as was the courtyard, and it was rare to see people coming and going. The sign hanging at the door was also small, with the name ¡°National Data Statistics Bureau¡± inscribed on it.


    In fact, quite a few people knew that this was actually the intelligence department of the Great Tang Kingdom, officially known as the separate intelligence agency of the military, ¡°Great Tang National Defense Army Intelligence Bureau.¡±


    Rising through the ranks on a trail of corpses and bloodshed, Bai Fei was now a Major General of the Great Tang Security Bureau. He was currently sitting in his office, discussing a case he was investigating with a colleague from the Security Bureau, ¡°How is the investigation going?¡±


    In reality, the Great Tang Kingdom had two, or even three distinct intelligence systems, each operating independently. One was the military¡¯s ¡°National Defense Army Intelligence Bureau,¡± another was ¡°Security Bureau¡± under Li¡¯ao¡¯s command, and another was ¡°Ministry of Internal Affairs Security Bureau¡± led by Yulin, not to mention the ¡°Special Protection Troops¡± under Wes¡¯s control.


    In terms of roles, the first three were large intelligence institutions, while Wes¡¯s intelligence network was more inclined towards investigating intelligence related to Tang Mo¡¯s security, a smaller organization dedicated to Tang Mo¡¯s guard.


    The inter-agency competition and mutual oversight ensured the efficiency of Tang Country¡¯s intelligence agencies, not overly worried about a leader¡¯s betrayal or hoarding secrets.


    ...


    Bai Fei, a general forged as a sharp blade for Tang Mo, was especially active in the intelligence forefront¡ªhis nickname, ¡°Blood Hand,¡± was well-earned.


    The expert seconded from the Security Bureau on economic issues placed a stack of documents on Bai Fei¡¯s desk, ¡°Just as we estimated, Shireck¡¯s wealth is indeed shrinking significantly. Many of their industries have been sold off, and the value of others needs to be reassessed.¡±


    The military was tasked with investigating this case mainly because Li¡¯ao¡¯s intelligence department was short-staffed and unable to monitor all of Shireck¡¯s movements, thus necessitating cooperation with the military.


    Both sides shared outcomes and cross-verified each other¡¯s investigative data, aiming for more accurate reports and data for Tang Mo.


    The expert opened the file, flipped to the corresponding page, and continued, ¡°Many second-tier workshops, the outdated assets they were unwilling to improve themselves, have been disposed of. Due to the failure in the war, some treatments became very hasty.¡±


    Bai Fei glanced at a few sensitive figures on the document, then asked, ¡°So, have we figured out how much money it is?¡±


    The expert shook his head with difficulty, ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell, it could be as much as two to three hundred million Gold Coins. It¡¯s difficult to estimate because many accounts are unclear, and we don¡¯t have access to all of Shireck¡¯s accounts. Analyzing and summarizing parts of the accounts individually results in a large variance in figures.¡±


    ¡°Shireck Consortium is indeed too massive and too corrupt; there¡¯s great potential for manipulation,¡± explained the expert familiar with such tactics, ¡°It¡¯s very possible they¡¯re also seizing the opportunity to sort out their assets and wealth, attributing some of the deficits to this fluctuation to minimize their losses.¡±


    ¡°Fake accounts?¡± Bai Fei instinctively felt the matter shouldn¡¯t be so simple, recalling how the landlords he killed also tried every means to hide private property in hopes of a comeback.


    Sure enough, the expert from the Security Bureau shook his head, ¡°Not just fake accounts, but many things that never actually existed. For example, a design department long deserted, flintlock gun workshops obsolete for decades¡ªthe books claim they have a dozen production lines, but in reality, they are all furnaces from the last century. How much do you think they¡¯re worth?¡±


    ¡°What a disgrace, have they decayed to this extent?¡± Bai Fei scoffed, forgetting that he once was a part of such decay.


    He had forgotten his past self; now, he was the King¡¯s mad dog, the maddest dog who bit the hardest. And as a mad dog of the new world, he considered himself at least one belonging to this new world...


    Indeed, he now felt he no longer belonged to the old world; Tang Country had shown him a brand new future and introduced him to something truly worth his loyalty.


    The economic expert thought it was necessary to give a lesson to the brute from the military, ¡°If Shireck had continued to prosper, these paper accounts could all be money-making chips. Don¡¯t underestimate their intelligence; they¡¯re greedy, not foolish.¡±


    Bai Fei disagreed, ¡°But facts have proven that they have failed, and all these have become their burden...¡±


    Seeing Bai Fei not grasping the deeper implication, the expert elaborated, ¡°I actually think it may not be the case... What if I told you, of these cut down, lost under our watch¡ªfactories... talent... Gold Coins... how much is a real burden, and how much are quality projects?¡±


    ¡°You mean?¡± Bai Fei frowned. He was a soldier, once a useless one, now a ¡°military dog,¡± and truly had no time for the kind of thinking typical of businessmen.


    ¡°Take a look at this.¡± The economic expert from the Security Bureau turned the document to another page.


    ¡°Sofia committed suicide?¡± Bai Fei raised an eyebrow; this intelligence was the responsibility of the Security Bureau, and he would know a little later through his channels.


    ¡°Yes. Shireck¡¯s men and ours had her under control, but she hid a handgun and shot herself in the head...¡± said the economic expert.


    ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s dead?¡± Bai Fei instinctively glanced at him.


    ¡°We¡¯re certain... However, what we at the Security Bureau can affirm is that the ¡®Sofia¡¯ under the control of our dispatched personnel is dead!¡± The expert stressed his words, prompting Bai Fei to catch the subtlety.


    ¡°Do you suspect that she was a fake?¡± he naturally inquired.


    The expert flipped through the documents in front of Bai Fei: ¡°It¡¯s not suspicion, it¡¯s extreme doubt. We¡¯re trying to gain control of Sofia¡¯s original assets, but the whole process has been extremely difficult.¡±


    ¡°Some of Sofia¡¯s followers are trying to embezzle those assets, and we can only compete with them. Although we have seized the lion¡¯s share, many assets have been whisked away by certain people,¡± he continued, pointing to several figures on the documents.


    What he didn¡¯t say was that because Sofia¡¯s death was too convenient, too abrupt, Li¡¯ao and the bartender, among others, seriously doubted that the Sofia who died in their hands was the real Sofia.


    Their reasoning was that the woman who once controlled the Shireck Consortium and had battled them for so long shouldn¡¯t exit the stage in such a simplistic manner.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite normal, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bai Fei said, drawing on his extensive experience with seizing landowner gentry¡¯s assets and somewhat understanding the insights here.


    Those people would always hide some money. Even in death, with hidden money never seeing the light of day again, they would still tuck some away.


    The economic expert nodded in agreement with Bai Fei¡¯s observation. However, he also offered his view: ¡°Right! Indeed, it¡¯s very typical, but we can¡¯t ignore the impact of even common occurrences.¡±


    ¡°There are records indicating that around 70 million Gold Coins in assets, and cash... vanished right under our noses. The whereabouts unknown, squandered, taken by others, diminished after failures... Sofia even sold her Flame Castle to one of her mistresses for just 10 Gold Coins¡ªbefore we got there,¡± he explained, flipping to the relevant document to show Bai Fei.


    Bai Fei saw those figures, the kind that could drive a person mad: ¡°That¡¯s no small sum.¡±


    The expert sighed in agreement: ¡°Yes, it¡¯s certainly not a small sum. I¡¯m all too familiar with such operations; even if only half of that 70 million were to be utilized without our knowledge, it would turn into a hundred million, maybe even two hundred million in a few years!¡±


    ¡°Is there any way to stop this?¡± Bai Fei asked curiously.


    While speaking, he shook his head helplessly: ¡°There¡¯s no way to stop it; we¡¯re also tracking the whereabouts of these unclaimed funds, but it¡¯s really not easy.¡±


    In this era, there were neither computers nor networks, making the accounting process very troublesome and loophole-prone. To trace the destination of every single transaction was truly an insurmountable task. Furthermore, when there are people deliberately concealing the money trail, it becomes even harder to find.


    Having said this, the expert immediately added, ¡°But no matter how difficult it is to find, we can be sure of one thing.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Bai Fei continued to inquire.


    The Security Bureau¡¯s economic expert bluntly replied, ¡°Someone is walking around with a huge amount of money, and they probably have ill intentions toward us.¡±


    Bai Fei nodded in agreement with his analysis: ¡°You make a good point. Is this one of the significant reasons why you believe Sofia might not be dead?¡±


    The expert expressed his opinion: ¡°Personally, I feel whether she¡¯s dead or not is irrelevant. The important thing is, a force opposing us has not perished! They are hiding in the shadows, still watching us, with enough money in hand to buy a kingdom...¡±


    ¡°It sounds as if they are harder to deal with than before?¡± Bai Fei felt that such an enemy, lurking in the shadows, was more formidable than the forthright Shireck Consortium.


    The expert nodded vehemently in agreement: ¡°Yes, indeed. However, don¡¯t worry; I believe we will eventually root them out one by one and bury them in the ground.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right! I will bury them all! If necessary, I¡¯ll do it with my own hands,¡± Bai Fei, who had some experience with burial, confidently stated.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Dragon Spirit Knight bids everyone a Happy New Year, wishing all the readers good health, immunity to all poisons, abundant wealth, and good fortune in the New Year!

 Chapter 869 869 798 A Chance Encounter

    ?Chapter 869: 798 A Chance Encounter Chapter 869: 798 A Chance Encounter Despite having seen much prosperity, the first sight of Chang¡¯an in Tang Country still left the Prince of Chu Country speechless with shock.


    Although Chang¡¯an was far from being the most prosperous city in Tang Country, due to geographical reasons, the truly flourishing city was the port city of Linshui.


    Many called Linshui the Brunas of the Western Continent, and those who had been to Brunas Port in the Laines Empire knew well that Linshui had completely surpassed Brunas to become the wealthiest city in the world.


    Here, ships were ceaselessly coming and going, and trains followed one after another, where anyone who wanted to get rich could go to Linshui, where everyone could find their own business opportunities.


    The prosperity of Linshui was of a kind that had surpassed Brunas¡¯s, while the prosperity of Chang¡¯an City was a completely new kind, built on a new order and a brand-new political center.


    The streets, cleaned by watering carts, were spotless, and the passersby on either side all wore a pride as if to say ¡°who else but us?¡±


    In just a few short years, the people here had grown accustomed to everything and regarded merchants and travelers from other places as ¡°outsiders.¡±


    ...


    They took pride in being born in Chang¡¯an; every person from Chang¡¯an carried an aura of being a cut above the rest. Even if these merchants came from Linshui, even if they were wealthy beyond measure, they were still not from Chang¡¯an.


    Stepping out of Chang¡¯an¡¯s train station, the Prince of Chu Country was intimidated by this deeply ingrained nobility.


    The train station in the capital city of Chu Country was clearly not of this caliber. When he had gone to study in the imperial capital of the Dahua Empire, they didn¡¯t even have a train station.


    So when he saw the train station in Chang¡¯an City, he was startled by the glittering and towering roof.


    He even thought for a moment that he had gotten off the train directly in the Royal Palace of the Great Tang Kingdom, and the Guards around him were also a bit overwhelmed by the opulence.


    ¡°Ah! Respected Prince, you need not be so formal, this is only the train station of Chang¡¯an City, we have not even entered the city yet,¡± a Tang Country diplomat accompanying the Prince of Chu Country explained helpfully.


    He would have been better off not explaining, as his words only made the inexperienced Prince of Chu Country feel even more ashamed: he wished his demeanor hadn¡¯t been noticed by others, but everyone had already seen him clearly.


    His visit this time was actually on behalf of Chu Country, to attend the military parade in Tang Country. After this parade, Tang Country was soon to become the Great Tang Empire, the most powerful empire acknowledged in the Western Continent.


    And that ¡°grand-uncle¡± he had yet to meet would become the Emperor of this empire and ruler over its vast territories.


    Indeed, in the treaty where Chu Country inclined towards Tang Country, the two countries were siblings, with Chu Country being the younger and Tang Country the elder, and the King of Chu would have to call the Emperor of Tang his ¡°younger brother.¡±


    The 54-year-old King of Chu Country calling the not-even-30-year-old Tang Mo ¡°elder brother¡± became a joke among the citizens of Tang Country.


    Sadly, the Prince of Chu Country, already into his thirties, found himself having to call Tang Mo ¡°grand-uncle.¡± And while he already had several children in Chu Country, Tang Mo instantly became practically of the grandfather¡¯s generation.


    The Prince of Chu Country had two ¡°elder brothers¡± in Tang Country¡ªyes, elder brothers: the two Princes of Tang Country. Although they were younger, in terms of address, they were still the ¡°elder brothers¡± of the Prince of Chu...


    If he wanted to change this relationship, it was not difficult. He just had to wait for the King of Chu to pass away, and once the Prince of Chu Country became the King of Chu, then he could be fraternal with Tang Mo.


    Or... winning a war against Tang was another way to change his status, but this path might be more difficult. A misstep could very well reduce him to an even lower status.


    Another purpose of the Prince of Chu Country¡¯s visit to Chang¡¯an was to stay and study after the Tang Country military parade ceremony, entering the Great Tang Military Academy to learn political science and international relations.


    This period of education was not short, for he had to reside in Chang¡¯an City for at least three years, which was almost like being a hostage. This too was a guarantee of Chu Country to Tang Country: sending the future monarch to Chang¡¯an as a hostage was a sign of submission.


    It must be said that the Prince of Chu Country had a rather miserable life; as a child, he was sent to the Dahua Empire as a hostage. Hardly had he grown up and returned to his country to live a few peaceful years when he was sent to Tang Country to continue being a hostage.


    ¡°Your country, your country is really... truly at the height of prosperity,¡± the Prince of Chu Country said admiringly as he looked up at the huge clock on top of the station.


    He truly envied such strength, for his country had been feeble and vulnerable as long as he could remember. The entire Chu Country was eroded by the Nobility; the royal family was very weak, often compromising with the Nobility, and in critical moments even scapegoated by them.


    Thus, he had always been eager to revitalize Chu Country, hoping to establish a powerful nation. He used to think the Dahua Empire was the model he aspired to, but now, at this moment, he realized that true might was like this.


    ¡°The K413 train to Linshui is now checking tickets, please head to gate number 4 for ticket checking!¡± a gentle female voice in the broadcast advised passengers to proceed with timely ticket checking.


    With this voice as a backdrop, the diplomat accompanying the Prince smiled and led the Chu Country Prince toward the VIP passage.

 Chapter 870 870 798 A Chance Encounter_2

    ?Chapter 870: 798 A Chance Encounter_2 Chapter 870: 798 A Chance Encounter_2 Chang¡¯an¡¯s train station actually had a ¡°VIP passage¡± due to practical needs. This passage allowed direct access to one¡¯s awaiting car, eliminating the need to use the exit commoners utilized.


    After all, if Tang Mo, His Majesty The Emperor, took the train back to the Imperial Capital, having to use the public exit would truly be a joke.


    Besides Tang Mo himself, who was soon to be Emperor, others using the VIP passage were still subject to checks. Even the princes of Chu Country were allowed only one armed attendant, and the station strictly prohibited dangerous explosives and toxic drugs.


    Having handed over all his luggage for detailed inspection by the station staff, the prince from Chu Country finally saw the diplomatic service vehicle from Tang Country that had come to receive him.


    He was then moved almost to tears by the warm hospitality of Tang Country: it was his first time seeing such a luxurious car, his first time seeing a car¡¯s paint gleaming like a mirror.


    Just by the size of the wheel hubs, one could tell how opulent the car was; when the driver opened the door, the prince thrilled to its muffled sound.


    The weighty sound of the door and the luxurious leather interior made the prince, who had never before seen a Rolls-Royce from Tang Country, inexplicably excited.


    ...


    He was truly touched to be regarded with such importance even as a hostage in this foreign country.


    But what he did not know was that in the Rolls-Royce lineup of Tang Country¡¯s luxurious brands, this car was not considered top-tier, it was just a standard vehicle for receiving foreign guests. In fact, the representative from Shireck had ridden in a similar car just a few days before. The treatment of the prince from Chu Country was nothing special.


    ¡°Wow! Who do we have here?¡± Just as the prince from Chu Country was about to get into the car, a voice rang out behind him, filled with derision.


    Everyone turned around to see a young man dressed in the attire of the Dahua Empire, flanked by a crowd, approaching: ¡°Isn¡¯t that Xiong Xiao? Our First Prince from Chu Country, who was quite adept at barking like a dog back in the Imperial Capital.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Yu! You¡ª¡± The First Prince of Chu Country, named Xiong Xiao, felt trouble coming on seeing the person approaching, and sure enough, the man¡¯s words immediately infuriated him.


    Back when he was alone and powerless in Dahua¡¯s Imperial Capital, also being a hostage, he naturally kept a low profile and endured in silence. Bullied and powerless to complain, he resorted to barking like a dog to beg for mercy when pushed too far.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Haven¡¯t had enough of being a dog in the Dahua Empire, and now you run here to act like one? You truly are a good dog.¡± The middle-aged man called Zhao Yu continued to mock, sneering.


    He was a prince of the Dahua Empire, though not the Crown Prince, here in Chang¡¯an to attend the ceremony as a representative of the Dahua Empire.


    Dahua Empire was indeed quite displeased with Tang Country¡¯s elevation to an empire, but defeat was a fact, as was their promise to support the Tang King¡¯s claim to the throne¡ªnone of this could be changed.


    Thus, the Dahua Empire sent Prince Zhao Yu as their representative, as a gesture of their stance.


    Clearly, even in defeat, Dahua Empire still considered itself a notch above Chu Country. Zhao Kai did not shamelessly call Tang Mo ¡°big brother¡±, nor did he send hostages or similar to stay long-term in Chang¡¯an.


    Zhao Yu was here only to attend the parade and would return to his country afterward. Hence, his demeanor here was much more arrogant than Xiong Xiao¡¯s.


    Before coming here, his father Zhao Kai had merely warned him not to provoke the Tang People on a whim, nor to break Tang Country¡¯s laws. He had not been cautioned against antagonizing the people of Chu Country.


    In Zhao Yu¡¯s eyes, the people of Chu Country were like soft persimmons, ants that could be easily crushed.


    This was why he called out to Xiong Xiao, who was about to get into the car, and why he appeared so arrogantly at this place.


    ¡°Who might this be...?¡± The Tang Country diplomat accompanying Xiong Xiao looked questioningly at his colleague who had just rushed over in embarrassment.


    ¡°This is Prince Zhao Yu, the Second Prince of the Dahua Empire,¡± the belatedly-arrived Tang diplomat replied, somewhat awkwardly.


    After hearing his colleague¡¯s response, the accompanying diplomat for Xiong Xiao nodded slightly. Amidst the prince¡¯s surprised gaze, he issued a warning to Zhao Yu, ¡°I do not know what this Chu Country prince has previously experienced. As of now, Chu Country is a vassal to our nation, and this prince is our distinguished guest.¡±


    He snorted disdainfully, ¡°In terms of relationships, Chu Country shares a profound affinity with ours, and our bilateral relations are of a higher caliber than those with Great Tang.¡±


    Having said that, he paused and then continued in the face of Zhao Yu¡¯s shocked expression, ¡°What¡¯s more, this Prince Xiong Xiao should call His Majesty The Emperor ¡®uncle¡¯. What are you trying to achieve by troubling the son and nephew of our nation¡¯s sovereign here?¡±


    Such is the benefit of a powerful country¡ªspeaking with authority! Yes, what are you trying to do, bullying my great nephew here?


    For some reason, although it seemed he was on the losing end, Xiong Xiao still felt an unprecedented sensation of relief.


    It was indescribably delightful, almost giving him an illusion of elation. How long had it been since he had seen a Dahua prince suffer such a setback in front of him?


    ¡°Prince, please get in the car first!¡± Turning around, the diplomat from Great Tang didn¡¯t seem to intend to offer the other a chance to speak, and directly suggested to Xiong Xiao.

 Chapter 871 871 798 A Chance Encounter_3

    ?Chapter 871: 798 A Chance Encounter_3 Chapter 871: 798 A Chance Encounter_3 Even to prop up Xiong Xiao somewhat, his tone of speech subtly changed. The approachability that Xiong Xiao hadn¡¯t felt throughout the journey was suddenly reflected in those few short words.


    ¡°Good! Good!¡± Xiong Xiao immediately bowed slightly and hurried into the car. After he got in, the driver closed the door for him, and the outside noise was immediately cut off, as if a thousand miles away.


    The moment the door closed, Xiong Xiao suddenly realized: Chu Country no longer shared a border with Dahua Empire, and no matter how aggressive Dahua Empire was, it wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to Chu Country in the short term.


    He didn¡¯t need to continue swallowing his pride. All he needed to do was to serve his new masters well while being held hostage in Great Tang Empire.


    Moreover, it seemed that these new masters were somewhat more reasonable than those bastards from Dahua Empire. At least, it was unlikely that they would vulgarly force him to bark like a dog...


    Outside the car, Prince Zhao Yu of Dahua, having swallowed a mouthful of saliva and suppressing his urge to explode, clenched his fists and his face darkened terribly.


    He turned to the diplomat accompanying him, preparing to demand a reasonable explanation. In his view, Dahua Empire was an empire and ought to be treated with more respect than Chu Country.


    However, the Tang official accompanying the Prince, already very displeased with him, now spoke coldly, ¡°This is Great Tang... Your Highness, if you wish to cause trouble, I won¡¯t stop you, but I hope you won¡¯t regret it¡ªthat¡¯s all.¡±


    ...


    After saying this, he took advantage of everyone¡¯s stunned moment to add, ¡°I am an official of Tang Country, not Dahua¡¯s dog! If Your Highness decides to act on your own again without my oversight, please do not come looking for me in the future! Remember this!¡±


    After finishing his words, he left Zhao Yu and his entourage behind and walked toward another waiting car, leaving Zhao Yu alone, disheveled in the wind.


    ¡°Wait till you find out who I really am! I hope you can still be so arrogant then!¡± Zhao Yu muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear, then, with a grim face, he walked toward the car that came to pick him up.


    Between the old city of Chang¡¯an and the new King City, or rather the new Imperial City, there was a very wide street reserved, known as Zhuxei Avenue.


    The military parade was set to be held on this street, where the new His Majesty The Emperor would watch from the city gate tower of his Imperial City as the Tang military passed below.


    The whole process would be filmed, using color film¡ªa new technology that hadn¡¯t been widely used before, marking the first comprehensive replacement of black-and-white film.


    At the same time, this was also the world¡¯s first parade involving the Air Force and the first time that Cavalry was completely excluded from the parade.


    For hundreds of years, Cavalry had been an indispensable part of military parades. However, in the upcoming Tang military parade, Cavalry was phased out.


    The entire parade would be taken over by mechanized troops, with even horse-drawn artillery omitted.


    These were the highlights of this Tang parade, which would be followed by a Labor Victory Parade to celebrate Tang¡¯s great achievements in production and life over the past year.


    Compared to past military parades, this Tang parade was also on an unprecedented scale: just the formation of planes flying overhead numbered 600 aircraft!


    The massive formation would fly in tight formation over the Imperial Palace, causing a visual impact expected to stun the entire world.


    Even more enviable, all the reviewed troops were genuine front-line ¡°combat¡± personnel who had returned. Each had at least a third-class Blade Medal, seasoned soldiers who had truly seen blood.


    Tang¡¯s ability to assemble so many elite troops was nothing short of showing off its military strength to the world, displaying the power of Tang.


    On another note, many new weapons would be displayed during the parade, with several unveiled for the first time.


    After this parade, there was expected to be another round of a weapons procurement frenzy. Countries would drool over the new weapons, many starting to draw lessons from this war to procure weapons to remedy the defects and deficiencies in their military.


    The troops participating in the parade had already begun to arrive in the suburbs of Chang¡¯an, including notable portions of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Armored Divisions, as well as the 7th and 9th Infantry Corps.


    Of course, there was also the 1st Infantry Corps, which had steadfastly defended Xicong to the death, and the 6th Army, which had performed excellently in disaster relief and rescue.


    All of Chang¡¯an was waiting for the parade in a few days. Street lamps were festooned with lanterns, and some alleys were strung with colorful flags.


    Many buildings had their rooftops covered with Great Tang Dragon Banners, and numerous windows displayed vertical red flags featuring the giant Tang Dragon Emblem.


    The city¡¯s security level had been raised to a terrifying degree, with patrolling soldiers visible from time to time.


    The streets and alleys were bustling with activity, and Zhao Yu¡¯s car, after being stuck in traffic for over an hour, finally managed to stop in front of the hotel prepared for him.


    Most of the guards were left downstairs, and Zhao Yu took only his two closest aides up to the third floor by elevator.

 Chapter 872 872 798 a chance encounter_4

    ?Chapter 872: 798 a chance encounter_4 Chapter 872: 798 a chance encounter_4 The hotel in Chang¡¯an City is quite prestigious, with elaborate and meticulously crafted decor throughout¡ªdetails that go without saying.


    However, Zhao Yu was in no mood to pay attention to these things. The surprises on his journey had already been plentiful. His focus was elsewhere, so he barely glanced around as he passed through the corridor and stopped in front of an inconspicuous door.


    After a knock on the door behind him and receiving permission from someone inside, he pushed the door open and entered. The two Guards following him remained stationed on either side of the doorway, not entering.


    In the room, Zhao Yu encountered a middle-aged man, who was brewing tea, the fragrance of the leaves permeating the space.


    ¡°Mr. Nangong...¡± Zhao Yu bowed deeply with utmost respect and began, ¡°After all these years, you still look... just as you did when we first met.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown up a lot,¡± Nangong Hong said with a smile, gesturing for Zhao Yu to sit down, and pushed a cup of freshly brewed tea toward him.


    Zhao Yu appeared somewhat nervous. He uneasily took the seat opposite Nangong Hong but didn¡¯t lift the steamy cup of tea. He just stared at Nangong Hong, silent for a moment, with nothing but the hush of the room and the wafting heat of the tea between them.


    ...


    ¡°You¡¯re more composed now, good,¡± Nangong Hong finally spoke, offering his assessment of Zhao Yu. After speaking, he picked up his own teacup, gently blew on it, and took a light sip of the clear tea.


    ¡°Sir, let¡¯s not speak in riddles. Are you truly willing... to help me?¡± Zhao Yu deliberated over his words, then asked Nangong Hong.


    ¡°Only you can help yourself!¡± Nangong Hong set down his teacup, fixing his gaze on Zhao Yu¡¯s eyes, and answered with a smile, ¡°What I want to know is... are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Sir! Zhao Yu has always been preparing! The throne of the Dahua Empire should rightfully be mine! That damned Zhao Ji, mediocre and indecisive, hesitates and lacks resolution in every matter, solely relying on the Emperor¡¯s favor to remain in his high position and become the Crown Prince!¡±


    ¡°With your help, taking the Crown Prince¡¯s position would be as easy as turning one¡¯s hand...¡± Zhao Yu gained confidence as he spoke.


    But Nangong Hong promptly interrupted him, ¡°Your Highness! What you aim to take is not merely the position of Crown Prince, but the throne itself... If it were just the mere position of Crown Prince, why would I expend such effort?¡±


    Zhao Yu¡¯s eyes widened, his breath quickening slightly as if the position he¡¯d long dreamed of was already before him: ¡°Mr. Nangong¡¯s lesson is well received! Zhao Yu has learned! Please lend me your support to seize the throne! To become the Emperor of the Dahua Empire! When that time comes, as Emperor of the Dahua Empire, I will form an alliance with you, helping you to reach the pinnacle of authority within the Great Tang Empire! Together, you and I will be powerful allies, invincible in all we do!¡±


    Anxious that Nangong Hong might abandon him, Zhao Yu quickly swore and promised benefits to entice him. Nangong Hong¡¯s expression remained calm and unreadable, as he again pushed the teacup towards Zhao Yu.


    Seeing a possibility, Zhao Yu immediately grabbed the teacup and took a sip. The piping hot tea swirled in his mouth¡ªtoo hot to swallow and too impolite to spit out, Zhao Yu struggled for a moment but finally managed to bear it.


    The scalding pain in his mouth did not bother Zhao Yu; on the contrary, it stirred an excitement within him¡ªwith the covert support of Nangong Hong, a high official of the Tang Country, Zhao Yu¡¯s further ambitions became practically achievable.


    This was also the crucial reason for his previous muttering: once he, with Nangong Hong¡¯s support, became Emperor of the Dahua Empire, and Nangong Hong, with his support, became a powerful minister of the Tang Empire... who would dare to make things difficult for him?


    With this thought, a smile appeared on his face, ¡°Mr. Nangong! Since you¡¯ve decided to help me... then, about the specifics of our cooperation?¡±


    ¡°No rush! In the next few days, I will introduce you to some people... for you to meet,¡± Nangong Hong said, lifting his teacup once more, looking every bit the strategist hidden behind the scenes.

 Chapter 873 873 Kneel down once for 799

    ?Chapter 873: Kneel down once for 799 Chapter 873: Kneel down once for 799 After leaving the room, Zhao Yu¡¯s entire demeanor brightened; he had obtained what he wanted. The chess piece he had dropped unintentionally in the past had played its biggest role at the most critical moment.


    Years ago, when Nangong Hong was still a young man traveling to study, Crown Prince Zhao Yu, who was not even ten years old, saw Nangong Hong on the street looking like a beggar.


    At that time, Nangong Hong was quite destitute, and Crown Prince Zhao Yu, who belonged to royalty, felt sorry for him, so he gave Nangong Hong some money to sustain him and let him stay in the prince¡¯s residence for over ten days.


    It was with Crown Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s assistance that Nangong Hong managed to make a name for himself in the Imperial Capital of Dahua. Only a few years later, Nangong Hong left the Dahua Empire, traveled through Qi Country, Chu Country, Zheng Country, then lived back home for over a decade before moving on to Brunas.


    Nangong Hong was not one to forget a kindness. After he became an important minister in the Tang Empire, he immediately wrote to Zhao Yu, expressing his willingness to help.


    Before, Zhao Yu hadn¡¯t taken this offer seriously because at that time the Dahua Empire was still considered the strongest power on the Western Continent, and seeking external support in competing for the throne was taboo. Zhao Yu also dared not agree lightly.


    Furthermore, Crown Prince Zhao Ji of the Dahua Empire had the absolute support of the court and had shown no signs of misbehavior on ordinary days, so Zhao Yu had no chance at all.


    ...


    But with the Tang Empire defeating the Dahua Empire, becoming the de facto strongest nation on the Western Continent, Nangong Hong¡¯s offer of repayment now seemed significant to Zhao Yu.


    With the support of such a powerful nation as the Tang Empire, Zhao Yu felt he had a great chance of winning the competition for Crown Prince.


    After all, the military support, intelligence, and finances of a powerful country are incredibly vast resources. With this support, Zhao Yu would have a significant advantage, assuming he was not utterly incompetent.


    In any case, he had the full support of the Tang Empire, and his father, Zhao Kai, would not be able to use the entirety of the Dahua Empire¡¯s resources to support his older brother, Crown Prince Zhao Ji.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡± one of the two confidants guarding the door asked with a smile when he saw Zhao Yu¡¯s joyful expression.


    ¡°The matter is settled! Mr. Nangong is indeed grateful and has promised us his full support,¡± declared Zhao Yu, unable to hide his jubilation.


    ¡°Congratulations, Your Highness! What great news!¡± the other guard immediately rejoiced: ¡°Your Highness, your great cause is sure to succeed!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Nangong... promised... to give us... what kind of support?¡± asked Zhao Yu¡¯s top confidant cautiously.


    At the end of the corridor, an ecstatic Zhao Yu, almost dizzy with excitement, boasted proudly, ¡°Once I return home, people from the Tang Empire will naturally come looking... They will regularly provide us with intelligence, help us bribe ministers, and... eliminate any opponents we don¡¯t wish to see!¡±


    ¡°Ah! If that¡¯s the case, then Your Highness will undoubtedly be invincible in battle!¡± his confidant beamed, offering a flattering bow.


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t stop there! Mr. Nangong told me, ¡®A drop of water should be reciprocated with a gushing spring.¡¯ He knows that currently we lack funds and can¡¯t gather our own power... So... he took 100 gold coins from me, and now returns 1 million...¡± While speaking, he subconsciously touched the ¡°check¡± in his pocket and couldn¡¯t help but make a small noise in the elevator.


    He hadn¡¯t intended to tell his two confidants about this large sum of money, but Nangong Hong insisted that he ¡°leak¡± the news to them.


    Because, as he said, the most important thing in motivating subordinates is to give them hope. Mere promises can¡¯t get one¡¯s subordinates to serve willingly, sometimes, tangible rewards are needed!


    These million gold coins served as fodder, bait to compel his subordinates to serve him.


    Moreover, Nangong Hong told Zhao Yu not to worry about funding issues since he was determined to repay Zhao Yu, such financial support would henceforth be inexhaustible.


    When Zhao Yu received the money, he was shaking uncontrollably. He had never seen so many gold coins before, nor had he ever imagined that he would be able to fight such a ¡°wealthy¡± battle.


    Now, all he felt towards Nangong Hong was gratitude and endless admiration. How difficult it is for a person to be as good as their word, to truly reciprocate small kindnesses with great repayments!


    Yet Nangong Hong had done so, not only meeting but far exceeding Zhao Yu¡¯s expectations. Zhao Yu thought Nangong would only offer verbal support, but he had never imagined that Nangong¡¯s backing would come in the form of cold hard cash.


    This was genuine generosity: not only had Nangong Hong provided him with the urgently needed funds, but he had also offered valuable manpower, and most importantly, ¡°military power.¡±


    Do not underestimate the latter¡ªin any country, the most irreconcilable conflict between an heir and the incumbent is over control of military force.


    Heirs yearned for control over military forces, as this provided them with the basic ability to defend themselves and the power to eliminate rivals. Yet, the very thing seated rulers feared most was heirs controlling the military, for then, the ruler¡¯s own safety would be in jeopardy.


    Once an heir touched military power, the conflict with the seated ruler would become irreconcilable. The two sides would erupt into conflict, ultimately leading to a breakdown of the situation.


    Either the seated ruler would be eliminated, or the heir would be, but one must die for the situation to return to stability.


    Therefore, under normal circumstances, an heir might court ministers and gather funds, but would not openly develop military forces. The military would also deliberately keep distance from heirs; it was an unspoken understanding.


    Even Zhao Ji, although a Crown Prince, could only do so much. He dared not easily build his own armed forces; this was his Achilles¡¯ heel.


    But Zhao Yu was different; he could covertly utilize the power of Tang Country, easily eliminate his rivals, and then pin the blame on enemy spies without having to take responsibility for it. This gave him a natural advantage on the road to succession.


    Indeed, upon hearing that Zhao Yu had 1 million Gold Coins in cash, the two confidants became even more attentive.


    They knew that Zhao Yu didn¡¯t have much wealth before and was somewhat behind on the road to succession. But now everything had changed; the master they were following possessed what other Princes lacked!


    Following such a powerful Prince was a very fortunate matter, for they could very likely become the future ¡°Dragon¡¯s Vassals.¡± By then, they would be the most trusted subordinates of His Majesty The Emperor, receiving countless benefits.


    Life¡¯s opportunities came but once. If they failed to seize this one, there would be no more chances to turn things around. They had to grab this opportunity, to elevate themselves above others.


    ...


    An old man entered the room, leaning on a cane with slow and careful steps. He walked up to Nangong Hong and took a seat where Zhao Yu had just been sitting, ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°Arrogant, brainless, full of ambition, yet not much skill,¡± Nangong Hong opened another covered teacup, poured tea for the newcomer, and pushed it across the table.


    Li¡¯ao smiled and nodded, taking a sip of tea, ¡°He fits our requirements perfectly, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, the rest is up to the Security Bureau,¡± Nangong Hong poured himself a cup of tea and drained it in one gulp, ¡°After all, I¡¯m not the one for this kind of tasks.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re quite professional, much better than I had anticipated,¡± Li¡¯ao set down his teacup, ¡°How so? Feeling sorry for Zhao Yu, whom you¡¯ve helped?¡±


    ¡°Not at all; I¡¯ve given him a glimpse of the dream of succession, years of immense wealth, and even... if he does things well enough, ruthlessly enough, he might even take the throne of the Emperor of Dahua... This is my repayment to him,¡± Nangong Hong spoke calmly, ¡°I just can¡¯t stand these underhanded methods.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha!¡± Li¡¯ao laughed out loud, and after his laughter subsided, he spoke, ¡°Acting uprightly is His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s business, to reason, to take the right path, to lead a righteous army, to fly the hunting flags... As for me, I¡¯ve always been the one to do dirty jobs. Who else would do these shadowy tasks if not me? The tactics under the sun, they have you, they have Roger, they have many others to carry them out, which is enough.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t angry as he spoke these words, his tone remained calm, for Tang Country had already fulfilled his wishes, and he had no regrets left in this life.


    One day in the future, he would lie in a coffin, buried in his family¡¯s most illustrious graveyard, worshipped and honored by many. His clan would take pride in him in the future, and his deeds would be praised by the people as the Great Tang Empire rose.


    Nangong Hong stood up, straightened his sleeves, smoothed out the wrinkles of his clothes, and bowed solemnly to Li¡¯ao, ¡°Nangong Hong has learned a great deal! The master walks his own path, and Nangong Hong wishes the master fair winds.¡±


    Li¡¯ao did not avoid it, lifting his teacup towards Nangong Hong and then downed it, ¡°May we both have fair winds!¡±


    Watching Nangong Hong leave, Li¡¯ao remained seated without moving. Soon, more people entered the room. These people would never have the chance to personally witness the military parade within Chang¡¯an City. They needed to leave immediately, heading for the Dahua Empire to carry out their duties.


    ¡°Have no regrets, your contributions may be unknown, but the Great Tang Empire will remember you forever...¡± Li¡¯ao said, comforting the faces, young and old before him, ¡°Go...¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± All the individuals in the room bowed their heads slightly; they were bound for many places to establish a vast empire within the shadows.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    I apologize for taking leave last night. Dragon Spirit had a noisy family gathering yesterday, and with a headache, I went home early and fell asleep. When I woke up at 12:30, I realized I hadn¡¯t written the story... I could only take leave and make everyone wait all night for nothing, I¡¯m truly sorry. I¡¯m quite busy these next couple of days, so the makeup updates will be delayed, but I¡¯ll definitely make it up; rest assured.

 Chapter 874 874 Long live the Emperor for 8000 years

    ?Chapter 874: Long live the Emperor for 8000 years Chapter 874: Long live the Emperor for 8000 years Marquis Goburnak, a noble from the Gobur Kingdom, sat in his designated seat; he had come to Chang¡¯an to attend the victory parade hosted by the Great Tang Kingdom in Chang¡¯an City.


    As a spectator, his seat was indeed quite good, having spent a considerable amount of money on it, naturally offering a better view than the free seats¡ªit was true, he had bought his seat, as Gobur was not among the defeated nations and had to pay a significant amount in reparations.


    Of course, those sitting with him had also paid, and there was no reason for anyone to mock the others, thus avoiding much embarrassment.


    Beside him sat a slender-looking Duke from the Laines Empire, sporting a pair of exquisitely crafted glasses.


    On the other side sat a Dwarf from the Ice Cold Empire, reeking of the potent smell of ale, the amount he had drunk the previous night unknown.


    Not far behind him was another observation platform, occupied by invited guests, whose smiles looked more genuine compared to those of the representatives from the paying nations.


    A princess from the Empire of Nanla, who had traveled a great distance to attend, revealed through her appearance exactly what Nanla had in mind.


    ...


    The princess, beautiful-faced and wearing a large sun hat, stood beside a beardless old man projecting great importance.


    The Empire of Nanla had not participated in the anti-Tang war and therefore maintained very amicable relations with the Tang Nation, ranking them among the countries with excellent relations.


    Sending a princess to the parade clearly indicated a significant political motive: if Tang Mo nodded in approval, it was likely that this princess would not be traveling the long way back to the Empire of Nanla; instead, the Great Tang Empire would soon gain a new Imperial Concubine.


    Beside the princess sat a somewhat shy-looking prince, none other than Xiong Xiao. His presence here wasn¡¯t because Chu Country didn¡¯t have reparations to pay; rather, Chu had paid too generously.


    He now represented a vassal of the Tang Nation, and thus his treatment was higher, placing him closer to the main podium.


    At that moment, the prince from Chu Country was secretly thrilled; this was the first time he managed to look down upon representatives from a multitude of empires.


    Tang Nation was never short of majestic music; in Tang Mo¡¯s world, countless instrumental pieces instantly stirred the blood.


    Notable examples included widely recognized tunes like ¡°1492: Conquest of Paradise,¡± ¡°Victory,¡± ¡°Star Sky¡±... Now, utilized in the grand victory parade, they were truly awe-inspiring.


    Even without these foreign contributions, slightly modifying ¡°Above the Moon¡± to produce a version specific to this world, resounded equally dominantly.


    Naturally, during the actual parade, Tang Mo kept the proceedings traditional. The infantry marched to the tune of ¡°Column March,¡± a piece deeply ingrained in Tang Mo¡¯s very essence.


    No joke, Earth¡¯s most formidable parade wasn¡¯t famed for nothing; each occasion was a world sensation, and surely Tang Mo wouldn¡¯t miss the opportunity to use it directly.


    As the music played, accompanied by the familiar precision drill of the Tang Nation, one infantry formation after another marched past the city tower, shoulders back and heads high, astounding all the spectators.


    They had never witnessed such disciplined formations nor such a fearsomely spirited parade. The soldiers¡¯ classic rifle swing startled the guests, causing them to gasp.


    The sound of their synchronized steps on the cobblestones, reminiscent of war drums, hammered into the hearts of all foreign guests. It wasn¡¯t until the formation escorting the Tang Nation¡¯s Dragon Banner had passed that these individuals were jolted into applause.


    As the soldiers shouted their count during the face right command, the thunderous voice seemed to reverberate under the sky.


    These front-line soldiers, hardened by combat, exuded an intense ferocity, allowing the world to witness for the first time what it meant to be a tiger of Great Tang.


    The Tang Nation infantry had completely phased out bolt-action rifles, equipping all formations with assault rifles and machine guns, snipers with semi-automatic rifles, and support troops with submachine guns.


    Such a force, positioned in any nation, would be the nightmare of any logistical team. Remarkably, Tang Nation could sustain hundreds of thousands of such troops in combat, a feat in itself miraculous.


    When the Armored Corps passed, the natural choice of music was ¡°Steel Torrent March,¡± another piece that undoubtedly caught everyone¡¯s eye.


    Within the chilling melody, Panther Tanks rumbled past the city gate; their modern design and long-barrel cannons held everyone¡¯s breath.


    Marquis Goburnak, too, saw such modern tanks for the first time. Although Shireck had known of a new Tang Army tank type long ago, he had never seen one in person before.


    Unlike the Type 4 tank, this modern tank had yet to be destroyed in direct combat. Thus, it remained shrouded in mystery, and the entire world was eager to understand its capabilities, aspiring to emulate them in their next-generation tanks.


    Unfortunately, when Tang Nation invested in these new model tanks, they were always used in offensive warfare, so even if the tanks experienced a breakdown, there was no record of them ever being captured.


    Tanks that were accidentally hit by artillery shells were also quickly repaired and dragged away from the battlefield by the Tang Army. The ferocious firepower, extraordinarily high cross-country capability, and impregnable armored protection of these tanks had left a profound impression on the Dahua Empire and the military advisors of other nations.


    Directly put, everyone wanted to purchase similar tanks and form their own armored corps to crush their adversaries on the battlefield.


    The tanks, which were arranged in an arrowhead formation, passed by the city tower, followed closely by a large number of No. 4 tanks. After all, these tanks were still heavily equipped within the Tang Army, having earned their laurels through sweeping victories.


    Following them were the 8-wheeled armored reconnaissance vehicles, which had the same firepower as the No. 4 tanks, the main equipment of the Tang Army¡¯s armored reconnaissance battalion, the Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicles.


    These weapons, also coveted by the world¡¯s nations, were nearly more formidable than their own tanks, known as the ¡°Cavalry Destroyer.¡±


    Next, the Type 113 armored vehicles, the Wild Bee 155mm self-propelled howitzers, the 155mm towed howitzers, and the 105mm howitzers passed by.


    No joke, as these weapons each passed the observation platform, the international guests all drooled with greed.


    They wanted them! They really wanted these weapons! They even dreamed of possessing such weapons!


    A few years ago, owning just one of these weapons was enough to deter neighboring countries and ensure victory in any battle. But now, such a multitude of weapons belonged only to the Tang Nation!


    Just as everyone was captivated and speechless by Tang Nation¡¯s ground formations, a formation of aircraft appeared in the sky.


    As these planes drew closer to the Imperial City¡¯s tower, their engine sounds gradually overwhelmed the ground. A formation of precisely 100 Butcher Fighter Jets flew low, their overwhelming presence making everyone hold their breath.


    Now, the nobility truly understood what frontline soldiers had witnessed, and they realized at that very moment the immense courage required to fight under such an air force.


    Previously, they had always derided the armies routed by the Tang Army as weaklings and fools. Yet at that moment, having personally experienced the oppression of the Tang Nation Air Force, they began to respect the brave warriors of the Dahua Empire who persevered on the front lines.


    Everyone craned their necks, looking up at the sky, as it seemed like the planes were endless.


    Just after the 100 Butcher Fighter Jets flew past, a dense formation of 150 Stuka Dive Bombers came soaring over.


    These planes obscured the sky like dark clouds, dimming the light on the ground as they passed.


    The noisy engine sounds overcame the gasps on the ground, and the unique gull wing design of the Stukas left a lasting impression on everyone.


    Following the Stukas were 50 IL-2 attack planes. Their quantity made them less conspicuous, but Tang Mo recognized their wing structure, distinctly different from the Stukas.


    Closing the event were 200 Flying Fortress Bombers, which instantly eclipsed the earlier single-engine planes with their dominating presence.


    The Flying Fortress, with its four engines, truly lived up to its name, resembling a fortress flying through the sky.


    The massive size and large number of these aircraft filled the Flying Fortress¡¯s presence to the brim, pushing the parade¡¯s atmosphere to its peak.


    Across from Zhuyue Street, the crowd attending the victory parade exploded into deafening cheers, as the Tang People expressed their excitement and zeal in the most direct and forceful manner.


    ¡°Long live the Emperor!¡± someone shouted first, and the packed crowd started to chant this slogan over and over.


    The civilians went hysterical, they lifted their arms high, putting all their energy into waving their limbs and loudly expressing their devotion to their emperor.


    After the chant ¡°Long live the Emperor!¡± subsided, the exhausted crowd began to chant another slogan, one that filled them with even more pride as every person was a part of Tang Nation¡¯s rise: ¡°Long live the Empire!¡±


    Shouts of ¡°Long live the Emperor!¡± and roars of ¡°Long live the Empire!¡± echoed everywhere. From that moment, Tang Nation had officially become the Great Tang Empire, recognized as the supreme power of the world.


    Amidst the cheering, Tang Mo stood up from his seat, overlooking the countless crowd below, and slowly spread his arms in a gesture of embracing the world.


    ¡°Long live the Emperor!¡± Seeing their emperor, His Majesty¡¯s subjects grew even more excited, shouting with all their might, their yells deafening and earth-shattering.

 Chapter 875 875 801 two Princes

    ?Chapter 875: 801 two Princes Chapter 875: 801 two Princes The military parade the day before was incredibly spectacular, and although there was no live broadcast, the grandeur of Tang Nation¡¯s parade quickly became known worldwide.


    Guests from various countries who came to Tang Country to attend the ceremony truly witnessed the country¡¯s strength. They were overwhelmed by the sheer number of planes covering the sky to the extent that they forgot to look at the Rocket Artillery covered in canvas, following the towed artillery.


    Tang Country displayed a plethora of weapons for the entire world, and there was a strong interest to buy many of them. However, it was the Tang Nation Air Force that had shone brilliantly in the Anti-Tang War.


    This was the first time in the world that air forces were truly considered at a strategic level, and it was discovered that establishing a strong air force was the only standard to solve increasingly fragile supply line problems.


    The reasoning was actually quite simple: to support a huge, powerful military, a nation had to industrialize and elevate its military logistics to an unprecedented level.


    But protecting these industrial facilities became a huge challenge, as modern factories indeed increased vast production capacities but also required numerous workers, who in turn needed housing and various supporting facilities.


    Water supply, electricity, markets, hospitals, and schools, as well as the government agencies to serve these places... It can be said that factories can only rely on cities, or rather, cities exist primarily to serve one or several factories.


    ...


    Such cities are vast in scale but weak in defense. Should any part be destroyed by an air force, then production would halt, and the capacity would vanish.


    For modern warfare, this is undoubtedly a disaster: without rear production, the losses on the front line cannot be compensated, and even the largest military would collapse without ammunition and fuel.


    Similarly, to transport the massive amount of weapons and equipment produced in the rear, along with the mobilized personnel, roads are also crucial.


    These roads, like veins, supply the national giant with nutrients. Yet, these roads can¡¯t be defended and are easily destroyed by an air force.


    It is even more so for trains and railways; the vast carrying capacity relies on the railway support, and the train symbolizes and sustains a nation¡¯s transport capabilities.


    Once destroyed by an air force, even if rear factories continue production, the front line troops would suffer from supply cut-offs.


    While factories could possibly relocate beyond bomber ranges for self-protection, roads will inevitably be near conflict zones, making the defense of these crucial arteries even more challenging.


    Besides these, another link also faces great challenges from the air: the military¡¯s supply troops are large and vulnerable. Their established supply depots at the front, vehicles required to distribute materials, and the personnel operating it all, are fragile targets for attacks.


    By destroying these supply forces, an air force could also achieve the fundamental goal of cutting off the enemy¡¯s material transportation and mobilization.


    To accomplish this goal, it was necessary to build an air force of considerable scale and advanced capability. By the same token, to prevent the enemy from doing so, one could only establish a vast air force to achieve the objective.


    Countries had previously contributed one billion Gold Coin each to purchase plane technology, primarily to establish their own air forces.


    But although they had each built tens of thousands of planes and trained a large number of pilots, they could only deter each other and couldn¡¯t reach the heights of the Tang Nation Air Force.


    Their planes were simply too inferior, unable to match the equipment of the Tang Army or prevent the Tang Nation Air Force from destroying their intended targets.


    So, after the parade and victory procession, nations were frantically contacting officials from Tang Country, expressing their desires to purchase various planes.


    For the least restricted civilian planes, the countries were purchasing desperately, afraid of missing out on something.


    On the Tang Country¡¯s side, there was also a need for exports: not just for anything, but to establish international standards for aviation equipment and to grasp the right to draft standards for civilian aviation equipment was highly profitable.


    How profitable was this? A closer look would reveal that it¡¯s an incredibly lucrative business, almost akin to minting money.


    First, exporting planes was good business: Want to establish a civilian aviation company? Sure, buy our planes! Fair price, excellent performance, honest trading!


    But as everyone knows, the cost of purchasing a civilian plane might even need the exportation of hundreds of millions of shirts to make back. The problem is, many people around the world can produce shirts, but very few can manufacture planes.


    Secondly, buying someone else¡¯s planes means accepting their certification standards, including ground crew training, crew training, plane maintenance procedures... all of these must be learned from them.


    These seemingly unobtrusive support services are astonishingly expensive, sometimes reaching several times or even dozens of times the price of the plane itself.


    In extreme cases, a single new large plane from an airplane manufacturing factory can obsolete over half of another country¡¯s airport facilities overnight.


    Furthermore, after establishing a monopoly, safety certifications evolve from quality labels into barriers to entry. Any nation wishing to manufacture its own planes must face numerous challenges.

 Chapter 876 876 801 Two Princes_2

    ?Chapter 876: 801 Two Princes_2 Chapter 876: 801 Two Princes_2 ¡°If you don¡¯t buy my parts or use my engines, I won¡¯t give you safety certification, and you won¡¯t qualify to fly international routes¡ªwhat? You think I¡¯m being overbearing? Well, bite me.¡±


    Therefore, Great Tang Group was very keen for the whole world to use their civilian aircraft and adopt their standards.


    Thus, on the very night after the parade had concluded, Great Tang Group signed a series of civil aviation cooperation memorandums with many countries and individuals.


    Eventually, what had started as memoranda of understanding almost turned into actual contracts with deposits paid: Harry managed to sell 2,100 civilian passenger planes within six hours.


    Yes, these were the civilian versions of the C-47 transport plane, namely the star product of Douglas Company, the famous DC-3 passenger aircraft.


    This aircraft had a crew of three and could carry 28 passengers at a time, transporting them up to 2,000 kilometers away.


    Despite the discomfort of planes in this era, they did offer a number of very era-specific perks: for instance, you could smoke in the plane and so on.


    ...


    Since a large number of civilian planes had been sold, the accompanying radio equipment that came with these planes was no longer a secret.


    For this reason, the C-47¡¯s price tag was exorbitant, and a purchase had to be for more than 200 units at a time. Despite this, the orders for these planes were still astonishingly numerous.


    For countries with outdated plane technology, the aircraft¡¯s engines, structural design, radio devices, and so on were of great reference value, making the purchase absolutely worthwhile.


    On the other hand, these countries also needed to quickly establish their own civil aviation to enhance the convenience of transportation and to facilitate the high-level control of the country.


    With the advent of aircraft, the mobilization speed of important personnel had been reduced from the previous month or more to within a single day, which was clearly a very enticing piece of good news.


    Due to the vast number of orders to fulfill, Great Tang Group had no choice but to establish a new aircraft production base in Xicong, dedicated to the production of DC-3 transport planes.


    Meanwhile, the various countries had no choice but to select personnel once again to become the new ground staff and technicians for civil aviation.


    To save money, some of these people would be sent to Tang Country for training, while the majority would learn the relevant technology at home, taught by highly-paid technical instructors from Tang Country.


    After the delivery of the 2,100 DC-3 transport planes, all spare parts and associated equipment for all DC-3 planes were to be procured from Great Tang Group, as per the regulations.


    The next morning when Tang Mo woke from his sleep, he still didn¡¯t know that a large sum of money had been added to his account. Now, he could proudly say, ¡°Money is just a number to me.¡±


    Having become His Majesty The Emperor, he spent the evening enjoying a lavish dinner with his three wives and two children, then wisely chose to sleep in his own office.


    Seeking the company of any Imperial Concubine at such a time easily affected the happiness index of the other two, and just as easily led his ministers to misconceptions, pressuring them to consider taking sides among the princes.


    Therefore, regardless of the reason, Tang Mo considered it unwise to engage in any irrational actions at such sensitive times.


    The good news was that all three Imperial Concubines were understanding women; they didn¡¯t give Tang Mo a hard time at this juncture, each returning to their bedrooms and dutifully locking their doors.


    Having once again narrowly escaped a battleground, Tang Mo was starting to understand the pain of those time management gurus. And this was with only three¡ªif there were four or five, he imagined he would have a headache.


    Alright, he admitted that if he really out of his mind enticed any more women, Yulin, who held the domestic affairs portfolio, and the seemingly harmless finance queen Alice, would probably make the other party evaporate in an instant.


    Thinking about this, he felt that his decisive rejection of Princess Nanla¡¯s self-offered pillow was an exceedingly wise decision.


    Little lambs should not seek thrills amongst the big bad wolves; one careless move and they could be heading back to the spring waters...


    ¡°How does it feel to become an emperor, Your Majesty?¡± Tang Mo pushed open the door and saw Wes¡¯s lecherously grinning face.


    ¡°Not bad, how about you? Does being a close official to the Emperor give you a bit of a sense of achievement?¡± Tang Mo asked with a smile.


    ¡°I admit, I¡¯m feeling a bit high... like I¡¯ve had a bit too much to drink,¡± Wes laughed even more radiantly. He followed Tang Mo to the dining room.


    He had earned the right to laugh foolishly in front of Tang Mo with his loyalty. Their relationship was not like that of emperor and subject but more like close friends.


    However, Wes knew his boundaries; he only occasionally teased when alone and inconsequential, and Tang Mo did not mind this light-hearted banter.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± The eldest son saw his father and immediately stretched out his little hands, calling out with a milky voice that was not very clear.


    ¡°Hehe!¡± The other son giggled foolishly, melting Tang Mo¡¯s heart.


    The two little ones were still innocently adorable and did not change anything just because they had been promoted from princes to imperial princes. They were not of the age yet, nor were they aware of the heights their father had reached.


    The entire room was resplendently decorated; the chandelier was designed by a famous artist from the Northern Region of the Great Tang, both extravagant and immense. It easily illuminated every corner of the dining room, making the three beauties who had arrived there first shine brilliantly.

 Chapter 877 877 801 two princes_3

    ?Chapter 877: 801 two princes_3 Chapter 877: 801 two princes_3 It must be said that the three Imperial Concubines chosen by Tang Mo truly had distinct characteristics, each representing a unique beauty, simply delightful to behold.


    Although Yulin was not the type of beauty that catches your eye at first glance, she absolutely was the kind that grew on you, making her more likable the more you looked.


    Despite already being a mother, her figure remained perfectly maintained, with not even pregnancy marks visible on her waist.


    As the saying goes, nobility and comfort breed quality; such demeanor cannot be faked but is cultivated over years of superior living¡ªYulin was evidence of this. Originally just a resilient wild grass, under the nourishment of power and knowledge, she had grown into a towering tree.


    As for Alice, there¡¯s no need to mention it; she was already a noble, and a famous beauty at that. Her demeanor truly was perfectly mastered.


    Over the years, the vast wealth Tang Mo had entrusted her to manage had made her even more radiant.


    She knew how to make money and, of course, how to spend it. Given how she adored steam engines back in the day, the prosperity of her business ventures today is not an exaggeration.


    ...


    Consider this, the less than one billion Gold Coins that Sofia had privately hoarded could double in a few years. Alice, holding tens of billions of Gold Coins, how much would that increase in a few years?


    A woman with her own career is the most appealing, and Alice¡¯s feminine allure was a bit terrifying. It¡¯s a good thing she married Tang Mo; otherwise, others might not have been able to handle this wild mare.


    Yue¡¯er was an interesting case. She had rushed back to Chang¡¯an for the parade celebration and had been busy out of town for the past half a year.


    Now, she was far more than just an environmental officer. Yue¡¯er, who had furthered her education at Brunas Women¡¯s College and Dragon Island University, was definitely not just a pretty face.


    While she ran her environmental ventures successfully, she also helped Tang Mo oversee various side businesses: she was even the boss of Elf John, acting as the behind-the-scenes fashion godmother of the Great Tang Empire.


    After taking over the film, radio, and publishing industries, the energy of Yue¡¯er, the cat-eared girl, was far from small, even overshadowing the more reclusive Yulin and Alice in terms of publicity.


    In any case, the three women sitting there looked like a breathtaking view, causing Tang Mo to start worrying about his own vitality early in the morning.


    After all, he was no Superman, with no body of steel. Nor was he any sort of berserker sorcerer; these nightly revels might indeed be a bit too much for him.


    Tang Mo¡¯s first son, Yulin¡¯s child, was named Tang Yu by Tang Mo. Alice¡¯s child, due to his charming mixed-race features, was named Tang Xuan by Tang Mo. Both names were simple and easy to remember, nothing special.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± The Second Prince almost gave the nearby nanny a fright as he reached for the fried dough sticks while propelling himself towards the delicious items on the table.


    The First Prince wasn¡¯t much better, his face covered in jam with a mess sprawled before him making anyone dizzy at sight.


    Both children were still very young, not yet at the age for formal education, so Tang Mo could only smile as he watched several nannies and wet nurses joyously jump around attending to the kids.


    Honestly, Tang Mo had no children in his previous life and really didn¡¯t know how to raise them, so he felt uneasy and insecure about it.


    Rather than educating his children, he was better at using the system in his head to transfer weapons and equipment from his previous life to this world.


    Every parent faces the huge and important task of how to raise an exceptional descendant, having no experience yet having to face the most real battlefield immediately.


    In the world Tang Mo was familiar with, the safest course the royal family could choose was to outsource the entire education, entrusting it to professional teachers.


    Arrange a bunch of teachers first, like what ¡°Master Bao¡± would suggest, to teach the princes a variety of knowledge or simply send the princes to school to be educated alongside other talents.


    However, this approach could create some issues as the princes grew older: the teachers managing them held a lower status than the princes.


    It¡¯s just like overprotected children at school who the teachers can¡¯t discipline freely for fear of causing trouble and affecting their jobs.


    So Tang Mo, looking at these two innocently mischievous children, felt as if he was facing a great adversary. Honestly, he wasn¡¯t as nervous or anxious even when receiving battle reports from Luff at the command center.


    The Tang Royal Family didn¡¯t have many strict rules; in fact, many exceptions were silently allowed by Tang Mo. For instance, Wes and Roger could join the table for meals if they were around.


    On one hand, this showcased favoritism; on the other, it reflected an old camaraderie. They were once brothers fighting side by side in the same trench; suddenly maintaining a distance didn¡¯t feel right.


    However, Wes knew his boundaries, generally choosing to sit at the farthest place to eat on his own. Roger didn¡¯t come for meals often, so the royal family¡¯s meals usually consisted of no more than six people.


    Li¡¯ao once asked Tang Mo if they should try to find out if there are any branches of the Tang family still existing. If any, whether they should be invited back to strengthen the Royal Family.


    His suggestion was declined by Tang Mo, who also sternly prohibited searching for his relatives. If relatives did seek refuge, they were still to be handled discreetly.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was unkind or unemotional; it was because he genuinely didn¡¯t know how to interact with these strangers. After all, he was a time-traveler; helpless and alone when impoverished, and now that he had achieved success, he wouldn¡¯t recognize a horde of poor relatives appearing out of nowhere.


    Sharing hardships, he would rather give Wes a million Gold Coins to squander freely than to give a mere ten thousand Gold Coins to indirectly support the wife of the younger son of his second uncle¡¯s big brother¡¯s second maternal grandfather.


    ¡ª-


    Today, one more chapter, a long one.

 Chapter 878 878 802 Constantly Changing Countries around the World

    ?Chapter 878: 802 Constantly Changing Countries around the World Chapter 878: 802 Constantly Changing Countries around the World In the end, the secret weapon missile of Tang Country still failed to catch up with the war. The victory parade had already ended, and the ballistic missile capable of flying over 1700 kilometers still lay in the sunless laboratory.


    Even during the victory parade, it was not brought out for a showy display. It remained a mystery, known within the upper echelons of Tang Country only by a vague code name.


    Those who knew about this weapon were extremely secretive; whenever they mentioned it, they referred only to its numerical code, and most people only knew parts of it, with many having never seen the full form of this secret weapon.


    The capital of the Dahua Empire had narrowly escaped disaster, but this was not the end. With Tang Mo, the prophet, present, it was natural not to abandon this weapon system representing the future.


    Thus, after dozens of trials, the short-range ballistic missiles, fully ready for combat, immediately began to be secretively mass-produced, without any delay.


    This type of missile was almost a replica of the V-2 missile, or more precisely, an almost replica of the Scud missile.


    It improved on the complex structure of the V2 missile by adopting more advanced technologies, still using the mature kerosene and nitric acid fuel of the Scud missile, and its range was nearly the same, about 300 kilometers.


    ...


    At its maximum range of 300 kilometers, the circular error probable of this inertially guided missile was about 300 meters, making it suitable only for attacking fixed targets the size of cities.


    Compared to aerial strikes, this level of attack precision did not offer any advantage, but the missile still had significant value.


    Its biggest advantage was that it was almost impossible to intercept. With its high ballistic trajectory and extremely fast speed, even if detected by radar, it had enough confidence to ¡°hit¡± its target.


    The missile, over 11 meters long, contained fuel as well as inertial guidance systems and a warhead, the whole warhead weighing 1 ton, making it truly a behemoth.


    The warhead was optional; it could be equipped with a nearly 900-kilogram Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb, whose destructive power was tremendous, capable of somewhat compensating for the missile¡¯s lack of attack precision.


    Another option was cluster munitions, available in two types: 40 larger bomblets for attacking runways, or 100 smaller bomblets for attacking personnel.


    Both types of cluster munitions could also compensate to some extent for the lack of attack accuracy, as hitting the target with just one piece of ordnance would result in significant damage.


    The so-called cluster bombs, another secret weapon of Tang Country, could rapidly clear a zone of living forces.


    Of course, if necessary, Tang Mo could also equip this missile with more powerful warheads, such as nuclear or chemical warheads.


    Chemical weapons were not humane, and Tang Mo was reluctant to unleash this Pandora¡¯s box. It was not that he was particularly noble, but because the entry threshold for these weapons was too low.


    Once the overall technological level of the world reached a certain degree, nations would immediately be capable of developing and manufacturing chemical weapons, and then these countries would brazenly start using these weapons.


    Thus, Tang Mo preferred to ¡°seal¡± these cheap bio-chemical weapons, known as ¡°the poor man¡¯s nuclear weapon,¡± raising the threshold for their use.


    And he, relying on a monopoly of nuclear technology, would become the true world police, suppressing any country that desired to possess ¡°weapons of mass destruction.¡±


    To put it bluntly, he intended to ban easy, simple, high-impact weapons, and then monopolize high-tech superweapons to achieve overwhelming superiority.


    Apart from the short-range ballistic missile Scud, another secret weapon of Tang Country was the long-range ballistic missile, Dongfeng 3.


    This missile, modified by Tang Mo¡¯s technical engineers, had a range of 1700 kilometers, and could reach the capital of the Dahua Empire.


    Its accuracy was not very satisfactory, but it was the only weapon currently capable of striking targets over 1700 kilometers away instantly.


    Although its reliability was not very high and it was expensive and scarce, its emergence still had immeasurable strategic significance.


    The appearance of this missile marked Tang Country¡¯s entry into another military phase, presenting a new competitor to strategic air forces. In related fields, Tang Country created countless possibilities.


    Almost exactly like in actual history, as soon as ballistic missiles appeared, people thought of another use for missiles: rockets.


    Inspired by Tang Mo, Tang Country¡¯s technicians began to evaluate the feasibility of artificial satellites. This entirely new equipment suddenly shifted the world¡¯s attention from above the clouds to the boundless outer space.


    Tang Mo, being a ¡°veteran,¡± immediately instilled the importance of satellites in the minds of research personnel.


    Without any detours, the several critical functions of satellites, including communication and detection, made this ¡°future¡± technology highly prioritized.


    But whether rockets or missiles, neither was the main focus of Tang Mo¡¯s development; what he was most concerned with now was the development of another little gadget.


    This device was the electron tube, also the primary component of first-generation electronic computers. With this gadget, the electronic tube computer could be manufactured.

 Chapter 879 879 802 Constantly Changing Countries around the World_2

    ?Chapter 879: 802 Constantly Changing Countries around the World_2 Chapter 879: 802 Constantly Changing Countries around the World_2 As the first generation of computers, electronic tube computers were not outstanding in performance, but they were an indispensable step in the development of computer technology.


    Although Tang Mo could directly introduce transistor computer technology, he patiently started with the first-generation computers so as to thoroughly indoctrinate his engineers and technical staff in computer technology, progressively immersing these high-end talents into this important field.


    Before the birth of this progenitor computer, nobody could have imagined a device capable of assisting in completing 5,000 calculations per second.


    Only with great strides in the computer field would technologies like satellites truly begin to flourish. The era of pure mechanical technology had started to pass by, and the era of information technology had stealthily arrived the moment this computer was born.


    Unfortunately, apart from Tang Mo¡¯s small group of sophisticated technical personnel, people in other parts of the world hadn¡¯t even fully grasped steam engine technology.


    Perhaps someone could manufacture the piston engines for airplanes or build automobiles, but the vast majority of ordinary citizens were still mostly illiterate.


    School education hadn¡¯t been popularized, and in some countries reluctant to reform, they still maintained their primitive ways: in the western parts of Qin Country, original orc tribes were even using flintlock guns and muzzle-loading cannons.


    ...


    Just two or three years ago, newspapers issued in Brunas City, which was then under the occupation of the Laines Empire, were still touting airships that flew from Gobur to the Laines Empire, extensively promoting so-called airship technology.


    But now, airship technology had been almost entirely phased out, and the airship production base built by the Shireck Consortium in Gobur had long been abandoned. The production lines that generated hydrogen gas were submerged in weeds, presenting a post-apocalyptic scene.


    Most countries were still incessantly building railways to extend this new mode of transportation into every corner of their domains.


    Countless factories sprang up, providing job opportunities for the whole region while polluting the clear river water.


    Trees-like chimneys continuously rolled out black smoke day and night, and all sorts of odd and fascinating products were shipped out of the factories, delivered to where they were needed far and wide.


    People started seeing things in their lives that they had never even dared dream of before; advances in technology greatly enhanced convenience in life and indeed brought happiness and hope to common folks.


    Take matches for instance¡ªthese were a brand-new, convenient way of igniting fires. Before their invention, people had to rely on fire steel and tinder, which were truly inconvenient and irreplaceable.


    But matches were different. Easily ignited by friction, these small items became very popular as soon as they were introduced and were well-received by everyone.


    Another quietly revolutionary item that changed people¡¯s lives was soap, which significantly improved personal hygiene.


    This effectively lowered the frequency of illnesses, and cheap soap also meant a qualitative leap in the morale of the city¡¯s citizens.


    Don¡¯t overlook the significance of such details; when people willingly walked the streets clean and tidy, the subtle impact on their demeanor was profound. This change made cities more like cities and gave commoners a sense of dignity.


    The spread of medical technology from the Great Tang Group also impacted the world: the maintenance of these drugs was what made the emergence of mega-cities possible.


    When Tang Mo left Brunas, he left behind many pharmaceutical production lines as per his agreement. This made many drug production technologies an open secret.


    You see, the Tang Group might have still carried out a series of confidentiality measures, but once the Laines Empire took over Brunas, the idea of secrecy turned into a complete joke.


    Shireck was the first to infiltrate and immediately got everything they wanted. Then spies from various countries used their own ingenious methods, and it didn¡¯t take long for the technology behind drugs like penicillin to become an open secret.


    Actually, the Tang Group had a hand in stirring the pot: since these technologies wouldn¡¯t make much money anyway and Tang Country had already started using new technologies to produce more effective drugs, it made sense to disseminate these outdated technologies and turn Brunas¡¯s legacy into ¡°negative assets¡±.


    This tactic indeed had its effect, and Brunas naturally declined under pressure from many sides.


    It was no longer the most dazzling pearl on the coastline of the Eastern Continent; its brilliance had long been eclipsed by the rising star of Linshui on the West Coast.


    Nevertheless, Brunas remained an important industrial base, still playing a crucial role in providing countless goods to the Laines Empire.


    New and old factories continuously churned out various products to the world, squeezing every last bit of wealth from the common people.


    There was no other way, as defeat required reparations. The money spent on the last purchase of aviation technology hadn¡¯t been fully repaid, and the interest had increased quite a bit. Now, with the acquisition of various new technologies and equipment, there had to be a source for this money, right?


    Of course, the Emperor¡¯s money was off-limits, as it was his private property; anyone who thought to touch the Emperor¡¯s private treasury surely wished for death.


    The money of the Ministers and the Nobility was also untouchable, as this was the foundation of the Emperor¡¯s rule over the country. Taking money from this class could cause turmoil and destabilize the nation.


    The status of businesspeople had changed; they were the ones who established factories, were in charge of the transportation and transfer of goods, circulated commodities, and generated profits. The influence of this class was growing, and the power behind them was becoming more and more formidable, so it was better not to provoke them lightly.


    Aristocratic families, landlords, local strongmen... Counting down the line, it seemed their money was not so easy to use.


    After much thought, it seemed the money easiest to plunder was in the hands of the common folk; moreover, they had been plundered for over a thousand years, so it was decided to just brazenly take those few copper coins from them.


    Thus, those who invested money to start aviation companies and purchase airplanes with the intent of big profits were none other than the high and mighty Nobility.


    Sending personnel to learn technology and preparing to seek development in new fields were the ongoing affairs of the powerful families and wealthy merchants.


    Levying land to build airports and accompanying facilities made landlords wealthy and gleeful. With farmland becoming scarcer, there was no option but to cultivate crops with higher added value to make up for losses, which in turn affected the production of food.


    Worrying about the food crisis, various countries then enacted laws requiring farmers to only grow food crops and forbidding the unauthorized planting of cash crops, further impacting the farmers¡¯ income.


    In the end, what the already miserable farmers of various countries didn¡¯t know was that Tang Country was suppressing the landlord class and providing substantial subsidies to the farmers.


    In other words, the world¡¯s nations were now relying on a huge disparity between industrial and agricultural capital to accumulate wealth and speed up development, but due to their greed, failed to subsidize the essential agricultural base.


    Such an economic model was fragile and dangerous; once it collapsed, it would damage the very foundation, leaving no room for recovery.


    In reality, it wasn¡¯t that there were no ¡°wise men¡± or ¡°capable people¡± who recognized these issues; many countries had voices calling for change. They sought to reform and strengthen their governments, chasing the ever-accelerating development of the Great Tang Empire.


    However, these reforms inevitably touched upon the interests of those with vested interests to varying degrees, hence the immense resistance they encountered.


    All countries rolled out their reform plans, but in reality, most of these reforms were superficial changes. They merely skirted around the important issues, patching up within their own frameworks.


    A group of experts at treating symptoms rather than the root cause could never fundamentally solve the issues. These nations¡¯ changes were all within Tang Mo¡¯s expectations.


    Tang Mo also enjoyed watching these decrepit empires struggle in the mire, gradually falling further behind his Great Tang Empire, to the point where they could no longer even see his back.


    Yet, unexpectedly, a few countries exhibited a different side in this post-war ¡°summary,¡± displaying aspects that surprised Tang Mo.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    One update for today; I owe everyone another update, which will be compensated for tomorrow.

 Chapter 880 880 803 different roads

    ?Chapter 880: 803 different roads Chapter 880: 803 different roads The thing that amazed Tang Mo the most was the country of Shu Country in the southwest of the Dahua Empire, which astonishingly had no monarch but operated under a parliamentary system.


    However, this parliamentary system did not rely on elections or so-called ¡°underworld cooking¡±; it was controlled by local nobility, and decisions were made entirely by a nobility committee.


    When Tang Mo first learned of the system in place in Shu Country, he was surprised for a moment, and during the times when Tang Country was targeted by many countries, he wondered why Shu Country¡¯s system was not opposed by other nations.


    He later discovered that this nobility-controlled parliament actually still operated under the feudal system, but had eliminated the role of the king or emperor. Everyone was afraid to assume absolute power, fearing they too might be eliminated, thus this system emerged.


    The operating model of Shu Country was quite simple; a group of bigshots discussed matters and implemented the most feasible solutions, thus avoiding some decision-making errors to a certain extent.


    Of course, many problems inevitably arose during its implementation, the biggest being the sluggish response of the entire nation when a large group could not produce a viable plan.


    The invention of the radio in Tang Country brought a wave of benefits to Shu Country¡ªthis communication convenience gave new vitality to the nobility committee, speeding up communications and compensating for some deficiencies.


    ...


    In the wave of reforms initiated by Tang Country¡¯s victory, Shu Country indeed took a leading position. Although their nobility members were as corrupt as ministers from other countries, they also had their advanced aspects.


    These nobles were usually also businessmen, engaging in commerce or fostering merchants; their close relationship with business made them more sensitive.


    They were the first to adopt Tang Country¡¯s advanced technology, allowing them to earn more money. In this process, they wisely developed some capitalist laws.


    The main reason for drafting these laws was to protect their private properties, but the laws also indirectly encouraged production and granted workers some ¡°benefits.¡±


    So when news of Shu Country¡¯s fervent reforms reached Tang Country, Tang Mo nearly thought he was witnessing the birth of another capitalist nation.


    Shu Country was not only a major grain producer but also rich in mineral resources. This was unsurprising, given its terrain connected to the southern part of Chu Country and was mountainous.


    With mountains and rivers, naturally, there were abundant mineral deposits. Additionally, Shu Country was an exporter of timber, medicinal plants, tea, among others, and also had a vast plain in the southern part of their country.


    This plain, far from Dahua Empire and Chu Country, equated to a very safe rear area. This was also the foundation of Shu Country¡¯s resilience, allowing it to stand firm.


    Governed by merchants, the country transformed quickly. Driven by money, their efficiency was not low, making Shu Country one of the nations at the forefront of the change initiated by Tang Country.


    Another country that caught Tang Mo¡¯s attention was Qin Country, which had always lived under pressure, and its king¡¯s enlightenment truly exceeded Tang Mo¡¯s expectations.


    The day after the ceasefire began, he sent a special envoy to Tang Country to purchase a series of weapons and equipment.


    They wanted everything, including submachine guns, semi-automatic rifles, machine guns, and armored vehicles. If Tang Mo was willing to sell them, they were even ready to buy tanks and advanced fighter jets.


    From the attitude of the other side, one could not tell at all that they had recently clashed with Tang Country, even fighting fiercely over some positions.


    Besides purchasing weapons and equipment, Qin Country was also highly interested in Tang Country¡¯s system, for even though Qin Country¡¯s King had brainstormed a merit-based military system that had strengthened their military force, he was unable to rejuvenate Qin Country¡¯s economy.


    Therefore, Qin Country sent envoys to Tang Country to learn, planning to introduce Tang Country¡¯s advanced technology to develop their domestic mines and oil fields.


    Their land was rich in natural gas and also possessed massive quantities of rare minerals, and due to their climate, they also produced cotton.


    With Tang Country¡¯s technological support, people in Qin Country believed they could lead a prosperous life. With advanced weapons from Tang Country, they believed they could defeat the Western Orc tribes and further expand their territory.


    Besides importing advanced technology, Qin Country also hoped to examine Tang Country¡¯s political system. They desired anything advanced because they were terrified of poverty and had an unmatched drive for strength.


    However, it was unfortunate that they truly didn¡¯t have much money; Qin Country¡¯s economy was far behind that of the Dahua Empire. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have become a vassal state to the Dahua Empire, serving as its pawn.


    Although the impoverished and militaristic Qin Country was willing to share their mining resources with Tang Country, this sharing was not safe due to Dahua Empire lying in between.


    Therefore, Qin Country could only pay in cash to purchase everything they wanted from Tang Country, which indeed delayed the speed of Qin Country¡¯s self-strengthening.


    However, soon both parties found a project to cooperate on: Qin Country bought a batch of arms from Tang Country, and then they used Orc slaves to repay the money.


    Tang Country was desperately short of labor to build its vast territory, and under the circumstances where Goblin slaves were not sustainable, it indeed needed some cheap labor to supplement.


    Tang Mo was not too keen on using those captives from the Dahua Empire as slaves, after all, they were humans, potentially part of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s population, and he did not want to waste them casually.


    Moreover, mistreating captives indeed spoiled one¡¯s reputation, and there was a certain difference between mistreating Goblins and Orcs compared to mistreating humans. However, for those Orc slaves, the treatment of labor slaves in Tang Country might be better than their previous living conditions, so it might not necessarily be considered mistreatment...


    Of course, Tang Mo would not let these Orcs sacrifice for nothing, he planned to transfer their jurisdiction to Yue¡¯er, and allow these Orcs to become civilians of Tang Country after a few years, living equally on the land of Tang Country. It was a long process and also a test.


    As long as these laborers from afar could help Tang Country through the most difficult initial construction period, Tang Mo did not mind seeing some green-skinned people on his territory.


    After all, for ethnic minorities, there were also bonus points in exams. If a green Orc with long pointed teeth appeared in the military academy, that would certainly be an interesting sight.


    The southern part of Chu Country, which had given in, also had some Orc tribes, and further south, there were even some Elves. If one wanted to engage in the slave trade, Chu Country could also give it a try.


    However, Chu Country now had a cornucopia, its oil was itself a huge wealth, so the people of Chu Country no longer had the heart to engage in warfare.


    Not long after the war had ended, Chu Country received assistance from Tang Country, including 2000 cars and 400 armored vehicles.


    Under the guidance of Tang Country¡¯s engineers, Chu Country built 15 large airports in mountain hollows in one go and was also constructing a road between the new King City and the eastern ports.


    The entire Chu Country, with the help of Tang Country, seemed like a massive construction site, showing a thriving scene everywhere.


    Previously, the nobility of Chu Country looked down on the southern mountainous area because the living conditions there were poor and it produced little.


    But now it was completely different; there was a substantial amount of oil resources and many conveniences that were not there before.


    To prevent floods from happening again, Tang Country¡¯s engineering team entered Chu Country and began to build dams upstream on various rivers; these water projects could also generate a lot of electricity, providing ample energy for Chu Country¡¯s new cities.


    With this energy, the modernization of Chu Country¡¯s cities faced no bottleneck, which also opened up possibilities for development. Used to luxurious life, the nobility of Chu Country suddenly discovered that life in the mountains wasn¡¯t as miserable as they had imagined, rather, it seemed to be trending towards a wealthy and influential status.


    Because Chu Country had given in and become a vassal state of Tang Country, it enjoyed most-favored-nation treatment in many aspects, such as their airports being directly usable by Tang Country planes. Airline routes opened by Tang Country effectively put Chu Country¡¯s airports into use.


    Thus, the DC-3 planes that Chu Country purchased could be used for domestic routes, thus instantly making up for the shortage.


    Tang Mo hadn¡¯t expected that his exploitation of Chu Country would produce a group of Middle Eastern princes from another world. The King of Chu and the nobility below directly developed themselves into a model of ¡°I¡¯m the richest under the cloth on my head.¡±


    In Tang Mo¡¯s view, the countries within the Chinese circle, each rushing toward ¡°parliamentary republic,¡± ¡°constitutional monarchy,¡± and ¡°wealthy big household¡± systems, formed a picture so beautiful he could hardly bear to look directly.


    Aside from that, another relatively enlightened country was the Suthers Empire because this empire had previously been led by a ¡°Dandelion¡± dispatched by Tang Mo, relying on reform to strengthen the nation.


    Regrettably, the previous Prime Minister had died, and Dandelion, who had directed the reform, also returned to Tang Country, making the Suthers Empire somewhat clumsy in grasping the key points of this reform during this period.


    There were also conservative countries, notably the Empire of Nanla, which was the furthest from the worldly war that embroiled much of the world; it had almost no change at all.


    The Emperor of Nanla hardly cared whether the Great Tang Empire rising far away on the Western Continent mattered, his only concern was whether the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire was his son-in-law.


    Thus, the Nanla Princess who had traveled far stayed in Chang¡¯an and did not leave, frequently attending various high-society balls, displaying an attitude that if Tang Mo did not marry her, she would not leave.


    Unfortunately, those familiar with Tang Country¡¯s elite circles knew well that Tang Mo, His Majesty The Emperor of Tang Country, never attended those dance parties or the like.


    He did not have the time for that: you see, due to the complexity of the entire design, Tang Mo had recently been engaged in his ¡°Global Nuclear Leveling¡± project, barely spending time with his two sons, let alone attending some damned gatherings.

 Chapter 881 881 804 Virtuous Helper

    ?Chapter 881: 804 Virtuous Helper Chapter 881: 804 Virtuous Helper Tang Country¡¯s economic construction speed was incredibly fast, and within the second month after the war ended, Tang Country had almost returned to its pre-war state.


    A few days later, a cargo ship full of radios arrived in Brunas, dumping Tang Country¡¯s manufactured goods directly onto the Eastern Continent.


    Numerous shipyards started working at full capacity to produce cargo ships, not only those of the Great Tang Group but also those of the Shireck Consortium.


    Since all countries needed to recover their pre-war transportation capabilities, the production speed of these shipyards was even faster than during the war period.


    Both the Great Tang Group and the Shireck Consortium were desperately producing ten-thousand-ton transport ships, which were the most technologically mature type known as ¡°liberty ships.¡±


    These ships were very easy to build and incredibly cheap. A large number of such ships almost monopolized the shipping industry of various countries, and similar vessels were active across the entire Endless Sea, visible everywhere.


    Countless ships began to restore the nearly paralyzed maritime transport on the Endless Sea, transferring various goods and materials all around the world.


    ...


    Furthermore, countries around the world began to invest more in air transport, and the entire world immediately entered a busy state.


    People¡¯s lives had changed, even the secluded rural farmers had grown accustomed to the various types of airplanes occasionally flying overhead.


    An interesting phenomenon was that on the Eastern Continent, biplanes were still the mainstay of air travel, with transport planes, converted from bombers, shuttling through the blue sky.


    On the Western Continent, however, the C-47 aircraft occupied a dominant position. Tang Country possessed over 4000 C-47 and DC-3 aircraft, whose presence could be seen everywhere.


    Many merchants had even gotten used to flying to various places on these planes, greatly appreciating the convenience and efficiency they offered.


    This mode of transportation shortened the distance between two places, making it possible to travel 1000 kilometers in a single day.


    Although air transport in this era was not very safe and reliable, those who pursued efficiency and were willing to try new things always chose to travel by airplane.


    Construction had already started on the oil pipeline from Chu Country to the southern part of Tang Country, indicating that Tang Country¡¯s intelligence personnel had surveyed Chu Country¡¯s mountainous areas before the war broke out and had planned a complete oil transport scheme.


    But now no one cared about these details anymore; everyone was busy setting up the relevant equipment, doing their utmost to realize this century¡¯s project.


    With the current technological level, it was not possible to meet the needs of such a long distance for oil pipeline transportation, so the entire project was divided into two parallel implementation plans.


    One was to establish several relay stations and transport the oil from within Chu Country to Tang Country¡¯s south through a land transport scheme, segment by segment.


    The other plan was to first transport the oil to Chu Country¡¯s ports through a shorter pipeline, then ship it from the ports to Linshui and Dongwan.


    Due to the urgent need for more oil, Tang Country decided to implement both schemes simultaneously, which doubled the scale of the entire project overnight.


    The appearance of airplanes, especially commercial ones, suddenly pushed aviation fuel to an unprecedented level, causing all countries to start valuing oil reserves, and international oil prices soared more than double.


    Not until then did the whole world realize that at least one-third of the oil was already controlled or indirectly controlled by Tang Country.


    The world¡¯s largest known oil field was in Chu Country, followed by Dragon Island and the southern oil fields originally belonging to the Dahua Empire. The oil production capacity under Tang Mo¡¯s command was already sufficient for the economic development needs of Tang Country.


    If one also considered the oil fields over which Tang Mo could exert influence, he controlled about half of the world¡¯s oil production capacity.


    This was already a terrifying share, almost equivalent to saying Tang Mo alone controlled the entire OPEC organization of the world before crossing over...


    Thus, calculating just the surge in oil prices, the wealth Tang Mo possessed was already termed terrifying. Adding on the businesses in pharmaceuticals and arms, he held in his hands the most profitable businesses in the world.


    It should be noted that Tang Country had always been striving to dominate the grain trade, and over the years, relying on massive wealth, Tang Mo had been influencing the world¡¯s grain prices in his own way.


    Tang Country itself had countless fertile lands, and the major grain-producing Ice Cold Empire and Dorne Empire had been conducting large-scale grain commodity trades with Tang Country before the war erupted.


    Heaven knows how much grain Tang Mo had purchased over the years and how he had used this grain to solve the famine problem in Tang Country all at once.


    Aside from grain trading, Tang Mo had another highly profitable business: banking! In fact, other than his own Minister of Finance, Simon, Tang Country had a financial mastermind who had remained behind the scenes for years¡ªhe was Van Kums, who had sought refuge with Tang Mo years ago and had followed him ever since.


    He was now the president of the Great Tang Bank. The currency of Tang Country, the Imperial Golden Yuan, which was almost equivalent to the world currency now, was issued by the Great Tang Bank. Van Kums¡¯s job was to monitor and ensure the healthy development of the Imperial Golden Yuan.


    Like the familiar U.S. dollar to Tang Mo, the Imperial Golden Yuan had become the common currency of the world, used for settlement in all countries; many countries had even directly started using the Imperial Golden Yuan instead of their own currency.


    This was a helpless situation: as countries continuously increased their debt to Tang Country, their financial systems began to collapse gradually, and their citizens preferred to use a foreign currency like the Imperial Golden Yuan rather than their own country¡¯s currency, which was like waste paper.


    Hence, the current world currency system was quite strange: copper coins, silver coins, and gold coins were still in circulation, a coin system that dated back to the ancient Dwarf Empire.


    Above this old currency system, Tang Country¡¯s Imperial Golden Yuan was recognized by everyone and became the most popular among large denominations.


    Banknotes of five, ten, fifty, and one hundred were widely circulated across the world, even acknowledged by local gangs collecting protection fees.


    Countries had a love-hate relationship with this currency issued by Tang Country. They were grateful for its help in stabilizing their own economies, yet they hated how it siphoned off more wealth.


    Now, whether it was Van Kums or Simon, including everyone in Yulin, they all understood why Tang Mo had been so eager to obtain the right to issue currency years ago.


    Everyone also understood why Tang Mo had ensured the stability of the Imperial Golden Yuan¡¯s value during wartime and safeguarded the currency¡¯s liquidity.


    Through a series of efforts by Tang Mo, the Imperial Golden Yuan had finally grown and started making money and feeding back to Tang Country. How the United States harvested the world¡¯s leeks and Europe sheared the world¡¯s wool, Tang Mo could now earn profits from all over the world in the same way.


    However, because Tang Country had not yet reached the heights of the United States back then, these activities of cutting leeks and shearing wool could not be done too blatantly.


    With so many profitable projects, one could just imagine how staggering Tang Mo¡¯s wealth was. Some even felt that Tang Mo now had enough gold coins to construct a castle entirely out of gold.


    Tang Mo didn¡¯t think he was that rich because he knew how to spend better than many could imagine: although he earned huge profits every day, he also spent a substantial amount of money each day.


    Tang Country had now established 170 public universities, over 2100 high schools, 5000 middle schools, and more than 10,000 elementary schools.


    The gradual establishment of these schools marked the beginning of Tang Country¡¯s use of the most orthodox methods to cultivate comprehensive talents. The mere investment in these schools was astronomical from other countries¡¯ perspectives.


    To motivate talents and cultivate top-notch scientific and technological personnel, Tang Mo had also established 10 royal academies, including the Royal Military Academy, Royal Technological University, Royal Finance and Economics University, Royal Political and Law University, Royal Marine University, Royal Arts Academy, Royal Women¡¯s University, Royal Agricultural Academy, Royal Medical University, and Royal Teachers Academy.


    These ten universities were privately funded by Tang Mo, and they featured the top level of teaching staff and equipment. The salaries for all the teachers there were remarkably high, and one had to possess genuine skills to become a teacher here.


    The awards within these institutions were selected jointly by special representatives from the Royal Family and internal voting, with prize money directly funded by the Royal Family.


    In addition to this, Tang Mo also allocated various awards annually to the teachers and students of these schools, including scholarships and various prizes.


    Furthermore, Wes¡¯s security troops were also maintained by Tang Mo himself to ensure the reliability of the guard troops.


    It wasn¡¯t a joke when said that the expenditures on education alone were costing Tang Mo tens of millions of gold coins each year.


    Along with Tang Mo¡¯s generous spending in the field of scientific research, he earned several hundred million or even over a billion gold coins a year, but these were rapidly cycled back into the market.


    Similarly, it seemed like Tang Country was always exporting a lot of technology and products, apparently earning a lot of money.


    However, Tang Country had to import a vast amount of minerals, grain, timber, and meat every year, and the trade surplus was always maintained at a very healthy level.


    This was all thanks to Tang Mo having a great better half: Alice. She had managed the household adeptly in Northern Ridge, and now in managing the economic affairs of Great Tang Empire, she similarly demonstrated extraordinary talent.


    When Emperor Wu of Han married Wei Zifu, it was a huge win as he not only married a beauty but also got Wei Qing and Huo Qubing as a priceless ¡°dowry.¡±


    Similarly, Tang Mo didn¡¯t lose out; by marrying Alice, he not only acquired Northern Ridge and gained loyal generals, but Alice herself was a genius, a true valuable helpmate!


    With her help, Tang Mo could save a great amount of energy and focus on being his humanoid self-operating drawing machine...

 Chapter 882 882 805 Winter Greeting

    ?Chapter 882: 805 Winter Greeting Chapter 882: 805 Winter Greeting Raising national quality to serve the national machinery better, making the country even more powerful, and then gaining more benefits to feed back into education to enhance national quality... All of this was a synergistic closed loop.


    By this time, Tang Mo¡¯s role as a ¡°humanoid self-propelled plotting machine¡± had increasingly tended toward ¡°inspiration¡±. He no longer took part in frontline work himself but was only responsible for making the right decisions at crucial moments.


    Nowadays, the Great Tang Empire possessed the most comprehensive and most powerful scientific research team in the world, backed by the Tang Empire, it was invincible in the field of technological development.


    The most cutting-edge technologies in the world were concentrated in the Tang Country¡ªit was undoubtedly so; other countries did not even qualify to challenge them, desperately trying to catch up yet unable to even breathe in the dust left behind.


    There were only two kinds of technological achievements in the entire world: the technologies used by the Tang Country itself, and those that the Tang Country was willing to sell to other countries...


    The top talents of the world were gathered in Chang¡¯an, Tongcheng, Linshui, and Dragon Harbor. They hailed from all corners of the globe, constituting the smartest group of people worldwide.


    They were here, day and night, deliberating on technologies unheard of outside, using every possible means to realize them.


    ...


    Among them were Tang People, Suthers people, and Laines people, Dorne people, and even Dwarf Elves; recently, even a few Chinese had arrived.


    Tang Mo didn¡¯t even have to worry about these scientists¡¯ loyalty, as no one wanted to leave; they had experienced a higher level of scenery in the Great Tang Empire.


    Even if there were people among them who wanted to return to their countries or leave, they¡¯d soon discover that outside this place, people couldn¡¯t even understand what they were saying¡ªno one wanted to discuss particle colliders with engineers obsessed with steam engines.


    The pain brought by war was gradually being soothed by time, and the influence of the war was still subtly transforming the world.


    In front of a brand-new residence in Beiyuan City, an officer adjusted his military uniform and carefully straightened his Blade Medal before hesitantly knocking on the door.


    An elderly woman opened the door, her expression also nervous, and she paused slightly upon seeing the officer standing there.


    ¡°Do you... have, any matter?¡± the old woman almost guessed something, tried to maintain her calm, and asked.


    The officer, standing there, took a moment to adjust his breath, then took a document from his adjutant and handed it to the old woman at the door, ¡°Your son performed with great valor on the battlefield, and we are grateful for his contributions to the Empire. Unfortunately, he was sacrificed in the battle of Fengjiang...¡±


    The elderly woman couldn¡¯t clearly hear the rest; her worst fear had come to pass¡ªone of her two sons would never return to her side again.


    She didn¡¯t reach out for the death notice because it felt like it weighed a thousand pounds in her hands, too heavy to lift.


    The officer opposite her wasn¡¯t speaking either, holding the paper with both hands. He was accustomed to this, having delivered similar notices to several families that day.


    In war, the loss of a person was far too common, but for the families of the deceased, such bad news was devastating, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami engulfing.


    ¡°Madam,¡± finally, the officer opened his dry lips, quietly addressing her, reminding her that she should accept that paper representing ¡°honor¡±.


    That was a person¡¯s last glory left in this world, his courage, everything about him was on that white paper.


    ¡°Oh... Oh,¡± the old woman, prompted, instinctively reached out, yet recoiled the moment she touched the paper, as if it were a red-hot branding iron.


    Yet ultimately, she reached out again, took the paper, and saw the lines written on it.


    In truth, she was illiterate; she once hailed from Northern Qi and later became a Tang person, living a better life. She had three sons, one killed by the occupiers from Mirage Country in Beiyuan City, another fell at Fengjiang, leaving only her youngest son who now worked on the railways.


    ¡°Did he, he not cause you any trouble?¡± the elderly lady, staring at the officer, struggled for words before finally asking.


    The officer paused upon hearing this, then immediately responded, ¡°No, he was very brave and made an outstanding contribution to this victory.¡±


    It was a standard script, tragically standard. Every soldier sacrificed in crucial battles for a supremely great victory, as though each death held such significant meaning.


    But in reality, some soldiers died in cold, wet corners of trenches, some shot by snipers beside campfires, humble and innocent; many were far from the epitome of heroism.


    A frightened soldier might die from an unexpected artillery shell, and valiant veterans might be buried alive under collapsed masonry.


    War was so brutal to life, which was why everyone pursued victory, for it was the best solace for all tragedies, all wounds, and all pain.


    ¡°That¡¯s good... that¡¯s good.¡± The old woman leaned against the doorframe, seemingly drained of strength, nodding vaguely.


    Her current pain was known only to herself, no one could comfort her, and no one could understand. She really wanted to see her youngest son now, for he was her only concern left.


    ¡°This is the compensation from the nation for your son, I hope you can restrain your grief and accept the change,¡± the officer once again took some items from his deputy and handed them to the confused old woman.


    Included was a military uniform, an infantry dress uniform, topped with a large-brimmed military cap embroidered with the Empire¡¯s dragon emblem.


    The old woman mechanically reached out and took the uniform, noticing the box pressed under the hat and an envelope underneath the box.


    Inside the envelope were two one-hundred Gold Coin notes¡ªa denomination most common citizens might never see in their lifetimes. Tang Country provided a similar compensation to each deceased soldier, and an additional fifty silver coins for family living expenses every forthcoming month.


    Contained in the box was a Third-Class Blade Medal, an honor bestowed posthumously to every fallen soldier, signifying the soldier hadn¡¯t performed any extraordinary feats during service, evidenced simply by the Third-Class Blade Medal for the deceased.


    If it were a seasoned warrior, they would typically possess a higher-class Blade Medal. If one had received a Second-Class Blade Medal while alive, then it was upgraded to a First-Class Blade Medal upon their death. Thus, simply from the level of the medals, one could discern the general performance of the soldier at the time of sacrifice.


    Of course, no one would open and inspect these items at the scene. Holding these objects, the old woman couldn¡¯t stop her tears from flowing down.


    Sobbing, she apologetically explained, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m just... very heartbroken...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Madam... We understand,¡± responded the officer, whose presence was primarily for condolence and naturally wouldn¡¯t mind.


    On the contrary, part of his duty was to comfort the families of the fallen soldiers and help solve some practical issues they might encounter.


    These incidents unfolded in every corner of Tang Country, as many had perished from Tang in this war.


    For this purpose, Tang Mo had allocated at least ten million Gold Coins in compensation and was set to provide monthly financial support to the families to cover living expenses.


    The losses for Dahua Empire and Chu Country were immeasurable, with about a million Dahua troops surrendering.


    Among these troops, at least one-third were not hastily conscripted cannon fodder but truly elite soldiers of the Dahua Empire.


    These individuals had surrendered along with Qian Jinhang and were now atoning for their errors through labor reform within Tang Country.


    In Chu Country, over a hundred thousand troops also surrendered, were disarmed, and sent back to find their own livelihoods.


    Most of them found employment in factories, securing jobs that paid over double what they used to earn.


    Additionally, the war had devastated the homes of at least three million people. Fengjiang City and Xicong City were reduced to ruins, leaving over a million people homeless and over a million more without shelter during the winter.


    Nine hundred kilometers of roads endured varying degrees of destruction and damage, seven hundred kilometers of railways required repair, and the loss of materials was incalculable.


    Throughout the war zone, rust-covered tank wrecks could be seen, most of which were Dahua Empire¡¯s Type 1 and Type 2 tanks.


    Field airports everywhere were littered with damaged aircraft, these outdated biplanes left abandoned on the battlefield, eroded by time, presenting a sorry sight.


    Many aircraft had fractured fuselages, the canvas skin on the wings torn open; the wind whipped through these wrecks, producing unpleasant whistling sounds.


    In the abundant trenches, one could see stark white bones, steel helmets with bullet holes, deformed helmets, broken and discarded helmets, lying next to empty ammunition boxes.


    Nearby, village children searched among the foul-smelling corpses for various calibers of shell casings, valuable in both Dahua Empire and Tang Empire.


    They played and frolicked beside an abandoned 76mm Anti-Aircraft Gun, hopping and jumping on old car wrecks stripped of wheels and engines.


    It was as if the war had truly and completely receded into the past. Their laughter echoed through the fields, carefree and innocent.


    Suddenly, a child screamed when a white snowflake landed on his nose, the piercing chill heralding the arrival of winter.

 Chapter 883 883 806 Who is not selfish

    ?Chapter 883: 806 Who is not selfish? Chapter 883: 806 Who is not selfish? Actually, Tang Mo had never planned to bring about any systemic changes to the world; from the start, he simply wanted to become a merchant who could support himself.


    But step by step, he found himself in today¡¯s position, becoming an Emperor of an empire and also the head of a massive conglomerate.


    People are inherently selfish, and Tang Mo was no exception. He was not particularly inclined to indoctrinate the world with capitalist ideologies, forcibly dethroning the Emperor and then engaging in parliamentary elections and the like.


    He had no interest in such matters, even though he was well aware of a more mature system; he was not willing to share it with the people of the world.


    Was it not good to pass his empire and his wealth on to his own descendants? Who decreed that a transmigrator must be utterly selfless?


    Even if his descendants could not maintain his family¡¯s estate, that would be their own incompetence, which had nothing to do with him, right?


    Tang Mo simply wanted to enjoy his life surrounded by beautiful women, wielding ultimate power over all beneath the heavens. As for other matters, he did not plan to consider them at all.


    ...


    Implementing a more efficient monarchical feudal centralization would meet with collective resistance from the lords and nobility, not to mention introducing the so-called ¡°political cooked system.¡± That would lead to even more bloodshed and greater costs.


    Then what? What could Tang Mo bring to himself? By then, his power would be curtailed by the newly born ruling class, and his decisions would be vetoed by a new layer of the power hierarchy.


    Promoting such a decentralized system at this time was simply looking for trouble for himself. He would rather see dynastic changes after his death than relinquish power during his lifetime.


    Selfishness is human nature, and Tang Mo was no different. Emperors who founded dynasties throughout history had the opportunity to change their systems, hand over their power, and entrust it to an official class selected through examination, which would likely preserve the wealth and status of their descendants indefinitely.


    However, their ambitious aspirations did not allow them to back down, so they held onto their power until death, continuing the tradition of ruling as if the country were their own family estate.


    To them, retaining only the throne while relinquishing sovereign power was too cowardly and did not serve their interests. Therefore, they preferred to let their descendants face the catastrophe of national collapse rather than make concessions during the empire¡¯s zenith.


    For the same reasons, or perhaps thoughts, Tang Mo had no desire to export any political ideologies to this world. He kept everything he knew to himself, playing the primitive game of imperial power with the natives of this world.


    He merely casually modified some systems, modernizing the grassroots level, which was enough to outcompete all other countries in the world.


    Before World War I, most advanced nations in Europe were monarchies, and most weren¡¯t even constitutional monarchies.


    At that time, Tsarist Russia had an Emperor, the German Empire had an Emperor, the British Empire also had an Emperor, Italy had a King, and so did the Austro-Hungarian Empire...


    Yet none of this prevented the European nations from modernizing; they still completed their industrialization and continued to advance on the path of technological development.


    As for that so-called checks and balances system, devised when Lighthouse Country was still at a preliminary stage of slavery, it was not advanced in any way. That system, frankly, had no fundamental difference from the decentralized systems like ¡°The Three Departments and Six Ministries¡± under imperial rule.


    What? You mention elections? That¡¯s even more of a joke. At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, Wang Mang Great Brother ascended through popular election; and during the late Eastern Han period, the Three Kingdoms era, officials were recommended based on the approbation of their local community in aspects such as morality and ability...


    Well, you could see it as if, at that time, wanting to be an official meant having a good background (wealth, fame, or a great father), a good reputation in your hometown (being well-connected in a certain province), and then being recommended for office (running for governor or president)... Does this process seem familiar?


    If someone has the time and wants to engage in wits with nobility, lords, and merchants who only think of exploiting election loopholes to become superior, let them do it. Tang Mo did not believe he had the time or energy to waste on that, so he simply didn¡¯t plan to give these people any opportunity.


    Think it¡¯s unfair? Ask yourself how tough your neck is, and try how sharp the bayonets of soldiers from the Great Tang Empire are; that¡¯s all there is to it.


    In Tang Mo¡¯s view, if an empire has a good Emperor who can make the right decisions and keep his subordinates running efficiently, there is actually nothing wrong with the feudal system.


    The biggest problem with this system is the inconsistency of the heirs, unable to guarantee the national leader always remains at a high level. But this would only become a problem after Tang Mo¡¯s own death, and it was no longer a concern he needed to consider.


    To put it bluntly: After I die, why should I care if the flood comes?


    So the system currently implemented in Tang Country is somewhat similar to that of the Second Reich¡ªnamely, the political system of the German Empire during that period.


    An Emperor makes the decisions, below him are the Prime Minister and a whole array of feudal departments. However, these departments further down align with the structure of a modern state, a setup that maximizes the smooth operation of the nation.


    The grassroots structure follows that of a modern state system, which provides Tang Country with tremendous mobilization capacity and comprehensive national strength.


    A wise ruler, capable enough to make correct decisions to steer the machinery of this nation and guide its developmental direction.


    During the time of the Second Reich, Bismarck, a Prime Minister of blood and iron, was relied upon. Tang Country has no such Prime Minister but has Tang Mo, a carrier of an ¡°external device¡± who has seen the ¡°future direction of development.¡±


    Of course, if compared in terms of abilities, Tang Mo might not be as shrewd as Bismarck on a micro-management level, but Tang Mo has his own advantages.


    His advantage lies in Tang Country¡¯s own strong national power, which acts as his backing and ensures that even if Tang Mo makes some wrong decisions, Tang Country can still break through brute force without collapsing.


    This is something Bismarck could not achieve. Because in Bismarck¡¯s era, the United Kingdom was the world¡¯s foremost superpower, with Germany always second. But Tang Country is not second; it is the genuine top superpower with the strongest industrial system, the most resources, and the most combat-effective military.


    So-called ¡°overwhelming force can conquer all¡±¡ªTang Mo¡¯s makeshift team may be slightly lacking in ability, but their weapon technology can help bridge this gap.


    It¡¯s somewhat like the old Western approach to Huaxia: no matter how clever your strategies, I¡¯ll just set up some big cannons on the coastline and start bombarding.


    ...


    General Feng Kezhi was already able to walk, so he absolutely did not want to lie in bed. He was currently on a train heading to Linshui to witness the prosperity of the Great Tang Empire.


    This was a journey to persuade his own heart; he wanted to see the Tang Country he was about to join and carefully ponder whether this Tang Country was worth overturning his life¡¯s earlier beliefs.


    Every person has their own convictions, no matter if they are good or bad. Only when the value system they have built collapses do they seek new values, establish new intellectual dependencies, and find a reason to continue living.


    From this perspective, every person has an ideological imprint; it¡¯s just that their beliefs, that is what they staunchly believe in, are easily shattered.


    Some people¡¯s beliefs can be destroyed by huge sums of money, some by hedonism. For superior people like Feng Kezhi, their beliefs are not easily shattered but once they do collapse, rebuilding them takes much longer.


    Talking with Qian Jinhang, it was true¡ªhe had seen a different scene. He stayed in Tongcheng for a few days and here, he witnessed how truly spectacular and bustling a real industrial base could be.


    The machines here roared every day, the railways crisscrossed through the city streets like fishing nets. Everywhere there were chimneys and smoke, and even people¡¯s clothes were covered in a layer of coal ash.


    Yet, everything here delighted him more than what he had seen during his time in the Dahua Empire. The children here were lively, the people here smiled, and the cries of the traders were rhythmically appealing.


    Everything in Tongcheng was fresh to him; he even saw a completely new type of refrigeration equipment here, allowing the Tongcheng¡¯s elite, far inland, to access seafood from the ocean.


    Such a thing had been unthinkable in the past, but the latest technology had turned the impossible into possible. It was said that such freezing technology could also preserve food for a long time which, for a world that had not yet fully resolved the food crisis, was undoubtedly a technology worth promoting.


    Having decided to stay, he was fortunate enough to visit Tang Country¡¯s tank factory in Tongcheng, and even though it was just the production line for the Number 4 tanks, he was astonished at the advanced production technology of Tang Country.


    No joke, compared to the tank production of the Dahua Empire, Tang Country¡¯s workshop was more standardized, their production speed faster, and their processes more advanced.


    It can responsibly be said that Tang Country¡¯s industrial production level completely surpassed that of the Dahua Empire, the difference between the two was truly vast.


    Although currently, this gap was not enough to create a significant disparity, the tanks used by both countries seemed to have no generational difference. Yet someday, the accumulated difference would be large enough to change everything.


    When Feng Kezhi was preparing to transfer trains to Linshui, he was shocked once again: this segment of the railway had increased its speed, and the locomotives responsible for this section of railway transport seemed to be using some brand-new technologies.


    The new train was faster and had a more impressive carrying capacity, the entire first half of the train comprised passenger carriages, and unbelievably, the latter half even included freight carriages, a long procession that was simply magnificent to behold.

 Chapter 884 884 807 The story of oneself from others mouths

    ?Chapter 884: 807 The story of oneself from others¡¯ mouths Chapter 884: 807 The story of oneself from others¡¯ mouths The new train employed new carriages, and General Feng Kezhi, along with the deputy who accompanied him for a leisurely stroll, only purchased the top and bottom bunks; on the other side, the top and bottom bunks were occupied by two other passengers.


    General Feng Kezhi and his companion were the first to board the train, as they were, after all, military personnel, and thus had priority access through the ticket checkpoint.


    As the two stuffed their luggage under the lower bunk, two other passengers, one after the other, boarded the train. Judging by their attire, both appeared to be businessmen, one seemingly more successful than the other.


    The fastest way to travel would have been by plane, but General Feng Kezhi did not opt for this. Partly, he wanted to enjoy some scenery along the way, and partly because Tang Country had relevant safety regulations.


    Given that the current rate of airplane malfunctions was still high, senior officers could choose not to fly.


    Although General Feng Kezhi had chosen to travel by train, he did not deliberately inconvenience himself; he opted for a soft sleeper, the most expensive type of train ticket in Tang Country.


    The hard sleeper had no compartment door and featured three bunks on one side¡ªtop, middle, and bottom¡ªthis is an old traditional design copied from Huaxia trains by Tang Country.


    ...


    In contrast, the environment in a soft sleeper was much better, with only two bunks on one side, significantly more vertical space, thicker mattresses, and more comfort when lying down¡ªthis is the origin of the name ¡°soft sleeper.¡±


    Soft sleepers also have a compartment door, meaning four bunks share one door, which can be closed during sleep to increase safety.


    As the two businessmen entered the bunk room and saw General Feng Kezhi and his deputy, they faltered for a moment and then began to awkwardly arrange their luggage.


    Indeed, encountering Tang Country military officers on a train isn¡¯t a pleasant affair; senior officers¡¯ deputies are entitled to carry firearms on trains, which can indeed be nerve-wracking.


    After all, besides the military, there is a gun prohibition in Tang Country, and ordinary citizens do not have the privilege to carry firearms.


    Seeing these two businessmen, General Feng Kezhi¡¯s deputy also felt uneasy; he had initially wanted to remove his weapon belt to relax, but now that was no longer an option, and even while sleeping, he¡¯d likely have to keep one eye open.


    General Feng Kezhi, however, did not mind; sitting on the lower bunk, he struck up a conversation with the two unfamiliar travelers. From the wealthier businessman, he learned many pieces of information.


    For instance, Tang Country was constructing a brand new railway, so the northern city of Beiyuan was about to boom. If one wanted to invest, they could consider buying land in Beiyuan.


    Real estate had been quite a hot industry these years. Unlike the type that involved buying land to build houses, the Great Tang¡¯s property speculators were keen on acquiring land to hold and wait for its value to increase.


    This was essentially exploiting a loophole in the law; these individuals bought promising lands, held onto them, and waited for the government¡¯s requisition to make substantial profits through land acquisition differentials.


    Those operating in this manner often possessed exceptional judgment, or had insiders at high levels tipping them off. In essence, they made money quickly and even developed a certain level of cooperation.


    After picking up insider tips, they¡¯d band together and stockpile vast amounts of land in areas expected to rise in value, nearly encircling cities with their purchased plots.


    When the Great Tang Group was ready to develop these cities, short-term speculators, after mutual agreement, reduced their prices first, allowing the Great Tang Group to prioritize purchasing the land.


    Then, the surrounding lands would decrease in price sequentially, reducing less and less until, ultimately, the remaining areas, generally held by well-capitalized consortiums, patiently waited for their land to skyrocket in value due to urban development before selling.


    In the early stages of development, Tang Mo encouraged such investments. He even participated, buying some land to make a profit to supplement his additional expenses.


    However, as Tang Country developed continuously, such speculative practices increased and severely impacted the urban development of Tang Country.


    Therefore, Tang Mo found an excuse to punish a portion of these property speculators, curbing the trend¡ªhowever, from overt to covert, these capitalists still engaged in similar dealings, just more discreetly.


    Tang Mo was aware; he was merely adopting a ¡°lenient¡± approach, allowing these individuals to ¡°sip the soup.¡± He was accumulating wealth and hoped the wealth could circulate; this was a necessary choice.


    Upon hearing the news of Beiyuan¡¯s large-scale construction, General Feng Kezhi realized that Tang Mo seemed to have designs on the Mirage Country to the north.


    If it were purely commercial transport, expanding the northern city of Beiyuan was undoubtedly not a good choice. Clearly, weighing cost-effectiveness and functionality, Beiyuan¡¯s importance wasn¡¯t that high; Linshui could easily replace it.


    Thus, the expansion of Beiyuan was clearly not a commercial necessity. As a military man, General Feng Kezhi quickly thought of a possibility: in the future, Beiyuan City would become an important supply base for the Tang Country Navy.


    If Tang Country wants to plot against Gobur, Dorne, Laines, and other empires, then shifting the naval supply focus to Dragon Island is the best choice. And if they wanted to bolster commercial transport, Linshui Dongwan is the preferred choice...


    With such an elimination, only Mirage Country remains a target.


    Thinking this, Feng Ke smiled to himself: his new Emperor really was an interesting person with a vengeance mindset. Mirage Country indeed had been hopping around annoyingly in the past few wars.


    He liked this style and very much wished to possess such power: the approach of a gentleman taking revenge directly, far more effective than the nonsense of waiting ten years.


    Thinking this, he chatted with a wealthy merchant about the expansion plans of Beiyuan City. Although the merchant was reluctant to say much to Feng Ke, he still revealed a lot of information.


    Another merchant, who appeared less wealthy, sat quietly on the side, listening and occasionally interjecting, showing quite some insight.


    Later, Feng Ke learned that this slightly less impressive-looking merchant was not simple either; he owned a sizable shipyard.


    This time, he had come to Tang Country to purchase blueprints; he was preparing to produce a fishing ship over one thousand tons in displacement, to meet the production needs of deep-sea fishermen.


    His shipyard was in Winterless Port, originally a shipbuilding dock left behind by the Great Tang Group. The infrastructure was somewhat aged but still usable.


    The merchant planned to first make some money off the fishing ship blueprints, then invest back into improving the shipyard¡¯s equipment, aiming to acquire the production capability for liberty ships within two years.


    Feng Ke casually inquired about the performance of the liberty ships, shocked to discover that Tang Country had, years ago, possessed giant ships capable of transporting two billion bullets in one go.


    When he heard that the number of liberty ships sailing on the Endless Sea was nearing a thousand, he was stunned by the Great Tang Group¡¯s capacity to change the world.


    What was more intriguing, the shipyard owner began to share amusing maritime tales, captivatively drawing both Feng Ke and the wealthy merchant¡¯s focus away from discussions about Beiyuan City; both listened intently to his stories about submarines.


    He vividly described submarines dashing across the ocean, recounting how a 4,000-ton freighter he produced was effortlessly sunk by a torpedo launched by a Tang Country submarine.


    Feng Ke had previously heard about submarines, but hearing a civilian share their perspective on submarine warfare in the ocean was still intriguing.


    So, he listened quietly, absorbed by those distant and exhilarating stories.


    For a moment, Feng Ke even felt that it would have been good if he had been part of those stories.


    The thought flashed by, leaving him feeling somewhat dazed. Although he had already decided to stay, the emergence of such a thought signaled subtle changes within his heart.


    Having such thoughts indicated that subconsciously, he had already accepted the Great Tang Empire, already considering the Great Tang Empire as the entity he would serve.


    Just as Feng Ke was astonished by how quickly he had internally resonated with Tang Country, the wealthy merchant picked up the conversation, lowering his voice, and ¡°leaked¡± to the few people in the carriage: ¡°I heard that during the battle at Fengjiang... the Great General of the Dahua Empire, Feng Ke... actually! Didn¡¯t die!¡±


    Hearing his name unexpectedly made Feng Ke glance towards the speaker, and then he heard the merchant soberly start describing how his friend¡¯s younger brother¡¯s uncle¡¯s granny¡¯s granddaughter, a nurse at a field hospital in Fengjiang, had seen him.


    He solemnly described Feng Ke¡¯s appearance, continuing that Feng Ke was injured and not dead! He spoke of Feng Ke losing an arm and a leg, having six or seven or eight holes in his body, yet was miraculously saved...


    Feng Ke¡¯s eyes widened as he listened to others recount his own legend, unsure how to react.


    Later, hearing the wealthy merchant begin to describe a heartbreaking romance between General Feng Ke and a female head nurse of the Great Tang Empire, Feng Ke felt his old face might melt in embarrassment.


    What ultimately crushed him was that later, the tycoon even spilled national secrets of the Dahua Empire: apparently, Zhao Kai was infertile, and none of those Princes were his.


    ¡°You... should stop talking... Feng Ke is indeed dead,¡± Feng Ke embarrassingly interrupted the other¡¯s wild claims.


    ¡°Oh? General, do you have some insider information?¡± Hearing Feng Ke¡¯s words, the two merchants immediately perked up, gossiping together.


    Feng Ke was caught off guard and then had to muster up a lie: ¡°He really is dead, we have internal news... shot twice, once here, once in the stomach, someone saw the body.¡±


    He gestured below his collarbone and near his stomach wound, earnestly stating: ¡°No arms or legs were broken... really.¡±

 Chapter 885 885 808 More Steel

    ?Chapter 885: 808 More Steel Chapter 885: 808 More Steel The entire world is summarizing this war, and many people¡¯s views seem quite sound. Especially the countries on the Eastern Continent, their navies generally performed poorly in this war and failed to accomplish the expected tasks.


    Because they had not anticipated the appearance of torpedoes, the navies of these countries dared not approach Dragon Island easily, thus they couldn¡¯t leverage their advantage in numbers.


    Everyone was contemplating how to make their expensively built navies effective in future wars.


    While everyone was thinking about how to strengthen their navies, an engineer from the Eastern Continent announced that he had invented a structure that could effectively protect ships from underwater explosions.


    The entire structure was very complex, but it proved to be extremely effective after testing. This design was quickly adopted by the navies of various nations and began to be used to retrofit their battleships.


    In the process of retrofitting, battleships fortified the underwater sections of their armor on one hand, and began using similar defensive structures on the other, to increase the warships¡¯ defense against torpedoes and mines.


    Subsequently, nations gathered together and invited Tang Country to sign the ¡°Endless Sea Maritime Convention.¡± One of the clauses of this convention stipulates that the contracting nations must not use mines to blockade ports.


    ...


    After discussion, it was directly decided to abolish the use of mines as a weapon, because they were too hazardous for navigation and inconvenient to remove after the war.


    Tang Country also signed this treaty because the Tang Navy was increasingly disdainful of using mines as a weapon in combat.


    After being passive in the previous war, the Tang Navy, which now had many secret weapons, actually had no need to rely on mines for defense or blockades.


    Submarines were still without a great countermeasure from others, let alone the aircraft carriers that were beginning to form a combat force.


    As long as these weapons began to function, the Tang Navy was in an invincible state. Not using mines was not a loss for the Tang Navy but a regret for other countries.


    They would lose a means to threaten submarines and aircraft carriers and lose a way to protect their ports.


    The war had ended, and Tang Mo was looking for ways to improve the various weapons in his hand to make them more effective in the next war.


    The original improved submarines were already prepared to start construction; these new submarines had a more rational design that allowed faster underwater movement.


    The streamlined design transformed these submarines from ¡°ships that could dive¡± into ¡°ships that lurk underwater.¡± The significance of this transformation was enormous, and the true power of submarines would soon be showcased to the world.


    Another naval weapon that had more development time was the carrier-based aircraft; previously, Tang Country had no time to manufacture specialized naval carrier-based aircraft, so they had to make do with Stuka reluctantly.


    Now that the war had ended, the Navy had more time to refine its carrier-based aircraft. Thus, Tang Mo canceled the plan to have Butcher Fighters on carriers and instead opted for the F4U Corsair Fighter as the naval carrier-based aircraft model.


    The performance of this fighter jet was definitely unquestionable; its only flaw was that the long nose caused insufficient visibility during take-off and landing.


    But the Butcher Fighter also had similar flaws; don¡¯t laugh from one to another, Tang Mo was unwilling to use the slightly inferior F6F Fighter, so he had to make do with the F4U Fighter for now.


    As for the carrier-based attack aircraft, Tang Mo decided to still use the Stuka, a multipurpose attack aircraft: it could carry torpedoes as well as bombs, making it a relatively qualified choice.


    Tang Mo did have many choices, such as the SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber and the TBD Devastator Torpedo Bomber equipped by the U.S. Navy during World War II.


    This dual-aircraft configuration had achieved brilliant results during World War II, making significant contributions to the U.S. Navy¡¯s victory over the Japanese Combined Fleet, and could be said to have a distinguished record.


    However, Tang Mo thought that equipping two types of attack aircraft was truly troublesome, so he somewhat obsessively decided to use a multipurpose attack aircraft for both torpedo attacks and dive bombing.


    Of course, during World War II, there were many carrier-based aircraft capable of such multipurpose tasks, including the famous Japanese Type 97 Carrier Attack Aircraft and another improved version, considered the best multipurpose carrier-based attack aircraft of the era: the Rei-shiki.


    These two aircraft, frankly speaking, had impeccable performance and were indeed good choices. However, Tang Mo instinctively excluded these Japanese models from his choices because he had always had a disdain for Japanese products.


    Among the remaining carrier-based aircraft, there wasn¡¯t much good to choose from; the performance of British World War II carrier-based aircraft was really not that great. After all considerations, sticking with the readily available Stuka was the most time and effort saving option.


    No need to open new aircraft production lines, most of the parts were interchangeable, and although its performance was not that impressive, it was mature and reliable.


    Thus, this quite magical carrier-based aircraft pairing was decided upon: the Navy¡¯s carrier-based fighter F4U Corsair and the carrier-based attack aircraft JU-87 Stuka.


    Almost simultaneously with these decisions in Tang Country, countries around the world also began to refurbish their own battleships.


    To counter the growing maritime threats, navies across the nations started to perfect their own battleships by displaying extraordinary ingenuity, improving them significantly, and deploying increased manpower and resources to build new battleships.


    Nobody knows who started it, but some countries began equipping their warships with long support poles on either side, with iron nets attached at the ends to serve as torpedo defense mechanisms.


    Honestly, such an apparatus could effectively ward off torpedo strikes, the only downside being that it affected the speed.


    However, desperate navies didn¡¯t care about speed anymore and quickly started installing this device on various battleships¡¯ sides.


    This new structure was also first deployed on damaged battleships; the revamped battleships¡¯ submerged sections became bulkier and were equipped with thicker armor.


    All the new battleships constructed from scratch were fitted with thicker underwater armor from the outset, the hulls designed with more watertight gates and more watertight compartments.


    On either side of the battleships, many anti-aircraft guns were installed, not only providing better anti-air protection for the battleships but also theoretically allowing attacks on approaching torpedoes.


    The latest battleships commonly used main guns with calibers above 380 millimeters, the designs of which were all sold by Tang Country; some countries purchased 406-millimeter calibers, while others went for 410 millimeters.


    Naturally, some countries were also secretly preparing to outfit their super battleships with even larger-caliber main guns, gearing up for the next war.


    Regardless of these countries¡¯ motives, they all invested more steel, aiming to build a more modern, more powerful navy.


    The major loser being Laines Empire, which had two battleships sunk, swiftly commenced the construction of four Brunas-class battleships and added two new-type battleships to replenish its navy.


    These countries were not only diverting more steel towards their naval efforts; they were also manufacturing an increasing number of tanks and artillery.


    The impact of the Panther Tank resonated worldwide; after witnessing the long-barreled artillery, every country¡¯s army grew gravely concerned.


    The existing tanks stood no chance against such tough adversaries; to mount a defense, they could only increase their own tanks¡¯ armor thickness. Therefore, tanks from each country were redesigned during this period, significantly enhancing the front armor.


    Previously, the frontal armor on tanks generally ranged between 20 millimeters to 30 millimeters, which were only effective against machine gun and rifle bullets.


    Soon enough, the main armor thickness on tanks was increased to between 50 millimeters and 80 millimeters, seemingly in hope of warding off long-distance attacks from Tang Army tanks as much as possible.


    The reason armor was not made even thicker was that the countries¡¯ engine technologies were still inadequate for supporting heavier armor designs¡ªmoving tanks weighing tens of tons was not an easy feat.


    Steel helmets and engineer shovels began to become the standard equipment for soldiers in various countries, while cannons and vehicles also saw a surge in numbers.


    In less than three months after the war, the global steel demand spiked, and international steel prices even exceeded those of oil.


    Not only the military sector, but the civilian sector too began utilizing steel to accelerate construction.


    Previously, buildings did not require much steel, but Tang Country had innovated construction with reinforced concrete, enhancing building sturdiness and speed.


    Mixing concrete with steel rods as the framework resulted in unprecedented strength and construction speed also proved quicker than traditional stone stacking methods.


    Thus, Tang Country¡¯s civil construction market consumed a massive amount of steel as many cities needed to be built, and this consumption reached staggering levels.


    The worldwide steel production capacity was put to the test, and every iron mine was incredibly busy. Each mine was frantically increasing production, and the prices for Great Tang Group¡¯s mining machinery also soared.


    Suddenly, there was a surge in prices for many items; Tang Country made a fortune as well as spent a fortune, making it unclear who ultimately emerged as the biggest winner.


    The economy, once held back by the war, began to advance rapidly, with skyscrapers rising quickly. It seemed everyone had found a way to make money, and no one cared about anything else.


    Just finding a ship and transporting goods from Tang Country to Brunas could double one¡¯s profit. Trading that money for iron ore and transporting it back to Linshui could double the profits again!


    Unfortunately, once everyone caught on to this lucrative method, securing a shipload of iron ore from the Eastern Continent became quite challenging.


    After all, more steel was also needed by the empires of the Eastern Continent.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Today, I really couldn¡¯t focus, only managed to write one chapter, I¡¯ll deliver the other chapter tomorrow along with this one as I gather my thoughts.

 Chapter 886 886 809, A Different Attitude

    ?Chapter 886: 809, A Different Attitude Chapter 886: 809, A Different Attitude On Brunas¡¯s main street, it had become much quieter than five years ago. Time seemed to have halted here, and every building preserved the state they were in when the Great Tang Group left.


    Moss covered some buildings, others had windowpanes that were broken, but a few buildings remained as pristine as new.


    Flags of the Laines Empire flew atop these well-maintained buildings. Occasionally, a car passed on the street, and the once-bright neon lights now dimmed.


    There was no way around it; the tertiary industry here had withered with the departure of the Great Tang Group. No one believed that this place could ever return to its former glory.


    Silver Fox Tavern was still in business; a young man wiped the gleaming glasses, indifferent to the sparse patronage. His tavern was nearly empty of customers, yet every corner was kept spotlessly clean.


    Across the street was once the bustling Brunas tax hall. Back then, crowds would regularly queue up, taking a number before heading to Silver Fox Tavern to drink and wait their turn to be called.


    No Brunasi person didn¡¯t yearn for those days when even squatting outside the tavern selling pancakes could make a decent income in a month.


    ...


    And back then, without high protection fees, large and imposing gangsters maintained order, ensuring the business of every small vendor remained undisturbed.


    Now, everything had changed. Noble lords controlled the local businesses; the gangs, exploiting weakness, extorted protection money, turning the whole city into a dismal haze.


    Inside the tax hall, a man dressed as a merchant pleaded desperately with the passing director of the Brunas Revenue Service, the great Marquis Conrad of the Laines Empire.


    He tried to block Marquis Conrad¡¯s path but was stopped by guards. Separated by the guard¡¯s arm, the merchant raised his voice to defend himself, ¡°My lord! I¡¯ve already paid the taxes! You...¡±


    ¡°Where is he from?¡± Conrad frowned with dissatisfaction and looked to his Guard Commander.


    ¡°My apologies, my lord! It¡¯s our neglect!¡± The Guard Commander, at a loss for words, turned and scolded the merchant to shut up, ¡°Where are you from? Be quiet! Stop making such a fuss!¡±


    The dark-haired, dark-eyed Dahua businessman lowered his voice and continued to introduce himself, ¡°My lord, please have mercy! I am a businessman from the Dahua Empire, I came all the way to Brunas just for small trade...¡±


    Marquis Conrad cut him off, feeling insulted, ¡°Even small trade requires paying taxes!¡±


    To him, his time was extremely valuable. Precious time could be spent on trysts with lovers, watching imported movies from Great Tang, or engaging intimately with someone else¡¯s wife at parties. Wasting it on an unrecognized plebeian was a profanity and insult to his life!


    Such lowly folk had to pay for an audience with him, and within the limited time, state their request and pay a fee¡ªthat was the proper procedure.


    Publicly handling affairs so blatantly left Marquis Conrad somewhat disconcerted; he certainly wasn¡¯t accustomed to such a way of conducting business.


    Why couldn¡¯t we discuss matters in the office? Where it¡¯s private, you can slip me money, and I can accept it quietly, and we¡¯re both happy, right?


    The Dahua businessman, clearly having no intention of heeding Marquis Conrad¡¯s internal monologue, continued to struggle closer while explaining, ¡°But! My lord! I¡¯ve already paid the taxes!¡±


    The merchant wasn¡¯t a fool; upon arriving, he had duly paid taxes, handing over a significant portion of his profits. Then he had greased palms, offering bribes honestly.


    But the official who took his bribes had been transferred away, so the newcomer, having not received a bribe, withheld his goods, seeking a bit of advantage.


    Unfortunately, such trivial issues would certainly not reach someone like Marquis Conrad. So naturally, Marquis Conrad was baffled.


    The tributes his subordinates offered him were one thing, but he would never concern himself with whether his underlings overcharged, undercharged, or collected fees multiple times.


    So, somewhat embarrassed, Marquis Conrad coughed, the awkwardness stemming purely from his unfamiliarity with the normal workings of his job, ¡°Ahem! That, that was collected by someone else; it has nothing to do with my office!¡±


    Still feeling aggrieved, the businessman from Dahua called out, ¡°But my lord! My lord! If I have to pay again, I¡¯ll be utterly ruined!¡±


    There was no choice, just as he had said, paying again would indeed mean a financial loss. In fact, not knowing the local ways, he hadn¡¯t made much money on this trip to begin with.


    Before coming, he had thought that only the Dahua Empire¡¯s officialdom was dark and corrupt, leaving no room for honest livelihood.


    Now he understood that the officials of the Great Tang Empire were the exception in their incorruptibility, while all other nations were cut from the same cloth!


    Back when he had escorted his goods through the Great Tang Empire, there were no corrupt tolls, no checkpoints¡ªonly a transit fee upon entering and a warning not to unload his goods midway. After that, it was smooth sailing all the way to Linshui.


    He simply couldn¡¯t believe there was such an efficient and honest bureaucratic system in the world. For a moment, he even thought about selling his goods in the Great Tang Empire.


    Unfortunately, at that time, he was still preoccupied with the goods prices in the Laines Empire, greedily imagining he could earn more in the Laines Empire.


    Indeed, the prices here were higher than in the Great Tang Empire, but sadly no one had told him that the taxes here were also much higher than what the Great Tang Group charged!


    What he regretted even more was that, aside from the higher taxes, there were countless officials and government offices lined up, waiting to take his money. The police demanded a public security fee, the port a management fee, customs a passage fee, and the Nobility a benefit fee.


    After being exploited at every level, what he earned from his bumpy journey wasn¡¯t really more than if he had just left his goods in the Great Tang Empire. Alas, it was too late for regrets now, as no cure for hindsight existed in the world.


    Marquis Conrad was starting to lose his composure. He felt it beneath him to argue with a lowly commoner in such a place and became somewhat infuriated, berating loudly, ¡°You troublemaker! Keep shouting, keep shouting, and I¡¯ll have you arrested!¡±


    ¡°Your Excellency! Please have mercy! Spare me! Please be kind...¡± The merchant, out of options, could only beg pitifully.


    Finally, Conrad lost his patience and pointed at the man, commanding, ¡°Ignoramus! Arrest him! Take this lowlife away!¡±


    Upon hearing his command, the surrounding guards immediately took action. In no time, they had the merchant from Dahua pinned to the ground, unable to break free from the grasping arms and hands.


    The merchant, in despair, was pinned down, and could only shout loudly, though it was unclear whether he was begging for mercy or still worried about his trapped goods: ¡°Your Excellency! Have mercy! Have mercy!¡±


    His voice echoed through the hall before quickly fading to silence. The tranquility of the tax building returned as if nothing had ever happened.


    ...


    On the docks of Bonas Port, a steamship laden with cargo sounded its horn and slowly approached the shore, lowering the gangway.


    The size of the transport ship was quite larger than a liberty ship, appearing to have a displacement of at least 20,000 tons.


    Similar transport ships were about the largest that the port of Brunas could accommodate. When the Great Tang Group left, there were no such massive civilian ships in the world yet.


    The port of Brunas, which had been in operation for many years, was now outdated. Linshui Port, a great distance away, could now dock vessels over 50,000 tons. Because no other country had ports that could accommodate such behemoths, ships like this only operated between Dragon Harbor and Dongwan in Linshui.


    It was said that soon, Chu Country would also have ports that could dock such large tonnage vessels, prepared for transporting oil.


    As an ear-splitting horn blast resounded, everyone at the port turned their eyes toward the massive, snow-white vessel.


    This giant had a four-digit hull number, and typically, such large ships with numerical hull numbers came from one place.


    The tax officials who had been strutting around the docks shrunk their necks, and the Laines Empire¡¯s sentinels, armed and on guard, instinctively straightened their stances a bit.


    After the gangway reached the land, a man in a suit descended from the lofty deck, a cigarette dangling from his mouth and carrying a leather bag.


    ¡°Welcome to Brunas, sir,¡± the Laines tax officer greeted with a fawning smile, rubbing his hands obsequiously.


    After handing over the leather bag and casually stamping out the cigarette butt on the dock, the middle-aged man exhaled the last puff of smoke: ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry.¡±


    The tax officer, upon opening the leather bag, saw the cash and the documents for passing through within, a practice that had almost become routine.


    The documents in the bag were for the customs clearance procedures, which he was responsible for signing and stamping. The money was his bribe; the excess would be passed higher up through the ranks.


    No one dared to tamper with this money, just as no one dared to mess with these giant ships from Tang Country. Everyone knew the terrible consequences of causing trouble, particularly for the nobility that controlled Brunas.


    ¡°Understood! Understood! The documents will be sent to the sir shortly,¡± the tax officer bowed and scraped, eager to please.


    ¡°You seem pleased,¡± the man commented as he pulled a Gold Coin from his pocket and tossed it to the official before turning to head towards the car that was waiting for him.


    Catching the Gold Coin, the tax officer polished it on his sleeve, his smile growing even more ingratiating¡ªsuch generosity was rare these days, and it was the reason why he treated ships from Tang Country so differently.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Today Dragon Spirit shamelessly took some time off to sneak in a movie, supporting ¡°Small Broken Ball.¡± It was quite enjoyable. I¡¯m still writing yesterday¡¯s update; it will probably be late at night before I finish, so please look for it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 887 887 810 nobody can catch Silver Fox

    ?Chapter 887: 810 nobody can catch Silver Fox Chapter 887: 810 nobody can catch Silver Fox The car drove along the somewhat bumpy road. Due to years of neglect, the once smooth roads of Brunnis were now full of patches, and the car¡¯s wheels made different sounds as they pressed over them.


    ¡°This place has become much more dilapidated since we left,¡± the man sat in the back of the luxury car, looking through the window at the poor people crowded outside the port, waiting to go in and earn their hard-earned money.


    These poor people all made their living at the docks. Some of them helped unload fish from the fishing boats, which would earn them a few copper coins, and they could also pick up some discarded dead fish to take home. Others were laborers who unloaded goods from small cargo ships, earning a little money to get by based on the amount they offloaded.


    They saw the gates of the port open and immediately wanted to swarm over. But soon, they were dispersed by the guards and could only watch helplessly from behind the wire fence as a luxurious car drove out.


    Some recognized this type of car because the City Lord of Brunnis owned one like it, as did the sheriffs, tax officers... it seemed that they all had similar cars.


    ¡°Heh heh, when we left all those years ago, where could such a mass of poor people be seen?¡± The man driving the car idly twiddled the steering wheel, chuckling without turning his head.


    Back then, Brunnis was a place where even the beggars on the streets carried a certain pride. Anyone with a bit of strength could make a living in Brunnis. At that time, it was paradise on earth, where something called hope could be seen in every corner.


    ...


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We will have to come back sooner or later,¡± the man in the back seemed to be talking about something insignificant.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you already come back?¡± The driver continued to laugh harmlessly.


    ¡°Heh heh,¡± the man in the back did not say anything more. He just gazed out the window at the neon sign billboards on the street corners, most of which no longer lit up.


    The place had truly decayed, decayed to the point of being unrecognizable. Just now at the docks, he had used a pitiful bribe to make officials from Laines grovel at his feet like slaves.


    The soldiers didn¡¯t even dare to approach and search him; he wasn¡¯t frisked. In his coat, he had a pistol with a silencer, and the tax officer even helped to stash his luggage in the trunk of the car.


    That heavy suitcase contained a battery and a small telegram machine, whose packaging hadn¡¯t even been removed.


    While stuffing this heavy suitcase into the car¡¯s trunk, the tax officer unconsciously asked what was so heavy.


    At that moment, the man honestly answered it was a radio. Upon hearing this, the tax officer chuckled and shook his head, showing no intention whatsoever to open it for inspection.


    Sometimes things are that fantastical. Since the tax officer from Laines had taken a bribe of five gold coins, he had become deaf and blind, never again discovering any illegal activity.


    At the docks, a crane carefully unloaded one luxurious car after another onto the pier, where a group of the most experienced dockworkers busied themselves.


    These cars were the highly coveted toys of the Laines Empire nobility, all premium brands from the Great Tang Empire.


    A single Rolls-Royce Mirage could easily cost the lives of fifty or even one hundred loaders, so the workers here were not easily allowed to handle the vehicles.


    Specially hired drivers waited on the side, watching these carefully packaged cars that had traveled over the ocean slowly touch down.


    Every car¡¯s paint was as smooth and shiny as a mirror. Silver wheels and black bodies underscored the nobility of these vehicles.


    The victory goddess with spread wings on the hood was a pleasing sight to the eye. Standing beside the car, the tax officer, who held a purse full of money, couldn¡¯t help but swallow a gulp.


    He could only dream of owning such a car after working here half his life: and that¡¯s for a tax officer like him who could accrue many benefits. If it were anyone else, they probably could never touch such a thing in their entire life.


    Everything seemed so natural when the tax officer, with an air of authority, turned around and walked towards a transport ship from Poplar Kingdom that had docked at the shore, reverting to a normal expression.


    With hands clasped behind his back, he approached the ship, which didn¡¯t look to be more than 5,000 tons, took the papers from a bowing and scraping elf, and in a drawn-out, authoritative tone he inquired, ¡°What¡¯s on the ship, eh?¡±


    ¡°My lord... My lord... This ship belongs to Count Gorton...¡± The elf with pointed ears replied while slipping a few silver coins into the tax officer¡¯s hand.


    That was the common price of things in this world, the normal way to give a bribe. If a tax officer could take dozens of gold coins in bribes each day, then presumably only the Emperor¡¯s relatives would be working here.


    Weighing the silver coins in his hand, the tax official turned his head to look at the ship docked at the pier, nodded, and said, ¡°Go aboard and check to see if there¡¯s any contraband... be gentle, don¡¯t damage Sir Gorton¡¯s goods.¡±


    Hearing the instructions from their superior, a few guards knew what to do: since they¡¯d been paid, they couldn¡¯t go overboard. If they came across something nice, they could take a bit, but not too much.


    With a call, a few guards carrying guns headed towards the gangway while the other guards on the pier didn¡¯t dare get near it.


    They were even afraid that if they walked over, they might bump into a Rolls-Royce import car and that could well mean the end of their job.


    No helping it, because of the war, luxury goods from the Tang Country had been almost cut off for a whole year. Nobles of the Eastern Continent were so desperate they were nearly going mad.


    Now that supply had finally resumed, these luxury cars, branded watches, and women¡¯s bags... which one wasn¡¯t urgently needed to be delivered into the hands of the highborn nobility?


    Moreover... this ship belonged to the Tang Country! That was a ship from a superpower Empire that had just won victories against a handful of other empires!


    If things really sparked a diplomatic conflict, a small fry like them could not withstand the towering fury of those national higher-ups.


    Just imagine, what would happen if a Tang Country envoy complained to Leines I, stating that a little soldier at Brunnis Port had slapped the face of the Great Tang Empire? Thinking with his knees, that soldier would be infamously marked for death instantly, right?


    No joke, by the time Leines I made a move, Brunnis¡¯s tax official, Lord Conrad, would have buried the soldier¡¯s entire family and then filed a report stating ¡®person not found¡¯, acting as if he knew nothing about it, washing his hands clean of any responsibility.


    So, these soldiers and officials making a living on the docks extorted other national ships, but they feared and loved the ships of the Tang Empire simultaneously.


    Love, because people from the Tang Empire were reasonable, knowing to offer bribes not to mention generous ones, fulfilling all formalities to a tee. Fear, because they really did not dare offend people from the Tang Empire, since even their Emperor was wary of the Great Tang...


    The car that left the pier stopped in front of the Silver Fox Tavern, and the man in the backseat pushed open the car door, sliding out and into this ordinary tavern that had been open for a very long time.


    The neon sign above the door no longer flickered, yet inside it was still clean. The young bartender behind the counter, who seemed to be always polishing glassware, glanced at the man walking in and then got back to his own business.


    ¡°Not even a welcome... looks like business isn¡¯t so hot?¡± The man walked up to the bar, seated himself on a high stool, and said, ¡°Give me a martini, shaken, not stirred.¡±


    Upon seeing the dandelion ring on the man¡¯s ring finger, the young bartender let out a helpless sigh, ¡°This code is such a pain...¡±


    ¡°I heard it was ¡®Your Majesty¡¯.¡± The man slapped a cigarette case down on the table, interrupting the bartender¡¯s potentially fatal slip, ¡°¡®Your Majesty¡¯ devised a certain way to drink liquor; later on, our boss, the one who used to stand where you are... thought it was quite... quite stylish, so he started using it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to explain in such detail, I know I messed up, I run my mouth too much...¡± Resigned, the young man sighed, realizing he had almost dug his own grave after hearing it was ¡®Your Majesty¡¯s¡¯ statement.


    ¡°I brought you the latest telegraph machine.¡± The man gestured to the car parked outside the door, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay for me to come over so openly?¡±


    ¡°What could go wrong?¡± The young man curled his lip, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate our infiltration power here; no one... can catch the Silver Fox.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be careless; we¡¯re in the business of intelligence.¡± The man pulled out a silenced pistol from his chest and slid it across the table to the young bartender, ¡°This is also the latest model, has a quiet sound, not bad.¡±


    ¡°Could someone fire it at night, and no one would hear the shot?¡± The young man¡¯s eyes lit up, thinking this pistol was the kind of legendary assassin¡¯s weapon.


    ¡°Are you insane? Fire a gun in the middle of the night and the whole building would hear it.¡± The man looked shocked as he had not realized that the young bartender was actually a tough character who had killed before.


    ¡°...¡± The young bartender hadn¡¯t expected the new weapon to be as advanced as he¡¯d imagined, ¡°Then how is it different from a normal pistol?¡±


    ¡°You use a normal pistol to kill someone at night, and the whole street can hear it...¡± The man placed a magazine next to the pistol, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash...¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± The young man, somewhat disappointed, pressed down on the pistol on the counter, ready to put it away and find time to study it later when he was distracted by the tingling of the doorbell.


    A girl around twenty years old entered the bar, looking nervous. She glanced anxiously at the two men near the bar and instinctively tightened her cloak around her.


    Following the girl inside was the driver from the car parked outside. His hands were in his pockets, but when he saw the young bartender¡¯s hand signal pressing down twice, he then pulled them out from his clothing.

 Chapter 888 888 No need to be so nervous on 811

    ?Chapter 888: No need to be so nervous on 811 Chapter 888: No need to be so nervous on 811 ¡°Yes, sorry.¡± The girl, surrounded by three large men, although it was daylight, was somewhat incoherent, ¡°I... I... I am, I...¡±


    With the most natural movement, the young bartender swept the gun hidden under his hand into the counter and smiled, ¡°Take your time, no rush. What would you like to drink? We have the latest Brunnis of the year, as well as beer and wine.¡±


    As he spoke, he skillfully took out a sparkling clean glass from beneath the counter and selected several bottles from behind him, dazzlingly concocting a beautiful-looking drink.


    Pushing the drink towards the girl, he gestured invitingly, ¡°I used only wine and juice, don¡¯t worry, you can have some.¡±


    The girl turned her head and glanced at the man blocking the door, knowing she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to leave without explaining why she had come in. She remembered something from before and, with a gulp, walked straight to the bar.


    She calmed herself down and began, ¡°I have a friend, who I met at a party in the Dahua Empire...¡±


    The three men said nothing. The man guarding the door walked out, the middle-aged man sitting next to the girl fiddled with his cigarette case, and the young man behind the bar just kept watching her with a smile in his handsome eyes.


    ...


    ¡°My friend heard I was traveling to the Laines Empire and told me that if I ran into any trouble, I should find a place called the Silver Fox Tavern, where someone could help me.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ve lost your wallet, miss, I can lend you some money,¡± the young bartender said with a benevolent smile, like a generous owner.


    The girl shook her head, ¡°My father came here to sell goods, and he was arrested. I have no other choice but to seek help here.¡±


    ¡°I think we are powerless, beautiful miss,¡± the young bartender said, not knowing where he¡¯d found another glass to carefully polish.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how the girl had found this place, so he didn¡¯t need to reveal his capabilities or solve the problem for a stranger.


    Though he certainly had reach in Brunnis, all those connections were made with real silver and national relationships, which he couldn¡¯t use at his personal whim.


    ¡°I... I...¡± Tears swirled in the girl¡¯s eyes, seemingly about to burst forth. She pulled out a handkerchief, stammering with grievance, ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone else here, only you can help me, I know it might be too much to ask, but I really have no other way...¡±


    She paused, seemingly having remembered something, and suddenly pulled a card out of her bag, handing it to the men who almost drew their guns.


    ¡°...¡± Seeing the card, both men¡¯s expressions changed slightly. The card proved that the holder was a target about to be tackled by dandelion, and agents of the Tang Empire were expected to offer as much help as possible.


    Such assistance wasn¡¯t mandatory but given for a comrade¡¯s plea, they were inclined to lend a hand if feasible.


    After all, the girl just wanted to save her father¡ªan issue that wasn¡¯t so significant for the two men in the Silver Fox Tavern.


    ¡°Should you go or should I?¡± the young bartender took the card from the girl, looking at the numbers on the back.


    The middle-aged man sitting on the high stool touched the dandelion ring on his finger, stood up, and announced, ¡°I¡¯ll go, it¡¯s about time to meet some old friends again and tell them I¡¯m back.¡±


    The young bartender nodded, ¡°That saves me the trouble, safe travels.¡±


    The middle-aged man gave a nod, then asked the girl, ¡°What is your relation to the person who gave you this card?¡±


    ¡°That... well...¡± The girl had just dried her tears when, blushing furiously upon hearing the question, she timidly eked out a bit of sound and hesitantly explained, ¡°He, he is pursuing me, and I haven¡¯t... I haven¡¯t accepted him.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± laughed the middle-aged man, and the young bartender behind him also smiled. The girl was honest, answering the question straightforwardly without even a lie.


    ¡°I, I... actually... actually...¡± The girl almost turned as red as an apple. She genuinely liked that talented young man, it was just unfortunate her father found him too unattractive to give his consent.


    She wanted to say that if she successfully saved her father this time, she would accept the young man¡¯s pursuit on her return.


    Unfortunately, she hadn¡¯t even spoken when the middle-aged man interrupted her, ¡°Well, you first need to tell me exactly how your father was arrested...¡±


    Since she was an ally¡¯s ¡°family member,¡± the situation was easier to handle. Helping a comrade¡¯s future wife with a small problem was nothing but a small effort for him, wasn¡¯t it?


    The girl glanced at the young bartender, curtsied, and then hurried after the man, explaining that her father had been arrested by the tax officer.


    She had heard this from her father¡¯s assistant, who had returned with the news. She had gone to the tax office building across the street, unable to meet with any officials from the Laines Empire, which led her to rush to the Silver Fox Tavern in desperation for help.


    Hearing this, the man nodded, and led the girl across the old but spacious street, stepping on a dark patch on the pavement, to the entrance of the tax office.


    The guard at the door was about to rebuke them when he saw the man¡¯s decent suit and lowered his voice by at least two-thirds, ¡°Who goes there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to visit a friend,¡± the man answered casually.


    The guard then looked at the girl beside the man, recognizing the familiar face, ¡°Sir... she...¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with me,¡± the man introduced casually, then looked at the girl and realized he didn¡¯t know her, ¡°Your name is... what¡¯s your name?¡±


    Under the somewhat speechless gaze of the soldier, the girl nervously responded, ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m called Pan Qi...¡±


    ¡°Her name is Pan Qi,¡± the man reintroduced her as if they were well acquainted, ¡°Please inform them...¡±


    ¡°I know the rules.¡± While speaking, he smartly slipped a gold coin into the guard¡¯s coat pocket. Money talks, and feeling the weight of the gold coin, the guard hurried off to relay the message.


    ¡°You see, standing here isn¡¯t quite appropriate, is it?¡± Pulling out another gold coin and toying with it in his hand, the man spoke to another guard at the door.


    Then, the two of them were led into the main hall of the tax office, with the guards bowing to them as they left.


    Soon, after learning that someone well-versed in the ways of the world wished to see him, Marquis Conrad from Brunas, the tax officer, ordered that the man and the little girl be brought to his meeting room.


    ¡°I¡¯m very busy, state your business quickly.¡± Conrad hadn¡¯t yet seen clearly who the visitor was when he expertly delivered his standard opening.


    Then he saw a familiar face, and his prepared speech suddenly choked in his throat, unable to utter another half-word.


    ¡°Conrad... you seem to be doing quite well,¡± the man entered as if he were entering his own home, walked towards a large flowerpot by the wall and touched the green leaves, ¡°Good taste... you even know to plant something to cultivate your sentiment?¡±


    ¡°Mar, Mar, Mar... Martin, Sir.¡± Conrad nearly bit his tongue when he saw the middle-aged man. The man was once the port manager of Brunas.


    There are many Earls in the world, most can only pose within their own country. But there is only one ¡®Martin,¡¯ the port manager of Brunas, whose boss... is Harry.


    Anyone who has heard of Harry knows what he represents; this young man controls a mammoth called Great Tang Group.


    Brunas was a relic left on the Eastern Continent by Great Tang Group, or perhaps Brunas is the tombstone marking a moment before the rebirth of Great Tang Group...


    He was sitting in this position as the tax officer of Brunas entirely because of the care from this man named Martin, who had left here long ago and now... he has returned.


    ¡°Long time no see.¡± Martin waved casually as if greeting someone, then he started to speak, but midway remembered he still didn¡¯t know the girl¡¯s father¡¯s name, ¡°I heard you arrested someone yesterday? Pan...¡±


    ¡°Pan Yiping!¡± Pan Qi promptly added.


    ¡°Pan Yiping!¡± Martin repeated the name, ¡°He hasn¡¯t committed any serious crime, has he? Could you do me a favor and release him?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Martin,¡± Conrad immediately agreed without hesitation. It was a joke; even if it was just a poor man who couldn¡¯t pay his taxes, with Mr. Martin asking, even a murderous outlaw would have to be not only released but also honored with a banquet.


    ¡°No need to be so nervous!¡± Martin seemed to comfort his old acquaintance, but also seemed to be warning him, ¡°The accident that happened to Marquis Musa, who competed with you back in the day, had nothing to do with me.¡±


    Hearing the name Musa, Conrad grew even more nervous. After all, this position of tax officer at Brunas port wasn¡¯t supposed to be his, but belonged to Marquis Musa.


    Unfortunately, Marquis Musa had ¡®committed suicide¡¯ by shooting himself seven times on his way to assume the office, and Sir Conrad had risen to his current position.


    ¡°I know! I know...¡± Marquis Conrad pulled out a handkerchief, wiping his sweat while looking at Pan Qi standing at the doorway who still didn¡¯t understand what had happened¡ªthis might be his sister-in-law, right?

 Chapter 889 889 812 one card

    ?Chapter 889: 812 one card Chapter 889: 812 one card ¡°Do you think we¡¯re all the same... not really good people?¡± Sitting in the living room, Martin glanced at Pan Qi, who still had no idea what had happened.


    Pan Qi shook her head; she no longer knew who exactly was sitting beside her. Initially, she just wanted to save her father, but the other party merely had a brief chat with Marquis Conrad, and all the problems that troubled her were resolved.


    ¡°Our way of doing things isn¡¯t much different from theirs; we¡¯re just stronger and kill without restraint, which allows us to show off in front of them,¡± Martin said as he fiddled with the ring on his hand, speaking to himself.


    ¡°Because we¡¯re alike, they understand how we operate and are familiar with our methods... and so do we. That¡¯s why we know when to pay and when to pull out a gun; hence, I get along... quite well with them,¡± he said and pulled out a cigarette case, then glanced at Pan Qi and somewhat awkwardly stuffed it back into his pocket.


    ...


    Pan Yiping thought about many things in his cell; he thought about abandoning the goods and also about borrowing more money to grease some palms.


    In any case, he felt that he had to take his daughter and two servants back to the Dahua Empire first. To leave this damned, unreasonable place.


    ...


    But he didn¡¯t have many ideas; the servants couldn¡¯t handle his goods, which almost always required his personal involvement for safety reasons.


    This was almost a vicious cycle; he couldn¡¯t do anything now, just wait patiently here for a chance, an opportunity to leave.


    What made him despair was that he might not be getting out anytime soon: ever since he had been locked up, no one had inquired about him.


    The prison guards also didn¡¯t care about the well-being of a prisoner locked up by Lord Conrad; there were too many wrongfully accused prisoners here ¡ª if they had to inquire about each one, wouldn¡¯t they be dead tired?


    Moreover, their influence was minimal, and they couldn¡¯t possibly inquire about someone Lord Conrad wanted dead. So, aside from giving Pan Yiping some leftovers, they hadn¡¯t even spoken a word to him.


    Fortunately, the other prisoners in the cell just stole Pan Yiping¡¯s food and didn¡¯t make his life difficult in other ways, otherwise this story would have had a different ending.


    Conrad also felt incredibly lucky: if something had happened to the person Martin wanted, and if there were no accidents with himself, then he would be the one in trouble.


    The official sent by the Laines Empire to investigate the death of Marquis Musa, who had shot himself in the back seven times on the road, unanimously deemed it a suicide. After hastily dealing with Musa¡¯s corpse, they brought a jar of ashes to his wife.


    Conrad did not wish to die in such an unclear, unexplained way, so seeing Pan Yiping sitting untouched and sane in the corner of the cell nearly made him cry out in joy.


    When he saw Marquis Conrad again, Pan Yiping didn¡¯t dare to say much. He had realized that in the Laines Empire, there was no place for a Dahua person to reason.


    Thus, the moment he stepped out of the cell, he made up his mind, ¡°Lord, I don¡¯t want the goods anymore...¡±


    For him now, staying alive was the most important thing. He still had a wonderful daughter and a warm home.


    ¡°Where is that coming from! Where is that!¡± Conrad, who actually came to the cell to personally retrieve someone, seemed even more humble, quickly waving his hands with a smile, ¡°Misunderstanding! It¡¯s all a misunderstanding!¡±


    Conrad¡¯s attitude left Pan Yiping confused; he didn¡¯t think he had any power that could cause such a significant change in demeanor.


    But before he could figure out the key point, he heard Conrad chuckling and explaining, ¡°You have a great daughter... so pretty, so adorable...¡±


    Hearing Conrad¡¯s words, a chill ran down Pan Yiping¡¯s spine as he turned to Conrad, tense and furious, and snapped, ¡°You! What have you done to my daughter!¡±


    Conrad suddenly realized his demeanor had been... way too creepy! He hadn¡¯t meant that, he honestly wanted to curry favor, but subconsciously, he had used the expression reserved for lusting after someone else¡¯s girl.


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand! Don¡¯t misunderstand!¡± He certainly didn¡¯t want Martin to misunderstand anything, for aggravating that butcher ¡ª or rather, those untouchable big shots he dared not even think about ¡ª would leave him no time to even cry.


    It was no joke; dealing with Martin was already tough, and dealing with Harry, standing behind him, was even tougher. Not to mention behind Harry stood a ruthless man named Tang Mo, ruthless enough that even Leines I wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke.


    Especially, Tang Mo¡¯s name had a special significance for Brunnis; if Tang Mo were to return to Brunnis, a simple call to arms from him would shake the earth, unstoppable by anyone...


    ¡°Your daughter is lovely...¡± Conrad had barely started explaining when he realized that it was indeed easy to be misunderstood when discussing someone else¡¯s daughter, so he hurriedly changed the subject, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention that you knew Mr. Martin earlier? If you had, there wouldn¡¯t have been so many misunderstandings.¡±


    ¡°Martin? Mister?¡± Pan Yiping, having heard that his daughter was alright, finally put his mind at ease. However, upon hearing a name he had never encountered before, he became even more confused.


    Conrad chuckled without much concern and continued to explain, ¡°It¡¯s alright! It¡¯s alright! It¡¯s all just a misunderstanding! We¡¯re all on the same side! Just a misunderstanding! Let¡¯s go back and discuss! We can discuss everything back there! Mr. Martin knows you too! It¡¯s all the same! Heh heh!¡±


    For Conrad, the favor was meant for Martin; as for Pan Yiping¡¯s side, he was indifferent.


    A businessman from the distant Dahua, in his eyes, was no more than an ant. When communications were not well-developed, not many businessmen from Dahua could be seen here throughout the year.


    Almost passively, Pan Yiping was pushed into a rather luxurious tax officer¡¯s private car and then they drove all the way back to the tax building.


    The first thing Pan Yiping saw as he opened the door and entered the room was his daughter, Pan Qi. Upon seeing her father, she immediately got up and threw herself into his embrace, ¡°Father!¡±


    ¡°Dad¡¯s fine! I¡¯m fine!¡± Feeling the distress his daughter had endured, Pan Yiping¡¯s eyes suddenly reddened. He comforted his daughter while looking toward the middle-aged man standing there.


    ¡°Mr. Pan, have you not been harmed?¡± Martin looked towards Conrad standing behind Pan Yiping.


    Conrad quickly waved his hands, ¡°No, no, no! Everything¡¯s fine! I handled everything, you can trust me!¡±


    All the way here, he had already negotiated with Pan Yiping¡ªthey would not collect any taxes, and he personally found a buyer who would purchase the goods at the highest market price, as compensation for the fright Pan Yiping had experienced.


    Pan Yiping dared not refuse, it was an unexpected pleasant surprise: He obtained tax exemption and also sold his goods at a good price without almost any cost.


    However, he was also aware that this was not Conrad giving him face, but rather giving face to Martin.


    And the man standing before him was probably that very Martin he did not recognize, but who recognized him.


    ¡°Are you, are you Mr. Martin?¡± Pan Yiping asked, looking at Martin.


    ¡°I am Martin.¡± Having answered Pan Yiping¡¯s question, Martin did not intend to continue networking. He walked up to Conrad, glanced at Pan Yiping and his daughter, ¡°If they encounter any difficulties, give them a hand, they are friends.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured! A friend of Mr. Martin is a friend of mine,¡± said the tax officer from Laines Empire at Brunnis Port, slapping his chest resoundingly.


    ¡°Much appreciated!¡± Martin patted Conrad on the shoulder, ¡°I have a dinner with the City Lord tonight, this trip back is on official business, so I won¡¯t disturb your work.¡±


    He paused for a few seconds after finishing his sentence, then continued with something that Conrad was very pleased to hear, ¡°You know, the Great Tang Empire is always generous to friends. There are clothes, jewelry, bags, watches at the port... take whatever you like.¡±


    You see, sometimes playing low and small is not unacceptable, it all depends on how much the other side is willing to give. Conrad could stroll around the port and probably his son, lover, and wife would think he is a good man, a good father for the next year.


    Listening to such blatant bribery and corruption, Pan Yiping felt his brain was almost not keeping up.


    It was his first time witnessing such an uncalculated bribery. Clearly, this was not just to facilitate a business deal, but seemed more like a long-term penetration and corruption.


    Now he understood just how immense the influence of the Great Tang Empire was, even on the East Coast, the Dragon Banner of Great Tang was still sacrosanct and inviolate.


    ¡°How did you come to know... such a man?¡± Honestly speaking, there was a moment when Pan Yiping even felt that ¡°old cow eating young grass¡± might not be unacceptable¡ªif his daughter followed such a man, it might not necessarily be a bad thing.


    He pondered a lot in that instant, but the answer his daughter gave him veered completely from his expectation, ¡°Do you remember Li Fan?¡±


    ¡°Ah? Him?¡± Pan Yiping was somewhat surprised.


    ¡°Yes, he gave me a card and told me... if I ever encountered trouble, I should just...¡± Pan Qi carefully narrated the story.


    While they were talking, they were already on the street; Pan Yiping looked across the street at the unlit sign of the Silver Fox Tavern, somewhat unable to believe everything his daughter had told him.


    It turned out that solving all the troubles was just a matter of a card...

 Chapter 890 890 Four Marshals 813

    ?Chapter 890: Four Marshals 813 Chapter 890: Four Marshals 813 While the whole world was still popularizing various types of trucks, Great Tang Group had built a different kind of vehicle factory in Xicong.


    This factory specialized in the production of vehicles referred to as ¡°special vehicles,¡± characterized by their fierce appearance and powerful engines, typically having eight wheels or more, and exuding an aura of deterrence.


    These special-purpose vehicles were thus called special vehicles. The first batch of these vehicles was custom-made for the Scud missiles.


    The same chassis was used for some as Scud missile launchers, while others were used as refueling vehicles for liquid fuel.


    In short, the Great Tang Empire had begun mass-producing the world¡¯s first tactical ballistic missiles. Moreover, they started with a very mature model, with a high degree of completion.


    The primary reason for choosing liquid fuel was that solid fuel was not mature and also expensive. In addition, Tang Mo was also considering the possibility of selling these weapons in the future.


    A ground-to-ground missile with a range of 300 kilometers didn¡¯t really have much impact, especially for military powerhouses. Missiles that required refueling with liquid fuel before launch were even less of a threat.


    ...


    Tang Mo didn¡¯t mind selling these missiles to countries like the Empire of Nanla and the Suthers Empire, as they had no means to make the missiles fly over the Endless Sea to hit the mainland of the Great Tang Empire.


    However, before selling such weapons, Tang Mo would also conduct a risk assessment. After all, these weapons involved many high-tech fields, and caution was paramount before selling them.


    And the new weapons of the Tang Country were far more than just Scud ballistic missiles. The engines for the legendary jet aircraft were also being secretly tested, and the advancement of the Tang Nation Air Force was absolutely unmistakable.


    Tang Mo knew that if there were problems with air supremacy, he would be put on the defensive: the development of the Tang Country¡¯s own anti-aircraft weapons was very delayed because the Tang Country had a reliable air force.


    If they faced adversaries that the air force couldn¡¯t handle, then the lack of ground-based air defense would become a fatal weakness for the Tang Army to be exploited by the enemy.


    Tang Mo definitely did not want to reenact the tragedy of World War II, when Germany equipped nearly one hundred thousand anti-aircraft guns of various models and calibers.


    Beyond jet engines, various types of new radar systems were also being equipped in the troops. This application of radio wave beams was very important for the foreseeable future, with no reason to halt development.


    In short, Tang Mo was working hard to fit together each piece of the puzzle, attempting to combine these disparate technologies in the future to achieve the leap to informationization.


    At the same time, the industry that had been sped up was solidifying its foundation under Tang Mo¡¯s intentional efforts. There was no room for cutting corners; only by taking each step one at a time could they master the essence and accumulate experience for further progress.


    Some things could be done with just a blueprint, while some experiences required the workers to fail and experiment time and time again.


    This was a principle that Tang Mo had summed up in the course of practice, and it was also one of the important reasons why Tang Country¡¯s technology could always crush other countries.


    ...


    The couple Harry who had been working on Dragon Island were ordered to go to Dongwan, and Dino, who had been busy in Chang¡¯an City, was sent to Dragon Island.


    As one of Tang Mo¡¯s three early apprentices, Dino had always dreamed of joining the military. Yet, contrary to his wishes, he had always been in charge of civil affairs and had to date had no experience in leading troops.


    He had almost resigned himself to his fate. At most, he could mix in as a colonel in the military staff, but it was more realistic to be an honest mayor.


    This was a normal personnel change, as well as a form of protection for officials: staying in one position for too long can easily lead to laziness and corruption, ruining an otherwise good official.


    Therefore, officials in Great Tang were often rotated, and structurally, there was a large increase in the number of ethnic Chinese high-ranking officials.


    This was determined by the demographic base: since the establishment of Great Tang on the Western Continent, the Chinese had become the absolute majority. Now, not only were Li¡¯ao and Nangong Hong part of the upper echelons, but the military also had Qian Jinhang and General Feng Kezhi, along with Generals Bai Fei and Lu Qianshan.


    A large number of middle management cadre had to be ethnic Chinese, with black-eyed and black-haired officials becoming increasingly common, while the original elite from the Brunas Era in the Great Tang Group was diminishing.


    Even though the senior ranks of the Great Tang Empire were still mostly composed of the old Brunas faction, with time, this structure was bound to change.


    Now, in the various cities¡¯ governance, there were many Chinese officials; in the military, Chinese began to gradually assume roles as division commanders, and many more as regimental commanders.


    At the grass-roots level, this was even more the case, with over ninety-five percent of the Tang Army now locally conscripted Chinese, while the population brought over from Brunas were now drowned in the vast sea of people.


    Under such circumstances, Tang Mo promoted four Imperial Marshals in one go, all of whom were old members from Brunas. They were the Army Marshals Tagg, Luff, and Redman, and the Naval Marshal Bernard. At the same time, several generals were promoted to the rank of general, including Strauss and Bolton.


    The Air Force, being a newer branch, did not yet have a marshal, but the sole Air Force general was also an old figure from Brunas, Ibrahim.


    The Empire¡¯s finance sector was still controlled by Princess Alice; the Empire Bank¡¯s Van Kums and Finance Department¡¯s Simon were old comrades who had followed Tang Mo for a long time.


    The Empire¡¯s domestic affairs were still under the control of Imperial Concubine Yulin, while other intelligence department heads like the bartender, and Tang Mo¡¯s personal bodyguard Wes, had also been with him since the Brunas Era.


    Prime Minister Roger went without saying. The industrial sectors¡¯ Mathews and Parker, and the manager of the Great Tang Group Harry, along with four-fifths of Great Tang Empire¡¯s high-ranking officers, were still so-called ¡°Insiders from Seclusion¡± or ¡°outsiders.¡±


    It was clear that a message was being sent: His Majesty The Emperor had not forgotten his Dragon¡¯s Vassals, those who had fought with him from early on were still the backbone of the Empire.


    However, it was evident to everyone that the localization of the Great Tang Empire was unstoppable, with more Chinese emerging and taking on important positions in crucial roles.


    Stimulated by the new system, these black-eyed, black-haired Chinese displayed their smart and hardworking qualities.


    Eager to learn and full of wisdom, they were willing to embrace new things and compensated for their late start with almost frenzied diligence.


    Although they hadn¡¯t been exposed to advanced technology as early as their predecessors from Brunas, they learned very quickly.


    Now, in many technical departments, there was a significant presence of Chinese technicians. Some even managed to catch up with their teachers in terms of skills, competing directly with their mentors for the position of chief engineer.


    Competition had arisen, and some cracks began to appear. However, around Tang Mo, the strong founding Emperor, no one dared to openly call for division.


    After all, the bigshots in the military were truly loyal to Tang Mo. The newly minted marshals, any one of them, would dare to die for His Majesty The Emperor.

 Chapter 891 891 814 Tang Countrys Advisor

    ?Chapter 891: 814 Tang Country¡¯s Advisor Chapter 891: 814 Tang Country¡¯s Advisor The Western Wall Frontline, as the defense line between Qin Country and the barbaric Beast Clan, had never seen the end of hostilities; minor skirmishes broke out almost every year.


    On the edge of the wilderness, there was actually nothing worth fighting over here: no valuable resources and no prosperity to speak of.


    For Qin Country, this location served merely to halt the eastern advance of the Beastmen, while for the Beastmen, it was a millstone to reduce their own population.


    On the somewhat barren city wall, a man dressed in the uniform of a Major General of the Great Tang Empire patted his coat hem twice with gloved hands, finding the environment here was excessively harsh compared to the terrain of Tang Country.


    ¡°Further west, is there an oasis?¡± Zhou Huaiyuan squinted at the distant battlefield and asked the Qin Country General beside him.


    The General of Qin Country nodded, pointed across the desert, and said, ¡°110 kilometers that way, there¡¯s a river; the Beastmen¡¯s Iron Fist Fortress is established on the river¡¯s eastern side.¡±


    ¡°Is it hard to capture? If we take it, can we then dismantle this defensive line?¡± Zhou Huaiyuan, as a military advisor for the Great Tang Empire, had many tasks to undertake upon arriving in Qin Country.


    ...


    On one hand, he was to train some of Qin Country¡¯s Generals per agreement, enabling them to understand and learn to use more advanced weapons and equipment.


    On the other hand, he also had the responsibility to recommend weapons and equipment. Qin Country¡¯s purchase of any advanced weapons manufactured by Tang Country required his approval.


    No wonder Qin Country valued their military advisors from Tang Country so much, as with their arrival, Qin received an interest-free construction loan of 10 million Gold Coins and another 20 million Gold Coins¡¯ worth of weapons assistance.


    These new weapons included 3,000 Thompson Submachine Guns, 100 million rounds of ammunition for the submachine guns, 45 armored vehicles model 113, along with many corresponding maintenance machinery and equipment.


    Even more touching for the officials of Qin Country was that Tang Country had also provided 30 reconnaissance aircraft, aiding Qin Country in a series of reconnaissance activities.


    All aircraft were piloted by Tang Country¡¯s pilots, and all operation results were freely provided to Qin Country.


    The missions for these aircraft were incredibly busy. They were involved in taking aerial photos of Qin Country, drawing more accurate maps, scouting the Beastmen¡¯s military deployment, and providing early warnings of invasions by the Beastmen troops.


    Further, these aircraft also helped identify suitable areas in Qin Country for road construction, railway building, and canal dam building, enabling basic surveying and mapping.


    In the spirit of intelligence sharing, unbeknownst to the high-level officials of Qin Country, this data was sent back to Tang Country, constituting part of the workload for Tang Country¡¯s intelligence departments.


    Tang Mo was all too familiar with the American style of intelligence sharing: ¡°I lend you technology to help draw your maps and mark crucial coordinates, then save all this information in a computer system, next upload it into missile chipset...¡±


    On the battlefield there, the 155mm caliber howitzers provided by Tang Country demonstrated an astonishing effectiveness, shocking the inexperienced border army of Qin Country who witnessed such powerful weapons for the first time.


    15 kilometers from the artillery position, precise shelling greeted the Beastmen troops attempting to advance, soon followed by the slaughter commencing from machine guns on the flanks.


    The Beastmen deployed further forces, trying to push the battle into hand-to-hand combat as usual. But they quickly discovered that such bayonet struggles seemed unnecessary for the Qin military.


    Close-range concentrated firepower completely routed the Beastmen, with over a hundred Thompson Submachine Guns playing a significant role in trench warfare. The Beastmen had no chance even to display their bravery before they fled, abandoning their gear and retreating from battle.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough means to push the logistics to Iron Fist Fortress...¡± said the Qin military officer, retracting his gaze and speaking somewhat sheepishly.


    Over 70 kilometers of desert terrain, if the Beast tribes held out for just two or three days, the attacking Qin soldiers would be dragged down by logistics and suffer heavy losses.


    Honestly, the Qin military had previously considered advancing the front line to the Sandy River near Iron Fist Fortress.


    But their efforts all failed, with previous assaults resulting in heavy losses, hundreds of thousands perished in the desert.


    In their closest approach to success, they had risked the loss of 200,000 men to capture Iron Fist Fortress; however, they immediately encountered a severe issue: stretched over 110 kilometers of desert, Qin Country could not ensure that their logistics teams could sustain their troops stationed at Iron Fist Fortress...


    Things quickly became awkward. The Qin troops, who had barely occupied Iron Fist Fortress, had to ultimately abandon the fortress and retreat back to organize defenses along the Western Wall.


    Since then, the high command of the Qin military had lost all willingness to entertain the notion of reconquering Iron Fist Fortress; all offensive plans were canceled and shelved indefinitely.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing a railway can¡¯t solve, and if there is, then build two,¡± Zhou Huaiyuan said.


    He was a staff officer of the Tang Empire, originally from Dongwan, and had studied in Dragon Island during his early years. He had made his mark during the war against Qi Country, rising through the ranks to Major General.


    As a staff officer, his record was indeed extraordinary; even Tang Mo felt he was highly capable, a candidate worth focusing on for development.


    Although he had never fought on the battlefield, his experience on the staff was extensive; he had participated in planning the counterattack strategy for Xicong during the war against the Dahua Empire.


    Unfortunately, he was just a staff officer, a staff officer in the Tang Empire... In the Tang Empire, it was customary for the military to unconditionally support the logistics department¡¯s proposals.


    For example, when drafting an attack plan, the staff department, after calculations, would decide a railway was needed to support it, and the logistics troops would make arrangements accordingly to facilitate the continuation of the military campaign.


    However, in other countries, reality was a lot more complex. Thus, when they heard Zhou Huaiyuan¡¯s suggestion, the officers from Qin Country¡¯s faces changed.


    He lowered his voice and explained, ¡°General Zhou, it¡¯s not that we are unwilling, but the construction of the railway is just too expensive...¡±


    Zhou Huaiyuan realized that his suggestion might have been unrealistic, and with an awkward cough, he apologized and then changed the subject.


    Discussing the construction of a railway to support a particular war zone was like suggesting that an office worker frustrated with traffic buy a helicopter¡ªquite far-fetched.


    Not all countries could just build railways at will, such as Qin Country, which had very few railways throughout the nation; it was hardly feasible for them to construct a 70-kilometer long railway just to attack Iron Fist Fortress.


    In the eyes of the King of Qin and the high-ranking officials, this 100-kilometer railway would be better constructed near the capital, to facilitate the transportation of materials, increase population mobility, and strengthen the effective control over the metropolitan area.


    After all, this 110-kilometer railway had to be profitable. If the investment couldn¡¯t yield sufficient returns, for a country like Qin Country, constructing another 110-kilometer railway would be a long wait.


    Even though they had received some support from the Dahua Empire and managed to get backing from the Shireck Consortium, all the railways in Qin Country barely amounted to over 900 kilometers.


    In such circumstances, constructing over 100 kilometers of railway into the desert outside the western defensive line was clearly unrealistic.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity, by capturing Iron Fist Fortress, you could shorten the frontlines and save at least 200,000 border troops in the future...¡± Zhou Huaiyuan shook his head, expressing his regrets with a final remark.


    The Qin Country officer escorting Zhou Huaiyuan also felt melancholic, he sighed and replied, ¡°General Zhou, everyone understands this... but the least valuable thing here is probably human life.¡±


    Zhou Huaiyuan remained silent, his mind already calculating the most suitable weapons and equipment for Qin Country, so they would be more willing to spend.


    Likely, the main purchases suitable for defensive battles would be howitzers, with an estimation that Qin Country would buy at least 2000 cannons of various models.


    The 75mm caliber infantry guns that Tang Country discarded could be sold to Qin Country at a cheaper rate, and they could also provide some bolt-action rifles that were more ammunition efficient.


    Previously armed with the Shireck Type-1 rifles, Qin Military¡¯s preference shifted towards Tang weaponry after several fierce battles with the Tang Army.


    Therefore, Qin Country was now gradually transitioning to second-hand weapons from Tang Country. Brand new equipment was too expensive for them, while second-hand was a good option.


    For instance, the 98K rifles that Tang Country was phasing out, along with the Thompson Submachine Guns and the previously used Left-Wheel Handguns and 1911 pistols.


    These weapons, though outdated for the Tang Army, were still valuable for the Qin Army and were quite affordable, so they bought a portion.


    As for the large-scale heavy equipment of the Tang Army, Qin Country could not afford to buy them except for some type 113 armored vehicles that were donated by the Tang Army. The only thing they could afford was military trucks.


    The good news was that Qin Country produced oil, so there were no issues with fuel; the bad news was that Qin Country lacked a strong industrial base, and everything needed to be developed from scratch.


    The good news was that they did not border Tang Country, so even if they were a bit behind, they didn¡¯t need to worry about a potential invasion by Tang Country; the bad news was that since they didn¡¯t border Tang Country, they couldn¡¯t benefit from exporting oil to Tang for substantial profits.


    Even though the Dahua Empire also desperately imported oil, its economy was, after all, not as strong as that of Tang Country.


    ¡°If possible, I can grant you the purchase rights for a few airplanes,¡± Zhou Huaiyuan said after a long silence, expressing his goodwill, ¡°Perhaps that will allow you to familiarize yourselves quicker with reconnaissance aircraft, providing early strategic warnings.¡±

 Chapter 892 892 The Spread of Weapon 815

    ?Chapter 892: The Spread of Weapon 815 Chapter 892: The Spread of Weapon 815 Great Tang¡¯s aircraft weren¡¯t easy to buy, and Qin Country indeed hoped to purchase some to establish its own Air Force.


    However, Qin Country¡¯s industrial system was not strong; they could buy some aircraft, but imitation and maintenance were problems.


    Previously, the Shireck Consortium had been helping Qin Country build its Air Force, but the entire project was suddenly halted after Great Tang achieved victory over the Dahua Empire.


    The airfield construction was left half-finished, turning into wasteland; the control towers didn¡¯t even have glass installed, and no aircraft were delivered for assembly.


    In fact, after seeing the power of Great Tang¡¯s formidable Air Force, Qin Country no longer fancied the biplane fighters that Shireck could provide.


    Those damn things were only good for sending pilots to their deaths, useless against Great Tang¡¯s aircraft. Even the Dahua Empire¡¯s domestically developed Dahua Model 1 Fighter Jet outperformed the Shireck Model 1 Fighter Jet.


    ¡°These will be deducted from the aid funds, ten Camel Observation Planes,¡± Zhou Huaiyuan thought that such aid could effectively help the Qin Army grasp the movements of the Beastmen, a relatively cost-effective investment.


    ...


    But at the mere mention of Camel aircraft, the Qin Army¡¯s generals immediately shook their heads like rattle drums: ¡°We really don¡¯t need Camel Fighter Jets, we truly don¡¯t.¡±


    It was a joke, they had already seen the Camel Fighter Jets from the Dahua Empire; frankly speaking, those things were even worse than the Shireck Model 1 Fighter Jets, completely useless.


    If necessary, buying second-hand Camel Fighter Jets from the Dahua Empire would be much cheaper than obtaining the same fighter jets from Great Tang.


    ¡°But,¡± the Qin generals said in refusal to Zhou Huaiyuan¡¯s kind offer, and then continued, ¡°we hope to send some trainees to your country to learn advanced aircraft piloting techniques.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem. Cooperation between our two countries permits the exchange of trainees,¡± Zhou Huaiyuan, realizing the other party was not easy to deceive, gave up any deceptive intent and nodded in agreement to their request.


    After all, sticking a bunch of students into a civilian flight training school was no issue; they¡¯d only learn to fly C-47s or DC-3s, no big secret.


    Even sending pilots to Dragon Island to learn real Fighter Jet piloting skills was actually okay: no matter how skilled, piloting an I-16 Fighter Jet was unlikely to trouble a Great Tang Empire¡¯s Butcher Fighter Jet.


    ¡°The first batch of captured Beastmen is already en route to your country, and we hope our cooperation will continue indefinitely,¡± the Qin general said with a smile, making a welcoming gesture: ¡°For tonight¡¯s banquet, we have prepared desert lizard for General Zhou. Its soup is quite a delicacy.¡±


    ¡°My mouth is watering already,¡± Zhou Huaiyuan also gestured invitingly, and the two men made their way to the tower at the end of the city wall.


    The sandstorm was still fierce, beating against the sturdy walls with a series of sounds.


    ...


    Inside the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence department, several staff members were categorizing intelligence gathered from around the world. Their work was complicated and allowed for no mistakes.


    Much of the intelligence would be buried amid seemingly insignificant news, and only through careful classification could those who utilized the information obtain what they sought for their tasks.


    ¡°The Shireck Consortium is selling their shipyards, many shipyards on the Western Continent have already been sold to the Empires where they are located,¡± after reviewing the message, a female employee proficiently placed the document into the Shireck Type-2 drawer.


    ¡°Some Beastmen are trying to purchase Shireck Model 1 rifles in large quantities; they seem to have obtained about 30,000 rifles,¡± another employee briskly delivered the document to the corresponding Beastmen Type-1 drawer.


    ¡°Leines I held a selection of concubines yesterday, taking three more wives, strengthening ties with the Poplar Empire through marriage alliances,¡± yet another employee passed the information to a colleague, who took the intelligence to the Laines Empire category drawer, filing it in the Type-2 drawer.


    As they tirelessly classified these documents, two men pushed in a large box of new intelligence, stacking it in the corner next to other boxes, then swiftly left the room.


    Rubbing his sore shoulders and without time to complain, the official responsible for organizing the documents sighed and once again began to diligently sort through them.


    ¡°There is no such thing as strategizing from behind the scenes, deciding the outcome of battles from afar. Any analysis is built upon a complex and effective intelligence network; if this foundation is unstable, the entire structure can collapse in an instant.


    If there were advisors who, with a flick of their feather fan, can confidently declare ¡®I am certain this person will definitely do so and so,¡¯ then they are either immortals or charlatans.


    In reality, intelligence work is incredibly tedious and dull, mostly involving the stacking and summarization of data, with not a hint of any fantastical operations.


    Those scenes that appear only in TV dramas, where an undercover agent steals some classified documents from a crucial department, and then after a life-threatening journey delivers them to the hands of allies, hardly ever exist in real espionage work.


    The reason is quite simple: the intelligence you¡¯ve gone through great pains to deliver is a solitary piece of evidence; no one can be certain whether it¡¯s bait or the real deal.


    Thus, stories where intercepting a single enemy telegram or acquiring a photograph becomes the key to turning the tide in battle are nothing but light-hearted fiction that avoids the hard truths.


    In most cases, real intelligence work is about validation and aggregation: I¡¯ve obtained some information in advance and know you might have several options. Then, through investigative verification, I confirm your actions, which improves our side¡¯s response time¡ªif all this is carried out completely, it¡¯s already a very successful case of intelligence warfare.¡±


    In another department, the intelligence unit investigating Shireck¡¯s movements was in a meeting, Bai Fei sat at his seat, absentmindedly fidgeting with his pen.


    They already knew that Shireck was trying to save themselves: without having received a clear response of forgiveness from the Great Tang Group, Shireck had begun to do some things they had previously deemed beneath them.


    First of all, they discovered a major customer they had previously overlooked: Orcs had always been regarded as barbarians by humans and elves and excluded from the mainstream world.


    Now the desperate Shireck Consortium seemed to have lifted restrictions on selling weapons to orcs: a large number of Shireck rifles and old model cannons were flowing into the orc world, with specific amounts still being tallied.


    ¡°They are liquidating assets, selling off shipyards... These are a few of their profitable projects, which are now being sold to various empires,¡± Li¡¯ao sat at the head of the table, looking at the representatives from the military, along with several officials from the domestic affairs department, and said.


    ¡°We did not anticipate that they would be driven to desperate measures, and due to the massive influx and outflow of capital, we are now unable to accurately monitor the flow of Shireck¡¯s funds,¡± an official explained gloomily, ¡°Previously, we estimated that about tens of millions of Gold Coins were unaccounted for, but now this number might have to be increased to between 200 million and 300 million.¡±


    ¡°We once suspected that Sofia did not commit suicide, so we have always been trying to monitor the funds that Shireck had made disappear. But now it seems, these efforts have almost been wasted,¡± the financial expert of the intelligence department seated next to Bai Fei added.


    Bai Fei¡¯s fingers stopped fidgeting with the pen, and he said, ¡°The military¡¯s intelligence department is concerned that the large influx of arms into the orc world will affect the security environment in the southern part of Chu Country. If there is a problem there, our country¡¯s oil projects in Chu Country could be affected.¡±


    ¡°Energy security cannot be taken lightly. Lord Harry has already restarted negotiations with the Shireck Consortium, striving to stabilize them first... Our side must not let up either,¡± Li¡¯ao spoke up with a slightly hoarse voice to conclude.


    ¡°Another issue on the agenda is about establishing an intelligence relay station in Fengjiang...¡± Flipping the document to another page, Li¡¯ao moved on to a different topic: ¡°The rebuilding plan is already underway, and our three intelligence agencies will each need to plant their own people there.¡±


    ¡°In order to coordinate between departments and ensure security, as per the usual rules... a verification password must be set, and we will activate Security Protocol Number Nine... Any objections?¡± After asking the question, he scanned the room, looking at the officials present.


    ¡°No objections,¡± shook a few officials from the domestic affairs department; they were here to cooperate. If there were anything to dispute, it wouldn¡¯t be them, the small fry, who would step up.


    Bai Fei also knew he was just there to pick up the policy to report back; the military¡¯s intelligence department was already more focused on military-related intelligence analysis and wouldn¡¯t oppose such matters.


    So he promptly spoke up, ¡°The military intelligence department has no objections either; activating Security Protocol Number Nine is completely unproblematic.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at that for now! I will submit a report to Your Majesty after I return, the meeting is adjourned,¡± Li¡¯ao stood up, everyone else began to organize their materials and notes in front of them, and the room suddenly started bustling.


    Many people were discussing the matter of the Beastmen purchasing weapons from Shireck. They were speculating about the Beastmen¡¯s sources of funds, and some were seriously throwing around terms like ¡®gem mines¡¯ and ¡®treasures.¡¯


    That¡¯s right, the lands occupied by the Beastmen might indeed be impoverished, but they did have some output: multicolored gems were actually one of them. These things might not have much value in themselves, but they are greatly favored by the nobility, making many women go crazy for them...


    That¡¯s right, the lands occupied by the Beastmen might indeed be impoverished, but they did have some output: multicolored gems were actually one of them. These things might not have much value in themselves, but they are greatly favored by the nobility, making many women go crazy for them... making many women go crazy for them...¡±

 Chapter 893 893 816 bustling Fengjiang

    ?Chapter 893: 816 bustling Fengjiang Chapter 893: 816 bustling Fengjiang Fengjiang City could be described as a snapshot of Tang Country¡¯s construction during this period, the city was rebuilt by Tang Country, but governed jointly by Tang Country and Dahua.


    Fengjiang City was named after the Fengjiang River because the city was originally built next to this river.


    To better distinguish their management, Tang Country transformed the city to some extent during its reconstruction.


    Nowadays, the entire city no longer relies on the river for its construction but spans across the entirety of Fengjiang, with city areas set up along both banks of the river.


    Previously, the Dahua Empire had not designed it this way, mainly because their construction level was limited and they couldn¡¯t build bridges long enough to maintain transportation between the two banks.


    However, such a problem did not exist for Tang Country: upon constructing Fengjiang City, Tang Country built four major bridges across the river in one go.


    For this reason, the Dahua Empire also recognized Tang Country¡¯s full control over the old site of Fengjiang, adopting a feigned ignorance attitude toward the relocation of new Fengjiang City several kilometers toward Dahua.


    ...


    This was mainly because they could no longer insist on reconstructing Fengjiang at its original site due to the lack of a clear boundary, and they feared it would be difficult to manage.


    Given the dominance of the Great Tang Empire, should any conflict arise, it would be unclear and unexplainable, and they could even risk losing control¡ªyes, losing control!


    Who would dare to exploit their official position and make money on Tang Country¡¯s land by relying on Fengjiang? Should any issues truly arise, it seemed Tang Country could easily manipulate the situation, and half of Fengjiang City could end up belonging to them.


    Having the river provided some level of security, making it less likely for Tang Country to rashly occupy Fengjiang City over trivial reasons.


    With such a mindset, the new Fengjiang City was established, and Tang Country¡¯s construction crew took less than half a year to shape the whole Fengjiang City properly.


    The construction of the four dual-use bridges began first; the Fengjiang City side close to Tang Country first built a customs office and a train station, and then a continuous flow of materials arrived nearby, with skyscrapers starting to rise from the ground.


    Before the materials arrived, Dahua¡¯s captive laborers were digging various kinds of pits, some digging foundations, others digging pipelines. In short, the entire place was filled with large pits awaiting backfill and bustling scenes everywhere.


    In order to accelerate the construction speed, Tang Country even funded and hired numerous laborers from Dahua to start digging on the opposite bank simultaneously.


    Contractors sent their own engineers to dig pits according to Tang Country¡¯s construction requirements, waiting for the railway bridge to be built, and then pouring various pipelines and reinforced concrete that had been built into these pre-dug pits.


    Such construction greatly enhanced the speed of the building, and Fengjiang City quickly sprang up just as Brunas had years ago.


    Because pipelines were pre-laid, the wiring of various kinds went very smoothly; power plants and water plants on both sides were quickly put into operation, and the entire city visibly plumped up before one¡¯s eyes.


    Merchants, having sensed the opportunities, started flocking to the city while some savvy ones began investing and buying properties in the city, their speed astonishing.


    Even the statistics department on Tang Country¡¯s side showed that the investment in Fengjiang City¡¯s construction hadn¡¯t yet run out when it began generating substantial profits.


    The Great Tang Empire controlled the Fengjiang frontline, building river defense works along the embankment and even seriously installing two gun emplacements, deploying fully automated twin-mounted 380-caliber armored turrets.


    Meanwhile, Dahua Empire, on the other hand, could only pay out of pocket to build the same defensive works, constructing four large permanent defense work groups in one go, each equipped with twin-mounted 380-caliber large cannons.


    As a result... these cannons were ultimately ordered from Tang Country¡¯s military factories, using the same model as those on Tang Country¡¯s gun emplacements...


    The newly built Fengjiang City boasted a prosperity not seen in other cities of the Dahua Empire, shining with bright lights and bustling nightlife like Brunas, already dazzling even before the port was fully open.


    The city now appeared truly marvelous, and many officials from the Dahua Empire side saw endless business opportunities from such a start.


    In the future, countless fortunes would be born here, as long as Tang goods entered Dahua through this route or from Dahua into Tang, countless opportunities for manipulation would exist.


    Everyone was frantically pushing their trusted individuals here, all believing this place to be a massive, leaderless slice of fat.


    With the emergence of skyscrapers and the linkage of railways, trade between Tang Country and the Dahua Empire naturally began.


    The first batch headed to the Dahua Empire included goods unknown to them, even leaving customs officials puzzled about how to levy taxes on them.


    When Dahua Empire¡¯s border tax officials saw the luxury bags, clothes, and exquisite jewelry and jewels piled up on the train, they were utterly speechless.


    On the train, Tang Country ¡°merchants¡± responsible for the cargo carelessly grabbed a handful from the mountainous piles of goods and stuffed it into the hands of the Dahua Empire tax officials, who immediately felt the beauty of their job.


    Their daughters had long been waiting for such a necklace, wearing it to a banquet would greatly satisfy their vanity.


    Their wives had long desired such a dress, for only the highest women of society had heard of the fashion worn early on in other countries.


    They themselves had long wanted a timepiece that shimmered with light, the watches from Tang Country were more than just accurate, they symbolized status and wealth!


    The intelligence department of Tang Country paved their way with the wealth collected from various countries, in turn, injecting this money back into these nations as dirty funds, smoothing out connections everywhere, creating a path that was nearly unobstructed.


    If a ring couldn¡¯t solve a problem, then smash them with a necklace; if a necklace couldn¡¯t fix it, smash them with a car!


    For those who didn¡¯t want money, send them artworks from the Eastern Continent, famous paintings, calligraphy, gold and silver vessels, even exquisite porcelain from the Great Tang Empire.


    For those still difficult to sway, send beauties! Exotic Cat-girls, or how about versatile and aristocratic jazz ladies, or hot female celebrities, or beautiful and successful businesswomen?


    For officials themselves that are impregnable, target their children: free scholarships, cornerstone social events, shares in profitable companies, even helping to write famous poems and academic papers.


    Like to be famous? Then directly shoot them into movie fame, where investors and promoters help these kids become stars adored by thousands.


    Like power? Gather a bunch of rich and official second generations, who call you lord, young master, or big brother every day, capable of providing whatever you want, embodying the power to command the wind and rain.


    Under such a comprehensive and all-dimensional offensive, how could anyone resist temptation and remain virtuous in this torrent?


    This is the power of capital, unscrupulously strategizing an individual, corrupting a group, eroding a circle, destroying a country, almost as easy as flipping one¡¯s hand.


    ...


    The Tang Empire built four railways connecting to the Dahua Empire. These lines stretched from Fengjiang all the way east to Linshui.


    This was tantamount to transversing the entirety of Great Tang¡¯s eastern and western territories, complemented with a railway from Beiyuan City down south to the borders of Chu Country, forming a complete railway network of the Tang Empire.


    Spreading from these two main arteries were countless railways, covering the cities of the Tang Empire like a spider web.


    They played a critical role, along with the road network, acting like veins, supporting the giant that was the Tang Empire, filling it with strength.


    On the Dahua Empire side, they were also diligently constructing an east-west railway due to its immense economic value.


    By sending Qin Country¡¯s oil to Tang Country, the Dahua Empire could continuously collect these tolls, virtually gaining a railway for free.


    Moreover, this railway could also send the excess oil from the Dahua Empire to Tang Country, as the latter seemed to have an insatiable appetite for oil.


    This was truly a bizarre phenomenon: while other countries seemed to need oil, overall, everyone had a ¡°limit¡±; once their needs were fulfilled, they no longer had much means to handle surplus oil production.


    However, the Tang Empire was entirely different; it was like a bottomless pit, capable of consuming any amount of oil produced by other countries. Their thirst for oil seemed endless.


    Indeed, the Tang Country had a higher demand for oil than other countries: besides being refined into gasoline, Tang Country also had a plethora of chemical plants, waiting to extract all sorts of things from oil.


    Even the remnants of oil and coal products like asphalt were vital raw materials for modern infrastructure.


    The upstream industry of the asphalt sector includes petrochemicals, coal, modifiers, and emulsifiers, while the downstream includes highway construction, waterproof building materials, airport construction, and municipal road construction.


    In the complete petrochemical industry chain, the front-end products of oil asphalt are ethers, alkanes, hydrocarbons, benzene, and other major categories, and oil asphalt, obtained through coking processes at the end of crude oil processing, can be used to produce petroleum rubber.


    These items were all essential to modern industry, well-known plastics, and various other hi-tech materials, all extending from the oil product chain.


    Materials used in clothes, lighter helmets for the military, more malleable equipment casings, even transparent plexiglass ... these were all things that the Tang Group was fervently producing.


    As a partial substitute for metals, plastics were pivotal, so crucial that no integrated industrial product could circumvent this material.


    Plastics were necessary in cars, ships, airplanes, and even extensively used in firearms.

 Chapter 894 894 Young Empire of 817

    ?Chapter 894: Young Empire of 817 Chapter 894: Young Empire of 817 After peace had arrived, the world finally realized that the invasion of Tang Country in various fields was still unstoppable. They even began to suspect that defeating Tang Country on the battlefield might be more likely than defeating Tang Country in other fields.


    Having taken over a part of the Shireck industries, the Great Tang Group had almost penetrated into every industrial project. It seemed that even purchasing a mere screw was contributing to the modernization of Tang Country.


    When a nation¡¯s upper society prides itself on smoking Tang tobacco, wearing Tang clothing, driving Tang cars, and listening to Tang music, who could stop this bloody invasion?


    The Tang People, who controlled the discourse in almost every field, were invincible in any detail.


    When Tang Country¡¯s artists redefined a certain aesthetic, a nation¡¯s heritage and past suddenly seemed incompatible with modernization. All they had to do was shake their heads, and then no one would wear the garments and jewelry that had been passed down for thousands of years.


    The songs broadcasted on the radio were all performed by Tang Country idols. If you couldn¡¯t hum a couple of lines, you¡¯d be ostracized at school, looked down upon...


    ¡°A woman, no matter how poor, should have a decent handbag!¡± When such a slogan hung above the doorframe of Brunas department store, the concept of simple consumerism was immediately crushed to dust.


    ...


    Of course, in Tang Country, everything was a different picture: there were promotions for excellent scientists everywhere, and great laborers were being praised.


    Here, no one dared to defy the tone set by His Majesty The Emperor. To promote entertainment or consumerism within this country was nothing short of finding a noose for oneself.


    In the year after the war had ended, the employment rate in Tang Country had reached an astonishing near one hundred percent, not a single idle person, the entire country was bursting with life.


    In a year¡¯s time, the arable land area of Tang Country had doubled, all the seeds sown had been improved, and both cotton and grain harvested bountifully.


    The progress in industry was even more exaggerated. The goods produced here were almost supplying the entire world¡¯s consumption. The entire world was sharing the technological achievements of Tang Country, and everyone¡¯s life began to be closely related to Tang Country.


    Harry had started to get busy again; at the headquarters of the Great Tang Group in Linshui, he had to hold various meetings every day, and he and his wife Jenny could only return home once every half month.


    Every product of the Great Tang Group was popular, and all merchants operating Great Tang Group¡¯s products were making a killing.


    A new round of technological diffusion was quietly underway, with the newly established civil aviation companies mastering radio navigation technology, and new radio equipment starting to show its importance in various fields.


    Nations were frantically importing radio production equipment, fitting every ship, tank, and airplane with it.


    What followed was the issue of insufficient engine power, unable to charge the devices, unable to provide enough electricity for the radio stations.


    Then, the nations began a new round of importing high-power engines: this infinite loop once again caused financial difficulties for countries around the world.


    Afterward came various schemes for borrowing money, and after a round of realization, the higher-ups of the nations discovered that the money they owed to Tang Country had not decreased, and the money owed to others was mounting.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to learn from setbacks; we cannot lend money to these countries anymore. They can¡¯t repay it, and will only owe more, then they start having nefarious ideas,¡± Tang Mo said to several political figures in charge of Tang Country¡¯s finances.


    Sitting in the conference room were Princess Alice, the Empire¡¯s Finance Minister Simon, and of course, the head of the Empire Bank, Van Kums.


    These individuals were financial behemoths; any one of them could make other Empires¡¯ emperors come out to greet them with beaming smiles.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped, as they held the world¡¯s purse strings, and almost no country did not owe them money.


    ¡°Therefore, to diversify risks, we established the Shireck Bank and the brand new International Financial Capital Bank, to provide loans to these countries under the names of these institutions,¡± Alice said slyly, very satisfied with the plan Tang Mo had recommended to her.


    Shireck Bank, naturally, was a financial institution of the Shireck Consortium that was actually under the control of the Great Tang Empire behind the scenes. It was newly established, with funding provided by the Great Tang Group.


    On the surface, Shireck Bank was independent, and it had nothing to do with the National Bank of the Great Tang Empire. So, even if a war was waged against the Great Tang, the money owed to Shireck could not be repudiated.


    And the International Financial Capital Bank was even more interesting; behind it were the money laundering banks for various countries¡¯ gangsters and politicians. National officials, gang leaders, nobility, wealthy gentry, and landlords all stored their money in this bank, with an extremely complicated background.


    So, thinking of borrowing money from this bank without paying it back would require considering the collective reaction of the country¡¯s gangsters and nobility ministers.


    Money can indeed be borrowed, but trying not to repay what you owe is rather difficult. Yet, nations needed to borrow even more money to keep up with the times, procuring more advanced equipment.


    The principle is actually quite simple: if someone else¡¯s glass production line gets upgraded, should yours try to keep pace? What if you don¡¯t have the money for an upgrade? Well, you have to find someone to borrow from, right?


    So what about if someone else¡¯s steel metallurgy production line is upgraded? Or their fertilizer production line? Or their engine production line?


    ¡°Currently, overall, the borrowing levels of nations are still within a safe range. Every country has its financial experts, and they are working hard to stabilize their own economy,¡± Simon chimed in.


    Compared with purely industrial technology, traditional financial fields still have a talent pool that can keep up with Tang Country¡¯s development in this area.


    After all, it¡¯s much easier to adopt a new set of financial practices than to learn a new set of technologies. Technical aspects are hardcore: without understanding and accumulation, you can¡¯t succeed. Financial knowledge is more transferable; innovation might not be easy, but following along and understanding is much simpler.


    There might be loopholes to exploit in the short term, but over time, everyone will understand the basic operating model of this system.


    The people capable of serving as a country¡¯s Finance Minister aren¡¯t fools, and they are often assisted by many well-intentioned helpers wearing dandelion rings...


    ¡°The trade surplus is just too large. Continuing like this may not benefit us either, so I suggest that even if it¡¯s a bit wasteful, we should try to return some of the profits,¡± Alice suggested to Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo nodded; he also knew that if he was the only one making money in the whole world, the economy could very well stagnate or even collapse.


    It¡¯s not hard to make money from others, at least not for him as a transmigrator, but that assumes the other party has money. If the whole world were impoverished, whom could he seek to make profit from?


    ¡°You make a good point. In the grand scheme, we have indeed pressured other countries into a corner. This is not a good sign,¡± Tang Mo said. ¡°Let¡¯s drive up the prices of agricultural products to encourage these countries to export farm by-products.¡±


    ¡°This is already in progress. We¡¯re purchasing a large number of live cattle, pigs, as well as sheep meat and seafood in the international market...¡± Alice explained helplessly, ¡°We¡¯ve even set up large chicken farms in many places, encouraging these countries to breed poultry...¡±


    Her tone was full of grievance: ¡°To reduce the trade surplus, international trade prices for meat and agricultural products have already more than doubled compared to the past... Moreover, it¡¯s only us importing these items in large quantities, and the prices for similar domestic goods have hit rock bottom.¡±


    ¡°Still, we need to raise some prices; there has to be hope for these countries,¡± Tang Mo acknowledged the issue.


    Tang Country¡¯s agricultural production received huge subsidies because the agricultural products farmed by peasants simply couldn¡¯t fetch a good price.


    With the market flooded by a vast quantity of imported goods, and the populace newly wealthy with low demand for meat products, the only solution remained to stimulate consumption through price cuts.


    Frankly, the financial experts of the Great Tang Empire and their foreign counterparts were at the same level; they were inexperienced and frequently caused issues, which then had to be suppressed by the vast capital of the Great Tang Empire.


    After all, Tang Mo¡¯s mind only contained certain technologies; as for economic knowledge, he could only rely on his amateurish and vague recollections to occasionally offer some advice.


    Thus, the Great Tang Empire was not a superpower without weaknesses: its most significant issue was that besides technological leadership, it had no clear advantage in finance and system structure.


    Perhaps its system was more advanced than a pure feudal lordship, but in reality, it relied even more on the spirit of ¡°young bureaucratic system¡± that rose with the new empire.


    This system hadn¡¯t been wholly corrupted; under the influence of many new ideas, it was still effective in implementing imperial policies.


    As for the problems that arose during its growth, those had to be handled just like any other country: meet force with force and stem the tide with filler.


    However, there were differences. The troubles faced by Tang Country were self-made during the trials of implementing new systems, while other nations¡¯ troubles stemmed from the pressures of the Tang Country¡¯s new systems.


    ¡°Well... If necessary, we could further raise the price of coal... It¡¯s simply less of a hassle to stockpile,¡± Alice spoke glumly.


    Storing oil was too troublesome. Tang Country already had too many oil import channels, and raising the price of oil would be undeniably sensitive.


    Dragon Island, Chu Country, Qin Country, Dahua Empire, and the oil fields in the south... So much oil converging on Tang Country surely created storage pressures.


    Coal was different; even if it was piled in the open, with a plot of land and proper fire control measures, there would be no problems in the short term.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go ahead with your plan, then,¡± Tang Mo said, amicably nodding his head in agreement.

 Chapter 895 895 Teacher Xiao 818

    ?Chapter 895: Teacher Xiao 818 Chapter 895: Teacher Xiao 818 This was a small county town marked merely by a tiny dot on the map, over 100 kilometers away from Tongcheng, which had gradually prospered thanks to the developmental opportunities presented by Tongcheng.


    The residents here never imagined that their ancestral home could one day host a school, or that over a dozen teachers would be assigned to it.


    These teachers taught children all sorts of knowledge every day, and the children¡¯s parents were truly grateful to these dedicated individuals who had come from afar.


    In places with a dense population, Tang Country established schools and assigned some teachers to these schools for a term of three years before a new group was selected to replace the incumbent faculty who had served for several years.


    Of course, if the teachers found their other halves and wished to stay, Tang Country would provide special subsidies to help them live better in the locality.


    Unlike Huaxia, which directly dispatched teachers for educational support, Tang Country built houses in the areas in need. This approach ensured a basic standard of living for the teachers so that those willing to contribute would not have to suffer unduly.


    Another important reason for this was that teaching assignments in Tang Country were not voluntary poverty assistance efforts but a ¡°career experience¡± that all new teachers graduating from teacher-training colleges had to undergo.


    ...


    Due to a severe shortage of teaching staff in the short term, all teacher-training graduates were considered national resources to be strategically allocated by the state.


    New teachers who were unwilling to participate in teaching assignments, that is, those who did not comply with the distribution, would not be assigned work, and even risked losing the qualification to teach in Tang Country.


    It was not that nobody truly resisted participating in teaching assignments. They were sent to other countries to teach and disseminate knowledge. Although they might enjoy high treatment abroad, what they lost was the qualification to be involved in education within Tang Country.


    As Tang Mo put it, teachers lacking a spirit of dedication did not deserve to educate the excellent next generation of the Great Tang Empire¡ªalthough this statement might seem somewhat absolute, it was imperative that His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s will be implemented.


    On the school playground, two classes of children were having a physical education lesson, which was a genuine gym class where students completed basic gymnastic movements on the parallel bars and ran laps, sweating out their energy.


    According to Tang Country¡¯s educational policy, no teacher could take over the students¡¯ physical education classes, due to a national necessity: Tang Country needed a large number of physically robust youngsters to serve as construction workers and soldiers, hence there were demands on students¡¯ physique.


    In this era, the majority of people didn¡¯t value office workers highly; society needed more laborers, workers, farmers, and military personnel.


    Inside the relatively spacious and bright classrooms, the students sat in neat rows, standing tall and looking up at the teacher in front of the blackboard, who was explaining the complex knowledge found in textbooks.


    Compared to Huaxia¡¯s education, Tang Country¡¯s clearly had a ¡°crash course¡± nature. After all, most of Tang Country¡¯s officials had been cultivated from crash courses.


    Therefore, as opposed to Huaxia¡¯s insistence on a 12-year education prior to university, Tang Country¡¯s 7-year education seemed rather impatient.


    However, Tang Country had a high age of school entry; students could enroll in elementary school before the age of 12. Indeed, the curriculum of primary school was only two years, and junior high was merely a brief four years.


    Yes, Tang Country implemented not nine years of compulsory education, but four, with only two years each for primary and junior high school.


    These four years were entirely free of charge, and all children of the right age had to attend: at about eight years old, they were sent to school to learn, and those who couldn¡¯t advance were allowed to continue until they had completed four years before being allowed to ¡°stay at home and await employment.¡±


    Only the most rigorously selected students, with stronger abilities, had the opportunity to go on to high school for further training. These high school graduates could be considered ¡°outstandingly capable¡± grassroots officials in any country.


    After completing high school, these graduates were accustomed to obedience, had mastered vast amounts of academic knowledge, and were highly adaptable.


    Most of them chose to pursue advanced studies and attend university to learn more profound specialized knowledge.


    The overwhelming majority of students went through the entire schooling process free of charge, and those who excelled in both character and studies could even receive allowances to support their families¡¯ expenses. Only students whose academic performance was slightly below average and whose families were extremely wealthy had to pay if they couldn¡¯t complete their education.


    These ¡°self-funded¡± students were also barred from taking civil service exams and could not serve as officers in the military directly; they could only return home to inherit millions, leading a life aimlessly.


    For this world, Tang Country¡¯s education was advanced, both in scale and investment, which was envied by many. However, Tang Country¡¯s education system still had its primordial and rough edges, fraught with various problems.


    Parents of that era didn¡¯t care about such things as children¡¯s psychological development. A teacher beating a child would find no recourse, and often, after being punished at school, a child could expect another beating from their father, as if from a ¡°seven wolves¡± at home.


    Such crude methods of forcibly encouraging education were not scientific, but no one scrutinized them at that time. For the entire society, having a place to study was already a luxury in some sense.


    ¡°Have you heard that you¡¯re leaving this place?¡± asked a woman who, if not for living in Tang Country, might never have had the chance to send her child to school, blocking the teacher at the school entrance, who was about to get on her bicycle and leave.


    The teacher stopped what she was doing, nodded, and explained, ¡°I can¡¯t help it, I¡¯ve been here for three years, and I must leave now.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. I heard from my child that you¡¯re going back to Tongcheng...¡± The child¡¯s parent removed the basket hanging from her arm and lifted the old cloth that covered it.


    Inside the basket were some eggs, nothing of great value. The female teacher quickly waved her hands to decline the gift, ¡°What is this for? Your family isn¡¯t wealthy either, please take it back!¡±


    ¡°No, Teacher Xiao, you¡¯ve been teaching our child for over a year, and our child has really become much more sensible and is very focused on studying. My husband said we must thank you.¡± The woman, holding the basket, began a desperate tugging contest at the school gate.


    ¡°There are rules at the school, we are not allowed to accept gifts! Besides, I am a teacher, it¡¯s my duty to educate!¡± replied Teacher Xiao, pushing the basket away, worried that the eggs inside would get broken.


    ¡°Teacher! I¡¯ve inquired about this! A leaving teacher taking a few eggs isn¡¯t considered accepting a gift! Please take them! You must take them!¡± The woman was very insistent, truly grateful for the changes the teacher had brought to her child.


    Although their family wasn¡¯t wealthy, they were not that poor either. Tang Country provided many subsidies for farmers, and her family had followed the agricultural official¡¯s advice, raising chickens and ducks, so their life was not that hard.


    In fact, due to the enormous trade surplus, doing just about anything within Tang Country didn¡¯t make for a difficult life.


    ¡°I am going back to Tongcheng this time to become a high school teacher. If Liu Cong keeps up this enthusiasm for learning, he can go on to attend high school in Tongcheng!¡± Teacher Xiao said while pushing the basket away and explained, ¡°I might end up teaching him then, and if I accept your gift now, I won¡¯t be able to maintain an impartial heart in the future, so I cannot accept this gift!¡±


    Seeing the other¡¯s troubled look, Teacher Xiao added, ¡°Rest assured, there are government subsidies, and he will be able to access more knowledge and become a more useful person.¡±


    People were not yet completely used to the idea of having government subsidies for education, so it was necessary to remind them from time to time.


    Indeed, after hearing this, the farm woman no longer pushed the basket in her hands so hard, ¡°Teacher Xiao, how should our family thank you, then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all part of the job, this is what I am supposed to do.¡± The female teacher smiled, waved her hand, mounted her bicycle, and hurried away.


    If the other person started pushing that basket of eggs again, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to buy a cake from the new cake shop on her way home.


    Although a bit expensive, the cake shop was special because the pastry chef had returned from learning his craft in Tongcheng, and his skills were genuinely authentic and delicious.


    The farmer woman left standing at the school gate, holding the eggs, watched the occasional teacher walk out and finally left with a heavy heart.


    Such incidents often occurred at the school gate, where many children¡¯s parents would come to give things. They were not allowed inside the school, as there were guards stationed at the entrance.


    Although no one pursued the matter of teachers accepting some gifts when they left their posts, these teachers would still refuse such gifts.


    For fear of suspicion, these promising teachers would refuse any gifts¡ªafter all, a teacher received two paid vacations a year; it was considered a relatively free and good job.


    After all, this was the Great Tang Empire, where everyone worked hard to contribute to the Empire¡¯s increasing prosperity.


    No one was willing to lose such a good job over some gifts; they preferred to enjoy their teacher¡¯s benefits in the future with a clear conscience.


    Tang Country was very generous to excellent teachers, even going as far as to provide them with housing, cash rewards, and solving many life difficulties, etc.


    Moreover, if they performed exceptionally well, the nation was even willing to allocate cars as rewards. This was why most teachers were willing to follow the nation¡¯s allocation and endure hardship in remote areas.


    ¡ª-


    Three chapters today, continuing tomorrow!

 Chapter 896 896 819 Eyewitnesses

    ?Chapter 896: 819 Eyewitnesses Chapter 896: 819 Eyewitnesses In the noisy bar, a man reeking of fish sat down in a booth, making the dancers next to him instinctively move away.


    The next second, he slapped several gold coins onto the table, and those women who had been avoiding him returned with smiles plastered all over their faces.


    They greedily snatched up the gold coins from the table and, enduring the nauseating smell of the sea, flung themselves onto the man, allowing him to grope and toy with them.


    This was clearly not a place concerned with decency, so nobody cared about anything, both parties were merely playing their parts¡ªone providing money and the other selling their bodies, every aspect was incredibly natural.


    ¡°You¡¯d better have brought back some useful information this time,¡± said the man seated in the booth, clutching a glass of fine wine, flanked by higher-class women.


    He wore a suit from Tang Country, appearing cultured and gentlemanly, so the women were more willing to earn his money; they too could enjoy themselves during the transaction.


    ¡°All my information is bought with my life, heh heh,¡± the man said, holding the waist of a woman next to him and grabbing the prepared beer in front of him, gulping it down in one go, then smashing the glass onto the table: ¡°Ah! Refreshing!¡±


    ...


    ¡°This is for you,¡± the cultured man said, pulling a check from his breast pocket and pushing it toward the man. All the women¡¯s eyes were fixed on that check, many seeing the conspicuous number ¡°500¡± under the dim lights.


    A whole 500 gold coins¡ªa fortune unimaginable for an ordinary person. Yet, in this den of iniquity, some could spend 500 gold coins in just one night.


    The man grabbed the check from Shireck Bank and carelessly stuffed it into his pocket, then, holding a woman, said, ¡°Over 600 kilometers south of Dragon Island, I saw a Stuka flying in the sky.¡±


    ¡°Your job was to gather intelligence, not spout nonsense!¡± the man holding the wine glass was shocked by the information the other man brought back.


    As an expert in intelligence, and one who had dealt with many weapons from Tang Country over the years, he was no laughingstock but a true expert of repute.


    From the battles of Qi Country to those between Dahua Empire and Tang Country, gathered from data of thousands of flight missions, no Stuka Dive Bomber had undertaken bombing missions extending beyond 300 kilometers.


    This had almost become a consensus, and it was believed that the range of Tang Army¡¯s single-engine fighters and bombers was about 600 kilometers.


    In other words, 300 kilometers was about the maximum attack range of these Stuka dive bombers; beyond that, they couldn¡¯t return to their base.


    Compared to the range of aircraft from other countries, this was not short; they were all approximately the same distance without a significant difference.


    But to claim to have seen a Stuka dive bomber at sea was highly abnormal.


    ¡°There are no islands nearby, are you sure everything you saw was real?¡± the initially gentle man leaned forward, scrutinizing the fish-smelling man closely.


    ¡°You know me, I never talk nonsense... that¡¯s why my information is so valuable, isn¡¯t it?¡± the man with the stench of the sea said as he grabbed another glass of wine, downing it in a gulp before again slamming the glass onto the table.


    ¡°Did you really see it with your own eyes?¡± the suited man reclined into the booth¡¯s sofa, staring at the man for confirmation.


    ¡°I really did see it with my own eyes! It was a Stuka, genuine and authentic,¡± the man, a yearly seafarer, had genuinely seen a Stuka dive bomber flying in that maritime area.


    ¡°This is not good news!¡± muttered the man in the suit, suddenly uncertain of what to do.


    At this moment, he was frantically wondering why Tang Country¡¯s Stuka would appear in the maritime area over 600 kilometers south of Dragon Island.


    Logically, this was utterly impossible¡ªunless Tang Country had found a way to extend the aircraft¡¯s range significantly.


    From any perspective, this was not good news; what used to be a non-safe zone of about 300 kilometers over land was clearly extending to well beyond 600 kilometers.


    For the navies of various countries that considered Tang Country¡¯s Dragon Island a hypothetical target, this was a complete disaster!


    If a circle of 600 kilometers radius centered on Tang-controlled islands were drawn, plus the possible flight path from Island A to transfer to Island B, the range of Tang Nation Air Force¡¯s control was terrifyingly expanded.


    That¡¯s almost like saying a third of the Endless Sea is a danger zone; how can the navies of various nations even operate?


    Furthermore, with the mysterious Tang Country submarines, good lord! More than half of the Endless Sea is a danger zone; how can one even fight this war?


    ¡°Later, I was chased away by a destroyer, a destroyer from Tang Country, very fast. It had a big iron lump on it, just like what I showed you before, I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s for,¡± the man reeking of fish spoke up, adding more to the conversation as the other party remained silent.


    Destroyers of Tang Country had been photographed by many, and these new warships had a peculiar device above their bridges, usually covered with canvas and hard to see clearly, though some photos captured a rough idea of its odd shape.


    The radar installed on the Tang Country warships was still a novelty, unknown to the navies of other nations.


    However, as more and more new destroyers of Tang Country appeared, navies from various countries gradually discovered that Tang Country¡¯s navy had equipped a new device, but its purpose remained unknown.


    Complete secrecy was nearly impossible, but Tang Country had a special place, Dragon Island, where aircraft carriers secretly built were still a secret weapon unknown to the rest of the world.


    ¡°Alright, I got it,¡± the man in the suit stood up, casually tossed a few silver coins to the woman by his side, and walked away without looking back.


    The man surrounded by women didn¡¯t mind the departure and shifted his full attention to the women on either side, becoming even more unrestrained.


    The women¡¯s moans were drowned out by the music, and the bright lights hitting the spinning disco ball filled with colored glass, transformed the entire atmosphere of the bar into something magical.


    Walking out of the bar, the man in the suit got into a car and soon disappeared into the night. The car arrived at a modest-looking manor outside the city, slowly stopping at the huge building¡¯s entrance.


    The man got out of the car and quickly walked into the place: it was the intelligence agency of the Dorne Empire, responsible for gathering intelligence from other nations.


    Soon, the conference room was filled with people, all discussing the new intelligence they had just received, and many officials wore worried expressions on their faces.


    ¡°We must find out the reason why their aircraft¡¯s range has increased! If we don¡¯t, we might suffer in the next war,¡± a Dorne intelligence official was the first to emphasize.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but we indeed have no way to approach Dragon Island. The residents who land at Weigang and want to cross the entire Dragon Island into Dragon Harbor, it¡¯s almost an impossible task, as it¡¯s a military zone and civilians have long been barred from entering,¡± another official said helplessly.


    They were not considering approaching Dragon Island for the first time; ever since various advanced aircraft started being manufactured there, many had contemplated strategies to approach Dragon Island and gather information.


    Two years ago, some people pretended to be merchants to get close to Dragon Harbor, but later the commercial transport of Dragon Island shifted to Weigang, and Dragon Harbor was almost closed to outsiders.


    In such circumstances, anyone trying to approach Dragon Harbor was undertaking a very dangerous task; they had to traverse Dragon Island and risk crossing Tang Army¡¯s lines¡ªit was nearly impossible.


    ¡°Maybe... they¡¯re just testing the maximum range of the aircraft,¡± suggested an official from a distance.


    On one hand, Tang Country indeed had some new weapons and equipment under experimentation; on the other, a lot of the intelligence about Tang Country later turned out to be completely baseless.


    Intelligence agencies around the world, half-informed, had received strange intelligence and scared themselves more than once.


    ¡°Shireck¡¯s investigation team once found an external fuel tank on the battlefield of the Dahua Empire; perhaps Tang People could carry such tanks to increase their aircraft¡¯s operational range,¡± he finished, and the room fell silent.


    Before Shireck transferred his shares to Tang Mo, he freely shared some of the intelligence data he had investigated with other countries.


    This move was also the last struggle of some Shireck directors hostile to Tang Country; their action indeed had a significant impact, at least in some ways, strengthening other nations¡¯ intelligence departments.


    ¡°That thing¡ªwe¡¯ve checked with technical personnel from Tang Country, and they admitted it¡¯s a range-extending fuel tank, not a special bomb...¡± he continued in the silence.


    Indeed, his analysis made sense. Such auxiliary fuel tanks used as a range-extending measure for Butcher fighters were no longer a secret.


    Many Butcher fighters would carry such tanks to increase their airtime, allowing them to stay longer on the front lines.


    ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned a possibility, we also have to consider another possibility!¡± The leading intelligence official set the tone for the whole affair: this was also a way they applied for funding, the more investigation projects they had, the more funding they could secure.

 Chapter 897 897 The massive fleet on the high seas

    ?Chapter 897: The massive fleet on the high seas Chapter 897: The massive fleet on the high seas Over 700 kilometers away from Dragon Island, in the southern seas, a colossal fleet was navigating the waters. On a destroyer cruising in the distance, radar was actively scanning the surrounding sea surface, ensuring that no vessels could approach the true core of the fleet.


    The very heart of the entire fleet was the four massive aircraft carriers sailing in the middle. Flanking the aircraft carriers on both sides were two bulky battleships cutting through the waves as they moved.


    The flat decks of the four aircraft carriers were packed with Naval Stuka Dive Bombers and brand-new Pirate Fighters.


    Interestingly, while the Air Force of Tang Country was gradually phasing out the Stuka Dive Bomber, the Navy was increasing its number of Stuka Dive Bombers.


    Judging by the two models of aircraft equipped by the Navy, Marshal Bernard seemed to have a special fondness for the inverted gull wing design, utilized in both the Stuka and Pirate models.


    This wing type allowed the landing gear to be shortened, enabling the aircraft to carry larger bombs while using shorter landing gear.


    The Stuka Dive Bombers could carry a 500-kilogram aerial bomb or opt for an aerial torpedo, thanks in large part to their inverted gull wing design.


    ...


    Of course, no matter how you looked at it, the fixed front landing gear of the Stuka Dive Bomber was considered outdated.


    But Naval Aviation, especially carrier-based aviation that was already a late starter, naturally had no reason to complain about their equipment being behind the times.


    Besides, the non-retractable front landing gear did reduce airspeed, but it also somewhat increased drag and improved dive bombing performance¡ªit wasn¡¯t utterly useless as one might imagine.


    After all, few of Tang Country¡¯s competitors could match the Stuka Dive Bombers, let alone have fighter jets that could catch up, so being a bit technologically behind didn¡¯t really hinder their practical use in combat.


    The Tang Country aircraft carriers, which almost plagiarized the American Essex-class aircraft carrier, had a full load displacement of over 34,000 tons and were undoubtedly considered maritime behemoths.


    Despite the aircraft carriers¡¯ displacement not matching that of contemporary battleships, their high freeboard and reduced armor made them appear much more massive than battleships.


    Each aircraft carrier was equipped with three elevators; their decks stretched close to 266 meters in length and over 44 meters in width, ensuring the launch and retrieval of the carrier-based aircraft.


    Sailing alongside them, the full load displacement of Tang Country¡¯s version of the new Bismarck-class battleships exceeded 50,000 tons, making them look somewhat sleeker in comparison.


    After all, these two battleships built by Tang Country, intended as armed escorts for the aircraft carriers, were less than 242 meters in length and only 36 meters wide, seeming smaller than the Tang version of the Essex-class aircraft carrier.


    The new Tang battleships, rigged with countless anti-aircraft guns and completely forgoing the manual 37mm guns, had a similar function to America¡¯s duck decoy: they were designed to serve as shields for Tang Country¡¯s aircraft carriers.


    It was absolutely necessary to build such shields since, in complex battle situations, the small stature of the destroyers alone couldn¡¯t guarantee the absolute safety of the carriers.


    However, unlike the historical Bismarck that ventured out alone to engage in commerce warfare, the primary function of Tang Country¡¯s battleships was to serve as anti-aircraft platforms beside the aircraft carriers.


    Thus, compared to the historically anti-aircraft weapon-deficient Bismarck battleship, Tang Country¡¯s battleship was piled up with as many anti-aircraft guns as possible.


    This led to the ship¡¯s silhouette being cluttered with uneven rows of barrels, resembling a hedgehog more than the sleek and clean profile of the historical Bismarck.


    To enhance the combat capabilities of its battleship, Tang Mo had installed new radar systems and radio proximity fuses on the battleship¡ªa technology so precise and cutting-edge that it was not yet equipped by Tang Country¡¯s land-based Anti-Aircraft Artillery Troops.


    With the Navy¡¯s projectiles either exploding in the air or plummeting into the sea, it made sense to prioritize equipping such a potent anti-aircraft weapon.


    The Bismarck-class battleship¡¯s 128mm dual-purpose high-angle guns were all outfitted with this kind of ammunition, significantly enhancing their anti-air capabilities.


    Of course, the battleship teemed with numerous 88mm and 40mm anti-aircraft guns¡ªthey were as plentiful as hairs on an ox.


    In reality, owning air supremacy over the seas, Tang Country did not need to load a battleship with so many anti-aircraft guns. However, Tang Mo still felt that caution was prudent, recalling how the Bismarck of the past life was sunk by the outdated 37mm anti-aircraft guns.


    To ensure the complete safety of the aircraft carriers, none of the anti-aircraft guns on the Essex-class carriers were omitted.


    The entire Tang Country Navy Fleet was like a floating anti-aircraft artillery position, brimming with various air defense weapons.


    If one were to solely examine the design of Tang Country¡¯s destroyers, they would notice that in maintaining ferocious anti-air firepower, even the capability for naval artillery combat had been diminished.


    Without torpedoes as a desperate measure, Tang Country destroyers might suffer greatly in battles against enemy destroyers.


    The spacious deck somewhat compensated for the poor landing visibility of Tang Country¡¯s Pirate Fighters. After all, with the carriers¡¯ decks being so expansive, precision was not paramount when landing aircraft.


    To ensure that pilots could safely land their aircraft on the deck of the aircraft carrier, Tang Mo had introduced the Fresnel Optical Landing System.


    This system was invented by the British in 1952 after the end of World War II and was not meant to be deployed on early aircraft carriers.


    However, Tang Mo was a man from a later time, and with relevant data and blueprints at his disposal, this system¡ªwhich was not particularly precise or advanced¡ªwas directly equipped on Tang Country¡¯s first-generation aircraft carriers.


    With extremely detailed blueprints and actual combat data, the starting point for Tang Country¡¯s aircraft carriers was very high, virtually no different from modern aircraft carriers.


    The reason he didn¡¯t directly use an angled deck design was that Tang Mo was not yet ready to immediately deploy jet aircraft into combat, and he also planned to sell some aircraft carriers at an opportune moment to make some extra profit.


    After all, wasn¡¯t he an arms dealer? Reducing any weapon to its price tag had almost become second nature to him in his line of work.


    To him, aircraft carriers were certainly not something that could not be sold, and selling them would not pose any threat to his country¡¯s navy: haven¡¯t you seen that even when Russia sold the Gorshkov to India, the Indian navy didn¡¯t get that much stronger, did they?


    Anyway, when I sell you an Essex-class, I can use the Fujian-class ... Well, we are all brothers!


    ¡°The second strike group has completed formation!¡± An officer approached Bernard, who was waiting for news on the bridge, and saluted to report.


    Bernard took up his binoculars and saw the Stuka dive bombers that had already formed up in the distant sky, nodding with satisfaction.


    To train a group of carrier-based pilots capable of combat as quickly as possible, they had been drifting at sea lately.


    The outer layer of destroyers was responsible for driving away fishing boats and other naval warships, ensuring that this large fleet of aircraft carriers would not be discovered at close quarters.


    Fleet supplies relied entirely on supply ships, which also constituted a remarkable feat: while testing the striking abilities of experimental carrier-based aircraft, they also experimented with various new supply technologies for the supply fleet.


    This included lateral underway replenishment, vertical replenishment, and other initiatives¡ªvital technologies to ensure that the fleet could sustain high-intensity operations at sea. Without these technologies, it would be impossible to ensure that one¡¯s own fleet could maintain continuous, high-intensity combat operations at sea.


    ¡°This is a telegram from Sea Wolf 411, a fishing boat has been spotted aft and to the side of the fleet, heading in the same direction as our fleet,¡± another officer walked over and reported the latest message to Bernard.


    To ensure absolute secrecy for the fleet, Tang Country not only deployed destroyers equipped with radar on the perimeter, but also scattered many submarines, creating an airtight security perimeter around the fleet.


    This telegram was sent by a submarine that had spotted a suspicious fishing boat, warning the fleet to be prepared and to remain concealed.


    ¡°Following us?¡± Bernard was startled, then a mocking smile appeared on his face. His fleet could reach speeds over 55 kilometers per hour, making it quite difficult for a fishing boat to give chase.


    ¡°It could be, or it could be a coincidence. But its proximity is too close, somewhat dangerous,¡± the adjutant expressed his opinion.


    ¡°Order a destroyer from the rear of the fleet to intercept it!¡± Bernard made a decision almost at the same time.


    ¡°Understood!¡± The officer saluting once more and then turned to relay the message.


    In no time, one of the destroyers that had been following the fleet flickered its searchlight twice before quickly changing course.


    Due to its high speed, the bow of the destroyer shattered the waves, leaving two white trails on the sea. Its hull tilted during the high-speed turn, looking quite thrilling.


    ¡°Woo!¡± As it charged towards the fishing boat, all the cannons on the destroyer aimed at the unidentified fishing boat and sounded the whistle, issuing a deafening alarm.


    ¡°Raise the flag! Emit the international light signal! Warn the other party they are interfering with the navigation of our ship! Order them to change course immediately!¡± The captain of the Tang Country destroyer put down his binoculars and ordered his adjutant.


    ¡°The other party is sending signals, emphasizing that this is international waters on the universal frequency...¡± Shouted the officer who was monitoring the radio channel.


    ¡°Send the signal as I¡¯ve said! And remind them on the radio that if they continue to interfere with our ship, we will open fire and sink them!¡± The captain spoke coldly, ¡°I hope they do not provoke the Great Tang Navy!¡±


    Once again lifting his binoculars, the captain saw that the other fishing boat was still maintaining its original course. As the seconds ticked by, thirty seconds later, the captain put down the binoculars: ¡°Load the main gun! Raise the battle flag! Prepare for combat!¡±


    ¡°Load the main gun! Raise the battle flag! Prepare for combat!¡± The adjutant turned his back, raised his voice, and issued the combat order.


    Seconds later, the fishing boat flying the flag of the Laines Empire began to change course, speeding away as if fleeing.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    The update will be very late, so everyone watch it tomorrow morning...

 Chapter 898 898 821 Intelligence is very important

    ?Chapter 898: 821 Intelligence is very important Chapter 898: 821 Intelligence is very important National power is sometimes an overt strong presence. When a country¡¯s national power is robust, its subjects tend to unconsciously display a rightful dominance in their external actions.


    On the Great Tang Empire¡¯s destroyer, as single-barreled 127mm caliber cannons pointed toward a distant fishing boat, the gunners were genuinely prepared to fire.


    This was not a timid threat but a sincere desire to execute orders and achieve merit.


    All soldiers had rushed to their battle stations, and sailors, wearing orange life jackets, looked through the anti-aircraft gun sights at distant targets under the rims of their steel helmets.


    They were just waiting for the command to unload their ammunition on the target until the inconspicuous little fishing boat was sunk.


    To their regret, before the command to attack was issued, the distant boat began to turn and constantly repeated the light signal ¡°We mean no harm.¡±


    Even other countries¡¯ warships would steer clear of the aggressive Tang Imperial destroyer like avoiding a mad dog, let alone such a fishing boat.


    ...


    Soon, the fishing boat became nothing more than a small blip on the radar screen. The Tang destroyer remained vigilant, following the fishing boat from behind until it was far from the fleet before turning back.


    The Tang destroyer, capable of reaching a super-high speed of 60 kilometers per hour at critical moments, had no trouble catching up to the fleet.


    After escorting the fishing boat away, the destroyer once again whipped around like a bolt of lightning, tracing an elegant arc across the sea.


    On the departing fishing boat, a sailor fiddled with a still costly camera, and the captain, sweating profusely, stood silently on the deck looking in the direction of the stern.


    Indeed, they were a fishing boat, but before setting out, they had taken a side job, carrying several ¡°gentlemen¡± from the Laines Empire along the way.


    As for what these gentlemen were doing or how significant their positions were, he didn¡¯t know¡ªhe was only responsible for taking orders and trying to inch closer to the Tang warships here.


    ¡°Did you get it?¡± a nervous Laines intelligence officer asked his subordinate. They were using a more advanced camera equipped with a long-focus lens.


    Long-focus lenses capable of capturing distant scenes were rare at the time, and expensive precision cameras were mostly used for aerial reconnaissance and weren¡¯t yet widely available.


    Nevertheless, to capture images of the Tang destroyer, the Laines Empire had managed to acquire such a camera and had sent somebody with it to this mysterious sea zone.


    ¡°Got it!¡± the intelligence officer disguised as a sailor nodded confidently. ¡°I took several shots in one go; there should be a usable one.¡±


    Taking photographs in the unpredictable sea, where the subject was also a rapidly moving, shaking target, was mainly a matter of luck.


    If lucky, one could capture a clear photo of the destroyer¡ªif not, the resulting blurry photos might naturally include a ghostly effect.


    ¡°Ah... It¡¯s a pity; we don¡¯t even know what these Tang warships are guarding,¡± the leading commander sighed, somewhat helplessly.


    They had always wanted to get past the outer warning line of the Tang fleet to take a closer look at the core. There were always rumors that the Tang had built a new type of warship, and not confirming this was unsettling.


    But no matter how hard they tried, they were always blocked by Tang warships: these vessels seemed to sense nearby approaching enemy ships and always appeared in the most accurate positions.


    ¡°You could try coming with a warship next time; then they wouldn¡¯t be able to stop you,¡± suggested the fishing boat¡¯s captain to his country¡¯s intelligence officers.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy... Last time we did bring a cruiser, but... well, it¡¯s better not to mention it,¡± the commander shook his head as if recalling some unpleasant memory.


    Indeed, after being intercepted several times, the Laines Empire did dispatch a cruiser, chanting the slogan of freedom of navigation, intending to get close to the Tang fleet.


    However, the Tang destroyer that rushed to intercept was indeed taken aback by the larger size and more numerous cannons of the Laines Empire cruiser.


    But the captain of the Laines cruiser quickly became frustrated when they soon spotted the second Tang destroyer, followed by the third.


    Adding to their annoyance, the enemy opened fire at close range, launching a series of shells toward the cruising path of the Laines cruiser and creating a row of water columns in front of the Laines cruiser.


    Ultimately, after much consideration, the captain of the Laines cruiser decided to abort the reconnaissance mission and angrily chose to turn away.


    ¡°What else could we do? Were we supposed to open fire and engage in a naval battle with the warships of Tang Country? Let¡¯s not joke about that, all right? If we truly caused trouble, it would not have been easy to clean up.¡±


    Bearing the residual influence of a war victoriously fought, the power of Tang Country was at its peak, and the Laines Empire dared not provoke such a fierce tiger alone.


    This was also an important reason why the Tang warships dared to actively fire and provoke: the opponent was stronger, which allowed them to act more recklessly. Clearly, the Laines Empire was not ready to fight a war; hence, they could only reluctantly accept defeat.


    Moreover, could they have won if a battle truly ensued? The captain of the Laines Empire¡¯s cruiser had his doubts¡ªthe Tang destroyers appeared weak but were armed with torpedoes.


    During the previous naval battles against Tang, there were several instances where Tang destroyers had sunk various nations¡¯ naval warships with torpedoes; therefore, it was uncertain who would have the advantage in a sudden close-range exchange of fire.


    Imagine if they had opened fire only to have their own ship sunk in such a deserted place; that would really turn into quite the spectacle.


    As a result, up to now, when intelligence departments of various countries came here for information, they mostly arrived on fishing boats and disguised themselves as civilians, which was somewhat safer.


    After all, if they were caught, they could simply throw cameras and some documents into the sea and pretend to be innocent fishermen to get through the situation.


    Of course, since the Tang Navy was exceedingly dominant in international waters, often performing expulsion and interception actions, it was not uncommon for foreign diplomats to come knocking, protesting against the domineering and rude actions of the Tang Navy.


    Yet such protests hardly bothered the diplomats of Tang; they would scold a bit and engage in verbal spar when in good spirits, or not even bother to respond when in a bad mood.


    So what if they¡¯re not content? If dissatisfied, declare war, for if they can defeat the elite forces of Great Tang, there¡¯s nothing more to say, right?


    To avoid the trace of international spies and keep the airplane operations more covert, the Tang Imperial Fleet¡¯s aircraft carriers had always been maneuvering irregularly around Dragon Island.


    They shifted northwards and then southwards, essentially untraceable. It was precisely because of this that they managed to remain undetected by many people.


    In fact, they weren¡¯t genuinely circling a large ring, but avoiding the crowded civilian air routes near Weigang, and operated as much as possible on the outskirts of Dragon Harbor where civilian vessels were prohibited.


    Additionally, with the surveillance and patrolling of Flying Fortress Reconnaissance Aircraft and the radar detection warning from destroyers, under normal circumstances, no one would discover this massive fleet.


    However, nothing is absolute; inevitably, because of the aircraft¡¯s take-off and landing training, Stuka Dive Bombers or Pirate Fighters had been spotted by some country¡¯s fishing or spy ships occasionally.


    Due to the Pirate Fighters still being confidential, remaining unmentioned in these countries¡¯ intelligence, most intelligence reports mistakenly identified the Pirate Fighters as Stukas due to similar wing designs.


    After all, the Stuka was just too famous and had appeared extensively in wars, leaving a profound impression on many participants.


    As for the occasional notice of some inverted gull-wing planes seemingly lacking landing gears, this was ignored by intelligence departments of various countries.


    The reasons varied: it could have been a modified version of a Stuka or possibly a visual misjudgment due to the angle of view.


    In any case, the armies of various countries were still unaware of the emergence of the new type of Tang fighter jet.


    And as for the matter of aircraft carriers, due to a lack of enough imagination, the intelligence departments of various countries did not even consider this possibility.


    For them, airplanes were still distant and unfamiliar concepts; they had only been conceptualizing these flying machines for a few years. Thus, they could not even dream that there already existed a superweapon that allowed airplanes to take off and land at sea.


    Not willing to say much to the fishing boat captain, the intelligence officer of the Laines Empire waved his hand, contemplating his next specific plan for reconnaissance.


    In his view, this kind of desperate close reconnaissance was bound to yield no results; they lacked submarines that could bypass destroyers for direct infiltration, and there were no places nearby capable of launching airplanes...


    Therefore, the most reliable option was to try to activate an undercover network embedded within Dragon Island, seeking an opportunity to get close to Dragon Harbor and see exactly what the Tang People were up to there.


    What he did not know was that many were considering the same issues, with numerous intelligence departments of the empires trying to spy on every move of Tang.


    Because in the last war, they had suffered too many losses due to a lack of clear intelligence. If they had detected the emergence of submarines earlier, if they had known the real strength of the Tang Army sooner, would they have so easily engaged in a war against Tang Country?


    For these rulers of empires, waging war required no reflection, but losing a war forced them to seriously reconsider. Because losing a war... cost money!

 Chapter 899 899 822 Nightmare

    ?Chapter 899: 822 Nightmare Chapter 899: 822 Nightmare Dragon Island was not without spies from other empires, in fact, the number of these intelligence operatives was not insignificant. After all, as one of Tang Country¡¯s secret weapon development bases, it was certainly a place other countries took special care to watch.


    Unfortunately, the spies from these distant countries mostly could only reside honestly in Weigang, which was still some distance from the truly important Dragon Harbor.


    To get to Dragon Harbor, they had to cross the entire Dragon Island, something that not just anyone could accomplish. They would have to pass through forests and cross the blockade lines of the Tang Country forces, not to mention sneaking past a bunch of disorderly factories that could well be called secret bases.


    For example, the oil refinery set in the middle of the island, as well as some barracks, and factories equipped with special devices for manufacturing new equipment... These places all had high security levels, with Tang Country¡¯s troops stationed nearby.


    After getting past these factories, they still needed to cross the airport deployed by Tang Country on the island, along with the secret radar base.


    Of course, moving closer towards Dragon Harbor, there was a massive ¡°Dragon¡¯s Den¡±, the place on Dragon Island where gold was stored, which one could imagine was extremely well-guarded.


    Apart from these locations, around Dragon Harbor there were more barracks, an oil refinery, a chemical plant, a large number of oil storage facilities, pipes... All these items were heavily guarded and not easily approached.


    ...


    To breach such layered defenses and get close to the core military port and docks of Dragon Harbor was something not even a Bond with Yip Man and a couple of Jedi knights could achieve.


    Therefore, when the young man in Weigang received orders from his superiors, after having been trained there to pilot civilian airplanes, he almost cursed out loud.


    He had spent a great deal of money to come here to learn to pilot airplanes, a career with boundless prospects, and now he was being tasked with a spy mission that meant certain death.


    It was impossible to traverse the entire Dragon Island on foot and approach Dragon Harbor, so the only hope of success was by flying over from the air.


    As long as he managed to take off from Weigang, hurriedly approach Dragon Harbor, he could escape from Dragon Island by piloting the airplane before the Tang Country anti-aircraft forces could react.


    If he could fly to the outskirts and rendezvous with the waiting rescue ship, he could safely bring out the relevant intelligence and learn in advance about the advanced weapons Tang Country was developing.


    Regrettably, this was not without a cost, or rather, the cost was actually huge: anyone dispatched to Weigang to learn airplane piloting was the elite of the elite, and the loss of just one would be heartbreaking.


    What¡¯s more terrifying was that if even one spy emerged among these trainees, Tang Country would become suspicious of all trainees in the future, likely affecting the quality of subsequent personnel training. This was why, despite the many international flight students from various countries on Dragon Island, none of them had ever caused any trouble so far.


    But in order to learn the secrets of Tang Country¡¯s weapons, Laines Empire¡¯s intelligence agency was no longer concerned with the consequences.


    They were mentally prepared, should they succeed, to disavow responsibility and classify the student as a ¡°dangerous element from another empire lurking within the Laines Empire!¡±


    In any case, they would simply deny this student was an intelligence agent of the Laines Empire, and when the time came, they would compensate Tang Country for some losses, and probably the matter would be dropped.


    It would be the same in case of failure; unless they were caught red-handed, Tang Country would not be able to accuse Laines Empire.


    ¡°I must plan this carefully,¡± the student from Laines Empire thought to himself as he ran laps in the training field with his classmates, plotting how to complete the mission his motherland had assigned to him.


    Since he had flight training, piloting an airplane was not difficult, but the challenge was how to stealthily fly into Dragon Harbor.


    Dragon Harbor, being one of Tang Country¡¯s military harbors, had terrifying defenses to consider.


    The whole of Dragon Island was not only patrolled by fighter jets at all times, but it also had countless secret anti-aircraft gun positions ready for combat.


    Approaching Dragon Harbor, the harbor itself had anti-aircraft gun positions, which posed lethal threats to an old-fashioned trainer airplane.


    Additionally, how he would bring this intelligence back was also a critical element. He must be able to return; that was the key.


    Therefore, he had to pilot the airplane through Dragon Harbor and then escape towards the outskirts of Dragon Island without looking back, reaching a safe position before Tang Country¡¯s fighter jets could catch up.


    This distance was approximately 200 kilometers, only beyond which it might be possible to shake off the search by Tang Country¡¯s fighter jets.


    But that brought another problem: where exactly would the rescue ship wait to successfully retrieve the spy?


    According to the higher-ups, he would have to pilot the airplane and make an emergency landing at sea ¡ª which was risky in itself as he could easily find himself buried at the bottom of the sea.


    The entire plan sounded like each segment was filled with peril, utterly impossible to complete. For the spy tasked with executing this order, it was nearly a certain death scenario.


    Unfortunately, as a spy, he had to complete the mission; after all, people like him held their loyalty to their country above their own lives.


    While this spy from the Laines Empire was pondering how to carry out his task, in a laboratory within a factory on Dragon Island, a group of soldiers was gathered around a cumbersome-looking piece of equipment, exclaiming in amazement.


    Among these troops, there was a soldier with a massive battery on his back; he passed a tube from behind his body and connected it to his weapon.


    This system, called ¡°Nightmare,¡± was the first-generation infrared night vision device about to be equipped by the special forces of Tang Country.


    Its principle was simple: it used an infrared flashlight to cast light on targets at night, allowing soldiers wearing special glasses to capture this unique beam of light.


    Due to advancements in battery technology, this system could last several hours of use by the soldiers and was very reliable.


    When the soldier looked through the lens and saw the target lit up clearly by the infrared flashlight in the distance, he couldn¡¯t help but gasp in surprise.


    The theory behind this system surpassed many people¡¯s understanding; the darker the environment, the clearer the vision, which in the past was only found in mythological novels.


    Now, any soldier could do things only gods were once able to do. How could one not exclaim in wonder, and how could it not be marveled at?


    ¡°I see it! I see it! It¡¯s so clear! It¡¯s just like daylight!¡± Inside the dimly lit testing ground, the soldier exclaimed with joy as he shone his gun-mounted flashlight over fixed targets.


    Then with ease, he pulled the trigger, shooting one by one, piercing those pitch-black targets, leaving one hole after another.


    ¡°From now on, the night is no longer our enemy!¡± an observing officer said, emerging from his shock.


    ¡°Not only is it not our enemy, but it is also our friend! From now on, the night will be our best cover.¡± Another officer was even excitedly speaking up.


    What does it mean by a pitch-black night for murder? This is the true meaning of a pitch-black night for murder! From now on, nights so dark you couldn¡¯t see your hand before you would be the best time for the Great Tang special forces to act!


    Aside from its bulkiness, this equipment had virtually no flaws. The soldiers could use this system to travel at night and fight as if in broad daylight.


    The matching equipment included barrel flash suppressors, the specific function of which was to eliminate muzzle flash to avoid interfering with the infrared light beam.


    In fact, besides this infrared equipment, the special forces of Tang Country were also being equipped with silencers on a large scale; special devices attached to the weapon¡¯s muzzle could significantly reduce muzzle noise.


    While it was not possible to kill invisibly as seen in films and television series, reducing the noise and making the identification of gunshots in specific environments ambiguous was indeed very effective.


    With these silenced weapons, the operations of Tang Country¡¯s special forces would become much more convenient, and the range of weapons they could choose from would also increase.


    In addition to this, as chemical technology in Tang Country continued to develop, the use of nylon fiber fabric clothing by its troops began to increase. With more materials of special properties, the functionality of Tang Country¡¯s militaruy uniforms began to improve significantly.


    For example, the functionality of tactical vests had become more comprehensive, with better breathability and comfort.


    Additionally, better materials meant enhanced dye adherence, making Tang Country¡¯s camouflage more professional, and improvements in printing and dyeing technology made the camouflage blend more closely with the background.


    With these new special equipment, Tang Country¡¯s special forces started to stand out from regular troops. Their equipment became more sci-fi and futuristic, with some troops even beginning to use helmets made from Kevlar composite materials.


    However, these new types of equipment were still very rudimentary and couldn¡¯t be equipped on a large scale across the troops. They were only produced in small quantities and provided to units executing special tasks as an experimental attempt.


    There were many other similar pieces of equipment, such as the teardrop-shaped submarine secretly tested by the Navy, with only one in service, also carrying a strong experimental nature.


    After all, the war had only ended recently, so many new weapons could only appear as experiments. The current theme was development, with everyone focusing on the economic sector.


    After all, a strong military is built on an economic foundation; a military industry without economic support is like a building without a foundation, easily collapsible.


    The negative example of the Soviet Union was before Tang Mo, and he certainly couldn¡¯t let Tang Country walk down that same path of no return.


    He certainly wanted to develop Tang Country comprehensively, to surpass the United States which he knew, to surpass the country of his previous life, and to become a perfect and flawless superpower on this world!

 Chapter 900 900 King of Arms 823

    ?Chapter 900: King of Arms 823 Chapter 900: King of Arms 823 Paper is an important carrier of modern civilization; before the advent of electronic storage, the production of paper could even determine the speed of a civilization¡¯s development.


    Tang Country had the highest paper output in the world, with a scale so immense it made other nations green with envy. Not only did Tang Country produce a complete range of paper types, but its production capacity was so substantial that the country even began to actively promote the use of paper for wiping one¡¯s bottom.


    This was no joke, but rather a true compliment. In years past, ordinary people were reluctant to use paper to wipe their behinds.


    Most of the time they would just find a grass stick or something similar to make do; some even went so far as to use their hands. In short, it was an era that, upon recollection, seems quite disgusting¡ªa tradition still continued in other countries.


    The people of Tang Country, in fact, rarely abused their bottoms with such messy things anymore, especially once they realized that loo paper was actually very cheap.


    Though the cheapest loo paper made in Tang Country was really not of good quality, it was still far more effective than other methods. At least with loo paper, you wouldn¡¯t accidentally hurt yourself while wiping.


    Beyond loo paper, Tang Country also mass-produced a variety of textbooks, greatly improving the learning efficiency of its citizens.


    ...


    With the intentional support of Tang Country¡¯s upper echelons, all sorts of simple literacy manuals were distributed everywhere. Even those who were completely illiterate could at least write their own names now.


    The schools in Tang Country now used more paper for textbooks in just one year than the rest of the world used for copying classics in the past.


    It was precisely because there was so much paper, and using it was not a cause for heartache, that civilization was able to increase its speed of inheritance and spread.


    Some of Tang Country¡¯s technical blueprints were incredibly large, far exceeding the dimensions of paper from the past¡ªsomething that was once unimaginable.


    These large sheets of paper not only improved efficiency but also made it truly possible for engineers to convey their design ideas more intuitively through large-scale drawings.


    Color printing was no longer a novelty, but combined with color photographs, it made the dissemination of information and knowledge more accurate and vivid.


    Nowadays, elementary school textbooks in Tang Country are all color illustrated. The combination of text and images is vivid and lively, greatly increasing learning efficiency.


    This would have been impossible in the past. The exquisite quality of Tang Country¡¯s elementary school textbooks now far exceeds the printing technology level of the most important documents from bygone days.


    In all seriousness, it was the advancement of paper and printing technology that made Tang Mo¡¯s decision to expand the scale of talent cultivation possible. It was also these knowledge-bearing books, now widely popularized, that put the world on the fast track of progress.


    Imagine today, you could casually tear up a sheet of white paper, crumple it into a ball, and throw it in the trash because a single word was written incorrectly or because a math problem was not solved to your satisfaction. Yet in the past, a sheet of the same quality paper could only be afforded by the Emperor. How could such a slow and limited spread of documents carry the weight of progress?


    Tang Country did not tolerate idlers: if officials and lower-level bureaucrats discovered any idle persons, they would quickly find a way to assign them work.


    Distributing flyers, sweeping streets... in short, if you were capable of working, then you were expected to work.


    For those who repeatedly cheated and shirked their duties, the officials of Tang Country were not merciful¡ªthey would genuinely flog them, then send them to a ¡°Reformatorium¡± for forced labor of even greater intensity.


    If they still refused to obey, the solution was simple: send them to an even harsher place. There were reeducation camps and slave camps; there was always one suited for the indolent.


    In other words, it was a very strict wartime management system: all civilians were managed, taught, and allocated according to the nation¡¯s needs, with punishment meted out for the slightest disobedience.


    By comparison, farming in Siberia seemed somewhat gentler. But for those refugees who previously couldn¡¯t even manage to fill their bellies, the life provided by Tang Country was the stuff of their dreams.


    So long as the starting point is low enough, expectations won¡¯t be too high: it was by leveraging these low expectations of the common people that Tang Mo forced them to rise to the task and contribute brick by brick to the construction of Tang Country.


    Under this highly efficient and somewhat brutal system, idle ne¡¯er-do-wells were a rare sight in Tang Country, and the employment rate was close to one hundred percent.


    However, how many innocent souls perished unjustly behind this facade, how many unfortunates cursed their fate from within the labor camps¡ªonly heaven knows.


    Surprisingly, under this severe system, the cities of Tang Country were not desolate but sickeningly prosperous and lively.


    The streets were filled with people out for leisure after work, and over time, the colors of their clothes on the streets began to change and dazzle with variety.


    Initially, some off-white began to appear. Later came brown and dark red, and then flamboyant pink and red became beautiful accents on the streets.


    Cars started to sport a spectrum of colors as well. Bright red and white had become very common, and blue or beige also gradually increased in number.


    The buildings in Tang Country were initially unattractive because the emphasis was on construction speed, so these buildings were essentially of one style and so clean on the outside that they lacked any decoration.


    Fearing immature technology and shoddy workmanship due to rushed construction, the building teams of the Great Tang Group also refused to put any decoration on the exterior of the buildings, which would not only waste materials but also be susceptible to damage.


    Thus, the buildings in Tang Country were all simple, bulky rectangles adorned with countless windows, arranged in a neat order reminiscent of a military barracks.


    Such structures could not possibly be considered aesthetic, at most revealing a sense of order tinged with helplessness.


    However, soon, as time passed, many streets started to strive for a bit of individuality¡ªthey would add a few extra bricks on the rooftops, building faux crenellations to increase the sense of beauty.


    Then some buildings began adding vertical strips of decorations on their facades, which was soon followed by homes with protruding patterns around every window.


    Later on, the variety increased with cement patterns and carved stone creatures. The orderly vibe of Tang Country¡¯s cities began to break down, and the beauty of steel and concrete started to bloom in the corners.


    Those foreign artists who had seen the Forbidden City in Tang Country did acknowledge the presence of artistic beauty there. They marveled at the grandeur and magnificence of the entire Imperial Palace, yet they sneered at the prosperity of Chang¡¯an City.


    For them, the skyscrapers of reinforced concrete, while sufficiently awe-inspiring, lacked any sense of ¡°aesthetics.¡±


    But on the Forbidden City and Zhuque Street, they saw another side of Tang Country, full of the ambiance of literature, art, and ancient charm.


    In the eyes of these artists, Tang Country was schizophrenic. Their His Majesty The Emperor was simply a treasure of the art world, while the other architects ¡°just knew how to build houses,¡± that¡¯s all.


    In a sense, the art of Tang Country truly was severed, exuding a clear, chaotic, ¡°bizarre state¡± of cultural bifurcation.


    According to the normal historical development of aesthetics, it was impossible to explain the chaotic and wild state of art development in Tang Country. Therefore, these artists from afar were practically driven mad by the beauty and ugliness of Tang Country.


    This was, in fact, an inevitable phenomenon because all these disparate beauties were directly copied by Tang Mo, the transmigrator from another world.


    It¡¯s simple: if one only looks at the Rolls-Royce cars with their lines full of opulent grace, then the aesthetics of Tang Country would undoubtedly be seen as the pinnacle of beauty.


    But if you look at the ¡°People¡¯s¡± brand cars running through the streets, their straightforward lines combined with the rough welding work, it would cause someone who had just seen a Rolls-Royce to vomit blood.


    If you had seen the wonders on the Forbidden City and Zhuque Street and then went back to look at the ten- or twenty-story concrete buildings on Chang¡¯an Street...you would probably have the illusion of a splitting headache.


    In short, this was a hodgepodge, with cheese bubbling temptingly in the pot, while scallions and coriander rolled back and forth with these bubbles, garnishing the beef brisket and giving off the aroma of masala.


    If some poet were to see such a magnificent city, the bright red palace walls against the gray steel and concrete forest next door, he might write: ¡°Red drapery and flowing willow beauty, iron walls and bronze ramparts cold,¡± or some other sentence he himself couldn¡¯t make sense of.


    Actually, this didn¡¯t matter much because given the air quality in Tang Country...especially in Tongcheng, even if Li Bai were to come, he probably could only manage to write quatrains. For seven-character lines...he would need to cough a while before making himself clear.


    It¡¯s just a pity that Li Bai never saw trains, nor skyscrapers, and of course, he never saw ballistic missiles and carrier rockets...


    Otherwise, his boastful words would certainly be of a higher level: if he had seen the buildings of Chang¡¯an, he would probably insist that a dangerous building needs to be at least a thousand feet tall...


    Despite the severe fissure in aesthetic development in Tang Country, Chang¡¯an still became a holy place in the hearts of many artists.


    Because just like in the Brunas Era, every burst of inspiration exuded a refined intelligence. It was as if pooling the blood, sweat, and tears of millions of people, emitting an enchanting glow.


    In Chang¡¯an, one art festival after another was held, already world-renowned since the Brunas Era.


    It was only at this moment that people were surprised to discover that it wasn¡¯t Brunas that was dazzling, but the genius who established Brunas.


    ¡°He is an artist hindered by worldly matters!¡± exclaimed a contemporary sculpting master in front of the gate of the Forbidden City.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, he¡¯s an engineer whose future was held back by art,¡± retorted a technician who came on a pilgrimage with disdain.


    ¡°You¡¯re all desecrating an educator! You have no idea what he means to the education sector,¡± murmured a bespectacled man from behind them.


    ¡°Heh...if you had seen a White Phosphorus Bomb, you wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± said Feng Kezhi in a voice that no one heard. Standing in a corner, he looked up at the walls of the Forbidden City: ¡°He is the king of the munitions industry!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª-


    There will be another update later, which will be quite late, so everyone can read it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 901 901 824 courting death

    ?Chapter 901: 824 courting death Chapter 901: 824 courting death Out on the sea, a cruiser of the Laines Empire was navigating cautiously. It was the latest model of cruiser, with formidable firepower and powerful engines, and it also had a modern look.


    The only thing that made it appear somewhat outdated was the row of three smokestacks in the middle of the hull. These large heat exhausts occupied a considerable length of the ship, giving it an ¡°old-fashioned¡± appearance.


    There was no helping it. Although there wasn¡¯t much difference in terms of power output, there was still a huge gap in overall engine technology between the countries and the Tang Country.


    To make up for these gaps, they had no choice but to put effort into other areas: increasing size, disregarding fuel consumption... adding more water to the dough, more dough for more water; in the end, they could only add more cooling by increasing the number of smokestacks.


    After all, it was just a matter of looking a bit ugly and interfering with the firing range of anti-aircraft guns. Gritting their teeth, they could make do with it for a while.


    In fact, over the last year, naval weapons technology in the world had not been standing still. After so much effort, there had been some gains.


    For example... torpedoes.


    ...


    Yes, several maritime powers had invested a great deal of manpower and material resources to develop their own torpedoes.


    However, these countries¡¯ torpedoes were still quite primitive, and their shapes were not even standardized, looking quite diverse.


    Some countries had torpedoes with pointed heads, while others used modified contact fuzes; it was a case of everyone for themselves.


    In reality, torpedoes with pointed heads were difficult to control in the sea, so the range of these torpedoes was just a few pitiful kilometers. They had to be used from a very close distance.


    Most of the torpedoes used by these countries were slow due to problems with the fuzes, as the pressure on the head could cause premature detonation.


    Thus, although the new cruisers and destroyers of these nations were equipped with torpedoes, whether these torpedoes could be used in actual combat was anyone¡¯s guess.


    This brand-new ¡°Torpedo Cruiser¡± was a cruiser that had been launched just in the last six months, equipped with numerous anti-aircraft guns and a sufficiently elongated hull.


    ¡°Confirm the position!¡± Putting down the binoculars, the captain of the Laines Empire turned to his deputy, ¡°If there¡¯s no issue, send the coded message.¡±


    They had been ordered to reach this sea area to meet a plane flying nearby¡ªa task bizarre enough to fill the captain with doubts.


    The ship also carried many intelligence officers, who reportedly were to meet the person piloting the plane upon arrival...


    ¡°The position should be correct; we checked the stars last night and found no deviation,¡± the deputy cautiously replied.


    Standing nearby, the intelligence department commander checked the coordinates again and then nodded, ¡°We can inform our people to start the operation.¡±


    ¡°We have to wait here for 2 days; I hope there won¡¯t be any problems,¡± he said, looking at the cruiser¡¯s captain.


    The captain was also very nervous because their location was indeed sensitive; a bit further and they would likely enter the alert zone of Dragon Harbor.


    ¡°Raise the distress flag. If a patrol boat from the Tang Country approaches, just reply that we¡¯re diagnosing a malfunction...¡± Out of caution, the captain finally thought of an excuse.


    Their location was sensitive but not the kind that would make the Tang Country expel them at all costs immediately. Claiming a malfunction could buy them some time.


    As the seconds and minutes passed, the atmosphere grew tenser. However, the good news was that even after being anchored here for over an hour, they had not seen any patrol by the Flying Fortress Reconnaissance Aircraft.


    Meanwhile, far away on Dragon Island, a spy had climbed into a training ¡°trainer aircraft¡± according to the prearranged plan.


    This type of aircraft didn¡¯t have a radio for communication, also a cost-saving measure: Who would provide advanced aircraft to foreign student pilots?


    Normally, those trainer aircraft with radios, single-wing, all-metal, required an instructor¡¯s presence to use.


    The students playing around in training could only use this simplified version of the aircraft. After checking the instruments in the cockpit and fastening his seatbelt with the help of the ground crew,


    everyone on the ground team was also a student, with only one instructor handling the training. Fuelling was a matter of money, as the students paid out of their own pockets, so how much to refuel depended on the ¡°money.¡±


    After checking the full fuel tank, the flight student from the Laines Empire gave a satisfied thumbs up, then piloted the plane towards the runway.


    Soon, he took off, surrounded only by the sound of the wind. These planes were rather poor in sealing and didn¡¯t have a proper pressurized cabin.


    If judged by today¡¯s standards, this would definitely be a cheap sightseeing aircraft, the kind that cannot carry passengers and is of the smallest model.


    Piloting the aircraft, the spy first pretended to circle Weigang Airport twice. Then, steeling his resolve in accordance with the plan he had thought up beforehand, he made the aircraft break away from the training flight zone and headed straight for Dragon Harbor.


    ¡°The course of that aircraft is wrong!¡± shouted the supervising officer at the airport, putting down his binoculars and pointing to the training plane that was flying away in the sky.


    ¡°Check the registration records! See which student it is... who it is!¡± The officer standing next to him immediately turned to look at the subordinate in charge of registration.


    ¡°He will be shot down! Idiot!¡± the officer who first noticed the aircraft¡¯s deviation muttered as he watched it fly away.


    ¡°It¡¯s a civilian flight student from Laines Empire, named James...¡± the person in charge of the records responded nervously, looking up.


    ¡°Call the air defense command center, tell them someone has intruded into Dragon Harbor! Flying a Type 3 training plane!¡± ordered the leading officer immediately.


    Soon, an alarm rang out at the anti-aircraft gun site in the center of Dragon Island, and the 88mm anti-aircraft guns began to point towards the sky. All the soldiers on duty stared tensely at the sky.


    ¡°Radar detection shows that the aircraft is at 1000 meters! Set the fuze height!¡± Shortly after, an officer with the data rushed to the anti-aircraft gun site.


    Those who had been on standby for a long time began adjusting the shell fuzes and then loading the shells into the guns.


    Inside the rapidly approaching training plane, James, the trainee, was extremely nervous. He stared at the instrument panel in front of him, which showed his speed had reached nearly 350 kilometers per hour.


    ¡°Come on! Faster! Faster!¡± he muttered under his breath when suddenly a loud explosion sounded beside him.


    When he looked over, the flames bursting from the side of the airplane had not yet completely dissipated, and a piece of shrapnel had pierced the aircraft¡¯s fuselage, leaving a small hole.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± He hadn¡¯t expected the Tang Country¡¯s anti-aircraft guns to react so quickly and accurately. He had only just flown to the central part of the island when he faced such fierce interception.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Another shell exploded just in front of the plane, nearly hitting the engine. James quickly jolted the plane and climbed urgently, avoiding the dense shells.


    ¡°It¡¯s climbing!¡± observed an anti-aircraft gunner on the ground as time passed, but the Type 3 training plane had already moved out of this anti-aircraft site¡¯s firing range.


    Almost at the same moment, inside the cockpit of two Butcher Fighter Jets patrolling in the skies above Dragon Island, the urgent voice of the air defense command officer from Tang Country¡¯s Dragon Island echoed: ¡°Calling! Spotlight 1. Calling! Spotlight 2! Calling! Calling!¡±


    ¡°Spotlight 1 received!¡± ¡°Spotlight 2 received!¡± Both pilots responded immediately to the call from the ground control tower.


    ¡°There is a Type 3 fighter jet attempting to push toward Dragon Harbor! Intercept it! If it doesn¡¯t turn back, commence attack and shoot it down!¡± The commander in the tower firmly ordered.


    ¡°Spotlight 1 understood!¡± the lead pilot immediately confirmed the attack order: ¡°Shoot down the Type 3 training plane attempting to approach Dragon Harbor! Repeat, shoot down the Type 3 training plane attempting to approach Dragon Harbor!¡±


    ¡°Order confirmed! Aircraft coordinates... 30, 51! Interception route... will be immediately provided to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! We are heading to the scene now!¡± The lead pilot pulled his control stick, steering the Butcher Fighter Jet to trace a beautiful arc in the sky.


    The wingman quickly turned, and the two fighter jets cut through the clouds, rushing toward the coordinates.


    On the ground, at the military airport in the center of Dragon Island, the shrill sound of the alarm echoed as four pilots ran toward their planes, each trying to strap on their equipment.


    ¡°Emergency takeoff! Emergency takeoff!¡± Ground personnel were busy checking ammunition and fuel for the duty-ready planes, a type of emergency interception task that hadn¡¯t occurred on Dragon Island for a long time.


    ¡°Fuel normal! Ammunition sufficient!¡± Seeing the pilots rushing over, a ground crew member shouted as he stood on the wing to the pilot climbing into the plane.


    ¡°Check the hydraulic part¡¯s pressure gauge! See if there¡¯s any malfunction!¡± shouted another ground crew member from outside to the pilot who was climbing into the plane.


    The pilot gave a thumbs up, signaling everything was normal. He had just put on his headset when he heard the urgent command from the control tower: ¡°Respond if you hear! Respond if you hear!¡±


    ¡°Loud and clear! Combat Ready 01 is preparing for takeoff!¡± The pilot started the engine, and the propeller in front began to rotate rapidly.


    ¡°The runway is clear! Repeat, the runway is clear!¡± The voice from the tower came again.


    ¡°Shoot that damn guy down!¡± the pilot of Combat Ready 02 Fighter Jet said to everyone over the radio.


    ¡°He¡¯s asking for it!¡± The pilot of Fighter Jet 01 lined up the nose with the runway and replied with a smirk.

 Chapter 902 902 825 cannot be shot down

    ?Chapter 902: 825 cannot be shot down Chapter 902: 825 cannot be shot down To be honest, inside the rather cramped cockpit, James was a bit nervous. He really didn¡¯t know if he could complete the mission. There was no way to communicate with the outside world.


    He had no radio or any other cluttered devices, just an airplane, an airplane that had now begun to leak air. The recent shells had left a hole in his fuselage, and the wind roaring into the cabin was still howling in his ears.


    ¡°Damn it... How did I agree to such a crazy plan! It¡¯s no different from sending myself to death.¡± he cursed silently, then piloted the plane, charging towards Dragon Harbor.


    Actually, he knew he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to complete the mission, because the most threatening interception troops were still on their way.


    Those anti-aircraft guns were really just for scaring people; with a bit of caution, a single aircraft breaking through successfully was very plausible.


    As a flight student, he had actually seen the Butcher Fighter Jets of the Tang Army patrolling over Dragon Island. He was well aware of how big the gap was between them.


    If those terrifying fighter jets targeted him, he estimated he wouldn¡¯t even make it 50 kilometers before being neatly shot down. A single burst from the 20mm cannons mounted on the enemy wings was enough to tear apart his trainer aircraft.


    ...


    Yet, for his family, for his motherland, he had agreed to this risky plan, ready to challenge the defenses of Tang Country on Dragon Island with his life.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡± As he passed an anti-aircraft gun position, the unique and intense sound of the Bofors anti-aircraft gun came through, and the shells grazed over James¡¯ fuselage, scaring him into adjusting the course of the plane once again.


    After zigzagging to avoid further gunfire, the artillery fire from the ground gradually grew distant. It seemed he had avoided another anti-aircraft gun position, which was definitely good news.


    In fact, it was proven that James¡¯ plane was indeed getting closer to Dragon Harbor, as he could even see the huge oil storage tanks on the outskirts of the harbor.


    Those were the landmarks of Dragon Harbor, a man-made spectacle: those huge storage tanks were bigger than buildings, clearly visible even from a great distance.


    ¡°I see it! I see Dragon Harbor!¡± If there had been someone by his side, James would definitely have shouted it out loud. He desperately needed to share the joy in his heart, seeing these storage tanks meant his mission was nearly complete.


    ¡°A little faster! A little faster!¡± he muttered continuously under his breath, as if to encourage himself, or possibly praying.


    ...


    ¡°Immediately prohibit civilian planes from taking off! Training canceled! Gather all the students! Count everyone! Make sure every person is found!¡± On the ground, the instructor at the flight school had started to become busy.


    The intelligence department¡¯s cars had just rushed into the school¡¯s runway, and armed soldiers had taken control of all dormitories. Everyone was tense, some of the students didn¡¯t even know what was happening.


    ¡°Take James¡¯ close friends among the students and the ground crew into custody! Separate for interrogation! Confirm their information!¡± Inside the busy airport building, the intelligence officer in charge stood in the middle and assigned tasks to everyone: ¡°Control all the training planes; don¡¯t let anyone get close to these planes!¡±


    ¡°I need to know the equipment data of this aircraft, if the opposition could have brought a radio onto the plane, how much fuel is in the plane! Enough to get him where! Report immediately!¡± he ordered loudly and those ordered promptly set off to execute their tasks.


    ¡°Report! Sir! The Weigang civilian telegraph office has temporarily closed, and we are currently checking all outbound and about to be sent telegrams.¡± An intelligence officer walked up, saluted the chief officer, and reported.


    ¡°Good! Contact the radar station, ask the position of this plane, and also... where are the intercepting planes? When can they shoot down this plane!¡± The chief officer nodded at his subordinate, then immediately continued with more questions.


    ¡°That plane is 20 kilometers from Dragon Harbor. Two fighter jets are already on standby above Dragon Harbor, and another four planes are chasing him...¡± The responsible officer put down the phone and reported loudly.


    ¡°Report! It has been confirmed that there is no radio equipment on this plane, so we are also unable to contact the pilot James flying the plane.¡± Another officer, after repeatedly confirming with the airport instructors, turned and reported.


    As soon as he finished speaking, two officers hurried back. One of them stopped and said, ¡°Report, among the other three students in the dormitory, one is our own civilian aircraft flight student, and the other two, one from Suthers and one from Dorne. We have taken them all into custody, and they seem to not know what has happened yet.¡±


    ¡°The dormitories for trainees are very simple, it¡¯s unlikely to hide any radio communication devices... Everyone is searched upon entering the school, so...¡± Another officer, out of breath, followed up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want guesses! I want confirmation! Confirm that he can¡¯t immediately transmit what he¡¯s seen!¡± The leading officer interrupted his report with an almost unreasonable attitude.


    ¡°Sir! The latest data we pulled up shows that ground crew confirmed he filled up the fuel! The ferry range of the Type 3 trainer can fly approximately to...¡± The officer was reporting when he suddenly realized he didn¡¯t have a good reference.


    ¡°Mark the location on the map! Order the patrol planes on the perimeter to scan the suspicious areas!¡± The leading officer commanded once again.


    The officer didn¡¯t dare delay and immediately went to the map, after consulting with the professional instructors, he marked out a circle on the map, ¡°It¡¯s roughly here.¡±


    Then, he added a speculation that made everyone tense, ¡°I fear he¡¯s not planning to fly away, but to crash with half a tank...¡±


    ¡°...¡± After a few seconds of silence, the leading intelligence officer squeezed out a word through gritted teeth, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    On the ground, a truck filled with soldiers continued along the road, and the entire Dragon Island seemed to have been mobilized, everyone was inspecting to ensure that no issues arose in their respective areas.


    ¡°All civilian ships in the harbor must be strictly checked! Big trouble is brewing! Yes! Don¡¯t let them leave! I said so! When can they depart? Wait for notification!¡± In the Weigang control room, the duty controller hung up the phone impatiently.


    At another location on the island, inside another office, an officer was gripping the phone, yelling in frustration, ¡°Hello? Hello! Yes! I¡¯m from the air defense command! The exact time that plane passed your position! Yes! Cut the crap! I need the exact time!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said that letting these jackasses train on the island was definitely going to lead to problems! Tomorrow, get the hell out to Fengshun!¡± The official from Dragon Harbor, hands on hips, pacing in his office, bitterly complained.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to talk about this now... what¡¯s real is trying to stop that plane.¡± An official by his side sighed, walking to the window, just in time to see four Butcher Fighter Jets taking off urgently from the field airport at the outskirts of Dragon Harbor, climbing into the skies.


    To intercept one Type 3 trainer, ten fighter jets had already taken off across Dragon Island, and considering the patrolling flying fortresses mobilized for this, over 20 aircraft were now bustling for this cause!


    What a mess. The official thought to himself, a bitter smile appearing on his face: with the advancements in technology, their island seemed increasingly unsafe.


    ¡°We really need to move these academies off the island soon! Keeping them here would sooner or later lead to similar problems,¡± he said, drawing back his gaze, ¡°Send a telegram to Mr. Harry immediately, have him report directly to His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t relieve His Majesty of concerns, only add to his troubles! We are indeed disgraceful,¡± The leading officer, an old-timer from the Brunas Era and a follower of Tang Mo, sighed, feeling terribly ashamed.


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a big issue, ten Butcher Fighter Jets taking down one trainer jet... it¡¯s not difficult.¡± Comforting his superior once again, the officer returned his gaze to the window.


    In the sky, James piloting his plane had already rushed above Dragon Harbor. What met him were not the dense anti-aircraft guns of Dragon Harbor, but two Butcher Fighter Jets.


    In terms of speed, the Butcher Fighter Jets had an absolute advantage. The two planes quickly positioned themselves behind the trainer, and without a word, they started strafing.


    James was only a trainee, lacking what you¡¯d call air combat experience. However, he wasn¡¯t stupid, and when he realized two planes were tailing him, he immediately began maneuvering to evade.


    A line of gunfire from the planes swept past the Type 3 trainer, nearly scaring the urine out of James. But just as James felt he was about to be shot down, his pursuers seemed to give up on continuing their attack.


    ¡°Watch out for the oil tanks! Ahead is an oil refinery and pipelines! Damn it! Is this guy doing this on purpose?¡± From the cockpit of the leading Butcher Fighter Jet, the pilot unhappily yelled out loud.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! But if we fire now, we might cause trouble!¡± His wingman reminded him, sounding a bit nervous.


    If a burning plane were to crash... There might not be an accident, or it could potentially ignite the entire refinery.


    ¡°I¡¯m trailing this plane! I¡¯m trailing this plane! There are refining facilities below him! I can¡¯t fire! Repeat! There are refining facilities below, I can¡¯t take the shot!¡± The lead plane, unable to do otherwise, continuously aired his frustrations over the radio.

 Chapter 903 903 All hell broke loose on August 26

    ?Chapter 903: All hell broke loose on August 26 Chapter 903: All hell broke loose on August 26 ¡°Damn it! Where are the anti-aircraft guns in the harbor area? Why aren¡¯t they firing?¡± The official in Dragon Harbor was almost flipping the table upon hearing the pilot¡¯s report as he waited for news.


    Besides having its own airport, the ground-based anti-air defenses of Dragon Harbor were also described as impenetrable.


    There were at least 40 anti-aircraft guns with an 88mm caliber, and at least another 40 Bofors anti-aircraft guns of 40mm caliber there.


    Compared to the aerial forces of other countries in the world, such formidable anti-aircraft firepower was sufficient to intercept any threat from the sky.


    Hearing the official¡¯s roar, an officer from the air defense command helplessly explained, ¡°There are no anti-aircraft guns deployed there! Who could have imagined that aircraft could fly across Dragon Island and reach the skies over Dragon Harbor?¡±


    That area was the refinery and oil pipeline of Dragon Harbor. Deploying anti-aircraft guns in such places required consideration of safety issues.


    If deployed too far, coverage would be problematic; if deployed too close... wouldn¡¯t that be a serious fire hazard? If a shell fell and punctured an oil pipe or tank, who would be held accountable?


    ...


    Hence, when establishing anti-aircraft gun positions, the main sites chosen were in the harbor and dockyard areas. The oil supply area, for the time being, was left unprotected.


    After all, the oil tank area was on the outer perimeter of the harbor and further inland, protected by the entire air defense system of Dragon Island, almost impermeable to failure.


    Who could have anticipated that a plane would suddenly break the rules and fly from Weigang to Dragon Harbor... A fortress, seemingly impregnable from the outside, had been breached from within.


    ¡°Go argue with the Air Force Command! The problem now is that plane! Damn it, it¡¯s already entered Dragon Harbor!¡± The complexion of the official from Dragon Harbor was extremely grim; he was responsible to Dino.


    Harry had just left Dragon Harbor not long ago, and Dino, as the apprentice of His Majesty The Emperor, had just arrived in Dragon Harbor when such a huge incident occurred. It was like slapping His Majesty The Emperor in the face...


    From another perspective, if something were to happen at the refinery, causing many products to be unavailable, affecting other project constructions, how grave would that sin be?


    Which damned fool, full and idle, cooked up this godforsaken mess! Cursing inwardly, the official began to pace back and forth in his office.


    After walking a couple of laps, he stood still, turned to the defense liaison officer of Dragon Harbor, and said, ¡°If he crashes into the oil storage tank, we might not restore production here within 20 days! You and I will both be held responsible for our negligence!¡±


    That liaison officer also understood the gravity of the situation and, after taking a deep breath, he turned to his subordinate and commanded, ¡°Phew... Order the fighter jets that are launching for interception that if the aircraft attempts to approach the refinery, to immediately open fire without regard for consequences!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The subordinate officer immediately stood at attention and saluted.


    ¡°What about now?¡± The official steadied his emotions and asked the liaison officer again.


    After biting his teeth and weighing his options, the liaison officer added a command to the officer ready to relay the order, ¡°Tell the fighter jets to follow him, and if he flies out of the refinery area, don¡¯t worry about ground targets and immediately shoot him down!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The officer saluted once again and hurried out of the room.


    James, however, had no intention of crashing into an oil tanker because his mission was to seek out the secret weapon of the Tang Country¡¯s Navy and bring back the information to the Laines Empire.


    Even if he failed, as long as the incident did not have a severe impact, it was unlikely that the Tang Country would do much to the Laines Empire.


    But if James crashed his plane into the Tang Country refinery causing extensive damage, it would completely change the nature of the incident.


    In that case, the Tang Country might very well launch retaliatory actions, even possibly declare war on the Laines Empire, an outcome the Laines Empire would not wish to see.


    Therefore, from the beginning, James had no intention of causing trouble. His plan had always been to simply scout Dragon Harbor and then get away.


    ...It was just that he knew, while others did not. What the officials of the Tang Country feared the most was this uncontrolled plane crashing into the refinery, hitting those vulnerable pipes and oil tanks, turning into a burst of splendid fireworks.


    Steering his little plane, James cut into the Tang Country¡¯s Dragon Harbor following the direction of the oil factory. The scale of this port was even larger than the previous one.


    Here, there were huge cranes, and some oil transport ships that couldn¡¯t even be seen abroad. If compared by tonnage, these giants would probably be even larger than the largest warships in the world.


    Besides the cruise ships docked at the port, the warehouses filled with all kinds of goods were neatly arranged within the port area, and James could even clearly see the colorful cars parked on the ground.


    To him, this port was truly too magnificent: he had seen Weigang, and Weigang was already one of the largest ports he had seen.


    But the scale of Dragon Harbor before him was even larger than Weigang he had seen, and it was simply incomparable. It was as if this place was a city built by another civilization on another planet, where every detail surpasses James¡¯s understanding.


    If it were possible, just this scene alone, brought back to the intelligence officers of the Laines Empire, would be enough to render them speechless with shock.


    Just by looking at this port alone, the gap between the Laines Empire and the Great Tang Empire was a vast chasm. The technology of the two sides was like that of a kindergartner facing a university student.


    ¡°Damn it! When did they build this place like this?¡± James piloted the plane, surveying everything below him.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that the Tang Army fighter jet pilots following him from all directions were incessantly communicating via radio: ¡°He is moving away from those oil tanks! Confirm! He is moving away from those oil tanks!¡±


    ¡°Searchlight 02 confirms! The target has not lowered altitude! The target is not attempting to lower altitude! Repeat! The target is not attempting to lower altitude!¡± In another fighter jet¡¯s cockpit, a pilot kept shouting while watching his altimeter.


    ¡°Follow him! Keep your distance! If he changes course, open fire immediately!¡± Higher up in the sky, the leading ace pilot controlled his plane, ready to dive at any moment to initiate an attack.


    To his sides, more Butcher Fighter jets formed a horizontal formation, all eyes vigilantly watching the Type 3 trainer aircraft, carefully observing its every move.


    ...


    ¡°Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!¡± Inside the quiet room of the Laines Empire¡¯s consulate in the Great Tang Empire, the clear ringing of a telephone broke the silence.


    The secretary hastily picked up the receiver, lazily inquired the purpose of the call: ¡°Hello, this is the Laines Empire¡¯s consulate in Chang¡¯an... may I ask...¡±


    Before he could finish, he was rudely interrupted by the other party: ¡°This is the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Ministry of Foreign Affairs! The situation is urgent, concerning the relations between our two countries! Please have your ambassador come to the phone!¡±


    ¡°Uh, please hold on.¡± The secretary, somewhat flustered, looked towards the ambassador who had just entered, and with a sigh of relief reported: ¡°A call from Tang Country¡¯s Ministry of Foreign Affairs...¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The ambassador, who had just enjoyed a sumptuous meal, was in an excellent mood and walked with a smile straight to the telephone: ¡°Hello...¡±


    ¡°There is a student named James from your country who was sent to Dragon Island to learn to fly, who has violated regulations by flying into our country¡¯s no-fly zone... Mr. Ambassador, are you aware of this matter?¡± A man¡¯s deep voice came from the other end of the phone.


    ¡°What?¡± The good mood of the Laines ambassador, who had just enjoyed a Tang delicacy, vanished instantly. Clutching the phone receiver, he spoke nervously: ¡°I was not aware of this matter.¡±


    In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind: What are those fools back home planning now? Are they trying to make my life impossible? Is this the work of the intelligence department or a set-up?


    ¡°Our country seriously suspects that this act is a deliberate provocation instructed by your country. This call is also an official notice to you that such behavior will severally affect the relationship between our two nations!¡± The person on the other end of the line seemed no longer willing even to use the term ¡°your country.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know about this... But I can assure your country that there has been a misunderstanding! All of this has been a misunderstanding!¡± The ambassador from Laines quickly came to his senses and hastily set the tone for the situation. No matter the reasoning, he was certain: this incident could not be a plot by the Laines Empire.


    In any case, even if it were orchestrated by the Laines Empire, they must deny responsibility. Because even this military novice was very clear that the Laines Empire wouldn¡¯t dare militarily provoke the Great Tang Empire.


    One year ago, the Anti-Tang Alliance crumbled, several empires together with the Shireck Consortium couldn¡¯t defeat the Great Tang Empire, and now, one year later, the Laines Empire alone would dare target Tang Country? That¡¯s a joke!


    Leines I wouldn¡¯t even dream of having such audacity!


    Thus, subconsciously, the Laines Empire¡¯s ambassador¡¯s first reaction was: We didn¡¯t do it! We would not do such a thing! It¡¯s absolutely a misunderstanding! That¡¯s what he thought, and that¡¯s what he said.


    ¡°We¡¯re just informing you! If anything happens to Dragon Harbor... it will mean that the relationship between our two countries will suffer an irreversible disaster!¡± After stating this, the person on the other end of the phone hung up, leaving only the dull tone in the receiver.


    Wanting to slam the receiver down on the desk, yet remembering he might still need the thing, he hesitated for a moment and then, irate and upset in his own office, the ambassador from the Laines Empire exploded: ¡°Who the hell again? Which bastard is causing me trouble!¡±


    He hung up the phone and turned to his secretary: ¡°Call the military attache?... and all those in charge over here! Fast!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    There will be another update later tonight, very late... This month I¡¯ll try to update three times a day to pay off the debt, and I¡¯ll let you know in advance if there are any exceptions, so as not to annoy everyone with constant reminders.

 Chapter 904 904 827 He guessed the truth

    ?Chapter 904: 827 He guessed the truth Chapter 904: 827 He guessed the truth James was shocked once again as he looked down beneath him.


    The neatly organized shipyard held four Essex-class aircraft carriers, each fitted with a flight deck.


    Their elevators had not yet been raised, thus from the sky, it was possible to see a square hole both fore and aft on every deck.


    What was shocking was that these flat decks were neatly aligned in a row of four, displaying an overwhelming presence.


    If one was accustomed to seeing aircraft carriers, it might not have been as shocking, but James had never seen such warships before, so he did not know what he was looking at.


    ¡°What is this thing...¡± He stared, wide-eyed, at the strange warships with their bridges offset from the centerline, unsure of what to do.


    At that moment, the workers installing various parts on the deck heard the noisy aircraft engines and looked up just in time to see a Model 3 trainer aircraft fly over their heads.


    ...


    They squinted, not understanding what was happening, but just after the Model 3 passed, a squadron of Butcher Fighter Jets followed majestically overhead, capturing everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Hey! Where did all those Butcher Fighter Jets come from?¡± A worker looked up into the sky and asked the foreman beside him.


    The foreman, also clueless about what was happening, shielded his eyes from the sun and watched the Butcher Fighter Jets chase the trainer into the distance. ¡°Don¡¯t know, maybe it¡¯s some sort of drill, they haven¡¯t sounded the air raid alarm, right? Keep working!¡±


    In the sky, James had not yet recovered from his shock; he didn¡¯t understand what those ships were used for, he didn¡¯t even know if they were warships.


    How could these be warships, shouldn¡¯t they be equipped with more cannons? Could those square holes on the decks be for mounting huge cannons?


    That was frightening. Such large openings would mean enormous calibers if cannons were to be installed there¡ª600 mm? 700 mm? It was terrifying.


    As he pondered, he attempted to turn his aircraft for a closer look, but then a more frightening thought struck him.


    No! That flat, unobstructed deck... it was too familiar! It wasn¡¯t a warship, or at least not a traditional one with turrets!


    Those flat decks from before... They were runways! They were aircraft runways, and he knew them all too well! These warships were meant for launching and landing airplanes!


    My God! Gods above! Damn it! It was a runway! Those damn decks were flight runways! They were going to launch and land planes at sea... It was all over!


    The thought chilled him to the bone, running from his feet to the top of his head.


    The Fighter Jets from Tang Country already surpassed the performance of aircraft used by other nations¡¯ Air Forces; if the Navy of Tang Country got warships capable of launching and landing planes... What could other countries¡¯ navies even do?


    With airplanes at Dragon Island, other countries¡¯ navies would dare not approach... And if the fleet of Tang Country also had air cover, wouldn¡¯t that mean the entire ocean was Dragon Island¡¯s domain?


    Four warships... capable of launching more than four aircraft at a time... Stukas, and those damn new attack planes... Tang Country was building an invincible fleet! Damn it!


    ¡°Hell, I must get this information out! This intelligence has to be delivered! Damn it!¡± He instinctively manipulated his control stick, intending to circle back for another look.


    But he seemed to have forgotten something... By the time he remembered he was supposed to be fleeing, it was already too late.


    20 mm caliber machine gun bullets shredded the fuselage of his Model 3 trainer from behind, bursting unimpeded into the cockpit, shattering the windshield, and destroying the dashboard.


    James felt something heavy strike him from behind. Looking down, he noticed his seat had been penetrated, and a massive bloody hole gaped in his chest.


    He saw that the glass overhead had also shattered; every gauge on the dashboard in front of him was damaged, and broken glass was everywhere.


    The sea wind against his face felt bitterly cold; he tried to reach for the control stick before him, but his arm wouldn¡¯t respond to his will.


    Actually, his arm had been blown out of the cockpit, and the only reason he remained in his seat was because some of the seatbelt still functioned.


    Coughing up blood, James¡¯s vision blurred with the violent shaking of the aircraft until darkness completely engulfed him the next second.


    In the cockpit of the Butcher Fighter Jet flying behind the Type 3 trainer aircraft, the pilot looked through the sight at the already disintegrating target but showed no signs of relaxing.


    He continued to fire short bursts, sending rows of tracer bullets toward the nose of the aircraft, which was beginning to break apart, as if venting something.


    The wings of the aircraft had already snapped off, and the landing gear had separated from the wing roots, with ignited petrol starting to consume the plane¡¯s tail. In the next second, the entire aircraft became a ball of flames.


    ¡°Target has been shot down!¡± Seeing the aircraft turn into a ball of flames, the pilot in the Butcher Fighter Jet that first fired transmitted over the radio.


    ¡°Confirmed! Target has been shot down! Target has been shot down!¡± Above, another pilot in a Butcher Fighter Jet, looking down at the burning plane crashing into the sea, also relayed the message.


    ¡°Last four fighter jets take off to patrol nearby! Mark the crash location!¡± The voice from the control tower transmitted over the radio.


    ¡°Understood!¡± responded the commanding pilot, glancing once more at the debris floating on the sea¡¯s surface.


    In the distance, a patrol boat was approaching rapidly, its mast vigorously waving the Dragon Banner of the Great Tang Empire.


    Outside Dragon Island, an airborne fortress circled in the sky, directly above the Laines Empire Cruiser tasked to rendezvous with James.


    At that moment, inside the bridge of the Laines Empire Cruiser, the captain, with a grim expression, looked at the communique? received on the public channel.


    ¡°The nearby waters are on high alert, the Great Tang Empire is conducting exercises, please vacate immediately.¡± The captain handed the communique? to a nearby intelligence officer, and then picked up his binoculars to observe the circling airborne fortress.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been spotted, and destroyers will soon arrive. If we stay here, it might provoke a conflict,¡± the captain said to the intelligence officer, his voice tense as he set down the binoculars.


    This fellow was the commander of the operation¡ªor at least the responsible party... If he didn¡¯t agree, the cruiser could only sit here foolishly waiting.


    ¡°Sir!¡± one of his subordinates whispered into the ear of the intelligence officer, who appeared to be in a dilemma, ¡°It¡¯s already past the time...¡±


    ...


    At the Laines Empire Embassy in Chang¡¯an, the room was packed with people. The agitated Laines Ambassador paced in the little remaining space, his voice making everyone uneasy, ¡°What exactly is going on here? Someone explain!¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t explain things to Tang Country, they are going to wage war on us! Do you understand what that means?¡± he finally stood still, glaring at several of his subordinates nearest to him.


    ¡°Sir... It might not be an operation from our side... It could be a frame-up...¡± one official cautiously suggested.


    ¡°Go on! You explain to the Tang Country¡¯s Foreign Ministry! If they believe you, come and take my position!¡± the Ambassador angrily cut him off, scolding loudly.


    ¡°I had already sent a telegram to the Minister of Defense when I arrived... If the military had any operations, they would have informed us ahead of time...¡± The military officer was just as clueless, having only just heard about the incident on Dragon Island.


    ¡°You!¡± The Ambassador didn¡¯t trouble the military officer further, instead turning to look at another subordinate. This subordinate typically worked as a clerk and handled intelligence matters, but his true identity was little known to others.


    The man gave a signal with his eyes then spread his hands pleadingly, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m just a clerk, I really don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    He truly knew nothing; if there were operations from the Empire¡¯s intelligence headquarters, they had no obligation to inform him. Had the operations been in Chang¡¯an, he might have been involved, but matters concerning Dragon Island really weren¡¯t his responsibility.


    It was often better for fewer people to know about such affairs, so his ignorance wasn¡¯t unusual. Yet, the Ambassador, relentless, kept his gaze on the covert intelligence officer, hoping to extract some useful information from him.


    Pushed to desperation, the officer finally came up with a suggestion, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m really out of ideas here... Perhaps, we could send a cable back home to ask for instructions; surely, His Majesty could provide us with a strategy?¡±


    ¡°Right! Send a cable immediately to the homeland! His Majesty certainly does not want to start a war! Someone has to give us an explanation.¡± The Ambassador thought the suggestion feasible and instantly ordered, ¡°Quick! Send a cable home! Make them give us an answer within thirty minutes!¡±


    In truth, the Laines Empire had already received a protest telegram from Tang Country. The Foreign Minister was utterly frantic; he truly did not know who was causing such a massive problem for him.


    As the Minister hurried to the Imperial Palace to seek an audience with Leines I, the telegram from Chang¡¯an also arrived almost simultaneously.


    Leines I was also stunned. Clutching the telegram, he suppressed the anger in his heart and squeezed out a phrase between gritted teeth, ¡°Get me... the head of the intelligence department! Quick! Hurry!¡±

 Chapter 905 905 828 medium rare

    ?Chapter 905: 828 medium rare Chapter 905: 828 medium rare Upon learning that his subordinates had caused such a commotion, Earl Vidal of the Laines Empire¡¯s intelligence department nearly choked to death on a mouthful of water.


    ¡°Have you lost your minds? How dare you plan such a large operation?¡± he demanded, clambering into a car, while questioning the subordinates following him.


    ¡°My lord... it was you who said... at all costs,¡± retorted the subordinate, who felt aggrieved. They risked life and limb for intelligence, and yet, in the end, they couldn¡¯t even earn a word of praise.


    ¡°What I meant... was not this!¡± Earl Vidal was so angry that his face turned red, and he even felt a wave of dizziness.


    While waiting for Earl Vidal, Leines I had finally come to understand the full picture of the incident, although he hadn¡¯t anticipated that his intelligence personnel would be so bold or capable of causing such a significant incident.


    At this point, he didn¡¯t even know whether to laugh or cry: When tasked with legitimate duties, his subordinates could be maddeningly incompetent, yet in causing trouble, they proved strikingly unparalleled.


    After Earl Vidal had arrived at the Imperial Palace and reported the details of the entire incident to His Majesty The Emperor, everyone began to comprehend why Tang Country had reacted so strongly.


    ...


    If that plane had crashed into Tang Country¡¯s oil facilities, it could have caused immense damage. This was considered ¡°Dragon Island¡¯s only weak spot,¡± and nearly allowed a spy from the Laines Empire to accomplish what the entire Anti-Tang Alliance Fleet had failed to do.


    On the other hand, Tang Country¡¯s reaction suggested that there indeed were secrets on Dragon Island that could not be revealed to outsiders.


    But by now, it was too late¡ªtheir intelligence mission had failed, and they had not obtained any valuable information.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Call that cruiser back immediately! Idiots! Do you want everyone to know it was us?¡± Leines I still showed some sense, although not much...


    ¡°You guys are really something! With just one infiltrating agent, you¡¯ve managed to set back our relations with the Great Tang Empire by a whole year...¡± The Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke with a sarcastic sneer. If he could beat Earl Vidal, he would have liked to punch the damned head of the intelligence agency right then and there.


    Leines I also went pale upon hearing this: It really was a goddamn year ago, when the two nations were on the brink of a declared war...


    Before the Tang Country destroyers arrived, the Laines Empire¡¯s cruiser that had been waiting in place took off without looking back. As if fleeing from some pursuing terror, it astonishingly surged to a speed of 50 kilometers per hour.


    Meanwhile, Tang Country¡¯s intelligence department was still busy at work.


    Two ships patrolled back and forth at the site where the Type 3 trainer aircraft had gone down, and divers periodically leaped into the water. Dragon Island¡¯s most advanced diving equipment was brought over, and a destroyer stood by in the distance for guard duty.


    Inside the pilot school, the examination was still ongoing. All flight training courses had been canceled, and each trainer aircraft was under strict guard and subject to careful inspection.


    Of course, there were complaints aplenty, aside from those with guilty consciences, the remaining students were undoubtedly irritated by this unwarranted misfortune.


    After all, they had paid good money to come here to learn to fly, and many were looking forward to joining civil aviation and earning back their investment soon.


    But now, they couldn¡¯t even continue their flight training, and even the regular, basic cultural classes had been canceled.


    Everyone was confined to their dormitories, and meals were delivered to each room by the school staff¡ªas if everyone was under suspicion, as if they were all spies.


    ¡°Come on! You can¡¯t treat us like this without any evidence,¡± a student from Dahua complained, clutching his lousy boxed meal, and yelling at the soldiers who had come to deliver food outside his door.


    ¡°Let it go, let it go! They¡¯re just following orders... Shouting at them is pointless,¡± a student from Dorne playacted to intervene, offering some words of persuasion.


    ¡°Sons of bitches from Laines! They don¡¯t want to live and drag us down with them!¡± The student from Dahua kept on ranting, furious and cursing.


    ¡°Who are you cursing at?¡± A recently returned student from Laines, still fuming, overheard the cursing from the Dahua student and immediately blew up.


    He had been studying diligently all along, but due to the incident with James, he was dragged away for an entire day of interrogation, and just as he had returned, he heard someone cursing indirectly, and he could no longer hold back.


    Soon, there were shouts coming from the room, cries like ¡°murder¡± and ¡°help.¡± Then the soldiers burst in, and regardless of who was who, they pinned everyone to the ground and gave each a couple of baton strokes...


    All at once, everything quieted down, order was restored, and the investigation continued, while the cursing about the Laines Empire¡¯s trap quietly persisted in every dormitory.


    Dropping a stack of files onto the table, the intelligence officer who had just walked in hadn¡¯t slept all night. He yawned and said, ¡°These are ground crew testimonies. Almost everyone confirmed that James didn¡¯t carry any suspicious items onboard. Even the smallest spy radio device couldn¡¯t possibly fit into the pocket of a jacket.¡±


    The officer who had been waiting for news cradled a cup of bitter, strong tea and stared at the scattered files on the table, asking, ¡°What about the parachute packs? Were they issued parachute packs?¡±


    The chief instructor of the training flight team rubbed his temples, exhaustedly answering the question, ¡°Indeed, they were issued. We found James¡¯s parachute pack¡ªa damaged pack with a hole pierced through it, containing nothing but a rotten parachute.¡±


    He used to be the chief instructor at a civilian aviation school, always flying the C-47. In recent years, since he had gotten a bit older and settled down on Dragon Island, he had been transferred from the military to civil aviation.


    But who could have predicted, even so, he¡¯d still get entangled in a spy case. It had been busy for more than ten hours now, without any chance to sleep.


    The leading commander, persistent, asked again, ¡°What about the recovery team?¡±


    The naval liaison shook his head; he had confirmed just fifteen minutes earlier that there had been no new developments, ¡°We haven¡¯t found any suspicious items, and there isn¡¯t much wreckage recovered.¡±


    ¡°Go ask again!¡± the commander in charge instructed.


    ¡°Yes!¡± The naval liaison officer stepped out and soon returned to the room with a Navy Major General who had just arrived.


    The Major General, looking weary from travel, found a place to sit upon entering the room before speaking, ¡°I¡¯ve been sent here by the Navy... From now on, I¡¯ll report on the Navy¡¯s recovery progress.¡±


    The head intelligence officer nodded and then asked his most pressing question, ¡°What about James himself?¡±


    ¡°We only found part of the body.¡± The Navy official set down his file case on the table and glanced at the interrogation reports of the ground crew before answering.


    Clearly, this answer was deeply unsettling. So the intelligence officer immediately followed up, ¡°A part? So we can¡¯t confirm where the rest is?¡±


    The Navy officer laughed, ¡°Yes, part of the body is indeed beyond recovery... However, what we found was a half-cooked head that has been identified by comparing with photos; confirmed it was indeed James. Do you think the other missing parts could possibly convey our secrets?¡±


    ¡°Heaving a sigh of relief,¡± the intelligence officer smiled, ¡°Alright! Please instruct the Navy patrol team to continue the recovery effort. Not a single trace can be overlooked!¡±


    At least, he had one less problem to worry about¡ªJames was dead, and most thoroughly so.


    The general nodded, ¡°Understood! The Navy will continue to cooperate.¡±


    In Chang¡¯an, the Security Bureau headquarters of Tang Country, Li¡¯ao had also gone without sleep for over a dozen hours. Although his aged body scarcely allowed for such intensive work anymore, the case indeed had the entire intelligence community of Tang Country on edge.


    Finally, he awaited the arrival of the bartender, the handler of the operation. The towering figure pushed the door open, exuding an immense presence.


    However, this kind of pressure was of no use to Li¡¯ao, as the bartender was a subordinate he had taken under his wing before his allegiance to Tang Mo, and throughout the years, the bartender had worked under him.


    Examining the results brought back by the bartender, Li¡¯ao narrowed his eyes, ¡°Just to be safe, we should still get the intelligence department over there moving. Investigate thoroughly before we draw any conclusions.¡±


    From any angle, it seemed that this person named James hadn¡¯t transmitted any intelligence. Though he had caused chaos, the loss wasn¡¯t as substantial as feared.


    This allowed Li¡¯ao, the bartender, and many intelligence officers of Tang Country to breathe a sigh of relief. It was embarrassing, but at least it didn¡¯t make them lose too much face.


    ¡°It¡¯s the prudent course. I¡¯ve already arranged the tasks and will keep a close watch on all their movements. The Staff Department has also given suggestions for action,¡± the bartender immediately responded.


    ¡°Oh? Let¡¯s hear it...¡± Li¡¯ao looked at his subordinate.


    The bartender then relayed the Staff Department¡¯s assessment, ¡°Keep a close eye on the progress of battleship construction in all countries. If there¡¯s a slowdown or any adjustments, it may mean that the secrets within the naval port have been leaked.¡±


    ¡°At the same time, monitor all shipyards. If any country starts building a similar type of warship, it¡¯s the same implication.¡± These minor changes could indeed indirectly confirm some issues. Therefore, the bartender agreed with the Staff Department¡¯s suggestions and was prepared to go through with them.


    He paused momentarily and then added details about the intelligence department¡¯s own arrangements, ¡°Additionally, if our personnel come across corresponding intelligence... they will immediately report back. Please rest assured... these countries are not as good at keeping secrets as we are.¡±


    ¡°Keep a close watch... and let¡¯s avoid any further issues...¡± Li¡¯ao remarked, ¡°Write a report, I¡¯ll take it to His Majesty The Emperor at the meeting this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! Your subordinate understands!¡± The bartender bowed slightly and then exited Li¡¯ao¡¯s office.

 Chapter 906 906 The world needs a corpse on August 29th

    ?Chapter 906: The world needs a corpse on August 29th Chapter 906: The world needs a corpse on August 29th ¡°Ring, ring, ring...¡± The phone rang once again, and the Laines Empire¡¯s Minister of Foreign Affairs, overwhelmed with annoyance, picked up the receiver listlessly and uttered the simple word, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hello! This is Paul, the Ambassador of the Dorne Empire to the Laines Empire...¡± On the other end of the line, the man¡¯s voice was filled with dissatisfaction.


    ¡°This is Somi, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Laines Empire. What can I do for you, Ambassador Paul?¡± Marquis Somi said, his frustration evident.


    ¡°On behalf of the Dorne Empire, I strongly protest against your country¡¯s reckless intelligence gathering activities. They do not serve the interests of any party, and your actions have caused unacceptable losses to the Dorne Empire as well.¡± On the phone, Ambassador Paul was on the verge of cursing.


    This time, the Tang Country had dealt with Laines Empire¡¯s espionage activities through a series of follow-up measures. These included relocating the flight training that was originally conducted on Dragon Island to Lue? City in Chu Country.


    Although the natural environment there was beautiful, how could it possibly compare with the modernization level of Tang Country¡¯s Weigang?


    The students from various countries had all paid money; who wouldn¡¯t want to study in a convenient and modern metropolis? But now, the situation was that Tang Country had directly moved the training base to a godforsaken place in Chu Country.


    ...


    As it stands, the good locations in Chu Country are already occupied by Tang Country, leaving no good options in the remaining areas for the relocation.


    That meant, to ensure safety, oil facilities and pipeline ports in Chu Country were all excluded from the relocation options.


    As a result, the chosen place was a small city in the southern region of Chu Country, where there was nothing but a future pilot school...


    What made matters worse was that Tang Country¡¯s reaction was justified. The Tang Country¡¯s Ministry of Foreign Affairs shifted all the blame onto the Laines Empire, then naturally proceeded with the plans for relocating the flight school.


    The place in Lue? City was so sloped it only had an airport built, without even the most basic dormitories prepared, and they began trial operations immediately.


    Meanwhile, all the students from Dragon Island Flight School were escorted by armed forces, packed into transport ships under the escort of destroyers, and sent to the ports of Chu Country.


    Chu Country cooperated very well, and even the King of Chu was very pleased: Tang Country had moved such important facilities to my territory, making it seem like my place is truly blessed, making my reign solid as steel.


    ¡°We are still investigating this matter, the Laines Empire¡¯s intelligence department has not issued any orders to disrupt order. We must wait for the final results...¡± Helplessly, Marquis Somi repeated the same words he had just told the Ambassador of the Suthers Empire to Ambassador Paul.


    He was becoming irritated, as countless representatives from various nations had called in the past few hours to inquire and complain about the situation.


    ¡°As the representative of the Dorne Empire to the Laines Empire, I must remind you, Marquis Somi... if your country¡¯s espionage activities provoke a war, any consequences will be solely borne by your country,¡± Ambassador Paul spoke again on the phone.


    Aren¡¯t you already prepared to kick us while we¡¯re down? Damn it, now you¡¯re still saying these niceties, aren¡¯t you probably already gathering tanks at the border? Marquis Somi cursed internally but continued to explain hastily, ¡°We are cooperating with Tang Country in the investigation, and everything can only be determined after results are obtained... I understand your reminder, and I hope the situation does not escalate to uncontrollable levels.¡±


    He could only say these customary words, then emphasized that the Laines Empire was still in communication with the Tang Empire, and war might not be inevitable.


    This was a kind-hearted reminder, intended to make the other party also wary: don¡¯t prepare to kick someone only to find no one in the pit.


    ¡°Alright! We will patiently wait, and hope that your country can clarify this incident with Tang Country and provide a reasonable explanation for this event. My country reserves the right to seek compensation, and I hope you, Marquis Somi, can understand,¡± said Ambassador Paul from the other end.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Marquis Somi said, too weary to even say goodbye, and simply pressed the phone receiver down on the phone. His expression was grim, but he had no energy left to vent.


    In these few hours, the real chaos had unfolded in the Empire¡¯s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the troubles caused by the intelligence department had plunged the Laines Empire into an unprecedented crisis.


    Previously, Leines I had not realized that the world¡¯s geopolitical landscape had fundamentally changed. Now, he and the upper echelons of the Laines Empire were feeling the immense pressure brought about by this change.


    Ever since the last failed war against Tang, the finances of all nations had begun showing signs of poor health. All nations were burdened with enormous debts to the Tang Empire, and export trade had consistently been in a deficit.


    The fragile economic operations relied on Tang Country¡¯s unilateral actions in inflating the prices in various countries, meaning Tang Country was intentionally helping other nations¡¯ economies to maintain a situation that allowed continuous leeching from them.


    If Tang Country wanted to destroy another country¡¯s economy, all it needed to do was lower the price of the goods it exported to that country, causing the economy of that country to directly collapse and be destroyed.


    Everyone had to act according to the mood of Tang Country, constantly succumbing to the technological coercion of Tang Country, and even more so, fearing the terrifying military strength of Tang Country. This was the current situation of the empires around the Endless Sea.


    Actually, there was a second solution to escape this problem; it was just that no one had thought of it before.


    This crisis in the Laines Empire showed everyone a second plan and a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.


    The second solution was to dismember and wipe out an empire, everyone taking a piece, using the flesh and blood of the deceased to nourish the rest.


    Since no one could defeat Tang Country and they were all in debt to it, well... finding a weakling to crush would at least let everyone scrape by for another decade or so...


    Once everyone realized this, the way they looked at the Laines Empire, which had just caused trouble on Dragon Island, changed.


    The Laines Empire was an appealing target because, with Brunas present, it had better economic conditions and was located right next to the Suthers and Dorne Empires. Those who wanted land could take land; those who wanted gold could take gold. It was a very convenient situation, wasn¡¯t it?


    Therefore, the first to show a tough stance on this matter were Laines Empire¡¯s southern neighbor, Dorne, and its northern neighbor, Suthers.


    Of course, the Poplar Empire and Gobur Kingdom, which were awaiting their share of the spoils, would not have shown such a tough stance without their support.


    In other words, it must have been assurances from the Poplar Empire and Gobur Kingdom to remain strictly neutral that allowed the Suthers and Dorne Empires to mobilize their forces toward the Laines Empire without any worries.


    Considering that he might have to face a triple threat from three empires, including the current world¡¯s strongest military power, the Tang Empire, Leines I naturally knew that he had no chance of winning.


    His only chance now was to avoid war! Once war broke out, his navy would be completely annihilated by the Tang Navy, Brunas might even be occupied by the Tang Army, and with Suthers and Dorne attacking from both sides, the Laines Empire would become history.


    ¡°We must avoid this from happening!¡± Leines I said to the Prime Minister and the group of ministers standing before him, emphasizing his point with displeasure on his face.


    The messages from the foreign affairs department were worse than the last, and on the border lines, the military forces of the two neighboring countries to the north and south were also frequently moving. Suddenly, from an anti-Tang backbone, the Laines Empire became isolated.


    ¡°We are actively denying any involvement in the Dragon Island incident! For this, we are willing to compensate Tang Country with three million gold coins... Negotiations are still ongoing, and it seems that Tang Country does not intend to kick us when we¡¯re down,¡± the Prime Minister said, trying to comfort the flustered Leines I.


    In fact, Tang Country¡¯s attitude was very subtle now, showing in the negotiation process: the Tang Foreign Affairs Department neither broke off the talks outright nor showed a very friendly side.


    This state of being neither close nor distant initially confused the diplomats of the Laines Empire.


    However, after further reflection, they realized the key point: in reality, Tang Country was not necessarily eager to see the Laines Empire fall.


    Admittedly, sending troops to destroy the Laines Empire could bring many benefits, even reclaiming the once glorious Brunnis Port.


    But the negative impact of the destruction of the Laines Empire was also something Tang Country did not want to see: most countries would receive a portion of the inheritance of the Laines Empire, and then they would have plenty of funds to mitigate adverse effects of trade deficits with Tang.


    In plain terms, the Tang Empire would lose its ability to economically control these empires, allowing these empires to some extent to free themselves from the impact of the Tang Empire.


    The good and bad of this situation needed careful consideration and did not necessarily mean that personally going to war against the Laines Empire would benefit the Tang Empire.


    Not to mention, trying a landing near Brunnis Port across the severe challenges was not a very certain thing for Tang Country now.


    ¡°Our concessions can be even larger, but clearly, Tang Country¡¯s appetite goes beyond that. The Foreign Affairs Department is trying to find new leverage points as bargaining chips, we still need more time,¡± the Prime Minister glanced at Earl Vidal, the head of the intelligence department, who was standing there nervously wiping sweat.


    ¡°Vidal! Find some unimportant pawns, throw them out!¡± Leines I understood the Prime Minister¡¯s intention, ¡°Send a telegram in my name to His Majesty The Emperor of the Tang Empire, saying our intelligence department is willing to engage in long-term cooperation with Tang Country¡¯s intelligence department...¡±

 Chapter 907 907 830 Glass Ashtray

    ?Chapter 907: 830 Glass Ashtray Chapter 907: 830 Glass Ashtray ¡°Our side is willing to share intelligence with your country, and we guarantee that all activities of our intelligence department within your country will cease...¡± At the negotiation table, the ambassador from Laines Empire stationed in Tang Empire pulled out yet another bargaining chip.


    Diplomats from Tang Country huddled and discussed in low voices for a while before the leading diplomat resumed in an official tone, ¡°It is good that your country is willing to cooperate with ours on intelligence matters, but Mr. Ambassador, you still have not addressed how to resolve the recent airplane training incident on Dragon Island.¡±


    ¡°I emphasize once again! This incident has nothing to do with our country! We are also victims! Everything James did has nothing to do with our country!¡± The ambassador from Laines Empire hurriedly repeated the statement he had said eight hundred times before.


    Jokingly, such matters could absolutely not be admitted; they had to insist it was another country¡¯s deliberate framing! Tell the truth? Don¡¯t make me laugh; who could guarantee that Tang Country¡¯s diplomats wouldn¡¯t turn around the next second, pull out a pistol, and declare ¡®war starts now!''¡±


    Laines Empire¡¯s stance on the matter was: I am wronged, I never did such a thing! However... how much money do you want for compensation! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll even kneel to say! Can we just get past this issue?


    The diplomat from Tang Empire sneered and questioned, ¡°Who would believe such a tale suitable for fooling a three-year-old? We want evidence. You say you were framed, but who can prove it?¡±


    You say we did it, do you have evidence? Although he wanted to shout this out, the ambassador from Laines weighed the toughness of his own head and thought it might not be hard enough.


    ¡°I know what you want to say, but we do have evidence,¡± continued the diplomat from Tang Empire with a sneer, pushing a photograph across to the other side, ¡°At the same time as the Dragon Island incident unfolded, your country¡¯s cruiser was spotted on the outskirts of Dragon Island! How do you explain this?¡±


    ...


    That cruiser was indeed discovered by Tang Country¡¯s patrol aircraft, loitering around without leaving, obviously waiting for something. Only when things went south, and Tang Country¡¯s destroyers arrived, did the cruiser quickly leave.


    ¡°Moreover, we intercepted some encrypted telegrams... The cruiser only left after receiving a certain telegram... Now how do you explain that?¡± Tang Country¡¯s diplomat tapped his fingers lightly on the photograph, seemingly waiting for the other party to speak up.


    Laines Empire¡¯s ambassador, having been instructed, gritted his teeth and refused to admit Laines Empire¡¯s involvement, so he could only bite the bullet and continue explaining, ¡°Our cruiser was really broken... it broke down right there.¡±


    ¡°And , that encrypted telegram... was a normal communication sent by our navy... it was just, just a coincidence.¡± He pulled out a handkerchief, wiped the sweat from his forehead and then looked up at the diplomat from Tang Country, ¡°That¡¯s just the truth, it was merely a coincidence.¡±


    There¡¯s no direct evidence proving that we are the plotters behind the scene, so stubborn denial can always be used as the final fig leaf.


    ¡°You should feel lucky! Lucky that I don¡¯t have the authority to smash your head with an ashtray!¡± The Tang Country¡¯s diplomat leaned back in his chair, looking at the huge, crystal-clear glass ashtray in the middle of the table, and spoke.


    ...


    In Tang Mo¡¯s office, Roger, along with Harry who had come to report back, Alice, Simon, and others, were also having a meeting.


    They were discussing whether it was appropriate for Tang Country to declare war on Laines Empire. All grievances were just pretexts; ultimately, it boiled down to interests.


    Whether to declare war on a country only needed attention to three issues:


    The first issue: whether they could defeat that country, if not, it was best not to do so.


    The second issue: whether other countries had objections to you attacking this country, if they do not, then your efforts are wasted.


    The third issue: whether there were any benefits to fighting this country, this issue was very important; if there were no benefits at all, then it was not worth fighting.


    Many people criticized Huaxia¡¯s historical rulers for their weak desire for external expansion, seeing them as self-complacent and lacking ambition.


    However, most of the time, Huaxia¡¯s rulers at that time were troubled by the third question: looking around at the neighboring areas, all that remained were poor mountains and bad waters, there was truly no need to fight.


    ¡°Your Highness is correct in saying that if war were declared, Brunas would still be our most desired target, but achieving this goal is not easy,¡± Luff continued.


    Tang Mo nodded as well; the last time his fleet had conducted a long-distance landing operation was during the assault on Dongwan Island, and that had been six or seven years ago.


    At that time, leveraging the Tang Army¡¯s weaponry, which was generations ahead of Mirage Country¡¯s flintlock guns, the Tang Army had carelessly launched the landing and conquered Dongwan Island in one fell swoop.


    But now... it clearly wouldn¡¯t be easy to conduct such a long-distance landing operation again: however weak the Laines Empire might be, organizing a defense near Brunas posed no problem for them.


    The enemy also had machine guns and heavy artillery; an extended invasion by the Tang Army aiming to capture Brunas could potentially come at a steep cost.


    It needs not be said, merely leaving behind twenty thousand corpses on the sandy beaches might mean the slight benefits of recovering Brunas wouldn¡¯t even compensate for such losses.


    Another issue was that Suthers, which had occupied Northern Ridge years ago, was now separated from Brunas only by the Vicious Forest, where most of the trees had been cut down.


    Once war breaks out, it is certain that Suthers would take advantage of the chaos¡ªif they advance from the north part of the Vicious Forest straight to Brunas, what would Tang Country do?


    The Laines Empire might even take a more drastic measure¡ªabandon the Navy, and hand Brunas over to the Suthers Empire... Using the greed of the Suthers Empire to isolate the Great Tang Empire, then Tang Country might not even be able to reach the Laines Empire.


    ¡°Landing on Brunas is something we must eventually undertake, but to proceed immediately seems a bit overly hasty,¡± Tang Mo spoke up, setting the tone for this meeting.


    His Majesty The Emperor does not wish to go to war at present, so the focus of our diplomatic efforts has settled on ¡°striking a deal and sparing Laines.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty speaks truly,¡± Simon added. ¡°Going to war with Laines would greatly affect the economic sphere we are currently maintaining, which seems somewhat counterproductive.¡±


    Previously a Financial Minister of the Laines Empire, he had now become one of Alice¡¯s accomplished subordinates. He had always been engaged in economic work and had consistently performed well.


    ¡°Indeed, I too believe the impact on the economy would be too great,¡± Harry, seated nearby, chimed in.


    He was originally in charge of Linshui, a city whose economic development had surged tremendously during a year of peace, one might describe it as advancing by leaps and bounds.


    Linshui Port was practically the Great Tang¡¯s version of the legendary Shanghai: skyscrapers everywhere, bustling docks, and a vibrant, awe-inspiring scene.


    Should war break out, Linshui Port would inevitably suffer, and many other ports including Dongwan Port, Fengshun Port, and Weigang might all see slowed developmental progress. Compared with that, one Brunas might indeed not seem so crucial.


    ¡°We too hope to reclaim Brunas soon, after all, that place holds significant meaning for all of us,¡± Roger glanced at Harry, then at Alice and Tang Mo, before continuing, ¡°It holds many precious memories for us, and it was once our homeland.¡±


    ¡°However, taking it back only to turn it into ruins, and losing tens of thousands of soldiers¡¯ lives to do so, does not align with our current interests,¡± he paused, as if convincing himself, ¡°So, we should wait, wait for a day when we can take back that place completely...¡±


    ¡°Uncle Roger is right,¡± Tang Mo addressed Roger not as Prime Minister but rather using the title from their days in Brunas, ¡°One day, we will return there and once again become the rightful masters of Brunas.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave everything to the diplomats, let them toy with Laines! Take as much as we can from them! For now, let¡¯s spare our ¡®old friend¡¯ Leines I...¡± Tang Mo smiled, stressing the words ¡®old friend¡¯, ¡°I¡¯m a person who values old ties, so I¡¯ll give him a chance!¡±


    He further added, ¡°Take Sofia for example, I gave her two chances, but she didn¡¯t cherish them. I also give Leines I a chance, I hope he... will cherish our friendship.¡±


    ¡°He surely will,¡± Luff laughed. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t cherish it, we¡¯ll just hang him up on a street lamp.¡±


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want to live well, then we¡¯ll settle the scores... with my father, and with Northern Ridge!¡± Alice added.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Tang Mo stood up, concluding the meeting, ¡°Privately convey this to Leines I, tell him, if there is a next time, we won¡¯t be so agreeable!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Your Majesty!¡± Li¡¯ao stood, bowing in assurance, ¡°He¡¯ll receive the warning soon.¡±


    ¡°May Your Majesty live forever!¡± As Tang Mo held Alice¡¯s hand and left the conference room, everyone stood up, chests puffed out, and sang in chorus.

 Chapter 908 908 Boundaries of the Empire 831

    ?Chapter 908: Boundaries of the Empire 831 Chapter 908: Boundaries of the Empire 831 After stepping out of the office, Tang Mo led Alice to another room. It was a study, one wall of which was filled with various finely bound books.


    These books were a collection from all over the world, gathered by Tang Mo¡¯s command. They represented the history of this world, a history starkly different from the one Tang Mo was familiar with.


    This wonderful world had bred different lifeforms. In Tang Mo¡¯s world, only humans were the favored race of the gods.


    Yet here, humans, elves, dwarves, orcs... many races possessed their own civilizations, and even had their own glorious pasts.


    Long, long ago, there was a vast and supremely wealthy Dwarf Empire on the Western Continent. This empire had powerful metallurgical capabilities, and the emperor of the Dwarf Empire could arm millions of soldiers in full armor with sharp weapons.


    That splendid dwarven civilization even laid the foundation for the international monetary system, and to this day, the paper currency issued by the Great Tang Empire was pegged to the value system of the Dwarf Empire¡¯s Gold Coins.


    The Elf Race was the first to step out of the forests in an even earlier period. They established tribal communities and later joined forces with humans and orcs to defeat the then-dominant Dwarf Empire.


    ...


    In short, the books here recorded many stories and pieces of knowledge, each one invaluable. Tang Mo placed them in this room and would take time now and then to painstakingly read each one.


    Learning brought joy and profound knowledge. Relying on this knowledge, Tang Mo gradually understood this world, which enabled him to better control his own empire.


    Establishing a vast empire was not an easy task. The expansion and development of an empire were hindered by multifaceted reasons.


    It wasn¡¯t as simple as having a military general with extraordinary martial prowess leading a group of combat-ready soldiers to sweep the enemies aside and then claiming all the land within sight as the empire¡¯s territory.


    The vast territory brought endless troubles for an emperor: He had to maintain actual control over the expansive lands, but such control was extremely complex and troublesome.


    Poor transportation capabilities were the first natural enemy of large territories. Events that happened in the Anxi Protectorate during the Tang Dynasty would take more than ten days to ensure a message was delivered back to Chang¡¯an. Such efficiency rendered the entire Tang Dynasty like a giant with deadened peripheral nerves, very sluggish in reacting to border issues.


    In a situation with no alternative, the rulers of the Tang Dynasty were forced to establish institutions to manage these territories, setting up various protectorates or simply appointing Military Governors to administer civilian and military affairs in these regions.


    Distance made the central government of Tang Country in Chang¡¯an lax in its control over the Military Governors. After the centralization power weakened in Tang Country, these border territories immediately became an unwieldy burden, severely threatening the security of the Central Plains.


    This was not an isolated case. Even at the height of the British Empire¡¯s power, the United Kingdom¡¯s governance over parts of the United States and Canada was loose and impractical. In the end, as history has shown, North America did indeed break away from Britain, moving towards complete uncontrollable independence.


    Another extreme were the Persian and Arabian Empires. They did, in a sense, establish empires with vast territories, but eventually they too disintegrated due to mismanagement, turning into several nations of the same origin that did not recognize each other.


    Therefore, Huaxia had so many empires, yet none could extend their influence far enough: technology was an even more fatal constraint than limited vision.


    For an emperor, waking up every day and worrying about his subordinates declaring themselves kings was a constant agony.


    In ancient times, there was no advanced system to restrain the dispatched officials, nor was there a means of long-distance communication to keep real-time control of intelligence.


    Then, those regional governors, entrusted with the central government¡¯s large funds to raise private armies, would one day openly rebel because of unfair taxation, differential treatment, or simply their own greed, posing a serious threat to the empire¡ªa clearly bad choice for an emperor.


    After the collapse of the Tang Empire¡¯s Military Governor system, Huaxia began to reflect during the Song Dynasty. The emperors, in order not to let the borderlands become an unstable factor that could split and rebel at any time, started to overcorrect by implementing a policy of strengthening the central government and weakening the branches.


    The essence of this policy was to centralize control over the most easily loseable finance and military near the emperor.


    The precondition for achieving this policy was that the Song Dynasty had almost completely given up the peripheral defensive lines, so the emperor and ministers could naturally concentrate the troops. Clearly, though, such a policy was also not a good choice.


    The limitations of ancient communication methods and the loopholes in the system were contradictory for the emperor in balancing control over the military and territorial expansion. The problem only began to turn around with the advent of technologies like the railway and the telegraph.


    Railroads allowed continental nations to enjoy the territorial dividends of vast expanses, and the telegraph closed the gap in information transfer across great distances.


    The popularization of these technologies was the pillar of the birth of a giant empire; without them, even an OP (overpowered) military unit like the Mongol calvary and ambitious leaders like Genghis Khan could only see their vast empire disintegrate within a few decades.


    In fact, during the time of Kublai Khan, the arrogant Mongol border generals had already begun to scheme for themselves. The establishment of the Four Great Khanates was a historical inevitability given the technological constraints of the time.


    In summer, dispatching troops from the Great Capital of Yuan to support the ally¡¯s campaign in Europe would most likely not reach Moscow until the following spring... What effective control could there be in such a situation?


    The good news was, Tang Country possessed the technology to effectively rule an empire; the bad news was he might need some time to expand his sphere of influence.


    Those who have played strategic games know that when it comes to expansion, choosing targets within one¡¯s own influence is a more relaxed approach.


    For example, if Huaxia were prepared to start expanding, choosing the Korean Peninsula, Southeast Asia, or Japan as targets would clearly be more successful than aiming for Siberian Russia.


    Tang Mo¡¯s advantage was: he had advanced communication technology to control large swaths of an empire or even a transoceanic empire.


    Similarly, he had trains and planes to effectively deploy troops and firmly grasp every inch of the empire¡¯s territory, maintaining his rule over it.


    What he lacked, though, was a population that recognized his rule, and the time for the neighboring people to accept it¡ªthis was his disadvantage and the problem he was striving to solve.

 Chapter 909 909 In the 832 study room

    ?Chapter 909: In the 832 study room Chapter 909: In the 832 study room From another perspective, those peripheral lands that have been conquered, are they really securely in the grasp of an empire? In fact, they are not.


    Throughout history, both in China and abroad, every conquest signifies brutal exploitation and oppression. Whether it¡¯s the assholes who had it easy violating Huaxia or the German leader¡¯s frenzied expansion across Europe, the essence is the same.


    They had no intention of turning these lands, trampled by their iron hooves, into their territory with kindness, nor did they plan to treat the native inhabitants well, developing them into their own governed people.


    These places became exploited colonies. For the United Kingdom, it was North America; for France, it was North Africa.


    All these conquered regions could never receive the same treatment as the conquerors. Unless there emerged a time-traveler, capable of bringing in money and technology from elsewhere, rapidly disseminating the benefits to the occupied areas; otherwise, the occupied regions could only support the core areas.


    Tang Mo was such a time-traveler, which is why he was able to earn the local people¡¯s support immediately upon completing his expansions in Zheng Country and Qi Country.


    For these people, Tang Country was not the conqueror, but a liberator: upon occupying these regions, Tang Country immediately provided the locals with more materials and improved their living conditions, thus reducing public grievances to a controllable level.


    ...


    At the same time, Tang Country began to purge the slave-owners and landlord-nobility class, swiftly integrating into the peasant class and gaining widespread support from them.


    Coupled with the advanced productive forces that Tang Country represented, it was inevitably cherished and supported by the emerging worker and merchant classes, and therefore achieved unprecedented success.


    However, all of this was impossible in ancient times, in an era without time-travelers bringing additional benefits.


    The United Kingdom, which rebelled against slave-owners due to oppressive American taxes, Germany that cruelly exploited the Soviet-occupied areas, and Japan that inhumanely slaughtered the people in Chinese-occupied territories¡ªall did the same.


    This caused these regions to be prone to uprisings, easily subject to division by those with ulterior motives, and the lands, conquered at a great cost, would simply be wedding dresses for others: for an emperor, this is absolutely foolish behavior.


    Take Huaxia as an example. The conquest of Guangxi and Yungui was essentially completed during the Qin Dynasty, but effective actions to develop and govern these areas only began to take place during the Southern Song Dynasty under pressure from the North.


    By the time real control was established over these mountain regions, it was already during the Ming and Qing dynasties; one can imagine how difficult expansion and colonization were in ancient times.


    Those short distances on the map, seemingly key points within arm¡¯s reach, were actually much more challenging to capture than one might think.


    The territory of Nanyue was actually not bad, and it was conquered during the Han Dynasty, but eventually, it split off due to local indigenous influences. The Tang Dynasty actually campaigned against Baekje and Silla, but also failed to hold on in the end.


    So what if they were conquered? Nanyue ultimately became Vietnam, and Baekje became Korea. Throughout history, how many famous generals have established empires only to have the deserted Northern Court remain the domain of nomadic tribes.


    During the age when England¡¯s sailing warships dominated the world, the sun-never-set flag flew everywhere, but they could only send convicts for ¡°forced immigration¡± to Australia. After all, which decent English citizen would want to suffer in Australia at that time?


    It was the same with Huaxia. If the emperor then wanted to find a reliable, capable, and handsome minister to go build cities and schools in Guangxi, that minister would probably prefer to bash his head to death in the palace hall... After all, to be sent to the ends of the earth by the Emperor was a penalty laden with deep shame and a fate worse than death.


    If conquest meant securing eternal sovereign land easily, then the Mongol Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Roman Empire, and the Third German Reich might have all fainted in the toilet from grief.


    If genuine control was so feasible, who would willingly let go? Isn¡¯t it simply because they¡¯re powerless and incapable?


    The reality is, when power is lacking, even two insignificant gangs on a broken island refuse to live together, as seen by Scotland¡¯s current displeasure with England.


    The unbreakable alliance eventually turned into an utter joke, and the modern-day animosity exemplifies what is truly meant by ¡°sharing a cup of gold in fellowship but not sparing each other in the face of gleaming blades.¡±


    Another problem is, does having some lands really benefit one if they are firmly held in hand? The answer is also no.


    Between two countries, the rich can ignore the plight of the poor, merely continuing to trade cruelly and reaping profits.


    Especially when there are many poor countries, the only thing the rich nations need to do is occasionally support these poor countries to ensure they have a fragile economy that serves as a dumping ground for products.


    But if these places are all occupied, the rulers must seriously consider the issue of eliminating the wealth gap.


    Dealing with other countries is inherently different from dealing with one¡¯s own. The way issues in other people¡¯s homes and one¡¯s own are addressed are also absolutely distinct.


    If it were possible to enlarge the cake and let people around the world enjoy more benefits, to improve everyone¡¯s standard of living and secure a more splendid future, then such a rule would have meaning; otherwise, conquering the world would merely be stuffing a chaotic world into one¡¯s belly, waiting for it to explode there.


    Clearly, Tang Mo was someone capable of making the cake bigger, but he had to be very careful, cautiously changing the world, then gradually swallowing the most luscious part of it according to plan.


    ¡°I¡¯m not without covet for Brunas, but I hope to find a better opportunity to secure it,¡± Tang Mo explained to his woman as he took the water cup from Alice¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I understand. In fact, after so many years, the people from Northern Ridge have much less attachment to it. Although we all want to take it back, we are not in a hurry,¡± Alice said softly, placing her hand on Tang Mo¡¯s shoulder.


    She represented the Northern Ridge faction, a group that immigrated by the hundreds of thousands when they left the Western Continent, forming the cornerstone of Tang Country at that time.


    Tang Mo had the opportunity to take down Brunas and even reach out to Northern Ridge again, but he gave up the chance, thus he owed those from Northern Ridge an explanation, a consolation.


    ¡°It would be good if you could comfort them, help me explain to them that we haven¡¯t yet avenged Mr. Fisheo!¡± Tang Mo said to Alice while looking at the crystal-clear water in the cup.


    Hearing Tang Mo¡¯s words, Alice felt a tremor in her heart¡ª he still remembered her father, the somewhat old-fashioned and upright Earl Fisheo.


    Indeed, Tang Mo had selected a more prestigious title for Alice¡¯s father, the Duke of Tang Country.


    The posthumous title didn¡¯t really do much, but Alice was appreciative of Tang Mo¡¯s thoughtfulness, and the people from the Northern Ridge were also gratefully acknowledging Tang Mo¡¯s kindness.


    Over the years, those from Northern Ridge had always seen Tang Mo as their savior and leader. Since following Tang Mo to Tang Country, they indeed had received the treatment they had long dreamed of.


    Tang Country needed a massive population to fill its vast territories, and every person who followed Tang Mo obtained a large amount of land.


    This land, both in quantity and quality, was much better than the old soil of Northern Ridge, so the people from Northern Ridge had always reciprocated Tang Mo, this great Emperor, with their loyalty.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alice said, deeply moved. She bent down and gently kissed Tang Mo¡¯s ear, then murmured, ¡°Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done for me.¡±


    For a moment, she recalled the first time she saw Tang Mo¡¯s steam engine in Northern Ridge, and when she first saw him in Brunas.


    She also remembered the helplessness and despair after the murder of Earl Fisheo and the bone-chilling tension when Tang Mo had held her.


    Unconsciously, Alice¡¯s face had turned red. Outsiders could hardly imagine that the Empire¡¯s ¡°Finance Minister,¡± who controlled the economic fate of the Empire and with a mere glance could decide the fate of a million Gold Coins, could display such girlish behavior.


    ¡°Between you and me, there¡¯s no need for thanks,¡± Tang Mo said indulgently, looking at Alice with a smile.


    ¡°I should have thanked you properly back in Northern Ridge, without you... I really don¡¯t know what I would have done...¡± Alice said as she sat on the armrest of Tang Mo¡¯s chair, turning her head to gaze down at his features.


    Although he was almost thirty years old, Tang Mo¡¯s face still seemed so pleasing to Alice¡ª no matter how much she looked, it was never enough.


    Back then, when she was just a teenager, Alice had thought Tang Mo was very handsome, the kind of handsome that lingered in her memory and dreams. Even after so many years, he still made her blush and heart race.


    ¡°...¡± If Tang Mo didn¡¯t know what to do at this moment, he would truly be a fool.


    However, just when their lips were about to meet, someone knocked on the door. They hurriedly straightened their clothes, and then gave permission for the person outside to enter.


    One of Tang Mo¡¯s secretaries entered the room awkwardly, placed a stack of files that needed Tang Mo¡¯s immediate attention on the coffee table, and then hastily retreated.


    Anyone would realize that the room¡¯s door being knocked on and taking over a dozen seconds to be allowed inside meant that His Majesty The Emperor and Princess Alice were certainly engaged in an urgent matter...


    With their mood spoiled, the couple inevitably refrained from having their way in the study. Tang Mo stayed to review the documents while Alice left as if fleeing, leaving Wes with a view of her beautifully retreating figure.


    ¡°Ahh... youth is wonderful.¡± Watching Princess Alice walk away, Wes smirked, mocking her, took a lollipop from his pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth¡ªsmoking was not permitted here.

 Chapter 910 910 833 you cant escape either

    ?Chapter 910: 833 you can¡¯t escape either Chapter 910: 833 you can¡¯t escape either When it came to the tobacco industry, it truly was an enormously profitable sector. Since its inception, all enterprises in Tang Country had been expanding, and among the fastest-growing companies was the Great Tang Tobacco.


    For the world, tobacco wasn¡¯t monopolized by the Great Tang Tobacco of Tang Country, but it was an undeniable fact that the tobacco from the Great Tang Empire sold the best.


    Nowadays, Tang Country supplied more than 90% of its domestic cigarettes and controlled at least 70% of the global cigarette market.


    Over the years, the covert network that Tang Country had spread was not to be underestimated. Although on the surface it appeared unrelated to many industries, these industries indeed secretly belonged to Tang Country.


    Controlling these businesses were local gangs, and these gangs were the seeds spread by Tang Mo years ago: These seeds had now sprouted, bloomed, bore fruit, some even growing into towering trees.


    Inside the factory, machinery roared, tirelessly rolling paper after paper, wrapping the processed tobacco, and adding brand new filters.


    This was Tang Country¡¯s newest cigarette factory, of course using the latest developed equipment. These filtered cigarettes were also a brand new product developed by Tang Country.


    ...


    Some newspapers, in line with the updating and replacing of Tang Country¡¯s cigarette production equipment, had already begun to hype up the notion that smoking was harmful to health.


    Chemical institutions in Tang Country, along with some universities, had published papers, proving that smoking was harmful to the lungs and an extremely dangerous habit.


    However, the allure of tobacco was tremendous; for many, smoking had become a part of life, an addiction that couldn¡¯t be given up.


    Soon Tang Country¡¯s newspapers and broadcasts launched a new wave of fervent propaganda, claiming that Tang Country¡¯s scientists had invented a new material that could filter out over eighty percent of nicotine and other harmful substances.


    This special material would be mandatorily installed in Tang Country¡¯s cigarettes to ensure reduced health damage to smokers.


    The brand new material was the latest product from Tang Country¡¯s chemical industry, not available in other countries. Thus, to smoke the safest cigarettes, one had to purchase products from Tang Country.


    Tang Country¡¯s propaganda department went full throttle, deeming the now obsolete unfiltered cigarettes worthless, while the filtered cigarettes began to sell like hotcakes.


    Now, the wealthy who valued their lives weren¡¯t stingy with themselves, especially since these filtered cigarettes weren¡¯t particularly expensive.


    The truly costly ones were special brands produced by Tang Country¡¯s cigarette factories, which used specially treated tobacco leaves to ensure a milder flavor and lower health impact.


    Such cigarettes were expensive, so much so that the average wealthy individual might not afford them. However, for the truly wealthy, it didn¡¯t bother them to set themselves apart with a standard of luxury.


    The concept of luxury goods had already taken shape. Tang Country controlled the discourse in every field; in everyone¡¯s minds, anything from Tang Country was the best.


    Tang Country didn¡¯t ignore the lower-end market either. Just taking the tobacco industry as an example, locally produced mid-to-high-end cigarettes had almost taken over the global market.


    To buy good-quality cigarettes that were slightly more expensive, one only had a few options introduced by Great Tang Tobacco, as other brands couldn¡¯t fetch good prices due to their outdated technology.


    The situation was frustrating. Local small tobacco factories simply couldn¡¯t compete with Tang Country¡¯s cigarettes, and even if their prices were a bit higher, customers would criticize them fiercely.


    Some people didn¡¯t care about their health; they just wanted to smoke a cigarette, one that was affordable and cheap.


    After all, the world is harsh. Some people wouldn¡¯t live long enough to fill their lungs with nicotine before dying from disease, hunger, or being shot.


    For these people, expensive filtered cigarettes were too luxurious, and the pricy ones were equally unattractive.


    Scaring those who don¡¯t want to die with the idea that smoking is slow suicide only works on them. Those who no longer care about their lives, or have no control over their destiny, won¡¯t be deterred by such claims.


    In their own words: If it¡¯s suicide, there¡¯s no need to choose a costly way to go.


    So for these people, a cheap cigarette that they could afford anytime, easily pulled out from their pockets to stick in their mouths, that was a good cigarette.


    Seizing this gap, local small cigarette enterprises began producing those unbelievably low-priced, cheap types of cigarettes.


    These factories mixed ¡°sawdust¡± into inferior tobacco, then added various types of odd plant leaves in proportion, masquerading as tobacco leaves in the cigarettes.


    Then, without installing any high-tech filters or such, they simply used the outdated cigarette manufacturing equipment exported from Tang Country to produce products that looked the same as the cigarettes from a few years ago.


    Of course, while they looked the same, the taste varied widely, to the extent that some couldn¡¯t even be called cigarettes.


    But these cigarettes were very popular among the general populace, especially those who were poor to a certain extent: because they were cheap enough that even the people buying them couldn¡¯t believe they could get cigarettes at such prices.


    And these local tobacco factories were actually controlled by local gangs; without some underworld connections, people really wouldn¡¯t dare get involved in these money-making projects.


    Many leaders of these local gangs were actually spies from Tang Country, and even many of them wore rings engraved with dandelions on their ring fingers.


    They colluded with local officials, bribed the City Lords, and got local nobles to buy shares, forming a massive interest network to ensure the industry¡¯s security.


    Not just cigarettes, but alcohol too¡ªif someone wanted to get involved in the alcohol industry, they often had a gang background.


    On the surface, many of the big bosses of distilleries were well-known local businessmen, but behind the scenes, the shadowy presence of an organization called Silver Fox loomed over these men.


    What others didn¡¯t know was that a large part of the huge profits from these money-making industries ended up funding Tang Country¡¯s overseas intelligence operations, bribing officials from various countries, and inciting local resistance movements.


    Modern people all knew that the tobacco and alcohol industries were highly profitable. Typically, such enterprises were controlled by the state and paid hefty taxes.


    However, in the current world, where nobility rulers were just beginning to industrialize, they had yet to realize how profitable these unassuming industries could be.


    They didn¡¯t know the kind of enormous beast they had unleashed! If they knew how much profit they had missed out on, they would regret their stupidity for the rest of their lives.


    In fact, to put it bluntly, Tang Mo was using enough money to establish a navy fleet to build his intelligence network. As profits from the tobacco and alcohol industries continued to grow, so too would Tang Country¡¯s investment in its intelligence network.


    The amount was astronomical: and that¡¯s why Tang Country¡¯s intelligence officers dared to brazenly use luxury cars to offer bribes¡ªthey really had money and were ordered to spend recklessly!


    ...


    While some people enjoyed the prosperity of the tobacco industry, others suffered. After all, happiness seemed to be a constant quantity in this world.


    ¡°Look at the newspaper! If you dare to sneak cigarettes into your pocket again, I¡¯d rather give up the money and order a ban on cigarettes!¡± Alice said these words with none of yesterday¡¯s little daughter¡¯s demeanor.


    Yulin was also very worried about Tang Mo¡¯s health, ¡°Your Majesty! It¡¯s not that we¡¯re trying to criticize you! Previously, you smoked so many cigarettes without filters... aren¡¯t you worried about your health?¡±


    Yue¡¯er also chimed in, ¡°Sisters are doing this for your own good... Now that you know smoking is harmful to health... then you should stop.¡±


    ¡°This... this is all for promoting the filter... really, truly...¡± Tang Mo fumbled for an excuse, feeling guilty.


    He hadn¡¯t expected to shoot himself in the foot with this. When it came to backups, he estimated he was the ancestor of smokers in this world.


    It was he who had gone through great pains to launch the cigarette product, and he also became the first ¡°victim¡± of modern cigarettes.


    Watching Alice toss a pack of top-quality cigarettes that even the nobles couldn¡¯t buy outside directly into the trash, Tang Mo, a seasoned smoker, felt his heart bleed.


    To be honest, he wouldn¡¯t be as upset if he lost a Dongfeng-3 missile¡ªafter all, a missile concept is vague, but watching a box of good cigarettes go into the trash gave a real visual impact...


    ¡°You can talk to us about finding two more sisters¡ªbut smoking... no!¡± Alice dusted off her hands and lifted her chin as she spoke to Tang Mo.


    ¡°Sigh...¡± Tang Mo wanted to struggle a bit, but seeing the equally determined Yue¡¯er, and Yulin barely suppressing a smile, he finally sighed.


    ¡°You must quit smoking; we¡¯ll pass the orders to your personal medical team later!¡± Seeing her interim victory, Alice wore a triumphant smile.


    ¡°Daddy, no... smoking.¡± The nai?ve voice of the little Prince came from his arms, and Tang Mo admitted defeat. He felt he might have to say goodbye to cigarettes for life.


    Or rather... never see them again.


    ¡°Heh...¡± Watching Tang Mo¡¯s troubles, Wes couldn¡¯t hold back a laugh. Then he realized the three women in the room had turned their gazes toward him.


    ¡°Done for...¡± he lamented in his heart.


    Sure enough, the next second, Alice¡¯s voice carried over, ¡°As the Guard Commander to Your Majesty, you have to quit smoking too!¡±


    ¡°Right! If you smoke, doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re trying to harm His Majesty?¡± Yue¡¯er added insult to injury with a laugh.


    ¡°Quit it, quit it!¡± Yulin almost couldn¡¯t hold back her laughter.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You have to quit! Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Tang Mo finally found a brother in misfortune, ¡°We¡¯re all going down together!¡±

 Chapter 911 911 834 Red Flag

    ?Chapter 911: 834 Red Flag Chapter 911: 834 Red Flag In an era without GPS navigation, the accuracy of missiles could actually be made a little higher. However, such a device was quite expensive and was called the Celestial Navigation System.


    This thing could, in the age without satellite positioning navigation, control the attack error of ballistic missiles within 200 meters, which could be called a miracle.


    But the price of this thing was also ¡°sky-high¡±, so the cost of the missiles themselves also rose significantly.


    Under normal circumstances, in order to reduce the cost of missiles, manufacturers would not equip insignificant missiles with this precise and expensive guidance system.


    The Dongfeng series ballistic missiles of Tang Country, due to the rush of warfare progress, had previously not adopted this new system that was immature and had lagging development progress.


    But now, everything had changed.


    In the end, the Dongfeng 3 ballistic missile had not been able to be deployed in actual combat before the war ended, so all development speed could be slowed down a bit.


    ...


    Many performance indicators that had been compromised out of necessity were also restored: Tang Country canceled the ¡°1700 kilometers range¡± requirement tailor-made for the Dahua Empire¡¯s capital.


    So the ones that actually began mass production and deployment were the ¡°complete¡± version with a range of over 2000 kilometers. Such high-range strategic weapons were, of course, also equipped with Celestial Navigation devices.


    This was actually a true Dongfeng 3 missile, apart from having a more advanced navigation system, and not having a nuclear warhead installed, there was no difference.


    Completely different from the cheap Scud missiles, Tang Country¡¯s Dongfeng 3 missiles, with the technical enhancement from Tang Mo, were truly high-precision and advanced.


    Tang Mo hoped that such ballistic missiles, even without the enhancement of a nuclear warhead, would still possess considerable strategic deterrence capability.


    And he did achieve it; such new ballistic missiles, already secretly deployed, did not have an attack error exceeding 200 meters even in extreme range conditions.


    For city-scale targets, this attack accuracy was already terrifyingly precise: the Scud missiles currently equipped by Tang Country had an attack precision of 300 meters after flying 300 kilometers.


    ¡°Have you heard?¡± In the drafting room, an engineer dressed in work attire had just finished a drawing and looked up to ask his colleague.


    There were hardly any secrets here because the area they were in was itself a secret to Tang Country.


    These engineers had their own residences, their own life support facilities, their children had their own kindergartens, the factory had hospitals and schools, offering from cradle to grave services.


    People living here might not have any interaction with the outside world in their lifetimes, and they were also reluctant to interact: everything here was the best, so why leave?


    The colleague next to him curiously looked up, ¡°Heard what?¡±


    The engineer who initiated the conversation hurriedly showed off the gossip he had heard: ¡°Heard that because of the Dragon Island incident, the technical department is ready to launch a new weapon development project.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that matter? I¡¯ve heard about it,¡± his colleague immediately nodded, this matter was not a secret to them.


    The engineer who spoke first continued to reflect, ¡°Half of the entire anti-aircraft weapons technology department have been transferred to the new project¡¯s development, the development of all subsequent models of the 88mm caliber anti-aircraft guns has been canceled...¡±


    His companion also laughed along, ¡°Ha! That¡¯s the new anti-aircraft gun, right? It¡¯s been deployed for less than 1000 units, and they¡¯re preparing to phase it out?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so, but the earlier produced 40mm caliber anti-aircraft guns are still being mass-produced, isn¡¯t that interesting?¡± the first engineer asked while he spread a new drawing on the drafting board.


    His companion was also clueless and could only venture a guess, ¡°Who knows what those chief engineers are thinking, who knows why.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, the new project code name has just been finalized.¡± The engineer who spoke first lowered his voice with an air of mystery, boasting of his inside knowledge.


    ¡°Code name? What is it called?¡± the other engineer asked curiously.


    The engineer who brought up the topic finally got to the point, proudly announcing, ¡°Red Flag!¡±


    Upon hearing the project code name, the inquiring engineer nodded in approval and said, ¡°Sounds... not bad.¡±


    Indeed, Tang Country was secretly developing a brand-new air defense weapon, the Red Flag 2 anti-aircraft missile. This thing is known as the S-75 in the Soviet Union, with the opponents dubbing it the ¡°Sam 2,¡± and its appearance is commanding and imposing.


    Though it appeared to be huge, in reality, it was an anti-aircraft missile. The entire system used an early-warning search radar with a theoretical effective range of a staggering 275 kilometers, and it was paired with an altitude-measuring radar that could essentially determine the target¡¯s three-dimensional coordinates.


    Different from the previous systems, this one had a new auxiliary radar responsible for target indication and tracking guidance, with an effective range of 65 kilometers.


    Moreover, the fire control radar could detect targets beyond 70 kilometers, and the system could automatically track targets up to a distance of 55 kilometers. It employed a mechanical, dual-antenna, and dual-beam scanning method, capable of simultaneously tracking six batches of targets and guiding three missiles to strike a single target.


    The entire system was actually quite massive, but its performance was only average. However, it realized many people¡¯s dream: a weapon that would automatically engage distant targets, achieving the feat of destroying them beyond visual range.


    Although it could only attack one target at a time, it indeed provided a wider coverage and more precise attack capability than the anti-aircraft gun.


    Another piece of good news was that this missile faced a better combat environment than its ¡°true self.¡± It is worth noting that when the S-2, or the Sam 2 missile, was born, jet fighters had already filled the skies.


    But Tang Country was different. What the Tang Country¡¯s anti-aircraft missiles had to deal with were the propeller aircraft from various nations. To put it bluntly, it was an overkill.


    As long as the radar locked onto a target, the missile¡¯s chance of hitting it was infinitely close to 100 percent because the target was just too weak.


    In terms of cost, using a missile to attack propeller aircraft might even seem like using an anti-aircraft gun to hit a mosquito. It¡¯s possible that the cost of the aircraft was even less than that of Tang Country¡¯s anti-aircraft missile.


    Another interesting fact was that because the opponent¡¯s aircraft were so many generations behind, Tang Country¡¯s anti-aircraft missiles developed a bit of a ¡°flaw.¡±


    After all, those other countries¡¯ aircraft were so slow that their propeller planes could fly very low and very slow¡ªyet, Tang Country¡¯s anti-aircraft missiles could only hit mid-to-high altitude targets, leaving them virtually helpless against low-flying aircraft.


    This was also a technical shortcoming, as early anti-aircraft missiles had no means to deal with low-altitude targets, and those specialized in low-altitude interception only emerged later.


    A second limitation was that the missile¡¯s guidance channel was too narrow, so it couldn¡¯t counter large-scale incursions.


    If the enemy deployed 100 aircraft at once to penetrate the defense perimeter, the anti-aircraft missile troops could deal with less than one-fifth of the invading aircraft.


    This was because each launch battalion was equipped with six launchers arranged in a hexagonal pattern, allowing them to attack only one target at a time. Deploying dozens of missile battalions simultaneously was virtually impossible.


    The missile had a two-stage engine, with the first stage being a solid-fuel booster operating for 4-5 seconds with a diameter of 0.645 meters; the second stage was a nitric acid-kerosene liquid engine that worked for 22 seconds with a diameter of 0.5 meters and a thrust of 2650 kilograms.


    Once locked on, it was highly unlikely for the target to escape: although a missile battalion could only lock onto a single target at a time, it could launch a simultaneous attack with up to three missiles, making the interception probability terrifyingly high, albeit at low interception efficiency.


    Thus, while researching new missiles, Tang Country¡¯s aircraft development department was also frantically pushing forward, trying desperately to bring out the first generation of jet fighters as soon as possible, to face an almost non-existent ¡°air supremacy crisis.¡±


    Yes, Tang Country was developing the next generation of fighter jets while other nations couldn¡¯t yet produce a single reliable craft capable of contending with the Butcher Fighter.

 Chapter 912 912 The forgotten woman

    ?Chapter 912: The forgotten woman Chapter 912: The forgotten woman For people all around the world, it seemed as if life had gradually gotten a bit better. In their world, many good things appeared that had never existed before.


    Firstly, electricity began to gradually become prevalent, although many villages had not yet enjoyed this convenient energy source, yet in the cities, electricity had already become the main energy source.


    When people discovered that they could buy better and superior seeds for just a little money, a bountiful harvest of grain became possible.


    With more grains and fruits, brewing also became possible. The brewing machines in Tang Country were not particularly expensive, so many places had established breweries.


    For a little money, the common people could taste low-quality cigarettes and various flavors of low-quality beer. This was undoubtedly a huge quality improvement for their dull lives.


    Even more improvements were inside the cities, some places people could often see large airplanes flying overhead, and they were not surprised by trains passing in front of their doors.


    The roads became smoother and smoother, which was an inevitable result: to allow cars to run faster, road construction had become an activity all countries were engaged in.


    ...


    Even if they were reluctant, to catch up with this wave of technological progress, all countries had to invest more money to improve their own environments.


    This was all competitive; only by building all the infrastructure well enough could they attract more businessmen to invest, and this was also the wealth-building bible that Tang Mo taught these people.


    Everyone knew they definitely couldn¡¯t surpass Tang Country, as Tang Country¡¯s infrastructure construction speed existed as if it had cheats enabled, which others could never catch up to no matter how hard they tried.


    However, even if they couldn¡¯t match Tang Country, the competition between other countries was still necessary. Everyone hoped to become the second choice for businessmen, so they all worked hard to build their own countries.


    Such events were inevitable with the advancement of technology; they didn¡¯t need deliberate promotion, just going with the flow was enough.


    Moreover, some clever people directly assigned the tasks of bridge construction and road paving to foreign businessmen. They didn¡¯t even need to pay the construction costs; they just mortgaged these roads and bridges to the businessmen constructing them, allowing them to recuperate their investment through tolls.


    Or, the local government could borrow from banks and repay the loans through charges once construction was completed; it was more or less the same approach.


    Then, with the intentional encouragement of Tang Country¡¯s capital, many dams were built worldwide, many thermal power stations were constructed, and many large cities resembling real cities came into being.


    In the past, due to sanitation and energy constraints, cities with populations over two hundred thousand were almost reaching their limits.


    Now, with the widespread availability of medicine and the improvement of drainage systems, large cities had appeared in every country, even a number of mega-cities.


    Brunas, although it had become a thing of the past, still maintained its scale. Even if there hadn¡¯t been much development over the past few years, it was still a supercity with a population close to a million.


    Of course, now it was no longer the largest city in the world; the largest city was in Tang Country, named Linshui.


    This world¡¯s number one was absolutely deserving, as Linshui¡¯s population had already exceeded a million, even beginning to surge towards a scale of two million.


    If including the merchants who came and went and the floating population, the total population of Linshui had even approached three million, which was not on the same level as other cities.


    Another large city in terms of population was Chang¡¯an, the capital of Tang Country, which had two rivers running through the city, and its population had also surpassed one million.


    Originally, these two rivers ran north and south, flanking the old capital of Zheng Country, but with the expansion of the city, these two rivers now ran through the city.


    The Forbidden City, which was previously in the suburbs, now was almost entirely encompassed within the city, and Zhuque Street had become one of the busiest streets in Chang¡¯an City.


    Because of improved production capacity, various things had also begun to become abundant: both sugar and salt had ample supply, and under normal circumstances, people could afford them.


    This contributed to social stability; when people felt their lives were getting better, they would not easily become restless, questioning those rulers who lived in luxury.


    Life in Tang Country had really improved; not only could they listen to various songs broadcasted on the radio, but they could also read serialized novels in newspapers and even occasionally visit a cinema to enjoy a movie for more than two hours.


    The influence of big stars also stood out; the most famous male star in Tang Country endorsed cigarettes that were very popular, and many men liked to wear the plaid suits that the star wore in advertisements, standing against walls with a cigarette featuring a filter in their hands, pushing the brims of their hats down low.


    At the same time, if one can afford to buy a double-door streamlined sports car, especially the one endorsed by celebrities, it would attract the attention of many young girls.


    Frankly speaking, a man who can take out hundreds of Gold Coins to buy a sports car is indeed very attractive to women.


    Women, on the other hand, don¡¯t even need to be mentioned. Whatever the female movie stars wear in the films quickly becomes popular on the streets and alleys. Every woman likes to focus on those beautiful clothes and then stuff their wardrobes with them.


    It¡¯s unknown who said a profound truth, ¡°A woman¡¯s wardrobe is always short of one piece of clothing,¡± and women immediately remembered this phrase, then convinced themselves to continue indulging.


    Aside from clothes, of course, there are also the expensive cosmetics: Tang Country didn¡¯t come up with bizarre products like lead-mercury make-up, after all, Tang Mo had somewhat of a conscience while making money.


    The kind of tech that encourages women to smear lead on their faces to show their complexion is doing well, Tang Mo¡¯s cosmetics company directly phased them out.


    But when it comes to the conscience of the Great Tang cosmetics company, that¡¯s about all there is. The various cosmetics and skincare products they launched could virtually match the profit margins of cigarettes.


    Never underestimate the determination of women in their pursuit of beauty and youth¡ªtheir speed in spending money is not any slower than that of men when they smoke or drink.


    Add in handbags and jewelry, and their combat power only increases, even exceeding that of men in some aspects.


    To women, these items are the warriors¡¯ rifles, the lovers¡¯ hearts, their status, their life!


    As the fashion capital, the women of Chang¡¯an are on the forefront of the world. The trends that have already become popular there are just starting to take off elsewhere.


    So when women from other Empires talk about Chang¡¯an, they are incredibly excited, like a group of devotees discussing their holy city.


    This feeling existed even before when they worshipped Brunas, but now... they worship Chang¡¯an.


    ¡°I heard Chang¡¯an had a new fashion show, but it¡¯s a pity my godfather wouldn¡¯t let me go,¡± a beautiful-faced girl stirred her teacup with a spoon and said with a smile to her best friend.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go either, but it¡¯s okay, I sent a servant over, and he¡¯s going to pack up all the clothes for me to bring back! And the bags...and the jewelry!¡± Her best friend was equally excited, unable to contain her enthusiasm whenever these items were mentioned.


    ¡°I¡¯m so envious of Angie, she actually got to go with her boyfriend,¡± they both said enviously when another friend was mentioned.


    The three of them were close friends, having hung out together since their schooldays and enjoyed a deep relationship. Each of them had also ended up quite well off, coming from wealthy families.


    Now, they were all society ladies¡ªone being the goddaughter of the Foreign Minister Somi, and another had married the oldest son of the Agriculture Minister.


    The one who was doing the best had found a noble boyfriend who had just inherited a considerable fortune from his father and went to Tang Country to manage his business.


    Hearing these two women giggling and chatting, a woman sitting not far away had a face that was uglier than ever.


    If there was one woman left in the world who hated talking about Chang¡¯an, it was Susan. She had once worked for the Great Tang Group and was undoubtedly the fashion guru of that time.


    Unfortunately, when the Great Tang Group gave up on Brunas, she chose a different path. Back then, as a VIP in Nanla high society, she broke away from the Great Tang Group to strike out on her own.


    She soon realized, without the support of the Great Tang Group, she couldn¡¯t make it in the Empire of Nanla. Mo Kangsen, who had once supported her, no longer offered her protection.


    Unable to make it in Nanla, Susan had no choice but to return to the Laines Empire, where she created a fashion brand in an attempt to maintain her prestigious image as a fashion guru.


    Sadly, her brand was quickly overwhelmed by the high-end labels from the Great Tang Group, losing all its business and going bankrupt in a few days.


    Having spent all her savings, she had to, while still possessing some fame, marry a noble. Without the spotlight, she naturally lost her days of being celebrated and admired.


    ¡°Damn it! These brats! They¡¯d rather have those ugly skirts that don¡¯t have any sense of beauty at all, instead of appreciating real art,¡± Susan cursed under her breath, venting her dissatisfaction.


    In her view, the clothes she had once designed were countless times more upscale than the popular items in Chang¡¯an... Unfortunately, there were too many blind fools in this world, only believing in the nobility from Chang¡¯an, unwilling to pay for other brands.


    ¡°Sooner or later! You¡¯ll regret it! Sooner or later! I will prove! I am...the real mother of fashion!¡± She gritted her teeth, almost snapping the spoon she held in her hand.

 Chapter 913 913 The 836 New Enemy

    ?Chapter 913: The 836 New Enemy Chapter 913: The 836 New Enemy ¡°No need to get so angry, Madam,¡± a man said with a smile, taking a seat opposite Susan without asking for permission.


    He did not introduce himself, and Susan, visibly displeased, lowered her voice and scolded, ¡°You¡¯re not welcome here, impolite man.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, I believe you will need me,¡± the man continued to smile, seemingly indifferent to Susan¡¯s attempt to dismiss him, ¡°I also need you. We need each other because we share a common enemy.¡±


    ¡°I have no enemies. You should leave! If you continue talking nonsense, I will call the waiter,¡± Susan was very unsatisfied. There were certain etiquettes among the nobility, and a random, impolite man approaching was highly offensive to women.


    After all, taking a seat beside a woman without her permission was already an irritating act¡ªunless you were very wealthy or extremely handsome.


    The man before her did not appear to be particularly wealthy, at most on the same level as Susan, so she was not interested in him; nor was he handsome, at least not to the extent that women would be enraptured with a single glance.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not planning on taking revenge on an elf named John, then pretend as if I was never here. Goodbye, Madam,¡± the man this time made to leave courteously.


    ...


    Yet his words struck a chord with Susan: she detested the entertainment group under the Great Tang Group, she loathed that chubby elf who had always been pulling the strings over her fate.


    Indeed, she had given up the fantasy of taking revenge on the entire Great Tang Group long ago¡ªit was not something she could accomplish. However, that did not stop her from dreaming of one day crushing John, Tang Mo¡¯s lackey, under her foot.


    Even more so, she believed that if she could defeat John, then Tang Mo, the man behind him, would acknowledge her excellence, her efforts, and re-evaluate her, giving her new opportunities.


    ¡°Stop! Who sent you?¡± Susan halted the man as he was about to rise, scrutinizing his face with a question.


    ¡°Answering such meaningless questions is quite boring... Madam, if you truly wish to join us, then do not ask so many unnecessary questions. You just need to tell me if you are willing to accept our help and willing to help us in return¡± the man still maintained his smile.


    He pulled out a card from his chest and pushed it toward Susan, ¡°Accept a new identity, and soon you will find your life transformed.¡±


    Susan looked down at the card pushed in front of her, surprisingly made of gold and bearing a raised emblem of a blazing flame.


    ¡°How do you plan to help me? And how do you need me to help you?¡± Susan asked without taking the card.


    ¡°This question is certainly more meaningful than the last,¡± the man¡¯s smile deepened, showing that his persuasion had apparently succeeded.


    So he pulled out another item from his chest and pushed it toward Susan, ¡°Start a clothing factory, do the business you wish to do...¡±


    Susan saw the amount of 50,000 on the check, which indeed could help her revive her business.


    However, she did not feel she had the right to contend with the Great Tang Group¡¯s fashion industry. On that battlefield she was once familiar with, she felt she would be undoubtedly defeated.


    ¡°No need to worry, this time you are guaranteed to make a profit!¡± the man noticed Susan¡¯s hesitation and explained, ¡°Someone will help you with the sales, we can go for a lower-end market and capture it first.¡±


    ¡°What do I have to give in return?¡± Susan asked again.


    ¡°Hold onto this card, then help others who hold the same card... fulfill their requests as much as possible... and they, in turn, will do their best to satisfy you,¡± the man replied.


    ¡°Can you... take care of my husband for me?¡± Susan¡¯s gaze hardened, as the saying goes, the first strike is the deadliest, aiming for the one closest.


    ¡°No problem,¡± the man stood up, ¡°Forgive my intrusion, but soon you will receive the news you desire. I assure you it will be clean and trouble-free for you. Goodbye, then.¡±


    Susan made up her mind, picked up the card, and also took the check. She wasn¡¯t sure if she should celebrate her husband¡¯s impending departure, simply saying without emotion, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me. We require loyalty, not gratitude,¡± the man said without looking back as he left.


    ...


    In a somewhat dimly lit corridor, the hard military boots made a slight creaking noise on the wooden floor. Though faint, it was particularly jarring in the quiet hallway.


    Armed with a silenced submachine gun, the soldier at the forefront stretched out his arm and clenched his fist upward, causing the soldiers behind him to halt their steps as well.


    Across from this soldier was another group of people, dressed in black outfits and tactical vests, laden with a variety of weapons and equipment.


    Both parties had converged on each side of a door, all pressing against the wall surface, the air thick with tension.


    The next second, they sprang into action simultaneously. The soldiers tasked with covering positions drew back, while the ones responsible for breaching kicked the solid-looking iron door.


    ¡°Bang!¡± With a loud crash, the door was kicked open. Two teams of soldiers swarmed in, rushing into the still dusty room: ¡°Don¡¯t move! Get down! Show us your hands!¡±


    After the chorus of shouts settled, silence returned to the room once more. A soldier scanned the room, then shook his head at his teammates across the room: ¡°They¡¯ve already run.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Another commanding officer immediately responded: ¡°The intelligence department confirmed that two people entered this room. They¡¯ve been watching this door since before we arrived; nobody else came out...¡±


    ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s nobody in the room...¡± the officer who checked the room added: ¡°The setup here is very professional, clearly, the classic design of a spy safe house.¡±


    As he spoke, he stepped aside to reveal the bedroom door: ¡°The wardrobe is covered in dust; the old clothes hanging there haven¡¯t been touched for a long time. However, the bottom shelf is very clean, which obviously means... there used to be a box there.¡±


    ¡°A telegraph machine, batteries, and a pistol...¡± Without entering, another officer already had a rough idea of the situation: ¡°The two individuals took the box and left; there¡¯s nothing suspicious left here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, very professional, almost identical to the tutorials we use internally.¡± The special forces officer, surveying the room, once again praised his counterparts.


    ¡°If it¡¯s been in use for so long, it¡¯s bound to have been copied and studied by others.¡± The other officer grumbled with dissatisfaction.


    No matter how tight the secrecy, the textbooks on espionage within the military academies of the Tang Country were no longer a secret.


    This evidently had elevated the overall level of espionage personnel from other countries, making the work of detection and defense even more difficult.


    ¡°Look around... there¡¯s probably a hidden door,¡± the officer said, walking over to a table in the living room and running his hand across its surface.


    The table was free of dust, indicating it had been wiped recently ¨C he could even guess that the person had used this table for sending telegrams, carefully cleaning up and wiping down the table before leaving.


    Because in the whole room, only the area around the table was clean ¨C no other part had been tended to and was covered with dust.


    The other officer also loudly ordered: ¡°Check every wall, and the inside of the wardrobe! See if there¡¯s anything to be found!¡±


    Upon hearing the command, the soldiers began their search immediately, not holding back as they used the butts of their guns to bang on the walls, some even punching them to test the sound.


    They searched meticulously, and when the soldiers lifted the living room floorboards, they finally encountered something suspicious.


    ¡°There¡¯s a hidden door here!¡± As if discovering a new world, the soldier who lifted the carpet shouted excitedly.


    The two officers came over at the news, one kneeling to lift the lid of the secret door, which had been added later. As the lid, resembling a hatch, was pulled open, the living room one floor below came into everyone¡¯s view.


    To facilitate going down from here, the living room directly underneath the hidden door even had a large wooden box placed right under it.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Seeing the interior, the officer couldn¡¯t help but let out a scoff of cold laughter. After a close inspection of the surrounding area, the first daredevil descended through the secret door.


    He opened the big door of the room below from the inside, and his comrades, who had already made their way down the back route, also entered the room. This room was even dustier, with just a few footprints on the floor.


    Just from the dust settled, one could deduce that there was nothing in the room worth investigating; everything was simple, almost a mere escape hatch from the safe house above.


    ¡°Cunning indeed.¡± Realizing this trip was in vain, the lead officer couldn¡¯t help but express his sentiment: ¡°They left very cleanly, without dragging their feet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and yet we still couldn¡¯t catch these two.¡± Another officer nodded in agreement: ¡°I thought we¡¯d catch a big fish this time.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re very vigilant, and... apparently not short on funds.¡± The lead officer shared his analysis: ¡°Being able to buy two houses in Linshui, they obviously have a lot of money at their disposal.¡±


    ¡°Their actions and targets are quite different from other countries¡¯ intelligence agencies,¡± the other officer echoed: ¡°Their focus is on economic intelligence, with methods distinct from those of other empires.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be tough to write the report...¡± With a sigh, the commanding officer stepped out of the room: ¡°Regroup! Have someone check the property sales records, see... if we can find any leads.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all we can do now.¡± The other officer followed him out.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Two updates today, taking a day off: The second update will come later, you can watch it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 914 914 837 might still be able to find an old friend

    ?Chapter 914: 837 might still be able to find an old friend Chapter 914: 837 might still be able to find an old friend Tang Mo¡¯s renovation of the Forbidden City was actually somewhat different from the real Forbidden City, as it made extensive use of glass, including floor-to-ceiling windows and other modern design elements in certain garden areas.


    Anyway, Tang Mo had an abundance of glass at his disposal and could unabashedly install skylights overhead to enjoy the nighttime stars.


    Although the overall red walls and green tiles of the Forbidden City still remained in Huaxia¡¯s style, its interior design leaned toward the modern.


    After all, Tang Mo wasn¡¯t about to create headaches for himself by pursuing ultimate historical accuracy while ignoring the palace¡¯s practical functions.


    I mean, could a palace fit for the future lack a parking lot and underground parking facility? Of course not; it had to have them, along with bomb shelters and helipads for helicopters.


    As per Tang Mo¡¯s plans, the interior was renovated with distinct zones. All rooms were pre-wired for future needs, and parts of the buildings included secret passages and other hidden designs.


    Moreover, to satisfy a taste for novelty, there were many structures above three stories high within the Forbidden City, endowing this new version with a more dynamic, three-dimensional feel.


    ...


    Unlike Huaxia emperors who pursued ¡®groundedness,¡¯ Tang Mo, living in the new century, wasn¡¯t averse to high-rise buildings. These new additions to the Forbidden City also served as shields, blocking the view from all directions.


    The original Hall of Supreme Harmony was used for major state ceremonies¡ªa grand hall, where major monthly imperial court deliberations took place. Essentially, it was a grand hall and meeting room for important conferences and ceremonies.


    The Hall of Central Harmony was, in true sense, the everyday meeting and reception room, where His Majesty The Emperor received his ministers, issued tasks, and held emergency meetings. It could also double as a dining room, where the Emperor hosted celebratory meals for ministers and guests.


    The Hall of Preserving Harmony¡¯s function was altered to become the exclusive office of the Emperor, also accessible for summoning important ministers (should the Emperor wish to avoid the Hall of Central Harmony). Located here was also Tang Mo¡¯s drafting room and archive, making it one of the most heavily secured and significant buildings in Tang Country.


    Past these lay the inner court, which was the sleeping quarters of His Majesty The Emperor. Unlike the real Qianqing Palace, this was a luxurious two-story villa.


    The entire range of the Hall of Martial Valor resembled the Pentagon in the United States, serving as the military command center of the Great Tang Empire, with the Staff Department situated here as well. For any significant military affairs, Tang Mo would also relocate his office to this site.


    The Hall of Literary Brilliance was home to the domestic and financial affairs of the Empire, dealing with state governance, financial expenditures, and hydropower developments. Due to its multifunctionality, this hall was larger than the Hall of Martial Valor, even taking up the living area of the princes (Southern Three Palaces) in the original Forbidden City.


    The area between the Hall of Martial Valor and the Cining Palace, originally the Cining Garden Streamside Pavilion, had been transformed into the Imperial Family¡¯s vehicle garage and dedicated heliport in the Forbidden City, altering its original purpose.


    Beyond the gates of Cining, Longzong, Jingyun, and Huangji lay the private residences of the Royal Family, off-limits to common people. However, the palace restrictions in Tang Country were not particularly strict, given that Tang Mo¡¯s three Imperial Concubines held positions.


    One worked at the Ministry of Finance, another at the Ministry of Domestic Affairs, and a third presided over the Ministry of Culture¡ªnone of them were idle women confined to the palace.


    Tang Mo didn¡¯t have many children, so only three palace residences in the back court were in use for the three Imperial Concubines to live in¡ªsince the children were still young, they stayed with their mothers and didn¡¯t even have their palaces to reside in.


    The Hall of Mental Cultivation had become Tang Mo¡¯s massive library, filled with books and blueprints. Given the increasing volume of books and blueprints, the Cining Palace was almost becoming storage for his various papers and drawings.


    Indeed, Tang Mo planned to install a supercomputer and corresponding servers in his palace in the future, to provide computational services for the Royal Family. Should he want to play a game, after all, the frame rate must be higher and more stable than everyone else¡¯s, right?


    Tang Mo had no intention to repurpose the Ning Shou Palace for himself; according to his plans, there should be a retirement system for the Royal Family, with the Ning Shou Palace being the place for the Emperor to spend his retirement.


    No matter how disrespectful the descendants might be, this place had to be preserved: once an Emperor retired to the Ning Shou Palace, he was not to meddle in government affairs, nor was the outer court to disturb the retired former His Majesty The Emperor. This rule was set, and all Emperors were required to adhere to it.


    The Ancestral Worship Hall next to the Ning Shou Palace was even more untouchable; it was the place where later generations would worship and offer sacrifices to their ancestors. After a lifetime of struggle, one must at least earn a place on the ancestral tablet, right? If not, that would be truly pitiful.


    Aside from oneself, the side halls here also had to worship and commemorate ministers who had contributed to the Great Tang Empire, similar to the Lingyan Pavilion.


    In any case, Tang Mo had already prepared for a ¡°Tang Empire forever¡± attitude. If anyone had an issue, they could just try him!


    The four corner towers of the entire Forbidden City had space reserved as well, possibly for mounting the peace of mind that comes with an 1130 in the future. Four Gatling Bodhisattvas, the great compassionate ones that stabilize the residence, spinning three thousand six hundred times in a single breath, ensuring good food, good sleep, and steady dreams...


    Today, Tang Mo couldn¡¯t be bothered to summon ministers at the Zhonghe Hall, and instead met with Li¡¯ao, who had come to report news, directly in the office of the Baohe Hall.


    Just two days ago, this brand new office had been put into use, and the initial construction work of the entire Forbidden City had finally been completed.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s taste really astonishes this servant,¡± Li¡¯ao said with a little flattery as he entered Tang Mo¡¯s office.


    ¡°Soon this design will spread, and everyone will rush to imitate it... Too much, and it becomes commonplace,¡± Tang Mo said with self-deprecating laughter, noting that many so-called designs that imitated the Emperor of Tang were merely acts of plagiarism.


    ¡°Your Majesty need only issue a decree, stipulating that if anyone else emulates or plagiarizes the styles used by the Royal Family, they are overstepping their bounds. Arrest those who should be arrested, fine those who should be fined, and that would put an end to such occurrences,¡± Li¡¯ao suggested to Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo, of course, knew of this method, but what he thought about more was the development of the entire nation, the entire country: when there is a wall in front of everyone, how can they see the future?


    It wasn¡¯t that Tang Mo was unworldly, but he feared that his own descendants would have their vision obscured by this wall, become complacent, and eventually turn into another Shireck.


    ¡°To prevent people from pursuing better things is a dangerous thought.¡± Therefore, Tang Mo rejected such an idea.


    Li¡¯ao didn¡¯t mind showing his foolishness in front of Tang Mo; he preferred to use his own foolishness to highlight the Emperor¡¯s wisdom.


    So, he immediately complimented, ¡°Your Majesty is wise, this servant has not thought so far ahead.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not foolish, you¡¯re cunning!¡± Tang Mo said with a laugh, exposing Li¡¯ao¡¯s little ruse, then ordered, ¡°Tell me the business at hand.¡±


    Li¡¯ao bowed slightly and began his report, ¡°Yesterday, in Linshui, the action division of the intelligence department carried out an arrest operation. It targeted two merchants who had been trying to control the grain prices in Linshui... The Economic Intelligence Division provided data suggesting they used means to inflate prices, earning about 120,000 Gold Coins.¡±


    ¡°Their methods were professional, and their actions very covert; by the time the Economic Intelligence Division spotted the issue, they had already made their escape,¡± Li¡¯ao finished, pausing to give Tang Mo a chance to speak.


    Tang Mo pondered for a few seconds, then looked at Li¡¯ao, ¡°How fresh... Intelligence departments of various countries usually only gather data and information, they don¡¯t risk exposure by taking action...¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty is brilliant! It is from these oddities that we surmise these individuals likely don¡¯t work for foreign intelligence agencies, but probably obey some other people,¡± Li¡¯ao quickly added.


    ¡°Tell me your thoughts!¡± Tang Mo commanded.


    Li¡¯ao spoke again, ¡°If they were merely speculative merchants, they wouldn¡¯t have been so secretive. They are well-organized and used a very professional ¡¯empty cicada shell¡¯ tactic to escape before the action division could move.¡±


    ¡°Interesting!¡± Tang Mo nodded¡ªhe was well aware that if it were merely speculative behavior by merchants, they could not bypass Tang Country¡¯s intelligence department nor easily escape from their hands.


    ¡°Obviously, these people have received counter-surveillance training and are extremely vigilant,¡± Li¡¯ao said, ¡°Our opponents are a bit too cautious, but such caution has let us catch a whiff of their scent.¡±


    ¡°Now that we know of their existence, let¡¯s continue the investigation... If we don¡¯t follow the leads, wouldn¡¯t we be letting our adversaries¡¯ efforts go to waste?¡± Tang Mo revealed a slight smile, ¡°Intriguing! Truly intriguing.¡±


    ¡°It seems... these individuals have finally realized that they cannot take the victory they desire from my hands on the open battlefield. They are changing their approach, ready to play some games behind the scenes,¡± Tang Mo surmised after pondering for a while.


    ¡°This servant has let Your Majesty down... to let the enemy think it would be easier to break through from this servant¡¯s side,¡± Li¡¯ao said with a self-deprecating tone, slightly embarrassed.


    Tang Mo waved his hand to comfort Li¡¯ao, ¡°You have done very well. It¡¯s only that our opponents can¡¯t gain an advantage elsewhere and have turned their attention to your area of responsibility. No matter, just play along with them... a little exercise is good for longevity...¡±


    ¡°This servant... thanks Your Majesty,¡± Li¡¯ao, clearly perceiving Tang Mo¡¯s comfort and encouragement, especially touched by the phrase ¡°longevity¡±, felt a surge of emotion, ¡°This servant will definitely do everything possible to capture all those damned people, not sparing a single one!¡±


    ¡°Go on, then!¡± Tang Mo, remembering a distant name, made a joke, ¡°Perhaps, in the end, we might even find a red-haired old friend.¡±

 Chapter 915 915 838 Land of Souls Repose

    ?Chapter 915: 838 Land of Soul¡¯s Repose Chapter 915: 838 Land of Soul¡¯s Repose A train finally came to a halt at the new Fengjiang City station, a special train that used freight carriages.


    As it crossed that grand railway bridge, it drew the attention of many, for this train was noticeably longer than the others.


    Beyond its length, the train unexpectedly had Qin Country guards on it, but after crossing into the nation¡¯s borders, all of them disembarked and took the connecting train back from Fengjiang.


    Within the dimly lit carriage, pairs of frightened eyes gazed at the light streaming through the cracks, unaware of where they had arrived, nor where they were bound.


    Everything was foreign and unknown for these beastmen who had lived their whole lives in the desert.


    Amidst the cacophony of commands, the carriage doors were yanked open with a clang, bathing the inside with light, causing many beastmen to squint uncontrollably.


    They shielded their eyes from the brightness, then gradually adapted to the normal light. Standing before them were beastmen dressed in coarse clothing, seeing these kinfolk eased the tension of those within the carriage somewhat.


    ...


    ¡°Disembark! Watch your step! Get off!¡± reminded the beastmen waiting at the station, flanked by Tang Empire Soldiers armed with assault rifles.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± a beastman, emboldened, asked one who appeared even more dignified than a beastmen priest.


    The beastman who had been living in Fengjiang for over a month and had become accustomed to it all replied to his kin with a voice full of vigor: ¡°This place is called Fengjiang... but for you, this might be the... ¡®Land of Resting Souls¡¯.¡±


    The beastmen revered their ancestors and spirits; they did not utter invocations to myriad gods like the old human nobility. They worshipped only one deity, the Orc God who birthed the beastmen race.


    For each beastman, the Land of Resting Souls represented peace and beauty, an aspiration for a lifetime.


    ¡°Be careful! Do not get near these people! They might carry germs, fleas! Maintain your distance!¡± a passing human officer cautioned the two conversing beastmen: ¡°Take them to bathe! Make sure they take the de-worming medicine!¡±


    ¡°Follow one after another! Do not attempt anything dangerous!¡± An officer in the distance kept shouting through a megaphone.


    The disembarking beastmen finally got to see just how majestic and impressive the train station they arrived at was, realizing they had reached the place they had dreamt of.


    For years, the beastmen had hoped to leave their barren lands behind and conquer a fertile area controlled by humans, an ancestral wish and a cause they had strived for generation after generation.


    For centuries, war had never truly ceased, they sent those who couldn¡¯t survive in the desert to the western wall of Qin Country¡¯s border to fight, praying for ultimate victory.


    If they failed, they at least reduced their population, allowing the remaining food to sustain the tribe through winter; if they were victorious, they would become unstoppable.


    Their most promising assault was ruined by a weapon known as the Shireck Flintlock Gun. This weapon had crushed the beastmen¡¯s great army and finally stripped them of their meager physical superiority.


    Before the musket, everyone was equal; lacking medicine, and almost devoid of armor, the beastmen repeatedly suffered dismal defeats.


    Sometimes, even they began to doubt whether the eastern offensive held any chance of success.


    A year ago, the beastmen assaulting the western wall defense line suddenly discovered that their adversaries possessed even more formidable weapons: the enemy¡¯s firepower was relentless and fierce, the cannons more potent, and tactics had evolved accordingly.


    It seemed an even more unlikely feat now to breach the western wall defense. Yet many beastmen, in another manner, and under a different guise, accomplished the grand achievement their forefathers never had.


    They were shackled, caged, and transported eastward, passed through the heart of Qin Country, and across Dahua to arrive in Fengjiang.


    They traveled farther than they could have imagined, and the world they reached surpassed even the splendor of the resting place in their dreams.


    Regrettably, they were shackled, and the cat-eared female beastmen were strung together with a rope.


    ¡°An epidemic is out of the question, if they were ill, issues would have arisen in Qin Country or the Dahua Empire,¡± assured the officer in charge of disease prevention, observing the beastmen prisoners of war forming their own lines: ¡°We have already stockpiled the appropriate medication, my concern is really that their hygiene habits are appalling.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°If they don¡¯t obey, beat them!¡± an orc standing by his side said naturally, ¡°Some people do not deserve the grace the Orc God gives them.¡±


    ¡°But that is the grace given to them by His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang Empire!¡± the officer glanced at the orc beside him and reminded.


    ¡°Yes, His Majesty The Emperor is the incarnation of the Orc God! He is the deity of the orcs.¡± The orc immediately bowed slightly and hurriedly explained.


    ¡°What can such young children even do? They can¡¯t read... Could it be that those damn Qin Country people are just using them to pad the numbers?¡± A soldier saw orc children disembarking from the train for the first time and asked his companion standing next to him.


    His companion also didn¡¯t know why: ¡°Who knows, maybe they¡¯re being taken to work in garment factories in Chu Country? I¡¯ve heard that some places use children as workers.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speculate wildly! These children are here to placate people¡¯s hearts, making some orcs have a home, which is more effective than finding soldiers to supervise them.¡± Their conversation was overheard by an officer standing behind, who then explained the reason.


    The Tang Country is not planning to kill the donkey after unloading the millstone, some well-behaved orcs will indeed be truly absorbed and accepted. However, this acceptance does not mean that these orcs can reproduce and grow unruly within the Tang Empire.


    Tang Mo had already found a good place for these orc tribes, in the future, Tang Mo would turn it into a no-man¡¯s land, where the orcs who converted to the Great Tang Empire could live happily.


    Yes, that place is Mirage Country¡ªwhere goblins live¡ªin the Tang Empire¡¯s planning, goblins simply do not qualify to be neighbors.


    As for where these goblins go after losing their homeland, that was not Tang Mo¡¯s concern; he only told them to scram, and where they went was not important.


    ¡°Daddy! Daddy! Look! What is that?¡± An orc child, pushing the shackles on his father¡¯s hand, pointed excitedly at something in the distance.


    It was a new skyscraper being built within the Fengjiang City area; the crane was still rotating beside it, its boom operating. The building had not yet been topped out but was already twenty stories tall.


    ¡°They may be building a monument to console those souls drifting in the wilderness.¡± Unlike the orc soldiers captured on the battlefield, this family of orcs was directly caught by Qin Country¡¯s raiding troops.


    The task of those Qin Country raiding troops was to sweep through the orc tribes near Iron Fist Fortress and take all the local orcs to the Great Tang Empire.


    After learning that the Tang Empire was also willing to accept orc children, such raiding operations became more frequent.


    These Qin Country troops generally were the best equipped in the country, having ample ammunition and also using advanced weapons aided by the Tang Country.


    With cars and armored vehicles, these raiding teams came and went like the wind, catching orcs off guard and thus making numerous captures. The sudden increase in orc prisoner trade was the best proof.


    ¡°That is not a monument! You¡¯ll know soon enough.¡± The orc overseer in charge of supervising them said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll find out soon enough... because, that building, it¡¯s built by our orc laborers.¡±


    Of course, these newly arrived orc laborers from afar couldn¡¯t see that at this very moment, on that unfinished skyscraper above, there were orcs carrying bags of cement, shuttling along staircases without handrails.


    They built bridges and paved roads in Fengjiang, and constructed high-rise buildings here, essentially training their building skills.


    Soon, as they learned how to obey management, how to live, how to work, and gained their own work experience, they would be transferred to other areas of the Great Tang Empire, to places in more need of labor.


    Five years; the Tang Country gave these orcs five years to prove themselves. If they could prove their worth within five years, they could obtain a new identity.


    This was a promise Tang Mo gave to Yue¡¯er, a promise humans gave to the orcs who submitted to them.


    Compared to the way the Western world treated Africa, the Tang Empire was ultimately a bit more gentle. But Tang Mo would also not give these orcs the chance to steal a nest, they would be happier than the Africans, but that was all.


    Comparatively speaking, the cost of using these orc laborers was extremely low; there was no need to care whether these orcs were willing to work overtime, only that their working hours did not exceed twelve hours within the legal framework of Tang Country.


    They did not need salaries; as long as good food was provided, these orcs were already very grateful. Because in the past, they had essentially lived in a state of not being able to eat their fill or wear warm clothing.


    In addition, the suitable climate here was better than the areas where the orcs lived before. Moving here into the workers¡¯ dormitories, compared to their previous living conditions, the improvement was countless times better.


    Therefore, the orcs coming here felt that this was a place of rest, the final haven for their souls. They weren¡¯t lying; the Tang Country¡¯s methods of exploiting labor were to them nothing less than a breath of fresh air.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 916 916 839 Top 8

    ?Chapter 916: 839 Top 8 Chapter 916: 839 Top 8 After a simple allocation, all the orc captives were placed in a quarantine zone, where they were to live for ten days. Essentially, it was akin to some sort of livestock quarantine process.


    During these ten days, they needed to learn to bathe, rid themselves of fleas on their bodies, and generally groom themselves to look more human.


    Indeed, even in this world one couldn¡¯t escape vanity; it was still a world that judged by appearance: Orc men¡¯s ugliness was universally acknowledged, while the beauty of orc women was also well-known.


    Comparatively, orc females had no problem integrating into human society, who didn¡¯t have a thing for cutesy furries, who didn¡¯t like cat-eared girls?


    However, for orc men to make a name for themselves in the human world, well, that was fraught with difficulties.


    First off, you had to look decent: sharp teeth should at least be symmetrical, right? They can¡¯t be awry and all rotten, can they? No scars on the face, right? When smiling, they shouldn¡¯t look like a serial killer on a spree, should they?


    Whether the eyes are big enough, whether they are symmetrical, having respectable hair, whether they have any bad customs from before... all these could determine the destiny of an orc slave from Tang Country.


    ...


    ¡°If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten lip rings,¡± an orc lamented, never having imagined that one day he would be partaking in a ¡°beauty pageant¡± in the human world.


    In the harsh environments where orcs lived, many carried their entire net worth on their bodies, like rings or bracelets, earrings, necklaces, lip rings, nose rings...


    While this orc was complaining, elsewhere in a long queue, other literate orcs were also anxious. They were the top students who could read and were potential candidates to be selected for managing orc labor.


    These orcs were literate, able to use the human language, and at least capable of simple calculations. This was the second selection criteria: you must have some education.


    Alright, if you happened to look pleasing to human aesthetic standards, and happened to know how to write human characters, and had a wife with two kids... congratulations, you were the most promising hopeful among this batch of orc laborers.


    Why choose those with wives and children? Because people with families were more stable, easier to train and control. At the same time, by improving the living conditions of their offspring and providing educational benefits, these orcs would be more willing to cooperate with the Great Tang Empire.


    Through such selection, those who were suitable for promotion were picked out, and thus, a solid management framework could be established to start utilizing these orcs.


    Forced to take deworming medicine, forced to bathe, forced to don new clothes, and forced into new housing, these orcs began to believe that they indeed arrived at the resting place of their souls.


    Especially after they tasted their first hot meal, almost none of them wished to return to Iron Fist Fortress to live their old lives.


    They had never dreamt that rice here was freely available, that they could have as much as they wanted. To ensure they had their fill, they were even provided with pickles! Those were salt-pickled vegetables! That was precious salt!


    For these orcs who licked stones to savor the saltiness to supplement their rice meals, this meal was truly a divine gift from the Orc God.


    Seeing this group touched, almost to the extent of saying ¡°Let me work for my food, otherwise, I can¡¯t eat this meal with peace,¡± the officials from Tang knew that these orcs were almost subdued.


    Soon, they would be thrown into the construction of Fengjiang, and once they became acquainted, they would be scattered and dispatched to other parts of Tang.


    They would join the remaining goblin slaves to build railways for the Great Tang Empire, highways, skyscrapers, ports, and docks.


    These orcs would witness the prosperity of the Great Tang Empire and help build a powerful empire with their own hands. Of course, what they didn¡¯t know yet was that this empire would also save them, allowing them to live happy days where they could eat meat with every meal.


    ...


    ¡°We lost again! I am so damn...¡± Crumpling the sports newspaper in his hand, Tang Mo cursed sullenly.


    His Great Tang Empire was unmatched in every domain, formidable in every field. Yet there was one thing that always filled him with hope only to lead to continuous disappointment.


    Seeing Tang Mo¡¯s irritated demeanor, Yulin, who didn¡¯t even have to look to know what was up, laughed as she ate her breakfast, ¡°Your Majesty, shouldn¡¯t you have been psychologically prepared for this sort of thing?¡±


    That said, Tang Mo still couldn¡¯t help feeling frustrated, ¡°I know that... but, can¡¯t we win just one game?¡±


    ¡°No way, our soccer is just... not up to snuff.¡± Even Alice, who never cared for sports, knew about last night¡¯s quarterfinal match ¨C the men¡¯s soccer team of the Tang Empire had... returned home.


    This was the first Soccer World Cup held after the war¡¯s end, and the hosting country was still the Great Tang Empire¡ªat least in this regard, Tang Mo was a typical representative of those who were not only bad at the game but also loved to play.


    To motivate the players and to enlarge the event¡¯s impact, Tang Country put up a reward of two million Gold Coins. After hearing about this, all the countries sent their soccer teams to compete.


    The host country still got a bit of favoritism; after the draw, the Great Tang Empire soccer team was placed in Group 3, perfectly avoiding the strong teams from before the war.


    For instance, the champion of the year before last was Dorne¡¯s team, while the Great Tang Empire team was eliminated in the group stage that year. The champion from two years ago was the Poplar team whose elegant and versatile cooperation shone brilliantly that year, and unsurprisingly, the Tang Empire team was also eliminated in the group stage.


    Every year, Tang Country would hold a World Cup, which was four times more frequent than the World Cup on Earth. Yet, after five World Cups, Tang Country never made it past the group stage.


    Left with no other alternative, this time Tang Country played a little trick: The result of Group 3¡¯s draw was Tang Country, Mirage Country, and the Ice Cold Empire together.


    These three teams were always sent home after the first round of group games in previous years, but this time they were finally grouped together.


    As a result, in the opening game, Tang Country defeated Mirage Country¡¯s team with ease. A bunch of sturdy men averaging 1.8 meters tall bullying goblins averaging less than 1.5 meters tall¡ªscoring 5 to 0 wasn¡¯t anything to boast about.


    Then problems arose; the Tang team still played steadily, but in the match for the group¡¯s first place, they lost to the Ice Cold Empire¡ªalthough the Dwarf team was not so tall and weak at heading, their stable lower body movement and exceptional skills posed no problem in pinning down the Great Tang Empire team.


    And then the tragedy was complete. The second place from Group 3 faced the first place from Group 4 in the quarterfinals, and the Tang soccer team was beaten 3 to 0 by the formidable Poplar Empire team, ending their journey with regret in the quarterfinals.


    The Chu Country team, originally deemed an easy opponent for Great Tang to squash, was also sent home with a 2 to 0 defeat by the dwarves, as the Ice Cold Empire team historically broke through to the semifinals...


    ¡°If things don¡¯t work out, let Marquis of Bailu coach the team...¡± Yulin offered his suggestion: After all, the strength of Marquis of Bailu¡¯s club team was there for all to see.


    ¡°Sigh...¡± Tang Mo felt that hiring someone to coach his team was quite embarrassing: They had the best trainers, the best nutritionists, and even ate ginseng for every meal, yet they were still a bunch of soft-footed shrimps on the field.


    ¡°If all else fails... how about we put some orcs on the field?¡± Yue¡¯er, who had been busy dealing with orc laborers, suddenly blurted out.


    After all, among the burly laborers, there must be some who could play soccer, and training for a few days might yield better results than the current Tang Country players.


    Isn¡¯t it just about a win? Back in the day without muskets, the orc troopers with an average height close to 1.9 meters, formed into heavy infantry, were also world-renowned for their strong combat capabilities.


    When it came to physical strength, the beastmen had at least some advantage. At least those orc muscles were robust, and they wouldn¡¯t lift their jerseys to reveal a chubby belly.


    Frankly, forming an orc soccer team would be a dimensional attack against other countries, especially the dwarves and goblins... The orcs¡¯ physique was simply their nightmare.


    Unfortunately, Tang Mo still declined Yue¡¯er¡¯s goodwill: ¡°What¡¯s the point of looking for orc players? If we really do that, then we would be utterly disgracing ourselves.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to win the World Cup with a Great Tang men¡¯s soccer team composed of eleven green-faced and fanged orcs... No matter how unwilling he was to be at the bottom, he couldn¡¯t emulate the White Flag Empire!


    Compared to finding a group of orc mercenaries, Tang Mo was more inclined to seek out the Marquis of Bailu as the coach for his national team.


    ¡°I hope Sir Bailu can bring something different to my team.¡± Having made up his mind to look for the Marquis of Bailu, Tang Mo murmured to himself and put down the wrinkled newspaper in his hand, picking up the water glass in front of him.


    It had been almost a month since he quit smoking, and the old smoker Tang Mo was truly miserable. Standing beside him, Wes also looked as dejected as someone who had lost money.


    The inventor of cigarettes not being allowed to smoke was nothing short of a tragedy for Tang Mo. Every time he subconsciously reached into his pocket, it felt like he was losing a part of his soul.


    Every time the three Imperial Concubines saw Tang Mo subconsciously touch his pocket, they had to hold back their laughter. Seeing the man they loved change for them was a happy thing for a woman.


    But wise women knew how to exercise restraint; they understood such change was precious and not to be demanded lightly.


    ¡°Sigh...¡± Tang Mo deliberately showed his frustration when he couldn¡¯t find his pack of cigarettes, which was also a way for him to flirt with the three women. It was a form of indulgence that increased the family¡¯s happiness.


    His eldest son, Tang Yu, was very understanding. He took out a lollipop from his pocket and handed it to Tang Mo. Everyone followed with laughter, creating a warmth that made bystanders envious.

 Chapter 917 917 The 840 People Looking Up at the Starry Sky

    ?Chapter 917: The 840 People Looking Up at the Starry Sky Chapter 917: The 840 People Looking Up at the Starry Sky Shu Country¡¯s terrain is much better than that of Chu Country, at least they have many good places for growing crops. Additionally, it is a strategic traffic thoroughfare. The shortest route from Chu Country to territories controlled by the beastmen goes through Shu Country.


    Before the war broke out, the country had received partial aid from Shireck too, constructing a fair number of railways. Now, with the help of Tang Country, they¡¯ve connected these fragmented railways into a barely adequate rail network.


    Inside the King City of Shu Country, a middle-level manager of the Great Tang Group was entertaining guests from Shireck at a newly opened tavern called Silver Fox.


    Although the two corporations maintained a competitive relationship on the surface, everyone knew that the Great Tang Group had become a very influential shareholder behind Shireck.


    Since they were on their own turf, they didn¡¯t need to worry about eavesdroppers. The manager of the Great Tang Group picked up his glass, smiling as he began, ¡°Shu Country has connections. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t want to see Qin Country doing whatever they want on the beastmen¡¯s terrain, so they will provide us with a very covert smuggling route.¡±


    If Qin Country could smooth things over with the side threat of the beastmen, then the defensive line on the northwest part of Shu Country would naturally face double the pressure. Thus, Shu Country has always been an important route for smuggling arms to the beastmen areas.


    The officials of Shu Country would always turn a blind eye to the smuggling of arms.


    ...


    To a certain extent, the relationship between Shu Country and Qin Country was not very good. Before, they both were vassal states of the Dahua Empire, so they were reluctant to turn against each other.


    However, as the Dahua Empire began to decline, the discord between the two countries sharpened. But unexpectedly, under the mediation of the Great Tang Empire, their relationship gradually stabilized.


    As the man was explaining, he drew a straight line on the table, ¡°Generally, the route starts at the ports of Chu Country, then traverses all the way through Chu to reach Shu Country, and then smuggles into the beastmen territory...¡±


    This route had only been opened in the past month, which meant a portion of human commodities could now be directly transported to the beastmen territory without any obstacles.


    Great Tang was the mastermind behind this route, Shu Country also got a share of the profits, and Chu Country could follow suit and reap some benefits. Everyone stood to gain, and naturally, all parties were satisfied.


    ¡°You¡¯ll provide a sufficient number of Shireck rifles, Shireck Automatic Cannons, Shireck cars, and all the weapons needed by the beastmen. We¡¯ll provide contract violations, food, cloth, and even medical supplies,¡± he said, pointing at the representative from Shireck across from him.


    The Shireck representative had heard about Tang Country¡¯s plans before coming, but he hadn¡¯t expected such a huge volume of trade.


    If this route remained open, the materials obtained by the beastmen would be enormous, and the money that Tang Country could make was immeasurable.


    But what he couldn¡¯t understand was who benefited from this situation, ¡°I don¡¯t understand, aren¡¯t you supporting Qin Country?¡±


    The representative from the Great Tang Group nodded, proudly responding to the question, ¡°Of course, we¡¯ve always supported Qin Country.¡±


    ¡°But you allow us to smuggle weapons to the beastmen,¡± the Shireck representative pressed on. ¡°They are beastmen, after all...¡±


    ¡°Who gave you the impression that supporting Qin Country means we cannot support the beastmen at the same time? The fact is... we support war,¡± the Tang Country¡¯s representative elaborated, swirling the liquid in his glass with a smile.


    After finishing his statement, he boldly downed the glass in one go, ¡°War can only end when we permit it, and war can only break out when we allow it. In the past, the game that Shireck played was far too outdated, and that¡¯s why... you were defeated by the Great Tang Military-Industrial Complex.¡±


    ¡°We also do the business of selling arms to both sides...¡± The Shireck representative defended his principals despondently, ¡°It¡¯s just that back then, we didn¡¯t dare to smuggle arms to the beastmen so blatantly.¡±


    The representative from the Great Tang Group shook his head, ¡°No, you still don¡¯t understand. We not only supply arms to both sides, but we also provide a solution to everyone in the world.¡±


    ¡°War is just a part of that solution, there¡¯s also the economy... politics, culture, healthcare, food... we can solve any problem. This... is the ultimate goal of the Great Tang Group.¡± He continued eloquently, painting a grand vision.


    Shireck¡¯s representative shivered slightly, ¡°Your appetite is really too big.¡±


    ¡°Too big? No, you¡¯re still not keeping up with our thinking. We can do much more than you imagine,¡± the Great Tang Group¡¯s representative said with disdain.


    ¡°You think Qin Country doesn¡¯t know about this smuggling route? No, you¡¯re mistaken; they do. Moreover, they¡¯re happy to see such a route exist.¡± He toyed with the wine glass in his hand, posed a question, and answered it himself.


    Amidst the shocked gaze of his counterpart, he continued to boast of Great Tang¡¯s omnipotence: ¡°They cooperate with us in this matter, and we¡¯ll cooperate with them in other areas. The prices of cotton and various products in Qin Country increased by thirty percent this year. What do you think is the reason?¡±


    Qin Country can afford to turn a blind eye to Shu Country¡¯s smuggling channels because they can get more military aid from Tang Country. If the Beastmen got the Shireck Type 1 rifles, they could also get Thompson Submachine Guns and 98Ks. Why reject such an exchange?


    Actually, everything is out in the open. Everyone knows there¡¯s this smuggling route. Everyone is getting what they need from it, so this well-known smuggling route just ¡°disappears.¡±


    No one will investigate; no one will probe; hence, no one will discover¡ªit¡¯s a route that will continue indefinitely until the Great Tang Empire no longer wishes for its existence.


    ¡°Unlike Shireck, we let everyone profit under our model while you Shireck... only look after your own gains. That¡¯s the difference,¡± the Great Tang Group¡¯s representative bragged proudly about their model.


    Seeing that the other party didn¡¯t respond, he contemptuously pulled the other party back from fantasy to the harsh reality: ¡°Stop dreaming... This model is not something you can replicate. The biggest difference between us is that we can make the cake in the big platter while you can only fight others for the cake. They¡¯re two different things. That is an insurmountable gap between you and us.¡±


    It¡¯s a blatant strategy, a maneuver that Shireck could not emulate even when they saw through it; nobody except the Great Tang Group could learn it in this world.


    Pointing to the line on the table traced with his finger dipped in wine, yet to dry up, he said, ¡°Just like now, we can give you profit, let you maintain your wealth¡ªso did you lose out? No, you benefited. That¡¯s why you won¡¯t stop us; you can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a path in this world, where everyone on it can find what they¡¯re looking for... And we are the guides on that path... Tell me, who wouldn¡¯t follow us?¡± With that, he poured himself another glass of fine wine.


    While he was pouring the wine, Shireck¡¯s representative managed to escape his thoughts and stared at the Great Tang Group¡¯s representative, asking seriously, ¡°So you think we can all keep proceeding down this path indefinitely? The world has its limits; in the end, you¡¯re doomed to return to the old ways we¡¯ve been through! The cake can¡¯t keep getting bigger forever, and you¡¯ll start coveting the cake on other people¡¯s platters!¡±


    The representative from Great Tang laughed again, ¡°You see, that¡¯s our greatest difference.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shireck¡¯s representative asked, somewhat bewildered.


    ¡°Look up at the sky! Think about the stars that hang over your head at night. Have you ever considered, one day overturning the ceiling above and seeing what¡¯s on those stars?¡± The Great Tang Group¡¯s representative looked up toward the ceiling.


    ¡°What are you babbling about? What does that have to do with what we¡¯re discussing... what are you saying?¡± Shireck¡¯s representative also looked up but saw nothing; feeling dissatisfied, he lowered his gaze only to find that the Great Tang Group¡¯s representative was still looking up.


    Ignoring the other person, the representative from the Great Tang Group continued to gaze at the ceiling and asked, ¡°I mean, do you think we have a chance to fly into space, to go explore those stars above...¡±


    Space was a distant and somewhat unfamiliar concept for Shireck¡¯s representative. As the word became familiar, he widened his eyes, unable to speak while looking at the other person.


    ¡°The reason I tell you this is that this route is going to be entrusted to you, and... Do you understand who you will be responsible for in the future?¡± The Great Tang Group¡¯s representative lowered his gaze, looking at the other party again: ¡°Will you continue to serve those old, decaying masters of yours, like dust? Or will you entrust your life, your faith, everything, to us, who can take you to a brand new future?¡±


    Shireck¡¯s representative knew this was a choice... a hard choice. He could either betray Shireck to become the new spokesman for the Great Tang Group here or he might have to stay here forever.


    After being told so much, it was obviously not idle chatter. Having listened, he could either become a dead man who couldn¡¯t speak or become a confidant of the Great Tang Group¡ªit was all a matter of his decision.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to become a man of the Great Tang Group, to serve the Great Tang Group... Please rest assured and entrust this route to my care... I will certainly not let you down,¡± It took only a few seconds for Shireck¡¯s charge to make his choice.


    ¡°Smart man... Drink this glass of wine, then get to work. Don¡¯t let down His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s trust.¡± The Great Tang Group¡¯s representative raised his glass, toasting the other from afar.

 Chapter 918 918 The 841 Furious Emperor

    ?Chapter 918: The 841 Furious Emperor Chapter 918: The 841 Furious Emperor In the Dahua Empire, within the Imperial City of the Imperial Capital, Zhao Kai was throwing a tantrum in his own room. He had truly never felt so miserable and oppressed before.


    For such a long time, every advancement made by the Dahua Empire failed to bring him a sense of achievement; instead, it plunged him deeper into fear.


    The tax revenue from Fengjiang City was gradually increasing, the profits brought in by one city, or rather half a city, already far exceeding the combined income of over a dozen cities in the Dahua Empire.


    Originally, everyone was very excited, because this real silver would become the cornerstone of the development and growth of the Dahua Empire.


    But whenever he thought of the fact that the Great Tang Empire possessed even more cities like this, Zhao Kai felt as if there were thorns in his back, and he was uneasy in both sleep and meal.


    Today, the Dahua Empire built two new large textile factories, but the Great Tang Empire had already moved similar large textile factories to Chu Country¡ªthe gap wasn¡¯t narrowing, it was continuously widening.


    Now even Chu Country was competing with the Dahua Empire in the light industrial economy, causing the Dahua Empire to frequently lower the prices of its products to vie for that little bit of export share with countries like Laines of Chu Country.


    ...


    Due to shipping costs, the light industrial exports of the Dahua Empire actually weren¡¯t very competitive: countries on the Western Continent all had some industrial basis of their own, and the technology of the Dahua Empire was considered relatively slow-developing in their eyes.


    And with the added cost of overseas shipping, the products of the Dahua Empire hardly had any competitive edge on the Western Continent: what it could sell to the Western Continent was nothing more than some specialties.


    Like Pan Yiping, for example, who managed one of the Dahua Empire¡¯s dried fruit specialties, mixing in the sale of teas and the like.


    Therefore, the light industrial products of the Dahua Empire, in most cases, could only be sold to Shu Country and Qin Country. But as the economy of these two countries developed, the export ability of the Dahua Empire¡¯s products was becoming increasingly worse.


    To be squeezed into such a state by a circle of former vassal states, the Dahua Empire might as well have lost all its dignity. Zhao Kai, who had always placed great importance on face, how could he not be furious?


    With a smack on the table, he even felt that the two women who were completely naked beside him were no longer as enticing. In his irritation, he waved his hand and the two women, clutching their clothes, exited Zhao Kai¡¯s bedroom just like that.


    They were not Zhao Kai¡¯s concubines, but palace maids... After all, there was still some etiquette that had to be considered in the Empire. It was not possible for two concubines from the harem to serve the Emperor at the same time; that was a rule.


    Lately, Zhao Kai frequently felt inexplicable rage, so he began to find some delicate palace maids to vent on... He was increasingly unable to suppress his impulses, like a restless wild beast.


    This time, Zhao Kai¡¯s irritation stemmed from the news that Qin Country had once again purchased a batch of munitions from Tang Country, even buying an entire production line for artillery shells.


    Qin Country, which had always depended on the Dahua Empire for military weapons, had now virtually become a mini Tang Country. Whether it was the weapons and equipment of soldiers or the command system, they were frantically copying the Tang Army.


    The influence of the Dahua Empire over Qin Country was weakening by the day, alarming to the point where if it wasn¡¯t for the geographical advantage in transportation the Dahua Empire still had, Qin Country might very well have gone off to be Tang Country¡¯s lackey directly.


    Just a few hours earlier in the imperial court, the Prime Minister Chu Muzhou and the Minister of War Shen Chuan both expressed their concerns about the situation.


    They feared that once Qin Country and Tang Country both began to refuse paying the material border fees, a new war might well erupt.


    This time the Dahua Empire would face a pincer attack from both the Tang Army and the Qin Army, and the Dahua Military would not be able to cope with such a situation.


    So the Dahua Empire must prepare against the possibility of war on two fronts, and diplomatically make a series of efforts to avoid such a situation from happening.


    On one hand, the military hoped to establish more complex and expensive border defenses, at least to withstand the attack of Tang Country and buy time to mobilize more troops.


    On the other hand, the Dahua Empire should strive to charm some neighboring countries to avoid an actual two-front war: after weighing the options, Chu Muzhou believed befriending the Great Tang Empire was the most cost-effective solution.


    Because the shadows of the Great Tang Empire loomed behind both Qin Country and Shu Country, trying to court Qin Country and Shu Country was clearly not so easy¡ªbecause if relations with Tang Country were tense, these countries were very likely to lean towards the stronger side.


    Supported by this theory, the Three Departments and Six Ministries of the Dahua Empire all believed that maintaining a close cooperative relationship with Tang Country as much as possible and satisfying most of Tang Country¡¯s demands could avoid a complete fallout with Tang Country in the short term.


    Furthermore, the Dahua Empire side needed to fervently incite antagonism between the Great Tang Empire and the Western Continent: only by propagating the rhetoric of ¡°recapturing Brunas¡± in public opinion could they possibly divert the Great Tang Empire¡¯s attention to the west.


    It was the simplest tactic of leading troubles elsewhere, also known as ¡°Let the friends die, and not myself.¡± After all, as long as the Great Tang Empire was not an enemy of Dahua, it didn¡¯t matter who it fought.


    But there was one major problem with this plan¡ªZhao Kai, the Emperor of the Dahua Empire! His Majesty The Emperor wasn¡¯t exactly the best at staying low and keeping small...


    To fully engage in cooperation with Tang Country, Dahua would definitely need to lower its own stance, even placing itself in a position of a de facto vassal state.


    The Empire had to concede as many benefits as possible, develop discreetly, run its country earnestly and make money, convincing the Great Tang Empire that the Dahua Empire posed no threat.


    Even so, if they grasped this play, the Dahua Empire could consider, with the support of the Great Tang Empire, the annexation of both Qin Country and Shu Country, to reduce the trade costs of the Great Tang Empire.


    Regrettably, the plan had hardly been implemented before it was met with fierce opposition from Emperor Zhao Kai: he could not tolerate the Dahua Empire turning from the hegemon of the Eastern Continent into a mere follower of the Tang Empire under his rule.


    Thus, the intense court debate began once again, and the ultimate result was that Zhao Kai made a slight concession by reducing some transit tariffs while making it clear that the Dahua Empire was willing to take on some industries already looked down upon by the Tang Empire.


    But this was far from enough for the court officials. They hoped Zhao Kai would make greater concessions and even, on behalf of the Royal Family of the Dahua Empire, express friendly attitudes toward the Tang Empire.


    This was rather difficult, how could Zhao Kai willingly cozy up to Tang Mo? He had repeatedly berated Tang Mo in court, and now, to use his own face to kiss up to Tang Mo¡¯s ass would make him the laughingstock of the world, would it not?


    Recalling every detail that had just occurred in court, the anger Zhao Kai had just vented on a palace maid rose again.


    He grabbed a teacup at hand, and upon realizing it was part of a set of his favorite, expensive imported porcelain from the Great Tang Empire, he clenched his teeth and set it back down.


    However, this only made him feel stifled, so he grabbed something cheaper and hurled it to the floor, immediately causing the guards outside the door to rush in.


    ¡°Get out!¡± Zhao Kai barked, causing the guards to retreat. But before they closed the door again, he ordered, ¡°Someone, clean up this mess on the floor!¡±


    ¡°Bring the Crown Prince to me!¡± As he watched servants crawl at his feet, tidying the room, Zhao Kai seemed to regain a feeling of imperial authority.


    He enjoyed the sensation of watching others grovel at his feet, the feeling that with just a stretch of his leg, he could tread on their heads.


    In truth, as someone who had become Emperor of an empire, Zhao Kai did have some brains. It was just that after many years in a lofty position, he was not quite accustomed to the state of ¡°there are some people he could not provoke.¡±


    After venting, he eventually returned to reason, considering that if the Dahua Empire was indeed caught between Qin Country and Tang Country, it would be as precarious as the courtiers had said.


    Therefore, he also thought that he should change the current state, at least he should resolve the trouble on one side.


    Those courtiers who only knew how to take advantage but not be loyal were unreliable ¨C the Great General Feng Kezhi, Qian Jinhang, and the like had already confirmed this opinion.


    So, he could only summon some people he deemed trustworthy to discuss properly and see if there was any better way to resolve the crisis facing the Dahua Empire.


    And clearly, his own son, the future heir to the Empire, his own son Zhao Ji, was an excellent choice.


    Zhao Kai, having sacrificed Feng Ke for the sake of imperial power, naturally had to rely on the Royal Family to maintain his authority. The newly entrusted Zhao Jie and Zhao Chen were his trusted royal relatives.


    ¡°Yes!¡± A servant immediately went to convey His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s edict, while the rest continued to clean up the scattered fragments on the floor.


    ¡°Your Highness! His Majesty has just summoned the Crown Prince into the palace for a discussion.¡± Very soon, a palace maid passed the news out of the Imperial Palace, and the message was directly delivered to Prince Zhao Yu.


    ¡°My imperial father still ultimately trusts that bastard Zhao Ji more, huh.¡± Zhao Yu dismissed the messenger with a wave and turned to a young confidant with a sneer, ¡°Does he even deign to hear my opinion when seeking advice?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness need not be hasty... because in the end, he will realize that you are the future of the Dahua Empire.¡± The young man fiddled with the dandelion ring on his finger, offering comfort without even looking up.


    ¡°Moreover, your opinion matters! Your father has just not realized that yet.¡± He blew on the ring, satisfied with the cleaning, and continued, ¡°You have gained favor with Lord Nangong and are the Prince who advocates for good relations with the Tang Empire. Soon, ministers will see that you are the hope of the Empire.¡± He lifted his head, ¡°If they don¡¯t choose you, would they have to select another Emperor as obstinate as your father and continue to oppose them?¡±


    ¡°What you say makes sense!¡± Zhao Yu found the argument very much to his liking, and he also felt he was better suited to inherit the throne than that Zhao Ji.


    After all, he was the true chosen one! He thought proudly to himself, then composed the smile on his face and looked to his strategist, ¡°Then what do you think... How should we express our intentions to the ministers?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness... we have already taken care of it for you...¡± The young man stood up and walked over to Zhao Yu, ¡°Just wait for the good news.¡±


    Fool, no need to think. He looked at Zhao Yu and thought so.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    There will be two more chapters today, slightly later. Everyone can read them tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 919 919 Crafty Tactics 842

    ?Chapter 919: Crafty Tactics 842 Chapter 919: Crafty Tactics 842 In another residence, Chu Muzhou set down his teacup and glanced at Zhou Qiang sitting beside him, then asked in a drawling voice, ¡°So, are you planning to enter the fray yourself?¡±


    Zhou Qiang sighed and replied with a hint of strategy, ¡°I have no choice, the younger generation is incompetent. If I don¡¯t stake this old bag of bones, those unworthy children will have no future.¡±


    ¡°Not having a future is just that, not having a future; in thirty to fifty years, at least there will still be wealth and honor to rely on. If a worthy and capable person appears among the descendants later, it isn¡¯t impossible to rise high in the court again,¡± Chu Muzhou continued to advise at his usual unhurried pace.


    ¡°Alas... my sons are unfilial, unfilial indeed...¡± Zhou Qiang became agitated again, irritated by the trouble his two sons had caused: ¡°That¡¯s why... I¡¯ve come to you, Sir, for help.¡±


    He bowed his head towards Chu Muzhou and said, ¡°The purpose of my visit this time is on behalf of those two scoundrels... Prime Minister, this favor... is something Mr. Zhou must repay.¡±


    ¡°Start from the beginning... I also wish to hear about the methods of the Great Tang Empire,¡± Chu Muzhou fell silent for two seconds before finally deciding to give Zhou Qiang some face.


    In the Dahua Empire, the Minister of Personnel was essentially always the so-called ¡°Prime Minister¡¯s substitute.¡± Those who could take on the role of Minister of Personnel were those esteemed in the Emperor¡¯s heart, ready to take on the burden at any moment and become the Imperial Chancellor.


    ...


    Thus, Zhou Qiang had always been Chu Muzhou¡¯s successor, and the relationship between the two had been very delicate for a long time. Although Zhou Qiang wasn¡¯t overtly harmonious with Chu Muzhou, in reality, their relationship was quite good.


    As the Minister of Personnel, Zhou Qiang had no ambition to climb any further, especially given the Dahua Empire¡¯s current precarious state.


    He preferred to stay in his position as Minister of Personnel, waiting for a better opportunity rather than going to war with Chu Muzhou over a Prime Ministerial seat that seemed rather useless.


    He saw very clearly that when the Empire was strong and the soldiers fearless, with the Emperor¡¯s trust, the Prime Minister held real power and weight. But when the Emperor was arrogant and the country was fraught with internal and external troubles, what use was being Prime Minister?


    Having someone to take the thunder at such times was truly comfortable, so Zhou Qiang carefully maintained his relationship with Chu Muzhou. It was because of his wisdom that he had the opportunity to seek Chu Muzhou¡¯s help today.


    ¡°My eldest son isn¡¯t greedy for wealth or pleasure, and normally he has good conduct,¡± Zhou Qiang began to speak unhurriedly about his eldest son.


    ¡°I have heard of Young Master Zhou, indeed a man of elegance,¡± Chu Muzhou smiled, having a good impression of the Zhou family¡¯s eldest son.


    ¡°Merely feigning sophistication, without a shred of resolve...¡± Zhou Qiang sighed and said with a half-amused, half-despairing tone, ¡°Who would have thought, they could even find ¡®The Weeping Shepherdess¡¯...¡±


    ¡°What extravagance!¡± Chu Muzhou was startled by the generosity of Tang Country¡ªhe had long heard of this famous painting, the price of which had been rising for ten years and was now considered astronomically high.


    The key point was that the painting had been acquired by the Great Tang Group and had never been put on the market for sale, belonging to the private collection of the Great Tang Imperial Royal Family; one couldn¡¯t buy it anywhere, even with money.


    Yet the other party had actually brought it out and presented it to Zhou¡¯s eldest son... For someone who admired famous paintings and poetry, this was truly... an immense temptation.


    What Chu Muzhou didn¡¯t know was that before giving the painting, Tang Country¡¯s intelligence agents had been fulfilling the eldest Zhou son¡¯s every request, already overwhelming him with a mess of art.


    Out of desperation and having no way out, the Zhou family¡¯s eldest son had requested ¡®The Weeping Shepherdess,¡¯ thinking it would be a setback for the other party. Yet, they actually brought it to him.


    Seeing no option to refuse such a painting and knowing he was already on the ¡°thieves¡¯ ship,¡± the eldest Zhou son eventually took sides and joined the ¡°pro-Tang faction.¡±


    ¡°To each his own, the bait priceless in gold... no injustice,¡± Chu Muzhou commented softly, eyes slightly downcast.


    ¡°My second son is even easier to deal with...¡± Zhou Qiang sighed and continued, ¡°Beautiful women, luxury cars, branded watches and clothes... He dared to ask for Zhao Shihan by name.¡±


    On hearing this name, Chu Muzhou felt it was familiar, then he remembered that there was an actress in the Dahua Empire who went by this name. So he asked, ¡°That big star?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Qiang answered immediately, as expected.


    ¡°He wants her, and those people from Tang Country can make Zhao Shihan say yes?¡± Chu Muzhou was surprised now; such a famous woman would necessarily have a deep background, and surely she wouldn¡¯t lack suitors, how could she just be sent off to Zhou Qiang¡¯s younger son?


    With a bitter expression, Zhou Qiang bowed his head in shame and replied, ¡°That Zhao Shihan... is someone those people have made famous.¡±


    Tang Country had long been investing in the production of various films in the Dahua Empire, having monopolized what was called film directors and movie stars within the Empire.


    If they wished to make someone famous, they found them to shoot films, with Tang Country covering the expenses and providing the equipment¡ªmaking it difficult not to become a star. With fame comes trouble, and when the stars attracted the harassment of noble and well-to-do men who didn¡¯t know any better, it would be the Tang entertainment industry dealing with the issues, allowing these stars to comfortably and worry-free make their money.


    ¡°`


    And these performers knew they owed a debt of gratitude, ready to ¡°step up¡± when needed. Moreover, the ¡°patrons¡± that Great Tang Entertainment found for them were all respectable figures, the kind they wouldn¡¯t normally be able to rub shoulders with even if they tried.


    ¡°No wonder. Old age... in the end, it¡¯s about being old. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen them handle things like this,¡± Chu Muzhou remarked, then shook his head in self-mockery.


    When they used to handle such matters, it was always with cautious probing and meticulous scheming. Where was there such brute force in doing things?


    Furthermore, didn¡¯t they consider their own costs? Chu Muzhou had heard of, even seen, bribery involving a few thousand or tens of thousands of Gold Coins. But to directly throw around hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins was truly an eye-opener for him.


    In the past, Tang Country would at least disguise such actions with projects or investments, disguising bribes as something akin to political achievements. But now, they were blatantly buying favors...


    ¡°This subordinate feels ashamed,¡± Zhou Qiang lowered his head.


    ¡°So, what is it that they want after spending so much money?¡± Chu Muzhou looked at Zhou Qiang, suddenly feeling a mix of alarm and trepidation.


    Everyone has a price, after all. If the other party is so generous and thoughtful, then their ambitions must be great, and this worried Chu Muzhou.


    ¡°Tang Country hopes... the next Emperor of Dahua Empire... will be a pro-Tang supporter,¡± Zhou Qiang lowered his voice, revealing the purpose of his visit.


    Merchants are indeed shrewd calculators! Chu Muzhou inwardly sighed, the grave expression on his face relaxing slightly.


    This statement contained much information, some of it even a guarantee, a commitment from the Great Tang Empire to the ruling faction of the Dahua Empire.


    For example, this ¡°next Emperor of Dahua Empire¡± implies quite a lot: first, that the Great Tang Empire has no plans to attack the Dahua Empire, and that the succession to the throne of the Dahua Empire is to continue, which is comforting news for the next successor.


    At the same time, the statement also indicates that the Great Tang Empire desires to maintain a friendly and cooperative diplomatic relationship with Dahua Empire¡ªtheir purpose is to promote a pro-Tang Emperor to the throne.


    This series of subtle implications allowed Chu Muzhou to see countless possibilities, the most enticing of which was the potential friendship between Dahua Empire and Great Tang Empire.


    If the Dahua Empire truly presents itself as willing to continue a pro-Tang policy, as the Great Tang Empire desires, could the Dahua Empire potentially secure a valuable opportunity to enjoy ten years of peaceful development?


    ¡°What you thought of, I have also considered for many days... and have come to some conclusions...¡± Seeing that Chu Muzhou was silent, Zhou Qiang boasted for himself, ¡°If this matter were to the detriment of Dahua Empire, jeopardizing the Empire¡¯s interests, then I would have no qualms about personally executing my own two sons. But... sir... after much deliberation, I believe...¡±


    ¡°Among the princes... is there one who understands reason?¡± Chu Muzhou sighed. His opponent had laid their cards on the table, and it was difficult for him not to respond. Thus, he conceded a step, prepared to listen to Tang Country¡¯s plans.


    ¡°I have heard that Prince Zhao Yu is gentle and amiable, approachable, and has even participated in military parades in Tang Country... possessing the bearing of an Emperor,¡± Zhou Qiang said, lowering his head to suggest the required candidate.


    ¡°Zhao Yu... Zhao Yu...¡± Upon hearing this name, Chu Muzhou muttered it twice. This Prince was nothing special, a rather ordinary choice.


    Crown Prince Zhao Ji was, in fact, also well-tempered, with many in the court satisfied with him as an option. If Chu Muzhou were to voice support for Zhao Yu now, there would inevitably be dissenting voices within the court.


    This could provide Zhao Kai with an opportunity to oppress one faction while courting another, thereby weakening the power of the ministers and strengthening the imperial power of the Dahua Empire.


    Conflict is, of course, detrimental to the Dahua Empire; be it a struggle between imperial authority and ministerial power, or a battle between Crown Prince and princes ¨C such strife is never good.


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the Great Tang Empire considered winning over the Crown Prince directly?¡± Chu Muzhou asked a question that perplexed him.


    In fact, what he was asking was: Could it be that the Great Tang Empire intended to instigate an internal struggle for succession inside our country?


    ¡°I cannot tell... the Crown Prince has entered the palace, hasn¡¯t he... I suspect his stance will surface soon,¡± Zhou Qiang pretended not to know though he understood perfectly.


    Having already made up his mind, Zhou Qiang didn¡¯t care whether he would remain the Minister of Personnel under Zhao Kai or become the Minister of Personnel under Zhao Yu.


    In fact, he had already mentally prepared himself to take on the role of the Minister of Personnel for Tang Country.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    My wife and child decided last minute to go on a trip to Beijing last night. They took the morning train, and Dragon Spirit went to see them off, so today¡¯s extra update is canceled. I¡¯ll continue to make it up tomorrow... my apologies.


    I had wanted to go along, alas... with too many chapters owed, I dare not take leave, such is my lament.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 920 920 The thorn in the flesh 843

    ?Chapter 920: The thorn in the flesh 843 Chapter 920: The thorn in the flesh 843 Zhao Ji, carrying Zhao Kai¡¯s opinions, stepped out of the Imperial Palace the next day, and the Dahua Empire began yet another round of debates. This time, the arguments concerned whether His Majesty The Emperor indeed had the capacity to ensure the continuation of the Dahua Empire.


    This kind of discussion deeply worried Zhao Ji, yet he felt powerless, for he too realized that without change, it would be difficult for the Dahua Empire to survive between Qin Country and Tang Country.


    But if he did not consider his father¡¯s feelings, he, as Crown Prince, doubted he would ever reach the day where he could ascend to rule.


    Zhao Ji could still distinguish what was more important, and ultimately decided to respect Zhao Kai¡¯s opinions, merely making minor adjustments instead of adopting comprehensive pro-Tang policies.


    His decision disappointed many Ministers, who had hoped the Crown Prince would demonstrate a more mature and decisive side. Yet, Crown Prince Zhao Ji ultimately sided with his father, standing against the court officials.


    The situation promptly grew complicated. A few days later, a name that Zhao Kai had never paid much attention to caught his eye: another son of his, Zhao Yu.


    This Prince, who usually showed no remarkable traits and had a disagreeable disposition, being greedy and lustful without any firm opinions, transformed overnight into a cultured and strategic charming young man.


    ...


    For a time, Zhao Kai could not distinguish whether his son had formerly concealed his talents or now suddenly possessed exceptional acting ability.


    But before he could figure it out, Zhao Ning demonstrated an astonishing political acumen, urging that the Dahua Empire should adopt the right mindset and learn from Tang Country¡ªto enrich the nation and strengthen the military!


    What worried Zhao Ji even more and puzzled Zhao Kai were the merchants who, backed by Zhao Yu, initiated a vigorous ¡°Tang Endeavor Movement¡± within the Dahua Empire.


    Although those who supported Zhao Yu were just small fry, such matters, once started, tended to become increasingly uncontrollable.


    Many praised Prince Zhao Yu for his wisdom, which exerted tremendous pressure on Zhao Ji as he faced a direct challenge from his brother for the first time.


    In this matter, Zhao Kai was forced to adopt a certain openness: he had to encourage some degree of healthy competition among his sons, as it was a necessary means to ensure that the heir to the throne gained ample experience in strife.


    However, his temporary neutrality in this affair caused Zhao Ji even greater panic and allowed Zhao Yu more time to expand his influence.


    Different voices started appearing in the courts of the Dahua Empire, but this in turn alleviated Zhao Kai¡¯s pressure¡ªsuch matters, once experienced, were addictive. Zhao Kai was no exception; he relished the feeling of overseeing the court officials¡¯ infighting and controlling the outcome.


    Therefore, he hesitated once more on suppressing Zhao Yu, deciding to wait and let Zhao Yu divert some of the court officials¡¯ attention.


    This selfish idea made Zhao Ji even more worried, and that fairly healthy Crown Prince fell seriously ill.


    It was only then that His Majesty The Emperor, Zhao Kai, remembered his Crown Prince. He personally visited the ailing Crown Prince, offering his encouragement.


    After all, the Crown Prince was very much to Zhao Kai¡¯s liking, and he had never considered replacing him. He assured his son that as long as he performed well, there would be no issues.


    Subsequently, to appease Crown Prince Zhao Ji, Zhao Kai summoned the recently active Prince Zhao Yu, chastising this imprudent son in person and conveying His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s displeasure.


    Yet, what should have been a minor domestic incident within the Emperor¡¯s family sparked court officials¡¯ concerns about changes in the Dahua Empire¡¯s policies toward Tang.


    Manipulated by some, many Ministers began to petition, urging His Majesty The Emperor to reconsider carefully.


    It was at this point that Zhao Kai realized that, somewhat inexplicably, Prince Zhao Yu had become tied to the Dahua Empire¡¯s policies toward Tang.


    The mere thought that any minor incident involving Zhao Yu could lead court officials to speculate about policies toward Tang Country was frustrating for Zhao Kai.


    Because if Zhao Kai wanted to live a peaceful day and keep the loudmouths in court quiet, he would have to exercise restraint in handling the situation with Zhao Yu.


    Crown Prince Zhao Ji was naturally unable to hide the court¡¯s reaction and now felt genuine fear: if he lost the support of the court officials, how long could he sit as Crown Prince?


    Relying solely on his father¡¯s trust was relatively too risky. Should things turn sour, his father might also compromise, leaving him deposed and with nothing to do but await death.


    For self-preservation, Zhao Ji was forced to visit several supporting Ministers, covertly revealing some of his own stances: actually, he said, as Crown Prince, I¡¯m very supportive of friendly relations with Tang Country... There¡¯s completely no need for you to support Zhao Yu, supporting me would yield the same...


    Alas, this time, the Dahua Empire¡¯s dismally blind and deaf intelligence agency suddenly became clear-sighted and keen¡ªafter all, some people were funded, while others truly had no money to give.


    On the day after Zhao Ji met with his confidant, the loyal intelligence agency of the Dahua Empire submitted a detailed report to Zhao Kai, recounting the entire blustering process of Zhao Ji to His Majesty The Emperor.


    At this very moment, Zhao Kai felt as disgusted as if he had swallowed a fly. He was extremely disappointed in his two sons but couldn¡¯t find a suitable replacement for them at the time.


    After all, his other sons were either too foolish or too young, and currently, they were not presentable. However, only he knew that at this moment he indeed entertained certain thoughts, and once such thoughts arose, they became difficult to erase.


    They were like thorns embedded in the flesh, causing pain at certain moments and sudden discomfort.


    ...


    Tang Country continued to develop at a high speed, laying more expressways and building more secure underground cable systems.


    These projects were carried out regardless of the costs, with countless goblins and orcs shedding their blood for the enduring projects of the Tang Empire.


    It is no exaggeration, according to official statistics of the Great Tang Empire: within one year, approximately 10,000 orcs died in the Great Tang, and at the same time, 110,000 goblins died on the land of Tang Country.


    So many lives were lost just for the sake of connecting the north to the south, and east to the west with an efficient pipeline system that bordered on exaggeration within the Great Tang Empire.


    The entire project laid a massive network of pipelines along highways and railways to ensure most of the electrical wires and future optic fibers and other facilities were safely buried underground.


    Besides these expensive underground pipelines, the Great Tang Empire also built a large number of power plants and constructed water treatment plants in every town or populous area.


    Every city was constructing water supply and drainage systems, and cities with a population exceeding 50,000 had to build hospitals and allocate medical teams of over 20 members for consultation.


    Thanks to the existence of the Great Tang Group, Tang Country¡¯s supply of medications was absolutely the most abundant in the world. A large amount of medication was produced and transported to various cities, saving hundreds and thousands of lives.


    This massive social welfare system, previously unimaginable, supported Tang Country¡¯s rapid development and made it unstoppable.


    Not surprisingly, the average life expectancy in Tang Country was increasing, and those over sixty years old, who had become rare in other countries, were now quite common in Tang Country.


    It was a very simple cause and effect; if social welfare could not improve the average lifespan, that would be astounding.


    But this did not mean the population structure of Tang Country was changing, it was merely a pure increase in population¡ªthe number of newborns in Tang Country was growing at an alarming rate.


    Everyone considered living in the blissful Great Tang Empire to be fortunate, so they hoped their descendants could enjoy all of this.


    Compared to hospitals, the number of schools was truly astonishing. The Great Tang Empire built countless primary and secondary schools and set up various colleges and universities in densely populated areas.


    The royal family directly supported more than ten higher education institutions, and ninety percent of the world¡¯s scientists were serving the Tang Empire.


    The vast majority of these scientists were educated within the Tang Empire, trained by the various colleges and universities of Tang.


    The remaining few came from all over the world, attracted by the experimental environments that the Tang Empire could offer, the corresponding experimental data it could provide, and the experimental equipment they desired to create.


    Like Lighthouse Country in bygone years, which attracted talent from all over the world, this place provided the most generous living conditions, the most enviable welfare benefits, the most cutting-edge experimental teams, the most efficient experimental bases, and the most satisfactory experimental results.


    What was most appealing was that there was an experienced, clear-minded, and greatest mentor here¡ªhe was the guiding light for all scientific and technological personnel and a deity in their eyes.


    Yes, the presence of Tang Mo was the main reason these scientists flocked to Tang Country, willing to dedicate their lives to service there.


    Nowhere else could one find such a mentor who could give you direction when lost or provide all the support you needed when helpless.


    Indeed, all sorts of support: if you lacked inspiration, Tang Mo would provide it; if you lacked funding, Tang Mo could offer virtually limitless funds.


    If you encountered a challenge for which even the experimental equipment of Tang Country was insufficient, you would not find a better alternative anywhere else in the world.


    A similar saying was popular in many places: If you¡¯re looking for a job, you can go anywhere; if you want to be an engineer, then go to the Great Tang.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Today¡¯s jet lag has set in, Dragon Spirit is going to sleep for a while, the rest of the updates will be written in the morning, so don¡¯t wait up.

 Chapter 921 921 Type 844 Main Battle Tank

    ?Chapter 921: Type 844 Main Battle Tank Chapter 921: Type 844 Main Battle Tank To be frank, the Panther Tank was not the best World War II tank, as it had many drawbacks and was no more famous than its contemporaries.


    In terms of fame, the Tiger Tank was clearly superior; in terms of overall performance, it didn¡¯t have a significant advantage over the Sherman or T-34 tanks.


    On paper, its performance was slightly better than that of the Sherman and T-34 tanks, but the marginal improvement was entirely offset by its complex manufacturing and costly price.


    In fact, it was chosen as Tang Country¡¯s main battle tank because of its balanced performance and comparatively strong armor protection.


    Tang Mo placed great importance on the safety of the personnel in the Armored Corps of Tang Country, preferring to lay the problems at the feet of the tank manufacturers and the logistic maintenance troops rather than sending his ace crews to the front line only to be sacrificed in vain.


    Thus, the Panther Tank became the main battle tank of Tang Country, turning into a sharp blade in the hands of the Armored Corps during moments of acute external conflicts.


    Now, however, the war had ended, and Tang Country had more time to perfect its weaponry, so many of the shortcomings of the Panther Tank were singled out and included in the list of improvements to be made.


    ...


    Among the most complained about by soldiers was the Panther Tank¡¯s complex running gear. It was quite troublesome to repair when it malfunctioned at the front line, significantly affecting the efficiency of the Armored Corps in deploying forces.


    This feedback clearly showed how a weapon¡¯s flaws were communicated to the leadership: if only the soldiers complained, the issue was unlikely to be resolved.


    Only when the middle-level commanders felt that such a weapon affected combat efficiency would the problem be rectified¡ªthis approach to resolution seems to be universal among countries.


    The dual-row running gear was more prone to failure, and at the same time, the engine¡¯s connecting shaft inside the vehicle¡¯s body also caused the Panther Tank¡¯s body to be abnormally tall, prompting the research and development department to be determined to produce a completely new tank chassis to eliminate all troubles once and for all.


    Even though most Panther Tanks were fitted with diesel engines, this was only a temporary improvement. The new Tang Country tank chassis had to be confirmed from the outset to use diesel engines.


    Simultaneously, the Panther Tank¡¯s turret began to show many problems, gradually becoming ill-suited to the demands of new combat environments.


    The issues were focused on the tank¡¯s turret front shield, which significantly impaired the gun¡¯s elevation and depression speed, increasingly becoming a fatal flaw as technology advanced.


    Although the overall gun shield ensured the protection of the turret¡¯s front, the increasingly thick gun shield evidently overwhelmed the gun¡¯s elevation mechanism.


    Having to move an entire chunk of the turret front armor up and down was too much for the elevation mechanism, which also started to restrict the thickness of the tank¡¯s frontal armor.


    To use thicker armor, it was clear that the outdated design of an integral gun shield had to be abandoned in favor of bolstering the turret¡¯s front protection.


    Another reason for dispensing with the heavy gun shield was the arrival of new gun-aiming technologies: Great Tang Group had been continually testing their gun stabilization systems, a mechanical stabilization device that could significantly improve the tank gun¡¯s aiming efficiency.


    This thing was essentially a primitive form of a two-axis gun stabilizer, capable of notably reducing aiming time, and even foreseeably allowing firing on the move in the near future.


    With such a device, coupled with night vision devices and ballistic computers, tank technology could truly evolve generations ahead, thoroughly leaving other empires¡¯ tanks in the dust.


    To implement these new technologies, the entire turret also had to be redesigned. Tang Country¡¯s Panther Tank, which had shone brightly in the Dahua Empire war, now faced the fate of being completely phased out.


    Who would have thought that the advanced tank that other countries aspired to but could not obtain, Tang Empire was already contemplating its comprehensive retirement?


    In its place, the new tank adopted a revolutionary design: a hemispherical turret, five pairs of road wheels... the most familiar and legendary generation of tanks to Tang Mo.


    Yes, the retired Model 59, which remained robust after half a century of service, was endearingly nostalgic¡ªthe Model 59!


    Huaxia produced over 10,000 Model 59 main battle tanks, making it a truly legendary generation of tanks.


    In every respect, the Model 59 main battle tank could be said to be flawless: at that time, it perfectly balanced various performance indicators of a tank, and could be considered a work of art.


    Its prototype was the Soviet T54 medium tank, a design concept proven time and again through World War II, unquestionably correct, and a core part of the Soviet steel torrent of the time.


    Tang Mo did not plan to directly use the Type 59, because it also had its own weaknesses and shortcomings.


    Compared to the Panther Tank, the T-54 had really terrible ergonomics in its design and its low profile was not as comfortable as that of the Panther Tank.


    Its running gear comfort could almost be described as rudimentary, with hardly any consideration given to it ¨C this tank was designed purely for expendability.


    But Tang Mo knew, or rather he had access to schematics of Western tanks that were extremely poor on this technical level: around the 1950s, the design of Western nations¡¯ tanks were essentially unrestrained, with hardly any worthy of mention.


    By contrast, the Type 59 main battle tank appeared much more superior, it was just rough in workmanship due to Soviet industrial influence, making it less comfortable for the crew.


    Thus, Tang Mo made a series of improvements to this tank: first, he introduced a more advanced and powerful main gun, using a 105mm caliber for Tang Country¡¯s new main battle tanks.


    Additionally, Tang Mo installed a fume extraction system on this main gun, which significantly improved the combat comfort inside the tank for the crew.


    The new tank increased the height of the hull slightly to enhance comfort, improve internal space, and allow the crew to fight within the tank for longer periods of time.


    At the same time, such improvements also increased the weight of the tank, so the tracks were slightly widened as well.


    The completely redesigned tank hull increased the weight, but approximately 38 tons did not severely impact the tank¡¯s primary combat performance.


    The frontal armor thickness of the new tank¡¯s hull was still an impressive 120 millimeters, with equally formidable 80-millimeter armor on both sides of the hull.


    The frontal armor of the turret was even more exaggerated, at a full 200 millimeters, offering protection comparable to that of the Tiger Tank.


    Inheriting the exaggerated reliability of the Type 59 series, the new tank had a lower failure rate than the Panther Tank and was relatively easier to repair.


    The low profile of the Type 59 tank made it lighter than the Panther Tank, even after all-around strengthened protection. Therefore, even with only 520 horsepower from its diesel engine, its speed was still comparable to that of the Panther Tank.


    The advantage of the diesel engine was its high torque, making the new tank¡¯s maneuverability theoretically no worse than the Panther Tank. With additional fuel tanks, the Type 59 tank could achieve a maximum range close to 500 kilometers, more than double that of the Panther Tank.


    However, the new tank had a gun stabilizer for both elevation and traverse, a rangefinder, and could be fitted with infrared night vision devices, allowing for night-time combat operations.


    Another significant progress was that due to the maturing radio communications systems, the Tang Army officially decided to abolish the dedicated role of the electromechanical operator on tanks, reducing the crew size to four.


    This reduction could decrease the personnel numbers in the Armored Corps, allowing the formation of more Armored Divisions with fewer people. The discharged radio operators, who all had a certain level of education and most with combat experience, could immediately form new armored units.


    Because the electromechanical operator was abolished, the hull machine gun was also removed ¨C this further improved the frontal armor protection of the hull and provided an increase in defensive capabilities.


    Although it may not seem like a significant upgrade, the improvements in protective levels would further safeguard the members of Tang Country¡¯s tanks. And the all-new tank design also made it possible to add new equipment later on.


    These unseen changes in design philosophy were the real progression: Tang Country¡¯s tanks were gradually breaking away from WWII influences and moving toward Cold War-era tank design philosophies.


    Soon, more advanced ballistic calculators, crosswind sensors, laser rangefinders... would all be incorporated into the tanks, truly leaving competitors behind and establishing an absolute technological barrier.


    It was even more gratifying that Tang Country¡¯s tanks simplified complexity and returned to a path that allowed large-scale mass production: although the Panther Tank was excellent, the Type 59 was clearly more logistical friendly.


    After starting the manufacture of the Type 59 main battle tank¡¯s chassis, the tank factory in Tongcheng immediately fell in love with this brand-new tank chassis.


    Compared to the Panther Tank¡¯s dual-row road wheel design, the Type 59 tank¡¯s five-pair road wheel configuration was refreshingly straightforward. Every time the workers at the tank factory saw the new tank¡¯s road wheels, intentionally designed with cutouts to reduce weight, they felt comfortable.


    The few logistics troops who had seen the new tanks also breathed a sigh of relief. The nightmare of the Panther Tanks was finally over, and they had less work on their hands: other than shouting long live His Majesty The Emperor, they could not think of any other way to express their inner joy.


    The brand-new tank had not yet been equipped with troops on a large scale and was still in the experimental testing phase. However, the production of Panther Tanks was already drastically decreasing, which was quite telling.


    If nothing went wrong, the future main battle tank for the Armored Corps of the Great Tang Empire was almost certainly finalized as the model that had long haunted the dreams of His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang... the Type 59 main battle tank.

 Chapter 922 922 845 Sixth Master

    ?Chapter 922: 845 Sixth Master Chapter 922: 845 Sixth Master Do you really think a seafood seller gets rich off lobster and king crab? No, the bestsellers throughout the year are actually prawns and a few kinds of fish.


    Those seemingly precious seafood items, costing hundreds per pound, scare people, but their yearly profits don¡¯t even match the small change from selling fish.


    In a previous life as an arms dealer, Tang Mo¡¯s favorite weapons weren¡¯t the Patriot anti-air missiles, not submarines, not the Milbes radar... but AK47s and T-54 tanks.


    Just like the Interpol agent in ¡°Lord of War¡± said, ballistic missiles are still on the launch racks; it¡¯s the assault rifles and rocket launchers that do the killing...


    So Tang Mo¡¯s attachment to the T-54, or Type 59 tanks, was really beyond words. When he saw that round turret and the familiar sets of five wheels, tears just couldn¡¯t stop swirling in his eyes.


    Before the Soviet Union¡¯s collapse, he sold many T-54 tanks, sometimes even as scrap metal, cheap and with excellent performance; all customers were satisfied. Those who couldn¡¯t afford high-end products, certain fronts, alliances... the longer the name, the poorer the military dictators, rebels, drug lords, and generals, all liked them...


    But merely by touching the Type 59 tank, a model all too familiar to him, Tang Mo felt a happiness that this world was becoming more and more real.


    ...


    This place was getting more and more like the world fresh in his memory, and Tang Mo knew that this world would increasingly resemble the one he knew!


    The Type 59 main battle tank was not the end but merely a beginning. Soon, many... many things familiar to Tang Mo would appear in Tang Country, and they would appear more quickly.


    That¡¯s just how technology is; with a solid foundation, the faster the development proceeds. Some things simply naturally follow, only lacking a spark of inspiration.


    But with Tang Mo around, what Great Tang Group did not lack were those sparks: he found a use for everything and made the most of all experimental results.


    Having acquired the world¡¯s first computer, Tang Country gained an edge in many fields. With computer support, development speed could only increase.


    In just one year after the war, Tang Country not only debuted the Type 59 main battle tank but also introduced deadly weapons like jet fighters.


    In fact, around the same time as the Type 59, the MiG-15 wasn¡¯t really high-tech either; the originator of the operational jet fighter was Germany Three¡¯s ME-262.


    But that antique was merely average in performance, primitive compared to the renowned MiG-15.


    The twin-engine design with engines hanging under the wings was a compromise due to inadequate engine safety, not the best solution.


    Indeed, the ME-262 shone later on in commercial jets, but it wasn¡¯t quite suitable for fighters.


    The truly mature jet fighters were notably the MiG-15 and F-86 Sabre.


    As for the postwar British jet fighters, most were fleeting; their overall performance was average, with nothing particularly favored by Tang Mo.


    France, however, stood out on its own, but the niche products from Dassault Aviation were not quite to Tang Mo¡¯s taste.


    Among the first generation of jet fighters, Tang Mo, influenced by personal sentiment, preferred the MiG series; they were once the guardians of Huaxia and accompanied the growth of the young Huaxia Air Force.


    However, the MiG-15 was still immature, a rushed product still in development, the revised version with improved safety was actually the later model of the MiG-15.


    Therefore, the latest jet fighter of Tang Country was ultimately designated by Tang Mo as the renowned J-6.


    With Tang Country¡¯s technological accumulation and industrial strength, Tang Mo didn¡¯t waste time on the MiG-15 and the J-5.


    He went straight for the design blueprints of the J-6, effectively granting Tang Country the ability for all-weather operations.


    Although Tang Nation Air Force was still restricted by adverse weather, at night, their future jet fighters could take off for combat.


    Moreover, the J-6 could carry close-range air-to-air combat missiles, while early combat missiles lacked precision, this was still a significant trump card for the Tang Nation Air Force¡¯s future.


    For a moment, the J-6 paired with the Type 59, along with the Type 56 assault rifle, imbued Tang Country with a taste of the authentic Huaxia from otherworld.


    Gradually, with technological growth and advancement, Tang Country began to step out of the shadow of Germany Three and hurried toward the Rabbit.


    In fact, the Rabbit¡¯s military equipment wasn¡¯t bad at all; they were only about 20 years late in the early days. Even early on, they weren¡¯t that far behind.


    Consider that when Lighthouse Country started equipping the F-4 Phantom Fighter, Huaxia Rabbit actually had the J-7 available, not lagging much. It¡¯s just that they later focused solely on economic growth, allowing military equipment development to fall behind.


    After crossing over, Tang Mo didn¡¯t feel the enormous pressure from the United States as a precursor when it came to deploying Huaxia¡¯s weaponry and equipment.


    When Tang Mo brought out the J-6, his opponents were not the pilot-operated rockets like the F-104 but competitors who didn¡¯t even have the ME-109 fighter.


    Frankly speaking, it would have been more than enough to use the Butcher bird FW-190 fighter against them. Bringing out the J-6 really was like using a cleaver to kill a chicken.


    By the time these countries caught up to the level of the F-86 Sabre, it was estimated that Tang Mo¡¯s J-11 fighter jets would already be filling the skies, so he didn¡¯t need to chase after American equipment like the F-16.


    The strength of American equipment was due to the system it benefited from, the dividends paid by electronic technology, and a series of false battle results based on bullying the weaker side.


    If the roles were reversed, letting the F-4 and F-16 fight against the J-11 and J-16 without electronic jamming and early warning command, the myth of American equipment would probably be shattered in an instant.


    After all, Tang Mo was definitely the first in this world to bring out and use this system. His opponents simply could not outpace him as a prophet.


    By then, Tang Country¡¯s Air Force J-11s, with the command of early warning aircraft, slaughtering other nations¡¯ junk like the F-104 and F-4, would be just as effective as using the F-16 and F-15.


    Another advantage of the J-6 was its status as a mature jet fighter capable of supersonic speeds.


    This established the speed advantage of jet fighters, completely surpassing the old propeller-driven fighters and becoming the real rulers of future skies.


    Of course, this new type of fighter was still under experimentation and even many Air Force pilots were unaware of the existence of these new aircraft.


    After all, Tang Mo was not in a hurry. His opponents were too slow, leaving no sense of urgency for his weapons and equipment.


    Two months ago, the main nations of the Western Continent had just entered the era of metal monoplanes as the most advanced fighters at the frontline.


    After such a long time of catching up, they had just started to understand technologies like ¡°enclosed cockpits,¡± ¡°retractable landing gear,¡± and ¡°high-power long-range radio communication.¡±


    This was actually very rapid progress; many countries had copied these technologies from the civil airliners sold by Tang Country, which had already collected the relevant fees when selling these technologies.


    After mastering these technologies, the Air Forces of these countries looked a bit more like something in Tang Mo¡¯s eyes¡ªat least, their planes could now pose a slight threat to Tang Country¡¯s Butcher fighters.


    Additionally, as these countries improved their fighter jet capabilities, they also incidentally boosted the performance of their bombers.


    Design was not their forte, but they could at least imitate; although they couldn¡¯t produce strategic bombers as sophisticated as the Flying Fortress, the nations still tried their best to make their bombers appear more formidable.


    Exposed cockpits and self-defense machine guns were moved inside the fuselage, giving the bombers of various nations a somewhat modern look.


    Although they were still significantly behind Tang¡¯s bombers in terms of range and speed, at least they achieved ¡°simulation¡± in appearance.


    In this year, everyone was busy phasing out biplanes, but because they had built so many, it was taking quite some time to completely eliminate them.


    Similarly, during this year, countries were making all efforts to produce better tanks: after acquiring radio technology, they finally understood why Tang Country¡¯s Armored Corps were so strong!


    The gap in tank performance wasn¡¯t actually huge; what other countries lacked was the key technology that allowed tanks to coordinate with one another.


    Now with small radio devices, all countries began to install them in their tanks, frantically enhancing their own tanks¡¯ joint-operational capabilities.


    This indeed increased the combat effectiveness of their Armored Corps, allowing them to start approaching the standards of Tang Country on a tactical level.


    In addition, to counter the threat of the Panther Tank, other countries also successively launched their new-type tanks¡ªlike many countries in World War II history, they went further and further down the road of heavy tanks.


    The expensive radio equipment and cannons led countries to prefer equipping tanks with thicker armor. Lackluster engines and transmission systems restricted the mobility of these heavy tanks to the extreme.


    The new-style tanks released by various nations generally had a top speed of around 20 kilometers per hour, and the reliability of the power systems was particularly touching.


    However, at least on paper, the new tanks unveiled by these countries roughly caught up with the Panther Tank in terms of armor protection and cannon performance.


    Therefore, in future battlefields, Tang Country¡¯s Armored Troops had to be extremely careful when dealing with these tanks because their opponents were no longer incompetent; they had the capability to bite back fiercely.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    I¡¯ll write tonight¡¯s update together with tomorrow¡¯s during the day... My daily routine is completely messed up, sigh...

 Chapter 923 923 846 Lucky Day

    ?Chapter 923: 846 Lucky Day Chapter 923: 846 Lucky Day A biplane circled lightly over the battlefield, and the Soldiers of Qin Country below were growing restless. They looked up and couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°Damn, where did the Beastmen get an airplane?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking, it¡¯s those damn merchants! They¡¯ll sell anything for money!¡± Another soldier from Chu Country cursed from inside the trench.


    They could never have known that it was their Commander who had tacitly allowed the Beastmen tribes to acquire military equipment, all to secure more supplies and aid from Tang Country.


    Just a few days ago, Qin Country had signed a cooperation memorandum with Tang Country. Tang Country would invest in building a newer and longer railway in Qin Country.


    With this memorandum, it became possible for Qin Country to construct a railway line that crossed from east to west and join the immense economic zone of Qin-Dahua-Tang.


    Soon, Qin Country would visibly begin to prosper, able to quickly establish its own industry and complete its industrial revolution.


    To achieve this grand and ambitious goal, let alone sacrificing some soldiers on the western border, even risking the lives of a hundred thousand elite Qin Troops was deemed worthwhile.


    ...


    After all, the situation was such that a thousand soldiers were easy to procure, but a set of machine tool equipment was not easily purchased... And to arm a thousand troops, such machine tool equipment was needed.


    Moreover, King Ying Duo of Qin Country and his generals were actually planning an even bigger scheme. In Qin Country¡¯s view, this plan was more tempting than attacking the Beastmen to the west.


    Yes, after a series of changes, Qin Country had a bold idea: if they could manage to squeeze Dahua Empire from both east and west, wouldn¡¯t they be able to save a hefty toll fee?


    At that time, Qin Country¡¯s oil and other resources could be freely traded to the Great Tang Empire in exchange for technology, occupying a lot of fertile territories, which would be much better than the wild mountains and ridges of the Beastmen¡¯s lands.


    What worried the high officials of Qin Country were two things: the first was the attitude of the Great Tang Empire, whether Emperor Tang Mo still harbored ambitions of expanding his territory. The second was how Qin Country would get along with the Great Tang Empire after carving up Dahua Empire.


    King Qin Duo of Qin Country was not a mediocre monarch; he was very astute. He worried that once Dahua Empire was annihilated, and Qin Country bordered Tang Country directly, they would have to face the direct pressure from the Great Tang Empire.


    Everyone now knew that the Great Tang Empire was extremely strong. Under such circumstances, dividing the weak Dahua Empire with the Great Tang Empire seemed to be a risky proposition.


    Once the appetite of the Great Tang Empire was whetted, who in the entire Eastern Continent could then stop the iron cavalry of the Great Tang Empire?


    Thus, while actively planning an eastward strategic move to carve up Dahua Empire, Qin Country was also studying an alternative plan.


    This alternative plan was to continue expanding westward, fostering self-reliance among the Beastmen, and obtaining more technical assistance from Tang Country to enhance their national strength.


    East and west progress simultaneously¡ªthis was now the national policy of Qin Country, hedging bets on both sides to garner benefits.


    Soon, Qin Country¡¯s Fighter Jets appeared in the sky. The Fighter Jets provided by Tang Country to Qin Country were a model of army fighters from the United States, pre-World War II, designated P-36.


    Actually, the performance of these airplanes was quite remarkable which was why discerning Qin Country favored them. Initially, Qin Country had requested the Tang Army¡¯s current Butcher Fighter Jets, but the final deal fell through due to pricing issues, forcing Qin Country to settle for the cheaper P-36.


    As a flagship product of Tang Country¡¯s new generation of Fighter Jets, the performance of the P-36 was truly impeccable. It was more powerful than most self-developed Fighter Jets from other countries and possessed many new technologies.


    Moreover, this Fighter Jet boasted considerable firepower, equipped with a 12.7 mm caliber machine gun and a 7.62 mm caliber machine gun.


    This was the weapon configuration of the P-36 mass-produced by Tang Country for Qin Country, and the design Tang Country had provided added four 7.62 mm caliber machine guns mounted on the wings for enhanced firepower.


    The newly-formed Tang Nation Air Force greatly favored this type of Fighter Jet, promptly ordering 300 units. They also introduced the aircraft production line in hopes of producing some on their own.


    They then received generous production permission from Tang Country, allowing Qin Country to manufacture 1,000 units on its own. This greatly satisfied Qin Country and positioned the Tang Nation Air Force at the forefront of the world¡¯s air forces from its inception.


    It is important to note that when Tang Country delivered the first 12 P-36 Fighter Jets (which Qin Country named Gale Fighter Type 1) to Qin Country, there was almost no other country in the world equipped with Fighter Jets of this caliber.


    Aside from the 30 Butcher Fighter Jets Tang Country provided to the lapdog Chu Country,qv these Gale Fighters were likely the best Fighter Jets in the world at that time.


    Unlike the Gale Fighters produced by Tang Country for the Qin Army, which were fitted with two machine guns of different calibers in the nose, the locally produced fire-power-enhanced version would be named the Gale 2. In subsequent production, the Gale 2 would also feature a pressurized cockpit, making its performance even more advanced.


    ¡°Humming...¡± In the sky, the Gale 1 Fighter that heard the news rushed at high speed toward a group of Beastmen fighters flying chaotically above the Qin Army.


    It was an early model Shireck 1, very slow. Upon detecting the Qin Army¡¯s aircraft, it started to lower its altitude.


    For an old model to shake off a modern fighter jet, dropping altitude to stay close to the ground was a decent strategy. It not only neutralized the opponent¡¯s speed advantage but also made the opponent wary of ground anti-aircraft fire and hesitant to crash recklessly.


    The Qin fighter pilot had no intention of letting this accomplishment slip away; the Gale 1 dived rapidly and opened fire from a long distance.


    Clearly, the Qin fighter pilot was wary of the ground anti-aircraft fire. He decided to try his luck first and see if he could shoot down the opponent from a long distance.


    The bi-winged Shireck 1 began to dodge the bullets that trailed behind it, and because it was slow, it was quite agile.


    As the distance between the two aircraft continued to close, the eager Qin pilot was ready to take risks. He did not want to miss this excellent opportunity to shoot down the enemy aircraft and earn his accolade.


    Qin¡¯s combat prowess and eagerness for battle were world-renowned, and the Qin military¡¯s merit system was strict¡ªsoldiers¡¯ promotions required tangible accomplishments, so their desire for merit was stronger than in any other country.


    The roaring of the engine drew the attention of almost everyone on the ground. On the western wall, the sight of dogfights was rarely seen. This area was poor, backward, desolate, barbaric, and vast skies had never witnessed such fierce combat.


    The Shireck 1 that was flying close to the ground suddenly pulled up, attempting to turn around and face the battle. Seeing the Qin fighter getting closer, it had no room to dodge anymore.


    The Qin fighter pilot was waiting for just this opportunity; he too adjusted his nose, aiming his machine guns at the trajectory of the turning target.


    ¡°Ratatatatata!¡± A dense spray of tracer bullets fired out, and the turning Beastmen plane collided with the dense bullets, immediately beginning to emit thick smoke.


    It trailed a long tail, sliding along the ground as if it might crash at any moment. Having landed a successful hit, the Qin pilot immediately pulled up, keeping to a relatively safe altitude.


    There really wasn¡¯t much to be proud of in shooting down such an opponent¡ªa time difference in aircraft models. Moreover, those capable of flying a Gale 1 in battle for Qin had all been formally trained in Tang¡¯s aviation schools.


    They were all ¡°professionally trained,¡± very familiar with the theory of flying, so long as they weren¡¯t challenging their own instructors or fighting against those elite Tang pilots whose aircraft were painted with silhouettes of enemy fighters, their combat effectiveness was assured.


    Clearly, the Beastmen pilot had not undergone such training; they likely had not seriously learned how to maneuver an aircraft in combat, and their thinking was straightforward. If they could turn the tables on their opponents in such a scenario, it would truly be a miracle.


    Behind the Beastmen line, there wasn¡¯t much in the way of anti-aircraft guns¡ªthey hadn¡¯t even finished replacing their Shireck rifles, let alone worry about air defense.


    This was when the Qin¡¯s advancement showed: having witnessed the terror of Tang¡¯s Air Force, the Qin troops immediately developed an awareness of air defense.


    Even without enough money to equip with sufficient anti-aircraft guns, the Qin Army really put effort into areas like camouflage nets¡ªexperiences paid for with the lives of their predecessors.


    In contrast, the Beastmen, having not suffered from air strikes, virtually had no concept of air defense, with most of their troops not even knowing how to disperse and hide.


    If Qin had as many bombers as the Tang Army at this time, a single sortie could have achieved brilliant results.


    Unfortunately, although the Beastmen¡¯s air defense knowledge was nonexistent, Qin also truly lacked bombers to exploit this¡ªboth sides were on par in that regard.


    ¡°Beautiful!¡± Watching their own aircraft strike down the previously arrogant Beastmen plane in the sky like a swimming dragon, the Qin soldiers on the ground cheered.


    ¡°Well done!¡± Other Qin soldiers extended their arms, excitedly cheering for their Air Force.


    As if hearing the cheers of the friendly forces on the ground, the Gale 1 lowered its altitude and swept over their own lines, the roaring of its engine thunderous, exciting the cheering Qin soldiers even more.


    Overlooking the crowd of friendly forces waving their arms below, the Qin pilot felt even better inside the tight cockpit of his fighter: today was indeed his lucky day.

 Chapter 924 924 The outmoded chassis 847

    ?Chapter 924: The outmoded chassis #847 Chapter 924: The outmoded chassis #847 The cheers continued until an Orc¡¯s 130mm caliber howitzer shell fell, stirring up a cloud of gravel and finally subsiding.


    The brief excitement made Qin Army soldiers forget they were still on the battlefield¡ªnow, the Orcish artillery fire reminded them, making them aware of the imminent danger.


    Lately, the Qin Army and the Orcs had both replaced a lot of their gear with better stuff, with the combat power of both sides alternately rising, which was unnerving to witness.


    The Shireck Consortium sold the Orcs quite a few 130mm caliber howitzers: these cannons were old models discarded by other countries, with their production lines repurposed for waste, and then sold directly to the Orcs.


    At the same time, outdated Maxim heavy machine guns discarded by various countries, numerous untraceable Shireck Model 1 bolt-action rifles, and 70mm caliber mountain guns all made their way en masse into Orcish troops.


    With some investigation, it was easy to ascertain that countless rifles, bullets, shells, and guns¡ªeven tents, gauze, underwear, and socks¡ªlanded in Nanshan Port in the southern part of Chu Country, crossed through Chu and Shu Countries, and were delivered to the Orcs.


    Unfortunately, Qin Country¡¯s information department, while generally diligent, had always been silent on this matter. They never investigated Nanshan Port in Chu Country, acting as if nothing had ever happened there.


    ...


    From this smuggling route, the Orcs obtained the various weapons and equipment they desperately needed: if not for the strong support of the Shireck Consortium, they might still be using flintlock guns and muzzle-loading cannons.


    In just one year, the Orcs got their hands on bolt-action rifles and modern artillery they had never even dreamt of before and even purchased the incredibly powerful Maxim heavy machine guns.


    With new weaponry, at least the Orc frontline troops reinforced their strength and began learning how to dig trenches and build defenses, rapidly enhancing their combat capabilities.


    The Orcs even formed their own air force, hiring some human pilots as instructors to learn how to fly aircraft.


    Shireck sold all their unsaleable biplanes to the Orcs, a deal that brought in a staggering amount of wealth for Shireck.


    That is why Orcish aircraft appeared near the western wall defense line and engaged in aerial combat with the Qin Country Air Force.


    Having their own aircraft, the Orcs also began to learn aerial reconnaissance, making it much harder for Qin Country to launch surprise attacks.


    After tasting success, the Orcs were actively seeking sellers of bombers, and once they succeeded in purchasing them, the air battles near the western wall would be even bloodier and more brutal.


    Of course, Qin soldiers also got what they wanted: Tang Country¡¯s Thompson submachine guns, plenty of ammunition, and various standard Tang Army weapons and equipment.


    For instance, 75mm caliber infantry cannons, 105mm caliber howitzers, and even 155mm caliber towed howitzers.


    Even more incredibly, to recoup some of the costs, Tang Country sold the self-propelled howitzers modified from Panzer II chassis to Qin Country. These outdated armaments were no longer useful for the Tang Army, as keeping them would have been a burden for logistics.


    The chassis of the Panzer II was actually completely obsolete, as the Tang Army now had the superior and comprehensive M113 armored personnel carrier chassis and the also outdated Panzer IV chassis, effectively rendering the small Panzer II redundant.


    But in the hands of the Qin Army, these modified self-propelled howitzers were a different story; they were in dire need of such equipment to gain experience in using self-propelled artillery.


    New weapons brought new concepts, and without hands-on experimentation to accumulate experience, the critical elements would remain unknown, making it impossible to master the techniques accurately.


    While the Tang Army had Tang Mo as a beacon of guidance, the Qin Army did not¡ªthey had to experiment themselves or learn from military advisors from Tang Country.


    Hiring military consultants from the Tang Army cost money, and they might not be willing to teach all their most guarded tactics, so the Qin Army thought it better to explore on their own.


    Of course, apart from dumping such outdated junk, the Tang Army also provided Qin Army with some genuinely good stuff.


    Take the M113 armored personnel carrier, for example: before the Orcs could buy tanks, these armored vehicles were enough to provide Qin Army with protective armor and establish a substantial armored advantage.


    If the Qin Army needed, Tang Mo could also provide second-hand Panzer IV tanks¡ªthese short-barreled 75mm cannon-equipped tanks were sometimes very effective.


    Even though they were actually outdated, many were still willing to pay for them because of the Tang Army¡¯s unstoppably victorious reputation.


    The Tang Army was gradually phasing out their Panzer IV tanks; they truly couldn¡¯t be used any longer.


    In terms of protection, these early WWII tanks with openings on all four sides and doors everywhere simply couldn¡¯t meet the armor requirements of the Tang Army¡¯s Armored Corps. They were incapable of siege warfare or combating enemy tanks.


    Speaking of firepower, the Tang Army was extensively equipped with the Type 4 Tanks, all of which utilized short-barreled 75mm caliber low-pressure guns. Not only did they lack sufficient armor-piercing capabilities, but the upgrade path was also anything but smooth. The long-barreled 75mm guns were even looked down upon by the Tang Army.


    In addition to mediocre power, the Type 4 Tanks had now become completely obsolete, unloved, and pitied by no one.


    After the Panther Tanks began to enter service, a large number of Type 4 Tank chassis were converted into assault guns and self-propelled artillery. In fact, various Armored Corps were making do by utilizing Type 4 Tanks as ad hoc assault guns.


    Those Type 4 Tanks discarded by the Tank units were either directly handed over to the Infantry to fill the gaps for Type 4 assault guns or repurposed as training vehicles in newly established second-line Armored Corps.


    Despite not being completely phased out, there really was no need to further develop or upgrade the Type 4 Tanks.


    These machines were never advanced to begin with, and with technological advancements in other countries, their performance no longer allowed the Tang Army to maintain its technological edge.


    In their place was the mass-production-ready Type 59 Main Battle Tank, this new medium or rather, main battle tank, would completely replace the Panther Tanks and Type 4 Tanks in the future.


    The only issue was that the Type 59 Main Battle Tank had very limited room for modification; it couldn¡¯t be developed into self-propelled artillery nor converted into assault guns.


    Yet, assault guns and self-propelled artillery were still crucially important to the Tang Army and weren¡¯t easily dispensable types of equipment.


    In the Soviet-style weapon lineup, the role of the assault gun was divided between the Infantry fighting vehicle and the Tank, which is one of the reasons why the underpowered BMP-1 Infantry fighting vehicle was forcibly equipped with a low-pressure 100mm cannon.


    Thus, Soviet-style Infantry fighting vehicles generally appeared mighty, almost giving off the illusion that they could go head to head with Tanks.


    Western armored troop carriers were designed to replace the ¡°half-track vehicles,¡± and they tended to delegate the role of assault guns to tank bombers and artillery.


    The differing substitution strategies led to completely different focal points in armaments. They could not, however, actually replace the true assault guns designed for breaching defenses.


    With technological advancement, assault guns would indeed be replaced by these new armaments, but their existence was still meaningful for the current Tang Army.


    The most critical issue was that the Tang Army was equipped with too many Type 4 assault guns and Type 4 self-propelled artillery to replace such old equipment at the drop of a hat.


    Using Panther Tank chassis to replace the Type 4 was downright laughable, and the upcoming Type 59 Tank chassis was also unsuitable.


    This led to a very serious problem: the Tang Army lacked a chassis to develop new-style self-propelled howitzers...


    They had to either continue using the outdated Type 4 Tank chassis or develop a new specialized howitzer chassis.


    For the continued development of his troops, Tang Mo had no choice but to earnestly select the second solution; after much consideration, his only option was the M-109.


    The caliber of self-propelled artillery from the Soviet era and that used by Tang Country were incompatible. Changing the artillery would require extensive modifications to the vehicle body, which was a tremendous undertaking.


    Given Tang Country¡¯s technological abilities, their only real option was to proceed with the M-109 self-propelled howitzer, which, at the very least, had no major drawbacks and could be used for over a decade.


    Moreover, since it wasn¡¯t particularly technically challenging and had no significant barriers, the howitzer¡¯s caliber was appropriate, and future advances in self-propelled artillery wouldn¡¯t necessitate a replacement.


    The only awkward point was that while the Air Force and Tanks used Soviet-style equipment, the self-propelled artillery was American-style, leaving Tang Mo a bit... confused.


    Alas, there was no other choice. The final conclusion was that the Tang Army would be equipped with Type 59 Main Battle Tanks, M-109 self-propelled howitzers, and J-6 jet Fighter Jets in the future.


    Eager to phase out the Type 4 Tanks, Tang Country began considering donating some to Chu Country and selling others to clear space for a large-scale re-equipment effort.


    Plans, however, cannot keep up with rapid changes, and the tank version of the night vision device system, which hadn¡¯t been officially deployed, became standard for the Type 59 Tanks.


    And the Panther Tanks, initially planned to be equipped with night vision devices, were outright abandoned. Once the Tang Army had a sufficient number of new Type 59 Main Battle Tanks, these Panther Tanks would be sold to the highest bidder.


    Both Qin Country and Shu Country expressed interest in purchasing Type 4 Tanks, which was good news for Tang Country. The bad news was that, for the foreseeable future, Tang Country couldn¡¯t produce enough new armaments to replace this fleet of Type 4 Tanks.


    The factories in Tongcheng once again operated at full capacity, not at war but in peacetime, with all workers on a double shift, laboring 12 hours a day to produce the urgently needed new weaponry for the Troops...

 Chapter 925 925 The scapegoat of the aircraft carriers 848 planes

    ?Chapter 925: The scapegoat of the aircraft carrier¡¯s 848 planes Chapter 925: The scapegoat of the aircraft carrier¡¯s 848 planes Another type that is actually no longer advanced, yet the Tang Army could not find a replacement for, is the Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicle. The design philosophy of this thing is correct, but it lacked a better successor.


    Germany Three¡¯s ¡°Big Eight-Wheeled¡± armored vehicle performed not too badly during World War II, but because of the defeat, this type of equipment did not continue to develop, and it can basically be said to have lost its lineage.


    Soviet-style wheeled armored vehicles could not inherit the role of Germany¡¯s wheeled armored reconnaissance vehicles, and their reluctant use did not offer much performance advantage.


    The armored reconnaissance battalions of the Tang Country also fell into danger with the performance improvement of other countries¡¯ armored vehicles.


    In the past, the Tang Army¡¯s armored reconnaissance battalions relied on the performance advantage of the Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicles, even being able to directly charge the enemy¡¯s armored corps.


    The short-barreled 75mm cannon equipped on the Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicle gave it firepower comparable to a Type 4 tank, allowing it to easily destroy the enemy¡¯s armored targets.


    But now that¡¯s no longer possible: the tanks of various countries suddenly improved their armor protection, and the cannon on the Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicle could no longer penetrate these steel beasts.


    ...


    This was the trend of the times, low-pressure guns were destined to be replaced in the Tang Army¡¯s sequence, and Tang Mo¡¯s choice was clear: siege warfare might as well be handed directly to tanks since the Tang Army had an adequate number of tanks with excellent performance.


    Since the main gun could no longer destroy the enemy¡¯s main battle tanks, continuing to equip such weapons was of little use.


    The famed armored reconnaissance battalions of the Tang Army, which once made every unit of the Dahua Empire tremble at the news of their approach, also made their own changes with the shifting environment.


    Tang Mo revised the combat manual for the armored reconnaissance battalions, issuing strict orders for these units, which previously had functioned as tank battalions, to avoid direct engagement with enemy forces.


    This order effectively restored the main mission of the armored reconnaissance battalions, and these units finally returned to their original primary purpose: reconnaissance.


    Following this came the matter of armament selection: the short-barreled 75mm cannon on the Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicle was removed in favor of a 20mm caliber autocannon.


    Such a change freed up a lot of space for ammunition storage, allowing the Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicle to carry a set of night vision devices and to be refitted with better high-power radios.


    The new modifications allowed the armored vehicle to be used at least passably, which was a stopgap measure¡ªsince the Tang Army was in a hurry to ¡°phase out¡± the Type 4 tanks, it was unlikely to find production capacity to retrofit the Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicles in the short term.


    In this nearly mad arms race, no one knew that an experimental plane manufactured by Tang Country broke the sound barrier.


    The experimental model of the J-6 fighter jet broke the sound barrier, flying at supersonic speed¡ªthis result proved that the previous notion held by many, that it was impossible for flight speed to exceed the speed of sound, was incorrect.


    Unfortunately, this result was not made public, so many aircraft design experts from other countries still believed firmly that Tang Country¡¯s planes, no matter how fast, could only reach near-supersonic levels.


    Therefore, they believed that as long as they could produce planes with a flight speed of over 600 kilometers per hour, the advantage of the Tang Nation Air Force would no longer exist.


    Another experiment conducted on Dragon Island provided the Tang Nation Air Force with more precise striking capability: a brand-new guided concept diminished the role of dive bombers.


    With precision-guided bombs like the Fritz X, bombing became more accurate, and long-range attacks made planes safer when carrying out bombing missions.


    This brand-new ¡°precision bomb¡± was carried by a Flying Fortress and successfully attacked a bridge simulation made from mounds of earth, achieving a very satisfactory effect.


    The new bombs could be carried by JU-88 as well as by Flying Fortresses and were controlled using a visual guidance mode.


    As a result, the Air Force¡¯s Stuka Dive Bombers became somewhat redundant: dive bombing was risky and inefficient, and certainly not as safe and effective as using Tang Country¡¯s version of Fritz X.


    So the Stuka, a plane already completely outdated and whose role had been replaced, became another piece of equipment in precarious standing.


    The Air Force was preparing to phase it out, as its functions had partly been replaced by the Yir Attack Aircraft and partly by guided bombs; it clearly had little use anymore.


    Disposing of these planes could also generate profit through sales to other countries, providing more funds for the Air Force to update to new planes and enter the jet era. After all, this kind of outdated plane that couldn¡¯t even retract its landing gear was long overdue to be swept into the trash heap...


    But with this development, the newly established Navy Airmen were left feeling dismayed: if the Stukas started being sold off, what were they supposed to do with the Stukas in their possession?


    If they continued to use the equipment themselves, the first problem was identifying friend from foe. What was more distressing was that they didn¡¯t want to continue fighting with equipment that the Army had already discarded.


    Stuka Dive Bombers were sold all over the world, so there were no secrets about their performance: if the Navy¡¯s active aircraft were thoroughly studied by the opposition, who would be accountable for massive losses in actual combat?


    Yet, if the Navy also discarded the Stukas, the carrier pilots they had trained with great difficulty would have to start their training all over again, wasting all their previous efforts.


    Another problem was: where were the replacements for the Navy¡¯s torpedo bombers and dive bombers?


    The Army didn¡¯t need torpedo bombers; conventional bombing missions could be carried out by JU-88s and Yir-2s, precise bombing tasks could be entrusted to JU-88s capable of dive bombing, or be completed by JU-88s carrying the Tang version of Fritz X, so discarding the Stukas seemed inconsequential.


    But the Navy only had Stukas, and if those were phased out, then they would need to find a new, versatile type of carrier-based attack aircraft...


    Could they really end up using Japan¡¯s carrier-based attack aircraft? Tang Mo found this idea to be extremely repulsive on a mental level. He would rather have both the Dauntless and the Avenger aboard the aircraft carriers than let his Navy use Japanese carrier planes.


    This was the stubbornness of a Huaxia soul, a personal vendetta, nothing to do with performance or any such reason!


    So, in the end, Tang Mo brought out the A-1 Skyraider, nicknamed ¡°Sky Attacker,¡± which was a general-purpose attack aircraft extensively equipped by the United States Navy after World War II. Needless to say, its performance spoke for itself.


    From any perspective, it could replace the Stuka dive bomber, as the two were simply not from the same era.


    The only problem was, like the Type 59 tank and the J-6 Fighter Jet, the Skyraider needed to reorganize production, and completely replacing the Navy¡¯s version of the Stuka would take time.


    In the end, after weighing the pros and cons, the Tang Nation Air Force and the Navy Air Force came to a compromise: the Stuka dive bombers would continue to serve in the Air Force until the Navy Air Force had a replacement for the Stuka, and then they would be sold together.


    As for the money lost due to delaying the sale, well, whoever insisted on the Navy using the Stukas should take responsibility.


    Hmm... Tang Mo was the one responsible, and no one dared question His Majesty The Emperor carrying the scapegoat, so everyone was happy¡ªHis Majesty The Emperor was wealthy, after all, and wouldn¡¯t mind a loss of a few hundred thousand!


    As for what Tang Country planned to use to replace the ground-licking Yir-2... that brings us to the relative of the ¡°Sixth,¡± the ¡°Fifth.¡±


    A professional in shooting rockets, which could also drop conventional bombs, and even nuclear bombs, replacing the Yir-2 would be more than adequate. The only downside of the Qiang-5 for Great Tang was that it couldn¡¯t be operated from a ship and therefore couldn¡¯t replace the Stuka. Hence, it couldn¡¯t be the Navy¡¯s first carrier-based jet attack aircraft, which was a pity.


    Alas, given Huaxia¡¯s short carrier aircraft development history¡ªequivalent to the brief history of the Lighthouse Country¡ªdescribed graciously as ¡°starting from a high point,¡± or less generously as ¡°a late start.¡±


    So, to use the carrier aircraft that Tang Mo yearned for, one would have to wait until the era when Tang Country¡¯s mobile phones had widespread adoption. The ¡°Sixth,¡± ¡°Seventh,¡± and ¡°Eighth¡± would miss out, leaving only the hope on the ¡°Fifteenth¡±...


    Who could have imagined, the naval version of the Stuka carrier-based plane that Tang Country secretly produced and extensively equipped was on the list of weapons to be phased out without having participated in a single combat operation.


    Of course, no one would have thought that while other countries didn¡¯t even possess carrier-based aircraft, Tang Country was already planning the production of second-generation carrier planes.


    On the matter of the Navy¡¯s carrier-based aircraft replacement, Tang Mo also paid the price for his lack of planning in armaments: a carrier-based aircraft was phased out without ever having the opportunity to participate in combat¡ªall of that purchased with real silver!


    What was even more frustrating was another piece of Navy equipment: submarines.


    They needed an upgrade as well: a large number of the U-boats actually had mediocre performance, with underwater speeds not matching surface speeds, often missing opportunities in battle, and desperately needed to be replaced with more mature post-war submarines.


    But this also required a great deal of time, and deciding how to deal with the decommissioned submarines was a challenging issue.


    Bear in mind, the submarines of other countries were still at the initial stages. If Tang Country were to sell its retired submarines, it would greatly improve the submarine technology level of other countries. Conversely, to contend with these sold U-boats, Tang Country would need to increase anti-submarine investment, which seemed to be a case of losing more than gaining.


    However, from another angle, as all countries were studying submarine technology, and the basic principles of submarines weren¡¯t difficult to understand, it was only a matter of time before others mastered this technology. So whether Tang Mo sold the submarines or not, Tang Country¡¯s anti-submarine investment was set to increase.


    The difference was merely in how much it would increase and when.


    Besides, without Dragon Island as a submarine supply base, submarines setting off from the periphery of the Endless Sea couldn¡¯t possibly threaten the shipping routes between Dragon Island and the Tang mainland¡ªat least not without accompanying supply ships.


    With this said, Tang Mo was once again troubled by the same question: how long would it take to replace these navy¡¯s U-type submarines?

 Chapter 926 926 849 incredibly fast

    ?Chapter 926: 849 incredibly fast Chapter 926: 849 incredibly fast ¡°God knows what those airplane factories have been up to these days... That noise doesn¡¯t sound like it could come from an engine, it¡¯s more like thunder,¡± an employee inside the oil refinery of Dragon Island said to his coworker, standing by the machinery.


    His coworker, deeply impressed, agreed, ¡°Exactly, one day I was drinking in a bar when I heard that terrifying noise from afar, like a dragon roaring.¡±


    Recently, thunder-like noises had often resounded in the skies above Dragon Island. Because they were far from Weigang, the distance to Dragon Harbor was somewhat closer, so many people in Dragon Harbor could hear the noise loud and clear.


    Now, as the two of them chatted, that sound echoed once more. It was like a dragon¡¯s chant, deafening to the ears.


    Even next to the noisy workshop, they could hear the terrifying roar of the engine very clearly: it was astonishing how powerful the engine was, making its sound heard before the machine itself was seen.


    Hearing that horrifying engine roar again, the first worker felt a surge of fear as he recalled the soul-piercing screech of the Stuka Dive Bomber he had first heard, lifting his head to the sky and sighed, ¡°The Air Force¡¯s new toys are getting scarier by the day. Now that I think about it, Stuka¡¯s eerie shriek seems like nothing in comparison.¡±


    In reality, he couldn¡¯t see the sky at all; above him was the roof of the workshop, so he could only hear the continuous booming reverberations.


    ...


    His colleague next to him nodded in agreement, adding, ¡°You¡¯re spot on. Now, the little noise from a Stuka is practically like an alarm clock¡¯s ring...¡±


    An oil refinery worker with no military knowledge speculated, ¡°Maybe the Air Force hit the jackpot and wants to intimidate with noise... Otherwise, why make such a racket?¡±


    Ever since he had been trained as a pipeline pressure controller, he had been working on Dragon Island, and according to the island¡¯s regulations, he would probably have to live on Dragon Island for the rest of his life.


    After all, there were too many of Tang Country¡¯s secrets here, and it was unlikely that people living on the island would be allowed to leave with these secrets they had seen and heard.


    So, he didn¡¯t need to understand national affairs or learn anything else: All he had to do was work honestly here and he could do so for a lifetime.


    His colleagues were in the same boat; their fate was sealed to live and die on Dragon Island, which made them all the more untroubled.


    Hearing his friend¡¯s guess, the worker nodded through a gap, ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s very possible. If you heard that sound up close, you¡¯d probably be scared out of your wits. Wouldn¡¯t the enemy just turn and run?¡±


    In his view, just hearing this terrifying sound made his legs uncontrollably tremble. If he were to encounter such a frightening opponent on the battlefield, he wouldn¡¯t muster any courage to fight back.


    Thinking about this, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh: someone as timid as him wouldn¡¯t make it to the battlefield anyway.


    In the distant sky, above the calm sea, a jet was flying at about 2,000 meters altitude with a blistering speed.


    The starting point for Tang Country¡¯s jet fighters was incredibly high; they leaped over basic fighter jet production and their first generation of jets already had supersonic capabilities.


    This endowed the new fighter jets with otherworldly combat power, and the test pilots felt the terror of flying these planes.


    At a speed of 700 kilometers per hour, the plane was still able to produce a noticeable thrust-back feeling during acceleration. As long as the pilot was willing to use the afterburners, it seemed like the plane¡¯s speed was limitless.


    Due to the extreme speed, the test pilot¡¯s body was pressed into the seat, with the G-forces clearly evident, and if he weren¡¯t wearing a specialized suit, he might have been in even more discomfort.


    No wonder the pilots chosen to fly these planes were carefully selected from among elite pilots. Those pilots had to undergo strict physical training, filtering out the best of the best before they were qualified to pilot such aircraft.


    ¡°Now at a speed of 890 kilometers per hour! My God...¡± Glancing at the altimeter, the test pilot flying the plane couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.


    His plane¡¯s altitude had already exceeded 3,000 meters, maintaining such a speed while climbing; he truly felt incredulous.


    ¡°It¡¯s faster than lightning! I can feel it can go even faster... Altitude 3,600 meters! Speed exceeding 900 kilometers per hour! I haven¡¯t even engaged the afterburners! I haven¡¯t even engaged the afterburners!¡± he reported in shock as he continued to accelerate.


    ¡°The engine is working normally, oh my... My altitude is 4,300 meters! 4,400 meters! Speed 900! Speed 900!¡± He began to feel his plane¡¯s acceleration decreasing; it seemed like he couldn¡¯t raise speed without engaging the afterburners.


    But he wasn¡¯t in a rush, for he was still in the climbing phase, and during the dive, he was sure his speed could get even faster.


    He could feel his heart pounding furiously because, judging by the current state, as long as he entered the dive phase, he was certain he could push the speed to 1000 kilometers per hour!


    Butcher Fighter Jets could fly at speeds over 700 kilometers per hour when diving, a feat already unattainable by the enemy¡¯s planes.


    But now, he would pilot the aircraft to speeds of 1000 kilometers per hour! No one could catch up with him! His enemies were as good as stationary to him.


    Although, according to aerial combat theory, slower planes could utilize low-altitude horizontal turns to evade the attacks of faster enemy jets. But that tactic was adopted when at a relative disadvantage, at least when the speed difference between the two was not significant.


    When the speed difference reached a two-fold magnitude, anything else said was redundant. In the face of absolute superiority, all those damned theories of aerial combat were nothing but nonsense.


    ¡°I¡¯m climbing at a speed of 180 meters per second... it¡¯s too fast! It¡¯s too fast! Gods above! It¡¯s fantastic! A miracle! A miracle!¡± Looking at his altimeter, the test pilot was almost ecstatic.


    Flying the Butcher Fighter Jet in a death-defying climb, the rate was only 17 meters per second. The new planes¡¯ climb rate was ten times that of the Butcher Fighter Jet! He could hardly believe it.


    With such a climb rate, he could easily shake off any opponent and then reposition for an attack¨Csuch vertical maneuverability meant it feared no adversaries.


    Just by climbing manically, the opponent wouldn¡¯t even be able to adjust their nose to follow the climb rate. With just one somersault, he could bite the tail of the enemy again and start another attack.


    The Butcher Fighter Jet¡¯s ceiling was 12,000 meters; that was already the Butcher¡¯s limit. At this altitude, it almost had no maneuverability, and the engine could no longer work steadily.


    But the entirely new plane, equipped with a completely different engine, could easily fly at an altitude of 15,000 meters. If necessary, it could engage in combat at an altitude of 17,000 meters!


    This was no longer something on the same level; the new plane truly crushed all existing aircraft in every aspect.


    From take-off, it could climb breathlessly to an altitude of 10,000 meters in just about 1 minute! It only needed 10 minutes to rush to a battlefield hundreds of kilometers away... This is a jet fighter! This is the new god of the skies!


    The only drawback is that these new planes are simply too fast, so fast that they cannot slow down: the take-off speed of the old biplanes isn¡¯t even as fast as their lowest speed, and if it flew at 300 kilometers per hour, it would probably stall and crash...


    The swept wings of the entirely new aircraft were definitely not designed for low speeds; asking it to decrease its velocity was like sending it to its death.


    Because the engine was at the rear, Tang Mo had a better field of vision than the Butcher Fighter Jet: with no straight-wing obstruction, and the front blind spot was also smaller.


    The massive thrust of the engine gave the aircraft a higher load capacity; its primary weaponry was 3 30mm-caliber cannons, firepower that was unthinkable on past propeller-driven fighter jets.


    Just one cannon round hitting its target was enough to disintegrate even flying fortresses in the sky; the devastating power of the 30mm cannons could be described as ferocious when used to attack planes.


    In addition, it could carry two 8-tube 57mm rocket pods, using rockets to attack the enemy¡¯s large bombers, or firing salvos to disrupt the enemy¡¯s aerial formations.


    Such terrifying firepower absolutely crushed other competitors, not to mention it could also carry two Infrared Guided Combat Missiles... well, those probably wouldn¡¯t be needed just yet.


    Tang Mo found this situation somewhat amusing and frustrating: because the early Combat Missiles¡¯ Guidance Heads were infrared imaging-guided, they required the target also to use jet engines with extremely high tail flame heat.


    Dammit, except for Tang Country, other nations uniformly used piston engines for their fighter jets; their meager heat signature was nowhere near enough to be captured by the early infrared guided Combat Missiles.


    In other words, if a Tang Country fighter pilot launched a Thunderbolt 2 air-to-air Missile at an enemy¡¯s fighter jet now, there could only be two outcomes: either the Missile would turn back to lock onto themselves, or head straight for the sun...


    When the plane climbed to an altitude of 9,000 meters, it finally achieved optimal performance. At this height, it could engage the afterburners and fly beyond 1400 kilometers per hour!


    Stunning shockwaves would appear around the plane, and during the brief afterburner time, this plane left the sound trailing behind!


    However, sadly, this state could only be maintained for a very short time; supersonic cruising was a function of fighter jets at the level of the F-22.


    As the test plane began to cross the sound barrier, the test pilot was so tense he didn¡¯t know what to say. He didn¡¯t even know if his own voice could be heard while at supersonic speeds.

 Chapter 927 927 850 people boarding

    ?Chapter 927: 850 people boarding Chapter 927: 850 people boarding During this period, the technicians at the Great Tang Group had developed many shockingly new pieces of equipment. What was even more astonishing was how mature the designs of these equipment were, and they displayed exceptional performance once they were put into production.


    Outside Dragon Island, a particular aircraft made a sensational supersonic flight that bewildered the air force elites, while at a secret base on Dragon Island, on a patch of grassland, another special aircraft began its demonstration.


    The on-site visitors were all high-ranking army officials who were very interested in this new type of equipment upon hearing that an aircraft would soon be equipped for the army.


    Indeed, Tang Mo urgently presented the helicopter, as this kind of aircraft was also very important. For the choice of helicopter, Tang Mo hardly had a second thought. The UH-1 Helicopter was simply too excellent, its performance evidently better than that of the Soviet helicopters from the same period.


    Interestingly, because another contemporary helicopter was also quite good, Tang Mo straight away introduced two models of helicopters to be equipped for the troops at the same time.


    The second helicopter was also famously renowned; it gained great prominence during the Vietnam War. This aircraft, named Chinook, had front and rear horizontal turbines and a uniquely powerful design.


    The duo of the Huey (UH-1) and Chinook (CH-47) helicopters remained active from the 60s to the late 70s until the appearance of the UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter led to the phasing out of the UH-1 Huey.


    ...


    The technology of the UH-60 Helicopter was too advanced, and there were still many technologies that Tang Country had yet to fully grasp, so they could only temporarily resort to using the Huey Helicopter.


    Once matured, they would switch to the Black Hawk and then transition to the more advanced Z-20 seamlessly.


    When several army generals and Marshal Tagg, who took time out to personally witness the helicopter test flight, saw the helicopter¡¯s massive turbines spinning, kicking up the surrounding twigs and leaves, and lifting the helicopter¡¯s body into the air, they were thoroughly shocked by the sight before them.


    Before today, if someone had told them that an aircraft could take off and land vertically, they would have scoffed at the idea.


    But now, they witnessed such a sight firsthand: an aircraft taking off vertically and then hovering in mid-air.


    ¡°If we had 100 of these aircraft, could we not directly airdrop a battalion of soldiers behind enemy lines?¡± Teck, having read the ¡°Air Cavalry Tactics¡± written by Tang Mo, turned to ask a commanding officer beside him.


    The officer thought for a few seconds before shaking his head with some concern, ¡°If it encounters anti-air defenses, that could lead to big trouble.¡±


    Tagg nodded, then refocused his gaze on the helicopter hovering in the sky.


    Although the current density of firepower did not allow for the large-scale use of helicopter air-drop tactics, such aircraft still had many uses.


    They could rapidly supply frontlines with ammunition and personnel under field conditions, transport injured soldiers, and even venture forward for reconnaissance...


    If secure enough, they could even transport commanders, allowing them to quickly keep up with advancing troops ¡ª much faster than traveling by car or train.


    Only at this moment did he finally understand what the two reserved helipads inside Forbidden City were for ¡ª they were not for fixed-wing aircraft, they were dedicated to helicopters!


    ¡°If it could drop bombs, would we even need to rely on the air force¡¯s attack aircraft anymore?¡± wondered another Armored Corps commander fantasizing.


    ¡°Perhaps, it would be ideal not to coordinate with the air force, they¡¯re too slow... like snails,¡± another officer jested with a laugh.


    Regardless of how swift the air force¡¯s cooperation might be, ground force commanders always disliked the delay of air force bombing support.


    It was akin to waiting outside a restroom versus squatting inside one. The waiting time for air force planes to arrive always seemed exceedingly long; however, the duration they circled overhead always felt surprisingly short.


    If they truly had their air fire support, it would be excellent: even if not so effective or even if it led to greater losses, it would still belong to the army, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Many individuals were already scheming on how to make good use of these ¡°vertical take-off and landing aircraft¡± to create an exclusive air support force for the army.


    However, they had not yet realized that equipping helicopters with rockets needed some thought.


    Tang Mo presented the UH-1 Helicopter, also thinking of his convenience: traveling by car was ultimately not as convenient as by plane, and saving time was indeed too important for him.


    ...


    Pan Yiping stood on the docks of Brunas, watching his daughter and an old servant beside him, still feeling an unreal sensation.


    His goods in Brunas were sold at a very high price, and the tax officer of Brunas did not ask him for a single penny.


    Yes, his goods were all tax-exempt, and this time he made a large sum, obtaining many things he never dared to imagine.


    Now, he had a stack of business cards in his pocket, some even rimmed with gold foil. These business cards represented influential figures, whom he usually had no chance to meet.


    For example, Sir Conrad, the tax officer of Brunas, was once a high-born member of the nobility of the Laines Empire, whom he could not have spoken to before. Now, not only had he obtained his business card, but he had also dined with him several times, becoming acquainted.


    Even more astounding was that these meals were all hosted by Sir Conrad. There were many noble officials at the banquet, each of them treating him with the utmost respect.


    It seemed that in the Laines Empire, he was the significant figure whom people sought to curry favor with, and those officials of the Laines Empire were like ants under his feet.


    ¡°If possible, that... take me to meet your... friend.¡± The distant seagulls kept calling as Pan Yiping finally broke the silence, speaking to his daughter.


    ¡°Dad...¡± Pan Qi felt somewhat embarrassed. Before coming here, she had never expected that the young man who foolishly stood wiping glasses all day in a tavern called Silver Fox in the remote streets of the Imperial Capital of Dahua would have such great influence.


    Now she knew¡ªthere was also a tavern called Silver Fox in the Laines Empire, which looked quite dilapidated and seemed to have been around for many years. Indeed, in that tavern, there was also a young man standing behind the counter wiping glasses.


    Pan Yiping had been a businessman for many years, and his insight was incomparable to the young Pan Qi¡¯s. Of course, he understood better than his daughter that this was not a coincidence.


    The two Silver Fox Taverns must have some connection; it was easy to see that this must be an organization.


    Whatever this organization did, its power was certainly extraordinary. Because at least on the side of the Laines Empire, it almost reached the point of having connections everywhere.


    He had been thinking, pondering whether to engage with such an organization: these past few days had been a battle of thoughts, and it was just now that he had truly made up his mind.


    He was just a small merchant, and if he did not take risks, he might remain a small merchant all his life.


    The experiences over these past days in Laines had let him feel, for the first time, the wonderful sensation of looking down upon the masses from a high position. This feeling was simply too marvelous.


    Even in his dreams, he could not forget that feeling: he really loved the sensation of having power in his hands, the feeling of absolute authority.


    So, he decided not to give up such an opportunity, an opportunity to gain that kind of power. He wanted to be like Mr. Martin, someone who could instill fear in Sir Conrad with just one look!


    At another dock, cars from the Tang Empire were carefully unloaded one after the other, with dockworkers gathered together, waiting for tips from the Tang Country merchants.


    They took the colorful bills from the first officer¡¯s hand, then bowed and left, showing utmost respect.


    Watching those merchants, Pan Yiping once again felt the beauty of money and power. Looking at the Rolls-Royce Mirage cars on the dock reflecting the sunlight, he couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva.


    ¡°Please show your tickets.¡± The Laines ticket inspector was very polite, standing behind him were two Laines Guards posing ceremoniously.


    The servant quickly handed over the three tickets he was holding, and the smile on the inspector¡¯s face deepened when he saw the names printed on them: ¡°Thank you for your cooperation, sir, madam. Have a pleasant journey.¡±


    Those who could afford three first-class cabin tickets on the Tang Empire¡¯s ¡°Ideal¡± cruise ship were not people he could afford to offend. Moreover, his supervisor¡¯s boss had instructed him that all the Pan-named passengers departing today should receive special care.


    ¡°Thank you...¡± Pan Yiping once again felt the joy that power brought him.


    Soon, the rifle-carrying dock guards became porters, hurriedly helping Pan Yiping¡¯s servant lift the luggage. The luggage contained local specialties from the Laines Empire, intended as gifts.


    Without any semblance of a guard¡¯s dignity, the two soldiers were not much different from the dockworkers. They helped carry the luggage of Pan Yiping¡¯s family to the cabin of the ¡°Ideal¡± before the passengers with cheaper tickets entered the dock.


    The lavish decor of the place was frightening; the cabin even had a button to call the waiter. The captain personally came to introduce himself upon learning of the distinguished guests boarding, surprising Pan Yiping, the small merchant from Dahua, once again...


    The captain invited their family to the bow to take a look. There, they saw the mass of third-class passengers boarding at the dock, crowded together, shouting and cursing.


    When he arrived, Pan Yiping was just like the passengers crowded below. Now, he looked down on the crowd, wondering about something.

 Chapter 928 03-25 - 928 851 has technology, but not much

    ?Chapter 928: 851 has technology, but not much Chapter 928: 851 has technology, but not much As time went by, that once powerful and huge Shireck Consortium no longer existed. Nations around the world had also established their own technology R&D departments, tasked with developing or copying the new technologies that had emerged from Tang Country.


    These countries were spending a fortune to support their national technologies, in an attempt to achieve a certain degree of self-sufficiency in technology.


    They weren¡¯t wrong in doing so; after all, no one was content with letting one country master all technology. Everyone hoped to have a share in the technological realm and secure benefits for themselves.


    Yet for most people of the time, even if they were to directly disassemble equipment produced by Tang Country for study, they could hardly comprehend such bewildering and innovative design concepts.


    Within the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s technology research institute, a Dwarf engineer pinched his chin, looking at a disassembled Tang engine in front of him with a stunned expression, ¡°How did they come up with such a design?¡±


    This engine had been taken from a Rolls-Royce car and was, to the Dwarfs, a perfect and flawless piece of craftsmanship.


    The Dwarfs had always believed their technology to be the most advanced in the world. Even when previously bottlenecked by the Shireck Consortium¡¯s technology, they never thought there was anything about it worth being astounded over.


    ...


    But now, their little self-respect had been thoroughly shattered. They had recognized the superiority of Tang technology and were worshipping it, appearing to them like a miracle.


    Another Dwarf engineer shook his head, caressing the smooth, flawless components, and exclaimed with genuine admiration, ¡°I have no idea, but this design is much better than our previous approaches. Their craftsmanship is too strong. Without their equipment, it¡¯s simply impossible to replicate.¡±


    ¡°Even with it, we can¡¯t imitate it. The metal formulas are confidential, and we can only import the core components from Tang Country...¡± The poor Dwarf engineer sighed before continuing his explanation.


    It wasn¡¯t their first time attempting to replicate Tang engines, but before they had fully mastered the previous model, an even more advanced one appeared.


    It seemed as if Tang People were competing with themselves, releasing generation after generation of advanced technologies, leaving engineers from around the world far behind.


    It¡¯s not embarrassing to admit that even the word ¡°engineer¡± comes from Tang Country. Before that, they were just slightly more skilled craftsmen.


    Now, the term ¡°craftsman¡± was not very common anymore; one would either change careers to become a factory worker or showcase their talent by becoming a revered engineer.


    Source: , updated on ?0¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï


    In every country, engineers were a highly valued profession. If one had their own innovations or a certain understanding of Tang equipment, they were considered invaluable assets.


    And those engineers who were truly gifted and brimming with talent had all now gone to Tang Country; there, they found everything they aspired to and were able to fully display their abilities.


    Everyone knew full well that only those who were moderately skilled but not top-end remained in their empires, just to get by.


    With their abilities, if they actually went to Tang Country, they probably wouldn¡¯t land the positions they desired or enjoy better treatment.


    It wasn¡¯t that those who stayed were significantly inferior; it was just that there weren¡¯t many of the truly outstanding talents left behind.


    In the end, without a systematic approach or accumulation of experience, they still had to import special steel in large quantities from Tang Country and purchase corresponding designs from Tang Country.


    That¡¯s right, they had just purchased the I-16 type fighter jet from Tang Country, which for some reason was called the Yak, but was regardless a very impressive aircraft.


    This piece of machinery was much better than the planes that the Ice Cold Empire had developed themselves, granting them a mature and combat-capable aircraft at least.


    With performance close to the P-36 fighter sold to Qin Country, Tang Country had also added an enclosed cockpit to the I-16, allowing it to reach an altitude limit of about 10,000 meters and slightly improved the working environment for pilots.


    Thanks to the new engines, this Tang-exported I-16 fighter jet was far more advanced in performance than similar I-16s produced by other countries. At least it could reach speeds close to 500 kilometers per hour, a feat unmatched by the fighter jets of other nations.


    As for the name Yak, that was of course Tang Mo¡¯s whimsy. He hoped to sell both the Yak-1 and subsequent models to the Ice Cold Empire in the future because he had already transformed the Ice Cold Empire into an Otherworld version of Tsarist Russia.


    The soldiers of the Ice Cold Empire wielded Mosin-Nagant Rifles, and during charges, they would inexplicably shout the slogan ¡®Ura¡¯.


    Even so, Tang Mo had designed a type of submachine gun called the PPSh for the Ice Cold Empire, fitted with a very distinctive 71-round drum magazine.


    Dwarves really liked this new type of submachine gun and bought it immediately, outfitting their forces on a large scale. Their southern neighbor, the Poplar Empire, purchased another weapon that Tang Mo was marketing: the MP-40 submachine gun.


    Anyway, Tang Mo¡¯s designs were readily available, and each country hoped to have its own unique weapon, so gradually there emerged a trend of paying Tang designers to create weapon designs.


    It was an exception for countries like Qin Country to blatantly copy the military equipment of Tang¡¯s troops. Dorne spent money to customize a type of submachine gun from Tang called the Somi. This submachine gun performed very well, and Dorne was very pleased with it.


    And the M3 submachine gun equipped by the Laines Empire was even more famous: any film or TV show about the civil war period inevitably featured this uniquely shaped submachine gun.


    Since Tang Country had already replaced its forces on a large scale with MP-5 submachine guns and equipped the soldiers with Type 56 assault rifles, Tang Mo started to sell off a large number of submachine gun designs.


    Even Goblins spent a good amount of money to custom order their own Type 100 submachine gun, and although no one knew why it was called type 100, it sounded very impressive.


    These were just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the Great Tang¡¯s arms trade. Like the former Shireck Consortium, Tang¡¯s technology had infiltrated almost every corner.


    Some countries might have manufactured their own tanks, but the engines came from Tang; others might have built their own warships, but the steel came from Tang.


    Tang spent a massive amount of Gold Coins to balance trade, and in a blink of an eye, it was back in Tang Mo¡¯s pockets. Emperors of various nations exhausted their wits trying to salvage their fragile trade deficits, only to end up helplessly accepting the reality that they couldn¡¯t change a thing.


    What made those coveting the technological prowess of the Tang Empire despair was that just as they were worried about lagging behind in engine technology, material technology, and structural design, they discovered a new field.


    A field not entirely new but one they knew nothing about: the field of radio wave detection technology!


    Yes, plainly speaking, radar technology. When the Great Tang Empire began to set up a comprehensive radar network near the borders and the Imperial Capital Chang¡¯an, the spies of various countries saw those huge devices that could hardly be concealed.


    Radar antennas in Tang had not been fully miniaturized yet. Various materials and steel frames were combined, conspicuously catching one¡¯s eyes around Chang¡¯an City.


    The curious ones started investigating the purpose of these devices and then discovered the secret of why Dahua Empire¡¯s planes were always intercepted by Tang fighter jets no matter when they appeared.


    It turned out not to be because Tang spies were ubiquitous, but because Tang¡¯s skies were truly impervious...


    For a time, everyone tried to do two things: first, to soothe the previously marginalized aviation students who had gone to Tang Country to study flight technology. These talents were once classified by various countries as a group at high risk of leaking secrets due to Dahua¡¯s intelligence leak incident, but now it turned out they were wronged.


    So, it became a necessity to right their wrongs: promotions where due, and confirmations where needed¡ªafter all, these were talents who had studied in Tang Country, and it would be a waste not to use them, right?


    The second thing was to try every means possible to obtain this radar detection technology: after all, this device was a treasure, with it they could truly plant their eyes in the sky.


    Everyone knew the worth of this technology, but before Tang fully declassified it, who could have imagined that radio waves could reflect in the sky, right?


    Not to mention how to collect and parse the collected signals...technologists from various countries had no clue whatsoever about a whole range of these issues. In fact, many researchers of radio technology to this day don¡¯t really understand what radio waves are.


    Ultimately, the countries had no choice but to turn again to Tang to buy the technology, hoping to acquire this advanced equipment from them to protect their already vulnerable airspace.


    Unfortunately, the negotiations didn¡¯t go smoothly: Tang wasn¡¯t hoarding their technology, which wasn¡¯t strictly non-saleable.


    But that price... for the empires that were nearly bankrupt, it was indeed a little hard to swallow. Their barely maintained economies would definitely collapse if they spent such a large amount of money again.


    Although reluctantly, the countries short on funds and unable to buy this new technology soon gave up; after all, this wasn¡¯t their first time being unable to afford technology from Tang.


    You see, right after the war ended, various navies planned to import a new type of military equipment from Tang: submarines.


    Tang offered a price: the cost of one submarine was about that of building two new battleships¡ªwho in the world could afford that?


    So, to this day, no navy has bought Tang¡¯s submarine technology. They¡¯re still experimenting with their own submarines: indeed, they do have their own submarine technology, but... there isn¡¯t much.

 Chapter 929 03-25 - 929 852 A Glorious Era

    ?Chapter 929: 852 A Glorious Era Chapter 929: 852 A Glorious Era ¡°`


    When the various countries learned of the existence of weapon equipment like submarines, they began their corresponding experiments: This was far easier to understand than the arcane-like wireless radio waves; at least by pondering over it, they could grasp a part of the principle.


    The ¡°smart people¡± in these countries actually were quite numerous. Previously, they hadn¡¯t conceived of something like a submarine due to the limitations of their thinking. Now that Tang Country had brought forth a submarine, they broadened their own horizons, naturally guessing the gist of it.


    Metal cannot float on the surface of the sea, and the reason why ironclad warships were able to float was that there was air inside the ship¡¯s hull. Simply expel some air, and the steel could sink into the water; the principle wasn¡¯t complex.


    Thus, these countries all constructed their own submarine prototypes to verify the feasibility of submersion: Through repeated experiments, they all achieved success.


    However, like the early submarines on Earth, these experimental submarines were oddly shaped, with singular functionality, and were essentially just prototypes.


    Most of these experimental submarines didn¡¯t even have compartments: They directly let water into the submarine and completely ignored how to expel the water for surfacing.


    During the experimental stage, they relied on ropes to haul the waterlogged mini-submarines back to the surface, but clearly, this was not feasible in actual combat.


    ...


    Some countries thought of placing a bladder inside the submarine to hold the seawater, then use an engine to drive a mechanism to push the water out.


    Clearly, the rudimentary prototype submarines were of no actual value because, until two years after the war ended, not a single one created by any country could complete both submersion and surfacing under non-experimental conditions.


    These large toys also did not possess periscopes, and of course, they had no idea about sonar equipment, so navigating underwater was a mystery to all countries.


    Additionally, their experimental submarines could not carry torpedoes; the best experimental result was having two torpedoes attached to the outside of the submarine, similar to a fighter jet carrying missiles... Such a state was not suitable for long voyages nor was it remotely deployable in actual combat.


    If they continued to speculate step by step, by the time they perfected submarine technology to the point where it could be used in combat, the destroyers of the Great Tang Empire would already be equipped with anti-submarine missiles.


    Out of options, the countries ultimately returned to the most realistic approach: save money, haggle a bit, and honestly buy the relevant technology from Tang Country.


    Source: , updated on


    For the decision-makers of these empires, the idea that building was inferior to buying, and renting was even better than buying, became deeply ingrained.


    And for the Great Tang Empire, creativity was wealth! For Tang Country, this was a glorious era, an incomparably brilliant era.


    Historians from later generations were shocked when organizing the records of this era because behind every term of this era seemed to be the proud shadow of Tang People.


    It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that this era was initiated by Tang Country, so Tang Country shone brightly in this era. And as the Emperor of Tang Country, Tang Mo was destined to be the protagonist of this grand stage.


    In the first year of the Great Tang Empire, Tang Country restored the Brunas World Exposition, renamed it to the Great Tang Exposition after moving it to Linshui. The scale of the entire exposition was ten times that of the Brunas Exposition! The number of participating enterprises even set a new world record.


    In the same year, the Great Tang Empire hosted the football World Cup with real significance for the first time (previous sessions had a limited number of participating teams and were smaller in scale), and the Great Tang Empire achieved its best historical result: the quarter-finals.


    It was also in this year that the automobile group under the Great Tang Group swept other national teams in the World Automobile Championship, claiming the top three positions.


    During this year, many of the world¡¯s firsts were held in the hands of Tang Country: the world¡¯s first tactical ballistic missile actually equipped, the world¡¯s first long-range ballistic missile actually equipped, and the world¡¯s first experimental rocket launch.


    In the second year of the Great Tang Empire, the world¡¯s first jet fighter began mass production, which was also the world¡¯s first supersonic aircraft.


    That same year, the world¡¯s first type of helicopters joined the military, and on the same day, the first twin-rotor helicopter was also put into use.


    At the beginning of the second year of Great Tang, the Great Tang Navy¡¯s first new type of submarine with underwater speed faster than surface speed began testing, marking the new type of submarine¡¯s replacement of the old U-type submarines.


    After more than a year of effort, a super railway transportation line spanning east to west appeared on the world map: This railway line started from the Qin Country¡¯s western wall defense line and extended eastward, passing through Qin Country¡¯s capital Wuyang City, all the way to the eastern stronghold Guangmian in Qin Country.


    After passing Guangmian, the railway entered Dahua Empire territory, went through the Imperial Capital of Dahua Empire, and finally connected to Fengjiang. From Fengjiang entering the interior of the Great Tang Empire, it went through Sishui to Chang¡¯an, and from Chang¡¯an went all the way to Linshui.


    The entire railway was thousands of kilometers long, with even more branches. Inside the Great Tang Empire, it also linked major towns like Xicong, Tongcheng, and from Chang¡¯an headed north to connect with Nanye, extending all the way to Beiyuan City.


    Such a massive project was completed in just over a year, truly miraculous: In fact, it was a connection of existing railroads of various countries, not built from scratch.


    Even so, this remains one of the most spectacular miracles in world history: With this railway, it only takes 70 hours to deliver goods from Linshui to Qin Country at the fastest.


    Such speed was unimaginable in the past, and people¡¯s travel became more convenient and faster. Unknowingly, the lifestyle of people had been completely changed by the technology of Tang Country.


    ¡°`


    You should understand that taking a train is no longer the fastest travel choice. If you have the money, a plane ride from Qin Country to Tang Country takes just over 20 hours.


    At this time, airplane journeys were still not that long and had to stop halfway for resupplying and refueling. Therefore, the time was still a bit longer.


    However, such speed was already enough to astonish people. If a Qin Country official wanted to make a diplomatic visit to Tang Country, then he could meet the Tang Country official he wished to see in Chang¡¯an the very next day!


    Such rapid exchanges improved efficiency significantly. With money, one could enjoy such an efficient transportation convenience, which has already profited many people.


    Now, to research the market and understand the trade situation, there was no need for the laborious task of sending people back and forth to the target location. By taking a plane or a train, you could get first-hand local data within a few days.


    In addition to railway and airport construction, Tang Country also established a relatively complete medical system in the second year of the Empire.


    This system directly increased the average life expectancy of the Great Tang Empire population by over 10 years, effectively extending the workforce participation of each person by at least another three years.


    Also in that year, the improved crop varieties developed by the Great Tang Empire began to spread widely, greatly enhancing the production of grains and agricultural crops within the Great Tang domains.


    This marked the world¡¯s agriculture stepping into another stage, and the global issue of food shortage would get a real alleviation.


    After some analysis, discerning individuals discovered that within two years of ascending to the status of an Empire, all four domains crucial to an Empire had been grasped in the hands of Tang Mo.


    The ¡°money bag¡± was held by Princess Alice, who controlled the economy of the Empire and could even influence the global economic trade.


    Managed by Simon and Van Kums, the entire Great Tang Empire financial circle had hijacked the whole world, even more influential than that of the Lighthouse Country on Earth.


    The ¡°gun¡±, directly controlled by Tang Mo himself, his generals were utterly loyal to him, and his authority commanded immediate response throughout the military.


    Without exaggeration, Tang Mo¡¯s orders were met with no dissent, and furthermore... his military could defeat any enemy, achieving anything!


    The ¡°pen¡±, gradually given over to the Cat-eared Girl Yue¡¯er, seemingly harmless, now had unprecedented influence within the cultural realm.


    An overwhelming cultural propaganda campaign wrapped Tang Country as the savior of the world. Everything associated with Tang Country was good, and all voices opposing Tang Country were the whispers of devils.


    The ¡°rice spoon¡± was something consistently on the mind of Roger within Tang Country. This diligent and tireless old man, naturally, his loyalty to Tang Mo went without saying.


    With Roger overseeing agriculture and cultivation, the Empire¡¯s foundation was as stable as Mount Tai. As long as there were no issues with grains and crops, the internal structure of Tang Country was equally unbreakable.


    The ¡°gun¡±, the ¡°money bag¡±, the ¡°rice spoon¡±, the ¡°pen¡±, coupled with layers upon layers of intelligence departments... Tang Mo¡¯s control over the Tang Empire was absolutely more far-reaching than any other country.


    No monarch of any country had ever truly achieved ¡°concentrating all the power of the world in oneself¡± like Tang Mo. No emperor ever dared to say they could be so decisive within their own country.


    Tang Mo achieved that. He could even be decisive over other countries! Sitting on that throne in the Forbidden City, every sentence he uttered was taken seriously by those involved.


    The power of monarchs in other countries had to be shared with their prime ministers, divided among various nobility, constantly considering the opinions of other national monarchs, and even swayed by merchants and landlords.


    They were accustomed to compromise from the day they ascended to the throne, to the nobility and to the merchants and landlords...


    Never had anyone like Tang Mo completely eradicated the landlord class, destroyed the Old Nobility, and, against all odds, carved out a clear and unshakable foundation for all eternity.


    But they didn¡¯t have the guts to follow Tang Mo¡¯s example; they didn¡¯t even dare to entertain the thought. Because their position relied on the support of the nobility.


    To them, those eradicated by Tang Mo, considered the root of all evil, were their natural allies. The stepping stones that Tang Mo discarded on his path of advancement were the very cornerstone of their empires¡¯ existence.


    Thus, they were not of the same kind as Tang Mo.


    It was not that they didn¡¯t want to kill Tang Mo; they simply lacked the courage¡ªjust as they lacked the courage to emulate him.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    I have family matters today; the kids have returned from their trip, and I haven¡¯t been able to write... sorry, will make up with three chapters tomorrow, here is my promise to everyone!

 Chapter 930 03-25 - 930 853 most powerful Orcs

    ?Chapter 930: 853 most powerful Orcs Chapter 930: 853 most powerful Orcs If there were to be a Beastman so noble that one must look up to her, and none dared disrespect her, that Beastman¡¯s name would surely be Yue¡¯er.


    Among the three imperial concubines of the Great Tang Empire, Yue¡¯er, from the ¡°Different Races,¡± had always been mysterious, rarely seen by anyone in her true form.


    Due to feeling somewhat inferior about her identity, she rarely appeared in public.


    However, in the factions within the Great Tang Empire, the force she represented could not be underestimated and was even significant enough to contend equally with Alice and Yulin.


    Yue¡¯er oversaw departments like culture and entertainment, which were always lucrative, and her top manager was John, a traitor from the Elf Race.


    This situation was rather intriguing, as these two individuals represented the racial minorities of the Great Tang Empire.


    Thus, both Shen Wuxiong and Shen Wenmao from Mirage Country naturally aligned closely with Yue¡¯er, and Mathews, the Minister of Industry, also highly supported Yue¡¯er¡¯s environmental protection work.


    ...


    Now, with the development of the Great Tang Empire, more and more Beastmen deemed this Beastman Empress their spiritual totem.


    The restored prince of the fallen Beastman Kingdom from the Eastern Continent could never have imagined that a beauty he once presented had now become almost the highest-ranking entity among the Beastmen.


    Indeed, the restored Beastman Kingdom in the Eastern Continent had ultimately disappeared into the dust of history, and its Beastmen had become slaves of the Poplar Empire and Ice Cold Empire.


    Tragically, since the Great Tang Empire was then engaged in fierce battle in the Western Continent, it could hardly attend to such a pitiable Beastman Kingdom. Its demise seemed predestined, barely stirring a ripple in history.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± a robust Beastman knelt on one knee, bowing his head in front of Yue¡¯er. He had a somewhat human appearance, hence he became one of the few spokespeople for Beastman slaves within the boundaries of the Great Tang Empire.


    Not all Beastmen would become slaves, and the Great Tang Empire was not disinclined to accept any Beastmen¡ªbeing that one of Tang Mo¡¯s consorts was a Beastman, in a sense, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s attitude towards Beastmen was somewhat better than that of other countries.


    ¡°Rise!¡± Yue¡¯er now had a new job, nominally overseeing all goblin and Beastman slaves within the Great Tang Empire.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï??¦Ï.§ã?


    Having worked in the Great Tang Empire for so long, the number of goblin slaves had already dropped to around 100,000. As time passed, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s attitude towards these diligent workers was also changing.


    At least, having mastered certain technologies, Tang People no longer wasted these skilled laborers as they used to.


    Although these goblins were physically inferior to Beastmen and humans, they could undertake many special jobs: like crawling into sewers, climbing chimneys, or cleaning the glass on high-rise buildings. Additionally, they worked in paint factories and chemical plants.


    After several years of work, these goblins¡¯ conditions had also much improved: their one meal a day had become two, those who lived in tents might now have dorms, and instead of being beaten or shouted at, they were treated more civilly now.


    However, they still couldn¡¯t obtain citizenship of the Great Tang Empire, nor could they ever identify themselves as Tang People¡ªeven Shen Wuxiong and Shen Wenmao didn¡¯t have this privilege.


    They could only identify themselves as slaves¡ªalthough these two were slaves of the Tang Country, not just any goblins that could be insulted at will by those from Mirage Country.


    After all, these goblins were obligated to redeem themselves through their actions: the atrocities committed on Dongwan Island and the sins of Beiyuan City had to be repaid.


    In the second year of the Great Tang Empire, the Tang State Envoy officially notified the Foreign Minister of Mirage Country, presenting two options: The first was to amend their historical records and revise their textbooks, removing references to Shen Wuxiong and Shen Wenmao as bridges of friendship between Tang and Mirage; the second option was to send Shen Wuxiong back to his country on an imperial warship of the Great Tang Empire to serve as the Prime Minister of Mirage Country...


    The King of Mirage Country still had some integrity, promptly ordering the amendment of their historical records. From then on, Shen Wenmao and Shen Wuxiong no longer bore the stigma of treachery, but were referred to as national heroes...


    Following that, the Emperor of Mirage Country ordered textbook revisions, expressing his dissatisfaction with the domineering behaviour of the Great Tang Empire through concrete actions: he ordered deletions, not just revisions, of any material concerning Shen Wenmao and Shen Wuxiong¡¯s loss of Dongwan Island, national humiliation, and betrayal by surrendering to the Great Tang and harming their compatriots.


    These two slaves were so grateful that they wept openly, vowing to serve the Great Tang Empire with utter devotion unto death¡ªwhether it was genuine emotion or fear, only they would know.


    Now, the physical labor once performed by goblins had largely been transferred to Beastman slaves. In a way, this also marked the beginning of a new era.


    Beastman slaves were more robust and capable¡ªThe Emperor of the Great Tang Empire also showed them particular favor, allowing them to eat two meals a day.


    According to the dietary standards of the Tang Empire, these orcs thought they had been rescued into heaven. They worked diligently every day and quickly adapted to their new lives.


    Many orc leaders also emerged, and Yue¡¯er was currently receiving the highest-ranking orc leader among the slave orcs of the Tang Empire.


    Despite being accustomed to seeing cat-eared beauties, the orcs were still shocked by the beauty of Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯er when they saw her.


    Unlike those clad in beast skins, Yue¡¯er, dressed in exquisite attire, made the orc leader feel somewhat ashamed of himself.


    ¡°Impudence!¡± scolded the female bodyguard standing behind Yue¡¯er, as the orc had forgotten to bow when he saw the Imperial Concubine and just stared straight at Yue¡¯er¡¯s face, which was audacious.


    Hearing the scold, the orc quickly bowed his head, remembering his status: he was just a slave leader, and from all aspects, had no right to look directly at his superiors.


    ¡°I hope you can serve the Empire better... do not disappoint His Majesty or me. As a reward for your outstanding performance at work, I hereby award you a third-class foreign medal. Always remember diligence and loyalty, setting an example for the orcs.¡± Yue¡¯er went through the motions, reciting her lines.


    As she spoke, a beautiful orc cat-eared girl stepped forward and hung a very exquisite medal on the chest of the orc.


    Due to the audience with Imperial Concubine, the orc leader¡¯s outfit was new, made from silky fabrics he had never seen before, making him walk awkwardly.


    Only when he arrived in Chang¡¯an did he realize how wonderful this world could be. The territories controlled by orcs, compared to the majestic city before him, were almost like hell.


    ¡°This humble one diligently follows your teachings...¡± The orc leader knelt on one knee again, this time remembering the etiquette training he had received before his arrival, without any hesitation.


    He knew that if he made any presumptuous moves because of distraction, the hard-earned position of leader he had would be replaced by someone else.


    Even among orc tribes, anyone coveting the Great Chieftain¡¯s or Kong¡¯s beautiful wife or concubine would be thrown into the arena to be torn apart by wild beasts.


    Let alone desecrating the Imperial Concubine of the Emperor of the Tang Empire¡ª even the dumbest orcs, after a year in the Tang Empire, understood just how vast the Emperor¡¯s divine reach was.


    He could never convey how nervous he was the first time he flew in an airplane at 4,000 meters. From the moment he left the ground, his heart hung in his throat.


    Growing up in the desert, he never imagined that one day orcs could fly in the sky, let alone walk shoulder to shoulder with the clouds.


    Because orc slaves didn¡¯t carry the sins of Dongwan Island and Beiyuan City, they had a higher status than the goblins: at least their leaders could call themselves humble rather than slaves.


    ¡°Dismissed.¡± The Ritual Officer impatiently reminded the kneeling orc leader. The leader¡¯s earlier insolent action of staring at the Imperial Concubine had indeed embarrassed him.


    Those who knew thought this fool deserved to die, while those who didn¡¯t, might think the Ritual Officer had failed to educate the idiot.


    ¡°The timing is just right.¡± Watching the orc leader leave through the door, the secretary beside him checked his wristwatch and expressed satisfaction.


    Yue¡¯er stretched lazily, feeling very tired. Her current workload was significantly busier than when she was studying.


    ¡°Announce... Shen Wuxiong, Shen Wenmao for an audience!¡± Seeing that the Imperial Concubine had composed herself and exchanged a glance with the secretary, the Ritual Officer called out with a raised voice.


    The doors were pushed open by the guards, and two short-statured goblins in tailored grand attire began their elaborate salutations upon entering. This wasn¡¯t their first audience with the royal family, so they were very familiar with the procedure.


    The two, who had been barely surviving in the Tang Empire for nearly ten years, were extremely skilled in their tasks, prostrating at the door without daring to breathe heavily: ¡°The servants greet Imperial Concubine!¡±


    ¡°I hope you two can serve the Empire better... do not disappoint His Majesty or me. As a reward for your significant contributions to work, I hereby award you a third-class foreign medal. Always remember diligence and loyalty, setting an example for the orcs.¡± Yue¡¯er didn¡¯t bother asking them to rise and promptly began the formalities.


    The Ritual Officer didn¡¯t find anything inappropriate with Yue¡¯er¡¯s approach, instead looking down at the two goblins pinning medals on themselves, finding them much more pleasing to the eye.


    Ah, these old slaves were truly honest. See... without being allowed to raise their heads, they wouldn¡¯t even dare to look at Her Highness¡¯s shoes¡ªwhat is this? It is being sensible!


    Finally, the morning¡¯s audience concluded. In the afternoon, Her Highness also had an appointment to meet with the Minister of Industrial Affairs, Mathews, to discuss matters of energy conservation and emission reduction.

 Chapter 931 03-25 - 931 Ideal No. 854 Cruise Ship

    ?Chapter 931: Ideal No. 854 Cruise Ship Chapter 931: Ideal No. 854 Cruise Ship The ¡°Ideal¡± cruise liner was even more massive than the Titanic, capable of carrying 2,500 people with a displacement of over 50,000 tons. The ship even boasted an open-air swimming pool, adorned with unparalleled luxury.


    This colossal cruise liner could travel across the ocean at a speed of 45 kilometers per hour, placing it as the fifth-largest civilian passenger ship in the world at that moment.


    The remaining four vessels were also on the Endless Sea, handling the maritime transportation between Great Tang Empire and Chu Country, Great Tang Empire and Ice Cold Empire, Great Tang Empire and Poplar Empire, and Great Tang Empire and Dorne Empire.


    Due to economic recovery, ships were everywhere on the Endless Sea. Most were free vessels, and occasionally one could spot larger ships, which almost always flew the Dragon Banner of the Great Tang Empire.


    These giant ships were unchallenged on the sea surface, and with the countries¡¯ navies rapidly increasing their warships, this area once filled with pirates now rarely heard tales of ships being robbed.


    After all, back then, obtaining a sailing ship was easy, but it was somewhat difficult to maintain a steamship now. And to obtain cannon and stockpile ammunition was even more difficult.


    Standing on this enormous ship and looking into the distance, Pan Qi felt as if she were on top of a building, looking down at the ground. The sharp bow sliced through the sea, with foamy waves churning beneath her and vanishing at the edge of her sight.


    ...


    The experience of riding on a ship was entirely different from being aboard a cruise liner. Crowded in the lower cabins and peering out of a round porthole at the near surface of the ocean, one couldn¡¯t truly appreciate the awe the giant ship inspired.


    Only by standing in the VIP area, stepping on the orange-red wooden floors, and looking out through large windows to the outside sea could one enjoy the true pleasure of a cruise trip.


    The waiters around her, dressed in immaculate, snow-white sailor suits, performed every action with precision and politeness. Not far away, a piano was placed, where a waiter with agile fingers played an elegant melody.


    The staircases were exquisitely carved from wood, polished to perfection. Beautiful landscape paintings hung on the walls. A maid diligently wiped the corners with a feather duster, caring for the huge vase placed there, while the bartender seemed to have an endless amount of glasses to polish.


    The sea breeze, slipping through the open windows, grazed the cheek, inducing a lazy, comfortable feeling of leisure and ease.


    Lifting the tea cup in front of her, the delicate fragrance refreshed Pan Qi¡¯s nostrils, causing her to squint her eyes and savor the moment.


    This was the first time she had received such attentive service, the first time she had touched the life of the wealthy. Everything felt so surreal, giving her a slight edge of nervousness amidst the enjoyment.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.??


    It was as if everything around her were figments of a dream, set to vanish like dust upon her awakening.


    Just as she shook off that unreal sense with her heart, she noticed a woman not too far away, engrossed in a newspaper.


    The other woman¡¯s hair really caught the eye, natural big waves resting softly on the shoulders, tempting one to reach out and touch.


    When Pan Qi finally saw the woman¡¯s face, she was captivated by her stunning beauty. The word ¡°flawless¡± came to mind¡ªinstantly.


    Such an exquisitely beautiful face, Pan Qi thought to herself, if only she could be as pretty as this woman. Her gaze then drifted to the necklace around the woman¡¯s neck, a pendant the size of a pigeon¡¯s egg, glittering with blue sapphire.


    God had given this woman a peerless visage and astounding wealth... She must be the daughter of the gods then, so favored by their divine affection.


    The woman leaned casually in her luxurious chair, radiating nobility and aloofness. She was a natural-born aristocrat; even in the plainest clothes, she remained the star with the most noble air in a crowd.


    Pan Qi immediately felt inferior: even though she sat here now, enjoying the highest-end service, she still knew that she was worlds apart from the woman before her.


    If the woman was a star in the heavens, she was a ladybug on the ground. Even with a million Gold Coins, she could never exude the enviable aura inherent in the woman before her in this lifetime.


    While Pan Qi was lost in her thoughts, the woman in the distance seemed to sense eyes upon her and lowered the newspaper, casting her gaze toward Pan Qi.


    What a pair of lovely eyes, their brightness even outshining the dazzling blue sapphire hung around the woman¡¯s neck. Pan Qi wanted to quickly look away, yet the nervousness made her worry that doing so would invite ridicule.


    In a daze, Pan Qi saw the other party raise a hand, the slim fingers twirling twice with agility. The woman greeted her with a face brimming with smiles.


    Seemingly possessed, Pan Qi involuntarily nodded her head in response to the woman¡¯s greeting. She felt an almost irresistible urge to walk over and introduce herself.


    At that moment, a female aristocrat ascended the staircase and walked straight up to the incredibly beautiful woman, blocking Pan Qi¡¯s view.


    Only then did she snap out of it, as if her soul had been hooked away moments before. Her cheeks flushed red, she lowered her head to peer at her own toes, frantically trying to calm her heart that threatened to leap from her throat.


    For an instant, she felt as if she had fallen in love. But she was certain she liked men, and just minutes ago she had been thinking of the young man far away in the Imperial Capital of Dahua.


    When she collected herself, the table was empty, leaving behind only a delicate teacup and a newspaper.


    Upstairs, the Countess asked in a soft voice to the woman walking slightly ahead, ¡°Shall we invite her over to join us tonight?¡±


    ¡°Better less trouble than more; I¡¯m not a cat in heat,¡± Sofia, who had dyed her hair black, coldly spoke while walking, a stark contrast to her smiling greeting to Pan Qi moments earlier.


    She loathed her current self; each glimpse of the black tips at the corner of her eyes filled her with irritation. If not for that damned man, she would never have ended up in such a miserable state!


    ¡°How are the preparations on the other side?¡± Back in her room, Sofia turned around to look at the equally fair and beautiful Countess.


    The Countess closed the door and was about to turn around when Sofia wrapped her arms around her waist, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you weren¡¯t a cat in heat?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to satisfy you, the cat in heat!¡± Sofia¡¯s roaming hands instantly flushed the Countess¡¯s face with color.


    She pretended to struggle but cooperated, wrapping her arms around Sofia¡¯s slim waist, and said, ¡°The contact is ready; you¡¯ll be able to see for yourself the cursed realm that our enemy has created.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great...¡± Sofia admired the Countess¡¯s delicate face, unsure if she was praising the upcoming journey or the Countess herself.


    ¡°Milady...¡± Emotions stirred, the Countess called out in a tender voice.


    The Ideal raced across the vast ocean, drawing ever closer to Linshui Port of the Great Tang Empire. The women in the first-class cabin were also nearing their destination.


    ¡°Dad! I just saw a woman,¡± Pan Qi said to Pan Yiping who was reading the newspaper in their cabin, her tone full of excitement as if she had discovered a new world.


    Pan Yiping looked up, his mood good, and laughed as he asked his daughter, ¡°A woman? What about seeing a woman?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand; I¡¯ve never seen such a beautiful woman before,¡± Pan Qi said, a little excited, moving closer to Pan Yiping and describing the woman extravagantly.


    ¡°Seeing a beautiful woman in the first-class cabin is not surprising, my daughter is also very beautiful,¡± Pan Yiping teased after listening.


    In the eyes of a businessman like himself, it was common for beautiful women to frequent the first-class cabin: stars, socialites, and ladies of high society didn¡¯t need mention, as long as a woman was beautiful enough, it was incredibly easy for her to find wealth.


    Such women were also not to be trifled with: you never knew when she would become the main character¡¯s woman from some novel, and by then regret wouldn¡¯t save you from annihilation.


    Thus, in Pan Yiping¡¯s experience, beautiful women were to be admired from a distance, a survival principle for small-fry like him.


    Seeing her father so uninterested, Pan Qi didn¡¯t bother to say more. She went to her room, threw herself onto her bed, and her mind was filled with the image of that woman greeting her.


    Unexpectedly, indescribably sensual.

 Chapter 932 03-25 - 932 855 new carriers

    ?Chapter 932: 855 new carriers Chapter 932: 855 new carriers The Great Tang Empire always managed to come up with something bizarre and extraordinary, like the way they erected an absurdly tall spire in the very center of the city for reasons unknown.


    This spire, near its tip, also had a huge circular dish, which suddenly infused the entire city with an exotic, magical air.


    At first, no one knew what this structure was meant to do; in fact, many believed it was just a whimsical architectural marvel created on a whim by His Majesty The Emperor.


    Anyway, the people of Chang¡¯an were no longer surprised by such landmark buildings; at first, they marveled at twenty-story buildings, but now the sight of a 200-meter-tall structure left them completely unfazed.


    Yes, this thing was a television tower, or a ¡°signal tower¡± used to transmit television signals before the advent of cable TV.


    To cover a larger and wider area, it had to be built sufficiently tall and equipped with many devices atop.


    With this television signal tower, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s latest technological achievement, ¡°television,¡± could begin to spread and enter thousands of households.


    ...


    For the media, this was a revolution: henceforth, televisions would become the medium, disseminating information in a more direct and efficient way.


    Before the arrival of the internet, this was the dominant media platform, unbeatable for the next decade.


    In Tang Mo¡¯s room, there was a television set: it had a curved screen that truly looked quite outdated.


    Yes, compared to today¡¯s slim, curved liquid crystal displays, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s first batch of televisions could certainly be described as backward.


    It had a mere 12-inch screen, could only show black-and-white images, and received signals using a metal antenna atop the television that could be extended.


    But despite its many faults, it was still the most advanced television in the world: Tang Mo had installed 30 identical sets in his Imperial Palace, ensuring he could watch television programs wherever he was.


    Speaking of programs, the Great Tang Empire initially established only five television channels: Empire Channel 1, Empire Channel 2, Chang¡¯an Channel 1 and Chang¡¯an Channel 2, and Education Channel 1.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã¦Ï


    Other local television stations were still in preparation, with many areas only able to receive broadcast from neighboring major cities.


    The content of these five channels wasn¡¯t extensive either: Empire Channel 1 was almost purely a news channel, broadcasting rolling news throughout the day and scheduling some previously aired movies.


    Empire Channel 2 featured music programs and dramas¡ªvery trendy. The Great Tang Empire¡¯s investment in filming the first drama called ¡°Automobile Factory Tale,¡± depicted a tale of love, hate, separation, and union among automobile workers and textile factory female workers.


    Of course, commercials had to be inserted between TV programs, and the cost of advertising was exorbitantly high: but such advertisements naturally had a tremendous effect, especially when it came to luxury goods.


    Those able to own a television at this time were truly either rich or of the nobility with assured spending power; as long as something piqued their interest, there was no concern about goods not being sold.


    Thus, the first to advertise on television were fine wines, luxury products, and a mishmash of valuable porcelains and luxury automobiles.


    When Tang Mo turned on the television and saw the beautiful and dignified female host announcing various decrees and news, he felt the world he knew had drawn a bit closer to him.


    On the television, a DC-3 transport plane slowly landed on the runway, and the host¡¯s voice was clear and formal: ¡°Yesterday¡¯s news, His Majesty The Emperor returned to Chang¡¯an by plane after inspecting Tongcheng...¡±


    ¡°In this inspection, His Majesty The Emperor commended the workers of the Third Steel Factory for their hard work and perseverance. Completing construction and commencing production three months ahead of schedule has contributed to the nation...¡± The television¡¯s speaker was somewhat distorted, and the picture also twisted slightly with the signal fluctuation.


    Even the arcs on the small screen were endlessly flickering, making it a bit irritating to watch.


    Nonetheless, Tang Mo and the Imperial Concubines sitting beside him were delighted, for this form of entertainment and recreation was at least of profound significance to them.


    The three Imperial Concubines and two Princes were naturally overwhelmed with excitement, as this was their first encounter with the miraculous device known as a television.


    But for Tang Mo, it was different; he was moved by the television: he knew that the convenient, covetable life he longed for would soon be within his reach!


    Almost at the same time, within the Bailu Estate in Chang¡¯an City, the Marquis of Bailu¡¯s eyes were wide open, staring at the screen of the television, nearly dropping his jaw in amazement.


    He could never have dreamed that such a miraculous device existed in the world, allowing one to watch live scenes from the comfort of their own home.


    For a person, the impact was simply too strong. The dignified hostess on the screen could become a familiar star in thousands of households a year from now!


    If this device could become widespread, then the influence of the Empire would reach every place this gadget could.


    The Emperor¡¯s decrees would no longer be deceived, and they could be transmitted directly to the people! The Empire¡¯s decisions would be widely spread, and everyone would have the chance to understand the nation¡¯s will!


    Heaven only knew how important this so-called television was, and heaven knew the extensive influence it would have in the future.


    Even for a moment, the Marquis of Bailu thought of his own expertise: if they could record football matches and broadcast them on television, to what extent would the sport¡¯s influence expand?


    Maybe... maybe it would be worth discussing with His Majesty, the establishment of a sports channel? Thinking of this, the Marquis of Bailu was astonished by his own idea.


    A brand new door opened before him, and in that instant, he felt he may have discovered a golden path to making money!


    ¡°Prepare the car! Prepare the car! I must go to the palace! I want to see His Majesty!¡± After the Marquis of Bailu had this realization, he immediately began shouting with excitement.


    Quickly, his residence buzzed with activity, as the Marquis of Bailu called the Forbidden City to schedule a meeting and then waited anxiously.


    His luxurious Rolls-Royce was ready to go, and his favorite coat was already in the hands of a servant.


    That day, many nobles who had seen the television program felt the shock of the new technology. Soon, whether or not a household had a TV became the new standard for measuring the nobility¡¯s standing.


    If you couldn¡¯t afford a TV in your home, it meant you were not wealthy enough! And if your home couldn¡¯t receive the television signal... well, that meant you lived in too remote an area.


    Of course, nobody would have thought that in just a few months, the price of this new toy, the television, would become very affordable.


    Most of the people of Chang¡¯an could afford it. Even those who were a bit poorer managed to buy a small TV with a 7-inch screen to make do.


    Soon, large cities like Linshui and Tongcheng also had their own local TV stations, and in no time, the term ¡°television¡± became the focus of everyone¡¯s conversation over tea and dinner.


    It was hard to imagine that in many other countries that had just started using electric lights, the people of the Great Tang Empire were already considering getting televisions for their homes.


    The Great Tang Empire was like the victorious Lighthouse Country after World War II, filled with vitality and flourishing everywhere.


    Just as the Marquis of Bailu was meeting with Tang Mo, preparing to invest one million Gold Coins to become a shareholder in the establishment of the Imperial Sports Channel, the Ideal arrived at Linshui Port and disembarked 2,500 passengers at this bustling metropolis.


    On the dock, the seagulls circled the arriving behemoth, crying out. Pan Qi, holding her hat to prevent the sea breeze from blowing it away, once again saw that beautiful woman who had made her blush and heart race.


    She saw the other woman get into a luxurious Rolls-Royce, accompanied by a female noble, and disappear into the end of the road.


    Without a car, Pan Qi and her father, Pan Yiping, walked out of the port. They had been here once before, it was from here that they followed the cargo onto the ship, heading for Brunnis Port.


    Now having returned, they felt a sense of unfamiliarity: the place had changed significantly during the months they were away.


    There were two larger cranes at the new dock, and it appeared there were more high-rise buildings in the distance. What surprised them even more was that a spire had risen abruptly, surpassing the surrounding buildings in its terrifying height.


    ¡°Look, Daddy! That tower over there! It¡¯s so high!¡± Pan Qi¡¯s attention was quickly captured by the new scenery, and the woman she had seen in first class became a thing of the past she no longer thought about.


    ¡°Hmm, it wasn¡¯t there when we left. Looks like it¡¯s newly built,¡± Pan Yiping remarked, feeling somehow more refreshed since arriving at the Great Tang Empire.


    The place had left a deep impression on him when they left: the officials were reasonable, the taxes were fair, and everything seemed to exude a sense of civilization.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ve made a good profit this time. We can¡¯t miss out on the delicacies of the Great Tang. We should eat more,¡± Pan Yiping said to his daughter with a smile.


    Pan Qi, linking her arm with her father¡¯s, followed by servants lugging their heavy luggage, quickly made their way out of the port, taking the opportunity before the second and third-class passengers disembarked.


    In the car, which had departed first from the port, Sofia looked out dreamily at the bustling streets: She had seen Brunnis, once famous throughout the world, and now Linshui City... The former was created by Tang Mo but later taken from him. The latter was newly built by Tang Mo and far surpassed the former.


    Without careful research, it was clear which was the superior.

 Chapter 933 03-25 - 933 856 Scholarship Donation

    ?Chapter 933: 856 Scholarship Donation Chapter 933: 856 Scholarship Donation It must be acknowledged that the fates of people are starkly different; some toil their entire lives for what others are born with.


    You can¡¯t resent others just because their fathers are wealthy. After all, those fathers have also struggled for those bills.


    In truth, Lady Luck is fair. It¡¯s often the case that rich people become poor due to various reasons, and only a few can stay hidden beneath the tide of the era, growing fatter by the day.


    The Marquis of Bailu had made too much money in his lifetime, and his investment philosophy was simple, ¡°Invest in His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s enterprises, and you can¡¯t go wrong!¡± Whatever the Emperor engaged in, he¡¯d follow suit; whatever the Emperor developed, he¡¯d invest.


    With plenty of money at his disposal, he just needed to follow and spend; riches would come his way in time. He understood one truth: Since the Emperor¡¯s days in Brunas until now, His Majesty had never made a losing deal.


    Many knew this, but unfortunately, making money alongside the Emperor required eligibility. Only those nodded upon were worthy to pick up coins in the wake of the Emperor.


    As for those who imitated in secret, they could drink soup, yet the money they made was nothing compared to the profits from directly investing in the Emperor¡¯s ventures.


    ...


    Thus, The Marquis of Bailu was very wealthy, enough so to consider purchasing a private jet. This was a new venture launched by the Great Tang Empire, sounding quite tempting.


    Before, the Marquis of Bailu had bought himself a yacht, which was truly splendid. Taking it out to entertain guests brought him prestige and was far more reliable than luxury cars and mansions.


    However, as the number of wealthy individuals grew, yacht owners proliferated. With the advent of peace, nations began converting their production capacity for civilian use, leading to more shipyards capable of building yachts. Yachts had thus lost their rarity.


    After all, there were far too many rich people in the world: Through exploitation and oppression, they had amassed vast wealth. Compared to commoners across various nations, the wealth of these nobles and magnates was incomparable.


    Being so rich, the Marquis of Bailu had different pursuits in mind. While firmly making a fortune with Tang Mo, he began pondering how to ensure the Bailu Family¡¯s prosperity for generations to come, alongside the everlasting success of the Great Tang Empire.


    Nobility, nobility. To be called nobility, one must hold the substance of nobility. Otherwise, if every nouveau riche claimed nobility, the concept would fall into disarray, wouldn¡¯t it?


    To make his descendants more intelligent, learned, farsighted, and capable, the Marquis of Bailu spared no effort.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    He sent his eldest son to the Royal College of Finance and Economics, learning under the General Manager of the Great Tang Group, Harry, who had already achieved minor success.


    It seemed his eldest son was set to steer the Bailu Family, to succeed to the new Marquis title after the Marquis of Bailu himself.


    His second son played soccer for the Bailu team and led the team to claim every honor available. Their only regret was that, having taken Tang Country citizenship, they had yet to lift the World Cup...


    Although not very bright, the second son was physically strong and played great soccer, making a name for himself as a world-famous sports star; his lot in life was decent enough.


    The Marquis of Bailu¡¯s greatest concern lay with his third son, who had joined the National Defense Army as a ground crew member of the Air Force. This was a necessary compromise because his third son truly got dizzy on airplanes, thus only suited for ground support. This was the story given to outsiders, while in fact, the son was too fearful to become a pilot and dreaded the front line.


    This unfortunate and cowardly third son, unwilling to endure hardship even within the military¡¯s ranks, had not emerged with any distinction and was but a Lieutenant handling logistics for the Air Force¡¯s ground crew. The mother¡¯s deep love for her son made her wish to keep him off the battlefield, and so, behind the scenes, she solicited many people and pulled numerous strings.


    Like the saying goes, ¡°A tiger father begets a dog son.¡± Unable to make anything of his third son, the Marquis of Bailu felt tremendous frustration and thus channeled his passion toward his youngest son.


    The young age of the Marquis of Bailu¡¯s youngest son meant he was sent straight to the Royal Science and Technology University of the Great Tang to broaden his horizons. He had just enrolled today, and for this spot, the Marquis of Bailu had sold his dignity.


    This youngest son¡¯s academic performance surely wasn¡¯t enough to gain admission to the royal academy, but fortunately, the Marquis of Bailu still held some clout with His Majesty The Emperor.


    Hence, he beseeched Tang Mo¡¯s favor and also donated 1.5 million Gold Coins to build a teaching building for the school. At last, the Marquis of Bailu got his wish, sending his youngest son to the Industrial College for further education.


    To ensure this son, deeply cherished by the lady of the Marquis, obediently attended school, the Marquis of Bailu had a long, earnest, heart-to-heart talk with him and, upon the arrival of the admission notice (bought), gritted his teeth and bought his youngest son the latest model of Rolls-Royce sports car.


    This sports car, with its round hood and strikingly designed headlights, was actually the pioneering classic derivative of the Porsche 911 series: the Porsche 901 sports car.


    Its bold design coupled with a powerful engine made this sports car an instant sensation and an icon among the rich second-generation youth. To possess such a car was to be a star among friends.


    Tang Mo couldn¡¯t be bothered to set up another car brand, so he just included all the high-end brands under Rolls-Royce. Therefore, the Porsche 901 in this world became the Rolls-Royce 901.


    After the youngest son of Marquis of Bailu received his father¡¯s gift, he did give some face to this sports car valued at over a thousand Gold Coins, and finally agreed to study hard at school.


    Thus, on this morning, the fourth young master of the Bailu household, with the help of three maids, managed to brush his teeth and wash his face in a state of half-sleep, his hair a ruffled mess as he walked into the splendid dining room.


    ¡°Look at you! Just look at yourself!¡± Marquis of Bailu, displeased, slapped the newspaper on the table and rebuked angrily.


    ¡°Oh, why are you scolding him? Today is a good day for the start of school. Can¡¯t you be a bit more temperate?¡± The lady of Marquis of Bailu, feeling sorry for her youngest son, opened fire on her husband.


    ¡°You even know it¡¯s the day school starts? Yesterday, you partied with a bunch of scoundrels and riffraff until late at night...¡± Marquis of Bailu clenched his teeth in hatred as he brought up the matter. His younger sons were really one worse than the next.


    The eldest son hardly ever came home and was busy working till late at night; he was the only one who seemed to have some prospects.


    The second son was not bad at playing football; considering the family¡¯s wealth, supporting such a simple-minded yet physically adept individual was not a worry.


    But when it came to the third son, it truly was the classic case of a lost cause. Despite pulling so many strings to send him into the military¡¯s melting pot, the result was just the same¡ªclose to being discharged without achieving anything, completely useless.


    As for the youngest, all he knew was to indulge in food, drink, and play, not even comparable to the third son who at least pretended to be responsible in the Troops. Marquis of Bailu was even somewhat afraid that this fourth son might squander the entire family fortune.


    And what caused Marquis of Bailu the most despair was how, from start to finish, the Bailu Family hadn¡¯t produced a single daughter?


    Imagine if there were a daughter, beautiful and refined, whom he could educate properly... His Majesty The Emperor was only in his thirties now; when His Majesty turned fifty, it would be the perfect time to send her to the palace¡ªa most splendid affair.


    With this thought, Marquis of Bailu grew even more irritated: his fourth son really occupied the most precious slot¡ªdamn, how wonderful it would have been if it were a daughter.


    ¡°Father, my friends were celebrating for me yesterday, and I really couldn¡¯t refuse,¡± the fourth son yawned casually as he offered his reason: ¡°If it won¡¯t do, just let the butler sign in for me. I¡¯ll go after I¡¯ve had my bath.¡±


    ¡°Rascal! If you dare to be late today, I¡¯ll flay your skin!¡± Marquis of Bailu slammed the table, finally showing the authority of a family head: ¡°I had to beg His Majesty, besmirching my own reputation, just to barely secure a spot for you! If you dare cause any trouble, I¡¯ll...¡±


    ¡°Enough! Enough! Let¡¯s eat! Let¡¯s eat!¡± The lady of Marquis of Bailu, displeased, interrupted her husband. As a wife of many years, she knew exactly how to handle him.


    Despite Marquis of Bailu¡¯s sway outside, at home, he still had to listen to his wife, didn¡¯t he?


    Nearly choking on his own breath, Marquis of Bailu eventually kept the swear words to himself. He didn¡¯t even bother with his meal but pointed a finger at his youngest son before leaving the dining room.


    The fourth son poured a glass of milk for his mother, smiling sycophantically: ¡°Mom, you really care about me. Drink milk, they say it¡¯s good for the skin.¡±


    His smooth talking was honed in bars and nightclubs, and last night¡¯s venue was the most notorious gold pit in Chang¡¯an City.


    The lady of Marquis of Bailu was very pleased with her son¡¯s filial piety. To her, as long as her son was filial, it outweighed everything else.


    Seeing he had appeased his mother, the fourth young master grew even more smug. He ate a few bites and then excused himself to go to school, leaving the dining room.


    He got into a Rolls-Royce Mirage parked at the door waiting for him, accompanied by two cars full of Guards for protection; the trio of luxury vehicles soon drove out of Bailu Estate.


    Chang¡¯an City was home to more than a dozen universities, probably the city with the most universities in the world: besides ten title-carrying royal universities, Chang¡¯an University was also a very prestigious comprehensive institution.


    The city was a gathering place for all the world-class scholars and masters, its title as the jewel in the crown of civilization was not at all undeserved.


    If at this time, a nuclear missile successfully struck Chang¡¯an, the civilization of this world might be set back at least a hundred years.


    Seeing his son being ¡®watched¡¯ off to school by a group of people, Marquis of Bailu finally breathed a sigh of relief: once at school, one couldn¡¯t possibly cause any earth-shattering events, right?

 Chapter 934 03-25 - 934 The Tragic Day of 857

    ?Chapter 934: The Tragic Day of 857 Chapter 934: The Tragic Day of 857 Marquis of Bailu counted as one of the top aristocratic families in the Tang Empire. If wealth alone were to be considered, they might rank even higher.


    After all, the Tang Empire had only been established for just over a decade and hadn¡¯t had the time to solidify a real aristocracy, so most of the so-called noble families were outsiders.


    There was no need to mention the Royal Family. Although they were incomparably noble, there were no more than six people who could truly be called royals ¨C nowhere near the scale of other empires, with their hundreds or thousands of extended royal relatives dragging along.


    The remaining Ministers were ¡°lone wolves,¡± still too early in their careers to develop family enterprises: some military officers had only recently established households, their children still ruling the roost in elementary school.


    Civil Ministers were even more varied: Harry had only married a few years ago, Prime Minister Roger had only taken a wife last year, Mathews was even a Dwarf, and Ministers like Parksimon Vancoms were mostly in the same boat.


    Nangong Hong was still single, and Elf John had a plethora of girlfriends but no son to speak of. Therefore, within the Tang Empire, the Bailu family held considerable prestige.


    Thus, when the fourth son of the Marquis of Bailu entered the school, he naturally attracted the attention of numerous female students: with a Rolls-Royce dropping him at the school gates, blending in was out of the question.


    ...


    Under the gaze of these female students, the fourth young master of Bailu suddenly felt that going to school might not be such a bad thing after all. He headed into the school with his cronies in tow, only to find that while he was allowed in, his cronies were stopped by the guards.


    ¡°They¡¯re all my servants. Why can¡¯t they come in?¡± The fourth young master had never received such treatment; wherever he went, he was usually surrounded by a crowd of attendants.


    ¡°Only students, teachers, and school workers may enter the school... All other idle persons are not permitted inside!¡± The guard politely informed him of the royal technological university¡¯s rules.


    ¡°Who will guarantee my safety if I don¡¯t have my servants and bodyguards with me?¡± The fourth young master felt the guard was intentionally making things difficult for him.


    ¡°The safety of the students and staff here is ensured by the security department,¡± the guard replied, chin held high, with a firm tone.


    ¡°You...¡± The fourth young master wanted to intimidate the guard with a few more words, but upon noticing the 56-type assault rifle slung over the guard¡¯s shoulder, he thought better of it.


    He decided to have someone investigate the school¡¯s security department when he got home and then get his mother to ask his father to transfer these ignorant fools elsewhere.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã?


    Grinding his teeth, he snatched his backpack from his lackey and entered the school gates with resentment, muttering, ¡°Just you wait!¡±


    ¡°Why waste words? Either go in or get out!¡± Seeing the crowd at the entrance, the duty officer emerged from the gatehouse, his brow furrowed and voice stern, ¡°Which class are you in? Looking for a demerit, are you?¡±


    The fourth young master didn¡¯t know if he was cowed by the officer¡¯s presence or went weak in the knees at the sight of the Beretta handgun at his waist, but he chickened out, grabbed his backpack, and quickly walked away without looking back.


    Yesterday night at the Starry Night Club in Chang¡¯an, he was the respected Bailu fourth young master. This morning at the entrance of the Tang Empire¡¯s Royal Technological University, he was just a tuition-paying audited student...


    Soon, the fourth young master of the Bailu Family realized a serious problem at this school: there were children of farmers who tilled the land, and there were nobles like him who came to study in luxury cars. They all had one thing in common: they were intelligent.


    Regardless of their financial or social status, all these people had sharp minds: they had passed the entrance exams, were academic elites in class, and could flawlessly answer the teachers¡¯ questions, which seemed as obscure as encryptions.


    Unfortunately, the young master couldn¡¯t even understand what the teachers were saying: he recognized every word, but strung together, their meaning eluded him.


    After just one class, he became a philosopher within the technological university, pondering deep questions: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing here?


    ¡°Dude, you¡¯re awesome! Sitting through a whole class without taking notes? Relying completely on your brain? That¡¯s amazing,¡± said the boy sitting next to him, patting his shoulder. It was unclear whether he was mocking or admiring him.


    When I went to school, it was my entourage who took notes... The fourth young master thought to himself with a mixture of amusement and helplessness. For a noble like himself, not having his lackeys answer the exams was already giving the school considerable respect.


    In his distant memory, the blackboard showed equations like X-Y=17, X+Y=86, asking for the values of X and Y... but today, upon looking up, what the heck was the teacher writing on the board? Some cryptic balance equations like those drawn by alchemists in fairy tales?


    Caught off guard, the young master hadn¡¯t figured out if he had missed three years of math classes when a new teacher entered and began cleaning the blackboard.


    Suddenly, he realized that the people around him had changed to faces he didn¡¯t recognize, and that he shouldn¡¯t continue to stay in this classroom.


    So, amidst the snickers of others, he tucked his backpack underarm and made an embarrassed dash out of the classroom, turning in the now-empty corridor to rummage through his backpack for his schedule to figure out where he was supposed to go next.


    ¡°I say, that student!¡± A teaching patrol who happened to pass by approached with his hands behind his back, encountering for the first time in the Technology University a fool wandering the halls during class.


    ¡°Tea, teacher...¡± The Fourth Young Master looked up and awkwardly explained why he was still in the corridor during class time, ¡°I had a bad stomach, just, just came out of the restroom.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay? Shall I take you to the medical room?¡± The patrol was understanding, and his rebuke turned into concern. After all, those who could enter this school were the cream of the crop and deserved all the goodness in the world.


    ¡°No, no need.¡± The Fourth Young Master hurriedly waved his hand.


    Look! See what it means to not leave your post even when wounded! There¡¯s a reason people study well! Even with a bad stomach, he didn¡¯t want to miss class, insisting on attending lectures. What spirit is this? This is the legendary spirit of perseverance in the endless sea of learning!


    Touched by the Fourth Young Master, the patrol let him off the hook and escorted the pitiable Bailu Fourth Young Master to the classroom he was supposed to be in, even explaining to the teacher the reason for his tardiness.


    However, when the Fourth Young Master entered the classroom, he saw the blackboard covered with chemical molecular structures. The good news was he recognized all the symbols since he had memorized the periodic table. The bad news was that he did not recognize what those symbols made up...


    Tragic experiences are always strikingly similar. All of a sudden, the Fourth Young Master began to miss the Chinese literature classes he had attended at school¡ªat least in those classes, he could understand what the teacher was saying.


    Learning his lesson, he finally adjusted to the pace after the class ended because he couldn¡¯t understand what the teacher was saying and could only check the schedule and the classroom for the next class.


    Finally, after a morning of torture, the Bailu Fourth Young Master still arrived at the most friendly place to him in the Royal Technology University: the canteen.


    As a gourmet, the Fourth Young Master studied food closely. Here, he found his own sense of belonging, and he thoroughly showed the three new friends he had just met what professionalism meant, ¡°Radishes not picked right, too much tendon, failure! The pork skin is too mushy, no bite to it, failure! The blood cake is too mushy too, falling apart on picking it up, a failure among failures... How does one eat in this cafeteria?¡±


    ¡°Fourth Bro is awesome! We thought the food here was pretty good, but after Fourth Bro¡¯s review, it turns out we¡¯ve never really tasted what¡¯s truly good,¡± one student had already started calling the Fourth Young Master ¡®big brother¡¯¡ªno helping it, Gold Coin is still appealing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you guys to Starry Night for dinner. The chefs there aren¡¯t great, but at least they care about the ingredients.¡± Finally, in that moment, the Bailu Fourth Young Master found a bit of a familiar feeling.


    Unfortunately, that familiar feeling lasted only a few seconds before it was dispelled by his three classmates, ¡°No need, I have to review Chemistry tonight, or I¡¯ll forget everything.¡± ¡°What are you joking? We have bed checks, Fourth Bro.¡± ¡°Stop kidding, if someone recognizes that I went to Starry Night, my dad will have me castrated.¡±


    ¡°Sigh...¡± The Fourth Young Master sighed, not knowing whether it was for himself or for the three classmates who couldn¡¯t go to the Starry Night club.


    The afternoon¡¯s gym class was straightforward military training. The Fourth Young Master had long been drained by wine and pleasure and had no strength left to persevere. As a result, this pampered young master was directly kicked out of the line by the coach.


    After being tormented for hours, the Fourth Young Master could no longer hold it together; he decided to curse the teacher who beat him.


    ¡°How dare you hit me?¡± He struggled to stand up and wanted to rush forward, immediately getting restrained by a few classmates.


    ¡°Teacher, we are sorry, he ate too much at noon!¡± ¡°Teacher, he¡¯s delirious from heatstroke.¡± A few students apologized to the teacher while holding back the Bailu Fourth Young Master.


    The teacher, who looked about sixty with a balding head, saw the dissent on the Fourth Young Master¡¯s face, rolled up his sleeves, and snickered, ¡°He dares to fight back? Come on, let him go, let him come!¡±


    The Fourth Young Master got even more agitated at this, ¡°Do you know who I am? You dare to hit me! I will make sure you can¡¯t remain a teacher!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the old man laughed, ¡°Ha! I truly don¡¯t know who you are. I¡¯ve been beating failing dullards in my classes for over a decade, starting with Galsa and Dino, Yulin, then Strauss, Bolton... Today, I really want to see who can stop me from being a teacher!¡±


    A hush fell... Suddenly, the noisy line quieted down. The classmates let go of the Fourth Young Master¡¯s hands and cleared a path for him: Brother, you really are brave. Go on, let¡¯s have our eyes opened to see what it means to have the power to reach to the sky.


    The names this old man mentioned seemed familiar... The Bailu family¡¯s Fourth Young Master recalled, and after realizing who they were, the scene in front of him started spinning.


    It¡¯s so hot... Am I having a heatstroke?


    ¡°Teacher is mighty! You haven¡¯t even made a move, and the scoundrel has already fallen!¡± Faintly, before he passed out, he heard a group of students creatively complimenting.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Two updates today, entangled in trifles for two days, will make up updates tomorrow, the matters are resolved, guaranteed updates for tomorrow.

 Chapter 935 03-25 - 935 A call from an old friend at 858

    ?Chapter 935: A call from an old friend at 858 Chapter 935: A call from an old friend at 858 ¡°What? My son fainted at school? Didn¡¯t I send someone to follow him? How could he faint?¡± The Marquise was furious when she first heard that her son had fainted at school.


    Who does she think she is? Back in Dorne, she was from a distinguished family, and her own family was a well-known great nobility of the locale.


    Being able to marry into the Bailu Family was indeed a match of equals, and it was only because the Marquis of Bailu¡¯s status had soared with the Great Tang Group in recent years that she seemed somewhat out of her league.


    If we were to go back ten years or so, it would still be unclear who would have the final say in this household! Indignant, she slapped the table, deciding to go to the school and demand justice.


    It was just a broken school, after all. If they didn¡¯t give the Bailu Marquisate an explanation, she would have her husband overturn their tables!


    Even if her husband did not care about this matter, she herself was not without her own influence. After all, lately, he had been quite close to the Prime Minister¡¯s delicate wife.


    This Roger, the current Prime Minister, held a lofty status, and even His Majesty The Emperor held him in high esteem. This man, who had always been by the side of His Majesty The Emperor, had never married, and now that he had finally settled down, the young delicate wife he brought into the Prime Minister¡¯s residence naturally held an extraordinary status.


    ...


    Speaking of which, that young lady was quite charming, and no one knew how she had caught the eye of Prime Minister Roger. Coming from a background with no family name to speak of, she was a common girl who suddenly rose to phoenix-like heights.


    Not wanting to embarrass her husband, this wife of the Prime Minister sought out the Marquise after meeting her to learn court etiquette, hoping to not disgrace her husband at banquets and similar events.


    The two of them gradually became best friends, and if you were to say that within the Great Tang Empire, there was something Prime Minister Roger couldn¡¯t handle, the Marquise would not believe it.


    It was precisely because of these many relationships that the Marquise felt so fearless. Besides, this time it was her son who had been wronged at school ¨C it was the Bailu Marquisate that suffered the slight. For a great noble like her, it was already good enough that she did not bully others. Now being bullied herself made her feel that she was even more in the right, able to take advantage of the situation.


    Isn¡¯t the facade of nobility and the awe of privilege built in this way? Seizing every opportunity to display one¡¯s power, ultimately establishing one¡¯s status above all others.


    Previously, the Great Tang Empire had always been trying hard to prevent the nobility from coming into prominence, but now it was time to remind those despicable commoners what it meant to be high nobility.


    The Royal Family itself was the greatest nobility, so how could they just turn a blind eye and watch the nobility that supported them crumble into dust?


    Source: , updated on ?0¦Í?0.?¦Ï


    The more she thought about it, the more the Marquise felt she was in the right, and she was even ready to pick up the phone and have a nice chat with her little confidante, to touch base and with shared indignation, confront the school.


    On the other hand, the Marquis of Bailu was discussing cotton-related business with several merchants in the Bailu Group office in Chang¡¯an.


    Guangmian of Qin Country was an excellent place for growing cotton, and hence it got its name. It was Harry¡¯s new task given to him ¨C to try by all means to get cotton from there, including the cotton from the Orc regions, to Great Tang Empire.


    Do not be fooled by the glamour the Marquis of Bailu outwardly displayed. For many who wished to meet any high official of the Great Tang Empire, the most convenient method was through the Marquis of Bailu.


    But as the adage goes, one knows best oneself whether they feel warm or cold. The vast estates and businesses of the Marquis of Bailu depended on their association with the Great Tang Group, and only by playing the role of toady had he gained his status.


    That awe-inspiring amount of Gold Coins was nothing but a drop in the bucket, the tip of the iceberg for the backstage Great Tang Group. He exhausted his wits to manage the Bailu Group in the harsh world of business, where any decision could mean life or death.


    Rubbing his sore shoulders, the Marquis of Bailu finally ended the meeting and was about to instruct his secretary to get him a cup of tea when he received a call from the school.


    ¡°Lord Marquis,¡± said the department head who called, speaking quite politely, ¡°your son has fainted during physical education class. It may be that our school¡¯s physical training is somewhat too rigorous, and your son¡¯s physical constitution couldn¡¯t keep up with the requirements.¡±


    To be honest, when he first heard that his son had encountered a problem at school, the Marquis of Bailu was very displeased¡ªhe had donated more than 1.5 million Gold Coins and even sought the favor of His Majesty The Emperor. To have an incident occur on just the first day he sent his child to them, they were taking his status as Marquis too lightly.


    At first, he was worried that his son was causing trouble at school, but now hearing that his child had fainted, he instinctively felt uneasy.


    However, out of respect for the face of this royal technological university, he still managed to steady his emotions, maintaining the dignity of a qualified noble patriarch: ¡°It¡¯s true that the child lacks physical exercise; your school¡¯s strict requirements are right, but he has been coddled from a young age... He still needs your special attention.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, the physical education curriculum is a hard standard set by His Majesty The Emperor himself,¡± the department head explained, giving Marquis Bailu some face, ¡°Due to his special status, your son was placed in the best class of this department, which naturally has higher requirements.¡±


    What he meant to imply was a subtle reminder to Marquis Bailu that his son did receive preferential treatment at the school, and that the institution was also regretful that such an incident had occurred.


    The other implication was: If your child can¡¯t keep up with the school¡¯s pace, then pack up and leave, and don¡¯t cause trouble for both yourself and the school. We only train the elite here, trash please sort yourselves out!


    Marquis Bailu was a clever and cunning man and could certainly read between the lines of the school¡¯s message. His son had merely fainted, not died. Making a big fuss about it would do him no good.


    Therefore, his instinct was to downplay the situation¡ªhandle things quietly; a low profile is the key to longevity. Surviving is what truly matters.


    Seeing that Marquis Bailu was being understanding, and didn¡¯t even inquire much about his child¡¯s condition, the department head¡¯s tone warmed up a bit. After a brief chat, he hung up the phone.


    The foundation of the Great Tang¡¯s establishment is the militarized management and education of its schools. All academies, including the Royal Academy of Arts, require paramilitary training.


    All students must meet absolute physical fitness standards, train in stabbing and shooting, and be capable of joining the military and going to battle without any issues. It might be an exaggeration to say one student could take on ten thugs, but one to three is a high probability of success.


    Furthermore, the Great Tang Military Academy, the predecessor of the ten royal academies, had a tradition of martial duels. Who would be the top of the grade was something that had to be fought for with fists. Even the teachers in the school were happy to see this develop and hardly ever intervened.


    With such a glorious tradition, one can imagine what the physical education classes at the school were like: the bottom line was that as long as you weren¡¯t beaten to death, you were fine.


    Whether it was Harry, Galsa, Dino, or Yulin and Yue¡¯er, they had all made a name for themselves through real combat in school. General Strauss of the military and Bolton, who used to be the ones getting thrashed, were juniors back then.


    Therefore, in such an environment, a teacher hitting a student was simply not a big deal; it was actually more troubling if they couldn¡¯t be bothered to hit you.


    After hanging up the phone, Marquis Bailu didn¡¯t see it as a problem. He would just go home in the evening, encourage his child, then spend some money on rewards, and have him continue his studies the next day.


    What he didn¡¯t expect was that just a few minutes later, the phone rang once again, and it was unexpectedly another acquaintance.


    ¡°Marquis, your fourth son is truly a talent,¡± the person on the other end didn¡¯t bother to identify themselves, confident that Marquis Bailu would recognize his voice.


    Bailu indeed recognized who it was, his laughter somewhat unnatural, ¡°Director Li... what do you mean by this? What trouble has my fourth son caused that you¡¯ve personally called me?¡±


    A phone call from Li¡¯ao, the Director of the Imperial Security Bureau, wouldn¡¯t make anyone comfortable. This old man didn¡¯t show up unless there was serious business, and his words always carried an unsettling chill.


    ¡°You¡¯ll soon find out what he¡¯s done, but are you prepared? Prepared to face an investigation by the Imperial Security Bureau?¡± Li¡¯ao continued to ask in his unhurried manner.


    ¡°What? Director Li! ...I wouldn¡¯t dare joke about this! I, I... you... I mean, what on earth has my son done...¡± Marquis Bailu stammered upon hearing that the director of the recently officially renamed spy agency from the Security Bureau to the Imperial Security Bureau was going to investigate him.


    After all, in the United States, how many have had a good outcome after being targeted by the FBI? Moreover, to this point, he had no idea why he was being targeted, which was the most terrifying part.


    ¡°I suspect you question the state policy of the Empire, obeying the Emperor¡¯s orders in appearance but defying them in secret, and shaking the foundation of the state... However, there aren¡¯t any precise accusations. As an old friend, I¡¯m giving you a heads-up, urging you to not stray from the right path,¡± Li¡¯ao¡¯s tone remained as infuriating as ever, making Marquis Bailu tremble with fear.


    Li¡¯ao knew about this matter very quickly because the Imperial Security Bureau had its agents placed within the school, and the few students who managed to sneak in through connections were also under his surveillance.


    After the fourth son of the Bailu Family caused a disturbance, he received reports from his subordinates. There wasn¡¯t anything special about the content, and it didn¡¯t necessarily require his personal attention.


    However, Marquis Bailu¡¯s noble status was somewhat sensitive, and the whole incident revealed signs that were impossible to ignore.


    On one hand, the status of the nobility in Tang Country had been weakened; Tang Mo had not bestowed any substantial power to the new nobles of the Empire, only giving them some opportunities to become wealthy.


    This was completely different from the nobility in other countries: the nobility in Tang Country were severely suppressed, being ¡°wealthy people¡± without much influence.

 Chapter 936 03-25 - 936 859 always needs to compare to find out who is right

    ?Chapter 936: 859 always needs to compare to find out who is right Chapter 936: 859 always needs to compare to find out who is right And when these wealthy individuals became dissatisfied with their political status and began to reach into schools, even preparing to change some of the ecosystem within, did it not mean they were questioning the decisions of the Emperor?


    Another serious matter was that the Empire valued education and the quasi-military management within it, which was the foundation of Tang Country¡¯s rapid rise and an important part of national policy¡ªif worms started to gnaw away at this foundation, did it not signify a form of destruction, a betrayal?


    The issue could be large or small, and it was also the reason why Li¡¯ao made the phone call: a private reminder as a friend, warning Marquis of Bailu to not choose the wrong path. As for whether Marquis of Bailu truly intended to represent the Nobility in this matter, that was for Bailu himself to decide.


    If Bailu was determined to test the Empire¡¯s attitude toward the Nobility and the wealthy individuals who first became affluent, then Li¡¯ao would not mind personally seeing this old friend out the door.


    If the situation was merely caused by a foolish second-generation rich kid stirring up trouble, then it was easy to resolve: just have the rich kid roll away and never show up again.


    ¡°I will report to His Majesty in this manner, you better handle your family¡¯s mess quickly, and stop causing trouble for His Majesty... Old! Friend!¡± After finishing, Li¡¯ao hung up the phone.


    On the other end, listening to the dial tone on the phone, Marquis of Bailu finally realized that his son had done something more than just fainting at school.


    ...


    Consequently, the Marquis of Bailu, unable to sit still any longer, had his secretary grab his coat and hurried home with him.


    ...


    Having placed the phone down, the Prime Minister¡¯s wife felt somewhat anxious. She was merely the daughter of a merchant from Zheng Country and had no extraordinary background.


    It was only through a foolish encounter at a banquet with a man who was but a year older than her own father that the events which had followed exceeded all her imagination.


    It turned out that this man was the Prime Minister of the Empire, and her gentleness had left a deep impression on him¡ªthus, she became the wife of the most powerful Minister in the Empire.


    To be frank, she wasn¡¯t quite accustomed to, nor did she dare to wield, the power she might have already held in her hands. While others thought a word from her could start a tempest, all she thought about every day was learning from the cook how to make soup for her husband.


    She felt dull, incapable of doing anything right or assisting her husband. Therefore, she instinctively remained cautious, firmly determined not to cause any trouble for her husband.


    Source: , updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    That¡¯s why she had approached the wife of Marquis of Bailu to learn court etiquette so that she could blend in with everyone at banquets and be inconspicuous.


    This was a commoner¡¯s political wisdom: since she knew nothing, it was better to do nothing at all! By doing nothing, she could avoid mistakes, and by avoiding mistakes, she could prevent any disastrous situations from arising¡ªavoiding trouble was the best support she could offer her husband.


    This time, after receiving a call from the wife of Marquis of Bailu, her first reaction was not to help bail out the Marquis¡¯s wife by putting pressure on the school but instead to give her husband a call.


    ¡°Darling.¡± Roger, who was organizing reports on the Empire¡¯s agricultural land, picked up the phone, his tone oozing tenderness. His new wife might not be beautiful, but she was gentle and virtuous, taking very good care of him¡ªmaking this old tree sprout new leaves. He was very satisfied and deeply cherished his wife.


    His wife never called him during work; they would discuss everything once he returned home at night. So, after receiving this call, Roger was quite worried that his wife might be in trouble at home.


    Once he heard from his wife about the Marquis¡¯s wife¡¯s request, the smile on Roger¡¯s face grew even wider: who said his wife didn¡¯t understand politics? Wasn¡¯t she far stronger than those self-proclaimed smart women?


    ¡°Just pretend this never happened. If she continues to come to you, you tell her plainly, compeling the school to deal with a teacher is something not even I can do!¡± Roger advised his wife, ¡°Also, you don¡¯t need to study court etiquette anymore, honestly, His Majesty doesn¡¯t care much for that.¡±


    There were many senior officials in the Great Tang Empire who were married, but few had married noble ladies or daughters of distinction, so big brother shouldn¡¯t laugh at little brother¡ªthe etiquette of gatherings wasn¡¯t actually that strict.


    Tang Mo was unconcerned about this. He was one of those people who talked about work with such enthusiasm that he would spontaneously invite Ministers to stay for a meal. There were no strict protocols about not speaking while eating or resting.


    As long as you didn¡¯t inexplicably flip the tables during the banquet, actually, no one would care what you were doing¡ªamong the Imperial Concubines, Yulin and Yue¡¯er spent more time learning to fight and shoot than on etiquette training. Although Alice was from the Nobility, she was a wild spirit who enjoyed horse riding and hunting, and talking to her about gantry cranes seemed to pique her interest more than discussing facial creams and lipsticks.


    Hearing what her husband said, the Prime Minister¡¯s wife knew what to do: My husband said, don¡¯t play with fools...


    After hanging up the phone, Roger pondered for a moment and shook his head, muttering to himself, ¡°This Marquis of Bailu is quite interesting... What exactly does he want to do? Or is it merely an accident?¡±


    There could be another bloody conflict! The contradictions between the Empire¡¯s national policy and the Old Nobility, the clashes with those conservative landlords and aristocratic merchants and politicians... it all requires repeated compromises to persist.


    In the past, it was a trade-off, a compromise, and a game of tug-of-war between the Emperor and the old powers. In the end, both sides had to give way.


    But now, His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang Empire does not intend to back down. He has used the most ferocious means to completely destroy the old order.


    This Empire does not need the Old Nobility, does not need landlords and aristocrats, does not need those leeches that suck the blood of the people.


    But these things will not just sit and wait for death; they will struggle and rebel. They will counterattack again and again, trying to drill holes in steel plates. They will not give up any bit of their interests. Even retaining an inch of ground is, for them, a great victory.


    Because they are most skilled at taking a mile when given an inch, they are best at leaving ant holes in the dam.


    This is a competition of wills, and in the end, the most patient side will surely win: the constant dripping wears away the stone is much mightier than a thunderous blast.


    Unfortunately, this strategy works splendidly against traditional monarchs, almost unbeatable. But for The Emperor of the Tang Empire... at least for now, it does not seem so effective.


    This is a ferocious showdown, where holding the voice of the people, His Majesty The Emperor can destroy any opposing voices in successive purges.


    Even though newspapers from other empires have painted Tang Mo as depraved, cruel, and brutal. Even though many speak of Tang Mo with blood on his hands. Even though many among the Nobility call Tang Mo an executioner, a tyrant.


    But once you push open the front door and look outside, seeing the common people voluntarily hanging the Dragon Banner of Great Tang in their windows, seeing those pilgrims standing in the square before the gates of the Forbidden City, looking at those raising their hands high and chanting long live the Emperor... you will realize that for Great Tang, the Old Nobility and old landlords are completely unnecessary.


    So, trying to summon the spirit of these things... what exactly is the intention?


    After much thought, he decided to call Tang Mo again. After all, this matter could be trivial or significant, but at least from his perspective, the Marquis of Bailu did not have the courage to challenge the fundamental national policy of the Tang Empire.


    It was merely an Old Noble, who had transitioned into the new aristocracy, who occasionally forgot his status and attempted to restore some of the dignity and power he once held.


    There was no need to escalate the issue, but it was essential to nip any potential problem in the bud. It seemed more meaningful to give the Marquis of Bailu a good reminder, making everyone watching this event recall the bloody storm of a few years past.


    Before long, Tang Mo picked up the phone. In his office, Yulin was sitting cross-legged with a smile, waiting for Tang Mo to finish the call with Roger before speaking with her pleasant voice, ¡°Your Majesty, how do you plan to handle this matter?¡±


    ¡°Robert is honored to kick him! Without Robert watching over you kids back then, could you have achieved today¡¯s success?¡± Tang Mo didn¡¯t take the issue of teachers hitting students at the royal school seriously, speaking lightly.


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Yulin chuckled as she looked at Tang Mo, waiting for him to define the nature of the whole incident.


    ¡°Ignore the slap. As for the Marquis of Bailu... I need to deal with him... As for this matter... Let¡¯s just sit on it until those who are watching from the sidelines expose themselves,¡± Tang Mo planned to lure the enemy deep into the fray.


    ¡°Got it, so you still intend to take care of a batch?¡± Yulin nodded her head, understanding Tang Mo¡¯s intention.


    Tang Mo gestured for Yulin to go about her business, ¡°If they are not killed, they will always think the worst is over, think that their privileges have returned, think their faces have regained their value, think they can again lord over the people, lord over me to their advantage... isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Then we kill until they come to their senses!¡± Yulin stood up and said firmly.


    Who knew that Tang Mo would respond quite pessimistically, ¡°It¡¯s impossible, Yulin! They will never come to their senses! There will always be those who think having official power, or being wealthy, gives them special privileges... When they band together and corrode the foundations of a nation, they feel invincible... Human nature is such, and indeed, they are immensely powerful, inexhaustible through killing.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Yulin remained silent, waiting for Tang Mo to finish speaking. She stood by the door, just watching him. She knew that Tang Mo was not a pessimistic person, that he was always full of hope.


    Sure enough, Tang Mo continued, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter... I just need to keep killing, kill enough before I die. They think their necks are tough, I think my blade is fast, we always have to test it out to see who is right.¡±

 Chapter 937 03-25 - 937 860 yuan is not omnipotent here

    ?Chapter 937: 860 yuan is not omnipotent here Chapter 937: 860 yuan is not omnipotent here Marquis of Bailu had reached home when he encountered his wife at the door. Their son had already been sent home, still unconscious.


    In fact, the fourth son was awake, but he dared not open his eyes¡ªhe thought avoidance was the best choice, fearing his own father might beat him to death if he awoke.


    Who knew that old man was actually the Imperial Concubine¡¯s physical education teacher... he truly had terrible luck to have mouthed off in front of such a person.


    Thus, he could only feign death, keeping his eyes shut, listening to his mother curse the school, waiting for her, as before, to sort this matter out for him.


    At worst, he would never go out again, at worst, he would never stir up any more trouble¡ªjust somehow muddle through this incident.


    ¡°What kind of school is this, huh? The child was there for just one day and he passed out. Is this teaching or killing?¡± Walking into the mansion after Marquis of Bailu, the Lady Marquis complained bitterly.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Marquis of Bailu chewed over every word Li¡¯ao had spoken on the phone, assessing how bad the situation had become.


    ...


    He wondered whether he had been set up by someone with an agenda, or if his recent flamboyance had attracted His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s displeasure.


    In any case, he scrutinized every possibility, unwilling to overlook any detail: he was no fool, and his desire to survive made him even more sensitive and wise.


    Asking His Majesty The Emperor for a donation to sponsor education would not pose a problem; if he had gone too far, His Majesty The Emperor would not have agreed.


    So, the problem must lie in some issue caused by his foolish son at school! He realized this, and halted suddenly, almost getting bumped into by his wife who was following behind.


    ¡°You must stand up for our son!¡± His wife began to wipe away tears; this fourth son was her late blessing, treasured beyond measure. Faced with such grievance, she was certain to vent her frustration.


    Glancing at his wife, the intensely irritated Marquis of Bailu wasted no words and went straight to the nearest telephone, grabbing it to dial the school¡¯s number.


    The headmaster had left a contact method; the Marquis of Bailu thought he should clarify what exactly had happened first. Soon, he learned his son had defiantly talked back to a teacher at school and had been frightened into fainting.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã?


    Then... seeing his son still alive, he drew out a leather belt...


    Seeing his well-behaved son lying on the bed, the Marquis of Bailu could no longer restrain himself and pushed aside his wife who was in the way, reviving the unconscious son anew with the belt.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Pain erupted; the feigning son leaped from the bed, screaming and dodging.


    The Lady Marquis tugged and wailed, ¡°What are you doing? What are you doing? I pleaded with the Prime Minister¡¯s wife; no matter the school, it has to show some respect to the Prime Minister, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Hearing this, Marquis of Bailu realized it was over¡ªhis son was undermining educational policy, his wife trying old tactics to challenge what the Emperor loathed most...


    It was all over...


    If not for his steadfast will, he nearly fainted. Even so, the belt-holding man staggered a bit, which scared the Lady Marquis into forgetting her crying and quickly supporting her husband.


    ¡°Well done! Well done!¡± the frustrated Marquis of Bailu pushed his wife away, his expression twisted: ¡°The house of Bailu... is done for! Completely done for!¡±


    ...


    When he saw Tang Mo again, Marquis of Bailu instinctively dropped to his knees, although he knew The Emperor¡¯s willingness to see him meant he wasn¡¯t planning to kill him, he still had to show his attitude.


    ¡°Explain?¡± Tang Mo didn¡¯t let Marquis of Bailu get up.


    ¡°Your Majesty! The whole matter... is due to my good-for-nothing son¡¯s lack of discipline, and my wife¡¯s foolishness...¡± Marquis of Bailu laid everything out, making it clear he wasn¡¯t trying to undermine the Empire¡¯s policies.


    ¡°Marquis...¡± After hearing the explanation of the Marquis of Bailu, Tang Mo slowly began to speak.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The Marquis of Bailu buried his head even lower.


    ¡°Have you ever thought, if money could do anything in the Great Tang Empire, then how is the Great Tang Empire any different from those decadent empires?¡± Tang Mo posed a question.


    Without waiting for the Marquis of Bailu to answer, Tang Mo continued, ¡°The reason this empire is powerful, the reason we can lead the world, is because I have never believed that money can solve all problems.¡±


    ¡°If in the Great Tang Empire, money could change everything, then what purpose does establishing it serve? Do I lack money? Why don¡¯t I just buy an empire and then comfortably lie on the throne and enjoy life?¡± He spoke eloquently, looking down at the Marquis of Bailu kneeling on the ground.


    Although his words were exaggerated, Bailu knew everything Tang Mo said was true, ¡°If I compromised, the Old Nobility would treat me like a deity! They would praise me, even willing to elect me as the emperor of the world! But why don¡¯t I yield? Why don¡¯t I compromise? Why would I rather confront the world alone than yield?¡±


    Tang Mo paused here, knowing Bailu couldn¡¯t answer this question, and then continued, ¡°Because I know just having money won¡¯t work, we need to learn how to distribute this money. Making all citizens wealthy is what I should do as the emperor; making you people wealthy first is just the initial step towards enriching the people.¡±


    If money could solve all problems, then wouldn¡¯t the empire he created be a capitalist empire? Where capital dictates everything, and everyone¡¯s fate is in the hands of capital.


    Politicians are shameless and lowly, utterly lacking any political propositions to lead the world; businessmen are cunning and brutal, squeezing the blood and flesh of the poor... Such a world has no future.


    And Tang Mo, intended to build not such a world, ¡°Let those with capital and capability lead, earn enough Gold Coins first, then like me, scatter their money to make the people of the Great Tang Empire wealthy, that is a truly virtuous cycle.¡±


    ¡°If you, or let¡¯s say, if you only think about how to change the rules of the game, looking for loopholes, and dominate over the people of Great Tang, blocking the path to collective prosperity, then you are no different from the other Old Nobility.¡± He looked down at Bailu kneeling at his feet, stood up, walked over to him, and his shadow covered the top of Bailu¡¯s head, ¡°I understand, those of you who have grown wealthy first have widened the gap with the commoners, you control many societal resources, and can do many things others can¡¯t. The rules have always been set by people like you, and the game can only continue with you!¡±


    ¡°But my appearance has disappointed you! I am richer than you! More powerful! I dominate over you, yet I do not compromise with you! Comparing wealth? You can¡¯t outmatch me! Comparing arms, you are a joke!¡± Tang Mo pointed to himself, regardless of whether Bailu could see it.


    He paused again, then continued, his tone filled with iciness, ¡°You know the Great Tang Empire¡¯s attitude toward the Old Nobility. If you want to hear a story, I can let Major General Bai Fei tell you in detail why he is called ¡®Blood-Handed.''¡±


    ¡°So, if the New Nobility want to gain the recognition of the empire, to share the empire¡¯s fortunes and misfortunes, then they must clearly distinguish themselves from the Old Nobility! Only thus can you be recognized by the people, be recognized by me!¡± He was offering Bailu a way out, the last time he would point out this path, whether Bailu could take this road, wanted to take this road, had taken this road, he didn¡¯t care.


    He spoke thus, Bailu could feel his sweat sliding down his forehead, ¡°The new nobility must obey the law! Must support all the national policies of the empire! You are but ants under the law, not gods above it!¡±


    ¡°Find a way to make the people wealthy, to allow them to achieve a better life through their efforts! To be ensured they can afford homes, drive cars, walk in the streets without being extorted, and not to be ruined by some scoundrel just because they look good! This is what you must do!¡± Tang Mo leaned down, staring at the back of Bailu¡¯s head, ¡°Only if you achieve this will the empire have a place for you! Whoever fails, I will hang him first; if anyone disagrees, then come challenge me! If it¡¯s about civil affairs, I can teach him how to be a man in the business world! If it¡¯s about military matters, my million strong force is ready for battle! If you disagree, just try me!¡±


    Bailu felt even more sweat on his head, some even dripping onto the floor. He dared not make a sound, as though Tang Mo was stepping on his head.


    But in fact, Tang Mo was not doing so; he had just made two harsh statements, statements that no one could ignore.


    Shortly thereafter, Tang Mo brought the conversation back to the matter at hand, ¡°Coming back to today¡¯s matter... treating education equally is the foundation of the state, you say you want to properly educate your son, and I gave you face! But if you plan to use this incident to destabilize the foundation of Great Tang¡¯s education, then you are overestimating yourself.¡±


    ¡°In the future, my sons, Tang Yu, Tang Xuan... when they go to school, they too will be disciplined by teachers! If they dare to steal or slack off, the teachers can spank their bottoms, if they are lazy and fail to achieve good placements, I too will be ridiculed at parent-teacher meetings! I would rather they be beaten to death by teachers than for them to ruin my empire!¡± Tang Mo said as he moved behind Bailu.


    His voice continued from behind Bailu, ¡°As for your precious son, just let him study diligently at the Imperial University of Science and Technology. Don¡¯t come out until he has enough credits to graduate. I¡¯m giving you one more chance! After all, I see your loyalty...¡±


    ¡°Thank, thank you, Your Majesty. Your servant... is immensely grateful,¡± finally, Bailu had the courage to speak his thanks.


    Tang Mo warned again, ¡°Do things well! Do not disappoint me again!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Your servant will do his utmost to set an example.¡± Bailu¡¯s head hit the floor as he trembled with his promise.


    ¡°As for that restless wife of yours... haven¡¯t you been cheating while out? Today, take that woman back home, I command it,¡± Tang Mo finished battering Bailu and, with a private taste for mischief, disgusted Bailu once more.


    ¡°...Yes!¡± Bailu finally understood, in front of this man, there were no secrets¡ª and perhaps, that was one of the reasons he was still alive today.


    Because, Tang Mo knew, at least he was still loyal.

 Chapter 938 03-25 - 938 The Reflections from Visiting 861

    ?Chapter 938: The Reflections from Visiting 861 Chapter 938: The Reflections from Visiting 861 Sofia stood on Zuque Avenue and felt that it indeed ranked amongst the best locations. Witnessing the endless stream of traffic, she could sense the city¡¯s prosperity.


    Although she couldn¡¯t find a spot to overlook the entire Forbidden City, she was still able to discern the grandeur and magnificence of the complex of buildings from the enormous city tower known as Tiananmen.


    In fact, unlike constructions such as Flame Castle, the Forbidden City didn¡¯t possess much in the way of defensive attributes; it simply stood there, showcasing its unparalleled elegance and grandiosity.


    Compared to those ancient castles with towering walls and battlements, every brick and tile here seemed particularly beautiful. Sofia really liked it here, she truly did.


    Today, she had intentionally risen early to accompany her secret lover to observe the flag-raising ceremony in Chang¡¯an City. Amid the resounding music, the Tang Country¡¯s national flag guard escorted the flag out of the Forbidden City, passing by Jinshui Bridge.


    Then, amid the fervent cheers of ¡°Long live!¡± from the onlookers, the Red Golden Dragon Flag of the Great Tang Empire was hoisted slowly, billowing solemnly and respectfully at the top of the flagpole.


    After witnessing all this, Sofia knew her journey of revenge would be fraught with difficulties: too many people fervently supported her enemy Tang Mo¡ªthese people were all her enemies, enemies she must defeat.


    ...


    Clearly, this seemed impossible, yet she firmly believed she could accomplish it. She shifted her gaze away from the distant red and green tiled walls and refocused her attention on the huge television tower.


    ¡°Is this the tower that transmits TV signals?¡± she curiously asked the lady countess by her side.


    The countess nodded slightly, ¡°Yes, my lord. I don¡¯t know how it works, but television sets are now one of the hottest topics in Chang¡¯an City.¡±


    Television sets were indeed explosively popular, to a shocking extent. Everyone was talking about this device that could project images, discussing its various amusing aspects.


    If your home still hadn¡¯t spent the money on a television set, you would definitely be considered behind the times¡ªthe new household appliance wasn¡¯t too expensive, as many families in Chang¡¯an could afford it.


    But just because they could afford it didn¡¯t mean they were willing to purchase it. Even though the Great Tang Empire spared no effort in improving the quality of life for ordinary people, many families still needed to budget carefully to make ends meet.


    Being cautious was the wisdom of civilian life; they had weathered many storms and were not willing to spend money recklessly.


    Source: , updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    Last night, Sofia watched television in the apartment provided by the countess and, surprisingly, found herself enjoying the educational channel, watching the silly mascots in costumes solve simple math problems.


    The content seemed a bit foolish: a staff member dressed as a chubby, round-headed doll, using an extremely childish tone to teach subjects like 3+4=7.


    Yet Sofia watched with great interest, seeing in such educational programs a nation¡¯s emphasis on education.


    If children received a lot of education before starting school, it would undoubtedly reduce the overall educational pressure on the country.


    On the other hand, these seemingly simple topics from television were things that ordinary people couldn¡¯t learn in the past! This showed that Tang Country¡¯s education was advancing the general population¡¯s average level, and that was the truly awe-inspiring part.


    ¡°Sometimes I even suspect Tang Mo has seen the future; he always comes up with things that I wouldn¡¯t dare to dream of,¡± Sofia remarked as she walked along the clean streets toward the television tower, expressing her inner thoughts as she went.


    The countess was at her side, offering comforting words: ¡°He¡¯s not as formidable as you imagine. After all, we¡¯ve made so much money right under his nose, and to this day, he¡¯s none the wiser.¡±


    ¡°He is not completely unaware,¡± Sofia reminded her lover. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him! We are the weaker party now, and can¡¯t be too cautious!¡±


    She thought for a moment and continued, ¡°Those damned Silver Fox agents have been after us and almost caught two people working for us in Linshui.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about my safety but rest assured, my identity here is legal, so no matter how much they investigate, they can¡¯t trace it back to me,¡± the countess said with pride.


    Her affair with Sofia had always been highly secretive. Moreover, since there were so many noblewomen who had crossed paths with Sofia, it was difficult for the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence agency to investigate thoroughly.


    Therefore, she could buy property in Chang¡¯an of the Great Tang Empire in plain sight and conduct various kinds of business under her own name within the Tang Empire.


    In fact, her business had been very successful. With Sofia¡¯s clandestine financial support, she had made quite a fortune over the years¡ªthis was also the capital of her pride, she had never imagined herself possessing such wealth.


    ¡°They have actually been watching you,¡± Sofia glanced at the proud countess and once again issued a warning, ¡°With a net worth of tens of millions of Gold Coins, even in the past, I would have assigned people to specifically monitor the whereabouts of such a huge sum.¡±


    ¡°Then, my lord, you...¡± the countess looked at Sofia anxiously.


    ¡°No worries! They are watching your money! If they monitored every rich person themselves, then who would dare to do business in this country?¡± Sofia said with a smile and a wave of her hand, explaining, ¡°However, you can¡¯t move your funds recently.¡±


    The intelligence personnel of the Great Tang Empire monitoring large sums of money was a certainty, no nation would allow unaccounted funds to cause trouble within their borders.


    However, such matters also needed moderation, they could not be too strict, because excessive strictness would impact the nation¡¯s financial confidence. The owners of these funds were foxes cautious to the extreme, easily retreating back to their dens and never reemerging.


    As the world¡¯s most economically prosperous country, Tang Country naturally could not rigidly manage the flow of funds, so just as Sofia said, no one was monitoring the tycoons themselves.


    Unless there was suspicion that a tycoon¡¯s source of funds was unclear, or they had engaged in illegal activities, the Great Tang Empire would not easily target a rich individual for surveillance and control.


    The two of them walked down the street, taking in the city¡¯s luxurious aura: any lady of nobility would feel ashamed in front of Chang¡¯an, everything here was elegant and mature, highlighting a cultivated charm.


    This was also why Sofia fell in love with this city at first sight: it truly resembled a noble woman beyond description, and Sofia liked such women.


    Compared to the coarse rouge and powder, even the street lamps here were works of art. Casual corner shops were filled with enchanting prosperity.


    There was even a moment when Sofia thought that opening a flower shop here would be an utterly blissful affair: every day, all she would need to do is trim the flowers and wait for one beautiful woman after another to visit.


    She didn¡¯t even need to sample the tender red lips of these women, just watching them sway enticingly among the beautiful flowers was already a feast for the eyes.


    Regrettably, the city was indeed too unfriendly to her. Everyone here seemed like a natural enemy, and living in the city, every time she fell asleep, her dreams were of being caught and strangled to death.


    Before she realized it, Sofia had reached the base of the television tower, and only then did she recognize how enormous the structure that looked like a needle from afar truly was.


    It was incredibly tall, with the huge disc at the top being even more striking at this moment. Under the towering building was a whole complex, with a sign hanging at the entrance bearing ¡°Chang¡¯an Television Station.¡±


    ¡°What do you think, if we undertook a television station... would it be possible?¡± she turned her head, looked at her lover, and asked very seriously.


    Her question was theoretically possible, as the sports channel was in preparation, and the Marquis of Bailu was the one doing it, looking quite promising.


    But a television station was not something just anyone could run; it definitely required approval and supervision. Thus, the sudden idea that crossed Sofia¡¯s mind was really just a fleeting thought.


    It was unlikely she would let her money-making endeavors be monitored by Great Tang¡ªit would be rather foolish. However, she indeed lacked a legitimate mouthpiece to achieve her goals of infiltration and disruption.


    Yet while she couldn¡¯t act within the borders of the Great Tang Empire, she could contemplate other methods in different countries: not all countries valued this newly emerged battlefield as much, nor were all countries as militarily robust on this front as the Great Tang Empire.


    Sofia thought transporting Tang Country¡¯s model to other nations was definitely a good way to make a fortune.


    Just like Shireck in the past, if she learned the advanced technologies of the Great Tang Group and took them elsewhere¡ªprovided they were not used to counter the Great Tang Empire¡ªshe could achieve overwhelming market domination with a disruptive strategy, earning immense profits.


    So, in the moment of questioning, Sofia already had many schemes in mind, starting to think about how to dominate in the Dahua Empire, Shu Country, or even the Laines Empire.


    The countess was stunned by Sofia¡¯s intellect; frankly, if Sofia wasn¡¯t opposing the Great Tang Empire, with her brains, rising to prominence in this world would be all too easy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Dahua Empire tomorrow to acquire a broadcast station... create a special column program, yes... just like that!¡± Sofia had already begun pondering her plans. She would first experiment in the Dahua Empire or another empire to see if what she had in mind was correct.

 Chapter 939 03-25 - 939 The Importance of the 862 Public Opinion Front

    ?Chapter 939: The Importance of the 862 Public Opinion Front Chapter 939: The Importance of the 862 Public Opinion Front At this very moment, Sofia really feels like reaching into the realms of education and public opinion, for they truly are places where one can make money and get things done.


    Education is a rather magical thing; in fact, when it comes to topics about education, whatever you say can make sense.


    If you emphasize strict discipline, then you can proudly wield the arguments that strict teachers produce standout students, and that corporal punishment is part of an esteemed pedagogical tradition that, indeed, has shown some degree of effectiveness over thousands of years.


    But on the flip side, if you talk about joyful education, reducing burdens to increase efficiency, that also seems perfectly logical. Anyway, it¡¯s all just talk about how much students suffer from too much homework, lacking individuality and childhood, and having their personalities suppressed¡ªit wouldn¡¯t hurt to correct that too.


    As a parent, some staunchly argue not to always control your children, lest they become defiant and the loss outweighs the gain; we should encourage and praise them more, and criticize and educate them less.


    Yet, others feel blindly maintaining a child¡¯s self-esteem can hinder their mental development, ultimately leaving them overly fragile, unable to face difficulties, leading to adolescents who escape reality, and are prone to depression or worse.


    You see, if you¡¯re too controlling and strict, the child lacks individuality and happiness; but if you¡¯re laid-back and lenient, the child becomes rebellious and disrespectful, even to the point of harboring suicidal thoughts. You want to strike a balance? But who knows exactly where that appropriate level of leniency lies?


    ...


    If teachers assign homework, some parents complain about the heavy burden and lack of freedom their children face; but if teachers don¡¯t assign homework, other parents will accuse them of neglecting their responsibilities.


    After all is said and done, who can claim they¡¯re absolutely right?


    In the end, it¡¯s like diagnosing with traditional Chinese medicine, landing back on an amusingly exasperating notion: ¡°teach students according to their abilities¡±... But how exactly do you tailor education to each student and apply the right solutions? Nobody says, because nobody can say.


    Education has been crassly turned into a mystical art, leaving teachers without authority, parents in utter despair, and students wasting their lives. Then, ten to twenty years later, everyone has an epiphany: Oh! After all that commotion, we¡¯re back where we started.


    Looking at the young Americans who benefited from joyous education now proclaiming laundry detergent cures viruses and that a flat Earth is the ultimate truth, does anyone remember who was the first to sing high praises for American joyous education? Should this person be killed? Is the meaning of promoting joyful education to cultivate a bunch of idiots?


    Who still recalls that bastard claiming Japanese kindergarteners had to run 20 kilometers with heavy loads at summer camp, and whether we should just shoot that bastard with a barrage of random gunfire? Who can strictly judge and hold that one accountable for their malice?


    It¡¯s the same in the realm of public opinion as it is in education. In these arenas, it¡¯s easiest for management to be chaotic and for enemies to exploit the mess. That¡¯s why the front lines of public opinion and education are always the bloodiest and most merciless.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã?


    Why have leaders from ancient times implemented policies to keep the population ignorant? Because when there are too many who know just enough to think they understand but don¡¯t; these people are easily incited and swept into opposition. Decision-makers fear this half-baked knowledge the most, so they would rather rule over fools!


    If everyone were incredibly smart, there would be no need for management¡ªeveryone could just perform their duties. But humans ultimately are selfish and not quite smart enough, so leaders have always been necessary.


    If everyone were a fool, it would be an easy fix: just have the leaders come up with plans¡ªno arguments, and everyone marches forward together.


    The real fear is of those who have a superficial understanding, who think they¡¯re knowledgeable but actually understand nothing!


    This group understands nothing, but once they get a smidgen of knowledge, they become obstinate with their preconceived notions. If there are too many such people, you get what¡¯s called ¡°misled public opinion,¡± which then pressures decision-makers into making incorrect choices.


    If the leadership tightens control over public opinion, cries of ¡°censorship¡± and ¡°silencing voices¡± arise, with the learned tossing around maxims like ¡°The best way to deal with dissent is to prevent it before it starts¡±... But if you don¡¯t tighten control, any public sentiment can spiral out of control with the help of those with ulterior motives.


    Thus, in such fields, no matter what you say or do, there are no precise standards¡ªdespite making no sense at all, people can talk nonsense and confuse others as long as they talk loud enough, even managing to confuse right with wrong.


    They start by advocating ¡®critical thinking¡¯ and a ¡®skeptical mindset¡¯ in education, then turn around and make people criticize everything, doubt everything.


    Taking concepts meant for exploring the field of knowledge and awkwardly shoehorning them into everyday life, conspiracy theories are inflated unchecked, driving a wedge between the state and the people. No matter what¡¯s done, just criticizing, doubting, and negating seems appropriate.


    If you¡¯re quick to respond, they¡¯ll say you had a premeditated script; if you¡¯re slow, they¡¯ll call you a backroom dealer, incompetent, and negligent... Critiquing from the outside is the easiest thing: after all, finding fault doesn¡¯t cost anything.


    In such areas without concrete evaluation standards, where any argument can seem valid, depending purely on the volume of the speaker and whether they have a conscience, it¡¯s all too easy for infiltration to occur, for control to be commandeered, to be used as invisible weapons for killing, to bring about the downfall of a people, the destruction of a nation.


    Compared to military weapons, pouring money into the literary and art circles is a far more efficient way to ¡°kill¡± people: with 10 million you buy rocket artillery and in a year you might kill a few thousand people? On the other hand, with 10 million you bribe a celebrity influencer, trapping a million clueless fans, ruining their lives forever. Can you imagine the scale of harm inflicted?


    These fans, brainwashed by celebrities, can not only waste a nation¡¯s resources, but also destroy its convictions, and even hold it back at critical moments.


    By comparison, stirring up trouble in these areas offers an incredibly high cost-performance value. This is why Tang Mo, an arms dealer, regards it as his most important market and holds a tight grip on these positions, aggressively eroding the entire world with unrestrained firepower.


    He understands this game all too well, along with the power it holds. That¡¯s why he dabbles with newspapers in Brunas, established the world¡¯s largest radio network, and in Chang¡¯an, he couldn¡¯t wait to roll out television sets.


    Before anyone else was ready, Tang Mo planned to have this weapon, more powerful than atomic bombs, in his grip and turned it into his fastest piercing dagger, his most lethal poison.


    With this weapon, he could receive applause after taking lives, he could dress up an invasion as a grand rescue mission!


    Moreover, only by holding ground in this field can he prevent the enemy from finding any foothold. The terror of losing the battle of public opinion is much worse than losing territory.


    This is also why, when the scandal involving the Bailu Quartet erupted in the school, Tang Mo immediately elevated it to an issue that could shake national policy!


    He intended to nip these issues in the bud and was not planning on retreating an inch in this field! Having chosen a path he believed to be correct, he had no intention of listening to others¡¯ advice: because, as mentioned, while those suggestions seem right, they are of no practical use.


    What Tang Mo wanted to do was to leverage his reputation, choose a steadfast path, and not deviate or alter it in any way!


    Since he had chosen the road of respecting teachers and advocating lecture-based education, any notion of joyful education could take a hike. What Tang Country needed now was a large number of immediately employable junior talents, not to focus on cultivating individual talents and personalities!


    Sofia also saw the potential benefits of this, but she lacked Tang Mo¡¯s expertise and clear vision.


    She only felt that propaganda and education were indeed promising fields ¨C but she wasn¡¯t as resolute nor as swift to act as Tang Mo.


    She couldn¡¯t do what Tang Mo had done: these powerful tools had to complement hard power, and while effective, they required substantial investment. She didn¡¯t have the means to play a game as aggressively expansive as Shireck Consortium, even at its peak, couldn¡¯t achieve what the Great Tang Empire had accomplished today.


    To what extent had the Great Tang Empire controlled public opinion? Sofia guessed and guessed, but she couldn¡¯t imagine.


    Through local gangs and some of the controlled Nobility merchants, Tang Mo had seized control of more than half of the newspapers in various nations, at least dominating a great portion of radio broadcasting channels.


    These channels normally appear innocuous, but would sporadically spread various harmless-seeming views, as demanded by Tang Country¡¯s intelligence department.


    Such as making women more materialistic, promoting consumerism ¨C seemingly stimulating consumption and increasing taxes, in line with the rulers¡¯ interests¡ªyet, in fact, eroding the habits of saving, wearing away citizens¡¯ virtues of thrift and hard work, and increasing debt, overstretching the economy.


    But then again, isn¡¯t stimulating consumption to boost the internal economy the right thing to do? Here starts the debate again ¨C hold your horses, debate away, keep debating until extinction, and you might never conclude.


    Tang Mo hoped that in the future, the so-called respected teachers of other nations would only talk about money and beauty. He hoped that anyone speaking of ideals would be labeled a hypocrite.


    He wished that in other countries, students wouldn¡¯t dare question the nonsense spouted by their teachers, and that motivational speakers would encourage excellent youth to come to Tang Country for marriage and relationships.


    He dreamt that one day he could buy all the movie theaters in the world, only to show films produced by Tang Country. And he also hoped that textbooks in all countries would portray Tang Country¡¯s conquest of Qi as a righteous and great victory.


    In short, he wished to one day turn Tang Country into a beacon, to accomplish deeds he had hated, envied, and couldn¡¯t achieve in his past life.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    There are only two updates today, so no need to wait for more.

 Chapter 940 03-25 - 940 863 Flame Emblem

    ?Chapter 940: 863 Flame Emblem Chapter 940: 863 Flame Emblem In the dim room, a man in a top hat handed a gold card to the bearded man in front of him and said, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to consider us your friends, then you can have all the help you want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still quite curious, what would I have to give in return?¡± the bearded man stared at the other, asking, ¡°I¡¯ve lived long enough to know one thing, there¡¯s no such thing as help without reason in this world.¡±


    ¡°All you need to do is acknowledge you¡¯re our friend; when we need your help, just don¡¯t refuse,¡± the man with the top hat replied with a smile. He was very polite, so polite it made one tense.


    ¡°What if I refuse?¡± the bearded man gazed intently at the man in the top hat and continued to probe.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous, I won¡¯t make you do anything difficult... Relax, sir, if you refuse, we¡¯ll act as if I was never here,¡± the man in the top hat said, spreading his hands.


    The bearded man struggled for a moment, looking at the golden Flame Emblem card on the table, and eventually reached out his hand.


    He pressed down on the card, feeling its cold surface: ¡°Friends... I think we can be friends.¡±


    ...


    The satisfied man in the top hat stood up, smiling as he handed over a check written for a hundred thousand Gold Coins: ¡°Trust me, our partnership will be very enjoyable.¡±


    After seeing the other leave, the bearded man stared at the Flame Emblem card in his hand, not doing anything else for a moment. He just sat there, silent as if pondering something.


    He was a small businessman; it wasn¡¯t actually difficult to grow a business in the Tang Empire. In an era like this, almost anything could make one wealthy.


    Just like that famous bit of nonsense: ¡°When standing at the mouth of the wind, even pigs can fly.¡± The saying isn¡¯t wrong, it just doesn¡¯t tell you what the wind mouth is, or how to stand at it...


    Some wind mouths only become apparent after they¡¯ve passed, and some opportunities that look like wind mouths are actually just exaggerated investment traps.


    Not everyone dares to soar with the rise of the Tang Empire: Ignore the general trend of economic development and revitalization, just look at those mansions and castles that used to be blood-soaked and are now ruling council halls, and you know not everyone can keep up with such a rise.


    As the people involved, after seeing the slaughter of the Old Nobility and landlords, it¡¯s questionable how many still have the courage to get rich taking advantage of such opportunities.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    Do you know if those fallen Nobility and landlords will retaliate? Could tomorrow bring the changing of flags and the reckoning for you, who rose with the momentum?


    So, joining the frenzy of the rise of the Tang Empire itself requires courage, and it just so happens this bearded man had that bit of audacity.


    He had been a lumber salesman before, as the economy of the Tang Empire grew, and Wood, a building material, began to sell like crazy.


    So he borrowed money to expand, and indeed became a wealthy merchant. Only, lately, he had run into trouble expanding too quickly, borrowing over a hundred thousand Gold Coins he couldn¡¯t turn over, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.


    But just then, a mysterious person had approached him, lending him a hundred thousand Gold Coins and giving him the chance to stabilize his footing.


    Turning the gold card with the Flame Emblem in his hands, the man knew that the person in the top hat who had approached him was no saint; getting involved with such people was definitely not going to end well.


    After struggling for a while, he pocketed both the check and the card and walked out of the room.


    He looked down at his factory building and saw the woodworking machinery at work inside, and glanced at the skilled workers next to the machines.


    After greeting each person he passed, he walked over to his imported car from Laines, opened the door, and climbed in.


    There weren¡¯t many luxury car brands in the Tang Empire, and a huge portion of the market was long occupied by imported cars. Many complained that the cars produced by the Empire were either too expensive or too cheap.


    Only those in the know understood that this too was a means of balancing trade; if you collide head-on in every field, the economies of other nations wouldn¡¯t be able to support their own development anymore.


    To sustain development, the Great Tang Empire had to proactively relinquish a portion of the market, giving the surrounding nations a soupc?on to subsist on. Failing to do so might swiftly trigger a second anti-Tang conflict.


    Tang Mo did not fear war, but he also needed a period of peace to develop his technology and perfect his infrastructure. While war could expedite his acquisition of benefits, it would also stagnate the economy.


    Soon, the car left the wood factory and vanished at the end of the street.


    ...


    Several hours later, in a branch of the Empire Intelligence Bureau set up on the Southern Plains, a casually dressed man pulled open the door to a meeting room.


    He was amiable, and held two cups of hot tea as he entered the room, ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure what you¡¯d like to drink, here¡¯s some tea, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°I dare not... dare not...¡± the man with the full beard was somewhat nervous, this being his first time entering such a place, his first dealings with the enigmatic agents of the Empire Intelligence Bureau.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t be nervous, just speak casually,¡± the intelligence agent set down the teacups, pushing one in front of the bearded man, ¡°Describe this man, as if we¡¯re just chatting.¡±


    ¡°He wore a top hat, about fifty years old, an... average build. He always smiled at me, that uncomfortable kind of smile,¡± the bearded man tried hard to recall everything he had seen a few hours earlier.


    In the next room, listening to the man¡¯s testimony, several agents from the Empire Intelligence Bureau felt disheartened, for they couldn¡¯t form a complete image of a person based on his descriptions.


    ¡°It seems the other party is also a professional intelligence operative, at least they¡¯ve worked on this aspect,¡± one of the agents put down his charcoal pencil, sighing.


    When selecting intelligence personnel, strict standards were set for height, weight, and appearance; someone tall and handsome like Brosnan would absolutely not be chosen for field agents.


    The most outstanding field agents had to have an ordinary appearance, no distinctive features, becoming untraceable in a crowd within seconds.


    They also didn¡¯t dress in suits and leather shoes, preferring casual attire like jackets, jeans, and sneakers, and they wouldn¡¯t even intentionally wear a hat¡ªordinariness was their greatest disguise.


    ¡°Faces like that are a dime a dozen on the streets,¡± another agent complained, ¡°We can only wait for them to make a move.¡±


    ¡°Watching and waiting is the least efficient method... We¡¯re short on staff, and afraid that the opponent is deliberately diverting our attention,¡± the lead officer said, agitated, listening to the words of the person in the other room.


    ¡°Catch them, and there¡¯s no way to continue the investigation... They have no criminal records, handing out business cards isn¡¯t illegal, right?¡± an agent felt they were wasting time.


    The other party had merely distributed a gold card with a Flame Emblem on it¡ªsuch an item could be indistinguishable from the VIP cards nightclubs handed out to customers.


    Even if there were a difference, as long as they didn¡¯t acknowledge it, a card by itself really meant nothing. Insist it was merely to make friends, leaving a card as a token, the Intelligence Bureau couldn¡¯t actually resort to torture.


    If it were just some rich person¡¯s perverse sense of humor, and an uproar ensued, who would take responsibility? Because they were wealthy and philanthropic, starting some commercial council or collaboration group, then propelling someone into prison or death? What a joke...


    Someone sensibly raised a cautionary opinion, ¡°The problem is this is definitely not a business card... Their style of speaking, their way of conducting business... they all have a familiar feel.¡±


    The odor emanating from their own kind is something intelligence operatives can never fully obscure; with a single whiff, they could detect that familiar dark scent.


    ¡°From what we see now, this organization is undoubtedly not some mutual aid association; they have their own agenda, which we must thoroughly investigate,¡± the senior intelligence officer also felt they could not just ignore the matter.


    But they truly lacked the manpower to handle this issue, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work out, we¡¯ll request support, let the higher-ups send someone to take over...¡±


    In the other room, the attending agent continued with a gentle tone, as if chatting about everyday matters, guiding the bearded businessman to lay bare everything he knew.

 Chapter 941 03-25 - 941 864 Tough Intelligence Work

    ?Chapter 941: 864 Tough Intelligence Work Chapter 941: 864 Tough Intelligence Work The workload at the Intelligence Bureau was overwhelming, teeming with countless tasks each day. Allocating a team to keep an eye on such an organization truly stretched him thin.


    This was an unavoidable matter, the intelligence from the Great Tang Empire was simply too prolific. Spies from various nations were stationed here in large numbers, and despite the vigilance of the intelligence department, perfection was unattainable.


    In fact, instead of being flawless, it was better to say that the successful cases of actually thwarting the opponent¡¯s actions were rare.


    This was an interesting problem of probability, the likelihood of spies placed in Tang Country by other nations successfully completing their missions was not high, which directly resulted in a lower case-solving rate for the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire.


    In other words, the intelligence gathered by spies from other countries was worthless, almost devoid of any value for interception, so the Great Tang Empire simply ignored these minor disturbances.


    Because the value of the gathered intelligence was low, stealing this intelligence was relatively hidden and bore little risk of exposure¡ªthus, it was difficult to capture.


    Why did this situation occur? Because the intelligence in the Great Tang Empire was too abundant, gathering a few valueless pieces and passing off their tasks led to low-efficiency espionage activities by other nations¡¯ intelligence agencies within the territory of the Great Tang Empire.


    ...


    For instance, someone managing to steal the steel formula for the C-47 transport aircraft engine parts for the Dorne Empire seemed quite valuable to them. Yet in reality, this formula held a low level of secrecy in the Great Tang Empire, attainable without much risk.


    This kind of intelligence was not important on the part of the Great Tang Empire but could genuinely enhance the technological level of other countries¡ªthis was the most frustrating aspect for the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire, even if they expanded tenfold, they could hardly concentrate on every tile formula, fragrance formula...


    Furthermore, in order to achieve the goal of enriching the people, the Great Tang Group was madly and strategically diffusing their technology outward.


    These technologies were not unprofitable, in fact, quite the contrary, they could still make a lot of money. But the Great Tang Group dispersed these technologies like discarded shoes.


    Just find any merchant that caught your eye, directly inquire if they wanted some advanced technology for their industry. As long as they had the money, they could take the related technology and then expand their own production by tenfold, a hundredfold.


    It was precisely because of such generous technological dispersion that they could be revered by thousands while waging fierce battles, the living growing rich in their wake¡ªhow could they not support you?


    But on this extensive path of technological dispersion, there were always some secrets inadvertently lost¡ªa proverbial slip amongst hundreds, an unavoidable matter.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.??


    Those who acquired these core secrets instantly gained competitiveness in the relevant fields but conscientiously avoided the scope of the Great Tang Empire.


    This was a wise act of self-preservation and also a significant reason why the Great Tang Empire still tacitly accepted the existence of these thieves.


    It was like facing an entire final exam paper, a student innocently copying just the first question and its answer then blissfully leaving, the teacher might not even have the heart to criticize them...


    Another reason for the dispersion of technology was actually to win hearts: the international image of the Great Tang Empire, its propaganda, all relied on generosity for support.


    Without displaying some tangible silver for the people of other countries to see your goodwill, how could they possibly agree with your views or believe your propositions?


    If people weren¡¯t getting paid five times the local average salary by foreign companies, if people hadn¡¯t made their fortune abroad, if people hadn¡¯t benefited from advanced foreign technology... who would believe the rhetoric peddled by foreigners?


    It was precisely because some made money, some tasted sweetness, and some saw benefits that they willingly became the pawns and gatekeepers of the Great Tang Empire, this global beacon.


    Why were these tactics so successful in the past? Because living a life with dollars, beautiful wives, luxurious houses, and fancy cars was living a superior life. If anyone questioned it, the involved party could arrogantly shut them down with a single retort, ¡°You criticize my father, but do you have any of these?¡±


    However, as the economy developed, foreign patrons could no longer provide as much. Those who betrayed their roots and led the way could no longer live superior lives, so their words naturally lost persuasive power.


    Yet, after all, giving money and benefits is vulgar because truly noble individuals aren¡¯t swayed by such things. However, money and beauty can conquer most people.


    Those who talk about lofty ideals are admirable, but it¡¯s precisely because they are rare that they are valuable. How to ensure these idealists have food and clothing is an inescapable responsibility for those in power. One cannot always expect sacrifice, and good people shouldn¡¯t have to be coerced at gunpoint.


    Therefore, while the nobility and rulers of other countries are unwilling to lead their people to prosperity, the ability of the Great Tang Empire to benefit all beings and let the whole world enjoy the dividends of its rise constitutes part of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s soft expansion.


    The nobility criticizes Tang Country for being bad as they take your wives, seize your houses, and snatch your lands. But Tang Country builds your bridges and roads, constructs your houses, and lowers the price of your fertilizer... After such comparisons, the superior choice is clear.


    The most terrifying, however, is the media war unleashed by economic offensives¡ªit¡¯s an invisible nuclear bomb used by powerful nations to crush weaker ones. It can destroy a nation¡¯s backbone, block its voice, manipulate its emotions, and subsequently enslave it!


    Tang Mo is more astute than Lighthouse Country because he has Huaxia, a great teacher! When Tang Country initiated this invisible war, its ultimate goal was not enslavement or exploitation, but salvation. Because of its vastly nobler intent, it stands unbeatable in this war!


    As for those who truly wish to access the core technologies of Tang Country, or even covet the advanced technologies being developed by the Great Tang Empire, their fate is much worse.


    Because accessing such core secrets requires a certain status and a substantial knowledge base. The records of such individuals are all lying in the files of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with no exceptions.


    Those who might interact with personnel from other countries are, in fact, under specific surveillance¡ªtheir daily meetings, conversations, the number of drawings viewed in the office, whether they could potentially take these documents home... everything is monitored by dedicated personnel.


    As for those who are truly high-risk individuals, who can access core secrets and pose a severe risk of leaking them¡ªthey are extremely rare, and mostly are baits placed by Tang Country¡¯s intelligence services.


    Anyone who has had contact with these individuals is under surveillance. At the slightest suspicion, they are arrested for interrogation¡ªthis is how intelligence services increase their rate of solving cases by capturing foreign spies.


    The core secrets of the Great Tang Empire¡ªthose who pry die! Intelligence personnel from other countries, long accustomed to this maxim, are no longer interested in the so-called secrets of the Great Tang Empire.


    They¡¯ve even formulated a survival strategy: if someone tells you they can procure those critically important secret documents or core data, it¡¯s just the intelligence services of the Great Tang Empire fishing for a catch!


    The more enticing it sounds, the more dangerous it is. Even if you managed to obtain the relevant intelligence, you wouldn¡¯t make it out of the Great Tang Empire¡ªindeed, you wouldn¡¯t even make it out of the room where the transaction took place...


    Over time, everyone figured out the pattern: take some intelligence that the Great Tang Empire doesn¡¯t bother to control back home to justify expenses, and then live a lavish life in the Great Tang Empire. That¡¯s the only way these foreign intelligence officers can survive.

 Chapter 942 03-25 - 942 Expand it by 865

    ?Chapter 942: Expand it by 865 Chapter 942: Expand it by 865 ¡°Flame Emblem?¡± When he saw the flame, the bartender subconsciously associated it with the ¡°Red-haired Witch¡± who had once led the resistance against Shireck and the Great Tang Group.


    Because the woman lived in a place called Flame Castle, because the woman had flaming red hair.


    Although there was no evidence to link the card with Sofia, the bartender still shrewdly connected it to her.


    ¡°There has always been a rumor that Sofia didn¡¯t die back then... She just found a body double and pulled off a vanishing act,¡± tossing the gold-embossed card onto the table, the bartender looked at his several subordinates.


    One of the subordinates nodded and said, ¡°The people we sent did indeed see Sofia alive, but her mental state at that time seemed not good.¡±


    ¡°At that time, we thought her breakdown was due to defeat and the impending thought of her own death... but now it seems much more likely it was a disguise, a ruse the body double used to escape,¡± the person in charge who always suspected Sofia wasn¡¯t dead voiced his opinion.


    At that time, he and his subordinates rushed to Flame Castle, joining Shireck¡¯s people who were monitoring Sofia, and witnessed the entire process of Sofia¡¯s suicide.


    ...


    However, even though he saw the suicide happen before his own eyes and indeed checked the body, he still didn¡¯t believe that Sofia would die so decisively, ¡°A fake can¡¯t become real! The body double couldn¡¯t possibly have Sofia¡¯s distinctive aura. If the double didn¡¯t seem dispirited, it would have revealed more flaws!¡±


    ¡°But this is all hypothetical; we have to consider the possibility... that Sofia truly died,¡± another subordinate shared his view, feeling that without definitive evidence, it was not worth investing more resources for someone who was ¡°dead.¡±


    The bartender neither agreed nor disagreed, he simply ordered an investigation into everything behind the card, ¡°Maybe so! But why this flame card appeared, what it ultimately represents... that¡¯s something we must figure out.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s only an isolated incident...¡± a subordinate suggested. A single card didn¡¯t prove anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an isolated incident...¡± the bartender interrupted the guess, ¡°This is another identical card we found in Beiyuan City! Someone is secretly building up their power!¡±


    As he spoke, he threw another identical card onto the table. The card also had dried bloodstains on it, whose blood was unknown.


    ¡°The nature of this matter is different then,¡± seeing the second card, especially one with blood, changed everyone¡¯s expression.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï??¦Ï.?¦Ï


    Daring to stir up trouble right on the doorstep of the Empire Intelligence Bureau, they took no regard for them, the Silver Foxes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that such cards have also appeared in the Eastern Continent! They¡¯ve sent the photos over there, they¡¯re on the way,¡± the bartender continued, ¡°So, at the very least, we can determine this is a mysterious organization, the purpose... still unclear. But if they want to operate right under our noses, they are enemies!¡±


    ¡°Find out what exactly they want to do!¡± He looked at his most effective subordinate and instructed, ¡°If it¡¯s just about making money, then give them a warning, make them go and register properly. If they have other motives, things get much more interesting.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The subordinate stood at attention and bowed his head.


    Tang Mo, upon seeing these cards, thought along the same lines as the bartender. He had always harbored doubts about whether Sofia was dead, having recently mentioned ¡°an old friend with red hair.¡±


    Now, after seeing the card with the Flame Emblem, he found the bartender¡¯s speculation to be quite plausible. So his instruction for the bartender was very targeted, ¡°Find a few agents, disguise them as disheartened businessmen or minor nobility, wait for these people to come knocking, infiltrate them, and see whom they¡¯re really working for.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± the bartender immediately understood: this plan to insert a mole was excellent. If the other side was developing their forces in secret, then let¡¯s make them ¡°develop¡± a bit quicker!


    ...


    After witnessing the wealth of Tang Country and seeing the prosperity of Chang¡¯an, Sofia had already boarded the train heading south¡ªshe wanted to see the industrial development in Tongcheng.


    In fact, the industry in Tongcheng had grown to a shocking extent, factory chimneys densely packed like trees in a forest, the smoke billowing out and blanketing the sky as if dark clouds.


    Despite Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯er personally overseeing environmental protection, sometimes industrial advancement truly does require the sacrifice of some environment.


    The good news is that the natural environment of this world hadn¡¯t been destroyed to the point of no return. The bad news is that while all the nations of this world were developing industry, only Tang Country was managing the so-called pollution.


    At least Tang Country was making an effort... The rivers in Tongcheng might not be clean, but they were at least within tolerable limits.


    If you went to see the rivers of the Ice Cold Empire, it was very likely that amidst the icy wasteland, you¡¯d behold a river of miraculous colors.


    Water pollution was only a part of the problem, air pollution was equally vexing. Indeed, the air in Tongcheng wasn¡¯t great, and the Nature-Worshipping Elves faction certainly didn¡¯t like such places.


    Unfortunately, the Poplar Empire was industrializing too, and the Elves were desperately chopping down trees to clear land for factories.


    Although they disliked it, they still had to recognize the importance of industry. Because if they were just a bit more stubborn, industrial products from Suthers and Laines Empire, as well as the northern Ice Cold Empire, could destroy their fragile economy.


    Sitting on the train headed south, Sofia looked out at the patches of farmland passing by and fell once again into deep thought.


    What she hadn¡¯t anticipated was that the Great Tang Empire, already so powerful and wealthy, still placed such high importance on agriculture.


    In those fields, she saw oxen plowing, as well as tractors, and some machinery she couldn¡¯t even recognize¡ªeach plot of farmland was well-tended, and looking at the crops, Sofia knew it would be another bountiful year.


    ¡°Damn it... Does Tang Mo not trust anyone else? He has grown so strong, yet remains so vigilant!¡± Sofia grew increasingly convinced of Tang Mo¡¯s invulnerability, ¡°He could have imported a large amount of grain. Other countries are also selling huge quantities of grain to Tang Country, yet he persists in extensive farming and even... is providing exaggerated agricultural subsidies!¡±


    The term ¡°agricultural subsidies¡± was something Sofia had read in the newspapers; the Great Tang Empire was providing massive subsidies to all their farmers, amounts so large they could rival the finances of a small country.


    Tang Country not only set a supremely vast agricultural cultivation warning line but also stipulated a basic population number for those engaging in agricultural production.


    So, Sofia, who had initially thought to exploit the grain issue, once again came to nothing¡ªher plan had failed before it even started.


    However, it was fine, she still had her ¡°Mutual Aid Society.¡± Those who had taken her Gold Coins would become her support and would join the force opposing Tang Mo!


    As long as she patiently built up her assets and continued to lie in wait, one day her opportunity would come. At that moment, she would be able to act and defeat that man named Tang Mo!


    ¡°You just wait! One day, I will take back everything that belongs to me! And you will grovel at my feet like all the other men.¡± Sofia¡¯s vengeful rage churned within her, as if wanting to erupt and burn away all the fields before her eyes.


    Unfortunately, her gaze could not ignite anything, so in the fields outside the train window, the crops continued to sway in the wind. The farmers there were working joyfully, for it was another good year for them.


    Their lives were getting better: the country was powerful, the people were wealthy, and every household had electric lights, with several tractors in each village. They didn¡¯t have to go hungry, nor worry about their belongings being stolen. What was there to complain about in such a life?


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± The Countess returned to the train carriage she had booked, handing a bottle of milk to Sofia.


    ¡°They sell this on the train? Can commoners afford it?¡± Sofia was a bit surprised to see the milk; near Flame Castle, the commoners couldn¡¯t afford to drink milk.


    ¡°Though it¡¯s not cheap, buying milk and other food on the train is nothing unusual in the eyes of Tang Country¡¯s commoners,¡± responded the Countess, reluctant to sing Tang Country¡¯s praises in front of Sofia and instead explained carefully.


    Suddenly, Sofia lost the desire to drink the milk. She ended the conversation and began to talk about matters concerning Tongcheng.


    The more they talked, the worse she felt, and soon she made a decision, ¡°Buy me a plane ticket from Tongcheng to Dahua Empire... I want to experience a flight.¡±


    She felt so out of place here that she urgently wanted to escape, or rather leave this place.


    ¡°Of course, as you wish, my lady,¡± the Countess replied considerately.

 Chapter 943 03-25 - 943 866 overwhelming data

    ?Chapter 943: 866 overwhelming data Chapter 943: 866 overwhelming data In the civilizations of Earth, during the fifties and sixties, the Soviet Union and the United States entered into a state of Cold War, with various new weapons emerging one after another. Many pieces of equipment that are well-known to people were born in this period.


    During this time, missiles began to mature, and various technologies also started to stabilize. Many weapons became classic and could be used for a long time.


    For example, the Hercules Transport Aircraft is one of the more classic planes: it has continued to be in service until the new century, and still stands strong without much issue.


    Another classic is the United States¡¯ B-52 Stratosphere Fortress Bomber, which is also a classic bomber that has been in use for seventy years.


    In Tang Mo¡¯s design bureau, the blueprints for these two aircraft have already been prepared, and the production process is being rapidly popularized, with everyone awaiting the birth of the new planes. The Tang Nation Air Force will soon have more, better, and more advanced aircraft.


    Now, neither type of aircraft can be manufactured because almost all of Tang Country¡¯s production capacity has been devoted to Mathews.


    After all, what Tang Country urgently needs now is a fighter jet that can continue to maintain air combat superiority. As for bombers, the large quantities of Flying Fortress and various attack aircraft really seem to be a bit outdated.


    ...


    Firstly, the Tang Army has equipped more than 1,000 models of Stuka Dive Bombers, which now seem not so useful, but their numbers still speak for themselves.


    Apart from dive bombing, they have almost no other purpose, except for the naval models, which can carry torpedoes, and only a few aircraft have been modified into ground-attack planes similar to the Il-2.


    Secondly, the Tang Army has also equipped a number of Il-2 attack aircraft, which perform a bit better, with higher speeds than the Stuka, making them more suitable for modern battlefields.


    The approximately 500 Il-2 attack aircraft cannot be phased out in a short time, and the troops can only make do with what they have.


    Finally, the Tang Army has more than 2,000 Butcher Fighter Jets, waiting to be switched to the more advanced ¡°Mathews,¡± but the production capacity for ¡°Mathews¡± is really not sufficient.


    Apart from these tactical aircraft from the World War II era, the Tang Army has also equipped more than 300 Junkers Ju 88 versatile aircraft, with over 50 being modified into night fighters, and more than 200 as bombers.


    Night fighters are essential to protect the oil fields and Chang¡¯an; until the all-weather ¡°Mathews¡± enters service, these Junkers Ju 88s are treasures.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã?


    The Air Force is considering whether to convert another 50 Junkers Bombers, which are of little use, into night fighters to ensure nighttime combat capability.


    Additionally, there are about 50 Junkers Ju 88 bombers on Dragon Island, testing various new types of weaponry, including the Great Tang Empire¡¯s version of the Fritz X guided bomb.


    These experimental planes are also responsible for carrying torpedoes to patrol around Dragon Island, testing various anti-submarine devices developed by Tang Country... In short, their experimental nature is greater than their combat nature.


    Besides these planes, the strategic bomber fleet of Tang Country is also equipped with more than 2,000 B-17 Flying Fortress Bombers, whose performance is not considered outdated, because the number of fighter jets that other countries have capable of intercepting them is not many.


    If one includes approximately 3,000 trainers, reconnaissance aircraft, and C-47 transport aircraft of various models, the total aircraft equipment of the Tang Nation Air Force is close to 10,000, which can be said to be extensive.


    Tragically, these aircraft cannot be upgraded in the short term and must continue to be used. As exhilarating as it was to produce these planes, upgrading them is now excruciating.


    On the Army side, a helicopter battalion of an experimental nature has just been established, equipped with a dozen Huey Helicopters for testing purposes.


    But aside from this good news about helicopter equipment, the Army¡¯s senior leadership is as frustrated as the Air Force: they have about 2,000 Panzer IV tanks and more than 700 Panther Tanks that cannot be replaced immediately.


    Watching the impressive Type 59 tanks in the testing grounds, they are practically drooling. For the first time, they find themselves resenting having too many tanks.


    Just by touching the new, smoke extractor-equipping 105mm smoothbore gun of the Type 59 tank, the nearly invincible Panther Tank suddenly lost its appeal.


    Of course, looking at the other 1,000 Sturmgeschu?tz IV assault guns and over 1,000 Wespe 155mm self-propelled howitzers... it¡¯s beyond despairing.


    They had just managed to offload over 200 modified 105mm howitzers, based on the Panzer II chassis, to Qin Country under the guise of military aid. Now, they must consider how to scrap the rest of the outdated equipment.


    The army needs to standardize various models of trucks, just the same with various models of off-road jeeps, including rocket artillery mounted on truck chassis...


    The number is certainly not small: the Tang Army¡¯s equipment of trucks exceeds 200,000, and one could say motorization has been achieved.


    Such a gigantic motorized and mechanized force required vast amounts of fuel and supplies every time it was deployed. If the Tang Empire had not possessed three large oil fields and had oil imports from the Dahua Empire and Qin Country, it couldn¡¯t have afforded such a luxurious lineup.


    ¡°Looks like we have to replace with the Model 47 transport plane first,¡± everyone concluded after a round of discussions that moving the C-47 transport plane seemed like the most logical and suitable choice.


    ¡°Model 47 transport planes, especially the military¡¯s personnel transport model, could easily be exported or modified for multipurpose personnel transport,¡± Mathews offered his opinion.


    Tang Mo nodded, thinking that prioritizing the replacement of the C-47 transport plane was indeed a good way: other weapon replacements on a large scale involved secrecy issues, but the DC-3, or C-47, already sold around the world, had no secrets left.


    Selling it was risk-free and could solve the pressing issue of surplus transport planes in hand ¨C definitely a lucrative business.


    Recently, the upper echelons of the Great Tang Empire held frequent meetings to discuss the most economical and beneficial ways to resolve the weapon replacement issue for the National Defense Army.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s take the opportunity to produce the Model 130 transport plane and sell all the retired Model 47 transport planes as military aid to countries willing to buy second-hand planes,¡± Tang Mo suggested after a decision was made.


    ¡°Your Majesty is wise! Qin Country, Shu Country, and Dorne all hope to acquire more transport planes... They don¡¯t mind second-hand, in fact, they prefer our used equipment, hoping to get second-hand gear,¡± Harry, responsible for weapons sales, immediately spoke up.


    The most widely used aircraft in the world now was the C-47 transport plane, known externally as the Model 3 passenger aircraft, or the Model 47 multipurpose plane.


    In any case, this type of plane had very stable performance, and a high safety factor, making it very popular with pilots worldwide.


    It had been produced in 19,000 units, heavily utilized in both civilian aviation and various countries¡¯ air forces. In fact, many countries outside the Tang Empire were using it as a bomber.


    They would modify the air force¡¯s C-47 transport planes, fit bomb bays onto them, to allow this excellent aircraft to carry out bombing missions, from their perspective.


    This is why these countries had so many C-47 planes; in total, almost 20,000 units had been produced worldwide.


    Great Tang Empire¡¯s civil aviation had always used the Model 47 transport plane, for both passenger and cargo transportation, as the plane was very reliable.


    At its peak, the civilian aviation market of the Great Tang Empire had a total of 5,800 Model 47 transport planes, which, combined with those in military service, accounted for roughly a third of the total production of this model.


    Such massive numbers were beyond the reach of other countries, whose ability to support such a large fleet of pilots also drove envy.


    In the second year of the Tang Empire, Tang Country¡¯s own statistics indicated that they had a total of 40,000 airplane pilots and glider enthusiasts ¨C twice the combined number of pilots from other countries ¨C a truly crushing superiority.


    These pilots were the Tang Empire¡¯s most precious treasure. Other empires spent over a year training just a batch of pilots capable of flying civilian planes.


    But the Tang Empire was too wealthy; it not only had so many pilots but also a large number of submariners and specialized personnel for aircraft carriers.


    It had millions of people who could drive cars or tractors, millions who could fix various engines, tens of millions of various workers, and over three hundred thousand toiling and loyal slave laborers.


    Thus, it was so powerful, producing so many planes, cannons, and tanks in such a short burst of time, leaving Tang Mo and his ministers with a unique problem: other emperors would not complain about having too many tanks and planes to phase out...


    They would just complain, lacking planes, pilots, tanks, and tank crew.


    Mathews nodded, starting to record Tang Mo¡¯s various requirements, raising the standards in producing these new types of equipment to increase safety.


    Mathews and Parker, one the Minister of Industrial Technology and the other the Minister of Production in charge of manufacturing, were both responsible in this area, so they needed to arrange the production tasks immediately after this meeting.


    Luff, representing the military, attended this meeting and had just made a speech. In this era of vast rearmament, he was truly the happiest person.


    Because the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Staff Department now had a 100% success rate in foreign campaigns! As the Chief of Staff of the Empire¡¯s Staff Department, he naturally glowed with pride.


    Moreover, he now wielded the Marshal¡¯s baton ¨C a weighty scepter wrapped in pure gold over bronze alloy, carved with the Empire¡¯s dragon emblem and adorned with gemstones ¨C the highest honor the Empire bestowed upon its military officers.


    Each time he looked at the baton, he felt an immense sense of pride ¨C it was the Emperor¡¯s affirmation of his work.

 Chapter 944 03-25 - 944 867 Fengjiang banks

    ?Chapter 944: 867 Fengjiang banks Chapter 944: 867 Fengjiang banks When Tang Mo decided to start manufacturing the Type 130 transport aircraft, Sofia also beheld Tongcheng. She was astounded by the factories here, for she had never seen so many in her entire life.


    Standing on an overpass, she looked down upon the railways below her: a full twenty tracks conjoined at her feet, stretching into the unseen distance.


    In the distance was a locomotive depot, and further still, a vehicle maintenance factory. There, countless locomotives and carriages awaited repairs, while railway workers ceaselessly checked each track, cleaning off any debris.


    Every time a diesel locomotive passed under the overpass where Sofia stood, she could feel the structure vibrating incessantly beneath her feet.


    This gave her an uneasy feeling, as though the overpass might collapse and break apart at any moment. So after watching for a while, she fled as if escaping.


    Nonetheless, those hundred-plus meters of parallel tracks left her with an appreciation for the prosperity of Tongcheng: truly a hub where steel and coal from all over converged, living up to its reputation.


    She descended the stairs of the overpass, frowning due to the acrid smoke. She disliked the smell here, which invariably caused her throat to ache intensely.


    ...


    Eventually, even when her feet stood firmly on the ground, she could still feel an unsettling sway¡ªas if something beneath was trembling, as though the earth itself had come alive.


    There were no earthquakes here, nor was there another train passing by; it was just that Sofia hadn¡¯t yet shaken off the shock and could still sense that unique rhythm of the city.


    Tongcheng was alive. Yes, live.


    Here, lathes operated ceaselessly, and the colossal machinery continued its relentless stretching and pulling at every moment.


    Distant cranes were always busy, hoisting huge components to their required places. The buildings here were all so spectacular, embodying grandeur in every aspect.


    Like a Soviet city from the seventies, everywhere were flowers, Dragon Banners, sculptures, and towering structures demanding upward gazes.


    Broadcasts echoed with stirring songs, while posters plastered on telephone poles were filled with fervent slogans.


    Source: , updated on ?0¦Í?¦Ï.?¦Ï


    Everyone here was working, laboring, creating value. The entire city was like a gigantic machine, processing materials from across the four seas into the desired forms night and day.


    No one even had a moment to pause and gaze at Sofia, a woman too beautiful for words. The local people hurried by, rushing toward their destinations.


    Trams whistled past, crammed with workers ready to replace their mates on shift. Through the tram windows, they marveled at the fleeting beauty of Sofia¡¯s charming visage.


    One after another, cars drove along the wide streets, while various adverts lent a cyberpunk air of decay.


    The streetlights here were different from those in Chang¡¯an City: Chang¡¯an¡¯s were ornate, curving gracefully like the lithe waist of a beauty, while these were straight and rigid, like spikes tearing through the heavens.


    ¡°Milady, if we don¡¯t leave now, we¡¯ll be too late, your flight time...¡± The Countess followed behind Sofia, whispering a reminder.


    Sofia nodded, stepped into a cake shop, and chose a chubby-looking cream cake. Watching as the owner carefully placed the cake into a pretty box, she paid and left, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    She normally wouldn¡¯t eat such things, let alone buy them herself. But at that moment, Sofia was like a contented woman, carrying her dessert and walking through a strange city.


    ¡°Just now, someone sent word that a mole in Suthers has betrayed us, your card... might have been found by those foxes,¡± the Countess reported, glancing at the cake in Sofia¡¯s hand with bad news.


    Sofia calmly reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! These sorts of things are bound to happen sooner or later. It¡¯s just a card; they probably aren¡¯t reacting that quickly.¡±


    Taking a few steps, Sofia then second-guessed herself, ¡°Perhaps they have noticed. Those people are more sensitive than we thought! They must know that someone is secretly forming a mysterious organization... They must be aware.¡±


    ¡°What should we do? Should we order our people to halt their activities temporarily?¡± the Countess asked, somewhat flustered.


    ¡°No need! My dear, absolutely no need! Just tell them to keep a closer watch on the prey and make sure no one throws sand in the gears,¡± Sofia replied without hesitation, directly addressing the Countess¡¯s concern.


    After speaking, she slipped into a car that was already waiting and soon it sped off toward the airport.


    When Sofia saw the airport of Tongcheng, she regretted not visiting the acclaimed number one airport of Chang¡¯an.


    Tongcheng¡¯s airport was globally recognized as less spectacular in comparison to Chang¡¯an, but upon seeing Tongcheng¡¯s airport, Sofia still envied having such a beautiful complex.


    When she had control over Shireck, there weren¡¯t even airports yet, so she didn¡¯t have time to build such a beautiful building to rival Chang¡¯an Airport.


    Even though Sofia really wanted to experience what it was like to travel by airplane, she still was patient enough to take a train to Brunas.


    This was because the safety rates of the airlines on the Eastern Continent were somewhat problematic, and the crash rates of these airlines were still high enough to deter a tycoon of Sofia¡¯s level.


    The shipping companies of the Great Tang Empire were different. Under very strict industry standards, the crash rates of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s air transport were very low, almost negligible.


    Thus, Sofia finally bought a plane ticket upon reaching Tongcheng and experienced the sensation of flight for the first time.


    To be honest, she was a bit nervous, especially since there were no stewardesses on crews in this era: The Model 47 planes were too small, carrying only about twenty people at a time, without any space for stewardesses or food.


    Of course, airplanes in this era also lacked so-called first-class cabins, and everyone had to sit in the same cabin, complaining about uncomfortable chairs, and strapped to their seats by unfriendly seatbelts.


    But it was all worth it when she saw clouds outside the window that looked like fluff, Sofia felt that everything was worthwhile.


    This adventure had ignited her inner desire to conquer; she liked this feeling of unreal up-and-down sensation.


    As she looked through the porthole at the Bai Yun outside and relished the sense of achievement of having the world under her feet, she heard two people next to her discussing the future development of airplanes.


    Clearly, both were insiders in the aviation industry; they had a lot of knowledge about airplanes and possessed unique perspectives.


    One of them said that the next generation of planes should have a separate toilet to make the journey more pleasant.


    The other suggested that additional services should be provided to passengers, like offering some bread to distribute to the passengers.


    Their conversation reminded Sofia of the cake she had eaten while waiting for her flight; honestly, she had had tastier cakes, but she still found the one she bought exceptionally sweet.


    Unfortunately, before Sofia could hear more of their conversation, the plane¡¯s announcement already reminded that the destination had been reached.


    After all, the speed in the sky was fast, and Sofia did not expect that after a fresh observation of the plane¡¯s wings and the sea of clouds, and a little gossip, they would arrive at their destination.


    The plane soon landed at the airport on the west bank of Fengjiang, where it was to refuel and undergo inspections before taking off again for the capital of the Dahua Empire.


    Sofia didn¡¯t buy a direct plane ticket to the Dahua Empire¡¯s capital, so she had to disembark here, and, along with a few Guards mixed in with the passengers, carry her small luggage out of the airport runway.


    Compared to Tongcheng Airport, the airports of Dahua Empire seemed a lot plainer. After seeing the airports of the Great Tang Empire, looking at such airports was like looking at ruins.


    But Sofia felt like she could breathe easier here: it seemed like she could breathe normally here, and it was here that she could find the familiar feeling of home.


    Indeed, it wasn¡¯t long before an official of the Dahua Empire at the entrance of Fengjiang City Airport got opportunistic and started to extort.


    The woman who came to meet Sofia was powerful, making the Dahua Empire official deeply regret his lecherous attempt at swan meat.


    This was a world where might made right, where one could easily solve any trouble as long as you had money and power.


    So, Sofia felt no fear here, unlike within the Great Tang Empire, where she had to be careful with her every move.


    But somehow, she suddenly missed the moment when she stood on the corner of a street in Chang¡¯an and looked at a distant flower shop¡ªit was for the first time, she had stood there as if she were a young girl.


    Perhaps, there would never be a next time. With this thought, she glanced at the banks of Fengjiang across the river and the fortresses, and stepped into the prosperous Fengjiang City of the Dahua Empire.


    The streets here were not even half as wide as those in Tongcheng, and besides the somewhat significant east-west traffic artery, the prosperity level of this city was nothing compared to Tongcheng.


    Even compared to the Fengjiang East City across the river, the gap was vast. But everything here was familiar to Sofia; this was the world where she had lived before.


    So, after taking a deep breath, Sofia got into the car waiting outside the airport: she was utterly relaxed because this felt more like her own territory; but she no longer had the desire to explore, she just got into the car and went straight to her secret base in the suburbs.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    There will be two updates today, so don¡¯t wait up.

 Chapter 945 03-25 - 945 868 Dwarves Experiment

    ?Chapter 945: 868 Dwarves¡¯ Experiment Chapter 945: 868 Dwarves¡¯ Experiment In the icy tundra, a group of dwarves stood amidst the snow, peering through telescopes at a target set up in front of a small hill.


    The target was very odd-looking, with a huge surface area, but a very strange shape.


    If viewed purely from the side, the target resembled a ¡°Z¡± shape, with a sloped surface at its front. Above the sloped surface, there was a horizontal steel plate pressing down on it.


    ¡°Fire!¡± the leading dwarf engineer gave the order, and a dwarf officer beside him looked towards the soldiers nearby.


    As everyone anticipated with eagerness, a group of soldiers pulled the firing cord of a cannon, and this 76mm caliber artillery piece discharged a shell.


    The dwarf anti-aircraft guns were mostly 76mm in caliber; they had increased the chamber volume, extended the barrel length, and increased the chamber pressure, thus enhancing the muzzle velocity at the cost of adding to the weight of the gun, which improved the power of this type of anti-aircraft gun.


    In the absence of better anti-tank guns, using these anti-aircraft guns to counter armor was a desperate but a practical act.


    ...


    The experiment proved that this makeshift anti-tank version of the anti-aircraft gun had an excellent armor penetration effect, easily penetrating steel plates over 80mm thick from a distance of more than 500 meters.


    This meant that at a standard combat range of about 700 meters, this gun could threaten the frontal armor of a ¡®No. 4 tank,¡¯ indeed qualifying it as a competent anti-tank gun.


    The only downside was the gun¡¯s weight was somewhat too heavy: the smelting technology of the Dwarf Empire was not as advanced as that of Tang Country, so they had to increase the weight of the gun as a compromise.


    The immense recoil of the gun blew away the surrounding snow at the firing position, and when all had settled, everyone¡¯s gaze was fixed on the distant target.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t penetrate...¡± Everyone saw that on the sloped steel plate there was only a terrifying mark left by the impact; no penetration hole had resulted.


    ¡°It still didn¡¯t penetrate?¡± The dwarf officer, upon hearing this, was surprised and turned to the engineer beside him, ¡°Isn¡¯t it only 70mm thick?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably close to the theory I calculated before.¡± The chief engineer raised his arm, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s take a look! If I¡¯m not mistaken, the shell was deflected.¡±


    Source: , updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    All of them trudged through the snow step by step towards the target standing 500 meters away and saw the charred impact mark on the sloped armor.


    ¡°There¡¯s deformation, but indeed no penetration.¡± An engineer inspected the slightly indented impact mark and spoke with some disappointment.


    ¡°The trajectory of the shell was deflected.¡± Another engineer, looking at the horizontal steel plate above the sloped armor and noticing the cavity in it, exclaimed with surprise.


    ¡°Just as I predicted, the sloped design was deliberate to deflect the shells,¡± the leading chief engineer concluded, ¡°The engineers from Tang Country must have calculated and found this ingenious method.¡±


    ¡°So does that mean it¡¯s a good method?¡± The military representative, the dwarf officer, asked curiously.


    ¡°Absolutely a good method. Haven¡¯t we calculated it? If inclined to a certain angle, a 70mm thick steel plate can nearly match the defensive capability of a 100mm thick one,¡± the dwarf engineer pointed at some scrapped targets a distance from the specimen and said.


    They had already conducted a series of experiments before, and as long as the sloping angle was sufficient, even 80mm thick armor could easily withstand the assault of the 76mm caliber anti-aircraft gun from 300 meters away.


    ¡°Can we use it?¡± What the dwarf officer cared most about was whether the Ice Cold Empire could also use this technology¡ªif so, their tanks could take a big leap forward in technology.


    They were recently trying to introduce a special steel from Tang Country. If successful, they could reduce the weight of the 76mm gun.


    With the sloped armor design, the tanks of the Ice Cold Empire could make significant advancements in both armor and firepower. Coupled with radio technology, their tank performance might well match those of Tang Country!


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been contemplating how to apply this technology to the new tank designs as well,¡± the chief engineer nodded, expressing great admiration for the weapon designers of the Great Tang Empire.


    Ever since witnessing the victory parade of the Great Tang Empire, the Ice Cold Empire had been paying close attention to the research of the Panther Tanks of the Great Tang Empire.


    Contrarily, the Dwarves weren¡¯t very interested in the Tang Empire¡¯s No. 4 Tanks, because they believed those tanks, which had been used since the Tang-Qi War and continued through the Tang-Dahua War, were severely outdated.


    The dual-layered steel armor of the No. 4 Tanks served as compelling evidence: most of the No. 4 Tanks currently in service with the Great Tang Empire had front armor composed of two layers, with an additional steel plate temporarily fitted to the outside of the main armor, resulting in a protection not equivalent to an 80mm thickness.


    Having participated in two wars, the design and thickness of the armor on Tang¡¯s No. 4 Tanks were hardly a secret anymore.


    The Shireck side had obtained wreckage of the No. 4 Tanks, and as the war progressed, more wreckage became available after the outbreak of war between the Dahua Empire and Tang Country.


    The Dahua Empire even captured largely intact No. 4 Tanks due to mechanical failures, specifically later models equipped with steel plates at the front and side skirts.


    Subsequently, both the Dahua Empire and the Shireck Consortium conducted various firing tests on the No. 4 Tanks and reached similar conclusions: the front armor of the No. 4 Tanks was approximately 80mm thick, roughly equivalent to over 90mm armor of other countries.


    The reason why Tang¡¯s double-layered armor still maintained such a high level of protection wasn¡¯t because the integrated armor was better than other countries¡¯ steel armor. It was because rare metals like molybdenum were mixed in, enhancing the steel¡¯s performance, which made it significantly better than other nations¡¯ steel armor.


    After testing the protective capabilities of the No. 4 Tanks, all countries set new requirements for their own new tank models: they universally increased their tanks¡¯ frontal protection to around 80mm, with some extremists even installing armor up to 90mm thick.


    This directly led to a significant weight increase, making the tanks severely overweight, with reduced mobility and poor cross-country performance. Nonetheless, to contend with Tang Country, the nations had no choice but to tolerate these flaws.


    The technicians from the Ice Cold Empire took a different approach, beginning to study the Panther Tanks that had appeared during the military parades of the Great Tang Empire.


    And indeed, they learned something: at least from the sloped front armor observed, they were able to surmise a few things through reverse engineering.


    The results of this experiment could be inversely applied to their own tank development, saving some weight on protection and, in turn, improving the tank¡¯s mobility.


    With the weight reduced, the pressure on the running gear would also lessen, naturally leading to a lower failure rate, a crucial metric on the battlefield.


    In turn, with lighter tanks and unchanged power, the reduction in failure rate would mean fewer spare parts were needed, and thus, the logistical personnel could also be proportionately decreased.


    These benefits might not seem significant on their own, but when considered holistically, they become invaluable: an entire tank troop would consume significantly less fuel, meaning that with the same amount of fuel, a tank troop could advance farther!


    Just thinking about it made it clear what advantages this held, and it was at this moment that the personnel involved realized just how profound the Great Tang Empire¡¯s weapons and equipment design philosophies were.


    ¡°Experiments have shown that those boxes installed around the No. 4 Tank¡¯s turret can also increase protection...¡± Before leaving, the chief engineer mentioned the experience they had accumulated from the No. 4 Tanks.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s incorporate a similar design on our tanks! Copying is not shameful, right?¡± the military representative voiced his opinion.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± the chief engineer nodded in agreement with the military representative¡¯s opinion, ¡°Even if we can¡¯t build a tank more powerful than the Tang Army¡¯s Panther Tanks, it¡¯s sufficient to be stronger than other nations¡¯ tanks.¡±


    Next, as long as they could import high-quality steel, their plan could get underway. Soon, the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s new generation of tanks would be ready for testing.


    The engineers of the Ice Cold Empire weren¡¯t the only ones busy at work. Like the dawn of that grand era in Earth¡¯s history, engineers and scientists from all nations were indulging in their own wild endeavors based on half-understood concepts.


    The Gobur Kingdom used two gasoline engines in their tank development to increase power. They had moved toward another extreme: disregarding fuel consumption entirely to purely enhance their tanks¡¯ performance. However, whether these fuel guzzlers would be effective was yet to be tested on the battlefield.


    The Dorne Empire, as a southern naval powerhouse, was going all out to upscale diesel engines for their warships. It¡¯s unclear what they were thinking, but they believed that oil-drilling engines were the future of warship propulsion.


    The Laines Empire, on the other hand, displayed remarkable wisdom in this area. With the foundations established by Brunas, they didn¡¯t take such a roundabout route but opted for a middle path. Their designs were modest and conventional, with nothing too out of the ordinary.


    In short, everyone was exploring the future, beginning their competition in a state of partial understanding: though their attempts might look clumsy and laughable, they were indeed the original inhabitants of this world, taking their tentative steps toward what they saw as the future under the inspiration of Great Tang technology.


    As for whether the future was actually as they imagined it, no one knew at the moment¡ªor rather, the only person who knew what the future looked like was right then in Tang Country.

 Chapter 946 03-25 - 946 869, you guys shouldnt waste any more time

    ?Chapter 946: 869, you guys shouldn¡¯t waste any more time Chapter 946: 869, you guys shouldn¡¯t waste any more time ¡°You needn¡¯t waste anymore time, it¡¯s just a new type of fighter jet, and it¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have any, it depends whether you¡¯re willing to buy or not.¡± On the couch, a salesperson from Great Tang Group crossed his legs, removed the cigarette from his mouth, and arrogantly exhaled a cloud of smoke.


    ¡°Sir, that¡¯s exactly what we want! The Butcher Fighter! We would like to purchase!¡± The representative from the Suthers Empire, sitting opposite, smiled attentively and poured another glass of wine for him.


    As various countries began to popularize high-quality seeds and extensively use fertilizers and pesticides, their food production increased.


    The increase in food meant that the pressure from food scarcity was becoming lighter, hence there was more food available for making wine¡ªresultantly, fruit wines began to proliferate in the market and their quality improved.


    Of course, the various types of wine produced in Chang¡¯an of the Great Tang Empire were still the top-notch ones, but the already renowned Brunas, and several other local specialty wines, started to become popular on a large scale.


    At the moment, they were drinking a grape wine specially produced by Dorne, which had a particularly smooth taste and a unique flavor.


    ¡°The Butcher costs 13,900 gold coins per unit, how many would you like?¡± the salesperson didn¡¯t refuse but quoted a price that sounded discouraging to any prospective buyer.


    ...


    It was a joke; for a thing like fighter jets, a hundred units might not even suffice, and just purchasing jets alone would cost nearly a million¡ªwho could afford that?


    Nowadays, nobody was naive anymore; everyone knew that purchasing fighter jets wasn¡¯t a one-off deal, and comparatively, the initial cost of the jet itself was actually the cheapest.


    Once you¡¯ve bought the jets, of course, you would need to purchase a series of supporting services, such as ground crew training, pilot training, commander training...


    Along with maintenance tools, refueling vehicles, corresponding weapons and ammunition, engine repair parts... Just a sub-project would cost a few thousand gold coins, and a full set would run into tens of millions in costs.


    Currently, all countries still owed money to the Great Tang Empire, with debts being repaid in installments; who would have that much money to buy fighter jets?


    The representative from the Suthers Empire sat there, his face filled with embarrassment, ¡°Sir... you must be joking, we can¡¯t afford such a large sum of money... Do you think, could you make it a bit cheaper?¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve mentioned it, I will give you a discount... 13,700 gold coins, how about that? Isn¡¯t that generous of me? If you buy 100 jets, I just gave you a discount of 20,000 gold coins at once!¡± The salesperson from the Great Tang Group showed two fingers and waved them in front of the other party¡¯s face.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï


    After saying this, he flicked his cigarette ash and added, ¡°You know the rules, one fighter jet, this amount for the rebate...¡±


    While speaking, he held up one finger¡ªindustry insiders were all aware that this represented a 100 gold coin rebate.


    Selling anything relies on relationships, even when it comes to arms. The responsibility for procurement has always been a lucrative position, where one can easily get ample kickbacks.


    A rebate of 100 gold coins per jet indeed showed the sincerity of the Great Tang Group. However, the representative from the Suthers Empire still looked bitter because he genuinely couldn¡¯t afford such expensive equipment.


    In fact, compared to others, this price couldn¡¯t be considered expensive: When the Great Tang Empire once sold aircraft technology, they had extorted a billion gold coins from another country.


    Now, selling the Butcher Fighters, 100 units would probably not even cost 20 million, which was very conscientious. If the countries really had spare cash, buying 500 units wouldn¡¯t be impossible.


    After all, everyone was hoping to acquire a sufficient number of fighter jets to establish an air defense network and protect their increasingly vulnerable logistics supply lines.


    But now... everyone is genuinely poor, who could afford such expensive equipment? The Air Force requires money to build, don¡¯t the Army and Navy also need it? After investing so much, how would they even get by?


    That said, although everyone spent a billion gold coins to purchase the aircraft technology from the Great Tang initially, there really were no complaints about the price being too high.


    During the massive purchase of aircraft technology last time, countries obtained a large number of pilots with basic flying skills. In the recent era of civil aviation development over the last six months, all countries reaped the benefits from their last purchase.


    This is no joke, precisely because everyone already had hundreds of pilots that they could immediately establish a sufficiently functional civil aviation network.


    It was also because of this foundation in civil aviation that everyone saved a lot of time and earned some wealth through air transportation. Looking back now, that one billion upfront investment was surely a bargain.


    This is also the biggest reason why countries weren¡¯t so opposed to purchasing technology from the Tang Country: it was proven afterwards that purchasing technology and equipment from the Great Tang Group was worth more than the price paid.


    ¡°Sir... we really don¡¯t have the money this time. Regarding the budget from above, I won¡¯t conceal it from you; for one plane... they¡¯ve only approved 5000 gold coins...¡± the representative from the Suthers Empire awkwardly said.


    There was no way around it; that¡¯s just the situation in the country, even though they gained some industrial base from acquiring Northern Ridge, the Suthers Empire was still not a wealthy nation.


    Even because the import of products from the Great Tang Group required going through customs in other countries, they also had to pay extra transit fees, which made them even poorer.


    Fortunately, they were a landlocked country and did not need to build their own navy, so they were able to save a large sum of money, which alleviated some of the financial pressure.


    Thanks to the economic reforms carried out with the help of the Great Tang Group¡¯s dandelion assistance in previous years, they had accumulated some savings, and life was still manageable.


    ¡°5000? Are you kidding? Butcher Fighter! Qin Country is practically begging us to sell them, but we¡¯ve refused!¡± The salesman from the Great Tang Group feigned a shocked expression on purpose.


    What he said was indeed the truth, as Qin Country had genuinely wanted to purchase the Butcher Fighter but had been rejected by Tang Country.


    The reason was that selling the Butcher Fighter would indeed cause huge problems with identifying friend from foe: nowadays, identification systems were quite imperfect, mostly relying on visual recognition to determine the identity of the other side.


    Once the two countries used the same equipment, it would bring significant challenges to identification: even if they didn¡¯t use the same equipment, they still needed to add paint schemes to enhance the identification effects, let alone the same model.


    Therefore, Tang Country had ultimately abandoned the idea of selling the Butcher Fighter in the Western Continent, but they were still looking to sell the surplus Butcher Fighters to other countries and make a profit.


    The result of the discussions was that, if there were countries on the Eastern Continent that wanted the Butcher, they would sell it at a higher price, making room for subsequent strategic adjustments.


    This was why the sales personnel from Tang Country on the Eastern Continent dared to agree to sell the Butcher Fighter.


    ¡°However!¡± Just when the other party was about to give up, the salesman from the Great Tang Group reignited their hope, ¡°If you can¡¯t afford the Butcher Fighter... perhaps buying something else... might be possible.¡±


    He rubbed his chin and pretended to think deeply, ¡°Although the performance is a little inferior, it¡¯s definitely much better than the junk you¡¯re currently using... would you be interested?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean?¡± The representative from Suthers leaned in cautiously and anxiously asked.


    ¡°Earlier, during the internal fighter jet tender within the Great Tang Empire, there were several fighter jet designs. They were not as competitive as the Butcher... but you know, even though the performance is slightly inferior, it¡¯s not much less, and it¡¯s definitely sufficient.¡± The salesman leaned in and whispered mysteriously, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they are all excellent designs, at least ten times better than the junk you¡¯ve come up with!¡±


    The representative from Suthers pondered briefly, ¡°Sir, are you saying... the performance is not much worse than the Butcher¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°At least ninety percent of the performance!¡± The salesman assured him earnestly. He looked around and lowered his voice, ¡°If the pilot is a bit more experienced, there¡¯s at least a forty percent chance of defeating the Butcher!¡±


    ¡°Hisss...¡± Hearing this, the representative from Suthers gasped, genuinely contemplating.


    If what the other party said was true, it was indeed worth considering since Suthers hadn¡¯t planned on confronting the Great Tang Empire head-on in the short term anyway. Slight inferiority in fighter jet performance was an acceptable fact.


    Even if the neighboring countries acquired the Butcher Fighter, Suthers¡¯s fighter jets would still possess ninety percent of their combat effectiveness. Although slightly inferior, they would still be combat-capable.


    Thinking it over, this alternative option... was indeed feasible.


    On the other hand, the failed fighter jet designs mentioned by the salesman from the Great Tang Group were completely fabricated.


    In fact, those planes were designed later specifically for export to poorer countries. Most were early World War II models, with performance that was more or less similar.


    While slightly inferior to the Butcher, they were indeed much better compared to the junk developed by other countries. The performance of various planes also varied, with differences reflected in the prices.


    If you were poor, then you could buy Japan¡¯s Type 97 Fighter, although the landing gear couldn¡¯t retract and the performance wasn¡¯t that great, it was still much better than a biplane.


    If you were a bit wealthier, then you could opt for French models like the MS405 or MS406, which performed better, but still not as good as the FW-190 Fighter.


    And if you had more money, then you could consider the UK¡¯s Hurricane Fighter, which was sturdy, durable, and performed excellently¡ªtruly a quality recommendation.


    Of course, if customers wanted even more advanced fighter jets, there were still options available: the Mig-1 Fighter and the P-40 Fighter were both decent choices.


    The ultimate package for the most VIP customers included the Tang Army¡¯s own Butcher FW-190 Fighter, or the Spitfire Fighter, ME-109 Fighter, or even the Zero if you dared...


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Two updates today, will continue to make it up tomorrow.

 Chapter 947 03-25 - 947 870 sells butcher

    ?Chapter 947: 870 sells butcher Chapter 947: 870 sells butcher The Zero Fighter, in general, had decent performance, but unfortunately, it was considered bad luck for Tang Mo¡ªanyone who fancied this type of jet was probably targeted by one of the world¡¯s leading superpowers in the future.


    The ME-109 and the Spitfire Fighter did not have anything special; however, the improved models of these two jets were quite impressive, and purchasing them did demand a price.


    Besides the Spitfire and ME-109, age-old rivals, there were, of course, the Soviet Yak and MiG series, which were nice post-World War II model jets and very advanced.


    Additionally, there was the legendary P-51 ultimate version, which, like the likes of the TA-152, represented the pinnacle of piston propeller-driven fighters.


    Both jets could exceed speeds of 700 kilometers per hour and even had the chance to outperform jet fighters in the hands of experienced pilots.


    On the Earth¡¯s plane, Japan also had the mythic Shiden and Shinden fighters, reputed to perform well, though that remained purely legend.


    It was rumored that the Shinden was also highly unstable on the ground, with several wheels assembled from parts of other aircraft; its quality was just numbers boasted by the designer.


    ...


    Ultimately, all these fighters could be manufactured by Great Tang Empire, as long as you didn¡¯t mind the price, Tang Mo could sell them.


    ¡°The Suthers Empire isn¡¯t wealthy,¡± a representative of the Suthers Empire mulled for a while before continuing negotiations, ¡°but we still hope to acquire an excellent fighter jet to defend against invasions from other countries...¡±


    His goal was explicit¡ªto spend the minimum money possible to acquire better fighters: not necessarily better than what Tang Country used themselves, just better than what neighboring counties used.


    In truth, his insistent narrative of the Suthers Empire being poor was somewhat reserved¡ªSuthers had recently discovered a gold mine, which had lent them a bit more boldness in spending.


    This was also why they were so eager to purchase fighters: they wanted to take advantage of their relatively affluent phase to build a decent military.


    ¡°Truly, I¡¯ve heard of a Fighter 405 design which would suit the Suthers Empire perfectly¡ªit offers great performance at a fair price, and it is indeed very affordable,¡± asserted the Tang Group¡¯s salesman, offering what he thought was an appropriate solution.


    People already showed their sincerity by offering 5000 Gold Coins per jet, and it clearly wasn¡¯t honorable to deceive them with something as obsolete as Japan¡¯s Type 97 fighter. But the Hurricane Fighter was too expensive, so either the 405 or adding a bit more for the 406 was the best choice for Suthers.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã¦Ï


    Though the Hurricane was not fully metal-skinned, the Brits¡¯ technology from the early World War II was still impressive, and naturally, their aircraft were somewhat more advanced and useful than those from France.


    Hearing the Tang Group salesman speak, the Suthers representative responsible for purchasing the fighters inquired about the specific details about the 405 Fighter.


    Upon learning that, if necessary, they could directly purchase the technology and pay a portion of the funds to organize their own production, the representative from Suthers was even more satisfied.


    For a country with limited funds like theirs, it indeed was extremely cost-effective: they could save a lot of money purchasing the jets and also support many workers through their production.


    ¡°Then, thank you for your generosity,¡± expressed the Suthers representative, raising his glass in genuine gratitude.


    The Tang Group salesman was unhesitant, also raised his glass, and finished it in one gulp, ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait for your good news, and once this deal is settled, we won¡¯t have to run around anymore this year.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s right ... My lord, about the cost you just mentioned,¡± after expressing his willingness to cooperate, the Suthers representative extended a finger, once again verifying the benefits he could receive.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! The usual rules! Nothing changes on your end, and nothing changes on mine! Here¡¯s to a pleasant cooperation!¡± chuckled the salesman from the Tang Group, dismissing the query with disdain.


    The Tang Group had never had any incident of exposure for accepting or refusing bribes; they really had a stellar reputation in the industry, without any problems.


    That is why many people liked doing business with the Tang Group: their integrity was excellent, especially when it came to giving kickbacks¡ªif they said they would give, they truly did.


    At another dinner table in another country, Elf beauties were massaging the shoulders of a salesman from the Tang Group.


    Doing business in such places was more comfortable than in the Ice Cold Empire, partly because the climate was nicer, and partly because the women here were a hundred thousand times better looking than Dwarf matrons.


    With his arms wrapped around soft waists, the salesman caught food fed to him by an Elf beauty with his mouth and took advantage to brush his cheek against her bosom.


    His actions elicited a hearty laugh from Duke Leibert, who was sitting opposite him, ¡°You truly are an interesting man, sir!¡±


    ¡°Socializing is part of my job, and the company pays me for it,¡± explained the salesman from the Great Tang Empire with a smile, ¡°but only if I can convince you, Your Grace, to willingly spend your money to purchase our company¡¯s products.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha ha! Well said! If your products are good enough, I will certainly convince His Majesty The Emperor to pay,¡± Duke Leibert had always been well-respected within the Poplar Empire, not only for his accomplishments in expanding territories but also because he had a remarkable son.


    Even though everyone knew that Duke Leibert¡¯s son, John, had practically no affiliation with the Poplar Empire anymore, who could be sure about such things?


    John was one of the key ministers of the Great Tang Empire, which also added to Duke Leibert¡¯s stature. His arrangements to send John back to Brunas had already taken effect.


    Thus, when interacting with some officials from the Great Tang Empire, they often showed him considerable respect, which made him the ¡°most valuable diplomat¡± of the Poplar Empire.


    ¡°As you know, our Empire needs a large number of fighter jets, and these planes must meet our requirements...¡± Duke Leibert, after laughing, opened the dialogue, ¡°This time, we hope that you can supply us with new fighter jets that will satisfy us.¡±


    ¡°Butcher? The version used exclusively by the Great Tang Empire Air Force, how about that? As long as you can afford it... The ban has been relaxed, and you can have the best fighter jets in the world,¡± offered the salesman from the Great Tang Group generously.


    ¡°The ban has been relaxed? That¡¯s indeed good news. Butcher... fighter jet... how much are we talking?¡± Duke Leibert cautiously broached the subject that concerned him the most.


    ¡°14,000 Gold Coins each!¡± The salesperson quoted a figure that was painfully high.


    Sure enough, upon hearing this number, Duke Leibert¡¯s eyelid twitched, and he almost dropped his cutlery on the table.


    Clearly, the Poplar Empire couldn¡¯t accept this price: it was simply too expensive, even for Poplar Empire, which had decent revenue from maritime trade.


    However, they were not open to any alternative solutions because the Poplar Empire felt that they should not go astray in their choice of active service fighter jets any longer.


    Previous purchases had imparted some experience upon the Poplar Empire: nearly all the weaponry and equipment sold by the Great Tang Empire were ones they had never deployed themselves.


    These pieces of military equipment were either outdated or not very efficient in combat: The Poplar Empire had previously bought Brunas¡¯s airships and later a large number of Camel Fighter Jets, all of which served as hard lessons.


    Therefore, before this purchase, both Duke Leibert and Yangmu Yi, the Emperor of the Poplar Empire, were of the opinion that they should spare no expense to buy active service fighter jets, heavily used by the Great Tang Empire.


    Thus, even though they knew the price given by the Great Tang Empire was steep, they did not back away; after being shocked awhile, Duke Leibert clenched his teeth and eventually spoke, ¡°Could you, perhaps, offer a lower price?¡±


    ¡°The price can indeed be discussed. 13,900 Gold Coins, what do you think?¡± The salesperson was indeed experienced, making a small cut as a token.


    Duke Leibert didn¡¯t hold back either, proposing a price he found acceptable, ¡°How about this then, 10,000 Gold Coins! That¡¯s my final offer!¡±


    The salesperson shook his head, then stated what he thought was a fair price, ¡°13,800 Gold Coins! I can¡¯t go any lower.¡±


    Hearing this style of bargaining, Duke Leibert realized the salesperson was firm on the price, so he also compromised a step, ¡°13,000! If you don¡¯t agree, I¡¯m not buying.¡±


    ¡°13,500! If you don¡¯t buy, there¡¯s nothing more I can do! Your Grace, this is the price, and you can ask around. It simply cannot go lower,¡± the salesperson from the Great Tang Group emphatically assured.


    In fact, there was a lower price because Chu Country was purchasing Butcher Fighter Jets for 8,000 Gold Coins each, but that was the most favored treatment for a vassal state, not available to other countries.


    Of course, you could enjoy the same if, like Chu Country, you were willing to bow down and call the Great Tang Empire ¡®father¡¯. Unfortunately, up until now, other than Chu Country, there had not been another nation willing to so disgrace itself.


    Frankly, had not Chu Country been thoroughly defeated and had its capital moved, they wouldn¡¯t want to be kneeling and calling someone else ¡®father¡¯...


    ¡°...¡± After thinking it over, Duke Leibert raised a fingertip, gesturing at an inconspicuous angle.


    This was him asking for a kickback, and the salesman from the Great Tang Group didn¡¯t hesitate, giving a barely noticeable nod, agreeing to the standard of the kickback.


    100 Gold Coins per jet, 100 jets making up 10,000! By purchasing 500 jets, they would gain a tidy profit of 50,000, which significantly improved Duke Leibert¡¯s mood after the meal.

 Chapter 948 03-25 - 948 871 Familiar Otherworld

    ?Chapter 948: 871 Familiar Otherworld Chapter 948: 871 Familiar Otherworld Poplar Empire, as the first and likely the only country on the Eastern Continent to procure the Butcher Fighter Jet from the Great Tang Empire, received quite an honorable treatment.


    First, when the two parties signed the contract, the Great Tang Empire acquiesced to some requests from the Poplar Empire: the most important being that, after Poplar Empire continuously purchased 500 Butcher Fighter Jets, Tang Country would sell the production line of the Butcher Fighter Jet to Poplar Empire for 30 million.


    After the sale of the production line, the Great Tang Empire would permit Poplar Empire to continue manufacturing the Butcher Fighter Jets, with only a patent use fee of 50 Gold Coins per aircraft.


    With this contract, Poplar Empire almost overnight became the country with the most powerful aerial fighter jet troops on the Eastern Continent.


    In the future, they were very likely to form an air force troop of over 1500 Butcher Fighter Jets, which was clearly a terrifying prospect.


    Obviously, the Poplar Empire had its own ambitions, and would not be in such a rush to build such a massive air force otherwise.


    After signing the mammoth contract for purchasing the Butcher Fighter Jets, Duke Leibart purchased a bomber production line from the Great Tang Group as well.


    ...


    The Great Tang Empire packaged and sold the designs and production line of the HE-111 to the Poplar Empire, which cost them an additional 70 million Gold Coins.


    This was a flat rate, meaning it was basically a package purchase of a solution from Tang Country. Poplar Empire was very satisfied, as they suddenly possessed very advanced air-to-ground strike capabilities.


    As a result, both Poplar Empire¡¯s northern neighbor, the Ice Cold Empire, and its southern neighbor, the Suthers Empire, began to worry about their ground troops.


    The Suthers Empire procured the blueprints and production line of the French 451 model bomber, with assembly assistance from personnel of the Great Tang Empire, and production carried out by Suthers Empire¡¯s own workers and engineers.


    The whole set of equipment cost 40 million Gold Coins, and the price was still reasonable. Although the Suthers Empire ultimately paid a premium for the 406 model fighter, they remained at a disadvantage in the aerial arms race against Poplar Empire.


    The Ice Cold Empire also reluctantly spent money to purchase the SB2 bomber from the Great Tang Empire, but this type of bomber actually performed not so well, and was inferior to the HE-111 bomber, so the price was very cheap.


    The entire production line and blueprints were sold by Tang Country for only about 20 million Gold Coins, which indeed made the Ice Cold Empire very happy.


    Source: , updated on ??¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï


    Naturally, the Laines Empire would not be outdone. Seeing the three northern countries all massively procuring planes from the Great Tang Group and expanding their air forces, they also abandoned their plans to develop new aircraft types.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped; developing new planes was too slow, risky, and there was no hope for immediate returns. To quickly enhance the strength of their air force, they could only spend money to buy.


    Fortunately, with the shipping subsidies of Brunnis Port, the economic situation was still not too bad, and the Laines Empire bit the bullet and purchased two types of aircraft designed by the Great Tang Group: the Hurricane Fighter and the Hampton Bomber.


    From here, it was apparent that all the bombers sold by the Great Tang Group were of medium and small size, with a small bombing radius and low payload.


    Therefore, even though they were more powerful than bombers like the Stuka, the level of bomber technology sold to the countries by the Great Tang Group was indeed not high. Relying on these planes to penetrate the aerial defense lines of the Great Tang Empire was still tantamount to committing suicide.


    In fact, apart from the sorehead Poplar Empire, who bit the bullet and purchased the current Butcher Fighter Jets from the Great Tang Group, the level of the air force fighter jets of the other countries was not very good either.


    The Dorne Empire joined in the procurement later, and the Gobur Kingdom also sent its own delegation to visit and inspect the Great Tang Empire.


    While these countries were desperately purchasing various models of fighter jets manufactured by the Great Tang Group and building new production lines domestically, what nobody knew was that the Great Tang Empire had already formed a brand new air force fighter jet troop.


    The first batch of ¡®Xia Ye¡¯ was delivered for use at the end of the third year in the Great Tang, and at the same time, the Datang Empire Air Force¡¯s single-seat fighters began to have around-the-clock combat capabilities.


    The area near Dragon Island had been designated as a military restricted zone for over half a year now, prohibiting entry to ships from other countries in the nearby waters and completely sealing off the airspace.


    The Great Tang Empire was testing their carrier fleet in this sea area, and at the same time, training new fighter pilots.


    Every day one could hear the thunderous roar here, as military airfields were launching ¡°Sixth Master¡± fighter jets almost every hour. Great Tang Group was frantically training fighter pilots, and the Great Tang Empire was also slowly reducing the number of Butcher Fighter Jets in its arsenal.


    During this period, nations around the globe were rapidly developing, and history refers to this time as the second surge in world industrial development.


    In the military realm alone, the weapon systems of various countries had become dizzyingly diverse in recent years. Not even mentioning main battle equipment, the variety of vehicles alone equipped by different nations exceeded one hundred types.


    Six-wheeled ones, four-wheeled ones, those capable of off-roading and those that were not, wheeled armored reconnaissance vehicles, half-track armored vehicles, they came in all shapes and sizes.


    Some countries even had different models of vehicles for their own equipment, with the early and mid-batch procurement models varying.


    Due to being in an exploratory stage and with Great Tang Group fanning the flames from the sidelines, coupled with truly diverse needs among countries, it was not surprising that there were so many different models.


    Take the half-track vehicle as an example: Tang Country itself would not equip such vehicles, because the drawbacks and advantages were just too clear, and Tang Mo was very clear that this type of military equipment would be completely phased out in the future.


    But other nations did not know this, and after seeing the advantages of these vehicles, they decisively began mass equipment.


    As a result, a somewhat laughable scene unfolded: after purchasing Butcher FW-190 Fighter Jets, equipping HE-111 Bombers and developing something akin to the sd.kfz.251 half-track armored vehicle... the Poplar Empire seemed even more like a San Dezi than the Great Tang Empire.


    In fact, while the salespeople of the Great Tang Group were vigorously giving kickbacks, promoting weapon designs disdained by the Great Tang Empire, Tang Mo found the world before him becoming more and more fantastical.


    The Susack Empire, which bought a bunch of French planes, looks a lot like France; the Laines Empire, which bought a bunch of British planes, was brimming with British flair.


    As for the Ice Cold Empire, which he had flippantly given the ¡°Ura¡± slogan, it was simply the Otherworld version of the Soviet Union. And looking at the Goblins... well, even people from a certain well-off country seemed to have it all!


    To make these goblins seem even more detestable, Tang Mo had the urge to give away Zero Fighter Jets for free.


    By the time he cultivated giant mushrooms and picked a couple of choice ones to send over to these waifs, it felt like he could even reduce his guilt by -5, wouldn¡¯t that be splendid?


    It was an era of tremendous technological development, with countries churning out experimental products, and the armed forces becoming a giant testing ground.


    As radio equipment began to lose its mystique, nations aspired to establish their own tactical level radio communication networks.


    Thus specialized radio armored vehicles, radio command vehicles, and generators and such began to appear in large numbers¡ªsimilar equipment already phased out by the Great Tang Empire was sold to these countries like treasured artifacts.


    Commanders from various countries were exploring and experimenting with new tactics and strategies: they emulated the Great Tang Empire by forming mixed units and imagined themselves on the training fields as the Great Tang Empire had been three years prior.


    At this moment, they finally understood how overwhelming the Great Tang Empire had been in its war against the Dahua Empire three years ago and witnessed the true power of tactical communications.


    It was damn useful! Once radio sets became widespread down to the battalion level combat units, their entire troops¡¯ reaction speed immediately rose a notch!


    Of course, many of the radio devices imported from the Great Tang Empire, which had questionable origins, clearly did not permit deployment down to battalion level units.


    So the nations had to make do with their own crude imitation devices: their own bulky and unsightly products could only address the availability issue, and in the end, they still had to be transported by vehicles.


    Given such large volumes and weights, it was clearly impossible for soldiers to carry them. Therefore, the optimal approach was to first equip the higher echelon units, then gradually trickle down.


    Thus, the goal for many nations was to proliferate radios within regimental units, hoping to raise their combat effectiveness to the level of the Great Tang Empire from three years ago, before the next war arrived.


    But in the blink of an eye, it was already the fourth year of Great Tang, and the nations preparing for war were thrilled to find: the war had not yet erupted.

 Chapter 949 03-25 - 949 Operation 872

    ?Chapter 949: Operation 872 Chapter 949: Operation 872 Inside the Royal City of Chu Country, a military jeep bearing the license plates of the Great Tang Empire sped through the streets, which were not too crowded.


    The citizens all stepped aside, having grown accustomed to the vehicles of the Great Tang Empire charging through their city: there was no helping it. When the Dahua Empire was strong, their carriages also careered arrogantly through the streets of the Royal City much more outrageously than now.


    The car stopped outside the Information Department of Chu Country, and an intelligence officer from the Great Tang Empire dressed in a suit stepped out of the car and, accompanied by two welcoming officers from Chu, entered the building.


    ¡°I¡¯m here this time to apply for special operation procedures,¡± the intelligence officer from the Great Tang Empire said, handing a form to the head of Chu¡¯s intelligence agency who was receiving him.


    According to the agreement previously drawn up between the two countries, with intelligence sharing in place, when the intelligence agencies of the Great Tang Empire operated in Chu Country, the Chu side had the right to know and a duty to cooperate.


    After looking over the contents of the application form and checking the official seal on it, the head of Chu¡¯s intelligence nodded and asked, ¡°How do you need us to assist?¡±


    ¡°The operation will be entirely led by our side. Did the embassy already make a phone call to discuss this with you?¡± the intelligence officer from the Great Tang Empire half politely, half as a reminder, mentioned.


    ...


    ¡°Yes, the clues were first found by our own intelligence personnel,¡± the officer from Chu nodded, expressing pride, ¡°Following the request from your country, we found someone spreading gold cards with the Flame Emblem.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain it¡¯s the meeting place?¡± the intelligence officer from the Great Tang Empire confirmed once again.


    ¡°Absolutely certain! We hope you can ensure the safety of our people,¡± the head of Chu¡¯s intelligence nodded again, pleading earnestly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a battlefield commander; I¡¯m here merely as a liaison officer, awaiting the final outcome of the operation,¡± the intelligence officer from the Great Tang Empire explained his purpose of coming, ¡°But rest assured, our operation plan... is extremely detailed!¡±


    ...


    On a river amidst the mountain ravine, an old fisherman with a bamboo pole stood in his flatboat, cliffs rising steeply on either side, creating a tranquil and timeless scene.


    Suddenly, the peace was shattered by the raucous drone of engines, and the fisherman, wearing a conical hat, couldn¡¯t help but look up towards the noise.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï??¦Ï.?¦Ï


    Around the bend in the cliffs, an oddly shaped aircraft suddenly appeared, its engines roaring willfully as it surged towards the direction of the fisherman¡¯s boat.


    The next second, another equally loud aircraft followed suit, swooping just meters above the fisherman¡¯s boat, scattering the river¡¯s surface with the blast of its wake.


    A third UH-1 helicopter flew over, its side doors open, revealing fully armed soldiers, their feet set on the skid-type landing gear, holding weapons, and surveying the river below.


    The fourth aircraft was not a small UH-1, but a CH-47 Chinook. Inside the noisy fuselage, the commander responsible for the operation was confirming the mission with his troops for the last time.


    ¡°Remember the man in the photo! He¡¯s an ally! After Group 2 storms in, prioritize his safety,¡± the team leader, standing in the slightly shaking cabin, held his MP5K submachine gun and loudly reminded everyone.


    ¡°Yes, Commander!¡± The soldiers of Group 2, seated inside the aircraft and wearing helmets with goggles and black face covers revealing only their eyes, answered in unison.


    ¡°Group 1 is responsible for taking out perimeter surveillance, eliminate anyone with weapons! Set up sniper positions, don¡¯t let a single one escape,¡± said the team leader, pointing to a few men organizing their weaponry: ¡°Group 3, take out the lights! Release the smoke grenades! Ensure the safety of the assault teams, Group 2 and 4!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± The members of the groups called by name responded one after another. They had trained countless times to perform well today.


    The two types of helicopters they were on were nothing short of miraculous, allowing them to descend like divine soldiers without giving the enemy any reaction time.


    And if the enemy attempted to break out and flee, the patrolling UH-1 helicopters on the outside could easily carry the soldiers to quickly catch up and apprehend the target.


    With a roar, the five helicopters ascended sharply upon reaching a mountain city next to the river and then plunged into the city.


    It was the first time the locals had seen such a thing, and under their astonished gaze, these aircraft miraculously hovered in low altitude, releasing ropes to let soldier after soldier slide down from the sky to the ground.


    After rappelling down, the special forces quickly dispersed, causing the surrounding civilians to flee in all directions. They hadn¡¯t realized what was happening when the muffled sound of gunfire rang out.


    A man mixed in with the crowd drew his pistol from his waist. Just as he aimed at a soldier from the Great Tang special forces, he was killed by a covering sniper from the Tang Country special forces side.


    The scene became chaotic as people fell. The private guards around the target building pulled out their guns to return fire, but before they could empty their magazines, they were put down by snipers.


    ¡°Advance! Advance!¡± Team 3, responsible for clearing the path, had already rushed into the building, followed by the prepared assault soldiers from Teams 2 and 4 filing into the structure.


    Members of Team 2, wearing gas masks, followed behind Team 4. Because the vision through gas masks was impaired, it was the gas mask-less Team 4 who went in first before the use of smoke grenades for the breach.


    ¡°Clear!¡± ¡°Clear!¡± Soldiers from the special forces reported the safety of each side of the building one after another, but clearly, things wouldn¡¯t be so easy.


    ¡°Bang!¡± After kicking open a door, gunfire immediately came from inside. The special forces soldier who had dodged the gunshot crouched down and poked his head out at a lower position to quickly scan the area.


    Then, he extended two fingers and gave a series of thumbs-up gestures with a closed fist to those behind him.


    Understanding his signal, the two teammates behind him immediately pulled out flashbangs and threw them into the room.


    ¡°Pop!¡± The explosion, not too loud, was followed by the agonizing screams of two people. Several special forces soldiers then rushed in, pressing the now-blind hostages onto the ground: ¡°Clear!¡±


    The remaining soldiers continued their assault. The group of merchants and nobility in the basement were already panicking, listening to the noisy footsteps above, alongside blasts and screams.


    ¡°Boom!¡± With a loud explosion, the door to the basement was blasted open by a small bomb. Several culprits inside lifted the handguns they had been holding, ready for a last stand.


    But before anyone rushed in, several cylindrical hand grenades were thrown in. Instead of exploding, they began to burn, emitting choking white smoke from their tails.


    ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡± Those close to the hand grenades couldn¡¯t open their eyes, they were coughing violently and fell to their knees, covering their mouths.


    Those who were armed couldn¡¯t bear it anymore; some fired towards the door while others dropped their weapons, thinking only of saving their own lives.


    When the gunfire subsided, Team 2 special forces soldiers wearing gas masks charged in. They carried a large battery pack, with a circular infrared searchlight mounted above their weapons.


    With their gear, they could see people with body heat in the low visibility. They acted quickly, pinning down those who appeared to be holding weapons, giving them priority.


    ¡°Get down on your knees and cover your heads! Get down on your knees and cover your heads, or we will shoot!¡± they commanded loudly as they moved forward.


    Through the infrared device, they could see all the red human forms curled up on the ground. The only person not crouched down was frantically waving his arms overhead in a crossing motion.


    Two soldiers from the Great Tang Empire¡¯s special forces understood; they grabbed the undercover agent signaling and began to pull him out of the room.


    More soldiers rushed in, starting to tie up those who had been controlled and had lost their combat effectiveness as the smoke gradually cleared.


    ¡°23! Including those outside...¡± the deputy commander responsible for the operation reported the results to the commander.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t differentiate those who didn¡¯t draw guns and turned to run; all those who drew guns were killed,¡± the captain of Team 1 reported.


    ¡°Everyone in the room has been captured, none of our own were injured. Two will need time to recover their vision, the rest have been affected by tear gas grenades, they should recover by the afternoon...¡±


    ¡°Is he too?¡± The captain pointed to the undercover Chu Yangren crying pitifully on the side, frowning as he asked.


    ¡°Pretty much, there isn¡¯t a particularly good way... Getting hit by a smoke grenade definitely does that,¡± the medic said, handing another piece of gauze to the Chu Yangren, explaining somewhat sheepishly.


    Upon hearing the explanation, the Chu Yangren burst into even more pitiful tears...

 Chapter 950 03-25 - 950 873 interrogation

    ?Chapter 950: 873 interrogation Chapter 950: 873 interrogation ¡°Have you brought the people back?¡± Having removed his gloves, he tossed them onto the table beside him and glanced at the man sitting there, sipping tea, as the Great Tang intelligence officer from the southern part of the Empire asked with concern.


    The lighting here was not very bright; the walls were built from large stones, and where torches once were, lighting fixtures had now been installed.


    When it was still part of Chu Country, this place was a dungeon for prisoners, those who ended up here had offended the powerful and were out of luck.


    After the Great Tang Empire took over, they renovated the place: all the prison doors were replaced with steel ones, and some of the rooms were even soundproofed.


    The military officer drinking tea nodded his head to indicate the other should sit down and have a cup: ¡°They¡¯ve all been brought back, we took the overland route, by train, very safe. The helicopter unit pulled out directly without delay.¡±


    He went through all the points of interest in one breath, allowing the other to close his mouth and enjoy the tea. Despite being in a dungeon, one had to admit, the taste of the tea was quite exceptional.


    Chu Country was mountainous, naturally producing tea leaves, and it had to be said that Chu tea was much better in quality than the locally produced tea in the Great Tang Empire, which is why it was so popular with tea lovers in Great Tang.


    ...


    With the advantage of proximity, the area that was once part of northern Chu Country, now belonged to the southern border of the Great Tang Empire and, naturally, it could obtain a large amount of cheap, fine imported tea from Chu Country.


    ¡°The tea is indeed excellent,¡± the intelligence officer remarked, setting down his tea cup, unable to help praising it aloud.


    ¡°Take some with you when you leave,¡± the military officer who¡¯d been interrogating prisoners all night offered generously.


    The intelligence officer, without being pretentious, nodded and continued to inquire: ¡°How did it go? After all this fuss, did you get a clear confession?¡±


    There was a hint of exhaustion in the man¡¯s voice: ¡°We interrogated through the night, only one ringleader knew quite a bit, the rest were brainless fools, just following a fantasy.¡±


    Jokingly, ever since their Imperial Security Bureau had started up from the Silver Fox Tavern, there hadn¡¯t been an answer they couldn¡¯t extract¡ªwith the many tactics learned from His Majesty over the years, how could they fail to deal with a few petty thieves?


    He hadn¡¯t even needed to resort to the ¡°Manchu Qing¡¯s ten most ruthless tortures,¡± the ¡°Military Police¡¯s little book of interrogation,¡± or ¡°Yang Yongxin¡¯s lightning fast quintuple lashings.¡± Basically, the other party had recollected his life¡¯s details, leaving nothing unconfessed.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã¦Ï


    ¡°Any results?¡± the intelligence officer pressed on.


    ¡°We¡¯ve identified their contact, an old noble of Chu Country. He had already fled by the time we got there, but we still found some clues,¡± the man replied directly: ¡°Chu Country has issued a warrant for him, but as you know the state of things there, it¡¯s not likely they¡¯ll catch him.¡±


    When he spoke, the man clearly held Chu Country¡¯s governance and intelligence agencies in disdain, not believing they were capable of accomplishing something of substance.


    Frankly, just as the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence agencies penetrated other nations, Chu Country was practically like a sieve.


    If there was intelligence suggesting that a foreign agency had stolen a Butcher Fighter Jet from Chu Country¡¯s military, he wouldn¡¯t be the least bit surprised.


    To expect that bunch of Chu sluggards, who were merely coasting along, to catch a fugitive was simply impossible: at most, they would make a show of effort, then go back to reading newspapers in their offices.


    After expressing scorn for his counterparts, the man continued: ¡°He burned some things, but most of the materials are still intact, and Chu Country has been cooperative. The approximately four million Gold Coins that the noble had stashed away have been intercepted.¡±


    As it turns out, Chu Country¡¯s intelligence wasn¡¯t as terrible as he thought, or perhaps the Gold Card team they found to develop contacts everywhere wasn¡¯t that formidable after all, meeting their match with Chu¡¯s intelligence personnel.


    In any case, after all the trouble, with the assistance of Great Tang Group personnel, Chu successfully tracked down a lot of the escaped noble¡¯s assets.


    Hearing the amount, the intelligence officer was somewhat shocked: ¡°Four million? That¡¯s quite a lot.¡±


    Even though they had weathered many storms and seen figures of millions and tens of millions of gold coins on Great Tang Group¡¯s accounts, this did not mean that the entire world was experiencing such alarming inflation.


    On the contrary, among other financial conglomerates and powers besides the Great Tang Group, several hundreds to millions of gold coins were already considered a large sum.


    In fact, in many large transactions, one hundred thousand gold coins were still enough to be described as a huge amount of money, and many companies, enterprises, and even individuals would find it challenging to get their hands on a thousand gold coins.


    Now that they had traced four million gold coins, it was definitely not a trivial amount¡ªwhatever the other party was planning, the loss was definitely significant.


    The man responsible for the interrogation nodded and added, ¡°We left two million for Chu Country... You should have seen those guys; they were nearly crying with joy when they saw the money. They truly didn¡¯t expect us to be so meticulous in our work.¡±


    The intelligence officer laughed, ¡°Being meticulous is good; next time they¡¯ll be even more cooperative.¡±


    This time, the special forces of the Tang Empire had caused quite a commotion in their operation in Chu Country. There were helicopter flights and shootings in the streets, and Chu Country had to do a significant amount of cleanup.


    If they only caused trouble for the other party without giving them any benefits, such cooperation would definitely not last. They had to occasionally show some sincerity to keep the other side willing to continue the partnership.


    ¡°There won¡¯t even be a next time; I heard that the accountants who assisted in the recovery of embezzled funds promised us, as soon as they returned, that if they encountered similar cases, they would notify us immediately,¡± the man responsible for the interrogation laughed heartily.


    ¡°Come on, take me to see. I don¡¯t believe a Chu Country nobleman can be worth four million. If he can¡¯t explain himself, this matter can¡¯t be overlooked,¡± the intelligence officer stood up and said.


    The interrogating man also stood up and led the intelligence officer to a metal door, where the guard helped to open it, revealing inside a half-dead man hanging from a wooden rack.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you everything! I¡¯ve told you all I know! Please... don¡¯t, don¡¯t...¡± Seeing the man who had interrogated him returning, the man hanging from the wooden rack cried out, struggling with all his might as he did so.


    Pleased with this reaction, the intelligence officer stepped in front of the severely wounded man and slightly lifted his head to look into the man¡¯s eyes, ¡°Do you know where Earl Zeng Jian¡¯s funds came from? Tell us all you know, and spare yourself the pain.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know... I really don¡¯t know...¡± The man winced in pain, shaking his head, then as if remembering something, he instinctively looked to the side, ¡°No! Please! Don¡¯t!¡±


    The officer in charge of the interrogation had already taken down a whip from the wall and was loosening up his muscles, ¡°Let me help refresh your memory. Relax! Don¡¯t be tense!¡±


    He walked up to the man hanging, while the intelligence officer had already stepped aside. What followed was a brutal and bloody scene.


    With each crack of the whip striking flesh, the man hanging from the wooden rack let out screams like those of a pig being slaughtered.


    ¡°Ah! Ah!¡± The intelligence officer listened to the other man¡¯s tormented howls, boredly waiting for a result. It was possible the man really didn¡¯t know anything, or he might reveal what he knew.


    As for the idea that the man knew something but wouldn¡¯t disclose it, the intelligence officer thought it was unlikely: a brief cooperation couldn¡¯t establish sufficient loyalty, and those who lacked conviction wouldn¡¯t endure for long.


    Sure enough, as the man in charge of the interrogation went to get a red-hot branding iron, the hanging man finally succumbed, ¡°I remember now! I remember now! He mentioned ¡®Southeast Clothing¡¯! He brought up a company called ¡®Southeast Clothing¡¯ during a casual conversation with me! Stop hitting, please stop!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s equivalent to saying nothing... We have 200 to 300 companies called Southeast Clothing in the territories of Great Tang and Chu Country. If we were to check them one by one, the people involved would be long gone,¡± the interrogating man said with dissatisfaction.


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± the intelligence officer seemed to have an idea, ¡°We can start from the financial transactions. Money laundering? Not so easy!¡±


    They had been constantly tracking such unidentified funds recently, and with the name of the company, Southeast Clothing, they could easily narrow down their targets.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose; let¡¯s request another field operation...¡± He turned and walked briskly towards the exit, ¡°I¡¯ll take the tea next time I come; the task at hand is urgent.¡±


    The man responsible for the interrogation placed the branding iron back in the furnace and returned, kicking the hanging man, ¡°Scum! You always talk straight when the branding iron comes out! Tell me, are you not despicable?¡±

 Chapter 951 03-25 - 951 874 direct

    ?Chapter 951: 874 direct Chapter 951: 874 direct In the Dahua Empire, within the Imperial City, between streets that weren¡¯t particularly bustling, there was an inconspicuous little alleyway. Here, there stood a tavern that didn¡¯t seem very upscale, its sign shimmering with colorful lights day and night.


    Behind the bar of the tavern, there always seemed to be a young man standing there. He wore a white shirt with a well-fitted vest over it, radiating a sense of scholarly charm and amiability.


    He stood there, cradling a crystal-clear glass in his hands, meticulously wiping it down, ensuring it was spotless.


    This young man was named Du Jia, who seldom spoke and exuded gentle elegance. He simply stood there like a deity, overlooking the common folk chattering within the bar.


    In reality, the tavern rarely collected any fees, and those who truly came to drink seldom went out of their way to this secluded spot for such an unremarkable establishment.


    Du Jia didn¡¯t rely on the meager earnings from selling drinks for a living; he had another job, another more meaningful job.


    The door to the bar was pushed open, and a girl holding a basket made her way to the bar: ¡°I made your favorite braised pork ribs... I¡¯m not sure if I got the technique right, I learned from the master at Xiaoyue Tower for several days.¡±


    ...


    Pan Qi placed the basket on the bar, unable to hide the smile on her face. She had married the handsome man before her just a few months ago.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Du Jia said with a smile as he put down his wine glass and helped Pan Qi open the box, removing the dishes one by one.


    ¡°Ah... this is just infuriating,¡± grumbled a blonde-haired man sitting in a corner as he covered his face in frustration.


    He did not lower his voice deliberately, and his drinking buddies also got a mouthful of ¡®dog food¡¯ from the affectionate couple: ¡°Let¡¯s head to Yuehua Street later! Cool off some steam!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in, I¡¯m in!¡± the blonde man also called out.


    Pan Qi turned around and glared at the two familiar faces, feigning anger: ¡°Do you know why you can¡¯t find wives? It¡¯s because you always hang out in places like Yuehua Street!¡±


    But those two just snickered maliciously and called out to Du Jia, bypassing Pan Qi: ¡°Your wife sure is bossy! Watch out or you¡¯ll end up whipped! Hahahaha!¡±


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï


    Du Jia didn¡¯t respond; instead, he leaned on the bar with his elbows, slowly tasting the food his wife had made for him.


    To be honest, Pan Qi¡¯s cooking skills weren¡¯t great. As the daughter of a somewhat well-off merchant, she typically didn¡¯t cook herself.


    As her family¡¯s business grew larger, their living conditions improved. Her father Pan Yiping even got a new car, a model they hardly dared to look at before.


    Being able to cook for her husband made Pan Qi feel lucky; thus, she tinkered around with culinary arts at home and learned how to cook delicious meals all over the place.


    ¡°Keep talking nonsense, and I¡¯ll have Uncle Douglas give your butts a good kicking!¡± Pan Qi warned, hands on her hips, verbally sparring with the two ruffian-like men.


    Though these two men appeared like friendly middle-aged fellows here, they actually had another identity.


    The blonde man was the editor-in-chief of the privately-run newspaper ¡°My Sovereign¡± in the Dahua Empire, a staunch royalist: His paper advocated daily for Dahua Empire¡¯s assertiveness, enjoying the solid support of its citizens across Dahua.


    Although the newspaper clamored for Dahua Empire to declare war on the Great Tang Empire, causing the Dahua imperial court anxiety, the keen foreign affairs department of Great Tang never bothered the newspaper, a curiosity indeed.


    Zhao Kai was very fond of this newspaper, believing it was the only one with the courage to speak the truth. He even loved the newspaper¡¯s name, reading it every morning during breakfast.


    It is said that Zhao Kai wanted to grant the editor-in-chief an Earl title, but he declined¡ªthe reason given was that accepting such a reward would hinder his ability to continue expressing unbiased and honest opinions.


    The ability to silence the Great Tang Empire and to be liked by the Emperor of the Dahua Empire was rare, so this blonde man enjoyed significant fame in the upper circles of Dahua.


    The other man, whose excited talk of heading to Yuehua Street made him appear utterly ordinary, was actually a significant underworld figure in the Imperial Capital of Dahua Empire. He was the elected boss of Dahua Empire¡¯s largest criminal organization.


    When he and his men, armed with Ice Cold Empire-manufactured Boposha Submachine Guns, had convinced the other gang leaders, his word became law in venues across the Imperial Capital. Those gang leaders and godfathers with twin fish tattoos on their chests warmly elected him as their boss.


    No one knows why he had dropped the scalding-hot Boposha Submachine Gun on the street and, with a cigarette lit, waited for the Dahua Empire Patrol Officers to arrest him while standing atop the riddled corpse of a Viscount controlling a huge gang.


    Nobody knew how he casually walked out of the Dahua Empire patrol room and even managed to have a drink with the ¡°Nine Gates Admiral¡± of the Dahua Empire. In any case, he became the only ¡°legitimate¡± gang leader officially recognized by the Dahua Empire authorities.


    They were being schooled by a woman here entirely because Pan Qi was family to them, a companion¡¯s wife, their younger sister.


    To put it bluntly, even Zhao Kai¡¯s Empress had to weigh her words carefully when speaking to them, considering whether she was qualified enough to do so.


    As for that Douglas uncle who dared to kick these two men¡¯s asses... he actually had no significant background or many titles, merely a military officer at the Great Tang Empire¡¯s embassy in the Dahua Empire.


    Once Pan Yiping met Mr. Douglas through Du Jia¡¯s introduction, their family business never encountered any problems again.


    Outside the tavern¡¯s door, at the end of the alley, within the dark shadows around the corner, two sneaky figures recorded the profile of the woman entering the tavern with their camera.


    To be honest, the woman was quite attractive, and the way she walked with her food container was endearing. Yet they still raised their camera to capture this girl on their film.


    In their view, everyone entering and exiting this dubious tavern needed thorough investigation; in just five days, they had located a suspected contact point of the Great Tang intelligence network.


    Just by reporting these last two days of investigation to their superiors, they might be able to crack a big case, get promoted, make more money, and reach the pinnacle of their lives.


    ¡°Did you get a clear shot?¡± one of the sneaky figures nervously asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯ll come out crystal clear! Not a single one of these faces will escape!¡± another young man confidently replied, his voice brimming with excitement as if he already saw himself as a high-ranking official in the Dahua Empire Intelligence Department.


    Just as the two were getting excited, a man in a trench coat, brimming with aggression, approached from behind. He didn¡¯t bother hiding himself, so halfway towards them, the alert pair discovered him.


    Both men reached for their guns inside their coats but ultimately didn¡¯t draw them¡ªthey recognized the man...


    The man in the trench coat extended a glove-clad hand and slapped one of the young men on the head, cursing repeatedly, ¡°You fuckers... fuckers...¡± After two slaps per person, he continued, ¡°All you do is cause me trouble! Is this your first day on the job? Didn¡¯t your team leader Liu tell you the rules?¡±


    ¡°Squad leader... we, we have evidence... evidence that shows that this tavern is not simple!¡± one of the young men, rubbing his head and feeling wronged, explained.


    ¡°Evidence? What evidence? Where is it?¡± the man known as the squad leader grimaced, almost laughing at these two fools in front of him.


    ¡°We took pictures! Several suspicious individuals have been spotted at this bar,¡± bragged the other young man, flaunting his camera.


    The squad leader snatched the camera, thought twice about smashing it, opened the back instead, pulled out the film, and in a fury tore it out and trampled it underfoot.


    Before the two startled young men could protest, he pointed to the other side of the alley, ¡°Scram! Get as far away as you can! So eager to investigate? Tomorrow I¡¯m transferring you two assholes to the violent crime squad to catch that freak who specializes in assaulting men!¡±


    While cursing, he didn¡¯t forget to kick each of the fleeing young subordinates. Watching them vanish at the alley¡¯s entrance, he finally shifted his gaze away, only to almost bump into the chest of a man.


    The man was quite tall and offered the Dahua Empire Intelligence Department field squad leader a cigarette, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Hey... Sir, you¡¯re being too formal,¡± the previously fierce squad leader said with a smile, gratefully accepting the cigarette and bowing, ¡°Just some clueless fools causing you trouble, Sir.¡±


    A joke it was¡ªwho didn¡¯t he know was protecting this bar? He was Zhao Yu¡¯s man, how could he not know what to do?


    ¡°Thanks are still in order,¡± the man said, pulling out a check and stuffing it into the squad leader¡¯s hand, ¡°Think of a way to make those two fools forget about today¡¯s incident.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! If they can¡¯t forget, I¡¯ll just bury them,¡± the squad leader replied, bowing slightly before turning to leave, very much like a subordinate.


    As he left the alley and approached his brand-new luxury car, imported from the Great Tang Empire just days before, the squad leader looked at the check in his hand, ¡°Sheesh... maybe just bury them?¡±

 Chapter 952 03-25 - 952 875 Wealthy Pan Yiping

    ?Chapter 952: 875 Wealthy Pan Yiping Chapter 952: 875 Wealthy Pan Yiping Du Jia¡¯s charm, Pan Yiping actually discovered bit by bit. Although Du Jia was actually quite handsome, after being a bartender who wiped glasses in a tavern, Pan Yiping felt he was ¡°ugly.¡±


    However, after Pan Yiping, the future father-in-law, met the military officer from the Great Tang Empire Embassy, the ruthless leader of a dark society, the chief editor of a newspaper, the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Appointments, and the Prince Zhao Yu... he began to find Du Jia increasingly pleasing to the eye.


    It¡¯s the same principle as you finding Jack Ma increasingly pleasant to look at¡ªanyone who can help you empty your shopping cart is akin to a father, as long as they don¡¯t mind lowering their status to be a husband.


    Who could imagine that a young man, who stood behind the bar wiping glasses all day with a smile, had abilities like Doraemon?


    He was like Doraemon, using just a little power, he expanded Pan Yiping¡¯s business by tenfold or even a hundredfold.


    Now in Dahua Empire¡¯s business circles, a dazzling new star has suddenly risen: the Pan Family somehow rapidly ascended to power becoming a formidable force that even longstanding families had to take seriously.


    Business people know that no matter how much money you have, it¡¯s just a tool; the key is to see how this tool is used in the environment.


    ...


    Putting it bluntly: having money is just a precondition, what¡¯s more crucial is whether your money can pave the divine path!


    If society looks down on merchants, and money is considered less significant, then this environment is not one that merchants favor.


    If the environment is all about money, and everything revolves around money, if money can deal with anything, then money is everything, it¡¯s the spiritual link between mortals and gods.


    In the Great Tang Empire, money is not omnipotent, having money can only improve the quality of life, this environment is actually not friendly for merchants.


    Today, the flourishing business within the Great Tang Empire is entirely because following the Great Tang Group rewards you with food and drink, so everyone eagerly follows.


    What¡¯s more commendable is that the Great Tang Empire has ensured the authority of the law, treating everyone equally in its standards, indirectly giving merchants a fair competitive environment, making them quite comfortable with the commercial climate of the Great Tang Empire.


    However, these law-abiding, kind-hearted model citizens of Great Tang Empire immediately show their fierce fangs once outside the empire¡¯s borders.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?0


    Simply put, capital is evil; it doesn¡¯t create anything, it only plunders and destroys, it corrodes and damages. In a country where money can both bless and command spirits, huge capital often implies unlimited power.


    Frankly speaking, the social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants holds ancient wisdom¡ªif the growth of merchants is not suppressed, the monstrous capital behind them once unleashed, would instantly destabilize the nation.


    Tang Mo, fully aware of these principles, controlled the economic lifeline of the nation¡ªalthough he didn¡¯t directly intervene in market operations, the sheer scale of the Great Tang Group afforded Tang Mo control over intervening in businesses and markets whenever necessary.


    This means, Tang Mo¡¯s Great Tang Group is a super-massive state-owned enterprise, which can step in to regulate when necessary.


    Thus, the Great Tang Empire is an extremely deformed nation adopting a dictatorial Emperor system, with Tang Mo himself as the Emperor. It encourages the destruction of the landlord class, pushing merchant capital to the forefront, ostensibly preparing for a constitutional monarchy.


    But fundamentally, Tang Mo controlled state intervention in businesses and the manipulation of the market, with no intention of relinquishing control¡ªhe never trusted the free market, dismissive of the naive idea of market self-regulation.


    Therefore, the Great Tang Empire gathered all elements of prosperity, yet due to its deformity, concealed many crises: on the surface, the Great Tang Empire had a strong, wise monarch, a thriving and powerful economy, and well-ordered state affairs.


    But in fact, everything rested on the monarch, Tang Mo, who firmly controlled the Great Tang Group, using a highly unreasonable method relying on personal prestige and experience to patch potential flaws of a nation.


    Despite this, the Great Tang Empire still stood out in this era, because the world wasn¡¯t about who was better, its operating principle was based on being ¡°less worse¡±.


    A nation¡¯s strength doesn¡¯t rely on its flawless capabilities, but is, in fact, bolstered by the inferiority of others...


    Although the Great Tang Empire was not adept at managing capital, other nations lacked even more experience in this area.


    Laissez-faire was the initial attitude of all countries toward the expansion of business scale: they didn¡¯t know how to manage, so they chose not to manage at all. As long as the merchants paid taxes, and were willing to pay more, everything else was overlooked!


    Well, all the merchants were excited: they didn¡¯t mind spending more money, what they minded was you not taking the money! With the income obtained from the Great Tang Empire being ten to a hundred times more, why would they worry about the tax rates of ten, twenty, or thirty percent imposed by other countries?


    Come on, as long as you let them do as they please, they were willing to fork out even more money!


    In the Dahua Empire, money was indeed a great thing. So when Pan Yiping had money, he found that he could suddenly do a lot more things.


    On the surface, he was now a cotton merchant, controlling the cotton trade between the Qin Country, Dahua, and the Tang Country, which nearly amounted to monopolizing two-thirds of the cotton trade of the Western Continent.


    Behind the scenes, he was actually a money laundering tool, with the Great Tang Empire turning astronomical numbers of Gold Coins into legal funds in his accounts, which were then legally subsidized to many officials of the Dahua Empire.


    Moreover, he was also one of Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s financial backers, which meant he was Zhao Yu¡¯s moneybag. This wasn¡¯t about merely giving Zhao Yu some pocket money; it involved providing a series of supports to the officials of Zhao Yu¡¯s faction through actions.


    These supports included, but were not limited to, investing in construction within the regions controlled by Zhao Yu¡¯s supportive local officials, helping these officials improve their performance, granting them more and sufficient voice on the court.


    These moneybags also needed to appease and build networks of interests, arranging better job positions for their faction¡¯s officials¡¯ families, providing more favorable learning environments for their descendants, allowing the related officials to engage in political struggles without worries, more valiantly charging into the fray.


    This wasn¡¯t bribery, but rather a transparent strategy: I simply invest in the regions of the officials I favor, can you control that? If the officials I favor perform well, build their regions well, collect more taxes, then that¡¯s their competence! If I have the money to build a kindergarten next to the official¡¯s place, hire the best teachers and the most expensive caregivers, with a hundred teachers revolving around four students and only charging a buck for the fee, would you be upset? Does your child want to join? Sorry, we¡¯re full...


    Just like the things Pan Yiping was recently doing: only when he reached this position did he suddenly realize that there was so much delicacy involved.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by his being a merchant of textiles, cotton goods, cotton, and various food specialties, because what he was doing now, two-thirds of it had nothing to do with these businesses.


    Accountants from the Great Tang Empire helped him audit the entire company¡¯s finances, professional managers from the Great Tang Empire helped him manage the entire business operations of the company, and he didn¡¯t even know how ¡°wealthy¡± he really was now.


    And his current business not only covered all the previous branches, but was also investing in factories, schools, bridges, and roads.


    The most interesting part was, when he learned that he owned a university dedicated to training in clothing tailoring, fine arts, horticulture, industrial design, he was stunned himself.


    This university had taken only half a year from construction to start admitting students, and many teachers had studied at art schools in the Great Tang Empire.


    At the invitation of Prince Zhao Yu, the school had many senior lecturers from the art academy of the Great Tang Empire as guest speakers, and immediately after completion, it became one of the top ten art schools in the world.


    Many officers from Zhao Yu¡¯s faction had their eligible children sent to this school to study art and etiquette, while casually finding romantic interests and friends, establishing new networks.


    Pan Yiping found it particularly amusing that he now owned a football team named ¡°Pan Cotton and Linen,¡± and he also kept more than thirty thoroughbreds, with a huge hunting ground outside the Imperial Capital.


    Emperor Zhao Kai of the Dahua Empire had even visited that hunting ground and had killed a completely white tiger there... It was said that this ¡°auspicious beast¡± made Zhao Kai very happy, and he took both the lever-action rifle imported from Great Tang and the tiger¡¯s corpse back to the Imperial Palace.


    Everyone in the Imperial Capital who had their own sources knew that Pan Yiping very sensibly gave half of the shares of the hunting ground to the Emperor, although Pan Yiping himself didn¡¯t know about this for a long time... Now the place was called ¡°Good Place,¡± a name personally written by Zhao Kai, engraved on a plaque.


    When a merchant managed his business to this extent, he was basically invincible. Pan Yiping indeed was invincible; he realized that besides spending money, there was nothing else he could do.


    Even, he soon discovered that he was spending money too slowly. He desperately spent money, yet still found that his bank deposits were rapidly increasing.


    Actually, when he first saw the total amount of allowances, risk allowances, salaries, and bonuses provided for the overseas personnel of the Great Tang Empire Intelligence Bureau, he knew that his son-in-law, who wiped glasses, was far wealthier than him.


    As for the risks of becoming an intelligence official of the Great Tang Empire: Pan Yiping thought that those Dahua Empire officials and policemen, who used to haunt like nightmares, probably didn¡¯t have the guts to arrest their boss¡¯s close friends, nor the courage to investigate the big shots who frequently had tea and chatted with the Prime Minister and the Prince.

 Chapter 953 03-25 - 953 876 children of both genders

    ?Chapter 953: 876 children of both genders Chapter 953: 876 children of both genders Wes had been busy throughout the year as well; his Empire was developing, and his family too had seen significant growth over the course of the year.


    Alice had given birth to another set of twins for him, and this time it was a pair of sisters: Wes now had both sons and daughters, and he named these two princesses of the Empire Tang Qian and Tang Luo.


    Wes named the elder daughter Tang Qian because he hoped she would be as beautiful as her mother, and the younger daughter was named Tang Luo to honor her maternal grandfather, Count Fisheo.


    The people of Northern Ridge were ecstatic; they knew that His Majesty The Emperor had not forgotten them, and neither had the Empire forgotten their contributions.


    It seemed that with the spread of the name of this second princess, the last bit of regret the people of Northern Ridge had about abandoning their ancestral lands to follow Alice to Tang Country had vanished like smoke in the air.


    Yulin also bore Wes a son, who was named Tang Shang, becoming the Third Prince of the Great Tang Empire.


    Now the three children still couldn¡¯t speak, but they all looked very healthy: partly because both mothers had experience with childbirth, their first deliveries had gone smoothly, and they were both of appropriate age.


    ...


    On the other hand, it was also because the medical technology of the Great Tang Empire was quite advanced, especially the personal medical team of Wes, which could truly be described as the most powerful medical team in the world.


    With the addition of the two princes before them, Wes found himself the father of five children all at once; the Imperial Family of Great Tang was bustling and lively, a far cry from its former quiet and solemn state.


    With the increase in children in the Imperial Palace, the atmosphere had also become warmer and more affectionate; in the space of a bit more than a year, the changes within the Forbidden City had been quite significant.


    On one hand, the Imperial Palace at last had aircraft in its helicopter hangar; the personal staff dedicated to the Royal Family conducted daily checks on the three helicopters on standby.


    The three aircraft were all nimble UH-1 helicopters, with identical exterior paintwork. When Wes traveled by helicopter, he would randomly choose to ride in one of them, instead of always taking the same one.


    This was, on one hand, to prevent tampering with the Emperor¡¯s aircraft and, on the other hand, to avoid being targeted on the flight by people with ulterior motives.


    As a result, the helicopters in the palace were not the larger Chinooks but rather the more compact Hueys. This choice sacrificed some comfort in favor of other considerations, but Wes did not care about comfort.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    After all, over the years, whether before or after his traversal, he had experienced his fair share of hardship and did not place much value on comfort. As a pragmatist, he was only after functional essentials before pursuing additional luxuries.


    In fact, due to safety concerns, the helicopter was only a backup option for the Emperor¡¯s travels¡ªas suggested by all the Ministers, Wes¡¯s trips were still primarily undertaken by car, and he preferred traveling by train for longer journeys.


    Indeed, the safety of airplanes was a concern at that time: while their speed was truly fast, the chances of an accident were relatively higher.


    In addition to the helicopter pad being utilized, another palace within the Forbidden City was put into use, and a selection of maids and attendants were chosen to serve the newest members of the Royal Family.


    Wes, the head of the family, now maintained a service team of more than a thousand people, including his personal butler, personal secretary, and so on.


    Even Wes¡¯s salary was paid out of personal accounts by Wes: through the ages, the personal attendants of emperors were taken care of by the emperors themselves, not paid by the state.


    This was also a means of building loyalty, and included the armed units that could only be activated by the Emperor himself; they were maintained at the Emperor¡¯s own expense.


    As for whether this troop could fight, if they were just for show, or if they could be of use at a critical moment, that was also the Emperor¡¯s own concern.


    Compared to the highly fortified inner courts of the ancient Huaxia palaces, Tang Mo¡¯s harem was actually quite open: he didn¡¯t keep eunuchs, and it wasn¡¯t just his family living there.


    In fact, Wes and his family also lived within the Imperial Palace. As the Emperor¡¯s Attendant and personal Guard, as well as the Captain of the Guard, Wes naturally had to ensure that he was always at the Emperor¡¯s beck and call.


    Moreover, Tang Mo also granted Wes a favor, allowing him to live in the Imperial Palace with his wife and children. Even Wes¡¯s children were permitted to attend school and receive an education alongside the princes.


    Tang Mo had no intention of restoring the inhumane system of eunuchs: if he couldn¡¯t trust or handle his own wife, how was he supposed to survive?


    And until now, Tang Mo still hadn¡¯t figured out what exactly eunuchs could do that female officials couldn¡¯t... So he had no plans to let such illogical things appear because he was confident that DNA verification technology would be developed before his peaceful demise.


    If an Emperor spends more time worrying about whether a prince is really his, rather than pondering if the Empire might become complacent and head towards decline, he might be focusing on the wrong issues...


    Since he wasn¡¯t concerned about issues of paternity with his heirs, whether his consorts or the Empress were faithful became less significant, didn¡¯t it? If an Emperor had three palaces with six courtyards and seventy-two concubines, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he were to be cuckolded a couple of times...


    Another change in Tang Mo¡¯s palace was the increasingly complex underground structure: in addition to the ever-prepared defensive underground bunkers, there were now tunnels for escape and external reinforcement facilities.


    The entire setup was so complex it was almost frightening: there were people assigned to regularly replace the stock of food and freshwater in the facility, which also stored weapons and ammunition.


    All the facilities had double-layered doors. If someone closed the door on one side, those on the other side could not break through quickly.


    Such intricate underground constructions brought to Tang Mo¡¯s mind many post-apocalyptic survival novels he read before his time-travel. He now possessed what could be described as a perfect post-apocalyptic escape base, where he could live happily for several more years after the world¡¯s destruction.


    This was a multi-level underground system that could even provide its own electricity in a critical moment. The Forbidden City also had an extra water purification system and an independent backup water source.


    This massive palace, or rather the Chang¡¯an City surrounding it, became the first place in the world to be covered by anti-aircraft missile defense within the year.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s Hongqi-2 anti-aircraft missiles could ensure any non-ally target entering its range would be shot down. Should the targets descend in altitude to save their lives, they would become easy prey for the anti-aircraft guns.


    Even at night, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s air defense network could ensure the security of the Capital. In contrast, any city from other countries was utterly defenseless against the Great Tang Empire¡¯s attack methods, no different from streaking naked.


    Because within His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s underground bunker, and even his own office, was now connected to a red telephone.


    At any time, he could pick up the receiver of this phone, and someone would answer. With it, Tang Mo could order an immediate strategic missile strike on the enemy.


    The Dongfeng-3 missiles, with a range of over 2000 kilometers, could be prepared in a few hours to launch a one-ton warhead onto the enemy¡¯s city.


    Though still without nuclear warheads, the completely uninterceptible ballistic missile attack remained the Great Tang Empire¡¯s unique trump card.


    The only thing that slightly disappointed Tang Mo was that other countries were still unaware of this weapon¡¯s existence in the Tang Empire, so there was no deterrent effect yet. This situation would only change the next time some fool tired of living decided to test their limits.

 Chapter 954 03-25 - 954 877 useless preparation

    ?Chapter 954: 877 useless preparation Chapter 954: 877 useless preparation In Chu Country, among a stretch of mountains and forests, on a narrow path, one man followed another, taking steps forward as if without a clear direction.


    ¡°The experiments you¡¯re conducting here make me very uneasy. No one can control the seasons, nor can anyone truly make the mountains listen to them,¡± the man walking behind advised the man in front.


    The man speaking wore a special kind of clothing, a wide robe adorned with all sorts of silver ornaments that seemed a bit too intricate.


    His clothes were colorful and paired with the somewhat worn silver ornaments, giving off an indescribably complex feeling. Dense tattoos could be seen on the man¡¯s neck, making his skin appear somewhat darkened.


    What was most interesting was that one of the man¡¯s eyes was green. It was a prosthetic eye, crafted from a gemstone like jade.


    If it were a local native, they would immediately recognize him as their most revered Great Shaman, for only the Great Shaman would use a gemstone prosthetic eye capable of communicating with the spirits to replace his real eye.


    This was an ancient tradition, where those chosen to be the Great Shaman would have one eye gouged out at the age of twenty. It was their fate, and a calamity they had to accept.


    ...


    Those who died from the pain or whose wounds became infected and deteriorated were not qualified to become shamans. Only those who recovered as before could be proven to have a pure heart and the ability to communicate with the spirits.


    And the man walking ahead of this Great Shaman, wore a western suit. He walked silently forward, paying no heed to the Great Shaman following him.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re rich and willing to help our village, but the mountain spirits are sacred and must not be violated. Your experiments will yield no results, for the spirits will not allow humans to control them,¡± the Great Shaman continued to speak insistently.


    Finally, the man walking in front spoke without turning his head, ¡°I¡¯ve given you plenty of food and medicine for treatment. You can relocate to a more suitable living place at any time... Your spirits have never given you these.¡±


    ¡°My gods teach me that all gains come with a price. We don¡¯t want to abandon the tombs of our ancestors, nor leave our land... for it is only by staying here that we can draw on the strength of our forebears,¡± the Great Shaman continued to explain.


    Although he disliked these foreigners, the high officials of Chu Country were very afraid of these newcomers claiming to be the Tang People.


    In fact, these people also made him, the Great Shaman, feel afraid: they brought many desirable things to entice the hearts of the people, and now, the villagers were not as easy to manage as they were before they arrived.


    Source: , updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    ¡°Strength? Excuse me for being blunt, but you know nothing about power!¡± The man, who deliberately came to check the experimental results, chuckled coldly and asked, ¡°I gave you 100 Thompson Submachine Guns, 200 Mauser Rifles, allowing your people to suffer at least 30 fewer deaths in the conflicts with the Orc barbarians.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re formidable, but that thing you speak of doesn¡¯t exist,¡± the Great Shaman could only say through grinding teeth: ¡°You¡¯ll never be able to make plants flourish or wither according to your demands...¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± The man stopped, parted the bushes in front of him, and saw the mountain opposite.


    The Great Shaman halted his steps, his eyes widened, and suddenly he didn¡¯t know what to say: in front of him, the distant mountain had almost no greenery to be seen.


    The brown tree trunks were numerous but lacked the green leaves that used to shield their forms. All the plants seemed to have died overnight; it was like a real hell.


    ¡°It seems the defoliant is performing very well...¡± said one of the technicians in a white coat who had caught up, excitedly.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± another technician nodded. ¡°Although this substance isn¡¯t very stable, the effect is indisputable, and the toxicity... has not been detected yet. This can be concluded by observing the samples.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for test results anymore; the side effects are quite clear. Your Majesty has ordered that any human experiments related to it are forbidden; we just need to handle it carefully based on the results he has provided,¡± the man leading them curbed his subordinates¡¯ dangerous thoughts.


    They were conducting experiments in Chu Country; the main reason was indeed the toxicity of the substance, and a secondary reason was the abundance of forests in Chu Country, which made it suitable for such experiments.


    Out of humanitarian concerns, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s subsidy for such overseas experiments was quite high. Personnel near the experimental zone had to be evacuated, and they were given substantial compensation.


    However, in practice, all sorts of problems still arose: The local officials of Chu Country were quite interested in these subsidies. They would pocket most of the money and then forcefully evict civilians living near the experimental area.


    Of course, some officials, to avoid any future trouble, even hinted to the experiment technicians from the Great Tang Empire that they could conceal the truth so that Great Tang could obtain more ¡°accurate data.¡±


    Although Tang Mo could determine the characteristics of many chemical substances, it still required local experiments to ensure their stability in action. Because the Great Tang Empire had Tang Mo¡¯s ¡°cheat,¡± related experiments only needed to be conducted once to determine their basic effects and side effects.


    Compared to situations that required repeated and even dangerous experiments, this practice of conducting the experiment once or twice was already very humane.


    ¡°Devils! You are devils!¡± The Great Shaman standing to the side finally broke out of his shock and began to scream loudly, condemning the Tang People who had come from afar: ¡°All devils! Devils!¡±


    In his eyes, it was these people who brought terrifying things into the mountains. They had the power to destroy the spirits and gods of the mountain. They were heretics, the source of sin!


    They were here not to take anything away but to prepare to destroy everything! They had caused an entire mountain¡¯s worth of vegetation to lose life overnight. Other than speaking of demons, what else could explain what was happening before their eyes?


    The Chu Country officials who had also come, fearing any mishaps might befall the nobles, glanced at the Great Shaman. Their minds were full of thoughts about whether or not to kick this nonsense-spouting man down the mountain.


    These bosses set fire to burn the mountain and they¡¯re not without payment, so what the hell are you shrieking for? What¡¯s with this ¡®devil¡¯ talk? If you don¡¯t want to live, don¡¯t drag me down with you!


    ¡°The agent we are experimenting with now is to help you! It can drive away the barbaric Orc tribes and help you establish a solid border with the Orcs,¡± a Tang Country official turned around, looked at the somewhat crazed Great Shaman, and explained, ¡°Even the most terrible power, as long as it¡¯s in human hands, it¡¯s about how one uses that power. The strength of power is not the measure of justice and evil! It¡¯s how that power is used that matters!¡±


    He pointed toward a distant ridge and continued, ¡°See that over there? Do you know how many years it would take for you to clear such a large area of forest? Now, you only need a couple of weeks, and then you can plant tea leaves there.¡±


    The Great Shaman stopped his shouting. He was somewhat tempted: If these areas could be cleared quickly and planted with food or cash crops, then their villages could indeed become wealthy from this.


    The officials of Chu Country were also startled. They had originally thought this was some new type of weapon from the Great Tang Empire, but they hadn¡¯t expected that the other party actually wanted to use the concoction to clear forests for agricultural development.


    That sounded... quite plausible.


    It¡¯s just... it seemed like something was being overlooked.


    The chemical technicians from the Great Tang Empire who were standing nearby were a bit embarrassed to hear their leader spewing nonsense.


    One of the technicians quietly asked a colleague, ¡°Uh... this stuff we¡¯re using, it¡¯s toxic, right? Entering the application area within a week, isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the boss¡¯s nonsense. If Chu Country really does it, do you believe that we in the Great Tang would no longer import any agricultural products from Chu Country...¡± another technician whispered back to his colleague.


    ¡°It¡¯s our leader, all right, spouting nonsense without blushing.¡± Hearing his colleague affirm his own words, the technician who had asked the question earlier admired.


    ¡°This thing is just for effect experiments... I heard the concoction itself has no practical value! The formula has already entered a highly confidential phase,¡± someone else added, ¡°It¡¯s all being reserved to counteract the content of ¡®dangerous weapons prohibition¡¯ treaties with other countries.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Today, there will be one update; the other is postponed until tomorrow...

 Chapter 955 03-25 - 955 878 Orc Empire

    ?Chapter 955: 878 Orc Empire Chapter 955: 878 Orc Empire Deserts always leave a deep impression on people, embodying the spirit of robust heroes and adventurers. In ancient Huaxia, there were many poems that praised the wilderness and showcased the majestic beauty of masculinity.


    However, in the real world, deserts are not friendly to life; they lack water sources and are unsuitable for basic infrastructure development¡ªeverything is desolate, and it seems civilization has stopped its march forward here.


    In such places, water is everything, which is why the most prosperous cities are always near water sources and continuously change with the shifting of these water sources.


    The Orc Empire is not, in most times and respects, an actual empire. It much more resembles a tribal alliance.


    Every village has its Shaman Priest, whose duties are essentially no different from those of a village chief. Many villages form a basic alliance called a tribe, and sometimes the tribal leader is also referred to as the Chieftain, a relatively high decision-maker in Orc society.


    Further up are the Great Chieftain and the Orc God, similar to a Minister and Emperor, but they only have authority over warfare and foreign affairs, with no say in economic matters.


    Because in earlier times, the Orcs barely had any economy to speak of; most of the time, they wandered through nomadic and simple farming activities, seemingly without the need for much management.


    ...


    Some Orc tribes have their own iron mines, their own gemstone mines¡ªthe lives of these Orcs are not good either. The ores they mine are generally sold cheaply to the human traders who exploit them, in exchange for some urgently needed food and other supplies.


    Although all tribes revere the Orc God and follow the primitive religion of the Orc God, this loose tribal alliance system is actually incapable of impacting the organized and disciplined societies of humans, elves, and dwarves.


    Especially after the Shireck Consortium improved firearms and ushered the world into the Flintlock Era, the already not very dominant Orcs truly became easy prey for others.


    Their war machinery and mobilization mechanisms are more antiquated than those of other races, and their weapon strategies are not cutting-edge, so over the years, they have always been at a passive disadvantage.


    The only thing protecting them now is the terrain: the desert and wilderness, and the oases scattered within them, are areas other races cannot occupy for long.


    The cost of expeditions is just too high, and so there¡¯s no essential need for the countries to attack. This is the fundamental reason why the Orc Empire has continued to exist.


    But with the emergence of a consortium known as the Great Tang Group, this status seemed to have been broken. When some traders who had dealings with the Orc race brought back information about the railroads, all Orc administrators instinctively sensed danger.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï???.?¦Ï


    If a convenient and fast mode of transport became widespread, then places previously almost unreachable would no longer be so marginal.


    For the dominant side, any place that is no longer marginal... might be an option for expansion. Especially when the powerhouses discover that the original inhabitants of those places are easily defeated.


    The Orc Empire also quickly realized the severity of the problem: their losses near Iron Fist Fortress were increasing day by day, and the rate of population decline had already exceeded their tolerable limit.


    In the past, they would launch attacks against Qin Country¡¯s western wall defenses to reduce their own population. But now, in a state of passive defense, they¡¯ve almost achieved the goal of controlling the population.


    What does this indicate? It signifies that the dynamics of offense and defense are starting to change! Once what is called the ¡°railroad¡± starts to appear in large numbers in Qin Country, they might reconsider taking Iron Fist Fortress.


    And this time... if Qin Country succeeds, the Orcs may never be able to take back that fortress again. If Iron Fist Fortress is lost, it means that the villages, cities, pastures, and water sources behind it... will all be lost one after another.


    While the Orcs were anxious, they suddenly discovered that merchants coming from Shu Country were increasing at an astonishing rate.


    The Shireck Consortium, which had originally controlled this trade line, had always been wary of selling goods to the orcs, but now this taboo seemed to have been completely broken.


    As long as the orcs were willing to pay, whether it was food or steel, rifles or bullets... the Shireck side could provide.


    Moreover, the weapons and equipment provided this time were simply incomparable to the trinkets of the past!


    After the orcs tested the Shireck Model 1 bolt-action rifle, they immediately purchased 300,000 units. To the orcs¡¯ surprise, they hardly had to wait before these weapons were delivered into their hands.


    There were reports that Shu Country had repaired a railway for the purpose of connecting to the Orc Empire, supporting trade transportation between Shu Country and the Orc Empire.


    That was a staggering 300,000 rifles! In the past, when the Orc Empire bought Shireck flintlock guns, a trade involving a few hundred was considered a huge deal.


    Following the delivery of the 300,000 rifles, salesmen from the Shireck Consortium made a visit, presenting the magnificent performance of the Maxim machine guns to the generals of the Orc Empire.


    The orc generals and officials who were present at the demonstration couldn¡¯t believe their own eyes: they truly couldn¡¯t believe that humans were greedy enough to sell such powerful weapons.


    In their view, if their troops were equipped with these new weapons, it would not be impossible to break through the western wall defenses of Qin Country.


    But soon they realized they were thinking too much, for the western wall defenses of Qin Country had been strengthened. The troops of Qin Country had not only upgraded in warfare tactics first but had also obtained weapons and equipment more advanced than those of the orcs.


    The orcs quickly encountered Qin¡¯s large-caliber artillery, formidable crossfire machine gun positions, and armored vehicles...


    After getting a nosebleed and looking for their teeth on the western defense line, the orcs suddenly realized that it wasn¡¯t that the Shireck Consortium was too greedy to sell advanced weapons to them, but that the Shireck Consortium¡¯s weapons and equipment apparently were no longer the best available.


    It was then that they realized the world seemed to have undergone tremendous changes, and they, the orcs, almost missed this round of development.


    The Orc Empire, thinking itself well-armed and provisioned, had no choice but to join an arms race they were destined to lose but had to participate in nonetheless.


    The Orc Empire, all at once, made an additional purchase of 200,000 Shireck Model 1 rifles, bought 3,000 Maxim machine guns, and stockpiled over 200 million rounds of ammunition.


    At the same time, they spared no expense in buying 100 outdated biplanes and 2,000 vehicles of various models from Shireck businessmen.


    To support these high-tech devices, they hired many human maintenance technicians and established a bit of basic industry in some cities near Shu Country.


    As Shireck was willing to sell anything and dared to sell everything, the orcs could purchase the most basic low-precision machine tools, acquire some simple tools, and thus were able to enhance their own strength more easily than before.


    Long-term clandestine trade with Shu Country had influenced the orcs of the Southern Region. The orcs didn¡¯t dare to harass Shu Country lightly, fearing they might affect the only trade route. This was an interesting circumstance: in the Southern Region where conflicts were more likely to erupt, Shu Country and the Orc Empire maintained peace and even traded, while in the Northern Region, where war was less likely, Qin Country fought unceasingly with the Orc Empire.


    What the orcs didn¡¯t know was that the Shireck Consortium they were trading with had, in fact, come under the actual control of the Great Tang Group. The products they bought from the Shireck Consortium were actually sold to them by the Great Tang Group at high prices.


    Not only that, but even the expansion and smooth operation of this trade line... were ensured under the guidance and consent of the Great Tang Empire.

 Chapter 956 03-25 - 956 The less you know, the happier you are

    ?Chapter 956: The less you know, the happier you are. Chapter 956: The less you know, the happier you are. In the increasingly frequent and massive trade activities, the rulers of the Orc Empire realized that they had some very serious problems.


    Former tribal systems now seemed too sloppy and primitive in the face of such trade and exchange. Gradually, they began to discover that they could no longer control the situation.


    The orc tribes near Shu Country in the south were living better and better days, leveraging their geographical advantage to reap substantial trade profits.


    Grains, once unthinkable for the Orc Empire, were brought into these tribes for sale, and they quickly learned from human merchants the technique of marking up prices to resell northward.


    These orc tribes became compradors for human merchants and quickly rose to become a small portion of beneficiaries who grew wealthy first within the Orc Empire.


    However, the problem was that the Orc Empire had no power to restrain these tribes. Their management was too lax, so that each of these grassroots tribes looked like independent mini-states.


    The Great Tang Group would not concern themselves with the internal issues arising within the Orc Empire; they were simply selling outdated goods to the Orc Empire to make a profit.


    ...


    As for what the Orc Empire could offer in return, it was nothing more than gold, silver, and gems.


    Regrettably, it was the northern orc tribes that produced these items: this created an interesting phenomenon where southern orcs, with their geographical edge, traded with humans, while northern orcs were the producers of orcish trade goods.


    Thus, a great north-south trade war erupted within the Orc Empire. The southern orcs raised the prices of grains, weapons, equipment parts, trying to reap a harvest from the northern orcs. In return, the northern orcs started hiking the prices of gold and silver, forcing the southerners to exchange more goods for them.


    Originally, the southern orcs would have an absolute advantage in this confrontation, as they could temporarily do without precious metals and gems, but the northern orcs could not live without staple foods like grain.


    But the crux of the matter was: Shu Country¡¯s trade routes only accepted precious metals like gold, and the purchase prices didn¡¯t fluctuate much.


    This, in turn, choked the southern orcs; no matter how much they spent on acquiring goods, they could only exchange them for food supplies at the prices set by humans. Then they had to mark up these goods to sell to the northern orcs, only to be severely overcharged in gold in return, effectively subsidizing the purchase of human supplies at the original price.


    Beyond the growing divide between northern and southern orcs, the upper echelons of the Orc Empire wanted to increase control over the tribes, which also caused confrontations between regions and the higher levels of the Orc Empire.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã0


    The leaders of the various tribes did not want the Empire to interfere in their affairs, yet they all wanted the food supply subsidies given by the Empire.


    The loose management prevented the Orc Empire from mobilizing on a large scale, which also made it impossible for their troops to significantly improve their combat effectiveness.


    In the past, when the Empire waged war, the troops were conscripted from the warriors of various tribes. Each tribe had to send out warriors in proportion to their population, as if it were a kind of human sacrifice.


    But now, the wealthy tribes began to raise objections, thinking that the number of people was no longer a fair measure of a tribe¡¯s contribution to the military effort.


    Those who controlled gold mines within their territories or could trade had spare funds to improve their weaponry. For them, weapons and equipment also needed to be accounted for.


    Should one compare 40 infantrymen from others to 40 truck drivers from their side, plus an additional 20 trucks? That would be far too unfair! Trucks cost money, and so do the artillery and even the shells.


    For many years, they could not win on the battlefield, and no one considered a ¡°battle results distribution law.¡± Without additional rewards for those who made greater efforts, the system was inherently unfair to those tribes.


    Modern warfare does not allow the Orc Empire to employ a gimmick of deploying only infantry, so well-equipped tribes began demanding a calculation system: one truck should be worth at least 30 people, right? If our village contributes one truck, we shouldn¡¯t need to contribute any more people, right?


    Similar issues erupted daily within the Orc Empire, and the Great Chieftain and High Priests were all at their wits¡¯ end.


    Even because food was plentiful and population decline targets were met ahead of schedule, the Orc Empire unprecedentedly canceled Great Tang¡¯s 3-year offensive campaign plan against Qin Country¡¯s western wall.


    However, even though they halted their offensive plans, the war near the Iron Fist Fortress did not cease. Qin Country¡¯s slaver teams came one after another, and the battles near the Iron Fist Fortress even escalated.


    Previously, orc offensives were just a matter of dispatching some troops to strike at Qin Country¡¯s defense line. Now both sides invested heavily in artillery, deployed aircraft, and the intensity of the fighting was multiplied several times over.


    Qin Country¡¯s Great Wind Type 1 fighter jets often appeared in formations of two, hunting orc planes that took off for reconnaissance and to correct artillery fire. After acquiring some Anti-Aircraft Guns, the orcs began to protect their own aircraft. The two sides were engaged in a breathtaking back-and-forth in the skies.


    Yet, ultimately, this kind of skirmishing was outdated. The high-level officials of Qin Country, who were used to grand scenes, were actually always fantasizing about one day possessing a vast fleet of aircraft like the Great Tang Empire.


    Tang Mo, who had already begun to accumulate a reserve, saw that the various nations of the Eastern Continent were frantically purchasing airplanes designed by Tang Country and felt a bit tempted himself.


    Subsequently, they also took out tens of millions of Gold Coins, pleading with the Great Tang Empire to ¡°tailor-make¡± the DO-17 bomber specifically for their nation.


    This type of airplane, originally belonging to San Dezi, was sold to Qin Country by Tang Mo, which effectively split ties with the Poplar Empire that had purchased the HE-111 bomber.


    However, since Qin Country only bought the design and related technology, they would need some time to establish their production line and equip their DO-17 bombers.


    During this time, the Orc Empire, which had already spent money buying the Shireck-designed, earlier-produced Shireck Type 2 single-wing fighter jets, could still hold their own in the air to some extent.


    Once Qin Country¡¯s bombers began to enter service, they would have advantages in both speed and altitude, making bombing the Orc Empire almost a risk-free endeavor.


    At that time, whether the Orcs would purchase more advanced fighter jets or more anti-aircraft guns would depend on what was going on in those ugly brutes¡¯ heads.


    Interestingly, Mirage Country, which had always been secretly developing its navy in hopes to regain control of the northern region of the Endless Sea, finally seemed to step out from the shadow of two consecutive war failures, purchasing a set of new bomber blueprints from the Great Tang Empire.


    Emperor Tang Mo of the Great Tang Empire, full of twisted humor, provided Mirage Country with blueprints for what was known as the Type 97 Land Attack Plane.


    As for the performance of this bomber, it actually wasn¡¯t much worse compared to those purchased by various nations; after all, they were all products of Earth¡¯s 1930s civilization, more or less on the same level.


    But for Tang Mo personally, this Type 96 bomber was mixed with too much personal sentiment ¡ª any nation that used these weapons was noted down in his little book...


    Coming back to the Orc Empire: unable to strengthen their control over local areas, the high-level officials of the Orc Empire had no choice but to reject the proposal to build railways within their own territory.


    It was a reluctant decision for them: even though they knew the construction of railways would facilitate their control over local tribes, they still didn¡¯t dare to take such a step.


    More than controlling the unruly tribes, the Orc Emperor was worried about humans launching a sudden attack on the Orc Empire in the future: driving straight through along the railways built by the Beastmen themselves, which would result in the immediate collapse of the Orc Empire.


    The Orc Emperor, who had carefully studied the rise of the Great Tang Empire, noticed a detail that other countries either didn¡¯t notice or pretended to ignore out of helplessness: the better the roadways, the faster the attackers could advance using them.


    For the Orc Empire, such an advance was even more deadly: their cities and settlements were heavily dependent on water sources, so they were primarily distributed along rivers. If these were connected by roads, it would be akin to bundling up the best parts of the Orc Empire and waiting for others to take them.


    Thus, the Orc Emperor preferred to maintain the backward state of transportation to increase the difficulty for those who might attempt to attack the Orc Empire.


    That way, at least they wouldn¡¯t face the terrifying situation of enemies driving straight in along the roads after losing a city on the border, unstoppable.


    However, this decision, in turn, certainly limited the development of transportation within the Orc Empire and affected the speed of internal goods circulation.


    With the introduction of wireless telegraphy, the connection between the high-level and grassroots layers of the Orc Empire became a bit tighter than before, but such progress was clearly not keeping up with the development in other regions of the world.


    The Orc Empire, with its national conditions, was still adapting little by little to the changes in the world, but what they didn¡¯t know was that in the distant Great Tang Empire, there were things emerging that could turn their understanding upside down.


    It has been said that in this world, the less you know, the happier you are... For the Orcs, this was definitely true.


    Because if they knew that, while they were still struggling to repair a biplane, there were already people flying planes faster than the speed of sound, they would be very troubled.


    If the Orcs knew that many nations were now frantically assembling bomber fleets that were faster than their fighter jets, they probably wouldn¡¯t be in such good spirits.


    If the Orcs knew that their powerful 130mm caliber howitzers were Shireck¡¯s outdated products, and the technology they used was already a decade old, they wouldn¡¯t be as happy as they are now.


    If they knew that the Great Tang Empire already possessed ballistic missiles capable of striking targets 2,000 kilometers away, which could easily attack the Orc Empire¡¯s royal court if deployed behind the Qin Country¡¯s western wall defense line... they would probably cry.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    There¡¯s one more update, making up for yesterday¡¯s, that you can all view tomorrow morning. Dragon Spirit has made up 8 updates in February and still owes everyone 12 updates. The catch-up will continue slowly in March...

 Chapter 957 03-25 - 957 880 - A casual chess move

    ?Chapter 957: 880 ¨C A casual chess move Chapter 957: 880 ¨C A casual chess move The southern city of Nanjiao in the Orc Empire, a city that has recently become very prosperous, thanks to its free trade with humans. Originally a tribe, it has now evolved into a city, an Orc city where humans can be seen everywhere.


    Here, humans are protected, and a large number of them work here; although conditions may be a bit tough, the possibility of earning more money is too tempting to pass up.


    Desperately in need of a variety of technical talents, the Orcs are willing to pay a substantial amount of gold and gems to attract these experts, to bring their skills over, to stay...


    Compared with those nations that are able to send their nephews or trusted insiders, or even go in person, to the Great Tang Empire to learn, the Orc Empire is at a natural disadvantage.


    In the Great Tang Empire, orcs can be seen frequently, but these ugly, unfortunate creatures are all slaves, laborers, and are not free to move about.


    Therefore, learning new skills is very troublesome for the Orc Empire. The good news is that this time, the humans with the skills seem not to have any severe restrictions, but the bad news is that the Orc Empire has to spend more money to learn these knowledges.


    In Nanjiao City, there are many small workshops, all opened by humans, and by each human¡¯s side, there follow a group of Orc apprentices.


    ...


    These apprentices are sent over from various tribes and villages, each one carefully selected to ensure they at least have sufficient brains. Because they have to learn the corresponding knowledge and bring it back to help their villages set up basic industries.


    Within Nanjiao City, there is also a pilot training school specifically for the Orc race: the instructors here come from all over the world.


    Interestingly, many students from poor families who paid for their own flight training in Chu Country end up coming to the Orc Empire¡¯s Nanjiao City after graduation to work for several months as instructors. The pay is excellent, and they don¡¯t demand high flying skills, making it ideal for them to earn back some money for themselves.


    Tolerating these ugly creatures every day is a very annoying task, but after all, there are Cat-eared Girls, which numerous men find irresistible.


    There are a lot of Cat-eared Girls here, all very beautiful, so many male Beastmen who¡¯ve had their fill of ferocious faces during the day often choose to go to pleasure districts at night to ¡°rinse their eyes.¡±


    From a distance, one can see areas outside Nanjiao City filled with parked cars, which belong to Shu Country, not the Orcs.


    Various cars parked here serve as teaching material for the Orcs to use in driving license exams: compared to airplanes, cars are obviously more widely used and easier to learn as new knowledge.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?0


    Wanting to be respected in one¡¯s tribe, or at least to get by, learning to drive is obviously a good way: if you have a driving license, you can receive many privileges.


    For example, there is no longer a need for drivers on the front lines: such talents are either running logistics in the military or working in their own villages or tribes, and are urgently needed technical workers...


    It¡¯s just like Huaxia in the 1980s when being a driver was relatively a popular technical profession; it was highly valued in factories, and everybody would respectfully address them as ¡°Driver Master.¡±


    Thus, around these driving training grounds, you can hear nonstop hysterical shouts: ¡°Left! Left! I freaking said left! Turn the wheel! The wheel! Are you out of your mind?¡±


    Similar curses ring out incessantly, even escalating over time. Many privately run small driving schools might have only two or three cars.


    The key is that, compared to the Great Tang Empire, which focuses recruitment on driving family cars, Orcs are keener on driving large trucks.


    They prefer to learn the driving skills for heavy trucks because such vehicles are more versatile and are exactly the type of vehicles the Beastmen need.


    At this moment, these training sites are still overflowing with people; even if they can¡¯t afford the tuition, standing aside to learn some new terms and develop driving instincts is worth it for the Orcs.


    ¡°Reverse! Ease off the clutch slowly! Slow down! Brake! Brake!¡± The instructor next to the truck yells in agony, his hoarse voice full of exhaustion.


    Not all the instructor vehicles have brake pedals installed on the passenger side; most of the cars brought over from Shu Country are regular models, not strictly instructor cars.


    These trucks from Chu Country are not intended to be taken back; once they¡¯re old, they¡¯re sold on the Orc side, almost at the original price that Shu Country paid for them!


    Not at all an exaggeration, because bringing automobiles over in the first place requires transport capacity and costs. Additionally, the Beastmen were desperate for all sorts of vehicles and were willing to pay for secondhand cars even if they were in less than perfect condition.


    Because the number of cars began to increase, the Orc Empire also started experiencing a shortage of petrol: the Orc Empire didn¡¯t have any oil refining facilities, and they didn¡¯t even have any oil fields.


    Compared to others, the relatively primitive Orc Empire had not discovered any petroleum within their borders, as they had never seriously searched for it.


    Now they were actively inquiring everywhere to see if they could find geologists willing to survey the Orc Empire territory, or professional exploration teams, adventurers, and the like, hopeful that they could help locate oil fields.


    Unfortunately, they hadn¡¯t found any oil fields as of now, let alone bought oil drilling equipment, or built a refinery.


    Thus, a large number of cars in the Orc Empire needed imported fuel. In fact, the nearest oil fields to them belonged to Qin Country.


    It was just unfortunate that the two countries had been waging war near the Iron Fist Fortress, making the purchase of oil from Qin Country¡¯s fields seem unrealistic.


    Therefore, the only route for the Orc Empire to import oil was through Shu Country¡ªthat is, petrol produced by Chu Country was transported through Shu Country to Orc Empire territory.


    Given this roundabout method, the price of these petrol supplies was naturally not cheap, but the Orcs managed to make do with what they could get. Aside from car fuel, all aviation gasoline for the Orc Empire had to be imported from Shu Country.


    It¡¯s hard to imagine what future a nation has, that relies on imports for food and energy.


    Yet, the Orc Empire managed with its poverty, forging its own style, carving its own niche in the world... This was, in its own way, a miracle.


    Beastmen children huddled around a truck suddenly noticed, on the broken road covered in yellow sand in the distance, the appearance of a convoy.


    The Orc Empire was adamant against extending a railway line to Nanjiao City, so for a long time, the final leg of the journey from Shu Country to the Orc Empire relied on truck transport.


    Amidst the rolling sand and wind, the tarps covering the cargo on the backs of these automobiles flapped and rattled. Just by looking at the style of these trucks, one could tell that they were mostly transporting military supplies.


    Different, however, was a sedan that drove at the very front of the convoy, signifying that a new deal had come to the leaders of Nanjiao City.


    Beastmen soldiers armed with Shireck-1 bolt-action rifles did not obstruct but merely stood in the shade under the city gate, eyeing the cars within the dust cloud.


    With no intention of stopping, the driver of the sedan at the front rolled down a crack in the window and tossed out some copper coins, which clinked as they fell to the ground.


    This was the bribe. The previously listless soldiers immediately swarmed, scrambling on the ground, searching for the ¡°gratuity.¡±


    They didn¡¯t even look up at the trucks speeding past mere centimeters from their heads, showing no signs of slowing down.


    ¡°This is a barbaric place,¡± uttered the middle-aged man in the car, glancing at the Shu Country merchant seated in the passenger seat, who had just tossed the coins for bribery.


    ¡°You are correct, sir,¡± the merchant said with a smile plastered across his face because the man sitting in the back seat was someone he could not afford to offend.


    ¡°A barbaric place won¡¯t make much money... They should be wealthier, richer,¡± the man said as he looked out the window at the severely damaged, pitiful so-called houses on both sides of the street, then spoke again.


    ¡°Your wisdom is unparalleled, sir,¡± the merchant delivered another compliment. He only knew that the man behind him hailed from Shireck, a presence he dared not look in the eye.


    What he did not know was that this man actually worked for the far more daunting Great Tang Group. Being in charge of Shireck was just a smokescreen, a lie to use as a cover.


    And to the man sitting in the back seat, all of this was nothing more than a casual move in the Great Tang Group¡¯s grand scheme.

 Chapter 958 03-25 - 958 881 self-researched

    ?Chapter 958: 881 self-researched Chapter 958: 881 self-researched Minister of Revenue Wang Yuca?i rubbed his sore eyes and set aside the financial documents in his hands. His recent work had been going smoothly, since at least from the accounts, the financial revenue of the Dahua Empire was on the rise.


    The previously unsatisfactory fiscal situation was improving, and many subsidies that were once unaffordable could now be considered.


    For an official in charge of finances, this was definitely good news, and for an empire, it was undoubtedly a positive sign.


    The sources of income were varied, and these past few days, Wang had been tirelessly organizing the ledgers, attempting to analyze and deduce some trends. To his relief, he truly had discovered some notable points.


    The largest increase in revenues came from the prosperity of industry: in the past two years, the Dahua Empire had added a significant number of factories, which, along with their corresponding commercial operations, brought in a substantial amount of tax revenue for the Empire.


    The next major increase came from agriculture because the Dahua Empire had introduced superior varieties from the Great Tang Empire and had utilized pesticides and fertilizers, resulting in a bumper harvest this year. As Dahua primarily relied on agriculture for its main source of income, it naturally gained a substantial amount of revenue from this bountiful harvest.


    The third source of income was from tariffs. Fengjiang, as a major port of trade, had become the wealthiest city in the Dahua Empire. Countless goods settled customs fees there, and the income of Fengjiang City was almost higher than that of the entire Southern Region of the Empire.


    ...


    Not only was trade tax revenue between the Great Tang Empire and the Dahua Empire massively increasing, but goods transiting through Dahua from Qin Country to be sold to the Great Tang Empire also had to pay transit fees.


    These consistent annual revenues allowed Minister Wang to breathe a sigh of relief, and his words carried much more weight during the court meetings.


    Unfortunately, with the increase in revenue, Wang found that the speed at which various departments spent money was also rapidly increasing. No matter how it was curtailed, the expenses of the Dahua Empire for the past two years had been skyrocketing.


    Investments in road construction began to surge due to the need for better transportation capabilities to support busy commercial activity and production. This expenditure was unanimously agreed upon, as everyone was demanding improvements to the transportation infrastructure.


    Conversely, maintaining and managing these roads and railways required money and personnel.


    As the economic situation improved, His Majesty The Emperor of the Dahua Empire raised the salaries and stipends of everyone, to consolidate his position and to soothe his ministers and lower officials.


    This heart-winning move, under the premise that the treasury was flush with money, became perfectly justified, so Wang had no choice but to agree to the pay raise plan. After all, in the past two-plus years, these ministers had indeed made significant contributions to the stability of Dahua.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï


    Finally, the greatest increase was seen in national defense spending. Shortly after its financial recovery, the Dahua Empire had increased its defense budget.


    There was no alternative, as it was now wedged between Qin Country and the Great Tang Empire, facing immense security pressure. Therefore, Dahua had to enhance its military capabilities to be ready for a potential crisis of war on two fronts.


    Curiously, the Dahua Empire was not willing to purchase advanced weapons and equipment sold by the Great Tang Group; they insisted on ¡°self-reliance in weapon development¡± and invested heavily in this approach.


    Although this strategy might not necessarily be wrong and the outcomes could potentially be beneficial, it was arguably irrational to hastily develop more advanced weapons without fully understanding the leading-edge technology.


    Surprisingly, in the end, they were successful. Based on their domestically produced Dahua Type 1 Fighter Jet, the Dahua Empire carried out a series of enhancements and ultimately designed the Dahua Type 2 Fighter Jet.


    With the support of Prince Zhao Yu and his backing forces, the Dahua Empire¡¯s technicians designed the Dahua Type-2 Fighter Jet to look almost exactly like the Italian G50 Fighter. It goes without saying that the credit belongs to Zhao Yu, which made Zhao Ji increasingly anxious.


    The so-called new fighter jet of Dahua was essentially the G50, but with an enclosed cockpit added, and its subpar engine performance was slightly enhanced, allowing the aircraft to barely reach a speed of 500 kilometers per hour.


    Its overall performance was on par with Qin Country¡¯s Gale Fighter but still lagged behind the Butcher Fighter, which the Great Tang Empire was in the process of phasing out.


    As a result, this rebranded self-developed advanced fighter instantly received orders, as the Dahua Empire sought to replace its old fighter jets and promptly purchased 1,000 units.


    The Dahua Empire had no other choice, for its western neighbor Qin Country had already begun mass production of the Gale Type-2 Fighters. If the Dahua Empire didn¡¯t keep up, it risked being surpassed by its neighbor.


    Furthermore, the Dahua Empire improved its tanks and began manufacturing the Type-3 Tank, based on the foundation of the Type-2.


    The new tank¡¯s performance largely caught up with that of Great Tang¡¯s Type-4 Tank, as vehicle-mounted radios were no longer considered top-secret technology.


    Even though the military of the Dahua Empire was well aware that their tanks were inferior to the Great Tang¡¯s Panther Tanks, they still purchased a large number of these tanks.


    They didn¡¯t need to surpass the Great Tang Empire; they only had to be a bit more advanced than Qin Country on the other side: Qin hadn¡¯t yet equipped its forces with a large number of tanks, and the economically better-off Dahua Empire clearly had the upper hand in the arms race.


    A fundamental shift in the Dahua Empire¡¯s Air Force strategy became evident from the aircraft purchases.


    They didn¡¯t rush to deploy new bombers but instead focused their funds on purchasing a large number of fighter jets. This showed that the Dahua Empire¡¯s Air Force focus was primarily defensive, completely unlike the majority of countries on the eastern continent.


    This was also a decision shaped by the unique national circumstances of the Dahua Empire: their opponents were too strong, and they didn¡¯t believe their Air Force could control the skies in the presence of the Great Tang Empire Air Force, so they weren¡¯t prepared to waste valuable funds on offensive bombers.


    Equipping a large number of Armored Corps indicated the Dahua Empire¡¯s emphasis on ground forces: they hoped their Troops could withstand enemy attacks and have the capability to counterattack when necessary.


    It had to be said, Shen Chuan, the Minister of War, did have some level of competence. After summarizing the lessons from the previous war¡¯s defeat, he formulated a relatively feasible military strengthening plan.


    Regarding the Great Tang Empire, prioritize defense and good relations, avoiding war as much as possible, and relying mainly on permanent defensive fortifications to counter any potential offensives launched by the Tang Army. Even concerning technological equipment, they took a laid-back approach, conceding that if they could not catch up, then they wouldn¡¯t chase, saving both money and effort.


    Towards the western neighbor Qin Country, the Dahua Empire took a deterrence approach, deploying a large number of Armored Corps, projecting a stance ready for combat with Qin. Relying on sufficient funds, the Dahua Empire¡¯s troops on the western front indeed put enormous pressure on Qin, forcing it to temporarily shelve its ambitions against Dahua.


    Coupled with diplomatic maneuvers, in these two years, they had essentially stabilized Dahua¡¯s external situation and even faintly began overshadowing Qin Country. However, all this seemed to hinge on the assumption that the Great Tang Empire had no intention of expanding westward.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Today, something came up at home so I can only post one update. I will make up for it tomorrow, my apologies.

 Chapter 959 03-25 - 959 Operation 882 Days

    ?Chapter 959: Operation 882 Days Chapter 959: Operation 882 Days The reason why the Dahua Empire developed so rapidly can all be attributed to Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s ¡°coming into his own.¡± This once obscure prince has suddenly become a rising political star in the empire¡¯s court.


    No one knew how he became enlightened all of a sudden, but in the past year and more, he has been exceptionally active and has emerged as a strong contender for that position.


    The officials supporting him have impressive political achievements in their jurisdictions. They can sign cooperation agreements with investors from various countries, allowing these foreign investors to open factories and pay taxes in their domains, which directly elevates the political status of these officials.


    In return, with the strong support of these officials, Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s influence has increased day by day, and he has become an important force in the political decision-making of the Dahua Empire.


    Regardless of how one looks at it, this prince has become too significant to be easily dealt with by Emperor Zhao Kai or Crown Prince Zhao Ji.


    The funds for the Ministry of Works have all been provided by Zhao Yu¡¯s supporters, making the ministry¡¯s series of operations heavily reliant on his strong support.


    Chen Jing, that old fox who wouldn¡¯t wake early if it was not for profit, now has to beg Zhao Yu for every bit of assistance, whether it¡¯s for a water conservancy project or building a road, thereby maintaining an intimate relationship with Zhao Yu.


    ...


    On the other hand, as the Ministry of Works manages many factories, their technological research and development also depend on guidance from Zhao Yu¡¯s supporters, naturally making the ministry more biased towards Zhao Yu.


    Recently, Minister of Personnel Jiang Run has openly expressed his support for Zhao Yu¡¯s diplomatic strategy. As a Ministry of Rites official responsible for diplomatic affairs, he naturally desires the Dahua Empire to maintain a good cooperative relationship with the Great Tang Empire.


    Only he, the person involved, can feel the real pressure from the foreign ministry of the Great Tang Empire, so he has always been a firm ¡°dove.¡± After being bullied several times by Great Tang diplomats, he discovered a trick: before talking business with the Great Tang Empire, he would first reach out to Zhao Yu to establish a relationship, making things often go smoother.


    Sometimes he can even get unexpected surprises through Zhao Yu¡ªJiang Run is not a fool; he knows which leg is the right one to hug.


    Minister of Revenue Wang Yuca?i, who is in charge of finances, is also aware of Zhao Yu¡¯s significant contribution to the financial revenue of the Dahua Empire, so he does not wish to be an enemy of Zhao Yu either.


    Despite his duty as the head of the Ministry of Revenue to remain neutral and loyal to Emperor Zhao Kai, in practice, he still cannot help but consider Zhao Yu¡¯s feelings.


    There¡¯s no help for it, the current situation is this: if the officials in Zhao Yu¡¯s faction slack off even a bit, the national finances could be in deficit next month, leaving him, the Minister of Revenue, in a tight spot.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.??


    Though the Ministry of War often goes against Emperor Zhao Kai¡¯s will, General Feng Kezhi, the Chief of Staff of the Military, still has loyalty. He belongs to His Majesty The Emperor, and nobody dares to easily coax this man who speaks for the military.


    This kind of meddling into military affairs has always been taboo for the emperor, an act courting death. Zhao Ji doesn¡¯t dare, and he hopes that Zhao Yu would be impatient enough to try to woo the military, but Zhao Yu doesn¡¯t take the bait.


    However, even though Zhao Yu has not taken action, the military has already somewhat leaned towards him: General Feng Kezhi, the Chief of Staff of the Military, drew up a strategy to stabilise the east and the west, the core of which was to steady the Great Tang Empire. This idea coincided perfectly with Zhao Yu¡¯s strategy to maintain good relations with the Great Tang Empire, leading Feng Kezhi to have a natural affinity for Zhao Yu politically.


    On another note, many of the Dahua Empire¡¯s military procurements of weapons and equipment were ¡°acquired¡± thanks to Zhao Yu¡¯s help¡ªalthough most people are unaware of this matter, well-informed individuals have heard rumblings.


    As everyone knows, Minister of Personnel Zhou Qiang has long been one of Zhao Yu¡¯s men, and his public alignment with Zhao Yu is nothing new. Compared to other departments, the Ministry of Personnel is practically Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s stronghold.


    Among the six most powerful and influential government departments in the Dahua Empire¡ªpersonnel, revenue, rites, military, justice, and works¡ªthat maintain the operations of the empire, five align with Zhao Yu, with only the judicial department remaining the domain of the older prince, Crown Prince Zhao Ji.


    With the addition of the seemingly neutral but cunning Prime Minister Chu Muzhou, the political winds in the entire Dahua Imperial court have shifted unknowingly.


    This power dynamic appears delicate now: it is clear that the power of the Crown Prince¡¯s faction is not enough, and in the political struggle, this directly translates into a dangerous state where the Crown Prince¡¯s authority is questioned.


    Unfortunately, Crown Prince Zhao Ji lacks distinguished guidance and a vast economic system to support him; all he has is the Emperor¡¯s favor and a desolately solitary Ministry of Justice.


    The Ministry of Justice of the Dahua Empire, which oversees the judiciary and trials, can be guessed to be thoroughly infiltrated by the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire, as much as a sieve, by the nature of its duties.


    Under such circumstances, this comrade Zhao Ji is hardly different from being a commander with no troops¡ªhe faces an impossible task if he wishes to turn the tide.


    Silver Fox Tavern, a large chain tavern with branches in almost every country and city, was hosting a meeting in its outpost within the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire.


    ¡°A bit too forceful,¡± Du Jia said, glancing at the dandelion ring on her finger as she looked down, speaking to the various people seated around the conference table, ¡°Our goal is very clear. Right now, the situation with Zhao Yu dominating alone is not what the higher-ups want to see.¡±


    A blonde-haired editor-in-chief of the ¡°My Sovereign¡± newspaper said somewhat unwillingly, ¡°I said we should have left some leeway for Zhao Kai and Zhao Ji... If we switch sides now, I bet people will see through our intentions.¡±


    The specifics of the plan had been implemented by everyone present, and nobody had anticipated that the six ministries of the Dahua Empire would fall before the Great Tang Empire even made a move.


    The original plan was to covertly manipulate events, getting the Ministry of Personnel and the Prime Minister on Zhao Yu¡¯s side, gradually taking control of half the court to counterbalance Emperor Zhao Kai and Zhao Ji, creating conflict between the two factions.


    But now, the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue had unwittingly begun to lean toward Zhao Yu, and opportunists in the Ministry of War were gradually preparing to ally with him, leading the situation to spiral out of control.


    The leaders of all the hooligans in the Imperial Capital, while casually filing their nails and not looking up, said, ¡°So what if our purpose is discovered? Even if they know, can they stop our actions?¡±


    Du Jia clasped her hands together and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s better to act covertly if possible; if those people confirm our intentions, our actions will face unnecessary resistance. If we complicate the mission and jeopardize the great cause, our lives wouldn¡¯t be enough to make amends for the delay in His Majesty¡¯s affairs.¡±


    ¡°What if I defect? Jump to Zhao Ji¡¯s side?¡± The editor-in-chief of ¡°My Sovereign¡± tested the waters.


    An ordinary-looking woman seated at the far end raised an objection, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that also amount to telling others that our true goal is indeed to divide the Dahua Empire?¡±


    This woman was the most famous doctor in the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire, young but skilled in medicine, commanding respect among many influential figures.


    Her ability to prolong life was crucial at this juncture. Many who valued their lives gave her due respect.


    Du Jia then shared her perspective, ¡°For people like Chu Muzhou, having Zhao Yu as Emperor is different from splitting the Dahua Empire... They might tolerate Zhao Yu taking power, but it¡¯s unlikely they¡¯d allow the Dahua Empire to fracture.¡±


    After pausing for a few seconds, she continued, ¡°If we alert them and they start to unite against us, we¡¯ll have to reevaluate the success rate of our subsequent moves.¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± someone asked, with everyone¡¯s eyes turning toward Du Jia.


    Du Jia thought for a few seconds, going over all the relationships and influences in her mind, before presenting her plan, ¡°The only unclear forces now are the members of the Royal Family like Zhao Chen and Zhao Jie.¡±


    She surveyed everyone present, ¡°Find a way to gauge their inclinations! If they lean toward Zhao Ji and Zhao Kai... then the balance... would almost be there.¡±


    For these two Princes who held military power after General Feng Kezhi¡¯s martyrdom, their current stance was critical. If Zhao Kai were willing to help Zhao Ji personally, the power balance would indeed be evenly matched. For the Great Tang Empire, the ideal scenario was the Dahua Empire having two evenly matched forces.


    ¡°Brilliant!¡± the gang leader who had been filing his nails perked up instantly, ¡°Does this mean the ¡®Balance Operation¡¯ can commence immediately?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if the plan is completed ahead of schedule, we can indeed begin the ¡®Balance Operation¡¯ immediately,¡± Du Jia reaffirmed.


    In but an instant, everyone¡¯s expression became grave, recognizing the significance of this development.


    It could be said that their many years of infiltration into the Dahua Empire had been primarily to pave the way for the ¡®Balance Operation¡¯. Due to some fortunate errors, they had inadvertently completed the task assigned by their superiors ahead of time.


    Regardless, this was good news! The seemingly placid world was about to ripple again because of their efforts.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s get moving! I¡¯ll await your news here. For His Majesty!¡± Du Jia stood up, chin held high as she looked down at everyone seated.


    ¡°Long live My Sovereign! Long live the Empire!¡± Everyone stood up with a shout, standing at attention and puffing out their chests in unison as they responded.

 Chapter 960 03-25 - 960 The Emperors Perspective

    ?Chapter 960: The Emperor¡¯s Perspective Chapter 960: The Emperor¡¯s Perspective ¡°Father, you must help me!¡± Zhao Ji cried miserably in Zhao Kai¡¯s office.


    Lately, the Crown Prince had virtually no supporters left in the court. A Crown Prince without the support of key court ministers is in definite danger.


    Zhao Kai was aware of this issue, but as an Emperor, his perspective on matters differed completely from that of the Crown Prince.


    As an Emperor, he did not want the heir he had chosen to be too arrogant or presumptuous, since if the Crown Prince became too powerful, he would be challenging the Emperor¡¯s own authority.


    If the Crown Prince had been forming cliques, buying people¡¯s hearts, or meddling with the military in his early years... Zhao Kai would have deposed Zhao Ji and replaced him with a more obedient alternative.


    But if a Crown Prince appeared too weak during the battle for succession, then as an Emperor, he would start to worry whether the chosen successor truly had a problem with his abilities.


    A weak heir to the throne is not reassuring. The Emperor would fear that such an heir might become a puppet of powerful ministers upon accession, losing grip on imperial authority and control over the court.


    ...


    So choosing a Crown Prince had always been one of the most vexing issues for an Emperor. Conversely, being a good Crown Prince was no simple task either.


    Beyond maintaining a balance between not appearing too strong nor too incompetent, a Crown Prince also had to court favor with the Emperor, his father, and secure his position by playing on their emotional bond.


    Fortunately, Zhao Kai¡¯s eldest son Zhao Ji had a knack for this. After being designated Crown Prince, he had performed excellently, greatly pleasing Zhao Kai.


    First, within the permitted bounds, Zhao Ji secured the support of the less sensitive Ministry of Justice and then steadied himself, showing a magnanimous lack of ambition.


    Zhao Kai found this political awareness very comforting. Therefore, he was very satisfied with his son, the Crown Prince.


    On the other hand, in many political decisions, Zhao Ji demonstrated a high degree of alignment with Zhao Kai. This clever ass-kissing also endeared Zhao Ji to his father.


    Both professionally and emotionally, Zhao Ji had a gifted talent for pleasing Zhao Kai; thus, in theory, his position as Crown Prince should have been as solid as a rock.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï


    However, the reality was that another Prince, Zhao Yu, had practically become the Second Emperor of the Dahua Empire, suddenly controlling many departments and gaining the allegiance of numerous local officials.


    In just a few months, Zhao Kai realized that as a father, he was already struggling to suppress his son, Zhao Yu.


    And after a few more months, to his astonishment, Zhao Kai found he wasn¡¯t just struggling to suppress Zhao Yu; even his own imperial throne seemed less secure than before.


    Thus, he became even firmer in his support of his favored son Zhao Ji¡ªthere was no choice if he didn¡¯t unite all those he could, he no longer had confidence that he could counter his other son, Zhao Yu, who had already established a stronghold in the court.


    The debate in the Dahua Empire¡¯s court over how to handle relations with the Great Tang Empire had settled. In that debate, Zhao Kai and Zhao Ji were utterly defeated, nearly losing everything they had.


    Zhao Yu, who championed full rapprochement with the Great Tang Empire, brought benefits to the common people, increased tax revenue, and greatly enhanced his own reputation.


    But amidst this scenario where it seemed everyone reaped benefits, no one cared what the Dahua Empire actually lost.


    Zhao Kai looked at his son, sobbing uncontrollably, and sighed helplessly. In truth, his own situation was much better than Zhao Ji¡¯s, but the predicament of his son made him somewhat resentful.


    Yes, it wasn¡¯t so much about feeling sad; it was about being resentful. He just couldn¡¯t bear the thought that even in choosing his heir, he couldn¡¯t do as he wished...


    Having been an Emperor for decades, Zhao Kai was very much aware of the positions and thoughts of the court Ministers. For example, the loyalty of Prime Minister Chu Muzhou was actually not in question.


    Zhao Kai could be sure that Chu Muzhou would most likely not betray him as Emperor; likewise, the Minister of War Shen Chuan was in a similar state.


    But when it came to choosing sides between the heirs, they were both beginning to lean toward Zhao Yu¡ªunless the Emperor himself publicly backed Zhao Ji, it would be difficult to sway these ¡°Emperor¡¯s faction¡± from their stance.


    Yet if the Emperor personally entered the fray, it would mean that things had escalated completely: the flourishing economy could be affected, and diplomatic relations with the Great Tang Empire might become unstable.


    That signaled to the Emperor and the Crown Prince preparing a comeback, overturning the previously established strategic policy of ¡°fortifying eastward and expanding westward.¡± Such issues could trigger a chain reaction, and even Zhao Kai could not guarantee he could mitigate the effects of these changes.


    Just by considering it briefly, the matter was far from trivial: looking at a corporate fundraising method that had emerged in the Dahua Empire in recent years, called ¡°stocks,¡± any instability would result in significant losses for him as Emperor.


    Many elites had invested their wealth into this emerging entity called stocks, lured by the prospect of a stable international relationship with the Great Tang Empire, which had painted the market with an optimistic future. Thus, everyone made a tidy sum in the stock market.


    Yet, if Zhao Kai rashly entered the fray to support Zhao Ji, leading to misunderstandings and subsequent market instability, this could shrink everyone¡¯s wealth... and chaos might ensue.


    ¡°My son, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but if I act hastily now, the situation will only become more perilous,¡± Zhao Kai said, somewhat irritated, as he sighed and tried to console his own son.


    ¡°Compared to that good-for-nothing brother of yours, I still favor you more! This has not changed now and it won¡¯t in the future!¡± He paused, feeling that his statement lacked force, and then clarified Zhao Ji¡¯s position.


    After hearing his father¡¯s firm support, Zhao Ji¡¯s crying indeed lessened significantly. What he did not know was that Zhao Kai¡¯s continued support was purely because, without it, even Zhao Kai¡¯s own position would be unstable.


    Zhao Ji failed to realize this because just yesterday, his most capable strategist died at the home of his own lover.


    When found, the door was bolted from the inside, and next to the two bodies lay all sorts of strange apparatus, with a silver tray heaped with a black ointment known as Yincu.


    The Ministry of Justice¡¯s coroner determined that the two had died from an overdose of Yincu ointment; it was unclear whether it was an accident or suicide. However, the likelihood of foul play, based on the crime scene investigation, was slim.


    Without his most important strategist, Zhao Ji¡¯s political acuity dropped by a notch. If that strategist had still been around, he would never have allowed him to foolishly run crying to Zhao Ji.


    ¡°But, Father Emperor! They even dared to kill my guest! Bao Changshi...¡± Without any other recourse, Zhao Ji had rushed over in a panic to inform Zhao Kai about the murky circumstances surrounding his strategist¡¯s death.


    Zhao Kai, growing impatient, interrupted Zhao Ji: ¡°I¡¯ve asked around... That Changshi of yours was detestable to the extreme! Dying a senseless death due to his own foolish actions may not have been the work of someone else.¡±


    Everyone knew that using such flimsy accusations as a weapon against opponents was unfeasible; they could at best be used to kick someone when they¡¯re down once the dust had settled.


    Launching an attack against Zhao Yu with the case of a drug addict who overdosed to death would be futile¡ªeven if Zhao Yu had committed the act and admitted to it, at most he¡¯d face a fine.


    Why, indeed? Would you jeopardize the Empire¡¯s stability for a dead Chief of Staff? Would you cause a storm in the Empire¡¯s court for a dead man?


    Stop joking around.


    Besides, unless Zhao Yu admitted to it, it was absurd to think that, without evidence, Zhao Kai would bear the pressure of the ministers to punish a Prince. That was an incredibly foolish idea.


    That¡¯s a Prince, not just some Tom, Dick, or Harry... You, Zhao Ji, are my son, Zhao Kai. Isn¡¯t Zhao Yu, as well?


    Looking at Zhao Ji, who was crying next to him like a downtrodden young wife, Zhao Kai couldn¡¯t help but internally scoff. If not for fear, passing the Crown Prince title to Zhao Yu was not out of the question...


    Yes, he was afraid! Zhao Yu¡¯s influence in the court made him wary¡ªit was the fundamental reason for his steadfast support of the weaker Crown Prince, Zhao Ji.


    As an Emperor, Zhao Kai naturally hoped his successor would be more capable, able to carry on with the Empire and even take it to greater heights.


    Thus, capability was an important criterion in the selection of an heir. Clearly, from any perspective, Zhao Yu¡¯s abilities surpassed Zhao Ji¡¯s.


    But as an Emperor, Zhao Kai did not dare to immediately name Zhao Yu as Crown Prince. He feared the ¡°abilities¡± Zhao Yu displayed and worried he might overthrow him.


    Therefore... the option that best served Zhao Kai¡¯s interests was to use Zhao Ji to withstand Zhao Yu¡¯s pressure, to delay matters. Until he was close to death, he would dethrone Zhao Ji and pass the throne to Zhao Yu.


    In fact, Zhao Kai was already entertaining this idea¡ªonly now, he needed to stabilize Zhao Ji at all costs, as the first step in his plan.


    ¡°So... Father Emperor, what should we do next?¡± Zhao Ji was unaware that in his father Emperor Zhao Kai¡¯s mind, he had become a bargaining chip to counterbalance Zhao Yu.


    ¡°Summon Zhao Chen and Zhao Jie to the palace!¡± Zhao Kai commanded darkly, ready to seek the opinions of two important members of the Royal Family.


    He really felt quite uneasy, for the power that he¡¯d held in his hands since the removal of General Feng Kezhi seemed to be slipping through his fingers.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The additional update will arrive tomorrow morning... Yes, Dragon Spirit has been up late again...

 Chapter 961 03-25 - 961 884 suddenly realized something

    ?Chapter 961: 884 suddenly realized something Chapter 961: 884 suddenly realized something ¡°Our intelligence officers are quite capable after all,¡± Tang Mo praised with a smile, looking at the report in his hand while sitting in the brightly lit Forbidden City.


    He set aside the report and turned to Li¡¯ao, who had come to deliver the message, and continued with his orders, ¡°Tell them to adapt as necessary! And prioritize safety.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, I will bear your kindness in mind,¡± Li¡¯ao responded gratefully, bowing his head.


    ¡°Let the Ministry of Foreign Affairs get involved too,¡± Tang Mo then turned to Prime Minister Roger. ¡°Shout it from the rooftops a couple of times, lest they forget we are not to be trifled with.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Roger nodded slightly.


    ¡°Also, get the military moving a bit, flex their muscles, but keep it subtle to a certain extent. We wouldn¡¯t want to scare Zhao Kai completely back into his shell; it becomes much harder to take a bite then,¡± Tang Mo looked once more in the direction of Luff, who stood beside Roger.


    Chief of Staff Luff stood at attention and saluted, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Tang Mo smiled. ¡°Operation Balance is officially underway. All departments start working around Operation Balance. It¡¯s been too peaceful for too long; one gets unaccustomed to the lack of gunfire.¡±


    ...


    Lately, Royal Family members Zhao Chen and Zhao Jie frequently visited the Imperial Palace, and with Zhao Ji joining them, the atmosphere in the court suddenly became tense.


    There were no changes on Zhao Yu¡¯s side except for officials in certain regions telephoning the Imperial Court, complaining that the Great Tang Empire¡¯s merchants were slowing investments in their jurisdictions.


    With the changing winds in the Imperial Court, it was natural for merchants to be cautious. However, the subsequent developments exceeded Zhao Kai¡¯s expectations.


    As the Great Tang Empire¡¯s vocal vanguard that never failed to stir up trouble, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was evidently the quickest to act.


    They immediately announced the postponement of a diplomatic corps networking event that was to be held in the Dahua Empire and had the Great Tang¡¯s Ambassador to the Dahua Empire deliver an inquiry letter to Jiang Run, hoping for clarification on the specifics of the situation.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?¦Ï


    Minister of Rites Jiang Run naturally denied any intentions of the Dahua Empire to change its diplomatic stance towards the Great Tang Empire, assuring their foreign affairs department that cooperation between the two nations continued to be in their best interest.


    In addition, Jiang Run conveyed to the Great Tang Empire¡¯s foreign affairs department that the Dahua Empire would guarantee all the legal rights and interests of Tang merchants, urging the Great Tang to have peace of mind.


    As for whether the Great Tang Empire believed this, or if they had other plans, that was beyond the control of a Minister like Jiang Run.


    Entering the Imperial Palace once more, Zhao Chen was actually quite worried because he had always assisted Zhao Kai in managing the Dahua Empire¡¯s military, at least a part of it.


    Replacing General Feng Kezhi in managing at least half the military power, he was the one directly facing the military pressure from the Great Tang Empire.


    In recent days, he kept receiving reports from the eastern border where the Great Tang Empire had begun some unusual and frequent troop movements.


    Most basic intelligence agents also provided a wealth of information, which rendered Prince Zhao Chen of the Dahua Empire restless.


    Intelligence indicated that the number of military trains headed for the border in the Great Tang Empire was increasing. These additional trains were transporting either munitions or various supplies.


    This suggested that the Great Tang Empire was perhaps ramping up its state of readiness along the border, reinforcing the troops deployed there¡ªa far from ideal sign for the Dahua Empire.


    To be on the safe side, Zhao Chen was also actively increasing military strength in the border regions, but this was undoubtedly a provocation to the Great Tang Empire and not a wise move.


    Therefore, these past days, Zhao Chen had been trying to persuade Zhao Kai to reconsider the series of actions against his son, Zhao Yu.


    But such advice failed to move Zhao Kai, who needed a solution to end the current unfavorable situation, not just to give up on the offensive.


    There was a distinct difference, for if Zhao Kai easily gave up on the actions against Zhao Yu this time, the balance of power between them next time would only be more disparate.


    If he couldn¡¯t handle Zhao Yu now, then next year he would have even less chance! Zhao Kai didn¡¯t understand how the situation got so complicated, but he was clear that this was his only opportunity.


    ¡°Who could have expected that Zhao Yu¡¯s reaction would be so intense... It was initially just a plan to investigate Bao Changshi, but then Minister of Personnel Zhou Qiang started to impeach Bao Changshi for embezzlement, bribery, and misleading the Crown Prince,¡± lamented the Minister of Justice, with an embarrassed bow, exacerbating the fury of the sitting Zhao Kai.


    Zhao Kai had merely sent out a signal, but who would have thought it would set off a beacon fire? One thing led to another as if orchestrated by someone, and the situation quickly evolved into a major showdown between the forces of Zhao Kai and Zhao Yu.


    ¡°How is the situation on the border?¡± Zhao Kai asked immediately upon seeing Zhao Chen enter. His greatest fear was a problem at the frontier, for if Great Tang didn¡¯t get involved, he could still suppress everything.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the situation is not optimistic,¡± Zhao Chen shook his head and sighed, ¡°The military of the Great Tang Empire is assembling. Even though they are keeping a low profile, they are indeed mobilizing frequently, and that¡¯s not a good sign.¡±


    ¡°Although I have already ordered reinforcements to the border, if a conflict breaks out, we are clearly the weaker side,¡± he said, expressing his attitude as diplomatically as possible, ¡°I will defend the Empire to the death, but whether it can be successful, I... have no certainty.¡±


    ¡°Can we lure Zhao Yu into the Imperial Palace and put him under house arrest...?¡± Zhao Ji proposed his strategy from the side, ¡°As the saying goes, capture the ringleader to defeat the followers. If we control Zhao Yu, the other side will become scattered.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m afraid things are not as simple as you imagine,¡± the powerless Minister of Justice interjected, now feeling that he might have chosen the wrong side.


    If Great Tang had risen a few years earlier, why would he have gotten involved with Zhao Ji? Now his department had already been penetrated like a sieve, and although he remained a trusted aide to Zhao Ji, he was no longer as capable as other Chief of Staffs in terms of action.


    ¡°What crimes shall we charge him with? House arresting a Prince, or even one allied with the Great Tang Empire, will only heighten border tensions!¡± Zhao Chen, afraid that Zhao Kai would act irrationally, took the opportunity to speak with Zhao Ji to offer a reminder.


    ¡°He¡¯s conspiring with the enemy! He¡¯s a traitor!¡± To everyone¡¯s surprise, these words only agitated Zhao Kai further, causing him to explode in rage, ¡°Just for that alone, killing him wouldn¡¯t be an injustice! Not an injustice!¡±


    Ignoring the gleeful Zhao Ji, Zhao Chen had to once again stiffly remind Zhao Kai, ¡°Your Majesty! The situation is tense; if conflict truly breaks out, a collapse is imminent.¡±


    What a joke, if Fengjiang, the tariff-heavy town, became the front line without revenue, and the consumption of hundreds of thousands of troops was enormous, what good was the little money that had been saved in the treasury for the past couple of years if war could drain it in two months?


    Without trade, without investment, without tax revenue... even the Ministers¡¯ salaries couldn¡¯t be paid. How to wage war?


    When the time comes, who will suffer on the front lines? Isn¡¯t it Zhao Chen? Who will be responsible if we are defeated? Isn¡¯t it Zhao Chen? Who will be cursed in history for losing the land? Isn¡¯t it Zhao Chen?


    Having calmed down, Zhao Kai also realized that now was not the time to use the evidence of Zhao Yu¡¯s collusion with the enemy: because even though he thought of ¡°the enemy Great Tang¡± in his heart, he couldn¡¯t speak aloud of it.


    Dare you say that being on good terms with Great Tang is treason? Good grief, the strategy of bolstering the east and suppressing Qin Country by being close to Great Tang is a fixed state policy, supported by eighty percent of the court ministers! You¡¯re not trying to deal with Zhao Yu here; you¡¯re looking to overturn the table, right?


    At least on the surface, the Great Tang isn¡¯t an enemy state, and in slogans, the Great Tang is also a friendly nation. So, Zhao Yu¡¯s close relationship with Great Tang isn¡¯t a crime... even if Zhao Kai thinks it is, it¡¯s not!


    ¡°That unworthy son Zhao Yu! Bastard! And Great Tang for bullying us for its power... also bastards!¡± Zhao Kai, gritting his teeth, hammered the table and cursed.


    But compared to his earlier hysteria, he was now cursing in a significantly calmer tone.


    ¡°Should we have the Ministry of Justice produce a report... to set the tone?¡± Seeing that Zhao Kai had somewhat stabilized, Zhao Chen tentatively asked.


    That was basically inquiring whether they should step back, quiet down, and let this issue pass.


    As long as the report controlled by Zhao Ji¡¯s Ministry of Justice certified that Bao Changshi¡¯s death was accidental, it was as if the crisis had abated, and it seemed like the issue would dissappear into thin air.


    Unfortunately, this move wasn¡¯t without a cost: such a choice would signal that Zhao Kai and Zhao Ji had chickened out, giving up on this round of confrontation.


    The problem returned to the original point: to back down now was merely a temporary reprieve; even if the situation was stabilized, it would be nothing more than waiting for a slow death.


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Zhao Kai, feeling cornered into a seemingly hopeless situation, seemed to catch an important point and interrupted Zhao Chen, ¡°Isn¡¯t Zhao Yu tough to deal with because he has the support of the Great Tang Empire?¡±


    His eyes lit up as he lifted his head, ¡°As long as we offer something to satisfy Great Tang... to stop them from causing further trouble... then dealing with a single Zhao Yu would be like catching a fish in the palm of the hand, right?¡±


    Having thought and spoken to this point, Zhao Kai¡¯s thoughts seemed to clear up a lot, ¡°If I send a special envoy... to Great Tang with some benefits for Tang Mo. If the Tang People see that I also am pro-Tang, what reason would they have to keep supporting Zhao Yu?¡±


    ¡°This...¡± For a moment, Zhao Chen was at a loss for words. He actually felt that this seemed like a good idea, except that it deviated slightly from the core interests of the Dahua Empire.


    Your son Zhao Yu committed treason and obtained the support of Tang People... You are the Emperor after all, to personally sell out and collude... is that truly wise?

 Chapter 962 03-25 - 962 885 Dangerous Signals

    ?Chapter 962: 885 Dangerous Signals Chapter 962: 885 Dangerous Signals On the western border of the Tang Empire, near the Dahua Empire segment, the armored corps of the Tang Army were busy unloading tanks at the train station, which was packed with logistic support vehicles and personnel.


    All around was a bustling scene, with officers checking the weapons and equipment that their troops had arrived with, inspecting some ammunition, and an assortment of odds and ends.


    ¡°Careful! Be careful there! Watch it! Don¡¯t let it fall!¡± Beside the flatbed, an officer holding a megaphone was shouting at the train¡¯s operators.


    His soldiers were working hard to unload a Type 4 tank from the train. As a newly established unit, the 19th Armored Division was not really one of the Tang Army¡¯s main forces.


    The fact that the Great Tang Empire was expanding its armored corps was clear to many countries; however, they were somewhat baffled by the way in which the Great Tang was conducting this expansion.


    The new and expanding armored corps were mostly under-strength and equipped with old, second-hand Type 4 tanks. These were tanks that had been phased out by the main forces, some of which even bore the scars of bullet holes.


    Such armored divisions were generally only equipped with a single armored regiment, and armed with Type 4 tanks and outdated maintenance and refueling vehicles, they appeared quite shabby.


    ...


    The Tang Army¡¯s organization typically went like this: The 1st Armored Division and the 11th Armored Division were paired with other troops to form the first armored army, and the 2nd Armored Division was similarly paired with the 12th Armored Division.


    Newly organized armored units beginning with the number ten were basically picking up the scraps from the main forces, receiving equipment like the Type 4 tanks.


    Since there weren¡¯t enough phased-out tanks to go around, nor were there new reinforcements, this meant that divisions with a teen series of numbers were more like training units, with little combat capability.


    Other countries speculated that the Tang Empire was transitioning to Panther Tanks and didn¡¯t want to waste those decommissioned Type 4 tanks, so they were cast off to second-tier troops for continued use.


    Beyond the Type 4 tanks, the infantry equipment of the Tang Empire was also being upgraded: Many modifications based on the Type 4 tank¡¯s chassis were in the works, resulting in a wide and varied assortment.


    For example, enhanced anti-tank guns for the infantry were typically modified from the Panther Tank¡¯s main cannon to create turretless tank destroyers.


    This equipment, a tank destroyer armed with a long-barrel 75mm caliber cannon, was jokingly referred to as the ¡°long-nosed¡± by the Tang Army, being something of a makeshift recycling effort.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã0


    Of the same nature was the 105mm low-velocity short-barrel cannon mounted on the Type 4 assault gun¡ªa beefed-up version of the original Type 4 assault gun that had been fitted with solely a 75mm short-barrel cannon.


    By sacrificing ammo capacity and sustained combat capability, the fighting compartment was slightly enlarged to provide the infantry with a kind of ¡°assault gun¡± that could temporarily serve as a self-propelled gun.


    Add to that the substantial number of Type 4 tank chassis that were converted into 155mm caliber Wild Bee self-propelled howitzers, turning these tank chassis into what were essentially the true ¡°warhorses¡± of the Great Tang Empire.


    The main reason was simply that the Panther Tank¡¯s chassis was too complex, and Tang Mo had no intention of continuing its use.


    To this day, the whole world is studying why the Tang Empire¡¯s Panther Tanks used a double-row load-bearing wheel design, yet no one anticipated that the Tang Empire itself would soon stop using them.


    In any case, this phase of the Tang Empire¡¯s land forces equipment could indeed be described as varied and dazzling to the observer.


    However, the speculations of other countries were only half right: The main forces of the Tang Empire were indeed re-equipping, but they were switching to the divine Type 59, not the legendary Panther Tank.


    The outdated Panther Tanks were already being phased out as second-tier tanks, production could barely keep up, where would there be the possibility of mass production?


    This time, as the Tang Army gathered near the border regions, in order not to be too alarming, they hadn¡¯t moved any of their main forces.


    Not a single Panther Tank was deployed; all the arrivals at the front line were from the newly expanded armored corps, and it looked remarkably like a collective misery competition among Huaxia units during the Spring Festival.


    When the land forces rolled out the Type 4 tanks, it was naturally out of fear that showcasing a large number of Panther Tanks would instill too much fear in the Dahua Empire.


    Even the presence of the Type 4 tanks alone had already put the Dahua Empire on high alert¡ªthey weren¡¯t afraid of those Type 4 tanks; they feared the unseen Panther Tanks behind them....


    The scene in front of them was actually quite peculiar; seeing Type 4 tanks equipped only with short-barrel cannons in this era could itself be considered a miracle.


    After all, the Air Force of the Tang Empire was switching to J-6 Fighter Jets while also mass-producing the Type 59 main battle tank. Yet, the front-line troops were still equipped with a large number of fragile Type 4 tanks, which was just too fantastical.


    Those units equipped with Type 4 tanks were well aware of their actual purpose; they were playing their role enthusiastically, conveying a strong unwillingness for the Tang Empire to get involved.


    ¡°Watch those tanks!¡± the officer shouted to the soldiers unloading tanks from the train once more. These tanks were precious; until new models were issued, they were the most capable equipment the soldiers had.


    ¡°It¡¯s tricky, not allowing casual photography, yet not being too secretive... Sigh...¡± A soldier assisting with the unloading of a Type 4 tank overheard the officer¡¯s shout behind him and couldn¡¯t help but murmur a complaint under his breath.


    Their unit was ostentatiously displayed for the press to see, yet they couldn¡¯t let the reporters publicize it too much....


    In the sky, the patrol units of the Tang Empire¡¯s Air Force were also being very cautious, increasing the number of sorties slightly, yet always maintaining restrained two-plane formations.


    They were using the Butcher Fighter Jets, which had been in use for many years, showing no signs of being replaced with newer models.


    Other countries had evolved from biplane fighters to advanced monoplane fighter jets, significantly faster, yet only the Tang Empire¡¯s Butcher Fighters seemed to be sticking around.


    Watching the Butchers fly by in the distant sky, the soldiers on the ground couldn¡¯t help but sigh involuntarily¡ªwas all this secrecy really for the best?


    However, the Tang Empire had already equipped many Type 6 Fighters, which were all deployed to Dragon Island; even the Air Force units in Chang¡¯an hadn¡¯t been outfitted with them.


    This degree of secrecy was necessary, for the Type 6 was too advanced for this world. Pulling it out in a non-full-scale war situation would seem wasteful.


    At the outskirts of the station, one man dressed like a merchant discreetly turned and left¡ªHe needed to report to his superiors that a new numeral had appeared on the border, a very dangerous signal!

 Chapter 963 03-25 - 963 886 unstoppable

    ?Chapter 963: 886 unstoppable Chapter 963: 886 unstoppable While the border between the Dahua Empire and the Great Tang Empire was in a state of unease, the rest of the world also began to notice the scent of gunpowder in the air.


    Everyone realized that the Great Tang Empire might likely intervene in the inner strife of the Dahua Empire! After all, this was how neighbors were usually treated, and everyone was all too familiar with it.


    Therefore, some countries began to persuade the Dahua Empire to quickly stabilize and preserve the hard-earned peace. Others, however, started to kick them while they were down, studying how to reap as many benefits as possible if war broke out.


    In reality, Qin Country had already started stirring. Their Ambassador to the Great Tang Empire had frequent meetings with officials from the Great Tang¡¯s Foreign Affairs Department, expressing their strong desire to support justice.


    ¡°Peace is hard-earned! The economic and trade exchanges between the Dahua Empire and the Great Tang Empire not only concern the two nations themselves but also relate to the economic development of our Qin Country,¡± the Qin Ambassador said righteously, looking deeply concerned.


    ¡°If there were internal strife within the Dahua Empire, it would seriously affect Qin Country¡¯s trade exports to the Great Tang Empire... and would also impact regional stability!¡± While speaking, he secretly observed the facial expressions of the Great Tang official.


    After confirming that there was no obvious attitude from the other party, the Qin Ambassador continued, ¡°So they have gone too far! They simply have no regard for the Great Tang Empire or our Qin Country! Such behavior must be punished! We cannot let them act recklessly!¡±


    ...


    To the ears of a Great Tang foreign affairs officer, that sentence roughly translated to: Wouldn¡¯t it be a grand time for slaughter if you and I joined forces? Our Qin Country handles the mayhem, while you, the Great Tang, carries out the slaughter...


    In the early years before the rise of the Great Tang Empire, Qin Country was still a vassal state of the Dahua Empire, even in a lower position than Chu Country and Qi Country.


    At that time, why didn¡¯t you consider attacking the Dahua Empire to guarantee the stable development of Qin Country¡¯s foreign trade? Oh, it turns out you couldn¡¯t beat the Dahua Empire, huh?


    Now, with the Dahua Empire¡¯s attention diverted by the Great Tang Empire by two-thirds or even more, you think you¡¯re capable because the sky has cleared and the rain has stopped?


    But the signal from the Qin side was very clear: once Dahua and the Great Tang went to war, they wouldn¡¯t mind standing on the side of the Great Tang Empire this time.


    Therefore, the Great Tang¡¯s foreign affairs officer didn¡¯t mind giving the other side some friendliness, smiling and casually changing the topic, clearly uninterested in the prospect of the Dahua Empire going to war.


    The Great Tang Empire was about to fight its first real proxy war, and Tang Mo had no intentions of entering the fray himself.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.??


    If the already powerful Great Tang Empire continued to display a strong desire for expansion, it could once again provoke hostility from other nations, which would increase trading costs down the line.


    This was not the result the Great Tang Empire wanted¡ªTang Mo was preparing to resolve the issue once and for all when he was ready. He wanted more and wasn¡¯t prepared to take the benefits little by little, like cutting a sausage.


    The diplomat from Qin Country was not a fool; he could tell from the Tang official¡¯s lack of interest that the Great Tang Empire was unwilling to make a move this time.


    Even if it was a fac?ade, the attitude spread by the Great Tang Empire was enough to produce some subtle changes in the situation.


    After assuring His Majesty The Emperor of the Dahua Empire that the Great Tang Empire would not wage war against the Dahua Empire, the Dahua envoy returned home contentedly.


    Upon arrival, the envoy assured the Great Tang Empire of the Dahua Empire¡¯s trading stance and explained directly that the investigation of the pro-Tang Prince Zhao Yu was all just a misunderstanding.


    Subsequently, the envoy also promised the Tang diplomats that the Dahua Empire would ensure the safety of all investments by Tang merchants and agreed to the ¡°extraterritorial rights¡± previously requested by the Great Tang Empire.


    That meant citizens of the Dahua Empire who violated the law within the Great Tang Empire must be tried within the Great Tang¡¯s territory, while citizens of the Great Tang Empire who violated the law within the Dahua Empire must be sent back to the Great Tang for trial.


    This law had previously never been agreed upon by the Dahua side, and now they had directly consented. It must be said that this was also a pleasant surprise.


    ...


    The view shifted back to the Endless Sea, Brunnis Port, where a new model of cruiser was being launched, looking very modern.


    This cruiser had only two integrated smokestacks and looked very sleek. It was equipped with four large main turret guns fore and aft, each turret featuring a twin-gun setup, for a total of eight main guns.


    It must be said that this design was quite sensible, with decent armor defense and an ample array of anti-aircraft guns.


    This was the standard warship design model adopted by other nations of the era, aside from the Great Tang Empire: Install as many big guns as possible on a small ship and then keep stacking anti-aircraft guns on this warship.


    As they never experienced the era of the great battleship, other nations of the world generally had little sentiment for battleships.


    Their memories of battleships were brief and embarrassing: their records of battleship usage consisted of either terrible defeats or being foolishly blockaded at sea, wasting time.


    Thus, while all navies were building battleships, they put more of their efforts into cruisers with better overall performance.


    Clearly, when facing aerial and underwater threats, the more numerous and self-sufficient cruisers were the more suitable choice.


    After all, losing a battleship was far more heartbreaking than losing a cruiser.


    The basic tactic of navies nowadays was roughly: endure the threat of land aviation airplanes, approach the enemy¡¯s port, use heavy guns to cripple the port and paralyze the enemy¡¯s war potential, and then leave.


    To achieve this, cruisers capable of being armed with main guns of over 200 mm caliber and equipped with a multitude of anti-aircraft guns, as well as having some degree of armor, came into being.


    Nations were frantically building such cruisers and gave them a nice name: general-purpose cruisers.


    They resembled the gun-cruisers used as escorts for aircraft carriers in World War II, their combat effectiveness was indeed very considerable.


    What¡¯s more interesting is that, in practice, suffering from the lack of means for beyond-visibility gun-laying, the nations turned their attention to airplanes.


    Several countries had begun experimenting with adding pontoons to old biplanes, retrofitting them into seaplanes to provide scouting capabilities for the fleet.


    In the near future, there will emerge new warships equipped with seaplanes¡ªthough far from the level of the Great Tang Empire, facts prove that certain things, when they reach a corresponding stage of development, trigger the appearance of corresponding inventions, and this trend... is unstoppable.

 Chapter 964 03-25 - 964 Top Strategy 887

    ?Chapter 964: Top Strategy 887 Chapter 964: Top Strategy 887 Zhao Yu had been extremely restless lately; he didn¡¯t understand why his father always targeted him¡ªwhen it came to capability, he was far superior to that damned older brother of his.


    The regions that supported him provided tens of millions in taxes and revenue to the Dahua Empire every year, and through his own ¡°connections,¡± he was able to obtain many advanced technologies from the Great Tang Empire.


    No matter how one looked at it, his elder brother was a complete waste of space. Zhao Ji only blindly supported Zhao Kai, knowing nothing except for currying favor through flattery!


    Yet, it was precisely such a sycophantic Crown Prince who was considered so important. Even if it meant going against public opinion, his father, Emperor Zhao Kai, had no intention of letting him, Zhao Yu, take that spot as the Crown Prince!


    ¡°Damn it, he¡¯s just biased! He just likes my older brother more!¡± A piece of very precious glassware within the Dahua Empire was smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces all over the place.


    Since Zhao Yu had started supporting trade between the two countries, the specialty products from the Great Tang Empire had never ceased coming in. All kinds of valuable items could easily be found in his possession.


    ¡°Your Highness, please calm your anger! At times like these, we should keep a cool head and stay patient,¡± a young man who had always been plotting for Zhao Yu advised, ¡°We still have the diplomatic support of the Great Tang Empire, the people¡¯s hearts, and the robust backing of the Imperial Ministers... there¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    ...


    The young man¡¯s words were effective; after all, he was the benefactor who had helped Zhao Yu reach his current stature.


    Although he could be impatient and a bit of a scoundrel, Zhao Yu still clearly understood who his real financiers were and who the crutch was that he couldn¡¯t do without.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, sir. But now, with Father protecting Zhao Ji, that bastard, the situation has become very unfavorable for me,¡± Zhao Yu asked for advice, his anxiety evident.


    Rash people often lack courage; their semblance of dominance is just a front, masking their cowardly nature.


    Zhao Yu belonged to this category; he was actually someone who feared death a great deal. His struggle for the succession was driven by greed, and as time went on, failure in that struggle became his greatest fear.


    He was afraid, afraid that if he failed, he would be purged by Zhao Ji. So, he was thrown into disarray, unsure of how to proceed.


    ¡°Emperor Zhao Kai has simply been deceived by Zhao Ji. If we lose our composure, aren¡¯t we just giving Zhao Ji the perfect opportunity?¡± The young strategist¡¯s sound reasoning temporarily soothed Zhao Yu¡¯s mind.


    Source: , updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    As a Prince, Zhao Yu was unclear about how the situation had suddenly turned against him: once bursting with promise and beginning to make his mark, he quickly became a thorn in both his father and brother¡¯s side.


    He could understand Crown Prince Zhao Ji¡¯s opposition to him; but when it came from his father, Emperor Zhao Kai, Zhao Yu felt overwhelmed.


    At his core, he was reluctant to confront Emperor Zhao Kai, despite initially appearing bold and confident, thinking he could even overthrow his old man. In truth, he was afraid of Emperor Zhao Kai; that was an inevitable feeling.


    If it had just been surreptitious actions in the shadows, it¡¯d be a different story. But almost without giving Zhao Yu any time to react, their conflict had been laid bare.


    Suddenly, the situation was out of Zhao Yu¡¯s control, and he was clueless on how to handle it¡ªwith the instigation of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence services, how could Zhao Yu possibly stabilize the situation?


    ¡°Sir... what should I do? Surely I can¡¯t just sit here waiting for the axe to fall, can I?¡± After a few seconds of silence, Zhao Yu spoke up again.


    ¡°I have three strategies for you, Your Highness: a best, a middle, and a worst. Which would you like to hear?¡± The young man picked up his cup of tea, his demeanor that of a detached sage.


    ¡°Of course, the best strategy. Tell me the best one!¡± Zhao Yu immediately chose the optimal solution without hesitation.


    The young man felt a bit of regret, thinking he should have presented himself with more of a sage-like demeanor at that moment. Although his heart held slight regret, his mouth showed no hesitation as he spoke, ¡°Your Highness could present a memorial to the Emperor requesting to go to Fengjiang to investigate a case.¡±


    ¡°Investigate a case? What case in Fengjiang would require my attention?¡± As Zhao Yu uttered the last word, his tone had already changed.


    ¡°The merchants there are either loyal to Your Highness or Great Tang; who else would dare to go?¡± the young man confidently rebutted, ¡°And to make a huge case out of their situation wouldn¡¯t be difficult, would it?¡±


    Dahua¡¯s Fengjiang, or rather Western Fengjiang, with its booming commerce and colossal tariffs, was naturally a city with clear allegiances. It was practically Zhao Yu¡¯s stronghold, the most supportive of his claim to the succession.


    ¡°But...¡± Although it wasn¡¯t explicit, Zhao Yu still sensed something uncomfortably fishy about this plan.


    With his political acumen not seeing through the entire plot, once he presented the memorial to head to Fengjiang, he¡¯d enter into a separatist trajectory; nothing would stop the splintering of the Dahua Empire.


    The sensitive Emperor Zhao Kai of the Dahua Empire would certainly detect the subtle scent of Zhao Yu planning to flee through the ¡°Investigate Fengjiang¡± memorial; his only choice would be to deny the request and then arrest Zhao Yu immediately.


    But Zhao Yu, protected by the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire, would definitely evade capture. Once Emperor Zhao Kai took action, Zhao Yu would have no choice but to flee.


    A fleeing Zhao Yu was sure to receive support from the Great Tang Empire, reaching Fengjiang safely to fight for his life against his own father¡ªby that point, the situation the Great Tang had intended to create would have unfolded entirely.


    At that time, as long as they supported the weaker side and maintained a stalemate, the Great Tang could reap the benefits of the fishermen.


    ¡°Your Highness, this best strategy allows you to attack or defend. Once you leave the Imperial Capital, the world is your oyster, and you will truly be safe,¡± the young man described the plan with a smile, convincing Zhao Yu that it was indeed not a bad move.


    Still, Zhao Yu hesitated. After pondering for a while, he lifted his head and asked, ¡°What about the middle strategy?¡±


    ¡°The middle strategy? It¡¯s to stay at home honestly and just wait! No matter what the other side does, we simply react passively,¡± the young man blurted out.


    He had prepared this middle strategy well in advance, too. So long as the current stalemate continued, and Zhao Yu¡¯s power grew, nothing could stop him; it would only mean a few more years of delay.


    That was fine; the intelligence operatives of the Great Tang could afford to wait, as the initial plan hadn¡¯t been for such an early confrontation, meaning everything went back to the start, with no changes and therefore no loss.


    Unfortunately, Zhao Yu was impatient by nature; to him, waiting was agony and it also meant handing his life over to someone else.


    That was something he couldn¡¯t tolerate, something he had to avoid at all costs.

 Chapter 965 03-25 - 965 888 the worst plan

    ?Chapter 965: 888 the worst plan Chapter 965: 888 the worst plan ¡°Sir, sir, let me hear the worst plan,¡± Zhao Yu expressed his concern about the best plan and dissatisfaction with the middle plan. Naturally, he wanted to study the worst plan further.


    Since there was no rush, he might as well hear all the plans and choose the one that would be more comfortable to implement.


    The young advisor, not minding the trouble, rubbed the dandelion ring he wore on his other hand and then began to speak, ¡°This worst plan...sounds rather unpleasant.¡±


    ¡°Sir... please speak anyway,¡± Zhao Yu, somewhat reluctantly, looked around, remembered that he had dismissed his attendants, and summoned his courage to continue asking.


    ¡°Do you have the courage to listen?¡± the young man asked disdainfully.


    ¡°I do have the courage to listen,¡± Zhao Yu mustered up his courage, ready to face death, as if listening to these words meant he could die.


    The young man sneered inwardly but said bluntly, ¡°For this worst plan... let¡¯s not hold back and kill Zhao Ji!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Hisss...¡± Hearing this suggestion, Zhao Yu involuntarily drew a sharp breath. Assassinating the Crown Prince was essentially no different from rebellion.


    ¡°By killing Zhao Ji, your father Emperor Zhao Kai will have no other choice, would he? Even if he suspects you afterward, he won¡¯t bring himself to kill you,¡± the young strategist comforted Zhao Yu.


    That was the idea, yet in practice, the intelligence organization of the Great Tang Empire might not perfectly execute the assassination of Zhao Ji.


    Eventually, Zhao Kai would definitely find out it was Zhao Yu¡¯s doing and would undoubtedly gather crucial evidence¡ªwhen things escalated to that point, Zhao Yu wouldn¡¯t be able to defend himself, and the conflict with Zhao Kai could no longer be suppressed.


    The situation would quickly evolve into Zhao Yu fleeing and being chased to the death toward Fengjiang, ending up just like the first plan¡ªno different from the best plan.


    That was the art of language: it seemed like I gave you options, but in reality, you had no other choice. I limited your possible choices to a very narrow range subtly, and any choice you made subconsciously within those hints was actually what the speaker wanted.


    However, to Zhao Yu, there was still a difference: this worst plan, though risky, was not without feasibility.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï


    As long as the murder was carefully executed without too much risk... and if Zhao Ji died, he still had a good chance of becoming the Crown Prince, becoming Emperor Zhao Kai¡¯s most beloved child.


    Thus, Zhao Yu fell into deep thought, weighing whether to choose the best plan or the worst plan. Indeed, his character had immediately ruled out the middle plan; he did not wish to sit idly by.


    Eventually, after weighing his options, he looked up at his advisor, ¡°Sir, after much thought... why not... use both the best and worst plans together?¡±


    Impressive! You can think independently now? You have improved! Mentally scoffing in disdain, Zhao Yu¡¯s advisor put on a very pleased expression and praised, ¡°Your Highness is wise, may I hear more?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s first plot to kill Zhao Ji... and then find an excuse to go to Fengjiang to avoid suspicion,¡± Zhao Yu boasted of his wisdom as if the flawless plan was his alone.


    ¡°Brilliant! Your Highness is wise!¡± the young man praised timely and sincerely¡ªafter all, as long as you go to Fengjiang as planned, whatever you do, just follow the script we provided. The process isn¡¯t important.


    Whether the murder of Zhao Ji got leaked, or preparing to go to Fengjiang, as long as one of them occurred, you were set to go to Fengjiang! My guy! The young strategist looked at Zhao Yu as if he was looking at a resolute man determined enough to hang himself after slashing his wrist.


    The wise Zhao Yu actually invented a double insurance for the plan drafted by the Great Tang Empire intelligence organization, presenting a firm determination to burn all bridges.


    What could spies sent by Great Tang say? They could only give a thumbs up, expressing their admiration: Zhao Yu, you are relentless! Quite the man!


    Feeling much smarter, Zhao Yu was already eager to prepare a petition to go to Fengjiang.


    The young strategist also knew it was time to get things arranged, so he looked down and said, ¡°Your Highness, I will arrange it right away, and we will soon hear from Fengjiang.¡±


    Zhao Yu was very satisfied with the other party¡¯s efficiency and waved his hand to indicate the young man could leave. After leaving the room, the young man summoned a confidant and asked him to arrange the next steps at the Silver Fox Tavern.


    Recently, the climate between the Great Tang Empire and the Dahua Empire had somewhat softened, especially since His Majesty the Emperor of Dahua had granted the ¡°unilateral extraterritoriality¡± requested by Great Tang. In response, Great Tang had reined in its activity at the border.


    Just when Emperor Zhao Kai thought he had satisfied Tang Country and was enjoying a few peaceful days, he received news from Fengjiang.


    It was reported that some merchants gathered and caused turmoil in Fengjiang, burning a warehouse and killing many people... Many were greatly discontent with this incident, and it also resulted in significantly decreased tariff revenues for the Dahua Empire.


    In fact, this event wasn¡¯t a particular hurdle for the Dahua Empire¡ªit could be settled by investigating and resolving the case step by step.


    However, just as everyone was preparing to investigate the incident as usual, an extraordinary petition suddenly appeared in Zhao Kai¡¯s purview.


    Prince Zhao Yu had personally volunteered, hoping to go to Fengjiang to resolve the incident, quickly restore trade, and stabilize the border... Although it was just a burned warehouse, Zhao Yu¡¯s petition suddenly made everyone nervous!


    ¡°What is he trying to do?¡± Upon hearing the news that Zhao Yu was preparing to go to Fengjiang, Prime Minister Chu Muzhou was the first to react angrily. Aside from the Prime Minister, the other Ministers virtually reacted in the same way: ¡°Has Zhao Yu gone mad?¡±


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t His Majesty already postponed the investigation? How can he still not stay put?¡± Zhou Qiang looked confused, asking the mentor beside him. The mentor, who usually enjoyed strategizing, was also at a loss for words¡ªhe didn¡¯t know what was going on either.


    Just as the incident was finally calming down and the atmosphere had relaxed, the emergence of this petition suddenly intensified the tension¡ªZhao Yu, you really are incredible at creating a stir!


    Returning to his room, Zhao Kai remained silent for a long time... It had been a while since he felt cornered on the chessboard; the last time he felt this was during his youth in the battle for succession with his brothers.

 Chapter 966 03-25 - 966 889 Crazy Assassinations

    ?Chapter 966: 889 Crazy Assassinations Chapter 966: 889 Crazy Assassinations ¡°This renegade! Renegade! What on earth does he want to do? What is he actually doing?¡± Zhao Kai slammed the table in front of him, shouting furiously.


    The servants around him bowed their heads and remained silent, as Zhao Kai had been roaring continuously about various things lately, as if he no longer had a normal speaking volume.


    Why run off to Fengjiang at this time? Was he so eager to stir up trouble just to take the throne of the Dahua Empire himself?


    The more he thought about it, the more Zhao Kai, who felt Zhao Yu had gone mad, grabbed a teacup and smashed it to the ground: ¡°He¡¯s forcing me! Forcing me!¡±


    Everyone knew Zhao Yu was pressing him, but whether he was pressing Zhao Kai to change the Crown Prince or to kill him remained unknown.


    While Zhao Kai pondered whether or not he should deal forcefully with his unworthy son, outside Zhao Ji¡¯s Prince¡¯s Mansion, within a car, a group of masked men was organizing their weapons.


    They were uniformly equipped with the Boposha Submachine Guns from the Ice Cold Empire, all using 71-round drums.


    ...


    In another car, similarly dressed masked men were organizing Thompson Submachine Guns equipped with 50-round drums.


    These submachine guns were all early models, actually second-hand goods that the Great Tang Empire had already dealt with¡ªat least officially, they no longer existed.


    ¡°Sync watches!¡± After organizing their weapons, all the masked men revealed their wrists and checked the time on their watches: ¡°Action in three minutes!¡±


    Everyone remained silent, and when the time arrived, the two seated near the car doors reached out and pushed the doors open. One after another, the men wielding submachine guns jumped out of the car and raised their gun barrels towards the guards at the entrance of the Prince¡¯s Mansion.


    The two guards on duty had no idea there was anything amiss with the vehicles parked across the street. By the time they saw people armed and jumping out of the vehicle, they realized they were too late to do anything.


    ¡°Shit! Shouldn¡¯t assassinations occur at night?¡± This was the last thought that crossed the mind of one of the guards at the Prince¡¯s Mansion.


    On the opposite street, the masked troop that came to assassinate the prince had already formed a formation, and with just a few gunshots, the guards stationed at the entrance were downed.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã?


    Following that, the masked men pushed open the gates, firing a barrage at a few guards who were still confused about what was happening.


    A passing servant didn¡¯t even manage to scream before being riddled with bullets. The masked men who entered through the main gate dispersed in groups of twos and threes, starting to search everywhere for the whereabouts of Prince Zhao Ji.


    ¡°Who are you people?¡± the steward of the Prince¡¯s Mansion shouted loudly as he saw strangers rushing into the mansion.


    The answer he received was a hail of bullets, and before he could dodge, his body was riddled with several holes, trembling as he fell into a pool of blood.


    The Prince¡¯s Mansion guards, who came running at the sound, arrived one after another, confronting these reckless assassins. Unfortunately, the firepower of the guards on the side of the Prince¡¯s Mansion was clearly not as fierce as that of the masked men in black.


    Men in black uniformly carried submachine guns, and more outrageously, they also had hand grenades, while most of the Prince¡¯s Mansion guards only had pistols; the rest were even worse off, only equipped with bolt-action rifles.


    This kind of armament was no issue against some civilians or easy to outclass bandits, but against such well-equipped enemies, it seemed somewhat inadequate.


    Who could have imagined that within the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire, such fierce bandits would dare to attack the Prince¡¯s Mansion in broad daylight?


    ¡°Ratatatat!¡± Under fierce fire cover, a man in black pulled the pin of a hand grenade and threw it toward where the Prince¡¯s Mansion guards were hiding.


    An explosion erupted from behind the wall, instantly blasting four or five guards into the air, and those remaining immediately lost the will to keep defending. As the masked men continued their fierce assault, the guards of the Prince¡¯s Mansion began to fall back in defeat.


    ¡°Hold the line! Hold the line! Reinforcements are arriving soon!¡± the captain among the guards shouted encouragingly to his subordinates, which wasn¡¯t wrong¡ªafter all, this was the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire. Soon patrol officers and officials would arrive upon hearing the noise, and the fierce masked men would quickly be surrounded and annihilated.


    Yet, they needed to withstand the masked men¡¯s last counterattack and hold out until reinforcements arrived.


    ¡°This is the Prince¡¯s Mansion! Are you rebelling? Drop your weapons immediately! Otherwise, your families will suffer!¡± After rallying his own side, the captain also didn¡¯t forget to shout toward the attackers, attempting to break their resolve.


    But in response, all he received was a burst of gunfire, and then dense gunfire erupted from another location, clearly indicating the masked men had initiated attacks elsewhere.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! Don¡¯t shoot!¡± In another courtyard, a maid screamed, clutching her head as she stood next to a masked man who, under the cover of his comrades, was changing his magazine.


    Crouching on the ground and desperately pleading, next to the maid lay a guard who had been shot in the chest, his uniform already soaked with blood.


    A stray bullet came from the opposite side and struck the crying maid; the woman collapsed atop the body of the soldier, and instantly, there was silence.


    A guard on the opposite side who had fired the shot hadn¡¯t managed to retreat when he was hit by bullets from a submachine gun and fell next to the doorway. His PPK pistol rolled away into the distance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot anymore! The women and wealth are in the back residences! Spare us! Spare our lives!¡± The pleas of men were heard, but their voices were immediately drowned out by a barrage of gunfire.


    ¡°Ratatatat!¡± The sound of gunfire erupted again, and the guards inside the Prince¡¯s Mansion were already in disarray, with cries from the women growing louder and louder, causing complete chaos throughout the Prince¡¯s Mansion.


    ¡°Stop crying! Block those thieves! Where is squad two? Squad two, move up! Retreat one step and die!¡± Vaguely, another voice carried over.


    After an unexpectedly chaotic moment, the troops of the Prince¡¯s Mansion finally regrouped for defense and began to stabilize their positions gradually.


    After all, there were hundreds of guards in the Prince¡¯s Mansion; although initially disorganized, upon regathering their senses, they remained relatively elite and combat-ready.


    While the attacking masked men, despite their fierce firepower, ultimately had fewer numbers and gradually lost their assaulting momentum.


    The battle began to stalemate gradually, one side with numbers and the other with fierce firepower, with neither side able to overwhelm the other.

 Chapter 967 03-25 - 967 The target that couldnt be found is 890

    ?Chapter 967: The target that couldn¡¯t be found is 890 Chapter 967: The target that couldn¡¯t be found is 890 On the outskirts, a police car trying to ram through the old vehicles blocking the road was met with sniper fire from the surrounding buildings as it approached the barriers.


    The patrol police, attempting to converge on the Prince¡¯s Mansion, dared not make any rash moves now; after all, they were not the military and lacked any real combat strength.


    It was unrealistic to expect these officials to attack amidst a hail of bullets, especially since they still had no idea what had actually happened.


    Without explicit orders, they would not risk their lives to take any action; it wasn¡¯t their place to get involved when naturally, the city¡¯s guards and the Imperial Army were supposed to step in.


    ¡°What¡¯s happened here? Why are there gunshots? What are all of you doing? What¡¯s going on?¡± After a while, a patrol captain finally arrived, bent over and walked up to a subordinate hiding behind a police car to inquire.


    The subordinate, holding his official cap, shook his head and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t know, boss... Two cars are lying across the road ahead, blocking everything. We tried to remove the barrier, then gunshots rang out...¡±


    ¡°Where did the shots come from?¡± the leader dared not look around and could only continue asking.


    ...


    ¡°The sound of the gunshots seemed to come from that tall building in the distance... but no one can be sure,¡± the subordinate continued, equally unsure.


    What a joke, earning so little each month; if it weren¡¯t for the benefits provided by the gangs, his family would starve. In such circumstances, who would risk their life?


    Although they suspected that there were probably not many gunmen lying in ambush nearby, who would foolishly expose themselves first and become someone else¡¯s target?


    ¡°Useless!¡± After cursing his subordinate, the leader didn¡¯t dare stick out his head to take a closer look. He could only dejectedly crawl back the way he came, along the convoy of police cars, to find a telephone and report the situation to his superiors.


    Inside the Prince¡¯s Mansion, the battle was still fiercely raging, as the interior was far less complex than the Imperial Palace.


    At the exterior perimeter where the Crown Princess Consort and other ladies were, a courtyard entrance guarded by a soldier was breached. Stepping over the bodies lying all over the ground, several masked assailants finally stormed into the rear quarters of the mansion.


    Adopting a ¡®better to kill the wrong person than to spare one¡¯ ethos, they turned everyone they encountered into sieves, even sparing none of the Prince¡¯s beautiful concubines.


    Source: , updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    ¡°Where is the Crown Prince?¡± stepping on the Crown Princess Consort¡¯s chest, a masked assailant viciously demanded, ¡°Speak or I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    ¡°I am the Crown Princess Consort and I will not betray the Crown Prince! Kill me if you want!¡± The woman was defiant, her beautiful eyes glaring at the masked man on top of her, teeth clenched.


    The masked man didn¡¯t waste words, pulled the trigger, and killed the woman. Bullets hit her body, splashing blood mist everywhere.


    Unfortunately, no matter how hard these masked assailants searched, they were unable to find the Crown Prince¡¯s hiding place. They searched every room, turned over every cabinet, but they couldn¡¯t find their target for this operation¡ªZhao Ji.


    ¡°The Crown Prince! The Crown Prince... Zhao Ji, he¡¯s not here! He¡¯s not in the mansion!¡± A soldier finally broke down, facing the dark muzzle of a gun, and desperately disclosed everything he knew.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying! We saw Zhao Ji¡¯s car with our own eyes...¡± The questioning assailant said this and suddenly stopped.


    They indeed saw the Crown Prince¡¯s car drive into the estate, but they had not confirmed if the Crown Prince was in that damned car.


    ¡°Damn it! We¡¯ve been played!¡± The first masked man to realize the situation cursed, ¡°We might have been betrayed!¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be! Maybe this bastard is trying to trick us!¡± Another masked man thought of another possibility¡ªthat the opposition was just concocting an excuse to buy some time for Zhao Ji, who was hidden in the mansion.


    For a moment, the masked assailants weren¡¯t sure who to believe, hesitating, wasting precious seconds.


    ¡°There might be hidden doors, tunnels... we can¡¯t find that damned Zhao Ji in this mess!¡± In their panic, a masked assailant angrily put forth his opinion, ¡°Who planned this? How could it be so sloppy?¡±


    ¡°...¡± The leading masked man, a trusted aide of Prince Zhao Yu, naturally wouldn¡¯t admit that the whole plan was Zhao Yu¡¯s folly.


    But actually, many masked assailants knew that if today¡¯s operation had been planned by the Tang People, there wouldn¡¯t have been so many problems.


    ¡°Light it up! Burn that bastard Zhao Ji alive!¡± With no other choice, they had to resort to such a tactic to compensate for the rough edges of the plan.


    ¡°Right! Set this place on fire! He can¡¯t escape anyway!¡± As one person made the suggestion, others agreed. These masked men, having already wasted much time searching for Zhao Ji, were clearly growing impatient.


    Every minute they lingered here meant another minute of risk during their breakout. They were Zhao Yu¡¯s confidants, but they weren¡¯t ready to lose their lives today.


    Without a better plan, the masked men immediately took action. They pulled out their lighters and other tools, starting fires at various places.


    As they hadn¡¯t prepared any accelerants like gasoline, the fire-setting process was not proceeding quickly.


    Moreover, inside the Prince¡¯s Mansion, resistance continued: the remaining guards were desperately fighting to protect the little else of Zhao Ji¡¯s household and servants.


    They were holding out, hoping for reinforcements to arrive quickly and for the thieves to grow faint-hearted and leave soon.


    As they fought on, plumes of black smoke began to rise from the back of the mansion, and a charred scent followed, spreading out quickly. One guard despaired, ¡°It¡¯s a disaster! They¡¯re setting fires!¡±


    Amid the rising black smoke and increasing chaos, the masked men rampaged through the Prince¡¯s Mansion, frantically searching for Zhao Ji¡ªeven though they had already extracted from many mouths the information that Zhao Ji wasn¡¯t there, they still refused to believe it.


    But as time ticked on in this assassination attempt, these masked assailants¡¯ ammunition dwindled. They had to start contemplating how they would break out.


    ¡°Move! We¡¯ve got to get out of here now or we¡¯ll never make it!¡± The leading masked man glanced at his watch before making the decision.


    Although he hadn¡¯t found Zhao Ji, their primary assassination target, continuing to stay would mean death for all of them.


    ¡°Retreat! Retreat!¡± Hearing the leader¡¯s command, the surrounding masked men immediately responded: they were nervous and didn¡¯t want to die there.

 Chapter 968 03-25 - 968 The face of City 891

    ?Chapter 968: The face of City 891 Chapter 968: The face of City 891 The Prince¡¯s Mansion was actually not far from the Imperial Palace, the straight line distance might not even be two kilometers, so when gunshots and the sound of hand grenades exploding arose from the Prince¡¯s Mansion, the Imperial Palace was put on high alert straight away.


    Guards armed with submachine guns strengthened the defenses at each palace gate, while troops that were not on duty were also called out, entering a state of high alert.


    Although they did not know what had happened, they knew what they had to do: Despite the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire not being particularly chaotic, the occasional gunfights were enough to keep the Imperial Army¡¯s guards highly vigilant.


    If the residence of the Emperor of the Dahua Empire had been so easily coveted, Zhao Kai would have been killed by someone long ago.


    At this moment, Zhao Kai still did not know exactly what had happened outside; he had just received a report that someone had opened fire at the Prince¡¯s Mansion.


    He hadn¡¯t completely figured out what had happened, so he could only wait honestly in his office for a definite piece of news.


    In fact, he was nervous because less than an hour before, his Crown Prince, Zhao Ji, had just left the Imperial Palace to return to the Prince¡¯s Mansion. By the timing, if a gunfight had occurred at the Prince¡¯s Mansion, Zhao Ji was actually in great danger.


    ...


    Zhao Kai did not want anything untoward to happen to Zhao Ji, which was why he was very anxious, since the last thing he wanted to hear was news of an assassination attempt on Zhao Ji.


    Already bothered enough by Zhao Yu¡¯s trip to Fengjiang, the emergence of an assassination targeted against Zhao Ji would mean the situation was completely out of control.


    ¡°Could it be Zhao Yu? If he assassinates Zhao Ji at this time, he could indeed force me to appoint him as the Crown Prince...¡± Zhao Kai contemplated in his mind, feeling somewhat relieved yet also annoyed.


    Relieved because his son, Zhao Yu, after all, had a bit of humanity, not turning against him as a father but targeting Zhao Ji, the Crown Prince.


    Annoyed because Zhao Ji was Zhao Yu¡¯s own elder brother! How could a Prince act so ruthlessly against his own siblings? This crossed the line of competition!


    While Zhao Kai was lost in thought, a servant hurried in, saying that Zhao Ji had an urgent request to see him. Hearing that it was Zhao Ji who sought an audience, Zhao Kai was a bit stunned. He immediately summoned his Crown Prince and asked about the situation.


    As soon as he entered, Zhao Ji fell to his knees crying, clinging to Zhao Kai¡¯s legs, a mix of snot and tears as he spoke of his ordeal: ¡°Father Emperor! Save me, Father Emperor! I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    Source: , updated on ?0¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï


    ¡°Stand up and speak! Stand up!¡± Zhao Kai was very dissatisfied with Zhao Ji¡¯s recent behavior of crying at the drop of a hat, and immediately chided him.


    Zhao Ji hurriedly got up and handed a crumpled piece of paper to Zhao Kai, beginning to explain the origins of the situation: ¡°Father Emperor! When your son was leaving, a servant stuffed a piece of paper into your son¡¯s hand, and it was only after I saw the note that I managed to escape a disaster!¡±


    Zhao Kai took the note and examined it: it read only, ¡°Someone wants to kill you, have the carriage return to the mansion to draw them out, don¡¯t get in the carriage!¡±


    The message was clear, the handwriting disordered¡ªit was evidently a carefully prepared note... After pondering it, Zhao Kai associated it with many things.


    He was the Emperor, naturally suspicious, however malicious the speculation, the attack on the Prince¡¯s Mansion was absolutely real.


    To make a move in the Imperial Capital so brazenly, whoever was controlling this had touched Zhao Kai¡¯s raw nerve: at the Emperor¡¯s side, under heaven¡¯s feet, causing such blatant trouble was shaking the very foundations of the Dahua Empire¡¯s rule!


    So he actually became immediately incensed, only he did not erupt in front of Zhao Ji¡ªZhao Kai thought that Zhao Ji might not be entirely innocent either. Such acts as throwing dirt on oneself were not without precedent.


    Therefore, he had to wait, had to wait for a conclusion to emerge: only when the enemy was identified could he start taking action, this was the wisdom of an Emperor, Zhao Kai was no fool, he just had character flaws in certain respects.


    Inside the courtyard of the Prince¡¯s Mansion, the masked men who were organizing the breakout had already successfully completed most of their retreat, orderly withdrawing and covering each other, preparing to escape by vehicle.


    But soon they discovered that the obstacles blocking the roads not only prevented the patrol officers and officials from approaching the Prince¡¯s Mansion, they also became a hurdle in their own escape.


    Moreover, in the streets nearby, patrol officers had already gathered in droves, and even some of the City Defense Forces had arrived. The trucks used by the City Defense Forces, which had the right to move within the Imperial Capital, had appeared in the streets and alleys.


    Thanks to telephones and telegraphs, the time it took for the Emperor to control the military forces near the capital city decreased significantly. Previously these troops were hesitant to mobilize, fearing the Emperor¡¯s suspicion, but now with the Emperor¡¯s orders, they could mobilize with just a phone call, which was very convenient.


    The City Defense Forces that received the orders mobilized two battalions to set up a defensive perimeter around the Prince¡¯s Mansion, and when the escaping masked men ran into these regular soldiers, they were clearly outmatched.


    On one hand, the regular troops were well-trained and numerically superior, and the combat environment was more open, allowing weapons such as rifles to be more effective.


    On the other hand, the masked men¡¯s ammunition was nearly depleted. Although their firepower was fierce, their use of ammunition was indeed astonishing.


    The gunfight in Dahua¡¯s Imperial Capital continued, and embassies from various countries stationed in the capital of the Dahua Empire also received the news.


    The intense gunfight coupled with the sealed Imperial Palace...no matter the outcome, the Dahua Empire¡¯s face had been thoroughly lost in front of the ambassadors from various countries.


    The management of any country¡¯s capital was very tight and would never allow such a situation. Now that such an incident had occurred in the capital of the Dahua Empire, it would naturally be mocked by other countries.


    This indicated poor management of the Dahua Empire and, in turn, suggested that the Emperor, Zhao Kai, was gradually losing control of the country¡ªeveryone was beginning to disrespect him!


    This beginning was indeed very fatal for Zhao Kai, unless he could immediately repair the damage and adopt the bloodiest means to stabilize his power, otherwise, he would find such incidents becoming more and more frequent, to the point he could no longer control.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A sharp gunshot echoed in the empty streets. A masked man screamed and fell beside a car, his submachine gun also falling to the ground.


    Seeing his comrades dwindle, the lead masked man began to panic. He looked at his cohorts, his voice tense and uncertain, ¡°Should we? Should we try to break out in another direction?¡±


    ¡ª¨C


    Three chapters today, the updates will continue tomorrow.

 Chapter 969 03-25 - 969 892 Zhao Yus Wait

    ?Chapter 969: 892 Zhao Yu¡¯s Wait Chapter 969: 892 Zhao Yu¡¯s Wait When he heard the harsh siren, the agitated Zhao Yu put down the curtain and walked back to his desk. He flicked a glance at the young strategist sitting there, hesitated, wanting to say something.


    But he opened his mouth for a long time and couldn¡¯t say anything, because he didn¡¯t know what he should ask; he was just purely irritable and didn¡¯t know what was best to do.


    He had been in this state ever since the beginning, because he didn¡¯t know whether the operation would be successful or what would happen next.


    He didn¡¯t know whether the people he had sent out had completed their task, nor did he know why the sirens outside were incessantly blaring.


    Even if Crown Prince Zhao Ji wasn¡¯t assassinated, outside it would still be chaotic at this moment and it wouldn¡¯t quiet down for a long time.


    Yet, this matter was indeed massive, so Zhao Yu was still very nervous; it wasn¡¯t his fault for not being able to remain calm, it was just that everyone needed an emotional outlet. When Adolf advanced into the Rhineland demilitarized zone, he too clung nervously to the radio waiting for news. But to say the leader¡¯s psychological quality isn¡¯t strong would indeed be too demanding.


    After walking back and forth for a long time, the young strategist at the desk finally stopped daydreaming, looked up at Zhao Yu, and curiously asked, ¡°Your Highness, what is the rush? Isn¡¯t everything already prepared?¡±


    ...


    Of course, he didn¡¯t need to worry because he knew everything that might happen today: including that Zhao Ji probably wasn¡¯t dead and was still hiding in the Imperial Palace.


    In reality, the entire mission was risk-free for the Tang Empire: whether Zhao Ji got the note or not, or even if he went home after getting it, it didn¡¯t matter.


    If Zhao Ji died in his residence, then the Tang Empire would activate a contingency plan, waiting to raise Zhao Yu to the throne of the Dahua Empire, and the Tang Empire would suffer no loss.


    Even if Zhao Yu¡¯s assassination plan failed, then everything would proceed as originally planned: Operation Tianping would start, and Zhao Yu would be safely transported to Fengjiang City, the split of the Dahua Empire would become inevitable.


    In any case, under the current circumstances, whatever development occurred was no longer controllable by the Dahua Empire. So this young dandelion was not anxious at all, instead, he was very composed.


    This demeanor, in the eyes of Zhao Yu, appeared very profound and mysterious ¡ª¡ª being able to stay composed under such circumstances revealed an extremely strong psychological quality.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I always feel uneasy,¡± Zhao Yu thought admiringly of his strategist, continuing his pacing back and forth.


    Source: , updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    Ha, of course, you would feel uneasy ¡ª if things went as usual, the assassination squad you sent out is probably clashing with the City Defense Army right now.


    By now, they would nearly have run out of ammo, and given your people¡¯s abilities and willpower, it¡¯s likely a few would be left alive. Zhao Kai wouldn¡¯t need three hours to learn everything, and he would carefully consider how to handle this matter.


    Despite thinking this, the strategist still spoke up, consoling the Crown Prince, ¡°What¡¯s there to fear? The escape route is ready, a tunnel leads straight outside the city, there won¡¯t be any issues.¡±


    He spoke of the previous arrangements, which were indeed foolproof: ¡°As long as they follow the original plan and shake off pursuit, they can quickly hide beneath the tunnel and then escape to a safe cellar to take refuge.¡±


    After breaking out, they shake off the pursuit with the aid of snipers, then change cars at a pre-designated location, soon arriving at a safe house.


    The safe house has a tunnel leading directly outside the city, to a basement in a farmhouse that has long been standing idle outside the city, escaping the subsequent search.


    As the strategist spoke, he reiterated the entire process to Zhao Yu: ¡°There, provisions for thirty days have been stored, including even playing cards, as long as they endure three to five days, the inspection won¡¯t be so strict.¡±


    Just enduring the initial ten days, from any perspective, the intensity of the pursuit would begin to falter. Then hand these people over to Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence officers to get them into Tang Country, and the matter would be completely concluded.


    The reason why so much effort was taken not to kill these individuals once and for all was mainly because Zhao Yu couldn¡¯t bear it: these were almost all the elite he could trust around him, and it wasn¡¯t easy to train such capable individuals for such tasks.


    Regrettably, in the Tang Empire intelligence officers¡¯ script, these people were supposed to die today, and die with significant value.


    Finally, the young strategist confidently concluded the entire matter: ¡°My people handling it, there won¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    ¡°Ah... my worry is for my men,¡± Zhao Yu sighed, half-exasperated, half-amused.


    In the two years of collaboration, he had come to know what kind of efficiency those tough individuals from the Tang Empire possessed. He certainly knew that if the matter was handled by his strategist, the possibility of failure was almost non-existent.


    Regrettably, on this matter, the strategist adamantly refused to interfere. Indeed, after hearing Zhao Yu¡¯s sigh, the young strategist explained with a look of helplessness, ¡°There¡¯s no way around it, Your Highness, you know that this matter must be handled by your people, if mine intervened, then it would become an issue between states.¡±

 Chapter 970 03-25 - 970 892 Zhao Yus Wait_2

    ?Chapter 970: 892 Zhao Yu¡¯s Wait_2 Chapter 970: 892 Zhao Yu¡¯s Wait_2 ¡°I have been so insistent, firmly refusing to lay hands on the Royal Family of the Dahua Empire because it¡¯s my responsibility towards you! Your Highness, as the future His Majesty The Emperor of the Dahua Empire, you wouldn¡¯t want people from neighboring countries to act without any boundaries, right?¡± The adviser asked a very sharp question and then looked at Zhao Yu.


    Zhao Yu understood this too, the Great Tang Empire showing a certain bottom line at this time indeed sent him a signal of safety: the Great Tang Empire would not break the rules, which really reassured Zhao Yu.


    Thus, Zhao Yu was very satisfied and nodded repeatedly, ¡°I understand! I understand... It¡¯s just, those incompetent subordinates of mine... I don¡¯t know if they can handle things.¡±


    What he resented now was that his subordinates were not as reliable as others in handling matters, not that the intelligence officers of the Tang Empire hadn¡¯t moved to help him eliminate Zhao Ji.


    From his perspective, it was actually quite contradictory: he really hoped that the intelligence officers of the Tang Empire would eliminate Zhao Kai and Zhao Ji, yet he was very worried that these intelligence officers from Tang Country had the capability...


    Any future member of the Royal Family involved in a succession struggle would definitely not want there to be a force that they couldn¡¯t control, capable of assassinating the person sitting on the throne they were competing for.


    The adviser smiled slightly, ¡°Your Highness! You must understand, if they can¡¯t even manage this little thing, then these people do not deserve to enjoy prosperity and wealth with you.¡±


    ...


    Clinging to power requires ability, merely knowing to pick sides but lacking capabilities, will eventually lead to no good outcome.


    This matter needed desperate efforts, but the rewards after taking such risks were indeed high. As long as Zhao Yu succeeded, then in the days to follow, these people would become the most trusted and valued lieutenants by Zhao Yu.


    Zhao Yu also knew this was the case and sighed again before saying, ¡°Ah... Sir, you are right, but my heart can¡¯t settle down. I always feel that this matter today might cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°As the saying goes, what you fear may come to pass, and fearing is of no use... Your Highness, please be patient and calm, we¡¯re only dealing with it as it comes, aren¡¯t we? Haven¡¯t we arranged everything for a contingency?¡± the adviser continued to offer reassurances.


    He knew he was ready for everything, even the escape train to help Zhao Yu flee was already waiting at the freight station.


    However, all this couldn¡¯t be mentioned now. He had to pretend as if he knew nothing and wait for further developments. If he spoke now about fleeing, Zhao Yu would surely be suspicious. Since it was a play, it needed to follow through entirely, keeping Zhao Yu in the dark.


    Thus, the adviser paused for a few seconds before continuing, ¡°Moreover, Your Highness, try to think positively about everything. If Zhao Ji dies, then Your Highness will be the Crown Prince of Dahua.¡±


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï


    Hearing the word ¡®Crown Prince¡¯, Zhao Yu¡¯s facial expression visibly improved. The feeling was truly wonderful, a sensation that only Zhao Yu could fully appreciate.


    With a slight smile, Zhao Yu¡¯s first response was to promise duties to the young man who had always supported him, ¡°Sir is right... Once I become the Crown Prince of Dahua, Sir will enjoy endless glory and wealth...¡±


    ¡°Not at all, not at all!¡± The young adviser corrected Zhao Yu with a noble demeanor, ¡°I come to assist Your Highness in hopes of everlasting peace between our two nations, so that the people can live and work in peace and contentment. If it was for glory and wealth, wouldn¡¯t it be easier for me to assist your father directly?¡±


    Zhao Yu knew that it was indeed inappropriate to win over such a talent merely with promises of glory and wealth, and immediately corrected himself, ¡°Sir, you are right, you are right. It¡¯s indeed my great fortune to have Sir assist me.¡±


    The young adviser shook his head again, delivering his flattery, ¡°Your Highness is wrong again. It is not Your Highness¡¯ great fortune, but mine. It¡¯s my honor to encounter a Prince like Your Highness who is concerned about the peace of both nations and the prosperity of the people.¡±


    Zhao Yu felt truly comfortable, feeling that he had found a confidant, someone who could see his merits.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! I surrender! I surrender!¡± a man who had run out of his last magazine cried out as he raised his arms.


    He had no intention of dying here, no matter how much wealth and glory Zhao Yu had promised them, one had to be alive to enjoy them¡ªwhat was the point if he was dead?


    Where there was one, there would be two, and where there were two, there would be three; those who dared to fight regardless of their own lives had long been killed along the way.


    Even though there were still fearlessly brave individuals among the remaining ones, their combat effectiveness had weakened over time.


    Because the car had been damaged and barricades had been erected all around, it had become extremely difficult to leave, so some people began to retreat into a nearby building while those left outside were encircally surrounded and captured.


    ¡°Those bastards! They all said they weren¡¯t afraid to die when we set off... and now they¡¯re surrendering!¡± grinding his teeth, the leader of this assassination operation cursed furiously as he peeked through the crack in the door and saw someone outside raising his hands to surrender.


    Although he didn¡¯t want to die here either, there was no way out for them now; even surrendering wouldn¡¯t save them¡ªassassinating the Crown Prince, having a gunfight in the streets of the Dahua Empire¡¯s Imperial Capital.... It would be a joke if that got them out alive; there would no longer be such thing as a capital offense.


    For those who understood the situation, handing over their guns and surrendering was less favourable than simply shooting oneself in the head cleanly and quickly. If Zhao Yu knew they were all dead, he might even make a full effort to take care of their families... but that was just a maybe.


    In reality, if they were dead, their remaining family members were useless and would probably be silenced¡ªthey individually were useful to Zhao Yu, so there was a possibility to be spared, but those family members were absolute burdens, their survival would entirely depend on Zhao Yu¡¯s conscience.


    ¡°Ratatata!¡± The two guarding the door madly fired outside to stop the approaching Dahua soldiers.


    A masked man who had recklessly pushed open the back door was instantly riddled with bullets from the incoming fire. The enemy had captured several prisoners and was clearly less merciful to those who still resisted.


    ¡°Let¡¯s fight them! Damn it!¡± the leader of the assassins finally gritted his teeth and shouted. He didn¡¯t want to be captured and tortured; it was better to die fighting here.


    By this time, the two men guarding the door had run out of bullets as well; one was hit, and the other was crying while reloading.


    They all knew they were likely to die and the only thing keeping them fighting was their instinct to survive. This desperate mindset could crumble at any moment.


    Despairingly, a cheer came from outside, ¡°They¡¯re almost out of ammo! Capture them alive!¡±


    In fact, everyone inside the house was also about to run out of bullets; they had been fighting all the way from the Prince¡¯s Mansion with hardly any remaining ammunition. Those who had conserved might still have a magazine left; those who hadn¡¯t, only had their pistols.


    There was no choice; magazines are inherently heavy and bulky, most of them had been left in the car. After the car was blocked and had to be abandoned, most of the magazines were left inside.


    ¡°Ratatatat!¡± The leader of the assassins charged forward, firing a burst to warn those soldiers trying to rush forward, signaling that he still had ammunition and temporarily scared off those City Defense Army troops trying to claim the credit.


    Then, he desperately watched the last of his comrades lift a pistol and commit suicide...

 Chapter 971 03-25 - 971 893 is gradually becoming clear

    ?Chapter 971: 893 is gradually becoming clear Chapter 971: 893 is gradually becoming clear On this day, the Imperial Capital was in chaos, and all the streets were under control, with trucks full of soldiers passing by from time to time.


    Even the high-ranking officials couldn¡¯t just walk around the streets at this time, all government offices were closed, many buildings had drawn their curtains, and residents dared not look out to see what was happening outside.


    Nobody knew exactly what had happened, but everyone had heard the explosion from the vicinity of the Prince¡¯s Mansion and the intense gunfire that followed.


    In fact, the busiest place was the telephone exchange of the Dahua Empire¡¯s Imperial Capital. Dozens of switchboards and numerous operators were busy ensuring smooth communication throughout the Imperial Capital.


    These operators were continuously changing the plugs on the switchboards, as many people were calling to inquire about the situation, and the ranks of these people were intimidating.


    The Prime Minister, the Minister of War, the head of the intelligence department, generals of the City Defense Forces... These were all people that the telephone exchange operators could not afford to offend.


    Some people tried to go outside to see the situation themselves, like Zhao Yu¡¯s butler, who was ordered to go out and gather information.


    ...


    However, he hadn¡¯t gone 200 meters before he was blocked by a checkpoint¡ªeven though he was Zhao Yu¡¯s confidant and had a royal pass, he was still stopped by the Guard.


    Their rationale was quite reasonable¡ªthey weren¡¯t being unaccommodating, but were concerned for the personal safety of Zhao Yu¡¯s butler. After all, there were assassins ahead, and if something went wrong, who could be held accountable?


    Not long after, the butler returned to Zhao Yu¡¯s side, bowed his head, and reported what he had learned outside: ¡°Dozens of streets were blocked, all manned by the City Defense Forces... It seems they were intercepting, not inspecting...¡±


    His words were very vague, actually providing no useful clues. From what he saw, Zhao Yu couldn¡¯t deduce anything; thus, hearing the report only heightened his anxiety.


    For Zhao Yu at this moment, what he hoped most was that Zhao Ji had already died. As long as the Crown Prince was dead, he would be mostly safe.


    Without the Crown Prince, even if Zhao Kai was convinced that it was Zhao Yu who had Zhao Ji killed, he would have to accept this fact and allow Zhao Yu to succeed Zhao Ji as the new Crown Prince of the Empire.


    For Zhao Kai, there was no better choice for Crown Prince: compared to others, Zhao Yu, the most capable prince, albeit sinister and ruthless, was still the most suitable heir to the Empire.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï


    Thus, amid the chaos, Zhao Yu first thought of the outcome most beneficial to him. He turned to his strategist, anxiously seeking reassurance, ¡°Could it be... they succeeded, but couldn¡¯t break through?¡±


    ¡°There is also that possibility,¡± the strategist spoke carefully. In fact, he wasn¡¯t a miracle worker and naturally couldn¡¯t conjecture anything substantial from such uninformative reports.


    ¡°Master! ... I¡¯m still worried... If it really failed...¡± Zhao Yu was still very panicked; he was genuinely afraid.


    The city was already in turmoil; if something really went wrong, his life would most likely be forfeit.


    The young strategist still spoke to comfort him: ¡°Stay calm! Isn¡¯t the tunnel under the mansion fixed? Your Highness doesn¡¯t need to panic. Even if we¡¯re surrounded here, we can still leave. Everything is ready.¡±


    Hearing the reassurance, Zhao Yu finally felt somewhat relieved. After pacing around, he plopped down next to the strategist and once again fretted, ¡°Can we really leave the Imperial Capital smoothly?¡±


    ¡°We can.¡± The young strategist smiled reassuringly.


    What a joke, if he didn¡¯t get you to Fengjiang, wouldn¡¯t all the preparations be in vain? Even if all the Great Tang Empire¡¯s spies in the city died, you must go to Fengjiang! Operation Tianping has already started, and no one can stop it!


    ...


    Inside the Imperial City, Zhao Kai and Zhao Ji were waiting for news. They were also very tense; battling within the capital was the last thing the Emperor wanted to see.


    For up to now, whether it was Zhao Kai or Zhao Ji, they both relied on guessing to try to figure out what exactly was happening outside.


    If it weren¡¯t for the existence of telephones, they would have been ten times more anxious: although there were few places where calls could get through, the limited few were still within Zhao Kai¡¯s control, which indeed reassured him a lot.


    At least, there was positive news from the City Defense Forces, and the Prime Minister had not been involved. Many ministers had called to inquire about His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s safety, which also helped restore a lot of Zhao Kai¡¯s courage.


    If this had been in ancient times, when an Emperor heard that a fight was occurring outside the palace¡¯s forbidden walls, he would have been scared half to death: for he could not grasp the situation, nor did he know what had happened, and all he could rely on were guesses.


    He dared not deploy the City Defense Troops, for once the troops were mobilized, the situation could become even more chaotic, and it might even give the rebels a chance to exploit.


    Therefore, when a battle occurred within the ancient Imperial Capital, the Emperor¡¯s most common choice was to close off the palaces and wait for the chaos to end before dealing with the aftermath. However, now with the invention of telephones and telegraphs, communication had become much more convenient.


    After a long wait, a servant finally gathered some useful information to report to Zhao Kai, ¡°Your Majesty! The exact news is as follows: a band of thieves attacked the Prince¡¯s Mansion in broad daylight and engaged in a fierce battle with the Crown Prince¡¯s guards.¡±


    Since the City Defense Army and the remaining guards of the Prince¡¯s Mansion had subsequently recaptured control of the Mansion, which was equipped with a telephone, they were then able to report the situation after fixing it.


    Next, the same servant continued to report on the losses at the Prince¡¯s Mansion: ¡°They broke into the back house of the Prince¡¯s Mansion, killed the Crown Princess Consort, and slew many servants and guards.¡±


    His main purpose in speaking this way was to remind Zhao Kai that the enemy indeed had the capability of murdering Zhao Ji, for the back house had been overtaken, and had Zhao Ji been present at the time, his fate would likely have been the same as the Crown Princess Consort.


    Upon hearing of the killing of his Crown Princess Consort, Zhao Ji immediately let out a cry of anguish and collapsed back into his seat: he truly had feelings for his Crown Princess Consort, she being his wife, openly and duly married.


    The sorts of plots favored in historical dramas, involving favoritism toward concubines, actually didn¡¯t occur that often. An ancient rightful wife, provided she did not bring disaster upon herself, generally maintained a very stable position.


    Those who immediately feel secretly pleased at the death of a wife are ultimately the minority; after all, people are emotional creatures, and grief in that moment is indeed real grief, the subsequent secret rejoicing would be another matter.


    Zhao Kai also grew very angry after hearing the report, his anger mostly stemming from the fact that such a vicious event could happen within the Imperial Capital under his own supervision: ¡°Rubbish! In broad daylight, someone managed to burst into the Prince¡¯s Mansion! What were the guards doing? Damn it! They all deserve to die!¡±


    As an Emperor, if he could not fully control even this little patch within the Imperial Capital, he would feel utterly powerless. That feeling of losing control was most fatal for an Emperor.


    He could endure distant failures, losing a large territory, successive defeats on the battlefield, even submitting and paying tribute... but he could not tolerate someone causing trouble in his own Imperial Capital!


    The servant immediately explained nervously, ¡°Your Majesty, please calm your anger! However, the thieves were soon repelled, they withdrew from the Prince¡¯s Mansion and then attempted to break through and leave...¡±


    The actual situation was that these thieves had not found the Prince, otherwise, they would have killed him before leaving... The nuance of this report depended entirely on the speaker¡¯s artful use of language.


    Indeed after saying this, Zhao Kai glossed over the series of details concerning the attack on the Prince¡¯s Mansion¡ªhe also didn¡¯t really want Zhao Ji to dwell on this matter.


    ¡°Continue!¡± Zhao Kai commanded naturally.


    The servant didn¡¯t delay and immediately continued, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty! Later, reinforcements from the City Defense Forces intercepted these individuals halfway, and the enemy fought fiercely, so gunfire was heard in several nearby blocks.¡±


    ¡°General Li Mingshun led a hard attack, capturing four alive, but all the rest were killed.¡± This was reported to him by phone from Li Mingshun¡¯s side.


    The battle had ended, Zhao Yu¡¯s confidants either committed suicide or were killed, and those who were afraid of dying had already surrendered.


    General Li Mingshun was one of Zhao Kai¡¯s most trusted officers and truly one of his intimates. Back when Zhao Kai had contended for primacy, Li Mingshun had followed him, thus he controlled the troops stationed in the Imperial Capital, occupying this key position.


    Hearing the name Li Mingshun, Zhao Kai showed a trace of appreciation: he still had a few trustworthy people, which somewhat restored his confidence in being an Emperor.


    ¡°Regarding the interrogation, General Li Mingshun did not dare make a decision on his own, so he still needs Your Majesty to order someone to take charge.¡± The servant bowed his head, then stopped and waited for Zhao Kai¡¯s command.


    Zhao Kai waved his hand, indicating for the servant to leave: ¡°Hmm, I understand...¡±


    Before the servant could exit, Zhao Ji suddenly threw himself in front of Zhao Kai, crying out loudly, ¡°Father, Your Majesty! I wish to personally interrogate these assassins!¡± His wife and many concubines had been killed, how could Zhao Ji swallow this grievance?


    What he intended was to catch that damned mastermind, hoping it would turn out to be Zhao Yu, so he could avenge his wife and eliminate his greatest threat.


    However, what Zhao Ji was thinking was completely different from what Zhao Kai was pondering; Zhao Kai¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts that this matter must never be fully uncovered.


    For he had already guessed there was a high likelihood that Zhao Yu was behind it: because apart from Zhao Yu, no one else in the Imperial Capital would have the audacity to orchestrate the assassination of Zhao Ji, the Crown Prince of the Empire.

 Chapter 972 03-25 - 972 894 Zhao Yu flees

    ?Chapter 972: 894 Zhao Yu flees Chapter 972: 894 Zhao Yu flees But if they were to investigate Zhao Yu as the mastermind behind the scheme right now, the Empire would face the risk of a civil war.


    Zhao Yu had significant connections in the Southern Region, and he also controlled Fengjiang, a crucial economic town in the central part. Together, his power was not much weaker than Zhao Kai¡¯s. If one were to also consider the support from the Great Tang behind the scenes, Zhao Yu even had a slight advantage.


    Therefore, what Zhao Kai had been considering was to handle this matter ambiguously¡ª as long as everyone didn¡¯t adamantly pin their troubles on Zhao Yu, the situation would be most favorable for Zhao Kai.


    With such a significant incident happening in the Imperial Capital and Zhao Yu somewhat suspect, Zhao Kai could also push down Zhao Yu¡¯s attempt to go to Fengjiang... Thinking of this, Zhao Kai felt he had perhaps found the most advantageous solution.


    As for who wanted to assassinate Zhao Ji, that matter had already lost its importance: After all, wasn¡¯t the attempt unsuccessful? Why pursue it so meticulously?


    However, Zhao Ji felt this was the best and last chance to topple Zhao Yu, so he decided not to give up and kept begging Zhao Kai relentlessly, imploring him to administer justice.


    ¡°Father! My wife... my concubines... they were all murdered! Father! I wish to interrogate those assassins personally! To unearth the truth and avenge my wives!¡± Almost clinging to Zhao Kai¡¯s shoes, Zhao Ji knelt on the ground, crying and shouting in agony.


    ...


    Zhao Kai sneered inwardly. If not for Zhao Yu being so aggressive, he would have even suspected that Zhao Ji himself orchestrated this failed assassination attempt¡ªafter all, a failed assassination also throws suspicion on the victim!


    So, similar incidents, from the Emperor¡¯s perspective of ¡°administering justice,¡± were merely opportunities to rebalance the scales.


    As for who was right or wrong, who did or framed whom, does it matter? In the end, the Emperor would decide, and as long as the outcome suited the Emperor¡¯s interests, who would care about the truth?


    ¡°Rise! Crying and whining... How does that look!¡± Zhao Kai ordered impatiently to Zhao Ji, not even interested in going to help him up.


    Having lost his strategist, Zhao Ji had been crying frequently and occasionally made requests that Zhao Kai disliked, which had started to annoy Zhao Kai.


    If not for still needing such a figure as a shield against potential harm, Zhao Kai might have even been tempted to eliminate the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Send someone... go... bring Zhao Yu here!¡± After thinking it over, Zhao Kai decided it was still best to have a talk with Zhao Yu.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï


    On one hand, it was to warn his son, letting him understand that in this Dahua Empire, he, Zhao Kai, was still in command!


    On the other hand, it was also to placate Zhao Yu, to have him behave for a while, stabilize the situation within the Dahua Empire, and prevent outsiders from taking advantage of it.


    Dealing with Zhao Yu would have to be paused; alleviating the internal conflicts within the Dahua Empire and soothing public sentiments were the main priorities.


    Thinking thus, Zhao Kai looked at Zhao Ji, who was still weeping and begging, and sharply reprimanded, ¡°Stop it! We must prioritize the greater good! If you really cause a problem, your position as Crown Prince won¡¯t benefit at all!¡±


    His words instantly made Zhao Ji stop his tears and kneel helplessly on the ground, watching his father pick up the telephone by his side.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring Zhao Yu here first; you must at least pretend to be a friendly elder brother! If Zhao Yu insists on going to Fengjiang again, Dahua will be in chaos!¡± Having spoken, Zhao Kai loosened his grip on the telephone receiver and commanded imperiously, ¡°Connect me to Prince Zhao Yu.¡±


    After a lengthy wait, the telephone ring in Zhao Yu¡¯s room suddenly jolted the nervous Zhao Yu.


    With apprehension, Zhao Yu picked up the receiver, hearing his father¡¯s authoritative voice. His father asked if he was alright, then instructed him to come to the Imperial Palace to pay respects.


    The reason sounded quite natural: There had been an attempt to assassinate the Crown Prince in the capital, and Emperor Zhao Kai was very concerned about the safety of his sons, ordering all of them to come to the palace so that Zhao Kai could see them and hear about their conditions.


    But the problem was, someone felt guilty.


    ¡°Snap!¡± Hanging up the phone, Zhao Yu grabbed the entire telephone and smashed it on the ground. If he had the nerve to meet Zhao Kai again, that would be real madness.


    Just now on the phone, Zhao Kai had already made clear to Zhao Yu that Zhao Ji had not been assassinated, the criminals had not succeeded, and he did not intend to delve deeply into this matter, especially since the Empire was currently unstable and it was a period when more caution was needed in handling events.


    However, these words, when heard by Zhao Yu, sounded different: Zhao Ji was alive, so he, Zhao Yu, was not entirely safe! The Empire was unstable... Wasn¡¯t that all caused by him, Zhao Yu?


    It was possible that Zhao Kai had prepared hundreds of executioners in the Imperial Palace, just waiting for Zhao Yu to fall into the trap¡ªif they could kill Zhao Yu, wouldn¡¯t that solve many problems and eliminate future troubles entirely?


    As for Zhao Kai saying he didn¡¯t want to delve into this matter, Zhao Yu chose to ignore it: That sentence was nothing more than a lie to lure him to his death.


    ¡°Sir!¡± After venting, he looked despairingly toward the strategist sitting beside him, hoping to receive some advice, ¡°Should I go or not?¡±


    ¡°If you go, the danger actually isn¡¯t great. Your Highness, you have the support of the Great Tang Empire and so many ministers, it would not be easy for the Emperor to kill you.¡± The young strategist, already holding the winning cards, was surprisingly unhurried at this moment.


    He first discussed the option of going and then, changing the course of the conversation, continued: ¡°But once you go, although the risk is small, your life... would truly be in the hands of others. Even if it¡¯s just a slim chance, that chance still exists.¡±


    The words of the strategist truly struck a chord with Zhao Yu: His life was only one and controlling it himself versus being controlled by others felt completely different.


    Zhao Yu did not have the courage to entrust his life to Zhao Kai or Zhao Ji, praying that they would prioritize the greater good, choose a rational approach, tolerate his presumptuousness, and turn a blind eye to his provocations.


    On the contrary, Zhao Yu felt that if he were in their position, he would unreasonably strike first and deal with the consequences later.


    At that moment, the young strategist continued, ¡°At this time, Your Highness, why not set out for Fengjiang first? If His Majesty does not want to kill you, then he certainly won¡¯t make a move, but if His Majesty really makes a move, then it proves... if Your Highness goes to the Imperial Palace now, it would indeed be a narrow escape from death.¡±


    ¡°Right! The master is correct! What the master says... makes sense!¡± Knowing himself to be at his wit¡¯s end, Zhao Yu immediately clung to his lifeline.


    After all, Fengjiang was a place he and the Tang People had developed over many years¡ªit was his territory! Once he reached Fengjiang, he could advance or retreat as needed, and surely stand his ground.


    ¡°If I go to Fengjiang... will the Great Tang Empire, Master Nangong... continue to support me?¡± Tentatively, Zhao Yu sought confirmation once again.


    This was indeed his last option. If the Great Tang Empire could not provide him with substantial support, then no matter where he was, he would just be meat on Zhao Kai¡¯s chopping block.


    But if he could secure the support of the Great Tang Empire, he might be able to split the territory and stand toe to toe with Zhao Kai.


    ¡°Your Highness worries too much! When has our Great Tang Empire ever failed a friend? As long as Your Highness reaches Fengjiang, the Great Tang Empire will, under any circumstances, ensure your complete safety.¡± The young strategist gave Zhao Yu a reply that greatly relieved him.


    ¡°This journey of over 1700 kilometers, I will accompany Your Highness! No matter how difficult or dangerous, the Great Tang will... never abandon you!¡± The strategist stood up, gestured invitingly, giving Zhao Yu a momentary feeling as if the path ahead shone brightly with great ambition.


    At that very moment, outside Zhao Yu¡¯s residence, Li Mingshun had received orders and personally led a battalion of heavy troops. Soldiers jumped out of trucks amid their noisy slogans and surrounded the entire courtyard.


    Unbeknownst to him, Zhao Yu had already started running away, not even taking his money, just diving down into the tunnel with his strategist, breaking out of the encirclement.


    Accompanying him were Zhao Yu¡¯s trusted butler and his wives and concubines, a grand group of more than a dozen, which almost didn¡¯t seem like an escape attempt.


    After a standoff of a few minutes with the residence¡¯s guards and servants, Li Mingshun lost his patience, ordered the troops to storm into Zhao Yu¡¯s residence.


    He soon discovered that Zhao Yu and his family had vanished without a trace. Thus, he immediately ordered the city gates to be closed and reported Zhao Yu¡¯s disappearance to Zhao Kai.


    For a moment, Zhao Kai was thrown into disarray¡ªhe hadn¡¯t planned to harm Zhao Yu, but Zhao Yu, feeling guilty, had run away! This suddenly fueled his anger and cost Zhao Yu his last shreds of patience.


    ¡°Kill him! At all costs! Kill this traitorous son!¡± Clutching the phone, Zhao Kai finally shouted the order that Zhao Ji next to him was most eager to hear.


    With clear orders, Li Mingshun immediately instructed the closure of all city gates. Since Zhao Yu had taken a call from Zhao Kai in his residence less than a half-hour ago, it was deduced that Zhao Yu must still be in the city!


    Therefore, Li Mingshun efficiently controlled all the city¡¯s exits, ordered the search for tunnels, and launched a manhunt for Zhao Yu and his group.


    After all, this was the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire, known for its efficiency, so the troops carrying out these orders were very serious and quick in executing Li Mingshun¡¯s commands.


    Patrol trucks were everywhere, checkpoints everywhere for inspections... but for the well-prepared intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire, handling such situations wasn¡¯t difficult.


    They had already prepared a full set of contingency plans, so when Zhao Yu emerged from the tunnel, there was already a car waiting for him.


    Zhao Yu dove into the car, and shortly thereafter, a convoy of luxury cars drove out of the parking lot, heading toward a pre-prepared tunnel out of the city at breakneck speed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    More updates to follow.

 Chapter 973 03-25 - 973 895 all the way at full speed

    ?Chapter 973: 895 all the way at full speed Chapter 973: 895 all the way at full speed When Zhao Yu saw the checkpoint ahead, he felt his teeth clashing together nonstop, and he could even hear the rhythmic clicking sound.


    ¡°Stop the car!¡± The checkpoint commander bellowed from a distance, ¡°This area is already off-limits... Stop the car!¡±


    But the convoy showed no indication of stopping. Instead, the driver pressed the accelerator, and the speed of the car soared to an extremely fast pace.


    ¡°Stop the car!¡± The checkpoint commander, realizing something was amiss, shouted loudly. The surrounding soldiers also began to remove the guns slung on their backs. But at that moment, a crisp gunshot suddenly rang out from a nearby building.


    A bullet went straight through the brain of the checkpoint officer, splattering blood everywhere. All the soldiers around the checkpoint were immediately thrown into disarray by the sudden attack; they scrambled for cover and looked up to search for possible positions of the sniper.


    At that moment, the leading luxury car smashed through the makeshift wooden barricade, breaking the thick wooden rod into two pieces.


    The cars behind zoomed past without any intention of slowing down; the last car even threw hundreds of Gold Coins out of the window, which fell to the ground with a pleasant clinking sound.


    ...


    ¡°Can we really get through like this?¡± Zhao Yu, still shaken, looked to the young strategist sitting next to him.


    The young strategist chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We¡¯ve carefully chosen this vicinity; it¡¯s all residential areas with no phones... It¡¯ll take them at least twenty minutes to send out the news of someone crashing through the checkpoint.¡±


    To delay the reporting time by the soldiers further, they had scattered hundreds of Gold Coins on the ground. By the time these soldiers picked up the coins and found a phone, it would delay them another fifteen minutes.


    With that time, their convoy had already reached the location, entered the tunnel, and started moving toward the outskirts of the city. By the time Li Mingshun discovered the tunnel and figured out Zhao Yu¡¯s direction of escape, Zhao Yu would probably already be on a plane.


    Once they were on the plane, the pursuers would not be able to catch up¡ªchoosing to take a risk with a plane was because the pre-arranged train might be intercepted along the way.


    Several local officials had dubious loyalty; to ensure fullproof escape, changing to a plane was deemed necessary. After all, as capable as the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence department might have been, they could not perfectly secure over a thousand kilometers of territory within the Dahua Empire.


    As soon as Zhao Kai gave an order to intercept, many places would execute Zhao Kai¡¯s command, posing a threat to Zhao Yu¡¯s safety. Thus, regrettably, the decision was made to escape by plane, albeit with some risk of a plane crash.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã?


    As for whether Dahua Empire would launch planes to intercept¡ªamong the pilots qualified to fly advanced fighter jets capable of catching up with a C-47 transport plane, which one didn¡¯t have some connection with Great Tang?


    Great Tang had already arranged for four fighter jets to take off from a field airport they would pass, to escort the C-47¡ªessentially, these pilots were also joining Zhao Yu in rebellion.


    Sure enough, it took Li Mingshun over half an hour to receive the news of the checkpoint breach, and by the time he arrived at the scene, not a single shiny Gold Coin could be seen on the ground.


    With a gloomy expression, he looked at the blood on the ground and the body of the checkpoint commander lying in the middle of the road, Li Mingshun immediately began the pursuit.


    What was desperate was that the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire was very large, extremely large. Hiding a dozen cars was all too easy. After sending off Zhao Yu, these cars quickly dispersed and vanished without a trace.


    The Rolls-Royce that had smashed through the checkpoint had already been burned to a crisp, the flames even drew Li Mingshun¡¯s attention, causing him to search the nearby area for half a day without finding the exit of the secret tunnel.


    This model of luxury car was ubiquitous in the Imperial Capital; no one even knew the exact number. The car¡¯s license plate had been removed before it was set on fire, and seems it could be installed on any car and continue to be used, without showing any flaw.


    In the end, Li Mingshun could only report the situation, then lead his men under the assumption that Zhao Yu had already escaped the Imperial Capital and started searching the surrounding areas.


    Meanwhile, the DC-3 passenger plane from the Great Tang Empire, which no one dared to detain, nor dared to ask too many questions, had already taken off towards Fengjiang.


    In a country like the Dahua Empire with no radar or air-defense system, finding a plane that had already taken off was not an easy task.


    Planes passed through the sky from time to time; observed with the naked eye, they were just tiny black dots, who could identify whether that plane was the one they were looking for?


    ¡°You can¡¯t shoot down every same model of airplane in the sky, can you? Your Dahua Empire itself owns hundreds of DC-3 airplanes, plus those from Shu Country, Qin Country, Chu Country, Great Tang Empire, what if you hit the wrong one¡ªhow would you explain it to others?¡±


    Other countries might be easier to deal with, paying them off and apologizing would suffice...but the Great Tang Empire would certainly look for any excuse to turn on us...¡±


    Around the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire, there are three airports, one military for internal use, typically for moving government goods, and also houses maintenance for fighter jets and military transport planes, the other two are civilian airports.


    At this moment, inside the command tower of the eastern civilian airport, a duty dispatcher clutching the telephone, bewildered, answered a questioning call from the City Defense Army headquarters, ¡°Yes, planes just took off... not just one, right, can you provide the exact time? If it¡¯s not precise, I can¡¯t really help you...¡±


    ¡°Yes, within half an hour... uh... six planes took off... one was from Shu Country, one from Qin Country... yes, two more were domestic flights, one flying to Great Tang. If it¡¯s forty minutes, there will be two more planes... both heading for Great Tang.¡± He answered clearly, because there was a timetable.


    ¡°Ground the remaining planes! Recheck everything!¡± an exasperated voice came over the phone. Then, without asking further, the call was abruptly ended.


    Immediately thereafter, within the military airport, over a dozen pilots rushed to their planes amid the sound of alarms, the ground crew scurrying around; though the hope was slim, the Dahua Empire was preparing their planes to intercept those that had already taken off.


    Regrettably, their pursuit was fated to be fruitless: compared to the worn-out fighter jets of the Dahua Empire, the DC-3 transport planes were not particularly slow; chasing them was not a very good option.


    Moreover, if the other side were to deliberately veer off course by a degree or half during flight, relying on eyes to locate a plane within the clouds...was also merely a faint hope.


    Yet there weren¡¯t any other good options available on this side of Dahua¡ªif not utilizing the power of the Imperial Capital, how conscientiously the local forces would act was anybody¡¯s guess.


    In the western part of Fengjiang City, seeing the telegram from the Imperial Capital, the City Lord spoke with a grave expression, ¡°What kind of a joke is this? How did things get tense all of a sudden? What exactly is going on?¡±


    The content of the telegram ordered the civilian officials not to interfere with the military deployment and to prepare for the arrival of a new military commander dispatched by the Empire.


    The officer delivering the telegram admitted he too was unaware of the exact situation, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. The message from the Imperial Capital suddenly came that fighting had broken out; then we received orders here to enhance our alert level.¡±


    ¡°If something were to go wrong, who would be responsible?¡± the City Lord, scoffing in support of Zhao Yu, tossed the telegram aside and asked.


    That officer glanced at him and reminded him, ¡°Sir, isn¡¯t it too late to be talking about responsibility? Is the control of the army outside the city firmly in our hands?¡±


    Knowing what the other meant, the City Lord pondered for a moment, then asked, ¡°Most of the commanders outside the city are our own people, so there¡¯s no problem with that. But I fear that if we act now without any disturbances arising from the Imperial Capital first, wouldn¡¯t we be accused of rebelling?¡±


    Because the telegram didn¡¯t clarify what exactly happened at the Imperial Capital, they were still at a threefold lack of knowledge. Rash actions at such a time could very well lead to mayhem.


    That officer had a clear thought, scoffed coldly, and said, ¡°What time is it now, still thinking of sitting on the fence? It¡¯ll be too late to make a stand soon! If we are unprepared on our end, and later Prince Zhao Yu requires our help, won¡¯t you and I have to face a grim fate?¡±


    ¡°So you mean...¡± The City Lord, upon hearing the officer¡¯s words, also began to waver. He had long been on Zhao Yu¡¯s side, situated in Fengjiang and closely linked with Great Tang; escaping this involvement was simply a fool¡¯s dream.


    His hesitation wasn¡¯t due to an unstable stance, but rather he feared causing a mess on his end, which would make it difficult to explain to Zhao Yu.


    However, the officer didn¡¯t feel that way; he had long been aligned with the Great Tang Empire, and he straightforwardly said, ¡°If Prince Zhao Yu succeeds, then whatever disturbances we cause here will be irrelevant; if he fails, whatever we do or don¡¯t do, won¡¯t we all die together in the end?¡±


    ¡°You are right! Order the troops to enter a state of readiness! Come with me across the river... to East Fengjiang, to meet with people from Tang Country to think of a strategy!¡± The City Lord nodded decisively.


    ¡°That¡¯s the only way! Let¡¯s go!¡± Putting on a reluctant demeanor, the officer also followed the City Lord¡¯s pace, heading outside.


    Almost at the same time that the DC-3 transport plane took off, the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire received a telegram in encrypted form, the content was straightforward: ¡°The prey has been hooked; nothing can be reversed now.¡±


    ¡°The scales of Operation Balance have tipped towards success!¡± Holding the note, Li¡¯ao smiled and looked toward Luff who was also waiting on the same message, ¡°Now... it¡¯s up to you guys.¡±

 Chapter 974 03-25 - 974 896 Fengjiang Citys Preparation

    ?Chapter 974: 896 Fengjiang City¡¯s Preparation Chapter 974: 896 Fengjiang City¡¯s Preparation A nondescript DC-3 transport plane landed slowly at the military airport in West Fengjiang. On another runway, Dahua fighter jets landed one by one, and the ground crew was bustling around.


    The first person to descend the gangway, after the cabin door opened, was a young strategist from Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s entourage. As he stepped off the plane, he returned a military salute to the soldiers standing at attention beside the runway.


    ¡°Everything is under control!¡± As he approached and briefed them on the situation, the military advisor from the Great Tang Empire made a welcoming gesture, ¡°The car is ready. West Fengjiang City has just announced across the Dahua Empire in support of Prince Zhao Yu.¡±


    ¡°There are 17 divisions of Dahua¡¯s troops stationed near Fengjiang, totaling 300,000 men, all well-equipped.¡± As they walked, the advisor briefed his status: ¡°All command of the troops is now in the hands of our advisory team.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± On the other hand, Zhao Yu, who disembarked afterwards, instantly felt an ease he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. He was greeted by saluting officers, and the scene made him feel somewhat elated.


    These officers had stayed behind to lend support, clustering around Zhao Yu and giving ample face to the Prince.


    ¡°The Dahua Empire is currently mobilizing troops, with movements in the surrounding 40 divisions.¡± At the car, the lead commander from the advisory group spoke confidently, ¡°But please rest assured, our offensive capabilities might be inadequate, but our defense is more than sufficient.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Zhao Yu¡¯s strategist extended his hand with a smile and shook hands with the military advisor, ¡°I¡¯m Xu Guo, named after the phrase ¡®to devote oneself to the nation.''¡±


    ¡°Luo Xiao, Colonel of the General Staff of the Land Forces.¡± The Tang officer, who appeared a couple of years older than Xu Guo, also introduced himself.


    ¡°Sir! Sir!¡± Zhao Yu, walking behind, caught up at this time, looking much more relaxed, and called out, ¡°I¡¯ll ride in the same car as you, Sir!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± Xu Guo did not refuse and got directly into the car. A procession of cars then grandly left the airport and headed towards the bustling Fengjiang City.


    In a much farther and remote area, at the periphery governed by West Fengjiang City, trucks loaded with goods one by one entered a large military barracks.


    This barracks was built to guard against the attacks of the Great Tang Empire, able to accommodate an entire battalion¡¯s troops, with a vast scale and well-equipped facilities, even surrounded by permanent defensive works.


    To counter the formidable air force of the Great Tang Empire, a battery of anti-aircraft guns, equipped with five guns, was also deployed near the barracks.


    Source: , updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    However, now this place had become the frontline of the Dahua Empire¡¯s civil war, where soldiers were ordered to organize their ammunition, anxiously inquiring among themselves what had exactly happened.


    Inside the barracks, soldiers anxiously eyed the rifles next to them, the atmosphere already quite tense.


    One soldier cautiously asked his comrade, who was checking distributed bullets, ¡°What exactly is going on?¡±


    The veteran raised his head to look at the uneasy young recruit: ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, but I heard that some cities in the west were jealous of Fengjiang¡¯s prosperity, and they misrepresented us to His Majesty the Emperor.¡±


    The recruit became displeased once he heard this; after all, he was from Fengjiang and indeed his family had enjoyed good fortune in recent years. At Fengjiang¡¯s port, even a minor business could thrive abundantly.


    So, he was upset, feeling that others had jeopardized his happy life: ¡°Isn¡¯t this just stirring up trouble? We were living our lives just fine.¡±


    The veteran sighed, remarking, ¡°Exactly, His Highness the Prince has done so much good for us to live well, but the Crown Prince just can¡¯t tolerate his own brother.¡±


    ¡°If the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, we in Fengjiang won¡¯t have good days ahead,¡± other soldiers chimed in after hearing the veteran¡¯s words.


    These lower-ranking soldiers didn¡¯t care much about politics; Zhao Yu had always been active in advancing Fengjiang¡¯s commercial environment, and so they naturally supported such a benevolent Prince.


    The veteran sighed again: ¡°We don¡¯t even have to wait that long, I heard that the neighboring troops are already coming to fight us.¡±


    The recruit was now agitated. He grabbed the rifle next to him and said fiercely, ¡°Let them come! Damn it! Are we afraid of them?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Is our Fengjiang military afraid of those rubbish? We are much better equipped than they are!¡± Another recruit shouted.


    Compared to other areas, the troops in Fengjiang were indeed some of the better-equipped and trained in the Dahua Empire ¡ª due to its proximity to Fengjiang, abundant resources, good welfare benefits, and a larger stockpile of ammunition.


    Moreover, this place was a vital fortress against the Great Tang Empire, and to withstand the formidable military of the Great Tang, the fighting capability of Dahua¡¯s troops here had to be assured.


    But they had no reinforcements, and although Fengjiang had a substantial military presence, the surrounding troops of the Dahua Empire were even more numerous.


    And behind these troops of the Dahua Empire, there were even more Dahua troops available for combat, making the stationed troops in West Fengjiang seem isolated and unsupported, like a lone tree struggling to stand.


    As they talked, the mood soon grew despondent as they felt there was truly no hope for victory, as if their path forward was bleak.


    ¡°Some say the Great Tang Empire also supports us. The Crown Prince¡¯s perverse actions have caused us problems with our trade with Great Tang. Would Great Tang be pleased with that?¡± someone said, trying to boost everyone¡¯s spirits.


    Another person retorted firmly, ¡°We don¡¯t need their support! We can take down those bastards to the west on our own!¡±


    ¡°Having support is better than none, otherwise we¡¯d be at a disadvantage,¡± another pragmatically added. Having support is better than being ignored.


    Such topics were quickly passed over, and the soldiers soon shifted the conversation back to supporting Zhao Yu and opposing the Crown Prince, ¡°No matter what! Let¡¯s march to the Imperial Capital! Make Zhao Yu the Emperor!¡±


    ¡°If Zhao Yu becomes Emperor, we¡¯ll all have better days ahead! To the Imperial Capital!¡± everyone shouted in unison.


    They didn¡¯t have to wait long before the doors of the barracks were opened, and soldiers carrying boxes of supplies and equipment entered. The officer in charge of distribution shouted from the doorway, ¡°Everyone get your new equipment! Wait by your bunks! Don¡¯t cause chaos! The equipment handlers need to move quickly!¡±


    To everyone¡¯s astonishment, brand new M35 Steel Helmets were distributed to each bed, and they even bore the national seal of the Dahua Empire.


    It was clear these helmets were specifically made for them, as the Border Defense Force of the Great Tang Empire had begun to massively replace their helmets with a new model the year prior.


    Although the M35 Steel Helmet was a classic, it was becoming less practical with the development of many new technologies. Great Tang¡¯s paratroopers and army tank operators had already begun using lighter, impact-resistant plastic helmets.


    With advances in materials, the Great Tang Empire had begun equipping its troops with lighter synthetic material helmets covered with camouflaged cloth, moving away from the bare M35 Steel Helmets.


    In any case, there was still a large stockpile available, so these were sent as aid to West Fengjiang for Zhao Yu¡¯s troops to use.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a Great Tang Empire¡¯s helmet? Why did they give it to us?¡± a new soldier asked, surprised.


    Another young soldier put the helmet on his head and swaggeringly asked, ¡°Sergeant, wearing a Great Tang Empire¡¯s helmet, whose soldiers are we considered to be?¡±


    The sergeant, understanding the confusion, cursed, ¡°Shut up! Isn¡¯t it because they¡¯re worried that in battle everyone will look the same, making it hard to tell friend from foe. You¡¯d be comfortable getting shot by your own people, would you?¡±


    Then everyone suddenly realized there was such a purpose behind changing their equipment, ¡°Ah? Sergeant, you have a point...¡±


    ¡°Get lost! Check if there¡¯s anything wrong with it! You won¡¯t be able to replace it if it¡¯s broken later,¡± the sergeant snapped again, clearly frustrated.


    While someone was inspecting their Steel Helmet, he couldn¡¯t help but express his admiration, ¡°How can you not say that the Great Tang¡¯s troops have high combat effectiveness? Look at the lining of this helmet, it¡¯s leather, adjustable, much more comfortable than the junk we had before.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, wearing this Steel Helmet, even I feel better looking. Earlier, looking at the sentinel on the opposite side, he seemed so handsome,¡± a new soldier stated, feeling as though his combat strength had increased by +5 BUFF.


    An experienced soldier viewed things differently. Being handsome was merely an added feature; what he really valued was protection, ¡°Enough talk, this thing is heavy on my head, you can tell it¡¯s made from thick, quality steel, not like our old thin helmets that were like paper.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right... our previous Steel Helmets were so thin, what could they possibly protect us from?¡± Without comparison there is no harm, but now, seeing the difference, a new soldier felt like they had been deceived before.


    Soon, someone nearby began the usual cursing of the corrupt officials, ¡°Bloody hell, those damn officials must have pocketed it all! They couldn¡¯t care less whether we soldiers live or die!¡±


    ¡°Those bastards! No wonder we lose every time we fight Great Tang, are we even using the same gear?¡± Looking at the Steel Helmet in their hands and then at the original tattered ones hanging on the wall, everyone began to curse vehemently.


    While they were cursing, the soldier delivering supplies distributed other items to everyone: including candles and matches, underwear, and replacement socks.


    All distributed at the logistical level of the Great Tang troops, therefore, these items immediately astonished everyone.


    To avoid wasting Dahua troops¡¯ reserve ammunition, the military aid from Great Tang didn¡¯t immediately provide weapons; they would wait until these troops had used up their existing ammunition reserves before providing them.

 Chapter 975 03-25 - 975 Fought for peace at the expense of 897

    ?Chapter 975: Fought for peace at the expense of 897 Chapter 975: Fought for peace at the expense of 897 As they were checking their supplies, someone couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°Look at them, getting three pairs of socks, so thick, and underwear... we only get one and have no spare to change into, yet each of them gets three sets.¡±


    In modern warfare, especially when it is undergirded by industrial power, the contest is all about supplies. The Tang Empire, as the country with the highest industrial level and strongest productive capacity in the world, naturally could provide the strongest backing for its soldiers on the front lines.


    ¡°What¡¯s key is the material they¡¯re using, you can feel how comfortable it is just by holding it, breathable and thin, really nice,¡± said one excited soldier as he looked at the unfamiliar underwear.


    The underwear distributed by the Dahua Empire really left much to be desired. It wasn¡¯t just an issue of poor quality; the main problem was how uncomfortable they were to wear, tightly gripping the buttocks and making one constantly want to scratch and adjust them.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said what I did earlier, with the support from the Tang Empire, it truly is impressive,¡± said a soldier who had just claimed they didn¡¯t need the support from Tang Country as he watched another soldier distribute three beautifully packaged candies and a starch ham sausage to each person¡¯s bed. He immediately slapped his own mouth.


    Another soldier beside him was dumbfounded at seeing two bags labeled with ¡®sugar¡¯ and ¡®salt¡¯: ¡°It¡¯s not just impressive, it¡¯s fantastic.¡±


    In the Dahua Empire, they¡¯d never prepared such things for the soldiers; everything was lumped together in a communal pot, who cared about whether the flavors suited the palate of the common soldiers?


    ...


    Looking over at the Tang Empire¡¯s side, every soldier could adjust their flavors to their own taste. Attention to such details was so touching that it moved people.


    The squad leader was also stunned; he really hadn¡¯t expected the aid provided by the Tang Empire to be so generous: ¡°They¡¯re giving sugar, salt... are they going to battle or going to enjoy luxuries?¡±


    The officer supervising the distribution of supplies at the doorway laughed, ¡°You got it right there. The soldiers of the Tang Empire are living it up on the front line, while we¡¯re going there to meet our deaths.¡±


    ¡°Take a good look! This is chocolate! It¡¯s hunger-sating candy! Don¡¯t eat it carelessly! It¡¯s part of the emergency rations! Understand?¡± As they were finishing the distribution of supplies, the officer standing at the door, as if going through the motions, raised a small red-wrapped object in his hand and shouted loudly.


    ¡°Understood...¡± came the scattered replies, for everyone was still reeling from shock.


    Soon, people began to whisper to each other, ¡°I heard about this stuff, that candy house on the street sells it, I heard it¡¯s really tasty.¡±


    ¡°I know that candy house...¡± A soldier immediately responded while swallowing his saliva.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í¨À0.§ã¦Ï


    Someone else asked those around him, ¡°Isn¡¯t everything there really expensive?¡±


    These novel items from the Tang Empire were generally not cheap. The candy house was a famous ¡°internet celebrity shop,¡± frequented by many wealthy families from near and far.


    Just looking at the huge colorful lollipop sign at the entrance, it was clear that the items sold there would be delicious and definitely out of reach for ordinary folks!


    Chocolate, as a high-calorie food, had long become one of the standard rations for soldiers of the Tang Empire. However, overseas, it was still seen as a luxury item, something ordinary people had only heard of but never seen.


    So, holding the chocolate in their hands, these soldiers began to feel nervous: ¡°They¡¯ve really just given it to us? And such a large piece for each person?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I could keep it without eating, and take it home for my son, would that be alright?¡± an old soldier asked his squad leader not far away.


    Upon hearing this, the squad leader also came to a realization, ¡°Huh? Now that you mention it... I also think it¡¯s a good idea to take some back home.¡±


    ¡°Every seven days!¡± The officer at the door, having had enough of listening to these people getting emotional over charity, cleared his throat and interrupted, ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of supplies!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Upon hearing this piece of news, everyone couldn¡¯t believe their ears.


    And some just started shouting outright, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°From now on, you will be issued supplies according to the Tang Empire¡¯s rations! We are not just defending Fengjiang, but also protecting trade between the two countries! We are on the side of justice! We are defending the hard-won peace between our two nations! Victory will ultimately be ours!¡± Seeing the morale rising, the officer distributing supplies couldn¡¯t forget to add an extra push for motivation.


    Indeed, everyone began to embrace the narrative ¡ª they were defending the hard-won peace between the two countries!


    With loud cheers, they began to don their gear and pack a hoard of supplies that they usually couldn¡¯t even lay eyes on into their packs.


    They changed their flags, put on new shoes, and donned their M35 Steel Helmets, ready to fight for their lives.


    ...


    ¡°Your Majesty...¡± Standing not far away and seeing Zhao Kai, Prince Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice and ask, ¡°Are we really going to war?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no longer about whether I want to start a war or not! Zhao Yu that traitor might have already fled to Fengjiang, do you think he would just sit there and wait for death?¡± Zhao Kai¡¯s voice was hoarse, and he felt increasingly tired.


    By all reasoning, he was only in his fifties this year, not yet at the age where one is frail and feeble, but due to the series of recent events, his face had become creased with wrinkles, and his hair was starting to turn white.


    In the span of a year, he seemed to have aged several years, and the recent series of events had caused him to suffer frequent and unbearable chest pains.


    As an emperor, to be in such a plight was truly a bitter pill to swallow. The once easily angered and stubborn Zhao Kai now seemed to exude a sense of dejection.


    The situation in the court was chaotic, with some people advocating for Zhao Yu¡¯s pardon, while others suggested foolishly giving Zhao Yu the authority to manage Fengjiang as a way to defuse the situation, representing the true opinions of many ministers.


    Many ministers even discussed privately that if Zhao Kai could decide to depose Zhao Ji and pass the title of Crown Prince to Zhao Yu, then all problems seemed solvable.


    But everyone knew that Zhao Yu¡¯s recent series of rash actions were indeed unwise, making it almost impossible for Zhao Kai to make any compromises.


    Despite being fully aware of the situation, everyone was trying their best to avoid a conflict and its escalation. Prime Minister Chu Muzhou was extremely worried that the Great Tang Empire would take advantage of the situation and once again declare war on the Dahua Empire.


    The current military power of the Dahua Empire was somewhat stronger than before, but the internal and external troubles were greater than ever. The dual crises had always been there, and it really couldn¡¯t afford another round of war chaos.


    Regrettably, these concerns of the ministers were not something they could resolve themselves; everything depended on the face of the Great Tang Empire and the development of subsequent events.


    But the development of subsequent events became more and more chaotic, Zhao Kai was busy consolidating military power, preparing troops for battle, and the situation in Fengjiang also began to grow complicated.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t fire... will it ease the situation?¡± Zhao Chen suggested, ¡°If we don¡¯t fight, and Zhao Yu also doesn¡¯t fire, as long as the train and airplane traffic remain uninterrupted, there might still be a chance.¡±


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but... do you think that the Great Tang Empire will let us have our way?¡± Zhao Kai said as he massaged his temples.


    In the past few days, he had been relentlessly busy, on the one hand, deploying and commanding troops, and on the other, pacifying the regions. He had to deal with the ministers in the court, while also guessing the intentions of the neighboring Great Tang.


    In fact, two conflicts had already erupted in parts of the Dahua Empire¡ªcities supporting Zhao Yu, unwilling to obey His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s orders to surrender military power.


    The result was that two places were besieged by Zhao Kai¡¯s troops, struggled for two days, and then were crushed; one city lord fled, another was captured alive and beheaded for public display.


    But despite this, there were still many places that outwardly obeyed but secretly defied Zhao Kai¡¯s orders, and many localities publicly supported Zhao Yu.


    After thinking it over, Zhao Chen suggested, ¡°On the Great Tang Empire¡¯s side, they just want benefits, advantages, nothing more. If all else fails, negotiate the tariffs!¡±


    ¡°Giving out some today and some tomorrow, might as well just give Tang Mo the position too, right?¡± Zhao Kai didn¡¯t erupt in rage as he used to, but his words exerted enormous pressure on Zhao Chen.


    He could only bow his head and say to his brother, ¡°Your servant trembles with fear! Everything will be as Your Majesty arranges, whether to wage war or make peace, it is for Your Majesty to decide alone!¡±


    ¡°This is the civil war of our Dahua Empire, the Great Tang Empire won¡¯t brazenly get involved so soon! Morally they can¡¯t justify it, just like last time when we took advantage of the situation and lost our moral standing,¡± Zhao Kai pondered for a few seconds before slowly saying.


    ¡°Although they will secretly support that traitor Zhao Yu! But in the short term, the Great Tang Empire won¡¯t send troops directly, that¡¯s our chance! If you can lead the troops to annihilate Zhao Yu, then there¡¯s still hope for a turnaround.¡± After saying this, Zhao Kai looked towards Zhao Chen.


    Zhao Chen bowed slightly, promising, ¡°Your servant brother will do his utmost to take Fengjiang and relieve Your Majesty of this burden!¡±


    ¡°I can only rely on you now! Our Dahua Royal Family can only survive this crisis and protect the legacy left by our ancestors by sticking together as one,¡± Zhao Kai said as he waved his hand, ¡°Go! At all costs, retake Fengjiang within a month! Quell this rebellion!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhao Chen bowed and backed away.


    ¡°Take Zhao Ji with you! He has both new grudges and old ones against Zhao Yu, so he definitely won¡¯t show mercy! Having him supervise the battle will have some effect,¡± Zhao Kai suddenly added.


    Zhao Chen was taken aback, then bowed again, ¡°Yes! Your Majesty can rest assured, your servant brother will take good care of the Crown Prince.¡±


    This time, Zhao Kai said no more. After leaving Zhao Kai¡¯s room, Zhao Chen¡¯s expression became complicated. He didn¡¯t know why Zhao Kai wanted Zhao Ji to go to the front lines or what kind of situation he would encounter there.


    Without paying any attention to the guards saluting him in the corridor, Zhao Chen absentmindedly left the Imperial Palace and got into his car.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The next update will be delayed; it will be available for viewing tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 976 03-25 - 976 898 Tang Empires Attitude

    ?Chapter 976: 898 Tang Empire¡¯s Attitude Chapter 976: 898 Tang Empire¡¯s Attitude Chu Muzhou¡¯s car was luxurious, but after over a year of use, it no longer looked as new. The Rolls-Royce was provided to him from public funds, one of the privileges of being a Prime Minister.


    Accompanying this car was the second highest license plate number in the Dahua Empire, and on the streets of the Imperial Capital, few dared to block its path.


    In fact, this car was also bulletproof. The body of the car was very thick and heavy, and the engine was superior, capable of withstanding long-range attacks from rifles.


    At this moment, the Rolls-Royce slowly drove into a courtyard flying the blood-red Dragon Banner of the Tang Empire and stopped in front of a beautifully decorated building.


    A guard clutching a standard-issue assault rifle from the Tang Empire approached, opened the car door, and Chu Muzhou¡¯s secretary came around to help the aging Prime Minister out of the car.


    Glancing up at the grand building before him, Chu Muzhou sighed and ascended the steps, one by one, entering the Tang Empire¡¯s embassy in the Dahua Empire.


    According to the treaty signed between the two nations, the land here belonged to the Tang Empire, and everyone within the embassy was under the protection of Tang Empire¡¯s laws.


    ...


    Of course, equivalently, the Dahua Empire also had an embassy in the Tang Empire, which enjoyed the same privileges. At least in this matter, the Tang Empire demonstrated the fairness that was expected.


    Passing through the spacious corridor, the secretary of the Tang Empire¡¯s embassy helped push open the door to the ambassador¡¯s office, and Chu Muzhou signaled his secretary and entourage to stay at the door while he entered the large room.


    Hanging on the wall was a massive blood-red Dragon Banner, which somewhat dwarfed the man sitting below it.


    The ceiling of this office was very high, at least six meters, giving the impression that two floors had been combined to create a sense of grandeur.


    ¡°Minister Chu, please, take a seat!¡± the Tang Empire¡¯s ambassador, who was not very old¡ªlooking under 50¡ªremarked, which was a characteristic of the Tang Empire where Tang Mo and his officials tended to be very young.


    Sometimes, high-ranking officials in the Tang Empire could be under 30, a phenomenon unique to Tang.


    ¡°Mr. Ambassador...¡± Chu Muzhou made himself comfortable. The two were not strangers, and in some ways, they could even be considered friends.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã?


    He sat down across from the desk, getting straight to the point, ¡°My visit this time, I presume you can guess its purpose. The stance of the Tang Empire is extremely important to us.¡±


    ¡°Minister Chu, let me reiterate our position again. We support His Royal Highness Zhao Yu of your country, who is dedicated to fostering friendly relations between our two nations, upholding trade, and maintaining trade order,¡± the Tang Empire¡¯s ambassador stated firmly, without giving ground.


    ¡°But now, Zhao Yu has a somewhat special status in our country...¡± Chu Muzhou wanted to emphasize Zhao Yu¡¯s status as a traitor, but since Dahua Empire had not yet finalized its stance on Zhao Yu, he was unable to elaborate further.


    After all, if he adamantly labeled Zhao Yu as a rebel at this time, it would mean there was no room for maneuvering, losing some initiative in decision-making.


    Actually, up to now, the Dahua Empire was still making its greatest efforts hoping to resolve the issue of Zhao Yu fleeing to Fengjiang at minimum cost.


    Chu Muzhou¡¯s purpose in coming here was to discern the intentions of the Tang Empire, and he asked, ¡°So, the military assistance your country provides to Zhao Yu...¡±


    The Tang Empire¡¯s ambassador immediately interrupted Chu Muzhou, emphasizing, ¡°Minister Chu, as far as I am aware, up until this moment as we speak, we have not provided any military arms, weapons, or support to Zhao Yu.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Hearing such a definitive answer, Chu Muzhou was forced to believe him: indeed, according to the intelligence he held, the Tang Empire had not transported large quantities of military arms, particularly weapons and ammunition, to Fengjiang.


    ¡°The most sensitive cargo we sold were Steel Helmets... Prince Zhao Yu ordered 500,000 Steel Helmets from us, considering reducing casualties and being responsible for lives, we accepted the order and provided these helmets,¡± the Tang Empire¡¯s ambassador revealed openly, explaining the list of materials supplied by the Tang Empire.


    ¡°We only sold food, clothing, blankets, and other supplies, most of which were humanitarian aid,¡± the ambassador from Tang said with a smile: ¡°The situation is quite critical; is there a problem in expressing our support for His Highness Zhao Yu?¡±


    There¡¯s a problem! Of course, there¡¯s a problem! Aside from guns and ammunition, you¡¯ve given Zhao Yu everything else, of course, he¡¯d have the guts to rebel! Chu Muzhou cursed in his mind but dared not shout these words out loud.


    Despite being extremely upset, Chu Muzhou had to admit that this candid stance from the Tang Empire actually provided the Dahua Empire with a sound explanation.


    This appearance of a businessman reduced many risks of misjudgment for the Dahua Empire, and essentially affirmed the Dahua Empire¡¯s determination to go to war.


    In a different manner, Chu Muzhou asked as calmly as possible, ¡°Then, can your country pause its aid and support for Zhao Yu?¡±


    The ambassador of the Great Tang Empire immediately shook his head, ¡°Sorry, we have no reason to betray a past friend. Our cooperation with His Highness Zhao Yu has always been very pleasant. The people of both countries have gained benefits and increased wealth due to such cooperation. Therefore, to protect the interests of both countries, we choose to support His Highness Zhao Yu.¡±


    If the Dahua Empire were stronger, then at this point, Chu Muzhou might have directly warned the other party, ¡°You are provoking a war!¡±


    Unfortunately, the Dahua Empire was the weaker side, and Chu Muzhou didn¡¯t have the courage or ability to threaten the Great Tang Empire. Although the Great Tang Empire was already being excessive in this matter, Chu Muzhou still had to endure and concede.


    He continued to ask, ¡°If, I mean if, our country is willing to fully accept Zhao Yu¡¯s propositions, acknowledging all the consensus reached between Zhao Yu and your country... Would your country be willing to stop its aid and support to His Highness Zhao Yu?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, as I have emphasized earlier, our Great Tang Empire is not willing to betray friends. Supporting old friends and making new friends does not conflict,¡± the ambassador of the Great Tang Empire apologized again.


    ¡°If, I mean if, the Dahua Empire is willing to ensure the safety of His Highness Zhao Yu, and appoint His Highness Zhao Yu as the Crown Prince?¡± Chu Muzhou took a step further and proposed a new hypothetical scenario.


    The ambassador promptly absolved himself of responsibility, stating cleanly, ¡°I think, Lord Chu, you are mistaken; this condition should be discussed between your country and His Highness Zhao Yu. I am the ambassador of the Great Tang Empire to the Dahua Empire and cannot represent His Highness Zhao Yu.¡±


    ¡°What if His Highness Zhao Yu agrees?¡± Chu Muzhou seemed to focus on the key point.


    ¡°That would still be your country¡¯s internal affair, irrelevant to the Great Tang Empire,¡± the ambassador of the Great Tang Empire confidently responded. If Zhao Yu could resolve it by himself, then the intelligence agency and military of the Great Tang Empire might as well have died.


    ¡°Thank you, I understand now,¡± Chu Muzhou acknowledged, feeling a bit naive about his earlier stance; he nodded and then fell silent for a long time.


    ¡°Lord, you are too kind. Striving for peace between the two countries has always been my primary task, and that has never changed,¡± said the ambassador of the Great Tang Empire. After these words, he did not disturb the silent Chu Muzhou. The room remained very quiet for several minutes.


    After pondering the issue for a long time without knowing what he was thinking about, Chu Muzhou slowly lifted his head and broke the silence in the room, ¡°Let me ask one more question.¡±


    ¡°Please ask, Lord Chu,¡± the ambassador made a welcoming gesture.


    Chu Muzhou took a moment to carefully phrase his question and slowly said, ¡°Mr. Ambassador... will your country... become involved in this war?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why Prime Minister would ask this; the Great Tang Empire has already submitted a diplomatic note to your country, clarifying our stance on this matter. We love peace and will not readily become involved in a war,¡± the ambassador said impeccably.


    ...


    ¡°Has the Great Tang Empire really only provided clothing, food, and Steel Helmets?¡± Zhao Kai felt this might be the best news he had heard in many days.


    He initially judged that the Great Tang Empire, based on moral grounds, would not get involved in the war immediately, and now with the assurance from the Great Tang Empire, he felt a bit more confident.


    Although it was just a statement and anyone who believed it was a fool¡ªsince even treaties between countries could be torn up¡ªit was the best option Zhao Kai had, and he was forced to believe in such an elusive assurance.


    He felt that as long as Zhao Chen¡¯s offensive was fast enough to capture Fengjiang before the Great Tang Empire realized, the Great Tang Empire could only watch helplessly as Zhao Yu was destroyed without any opportunity to intervene.


    ¡°It seems that, at least for the short term, the Great Tang Empire really will not get involved in this war. At least, they will not personally send troops to interfere,¡± Chu Muzhou made his judgment, ¡°However, I still believe that war is not a good choice.¡±


    ¡°I also know war is not a good choice! But can that rebel be easily captured?¡± Zhao Kai was somewhat impatient with this question, saying, ¡°A quick battle... is our only chance now!¡±


    ¡°Alas...¡± Chu Muzhou also knew that, generally speaking, there was only this one option left. Zhao Kai wouldn¡¯t compromise, and Zhao Yu had even fewer options... This internal war within the Dahua Empire seemed unavoidable regardless of perspective.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! If we can¡¯t defeat Tang Country, the elite of Dahua will easily handle a handful of rebels. There will absolutely be no problem!¡± Consoling his own Prime Minister, Zhao Kai¡¯s face regained some color, and he ordered with a wave of his hand, ¡°Send a telegram to Zhao Chen... Tell him to be prepared and launch the attack soon!¡±

 Chapter 977 03-25 - 977 Plan of both parties 899

    ?Chapter 977: Plan of both parties 899 Chapter 977: Plan of both parties 899 If there was a person in this world who was most eager for Zhao Yu to die, that person would definitely be Zhao Ji. Zhao Ji truly wanted to kill Zhao Yu with his own hands, and he would use a saw instead of a knife if he could.


    When he and Zhao Chen arrived at the front line, the Dahua Empire¡¯s military was still assembling. Launching an attack was actually not an easy task.


    Compared to the Great Tang Empire¡¯s strategic mobilization efficiency that had surpassed that of World War II, the Dahua Empire¡¯s mobilization capability was closer to that of World War I, with the overall mobilization requiring more than a month¡¯s time.


    Although on a local level, speeding up the mobilization was possible, the improved speed was still not considered fast, with time being calculated in weeks.


    National overall mobilization was not an easy matter, moreover, it was irreversible: it was extremely complex, requiring a complete plan and a great deal of work. It was not something that could be finished with just a leader picking up the phone and giving an order.


    Therefore, even though three days had passed, the Dahua Empire¡¯s troops near Fengjiang were still in the midst of preparations, and even these preparations were under the surveillance of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence agency.


    As one of the key areas to be conquered, the Dahua Empire had all of their troops deployed near West Fengjiang evaluated by the Great Tang Empire in terms of their ammunition stockpile, transportation capacity, and command and mobilization abilities.


    ...


    The maps of the nearby area had also been prepared very detailedly by the Great Tang Empire, with some places even mapped out to the meter.


    ¡°When can we launch the attack?¡± Zhao Ji, impatient, asked Zhao Chen who stood beside him as he watched the train carrying ammunition pull into the station.


    This was Hezhe, the city closest to Fengjiang, whose name was indicative of its relationship with transportation. This place had always been a key transportation hub, functioning as the Dahua Empire¡¯s traffic junction to Zheng Country.


    Eastward from here lay Fengjiang, and further east beyond Fengjiang was the old border between Dahua and Zheng Country. Southward from Hezhe, there were roads leading directly to many important cities in the South.


    Since the advent of the railway, the place had become even more prosperous, and the city had expanded immensely. As a strategic depth line of defense against the Great Tang Empire, naturally, a large number of Dahua Empire¡¯s elite troops were also stationed here.


    Northward from here was the key northern stronghold, the Wilderness; southward was the major grain-producing town of Wanliang; westward was the deep defensive line of Xiajian; and eastward was the renowned port city of Fengjiang.


    Watching the materials being unloaded from the train, Zhao Chen, the prince who led troops, spoke honestly, ¡°Such matters cannot be rushed! Even though some preparations were made early, to actually launch an attack would still require waiting for more than a week.¡±


    Source: , updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    ¡°Why does it take so long?¡± Zhao Ji showed clear dissatisfaction with the pace and instinctively asked. He was actually not familiar with leading troops into battle, so he did not understand the intricacies involved.


    He simply saw countless soldiers before his eyes, along with a large amount of ammunition and supplies, and thought they should be ready to go. Just a command and the battle could begin.


    ¡°Your Highness, a hasty attack will only lead to failure,¡± Zhao Chen explained what else he needed to prepare, ¡°A large amount of weaponry is still on the way, the ammunition reserves are insufficient, the soldiers need bonuses as encouragement, and neither the Air Force nor subsequent reinforcements are ready... Launching a reckless attack now, how would we fare if we lost the first engagement?¡±


    ¡°Why do we need to prepare so much? What about the rebels on the other side? Don¡¯t they need to prepare these things?¡± Zhao Ji was still unsatisfied, thinking to himself that if his side was unprepared, it would mean the enemy was equally unprepared.


    ¡°Fengjiang has always been Zhao Yu¡¯s stronghold, and moreover, they are at their own doorstep in Fengjiang, so naturally, they can prepare much faster than us,¡± Zhao Chen patiently answered.


    He felt he had to steady this Crown Prince and make him understand his painstaking efforts, so as to avoid the Crown Prince jumping out and causing trouble at a critical moment.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by the Crown Prince¡¯s foolish and naive appearance. He might not have the capacity to succeed in tasks, but he certainly had enough to ruin them.


    Actually, although it seemed that the Dahua Empire had an absolute advantage in terms of military strength, Zhao Chen was clear about just how many of the troops in his hand and the surrounding areas were truly obedient; only heaven knew.


    With a large army applying pressure, these regions were all obedient babies, but if that deterrence was lost, many places could likely switch allegiance to Zhao Yu.


    Therefore, on his way here, he had made a very clear plan: have all the surrounding troops hold their ground and turn the area near Fengjiang City into a fortified zone.


    Trap the 300,000 troops of Zhao Yu near Fengjiang City and force Zhao Yu to use his limited troops to engage in an attritional battle near Hezhe with his Zhao Chen¡¯s forces, to maximally weaken Zhao Yu¡¯s military power.


    When conditions allowed, deploy subsequent reserve forces to retake Fengjiang and completely annihilate Zhao Yu¡¯s forces!


    From any perspective, his plan had the highest feasibility¡ªthe only imperfection was that the plan might be time-consuming.


    And what Zhao Kai lacked was time: as the weaker side, the Dahua Empire feared the Great Tang Empire¡¯s involvement in the war, so they insisted on quick battles and quick resolutions.


    Unfortunately, what people found regrettable was that the Dahua Empire¡¯s mobilization speed was embarrassingly slow; several days had passed, and they had not even completed basic local mobilization.


    In fact, the situation in West Fengjiang was not much better, even with the Great Tang Empire¡¯s material support, the mobilization speed of the troops in the West Fengjiang region was not considered fast.


    According to the standards of the Great Tang Empire, this was completely at the level of amateurs clumsily butting heads, watching it was enough to put someone to sleep.


    Three days had passed, and after Zhao Yu¡¯s arrival in Fengjiang, the entire Fengjiang garrison had not fully entered a state of combat, and aside from the material aid provided by the Great Tang Empire, they hadn¡¯t taken immediate action.


    Even with the advisory group from the Great Tang Empire directing the operations, this was the state of the Dahua military; no one could demand more.


    Zhao Yu, full of vigor, was deploying troops and preparing to launch an attack towards Hezhe City¡ªhe felt that to simply defend Fengjiang was to sit and wait for death, so he planned to initiate the attack first.


    However, apart from him, the ¡°leader,¡± the rest of the officers did not plan to focus the main attack on Hezhe; because doing so was essentially equivalent to taking the path to certain death.


    The troops around Fengjiang City that responded to Zhao Yu¡¯s command numbered only about 300,000, which was all the evident strength they had. If these troops were to launch a fierce attack on Hezhe, even if they captured Hezhe, they would have no strength left to continue the offensive.


    By that time, the troops of the Dahua Empire only had to wait at ease to the west of Xiajian, laying in wait for Zhao Yu¡¯s forces to fall into the trap and seek their own destruction.


    So, from the beginning, the plan of the military advisors from the Great Tang was not to attack Hezhe to the west but to strike another city to the south: Shanping!


    As long as they could break through the encirclement and head south to Shanping, there were not many main forces of the Dahua Empire there, yet economically it was more dependent on Fengjiang, and compared to Hezhe City, Shanping was also closer to Zhao Yu.


    After gaining control of Shanping, they could threaten Guiguang City! To the south of this city was the famous Sword Pavilion, the Longxing Land of the Dahua Empire!


    There was naturally a reason why it could become the Longxing Land of the Dahua Empire. To the west of the Sword Pavilion lay a small plain, rich in grain production, with only a single route leading directly to Sword Pavilion, and there were nearby iron and copper mines, with fairly rich natural resources.


    In the past, the great ancestor of the Dahua Empire rose to power here, naming this plain to the west of Sword Pavilion ¡°Nanku,¡± meaning ¡°treasury.¡±


    Controlling Nanku, Sword Pavilion, Guiguang, Shanping, and Fengjiang was equivalent to having the capital to contend with the Dahua Empire, as these places could provide a continuous supply of food and soldiers and even had a certain industrial base.


    Therefore, holding on to Fengjiang and seizing Guiguang City became the only choice for Zhao Yu to win. Moreover, as long as he captured the southern transportation hub of Guiguang, marched north to Wanliang City, and advanced to Shanchong City, it would be a deadly threat to the Dahua Empire.


    Shanchong was the transportation hub for the hinterlands of the Dahua Empire, located between three mountain ranges, extremely perilous, controlling it meant sealing off the path threatening Guiguang from the west.


    Moreover, north of Guiguang was Wanliang, the major grain-producing area of the eastern Dahua Empire; losing this place would cost the Dahua Empire at least a third of its grain production.


    Furthermore, from Wanliang to the northeast was Hezhe City, which was tantamount to threatening Hezhe from the flank. Under a pincer attack, the Dahua military would have to consider whether to give up Hezhe and retreat to defend Xiajian.


    To hold the southeast of the Dahua Empire, it was imperative to hold Guiguang, and to block the western approach to Guiguang, Shanchong must be firmly in grip.


    Similarly, to keep the northeast of the Dahua Empire, one had to hold Hezhe. If the Dahua Empire desired to concentrate forces to staunchly defend the eastern front, the shortest defensive line would actually be to staunchly defend Xiajian and Shanchong.


    The strategies of both sides were already laid out in the open: Zhao Chen had to face a decisive battle with Zhao Yu at Hezhe, but the way out for Zhao Yu¡¯s side was to head south to Shanping City.


    So, while Zhao Chen was waiting for reinforcements to arrive at Hezhe, Zhao Yu¡¯s troops, unbeknownst to him, were desperately fortifying the western defenses of Fengjiang.


    They had to rely on fortifications to withstand Zhao Chen¡¯s attack and had to pull out at least 100,000 soldiers to launch a fierce assault in the direction of Shanping.


    While both sides were deploying their forces, a piece of news came suddenly that frustrated both Zhao Chen and Zhao Ji: the railway line behind them had been blown up by a gang of formidable bandits. Repairing this section of the railway would take at least another day...


    This incident immediately ignited the rage of Zhao Ji, who, infuriated, personally returned to Xiajian to thoroughly investigate the sabotage of the railway tracks.


    With his departure, Zhao Chen actually heaved a sigh of relief: at least now, he was free of an ignorant fool who made all sorts of ridiculous and stupid demands every day by his side.


    So, he was even a bit grateful to those who had destroyed the railway tracks, thanking them for solving a huge problem for the Dahua Empire to some extent.

 Chapter 978 03-25 - 978 900 Civil War

    ?Chapter 978: 900 Civil War Chapter 978: 900 Civil War Fengjiang was very close to the border, which was not good for the Dahua Empire: the artillery and bombers of the Great Tang Empire could cover the city.


    But now, with Fengjiang backing the Great Tang Empire and establishing its own faction, it gained some advantages: the fighter jets taking off from the Great Tang Empire could actually provide cover for Fengjiang.


    Even though the Butcher Fighter Jets of the Great Tang Empire were very easy to recognize, in times of need, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s jets taking off to lend a helping hand was highly feasible.


    Another benefit was the anti-aircraft radar deployed on the side of the Great Tang Empire, which in fact could provide early radar warning for Fengjiang City.


    This meant that Fengjiang City¡¯s air defense capabilities were unprecedentedly strengthened, and to some extent, Fengjiang¡¯s air defense was even tighter than that of the Dahua Imperial Capital.


    Since they were not ready to attack and did not intend to escalate the situation, the Dahua Empire had not shown any intention to launch an offensive for many days.


    They were patiently waiting, waiting for their troops to gather completely, and then with an overwhelming momentum, to end this farce directly.


    ...


    Unfortunately, Zhao Yu did not think so. He was even arrogantly preparing to attack Hezhe, so he had been waiting for the frontline commanders to report back that the battle had commenced.


    In order to take the initiative and trigger this upheaval early, the military advisors of the Great Tang Empire, after completing their defensive fortifications, took the initiative to start the conflict.


    12 old bombers deployed in Fengjiang took off under orders, wearing a new identification coating, and bombed the Hezhe City train station.


    Unfortunately, these planes really performed poorly; they were intercepted by the urgently launched Dahua Type 2 fighter jets from the direction of Hezhe, and all were shot down without exception.


    Even before they were shot down, they had not managed to drop a single bomb, so the entire mission ended in failure, and the former Dahua Empire¡¯s Air Force Commander in Fengjiang was even held accountable and removed from his position.


    War had already erupted, and of course, Zhao Chen could no longer maintain restraint; he immediately ordered the artillery to fire and bloodily cleanse the defensive positions outside Fengjiang.


    The Fengjiang garrison, still living comfortably in their shelters with good food and drinks, were stunned by the bombardment of more than 400 artillery pieces; for the first time, they realized how powerful their own country was.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã?


    The artillery shells fell like raindrops, and the defensive line that had just been built less than a day earlier was nearly destroyed by the intense shelling.


    The concrete bunkers that hadn¡¯t completely dried were hit by artillery shells and were completely blown up into the air; the war had just broken out and instantly entered the most fierce phase.


    Seeing the front-line defensive positions being devastated, the advisory groups of the Great Tang Empire didn¡¯t care at all¡ªthe one thing they were never short of was probably cement and steel rebar.


    The Great Tang Empire didn¡¯t provide arms to Fengjiang¡¯s defenders, but the other materials were shockingly plentiful¡ªespecially the steel rebar and concrete materials for building defensive structures, which almost instantly filled all of Fengjiang¡¯s warehouses.


    Originally, part of Fengjiang¡¯s defending army was going to be pulled south, so the front line could only rely on solid defensive fortifications for support; this was a pre-arranged strategy.


    Since it was arranged, investing massive amounts of cement to build defensive lines became a plan that had to be executed: these days, the Fengjiang garrison had constantly been building various steel rebar concrete defense lines, almost filling the entire west side of Fengjiang City with fortifications.


    The thick cement was piled up everywhere, as if it cost nothing; trenches were reinforced, bunkers were reinforced, and many underground defensive works were also reinforced with cement.


    Interestingly, to counter the tank troops of the Great Tang Empire, Fengjiang¡¯s defenders equipped a large number of anti-tank guns, which were initially substandard anti-aircraft guns converted, mostly with a caliber of 76 mm.


    Such artillery might be too outdated for use as anti-aircraft guns, but they were still sufficient for use as anti-tank guns.


    They had good ballistic performance and sufficient armor penetration capabilities, still more than enough against the Dahua 3-type tanks equipped by the Dahua military forces.


    Dahua military¡¯s 3-type tank was an improvement on the 2-type tank, with added frontal armor, and firepower increased to a medium-caliber 90 mm gun, greatly enhancing its potency.


    The biggest improvement in this tank was the installation of a radio inside, allowing these tanks to communicate with each other.


    Originally, the 3-type tank was designed with the Great Tang Empire¡¯s No. 4 tank as the hypothetical enemy, but unfortunately it had not yet been manufactured, and the war between the Dahua Empire and the Great Tang Empire had already ended.


    And the Panther Tanks that appeared in the war from the Great Tang Empire completely overpowered the still-on-paper Dahua 3-type tanks, so the Dahua Empire immediately invested manpower and resources to develop the 5-type tank.


    The reason it¡¯s called Type 5 Tank is to distinguish it from the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Type 4 Tank, to avoid confusion in terminology.


    The Dahua Empire¡¯s Type 5 Tank is indeed a heavy tank. Like other countries opposing the Panther Tanks, Dahua relies on stacking up heavy armor to enhance its tank¡¯s combat capacities.


    However, the downside is that the Dahua Empire¡¯s Type 5 Tank is very slow and its field maneuverability is limited, making it not a very practical tank.


    Therefore, over the years, the most equipped tank in Dahua remained the Type 3, a medium tank with balanced performance¡ªeven if it is somewhat inferior to the Panther Tank, it¡¯s still far more practical than the Type 5.


    Inside the trench, the Fengjiang soldiers, covering their ears, could still hear the clicking sounds of stones falling on their heads. They could feel the pebbles hitting their steel helmets and the ground under their feet continuously trembling.


    The Dahua Empire actually had a substantial number of artillery units. During the previous engagements with the Great Tang Empire, their ammunition reserves had been destroyed, and their artillery positions had been demolished, so their true combat power couldn¡¯t be utilized.


    Now, with the air forces of both sides in a sorry state, Dahua¡¯s artillery immediately became heroic, starting their jovial singing.


    ¡°Damn it! Why can¡¯t they exert this much effort when they¡¯re supporting us?¡± an old soldier who had survived the Tang-Dahua War cursed loudly from the trench.


    As he cursed, a shell landed on the flat ground behind his position, lifting a sky-high cloud of dirt.


    Countless bits of rocky debris fluttered in the air, then fell on the soldiers in the trenches, bouncing off the concrete trench edges.


    The crater on the ground was more than five meters in diameter, even though it was made by a relatively small-caliber shell. Dahua¡¯s artillery bombardment continued incessantly, but the losses of the Fengjiang troops stationed at the positions weren¡¯t significant.


    On one hand, they had strong defensive fortifications to rely on, and on the other, their main forces were stationed at the second-line positions, not covered by the artillery fire.


    In fact, Fengjiang¡¯s artillery had also started a counter-barrage immediately, but it seemed somewhat feeble due to their insufficient numbers.


    Compared to Dahua¡¯s army, which possessed 400 large-caliber cannons, the Fengjiang military only had a mere 120 large-caliber cannons, so they were more conservative in returning fire.


    However, despite their timidity, Fengjiang¡¯s artillery still managed to cause trouble for Dahua¡¯s troops: they didn¡¯t have concrete defensive structures, so their ability to withstand attacks was slightly inferior.


    More frustrating for them was the fact that with reinforced concrete defensive structures, Fengjiang¡¯s artillery couldn¡¯t be quickly suppressed, forcing Dahua¡¯s forces to endure the enemy¡¯s artillery strikes.


    Thus, the battle quickly turned into an artillery duel. One side leveraged their artillery numerical superiority recklessly, while the other relied on their robust defenses to continuously counterattack, creating a back-and-forth battle.


    Worried about delayed reinforcements, Zhao Chen did not order an infantry assault, so both sides just kept up the artillery fight, transitioning from the first day¡¯s intense bombardment to sporadic fire and random coverage on the second day.


    The artillery from both sides fired scattered shots across a front more than 60 kilometers wide¡ªhere a couple of shots, there a couple of shots, suddenly reducing the intensity of the conflict by several orders of magnitude.


    Initially, everyone thought that Dahua would soon launch an offensive, but as the artillery duel calmed down, it seemed the attack wouldn¡¯t proceed.


    Stationed in a position that had been bombed once, the Fengjiang forces returned to a comfortable life, drinking tap water directly supplied to their position by water pumps, cooking delicious instant noodles transported from the Great Tang Empire, and writing safety letters home.


    This was a level of comfort they had never experienced before; they had never seen so many pieces of writing paper, nor encountered officers willing to help write letters home.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s consultants at the front lines didn¡¯t participate in the battles, but they supervised the distribution of military resources, chatted with Fengjiang soldiers, helped them write letters home, and helped send the soldiers¡¯ collected chocolates and candies back home along with the letters.


    Of course, they also played cards with the soldiers, sang songs to showcase their talents, and even shared their cigarettes with these Fengjiang soldiers.


    Occasionally, they would squat together in the trenches, looking up at the sky where not-so-intense air battles took place: sometimes it was a Dahua Empire reconnaissance plane flying over, then chased by Fengjiang¡¯s Dahua Type 3 Fighter Jets; then Dahua¡¯s similar fighter jets would fly back, entangling in the sky.


    Frequently, a plane would trail long black smoke as it glided away, and sometimes an air battle would end without any results.


    In any case, accompanied by intermittent, faint echoes of artillery fire, this civil war within the Dahua Empire had fully erupted. Apart from the first day¡¯s thunderous barrage, it seemed... not as ferocious as one might imagine.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Today, two updates

 Chapter 979 03-25 - 979 901 Open Cards Warfare

    ?Chapter 979: 901 Open Cards Warfare Chapter 979: 901 Open Cards Warfare Something¡¯s not right! Watching the shells fall on the position, Zhao Chen instinctively felt there was a problem with Fengjiang¡¯s military tactics. He was delaying time because reinforcements were continuously coming from behind. What was Fengjiang waiting for?


    Could it be that they were waiting for reinforcements from the Great Tang Empire? That didn¡¯t seem realistic! If the Great Tang Empire were willing to get involved in the war, their response would definitely not be this slow.


    To step back tens of thousands of steps, even if the ground forces of the Great Tang Empire needed time to assemble and mobilize, the air force of the Great Tang Empire should have already joined the war!


    Those terrifying flying demons didn¡¯t need much time to gather and could casually send out hundreds of planes. Even the earliest Stuka Dive Bombers to appear on the battlefield were definitely a headache for anyone.


    But now, whether it was the Flying Fortress, the Stuka, or that damned attack plane called the Il, none had appeared near Hezhe.


    This indicated that the previous promise by the Great Tang Empire about not getting involved in the war had some binding force.


    If the Great Tang Empire had no immediate plans to get involved in the war, then the defensive strategy of the Fengjiang troops was problematic!


    ...


    Anyone could see the logical paradox with a bit of thought: without reinforcements, Fengjiang¡¯s delaying tactics were simply a road to death. The only explanation was that their frontline defense was meant to divert troops to cause trouble in another direction.


    The terrain of Fengjiang City was very simple; extending northward was a plain without a direct railway to Guiguang City, making the movement of large troops to the north laughable.


    Therefore, the most likely choice for Fengjiang troops would be to head south to attack Shanping¡ªZhao Chen had actually considered this possibility on his way over, so he had made corresponding arrangements.


    Firstly, three defensive lines were established on the road from Shanping to Fengjiang, heavily fortified. According to Zhao Chen, even if the Great Tang was attacking, breaching the defenses and advancing on Shanping would take some time.


    As long as he was given time, he could continue to send reinforcements to Shanping. By then, if a war of attrition were fought, it would have the same effect as a decisive battle at Hezhe.


    However, Zhao Chen still felt that Shanping was not secure enough, feeling he should strengthen the defenses in that direction.


    So he turned, looked at the commanders beside him, and ordered, ¡°Have Zhao Zheng¡¯s two Armored Divisions go reinforce Shanping immediately! Have the troops from Datian and Shanchong assemble in Guiguang!¡±


    Source: , updated on ?0¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï


    He felt that, with the addition of two Armored Divisions from Guiguang, the defenders at Shanping should also be deliberately prepared to counter Fengjiang¡¯s attack.


    The Zhao Zheng mentioned in his orders was a royal confidant newly promoted by Zhao Kai, tasked with replacing Qian Jinhang¡¯s position and commanding hundreds of thousands of troops in the southern region of the Empire.


    Being valued by the Emperor and entrusted with such responsibility, Zhao Zheng was by no means an incompetent officer. In fact, he was quite capable and a commander who tended to follow orders.


    After receiving Zhao Chen¡¯s command, Zhao Zheng immediately ordered the Armored Divisions under his command to move northeast, preparing to head to Shanping.


    Meanwhile, in the headquarters of the Fengjiang southern troop formations, the leader of the military advisor group from the Great Tang Empire, Luo Xiao, began issuing combat orders.


    ¡°The 1st Armored Division of Fengjiang will be responsible for the flank attack... The 1st and 2nd Infantry Divisions of Fengjiang will deal with the enemy head-on! We have already reinforced you with all the artillery that could be mustered. You must take the first line of defense within a day, understood?¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± The commanders of Fengjiang¡¯s army responded in unison. They actually felt very confident about this operation; now that their troops were well-supplied and morale was high, if they still could not succeed, then they might as well be dead.


    For the commanders of the Dahua Empire, as long as they were not fighting against the Great Tang Empire, they felt their chances of victory were quite high.


    ¡°Then get ready! Launch the attack in an hour and a half.¡± Luo Xiao dismissed the commanders of Fengjiang and then returned to the map with his staff.


    He stared at the military situation near Fengjiang and sighed, ¡°The terrain is too ordinary, and Fengjiang¡¯s intentions are almost completely exposed. The enemy commander would guess our plan as long as he¡¯s not an idiot.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do; there are only two routes to take. If not Hezhe, then Shanping. There¡¯s no need to guess.¡± One of the staff members responded with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Zhao Chen is on the northern line, Zhao Zheng on the southern line, and it looks like Zhao Zheng is easier to push around. So we have no choice but to push around Zhao Zheng,¡± another staff member expressed it as a matter of course.


    In terms of both the number of troops and their quality, Zhao Chen was not the easier opponent to face, so attacking Zhao Zheng¡¯s forces first was the right choice.


    ¡°No matter what, let¡¯s focus our forces and defeat Zhao Zheng first!¡± Luo Xiao made up his mind, or one might say he had no other choice from the start.


    On the other side, after receiving the reply from Zhao Zheng, Zhao Chen settled down somewhat. He pondered for a while, then walked to the edge of the map and scrutinized it carefully again.


    Then he returned to the table, picked up the phone, and connected to the Hezhe frontline command center, ¡°Hello? Hello! This is Zhao Chen! ... I order your unit to be prepared within an hour, within two hours... you must launch an attack!¡±


    ¡°Attack? Commander, weren¡¯t the orders to hold off on attacking for now?¡± The commander on the other end of the line asked in confusion.


    ¡°The orders have been changed! I will repeat it once more! The orders are amended! Be prepared to attack within an hour! You must launch an attack within two hours!¡± Zhao Chen, gripping the phone, commanded in a resolute tone.


    After a pause, he continued, ¡°At all costs, launch a fierce attack on the Fengjiang defense line! By tonight, you must take down a line of defense for me! Repeat my orders!¡±


    ¡°Yes! By tonight, at all costs, we must take the enemy¡¯s first line of defense!¡± The frontline commander immediately responded on the other end of the phone.


    ¡°Good! Carry out the order!¡± Zhao Chen hung up the phone, walked once more to the front of the map, and stared at the locations already marked as the Fengjiang defense lines, falling into silence for quite a while.


    Just over ten minutes after he issued his orders, the Dahua Empire¡¯s artillery roared once again, with the barrage of shells falling once more upon the Fengjiang military positions, kicking up mounds of soil.


    The sturdy defense positions wavered slightly in the sound of the bombardment, and the soldiers hiding in the bunkers could only wait, waiting for the madness of the artillery fire to subside.


    However, this time, the artillery did not cease. A barrage followed another, breaking the unwritten rules of the past two days: the sporadic bombardment that seemed to have irked a certain high-level figure, today¡¯s artillery fire was not procedural, but a real battle.


    Through the years of training, the Dahua Empire¡¯s military had made some progress, albeit only a little. Though they could only learn a fraction, they truly did acquire some techniques from the Great Tang Army.


    As the artillery fire still had not completely ceased, the Dahua Empire¡¯s Armored Corps began their assault, with Type 3 tanks lined up one after another, covering the infantry as they charged forth menacingly.


    The Fengjiang defenders, who thought the enemy was merely doing perfunctory shelling, hadn¡¯t realized that the enemy was already moving closer at this moment.


    They hid in the trenches, awaiting the end of the artillery attack that was drawing to a close. A Fengjiang soldier, who was supposed to be on watch, returned once more to his covered outpost, and through the gap straight ahead, he spotted the enemy¡¯s movements.


    ¡°Oh my God! Quick, come see! They¡¯ve brought the tanks out!¡± Face pressed against the observation slit, the sentinel shouted loudly.


    ¡°Tanks! The tanks are coming!¡± Hearing his shout, the squad leader immediately peeked out and saw the heavy vehicle in the distance making a turn.


    To be honest, if the Dahua Empire¡¯s Type 3 tank wasn¡¯t compared to the Panther Tank, it was actually a fairly decent medium-heavy tank, almost on par with Germany¡¯s Panzer III, not too far off.


    However, it indeed lagged behind in performance, especially when the Tang Empire had already started equipping with the Type 59 tank.


    Fortunately, it did not have to face Panther Tanks or the legendary Type 59 now; it only needed to deal with friendly tanks of the same model.


    ¡°Damn it! The artillery just passed, and they¡¯re already up here, they¡¯re really playing with their lives.¡± Watching the Type 3 tank inch closer, the squad leader stationed there complained angrily.


    They didn¡¯t have any anti-tank weapons¡ªonly an anti-tank gun belonging to the battalion, a short distance behind them. With such fierce shelling just before, who knew if that anti-tank gun was still operational or not.


    ¡°Old Zhang! Old Zhang! Go check, see if the anti-tank platoon¡¯s anti-tank gun is still functional!¡± The squad leader bellowed. If that gun was out of commission, they¡¯d have to quickly retreat.


    Otherwise, what to do? Play with their lives using hand grenades against tanks? What a joke¡ªyou didn¡¯t see that a huge mass of infantry following behind the tanks!


    ¡°Squad leader! The gun crew is still there! They¡¯re adjusting the artillery!¡± Before long, Old Zhang¡¯s voice came from not too far away.


    The squad leader immediately felt heartened and began tactical deployment, ¡°Follow Brother Liu¡¯s arrangement! The machine gun to position number 1, fire from the flank when the enemy approaches! Let the tanks pass, the anti-tank gun behind will take care of them!¡±


    Brother Liu, mentioned by the squad leader, was the advisor sent by the Tang Empire. Apart from this advisor, no one else in the squad¡¯s position could make the squad leader call them brother.


    Soon, Fengjiang¡¯s artillery also roared, landing near Dahua soldiers pressing forward, frighteningly accurate. Soldiers fell where the shells exploded, some even blasted into the air by the force of the detonations.


    There were more advisors from the Tang Empire on the artillery positions; their artillery skills were definitely among the top on this planet. With them providing parameters, how could Fengjiang¡¯s artillery not be accurate?

 Chapter 980 03-25 - 980 Tank 902 leads the way

    ?Chapter 980: Tank 902 leads the way Chapter 980: Tank 902 leads the way The Tang Empire, although not directly engaged in combat, did indeed provide a great deal of assistance to the Fengjiang defense troops. For example, the Tang Empire¡¯s individual soldier communication system played a significant role in this battle.


    The Tang Empire¡¯s frontline observation posts carried communication equipment and professionally reported the exact locations of the Dahua Empire¡¯s attacking troops.


    Thereafter, Fengjiang¡¯s artillery needed only to take charge of firing. Their shells would blanket the enemy, instantly inflicting heavy casualties.


    The Dahua Empire¡¯s artillery also tried to suppress the Fengjiang defenders¡¯ guns, but due to accuracy issues, the effectiveness of this suppression was actually very limited.


    The frontline battle was still fiercely ongoing; the Dahua Empire¡¯s troops could not possibly crumble and give up this attack opportunity just because of a round of precise artillery fire.


    Zhao Chen had issued a life-or-death command to the frontline troops: to take the first line of defense at all costs, so the commanders of the combat troops could not easily order a retreat.


    A Type 3 tank began to roll over the Fengjiang defenders¡¯ front trench, and at that moment, a machine gun that had been hidden on the flank of the Fengjiang defenders began its strafing fire.


    ...


    This was all standard procedure. After being taught so many lessons by the Great Tang, the covert flank machine gun emplacements were no longer a secret. Similar arrangements were in place with all nations¡¯ positions; the only differences were the quantity and flexibility of their movements.


    With the sound of machine guns flaring up on the flank, the attacking Dahua soldiers almost instantaneously threw themselves to the ground.


    As for how many were actually hit by machine gun fire and how many were simply taking cover, only heaven knew.


    An extremely well-hidden anti-tank gun suddenly fired at this moment, the loud bang causing everyone to involuntarily shrink their necks.


    Because of the close proximity, this shot pierced right through the relatively thin frontal armor of the Dahua Type 3 tank, setting it ablaze.


    The Dahua Empire¡¯s diesel engine technology was not up to snuff; thus, the tank still used a gasoline engine, which, after all, had been in use for a longer time and mechanics were more familiar with it, making it more user-friendly.


    This also included logistics maintenance efficiency and the complexity of fuel supply, so the use of a gasoline engine in tanks was not entirely without merit.


    Source: , updated on ?0¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï


    However, compared to diesel engines, gasoline engines were still far too prone to catching fire. Moreover, the Dahua Empire¡¯s Type 3 tank lacked any explosion-suppressant fire systems, making it akin to a highly flammable and explosive danger.


    The tank¡¯s driver and other crew, such as the commander and gunner, flipped open the hatch, trying to climb out to escape, but as soon as they lifted the hatch, flames burst out from within.


    The tank¡¯s crew, who had partially emerged, did not have time to climb out and struggled in the flames, screaming like tormented spirits.


    Just as they began to go still, the Dahua Type 3 tank exploded. The massive blast blew off the tank¡¯s turret, scattering parts from the hull, and immediately turning the surroundings of the tank into hell.


    A metal storm swept through everything around, and even the Fengjiang defenders hiding in the trenches behind the tank were thrown about by the violent explosion.


    After the ground-shaking explosion, the battle still continued. Dahua soldiers, getting up from the ground prepared to move forward, were once again pinned down by machine gun fire from the flank.


    ¡°Hand grenades! Blast that damn machine gun position!¡± shouted a Dahua commander lying on the ground, and many who heard the order reached for the hand grenades hanging at their waists.


    Over at the Fengjiang machine gun position, the shooters heard the enemy¡¯s shouts. They knew their location might have been compromised and had become unsafe, so they quickly picked up the machine gun and retreated along the communication trench.


    There was no helping it; if they ran even slightly slowly, they would surely be sent sky-high by the enemy¡¯s hand grenades.


    Sure enough, as they dashed, a series of hand grenade explosions rang out behind them. The enemy didn¡¯t seem sure of the machine gun position, and they blanketed an area with seven or eight hand grenades.


    A second Type 3 tank began approaching the trench, and the Dahua soldiers following behind the tank, no longer threatened by the flank, got up and started advancing towards the Fengjiang defenders¡¯ trenches. They had only taken a few steps when a hail of bullets came from the Fengjiang defensive positions in front.


    Machine guns on the tank, including the hull and coaxial guns, ceaselessly fired, with bullets hitting near the trench and kicking up a cloud of dust. Fengjiang soldiers were struck down, and the rest immediately shrank back into the trench.


    The two sides were now very close, so the Fengjiang soldiers who had pulled back into the trenches quickly pulled out their hand grenades, preparing to surprise the ¡°friendly forces¡± on the opposite side.


    The Dahua soldiers who had just gotten up to continue their advance hadn¡¯t gone two steps before they found grenades rolling at their feet.


    ¡°Boom!¡± One explosion after another, Dahua Empire soldiers killed by hand grenades fell in succession. The remaining soldiers of the Dahua Empire, stepping over their comrades¡¯ corpses, continued to advance step by step.


    ¡°Ratatatata!¡± Elsewhere, a Number 3 tank, brandishing its prowess, pressed on, taking advantage of the fact that the Fengjiang defense force didn¡¯t have as many tanks¡ªDahua¡¯s forces were going all-in this time.


    Dozens of tanks arrayed before the position indeed presented an astonishing deterrent. Machine-gun fire raked across the reinforced concrete bunkers, immediately shrouding the firing ports in white smoke.


    Since the position was very well concealed, the just-fired anti-tank gun had yet to be discovered. Behind the shelter, the loader was frantically stuffing a shell into the gun chamber.


    After closing the breech, the gunner cranked the handle beside the gun, adjusting his muzzle to take aim at another Number 3 tank that had entered his firing range.


    That tank seemed to be looking for an angle to rake the Fengjiang troops¡¯ trenches, so it exposed its side, giving the anti-tank gun team a very favorable angle.


    Without the slightest hesitation, the gunner fired a shot that penetrated the Number 3 tank¡¯s side armor, leaving behind a black cavity.


    The shell, after piercing the armor, would carry fragments with it to create a metal storm; these shards would easily turn everything inside the tank into a sieve.


    Those lucky enough not to die might have a chance to scramble out and escape, but the unfortunate ones inside the tank were dead in the instant it was breached.


    After being hit, the tank immediately became paralyzed on the spot. Judging by the angle at which the shell penetrated, the gunner, commander, and loader were probably done for.


    Sure enough, the next second, the tank¡¯s hatch was flipped open from the inside, and the driver and electromechanic scrambled out in a panic¡ªsympathetic detonation could happen at any time, and they certainly didn¡¯t want to end up cooked and hanging on the tank.


    After a tank is breached, there isn¡¯t much time to think; all the surviving crew instinctively flee the tank¡ªit¡¯s almost a reflexive response.


    But in the brutal battlefield, this response is just the first step of escape. After climbing out of a tank, the crew still face a frenzy of enemy bullets.


    Many were lucky enough to survive, and quite a few were shot dead during the process of escaping the tank. In the end, everyone relied on luck to live; no one had more experience than anyone else.


    Indeed, as he was clambering out of the tank, the electromechanic was hit by a bullet from out of nowhere, screamed, and fell back inside the tank.


    The driver next to him was much luckier; he leapt off the tank and quickly dove into a nearby shell hole, disappearing without a trace.


    Should the Dahua Empire¡¯s assault troops capture the nearby positions, he might have a chance to continue fighting; if the Empire¡¯s assault fails, he would likely become a prisoner of the Fengjiang defenders.


    ¡°Load! Load quickly!¡± Seeing another tank approaching, the anti-tank gunner shouted at the loader behind him to hurry and bring another shell.


    But while he was urging, the turret of the distant Number 3 tank was already turning, the medium-caliber 90mm tank gun¡¯s barrel, was gradually pointing toward the shelter where the anti-tank gun team was.


    ¡°They¡¯ve spotted us! Load quickly! Damn it!¡± The anti-tank gunner was almost in tears, watching death inch closer was truly enough to make one crumble.


    The tank gunner, under the frightened gaze of the anti-tank gunner, took aim and then fired. The gunner closed his eyes, awaiting the descent of death, but the shell didn¡¯t hit its target.


    The shell struck beside the shelter and was deflected by the angle, leaving behind only a shattering sound that shook everyone to the core.


    The anti-tank gunner swallowed hard, then turned around and hysterically yelled, ¡°Load the shell! Hurry! They¡¯re about to hit us!¡±


    The loader frantically pushed the shell into the chamber and then deftly closed the breech: ¡°Loaded!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡± The gunner, already aimed, fired directly, piercing the front armor of the opposite tank. Watching his shell hit the target, the gunner finally exhaled in relief.


    The anti-tank gunner swallowed hard, then turned around and hysterically yelled, ¡°Load the shell! Hurry! They¡¯re about to hit us!¡±


    The loader frantically pushed the shell into the chamber and then deftly closed the breech: ¡°Loaded!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡± The gunner, already aimed, fired directly, piercing the front armor of the opposite tank. Watching his shell hit the target, the gunner finally exhaled in relief. The gunner finally exhaled in relief. The gunner finally exhaled in relief. The gunner finally exhaled in relief.

 Chapter 981 03-25 - 981 When the time comes to 903, luck turns around

    ?Chapter 981: When the time comes to 903, luck turns around. Chapter 981: When the time comes to 903, luck turns around. ¡°Hello? What? The first defensive line has been lost?¡± Luo Xiao was stunned upon receiving the frontal report. He genuinely hadn¡¯t anticipated that the carefully arranged first line of defense would only hold for one day before being lost...


    It seems the combat effectiveness of Fengjiang¡¯s defenders needs to be reassessed¡ªindeed, merely assisting on the side doesn¡¯t seem to be sufficient.


    ¡°The combat power of these people is too low...¡± A staff member who heard the news also shook his head¡ªthe defensive line manned by more than ten thousand personnel couldn¡¯t even withstand one day.


    Had it been the soldiers of the Great Tang Empire, amassing 10,000 troops, the commanders would probably start thinking about how to counterattack and seize the enemy positions.


    ¡°Should we pull back two divisions to assist in defense?¡± a cautious staff member suggested at Luo Xiao¡¯s side.


    ¡°No need! Dress up the news and send it to Zhao Yu. Also... intensify ideological education for all Fengjiang military troops again! Losing more positions, their Fengjiang will be done for!¡± Luo Xiao dismissed the suggestion to withdraw troops for support.


    Capturing Shanping is their only chance; if they waver so soon, how will they continue to fight in the future?


    ...


    Once the Dahua troops surround us later, they would only have the option to hunker down in their positions. By then, reversing the defeat would be difficult.


    ¡°Such a trivial matter, surely we can¡¯t mobilize our own forces, right?¡± Luo Xiao muttered while staring at the map.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see...¡± The staff members didn¡¯t have a better solution and could only wait and see how things unfolded.


    ...


    Zhao Feng felt his fortune had turned. He used to be a very peripheral member of the Royal Family of Dahua Empire, the kind who couldn¡¯t even claim close relationships.


    In his childhood, his family was average, with no so-called royal privileges, and as he grew up, he could only rely on his efforts to maintain his livelihood.


    Later, he took up a career and became a pilot, sent to the Great Tang Empire for training, finally securing a stable job.


    Source: , updated on ??¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï


    Unfortunately, good times didn¡¯t last long. This distant relative from the Royal Family of the Dahua Empire, due to the war between the Dahua Empire and the Great Tang Empire, had no choice but to join the battlefield.


    Although his skills as a pilot were decent in the Dahua Empire, facing the pilots of the Great Tang Empire, his skills were utterly inadequate.


    Also, the aircraft he flew could not possibly contend with the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Butcher Fighter Jets, so he was naturally shot down.


    He remembered that mission vividly¡ªhe was tasked with bombing the southern oil fields. It was during this mission that the air force of the Dahua Empire suffered heavy losses, completely losing its combat capability until the end of the war.


    In that battle, Zhao Feng was shot down and captured, becoming the first royal member of the Dahua Empire to be captured.


    The Dahua Empire did not waste any resources on such a ¡®useless¡¯ individual, promptly declaring him dead and even removing his household registration.


    In other words, the Royal Family of the Dahua Empire did not even consider retrieving Zhao Feng, essentially discarding him like garbage.


    Naturally, Zhao Feng was furious, but without any backing and even deprived of money, there was little he could do but stay in the Great Tang Empire, taking on odd jobs in the prisoner of war management department.


    As a pilot with a higher education level, having studied in the Great Tang Empire, he could still scrape by.


    He was originally content with such a lifestyle, for his living standards weren¡¯t great in the Dahua Empire, and getting by in the Great Tang was pretty decent.


    However, everything changed completely with the outbreak of the civil war in the Dahua Empire: the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire approached him, asking if he was willing to work for the Imperial Security Bureau of the Great Tang Empire.


    Zhao Feng agreed swiftly and thus became a Tang person, returning to his familiar Dahua Empire, in Fengjiang, where he became an Air Force Commander.


    From being merely a pilot, he was entrusted with a significant role, commanding the fighter jet division of Fengjiang¡¯s military, with 64 Dahua Type 2 Fighter Jets under his command, which he considered as a formidable force.


    Already the commander of the fighter jet division, he was soon promoted to become the Air Force Commander-in-Chief¡ªthe unfortunate former bomber commander, due to a failed bombing mission to Hezhe, was dismissed and sent to the Great Tang Empire for further training.


    The Fengjiang air force base in Fengjiang City, couldn¡¯t hear the deafening sounds of artillery; Dahua Empire¡¯s planes also dared not easily fly near Fengjiang to carry out air raids or reconnaissance missions.


    After all, this place is too close to the Great Tang Empire, so close that the Dahua Empire dares not take the risk...


    If they were really to wander into the airspace of the Great Tang Empire and get beaten up, that would still be a minor issue. The real problem would start if they were caught by the Great Tang Empire exploiting a weakness and causing a bigger incident.


    Therefore, Zhao Feng¡¯s job was actually not considered much; one of his most important tasks every day was to chat and shoot the breeze with Zhao Yu, making Zhao Yu believe that he was in control of the military and that the troops were resolutely implementing his foolish aggression plan against Hezhe.


    ¡°Your Highness, rest assured, with the support of Tang Country, victory is already on our side. Actually, Your Highness doesn¡¯t need to worry at all, just leave those minor issues to the advisory team from Tang Country.¡± After Zhao Feng finished reporting the Air Force¡¯s combat plan, he once again started a conversation with Zhao Yu.


    Zhao Yu really valued this distant relative of the Dahua Empire Royal Family; previously, he didn¡¯t even know Zhao Feng, but now he felt that Zhao Feng was truly a capable minister within the Royal Family.


    At least in terms of air defense, which was Zhao Feng¡¯s responsibility, Zhao Yu had never worried! Since the war began, Fengjiang City had never sounded the air raid alarm, which fully demonstrated Zhao Feng¡¯s capabilities!


    Due to the loss of many of his confidants in previous operations, Zhao Yu trusted Zhao Feng, a fellow Royal Family member, immensely. He even felt that Zhao Feng was a godsend lieutenant to him.


    Thus, after hearing Zhao Feng¡¯s words, he smiled graciously and said, ¡°You are right, but I am still very worried. If we cannot immediately seize Hezhe and then occupy Xiajian and threaten Dongqing City, the emperor will not compromise.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty is biased and has been blinded by Zhao Ji. But he will soon realize that Zhao Ji is just a coward and a fool, and Your Highness is the future hope of this Empire!¡± Zhao Feng hurriedly stated, ¡°The only hope!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Hearing Zhao Feng¡¯s words, Zhao Yu suddenly felt elated; although his situation was not great, he did feel like he ¡°controlled¡± his own fate, and for a moment, he was rather proud.


    So was Zhao Feng; he did not want to go back to his former status anymore. He was now truly a Commander, a person with a boundless future.


    Currently, there were only a few confidants around Zhao Yu who could hold significant discussions, besides the Princess and the housekeeper, there were also the City Lord of Fengjiang and the former defense commander of Fengjiang City.


    With all fingers on one hand counted, his position was very important; in the future, perhaps he might even become the Air Force Commander-in-Chief of the Dahua Empire.


    ¡°Keep an eye on Zhao Chen¡¯s Air Force, don¡¯t let a single bomb fall inside Fengjiang City! If you can do this, it will be a great achievement!¡± Patting Zhao Feng on the shoulder, Zhao Yu promised earnestly, ¡°Once the matter succeeds, you shall be my Air Force Commander-in-Chief!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry! Not a single enemy plane will fly over Fengjiang!¡± Zhao Feng immediately reassured¡ªjokingly, with the intelligence support from the Great Tang Empire, was he afraid of Zhao Chen¡¯s lousy planes?


    You see, the Great Tang Empire had set up radars in East Fengjiang City, which could provide early warnings and allow the Fengjiang Air Force to accurately intercept incoming planes.


    Unless the enemy performed ultra-low-altitude flying to escape radar surveillance, which could easily be detected and shot down by Fengjiang¡¯s ground defense forces, normally nobody would attempt such a foolish act.


    While Zhao Feng was bragging, an officer walked into the room with a mournful expression, stood at attention, saluted, and sadly reported: ¡°Your Highness, the troops attacking Hezhe are blocked and have suffered heavy losses! Although they have killed more than 2000 enemies, our forces have also lost over 1000.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Zhao Yu was startled and immediately stood up, but upon hearing the loss of over 1000 men, he calmed down: ¡°Idiot! Why can¡¯t you tell it all at once? Only a little over 1000 men lost, why the panic?¡±


    The officer bowed his head and dared not retort¡ªhe was just delivering the message; in fact, he didn¡¯t even know where the troops were exactly.


    However, compared to Zhao Yu, who genuinely knew nothing, he had heard some rumors: they had transported so much cement and steel before¡ªan idiot could tell it was for construction. He just didn¡¯t know why they needed to construct so much.


    ¡°It¡¯s still you who are reliable.¡± Zhao Yu seemed to have inherited some genes from his father Zhao Kai as he had full confidence in Royal Family relatives. After hearing that the army¡¯s advance was blocked, his first reaction was to turn around and praise Zhao Feng.


    So far, Zhao Feng, who had ¡°always kept Fengjiang airspace secure,¡± was truly regarded by Zhao Yu as a capable and trusted official.


    After all, wasn¡¯t this BUFF fully stacked? As an educated Air Force Commander and a Royal Family kinsman, in any way, Zhao Yu was delighted.


    ¡°Go help me check the front lines, see where those bunglers have reached! Come back and tell me.¡± Looking at Zhao Feng, who had earned his trust, Zhao Yu assigned him a new task.


    Zhao Feng naturally would not refuse, immediately responding, ¡°Your Highness¡¯s order, I will handle it immediately!¡±


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Zhao Yu felt that he should show some concern for his subordinates.


    ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry! I will be careful!¡± Zhao Feng had no intention of actually going to the frontlines. Of course, he would be careful¡ªby finding a good place outside Fengjiang City to rest for a day, why risk it...


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    Adding one more update

 Chapter 982 03-25 - 982 How exactly do you choose 904

    ?Chapter 982: How exactly do you choose 904? Chapter 982: How exactly do you choose 904? ¡°Gentlemen! The time to test us has arrived!¡± the factory manager, just back from a meeting, called out loudly to the few engineers awaiting him as he entered.


    Their factory was a cannon factory of the Great Tang Empire, mostly producing 75mm caliber long-barreled tank guns.


    It was the same 75mm caliber tank gun mounted on the Panther Tank, now also being widely used on the No. 4 Assault Gun.


    Unfortunately, the latest Model 59 Tank used a 105mm caliber tank gun, which was manufactured by a dedicated factory and wasn¡¯t much related to their factory.


    The factory system of the Tang Empire was somewhat different from that in the normal world: a typical heavy industrial factory elsewhere would continue its legacy, upgrading equipment and transitioning from producing old products to new products, meeting market demands.


    Whereas the industrial upgrading approach taken by the Tang Empire was completely different: the Empire would allow older factories to develop on their own while building a completely new factory nearby to upgrade technology.


    Conversely, once outdated technology was completely phased out, the entire factory would be dealt with and given to other countries that wanted it, then the space would be cleared to construct more advanced factories¡ªthus the cycle repeats.


    ...


    Regarding the workers in the factories, they would draft half to the new factories to learn and then the remaining half would go to learn afterward, one loop following another in repetition.


    The biggest advantage of this approach was the rapid upgrade speed, and it also didn¡¯t waste time on outdated production capabilities. Of course, there were also disadvantages, namely the need for many new technologies to be invested simultaneously to maintain the technological edge of the new factories.


    In any case, Tang Mo, a time-traveling overlord with a golden touch, could play this game; others would likely break down if they tried to do the same.


    Excited, the factory manager began speaking: ¡°We now need to immediately start producing an anti-tank gun, to support the Fengjiang defense forces that are defending freedom!¡±


    He thought his factory would soon be phased out, since after all, the 75 cannon had been around since the Brunas Era, and by now it had become one of the oldest lines of artillery.


    Back in the days when the Great Tang Empire was still during Brunas¡¯s time, they began mass production of the 75 short-barreled infantry gun, and later, its long-barreled improved version was even equipped by the Navy. The short-barreled guns were also later supplied to the Army tanks and the No. 4 Assault Guns...


    As the factory manager spoke, he scattered the materials given to him at the meeting, along with some other documents, across the table and introduced to his most capable engineers: ¡°The superiors mean that the new cannon must have stronger penetrating power, able to pierce through the frontal armor of the Type 3 Tank from a greater distance.¡±


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï


    The 76mm caliber anti-aircraft guns currently equipped by the Fengjiang defense forces and converted into anti-tank guns seemed to perform well, but in reality, they were not that great.


    First of all, these converted anti-tank guns lacked a shield; secondly, they were not flexible enough. They were cumbersome and had an average rate of fire.


    Actually, the most suitable option was to provide Fengjiang defense forces with the 88mm anti-all gun equipped by the Great Tang Empire itself, but the Tang Empire was unwilling to give away such powerful weaponry to the Fengjiang defense forces for nothing.


    After all, it was unclear whether they would be friends or foes in the future, so holding back was deemed necessary. Hence, the military¡¯s idea was to provide a weapon that was nearly at the end of its potential to the Fengjiang defense forces to make do temporarily.


    An engineer who heard the factory manager¡¯s words immediately said, ¡°The frontal armor of a Type 3 Tank is about 80mm thick, and its actual protection level is even less than our own No. 4 Tank. Penetrating the armor at the front of such a tank is actually not difficult. What they mean is that using a 50mm or 75mm caliber long-barreled gun would suffice.¡±


    He had always been studying armor penetration, so he was quite familiar with this type of weapon. Their factory had previously developed a 50mm high-caliber anti-tank gun, and they had the experience and the technical reserves. If needed, they could be put into production immediately.


    After presenting his choice, he also provided his reasoning: ¡°I personally lean towards the 50mm long-barreled gun. Its high caliber can make up for the smaller caliber, and the penetrating capability is indeed secure.¡±


    An engineer responsible for production expressed some concerns: ¡°Such a long barrel, such a high caliber... won¡¯t that affect the cost?¡±


    Since he was in charge of production, he needed to control product costs¡ªafter all, whether a weapon was good or not is completely linked to its price. Aside from the generously financed Great Tang Empire¡¯s weapon procurement, other countries more or less cared about the cost-effectiveness.


    The engineer who had initially proposed using the 50mm long-barreled gun nodded in acknowledgment and honestly admitted the most serious downside of the 50 gun: ¡°Definitely, it will have an impact on cost. Ensuring such a long barrel surely won¡¯t be cheap.¡±


    These ultra-long-barreled guns had extremely high chamber pressure, which meant that the steel required would inevitably be expensive. Furthermore, creating rifling in such guns was also a technologically challenging task, something only feasible with Tang Country¡¯s robust technological and financial resources. Other countries would not even be able to manufacture such a thing.


    A gun that costs as much to produce as a tank is unequivocally a failure. Even if its performance slightly exceeds that of its contemporary competitors, it is destined for obsolescence.


    At times like these, the harsh reality is painfully clear: the upper echelons often fail to provide the frontline soldiers with the best weapons. Instead, they must make do with second-class, or even significantly inferior, armaments in their fight against the enemy.


    In fact, procurement costs are just one part of the equation; the more pressing issue is that if the choice were made to manufacture more sophisticated weaponry, the frontlines might not receive a sufficient quantity of arms and equipment.


    Ten soldiers with ten bad guns might still make do and keep fighting, but if only one good gun is available for ten soldiers, the remaining nine may very well hang the commander from the streetlight.


    ¡°Can our production keep up? Don¡¯t delay matters.¡± Promptly, someone raised concerns about the quantity. Fengjiang is waiting for their equipment, and any shortfall in production could cause delays.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem; it just means transforming a few more production lines. Let¡¯s supply Fengjiang with 50 units for trial. If they work well, undoubtedly more factories will be willing to join us in production,¡± the factory manager replied with ease, unconcerned about the issue.


    Another person brought up the cost issue: ¡°Is it really cost-effective to provide Fengjiang¡¯s defense forces with such expensive artillery?¡±


    ¡°The cost isn¡¯t coming out of our pocket; Fengjiang will be paying. So, what¡¯s there to worry about?¡± The factory manager dismissed the concern with the same disdain.


    Someone remembered their factory¡¯s flagship product, which remains the mainstay medium-caliber artillery within the Great Tang Empire: ¡°What about the 75mm gun? Could it cause unnecessary trouble?¡±


    ¡°That indeed is a problem. The 75mm gun is our own artillery, currently used by the No. 4 Assault Gun and the Panther Tank. If it appears on the battlefield, the Dahua Empire may protest,¡± another person chimed in promptly.


    Though the military hasn¡¯t explicitly banned the use of active-duty weapons, everyone knew that thus far, the Tang Empire hadn¡¯t supplied Fengjiang with any such armaments.


    ¡°So what if they protest? Are we afraid of them?¡± someone retorted defiantly soon after. This opinion had its supporters; indeed, with a strong country as their backing, what was there to fear?


    After thinking for a few seconds, the factory manager spoke: ¡°It¡¯s not that we fear them, but such trouble is unnecessary. If it can be avoided, we should try to avoid it as much as possible.¡±


    An engineer raised his own concerns: ¡°I actually don¡¯t think the 75mm gun is that problematic in causing disputes. On the contrary, its potential should garner our attention.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s another point I wanted to make,¡± the factory manager nodded and continued, ¡°Compared to the 50mm gun, which has virtually no potential left to tap, it wouldn¡¯t cause much trouble if it were exported. But with the larger caliber of the 75mm gun, there is a risk it could become a threat to our own armored units if further developed.¡±


    They now needed to discuss and submit a suitable proposal for review by the military authorities. Only if the criteria were met would their plan be approved, allowing them to organize production.


    The engineer responsible for production chuckled self-deprecatingly and shared his opinion: ¡°I think you¡¯re overthinking it. The potential of the 75mm gun is just so-so. Although there¡¯s some, it¡¯s not much.¡±


    He had a point, because it was precisely the limited potential of the 75mm gun that led the Great Tang Empire to develop a more powerful 105mm tank gun.


    Since the caliber of the 75mm and the 88mm guns were similar, even the battle-proven 88mm gun was overlooked by the Great Tang Empire without consideration.


    As a result, in the tank gun lineup of the Great Tang Empire, there was no parallel development of 75mm and 88mm guns. It is from here that the tank development of the Tang Empire has shed the influence of the San Dezi and followed the path of Soviet-style tanks.


    No one in this world would know that Soviet-style tanks in the future would be influenced by other tank schools, eventually leading to a country taking an eclectic and compatible approach, developing a unique system of its own.


    Tang Mo planned for Tang Country¡¯s tank troops to take this very path¡ªthe most powerful Type 99A main battle tank on the surface.


    That¡¯s why Tang Mo gritted his teeth to develop the 105mm tank gun instead of using the Soviet-style 100 caliber. He also preferred the Soviet-style 125mm smoothbore gun over the Western 120mm caliber!


    There was no particular reason, except that in the timeline he was familiar with, that¡¯s the choice a certain country made! He simply favored it, liked it, and wanted this combination!


    Compared to his favorite 99A, everything else¡ªwhether an M1 or Leopard 2¡ªis heresy, pure heresy!

 Chapter 983 03-25 - 983 905 seems to be unable to

    ?Chapter 983: 905 seems to be unable to Chapter 983: 905 seems to be unable to ¡°I think it¡¯s fine too.¡± At this time, another engineer expressed his opinion: ¡°Our 113 armored vehicles and Lion tanks, actually can¡¯t withstand the 50 long barrel guns, and the effect would be the same with 75 caliber cannons, so there¡¯s no difference.¡±


    The armored vehicles of the Great Tang Empire don¡¯t have very thick defenses, so indeed there is no need to worry about the opponent¡¯s anti-tank guns being too powerful. Because even a 30mm caliber machine gun can easily penetrate the protection of these armored vehicles.


    He then continued to say, ¡°On the other hand, our Type 59 tanks and Panther tanks can withstand attacks from 75 caliber guns at a medium range, and it¡¯s the same with 50 caliber.¡±


    ¡°So shall we go for the cheaper 75-caliber guns?¡± Having heard this, many people thought that there was no need to develop a new gun, giving the 75-caliber gun directly would save some trouble.


    However, the factory manager had other plans and chose the 50-caliber gun: ¡°Let¡¯s go with the 50, although it¡¯s a bit more expensive, it seems safer... Besides, 50 is a caliber we haven¡¯t used ourselves before, providing it to Fengjiang won¡¯t cause any unnecessary issues.¡±


    What he was thinking was to avoid as much as possible the need to deal with the military authorities, saving a lot of trouble¡ªif the military authorities don¡¯t want to get involved in the Dahua Empire civil war, they will reject the 75-caliber gun proposal.


    Rather than having to come back later and replan, better to directly come up with a more likely-to-success plan and present it to the military authorities.


    ...


    If the military doesn¡¯t agree, then they can fall back on the developed 75-caliber gun, without losing anything, it¡¯s even more convenient in terms of production.


    The engineer responsible for production immediately nodded and said: ¡°OK! I¡¯ll arrange the production line right away, start producing a few samples according to our original designs, and what about the accompanying ammunition?¡±


    The person in charge of shells confidently assured: ¡°No rush with the ammunition, just arrange a few factories to handle it. What I¡¯m worried about are the shells for other calibers of artillery.¡±


    At this time, the factory manager was very bold: ¡°Don¡¯t worry! The caliber that Fengjiang uses the most is the 130 caliber produced by Shireck back in the day, we¡¯ve dealt with those before, there are even some outdated shell factories relying on Fengjiang¡¯s orders to survive.¡±


    The armament factories of the Great Tang Empire really had an overcapacity during peacetime. Being able to pick up arms production orders from other countries was indeed a great joy.


    Sometimes, they would even experiment with their own newly developed gadgets in a certain batch of ammunition, making their clients very satisfied.


    As this factory prepared to bring out the 50mm caliber high muzzle velocity anti-tank guns, other factories were also considering producing some exotic weapons and equipment for Fengjiang.


    Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï


    This was also a unique advantage of the factories of the Great Tang Empire: aside from them, no other country in the world could rush to produce a new batch of equipment to support another country.


    It¡¯s just that because some of the weapons from the Great Tang Empire are too significant, the weapons and equipment supplied to Fengjiang, from some perspectives, are really not that easy to use.


    For example, the kind of man-portable anti-tank weapons desperately needed by Fengjiang, the Great Tang Empire actually had similar designs a long time ago: RPG-type anti-tank rockets.


    But to ensure the safety of their own armored corps, these rockets were kept strictly confidential. In the end, what could be supplied to Fengjiang were the outdated anti-tank hand grenades and anti-tank bombs.


    Yes, the so-called anti-tank bombs are actually a bizarre weapon that attaches an anti-tank mine to a long pole, used in real combat by Japan during World War II... As for whether it was effective or not, only those lucky army fools would know.


    This kind of pole-mounted man-portable anti-tank weapon is essentially an explosive spear, and whether the soldiers attacking tanks could return unscathed entirely depends on the feng shui index of their family graveyard.


    If the graveyard is emitting blue smoke, there¡¯s no problem using this weapon. But if the feng shui is average and the grass doesn¡¯t grow lushly, it¡¯s pretty much time to prepare another gravesite.


    Additionally, the Great Tang Empire also found some Thompson Submachine Guns, made some copies of the Boposha Submachine Gun, and urgently shipped them to Fengjiang, re-equipping the Fengjiang defense forces.


    There was a funny incident in there: the Thompson Submachine Gun was exported in large quantities, many countries were equipped with them, so the Dahua Empire had nowhere to investigate and could only pinch their noses to accept what happened, allowing the matter to pass.


    Instead, there was a problem with the imitation Boposha Submachine Gun copied from the Ice Cold Empire: the Great Tang Empire¡¯s craftsmanship was too good, these pirated submachine guns were of much higher quality than those produced by the Dwarves.


    For a time, the Boposha Submachine Gun, which was originally criticized by many, suddenly became famous, and the Fengjiang version of the submachine gun even became a sought-after item.


    Actually, everyone knew where Fengjiang¡¯s Boposha Submachine Guns came from, but since the Dahua Empire didn¡¯t wish to pursue it, the incident eventually ended without any outcome.


    Although the Great Tang Empire supplied Fengjiang with numerous weapons and equipment, the heavy weapons and equipment that the Fengjiang defenders needed most were still lacking.


    For instance, Fengjiang lacked tanks, and the Great Tang Empire didn¡¯t have suitable tanks to provide for the Fengjiang defense forces in the short term. They could only temporarily supply a few hundred civilian trucks to Fengjiang defenders, somewhat enhancing the transport capacity of the Fengjiang defense forces.


    However, the second line of defense on the western side of Fengjiang unexpectedly held firm: the Dahua Empire only used a day to take the first line of defense of the Fengjiang forces, but after continuously fighting for 3 days, they were unable to shake the second line of defense of the Fengjiang forces.


    There were reasons for this: the fortifications were solid, the Fengjiang defenders fought desperately, and also the attacking forces of the Dahua Empire were running out of steam.


    Because they were not fully prepared for the offensive, the Dahua Empire¡¯s attacking force started to weaken after several days of fierce fighting.


    They tried to quickly breach the defenses of the Fengjiang garrison, only to discover that the second line of defense was far more formidable than the first.


    This area has always been a permanent defensive fortification to block the Tang Army¡¯s attack, only it was originally facing the Great Tang Empire to the east.


    Ironically, the person who was the main advocate for building this fortification line at the Dahua imperial court was Shen Chuan, who was truly knowledgeable about the military tactics of the Great Tang Empire.


    He noticed that the typical attack pattern of the Great Tang Empire was ¡°a breakthrough by the Armored Corps, followed by a rapid encirclement to disrupt the enemy¡¯s formation, ultimately aiming to annihilate them.¡±


    To counter this tactic, Shen Chuan hypothesized that, in the event the Tang Army suddenly attacked and captured Fengjiang advancing toward Hezhe, he thus set a trap in-depth for the Great Tang Empire.


    He constructed a permanent defensive line between Hezhe and Fengjiang, made up of numerous circular defensive fortifications.


    Shen Chuan¡¯s fortification was specifically designed to resist the flanking maneuvers of the Tang Army, with a great number of circular defensive works connected by trenches.


    Such fortifications were modified by the Fengjiang garrison, and in turn used to cope with the Dahua military, their robustness far exceeding expectations.


    First, the quality of this fortification line was quite high, as it was intended for the Tang military ¨C anything less wouldn¡¯t suffice. Some areas were even reinforced, resulting in astonishing defensive capabilities.


    Furthermore, most positions along this line were circular and layered, with no distinction between front and rear, which indeed made the Dahua Troops¡¯ attacks extremely difficult.


    Lastly, this line was further strengthened by military advisors from the Tang Empire, who added many cannons, significantly boosting its firepower.


    For all these reasons, the Dahua Empire¡¯s attack force was halted at this defensive line, unable to make any progress for the moment.


    Zhao Chen became increasingly anxious as, on the flank at Shanping, the Fengjiang military had finally completed their mobilization and launched a fierce assault on Shanping.


    The battle was intensely fierce from the start; directed by military advisors from Tang Country, the Fengjiang military¡¯s overwhelming onslaught tore through the Dahua military¡¯s defensive line.


    Subsequently, the Fengjiang¡¯s Armored Corps penetrated deep into Dahua¡¯s defenses, indeed displaying some of the Tang Army¡¯s prowess. In the midst of chaos, the Dahua military even lost the second line of defense, and the situation suddenly turned passive.


    At this juncture, the two Armored Divisions from Dahua that had set out from Guiguang had not yet reached Shanping. If the Fengjiang military managed to take Shanping beforehand, the Dahua side would be pushed into a defensive position.


    Yet, just as things seemed greatly favoring them, the Fengjiang military began to falter ¨C after breaching two lines of defense in the Shanping direction, they unexpectedly got stuck at the third line.


    After two days of relentless attacks, the Fengjiang military still could not break through the third line of defense. The Dahua garrison held out until their reinforcements arrived, and the two sides once again found themselves in a deadlock.


    Luo Xiao, who had planned the Shanping offensive, nearly went insane in the command post, and his team of advisors was likewise in dismay.


    They had foreseen the incompetence of the Fengjiang defenders, but they did not expect the military forces from other countries, besides the Tang Army, to be so inept.


    They never believed there could be people who couldn¡¯t even march in step, but now they were convinced ¨C not only convinced, but they also realized these individuals were not few in number.


    These military forces lacked belief and rigorous training, and they started to crumble at the slightest obstacle. Their attacks were not sharp, and their defenses were riddled with holes.


    At this moment, they truly grasped the meaning of ¡°a nadir of incompetence.¡± They finally understood why some people found it enjoyable to watch two women pulling each other¡¯s hair out on the streets.


    After all, not everyone is capable of competing in boxing, wrestling, judo, or Sanda. Sometimes, pulling hair and scratching faces might be the most delightful spectacle they can offer.


    ¡°Seriously, can¡¯t they just follow the plan, and complete a task as it was laid out?¡± Luo Xiao despaired as he watched the Fengjiang forces stalled halfway through their southern advance.


    ¡°It seems they can¡¯t,¡± expecting no answer, Luo Xiao¡¯s rhetorical question got a response as a similarly despaired staff officer continued his line of thought.


    ¡°Figure out a way to keep them attacking! If they stop here, we have no hope left!¡± Luo Xiao took a deep breath and shouted loudly.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Two updates today

 Chapter 984: 906 Mercenaries

    Chapter 984: 906 Mercenaries


    Tang Mo sat in his own seat, listening to a series of reports from Nangong Hong. Supporting the internal war in the Dahua Empire was a national policy of the Tang Empire, but this policy actually had an ultimate goal.


    The internal war in the Dahua Empire affected the trade of the Tang Empire, especially the import of oil from Qin Country and a series of slave smuggling to the Orc Empire.


    Although these businesses were not the ultimate lifelines of the economy, they indeed affected the speed at which the Tang Empire made money.


    Because of this, the Tang Empire, to some extent, did not particularly wish for the internal war in the Dahua Empire to go on endlessly.


    The best outcome would be for Zhao Yu¡¯s military and Zhao Kai¡¯s military to inflict heavy losses on each other, then reach some level of reconciliation, allowing the Tang Empire to profit from the situation and secure the benefits it wanted.


    As for what those benefits were? To put it bluntly, they were Fengjiang and Shanping, the places that Tang Mo wanted to hold in his hands, the places that Zhao Yu had to cede after victory.


    After securing Fengjiang and Shanping, the Dahua Empire¡¯s first line of defense facing the Tang Empire would completely collapse, Guiguang would become a frontline city, and the food-producing areas near Wanliang would no longer be secure.


    As long as the Tang Empire wished, the Tang Army could attack Guiguang from the direction of Shanping. After seizing Guiguang, they could control the entire southern storage area of Sword Pavilion and cut off these places from the Dahua Empire.


    Put simply, once Fengjiang and Shanping were ceded to the Tang Empire, one-third of the Dahua Empire would be like fish on the chopping block, ready for the Tang Empire to slice as it wished.


    To achieve this goal, the Tang Empire must support the Fengjiang garrison and support Zhao Yu, the incapable figure, to stand against the Dahua Empire with his name.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the combat capacity of the Dahua Empire¡¯s border troops was so weak, unable to even take Shanping and getting blocked halfway,¡± Nangong Hong, who was mostly responsible for this matter, said to Tang Mo somewhat embarrassed, explaining the reasons for the defeat on the battlefield.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly a defeat, just that the advancing frontline troops were not making smooth progress, resulting in a somewhat passive situation.


    Tang Mo hadn¡¯t anticipated that, even without aerial threats and after receiving substantial material support from the Tang Empire, the Fengjiang garrison would still fight so passively.


    The troops advancing south to Shanping had only broken through two defense lines of the Dahua garrison before halting their offensive in confusion, and soon after, the advancing troops were blocked by the follow-up troops of the Dahua Empire.


    In fact, there were only two Armored Divisions of the Dahua Empire near Fengjiang. Their equipment was quite outdated and they did not make up the main force of the Dahua Empire¡¯s Armored Corps.


    Compared to that, the Dahua Empire¡¯s Armored Corps had a composition ranging from 170 to 200 tanks, which was less in number than the Tang Empire¡¯s.


    Moreover, these two Armored Divisions had mostly Dahua Type 1 and Type 2 tanks, with only a few Dahua Type 3 tanks, so their combat capability was indeed not that great.


    Fearing the Tang Empire, Shen Chuan did not dare to place the main troops on the front line; most of the main forces of the Dahua military were stationed on the second line, which in turn made things very tough for the Fengjiang garrison.


    They had encountered the most elite troops of the Dahua Empire¡¯s second line, so comparatively speaking, there was indeed a significant gap between them and the enemy, and it was normal for them to be unable to win.


    However, in reality, it was impossible for the Tang Empire to forgive the failure of the Fengjiang military¡¯s offensive just based on these reasons¡ªthe question now was: what to do.


    ¡°Minister Nangong.¡± After listening to Nangong Hong¡¯s report, Tang Mo spoke to comfort his minister: ¡°You don¡¯t have to blame yourself this much, nobody can account for all the details. As the saying goes, ¡®Man proposes, God disposes.¡¯ We just need to think of a solution.¡±


    As the draftsman of the Tang Empire¡¯s strategy for westward expansion, Nangong Hong¡¯s position within the Empire had always been unstable.


    He lacked a stable position for a long time, until finally, Tang Mo placed him at the head of the Tang Empire¡¯s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, thus he eventually earned the title of Minister.


    From this, it was also evident that within the upper echelons of the Tang Empire, it was the Brunas faction that was dominant, with the external part of the officials always lingering in secondary roles.


    Conversely, Nangong Hong¡¯s appointment as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Tang Empire also indicated that high-ranking ethnic Chinese officials had begun to appear among the empire¡¯s high echelons, which was quite telling of the issues involved.


    ¡°Directly deploying troops could indeed be a solution. But it would drag us into the war. We are not afraid of war, but going into battle without a just cause is indeed very embarrassing,¡± Luff, representing the Military, was the first to speak out.


    Even deploying several divisions already assembled on the border into Dahua Empire¡¯s territory and seizing Shanping under air cover wouldn¡¯t be a difficult feat.


    However, if the military were indeed employed, it would certainly cause an international uproar. After all, a civil war within the Dahua Empire and the participation of the Great Tang Empire in the war... represent two completely different concepts for other countries.


    For a civil war within the Dahua Empire that results in a change of Emperor, this may be considered trivial by other countries. But should the Great Tang Empire commence external expansion, it would be a top-level, significant event that all countries must pay close attention to.


    Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯er, who is responsible for cultural affairs, spoke up at this moment, ¡°Internationally, we have always presented ourselves as lovers and defenders of peace. If we rashly abandon our previous moral standards, it would greatly damage our reputation abroad.¡±


    This jurisdiction is hers, so she had no choice but to participate in this meeting. To tell the truth, she genuinely dislikes such meetings, because often, they are addressed by Yulin.


    ¡°It could easily raise the alarm in other countries, trade might be hugely affected, causing tensions everywhere; and, if not careful, it might trigger a larger scale military conflict,¡± Alice, who was sitting on the other side of Tang Mo and oversees commerce, also said.


    Yulin didn¡¯t speak, because at such times, the Department of Internal Affairs she oversees essentially functions as an intelligence channel¡ªwhat needs to be done, simply needs to be done, with no need to report verbally.


    Three imperial concubines attending the meeting is indeed an enviable sight. Tang Mo¡¯s three wives are all virtuous partners who can help His Majesty The Emperor share his worries at crucial moments, a treatment not available to other nations¡¯ emperors.


    ¡°Getting involved in war is completely unnecessary,¡± Tang Mo set a tone for the issue, ¡°What we want are benefits. If we don¡¯t need to send our soldiers to the frontlines to die, then such choices should be avoided.¡±


    Having said that, he looked towards Yue¡¯er, ¡°How about discussing the contingency plan of assembling an Orc army as volunteers to participate in the battle at Fengjiang now?¡±


    ¡°This plan was proposed a year ago. When making this contingency, we foresaw the situation we face today,¡± Yue¡¯er pulled out a document from the stack she brought, opened it, and introduced, ¡°At that time, the military also sent advisers to guide the labor management department on preparing a qualified military mobilization report.¡±


    ¡°The plan includes the following: Recruit volunteers from the existing Orc and Goblin laborers, train them into a military, dispatch them within Dahua Empire¡¯s territory to assist Zhao Yu¡¯s forces in continuing the fight.¡± As she spoke, her attractive cat ears twitched twice, looking quite amusing, ¡°The purpose of this plan is to help Zhao Yu¡¯s forces withstand the backlash from Dahua Empire and maintain the size of Zhao Yu¡¯s forces during the deadlock.¡±


    ¡°The plan recruits three divisions of Orc soldiers, totaling over 50,000 men, provides all weaponry and equipment except for tanks, and sends them directly to the frontline after training,¡± Yue¡¯er briefly introduced the plan¡¯s content, then added, ¡°It also includes sub-items for recruiting mercenaries from Mirage Country, Orc Empire, and even Ice Cold Empire and Poplar Kingdom.¡±


    Tang Mo nodded and spoke, ¡°If we manage to summon 10 or even 20 divisions of mercenaries from other races to Fengjiang, would it improve Fengjiang¡¯s military strength?¡±


    ¡°In theory, it won¡¯t be a big enhancement, but it can solve the replenishment issue, increasing the number of troops so the commanders need not worry too much about frontline attrition,¡± Luff, as the Chief of Staff of the Empire, provided his professional opinion.


    Tagg and Redman, who were also in attendance, agreed with this perspective. They believed that aside from direct participation of Great Tang Empire¡¯s forces, other countries¡¯ forces joining the war wouldn¡¯t fundamentally change the power balance between the sides.


    However, they acknowledged that no matter how unremarkable, sending another 100,000 troops into Fengjiang would definitely be effective.


    Moreover, with time passing, more and more weapons provided by the Great Tang Empire were arriving at Fengjiang¡¯s frontlines, which would surely increase the combat capabilities of Fengjiang¡¯s forces to some degree.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start by sending two Orc divisions and a Goblin division to test the waters! If they fight well, I don¡¯t mind rewarding them!¡± It was the first time that Tang Mo introduced the concept of modern mercenaries in this world.


    Soon after this meeting concluded, nations around the world received calls from Great Tang diplomats to their foreign affairs departments.


    The Great Tang Empire guarantees protection, Fengjiang pays the money, hoping that people around the world who cherish freedom will go to Fengjiang to fight for free trade and defend Fengjiang!


    When the whole world heard that there was money to be made by helping in the fight, they were quick to actively respond to Tang Country¡¯s call.


    After all, no matter from which perspective, sending troops to participate in Fengjiang¡¯s battle is beneficial for them.


    On the one hand, they have not yet repaid the debts owed to the Great Tang Empire; the trade deficit persists, so an extra way to make money at this time truly is great news.


    On the other hand, everyone is worried about the Great Tang Empire¡¯s ambitions for external expansion. They would rather send their own troops to help Zhao Yu of Fengjiang win the war than to one day hear news of Dahua Empire¡¯s troops mobilizing.


    Therefore, shortly after, various countries across the Eastern Continent began mobilizing some of their ¡°less capable¡± miscellaneous troops as mercenaries, gathering massively in Brunas, ready to head to another continent for an ¡°international joint military exercise.¡±

 Chapter 985: 907 Ugly Ghosts and Child Laborers

    Chapter 985: 907 Ugly Ghosts and Child Laborers


    It must be said, the Tang Empire has quite a few novel gadgets. When the assembled orcs saw a helicopter land in front of them, they were completely dumbfounded.


    Originally quite hideous, many of them had been prisoners of war on the battlefield. They had served as soldiers, and indeed played with guns ¡ª Shireck Flintlock Guns.


    Now, when they saw the UH-1 helicopter, they finally realized that they might never be able to defeat the Tang Empire in their lifetimes.


    This type of aircraft, which can take off and land vertically, demonstrated its exceptional special capabilities before loading several orcs and flying over to the other side of the mountain range.


    Crossing the high mountains and steep ridges, they could reach the northern battle zone of Shanping directly, which was also the fastest method to transport the orcs who were ¡°Mercenaries¡± within the Tang Empire to the Dahua Empire frontline.


    Despite being very expensive and indeed testing the number of helicopters, this move deliberately helped to rapidly enhance the frontline strength of Fengjiang¡¯s troops.


    The aim of these orc troops was very clear: they were to help Fengjiang¡¯s troops quickly capture Shanping, sparing no expense!


    As long as they could complete their mission, Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯er of the Dahua Empire, who was also an orc, promised them that they could be freed from slavery and no longer need to work unpaid for the Tang Empire.


    Upon hearing this news, all the orcs were greatly excited, believing this to be an opportunity bestowed by the Orc God for their happiness.


    To seize such an opportunity, these orcs quickly started eager registrations. Without even two days of training, they volunteered to advance to the frontline.


    The situation was similar with the goblins; despite years of torment, the number of goblin slaves within the Tang Empire had greatly reduced, the original hundreds of thousands of slaves actually dwindled nearly to one tenth, but the remaining goblins still crazily signed up to reduce their sentences.


    In these goblins¡¯ view, the mortality rate of fighting on the frontline was somewhat lower than mining in the Tang Empire¡¯s mines. Moreover, since they heard they could be freed from slavery merely by agreeing, this was undeniably a huge temptation.


    You must understand, these goblins were serving sentences for the massacres in Zheng Country and Qi Country, normally they would not hope to be freed from slavery for another twenty years.


    But now, the civil war in the Dahua Empire had given them a chance to be freed from slavery early, how could this not make them overjoyed?


    Shen Wuxiong, a general from Mirage Country, even volunteered eagerly, planning to go to the frontline to help the lords of the Tang Empire expand their territory. Seeing the one-meter forty-five tall goblin general, Tang Mo finally somewhat maliciously agreed to this mighty general¡¯s request.


    On Yue¡¯er¡¯s side, an orc general named Shan Lu was also selected, meaning majestic like a mountain range ¡ª true to his name, he was a two-meter tall tribal commander, fierce with a green face, sharp teeth, bald head, and uniquely ugly with just one eye.


    This guy lost one eye in combat, he was ferocious, and also a leader among the orc slaves within the Tang Empire.


    Upon hearing he could fight for Tang Country, this commander immediately expressed his willingness to battle for the Tang Empire, and eventually secured the position of the overall commander of the orc mercenaries.


    In fact, within one day, the Tang Empire had sent approximately 1500 orc warriors to the frontline.


    These unarmed soldiers received weaponry in the southern part of Fengjiang that excited them: including M35 standard Steel Helmets, Dahua military uniforms, and early model tactical harnesses from Tang Country.


    Additionally, they received military boots and supplies exceeding their daily provisions by ten times, weapons were Shireck Type 1 bolt-action rifles which many orcs were equipped with before being captured.


    Nearly without any training, these orcs who were originally prisoners immediately threw themselves into combat. Their will to attack was much stronger than Fengjiang¡¯s defending troops.


    Soon, Dahua¡¯s defending troops stationed north of Shanping found that the tactics of the opposing force attacking them had changed.


    Under the cover of several Dahua Type 1 Tanks, hundreds of Fengjiang soldiers launched an attack. After taking two cannon shots, these soldiers did not retreat but, under the tank¡¯s cover, approached the Dahua Empire¡¯s defense line.


    At first, Dahua¡¯s defending troops didn¡¯t take it seriously: they had seen strong opponents before, so they did not panic.


    After destroying two Type 1 Tanks, Dahua¡¯s troops stationed in the positions finally realized something was wrong: generally, after having two tanks destroyed, Fengjiang¡¯s troops would likely not continue to attack.


    But today, this troop not only did not retreat, but instead continued to fiercely attack, braving casualties to storm the defense line and then engaging in close combat with Da...


    The Orcs¡¯ weakness is their inferior weaponry compared to humans, and their tactical arrangements are not as good as those of Qin Country, mostly due to logistical problems caused by relying on the desert.


    However, it was a different story when the Dahua Military first encountered the Orc troops; they not only underestimated the Orcs¡¯ combat capabilities but overestimated their own courage.


    ¡°Demons!¡± During a bayonet fight face-to-face with an Orc soldier, a Dahua soldier finally got a clear view of the faces of these ¡°Fengjiang troops.¡± He was terrified by their horrendously ugly faces, his legs gave out, and he collapsed into the trench.


    He screamed just as the Orc soldier stabbed him through with a bayonet, and soon after, the Dahua defense line began to waver.


    After deploying two Orc battalions and breaching the enemy¡¯s first line of defense, the Fengjiang Army then sent in more tanks, covering the main troops as they launched another attack.


    This battle went very smoothly; the first defense line of the Dahua Empire was breached, and the Fengjiang Army pushed forward about 10 kilometers until they hit the Dahua Army¡¯s second defense line and stopped.


    Zhao Zheng, who personally went to Shanping to supervise the battle, was overwhelmed by a barrage of news: he received information that some civilians had seen tadpole-like planes flying over the mountains from the Great Tang Empire to the Dahua Empire.


    Zhao Zheng didn¡¯t find the news particularly shocking: the fact that Great Tang¡¯s planes didn¡¯t bomb directly above his head was already showing face to the Dahua Empire. Some planes helping Fengjiang transport weapons and ammunition was nothing significant.


    Another piece of bad news, however, grabbed his attention: the Fengjiang Army had launched another attack, breaking through one of his front-line defenses.


    ¡°The telegram from the front line says that some extremely fierce Orcs appeared on the battlefield. Our army was momentarily disorganized, which is why we lost the defense position.¡± The reporting officer provided some details.


    When he reported this, it had been three days since the Orc Mercenaries had breached the Dahua Empire¡¯s defense line; Dahua had been investigating this matter over the past two days.


    Eventually, the situation was basically clarified: Fengjiang had somehow recruited a group of Orcs to help in the battle¡ª the Great Tang Empire had not joined the war; everything was still within an acceptable range.


    A slightly concerned Zhao Zheng asked, ¡°Are we sure it¡¯s not the Tang country¡¯s army?¡±


    ¡°There are no Orcs in the Tang military, and the weapons these Orcs were holding are not the Tang country¡¯s Type 56 assault rifles, but Shireck Model 1 bolt-action rifles, the same as ours,¡± the officer explained.


    Zhao Zheng nodded, feeling that everything was still under his control: as long as the Great Tang Empire remained out of the conflict, there couldn¡¯t be a fundamental change on the battlefield.


    As long as he held Shanping, even if the northern outer defenses were completely lost, as long as Shanping was under his control, he would be worry-free.


    Anyway, the main attack wasn¡¯t directed at his side, Zhao Chen and Hezhe would soon make progress, and then these Fengjiang forces moving south, along with the Orc monsters, would all have to return to defend Fengjiang!


    Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but sneer: ¡°Order the Armored Corps to be deployed on both sides of Shanping! After the vanguard troops delay the enemy¡¯s attack, retreat to the well-constructed defense lines in the north of Shanping! We will wait at ease for Fengjiang¡¯s rebels to come and die!¡±


    He planned to rely on Shanping, to extend Fengjiang¡¯s supply lines, and to wage a war of attrition in the most advantageous location, pushing the logistics pressure onto Fengjiang.


    In reality, this was also an act of desperation: as everyone knew that Fengjiang¡¯s supply was strong due to the transportation support from the Great Tang Empire, Dahua was sure to be at a disadvantage if it didn¡¯t find a way to offset some of that.


    Exploit your strengths and avoid weaknesses; Dahua had an advantage in armor, so Zhao Zheng felt that defending Shanping was absolutely no problem: even if Great Tang supported Fengjiang, they surely couldn¡¯t send over Panther Tanks, could they?


    As long as the heavy weapons of the Dahua Empire appeared on the battlefield, the guarantee of the Great Tang Empire not joining the war would become a lie.


    Of course, even though this lie was exposed, the Dahua Empire didn¡¯t really have anything on the Great Tang Empire. But constantly contradicting oneself does affect one¡¯s reputation.


    Take a certain beacon for example; its recurrent self-contradicting has made life difficult for many who previously parroted nonsensical rhetoric, resulting in a torrent of complaints: previously, it was all about how the beacon was right and did well, but now all they can say are contemptible things like ¡°we cannot compare our worst with the beacon¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Upon hearing Zhao Zheng¡¯s command, his subordinate immediately went to convey his orders¡ª a month after the civil war broke out within the Dahua Empire, the sides remained deadlocked, with neither having hopes of victory.


    However, by the end of the month, many ugly Orc soldiers suddenly appeared on the Fengjiang side, followed by the presence of many ¡°child soldiers.¡±


    Ironically, despite being referred to as ¡°ugly monsters¡± or ¡°child laborers,¡± their combat capabilities seemed to be somewhat stronger than those of the Dahua Army...


    ¡ª¡ª


    Not feeling up to it... two updates for now, will see if more can be done tomorrow.

 Chapter 986: Must listen to what 908 Tang People say

    Chapter 986: Must listen to what 908 Tang People say


    Near Shanping¡¯s defensive line, Dahua troops had just switched to defense, and both sides¡¯ positions were still quite close, with brief moments of tranquility amidst the fierce battle.


    Looking at the hillside in the distance, a Dahua Empire soldier was clearly surprised to see some short figures moving around.


    ¡°No way, do you see that? On the enemy¡¯s position, why is there a child?¡± In the trench of the Dahua Empire, the soldier ducked his head back and turned to his squadmate.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal, isn¡¯t it? How many people can there be in Fengjiang? When the fighting starts, children have to be sent to the battlefield, don¡¯t they?¡± His squad leader was smoking a cigarette, a habit that spread worldwide with the proliferation of Great Tang Empire¡¯s merchandise, causing many countries to now have a large population of smokers contributing to the tax revenue.


    Hearing his squad leader¡¯s explanation, the soldier nodded in agreement, ¡°When you put it that way, it makes sense. But I just saw quite a few, no idea what¡¯s going on.¡±


    The squad leader dismissed his remark: ¡°Just focus on fighting your battle. Is the rifle in that kid¡¯s hands not a rifle anymore?¡±


    After all, the enemy¡¯s weapons are lethal. Modern weapons have leveled the playing field in terms of physical strength. Regardless of whether you¡¯re strong or weak, a single pistol allows for a fair duel.


    Victory no longer favors the strong and valiant races. The goddess of victory stands beside those countries with more guns, steel, and oil.


    After grumbling, the squad leader of the Dahua Empire military returned his gaze to their own defensive position: ¡°Check again, make sure there are no issues. The machine gun positions on the other side need to be well concealed, don¡¯t freaking expose them again.¡±


    Behind them was the northernmost perimeter defensive line of Shanping City; from here, they practically had no room to retreat.


    Although this place was far from Fengjiang, and that distance had now become a burden for Fengjiang, the very fact that they were fighting here had already greatly dissatisfied His Majesty The Emperor of the Dahua Empire.


    Despite Zhao Zheng¡¯s detailed explanation of his intentions in the telegrams submitted, Zhao Kai was raging in private, having given Shen Chuan a severe dressing-down.


    In the eyes of the Emperor, or rather, in the eyes of most people, to retreat is to equate with failure. The lie of a triumphant advance all the way to one¡¯s doorstep is merely a fig leaf.


    Zhao Kai was extremely displeased because Shanping had unexpectedly become the front line. He ordered Zhao Zheng to hold Shanping at all costs, warning that any retreat would result in military punishment.


    On the front line, Zhao Zheng also knew his standing in Zhao Kai¡¯s eyes was only worth so much, so the orders he gave to his troops were to defend Shanping to the death, not retreating a single step.


    Hearing their squad leader¡¯s reminder, the Dahua soldiers setting up the defensive line immediately responded, ¡°Understood!¡±


    After so many days of training, they were no longer green recruits. Although they might still be outmatched by the Tang Army, they had experience fighting others of similar capability. Taking advantage of Fengjiang¡¯s lack of tanks, they could make the defensive position more imposing and focus on firepower.


    ¡°The Fengjiang Army has been aggressive these past few days; seems they¡¯ve received strict orders from above.¡± The Dahua Empire soldiers were still marveling at how their opponents had attacked their defensive line with reckless abandon, as if drugged, disregarding the losses.


    Just a few days prior, to capture a section of the Dahua Empire¡¯s defense held by its troops, Orc mercenaries had lost 300 men. It might not sound like a lot, but it was already a significant number.


    ¡°Boom!¡± As the Dahua defending soldiers were talking, a shell landed on their position. Everyone ducked, anxiously looking around and listening for a second shell.


    Soon, they heard the piercing sound of the air being ripped apart. The squad leader was the first to drop into the trench, shouting at everyone to ¡°Get down!¡±


    Everyone promptly lay flat on the ground. Another shell landed behind the position, throwing up a mass of soil that rained down into the trench, coating the Dahua soldiers¡¯ uniforms and steel helmets.


    ¡°The enemy is attacking!¡± A soldier who got up stuck his head out and saw that down the hill in the distance, a few Dwarves had emerged from their trenches.


    Staggering on the soft ground due to their short stature, these Dwarves were indeed fierce, attacking with a full battalion in their first charge.


    Hundreds of soldiers sprinting across the battlefield was a spectacular sight. Seconds later, machine guns on the Dahua defending position opened fire. A line of tracer bullets swept through the crowd of Fengjiang troops, scattering the ¡°boy scouts¡± in chaotic disorder.


    ¡°All kids?¡± Seeing the troops of Fengjiang, with an average height of around 1.4 meters and appearing as if the helmets had come to life, the faces of the Dahua defending soldiers expressed utter amazement.


    Occasionally seeing a few Dwarves was understandable, but an entire swarm of kids equivalent to a third-grade class charging out like school had just let out was a shock to everyone.


    Shock may be shocking, but on the battlefield where it¡¯s a matter of life and death, one cannot afford to consider anything else. Moreover, these ¡°child soldiers¡± are not really child soldiers, they are a group of demons who once killed without batting an eye.


    Despite the goblins¡¯ law-abiding and obedient behavior under the rule of the Great Tang Empire, seemingly like a group of oppressed child laborers, they were once bona fide soldiers in Beiyuan City and on Dongwan Island.


    If it were not for the arrival of the Great Tang Empire, for the arrival of Tang Mo, these soldiers from Mirage Country would have had higher combat effectiveness compared to the militaries of Zheng Country and Qi Country.


    ¡°Charge!¡± Since shouting any slogans was strictly prohibited, these goblins did not yell chaotically. Only the leading soldier, brandishing a long knife nearly his own height, looked majestic like a target.


    I heard these command knives were specially manufactured and bestowed by His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang Empire as awards for goblin officers willing to fight on the front lines for freedom.


    After receiving these command knives, the goblin officers were ecstatic, and some even went without their standard-issue firearms, proudly wielding their command knives instead.


    Of course, the actual situation was that the specially tailored military sabers for these goblins were just slightly longer than bayonets, roughly half the length of ceremonial swords worn by officers of the Great Tang Empire.


    To talk of majestic... well, it doesn¡¯t really have much to do with majestic, these miraculous objects called Mirage Blades glinted with cold light, exuding a mix of aloofness and a cute charm...


    Interestingly, photos of goblin ¡°mercenaries¡± with Mirage Blades quickly made their way back to Mirage Country and gained widespread acclaim, beloved by the people of Mirage Country, high and low.


    Eventually, Mirage Country purchased the design drawings of the Mirage Blade, and even paid to acquire the patent exclusively, making the Mirage Blade a ¡°traditional¡± equipment unique to the commanders of Mirage Country¡¯s military.


    In fact, they thought too much. Besides Mirage Country, only the Dwarf Empire might be interested in these kinds of daggers¡ªhowever, the dwarves of the Ice Cold Empire disdained these curved blades for being too slender and not conforming to their robust aesthetic.


    Seeing a group of children raising their daggers and charging at you as if playing with their lives does bring up a bit of humor. But the goblins quickly proved their existence was not just a fluke by showcasing their traditional madness.


    Apart from their height and vicious barbarity, one must admit that these little dwarves were actually quite good warriors; their fearless attacks were once the nightmare of Zheng Country.


    ¡°Ah ya ya!¡± As he jumped into the trench, a goblin soldier let out a frightening scream. His face was smeared with bright red grease, looking as if it were blood.


    This was a tradition among part of the goblin troops who used to smear soot. The Great Tang Empire found it too dirty and had it changed to grease. The goblins themselves chose red, believing it to accentuate their bravery and loyalty.


    His rifle¡¯s bayonet was plunged into the chest of a Dahua soldier in the trench, but this goblin soldier did not escape either; he too was skewered by the enemy¡¯s bayonet and hung mid-air.


    Both fell together, and more goblins leaped into the trench. Due to their short stature, goblins had a high chance of falling when entering trenches. Before they could get up, Dahua soldiers would pounce on them and finish them off.


    ¡°Ah!¡± More goblins charged forward, and bodies of goblin soldiers could be seen everywhere. Out of the three or four hundred who launched the attack, perhaps not even a hundred made it forward.


    But by now, the blood had stirred the ferocity in the goblins, and with rage-filled eyes, they vented like fierce spirits, taking down and killing Dahua troops one by one.


    Who knows how they¡¯ve lived these ten years under the Great Tang Empire? Who knows what price they¡¯ve paid for their actions?


    Remember the coal mines shrouded in endless darkness, the tunnels stretching hundreds of kilometers, waking up every day under the lash of a whip dipped in water, every break spent calculating one¡¯s work points and wondering if insufficient labor output would lead to being hanged and beaten...


    Compared to these, what are the loose cannon fire and panting machine gun sounds of Dahua Empire? Joking, have you ever been to Beiyuan City¡¯s outskirts? Ever felt the true inferno where steel and flame intertwine?


    The food delivery guards from the Great Tang Empire are more ferocious than you fiends! The baton in the hands of the prison heads under the mine is more terrifying than your cannons! We goblin mercenaries even if death comes, even if we were to leap from here, we will never go back to mining coal! This time it¡¯s true! No lies!


    With thoughts like these, with the killing ongoing, the goblins found that all that was left on the position were Dahua soldiers kneeling and surrendering with their hands raised.


    This time the goblins were civilized because they remembered the rule of not killing those who surrendered. The instructor was kind-faced, but every word he said was sacred to the goblins, etched into their marrow.


    That instructor didn¡¯t make threats either. He just casually mentioned, ¡°Humans, must not kill, remember?¡±


    No one dared forget. Over ten years, these goblins learned one thing: what Tang People say, must be heeded.

 Chapter 987: 909 relatives arrived

    Chapter 987: 909 relatives arrived


    Although the Goblins are fierce and the Orcs are good at fighting, the situation on the battlefield compelled Luo Xiao, the head of the consultant group, to reconsider other options.


    During these 10 days, he sent 1,000 Goblins and 2,200 Orcs to the front lines at Shanping, and equipped them with weapons. This was probably the transport capacity¡¯s limit for Tang Country: keep in mind that the railway from Fengjiang to Shanping also had to support the logistics of the Fengjiang troops, and reinforcement was almost entirely dependent on helicopters working overtime.


    Yet, these 3,200 ¡°mercenaries,¡± within 10 days, had almost 2,000 casualties! This rate and number of casualties were a huge headache for Luo Xiao.


    These troops weren¡¯t truly comprised of foreigners; those actual ¡°mercenaries¡± formed from convicted death-row inmates purchased from foreign countries were still en route.


    The majority of these individuals were ¡°labor workers¡± drafted by the Great Tang Empire, adept at construction and road building. Their loss was also distressing, not something to be easily discarded as mere cannon fodder.


    Although their loss didn¡¯t make one as heartbroken as losing Tang Army soldiers, these troops weren¡¯t something to be squandered either. After all, such a high casualty rate also impacted the empire¡¯s group of slave laborers.


    There were many reasons for the heavy losses of the Goblin and Orc mercenaries, with the most significant being their high frequency of use and lack of training.


    To ensure the efficiency of the assault, these ¡°outsiders¡± who had been temporarily reinforced to the front lines were often deployed as the main force in the attacks, naturally increasing the casualty rate.


    The very existence of these troops, and the reason they were sent to the front lines, was to serve as spearheads for the main forces.


    Simply put, they were Fengjiang Army¡¯s human tanks, explicitly used to breakthrough. What was needed from them was their fearless and fierce style.


    But as a result, losses were inevitably high as well.


    Another reason for the massive losses of these troops was their grossly inadequate training: from their selection and assembly to their arrival on the front line to participate in the battle, there were less than 15 days in total¡ªan unrealistic timeframe to expect any real training.


    To put it nicely, these soldiers were captives who had experienced killing and seen blood, and they possessed basic combat skills. To put it bluntly, some of these Goblins, the oldest batch, hadn¡¯t touched a gun in nearly a decade.


    It¡¯s just that the military of the Dahua Empire wasn¡¯t much better either, a case of the pot calling the kettle black... which allowed these ¡°slave workers¡± to develop and display their own style of incompetence.


    But no matter what¡¯s said, the massive losses of the troops are a real problem that has continued all the way from the midpoint between Fengjiang and Shanping, to under the walls of Shanping City¡ªthese mercenaries have indeed suffered tremendously.


    It was imperative to think of a solution, as quick reversal of the situation was constantly on Luo Xiao¡¯s mind now.


    To make the consultant group more grounded, the Staff Department deliberately assigned a general familiar with the Dahua Empire to ¡°inspect¡± the situation¡ªindeed, this person was Qian Jinhang, an eminent general from the Dahua Empire serving in the Staff Department.


    General Feng Kezhi wasn¡¯t brought in because he was currently a commander of a corps in the Great Tang Empire, a genuine military leader who had graduated from the empire¡¯s military academy.


    Compared to him, Qian Jinhang, who was entirely on the path of staff assignments, did not have as smooth a career prospect as Feng Kezhi¡ªboth had completely different styles, also reflecting how different choices affected their careers.


    Another reason for choosing Qian Jinhang over Feng Kezhi was the relevance of their positions: since the consultant group was dispatched by the Staff Department, why bring in an army general with actual power?


    The third reason was even more embarrassing: Tang Mo thought that to handle those of the Dahua Empire, Qian Jinhang was enough, sending Feng Kezhi would be like using a butcher¡¯s cleaver to cut chicken.


    Look, the monarch of the Great Tang Empire thought that his surrendered general¡¯s former subordinates were sufficient to deal with the Dahua Empire... Truly taking Zhao Kai for granted.


    Luo Xiao updated Qian Jinhang, who was examining the military situation on the map, before giving his opinion: ¡°General! A normal assault likely won¡¯t be able to drive back the Dahua defending forces anymore, the window has passed, they have fortified their positions, and with their back against Shanping, it¡¯s difficult to engage.¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest then, Colonel Luo?¡± asked Qian Jinhang without turning around. Over the past two years, he had become familiar with the Great Tang Empire military¡¯s prowess and effectiveness, and he had also gained a new understanding of the poor quality of the Dahua Empire¡¯s forces.


    Standing in front of this map, Qian Jinhang thought that if all the flags of Fengjiang¡¯s troops were replaced with those of the 1st Corps and 2nd Corps of the Great Tang Empire, the cities of Guiguang and Xiajian would probably have been captured by now.


    Luo Xiao immediately spoke of the plan he had been devising these days: ¡°I need to request the deployment of special forces to strike at the Dahua military headquarters in Shanping. Only by successfully executing a surprise attack in conjunction with the frontal assault can we stand a chance of winning.¡±


    ¡°Share your thoughts.¡± Qian Jinhang wasn¡¯t authorized to deploy the Great Tang Empire¡¯s special forces, the operations of which had become increasingly mysterious over the years, with many units even disappearing from the military¡¯s standard organization lists.


    Luo Xiao thought for a moment, organized his thoughts, and said to Qian Jinhang: ¡°Our spies placed in Shanping have confirmed the exact location of the enemy¡¯s headquarters. Deploying special forces to sneak up... Attacking their headquarters will create chaos.¡±


    ¡°At the same time, our forces will launch a sudden attack. The enemy will immediately fall into disarray and will likely collapse. Only their collapse can restore our attack speed and turn the battle of positions back into a maneuver battle.¡± He then walked closer to Qian Jinhang and traced on the map the southern push of our frontline forces.


    Looking at the map, Qian Jinhang shared his opinion, ¡°Are we being too bold? If there are casualties, it would be difficult to handle.¡±


    Upon hearing Qian Jinhang¡¯s concern, Luo Xiao directly replied, ¡°If the operation is conducted at night, the casualties should not be too high. We have a civilian base locally, and with a frontal attack in coordination, it¡¯s unlikely that the enemy will have time to react.¡±


    The capability of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s special forces to operate at night is no longer a secret within the General Staff ¡ª you have to let your commanders know your capabilities so they can remember to use you when it matters, right?


    After equipping with the Nightmare system (Early Night Vision Device), the special forces of the Great Tang Empire have initially gained the ability to operate in low visibility conditions.


    You might say it¡¯s not very professional. It indeed falls far short compared to the mature night vision systems that allow operations as if it was daylight. However, compared to their opponents, they are more advanced...that¡¯s enough, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Alright, then submit the application. Don¡¯t tell Shan Lu or Shen Wuxiong about the real situation, let them keep fighting on the frontline, and avoid alerting Dahua,¡± Qian Jinhang nodded, thinking it might be good to show this plan to his direct superior.


    Luo Xiao was thrilled, feeling that he might become the first commander to use special forces to defeat the enemy with a surprise attack: ¡°Understood.¡±


    Qian Jinhang stood in front of the map, but his thoughts were not on the special forces. In fact, he wasn¡¯t even thinking about the southern front.


    As someone familiar with the Dahua Empire¡¯s military, he was more concerned about the defensive line on the western side of Fengjiang: based on his experience, the troops from Hezhe of the Dahua would certainly be the main attack direction, and they could get more support and supplies.


    In the context of the Dahua Empire¡¯s military, this means stronger combat power and more pressure: Zhao Kai would incessantly urge the frontline commanders to aggressively attack Fengjiang.


    And the troops defending Fengjiang were also from Dahua, who also have inherent weaknesses of the Dahua military: in fierce battles, these defenders of Fengjiang would retreat and abandon their positions.


    What would happen if the Fengjiang forces from the Hezhe direction were to be pushed back to the outer areas of Fengjiang first?


    At this moment, a mid-level officer of the defending forces in Fengjiang entered the headquarters to deliver some battlefield reports to the advisory group from Tang Country. He looked surprised at the Tang general standing in front of the map, feeling a sense of de?ja? vu.


    But he dared not confirm his suspicion since this was the room of the advisory group from the Great Tang Empire, and it was strictly taboo to speak recklessly here.


    However, as he left, he still furrowed his brows, constantly feeling he had seen that general somewhere before.


    ¡°How familiar...¡± he muttered to himself while walking. He even ignored his colleagues greeting him.


    Suddenly, he remembered that about five years ago, he had the chance to meet the officers under Great General Feng Kezhi when he returned to the capital to report on his duties ¡ª it was Qian Jinhang!


    ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± The Fengjiang officer¡¯s eyes widened, and he couldn¡¯t help but look back at the command room of the advisory group: ¡°It really is... a slap in the face.¡±


    ¡ª¨C


    One more update coming tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 988: Plan 910 Rejected

    Chapter 988: Plan 910 Rejected


    Great Tang Empire Staff Department, two special forces commanders who deliberately rushed to attend the meeting looked at the plan under discussion and murmured privately, ¡°The target is about 33 kilometers away from the defense line, mingled among civilian targets, and the defense forces nearby are at a high level.¡±


    ¡°Attacking is not too difficult, the main difficulty lies in infiltration.¡± Another one looked at the map and expressed his opinion.


    ¡°Indeed, a night raid is not too difficult, the difficulty is how to blend over 200 people in, and then suddenly launch an attack during the night.¡± The leading special forces commander nodded in agreement, ¡°But I heard there will be arrangements on their side.¡±


    ¡°Can we rely on Dahua¡¯s arrangements?¡± His deputy somewhat distrusted Zhao Yu¡¯s people, ¡°If they were reliable, the fight wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way.¡±


    The leading commander was also worried about problems arising, ¡°You¡¯ve got a point. Even if we break in and complete the attack... extraction will be troublesome. If the frontline attack doesn¡¯t go well, we could very likely end up trapped in the city.¡±


    ¡°Will there be any contingency plans by that time?¡± The deputy curiously asked.


    The leading commander flipped to the back of the document, taking a close look at the alternative plans, ¡°Hey! Goodness, helicopters...¡±


    ¡°Hah, that¡¯s a tough one for them.¡± The deputy shook his head as well, ¡°Do they think the enemy¡¯s anti-aircraft artillery is just for show? Moreover, if Hueys burst into Shanping City, who in the world wouldn¡¯t know that it¡¯s our Tang Army¡¯s troops doing?¡±


    Hearing his adjutant say this, the leading special forces commander outright laughed, ¡°You¡¯re right; this is akin to outright admitting that if the plan goes awry, the entire special forces team involved in the operation will be doomed.¡±


    ¡°If we aren¡¯t abandoned, it would mean exposing the helicopters, which in itself is a ludicrous plan.¡± After saying this, he tossed the plan onto the table.


    This type of military operation plan isn¡¯t necessarily executed just because it¡¯s been demanded and crafted.


    It also needs to be considered in reverse ¨C the difficulty of executing the plan, whether it will trigger other issues, necessitating adjustments, enhancements, and the perfection of every detail.


    Of course, many plans end up directly burnt and thrown into the trash, without even a single copy being preserved: Some commanders are fanciful, only considering what¡¯s convenient for their own troops, submitting plans that are not very viable.


    Some plans are saved only to take up space, such as this one from the military advisory group in Fengjiang, proposing a secret special forces operation ¨C far too risky with no practical operability.


    As expected, in the front rows of the meeting room where higher-ranking military officials were seated, someone voiced their opinion, ¡°This kind of target, if it were on our side, should be handled by an air strike. Entrusting it to the special forces is too risky, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    In the Tang Empire¡¯s arsenal, in fact, there¡¯s a lack of effective means to strike targets that are thirty to fifty kilometers deep. Theoretically, any target at that distance would typically be dealt with by the Air Force¡¯s tactical bombers first.


    After all, the Great Tang Empire boasts an unparalleled and invincible Air Force, they have various models of aircraft to choose from: including Stuka and Yir, as well as Junkers 88 and the Flying Fortress.


    Some heavy-duty, specially modified aircraft can even carry a ten-ton bomb to complete a bombing mission, which is envied and unattainable by other nations.


    However, on the flip side, precisely because of such a powerful air force, the Tang Empire¡¯s army actually lacks the capability to strike targets beyond 50 kilometers.


    The Tang Army seldom equips artillery with a caliber above 200 millimeters and to be precise, even the capability to strike beyond 30 kilometers is weak.


    This shortcoming is not an issue for the Tang Army itself ¨C after all, they can just hand it off to the Air Force. And to further step back, in the eyes of Tang¡¯s commanders, a distance of thirty to fifty kilometers doesn¡¯t really count for much; if it really comes down to it, they could just mobilize the Armored Corps to march directly through!


    However, this sort of thing, when viewed by other nations, is painfully problematic, making them want to cry: for them, a distance of thirty to fifty kilometers is equivalent to a ¡°chasm¡± they would need to fight over for several months.


    Actually, coming back to it, the army¡¯s shortcoming isn¡¯t without solutions, such as the Great Tang Empire equipping quite a few Scud missiles over a period of more than a year.


    But using Scud missiles with a range close to 300 kilometers to strike targets beyond 50 kilometers seems excessively wasteful, no matter how you look at it.


    Additionally, what¡¯s regrettable is that the current Scud missiles have an attack error margin exceeding 200 meters, which simply does not meet the precision required for decapitation and can only be used to strike targets the size of a city.


    Clearly, the precision of the attack could not be relied upon to strike the Shanping command center this time, and another reason is that the Scud missile¡¯s warhead is simply undestroyable in the explosion, leaving such a large tube near the crater which even a fool could guess is a new weapon from the Tang Country.


    The Air Force representative immediately explained, ¡°The issue is our aircraft cannot appear near Shanping, that would be tantamount to entering the war.¡±


    ¡°But special forces operations require feasible alternate escape routes, as stipulated in the manual. The alternative plan is to deploy helicopters... this is simply nonsense, isn¡¯t it?¡± A general in the front row turned back, looking at the speaking Air Force representative: ¡°Afraid of giving the enemy something to exploit, and then pass an even bigger advantage over to them?¡±


    Purely from a tactical standpoint, deploying special forces for this mission is less satisfactory than directly engaging paratroopers: anyway, being discovered by the Dahua Empire puts us in a defensive position in the court of public opinion, so why not just drop a division of paratroopers to straighten out Shanping¡¯s rear?


    But if we¡¯re deploying paratroopers, wouldn¡¯t it be easier to have the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Armored Division push through the front? Can the Dahua troops near Shanping stop the 1st Armored Division¡¯s Panther Tanks?


    Speaking of which... it makes one think, why not just dispatch a hundred Stukas and Yir Attack Aircraft to blow up the Shanping City command center¡ªwouldn¡¯t that be both convenient and fast?


    ¡°How much confidence does Luo Xiao actually have to be so certain he can break through Shanping¡¯s defenses amid chaos and meet up with the infiltrating special forces?¡± A general on one side sneered, voicing his viewpoint.


    He was a Major General, of course he need not give face to Luo Xiao. Marshal Le Fu actually did not agree with this plan either, but he also had to consider how to capture Shanping.


    This discussion was not any formal meeting, so many generals had drifted off topic while talking: ¡°I¡¯m curious, why do we care so much about the opinion of other countries? Even if they have evidence to accuse us of deploying aircraft to assist Fengjiang, what can they do to us?¡±


    A Major General sitting next to him shook his head and explained, ¡°It¡¯s different.¡±


    He paused for a moment and then continued, ¡°If we want to further assist Fengjiang, we could entirely come up with more suitable options for us. Why must we choose the most direct and impactful option of support?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Marshal Le Fu glanced at the officer who had asked the question: ¡°This is politics! Not war! This isn¡¯t something we can do however we please.¡±


    ¡°We can support Fengjiang, and if that¡¯s not enough, we can still offer to sell them weapons. If that fails, we can directly intervene!¡± He picked up his teacup in front of him, put it to his lips, and retorted, ¡°With so many options available, why go straight for the last resort? Do you have a reasonable explanation?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just terrified by the idiocy of the Fengjiang bunch...¡± The general scratched his head embarrassingly and smiled awkwardly: ¡°I¡¯m just anxious on their behalf here.¡±


    ¡°Tell Luo Xiao and his men not to rush. The war continues, and as long as the Fengjiang¡¯s western defense line stands, the situation remains under our control,¡± Marshal Le Fu commanded after taking a sip of water, ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? Since it¡¯s come to this, let¡¯s move towards a war of attrition!¡±


    ¡°Wait until the mercenaries on the road have all arrived, join the battle, and then look at the situation!¡± He said this while looking at the two Marshals sitting beside him.


    ¡°Although both sides will reinforce their positions, waiting is indeed the best option we can choose at the moment. Luo Xiao should change his approach promptly and focus on the western front,¡± Marshal Tager offered his opinion.


    ¡°I support the views of Marshal Le Fu and Marshal Tager,¡± Redman also spoke up. ¡°If there are no tanks, wait until we have tanks. Poplar Empire and Ice Cold Empire are both peddling their tanks, aren¡¯t they? It¡¯s a good opportunity to test them on the battlefield.¡±


    The two special forces command officers sitting in the back row, upon hearing the big shots¡¯ opinions, knew they didn¡¯t need to take risks this time. They were not afraid of taking risks but didn¡¯t want their comrades to face unnecessary dangers.


    Clearly, if special forces were deployed to attack the enemy¡¯s command center this time, the participating troops would probably suffer more than half of their strength in losses. Forcing the mission is not impossible, but the losses would be immense. Each special forces soldier is costly and hard to replace¡ªsquandering them recklessly is certainly unwise.


    ¡°It looks like we won¡¯t have an opportunity to take action,¡± the leading special forces commander shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing,¡± his deputy followed up.


    While the two were whispering in the back, Marshal Le Fu had already directed the conversation in front at a different angle: one of the real reasons the Great Tang Empire was so restrained, not wanting to get involved in the war.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t started a war with the Dahua Empire, so shouldn¡¯t the Dahua Empire give us an explanation why the rail transport from Qin Country to Great Tang has been interrupted?¡± He posed the question, then answered himself: ¡°A considerable length of this railway, which is invested and built by our Great Tang Empire, is now destroyed and rendered useless. Should we just let it slide so easily? Our Great Tang Empire has to endure the loss from trade disruption, the damage to the railway, and the shrinking of the market...¡±


    ¡°There is no such good deal in this world!¡± He sneered, ¡°Either compensate us with money or face death!¡±

 Chapter 989: Everyone at 911 deserves to die

    Chapter 989: Everyone at 911 deserves to die


    The Dahua Empire had officially received a diplomatic note from the Great Tang Empire the afternoon of the next day. When the Minister of Rites, Jiang Run, saw the demands of the Great Tang Empire, his complexion immediately turned sour.


    ¡°How overbearing the Great Tang Empire is! It¡¯s normal for them not to meddle in our civil war, isn¡¯t it? How can they still seek twisted justifications to demand compensation?¡± He tossed the diplomatic letter onto the table, with no intention of presenting the damned thing to Zhao Kai.


    What a joke, if Zhao Kai saw it, wouldn¡¯t he just explode in rage on the spot? For the sake of his own dignity, Jiang Run felt it was better to have a good talk with the ambassador of the Great Tang Empire first.


    But as he was about to stand up, he sat back down after a second thought: he remembered those damned diplomats from the Great Tang Empire, and he could guess exactly with what attitude those bastards would speak to him.


    Since the other party had sent this document over, they were definitely determined to get what they wanted. Although the sum of money looked substantial, their demands were arguably justifiable.


    If the Dahua Empire were not to pay, then it was entirely possible that the Great Tang Empire would send troops to join the war, and by then it wouldn¡¯t be a matter of whether or not to pay.


    Jiang Run even guessed the dreadful terms that Zhao Yu would agree to in Fengjiang: God forbid, if the Great Tang Empire wanted the Sword Pavilion¡¯s southern storehouse, even that treacherous son might agree.


    After all, compared to the entire Dahua Empire, places like Fengjiang and Hezhe were just regions.


    For the sake of taking the entire Dahua Empire, ceding Fengjiang was not a difficult decision to make. As long as he wasn¡¯t foolish, Zhao Yu would definitely understand how to make a choice.


    It was just that the heritage left by the ancestors, the efforts of dozens of generations of the Dahua Empire, would be completely gone.


    ¡°Alas...¡± With a sigh, Jiang Run picked up the diplomatic letter from the table and started reading it carefully.


    The first clause was about the compensation for the damage to the railroad between Qin Country, Dahua Empire, and Tang Country. The Great Tang Empire wasn¡¯t asking for much here, just over two million Gold Coins in costs.


    If that was all there was to it, the Dahua Empire could swallow the insult and just pay the Great Tang Empire¡ªspending money to prevent disaster seemed reasonable in principle. In fact, Jiang Run himself could take charge and convince the Ministry of Revenue to come up with two million Gold Coins to settle the matter.


    Unfortunately, that was only the first clause. The Great Tang Empire then proposed ¡°compensation for trade losses,¡± a much larger claim: they estimated that the civil war had delayed trade between Tang and Qin to a conservative estimate of a loss of over fifty million Gold Coins a year.


    This figure was somewhat unbearable: fifty-two million Gold Coins in compensation was already quite a lot. Keep in mind, when the Dahua Empire was defeated in war, the amount of compensation on paper to the Great Tang Empire was roughly only this amount.


    Everyone knew that the Dahua Empire actually paid more, but on paper, that was all there was, which was Zhao Kai¡¯s logic: I can die, but I cannot lose face.


    The content of the third clause was even more distressing: the Great Tang Empire demanded the resumption of trade between Qin Country and Tang Country within one month, which essentially meant that the Dahua Empire must end the civil war within one month.


    If the deadline was exceeded, the Dahua Empire would be required to pay an additional large sum of money to the Great Tang Empire, which was nothing short of daylight robbery for the Dahua Empire.


    Yet Jiang Run knew that if the Dahua Empire refused the demands in this diplomatic letter, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the Great Tang Empire¡¯s airplanes, tanks, and countless soldiers appeared on the battlefield.


    From any point of view, this was a scenario that the Dahua Empire did not wish to see. Jiang Run instinctively wanted to avoid such a result, so he held the diplomatic letter in his hand for a long time, unwilling to make a move.


    Soon, the room door was pushed open from the outside; it was Chu Muzhou, the Prime Minister, walking in with hands behind his back. He said nothing and sat across from Jiang Run, waiting for Jiang Run to speak.


    ¡°My lord, you... are you aware of what happened?¡± Finally, Jiang Run spoke. He looked at Chu Muzhou and asked awkwardly.


    ¡°I am aware.¡± Chu Muzhou let out a sigh, drawing out his words, ¡°Before I came here, a copy of the diplomatic letter had already been sent to me from Tang Country.¡±


    ¡°The nation is no more!¡± Jiang Run¡¯s face paled with grievance in his voice: ¡°This Tang Country is truly pushing us too far.¡±


    ¡°The enemy is strong, and we are weak; what can be done about it?¡± Chu Muzhou shook his head, acknowledging a harsh reality that many were reluctant to face: ¡°The Great Tang Empire is at the height of power, and our Dahua Empire has long been exhausted. We go to war... the nation is doomed.¡±


    ¡°How ironic it is, thinking back, His Majesty was actually right...¡± Chu Muzhou let out a self-deprecating laugh, with deeper wrinkles on his face and a voice full of exhaustion.


    Back in the day, for the sake of pride, Zhao Kai wanted to send troops to participate in the war when the Great Tang Empire attacked Zheng Country. At that time, the Great Tang Empire did not yet exist, and nobody among the court and military took the newly risen Tang Country seriously.


    On the one hand, Tang Country at that time had paid tribute and a large sum of money, appeasing the fury of Zhao Kai. On the other hand, everyone believed that the Dahua Empire was weakening and that it was not the right time for rash military actions.


    But who knew that Zhao Kai was actually correct. At that time, mobilizing a million-strong army to help Zheng Country drive Tang Country¡¯s fierce forces into the sea might have been the only chance for the Dahua Empire.


    It¡¯s just that everyone was wrong, allowing the Dahua Empire to miss its last chance for a desperate struggle¡ªafterward, when Tang Country had established a firm foothold on the old lands of Zheng Country, the trend was set, and no one could contain it anymore.


    Now it seems that if we had just followed Emperor Zhao Kai¡¯s intentions and deployed troops regardless of the consequences to protect Zheng, that might have been the correct choice.


    ¡°Minister Chu... talking about this now, what¡¯s the use?¡± Jiang Run, thinking back to when he also stood on the opposing side, looked even more displeased.


    These people all prided themselves as loyal ministers, working diligently every day and not slacking off on major matters. But in the end, they just watched powerlessly as a neighboring nation rose and trampled their dignity into the ground.


    ¡°Sigh... Regarding the compensation, let Elder Chu and I explain together,¡± Chu Muzhou knew that evasion was definitely not an option. If he did not step forward to help at this juncture, Emperor Zhao Kai, at the peak of his anger, might even truly kill Jiang Run.


    Now they were all in the same boat, and only by pulling together and uniting as one would there be hope to save the Empire.


    ¡°After convincing His Majesty, be prepared for the worst. No matter what, the two million for the railway can be paid, but the fifty million from trade must be cut down... The most important is the third condition; the time-limited surcharge must be rejected, even if we have to pay an extra 10 million, we cannot give in,¡± Chu Muzhou, befitting of a Prime Minister, arranged everything clearly in just a few words.


    He saw through the malicious intentions of the Great Tang Empire at a glance: among the three demands, the third one was the most poisonous, tantamount to forcing the Dahua Empire to operate on Great Tang¡¯s schedule during the Fengjiang civil war, increasing the pressure on Dahua¡¯s military deployment.


    Therefore, the strategy of Minister Chu Muzhou was simple: we accept giving money, but you can¡¯t go any further!


    Indeed, after meeting with Zhao Kai, the latter was so angry that he flipped the table: he really couldn¡¯t tolerate the aggression from the Tang Empire anymore.


    It used to be Zhao Kai who bullied others like this, when did it become Tang Mo¡¯s turn to be so overbearing? Curses echoed throughout the room; if foul language could kill, Tang Mo might be cut a thousand times over.


    ¡°He¡¯s pressuring me! Whether it¡¯s Leines I or Dorne the First... isn¡¯t there anyone in this world who stands for justice? Aren¡¯t the emperors of this world worried about the rise of the Great Tang Empire?¡± After cursing for a good while, Zhao Kai gasping for breath, sat down in his own seat and glared at the silent Jiang Run and Chu Muzhou, demanding an answer.


    ¡°Distant waters cannot quench an immediate thirst, Your Majesty,¡± Minister Chu spoke up to persuade¡ªhe actually had another piece of news that he hadn¡¯t mentioned yet.


    Just before he had come to find Jiang Run, spies placed in the Ice Cold Empire and Poplar Empire had reported in, someone in Fengjiang had put up a large sum of money and was recruiting mercenaries there.


    This meant that Fengjiang had solved its problem of manpower. If the battle wore on, it was not certain that the Dahua Empire could endure it better than Fengjiang.


    Because Minister Chu knew, with Fengjiang backed by the Great Tang Empire, as long as Great Tang was willing to spend the money, then Fengjiang¡¯s troops and weapons and ammunition would be endless.


    Now, there were essentially two options: one was to quickly conquer Fengjiang, extinguishing the civil unrest at all costs.


    The second method was to persuade the Great Tang Empire to stop supporting Fengjiang¡¯s actions: by closing the ports and stopping transportation, Fengjiang would collapse on its own, and the war could be quelled within a few days.


    What¡¯s regrettable is that Dahua Empire couldn¡¯t manage the first, and it seemed that there was no way to do the second either.


    ¡°What the hell is Zhao Chen dragging his feet at on the front line? Is he waiting, waiting for my death before he can take down Fengjiang?¡± Zhao Kai thought of the less-than-favorable frontline situations and slammed the armrest of his chair as he roared.


    Previously, Zhao Zheng¡¯s defeat all the way to Shanping on the southern line... this had already caused Zhao Kai to lose face and erupted in fury.


    But then Zhao Chen¡¯s battle in Hezhe wasn¡¯t going smoothly either: the Dahua military had assembled a large force, only to be stuck at their own fortifications, unable to advance, and could only waste time staying in place.


    Each time he thought of these, Zhao Kai would recall the first war of Dahua against the Great Tang Empire: whether it was Qian Jinhang or General Feng Kezhi, they seemed reluctant to execute his orders, resulting in complete defeat.


    ¡°Why! Why? Why is everyone disloyal? Why must everyone pressure me!?¡± Zhao Kai suddenly stood up from his chair, overwhelmed with rage, and shouted: ¡°They all deserve to die! All of them!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª-


    There are two more updates to be delivered tomorrow morning, so don¡¯t wait up.

 Chapter 990: 912 along the way

    Chapter 990: 912 along the way


    Chu Country has had some good years, and as the saying goes, what¡¯s so bad about being a dog to the rich?


    Since becoming a vassal state of Tang Empire, Chu Country¡¯s economy has developed rapidly, even managing to build an irrigation system in just two years that hadn¡¯t been built in over a century.


    The construction of dams finally allowed Chu Country to escape its dependence on the weather for agriculture, enabling flood control and irrigation in the surrounding areas, and the hydroelectric power generated also brought convenience to the surrounding mountain towns and farms.


    With the improvement of infrastructure, Chu Country gradually developed many industries: the railway from Chu Country to Shu Country and then to Orc Empire also became an important source of income for Chu Country.


    To meet the needs of Orc Empire, with the help of Tang Empire, Chu Country established a sound light industry, producing shoes, socks, and daily necessities, which made considerable profit in trade with Orc Empire and Shu Country.


    With money, Chu Country continued to develop more advanced heavy industries. For example, Nanshan Port in Chu Country made significant progress, even securing several ship orders from Tang Empire.


    Because of the Dragon Island incident, even the training of foreign pilots was relocated to Nanshan Port in Chu Country, which shows how fast Chu Country has developed in recent years.


    Moreover, with the addition of oil exports, King Xiong Biao has been living a joyous life these past two years¡ªalthough his son Xiong Xiao has not returned from Tang Country where he has been a hostage for two years, he still feels it¡¯s worth it to send a son to Chang¡¯an.


    However, it seems the good days are coming to an end: the envoy of Tang Empire recently arrived at King City, Ye City of Chu Country, bringing not-so-good news.


    As a suzerain, Tang Empire requested Chu Country to donate 100 Butcher Fighter Jets and 100 Il-2 Attack Aircraft to Fengjiang.


    Chu Country possesses these types of aircraft; being a vassal state of Tang Empire, Chu Country¡¯s Air Force was established with the help of Tang Empire, and their planes were naturally sold to them at a discount by Tang Empire.


    Moreover, many C-47 transport aircraft, which are second-hand planes used by Tang Empire, were donated to Chu Country without charge.


    Given the master-servant relationship, logically, Chu Country couldn¡¯t possibly refuse the request of Tang Empire.


    However, doing so would anger Dahua Empire, which has been the suzerain of Chu Country for centuries.


    It¡¯s like asking a current wife to slap the previous wife... Either way, it seems something disastrous is bound to happen.


    In reality, this was also a last resort for Tang Empire: if the defenders of Fengjiang were competent, there would have been no need for Tang Empire to play such dirty tricks.


    But the defenders of Fengjiang were not up to the mark¡ªthe plan to march south to Shanping was almost publicly performed, and as a result, they were intercepted by Zhao Zheng outside Shanping City, resulting in a failed attack and the war degenerating into a trench warfare of attrition.


    Without supplying Fengjiang with some heavy military equipment soon, it¡¯s possible that Fengjiang might lose. Thinking over again, Tang Empire thought of Chu Country Air Force, which is equipped with the same aircraft.


    Thus, officials of Tang Empire came up with such a deceptive strategy: Let Chu Country take the lead and donate some fighter jets to Fengjiang.


    These aircraft were just meant to create confusion. Later on, when losses mounted, Tang Empire themselves would replace with the same models. After all, Dahua Empire wouldn¡¯t be able to distinguish which aircraft were donated by Chu Country and which were covertly supported by Tang Empire to Fengjiang.


    The reason for not letting Poplar Empire with Butcher Fighter Jets ¡°donate¡± is because Poplar Empire has spent a large amount of money on these Butcher Fighter Jets and delivery has not yet been completed.


    From the perspective of Poplar Empire, shouldn¡¯t Tang Empire, provide the Butcher Fighter Jets to them who have already paid the money? What¡¯s the deal with giving them to Fengjiang?


    After sending off the envoy of Tang Empire, the ministers in Chu Country started whispering among themselves.


    The Minister of Rites of Chu Country glanced at the Prime Minister beside him and tentatively asked, ¡°Dahua Empire is currently weakened, so there¡¯s really no need to consider them right? Can¡¯t we just agree to the requests of Emperor of Tang?¡±


    The Minister of Personnel beside him shook his head, feeling that the matter still needed consideration, ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t look good... We were once a vassal state of Dahua Empire, now we are siding with Tang Empire, openly supporting a civil war within Dahua Empire... It doesn¡¯t sound good if it gets out.¡±


    Hearing the Minister of Rites speak, another military general immediately became upset, ¡°Sounds bad? If we offend Tang Empire, how will we clean up the aftermath?¡±


    A Vice Minister of Revenue, seemingly well-meaning, reminded from a distance, ¡°The Crown Prince is still in Chang¡¯an... these matters... we should tread carefully.¡±


    But everyone present knew that this Vice Minister of Revenue was fiercely pro-Tang; he didn¡¯t even need to act as he was a staunch supporter of Tang in his daily life interacting with merchants from Tang Country. Even if he was not biased towards Tang Country, no one would believe he was a loyal official of Chu Country.


    Seeing there were still ministers pretending to be indecisive, the General who spoke earlier couldn¡¯t help but shout again, ¡°Stop thinking nonsense. If Tang Empire invades, can you hold them off?¡±


    It was a joke. The civil ministers might still pretend, but if things truly escalated, the ones who would die were these military generals. Everyone cherished their own lives; asking them to go to the frontline to fight to the death against Tang Army was unthinkable for them.


    Hearing his words, a civil minister immediately objected sarcastically, ¡°Isn¡¯t it your duty as soldiers to defend our land? Why are you asking me to do it?¡±


    The military general became even more agitated, vehemently retorted while being held back by a few colleagues, ¡°Bah! Old fool, you propose to antagonize Tang Empire, and then have me go die against Tang Army, is that it?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Everyone shut up!¡± King of Chu Xiong Biao slammed the armrest of his throne and roared angrily.


    ¡°Your Majesty, calm your anger!¡± The civil ministers immediately quieted down.


    The military generals also shut their mouths: ¡°Your Majesty calm your anger!¡±


    ¡°Stop arguing! Now we do not share a border with the Dahua Empire, it¡¯s just a matter of losing face... What is there to fear?¡± Xiong Biao had his own ideas; he believed he should just lay low and be Tang Mo¡¯s underling, after all, his current prosperity and glory were achieved by this very tactic.


    ¡°Minister of Rites! After you leave the court, go and reply to the envoy... Just say our Chu Country will follow through with everything, no delays!¡± He waved his hand, issuing a direct order.


    ¡°Your servant obeys!¡± The Minister of Rites bowed low, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    ...


    At a pilot training base outside Nanshan Port, a group of pilots gathered together, their faces filled with joy: ¡°This is good news, the air force of Dahua Empire isn¡¯t unbeatable, we get to earn the tuition fees, and learn even more.¡±


    They had just received news that Fengjiang was recruiting pilot mercenaries, offering quite generous conditions, and allowing applicants to gain plenty of combat experience.


    These pilots, some training to fly commercial aircraft, and others learning to fly fighter jets, were all very tempted by the generous offer.


    Not only could they earn a sizeable amount of money, but they could also gain abundant combat experience, which could very well boost their careers for a lifetime.


    Another trainee nodded in agreement: ¡°You¡¯re right, once we return home, with this experience in our resumes, we¡¯d definitely get a chance to become officers!¡±


    A roommate, however, saw the bigger picture: ¡°I heard there¡¯s insurance for everyone, even if we die in battle, there will be a large sum of compensation!¡±


    The group immediately shushed him: ¡°Shut it with that crow¡¯s mouth! No more talk of compensation... With our skills, what dangers could possibly befall us?¡±


    ¡°Be careful what you say, next door... are all students from Dahua.¡± As they spoke, their voices grew louder, and soon a cautious student reminded them.


    ¡°Are they also going back to their country?¡± Hearing their classmate¡¯s words, everyone became more alert and confirmed in a lower voice.


    A pilot from Shu Country familiar with the situation nodded and said: ¡°Yes, I heard that they are going back to participate in a war...¡±


    The pilots here were from all over the world, including some from Laines Empire, Dorne Empire, and even some elves and dwarves.


    The roommates exchanged glances and then looked towards the wall, reflecting: ¡°In the future, we will be foes, not friends, and will face off on the battlefield.¡±


    The leader of the group seemed to make up his mind: ¡°Remember what our instructor told us? ¡®Share the cup of gold, but spar not with the blade spared.¡¯ That¡¯s our fate in the pilot class!¡±


    ¡°Right! Let¡¯s see who¡¯s better!¡± Everyone got excited again when they heard the words that the flying instructor often taught them.


    ¡°Knock, knock, knock!¡± Just as they were speaking, someone knocked on the room¡¯s door.


    The student closest to the door walked over and opened it: ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s us! From next door.¡± The door was opened, and a group of pilot students from the Dahua Empire stood outside.


    ¡°You... why did you come here?¡± The student who opened the door was somewhat embarrassed, unable to close the door again.


    The leading student from the Dahua Empire calmly expressed his purpose for knocking: ¡°We are here to say goodbye.¡±


    The leading student inside the room feigned ignorance: ¡°Are you going back to Dahua?¡±


    The pilot from the Dahua Empire nodded: ¡°Yes! Our country is in trouble, and we need to return to join the battle. Although we are commercial pilots, our tuition was sponsored by a benefactor, and now we must go back and repay this kindness.¡±


    ¡°Then, till we meet again!¡± The students inside the room replied in unison, unevenly: ¡°Just like our instructor said, ¡®Share the cup of gold, but spar not with the blade spared. On the battlefield, show no mercy!¡¯ Besides, we¡¯re all going to Fengjiang to hone our skills.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Upon hearing this, the Dahua Empire pilots outside showed a surprised expression.


    Then one of the Dahua Empire pilots awkwardly explained: ¡°Then, perhaps we can go together, it¡¯s on the way...¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± This time, the people inside the room were perplexed.


    ¡°That, we... we were sponsored by a merchant company from Fengjiang to study here.¡± The pilot from the Dahua Empire outside embarrassedly explained: ¡°We are going to Fengjiang to fight, not returning to Dahua.¡±


    ¡°Uh...¡± The awkward atmosphere spread inside the room, followed by a burst of laughter.

 Chapter 991: 913 Proud Tang People

    Chapter 991: 913 Proud Tang People


    The Tang Empire is proud, and so are its citizens. They learned to be proud in just five years, as they indeed had the capital to be proud of.


    Their days were better than others, their supplies abundant, their lives prosperous; every morning they woke up happier than the civilians of other countries, hence they took pride in being Tang People.


    On the bustling streets of Linshui City, a variety of people walked by, with most citizens of the Tang Empire dressed decently, for their country was indeed very wealthy.


    Even the wages of the porters working at the dock were much higher than in other places. They needn¡¯t worry about bribing the patrol officers at the dock due to lack of money, nor about not finding work, as everything operated on a well-established pattern, ten times more advanced than before.


    With no oppression from the Nobility and no exploitation from officials and soldiers, as long as people worked honestly, they were paid honestly¡ªa testament to the simplicity and humility of the common people, which often shamed the rulers.


    So many commoners, only wishing for food to eat, a place to shelter, a family to continue their days with¡ªnothing more.


    But due to greed, past dynasties always played the game until bankruptcy. This left citizens destitute and hopeless.


    Eventually, when the common people had no choice left, they would take up arms and bravely resist tyranny, leading to the downfall of dynasties and the vanishing of rulers, leaving behind a group of landlords and merchants from the Nobility who compromised with the new rulers to play the same old game anew.


    In this game, the rulers enjoyed wealth, glory, and supreme authority, but ultimately, they had to pay the price with the lives of their descendants. The common people had to endure oppression and exploitation generation after generation, erupting in despair and then electing a new ruler to continue this ancient game.


    The only class that didn¡¯t have to pay the price, or rather, enjoyed the most resources while being relatively safe, was the so-called Nobility, landlords, and merchants.


    They monopolized resources, cheated and exploited the entire world, but in times of change, they hid themselves again and again, posing innocently, packaging themselves as superior beings, staying uninvolved and enjoying peace.


    Unfortunately, this game was disrupted by a person who did not belong to this world, who did not hope to compromise with these despicable scoundrels.


    Yes, this man was Tang Mo, who established an empire that did not need the Old Nobility or landlord families.


    Merchants were placed outside the circle of power, no longer able to meddle in the administration and operation of the Great Tang Empire with their wealth unchecked.


    Without these bastards stirring in the middle, the citizens of the Great Tang Empire suddenly found the chains that bound them disappearing.


    Without this oppression, people were free. Thus, these reborn citizens felt genuine pride. They identified with their nation, believing this place was where they belonged.


    They called themselves Tang People, and there was a tone of pride when they uttered this term, even more so than someone claiming to be a Baron.


    When a transport ship flying the flag of Mirage Country arrived at Linshui Port, the porters sitting on the dock didn¡¯t even want to stand up to help.


    Among them were many from Qi and Zheng¡ªthat was their past designation. Back then, they endured bullying by Mirage Country folks, putting up with their arrogance. Now they were Tang People, no longer having to look at the faces of these Mirage Country people.


    The gangway of the transport ship was slowly lowered, and sailors tied the ropes to the steel piles on the dock. Soon, Mirage Country officers cautiously descended the gangway, standing beside it and carefully observing this spectacular dock that instilled fear in them.


    The huge cranes in the distance were taller than the masts on their ships, and one colossal vessel after another docked nearby, the entire port busy and rhythmed with order.


    These Mirage Country people had never seen such an extravagant port, which seemed to gather all the products of the world; skyscrapers in the distant city stood like a giant beast lying on the shore.


    ¡°Hey! Where did these Mirage Country officers come from?¡± The usually calm dockworkers were a bit stunned to see the officers from Mirage Country; since the founding of the Great Tang Empire, Linshui City had seen Dwarf Elves, blonde Eastern Continent people, but seldom Mirage Country Goblins.


    ¡°Look! Not just officers, there are soldiers too! What¡¯s going on? How did these Mirage Country people get in?¡± As they watched, some dockworkers noticed something was amiss because one after another, Mirage Country Soldiers were disembarking from the transport ship.


    These short-statured Mirage Country soldiers lined up on the dock one after another, led by an officer who wore a ¡°dagger¡± at his waist and carried a Shireck Model 1 bolt-action rifle.


    ¡°Must be at least two hundred, huh? How come so many Mirage Country folks with guns are allowed in Linshui?¡± Long-time dockworkers were always sensitive to numbers.


    As long as they casually glanced twice, they could probably determine the number of people in the team. This was their professional habit, as well as one of their skills.


    ¡°No worries, they¡¯ll leave soon.¡± A passing patrol officer who apparently knew the origins of these Mirage Country people pointed to the soldiers from Mirage Country who were forming up and said to the dockworkers: ¡°Mercenaries from Mirage Country, heading to Fengjiang.¡±


    ¡°Fengjiang? Oh, no wonder.¡± Hearing what the patrol officer said, everyone felt relieved as long as these people from Mirage Country did not come to Linshui to cause trouble.


    The newspapers issued by the Great Tang Empire were recently filled with news about the civil war in Fengjiang, and the radio broadcasts also reported the same.


    Now, even the girls in the Flower Street and Willow Alley of Linshui could probably recite quite a few pieces of news about the battle in Fengjiang.


    Of course, their stance was surprisingly unanimous: The fight in Fengjiang disrupted Great Tang¡¯s trade, causing the price of stockings in Linshui to increase.


    Hmm, this matter was unbearable, especially for those men lingering in the alleys, hearing about the price hike of stockings that girls could no longer afford, they immediately wanted to personally go to the Dahua Empire and kill those damned bastards.


    As for why the war in Fengjiang caused a spike in the price of stockings, nobody questioned it; everyone just sought a topic of conversation, that was all.


    But if the Great Tang Empire were involved in the war, then the matter would be completely different. Those worldly people drinking and enjoying themselves would really rush to the recruitment office at the first chance, clamoring to sacrifice themselves for the country and take a trip to the Dahua Empire.


    Don¡¯t ask why, asking is like saying why wouldn¡¯t a man bear his sword and directly capture fifty states... Haven¡¯t you seen those who return with medals on their chests, how spirited they are, how respected they are!


    Even seeking pleasures amidst flowers, goddamn, there are discounts, and no need to line up... How could this be tolerated? It¡¯s intolerable! Heaven knows how many Tang People are waiting for the next war, they truly are eager and restless.


    So, as long as the battle of Fengjiang is mentioned now, everyone knows about it, as the literacy rate of the Great Tang Empire has already far surpassed other countries.


    The policy of keeping the population ignorant has long been phased out here; nowadays, everyone learns a few characters at night school, and not knowing how to write almost invites discrimination. Literacy has become a part of Tang People¡¯s pride, another part is prosperity!


    ¡°Hey! You there! You can¡¯t spit everywhere! Damn it! Did you hear me!¡± The patrol officer, who just turned around, saw the gathering mercenaries from Mirage Country on the dock, picked up his baton and walked over, without showing any fear.


    The soldiers from Mirage Country who were lining up were startled by this sudden shout, and when they looked over, they found that it was just one person.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you! Who allowed you to spit on the ground?¡± The patrol officer walked over and scolded loudly: ¡°Spitting on the ground, fine 10 silver!¡±


    ¡°Bastard!¡± The leading officer from Mirage Country spoke out of reflex, as no one dared to talk to him like that in his own country.


    ¡°Bastard!¡± Before the officer from Mirage Country could react, another shout came from a distance. When the officer clearly saw who was coming, his expression immediately changed¡ªhis ferocity vanished, replaced by a face full of smiles.


    The person was Shenwu Xinguang, the general in charge of the transfer of Mirage Country¡¯s mercenaries; he walked over with his hand on his waist sword, then slapped the cursing officer: ¡°Apologize!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sorry.¡± The officer from Mirage Country covered his face, immediately bowed his head and admitted his fault.


    ¡°Apologize to him!¡± Shenwu Xinguang pointed at the standing patrol officer beside him and scolded sternly.


    The officer from Mirage Country immediately changed direction, covered his face, bowed his head and said again: ¡°Sorry! Sir!¡±


    ¡°Insulting a patrol officer, fine 30 silver, spitting on the ground 20 silver... Pay the fine.¡± The patrol officer pulled out a small booklet, tore off a receipt: ¡°Next time you run into someone with a worse temper, you won¡¯t be so lucky.¡±


    After speaking, he slapped the receipt on the forehead of the officer from Mirage Country: ¡°You are mercenaries! Not armed forces of Mirage Country! Remember this point and don¡¯t forget it, otherwise it will be a gruesome death! According to the rules of the Great Tang Empire, armed forces from other countries, unless invited, must be killed upon entering! The only reason you haven¡¯t died after walking in with guns is that you are no longer the military of Mirage Country, understand?¡±


    ¡°Teach them to follow the rules, otherwise if something really happens, I¡¯m afraid your Mirage Country won¡¯t be able to withstand it.¡± The patrol officer said this while already looking at Shenwu Xinguang, without changing his tone because of the military uniform of the general from Mirage Country.


    ¡°I will remind them,¡± Shenwu Xinguang, being a general, naturally had some temper, and snorted as he spoke.


    Under the curious gaze of the dockworkers, several officers from Mirage Country finally scraped together 50 silver coins for the fine... After these soldiers from Mirage Country were stuffed into trucks and taken away, the workers burst into a round of laughter.

 Chapter 992: The Cruel Battle of Defense and Attack

    Chapter 992: The Cruel Battle of Defense and Attack


    Between Fengjiang and Hezhe, a Dahua Empire soldier is swiftly navigating through the trenches on the complex defensive line known as the ¡°Ring¡± built by the Dahua Empire.


    He and his comrades had just entered a very complex defensive position, where the environment was chaotic with abandoned ammunition boxes and casings everywhere.


    The Fengjiang military had held out here for seven or eight days, treating the defense line as their home during that time.


    An eerie smell was present everywhere, akin to that of a boys¡¯ dormitory; indescribable and peculiar, recognizable instantly by outsiders even as the resident could not pinpoint it.


    Corpses could occasionally be seen strewn in the trenches, often surrounded by a variety of discarded weapons in disarray.


    The weapons used by the Fengjiang defenders included the same model as the Dahua military¡ªShireck Type 1 bolt-action rifles, and their machine guns also followed suit, mainly being Maxim machine guns.


    While running, the Dahua soldier gasped for air, a bayonet-fitted Shireck rifle in his hands and some subtle bloodstains on his uniform.


    Just as they rushed into the trench, he and his companion encountered a few Fengjiang soldiers, and a fierce battle ensued.


    In the end, he and his companion killed the two stubbornly resisting Fengjiang soldiers; they did not go easy on them despite their youth.


    The blood of the opponents splattered onto their uniforms, a brief struggle, then silence. The combat effectiveness of these defenders wasn¡¯t too high, it was just that their positions were too complex to penetrate.


    This included underground defensive positions that, once reinforced with concrete, were very difficult to deal with.


    Some machine gun bunkers were only recognizable when approached very closely, and every time a battle ensued, the Dahua attacking forces experienced substantial casualties.


    In the past two days, the Dahua military encountered a strange weapon never seen before on the battlefield¡ªa 50mm caliber long-barreled anti-tank gun.


    This type of anti-tank gun had an extremely low silhouette and high chamber pressure, with a very high initial speed of its shells, resulting in an impressive penetrating power.


    Armed with this new type of artillery, the Fengjiang defenders could easily penetrate the Dahua military¡¯s Type 3 tanks from a distance of 900 meters, so with the emergence of such weapons, the losses of the Dahua armored corps surged more than double.


    However, in the realities of the battlefield, most fights did not involve tanks. The desperate hand-to-hand combat of soldiers in complex environments was the main theme of the war.


    The running Dahua soldier could even hear his own breathing; he carried his weapon and kept running until he reached a corner to stop, leaning against the trench wall to catch his breath, and then cautiously peeked around to look to the other side of the trench.


    The trench turned here, not far from a concealed mortar position: four Fengjiang defenders were operating an 80mm mortar, firing at the attacking Dahua troops in the distance.


    In a flurry, they lifted the lid off a box full of shells; the loader took a projectile from inside, moved next to the muzzle, and inserted the shell into the barrel.


    The gunners and the commander, who had already adjusted the angle, covered their ears. Soon a shell was fired, a puff of white smoke and a thunderous noise came from the muzzle.


    ¡°Hurry up! They are getting close to our position!¡± The commander urged his subordinates to fire rapidly with a sense of urgency.


    The Dahua soldier hiding nearby heard the commander¡¯s voice clearly. He reached for his waist, where a wooden-handled hand grenade was tucked.


    This Shireck-style grenade can be traced back to the early hand grenades of the Great Tang Empire. Later the Great Tang fully transitioned to egg-shaped grenades, but due to cost reasons, Shireck continued with the design of wooden-handled grenades.


    Of course, in recent years, with Shireck being acquired by the Great Tang Group, they also started mass-producing easier-to-carry egg-shaped grenades, yet many countries retained the production line for wooden-handled grenades and equipped their forces with them.


    The reason is that such grenades can be thrown farther, are less likely to roll, and are cheaper¡ªnaturally less expensive if the production line is retained than switching to new ones.


    In military budgets across nations, major expenses are allocated for heavy weaponry like tanks and artillery, leaving limited funds for improving individual soldiers¡¯ arms¡ªany savings are welcome.


    After pulling out the hand grenade from his waist, the Dahua soldier cautiously unscrewed the cap at the end of the handle and pulled out the firing cord, giving it a strong tug.


    White smoke emerged from the base of the handle, and the Dahua soldier flung it forcefully, sending the hand grenade flying into the mortar position.


    Before the occupants inside could react, the grenade exploded, the blast wave kicked up a cloud of dust, and without a second thought, the Dahua soldier charged in with his bayonet ready.


    He stepped on the enemy still struggling on the ground, trying to rise, and finished him off with a bayonet. Then, amidst the swirling dust, he continued searching for his next target.


    In fact, the remaining three Fengjiang soldiers were already dead, hit by fragments of hand grenades, having stopped breathing almost instantly.


    ¡°They¡¯re attacking us! The mortar position over there has engaged!¡± In the neighboring trench, the chaotic shouting of the Fengjiang defenders was heard loud and clear.


    As the dust slowly cleared, the Dahua soldier finally confirmed the safety of his surroundings. He dared not linger here, as nearby Fengjiang soldiers could reclaim this mortar firing position at any time.


    There was no time to concern himself with the overturned mortar on the ground. At this moment, the Dahua soldier realized that his comrade had apparently failed to keep up with him.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± His first thought was that the other must have been too cowardly and had found a spot to hide halfway through.


    Unable to defend the position alone, he had no choice but to retreat immediately. Before he retreated, he bent down to take a nicely made pistol from the waist of a fallen officer near the mortar, and tucked it into his waistband before turning to run.


    Following the trench they had come through, he stopped at the bend, waiting for Fengjiang soldiers to return to the mortar position. Then, raising his rifle, he took a shot at one of them who had bent down to inspect a body.


    Seeing that his target had been hit and fell, he continued his retreat. The Fengjiang defenders, caught by surprise, dared not pursue and could only shout, urging everyone to be on high alert.


    The retreating Dahua soldier continued to run forward without daring to look back. He sprinted past the corpses he had encountered just moments before, making his way back to the segment of the trench where he had originally jumped in.


    Here, he unexpectedly saw his supposed companion lying on the ground, his steel helmet rolled to the side.


    By this time, the Dahua soldier had already become a corpse, seemingly struck in the head by shrapnel. His blood had soaked into the mud of the trench, creating a black, sickening pool.


    Not far away, next to a machine-gun bunker destroyed by an artillery shell, lay the bodies of seven or eight other dead Dahua soldiers. They had been killed by a shell, as the crater beside them was still emitting heat.


    ¡°Retreat! Retreat! What are you dawdling for? The Fengjiang military is counterattacking!¡± A Dahua soldier leaped into the trench, scrambling in panic towards the other end while kindly reminding his stunned comrade to move.


    It was only when he heard the shout that the Dahua soldier snapped out of it and followed the one who had called him, climbing over the trench to escape the battle.


    As he climbed out of the trench, he saw that the kind soldier who had warned him was hit by a bullet from behind.


    He hurried over, crouching low and attempting to help. Unfortunately, by the time he crawled over, the man was already dead, the bullet having gone right through his chest, beyond any hope of rescue.


    When he left, the other man¡¯s eyes were still moving, and he tried desperately to grasp at him, seemingly hoping he would help carry his wounded self away.


    But in the end, he lost all strength, and his grip on the other¡¯s hand was pulled away. In his eyes, the bastard who had just stood dumbly in the trench was gradually moving away, eventually disappearing into the darkness.


    Soon, the Fengjiang artillery¡¯s shells landed between the two armies¡¯ positions, greeting the retreating Dahua military once again. Both sides left behind numerous corpses, and the landscape was littered with ruined trenches and smoking craters.


    Having survived numerous dangers, the Dahua soldier who fought bravely in the trenches finally made it back to his starting position. Seeing the wounded all over the ground, he truly didn¡¯t know whether he still had the courage to do what he had just done again.


    His friend had fallen on the enemy¡¯s territory, and many of his comrades had also fallen there. He did not know if he would end up the same, everything was still an unknown.


    This was just one of the day¡¯s many fights. Such fights seemed childish, but they were actually extremely brutal, with battles happening almost every hour.


    Every day, nearly three thousand per side were killed in action. This number might not seem excessive, but in a month, that amounted to a loss of 90,000, and within two or three months, 250,000 would have to be committed to the conflict, an astonishing rate of loss.


    The Dahua Empire could not sustain such losses, and in fact Fengjiang could not either.


    Although they suffered fewer casualties due to their trench works, losing about 1,000 men per day, the cumulative effect was still deadly.


    It should be noted that before the war, Fengjiang had a total of about 300,000 troops, with only about 100,000 at most left to defend on the Western Front.


    But losing 1,000 men per day meant 30,000 would be gone in a month. At this rate of loss, Fengjiang¡¯s commanders were already bleeding internally.


    Any fool could see that if such losses continued, they would likely collapse within the next ten days. They needed reinforcements, a great deal of reinforcements!

 Chapter 993: New developments on September 15

    Hezhe, Zhao Chen was in his own command center when he saw the loss report regarding his troops¡¯ assault on the Fengjiang defense line.


    In these past few days, it wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t attacking earnestly; on the contrary, he was launching furious assaults on the Fengjiang defense line at any cost.


    But if he could conquer any defense line at any cost, he would be the world¡¯s number one War God! In reality, his military command talents might not even surpass those of General Feng Kezhi.


    In the last two days, in order to break through Fengjiang¡¯s defense line, he had already lost over 5000 soldiers, and these 5000 soldiers were the elite of the Dahua Empire!


    It¡¯s no joke¡ªthey were truly elite: the Armored Division equipped with Type 3 Tanks, the Main Force Division fully decked out in shining armor!


    These troops were expensive to build and were also pillars within the military of the Dahua Empire, bearing the great hopes as the primary elite forces. Otherwise, these troops would not have braved the enemy¡¯s artillery fire, fighting desperately for so many days.


    These troops were originally prepared for the Great Tang Empire, but now they had been wasted on the battlefield of Fengjiang¡¯s civil war. This made Zhao Chen¡¯s heart ache tremendously and caused Shen Chuan to be extremely upset.


    In fact, ever since Zhao Ji rushed back to the front lines, Dahua¡¯s military offensive had never stopped. If Zhao Chen might still have reservations due to concern for his troops, then Zhao Ji certainly had no pity.


    Under Zhao Ji¡¯s supervision, the Dahua military exerted all their strength to attack the Fengjiang defense line, but even after more than ten days, they had not managed to advance even a step.


    On one hand, it was because Fengjiang¡¯s defensive line was too strong, and on the other hand, it was because the losses suffered by Dahua¡¯s military were indeed huge.


    If everything remained unchanged, the situation would still be advantageous to the Dahua Empire: despite the huge losses, it was clear that Fengjiang could not handle the losses as well.


    But, could everything really go as the Dahua Empire wished?


    ¡°Your Highness...¡± An officer holding a report submitted by the lower ranks handed it to Zhao Chen: ¡°There is some bad news.¡±


    ¡°Just read it! I haven¡¯t heard any good news these days.¡± Zhao Chen waved his hand nonchalantly and instructed.


    ¡°Our military on the Fengjiang front has detected some Goblin troops from Mirage Country,¡± the officer succinctly reported the key content of the document.


    ¡°Ah... you are saying that Mirage Country has gotten involved?¡± Zhao Chen sighed deeply and looked towards the other person as he spoke.


    The thing he feared the most had indeed happened. Although the Great Tang Empire did not wish to take part in the war personally, this did not mean that other countries would not get involved.


    Even if it seemed that getting involved in the Dahua Empire¡¯s internal conflict would not benefit these countries, with the Great Tang Empire pulling the strings, it was possible that some countries would be willing to join the fray for a quick profit.


    ¡°The broadcasts from Fengjiang don¡¯t say that. They claim that these are Mercenaries fighting for free trade and that they do not represent Mirage Country,¡± the officer explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same... It is just a verbal statement, giving us an explanation. I bet those Goblins are numbering units directly pulled from the regular military of Mirage Country,¡± Zhao Chen scoffed disbelievingly: ¡°How many are there approximately?¡±


    ¡°The broadcast from Fengjiang says there are 100,000. They also say that 100,000 Dwarfs and 100,000 Elves are preparing to join the battle as well,¡± the officer continued to report the content of the broadcast.


    Their channels for obtaining information about Fengjiang were limited, and Dahua Empire¡¯s intelligence department was not particularly strong; against the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire, it was practically paralyzed.


    Thus, listening to Fengjiang¡¯s broadcasts became an important means of intelligence collection: After all, various news from Fengjiang would be broadcasted to settle people¡¯s hearts, and it was feasible for Dahua to directly use what they heard.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a propaganda offensive. It would be good if there were even half that number.¡± Zhao Chen saw through it clearly: ¡°But even 70 or 80 thousand people are enough for Fengjiang to hold on for a while longer.¡±


    He had no doubt about the Great Tang Empire¡¯s capabilities. Given the Great Tang¡¯s transportation, Mirage Country¡¯s troops only needed to land in the ports of Linshui or Beiyuan, and they could reach Fengjiang within a few days, much more efficient than the Dahua Empire¡¯s operations.


    Moreover, the military forces of Mirage Country, the Dwarfs, and the Elves were not weaker than those of the Dahua Empire¡ªin fact, they might even be a bit stronger.


    Under these circumstances, if they could extend Fengjiang¡¯s lifeline, subsequent support would be endless! By then, for the Dahua Empire to hope for a quick resolution would truly be a joke.


    In actuality, they were nearly becoming a joke: having launched futile attacks at the Fengjiang defense line for over 30 days, they had not succeeded in advancing even one kilometer.


    Both sides were pulling back and forth on the battleground, with losses increasing by the day. Zhao Chen had already received several telegrams from Zhao Kai criticizing his indecisiveness. If it were not for Zhao Ji supervising on the side, Zhao Kai might have started to doubt whether Zhao Chen was making a wholehearted effort.


    ¡°Where is the Type 5 tank? Where is it?¡± Zhao Chen gritted his teeth and turned his head to ask Zhao Ji: ¡°If it doesn¡¯t arrive soon, it¡¯ll be too late.¡±


    Mentioning this matter, Zhao Ji found it quite embarrassing ¨C during the development stage of the Type 5 tank, the main focus was on strengthening its armor, a common approach among various nations.


    However, the resulting machines encountered some serious issues in actual use, the main one being transportation difficulties.


    Tank units do not simply drive themselves to the battlefields, for if they did, the tracks would break down long before reaching their destination. Thus, tanks are mostly transported to the front lines by rail.


    When designing the Type 5 tank, rail transportation was not taken into consideration, so transporting these heavy tanks by rail and over bridges was extremely problematic.


    Their excessive weight made the transport of these steel behemoths extremely challenging, which is why they still have not arrived at the battlefield.


    ¡°It¡¯s soon, the command headquarters of the heavy tank regiment has reached the front lines, and the last batch of tanks has just passed Hezhe,¡± Zhao Ji said with some embarrassment.


    A tank regiment, all in all, has only about 90 tanks. Up to now, two companies haven¡¯t reached the front lines yet; it¡¯s quite a miracle to even speak of.


    ¡°No more waiting! Send a tank battalion up first! At all costs, break through Fengjiang¡¯s line of defense! Push the battlefront to the outskirts of Fengjiang! If we keep stalling like this, we are finished!¡± Zhao Chen commanded furiously.


    Seeing Zhao Chen really panicking, Zhao Ji was secretly pleased ¨C he truly hoped to reach Fengjiang and eliminate that bastard Zhao Yu. The outcome of the war didn¡¯t matter, Zhao Yu¡¯s death was what was most important!


    Just at this moment, another officer hurried in, handing Zhao Ji and Zhao Chen a telegram: ¡°Your Highness... this is the latest news, sent from the Imperial Capital.¡±


    Upon reading the telegram, Zhao Chen¡¯s defenses were utterly blown, and he cursed out loud: ¡°Xiong Biao, that damned fool! He¡¯s not even worthy of licking my boots! Now he¡¯s a lapdog for others, and he dares to bite me!¡±


    Zhao Ji also turned pale, unaware of precisely what Butcher Fighters were, but the words ¡®equipped by the Great Tang Empire¡¯ he saw very clearly.


    At this moment, Chu Country actually took the lead in donating 100 Butcher Fighters to Fengjiang, and in addition, 100 Yir Attack Aircraft... this was tantamount to roasting the Dahua Empire over an open flame!


    The Dahua Empire¡¯s Air Force was not particularly strong to begin with, and now that Fengjiang¡¯s military got hold of Great Tang Empire¡¯s equipment, wouldn¡¯t they just dominate the Dahua Empire¡¯s Air Force on the ground?


    The most infuriating part is, once the Great Tang Empire¡¯s weapons appear on the battlefield, how could one distinguish whether these weapons were indeed aid from the Great Tang Empire?


    By then it wouldn¡¯t just be 100 Butcher Fighters, maybe 200, maybe 300! If that time comes, what should the Dahua Empire do?


    ¡°That damned fool, Xiong Biao!¡± Zhao Ji roared uncontrollably: ¡°Isn¡¯t he afraid that one day when the Dahua Empire rises, we will come to settle this old score with him?¡±


    ¡°Order the front-line troops to immediately prepare their anti-air camouflage! Have the second-line troops conceal all material storage sites! Inform the anti-aircraft artillery units to watch out for enemy air force...¡± Knowing that his side may soon face a strong enemy air force, Zhao Chen immediately issued a series of commands.


    He understood that once this batch of aircraft arrived in Fengjiang, Fengjiang would definitely deploy a large-scale air force operation. By that time, Fengjiang¡¯s air force could potentially dominate the entire sky.


    By then, launching any significant ground offensive would be contingent on Fengjiang¡¯s air force¡¯s whims.


    So, he immediately turned back to his subordinates: ¡°Pass down my orders! This afternoon! Double the scale of the attack! Send a regiment up! If that¡¯s not enough, send an entire division! We must break through Fengjiang¡¯s defenses before we lose air superiority!¡±


    He knew that if he didn¡¯t give Zhao Kai an explanation now, as the situation became more complicated, he would no longer have a chance to account for it to Zhao Kai.


    With this in mind, he suddenly realized that the issue wasn¡¯t just related to his own front and immediately spoke up: ¡°Remind Zhao Zheng! He must hold onto Shanping, not retreat a single step!¡±


    He felt vulnerable despite his strong forces here, and one can imagine how much pressure Zhao Zheng was under, facing a fierce attack of 200,000 men from Fengjiang.


    If there¡¯s any issue with Shanping, Guiguang would be in danger ¨C the worst fear is that if Guiguang falls, Sword Pavilion and Nanku would be indefensible.


    With such a chain reaction of impacts, it would mean that the Dahua Empire would lose around one quarter of its territory, including the strategic Longxing Land; the Dahua Empire would be finished.


    With this in mind, Zhao Chen hated Zhao Yu even more. If it weren¡¯t for this fool obsessed with the struggle for imperial succession, the Dahua Empire wouldn¡¯t be facing such difficulties!


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Two updates for today, time to rest.

 Chapter 994: 916 Assault Breacher Vehicle

    ¡°It¡¯s finally our turn to enter the fray!¡± The Dahua tank commander, who had half his body sticking out, put down his binoculars and pressed the talk button to issue an attack command to his driver: ¡°Advance! Cover the infantry¡¯s charge.¡±


    After issuing his command, the tank beneath him began its advance. Due to the uneven ground, his body slightly swayed with the tank¡¯s bumps and jolts.


    The Type 3 tanks on the flank also started their tracks rolling forward, followed by a dark mass of infantry, numbering in the hundreds.


    The most elite force of the Dahua Empire¡¯s Armored Corps, equipped with the powerful Type 5 tanks, lined up in front of their positions to provide cover for the infantry, launching the largest single assault by the Dahua side since the outbreak of the Fengjiang internal conflict.


    An entire battalion of infantry charged at the Fengjiang defenders¡¯ line under the cover of two companies of Type 5 tanks and two companies of Type 3 tanks.


    The tank commander of the Type 5, who had been half-exposed in the turret, ducked back inside and secured his hatch.


    Through the narrow slit of the observation window, he could see the battlefield shrouded in gun smoke, as well as the Fengjiang defenders¡¯ positions still undergoing violent explosions.


    Over 50 artillery pieces provided covering fire for this attack, raining shells down upon the Fengjiang troops¡¯ positions, raising thick smoke that blotted out the sky and looked utterly despairing.


    Under such intense artillery coverage, it¡¯s hard to say how much of the defenses could remain intact; the scarce forces stationed there would also suffer substantial losses.


    Due to the artillery barrage, the secondary troops entering the positions would also be hindered, resulting in a brief vacuum of forces within these bombarded defenses.


    And this time, the greatest reliance for the Dahua Empire¡¯s troops were these Type 5 tanks, with front armor thickness exceeding 120 millimeters, slow-moving but with a formidable deterrent power.


    ¡°Directly ahead! Machine gun bunker!¡± Among the smoke, an exposed machine gun bunker was spewing flames. The Dahua commander, spotting the target through the observation window, gave a calm command to attack.


    He was a one-in-a-thousand commander, with naturally outstanding abilities. His command of the Empire¡¯s best tanks was also the source of his confidence.


    The tracks of the tank rolled over a corpse long begun to rot, crushing the bones wedged within the treads¡¯ gaps, inching towards the enemy defense line.


    It wasn¡¯t that these Dahua Empire tanks leisurely took their time; it was simply that their engines couldn¡¯t make their tanks move any faster.


    These tanks could only advance at a speed less than 15 kilometers per hour, and when encountering larger obstacles, they needed to consider if they should take a detour.


    But these tanks traded speed for heavy armor: even a Panther Tank with a long-barreled 75mm gun might not penetrate the frontal armor of these Type 5 tanks in a normal combat range.


    Although the Dahua Empire¡¯s medium-caliber 90mm tank gun was still underperforming, it was indeed a good choice for the Type 5 tanks, intended as ¡°breakthrough assault vehicles.¡±


    On one hand, its calibre was large enough to serve as a makeshift ¡°assault gun,¡± and on the other hand, it had some anti-tank capabilities, doubling as an Anti-Tank Gun.


    Perhaps even the Dahua Empire¡¯s tank designers themselves didn¡¯t realize that they inadvertently created, not a qualified tank, but a model of ¡°inferior rat-style breakthrough assault vehicle¡±...


    So, when not facing real tanks like the Panther, which could reverse faster than they could advance, the Type 5 tanks could indeed display astonishing combat power in the right settings.


    While bullying the Fengjiang defenders who lacked advanced tanks, the Dahua Empire¡¯s heavy tanks could be described as invincible.


    That machine gun bunker spewing flames only lasted a few minutes before it was blown sky-high by a 90mm shot from a Type 5 tank.


    The Dahua Empire¡¯s elite main force, well-trained and high in morale, demonstrated their worth in a less tense crushing battle: hitting the target with their first shot, they immediately set the tone for their side.


    With suppression lifted, the Dahua troops immediately got up from the ground and continued their advance. They were getting closer to the Fengjiang defenders¡¯ positions, and the ground became littered with more and more craters.


    The opposing Fengjiang defenders quickly identified these Type 5 tanks, imposing figures even more formidable than the Type 3 tanks.


    Then these Fengjiang defenders immediately brought up their strongest anti-tank weapon available: a 76mm Anti-Aircraft Gun.


    At about 700 meters away, the 76mm AA gun fired, but the first shot missed its target. The AA gun kept trying to fire and destroy these Type 5 tanks, but at a distance of 500 meters, a 76mm shell struck the armor of a Type 5 tank and was incredibly deflected!


    Yes, the shell was deflected! Everyone saw the shell, swift as lightning, and then it actually hit the front armor of Tank No.5, before being ricocheted into the sky.


    Perhaps because Tank No.5 was not directly facing the 76mm gun, the armor was at a good angle. The sight of the shell being bounced off completely shattered the morale of the nearby Fengjiang defenders.


    The Dahua Empire Tanks that had spotted the Anti-Tank Gun position began to halt, then one after another they aimed their barrels at the 76mm Anti-Aircraft Gun.


    Two shells almost hit simultaneously near the 76mm gun, kicking up a cloud of dirt. Then a third shell hit the target squarely, blowing the 76mm gun¡¯s parts into the air. Nearby Fengjiang soldiers were either killed or injured, utterly losing their combat capability.


    ¡°It¡¯s like they can¡¯t take a single hit!¡± Seeing the enemy¡¯s Anti-Tank Gun position destroyed, a Dahua Empire tank commander inside the turret scoffed, continuing to give orders: ¡°Cross the trench! Keep moving forward!¡±


    Following his command, this Tank No.5 started charging towards the Fengjiang defenders¡¯ trench. The few remaining Fengjiang soldiers in the trench scattered like birds and beasts, not even contemplating resistance.


    Dahua Infantry leaped into the heavily damaged trench, only to find the Fengjiang army¡¯s corpses lying around in disarray.


    These bodies were easily recognizable by the comfortable Tang Country military boots on their feet, and the M35 Steel Helmets scattered in the trench made it very clear these were Fengjiang defenders.


    The wide tracks crushed the concrete reinforced edges of the trench, then carrying dirt crossed over the top of the trench, and likewise smashed the opposite edge on the backside.


    Due to the Tank¡¯s immense weight, the trenches suffered various degrees of damage as Tank No.5 passed over them.


    The following Dahua Infantry immediately felt relief, as the leading heavy tanks had cleared most of the obstacles for them.


    All the machine gun bunkers were without exception destroyed, and the remaining Fengjiang defenders who couldn¡¯t escape had no choice but to surrender. Since it was impossible to withstand the rampage of these Tank No.5¡¯s, a circular defensive fortification seemed to be collapsing.


    In the Dahua Empire, such wavering generally spelled the end of a defensive line: They weren¡¯t Tang Army, lacking Tang Army¡¯s relentless courage and tenacity to counter-attack.


    ¡°What? Hello? Speak clearly! What? We¡¯ve lost the front line?¡± Inside the command post, the Fengjiang commander, gripped by a sense of powerlessness, was furiously bellowing into the phone.


    Intermittent gunfire could be heard over the phone. The reporting officer was also frantically saying: ¡°Enemy tanks can¡¯t be penetrated! Can¡¯t penetrate! Both 76mm guns are gone! I have no Anti-Tank Guns left!¡±


    ¡°If you have none, you still must hold the line! No step back is allowed! Understand? No retreat, not a single step!¡± the Division Commander ordered hysterically from the division headquarters.


    His superiors had given a strict order to hold the line at all costs, but now his division seemed to be the focus of the enemy¡¯s assault¡ªjust a few minutes before, his 2nd battalion had also reported their positions were close to collapse.


    ¡°Sir! I must retreat! The enemy is just a few tens of meters away!¡± The voice over the phone said this and then hung up, completely ignoring the order of no retreat.


    ¡°Division Commander! Division Commander!¡± At this moment, an officer hurried in, reporting desperately: ¡°It¡¯s over! Our positions are completely overrun... 1st battalion is retreating, 2nd battalion has already collapsed...¡±


    ¡°Damn it...¡± The Fengjiang Division Commander had intended to have 3rd battalion hold the line, but after a moment of thought, he changed the order: ¡°Retreat! Burn everything and get out of here!¡±


    He grabbed a Steel Helmet from the wall and placed it on his head: ¡°Why hit our own so hard. If you have the guts, go fight the Goblins...¡±


    Saying that, he walked out, followed closely by his adjutant. Nearby officers and administrative staff had already started throwing some documents on the ground, ready to set them alight.


    That day, the flank of the circular defensive line on the west side of Fengjiang was breached, and the Fengjiang defenders, who had no desire to fight, began a great rout. They abandoned the other defensible circular defensive lines and started retreating towards Fengjiang.


    This retreat covered nearly one hundred kilometers, only stopping 20 to 30 kilometers from Fengjiang.


    After all, Fengjiang was right behind them, and continuing to retreat would mean they had nothing left.


    Therefore, on the basis of the existing makeshift defense line, these Fengjiang Troops, reinforced by mercenaries from Mirage Country, began to fortify this line.


    Meanwhile, the pursuing forces of the Dahua Empire had no more strength to advance after chasing for nearly 100 kilometers, and could only stop in place, awaiting follow-up Troops.


    During this period, they encountered many troubles, such as the Fengjiang Troops sabotaged the railway during their retreat, like losing air superiority...


    Nevertheless, Zhao Chen still achieved a resounding victory, and now his vanguard forces were very, very close to Fengjiang.

 Chapter 995: 917 Fengjiang’s Air Superiority

    In terms of integrity, the Great Tang Empire has always been quite decent. Once Tang Mo decided not to send troops to participate in the war, the Great Tang Empire exhibited the utmost restraint.


    When the Chu Country¡¯s donated Butcher Fighters arrived in Fengjiang, the pilots were uniformly Elves from the Poplar Empire.


    These Elves had been trained in Chu Country¡¯s flight schools, and upon learning that they could personally pilot the ¡°most advanced¡± fighter jets in combat, they were thrilled beyond measure.


    This was undeniably a unique opportunity: they held the supreme VIP experience card, indulging in the blissful feeling of Great Tang Empire pilots overwhelming their adversaries effortlessly.


    To pilot a Butcher Fighter jet dominating the skies was an absolute joy¡ªthis type of fighter jet was superior in every aspect, crushing the previous generation of aircraft from other countries.


    Even as many countries had come to possess slightly less capable fighters, the Butcher Fighter continued to hold an absolute advantage in numerous performance areas.


    Only after these Elf flight apprentices truly got their hands on the Butcher Fighter in Chu Country, did they realize its formidable power.


    It could reach speeds exceeding 700 kilometers per hour in extreme conditions, while other nations¡¯ fighter jets generally topped out below 500 kilometers per hour.


    These aircraft could climb to altitudes over 12,000 meters, levels at which other countries¡¯ fighters started to wheeze and labor.


    Piloting such an aircraft in a steep dive, everyone would fall under the illusion of being invincible, as its handling exhibited supreme brute force, capable of tearing anything in its path to pieces.


    ¡°Pilots of this aircraft are fortunate; they wouldn¡¯t even know what failure is.¡± That was the assessment of the Elf pilots in Chu Country after getting their hands on this jet.


    They adored the aircraft so much that after flying it several times, they understood why their nation had spent a fortune to acquire them.


    No matter the cost, it was worth it... This was the consensus among the Elf pilots as they soared the skies, arrogantly bulldozing their way through the front lines.


    Now they understood how comfortable Great Tang Empire pilots had it: all challengers were merely prey, they were like deities surveying the entire earth.


    With the addition of these Butcher Fighters, the Dahua troops in the Hezhe direction had no choice but to halt their offensive and started stacking as many anti-aircraft guns as possible around their vulnerable supply lines.


    Obtaining air superiority and being able to exploit it were two different matters: what truly struck fear into the Dahua Empire¡¯s Army were the thousands of ground attack aircraft of the Great Tang Empire, not those fighters pretending to be attackers just by dangling a couple of fist-sized bombs under their wings.


    Though Butcher Fighters did have ground attack capabilities, these were quite limited. Or to put it another way, the ground attack abilities of the Butcher Fighters were actually bestowed upon them by Great Tang Empire¡¯s pilots.


    Typically, Air Force fighter pilots don¡¯t receive training for ground attacks; using fighters to strafe the ground is essentially a waste of air combat pilots¡ªunless air superiority was guaranteed, then ground attacks by fighter pilots would be considered ¡°overkill.¡±


    This isn¡¯t a slight on ground attack pilots, what we¡¯re saying is that specialization is key: just as making ground attack pilots engage in air combat isn¡¯t ideal, they¡¯re not incapable, but simply not specialized.


    Most of Fengjiang¡¯s ground attack aircraft pilots were Fengjiang¡¯s own, with a portion of Elf ¡°mercenary¡± pilots.


    These pilots were clearly amateurs, so the 100 Yir Attack Aircrafts donated by Chu Country didn¡¯t perform well. Two were shot down in their first battle, followed by another two crashing due to malfunctions, turning it into a laughing stock for onlookers.


    Frankly speaking, more specialized ground attacks were beyond the Elf Fighters¡¯ pilots, who were overwhelmed with air combat training at school, let alone mastering ground attacks.


    The approach to training fighter pilots was similar across all countries: stick to learning air combat properly, and leave ground attacks to be cobbled together by those reassigned from civil aviation.


    Because the air combat theory of each country is based on their own circumstances: the air forces are not specialized, and as long as they could hold onto air superiority, they had fulfilled their mission.


    Essentially, the air forces of all countries were actually attached to their armies, their primary mission was to ensure the normal operations of their own ground troops. They were nowhere close to Tang Country¡¯s level, capable of launching campaign-level aerial offensives.


    This difference was evident from the types of aircraft purchased by each country: almost all bought only two types, one being the sufficiently capable fighter jet and the other a moderately advanced medium bomber.


    This clearly delineated the countries¡¯ air force roles: fighter jets for homeland defense, maintaining air superiority over the battlefield; bombers for city bombardment, akin to a strategic deterrent.


    Their utilization of air force planes was nowhere near the level of Tang Country, and unsurprisingly, their models lacked the specifics¡ªA dedicated ground attack aircraft? Isn¡¯t that just about the same as a bomber?


    Even though the Yir Attack Aircraft lacked professional pilots, these aircraft still caused some trouble for Dahua¡¯s ground operations: more than a dozen Yir Attack Aircraft collided with the Dahua Army¡¯s Armored Corps in battle, destroying seven Dahua Tanks and damaging five others, marking an early end to the ground offensive as a failure.


    Zhao Chen¡¯s biggest fear had indeed come to pass: After gaining air supremacy, the Fengjiang ground defenders had steadied their retreat and stopped their disarrayed fallback just less than 20 kilometers away from Fengjiang itself.


    This point was already close enough to Fengjiang, and even less than 60 kilometers away from the two field airports in the south and north of Fengjiang.


    It seemed that if Dahua Empire¡¯s ground troops pushed just a little harder, they might have been able to break into the urban area of Fengjiang¡ªexcept that with the addition of Great Tang Empire¡¯s air force equipment to the battlefield, the situation had suddenly changed.


    Due to fear of the attacks by the Yir attack aircraft, subsequent resupply had to be carried out piecemeal and only at night, which directly affected the overall supply volume.


    With no other option, Dahua Empire¡¯s ground troops had to halt and wait for the follow-up units. Even Zhao Chen had not anticipated that this wait... would turn out to be five days.


    The Fengjiang defenders didn¡¯t halt their retreat here without reason. Luo Xiao, worried about potential problems on the western defensive line, had mobilized the civilians of Fengjiang in advance to construct a makeshift defense line in the west.


    Subsequent passing Mirage Country mercenaries, Dwarf mercenaries, and Elf mercenaries all reinforced the line a bit.


    By the time the Fengjiang defenders retreated to this point, there was already a small, proper defense line of some scale.


    Moreover, with this defense line backed against Fengjiang, the Fengjiang defenders essentially had no room left to retreat: so here, the Fengjiang defenders regrouped, took a stand once again, and blocked the advancing Dahua troops whose attack was noticeably weakening.


    As to how much of this was due to the Fengjiang defenders holding off the Dahhua troops, and how much was because the Dahua troops stopped on their own due to supply difficulties, that was something only the heavens knew.


    ...


    ¡°What? Pushed back?¡± Zhao Yu was stunned when he learned that his front lines were crumbling and that he was increasingly distancing from Hezhe.


    He had always thought that his main force was on the western front; if the west fell, didn¡¯t that mean his cause was lost?


    But Luo Xiao, Qian Jinhang, and Zhao Feng reassured him together, explaining some details, which helped Zhao Yu to calm down.


    ¡°Actually, we still have over a hundred thousand strong on the western front. Although forced to retreat, we can still hold the outer defensive lines of Fengjiang,¡± Luo Xiao explained.


    Qian Jinhang also assured, ¡°I¡¯d been to the defensive line earlier, and supporting it for several more days shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Several days?¡± Hearing about this timeframe made Zhao Yu feel unsettled again¡ªjust a few days, how would that be enough?


    ¡°Rest assured, Your Highness! After several days, a large number of international reinforcements will arrive. We are not isolated without support!¡± Zhao Feng spoke up to persuade him at that moment.


    ¡°About five divisions of forces are already converging here, all with strong combat capabilities, elite main forces. So, Your Highness, please be at ease,¡± Xu Guo, the strategist sitting beside Zhao Yu, also spoke up then.


    Hearing everyone¡¯s confidence, Zhao Yu felt much reassured, but he was still reluctant to have the front lines too close to his location: ¡°Master... How about I... I move to the eastern side of Fengjiang for a few days?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, at a time like this, if you leave West Fengjiang on your own, what would the soldiers think?¡± Xu Guo, of course, couldn¡¯t allow Zhao Yu to leave Fengjiang and immediately rejected the idea.


    ¡°The air force assistance has arrived, and we¡¯ve stabilized the defensive line! Everything is still within controllable limits, Your Highness can be at ease,¡± Luo Xiao spoke again, comforting him with another sentence.


    He was indeed speaking the truth. Faster than the Dahua military reinforcements, the defenders from Mirage Country and the Ice Cold Empire had only a few days¡¯ journey to arrive, and Fengjiang clearly could be defended for quite a long while.


    ¡°And besides, the offensive on the southern front is going smoothly. We¡¯ve now reached the outskirts of Shanping,¡± Luo Xiao immediately followed up with a piece of good news.


    ¡°Very good, very good...¡± Although Zhao Yu wanted to shout, ¡°Why push so far in the south, hurry up and get those troops to come back to defend Fengjiang,¡± he disciplined himself not to blurt out the words.


    Partly because he didn¡¯t dare to question the advice of a Great Tang ¡°advisor¡± like Luo Xiao, and partly because he had really begun to entertain some fantasies: Shanping! South of it lies Guiguang, and south of Guiguang is the Sword Pavilion... the land of Longxing.


    Capturing that place would indeed be an auspicious sign... In the blink of an eye, Zhao Yu had shifted from thinking about the defeat on the western front near Fengjiang to envisaging a complete victory in the south.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Two updates today... Not much spirit...

 Chapter 996: 918 Fengjiang refugees

    As the frontline moved to the west side of Fengjiang, right on their doorstep, there was one person who was truly despondent. It was not Zhao Yu, but Zhao Zheng.


    This Air Force Commander-in-Chief of Fengjiang from the Great Tang Empire, had once boasted in front of Zhao Yu, guaranteeing that not a single enemy plane could fly over Fengjiang.


    But now, his airfield was less than 50 kilometers away from the front line, which drastically reduced the response time of Fengjiang¡¯s Air Force to virtually zero.


    Even to protect the Fengjiang airfield, Luo Xiao had allocated almost all of the Anti-Aircraft Guns available near Fengjiang to Zhao Zheng, leaving the city itself almost as unprotected as if it were streaking naked.


    So, if the Dahua Empire¡¯s planes were to attack Fengjiang, they could easily succeed: even with the early warning provided by the Great Tang Empire¡¯s radar on the opposite shore, Fengjiang¡¯s Air Force was still not fast enough.


    To conceal these vulnerabilities, Zhao Zheng had no choice but to have the Air Force of Fengjiang take the offensive approach, suppressing the Dahua military planes to ensure the relative safety of Fengjiang City.


    No matter what, his tactics had achieved some success recently. At least, the Dahua Empire¡¯s Air Force hadn¡¯t attacked Fengjiang in recent days; everything in Fengjiang remained unchanged.


    Unfortunately, many people still knew the truth: about 20 kilometers outside their city had already become the frontline of intense fighting.


    If the Dahua troops advanced another 5 kilometers or so, their large-caliber artillery would almost be able to hit inside Fengjiang City.


    Just when Zhao Zheng thought he could keep deceiving them, the Dahua Empire¡¯s bomber units took the risk of closing in on Fengjiang City.


    At that time, there were only two Fighter Jets from the Fengjiang defense forces in the sky, nowhere near enough to intercept the Dahua Empire¡¯s bombers.


    Despite the emergency takeoff of the Fighter Jets deployed at the airfield, the bombers from the Dahua Empire still managed to drop around 3 tons of bombs on the city.


    This scared the civilians of Fengjiang terribly, many of whom had experienced the war between Dahua and Tang over Fengjiang, and could say the memory of the bombing was still fresh.


    Now these nearly forgotten images had reappeared before their eyes, suddenly awakening their deep-seated fears.


    Although the Dahua Empire¡¯s bombers were outdated and performed poorly, they were still able to induce a certain degree of panic among the civilians.


    These planes did not bomb power plants, nor water plants, neither did they bomb train stations nor any other important key facilities.


    They didn¡¯t have the courage to fly to the airfield to provoke the powerful Butcher Fighters, so they just hastily dropped bombs on the edge of the city and quickly fled back to their controlled area.


    By the time the Butcher Fighters arrived, these bombers had vanished without a trace. Frustrated, the mercenary Elf pilots could only watch the smoke-rise from the city below as they returned to base.


    This bombing didn¡¯t bring a devastating blow to Fengjiang City; in fact, given the quality of the Dahua Empire¡¯s bombers, destroying Fengjiang would probably require thousands of sorties.


    But this bombing was no trivial matter; since the outbreak of the civil war in Fengjiang, this was the first time that the enemy had attacked the Fengjiang urban area, and its impact on Fengjiang was incalculable.


    Soon, a wave of exodus swept through Fengjiang, except the civilians wanted to head east instead of south.


    Countless cars were jammed on the Fengjiang Bridge, and although the Great Tang strictly controlled border crossing, they had to allow 2,000 people from Fengjiang to pass every day.


    Most of these refugees from Fengjiang were wealthy¡ªthey had their own cars, many had temporary passes, and everywhere there were shouts and calls, with many even taking the risk to swim across Fengjiang River to seek asylum in the Great Tang Empire.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it one more time! Passage is forbidden here! Don¡¯t make things difficult for us!¡± The Great Tang Empire soldier, standing by the checkpoint at the end of the bridge, returned an introduction letter to the man and explained with righteous indignation.


    ¡°I am well acquainted with Sir Lu Ming...¡± That merchant from the Dahua Empire, holding his daughter and his wife, ignoring the curses from the people behind, was still desperately pleading, ¡°If it really can¡¯t be helped, at least let my daughter and wife go through!¡±


    As he spoke, he even pulled out a gold bar from his pocket, trying to discreetly hand it to the young man with a Type 56 assault rifle.


    ¡°If you do that again, I will have to be unpleasant!¡± The soldier from the Great Tang Empire quickly stepped back, his face already filled with impatience.


    Where would he dare to casually accept such a large sum of money? If the squad leader found out, he¡¯d probably be sent back to his hometown to serve a sentence the next day.


    Dammit, who knows how much effort he had put in to become a soldier: In the Great Tang Empire, being a soldier was an honorable affair, walking on the street was even more glamorous than being a celebrity.


    ¡°I said, if you don¡¯t have a pass then get out of the way! Don¡¯t hold up the lineup!¡± The people behind the merchant were already very dissatisfied, shouting loudly.


    The merchant reluctantly pulled his family aside to make way. The people behind him immediately moved forward, dragging their families along, and presented a small notebook.


    The soldier took the booklet and inspected it carefully; the paper used was indeed special, such ¡°banknote paper¡± could probably only be produced by the Great Tang Empire. He returned the documents to the other party and then stepped aside.


    In the midst of envious glances, the family, along with their car, were allowed to pass and on the other end of the bridge, existed a peaceful world.


    And right after crossing the bridge, the Dahua man immediately became respectful towards the friend who provided him with the documents: It seems that Pan Yiping really is capable, being able to obtain such a useful document.


    At the head of the bridge, it was still crowded with people, still some pleaded desperately: ¡°Please, just let us through!¡±


    Beneath the crowded feet of these people, a train full of Dwarf soldiers whooshed by, crowded carriages were entirely filled with Dwarf soldiers, squeezed together like livestock, struggling to breathe in the cramped space.


    To transport more soldiers to Fengjiang at once, the train efficiency of the Great Tang Empire was brought up to the highest level.


    As long as no one died, the rest of the arrangements were at their discretion. Under such requirements, all loading used ¡°space magic.¡±


    Carriages supposed to carry 100 people were demanded to carry 200, and after filling with people, they crammed in luggage to stuff the space. Soldiers in the innermost parts, in order to access the toilet once, had to exert considerable effort.


    The freed-up transport capacity was filled with a variety of materials: imported 150 cannons from other countries, also 105 cannons, and 50 mm long-barreled anti-tank guns urgently produced by the Great Tang Empire.


    Of course, there were innumerable bullets as well as hand grenades, artillery shells, and flares: hundreds of thousands of Shireck Model 1 rifles.


    Speaking of which, since they were cheaper and didn¡¯t carry significant Great Tang lineage, the Shireck Model 1 rifles are now a veritable star in the arms market: They sell well and have become standard equipment for many countries, with production astonishingly large.


    These rifles have already reached a cumulative production of 20 million, far surpassing the Mauser 98K Rifles previously used by the Great Tang Empire, to become the highest-produced bolt-action rifle in the world.


    Ranked second isn¡¯t the Mauser 98K Rifle but the Mosin-Nagant Rifle produced by the Ice Cold Empire, and coming third is the Mauser 98K Rifle that the Great Tang Empire had already phased out.


    Trains crammed with weapons and munitions, as well as all sorts of materials, charged into Fengjiang City and then headed all the way to the Fengjiang train station for unloading.


    The surroundings of the train station were already chock-full of various materials, with numerous Fengjiang Soldiers building fortifications and placing the newly arrived anti-aircraft guns in position.


    This train station might be Fengjiang¡¯s most critical supply base, thus it cannot be lost. The Great Tang Empire directly aided Fengjiang with 40 searchlights for night-time anti-air operations, 20 of which were deployed here.


    Underneath the Fengjiang Bridge, seemingly calm waters often saw people crossing by boat or simply swimming across illegally.


    At one spot on the bankside, a man who had tied all his belongings into a sheepskin float, was wringing his clothes.


    Next to him stood Soldiers of the Great Tang patrol Troops who had just caught him. Under the man¡¯s desperate gaze, the soldiers were inspecting all his possessions with a smile that was not quite a smile.


    People like him would soon be sent back: All cross-border personnel must be recognized by the Great Tang Empire as ¡°good citizens,¡± the Great Tang Empire was past the stage where just anyone was welcomed.


    The minimum requirement was also to see if these people fleeing disasters had contraband or whether they were spies infiltrated by the enemy, right?


    Under the bridge behind them, on the river surface, a Great Tang Empire patrol boat slowly sailed by. These small boats could actually speed up quite fast and were also equipped with a large caliber machine gun, with quite formidable firepower.


    In fact, on the banks of the Great Tang¡¯s side of the river, there are two 350 mm caliber huge gun turrets ¨C it is because the Great Tang Empire had installed these two giant turrets here, that the Dahua Empire had installed so many river defense turrets to counter them on the opposite side of Fengjiang.


    Looking back at it now, this kind of confrontation seems laughable from any angle. Because if these turrets were truly useful, the Great Tang side should have installed even more.


    In actual fact, the situation was this: the Great Tang Empire had overproduced two turrets for the Dongwan-class Battleships, which are now either retired or used as training ships, so there was nowhere to put these two turrets, and putting them to waste they were left here in Fengjiang as ¡°scenery.¡±


    The result tricked the Dahua Empire into spending a lot of money to purchase some cannons from Shireck, leading to an arms race across the river...

 Chapter 997: 919 Roulette

    Zhao Kai was feeling quite good now; after Zhao Zheng retreated to defend Shanping, he heard for the first time definite news of victory.


    The armored corps of the Dahua Empire charged forward for more than 100 kilometers in one breath, demonstrating a momentum comparable to the armored corps of the Great Tang Empire, pinning down the Fengjiang defenders to the ground.


    Since the last defeat by the Great Tang Empire, he had not experienced such a liberating and invigorating feeling. Because he was too excited, he even showed a smile in the court.


    In his view, Zhao Chen¡¯s troops were now only a little over 20 kilometers away from Fengjiang, and if they pushed a little harder, the war could possibly end within a week.


    To make Zhao Chen attack even more vigorously, Zhao Kai even granted him the title of Great General¡ªa title that the Dahua Empire had not had for a long time since the ¡°killing¡± of General Feng Kezhi.


    In other words, Zhao Kai got ahead of himself again. In his opinion, Zhao Chen, who could advance crazily more than 100 kilometers in two days, was much, much better than that bastard Feng Kezhi of the past.


    Zhao Kai even began to prepare a rather flashy operation, popping champagne halfway through: he ordered the preparation of a banquet to celebrate the great victory at the front.


    However, those in the know, such as Chu Muzhou and Shen Chuan, had no interest in this banquet. They were now worried that the increasing appearance of the foreign legion on the battlefield could affect the outcome of the battle for Fengjiang.


    Whether willing to admit it or not, there were indeed many troops from Mirage Country already present on the Fengjiang front: these Mirage Country units had taken over part of Fengjiang¡¯s defensive lines and naturally blocked Dahua¡¯s probing attacks.


    The battlefield now was completely different from three days ago, with Elf race pilots whizzing through the skies in Butcher fighter jets, thrashing Dahua military planes that came to adjust artillery fire into searching the ground for teeth.


    Even with launching more than three times their aircraft, the Dahua troops still could not shake Fengjiang¡¯s air supremacy.


    One reason is the irreconcilable difference in aircraft performance; the Dahua Type 2 and Type 3 fighter jets, from any aspect, aren¡¯t as formidable as the Butcher fighters. The gap in equipment is indeed a chasm that cannot be ignored.


    The second reason is the difference in pilot quality; the promising pilots of Dahua were all sponsored by Fengjiang to study, and after their education, most naturally served for Fengjiang. With the best personnel in Fengjiang, the rest would naturally be less capable.


    The third reason was the difference in the distance to the airport: planes taking off from Fengjiang airport only needed to fly tens of kilometers to join the battle, while Dahua¡¯s fighter jets had to fly nearly 200 kilometers to reach the battlefield.


    Of course, bombing the Fengjiang airport and train station was possible, but Dahua Empire¡¯s air force commanders posed a very serious question to Zhao Chen: If they mistakenly bombed the Great Tang Empire¡¯s trains or planes, could they afford the consequences?


    Zhao Chen, of course, had no answer to such a question. He was well aware of how busy the Fengjiang train station was and knew how many planes from the Great Tang Empire landed and took off from Fengjiang¡¯s airport each day.


    But the problem was, these constantly landing and taking off planes from the Great Tang Empire actually served as amulets for the Fengjiang train station and airport...


    Should Dahua Empire carelessly destroy a train or plane from the Great Tang Empire, or even cause injuries, they could indeed spark an incident.


    If matters reached that point, the Great Tang Empire could easily find some pretext to make more excessive demands of the Dahua Empire.


    This was not a matter of reason or logic; it was completely about the disparity in national strength: If the Dahua Empire were stronger, they would simply notify the Tang Ambassador, citing a timeframe, informing that they would bomb train stations and airports during that interval, and Great Tang would have to face the consequences.


    But now with the Great Tang Empire stronger, such talks were utterly pointless: you inform the Tang Ambassador that you¡¯re going to bomb, and the Tang Ambassador could simply respond with ¡®trade freedom, step aside¡¯, what could the Dahua Empire do?


    A hoodlum never reasons with a lady; by the same logic, a policeman doesn¡¯t reason with a hoodlum¡ªthose who can sit down and reason together are either two ladies, two hoodlums, or two policemen.


    Strength must be equal! Only then can one reason! Why is Lighthouse Country becoming more willing to reason with the Rabbit? Isn¡¯t it because the Rabbit has more ¡°reasonable¡± tools at its disposal now?


    After understanding that he could not bomb Fengjiang on a large scale, nor did he have a suitable opportunity to destroy Fengjiang¡¯s train station and airport, Zhao Chen could only place his bets on a ground attack.


    Although he knew it was a gamble, it was the only option he had, so he had to hastily launch another attack without air superiority, while his follow-up troops were not ready.


    Some people gamble Russian roulette, removing five out of six bullets from a Left-Wheel Handgun, and take one shot to their own head, betting on the one-sixth odds. Some bet on a miracle with one bullet left. Yet, there are those who play Russian roulette with a Glock, betting the first of seventeen bullets will jam... How could such betting not end in tragedy?


    Zhao Chen¡¯s current feeling was like playing Russian roulette with a fully automatic Glock at his head.


    He knew well that Dahua¡¯s defense lines were already quite complete, and they had reinforced with at least 2 to 3 divisions of troops, but he still had to bite the bullet and continue to launch attacks.


    There was no way around it, Zhao Kai was pressuring him from behind to end the civil war as soon as possible, so no matter what, he could only hasten to organize a new offensive.


    The exhausted Dahua troops once again began their bombardment, using up the artillery shells that had been so difficult to transport to the front, attempting to crush the enemy¡¯s spirit with their firepower.


    But this time, the Fengjiang defenders had no intention of retreating: since they were at their doorstep, it seemed they had more weapons at their disposal.


    For example, along the coast of Fengjiang, many giant gun towers had been deployed to counter the artillery batteries of the Great Tang Empire, which were 350, 360, and even 380 caliber ship cannons imported from Shireck at the time.


    These gun towers could fire in 360 degrees, installed within thick armor, as if they were battleship turrets stationed on shore.


    Now, because of the long range of these guns¡ªroughly over 20 kilometers¡ªthey were able to participate in the battle.


    With the support of these super heavy cannons, Fengjiang¡¯s outer defense line held firm in the artillery duel¡ªland artillery simply could not compare with naval guns, whether in rate of fire or in range.


    These coastal defense guns also outclassed the Dahua army¡¯s field artillery in power, and with even more cannons on the positions, the Fengjiang artillery, outnumbering Dahua¡¯s, finally began to exert force.


    After a day-long artillery duel between Dahua¡¯s army and Fengjiang¡¯s forces, it ended when Dahua¡¯s side had to stop due to ammunition supply issues, which further dampened the morale of its troops, leaving little desire to attack.


    While Zhao Chen was gloomily at a stalemate outside Fengjiang City, bad news came from Zhao Zheng: after encountering orcs and goblins on the battlefield, dwarves appeared, and the pressure on Shanping City was now truly mounting.


    In fact, Zhao Kai was also very concerned about the safety of Shanping City, or rather, he cared a great deal about Guiguang behind it.


    Only with Guiguang in hand could Sword Pavilion and the southern storehouses be safe; this was common sense, so the Dahua Empire had always been transferring troops and dispatching generals, trying to increase the defensive forces in the direction of Guiguang.


    But after all, the efficiency of the Dahua Empire was evident, and many places along the way were rather uncooperative, so the transportation of Dahua¡¯s troops was actually quite slow.


    A large number of troops were now assembling near Guiguang, with insufficient ammunition and fuel, because the main focus of the offensive was Hezhe; a large amount of fuel, manpower, and equipment were all being transported to Hezhe, leaving resources near Guiguang significantly weaker.


    To ensure the absolute defense of Guiguang, Zhao Kai simply hoarded a large number of troops in Guiguang, ordering only a few to go to Shanping for support.


    This directly led to increasing pressure on Shanping City, making Zhao Zheng¡¯s defense there less secure.


    Despite this, Zhao Zheng still tried hard to hold Shanping, realizing that the loss of a major city at such a time would have an immeasurable impact on morale and the situation.


    Both sides engaged in fierce combat near the outskirts of Shanping City, with the Dahua defenders unwilling to give an inch, while Fengjiang¡¯s attacking troops, reinforced by the Foreign Legion, fought valiantly.


    In the back-and-forth fighting, casualties for both Dahua¡¯s defenders and Fengjiang¡¯s attackers soared. Around 1000 people perished daily, with the attackers suffering approximately 700 casualties and the defenders around 300.


    Gradually, it seemed that the Dahua Empire might not be able to hold out: Fengjiang¡¯s planes bombing Shanping were increasing in number, and without air superiority, the ground troops¡¯ losses began to grow.


    At the start, the ratio of losses between the attackers and defenders was about 2 to 1, but now it had nearly reached 1 to 1.


    If the battle continued this way, Zhao Zheng, already short on troops, would truly lose Shanping: knowing he was close to being overwhelmed, on this day, he finally sent a telegram to Zhao Chen requesting reinforcements.


    Because Zhao Zheng knew that now in the eyes of Zhao Kai, the victorious Zhao Chen would definitely carry more weight, and as a second-tier player, his words certainly wouldn¡¯t hold as much sway as those of Zhao Chen.


    He was right, his previous telegrams to Zhao Kai did not attract Zhao Kai¡¯s attention, so a large amount of Dahua¡¯s forces were still dallying around Guiguang, unwilling to advance.


    ¡ª


    The update will be very late, everyone watch it tomorrow morning, please.

 Chapter 998: 920 Zhao Jie’s Plan

    When Zhao Chen learned that Zhao Zheng had been defending Shanping for almost 15 days without receiving a single soldier¡¯s reinforcement, he was almost dumbfounded. He truly did not expect that Shanping would be without sufficient reinforcements.


    These past few days, he had been focusing on the attack on Fengjiang and had no time to manage the matters of Shanping¡ªconsidering that moving forward over 100 kilometers with hundreds of thousands of people is no small feat, it requires a great deal of effort and time from the commander.


    Thus, his recent attention had always been on the attack on the west side of Fengjiang and he never thought that the situation in the direction of Shanping had already deteriorated to such an extent.


    Initially, he thought that since he had secured a major victory at Fengjiang, logically speaking, Zhao Yu and his subordinates would definitely pay more attention to the situation at Fengjiang.


    Putting himself in their shoes, if he were Zhao Chen, he would consider withdrawing the troops attacking Shanping and first secure his stronghold, Fengjiang.


    But who knew, the opponent¡¯s will was like iron, already at the city¡¯s gates, yet not rushing to withdraw their troops for defense. Even more, the opponent had intensified the attack in the direction of Shanping, to the point where Zhao Zheng was starting to be overwhelmed.


    This was completely illogical! Zhao Chen knew what Zhao Yu was capable of; if he truly could remain unshaken in the face of danger, then Zhao Chen would be the first to stand out and support Zhao Yu becoming the Crown Prince!


    Therefore, after briefly analyzing, Zhao Chen roughly deduced that this was probably a battle plan devised by the Great Tang Empire for Zhao Yu.


    Troops entering Sword Pavilion! This was pretty much the only chance for Fengjiang¡¯s defending army to win in this civil war. And from the surface, as long as Shanping is held, it meant that the Dahua Empire had essentially won half of the war!


    ¡°Since I can see this, Shen Chuan must be able to see it too, even if he doesn¡¯t say it, Chu Muzhou, that cunning person, surely can see it too!¡± Thinking this, Zhao Chen sent his worries back to the Imperial Capital in the form of a telegram.


    In the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire, Zhao Kai was having a meeting with Chu Muzhou and another prince, Zhao Jie, who had just hurried back from the western front, along with Chief of Staff Shen Chuan.


    In fact, they were also discussing the battle for Shanping: Zhao Kai¡¯s delay in sending reinforcements close to Shanping was not entirely due to delays by the subordinates.


    It was part of the plan, and these senior officials of the Dahua Empire were plotting a very interesting plan.


    ¡°Leaving Shanping to the enemy might be the better choice.¡± Dusty and weary, Prince Zhao Jie, who had arrived at the Imperial Capital just a few hours before, proposed his plan during the meeting.


    In fact, Zhao Kai had already known about this plan and agreed with it, which was why the southern troops of the Dahua Empire were crowded in Guiguang, not hurrying to support Zhao Zheng in Shanping City.


    ¡°Consider this, if we now station heavy troops in Shanping, then the enemy¡¯s main force would definitely shrink back to Fengjiang. If they defend from the city, our attacks would incur heavy losses,¡± Zhao Jie stepped up to the map and gestured the general idea.


    ¡°Forcing the enemy back into the city is clearly a bad move, annihilating the enemy in the open field is the most rational way to end the war,¡± Zhao Jie moved his hand to below Shanping City, drew a circle, and said, ¡°Therefore, I suggest His Majesty not to deploy heavy troops in Shanping, but to use a small number of troops to attract a fierce attack from the enemy!¡±


    ¡°If Shanping is lost... who will bear the responsibility?¡± Shen Chuan, although not convinced of the feasibility of this plan, still asked.


    As Chief of Staff, he actually preferred supporting Zhao Chen¡¯s straightforward, yet most rational and safest approach to end this war.


    However, reluctantly, Emperor Zhao Kai trusted Zhao Chen and Zhao Jie more, therefore whatever Shen Chuan, as Chief of Staff, said or did, had to be reasoned and justified.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! Even if Shanping is lost, we really don¡¯t lose anything! Guiguang has already assembled a large force, as long as we block the southward-moving Fengjiang rebels at Guiguang, we are still in an invincible position,¡± Zhao Jie said proudly.


    He prided himself on unrivaled strategies, thus preferred using such ¡°tactics¡±. Beside him, Zhao Kai smiled, evidently very much in agreement with Zhao Jie¡¯s statement.


    Afterward, as Zhao Jie continued to speak, whether it was Shen Chuan or Chu Muzhou, they began to understand why Zhao Kai appreciated Zhao Jie¡¯s plan so much.


    ¡°Whether Shanping holds or not doesn¡¯t really matter. Our goal is to hold at least one hundred and fifty thousand of Fengjiang¡¯s defending army near Shanping. It supports Prince Zhao Chen¡¯s attack on the west side of Fengjiang and to some extent, consumes the enemy¡¯s supply capability.¡±


    After finishing his statement without pause, he immediately continued: ¡°If Prince Zhao Chen captures Fengjiang, then we would have cut off the rebels¡¯ retreat. At that time, they will be trapped around Shanping, naturally at our mercy.¡±


    Hearing this, both Chu Muzhou and Shen Chuan finally understood: Zhao Kai was considering how to annihilate all the rebels under Zhao Yu¡¯s command in one fell swoop.


    If handled properly, it could even cause the troops trapped in Shanping to waste more of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s resources and deplete some of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s national strength...


    No wonder, no wonder the troops sent south to support Shanping daringly halted at Guiguang and did not advance, no wonder for over a month, the troops from Guiguang supporting Shanping were a pitifully mere single infantry division.


    So, all of this was Emperor Zhao Kai choosing Zhao Jie¡¯s strategy, ready to use the plan of the Fengjiang troops attacking Shanping to reverse and execute a ¡°trap the dog in the house¡± maneuver.


    Imagine if the Dahua Empire simultaneously launched attacks on Hezhe and Shanping against Fengjiang, the Fengjiang defenders would eventually be trapped in Fengjiang.


    However, it is impossible for Fengjiang to be completely surrounded, and those rebels will surely happily escape from the Fengjiang Bridge to the Great Tang Empire. Besides sending millions of people to the Great Tang Empire, there is no benefit for the Dahua Empire.


    But if these troops are blocked near Shanping, then they will no longer have the possibility of fleeing to the Great Tang Empire. With Zhao Kai¡¯s personality, how could he possibly let these people who betrayed him go? Therefore, it is not surprising that Zhao Kai accepted Zhao Jie¡¯s suggestion.


    Thinking this, whether Shen Chuan or Chu Muzhou, they both know that Zhao Kai has already made up his mind and will not change it.


    In looking at any issue, one must consider the historical context of that time, combine the various thoughts and characters of the main characters to analyze, and must not carelessly impose one¡¯s own ideas, label the decision-maker in history, and then unfairly define a historical choice as right or wrong.


    For example, the Song Dynasty has always been seen as a weak and incompetent dynasty, with common criticism of the Song Dynasty¡¯s emphasis on literature over military, despising the Song Dynasty¡¯s external weakness and incompetence.


    In fact, if we look at the special historical period at that time, the conclusion is much fairer: after experiencing the military chaos in the late Tang Dynasty, the people spontaneously despised soldiers, which directly led to the low social status of soldiers.


    At the same time, the rulers focused on guarding against military generals who caused the downfall of the previous dynasty, unwilling to let generals control the military power, trying to minimize the risk of generals controlling troops, this series of reforms itself is a correction of the mistakes of the previous dynasty.


    In that era with limited means, monarchs relied mainly on the loyalty of generals to control them, which lacked stability, so the Song Dynasty, when reviewing the mistakes of the Tang Dynasty, focused on the issues of ¡°Military Governors¡± and ¡°military generals rebelling.¡±


    Furthermore, since the Song Dynasty itself was established by a military coup, how could they not guard against such incidents?


    It is evident, apart from the above-mentioned issues, there were inherent limitations in the troops themselves: the Song Dynasty¡¯s troops were mainly infantry, thus naturally successful in the conquest of the southern region of the Yangtze River, but naturally fell into disadvantage when facing northern cavalry.


    Having lost the northern territories, naturally lacking horses, not having trustworthy infantry, and not trusting frontline commanders, both psychologically and tactically, with flawed decisions and determination, how could they not be defeated?


    If one continues to refer to the historical case of Zhao Kuangyin¡¯s unsuccessful northern expeditions during the founding era of the Song Dynasty, it becomes inevitable that later Song Dynasty emperors adopted more compromising policies.


    This is not making excuses for the weakness of the Song Dynasty, but providing an objective explanation: why were they weak! Even lacking courage!


    Similarly, many people mock the old Japanese Empire Navy¡¯s obsession with large battleships and big guns, considering them rigid thinkers.


    But if one looks at that era, the Japanese navy commanders were simply following their past experience, making the most rational decisions based on their existing knowledge.


    Imagine if, as a naval general of the Japanese Empire, in the past three or four decades, your navy has dominated Asia with battleships and cannons, defeating the Russian fleet and becoming a world power, wouldn¡¯t you have confidence in this system of equipment?


    There were no real-world examples at that time to prove that carrier-based planes could cause fatal damage to moving warships.


    The United Kingdom bombed a fixed target at the Italian military harbor, Bismarck Battleship was finally sunk by a group of battleships, and the attack on Pearl Harbor also targeted a fixed target, using a surprise attack strategy.


    Searching for a fleet in the vast ocean itself is difficult, hitting a moving warship is still not easy, and densely packed anti-aircraft guns on warships might not fear airplanes...


    Therefore, whether airplanes could sink warships was questionable, but the more than 400mm caliber giant cannons on warships were real!


    From today¡¯s perspective, aircraft carriers are naturally the core of naval battles, but at that time, there wasn¡¯t such a concept. The United States¡¯ use of aircraft carriers was out of desperation, and Japan¡¯s abandonment of aircraft carriers was just an ¡°inevitable circumstance¡± due to Japan¡¯s national conditions.


    Looking at Zhao Kai¡¯s choice this time, it¡¯s the same: he is a monarch, and what a monarch remembers the most is betrayal by his subordinates. Even if the betrayer is his own son, it is absolutely unacceptable.


    Thus, Zhao Kai deep down prefers the plan of annihilating all the rebels at Shanping. He does not want to see most of the rebels escape, as it would leave a shadow in his heart and undermine his dignity.


    Moreover, Zhao Kai is also a person who holds grudges and greatly values face, so he has even more reason to make this decision.


    Besides, Zhao Jie¡¯s analysis was also quite correct, attracting hundreds of thousands of Fengjiang¡¯s rebel troops under Shanping City was indeed advantageous for the battle of Fengjiang.


    Losing Shanping wasn¡¯t really a big issue: what truly mattered was Guiguang behind Shanping City, not Shanping City itself!


    Thus, with such a decision being all advantageous and not harmful, how could Zhao Kai possibly not choose it? He would definitely choose it, thus Shen Chuan and Chu Muzhou looked at each other and tactfully closed their mouths.


    Regarding the telegram sent by Zhao Chen urging Zhao Kai to quickly reinforce Shanping, almost everyone who knew about it subconsciously chose... to forget.

 Chapter 999: 921 one star

    Chapter 999: 921 one star


    How do you hide a drop of water? By submerging it in a torrential downpour. If there is only one airplane flying in the sky each day, then people on the ground will keep watching that one airplane. But if there are ten or even twenty airplanes flying overhead every day, then no one will bother to look up at these things that have become commonplace.


    Thus, when the larger, more capable, and even safer C-130 transport planes began their transport missions in the sky, nobody realized that the Great Tang Empire had begun using more advanced transport planes on a large scale.


    However, it is regrettable that these planes are actually not qualified ¡°personnel¡± transport planes; their base is that of a transport plane, not like the C-47, which was developed from the DC-3 passenger plane conversion.


    Therefore, the 130 model transport planes of the Great Tang Empire are mostly used for cargo missions, and only carry a large number of people during paratrooper airdrop and special personnel transport missions.


    Xiong Xiao was actually very nervous on his first flight in the 130 transport plane; it was his first time seeing such a huge transport plane and also his first time seeing a low-bodied, single-wing, four-engine heavy transport plane.


    Even though the interior of the plane seemed a bit rudimentary, and even the seats were temporarily arranged, Xiong Xiao was still very proud; after all, he might be one of the first foreigners to officially know about the 130 transport plane.


    The journey was not comfortable because the transport plane was not specifically designed for carrying people, but its formidable carrying capacity still shocked Xiong Xiao.


    The entirely transparent cargo hold, after simple modifications, was able to accommodate close to 100 passengers. Compared to the DC-3 passenger plane that could only carry about twenty people, this was a leap forward.


    What thrilled Xiong Xiao even more was that his trip was not to inspect the 130 transport plane; his mission was to attend an important observation.


    Yes, he was here to attend the observation. After spending more than two years in the splendor and dazzle of Chang¡¯an, he finally got the opportunity to leave Chang¡¯an, albeit a brief departure for Dragon Island.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to look down at the sea through the portholes because the 130 had fewer windows and they were uneven in height.


    Compared to the windows of the 47 transport plane, the windows of the 130 seemed randomly placed¡ªas if having them was enough.


    He didn¡¯t know why he was invited to this observation; he had only vaguely heard that the Great Tang Empire was planning something big.


    It wasn¡¯t a secret because someone had already semi-publicly told him: the Great Tang Empire was preparing to launch a star into the sky!


    After hearing this, Xiong Xiao thought the other party was joking with him: he had never heard of stars being launched into the sky by someone.


    So he didn¡¯t believe it¡ªat least not until he heard more and more people discussing similar topics, making him feel uncomfortable.


    That¡¯s right, uncomfortable: all his past living knowledge seemed to crumble under the challenge of the Great Tang Empire, as if he finally understood why so many emperors of other empires hated the Great Tang Empire.


    But soon, he became excited again: he felt that such a Great Tang Empire was worth following for their Chu Country, worth being revered!


    Only if the Great Tang Empire became stronger would their Chu Country appear more dignified when kneeling before the Great Tang... This was a very logical thought that satisfied Xiong Xiao once it occurred to him.


    Indeed, our Chu Country has knelt, but you... do you even have the chance to kneel?


    ...


    In the middle of Dragon Island, inside a vast base, everyone was busy in apprehension. The spaceflight department of the Great Tang Empire was checking the second launch rocket, which would send the Great Tang Empire¡¯s first practical artificial satellite into space.


    The first experimental launch had been successful for several months now: after all, with completely mature design drawings, everything went smoothly.


    A few months ago, an experimental satellite had already been launched into space by the Great Tang, and it began playing music constantly in the sky.


    That satellite had no practical use; it was just a test subject to validate various parameters. The satellite that Dragon Island¡¯s launch base was preparing to send was another practical artificial satellite.


    The purpose of this one was quite different; it carried an ultra-high-resolution camera and had a very precise positioning system.


    This spy satellite could fly over Dahua, Qin Country, Poplar Empire, the Southern Region of Ice Cold Empire... and then precisely locate almost all the cities in these regions.


    The image data that a spy satellite like this could obtain would be more than what could be gathered by flying planes 200 times, not to mention that aircraft cannot cover such a vast area in their range.


    Without the need for any nearby airports, without having to risk entering the airspace of certain countries, and even if it failed, no responsibility needed to be taken... This brand-new spying and surveillance method was simply perfect.


    However, such reconnaissance methods are not cheap, and they¡¯re not so convenient to use nowadays: the current spy satellites still rely on returning to the ground to transmit their film, unable to achieve real-time monitoring.


    In fact, this is already progress, little did they know that after the success of this spy satellite, the technical department of the Great Tang Empire would embark on a comprehensive development plan for space.


    As technology advances, spy satellites will only become more sophisticated, and a succession of various satellites will emerge en masse. Remote sensing, weather forecasting, terrain mapping, image capturing, signal transmission, positioning navigation...


    When these satellites begin to roam around this planet, there will no longer be any secrets in this world!


    Compared to those initial immature and rudimentary spy satellites, the spy satellites of the Great Tang Empire were very advanced from the start.


    They are equipped with two complementary cameras that can identify targets as small as buildings, capable of positioning all the cities they fly over, and the data feedback greatly improves missile targeting precision.


    The tall steel launch gantry is ready, and the rocket, which has been completed in the adjacent colossal factory, is slowly rolled out.


    It will be mounted on the launch gantry, and then fuel will be filled, preparing for launch into an orbit more than 200 kilometers above the ground.


    When Xiong Xiao sat in the Observation Platform in the distance, he felt an unreal sensation: the others seated around him were all generals and dignitaries of the Great Tang Empire, seeming like he was the only ¡°foreigner¡± here to observe.


    However, for the filming of the documentary, there really were a great many cameras and photographers. Everyone was excited, as this type of filming is mostly done in one continuous shot.


    Merely looking at that rocket, which was as huge as a bullet, was enough to make Xiong Xiao struggle to contain his excitement.


    He did not understand why the Great Tang Empire would make such a super huge shell; subconsciously, he didn¡¯t think it was for launching stars but a super shell that could hit hundreds of kilometers away!


    In fact, his intuition was not wrong because if you put a warhead on the rocket, it turns into a missile¡ªbut the real missiles are now lying in the missile silos of the Great Tang Empire, what is displayed here is indeed a rocket for launching artificial satellites.


    Xiong Xiao was extremely curious, but he really didn¡¯t have anyone to ask about the questions he was curious about. He could only maintain a relatively fixed posture, ensuring that others wouldn¡¯t associate him with anything unsavory when they saw him.


    After all, he was merely a prisoner, plainly speaking, a hostage. His safety here entirely depended on his own behavior.


    More and more people entered the Observation Platform, periodically rising to applaud¡ªofficials from Dragon Island, as well as those who had come from afar, all deserving due respect.


    Soon, a attendant brought news, announcing that shortly, His Majesty The Emperor and two Imperial Concubines would arrive.


    This news immediately made everyone present tense up, not just Xiong Xiao¡ªas many officials had an unquestionable fervor for His Majesty The Emperor.


    With the majestic music playing, everyone rose to their feet and started applauding, while the generals in military uniforms stood at attention to salute, and the atmosphere began to surge.


    Through the throngs, Xiong Xiao caught sight of a familiar figure appearing in the front row, flanked by a lady on each side. No need to guess, that was the most powerful man in this world, Emperor of the Great Tang Empire.


    Tang Mo turned back to press his hands towards the ministers and guests behind him, and then turned to sit back down in his seat.


    Everyone returned to their seats, with Xiong Xiao carefully sitting down with the last batch of people, once again focusing his gaze on the rocket at least twenty meters long.


    After waiting for another full hour, the rocket area finally made noise. The steel braces holding the rocket opened gradually, flames spurted from the bottom of the rocket, creating a swirling cloud of white fog alongside the deflectors.


    Then a massive roar swept through, stunning everyone present with the spectacle. Accompanied by a slight tremor of the earth, the rocket shot up into the sky, slowly ascending. Its speed was slow, as if it was struggling against the rules and laws of this world.


    In the dusty sky, the tail flame of the rocket grew larger bit by bit, moving further and further away. Unconsciously, everyone in shock suddenly realized, the massive ¡°shell¡± was about to disappear from their sight.


    ¡°Report!¡± After the rocket had completely vanished from everyone¡¯s sight for about twenty more minutes, a technician in a white coat strode directly in front of Tang Mo, lifted his chin, and reported loudly, ¡°Your Majesty! The first stage of the rocket launch was a success!¡±


    ¡°Clap! Clap clap!¡± Tang Mo slowly stood up, the first to start applauding.


    Following suit, everyone behind him stood up and clapped their hands: a brand new era was about to begin!


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    The second update will be delivered tomorrow morning, no need to wait any longer.

 Chapter 1000: 922 one fuze

    Chapter 1000: 922 one fuze


    So many military generals, including Tagg, Redman, and Marshal Luff, arrived at Dragon Island at this time, not only to observe this rocket launch but also to witness another spectacular experiment on Dragon Island.


    After confirming that the rocket had successfully delivered the satellite into the appropriate orbit and the launch was successfully completed, the second secret experiment of the Great Tang Empire was brought onto the schedule.


    The next afternoon, Tang Mo and the two Imperial Concubines arrived at the weapons testing site on Dragon Island: here, the Great Tang Empire had even tested the detonation of aerial bombs weighing over 10 tons.


    Before this experiment was brought to the testing site and started, few in the military knew what this experiment was about or what its purpose was.


    However, Tang Mo knew that this device was actually a nuclear weapon detonation test¡ªin plain terms, it was to experiment and see if the atomic bomb detonation device could achieve the intensity required to detonate an atomic bomb.


    Speaking of its principle, it actually isn¡¯t much different from a detonator: it¡¯s about testing the reliability of two types of detonation under experimental conditions.


    As is well-known, there are two detonation methods for atomic bombs: one is gun-type detonation and the other is implosion-type detonation, and these two methods also initially determined the external characteristics of the atomic bombs.


    Generally, the body of a gun-type detonated bomb is elongated, with nuclear material at both sides of the body, forcibly pushed together by the detonation device to begin fusion and ultimately complete a nuclear explosion.


    Two hemispherical fissile materials are rapidly compressed into a flattened sphere shape under the impact of explosives, reaching a supercritical state. A neutron source releases a large number of neutrons enabling a rapid chain reaction, and within an extremely short time, releases a huge amount of energy, and this is the incredibly destructive atomic bomb explosion.


    The other type, implosion-type, is more spherical in shape. The nuclear material is not just two pieces like gun-type atomic bombs, but many pieces, symmetrically distributed around a neutron source at the center of a sphere, resembling a football stitched together from leather pieces. Around each piece of nuclear material is a neutron reflecting layer, further outside are high-explosive and propagation explosives, and detonators.


    All detonators are connected to the detonation controller, which, at the preset detonation time, issues detonation commands, and all detonators simultaneously detonate the propagation explosives, causing all blocks of explosives to detonate inward at once. Each block of nuclear material, under the blast of explosives, is compressed and moves at a great speed toward the neutron source at the center of the sphere.


    The nuclear material rapidly converges towards the center of the sphere upon collision, and the high pressure at the center causes the material to reach a high supercritical state. At the same time, the neutron source at the center emits a large number of neutrons, the chain reaction starts, expanding outward. Under the pincer attack of internal and external forces, the volume of nuclear material reaches its minimum density and highest, the chain reaction proceeds violently, releasing a massive amount of energy in less than a few microseconds.


    From a technical standpoint, the implosion method is more advanced and its destructive power far exceeds that of gun-type atomic bombs. Therefore, the Great Tang Empire directly skipped the gun-type detonation and adopted the more advanced implosion method.


    During the explosion process of both types of atomic bombs, there is a step where different nuclear materials are squeezed together. This process, of course, cannot be done by hand but by the pressure generated by the explosion.


    Therefore, the atomic bomb detonation test is a data gathering and testing exercise, combining the test data to manufacture reliable nuclear bomb detonators, enabling the atomic bomb to be successfully detonated in actual combat is the purpose of this experiment.


    This welding and controlled blasting is similar, needing to converge explosive energy inward, minimizing the explosive energy from dispersing outward and destroying the shell of the atomic bomb.


    This form of explosion is known as a converging explosion, which is also the detonation method for an implosion-type atomic bomb. Since the atomic bomb is a weapon, the weapon¡¯s needs include reducing size and weight for deployment, and the explosion force occurs inside the body of the bomb. If not controlled well, it will not only fail to bring the nuclear material to a supercritical state and trigger a chain reaction, but could also destroy the bomb body, hence annihilating the nuclear weapon.


    Therefore, it is necessary to find explosives that are small in volume, powerful, easy to control, and safe. After finding the type of explosive, further efforts must be put in other areas: since the purpose of the explosion and its conditions are very high, it is necessary to rigorously test the layout, amount, position, and packaging of the explosive, especially for implosion-type atomic bombs, whose principles are the most complex and must undergo multiple experiments to find the best solution.


    Although Tang Mo has completed blueprints in his mind, he has not yet seen a real atomic bomb: even before his transmigration, there were few arms dealers worldwide capable of dealing in nuclear weapons.


    These people had either been eliminated or only dared to live incognito in fear in certain lawless countries. Every breath they took was immensely valuable, a cruel cost of their attempts to change the world order.


    Tang Mo is not one of these people; he is actually one of those arms dealers who lives quite comfortably: he only provides weapons within a certain safe range, which allows him to live safely within the tolerance of many powerful forces.


    Therefore, in order to accurately experiment with data and truly master the manufacturing principles of atomic bombs, the Great Tang Empire prepared this detonation test. Experiment personnel monitor various parameters generated by the explosion of the explosive groups during the experiment to understand the details of the implementation of the plan.


    The detonation test internally did not load nuclear fuel, inside and outside were all sensors, mainly to master whether the explosion conditions met the requirements.


    In fact, up to now, the Great Tang Empire has not yet refined a sufficient amount of weapons-grade nuclear material, so the atomic bomb is still theoretically a weapon.


    However, Galsa, the brilliant apprentice of Tang Mo responsible for calculating the data of this weapon, knows its ultimate power: theoretically, it really could end the world!


    With this weapon, the Great Tang Empire already stands on undefeated ground, no country has the capability to covet the power of the Great Tang Empire, any attempt to surpass the efforts of the Great Tang Empire is a blasphemy against divine authority.


    Tagg, Redman, and Luff, the three marshals, of course, knew about the existence of this weapon; in fact, this superweapon wasn¡¯t something one person could create alone¡ªthere were over a thousand technical staff on Dragon Island working on this very project.


    However, neither the military bigwigs nor the lower-level technical personnel knew the full picture of the weapon.


    No one knew what it actually was; even the high-ranking military officers only vaguely knew that there was a mysterious weapon under development, codenamed ¡°Project 596.¡±


    They had no idea how grandiose this plan was, or what the results of this project would represent.


    The technicians also had no clue what they were creating; creators of some core components were just surprised to find that they were using gold and silver in place of brass and steel to manufacture certain parts.


    The expensiveness of this weapon was beyond imagination, as a considerable portion of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s exaggerated total electricity generation was diverted to this project.


    It¡¯s no joke, the electricity supplied to this project could double the electricity usage of another country if redirected there.


    Tagg, Redman, and Luff had also seen the plan and knew another mysterious name for it: ¡°Miss Qiu.¡±


    Because of this name, it even once aroused the vigilance of the three imperial concubines, who saw snippets about Miss Qiu in some confidential documents.


    Yue¡¯er thought Miss Qiu was related to the mountains because His Majesty The Emperor even had battle-hardened special troops escort a group of experts across thousands of miles of the Great Tang Empire in search for something.


    Alice believed Miss Qiu also had something to do with business, as she noticed a large sum of money whose whereabouts she couldn¡¯t trace; the untraceable accounts signified that woman¡¯s importance.


    Yulin thought Miss Qiu was extremely important to Tang Mo; she couldn¡¯t find any trace of security arrangements or relevant documents in the Ministry of Internal Affairs¡ªif not for her detective skills, this woman might forever remain a mystery.


    Tang Mo sat in a distant safety zone, looking at the ¡°insignificant¡± tall tower, his heart filled with anticipation for power.


    Only a country that possesses this thing will dominate the world; only the genuine acquisition of this power could make everyone heed one¡¯s voice.


    After ten years of waiting and hoping, he had finally advanced the Great Tang Empire¡¯s technology to a level comparable to that of World War II.


    Now with all conditions ripe, and having found in this world those few elements representing danger and mystery he sought,


    all he needed to do was to wait, calmly wait for a world-shaking explosion, for the Great Tang Empire to draw a definitive line with other countries.


    Yes, once Tang Mo controlled the power of nuclear weapons, there would be only one superpower in the world, and he would be its ruler!


    ¡°Detonate!¡± After everything was ready, under the watch of the military chiefs and His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang, a earth-shaking explosion began on that distant tower.


    The dust raised at the site obscured the sun, and a rolling mushroom cloud surged into the sky. The ground itself trembled slightly; this explosion was far more powerful than the special aerial bombs of the Great Tang Empire.


    ¡°How was it?¡± Tang Mo, excited, turned around to boast to his trusted subordinates and the two imperial concubines.


    ¡°Your Majesty! This bomb indeed has extraordinary power, however... it clearly... doesn¡¯t impress as much¡±, because the main explosion was compressive inside, the spectacle from such an explosion didn¡¯t shake hearts as much as a giant aerial bomb would. Thus, a few generals expressed their views very cautiously.


    Obviously, everyone didn¡¯t want to embarrass His Majesty The Emperor, so they had to choose some more impartial adjectives to describe what they had just seen, which indeed didn¡¯t match their expectations.


    According to their thoughts, such a bomb didn¡¯t require personal attention from His Majesty The Emperor, and even the marshals didn¡¯t need to be there to watch... it was probably just an experimental level for division-level officers to enjoy.


    ¡°What, are you joking?¡± Tang Mo knew it was time to give these marshals a basic notion: ¡°That just now... was merely a detonator.¡±


    He extended his fingers, showing the size with his thumb and index finger approximately two centimeters apart: ¡°About this big of a detonator!¡±


    Then he spread his arms, making a hugging gesture: ¡°It detonated a bomb approximately the size of the entire test site!¡±

 Chapter 1001: 923 Shanping Incident

    Chapter 1001: 923 Shanping Incident


    The battle at Shanping was raging fiercely, with the Feng River Troops holding a numerical advantage. Zhao Zheng, who couldn¡¯t get much reinforcement, was beginning to feel that he was barely hanging on.


    He sent telegrams frequently in the direction of the Imperial Capital, Hezhe, and Guiguang, hoping to get more support.


    But apart from Zhao Chen promising to help by doing his best, the telegrams sent to the other two places disappeared without a trace, without any news coming back.


    For the situation at hand, Zhao Chen was truly risking his life: He continued to send urgent telegrams to the Imperial Capital, requesting rapid support for Shanping City, while at the same time, regardless of the losses, he forcefully commanded his troops to attack Fengjiang, trying to use a fierce offensive against Fengjiang as a way to alleviate the pressure on Shanping.


    Even a fool should realize by now: What¡¯s stopping the troops from moving north to support him is certainly not the Dahua Empire¡¯s slow mobilization speed, but that these troops have received orders¡ªto not leave Guiguang to support Shanping.


    Zhao Zheng is of course not a fool; on the contrary, he is quite clever to have reached his position. He quickly figured out most of the reasons, at least he understood that the troops hoarding in Guiguang and not coming to his aid was very likely due to the Dahua Emperor¡¯s instructions.


    In other words, the Emperor of the Dahua Empire was setting him up¡ªregardless of the reasons, Shanping was a fishhook thrown out by the Emperor. And he, Zhao Zheng, was the bait hanging on that hook!


    What Zhao Zheng hated the most was that Zhao Kai hadn¡¯t even told him the full plan, even letting him pledge a ¡°to the death¡± defense of Shanping at the start of the war.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that Zhao Kai in fact didn¡¯t intend that; he wasn¡¯t planning to deal with Zhao Zheng after the potential loss of Shanping City, nor was he planning to set Zhao Zheng up from the start.


    The actual situation was, over a month ago, the plan by Zhao Jie had been presented to Zhao Kai. Upon seeing the plan, Zhao Kai was very fond of it¡ªa plan that could ensnare almost all the rebels in one fell swoop.


    So, Zhao Kai immediately adopted the plan and in order to make the act convincing at Shanping, he did not inform Zhao Zheng: Zhao Kai was afraid that once Zhao Zheng saw the plan, he would give up on Shanping and not fight to the death there.


    His thought was to have Zhao Zheng fight in the dark until the last moment at Shanping, and then order Zhao Zheng to abandon Shanping and retreat, while giving commendations to Zhao Zheng, so that his bitter struggle at Shanping would be rewarded as it deserved.


    But all these were just what Zhao Kai wished for, Zhao Zheng was completely unaware. Fuming with anger and feeling that the Emperor was setting him up with no way out, Zhao Zheng suddenly felt that he might be able to talk with Zhao Yu from the opposing side.


    Zhao Zheng was not a member of the core Royal Family circle anyway: He didn¡¯t have the status of Zhao Chen or Zhao Jie, nor was he one of the Princes like Zhao Yu or Zhao Ji; in fact, he had already reached his peak as a subject with hardly any prospects.


    If he had come to prominence in this civil war, there would seemingly be a bright ending, and at the very least, he could mix in a title like a prince for his descendants to secure a future.


    But now, he felt that he was already a discarded piece, with no future of granting titles and providing shade for his wife and children, it might be better to take advantage of the bargaining chips in his hands and defect to Zhao Yu¡¯s side.


    It¡¯s obvious to anyone with clear eyesight that behind Zhao Yu is the support of the Great Tang Empire, even if defeated, it¡¯s just fleeing to the Tang Country at worst¡ªeating and drinking well in the Tang Country might not be much worse than living an abject life in the Dahua Empire.


    But if¡ªand there¡¯s a good chance that this ¡°if¡± will become reality¡ªif Zhao Yu wins, then he, Zhao Zheng, will be a heroic figure who has turned from the darkness to the light!


    What people fear most is having thoughts, because once you have them, pondering over and over, you tend to believe that what you think is flawless and perfect.


    The more he pondered in his mind, the more Zhao Zheng felt he was right, believing that with just a little maneuvering, and moving his wife and children to the Tang Empire, the outcome of the war seemed to have nothing to do with him anymore.


    Thinking of this, he immediately summoned his confidants and instructed one of them to find a way to go over to the other side, to inform them of his willingness to switch sides, hindered only because his wife and children were being held hostage in the Imperial Capital.


    In fact, at this time, Zhao Zheng was still clinging to delusional hopes: For someone like him to make a direct choice was not an easy thing.


    Zhao Zheng thought it through: Announcing his readiness to switch sides, the offensive from Fengjiang Troops would surely slow down, and naturally his defensive pressure would also diminish. To hold out for a few more days would be a few more days.


    And for his family in the distant Imperial Capital, rescuing them would be extremely difficult; even the Great Tang Empire would have to prepare for a while, with ten days¡¯ time the battle with Fengjiang might come to an end¡ªby then, he could observe the situation and make a choice, which would be absolutely safe.


    Even if the matter was exposed, it wouldn¡¯t matter¡ªhe could just claim he had devised a feint surrender in desperation, although it would look somewhat ugly, but in the end wouldn¡¯t he be on the side of the victor.


    But who would have thought, just a short while after his confidant had managed to go over to the other side and explain his intentions, a Tang Empire intelligence agent, who had been hiding in Shanping, found him and met with Zhao Zheng.


    The intelligence agent was very straightforward, stating his purpose clearly, indicating that it was very simple to take Zhao Zheng¡¯s family away from the Imperial Capital; all Zhao Zheng needed to do was to find a way to make his family trust the person they sent to negotiate with them.


    Such a highly efficient course of action left Zhao Zheng dumbfounded... He really hadn¡¯t anticipated that the Great Tang Empire wouldn¡¯t give him time to continue sitting on the fence.


    Having no other choice, Zhao Zheng was forced to make a final decision. He handed over the secret signal he had left when he departed to the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence agents.


    As a result, that very night, the merchant Pan Yiping from the Dahua Empire Imperial Capital arrived at Zhao Zheng¡¯s home. After verifying the secret signal, he paid a large sum of cash to buy up everything in Zhao Zheng¡¯s mansion.


    That¡¯s right, there was no need to pack anything, everyone had to leave immediately! These people fled the city heading west through the night, and by the time Zhao Kai got the news and reacted, that family¡¯s airplanes had already passed the Great Western Pass and were fast approaching Shahun City.


    Further west lies Qin Country, so although Zhao Kai ordered planes to take off for interception, due to various reasons mentioned earlier, locating these planes was as difficult as ascending to heaven.


    The Dahua Empire had no way to force Qin Country to hand over the people ¡ª during these days, Qin Country had been restless, constantly causing troubles on the border. It was clear to any observant person that Qin Country was harboring thoughts of taking advantage of the situation.


    At this juncture, to still carry the Empire¡¯s hauteur and ask Qin Country to hand over the people could very likely put them in a passive position diplomatically. If the Tang Country supported Qin Country in declaring war, it¡¯s possible those fools in Qin Territory would really act.


    A furious Zhao Kai could only vent his anger on the Imperial Army who was responsible for guarding Zhao Zheng¡¯s family and the General Li Mingshun in charge of the city defense: he reprimanded Li Mingshun and penalized him with one year¡¯s salary. Then he pulled out 30 members of the City Defense Army and 50 members of the Imperial Army, and had them all executed.


    What no one knew was that there had been a switcheroo; those executed were death row prisoners from the prison, and the people they were replaced with continued to live on under different identities in the cells.


    As the saying goes, money talks. Pan Yiping spent the money, and naturally, it had its effect: the families of the executed prisoners were overjoyed to see the reward, and the prison guards who saw their own benefit were moved to tears.


    The soldiers who were replaced naturally received compensations as well. Those who temporarily escaped death, unless something unexpected occurred, were definitely out of harm¡¯s way ¡ª although they had to assume new identities, the sum of money their families received made them feel grateful even in death...


    The handling of the aftermath was very thorough. The DC-3 aircraft arrived safely in Qin Country. There, Zhao Zheng¡¯s wife and over twenty of his family members were to take an even safer train route around Shu Country and Chu Country before finally reaching Tang Country.


    So the next afternoon, that intelligence officer from the Great Tang Empire, who had been waiting in Zhao Zheng¡¯s command post and never left, finally received the news he was waiting for.


    ¡°General Zhao Zheng, your family is safe. They are now in Qin Country territory and will soon reach Tang Country,¡± said the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence agent to a stunned Zhao Zheng, smiling as he spoke. ¡°Your family asked me to bring you a message; ¡®Under the walnut tree, the nanmu rocking chair.''¡±


    Hearing this phrase, Zhao Zheng could confirm that everything the other party said was true. This was a secret code known only to himself and his mother in their family, to be used only in the most critical moment.


    ¡°Sigh...¡± With a deep breath and no longer resisting, Zhao Zheng finally made up his mind: ¡°I will now give the order for my troops to stop resisting... please, Great Tang... please, the Feng River Righteous Army, enter the city.¡±


    The whole transfer process was actually very smooth: Shanping City was already supportive of Zhao Yu, and its civilians and bureaucrats had long since stopped wanting to fight.


    Some of the troops, especially the local troops from Shanping, also didn¡¯t want to fight anymore, it was just that Zhao Zheng¡¯s large army was pressing down on them, preventing any disorder.


    Now everything was good, one command was issued, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The peaceful handover of Shanping City saw nearly 200,000 Feng River defenders enter the city, along with the 100,000 troops of Zhao Zheng who had defected, swiftly occupying a large area north of Guiguang.


    These regions were already inclined towards Zhao Yu. With this, it was as if with a single command order, the allegiance was decided. The hundred thousand feudal troops advanced to about 50 kilometers north of Guiguang before they encountered the Guiguang defense forces and stopped in their tracks.


    It wasn¡¯t until this moment that Zhao Kai, far away in the Imperial Capital, finally confirmed that Zhao Zheng had surrendered and Shanping City had fallen into Zhao Yu¡¯s hands.


    Zhao Kai, who was thrown into disarray, immediately ordered Zhao Jie to head to Guiguang to take charge of the situation ¡ª in his plans, this role was actually intended for Zhao Zheng.


    The civil war in Fengjiang, which originally seemed to be entirely in Dahua Empire¡¯s favor, suddenly took a drastic downturn. The news of Shanping City changing hands was like the detonation of a nuclear bomb within the Dahua Empire.


    The 400,000-strong Dahua Empire army stationed near Guiguang City suddenly began infighting overnight... Before Zhao Jie could even reach Guiguang, the city fell into chaos and was occupied by the Feng River troops advancing from the south.


    The connection between Sword Pavilion and the Dahua Empire was completely severed!


    ¡ª¨C


    The time zones are flipped again... The second update will be provided tomorrow morning, so don¡¯t wait up.

 Chapter 1002: 924 Days of Transformation

    Chapter 1002: 924 Days of Transformation


    An overlooked point by the higher-ups of the Dahua Empire is that Zhao Yu, with the support of the Great Tang Empire, has his own connections in many regions.


    Normally, these people might not dare to make any moves, but once they have the opportunity, they might make some decisions on their own.


    Previously, when Shanping was still under the control of the Dahua Empire, the Guiguang military naturally had to assess the situation before making their own decisions. But now that Shanping has been lost, many people¡¯s thoughts have begun to stir.


    It¡¯s better to send charcoal in snowy weather rather than adding flowers to the brocade; isn¡¯t it true that heating a cold stove matters most at critical moments? In a sense, Zhao Zheng set an example, so many commanders suddenly understood a lot of things.


    The Battle of Guiguang is a collective expression of this thought: Certain wavering commanders saw Shanping¡¯s rebellion as a signal. They were already leaning towards Zhao Yu, now they¡¯ve just changed their allegiance as the wind shifted.


    After learning that Shanping was occupied by the Fengjiang military, several divisions of Guiguang¡¯s troops raided Guiguang that very night and the local garrison was thrown into disarray by the sudden attack, not knowing what had happened ¡ª the garrison could only passively take hits.


    Their commander Zhao Jie was still on the way, completely unaware of the situation. Amidst the chaos, some commanders misjudged the situation, believing the Dahua Empire was doomed.


    Consequently, more and more armies rebelled, and even some of the rebellious troops started fighting each other. Everyone claimed to be the virtuous side, holding the banner of righteousness, and the battle lasted until dawn, persisting even as the Fengjiang troops approached.


    Then things took a surreal turn: Guiguang¡¯s peripheral garrison immediately surrendered to the Fengjiang troops, and soon after, the city troops also handed over their weapons.


    The remaining true Dahua troops had no choice but to start retreating because they basically lost the conditions to hold Guiguang.


    Unknown troops burned the food warehouses, and most of the ammunition depots were lost. The peripheral artillery had already surrendered; if they didn¡¯t leave, they might be surrounded by the rebel forces and Fengjiang army.


    With no options, over 200,000 Dahua troops retreated from Guiguang, taking two separate routes away. Approximately 150,000 troops retreated west towards Shanchong, and more than 50,000 people fled haphazardly towards Sword Pavilion.


    By now, the Guiguang-Shanping Battle had pushed the Dahua Empire beyond salvation. The seemingly hopeless situation for the Fengjiang military surprisingly cleared up within a few days.


    With Fengjiang controlling Guiguang, they could threaten Dahua¡¯s crucial food source, Wanliang City, to the north, the critical central city of Shanchong to the west, and Sword Pavilion and Southern Storehouse to the south had already become easy pickings...


    Suddenly, the situation for the entire Fengjiang military was extremely favorable, even the streets of frontline Fengjiang subtly took on a more festive air.


    Zhao Kai overlooked a vital factor: human sentiment! Many of the Dahua Empire bureaucrats supported Zhao Yu, and the only thing preventing them from switching sides was the current situation.


    While the Dahua Empire surrounded Fengjiang for battle, naturally everyone was optimistic about the Dahua Empire, and it was not the time for anyone to make reckless choices.


    But once Fengjiang seized crucial cities and took a strong position, these people immediately began to consider if they needed a fallback plan.


    Thinking thus, the situation naturally diversified. While Zhao Kai was still urging Zhao Jie to quickly seize Guiguang and salvage the situation, Sword Pavilion and Southern Storehouse also announced their surrenders.


    The reasoning was that Guiguang¡¯s defeated garrison fled to Sword Pavilion, suddenly turning it into the frontline, which was already adjacent to the Great Tang Empire; hundreds of thousands of troops stationed at the border all needed supplies.


    With the loss of Guiguang, their supplies were completely cut off, leaving these border-stationed troops without food, and their ammunition could not withstand consumption.


    Previously stored ammunition intended for use against the rebels was transported to Guiguang, but now all was lost, leaving the hundreds of thousands of troops near Sword Pavilion without the means to fight.


    Consequently, these troops also chose the most suitable method: they surrendered to the Fengjiang army, wasn¡¯t that a way to have food and drink?


    After all, if the Dahua army came back, they could simply surrender again, who could blame these border troops that inherently lacked mobility?


    Previously, to limit the border army, the Dahua Empire issued very little food and few vehicles for transport, so these border-stationed troops were generally unsuited for field battles and were cumbersome to mobilize.


    Now with real problems arising, they were not only unable to engage in field battles to salvage the situation, but they also became a burden themselves.


    Thus, the outcome has become what we see today: 250,000 troops near Sword Pavilion entirely surrendered, including the 50,000 who fled here, totaling 300,000!


    With so many troops surrendering, Southern Storehouse, which barely had any troops stationed, naturally followed suit in surrender.


    Interestingly, Southern Storehouse put on a facade of loyalty, only changing their flags when Fengjiang¡¯s envoy arrived.


    Originally a solitary city, Fengjiang, within a mere 15 days, transformed into a five-city alliance¡ªnamely Fengjiang, Shanping, Guiguang, Sword Pavilion, and South Storehouse.


    It was not just about having four additional cities, but Fengjiang¡¯s rebel forces gained over 400,000 troops who surrendered from Guiguang, Shanping, and Sword Pavilion!


    Of course, if you count Guiguang¡¯s food supplies, the tanks and heavy weapons from both areas, ammunition, and strategic depth... Fengjiang gained far too much at once.


    Even strategically, Fengjiang not only acquired substantial resources but also gained an elusive advantage: the foundation of many areas in the Dahua Empire has started to wobble, with a looming trend of needing military suppression.


    Although unwilling to admit it, Zhao Kai still knew he had overplayed his hand¡ªhe intended to use Shanping as bait to trap Fengjiang¡¯s military forces but overlooked the ¡°momentum¡± and its impact on the entire Dahua Empire.


    Now that a major mistake had been made, if he didn¡¯t remedy it promptly, the situation could become even more unmanageable.


    Thus, Zhao Kai moved troops and dispatched generals, on one hand, reallocating force from various places to strengthen the defenses at Hezhe and Shanchong, and on the other hand, he ordered Zhao Chen to hold the line, needing to seize Fengjiang quickly!


    Because if Zhao Chen could now take Fengjiang, everything would be confined within Dahua Empire, blocking the Great Tang Empire¡¯s supply routes, holding a possibility of victory in the civil strife of Fengjiang.


    Yet, if his orders were effective, Zhao Chen wouldn¡¯t be struggling so hard on the front line. In reality, with the reinforcement of hundreds of thousands of troops, Zhao Yu¡¯s strength had unprecedentedly increased.


    Now stationed in Guiguang were over 200,000 Fengjiang troops, overall with viable combat power. Their commander was Luo Xiao in person, so there were no issues.


    Qian Jinhang, bringing supplies from Great Tang Empire to the south, was currently reorganizing the Dahua border army in the direction of Sword Pavilion; these troops couldn¡¯t participate in the battle now, but their future was promising.


    The only disadvantaged ones were indeed from Fengjiang, but the forces stationed there had been replaced with foreign legions including Dwarf Elves and Goblins, whose combat efficacy greatly troubled the Dahua defending forces.


    Overall, Fengjiang¡¯s forces were quite stable, so Zhao Chen and Zhao Jie had little opportunity to act.


    ...


    On the border of Great Tang Empire, in the direction of Hidden Sword Gorge, a farmer tilling his field raised his head to observe the truck transporting special parts.


    These trucks were genuinely massive, carrying large parts that piqued curiosity¡ªthe steel components, each the size of a room, looked quite impressive.


    ¡°Village chief, what are these things used for?¡± Having seen several vehicles pass by that morning, each carrying such unusual parts, the old farmer couldn¡¯t help but ask the village chief passing by his field.


    The village chief, hands behind his back, happy about the good weather this year and the promising growth of crops in his village, was in the mood to answer when asked, ¡°The governor came by this morning, said they¡¯re parts for a bridge.¡±


    ¡°A bridge? Where are they building a bridge?¡± The old farmer looked puzzled and continued to ask.


    The village chief pointed toward the distant mountains: ¡°They plan to build a bridge in Hidden Sword Gorge, spanning from east to west. From now on, our place will have direct access to Sword Pavilion.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Is that possible? Hidden Sword Gorge, isn¡¯t that Dahua¡¯s territory?¡± The old farmer was completely baffled, looking at the distant mountains, unable to believe his ears.


    ¡°It was in the newspapers. From now on, we and Dahua Empire are to be everlasting friends. That prince, Zhao Yu, agreed to let us build the bridge. From now on, this place might become a key transportation route, with good days ahead,¡± the village chief envisioned the future, walking further away.


    In the eyes of the village chief, as long as the bridge was truly connected, roads, both railway and highway, would soon be built here, turning this place into a vital thoroughfare.


    This was something unbelievable even in dreams before¡ªto connect east to Tengyun City and Wangchun City, south to South Wind Pass, and directly west to Sword Pavilion... truly a location blessed by feng shui.


    If a railway station could be built in the village and trade opened with the neighboring country, then this side could quickly become a city, just like Fengjiang!


    Thinking of this, the village chief considered the possibility of his own promotion, maybe even becoming a City Lord in the future...


    With these thoughts in mind, the village chief looked at the passing trucks with much more affection.


    And those trucks, carrying a large number of bridge components, were converging towards Hidden Sword Gorge, originally under the control of Dahua Empire.


    With no obstructions, this bridge would soon be constructed, and with it, Sword Pavilion and South Storehouse would no longer be an isolated hollow.

 Chapter 1003: Advancement of 925 Dahua

    Chapter 1003: Advancement of 925 Dahua


    Amid the smoke of gunfire on the battlefield, a Dahua soldier who had been retrieved from the trenches days earlier was cautiously moving forward in the trench.


    In front of him were other Dahua soldiers, and an equally large number of soldiers followed behind him, for he was now a squad leader, having been promoted.


    All the soldiers who had fought alongside him had died, and the freshly replenished recruits needed someone with experience to lead them, even if it was just the experience of retreating.


    Not far above these Dahua soldiers, a Type 5 tank of the Dahua Empire burned, having just been pierced through its side armor by artillery, and was completely destroyed on the battlefield.


    No matter how thick the armor, it could not be invincible. The side armor of the Type 5 tank didn¡¯t provide much advantage, after all, it had to be moved by an engine.


    As long as it wasn¡¯t solid, tanks could not be invincible, so the destruction of a Type 5 tank was not unusual; it was merely a representation of the brutality of combat.


    The battle of Fengjiang had indeed started to become brutal, the Dahua Empire had chosen to fight a desperate battle at Fengjiang to end the adverse impact brought on by the disastrous defeat at Guiguang.


    Zhao Chen had no other way to turn the tide of defeat; he could only seize Fengjiang, then sever the links between Fengjiang forces and the Great Tang Empire to weaken the strength of Fengjiang¡¯s army.


    He poured troops into effort regardless of the cost, inching forward little by little, employing tactics that were so hysterical they were terrifying to witness.


    To ensure the gains, he even ordered his troops to keep digging tunnels and after each attack, attempted to connect his own lines with the controlled positions of Fengjiang.


    Under his series of maneuvers, the Dahua Empire¡¯s forces had actually advanced 3 kilometers towards Fengjiang, and the closest Dahua-controlled area was now less than 17 kilometers from the urban district of Fengjiang City.


    ¡°Careful! These Goblins are extremely cunning!¡± The newly appointed Dahua squad leader reminded his soldiers while moving forward.


    In his hand was a captured Boposha Submachine Gun, a weapon that came to the battlefield with the Dwarf mercenaries, and soon some astute Dahua soldiers discovered its effectiveness.


    The Boposha Submachine Gun was quite reliable, mainly due to the 71-round drum magazine that Dwarves equipped, ensuring sustained firepower and comfortable use.


    As a result, many Dahua soldiers would go to great lengths to procure such a weapon for themselves; having this weapon under the complex conditions of the battlefield was like having a life insurance policy.


    ¡°Ura!¡± With a battle cry, a group of short but very robust Dwarf soldiers charged out from around the corner of the opposite trench.


    Armed with Mosin-Nagant Rifles, they screamed and rushed towards their enemy. The Dahua soldiers also bellowed and rushed towards these opponents, and both sides immediately became entangled in the trenches.


    Cradling the heavy drum magazine, the Dahua squad leader began to spray the charging enemy with bullets, the projectiles hitting the Dwarves and spraying a mist of blood.


    Screams filled the entire trench, with bloodthirsty Dwarf soldiers taking Dahua troops with them in mutual destruction, and Dahua soldiers being pierced by bayonets and collapsing into the bottom of the trench.


    ¡°Yah!¡± A Dahua soldier also stabbed a Dwarf soldier with a bayonet, who let go of his weapon and clutched the Dahua soldier¡¯s rifle as he fell, blood spilling from his mouth.


    Before he could pull out his bayonet, this Dahua soldier was stabbed by another Dwarf¡¯s bayonet and screamed as he fell.


    A barrage of bullets came, and several Dwarf soldiers fell, struck by the projectiles. More Dahua soldiers surged forward, overpowering the attempting-to-counterattack Dwarves.


    There were too many Dahua soldiers, and under the cover of tanks, they had taken over nearby trenches, while long-range artillery was still suppressing the distant positions of Fengjiang, with shouts and explosions everywhere.


    Suddenly, a howling shell flew over their heads. The sound was like from hell itself, and the ground shook violently; the shells fell on the Dahua-occupied positions, causing an explosion that made everyone unable to remain standing.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The explosion, like a landslide, lifted a cloud of smoke taller than a building, with debris flying through the air and shrapnel whirling amidst the shockwaves.


    The Dahua squad leader who had just been firing the submachine gun now toppled and sat upon a fallen comrade¡¯s body. Rumbling filled his ears, blurring his vision.


    During the dizzying disorientation, as everything seemed to shake, a massive blast of air carrying dust obscured his sight.


    In the darkness, he couldn¡¯t distinguish direction or hear anyone¡¯s call; he had no idea what had happened, and the entire world seemed to have ended just then.


    Each breath was full of dust and smoky odors; his nostrils filled with an odd scent of gunpowder mixed with the smell of mud.


    He didn¡¯t know where he was, as he couldn¡¯t feel the walls of the trench or open his eyes. He tried to shout, to call out to his soldiers, but he couldn¡¯t tell if he¡¯d actually made a sound or not.


    Because he opened his mouth and tried to make a sound with the vibration of his vocal cords as he expelled air, based on his experience. But he couldn¡¯t hear his own voice; all he could hear was an intense buzzing sound. It was as though ten thousand cicadas were ceaselessly fluttering their wings inside his ears.


    As time passed, more and more dust settled on his body, but the amount of dust whirling in the sky had visibly decreased.


    The sky gradually brightened, and the smoke that had covered the sun began to dissipate. At this moment, the Dahua platoon leader finally managed to get a clearer view of his surroundings: his soldiers were sprawled in disarray, but it was clear that many were still alive.


    Some attempted to rise from the ground, others were knocking on their helmets or clothing, trying to dust themselves off.


    However, the scene before him seemed like a silent film, utterly void of sound. It felt unsettling to witness.


    ¡°Platoon leader! Platoon leader!¡± Finally, amid the constant buzzing in his ears, a distant yet nostalgic voice emerged.


    The soldier close by opened his mouth wide, seemingly calling out. From the shape of his mouth, it was clear that the faint yet familiar distant voice had come from him.


    What they didn¡¯t know was that far away, a massive crater had just formed, its diameter exceeding ten meters, still emitting heat.


    It was the result of an explosion from a 380mm caliber shell fired by Fengjiang¡¯s coastal defense battery. That very shell had nearly obliterated them all.


    Such high-caliber shells were a disaster for infantry, causing tremendous damage even if the impact was far away.


    The soldiers in the trenches a bit closer couldn¡¯t stand up anymore, with blood seeping from their ears and noses, their demise strangely peaceful.


    Fortunately, the 380mm caliber coastal artillery didn¡¯t fire quickly, taking half a day for a second shell to follow after the first had landed.


    The Dwarves¡¯ counterattack seemed to have subsided as well, and only the artillery shells of both sides continued to exchange hostility. Corpses and struggling wounded soldiers were everywhere.


    There were also some Dwarf prisoners who needed to be sent to the rear: even though these mercenaries were infuriating, in reality, they were quite useful.


    At least someone would pay to ransom them, or they could be traded for Dahua Empire soldiers who had surrendered. In any case, these prisoners couldn¡¯t be killed; there were rewards for sending them back.


    ¡°Platoon leader! I, I found this!¡± Although the sound was still indistinct, some noise finally reached his ears, and he heard the call of that soldier, the Dahua Empire platoon leader who had once again survived by luck, turned to look at his subordinate.


    Then, he saw in the other¡¯s hand a drum magazine: an unused drum magazine, stuffed full with bullets needed for the Boposha Submachine Gun.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± He was shouting as loud as he could, but the platoon leader still felt his voice was very distant from himself.


    The other handed him the drum magazine, and then left. There was much to tidy up on the battlefield; after this battle, many had gained a new understanding of what true combat was.


    At the very least, they would no longer naively think that the enemy could be killed with a single shot: on the battlefield, eighty percent of the bullets you fired wouldn¡¯t hit their target, and the enemy wouldn¡¯t easily give up their position.


    Just look at the fresh blood beneath your feet, and at the unprocessed corpses of soldiers from both sides; it all became very clear.


    A Dahua soldier responsible for transporting ammunition passed by, carrying bullets and with a Maxim machine gun chain hanging around his neck.


    He left behind some Hand Grenades, a machine gun chain, and a box of rifle ammunition, then continued on towards the distance.


    Further away, on the reverse slope of a high ground, stood a Type 3 Tank, and behind it, a truck of an unknown model.


    Today, their Dahua Troops had advanced about one kilometer forward, now less than 16 kilometers away from distant Fengjiang...


    If they were to set up a 200mm caliber heavy artillery piece here, perhaps... they might already be able to reach Fengjiang City.


    Indeed, just as the platoon leader had thought. As night fell and the Butcher Fighters of Fengjiang left the battlefield, sure enough, a tractor brought in a heavy artillery piece that looked enormous.


    It was a 250mm caliber heavy artillery piece with a theoretical range exceeding 17 kilometers, capable of sending shells weighing more than 50 kilograms into Fengjiang City.


    Throughout the entire night, a company of soldiers from the Dahua Empire were busy on the battlefield, they had to camouflage the cannon properly to ensure it wouldn¡¯t be destroyed by Yir Attack Aircraft once daylight broke.


    ¡ª-


    (Rest again) I¡¯ll adjust my schedule and do three updates tomorrow.

 Chapter 1004: 926 sniper

    Chapter 1004: 926 sniper


    Peering through the binoculars, the distant scenery appeared clearly as if it were right before his eyes, with the occasional round dome of steel helmets passing through the smoke-filled trenches.


    At a distance of a full 400 meters away from this trench was a concealed thicket situated at a higher elevation than the surrounding terrain, offering an excellent vantage point for observing any movement in the vicinity.


    Two days ago, this location had already been modified; beneath the thicket lay a small trench which extended to an opposite slope on the other side, allowing for a swift retreat through this path by anyone in the trench.


    Inside this small shelter, a lookout was vigilantly scanning the surroundings, responsible for directing targets to his companion.


    Beside him, his companion was quietly watching through the lens of a long scope¡ªa Dahua soldier busy connecting telephone lines in the distance.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a linesman, not worth attacking,¡± the observer casually remarked, as if he knew exactly which target his partner was aiming at.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m just watching him. If you find an officer or a more valuable target, let me know,¡± said the sniper, still with one eye closed and maintaining his position.


    His rifle was equipped with a very delicate high-magnification scope¡ªan 8x scope not producible by other countries, offering an impressively clear view of the target.


    The scope was etched with extremely precise markings, which could help the sniper adjust the shooting angle for wind changes¡ªthe bullet¡¯s trajectory shifts with the wind, and a skilled sharpshooter can adjust his aim in anticipation.


    Of course, these markings also provided assistance in aiming at moving targets and could calculate the target¡¯s dimensions based on scale and distance.


    Each of these scopes was incredibly costly, and when paired with the expensive sniper rifle below, it was close to perfection. The front of the lens was covered with a grid cloth to prevent reflection, and the barrel of the rifle was wrapped in camouflage tape.


    The rifle used by the sniper was also a pricey piece. It was a high-precision sniper rifle manufactured by the Great Tang Group¡¯s military department, not a mass-produced military model but a small-batch product.


    Due to near-perfectionist standards, the production volume of these rifles was very low, and the ammunition used was also meticulously selected and adjusted for utmost precision.


    Such a bullet cost nearly one Gold Coin each, and along with the rifle and scope, its total cost was on par with an artillery piece.


    What was even more terrifying was that the sniper using this set of gear had to fire hundreds of rounds daily to maintain his touch, tirelessly train in concealment skills, as well as master survival techniques in the wild¡ªessentially a multi-talented killing machine.


    Typical soldiers firing five to ten rounds a day at the range was already considered good training, but these snipers pushed themselves to nausea with their daily shooting practice.


    If necessary, he could stay motionless for hours on end, just to wait for an important target.


    To ensure the safety of snipers like him, the Great Tang Empire provided each sniper with ghillie suits, more comprehensive and comfortable multi-functional tactical vests; their helmets were specially made, lighter in weight and offering better protection.


    ¡°Right side! About 23 degrees.. do you see that target?¡± the observer, holding the camouflaged binoculars, alerted his partner, ¡°An officer, could be a battalion commander.¡±


    ¡°23 degrees... I see your target. The epaulettes have been deliberately removed, and he¡¯s wearing a steel helmet used by soldiers... I reckon he¡¯s the battalion commander,¡± deduced the sniper.


    ¡°Who cares who he is, do you take the shot?¡± the observer asked, eyes glued to the target without blinking.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to fire,¡± replied the sniper, pressing down hard on the trigger guard with his finger before repositioning it on the trigger.


    ¡°Shoot. He¡¯ll probably move soon,¡± the observer, still peering through the binoculars, watched the target.


    A sudden gunshot reverberated in the air, and in the next second, the neck of the Dahua officer in the observer¡¯s view blossomed into a flower of blood, splashing onto the face of a nearby person.


    The target fell in response to the sound, collapsing into the trench never to be seen again. The sniper who fired withdrew his rifle and retreated into the trench: ¡°Let¡¯s go! This place won¡¯t be safe anymore.¡±


    He slung his rifle and strapped the backpack at his feet onto his back. The observer packed up his binoculars and then arranged his backpack before following the sniper, leaving this highly concealed position.


    For safety considerations, they wouldn¡¯t use this position anymore. The tactical manual stipulated that snipers generally weren¡¯t allowed to return to the spot where they last fired.


    ...


    At the position of the Dahua defending forces, by the time the medics arrived at the scene with their medical kits, they saw a ground covered in fresh blood and a lifeless body lying on the ground.


    The gunshot victim had a hole in his neck, from which blood was pouring out, staining his military uniform and those of several other people.


    Obviously, these people had tried to cover the wound of the unlucky guy who was shot, but the bullet had pierced a major artery, and the blood pressure was too high to be contained.


    The military doctor walked over, knelt on the bloodstained ground, checked the person lying there, and then shook his head: ¡°He¡¯s already dead.¡±


    He knew that if he was called over, the one who was hit must have been a big shot: ordinary soldiers¡¯ deaths wouldn¡¯t require the presence of a military doctor like him.


    Everyone in the trenches fell silent; they certainly knew who had died¡ªit was their Division Commander. These days, with the frequency of attack orders, even Senior Commanders had to frequently inspect various conditions of the troops at the front line.


    But who would have thought, despite dressing as inconspicuously as possible, he was still located by the enemy¡¯s sharpshooter. One shot to the throat, with no chance of survival.


    ¡°The enemy¡¯s marksmanship is very accurate. In the past few days, seven or eight of us have been killed here, all officers...¡± Looking at the body of the Division Commander lying there, the accompanying battalion commander was embarrassingly reminded of the safety issues. He had warned about them, but who could have imagined that this would still happen.


    ¡°This can¡¯t go on, let¡¯s write a report and have the higher-ups take it seriously,¡± another officer glanced at the open area of the trenches where the Division Commander had just been hit and said, ¡°The enemy¡¯s sharpshooter is too powerful... it¡¯s greatly affecting the morale of our front-line troops.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve said this before, but there¡¯s really not much we can do here,¡± the battalion commander said helplessly, spreading his hands: ¡°We can only emphasize safety to the soldiers and avoid exposing their positions as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have good communication means here, and calling for artillery support is not timely. By the time our artillery shells land, the enemy would have long fled,¡± the battalion commander said while people had already brought a stretcher and lifted the Division Commander¡¯s body onto it.


    ¡°Relying on artillery is definitely out of the question...¡± The officer speaking also knew that his side did not have enough communication equipment deployed at the battalion level, and by the time the signal corps reported the possible hiding position of the sniper to the artillery, it would be too late.


    In theory, the battalion headquarters should have mortars, but this was simply the state of the Dahua military: most battalion-level units did not have enough heavy weapons, and there was a severe shortage of mortars.


    It wasn¡¯t that there were no weapons at all; it was that the level of the operators was not up to par: they were unable to quickly determine coordinates, and mortar support was essentially haphazard.


    Those with calculation capabilities and who were good at firing were in higher-level artillery units, even becoming artillery officers. How could they possibly be sent to serve in battalion or corps units?


    ¡°It would be best to find a few sharpshooters and take out the enemy sharpshooters to curtail their harassment tactics,¡± he said, looking at the bloodied battalion commander and asking, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s doable, but we don¡¯t have any sharpshooters here,¡± said the battalion commander, clearly troubled. His unit was already having problems just with personnel replenishment, so where could he find sharpshooters?


    ¡°I¡¯ll write a report and request some sharpshooters to come over!¡± That officer took responsibility for the problem: ¡°This time, our division¡¯s Division Commander has fallen. Without any action, how can we continue the offensive?¡±


    The Dahua Empire did have some sharpshooters, but they didn¡¯t have many high-performance sniper rifles. However, after clashing with the Great Tang Empire, the Dahua Empire had managed to source some sniper rifles and also started their mass production.


    The performance of these rifles was at best enough to be called precision shooter rifles, using the higher quality and selected Shireck Model 1 bolt-action rifles, fitted with fixed 4x or 3x magnification scopes.


    The advantage of such fixed-magnification scopes was that they did not require exceedingly high precision and could be manufactured with lower-level processing accuracy to be suitable for the complex conditions of the battlefield.


    There were disadvantages too. These fixed-magnification scopes usually had low magnification values, either 3x or 4x, and larger magnifications were not easily produced.


    Dahua sharpshooters equipped with these sniper rifles weren¡¯t many, and they weren¡¯t as widespread as those in the Great Tang Empire. Most of the time, commanders held on to them and were reluctant to deploy them into battle.


    But under the current circumstances, deployment was a necessity: the Dahua Empire was exerting all efforts in the offensive against Fengjiang, and evidently, these Dahua sharpshooters were a key part of that effort.


    Upon hearing the news that a Division Commander had been killed at the front line by an enemy sniper, Zhao Chen immediately ordered the sharpshooter troops to the front line for combat.

 Chapter 1005: 927 Fengjiang’s cannonade

    Chapter 1005: 927 Fengjiang¡¯s cannonade


    After another day of fierce fighting, the Dahua military once again pushed the front line towards Fengjiang by one kilometer. They paid the price of 3,000 people for this advance, which is by no means a small number.


    Nobody can easily bear the loss of 3,000 people in a single day. Such a cumulative number of casualties is enough to bring a country to collapse.


    Yet, in order to capture Fengjiang as quickly as possible, Zhao Chen could no longer afford to care about the consequences: he must cut off the Great Tang Empire¡¯s support for Zhao Yu at the earliest opportunity, as this is now the only chance for the Dahua Empire to achieve victory.


    After pushing the position forward another kilometer with great difficulty, Zhao Chen¡¯s 250mm caliber army heavy artillery was finally able to launch shells into Fengjiang City.


    Starting from yesterday, Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t wait to move his cannons to the appropriate position, and today he started the bombardment of Fengjiang without any reservations.


    ¡°Load the shells!¡± Standing next to the sufficiently gigantic cannon, the wheels of such a large artillery piece were even made of solid steel, and moving it even a little bit required a lot of time and manpower.


    In order to get this massive cannon into the proper position, the Dahua Empire even had to enlist the help of several tractors¡ªworking in conjunction with towing vehicles, they barely managed to do so.


    Along the way, the Engineer Corps had to fill countless shell craters, and there had to be a protection squad for safety. Most operations had to be carried out at night because the enemy aircraft harassed them during the day.


    In short, using this level of heavy artillery is a massive undertaking and requires a lot of time. Zhao Chen spent an untold amount of effort to accomplish this formidable feat to put enough pressure on Fengjiang as quickly as possible.


    After the shells were loaded into the barrel using the corresponding equipment, under a camouflage net, the loaders then pushed the propellant charges into the artillery piece one after another.


    Because the caliber was too large, this type of artillery could no longer use standardized propellants. Its charges are separate and must be adjusted according to the range required.


    Amid a series of commands, the gunners closed the breech and then retreated to a safe position.


    The gun commander pulled the firing cord, and the next second, the muzzle of the artillery spewed out astonishing flames. The sky filled with white smoke enveloping everything around, and the massive tremor caused the surrounding sand and mud to dance wildly.


    A gigantic shell tore through the sky, making a sharp whistling noise, traversing over a dozen kilometers, and eventually landing in the slums on the outskirts of Fengjiang City.


    No help for it, the city¡¯s outskirts are often such slums, where the poorest residents of the entire city live. These people rely on hard labor to survive, eking out a meager existence beneath the city¡¯s industry.


    Because they are poor, the buildings in these places are also quite shabby. The Dahua Empire has been using wooden structures for buildings all year round, while reinforced concrete structures like those in the Great Tang Empire are in the minority.


    Even though many of the buildings in the center of Fengjiang were made of reinforced concrete, there were still a lot of wooden houses on the outskirts.


    Now, it was these wooden houses¡¯ turn to suffer: a 250mm caliber giant shell fell, and even if it didn¡¯t directly hit the wooden houses, the damage to such buildings was tremendous.


    With a thunderous boom, a black column of smoke rose into the sky, climbing and rolling continuously, clearly visible even from Fengjiang¡¯s city center.


    The surrounding buildings collapsed in a moment, while some houses caught fire directly, and the house that was hit by the shell barely left any rubble or debris.


    There was a terrifying big pit on the ground where dozens of civilians living here were instantly killed. Keep in mind, it was a 250 caliber shell; causing the death of nearby people from the shockwave alone was an easy thing to happen.


    The earth trembled with that loud bang. The sudden explosion caused terrifying destruction, but all of this was just the beginning.


    Another shell followed closely behind: the Dahua Empire, in order to bombard Fengjiang, had prepared five 250mm caliber heavy artillery pieces, and this barrage was a joint launch from these five cannons.


    Along with the second loud noise, another massive black smoke plume rose inside Fengjiang City, visible clearly throughout the city, and even most of the city could hear this deafening sound.


    Such things cannot be hidden, and panic also began to spread: many civilians started fleeing towards the east side of the city, and refugees carrying their belongings could be seen everywhere on the streets.


    The weather was no longer cool, so even if they had to sleep on the streets, these civilians would choose to sleep on the safer streets.


    After all, being closer to the Great Tang side was theoretically safer, and if push came to shove, risking a swim to the Great Tang side was also an option.


    ...


    Zhao Yu paced nervously in his room, having just heard the sounds of artillery and also having seen the smoke rising within the city.


    At this moment, he felt restless, as the place he was in was about to become frontline: ¡°The enemy is at the gates of Fengjiang City! Why haven¡¯t we counterattacked? If this goes on, aren¡¯t we finished? Huh? Aren¡¯t we finished?¡±


    He didn¡¯t dare to question his own counselor Xu Guo, nor did he dare to rage at Luo Xiao, so the only ones he could afford to scold were his own butler who was privy to his thoughts and a few Fengjiang generals who had already lost most of their real power.


    Even so, he didn¡¯t dare to trouble Zhao Zheng and Zhao Feng¡ª in his view, these two were ¡°insiders¡± worth winning over, and he couldn¡¯t afford to offend them easily.


    But he couldn¡¯t help but curse, after all, Dahua¡¯s military shells were already falling into the Fengjiang urban area. If he didn¡¯t make a stand now, wouldn¡¯t he be no different from a clay statue?


    ¡°Your Highness! Zhao Chen holds heavy troops and is attacking fiercely at all costs; our soldiers have already tried their best...¡± Zhao Zheng, who had been stripped of military authority and had now become a mere figurehead, spoke up, ¡°Without air superiority, without the pilots risking their lives to bomb, Dahua¡¯s military could have very well reached the city district by now.¡±


    As a general, Zhao Zheng had insight. He briefly glanced at the maps and some documents left by the Great Tang Empire Advisory Group and roughly guessed a part of the plan.


    After all, in order to claim credit and sell a pitiful story, the loss of Dwarves and Goblins would not be hidden from Zhao Yu. In these days, more than 1,000 Dwarves had died, more than 1,300 Goblins, and 1,000 Orcs lost their lives; the numbers were not small.


    Losing over a thousand people every day was already a significant loss for the defenders¡ª this actually clarified a lot, at least proving that these mercenaries were the real deal.


    Speaking of which, the contribution of the Great Tang Empire to this matter cannot go unmentioned: despite the nominal claim that it was Fengjiang that paid to hire the Foreign Legion to participate in the war, the actual payer was the Great Tang Group.


    The funds used to hire these soldiers were genuine silver, above market price even. The demands of the Great Tang Empire were simple¡ªsince I¡¯ve paid in full, you must give your all!


    Countries were also giving face to the Great Tang Empire in this respect: they were very aware that whether or not they could reverse the trade deficit, whether they could afford to pay the loans provided by the Great Tang Empire, as well as the war reparations they owed... all depended on this ¡°mercenary¡± operation.


    Hence, the troops heading to Fengjiang, many of which were elite troops directly drawn from the main forces of various countries with the intent to train them.


    Being the party spending the money, the Great Tang Empire also inspected the quality of these troops and applied their own standards to certain logistical supplies.


    Therefore, these mercenaries from various countries participating in the battle at Fengjiang were all very formidable fighters; even if not quite up to the true Tang Country military, they were on par with their opponents, the troops of the Dahua Empire.


    This was evident from the combat actions of both sides: the casualty ratio was about 3 to 1, a loss ratio that basically signifies an equal strength in offensive and defensive battles.


    ¡°But, but...¡± Of course, Zhao Yu knew that his own side had actually fought quite well. Not to speak of anything else, the troops moving southward had already captured Sword Pavilion, achieving a major victory, hadn¡¯t they?


    Zhao Feng by his side was also trying to reassure him: ¡°Your Highness! There¡¯s no need to panic! Our southern troops have already taken Guiguang Sword Pavilion! Victory is beckoning to us! As long as we hold Fengjiang, everything will start to get better.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured! Reinforcements will keep coming continuously!¡± Xu Guo, sitting there as steady as Mount Tai, casually comforted Zhao Yu: ¡°Your Highness¡¯s safety is not a problem! If the situation in Fengjiang deteriorates, isn¡¯t it just the same if we go to Shanping?¡±


    ¡°Even so...¡± What Zhao Yu truly wanted was to go to East Fengjiang, to Great Tang. But he indeed couldn¡¯t bring himself to voice this; he also knew that he should stay within the borders of the Dahua Empire.


    Looking at the fifth column of smoke rising on the distant horizon outside the window, Zhao Yu felt very tense¡ªthose shells seemed to be falling right in front of his face.


    Over by the Fengjiang Bridge, there were more refugees fleeing. To ensure that Fengjiang wouldn¡¯t become an empty city overnight, the Great Tang Empire maintained a very reasonable pace in accepting refugees.


    But civilians and local wealthy people didn¡¯t care about that much; for them, only when they could run to the Great Tang Empire, could their safety be assured.


    So they kept running in the direction of the Great Tang Empire, even though they knew the Great Tang Empire wouldn¡¯t let them pass; they still clung to a fantasy: what if, what if one day the Great Tang Empire gave permission?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there any other way? To stop this shelling?¡± Zhao Yu, still not giving up hope, asked his two relatives.


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, if we know the enemy artillery positions, we can destroy them with coastal defense heavy-caliber artillery...¡± Zhao Zheng offered his suggestion.


    ¡°Or send out the Air Force, find the enemy¡¯s artillery positions, and bomb them directly...destroy these long-range artillery pieces.¡± Zhao Feng, who was also present, gave his opinion.


    ¡°Then do it quickly!¡± Zhao Yu, full of dissatisfaction, said to them: ¡°Hurry up! Hurry... I don¡¯t want to hear the sound of artillery anymore! I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    Another update will be finished soon, to be presented around 12:20, those who don¡¯t wish to stay up can read it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 1006: 928 Hunting Sniper

    Chapter 1006: 928 Hunting Sniper


    ¡°You¡¯re dispatching planes to search for those heavy artillery positions?¡± As he stepped out of Zhao Yu¡¯s room, Zhao Zheng looked towards the ¡°royal kin¡± he never recognized before, Zhao Feng: ¡°I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re 250mm guns, I¡¯ve seen them before.¡±


    Zhao Feng shook his head and explained: ¡°The airfield is no longer safe, most of the planes have been relocated to an airfield further south. According to the plan, Fengjiang will soon become a battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Does the Great Tang Empire plan to build a bridge at Hidden Sword Gorge?¡± Zhao Zheng voiced his conjecture, asking tentatively.


    ¡°It¡¯s no secret, indeed they do. Losing Fengjiang doesn¡¯t matter, as in a few months, the roads on the other side of Hidden Sword Gorge will be through anyway.¡± Zhao Feng mentioned this with pride written all over his face. He didn¡¯t need to pretend, he was truly working for the Great Tang Empire.


    Zhao Zheng was visibly envious and continued asking: ¡°But it¡¯s impossible to build a bridge at Hidden Sword Gorge. Does the Great Tang Empire have some special way to do it?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know about that, it¡¯s a matter for the tech guys, how would I know. All I know is that there¡¯s no need to invest any more effort in striking back here at Fengjiang.¡± Shaking his head, Zhao Feng added: ¡°I suspect that in another ten days, the enemy¡¯s 150mm guns will reach Fengjiang.¡±


    He truly had no clue how the bridge at Hidden Sword Gorge was being built. The gorge was vast, and it was nearly impossible to build bridge piers, which is why the Dahua Empire hadn¡¯t built a bridge to span Hidden Sword Gorge for so many years.


    This was also why the Great Tang Empire had advanced to Hidden Sword Gorge and then stopped: the gorge was indeed a natural barrier, and it seemed quite fitting to be the border between the two countries at the time.


    However, now with the passage of time, economic prosperity, this gorge no longer seemed an appropriate barrier. After witnessing the various grand bridges built by the construction maniac, just a casual tip from Tang Mo was enough to send the Great Tang Empire¡¯s bridge-building ability soaring.


    Hence the bridge-building project at Hidden Sword Gorge came to be, as well as the plan to use Fengjiang as bait, as a battlefield, to deplete the military forces of the Dahua Empire.


    ¡°What about us? Are we really going to Shanping?¡± Zhao Zheng asked with some concern, afraid he would eventually be abandoned.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, even if the bridge at Hidden Sword Gorge is not completed, we have ways to get to Great Tang.¡± Comforting him with these words, Zhao Feng closed the topic.


    He was somewhat disdainful of Zhao Zheng; although Zhao Zheng¡¯s status in the Dahua Empire was indeed much higher than his, Zhao Feng was now a person of the Great Tang Empire.


    Therefore, Zhao Feng felt a sense of superiority towards Zhao Zheng, a sort of country bumpkin who had never even seen a helicopter. This feeling would immediately emerge once one affirmed oneself as Tang People...


    Now reassured by Zhao Feng¡¯s promise, Zhao Zheng felt much more at ease¡ªbeing utterly sidelined, his greatest fear was becoming useless and then discarded.


    Keep in mind that his entire family was still en route from Shu Country to Chu Country; in such a situation, he couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious.


    ...


    On the chaotic frontline positions of the Dahua Troops, a man carrying a rifle had a sharp gaze; he was the sniper who had just arrived at the front line, sent to hunt down Fengjiang¡¯s snipers.


    His rifle was unique, equipped with a short optical scope: compared to the eight-power scopes manufactured by the Great Tang Empire, it was definitely not as elaborate.


    Since it was fixed on the weapon and had no adjustable parts, it also didn¡¯t require any special protection.


    ¡°Have you guys ever been attacked by a sniper here?¡± Standing in a somewhat concealed temporary command post, the man with a slightly hoarse voice asked the company commander who was counting supplies.


    The commander looked up, glanced at him, and replied: ¡°Yes, one of our platoon leaders was killed, along with two Soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any suspected locations?¡± The sniper inquired.


    ¡°Yes! Around that small hill over there, and another suspect spot is that abandoned trench over there.¡± The commander pulled out a crudely drawn map from the table. Pointing at it, he briefly explained the situation.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you bombarded those areas?¡± The sniper curiously asked. These three people had been dead for several days now; even if artillery support had been requested, those spots would have been covered by shellfire, right?


    The commander sneered and responded: ¡°Requested, but the artillery support hasn¡¯t reached there yet. A platoon leader and two Soldiers are probably not considered valuable enough?¡±


    The artillery shells of the Dahua Empire were quite precious. Having pushed over 100 kilometers east from Hezhe, the quantity of artillery shells that could be transported to the front lines was always limited.


    This also included the shells consumed to support offensives. After all, compared to capturing a few snipers, the assault on Fengjiang seemed like an option that warranted investing more artillery.


    The sniper didn¡¯t bother with useless chatter, carefully taking the sketchy map and examining the marked positions.


    After a while, he spoke to the busy commander again: ¡°The three casualties, can you mark their exact positions? I need an accurate assessment.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Approximately here, here, and here... three people.¡± The company commander sketched out the positions of the trench fortifications on the map, then marked three X¡¯s on it: ¡°At that time, the exposed sections of the trenches...¡±


    ¡°You are a good company commander.¡± Seeing the clearly marked positions and hearing the orderly explanation, the sniper praised.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± The company commander put aside his work: ¡°Would you like me to take you to those two places to have a look? Perhaps, you might have some different insights?¡±


    ¡°That would be really great.¡± The sniper hurriedly expressed his gratitude, then followed the company commander to the locations where the three individuals had met their fate.


    To be honest, after seeing the segment of the trench destroyed by artillery fire, the sniper felt that those three had not died undeservedly: the terrain here was not conducive to concealment, it was very open, and lingering here was practically an invitation for a sniper to take a shot and blow one¡¯s head off.


    ¡°How does it look?¡± The company commander dared not show his head, standing at the end of the destroyed trench, he leaned against the trench wall and looked back to ask.


    ¡°I want to stay here, you can go back if you have things to do.¡± The sniper said, leaning on the other side of the cover.


    The company commander nodded slightly, then walked away along the path he had come. Only the sniper was left, he took off his weapon and began carefully taking measurements.


    He agreed with the judgment of the company commander; the enemy was likely hiding near that small mound in the distance. But from an angle perspective, it was difficult to determine whether the enemy was hiding on top or beneath it.


    As for another hiding spot, he had looked over it when he first arrived; it was also an excellent hiding place. However, if it were him, he would prefer the mound with a broader view.


    Snipers hunting each other was much like a hunting game. It required patient waiting and a bit of necessary luck.


    After roughly determining the opposing sniper¡¯s location, the sniper from the Dahua Empire set up a simple ¡°position¡± on the spot.


    He used his raincoat to create a small hiding place, covered it with some mud for camouflage, and obtained a fairly good shooting angle.


    Then, he lay patiently under his raincoat, waiting for the target to bite on the bait he had set up: he had arranged a Steel Helmet on a dummy, attempting to lure the enemy into exposing themselves by firing first.


    Of course, if one examined the dummy for a while, they would realize it was not real. If the enemy insisted on not shooting, there wasn¡¯t much this Dahua sniper could do.


    Could he actually use a living person as bait? Who would be willing to serve as bait? This isn¡¯t a movie; what kind of idiot would sacrifice themselves to help a sniper pinpoint an enemy¡¯s location?


    As expected, after a day of patient stalking, the Dahua sniper did not find the target he was seeking.


    He returned to the military camp controlled by his own forces, ate something, and then fell asleep to the sound of evening artillery fire.


    The next morning, he heard two pieces of news. The first was that after a day and night of effort, the troops of the Dahua Empire advanced another 500 meters! The other news was that this morning, another soldier from the company he visited yesterday was shot dead by an enemy sniper while washing up.


    The enemy was very professional, firing only one shot. The soldier, who had just woken up and was preparing to tidy his beard, was shot through the head.


    This meant that the enemy sniper had not left at all, and so several Dahua Empire snipers began another day of searching.


    Since the bodies of the previous three had already been dealt with, this Dahua Empire sniper had not seen their corpses.


    Now, with a new corpse available, the sniper rushed over to examine the fresh body.


    From the angle of the incoming bullet, he roughly determined the enemy¡¯s position. Then he took his rifle to a suitable spot and once again lay in wait.


    In the afternoon, the hiding Dahua Empire sniper noticed a patch of weeds in the distance seemed to move, so he focused all his attention on that plant.


    Soon, he saw through the scope an aiming point hiding behind the grass: the enemy was hidden very well, impossible to find without a careful search.


    What was more interesting was that this adversary had deliberately chosen a point slightly below the top of the mound, which, although losing some visibility, increased concealment.


    ¡°Goodbye, idiot!¡± Through the scope, having aligned the target in his crosshairs, the Dahua Empire sniper pulled the trigger.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A crisp gunshot echoed in the sky, the hidden enemy sniper was hit, and through the scope, one could clearly see blood splattering out from the grass.


    The enemy¡¯s sniper rifle also fell off with the sound, tumbling out of the bush.

 Chapter 1007: 929 is conducting military drills in Fengjiang

    Chapter 1007: 929 is conducting military drills in Fengjiang


    With Guiguang being occupied by Fengjiang Troops, the advisory group of the Great Tang Empire moved their headquarters from Fengjiang to here.


    Luo Xiao was recently planning to dispatch a force from Guiguang to attack Wanliang, posing a threat to Hezhe from the south and easing some pressure on the Fengjiang battlefield.


    However, numerous new changes had emerged on the Fengjiang battlefield at this time, prompting Luo Xiao to convene another meeting to discuss the new issues that had arisen.


    At the beginning of the meeting, an officer in charge of personnel training gave an introduction to the basic situation. In the Fengjiang civil strife this time, the Great Tang Empire had also sent some personnel to participate in the warfare, directly or indirectly.


    ¡°Using some opportunities to train troops has been a decision made by the superiors a while ago, and the main forces we have dispatched for training are, apart from middle-level commanders, only a few special forces,¡± the officer listed as an example: ¡°Including snipers, mapping and calibration personnel, signal corps, ground support staff, etc. These personnel, apart from snipers, generally do not participate in frontline combat.¡±


    Leveraging this Fengjiang civil war, the Great Tang Empire was also nurturing new talent and kept many special forces and sniper teams in optimal combat readiness.


    Many new types of individual equipment were also given to these personnel for testing, including new sniper rifles, more precise aiming devices, smaller batteries, and individual communication equipment, among others.


    In addition, the logistical support troops of the Great Tang Empire took over a significant portion of Fengjiang army¡¯s transport, distribution, and scheduling tasks, which trained new logistics troops and cultivated a large number of logistics commanders.


    Many things cannot be truly understood without getting hands-on experience and actual participation.


    Thus, letting these greenhorns from the logistics troops mess with the Fengjiang troops and mercenaries, allowing them to accumulate experience to ensure the smooth logistics of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s own forces in the future, became very important.


    Luo Xiao looked toward the officer and asked, ¡°So the ones most likely to suffer casualties would be the snipers.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The officer nodded, then continued to add, ¡°The reason for this meeting, is that I have brought some not-so-good news. There may be some Dahua Empire snipers appearing on the Fengjiang frontlines. Our snipers must be extra careful when they are operating.¡±


    Hearing what the officer said, Luo Xiao raised his eyebrows and confirmed, ¡°Oh? Is this just intelligence, or is there data?¡±


    Knowing the enemy troops¡¯ movement generally only happens in two situations: the first is that the intelligence department has provided corresponding intelligence, the second is that the enemy¡¯s troops were actually encountered on the battlefield.


    By asking this, Luo Xiao was essentially asking whether it was just heard that the enemy snipers had arrived at the frontline or if they had indeed encountered snipers and suffered casualties.


    The officer in charge of training answered directly, ¡°We have data. In the past three days, the casualty rate of Fengjiang¡¯s snipers has significantly increased. We can confirm that among them, 7 were killed by the enemy snipers.¡±


    Luo Xiao seemed to still be confirming; he wanted to know whether the other side was really taken out by snipers or if it was possible that they were killed after bumping into enemy regular forces, ¡°Killed with a single shot?¡±


    ¡°Yes, most cases are kills with a single shot,¡± the officer gave a relatively accurate answer, ¡°The fallen Fengjiang snipers were all trained by us. Even though their level is not that great, it¡¯s still not easy for regular infantry to take them out.¡±


    Luo Xiao nodded and commanded, ¡°Remind our sniper teams to be vigilant in combat! Find those troublesome enemy snipers and eliminate them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, understood!¡± The officer stood at attention and saluted in response.


    ...


    ¡°Cao Fei! There¡¯s work to do!¡± Approaching Cao Fei who was cleaning his weapon, his spotter threw several documents on the table and pulled up a chair to sit down.


    The sniper teams all have their own rest encampments, and though the facilities are simple, they are relatively quiet and safe at the frontlines.


    This place is a reinforced shelter, fitted with two bunk beds, a table, and a gas lamp for lighting; there¡¯s even a wooden door at the exit for privacy.


    Ordinary soldiers wouldn¡¯t have such considerate positions, let alone the stacks of high-quality supplies in the corner ¡ª according to the Great Tang Empire¡¯s supply grading, snipers receive top-tier battlefield supplies among the infantry.


    If not for logistical supply difficulties, snipers would get two packets of cigarettes, four bars of chocolate, several pieces of candy, and other extra supplies each week; the instant noodles and other food for the infantry would all be replaced with canned food or beautifully packaged ¡°pre-cooked meals.¡±


    These pre-cooked meals aren¡¯t that high-tech stuff, but rather a vegetable and meat mixture that¡¯s not particularly tasty but is quite nutritious. It¡¯s very convenient, needing only to be boiled before eating.


    Compared to the infantry, sniper teams on the frontline should have their own rest rooms according to the standards, convenient for them to recover their strength and study tactics.


    In Fengjiang, the snipers of the Great Tang enjoy even better treatment, being able to enjoy a week¡¯s vacation after a week of combat, and taking their leave directly in Fengjiang.


    Most of the time, the job of the snipers of the Great Tang Empire involves training Fengjiang¡¯s snipers, only occasionally performing some high-level sniper missions when they feel the need to familiarize themselves with the battlefield environment.


    Generally, the sniper missions of the Great Tang Empire, ranked from highest to lowest priority, are: scouting enemy troop movements, guiding artillery bombardment, assassinating high-value enemy targets, and eliminating enemy snipers...


    From this, it is evident that, in the eyes of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s snipers, opening fire and attacking is quite low on the priority list.


    Cao Fei, who was maintaining his expensive sniper rifle, set down his tools and looked at the documents on the table: ¡°Hmm? Is there a mission?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a mission, but a big one! Recently, some enemy snipers have been spotted on the front lines, and the higher-ups want us to eliminate these snipers,¡± said the spotter with a chuckle.


    After saying that, he picked up his own assault rifle leaning against the table and carefully inspected it.


    Cao Fei perked up; having been a sniper for so many years, he really enjoyed this hunter-like lifestyle: ¡°Really?¡±


    His spotter fiddled with his own weapon while replying: ¡°For real! There have already been over twenty Fengjiang snipers killed.¡±


    ¡°Some tough guys, then,¡± Cao Fei said, feeling that the mission itself seemed even more interesting.


    The spotter agreed, ¡°Exactly, those apprentices of ours have suffered losses.¡±


    They were well aware of the skills of the Fengjiang snipers they had trained; although these Fengjiang snipers were still rookies, there were disparities even among rookies.


    It seemed that among the enemy snipers, there must be a few very formidable figures. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have killed so many Fengjiang counterparts in such a short time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s meet these colleagues!¡± Cao Fei wiped his hands and walked over to the bed to start packing his belongings.


    The spotter also began stuffing food and some spare tools into his backpack: ¡°The boss said to be careful!¡±


    This was a game without respawns, so everyone knew they had to be careful. Life only comes once, and any small mistake could cost one their life.


    Cao Fei adjusted his ghillie suit, wearing the rag-like thing over his body, as did his spotter, and they both walked out of their hidden shelter looking like two heaps of rags.


    Behind them, Fengjiang City was still emitting thick smoke, and in recent days the Dahua Empire had pushed the frontline to within less than 11 kilometers of Fengjiang¡¯s urban area.


    Zhao Chen had to be commended for his abilities; while reinforcing his flanks with troops from Wanliang, he was also striving to break into the urban area of Fengjiang to change the tide of the war.


    Now that the distance was so close, many of Dahua Empire¡¯s artillery guns could start shelling the urban area of Fengjiang.


    Zhao Yu, trembling with fear within the city, no longer talked about driving away the Dahua Empire¡¯s artillery, because even the 150mm caliber artillery guns of the Dahua Empire could now fire shells into Fengjiang City.


    Cao Fei, rifle in arms, walked step by step in the trenches. Next to their shelter was an anti-aircraft gun position of the Dahua Empire, where there were more than a dozen 76mm caliber anti-aircraft guns, all purchased from the Laines Empire using old and outdated technology.


    It¡¯s worth noting that initially all of Fengjiang¡¯s anti-aircraft guns had been moved to the vicinity of Fengjiang Airport; most of the guns deployed near the urban area now were purchased from abroad, old models that were not cheap.


    Passing a machine-gun position that protected these anti-aircraft guns, a Fengjiang officer, already familiar with Cao Fei and his comrade, greeted them.


    Their location was about 4 kilometers from the frontline, and they had to pass through many trenches; once they reached a point only 1 kilometer away from the actual combat zone, they had to proceed with extreme caution.


    Not just to guard against the possible appearance of enemy forces, but also to avoid nervous friendly forces. It wouldn¡¯t be impossible for some idiots to shoot at them in a moment of panic, given how they were dressed.


    Identification of friend or foe on the battlefield has always been a big problem, especially on battlefields like Fengjiang¡¯s: it wasn¡¯t just about the uniforms but also the racial diversity.


    Dwarves, Goblins, and Elves all uniformly wore M35 steel helmets, but not wearing an M35 helmet didn¡¯t necessarily mean someone was an enemy; the snipers of the Great Tang had their own composite material helmets, different in design from the M35 steel helmets.


    Therefore, everything had to be done with extra care, for dying by the hands of one¡¯s own side would be truly an unjust fate.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Sleep was poor and I have a splitting headache, so just one chapter today. I will make it up tomorrow.

 Chapter 1008: 930 a psychological game

    Chapter 1008: 930 a psychological game


    Trying to locate the enemy¡¯s sniper on the battlefield is a very complex task, requiring a meticulously crafted plan and selecting the most suitable option among many.


    It is a process full of unknowns; on an already complex battlefield, you guess where the enemy sniper might appear and then choose a relatively safe position for yourself.


    The danger lies in the enemy possibly predicting your thoughts, thus guarding those places you deem safe for concealment, even setting ambushes there, waiting for your arrival.


    Therefore, it is a process of strategizing; as a sniper, you need to anticipate the enemy¡¯s mindset and then act contrary to their expectations, waiting for targets at their inevitable route or hiding spots.


    When necessary, you also need bait, just like hunting. However, hunting involves placing bait in the target area, whereas killing the enemy¡¯s sniper involves using real people as bait.


    Whether the cunning fox will fall for it is unknown; everything on this battlefield is full of uncertainties, with infinite possibilities, and you might even risk your own life.


    The snipers of the Great Tang Empire have a clear advantage in rifle range and sights precision, so Cao Fei decided to set up his sniping position beyond the typical combat range where the enemy would not expect.


    This distance is approximately 400 meters, obviously beyond the regular sniper combat range. Aside from the Great Tang Empire, snipers in other countries typically engage between 200 to 300 meters.


    Even the toughest snipers rarely fire beyond 300 meters, as people at that range appear almost the size of a coin five meters away in their scopes.


    Hitting a target at such a distance is very difficult because you must also consider the wind speed and the recoil of the gun, among other factors.


    Cao Fei doesn¡¯t have to worry about these factors; his experience in targeting from 400 to 500 meters and his weapons support him in doing so; this is the advantage that technology provides.


    The observer agrees with his view because at a distance of 400 meters, even if the enemy spots them, they have no assurance of an accurate shot.


    It can be said, at this distance, they are almost safe. Except for enemy artillery fire, there is almost no risk.


    ¡°Yesterday, two men died here and here.¡± The observer marked the positions where two Fengjiang snipers had fallen on a very detailed map.


    He had just communicated extensively with the local Fengjiang defense commander, discussing for a long time, virtually rehashing every issue.


    The opponent was tormented by enemy snipers for days, constantly living in fear, which made them deeply resent these damn enemy snipers and remember many details about their own soldiers being sniped.


    ¡°It seems their sniping position isn¡¯t fixed. No single position has the shooting angles for both these locations.¡± Cao Fei, after a quick glance, realized that the shots had come from two different angles.


    ¡°Could there be two sniper teams?¡± The observer cautiously suggested a possibility.


    Cao Fei shook his head: ¡°Unlikely, such density is not even manageable for machine gun teams, let alone snipers.¡±


    ¡°Which one should we focus on first?¡± The observer¡¯s finger moved across the map, which featured many potential sniping spots marked with contour lines.


    ¡°I prefer the middle of the slope. The top is too conspicuous and easily targeted by artillery, while the middle slope has better vegetation.¡± Cao Fei pointed on the map and said: ¡°Let¡¯s first block this suspicious point and try our luck.¡±


    ¡°Your call!¡± The observer packed up the map, picked up the binoculars to scan the distance, and then cautiously navigated around a large crater made by a shell, heading towards their chosen position.


    It indeed was a good spot, even behind the main positions of the Fengjiang defense forces. Nearby were numerous craters, with some vegetation resiliently growing at the edges, providing excellent cover for a sniper.


    Climbing directly up the reverse slope to their corresponding position, the observer crawled to a slightly higher spot next to Cao Fei for observation; his angle was a bit better, allowing observation of slightly more area.


    Cao Fei slowly moved below the observer, stretching out his rifle barrel wrapped in rags amid a clump of weeds, aiming through the gaps in the vegetation at the suspected position from which the enemy sniper had fired.


    According to the manual of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s snipers, under normal circumstances, it is generally not allowed for their snipers to return to a previous firing spot to continue combat.


    However, this is the tactic manual for the snipers of the Great Tang Empire only. Other countries do not have such requirements; their sniper tactics are still in a very primitive stage, not even employing the assistant shooter tactic.


    ¡°Good visibility! I see that position.¡± Holding binoculars, the observer clearly spotted the probable hideout of the enemy sniper.


    He surveyed the surroundings and even saw a soldier from the Dahua Empire wearing a Steel Helmet moving along a trench.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Cao Fei, through his own scope, also saw that very concealed pit; his position was elevated, allowing him to easily fire if the opponent returned to this shooting spot.


    Usually, snipers enter their positions before dawn for safety, to reduce the chance of being detected by the enemy.


    But because the sniper spot Cao Fei and his team chose was too far back, over 400 meters from their target, and because their sniper position was very concealed and not easily detectable, they directly reached there.


    The position they suspected had no one, but some traces suggested that someone had likely been there.


    Choosing such a place for a sniping post was very smart: it was low and easily overlooked. However, correspondingly, its field of fire was quite good at certain angles.


    ¡°He¡¯s a smart one, too bad,¡± Cao Fei said motionlessly to his observer, looking at that spot: ¡°If this were in Great Tang, he could probably be trained into a fine sniper.¡±


    ¡°Have you not regrettably killed around ten or at least eight people?¡± the observer responded without movement, still holding the binoculars.


    The two of them were like two stones, lying motionless there, almost impossible to detect under the covers of their ghillie suits.


    Unlike movie snipers, real battlefield snipers often have very boring jobs. These sharpshooters would often lie in one place for a half day without moving, waiting for a target all afternoon.


    The problem is, waiting for a target might lead to no appearances, and one might not get a chance to fire a single shot all day.


    That method of attracting enemies by sniping a few and drawing others to oneself isn¡¯t impossible, but executing it is actually quite difficult.


    You must find one or several excellent positions for killing the enemy before firing, to attract enemy snipers¡¯ attention.


    Before that, you also need to find potential enemy positions and good locations for ambushing them... Gathering all these conditions on the battlefield is challenging, and even when achieved, they need to be used cautiously.


    After all, if the enemy sniper is smart enough, he might anticipate these tactics, and turn around to find where you plan to ambush him...


    In short, it¡¯s a series of battles of wits, each probe full of psychological gambits. It¡¯s highly likely you¡¯ve predicted an obvious strategy of the enemy, or you may have outsmarted their scheme, obtaining ultimate victory.


    This waiting lasted for over an hour, during which neither of them moved; they lay there, listening to distant bombardments as if the rest of the world¡¯s affairs had nothing to do with them.


    These days, the Dahua Empire¡¯s troops were fiercely attacking Fengjiang; the main direction of attack wasn¡¯t here, so this area was relatively quiet and there were no significant changes in positions of both armies.


    Both sides were fortifying their defensive positions, a practice that had been accumulating experience over the past two to three years, as it¡¯s a training focus highly valued by the Dahua Empire.


    Fearing the Great Tang Empire¡¯s attacks, they emphasized the importance of constructing defensive fortifications whenever the troops stopped.


    Thus, the entire front line was interspersed with trenches and reinforced hidden machine gun bunkers everywhere.


    ¡°It seems our prey didn¡¯t show up here today,¡± Cao Fei said as the light began to fade.


    ¡°Ah... indeed,¡± the observer agreed, yawning: ¡°Shall we kill a few minions to attract them?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait another day and see; if we open fire now, we¡¯ll lose the initiative, and the situation will become much more complicated.¡± Cao Fei took one last look at the distant target area, then withdrew his sniper rifle.


    The observer also slowly shifted his body back; the sun had set, and most of the light had already disappeared below the horizon. They had chosen their position well, not facing the sunlight in the afternoon.


    Clearly, they returned without success today, and the tedious wait will continue tomorrow. The distant sounds of bombardment continued, intensifying slightly as Fengjiang¡¯s Air Force returned.


    With the booming sounds of artillery, Cao Fei and his team returned to their hideout, had a steaming hot dinner, compensating somewhat for the hardship endured throughout the day.

 Chapter 1009: 931 boredom is the norm

    Chapter 1009: 931 boredom is the norm


    Before dawn the next day, Cao Fei and his spotter returned to the place they had chosen yesterday. After meticulous preparation, they climbed back to the position they had crouched in the day before.


    It was time to test their patience. The sun rose behind them, gradually illuminating the positions in front of them. In the morning, many soldiers of the Dahua Empire moved around in the trenches, and the observer saw several steel helmets moving back and forth.


    The small pit that seemed ideal for a sniper position was just as unchanged as yesterday. Cao Fei wasn¡¯t in a hurry; he continued to crouch in place, as if he himself were a stone here.


    From time to time, the sound of insects could be heard, and the distant cannons roared tirelessly. At this moment, the outskirts of Fengjiang had probably turned into a wasteland.


    Cao Fei thought about the bustling city he had seen just ten days ago, then remembered the burning edges of the city he saw last night, and felt sorrow for those houses that had likely turned to ash.


    He also remembered the days when he was fighting on Dongwan Island, where they took a long boat ride and suffered miserably with seasickness.


    During the landing, they unexpectedly encountered the troops of Mirage Country, and fierce battles ensued. Then they gained a foothold on Dongwan Island, where he met a kid named Liu Guozhu.


    He heard that the kid later went to school in Dongwan Port, where he performed very well academically. Later, that kid even wrote to him, saying he had become an officer in the Armored Corps of the Great Tang Empire.


    In many instances where glorious deeds within the military were recounted, Cao Fei had indeed heard Liu Guozhu¡¯s name several times, and every time he heard it, he would smile contentedly.


    Every time he remembered the battle on Dongwan Island, he would think of that little boy who used to call himself Liu Zhu, who was just a guide at the time.


    Now, the little boy was no longer a child, but a star in the Armored Corps of the Great Tang Empire: it was said that the enemy tanks destroyed by Liu Guozhu had already exceeded eight-zero in number! This was an astonishing figure; according to the organization of the Great Tang Empire, it amounted to about two armored battalions!


    One tank destroying two battalions¡¯ worth of enemy tanks... Such achievements were indeed glorious from any perspective. Every time he thought of the face of that frail child who had walked in front of his team, Cao Fei couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    A few days ago, he received a letter from Liu Guozhu, who had been promoted to commander of a tank platoon. In the letter, Liu wrote of his envy for Cao Fei, who was able to participate in the battle of Fengjiang, saying his own Armored Corps had been on second-line standby, with no holidays even cancelled.


    Liu Guozhu also cautioned Cao Fei to stay safe in his letter and wished him more kills¡ªa pride of growth that filled the lines from the once little boy.


    ¡°Spoiled brat, not even cherishing the hard-won peace back home. It¡¯s only been a few years, and he¡¯s already so cocky.¡± Cao Fei scolded the young man who had written to him with fondness in his heart and once again focused his attention on the area he had been monitoring.


    The artillery battle in the distance intensified. Last night, Fengjiang soldiers nearby said that the Dahua military had torn open a gap further north, and now it was less than nine kilometers from Fengjiang city center.


    Zhao Chen, eager to enter Fengjiang swiftly, had concentrated the offensive effort there, so it seemed the battle here might not erupt for some time.


    The distant artillery battle also attracted the aircraft of Fengjiang, and in the distant skies, there were always Yir Attack Aircraft circling incessantly.


    After losing more than a dozen Yir Attack Aircraft, the Elf Pilots participating in the battle of Fengjiang had made some progress. Now these pilots, flying the attack aircraft striking ground targets, were very proficient.


    The Yir Attack Aircraft were not only capable of using cannons to attack armored ground targets but also could use rockets or bombs. Although their attack precision was not as good as the Stuka, they were also a very formidable ground-attack aircraft.


    Having mastered these aircraft, the Fengjiang side often deployed them to attack the Dahua Empire¡¯s artillery positions, inflicting heavy casualties on the Dahua Empire¡¯s artillery.


    To prevent the Dahua troops from entering Fengjiang, the Air Force of Fengjiang attacked ground targets at all costs, winning some breathing space for their own ground troops.


    Both sides continued their relentless battles, and by now, both could be said to be exhausted. However, relying on their larger force, the Dahua military still stubbornly continued their fierce offensive.


    Frankly, at this point in the battle, the notion of a swift and decisive victory no longer applied. Having taken Guiguang, the Fengjiang military now threatened Wanliang and Shanchong, forcing the Dahua military to divide their forces to defend these two strategic towns, which actually reduced the support for Zhao Chen¡¯s troops.


    The battle of Fengjiang had already lasted two months and had long since lost the so-called advantage of speed¡ªeven if Zhao Chen entered Fengjiang now, quickly capturing the entire city of Fengjiang would not be an easy task.


    The Fengjiang city area close to the west was already in ruins. Zhao Chen recklessly concentrated artillery fire to bombard Fengjiang, aiming to psychologically shock Zhao Yu and crush his will to resist, prompting him to flee Fengjiang quickly.


    Whether fleeing to the Great Tang Empire or to Shanping, as long as Zhao Yu leaves Fengjiang, the troops steadfastly defending Fengjiang would undoubtedly feel their morale waver, and his chances of capturing Fengjiang would be greater.


    Listening to the increasingly fierce artillery fire in the distance, both men felt a touch of drowsiness¡ªthis was indeed very boring, and this kind of boredom actually permeated every corner of the war.


    Take submarine warfare, for example. Hearing about a submarine captain sinking hundreds of thousands of tons of enemy ships feels very impressive. But in reality, a submarine drifting in the ocean might not even spot an enemy transport ship in three days.


    Then there¡¯s the infantry, who charge following behind tanks during an assault and retreat in disarray behind mechanized units. They might not even see an enemy for months during a campaign, and it seems like victory or defeat has nothing to do with them.


    Likewise, even Hartmann, the ace of aces in the air battles of World War II, when dividing the number of days he served by his kills, averaged only one enemy plane every two or three days... Other pilots, maybe would not encounter an enemy plane for over ten days, and even if they did, they might not necessarily take it down.


    Thus, in a war, boredom is the norm, death is commonplace, and romance is but a rare glimmer.


    ¡°I think today is yet another fruitless day.¡± In an effort to stave off drowsiness, the spotter began to speak with some listlessness to Cao Fei, ¡°It¡¯s nearly noon, it¡¯s not possible for anyone to come at this time, right? According to the sniper regulations, unless the terrain is extremely safe, snipers are not allowed to enter their positions at this time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our sniper regulations. If we were to follow our sniper regulations for judgment, we wouldn¡¯t need to sit here waiting for the enemy,¡± Cao Fei said motionlessly to his observer.


    ¡°If nobody comes today, then we¡¯ll change spots tomorrow and try taking out a couple of small fry,¡± Cao Fei continued as he received no reply from his spotter.


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss! I¡¯ll listen to you,¡± the spotter said to Cao Fei, dragging his words out with boredom. Within the sniper team, the sniper is the commander, while the spotter is responsible for covering and coordinating with the sniper¡¯s actions.


    From an equipment perspective, besides possibly not being as skilled in sniping, this observer probably had all other skill BUFFs stacked.


    Firstly, the observer is equipped with a Type 56 assault rifle, able to provide continuous fire at critical moments to cover the sniper¡¯s retreat.


    Secondly, the spotter also carries a high-precision, large-size telescope, providing a wider scouting vision, being vigilant, and identifying high-value targets.


    Next, the observer is also equipped with a new type of individual communication device, roughly the size of a forearm and using a bulky battery, which can directly connect to the command center within Fengjiang City.


    In short, this observer seems to be a jack-of-all-trades responsible for cleanup, but without such a person, it seems that things would really not work out.


    Tang Mo was familiar with the two-man sniper tactics that became popular at the start of World War II, and facts proved that this combination was scientific and effective.


    During World War II, the Soviet Army, which had good results in sniper warfare, continued to use the two-person or multi-person sniper tactics, gaining tactical advantages over German snipers.


    After the war, U.S. sniper teams also adopted two-person combinations, which proved to be more efficient than acting alone¡ªwhether Tang Mo¡¯s originality would work is another question, but he was good at copying. Since both the United States and the Soviet Union used these tactics effectively, he directly copied them.


    Just when both believed that the day would still yield no results, they saw something move in the shallow pit next to the Dahua military trench far away.


    ¡°Shh! Prey might have appeared.¡± Cao Fei alerted his observer and then carefully watched through the scope the place that had just shown activity.


    When a steel helmet carefully emerged from the trench, Cao Fei finally confirmed that what he saw was not an illusion, ¡°Do you see that steel helmet? The one with the camouflage net on it.¡±


    ¡°I see it, he¡¯s being very careful! Should we wait a bit? What if there are two people?¡± the spotter asked.


    ¡°Of course we wait a bit! We strike after he fully enters the shallow pit!¡± Cao Fei answered as a matter of course, ¡°We don¡¯t know if the enemy is moving in groups or just one person alone.¡±


    ¡°Check the wind speed again... I need precise data! 400 meters is not a stable hit distance,¡± Cao Fei reminded his spotter through the scope, watching the Dahua military sniper move slowly, ¡°Be gentle with your movements! Don¡¯t get spotted!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    I¡¯m not feeling well today, I am in poor condition, so the update is postponed until tomorrow, apologies.

 Chapter 1010: 932 last-hits is a good habit

    Chapter 1010: 932 last-hits is a good habit


    According to the measurement data, Cao Fei adjusted his rifle¡¯s position. He needed to account for lead time and used his experience to estimate a distance.


    To ensure a kill shot, he also factored in some margin: the bullet would hit between the body and the head. A strong wind might bring a headshot, and a lighter breeze might only hit the body...


    It was an almost foolproof choice, ensuring at least a hit on the Dahua sniper in the shallow pit.


    The sniper from Dahua had no idea he was being targeted. He cautiously crawled to the edge of the shallow pit and found an ideal angle, extending his sniper rifle and aiming at a distant spot.


    In the Dahua sniper¡¯s mind, he still considered himself the hunter, waiting for his prey to take the bait.


    Cao Fei exhibited immense patience. Although his finger was already on the trigger, he did not fire. Instead, he waited for any other potential enemies to appear.


    About twenty seconds passed, and Cao Fei knew no second target would appear. He held his breath to steady his rifle in that moment.


    His sniper scope stilled, and the crosshair rested on a point on the body of the Dahua sniper. A moment later, Cao Fei firmly pressed the trigger.


    ¡°Bang!¡± His sniper rifle¡¯s muzzle flashed, and the bullet tore through the air, spinning across the 400-meter distance to hit the Dahua sniper in the back.


    It was a fatal shot, piercing the heart of the Dahua sniper. Through the spotter¡¯s scope, the sniper¡¯s body twitched, then went still.


    Blood began to gush from the bullet hole, quickly staining his military uniform a deep red, clearly visible through the scope.


    ¡°Target hit! Looks like the enemy is finished,¡± the spotter confirmed the death and reported to Cao Fei.


    Cao Fei did not speak; he simply worked the bolt, ejecting a cartridge case, then reloaded and chambered another round.


    Out of caution, he prepared to shoot again, making sure the enemy would certainly be on his way to The Netherworld¡ªhis thoroughness was one of his outstanding qualities as a sniper.


    He would not give any chance to an enemy he had hit; shooting again was a good habit. This was a rule emphasized by His Majesty The Emperor in the sniper manual.


    Indeed, it was one of Tang Mo¡¯s quirks: he repeatedly reminded his subordinates that ¡°a lion must use full strength to hunt a rabbit, and using a butcher knife to kill a chicken is not something to be ashamed of.¡±


    Numerous movies and TV shows had taught Tang Mo, like those foolish villains who started ranting after shooting the good guy and those heroes who tried to look cool with a lady after shooting the villain, usually met a bad end.


    Thus, when it was unclear whether a distant target was a body or still alive, the best option was to fire another shot.


    Don¡¯t worry about wasting bullets; if one shot isn¡¯t enough, shoot two; if two aren¡¯t enough, call for artillery support, then request air strikes...


    A brass cartridge case tinkled as it rolled into a crevice in a distant rock. Cao Fei stared at the motionless target, slightly adjusted his weapon, and held his breath before pulling the trigger again.


    ¡°Bang!¡± Another gunshot echoed in the sky, soon blending with distant artillery fire, quickly dying down amidst the intense bombardment.


    400 meters away in the shallow pit, the already bullet-hit Dahua sniper¡¯s body blossomed with blood again, jolted by the force of the new bullet, then went still once more.


    This time, the bullet entered through his shoulder, probably shattering the shoulder blade... Cao Fei furrowed his brow; theoretically, this shot wasn¡¯t fatal.


    Another shot seemed excessive to Cao Fei; even at 400 meters, he couldn¡¯t guarantee the next bullet would hit exactly where he intended.


    So he didn¡¯t fire again, but through his scope, he carefully watched his target, who remained motionless. He finally confirmed the enemy¡¯s death: ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Having said that, he began to slowly crawl backward. The spotter did the same, moving backward to where their backpacks lay nearby. Taking their packs, they moved to a new, carefully chosen position.


    They had set a series of traps for the enemy snipers; once an enemy sniper stepped into the first trap, everything else was ready.


    Should there be other enemy snipers, they would surely seek out Cao Fei¡¯s sniper position and try to ambush his team in return.


    However, Cao Fei¡¯s shooting position was over 400 meters away, so the opponent¡¯s guess must be wrong. They would set ambushes in the wrong places, which Cao Fei had already confirmed.


    This was also why Cao Fei was reluctant to change his tactics and open fire to attract the enemy earlier: if he changed his tactics easily, he would have to modify all the means he had prepared later, which was very troublesome in itself.


    Soon, about two or three minutes after Cao Fei¡¯s team withdrew from the sniper position, several soldiers from the Dahua Empire risked crawling out of the trenches. They quickly dragged the shot Dahua sniper back into the trenches, and soon there was no trace of them.


    The news attracted other Dahua snipers who saw their comrade already turned into a corpse. The Dahua sniper who had previously killed five Fengjiang snipers knelt on one knee and examined the two bullet holes on the back of the deceased sniper.


    ¡°Both bullets were fatal,¡± a sniper commented as he looked at the blood-soaked body of his comrade.


    Cao Fei actually overestimated the level of military medical care of the Dahua Empire; in fact, the first shot he fired was already very fatal in terms of the Dahua Empire.


    Although the second shot to finish the enemy seemed non-fatal to Cao Fei, in reality, these two shots for the snipers of the Dahua Empire were enough to pronounce death.


    The other side didn¡¯t have spotters providing immediate rescue, nor did they have advanced hemostatic tools like tourniquets; being hit by one bullet was usually beyond saving.


    ¡°Do you know the angle of the shot?¡± asked the sniper with the most experience and the best marksmanship, staring at the corpse and asking his comrades.


    His comrades all shook their heads: ¡°Some soldiers at the position heard the gunfire and felt something was off, risked coming over to check, and then dragged his body back. The scene was completely destroyed, we couldn¡¯t tell his facing.¡±


    Once again, Cao Fei overestimated his opponent¡¯s level; the ambush point he had deliberately left had not been guessed by the enemy at all, which was like flirting with someone blind, a complete waste of effort.


    However, although the enemy did not immediately figure out the false position from which Cao Fei had fired, they still had their own advantages.


    ¡°We know of only a few suitable locations nearby; each of us should take a position to find this damned guy!¡± a Dahua sniper voiced.


    ¡°Right!¡± His tactics were immediately echoed by others; they had many people and could cover many places around. If they stationed people at each location, the enemy would definitely not escape their grasp.


    The seasoned marksman frowned slightly, walked to the edge of the trench, chose a relatively hidden position, and peeked out his head towards the high ground in the distance.


    It might have been a coincidence, but the mound he looked at was precisely where Cao Fei¡¯s team had just opened fire. He retracted his head and then stood there pondering carefully.


    With just one glance, he judged that the position he guessed was at least 370 meters away from him, which was based on his unique experience as a veteran hunter.


    Even with a 4x scope, it was unlikely to hit a target at that distance. He believed he couldn¡¯t do it...


    What he didn¡¯t know was that a complete set of sniper-specific measuring equipment has already emerged worldwide, devices that could calculate wind speed, more advanced scopes, and more precise sniper-specific rifles.


    So, he could only rely on his experience to judge, which is cognitive limitation: he thought it was unlikely for the opponent to fire from that distance, and even if the opponent was accurate, it was improbable to hit the target with two consecutive shots.


    However, as an old hunter, he had a keen intuition. Although his wisdom and experience told him it was impossible for anyone to fire and hit targets from such a long distance, his intuition still made him suspect that small mound.


    Other snipers immediately ruled out the small mound as a suspect, but he stubbornly doubted that particular mound...


    So, when the other snipers all chose a position to ambush the ¡°false targets¡± left intentionally by Cao Fei, he alone chose a spot he thought was good.


    He didn¡¯t even know why he had chosen that spot; it seemed entirely based on his intangible intuition.


    After selecting his position, the experienced old hunter even made a point to caution a fellow sniper, hoping he would be extra careful when entering his position.


    Because according to his intuition, that sniper¡¯s location was likely a trap set by the enemy sniper.


    Unfortunately, he had no evidence to base his judgment, as his hypothesis from the start was based on an almost impossible assumption: that someone had successfully sniped from over 400 meters away!


    He couldn¡¯t voice this assumption, as no one here would believe him. Everyone would laugh at his hypothesis and disregard his words.

 Chapter 1011: Moving grass at 933

    Chapter 1011: Moving grass at 933


    Despite feeling quite likely that he would end up with nothing, he still took his weapon and hurried to a position that seemed somewhat inexplicable.


    He didn¡¯t share his judgment with anyone, merely mentioning that he randomly chose a spot to block the enemy¡¯s retreat... since his track record was substantial, he also had the liberty to move freely.


    After all, other snipers wouldn¡¯t believe in his intuition, nor would they believe someone could hit a target from 400 meters away¡ªtheir experience so far hadn¡¯t shown anyone capable of such a feat.


    Of course, they also didn¡¯t know about a type of scope that could magnify a target eight times or a rifle that could precisely shoot a bullet beyond 500 meters.


    They were also unaware of small devices to calculate wind speed, and didn¡¯t know about telescopes with reticle measurements that could precisely judge distances.


    However, the other Dahua snipers respected the old Sharpshooter, so they didn¡¯t make things difficult for him, letting him choose his ambush location and reminding him to stay safe.


    Following his routine, he arrived at the location with his weapon just as dawn faintly broke the next day.


    Casually setting up, he chose a comfortable position amid the foliage, surveying a patch of grass in the distance.


    His suspected location lay approximately 300 meters away; this was the maximum effective range of the Shireck Mark 1 rifle sniper variant produced by the Dahua Empire.


    Under normal circumstances, he would choose to ambush from around 200 meters away from the target, a distance where he was most confident. But the terrain here was very unique and didn¡¯t allow for this.


    As this was a combat zone between two armies, there were actually positions set up between the snipers. Dahua¡¯s snipers couldn¡¯t cross the Fengjiang defensive lines, just as Cao Fei and his men couldn¡¯t cross the Dahua army¡¯s lines.


    This limited the choice of ambush locations for both parties¡¯ snipers, so in fact, Cao Fei and his sniper team had a bit of an advantage.


    Since their weapons were more advanced with longer ranges, their choice of positions was broader, providing them with more opportunities to strike.


    What Cao Fei didn¡¯t realize was that his arrangements had already been seen through, and now he and his spotter were being targeted by an old hunter.


    However, the old hunter who had aimed his scope at the two of them hadn¡¯t spotted them.


    Because they wore ghillie suits with such effective camouflage, the Dahua Sharpshooter, unfamiliar with the existence of ghillie suits, couldn¡¯t imagine that the messy pile of grass was actually two well-disguised enemies.


    After all, the Dahua Sharpshooters operated alone without spotters using wide-angle binoculars to monitor the battlefield surroundings, so they had to do this work themselves.


    Thus, these Dahua snipers had to use the scopes on their rifles to search for targets, with the whole process relying on the narrow field of view from the scopes, naturally making it inefficient.


    This old Dahua Empire marksman only glanced briefly and skipped over what appeared to be a pile of grass, as he had never seen a ghillie suit before, so he subjectively filtered out such ¡°weedy¡± objects during the search.


    In the minds of Dahua Soldiers, uniforms are monochrome with distinct shapes, and lying there, they would almost immediately be identified.


    ...


    Cao Fei had entered his position before dawn with excellent camouflage, choosing a very suitable spot.


    Under his watch, the Dahua Empire sniper arriving late was posing in the exact spot Cao Fei had anticipated; Cao Fei could see every move clearly, and all he was waiting for now was for the sniper to settle down for a better shooting opportunity.


    The Dahua sniper didn¡¯t pay any attention to Cao Fei¡¯s side; he was aiming in the direction of the decoy designated by Cao Fei.


    There was really nothing there, so his aim was bound to see nothing. However, this Dahua Empire sniper was still excited, imagining himself achieving great things shortly.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that in Cao Fei¡¯s scope, his head was right beside the crosshair, motionless as if it were a standard target.


    Cao Fei focused on his target but didn¡¯t fire immediately. Holding his rifle, he remained silent for a few seconds, until his spotter asked if there was a problem, to which he responded, ¡°Don¡¯t you think our operation has been going a bit too smoothly today?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but a bit of smoothness is ultimately a good thing,¡± the spotter thought carefully before saying to Cao Fei, ¡°We¡¯ve been cautious since before dawn, and the plan was made by the two of us... There are no particularly good sniper positions around... no flaws.¡±


    He made a lot of sense, so Cao Fei was silent once more. He carefully recalled everything he had done along the way, ensuring he hadn¡¯t exposed any flaws before refocusing on his target: ¡°You¡¯re right, I was too sensitive.¡±


    After saying that, he decided to shoot. His finger habitually pressed hard on the trigger guard, then rested on the trigger. He took a deep breath to keep the gun steady.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A second later, he pulled the trigger, and the bullet flew over 300 meters, directly hitting the Dahua sniper who had completely exposed himself to Cao Fei.


    The shot was incredibly precise, the bullet piercing straight through the Dahua sniper¡¯s head. Blood burst from the pierced Steel Helmet, splattering onto the ground on the other side. The head of the Dahua sniper tilted, then he stopped moving entirely.


    A headshot meant no need for a second shot, even in the Great Tang Empire where the death rate from a headshot was nearly one hundred percent.


    ¡°Hit the target! Headshot! Plus ten points!¡± The spotter said to Cao Fei with a mischievous tone. He slowly crawled backward, then prepared to turn around and return to where his backpack was hidden.


    Cao Fei carefully moved back about a meter before starting to pack up his sniper rifle, preparing to leave with the spotter.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that in a less than ideal position at a distance, a seasoned hunter was aiming at them with his sniper rifle.


    Just now, having heard the gunshot, the old hunter quickly determined the position of Cao Fei and his companion. Now, he was not searching aimlessly, as the target had exposed themselves.


    But upon seeing Cao Fei and his companion, he was startled, almost dropping his rifle¡ªhe saw two moving clumps of weeds, just like two fairies.


    When he saw one clump of weeds move a few meters and begin to slowly stand up, he finally confirmed it was a person! A person dressed in ¡°weeds¡±!


    He swore to his god that he had never seen such precise camouflage! Or rather, it was not camouflage at all, but truly moving bushes!


    Damn it! With such sophisticated camouflage, if it weren¡¯t for a slight movement made by the opponent, how could he have noticed? The experienced sniper of the Dahua Empire steadied his sniper rifle and aimed at the enemy who was standing up.


    Then, he pulled the trigger without any hesitation. He knew his rifle well and was familiar with shooting. Through his not-so-clear scope, he clearly saw the standing bush fall as his rifle boomed.


    He worked the bolt, readying to fire at the other target. In reality, his actions were quick, but it seemed the opponent was even faster.


    A bullet came in, striking his boot, tearing a hole through his clothing and flying off the button that secured the epaulet on his shoulder, nearly wrecking his shoulder.


    Though unharmed, the experienced sharpshooter instinctively abandoned the attack. He rolled into the bushes, shrinking back half a meter, making the opponent lose their angle of attack.


    At that moment, he began to work the bolt, loaded a bullet, and then after moving a few meters, picked an unremarkable spot to poke his head out again.


    Those two moving bushes, akin to fairytale creatures, were completely unseen now, because smoke had just begun to billow from their last known position.


    The opponent might have already moved to a safe spot with the cover of the smoke or even if they stayed, as long as those two grass-covered creatures wished to hide, they could camouflage themselves.


    An unseen enemy is the most dangerous, especially one with such formidable shooting skills: looking at the button blown off his shoulder, the old hunter knew their marksmanship was no worse than his own.


    A hasty shot from the opponent had nearly cost him his life; given a real opportunity, he would surely be the one to die.


    On the other side, the spotter who had thrown the smoke grenade had already retreated to a safe position. His arm was shot, but the bullet had passed through the flesh without hitting bone, leaving a through-and-through wound.


    Cao Fei covered his retreat; they did not want to engage an experienced enemy without any preparation. That position was very disadvantageous for them, so they immediately abandoned the idea of returning fire.


    In the face of an unfavorable situation, one can never be too cautious. This was not the time for reckless bravery; they needed a more complete plan and a more meticulous sniping strategy.


    The Dahua sniper who had deciphered their feint, chosen a position for counterattack, and managed to shoot the spotter was definitely not simple! Cao Fei had no assurance of overcoming the opponent under an exposed condition, so he decisively chose to retreat.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    From the day of the jet lag, Dragon Spirit has been feeling unwell, dizzy, not knowing what¡¯s wrong, and also owes everyone an update, sorry but will need a few days to make up for it, stabilizing two updates during these days, sorry.

 Chapter 1012: 934 nobody cares about a fair fight

    Chapter 1012: 934 nobody cares about a fair fight


    A real sniper, once their shooting position is exposed, the first thought is to flee ¡ª only a fool would risk attempting to counter-kill the enemy; that¡¯s certainly a dangerously suicidal act.


    Because the enemy that can discover you must have a brain that is stronger than yours, or at least just as strong as yours; they can see through your calculations, so they must be highly intelligent.


    This usually means that they also have decent professional capabilities: for a sniper, professional capabilities naturally include the ability to kill.


    Thus, dueling with an enemy who is more formidable than you, or at least just as formidable, especially when you¡¯re already in a disadvantageous situation, is obviously irrational.


    Why not choose another time and place to decide the winner, instead of stubbornly seeking a fight to the death here?


    In fact, the other side thinks the same: do you believe that most of the time on the battlefield, everyone is as respectful as in martial contests, bowing to each other, fighting in a fair, just, and open manner like a lottery draw full of ceremony?


    Not at all. After one unsuccessful attempt, everyone immediately changes their tactics: hoping never to encounter again such perilous opponents who are too difficult to deal with...


    Hoping those dangerous, formidable adversaries die in artillery fire, get blown up in bombings, step on landmines, or mistakenly eat poisonous mushrooms... In short, since we are not too familiar with each other, it¡¯s best not to meet again.


    Of course, there are also those who are braver and more eager to engage in the brutal slaughter of the battlefield, who hope to encounter respectable adversaries, to fight with dignity on the battlefield for supremacy and life and death.


    Such people are admirable, and if they can repeatedly emerge victorious from battles, they can become a legend, a myth.


    But most people are simple; they have simple survival instincts, so they constantly pray that those enemies stronger than themselves will eat too much and get diarrhea, contract malaria, and die midway through participating in the war.


    Cao Fei and his spotter returned to their position and found the Great Tang Empire¡¯s battlefield medic to help with the wound treatment; by then, the through-and-through wound had already stopped bleeding.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s hemostatic bandages are not without merit; not only are the medicines inside remarkably effective at stopping bleeding, but they are also very convenient to use.


    The spotter, having received simple treatment on the battlefield, also got proper medical attention from the medic; the doctor examined his wound, then applied medicine, gave an injection, and finally bandaged it meticulously.


    Cao Fei waited outside the treatment room, and during this process, he heard the rumbling sound of artillery from afar once again. Judging from the sound, the Dahua troops must have advanced at least another five hundred meters.


    ¡°Is this place about to become the front line?¡± He said boredly, leaning against the wall when he saw a medical corpsman helping treat the wounded, and he asked.


    The medical corpsman had a white armband wrapped around his arm and wore a steel helmet made from special materials of the Great Tang Empire, so it was obvious that he was a medic from the Great Tang Empire.


    The Great Tang Empire, in order to train medics, dispatched a large number of them to the Fengjiang frontline to assist with wounded soldiers, and also supplied Fengjiang¡¯s army with a large amount of medicine.


    ¡°Almost. An artillery observer from the front line just came and said we¡¯re less than 1900 meters away from the front line now,¡± the medic told Cao Fei. ¡°After we deal with your last batch of wounded, we may have to move back too.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Moving? Where to?¡± Cao Fei hadn¡¯t expected that this large makeshift hospital in the field would also have to relocate.


    ¡°From what I heard, moving into the city. I guess the conditions might be better there. We should at least have electricity, right?¡± The medic seemed quite optimistic.


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Cao Fei nodded; he too felt that if they really could depend on the city for warfare, conditions might be better than at such field positions.


    At least they could move through buildings, with more complex terrain, making it easier to remain hidden. Compared to field terrain, urban combat terrain is more sniper-friendly.


    Because in such complex terrains, snipers don¡¯t need to maintain a single position for long, which is far more comfortable than in the open wilderness.


    Of course, in an urban combat environment, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s snipers can¡¯t fully leverage the advantages of their advanced observation and aiming equipment, as the combat distance is very close, and the environment is extremely complicated.


    But likewise, within the city of Fengjiang, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s sniper units also had their own advantages: they were very familiar with the local terrain, and their maps were very precise.


    Most of Fengjiang¡¯s buildings were constructed with the help of the Great Tang Empire, as were the sewer systems, so the people of the Great Tang Empire knew the area very well, much more so than the snipers of the Dahua Empire.


    Cao Fei hadn¡¯t returned to Fengjiang City for a long time, so he didn¡¯t know the current situation there. Actually, he guessed wrong; many parts of Fengjiang City had already lost their power supply.


    The western side of Fengjiang City had been bombed into ruins by artillery, where at least three districts hardly had any buildings left.


    The remaining districts that still had buildings were no longer safe either, with a multitude of debris and rubble filling the streets, crater holes everywhere, the entire city had long lost its original appearance.


    Fortunately, the industrial sections of Fengjiang City were located in the southern and northern parts of the city, where the damage suffered so far was not too severe, so you could still see quite a few factories rushing to produce.


    These places had now been converted into factories producing military supplies, such as the Fengjiang Machinery Factory built with investments from the Dahua Empire, which was now producing tractors for dragging artillery for the Fengjiang military.


    By World War II standards, a factory capable of producing tractors actually had the qualifications to produce tanks. However, the Fengjiang Machinery Factory truly didn¡¯t have the time for such a transformation, so they could only honestly keep producing tractors.


    The Fengjiang military lacked everything, so tractors were also in short supply and couldn¡¯t just switch production, so in the end, the machinery factory had to continue producing the tractors they were best at for emergency use.


    Now, the western part of Fengjiang City had lost power, a 250mm caliber artillery shell had severed the cables, and repair work was ongoing, so many places in the western region had power outages.


    Of course, now stationed there were mostly troops that had been withdrawn from the front line for rest, so they didn¡¯t care too much about the availability of electricity.


    The original residents here had all fled, with most crowding into the eastern districts, and a few had already crossed the Fengjiang, reaching the territory of the Great Tang Empire.


    Although the Great Tang Empire had always maintained a restrained attitude towards receiving the population from the Dahua Empire, since the war started, the Great Tang Empire had still taken in at least 50,000 refugees from the Dahua Empire.


    And from the start of the war until now, the Great Tang Empire had sent 100,000 mercenary troops to the front lines, helping the Fengjiang defending army to continue fighting.


    These mercenaries all cost money, and their price was not cheap: the Great Tang Empire had advanced a large sum of funds for Fengjiang, so by rights, Fengjiang now owed a lot of money to the Great Tang Empire.


    On the other side of the front line, the Dahua hunter, who was getting someone to sew buttons onto the shoulders of his military uniform, was also describing to his superior his experiences a few hours earlier.


    He sat in his chair, cradling a bowl of hot soup, and began to speak to his superior officer, ¡°The opponent¡¯s camouflage is meticulous, they fix grass or some other messy stuff on themselves, looking just like a clump of weeds, indistinguishable when lying there.¡±


    ¡°This kind of attire doesn¡¯t quite resemble the gunmen of the Fengjiang rebels... I think those people are probably the ¡®sharpshooters¡¯ from the Great Tang Empire,¡± the hunter paused here, looking towards his superior officer, waiting for a response.


    They had lost two sharpshooters within two days, adding to the losses incurred when fighting against Fengjiang sharpshooters these days, the number of fallen marksmen was already at least ten.


    A few hours ago, the sharpshooter who was killed by a headshot was actually quite formidable on the Dahua Empire¡¯s side; he had killed two Fengjiang sharpshooters and was an experienced veteran sharpshooter as well.


    ¡°What are you looking at me for? Without evidence, how do you expect me to report to my superiors? Am I to say my men saw some unusual enemies and suspect that Tang people are involved?¡± His superior officer, also holding a bowl of hot soup, blew on the steam and addressed the old hunter.


    ¡°Would it make any difference if we were able to kill one of those people and obtain evidence?¡± the old hunter asked.


    On the Dahua side, sharpshooters also received better treatment than ordinary soldiers. After all, they were harder to select, so naturally, they received more privileges. They had their own supplies, and their food was a cut above what regular soldiers had.


    ¡°...¡± His superior officer fell into thought and then shook his head, ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid of death, I can ask the people above about this issue, let them worry about it. But personally, I wouldn¡¯t recommend doing so.¡±


    ¡°It will still be your men risking their lives in the end, while those above just move their lips.¡± The officer glanced at the old hunter¡¯s uniform, at the shoulder where a bullet had ripped off a button, looking at the hole there.


    He actually cared deeply for his subordinates, after all, they were excellent marksmen and trustworthy partners.


    These sharpshooters were all personally recruited by him from various units, each one an expert with real combat experience, all veterans or experienced hunters, with formidable fighting capabilities.


    If the Dahua Empire¡¯s heavy tank units were elites, then these sharpshooters were the e?lite of the elite within the Dahua Empire¡¯s infantry.


    He had invested a lot in these sharpshooters; thus, he was reluctant to watch them sacrifice in vain.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t stand it, I don¡¯t know what these Tang people... stirring up trouble here are really after...¡± The old hunter took a sip of soup, letting the warmth spread through his body, and spoke up.

 Chapter 1013: 935 a vast Empire

    Chapter 1013: 935 a vast Empire


    ¡°It¡¯s meaningless. Even if we have evidence, I don¡¯t think we would bring it to light. Everyone would just pretend not to know, and that¡¯s all there is to it.¡± The officer spread his hands, expressing his own view.


    He had earned his position through some insight; under the strong presence of the Great Tang Empire, the Dahua Empire was unlikely to confront the Great Tang Empire over any breach of promise.


    Because at this moment, the Great Tang Empire at least maintained a seemingly neutral stance on the surface. If they truly angered the Great Tang Empire, prompting the Great Tang to brazenly send troops to Fengjiang, the Dahua Empire would be completely doomed.


    Under such circumstances, it¡¯s not just about seeing a few snipers from the Great Tang Empire; even if they actually caught a few prisoners alive, and the prisoners confessed, the Dahua Empire would not make such matters public.


    ...


    ¡°What are we stirring up turmoil for? Of course, it¡¯s for a truth! An everlasting principle! All people with black eyes and black hair are the lost descendants of the Great Tang Empire! All lands under the feet of the descendants must return to the embrace of the Great Tang Empire!¡± Tang Mo, in front of his most trusted officials, firmly stated his ambition.


    ¡°All Tang People should be united under the flag of the Great Tang Empire! All Tang People should be protected by the sword of the Great Tang Empire! The whole world should listen to the voice of the Great Tang Empire! All Tang People are my subjects!¡± After Tang Mo finished speaking, without pausing, he continued, ¡°From the sandy borders to the west of the Orc Empire to the crest of the waves in the Endless Sea, there should be only one voice of the Great Tang Empire!¡±


    This was the first time Tang Mo revealed his purpose to his officials. It was a vast ambition, a tantalizing vision of a great future.


    Even during its most prosperous era, the Dahua Empire had not managed to unify the entire Chinese sphere¡ªa monumental feat.


    Everyone believed that since the upgrade of weapons and the rapid development of technology, no one could recreate the glory of the ancient mega-empires. But now, Emperor Tang Mo of the Great Tang Empire was ready to take up the challenge toward a grand goal.


    This is an enormous challenge, one that no one has ever achieved before: if Tang Mo succeeded, the entire Western Continent would have only one Empire, one Emperor, one voice!


    A vast Empire unprecedented in the world would emerge on the map, and the entire world would prostrate before it, trembling as it awaited the Emperor to lay down the new rules of the world.


    What a magnificent future that would be, the few confidants of Tang Mo present couldn¡¯t help but swallow their saliva at the thought.


    ¡°The money owed by Fengjiang is minor; as long as we support Zhao Yu to press on, then Fengjiang, Shanping, Guiguang, Sword Pavilion, and the southern storehouses will all eventually be annexed into the territory of the Great Tang Empire.¡± Tang Mo looked at the giant map hanging on the wall and laughed, ¡°Once he becomes the Emperor of the Dahua Empire, he¡¯s got debts to repay, right?¡±


    ¡°By that time, these war-torn regions will have become disillusioned with the Dahua Empire, and they will only remember the good we did for them, remember our support and help. With the Dahua Empire abandoning them, these regions will quickly integrate into the Great Tang Empire.¡± Nangong Hong said with pride.


    This plan was his masterpiece. With support from the Fengjiang and the Sword Pavilion bridge, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s control over Sword Pavilion and Fengjiang had strengthened like never before, leaving no room for Zhao Yu to refuse to cede these areas.


    And after securing these areas, the Great Tang Empire would no longer hide its thirst for land¡ªit would emerge in front of everyone in an unstoppable manner, redefining what it meant to be an ¡°Empire.¡±


    The Dahua Troops in both Shanping and Wanliang were not resting either. Under Zhao Jie¡¯s direction, they were furiously attacking Guiguang, attempting to recapture this strategic stronghold.


    If they regained Guiguang, then Sword Pavilion and the southern storehouses would be easy pickings, and the favorable situation in Fengjiang would be completely gone.


    Therefore, the battle for Guiguang was just as fierce as Fengjiang¡¯s. Three days after Fengjiang¡¯s Military took control of Guiguang, Dahua Empire¡¯s bombers paid a visit to the city.


    Hundreds of old bombers dropped tens of thousands of kilograms of bombs over the city, which had a relatively low level of anti-air defense. Despite the majority of the Dahua bombers involved in the bombing being old biplanes, it was still the first time outside of the Great Tang Empire that such a scale of bombing had been launched by a nation.


    The city center of Guiguang was ablaze during the day¡¯s bombings, and numerous buildings were destroyed. Because most of the city¡¯s buildings were old wooden structures, many of them caught fire during the bombing and continued to burn for days afterward.


    It¡¯s just a pity that Guiguang, heavily guarded by Fengjiang¡¯s Military and personally overseen by Luo Xiao, was not going to be lost easily¡ªhow could there be any accidents in Guiguang?


    However, if Guiguang could not be recaptured, then the Dahua Military¡¯s offenses in Wanliang and Shanping would yield no gains, meaning the forces they had committed here would be completely wasted.


    You see, in the last twenty days, support arrived from Fengjiang¡¯s side: with Qian Jinhang¡¯s effort in Sword Pavilion and the southern storehouses, about fifty thousand somewhat reliable Troops had already moved from Sword Pavilion to Fengjiang.


    With the support of these 50,000 ¡°Fengjiang Troops,¡± the forces defending Fengjiang became even more robust. Once the reinforcement troops had secured their defensive lines, Zhao Chen, who was only a stone¡¯s throw away from Fengjiang, could only sigh as he gazed at the Fengjiang city district a few kilometers away.


    He had attacked with all his might, but the enemy¡¯s defense was indeed very tenacious. Both sides fought over the complex terrain back and forth, sometimes for two days and two nights without determining the victor.


    What was most infuriating was that after a fierce battle for territory, the ground won might not even remain yours: the enemy would organize counterattacks, and the position you just secured could immediately be recaptured.


    Moreover, after the initial panic, the defending forces in the direction of Fengjiang seemed to be getting increasingly accustomed to Dahua Empire¡¯s shelling of Fengjiang.


    At first, they tried to recapture some salients and push back the Dahua forces nearing Fengjiang. But later, their counterattacks focused more on eliminating the Dahua military¡¯s living forces rather than sticking to striking Dahua¡¯s protruding parts.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Seeing his spotter coming out of the treatment room, Cao Fei grinned and asked.


    ¡°Just keep laughing at me!¡± With his arm in a sling and draped in a coat, the spotter stood in front of Cao Fei and said, ¡°Take care of the wounded and help me carry some stuff.¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed to the things in the corner. Cao Fei didn¡¯t hesitate; he went to help his spotter carry his backpack and rifle.


    To tell the truth, their equipment was actually quite abundant. Although they had used up a smoke grenade, there was still a lot remaining.


    Cao Fei wasn¡¯t very tall, but he was strong. He carried most of the equipment for both of them and, just like that, returned to their camp with the spotter.


    The number of Fengjiang troops nearby had grown because the front line had advanced about 2 kilometers towards them.


    This had just happened; the Dahua Empire had mobilized 10 type-5 Tanks and gathered at least 20 type-3 Tanks to make a breakthrough in this direction, pushing forward a full 2 kilometers.


    Compared with the results on the main attack front, the efficiency of this offensive by the Dahua Empire could be said to be at its peak. However, for Cao Fei and his companion, all this had lost its significance.


    They were about to leave this small shelter because an order had come from above, asking all snipers of the Great Tang Empire to retreat into Fengjiang¡¯s indoor areas and start the second phase of urban warfare sniper training.


    When they received this training manual, Cao Fei and the others knew that the alley battles of Fengjiang were inevitable. They returned here to deal with their supplies, and inside this small shelter, there were still many items they were destined not to take with them.


    These supplies could be destroyed directly as instructed; a fire could just burn them up, or if in a hurry, tossing a Hand Grenade would also do the job.


    However, many Troops of the Great Tang Empire have a glorious tradition of leaving some things behind when they encounter civilians, especially when they come across civilians suffering from hunger and cold.


    Cao Fei and his group happened to follow this tradition: When they saw that the treatment of soldiers fighting on the front lines in Fengjiang wasn¡¯t actually that good, they decided to leave some of their supplies for the soldiers here.


    Soon, many people on the defensive positions of Fengjiang¡¯s troops knew about the two Tang snipers, dressed like beggars, were about to leave.


    To be honest, they were very sentimental because their departure meant they would no longer get free filter cigarettes, nor taste candies and chocolates.


    Of course, the dehydrated vegetables and chunks of meat that weren¡¯t that tasty but indeed were meat would also be no more.


    ¡°This is our instant noodles, plus a few alcohol pads, don¡¯t mind it being a little,¡± Cao Fei stuffed what he had into the hands of a Fengjiang officer who had come to see them off.


    The Fengjiang officer shook his head with immense envy, ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, how could I! I¡¯m so envious of you guys, even meat you can see.¡±


    Not many countries in the world could guarantee that all their people had enough to eat, and the Great Tang Empire might be the only one. It was evident from what the common people ate and drank what the military¡¯s rations were like. Obviously, Fengjiang fell somewhat short compared to Great Tang, even if their supplies were designated based on the standards of the soldiers of the Great Tang Empire, Fengjiang¡¯s military supplies were not sufficient.


    Getting a hold of some of the snipers¡¯ leftover supplies meant his food and drink should be plentiful for the next three to five days. With this thought, the smile on the face of that Fengjiang officer became even brighter.

 Chapter 1014: 936 bullets are not enough

    Chapter 1014: 936 bullets are not enough


    Liu Guozhu¡¯s First Armored Division has recently been undergoing a large-scale re-equipment with new Tanks, which look completely different from the past Tanks and feature a pot-lid-like domed turret.


    This domed turret design is said to have a better bulletproof shape, allowing enemy shells to be deflected off, providing stronger protection than that of the turret of the previous Panther Tanks.


    At the same time, the new Tanks abandon the huge gun mantlet design of the Panther Tanks and have adopted a smaller internal mantlet in the middle of the front turret, increasing the flexibility of the gun itself.


    This design has reduced the weight of the huge mantlet, making it possible to install a stabilization system for the gun, allowing it to partially aim while on the move, greatly shortening the reaction time of the gun.


    To be strict, this kind of device was initially prototyped on the United States¡¯ M4 Sherman Tank and later developed into a gun stabilization system, allowing Tanks to fire while on the move.


    The Tang Army has now installed this system on the renowned Type 59 Tank, enabling it to gain capabilities similar to the Sherman Tank.


    However, due to technical limitations, the Type 59 Tank is only equipped with a vertical stabilizer for the gun, lacking similar equipment in the horizontal direction.


    The completely new Type 59 has actually undergone many modifications, with the most significant enhancement probably being the unique and powerful 105mm caliber Tank gun.


    The original Type 59 Tank used a 100mm caliber gun, which is a special caliber with considerable power.


    However, Tang Mo did not directly use this caliber but upgraded the gun to 105 caliber. According to Tang Mo¡¯s blueprints, this gun, originating from the United Kingdom, had more powerful and better performance.


    Once the technology tree for this gun is completed, it can be installed on a series of subsequent models, allowing many light armored vehicles to gain sufficiently powerful firepower.


    For example, the subsequent models of the Empire¡¯s Lion-type Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle and wheeled assault guns can all use it.


    The new gun is also equipped with a fume extraction system, which can significantly improve the working environment inside the vehicle, preventing the crew from being bothered by smoke and dust.


    The fume extraction system of the original Type 59 Tank was located at the front end of the barrel, which was slightly less effective. After retrofitting the 105mm caliber main gun, the fume extraction system was placed in the middle area of the barrel, performing better.


    Most importantly, this gun has a muzzle velocity of 1600 meters per second, with excellent armor-piercing capability. As a rifled gun, it is highly accurate and can engage targets at longer distances.


    One of the reasons for adopting this rifled gun design is that Tang Mo does not intend to introduce smoothbore gun technology. Using rifled guns means continuity and does not feel out of place in this world.


    When Tang Mo eventually brings out the Type 96 main battle Tank, the 125mm caliber smoothbore Tank gun will immediately stand out in power compared to Tanks from other countries, thereby gaining a greater advantage in armored warfare.


    The new Type 59 main battle Tank is equipped with a coaxial machine gun, using a High-Angle Machine Gun instead of the helm gun, and has eliminated the opening at the front of the hull.


    This increases protection and has also led to the new Tank no longer needing a mechanic-electrician. The crew size has been reduced to four people, but the new, more reliable radio equipment compensates for the operational issues caused by the reduction in crew size.


    While the Type 59 main battle Tank has overall gained a significant performance enhancement, it has not come without a corresponding price. The number of shells it carries has been greatly reduced, from about 80 as with the Panther Tanks down to only 34.


    Yes, the new Type 59 main battle Tank only carries 34 rounds of ammunition ¨C it was supposed to carry 38, but to accommodate the installation of the infrared night vision device, the space for 4 rounds of ammunition was sacrificed.


    Like the Panzer IV, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Type 59 Tank also underwent a series of ¡°adaptation modifications,¡± and the rounded turret was fitted with many storage bins, making it look similar to a late-modified model with added external armor.


    But in fact, the new Type 59 Tank did not have any additional armor installed. The boxes that look like Reactive Armor around it are actually storage containers.


    In order to increase the range of this Tank, like the traditional Soviet-style Tanks, two external fuel tanks were added at the rear.


    These two fuel tanks will be discarded before entering the battlefield to avoid being hit and catching fire during combat conditions. This usage is similar to that of fighter jets carrying external fuel tanks, effectively carrying two extra barrels of fuel.


    Looking at all this new equipment, Liu Guozhu himself felt intimidated: he thought that the Armored Corps of the Great Tang Empire equipped with Panther Tanks were already powerful enough, but he didn¡¯t expect that in just over two years, even more powerful Tanks would begin to be deployed to the Troops.


    From its appearance, this brand-new tank could practically be described as science fiction: it was equipped with so many lattice structures around the turret, making it seem incredibly convenient no matter how you looked at it.


    Besides the increased risk for the battalion commander when using the high-angle machine gun, this tank might not have any other flaws.


    Stronger armor, better maneuverability, more powerful main cannon... Apart from slightly inferior sustained combat capability, it was nearly flawless.


    The Panther Tanks that he had previously used and found quite satisfactory were now designated as second-line equipment for the newly formed armored corps, and within the next two years, the Panther Tank would be completely phased out...


    The thought was terrifying: Panther Tanks, which other countries struggled to defeat, had already ceased production in the Great Tang Empire and were going to be gradually transferred to second-line troops.


    Even more so, one day in the future, these Panther Tanks might be given away as unwanted junk to other nations, or sold ¡°cheaply¡± to countries that wanted them.


    ¡°How¡¯s the new tank?¡± Walking up to Liu Guozhu¡¯s side, his platoon leader patted Liu Guozhu on the shoulder and asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good, but my tank really doesn¡¯t have enough ammunition,¡± Liu Guozhu said, helplessly discussing the matter.


    His tank was a bit different from the others. He was now the leader of the first tank platoon, so he had to command the other four tanks. Sadly, his radio equipment was larger, taking up the space of two additional cannon rounds...


    With the necessity to reserve room for movement, his command tank only carried a pitiful 30 rounds of ammunition, frighteningly few in number.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t my vehicle the same?¡± The platoon leader laughed upon hearing Liu Guozhu¡¯s complaint: ¡°Just be content. If we run out, we can simply retreat and resupply.¡±


    ¡°It really is a fatal flaw.¡± Liu Guozhu sighed in frustration.


    This was an unavoidable issue, for in his combat experience, the quantity of ammunition was actually a very important performance indicator.


    The armored corps of the Tang Empire had always followed the German Three strategy, which was the preferred approach for elite tank crews.


    The tanks of Tang Country had always boasted heavy armor, powerful cannons, and a sufficient supply of ammunition ¡ª a style that allowed tank crews to continue fighting at the front lines without needing any resupply in the short term.


    However, Soviet-style tanks followed a completely different path. During World War II, the combat experience of Soviet armored corps was the total opposite: their tanks were more easily destroyed, often gambling with losses to fight desperately against enemies.


    Under such experience, Soviet-style tanks, despite their maximum range, did not focus on sustained combat capability: they needed to have strong firepower, thick armor, and sufficient power; what they sacrificed was the quantity of ammunition.


    The German Panther Tanks of World War II carried 80 rounds of ammunition, while their Soviet counterparts, the T-34s, only had 56. German Tiger Tanks carried 87 rounds, while similar Soviet tanks like the IS-2 had a mere 28 rounds.


    This was historically driven: German tankers were accustomed to fighting from static defensive positions, while Soviet tankers were used to charging headlong into battle. Therefore, German tankers needed a large supply of ammunition to support their combat efforts, whereas Soviet tankers often perished before using up their ammunition.


    Of course, this did not mean that Soviet tank designers completely disregarded the welfare of their tank crews, because the experience provided by those surviving tank crews was this: before they even exhausted their ammunition, the Germans would have already collapsed and retreated or surrendered.


    Now, the armored corps of the Great Tang Empire, especially the elite armored units, actually had combat experience similar to the German armored corps of World War II. They were accustomed to the German style of fighting, which is why they were dissatisfied with the Soviet-style tanks with only 30 rounds.


    Because in their view, the number of battles in which they would exhaust 30 rounds was too many. When they used Panther Tanks, they were often able to fire fifty or even sixty rounds in continuous combat with the enemy.


    ¡°I know it might not be enough, but now you¡¯re also a platoon leader. Don¡¯t always think about earning combat merits yourself every day; consider more about how to coordinate tank platoons for joint operations,¡± the platoon leader said gravely, as he had high hopes for his young subordinate.


    ¡°Yeah, now we¡¯ve got to get used to it ¨C retreating after firing twenty rounds,¡± Liu Guozhu shrugged his shoulders and joked, ¡°I hope the battalion commander won¡¯t think we¡¯re becoming more timid.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± The platoon leader smacked the back of Liu Guozhu¡¯s head with a laugh, scolding, ¡°Who gave you the guts to joke about the battalion commander! Besides, you can destroy opponents from a further distance now and can retreat more leisurely to a safe place to resupply your ammunition. What¡¯s this about becoming more timid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, platoon leader!¡± Scratching the back of his own head, Liu Guozhu responded with a smile.

 Chapter 1015: 937 Fengjiang Suburbs

    Chapter 1015: 937 Fengjiang Suburbs


    Compared to the tranquility and harmony within the Tang Empire, the western Fengjiang of the Dahua Empire had already become a true battlefield.


    Zhao Chen¡¯s recent military achievements had greatly satisfied Zhao Ji, who was supervising the front line, as he could genuinely feel Zhao Chen¡¯s urgency and effort.


    Or it should be said, when the Dahua Empire¡¯s troops were on the attack, they truly gave it their all: every day, hundreds to thousands of people died or were injured, and the reserve of medical supplies was visibly depleting.


    Despite this, Zhao Ji still sent a telegram to his father Emperor Zhao Kai, praising Zhao Chen¡¯s dedication and also patting himself on the back.


    Emperor Zhao Kai was naturally delighted and immediately rewarded Zhao Chen again... Of course, along with the commendation letter received by Zhao Chen, there was also an order urging him to capture Fengjiang as soon as possible.


    Zhao Chen knew without needing orders from Zhao Kai that he must capture Fengjiang at all costs. He dispatched every available troop to the frontline, pushing desperately towards the suburbs of Fengjiang.


    To better appease Emperor Zhao Kai, or rather to ensure the outsider Zhao Ji kept silent, Zhao Chen¡¯s tactics were very direct and targeted.


    He didn¡¯t encircle from the flanks to reduce Fengjiang¡¯s strategic space but instead charged fiercely towards the urban area of Fengjiang from a relatively narrow region.


    Thus, on the battle report, he could very clearly tell Zhao Ji, and subsequently Emperor Zhao Kai behind him, a figure: the distance remaining to Fengjiang in kilometers.


    This figure could keep Zhao Ji and the faraway Emperor Zhao Kai in the Imperial Capital silent, but the downside was that this method essentially created a salient in their front.


    The flanks were still under the control of Fengjiang¡¯s defenders, while the Dahua troops had punched forward along the railway towards Fengjiang, forming a salient about 8 kilometers long.


    Although the Fengjiang defenders didn¡¯t have the capacity to launch a pincer movement against the troops commanded by Zhao Chen to surround the Dahua troops advancing towards the urban area, they still controlled the flanks of Fengjiang.


    Now, the situation was that the Dahua troops were indeed getting closer to Fengjiang, but the actual significance of this salient was unknown to anyone.


    Today, the troops of the Dahua army finally reached the edge of the urban area of Fengjiang: what stood in front of them was no longer wild hills, but a small farm.


    Surrounded by simple fence walls were several small houses, all of which had been destroyed by artillery fire, leaving behind only some half-collapsed ruins.


    The exhilarated Dahua troops continued their advance, and the soldiers attacked this farm under the cover of a Type 3 tank.


    On the crater-filled battlefield, the defenders were a group of Dwarf mercenaries. They did not retreat but launched a counterattack relying on the craters and the communication trenches between them.


    These Dwarf soldiers were regular troops from the Ice Cold Empire, and their fighting spirit was incredibly tenacious: because dying here meant they would receive the casualty compensation standard of the Great Tang Empire, ensuring their families back in the Ice Cold Empire would be financially secure for life.


    ¡°Charge! For His Majesty The Emperor!¡± shouted a Dahua officer, leading his soldiers towards the apparently not-so-sturdy trenches under the cover of the tank.


    The Dwarfs initially stayed hidden, not firing rashly, allowing the Type 3 tank to pass their defensive line.


    Seizing the opportunity between the distance created among the advancing Dahua infantry and the tank, the Dwarfs caught the Dahua soldiers off-guard.


    One Dwarf soldier with a long pole charged towards the Type 3 tank, attaching the magnetic anti-tank mine fixed to one end to the side of the tank.


    He was quickly riddled with bullets by Dahua soldiers covering the tank from a distance, but then the anti-tank mine detonated, the blast penetrating the thin side armor of the Type 3 tank, setting off its ammunition.


    The massive explosion blew off the tank¡¯s turret, and with this blast, the Dwarfs¡¯ counterattack began.


    ¡°Ura!¡± Amidst hysterical shouts, the Dwarfs charged with their Mosin-Nagant Rifles towards their enemy. The Dahua soldiers armed with bayonets also didn¡¯t hesitate, immediately clashing with these counterattacking Dwarfs.


    ¡°Tatatata!¡± The dwarf soldier wielding a Boposha Submachine Gun sprayed bullets at the Dahua soldiers. On the Dahua side, there were also people holding various captured submachine guns, wildly pouring bullets at the dwarf soldiers.


    Both sides had men fall, and the remaining people mingled together with gleaming bayonets. Everywhere were sounds of fierce fighting, everywhere were shouts and pleas for mercy.


    The sound of blood spraying, bayonets clashing, crying, and groaning interwoven together, creating a spine-chilling symphony.


    Wearing M35 Steel Helmets, the dwarves shouted ¡°Ura,¡± wielding their Mosin-Nagant Rifles. This scene was somewhat comical. Unfortunately, Tang Mo was the only person in this world who understood the dissonance in this scene, so nobody else got the joke.


    Thus, without this sense of dissonance, all that remained was brutal slaughter and bloody battle.


    When the bullets ran out, they used bayonets, when the bayonets were lost, they used shovels or Steel Helmets and rocks. Eventually, both sides even resorted to using their teeth and fists.


    When a second Type 3 Tank attempted to enter the battlefield, a Yir Attack Aircraft in the sky destroyed it. This prolonged the battle, with both sides thinking they would emerge as the victors of the day, so they continued to send in new troops, fighting for this now meaningless position.


    The area was flat, with no significant facilities, not even a machine gun bunker, just a farmhouse, merely a ruin.


    Yet, it seemed to hold special significance for both sides, so soon a dwarf Mercenary Infantry unit arrived and joined the battle.


    On the Dahua side, they were not to be outdone and sent a new infantry unit charging in, subsequently reinforcing with another unit in an attempt to overwhelm the dwarves numerically.


    The battlefield was littered with corpses, yet the battle did not subside. The skirmish continued from noon until the evening. Eventually, the remaining dwarf troops began to retreat, leaving behind over 300 bodies, virtually wiping out an entire infantry battalion.


    The Dahua Empire also suffered heavy losses, with at least 400 dead and over 100 wounded. Such losses nearly crippled two battalions, yet they still felt victorious.


    Because during dinner, they had occupied the farmhouse. Looking solely at this position, it might seem meaningless, but if you consider it as a building in the suburbs of Fengjiang, then its significance was quite different.


    Zhao Chen sent a telegram to Zhao Kai overnight, the content of which stated that his troops had advanced to under the walls of Fengjiang City!


    The distance between ¡°our army and Fengjiang,¡± which was a major concern for Zhao Kai, Zhao Ji, and the entire court of the Dahua Empire, was finally reduced to zero by Zhao Chen!


    Yes, now he could very accurately tell Zhao Kai that the distance between his troops and Fengjiang was zero! Absolutely zero!


    That night, disregarding the disadvantage of night fighting, Zhao Chen suddenly launched an offensive, pushing forward approximately 500 meters, really pushing the battle line near some buildings on the outskirts of Fengjiang.


    Then, in the early morning of the next day, to secure the flanks, Zhao Chen ordered an attack on both flanks, expanding his salient to about 10 kilometers in width.


    Though it was still a salient, at least on the map, it was already a considerably large one.


    The same day, in a terrified Fengjiang, Zhao Yu moved his ¡°headquarters¡± into an underground bunker at the easternmost artillery base in Fengjiang.


    These artillery bases were built with the sturdiest reinforced concrete, topped with 380mm caliber giant cannon turrets; their safety was undoubtedly impeccable.


    After over a month of fighting, the shells for these giant cannons were nearly depleted, eliminating worries about accidental explosions, making the underground bunker an ideal command center.


    What reassured Zhao Yu further was that, just by crossing the river by boat, he would be in Tang Country¡¯s territory, which was absolutely secure.


    Meanwhile, near the western side of Fengjiang urban area, newly arrived dwarf troops, goblin troops, and human Mercenary Troops from countries like Laines Empire began occupying ruins and buildings, establishing a new defensive line along the edge of Fengjiang¡¯s urban area.


    The Fengjiang troops deployed on the flanks also slightly withdrew, relinquishing some defensive positions¡ªa large number of troops began retreating into the urban area of Fengjiang, then reinforced the city¡¯s defenses.


    Exaggeratingly speaking, the military advisors of the Great Tang Empire planned to turn Fengjiang city into this planet¡¯s Stalingrad.

 Chapter 1016: 938 Fengjiang Alley Battle

    Chapter 1016: 938 Fengjiang Alley Battle


    Fengjiang¡¯s architecture is actually quite distinctive. Its core was constructed by the construction team of the Great Tang Empire as part of the peace treaty between the Great Tang Empire and the Dahua Empire.


    At that time, the Great Tang Empire promised to rebuild a new Fengjiang, while the original Fengjiang became the territory of the Great Tang Empire.


    The Great Tang Empire has never gone back on their word in this regard; they indeed dispatched their construction team and built a large modern urban area for Fengjiang.


    This included modern train stations, power plants, airports in both the north and south, and an entire area of high-rise buildings. The Great Tang Empire also built a bridge connecting both banks of Fengjiang, as well as various government offices throughout Fengjiang.


    However, after the entire city was handed over to the Dahua Empire, the situation changed. The Dahua Empire did not develop the city according to the development plan left by the Great Tang Empire.


    They constructed a large number of ordinary buildings on the outskirts of Fengjiang, and the closer to the city¡¯s edge, the more such slum-like areas appeared, more and more rudimentary.


    Frankly speaking, these buildings severely affected the aesthetics of Fengjiang and also hindered its development, but these constructions did provide a large number of cheap housing for the poor of Fengjiang.


    In this respect, the two countries handled things very differently: the urban planning of the Great Tang Empire was always strictly according to regulations, which mandated that with each expansion of the city, a quarter of the land area had to be dedicated to building necessary affordable housing.


    As for the so-called noble areas and high-consumption zones, a significant portion of housing prices was, in fact, subsidizing the civilian residential areas, but this was a necessary measure as it was mandated by the law of the Tang Country.


    Local officials could only benefit from three-quarters of the development profits of an area; the advantage of this was that it could significantly narrow the wealth gap, but the disadvantage was that it slowed down the local development.


    After all, one-quarter of the funds had to be forcibly allocated to affordable housing, and if this money could be reinvested into the cycle, local development might progress faster.


    However, the Great Tang Empire did not allow such occurrences; Tang Mo would rather see these areas slow down in development by a quarter to ensure at least a quarter of the city served the ordinary civilians.


    Dahua Empire took another extreme; the outskirts of Fengjiang were filled with a large number of slums, with the west side having the most, and now they have become battlefields.


    The Fengjiang defending forces set up numerous defense lines here, following the tactics advised by the Great Tang Empire¡¯s consulting team, dividing the city into several parts, each part manned by a troop responsible for its defense, securing profits if held successfully.


    Now, these slums were almost completely in ruins, as they were shoddily built making their collapse seem all the more inevitable.


    Bricks, tiles, and collapsed walls built up a natural defense line, and with various weapons from the Tang Empire brought by Chu Country, this defense line became incredibly strong.


    Firstly, in these ruins, countless experienced soldiers with excellent tactical skills were hidden, each holding a substantial bounty.


    Secondly, these soldiers were supported by a wealth of weaponry, including numerous cannons and 50mm long-barreled anti-tank guns.


    In addition to anti-tank guns, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s manufactured 75mm and 88mm cannons also appeared on the battlefield since Chu Country had aided Fengjiang with aircraft, it did not mind assisting with some more military equipment.


    Thus, on the streets of Fengjiang, behind the barricades, 88mm anti-aircraft guns began to appear. These guns did not have many AA duties but were mounted with gun shields for anti-tank operations.


    Dahua¡¯s soldiers advanced with difficulty in the ruins, while the mercenaries of Fengjiang fought tenaciously within them. Both sides continually suffered casualties, and the battle had taken on a different character.


    The scene of hundreds or thousands charging, which were seen on the second day of the outbreak of urban warfare in Fengjiang, had virtually vanished. Such charges were merely serving as live targets for machine gun emplacements within the ruins.


    Continuous large-scale offensive attacks were replaced by small squad attacks. Everyone was huddled in trenches, cautiously probing every corner, carefully progressing step by step, where each step came with a heavy cost.


    Sniper shots could ring out at any moment; if it weren¡¯t for the treaty banning the use of land mines, the severity of the battles would escalate even further.


    Everywhere there were trenches, everywhere there were bunkers, and the terrain could change completely every few meters.


    In such landscapes, everyone could only attack each other with hand grenades and fight mercilessly with bayonets. Casualties were rising drastically; sometimes hundreds of people from both sides would repeatedly contest over a single ruin.


    As such battles became more frequent, the demand for submachine guns by the Fengjiang troops and the Dahua Empire troops surged significantly.


    The Dahua Empire urgently procured a large batch of Thompson Submachine Guns, authorized for production by the Great Tang Group, from Shireck Consortium; while Fengjiang directly purchased 30,000 Boposha Submachine Guns from the dwarves.


    Both sides¡¯ troops began to extensively use automatic weapons, further intensifying the bloodshed of urban combat in Fengjiang. The city was filled with continuous gunfire, accompanied by relentless artillery sounds day and night, fighting incessantly every moment.


    During fierce battles, the Dahua Empire¡¯s troops even started to bring Maxim heavy machine guns or other models of light machine guns to the front line for fire suppression, while Fengjiang responded with anti-aircraft guns firing flat trajectory shots with great force.


    ¡°Boom!¡± A massive explosion shook the nearby buildings; the wooden floorboards made creaking, warping sounds with the blast. Dust and dirt from the ceiling fell onto the M35 steel helmets.


    The goblin soldiers with helmets looked like a group of kids, but their combat abilities were far from boy scout level; their submachine guns were distinctive, loaded from side magazines with bayonets attached to the front.


    This was signature weaponry from Mirage Country, purchased from the designs of the Great Tang Empire. This equipment, known as the Type-Hundred Submachine Gun, might be the most unique among all countries¡¯ submachine guns.


    To ensure that shorter Mirage Country soldiers were not disadvantaged in close combat, the Type-Hundred Submachine Gun was the only one in the world equipped with a bayonet.


    Of course, although its design wasn¡¯t that great, up close, a submachine gun is still a submachine gun.


    Hiding in a two-story building, the Mirage Country soldiers used their short stature as an advantage in urban combat. They often hid in unexpected places and launched sudden attacks, achieving brilliant battle results.


    It¡¯s no joke ¨C imagine a killer hiding in your refrigerator¡¯s drawer with an RPG rocket launcher. That¡¯s a terrifying thought.


    Waiting in the gaps of the rubble below, when several Dahua Empire soldiers cautiously passed by, these Mirage Country soldiers suddenly sprang up, aiming their weapons downwards and unleashed a barrage of fire.


    ¡°Ratatatat!¡± Accompanying this intense gunfire, the Dahua soldiers below were caught off guard and all fell down, their blood staining the nearby rubble, rapidly deciding the outcome of a tense encounter.


    The Great Tang Empire had to be very cautious when entangled with the goblins of Mirage Country within Beiyuan City, which fully highlighted the goblins¡¯ advantages in street combat.


    They could sneak into chimneys that others couldn¡¯t, and climb through sewers that others couldn¡¯t navigate. They could also hide in cabinets under stairs¡ªspaces usually only big enough for rats.


    Stepping on the now shaking wooden staircase, these goblin soldiers began to move their positions. They had already gained rich combat experience in Beiyuan City, and these experiences, along with early retreated injured goblin soldiers, returned to Mirage Country, where they became invaluable assets.


    Mirage Country always researched urban combat strategies; meanwhile, other nations also studied similar tactics. Feeling unable to compete with the Great Tang Empire in open fields, relying on fierce city battles to wear down the Great Tang Empire¡¯s troops became one of their best strategies.


    ¡°Bang!¡± Just as these Mirage Country soldiers were descending the stairs, a gunshot sounded from afar¡ªa Dahua Empire sniper had spotted one of the goblin soldiers and shot the one in the middle.


    The goblin soldier who was going downstairs immediately tumbled down the stairs; the rest of the goblins quickened their descent and quickly hid downstairs.


    Despite their speed, a second gunshot sounded, hitting another goblin who fell to the ground, blood pouring out.

 Chapter 1017: 939 good men must join the military

    Chapter 1017: 939 good men must join the military


    This is a sniper¡¯s paradise, every ruin could potentially be their perfect hideout. Here, they can fire at will, and most of the time, they achieve astonishing combat results.


    Just like now, that seasoned hunter from the Dahua Empire, who once competed against Cao Fei, is currently holding his sniper rifle, observing those goblins who are hiding.


    Through his scope, the places where a few goblins are hiding are quite poor, but he also doesn¡¯t have a good angle to easily hit these temporarily hidden ¡°militia¡±.


    Ever since that time he saw two moving bushes, this seasoned hunter every time he shoots to kill his target, would subconsciously tense up.


    He fears that someone might be spying on his head from the darkness, he fears that somewhere in the distance, a person blending perfectly with the surroundings might be holding a sniper rifle, staring at his face.


    This is a primal fear, the kind that¡¯s instinctive. Because he has seen such enemies, he always imagines, that such enemies are competing with him.


    But in reality, the snipers of the Great Tang Empire have been intensively training these days, enhancing their urban combat habits and experience.


    The sniper school of the Great Tang Empire uses this method to reduce the casualty rates of their trainees in real combat, and it has been proven that this training effectively enhances the snipers¡¯ survival rates.


    Today, this seasoned hunter has already killed about 30 targets. The snipers of the Dahua Empire are not so fussy; they will not miss any low-value targets if there is an opportunity to shoot.


    Thus, their combat results are also astonishing, many of the Dahua Empire¡¯s snipers have a good record of killing more than ten people.


    However, in the military sequence of the Great Tang Empire, their tasks are often carried out by the precise shooters within the squad or platoon.


    In the tactical structure of the Great Tang Empire, snipers hold a higher status; they play a greater role in scouting and fire direction.


    In Fengjiang, the use of practical snipers is basically similar to that in the Dahua Empire: scattering the snipers and then letting them hunt down the enemy soldiers like precise shooters.


    The advisors of the Great Tang Empire don¡¯t mind these, as long as the snipers in Fengjiang can help them hold the scene.


    So the intense battle with the snipers of the Dahua Empire is actually carried out by the snipers from Fengjiang.


    On the battlefield in Fengjiang, there is actually another interesting thing: many soldiers from the Great Tang Empire who come here to familiarize with real combat are remarkably good-looking men and women.


    Many soldiers have noticed that some medical units and clerks directly under the advisory teams of the Great Tang Empire are very good-looking.


    Their work attitude is serious, and many sweet-faced female nurses even help amputate limbs in the operating room.


    There are even female copilots, who alongside pilots operate UH-1 helicopters or other helicopters, transporting materials over mountains to places like Shanping.


    Some handsome male soldiers are even snipers, who really have to carry their weapons to the frontline to kill enemies and achieve combat results.


    After chatting with them, it was discovered that they all belonged to entertainment companies... This was somewhat surprising.


    Later everyone found out that His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire had issued a new decree, ordering all those who wish to enter the entertainment industry as stars or actors to have military experience, and men were even required to have combat experience.


    This is a mandatory regulation: men must serve in the military for five years, and women must serve in the military for at least three years, before they can enter the entertainment industry and access entertainment resources.


    For those young people who are attracted by the glamorous entertainment industry, wanting to enter the field and make big money, this regulation is practically a death sentence.


    You should know, in this era, serving in the military could really mean death! Just a few days ago, a helicopter really crashed while in transport, and the copilot inside was a sweet-looking young girl.


    But reality is indeed cruel. Tang Mo believes that only those who have truly experienced and tasted life and death are qualified to enjoy the glamorous attention of the masses.


    It is said that this decree will not be canceled. In the future, there might be a day without war, but anyone who wants to become a celebrity must guard the islands or borders for 3 to 5 years before they can obtain a professional qualification.


    Of course, you can choose not to go, and then challenge the will of the Empire to see just how strong it is.


    This is also Tang Mo¡¯s preparation for the rainy day, as he is very reluctant to see capitalists create one low-quality success story after another in the form of so-called stars. He hopes that his country is as free of unearned success as possible.


    Although it¡¯s very difficult to completely prevent such cases, Tang Mo wants to give it a try. He does not want to see singers making money faster than missile engineers, nor does he want those rice research experts to have less recognition than some nonsensical fresh meat.


    Well, Tang Mo feels that since he cannot stop these people from earning a lot of money, he at least wants to force them to do something to deserve their income.


    For fairness, the first generation of movie stars and singers promoted by Great Tang Group have already donated two-thirds of their wealth.


    This is also a mandatory regulation because these stars have never served in the military, and they are no longer able to go to the battlefield.


    Therefore, they must donate their wealth, use their money to build elementary and middle schools, participate in charitable activities without compensation, and continue their well-paid jobs with dignity.


    Cao Fei accompanied his injured observer to a hospital near Fengjiang to change the dressing on his arm. Here, he saw many severely injured patients.


    These severely injured patients were all sent down from the front lines, mainly consisting of local human troops. Clearly, this wasn¡¯t a hospital hosting a mixed group of Orcs, Goblins, and Dwarves but primarily served human casualties.


    There were various types of white ambulances parked at the main entrance of the hospital. A few soldiers were also there, painting two military green trucks into white medical vehicles.


    Due to its distance from the front, no shells had fallen here yet. The distant rumble of cannon fire could be heard, sounding like the devil¡¯s whisper, never ceasing.


    The hospital corridors were crowded with people, some were local civilians sick, and others were locals injured by shelling.


    Occasionally, distressed cries could be heard. Cao Fei moved slowly forward through the crowded corridors, accompanying his partner to the casualty treatment area.


    ¡°The wound is healing nicely. You aren¡¯t left-handed, right? That¡¯s good. It probably won¡¯t affect your fighting,¡± said a young nurse as she inspected the observer¡¯s wound. She spoke gently, changed his dressing, and rewrapped it expertly.


    The young girl was clearly a beauty in the making and highly skilled at her job¡ªafter all, she bandaged hundreds of people here every day.


    Just as she was kindly instructing Cao Fei¡¯s partner to take his antibiotics on time and care for his wound, sudden noises erupted from afar.


    Several nurses and doctors rushed a stretcher through where Cao Fei stood, hurrying to a distant operating room.


    Cao Fei saw the blood on the white sheets and also saw the young, handsome soldier lying on the stretcher.


    ¡°Damn! One of our guys!¡± The observer also noticed the military uniform on the injured person. Due to the urgency and danger, there was no time to take it off.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t there no actions?¡± Watching the man being pushed into the operating room, the observer looked puzzledly at Cao Fei.


    ¡°Our Navy Marine Corps sniper teams didn¡¯t have a mission... based on his outfit... he is probably a paratrooper or an Army sniper,¡± Cao Fei guessed, noticing the soldier who was blocked at the door, who seemed to be the observer of the critically injured young sniper.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Tomorrow is a physical examination...nervous. Today is the last day of the month, and this month means no additional updates, and we still owe everyone 2 updates... in total, we owe 16 chapters... Making up for updates is tough... T-T

 Chapter 1018: 940 new products

    Chapter 1018: 940 new products


    In the port of Linshui of the Tang Empire, a new session of the World Technology Expo was held. This assembly has always been the most advanced technology meeting in the world, attracting a large group of technicians and scientists from all over the globe.


    They come here to seek inspiration, exchange their research findings, and inform each other about the latest technological developments.


    Just like a group of pilgrims, they find the inspiration they seek in the Tang Empire, see the latest directions in technological research, and witness the truth they have long awaited...


    At this moment, a group of Dwarves was curiously inspecting a Mi-1 type helicopter, a completely new type of aircraft.


    For technicians of any country, this new type of aircraft represents a future that they haven¡¯t even imagined.


    Helicopter technology is not really a brand-new technology; after the invention of the propeller, normal designers would start to explore the field of using propellers in a vertical orientation.


    But the technology of this world is deformed. Aside from the Tang Empire, technicians from other countries have always been passively accepting leaked technology from the Great Tang Group. They haven¡¯t fully grasped the existing technology they hold, let alone contemplate the branches of these technologies.


    Therefore, when these technicians first see a helicopter, they are astonished. Indeed, some of them have thought of such designs, but many have been stopped by various difficulties.


    The helicopter is not actually a symmetric design; with the exception of special types of helicopters used by the Tang Empire like the Zhinu Gan, most helicopters are actually asymmetric designs.


    At the rear of a helicopter, a tail rotor must be specifically designed to counteract the torque created by the main rotor. This problem also exists in propeller fighter jets.


    For such issues on propeller fighter jets, they are generally solved with trimming, which means using the slight differences in adjusting the control surfaces on both sides to counteract the torque when the plane is flying forward.


    This method works for faster piston aircraft, but it¡¯s utterly ineffective for helicopters, which emphasize hovering and vertical take-off and landing.


    Thus, helicopters need tail rotors to counteract the torque, preventing the fuselage from spinning with the rotor¡ªengineers from other countries that haven¡¯t fully understood propeller design wouldn¡¯t be able to come up with this.


    They are still caught up in the mindset of learning about propeller aircraft and using difference in rotors¡¯ directions of rotation to counteract the torque. Their imagined helicopters are actually structured in a similar fashion to the Osprey V-22.


    Unfortunately, such design is too complicated for early helicopters, too heavy, and thus affects the practicality of the aircraft.


    This has once led engineers from various countries engaged in such research to doubt whether their developed helicopters were entirely useless.


    These doubts dissipated as helicopters from the Tang Empire increasingly appeared before the eyes of the world; the outstanding performance of the UH-1 helicopter provided hope to all engineers involved in such designs.


    Thus, once again, people traveled from far and wide to the Tang Empire, converging in Linshui to witness the Tang Empire¡¯s newly sold helicopter: the Mi-1 multipurpose helicopter.


    The newly designed Mi-1 helicopter can carry 3 passengers for vertical take-offs and landings at suitable locations¡ªa capability genuinely attractive enough.


    When this helicopter lifted off from the ground, blowing away the dust, and hovered in front of everyone, gasps of wonder were heard.


    An aircraft that does not require an airport to take off is truly too enticing for other countries in the world. It possesses characteristics that normal airplanes can¡¯t have, features adequate to support many particular uses.


    Watching the helicopter cautiously flying in the sky, everyone present was astounded. Even if the aircraft appeared clumsy, it seemed graceful enough to them.


    To these people, this helicopter was beyond imagination, and with it, many previously unimaginable tasks now had new possibilities.


    Not to mention other aspects, just taking vertical take-off and landing alone, it was an irreplaceable function for transferring VIPs.


    The past process of transporting people to the airport by automobile or horse carriage to then take a flight on a DC-3, could now be completely replaced by a direct helicopter flight to the airport.


    Such transport, whether in speed or safety, seems to have a higher guarantee: And for those who want to enjoy such service, there¡¯s no need to build an airport at home, just a sufficiently large open space will do. How convenient is that?


    An engineer from the Dorne Empire, standing aside, looked up at the Mi-1 helicopter and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°So this is the rumored helicopter, I heard someone saw it in Chu Country.¡±


    Standing by his side, his follower was also filled with longing and nodded, saying, ¡°Even if it¡¯s not the same model, it¡¯s pretty much similar. It¡¯s too exaggerated that it can take off vertically!¡±


    Keeping a weapon¡¯s secrecy indefinitely is impossible, so the best way is to take it out while it¡¯s still valuable and exchange it for a sufficient amount of Gold Coins.


    The Great Tang Empire has already invested too much effort into ensuring the security of aircraft carriers and jet fighters, so they really can¡¯t completely hide helicopters.


    In the previous actions by Chu Country and this time in the transportation mission for Fengjiang, helicopters have been used; complete secrecy was impossible.


    Many have seen these wingless aircraft, so the Great Tang Empire simply stopped concealing the existence of this kind of aircraft.


    As for the UH Huey Helicopter, which is the proprietary version for the Great Tang Empire, it¡¯s definitely not for sale; therefore, the best choice for Tang Mo was to sell the slightly less capable Mi-1 helicopters.


    Of course, the more powerful Chinook helicopters remain a secret, and to many, they seem nothing more than a larger version of the Huey Helicopter.


    ¡°We should purchase some of these helicopters; at least, we should buy 20!¡± said the representatives of the Goblins, who were very curious about these helicopters, and they¡¯ve recently been quite wealthy, with no need to worry about money.


    This is the case with many countries, who haven¡¯t been this prosperous for a long time since the last Anti-Tang War. The Great Tang Empire prepaid a large amount of mercenaries¡¯ fees on behalf of Fengjiang, and various countries made a good sum of money by relying on mercenaries.


    For these countries, the Fengjiang civil war was nothing short of a blessing: they gained a lot of war experience in this mercenary battle, they trained their troops, cleared their debts, and one could say they made a huge profit.


    It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that the fiscal deficits these countries have been dealing with for a long time were alleviated, and they even achieved a measure of profit through ammunition exports to Fengjiang.


    The Great Tang Empire is wealthy, and Tang Mo doesn¡¯t default on the purchase of military supplies from these countries or in hiring their mercenaries, even sometimes generously paying in advance.


    This is also a way for Tang Country to achieve economic circulation; Tang Mo uses this approach to reciprocate to the world, driving world economics towards a more favorable development.


    ¡°The Dwarves of the Ice Cold Empire have already placed an order; they¡¯ve bought 100 Mi-1 helicopters and are very interested in this type of aircraft,¡± whispered the representatives of other countries, discussing the recent order signed by the Ice Cold Empire.


    So many countries were willing to send their soldiers to serve as ¡°mercenaries¡± in the battle for Fengjiang, which was also related to this technology exhibition.


    The Great Tang Empire discreetly informed many countries that they would be displaying many advanced weapons at this expo, and only those willing to help Fengjiang would be qualified to participate.


    As a result, everyone very tactfully displayed a cooperative attitude, and then at this expo, they saw many technological pieces of equipment they had not even dared to dream of before.


    Like the helicopters in front of them, and not far behind them at the static display in the square, that Panther Tank.


    Yes, the Great Tang Empire placed the Panther Tanks on the export exhibits this time: as more and more Type 59 Tanks were being mass-produced, the Panther and Type 4 Tanks were increasingly unwelcomed in the Great Tang Empire¡¯s arsenal.


    The second-line troops still equip a large number of Type 4 Tank chassis, but phasing out a small number of Panther Tanks has been the general consensus.


    So, the Great Tang Empire is prepared to donate these actually very advanced tanks¡ªcertainly more advanced than similar class tanks of other nations¡ªto other countries.


    Chu Country is a beneficiary of this military aid, but the quantity of Panther Tanks they received for free was still too few; the Tang Army itself has a large number of second-hand Panther Tanks ready to be introduced to the international arms market.


    Many countries are interested in this brand new tank, including the Elven Yangmu Empire that¡¯s almost fully equipped with German-line equipment.


    Meanwhile, the Great Tang Empire has also begun selling Katyusha Rocket Launchers, a rocket artillery that the soldiers affectionately call Ma Cuihua, and its performance really opened the eyes of many countries.


    It was the first time everyone had seen such a formidable ¡°artillery¡± weapon, and its superiority in fire coverage is something that traditional artillery troops cannot compare to.


    After seeing such terrifying weapons, all countries bought the related technology and hoped to develop similar weapons to gain a greater advantage on the battlefield.


    In fact, all countries have already seen some rudiments of these weapons, as the principle of rocket projectiles is actually very simple, and everyone has made some attempts and guesses in this area.


    However, everyone¡¯s technology and theories are immature, so they can¡¯t produce mature products for the time being. Now that the Great Tang Empire has put them up for sale directly, everyone will naturally pay and take them home to see if their own approaches were indeed correct.

 Chapter 1019: 941 Everything for Sale Expo

    Chapter 1019: 941 Everything for Sale Expo


    Technology, often, is reminiscent of concepts interrelated; despite the lack of production of similar weapons due to various reasons for the time being, many people have already guessed the principles behind them.


    The indigenous people of this world are not fools; they have already demonstrated their own research and development capabilities by inventing flintlock guns. It was merely the appearance of Tang Mo that accelerated technological advancement, leaving the indigenous peoples¡¯ theoretical knowledge lagging behind the pace of progress, resulting in a technological monopoly.


    If given time, these indigenous peoples, once they grasp these technologies and integrate them, would also continue to develop along the technological trajectory, eventually coming up with similar products.


    For instance, in a place unknown to Tang Mo, the technical department of the Dorne Empire already dabbled with something like rocket-propelled grenades on their own.


    However, Dorne¡¯s technicians did not pursue research in the direction of ¡°Katyusha¡±; instead, they took a different route, known as ¡°RPG.¡±


    Yes, that¡¯s right, to combat the invincible armored corps of the Great Tang Empire on future battlefields, the Dorne Empire focused all its attention on the technological branch of ¡°man-portable anti-tank.¡±


    At first, the weapons they developed were on the lines of anti-tank rifles, using large-caliber anti-tank ammunition fired from oversized rifles to destroy the enemy¡¯s tanks.


    This approach was quite effective against the shoddy tanks produced by the Shireck Consortium in the Gobur Kingdom, but as the armor of tanks from various countries began to progressively thicken, anti-tank rifles started to lose their effectiveness.


    Due to the large caliber, the recoil was almost uncontrollable, making these large-caliber anti-tank rifles a huge joke. There was even a rhyme about anti-tank guns among Dorne¡¯s soldiers: fire once on the left shoulder, fire once on the right, suffer internal injuries from the recoil, then go back to receive a medal...


    Later on, by chance, Dorne¡¯s engineers discovered a ¡°recoilless¡± firing method: using the principle of rockets in combination with a launch tube, kind of like a skyrocket, capable of sending a shell far enough in distance.


    Thus, the engineers of the Dorne Empire developed a man-portable anti-tank weapon similar to the ¡°Bazooka¡± rocket launcher.


    This weapon, after repeated modifications, can now penetrate armor up to 60 millimeters thick ¡ª to be fair, its performance is already quite remarkable.


    As a trump card against enemy armored corps, the Dorne Empire did not publicize this weapon to the world, so similar weapons have not yet appeared.


    The Great Tang Empire, to ensure its advantage in tanks, naturally would not randomly sell such weapons; therefore, man-portable anti-tank weapons are still largely unknown in this world.


    At this expo, the Great Tang Empire also unveiled a mysterious weapon that dazzled the eyes of designers from various countries.


    This weapon is the torpedo, which emerged in the previous war and has long been dreaded by the navies of various countries, yet they have been unable to replicate it for so long.


    The Tang Country, of course, would not sell its newly iterated advanced torpedoes directly; what they brought out were the ancestral models of torpedoes, with average performance, limited power, and virtually no room for modification.


    Nonetheless, these torpedoes still made the navies of many countries envious, with many nations buying production lines to equip their navies with these advanced torpedoes.


    Keep in mind that with these real torpedoes, the navies of various countries can finally claim to have basic torpedo combat capabilities. Their small warships can now truly do battle with large warships.


    Why unveil so many advanced equipment all at once? On the one hand, the Great Tang Group is about to take a leap forward in technology, so selling off these outdated technologies, earning a good sum of money, is considered recycling waste.


    On the other hand, it is because the Great Tang Empire has involved so many countries in the war, helping Tang Country to fight, and it¡¯s necessary to offer something to whet the appetite of the various countries.


    Anyway, such weapon technologies are nearly obsolete; it¡¯s not painful to let them go. Even if other countries acquire similar technologies, it¡¯s not necessarily going to pose problems for Tang Country, so just sell them openly.


    Therefore, this expo was truly a grand occasion. Countries sent envoys to participate, with many envoys starting big purchases right at the expo.


    After all, their countries are now considered wealthy, and not buying some advanced technology to take back? What if they get surpassed by other countries?


    With this mindset, the Elves of the Poplar Empire crowded around the displayed Panther Tank, bombarding the salesperson with various questions.


    ¡°Specific parameters require a deposit in advance before we can discuss in detail. You wouldn¡¯t want the performance of the weapons and equipment you buy to be known by others, would you?¡± The salesperson in front of the tank politely smiled and answered their questions.


    ¡°Is the caliber of the gun 75 mm?¡± An undeterred officer from the Poplar Empire, holding a product brochure, continued to inquire.


    ¡°Yes, Sir! The caliber of the cannon is 75mm with a barrel length ratio of 70! Its armor-piercing capability is beyond doubt, ensuring penetration of all active tanks at normal combat distances,¡± the salesperson seriously bluffed.


    In fact, it was precisely because they could not penetrate the front armor of the Type 59 main battle tank at normal combat distances that the military of the Great Tang Empire had decided to phase out all existing Panther Tanks.


    As they spoke, others around were also listening attentively, as not only the Poplar Empire was interested in ¡°the most advanced tank of the Great Tang Empire.¡±


    The military forces of the Ice Cold Empire, Laines Empire, Suthers Empire, and Dorne Empire were all interested in this formidable tank.


    It is important to note that the Panther Tank is still a world record holder: to date, not a single one has been destroyed by enemy weapons on the battlefield!


    This is simply a golden signage, indicating that this tank is sufficiently perfect in terms of mobility, firepower, and protection level!


    Of course, having such a record is also due to the fact that the performance of Dahua Empire¡¯s Type 1 and Type 2 tanks were excessively unsatisfactory. If the same Panther Tanks were to be surrounded by the current Type 3 and Type 5 tanks, they may also suffer losses.


    Also on sale at this expo was the Great Tang Empire¡¯s widely renowned No. 4 tank. The performance of this type of tank is actually no longer outstanding, but it is still slightly more advanced than the tanks of other countries.


    Although there is no generational gap, and it has no advantages in armor thickness or cannon, the price of this tank is relatively more affordable.


    Therefore, representatives from Qin Country and Shu Country, who attended the expo, showed great interest in these ¡°outdated¡± tanks which were lighter and more suitable for them.


    In fact, not only Shu Country and Qin Country, but the Laines Empire was also very interested in the No. 4 tank. They were in urgent need of a large number of tanks to face the southern and northern pincer threat from the Suthers Empire and Dorne Empire simultaneously.


    Interestingly, it seems that the countries were not too interested in the No. 4 chassis modified self-propelled artillery, the No. 4 tank chassis modified anti-aircraft gun, the well-known No. 4 assault gun, and vehicles like the armored repair vehicle, which the Great Tang Empire also introduced at the same time.


    These armored vehicles are actually very useful and are an important part of the Tang Armored Corps. However, it is evident that the countries are not very enthusiastic about these icing-on-the-cake weapons and equipment, which they seem to consider an ¡°extra¡± incapable of significantly influencing the outcome of a war.


    In the eyes of the military commanders of these countries, the most important weapons are tanks that can produce impressive battle achievements, while other equipment is not so urgently needed.


    Because they lack Tang Mo¡¯s ¡°foresight,¡± they will never understand the importance of other armored corps support vehicles until they have gone through a series of wartime trials.


    Despite suffering numerous setbacks with infantry following up tanks being suppressed and then tanks and infantry being picked off separately, other countries are still unable to make a resolute decision to spend their precious funds on weapons and equipment like assault guns.


    In comparison to the past, these people have not made any progress: back when they were crazily purchasing bolt-action rifles from the Great Tang Empire, they turned a blind eye to equipment like steel helmets.


    However, all that followed proved that steel helmets and armed belts were indispensable items for soldiers. After paying a heavy price, the countries finally got back on the right track.


    Actually, it is an unavoidable situation, as the countries do not even have sufficient numbers of tanks, let alone spend a lot of money on self-propelled artillery and assault guns and other weapons and equipment.


    The Shireck Consortium also joined the expo this time, showcasing their Shireck No. 4 tank under their own brand.


    This newly designed tank makes extensive use of proven technology from the Great Tang Empire; in fact, it is this world¡¯s equivalent of the M4 medium tank.


    Its specifications are similar to those of the M4 Sherman tank, except that it lacks an advanced stabilization system. From every perspective, it is a very decent tank, which is why many countries are also considering whether to purchase some similar tanks.


    Before coming to the expo, this so-called Shireck No. 4 medium tank had already received an order from the Gobur Kingdom, actually selling 400 units already.


    At the same time, Shireck also showcased their new model of fighter jet at this expo, and this brand-new fighter has very decent performance, even competing with the Butcher Fighter to some extent.


    Indeed, after Great Tang started mass-producing the Type 6, they handed over the ME-109 fighter jet they had to Shireck, which was then listed as a key export product under Shireck¡¯s name.


    Many countries showed a desire to purchase after seeing this new advanced-performance fighter jet: especially Shu Country, which lacks advanced fighters, and the warring Dahua Empire.


    They are not too keen on purchasing the expensive fighters from the Great Tang Empire, but have a definite need for advanced fighters, so they have turned their attention to Shireck.

 Chapter 1020: I will get it for him at 942.

    Chapter 1020: I will get it for him at 942.


    Sometimes things are just that ironic: even though everyone knows Shireck is no longer the Shireck that often opposed the Great Tang Empire, many countries are still willing to purchase Shireck¡¯s products.


    It¡¯s as if, by giving their money to Shireck, they are not giving it to the Great Tang Empire; in fact, buying Shireck¡¯s products is essentially purchasing products from the Great Tang Group.


    The Dahua Empire also sent a procurement team to visit this expo: they weren¡¯t really planning on buying anything, as they were quite poor themselves.


    Nevertheless, they were still willing to come and take a look, to get an understanding of the current direction of weapons development, as well as some technological applications in military hardware.


    Fengjiang also sent representatives: they pretended to be very wealthy and bought a lot of military equipment from the Great Tang Empire.


    Despite several protests from the ambassador of the Dahua Empire, the Tang Group carried on with their business and sold some military equipment to the Fengjiang rebels.


    The excuse was solid: after all, Fengjiang had paid, and as a neutral arms dealer, there was no reason not to deliver, right?


    The tension was palpable every time the Fengjiang delegation and the Dahua Empire¡¯s delegation brushed past each other; it became one of the highlights of this expo.


    ¡°Selling so many good things in one go, are you sure that¡¯s alright?¡± Tagg stood in front of the glass window, overlooking the bustling scene below, and asked another Imperial Marshal beside him.


    ¡°If His Majesty truly has a kind of super bomb that can destroy cities, then any weapons can be sold, right?¡± Redman was quite confident, laughing as he said to Marshal Tagg: ¡°No one can resist such an attack; just one city destroyed, and any enemy resistance would instantly collapse.¡±


    ¡°Even so, we must not become complacent in the area of conventional weaponry! We must maintain pressure on the enemy in all aspects.¡± Tagg solemnly told Redman: ¡°We must relieve His Majesty of his worries! That¡¯s our duty as his subjects!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but as you¡¯ve also seen, our new 59 Tanks are much stronger than the Panther Tanks, and our new model fighter jets... well, you¡¯ve seen them on Dragon Island before, it¡¯s simply beyond what these commanders from other countries can imagine.¡±


    Remembering the fighter jet he saw on Dragon Island, which could spew fire from its rear and gape with a huge ferocious mouth in front, Tagg once again gazed down at the people below vying to purchase various arms and suddenly felt pity for these fools who knew nothing.


    Watching them scramble to buy the Matricaria Rocket Launchers, Tagg even thought he wanted to laugh: Tang Country had already equipped itself with larger-caliber, more advanced rocket artillery, and had also armed itself with more terrifying ground-to-ground Missiles, yet the people below were still crazily stockpiling Matricaria...


    Of course, he held a fondness for the rocket artillery known as Matricaria because the rocket artillery of the Great Tang Empire had always used this type. But now, he no longer favored this small-caliber rocket artillery because he already had access to larger-caliber rocket artillery.


    That kind, with diameters well over 122 millimeters, could deliver more explosives at once, and their accuracy was also higher, clearly superior to the Matricaria Rocket Launcher.


    And what those people below were purchasing were actually second-hand Katyushas (Matricaria) that the artillery of the Great Tang Empire had phased out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope our enemies don¡¯t test our patience... otherwise, they will pay a heavy price.¡± Tagg mused, and then spoke.


    Yesterday, before flying with Redman to Linshui, he saw in Chang¡¯an the photographs brought back by the first reconnaissance satellite in the world.


    These photos clearly depicted the landscapes and rivers of Qin Country, the Dahua Empire, the Great Tang Empire itself, the Poplar Empire, and the Suthers Empire...


    In the past, obtaining such detailed photos and high-precision geographical parameters would have taken decades, requiring the dispatch of thousands of spies, to achieve.


    But now, the reconnaissance satellites of the Great Tang Empire had brought back detailed data and images unthinkable in the past in less than one month.


    Every city and its surrounding military camps were clearly visible, and the coordinates of every airfield were accurate to about ten meters¡ªthis would have been unimaginable in the past.


    With the advent of airplanes, the accuracy of maps in various countries was improving: but for the entire planet, due to different measurement precisions and habits, relative locations were not very accurate.


    But now, the Great Tang Empire has independently completed the measurement and positioning of all the cities along a certain orbital path, so the Great Tang Empire can draw a map with relatively higher precision.


    This is the advantage brought by technological advancement; soon the accuracy of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s ballistic Missiles can be improved to over a hundred meters, and even by leveraging more advanced navigation, the strike precision can be raised to the level of tens of meters.


    Such precision is sufficient to attack the Imperial City, and by then the ballistic Missiles of the Great Tang Empire, even without nuclear warheads, will definitely possess enough deterrence.


    ¡°If they¡¯re smart enough, they would guess that we have more powerful weapons and equipment,¡± Redman said with disdain. ¡°But considering their intelligence, they are likely to misjudge the situation.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll think we¡¯re just another Shireck who will sell them our most advanced weapons and equipment... They¡¯ll never know how broad His Majesty¡¯s heart is.¡± As Redman spoke, he turned to look at Tagg: ¡°Do you believe that His Majesty will take back Northern Ridge?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I have no doubt about it! I believe His Majesty will take back Northern Ridge, rebuild it, and turn it into the paradise that Mr. Fisheo dreamed of,¡± Tagg replied with conviction.


    ¡°All the lands where Chinese with black eyes and grey hair reside must be covered by the Dragon Banner of the Great Tang Empire!¡± Redman laughed: ¡°And those lands that once belonged to us...¡±


    ¡°Will once again belong to us!¡± Tagg continued Redman¡¯s sentence: ¡°Not just that, any place His Majesty desires, I, Tagg, will acquire it for him!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to say! I am His Majesty¡¯s sharpest sword, his sturdiest shield! As always!¡± Redman stated just as firmly.


    ...


    ¡°Bang!¡± A unique gunshot echoed through the ruins. The sniper rifle specifically used by the Great Tang Empire was entirely different from the G43 rifles provided to the Fengjiang snipers.


    This unique gunshot sound brought back unpleasant memories for the nearby soldiers of the Dahua Empire: just ten days ago, under such gunfire, they had lost many comrades.


    Through the scope, Cao Fei watched as the Dahua officer he had hit clutching his chest fell at the edge of the rubble. The officer had been shaving here, and as a result, became a target for Cao Fei¡¯s sniper team.


    ¡°Hit!¡± An observer holding binoculars confirmed decisively: ¡°A platoon leader, not a big official... but still good, probably will draw nearby Dahua snipers to us.¡±


    Cao Fei¡¯s position was behind a window, a distance away from the actual window frame. This standard firing posture for snipers wasn¡¯t something anyone would naively adopt and just stand by the window to make themselves an easy target.


    Those who poke their gun barrels out of the windows lacked sniping experience; their positions were no different from targets in front of professional shooters.


    If the light was just slightly brighter, standing in front of a window or at the edge of a rooftop would make a sniper¡¯s silhouette especially obvious. The enemy could easily locate snipers set up in these places without having to deliberately search.


    The correct procedure was to set up the sniper rifle inside the room, as far away from the window as possible. While this meant losing most of the field of vision, it also significantly reduced the area from which one could be seen.


    Of course, Cao Fei wouldn¡¯t make such an amateur mistake ¡ª he was, after all, a rare sniping ace in the Navy Marine Corps. As he packed up his weapon, he reminded his observer: ¡°Once confirmed, we leave immediately, it¡¯s no longer safe here.¡±


    Putting down his binoculars, the observer agreed: ¡°You¡¯re right, the other side has capable people too, we should be more cautious.¡±


    At this point, he suddenly remembered a few days ago, in the rear hospital, the sight of that Army sniper with a pierced chest.


    The enemy sniper was incredibly young; when they brought him into the hospital, they could still see his stomach slightly rising and falling. But soon after, they saw a blood-covered doctor walk out of the room, shaking his head at the young man¡¯s partner waiting outside.


    Cao Fei went up to comfort the equally young observer and then inquired about the details of the combat.


    The partner was inconsolable but still answered Cao Fei¡¯s questions: They were ambushed by a Dahua sniper, who was very professional and chose a well-hidden spot before opening fire, hitting the Tang Country sniper directly in the chest.


    ¡°Are you still thinking about what happened that day?¡± Cao Fei, carrying his rifle, walked to the door and turned back to look at his partner who was still lost in thought.


    His partner snapped out of it and followed Cao Fei¡¯s steps: ¡°Yes, I was thinking about that young man that day; he was only 21 years old when he died.¡±


    ¡°We will avenge him!¡± Cao Fei walked ahead, avoiding the collapsed hole on the staircase, reaching the first floor.


    A few goblin soldiers noticed the human snipers coming down the stairs and hastily stood at attention to salute: who was paying their wages was very clear to them. On the battlefield, they had to show respect to anyone wearing the Great Tang Empire¡¯s special steel helmets.


    Moreover, these two snipers were here to help; these goblins had been mercilessly killed by the enemy¡¯s snipers here, and they were helpless, so they could only ask the Tang People for assistance.


    ¡°This place is yours now! Don¡¯t expose yourselves too easily; it¡¯s easy to become a target,¡± Cao Fei reminded these goblins saluting him, and then he left the building ruins that had collapsed beyond recognition.

 Chapter 1021: War of 943 Mercenaries

    Chapter 1021: War of 943 Mercenaries


    The weapons used by the Dahua Empire¡¯s snipers are the precisely made Shireck bolt-action rifles. After the battle began, the Fengjiang snipers gradually switched to the G43 semi-automatic rifles previously equipped by the Great Tang Empire, which come standard with a four-power scope.


    The performance of this rifle for the Fengjiang snipers is actually quite remarkable already; it does not require pulling the bolt to chamber a round and can fire continuously. Aside from a slight lack in accuracy, it excels in all other aspects.


    From the perspective of weaponry, the Fengjiang snipers are somewhat more formidable than those of the Dahua Empire, especially since they have all undergone training by snipers from the Great Tang Empire, making their tactics sharper as well.


    These Fengjiang snipers have also inflicted substantial casualties on soldiers of the Dahua Empire. Although they themselves have suffered heavy losses, the cost to their opponents is evidently greater.


    Since the invasion into the Fengjiang urban area, the casualty rate of Dahua Empire¡¯s soldiers has been sharply increasing. Every day, over 100 people die from snipers¡¯ surprise shots, while the Dahua military¡¯s advancement speed has literally become a joke.


    This number might not look significant, but the cumulative effect is already very troubling: corresponding reports have been submitted to Zhao Chen, who is now extremely perturbed and unsure of what to do.


    It¡¯s important to note that although the number of troops under his command continues to grow, he¡¯s starting to feel stretched thin. On one hand, he has to handle the pressure from Wanliang, and on the other, he has to expand his positions on both flanks of Fengjiang, clearly beginning to feel overwhelmed.


    ¡°What are our snipers even doing?¡± Moving his headquarters from Hezhe to the outskirts of Fengjiang, Zhao Chen irritably began to question his subordinates while looking at their reports.


    Now he is less than 20 kilometers away from the Fengjiang frontline, which is actually very close to the contested area. This also demonstrates his determination, or rather the determination of the Dahua Empire.


    ¡°Please calm yourself, Your Highness! Our snipers are also trying their best to locate enemy snipers, but this is a very difficult task and they need time,¡± an officer explained.


    ¡°I also need time!¡± Zhao Chen angrily retorted and then realized he might have reacted too harshly, so he suppressed his anger and continued with a more stable tone, ¡°His Majesty is awaiting news of our victory, and we as his subjects, of course, must relieve His Majesty of his worries.¡±


    ¡°You are right, Your Highness. Our snipers have killed at least 80 enemy soldiers in these days; they indeed have tried their best,¡± the officer insisted, steeling himself as he again spoke a few words in defense of his subordinates.


    Zhao Chen waved his hand, indicating that no more explanations were needed: ¡°Tell them to eliminate more enemy snipers as much as possible. We cannot bear such losses anymore; do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I understand, sir!¡± Knowing that saying anything more would be futile, the officer could only respond with a bow.


    It¡¯s not entirely fair to blame Zhao Chen for his irritation. When he heard that the Great Tang Empire was actually constructing a gigantic steel bridge in Sword Pavilion, he started feeling agitated.


    Previously, they had always believed that Hidden Sword Gorge was an impassable barrier, and it would be nearly impossible for the Tang Empire to cross it.


    Thus, if they could capture Fengjiang, the connection between the Great Tang Empire and the Fengjiang rebels would be mostly severed, turning the whole situation in favor of the Dahua Empire.


    But now the situation has changed; if the Great Tang Empire manages to finish building that bridge before the Dahua Empire captures Fengjiang, all strategic plans of the Dahua Empire would become a joke.


    Then, having Sword Pavilion as its support channel would make the Tang Empire¡¯s supply lines much safer, and the chaos in Fengjiang would transform from a minor irritation to a severe threat.


    This would completely depart from the script Zhao Chen had in mind. At present, his forces are already struggling to take Fengjiang, let alone moving south to attack Shanping and Guiguang, and then targeting Sword Pavilion... How much would remain then?


    If the Tang Empire entered the war halfway through, how could his battered troops hold back the overwhelming forces of the Tang Empire? Could they rely on what remained of battered Fengjiang?


    ...


    When the soldiers of the Dahua Empire charged towards the first reinforced concrete building they saw, they felt inexplicably nervous.


    This building was very special; it wasn¡¯t destroyed by artillery fire, or rather, it wasn¡¯t completely destroyed by intensive artillery fire¡ªthe majority of it was still intact, with only many holes punctured in its walls.


    The Fengjiang defenders used this place as a dominant observation post and had deployed some troops nearby, creating a rather solid defensive position around the building.


    The Dahua Empire¡¯s troops hoped to seize this location, evict the enemy from this sturdy building, so they could use this elevated point to observe the surrounding urban area and gain some advantage.


    So, the fight began with madness: braving the harsh firepower of machine guns, the soldiers of the Dahua Empire first launched an attack on a wooden building next to the large structure.


    Dozens of soldiers struggled fiercely in the narrow ruins, and eventually, the Dahua Empire¡¯s soldiers, by a slim margin, achieved victory in this assault.


    The brutal battle truly began, with the goblin mercenaries stationed in this ruin stubbornly defending every room of the building from a high position, while the outer perimeter Dahua Empire soldiers utilized their numerical advantage to continually launch attacks on this location.


    Dahua Empire¡¯s soldiers threw hand grenades into the building, clearing one room at a time of the defending forces, while the defenders also killed Dahua soldiers one after another outside the rooms.


    Bodies from both sides were everywhere. Outside the building were the corpses of Dahua soldiers, and inside, the goblin corpses also piled up like mountains.


    Ultimately, the soldiers of the Dahua Empire captured the first floor of the building, but the goblins stationed on the second floor still refused to surrender.


    Around the staircase and some broken holes, the two sides engaged in another round of fierce fighting. At its peak, the staircase leading upstairs was filled with corpses from both sides.


    ¡°Surrender! Just lay down your weapons! We guarantee your safety!¡± The Dahua Empire soldiers on the ground floor shouted to the goblins upstairs.


    The goblins upstairs were indeed running low on ammunition and supplies. However, they still hoped to resist a bit longer because after today, they could receive double the reward.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to shout anymore! We won¡¯t surrender! If you dare, charge up here!¡± The goblin officer on the second floor, holding a razor-sharp blade, refused to surrender.


    After he finished saying this, a new battle began: the Dahua soldiers downstairs charged again, carrying bayonets and stepping over the bodies of their comrades, they rushed up to the second floor once more.


    The goblins on the second floor did not retreat; they also took up their bayonets and met the enemy. The two sides engaged in hand-to-hand combat at the narrow staircase, turning the battlefield unbearably bloody.


    The Dahua Empire soldiers had the advantage in strength, but the goblins had the advantage of agility in the confined space. With an equal face-off, the goblins also had more numbers and bayonets.


    As such, both sides ended up in a stalemate, with casualty rates approaching one-to-one. After another five or six people from both sides died, the charge by the Dahua Empire ended unsuccessfully again.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t surrender now, don¡¯t blame us for being ruthless! Bastards!¡± An officer of the Dahua Empire downstairs shouted angrily.


    ¡°If you retreat today, we will give up this place to you tomorrow!¡± The goblins upstairs didn¡¯t really want to die there either; they also negotiated, obviously to maximize their benefits.


    ¡°No way! Just a few days ago in the previous block, you said the same thing! I know your plans!¡± The commander of the Dahua Empire downstairs roared angrily.


    He had suffered such losses before; the goblins had defended a location just to make the Dahua Empire troops delay their attack, just for a day.


    The next day, the goblins indeed retreated, but only after blowing up everything they could, leaving nothing for the soldiers of the Dahua Empire.


    Furthermore, after wasting a whole day, their higher-ups were very dissatisfied with their cowardice, which is why their unit was tasked with assaulting this building as punishment.


    If he let these goblins escape again, he estimated he wouldn¡¯t be able to continue as an officer; he might even be court-martialed.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! What if we promise not to blow up the building, will that work?¡± The goblin upstairs said earnestly.


    To be honest, they were all mercenaries; as long as they completed the mission, they would get paid, so risking their lives was actually unnecessary.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the Dahua Empire¡¯s army attacking too fiercely, they wouldn¡¯t need to fight so desperately. Can¡¯t we just discuss this properly? You pause your attack today or just make a symbolic attack, and tomorrow, after I complete my task, I¡¯ll retreat and leave; wouldn¡¯t everyone be happy?


    This kind of situation is not always available: the Great Tang Empire has snipers and artillery observers that often appear on the front lines, and if caught in such situations, they might be fined.


    Now that such an opportunity arose, why not talk business... No need to fight to the death; we earn money, you gain military honors, isn¡¯t it beneficial for all?


    ¡°You mean it? Truly won¡¯t blow it up?¡± The officer of the Dahua Empire downstairs was somewhat tempted. Honestly, he had already lost nearly 100 subordinates here, and he really couldn¡¯t keep fighting.


    ¡°Really won¡¯t blow it up!¡± The goblin upstairs slapped his chest to assure. He had already lost 80 of his men here, which pained him immensely.


    The two began to chat and felt more in sync; if business cards were available, they probably would have exchanged numbers for future contact...


    This is war, this is war through the eyes of mercenaries: as long as there¡¯s something to discuss, then a discussion can be had. They came here to make money, and of course, they have no shame about that.

 Chapter 1022: 944 trades are just trades

    Chapter 1022: 944 trades are just trades


    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Tang Empire, in the office of Nangong Hong, a diplomat from the Laines Empire sat nervously facing Nangong Hong, waiting for his response to a question many were eager to know the answer to.


    ¡°Sir, I understand the intent behind your question, and I can only tell you that the Tang Empire does not have a strong demand for territory; currently, we have no plans to invade other countries.¡± Nangong Hong provided a very clear response.


    Upon hearing this, the diplomat let out a sigh of relief and then continued, ¡°If that is the case, then why has the Tang Empire been so active in the Dahua Empire¡¯s civil war?¡±


    ¡°I think you have misunderstood. Our active involvement is due to our interests being affected. The civil war in the Dahua Empire has cost us a lot of money and has also destabilized our borders,¡± explained Nangong Hong officially.


    ¡°You see, the root cause of the civil war in the Dahua Empire is related to Prince Zhao Yu, who has been treated unfairly within the Dahua Empire despite his good relations with the Tang Empire. If we don¡¯t support His Highness Zhao Yu, whom we have good relations with, we stand to face severe losses in our various investments in the Dahua Empire,¡± he elaborated as though everything were indeed happening that way.


    In fact, as one of the world¡¯s top military powers, even if Zhao Kai wins the civil war in the Dahua Empire, they would hardly dare to seize the investments of the Great Tang Group.


    ¡°So, may I ask when your country plans to help end this civil war in the Dahua Empire? As you know, relying solely on mercenaries, this war cannot continue indefinitely,¡± the Laines Empire¡¯s envoy asked Nangong Hong, concerned about when the war would end.


    Nangong Hong sighed and then with a worried look, replied, ¡°We actually also hope that this civil war will end soon, but ultimately, the developments on the battlefield are not for us to decide; everything depends on the performance of both sides in the Dahua Empire¡¯s civil war.¡±


    The envoy from the Laines Empire, having traveled a long distance, thought for a moment and then asked his final concern, ¡°One last concern of my country, does this war affect the trade between the Tang Empire and other countries?¡±


    He didn¡¯t ask if the Tang Empire would be drawn into the war, because the answer was quite obvious. The Tang Empire could become involved in the war at any time; in fact, in some respects, the Tang Empire has already been involved.


    However, on the surface, the Tang Empire still maintains neutrality, even willing to sell weapons to delegations from the Dahua Empire at the ongoing expo.


    On the surface, the Tang Empire seems very fair, but in reality, this stance of neutrality itself is an attitude. Treating Fengjiang¡¯s rebels as a force on par with the official Dahua Empire government stands as a clear statement.


    Nangong Hong naturally shook his head, denying, ¡°Of course not, how could you entertain such an absurd idea. Our empire¡¯s biggest consideration for not getting involved in the war is to ensure that our trade with other nations remains unaffected. Rest assured, everything is normal, and trade between countries will not be affected.¡±


    These days at the expo, Nangong Hong had met envoys from many countries, all concerned about the civil war in the Dahua Empire and also with the issue of the Tang Empire selling new weaponry.


    This expo hosted by the Tang Empire showcased unprecedented advanced technology, including cutting-edge technology like helicopters, making all countries eye-opening. They had never seen such generous technology transfers, nor had they seen such powerful weaponry.


    Here not only did they see advanced helicopters, tanks, rocket artillery, and torpedoes from the Tang Empire, but they also encountered many light weapons.


    Here there were not only the old Maxim heavy machine guns but also various machine guns from other countries from the World War II era, all featuring brand new designs that were extremely enticing.


    No joke, the militaries of countries around the world had been using old models of machine guns for far too many years, either making do with Maxims or having to use various disorderly modified machine guns from Shireck.


    Now, the Tang Empire has introduced many new model machine guns never before seen in this world, such as the complex and exquisitely beautiful Taisho Year 11 machine gun... Hmm, a gun of astonishing structure and remarkable power, definitely a fine weapon.


    Then there¡¯s the infamous DP-28 light machine gun, known as the ¡°Dish Plate.¡± Its design is also uniquely distinctive, and its performance is certainly much better than the aforementioned Taisho machine gun.


    Of course, aside from these two machine guns, another famous light machine gun is the Czech ZB-26. That¡¯s right! This is a war artifact, a legendary gun with a magazine mounted on top, its performance crushing the Taisho Year 11 light machine gun.


    The true star of the entire venue was actually the MG42 general-purpose machine gun from the Tang Empire. This is a well-studied, excellent piece from the Tang military; just from the performance alone, it¡¯s apparent this gun is far more formidable than the previous models...


    In fact, this is a kind of faith endorsement, because, in reality, even the MG-42 machine gun has many issues, and is not such a perfect weapon.


    Not a joke, the MG42 machine gun¡¯s firing rate is too fast, which results in its bullets being consumed more rapidly than other machine guns, thereby increasing logistical supply pressure.


    In a country like the Great Tang Empire with strong logistical support, such a flaw isn¡¯t much of an issue, but in those countries with poor logistical support, this flaw could be fatal.


    However, to many people, regardless of these issues, as long as it¡¯s a weapon used by the Great Tang Empire, it is powerful and worth purchasing.


    This is actually a kind of psychological need, like the generation influenced by the films Super Space Fortress and the television series Aspiring Sky, which are obsessed with variable-sweep wings, stubbornly believing that the ¡°Tomcat¡± fighter jet is the coolest and has a special combat effectiveness bonus.


    And those contemporaries who watched Transformers also fell in love with the red Spider¡¯s transformation of the F-15 fighter jet. These fighter jets, once used by the United States Air Force, stood out in wars where they fought against nursing homes and kicked kindergartens around, and later became the darlings of the arms trade.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s sale of MG-42 machine guns, as well as featuring stars like the DP-28 and ZB-26, is actually making use of waste.


    As they started to popularize the Type 56 assault rifle, the machine gun replacements in the Great Tang Empire also commenced¡ªthe original 42 machine guns were entirely retired, replaced by the famous Type 56 squad machine gun.


    Such replacements also signify a strategic transformation: the tactical formations of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s squads, transitioning from revolving around general-purpose machine guns to an approach of averaging firepower.


    Changing from tactics centered around one or two machine gun points to fully automatic, amply armed, stronger firepower, and more flexibly deployed dispersed tactics.


    Such tactics are actually transition tactics to bridge to infantry fighting vehicles, although the Great Tang Empire doesn¡¯t have suitable infantry fighting vehicles yet, but it is a fact that infantry firepower is already excessive.


    Because the Tang Army is fully automatic, there¡¯s no longer a concept of a ¡°rifleman¡± helping the machine gun team to carry ammunition. Everyone carries around 400 rounds of their personal ammunition, including five or six personal magazines, which is already quite a heavy load.


    In this situation, carrying the massive number of machine gun belts needed by the machine gun team is clearly unfeasible. Thus, the fast-firing and wasteful MG-42 machine guns are not suitable; the drum-fed, more ammunition-efficient Type 56 squad machine guns are obviously more appropriate.


    This is how changes in weapons equipment bring about significant changes in tactics, directly demonstrating one point: before other equipment changes occur, forcibly promoting some seemingly advanced future weapons is actually incorrect.


    Tang Mo daring to discard the MG-42 machine gun and adopting the less continuously firing capable Type 56 squad machine gun, is already preparing to equip infantry fighting vehicles, planning to use larger-caliber vehicle-mounted machine guns to address the lack of firepower in the infantry squads.


    So, on the surface, the squad firepower of the Great Tang Empire seems to have decreased slightly, but from a long-term perspective, the Great Tang Empire has always been finding ways to enhance the firepower for each military unit. This idea has never changed, from the Brunas Era until now!


    ¡°So, the weapons and equipment we are purchasing, including machine guns and helicopters... and other equipment, can they all be delivered on time?¡± The emissary from the Laines Empire asked eagerly.


    ¡°Absolutely, they can be delivered on time. We have never delayed the delivery of any equipment,¡± replied Nangong Hong confidently.


    He paused, then half-jokingly continued, ¡°Even if you were to declare war on our Great Tang Empire tomorrow, we would only detain this batch of weapons, and then deliver them to you after your defeat.¡±


    Hearing Nangong Hong¡¯s words, the emissary from the Laines Empire looked as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly. He believed that the Great Tang Empire was indeed capable of such actions and also had to admit that this indeed demonstrated the Great Tang Empire¡¯s integrity to some extent.


    So, he awkwardly smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Nangong is joking. Our Laines Empire always loves peace and would never casually declare war on a friendly nation.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so? That¡¯s really reassuring. I hope our two countries can always remain friendly like this,¡± Nangong Hong said sincerely.


    Although his tone sounded very sincere, to the emissary of the Laines Empire, it somehow had a harrowing feel.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Today there are two updates, no need to wait anymore.

 Chapter 1023: 945 weapons are becoming more advanced

    Chapter 1023: 945 weapons are becoming more advanced


    As days passed by, the face of the battle at Fengjiang began to undergo various changes.


    Firstly, the defending troops of Fengjiang brought out the Great Tang Empire¡¯s anti-aircraft marvel, an 88mm caliber anti-everything gun, followed closely by the Dahua Empire deploying a type of super weapon similar to a mortar.


    Initially, a Type 5 tank from the Dahua Empire, while covering the infantry¡¯s advance, was targeted by a 88mm cannon from behind the roadblock at the crossroads, piercing through its thickest frontal armor and turning it into a blaze of flames.


    Then, the Dahua Empire deployed a short-range mortar with a caliber over 400mm, firing a shell that flattened a building packed with Dwarf soldiers!


    This was certainly no joke, in such alleyway battles, this massive caliber artillery, although not having a long range, could exert unimaginable psychological pressure on the defending troops.


    However, it didn¡¯t take long for Fengjiang¡¯s defense forces to bring a compact 107mm caliber rocket artillery to the front line, and delivered a face-to-face firepower coverage to the newly occupied ruins by the Dahua forces.


    A few days earlier, the Dahua army had wiped out over fifty Dwarf soldiers with a mortar shot, only to immediately suffer from 12 rocket shells smashing directly onto their faces, resulting in a small group wipeout¡ªthe soldiers at the ruins were upended, instantly incapacitated.


    What was once seen as the genteel warfare of alleys, transformed drastically as both sides introduced various advanced weapons, escalating the intensity to almost uncontrollable levels.


    The Dahua Empire deployed the Matricaria rocket launchers purchased from the Great Tang Empire and targeted the center of Fengjiang City. Just over an hour later, the Fengjiang troops retaliated using the same Matricaria rocket launchers against the Dahua Empire¡¯s defensive positions.


    Casualties skyrocketed on both sides, as they grappled with adapting to the new weaponry and tactics, forcing the frontline troops to endure vastly multiplied firepower, resulting in devastatingly high casualty rates.


    Within half a month, both sides had utilized the latest weapons they acquired from the Linshui Expo on each other, bloodiness peaking as Fengjiang City seemed to transform into a colossal meat grinder.


    Not to mention the individual soldier¡¯s weaponry, which underwent tremendous changes: during the first two months of the civil unrest, the primary weapons were Shireck Type 1 bolt-action rifles and Maxim heavy machine guns; now, they all wielded Thompson Submachine Guns and various models of light machine guns.


    Dahua Empire¡¯s soldiers amassed loads of second-hand and even third-hand Thompson Submachine Guns from Great Tang, and their factories were massively replicating these. These submachine guns, once produced, were delivered to the front lines, significantly enhancing the individual firepower of the combat units.


    In comparison, the Fengjiang defense forces heavily utilized the Boposha Submachine Guns from the Ice Cold Empire; initially brought over with the Dwarf mercenaries, they later directly produced them under license in Great Tang for frontline use.


    Previously lacking in light machine gun power, Dahua only had an abundance of Maxim machine guns, and had to strip down their mounting accessories to keep up with the infantry¡¯s pace.


    Now, the exposition selling various machine guns, as well as their blueprints and manufacturing licenses, saw the Dahua Empire unhesitantly purchasing a type of machine gun called 1918 from Great Tang and beginning its mass production domestically.


    The latest batch of weapons had also arrived at the front lines in recent days¡ªissued for combat use.


    Interestingly, Fengjiang also purchased the ZB-26 light machine guns designed and produced by Great Tang, deploying them to the battlefield during the same period to start devastating the Dahua troops.


    Both sides almost simultaneously reaped the benefits of light machine guns, swiftly abandoning the older, cumbersome support-fire tactics. The hit-and-run light machine gun tactics began to spread massively amidst the ruins of Fengjiang.


    As the war persisted, Dahua Empire¡¯s slow mobilization gradually picked up speed, overcoming its previous sluggishness bit by bit.


    This time, in order to expedite the delivery of new weapons to the front lines, the Dahua Empire also mobilized hundreds of type 47 transport aircraft, demonstrating unprecedented efficiency.


    To await the arrival of Dahua Empire¡¯s light machine guns at the front, the Great Tang Empire also deliberately delayed providing light machine guns to Fengjiang troops, allowing both sides¡¯ new weapons to appear on the battlefield at almost the same time.


    More than a month has passed since the end of the exhibition, and during this time, the Battle of Fengjiang has been progressing at a snail¡¯s pace.


    Despite Zhao Chen pushing forward another two kilometers toward the city center at all costs, he increasingly felt that his offensive power was lacking.


    The Dahua Empire also felt embarrassed to complain about weapons to the Great Tang Empire: Both sides were now using weapons from the Great Tang, rendering any protests weak and ineffective.


    You say Fengjiang¡¯s machine guns are from the Great Tang Empire? Brother, your Dahua Empire¡¯s machine guns are also designed by the Great Tang Empire, why don¡¯t you mention that?


    Seeing that this civil war within the Dahua Empire had been raging for over six months, the chaos on the battlefield was now almost indescribable. Under such circumstances, the appearance of some weapons and equipment from the Great Tang Empire hardly mattered anymore.


    Because just a few days ago, under the guise of aid from Chu Country, a No. 4 Tank from the Great Tang Empire also appeared on the battlefield in Fengjiang, which after destroying two type 3 tanks, was destroyed by a type 5 tank from the arriving Dahua army.


    The square, which already housed the wrecks of seven or eight tanks, was now being called the Tank Graveyard, since visibility was poor due to the many wrecks, both sides were reluctant to deploy their heavy equipment in that area.


    As the weather began to cool down, the ambassador of the Dahua Empire stationed in Tang once again handed Nangong Hong a statement.


    This statement had been transferred to the Tang Empire by the Dahua Empire five times already, with almost identical content each time, simply ¡°reminding¡± the Tang Empire¡¯s train to avoid entering Fengjiang train station.


    The reason was simple: the front lines were getting increasingly closer to Fengjiang train station, and it had truly become unsafe. The Dahua Empire had long wanted to destroy both Fengjiang train station and the airport, but had been pressured by the Tang Empire not to act.


    Now it was too close to these areas. The Tang Empire had been playing a neutral role all along, right? Now that it is unsafe, you surely can¡¯t preserve Fengjiang while losing face, can you?


    Not only was the statement submitted, but the Dahua Empire also used forceful measures to pressure the Tang Empire to stop using Fengjiang train station: they shelled the area near the train station with large-caliber artillery to prove that Fengjiang train station was no longer safe.


    The Tang Empire on this side remained indifferently cool; indeed, they stopped using Fengjiang¡¯s train station. Loads of materials were unloaded directly at East Fengjiang City in the Tang Empire, then transported across the bridge directly into Fengjiang.


    It was only a few extra kilometers distance, more or less the same speed. So generously, the Tang Empire expressed their neutral stance by issuing a danger warning for the Fengjiang train station to all their ¡°commercial operation trains.¡±


    When Zhao Chen, Zhao Ji, or even Zhao Kai heard this warning from the Tang Empire, they all breathed a sigh of relief. They certainly didn¡¯t want to offend the Tang Empire, whose outward maintenance of neutrality indeed gave the Dahua Empire ¡°tremendous face.¡±


    Thus, after confirming that the Tang Empire had indeed issued this notice warning all its citizens that entering Fengjiang was very dangerous, the higher-ups in the Dahua Empire turned a blind eye to the Tang Empire¡¯s tanks entering Fengjiang.


    It was just some tanks after all; they could be destroyed. There were already Butcher Fighter Jets before, and a few more No. 4 Tanks were not a big deal¡ªthe Tang Empire had sold Panther Tanks, but didn¡¯t deploy them directly to fight in guerrilla warfare inside Fengjiang City, so we might as well sneak in some joy.


    Just like that, rain made Fengjiang City muddy, and a place that had already become a ruin now looked even more dilapidated.


    The Fengjiang troops, backed by the river, were still okay, but the Dahua Empire troops backed by the suburbs were suffering; they had to spend their days in tents, fortunate if they found a building not completely collapsed to seek shelter in.


    But in the end, this was no solution, since these buildings, already structurally unsound, were not safe and could collapse at any moment in the rainy weather.


    In just two days, due to building collapses, the Dahua Empire side alone had already suffered up to 100 casualties, which was enough to make anyone despair.

 Chapter 1024: Cabinet Door in the Storm 946

    Chapter 1024: Cabinet Door in the Storm 946


    In such rainy weather, the snipers of the Great Tang Empire were in a somewhat better condition than those of the Dahua Empire.


    They were issued with self-heating packs and warm water bottles, and had observers who could prepare some things in hidden places, so Tang Fei was still very comfortable in the sniper hideout he had found for himself.


    Beside him was a warm water bottle, which allowed him to feel warmth at any time. Additionally, his clothes were very effective at keeping him warm, thanks to the chemical industry level of the Great Tang Empire.


    It¡¯s not an exaggeration at all; due to technological advancements, many new materials had begun to appear, and the first to benefit were the soldiers fighting on the front lines. Materials that blocked wind and rain helped them maintain body temperature and also allowed them to fight more comfortably.


    This was an abandoned factory, about one-third of which had collapsed, and the remaining two-thirds were also in ruin and leaking rain everywhere.


    Cao Fei and his partner had taken refuge at the side of this structure, finding an unwanted broken door panel inside the factory to cover a shell crater, creating a concealed small hideout.


    It was a very good hiding spot; after covering it with some soil and leaving an exit at the back, Cao Fei and his observer hid inside.


    Even though they weren¡¯t worried about their clothes getting wet from the rain, this was still the front line, so it couldn¡¯t be truly comfortable.


    From the reserved exit and the surrounding gaps, rainwater would occasionally leak into the crater, the walls were damp, and in fact, Cao Fei and his comrade¡¯s boots were already soaked through.


    They wore raincoats on their bodies, ensuring their bodies stayed dry. Plus, with the warm water bottles, they were kept warm in the cool weather. For a soldier, that was already a very fortunate situation.


    ¡°If it¡¯s really bad, just take off the shoes, or the feet will be ruined,¡± the observer said irritably, clearly unwilling to come out ¡°hunting¡± in this kind of weather.


    ¡°How would we run if we took off our shoes?¡± Cao Fei laughed and moved his eyes away from the scope. He had been observing a deserted building in the distance, as it was an excellent sniper position.


    If he were the enemy sniper, he would also choose such a place. Although it was risky, it was worth a try.


    Of course, the reason he dared to try was because his weapon had a large enough range, making it relatively safe there.


    The front line was now about a hundred meters away from that building, and it was very likely that the enemy would use that high ground to scout around.


    Therefore, even if it wasn¡¯t a sniper coming from the other side, it could possibly be an officer or an observer or some other high-value target.


    ¡°That¡¯s a full 390 meters away from us, they¡¯re joking if they think they can hit us even if they see us,¡± the observer retorted disdainfully, but he did not untie his shoelaces, so evidently he was just speaking to vent.


    Actually, he was just complaining. If he truly wanted to improve his own conditions, he should have chosen the ambush location inside the nearby factory building.


    Although it leaked, it was overall still an excellent dry environment. It¡¯s just that this factory building was a rather noticeable place nearby, and no one dared to enter here to await death.


    To put it bluntly, whether the factory building was completely demolished by a shell depended entirely on whether the artillery of either side felt like firing at it this morning.


    In other words, if an artillery commander of one side had too much to eat this morning and was in a bad mood, the remnants of this factory building could become a collapsed ruin.


    That¡¯s why Cao Fei and his group deliberately avoided this potential target, and if the enemy had any smart snipers, they would definitely focus their defense on this factory building.


    As a result, the two of them hiding in the shell crater next to the factory building had better concealment and more chances to fire.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to come here today either, but since it¡¯s raining, the other side must think the same. It¡¯s safe in rainy weather; go to the high ground to observe...¡± Having rested enough, Cao Fei picked up the binoculars next to him and continued to watch the building in the distance.


    This is the real sniper battle: you can¡¯t know which window or road surface the enemy is at, nor when they will show up.


    It¡¯s entirely possible that while you¡¯re holding your gun waiting for the opponent, the opponent is still having breakfast in their own trench, and just as you put down your gun to take a leak, they pass by the gap you¡¯ve been aiming at for a long time...


    So, a sniper spends far more time observing with binoculars than holding a gun. They need to repeatedly observe their surroundings and record every detail as much as possible.


    In this regard, the snipers of the Great Tang Empire had an inherent advantage. The optical equipment they held was clearly more outstanding and advanced than that of their opponents.


    To speak a harsh truth, the binoculars issued to the snipers of the Great Tang Empire performed better than the binoculars Zhao Chen treasured.


    Actually, buildings like the one observed through the telescope by Cao Fei are often deliberately left as reference points by the defending side in most cases.


    If all the buildings on the front line were leveled, observations and the like would be affected. At the same time, preserving these buildings also provides a hunting ground for our snipers.


    Everyone is plotting, waiting for the opportunity when the enemy forces gather in large numbers around these buildings. When the time comes, a round of artillery fire causing massive casualties to the enemy¡¯s living forces is much smarter than destroying a dilapidated building, isn¡¯t it?


    Moreover, sometimes it¡¯s not that easy to destroy a building: it¡¯s possible that after a dozen artillery shells are fired, the remains of the building still stubbornly stand. That¡¯s why cities like Stalingrad still have many buildings left standing.


    Of course, the attacking side is even less willing to destroy buildings. The most important reason is that the rubble and debris in the cities are natural obstacles to their advance.


    Besides, the attackers aim to capture the city. If they destroy the buildings recklessly, then what¡¯s the point of capturing the city?


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The observer poured water from a plastic sheet used to collect rainwater into a container and then dropped a self-heating pack into it.


    The water here will quickly boil, and pouring it into a hot water bottle will make their lives a bit more comfortable. This gadget is indeed very convenient, especially in such small environments where no fire can be lit.


    The Dahua soldiers without this equipment are unwilling to fight in this kind of weather, even if such weather prevents those annoying Fengjiang planes from taking off.


    There are no more noisy engine sounds in the sky, but the surroundings are not quiet. The sound of rain hitting the ground even drowns out the seemingly never-ending sound of artillery fire not far away.


    At this moment, Cao Fei¡¯s expression suddenly became serious. He stopped moving and stared at a window of the building for a long time without any action: ¡°Third floor, fifth window from the left!¡±


    The observer immediately tensed up. He moved to the gap next to him, picked up his own telescope, and found the window Cao Fei was talking about.


    ¡°Do you see it? The cabinet inside...¡± Cao Fei reminded his partner: ¡°It was closed before.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I see it. It was definitely closed before.¡± The observer was very sure that the cabinet doors had indeed been closed.


    ¡°Someone opened it! There hasn¡¯t been any shelling nearby, so it couldn¡¯t have been due to vibrations!¡± Cao Fei put down his telescope and took up his sniper rifle, re-aiming the scope at the window.


    He carefully searched from one window to another, observing any changes in each window. With the aid of the 8x scope, he could see every bullet mark on the building¡¯s walls and every detail through the curtain of rain.


    ...


    In a distant building, an old hunter from the Dahua Empire looked somewhat speechless at a comrade who had scavenged a bag of peanuts.


    ¡°I told you not to touch anything after we came in!¡± the worried old hunter who feared he had already been exposed complained.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to fear, isn¡¯t there an anti-landmine convention?¡± The sniper who had come with him shook the peanuts in his hand proudly and said, ¡°You should check every room here, or you¡¯ll miss a lot of good stuff.¡±


    As he spoke, he also pointed to the peanuts in his hand: ¡°The further to the front, the closer to Fengjiang¡¯s Nobility area. The people here are rich, and they leave a lot of things behind when they run. If you¡¯re willing to search, you can find a lot of food.¡±


    ¡°Although most of them can¡¯t be eaten anymore, some are still good.¡± The sniper picked up a peanut and popped it into his mouth, savoring it contently.


    ¡°If you¡¯re dead, you won¡¯t be able to eat anything!¡± The old hunter looked at the man acting with him and reminded him discontentedly: ¡°If someone discovers you¡¯re here, you might lose your life.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay! Old man! I know you¡¯re the most skilled hunter around here. I get it.¡± The sniper shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he had taken the elder¡¯s advice to heart.


    The old hunter didn¡¯t say more. He found a fairly dry spot and started to camouflage himself: ever since he had last seen the sniper gear of the soldiers from the Great Tang Empire, he had developed his own ¡°ghillie suit.¡±


    His ghillie suit was not green, but gray, making him look like a pile of bricks, which worked very effectively.


    The reason they had come to this run-down building was because they didn¡¯t have good rain gear, so taking shelter from the rain inside the building became their only choice¡ªa rain shed overhead was indeed a luxurious indulgence in this kind of weather.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    Two updates today

 Chapter 1025: A shot in the rain 947

    Chapter 1025: A shot in the rain 947


    Military equipment that seems unimportant can actually prove critical to the survival of front-line soldiers, subtly influencing their decisions and affecting their casualty rates.


    Items such as raincoats, waterproof materials, and insulation materials may not seem vital on a regular basis, but when the time comes, they can offer soldiers safer options for their operations.


    Snipers from the Great Tang Empire can use waterproof materials to set up hidden temporary positions without risking exposure by occupying buildings that are easily targeted; this is their advantage.


    On the other hand, Dahua Empire¡¯s snipers lack these novel gadgets. They have raincoats, but these are sourced from civilian factories, with designs meant for civilian use, leading to many non-professional aspects in detail.


    Such raincoats, without special reinforcement, tear easily at critical points and are inconvenient to wear, leading many soldiers to avoid using them.


    When national procurement funds are limited, it¡¯s common to see the infantry¡¯s shoes, raincoats, and canteens cobbled together and painfully traditional in appearance.


    However, with ampler funding and downward technological diffusion, such so-called traditions vanish instantly. For example, aluminum canteens are replaced by plastic ones, and subpar canvas bags by backpacks for field operations...


    Dahua Empire¡¯s raincoats are really hard to describe ¨C they were hastily adapted from civilian raincoats when procured, initially using the Great Tang Empire civil work raincoat style that just allowed for carrying objects in the sleeves.


    Even after improvements, their practicality was still limited: rubber coatings peeled off, loose cuffs and hem allowed water ingress, they couldn¡¯t be quickly removed, nor did they support carrying much additional gear...


    As a result, Dahua Empire¡¯s soldiers are often reluctant to wear these uncomfortable raincoats in the rain, preferring to find a sheltered spot instead.


    Thus, Dahua Empire¡¯s defensive positions often needed to be reinforced with covered shelters, which appeared to be artillery shelters but were actually simple rain covers.


    In urban combat, Dahua soldiers also preferred to enter buildings; even knowing the risks and vulnerability to enemy attacks, they would habitually opt for such dangerous buildings for the comfort in rainy conditions.


    At the very least, they would store spare clothing, sensitive ammunition, weapons, and other materials inside buildings to keep them dry.


    These minor issues, if not examined deeply, might not seem consequential, but Great Tang¡¯s snipers could utilize these habits to set up ambushes in advance, identifying and predicting enemy positions and likely defense spots.


    Watching the relentless rainfall, the two snipers of the Dahua Empire lost any desire to change position.


    Those who¡¯ve played battle royale games know that a sniper¡¯s mentality after finding cover is delicate: despite well-crafted camouflage, whether someone has spotted your concealed position remains uncertain.


    Lying in a bush may seem an excellent spot, and with a ghillie suit, your concealment is quite high. But someone might have already been watching you through a scope as you¡¯ve laid down.


    The enemy may delay firing to consider others, may be seeking out your allies, or might not have noticed you at all... Unlike in games, in reality, you only have one chance to verify if the enemy has found you. Isn¡¯t that terrifying?


    Would moving forward a meter reveal you to someone? Did a mere glance to check your surroundings already expose your head to an enemy sniper?


    While your movements might alert the enemy, whether they actually become vigilant is uncertain. If you fret over whether you¡¯ve been spotted with each action, then nowhere on the battlefield will feel safe.


    Therefore, snipers and artillery spotters usually enter their positions before dawn, using darkness as cover.


    They¡¯ll also observe for several days, ensuring they do not disturb nearby objects and alert the enemy, following an unwritten rule for survival.


    Certainly, following such rules can significantly reduce the risk of discovery, but opportunities for perfect entry into positions are scarce. Often, one must take risks when entering or leaving positions.


    The old hunter from the Dahua Empire didn¡¯t dare dwell on it: if he abandoned this favorable spot right now to search for another in the rain, it was highly likely he¡¯d end up soaked for nothing.


    In good weather, he could find a new location if his foolish comrade compromised their ambush spot, but now, with the rain, he eventually decided to stay.


    This isn¡¯t a matter of luck but a strong heart cultivated through prolonged combat: caution has its limits¡ªmost times, you¡¯re merely frightening yourself.


    He walked into a room where the curtains were already soaked through, and the lack of windows left a puddle of water on the floor.


    A bed is a good thing, for sitting, and for setting up a sniper rifle; by rearranging the other furniture away from the windows, a fine sniping position could be established.


    The old hunter was making a nest for himself; behind him, in another room, the Dahua sniper eating moisture-dampened peanuts also began to prepare his sniping position.


    He checked the angle of the window in his room, then dragged an old table from the wall with force, planning to move it to the middle of the room to support his rifle.


    As he was dragging the table to the center of the room, what he didn¡¯t know was that his head had already appeared in Cao Fei¡¯s sniper scope.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got him in sight! The one with a rifle on his back, he¡¯s dragging a table,¡± Cao Fei informed his companion.


    ¡°I see him, you can fire at any time.¡± Through the lens of the observer¡¯s binoculars, amidst the curtain of rain, he could see everything inside that far-off window clearly.


    Snipers of the Dahua Empire typically operated alone, so Cao Fei did not bother to confirm the number of enemies and chose the best angle to pull the trigger.


    ¡°Bang!¡± The abrupt shot pierced through the rain, with the bullet flying straight towards the distant building.


    Since there was no wind at the moment of firing and the rain was falling vertically, Cao Fei only had to slightly elevate the muzzle, aiming just above the target¡¯s Steel Helmet.


    The bullet traversed over 300 meters in an instant, flying into the window where someone stood. The Dahua sniper, still dragging the table, saw blood spray upon the peanuts that laid atop the table, now damp.


    Before he could comprehend what had happened, he felt his body losing control, strength rapidly draining away; he was losing support and quickly collapsing.


    Driven by his falling force, the table in front of him dropped with a crisp clang, he heard it unmistakenly clear.


    Then came his own body crashing to the floor, blood spraying before his eyes. Instinctively reaching out with his hand, he only felt a handful of fresh blood on his own neck.


    ¡°Help...¡± He opened his mouth to call for his comrades, but as he spoke, blood gushed from his mouth. The bullet had penetrated his neck, and his carotid artery was spurting like a fountain.


    The old hunter in the other room heard the gunshot, and quickly the thud of something heavy hitting the floor.


    Upon hearing the noise, the old hunter¡¯s first reaction was to immediately find a safe cover to hide behind; crouching low, he approached the doorway of his comrade¡¯s room but dared not recklessly enter to rescue.


    Joking aside, it wasn¡¯t yet clear where the enemy was hidden; rushing in could easily make him a target. So, the old hunter found a lower spot, peeked out to check the direction of the window, ensuring there was no vantage point outside.


    Yes, he did not even look to check on his comrade, nor did he immediately ask about their condition.


    Not until he pulled back did he ask, ¡°Are you injured? Can you crawl over here by yourself?¡±


    The person lying on the floor pressed hands against the gaping wound in his neck, his legs flailing weakly; he could see the blood spreading around him but could not utter a word.


    Hearing no response, the old hunter shifted his position for a better view and quickly peeked out again toward the window. This time he confirmed that, as long as he wasn¡¯t standing, there seemed to be no angle from which he could be shot.


    Therefore, he slightly bowed and lowered his head, glancing at his lying comrade amidst the bustle, just a glance.


    Then, he abandoned the idea of risking a rescue: just a look at the large pool of crimson blood in the room made it clear that there was no saving him.


    The Dahua Empire did not have the medical capabilities of the Great Tang Empire; an injury was as good as a death sentence for soldiers of the Dahua Empire.


    A corpse was not worth risking; thus, the old hunter did not give another glance, leaning against the wall, listening as the struggles inside grew fainter.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he whispered to the person inside, who seemingly couldn¡¯t hear anymore. As he spoke, the person inside had long stopped moving their legs; their hands, once clutching the neck, had slowly opened, and both arms lay spread out on the floor, immersed in the pool of blood.

 Chapter 1026: 948 Silent Battle

    Chapter 1026: 948 Silent Battle


    ¡°Do you think anyone will come to save him?¡± Unable to see his own results, Cao Fei stared intently at the window and asked his observer beside him.


    The observer also watched the window, and said: ¡°I wonder if they will discover our position. If we decide to leave, now seems easier.¡±


    ¡°Under normal circumstances, shouldn¡¯t they suspect that building on our side?¡± Cao Fei felt the rain noise masked his gunfire well, so the enemy should not easily suspect his position.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare yourself, okay? It¡¯s hard to say whether they have anyone nearby.¡± The observer felt that Cao Fei was being overly cautious.


    ¡°No, the window where he showed his face is not the best sniper position in this building!¡± Cao Fei analyzed calmly, ¡°His position is facing us, logically speaking, the front of that building is the best position, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hiss... now that you mention it, indeed... Normally, if there¡¯s only one person, shouldn¡¯t he go to the front, find a good position to oversee the nearby battlefield and find the target?¡± The observer realized as well.


    Setting up a position in a place with bad side visibility? Hence, it¡¯s very possible that the enemy has someone else on that better spot, another sniper.


    ¡°So, aren¡¯t we in great danger now?¡± The observer grew nervous, lifted his binoculars, and observed the other windows on that building.


    Due to the shells exploding around, all the glass in this building had been shattered, and it seemed like a fierce battle had broken out inside when the Dahua Empire was attacking this building.


    The walls were filled with dense bullet marks, and around some windows on the lower floors, bullet holes were visible, parts of the walls even cracked due to shell explosions.


    That teetering building had many wind-blown breaches and also several small spots suitable for observation.


    ¡°Probably not, a normal person would likely focus on the factory building next door, it¡¯s unlikely anyone would notice us here.¡± Cao Fei confidently said.


    Their position was indeed concealed enough, with only two firing ports in the front and an exit at the back, it was impossible for anyone to discover them.


    Although they might be directly threatened by enemy fire when they retreat, under normal circumstances, they would eliminate the enemy before leaving.


    Moments passed by, and it seemed like everyone around had departed. The rain washed everything around as if a battle had never erupted here.


    Other than that abrupt gunshot earlier, all that remained was silence. The distant cannon sounds were faint, as if they were drum beats drifting through the rain.


    No one else passed by the window, the observer held his binoculars watching that distant building, noting every small change of detail. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t notice any difference, as if there was no one there at all.


    Actually, they really didn¡¯t see anyone; it was only their conjecture that there may be another enemy there.


    If they were to be exact, that place might not have anyone, or there might still be two, or even three enemies!


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just call in an artillery strike!¡± The observer held his binoculars, steadily fixating on the distant building, and said to Cao Fei beside him.


    Cao Fei didn¡¯t speak; he continued searching for any potential targets, through his scope, the building on the other side seemed right in front of his eyes.


    The observer knew, this was Cao Fei rejecting his suggestion. Because without confirming high-value targets, calling for random artillery support really isn¡¯t significant.


    You might just be bombing an empty building, which is utterly pointless. If just relying on suspicion to commence shelling, then every building in this city should become ruins.


    At the same time, the cautious old hunter from the Dahua Empire did not leave; he crawled to a hidden crack on the ground, observing the distant factory through his sniper scope.


    Just like Cao Fei thought, in the eyes of the old hunter who couldn¡¯t fully understand the equipment advantage of the Tang Empire, that wind-sheltering factory wreck was indeed the most suspicious spot.


    In his judgment, the opponent would not abandon such a good position that could shelter from rain and provide a good view. The opponent must be in that factory; the only question was exactly where in the factory.


    Through the crack, he could only see half of the factory. Carefully examining the small windows on those factory walls, he discovered nothing.


    That factory was rebuilt with the aid of the Tang Empire, its walls were very thick, and inside were various sturdy metal pipes.


    After being hit squarely by a heavy cannon shell, about two-thirds of it still stood tall, indicating the high standards of its construction.


    Typically, such a factory isn¡¯t short, usually divided into three floors. The topmost floor is for placing equipment like cranes, the middle floor builds around the factory walls resembling a corridor, and the bottom floor is the production area where machinery and workers are placed.


    The lowest floor of the factory usually only has tall, ventilated windows; therefore, the old hunter deduced that the enemy was most likely hiding near the corridor around the second floor.


    This floor has windows with a relatively good field of view, which is very convenient... Of course, the opponent may also be hiding on the third floor because there are windows there too, small ones, and though the view is not great, it¡¯s more concealed.


    The hunter did not rush because the gunshot he just heard reminded him of the distinctive sound of the rifle used by snipers of the Great Tang Empire.


    So, he knew his opponent was formidable, and thus he didn¡¯t dare to retreat the same way he came. He just stayed put, quietly observing, hoping to ensure his surroundings were secure.


    He checked each and every window and kept looking for exposed areas where the opponent might retreat. But he saw nothing, only the sound of rain and silence around.


    After waiting for at least ten minutes, the hunter felt that the opponent probably wasn¡¯t at any of the spots he was observing, as he thought he should have seen the opponent¡¯s silhouette by then.


    So, he continued to crawl and moved his body to another crack beneath a different window, through which he could see another part of the distant factory.


    Just at that moment, inside a bomb crater¡¯s bunker in the distance, the spotter¡¯s telescope happened to sweep across that crack. For just a moment, the spotter¡¯s gaze fell on the crack because he saw something move behind it.


    He stopped, his voice trembling with excitement or perhaps nervousness: ¡°Same floor! Below the third window, a crack! There¡¯s something moving!¡±


    Cao Fei adjusted his sniper rifle¡¯s angle so his scope was directly focused on the target; he could see something carefully wriggling behind the crack.


    ¡°I see him! The crack is too small, no chance of firing.¡± Cao Fei aimed at the crack, but at this distance, he couldn¡¯t assure his bullets would pass through such a narrow gap.


    Firing from this distance, ninety-nine percent of the bullets would hit around the gap, so rashly firing would be tantamount to alerting the enemy nearby, and would likely scare off the opponent.


    Thus, Cao Fei decided to wait for a better opportunity to kill the adversary under more certain conditions. After all, the meticulously arranged position had taken them a long time to set up; not making full use of it would be a wasteful slaughter.


    On the other side, the elderly hunter didn¡¯t realize he had been targeted; he was still peering through the crevice, trying to spot the enemy from the remaining windows.


    Frankly, his current position was advantageous for him because no one could hit him through the crevice at this distance, yet he could strike distant targets through it.


    This meant he was practically in an invincible state, able to attack at will without the worry of being counterattacked.


    ¡°Should we call in artillery to finish him?¡± Cao Fei¡¯s spotter thought, since it was confirmed that there was an enemy within the building, calling for artillery support was the simplest and most effective method.


    He even reached for the walkie-talkie beside him, ready to tune to the signal frequency to call for artillery support.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush! Let¡¯s see if we can take care of him.¡± Cao Fei watched his opponent, expecting he would notice the bait left behind soon.


    Indeed, at this time, the hunter from Dahua started focusing his attention on a small ventilation window on the third floor of the factory.


    Through the broken ventilator fan covering this small window, he could see something resembling an indistinct M35 Steel Helmet.


    This object was very well hidden; only a small part of it peeked through the ventilator fan, and if not for its memorable shape, the hunter might have overlooked it.


    What confirmed it as a potential target for the hunter was the indistinct Steel Helmet next to something elongated; due to the rain curtain obstructing the view, it looked very much like a rifle.


    Sure enough, that was the bait set up by Cao Fei ¨C an M35 Steel Helmet partly concealed, with a broken Shireck Model 1 rifle placed beside it.


    This was a double bait; if the enemy fired, it would alert Cao Fei and his comrades to an enemy nearby; if the enemy recognized the bait, he would likely focus on the factory building, thereby creating a certain level of misdirection.


    The hunter aiming at the Steel Helmet bait had his finger already pressing on the trigger, but as he was about to shoot the helmet, he hesitated.


    Peering through the not-so-clear scope, he observed the target. One minute passed, then two... his finger finally withdrew from the tight trigger, and he ultimately did not fire.


    The bait had not moved! A smile appeared on the hunter¡¯s lips: the opponent didn¡¯t even breathe, the Steel Helmet lay there motionless, just like a trap.


    ¡°Very clever!¡± the hunter inwardly praised his enemy: ¡°Setting a trap for me? You¡¯re the prey... child! I suspect you haven¡¯t realized yet... who you are battling against!¡±


    While grinning, he crawled back from the crevice, and all these movements were seen by Cao Fei, who was still aiming at this crevice. It seemed the opponent was also an experienced sniper, very cautious...


    ¡ª¡ª


    Yesterday was Qingming, and I really wasn¡¯t in the mood to write. Sorry for taking a day off. I will make up for it starting tomorrow, so please bear with me.

 Chapter 1027: 949 calling for artillery strike

    Chapter 1027: 949 calling for artillery strike


    ¡°He didn¡¯t shoot! It seems he figured out the decoy,¡± Cao Fei said to the observer next to him, ¡°Call for artillery support, the coordinates of this building...¡±


    ¡°Why the change of mind?¡± As the observer picked up the radio handset and began dialing, he asked Cao Fei.


    Cao Fei stared at the distant building, searching for the position he suspected, ¡°Better to take him out if possible, if not, at least force him to move and expose himself. The enemy is a master, we can¡¯t take risks.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a master because he didn¡¯t fall for our trap?¡± the observer asked while manipulating the radio handset.


    ¡°From his behavior, he¡¯s at least a master, and might even be the one who previously injured you,¡± Cao Fei speculated, though he didn¡¯t realize his casual guess would turn out to be prophetic.


    ¡°Heh heh,¡± the observer chuckled, then got through on the radio: ¡°Hello? Hello! This is operation team codenamed 75, password 331122! Calling, calling!¡±


    Through the handset came a pleasant female voice: ¡°This is Fengjiang 02 Command Center, repeat, this is Fengjiang 02 Command Center... Password confirmed, password confirmed! Please repeat your request, Team 75, please repeat your request.¡±


    ¡°Requesting artillery strike! Coordinates 13-07-16! Repeat, coordinates 13-07-16!¡± The observer stated the purpose of the artillery support call.


    ¡°Check artillery coordinates 13-07-16! Repeat, check artillery coordinates 13-07-16! Target condition... building,¡± the female operator¡¯s voice came through the handset.


    ¡°Confirmed, correct! Confirm! Confirmed!¡± The observer stared at the distant building, and after speaking, he disconnected.


    The batteries for the radio handset were precious, they were so small entirely due to Great Tang Empire¡¯s superior battery technology. But making batteries small comes at a cost; such powerful signal radio handsets could only support a few calls per battery.


    The electromagnetic environment now is not like a few years ago, when telegraphs weren¡¯t even common, allowing signals to travel far.


    At this moment, inside Fengjiang City alone, there are hundreds, even thousands of telephone and radio stations. In such a situation, to ensure one¡¯s own signal transmission, it is necessary to increase the signal¡¯s strength.


    Everyone is trying to increase the signal strength of their devices, which basically means internal competition has worsened the electromagnetic environment for everyone.


    The communications signals of the Great Tang Empire have always been superior to those of other countries; they also have more base stations, thus communication support has always been the best.


    ¡°Did you see that guy?¡± the observer picked up the binoculars, continuing to search for the enemy who had just left the crevice.


    ¡°Still no sight of him!¡± Cao Fei continued to search for his target. Since the man had left the previous crevice, he had not shown himself again.


    Perhaps the enemy switched to another position, or perhaps he had already left¡ªthese were things they couldn¡¯t confirm.


    In another building, an old hunter from the Dahua Empire was still searching for a suitable position. He wanted to keep observing the distant factory, scoping out where the enemy might appear next.


    Logically speaking, this distance was already at the extreme limit of his shooting range; he estimated the distance to the factory to be about 350 meters, which was beyond his usual firing range.


    Because he didn¡¯t know if the enemy had detected him and wasn¡¯t sure if the enemy was still there, the old hunter was being extremely cautious.


    He didn¡¯t dare pass by any dangerous windows, only crawling cautiously on the ground until he reached the staircase, where he barely managed to pull himself up.


    Yes, he wanted to go down to a lower floor for a better view, and switching floors would also greatly reduce the risk of being spotted by his opponent.


    Soon enough, he descended the stairs and walked against the wall to the room right below where his comrade had his neck shot through.


    He was now in the room directly beneath where his comrade¡¯s body lay. He slowly crawled to the doorway of the room, peeked out, and saw the collapsed exterior wall and the damaged window ledge.


    Originally, the ledge should have been here, but now only a V-shaped notch remained.


    Comparatively, the view from this gap was definitely better than the one above. The old hunter didn¡¯t approach any closer, instead using this notch to carefully inspect the distant factory.


    Just like before, he didn¡¯t find anything because the factory was still very quiet. The old hunter felt anxious; he suddenly thought how great it would be if he could call for an artillery strike to obliterate the most dangerous spots.


    Unfortunately, he had no way to communicate with the artillery, and most of the time he didn¡¯t even have a partner to act with.


    Just as he felt a bit regretful, a piercing sound of an artillery shell whistling from a distance suddenly came. The sound grew louder as it approached, mixed with rain, and carried a tremendous oppressive force.


    ¡°Artillery attack?¡± The thought suddenly crossed the old hunter¡¯s mind: was his opponent calling for an artillery bombardment on him?


    Although it seemed impossible, the old hunter still thought so, and he knew that he could no longer stay in this building.


    At that instant, an artillery shell struck right beside the building. The huge shockwave instantly blew away all the surrounding rainwater, violently shaking the entire building, and then a corner of the building began to collapse.


    The remaining glass shards on the window sills clattered noisily, and many unstable glasses began to fall, with the external wall¡¯s cement facade also starting to peel off.


    For the old hunter still inside the building, the whole world seemed to be on the verge of destruction at that moment; everything was shaking, and everything was making the sound of breaking and twisting.


    He hugged his rifle, feeling all the terrifying movements around him, praying that the ceiling wouldn¡¯t collapse and bury him alive.


    While he was praying, the second shell fell, and the massive explosion engulfed most of the building.


    At the old hunter¡¯s crawling spot, the shockwave carrying various debris like bricks, tiles, sand, and dust whistled past, filling his nostrils and leaving him unable to breathe.


    The sky seemed to be shaking, everything appeared to be enveloped in smoke and dust, and at that moment, even the rain seemed to have paused. Not far from the old hunter, about ten meters away, the floor had already collapsed, leaving behind only a third of the building¡¯s original width in ruins.


    Everyone knew that it was practically no longer safe to stay here, and no one knew when the third shell would strike; staying put was essentially no different from waiting for death.


    Thus, the old hunter instinctively got up from the floor, his current floor ensured he could jump out of the window without sustaining severe injuries.


    His face was still covered in dust, and the swirling dust around him acted like a natural smokescreen. In the dusty environment, he found his way to the window, ready to jump down from the V-shaped gap.


    From a distance, Cao Fei, watching the building collapse, immediately spotted the somewhat blurry figure.


    The figure was dressed in a strange beggar¡¯s clothing, all made of strips of cloth, resembling the camouflage suits they usually wore. This outfit was peculiar, but Cao Fei could see it clearly.


    When the figure got up, it was a bit clumsy, but Cao Fei would not waste such a perfect opportunity to open fire.


    He pulled the trigger, firing a shot at the figure he saw. He felt the recoil of his rifle and also felt the feedback-like vibration from his rifle.


    The bullet passed through the smoke, and it was unknown if it hit the target. As more smoke and dust came over, Cao Fei could no longer confirm his success.


    At his side, the spotter was also unsure if the sniper¡¯s bullet had hit the target. He could only regretfully say to Cao Fei, ¡°Sorry, old Cao... I can¡¯t confirm your achievement...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can¡¯t confirm either. The time was too short.¡± Cao Fei released his finger from the trigger and spoke to his partner.


    As the two of them spoke, the third shell struck the building, completely destroying the remaining fragments and leveling the site.


    The dust from the collapsed building was still rolling, visibility was very low. Even though the rainfall washed it away, the swirling smoke lasted for more than ten seconds.


    Afterwards, visibility was restored, and the continuous rain kept falling. The surroundings were deadly silent, as if nothing had happened.


    Only the building that once stood there had now completely collapsed, leaving behind a mound of rubble formed from the debris and broken bricks.


    ¡°Props to you, 105!¡± The spotter proudly complimented, seeing the firepower of the artillery.


    Cao Fei was somewhat unconvinced; when they had called for artillery support before, they had confirmed that the target was a building, why not use the 105 howitzer? What else? Should they use a 75mm gun to shoot all day?


    If it had been a 155 howitzer, a little more precise, probably one shell would have been enough. There likely wouldn¡¯t have been a chance for the enemy to escape and they would have been blown up on the spot.


    Now, however, the opponent had jumped out, and no one knew if he was dead or alive, leaving an unknown outcome.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We don¡¯t have a shooting angle anymore.¡± Cao Fei, somewhat regretfully, packed up his things; their position had many advantages, but also disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage was that their position was too low, lacking the advantage of shooting from a high angle down at low-angle targets.


    Now that the opponent had jumped to the first floor, they no longer had a shooting angle, and waiting further would be futile, so they could retreat.

 Chapter 1028: The duel that ended with a score of 950

    Chapter 1028: The duel that ended with a score of 950


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is there an artillery shelling all of a sudden?¡± On a Dahua military defense position nearby, an officer squinted at the collapsed building not far away, complaining with fear and trepidation.


    Normally, there are fewer combat missions when it rains, and everyone can finally get some rest. So, of course, it¡¯s very annoying when a battle suddenly breaks out.


    Moreover, they had considered setting up their position in that building before. Now, seeing the building collapse, they naturally feel a chill down their spine.


    Lucky for them not to have chosen that spot, or else wouldn¡¯t they be buried alive by now? Watching the collapsed building with lingering fear, this Dahua officer even felt a slight sense of smugness.


    His location was a ¡°trench¡± cleared out from the ruins; there were rubble on both sides, with some doors and the like placed on top covered with canvas and then buried with some sand and soil, which looked pretty good.


    But that was just seemingly good: As the rainy weather continued, the originally not so waterproof doors began to let water in! The rubble that supported the doors on both sides also leaked water, making the whole small space damp, muddy, and unbearably cramped, simply driving one to despair.


    Now here crammed seven or eight soldiers, along with some ammunition; they could only wear raincoats inside, and the environment was miserably depressing.


    But no matter how miserable it was, one¡¯s life was more important. So when everyone saw the collapse of the building in the distance, they all seemed very glad that they hadn¡¯t greedily sought temporary comfort by running to that building to shelter from the rain.


    ¡°Damn it! Those Fengjiang bastards have no humanity! Using artillery to destroy buildings in this weather? Shameless!¡± A soldier peered through the cracks and saw the collapse of the building, cursing non-stop.


    Others also felt those Fengjiang scum were lowlifes, shelling places for sheltering from rain in this kind of weather as downright beasts.


    The scale of the fighting on both sides also reduced due to the weather. Zhao Chen took advantage of these few days to give the troops a chance to breathe, and the Fengjiang troops took advantage of the terrible weather to reinforce their defense line.


    The next day the weather cleared, and after more than two days of rest, everyone seemed to have regained their state.


    The Dahua Empire troops recovered some morale during these two days of rest, and also stockpiled some ammunition. Likewise, the Fengjiang garrison did many things, such as getting more new weapons from the Great Tang Empire.


    It must be said, in such urban ruins, whether it¡¯s Dahua¡¯s 1918 or Fengjiang¡¯s ZB-26 light machine gun, both were extremely useful.


    Their appearance caused direct increases in casualties on both sides during street fighting, and also prompted both sides to rapidly upgrade their tactical arrangements around the machine guns.


    Because of the clear sky, the Butcher Fighter Jets of the Fengjiang military, absent for days, appeared over Fengjiang¡¯s urban area early in the morning. Their buzzing engine sounds seemed to awaken the fighting spirit of both sides.


    The Dahua Empire artillery began a large-scale bombardment on Fengjiang¡¯s defense line, and Fengjiang responded with counter-fire. The sound of the artillery suddenly merged into one, and the ground of the entire Fengjiang seemed to tremble.


    A group of soldiers from the Dahua army advanced through the ruins, bent over, their task was to get close to the positions of the Fengjiang troops to probe the continuity of the enemy¡¯s defense line.


    This was something that required risking one¡¯s life because in the environment of urban warfare, the defense line was not that continuous. It was very likely to turn into a tangled situation of interspersed forces due to the wreckage and ruins.


    Poor visibility and insufficient coverage of fire would cause this effect. Thus, both sides had to deploy a large number of troops to explore the enemy¡¯s defensive gaps and exploit these openings.


    These Dahua soldiers carefully moved forward, but their speed was not slow because previously the area was under their control, and fierce fighting had even occurred here before the rain.


    There should have been a large building here before, but yesterday, those damned Fengjiang troops, to prevent them from taking shelter from the rain, bombarded and destroyed the building.


    Now as they approached, with the absence of visual obstructions, the soldiers of the Dahua felt that the vicinity had become much emptier.


    ¡°Careful! Going further ahead is where the Fengjiang army¡¯s defenses were!¡± The commander walking in the middle of the squad lowered his voice to alert the leading ¡°pawns¡±.


    As these soldiers carefully moved forward, they came alongside the rubble of the building that was hit by artillery fire yesterday. After climbing over a piece of intact outer wall debris of the building, the leading Dahua soldier was startled.


    He paused for a moment, followed by his companion who had just climbed over the bricks: They saw a body on the ground, dressed bizarrely like a beggar, covered all over with scraps of cloth.


    ¡°A Fengjiang sniper?¡± Seeing the fallen rifle next to the body with a scope, a Dahua soldier asked.


    Another alert Dahua soldier shook his head, because the weapon seemed to belong to their side: Fengjiang snipers most commonly used the G43 semi-automatic rifles, which were obviously not from the Dahua Empire.


    Moreover, from the steel helmet that rolled to the side, it¡¯s likely confirmed that this was a sniper from the Dahua Empire. It¡¯s just that this sniper, for some unknown reason, is wearing a strange and peculiar outfit.


    ¡°One shot right in the chest, probably lay here for an hour before he stopped breathing,¡± the Commander who rushed over after inspecting the body, shared his analysis.


    Actually, that one shot wouldn¡¯t have been immediately fatal, but no one came to help this poor shot fellow all night, so he ended up dying in the rainwater. It¡¯s truly a tragic way to die, such a long and desperate wait for death.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely that sniper is hiding in the factory building over there!¡± At a slightly covered position, the officer turned his gaze toward the distant factory buildings.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably not there anymore, otherwise he would have shot me just now,¡± the Dahua officer mused with a sense of relief, feeling lucky about his close call.


    Even if that sniper had already left, if there were other Fengjiang troops inside the building, they would have likely shot at him. Although it was about 350 meters away from the opposite side, with them being in a higher position, it was too easy to hit the target.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± a Dahua soldier asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take our chances and move forward! Maybe we¡¯ll actually find a good position,¡± the Commander from the Dahua Empire gestured, ordering his subordinates to continue on their way.


    So, the following soldiers walked past the cold corpses lying on the ground, quickly heading toward the distant landmark building.


    Many soldiers bowed their heads to glance at the old hunter lying there, eyes lingering on the bloody stains that were washed pale red with rain on the grey strips of fabric on the bodies.


    Walking on slightly slippery bricks and tiles, the soldiers bypassed a crater on the ground filled with rainwater, not far from an uncovered manhole.


    ¡°Go around!¡± Observing the terrain, the Dahua Commander set their attack target on the factory building that had collapsed by a third.


    If they could take over that place, the merit would certainly be significant. Just as they approached the factory compound wall that had already collapsed in seven or eight places, a type 3 Tank rolled over the roadside rubble, appearing behind them.


    With the tank¡¯s cover, the Dahua soldiers were immediately invigorated, leaning against the walls scattered with gaps, and swiftly crossed the barrier that wasn¡¯t really a barrier.


    ¡°Quick! Quick! Quick!¡± The Dahua soldiers¡¯ officer waved his arms vigorously, urging his troops to rush into the building that appeared to be very sturdy.


    No one fired. There were no Fengjiang troops here at all, most of the machinery in the factory remained in place, but it was a pity that the equipment like the machine tools was damaged and could only be scrapped after the war ended.


    Stepping on the debris on the floor, making a crackling sound, some climbed up the somewhat twisted metal staircase to the second-floor corridor while others went straight to the third floor, to confirm if there were any enemies hiding.


    A soldier cautiously searched upstairs and suddenly saw the silhouette of an M35 Steel Helmet, along with the barrel of a Shireck Model 1 bolt-action rifle pointing out of a window.


    He was so frightened that he quickly aimed his gun and shouted at the silhouette, ¡°Drop your weapon! Bastard! You¡¯re surrounded! Don¡¯t do anything stupid! Surrender now!¡±


    The opponent seemed to ignore his command, and after he shouted twice more without getting any response, he and two comrades who heard the commotion approached bravely, only to find that it was a Steel Helmet and a discarded rifle.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this cruel? Scared me to death.¡± Several people were falsely alarmed, they took a deep breath and cursed. Once they confirmed the crisis was over, the people below also began to emerge from their hiding spots.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! It¡¯s okay! Damn it, it¡¯s just a Steel Helmet! Scared the hell out of me!¡± The people upstairs shouted to those downstairs.


    The people downstairs burst into laughter, and then they continued to check the other corners of the building.


    ¡°Sir... you¡¯d better come see... this,¡± a soldier quickly ran back from the other side and spoke to the leading Dahua officer.


    Unaware of what had happened, the Dahua officer followed his soldier to an open space outside the factory.


    It had been a bomb crater, but someone had modified it a bit, covering it with two door panels, and spread with soil on top, disguised as a hiding spot.


    Inside the crater were cans imported from the Great Tang Empire, some candies, and chocolate wrappers...


    Looking into the distance, the Dahua Empire officer realized he could see the collapsed building they had passed on the way from here. He thoughtfully looked down again at the camouflaged position on the ground, then turned back to check the factory building behind him.

 Chapter 1029: Battle after Rain 951

    Chapter 1029: Battle after Rain 951


    It seemed to him that he had figured out some things at this moment: A fierce battle may have erupted here, not intense in the traditional sense, but he viewed the combat here as truly spectacular.


    Now, he tried to reconstruct everything that happened yesterday in this vicinity: The cunning Fengjiang snipers had set up a bait inside the factory, the Dahua sniper at the building exposed himself, then the bastards of Fengjiang opened fire and killed the brave Dahua sniper. To ensure the Dahua sniper was dead, those Fengjiang bastards called in artillery support to destroy that building...


    Although he almost completely guessed wrong, he was still very excited: It felt as if he had personally experienced the slaughter that took place here yesterday.


    He looked up, gazing towards the direction controlled by the Fengjiang troops, and saw buildings of steel-reinforced concrete standing amidst the ruins, and couldn¡¯t help but sigh from within: Just how many snipers would it take to end this war?


    While he was sighing, a bullet flew straight towards him, piercing directly through his head, blood splattering instantly, the surrounding soldiers grabbing their shot leader and dragging him into the factory ruins.


    He pulled back the bolt, ejecting a cartridge, the brass shell still hot as it rolled to his feet. Cao Fei pushed the bolt forward once again, aimed at a Dahua soldier trying to drag away their officer, and pulled the trigger.


    ¡°Bang!¡± Another gunshot echoed through the sky, the soldier taking a bullet to the chest and falling to the ground. He tried to struggle to get up, but soon found that his movements were almost beyond his control.


    The remaining Dahua soldiers completely abandoned the idea of rescuing their officer, dropping the corpse with a hole in its head, and retreated embarrassingly back into the factory ruins.


    Looking through the scope, Cao Fei couldn¡¯t see any more enemy movement, so he didn¡¯t hesitate to shift his gaze away, moving back to a safer position, packing up, and preparing to retreat.


    He had left his position from yesterday as bait because under normal circumstances, once such a hiding place is discovered, the enemy would definitely send someone to check. Cao Fei purposely lay in ambush here to steal another enemy officer.


    ¡°Confirmed kills! Two! And that soldier hasn¡¯t moved anymore.¡± He slung his pack over his shoulder, checked his rifle, and the spotter walked ahead of Cao Fei with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little regrettable that we couldn¡¯t confirm the results from yesterday¡¯s encounter,¡± Cao Fei still thought about the Dahua sniper he clashed with the day before.


    The two of them circled back to the ground floor using the staircase, where dozens of wounded Goblins lay on the ground. They bypassed the wounded, carrying their weapons and quickly left.


    And about five minutes later, behind the factory ruins, the Type 3 Tank that was supporting the advance finally turned around the debris, appearing at a distant street corner.


    A brave Dahua soldier ran behind the tank, shouting loudly at the half-exposed tank commander on top, ¡°Snipers! Be careful! There¡¯s a sniper nearby!¡±


    Hearing his shout, the tank commander immediately retracted into the tank turret, then closed the hatch over his head.


    The battle still raged on fiercely. The tank continued to push forward, as the Fengjiang defense line and machine gun bunkers sprayed incessant streams of fiery tracer bullets.


    The ones stationed here were Goblin soldiers, who showed formidable combat strength when supervised by humans. Upon spotting the Dahua Empire¡¯s tank, these Goblins did not panic. Instead, they brought out a formidable weapon they could brandish ¡ª a new type of weapon reinforced to them, a 12-tube 107mm-caliber multiple rocket launcher! The Goblins aimed the rocket launcher at the distant tank and began to adjust its angle for direct fire.


    ¡°Take that bastard out! Fire! Fire!¡± commanded the Goblin officer waving a dagger forward.


    The distant Type 3 Dahua tank also seemed to have detected the threat, and began rotating its turret.


    ¡°Whoosh! Whoosh!¡± The multi-tube rocket launcher fired first, sending trails of light flying, with rockets trailing flames one after another towards the Type 3 tank, engulfing the entire street in flames and smoke, as if it were New Year¡¯s celebrations.


    The dense barrage of rockets bloodied the entire street, and this manner of use was fundamentally incorrect. After a series of ¡°exaggerated light and sound effects,¡± the tank emerged from the smoke and dust, unscathed.


    Many buildings on both sides of the street were hit by the rockets, some emanating smoke, others with their exterior walls collapsed.


    ¡°Damn it! What¡¯s going on?¡± the Goblin commander at the street barricade cursed at the several rocket artillerymen: ¡°How did you miss every shot?¡±


    ¡°S-sir... We... We only received this thing yesterday. Don¡¯t quite know how to use it,¡± the artillery chief responded with a cry in his voice.


    What a joke, do you think this is a game? If any weapon could just be picked up and used proficiently, why the hell would he still be here as a mere soldier?


    When they had fired the rocket launcher, they forgot that the launcher needed to be fixed and supported firmly. The previous two shots were fired in an arched trajectory, not caring about precision, so the difference was not apparent. Now they attempted direct fire, and the problem became glaringly obvious.


    To be fair: using the Type 63 rocket launcher this way, not injuring your own soldiers was already lucky, let alone expecting it to hit the target, was downright ridiculous.


    As they were explaining, the Type-3 Tank emerged from the smoke and fired a shot. This shot directly hit the 63 Rocket Artillery, reducing the weapon to a state of scattered parts.


    The flying shrapnel and components turned all the nearby Goblins into sieves, including the Commander of the street stronghold.


    The cruelty of combat is never one-sided unless one side overwhelms with technology that is generations ahead; otherwise, both parties in a war must pay a heavy price.


    If one insists on calling the act of beating up weaklings akin to fighting kindergartners a war, maybe there really is such a war with an unimaginable exchange rate¡ªhowever, bullying the weak too much can easily delay one¡¯s own progress.


    After eliminating the threats, the Type-3 Tank began to show off its might. It shielded dozens of Dahua Empire Soldiers as they approached the Goblin street stronghold.


    From the buildings on both sides, many hidden Goblin sharpshooters suddenly appeared. Using rifles and light machine guns, they fired, forcing the Dahua Empire Soldiers following the Type-3 Tank to take cover under the eaves on both sides.


    The badly damaged Dahua Soldiers raised their guns and shot at the windows and rooftops of the buildings on both sides, killing all the Goblins who poked their heads out.


    The Goblins hiding inside the buildings were not to be outdone; they began throwing Hand Grenades. For a moment, explosions erupted one after another on the street, turning the scene into something resembling Inferno.


    The remaining Dahua Soldiers directed all their attention to the Goblin gunners above them, when suddenly, from the street stronghold position straight ahead, a Goblin holding a long pole charged out of the trench.


    He was turned into a sieve by the course-setting machine gun directly in front of the Type-3 Tank and fell halfway to his target.


    But then a second and a third Goblin Soldier rushed out of the trenches, holding long poles with magnetic anti-Tank mines, charging towards their target.


    Finally, the third man successfully placed the magnetic mine against the side armor of the Type-3 Tank; the strong magnetic force made the mine stick to the tank armor. The subsequent explosion shaped a jet of charges that penetrated the Type-3 Tank.


    The violent explosion blew away the brave anti-Tank Goblin, along with the turret of the Type-3 Tank.


    Having lost their cover, the troops of the Dahua Empire immediately began to collapse. Under the gunfire targeting them, they fled backwards, leaving dozens of bodies on the street.


    Only one in ten of the Dahua Soldiers who managed to retreat to safety survived. They started out with about sixty or seventy men, and now only five remained.


    The battle that had been fought along the street had clearly failed. They would have to wait for subsequent Troops to come up and then, as before, contest every house and clear every room.


    Up in the sky, the Air Force of the Dahua Empire once again mustered the courage and sent a dozen Fighter Jets to challenge the Fengjiang Air Force.


    The Fighter Jets from both sides entangled in the sky, their engine roars alternately rising and falling. Before long, planes were seen trailing long plumes of black smoke, plummeting towards the distant horizon.


    Taking advantage of the Fengjiang Fighter Jets engaging with their own, the bombers of the Dahua Empire dropped several tons of bombs on Fengjiang.


    These bombs indeed destroyed some buildings, but Fengjiang seemed no longer to care about buildings at that point.


    The civilians in the city were using all kinds of tricks to escape to the Great Tang Empire, with few staying in their own homes. Those who really couldn¡¯t bear it were fleeing south from Fengjiang City¡ªwasn¡¯t going to Shanping safer than staying where they were?


    At this moment, all kinds of Anti-Aircraft Guns on the ground began to open fire into the sky, and one after another, the bombing planes of the Dahua Empire crashed.


    Fengjiang City at that moment was like a giant hedgehog, its gun barrels pointing to the sky in vast numbers: there were Bofors 40mm caliber Anti-Aircraft Guns, Dahua¡¯s own 76mm caliber Anti-Aircraft Guns, and also 88mm caliber Anti-Everything Guns...


    The artillery battle that followed extended outwards, with plumes of thick smoke rising everywhere in Fengjiang City. Black smoke columns connected, clearly visible even from the borders of the Great Tang Empire across the river.


    ¡°Quiet for two days, and now it¡¯s lively again...¡± One Sentinel of the Great Tang Empire looked at the sky obfuscated by gunpowder smoke and sighed with emotion.


    ¡°Hope it ends sooner. Didn¡¯t they say that area will be our territory later on?¡± Another Sentinel chimed in, ¡°Don¡¯t wreck it...¡±


    ¡°I know, right!¡± The first Sentinel agreed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Here¡¯s an additional update.

 Chapter 1030: 952 King of Qins Worry

    Chapter 1030: 952 King of Qin¡¯s Worry


    Qin Country has had some difficult days recently, as the economic situation has gradually worsened with the outbreak of civil war in the Dahua Empire.


    The civil war in the Dahua Empire has cut off Qin Country¡¯s trade routes to the Great Tang Empire, directly impacting the export of its cotton and other agricultural products to the Great Tang Empire, and consequently affecting Qin Country¡¯s income.


    The slave trade of orcs, previously booming along the western defensive line, has also become depressed with the internal conflict of the Dahua Empire. The most despairing aspect for Qin Country is the emergence of competitors in the slave trade.


    In the past, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s demand for orc slaves was mostly met through the route via Qin Country, which served as a form of trade subsidy for Qin Country.


    Now, with the civil war in the Dahua Empire, Qin Country is finding it increasingly difficult to conduct orc slave trade and can only watch helplessly as Shu Country seizes their market share.


    The Orc Empire has also completely come to terms with the situation over time. They realized that instead of desperately fighting with Qin Country at the edge of the desert and ending up captured, it would be more beneficial to directly engage in population trade with Shu Country.


    Because it eliminates the need for warfare, the price at which Shu Country purchases orc slaves is noticeably lower, and because it involves voluntary ¡°sale of service,¡± these orc slaves are also easier to manage and more submissive.


    With the collaboration of high-ranking orc officials, the entire Orc Empire and Shu Country have repackaged the population trade into a new category: ¡°labor export.¡± This concept appears high-end, classy, and the common orcs are evidently more willing to accept this form of ¡°reaching higher grounds.¡±


    Even the orc middlemen in Shu Country and the representatives of the Beastmen make some money, for they have given those orcs, who could not even afford enough food, a new choice.


    The best, most beautiful and strongest orcs, along with the smartest orc children and some of the wealthy among the orcs, will be meticulously selected to be sent to the Great Tang Empire. After all, the Great Tang Empire is not easy to deceive, and the quality of slaves must be guaranteed.


    The selection process is up for operation; those who are cooperative and willing to pay can become slaves in the prosperous Great Tang Empire. Those who can¡¯t afford it but are still fair enough can stay in Shu Country or go to Chu Country to scrape by.


    While these orcs may not be as capable, compared to the desert-like conditions of the Orc Empire, Shu Territory and Chu Territory naturally have better environments, so staying in these lands is not a bad deal.


    As for the spoiled and damaged goods, there are places to deal with them: some can be sold cheaply as slaves to the Dahua Empire, and some can be disposed of cheaply overseas...


    Don¡¯t feel disadvantaged for not being able to go to the Great Tang Empire, because the Great Tang Empire itself has strict immigration controls, and Beastmen often have no chance of acquiring citizenship there. In the Great Tang Empire, they are forever outsiders, hence their social status is not high.


    However, staying in Shu Country or Chu Country is different; they can work hard, find suitable opportunities, and possibly settle down permanently, thereby gaining a slight advantage.


    The difference is that in the Great Tang Empire, Beastmen have a pie in the sky painted by Tang Mo ¨C the idea that a favorable location will be selected within the Great Tang Empire to establish a nation for those orcs who have made outstanding contributions.


    Turning back to Qin Country, Qin Country discovered that the slave trade route passing through Shu Country and Chu Country to the Great Tang Empire is starting to replace the trade route from Dahua to the Great Tang Empire, and things are becoming increasingly out of control.


    Looking back at the agricultural product trade, besides those exported to the Dahua Empire, trade goods exported to other countries are being exploited by Shu Country.


    Furthermore, after going through Great Tang¡¯s little brother, Chu Country, the prices are truly unbearable to look at. This form of trade is fragile, and Qin Country must think of a way to save itself.


    The economic hardships are a fact, and Qin Country cannot change anything economically in the short term. It¡¯s powerless to exert pressure on the Dahua Empire or influence Shu Country and Chu Country¡¯s profiteering, so leaders in Qin Country have to start considering unconventional tactics.


    In recent months, Qin Country has been trying to persuade the Great Tang Empire to quickly resolve the civil war in the Dahua Empire.


    They even proposed an ambitious plan: Qin Country and the Great Tang Empire would send troops from both sides to encircle the Dahua Empire and quell the civil war within one to two months.


    However, this secret plan was rejected by the Great Tang Empire: the Dahua Empire is almost like meat on the chopping board for the Great Tang Empire, so what¡¯s the deal with you, Qin Country, trying to grab a piece?


    Of course, Qin Country isn¡¯t really trying to snatch anything; they just hoped to quickly resolve the civil war in the Dahua Empire or even divide it, bordering the Great Tang Empire and eliminating middlemen who profit from price differences.


    Unfortunately, all efforts to divide the Dahua Empire or force it to quell the civil war have failed. It seems the civil war in the Dahua Empire will not end in the short term, and the economic environment in Qin Country will have to endure a prolonged deterioration.


    Despite the Great Tang Empire¡¯s willingness to offer a loan of 100 million Gold Coins and 3 million Gold Coins in economic aid to compensate for Qin Country¡¯s losses, the people of Qin Country still felt their future was bleak.


    Since there was no way out economically, the King of Qin, Ying Duo, naturally placed all hope on the formidable military strength of Qin Country.


    Over the years, Qin Country may not have saved much else, but the combat capability of the border Troops near the western wall was indeed a dominating presence.


    Attacking the Great Tang Empire might be somewhat lacking, but when it comes to fighting other countries, Qin Country¡¯s military was full of confidence.


    Moreover, for such a long time, Qin Country had purchased a large number of Type 113 armored vehicles from the Great Tang Empire, received military aid in the form of hundreds of Tank No. 4, and with P-36 Fighter Jets in the sky, as well as the production rights for the DO-17 bomber bought from the Great Tang Empire.


    In terms of military strength, this little overlord of the Northwest, Qin Country, was indeed truly powerful and formidable.


    Since there was capital to wage war and a need to do so, Qin Country began to choose targets.


    Actually, there were not many options; fighting the Orc Empire to monetize was really too slow, and even if tens of thousands of Orc prisoners were captured, Qin Country lacked direct channels to sell to the Great Tang Empire.


    Therefore, it was only natural for the King of Qin, Qin Duo, to turn his attention to the southern neighbor: Shu Country.


    Now, who¡¯s earning the difference as the middleman? Shu Country! Who¡¯s trying to replace Qin Country¡¯s position in the slave trade? Shu Country! Who has the weakest military might in the vicinity and is easiest to bully? Shu Country! Who has a better economic situation that is worth plundering for its lucrative gains? Shu Country!


    Look at that! Just look! They appear so beatable, and they even have money in their pockets; skinny and dry, and also shorter in stature... damn it, if not to beat them, then who?


    Thus, the envoy group sent by Chu Country to the Linshui Expo did not return home after the expo ended, but instead stayed, changing their appearance to become a special envoy group and began to have frequent contact with the Foreign Affairs department of the Great Tang Empire, subtly addressing the issue of Qin Country¡¯s invasion of Shu Country.


    No choice, the Great Tang Empire had already become the most powerful entity on the Western Continent, and nothing could be done without the permission of the Great Tang Empire.


    This is the manifestation of a country¡¯s strength, this is a direct display of a country¡¯s international influence: without my nod, you can¡¯t do anything within my sphere of influence!


    Qin Country also had no choice, they had to consider the stance of the Great Tang Empire: Shu Country now monopolizes the trade routes between countries like Qin Country, the Orc Empire, and the Great Tang Empire. This is the reason why Qin Country wants to attack Shu Country, and also why the Great Tang Empire wants to protect Shu Country.


    Once Qin Country and Shu Country truly went to war, it would mean that the Great Tang Empire¡¯s trade on the Western Continent would essentially come to a halt. The resultant losses would be incalculable, so the Great Tang Empire would inevitably intervene.


    Therefore, Qin Country must convince the Great Tang Empire to tolerate Qin Country¡¯s initiation of war, and explicitly ensure the duration and scope of the war, as well as the distribution of benefits for Tang Country after the war ends.


    This is politics, this is the tragedy of weak countries: strong countries can declare war without considering these things, whereas weak countries, whether waging war or making other decisions, must have the permission of the strong.


    In blunt terms, if the strong country doesn¡¯t nod in agreement, the weak country may not even be able to buy ammunition for a war of self-defense; if the strong country doesn¡¯t agree, the weak country doesn¡¯t even dare to surrender ¡ª it has to fight to the very last person, for the sake of world peace...


    So, some countries can kneel because they do not have the capital to stand. Conversely, any country that can stand cannot kneel; if they do, it¡¯s not just enduring humiliation to survive, but rather the extinction of their nation.


    The most heart-wrenching question in the world might just be: what right do you have to surrender? Have I given you permission to surrender?


    This time, Qin Country was not aiming for complete annihilation. The main strategic goal of King of Qin, Ying Duo, was to sweep through the northern part of Shu Country, severing the connection between Shu Country and Dahua Empire.


    Doesn¡¯t it sound like it has nothing to do with the Great Tang Empire? In fact, translated, it means: Occupy the northern part of Shu Country, gaining a border with Chu Territory.


    With this move, the situation for Qin Country would be completely different: It could rebuild the trade routes from Qin and Chu to the Tang Empire, securing its own trade safety.


    In turn, Qin Country could also benefit from the logistic dividends of Shu Country¡¯s exports to the Dahua Empire and Chu Country¡¯s exports to the Dahua Empire. With such gains and losses, Qin Country would effectively be experiencing double the joy.


    So here¡¯s the question: Given such a great southern strategy with so many benefits, why did Qin Country only come to this realization now and begin to study what appears to be such a reasonable expansion plan at this moment?

 Chapter 1031: 953 Two Different Choices

    Chapter 1031: 953 Two Different Choices


    In fact, the seemingly favorable southern strategy of Qin Country has only begun to take shape in the last two or three years. The situation before was completely different and there was virtually no notion of a southern strategy for Qin Country.


    First and foremost, before both Qin Country and Shu Country were vassal states of the Dahua Empire, and their mutual conflicts had to be under the control of the Dahua Empire. In terms of comprehensive national strength, the Dahua Empire significantly overpowered both Qin Country and Shu Country.


    Even in modern times, although the national power of the Dahua Empire began to decline, it was still the largest country in the region. Neither Shu Country nor Qin Country, could afford to start a war under the pressure of the Dahua Empire.


    Because if the Dahua Empire sided with the country being attacked, it could determine the outcome of the war, and thus Qin Country previously did not have the conditions to declare war on Shu Country.


    On the other hand, without the sudden emergence of the Great Tang Empire, there would not be so much or such large disputes of interest between Qin Country and Shu Country.


    Previously, it wasn¡¯t advantageous at all for Qin Country to attack Shu Country; aside from acquiring land, the benefits were very poor.


    By seizing the northern parts of Shu Country, Qin Country inadvertently increased its border with both the Orc Empire and the Dahua Empire, which was not a good thing at all; it only needlessly wasted national strength and increased the length of their defensive lines.


    Then what? After all these efforts, the only additional benefit Qin Country could gain was merely the convenience of exporting to Chu Country.


    What a joke, the previous crappy economy of Chu Country couldn¡¯t even sustain itself for a few years without collapsing, let alone purchase goods from Qin Country...


    As for exporting to Zheng Country or Qi Country, why bother making the arduous journey through Chu Country when they could go directly through the Dahua Empire?


    At that time, everyone was a vassal state of the Dahua Empire, and it was more convenient for business caravans to go through the Dahua Empire ¡ª apart from being exploited, there were no problems.


    After all, the roads were poor, the trade volume was limited, and the types of goods were simplistic; the kings and high-ranking officials of the various countries didn¡¯t really care.


    Today, however, the situation is different. The main focus of Qin Country¡¯s exports is on trade with the Great Tang, and civil strife within the Dahua Empire directly affects the exports of Qin Country, a scenario previously unheard of.


    In fact, at the time of the rise of the Great Tang Empire, Qin Country had already begun to explore the so-called ¡°southern indirect¡± strategy to conquer Shu Country.


    But previously, due to poor economic conditions, outdated military equipment, and the Dahua Empire not yet completely declining, it wasn¡¯t feasible to implement the strategy immediately.


    Another reason was that the rise of the Great Tang Empire happened too quickly; Qin Country hadn¡¯t yet prepared for the war against Shu Country when the new geopolitical landscape had already taken shape.


    Over these years with the development of Qin Country, the conditions have naturally matured: Now Qin Country¡¯s national power is still adequate, and its military is very strong. Everyone in Qin Country believes that as long as the Great Tang Empire agrees, the war against Shu Country would be guaranteed a victorious as easy as picking geo-ducks!


    ¡°Your Majesty, the issue now falls on our side, if we allow Qin Country to expand, how can we ensure our interests in Shu Country are protected,¡± Nangong Hong relayed the request of the Qin State Envoy, glanced at the silent Tang Mo, then at the Prime Minister Roger beside him.


    Frankly speaking, Tang Mo¡¯s political insight was actually not as good as Nangong Hong¡¯s; his limited international relations experience came either from his past life¡¯s arms dealing summary or from this life¡¯s on-the-job learning.


    Roger was even less capable; he was just a co-owner of a blacksmith shop and climbed to this position solely because of Tang Mo¡¯s rise and his own good standing in the team. His loyalty is absolutely unquestionable, but his capabilities were just mediocre.


    Thus, interestingly, the Emperor and the Prime Minister of the strongest empire in the world were not traditionally educated, or in blunt terms, they were both amateurs.


    ¡°If we tacitly approve Qin Country¡¯s expansion, it would mean giving up the trade opportunities on the Western Continent, and everything would have to be reshuffled...¡± Tang Mo, after a long silence, finally spoke, inserting his views on the part he knew best.


    Nangong Hong also knew he needed to add something; after all, back in Brunas, even the strategy to expand westward was helped by Nangong Hong himself.


    Roger, the Prime Minister, he hadn¡¯t even considered; some officials even privately called Prime Minister Roger the ¡°Minister of Agriculture.¡±


    This Imperial Chancellor wasn¡¯t strong at all; professionally, he was lacking, and he had no achievements in national policy; when idle, he could only deal with agricultural production and supervise practical works like water power, bridges, and railways.


    The matters he dealt with could all be handled by the ministers of various departments, so this Prime Minister... his only use was as a totem, the kind of mascot with unquestionable loyalty.


    Indeed, it was a helpless situation, expecting a former co-owner of an old blacksmith shop to be remarkably bright and heroic was unrealistic. Tang Mo valued Roger not for his competence, but for his loyalty.


    Nangong Hong, who has been temporarily appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, is actually more suitable for the position of Imperial Chancellor than Roger. Unfortunately, after seeing the Ministry of Internal Affairs dismissing all officials who privately discussed the Chancellor, Nangong Hong knew that as long as Roger was alive, he would never be able to even come close to becoming the Chancellor.


    Thus, after pondering for a few seconds, he said, ¡°There will definitely be losses; the slave trade will affect our construction speed, oil prices will rise, and both grain and cotton will be impacted.¡±


    Both Dahua Empire and Qin Country are oil-exporting countries, not that they do not use oil, but because Great Tang Empire purchases too much.


    Since the acquisition of the southern oil fields and the import of oil from Chu Country, Great Tang Empire has never increased production at Dragon Island¡¯s oil fields.


    Even after modernizing the southern oil fields, Great Tang Empire never fully utilized its production capacity¡ªTang Mo consciously used up foreign oil capacities, and in this way, provided economic support to the less prosperous Qin Country and Dahua Empire.


    This action directly drove up international oil prices, making life considerably easier for these oil-exporting countries; it also allowed these countries to spend their reserves of Great Tang Golden Yuan more boldly.


    So, if the war on the Western Continent escalates, domestic oil prices in Great Tang Empire will definitely rise, and the same goes for grain, cotton, and slaves.


    Relatively safe are the steel produced by Great Tang Empire itself, and the rubber produced in large quantities in the southern regions of Chu Country and Shu Country.


    ¡°Is there any solution?¡± Tang Mo directly asked Nangong Hong.


    ¡°In fact, it does not affect us much, so Your Majesty needs to consider whether or not you are willing to let Qin Country expand,¡± Nangong Hong answered, ¡°According to my estimation, it would take Qin Country only a few months at most to take over the northern part of Shu Country.¡±


    ¡°The Dahua Empire is too preoccupied to pay attention to Qin Country¡¯s expansion. As long as it¡¯s not against them, Zhao Kai is probably relieved. Perhaps he will even feel at ease enough to withdraw some troops from the west and make a show of force on the Fengjiang front,¡± Tang Mo had the insight to nod and say, ¡°Relying on Shu Country alone, it truly might not withstand Qin Country¡¯s assault.¡±


    ¡°Then we can see... what benefits we, Great Tang, can reap from it,¡± Nangong Hong smiled and suggested to Tang Mo, ¡°Letting Qin Country make a move is like muddying the waters¡ªnaturally, there are advantages in chaos. We could gain a shifting situation. Not letting Qin Country make a move, the situation would remain calm, and we can likewise gain trade benefits from the calm, which also benefits Great Tang.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss it,¡± Tang Mo directly said, ¡°Let me and the Chancellor learn more.¡±


    Roger was taken aback by Tang Mo¡¯s words, then immediately felt touched: Sitting at the side was quite awkward for him, and his capabilities made him feel somewhat inferior. Tang Mo placing him on equal footing at this moment, Roger could feel Tang Mo¡¯s hard intentions.


    Nangong Hong, unsurprised, immediately began speaking, ¡°Dismissing Qin Country and not allowing Ying Duo to expand, our trade would be stable, everything built according to plan, two years later we would be able to complete the first five-year plan Your Majesty drafted, by then Great Tang Empire¡¯s power would be unmatched in the world, and that¡¯s an inevitable result.¡±


    After he finished speaking and saw that Tang Mo did not intend to speak, he could only continue, ¡°Supporting Qin Country¡¯s expansion, there would be changes, changes in various countries and forces. Your Majesty, if you wish to make a move... then different scenes will follow.¡±


    ¡°Firstly, the inevitably beaten Shu Country will need to align closer to us. Dahua Empire cannot save them, only we can make Qin Country behave,¡± Nangong Hong pointed at the water cup on his side of the coffee table.


    Then he pointed at Tang Mo¡¯s water cup, ¡°If Qin Country captures northern Shu, that naturally is their gain, and naturally, they owe us something. That¡¯s another point!¡±


    After finishing, he pointed at Roger¡¯s water cup, ¡°My Great Tang Empire and Qin Country surrounding Dahua... how much of that fat piece is left, that¡¯s another change.¡±


    Tang Mo was silent, just like Nangong Hong said, there would be many changes, with the power of Great Tang Empire standing there, indeed many benefits could be reaped.


    However, maintaining a stable hand and focusing on domestic development and climbing the technology tree was also a good choice. This indeed was a difficult choice, and Tang Mo could not cover all aspects at the moment.


    ¡°Your Majesty need not rush the decision, ask the military¡¯s opinion, let other ministers express their views too, perhaps it would be more comprehensive,¡± Roger himself couldn¡¯t come up with a good plan, so he could only suggest being thorough.


    Tang Mo nodded, he also felt it was not urgent: ¡°Let the envoy from Qin Country wait a few days! There¡¯s no rush for such matters.¡±


    Nangong Hong nodded, indeed such matters required all departments to consider thoroughly and synthesize opinions.


    However, personally, Nangong Hong was inclined to stir up the situation. In the eyes of a seasoned strategist like him, some money and resources meant nothing, sometimes opportunities were the most valuable.


    Unfortunately, Great Tang Empire was too strong, providing him another option: to do nothing, as the power of Great Tang Empire was growing stronger day by day, stability might be the easier way to win.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    Today is two updates.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com

 Chapter 1032 - 954 Tactical Debate

    Chapter 1032: 954 Tactical Debate


    Inside the Forbidden City of Great Tang Empire, Wuying Hall.


    This place could arguably be described as the holy land in the minds of military leaders worldwide. Entering here, one gains access to cutting-edge weapons they¡¯ve never encountered before and can command the most powerful military in the world.


    The military theories born here are so advanced, they¡¯re often inapplicable to the armies of other nations. Every day at the Wuying Hall Staff Department, staff officers engage in discussions on various topics, exploring the world¡¯s most advanced tactics and strategies.


    ¡°The Air Force should prioritize the development of high-speed, high-precision bombers with long range, capable of destroying the enemy¡¯s deep industrial areas in the shortest time!¡± An Air Force officer was arguing heatedly with an Army officer.


    He is an advocate of strong air power theories. Before every exercise, he would debate with the judges over the assessment parameters concerning air force damage effectiveness.


    There¡¯s no other way around it, as the military exercises in the Great Tang Empire are competitive, the judges would generally reduce the damage effectiveness of the home Air Force by about fifty percent.


    If judged according to the actual damage effectiveness, both factions¡¯ ground troops, lacking anti-aircraft firepower, would suffer heavy losses, obviously undermining all subsequent ground operations.


    ¡°According to your theory, the range of the planes needs to be increased to over 3000 kilometers, which is simply impossible!¡± An Army officer said shaking his head: ¡°Though the Air Force is strong, it¡¯s not omnipotent!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to look down on you, but in future warfare, your Army merely needs to secure our airbases faithfully, while we can destroy any enemy! As long as our Air Force is strong enough!¡± The Air Force officer proudly said.


    ¡°In the future, the Great Tang Empire should establish a strategic air force system strong enough to destroy entire countries. We should possess more than 2000 Type 6 Fighter Jets, and also manufacture 5000 new jet bombers!¡± He went on, unfazed by the gazes of others, talking about his grand ambitions.


    In the eyes of these staunch Air Force theorists, as long as there are enough and sufficiently powerful airplanes, they can crush any opponents on the ground.


    Hundreds or even thousands of airplanes bombing in rotation would leave the opponent utterly powerless. Once the enemy is totally annihilated and incapable of combat, paratroopers could move in to mop up the remnants.


    Brutal ground fighting simply wouldn¡¯t happen; the precious lives of Great Tang Empire¡¯s military personnel wouldn¡¯t need to be risked! Paratroopers could simply capture some prisoners effortlessly, and the war would be won. Isn¡¯t that excellent?


    ¡°Good grief, 5000 bombers? Are your Junkers 88s not phased out yet?¡± An Army officer couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and spoke sarcastically.


    This left the Air Force officer red-faced; indeed, their Air Force had too many old planes, so many that they hadn¡¯t managed to phase out all their outdated aircraft yet.


    ¡°You! You! Isn¡¯t your Army the same?¡± The Air Force officer pointed at him, countering with embarrassment: ¡°Don¡¯t you still have a bunch of Panther Tanks and Type-4 Tanks?¡±


    ¡°That might be less than your flying fortresses though?¡± When it came to this, the Army officer¡¯s tone became more justified. An Army tank was much cheaper than an Air Force airplane: ¡°Our one tank costs much less than one of your Type 6 Fighter Jets, right?¡±


    The Air Force officer felt like he had been stabbed in the chest again: Jet fighters are great in every way, so great that he almost believed the Air Force was invincible. But these things are really expensive, the kind of expensive that makes you bleed.


    The past Butcher Fighters were already invincible, but back then, one Butcher Fighter was much cheaper than an Army Type-4 Tank.


    Now the situation had reversed, a single jet fighter required two jet engines, and aerospace materials used were very pricey, far more expensive than tanks.


    But there¡¯s a reason for the expense! Have you seen a fighter jet that can surpass the speed of sound? The enemy doesn¡¯t even react before they¡¯re blown up by our fighter!


    And besides, isn¡¯t your Army¡¯s tank, even if more expensive, still playing a life-threatening game face-to-face with the enemy? Our Air Force bombers won¡¯t even allow the enemy a chance to intercept, it¡¯s just a one-sided beating, completely risk-free.


    At this, most of the Army commanders in Wuying Hall, who are traditional proponents of large ground forces, in their hearts, everything Air Force and Navy, are just helping out their Army.


    You can bomb with a thousand planes for several days, but it¡¯s still not as effective as one salvo from our Rocket Artillery Troops followed by a tank assault.


    Not to mention, the tracks of our tanks roll over land, marking it as the solid territory of Great Tang. Your planes fly overhead and still need to fly back when they run out of fuel, what¡¯s the point in that?


    To rely on airborne troops is even more laughable. Those are merely light infantry armed with rifles, aside from parachuting, within our continental army, they barely count as third-rate light infantry, the type that cannot make a public appearance!


    Look at what the darlings of our army are: heavily armored main battle tanks, tactical missiles that can strike hundreds of kilometers away, and that terrifying number of large-caliber artillery!


    ¡°So you see, cannons are the rulers used to measure the territory, tanks are the blades of the Empire, truth is forged in blood and fire, our army is truly the pillar of the Empire!¡± exclaimed the proud army officer.


    It¡¯s no wonder he feels superior, which inch of the vast territories of the Great Tang Empire wasn¡¯t conquered by our infantry soldiers? At most, the Air Force could be considered mere foliage, not fit to compete with flowers in splendor!


    Not to mention anything else, just looking at the current situation where two out of the four marshals are from the army and one is the chief of staff, it¡¯s clear who His Majesty The Emperor truly relies on.


    As for the Navy, they still have a marshal representing, but look at your Air Force, even now it only has two generals. How can it compete with the army?


    Now some technologies are still being developed, everyone is researching various tactics and strategies in their respective fields, everyone is filled with anticipation for the future, believing that what they are studying is an indispensable agenda for future warfare.


    After witnessing the formidable destructive power of the Air Force, many Air Force commanders sincerely believe they are the future spear of the Empire, possessing unmatched advantages in loss control and response speed.


    Similarly, from the army¡¯s perspective, traditional strength prevails. In the eyes of army officers, only the land beneath their feet truly belongs to the Great Tang Empire. The high-flying tactics of the Air Force cannot deliver a decisive blow.


    In fact, both sides have their reasons, and both hope to gain more attention in the future. It¡¯s a competition, a competition among invincible military branches.


    ¡°Starting an argument again?¡± A staffer walked into the meeting room, threw some documents on the table, and asked the Navy officer who was smoking beside him.


    The Navy officer nodded, ¡°Exactly, twice a day...¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you go up to debate?¡± The staffer pulled up a chair, took out a cigarette from his pocket, put it in his mouth and asked vaguely.


    The Navy officer took out a lighter from his pocket, lit the cigarette for him, then shook his head with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s not the national defense budget meeting, why go now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re taking it pretty easy.¡± The staffer chuckled emitting a smoke ring, ¡°It¡¯s just you guys in the Navy making a fortune quietly, I heard you¡¯ve just launched the tenth aircraft carrier?¡±


    ¡°Launching aircraft carriers doesn¡¯t help much.¡± The Navy officer took a drag on his cigarette, rather helplessly complaining, ¡°You haven¡¯t seen our internal meetings, our boss is so anxious.¡±


    ¡°Still not satisfied?¡± The staffer was visibly surprised. Looking at the scale alone, the naval forces of the Great Tang Empire hidden on Dragon Island nearly equal the combined naval strength of other nations.


    ¡°Unless Stukas are phased out, and jet fighters are aboard carriers, Marshal Bernard says he can¡¯t sleep peacefully,¡± the Navy officer flicked his ash, speaking to the staffer beside him, ¡°Can¡¯t outperform the Air Force, can¡¯t beat the Army, it¡¯s embarrassing.¡±


    Unexpectedly, while they were talking, the debating officers had come over, originally wanting to enlist support, but upon hearing the Navy officer¡¯s words, both felt a sense of crisis.


    These discussions about the great Air Force, great Army, ultimately aren¡¯t they all about funds? Which military branch doesn¡¯t require the nation to pour money in? Now there¡¯s another contender wanting a share, how can this stand?


    While the Navy officer and staffer were chatting casually, an army officer standing behind them suddenly spoke up, ¡°Well, well! Always thought you were honest, didn¡¯t expect you to be a staunch advocate for the Navy!¡±


    The Air Force officer was also full of disdain, ¡°Your thick eyebrows and big eyes also harbor much cunning! The Navy¡¯s budget isn¡¯t enough for you? Want jet fighters too? Our Air Force only has a few, just a few?¡±


    Several people argued in clamor, and when a few more officers entered, they shook their heads one after another, ¡°Started arguing again?¡±


    ¡°Exactly... don¡¯t even know what they¡¯re arguing for.¡± One of the officers disdainfully curled his lip, ¡°Which department could do without logistics?¡±


    ¡°Marshal Bolton has arrived!¡± With the guard¡¯s reminder, the room immediately quieted down. Bolton walked into the meeting room, returned a military salute to all the saluting officers, and then motioned for them to sit down.


    ¡°Today¡¯s meeting content, you all should know, Marshal Le Fu has ordered me and General Strauss to host two war simulations respectively, to calculate the feasibility of Qin Country attacking Shu Country,¡± he said and then walked over to the map, ¡°Navy officers are here to observe, tactical plans are developed by the Staff Department, everyone has seen them, any thoughts... let¡¯s hear them.¡±

 Chapter 1033 - 955 Battle among the Three Armies

    Chapter 1033: 955 Battle among the Three Armies


    Since the establishment of the various military branches, the competition between them has never ceased. The Army wants more soldiers and tanks; the Navy desires more warships; the Air Force craves more airplanes...


    Everyone hopes to be the decisive force on the battlefield, the pillar that supports the nation¡¯s fate.


    As for national defense, countries tend to prioritize their military developments based on geography, among other factors. Island nations prioritize their navies, while continental countries maintain a tradition of ground forces.


    Speaking of the Navy, as long as a country has its own coastline, the navy is undoubtedly a branch that should be developed. It¡¯s evident that even nations without coastlines maintain navies.


    Moreover, nations around the world now trade with the Great Tang Empire to some extent, making the sea routes of the Endless Sea busier than in the past 10,000 years combined.


    Cargo ships of steel, designed by the Great Tang Group in the form of the Freedom Wheelers, started traversing these routes regardless of monsoons or currents, multiplying the transport scale of the Endless Sea by hundreds or even thousands of times!


    Due to increased speed and the assurance of stability in navigation, the importance of maritime routes has increased unprecedentedly, and nearly every capable country has built significant naval forces.


    Traditional naval powers like the Poplar Empire, Mirage Country, Dorne (inheritor of Winterless Port), and the emerging naval power Laines Empire all boast massive fleets.


    These nations have at least ten battleships each, with innumerable cruisers and destroyers; some possess hundreds of warships, far surpassing anything from the past.


    The Army needs no introduction, being the traditional backbone of every great power: the leading empires of the world now have standing forces of hundreds of thousands and the ability to mobilize millions of troops.


    These troops are not the quantity-over-quality kinds of the past but elite forces formed in the image of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Army.


    While still lagging behind the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Army, these forces have made significant strides compared to their own pasts.


    Most of these troops are at a World War I level, equipped with plenty of artillery, and soldiers clad in steel helmets and wielding rifles with bayonets¡ªtheir combat effectiveness is commendable.


    Additionally, these countries have a plethora of vehicles, enabling them to mechanize their elite forces, a step ahead of World War I technology.


    Furthermore, equipped with various models of tanks, boasting several or even dozens of armored divisions, their tanks generally match the performance levels of the early World War II era, and their offensive capabilities are astounding.


    With the development of the Air Force, countries around the world have begun to pay significant attention to it, given that the Air Force represents a swift method of attack from any direction.


    No one wants to be on the receiving end in a war, so the more responsive and direct Air Force has caught the eyes of many military theorists.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s Air Force played a pivotal role in several of their wars abroad, prompting nations worldwide to explore theories on achieving victory through air power.


    Deploying hundreds or thousands of planes to devastate the enemy¡¯s rear, and cripple industrial capabilities has become the main direction of study in the large-scale Air Force theory.


    As bombers from the Great Tang Empire began to enter service worldwide, the aerial offensive capability of these countries was enhanced like never before, and the large-scale Air Force theory became a buzzword.


    In reality, this theory was born long ago, based initially on the airships sold by the Tang Group.


    After acquiring airships, many countries began theorizing about aerial raids to crush enemy will, laying the foundation for the large-scale Air Force theory.


    However, the theory at that time was too immature; airships as the implementers of bombings could not satisfy the demands of the Air Force.


    Thus, the large-scale Air Force theory of that period was still incomplete, resembling more of a wishful thinking than a practical theory.


    But as nations equipped their forces with advanced performance biplane bombers, the theory was revisited and seemed to find a solid basis.


    Later on, as countries began to commission the ¡°medium bombers¡± sold to them by the Great Tang Empire, the prophets who had been crying out for a large-scale Air Force theory finally saw the dawn of victory.


    Twin-engine bombers capable of flying over 500 kilometers at high speeds provided the Air Force with a much greater offensive capability.


    These planes had some self-defense capacity in the sky, making them difficult to intercept while also being able to carry more bombs than before... With such performance, the confidence of the various nations¡¯ Air Forces indeed soared.


    If one could concentrate and deploy hundreds of such bombers at once, under the protection of fighter jets, it would be easy to lay waste to a city.


    Just a continuous military campaign of over ten days will paralyze the large cities deep within the enemy¡¯s territory, devastate the industry, and weaken the war potential.


    Coupled with the Army¡¯s tank assault tactics, a smaller price can be paid to gain an advantage in the early stages of the war. Around the question of which of the three military branches is stronger or weaker, military theorists from various countries have engaged in fierce debates.


    Of course, the Great Tang Empire is an exception...


    The Army of the Great Tang Empire is strong, recognized as the strongest in the world, and some newspapers and publications around the world often rank the world¡¯s land forces with the Great Tang Empire Army invariably at the undisputed top.


    However, there is controversy over who comes second. Some think that the Ice Cold Empire with the largest army size is the world¡¯s second, while others believe that the Poplar Empire with its well-equipped forces is.


    Some also think that the Laines Empire and Dorne Empire, with their considerable potential, should be ranked second... Before the civil war in the Dahua Empire, it was also often referred to as the second.


    Then there¡¯s the Air Force of the Great Tang Empire... That¡¯s even less controversial. Just by looking at the Butcher Fighter Jets and Flying Fortress Bombers currently equipped by the Datang Empire Air Force, they are already ahead of other countries¡¯ air forces.


    Not to mention that the Great Tang Empire Air Force is also equipped with the Stuka and Yir Attack Aircraft that no other country has.


    Other countries don¡¯t even know yet that the Great Tang Empire has also equipped the JU-88 night fighter, and an even more powerful type 6 fighter.


    The debate over the Navy is rather significant since the whole world is not very clear about the Great Tang Empire¡¯s equipping of new types of warships like Aircraft Carriers, so there is no concrete concept of the Navy¡¯s strength.


    Compared to the Great Tang Empire Air Force, which truly swung battles, and the land forces that have meritorious achievements of territorial expansion, obviously the Navy of the Great Tang Empire has been much more low-key.


    Other nations¡¯ navies cannot get close to Dragon Island, so they can only collect various data about the Great Tang Empire¡¯s naval warships through close photography.


    So everyone knows that the Great Tang Empire has Destroyers and Cruisers, but exactly how many Beiyuan-class Battleships (Bismarck) they have is unclear.


    Everyone only knows that in the past few years, the Great Tang Empire has sold all of its first-generation Battleships (Dongwan-class), so it is speculated that the Great Tang Empire has at least more than five Beiyuan-class Battleships.


    In reality, the Great Tang Empire only has two Beiyuan-class Battleships, which serve as the flagships of the first and second carrier fleets respectively.


    There¡¯s no choice, compared to aircraft carriers, battleships have larger internal spaces, and their huge bridges make it easier to install electronic equipment. Compared to aircraft carriers, deeper-draft battleships are also more stable and comfortable while sailing at sea.


    These are all excuses; in reality, it¡¯s simply that sleeping behind 300mm thick steel plates gives commanders and staff a greater sense of security...


    From here, it can be seen that all branches of the military in the Great Tang Empire are strong, and there¡¯s no need for any debate. With the Great Tang Empire¡¯s sufficient military budget, there¡¯s no need to worry about which branch to prioritize for development.


    But who is ever truly content? Although each military branch is already the strongest in the world, commanders of all branches are still not satisfied with their current state.


    The Army is looking forward to phasing out a large number of old tanks and equipping the powerfully formidable Type 59 tanks; the Navy is eagerly anticipating the arrival of jet aircraft to take their turn in command; the Air Force is even more anxious, hoping to equip more type 6 fighters and dreaming of replacing all their Flying Fortresses with jet bombers.


    The Army hopes to equip more helicopters to improve their response speed; the Navy wants to expand the Navy Marine Corps to enhance their landing capabilities; the Air Force loves money like life itself, with just their hoped-for in-flight refueling experiments being major money-burning projects.


    Thus, the competition among the Great Tang¡¯s military branches is still intense, and rightfully so: whoever wins receives the largest share of the budget, ensuring defense modernization by the next year!


    And the debate between theories of great land forces, great air forces, and great naval forces will continue endlessly, because in the world Tang Mo came from before he crossed over, such debates were still ongoing.


    Originally, with the victory of the Lighthouse Country in the Iraq War, the great air force theory had long prevailed, but with the outbreak of the Russia war, armies once again gained the attention of nations.


    The Lighthouse Country¡¯s tactic of relying solely on bombing by planes seemed not to be so effective anymore. If the Army can¡¯t win and loses the land, that¡¯s a real loss, and public opinion will crush you.


    The former firm practitioner of the great land forces theory, Russia, seemed to have fallen, but the Rabbit, also following the great land forces theory, still firmly believes in its correctness. It¡¯s just that the Rabbit is a bit special¡ªits Air Force is increasingly becoming ¡°great.¡±


    Therefore, in the foreseeable future, the competition between branches of the military will persist and may even intensify. The Great Tang Empire will also continue to grow its three military branches, maintaining a lead over the entire world.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Two updates today

 Chapter 1034: Speaker of Shu Country in 956

    Chapter 1034: Speaker of Shu Country in 956


    The capital city of Shu Country, Kangrao, is a prosperous city, where wars have been rare for thousands of years, always enjoying an uncommon peace.


    With the advancement of technology in this world, the city has also begun a new phase of development. As the national power of Shu Country increased, it has become a more modernized city.


    Firstly, railways have been built here, with roads connecting with other cities, and a number of tall buildings have gradually emerged in the city center, while the suburbs have seen the birth of some factory facilities.


    In the past two years, the majority of the city has been equipped with running water, and almost one hundred percent of the areas now have electricity.


    People¡¯s lives are becoming more comfortable, and many have started to sing praises of their leaders, which is to say, the Speaker of Shu Country¡¯s parliament, Liu Jing.


    Speaking of Liu Jing, the man was previously a wealthy businessman of Shu Country whose business spanned across the land, later chosen to become the city manager of Kangrao.


    Because of his excellent work in the city, he was elected as a national representative, eventually rising to the position of Speaker.


    In terms of personal capability, he is quite remarkable. Approaching 70 years old this year, he is still spirited and walks with steady and distinguished steps.


    After washing his face and flicking the water from his hands, the elder Liu Jing looked at himself in the mirror and then said to the secretary standing beside him, ¡°Is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ready?¡±


    ¡°Reporting to the Speaker, they are ready,¡± the secretary answered cautiously. ¡°I advise the Speaker to think thrice, as no such thing has happened in a hundred years...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely why I must make this journey,¡± Liu Jing sighed, returned to his desk, glanced at the stack of documents on it, and his heart filled with anxiety.


    How could Shu Country stand so long encircled by the powerful nations of Qin Country, Chu Country, and the Dahua Empire if it didn¡¯t have a few tricks up its sleeve?


    To say that Qin Country is preparing to attack Shu Country and that Shu Country is clueless, would be greatly underestimating Shu Country, the only nation in the world without a monarch.


    ¡°Qin Country is eying us hungrily, and Dahua no longer has the capability to watch the south... Now that the balance has been broken, if we don¡¯t seek an alternative path, Shu Country will be doomed,¡± Liu Jing said after a few seconds of silence.


    His desk was covered with messages and reports from the border generals and the intelligence department, all emphasizing Qin Country¡¯s wolf-like ambitions.


    Among these were secret reports of Qin Country amassing troops at the border, transporting provisions, stockpiling ammunition, and reminders of the Qin Country¡¯s envoys frequent activities in the Great Tang Empire.


    Considering the current situation, how could Liu Jing not understand Qin Country¡¯s intentions? He had previously warned those representatives who supported the monopoly of border trade and the forces behind them that if Qin Country¡¯s interests were harmed, the situation could turn dangerous.


    But for those who have obtained benefits, how could they give them up easily? Although they showed some respect to him as the Speaker, they only restrained themselves slightly.


    On a national level, the exploitation of Qin Country through taxes is intensifying, hence the risk of Qin Country attacking Shu Country is also increasing exponentially.


    The die has been cast, and now it¡¯s too late to say anything. Moreover, the livelihood of a million workers is at stake, and now considering the reduction of trade taxes, the many people in Shu Territory profiting from it are unwilling to relinquish their interests.


    That¡¯s why Liu Jing ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to submit an application to the Great Tang Empire, requesting a visit to Tang Country in his capacity as the Speaker of Shu Country.


    This could be the first time in a century that a leader of one country visits another. In the long stretch of the past, there have been no examples of any country¡¯s monarchs leaving their own land.


    If it weren¡¯t for the civil war in the Dahua Empire, this news might have been the biggest of the year. Moreover, the content of Speaker Liu Jing¡¯s negotiation in his visit to Tang Country is not simple.


    In fact, Liu Jing is prepared to change the allegiance of Shu Country ¡ª previously, following the war between the Dahua Empire and the Great Tang Empire, Chu Country broke away from being a vassal of Dahua Empire and became a vassal of the Great Tang Empire.


    Shu Country and Qin Country are nominally still vassal states of the Dahua Empire, and this has not changed at all. However, as time has passed, everyone has witnessed the progress of Chu Country ¡ª to say that some officials and merchants of Shu Country are not tempted would be deceiving themselves.


    In truth, the desire of Shu Country to break away from the control of Dahua Empire and become a vassal of Great Tang Empire has been growing for a while. This topic has been discussed by many, all thinking about when they could embrace the powerful leg of the Great Tang Empire.


    Now, with both the will and the pressure present, and with Dahua Empire in decline, no longer able to attend to its southern affairs, a strong Qin harbors thoughts of subjugating Shu, making Shu Country¡¯s situation extremely precarious.


    Under such circumstances, wouldn¡¯t it be the perfect time to embrace the leg of the Great Tang Empire? As long as it becomes a vassal of the Great Tang Empire, surely Great Tang wouldn¡¯t just watch Shu Country be beaten?


    Internally, everything has been discussed, and with the support of many representatives, the idea of Shu Country changing its allegiance to become a vassal of the Great Tang Empire has faced little opposition within Shu Country.


    The reason for this diplomatic visit by Liu Jing to the Great Tang Empire was eagerly anticipated throughout Shu Country, with the hope that it would bring the Qin Country in the Northwest in line.


    Who dares to mess with the Great Tang Empire¡¯s little brother? Huh?


    To prepare for this visit, Shu Country had gone to great lengths. Not only did they form a huge delegation, but they also carefully selected many gifts and tributes.


    Even Shu Country was ready with 20 beautiful women, prepared to accompany the Speaker to the Great Tang Empire. What if the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire, who already had three Imperial Concubines... took an interest in the frail and charming maidens from Shu Territory?


    ¡°Besides being ready on Great Tang¡¯s side, we also need to prepare on our own! The border defenses can¡¯t slack off for a moment! Does Qin Country really think Shu Country is soft fruit to be pinched at will?¡± Liu Jing¡¯s tone suddenly intensified as he spoke, displaying a measure of authority from his many years in a high position.


    To counter Qin Country, Shu Country had also made corresponding moves at the border. One hundred thousand troops were reinforced to the border defenses, trenches were constructed, and even the Armored Corps was spread out across the second line.


    This was practically a clear message to Qin Country: I know exactly what you¡¯re thinking, you better not make any reckless moves.


    But who would have expected that Qin Country would use this as an excuse to propagate that Shu Country harbored ill intentions, aiming to provoke border disputes, hence reinforcing their own border with another 100,000 troops.


    The situation became extremely tense for a time, with both sides on the brink of an accidental outbreak of hostilities. Under these circumstances, Shu Country was forced to again reinforce the border with an additional 50,000 troops.


    Not to be outdone, Qin Country immediately announced an additional reinforcement of 100,000 troops to the border, completely disregarding the Dahua Empire¡¯s attempts at mediation.


    In fact, the Dahua Empire would rather see a conflict break out between Qin and Shu Countries. The Dahua Empire had always been worried about being caught between Qin Country and the Great Tang Empire, but now with Qin Country¡¯s attention firmly on Shu Country, the pressure on the Dahua Empire had significantly eased.


    Under these circumstances, one should not expect the Dahua Empire to earnestly mediate; everything still depended on the Great Tang Empire¡¯s stance.


    It was precisely because of Dahua Empire¡¯s inaction on this matter that both Qin Country and Shu Country ceased to take the Dahua Empire¡¯s attitude seriously.


    Similarly, it was because the situation had progressed to this point that Liu Jing, the Speaker of Shu Country, insisted on visiting the Great Tang Empire, hoping to intimidate through association and spare Shu Country from war this time.


    ...


    Nangong Hong had been busily preoccupied these past few days, as Qin Country was extremely anxious, urgently hoping for the support of the Great Tang Empire. For this support, Qin Country even stated it was willing to pay any price.


    Ying Duo not only promised that Qin Country would offer up a huge fortune after the war, but was also willing to include clauses in the peace treaty to force Shu Country to become a vassal state of the Great Tang Empire.


    Furthermore, if the Great Tang Empire was willing, Qin Country could even mortgage two years¡¯ worth of customs duties and additionally ensure that the slave trade needed by the Great Tang Empire would not be affected.


    While he was finding a way to stall the Qin Country envoys, he received a request from Shu Country¡¯s foreign affairs department.


    He was somewhat shocked when he read the contents of the request, and in that instant, he had to admire the decisiveness and courage of Shu Country¡¯s Speaker Liu Jing.


    Requesting a visit to the Great Tang Empire at this time? Moreover, Shu Country had privately expressed the desire to break away from the Dahua Empire and hoped to become a vassal state of the Great Tang Empire.


    This was interesting: it seemed Shu Country had sensed the imminent danger of a Qin Country attack and placed most of its hopes on siding with the Great Tang Empire.


    Shu Country¡¯s decision undoubtedly added uncertainty to the situation, as Tang Mo himself was in indecision and unprepared to support Qin Country¡¯s campaign against Shu.


    Now, if Shu Country made more concessions, then the Great Tang Empire seemed to have even more reason to ensure Shu Country¡¯s safety.


    After all, whether it¡¯s Shu Country or Qin Country, they were both just trade partners of the Great Tang Empire; who lives and who dies, the Great Tang Empire did not care so much.


    ¡°We are sincerely here, Minister. Shu Country is weak and cannot stand against powerful Qin on its own. We hope the Great Tang Empire can preside over justice for the world,¡± said the Ambassador of Shu Country, displaying a very humble attitude. He knew he did not have much leverage.


    To put it nicely, even if the situation developed according to what Shu Country hoped for, Shu Country would still be under the Great Tang Empire; how high could the status of this Ambassador to Tang be?


    Those in diplomacy understood, if your nation is strong, even if you feign ignorance, people will give you some face. But if your country is poor and weak, who are you trying to fool?


    ¡°I am already aware of your country¡¯s intentions. This matter is of great importance, and I must meet with His Majesty and discuss it clearly before I can reply to your country. Please, Mr. Ambassador, stay calm and be patient for a few more days,¡± said Nangong Hong in his official capacity, with a face full of bureaucratic formality.

 Chapter 1035 - 957 take the general trend

    Chapter 1035: 957 take the general trend


    ¡°Then I thank the minister greatly.¡± The Shu Country Ambassador stood up and bowed slightly, showing extreme humility. He truly needed help and naturally had to be very humble in his speech.


    Nangong Hong also stood up to see him off, appearing extremely warm and friendly¡ªat least it seemed that way. The two seemed to imply that they might serve together as ministers in the future.


    In fact, this was indeed the case. Becoming a vassal meant acknowledging the Emperor of the Tang Empire as the sovereign, so there was some truth to the idea of serving together as ministers.


    After sending off the Shu Country Ambassador, Nangong Hong immediately had his secretary schedule a time to meet with His Majesty The Emperor. Then, he deliberately leaked the news of the Shu Country Ambassador¡¯s visit to the Qin Nation Delegation.


    Such matters are usually handled by spies from various countries. Unfortunately, the Tang Empire¡¯s counter-espionage work was too effective, and here in the imperial center of Chang¡¯an, it was necessary to trouble the intelligence department to spread some information to achieve some unexpected effects.


    ...


    ¡°Actually, Your Majesty, there¡¯s another reason behind letting Qin Country run rampant,¡± Nangong Hong said directly during his private meeting with Tang Mo.


    ¡°Oh? Let¡¯s hear it,¡± Tang Mo did not beat around the bush but asked directly for his strategy.


    Nangong Hong immediately shared his thought: ¡°I believe that if Qin Country attacks Shu, they will become arrogant. All we need to do is keep indulging them, and Qin will overstep! At that time, we will have the moral high ground and can surely defeat them.¡±


    What he meant was essentially to support letting Qin Country invade Shu Country to thoroughly stir up the situation in the Western Continent, which would facilitate the Tang Empire to take advantage opportunistically.


    ¡°...¡± Tang Mo understood Nangong Hong¡¯s idea, but he still hesitated as such matters were indeed not easy to decide.


    Shu Country was already kneeling, so to speak. According to the Shu Country¡¯s Foreign Affairs Department, Liu Jing¡¯s visit this time was to discuss the change of allegiance to the Tang Empire and become a vassal state.


    If Tang Mo didn¡¯t want the situation to become chaotic, he could easily acknowledge Shu as a younger brother. Then, he could secure a tribute from Shu, reap many benefits effortlessly, and make a big profit without giving much in return.


    However, his subordinate Nangong Hong didn¡¯t see it that way. This strategist preferred to see the situation grow chaotic. Nangong Hong¡¯s strategy for dealing with Qin Country was a typical ¡°pride troops¡± strategy, allowing Qin Country to act recklessly on issues between the Dahua Empire and Shu Country, which would eventually lead Qin Country to underestimate the Tang Empire.


    Then, launching a military campaign, the Tang Empire, relying on its substantial national strength, would inevitably achieve victory. At that point, the Tang Empire could control the entire Chinese region and become an unimaginable hegemon of the Western Continent.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the cost a bit too high?¡± Tang Mo hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed about plunging the entire Western Continent into chaos for his own ambitions.


    Actually, he was just putting on an act, similar to Liu Bei dropping his child¡ªhe didn¡¯t even drop his own child but simply put on a righteous demeanor to seem like a good person.


    Ignoring Tang Mo¡¯s somewhat pretentious demeanor, Nangong Hong continued to persuade: ¡°Your Majesty, only in this way can we fulfill the grand ambition of unifying the world under the guise of a rescuer.¡±


    Everyone is living well, so attacking them would be called aggression; but if they can¡¯t survive anymore, and you bring them better days and a better life, then it¡¯s called liberation...


    This is a principle everyone understands; therefore, those in power need to consider how to position themselves on the side of righteousness and brand others as evildoers.


    Tang Mo was becoming more accustomed to this cruel game of treating people as mere numbers¡ªafter all, he used to be an arms dealer who didn¡¯t take life seriously.


    Being able to survive in the arms trade, Tang Mo himself didn¡¯t believe he was a good person. Thus, he knew that righteousness and morals were just facades to him, not shackles.


    When needed, he would uphold these morals, and when not, he could break these bounds. Nangong Hong could see that Tang Mo was such a person, so he offered such a strategy to him.


    Similarly, Tang Mo knew what kind of person Nangong Hong was, which is why he retained Nangong Hong to devise strategies for him.


    ¡°Taking a bit of loss now and causing a big stir gives us the opportunity to intervene,¡± Nangong Hong continued to persuade Tang Mo as he still hesitated.


    Though Shu Country was offering quite a bit now, compared to a greater momentum, these offerings were insignificant. After all, the Tang Empire wasn¡¯t short of money, and what Shu could offer was not highly valued by the Tang Empire.


    In fact, Tang Mo wasn¡¯t hesitating; he had been convinced by Nangong Hong. For the Tang Empire to smoothly take control of the Western Continent, it needed a grand momentum to stand morally justified.


    Only when other countries are in continuous chaos can the Tang Empire, when necessary, extend its reach and position itself in those territories!


    He was all too familiar with this strategy, which was essentially the same one played by the Anglo-Saxon gangs: first disrupt the area, then intervene as a savior and finally reap the benefits.


    The difference between him and Daiying Lighthouse is that, in the end, his goal is to engulf these regions and bring them into the fold, making them a part of the Great Tang Empire. Daiying Lighthouse, on the other hand, just wants to make a quick buck and then disappear.


    What eases Tang Mo¡¯s conscience is that he will not run away in the end; he plans to rebuild these places into prosperous lands, providing the people there with a wealthy life.


    This is the fundamental difference: previously, the bandits Tang Mo encountered intended to loot and leave. He plans to take over their homes, even keeping the wives and daughters...


    It¡¯s hard to say who is more inhumane.


    ¡°The Staff Department exercise concluded that Qin Country would win the war, which is expected to last about a year,¡± Tang Mo said nonchalantly about the exercise results from the Staff Department.


    Nangong Hong understood immediately that Tang Mo had agreed to his strategy: ¡°Your servant understands. If Qin Country does not offer more, this matter will come to an end.¡±


    It was clear to him; Tang Mo wanted more benefits. Since the decision was made to support Qin Country, they must shed some blood.


    Indeed, after he returned to his office at Wenhua Palace, his secretary informed him: ¡°The Qin State Envoy is already waiting outside.¡±


    ¡°Let him in,¡± Nangong Hong instructed.


    Soon, the Qin State Envoy was ushered into his office. As soon as he entered, the envoy eagerly tried to glean some information from Nangong Hong: ¡°Minister! Regarding Shu Country...¡±


    ¡°You have hundreds of thousands of troops stationed at the border; even a blind man can see what you intend,¡± Nangong Hong signaled his secretary to pour tea. ¡°Shu Country has come here seeking help.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡± The Qin State Envoy knew that the time advantage his side had was used up, with Shu Country¡¯s involvement making Qin Country¡¯s position even more unfavorable.


    ¡°My patience is truly running thin,¡± Nangong Hong said as he took a teacup from his secretary, looking at the Qin State Envoy who also received a cup. ¡°Let me be frank with you. We are aware of Qin Country¡¯s demands and Shu Country¡¯s plea. Whether this matter can proceed as Qin wishes, depends on your country¡¯s choice.¡±


    After finishing, he wrote down five terms on a piece of paper and pushed it towards the Qin State Envoy: ¡°If you agree, the deal is done; if you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll have to consider the protocol for receiving the speaker of Shu Country who visits Tang.¡±


    Seeing the terms on the paper, the Qin State Envoy clenched his teeth, aware this was his and Qin Country¡¯s last chance.


    It was either go all-in or be resigned to decline¡ªall depending on whether he nodded or shook his head now.


    The air seemed to freeze, the Qin State Envoy feeling each breath he took abnormally difficult. Using all his strength, he just managed to keep his body from trembling.


    Eventually, without knowing how he managed it, he opened his mouth, accepting the huge debt on behalf of his country: ¡°Agreed!¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t wait anymore. You may start the war before Liu Jing visits Tang; the neutral stance of the Great Tang Empire will not change,¡± Nangong Hong said with a nod and a smile. ¡°I must commend your courage; if I were you, I¡¯d make the same choice.¡±


    No trace of excitement appeared on the face of the Qin State Envoy because the agreed conditions meant that about one-third of the war Qin Country launched was essentially working for the Great Tang Empire.


    That¡¯s the gross profit! In other words, aside from the costs Qin Country needs to bear, including the war¡¯s own depreciation, Qin Country¡¯s war revenue might still be less than that of the Great Tang Empire.


    But that was unavoidable. To get the Great Tang Empire¡¯s approval, such a compromise was necessary.


    Actually, Qin Country still got off relatively easy considering Shu Country¡¯s situation¡ªthey¡¯d really hit rock bottom. In Shu Country personnel¡¯s absence, the Great Tang Empire had already betrayed them completely.


    Without deploying a single soldier, the Great Tang Empire could gain substantial benefits from both Qin Country and Shu Country. And once Qin and Shu commenced battle, the Great Tang Empire could focus all their attention on Fengjiang.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Grabbing the phone, Nangong Hong joyously reported to Tang Mo: ¡°Everything is unfolding as you hoped! Yes, Qin Country has agreed.¡±


    ¡°Then proceed as planned,¡± Tang Mo¡¯s voice came through the phone, evidencing Nangong Hong¡¯s success with his plan.


    ¡°Yes! Your servant understands!¡± Nangong Hong responded promptly, ¡°Your servant will definitely accomplish Your Majesty¡¯s mission.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, he ordered his secretary: ¡°Go find Daiying from Chu Country; there¡¯s good work for him to do!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Today, two updates.

 Chapter 1036 - 958 is probably not safe anymore

    Chapter 1036: 958 is probably not safe anymore


    Xiong Xiao has been a political hostage in the Tang Empire for over two years and actually lived quite comfortably during these years.


    No one bullied him on a daily basis, and being a lackey for the Tang Empire turned out to be far more fortunate than being one for the Dahua Empire.


    Here in the Tang Empire, new nobility is restrained by law, other officials are highly honest, everyone is busy with their own affairs, and the Tang Empire is in a period of ascension, so no one has the time to trouble a hostage from a vassal state.


    Other countries, on the territory of the Tang Empire, also dare not act recklessly, naturally they also lack the leisure to pick on Chu Country, a minor and unfavorable player. Everyone is extremely cautious, fearing to attract the attention of the Tang Empire; who would trouble themselves over Chu Country for no reason?


    Therefore, without the oppression of the Dahua Empire, and no troubles from the people of the Tang Empire, Xiong Xiao has actually been quite happy these past few years.


    The old king of Chu Country, Xiong Biao, felt sorry for his son, often sending him money to make up for his own mistakes.


    After all, Chu Country, following behind the Tang Empire, has taken over a large portion of the outdated industries that the Tang Empire didn¡¯t want, and indeed made a fortune from that.


    So, King Xiong Biao, being wealthy, was also not stingy towards his son held as a hostage, providing significant financial support to Xiong Xiao.


    With money, one can buy anything. Xiong Xiao has a villa in Chang¡¯an prepared by the Tang Empire, which he is not allowed to modify or use for other purposes, so there was no need to buy a house. Therefore, with the money in hand, Xiong Xiao could only buy various exotic items.


    He had been using televisions and radios early on, enjoyed fluorescent lights very early as well, and he also liked to collect various artworks from the Tang Empire, admittedly getting swindled out of quite a bit of money...


    You say, a person who dares not do much and still has some money, to outsiders seems to have a significant background, and those in the know don¡¯t really supervise him, what should his life be like?


    Every day, Xiong Xiao just eats delicacies from mountains and seas, then punches his card at various clubs, casually strolling around Chang¡¯an City... Such is the life of an idler.


    As a crown prince of a country, even when Xiong Xiao goes to clubs, he can¡¯t casually pick up women, whether it¡¯s getting back to Chu Country or being found out by officials of the Tang Empire, both would cause trouble.


    A hostage from Chu Country soliciting prostitutes in the Imperial Capital of the Tang Empire would be like slapping the face of the Tang Empire, not a good look at all. If by chance high officials from the court or even the Emperor of Tang himself get displeased, could Xiong Xiao handle that?


    Besides, he is, after all, a crown prince, not just any woman is allowed in his bed. What if his royal father found out about his indiscipline and thought of replacing him as the heir?


    Going outside the city is absolutely unthinkable for him; he is genuinely afraid of being assassinated by those with ulterior motives, or being mistaken by the Tang Empire as trying to escape and being dealt with directly.


    Staying at home is not very interesting, making friends is also taboo, so besides living a carefree life of eating and drinking well, Xiong Xiao is truly quite bored.


    Actually, it¡¯s not that he¡¯s really bored, because in the Tang Empire, Xiong Xiao does have learning tasks. He has to spend four days every week studying the culture of the Tang Empire, and even has opportunities to observe military courses of the Tang Empire.


    The purpose of doing this is quite understandable, which is to influence Xiong Xiao, make him accept the Tang Empire in his heart, and fear the Tang Empire.


    This day was initially no different, and Xiong Xiao had just bathed and planned to go to a certain club for the evening.


    Suddenly, a message arrived, stating that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Tang Empire, Nangong Hong, had summoned him. Frightened, Xiong Xiao immediately found his most expensive set of Tang attire, had his attendant iron it smooth, donned it, and headed to the Forbidden City.


    It must be said that the Forbidden City is not a place that someone like him can enter at will, and the ceremonial attire from Tang that Xiong Xiao wore on his body is not meant to be worn casually at any time.


    Following behind the guard, Xiong Xiao, entering the Forbidden City for the fourth time, was still somewhat nervous, looking at the bustling high officials of the Tang Empire, he felt his stride stiffen while walking.


    This cluster of buildings made up of red walls and bright tiles can be said to be the most majestic and solemn place in the entire Western Continent, even in the entire world. Everyone walking here can feel that awe-inspiring pressure.


    Walking on such a path is indeed nerve-wracking. He followed behind the soldiers, walking on the designated pedestrian path, watching cars zooming past one after another in the middle of the road, envying those officials who could drive into the Forbidden City.


    The Forbidden City of the Tang Empire is very large and accommodates office capabilities, so it allows a portion of people to drive within.


    There are also cars for official use within the Forbidden City that provide scheduled services to facilitate officials reaching their desired departments.


    Although the layout is the same, the Forbidden City of the Tang Empire in Xiong Xiao¡¯s experience is much larger than the Forbidden City in Tang Mo¡¯s memory. If this were placed twenty years ago, the Forbidden City alone was the scale of a city.


    When Xiong Xiao reached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in the Wenhua Hall and nervously walked into Nangong Hong¡¯s office, seeing that Nangong Hong¡¯s face wasn¡¯t too unpleasant, he somewhat eased his mind.


    It seems that he hadn¡¯t offended any powerful deity; it was merely the diplomatic department of the Tang Empire looking for him for some business.


    The opulent office of the diplomatic department was still somewhat nerve-wracking, representing the face of the Tang Empire, so a lot of thought had gone into its decoration.


    Nangong Hong, sitting behind the huge desk, casually stretched out his hand, signaling to Xiong Xiao behind him to sit on a set of sofas meant for receiving guests: ¡°Please, have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you, sir.¡± Xiong Xiao was very restrained, only daring to sit after expressing his thanks, perching timidly on the edge of the sofa, leaning forward without daring to lean back.


    ¡°How have you been doing in Chang¡¯an lately?¡± Nangong Hong, looking at the honest Xiong Xiao, was very satisfied with his demeanor.


    In fact, every move Xiong Xiao made in Chang¡¯an was under surveillance, his performance continuously recorded, even specially compiled and reported.


    Xiong Xiao had performed well on his academic journey in the Tang Empire, now unable to separate himself from the many conveniences of the Tang Empire, equally suppressed by the might of the Tang Empire so much so that he couldn¡¯t lift his head.


    Sitting in front of Nangong Hong was a prince even more respectful and obedient than Zhao Yu, even more admiring and agreeing with the Tang.


    For Chu Country to have such a future King, it was uncertain whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.


    Well-prepared, Xiong Xiao quickly recited a practiced script, praising how magnificent and spectacular the imperial capital, Chang¡¯an, of the Tang Empire was: ¡°Thank you for your concern, sir. Chang¡¯an is a place of boundless grandeur, the exterior minister...¡±


    Nangong Hong hadn¡¯t called him here for this, so with a wave of his hand, he steered the conversation towards the main topic: ¡°Alright, no need to be so formal. This time, I¡¯ve come to you with good news.¡±


    ¡°Please, sir, clarify.¡± Upon hearing it was good news, Xiong Xiao finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly spoke up.


    ¡°His Majesty believes that it¡¯s time for Chu Country to expand its territories,¡± Nangong Hong stated this as if mentioning a trivial matter.


    A foreign minister of one country telling another country¡¯s crown prince that they should expand their territory was an incredibly fantastical situation.


    Thus, when Xiong Xiao heard Nangong Hong say this, his first reaction was to wonder if he had heard wrong. Then, after confirming he hadn¡¯t, he spoke somewhat awkwardly, his voice full of embarrassment: ¡°Sss...sir, this, this... Chu Country is weak, really...¡±


    Not even his father, Xiong Biao, dared to make a decision on war alone, let alone he, a crown prince, how could he have the capability or virtue to scheme a war with the foreign ministry of the Tang Empire?


    What a joke, how many years had it been since Chu Country had waged a war? The last time they postured and declared war on the Tang Empire, they didn¡¯t advance half a step into Tang Empire¡¯s territory and even lost the entire north.


    That battle shattered Chu Country¡¯s spirit, backbone, and the beautiful dreams of its people. They were completely laid flat now, many nobles woke up every day praying for the Tang Empire to move south sooner so they could truly become citizens of Tang.


    Nangong Hong interrupted his stammering, smiling as he rhetorically asked: ¡°Don¡¯t rush to refuse! With the support of the Empire, are you still afraid of losing? And this time, it¡¯s not about you leading the charge, but following others to reap some benefits.¡±


    ¡°This...¡± Xiong Xiao didn¡¯t know what to say; was this broken mess something he could get involved in?


    ¡°Let me put it plainly, Qin Country is about to wage war against Shu Country, they¡¯ve promised, Chu Country can take some northern territories of Shu Country,¡± Nangong Hong said, observing the somewhat helpless Xiong Xiao, and added.


    Nangong Hong knew he couldn¡¯t make decisions, so he didn¡¯t plan to negotiate with him. This time, he only came to let him inform King Xiong Biao of Chu Country.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Xiong Xiao was somewhat at a loss for words. By getting involved in this with big brother, they could get free territory? Was there such a good thing under the heavens?


    ¡°So, you can contact your father and ask if he is willing to exchange some land,¡± Nangong Hong continued.


    ¡°Yes, yes, the exterior minister will contact my father immediately,¡± Xiong Xiao replied, only then realizing what Nangong Hong had just hinted at¡ªwhat does it mean to ¡®exchange some land¡¯? What does that actually imply?


    ¡°Our condition is, Nanshan Port! Whatever your father wants, he can voice it, but Nanshan Port should belong to our Tang Empire,¡± Nangong Hong finally revealed his true purpose of talking to Xiong Xiao.


    The Tang Empire wanted an enclave overseas, the most valuable part of Chu... Nanshan Port.


    ¡°...¡± Indeed, there were no free favors under the heavens. Xiong Xiao frowned, lowering his head, and promised Nangong Hong: ¡°The exterior minister understands.¡±


    He could almost be sure, this Nanshan Port... was probably impossible to keep.

 Chapter 1037: 959 New Air Combat

    Chapter 1037: 959 New Air Combat


    ¡°Ooo... Ooo... Ooo...¡± The incessant sound of the alarm echoed over the border city in Shu Country, and the civilians of Shu Country looked up into the sky, seeing a lineup of slender-shaped planes flying over their heads.


    It was not that the air raid alarm was sounded too late; rather, these commoners in Shu Territory genuinely did not know what they should do amidst the sounds of the air raid alarm.


    In fact, modern people lacking wartime training also do not know much about what they should do during an air raid alarm.


    Run for cover? Don¡¯t be silly, besides places like subways, young people who know the nearest civil defense constructions nearby are really few.


    Although many underground garages and subways in modern cities are converted from air raid facilities, they have ultimately lost many of their original functions and can actually no longer serve as sufficient shelters. Shu Country in this world, let alone air raid facilities, doesn¡¯t even have decent underground garages and subway stations.


    Due to the technological influence of the Great Tang Empire, the urban construction pace in almost all countries in the world is actually reverse¡ªthey develop in a non-conventional manner.


    Air raid shelters, sewage and drainage systems, and things like electricity¡ªall these were developed later.


    In other words, everyone first builds houses, constructs factories, creates railways. They first get industrial development going, then facilities for living follow afterwards.


    When the population increases, when the factories are established, when there are railways and airfields and large buildings, then they start to consider things like sewage systems, then they plan for bigger power plants, then they think about the missing supporting facilities.


    Taking Dahua Empire¡¯s Fengjiang City as an example, apart from the urban core area built by the engineering team from Tang Empire, which has complete supporting facilities, the surrounding systems are actually incomplete.


    Sewage systems need annual repairs, the electrical system also needs to be replaced every year. You expect such a city¡¯s condition to have air raid shelters? What a joke.


    Moreover, this world itself lacks a proper concept of air defense; the common people have only feared the air force for perhaps seven or eight years at most. What good habits could they have formed?


    So, when the air raid alarm sounded, the common people in Shu Territory did not know what they should do. Some smart wealthy people drove their cars towards the suburbs, while others went back home to be with their families.


    Everyone was clueless about what was happening, so more common people still stood at street corners, blankly staring at the enemy planes in the sky.


    Above the sky, the Qin Country pilots on a bombing mission, through the special, greenhouse-like cockpit glass windows, looked down at the densely packed buildings below, feeling immensely tense as well.


    This was their first time executing a bombing mission on a city, and it was also their first time preparing to drop bombs on such a seemingly vast city.


    ¡°Open the bomb bay!¡± The bombardier, looking through the bombsight produced by the Tang Empire, saw the rooftops of the buildings in the city and shouted amidst the noisy inside of the plane.


    With his shout, alongside the continuous drone of the engine, the bomb bay of the DO-17 bomber slowly opened up, exposing the bombs hanging inside to sunlight.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken aim! Starting to bomb!¡± The bombardier used the crosshair in the bombing sight to aim at the city below, then loudly declared.


    Almost simultaneously, he forcefully pressed the button on the bomber, and a bomb detached from its rack, falling through the sky, followed by a second and then a third bomb.


    With slight shakes, the bomber¡¯s frame trembled as the bombs, each weighing 50 kilograms, broke free from the restraints of the aircraft, falling towards the ground below.


    This method of bombing was also learned by Qin Country from the carpet bombing technique of the Tang Empire. Although their number of planes was far fewer than that of the Tang Empire, they indeed mimicked it rather closely.


    Following this bomber, another bomber also dropped its bombs, and yet more bombers continued the same behind them.


    This is the allure of carpet bombing and also demonstrates the power of carpet bombing: 40 DO-17 bombers dropping bombs simultaneously, the destructive power was indeed quite astonishing.


    Admittedly, the bomb load of the DO-17 bombers sold by the Tang Empire to Qin Country is only a pitiful 1 ton, comparatively very little, but this bomb load, compared to previous biplane bombers, had improved quite a lot.


    40 DO-17 bombers could carry 40 tons of bombs; these bombs, once they fell on the city, immediately stirred up a bloody storm.


    The first bomb directly hit the roof of a house, smashing a huge hole in the rooftop. The delayed fuse, originated from the Tang Empire, ensured the bomb did not explode immediately after piercing through the roof, but would wait a moment.


    This was done to ensure that the bomb would explode inside the building, thus enabling it to unleash maximum destructive power at the time of explosion.


    Several seconds later, the bomb that fell into the house exploded violently, destroying the walls around the building and instantly blowing off the roof of the house.


    Following immediately, a second bomb exploded, raising a cloud of black smoke directly on the street. The nearby Shu Country civilians who had been watching were knocked over by the shockwave, and the locals hit by the bomb screamed in terror, while those standing dumbfounded immediately scattered like birds and beasts.


    A third bomb exploded not far away, followed by a fourth and a fifth. As the bombs continuously extended towards another block, the people of Shu Territory finally realized that the war seemed to have truly erupted.


    ¡°Help! People are dead!¡± A woman, seeing the corpses lying haphazardly next to a bomb crater nearby, couldn¡¯t help but scream in horror.


    Honestly speaking, as a medium-range bomber that can only carry a load of bombs once and has weak self-defense capabilities, the performance of the DO-17 bomber was not very good.


    The bombs it dropped were very small, and if large, the quantity it could carry was very limited, which severely restricted its combat effectiveness.


    However, when the people of Shu Territory witnessed modern bombing for the first time, they were indeed frightened.


    It was their first time seeing an enemy from the sky, and also the first time they desperately realized that their city was so vulnerable to attacks.


    Originally, they thought their city was more than two hundred kilometers away from the border and was an absolutely safe place. Even if war broke out, they could still flee inland in time.


    Unfortunately, now, reality harshly slapped their faces: even being more than 200 kilometers away from the border, enemy planes could still bomb the city into ruins on the same day.


    ¡°People! Help put out the fire!¡± Not far away, as walls collapsed due to bomb explosions, wooden houses caught fire, and someone cried out in terror.


    Since there were many wooden buildings, fire had always been the disaster most feared by the civilians of Shu Territory. Once a fire started, it could potentially spread to the entire block, causing enormous losses.


    In the skies above, the Shu Country, having bought technology from the Great Tang Empire and assembled their own, called the C200 model Fighter Jets locally as 200 model fighter jets, were circling.


    Its performance was roughly comparable to that of the Hurricane Fighter Jet, and although it was indeed inferior to the ¡°Butcher¡±, there wasn¡¯t a huge gap.


    Pilots of Shu Country flying more than a dozen such planes had already arrived at the battlefield, seeing their own city being attacked and black smoke rising from within.


    ¡°Get closer! Get closer! Cut in from the edge! Bite down on the opponent!¡± The leading Shu Country Air Force Commander issued an order through the intercom.


    Accompanied by the roar of engines, these Shu Country fighter jets began to enter the battlefield, with one instantly biting onto a slender flying pencil that had just completed its bombing mission.


    ¡°Rat-a-tat-tat!¡± The 200 model fighter jet only had two 12.7mm caliber aircraft machine guns installed, and its firepower was relatively weak, making it quite strenuous to attack bombers.


    But the DO-17 bomber itself had really crappy defensive capabilities, being very vulnerable with its thin skin and large filling, so the two sides were evenly matched on another level.


    The Shu Country pilot bit into that Qin Country bomber, facing tracer bullets shot from the defensive machine gun on the opponent¡¯s plane, he fired from a very close distance, unleashing a burst of bullets.


    ¡°Die!¡± In the cramped cockpit, the Shu Country pilot squeezed out a curse through clenched teeth, and with his curse, the tracer bullets he fired punched a row of holes in the body of the opponent¡¯s plane.


    Bullets hit the engine of the flying pencil DO-17 bomber, and then thick smoke spilled from the engine cover, with the hit flying pencil starting to lose altitude uncontrollably.


    At that moment, two other 200 model fighter jets also found their targets, chasing behind that flying pencil, they fired bursts of tracer bullets until the flying pencil began to plummet with thick smoke trailing behind.


    In the blink of an eye, two bombers were shot down, which alarmed the Qin Country¡¯s Air Force escort fighter jets squadron. They plunged into the battlefield and began to engage their Shu Country counterparts.


    For a time, the battlefield sky was filled with the roaring of engines, and on the ground, seeing their nation¡¯s planes engaging enemy aircraft, the people of Shu Country could no longer contain their emotions and raised their arms, cheering loudly.


    ¡°Enemy planes! Enemy planes!¡± Amidst the chaotic airspace, the Shu Country Commander, while dodging the Qin Country fighter jets hunting him, reminded his comrades: ¡°Watch out for the enemy¡¯s escort fighters!¡±


    ¡°Sir, hang in there! Hang in there! I¡¯ve got him! Circle around! Circle around!¡± Through the headset, the voice of a comrade was frantic and tense.


    ¡°Watch your altitude! Watch your altitude! Be careful with fuel consumption! Don¡¯t linger in battle!¡± On the other side, Qin Country¡¯s fighter pilots were also intensely maneuvering their planes, and through the headset, came similarly busy and excited shouts.

 Chapter 1038: 960 Qin and Shu Air Combat

    Chapter 1038: 960 Qin and Shu Air Combat


    A Model 200 Fighter Jet was chasing a distant P36 Fighter Jet; both aircraft were continuously swaying left and right, one trying to evade, the other attempting to lock onto the target ahead.


    Although the P36 didn¡¯t actually have the advantage in speed, there was no generational difference between the two types of aircraft, so the experience of the pilots became the key to the outcome of this battle.


    The pilots of Qin Country actually had combat experience; they often sortied in the war against the Orc Empire and frequently shot down Orc fighters equipped with Shireck Model 1 Fighter Jets.


    The performance of that first generation monoplane really wasn¡¯t much, so the experience Qin pilots gained from thrashing Orc Empire aircraft, to put it strictly, didn¡¯t quite count as effective experience.


    The Fighter Jet pilots of Shu Country had no actual combat experience, but the aircraft of Shu Country were somewhat better, after all, the economy of Shu Country was indeed better than that of Qin Country.


    In the vast and boundless sky, inside the cockpit of the Model 200 Fighter Jet trailing behind, the pilot from Shu Country was trying by all means to close the gap, he jerked the control stick, aligning the nose of his aircraft with that of the Human Race.


    Despite the Qin Army pilots not really having abundant experience, they had learned many useful things in flight school, knowing that being tailed was a very dangerous matter.


    Therefore, he used more practical evasive maneuvers, manipulating his own plane to weave left and right, trying to shake off the enemy¡¯s pursuit.


    ¡°There¡¯s an enemy plane on my tail! An enemy plane on my tail! He is aiming at me! Cover me! Cover me!¡± The Qin Country Fighter Jet pilot shouted nervously on the comms, needing the support of his comrades.


    Regrettably, in the air combat tactics of Qin Country, there was no complete dual-plane formation tutorial; they used the more outdated three-plane formation, which completely fell apart once combat ensued.


    This kind of formation didn¡¯t show any problems when facing those shabby and outdated Orc planes, but now facing the advanced, or rather, the equal generational Shu Country planes, the issues arose.


    ¡°I can¡¯t find you! Commander! I can¡¯t find you!¡± Inside the headset, the tense response from the Qin pilot resonated.


    Now the sky was in total chaos, with Qin lead bomber planes being aggressively hunted by Shu pilots, Qin Fighter Jets chasing Shu Fighter Jets, and also Qin Fighter Jets being hunted by Shu Fighter Jets.


    In such a situation, accurately finding one¡¯s own allies without strict training or regular patterns in airplane formations is impossible amid the chaos, relying on communication won¡¯t achieve anything.


    The Great Tang Empire Fighter Jet pilots¡¯ coordination was also a ¡°memory¡± formed after countless drills. When the pilots of the Tang Empire were still unfamiliar with coordination, their opponents didn¡¯t even have planes.


    Thus, the Air Force of the Tang Empire had ample time to train and adapt, then, after the opposition upgraded their forces, they utilized advantages in radio equipment and aircraft performance to train their forces, ultimately forging a team of pilots truly capable of collaborating in air combat.


    Actually, countries around the world wished their Air Force could perform on the battlefield with the quality of Tang Empire pilots, but sadly, this required time and the tempering from countless opponents.


    On the chaotic battlefield, distinguishing between friend and foe in an instant is also incredibly difficult, as from a kilometer away, the other party looks no bigger than a matchbox, so it¡¯s really not easy to discern characteristics.


    This is also why countries usually do not purchase the same model of Fighter Jet, because, in the event of war, identification is really very challenging.


    To distinguish friend from foe on the battlefield, all Fighter Jets of the Great Tang Empire were marked with yellow identification symbols on the nose and the ends of the wings.


    Moreover, the red dragon emblem of the Tang Empire was also very eye-catching, yet there were still several incidents of friendly fire on the battlefield, even causing several casualties.


    The aircraft liveries of other countries leaned more towards art, remarkably varied and flamboyant. Some countries painted their planes white, some in earth yellow... these countries¡¯ planes rarely used top and bottom dual-color camouflage because they really feared friendly fire.


    ¡°Climb! Climb! Break away from the enemy! Re-form!¡± The pilots of Qin, based on experience, prepared to re-group and steady their stance.


    Unfortunately, their efforts failed, as some of the Qin pilots who had locked onto a Shu Fighter Jet weren¡¯t willing to give up their opportunity, and those Qin planes being pursued simply couldn¡¯t shake off the enemies at their tails.


    ¡°Chaos! Damn it!¡± Complaining while glancing at the intermittently disappearing enemy plane in his rearview mirror, the Qin Fighter Jet pilot manipulated his control stick.


    He made the dangerous enemy aircraft disappear from his rearview mirror, but barely two seconds to feel relief, the damned enemy plane was back in his mirror.


    ¡°Zips zips zips!¡± A few 12.7-millimeter aircraft machine gun Tracer Bullets whizzed past the Qin pilot¡¯s cockpit, narrowly missing his wing.


    The Qin pilot, scared into a cold sweat, once again started to dive, attempting to accelerate and turn, to extricate himself from the disadvantage.


    The maneuverability of Italy¡¯s C200 Fighter Jet was quite good, with a speed that was also sufficient, considering it to be a fine Fighter Jet during World War II.


    The only shortcoming of this aircraft was that its armament consisted of only two 12.7-millimeter caliber machine guns, which really wasn¡¯t enough in the increasingly brutal battlefield.


    Facing the robust Allied bombers, two small pipes were really of no use, not even fit for tickling.


    Yet, in the current Qin-Shu battlefield, it faced light aircraft, and the advantage of the twin machine guns¡¯ large ammunition capacity was evident.


    Shu pilots, inexperienced, couldn¡¯t execute one-shot kills like the aviators of the Great Tang Empire, so having multiple chances to attack was obviously more suitable for them.


    After a burst fire without achieving results, the Shu pilot behind adjusted his position once more, then pulled the trigger to fire again.


    The Qin pilot saw a row of Tracer Bullets pass by, further from his plane than the last time, and heaved a sigh of relief. Quickly he altered his direction again, forcing the Shu pilot behind to readjust his attack angle.


    Meanwhile, on another part of the battlefield, a Qin pilot was pursuing a Shu Fighter Jet, also trying to lock on to the target, but the target was dodging using tactics familiar to the Qin pilot.


    The two spent a lot of time in the sky, with the Qin pilot watching as the numbers on his fuel gauge neared depletion.

 Chapter 1039: 961 taught by a master

    Chapter 1039: 961 taught by a master


    The roar of the fighter jet engines waxed and waned in the sky, while the thick smoke on the ground continued to billow. Many from Shu Country were looking up at the entangled planes, unable to discern which were their own.


    Due to the distance, they could not make out the models of the planes, nor could they see who was chasing whom.


    The bombers known as ¡°flying pencils¡± began to head home, and the fighter jet troops from Qin Country also started to retreat. Their mission was to protect their own bombers; there was no reason to stay and fight.


    After all, the bombing was over, their mission was complete, and the enemy before them couldn¡¯t be eliminated in a short period of time. Staying would only add to their own fuel burden.


    Keep in mind, this is a place over 200 kilometers from the border, and their aircraft¡¯s combat radius is just over 400 kilometers.


    Plainly speaking, flying to this nearby airspace for combat means they only have a quarter tank of fuel left for fighting, which is definitely more than what the German planes had during the Battle of Britain, but it still easily causes fuel anxiety.


    Because Qin Country¡¯s airfields must also be some distance from the border, as they need to guard against the planes from Shu Country and ensure a certain safety distance.


    Qin Country does not have the early warning radar system of the Great Tang Empire; they have less reaction time, so they must maintain a distance for the airfields to have enough time to launch fighter jets to intercept the enemy.


    ¡°Our fuel is running low! Break off from the battlefield! Prepare to return!¡± Inside the cockpit of a Qin Country fighter jet that had just returned to the bomber formation, the Qin Country fighter jet commander issued a retreat order.


    The Qin Country pilots who were dogfighting with Shu Country¡¯s fighter jets also began to respond. They had been entangled for quite some time without bringing each other down.


    ¡°Graduated from the same school, damn it, the skills are almost the same!¡± Another Qin Country pilot said irritably as he let go of the Shu Country fighter jet in front of him, turning his plane toward his comrades¡¯ formation: ¡°Their planes are pretty impressive too.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth! Their planes are much like ours, the flying skills as well! When I was doing a somersault just now, they did the same maneuver! The turning radius is very similar.¡± Another Qin Country pilot complained from his plane.


    They had just looked as if they were putting on an aerobatic show, chasing each other in the sky, exchanging fire, and in the end, only a few planes were shot down.


    ¡°Maguobao was just shot down...¡± Someone mentioned a confirmed downed comrade over the channel: ¡°I saw him parachute out, looks like he¡¯ll be captured.¡±


    Whether it was Qin Country or Shu Country, both equipped 12.7 caliber aircraft machine guns on their planes, so the destructive power was indeed limited.


    In such an environment, after their planes were hit, most just started smoking and catching fire, and the armored steel around the cockpit could quite effectively protect the lives of their pilots.


    So these pilots were able to parachute out, and most would not be in any life-threatening danger. This was completely different from combat against the Tang Nation Air Force.


    The Datang Empire Air Force usually equipped aircraft with 20mm and 30mm caliber cannons, the power of which was truly alarming. Hit by one of those, a plane would disintegrate in the sky, leaving hardly any chance to parachute.


    Thus, in air battles with the Datang Empire Air Force involved, the enemy¡¯s parachuting rates were very low, and any enemy pilots who managed to survive were extremely lucky.


    ¡°They¡¯re retreating!¡± On the other side, the Shu Country fighter pilots watched as the enemy¡¯s planes fled in disarray, also breathing a sigh of relief.


    None of them had experienced real combat like this before, and it was really quite nerve-wracking. If it hadn¡¯t been for the extensive combat simulations they¡¯d gone through at school, they might well have been shot down by now.


    At this thought, each one of them felt immensely grateful in their hearts to those dedicated flight instructors from the Great Tang Empire; without their seriousness, they might have died here today.


    As a first battle, today¡¯s accomplishments for these Shu Country pilots were actually quite good: They had shot down two DO-17 bombers and also two Qin Country Type 36 fighter jets.


    Looking down at the city emitting thick smoke beneath their feet, not a single one of these Shu Country pilots had a smile on their face.


    After all, they had still failed to protect their city. Now it was ablaze, with smoke covering the skies, an utterly harrowing sight from above.


    ¡°I hear the fighting has started on the ground, those bastards!¡± An officer from the Shu Country Air Force said somberly over the radio.


    Their nation had not been to war for nearly a century. As elite and a new type of military force, their combat power was quite reliable, but whether those ground soldiers could withstand the test was an unknown.


    Today, he had reaped quite a bountiful tally of victories. As an officer, he had shot down a bomber and watched with his own eyes as the pilots were engulfed by the burning aircraft.


    It gave him an indescribable rush. He so despised these invaders from Qin Country; he took so much pride in being able to soar through the skies to strike down the enemy.


    Deciding resolutely to go and learn flying in the Great Tang Empire two years ago might have been the best decision of his life.


    As the Type 200 planes returned, the ground crew were scared into a sweat by the sight of the fighter jets: It seemed as if only two planes were shot down, but many of the returning aircraft were riddled with bullet holes.


    What they didn¡¯t know was that it was the same on the Qin Country side. Due to the relatively low power of the weapons, many fighter jets returned home wounded but safe.


    ¡°Fix it quick!¡± A Shu Country pilot who emerged from his plane¡¯s cockpit saw a bullet hole in the fuselage not far from his plane and instructed the welcoming ground crew: ¡°Don¡¯t damage the structure... I might need to sortie again tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°No fuel leak detected!¡± The ground crew looked at the hole and reassured him: ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll stay up tonight and patch it up for you!¡±


    ¡°My plane might have a fuel system issue! The instruments are acting up!¡± On the other side, another Shu Country pilot who had just landed handed his leather cap and goggles to a ground crew member, then struggled to remove his parachute: ¡°The control surface on the left needs adjusting!¡±


    ¡°Of course, it needs adjusting! It¡¯s been shot off a bit!¡± The ground crew pointed to the portion of the wing flap that was missing due to bullet damage and told the pilot: ¡°You¡¯re damn lucky to make it back!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been lucky!¡± The Shu Country pilot said with a proud smile.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    I¡¯ve got something urgent today, so there¡¯s less written. I owe you all another update...

 Chapter 1040: 962 Qin-Shu border

    Chapter 1040: 962 Qin-Shu border


    The sudden outbreak of the war between Qin Country and Shu Country instantly reduced the attention to the Fengjiang battle, pushing the world towards the brink of danger, with everyone eager to move as if every country was brewing a shocking conspiracy.


    This was inevitable. Before, there were countries planning to partition neighboring countries to repay the debts of the Great Tang Empire; now these countries possess more powerful weapons and have more military, how could they not have other intentions?


    The civil war in Dahua had already stirred the hearts of monarchs of various countries, and everyone had started to consider whether to take action against their neighbors, with international tension already very high.


    Now the situation has become even more sinister. It is no longer limited to the civil war within the Dahua Empire. Qin Country has already declared war on Shu Country, and both sides have staged a modern war drama directly at the border.


    This immediately astonished everyone. The war, which previously seemed distant due to communication limitations, now appeared imminent due to various broadcasts and video recordings, making everyone feel the crisis of war breaking out in full force.


    The bombing of three major cities in the northern part of Shu Country by Qin bombers is now well-known, and broadcasts in various countries are playing programs describing the horrible conditions of those cities.


    With descriptions of black smoke blotting out the sun, hundreds of buildings collapsing, and casualties in the thousands...all these words are stimulating the nerves of leaders in various countries.


    They have similar bombers too! Even more bombers and fighter jets! They have newer tanks, they have hundreds of warships!


    If only, if only a war starts! These usual gold-consuming giants could create profits! They could occupy the enemy¡¯s land, destroy the enemy¡¯s industry, and achieve imperial victories unimaginable in ancient times!


    Now the destructive power of warfare has given them immense confidence. What the Great Tang Empire once achieved, they now believe they can do too.


    If only! If only a war starts!


    Many countries are mobilizing, arming as many troops as possible. Even if they can¡¯t gather enough heavy weaponry immediately, they¡¯ll use light weapons to form many second-line troops.


    These troops have an even more expendable name: Filler Troops. Indeed, these troops are used to fill gaps on the front line.


    Following this, each country began to build as many fortresses as possible along their long border lines, some directly digging in the wild fields, others even constructing fortresses on the outskirts of cities.


    At the same time, seeing the terrifying destruction made by advanced air forces, these countries also gradually start to focus on anti-air and civil defense constructions in cities.


    They are beginning to build enough underground shelters, expanding previously underestimated sewers, and more orders for anti-aircraft guns are being sent to armament factories.


    Of course, the focus of this round of arms race is still the powerful air force: more fighter jets, more bombers... As the war between Qin and Shu bursts forth, each country begins to expand their aircraft production.


    ...


    In the Northern Region of Shu Country, on the outskirts of a typically inconspicuous village, a Number 4 tank of Qin Country is slowly turning.


    Following this tank, there is a second and third tank; they are coordinated quite tacitly through radio communication.


    Compared with the troops of Shu Country, Qin¡¯s ground forces are vastly experienced. They have not only gained a large number of veteran soldiers from the years of war with the Orc Empire but have also learned a lot about modern warfare in clashes with the Great Tang Empire.


    Following on both sides of the tank, Qin soldiers, very experienced, spread out to avoid becoming an easy target for heavy machine guns.


    Then they look for undulating terrains and cautiously move forward alongside their tanks. Qin soldiers, equipped with a large number of submachine guns, have a firepower density higher than that of Shu troops, who only have Mauser 98K rifles.


    Interestingly, both countries are fans of Great Tang; they are both equipped with M35 steel helmets once used by the Great Tang Empire, primarily use Mauser rifles, and even have the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Thompson submachine guns and Number 4 tanks...


    It is almost like the Tang troops are fighting themselves from five years ago... If not for the differences in troop emblems and uniform styles, they might not even be able to distinguish friend from foe.


    ¡°Qin troops are coming!¡± a soldier in a trench in Shu Country nervously alerts his silent superior.


    ¡°I see them! Hold steady! They have tanks; let our anti-tank guns fire first!¡± Shu¡¯s officer is quite skilled, relying on his country¡¯s better economic level, many of Shu¡¯s officers have visited Tang Country and seen the world.


    As the interaction between countries becomes more intense, many previously impossible things are quietly happening. For instance, the theory level of Shu¡¯s officers is quite high because they not only have some who trained in Tang Country, but many also studied in the Orc Empire.


    Isn¡¯t that interesting? These Shu officers have even helped train officers and pilots of the Orcs in Nanjiao of the Orc cities¡ªback then they were working together with officers from the Tang Country, naturally learning quite a few skills.


    So, although the troops of Shu Country lack practical combat experience, the quality of their mid to high-level officers is actually quite good.


    However...


    ¡°Ratatatatata!¡± Suddenly, a machine gun position not far away opened fire, and this abrupt gunfire even startled the Shu officer.


    ¡°Who fired the gun? It¡¯s still so far away, why did the machine gun open fire? Are they insane?¡± the officer from Shu Country angrily questioned.


    The soldiers standing next to him were all very nervous, instinctively shaking their heads, indicating they did not know what exactly had happened.


    Soon, the experienced Qin Army¡¯s mortars landed, causing several pillars of smoke to rise abruptly from the positions of Shu Country.


    In the village, the Shu command post¡¯s commander was gripping the telephone, requesting fire support from his own side: ¡°Hello? Hello! Yes! Directly in front of the positions, 500 to 1000 meters away! Lots of Qin troops! Requesting immediate fire cover!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡± A shell fell at the edge of the village, the massive vibration causing the buildings in the village to shake.


    Wooden beams creaked and twisted, dust periodically fell down, landing on the map spread on the table with a pat-pat sound.


    The hurricane lamp hanging from the beam for additional lighting swayed left and right with the vibrations, and the officers of Shu Country in the room nervously looked up, pausing the work in their hands as they watched the teetering building.


    After all, they still lacked combat experience. If it were the troops of Tang Country, or even the troops of Qin Country or Dahua, the commanders wouldn¡¯t have set up their command post inside the buildings of a village.


    Such civilian buildings are extremely dangerous, easily targeted by enemy fire, and even if the shells don¡¯t hit them directly, buildings without earthquake-resistant designs might occasionally collapse.


    For the command system of the troops, such risks are actually unbearable. Hence, the command posts of the Tang Army are strictly forbidden in similar buildings.


    ¡°Maybe... we should get out...¡± said a Shu Country officer, who was scared of being buried alive.


    Many began silently packing up the documents and maps in front of them, valuing their lives more than the comfort.


    On the battlefield, the combat between both sides had already begun, with the Qin troops using their experience to advance quickly; they knew if they stopped in the middle of the battlefield, they would soon be buried by artillery fire.


    This experience was gained during their battles with the Tang Army; if it were the forces of Tang Country opposite of them at this time, they would already be facing a barrage of artillery fire.


    However, the reaction speed of Shu Country¡¯s troops was clearly too slow; the Qin troops had already reached right in front of the positions, yet the artillery fire had still not fallen.


    ¡°Long live the King of Qin!¡± A Qin officer waved his pistol, shouting loudly, while the Qin soldiers with bayonets mounted, accompanied by tanks on either side, enthusiastically charged towards the defenses of Shu Country.


    ¡°For Shu Country!¡± On the battlefield, the Shu officer also shouted, and the Shu soldiers who were just firing in retaliation also promptly took out their bayonets and affixed them below their gun muzzles.


    ¡°Ratatatata!¡± A concealed machine gun position of Shu Country suddenly opened fire from the flank, instantly mowing down over a dozen Qin soldiers. The remaining Qin soldiers continued their fearless charge forward, ultimately crashing into the Shu trenches like a flood.


    Bayonets clanged against each other, shouts and cries of battle filled the air. The Qin¡¯s No. 4 tank ran over the just-fired Shu machine gun position, crushing two dead machine gunners and their now-destroyed Maxim machine gun.


    A Qin shock trooper, wielding a submachine gun, entered the trench and it was as if he was in unoccupied territory, mowing down seven or eight Shu soldiers with bayonets in a burst of fire.


    Then, he didn¡¯t dare to fire easily anymore, as the soldiers from both sides were mixed together and seemed hardly distinguishable from each other.


    The standard military uniform of the Qin Country, adapted to the Northwestern environment, was a sandy yellow; Shu Country¡¯s uniform, imitating the camo of the Great Tang Empire, was bicolored, interwoven green and yellow.


    Although under normal circumstances, these differences appeared distinct; however, it was discovered in combat that truly, they hardly varied. In an era where electronic equipment wasn¡¯t widely available, identifying friend from foe was always a significant challenge.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Hidden at the back of the trenches, an anti-tank gun spat flames, with a shell directly hitting a Qin¡¯s No. 4 tank turning its direction.


    The tank immediately emitted a thick smoke, the tank crew hastily opened the hatch and scrambled out as if chased by some monster.


    Their reaction had to be quick because once hit, the internal ammunition of the tank might quickly detonate, and if they didn¡¯t escape swiftly, they would be consumed by the flames.

 Chapter 1041 - 963 Novice Chickens Pecking Each Other Evolution Version

    Chapter 1041: 963 Novice Chickens Pecking Each Other Evolution Version


    The battlefield was in utter chaos, and no one paid any attention to the few tank operators who had abandoned their tanks and fled. Everyone was locked in combat, either fighting one-on-one or ganging up on enemies when they had the advantage in numbers.


    Of course, if you had a submachine gun at that time, you could bully several enemies all by yourself...


    With more advanced tactics, soldiers rich in combat experience, and fiercer in battle, Qin Country had the upper hand in the melee, and soon a Panzer IV broke through the defense line, wreaking havoc at the entrance of the village.


    How glorious Tang Army¡¯s tanks were on the enemy¡¯s territory back then, that¡¯s how arrogant Qin Army¡¯s tanks were now.


    Lacking in actual combat experience, the Shu Country Troops had no choice but to abandon the village and start retreating. But due to organizational issues, the retreat quickly turned into a rout.


    The much-awaited artillery support mostly landed on empty spaces, but afterwards Shu Country adjusted their firing parameters and turned the lost village into ruins.


    During this period, most of the battles along the border of Shu Country were like this, with only a few well-fortified bastion areas holding up against Qin Army¡¯s attacks, while most of the defense lines were breached by Qin Troops.


    Just as Tang Country¡¯s Staff Department had predicted, the much-hoped-for border defense of Shu Country didn¡¯t play much role. Hundreds of thousands of Shu Army troops found themselves surrounded and retreating, putting them in an extremely precarious situation.


    The Speaker of Shu Country, Liu Jing, could no longer afford to visit Tang Country and could only stay at home to supervise the war. Shu Country¡¯s troops were defeated again and again, but because Qin Army¡¯s field maneuverability was not as good as that of Tang Military, it wasn¡¯t easy to surround and annihilate Shu Army¡¯s forces.


    This was basically the same as saying: I have the style of Tang Country¡¯s military, but haven¡¯t fully captured Tang¡¯s essence...


    Another sense of ¡°Imitating me, you¡¯ll survive; mimicking me, you¡¯ll die.¡± Only now did the commanders of Qin Country realize that they were still a long way off from Tang Army of three years ago.


    In recent years, Qin Country¡¯s senior military commanders had been trying to learn the military tactics of the Great Tang Empire, but only today did they find out that Tang¡¯s tactics were not something just anyone could master.


    About three years ago, as long as Tang Army broke through the defense line, a large number of forces could follow, then utilize the field maneuver advantage to surround the enemy, causing terrifying casualties.


    This is the so-called power of annihilation combat: as long as you encircle the enemy, you can eliminate a large number of them at a relatively low cost, which naturally has an extremely high cost-performance ratio.


    However, when actually using this tactic, commanders of Qin Country found that although their tank units could tear through defense lines, they just couldn¡¯t follow up with the same speed as Tang Army.


    Their armored vehicles were too few; their logistical support was too weak. In a field situation, the time the troops stopped to rest and wait for supplies far exceeded the time to break through the enemy lines.


    Now they knew, the real skill lies in the areas that people usually neglect. To realize Tang Army¡¯s tactical theory, having a sufficient number of tanks is only the basic entry-level, just meeting a threshold.


    A hundred advanced tanks could breach the enemy¡¯s defense, but to expand the victory behind these hundred tanks, you need three hundred armored vehicles, five thousand battle-hardened veterans, two hundred artillery guns rallied together, and four hundred aircraft of various types, plus three thousand trucks for logistical supplies!


    If we go into more detail, that¡¯s an impressive railroad capacity, tens of thousands of tons of fuel plus hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition, and tens of thousands of tons of food and medicine...


    Looking at the glorious Tang Troops, who could advance more than a hundred kilometers in a single day, it was thanks to the terrifying transportation capability, as well as the meticulous calculations and countless efforts of the transportation personnel from the Staff and Logistics Departments working together.


    What about Qin Army? The day after they broke through Shu Country¡¯s defense line, one-third of their tanks were stranded or immobilized on the road due to a lack of spare parts for repairs.


    With a serious shortage of trucks, logistical supplies were slow, and a large number of troops had to stop halfway, waiting for additional ammunition and food to continue the advance.


    The most embarrassing part was that because of the severe shortage of supplies, a bizarre spectacle emerged on the battlefield.


    Traditional Cavalry, with a large allocation of horse-drawn carts, became the fastest-advancing units, with Infantry moving faster than the Armored Corps in some cases. The mechanized units that ran out of fuel actually became the slowest trash.


    The already poor border roads of Shu Country were deliberately sabotaged further, and now they were the nightmare of Qin Army¡¯s advance.


    In the stream of Qin Troops advancing along the limited roads, one could see soldiers everywhere pushing carts and pulling artillery, in a scene reminiscent of dockworkers.


    From time to time, these units also had to scatter to avoid Shu Country¡¯s Fighter Jets roaring overhead, a situation the high-ranking officers of Qin Country hadn¡¯t anticipated.


    What they hadn¡¯t expected even more was that Shu Country organized over four hundred bombers, taking off from the Field Airports at the front line, to pay a visit to Qin Country¡¯s border cities.


    This marks the first time in a century that the hinterland cities of Qin Country have been ravaged by the flames of war. Countless Qin citizens have become displaced, with large numbers of civilian dwellings destroyed and damaged.


    The Air Force of Qin Country frequently launched planes to intercept these Shu bombers, but the effectiveness of these interceptions wasn¡¯t particularly notable. Without radar early warning, they could only rely on the eyes of military and civilians on the front lines for vigilance, and then use telegraph and telephone to relay news of enemy air raids¡ªa process which was obviously too slow.


    What¡¯s more, the bombers of Qin Country¡¯s Air Force were also continuously being deployed to bomb the hinterlands of Shu Country. Under these circumstances, it was impossible for the ground visual lookout posts to distinguish whether the planes passing overhead were their own returning bombers or enemy invading bombers.


    As a result, false alarms were as common as hairs on a cow, and friendly fire incidences by anti-aircraft gun positions occurred frequently. For a time, the number of planes brought down by friendly fire actually exceeded that of enemy takedowns.


    There was no way around it. If you just find someone, hand them binoculars to watch for planes passing by in the sky, what could they really discern?


    If requirements are loosened, enemy planes might slip through and, with the rear being bombed, the leadership pursuing accountability would undoubtedly demand responsibility. Yet, if standards are tightened and any plane sightings are reported, it often results in one¡¯s own planes being attacked by ground artillery fire, or harassed by one¡¯s own fighter jets.


    In the end, everyone was at a loss as to what should be done. Some even naively thought that if the Great Tang Empire were to join the war now, it would surely have similar issues.


    Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t know that most of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s planes were already equipped with an IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) radio device that, using radar and radio equipment, could differentiate between allied and enemy aircraft.


    In just the first month of the war, Qin Country had advanced more than 130 kilometers into Shu Country¡¯s territory, but the loss on both sides was greater than anticipated.


    Qin Country had managed to assemble 300 fighter jets and 500 bombers for the war, but in this one month, over 170 of those planes were shot down, with fewer than 400 airworthy remaining.


    The situation was also grim for Shu Country; they had deployed 1000 planes on the border at the start of the war, but now fewer than 700 remained operational.


    Since Qin Country was on the offensive, their losses were even greater. While the situation was somewhat better for Shu Country, they were still at a disadvantage overall: they had lost ground, many of their armies were routed, and ground losses were greater.


    Since the start of the war, Qin Country had lost over 200 tanks and Shu Country over 250, with the loss of armored vehicles roughly similar on both sides, at about 400 each.


    However, in terms of manpower, the losses were more significant for Shu Country: Qin Country had roughly lost 15,000 soldiers while Shu Country had over 30,000 casualties and at least 30,000 captured.


    These losses are a direct reflection of the actual military disparity between the two countries.


    The pre-war analysis by the Staff Department of the Great Tang Empire reached similar conclusions to the above data. However, Qin Army¡¯s actual performance was even worse, and Shu Country was also not as resilient as the Great Tang Empire had estimated.


    Plainly put, Luff and his staff overestimated the strength of both the Qin and Shu armies, so while their conclusion was correct, the actual situation did not match their prediction.


    The real situation was that the losses of the Shu Military were greater than estimated, and Qin Country¡¯s strategic victory was not as significant as imagined... As for which side performed a bit better, only heaven knows.


    As a result, Luff was extremely irritated, and the faces of the Staff Department were almost completely disgraced by these two idiotic countries, Qin Country and Shu Country.


    He couldn¡¯t criticize these two countries, so during the subsequent meetings, Marshal Luff, the Empire¡¯s Chief of Staff, nearly died of anger from everyone¡¯s jokes.


    Even His Majesty The Emperor joined in mercilessly, telling a joke in the meeting room that nearly had Luff and the generals of the Staff Department tucking their heads between their legs.


    But jokes aside, the world situation has indeed become tense because of Qin Country¡¯s declaration of war on Shu Country. The emissaries of Shu Country hope that the Great Tang Empire can mediate between the two warring sides, while the emissaries of Qin Country have been continuously obstructing and delaying.


    Diplomatic envoys from other countries are all inquiring about Tang Country¡¯s stance on this war, and covertly probing whether Tang Country has further expansion plans.


    In fact, everyone is waiting for a result¡ªan answer as to whether the Western Continent is truly going to descend into chaos: If the Western Continent is chaotic, then the Eastern Continent will undoubtedly follow suit.


    Everyone wants to gain their own advantages in the turbulent era, so they all are observing the attitude of Tang Country, to see whether Tang Country will go back on its word and join in this war.


    However, unfortunately for them, the answer they received was not what they wanted: the Great Tang Empire did not show urgency to get involved in the war in the short term; Tang Country was very composed, at least on the surface, very composed.


    Tang Mo had no thoughts of expanding the military or preparing for war; apart from mobilizing some troops and deploying them near Fengjiang, there were no other movements.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Dragon Spirit has some family matters to attend to these days, updates will resume in a couple of days

 Chapter 1042 - 964 is another ordinary day beginning

    Chapter 1042: 964 is another ordinary day beginning


    Compared to the complicated international situation, the interior of the Great Tang Empire was a picture of serenity; let alone expanding the military and preparing for war, there was scarcely a sense of tension.


    Aside from trains frequently passing along the east-west railroad, loaded with Dwarf or Goblin soldiers, it was hard to tell that the nation was right at the edge of a storm.


    Qin Country and Shu Country were engaged in frenzied battle, and the military situation near Fengjiang was intensifying, yet many merchants of the Great Tang Empire were now focusing on the construction progress of the Hidden Sword Gorge Bridge.


    Employing the latest technology, the Hidden Sword Gorge Bridge solved the issue of being unable to build piers due to the Gorge, making it possible to turn a once insurmountable barrier into a thoroughfare.


    Once the bridge is completed, communication between Tang Country and the Fengjiang rebels can never be severed again.


    For Tang Mo, the recent succession of good news was truly non-stop. Not to say that there weren¡¯t bad news as well. On the whole, it could be said to be a mix of joy and worry.


    The Gross Domestic Product within the Great Tang Empire was rising rapidly, and the number of large equipment export projects had increased, almost all of which were high value-added products.


    In the face of international instability, various countries hoped to purchase production equipment quickly before the outbreak of war, positioning them within core regions considered relatively secure, in order to avoid the impact of war on their domestic equipment production.


    However, countries were actually tightening their strategic materials exports. Exports of steel, copper, and other metals were sharply declining, indicating that everyone sensed danger and was trying to stockpile strategic materials in preparation for a major war.


    Thus, the Great Tang Empire had to open several of its own sealed mines to compensate for the sharp reduction in imported metals.


    Another piece of good news was that the Great Tang Empire¡¯s grain production once again yielded a bumper harvest. Since the flooding issue in the upper reaches of Chu Country¡¯s rivers had been effectively curbed, the overall irrigation environment for the Great Tang Empire had improved.


    As a result, the agriculture of the Great Tang Empire had been enjoying a state of constant abundance these days, and with the total national grain production increased, the problem of hunger had been contained.


    Even as it needed to feed hundreds of millions of people and tens of thousands of slaves, the Great Tang Empire felt no pressure whatsoever. Such a feat was impossible in the past; it could only be realized through a combination of industrial and agricultural development.


    This required a series of technological supports such as improved irrigation efficiency, popularizing scientific cultivation, advancements in fertilizer technology, and development of new crop breeds¡ªessentially a comprehensive leap supported by various scientific and technological projects.


    For the office workers of the Great Tang Empire, it was just another ordinary day; this morning was as ordinary as ever.


    A staff member picked up his freshly made hot tea and returned to his desk. He was a technician, currently working on developing a brand-new armor technology.


    It might sound incredible, but his supervisor had actually received a research task on tank armor protection, which was to make explosives serve as armor for tanks.


    It was definitely an impressive technology, which aimed to install something called Explosive Reactive Armor on the tank to boost its defense.


    What it actually increased was not the overall protection but specifically the defense against armor-piercing shells.


    The theoretical basis was that once the armor is penetrated, the explosive charge inside would detonate, and the energy formed would neutralize or disrupt the jet generated by the shell¡¯s explosion, thereby reducing the shell¡¯s penetrating power.


    Generally, this type of armor, in conjunction with spaced armor, can effectively counter armor-piercing and armor-piercing rounds, significantly enhancing tank defense capabilities with only a slight increase in weight.


    However, all of this was still theoretical and required repeated experiments to verify its effectiveness. In the Great Tang Empire, such verification was also a process of reverse-engineering and learning.


    Within the Great Tang Empire, many cutting-edge technologies emerged from moments of inspiration by His Majesty The Emperor. Although in retrospect, The Emperor¡¯s ideas were proven correct, they still required technicians to test their feasibility.


    Conversely, having designs alone was far from sufficient. Technicians of the Great Tang needed to fully grasp these technologies themselves, enabling them to have their own ideas in more situations.


    This reverse learning process was vital; in fact, the learning process was rather intricate, and the pace at which technicians of the Great Tang came into contact with new technologies was not much faster than their counterparts in other countries.


    To put it plainly, technicians of the Great Tang could not rapidly master new technological developments; the overall direction of progress still needed Emperor of the Great Tang Empire to point out time and again.


    ¡ª


    However, the technical staff of the Great Tang Empire had a clear advantage over those of other empires: they were the fastest to come into contact with new technologies and understand their directions.


    Other empire¡¯s engineers often only saw technologies that had been researched by the Great Tang Empire¡¯s personnel for over two years, and they lacked systematic research and higher-intensity learning, making their foresight much weaker and their technologies less likely to come to the forefront.


    ¡°Do you really think this little gadget can block the new weapon that Sector 707 is working on? I heard that during tests with the Panther Tank, Sector 707¡¯s new weapon even penetrated the upper armor of the tank,¡± he said, holding a cup of hot tea and looking at the blueprints and technical documents on his desk, asking his friend beside him.


    The friend was eating a stuffed pie, which he had brought from home in the morning and was still warm enough to eat.


    Hearing this, he finished his bite and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about that. Sector 707 was pretty happy for a while, and then His Majesty sent over the data related to Explosive Reactive Armor to our sector.¡±


    ¡°If you had told me two months ago to use explosives for defense, I might have laughed and thrown the relevant technical data into the trash can,¡± said the technician, smiling as he held his cup of hot tea.


    ¡°Hahaha! Good thing you didn¡¯t; who knows, that technology might¡¯ve also come from His Majesty,¡± the pie-eating technician laughed and teased.


    A few days ago, their sector had sent a design sample to the weapons testing range, and personnel from Sector 707 once again attacked a Panther Tank equipped with Explosive Reactive Armor with what was termed a man-portable anti-tank weapons system.


    The result was surprising; the tank equipped with Explosive Reactive Armor easily withstood the jet of impact from the armor-piercing warhead, which once again placed tank defense a step above anti-tank weapons.


    In fact, it proved that thicker armor wasn¡¯t the only path to increasing a tank¡¯s defensive capabilities ¡ª the Great Tang Empire had found a shortcut to tank lightweighting.


    This also meant that the approach of other countries continually increasing tank armor thickness was completely wrong. Only by using technology to enhance a tank¡¯s level of protection was truly the correct path!


    However, with ingenuity comes an equal measure of intelligence. Sector 707 of the Great Tang Empire didn¡¯t give up on their anti-tank weapons development, because apart from the Great Tang Empire, the world¡¯s nations didn¡¯t have anything called Explosive Reactive Armor.


    And also, Sector 707 received technical guidance from the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire, immediately thinking of using tandem warheads to solve the problem.


    All they needed was a small shape charge warhead to detonate the Explosive Reactive Armor prematurely, then using the main warhead to penetrate the tank¡¯s primary armor.


    In a sense, the competition between anti-tank weapons and armor ¡ª from the perspective of anti-tank weapons ¡ª isn¡¯t this another form of intelligence triumphing?


    What they didn¡¯t know was that, in the world Tang Mo travelled from, anti-tank weapons had completely gained the upper hand, and before laser defense weapons technology had fully matured, before concepts like energy shields had emerged, tanks were already unable to withstand the onslaught of anti-tank weapons.


    In that era, individual anti-tank weapons could intelligently use vertical strikes to bypass the tanks¡¯ robust horizontal armor, focusing the attack on the tanks¡¯ vulnerable top armor.


    At the same time, precision-guided rocket artillery, cruise missiles, and even cheap kamikaze drones all became deadly threats to tanks.


    Thus, the battlefield became a perilous place for tanks, and their crew no longer had the sense of safety they once did. In reality, although they had an extra layer of 30mm of top armor compared to the infantry, as targets, their size also increased tenfold.


    Because of Tang Mo¡¯s appearance, such anti-tank concepts also appeared earlier, and anti-tank missiles have now become a secret weapon of Tang Country. Facing such weapons are the first generation of post-war main battle tanks like the Type 59 tank.


    Moreover, other countries didn¡¯t even have advanced tanks like the Type 59; their tanks didn¡¯t even have gun stabilizing systems, and their armor only just met the defense standard of 100 millimeters of homogeneous steel.


    Therefore, their tanks were extremely vulnerable in front of the future weapons systems of the Great Tang Empire infantry, without any guarantee for safety even in normal combat range.


    ¡°Hurry up and organize the data. It¡¯s said that there will be a trial, equipping one division first to inspect the effect,¡± the bell rang for work, and the technician who had finished his hot tea sat back down in his chair and started his day¡¯s work.


    The pie-eating technician who was just chatting stuffed the last of his pie in his mouth without time for words and spread out his documents.


    Their busy yet fulfilling work began, feeling that their work was very meaningful. As long as they could help one more tank crew member from their country survive on the battlefield, their work was not done in vain.


    Outside their office window was the parking lot of their unit, and in the middle of the parking lot stood a towering flagpole. On top of the flagpole fluttered the iron-blooded Dragon Banner, symbolizing the Great Tang Empire.


    The work bell echoing in the corridors stopped after a while, marking the start of another ordinary day.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 1043: Amend the Rituals of 965

    Chapter 1043: Amend the Rituals of 965


    ¡°Why is there another meeting?¡± In the Staff Department, a logistics supply Major General for tank and armored vehicles closed the logistics supply parameter form in front of him and stood up impatiently.


    Lately, the frequency of meetings called by the Staff Department had become too much. These past few days he had finally managed to find time to revise the supply parameter form.


    This was the fruit of his labor, after all. Every number in this form was an accurate figure derived from exercises, refined by countless revisions to be as close to rational as possible.


    This form was the crystallization of many people¡¯s hard work and a treasure worth a fortune. It was the calculation parameter for logistics materials within the Great Tang Empire¡¯s military, an experience that no amount of money could buy...


    Should war break out, all logistics supply troops would have to provide logistics support to their responsible units according to this kind of form. This affected the combat effectiveness of the troops, the efficiency of supplies, and the effort to eliminate waste...


    Although these values had never been truly accurate, the continual refinement of these values represented progress in the science of logistics supply.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, General Bolton and General Strauss are both going to attend. The meeting will be presided over by Marshal Luff, and I heard Marshal Redman and Marshal Tager will also be there,¡± said the secretary who came to notify him, reeling off many names in one breath.


    Then the logistics supply Major General had no more objections. He gathered his things and hurried to the meeting room at the Wuying Hall.


    Upon arrival, he was dumbstruck: What kind of level was this meeting, with almost all military big shots he knew, and even those he didn¡¯t, in attendance.


    Not only were there three Imperial Marshals, but there were also commanders from various corps, renowned generals of the Armored Corps, the Commander of the First Armored Division, and at least seven or eight Major Generals from main armored divisions.


    He really couldn¡¯t figure out what all these people were meeting for: At first, he even thought a war had erupted.


    Indeed, other than the Great Tang Empire preparing to declare war, why else would so many high-ranking officers be summoned for a meeting at once?


    Feeling uneasy, the logistics supply Major General took a seat in the back row, and the younger generals felt somewhat relieved.


    Because he didn¡¯t see the Air Force Commander in the conference room. It seemed that the only person in blue Air Force uniform was a Colonel who was a liaison officer, obviously not an indication of going to war.


    According to the military action requirements of the Great Tang Empire, if there truly was going to be a declaration of war, the Air Force would definitely have a large number of officers attending. Because they are the vanguard of the attack, the sharpest spear of the Great Tang Empire.


    Moreover, only a liaison officer from the Navy was present, although he held the rank of Major General, it was clear that this meeting was not about discussing a declaration of war.


    ¡°Hello!¡± An officer sitting next to him extended a hand, his rank was that of a Major General. The Great Tang Empire had a color-coding system for branches of the military; just by looking at the pink edge of his collar, one could easily tell that he was an Armored Corps commander.


    A Major General rank indicated that he should be a commander of an armored corps, or a chief of staff of an armored corps.


    The logistics supply Major General immediately reached out and shook hands: ¡°Hello! I am Burlan, a logistics staff member of the General Staff.¡±


    He was from Northern Ridge, considered one of Brunas¡¯s old men. However, he was very young back then and without much military merit. After a year of further studies at the military academy, he took a position at the Staff Department; his career record was actually quite ordinary.


    ¡°I am the Division Commander of the 17th Armored Division, Commander Chen,¡± said the officer while introducing himself.


    After exchanging pleasantries, the three Marshals arrived, and everyone stood up to salute: ¡°Long live the Emperor!¡±


    The meeting was presided over by Marshal Luff, who gestured with both hands for everyone to sit down, and then the meeting discussion began: ¡°We have convened this meeting to announce that with technological progress, the combat cover regulations for our armored troops need to be revised.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Again?¡± Hearing Marshal Luff say this, many generals immediately murmured complaints. As the country with the most advanced technology in the world, many tactics of the Great Tang Empire were constantly changing.


    For example, the combat regulations of the Air Force. With the emergence of jet fighter jets, the air combat regulations have also been drastically revised.


    The previous practice of deploying formations consisting of hundreds of fighter jets clearly does not suit jet fighters anymore. Now, the Air Force of the Great Tang Empire is reducing the size of its formations to unleash the full potential of jet fighters.


    ¡°Based on the latest findings from the technical department, the 1st Armored Division is preparing to experimentally equip a new type of defense armor called Explosive Reactive Armor,¡± Luff said as he ordered two officers to hang up the blueprints.


    He pointed at the blueprints and continued, ¡°This armor can effectively withstand artillery attacks from enemy forces, reducing the risk of tanks being penetrated. However, it¡¯s not perfect. As its name suggests, Explosive Reactive Armor, it explodes when hit by artillery rounds...¡±


    ¡°Next, we will invite related experts to explain its working principles,¡± Luff stepped aside, handing over the platform to a technician in a white lab coat.


    Following that, the technician began to explain the principles of the Explosive Reactive Armor and its operational state.


    Soon after, a projector was brought in to show a video from the testing grounds, allowing everyone to directly experience what happens when Explosive Reactive Armor is hit.


    ¡°Holy smokes... if infantry were standing nearby, wouldn¡¯t they be done for?¡± Division Chief Chen shifted in his seat and asked Burlan sitting beside him.


    Logistics Supply Major General Burlan nodded in agreement, ¡°If you¡¯re standing next to it, I guess it wouldn¡¯t be any different from catching a hand grenade.¡±


    ¡°Probably even worse,¡± said Division Chief Chen with some trepidation. ¡°This thing is packed with a lot more explosive than a hand grenade.¡±


    While they were talking, Luff stepped onto the stage again. He interrupted the discussions of his subordinates, saying, ¡°Therefore, we need to establish a new manual for infantry-tank combat cooperation in advance to prevent accidental casualties.¡±


    ¡°The distance that infantry follow tanks must be increased; they can¡¯t be too close,¡± a general whispered to his colleague.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we already increase the distance last time?¡± his colleague whispered back. Because of the danger of ricocheting tank rounds causing friendly fire incidents, the Great Tang Empire had already revised the infantry-tank coordination manual once before.


    Back then, it was found that soldiers were at risk of being hit by ricocheting rounds if they followed too closely behind a tank, so the Great Tang Empire revised the infantry-tank coordination regulations, specifically increasing the safe following distance.


    Although there were still soldiers willing to follow closely behind tanks, those were rare cases. The correct procedure was for infantry to keep a distance of more than ten meters from a tank, to avoid being hit by stray bullets rebounding off tank armor.


    Everyone was in heated discussion because the blast radius of a hand grenade is about twenty meters, making the appropriate new infantry-tank separation distance a focal point of the debate.


    From an infantry-tank coordination perspective, it¡¯s not always better for infantry to be closer to the tanks, nor is it always better to be further away.


    If the infantry is too far from the tank, they can be easily suppressed by enemy fire and get cut off from the tanks. This is a very dangerous situation; infantry casualties will increase, and the mutual support system of infantry covering tanks and vice versa would be broken.


    However, if the infantry is too close to the tanks, though the tanks would be safer, the infantry following the tanks would be in danger: on the battlefield, the enemy uses all kinds of weapons to attack tanks. Light weapons that can¡¯t penetrate tank armor will cause bullets to ricochet off the tanks. These stray bullets can easily kill the infantry swarming around the tanks.


    Now, an even more dangerous scenario has arisen. If soldiers still crowd around the tanks and an Explosive Reactive Armor is detonated, the surrounding infantry would be wiped out all at once¡ªas a tank decked out in Explosive Reactive Armor is, in a way, like wearing a vest woven from hand grenades.


    ¡°If we really were to use this, this... Explosive, Explosive Reactive Armor, then the safe distance for infantry to follow tanks should at least be maintained at around 30 meters,¡± lamented an Armored Corps Commander.


    An officer sitting in front of him immediately turned around to argue, ¡°This is war! How can it be that safe? If we¡¯re 30 meters from the tanks, what¡¯s the point of having infantry? Wouldn¡¯t it be safer to just let the tanks go up by themselves?¡±


    ¡°So what distance do you suggest?¡± the other countered somewhat unconvinced.


    The officer in front gave his answer, ¡°Twenty meters, I think that¡¯s about right!¡±


    ¡°Twenty meters? And if we lose infantry, are you responsible?¡± the officer behind him retorted sarcastically.


    ¡°That officer immediately deflected, ¡°Whose responsibility is that to decide?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just between them; many others began to argue... The hall was filled with hushed voices.

 Chapter 1044: Dahua Troops at the end of their tether

    Chapter 1044: Dahua Troops at the end of their tether


    ¡°Commander, this is the latest battle report from Fengjiang.¡± An officer in charge of data statistics for the Fengjiang area knocked on the door and placed a report before Qian Jinhang, who was already preparing to return to his country.


    Qian Jinhang¡¯s work here was basically completed, and as a staff officer of the Staff Department, staying here actually didn¡¯t serve much purpose.


    If Zhao Kai learned that the Dahua Empire had been facing off against Qian Jinhang, an old acquaintance, he wouldn¡¯t know what to feel.


    Qian Jinhang glanced at the data in the report and asked without lifting his head, ¡°Any changes?¡±


    The officer was clearly prepared and immediately began to explain, ¡°The number of mercenaries from various countries is noticeably decreasing, but this doesn¡¯t actually affect our Fengjiang plan. The areas controlled by Zhao Yu have completed the first round of conscription, and we can deploy more troops to Fengjiang.¡±


    The current international situation is very complex, which has led nations to shift their focus away from the battles in Fengjiang and the battle between Qin and Shu.


    Their attention is now on their own borders, thus they are unable to dispatch as many mercenaries to Fengjiang to gain experience and train their forces.


    In fact, in the last half-year, various countries have sent at least 30,000 military officers to Fengjiang to study Tang Army¡¯s combat tactics and to understand some of the latest changes in weaponry and equipment.


    Now, at least 20,000 of these lower-level commanders, who came to Fengjiang to ¡®gild¡¯ their experience, have returned to their respective countries. What they have brought back is enough to occupy their military forces for quite some time.


    Actually, this presents an interesting phenomenon: military officers who graduated from the Great Tang Military Academy in Brunas have now risen to high ranks in their respective countries and become senior commanders. They form the upper echelons of the various empires¡¯ military forces.


    Under their leadership, alumni find it easier to be promoted. Indeed, these commanders, educated with advanced military thought from the Great Tang Military Academy, are indeed more capable than the old-fashioned officers self-raised by the Nobility.


    As for these ¡°Tang-connected¡± commanders, there is an interesting disdain chain within: those who have studied in Tang Country earlier were the most esteemed. However, now those who have been ¡®gilded¡¯ in Fengjiang are even hotter commodities.


    Aside from these individuals who come to learn and ¡®gild¡¯ their resumes, the remaining soldiers have it much tougher. They must fight on the frontlines for two months before they even qualify to return home.


    But it¡¯s not without rewards; those who manage to survive the ordeal in Fengjiang can possibly return home as junior officers, which is a sort of class promotion that many are keen to pursue.


    Unfortunately, the number of survivors is not that high, and as the battle of Fengjiang becomes increasingly fierce, fewer and fewer men are pulled out of combat, and their time spent in battle shortens.


    In such circumstances, it is uncertain how much combat strength these battle-hardened veterans retain and how much they learn.


    But there¡¯s one thing certain: countries around the world have learned something from Fengjiang, and indeed they have gained a lot at a small cost, learning key points they had not encountered before.


    Qian Jinhang sneered disdainfully, then set aside the report in his hand, ¡°It seems the nations think they have learned most of our technology.¡±


    ¡°The opposition is indeed learning our tactics and technology, having witnessed the practical performance of many weapon systems on the battlefield,¡± the officer affirmed.


    He then added, ¡°For example, the Type 63 light infantry rocket artillery has become a hot item, with 30,000 units selling recently.¡±


    ¡°That sounds quite good, more successful than hosting an expo,¡± Qian Jinhang nodded and said, ¡°I will take this report back with me, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Long live His Majesty The Emperor!¡± The officer snapped to attention and saluted.


    ¡°Long live the Empire!¡± Qian Jinhang got up, stood at attention, and returned the salute.


    As a general who surrendered to the Great Tang Empire, Qian Jinhang developed many small habits. He always said thank you to each person he worked with, and he made sure his salutes were always crisp and proper.


    Many weapons technologies from the Great Tang Empire are a focal point of tracking for other nations, and the weapons seen in Fengjiang are naturally the most effective.


    Everyone has seen the devastating effect of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s rocket artillery in Fengjiang, so the term ¡®rocket artillery¡¯ has recently become one of the most talked-about topics.


    These days, apart from the battles in Fengjiang, bloody and brutal fights are taking place in the Shanchong direction, or rather, towards the Guiguang area.


    Different from the city siege warfare in Fengjiang, Luo Xiao¡¯s Fengjiang forces near Guiguang are fiercely fighting against the Dahua troops from Shanchong, while also sending out forces to push northwards, attempting to capture Wanliang, and threaten the Dahua forces advancing from the Hezhe direction towards Fengjiang.¡±


    In terms of strategy, the Dahua Empire remained naive and vague. Emperor Zhao Kai, who usually practiced a balancing act and was characteristically flawed, continued to perform stably as always.


    The invasion of Shu Country by Qin Country, in a way, liberated the Dahua troops on the western front. Some of these troops were pulled out and directly thrown into the brutal eastern frontline.


    Originally, with so many additional troops, the Dahua military forces attacking Fengjiang should have been unprecedentedly strengthened, but in reality, these Dahua troops were dispersed in three different directions.


    A portion of the troops was allocated to the Zhao Jie Group in the Shanchong direction, another portion was plainly arranged in the Wanliang direction to ensure the security of Wanliang.


    Only about one-third of the troops were assigned to the Zhao Chen Group, for the assault on Fengjiang: such deployment obviously wasn¡¯t quite correct, but it seemed exceptionally rational.


    On the surface, this even-handed approach seems to have no problem at all, yet in reality, this ¡®adding oil¡¯ tactic is the most ridiculous method of distribution.


    From a true tactical standpoint, it would be better to concentrate all the troops in one direction to create an advantage before considering other directions.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t...¡± In his annoyance, Zhao Chen recalled that the order might have come from Zhao Kai, so he forcibly choked back the words ¡°acting rashly.¡±


    Zhao Kai has already had a great deal of criticism for not taking Fengjiang after such a long time, and seeking trouble now would only make the situation worse.


    Today¡¯s Fengjiang has become a huge fortress. The closer you attack toward the core, the more durable the buildings become, the more densely packed the high-rises, and the collapsed structures block traffic and form high grounds, very disadvantageous for the attackers.


    Under such terrain, heavy weaponry could no longer play an advantage, and the once-dominant Type 5 tanks were now out of place; everyone now fought in the rubble relying almost entirely on infantry.


    Every day brings massive casualties, every day some utterly exhausted troops have to be pulled back for rest, only to be replaced by freshly recovered troops back into the meat grinder.


    At first, entering the battle were infantry battalions at full strength of 550 men; very soon the speed of new recruits could no longer keep up. Subsequent troops entering the battlefield were 500 men strong, later reduced to 350 men per battalion.


    There was no choice; too many troops needed replenishing, and there simply wasn¡¯t a way to restore understrength units to full capacity.


    Most of the time, troops rest in the rear for two days, take in some new recruits, get acquainted, receive some new ammo and arms, and then must re-enter the battle in Fengjiang.


    The core veterans have been dwindling, in the beginning, more than half of the soldiers in a battalion had ample combat experience. After fighting all this way to the present, it¡¯s considered quite good if a battalion has seventy to eighty old soldiers.


    Zhao Ji is no longer around, and Zhao Chen finds it impossible to use Zhao Ji¡¯s status to ask Zhao Kai for more supplies.


    Now, the Crown Prince Zhao Ji has been dispatched to supervise the battle in Wanliang City, as Zhao Kai is concerned that if Wanliang falls, it would affect the Empire¡¯s grain harvest.


    Indeed, has the harvest season not arrived? Wanliang Wanliang, just by hearing the name you can tell it is absolutely a crucial production area.


    In fact, it is indeed so, the vast regions near the cities of Wanliang, Jutian, and Caili are the traditional production areas of the Dahua Empire. These places cannot easily run into problems, otherwise, it would affect the food security of the Dahua Empire.


    This is one of the main reasons why Zhao Kai has directed the withdrawn western troops to the Wanliang direction: It really can¡¯t afford any issues, especially during the harvest season.


    At this point, the Zhao Chen Group can be said to be both weary veterans and tired soldiers, with hundreds of thousands of troops besieging Fengjiang, fighting all the way from Hezhe to Fengjiang, their condition is actually not so great.


    Under such circumstances, without receiving substantial reinforcements, Zhao Chen¡¯s army¡¯s offensive has become unsustainable. This is one of the reasons why the battle of Fengjiang has dragged on for so long.


    Inside Fengjiang City now, Dahua troops¡¯ offensives are often not comprehensive, but can only target a single block or a few buildings. Such an attack, victory or defeat, can no longer dictate the overall situation of urban warfare.


    Urban warfare, or rather street fighting, is all about speed. If you are fast enough, the street fight will be quelled quickly, and actual losses will be contained to a minimum.


    But if you get into a protracted struggle, then street fighting becomes the nightmare for both sides of the conflict. The endless commitment makes victory for either side incredibly difficult.


    Because the losses are already especially colossal, both sides, out of reluctance to abandon what¡¯s already been endured but finding no satisfaction, choose to ceaselessly throw in subsequent forces in the hopes the prior commitments do not go to waste.


    The result is that both sides are stuck in a dilemma, both having to commit a large number of troops to entangle in the ruins: The Battle of Stalingrad, frankly, was exactly like this.


    To claim that the German Army, after truly capturing Stalingrad, and Paulus would still have the capability to continue the march to the Caucasus region, even he would not dare say so. Hence, even if the German Army eventually took the city, they could only choose to either defend it or retreat.

 Chapter 1045: Have a good meal at 967

    Chapter 1045: Have a good meal at 967


    Reinforcements had been diverted to fill other gaps, but that wasn¡¯t what angered Zhao Chen the most. The snipers from the Great Tang Empire, ghost-like within Fengjiang, also tormented Zhao Chen, leaving him restless throughout the nights.


    The Dahua Empire¡¯s sniper troops had suffered increasingly heavy losses recently. Those Dahua snipers who had previously held a slight advantage in their duels with the Fengjiang snipers were now dying one after another.


    Everyone almost knew that Dahua Empire¡¯s snipers had joined the battle, but until now there had been no proof.


    The enemy operated in groups; even if they were injured or killed in battle, their bodies would be taken care of by their comrades. Most of the time, they were outclassing their rivals with superior weaponry¡ªDahua Empire¡¯s snipers simply couldn¡¯t match them.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s snipers had weapons with longer ranges, better camouflage, and other equipment more suited for sniping, as if the designer of these gears was a super sniper themselves.


    Within just over a month, the fatality rate for Dahua Empire snipers sent to the front lines for hunting missions had exceeded eighty percent. This meant that out of approximately five snipers sent on a mission, only one would return alive.


    The heavy casualties were only half the reason; the other half was the difficulty in replenishment: most Dahua snipers were either seasoned hunters or nobility passionate about shooting.


    Such talents were exceedingly rare to begin with, which made replenishment even more troublesome. This forced the Dahua Empire¡¯s sniper troops to look for veterans with good marksmanship from regular units.


    Although these veterans might be decent marksmen, they were at best sharpshooters, and such shooters were incapable of fulfilling the role of snipers.


    Losses were hard to replace, and the replacements were hardly fit for purpose. This resulted in the Dahua Empire¡¯s sniper troops dwindling in size and their combat effectiveness plummeting.


    Eventually, unable to bear the losses, Zhao Chen had to suspend the sniper operations that he had once been very confident about. This tactic, which seemed very effective, was put on hold due to the inability to replenish enough snipers in the short term.


    This marked the complete bankruptcy of the Dahua Empire¡¯s sniper combat tactics, and Dahua snipers no longer appeared in large numbers on the frontlines.


    ...


    Amidst the rubble-filled ruins, in an inconspicuous corner, Cao Fei peered through a crevice at the Dahua military resting in the distance.


    They had just launched an attack and captured a high ground made of debris. The surroundings were extremely chaotic, with buildings nearby still emitting dense smoke.


    Through the crevice where Cao Fei was hiding, he could clearly see these resting Dahua soldiers. They were resting with their weapons, and a platoon leader was distributing the remaining ammunition.


    The battle, in reality, has always been sporadic¡ªthe kind of large-scale assaults seen only on rare occasions. Most of the time, these units, fragmented by the terrain and the attack routes within the ruins, even struggled for ammunition resupplies.


    Real warfare and what¡¯s shown in movies are completely different. In actual urban combat, the flexibility and organizational skills of the troops are tested.


    During such times, the demands on commanders, and even ordinary soldiers, were immense: where are you, where is your unit, where are your supplies... and the most critical question, where is your enemy.


    The ammunition carried might run out in one attack, and the new position captured could still be under threat by enemy firelines, making ammunition resupply an often impossible challenge.


    Thus, many times, buildings or blocks contested in street fights, which cost the lives of dozens or even hundreds, had to be relinquished to the enemy. This constant back-and-forth contributed to the heavy casualties of urban combat.


    Different from open field positions, every direction, every vertical angle here was obstructed by the ruins. Attacks could come from any direction, and most of the time the positions you constructed offered no real safety.


    Such was the case now.


    From Cao Fei¡¯s perspective, the seemingly concealed Dahua troops didn¡¯t even have proper cover. They lay in shell holes resting, smoking, or eating dry rations, completely relaxed, without the slightest vigilance.


    And at this very moment, Cao Fei¡¯s gun barrel was pointed at them. If he wanted, he could empty his magazine one bullet at a time and leave at his leisure.


    No one would see him, because his choice of ambush spot was very cunning. Or rather, even if he were discovered, no enemy could return fire; the angle was too narrow for anyone to shoot bullets through the gap.


    ¡°Spot a target! One of them is a platoon leader,¡± the observer whispered from another crevice nearby, watching the Dahua soldiers.


    ¡°I see him,¡± Cao Fei replied indifferently, showing no intention to shoot, ¡°I have the platoon leader in my sights.¡±


    ¡°Whether you open fire or not is up to you,¡± the observer, whose arm wound had healed considerably, responded nonchalantly.


    There were only 7 of them, so calling for artillery support was obviously unnecessary. They could take out these defenseless targets on their own, and the enemies wouldn¡¯t even know where the bullets came from until they were hit.


    ¡°Bang!¡± Cao Fei eventually pulled the trigger, the bullet traveled through the space, striking the Dahua platoon leader¡¯s head. Blood splattered onto the face of another Dahua soldier beside him, who watched in horror as a life that was alive just moments ago ended before his eyes.


    Working the bolt, Cao Fei swiftly aimed at another Dahua soldier who had yet to realize what was happening.


    ¡°Bang!¡± The second shot echoed between the buildings, mingling with the distant artillery, crisp and resonant, lingering on endlessly.


    The soldier clutching his rifle was struck in the chest. He shivered, attempted to rise, but had already lost the ability. Blood dyed his chest red; his comrades beside him got up in panic, with their first instinct being to seek cover.


    Sadly, he didn¡¯t even figure out which direction the gunfire came from, just haphazardly dove to the ground, becoming another perfect target.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A third shot sounded; a soldier who had just scrambled up from the ground fell at the sound, collapsing next to the prone Dahua soldier.


    It wasn¡¯t until then that the remaining four Dahua soldiers shouted ¡°Sniper!¡± and started to flee in panic.


    Among these remaining Dahua soldiers, one was shot dead by Cao Fei as he climbed to the edge of a shell crater. Another soldier, clumsy from overwhelming terror, rolled back to the bottom of the pit. Yet another leaped into a different crater and was shot down by Cao Fei before he could find his footing.


    The soldier lying on the ground believed that the bodies shielded him from detection. He continued to lay there.


    Meanwhile, the Dahua soldier who had tumbled back to the bottom of the pit struggled to crawl up, only to be hit midway by Cao Fei and stopped there, motionless.


    At this moment, through the scope, Cao Fei lined up the crosshairs on the coward who had been prone all along.


    He pulled the trigger, firing the seventh shot. The bullet penetrated the body of the Dahua soldier, fixing him in his prone position forever.


    ¡°Seven! Not a single one got away! Impressive!¡± The spotter, using his binoculars, couldn¡¯t help but exclaim after witnessing it all.


    He had always thought highly of Cao Fei¡¯s sniping skills, and now he gained more material to boast about: one shot, one kill, seven bullets took down seven enemies!


    Until their death, none of these slain Dahua soldiers ever discovered Cao Fei¡¯s location, nor did they even think of returning fire. They only ran, fled, then like prey were killed one by one by the hunter.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Time to head back,¡± Cao Fei packed up his weapon, cautiously retreating to a safe position, and grabbed his backpack.


    The spotter also shouldered his gear: ¡°Today¡¯s our last mission in Fengjiang, should we throw a Hand Grenade to celebrate?¡±


    ¡°Overconfidence leads to misfortune just as the sky does to rain,¡± Cao Fei glanced at the jubilant spotter and warned.


    ¡°Just joking! But we really haven¡¯t seen much of Dahua¡¯s snipers recently,¡± the spotter recalled the enemy they had outsmarted near the factory building with a hint of nostalgia.


    Lately all they encountered were rookies, who barely posed any trouble. They were as naive as children, lying motionless at the decoy position, never realizing they were already exposed to the enemy¡¯s guns until death.


    Recently... they couldn¡¯t even encounter such fools. It seemed the enemy had abandoned such tactics, remaining hidden regardless of how much Cao Fei and his companion taunted, the enemy snipers simply wouldn¡¯t show themselves.


    As time went on, Cao Fei and his team would soon return home for rest: after all, the opportunities were limited, and they had to let other troops¡¯ snipers have their turn...


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down, the best respect you can show an enemy is to kill them, and then add another shot!¡± Carrying his backpack, Cao Fei kept low as he left his hiding spot. ¡°The best celebration is to return alive, find a place to have a good meal.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± the spotter felt that Cao Fei possessed a maturity that didn¡¯t match his age. Or perhaps, that was part of his sniping talent.


    After returning, they would be awarded the ¡°Special Operations Medal¡± and the ¡°Sniper Elite Medal.¡± Both medals were akin to badges of service, designed to honor soldiers who can¡¯t disclose their locations during missions.


    Such trinkets were not as practical as the Blade Medal, but they offered further benefits like ¡°salary increase¡± and ¡°tax exemption.¡±


    ¡°Have you thought about what to eat tonight?¡± the spotter asked Cao Fei while they walked.


    ¡°Of course, the canteen,¡± Cao Fei naturally responded.


    ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t you just say you wanted to eat something good?¡± the spotter was taken aback.


    ¡°The canteen is free,¡± Cao Fei¡¯s reply was still natural.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Dragon Spirit was vomiting everything he ate yesterday, not sure what happened, feeling better today. I¡¯ll make up for the missed updates after a few days of adjustment.

 Chapter 1046: Expensive Intelligence Service 968

    Chapter 1046: Expensive Intelligence Service 968


    A black sedan wobbled to a stop in front of an unremarkable courtyard on the outskirts of Chang¡¯an. These cars, all new models introduced by the Great Tang Group¡¯s automotive division.


    These sleekly designed sedans boast impressively exaggerated speeds and designs appealing enough to clearly distinguish them from military vehicles.


    In the Great Tang Empire, the past state of interchangeability between military and civilian vehicles is no longer present; military cars excel in performance within their specialized domains, while civilian cars have shifted to prioritize comfort.


    After all, with the Great Tang Empire¡¯s extensive network of highways, the military vehicles, designed for off-roading with their high fuel consumption, no longer fit the civilian market.


    The car door was opened by a Sentinel standing guard outside, and out climbed one Dwarf after another. They were dressed in smart suits, politely greeting the man who welcomed them: ¡°Hello!¡±


    This place is not an official industry of the Great Tang Empire but a private property of the Great Tang Group. Nonetheless, the security level here is quite high, with barbed wire and corner tower sentry posts visible all around.


    The Great Tang Group official who came to greet them was also very courteous, confirming once again: ¡°Hello! Sir, does your country really intend to spend 30 million Gold Coins to purchase our military intelligence on the Poplar Empire?¡±


    The Great Tang Group has always covertly listed the intelligence of other countries for sale; for anyone willing to pay, there is no such thing as a secret in the world outside of the Great Tang Empire.


    The lead Dwarf nodded, his signature robust beard trembling slightly as he spoke: ¡°Yes, we have brought enough Gold; we¡¯re paying in cash this time.¡±


    Following his words, the Dwarfs pulled out heavy briefcases from the trunk of the car. These briefcases contained pure Gold.


    Without even checking, the lead official of the Great Tang Group nodded and the men in black suits standing behind him stepped forward to take over the heavy briefcases.


    The person in charge of verification opened the briefcases, saw the rows of neatly stacked gold bars inside, and nodded to the leading official to confirm.


    ¡°That¡¯s really great, pleasure doing business. Gentlemen, please come with me,¡± the young official of the Great Tang Group gestured invitingly, clearing the way for the Dwarfs.


    ¡°We hope your intelligence won¡¯t disappoint us,¡± said the second-in-command of the Dwarf intelligence department, stepping forward as he spoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! The products sold by the Great Tang Group are always worth more than their price,¡± replied the young man from the Great Tang Group with a smile.


    The group walked into a room, where the table in the center was piled with photographs and maps. Except for the absence of people, everything here was arranged according to the standards of a qualified intelligence office, with every detail meticulously considered.


    Upon entering the room, all the intelligence personnel from the Ice Cold Empire were astonished; they had never seen such a professional intelligence analysis room, nor witnessed so much intelligence from the Poplar Empire.


    The intelligence Dwarfs from the Ice Cold Empire, who had spent their lifetimes in espionage, were involuntarily drawn to the map of the Poplar Empire hanging on the wall, looking at the various annotations in disbelief.


    It almost comprehensively marked the locations of four-fifths of the Poplar Empire¡¯s Troops, their personnel structure, weapon allocations, and training statuses.


    To be honest, the deputy minister of the Dwarf intelligence department leading them, which is their second in command, felt that the map alone was almost worth the price of admission.


    After marveling for a while, the Dwarfs turned their attention to a stack of aerial photographs on the table. Although they didn¡¯t know where these aerial photographs came from, their content was indeed shocking.


    Like a guide, the young official from the Great Tang Group began to explain the content of the photos: ¡°This is the defensive position built by the Poplar Empire on the border. Do you see these lines? Three solid lines of steel-reinforced concrete trenches, and these black dots, are bunker constructions in progress.¡±


    ¡°They are building a large number of defense fortifications on the northern border. It seems they hope to repel a potential southern offensive from the Ice Cold Empire using these defenses,¡± he described as he handed the photos over to the Dwarfs.


    The photos were even conveniently annotated with a scale, roughly describing the length and thickness of the trenches and even suggesting the caliber of artillery required for destruction.


    Taking another photo, he passed it to a Dwarf beside him: ¡°We have found Poplar Kingdom¡¯s military airfields at these locations, here and here. See these small crosses? All are mass-produced Butcher Fighter Jets.¡±


    All the Dwarfs didn¡¯t dare to speak; they felt that their previous work should not be called intelligence work. Their previous efforts in intelligence reconnaissance seemed almost child¡¯s play.


    They had been investigating the precise locations of the Poplar Empire¡¯s main forces, and now, across the Endless Sea, the Great Tang Empire had already investigated this intelligence clearly.


    ¡°...¡± These dwarves were even at a loss for words, merely lowering their heads to gaze at the top-secret information obtained by who knows what means, their thoughts a jumbled mess without a clue on where to start organizing them.


    ¡°Everything here can be photographed.¡± The young Great Tang Group official said casually, ¡°That includes the files in the cabinets at the corners of the room. Just don¡¯t mess them up. If you do, an additional sorting fee of 300,000 Gold Coins will be charged.¡±


    With his prompting, the dwarven intelligence officers finally remembered they seemed to have brought cameras¡ªper the other party¡¯s request. Before, they truly hadn¡¯t anticipated there would be so much relevant material.


    So, the next second, like pirates who had found treasure, they greedily rifled through the materials, ceaselessly snapping photos with their cameras, planning to take everything back for research.


    Then they despairingly found out that they seemed to have brought too few cameras and film rolls.


    ¡°Um... could we, possibly...¡± The leader of the dwarves, a deputy minister, approached the young Great Tang Group official somewhat embarrassedly and tentatively spoke up.


    ¡°Looking to buy film rolls?¡± The Great Tang Group official was understanding.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± The Dwarf deputy minister hastily nodded.


    ¡°Want more cameras?¡± The young man continued to ask.


    ¡°Uh-huh!¡± The Dwarf deputy minister hurriedly kept nodding.


    ¡°One camera for 100,000, one film roll for 10,000...¡± The young man quoted a price: ¡°We informed you before to bring cameras and film.¡±


    You assholes never said there was this much information from the Poplar Empire! If you had said something earlier, I would have brought 300 cameras and 20,000 film rolls!


    Alas, while cursing inwardly, the Deputy Minister¡¯s face still bore a brilliant smile. He amiably nodded in agreement and said, ¡°I will settle the account once I return to the embassy, please rest assured, sir.¡±


    ¡°How many will you need?¡± The young man pushed open the room¡¯s door, and in walked one beauty after another, each carrying cameras and rolls of film.


    ¡°...¡± Feeling his heart might not be in good shape, distressed by the expense, the dwarf minister eventually made the bold decision: ¡°Everything! We¡¯ll take it all!¡±


    After all, the intelligence here was a treasure not purchasable with Gold Coins! With this information, the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s chances of successfully invading southwards into the Poplar Empire would greatly increase.


    Those fortifications built with massive funds would become as fragile as paper, and the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s Armored Corps would stride unobstructed deep into enemy territory!


    By then, those detestable elves will taste defeat, and both the rich coastline and the vast industrial areas of the Poplar Empire will become the foundation stone for the rise of the Dwarf Empire!


    With these places, food will be inexhaustible, and all the problems restraining the Dwarf Empire¡¯s development will be solved! The entire northern part of the Eastern Continent will have only one Empire, Ice Cold, and the glory of Furnace Fortress will illuminate every corner of the north!


    Thinking this, the intelligence deputy minister of the dwarves even felt a surge of lofty aspiration. He knew the ambitions of His Majesty The Emperor; the dwarves would rise and write the supreme glory of the Dwarf Empire¡¯s past!


    His subordinates weren¡¯t idle either. Some were photographing various maps and datasets, while others began transcribing records onto sheets of paper already prepared for them.


    The paper and pens were free, a testament to the conscience of the Great Tang Group: it seemed they were only kindly providing a higher quality service by selling the film and cameras.


    ¡°Oh, right, we have even more accurate maps of the Poplar Empire here, the latest version, just finished surveying and drawing up, and the Poplar Empire doesn¡¯t even have it yet...¡± The receptive official from the Great Tang Group kindly reminded the knowledge-thirsty dwarves.


    You know, a detailed map is an indispensable asset on the battlefield. In the past, drawing up a detailed map required a lot of time and manpower, and even then, the maps obtained were not precise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s absolutely accurate and detailed. As you know, we¡¯re honest with both young and old,¡± the young official pitched, ¡°It¡¯s value for money... 10 million.¡±


    ¡°...¡± The Dwarf intelligence deputy minister felt numb. He seemed to have guessed the outcome: today, if he didn¡¯t leave behind 50 million Gold Coins, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to leave.


    Then, he suddenly realized a serious problem: having spent so much here purchasing information about the Poplar Empire... wouldn¡¯t the intelligence department of the Poplar Empire, which had always been neck and neck with his in the field of espionage, possibly come to the Great Tang Empire to buy intelligence about their Ice Cold Empire?

 Chapter 1047: 969 is like a mirror image.

    Chapter 1047: 969 is like a mirror image.


    ¡°They¡¯ve secretly assembled 400,000 men at the border! Those bastards!¡± raged the deputy director of the intelligence bureau of the Poplar Empire from inside another estate on the outskirts of Chang¡¯an City.


    Just like the deputy minister of the Dwarf Intelligence Department had thought, the Elves had also purchased intelligence services provided by the Great Tang Group. The Elves, too, did not bring enough cameras, and they had spent quite a bit of money in vain.


    Had he not spent over thirty million Gold Coin to purchase intelligence on the Ice Cold Empire from the Great Tang Group, he¡¯d still be in the dark! Had he not bought a map of his own country, he wouldn¡¯t have known that maps could be made so detailed...


    Just like looking into a mirror, the Elves were also shocked by the level of detail in the intelligence provided by the Great Tang Empire. They were amazed, and after coming to their senses, began to make copies as well.


    Those damned Dwarfs, not at all as kind and benevolent as they seem! These fellows are extremely cunning and deceptive, nothing but a bunch of snow foxes!


    They¡¯ve been secretly stockpiling troops at the border of the Poplar Empire without anyone noticing! And almost 400,000 strong!


    The pictures marked the designations of many units; judging from these, one could infer that the Ice Cold Empire indeed had amassed at least 400,000 men at the border!


    This is not just a simple mass of 400,000 troops; it includes the heavy artillery, automobiles, armored vehicles, and tanks of these units!


    Previously, the intelligence department of the Poplar Empire did sense that the Ice Cold Empire was reinforcing its border, but they really did not expect the enemy to secretly add so many troops!


    To be honest, such a large number of troops, and potentially the main force, already posed an intentional threat to the northern border security of the Poplar Empire.


    Not just 400,000 troops, but the Ice Cold Empire had also stockpiled a large number of military supplies in the southern region and deployed at least 300 of their self-developed tanks.


    With these troops, the Dwarfs of the Ice Cold Empire could initiate an unexpected rapid strike on the Poplar Empire whenever necessary.


    ¡°Sir, in this photo, the Dwarfs have also built five military airfields! We only managed to secretly build three...¡± one subordinate said resentfully while holding a map.


    This was a satellite-taken photo, very clear, showing that the Dwarfs had indeed built a brand-new secret field airport at the border.


    Another photo clearly showed another unknown airport¡ªwith these two airfields, the Dwarfs can assemble at least twice the number of airplanes as the Elf Air Force.


    With these planes, the Dwarf Air Force could somewhat make up for the performance gap in their fighter jets, since their planes were the modified type I-16 fighters, which actually aren¡¯t very good.


    The Elves had purchased the Butcher Fighter Jets equipped by the Great Tang Empire, and in terms of aircraft performance, the Poplar Empire held a clear advantage.


    Hearing a companion mention the airfields, another person joined the discussion while taking photos: ¡°You¡¯re right! They also constructed a new railway, we didn¡¯t understand why they were building a new railway before, but now it¡¯s clear! They are using it to transport supplies for their two airfields, and another division!¡±


    Building a railway that goes directly to the border is obviously not something that can be hidden. The Poplar Empire had long known that the Ice Cold Empire was constructing a new railway to the border, but they didn¡¯t understand its purpose.


    Now, it¡¯s clear, the photos very directly showed the purpose of the railway: the Ice Cold Empire is building a large-scale supply base on the border, flanked by two new airfields and a large barracks.


    Relying on this barracks, the Ice Cold Empire has hidden at least two divisions of armored corps at the border. In this direction, the Ice Cold Empire could launch a sudden attack, catching the border defense forces of the Poplar Empire off guard!


    ¡°It¡¯s infuriating! The Dwarfs hid two main armored divisions right under our noses!¡± Viewing the images marked with what might be tanks, several intelligence agents from the Poplar Empire shivered.


    If it weren¡¯t for the detailed intelligence data provided by the Great Tang Group, they would still be unaware!


    Although they aren¡¯t exactly the good guys either, always plotting to attack south onto the Suthers Empire, which is why they stealthily built an always-ready defensive fortification along the northern border.


    According to the Poplar Empire¡¯s plan, they believed they could rely on this defensive line to withstand the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s attack, allowing the main forces of the Poplar Empire to expand southward and gain advantages!


    Thus, they secretly constructed the northern defensive line, investing a great deal of manpower and resources, expanding the scale of the defensive line by at least threefold!


    If the Dwarfs were to attack according to the previous assumption, they would smash their heads against this expanded defense line, which the Dwarfs could not possibly discover!


    ¡°We should immediately send a diplomatic note to the Dwarf Ambassador, demanding an explanation for why these troops are here!¡± another person chimed in.


    Others also expressed their relief: ¡°Luckily we built a border defense line, otherwise they would have definitely launched a surprise attack on us!¡±


    However, the countenance of the Deputy Director of the Elf Intelligence Bureau was incredibly grim: Clearly, the Dwarves had been reinforcing their southern military deployment without realizing that the Poplar Empire had strengthened their northern defenses.


    This was an obvious sign of invasion ambitions; the Dwarves were planning an invasion against the Poplar Empire! And judging solely by the military forces, this conclusion was unquestionable!


    If the Dwarves succeeded, his position as Deputy Director of the Intelligence Department would be at its end. He must immediately send a telegram to the homeland, reminding them to pay extra attention to the northern defenses.


    Thinking again about those damned Dwarves who might have also purchased intelligence on the Poplar Empire made the Elf Deputy Director even more infuriated.


    He did not dare vent his anger on the Great Tang Empire¡¯s personnel, so he could only suppress it, while calculating in his mind how to make the intelligence obtained by the Dwarves become inaccurate.


    It seemed that the only option now was to send more troops to the north and to reconstruct more defensive lines, in hopes of ensuring their own safety in the future battles.


    From a macro perspective, the Poplar Empire¡¯s strategy to move south must change; they should ally with the Suthers Empire and together resist the pincer attack from the north and the south.


    The Poplar Empire¡¯s previous strategy of attacking the Suthers Empire had to be modified; focusing on a decisive battle to the north with the Ice Cold Empire seemed like a better and safer choice.


    It was regrettable that such strategic decisions were not within the power of a minor Deputy Director like him, and such abrupt changes also depended on the attitude of the Suthers Empire.


    But since the Ice Cold Empire had already resolved to move southward, the Poplar Empire inevitably had to adopt countermeasures, so all subsequent plans needed to be revised...


    ...


    ¡°Look! Just by selling intelligence a few times, we¡¯ve already recouped the cost of our reconnaissance satellite! And there¡¯s still profit to be made,¡± an official from the Great Tang Empire proudly handed the bill to his colleague, boasting in the office.


    The intelligence sold to both countries this time was dearly priced; not counting other incomes, it totaled 60 million Gold Coin. The cost for the Great Tang Empire to launch satellites on Dragon Island was approximately 60 million, which meant the finances were already balanced.


    But the 60 million spent by the Great Tang Empire was the total cost for six satellites, and the intelligence sold to the Poplar Empire and the Ice Cold Empire was only a small fraction of the data captured by these six reconnaissance satellites.


    Although including other data intelligence and accounting for many messages collected by the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence personnel, overall, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence business was profitable.


    As long as this kind of intelligence business could continue, the satellite launches of the Great Tang Empire could essentially break even.


    In other words, the Great Tang Empire was spreading its own intelligence costs to other countries, making their satellite launches entirely free.


    ¡°Do you think they might guess that we¡¯re also selling intelligence to the Ice Cold Empire?¡± His colleague mentioned with some concern.


    The official from the Great Tang Empire nonchalantly explained: ¡°They will surely guess that the other party is also purchasing intelligence from us... But what can they do? They¡¯d still have to spend money to buy the other¡¯s intelligence to feel at ease. These are trivial expenses that cannot be spared. If they skimp on this, they¡¯ll suffer greatly on the battlefield.¡±


    This intelligence wasn¡¯t something only one country needed to buy; other nations also had to pay for it. Take for example the Laines Empire, situated between the Suthers Empire and the Dorne Empire, they certainly couldn¡¯t afford to buy intelligence from just one direction of one country, could they?


    Apart from the neighborless Ice Cold Empire and the Gobur Kingdom to the north, other countries had fronts on both the south and the north, so it was likely they would have to purchase intelligence twice.


    Therefore, the 60 million Gold Coin at hand was just the beginning. All countries would spend money on more intelligence services, and the ultimate revenue could potentially surpass 200 million Gold Coin!


    All nations would soon realize that their neighbors weren¡¯t as honest as they seemed. Everyone had secrets on their borders; everyone was trying to surprise the other.


    Some countries had hidden a large amount of troops on their borders, while others built sufficiently complex and sturdy defensive fortifications.


    ¡°As soon as we let the word out, they will swarm to us and willingly spend money, just like in the past,¡± the official from the Great Tang Group confidently told his colleague.


    There were too many successful cases in the past: The weapons would eventually be bought by all countries. Knowing their competitors would also purchase them, they were even less willing to fall behind.


    ¡°I am quite curious if the Dahua Empire will come to us for intelligence on Fengjiang,¡± his colleague said with a sly grin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, we could make a bet,¡± the official in charge also grinned: ¡°How about it?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    Two chapters today.

 Chapter 1048: 970 Unsuccessful Journey Southward

    Chapter 1048: 970 Unsuccessful Journey Southward


    In the King City of Wuyang, within the royal palace of Qin Country, King Ying Duo was discussing the war against Shu Country with his generals and trusted advisers.


    Frankly speaking, although the Qin Country appears to be militarily strong, it actually suffers from a clear lack of sustained power.


    It does not share any borders with the Great Tang Empire, so if Qin Country cannot achieve its strategic objectives in a short time, it is very likely to fail due to not obtaining enough support from Tang Country.


    It must be said that Shu Country, backed by Chu Country and Tang Country, is inherently more capable of withstanding attrition. Moreover, with a stronger economy, Shu Country is also in a better position to stabilize the situation.


    Qin Country is different; it must establish an absolute advantage early in the war, connect quickly with Chu Country so that it can import what it desires from Chu and Tang Countries, and stabilize the situation thereafter.


    Compared to Zhao Kai, the Emperor of the Dahua Empire, King Ying Duo of Qin Country is clearly not as arrogant. He is a very practical and hands-on ruler, highly respected within Qin Country, and much more capable than Zhao Kai.


    Interestingly, Qin Country¡¯s Princely Heir, His Highness Ying Bo, is also much smarter than Crown Prince Zhao Ji and Zhao Yu of the Dahua Empire.


    This Princely Heir, diligent and intelligent, inheriting his father¡¯s excellent genes, has also gained recognition and support from the ministers of Qin Country.


    Compared to the internal strife in the Dahua Empire, the internal politics of Qin Country are much simpler. Due to both internal and external problems, the officials in Qin Country are more straightforward and efficient, without the convolutions found within the Dahua Empire.


    ¡°Our military is currently here on the map, moving slower than estimated, which is disadvantageous for us,¡± Wang Luo, a high-ranking general of Qin Country, explained to King Ying Duo while pointing at the map.


    Qin Army¡¯s advancement was not smooth; the troops of Shu Country were more resilient than expected, and Qin Army¡¯s performance itself was not very strong.


    Unlike before the war, Shu Country¡¯s troops fiercely held their ground, causing heavy casualties to Qin Army without achieving their planned offensive objectives.


    Qin Country¡¯s Air Force Commander, Liu Chi, stood aside like an invisible man, not daring to speak because Qin¡¯s Air Force had performed terribly in previous battles.


    Before the war, high hopes were placed on the Air Force, as it had always performed well in wars against the Orc Empire.


    However, after the war broke out, the performance of Qin¡¯s Air Force could only be described as dreadful: poor in offense, even worse in defense.


    Qin Country¡¯s bombing operations aimed at destroying the industrial production capacity in Shu Country¡¯s major cities were almost completely unsuccessful.


    The assembled hundreds of Type 17 bomber jets (DO-17) had nearly half destroyed. These downed planes had many valuable pilots, causing significant pain to Qin Country.


    Qin Country¡¯s aviation industry had just started, and producing so many planes had already taken a monumental effort. Now, with over half of these pre-war planes lost, replenishing them had become a headache.


    Not all nations can replace one fallen plane with two, like the Great Tang Empire. Most countries, like Qin Country, might not even manage to produce one plane for every two lost.


    The substantial losses made it difficult for the Air Force to continue its offensive, and many previously planned bombing missions had to be canceled. This also completely disrupted Qin Country¡¯s plans to rapidly destroy Shu Country¡¯s industrial capabilities, as the bombing came almost to a halt.


    On the other side, after severely damaging Qin Country¡¯s bomber squadrons, Shu Country¡¯s Air Force also began to deploy bombers to launch a series of attacks on Qin Country.


    Qin¡¯s Air Force attempted to intercept these planes from Shu Country, leading to intense back-and-forth aerial battles.


    Like Qin Country¡¯s bombers, Shu Country¡¯s bombers also suffered heavy losses during their offensive operations, for similar reasons: both sides¡¯ bombers had similar capabilities and lacked adequate self-defense against enemy fighter jet interceptions.


    Unlike the B-17 strategic bombers used by Great Tang itself, both countries employed medium bombers with weak defensive armaments and limited range.


    Thus, without control of air superiority, these bombers incurred tremendous losses during their missions.


    Despite the significant losses, the impact was tangible. Leaders of Qin Country who initiated the war likely never anticipated that their southern cities would also be engulfed by war¡ªwith civilian homes destroyed and factories bombed, resulting in substantial devastation.


    This blame would certainly fall on Qin Country¡¯s Air Force Commander, so Liu Chi, the Air Force Commander, has recently been a focal point of criticism.


    ¡°The 1st Corps is encountering resistance on the Huai Mountain front, our military is fighting desperately, but I estimate that there will be no results within ten days,¡± Wang Luo explained the situation somewhat awkwardly, clearly sensing the anxious mood of his king, Ying Duo.


    If the Qin Army fails to break through the Shu Army¡¯s defensive line as initially anticipated, the war will become prolonged.


    Once prolonged, numerous variables will arise. Then the promises made by Qin Country to the Great Tang Empire prior to the war would be unfulfilled.


    This is definitely not good news, because if the Great Tang Empire doesn¡¯t get what it wants, it will start considering pushing the war in another direction: towards the defeat of Qin Country.


    ¡°The logistical support issue is extremely severe, we have temporarily requisitioned 10,000 vehicles... but, but it is clearly not enough,¡± Wang Luo tried to explain, but did not know where to start.


    Although the railway network of Qin Country has been rapidly built in the past two years, squeezing both military and civilian usage together, the transportation capacity is just so-so.


    Moreover, as Shu Country often destroys railways during their retreat, once Qin Country enters Shu territory, they mostly have to rely on truck transportation.


    Even though the road conditions in Shu Country are not bad, relying purely on trucks consumes a huge amount, and due to Qin Country¡¯s negligence in valuing supply transportation, the situation in practice is truly disastrous.


    About 30,000 trucks are damaged on the roads, and 50,000 trucks of various models are waiting for various spare parts, you can imagine what Qin Country¡¯s frontline supply situation is like right now.


    At the supply stations built near the original border, materials are piled up like mountains, yet the supplies effectively reaching the hands of frontline soldiers are pitifully few.


    In order to maintain an offensive stance, the Qin Army also needs to consume a large amount of ammunition, which further leads to difficulties in transporting other materials. Logistic issues severely affect the morale of the Qin Army, but there is no way to improve the situation temporarily.


    ¡°The train can only reach Zhen Nan City, after passing Zhen Nan City and going further south into Shu Country, our logistics completely collapsed,¡± said Ying Bo, the crown prince of Qin Country, standing to the side and pinching his chin as he stared at the map and added, ¡°Zhang Xuan has already done his best.¡±


    The aforementioned Zhang Xuan, also a general of the Qin Army, is like Wang Luo, a pillar of Qin Country and a capable commander.


    Previously, he was constantly fighting the Orc Empire on the western front, but this time leading his troops southward, he became the vanguard in the invasion of Shu Country.


    ¡°I have already ordered all the vehicles produced by Wuyang Automobile Plant to be detained and directly supplied to the military. However, we have just over 2000 vehicles this month, which seems still insufficient to fill the losses at the front,¡± Ying Bo said and then noticed his father¡¯s face grew even more worried.


    ¡°The vehicles produced in the Dahua Empire are not even enough for their own use, we definitely cannot buy any,¡± Ying Duo said gravely to his trusted aides, ¡°The import channels from the Great Tang Empire are almost cut off, which is extremely unfavorable for us.¡±


    Shu Country can import various products from Chu Country and Tang Country; as long as they are willing to spend Gold Coins, they can buy airplanes, vehicles... even tanks!


    But Qin Country cannot, their international trade routes have already been severed, now they can only rely on themselves.


    ¡°You are doing very well; cars and planes must now be prioritized for the southern front troops! At all costs, we must take down the northern stronghold of Huai Mountain in Shu Country! After capturing Huai Mountain, immediately advance westward, we must secure the passage to Chu Country before our war potential is exhausted!¡± Ying Duo said, pressing his hand on the northern part of Shu Country on the map.


    ¡°Do not worry about the losses! Zhang Chi! Deploy all the planes you can find to cover the ground troops¡¯ attack! Abandon bombing the enemy¡¯s major cities and focus on supporting frontline operations!¡± he looked toward the Air Force Commander beside him and instructed.


    ¡°Yes! Your Majesty!¡± Zhang Chi promptly responded, ¡°Even if there is only one plane, I will fully support the ground troops¡¯ attack!¡±


    As he said this, his heart bled. Qin Country had gathered over 1000 planes in a little more than a year, now more than half had been dispatched to the southern front, and about 400 had already been lost!


    Listen, hear this number. Even the loss of 400 pilots alone would make life difficult for Zhang Chi as the Air Force Commander.


    But he knew that he was not the only one distressed; the Air Force Commanders of Shu Country were likely also spitting blood now.


    The loss ratio of the air combat between both sides is maintained at around 1:1; with Qin Country losing 400 planes, the other side¡¯s loss was also at least 350.


    Such losses are also hard for Shu Country to bear. The recent decrease in the number of Shu Country planes bombing Qin¡¯s Zhen Nan City is proof.


    Both parties, after each losing nearly 400 planes, realized a serious issue: even if they could match the production speed of planes with their loss rate, they couldn¡¯t train enough pilots.


    This is a critical problem, one that neither Qin nor Shu Country can resolve. Before solving this problem, the air combat between the two countries can only continue on a minor scale.

 Chapter 1049: 971 absolutely no bargaining

    Chapter 1049: 971 absolutely no bargaining


    This situation closely resembled the status of Japan¡¯s air force during World War II, even General Feng Kezhi and Shu Country were inferior to that of Japan in World War II.


    During World War II, Japan¡¯s pilot training was aristocratic in nature: the young people who underwent pilot training were carefully selected, excellently educated, and the cream of society.


    Because ordinary Japanese citizens during World War II had minimal exposure to machinery and flying, their foundation was nearly nonexistent, requiring training from scratch.


    Thus, before the outbreak of World War II, the Japanese air force pilots were extensively trained and elite, and after real combat experience, they immediately possessed formidable combat capabilities.


    However, such pilots could not be quickly replenished because there were only so many fundamentally trained individuals; when one died, one was lost, and replacements lacked the time to mature and thus fell short in quality.


    A similar situation occurred in the Republic: literacy rates were low, and only a few social elites with some basic knowledge could be used to train pilots, hence many pilots in the Republic came from distinguished families.


    The problem was that once these aristocratic scholars died, they were gone for good, and replenishing them was nearly impossible, as people outside of this circle had never seen an airplane in their lives, were illiterate, and due to chronic malnutrition, could easily fall while rotating.


    The same was true for Japan: after a batch of pilots were trained across society, there was a huge gap among the remaining civilians who could not continue to be trained as pilots; therefore, after the significant losses of elite pilots at places like Midway, they could no longer be replenished.


    The situations in Qin Country and Shu Country were the same: their technological advancements were forcibly accelerated by the Great Tang Empire, but their societal structures still remained as they were a decade ago.


    The literacy rates among the populace were very low, 95% had not attended school, and 99% had never even touched an airplane.


    Even in recent years, over 70% of the people had never ridden a train, expecting these individuals to become pilots was more far-fetched than simply putting them to death.


    More tragically, whether in Qin Country or Shu Country, their domestic pilot training capabilities were virtually nonexistent. If they could perhaps educate a few to pilot civilian transport planes, that might be feasible, but training fighter jet pilots was like herding ducks onto a perch.


    This is not to say it was entirely impossible, but the pilots they trained were rookies barely capable of taking off and somewhat managing to land the planes.


    After losing more than a third of their pilots, neither Qin Country nor Shu Country frequently deployed their bombers to provoke each other.


    The fighter jets also operated within their own controlled territories, to ensure that if shot down, the pilots could parachute and immediately return to the Troops.


    Compared to airplanes, pilots were even more valuable, a consensus among the vast majority of countries¡ªincluding Tang Country.


    Unlike other countries, the national situation of Tang Country was similar to that of the United States before World War II: The Great Tang Empire had the largest number of pilot teams in the world and the most substantial and reliable pilot training capacity.


    Normally, many people in the Great Tang Empire had exposure to flying: the Great Tang Empire even used airplanes for pesticide spraying on many farms, and these pilots were all trained in civil aviation schools.


    It puts many countries¡¯ pilots to shame that these everyday pilots in the Great Tang Empire, who flew planes to spray pesticides on farms, had far superior flying skills than pilots from those countries.


    At least these Great Tang pilots, who flew planes spraying pesticides, had no problem switching to flying transport and bomber planes when the war broke out.


    And pilot training for fighter jets in the Great Tang Empire was the best in the world. Their pilots underwent the most rigorous training and not only were their skills outstanding, but the planes they flew were also said to be the best in the world.


    Thus, the casualty rate of pilots in the Great Tang Empire was extremely low, low casualties meant that more pilots could survive actual combat and accumulate their skills and experience.


    On the other hand, perhaps the literacy rate in the Great Tang Empire was the highest in the world, with various night schools and training institutions, alongside a complete compulsory education system and university system, making the education penetration rate in the Great Tang Empire frighteningly high.


    This was not merely about a high literacy rate but meant that many young people in the Great Tang Empire understood the principles of flight, were familiar with mechanical structures, and had been exposed to many related subjects in school.


    Combined with the comfortable life in the Great Tang Empire, the balanced nutrition of its youth meant they were healthier and more robust, thus during pilot selection, the number of qualified individuals was also higher.


    Under the numerous advantages, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s pilot reserve base is even larger; as long as there is a demand, the Great Tang Empire can continue to train pilots and expand the pilot team in a short period of time.


    This is the great advantage brought about by modern educational systems, economic systems, and mobilization systems. It seems unnoticeable on ordinary days, but at critical moments, it becomes a factor to measure the strength of a country.


    Unfortunately, other countries are unable to do this. They can only act like Japan during World War II, appearing fierce but lacking substance, good at bullying the weak but exposed when facing strong enemies.


    Of course, in this Otherworld, everyone is taught by the same master, unable to break the spell... they are like the ¡°Otherworld Japan,¡± where technology is abnormally boosted, everyone looks the same. As long as they do not compete with the Great Tang Empire, there is actually no problem.


    Since everyone lacks the capability to further train pilots, and everyone only has about the same number of pilots, there is no worry that others will train more pilots to surpass themselves, and so a balance can be maintained.


    As the military advisor of the Great Tang Empire stationed in Qin Country, Zhou Huaiyuan was also among those present at the meeting. He chose a corner, trying his best not to join in Qin Country¡¯s strategic discussions.


    Why would such a confidential meeting allow a foreign military officer like Zhou Huaiyuan to attend? This was actually the intention of the higher-ups in Qin Country. They hoped that the Great Tang Empire would support Qin Country, preferably offering substantial support in subsequent wars.


    For example, some aircraft or machine tools could be exported to Qin Country through the Dahua Empire: with Tang Country¡¯s influence, taking the Dahua route is not entirely impossible.


    ¡°General Zhou, what is your view on the current situation?¡± Even though he chose a less conspicuous spot, Zhou Huaiyuan was still noticed by many. Prime Minister Ying Ke lowered his voice and asked Zhou Huaiyuan for his opinion.


    ¡°The Qin Army is indeed brave, but logistics are still a major problem.¡± Zhou Huaiyuan generously responded.


    After all, his job here was to facilitate sales; pointing out some problems with the Qin Army now also made it easier to later promote military equipment from the Great Tang Group.


    ¡°Sigh... I have seen the reports you submitted before, General, where you suggested purchasing 100,000 military vehicles... I opposed it at that time, but now it seems, General, you had foresight, and I was shortsighted,¡± Ying Ke sighed, praising Zhou Huaiyuan while deprecating himself with a candid attitude.


    Zhou Huaiyuan smiled: ¡°Prime Minister, you don¡¯t need to blame yourself, last year you opposed the budget for 100,000 military vehicles and used it for building railways and airports... It wasn¡¯t wasted, and today these railways are being used, right?¡±


    Qin Country¡¯s budget was limited, but Qin Country¡¯s budget really was used in the right place: although they did not purchase a large number of military vehicles, they built new railways and several airports. These infrastructure projects indeed increased the mobilization speed of the Qin Army and also improved the efficiency of civilian transportation in Qin Country.


    ¡°Now with the current warfare, General Zhou, do you have a solution?¡± Another officer joined the discussion, it was Ying An who had just come over.


    He was King of Qin Ying Duo¡¯s younger brother and the most trusted military officer of the King of Qin. He held a high position in Qin Country and was similar to General Feng Kezhi of the Dahua Empire in the early years.


    This ¡°Military God¡± of Qin Country was very close to Zhou Huaiyuan personally, and his son had even been continuously learning from Zhou Huaiyuan, accessing a lot of advanced military theoretical knowledge.


    ¡°What can I do... It¡¯s nothing more than improving supply while aggressively pushing the attack.¡± Zhou Huaiyuan naturally answered the other¡¯s question: ¡°If we really let Shu Country survive the first three months, then Qin Country might suffer heavily.¡±


    His statement was also the judgment of Ying Duo and Ying Ke: once Shu Country could continuously receive material supplies from Chu Country and Tang Country, then Qin Country would fall into a passive state.


    At the end of their strength, no force can penetrate through; once Qin Country¡¯s strong forces are exhausted, Shu Country could then outlast Qin Country with a better economy and more resources.


    ¡°General Zhou, we hope to purchase another batch of machine tool equipment from your country and set up another automobile production plant. Also, we hope your country can urgently train a batch of fighter jet pilots for us... I wonder, is that possible?¡± Ying Duo approached and asked at that moment.


    ¡°Transportation might be a little troublesome, but I think... as long as profits can be assured, there¡¯s still room for operation,¡± Zhou Huaiyuan confidently replied.


    He knew that even during wartime, the Dahua Empire would inevitably give face to the Great Tang Empire. Wanting to transport a batch of materials to Qin Country was not an impossible task.


    This might be the only good news Ying Duo had heard in the past month, his face showed a slight smile, obviously truly relieved a lot: ¡°Then I ask General Zhou to help as much as possible! We will hand over the list to you later, and the cost... we will definitely not bargain.¡±


    He also understood that now was not the time to haggle, as long as the other party was willing to sell, it was already helping Qin Country.

 Chapter 1050: Xiong Biao was at a loss, not knowing what to do with the 972.

    Chapter 1050: Xiong Biao was at a loss, not knowing what to do with the 972.


    The King of Chu, Xiong Biao, has been very tense lately. He neither hopes for Qin Country to win the war against Shu Country, nor dares to pray for Shu Country¡¯s victory... It¡¯s a rather contradictory state that has left him barely able to sleep well for even a night.


    There¡¯s no helping it. The Great Tang Empire has taken a fancy to Chu Country¡¯s Nanshan Port, hoping to swap some territories of Shu Country for this largest port city of Chu Country.


    Listen, listen! Is that even reasonable? Exchanging Chu Country¡¯s land with a third-party country¡¯s territory, and the Tang Empire wouldn¡¯t have to pay anything at all.


    Chu Country itself doesn¡¯t want to make the exchange, after all, Nanshan Port is the largest port of Chu Country, and it even has a pipeline that connects directly to the oil production region. Such an important port, Chu Country is not willing to give up easily. Indeed, this is one of the richest regions in Chu Country; they are reluctant to trade it away.


    But since the Tang Empire wants it, Chu Country has to seriously consider the Tang Empire¡¯s attitude. If they don¡¯t agree to the other party¡¯s demands, would it be likely to incur the Tang Empire¡¯s retaliation?


    And King Xiong Biao of Chu Country is very clear that the Tang Empire will get what it wants by all means. If Chu Country is unwilling, the Tang Empire might just take matters into its own hands.


    Chu Country is a small and weak nation, and its institutions are almost thoroughly penetrated by the Great Tang Empire, to the point of becoming a sieve. Even the heir to the throne is held in Chang¡¯an as a hostage, and the lifeline of the nation¡¯s economy is in the hands of the Tang Empire.


    In such a situation, what does Chu Country have to resist the Tang Empire with? If the Tang Empire uses the same tactics on Chu Country as it did with the Dahua Empire, the price Chu Country will have to pay could be truly too great.


    Who doesn¡¯t know that the Great Tang Empire supported Prince Zhao Yu within the Dahua Empire, which ultimately led to the outbreak of a civil war within Dahua. If others are not aware of this, wouldn¡¯t Chu Country be?


    So, upon hearing that the Great Tang Empire has set its sights on Nanshan Port, the King of Chu, Xiong Biao, knew that Nanshan Port was a lost cause.


    Since it can¡¯t be defended, the only thing to do is to exchange for the greatest benefit: The Tang Empire promised to swap part of Shu Country¡¯s northern territory with Chu Country, at least on the aspect of land area Chu Country could obtain a bit more.


    Xiong Biao agreed to the Tang Empire¡¯s demands, then prayed in his heart that Qin Country would not overcome Shu Country, so the land to be swapped for Nanshan Port would not end up in the hands of the Tang Empire.


    But upon further thought, if the Tang Empire has set its eyes on Nanshan Port, would it be a problem whether there is land from Shu Country to swap or not?


    If Qin Country can¡¯t acquire Shu Country¡¯s territory, and the Tang Empire loses the bargaining chip of land exchange, might they become enraged and directly demand Nanshan Port?


    If that were to really happen, wouldn¡¯t Chu Country end up not getting any of Shu Country¡¯s land?


    Therefore, these days he has started fantasizing that Qin Country might be victorious, so at least he has a chance to obtain some of Shu Country¡¯s territory, to make up for the loss of Nanshan Port.


    In fact, the emissary sent by Shu Country to seek assistance from Chu Country arrived several days ago but has not been able to meet the King of Chu. So, he can roughly guess the intentions of Chu Country.


    It¡¯s estimated that Qin Country has already persuaded the King of Chu to remain neutral in the conflict between Qin and Shu. This is not good news for Shu Country, because the passage through Chu Country is necessary for Shu Country¡¯s import of goods from Tang Country.


    Like Chu Country, the Speaker of Shu Country, Liu Jing, is also very anxious these days. Shu Country is not able to get enough supplies from Chu Country and Tang Country, so it is not as strong as it appears.


    Qin Country is worried that Shu Country might obtain enough resources, but Shu Country cannot get enough support due to the indecisiveness of Chu Country.


    Both countries feel very vulnerable, and the warfare between the two has caused great suffering on both sides. Qin Country lost over 400 aircraft, and the situation in Shu Country isn¡¯t much better, with a loss of more than 370 aircraft.


    Pilot replacements are difficult, and the follow-up troop reinforcements can¡¯t keep up. Shu Country has suffered a higher loss compared to Qin Country because their ground troops indeed have weaker combat capabilities.


    In the two months since the war began, they have lost nearly 200,000 people. The ground troops of Qin Country are simply too formidable, leaving the ground troops of Shu Country unable to lift their heads.


    There is indeed a huge gap in combat power between the two sides. In some regions, Qin Country has performed flanking movements and even surrounded more than 50,000 Shu Country military personnel, forcing them to surrender.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for the establishment of a new defense line along Huai Mountain, Shu Country might have already collapsed. A country that was inherently not good at warfare had been forced to hastily expand its military by one million troops.


    But these troops hadn¡¯t received much training, so you can imagine their combat effectiveness. Relying on these recently conscripted troops was probably even less reliable than counting on the mercenaries that the Orc Empire might lend to Shu Country.


    That¡¯s right, due to the outbreak of war, the trade of orc slaves exported from Shu Country to the Great Tang Empire seemed to have been affected, and these slaves weren¡¯t easily transported to Tang Country anymore; they could only stay within Shu Country.


    However, the Orc Empire didn¡¯t care about that; they were willing to export some slaves, so many orc slaves were willing to stay in Shu Country, even willing to take up arms and fight for Shu Country for a price.


    These orcs¡¯ combat effectiveness was definitely more reliable than Shu Country¡¯s own second-line troops. Therefore, there were voices within Shu Country advocating for the Orc Empire to send troops to help solve the troubles with Qin Country.


    But the upper echelons of Shu Country were no fools; they were afraid that after the war, the orc slaves would become an uncontrollable force and a serious internal threat.


    Their concerns were certainly not unfounded. The Beastmen¡¯s combat abilities were inherently strong, and if these guys were equipped with good firearms and artillery, they would not be easy to control.


    If these orcs didn¡¯t leave and still had weapons in their hands, it was quite possible that Shu Country would be swallowed up by the Orc Empire in an instant. Common people might not think so deeply, but how could Liu Jing, as the Speaker, not consider the long-term implications?


    What Shu Country could do now was to placate and defend against the Orc Empire, while communicating with Chu Country on the other hand, and then go all out to confront Qin Country.


    Despite being on the back foot in the battlefield, the fact that Qin Country¡¯s reinforcements were insufficient was undeniable. As long as Shu Country could persist and then have proper talks with the Great Tang Empire, there should ultimately be a solution.


    Indeed, Liu Jing believed that the key to solving the problem lay with the Great Tang Empire. As long as the Great Tang Empire clearly demonstrated support for Shu Country, then Qin Country wouldn¡¯t have the slightest chance.


    It had to be said that Liu Jing¡¯s vision was quite accurate. However, to satisfy the Great Tang Empire¡¯s demands, Shu Country would have to pay a certain price.


    Based on Qin Country¡¯s offensive, this price seemed likely to be considerable. In this regard, Liu Jing was rather unwilling to hand over benefits to the Great Tang Empire.


    This was the intuition of a leader, a survival instinct of prey: In Liu Jing¡¯s view, compromising with the Great Tang Empire was even less desirable than seeking peace with Qin Country.


    Because the appetite of the Great Tang Empire was not something easily satiated. Rather than feeding the Great Tang Empire and raising an unstoppable behemoth, it would be better to give benefits to Qin Country and have Qin Country bear the brunt at crucial moments to counter the immense pressure from the Great Tang Empire.


    Of course, it¡¯s fine for a politician like Liu Jing to think this way, but the citizens and merchants of Shu Country certainly didn¡¯t think the same.


    For these people, they would rather defect to the Great Tang Empire, which could bring them benefits, than have dealings with the impoverished people of Qin Country.


    This mindset was similar to that of the European Union before Tang Mo¡¯s time. They would rather be monitored and manipulated by the Lighthouse Country, even to their own detriment, than believe that Maoxiong, who was poor yet powerful, was no longer a threat.


    In short, being decimated by the schemes of the Lighthouse was an internal contradiction that the Anglo people could reconcile, but even if the Slavic people seemed harmless, they were necessarily harboring some unspeakable plots...


    As for the rabbit... In the eyes of these old Europeans, it always seemed to be a case of ¡°they are not of our kind, and their hearts must be different,¡± filled with distrust.


    So whether the leaders of Shu Country had political foresight became completely irrelevant because they were no longer able to structure and forge international relations according to their own ideas.


    International relations had been thoroughly shattered by the invisible colossal hand extended by the Great Tang Empire. Now, what was left for Shu Country was only war!


    Even war was no longer something Shu Country could control. Whether it would be defeat or victory, a draw or extinction, all depended on the intentions of the Great Tang Empire.


    At this moment, Liu Jing felt shame and was full of sorrow. If he had a choice, he really didn¡¯t want to accept an ending where his fate was arranged by others.


    Because, truly, this was an extremely distressing, distressingly unbearable thing!

 Chapter 1051: 973 continuously improving 59

    Chapter 1051: 973 continuously improving 59


    Inside the garrison of the 1st Armored Division of the Tang Empire, a new batch of Type 59 main battle tanks was delivered to the tank company where Liu Guozhu was located.


    Previously equipped Type 59 tanks were all sent to other companies, and the brand new Type 59 tanks have been continuously upgraded in details, making the production of each batch actually not very high.


    The Army¡¯s logistics generals learned from their experiences and no longer purchased a large number of tanks all at once, but batch by batch, adopting the most advanced technology on all the latest batches as much as possible.


    This can ensure that the troops¡¯ equipment of new tanks is always the best, while also eliminating worries about massive equipment obsolescence due to the emergence of new technologies later.


    The brand new Type 59 main battle tanks were equipped with automatic fire extinguishing systems, a new technology that sprays fire-extinguishing agents to prevent ammunition explosion inside the vehicle once the tank is breached.


    Moreover, the new tanks were also fitted with explosive reactive armor on the outside of the vehicle which looks quite interesting, as if dressing the tank in a suit of armor.


    Honestly, having gotten used to the sharply angular tank designs before, the Type 59 tanks didn¡¯t look good at first glance. However, with the addition of explosive reactive armor, it feels completely different.


    At least now it really looks full of style, and the sense of technology is also very high.


    The Type 59 main battle tanks previously equipped with the troops were mostly also fitted with infrared night vision devices, allowing tanks to continue combat at night and under low visibility conditions, which was unimaginable in the past.


    At the same time, the new tanks were also equipped with more advanced aiming systems; this aiming system equipped with a mechanical computer is much more useful than the purely optical scopes of the past.


    ¡°How does the new tank feel to use?¡± An officer, responsible for internal equipment research for the troops, found Liu Guozhu who was maintaining the new tank.


    With hands full of engine oil, Liu Guozhu was quite frank; he felt that the pace of the troops switching to new tanks was a bit too fast: ¡°Pretty good, but haven¡¯t gotten used to the new equipment yet, and the tank has been sent to the neighboring troops.¡±


    His complaint related to the weapon equipment regulations of the Tang Empire according to which the newest weapon equipment must be prioritized to the most elite combat troops.


    This is to ensure that the main troops can be equipped with new, more advanced weapon equipment as quickly as possible to enhance the combat effectiveness of the troops.


    During the wartime, as well as under normal development conditions, this regulation is problem-free. But recently, this regulation has caused many troubles when the troops were equipped with new models.


    There was no way, there were too many new models of the Type 59 main battle tank and upgrades were too rapid; according to the regulations, troops get equipped starting from the elite 1st Armored Division, leading to various companies within the 1st Armored Division continuously switching different styles of Type 59 main battle tanks.


    It¡¯s not to say that some of the internal regulations of the Tang Empire are always reasonable; sometimes problems arise and might not be resolved in a short period.


    ¡°Just endure it for now, it¡¯s just that there are a bit too many new tanks recently. Normally, giving priority to your company in receiving new tanks is still the right approach.¡± The officer shrugged helplessly and spoke to Liu Guozhu.


    He watched as Liu Guozhu took a wrench from the tank warehouse wall and walked back to the side of the tank, continuing to ask, ¡°Is there anything else you are dissatisfied with regarding the tank?¡±


    ¡°The old problem, the ammunition count is too low, other than that everything is pretty good. I, who almost always sleep in tanks, didn¡¯t think as thoroughly as these tank designers, they are really quite impressive.¡± Liu Guozhu had a profound respect for these tank designers.


    Other than the low ammunition count, the Type 59 main battle tanks could really be said to be impeccable. Every detail has been thought through very thoroughly, as if custom made for the tank crews.


    Even the places the tank crews themselves hadn¡¯t thought of were considered by these designers, down to the position of each handle.


    These minute details had deeply moved the tank crew members; they might not have been able to describe them, but during use, they would be pleasantly surprised to find that these little details were exactly what they wanted!


    Countless such details together constituted the new Type 59 tank, setting it far apart from the previous tanks equipped by the Great Tang Empire.


    If the Type 4 tank developed by the Great Tang Empire represented the world¡¯s first generation of tanks, then the Type 59 main battle tank now equipped by the Great Tang Empire is the representative of the world¡¯s second generation of tanks.


    ...


    When the Poplar Empire was still Poplar Kingdom, they handed over Dragon Island to Tang Mo, who was still an arms dealer in Brunas. Looking back now, this might have been one of the most profitable deals Tang Mo ever made.


    Today, centered on Dragon Island, the Great Tang Empire has concealed a vast amount of military technology, and this isolated, secretive environment allows the Great Tang Empire to hide many secrets.


    The J-6 Fighter Jet is just one of many secrets. Hundreds of these have already been deployed on Dragon Island and have formed a formidable force.


    Different from the single-engine, single-seat fighter jets of the past, the J-6 is an all-weather jet fighter, making it unnecessary for the Great Tang Empire to specially equip a dedicated night fighter.


    That means the Junkers Ju 88 Night Fighter, which Great Tang Empire had equipped for night battles, was outdated before it ever saw actual combat.


    Interestingly, the Imperial Capital of Chang¡¯an and the important oil-producing area in the southern oil field region, still equip a large number of modified Junkers Ju 88 night fighters ¨C this is also a necessary act for the secrecy of the J-6.


    In fact, this is an overkill, because other than the Great Tang Empire, other countries do not even have night fighters.


    Residents who have lived on Dragon Island for years have become used to various noises they had never heard before. Here, one can hear the sound of rockets launching and the roar of jet fighters flying overhead.


    To them, these might well be the legendary dragon chants, as there are legends that the Great Tang Empire is attempting to resurrect the ancient creature ¡°dragon¡± on Dragon Island.


    Many have also seen jet fighters from afar, but unfortunately, they rarely associate that slender body with the roaring noise.


    Hundreds of such jet fighters are actually completely unable to remain secret; it¡¯s only due to Dragon Island being isolated by the Great Tang Empire that has barely kept the existence of jet fighters unknown to the world.


    However, bits and pieces of information have still appeared on the desks of intelligence agencies in other countries, mentioning Tang Country¡¯s new type of aircraft, but unable to determine what these aircraft really look like.


    After all, they also gathered some fragmented news from some documents circulated within the Great Tang Empire and idle chats from merchants on Dragon Island.


    And these pieces of news actually only confirm something that everyone had started to suspect long ago: the Great Tang Empire started selling Butcher Fighter Jets and Panther Tanks, and most likely had more advanced similar equipment.


    Yes, everyone had grown accustomed to the weapons sold by the Great Tang Empire being somewhat inferior to those it retained for its own use. So, when people saw the Great Tang Empire selling operational equipment, they instinctively assumed that Tang Mo had even more powerful weapons.


    Other countries just didn¡¯t know to what extent the new weapons in the hands of the Great Tang Empire were formidable.


    Of course, that did not prevent other countries from purchasing the outdated weapons of the Great Tang Empire; they knew that without buying these, it might take them ten or twenty years to develop similar products on their own.


    So they could only blindly buy in desperation, purchasing weapons that had performed very well in wars: Type 63 Rocket Artillery, Type 113 Armored Vehicle, various types of aircraft, various types of cars...

 Chapter 1052: Some things just dont make sense

    Chapter 1052: Some things just don¡¯t make sense


    After developing jet engines, the Great Tang Empire continuously invested technical efforts in directions such as turbojets and turbofans, developing various types of jet engines. These engines, the technologies of the future, have promising prospects not only in military use but also in civilian applications.


    This is a form of technological accumulation, considered a necessary preliminary investment. With the technology of many jet engines available, more models of aircraft are poised to emerge.


    The Air Force is a major user of engines, and their constraints are relatively minimal: although the Navy also eagerly anticipates jet aircraft, they indeed do not yet possess the necessary conditions to equip jet engines.


    The Navy¡¯s aircraft carriers do not yet have retrofit catapult systems, so the 10 in-service carriers can only utilize propeller planes.


    This is also a major source of frustration for the Navy: they have applied to build a newer carrier, planning to use advanced technologies like steam catapults to enhance the combat efficiency of carriers.


    But this is still just a plan, and when there will be carriers equipped with catapults and when there will be naval carrier-based jets with jet engines have not been determined.


    It¡¯s different for the Air Force; they have already equipped many J-6 fighters and have also begun production of a jet bomber to replace the large number of Junkers Ju 88 multipurpose bombers and B-17 Flying Fortress strategic bombers in their inventory.


    This is a significant part of the extensive weapons upgrade plan of the Great Tang Empire, signifying that the air force of the Great Tang Empire is about to enter the ¡°all-jet¡± era.


    Of course, Tang Mo knows that a complete transition to jets is impossible, because even the Lighthouse Country or the rabbits have not managed to completely phase out propeller aircraft from their air forces.


    For instance, in terms of more economical transport aircraft, many countries in the world Tang Mo transmigrated from equipped a lot of propeller transport aircraft. Like the Hercules C-130 transport plane, like the Y-8, Y-9 and other aircraft.


    So to enter the jet era mainly means using jet engines for the vast majority of aircraft types such as fighters, attack planes, bombers, etc.


    For naval early warning aircraft, anti-submarine patrol aircraft, transport planes and similar, there is no need to overly emphasize jets.


    Tang Mo is a person of faith; for the replacement of the B-17 bomber selected by the Great Tang Empire, he chose a well-known jet bomber, endowed with countless blessings of belief.


    Indeed, this plane is the Tu-16 bomber that the rabbits used for nearly seventy years, also carrying the number 6, in a sense the true ¡°Number Six.¡±


    This bomber has a slightly longer range than the B-17 Flying Fortress, a similar bomb load, and a faster speed than the Flying Fortress, altogether a comprehensive upgrade.


    Another reason for choosing this bomber is simple: in the future, this plane can develop into a vast family, with not enough numbers to cover it all.


    Even though it¡¯s still a Tu-16 bomber, the rabbits¡¯ Tu-16 has become completely different from the original version. The internal mechanisms were redesigned, the body characteristics are completely different, and even the combat mode has changed.


    In fact, Tang Mo had better options. If he waited a little longer, he could copy the B-52 bombers from the eagles, a strategic bomber that completely outperformed the Tu-16 in capabilities, yet Tang Mo still chose the Tu-16 bomber.


    He did not hesitate; in the past, he rarely had the opportunity to choose the familiar and desired rabbit weapons, but this does not mean he did not like these weapons.


    Because of many historical reasons, the rabbits missed a period in the weapon development timeline of the world. For a long hundred years, there were few unique presences in the rabbits¡¯ weapon research list.


    Yet as the technology of the Great Tang Empire continued to accumulate and weapon development progressed, Tang Mo¡¯s preferences increasingly leaned towards that flower-growing family he so adored...


    There was a time when a retired Russian veteran, holding a visiting rabbit, asked: ¡°Are you still using the Tu-16?¡± It was a moment that made one sigh.


    But Tang Mo knew that the Tu-16 used by the rabbits was not really a Tu-16 anymore. Although it looked similar, the structure inside was completely different.


    Even, the Tu-16 equipped by the rabbits in the future had canceled the bomb bay, all weapons were mounted under the wings, and they hardly carried conventional bombs anymore.


    Different from the historical Tu-16 bombers, the jet bombers mass-produced by the Great Tang Empire did not equip defensive guns, so the crew was reduced to three.


    Yes, because there was absolutely no need, the new bombers of the Great Tang Empire did not have any self-defense systems installed. Including the tail turret, the top and bottom turrets, the frontal cannons, all were abandoned.


    After all, this is a jet bomber with a speed exceeding 800 kilometers per hour; in this world, there is no other country¡¯s airplane capable of catching up with this bomber to intercept it.


    It can fly to an altitude of 11,000 meters, where the aircraft of other countries would already find it strenuous just to maintain their flying posture.


    By eliminating so many aircraft cannons and reducing weight, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Tu-16 bomber can carry nearly 8 tons of bombs, which is roughly on par with the B-17 Flying Fortress.


    In reality, due to the high cruising speed that jet engines provide, the Tu-16 or, should we say, the H-6 bomber¡¯s range is by no means inferior to that of earlier strategic bombers.


    Although they can only be considered as medium-range bombers in the future, their performance is truly sufficient: after all, compared to strategic bombers, Tang Mo favors various types of missiles.


    Tang Mo feels that as long as his Air Force bombers can strike deep into enemy territory within a range of 500 to 1,000 kilometers ¨C a distance well within the escort range of fighter jets ¨C they would be adequate.


    Moreover, in the future, Air Force attacks on ground targets will shift to glide bombs or cruise missiles due to radar threats, thus the demand for bomber range is not so urgent.


    In their operational use, the Air Force of the Tang Country has never considered employing bombers to cross the Endless Sea to conduct any bombing missions. The commanders of the Air Force are more focused on relying on the vast territory of the Great Tang Empire to carry out medium and short-range bombings to destroy hostile targets.


    As for further distant high-value targets... the Great Tang Empire¡¯s development of ballistic missiles is actually ahead of the development of jet bombers. When the Great Tang Empire was still using propeller-driven bombers like the Flying Fortress, they already had available ballistic missiles.


    This gives the Great Tang Air Force, or rather the Staff Department of the Great Tang Empire, more options: they believe that ultra-long-range bombing places excessive demands on pilots and lacks security, thus they prefer the use of missiles.


    It¡¯s only been a little over two years since the Great Tang¡¯s grand air force theory was born, yet it¡¯s already facing challenges from the missile faction ¨C it has to be said that the national circumstances of my Great Tang Empire are unique here...


    The primary reason is that the hypothetical enemies of the Great Tang Empire are either too far or too near, and there¡¯s no particularly pressing need to develop ultra-long-range strategic bombers.


    Look, bombing countries on the other side of the Endless Sea, B-52 won¡¯t be sufficient and it¡¯s futile to use them. As for neighboring countries such as Chu Country and Dahua, the range of the H-6 is enough, and longer ranges are utterly unnecessary.


    To expect pilots to fly across most of the enemy¡¯s territory to bomb cities at the other end is not necessary at all; it¡¯s too dangerous and it¡¯s better to use missiles directly, or simply not to bomb at all...


    Of course, all of the above is nonsense! The real reason boils down to one: Tang Mo likes rabbits! No matter how eloquently you argue other choices are better, Tang Mo insists on using the H-6 in Great Tang!


    So, the factories producing jet aircraft on Dragon Island began mass production of the H-6 and officially named it the H-6¡ªadopting the same numbering as the Air Force fighter jets.


    What feels like a satirical joke is that when the H-6 started mass production, the output of the J-6 began to decrease¡ªafter equipping more than 200 J-6 fighter jets, the Datang Empire Air Force reduced the total procurement quantity of the J-6 to 400 units.


    That¡¯s right, after seeing the designs from Seventh Master, the Datang Empire Air Force¡¯s top brass instantly lost interest in the advanced J-6 that had dominated its competitors.


    The J-6, which has not yet seen combat ¨C the first J-6, went from being the darling to the dowager overnight.


    Even though mass production of the J-7 would take some time, the generals of the Air Force, particularly the two Marshals Ibrahim and Xiao Yun, both felt there was no need to equip too many J-6s.


    In fact, there¡¯s a little aside here: the designs of the J-7 were accidentally leaked by Tang Mo to his subordinates. One day, when the Air Force was having a meeting about the mass production of the H-6, Ibrahim and Xiao Yun came to Tang Mo¡¯s office, and Tang Mo forgot about the design plans on his desk, which the two Air Force generals then saw ¨C this ¡°future fighter jet.¡±


    Compared to the J-6¡¯s aerodynamic layout purely for speed as a first-generation jet fighter, the J-7¡¯s ¡°intake cone¡± at the nose and the delta wing were too attractive.


    This revolutionary design instantly conquered the two Air Force generals, who treasured it like a precious find, forcing Tang Mo to reluctantly acknowledge the development of a new type of fighter.


    As for the J-6... poor J-6 became a sacrificial lam, and before it could prove itself in actual combat, it had the misfortune of facing production cuts and accelerated retirement.


    But it still had its day: sold as a commodity, letting those countries who bought it have the privilege of being ravaged by air-to-air missiles...


    If they didn¡¯t equip jet fighters, they might not even qualify to be locked onto by infrared-guided air-to-air missiles. There¡¯s no way around it, the heat signature of propeller aircraft is too low, and the early infrared-guided air-to-air missiles simply couldn¡¯t differentiate them from the sun.


    As for radar-guided air-to-air missiles, are propeller aircraft worthy of those? Using them against propeller aircraft is like using a vase from the Song Dynasty to smash cockroaches.


    It¡¯s like using expensive anti-air missiles to intercept drones with motorcycle engines ¨C theoretically possible, but in reality, few would do so.

 Chapter 1053: 975 enviable Qian Jinhang

    Chapter 1053: 975 enviable Qian Jinhang


    When Zhao Chen saw the message from the Imperial Capital, his entire face nearly turned green. He held his breath, almost forgetting to breathe until his body naturally reacted, hastily gasping for air.


    Having been a prince for so many years, studied military tactics for most of his life, and fought several years of war, it was the first time he heard of such absurd matters.


    The Great Tang Empire had actually prepared for a ceasefire in Fengjiang for a few days to repair the railroad, allowing trains from the Tang Empire to pass through and head to Qin Country...


    This was truly unheard of, the request was preposterously absurd! Yet, what made it even more laughable was that the Imperial Capital took this request seriously and forwarded it to the front line for him to consider.


    If there¡¯s any shred of shame left, any bit of dignity, would they need to ask him, a frontline general, about such things?


    Had this been a few years earlier, Emperor Zhao Kai would never have agreed to such an impudent request! The idea of trains from the Great Tang Empire crossing a war zone and demanding a ceasefire? What a joke!


    But after his initial anger, Zhao Chen knew that he must consider this matter carefully before providing the Imperial Capital with a response they anticipated.


    Given Zhao Kai¡¯s character, it would not be easy to agree to such terms, so his decision to relay this message to Zhao Chen at the front must be with consideration.


    Perhaps Zhao Kai was passing the buck, hoping that Zhao Chen could reject this unreasonable request on his behalf.


    Lowering his head to look at the telegram in hand again, Zhao Chen fell into deep thought. He read each word carefully, analyzing the underlying convolutions.


    From a purely military perspective, allowing Great Tang Empire¡¯s trains to pass through actually had little impact. To be frank, even if he agreed, Zhao Chen¡¯s offensive operations would not suffer any loss.


    There might be two issues; one was that the advancing Dahua troops might need to halt their offensive for a dozen days, or even give up some occupied streets or buildings, ensuring that the damaged railways could be repaired and the trains from the Great Tang Empire could pass safely.


    The other issue was whether the trains from the Great Tang Empire would affect the supply of Dahua¡¯s military¡ªafter all, this railroad was the lifeline for the Dahua army¡¯s supplies in Fengjiang. If affected, it could trigger a series of detrimental consequences.


    Actually, the first point had no real impact. Continuously advancing or pausing the offense would both serve Zhao Chen¡¯s interests: having attacked for so long, finding a valid reason to pause for a few days for the troops to rest was not a problem.


    The second point also posed no problem. Since the Great Tang Empire¡¯s trains heading to Qin Country would take the return route, it would not delay the supply lines to Fengjiang. With some dispatch adjustments, the Dahua troops¡¯ supplies would not be affected.


    Therefore, from a purely wartime stance, allowing the trains from the Great Tang Empire to pass would not have a significant impact on the battle for Fengjiang.


    Yet, Zhao Chen must consider Emperor Zhao Kai¡¯s feelings; leading troops in the field, the last thing he wanted was to lose the Emperor¡¯s trust.


    If Zhao Kai really became dissatisfied with him, it would hinder his operations in Fengjiang, leading to many unnecessary troubles.


    ¡°Can¡¯t he think it through... ponder over what the current situation actually is?¡± He dared not to point fingers, but Zhao Chen muttered to himself, expressing his dissatisfaction.


    At this juncture, still contemplating having his subjects share the burden and maintain the face of the Dahua Empire, which had already been valued by few, he really didn¡¯t know whether to call Zhao Kai foolish or mad.


    Do issues not exist if you refuse to acknowledge them? Will the whole world disappear if you close your eyes? Would the Dahua Empire remain the hegemon of the Western Continent from ten years ago, just because you refuse to admit to changes?


    In fact, many high-ranking officials of the Dahua Empire were aware that following this civil war, their empire was likely to become a second-tier power.


    Even if they could obliterate the Fengjiang rebels, the price paid would undoubtedly be hefty. Laying beside a bed with an indomitable tiger, it was pitiful to be nothing more than a kitten; the external environment was indeed at its worst.


    Just imagine, if Qin Country emerges victorious, the Dahua Empire would be completely surrounded by two nations: one, powerful Qin; the other, flourishing Great Tang...


    For the Dahua Empire, both were formidable adversaries, and its current national strength was already no match for either.


    As for the so-called second-tier power status, it was also the Dahua Empire¡¯s officials flattering themselves. Whether their so-called strength merited being considered a player on the world stage, or even entitled to the term ¡®powerful¡¯, was debatable.


    As a landlocked country, the Dahua Empire¡¯s lack of ports was actually a critical shortcoming. In the transformative process of the world, maritime transportation was becoming increasingly important; nations without coastlines and ports were at a natural disadvantage in economic and trade processes.


    Imagine, when Qin Country no longer needs to import goods from the Great Tang Empire through Dahua, where would the economy of the Dahua Empire go?


    A second-rate national power combined with what might merely be third-rate military strength, how can Dahua still bear the name of an Empire between Qin Country and Tang Country and survive?


    In fact, be it Chu Muzhou or people like Chen Jing and Shen Chuan, they¡¯ve all been contemplating how Dahua should position itself anew to survive between Qin and Tang.


    The only one still unwilling to accept reality is the Emperor Zhao Kai of the Dahua Empire. It¡¯s impossible for him to accept Dahua becoming the ¡°Kingdom of Dahua¡± in practice. Even if the country does not change its title, merely accepting a demotion in status is absolutely intolerable for Zhao Kai.


    But everyone knows that such a demotion is already inevitable.


    The Dahua Empire cannot possibly continue to exist as it does; at best, the Great Tang Empire might recognize the legitimate existence of the Kingdom of Dahua.


    If the Tang Empire has ambitions to continue pushing westward, then whether it be the Dahua Empire or Kingdom, it will all become dust in history.


    Now, whether the Dahua Empire can continue to exist depends on the will of the Tang Empire! How much longer the Dahua Empire can last is a question of how much longer Qin Country and the Tang Empire are willing to maintain the status quo!


    And all this is just under the most optimistic projection! The Dahua Empire can only continue to survive if it can win the domestic war!


    If the conflicts at Fengjiang cannot be pacified for a long period, the national power of the Dahua Empire will be further weakened. As long as this brutal civil war persists, the Dahua Empire will pay the price.


    Zhao Chen even feels that they¡¯re actually unable to end the war now. Once Sword Pavilion completes the railway, the Dahua Empire will surely lose a part of its territory in this civil war.


    Even if the Fengjiang rebel forces fail, they can retreat to Sword Pavilion, leveraging its terrain to stubbornly resist, backed by support from the Great Tang Empire, and prolonging this civil war indefinitely.


    And what fortune is left for the Dahua Empire, having lost Sword Pavilion and the Southern Storehouses, with the Dahua Empire that turned Fengjiang into ruins, with the Dahua Empire completely surrounded by Qin Country in the Southwest... who can know?


    ¡°Send a telegram... inform His Majesty that I believe we cannot agree to Tang Country¡¯s unreasonable demands...¡± Biting his teeth, Zhao Chen still decided to bear this burden for Zhao Kai.


    As a General fighting abroad, he must possess the integrity and backbone of a soldier. If even he lacks the courage to say no to the Tang Empire, then who else in this country can withstand the pressure from a powerful neighbor?


    However, as a member of the Royal Family, as a confidant, as a subject aware of the situation, he must remind his Monarch of what circumstances they currently face.


    So, after letting the officer in charge of the telegram leave, he turned to his own confidant and added, ¡°Draft another secret telegram... With tears of blood, I beseech an audience, the current situation is unpredictable and tricky, and we really should not provoke any disputes. Morale at the front lines is low and recuperation for half a month is not impossible... Agreeing to Tang Country¡¯s demands would not be a loss... I hope His Majesty would ponder on this.¡±


    The telegram he sent earlier, that was taking the hit for Zhao Kai. If Zhao Kai truly does not wish to allow Tang Country¡¯s trains to pass, he can directly use this official telegram.


    The latter telegram is to explain the pros and cons to Zhao Kai, if Zhao Kai understands the implications, then Zhao Chen¡¯s first telegram could simply be regarded as hot air.


    After all this, he let out a deep sigh. He doesn¡¯t know if generals from the Tang Empire would make such idiotic decisions to care for their Monarch¡¯s feelings while leading campaigns.


    He chuckled bitterly upon this thought, at least the generals from the Tang Empire wouldn¡¯t have to consider the messy feelings of other countries, because no one would dare make unreasonable demands to Tang.


    Furthermore, the Tang Empire doesn¡¯t seem to have lost any battles since its inception; being a general of the Tang Empire is indeed easier.


    ¡°Sigh...¡± He sighed, and in that moment, envied Qian Jinhang. This former general of the Dahua Empire was now a general of the Tang Empire.


    What he didn¡¯t know is that in the ranks of the Tang Empire¡¯s military, there¡¯s not just one Qian Jinhang; there¡¯s also a General Feng Kezhi who he¡¯s unaware of.


    Upon receiving the telegram, Zhao Kai was indeed overjoyed, then he instructed his subordinates to deliver the message to Chu Muzhou. As for the secret memorial Zhao Chen sent, Zhao Kai kept it to himself.


    Everyone actually understands the situation; this time, Zhao Chen was merely taking the fall for Zhao Kai. Since Zhao Chen had shown weak progress in the offensive at the front lines, now he could only bite the bullet and bear the burden according to Zhao Kai¡¯s wishes to consolidate his own command.


    Therefore, Chu Muzhou did not take the telegram seriously: The face of the Tang Empire isn¡¯t enough? Hah. I¡¯d like to see if that combined with Qin Country¡¯s face will be sufficient.


    His Majesty is becoming increasingly thoughtless.

 Chapter 1054 - 976 Shen Chuan’s Guess

    Chapter 1054: 976 Shen Chuan¡¯s Guess


    ¡°Your Majesty. They have rejected our requests, it seems we can only think of other methods to transport this batch of goods to Qin Country,¡± reported the official in charge of commerce, standing anxiously before Tang Mo in the Dahua Empire¡¯s response.


    The Great Tang Empire hoped for a cessation of hostilities for fifteen days to facilitate the transportation of goods, but the Dahua Empire refused.


    Sitting to the side, Nangong Hong chuckled as if he heard some good news. On the other side, Roger sighed and shook his head.


    Tang Mo seemed unsurprised; he just moved his eyes before speaking, ¡°Send another diplomatic letter to Zhao Kai. If they persist in their folly, we will sell to Fengjiang some weapons that the Dahua Empire would not want to see on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Just bluntly tell Zhao Kai that if he refuses our country¡¯s request, then Fengjiang¡¯s military will possess a long-range weapon capable of striking the Dahua Empire¡¯s Capital! It would create an ugly scene,¡± Tang Mo said, then waved his hand to dismiss the official who had come to report.


    ¡°It seems the Dahua Empire still doesn¡¯t appreciate what¡¯s good for them,¡± Nangong Hong said with interest. ¡°Qin Country must be crying now; if they had known Dahua would be so foolish, they might not have bothered to go through the trouble of fighting Shu Country.¡±


    ¡°Would our support to Zhao Yu attacking the Dahua Capital lead to an escalation of the war?¡± Roger was somewhat worried that the Great Tang Empire would be dragged into war.


    He wasn¡¯t afraid of the Great Tang Empire being disadvantaged in war; he was concerned that the war would hinder domestic economic development and affect the international reputation of the Great Tang Empire.


    Sometimes, reputation is very important. The Lighthouse Country has become more passive in international affairs because it¡¯s gone bankrupt more frequently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the current Dahua Empire, even if they want to directly attack us, must pass through Fengjiang... do you think they have the capability?¡± Tang Mo said with a smile to Roger: ¡°If they really have the guts to attack Great Tang, I would actually have to admire Zhao Kai.¡±


    Now, he truly looked down on Zhao Kai, an emperor who was fierce in appearance but timid at heart, excellent in internal strife but a fool in foreign affairs, not a true competitor.


    Frankly speaking, in terms of capability, Xiong Biao of Chu Country might have more experience than Zhao Kai. After all, such countries like Chu Country have always been in a weak position and have rich experience dealing with powerful nations.


    ...


    ¡°Weapons?¡± When the Ambassador from the Great Tang Empire uttered such a threat, the first reaction of the Dahua Empire¡¯s ministers was confusion.


    Tang Country actually threatened to sell a weapon that could strike at their Imperial Capital... this was simply a joke.


    Great Tang Empire¡¯s bombers had never flown such a long distance, and even if the Great Tang had developed a bomber capable of flying that far, it would hardly be safe to reach the skies above the Imperial Capital.


    A joke, it¡¯s nearly 1700 kilometers away! Flying this route over Dahua Empire¡¯s territory, anyone could spot the planes with the naked eye, and makeshift planes could intercept.


    Not to mention, at this distance, it¡¯s already very challenging for bombers, let alone escort fighter jets.


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Zhao Kai looked displeased at the Ambassador of the Great Tang Empire standing resolutely below, and coldly questioned.


    ¡°Not at all!¡± The Ambassador of the Great Tang Empire raised his head, chuckling coldly, ¡°The foreign minister is merely stating a fact. If your country irrationally continues its hostile stance against the Great Tang Empire, we will increase our support for friendly forces.¡±


    ¡°Good! Very good! I would like to see your so-called new weapons!¡± Zhao Kai burst out laughing in anger: ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting here, waiting for Fengjiang¡¯s planes to fly to the Imperial Capital!¡±


    Chu Muzhou wanted to step forward to mediate and ease the situation but before he could speak, the Ambassador of the Great Tang Empire flicked his sleeves and walked out of the hall without looking back.


    ¡°Chief of Staff Shen, what do you think?¡± After the court meeting, Chu Muzhou pulled aside the worried Shen Chuan and asked in a low voice.


    Shen Chuan was a professional, and he too lowered his voice to respond to the Prime Minister, ¡°The technology of the Great Tang Empire has always been enigmatic, it¡¯s hard to say whether they have bombers capable of flying such a distance.¡±


    He was very cautious, considering many aspects: ¡°If we go by the previous attack range of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s bombers, the Imperial Capital is safe. But if the Great Tang Empire has more advanced bombers, it¡¯s hard to say.¡±


    At this point, he paused for a moment, glanced at the approaching Chen Jing, and continued, ¡°However, that being said, even if there were bigger bombers, it would not be possible for the bombers to have escort at this distance... Intercepting should not be a problem.¡±


    Over the past two years, engineers of the Dahua Empire were not idle; they equipped their newly produced fighter jets with some gadgets allowing them to barely fly above 10,000 meters for combat.


    These upgraded aircraft now possess certain high-altitude interception capabilities, which is why Zhao Kai is very confident about the air defense of the Imperial City.


    ¡°So, does that mean we are safe here?¡± Chen Jing, who leaned in closer, timidly asked on the side.


    Chu Muzhou glanced at Chen Jing, did not speak, and then looked towards Shen Chuan.


    Shen Chuan pondered for a moment and did not make an absolute statement, ¡°If the enemy bombs at night, we would not be able to dispatch fighter jets for interception. However, there are hundreds of anti-aircraft guns deployed around the Imperial Capital, as well as a large number of searchlights, so it should...¡±


    ¡°Do they really have aircraft capable of flying this far?¡± At this moment, another minister leaned in and interrupted with a question.


    Shen Chuan did not want to take the blame and emphasized again: ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain; Tang Country always has some new weapons, everyone knows this... If they say so, they probably really have new weapons. Moreover, even with existing weapons, Tang would have given Fengjiang some, and it¡¯s not impossible for Fengjiang to find a few suicidal pilots to fly directly to the Imperial Capital to drop bombs.¡±


    People find crazies to fly one-way; wouldn¡¯t that solve the range issue? No need for advanced weapons, the existing bombers are enough.


    ¡°Hisss...¡± Hearing Shen Chuan say this, several ministers gasped. They had actually never considered Fangjiang using bombers for a one-way mission before.


    Isn¡¯t Shen Chuan professional? He can come up with such a perverse strategy all of a sudden. What they don¡¯t know is that Shen Chuan is so familiar with this tactic because Zhao Kai had once asked him to plan a one-way bombing mission on Chang¡¯an of the Tang Empire.


    But because there were no escort fighter jets during the day, facing the Butcher Fighter Jets of the Tang Empire, a one-way mission of Dahua Empire¡¯s bombers really had no chance of reaching over the sky of Chang¡¯an.


    As for bombing at night, organizing a bomber formation itself was an issue. Dahua Empire had conducted nighttime bombings before, but the success rate was almost zero. Thus, the plan for a one-way bombing on Chang¡¯an was also shelved.


    After everyone dispersed, Shen Chuan walked with Chu Muzhou for a while longer, and when Chu Muzhou saw there was nobody else around, he asked Shen Chuan, ¡°Does Chief Shen truly believe that Tang Country has the capability to bomb the Imperial Capital?¡±


    ¡°With the existing technological conditions, bombing the Imperial Capital is tough. I¡¯m more afraid that Tang Country really has some weapon, or they might find another way...¡± Shen Chuan earnestly replied.


    ¡°Find another way?¡± Chu Muzhou raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes, cover 1700 kilometers, if this task was assigned to me, planting a bomb in the Imperial Capital by using spies would be easier,¡± Shen Chuan expressed his opinion.


    Dahua Empire¡¯s Imperial Capital was infiltrated like a sieve by the Tang Empire; they have stolen the families of ministers and even orchestrated the escape of a prince. Wouldn¡¯t planting a bomb be like a piece of cake?


    ¡°This matter... I actually think the Tang Empire won¡¯t do this.¡± Chu Muzhou shook his head and said to Shen Chuan, ¡°The envoy from Tang promised me they would not do such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe him?¡± Shen Chuan curiously looked at Chu Muzhou.


    ¡°I do,¡± Chu Muzhou nodded firmly.


    ¡°Why?¡± Shen Chuan became curious.


    ¡°Because they are the dominant party. They don¡¯t want us to do this, so they wouldn¡¯t start such tactics...¡± Chu Muzhou said, ¡°If they did that, wouldn¡¯t they be giving us an opportunity to follow suit?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Shen Chuan indeed thought so. Everyone hesitates to employ tactics like poison assassination; even if it exists, it¡¯s very low-key, isn¡¯t it because such tactics could break the rules if used excessively?


    So, it¡¯s highly unlikely for Tang Country to use such lowly tactics to attack the capital of Dahua Empire; it doesn¡¯t align with the interests of the Tang Empire.


    Most likely, it¡¯s some new type of weapon... Shen Chuan thought, filled with concerns, he parted ways with Chu Muzhou.

 Chapter 1055: The Wrath of God 977

    Chapter 1055: The Wrath of God 977


    Inside the territory of the Great Tang Empire, at a base surrounded by barbed wire, an on-duty military officer in an underground bunker picked up the constantly ringing phone: ¡°Hello?¡±


    From the other end of the line came a familiar voice: ¡°This is the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Staff Department. I am Marshal Luff.¡±


    ¡°Long live His Majesty!¡± The on-duty officer immediately jumped up from his seat, standing at attention and saluting.


    ¡°Long live the Empire! Identity verification code... Tear open today¡¯s sealed documents...¡± Luff gripped the phone and watched his aide tear open a sealed envelope in front of him, extracting the paper inside.


    Taking the paper handed over by his aide and looking at its contents, Luff confirmed, ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Upon receiving a positive response, he read the numbers on the paper: ¡°Zero, turn, two, zero, eight, one...¡±


    ¡°Zero, turn, two, zero...¡± After being silent for several seconds, the voice on the other end of the phone repeated the same code: ¡°Identity code verification complete! Please issue the order, Marshal.¡±


    With his hand gripping the receiver, Luff¡¯s face showed boldness: ¡°Awaken the Eastern Wind.¡±


    He really wanted to know how His Majesty came up with such a nuclear launch protocol, which not only ensured absolute security for the missiles but was also full of ceremonial significance, giving people a sense of sacred duty in carrying out justice.


    ¡°Yes! Please enter the launch code!¡± The military officer on the other end of the phone was stern-faced, and the other duty soldiers around him had already begun to get busy.


    ¡°Launch code: Nine, eight, nine...¡± Luff began to recite the second set of numbers, and the officer on the other end of the phone checked each digit until the last number was confirmed.


    ¡°Code verification is correct, Marshal! The missile has entered the launch sequence. Fueling will begin within ten minutes, and the missile will be launched within two hours! Please confirm the target!¡± After verifying the launch code, the duty officer reported firmly.


    ¡°The target, codenamed 011, Dahua Imperial Capital. Repeat, codenamed 011, Dahua Imperial Capital,¡± Luff calmly stated the missile¡¯s intended target.


    ¡°Confirmed! Coded 011, Dahua Imperial Capital! Repeat! Coded 011, Dahua Imperial Capital, completed!¡± The on-duty officer solemnly repeated the target.


    Another officer stood by his side throughout the whole process, confirming together the missile launch order. After hanging up the phone, the two men walked to the broadcast microphone, turned on the power, and issued the order to start fueling the missile: ¡°Begin fueling.¡±


    Inside the missile silo, engineers already dressed in protective suits and wearing gas masks began to work busily.


    They carried sturdy fueling tubes, injecting the prepared liquid fuel into the missile body. This launch fuel was corrosive and had to be loaded shortly before the launch or it would damage the missile.


    ¡°Fueling tube connection complete!¡± Muffled through the gas masks, the soldiers repeated the operating commands, every movement standard and meticulous, as it was a matter of their own safety.


    The missile stood tall like a giant pillar in the launch silo, with the cover above slowly opening. In the corridor behind the thick elliptical door opened next to the launch silo, a red warning light on the wall blinked in circles.


    ¡°Fuel injection beginning!¡± Seeing the gauge needle jump, the soldier in charge of managing the valve gave a thumbs-up.


    In another missile silo, the same operation was underway¡ªthis time Tang Mo had prepared two missiles to teach his neighbor a lesson, to let them know what is the will of the Great Tang Empire.


    This is the truth; this is our argument in the debate. It is the symbol of justice and the cornerstone of invincibility.


    Although the warheads, weighing more than a ton, were not equipped with nuclear weapons, their power was formidable. It¡¯s the Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb, known as the ¡°Mother of All Bombs,¡± capable of demolishing an entire city block.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± In Chang¡¯an, within the Forbidden City, Luff came from the Wuying Hall to Tang Mo¡¯s office, stood at attention, saluted, and reported: ¡°The missile has entered the final preparation stage and can be launched within two hours...¡±


    Tang Mo was not particularly pleased with the preparation time for this liquid-fueled missile. The reaction speed of this type of missile was too slow and not convenient at all.


    What Tang Mo wanted was the mature solid-fuel missile. As soon as he needed it on his side, the missile could fly out of the silo¡ªthat would be powerful.


    ¡°I got it, waiting really does... make one somewhat anxious.¡± Tang Mo laughed at himself; no one knew what he was thinking at the moment.


    In his past and present life, Tang Mo had never actually used ballistic missiles. He did indeed traffic Scuds before, but once those were sold, they were out of his hands; he didn¡¯t have the authority to launch.


    Now, he was launching a genuine Eastern Wind missile¡ªauthentic and indisputable. Just the thought was a little thrilling.


    Thanks to recent data provided by satellites, the Great Tang Empire upgraded the guidance systems of these Eastern Wind missiles, adjusted some data, and brought the accuracy to within a 1000-meter range.


    This level of precision, while good, is miraculously accurate considering the missile has to travel more than 1700 kilometers; an error of 1000 meters in the landing zone is remarkable.


    You see, if the Imperial Palace of the Dahua Empire were the target, such attack precision could, at the very least, demolish the walls of the palace.


    After a lengthy wait, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s first long-range missile attack in a real combat situation commenced. The two missiles rose from their launch sites, and the Great Tang Empire¡¯s rural residents finally realized what their nearby base was for...


    These civilians tending to their farmlands felt the ground tremor beneath their feet and looked up to see a dazzling plume of fire soar towards the clouds.


    In their lives, they had never witnessed a scene as magnificent as this, like a small sun rising from the ground and then gradually disappearing into the sky.


    The massive plume of smoke on the ground lingered on for a long time, and the roaring noise echoed in the air. Meanwhile, within Fengjiang City, Zhao Yu delivered an important broadcast speech.


    He announced that he had purchased the most advanced strike weapons from the Great Tang Empire and that Fengjiang would launch a new weapon within an hour to attack the Dahua Imperial Capital.


    In his speech, he urged the civilians of the Imperial Capital to heed their safety and leave the city promptly, waiting outside for divine fury to descend. He confirmed that the strikes would soar into the heavens, and the explosions would shake the earth.


    The channel used for the broadcast was public, and both warring parties listened in on the broadcast, as Fengjiang had fired at least 50,000 leaflets using artillery, notifying the Dahua side of the time and frequency of this speech.


    Almost everyone waited for the outcome of this event, and indeed, many commoners in the Imperial Capital believed the content of the broadcast.


    They wanted to leave the Imperial Capital but discovered that Zhao Kai had ordered the city gates to be shut. Countless people were crowded in the streets, looking up at the sky in terror.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    For some reason, after being diagnosed with diabetes, I¡¯ve felt uncomfortable all over... I wonder if it¡¯s psychological.

 Chapter 1056: 978 like the sound of spring thunder

    Chapter 1056: 978 like the sound of spring thunder


    Time passed by the second, and those wealthy and civilians crowded near the city gates on the outskirts grew increasingly restless.


    They actually received the news a step too late, while those who truly had connections had already been watching the excitement from estates in suburban areas outside the city.


    Indeed, at this very moment, Pan Yiping and his daughter Pan Qi were anxiously enjoying exquisite food in a manor in the suburbs.


    Surrounding them were various social elites, wealthy nobles, Pan Yiping even noticed the Prime Minister and several Chief of Staff families¡¯ ladies during the banquet.


    The environment of the manor was excellent, and they had been invited here hours ago; the courtyard was filled with various luxury cars.


    Pan Yiping finally realized the enormous gap between people in this world: when ordinary people received the news, some had already made all the preparations.


    Because it was far from the potentially attacked city, the atmosphere here was still entirely serene. If you only saw the merry lights and wines here, you would never feel that the Dahua Empire was still in the midst of a civil war.


    The waiters respectfully carried trays, delivering beautifully cooked beef dishes and deliciously sweet and sour fruit wines to everyone, the smiles on their faces warm, making one feel refreshed.


    ¡°I heard the attack has started, I wonder how things are in the city?¡± a girl leaned towards Pan Qi and asked familiarly.


    In the past, she somewhat looked down on Pan Qi, a merchant¡¯s daughter, but now, she truly considered Pan Qi her best friend.


    Because being arranged to come to this manor at this time, nearly all belonged to the ¡°upper¡± class, everyone was on the same level, and there was no disdain.


    Since the power was similar, the social status was naturally about the same. Moreover, Pan Qi was actually becoming more famous in the circles of Dahua Imperial Capital, especially being the woman of the bartender, Du Jia.


    A woman¡¯s status is actually linked to her husband; if her man does well, her status naturally rises.


    People might not respect the merchant Pan Yiping, but they had to respect Du Jia¡¯s father-in-law... Similarly, they might not care about Pan Qi, but everyone had to respect Mrs. Du Jia.


    ¡°It might be just a few minutes now.¡± Pan Qi took out her pocket watch and checked the time. Today, she deliberately chose a very neutral outfit for ease of movement; jodhpurs with a vest, her hair pulled up and secured with a pin, looking very capable.


    She, being a merchant¡¯s daughter, didn¡¯t care much about dressing and behaved casually. This unreserved Pan Qi has a unique beauty, which was one of the reasons why Du Jia fancied her.


    Most of the attendees at this banquet were women because since Zhao Zheng¡¯s family fled, Zhao Kai had implemented stricter control over almost all officials¡¯ and nobles¡¯ families.


    It was somewhat better for women, but men were not allowed to leave their residences without permission. Any violators would be immediately punished.


    Thus, although it appeared harmonious with singing and dancing, many were still worried about their men and elders back in the city. Thus, someone like Pan Qi who was well-informed was even more popular.


    Who wouldn¡¯t want to cozy up to Pan Qi and please her husband, Du Jia, to have more options at critical times? So, soon another young woman approached and started conversing with Pan Qi as if they had been close sisters for many years.


    Pan Qi was open to all comers; as a merchant¡¯s daughter, she inherently had the knack for being socially versatile. Now, intending to help Du Jia maintain networking, she was naturally willing to chat back and forth with these women.


    She quickly cheered up and began discussing some intimate topics with these worried women, such as how to send their children to Tang Country for schooling or how much it would cost to buy a villa in Linshui¡ªsuch topics were genuinely interesting to the women at that moment.


    ...


    In the tense Imperial Defense Command Center of Dahua Empire, Li Mingshun, dispatched to supervise the war, grasped the phone, frantically asking the air defense forces commander in the Hezhe direction: ¡°Let me confirm once more, have any bombers passed through your area? Tell the truth! Make it clear!¡±


    Beside him, another general was speaking with the air defense forces commander in the Xiajian direction, also confirming whether any planes had passed that direction.


    Unfortunately, the responses they got were the same: no observation stations or sentry posts detected any planes passing by, and the patrolling fighter jet troops also didn¡¯t spot anything.


    No planes attacked from the Fengjiang direction, nor was there any sight of massive hostile aircraft activities on the Fengjiang frontline.


    Everyone was searching for the so-called ¡°enemy aircraft,¡± including the patrolling planes, ground sentry posts, and civilians from factories...


    As long as there was contact, constant verifications were being made everywhere, to check if there were any airplanes coming from the direction of Fengjiang.


    ¡°No! Commander! We have not spotted any airplanes passing through our airspace! Yes, none at all! Absolutely none!¡± The queried commander firmly assured Li Mingshun.


    After hanging up the phone, Li Mingshun irritably looked at the generals around him: ¡°Nobody has seen any airplanes. Hasn¡¯t Tang Country sold bombers to Fengjiang?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s only one airplane...¡± one general optimistically suggested to Li Mingshun: ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s just a small-scale attack...¡±


    ¡°Small-scale?¡± Li Mingshun glanced at him: ¡°No matter how small, it¡¯s unacceptable! We must ensure our Imperial Capital is completely secure!¡±


    Zhao Kai entrusted such a critical matter to him, and he had to live up to Zhao Kai¡¯s trust. Additionally, if there really existed a weapon capable of striking an enemy city from over 1700 kilometers away, it wouldn¡¯t just be their Dahua Empire at misfortune.


    If Tang Country truly possessed such a weapon, wouldn¡¯t the King City of Chu Country also be under siege?


    If such a weapon were deployed in Chu Country, wouldn¡¯t the King City of Kangrao in Shu Country be in the same situation? Surely other countries couldn¡¯t tolerate this; if such weapons were to proliferate, then the concept of strategic depth would cease to exist in this world.


    ¡°The time Tang Country declared is drawing closer...¡± another general anxiously spoke: ¡°Should we...¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish his intended words, but everyone knew what he was implying: should they arrange for Emperor Zhao Kai to take shelter in a bunker first, to avoid any mishap.


    Despite the fact that urban-level air defense was imperfect due to development reasons, shelters for important personnel had been constructed by countries worldwide.


    His Majesty The Emperor certainly had his own bunker, even a fully equipped air defense command center capable of contacting generals, assigning tasks, and issuing orders from beneath the ground.


    Naturally, the Dahua Empire also had such an air defense bunker, but Zhao Kai hadn¡¯t yet taken refuge in his own bunker; he did not believe staying in his Imperial Palace was dangerous.


    ¡°Make a call... ask His Majesty to immediately enter the underground bunker, to ensure safety...¡± With no other choice, Li Mingshun opted for the safest solution.


    However, as he spoke these words, up in the sky, having crossed over 1700 kilometers, the ballistic missiles of the Great Tang Empire had already re-entered the atmosphere, making their final sprint towards their target.


    Chu Muzhou did not leave King City, he did not even leave his home. After having his butler send away his daughters-in-law, most of the Chu family¡¯s men stayed in the city, awaiting the impending ¡°attack.¡±


    Helpless as it was, being the Empire¡¯s Prime Minister meant that their family couldn¡¯t easily leave the city; and from their Chu family¡¯s perspective, during a national crisis, they also had to stay and face their own fate.


    This was a duty, a rule, an attitude. As a traditional noble family of the Empire, a Prime Minister¡¯s family, Chu Muzhou and his descendants carried weighty responsibilities.


    Laying on a lounge chair in the courtyard and looking up at the sky, Chu Muzhou saw a meteor, a rapidly approaching meteor.


    Even during daylight, that object shone like a star, trailing a long tail, and rapidly heading towards the ground.


    His sons also saw this scene, and several nearby sons immediately rushed over, surrounding their father nervously.


    ¡°Sigh...¡± Chu Muzhou sighed. He knew that the weapon Tang Empire spoke of had truly come, and he also knew it must be another terrifying weapon capable of altering the world¡¯s balance.


    Sadly, as the proverbial sacrificial chicken to serve as a warning to others, and being the world debut of this new type of weapon, Dahua Empire¡¯s capital was doomed to suffer this calamity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous; if it really falls here, our Chu family would also have served our country with loyalty.¡± After sighing, the old Prime Minister Chu Muzhou comforted his sons.


    He had several grandsons attending a banquet in a villa owned by Great Tang Empire merchants outside the city, and he also had a son who went to study in Tang Country last year... All in all, the aftermath had been arranged, and Chu Muzhou had no regrets.


    As Chu Muzhou spoke, a second meteor appeared in the sky, crashing rapidly towards the capital of the Dahua Empire. Although its speed was incredibly fast, it was still clearly visible.


    The crowded near the city gate let out terrified screams, everyone saw the awe-inspiring descent, that fearful dark shadow.


    These civilians pointed at the two dark shadows, which indeed plummeted straight into the heart of Dahua Empire¡¯s capital.


    Following that, the ground trembled slightly, a snowy-white column of smoke billowed upwards, swirling towards the heavens. Before anyone could understand what had happened, a dull explosion echoed from afar, as if spring thunder had burst in the sky.

 Chapter 1057: The sky fell in 979 days

    Chapter 1057: The sky fell in 979 days


    ¡°Ah...¡± A cry burst from the crowd as civilians panicked and crowded towards the city gate: ¡°Let us out! Let us out!¡±


    Everyone was shouting nonstop, afraid that some mishap would occur if they left too late. The soldiers at the city gate had lost the will to maintain order; they opened the gates and ran out of the city ahead of everyone else.


    All were running desperately towards the outskirts, cars were congested among the crowd, mixed with horse-drawn carriages and ox carts, creating quite a bustling scene.


    While these people were scrambling to flee out of the city, the ground shook once again. Everyone was scared to a halt, followed shortly by a billow of white smoke and the sound of a tremendous explosion.


    The crowded masses became even more agitated. No one cared about courtesy or order any longer; they all kept rushing towards the city gate, where the guards had long since disappeared.


    The Prime Minister¡¯s residence, the walls of the Chu family¡¯s courtyard had collapsed... Situated not far from the Imperial Palace, the Tang Empire¡¯s missiles had not missed their target; they struck right inside the Imperial Palace, affecting the periphery Mao family estate as well.


    That explosion, which resembled a thunderclap, rendered the sons of Chu Muzhou still unable to hear anything, utterly unaware of what had happened, as they sat on the ground, utterly confounded and bewildered.


    Fuel-Air Explosive Bombs are known as the ¡°mother of bombs¡± for a reason; their destructive power is evident. These bombs actually detonate twice, but because the second explosion is deafening, people often overlook the preceding dull thud.


    During the second detonation, the bomb can evaporate all the surrounding air, creating a high-temperature area of 2500 degrees, destroying everything nearby.


    Its power is second only to nuclear weapons, even comparable to a small nuclear bomb in power; the immense destructive force of the explosion leaves no reprieve, even for enemies in underground bunkers.


    The first Dongfeng missile plummeted from the sky, landing directly inside the Imperial Palace. Although far from the hall where Zhao Kai was, it truly hit inside the palace grounds.


    The explosion likely shattered glass for ten miles around, its thunderous blast echoing through the entire city. The fearsome shockwave destroyed many nearby buildings and ignited raging fires in many places in an instant.


    Embarrassingly, the Dahua Empire is a nation with an ancient tradition and rich historical heritage. Its main Imperial Palace was constructed hundreds of years ago, and although it has been renovated continually, its primary design is still that of a century ago.


    Such buildings perform reasonably well in terms of earthquake resistance, but they lack the capacity to withstand intentional destruction.


    Put bluntly, the Dahua Imperial Palace may have decent earthquake resilience, but against deliberate arson or bombing, it¡¯s practically as vulnerable as streaking.


    The cloud bomb detonated hundreds of meters away, its nearly two-ton warhead¡¯s destructive power no match for these old constructions.


    So, the palace where Zhao Kai was collapsed during the explosion. He was still on the phone in his study when the ceiling suddenly gave way.


    Dust engulfed everything in the room, and Zhao Kai was immediately struck by falling tiles, laying in a pool of blood.


    The guards and the palace attendants were too shocked to react; only when they emerged from the suffocating dust did they realize their Emperor had vanished without a trace.


    In chaos, everyone began to search, then they saw the harrowing spectacle of the Emperor and his attendants struggling amidst the ruins.


    At this very moment, Zhao Kai hadn¡¯t even recovered his hearing. Hysterically, he was screaming while flailing his arms amidst the rubble, forbidding anyone to approach him like a madman.


    Those who tried to get close to him were met with his fists, and all the while, his head wouldn¡¯t stop bleeding. The dignified dragon robe was now covered with dust; his disheveled hair was a far cry from his usual imperial majesty.


    ¡°Ah! Ah! It¡¯s a rebellion! Someone is trying to kill me! Kill me! Regicide! There¡¯s a rebellion! Revolt! Everyone has turned!¡± Zhao Kai was terrified into sheer madness, with his leg bone broken, he could only sit on the ground, his arms still waving ceaselessly, unwilling to let anyone near regardless of persuasion.


    Shame, tension, fear, and anger, a turmoil of emotions intertwined tightly, causing Zhao Kai to completely collapse.


    Tears streamed down his cheeks washing away the dust, leaving two deep trails. Zhao Kai, who had fallen from the grace of the clouds to the mortal dust, experienced what it was like to be worse off than dead.


    He should detest the ancient palace of the Dahua Empire; a single distant cloud bomb collapsing a side hall put him in such a degrading and shameful situation.


    He should also be grateful he was in the old main hall, where even if the roof of wooden beams and tiles collapsed, it wasn¡¯t lethal, allowing him to survive despite his dishevelment.


    Because of extreme tension, one of Zhao Kai¡¯s hands still clutched the telephone receiver, even though the cord had already detached, he gripped it as if holding on to some world-defying weapon.


    Only such precautions seemed to provide him with a sliver of safety, and amidst the gathering smoke, the continuous arrival of guards and palace attendants was finally bringing Zhao Kai a trace of lucidity.


    As humans are, once the mad frenzy of intense fear had passed, other sensations would flood in, occupying the brain space that had just been vacated.


    The dust inhaled into his lungs tormented Zhao Kai. The convulsions of his nerves caused him to start vomiting; he lay face down, his body spasming uncontrollably, ejecting the morning¡¯s pastries and sweets.


    He had heaved so violently that some of the vomit had shot into his nostrils. The foul, stomach acid-laden mess stained the front of Zhao Kai¡¯s favorite dragon robe and dribbled onto his legs.


    Then, pain struck him¡ªhe had indeed broken his leg. He hadn¡¯t felt it in his earlier madness but now, as he regained some clarity, the excruciating pain made his whole body shudder.


    Never having experienced such agony¡ªborn and raised in luxury¡ªEmperor Zhao Kai had no idea how to confront this state of affairs. He sat there, alternately vomiting and staring vacantly.


    Suddenly, a loyal guard dashed forward and supported Zhao Kai: ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty! This servant deserves death a thousand times over for arriving too late to protect you!¡±


    Zhao Kai could now see the face of the person by his side and the ruins around him, as well as the messy debris that had once been part of the room¡¯s furnishings. Finally, he let go of the broken telephone receiver he had been tightly gripping.


    He remembered the moment the explosion had sounded, the instant his ceiling collapsed. Before that, he had been talking on the phone with Li Mingshun, who was urging him to seek shelter in an underground bunker.


    Now, he finally felt the trembling in his arms, the incessant quivering of muscles uncontrollable by his will¡ªanxious, unceasing tremors.


    The guard supporting him felt Zhao Kai¡¯s shudders, realizing only now that even Zhao Kai could experience fear, that he too could be reduced to trembling at the hands of fear just like anyone else.


    The idol, once disguised with ruthlessness and variability, had shattered, leaving behind nothing but an ordinary, pitiful old man, miserably seated on the ground, ashen and bedraggled.


    ¡°Help me up... get me up,¡± Zhao Kai¡¯s voice quaked, his face smeared with blood, tear stains, and the filth from his mouth, making him resemble a mad old man.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Your leg is broken! Better wait for a doctor...¡± The guard didn¡¯t shun Zhao Kai. Deeply devoted to him, he was truly a close attendant of Zhao Kai, displaying genuine concern now that was no less than that of a son.


    ¡°Help me up!¡± Zhao Kai roared, hysterical.


    The guard didn¡¯t dare delay and immediately pulled Zhao Kai up by his hand, hauling him off the ground. Zhao Kai was a tough one; he actually endured the pain and stood up on his one good leg.


    The surrounding servants and maidservants had already begun to sob. They truly hadn¡¯t expected that their Imperial Palace would one day witness such a tragedy.


    What they didn¡¯t know was that the epicenters of the explosion had already become a living inferno.


    There were thousands of maidservants and attendants in the Dahua Empire¡¯s Imperial Palace, not to mention the thousands of guards, a situation that could be described as extremely luxurious.


    Now, in the blast zone, hundreds had died instantly, and hundreds of injured had yet to receive aid. Many palaces had collapsed, with many people buried alive beneath them¡ªthey might still be alive now, but that could change at any moment.


    The concubines of the harem were terrified out of their wits. Many of the previously majestic buildings had been damaged, and the walls that secured the palace¡¯s safety had also collapsed greatly.


    Some servants, seeing Zhao Kai¡¯s miserable state, uncontrollably began to cry out, their outbursts unleashing emotional turmoil that left the hearers heartbroken.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dead yet! Why the hell are you wailing?¡± Zhao Kai barked, irritated; his voice drowned out by the engulfing dust moments later.


    ¡°Fire! Fire in the West Hall!¡± Faint shouts from the guards in panic could be heard, along with soldiers querying each other for passwords.


    Several of Zhao Kai¡¯s personal attendants had by now arrived, and some maidservants sent by the concubines of the harem to inquire about the situation and affirm the Emperor¡¯s safety were gathered on the periphery seeking information.


    Chaos spread throughout the palace, the most terrifying predicament: if anyone were to infiltrate the palace at this time, they might truly go unnoticed.


    Moreover, at this moment, Zhao Kai¡¯s connection to the outside world had been severed. If a general decided to rebel now, the chances of success were not low.


    For an instant, Zhao Kai felt a tinge of regret. He regretted the decisions he had made before, lamenting why he had provoked the Great Tang Empire, that harbinger of doom...

 Chapter 1058: Received an audience with the Emperor 980 times

    Chapter 1058: Received an audience with the Emperor 980 times


    Li Mingshun rushed to the Imperial Palace, by which time things had calmed down considerably. Guards stood watch near the collapsed courtyard walls, and people were specifically waiting for Li Mingshun¡¯s arrival at the gate.


    ¡°General, His Majesty is extremely irate and emotionally unstable, please be very careful with your words when you meet him,¡± a servant advised while leading Li Mingshun to where Zhao Kai was.


    Li Mingshun¡¯s expression was grim as he walked, step by step. He knew he had botched things again and was likely to face His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s wrath soon.


    But he did indeed feel wronged, for he had truly done his best. No air defense sentries had raised the alarm, and nobody had even seen aircraft or similar flying objects.


    Under such circumstances, what was he supposed to do? The Dahua Empire¡¯s Imperial Capital had over a hundred fighter jets responsible for air defense, and since Zhao Yu fled to Fengjiang, the surveillance level had been raised, but most of these aircraft didn¡¯t even know how to intercept, and the Imperial Palace had suffered as a result.


    As the commander of the air defense troops, Li Mingshun had to hurry to meet Zhao Kai, but in reality, nobody knew whether such attacks would continue.


    The air-raid sirens were still blaring, with no telling when they would stop. Many citizens of the Imperial Capital had fled the city, while the rest could only live in fear and trepidation.


    The power of the two Fuel-Air Explosive Bombs was absolutely terrifying; even 400 meters from the blast center, walls collapsed due to the shockwave.


    That was the case with the perimeter wall of the Prime Minister¡¯s residence, which was destroyed in the vibration. The Prime Minister was reportedly so shocked that he had been bedridden ever since.


    Apparently, out of concern for His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s safety, the Prime Minister had sent two sons to the Imperial Palace to visit, but they did not see Zhao Kai.


    After the fuel from the Fuel-Air Explosive Bombs ignited, it incinerated everything near the blast center. Within 200 meters, not a single soul was left alive.


    Those who died instantly from the shock were the lucky ones; many bodies were charred black, and people in buildings died of suffocation due to lack of oxygen. The two devastated areas were nothing short of hell on earth.


    Those assigned to deal with the bodies were vomiting non-stop, and since it involved the Imperial Palace, they dared not call in outside military forces to help. Thus, many palace servants and attendants were compelled to transport the bodies, causing them immense distress compared to their usual luxury.


    But still, it was better to be alive than dead. They witnessed their unscathed companions lying within the buildings, feeling both relief and fear.


    Honestly, who knew if the enemy¡¯s weapons might still explode... They found some fragments on the site that did not belong to the palace, some as big as an arm.


    These were remnants of the Missile¡¯s exterior shell, which had been collected and laid out on a piece of white silk on one side, with hundreds of bodies on the other.


    Guided by the servant, Li Mingshun reached the entrance to an underground bunker within the Imperial Palace of the Dahua Empire. The place was filled with attendants and palace maids with varying expressions, their quiet murmurs contributing to the tumultuous atmosphere.


    A few smoking Imperial Guards¡¯ captains spotted Li Mingshun, immediately tossed their cigarette butts away, and saluted him. Li Mingshun, not in the mood for conversation, marched down the steps.


    The dim lights hanging on the walls painted a dull ambiance, and the staircase led downward, becoming level only after descending about a dozen meters underground.


    In fact, this bunker was not up to standard; its depth was clearly insufficient, but it was definitely sturdy due to an extensive use of reinforced concrete in its construction.


    Unfortunately, if a Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb or a powerful bunker-buster bomb were to hit directly, it was doubtful that those hiding inside would survive.


    It was a rather narrow corridor that was still filled with all sorts of people, including Imperial Guard officers and court officials wearing tense expressions, while in a corner, several imperial physicians conversed.


    ¡°General Li Mingshun has arrived!¡± announced an attendant at the end of the corridor upon seeing Li Mingshun. He then opened the door, allowing Li Mingshun to enter.


    When Li Mingshun saw Zhao Kai, the latter had changed into a new set of clothes. Despite having cleaned up, his condition was still a sorry sight.


    His head was injured, hence it was wrapped in bandages, and his shoulder was also wounded; thus, half of his upper body was bare, wrapped in bandages as well.


    Most noticeable, though, was his leg; the imperial physicians and the best doctors they could find in the city had set the broken bones, and now his leg was cast in plaster.


    This was truly thanks to the medical contributions of the Great Tang Empire. With more and more graduates from the Great Tang Empire¡¯s medical schools, the advancement in medical standards and techniques was evident worldwide.


    If it were in the past, with injuries like Zhao Kai¡¯s, it¡¯s quite possible he might have died from tetanus or an infection, and that broken leg could very well have cost him his life.


    But now, at least in the Dahua Imperial Capital, there were a few modern medicine experts capable of treating Zhao Kai¡¯s wounds.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Li Mingshun didn¡¯t know what to say when he entered, immediately kneeling in front of Zhao Kai¡¯s bed.


    Originally, he had only heard about Zhao Kai¡¯s injury on his way there, but he found Zhao Kai¡¯s condition to be worse than he had anticipated.


    Thus, he was deeply self-blaming, with tears already swirling in his eyes: ¡°I am inept! My sins are deserving of death!¡±


    Unexpectedly, Zhao Kai did not blame him; or perhaps, at this moment Zhao Kai no longer had the energy to reprimand Li Mingshun. In a weak voice, he said: ¡°Retire, I am tired and need to rest.¡±


    Li Mingshun wanted to say more, but seeing Zhao Kai lying on the bed, he could only bow silently and stand up to leave.


    Once back in the corridor, Li Mingshun finally had the chance to observe the crowd around him; he recognized Minister of War Shen Chuan and several other Chief of Staffs.


    ¡°How is His Majesty?¡± Someone approached Li Mingshun upon his exit and asked. Li Mingshun replied that His Majesty¡¯s condition was still stable, dispensed with the inquiry, and then approached the group of Chief of Staffs.


    ¡°Is the Prime Minister doing well?¡± Looking toward the eldest son of Chu Muzhou, Li Mingshun inquired. The son of Chu Muzhou immediately responded: ¡°My father was frightened and has a fever, immobilized, so he sent my brother and me to inquire after His Majesty¡¯s health.¡±


    ¡°The two of you have worked hard.¡± After speaking to the sons of Chu Muzhou, Li Mingshun turned his gaze towards Jiang Run who was standing aside.


    ¡°Is the Ambassador of the Great Tang Empire still within the city?¡± Li Mingshun, seemingly on impulse, asked this question.


    Jiang Run glanced at Li Mingshun and briefly explained: ¡°The other side is still in the city... and they deliberately had someone give us a statement, saying they have only sold two Missiles; if we continue to be blind to facts, they will sell even more of these weapons to Fengjiang.¡±


    ¡°A Missile?¡± Upon hearing a new term, Li Mingshun looked puzzled. He didn¡¯t know what a missile was, he couldn¡¯t even guess what characters the word consisted of¡ªhe might have guessed ¡®µ¯¡¯, but was clueless about ¡®µ¼¡¯.


    However, when Li Mingshun learned that the Great Tang Empire had only sold two such bombs, he felt somewhat relieved.


    If the number of these missiles was significant, it would indeed be a matter of life and death. They couldn¡¯t know when to hide, as the next attack might not be so kind as to notify the Dahua side in advance.


    Jiang Run nodded and repeated what had just been explained to Shen Chuan: ¡°Yes, the new weapon they call ¡®Missile¡¯ is not a bomber aircraft, but an unstoppable ultra-long-range attack weapon.¡±


    ¡°Could it be a bluff?¡± Li Mingshun asked almost reflexively.


    ¡°Witnesses saw the descending shadows; they were not ordinary bombs, much faster... Moreover, when those things fell, there were no airplanes in the sky. According to the intelligence we now have, they are indeed unstoppable,¡± Shen Chuan said grimly.


    He was very close to ¡°making history¡±; he could become the first Minister of War in hundreds of years to see the Imperial Capital under attack.


    Moreover, it was uncertain how many more such ¡°Missiles¡± would fall in the future or land on the Imperial Capital, adding to his disgrace.


    ¡°Witnesses? How many?¡± Li Mingshun was startled and then immediately inquired. He thought that if there were many witnesses, there might be other clues.


    As the Minister of War, Shen Chuan received several reports upon his arrival: ¡°At least tens of thousands saw it... At that time, many commoners were crowded near the city gate. There were screams, and everyone looked up to see the descending shadows.¡±


    However, the information he knew wasn¡¯t much either; common people only heard the explosion, then saw the blaze and the shadows trailing flames as they fell.


    Many had seen these things, and so the testimonies were strikingly consistent. But the problem was that such testimonies only illustrated that something fell from the sky and were not helpful for other intelligence purposes.


    Li Mingshun wanted to confirm once more: ¡°So, you mean to say, we really don¡¯t have any means to defend against this kind of weapon?¡±


    ¡°The Ambassador of the Tang Empire said so,¡± Jiang Run, the Chief of Staff, seemed to trust what the Tang Empire said¡ªat least so far, the Tang Empire has been honest when advertising their weapons...


    Li Mingshun clenched his teeth, staring at Jiang Run, he asked: ¡°Isn¡¯t he afraid to die?¡±


    He really wanted to capture all those bastards related to the Tang Empire and execute them to calm the public¡¯s heart and to repay the Emperor¡¯s kindness.


    Jiang Run, of course, knew he was referring to the Tang Empire¡¯s envoy, so he could only attempt to soothe him: ¡°He¡¯s protected by the laws, General. If we rashly acted against him, the Tang Empire might not be courteous to us.¡±


    Hearing Jiang Run¡¯s explanation, Li Mingshun scoffed twice: ¡°They have already stopped being courteous to us.¡±

 Chapter 1059: Theyve already been quite polite.

    Chapter 1059: They¡¯ve already been quite polite.


    ¡°No! General, in fact, they have been quite polite already. If we do not reach a new agreement with the other party soon, such weapons might start falling every day,¡± Jiang Run reminded Li Mingshun.


    If the past really saw treaty violations, or if Dahua Empire failed to give Great Tang Empire face, what everyone feared was merely the Great Tang Empire declaring war on the Dahua Empire. But now, there¡¯s one more thing everyone worries about.


    If the Great Tang Empire really possesses many such weapons, then the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire would no longer be safe, and their own lives would be in grave danger.


    Li Mingshun scoffed coldly, with a stubborn streak: ¡°Nobody knows how many of these terrifying weapons they have.¡±


    Shen Chuan glanced at this warrior with disdain, retorting: ¡°Yes, no one knows. But do we dare to gamble?¡±


    When Japan was hit by the first atomic bomb, they probably had a similar thought: I bet the United States only has one atomic bomb! Well, after the second bomb fell, gamblers like that were silenced.


    No one knows exactly how many such weapons the Great Tang Empire has, but everyone knows they only have one head.


    Now, who will take responsibility for the third so-called missile if someone insists on being at odds with the Great Tang Empire? And if a bunch of so-called missiles are thrown at once, who will bear that responsibility?


    Li Mingshun could not shoulder such responsibility, so he dared not say that he would take on the responsibility if more missiles were to fall.


    Therefore, he could only ask the Chief of Staffs with some irritation: ¡°Then, about this matter. What did Your Majesty say?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty did not issue any orders,¡± said the Chief of Staffs. ¡°Therefore, we took the liberty to prepare to agree to the demands of the Great Tang Empire, to ease the tensions between the two nations.¡±


    ¡°What about His Majesty¡¯s injury?¡± Li Mingshun meant to ask, was Zhao Kai¡¯s injury just going to be let go?


    ¡°The imperial physicians all say it¡¯s nothing serious...¡± The Chief of Staffs either did not understand or chose not to understand Li Mingshun¡¯s question, interpreting it as concern for His Majesty.


    Li Ming knew that the others were old foxes and would definitely not give him a straight answer at such a time, so he huffed and turned to leave.


    As the highest commander of the Imperial Capital¡¯s Imperial Guards and the commander of the city defense, recently tasked with the command of the air defense troops, Li Mingshun naturally had a lot of work to do. He could not always stay by Zhao Kai¡¯s side.


    He was not the kind of attendant who stayed by someone¡¯s side. If he did not return to his post, he would lose control over the City Defense Army, and that was what Zhao Kai worried about most.


    While leaving the basement, Li Mingshun met up with his adjutant and issued a series of orders.


    On the one hand, he dispatched his most trusted and elite troops to take back control of the city gates. Although at present he did not see the Great Tang Empire spies carry out further sabotage, he had to be prepared for any eventuality.


    On the other hand, he had to arrange for more loyal troops to be deployed around the perimeter of the Imperial Palace: the palace walls had collapsed, and the safety of the Emperor was the most critical, so he had to ensure the now-breeched palace defenses were quickly restored.


    Furthermore, he needed to put the outer troops on alert and increase the number of patrol planes¡ªhe did not dare to believe the news from the Great Tang Empire, so he had to act to prevent a potential second attack,


    Finally, he had to rush back to the city defense command post, where he would centrally coordinate and control all the military forces near the Imperial Capital, to forestall others from taking advantage of the chaos for their own nefarious purposes: sometimes, danger does not necessarily come from your enemies, it could also come from your friends!


    Yes, that¡¯s right. The Emperor of the Dahua Empire, Zhao Kai, has been favoring members of the Royal Family in the last few years. These people have indeed shown a decent level of loyalty on ordinary days, caring more about the Dahua Empire than external ministers¡ªhowever, after these people gained power, their level of danger increased countless times compared to the external ministers.


    Originally, Zhao Kai was strong, and these people were the faithful ministers and good generals of the Dahua Empire. But now, the Empire is in decline, the royal power is weakening, and the Crown Prince Zhao Ji is currently at the Wanliang front line overseeing the war... If something happens to Zhao Kai, it would really be a catastrophe.


    ...


    ¡°According to the message sent back from Dahua, both missiles hit the Imperial Palace of the Dahua Empire, but neither struck the core areas,¡± an officer reported loudly, holding a telegram from the Dahua Empire.


    ¡°The personnel casualty effect... is currently unconfirmed.¡± He glanced at the information in the report and paused before continuing.


    There was no helping it; even if the spies of the Great Tang Empire were exceptionally well-informed, they could not obtain sufficiently accurate data on the losses inside the Imperial Palace of the Dahua Empire in real time.


    After the missile attack, the Imperial Palace of the Dahua Empire quickly went into martial law, and soon after, even the streets around the Imperial Palace were off-limits to the public.


    The prearranged intelligence officers only managed to snap some photos of the palace walls collapsing amidst the chaos before they had to withdraw and leave.


    They immediately compiled everything they saw into a report and sent it to the Great Tang homeland. But their descriptions were actually not precise, and could only be used as a reference.


    ¡°From the written descriptions, the attack seems to have had a moderate effect. The destructive power of the Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb against old-style buildings is not significant, which is consistent with our test data,¡± said the officer before he looked up at the experts and generals sitting in front of him.


    Luff looked puzzled at the experts in charge: ¡°Then why did we still use Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb warheads this time?¡±


    ¡°Because we wanted to control the extent of the damage,¡± the expert, who had advised the use of Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb warheads before the strike, replied: ¡°If we had started with Cluster Incendiary Bombs, it¡¯s possible we could have burned down the entire Dahua Imperial Capital in one fell swoop.¡±


    Against wooden ancient buildings, incendiary bombs are undoubtedly the best choice. The Great Tang Empire already had cluster bombs, and using them equipped with incendiary submunitions could ignite half a neighborhood in an instant.


    In such a scenario, any rescue efforts would likely be in vain. If not afraid of violating weapons treaties by using White Phosphorus Bombs, the burning effect could potentially be even more devastating.


    This was no joke; just about ten Dongfeng Missiles equipped with incendiary cluster bombs, and the great fire in the Dahua Imperial Capital could probably burn for three days and nights.


    But to really start with such a terrifying attack would cause the entire Dahua Empire to be engulfed in anger over fear, and would truly become a fight to the death with the Tang Empire, derailing the plan.


    The Great Tang Empire just wanted to resume trade with Qin Country to make money and gain benefits on the Shu Country front. Tang Mo had no intention of fully launching a unification war against the Dahua Empire right now; he felt it was better to wait.


    He had more patience, for he was young enough: He hoped to meticulously lay out his plans for a few more years, reducing to a minimum the resistance the Great Tang Empire¡¯s military would face within Dahua territory.


    This way, he could avoid the tedious effort of integrating resources, calming the civilians in the occupied areas, and wasting more time maintaining regional stability.


    All things considered, letting things take their natural course was the best choice for Tang Mo, which is why he had remained inactive so far, even though he was capable of sweeping through the Dahua Empire.


    ¡°There¡¯s still no feedback from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; we need to be prepared for a possible second strike.¡±


    ¡°The second strike is still planned with two Missiles, but this time... I suggest we use Cluster Bombs, with incendiary warheads,¡± the expert recommended.


    ¡°Alright, I will report to His Majesty immediately and apply for a second round of missile attacks,¡± Luff nodded, actually looking forward to Dahua Empire being stubborn and unyielding, so he could indulge in the thrilling experience again.


    Indeed, he found the process of launching Missiles to be extremely gratifying: he wanted to try it once more, to feel that solemn and sacred sensation.


    ¡°Report!¡± Before Luff could pick up the telephone beside him, an officer quickly entered and saluted.


    Luff stopped what he was doing and returned the salute: ¡°What is it?¡±


    The officer, a liaison, immediately replied, ¡°The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called, the Dahua Empire¡¯s Minister of Rites Jiang Run visited our Ambassador in the Dahua Empire in person. He requested our Empire to temporarily suspend the sale of ¡®Super Long-Range Weapon Missiles¡¯. He represents the Dahua Empire and is willing to negotiate with our country to discuss the ceasefire and re-opening of transportation in Fengjiang.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a delay tactic?¡± Luff immediately thought of another possibility.


    ¡°The people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, the other party guarantees to give us a satisfactory result,¡± obviously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also guessed at this possibility; the officer immediately relayed what the Ministry had told him over the phone.


    ¡°Ha, if only they had been so sensible earlier,¡± Luff sneered, giving the expert beside him a look of some regret: ¡°It seems we won¡¯t be needing a second strike.¡±


    ¡°No matter, Missiles are very expensive; cancelling the second attack also saves us a lot of effort,¡± the expert said with a smile.


    ¡°Marshal, the Security Bureau has sent over a very interesting piece of news...¡± At that moment, another officer hurried into the office and reported loudly.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Luff curiously looked at the intelligence officer who had just come in.


    The intelligence officer handed a telegraph to Luff: ¡°Our intelligence personnel embedded in Wanliang confirmed that the Dahua Empire¡¯s Crown Prince Zhao Ji had boarded a train from Wanliang heading towards the Dahua Imperial Capital.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Have we actually killed Zhao Kai?¡± For a moment, Luff became uncertain. He truly couldn¡¯t believe that one threat from them could have really killed the Emperor of the Dahua Empire.


    ¡°Is that so? Have we actually killed Zhao Kai?¡± For a moment, Luff became uncertain. He truly couldn¡¯t believe that one threat from them could have really killed the Emperor of the Dahua Empire.

 Chapter 1060: 982 extra large rockets

    Chapter 1060: 982 extra large rockets


    Dahua Empire, under the Imperial Capital¡¯s Ministry of Engineering, there¡¯s a place called the Academy of Sciences, established as the Great Tang Empire rose. It has gathered various talents in the military industry of the Dahua Empire.


    Here, the first propeller plane, the current active fighter jets of the Dahua Empire, new bombers, and the advanced Type 5 tanks of the Dahua Empire were all developed.


    At the moment, an engineer is staring blankly at a rocket purchased from the Great Tang Empire. This thing is not a shell; it¡¯s a type of ¡°shell¡± that is launched together with the propellant, which provides thrust during its flight halfway.


    Frankly speaking, the concept of this thing is not that novel; it¡¯s merely a shell evolved to another extreme.


    It does not need a cannon chamber to launch the shell anymore; a simple barrel or guide rail is sufficient for launching, which can omit the loading process and allow mass launching at once.


    The advantages of this approach are obvious; if it only fires one round of artillery, it could achieve the total artillery projection of a past battalion or even a regiment with just one launcher vehicle.


    The downside is also obvious: the accuracy of this thing is extremely poor, with huge dispersion that makes any precise targeting hopeless. If the goal is area bombardment, this may not be considered a disadvantage, but if it needs to pinpoint like a cannon, it simply cannot do that.


    Now, because the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire was attacked by a mysterious weapon, these engineers and technicians were summoned to analyze, from their understanding, what this weapon called a ¡°missile¡± really is.


    This engineer instinctively thought of the rocket they were ordered to develop and replicate: this thing is indeed fundamentally similar to a shell, but it also has a different direction and distinction in its development.


    Because there is no need for a cannon chamber and no concern for initial velocity, the shell of the rocket does not necessarily have to be thick. At the same time, since the propellant is carried along, theoretically, it can carry an infinite amount of propellant.


    Just make the rocket big enough, and it can virtually increase its range without limit! Although the small rocket can only hit a few kilometers, what if a rocket a hundred times bigger were made? Could it not then fly distances over 100 kilometers?


    If that¡¯s still not enough, by expanding it a thousand or ten thousand times, couldn¡¯t this rocket then be made to fly as far as 1700 kilometers?


    Thinking of this, he suddenly stood up, found his superior, and poured out all his thoughts.


    One must admit, his ideas are theoretically correct. Rockets use the theory of rockets, and large rockets are indeed rockets, which serves as the carrier for missiles.


    However, when many gathered to discuss further along the lines of this rocket, they encountered an unprecedented difficulty.


    An engineer stroked his chin and asked a question that left everyone speechless: ¡°I think the idea is right, but isn¡¯t this thing fundamentally inaccurate? It flies 10 kilometers and who knows where it¡¯ll land; if we make it fly 1000 kilometers, won¡¯t it completely miss the target?¡±


    His words made everyone realize: the issue of the rocket¡¯s attack precision has always existed; if there really was a super-huge rocket flying from Fengjiang to the Imperial Capital, it¡¯s estimated to deviate by several kilometers...


    Jokingly, that thing would never fall in the city, and there¡¯s a high chance it lands in the suburbs or some other chaotic place.


    Although the Imperial Capital is vast, compared to a distance of 1700 kilometers, it¡¯s just a slightly larger ¡°dot¡±; hoping that a rocket can hit this dot is almost merely relying on luck.


    ¡°Both missiles from the opposing side directly hit the Imperial Palace; this level of attack precision is something rockets cannot achieve,¡± another person added.


    If it were said that the Great Tang Empire launched only one missile, it could have been explained as a lucky hit. But the Great Tang Empire launched two missiles, both almost hitting the Imperial Palace; this can¡¯t be explained by luck.


    ¡°I think, this is why Tang Country¡¯s new weapon... is called a missile, not a rocket,¡± said the engineer who first thought the new weapon of Great Tang Empire might be a large rocket.


    ¡°Who the heck are people guiding this thing?¡± several people, who were once called craftsmen and now called engineers, complained with furrowed brows.


    They don¡¯t even understand that character, nor have they seen a real sample, how could they guess what weapon the other side is using?


    What has been sent to their Department of Engineering are just a few blackened fragments, long deformed due to the explosion and friction.


    Although some curvature can be seen on these fragments, simply based on them, it¡¯s really hard to guess what this thing actually is.


    ...


    ¡°Great Tang Empire really bombed the capital of the Dahua Empire!¡± a servant hurriedly handed a newspaper to an ambassador of the Laines Empire waiting for news in the Great Tang Empire.


    The recipient took the newspaper, looked foolishly at the content, and then completely lost composure¡ªGreat Tang Empire really possessed a weapon capable of striking beyond 1700 kilometers!


    This is not good news for the Laines Empire, or perhaps for the entire world.


    Despite the separation by the Endless Sea, a range of 1700 kilometers isn¡¯t necessarily a threat to the Western Continent, but everyone is wondering if the Great Tang Empire, having developed a weapon with a range of 1700 kilometers, could possibly develop one with a range of 17000 kilometers.


    Nobody can say for sure, so everyone is on tenterhooks. The Ambassador from Laines is just one among them; on this day, every nation in the world felt a sword hanging over their heads.


    ¡°Send the news back to our country immediately! The Great Tang Empire is showing us their fist!¡± the Ambassador of the Laines Empire ordered with a grim face.


    Suddenly showcasing new weapons at this time was essentially flexing their muscles... Initially, countries felt ready to make a move, but this direct rebuke suddenly calmed everyone down.


    If conflict erupts again in the Western Continent, and the Great Tang Empire takes advantage of the vacancy with such long-range weaponry... few places in the world would be safe.


    At the same time, nations are inquiring about the Great Tang Empire¡¯s long-range weapons, many doing what the Laines Empire¡¯s Ambassador was doing.


    They hurriedly report back to their nations, confirming the authenticity of the event: the Great Tang Empire indeed attacked the capital of the Dahua Empire... or more precisely, sold some weapons to Fengjiang, which then directly attacked its own Imperial Capital with these weapons.


    At this point, who initiated it may not be as crucial¡ªthe point is that the Great Tang Empire indeed has the capability to attack cities 1700 kilometers away.


    Meanwhile, inside the building of the Great Tang Group, some very quick personnel already started inquiring whether similar weapons were available ¡°for export.¡± They are willing to purchase such weapons, at any cost...


    Of course, the Tang Group, as a qualified arms dealer, is very willing to sell similar weapons. It¡¯s just that compared to the weapons used by the Great Tang Empire, their performance would be slightly inferior.


    Yes, inferior¡ªthe Great Tang Empire¡¯s own Dongfeng series Missiles were not going to be sold anytime soon; what the Tang Group sold were the early mass-produced Scuds.


    The Scud Missiles have a range of only 300 kilometers, but in the eyes of many countries, these are already exciting godsend items.


    Bombers can strike targets within a 300-kilometer radius, but using bombers means other countries¡¯ Fighter Jets can intercept them.


    Using Scud Missiles, however, is different. They cannot be intercepted. Their speed is fast enough, and their trajectory high enough to completely maximize penetration attributes.


    Moreover, these devices are accurate enough to attack city-sized targets within a 300-kilometer range with about 1000 meters of error margin, especially when combined with a high-explosive warhead.


    Indeed, the version of the Scud sold internationally by the Tang Group is the earliest model, purely inertial guidance, with genuinely touching error precision.


    But for countries previously unfamiliar with guided concepts, this whole new guidance system already amazed them.


    For the first time, they learned that there are weapons capable of correcting their own trajectories, adjusting their own flight attitudes until they hit the target.


    This offered engineers and designers around the world a whole new inspiration; they were eager to dismantle a Scud missile to study its working principles thoroughly.


    Of course, Tang Mo had no doubt that people in this world would elaborate greatly on the Scud Missile: developing weapons like the Hussein Missile, trying to increase the range and accuracy of the Scud Missile.


    They would succeed, as the Scud Missile isn¡¯t exactly a complex device. However, no amount of research could change the fact that the underlying design of the Scud Missiles was somewhat inferior.


    ¡°We can certainly sell launch vehicles, yes, along with the launch vehicle, fueling vehicles, a complete set of equipment, and our after-sales service is very comprehensive, even providing training for launch troops,¡± the reception staff offered very matter-of-factly while handing out a brochure.


    It briefly introduced the performance of the Scud Missile and the relevant vehicle configurations. Of course, the most conspicuous part was the price, a figure daunting enough to make one think twice.


    However, those who received the brochure did not find it expensive; they seemed not to consider the millions of Gold Coins a big deal, as if the equipment printed on the paper was already their trump card.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Some readers questioned the choice of graphic 16, Dragon Spirit explains: Dragon Spirit is aware that the B-52 strategic bomber is somewhat better, but Dragon Spirit has used it in a previous book


    As is well known, the highest quality modern aerial weaponry comes from Lighthouse Country, starting with the separation achieved by the F-4 Phantom, continuing through to the F-22 and F-35, until the rabbit¡¯s own F-20 was deployed, changing the scenario


    Everyone probably doesn¡¯t want to keep seeing the F-15 and F-16 anymore... So Dragon Spirit was slightly willful, not to be mee...

 Chapter 1061: 983 Zhao Kais good son

    Chapter 1061: 983 Zhao Kai¡¯s good son


    The Great Tang Empire had actually been equipped with various missiles, including the Scud tactical ballistic missile for ground-to-ground attacks, as well as the intermediate-range Dongfeng-3 ballistic missile.


    Additionally, the air defense troops of the Great Tang Empire had long been using the mysterious Hongqi-2 air defense missile, deployed near the southern oilfields and the capital Chang¡¯an, to ensure absolute security.


    The navy¡¯s first-generation Styx Anti-ship Missile was in the testing phase, and Tang Mo planned to use this missile to enhance the overall combat effectiveness of the navy¡¯s destroyers.


    After all, the navy of the Great Tang Empire had not equipped a large number of gun-armed warships, and apart from the mysterious aircraft carriers, their strike capability, particularly the anti-ship strike capability, had weakened overall.


    With missile destroyers, this trendy gadget, at least when facing large enemy warships such as cruisers or battleships alone, they could now engage in combat¡ªpreviously, they could only rush in with torpedoes on a do-or-die mission.


    This navy-used Styx Anti-ship Missile could also be deployed on the shore to form coastal defense firepower, preventing enemy forces from approaching the coastline.


    In short, because size was not too much of a concern, the navy¡¯s missile development was going very smoothly, and they were relatively more versatile in application.


    The situation with the Air Force was a bit different; they were also experimenting with various missiles: Anti-ship missiles mounted on the H-6 bomber, as well as air-to-air combat missiles that might be used in the future.


    However, compared to the Navy, they didn¡¯t even know what use their own missiles could be: the anti-ship missiles made sense, but the air-to-air missiles that could only shoot down their own were truly too cruel.


    It can be said responsibly that the Great Tang Empire was quickly entering the missile era because the Empire¡¯s computing technology had actually been secretly in iterative development for quite some time.


    With the addition of computing technology, coupled with the continuous improvement in industrial processing precision, the weapon equipment performance of the Great Tang Empire was developing in a direction that others simply could not comprehend.


    The engineering technicians of the Great Tang Empire were working hard to improve the attack precision of weapons to ten meters or even one meter level. In contrast, foreign technicians were already ecstatic to see an attack error of 1000 meters.


    Because of the rapid development, the technicians of the Great Tang Empire even found that the new weapons they developed had nowhere to be used.


    Their bombers could not be intercepted by enemy forces at all, which in turn made many engineers of the Great Tang Empire rethink whether the expensive Dongfeng-3 ballistic missiles they created were actually useful.


    Indeed, in their view, a range of 1700 kilometers is completely within the operational radius of the H-6 bomber; even without any escort fighter jets, the H-6 could easily carry a large number of bombs to bombard the Capital of the Dahua Empire.


    The same effect could be achieved at an even cheaper price, and with more mature technology¡ªso, what was the necessity for ballistic missiles with the same range?


    In the eyes of these technicians, as long as the Great Tang Empire was not willing to sell key technologies such as air defense missiles and jet fighter jets, their jet bombers would be invincible.


    Faster than enemy fighter jets, flying higher than opponent¡¯s aircraft... as long as they wanted, they could even continue to develop faster and more advanced bombers.


    In fact, Tang Mo indeed had related technical blueprints; Lighthouse Country had faster B1 bombers, and Maoxiong had faster Tu-22M and Tu-160 bombers.


    These supersonic bombers were faster and easier to breach defenses; without even radar on the other side, intercepting them was simply a joke.


    However, the technical departments of the Great Tang Empire always had a tradition of technological pre-research. Just because current ballistic missiles were not effective did not mean that future ballistic missile technology would be ineffective.


    For the Great Tang Empire, the significance of ballistic missiles was not the current kind of siege warfare, but represented an even more distant future.


    Compared to bombers that need to return to base, ballistic missiles do not need to return, and thus naturally have the inherent advantage of a longer range. With the same fuel, the range of ballistic missiles can be calculated based on the transfer flight of the bombers, an advantage bombers will never have.


    On the other hand, ballistic missiles also have an advantage when delivering large-yield nuclear warheads: bombers need to consider their own safety when dropping bombs, but ballistic missiles do not need to worry about this issue at all.


    Of course, Tang Mo was very clear that the future of ballistic missiles would directly develop into giant intercontinental ballistic missiles of strategic level, with ranges that could even reach 20,000 kilometers, capable of delivering nuclear warheads anywhere!


    Compared to bombers that need forward bases and sometimes require tanker aircraft support, ballistic missiles were indeed much more convenient.


    Especially since Tang Mo also knew that future ballistic missiles could use solid fuel, which would greatly increase their reaction speed, he had no reason to stop related research.


    Could it be that you wait for other countries to start equipping large numbers of surface-to-air missiles before you rush around and start missile development? Wouldn¡¯t that just be giving the enemy a chance?


    ...


    In the exhibition hall that had been arranged in advance, many foreign diplomats from different countries saw the Scud missile launcher with their own eyes.


    When they witnessed the terrifying giant rocket (Scud missile), they were utterly stunned by the scene before them.


    Indeed, they had never imagined that the Great Tang Empire could produce such a massive rocket. It wasn¡¯t even a solid rocket but utilized fuel injection technology.


    This technology was actually not considered advanced in the Great Tang Empire anymore, as the Great Tang Empire had already begun large-scale research into solid fuel technology for missiles.


    Other countries were unaware of this, and when they saw the complex liquid fuel injection vehicles, the missile troops¡¯ command vehicles, and the missile launchers, they felt that the weapons they paid for were truly worth the money.


    If their own countries¡¯ technicians were to develop something like the Scud missile, it would probably take at least twenty years before they could use it.


    But now, right now, as long as they pay, they can buy all the equipment they see, including the huge and exciting treasure erected on the missile car.


    ¡°This is the ¡®Scud¡¯ missile with a range of 300 kilometers. Its attack precision is about 900 meters, meaning it has a chance of hitting a building directly on the target!¡± The reception staff politely introduced the missile¡¯s capabilities.


    Photography was not allowed on site, and many guests were drawn to a roughly 20-inch color television hanging on the wall.


    It was their first time seeing a color display screen, and they were immediately shocked by the content that was playing in a loop.


    It was a video of the Scud missile being erected, the switching of the launch footage, and at last, a deliberately produced animation that demonstrated the strike path.


    When everyone saw a red line extending forward on the map, they were conquered by this animation. It was the first time they could actually see the flight path of a weapon (although it was fictitious) and the first time they intuitively felt the strike distance of a weapon.


    In the past, to traverse the distance represented on the map in the camera, it would have taken a long time. If the enemy had built complex defense positions within this distance, it might have taken several months, even a year to overcome. But now, it would only take about ten minutes for the Scud missile to cross this distance.


    Although airplanes could also do this, the enemy has airplanes too... The Scud missile does not care about the enemy¡¯s airplane interceptions; it¡¯s unstoppable!


    Many people started to let their imaginations run wild, fantasizing about their countries dismantling the Scud missile, understanding its principles, and then developing missiles with even greater ranges.


    They also wanted to have the superpower like the Great Tang Empire, to be able to attack an enemy capital at any time! This way, they could deter the opponent with the safety of their lives, making the opponent think twice when making decisions.


    Additionally, some technically savvy radicals were already contemplating using the philosophy of missiles to develop new fighter jets.


    They fantasized about getting inspired by it and then significantly increasing the speed and altitude of fighter jets, thus gaining an advantage when intercepting enemy planes.


    Others were pondering over what exactly inertial guidance was, as mentioned by the person who had received them.


    They figured that if they could understand that, they could improve the attack precision of missiles, which could then be applied to their own longer-range missile developments.


    These people probably wouldn¡¯t imagine that when they disassembled the inertial guidance gyroscopes and other equipment made by the Great Tang Empire in the future, they would find themselves completely unable to manufacture parts with such precision.


    In plain terms, they would also need to purchase machinery with higher machining precision, then repeatedly refine their parts, and adjust related equipment...


    Eventually... well, eventually they would hit a snag with inertial guidance and come up against a brick wall. Only then would they realize that inertial guidance has its limits, and they could not rely solely on it to enhance the precision of missiles to the level they desired.


    At least now they knew why such a weapon was called a missile, not just any rocket or projectile. Because it added a guidance process, the term missile perfectly summarized the performance characteristics of this weapon.


    Therefore, soon the term missile was accepted by everyone and appeared in telegrams and news of various countries.


    And at the same moment, Zhao Kai, who was in his sickbed, finally heard that his beloved elder son Zhao Ji had rushed back from the Wanliang front to the Imperial Capital without authorization.


    At this moment, Zhao Kai was furious! He had already calmed down quite a bit and even acquiesced to the diplomatic actions that conceded to the Tang Empire. But when he heard that his son had returned from the front without permission, he smashed everything within reach.

 Chapter 1062: Detain Crown Prince 984

    Chapter 1062: Detain Crown Prince 984


    In Zhao Kai¡¯s eyes, Zhao Ji¡¯s act of returning to the capital on his own was almost like cursing him to die sooner. He wasn¡¯t dead yet, but his son was already impatient to return to the capital to inherit the family business!


    To stabilize the situation, Zhao Kai even deliberately sent telegrams to Zhao Ji, Zhao Chen, Zhao Jie, and others, telling them he was alright, just slightly injured, and it didn¡¯t hinder his control over everything.


    But even having received this telegram, Zhao Ji still returned to the capital! What did this imply? It meant that Zhao Ji didn¡¯t believe what Zhao Kai had said!


    Whether he feared someone usurping power or was worried about losing control of the situation, Zhao Ji had hurried back to the Imperial Capital, and had even neglected the crucial Wanliang.


    It should be noted that as an important grain-producing base of the Dahua Empire, the security of Wanliang was crucial to the life and death of the Empire!


    Moreover, the northern part of Wanliang City, Hezhe, was a major rear area for Zhao Chen¡¯s army, the sole supply route for him. Currently, nearly a million troops were fighting at the front lines in Fengjiang, and if Wanliang were lost and Hezhe fell into crisis, those millions of troops in Fengjiang would be cut off from their retreat.


    In such a time, for Zhao Ji to abandon Wanliang and return to the Imperial Capital, neglecting the safety of the Empire, how could this not chill Zhao Kai¡¯s heart?


    ¡°How dare he come back? What right does he have to return?¡± Zhao Kai raged in his sickbed, disregarding the various debris on the floor, and grabbed something beside him, violently throwing it onto the cement floor.


    ¡°Smash!¡± A bottle of expensive imported anti-inflammatory medicine shattered, its liquid spreading across the cement, gradually seeping into the tiny pores.


    Doctors and attendants stood by, heads bowed, not daring to step forward to clean up. What if His Majesty The Emperor wanted to throw something else, and it hit their heads?


    ¡°Someone come here! Someone!¡± In his anger, Zhao Kai already started considering changing the heir. He had previously protected Zhao Ji mainly because he dreaded Zhao Yu, and also because he felt Zhao Ji was better suited to be the future emperor of the Dahua Empire. But now, he suddenly felt that Zhao Ji might not be the right choice.


    Hearing his shout, attendants outside pushed the door and entered. Upon seeing someone enter, Zhao Kai ordered: ¡°Summon the Chief of Staff and the Prime Minister! Have them come here!¡±


    Seeing Zhao Kai had calmed down, the attendants on standby quickly moved forward to clean up the various shattered objects on the floor, including the bottle of anti-inflammatory medicine imported from the Great Tang Empire that Zhao Kai had smashed.


    The Ministry of Rites had already sent a message; the Great Tang Empire promised not to sell long-range strike weapons to Fengjiang, and the security of the Dahua Empire¡¯s Imperial Capital was temporarily restored. Theoretically, Zhao Kai did not need to continue staying in the basement anymore.


    But Zhao Kai did not believe this statement, still choosing to recuperate in the underground bunker. In fact, he wasn¡¯t seriously injured, other than a broken leg; other injuries were just superficial.


    However, as an emperor, maintaining an image was essential. Zhao Kai¡¯s current image indeed no longer looked like that of an emperor.


    Even though he still wore the dignified imperial robe, his head was wrapped in gauze, and his foot was in a cast; such a state had long stripped him of his past prestige.


    Soon, the Minister of Personnel, Zhou Qiang, and the Minister of Revenue, Wang Yuca?i, who had been stationed outside the most, arrived in the room. Since Zhao Kai had been injured, those among the six ministers with the least duties were on standby near the basement.


    Prime Minister Chu Muzhou, who was unwell, was recuperating at his residence; Shen Chuan, heading the Ministry of Military Affairs, had to return to his office to fulfill his duties; Jiang Run, Minister of Rites, was particularly busy lately and could only remain seated at the Ministry of Rites.


    As these ministers gradually arrived, it was already an hour later. Seeing these familiar ministers, Zhao Kai finally regained some confidence.


    ¡°Li Mingshun!¡± In front of these ministers, Zhao Kai directly called out the name of his close confidant.


    ¡°Present!¡± Li Mingshun, startled, immediately stepped out from the crowd and came before Zhao Kai¡¯s sickbed to bow.


    ¡°If that rebellious Zhao Ji returns, you take people and capture him immediately! Detain him... in... Zhao Yu¡¯s former residence, no entry or exit allowed, no contact with anyone!¡± Zhao Kai gritted his teeth, ultimately deciding not to order Zhao Ji to be detained in the Prince¡¯s Mansion.


    This was a very strong signal; the ministers standing behind, hearing Zhao Kai¡¯s orders, their expressions suddenly became vivid.


    It seemed that Zhao Ji had finally touched Zhao Kai¡¯s sore spot, arousing the suspicious and tyrannical Zhao Kai¡¯s intention to change the heir.


    Chu Muzhou had originally intended to speak out to dissuade him, but the explosion sounds of the Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb had recently frightened him, recently his spirits were down, his appetite poor, and he was unwell and easily distracted; hesitating for a moment, he lost his chance to step forward again.


    Currently, the Dahua Empire is plagued by internal strife and external threats, and it is not the time to destabilize the foundation of the Crown Prince. However, Chu Muzhou wouldn¡¯t say this now, and no one else would willingly bring up such a topic.


    The already precarious Dahua Empire, after the missile attack on the Imperial Capital, is showing more signs of decline. Everyone is busy with their own concerns, paying little attention to the future of the nation.


    Consider this: the Minister of Revenue, in charge of the national treasury, has not checked the accounts for days as he stays by the Emperor¡¯s sickbed. How could the economy of such a country be in good shape?


    As the Minister of Revenue, Wang Yuca?i has actually stopped dealing with governmental affairs: he has long known the financial disaster the country is in, so he simply delegated his duties to others.


    Successive wars have led the country into a financial deficit, and the Empire¡¯s finances only improved for less than a year with help from Zhao Yu, but those revenues were invested in military development. How much could be left?


    After half a year of civil wars, regional tax collection has collapsed, and import and export trade has completely ceased. Under these circumstances, the financial department of the Dahua Empire is now no different from the Beggars¡¯ Sect¡¯s accounting room.


    Not to mention Zhou Qiang from the Ministry of Personnel. He was originally Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s man, and after Zhao Yu¡¯s rebellion, he was sidelined. It is only because Zhao Kai has not yet found a replacement for Zhou Qiang that he has remained in his position for so long.


    Speaking of which, Zhou Qiang¡¯s continued role as the Minister of Personnel also relates to support from the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire. If it were not for covert manipulations, Zhao Kai would have found a replacement for Zhou Qiang by now.


    An Empire where half of the Chief of Staffs have no work or are negligent in their duties and the other half are merely going through the motions¡ªsurviving this long is indeed a miracle.


    There was even a moment when Chu Muzhou worried for Zhao Ji: inheriting such a dilapidated Empire, do you truly long to be a monarch of a fallen nation?


    ¡°Your servant obeys!¡± Li Mingshun bowed and accepted Zhao Kai¡¯s command. As Zhao Kai¡¯s most trusted general, he would unquestionably fulfill his duties without any reservation.


    This isn¡¯t like asking Li Mingshun to intercept missiles from the Great Tang Empire¡ªthere is no technical difficulty. It¡¯s just a matter of capturing Zhao Ji. If he can¡¯t handle that, then Li Mingshun is finished.


    Dragging his sick body, Chu Muzhou looked towards Shen Chuan. At this moment, he felt that only Shen Chuan was still able to think from the perspective of the nation.


    But seeing Chu Muzhou¡¯s glance, Shen Chuan subtly shook his head, indicating that he too would no longer speak up on the issue of the successor.


    Chu Muzhou inwardly sighed. He heard Zhao Kai instructing servants to draft the decree for Li Mingshun¡ªwaiting for Zhao Ji¡¯s return to the Imperial Capital, to capture him and imprison him in the former residence of Zhao Yu.


    That¡¯s certainly not a good place. Thinking of Zhao Yu¡¯s current status as a traitor, Zhao Ji will surely be terrified.


    The Minister of Justice remained silent; though he was one of Zhao Ji¡¯s men, he could see Zhao Kai¡¯s uncontrollable anger and did not dare to countermand Zhao Kai¡¯s orders at such a time.


    ¡°My loyal ministers, what do you think of this matter?¡± After making his stance clear, Zhao Kai deliberately dragged out his words, asking other Chief of Staffs and ministers present.


    Everyone inwardly smiled wryly: You¡¯ve already issued the order yourself, what use is our opinion now! After all, the Dahua Empire belongs to the Zhao Family; you do whatever you fancy, and we just watch the spectacle, right?


    ¡°We have no objections.¡± Everyone spoke out together, representing even those who remained silent. For a moment, the room where Zhao Kai lay was even filled with a seemingly harmonious atmosphere.


    In fact, a few years ago, abandoning the army and returning to the Imperial Capital on his own, as Zhao Ji did, would indeed be considered a serious crime.


    But back then, the Empire wasn¡¯t as weak as it is now. Disposing of a Prince, even a Crown Prince, wasn¡¯t such a big deal. It would have caused a stir, but wouldn¡¯t damage the core strength.


    But now, the Empire is in such a state that it can¡¯t afford any disturbances. Even a slight turmoil could lead to a major upheaval.


    Chu Muzhou wanted to advise Zhao Kai again, but just as he was about to speak, he saw Zhao Kai looking coldly at him. Chu Muzhou opened his mouth but eventually didn¡¯t utter a word.


    It wasn¡¯t until Zhao Kai looked away that Chu Muzhou managed to speak. But when he finally did, he addressed a topic that shocked everyone: ¡°Your servant, Chu Muzhou, suffers from illness and can no longer serve his duties. I hope Your Majesty would kindly grant this old minister leave to retire... and return home.¡±


    His words suddenly stirred the room into a bustle; everyone wanted to speak out to dissuade him. On one side, the Emperor plans to detain the Crown Prince, and on the other, the Prime Minister resigns¡ªhow can we go on like this?


    Unexpectedly, while everyone tried to stop Chu Muzhou from resigning, Emperor Zhao Kai, with the coldest of words, approved Chu Muzhou¡¯s resignation: ¡°Granted! You may retire, but there¡¯s no need to return home. You can still reside in the Prime Minister¡¯s mansion to prevent others from saying that I am insensitive to my former ministers...¡±

 Chapter 1063: 985 Imperial Kitchen

    Chapter 1063: 985 Imperial Kitchen


    The dietary habits of the Emperor of the Great Tang are highly particular, with a team of over 40 chefs bustling early every morning to prepare His Majesty¡¯s meals for the day.


    Tang Mo is a person who enjoys fine food. While in Brunas, he devised many food recipes himself. Although his own cooking was lackluster, when handed over to the chefs below, they all became classic delicacies.


    To this day, the saying that ¡°the world¡¯s finest cuisine comes from the Great Tang¡± is accepted by most people. Everyone knows that some of the tastiest methods of food preparation originated from the Tang Empire.


    This also coincides with the objective laws of matters; the Tang Empire was the first country to introduce the concept of three meals a day to its citizens, and its grain production is still the highest in the world. Every year, the Great Tang Empire spends a tremendous amount of money to import grains and meats, which gives the Tang Empire even more resources to research on cuisine.


    In the Forbidden City, there might be the world¡¯s largest and most fully-equipped kitchen, featuring a special cold storage for food preservation, where even the apprentices who are just starting to learn could be considered as master chefs elsewhere.


    As the Emperor of the Tang Empire, the most powerful empire in the world, Tang Mo¡¯s daily menu needs meticulous deliberation.


    Even every morning upon rising, Tang Mo has his blood pressure measured, is diagnosed by a private medical team, and then the team sends his health data to the kitchen office, where a professional dietary design team decides on Tang Mo¡¯s breakfast.


    The medical team inquires about Tang Mo¡¯s mood, considers his rest the previous night, whether there was any intimacy, and confirms with Tang Mo¡¯s secretary about his mental state after reviewing documents.


    Then, after considering these factors, Tang Mo personally selects what he wants to eat, and after a process of elimination, determines the lunch and dinner for the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire.


    Before his crossover, Tang Mo was very much against the expensive so-called OMASAKE cuisine, whether it was Chinese or Japanese; he really disliked OMASAKE of any form.


    He always believed that diet is an extremely personal thing; there is no standard measurement for it. The more a food is recognized as delicious, the further away it is from satisfying individual needs to the utmost.


    The gimmick of OMASAKE, where the chef decides the menu, makes it impossible for the customer to enjoy the ultimate service.


    Therefore, before his journey through time, Tang Mo felt that real OMASAKE service should involve the chef first communicating clearly with the employer and then purchasing the best ingredients on the day to provide high-class service with exquisite culinary skills.


    Imagine if you reserved OMASAKE and then you find out in the evening that the table is full of sweet and sour pork ribs or syrup-coated sweet potatoes, and the ordering party is a family of diabetics... How awkward would that be? If the person ordering is in a bad mood and doesn¡¯t feel like eating seafood, only to discover the main course is lobster, what then?


    As the national power of the Great Tang Empire grew stronger, the team serving Emperor Tang Mo became more professional and refined, and Tang Mo finally experienced the true ¡°imperial enjoyment¡± in this world.


    He himself was eventually forced to transform from an arms dealer who was not particular about enjoyment and often dined in the open air, into a genuinely extravagant and indulgent emperor.


    What defines an Emperor? It is the minutiae that you don¡¯t think of yourself, for which countless people are scrutinizing, being particular about, and regulating for you.


    The complex ceremonies and etiquette of the Nobility are formed through numerous specializations, and Tang Mo realized that unknowingly, he had developed many habits that he had never had before.


    In fact, the food that the Emperor eats is not necessarily delicious, because at a certain level of development, it simply begins to align with the standard of ¡°nutrient intake¡±.


    To ensure the absolute health of His Majesty The Emperor, there is a fixed standard for diet planning. The Emperor¡¯s meals must guarantee balanced nutrition; if you eat fried foods today, then it¡¯s best to eat something light the next day.


    Even the food schedule varies according to Tang Mo¡¯s mood and the intensity of his work: what to eat when attending events, what to eat in the office while reviewing documents, what to eat as a late-night snack before bed... Each has its strict standards.


    Moreover, much of the food the Emperor eats is even served cold; because it needs to be tested for poison by inspectors, and there are designated personnel who risk their lives to taste for toxins.


    Who the Emperor dines with at noon or in the evening, and the related etiquette, all require advance preparation. What is served when entertaining the Prime Minister differs from a Minister, and different still when hosting military generals.


    For a simple example, Prime Minister Roger of the Great Tang Empire holds a supremely aloof position. When His Majesty invites the Prime Minister to dine together, the meal tends to favor sweet dishes, because Prime Minister Roger has a sweet tooth, and this meal should naturally accommodate him.


    While entertaining various Ministers with a predominance of fish and seafood is different, entertaining generals requires a focus on meat dishes, which is an unwritten rule, and even during cooking, there should be an emphasis on heavy oil and roasting to highlight the robust and resolute character of military generals.


    This is only the surface, specific to each banquet, the Imperial Chefs within the Forbidden City exhaust their wits to make the meals stand out as much as possible.


    According to the dietary standards of the Emperor of the Great Tang, except for breakfast, lunch must consist of six dishes plus one soup, without any repeats within a week. Even if His Majesty The Emperor makes a special request to taste a certain dish multiple times, that dish can appear at most twice within the week.


    Dinner must also consist of six dishes plus one soup. If it¡¯s shared with the Imperial Concubine, an equal number of dishes are added according to the Imperial Concubine¡¯s dietary standards: the evening meal standard for the Imperial Concubine of the Great Tang Empire is five dishes plus one soup, so if the Emperor dines with the Imperial Concubine, it amounts to eleven dishes and two types of soup.


    And if the Emperor dines with three Imperial Concubines together, then the number continues to grow: dining with four people means twenty-one dishes, four soups... The Princes are still young, their meals are calculated separately.


    If His Majesty The Emperor invites a Minister to dine, then additional dishes must be added. Generally, when Ministers stay to eat, it¡¯s three dishes plus one soup, and for the Prime Minister, it¡¯s four dishes plus one soup.


    Sometimes, to bestow grace, additional dishes are added, with up to three dishes to reward the diligence of the Ministers or the bravery of the military generals.


    However, sometimes to demonstrate favor, the number of dishes might be reduced: The purpose is to let the Minister and the Emperor share the same dishes, signifying an intimate bond with His Majesty The Emperor. Hmm, at this time both people still eat six dishes plus one soup, whether they are full or not, only heaven knows.


    Under normal circumstances, those who can mix with the Emperor for a meal and receive a ¡°special exception¡± probably wouldn¡¯t care about being full, they would only feel that the meal is extremely honorable.


    Does it sound like a bit much? In fact, most of the dishes are wasted, but this is the rule, this is the standard.


    Tang Mo actually also feels it¡¯s wasteful, but all this is the majesty of the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire, a necessary display, extravagance matching his wealth.


    If you consider that everything consumed by His Majesty The Emperor must be of the finest quality and as fresh as possible, then the price of one meal is probably enough for an ordinary person to eat for a year.


    But no one thinks Tang Mo is wasteful because his food and clothing expenses come from the internal treasury, using his own money.


    As the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire, Tang Mo actually has another identity, that is the world¡¯s richest man! He is the real owner of the Great Tang Group, earning more money each day than one can estimate.


    There¡¯s no need to calculate the profits of the subsidiaries and branches under the Great Tang Group, even the daily increase in market value of these companies is already unimaginably large.


    It can be said that Tang Mo is now burning money as if literally setting fire to cash, burning his own banknotes in heaps, yet it¡¯s very likely that by the end of the day his net worth has still grown.


    When a person has reached this level of wealth, they must think about how to spend money. He must make his wealth circulate, and by doing so, he can maximize the consolidation of his wealth.


    Therefore, Tang Mo has no choice but to support his own medical team, his own culinary team, he also has a band of his own, as well as his professional photography team, driver squadron, private security force...


    He loves gourmet food, so he can support thousands of people who worry about his dietary concerns. In this way, he provides over a thousand job positions, creating over a thousand high-income groups.


    Being as wealthy as he is, extravagance is considered just normal expenditure. Because he is so wealthy, Tang Mo even established strict taxation to limit people as wealthy as himself.


    As an Emperor, he still pays taxes according to the law, and pays the most prescribed amount of tax. Seventy-five percent of his income is taxed, but even so, he remains the richest person in the world.


    Today is another ordinary morning, and the Imperial Kitchen of the Forbidden City of the Great Tang Empire begins another busy day.


    The head chef claps his hands to signal all the busy chefs preparing ingredients to stop their work and starts reading the Emperor¡¯s dietary preferences for today: ¡°Less salt! Sugar can be added in moderation; His Majesty specifically named mandarin fish, spare ribs, cowpeas, and Chinese cabbage. If you have any ideas, now is the time to speak up, summarize them later and submit for selection.¡±


    ¡°Is the lion¡¯s head decided upon last night being retained?¡± a chef curiously asks.


    ¡°There¡¯s already starch, if we keep the lion¡¯s head then we can¡¯t serve the Squirrel Mandarin Fish,¡± another chef reminds.


    Everyone chips in their suggestions, you say one thing and I say another, quickly deciding on at least thirty dishes, then jotting them down in a notebook and handing it to the head chef.


    Afterwards, the Imperial Kitchen needs to submit this list of dishes, present it to Emperor Tang Mo for review, where Tang Mo will circle a few he wishes to eat, and then send it back to the Imperial Kitchen, which will then prepare the corresponding dishes according to His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s preference.


    It¡¯s another busy day, starting from preparing the ingredients, followed by frying, saute?ing, boiling, and deep-frying, crafting a variety of delicious foods. The dishes¡¯ presentation must be exquisite, and the cooking time precise. Then comes the taste test... and finally, serving it up to His Majesty The Emperor...

 Chapter 1064: The 986 rail cannot be hit.

    Chapter 1064: The 986 rail cannot be hit.


    For this world, there are far too many new technologies that need to be popularized. Television, since its birth within the Great Tang Empire, has been heralded as an entirely new media platform and has become widely sought after by the masses.


    Beyond such technologies that enhance people¡¯s daily entertainment experience, there are countless others that are indispensable. For countries in the world without similar technological alternatives, these must be purchased.


    For example, the radar technology of the Great Tang Empire is not necessarily used in the military field; it is extremely important in the civilian sector as well.


    Only with the deployment of radar systems can the accurate positions of civil aviation airliners be confirmed, allowing for the guidance of aircraft to make correct maneuvers, regulate airway arrangements for takeoff and landing, and reduce the accident rate of civil aviation aircraft.


    Apart from the Great Tang Empire, the civil aviation sectors of other countries in the world have basically not deployed similar navigational radars, and of course, cannot establish an effective civil aviation command system.


    Thus, while the Great Tang Empire has reduced its own civil aviation transportation accident rate to nearly zero, the safety levels of civil aviation in other countries are not considered high.


    This has seriously impacted the shipping efficiency of countries around the world, so the Great Tang Empire has also approved the sale of its first-generation radar systems.


    For other countries, this kind of good fortune is truly something they earnestly desire. As long as the Great Tang Empire is willing to provide the corresponding technology, then they are willing to spend money to purchase it.


    Throughout the entire procurement process, countries are experiencing pain and pleasure simultaneously. They seek advanced technology, but have to bear the considerable cost of procurement.


    In everyone¡¯s eyes, the technology of the Great Tang Empire is truly advanced, something they might not be able to develop even in many years. Yet at the same time, Great Tang Empire¡¯s technology is indeed expensive, usually priced at several times that of others.


    Previously, there was the Shireck Consortium that offered similar weapon technology for comparison, but now the Great Tang Group¡¯s similar technology is exclusively theirs, and the Shireck Consortium, once a dominant force in the arms industry, has now completely declined.


    These days, the Shireck Consortium basically follows a mid-to-low-end route. Recently, apart from the excellently performing Model 109 fighter jet, other projects are essentially rehashing the Great Tang Group¡¯s old news.


    For example, the Shireck Type 3 tank is actually based on the blueprints provided by the Tang Group, using the design of Daiying¡¯s Churchill heavy tank; the technology is completely outdated.


    Currently, the main moneymaker for the Shireck Consortium lies in warships: relying on the covert support of the Tang Group, the Shireck Consortium has been building battleships and cruisers for many countries, making quite a profit in this area.


    Another pillar of the Shireck Consortium is the Shireck Type 1 bolt-action rifle. This committee rifle has already fallen behind the times, but despite this, due to its low cost, it remains the most equipped individual combat weapon by countries around the world.


    So, in today¡¯s global arms market, high-end products are only provided by the Tang Group, with only low-end products having Shireck as a ¡°competitor.¡±


    But in fact, many well-informed people are aware that Shireck is now merely a white glove for the Tang Group, dealing in the sale of outdated weapons and equipment that the Tang Group no longer deems worth producing.


    Is radar considered a low-end business? Clearly not... Even the most basic radar is beyond the reach of high technology for other countries.


    Before they heard of the existence of such a device called radar, the concept of monitoring the sky without the naked eye was almost non-existent.


    The countries of the world cannot even achieve basic nighttime radio navigation, let alone use radar to scan the entire sky, alert their entire airspace, and guide aircraft to fly along fixed routes.


    The night is like an abyss for them, during the day they cannot even control the whereabouts of all aircraft. If they had radar, how could the Dahua Empire let Zhao Yu blatantly escape by plane to Fengjiang?


    Now, this technology is available for purchase. With enough money, one can build an invisible barrier covering the region they want to protect. Any plane entering the area will be detected... What an exhilarating prospect!


    With this device, they can give their air defense systems early warning, and command fighter jets taking off to intercept enemy aircraft!


    With enough money and radar covering their national airspace, any enemy attempting to enter will definitely be discovered!


    Of course, it has peaceful applications as well ¡ª it can guide airplanes to fly along fixed routes, reducing the chances of aircraft veering off course!


    In conjunction with the wireless radio guidance technology sold by the Great Tang Empire for aviation safety, civil aviation is set to become much safer.


    The era where taking a flight was akin to gambling with one¡¯s life will soon be a thing of the past. With radio navigation and radar guidance, flight safety will rapidly improve to an extent that everyone can accept.


    Merely thinking about it is enough to excite anyone. Nobility and the Emperor, who are hesitant to easily board airplanes, will save a significant amount of travel time.


    The connections between countries will become much tighter, and the proliferation of such radio technologies will also spark new ideas among many engineers and technical personnel. They will delve into the direction of radio waves, making advancements and innovations to establish a brand-new technological field.


    Regrettably, those countries that have just spent a hefty sum on Scud tactical ballistic missiles now have to fork out another large sum for radar technology and television signal technology.


    Countries around the world, which seemed to be improving economically and had offset their debts with the free services of mercenaries, tragically discover that they are again in debt.


    Those who barely managed to avoid exporting iron and copper ores now find themselves unavoidably shipping ores by the boatload to Great Tang in exchange for the latest technologies they desire.


    While the salespeople of the Great Tang Group eloquently promoted their ¡°latest radar technology¡± to all the procurement personnel from various countries who came to place orders, in the meeting room of the Foreign Affairs Department of the Great Tang Empire, the Dahua Empire¡¯s Ambassador to the Great Tang Empire affixed the national seal of the Dahua Empire on the contract that was just signed.


    The Dahua Empire promised to assist the Great Tang Empire in repairing the original Fengjiang railway within the next 30 days and to cease any form of military action in the Fengjiang region.


    Of course, Fengjiang is willing to cooperate too¡ªZhao Yu couldn¡¯t even dream of hearing the endless terrifying bombardments in Fengjiang City anymore.


    Now, with the mediation of the Great Tang Empire, the battle over Fengjiang has officially ceased fire, and both sides will stop all forms of mutual attacks within the next 30 days.


    Both parties must repair the damaged Fengjiang railway within 10 days, allowing the trains of the Great Tang Empire to pass through and transport all goods purchased by Qin Country to their destinations.


    If the trains of the Great Tang Empire encounter an attack during this process, the Great Tang Empire will exercise its right to self-defense and retaliate against the attacking party. This retaliation includes declaring war and allows the Great Tang Empire to use all weapons except for those prohibited by arms treaty.


    No one wants to drag the Great Tang Empire into the battlefield of Fengjiang, so both parties¡¯ troops even took the initiative to pull away from each other, giving up contact and consolidating their defenses to ensure that no enemy would take potshots within their controlled areas.


    At the same time, commanders above are continuously admonishing their Soldiers¡ªnot to target trains and railway tracks at any cost, or face court-martial...


    ¡°Ambassador Nangong! Now that the treaty is concluded, and our country has agreed to your nation¡¯s requests, I hope your country can put away the swords, and let the horses loose on Nanshan...¡± The Ambassador of the Dahua Empire stood up and handed the treaty, which had dried, to the Foreign Affairs official of the Great Tang Empire.


    Nangong Hong, who sat beside as an observer, stood up with a smile filled with pride and said, ¡°Our country has always loved peace. Don¡¯t tell me the Ambassador is not aware of this?¡±


    He took the temporary ceasefire agreement from his subordinate, looked at the signature and the red seal on it, smiled, and handed it back to his subordinate, ¡°Additionally, out of kindness, I still want to remind the Ambassador... After the 30 days pass, it¡¯s better to maintain some restraint near the railroad. It would save your construction crew any trouble, should Qin Country want to make another purchase one day.¡±


    As much as he wanted to curse, the Dahua Empire¡¯s Ambassador to Tang managed to restrain his impulse. Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, he said, ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Lord Nangong. This official understands and will surely convey your words back to my country.¡±


    Adjusting his mood, it was time for all present to come together for a group photo¡ªa keepsake. After all, this is a document, a formal document signed by the foreign affairs departments of both countries, so the necessary procedures must still be followed.


    In truth, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intervention in the Fengjiang ceasefire had some basis in reality, rooted in the ceasefire treaty that the Great Tang Empire and the Dahua Empire signed years ago.


    It contained an agreement for the Great Tang Empire to aid in constructing a new Fengjiang City on the west bank of Fengjiang, while the original Fengjiang City would be ceded to the Great Tang Empire. After helping to build the new city, the Dahua Empire was to ensure trade freedom at the Fengjiang port.


    This guarantee of trade freedom was part of the treaty itself, as the Dahua Empire had the obligation to open Fengjiang as a trading port since the Great Tang Empire had genuinely invested in Fengjiang.


    But just a few years later, this port closed due to the civil war within the Dahahua Empire, effectively violating the existing treaty. The Great Tang Empire, in fact, had the right to hold them accountable.


    It was for this reason, after the Imperial Capital of Dahua Empire was hit a couple of times, that the Dahua Empire was so restrained, pretending everything was fine and casually overlooking the incident.


    Thus the Dahua Empire self-deceptively ignored the incident of their capital being bombed, grudgingly acknowledging the fact that they were struck¡ªof course, the most significant factor in the Dahua Empire¡¯s tolerance was actually the knife in the Great Tang Empire¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 1065: 987 victims

    Chapter 1065: 987 victims


    ¡°In the end, we still have to sell them something. If they don¡¯t have radar, if they don¡¯t have signal towers... then what targets would our missiles hit?¡± Tang Mo, while tasting the delicacies in front of him, said to Roger.


    The more modern the weapon, the more emphasis on striking precision. As the Great Tang Empire¡¯s weaponry becomes increasingly modernized, the enemy should at least make some progress as well.


    Just as mentioned before, we must wait until the enemy also has jet fighters for the Great Tang Empire¡¯s air-to-air combat missiles to have a place to be used.


    Otherwise, how could those expensive, high-performance modern weapons possibly be equipped? Are we supposed to use a missile worth millions to shoot down a plane worth less than twenty thousand? Even if we don¡¯t discuss whether it could hit, what do we do about losing money if it does?


    Roger, who was invited to dine together, nodded. He had kindly reminded Tang Mo earlier not to sell too core technologies, lest the enemy gain the power to resist.


    Tang Mo, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t worried about this. The radar systems he sold were basically at the level of World War II. Those things lack precision and performance; they merely address the issue of presence or absence.


    No need for proper electromagnetic interference; adverse weather can significantly reduce the effectiveness of these radars. To enhance the basic performance of these radars, the countries that bought them would have to start their research with cathode-ray tubes.


    ¡°As soon as these countries have set up their radars, we have several ways to turn those radars into mere decorations... You can be assured of that,¡± Tang Mo said as he stuffed a piece of beef into his mouth, the tender sensation of fat marbling creating a comforting and enjoyable chewing experience.


    Seeing Tang Mo so relaxed, Roger also let down his guard completely. Tang Mo started to talk to him about the experimental results of the Styx Missiles.


    The Great Tang Empire had only equipped two Bismarck improved-type battleships, which made the Great Tang Empire Navy actually fall far behind other countries¡¯ navies in terms of warship tonnage.


    Especially in terms of single-ship combat capability, the Navy¡¯s destroyers of the Great Tang Empire, except for the radar advantage, could only barely cope by relying on torpedoes.


    Given this, Tang Mo planned to prioritize equipping the Navy with anti-ship missiles to enhance the single-ship combat capability of naval vessels. Therefore, the development and deployment of the Styx Missiles were quite rapid, much faster than the Air Force¡¯s Thunderbolt 2 air-to-air combat missiles.


    Why were battleships from World War II era completely eliminated? In fact, apart from the threat of aircraft carriers and carrier-based aircraft, the increasingly worrying efficiency of battleship protection was also part of the reason.


    Battleships of the World War II era generally equipped heavy armor on important parts to ensure their defensive capabilities. However, due to buoyancy characteristics, it¡¯s impossible to protect the entire body.


    Therefore, outside of the armor belt, battleships still had to arrange a large number of watertight compartments to increase buoyancy, and these compartments weren¡¯t protected by corresponding heavy armor.


    Thus, sinking a battleship sometimes doesn¡¯t require penetrating the opponent¡¯s heavy armor belt; it just requires creating enough damage to the watertight compartments, and the armor inside the battleship can drag the vessel into the deep sea by its own weight.


    Another reason is that armor-piercing technology made rapid progress towards the end of World War II, and the heavy armor of battleships actually wasn¡¯t as useful as before.


    In past naval battles, the clash between battleships depended on large-caliber naval guns from both sides. But due to technological limitations, both sides used armor-piercing rounds with little explosive and thick shells, and the projectile angle was restricted, so the armor-piercing capability was not high.


    The main armor thickness of battleships from various countries was generally only about the same value as the caliber of their own guns. For instance, the Yamato battleship had a main gun caliber of 460 millimeters and its main armor was also just 460 millimeters.


    Doesn¡¯t that sound very thick? Doesn¡¯t it seem exaggerated? Actually, this value is quite average. Normally, an anti-tank missile produced with modern technology and shaped charge armor-piercing warhead can easily penetrate armor of over 600 millimeters in thickness.


    In fact, the warhead of an anti-ship missile fitted with over 500 kilograms of explosive formed into a shaped charge could easily penetrate one meter thick homogeneous steel armor. The reason for not adopting this design is mainly because modern warship armor is not thick, and the speed of anti-ship missiles is becoming faster, really because of fear that too much power would result in over-penetration...


    But the current adversaries of the Great Tang Empire are completely different. The Great Tang Empire¡¯s current main naval opponents are equipped with a large number of battleships and gun cruisers.


    The armors on these warships are very thick, most exceeding 200 millimeters and some even nearing 400 millimeters.


    To penetrate these warships, the Styx Anti-ship Missiles that the Great Tang Empire started equipping its troops with must use shaped charge armor-piercing warheads.


    In plain terms, it¡¯s a super-sized armor-piercing shell warhead! This kind of warhead could easily penetrate over 1300 millimeters of homogeneous steel armor, with astonishingly destructive effects.


    The situation in the Great Tang Empire also illustrates that there will no longer be thickly armored warships in modern warfare: you laboriously build a dozen warships, and the enemy only needs to purchase a few hundred armor-piercing warheads to cope, so what¡¯s the point in cost-effectiveness.


    Just a day ago, at the naval experimental base on Dragon Island, a Styx Anti-ship Missile had undergone a live-fire test. The Styx launched from the shore-based missile battery hit a moving target 15 kilometers away, and utterly obliterated it.


    The naval admirals, quite satisfied with the result of the experiment, immediately approved the subsequent development plan. On one hand, producing at least 400 Styx Anti-ship Missiles, and on the other, retrofitting 10 Missile Destroyers.


    Under the radar of all but a few, the world¡¯s first Missile Destroyer had already begun its retrofitting.


    The brand new 10 torpedo destroyers would have their torpedos stripped along with some other equipment, replaced with triple missile launchers to acquire missile strike capabilities.


    Theoretically, the Styx Missile can reach an attack distance of over 30 kilometers with a maximum range of 35 kilometers, nearing the speed of sound. Without electronic jamming from the other side, the accuracy of the missile is quite high.


    The greatest significance of the anti-ship missile is granting small warships the ability to challenge larger ones, its existence blurring the disparity between different tonnages of warships, essentially destabilizing the position of gun-based warships.


    It wasn¡¯t until the future advent of anti-air missiles and the maturation of missile interception concepts that new, large-tonnage warships once again took the initiative in offensive and defensive fields.


    On Earth, from the 60s to the 70s, unless there was a stringent need for deployment in distant seas, the cost-effectiveness of large warships truly was lower compared to small ones.


    This state persisted until the widespread adoption of the Aegis Combat System, which provided area air defense, vertical launching systems, and power for large phased array radars; thereby, missile destroyers of great tonnage truly found their purpose.


    In fact, Tang Mo¡¯s mood today wasn¡¯t that great; he invited Roger to dine together because he wanted to discuss something else with him.


    ¡°There were four engineers injured on the job...¡± After discussing the anti-ship missiles, Tang Mo broached what seemed to be a trivial matter with Roger.


    He set down his eating utensils, wiped his mouth with a white napkin, and looked at Roger, who was watching him: ¡°These individuals are among the first batch who partook in the sonic and radio signal research tests.¡±


    Roger was taken aback; he knew these people might be the old-timers who had joined during Brunas¡¯s developmental period, whose expertise was invaluable wherever they were stationed, and who had made outstanding contributions to the rise of the Great Tang Empire.


    ¡°Is it serious?¡± Roger asked.


    ¡°Their ears have sustained various degrees of damage; they¡¯re now suffering from tinnitus and hearing loss, and I believe that in a few years, they will be completely deaf,¡± Tang Mo replied without any concealment.


    When they were first assigned their jobs, they were already given compensation for this, and even to ensure their health, Tang Mo had limited their working hours.


    For example, painters, acoustic tuning technicians, chemical workers, etc... Such occupations had a mandatory transfer to secondary office work after at most five years... yet even so, a large number of industrial injuries still occurred.


    The working conditions back then were indeed too harsh; often, for the sake of efficiency or convenience, or even due to unbearable temperatures, workers would forgo protective gear like suits or masks altogether.


    Deafness was actually one of the lesser issues; some had contracted diseases due to prolonged exposure to chemicals, others fell ill working in polluted environments, and Great Tang Group¡¯s industrial march forward at breakneck speed was not without its costs.


    It could be said that beneath the industrial throne of the Great Tang Group lay a bed of skeletons; the foundation itself was built upon the flesh and blood of its people.


    There are no true shortcuts in this world; it¡¯s just that some have used their bodies as rungs so others could climb faster and with greater stability.


    In fact, there were more than a dozen engineers Tang Mo couldn¡¯t bring himself to talk to Roger about who were gravely ill within the nuclear industry research facilities of the Great Tang Empire, already having sacrificed their lives due to radiation.


    These individuals had contributed their lives to the technological advances of the Great Tang Empire, every bit of their sacrifice strengthening this empire¡¯s grandeur and power.


    ¡°We should remember them, treat them well...¡± Thinking of the familiar names and faces from the Blacksmith¡¯s shop, Roger said with some emotion.


    Those who started at the Blacksmith shop, to this day, dozens will never be seen again. Among these individuals, some died of diseases contracted through their work, some simply retired when they had acquired modest wealth and disappeared into the vast crowd, others perhaps were executed due to corruption...


    If such a group was to reflect the entire Great Tang Empire, then in the process of the rise of the Great Tang Empire, just how many people have disappeared, and how many have departed?

 Chapter 1066: Secret Deal 988

    Chapter 1066: Secret Deal 988


    Li was an ordinary person from the Dahua Empire. After joining the military at the age of 29, he lived a life of getting by and drawing a salary. To him, being a soldier was just a profession, as the Dahua Empire had not given its soldiers any sense of purpose to fight for.


    The soldiers of the Great Tang Empire bore the responsibility of history; they defended their own happy lives and sought to liberate their oppressed and enslaved brethren, so they had a cause to fight for and the conviction to forge ahead.


    It must be said that the propaganda machine of the Tang Empire performed exceptionally well; the soldiers of the Tang Empire genuinely hoped they were doing the right thing.


    Since the Tang Empire had implemented a series of reforms, even judging superficially, the Tang Empire could indeed be called the light of the world, and the wars it waged did seem to be rescuing the masses from dire straits.


    The lives of the soldiers of the Dahua Empire were entirely different; not to mention saving others, they couldn¡¯t even save themselves.


    These soldiers often had their military pay docked, and at the same time, they had to undertake many tasks during peacetime that were not part of their duties: helping the nobility with farming and performing odd jobs for commanders.


    Honestly speaking, these soldiers spent less time on military training than they did working for the local landlords.


    In combat, these soldiers were cannon fodder, armed with subpar weapons, using all kinds of questionable quality equipment, challenging enemies that were hundreds or thousands of times stronger than in the past.


    This situation led to the generally low combat effectiveness of Dahua Empire soldiers, who often just went through the motions before surrendering or collapsing.


    Li was such an ordinary soldier from the Dahua Empire; on the frontlines, he skulked and shirked, mostly looking out for his own skin in most situations.


    Today, he slipped back into the rhythm he knew well; everything around him seemed to return to its former state, and he could resume the most familiar work of a soldier in the Dahua Empire.


    Indeed, the most familiar task for the soldiers of the Dahua Empire was not combat but labor... Li joined the labor force in a place filled with rubble and ruins.


    He did not even bring his hardly useful Shireck Type 1 rifle and casually walked on the open ground that he wouldn¡¯t dare approach on a normal day, idly picked up a half-brick, then strolled back to the roadside and tossed the broken brick into a corner.


    It wasn¡¯t only him; everyone around was engaged in similar work. Some Engineer Corps members had their own shovels and pickaxes, but most people could only use their hands to pick up the broken bricks and tiles scattered on the ground.


    Where to throw these fragments and broken tiles completely depended on which location was a bit closer¡ªif the roadside was nearer, then throw it there; if it was closer to a crater, just toss it straight into the crater.


    Long tired of continuing the fight, the officers of the Dahua Empire stood together, smoking incessantly and enjoying this long-lost leisure time.


    On regular days, they would never dare to stand out in broad daylight like this; they would be no different from stationary targets, and Fengjiang¡¯s snipers would immediately open a hole in their heads.


    Before Fengjiang¡¯s ceasefire, moving around in the city ruins required extreme caution; you had to constantly watch your surroundings and look for corners suitable for sniping.


    Back then, even going to the bathroom without standing up straight because you wouldn¡¯t dare, sometimes not seeing the sun for several days. Everyone seemed like cockroaches in the cracks, rats in the sewers, every breath a torment.


    Every minute and second had to be painstakingly careful; it was a feeling that could nearly drive one insane. So when the news of a temporary ceasefire came, everyone let out a sigh of relief.


    This ceasefire was not decided between Fengjiang and Dahua but was mediated and facilitated by the Great Tang Empire¡ªtherein lies the difference because if it were an agreement reached between Fengjiang and Dahua, there might still be problems during the ceasefire. But since it was led by the Great Tang Empire, in everyone¡¯s eyes, there would be no problems at all.


    A Dahua officer in the distance lit a cigarette and exhaled a puff of white smoke as if he had come to life anew.


    Around him, another officer stretched lazily while telling jokes, as if they were vacationing on a beach and not in a city on the verge of becoming ruins.


    Li also felt very comfortable; he was a timid and life-loving person. Letting him stand in the sunshine picking up stones was far happier than having him rush forward under enemy machine gun fire.


    Therefore, he worked diligently, this kind of hardworking and willing attitude made Li quite favored by his commanders: no one dislikes a hard worker who would fix a broken door at home or harvest the vegetables when they are ripe.


    So before coming to Fengjiang, Li¡¯s immediate superior had appointed him as the logistics chief, making Li an officer.


    It¡¯s just that this officer really didn¡¯t hold much status, as the Dahua Empire didn¡¯t place much importance on logistics troops, and indeed, the rank of the leader of a logistics unit wasn¡¯t high either.


    By the standards of front-line troops, this officer, Li, would at most be considered a squad leader with only seven aging, weak, or sick subordinates under him, usually in charge of distributing various supplies, and sometimes even having to help out in the kitchen.


    Due to the increasing scarcity of supplies, soldiers like Li no longer had access to cigarettes, and other such frontline benefits like bread had also not been seen for a long time.


    Such treatment really couldn¡¯t compare to the Fengjiang army across the way; those damned traitorous soldiers often had chocolates and all kinds of messy snacks turned out from their corpses.


    Normally, no one dared to casually touch the enemy¡¯s bodies since doing so could likely lead to being picked off by an enemy sniper. Thus, the hope of scavenging food from corpses was unrealistic, and the soldiers from Dahua could only endure the elements without shelter.


    They really hadn¡¯t had a hot meal in a very long time; if not for the ceasefire, they might still not have been able to enjoy a hot meal now.


    Dozens of soldiers, clutching a brand-new rail, came over from the Fengjiang army¡¯s position, chanting their work songs step by step as they carried the rail to its intended location.


    Due to the fact that the shell craters had not yet been filled in and the sleepers were not yet in place, the rail had to be left on one side. In terms of efficiency, it seemed that the Great Tang Empire behind Fengjiang always had the upper hand.


    ¡°Hard work, brothers, here¡¯s the soda from the Great Tang Empire as a reward for you guys.¡± Dozens of Fengjiang soldiers came over carrying boxes of drinks, seemingly thoroughly enjoying this rare moment of peace.


    One by one, the crates were placed by the roadside, and the leading Fengjiang officer even used a bottle opener to pry open a soda and directly handed it to the approaching Dahua officer.


    The Dahua officer wasn¡¯t shy, having already enjoyed the sweetness of such drinks yesterday. He grabbed the soda, tilted his head back and drank; the spicy stimulation, along with the flavor of the essence, reverberated on his tongue, instantly unlocking all the Dahua officer¡¯s taste buds.


    Despite the cold weather at that time, the refreshing chill hit his stomach and made the Dahua officer let out a satisfied burp, with contentment showing on his face.


    After receiving the second bottle of flavored soda, the officer finally relented. He waved and called out to Li, ¡°Li! Come over for a soda! The rest of you come too! Line up, don¡¯t make yourself uncomfortable!¡±


    Hearing the order, the Dahua soldiers began to gather with various smiles on their faces. One by one, they took the delicious sodas from the hands of the Fengjiang soldiers, as if they had not been throwing hand grenades at each other just a few days before.


    ¡°Did you bring it?¡± Li, clutching his soda, mysteriously pulled a Fengjiang soldier aside to a corner, glanced back at the distant circle of officers and asked in a low voice.


    ¡°I did! Where¡¯s the money?¡± The Fengjiang soldier pulled out a pack of cigarettes from the side of his clothes, some even opened, counted them one by one, and placed them in Li¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Count it.¡± Li pulled out a roll of banknotes, all Great Tang Empire ¡°Gold Coins,¡± so-called Tang Yuan.


    After paying, he began to inspect the poorly packaged cigarettes, to see if any were missing in quantity: obviously, these cigarettes were cobbled together, some boxes were wrinkled, but the contents were still in decent condition.


    ¡°Don¡¯t short me, okay? I¡¯m telling you, I have to account for it when I go back.¡± Li stuffed the cigarettes into his pocket and warned the Fengjiang soldier who was counting the money.


    ¡°How could I short you a few cigarettes?¡± The Fengjiang soldier disdainfully pulled out three bars of chocolate from another pocket, which was clearly the kind of luxury reserved for Great Tang snipers: ¡°Look at you, so pathetic! Take these for your commander, bring a bag tomorrow, I¡¯ve got canned food and instant noodles here, all freaking good stuff.¡±


    ¡°Really? How much?¡± Li almost salivated, his eyes lighting up as he asked directly.


    The Fengjiang soldier, very professionally, pulled out a price list from his shirt pocket and handed it to Li: ¡°Price as listed! Give your commander a ten percent profit, take a little less for yourself and there won¡¯t be any issue.¡±


    At that moment, Li felt deeply shocked by the professionalism of the other party: he really hadn¡¯t expected that such shady dealings could be conducted so brazenly in the open.


    If someone were caught, the crime of colluding with the enemy would surely lead to execution or at least ten years of imprisonment without injustice, wouldn¡¯t it?


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Li was in charge of the logistics and had been pushed into desperation by some friends, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to trade cigarettes with the Fengjiang people.


    But there were just too many desperate smokers; with the previous supply of poor-quality cigarettes from the rear, it was tolerable, but recently, even those leaves were gone, and those people were almost resorting to rolling up scrap papers for a puff.

 Chapter 1067: 989 unexpected effects

    Chapter 1067: 989 unexpected effects


    Li was truly anxious, not knowing if the three bars of chocolate in his pocket could make his superior show mercy and forget about his contact with the Fengjiang rebels.


    So, he clenched his teeth and took out all his profits as well¡ªtwo packs of cigarettes, both still intact.


    He walked back to his unit, just as his superior had left the circle to relieve himself nearby. Li immediately approached, lowering his voice as he tentatively called out, ¡°Sir... Sir?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Putting away his ¡®faucet¡¯, the commanding officer squinted his eyes toward Li, who had some capability in managing chores and minor tasks.


    Li was very nervous. Gritting his teeth, he finally fished a pack of cigarettes supplied by the Great Tang Empire to Fengjiang from his pocket, the kind with filters, and handed it to his direct superior.


    The logistic unit commander, upon seeing the cigarettes from Great Tang Empire, was momentarily stunned, then revealed a smile. He quietly took the offering from Li¡¯s hand and elongated his tone, ¡°Where did you get this good stuff from?¡±


    ¡°The brothers pooled some money... bought it from those rebels in Fengjiang.¡± Li dared not hide anything and promptly spilled everything. After explaining, he took out the other pack of cigarettes and handed it over.


    ¡°You guys are really bold,¡± the commander said with a scare, but he still took the second pack of cigarettes and slipped it into his pocket.


    Humorously, he was stuck smoking inferior cigarettes supplied from afar. Those darn things were barely better than inhaling burnt tires; he had been cursing them for days.


    Now, someone brought him two packs of real quality stuff, the filtered cigarettes that were almost non-existent in Dahua Empire but were becoming common in the Great Tang Empire. How could he not be tempted?


    ¡°This is because everyone¡¯s been frustrated, unable to eat their fill, we¡¯ve had no choice...¡± Li quickly seized the opportunity to voice his grievances.


    While complaining, he followed the new friend¡¯s advice from Fengjiang, and pulled out the chocolate, slipping it into the commander¡¯s hand.


    Seeing the beautifully packaged chocolate, the commander¡¯s eyes lit up; high-calorie and tasty, these were valuable commodities at the front. With these three bars of chocolate, he could curry favor when he returned and maybe even pocket some of the money from selling off the bartered goods.


    Indeed, despite the desperate shortage of supplies at the front lines of Dahua Empire, many military units were still trading these poor-quality military supplies.


    The civilians suffered greater shortages. The economy of the Dahua Empire was on the brink of collapse; whoever could secure food, drink, clothing, and use during these times was ¡®king¡¯!


    The factories at the rear were well aware of this, and a complete ¡°kickback¡± profit-making scheme had even emerged.


    These were producing military supplies with substandard materials, directly making inferior goods, and then these batches would be sold off during transit to the black-market dealers, who would then sell these shoddy items to the civilians.


    The officers at the front would then sign off on this equipment, and write off the nonexistent supplies as ¡®used up¡¯ in battle to balance the books... after all, freezing or starving to death was only a concern for the lowly soldiers, not something the officers cared about.


    They just needed to wait for the traders and rear factories to deposit money into their accounts, simple and convenient.


    This was like the mooncakes on Mid-Autumn Festival, being regifted among friends and family for ten years, moldy yet still serving a purpose¡ªessentially you could swap the mooncake for a playing card, the effect would be the same. Thus, the clever merchants of the Dahua Empire, not even needing playing cards, went directly to dealing in thin air.


    Now, this commander seemingly found a new business opportunity: Although they skimmed a portion of the military pay issued to frontline soldiers, a part inevitably reached the soldiers.


    These soldiers, due to insufficient supplies, now smuggled goods from Fengjiang, certainly spending their military pay¡ªan opportunity for him to take another cut, perhaps earning much more?


    In and out, truly a double joy! With this thought, the commander looked at Li differently: ¡°Li...¡±


    ¡°Sir! The rest is already paid for...¡± Hearing the tone of the commander, Li shivered, genuinely afraid his direct superior would swallow all the goods in his possession without a word.


    If he returned, wouldn¡¯t he be beaten to death by those ruffian soldiers who had paid but not yet received their goods?


    ¡°What are you thinking? We must keep this matter in our hands! We absolutely cannot let others take it away!¡± Li¡¯s direct superior spoke with an unprecedented domineering tone.


    He ruefully took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed them back to Li, ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll authorize a few tools for you, you bring a bag... Understand?¡±


    Li knew exactly what to do and promptly relayed all the details left by the Fengjiang side. After finishing, he handed over the slightly wrinkled price list to the battalion commander.


    Seeing the prices, and hearing Li say that he could get one-tenth, the battalion commander couldn¡¯t hide his smile anymore.


    Although he needed to give some respect to his superiors, once such dealings started, they simply couldn¡¯t be stopped. In one month, as long as he wasn¡¯t reassigned to another defensive area and stayed guarding this railway, he could earn the equivalent of his last five years¡¯ income!


    What a wonderful thing this was. The battalion commander patted Li on the shoulder, the more he looked at him, the more pleasing he found him: helping repair doors and fences at home, helping collect vegetables and dig water channels... and now, he could help smuggle goods... If the sky were to fall, he would be a great vanguard.


    Indeed, very good.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing great, Li! I will discuss this matter with the higher-ups! You can keep selling your stuff, consider it a reward... but let me make it clear, if you cause any trouble, I¡¯ll deal with you!¡± The battalion commander said as he turned his gaze back to Li, threatening him.


    Li was delighted, not expecting that the other party wasn¡¯t after his share, but rather, was going to handle everything independently.


    As for Li¡¯s little business, it was negligible to them...


    Knowing that he might make a small fortune, Li quickly bowed his head and thanked, ¡°Thank you, sir! Thank you for your favor!¡±


    The next day, a military commander who had received chocolate also came here for a frontline inspection, and personally saw a section of the railway track being placed on sleepers.


    The soldiers of the Dahua Empire were hammering the railway spikes into the sleepers with great zeal.


    Of course, this military commander didn¡¯t come to watch the railway being fixed; he had plenty of other things to do than to meddle in such boring matters. This time he was here to look at his new money-making channel, which interested him even more than fixing railways.


    Soon, a car came from the Fengjiang side, loaded with canned food and other supplies. The car was packed with all kinds of goods, just like a small store.


    The officer from the Fengjiang side was very cooperative; he gave the Dahua military commander a good windproof lighter and some kickbacks, and the trade deal was settled.


    Following was the counting and transporting of supplies¡ªby the fourth day, the task of moving supplies had been minimized, with trucks driving directly into the Dahua Empire-controlled area, unloading, and then returning.


    Who would have imagined that the channels for improving life for the front-line troops of the Dahua Empire would come from the Fengjiang-controlled area? And who could have thought that half of the Dahua Empire¡¯s supplies over the next month would come from the Great Tang Empire?


    Time soon reached the tenth day of the ceasefire, and in the headquarters of the infantry military of the Dahua Empire near the railway, both administrative and command personnel were visibly better supplied.


    The Dahua military commander woke up and brushed his teeth with toothpaste from the Great Tang Empire, then had a rather nice breakfast. The flour and other assorted goods were all purchased from the Fengjiang side.


    If you are willing to spend money, you can enjoy a life that was previously not available in the Dahua army: you could even buy a civilian raincoat, which is many times better than the military raincoats issued by the Dahua Empire.


    The quality of the goods sold by the Great Tang Empire goes without saying; not only was the quality excellent, but the prices were also at least one-third lower than what was sent to the front line by the Dahua Empire.


    The second-hand dealers on the Fengjiang side, for some reason, did not raise their prices either, simply selling cheaply, which made everyone in the Dahua military, from top to bottom, feel almost embarrassed.


    It was even more surprising that the Fengjiang side was not only involved in this dumping activity near the railways; they tried every means to trade with the Dahua military near the front lines, offering genuine, good-quality goods.


    This touched the oppressed grassroots soldiers of the Dahua Empire deeply; they could improve their battlefield lives with little money, which changed many people¡¯s views on the Fengjiang rebels.


    Those Fengjiang soldiers selling goods didn¡¯t try to overly ingratiate themselves; they simply chatted about everyday family matters, exchanged cigarettes, smoked together, and then cursed their superiors.


    The approachable attitude deeply moved the soldiers of the Dahua Empire, leading them to agree that when the fighting resumed, everyone should try to be as lenient as possible, to avoid brethren fighting brethren...


    The Fengjiang soldiers were also very cooperative; those who had become thoroughly familiar with each other even agreed to surrender terms for better treatment of prisoners, and when fighting together, they would absolutely not deliver killing blows.


    Perhaps even the Fengjiang defenders themselves didn¡¯t expect that those advisors from the Great Tang Empire, by instructing them to provide supplies to the Dahua military, could have such a terrifying effect.


    The Dahua troops, who had been fiercely attacking for the better half of a year, now secretly promised that when fighting resumed, they would simply surrender their weapons and come to Fengjiang for good food and joyful times...

 Chapter 1068: 990 hearts being pried open

    Chapter 1068: 990 hearts being pried open


    Recently, the sales department of the Great Tang Group has been making money at an incredibly fast pace. They¡¯ve sold so many items that it has led to complaints from the production department.


    Firstly, the Dahua Empire made a huge purchase of supplies and military armaments, and because the grain-producing areas near Wanliang have turned into battlefields, the Dahua Empire even had to import some of their food.


    But aside from the Great Tang Empire, Qin Country has already started a war with Shu Country, leaving the Dahua Empire with no place to import grain from, forcing them to buy it from the Great Tang Empire at a high price.


    In addition to food, because of the war, the Dahua Empire also had to spend money on various military materials to make up for their losses.


    Thus, just from the transactions with the Dahua Empire, the industrial department of the Great Tang Group has made a considerable amount of money.


    Furthermore, there¡¯s the revenue from the Fengjiang area: even though the Great Tang Empire supports Fengjiang and provides a large amount of military aid, in reality, there are many products that are charged, so Fengjiang also spent quite a bit of money.


    Chu Country, in order to please the Great Tang Empire, spent money to purchase a lot of industrial equipment, and they also purchased medicine and various weapons from the Great Tang Empire.


    Both Shu Country and Qin Country are crazily importing materials and military supplies, with Qin Country even directly buying tank production lines and more airplane production lines.


    The purchases from these countries added up are already substantial, but even so, this is without including the income from the export of Scud missiles, radar, and other weapons and equipment by the Great Tang Empire.


    Including dividends from the Shireck Consortium, in the past month and more, the Great Tang Group has made so much money that it has once again plunged the nations of the world into a vicious cycle of trade deficits.


    But as the Great Tang Empire¡¯s technology spreads, the world is also quietly undergoing a series of changes. There are more and more highways, railways, and cities, and naturally, the population is also growing.


    In just the past year, more than 2,000 airports have been put into service around the world, and the infrastructure of various countries has greatly improved. Even the backward Beastmen now possess a small domestic railway.


    Electricity is beginning to become widespread, with many villages starting to use electric lights. Although incandescent lamps are still mainstream, the Great Tang Empire has already taken the lead in popularizing fluorescent lights.


    As the most successful arms dealer in the world, His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang Empire can almost cover all of the past year¡¯s expenditures solely with income from selling radar.


    Including his support for the civil war in Fengjiang, providing weapons for Fengjiang, and the expenses of arranging mercenaries for Fengjiang, Tang Mo¡¯s expenditures are simply recouped just with the income from radar.


    He is so wealthy that it is beyond what people can imagine. According to his orders, all buildings under construction in the Great Tang Empire must have conduits reserved, to prepare for the upcoming widespread use of telephone lines, cable television networks, and future internet lines.


    With the Great Tang Empire launching 10 rockets a month to send satellites into orbit, Tang Mo feels that it won¡¯t be long before he pushes the world into the internet age. If he doesn¡¯t prepare actively, a great deal of time will be wasted.


    What he lacks is time! The nuclear bombs that have begun to be manufactured need time, the development of computers toward large-scale integrated circuits needs time, high-performance passenger cars need time¡ª even the growth of Tang Mo¡¯s sons and daughters requires time.


    Just as Tang Mo was lamenting that he didn¡¯t have enough time and felt that technological development couldn¡¯t keep up with his needs, the bartender from the intelligence department hurriedly delivered an intelligence report.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Fresh news just came in! The defensive line of Huai Mountain in Shu Country has collapsed,¡± the bartender handed over the document to a momentarily stunned Tang Mo and reported with his head bowed.


    Tang Mo really did not expect that Qin Country could be so fierce as to break through the defensive line of Shu Country, and before the Great Tang Empire¡¯s assistance reached Qin Country, they had already completed the most critical step of their strategic offensive.


    As long as Qin Country takes down Huai Mountain, they can then attack vigorously eastward, along the border of the Dahua Empire, cutting off the connection between Shu Country and the Dahua Empire, and complete the strategic deployment of bordering Chu Country.


    ¡°The Qin people are fighting well,¡± Tang Mo looked down at the intelligence report, which detailed how Qin Country had managed to break through Shu Country¡¯s defenses.


    On one hand, Qin Country spent a great deal of money to bribe some traitorous Shu merchants, obtaining Shu Country¡¯s defensive maps from them, and at the same time, they turned some of Shu Country¡¯s generals, preparing for inside and outside cooperation.


    To ensure nothing goes wrong, Qin Country also drew their most elite 1st Army, and at any cost, launched a fierce attack on Huai Mountain.


    Shu Country, caught off guard, was thrown into disarray, and after creating a large number of casualties for Qin Country, they eventually could not sustain it, losing the most crucial support point of the Huai Mountain defensive line¡ªHuai Mountain City.


    After losing Huai Mountain, Shu Country was completely put on the defensive. They were forced to retreat south and set up a new defensive line along the more southern Shu Mountain.


    The reason why Shu Country is called so is that there is a mountain range called Shu Mountain within their borders, which serves as their natural defense and treasure trove.


    This mountain range not only provides Shu Country with a barrier but also offers it an abundance of mineral resources and countless mountainous resources. Of course, now... it has become the front line.


    However, Qin Country¡¯s initial goal was not the mineral veins of Shu Mountain, but to border Chu Country to the east, bypassing the exploitation by the Dahua Empire and Shu Country.


    But after they captured Huai Mountain, really leaving Shu Country¡¯s gates wide open, Qin Country¡¯s higher and lower ranks also began to have some unrealistic fantasies: what if they swallowed up Shu Country by moving south? Would they not then have more capital?


    In fact, for a long time, Qin Country¡¯s biggest dream had been to devour half of the Dahua Empire and border the Great Tang Empire between Dongqing City and Shanchong.


    Of course, dreams are full, reality is skeletal. Even if the Great Tang Empire really was willing to divide Dahua with Qin, it wouldn¡¯t possibly leave the essential parts of Dahua to Qin.


    So the actual situation is that the Great Tang Empire might very well swallow Dahua whole, at most leaving some border territories on the west side of Dahua to Qin.


    This completely shattered Qin Country¡¯s dreams of eastward expansion, and Shu Country thus became Qin¡¯s only option for expansion: Qin truly despised the poor and rugged lands of the Orc Empire.


    ¡°Qin Country is now advancing on two fronts; one is advancing towards Shu Mountain City, the other is pushing eastward along the border of the Dahua Empire...¡± The bartender reminded Tang Mo.


    Tang Mo nodded, his face showing a joy that he couldn¡¯t conceal: when he and Nangong Hong planned, they hoped Qin Country would be greedy and stir things up, and now it seems the effect is good, Qin really covets Shu after gaining Long.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about Qin Country for now. Go find Nangong Hong for me, we need to get Chu Country to hand over Nanshan Port to us as soon as possible,¡± Tang Mo said, and even started laughing.


    Without any effort, his Tang Country obtained the largest port of Chu Country, and at the same time dragged almost all the countries of the Western Continent into the war. What a marvelous moment.


    With the Great Tang Empire controlling Nanshan Port, they could build a railway from Nanshan to the hinterland of the Great Tang Empire. By then, Tang Mo would own almost all the large ports on the East Coast.


    Plainly speaking, if goods want to be shipped from the Eastern Continent to the Western Continent, or vice versa, through the Endless Sea, there¡¯s no bypassing the Great Tang Empire.


    What a wonderful thing it is, just like the Daiying Empire holding Gibraltar, or the United States controlling Panama... just thinking about it is a delight to the eye.


    Moreover, the Great Tang Empire Navy will also gain a significant strategic depth, starting from Nanshan Port in the south, reaching Dragon Island in the east, and extending to Beiyuan City to the north, relying on Dongwan Island and Linshui Port in the middle.


    In the future, this sea area will become the private property of the Great Tang Empire, an absolute territorial sea! Any foreign ships entering this area will have to comply with the laws and demands of the Great Tang Empire, such a fine matter.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The bartender, a giant man with a towering figure, still stood a bit taller than Tang Mo even when he bent slightly. He left Tang Mo¡¯s room, and Tang Mo once again looked down at the intelligence in his hands.


    Qin Country is so forceful on that front that Tang Mo feels he should apply some effort on the Fengjiang direction. If the civil war in Fengjiang continues unchecked, the interests of the Great Tang Empire might be jeopardized.


    According to the original plan, Fengjiang City, with the support of the Great Tang Empire, should have pressed towards Dongqing City, breaking away from the Dahua Empire completely.


    But the current situation is that the Dahua Empire is still struggling against the rebels within Fengjiang City; this is far from what the Great Tang Empire had hoped for.


    Lately, many new events happened within a month¡¯s time, with some even describable as stormy waves.


    For instance, at this shaky time, Chu Muzhou, the once anchor of the Dahua Empire and the steadfast Prime Minister, surprisingly tendered his resignation.


    Unexpectedly, the Emperor of the Dahua Empire approved Chu Muzhou¡¯s resignation and in one breath also dismissed all three of Chu Muzhou¡¯s sons.


    The Chu family fell from grace in an instant, followed by disorder in the political arena of the Dahua Empire. Nobody expected that the two Missiles ¡°sold¡± by the Tang Empire to Fengjiang would be so potent, amping up the turmoil in the political landscape of the Dahua Empire.


    These Missiles not only leveraged the Dahua Imperial court but also shifted many people¡¯s hearts. Those harboring their own little schemes began to stir after hearing the news of Zhao Kai being wounded.


    Among them was Zhao Jie, a member of the Royal Family wielding heavy troops. With Zhao Kai injured and Zhao Ji under house arrest, he... suddenly realized that he too could possibly be a strong contender for the throne!


    At least, from any angle, he Zhao Jie was far more capable than the few good-for-nothing sons Zhao Kai had left. Of course, he also had disadvantages, after all, he wasn¡¯t a son of Zhao Kai...

 Chapter 1069: The Absurdity on the 991 Frontline

    Chapter 1069: The Absurdity on the 991 Frontline


    Zhao Chen has had a truly rough month, on tenterhooks and even somewhat panic-stricken, because the situation before him is unprecedented.


    On one hand, the front on the Fengjiang side where he¡¯s in charge of attacking has unexpectedly called a ceasefire. The frontline troops began to rest and reorganize, which was good for him; however, that railroad was like a fishbone stuck in his throat, lying across his path of future advances.


    It was like a gigantic vase placed on the battlefield that both sides had to ensure would not break, or else neither could bear the responsibility.


    Such bizarre conditions for the offensive were like a fishbone stuck in Zhao Chen¡¯s throat. He had been trying to work around this railroad, hoping to make the most of this ¡°unbeatable¡± link.


    Regrettably, due to the greedy nature of his subordinates, the current state of the frontline troops is quite dire, resting in name but decaying in reality, with a steep decline in combat effectiveness.


    As commander, Zhao Chen intended to manage this issue, but it was futile since he couldn¡¯t touch anyone under him, all of who had connections or backgrounds.


    Coincidentally, it was also a particularly sensitive time, and as the supreme commander, he really couldn¡¯t take direct action against those corrupted weevils.


    Why couldn¡¯t he take direct action? That brings us to the second headache for Zhao Chen: His Majesty The Emperor was injured!


    The injury of Zhao Kai wasn¡¯t necessarily a sky-falling catastrophe, but the Crown Prince, Zhao Jili, lost his wits, and who knows what he was thinking, but he headed straight back to the Imperial Capital.


    This was like stirring up a hornet¡¯s nest. Zhao Kai was furious and placed Zhao Ji under house arrest, even beginning to discuss the deposition of the crown prince in court.


    Suddenly, the court was unstable, and the princes who originally had no chance whatsoever became active. In a short while, these unworthy characters were scrambling around, turning the whole Dahua Empire¡¯s court into a den of turmoil.


    If this had happened a year earlier, the ministers would have rejoiced: Zhao Kai deposes Zhao Ji, then everyone happily supports Zhao Yu¡¯s ascension, and the Great Tang Empire would have lost its pretense, allowing the Dahua Empire to survive another three to five years at least.


    But now, with Zhao Yu having become a rebel of Fengjiang, if Zhao Ji were to fall, all that would be left are a bunch of useless lumps of mud. Relying on these princes, adept at nothing but causing defeat, to succeed the throne would be worse than everyone just disbanding.


    What time is it now? With the powerful Qin Empire coveting from the west, and the Great Tang Empire drooling from the east, if there were someone with a brain perhaps they could hold on a bit longer, but put someone slightly foolish in charge, and the Dahua Empire might perish within half a year.


    The court is in chaos, the Prime Minister has resigned with the Emperor¡¯s approval, and Crown Prince Zhao Ji is under house arrest, with His Majesty The Emperor still confined to bed recuperating...


    In such a situation, you, the frontline commander, replacing all those whom Zhao Kai and Zhao Ji as father and son had placed trust in within the military, what exactly are you trying to do?


    Zhao Chen didn¡¯t even know what he wanted to do; he just knew that if he were to really execute those favored by the Emperor, the hat of a prince starting a rebellion would undoubtedly be slapped onto his head.


    The third issue is also quite interesting; because of chaos in the rear, the quantity of supplied materials has truly entered a random mode: If Chief of Staff Shen Chuan inquires, then there would be more goods; if Shen doesn¡¯t ask, then the supply is pitifully scarce.


    Under these circumstances, it was already quite difficult to keep the troops from defecting, and Zhao Chen completely gave up managing the decay and degradation of the military.


    Once the ceasefire period ended, Zhao Chen hurriedly began organizing an attack on the southern cities far from the railroad area, but this attack immediately went awry.


    Two divisions deployed in the frontline cities surrendered outright. The Dahua troops following those two divisions hadn¡¯t even grasped the situation when they were cut off and encircled, and they, too, surrendered their arms soon after.


    Yes, an entire army, more than seventy thousand soldiers with their weapons and ammunition, nearly surrendered to the enemy without much of a fight. This might be the biggest defection in history without being surrounded by the enemy.


    Following the lead of this army, some surrounding Dahua troops also began to surrender; these troops even had white flags prepared, demonstrating practiced efficiency.


    Subsequently, the Dahua military forces making contact with the Fengjiang troops started surrendering one after another, competing in their haste: They were afraid if they delayed, they would be moved away and miss their chance to surrender.


    ¡°Hello? What do you mean surrendered? Make it clear! Make what clear? Hello? Hello?!¡± The officer clutching the phone asked furiously in embarrassment, but there was no longer any response from the receiver.


    On another table, another Dahua Empire¡¯s military officer was also searching for his own troops. The two divisions he commanded were main forces; before the ceasefire, they were the spearhead of attacks, the kind of ace troops known for their combat prowess.


    But now, someone said they saw white flags raised over the positions overseen by these two divisions, and no matter what, they couldn¡¯t get through on the phone. He was trying to establish contact with his own troops, refusing to believe that his military would defect so easily...


    ¡°Clarify this for me! A battalion¡¯s position, gone just like that? What the hell are you all doing? Hello! Will you freaking speak up, you bastards!¡± In the distance, an officer was furiously slamming the phone receiver down on the cradle.


    The non-coms and civilians around them watched their superiors going mad with terror in their eyes, instinctively feeling that the situation was probably not good. They were right, because inside Fengjiang City, there were problems with many positions.


    Watching his subordinates in chaos, even starting to lose their composure, Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t help but give a bitter smile and walked back to his office.


    He had not failed to tell these commanders that there was frequent private communication between the lower ranks and Fengjiang, but who listened to him?


    They always brushed off Zhao Chen¡¯s questions with excuses like the soldiers had nothing to eat and even shifted the blame onto logistics and supply departments.


    Zhao Chen was at a loss because he had personally inspected the soldiers¡¯ supplies; they lacked food and the equipment was of abysmally poor quality... If he pursued the smuggling issue any further, the starving soldiers might just mutiny on the spot.


    So the problems continued to mount, becoming deeply ingrained. Now the issues had erupted, leaving everyone helpless as the situation continued to deteriorate.


    Finally, when the chain reactions began to settle down a bit, Zhao Chen realized that the Fengjiang City district they had fought so hard to capture over three long months, had almost entirely been taken back by the Fengjiang forces.


    Yes, Zhao Chen had almost lost the entire Fengjiang City district... They now had to fight to reclaim it, at least before the bad news reached the Imperial Capital!


    All of Zhao Chen¡¯s generals were like bereaved dogs, finally realizing the gravity of the situation.


    The court was already in chaos. With the news of the front lines¡¯ defeat reaching back, His Majesty The Emperor, in his fury, might very well decide to ¡®kill the chicken to scare the monkey.¡¯


    ¡°General... No! Prince! Save me please! Have mercy on your humble servant!¡± An officer, with a face et ashen as death, barged into Zhao Chen¡¯s office and knelt on the floor. He knew he had lost tens of thousands of men and had lost key defensive areas inside the city; this responsibility was enough for execution. So at this moment, he could only beg Zhao Chen for a way out.


    If Zhao Chen didn¡¯t give him any face, his entire family was likely doomed. Therefore, the general knelt with practiced ease and decisiveness.


    ¡°Get up! What kind of image do you present, panicking like this!¡± Zhao Chen walked over to help the pitiful, sniveling mess of a man, but before he could help him up, another person rushed in and knelt down.


    One after another, they burst in and knelt down, leaving Zhao Chen no longer wanting to help any of them up.


    So Zhao Chen could only walk back to his seat and, facing these high-ranking generals on their knees, asked, ¡°Well... gentlemen, what would you have me do?¡±


    ¡°Prince... We take the liberty to ask for your permission to let us atone for our crimes through meritorious deeds. Ten days! No! In five days, we will surely recapture the lost positions!¡± The leading general bowed his head quickly and conveyed the thoughts of these men.


    Indeed, their idea was simple: hide the matter before it was reported, then recapture the lost positions, and deal with it later!


    But Zhao Chen knew that most of the generals kneeling before him hardly had any troops left. So he asked out of curiosity, hoping to get a reasonable explanation.


    The more he heard, the angrier he became: these people were planning to borrow troops from the reinforcements: the reserve troops provided the soldiers for battle, the vacancies just right for pocketing unearned pay. And if they borrowed the troops and managed to fight back, they¡¯d lose some money at worst, but at least keep their heads.


    Zhao Chen, utterly exasperated, still left them some dignity: many were Zhao Kai¡¯s men, after all. If things really blew up, Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t escape blame and would surely be dealt with by Zhao Kai. So, in the end, Zhao Chen decided to join in the muddle, a situation of ¡®I¡¯m fine, you¡¯re fine, everybody¡¯s happy¡¯.


    The funny part came later: these generals ready to atone for their offenses went to borrow troops from the rear, only to find there was already a lot of corruption with phantom soldiers. The worst-hit units couldn¡¯t even muster a company¡¯s worth of soldiers from an entire battalion.


    The plan had to be reluctantly abandoned, and these Dahua Empire generals shamelessly went behind Zhao Chen¡¯s back to negotiate with the Fengjiang defensive forces.


    They paid money, even giving up a large portion of their supplies and ammunition as debt collateral, and bought back a part of the lost Fengjiang City district...


    You read that right; they paid to reclaim part of the ruined city district to close the issue. Then Zhao Chen had no choice but to sign off on their written reports, admitting that over the past two days, the Fengjiang insurrection had fiercely counterattacked, both sides suffered massive losses, and many Dahua military units had been devastated...

 Chapter 1070: 992-lined welcome

    Chapter 1070: 992-lined welcome


    A transport ship full of soldiers slowly docked at the Chu Country¡¯s most important Nanshan Port. The gangway was lowered, and one by one, soldiers descended from the deck and began to form lines on the pier.


    These soldiers wore different military uniforms compared to those of Chu Country. From the styles, it seemed as if the two groups belonged to different eras. The soldiers of the Great Tang Empire resembled those from the 1990s of Lighthouse Country, while Chu Country had a distinct 1939 German retro style.


    The uniforms of the Great Tang Empire soldiers were narrow-cuffed jacket styles, while the uniforms in Chu Country were still those provided by the Tang Empire, in a monochrome grey-green without any tightened cuff designs.


    Compared to the Great Tang Empire, Chu Country¡¯s uniforms seemed more like ceremonial attire, whereas the Tang Empire¡¯s soldiers had clearly distinguished between ceremonial and combat uniforms.


    Unfortunately, wealth allows for such caprice: the ordinary soldiers of the Great Tang Empire each had more than three sets of uniforms, including ceremonial attire for events, training uniforms for regular wear, and military camouflage for formal combat.


    Aside from the differences in camouflage, the soldiers of Chu Country wore the traditional high-waisted combat boots inherited from Germany ¨C these were Tang Empire¡¯s former standard issue, yet not very practical on the battlefield.


    The Tang Empire, however, had already adopted more modern mid-waist leather boots with soles made of synthetic materials, which were more durable and flexible, obviously more rational and easier to mass produce.


    The steel helmets worn by soldiers from the two sides were also entirely different; the Tang Empire soldiers were now commonly equipped with helmets made from synthetic materials, while Chu Country¡¯s soldiers wore the Tang¡¯s M35 Steel Helmets, which were aesthetically pleasing but less functional.


    Moreover, Chu Country lacked the tactical vest design that the Tang Empire possessed. They used the Y-straps that Tang had phased out but modified for Chu¡¯s specific operational environment.


    The Tang Empire, on the other hand, had already equipped their troops with tactical vests made from more breathable materials. If needed, these vests could also be fitted with ballistic steel plates to enhance the soldiers¡¯ protection.


    Furthermore, this type of vest could distribute weight, increase the carrying capacity of the troops, allocate equipment positions more effectively, and enhance soldiers¡¯ combat reaction speed.


    The soldiers of the Great Tang, fully armed from head to toe, disembarked one by one and formed into squadrons on the pier.


    Platoon and company leaders continuously barked orders, amidst which another transport ship at a dock specifically built by a Tang Empire construction crew slowly opened its lateral hatch.


    As the ramp was lowered, a Type 113 armored vehicle drove out of the ship¡¯s hull and onto the pier. The dock workers of Chu Country, who usually handled cargo at the pier, were utterly astonished by the scene in front of them, clueless about what was happening or why soldiers from the Tang Empire were there.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a suzerain country? Why are there so many soldiers here?¡± an old dock worker asked perplexedly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, haven¡¯t heard of any issues,¡± another dock worker muttered, watching more Type 113 armored vehicles leave the ship, slightly flustered.


    They weren¡¯t necessarily frightened by the Tang Empire¡¯s soldiers, as for the past two years, those unloading the cargo had already grown familiar and friendly with the approachable Tang crewmen.


    The visitors were rational, willing to pay, generous, and kind. Such people were easily welcomed, especially since many in Chu Country were hoping they could become one of the Tang People.


    Their shock stemmed from the fact that everything seemed fine yesterday, and suddenly today, so many soldiers had appeared: they weren¡¯t worried about becoming Tang People, they were worried about war breaking out in their homeland...


    Indeed, becoming a Tang Person was fine, but becoming a casualty before achieving that was a tragedy, wasn¡¯t it?


    Everyone watched the enormous transport ships ¡ª these two ships, not typically seen here, had a displacement of at least twenty to thirty thousand tons each, clearly something other countries couldn¡¯t produce.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Following that, from within the ship that continuously launched Type 113 armored vehicles, a Panther Tank slowly drove out and stopped behind a Type 113 armored vehicle.


    Then came the second Panther Tank, the third Panther Tank... The dockworkers watching grew increasingly astonished, while a squad of soldiers from the Great Tang Empire, pulled from the formation, had already reached the Chu Country¡¯s guard post on the pier.


    ¡°Commander! We have been notified...¡± The tone of the Chu Country duty officer carried a hint of reluctance, but he still extended his hand in friendship.


    The platoon leader from the Tang Empire also extended his hand and shook with the officer. Then, he stepped back, stood at attention, his salute crisp and precise: ¡°The handover ceremony can commence! Please pass the guard post to our military! Thank you for maintaining the order at Nanshan Port!¡±


    ¡°Now! You can stand down, we are taking over!¡± After saying this, the platoon leader from the Great Tang Empire once again stood at attention and saluted: ¡°Long live His Majesty The Emperor!¡±


    Although the order stated that the handover ceremony should take place at noon, the opposing Chu Country officer didn¡¯t fuss over the timing, also stood at attention and saluted, then side-stepped to vacate his position.


    In the entire guard post, all the soldiers of Chu Country were unarmed, their weapons had been transported out of the city yesterday.


    Smoothly, the Great Tang soldiers equipped with Type 56 assault rifles took their places inside the guardhouse, holding their rifles and looking into the distance, while the Chu Country soldiers who had vacated their positions earlier climbed onto a truck that had been prepared beforehand.


    According to the agreement reached between the Great Tang Empire and Chu Country, all facilities within Nanshan Port and all the lands outside the city within a certain range now belonged to the Great Tang Empire.


    This included pipelines extending into the port, railways connecting to Shu Country and Qin Country, and even all residents within this area, all had to be under the administration of the Great Tang Empire.


    Everyone inside Nanshan Port now automatically acquired citizenship of the Great Tang Empire, they must live under the laws of the Great Tang Empire in the future and enjoy the rights of an empire citizen, as well as fulfill the duties of an empire citizen.


    Right after the guard post handover was completed, a burst of cheers suddenly came from the dock. These were cheers from Chu Country dockworkers, who finally knew the truth.


    On the main roads, many people who knew about the impending takeover of Nanshan Port by the Great Tang Empire had already gathered at street corners, waiting for the thrilling moment.


    They saw the armored cars driving out from the dock, with the Dragon Banner of the Great Tang Empire draped on the front slant. People waved their arms towards the soldiers of the Great Tang Empire who were half out of the armored cars, cheering loudly.


    ¡°Long live the Great Tang Empire!¡± Someone initiated the slogan, and the streets filled with People of Chu started chanting along, the slogan echoing continuously like thunderous waves: ¡°Long live the Great Tang Empire! Long live His Majesty The Emperor!¡±


    In a corner florist, the lady owner, with a basket in hand, rushed to the side of the convoy and threw a handful of flower petals at the soldiers in the armored cars.


    Her action scared many because the low-ranking commanders of the Great Tang Empire behind the armored vehicles knew very well that they were loaded with live ammunition.


    Before the operation, during the meeting called by the battalion commander on the ship, it was emphasized numerous times that they might encounter resistance and civilian attacks, reminding everyone to be cautious of their safety.


    This kind of meeting had all the soldiers of the Great Tang Empire landing at the docks extremely tense, until they saw a group of dockworkers weeping with joy.


    With the florist starting to throw petals, things began to walk on a knife-edge afterwards. People began poking their heads out from buildings gradually, cheering and waving their arms, and many began humming songs from the Great Tang Empire.


    The situation looked out of control, with so many windows and crowds piled up on the streets, the soldiers responsible for security could hardly keep up.


    However, the feared rooftop snipers and situations of stones being thrown at the troops of the Great Tang Empire did not occur, forcing them to lower their guard and slack off.


    Jokingly, if the streets had been empty, they could have performed their security tasks, but now with tens of thousands of people on the street, their eyes were simply not enough, what else could they do but slack off?


    Seeing that they had passed one street, and there were even more civilians on the second street. People on both sides of the street were singing various popular songs from the Great Tang Empire, anyone unknowing might even think it was a victory parade.


    The bakery owner rushed to the side of the formation, stuffing bread into the soldiers¡¯ arms one by one. Seeing him do this, the owner of a bun shop began to follow suit.


    And that wasn¡¯t even the most bizarre part, people began forcibly offering various odd types of food regardless of what they were selling, and soon someone grabbed noodles and stuffed them directly into a soldier¡¯s arms.


    The sauce from the noodles splashed all over the soldier, with many noodles hanging directly on the ammunition pouches on the soldier¡¯s chest, making the soldier wryly smile, wave his hand in refusal, yet someone stuffed an egg into his hand.


    ¡°Great Tang! Great Tang! Great Tang!¡± Someone somehow found a giant Dragon Banner of the Great Tang Empire, and just draped it from the rooftop beside the street, covering an entire wall of the building.


    Because the bottom hadn¡¯t been secured yet, the giant Dragon Banner began fluttering with the wind, pushing the celebrating crowd below to a climax.


    ¡°They are welcoming us! Can you believe it?¡± a soldier asked his comrades incredulously. His comrade was busy eating a burger given to him by some civilian, waving at a group of beautiful women in the distance, not bothering to pay attention to his friend nearby.

 Chapter 1071: 993 they like me

    Chapter 1071: 993 they like me


    Suddenly, a girl in a white dress burst through the crowd, rushing towards a platoon leader of the Great Tang Empire, who was walking alongside the troops, waving to the crowd.


    Amidst the laughter and cheers of everyone, the girl bravely hugged the platoon leader of the Great Tang Empire and planted a kiss directly on his cheek.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Many people in the crowd let out cheers, followed by laughter. The brave girl blushed and fled back into the crowd, while the platoon leader of the Great Tang Empire awkwardly wiped the saliva off his cheek among the laughter.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t anyone kissing me?¡± In the ranks, the young soldiers started to tease their platoon leader. Such opportunities were rare when they could make fun of their leader without him getting angry.


    The culture of the Dahua Empire and its associated vassal states has always leaned toward conservatism. The girls here are nowhere near as open as those on the Eastern Continent, so public displays of affection like street kissing are rare.


    But once someone takes the lead, shyness is cast aside and disappears. Many people from Chu Country know that in the Great Tang Empire, being a soldier is a symbol of honor!


    In the Great Tang Empire, those respected officials are almost exclusively from a military background; in the Great Tang Empire, the nobility with high social standing are all people of distinguished military merit; even those handsome and dashing superstars on the big screen were once soldiers!


    To marry a soldier is seen as supremely noble in the eyes of the women of Tang Country. Military wives in the Great Tang Empire receive treatment that women from other countries can scarcely imagine, so forming a family with a soldier is the dream of many women from Tang Country.


    ¡°They like me!¡± A soldier from the Great Tang Empire looked up proudly as he saw a young girl at a building window waving at his unit and boasted to his comrades.


    ¡°Is it you they like, or is it the clothes you¡¯re wearing?¡± his comrade threw a wet blanket on him, ¡°Wait until you marry her, and then if you get a First-Class Blade Medal, she¡¯ll love you even more.¡±


    The First-Class Blade Medal of the Great Tang Empire is basically only awarded to soldiers who have made significant contributions and sacrifices, receiving the First-Class Blade Medal is one of the best ¡°blessings¡± there is.


    ¡°Screw you!¡± The young soldier exclaimed as he waved back to the girl waving at him from the high-rise window while cursing under his breath.


    Some things are just missed opportunities, as most of the soldiers who come here already have families back in their home country: after all, soldiers in the Great Tang Empire are very popular, and it¡¯s rare to find a single one.


    Even if they were single before enlisting, soldiers are immediately greeted with match-making visitors when they return home on leave: no way around it, women eager to acquire citizenship of the Great Tang Empire are as plentiful as fish crossing the river, and it¡¯s all about competing for the position.


    Elegant elves, cute and sweet cat-eared girls... without a dance or other talent, without some kind of family heritage, it¡¯s rather difficult to marry into citizenship through a Great Tang soldier.


    So the civilians of Nanshan Port are so frenzied, so excited. Because without any effort, they have become legitimate citizens of the Great Tang Empire!


    Do you know what citizenship of the Great Tang Empire means? It means that they no longer have to suffer the oppression of the nobility, no longer have to live humbly and meekly; they can be dignified people, even working at the docks moving boxes they can be real people!


    The landlords who exploited them have been eradicated in the Great Tang Empire, and those old nobles who bullied the locals are also going to be purged and expelled. For an ordinary person, the Great Tang Empire is heaven, the ¡°Utopia¡± they yearn for.


    From today on, as the crew of the Great Tang Empire said, they can live in peace by paying just one type of tax according to their income. They don¡¯t have to pay a ¡°female tax¡± for having daughters, or a ¡°head tax¡± for having sons...


    Farmers who don¡¯t need to pay taxes receive subsidies, those opening factories get technical guidance and enjoy tax rebate policies.


    When doing business, they no longer need to act obsequiously because the other party is a noble, nor do they need to bow and scrape when having disputes with merchants from other countries...


    What¡¯s better than these things? What¡¯s more exciting than a future full of hope?


    So they cheered, they frantically waved their arms. They shouted, calling out ever louder ¡®Long live the Great Tang Empire!¡¯, calling out ever louder ¡®Long live His Majesty The Emperor.¡¯


    At that moment, in their hearts, there was only one His Majesty The Emperor, and there should only be one Emperor in the whole world! That is the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire, the only Emperor they acknowledge!


    As the soldiers of the Great Tang Empire walked down street after street, nearing the outskirts of Nanshan Port, they suddenly realized that they had indeed been subjected to the most intense ¡°assault¡± along the way.


    Their military uniforms were already in a disheveled state, with some soldiers holding eggs, some holding bananas, and others pineapples.


    Many people had bits of food stuck to their clothes, with some smudged with sauces and others with soup broth; many had grease stains at the corners of their mouths.


    What was most contemptible was that some soldiers even had lipstick smudges on their cheeks, while some were left holding empty beer mugs, unsure where to return them.


    After reluctantly ceding Nanshan Port, Xiong Biao kept a low profile, readying small tricks to trip up the Great Tang Empire¡¯s receiving troops¡ªonly to see his plans easily shattered.


    He had intended for the utterly confused civilians to ¡°warmly¡± welcome the arriving troops from Tang Country. In doing so, he hoped that the people, in their rage, would throw stones and tiles, prompting the soldiers of the Great Tang Empire to fire back in self-defense.


    The streets would be a scene of chaos, and the entirety of Nanshan Port would turn into a muddled mess due to the handover! That arrogant Emperor of the Great Tang Empire would also feel the hostility from within Chu Country through this incident.


    At that time, the Great Tang Empire would have to rely on Chu Country to pacify Nanshan Port, which in turn, would make the policymakers of the Great Tang Empire somewhat wary of the public sentiment within Chu Country.


    Alas, everything he had hoped for didn¡¯t happen; the local troops stationed there didn¡¯t even leave Nanshan Port.


    After handing over their defensive positions, they simply took off their military uniforms and went straight home to celebrate. Some were even more outrageous¡ªthey didn¡¯t bother taking off their uniforms and went to welcome the new forces¡ªcaught by cameramen, who recorded it as rare historical footage: a group of soldiers wearing M35 Steel Helmets and gray-green military uniforms waving their hands to welcome the ¡°Liberation Army¡± of the new millennium...


    What infuriated Xiong Biao the most was that several high-ranking military officials and key court officials quietly used their information advantage to move their entire family into Nanshan City beforehand.


    Yes, they were now ¡°foreigners.¡± And to Chu Country, they were damned people of the esteemed heavenly nation.


    Right, indeed, many of Chu Country¡¯s high officials had used this method to obtain citizenship in the Great Tang Empire. They had transformed overnight from old bureaucratic families of Chu Country into legitimate citizens of the Great Tang Empire.


    They even abandoned the Chu Country official positions they once valued immensely, with many fleeing overnight, leaving their official seals and robes in the offices.


    Initially planning to catch the Great Tang Empire off guard, now it was Chu Country that was caught unprepared. Now, Xiong Biao had to seriously consider where to find so many officials to take over the vast swathes of land in the north of Shu Country.


    Under the joint pressure of the Great Tang Empire, Chu Country, and Qin Country, the Shu Country had already pulled most of its troops out of the Northern Region.


    According to the secret agreement between Qin Country and the Great Tang Empire, this area was originally supposed to be handed over to Chu Country in exchange for giving Nanshan Port to the Great Tang Empire. But now, looking at the nearly defenseless northern territories of Shu Country, Qin Country couldn¡¯t help but make a move.


    They occupied part of the region that was supposed to be given to Chu Country and, using the excuse of helping suppress local insurgencies and stabilize trade routes, they seized these areas.


    Chu Country had been reluctant to exchange Nanshan Port to begin with; now they were absolutely livid. King of Chu, Xiong Biao, sent envoys to Qin Country to demand an explanation, while also telegraphing envoys in Chang¡¯an to seek help from the Great Tang Empire.


    The Great Tang Empire, busy calming the public in Nanshan Port, was content to encourage Qin Country¡¯s arrogance, ignoring Chu Country¡¯s requests. Of course, it¡¯s unclear whether there was any intentional chastisement from the Great Tang Empire towards Chu Country.


    Chu Country¡¯s petty actions during the handover in Nanshan Port could have annoyed the Great Tang Empire. Therefore, Xiong Biao could only play dumb and accept the Great Tang Empire¡¯s indifference to Qin Country¡¯s crossing of borders.


    Ying Duo waited for a response from the Great Tang Empire, believing they would not want to be dragged into the diplomatic incidents of their vassal state, Chu Country, and so became even more unbridled.


    The promise to only take the Northern Region of Shu Country, which had been agreed upon with the Great Tang Empire, was cast aside by Ying Duo and his generals; Qin Country¡¯s forces began to attack the Shu Mountain defenses with no signs of stopping.


    Chu Country, upset by Qin Country¡¯s occupation of one-third of ¡°Chu¡¯s territories¡± in the north of Shu Country, began to support Shu Country secretly. Suddenly, the entire Southern Region of the Western Continent transformed from a two-country struggle into a ¡°Romance of the Three Kingdoms,¡± the battles raging with fervor.


    With the civil war in the Dahua Empire, peace seemed to have vanished from the Western Continent, with only the most powerful Great Tang showing disinterest in the war. After acquiring Nanshan Port, they began to isolate themselves, indifferent to the fighting amongst neighboring countries.


    While the Western Continent was in chaos, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s transport ships, loaded with all kinds of advanced munitions, delivered radar and Scud Missiles along with other weapons purchased by countries of the Eastern Continent directly into their military¡¯s hands.


    The countries that acquired these advanced weapons were overjoyed. Following the blueprints sold to them by the Great Tang Empire, they began constructing countless radar stations on their own territories...

 Chapter 1072: Meet once for 994

    Chapter 1072: Meet once for 994


    In the office beside the grand council hall of Kangrao, King City of Shu Country, a woman so beautifully out of place sat next to Speaker Liu Jing, the two of them chatting and laughing about something.


    No one knew the origin of this woman; she was simply too stunning to forget, leaving an indelible impression on the servants.


    Many of the officials, who prided themselves on their wide-ranging experiences and claimed to have encountered countless beauties, had to starkly admit their own ignorance after merely brushing past this woman.


    After delivering two cups of black tea, a servant, whose face blushed with excitement from a simple thank you, had just stepped out when several people asked him about the woman inside the room.


    But he knew nothing, as he really only dared to carry the teacups in, set them on the coffee table in front of the woman, and then hurriedly excused himself after receiving her pleasant thank you.


    Yes, pleasant... He pondered long and hard, the only ordinary word that came to mind: her voice was really pleasant, the kind that made him tremble with excitement.


    Inside the room, observing his subordinate¡¯s loss of composure, Liu Jing gave a soft cough and restarted the conversation: ¡°Our interests align, at least in our hatred for the Great Tang Empire, where our interests are one and the same.¡±


    After losing a large portion of its northern territory, Shu Country¡¯s national strength was undoubtedly much weaker. Liu Jing was very aware that he and those greedy, lustful members of Shu¡¯s council would probably never reclaim their ancestral lands in their lifetimes.


    Being a speaker in Shu Country, Liu Jing was obviously no fool; not only was he not a fool, but he was also a smart man. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have hurriedly arranged a visit to the Great Tang Empire; if he had actually gone to Great Tang, Shu¡¯s current situation might have been a lot better.


    Since Liu Jing was a smart man, he was certainly capable of analyzing what role the Great Tang Empire had recently played amidst a series of upheavals.


    Recently, as Chu Country began occupying large swathes of Shu¡¯s northern lands, envoys from the Great Tang Empire were active throughout Shu Country. Even a fool could see that the entire incident, if not orchestrated by the Great Tang Empire, was certainly permitted by them.


    Thus, in Shu Country, protests against the Great Tang Empire erupted¡ªa movement which, unfortunately, turned out quite ineffectively, embarrassing the people of Shu Country themselves.


    Indeed, the protesting citizens of Shu quickly realized that their cars used components from the Great Tang Empire, their houses were built with cement produced by factories that Great Tang companies established locally.


    Without the products of the Great Tang Empire, they would nearly be reverting to a primal age: their previous way of life had already been thoroughly infiltrated by the technology of the Great Tang.


    You say you want to live in a wooden house? Well, the logging equipment is all produced by the Great Tang Group. You say you want to eat the food of the past, will you use the MSG and soy sauce produced by the Great Tang Group?


    The factories owned by Shu merchants manufacturing national products were all equipped with machinery imported from the Great Tang Empire, and they had just spent a great deal of money on them; would you just smash them with a single word? Are you joking?


    Moreover, boycotting products of the Great Tang Empire was inherently contradictory to the already established global industrial supply chain. As the world¡¯s provider of advanced technology, boycotting the Great Tang Empire was essentially no different from self-castration.


    Sofia came to Shu Country amidst its internal troubles and consecutive defeats on the battlefield. She had always been active in the shadows, hoping to foster an Anti-Tang Alliance in the Western Continent.


    However, the outcomes of such efforts were meager since a previous Anti-Tang Alliance had already been crushed, and Dahua Empire, having suffered the most, witnessed Zhao Kai lose faith in confronting the Great Tang Empire head-on.


    At the same time, the regions stealthily targeted by the Great Tang Empire coincided with those of the Dahua Empire, hence Sofia¡¯s activities here were continuously repressed by the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire; she dared not expose herself due to the absolute difference in strength, which she had no means of reversing.


    Subsequently, a civil war broke out in the Dahua Empire, and Qin Country invaded Shu Country. As a result, the plans for an Anti-Tang Alliance had aborted and could not be carried out.


    Yet, Sofia still seized the opportunity to come to Shu Country, seeking a more reliable and powerful ally: Shu Country, which was also laid bare on the dining table by the Great Tang Empire!


    Hearing Liu Jing¡¯s words, Sofia smiled seductively in agreement: ¡°We must unite, all who oppose Tang Mo, all those opposed to Tang Mo¡¯s persecution of the established upper class should come together! We must show Tang Mo our strength is enough to devour his!¡±


    She, of course, was aware that many old merchants and nobility of Shu Country were naturally against the established policies of the Great Tang Empire. According to Tang Mo¡¯s policies, all of Shu¡¯s existing old bureaucrats, old nobility, and old merchants, as well as all landlord and gentry classes, were to be utterly purged and eradicated.


    This is something Shu Country cannot tolerate, so when Sofia says this, it is equivalent to uniting the forces that are naturally hostile to Tang Country.


    In order to win over Liu Jing, Sofia even used the term ¡°we¡±: ¡°The expansion of Tang Country must be contained. The more territories ruled by Tang Mo, the more his political ideas will be accepted by people, and that is unfavorable for us!¡±


    Sitting across from her, Liu Jing also very much agrees with Sofia¡¯s viewpoint. He is also extremely dissatisfied with the behavior of the Great Tang Empire: ¡°The fragmentation of Dahua, along with the invasion of Shu Country by Qin Country, these vivid examples tell us that the Great Tang Empire cannot bring peace; it is chaos and a threat in itself!¡±


    In the eyes of Shu Country, a strong regional power, at least one that appears strong on the surface, is a good leader for maintaining regional stability.


    The Dahua Empire is an excellent ¡°suzerain.¡± This suzerain only needs to be paid some respects and then behave as a proud celestial empire, honestly mediating conflicts among smaller brothers, acting as a frightening judge is enough.


    Its existence should not threaten the survival of surrounding smaller nations, nor should it harbor ambitions for territories and populations.


    But the Great Tang Empire is not like this. Liu Jing can see that the newly risen Great Tang Empire and the already declining and decadent Dahua Empire are entirely different; Emperor Tang Mo of the Great Tang Empire has an almost obstinate instinct for expansion and control. He hopes to gain more territory, and the courtiers of the Great Tang Empire are also more willing to display their achievements in this way.


    An empire like this is dangerous. Nanshan Port of Chu Country is an example: the act of exchanging other countries¡¯ territories for land that one desires is in itself a strong demand that provokes resentment and apprehension among neighboring countries.


    Qin Country, Dahua, and all other nations in the world, there is none that does not dread the Great Tang Empire. It¡¯s just that the Great Tang Empire is truly too powerful ¨C so potent that it took on the world single-handedly during the first Anti-Tang war.


    Although countries of the Eastern Continent hardly exerted any effort in that war, the formidable combat power of the Great Tang Empire indeed struck terror into all participating nations.


    As one of the main characters in the last war, the Dahua Empire even lost a large expanse of territory and had its backbone broken, unable to recover even up to now.


    The whole world has long suffered from the ¡°Great Tang headache,¡± but there¡¯s nothing to be done about it. If there truly appears a hope of overthrowing the Great Tang Empire, I believe everyone will give it a try.


    This is also the reason why Liu Jing personally receives Sofia: as long as one adheres to the Anti-Tang stance, they are naturally allies. Apart from those from the Great Tang Empire, no one in this world likes this country.


    In fact, if truth be told, the common people of other countries might also like Tang Country ¨C more precisely, they like to become Tang People... but this is a bit like slapping one¡¯s own face, so the nobility, landlords, kings, and ministers of various countries would surely never admit it.


    As the two of them discussed this, Liu Jing shook his head with a hint of helplessness and lamented, ¡°Its technology is too powerful; we simply cannot shake off its influence! Shu Country has always been trying to find an independent path, but the greed of the Great Tang Empire has destroyed all our hopes.¡±


    He recalled the series of farces in Shu Country a few days ago and spoke with feeling, ¡°The Great Tang Empire even has many secret weapons that would only be brought out during war...¡±


    This is also another main reason why the new Anti-Tang Alliance has been unable to form: last time the Anti-Tang Alliance brought out submarines and torpedoes, directly causing the vast Anti-Tang Alliance Fleet to collapse.


    At the same time, they brought out advanced airplanes and tanks, grinding the seemingly invincible Dahua Empire into the ground.


    Who can guarantee that in the next war, the Great Tang Empire won¡¯t bring out some new tricks and make the nations of the world taste defeat once again?


    So even if they collude in secret, a formal Anti-Tang Alliance still cannot be established openly. Because everyone does not wish to become a sacrificial offering to the powerful military might of the Great Tang Empire.


    After all, numerous recent rumors about the Great Tang Empire have been quite detailed: some have heard the sound of dragon¡¯s chants near Dragon Island; others claim to have seen Great Tang Empire¡¯s aircraft in places too remote from any island for planes to appear.


    In short, many countries speculate that the Great Tang Empire is manufacturing new war weapons on Dragon Island, and none want to become the first target of these weapons.


    How many times have they thought they purchased new equipment, believed they had closed the gap, and then turned around to be defeated by Tang Mo? From breech-loading rifles to breech-loading cannons, from airships to airplanes, from cars to tanks, and recently, the Great Tang Empire introduced missile and radar equipment, even using long-range missiles to attack the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire... How many times has this happened? Probably even fools no longer believe the Great Tang Empire doesn¡¯t have another trick up its sleeve.

 Chapter 1073: 995 new collaboration

    Chapter 1073: 995 new collaboration


    Speaking of this, Sofia is truly a professional. When she was competing with Tang Mo in the Shireck Consortium, she had already been contemplating such issues.


    Therefore, she immediately spoke eloquently and expressed her opinion: ¡°First and foremost, we must establish a secret technological research and development organization to reinitiate competition with the Great Tang Group in technology. We must regain control over key technologies, as that is the key to victory!¡±


    In fact, it was nothing more than the same old rhetoric: hiring people to analyze and learn, hiring people to research newer technologies. If that doesn¡¯t work, arrange for trusted individuals to further their studies at the university established by Tang Mo and learn advanced technological expertise.


    Shireck had done the same in his early years, and after breaking free from Shireck¡¯s influence, nearly all the newly risen empires followed suit.


    All these countries sent their young elite talents to study in the Great Tang Empire. Apart from the political reforms that were impossible to replicate, they were eager to learn everything about the Great Tang Empire.


    Differently, Sofia turned the overt dispatch for learning into covert theft: ¡°I already have a plan. We have invested in many areas and redirected the profits back into the technology sector, cultivating talents in many areas without the knowledge of the Great Tang Group!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t completely truthful, as the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire had already noticed traces of Sofia¡¯s clandestine activities.


    But since we¡¯re seeking allies now, it¡¯s better to portray oneself as more formidable, at least to enhance one¡¯s value and gain greater benefits. Everyone is grown up, who would speak without reservation during negotiations?


    Honesty is something that¡¯s occasionally tried when the strengths are roughly equal, and there are greater interests to pursue, almost like a small tactic in negotiation. Besides, so-called honesty is just mostly telling the truth.


    ¡°We must send enough people to learn the advanced technology of the Great Tang Group, go to the Great Tang Empire to study, and bring back the advanced technology and management expertise!¡± Finally, after introducing her series of either successful or failed technological theft operations, Sofia summarized.


    It must be said that over the years, the students from various countries who returned after completing their studies indeed brought back to their nations many of the advanced technologies and experiences introduced to the world by Tang Mo.


    Society, after all, is continuously developing and advancing, and the Great Tang Group doesn¡¯t walk the old path of the Shireck Consortium; its development draws on experiences and lessons summarized from Earth civilization before Tang Mo¡¯s transmigration.


    In terms of expansion and development, the Great Tang Group is truly too advanced. Tang Mo¡¯s ways are entirely unfamiliar to others in this world, so there¡¯s simply no way to even begin talking about resistance.


    The downside of this system, which belongs to capital, is that the technology spills over at an alarmingly fast rate!


    Compared to Shireck¡¯s secretive and protective model, Great Tang Group has gone to the opposite extreme: It doesn¡¯t exclusively focus on secrecy, but instead uses technology as a means to make money and hasten its own development.


    The entire world benefits from this ¡°Great Tang Group¡± approach, and compared to twenty years ago, the development speed of the whole world has escalated to a new level.


    Even if the Great Tang Empire no longer provides any new technology, the world will continue to aggressively conduct self-developed technological research. The mode has already been changed by the Great Tang Empire, thus the march of progress will not stop.


    Countries around the world that have acquired advanced technology and have a foundation of talents, have essentially achieved self-innovation: although outdated management models are still a significant constraint, technological advancements have already improved the lives of the common people.


    This world has become more difficult to conquer on the one hand, but on the other hand, it is endlessly developing in a direction Tang Mo hoped for: for the Great Tang Empire, this world is becoming increasingly amiable and aligning with its tastes.


    For a powerful empire, only the wealthiest regions are worth conquering and controlling. If the rest of the world were barren, what reason would the Great Tang Empire have to continue its expansion? To offer poverty relief?


    ¡°Hearing your introduction, I feel as if I see hope! When the Great Tang Empire¡¯s technological development hits a bottleneck, we will have the opportunity to close the gap! As long as we seize these opportunities, we can surpass the Great Tang Empire.¡± Liu Jing was very satisfied with Sofia¡¯s action plan and nodded continuously in praise.


    He then continued, ¡°I agree with these ideas, but I must sadly emphasize that the Great Tang Empire¡¯s dominant position in the Western Continent has been established, and we have no way to stop its rise.¡±


    In Liu Jing¡¯s view, the current turmoil in the Western Continent has already made it impossible for the countries there to unite.


    Therefore, he regretfully added, ¡°Qin Country is now the only country that might be capable of blocking the Great Tang Empire. The Dahua Empire has declined, Chu Country has no hope, and Shu Country is struggling to protect itself... However, Qin Country clearly cannot stop the expansion of the Great Tang Empire. I believe Qin Country can only delay the expansion, and we must do something before the Great Tang Empire completely devours the Dahua Empire.¡±


    ¡°That does not matter, everything in the Western Continent can be abandoned! But the Eastern Continent remains our natural fortress! Even the Great Tang Empire cannot cross the Endless Sea and cause trouble back in the Eastern Continent.¡± Over the past few years in the Western Continent, Sofia has made assessments and plans, so she of course saw that there was no way out for the Western Continent.


    Therefore, she set her sights on the Eastern Continent, and in her heart, the Eastern Continent, separated by thousands of miles from the Great Tang Empire, is her, or rather, the world¡¯s last hope!


    ¡°All the monarchs of the Eastern Continent are wise, and they will guard against the Great Tang Empire, especially one that has already unified the Western Continent!¡± She continued to speak about a series of arrangements she had made in the Eastern Continent: ¡°They will watch their coastlines to prevent the Great Tang Empire from doing whatever it wants! I will secretly foster alliances between the emperors of the Eastern Continent, making them unbreakable allies, collectively resisting the threat of the Great Tang Empire!¡±


    In Sofia¡¯s view, no matter how powerful the Great Tang Empire is, it cannot possibly manage an ocean-spanning landing back to the Eastern Continent backed by the Endless Sea.


    Thus, she was confident that the Eastern Continent is safe: ¡°Of course, just forming alliances is not enough; they can be divided, disintegrated, bought off... Therefore, we must further integrate all the resources of the Eastern Continent before the Great Tang Empire defeats Qin Country!¡±


    One of Sofia¡¯s achievements in the Western Continent was the parliamentary system of Shu Country: She felt that the imperial system had no future and that a nobility parliamentary system could better redistribute interests.


    Therefore, she was very keen on Liu Jing as a person; she felt that Liu Jing should have a larger stage in the Eastern Continent: ¡°I saw hope in Shu Country, their parliamentary system is more advanced than the traditional imperial system! And more inclusive! I think we can establish a completely different country, using a more advanced system to counter the threat of the Great Tang Empire!¡±


    ¡°After spending so many years, we have planted numerous seeds in the Eastern Continent. Rather than focusing on the Western Continent, it¡¯s better to seek the light in the Eastern Continent!¡± She drew a grand blueprint for Liu Jing, or rather, painted a huge pie: ¡°As long as we cultivate, these seeds will surely bear the fruit we desire! A new alliance, resisting the Great Tang Empire, will be born! And you, Mr. Speaker, will become one of the most important leaders of this alliance!¡±


    Liu Jing also considered a backup plan for himself, so he immediately made his choice: ¡°You really have worked hard! For the sake of this world, you have indeed made many sacrifices. I understand you very well and support you! I hope you continue with even greater effort, helping Shu Country, and also helping me personally to get revenge!¡±


    ¡°Revenge... indeed, we should take revenge on Tang Country!¡± Mentioning revenge, Sofia¡¯s eyes also filled with hatred.


    ¡°A new flame will burn within the Great Tang Empire, and this civil war in Dahua has given us many new insights.¡± She showed a slight smile on her sinister face, for she had found another way to destroy Tang Mo.


    This plan is to destroy Tang Mo¡¯s legacy, transforming everything Tang Mo has left into dust after he leaves the historical stage: ¡°Since Tang Mo as a monarch is flawless and he has the power to change the world, we can start from his descendants! No one is immune to the erosion of power, Tang Mo¡¯s descendants will crave more power, and that is our opportunity to breach their fortresses!¡±


    As Sofia spoke, she again used the word ¡®we¡¯ to pull Liu Jing closer: ¡°In this regard, we have plenty of time, and we can lie low and wait for the right moment! My descendants, your descendants, can wait until Tang Mo dies! When that time comes, everything we represent will rise again and become the rulers of this world!¡±


    Liu Jing was not surprised, and he reached out to get on board Sofia¡¯s ¡®pirate ship¡¯: ¡°Well then... I am willing to join, and work together with Miss Sofia, to strive for the destruction of the Great Tang Empire... It¡¯s a pleasure to collaborate!¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to think about it, because the power taken away by the Great Tang Empire, he must somehow regain elsewhere, right? Why would he refuse when Sofia offered such an opportunity?


    Sofia also extended her hand, and clasped it with Liu Jing¡¯s: ¡°Your contributions will be remembered by the whole world in the future! Mr. Speaker. A pleasure to collaborate!¡±

 Chapter 1074: 996 because of human nature

    Chapter 1074: 996 because of human nature


    The most prosperous harbor of the Great Tang Empire, Linshui.


    This is a beautiful and enormous harbor city, surrounded by towering colored television broadcast towers, with a cluster of buildings over thirty stories high already erected around them. These buildings are majestic and their designs are novel, forming a beautiful skyline.


    Frankly speaking, the development of Linshui really has many similarities with Shanghai, its geographical location is excellent, the economy is booming with trade development, and it has also received strong support from the upper echelons of the Great Tang Empire.


    To say that this place is blessed with outstanding people and a splendid environment is no exaggeration; every detail here represents advancement, and every change symbolizes the future.


    The newly appointed governor of Linshui¡ªnow to be called Mayor Halis¡ªhas a clear mind and is extremely capable, so the development of Linshui is truly progressing at an astonishing pace.


    Three months ago, the Great Tang Empire underwent official reforms, changing some positions into forms familiar to Tang Mo, turning governors who held the same rank as City Lords and managed a city into mayors.


    Unlike other mayors, the administrative level of Linshui is equivalent to that of a province, therefore Mayor Halis of Linshui holds a very high rank.


    In Linshui, factories are densely packed and the city¡¯s urbanization process is exceedingly rapid, with the construction of the subway starting just three days later than in the capital, Chang¡¯an.


    Indeed, the Great Tang Empire has begun subway construction projects in its major cities, which not only serve as part of civil defense projects but will also greatly enhance the efficiency of urban operations in the future.


    Logically, such a huge project should not be easy to undertake, but after years of training, the construction teams of the Great Tang Empire are vast in scale and masterful in technique, so digging a tunnel is truly a piece of cake for them.


    Despite the Great Tang Empire¡¯s inability to manufacture large tunnel boring machines, with the presence of Orc and Goblin laborers, direct excavation efficiency is barely sufficient.


    It¡¯s actually quite funny when other countries around the world are digging air-raid shelters in their major cities, the Great Tang Empire is also digging ¡ª except it¡¯s building subways...


    As an economic pilot city, Linshui enjoys numerous policy advantages in economic aspects. Halis has the right to directly amend laws, which is the very purpose of Linshui¡¯s pilot project.


    Of course, as a favorite student of His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang Empire, Halis¡¯s abilities and experience are unparalleled: he has work experience in Brunas and Dragon Island and has also learned a great deal of new theory from Tang Mo, so managing Linshui is not a difficult task for him.


    In his efforts to cultivate more qualified talents for the Empire, Halis often takes the time to give pointers to his subordinates outside work hours, enabling them to fully grasp the significant meaning behind the work they handle.


    Upon seeing the application report for the alliance of Linshui commercial groups submitted by his secretary, a look of disdain appeared on Halis¡¯s face: ¡°The rights of workers must be safeguarded, this is fundamental to the stability of the Empire! We must limit the expansion and development of capital, although monopoly brings huge profits, it¡¯s a path of self-destruction we cannot take.¡±


    ¡°If you want workers to do more, then pay them more! Nothing speaks louder than improving their wages and benefits. While it¡¯s not advocated to solve all problems with pay raises, reasonable compensation is the premise of everything.¡± He sneered at the requests made in the commercial group alliance report and tossed it aside dismissively.


    Then, he turned to his secretary and advised, ¡°Corporate culture is built on the premise of meeting the basic needs of employees. What are basic needs? That¡¯s ensuring their salaries and wages allow them to live better lives.¡±


    The fact that he has a secretary means that person is also perceptive, just much younger and without as much work experience as Halis.


    Halis himself is also quite young; his children haven¡¯t even started elementary school this year ¡ª yes, his wife, who used to be Sofia¡¯s maid, bore him a pair of twin boys.


    ¡°A merchant may not consider the social benefits that his employed workers need, but we as officials must consider everything comprehensively. A factory sustains workers, but these workers in turn sustain schools, hospitals, markets... If we don¡¯t calculate their surplus in advance, then the operation of the entire society will come to a standstill.¡± Already overly familiar with these matters from his time at Dragon Island, Halis was no longer surprised by such demands.


    ¡°Wolf culture? Bullshit wolf culture, it¡¯s just a slogan. In my view, it¡¯s complete deception. A wolf travels a thousand miles to feed on meat, a dog travels a thousand miles to eat shit! If workers don¡¯t get their share of meat, how can they display any ¡®wolf spirit¡¯?¡± He gestured for his secretary to find a seat and then lit a cigarette for himself.


    Not everyone is afraid of having their lungs full of tar. Harry¡¯s family status is obviously a bit higher than Tang Mo¡¯s, as he can at least afford not to quit smoking.


    After lighting the cigarette for the leader, the secretary sat across from Harry, also eager to know how his boss would deal with these increasingly arrogant business groups.


    ¡°The so-called wolf culture should genuinely ¡®feed meat¡¯ to the workers! Place the meat in front of all the wolves first, then talk about punishment and rewards. Do you expect a group of workers to kill each other over benefits when there¡¯s only one pancake to share, or not even a pancake?¡± Harry let out a puff of smoke and laughed sarcastically, ¡°Cut it out, when a company starts considering cutting the lunch budget for the workers, they deserve to perish!¡±


    ¡°If a company really advocates wolf culture, then the first thing to do is to abolish the ridiculous clock-in-and-out attendance system! Have you ever seen a pack of wolves lining up to punch in for work?¡± he said: ¡°It was my teacher who first shouted out about wolf culture, he said Great Tang Group doesn¡¯t support idlers.¡±


    He paused, then emphasized again: ¡°But His Majesty also said, a wolf that catches rabbits is a good wolf. All those jobs of sitting in chairs and reading newspapers, no matter how much you emphasize wolf culture, it¡¯s nothing more than refining office politics.¡±


    ¡°So... this request?¡± The secretary knew that the businessmen¡¯s proposal to rationalize overtime seemed likely to be rejected.


    Indeed, Harry directly voiced his opinion: ¡°Rejected! What do you mean by relaxing overtime regulations? What¡¯s this voluntary nonsense? Amend the laws? If a worker works more than 10 hours a day, what time do they have left for procreation? What time do they have left to dine out? What time do they have to watch movies?¡±


    He took another drag on his cigarette and then continued rhetorically: ¡°If we don¡¯t mandate at least 4 days off per month, how will workers spend their earnings?


    ¡°Is it only the factories in the entire Empire that make money? What if the flower shop on the roadside gets no customers? Who bears the loss if bakeries and restaurants lose business? Were the railways and roads built by national investment intended solely for businessmen to transport goods and materials?¡± After a series of rhetorical questions, Harry stared at his secretary, waiting for a response.


    ¡°This...¡± Clearly, the secretary did not have the answers to these questions.


    Harry didn¡¯t give the secretary too long to think, he gestured to himself and continued: ¡°The parties involved only see their own interests, but we need to see the interests of the whole! More factories and longer hours do not necessarily bring higher benefits to society! Only when everything circulates and supports each other, can there be healthy development and progress!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re carefully discussing the feasibility of one and a half days off each week, that¡¯s why we¡¯re so strict about the overtime cap in factories! That¡¯s why we establish labor supervision departments to oversee all factories and companies... to possibly prevent businessmen from oppressing workers, increasing working hours, and exploiting employees.¡± Having said that, he put the cigarette back in his mouth.


    He¡¯s only in his thirties this year, and as the mayor of a super-metropolis, it can be said he is unreasonably young. This is also a problem with the Great Tang Empire; its officials are too young, young to an unbelievable degree.


    The secretary is somewhat puzzled because if workers should not be frequently working overtime and increasing their working hours, why aren¡¯t related regulations strictly enforced: ¡°But... sir, the fact is, overtime is still a very serious issue.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know, you know, many people know. The citizens are aware, which is why they complain.¡± Surprisingly, Harry directly admitted the inefficiency in this matter.


    The secretary grew more confused: ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we strictly monitor these businessmen... and institutions?¡±


    ¡°Because of human nature,¡± Harry answered succinctly.


    ¡°Human nature?¡± The secretary was taken aback, the answer somewhat unexpected.


    ¡°Never underestimate human nature, remember that! Never underestimate it,¡± Harry took another puff of his cigarette and reminded his subordinate once more.


    He stretched out two fingers and said: ¡°We stipulate that everyone must take at least 4 days off each month, and if we strictly enforce this according to the laws and regulations, then within twenty years, everyone will take it for granted that it is only reasonable to have 4 days off a month.¡±


    The secretary still didn¡¯t quite understand; isn¡¯t that a very normal thing: ¡°Of course, because it is the regulation, it is certainly reasonable.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but by that time, some people will hope for one and a half days off every week, or even full two days off. After all, with the improvement of productivity, people naturally have higher demands for the quality of life. They need more cultural and recreational activities, they need more opportunities to spend, they need to travel to further places... Only then will they feel happy. Their happiness twenty years ago was having a loaf of bread, now their happiness is owning a car,¡± Harry explained the underlying principle.

 Chapter 1075: Marks time at 997

    Chapter 1075: Marks time at 997


    After finishing his speech, he casually asked, ¡°Do you think there will ever come a day when civilians can easily purchase a plane ticket, flying from Linshui to Chang¡¯an just for a visit? Can you imagine it? Twenty years ago, it took nearly half a year for a trip from the Western Continent to the Eastern Continent, waiting for the monsoons. But now, we can set off at any time, and it doesn¡¯t even take half a month to travel back and forth.¡±


    ¡°I believe, if the speed of planes could be increased even further, then traveling to Linshui might become even more convenient.¡± The secretary nodded, he truly admired the technological progress of the Great Tang Empire, so he didn¡¯t doubt Harry¡¯s words at all.


    He himself was even a microcosm of the development of the Tang Empire: As a person from Qi Country, if it wasn¡¯t for the Tang Empire and its schools, he guessed he would probably be no more than a minor official at most by now.


    ¡°We are compelling merchants to increase income for employees, at the same time we are also creating more consumption opportunities and higher quality of life that workers hope to have... The workers will demand more personal time...¡± Harry looked towards the application report submitted by the Merchants Group.


    He did not support the report¡¯s request to legally increase the working hours for employees, but he also did not support endlessly increasing benefits for workers: ¡°Then on the contrary... who will ensure the interests of the merchants? To satisfy the demands of the workers, to let them rest more, earn more money, their demands will inevitably rise over time, two days off a week won¡¯t be enough, then they will demand three days off...¡±


    ¡°Now we have the technological advantage to satisfy such demands. But when our technological advantage is narrowed, is surpassed... if we then try to make these workers go back to taking just four days off a month, would they agree?¡± Following that, Harry raised another question.


    ¡°I guess, they probably wouldn¡¯t be willing to,¡± the secretary answered immediately without thinking: Who would willingly give up the benefits they already have?


    Harry promptly provided an example to his secretary: ¡°By that time, to avoid the risks associated with high welfare costs, merchants will try every means to avoid these regulations that are unfavorable to them. They will move away from the Tang Empire and invest in Chu Country, as Tang People hold special status there, and local officials would not dare to easily offend these esteemed Celestial Empire citizens.¡±


    ¡°Without merchants taking risks, without factories, then whatever how clever the laws we draft, what use would they be? If workers lose their jobs, they will become dissatisfied with the Tang Empire, at that point, how are we to soothe them?¡± Harry then asked another piercing question.


    ¡°Uh...¡± Naturally, the secretary had no answer.


    Harry did not expect to get an answer from him; he simply answered his own question and then continued: ¡°The answer is, there isn¡¯t one! Merchants are people, workers are people, employers and employees are all people... If we officials don¡¯t mediate among them, if we don¡¯t grasp the right degree, it will cause chaos across the world... And doing all of this, is the reason why Your Majesty keeps us, the reason why we officials should exist!¡±


    While puffing on his cigarette, he explained to his secretary the essence of being an official: ¡°If we don¡¯t serve well, if we don¡¯t understand how to reconcile these contradictions, if we don¡¯t think about how the entire Empire can run better, then we will perish along with this Empire.¡±


    Because he knew that his secretary seated beside him would be appointed to another place within a year, serving as the deputy mayor of some city, the number two person there.


    He will accumulate work experience there and then apply what he learned, helping that city to develop and thrive. If he is successful, he will be promoted to be a local chief official, and his career will take off; if he fails, he will be dismissed, stepping onto a different path in life.


    So, Harry felt it necessary to warn him, power is hard to come by, holding power is an honor, not the ultimate goal: ¡°For a family, for a class, it might not feel too bad to see a nation destroyed by its own foulness and abjectness... but for an individual, to have held such tremendous power and then to mess up everything, what a colossal failure that would be...¡±


    Having said this, Harry closed his eyes: ¡°When you die... you close your eyes, reminisce about your life, you once had the opportunity to make billions of commoners live in peace and contentment, but you failed... As a politician, as an official, would you be content?¡±


    The secretary sitting over there knew this was his superior teaching him the principles of governance, and with a bowed head he acknowledges the lesson: ¡°I understand...¡±


    Seeing the secretary was sensible, Harry did not say much more but instead brought the topic back to the matter at hand: ¡°Speaking of this matter itself, the reason we don¡¯t intervene or inquire is not because I, or you, or the labor supervision department do not realize how serious the situation is below, but rather everyone is waiting, waiting for a suitable opportunity to intervene.¡±


    It is not that Harry is talkative, nor is it that he likes to speak so much. In fact, this has almost become a ¡°professional affliction¡± for all Tang Empire officials. They must devote themselves to training officials outside of their work, so as to ensure that the Tang Empire has a sufficient number of officials to employ...


    Even so, the official system of the Tang Empire is still irreversibly becoming younger. There¡¯s just no other way because qualified officials are indeed too few and too difficult to cultivate.


    ¡°We pretend to be deaf and blind, not because we are deaf or blind. No, not at all. We are manipulating!¡± Harry was saying this as he neared the end of his cigarette.


    He glanced at the less than one-fifth of the cigarette left: ¡°The merchants below will become increasingly excessive with our indulgence. They will secretly increase the workers¡¯ hours, squeeze their labor, and force them to comply with their demands to increase profits for the merchants!¡±


    After greedily taking another draw, he stubbed out the remaining cigarette butt in the ashtray: ¡°The entire process is inevitable because they too are human; they have human nature, and greed is their essence, so things will definitely develop in the direction we have designed.¡±


    ¡°The workers¡¯ dissatisfaction will gradually increase, and they will awaken on their own! This requires a lengthy process.¡± While saying this, Harry seemed like a god, playing the merchants in the palm of his hand: ¡°When the entire Empire is seething with grievances and everyone¡¯s attention is on the unreasonable working hours, the labor regulatory department will step forward to make an example, standardize management, and strictly enforce a four-day rest policy every month.¡±


    ¡°You see, we have punished the criminals, cracked down on violations, soothed public grievances, and regulated the original system... Is there any loss during this period?¡± he continued to ask, with a smile on his face.


    The secretary shook his head: ¡°No, no loss.¡±


    Harry then followed up with a question: ¡°So, what have we gained compared to before?¡±


    ¡°...¡± The secretary couldn¡¯t think of anything officials could gain on the spot.


    Harry pressed his palms together: ¡°Okay, stop guessing, let me tell you! Everything has returned to the starting point. There¡¯s no increase in rest time, and the merchants¡¯ interests are preserved. The regulations are strictly enforced for a while, and workers¡¯ interests are preserved...¡±


    He flipped his palm over to face up and then flipped it back again: ¡°To put it bluntly, it¡¯s about first allowing permissiveness before stepping back, then taking a step forward, maintaining the status quo. That way, when facing a cliff, one can ensure not stepping off.¡±


    ¡°Increasing workers¡¯ benefits is like chopping off merchants¡¯ fingers. Hurt the merchants too much, and they¡¯ll flee, then the workers will be doomed too. So the way to balance is back and forth, up and down, keeping things the same.¡± As he spoke, Harry also moved his palms to demonstrate a waving motion.


    Having said that, he asked again: ¡°If we do according to what the workers want, there would be no way out for the merchants and investors. If we follow the merchants and syndicates, workers are even worse than slaves. If we buy agricultural products at the price the merchants are willing to offer, can the farmers survive? If we purchase grains at the standard the farmers hope for, do you believe the rice price could skyrocket?¡±


    ¡°But the country¡¯s image, credibility...¡± The only issue that the secretary could think of regarding this matter was just that.


    Hearing this, a look of approval appeared on Harry¡¯s face. The other party was perceptive to consider this point, which already meant a lot.


    This made Harry feel that his long speech was meaningful, so his face showed even more of a smile.


    After smiling, he continued: ¡°Some people got the short end of the stick during the overtime, some took advantage during the strict management... Overall, the public sentiment is maintained at a delicate balance. Isn¡¯t this a relatively stable state in a way?¡±


    After finishing, he leaned back in his chair: ¡°Now, do you still think letting workers work an extra hour a day is a trivial matter? No, it can almost determine the life and death of a country!¡±


    ¡°Meticulous thinking, careful decision-making, and when in doubt, do not make hasty decisions. As an official of the Great Tang Empire, every action you take must be done to perfection!¡± After concluding, Harry felt a bit tired: ¡°Have someone remind that Merchants Group to restrain themselves a bit.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I will handle it immediately,¡± the secretary understood and stood up to take his leave.


    ¡°Go on! If you remember what we talked about today, go and discuss it with your junior brothers!¡± Harry didn¡¯t plan to repeat what he said to the secretary today to anyone else, and with a wave of his hand, he gave his instructions.

 Chapter 1076: Discuss the price before cursing 998 times

    Chapter 1076: Discuss the price before cursing 998 times


    Tang Empire, Nanshan Port.


    This recently acquired territory of the Tang Empire was still bustling everywhere. The civil officials who had traveled from the Tang Empire were driven insane by the relentless administrative duties these past few days.


    If they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn¡¯t have believed that such a shabby city could exist in this world.


    Compared to the port area and connected train stations and airports built with the help of the Tang Empire, the overall urban development of the city was pretty much the same as twenty years ago.


    There were no connected sewer systems; the city¡¯s sewage had to rely largely on manual scavengers and a few sewage trucks.


    All the prosperity and glitz were just a facade, with up-to-standard buildings not far from a regularly emptied septic tank.


    The ¡°villages within the city¡± were a common sight, populated by impoverished residents living in low-rise buildings. Most urban areas, especially those expanded in recent years, consisted of houses built with wood, lacking any modern touch.


    The nobility residential areas seemed fine, but their presence rendered the urban land usage efficiency extremely low in Nanshan Port, hence, it had to be addressed promptly.


    These were merely infrastructural issues; adding the local issues of education, hygiene, and even employment, there were urgent problems needing resolution.


    The local hygiene situation was genuinely concerning; they lacked a mature water supply system, and most of the city¡¯s population had to rely on well water.


    The officials deployed from within the Tang Empire to assist were nearly overwhelmed by the multitude of problems, not knowing where to start.


    During the transition, Chu Country thought to set traps, even taking and destroying some documents, hence the handover did not go smoothly.


    The other side had no intention of cooperating, or rather, they couldn¡¯t even if they wanted to. There were clear disparities in governance levels between officials. So, the information Chu Country officials knew was of no interest to Tang Empire officials; and the data that Tang Empire officials required, the Chu Country officials were clueless about.


    For instance, when Tang Empire officials inquired about the actual population of Nanshan Port, local officials only provided a vague number slightly over 450,000.


    Regarding the number of migrant workers and foreign merchants, local officials had no clue and couldn¡¯t answer at all.


    Again, when Tang Empire officials wanted to know the total length of water and sewage pipes and their locations, local officials couldn¡¯t provide answers.


    They didn¡¯t even have complete records of the total length of the pipes laid; lengths for new pipes laid and those replaced were all calculated together, making subsequent assessments nearly impossible.


    In the end, many absurd conversations became classic jests: An exasperated official from the Tang Empire¡¯s Department of Education slammed the table and directly questioned the Chu Country official: ¡°Just tell me, how much did you embezzle and what¡¯s left? I won¡¯t delve into your corruption, I just want to know how much is left for expenses!¡±


    There were many such ridiculous events that even after busying about for over two months, the administrative management of Nanshan Port in the Tang Empire was still a mess.


    But it wasn¡¯t without gain; most of the corrupt and inefficient officials left by Chu Country were almost all sent back home by the parachuted officials from the Tang Empire.


    It was ironic that after the departure of these Chu Country officials, Nanshan Port still operated well, putting many people¡¯s assumptions to shame.


    ...


    Inside the Wen Hua Hall of the Tang Empire, an Elf envoy from the Poplar Empire met with Nangong Hong, who was in charge of foreign affairs. His purpose of visit was interesting¡ªit was to discuss with the Tang Empire about condemning the latter.


    ¡°Given the aggression and arrogance displayed by the Tang Empire in the partitioning of Shu Country, my country feels it necessary to express our unease and concerns,¡± said the Elf envoy, declaring his intentions from the outset.


    Then he continued discussing the concerns of the Poplar Empire: ¡°This does not mean there¡¯s an instability in relations between the Poplar Empire and the Tang Empire. I must clarify here, Minister Nangong, that the friendship between our two countries remains unchanged; we have no intent to provoke any kind of diplomatic tension.¡±


    ¡°... Mr. Envoy, what exactly do you mean? I don¡¯t understand,¡± Nangong Hong replied with a cold laugh, prompting the other party.


    He continued after reminding him, ¡°Are you saying that the Poplar Empire wants to condemn the Tang Empire but does not wish to cause any misunderstanding, affecting the relationship between the two nations?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, we plan to issue a diplomatic statement, supporting Shu Country¡¯s resistance against Qin Country¡¯s aggression, condemning Chu Country¡¯s occupation of Shu Country¡¯s territory... Additionally, we will also condemn the Tang Empire for its stance during the Qin-Shu conflict,¡± the envoy from the Poplar Empire carefully stated.


    After finishing speaking, he glanced at Nangong Hong and hastily added: ¡°It¡¯s just a condemnation statement, our country will not change its cooperative stance with the Great Tang Empire, nor will we take any practical actions regarding this issue itself.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s just you cursing me, and then you expect me to treat it as if you¡¯re farting?¡± Nangong Hong crudely translated the request of the envoy from the Poplar Empire.


    ¡°Roughly... roughly... that¡¯s about what, what it means.¡± The envoy from the Poplar Empire, a very handsome elf, heard Nangong Hong speak so crudely and stammered awkwardly before admitting.


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s such a good deal in the world? You curse someone else, and they just let you curse for free, and that¡¯s it?¡± Nangong Hong sneered, countering the other party.


    ¡°This...¡± The envoy of Poplar Empire suddenly didn¡¯t know how to continue the conversation.


    ¡°Your country issuing a statement is your business! What countermeasures we take here are our business!¡± Nangong Hong directly threatened the other party.


    ¡°Please, Lord Nangong, you must understand our situation! I come here bearing the earnest intentions of His Majesty The Emperor of my nation, hoping your country can negotiate on this matter...¡± The envoy from the Poplar Empire emphasized the words ¡®earnest intentions¡¯ heavily.


    Nangong Hong glanced at him and softened his tone: Knowing to communicate first before cursing, and even sending an envoy specifically to negotiate about this matter, indeed showed they placed themselves low enough.


    So he didn¡¯t mind giving face to the opponent: Since you¡¯re so sensible, let¡¯s properly negotiate, how much money would be proper compensation for your curse.


    The Poplar Empire was indeed willing to make a generous offer: For that one sentence, they were willing to pay 1 million Gold Coin as compensation! Poplar Empire would first issue a statement, then the Great Tang Empire would recoup the cost in a batch of exports.


    This essentially meant an episode of diplomatic interaction within a range deemed reasonable by both sides. The Poplar Empire ¡°acts tough¡± once on the surface, and the Great Tang Empire subsequently recovers its stance in trade.


    Then, the Poplar Empire would withdraw quietly, letting this matter cool off, gaining a reputation for fairness and justice internationally, and the Great Tang Empire... well, the old rogue plays its own game well.


    After finalizing this matter, upon dismissing the envoy from the Poplar Empire, Ice Cold Empire¡¯s envoy also arrived, but they were not here to condemn the Great Tang Empire.


    They came to do business with the Great Tang Empire: They wanted to purchase a large batch of arms and pay in cash!


    This mission dispatched to the Great Tang Empire was to keep this matter confidential and not let any third-party country know. For that, the Ice Cold Empire was willing to spend an additional 1.5 million on a confidentiality fee.


    After meeting with the envoy from the Ice Cold Empire, even a fool like Nangong Hong guessed that the Ice Cold Empire was preparing for war against the Poplar Empire.


    Frankly speaking, this was truly a good opportunity: Although the Great Tang Empire was not involved in the war, it was indeed distracted by the Qin-Shu conflict and the civil war within the Dahua Empire.


    If they didn¡¯t take the opportunity to expand now, once the dust settles in the Western Continent, it would be hard for the Eastern Continent to make any moves without being influenced by the Great Tang Empire.


    Taking advantage of the Great Tang Empire being preoccupied, it was probably the best choice for the nations of the world to expand and then prepare to unite against the entry of the Great Tang Empire into the Eastern Continent.


    Thus, Nangong Hong immediately began to contemplate: Should the Great Tang Empire sell arms to the Ice Cold Empire to enable them to invade the Poplar Empire?


    From the standpoint of the Great Tang Empire, keeping the Eastern Continent divided should be a more advantageous choice for themselves.


    Combining the request of the envoy from the Ice Cold Empire this time, Nangong Hong finally understood why the Poplar Empire, despite spending 1 million, wanted to curse the Great Tang Empire: they wanted to be the flagbearer against the Tang, uniting empires like Suthers Laines behind them.


    Simply put, the Poplar Empire had already anticipated that the Ice Cold Empire was about to wage war against them; they were trying to build momentum and gather allies!


    Amused, Nangong Hong did not immediately respond to the envoy from the Ice Cold Empire. He claimed he needed to report this matter to His Majesty The Emperor, asking the envoy to wait another two days.


    The next day, while Nangong Hong was reporting this matter to Tang Mo, another interesting event occurred: the Laien Empire test-fired a Scud ballistic missile with a range of 300 kilometers.


    This event suddenly made the entire situation even more delicate: the Eastern Continent was not united as one, they seemed to have secretly formed alliances and were preparing for an even larger scale of war.


    Nangong Hong immediately judged that merely preventing the Ice Cold Empire from attacking the Poplar Empire seemed unable to stop this war anymore.


    Then Tang Mo prepared to fan the flames, helping these nations add fuel to the fire: Sell arms! Since you are prepared to fight a war, then let you fight a fulfilling one!

 Chapter 1077: 999 Market

    Chapter 1077: 999 Market


    Dahua Empire, Fengjiang, amidst a pile of ruins, inside a street bunker converted from an underground room, a Dahua military officer tossed some maps onto his desk.


    The maps in his hands, procured from the Great Tang Empire, were far more accurate than their own urban maps. Although many of the marked areas had turned into ruins, the maps from the Great Tang Empire were still somewhat more valuable for reference.


    The maps drawn by the Dahua Empire itself were just too inaccurate, sometimes so much so that they were completely unusable.


    To the north of this street bunker was the Fengjiang railway, which cut across from east to west, running through Fengjiang City. This area was now a zone where troops from both sides dared not move about lightly.


    As a result, some Fengjiang civilians who had not evacuated began to conduct business around this railway. Some sold food and supplies, while others provided various services to both sides¡¯ militaries.


    Ever since the Dahua Troops re-entered Fengjiang, or it could be said, bought back their own occupied area, the intensity of firefights between the two sides¡¯ troops declined sharply. The daily exchanges of a couple of shots from one side and a shell from the other became rare, and large-scale combat operations seldom occurred.


    After a month of peaceful nurturing, the local residents have begun to thrive with vigor. Many children gathered around the railway to dig for shell casings to sell for money, and some traded newspapers from the Great Tang Empire.


    They would ¡°stock up¡± at the makeshift docks by the bridge and along the riverbank in the afternoon, and then come to sell goods along the railway the next morning. Usually, only people from the Dahua Empire side, who were short on supplies, would come to buy.


    The Great Tang Empire did not intervene in such cross-river trade, as their people only needed to take the newspapers, canned goods, and instant noodles across the river by boat. Since the traders would quickly return, the coastal border soldiers couldn¡¯t be bothered to stop them.


    Those who came across the river to fetch goods would also sell them and leave without lingering, and nobody asked any questions.


    As the war continued, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s control over the border area began to relax since the number of Dahua civilians trying to cross the border started to diminish.


    Most people had already fled south, and those with connections had already crossed the border. The remaining Fengjiang residents were either unwilling to leave or unable to, making it unlikely for them to ¡°smuggle¡± into the Great Tang Empire.


    After experiencing the surrender turmoil, Zhao Chen and his senior officers strictly ordered their troops to conduct trade with the Fengjiang garrison. Smuggling was forced underground from the open, and civilian market trade became prosperous.


    The soldiers acted on their own initiative, and the higher-ups generally did not interfere. Instead, everyone continued to carry out various operations under similar banners.


    It was obviously unsafe to go elsewhere; only along the railway was it safe from attacks. The railway was like Fengjiang City¡¯s neutral Peace Hotel, where everyone tacitly agreed to abide by certain rules.


    ¡°Check out the newspapers! Yesterday¡¯s papers! The Laines Empire test-fired Scud Missiles! Extra! Extra! Tense border relations between the Laines Empire and the Suthers Empire! The Laines Empire test-fired Scud Missiles!¡± Even in this underground street bunker, one could hear newsboys selling newspapers near the distant train tracks.


    Close to ten o¡¯clock in the morning, the area near the railway tracks was akin to a market, bustling with those selling newspapers from the Great Tang Empire, along with shoe-shining kids. Many people also set up stalls with vegetables or bread, and occasionally, one could find high-end items like canned goods.


    The support from the Great Tang Empire to Fengjiang had been continuous. Although the supply of weapons and ammunition was limited and controlled, the Great Tang Empire had always been generous with civilian supplies and food.


    Every day, the civilians could collect various foods, and if they saved some, they could make a small fortune selling them along the railway tracks.


    The marketplace buzzed with activity. Fengjiang soldiers, guns in tow, snacked on street food here, while the Dahua Empire¡¯s soldiers bought seasonings and bread.


    Old ladies sitting in the sun charged fees to mend soldiers¡¯ damaged uniforms, and old men displayed an array of weapons and ammunition in front of them.


    Indeed, one could actually purchase weapons and ammunition here: the most common were Shireck Model 1 bolt-action rifles, Thompson Submachine Guns, and various handguns and gun parts.


    All weapons sold here were second-hand, scavenged by civilians from battlefield ruins: some rifles even bore dried bloodstains.


    Many soldiers from the Dahua side were potential customers for these rifles and parts: if you lost your weapon on the battlefield, you could buy one here to avoid punishment. It was a severe offense in the Dahua Empire to lose a weapon, but buying a gun here could spare you the penalties.


    Moreover, the Dahua Empire¡¯s logistical support was poor, with many of its soldiers¡¯ weapons faulty and lacking spare parts for repairs. Here, they could purchase the needed parts, ensuring their weapons were in good condition to save their lives at critical moments.


    Some Dahua soldiers would purchase some extra bullets here because the amount provided to them was insufficient and could run out at critical moments.


    Everyone haggled in the market as the weather grew colder; sweaters and cotton-padded clothing were much sought-after commodities. The down jackets from the Dahua Empire were world-renowned and even more popular among the soldiers here.


    Especially the liners that could be worn inside military uniforms, they were truly priceless. Whoever could get their hands on these were considered to have extremely good connections.


    Most soldiers could only afford cheap clothing. In the ruins of Fengjiang, there were many of these; self-reliant troops would search, pick up, and even snatch things in the ruins. A more civilized approach was to buy them in the market.


    Due to the Battle of Fengjiang, many civilians and local rich people had already fled, either to the Great Tang Empire or to Shanping or other cities.


    These people left when the weather wasn¡¯t so cold, so they probably abandoned their old clothes¡ªpoor people would of course take everything, but the rich might not want to carry so much luggage.


    And for the desperate locals who stayed, they couldn¡¯t care less in the midst of shelling. They would enter buildings destroyed by artillery to find anything useful, and then they¡¯d take them.


    Such behavior continued to this day, having escalated to the point where people blatantly broke into doors and locks, raiding unoccupied houses for belongings to sell as ¡°goods.¡±


    Some civilians even moved into these houses, indulging in the once middle-class lifestyle and rightfully using all the items within.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Commander?¡± Seeing his immediate superior so distressed, the staff officer approached and handed him a cup of hot tea.


    This street barricade was built atop a partially underground basement, surrounded by a ring of relatively high half-length windows close to the ground, naturally forming shooting ports. The structure was reinforced with rubble and sandbags to the point of utmost strength.


    Its covert location and proximity to the railway line, being also some distance from the front line, made it the chosen command post for their battalion.


    Compared to living in the wild outdoors, the living conditions here were decent, at least providing shelter from the wind and rain in the increasingly cold season, and they could even light a stove for hot water or to cook some food.


    After all, this place was the battalion command post, so the conditions were bound to be better. Moreover, it was close to the ¡°market,¡± so if they really couldn¡¯t bear it, they could purchase some items from the market and bring them back.


    ¡°It¡¯s from division headquarters.¡± The commander pointed to the map on the table and an order beneath it, answering his staff officer¡¯s question.


    The staff officer walked over, admired the exquisite map, and then looked at the document underneath, showing a wry smile: in the afternoon, their battalion had to dispatch two companies of soldiers to maintain security along the railway because...


    Because there was another train from the Great Tang Empire passing through, a train exporting goods to the Dahua Empire, and it carried various luxury items that the Imperial Capital was waiting for¡ªitems belonging to the aristocrats, so it was imperative to ensure the absolute safety of the train.


    ¡°It¡¯s really like it¡¯s all peaceful and prosperous,¡± the staff officer put down the document and said with a smile to his commander, ¡°Compared to the troops down south, this task is actually quite nice.¡±


    ¡°I feel it¡¯s disgraceful. As a soldier, to guard a railway for the enemy?¡± The commander gulped down the warm tea and exhaled, voicing his thoughts.


    ¡°Losing face is better than losing life,¡± the staff officer poured another cup of hot tea for his commander: ¡°At least we still have tea leaves. If it wasn¡¯t for the railway, where would you go to drink this.¡±


    Holding the tea cup, the commander fell silent because he knew he was indeed being somewhat sentimental. Based on the intensity of combat before the ceasefire, his battalion could only fight on the front line for three to five days at best.


    The replenished recruits would quickly be used up, then they would be pulled back for rest, waiting to be sent to the front line again to their demise.


    Now, they no longer needed to risk their lives on the front line. Everyone treated it like a routine job; the casualties were naturally fewer, and so were the deaths¡ªeverything seemed to follow a natural order.


    It had to be said that the current situation was the best outcome considering everyone¡¯s interest, but whether it was truly good for a nation, that no one knows.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I was being a bit stubborn,¡± the commander still sighed and criticized himself.

 Chapter 1078: 1000 anxious King of Qin

    Chapter 1078: 1000 anxious King of Qin


    In the capital of Qin Country, Wuyang, within the Royal Palace, a joyful scene was unfolding. Qin Country had achieved a phased victory in the war against Shu Country, and the trade route between the Great Tang Empire and Qin Country had been restored, which was certainly a double blessing for Qin Country.


    However, the mood of King of Qin, Qin Duo, was not that great, as he was troubled by two matters. The first issue was that the Great Tang Empire clearly had the capacity to resolve the transport line issue, yet they let Qin Country take the risk to attack Shu Country, leading him to feel that things were not as straightforward as they seemed; the second issue was that the territorial dispute in the northern part of Shu Country with Chu Country had indeed planted some hidden dangers for Qin Country.


    The first issue was something that Qin Duo and several of his confidants realized after the fact: The civil war within Dahua Empire had cut off the trade route between Qin Country and Tang Country, but in reality, the Great Tang Empire always had the ability to resolve this issue.


    If the Great Tang Empire were willing, they could have launched a missile attack early on, thereby forcing Dahua Empire to restore the railway transport line¡ªjust like they did recently.


    Yet the Great Tang Empire did not do so in advance, but instead turned a deaf ear, leaving Qin Country to deal with the transport line issue on its own, ultimately directly promoting a series of decisions by Qin Country to declare war on Shu Country.


    This meant the Great Tang Empire was openly coercing Qin Country into declaring war on Shu Country, which is to say, the Great Tang Empire was involved in the strategic decision-making of Qin Country¡¯s campaign against Shu Country.


    Any country¡¯s decision-makers would be wary of such occurrences: other countries actually being able to deeply influence one¡¯s own national strategic decisions, does this not mean that one is being led by the nose?


    What concerned King Ying Duo even more was actually the various implications behind this event: Why did the Great Tang Empire want Qin Country to invade Shu Country in the first place? What exactly did the Great Tang Empire want to gain from the war between Qin and Shu?


    Although the subsequent demand for Nanshan Port by the Great Tang Empire seemed to expose their intentions, King Ying Duo always felt that things were definitely not as simple as they appeared on the surface.


    He suspected that the Great Tang Empire must have had some shameful secrets hidden within this war that forced Qin Country to attack Shu Country.


    The other matter was also related to this war. Qin Country¡¯s frontline Commander Zhang Xuan, greedy for military achievements, had pushed forward about 70 kilometers more than estimated, seizing a large swath of Shu Country¡¯s territory that should have belonged to Chu Country.


    Ying Duo¡¯s initial reaction was to order Zhang Xuan to withdraw from these areas immediately, but Zhang Xuan sent over the maps of these areas along with his own explanation.


    From the report, it appeared that these areas should indeed not be given up, as the areas Zhang Xuan had occupied were easy to defend and difficult to attack, serving as a good barrier. If one wanted a stable border, it was indeed necessary to keep these areas in hand.


    Chu Country also had no real strength to take back these areas. Qin Country¡¯s troops were stationed in the mountains, and even if the Tang Empire Troops personally attacked, it would take some effort, let alone the lower combat-efficiency Chu Country?


    On their own, it would be very difficult for Chu Country to take back these lands from the fearsome Qin Troops; theoretically, only the Great Tang Empire could mediate.


    Ying Duo was also mentally prepared; if the Great Tang Empire really did intervene and reprimand Qin Country, he would take the initiative to retreat from these areas to defuse the situation.


    But to Ying Duo¡¯s surprise, the Great Tang Empire turned a blind eye to this matter and had no reaction to the provocation from Qin Country.


    Qin Country¡¯s higher-ups analyzed that this might be because the Great Tang Empire did not want to engage in war over a vassal state, and also was not strategically prepared for war, hence they adopted a policy of appeasement.


    Even though Ying Duo felt this analysis made sense, he still believed that the seizing of Chu Country¡¯s land was like burying a landmine for oneself, which might explode at any moment.


    Yet the situation of victory was before their eyes. Qin Country had indeed achieved unprecedented success: not only had they completed the first stage of invading Shu Country, but they had even restored trade relations with the Great Tang Empire.


    This series of great victories also simultaneously fostered the ambition of Qin Country; familiar with the decline of Dahua Empire, they immediately linked the Great Tang Empire to Dahua Empire.


    A new empire began its decline into decay, believing themselves invincible in war, but from top to bottom, they began to detest the cruelty of war. The powerful empire began to avoid war, hiding within their vast territory, dividing interests...


    To speak frankly, this script is all too familiar; whether it be Zheng Country or Qi Country, or the most typical Dahua Empire, which of them did not rise swiftly and fall just as abruptly?


    As onlookers, many in Qin Country still feel they are bystanders, watching the rise of the Great Tang Empire, watching the decline of the Great Tang Empire: observing as it builds tall buildings, feasts guests, and then watches as the buildings collapse.


    Qin Country, however, is completely different. Because their national economy is not strong, and their geographical position is not advantageous, they have always been conscious of crisis, existing in a state where if they do not strengthen themselves, they will be destroyed.


    Therefore, they have always been vigilant, always striving, and so Qin Country shall ultimately be the victorious party!


    Driven by this thought, Qin Country has recently been immersed in an atmosphere of optimism: They believe that occupying some of Chu Country¡¯s territory is a beginning, the rise of the Great Qin Empire. They must persevere and push the Great Qin to its pinnacle.


    The Great Qin Empire... frankly, even Ying Duo was tempted by the dream. How many People of Qin have struggled for it their entire lives, and now it is truly laid out before their eyes.


    Who could not be tempted? Who could resist such allure? Qin Duo could not, so he turned a blind eye to Zhang Xuan¡¯s overreaching greed for glory and did not actively return the territories of Chu Country; thus, he watched indifferently as Qin¡¯s Troops marched southward, continuing their assault on the Shu Mountain defense line.


    These actions had, in fact, gone beyond the scope of previous negotiations between Qin Country and the Great Tang Empire, where Qin Country had stated to the Great Tang Empire that they only wanted a trade route bordering Chu Country. But now, Qin Country¡¯s expansion had exceeded that assurance.


    Yet, over two months have passed without the Great Tang Empire¡¯s accountability coming, as if the Great Tang Empire was unaware of Qin Country¡¯s actions.


    In reality, Qin Country had made probes; they let their own domestic newspapers report victories in certain areas to test the response of the Great Tang Empire. However, the Great Tang remained silent on the matter, and even the ongoing trade had not been reduced in the slightest.


    Sometimes, audacity and ambition are nurtured in this way: The Qin side took this compromise as a sign of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s weakness and incompetence.


    They naturally knew about the strength of Tang Country, but they generally believed that it was precisely because the Great Tang Empire was wealthy and prosperous that they were unwilling to continue waging war, just like the Dahua Empire of old!


    Today, Wuyang City is adorned with lanterns and decorations, for the main forces of Qin Country, which had marched south, have surrounded yet another fleeing army of Shu Country in front of the Shu Mountain defense line. Fifty thousand Troops fell into Qin¡¯s encirclement, and these people from Shu did not struggle for long; they surrendered obediently yesterday.


    Up until now, Qin¡¯s Military has almost annihilated all of Shu Country¡¯s Troops south of Shu Mountain; they have advanced farther and faster than planned!


    Due to Shu Country¡¯s defenses collapsing too quickly, many supplies could not be taken and were all left to Qin Country. Qin¡¯s side can be said to have profited handsomely, basically achieving self-sufficiency through warfare.


    In this state of mobile warfare, Qin¡¯s Military suffered minimal losses and obtained plenty of supplies, so naturally, the whole of Qin Country was more elated, and the clamor to continue the fight was even louder.


    Only Ying Duo knew that for every step they took southward, it could potentially displease the Great Tang Empire. Even if such displeasure was not expressed, it surely existed.


    In the future, even if that future were this afternoon or tomorrow morning: The wrath of the Great Tang Empire could descend upon Qin Country, and the entire Qin might well collapse as a result.


    Therefore, at the celebration banquet for the great victory, Ying Duo was not in high spirits. After exchanging a few words with his confidants, he returned to his own chamber and sat alone in a daze.


    Only he was aware of the tremendous pressure on his shoulders; he truly feared that in this process of continually testing the Great Tang Empire¡¯s bottom line, he would wake up one day to the news of the Great Tang declaring war on Qin.


    At that moment, the door to the room was pushed open from outside, and a woman walked in, followed by a maid holding a food box.


    ¡°Father.¡± The woman¡¯s figure was graceful, moving like a fairy as she walked, her voice tender and pleasant, calling out ¡®Father¡¯ in a way that made Ying Duo¡¯s mood improve by several degrees.


    Seeing his daughter, a smile immediately appeared on Ying Duo¡¯s face. He gestured to the seat beside him, his voice exceedingly gentle: ¡°Yue¡¯er, you¡¯ve come? Sit down!¡±


    As the sole Princess of Qin Country, Ying Yue really was the embodiment of adoration. She was exceptionally outstanding, and her status was exceedingly illustrious.


    Being on the frontier, Qin Country had always been known for its strong military force, and hence the King of Qin had always been highly regarded by the Dahua Empire; most of the time, he was a marital candidate for the princesses of Dahua.


    The mother of Princess Ying Yue was a daughter of a prince of the Dahua Empire and had been conferred the title of Princess when marrying Ying Duo. In terms of seniority, Ying Duo was even the uncle of the Emperor of Dahua, Zhao Kai, although this relationship was not one that anyone dared to exploit casually.


    It was also because of this relationship that Qin previously went to war, aiding the Dahua Empire against the Great Tang Empire in battle. Of course, no one expected that in that war, the formidable Qin Army would be pummeled by the Great Tang Empire.


    Ying Yue took the food box from the maid and then carefully laid out the dishes one by one in front of her father: ¡°Yue¡¯er heard that Father didn¡¯t eat enough at the front hall, so I brought some delicious food. You can¡¯t go hungry; it will make you uncomfortable at night.¡±


    Looking at his daughter¡¯s face, which bore a strong resemblance to her late mother, Ying Duo sighed, picked up the chopsticks, and feigned nonchalance as he asked, ¡°How are your considerations going?¡±

 Chapter 1079: 1001 hopes she is bulletproof, right?

    Chapter 1079: 1001 hopes she is bulletproof, right?


    Seeing Yue¡¯er remained silent, Ying Duo lost his appetite as well, put down his chopsticks and looked at his daughter, who was stunningly beautiful, and persuaded her earnestly, ¡°When Zhao Ji asked for your hand in marriage, your father asked if you were willing, and you said you didn¡¯t like him.¡±


    ¡°My daughter said at the time that he didn¡¯t look like a good person,¡± Yue¡¯er corrected Ying Duo.


    Ying Duo shook his head: ¡°Back then, your father rejected him on your behalf because you were too young... Later Qi Country also sent envoys to propose a marriage for their Prince, but you were unwilling...¡±


    ¡°Just say whether I have good judgment or not? If I had married at that time, I would have been dead for several years now.¡± Mentioning this history, Yue¡¯er still had a little bit of pride.


    Her face was naturally beautiful, and because of her regional background, she had a unique charm. She inherited her mother¡¯s looks, with black hair, bright eyes, and white teeth, truly a rare beauty in this world.


    If we talk about beauty alone, the Yue¡¯er before us could definitely be considered a cause of distress by her looks; perhaps only Sofia could rival her.


    In terms of temperament, the two were on completely different paths: Sofia exuded an aristocratic aura because of her family¡¯s long-standing power and wealth, while Yue¡¯er somehow carried a bit of valiance. This was probably due in part to her being in Qin Country and inheriting some of the Qin royal family¡¯s fierce and warlike traits.


    Ying Duo sighed again. His daughter was spoiled by him, and she never held back in what she said.


    However, he had to admit that his daughter, whether through good judgment or luck, had indeed avoided many pitfalls: Crown Prince Zhao Ji of the Dahua Empire now did not seem very impressive; the princes of Qi Country were already pushing up daisies...


    The Crown Prince of Chu Country, Xiong Xiao, had always been a hostage, and at the time, he didn¡¯t even have the qualifications to come to Qin Country to propose, so the Princess of Qin Country managed to stay single until the age of 25...


    At this age, it was shocking in the past: a princess should be married around the ages of fifteen or sixteen, how could she delay until 25?


    Actually, there was also a reason due to the rise of Tang Country: Great Tang Empire first annihilated Zheng Country, then swallowed Qi Country, and subsequently engaged in a prolonged war with the allied forces of Dahua Empire and other countries such as Chu and Qin. Through these seven to eight years of turmoil, the marriage of the Qin princess was thus delayed.


    ¡°This time, your father wants you to go to Tang Country for a marriage alliance... to marry the hero Emperor of Tang, why are you still unwilling?¡± Ying Duo looked at his daughter, eyes filled with hopeful expectation.


    Indeed, Ying Duo had been worried recently, fearing that the Tang Empire would find fault with him, which is why he came up with this idea of a marriage alliance.


    On one hand, his daughter looked down on everyone, making it difficult to choose a suitor; on the other, at 25, she indeed lacked advantages in age.


    However, if the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire really married the Princess of Qin Country, at least there would be a tie to maintain the relationship between the two countries, averting the risk of the Tang Empire turning hostile suddenly.


    The idea was good, but it also depended on the execution: although his daughter was clever, she had also been spoiled by him. If she could not marry happily, it might lead to trouble.


    That is why he came to consult with his daughter first, hoping to get her willing consent to the marriage.


    Seeing his daughter bow her head in silence, Ying Duo started to play the sympathy card to persuade her. ¡°Qin Country is currently facing internal struggles and external threats, and can only barely maintain itself with the support from the Tang Empire...¡±


    He reasoned with facts, discussing Qin Country¡¯s recent series of boundary oversteps, and also shared his own worries. He hoped his daughter could represent Qin Country to ease the relationship between the two nations, taking on the responsibility of a princess.


    At an emotional point in the conversation, Ying Duo even shed tears, embodying the role of a sad and helpless father: ¡°If there were any other way, your father would not wish to bet on your marital happiness...¡±


    Yue¡¯er lifted her head, her eyes brimming with tears: ¡°Father... your daughter... understands. Your daughter is willing to follow Father¡¯s arrangements...¡±


    ¡°Yue¡¯er!¡± Ying Duo was greatly relieved, wiped the tears from his face, and continued with a sigh, ¡°Whatever your demands are, tell your father... and I will make them happen for you!¡±


    Seeing his daughter agree to the matter, Ying Duo naturally began to make promises¡ªmoney and such were trivial matters; as long as his daughter was willing to cooperate, everything would be negotiable.


    Indeed, Yue¡¯er did not hold back, demanding a large sum of money, thousands of guards, and various dowries right away. According to Yue¡¯er, this was to show how seriously Qin Country took this matter and their determination to finalize the arrangement.


    Despite the pain, Ying Duo still agreed to his daughter¡¯s request, and even gritted his teeth to add some more items: just like Ying Yue said, if the event wasn¡¯t impressive and dignified, then the whole point would be lost.


    The final dowry that was settled on was indeed extravagant: the Qin Country had prepared 3,000 elite guards for the Princess, as well as 500 servants and female attendants. Additionally, there were 1 ton of gold, 10 tons of silver, and carriages full of various jewels and utensils.


    After the dowry list was prepared, Qin Country, along with the list, sent a telegram to the Tang Empire to inform them of the plan to send a Princess to marry the Emperor of the Tang Empire as his Concubine.


    This caught Nangong Hong, the man in charge of the diplomatic department, by surprise, and he immediately took the telegram to the office of His Majesty The Emperor of the Tang Empire, Tang Mo.


    When Tang Mo heard the news, his first instinct was to refuse: ¡°Are you kidding me? I already have three Concubines, what am I supposed to do with another?¡±


    If it were truly a matter of mutual affection, that would be one thing, but he hadn¡¯t even met the Princess of Qin Country¡ªhow could he just marry her?


    Besides, the very idea of it didn¡¯t sound right: putting aside Yue¡¯er, the silly girl, both Alice and Yulin were not to be trifled with.


    Tang Mo even wanted to directly ask Nangong Hong in front of him, if by some bizarre twist the Princess of Qin Country ended up dead in the Forbidden City, would that affect his strategic plans...


    But Nangong Hong was quite positive about the matter. He had come personally to express his stance immediately, hoping to prevent others from influencing Tang Mo¡¯s thoughts.


    He leaned close to Tang Mo¡¯s ear and lowered his voice to express his opinion on the matter: ¡°Your Majesty, I think this is a good thing.¡±


    ¡°A good thing?¡± Tang Mo looked at him skeptically, wondering if Nangong Hong thought it beneficial for the Emperor to take another Concubine to spread his lineage for the country.


    ¡°Your Majesty, on the Western Continent, people of the Hua Clan are highly esteemed. If Your Majesty wishes to unite the people¡¯s hearts, more considerations are necessary,¡± Nangong Hong reminded him, ¡°Your Majesty has three Imperial Concubines, two from the Eastern Continent and one from Different Races... isn¡¯t this in itself an issue?¡±


    Tang Mo lowered his eyelids and did not immediately respond to the question posed by Nangong Hong: the Tang Empire was indeed formidably strong, but internally there was always the rivalry between the Brunas faction and the so-called Chang¡¯an faction.


    Tang Mo was indeed a member of the guilty civilians, and he himself was ¡°Hua Clan¡±, which in a sense allowed him to be acknowledged as ¡°legitimate¡±.


    But the power of the ¡°Hua Clan¡± he represented was indeed weak among the higher echelons of the Tang Empire. It could be said that, aside from the Emperor himself, the upper echelons of the Tang Empire appeared more like outsiders.


    Nangong Hong was right; from a certain perspective, marrying a local Princess could indeed strengthen legitimacy and make the Tang Empire¡¯s rule more readily accepted by the ¡°Hua Clan¡± circle.


    Moreover, marrying a local Princess could also increase the proportion of the ¡°Hua Clan¡± among the upper echelons of the Tang Empire, and appease the growing number of ¡°local officials¡±.


    You should know, ruling the increasingly vast territories of the Tang Empire by relying on the Brunas faction and other outsiders had started to leave Tang Mo feeling stretched thin. These officials needed a pillar, or rather, they needed to see some ¡°opportunities for promotion¡±.


    ¡°Furthermore, Your Majesty, no matter what, Qin Country will have to be dealt with in the future. Having a Princess from Qin Territory as a foundation will reduce many unnecessary obstacles in our control over Qin Territory,¡± Nangong Hong continued to remind him.


    ¡°These are all just excuses,¡± Tang Mo¡¯s face softened a bit, before he finally spit out this sentence after pondering for a while.


    He had an unexplained thought to follow: These excuses would only work if his women were willing to believe them. If, at that time, Yulin and Alice found any reason or way, they could probably end up killing this Princess from Qin who had traveled from afar.


    ¡°I have explained the pros and cons of the matter for His Majesty The Emperor. How to make the decision depends on Your Majesty¡¯s choice...¡± Nangong Hong was not easily fooled; who was he to meddle in His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s personal matters?


    It¡¯s not just that Tang Mo, if he ever turned hostile, could devour him on a whim, but even the few fierce tigresses in his harem... they were not ones Nangong Hong could afford to provoke lightly.


    One holds the financial department, practically clutching the Empire¡¯s purse strings; another controls the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is the boss of both the intelligence service and the police...


    Hopefully, that Princess from Qin Country is bulletproof. When Nangong Hong walked out of Tang Mo¡¯s office, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and muttered quietly. If it weren¡¯t for aiding the growth of the ¡°Hua Clan¡¯s¡± power within the Tang Empire, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to get involved in such troublesome matters.

 Chapter 1080: 1002 smart people

    Chapter 1080: 1002 smart people


    ¡°Have we entered the Dahua Empire already?¡± As the train passed the border of Qin Country, Ying Yue, who sat in the carriage, pulled back the curtain on the window and looked out at the yellow earth.


    The landscape here was somewhat similar to Northern Shaanxi, with fewer cultivated fields, looking bare and yellowish, yet not quite like a Gobi desert; it could still sustain some people¡¯s lives.


    ¡°Yes, Princess. If we continue forward, we will soon reach Shahun City.¡± The maid nodded and answered her master¡¯s question: ¡°We have now entered the territory of the Dahua Empire.¡±


    The train they were on was lengthy, carrying approximately the size of two battalions of security troops. These men were meticulously selected from the Imperial Guards of Qin Country because they were entrusted with the care of truly important things.


    A princess of Qin Country, and not just any princess, but one preparing for a diplomatic marriage. Plus an entire ton of gold, and ten tons of silver! In addition, there were many other valuable items; the entire train looked like a moving treasury.


    ¡°Phew! Finally, I don¡¯t have to pretend anymore.¡± Ying Yue exhaled, let the curtain fall back down, and a smile finally appeared on her face.


    These past few days had been tormenting for her as she had to feign reluctance, and yet could not overact to attract the attention of her father, Ying Duo.


    ¡°Princess?¡± Seeing her master suddenly change expression, the maid, not quite catching up, was a bit bewildered.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just relaxing a bit.¡± Ying Yue regained her composure, but the woodenness and dullness had vanished, and she took on an entirely different demeanor.


    A demeanor... like that of someone eager and relaxed on a trip.


    She had long wanted to visit the Tang Empire and was quite interested in Tang Mo, the Emperor of the Tang Empire. Compared to those princes¡ªpotential fiance?s who somewhat repulsed her¡ªshe felt a young emperor better suited her taste.


    With the rise of the Tang Empire, Ying Yue had been secretly collecting information about the Tang Empire and its Emperor. Each piece of news increased her curiosity about the Tang Country and made her yearn even more for the distant Tang Empire.


    Distance creates enchantment, and the distant target was indeed spectacularly beautiful: one didn¡¯t even have to deliberately investigate; even the newspapers of Qin Country were evidence of the growing influence of the Tang Empire.


    This was no joking matter; even on the newspapers of Qin Country, they couldn¡¯t avoid repeatedly mentioning the Tang Empire¡¯s advanced and powerful aspects.


    Ying Yue saw advertisements and black-and-white photos of fashionable clothes from the Tang Empire in the newspaper, and even through the text, she could sense the beauty and prosperity of the Tang Empire.


    It was hard for her to imagine that the Emperor of the Tang Empire, whom she had never met, could have such high accomplishment in the arts: she heard that many popular songs around the world originated as simple hums from the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire.


    Apart from that, he was also known as the godfather of fashion design, a deity in the realm of technology, a forefather in education, and a guiding light in the culinary world.


    Before Tang Mo appeared, there was no one in the world who could display such an extraordinary dominance across so many fields.


    Tang Mo was not just the Emperor of the Tang Empire; he was the uncrowned king of many domains. Countless people worshipped him like a deity, even turning this living man into a sort of faith.


    This was not sensationalism, for it was a reality unfolding: because of his contributions to medicine, Tang Mo had effectively extended the average lifespan of people on this planet by more than a decade¡ªsuch achievements are beyond sacred descriptions.


    Of course, it is both amusing and frustrating that while benefiting the world, the Emperor had also propelled the world¡¯s military technology to an unprecedented level.


    In the last twenty years, the efficiency of killing in the world had increased by more than a hundredfold. It is difficult to evaluate the ¡°contributions¡± that the Great Tang Group has made to slaughter, as the number of wars erupted in the last twenty years surpasses the total number seen in the previous century combined.


    Additionally, this intriguing man is also the wealthiest in the world, possessing the greatest fortune on the planet, and controls the economic lifelines of many nations. His speed of earning money even surpasses the speed of spending it.


    No woman would be uninterested in such a mysterious, powerful, and wealthy man, and Ying Yue was no exception. What is most reassuring is that he also has several children, which at least proves he is satisfactory in certain aspects, right?


    The only disappointing thing is that such an almost perfect man has three wives. Although this may not seem like much considering their statuses, it still bothers people.


    His three wives are no pushovers either: one is said to be in charge of the police and internal affairs, wielding great power; another manages his fortune, and can be seen as the housekeeper; the last one controls entertainment and public opinion, and although she seems harmless, she should not be underestimated.


    Thinking about these things fills Ying Yue with fighting spirit; she believes she should perform better than these Imperial Concubines of the Great Tang Empire.


    Since the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire is willing to share his power with his wives, Ying Yue is confident that she will be able to control a part of it in the future.


    As long as she can show her capable and intelligent side when she gets to control that part of the power, she will be able to secure her position in the future imperial harem.


    Nangong Hong had thought of it, and so had Ying Yue. She feels certain that she can be the representative of the Hua Clan circle, becoming the hope of countless Hua Clans.


    In this respect, she has more advantages than those women from Brunas. As long as she avoids foolish mistakes, she will surely be favored.


    With the support of foreign ministers, and armed with her beauty and wisdom, she, the future Imperial Concubine of the Great Tang Empire, is bound to succeed.


    ¡°From today on, do not address me as Princess anymore,¡± Ying Yue said suddenly, for some unknown reason: ¡°You must always remind me, I am a Tang person now.¡±


    Aren¡¯t we People of Qin? Hearing Ying Yue¡¯s words, the maid by her side seemed perplexed. She didn¡¯t know how to respond or why her mistress would say that.


    ¡°You and I, from this moment on, must consider ourselves as Tang People, not People of Qin. This is the foundation of our security and existence, never to be forgotten,¡± Ying Yue explained.


    ¡°I will only explain this once, if you can¡¯t grasp it, I will find another servant,¡± she said, glancing at the maid who had been with her for many years, then sighed and continued: ¡°In Tang Country, there are only Tang People, only the women of the Emperor of Tang can survive...¡±


    And one thing she did not say out loud: Do you think the gold and silver on this train is my dowry? No! Fool! The entire Hua Clan, or rather the whole Qin Country, is my dowry!


    As the first woman on the Western Continent to become an Imperial Concubine of the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire, would she not be setting her sights too low if she continued to see herself as the Princess of Qin Country? Her aim is to be the future Empress of the Great Tang Empire, and her children... should be the future Emperors of the entire Western Continent!


    The train keeps moving forward, and behind this train follows another. On the second train are the 2000 soldiers accompanying the dowry of the Princess of Qin Country.


    According to Qin Country, the relatives of these soldiers will also be sent to the Great Tang Empire later on. As part of the Princess¡¯s dowry, their status naturally becomes the ¡°property¡± of Tang Country.


    All regions of the Dahua Empire the trains pass through are incredibly tense, knowing that they are carrying the Qin Country Princess who is entering into a marriage alliance, and aware that she is accompanied by a full 3000 elite Qin soldiers.


    They are concerned not only for the safety of the Qin Country Princess, fearing any issues that might arise in their jurisdiction, but also worried that Qin spies might be on the train, detecting the weaknesses and lax defenses of the Dahua Empire¡¯s western border.


    The Dahua Empire has moved quite a few troops from the western front to stabilize the situation on the eastern front. If Qin Country learns of this, it might stir up some irreparable trouble.

 Chapter 1081: Crazy Planning 1003

    Chapter 1081: Crazy Planning 1003


    In the Ministry of Internal Affairs office of the Tang Empire, several leaders were holding an emergency meeting. The atmosphere in the room was extremely tense, even laden with a thick scent of gunpowder.


    ¡°If you ask me, just act on the Dongqing section! 300 kilograms of explosives, buried right under the railway...¡± A man clenched his fist tightly, then suddenly released it, making an explosion gesture with his hand: ¡°Frame Dahua Empire for it!¡±


    ¡°At that time, whether it¡¯s Qin Country or us, we¡¯ll both have a reason to declare war on Dahua Empire! Worst comes to worst, we could divide up Dahua, and that serves our interests too!¡± After saying this, the man looked at his colleagues.


    ¡°Our manpower in Dahua Empire is severely lacking. With such a large-scale operation, do you think the Imperial Security Bureau won¡¯t be alarmed?¡± Another leading cadre glanced at him, as if to say the other was an idiot.


    ¡°I¡¯m just getting impatient.¡± The man who suggested bombing the train explained begrudgingly, leaning back in his chair: ¡°We definitely cannot let that woman enter Great Tang! Nothing good will come of it.¡±


    ¡°An operation in Dahua Empire won¡¯t elude the Imperial Security Bureau; they certainly won¡¯t just stand by.¡± A female cadre said bluntly: ¡°The director of the Imperial Security Bureau is Li¡¯ao, a ¡®guilty civilian¡¯ from Brunas. He will definitely side with the Hua Clan.¡±


    ¡°Watch your language!¡± the deputy minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, seated at the second most important position at the meeting table, reprimanded sternly.


    Because, to be precise, His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s father, or rather both his parents, were guilty civilians. By strict definition, Tang Mo is also a guilty civilian, and the term guilty civilian obviously carries a derogatory connotation. Thus, in the Tang Empire, the word guilty civilian is in an awkward position: you cannot use it casually, yet it is not banned.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± The female official knew she had misspoken; she merely intended to disgust Li¡¯ao, her rival in the Imperial Security Bureau, with no intention of offending His Majesty The Emperor, whom she adored and respected.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t act outside the Empire¡¯s borders, then entering the Empire will make the operation much harder.¡± The male official who spoke first reminded everyone with a sense of urgency.


    ¡°Poisoning? That requires fewer people to carry out...¡± the female cadre pondered a quieter course of action.


    Someone immediately raised a question: ¡°She¡¯s bringing three thousand people with her... Do you really think they are just her bridal party? Everyone around her is her own person; we haven¡¯t placed anyone on that train.¡±


    ¡°Damn, this came too suddenly; it must be those in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Imperial Security Bureau who have locked down the information! These damned ¡®Hua Clan¡¯ people!¡± The official who had spoken earlier muttered resentfully.


    ¡°Have you gone mad? His Majesty has already stressed in the meeting that from now on, there will be no more talk of the ¡®Hua Clan¡¯, only the term Tang People!¡± the leading deputy minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reprimanded once again.


    ¡°You¡¯re having this meeting here, planning to act behind His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s back; don¡¯t you feel the slightest bit of guilt?¡± Suddenly a questioning voice came from the door, deep and meaningful.


    Everyone was startled by the questioning and rose to their feet, lowering their heads in shame and saying, ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Weren¡¯t there plenty of brilliant ideas just now?¡± Yulin walked up to her subordinates, her smile more mocking than genuine, and asked: ¡°Attacking the visiting Princess, destroying a neighboring country¡¯s railway... Those present here, surely, are people capable of great deeds.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness...¡± The deputy minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs glanced at his colleague in police uniform beside him, sweat already beading on his forehead.


    He dared not explain, because he knew Yulin was already a legend back when he was studying at the Great Tang Military Academy; they all addressed her as ¡®Her Majesty¡¯ then.


    ¡°Get out! Less of this nonsense in the future! Have you nothing better to do? Leave now!¡± With a wave of her hand, Yulin ordered those who had just dismissed the Qin Country and were plotting a massive attack in Dahua Empire, even willing to provoke a war among three countries, to scurry away like rats, escaping the conference room as if graciously pardoned.


    ¡°We were also doing it for you, Your Highness...¡± Yulin¡¯s secretary lowered his voice, trying to excuse his colleagues.


    Yulin, who had been eavesdropping on these people talking nonsense from the next room, smiled nonchalantly, ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning to punish them. Our Emperor truly gave me a good diversion.¡±


    Hearing Yulin say that she had no intention of punishing her subordinates, the secretary knew that Yulin also held no fondness for the ¡°peace-seeking Princess¡± who had come from afar.


    After all, having another woman come to share one¡¯s husband is never a good thing for any woman.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just see...¡± Yulin was of course aware that Tang Mo would agree to the Princess of Qin Country¡¯s arrival in Tang Country for a significant political purpose of unifying the Western Continent; therefore, she did not want to appear too radical in this matter.


    What really irritated her was the other side¡¯s Alice: It was one thing for Yue¡¯er to behave foolishly every day, but Alice¡¯s choice to feign ignorance on this matter and take the stance of an onlooker was particularly vexing for her.


    Shouldn¡¯t these kinds of issues unify us against a common foe? What¡¯s happening now? They expect me to lead the charge and then reap the benefits behind my back? Where in the world does such good fortune exist?


    ...


    ¡°We can¡¯t let that woman arrive in Chang¡¯an, otherwise Nangong Hong, Li¡¯ao, and those Hua Clan people, wouldn¡¯t they be even more overjoyed?¡± In an office within a military camp outside of Dongqing¡¯s Fengjiang City, a colonel once again brought up the term Hua Clan.


    Even though this term was detrimental to internal unity, the Emperor¡¯s endorsement of the term Tang People made many of the old contingent from Brunas feel uncomfortable.


    They occupied positions of advantage in both the military and court and were also very wary of the Hua Clan who now held an absolute numerical majority.


    Another staff officer nodded and said, ¡°Exactly! Recently Qian Jinhang has been making great strides at the Imperial Staff Department, and General Feng Kezhi has already been appointed as the commander of the 9th Group Army. If we don¡¯t put them in their place, won¡¯t they climb over our heads?¡±


    ¡°But what can we do? Are we to send the military over for a blocking battle?¡± the Division Commander asked, half-jokingly, half seriously, taking a glance at the Mayor of Dongqing¡¯s Fengjiang City sitting beside him.


    ¡°This... wouldn¡¯t that lead to a military tribunal?¡± the Mayor of Fengjiang City asked in return with a forced smile.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just say we encountered bandits...¡± a colonel came up with a rather frivolous excuse.


    The Mayor of Fengjiang City raised his eyebrows, nearly cursing outright: Dammit, are you saying that there are bandits in the territory under my jurisdiction? Isn¡¯t that a direct accusation of mismanagement?


    Furthermore, to think of such an excuse, do they really believe that the people above are fools? The Great Tang Empire¡¯s territory has long been void of any illegal armed forces, and even the private armies of local nobility are illegal, where would bandits come from?


    With thousands of miles of cultivated land and peace throughout, it¡¯s been more than two years since even gangs have been heard of; now you bring up a band of bandits capable of standing up to 3000 elite soldiers of the Qin Army?


    ¡°If real trouble arises, would you still not lose your head with all these excuses?¡± the Mayor of Fengjiang City coldly replied with a question, and then sternly warned, ¡°If it implicates other old Brunas people, how do you expect His Majesty to clean up the mess?¡±


    ¡°...¡± The officers, initially quite aggressive, fell silent as the problem seemed more serious than they had imagined.


    They were not shortsighted or impulsive; they simply did not take the assassination of 3000 Qin soldiers, including a Princess of Qin Country, seriously.


    In their view, even if they truly killed the Princess of Qin Country and provoked the displeasure of Qin Country, they would just have to fight another war against Qin Country.


    If Qin Country does not submit? Annihilate it. If the People of Qin do not comply? Likewise, wipe them out... In short, they had boundless confidence in their war machine.

 Chapter 1082: 1004 kindness

    Chapter 1082: 1004 kindness


    Even Ying Duo might not have expected that his daughter was already favoring external interests over her own family. He truly did not anticipate that, while he had not yet planned a marriage alliance for his daughter with Tang Country, his beloved daughter was already secretly choosing her dowry.


    In order to increase her bargaining chips and status in her husband¡¯s family, Ying Yue truly went to great lengths: the dowry she publicly brought was secondary, but the dowry she actually took away was astonishing.


    However, this Princess of Qin Nation never expected the internal resistance she faced in the Great Tang Empire to be much greater than she anticipated.


    Her advantages, when reversed, became her disadvantages. Those old followers from Brunas were naturally opposed to her arrival.


    The Northern Ridge faction and the Brunas faction would not favor her, and currently, these two factions held significant power within the Great Tang Empire.


    The rights of these people had already been eroding amidst the continuous expansion of the Great Tang Empire, making them particularly sensitive and very vigilant.


    Now, with the emergence of a very apparent contender for power, they naturally displayed hostility and even began considering taking some action to ¡°resist the localization process.¡±


    For Princess Ying Yue of Qin Nation, the only real piece of good news was that Emperor Tang Mo of the Great Tang Empire was truly extraordinary. He showed dominance in all aspects, too strong to be underestimated by anyone.


    Therefore, those proud and fierce generals, who could be granted lands and titles in other countries, no matter how vexed, dared not harbor any disrespect. They prostrated themselves before Tang Mo, and even wearing a hat labeled ¡°potential Imperial Concubine¡± was sufficient to make these people wary.


    They could even blatantly discuss deploying troops and waging war against another country or discussing eliminating another empire¡¯s Emperor in meetings, but in front of a woman who could potentially become Tang Mo¡¯s Concubine, they could only behave cautiously.


    What can be certain is that their concern was not about angering Qin Country, but rather they were worried whether their own Emperor would truly take a liking to this Princess from Qin Nation.


    The irony is that Ying Yue¡¯s train passed through Shahun, by the majestic Great West Gate, and from Wangdu, it arrived at the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire.


    This was the place Ying Yue feared most to arrive because, in her view, if she ever came here in her life, she would likely have to stay and become the woman of some son of Zhao Kai, waiting to become the Empress of the Dahua Empire.


    For an ordinary woman, this might be the ultimate dream of a lifetime, but for Ying Yue, she felt it was nothing short of imprisonment and insult.


    Now, she no longer had to worry about anything; she could calmly step off the train and carefully observe the grandeur of this great city before her.


    Without comparison, there is no hurt: merely viewing the King City of Wuyang in Qin Country could be considered grand and magnificent, but only after arriving in the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire does one realize what a magnificent city truly is.


    The train station of the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire was designed by Tang Country, and during construction, engineers and construction teams from Tang Country were employed, making this place look extremely luxurious, almost splendidly magnificent.


    To satisfy the Dahua Empire¡¯s mentality of being the ¡°Celestial Empire¡± at the time, the engineers from Tang Country employed many complex patterns in their designs, which were a bit Baroque styled, blending with the aesthetic of the Dahua Empire to create a fusion of East and West.


    The entire train station is majestic, with a huge dome, carved beams and painted rafters, dozens of concrete pillars standing tall, reaching the skies ¨C at the time, it was truly considered a sight to behold.


    When the train station was completed, Zhao Kai even attended the inauguration ceremony personally; back then, the Great Tang Empire was still called Tang Country, and the relationship between the Dahua Empire and Tang Country was still very close, because the First Anti-Tang War had not yet erupted...


    After that, Zhao Kai never visited this train station again, partly because he almost never left his own Imperial Capital, and partly because he detested this place.


    Zhao Kai paradoxically disliked seeing architecture styled like the Great Tang Empire, disliking seeing clothes from the Great Tang Empire, yet he liked using various utensils and objects produced by the Great Tang Empire.


    When the marriage alliance delegation from Qin Country arrived at the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire, Zhao Kai, who still could not walk, for some reason decided to release Zhao Ji, who had been confined in Zhao Yu¡¯s residence, and let him receive this princess from afar.


    It must be said, in the matter of disgusting others, Zhao Kai could certainly be considered to have reached the pinnacle: previously, Zhao Ji had proposed marriage to Qin Country, now sending Zhao Ji to meet Ying Yue disgusted both Ying Yue and Zhao Ji, and even simultaneously disgusted both Qin Country and the Great Tang Empire.


    Zhao Ji, however, was delighted; being able to leave Zhao Yu¡¯s residence was already fortunate enough, and now he could also see the princess he had longed for ¨C it was simply too exciting.


    Especially now, with the princess bearing the aura of ¡°future Imperial Concubine of the Great Tang Empire,¡± this gave Zhao Ji an additional thrill of taboo: if he could charm Ying Yue with his personal charisma, and later present a son to Tang Mo, it would be tremendously joyous.


    Traveling a thousand miles to gift a cuckold¡¯s cap, a gesture light in form but heavy in sentiment. Thinking this, Zhao Ji even began to think about finding someone to help him spread rumors that the Princess from Qin Country had a moving love story with the Crown Prince in Dahua.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! The Princess is tired, Crown Prince, please return.¡± The person who came to meet Zhao Ji was a Guard Captain from the Qin Nation Delegation. He spoke politely, but the content of his words was not polite at all.


    ¡°What?¡± As Zhao Ji sat waiting, he fantasized about many interesting developments, but his pants were down, and yet he was bluntly rebuffed.


    ¡°How can he tolerate this?¡± He immediately demanded: ¡°Does your nation¡¯s Princess have not even the slightest manners? I, the Crown Prince of the Empire, personally came to welcome her, yet she doesn¡¯t even want to meet...¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, please, don¡¯t blame her. Indeed, our Princess is exhausted from her journey; forcing a meeting with Your Highness might result in a breach of etiquette, hence her refusal,¡± the guard captain explained earnestly.


    ¡°Well then, today I must see her... What to do?¡± Zhao Ji narrowed his eyes; these days, he had been confined by his own father in Zhao Yu¡¯s Prince¡¯s mansion, where his irritation had indeed built up significantly.


    ¡°If Your Highness wishes to see the Princess, it is certainly possible,¡± a voice suddenly came from behind Zhao Ji, and a man, lighting a cigarette, walked straight up to Zhao Ji.


    Zhao Ji looked towards him, his ferocity softened slightly, and with some impatience, he huffed: ¡°So eager to protect your master?¡±


    ¡°My master is not her, but she belongs to my master,¡± the young man removed the cigarette from his lips and asked softly, ¡°For my sake, Crown Prince, perhaps you should leave.¡±


    ¡°Your sake? Why should I give face to you? You are just a bartender,¡± Zhao Ji stared at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright not to,¡± Du Jia said, making a gesture to turn around and leave.


    ¡°Wait! I will leave,¡± Zhao Ji gritted his teeth and said, halting Du Jia who was about to leave. He knew that in this country, aside from his father, he could not easily provoke the man before him...


    Being able to walk from the outside through layers of guards to this reception room, and to stand by his side, this man working as a bartender in the Silver Fox Tavern of the Imperial Capital seemed more formidable than he appeared.


    Having only today been let out by the Emperor from Zhao Yu¡¯s residence, why would he provoke more trouble by engaging with powers that should not be provoked? Thinking this, Zhao Ji promptly left with his own guards.


    Missing Ying Yue was a minor issue, but it would be terrible if the Great Tang Empire took action. His own father might truly depose him as Crown Prince... Thus, Zhao Ji ran, without looking back.


    Du Jia walked up to the Qin Country¡¯s guard, dropping his cigarette butt on the floor and stamped it out: ¡°I won¡¯t disturb the Princess in her rest then, I wish you a pleasant journey.¡±


    The Qin guard was a bit flustered; he truly feared the young man before him: Just a few words had scared the Dahua Crown Prince into fleeing with his tail between his legs, this power was truly frightening. He was genuinely worried that after one Dahua Crown Prince left, an even more troublesome character might arrive.


    Seeing that the Qin guard was nervous, Du Jia smiled and added another line: ¡°I¡¯m from the Great Tang¡¯s Imperial Security Bureau, my superior¡¯s surname is Li.¡±


    Upon hearing the report, Ying Yue almost understood: This man was from the Great Tang Empire, so the Dahua Empire truly could not provoke him. Moreover, by declaring his identity and position, mentioning the surname Li was signaling his own identity and stance.


    Clearly, the surname Li indicates that the superior is from the ¡°Hua Clan,¡± so this should be an expression of goodwill from the Hua Clan within the Great Tang Empire towards her as the Qin Princess.


    ¡°That man hasn¡¯t left yet?¡± Ying Yue raised her head to look towards the captain of the guard reporting to her.


    The captain of the guard lowered his head and replied, ¡°I persuaded him to stay, he¡¯s not in a rush to leave, rather, he is resting in the station¡¯s guest room.¡±


    ¡°I will not show myself. Give this to him, and say it¡¯s a gift for his wife,¡± Ying Yue took off a jade bracelet and handed it to the guard with instructions.


    She was transmitting goodwill, demonstrating that she is a shrewd person, and at the same time she also affirmed that she knows her own position, willing to become the banner that the other party wanted her to be.


    Indeed, after the guard delivered the bracelet, Du Jia could only stand up to leave: ¡°Please convey my thanks to the Princess for the generous gift, I wish Her Highness a smooth journey.¡±


    The guard ran back somewhat bewildered, and then the Princess truly didn¡¯t appear at the train station, leaving overnight by train from the Dahua Imperial Capital. In Ying Yue¡¯s eyes, his wishing her a smooth journey meant he hoped she left quickly. She couldn¡¯t distinguish whether it was a warning or an urging, but she didn¡¯t dare to stay a moment longer, directly setting the train to head for Dongqing City.


    Hearing the news, Du Jia was slightly stunned, then turned towards Pan Qi who was playing with the bracelet gift: ¡°You said the Princess left by train overnight?¡±


    ¡°Yes, wasn¡¯t that your intention?¡± The person beside was puzzled by why Du Jia had such an expression.


    ¡°I... I was merely wishing her a smooth journey... no other intent,¡± Du Jia scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, awkwardly speaking.


    Everyone is playing mind games, always interpreting several layers of meaning from a single sentence, and now, too much thinking has indeed bemused his own mind.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Pan Qi couldn¡¯t hold back a laugh.

 Chapter 1083: Treasure No. 1005

    Chapter 1083: Treasure No. 1005


    At Dahua Empire¡¯s Imperial Capital train station, Ying Yue felt the strength of the Great Tang Empire for the first time. She personally experienced the benefits of a nation¡¯s power, which made her mood increasingly pleasant.


    Qin Country would never dare to display such military might and arrogance against Dahua Empire, as half of their food supply in the past had to be purchased from Dahua Empire, so they certainly did not dare to offend them easily.


    But now, Ying Yue saw a completely different world: People from the Tang Empire could walk around with military might in Dahua Empire¡¯s Imperial Capital, even making the Crown Prince of Dahua Empire give way to them.


    After saying that, she subconsciously pinched the corner of her clothes, which was a traditional attire from Qin Territory that she had sewn herself. It looked somewhat ugly on her, but she never took it off.


    This was definitely not because she had such deep feelings for Qin Country and was unwilling to cut off ties with her homeland. It was because inside this garment, she hid a treasure.


    In Ying Yue¡¯s view, this treasure was more precious than the ton of gold she carried on the train, even more valuable than all her dowries combined.


    Thinking of this, she pinched her clothes again and stared blankly at her empty wrist. She had given her bracelet to Du Jia, so that spot now looked a bit bare.


    The women from Qin Territory usually did not have good skin, but Ying Yue was an exception. She inherited her mother¡¯s fair and smooth skin, with no signs of being ravaged by wind and sand.


    Ying Yue¡¯s fingers were very slender, and she was skilled at playing musical instruments. She had received professional training from a young age, was versed in music theory, and also had a study of painting.


    Her voice was also excellent; she was truly blessed by the heavens. Aside from singing, she could dance, although not very professionally.


    Among the three Imperial Concubines of Tang Mo, Yue¡¯er was the best dancer, followed by Yulin. As a cat-eared girl, Yue¡¯er naturally had a good figure; her frail, boneless body could strike many astonishing poses, and Tang Mo had almost no resistance to it.


    Yulin was interesting; her figure was completely the result of martial arts training. This agility-focused training approach gave Yulin extraordinary talent in dance.


    Later, she even learned specifically from etiquette and dance teachers, also as an effort to please Tang Mo. Of course, as the saying goes, you reap what you sow, and she was indeed successful. Tang Mo was not a good person; he belonged to those who would accept anyone¡¯s advances.


    As for Alice, she was more interesting. As a child, she had a passion for horse riding and did not like things like dancing, so she was not as good as Yulin and Yue¡¯er in this area.


    Among the three Imperial Concubines of the Tang Empire, Yue¡¯er was in charge of the entertainment department, so naturally, she was better at music and dance. She could easily summon the big stars that ordinary people wouldn¡¯t even get to see, so she also learned a lot.


    Ying Yue, who had investigated this information, clearly understood that if she followed a similar path, she definitely would not be able to gain any advantage.


    Yulin was exceptionally capable, and Alice held great power. These two were already influential within the Tang Empire, being Tang Mo¡¯s left and right arms; and Yue¡¯er, being charming and sentimental without any offspring, posed no threat to Yulin and Alice.


    So in terms of serving Tang Mo, Ying Yue believed she had no future: to stand out, she must make her own unique contribution elsewhere.


    The military was clearly out of the question. Touching military power is taboo in front of any emperor, especially since Ying Yue didn¡¯t think she could command the proud and valiant warriors of the Tang Empire.


    Jokingly, she, Ying Yue, could lead eight or ten thousand soldiers of Qin Country, but if she was to command the military of the Tang Empire, surely no one would listen to a woman¡¯s orders.


    So the only area where she could shine was... Thinking of this, Ying Yue tapped on the two pieces of paper in front of her, one with ¡°Li¡± written on it and the other with ¡°Nangong¡±.


    The character Li was newly written; she had previously not known that the Director of the dreaded Imperial Security Bureau of the Tang Empire was surnamed Li. The name Nangong was written on a piece of old paper, representing Nangong Hong, the Minister of the Tang Empire¡¯s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


    It seemed she could only rely on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to slowly make her way: The Imperial Security Bureau was an intelligence agency, and if the Emperor didn¡¯t permit it, she really couldn¡¯t meddle in it. This was taboo, like the military, which would be disliked by the Emperor.


    Of course, she did not know that the intelligence agencies of the Tang Empire were actually divided into three parts: one was the Imperial Security Bureau of the Tang Empire, and the other two were the Military Intelligence Bureau affiliated with the military, and an internal investigation bureau under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.


    Even the investigation bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was under the jurisdiction of Imperial Concubine Yulin. The fact that an Imperial Concubine of the Tang Empire managed a part of the intelligence personnel was actually no secret internally.


    ¡°Your Highness the Princess.¡± As the train proceeded, the scenery on both sides suddenly turned into ruins, and thick smoke could even be seen rising in the distance. The head of the guard came over nervously to report that the train had entered Fengjiang territory.


    Although there were ruins covered with bullet marks and debris all around in the distance, the train was still running smoothly, and near the train, there were even some small traders and vendors selling things.


    For the safety of the Princess, the train curtains had already been drawn down at this time to prevent anyone from shooting at the carriage. After all, the ruins on both sides of the railway are indeed too close, making it impossible to guard against.


    Accompanied by the rhythmic clangs as the train wheels hit the rail joints, the train was getting closer and closer to the Fengjiang Grand Bridge.


    Suddenly, two helicopters appeared in the sky. Judging by the emblem on the fuselage, these helicopters belonged to the Great Tang Empire¡¯s army aviation troops.


    The soldiers sitting in the ruins of Fengjiang saw more than that. It wasn¡¯t just two aircraft; there were ten Huey helicopters in total. This large scale had caught their attention. Since the Battle of Fengjiang began, they had never seen so many helicopters fly over their heads.


    At most, they could only see, from a distance, two helicopters patrolling across the river. They had never witnessed a scene like this one, where ten helicopters flew in two rows, escorting a train passing through.


    No one knew where the cheers came from first, but soon enough, many soldiers from Fengjiang joined in, waving their fists at the train. For a moment, the scene looked both exhilarating and eerie.


    ¡°That woman is finally gone.¡± Calculating the time, she should have already passed the bridge, Zhao Chen exhaled in relief and said.


    He was indeed afraid that the train might take a hit near him, and if so, even fleeing into Fengjiang wouldn¡¯t exonerate him. Her safe departure was, for him and for the entire Dahua Empire, undoubtedly a good thing.


    In these troubled times, having one less problem was better than having one more. The Dahua Empire could no longer afford further turmoil¡ªthis was precisely why Zhao Chen almost choked on his own rage when he learned that Zhao Kai had sent Zhao Ji to cause trouble at the train station.


    Such behavior, as if asking for a beating without learning a lesson, spit in the face of someone with a bigger fist, was in Zhao Chen¡¯s view, simply childishly naive.


    But, of course, many loved to engage in such antics, as Chu Country did when exchanging Nanshan Port, and this time with the Dahua Empire having Zhao Ji welcome guests at the Imperial Capital train station.


    That¡¯s why he sighed with relief and then heaved another sigh: no matter what, this woman bound for a marriage alliance with the Great Tang Empire had finally left, and his side hadn¡¯t stirred up any new trouble.


    After passing the magnificent Fengjiang Grand Bridge, inexplicably, Ying Yue herself also breathed a sigh of relief. Subconsciously, she touched the hem of her clothes and, after receiving notice that the train was about to arrive at the station, requested to change her dress.


    She had worn this outfit all the way here, but suddenly wanting to change upon arrival left her maid somewhat puzzled: it seemed the Princess did not intend to meet His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang Empire in traditional Qin Country attire.


    After changing her dress, Ying Yue sat on her previous garment until the train came to a complete stop at the station. Only then did she personally pick up the outfit, stepped out of the carriage, and walked onto the platform.


    ¡°Your Highness, you have had a long journey.¡± To welcome Ying Yue, it was indeed Nangong Hong, responsible for diplomacy, who appeared. He was quite enthusiastic and bore a smile that he had never shown any foreign envoy.


    In fact, Nangong Hong was surprised. He didn¡¯t understand why the stunningly beautiful Princess Ying Yue of Qin Country, after changing into dignified new attire, carried an old set of clothes as she stepped off the train by herself.


    ¡°There¡¯s a gift for His Majesty hidden within.¡± Ying Yue explained in a quiet voice to Nangong Hong as she walked to the front of the welcoming party and glanced back.


    Nangong Hong suddenly realized and smiled even deeper: seeing that the lady looked truly incomparable in beauty and was also smart in handling matters, the Hua Clan ministers finally had some hope.


    Thinking this, his smile widened as he spoke, ¡°How wonderful. His Majesty will definitely be very pleased.¡±


    ¡°This is a treasure of Qin Country, a map of Qin Territory painstakingly crafted by three generations of artisans over a hundred years! I¡¯ve drawn it from memory to offer as part of my dowry to His Majesty...¡± Ying Yue explained proudly to Nangong Hong, with a clear display of showing off.


    Nangong Hong stumbled, almost tripping over his feet. He had never expected that, as a Princess of Qin Country, with such determination right after her marriage, she would steal the map of a nation.


    Such an item would have been of extraordinary strategic significance twenty years ago: possessing a country¡¯s high-precision map was akin to having an ¡®Heavenly Eye¡¯ that could dispel the fog of war.


    So the fact that Ying Yue could steal her own country¡¯s map spoke volumes about her intelligence and vision! But... Nangong Hong looked at Ying Yue, who was still oblivious to what had happened, with a bittersweet expression.


    Silly child... Remembering that the Great Tang Empire had just used satellites in conjunction with various coordinates to draw the first military-use precision world map, Nangong Hong couldn¡¯t help but lament in his heart.


    Your Qin Country¡¯s mountains and rivers, grasses and trees... have already been laid out on His Majesty¡¯s table for quite some time...

 Chapter 1084: Forming cliques in 1006 did not make an impact

    Chapter 1084: Forming cliques in 1006 did not make an impact


    Upon laying eyes on Ying Yue for the first time, Nangong Hong knew she was an intelligent girl who understood what she should do and indeed possessed certain methods and capabilities for action.


    From certain angles, Ying Yue was indeed an appealing girl: her appearance was certainly beautiful, and that alone was almost enough. As long as a woman boasts a stunning beauty, flaws in other areas are often easily overlooked.


    However, what Nangong Hong worried about was something else: what their native faction needed was a flag, bluntly put, a symbolic figure, and a flag, a symbol, does not require wisdom¡ªshe just needed to be a vase.


    What Ying Yue should do was to sit quietly in her rightful place, producing children and staying steady as a rock, enjoying her life, and keeping her mouth shut when there was no need to speak.


    The fear was that this woman, who believed in her own intelligence, would start to take action¡ªif she could actually be a bit smarter, that would be fine, but the fear was her causing trouble under the mistaken belief in her own cleverness!


    In the case of the map, this girl belonged to the action takers, acting impulsively on what she thought, which was where the danger lay for Nangong Hong and Li¡¯ao.


    If this woman representing the native faction ultimately met with an indecent end, it was certain that their native faction would also be implicated.


    With this in mind, he felt compelled to caution this emblem, to ensure she did not act foolishly at critical moments: ¡°Your Highness the Princess is wise, your humble servant has a few heartfelt words to share with Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for formality, Lord Nangong, speak your mind,¡± said Ying Yue, knowing that in the Great Tang Empire, she could only rely on the minister before her, Nangong Hong.


    The other ministers were either inaccessible or naturally at odds with her, so she was very amicable in her approach.


    In this regard, she did have an advantage, as she was a beauty, a supremely beautiful woman, and in this respect, as long as she was willing to stoop a little, others would generally reciprocate with due kindness.


    At this moment, Nangong Hong really wanted to say, ¡°The matter with the map was well done, but do not do it again.¡±


    However, he did not say that, but instead gave a precautionary reminder: ¡°This map is of no use, as the Great Tang Empire already possesses a more accurate map of Qin Country. Such an act may demonstrate your stance, but it also casts doubt on your loyalty. Everything has two sides, with both gains and losses, and it¡¯s not considered a clever move.¡±


    When Ying Yue heard that the Great Tang Empire already had a more precise map of Qin Country, she realized her rashness.


    On one hand, she finally understood the extent to which one¡¯s ambition could swell: The Emperor of the Great Tang Empire had already started plotting against a country as distant from Tang Country as Qin Country.


    On the other hand, her act of presenting the map indeed had its ambiguities, something she had considered before offering the map; back then, she thought the map was very important and that the other party would overlook that minor blemish on her loyalty.


    But now, it called for a different consideration: the Great Tang Empire already had a map of Qin Country, making her gift of the map much less significant, and the flaw regarding loyalty would be magnified...


    Seeing Ying Yue lost in thought, Nangong Hong felt pleased. At least up until now, Ying Yue¡¯s intelligence had proven better than he had anticipated.


    Therefore, he continued to counsel patiently: ¡°In the Great Tang Empire, there are no overt factions, or to be more accurate, the relationship between various factions is competition, not suppression.¡±


    Some people warrant the investment of time and effort for mentorship, precisely because they present corresponding value.


    If it were a person devoid of value, Nangong Hong would not waste a single word. Ying Yue showed potential value, which made Nangong Hong willing to invest more in this regard.


    This was also an investment¡ªif she really heeded the advice, the benefits could eventually reflect back on him.


    So he paused, then proceeded, ¡°Whether it¡¯s promotion or dismissal of all officials, it is based on the official¡¯s own capabilities and work performance. Hence, there is no so-called ¡®defection¡¯ here; everyone is merely concerned with some shared beliefs and identities, offering support and help as they can.¡±


    Seeing that Ying Yue was listening attentively, Nangong Hong finally added a warning: ¡°The premise for such actions is to not harm the interests of the Great Tang Empire, so if some deeds are overdone, causing problems and displeasing Your Majesty, then one can only bear the consequences themselves, without expecting others to help.¡±


    This was the most important point he worried Ying Yue might misunderstand: in the Great Tang Empire, colluding with ministers to form factions would never get off the ground! That was not a foundation for one¡¯s livelihood, but a path to self-destruction.


    The true method for ministers to protect themselves was to work hard, a rule that has been in place since the Brunas Era and has never changed to this day.


    If there were instances of corruption, action would be taken as soon as it came to light, even those from the era of Brunas would be dealt with accordingly. Only those who worked hard and achieved excellent results would be heavily relied upon.


    This is also why a group of native factions rose swiftly within the Great Tang Empire: they are truly capable of getting things done. For example, General Feng Ke, Qian Jinhang, and those who have become division commanders and mayors, forming the backbone of the Great Tang.


    ¡°...I understand now.¡± The astute Ying Yue immediately grasped the key point in Nangong Hong¡¯s words: he was telling her that forming cliques had no future, as everyone¡¯s interests are underlying and cannot be publicly used as a bond.


    This was actually good news: if the native factions could not openly support her, then the foreign factions would certainly not dare to openly oppose her.


    Indeed, she was right: if anyone dared to oppose her openly, many of the generals from the Brunas factions might have had her killed on the way.


    In the eyes of these military powerholders, intercepting a train and killing a princess was simpler than a regular Great Tang Empire internal military drill.


    Seeing Ying Yue look as if she had understood, Nangong Hong nodded in satisfaction and then continued, ¡°Your Highness, gaining support from some will naturally attract enmity from others. This is also why His Majesty is willing to accept you. Please be cautious and deliberate, think more and do less... as the saying goes, the more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make, and by doing nothing, you make no mistakes.¡±


    This was to make Ying Yue remain a mere ceremonial figure, reminding her to understand her position and not to cause trouble for the native faction¡¯s external ministers.


    Ying Yue was indeed insightful and straightforwardly said, ¡°I understand what Minister Nangong means, to not compete for power or favor, and to properly be the Imperial Concubine, because being able to become the Imperial Concubine is already a stroke of luck for me.¡±


    Nangong Hong was even more satisfied, clearly Princess Ying Yue was a truly intelligent woman, who would not foolishly outsmart herself, and that to him was terrific news indeed.


    So, he personally opened the car door to welcome Princess Ying Yue, bowing slightly and praising her, ¡°Your Highness is as intelligent as ice and snow, so this servant will cease his prattle.¡±


    The Princess did not get into the car but turned to ask, ¡°Thank you, Minister Nangong, for the advice. So, do you suggest I should offer the map or not?¡±


    Nangong Hong candidly answered this question, while also reminding Ying Yue of the power of the Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence department: ¡°In the Tang Empire, nothing can be kept hidden from His Majesty. Today¡¯s events will be truthfully reported, and Your Highness should continue to do what you deem fit.¡±


    Hearing Nangong Hong say this, Ying Yue¡¯s smile grew even brighter: ¡°Interesting, interesting! The Tang Empire is indeed unique. I think I¡¯m beginning to understand some of the reasons for the strength of the Tang Empire.¡±


    Nangong Hong, holding the car door, made a welcoming gesture: ¡°Your Highness can observe at your leisure. You will soon realize how enviable it is to become the Imperial Concubine of the Tang Empire.¡±


    Ying Yue entered the car, and looking up from inside the vehicle, nodded to Nangong Hong, ¡°Thank you, Minister Nangong.¡±


    Only then did she have the leisure to look at the Fengjiang Station before her, realizing that although the station appeared minimalistic, it was on a larger scale than the Imperial Capital Station of the Dahua Empire she had seen.


    Pillars supporting the station¡¯s train platform, each dazzlingly white and nearly two and a half meters in diameter, demonstrated an imposing splendor.


    Compared to the stations of the Dahua Empire, everything here was extreme in its simplicity. Yet within this simplicity overflowed a sense of power. The rib-like reinforcements spread overhead, complemented by lighting akin to stars, creating a sense of grandeur and superiority.


    Ying Yue knew that this was merely Fengjiang, just a border city¡¯s station. She grew somewhat eager for the station in Chang¡¯an, which she imagined would be even more magnificent.


    Only at this moment did she notice that the car she was sitting in seemed to be a previously unseen model of Rolls-Royce: Ying Yue had her own vehicle in Qin Country, but that export model of Rolls-Royce was clearly not as exquisite as the specialized version used by the Tang Royal Family.


    It was also only now that Ying Yue realized what true luxury was: the interior decoration of the car she was in was exaggerated to an alarming degree, making her feel slightly uncomfortable sitting within.


    Once her maid boarded the car, the vehicle started: they were to stay here for one night and take a flight to Chang¡¯an the next morning.


    Traveling by plane within the Tang territory was actually very safe, much safer than in other countries. The plane Ying Yue was to board was a diplomatic department special aircraft arranged by Nangong Hong, with even higher security.


    The next morning, Ying Yue arrived at the airport and saw a specially modified Model 130 transport plane. It was safer and larger than the DC-3 transport plane widely used by other countries at the time.


    As for the 3,000 elite Qin Army soldiers who accompanied Ying Yue, it was natural that they could not proceed to Chang¡¯an: they had been disarmed and left in Fengjiang waiting for their families to arrive.


    These people would then be dispersed and settled throughout Great Tang, registered to join the Tang Empire, becoming true Tang People.


    Their future was no longer important, for their most vital mission of escorting Ying Yue was complete. Coming to Tang Country and becoming Tang People would secure a tranquil second half of their lives. They would continue their lives in Tang Country, embarking on a new chapter of life.

 Chapter 1085: 1007 A Princess Wedding Show

    Chapter 1085: 1007 A Princess Wedding Show


    Ying Yue had flown on airplanes twice before, both times in Qin Country. At that time, she flew on the DC-3, which is the famous C-47 transport plane. The performance of this type of aircraft was actually quite good, and it remained the main transport aircraft in Europe and America after World War II.


    However, the Great Tang Empire had a better alternative: the C-130 transport aircraft. Even though this aircraft didn¡¯t offer a qualitative improvement in comfort, it did have significant enhancements in safety and transport capabilities.


    The C-130 transport plane that Ying Yue was on had been modified for passenger transport, with relatively comfortable seats installed, but it was still not a particularly comfortable choice overall.


    In fact, the Great Tang Empire was now experimenting with the production of a brand new type of passenger plane on Dragon Island: Jet airliners. Their advent could completely change the air transportation landscape and make flying a comfortable pleasure.


    Tang Mo had had enough of the noisy and bumpy airplane riding experience, so he was eager to produce a qualified jet airliner to make flying more pleasant and safe.


    That day, Ying Yue arrived in Chang¡¯an, and she regretted that because she flew there, she didn¡¯t get to see Chang¡¯an City¡¯s train station right away.


    However, she did see Chang¡¯an City¡¯s International Airport: The size of the airport took Ying Yue by surprise, as it was her first time seeing such a massive airport.


    Parked on one side, the DC-3 and C-130 transport planes numbered in the hundreds, and many of the civilian airplanes were painted with different patterns and colors, making for a beautiful sight.


    These planes came from many countries and different companies, some were from the Great Tang Group transportation company, others from civil aviation, including those from Chu Country, and there were even planes from the Dahua Empire.


    On the airport runway, Ying Yue saw the real Royal vehicles, even more luxurious and massive than the car she rode in Fengjiang City the night before.


    This time, she was received by Imperial Chancellor Roger, who was much younger than Ying Yue had estimated, and also very amiable.


    Roger briefly explained the situation and introduced the wedding preparation process: Ying Yue would have to stay in Tang Country for a while, waiting for all the necessary preparations to be completed on this side before holding the ceremony to complete this marriage alliance between the two countries.


    During this process, Ying Yue would stay in a royal villa especially prepared for her in the suburbs of Chang¡¯an, to learn some of the ¡°court etiquette¡± of the Tang Country¡¯s Royal Family and some language habits of Tang Country.


    Since Tang Country¡¯s court held no particular etiquette, learning etiquette meant adapting to the living pace of Tang Country¡¯s Royal Family, changing previous habits to more easily integrate into Tang Mo¡¯s big family.


    Language habits were much more important than Tang Country¡¯s etiquette, and this aspect indeed needed some time to learn. For example, in the Great Tang Empire, subjects were addressed with their official titles as suffixes, while in other countries, ¡®Your Excellency¡¯ was the common ending, which was clearly different.


    Of course, the title ¡°Your Excellency¡± was still used, such as when the other party held no official position and was simply nobility or a merchant; then subordinates would still address them as Your Excellency or Mister.


    All this required time to get used to, but Ying Yue was quite interested in it so she did not find it boring. As soon as she arrived at the villa, Ying Yue received many gifts, all of which were very valuable.


    The three Imperial Concubines had all given generous gifts, and His Majesty The Emperor had personally ordered the delivery of a gift of very high standard. Additionally, the villa had arranged for sufficient staff, even the chefs were very comprehensive, allowing Ying Yue to experience what is truly the world¡¯s number one cuisine.


    Frankly speaking, whether it was clothes, food, accommodations, or transport, as well as culture and technology, the Great Tang Empire truly deserved to be called the center of the world. Here, Ying Yue saw many new and strange things she had never seen before, and also somewhat understood why Nangong Hong would say that becoming an Imperial Concubine in the Great Tang Empire was already a good thing.


    The life she was now enjoying, compared to that in Qin Country, was really much better. She hadn¡¯t even become the Imperial Concubine of the Great Tang Empire yet, but her luxury had already far exceeded that of her own father, the Emperor.


    Before meeting Ying Yue, as Tang Mo was dealing with government affairs in his office, he suddenly asked Imperial Chancellor Roger, who was reporting to him, ¡°Did Ying Yue bring a map of Qin Country? Is this what they call the so-called outward-looking nature of a girl?¡±


    Roger, being a senior, laughed at Tang Mo¡¯s question and explained, ¡°Pretty much, but we don¡¯t really need this map anymore; its accuracy is too low, far inferior to the ones we use.¡±


    He actually had a good impression of Ying Yue. As the close friend of Tang Mo¡¯s father, Roger hoped Tang Mo would marry more wives and have more children.


    Ying Yue was evidently a fine young woman: She was beautiful and dignified, came from a distinguished family, and in terms of status and position, was much better off than the current three concubines of the Empire. Seeing his friend¡¯s son marrying so many outstanding wives, Roger naturally was pleased.


    However, concerning the gift of the map, Roger indeed found Ying Yue¡¯s actions amusing: ¡°Besides, it didn¡¯t have any military deployment markings on it, not as detailed as the photos taken by our satellites.¡±


    What he didn¡¯t know was that this was actually a glorious tradition on the Western Continent: back when the Great Zhou Empire had not yet perished, a princess of the Great Zhou Empire married a prince from Dahua Kingdom, and brought several talents she had found to Dahua as part of her dowry.


    It was these very dowry servants who later became Dahua Empire¡¯s aid in its rise, eventually helping the Dahua Empire to bring down the Great Zhou Empire and take its place...


    Later on, when the Dahua Empire gave a princess in marriage to and allied with Shu Country, that princess directly brought important intelligence about the Dahua Empire¡¯s southern campaign against Shu Country, allowing Shu Country to be prepared and thwarting the Dahua Empire¡¯s attempt at southern conquest.


    The result of this led to the complete collapse of Dahua Empire¡¯s strategy to unify the Western Continent, indirectly allowing Qin Country to rise, and the Dahua Empire¡¯s ruler of rejuvenation fell ill, from then on Dahua Empire lost its only chance to unify the Western Continent.


    In short, on the Western Continent, marrying off a princess is not a good omen, so there were very few instances of such princess diplomacy. The King of Qin, Qin Duo, had refused several previous marriage alliances, part out of favoritism for the princess, and partly due to such considerations.


    Although Roger was not familiar with the ¡°princess diplomacy anecdotes¡± of the Western Continent, he still felt that a princess who could consider the interests of the Great Tang Empire was a good princess: ¡°But after all, this shows an attitude, indicating that this Princess Ying Yue is clear about her own stance, and that is still very important.¡±


    ¡°Guess what, with the King of Qin¡¯s astuteness, does he know about this map or not?¡± Tang Mo looked towards the Imperial Security Bureau Director Li¡¯ao on the other side.


    Li¡¯ao frankly analyzed, ¡°He probably knows, the skills of a princess certainly can¡¯t outmatch those of an old fox like the King of Qin.¡±


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t take advantage of this trivial matter, as if our Great Tang Empire still needs to rely on a woman stealing something.¡± Tang Mo nodded, and then looked at Roger, expressing his thoughts: ¡°Someone, take the latest military map of Qin Territory that we are using and send it to my father-in-law Old Taishan, after all, it is right to share good things, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Li¡¯ao found this interesting upon hearing it, cracking a smile and laughing, ¡°Hahaha! Your Majesty is wise!¡±


    ¡°Long live His Majesty!¡± Roger also bowed and said.


    ...


    In the King City of Wuyang, the King of Qin, Qin Duo, was discussing matters regarding Ying Yue with a few of his trusted ministers. Just as Tang Mo had surmised, Qin Duo indeed knew about Ying Yue secretly taking a map of Qin Country with her.


    Old King Qin sat on his throne, lamenting in solitude, ¡°This child is just like her mother. When her mother married from Dahua Empire to our Qin Country, she also hid a map of the Dahua Empire... That map I still keep, drawn on a sheepskin, every time I look at it I think of that kind woman.¡±


    He indeed had loved that Princess Consort, and the affection between them had always been good. Unfortunately, the Princess Consort passed away early, leaving only this daughter to Qin Duo.


    It was precisely because of this ¡°glorious tradition¡± of the Dahua princess that Qin Duo turned a blind eye for his daughter¡ªof course, the real reason was that the map Ying Yue took wasn¡¯t that important.


    Since it¡¯s a tradition for princesses to marry out, how could the countries not be especially on guard against such things? The fact that it still occurs frequently despite precautions speaks volumes.


    In fact, the act is more for show than of actual significance: while the first few instances may have had a profound impact, later on it was basically a small maneuver to elevate one¡¯s own daughters¡¯ status in their husband¡¯s home.


    Turning a blind eye, letting one¡¯s own daughters or sisters take some inconsequential intelligence with them when they marry out, in exchange for a higher status in their new family, or to improve their own condition.


    A minister, somewhat concerned, asked, ¡°But, Your Majesty... Are you really okay with allowing Her Highness the Princess to take our map of Qin Country with her?¡±


    The King of Qin explained his intentions: ¡°In reality, that map is outdated. Our latest strategic deployments, factory locations, and fortress construction are not recorded on that map. Moreover, Qin Country doesn¡¯t share a border with the Great Tang Empire, even if they knew our deployments, what could they do?¡±


    ¡°In three to five years, this place will have changed, and that map would be of no use.¡± He said with certainty.


    ¡°What Your Majesty has said is very true, it seems I was overthinking,¡± the minister was actually just asking the question to set off their king¡¯s illustrious and valiant image with his own foolishness.


    The King of Qin also used the pedestal provided by the minister, offering some explanation for his own maneuvers: ¡°Actually, it¡¯s also because technology has been advancing rapidly. The previous maps are clearly outdated, and we are currently redrawing new maps with a much higher precision than the old ones.¡±


    What he relied on was the latest surveying technology, which had greatly accelerated the updating and obsolescence of maps. Since the old maps would be outdated in a couple of years anyway, Ying Yue taking an old map was thus no big deal.

 Chapter 1086: 1008 national gifts

    Chapter 1086: 1008 national gifts


    Recently, there has been quite a bit of interaction between Qin Country and the Great Tang Empire, so the warfare at Fengjiang has indeed been somewhat lax. Everyone was just about to start a major battle, but it had to be paused due to the need to use Tang Country¡¯s railways for transportation.


    In fact, the Dahua Empire also gained some advantages from this, which is why Zhao Chen is increasingly willing to tolerate the truce at Fengjiang.


    Some of the materials imported by the Dahua Empire from Tang Country are transported directly through Fengjiang to the interior of the Dahua Empire, maintaining the empire¡¯s industrial operations up to now.


    Beyond that, luxury goods urgently needed by the Dahua Empire also travel along this railway: extravagantly luxurious automobiles, designer handbags, opulent merchandise, cutting-edge medicines... all mixed in with new-style weaponry, are brazenly delivered into the interior of the Dahua Empire.


    Sometimes Zhao Chen wonders what the point of his hard-fought battles at Fengjiang really is: one day, a truce for someone¡¯s medicine, the next day, a truce for someone¡¯s car...


    The problem is, these someones are people you can¡¯t afford to offend; if not the Emperor¡¯s own brothers and sisters, then the Emperor himself and grand Ministers. The other party isn¡¯t haughty at all; the invitations they send are the epitome of humility and politeness, full of pleas and requests ¨C how could Zhao Chen refuse?


    Then there¡¯s the war situation, which the front-line soldiers fought for at the cost of their lives: crumbling bit by bit, growing more awkward bit by bit, and bit by bit falling off the original track.


    In the past, there were orders commanding him to attack at all costs, yet such urging orders have become a rare sight today. Even when an order occasionally comes through, its wording is so gentle, as if it were afraid Zhao Chen might actually take the command to attack seriously.


    Another train from the Tang Empire passes through the Dahua Empire, reaching Wang Luo of Qin Country. This time, the arrivals in Qin Country are staff from the diplomatic department of the Great Tang Empire, tasked with delivering a gift.


    Qin Country did not dare to neglect them, as the two nations are currently in a honeymoon period. The marriage-alliance relations make the two countries seem incredibly close. Now, the diplomacy between the two essentially revolves around the Princess¡¯ marriage and His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s recent wedding.


    To show his importance, the King of Qin, Ying Duo, received the envoys from the Tang Empire in a minor court meeting, an occasion that generally would not accommodate foreign officials.


    Allowing the Tang Empire¡¯s diplomats to attend in itself is an honor. The officials of the Tang Empire are also very polite, after receiving permission they stated their purpose: ¡°Your Majesty, the foreign minister is entrusted with presenting tribute, hoping for an everlasting friendship between our two nations.¡±


    After he finished speaking, an attendant carrying the gift stepped forward and handed a long scroll to the attendant of Qin Country. Zhou Huaiyuan, the leader of the Tang Empire¡¯s advisory group stationed in Qin Country, watched with a knowing, wry smile; he already knew exactly what the Empire had sent.


    King of Qin, Ying Duo, who is still in the dark about the gift, is very pleased. At the very least, a return gift from the Great Tang Empire signifies that the two nations maintain a very close public relationship.


    That¡¯s exactly the effect he wants: at least in the eyes of others, the relationship between the Tang and Qin Countries is solid, allowing Qin Country to take a stronger stance in dealing with Shu Country and Chu Country.


    Strength, at times, translates to interests.


    Ying Duo, with a smile on his face, starts making formal, empty talk: ¡°Your country is really too kind. From now on we are relatives, and it is right for there to be an exchange of gifts.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, an exchange of gifts is proper. Princess Ying Yue, oh, she should now be referred to as Imperial Concubine Ying Yue, brought with her a map of Qin Country when she arrived in Tang Country, a map that was not listed on the gift inventory.¡± The diplomat sent by the Great Tang Empire to deliver the gift is alarmingly honest, honest to the point where the ministers from Qin Country have shock written all over their faces.


    Brother, why would you so candidly disclose the stealthy proceedings? Isn¡¯t it advantageous for your Great Tang Empire to quietly enjoy the map? Couldn¡¯t you just secretly rejoice without saying anything?


    By being so straightforward, how are we supposed to close this matter gracefully? What kind of bizarre maneuver is this? Has your Great Tang Empire never dealt with the marriage of a princess before? What about tradition?


    Indeed, it is a newly risen country lacking in refined subtlety; not even understanding the unwritten rules, let alone studying history... Hang on! Surely the Emperor of Tang is not ignorant of the political implications of a ¡®princess¡¯ marriage-alliance¡¯?


    Because on the Western Continent, a princess¡¯ marriage is a default ¡°money-losing¡± venture, the political significance of Qin Country taking the initiative in a marriage-alliance is actually enormous. To some extent, it signifies weakness, acquiescence, and a rather clear gesture of appeasement.


    But if everyone in the Great Tang Empire is naive, simply thinking that Qin Country has merely presented a beauty to the Emperor of Tang, then wouldn¡¯t Qin Country be casting flirty glances at a blind man?


    The King of Qin, Ying Duo, is clearly shocked by the Tang envoy¡¯s blunt words, but he quickly regains his composure and starts speaking in officialese: ¡°I was not aware of this matter; it must have been Ying Yue¡¯s own idea... Frankly, all I can express is deep regret about this situation.¡±


    The envoy from the Great Tang Empire speaks with righteousness and conviction: ¡°Our country also places great importance on this matter. His Majesty The Emperor believes that one should not owe favors in such matters. Marriage is marriage; it should not involve other factors. Therefore, this time he has instructed me to deliver a state gift to compensate for your country¡¯s loss.¡±


    Unfortunately, not a single person present believes this nonsense: if your Emperor had no political considerations, would he marry the Princess of Qin so readily? Shameless!


    King Ying Duo of Qin Country was slightly at a loss for how to play this game, as this was the first time he had encountered such a straightforward yet cunning diplomatic tactic. With no other choice, he braced himself and asked, ¡°Then, what exactly is the gift that your country has sent?¡±


    ¡°A map of Qin Country,¡± the envoy from Tang Country immediately replied.


    ¡°Hmm? You mean to say, return that map to our Qin Country?¡± King Ying Duo was taken aback, then retorted with a smile: He felt he could counter now, thinking Tang Country had seen and copied the map, and now they were simply returning Qin Country¡¯s map ¨C wasn¡¯t that a bit too child¡¯s play?


    The ministers of Qin Country also wore a look of disdain: All this was just child¡¯s play. Returning it? Is it like stealing your wife to live in my house for a month and then giving her back to you?


    The envoy from the Great Tang Empire replied with a smile, ¡°Yes, but also no. If it were simply returning the original, wouldn¡¯t it be laughable? His Majesty The Emperor appreciated the map brought by the Princess so much that he decided to keep it as a treasured gift. What we have brought this time is a map of Qin Country drawn by the Great Tang Empire.¡±


    ¡°Please examine it, Your Majesty. The accuracy is not perfect, we hope you will not find it inferior.¡± He finished speaking and stood there, as if watching a group of jesters in the hall.


    An attendant carried the map to King Ying Duo, who was uncertain whether to look at it or not. After a few seconds, he clenched his teeth, waved at the attendant holding the map, signaling him to unfold it.


    The attendant unfolded the map to reveal beautifully drawn mountains, rivers, cities, and roads. The map even indicated the approximate population and the number of farms, truly meticulous and perfect.


    Upon seeing this map, King Ying Duo was stunned. He had never imagined that Tang Mo could possess such a detailed map of Qin Country. Indeed, his side had made a fool of itself.


    Although he tried to control his expression, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a soft exclamation, ¡°This...¡±


    The envoy from the Great Tang Empire, having anticipated King Ying Duo¡¯s reaction, slightly bowed and took his leave, ¡°If King Your Highness is satisfied, this subordinate will return to report.¡±


    ¡°Ah, ah... Very well! Sir Envoy, you have had a long and arduous journey. Bring the finest wine and dishes; we must ensure the envoy enjoys himself!¡± King Ying Duo quickly ordered his attendants to see the envoy off, while Zhou Huaiyuan also took his leave from the hall.


    With no outsiders present, the ministers of Qin Country who had just witnessed King Ying Duo¡¯s panic, naturally hurried to inquire, ¡°Your Majesty...¡±


    ¡°You take a look,¡± said Ying Duo, no longer concealing his emotions, and slumped in his chair as he ordered.


    The ministers, given permission, immediately crowded around the attendant. When they saw the map, their reactions were akin to seeing a ghost: ¡°What is this!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a map of our Qin Country,¡± Ying Duo replied with a bitter smile.


    Qin Country¡¯s leading general Wang Luo, who was equally shocked, glanced at the royal family member and commander Ying An with a worried expression, ¡°This accuracy... It is much higher than that of our own military maps.¡±


    Ying Duo took over the conversation, speaking directly, ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I lost my composure just now! Those from Tang Country, they have actually drawn a map of our Qin Country without us noticing! This is a warning to me!¡±


    Ying An realized the gravity of the situation. This was clearly Tang Country warning Qin Country that they had long been plotting against Qin Country.


    Thus, he asked tentatively, ¡°Then... Your Majesty, should we scale back... somewhat?¡±


    Ying Duo at first wanted to agree, then suddenly with a gesture of his hand made a halting motion and gritted his teeth, ¡°No! Do whatever we¡¯re meant to do! After all, we can¡¯t just marry off a daughter for nothing!¡±


    This map was definitely not surveyed within just a couple of years; the Great Tang Empire¡¯s scheming against Qin Country must have been going on for some time. Now that the other side had revealed its hand, what was there for Qin Country to fear?


    Using the marriage alliance as an opportunity to gain the most benefits was the key point. Would the Great Tang Empire spare Qin Country if it were honest and subdued? What a joke, can¡¯t you see they¡¯ve even prepared the map?


    In any case, they would first annex Shu Country. Later, they could collaborate with the Tang Empire to divide Dahua. With enough strategic depth, Qin Country would possess the capability to confront the Tang Empire head-on!


    If they showed weakness now, and Dahua Empire fell entirely to Great Tang, what barrier would Qin Country have to resist the Tang Empire¡¯s assault?


    ¡°Tell Zhang Xuan to continue the attack... and let us... continue preparing for this grand wedding!¡± Ying Duo¡¯s gaze was fierce, and he clenched his fist as he commanded.

 Chapter 1087: The nickname given by the enemy is 1009

    Chapter 1087: The nickname given by the enemy is 1009


    The Great Tang Empire was indeed preparing for a wedding, but everything was being managed by Roger, and Tang Mo didn¡¯t care too much about it.


    For him, it was just about marrying a girl whom he had never met, and who was said to be incredibly beautiful. He wasn¡¯t particularly interested in the matter itself; it¡¯s true he was fond of beauty, but not to the extent of being desperate.


    In Tang Mo¡¯s view, a normal marriage should be between two people who first meet, then get to know each other, and after finding mutual values to stabilize the relationship, they would finally marry and grant each other formal recognition.


    The Princess from Qin Country who was coming he hadn¡¯t even met, so naturally, there wasn¡¯t any emotional attachment, and therefore, he wasn¡¯t too concerned.


    Even, in Tang Mo¡¯s eyes, there was somewhat of an embarrassment: he didn¡¯t know what to do after meeting the girl, as the bit of moral principles from his previous life did not quite allow him to have relations with a woman he wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    Well, this wasn¡¯t some newfound conscience, but a form of self-protection. You see, in the world before his transmigration, women who aggressively approached men were often very fatal.


    Such women were either after your money or your life¡ªTang Mo was not willing to give up either, so in his past life, he didn¡¯t waste much time on women.


    Of course, in this life, he did meet several good women who have all become his Imperial Concubines, so he considered himself not lacking the company of women.


    To make his conquest of the Western Continent smoother, he chose to marry another woman. A woman he didn¡¯t know or feel familiar with was not romance to Tang Mo; it was only politics.


    However, he still called for Li¡¯ao and Nangong Hong to give them a little warning, to let them understand that politics could sometimes be a double-edged sword.


    After having someone serve warm water to the two men, Tang Mo began to speak his mind: ¡°Today, you ¡®Hua Clan¡¯ locals think I should marry a ¡®Hua Clan¡¯ girl to enrich the harem, but have you considered that when I return to the Eastern Continent, will I also need to win over the hearts of the people?¡±


    ¡°This...¡± Nangong Hong clearly hadn¡¯t thought that far; he had always been drafting the grand blueprints for the Great Tang Empire¡¯s unification of the Western Continent and hadn¡¯t yet bothered with the trouble from the Eastern Continent.


    Upon hearing what Tang Mo had to say, he realized that he might have confined himself: before the rise of the Great Tang Empire, targeting one continent as a grand goal was certainly enough, but once the Great Tang Empire emerges, to still view one continent as the goal would be somewhat narrow-minded.


    Li¡¯ao, standing beside him, also felt somewhat ashamed and didn¡¯t dare to speak up.


    Tang Mo let out a cold laugh and continued to question the two men in front of him: ¡°If today you are only content when I marry a ¡®Hua Clan¡¯ woman, then tomorrow when I sweep across the Eastern Continent and unite the world, do I have to make a compromise on the succession issue, perhaps choosing a Prince with Eastern Continent blood to succeed the throne?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty! I am filled with trepidation...¡± upon hearing Tang Mo¡¯s question, the two men bowed their heads even lower. The thought of Tang Mo possibly favoring a successor more considerate of the Eastern Continent made them even more uncomfortable.


    Tang Mo spread his hands, making a gesture of helplessness: ¡°Look! You¡¯ve trapped yourselves in a dead end with just one question.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, we beg your forgiveness; we have truly been too narrow-minded,¡± the two acknowledged their mistake immediately and lowered their heads in admission.


    Tang Mo pointed at the two men: ¡°You are indeed narrow-minded! This whole world is mine, and the Great Tang Empire is bound to become the overlord of the whole world! Look farther ahead, don¡¯t limit yourself to just this bit of territory in front of you, or you are sure to be surpassed by others eventually!¡±


    ¡°My sides must be filled with the most outstanding talents. If you do not improve, then naturally you will be replaced by others! By that time, don¡¯t say you are from this faction or that clique, even if an Imperial Concubine backs you up, do you think I would condone your degeneration?¡± He warned the two men to let them feel more pressure.


    This way, they would not be so at ease and wouldn¡¯t spend their days engrossed in trivial factional struggles.


    Both were smart people, who immediately lowered their heads even further, saying, ¡°We deserve to die a thousand deaths for our faults!¡±


    Tang Mo continued to warn them: ¡°No need for a thousand deaths, one is enough! Remember what I am saying to you today, you are Tang People, not some ¡®Hua Clan¡¯. Considering yourselves as ¡®Hua Clan¡¯ will only limit your vision. Only by seeing yourselves as Tang People can you truly be subjects of the Great Tang Empire, truly break away from constraints, and make yourselves stronger.¡±


    The two men were sincerely anxious: ¡°We will diligently heed Your Majesty¡¯s teachings!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me!¡± Tang Mo waved his hand and ordered, ¡°Nangong Hong, go help Roger to arrange the wedding well, this matter concerns dignity and cannot be neglected. Li¡¯ao... work with Yulin to thoroughly vet the people sent by Qin Country, root out all spies and agents, and don¡¯t let a single one slip through!¡±


    ¡°By your command!¡± The two men exited Tang Mo¡¯s office as if they had been granted amnesty.


    Li¡¯ao glanced at Nangong Hong in the corridor and said with a bitter smile, ¡°It seems that the struggle between the nativist and non-native factions has worn on His Majesty¡¯s patience.¡±


    ¡°This time, we¡¯ve pushed the conflict between the two factions to its peak, and indeed, we¡¯ve greatly displeased His Majesty,¡± Nangong Hong rubbed his hands together and looked at Li¡¯ao: ¡°Try to find a way to talk to the old-timers from Brunas. If this drags on, I reckon His Majesty will start cutting us down.¡±


    ¡°Sigh... What¡¯s the point of all this infighting? Without His Majesty, we¡¯re nothing!¡± Li¡¯ao agreed with Nangong Hong¡¯s view, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for someone to set up a meeting with them.¡±


    Along the way, the rise of the Great Tang Empire exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations, even those within the Tang Empire themselves did not anticipate that things would proceed so smoothly.


    With overpoweringly potent weapons to eliminate barriers on the rise, and unprecedented industrial production to accumulate massive wealth, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s model was rudimentary and blunt, yet uncharacteristically effective.


    Industrial strength fostered military might, and military might, in turn, replenished industry and industry, allowing the people of the Great Tang Empire to enjoy peace that other nations could not.


    From Brunas to the Great Tang Empire, the land of Tang had expanded by no less than a hundredfold. It had fought the founding battle that occupied Zheng Country, as well as the expansion wars against Qi Country, and later also won the perilous global Anti-Tang War.


    Having undergone so many wars, the Great Tang Empire truly achieved the transformation of swords into ploughshares, and ploughshares back into swords. Whether it be the military or civilians, all had endured the test of war.


    In this process, Tang¡¯s officials realized that national security required a formidable military, and to sustain a formidable military, the nation needed to be sufficiently wealthy and powerful.


    So to speak, whether you want to do business or farm the land, in the end, you still need guns. Only if you¡¯re capable of self-protection can you negotiate other matters.


    Through the arduous rise, an array of wars enlightened the Tang People that a blissful life needs cannons, tanks, aircraft, a million ready warriors, and weapons and courage that can triumph over anything.


    Courage is a mysterious thing, which most of the time cannot be quantified. Therefore, it¡¯s hard to say whether one possesses the courage for battle or not.


    Thus, having weapons that can defeat anything has become the most important standard. After all, weapons are quantifiable, and their power is very apparent.


    But how does one know if they have qualified weapons? You can judge by how much your enemies respect your weapons. Respect from adversaries can sometimes be the most frank.


    When you are formidable, others will use nicknames for you that are cautious and filled with menace. If you are skinny and weak, your nickname might be ¡°Mural,¡± ¡°Farmer,¡± or perhaps ¡°Fish Nest¡±; but if you¡¯re strong and able to fight, your nickname would be ¡°Firebird,¡± ¡°Flame Fangs¡±...


    For weapons that the military holds for national defense, the cruder and more hostile the nicknames given by enemies, the more it proves their usefulness. Who wouldn¡¯t want their weapons to be called Flame Fangs? Surely that beats being called Fish Nest?


    The good news is the Great Tang Empire has no habit of giving nicknames to other nations¡¯ weapons, as most of these weapons are sold to these nations by the Great Tang Empire itself.


    Now almost the entire world is following the serial number naming system introduced by the Great Tang Empire, which essentially means using numbers to denote their weapon models.


    This naming method is particularly evident in the Air Force. The Great Tang Empire, after the Butcher Fighter Jet, began using numbers extensively in its designations, such as Type 6 Fighter, Type 47 Transport, Type 130 Transport, Type 6 Bomber...


    Other nations follow suit: Mirage Country has purchased Dragon Bombers from the Great Tang Empire, the Poplar Empire uses Heinkel 111 Bombers and Type 190 (Butcher) Fighters, the Ice Cold Empire is equipped with improved Type 16 Fighters and Saab 2 Bombers, and the Suthers Empire is equipped with Type 451 Bombers and Type 406 Fighters.


    The Laines Empire uses the Hampton Bomber and Hurricane Fighter, a kind of exception, but Qin Country is equipped with DO-17 Bombers and Type 36 Fighters. Chu Country has the Tang Empire-assisted Type 88 Bombers and Butcher Fighters...


    Under the deliberate differentiation by the Great Tang Empire, the fighters equipped by these nations are all different and mostly named by numbers, making them very easy to distinguish.


    Moreover, the weapons of the Great Tang Empire are the best in the world, a point universally acknowledged, and thus the Great Tang Empire has the capability to defend itself.


    To ensure that possession of the world¡¯s most advanced weapons is matched by equally formidable courage and determination, the Great Tang Empire frequently conducts military exercises to hone the tactical skills of its soldiers and foster their bravery.


    His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang Empire has a lot of experience in this area. He not only knows about the United States¡¯ ¡°Red Flag¡± military drills but has also heard of a place called ¡°Zhurihe¡±.


    Since he knows everything, he naturally will establish an effective system of military exercises in the Great Tang Empire.

 Chapter 1088: Exercise 1010

    Chapter 1088: Exercise 1010


    Dragon Island now conducts air combat exercises every day, where the engagements take place within a designated area, primarily to assess the combat readiness of various Air Force fighter jet troops.


    Moreover, this is also where pilots are mainly trained to handle emergencies and adapt to confrontations with formidable opponents, as well as to enhance their aerial dogfighting skills.


    Of course, so far no external troops have achieved victory in exercises against the Blue Force¡¯s fictitious enemy troops on Dragon Island due to the vast equipment disparity between the two sides.


    Dragon Island¡¯s fictitious enemy troops are mainly equipped with J-6 fighters, while other Datang Empire Air Force pilots are generally equipped with Butcher Fighters¡ªindeed, the two belong to entirely different eras, making defeat virtually no surprise.


    Conducting such exercises is not about letting these external Air Force troops win but to prevent them from becoming arrogant or complacent, to keep them limber, and to avoid overreliance on equipment performance.


    It¡¯s just that the process of being trounced in the exercises is not very pleasant. Many pilots even treat the entire exercise as if it were a grand-scale horror story upon returning to their own units.


    An ace pilot from the Chang¡¯an garrison Air Force was flying his own Butcher Fighter near the seas around Dragon Island.


    Thirty-plus victory markings were daubed on the tail of his fighter jet, signifying his strength. As a veteran pilot, his record was very impressive, which is why he could serve as the squadron leader in the Air Force troops stationed in Chang¡¯an.


    At this moment, he was leading the six planes under his command, forming three formations, flying above the clouds.


    After reaching the designated position, he reported his readiness for the exercise through the radio: ¡°Dragon Scale 1, Dragon Scale 1, this is Long Knife 1... I have entered the exercise area! Repeat, I have entered the exercise area!¡±


    In the radio of the six Butcher Fighters, the voice of the control tower also sounded: ¡°This is Dragon Scale 1 ground control station, your position is very clear on the radar, the exercise officially begins, good luck.¡±


    The squadron leader controlled his aircraft and searched the nearby airspace anxiously through the cockpit¡¯s canopy glass: ¡°Thank you! Continue searching! Stay alert!¡±


    ¡°Sir, no target spotted, I¡¯m following behind you.¡± Not far behind him, another Butcher Fighter closely followed, as the wingman pilot searched the other side habitually and reported in.


    Inside the cockpit of the lead aircraft, the squadron leader glanced at the dashboard and reminded everyone: ¡°Maintain combat formation! Watch out for those damn Blue Force adversaries, these bastards have plenty of tricks. Stick to plan one; Group two, stand by in the clouds!¡±


    Pilots of group two immediately carried out their leader¡¯s orders: ¡°Understood! Maintaining altitude... 7000 meters! The clouds are below us! Good visibility.¡±


    Two Butcher Fighters broke off from the formation and began to lower their altitude. Meanwhile, two other Butcher Fighters formed a formation, flying some distance from the squadron leader¡¯s plane.


    ¡°Watch below! I suspect they will use the lower area to approach!¡± After a while, given the poor visibility below, the squadron leader warned again.


    The wingman pilot, with eyes sore from searching for targets, couldn¡¯t help but complain: ¡°Group two is ambushed in the clouds; if they come over, group two will launch an attack from below.¡±


    ¡°Group three reports, no trace of ¡®enemy aircraft¡¯ discovered,¡± reported the pilot of the lead plane in Group three, which was instructed to maintain about a two-thousand-meter distance.


    The wingman pilot complained a bit irritably: ¡°Damn it, this exercise has no reference value at all; our real enemies would never have such advanced planes.¡±


    ¡°Silence! This is an exercise, a test for us! Watch your speed, keep your distance!¡± snapped the squadron leader piloting the lead aircraft, noting the time when the opponents were supposed to have arrived.


    Although they did not know how powerful the Blue Force¡¯s fictitious enemy aircraft were, they had heard some legends about these planes before coming here.


    Fellow troops mentioned that these planes were incredibly fast, and some said that the adversaries were like damned ghosts. Due to confidentiality reasons, they were reluctant to talk much about their experiences on Dragon Island, so those who came here for the exercises didn¡¯t know how terrifying the situation truly was.


    Suddenly, the wingman pilot¡¯s cry of alarm jerked the squadron leader out of his thoughts¡ªhis voice full of panic as if he had seen some sort of monster: ¡°One o¡¯clock direction! One o¡¯clock direction! Suspicious target spotted! Damn, they¡¯re so fast!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the two black dots were already close at hand; they had seen their opponents, but barely had time to see how they had approached.


    The damned enemy aircraft had swept-back wings and were incredibly fast, like shooting stars, streaking right past everyone. As the two planes appeared, the entire sky echoed with a deafening roar as if the firmament itself had split open.


    Immediately, a thought appeared in the minds of all Butcher Fighter pilots: What the hell was that thing?


    ¡°Spread out! Spread out! Maintain distance! Climb! Seize the advantageous position!¡± Almost instinctively, the squadron leader commanded his subordinates to counterattack according to their past habits.


    ¡°Group 3 received, spreading out! Spreading out!¡± The pilot of Group 3 also responded to the captain¡¯s orders through the headset.


    The pilots ambushed in the clouds of Group 2 immediately answered as well: ¡°Group 2 is climbing! What is that sound? Damn it, what kind of speed is that?¡±


    But just as they had begun to climb out of the clouds, they saw in the distant sky, two black dots traced a super exaggerated arc, circling back into the battlefield.


    Realizing what was happening, the captain immediately changed his tactics: ¡°Switch to Plan Two! Switch to Plan Two! They are faster than us, stop climbing, stop climbing, dive into the clouds! Lower your altitude!¡±


    In their past engagements, they had always held the speed advantage, but this time it was clear that the enemy was faster. In such a situation, continuing to climb was no different from courting death.


    He swore to the heavens that in all his years of flying, he had never seen anything move so fast. Those two enemy jets, their entire bodies glinting with cold light in the distance, didn¡¯t seem cumbersome at all after circling back in a huge loop.


    To be fair, according to the rules of the exercise, the opponent¡¯s first attack was invalid. Therefore, after the enemy jets swept past the Butcher Fighter formation and circled around in the distance, they initiated a second attack.


    This meant that the pilots participating in the exercise were essentially warned about the enemy¡¯s approach first, then faced a blatant attack, which was the height of arrogance!


    Yet in the eyes of the captain of the Butcher Fighter unit participating in the exercises, those two damned ¡°enemy aircraft¡± really did have the capital to be so arrogant!


    The wingman kept tilting his head up, ceaselessly searching, he felt for the first time that the Butcher Fighter he piloted didn¡¯t offer sufficient visibility.


    After his neck had become sore from the turning, he finally spotted the two jets glittering under the sunlight that had abruptly entered his field of vision: ¡°Damn it, they¡¯re coming, did you hear that sound? Repeat, did you hear that sound?¡±


    Now, the absurd roar echoed across the entire sky, and at this moment, the Butcher pilots began to get a sense of what those enemies who had heard the siren of the Datang Empire Stuka Dive Bombers must have felt.


    This oppressive force from all sensory directions was indeed enough to cause a collapse. Even with their headsets on, the deep roar was still crystal clear. For these pilots, the noise was like the whispers of a devil.


    Piloting the Butcher Fighter and altering his flight path, the squadron leader reminded his comrades to meet the formidable enemy with tactics they were not familiar with: ¡°Avoid! Avoid! Horizontal maneuver! Keep lowering altitude, draw them to a lower position for a dogfight, don¡¯t let them use their speed advantage!¡±


    Over the past few years, they had never faced such an adversary, and so actually had little experience in dogfighting the enemy. They would not let themselves fall into jeopardy; in most cases, they adhered to the principle of hit-and-run dive attacks.


    Such tactics were starkly similar to those the opponents were using... The difference being that the two enemy jets were approaching at even higher relative speeds!


    ¡°My lead plane was judged to be shot down! It didn¡¯t even respond! What do I do now? Commander! Repeat, what should I do now?¡± The anxious voice of Wingman from Group 3 came through the radio.


    It seemed the enemy¡¯s attack was well planned, following the principle of cutting off the wings before hitting the core, launching a first strike at the peripheral Group 3.


    The ace captain from Chang¡¯an, while piloting his aircraft to lower altitude, searched for those two enemies through the cockpit. He had never before fought such a frustrating aerial battle, so he had to rely on the clouds to stabilize the formation: ¡°Decrease altitude! Decrease altitude! Enter the clouds! What kind of speed is that?¡±


    Then, he suddenly saw those two enemy jets turning a big circle at an extremely fast speed; the enemies were using their terrifying speed advantage to circle more quickly than the Butcher Fighters making tighter turns!


    Having witnessed all this, the captain then let out that exclamation: What kind of speed is this!


    Even though the Butcher Fighter¡¯s one-piece canopy provided a rather clear view above, the pilots sitting inside still felt as though their visibility was obstructed.


    The wingman pilot followed his lead plane spiraling down while sidestepping, shaking his head back and forth, hoping to catch sight of those two adversary planes that appeared and disappeared like ghosts.

 Chapter 1089: 1011 is no different

    Chapter 1089: 1011 is no different


    The search process for him was like watching a horror movie, where something terrifying seemed poised to jump out at his face at any second.


    The noisy sounds continued to echo in his ears, with no sign of the tension abating. When one of the wingmen pilots suddenly saw two silvery streaks climbing upward in the distance, he was unaware of his own location.


    He exclaimed, ¡°I see them, they are climbing... Damn it, their climbing speed is even faster than our diving speed!¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about! Follow me! Follow me!¡± The leader knew that the enemy was fast but didn¡¯t believe there could be an aircraft that could climb faster than the Butcher Fighter Jets could dive.


    The wingman pilot had found the targets, and because they were far enough away, he could observe these two ¡°enemy aircraft¡± for a longer time.


    He saw the other side turning, still with lightning-fast speed: ¡°I swear, they are turning back! The turn radius is too big... Their speed is so fast that their turn radius is large too... This might be our chance!¡±


    ¡°Be careful, they¡¯re coming at us from the left! Circle around! Change paths! Don¡¯t let them lock onto us easily!¡± The leader desperately issued orders, but no matter how he directed, it always seemed a step slow compared to the enemy¡¯s attack.


    The remaining wingman pilots from the third group saw the aircraft rushing toward them, and this time, he was fortunate enough to clearly see the dark holes at the front of the two planes.


    He called out in desperation over the radio, feeling an unprecedented sense of despair: ¡°Where¡¯s the second group? Cover us! We need cover!¡±


    ¡°We are climbing, but our speed is too slow...¡± The two Butcher Fighter Jets from the second group burst out of the clouds, seemingly trying to help the struggling wingmen from the third group.


    The ace leader immediately made the decision to abandon the third group, knowing that if they continued to engage with the enemy at around 6000 meters, they would all be shot down. So he shouted over the radio for the second group to immediately return to the clouds: ¡°Don¡¯t come out! Second group, dive immediately, we can¡¯t fight them at this altitude! Their speed is just too fast!¡±


    ¡°Sir, the drill command has ruled that I¡¯ve been shot down... You can only rely on yourselves now.¡± The wingman from the third group spoke helplessly, reminding them, ¡°According to the rules, I can¡¯t talk anymore.¡±


    ¡°Where? Where? I can¡¯t see those damn... aircraft anymore! I can¡¯t see where they are!¡± The wingman following the ace leader saw the third group¡¯s wingmen turning back, but did not see the two ¡°enemy aircraft¡± that shot down their comrade.


    The ace leader, who had lowered his altitude to near the cloud layer, comforted his wingman: ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Keep close to me! Fly just below the clouds, making them come down to fight with us!¡±


    The weather was not in their favor; the clouds were thin and intermittent, not well suited for fighter jets to hide in.


    Besides, merely hiding wouldn¡¯t allow them to win. Using the clouds as a temporary measure was just to stabilize their position for the moment.


    The key was to lure the enemy to fight at lower altitudes, to use the Butcher Fighter Jets¡¯ good maneuverability and agility to find a way to shoot down these damned opponents!


    Who would have thought that the pilots of the Great Tang Empire Air Force, who had been unrivaled in the skies for so many years, would now be racking their brains to employ tactics that their opponents had no choice but to use... Who could have imagined that they¡¯d need to engage in close combat at medium and low altitudes?


    How frustrating it must have been for their opponents to fight them this way in the past, and now they finally understood.


    Knowing they couldn¡¯t just sit and wait for defeat, the experienced leader had not given up. He was still thinking of ways to counter the enemy, calculating in his mind how to negate their extreme velocity advantage.


    But as he was thinking, an anxious reminder from his wingman came over the radio: ¡°The direction of the sun! Sir! Watch out for the direction of the sun!¡±


    ¡°I see them! Damn...¡± As he looked up, he saw two ¡°enemy aircraft¡± coming straight for him. As the ace, the leader immediately pulled on his control stick to make the aircraft veer to the right, executing a turn: ¡°Follow me! Follow me!¡±


    ¡°The two planes are on the right, the right! They¡¯re headed for you guys! First group! First group! Be careful!¡± The second group¡¯s pilots, far away, saw the ¡°enemy aircraft¡± heading towards their allies and could only remind from a distance due to insufficient speed.


    ¡°We¡¯re hiding in the clouds! Hurry over and cover us! Second group! Second group! Cover us!¡± The wingman, following his own lead aircraft, called out to distant teammates.


    ¡°I¡¯m converging on your position! Pay attention to where you are! If it doesn¡¯t work, keep diving! Draw them up to 2000 meters! Sir!¡± The lead pilot from the second group was also a veteran who had shot down ten enemy aircraft, and his combat experience was very rich.


    ¡°Understood!¡± The leader was preparing to shake off the opponent while responding. His turn did indeed help him avoid the attack, leading the opponent to give up the now nonexistent opportunity and break off contact.


    Watching the enemy aircraft leave, everyone was greatly relieved. The pilots from the second group who had regrouped took a deep breath and said while staring at the two J-6 fighter jets turning in the distance: ¡°Sir, those two enemy aircraft are circling! They¡¯re making rounds on our perimeter! It seems they¡¯re looking for a weakness in our defense.¡±


    They knew their adversaries were certainly not adept at dogfights, but the other side¡¯s speed was really too fast, so fast that there was no need for them to engage in a dogfight at all.


    Just like when they used to attack their opponents, as long as the enemy kept diving and attacking, they would always find an opportunity to break through. The enemy could make countless mistakes, but for them, who were passively getting hit, a single mistake meant doom.


    Clenching his teeth, the squadron leader felt that now they could only try those tactics their opponents had used in the past: Since they couldn¡¯t outmatch in speed, they would try to reduce altitude and engage in a dogfight, using maneuverability to offset the enemy¡¯s speed advantage.


    This was their past experience, generally, aircraft with a speed advantage would necessarily lack somewhat in horizontal maneuverability.


    After all, they had never seen a design with double-delta wings, nor had they seen third-generation fighters of the future, let alone known about maneuvers like the Cobra or exaggerated moves like ¡®falling leaves drop¡¯ or ¡®falling leaves ascend¡¯...


    Before completing these maneuvers, propeller planes would have already lost control and crashed; it was an unbridgeable gap, a gap in technology.


    However, when facing aircraft like the J-6, they could indeed use low-speed maneuvers to engage in dogfights, it¡¯s just that they would be at a disadvantage in combat.


    While continuing to lower their altitude, the ace squadron leader from Chang¡¯an continued to urge his teammates, ¡°Keep decreasing altitude, follow me in serpentine maneuvers! They have a wide turning radius; they can¡¯t possibly get us in their sights!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been hit, you¡¯ve been hit!¡± Just as he finished speaking, his wingman pilot heard the alert from the exercise control tower.


    The wingman was a bit perplexed for a moment, but he still reported according to procedure: ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve been hit... The exercise command has judged that I¡¯ve been hit.¡±


    Growing somewhat numb while watching the two silver fighter jets flying off into the distance, the infuriated ace leader switched channels and started to complain: ¡°This is unfair! They couldn¡¯t possibly lock onto us and open fire at this distance with us performing long-distance serpentine maneuvers!¡±


    He had just seen the distance between himself and the enemy, at such a range he believed it impossible for him to open fire.


    Because at such a distance, opening fire would most likely be wasting ammunition, the chance of hitting the enemy was very low: He would rather get closer once more, to fire at a more assured position.


    But certainly, the J-6 had no intention of closing the distance, for getting any closer would risk collision; it was simply too fast, there was really no need for such risk during the exercise.


    Staring at the two departing ¡®Blue Army¡¯ adversary planes, he once again expressed his dissatisfaction, ¡°Calling the exercise command! Calling the exercise command! They never had us in their sights, how could they possibly score a hit?¡±


    Obviously, the exercise command was fair and impartial. An officer picked up the radio and explained the basis for the judgment: ¡°The opponent has radar rangefinders, combined with cannons, the hit rate for firing is set to double that of normal combat conditions, there is no issue with the judgment, the exercise continues.¡±


    The reason why the J-6 could serve as an all-weather fighter was that such an aircraft could install a small radar in the nose, though its detection range was really short, it still had this equipment.


    This gadget actually couldn¡¯t provide guidance for missiles; most of its functions were for rangefinding, to provide better firing parameters for cannons.


    Though very primitive and with only a two to three-kilometer detection range, such a device was still more advanced than an optical sight and naturally could improve the hit rate of 30mm caliber cannons.


    In every aspect, the J-6 was a product of a different era compared to propeller-driven fighter aircraft. Thus, in any aspect, it far surpassed the Butcher Fighters currently in service with the Tang Army.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Upon hearing the explanation from the exercise command, the squadron leader from Chang¡¯an couldn¡¯t help but curse¡ªhe didn¡¯t know what a rangefinding radar was, but he did know what radar was.


    How could he fight when the opponent¡¯s planes actually had radar (he clearly misunderstood, as it wasn¡¯t actually a true radar)?


    As he was cursing, the two distant J-6s turned around once more, and charged towards him with a roar.


    Instinctively turning to one side again, the leader didn¡¯t wish to be shot down. But this time he guessed the wrong direction, and the enemy¡¯s nose was pointed towards where he was turning.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been shot down! You¡¯ve been shot down!¡± Through the headset, the voice from the exercise command came once again, as the ace leader watched the two J-6s fly over his head, his face filled with a wry smile.


    Turns out, he wasn¡¯t the last one to be shot down... It seems that no matter how formidable he was, in the eyes of the adversary, he was no different from any other target.

 Chapter 1090: 1012 no one can beat the future self

    Chapter 1090: 1012 no one can beat the future self


    Preparing for a wedding does not require the Tang Empire¡¯s military to do anything, so various exercises continue to take place as usual.


    New weapons are constantly emerging in the Tang Empire, so soldiers need to keep up with the times, mastering the methods of using these new weapons and understanding their performance characteristics.


    As weapons evolve, the demands on soldiers also increase. Old model tanks in the past had no rangefinders or infrared night vision searchlights. All these devices require human operation, and with more and more precision instruments, illiterate people simply cannot use them.


    However, this practice of acquainting themselves with new tactics and new weapons through exercises also leads to much grumbling among many commanders.


    In the past, they had never fought such frustrating battles, recently they decisively and thoroughly lost when competing with their own people.


    At the headquarters of the recently formed 9th Group Army, a staff officer just back from a business trip threw the document bag he brought back onto the table and complained tiredly as he massaged his shoulders: ¡°There¡¯s no training effect at all... It¡¯s just a waste of time, fuel, morale, and everyone¡¯s effort.¡±


    His trip was to study new tactics at the Staff Department, and the newly formed 9th Group Army also sent personnel to participate in two exercises, where the performance of two infantry regiments in urban warfare could simply be described as miserably inept.


    General Feng Kezhi, the commander of the 9th Group Army, also felt disgraced, as the troops he commanded suffered heavy losses in the exercises and were completely outmaneuvered by the simulated enemy forces.


    The only consolation is that the other troops didn¡¯t perform well either, with only the troops that were sent to Fengjiang to ¡°learn¡± achieving some results.


    ¡°It¡¯s not entirely without effect; at least it serves to heighten our vigilance,¡± an officer who had been recently promoting urban combat training came over, opened the brown document bag on the table, took out the documents brought back by the complaining staff officer, and began to read.


    The only tank regiment in the 9th Group Army¡¯s commander was also very dissatisfied with the exercises he participated in: ¡°Sending the crew of Tank No. 4, or the Panther Tank, to fight against Type 59 is like a clueless performance. What¡¯s the point of that?¡±


    The group army, newly established after the war, had not yet seen combat, so they had no battle honors, not to mention that most of their soldiers were also new. According to the equipment distribution methods of the Great Tang Empire, the 9th Group Army really didn¡¯t get anything decent.


    To this day, the armored regiment is still equipped with the old Tank No. 4, and sending such tanks to fight against the simulated enemy forces¡¯ Type 59 tanks is practically akin to courting death.


    ¡°Neither the range nor the penetration of the cannons can compare; the most outrageous part is night combat, the Panther Tank might stand a chance, but for us still equipped with Tank No. 4, without proper night vision gear, how can we even fight?¡± This regiment commander, originally a cavalry officer from Qi Country, studied in the military academy for more than a year, and finally became a regiment commander, only to be utterly defeated in the exercises.


    The enemy forces made no rational engagement and directly resorted to night raids, and on the very first day of the exercises, the 9th Group Army¡¯s armored regiment was sent packing home.


    Someone in the headquarters who knew the inside scoop laughed and continued: ¡°Consider yourself lucky. You don¡¯t know about the Air Force, where the J-6 unit from Dragon Island bullied a bunch of Butcher Fighter pilots. Isn¡¯t that like beating up kindergarten kids?¡±


    ¡°You know what their commander said? ¡®It¡¯s because we didn¡¯t use afterburners¡¯! An afterburner is basically a function to temporarily increase engine output, allowing planes to fly faster. Listen to this! Does that sound like any sort of justification?¡± added the well-informed officer, fearing that a group of country bumpkins from the Army might not understand, and even explained what an afterburner was.


    In fact, he himself didn¡¯t know how fast a J-6 could really fly, as the specifications of supersonic jet fighters were still classified, with even the upper echelons of the military having only a rough idea.


    The armored regiment¡¯s commander added a story about a brother unit¡¯s ordeal: ¡°The 1st Armored Division was directly dumbfounded when they engaged in an exercise battle against the Blue Army. They started with a barrage of rock-precision rocket artillery, using the latest technology... Goddamnit, rocket artillery with a range of 300 kilometers, more accurate than Scud missiles...¡±


    This was indeed a bit too advanced, but the Great Tang Empire was indeed studying large-caliber rocket artillery and planned to outfit this type of artillery with gyroscopes and other equipment to improve its accuracy.


    However, the entire equipment program had not yet started, so even the Tang Army themselves hadn¡¯t equipped themselves with this sort of game-changing ¡°new weapon.¡±


    As a result, in order to improve the troops¡¯ alertness on the battlefield, the Tang Empire¡¯s simulated enemy forces directly used the data, tormenting some participating units to abject misery.


    An officer nearby sneered and commented, feeling indignant: ¡°Be thankful! The 1st Armored Division bit the bullet and continued to advance despite losing half their forces, only to be struck by bombers! The whole armored division was unprepared for air defense and hadn¡¯t even reached the enemy¡¯s frontline before they packed up and headed home to write a self-criticism review.¡±


    The news has already spread through the military: the renowned 1st Armored Division has been thoroughly defeated, a truly unexpected outcome.


    The 1st Armored Division is unable to save face and, I¡¯ve heard, has started a series of intensified trainings, intent on seeking revenge in the next exercise.


    On hearing this, the commander of the armored regiment that was eliminated from the exercise without even facing an air attack immediately expressed his dissatisfaction: ¡°Isn¡¯t this exercise a joke? Isn¡¯t our air defense the responsibility of the Air Force? The Armored Division only has one Anti-Aircraft Gun battalion; where do we get the air defense firepower from?¡±


    In the past, the ground forces of the Great Tang Empire never worried about air defense; wasn¡¯t it always the Imperial Air Force that chased down the enemy?


    They used to worry about friendly fire, even emphasizing the need to cover the tops of tanks with the national flag or paint them bright yellow to increase identification and avoid being mistakenly bombed by the Air Force.


    And now they want us to learn how to disguise our tanks with camouflage nets and branches and to reduce identifiable features? Are they out of their minds?


    The officer spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness and said, ¡°The Staff Department won¡¯t accept any excuses; they say figure it out yourself, use camouflage, position air defense early... Basically, the 1st Division did not pay enough attention to air defense and needs to improve.¡±


    The regiment commander thought this was absurd: ¡°What a joke, the ground forces going back to train for air defense combat, isn¡¯t this slapping the Air Force in the face? When has the Imperial Air Force ever had an issue? When have we ever lost air superiority?¡±


    The staff officer who went to the Staff Department meeting hurriedly replied: ¡°Well, we have lost it before; facing the ¡®enemy¡¯s J-6¡ä, we did suffer heavy losses.¡±


    His sarcastic remark left people torn between laughter and tears, and the officer, not lifting his head from the document he was reading, commented dryly: ¡°Alright, your joke isn¡¯t funny at all. In theory, we indeed cannot defeat a stronger future version of ourselves.¡±


    The past few confrontational exercises seemed reasonable, though challenging, they were still within everyone¡¯s understanding.


    But now, with the emergence of some new military equipment, the mock enemy data for the exercises is becoming increasingly unbelievable. Even as the highest-vision commanders on this planet, the commanders of the Great Tang Empire still cannot imagine what a scene it would be to see tactical missiles used in vast numbers like artillery shells.


    The staff officer who had returned from a business trip reflected and found that the most useful exercise was still the recent landing maneuver on Dongwan Island: ¡°Actually, with such frequent exercises lately, I think the most useful one was the landing exercise, the one conducted on Dongwan Island.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, the issues exposed by that exercise are truly alarming. We wouldn¡¯t know how bad it was without testing; our previous landing operations can be said to have been completely inadequate,¡± chuckled a seasoned officer.


    He had participated in the landing operation on Dongwan Island back then, which was practically child¡¯s play; the troops had voyaged across the sea, and the soldiers were almost vomiting out their guts mid-journey.


    Disembarking troops was also very amateurish, with too few ships and too few men; if not for the Mirage Country¡¯s military on Dongwan Island being truly incompetent, they might not have won that landing battle.


    Later, he was wounded in battle and transferred out of the Navy Marine Corps to take up a position in the Staff Department. When the 9th Group Army was formed, he was promoted as part of the core staff to serve in the headquarters of the 9th Group Army.


    This veteran¡¯s words immediately resonated with many: ¡°Exactly, compared to the past, that sampan-style landing was practically a joke played with the soldiers¡¯ lives.¡±


    They are not experts, though¡ªa bunch of Army commanders discussing the level of landing equipment can only be deemed amateurs. But since they were idle and griping anyway, they could generally speak based on internal analysis materials they had already received.


    Moreover, landing operations really aren¡¯t irrelevant to them: compared to the limited numbers of the Navy Marine Corps, expanding the battle results still relies on the regular Infantry of the Army coming ashore.


    As the 9th Group Army, which has less heavy equipment and mainly relies on Infantry, there is indeed a good chance they will be chosen as the follow-up landing force, landing in the wake of the Navy Marine Corps.


    So these headquarters officers really have started examining the details of landing, and encouraged by General Feng Kezhi, the commander of the Corps, they have even made some headway.


    At least, they speak with authority. Just listen to one of the officers who spoke as if he were an expert on landing operations: ¡°Also, the fleet arrangement for landing support, the distance from the enemy coast, control of air superiority, the use of airborne troops... there are really too many considerations.¡±

 Chapter 1091: 1013 may witness a landing battle

    Chapter 1091: 1013 may witness a landing battle


    As a large-scale military exercise that yielded numerous results, the Dongwan Island landing exercise was studied and discussed by the entire army.


    Despite being classified, to ensure all troops learned from that exercise, cadre at the division level in various corps were briefed on the landing exercise details during their discussion and study meetings.


    To ensure the marine corps could secure a foothold on the beachhead, the Great Tang Empire developed many pieces of equipment to provide technical support for the landing.


    For instance, the Great Tang Empire constructed tank landing ships: theoretically capable of delivering tanks directly onto the beachhead, the Great Tang Empire equipped dozens of these valuable vessels.


    However, the Navy Marine Corps of the Great Tang Empire was equipped with Type 4 tanks, which, at this point in time, were no longer considered advanced.


    There was no choice, for cross-sea landing, logistics supports and other aspects must be considered. The Panther Tank was not suitable, and the Type 59 Tank was in short supply for the army itself; thus, the Navy Marine Corps had to make do with the outdated Type 4 tanks.


    Throughout the exercise, the lack of experience of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Navy Marine Corps was glaringly exposed. Many blunders occurred, which is why it was used as a case study for discussion by the entire army.


    Recalling the discussions during previous meetings, an officer shook his head and sighed, ¡°Half of the 1st Marine Division was blocked on the beach, and it took them about 3 hours just to get the first batch of heavy weaponry ashore. Had they been attacking an enemy¡¯s heavily fortified coastline, they might have lost half their men.¡±


    ¡°Whether the losses were heavy is a minor issue, the real danger would be if the enemy mounted a counterattack, our troops might well have been driven back into the sea,¡± pointed out a staff member freshly returned from the Imperial Staff Department in Chang¡¯an.


    The officer who had been reviewing documents beside them put down his paperwork and joined the conversation, ¡°The paratroopers were a complete mess too; in their last war, which was with the Dahua Empire, they didn¡¯t see action and were just training in the rear. Lots of rookies, and their numbers had expanded to five times their original size. The exercise was quite chaotic.¡±


    He paused, then continued, ¡°Two airborne divisions took part in the exercise, and after parachuting, one-third of them got lost. Soldiers who landed couldn¡¯t find their officers; officers couldn¡¯t find their soldiers. You wouldn¡¯t believe it, but there were four fractures upon landing and eighteen lost their rifles. The commanders in the exercise headquarters from the Air Force were livid. It was a total embarrassment.¡±


    This news was something he had only heard from a friend the day before, and the specifics weren¡¯t widely publicized, so many people were unaware.


    Indeed, as soon as they heard about the broken bones and lost rifles, many laughed, ¡°Hahaha! Is that for real?¡±


    In the military, entertainment is rare, and everyone seemed delighted to hear about the mishaps of friendly forces. There was a certain Schadenfreude mixed with a little joy akin to seeing a classmate fail a test.


    That officer immediately responded, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. But luckily, the troops that managed to land reacted quickly and completed about half of the exercise missions, salvaging some dignity for the paratrooper corps.¡±


    Suddenly, someone posed a sharp question, ¡°Hey? With all this parachuting and landing, isn¡¯t His Majesty thinking of reclaiming the Eastern Continent?¡±


    Many from Brunas and Northern Ridge had always harbored the idea of returning to the Eastern Continent. Although they seldom spoke of it, the desire remained.


    People in this world value the concept of ¡®fallen leaves return to the roots,¡¯ otherwise Li¡¯ao wouldn¡¯t have asked Tang Mo to bring his ashes back to the Western Continent.


    Thus, those who had migrated from Northern Ridge and Brunas surely hoped that one day the Great Tang Empire could reclaim the Eastern Continent.


    The person who asked the question was an old staff officer who had participated in the battle of Dongwan Island. His experience showed that he likely lived through the Brunas Era and wanted to return.


    Each time such an issue arose, or when they saw such hope, these old-timers would invariably ask persistently, filled with longing.


    But soon someone threw cold water on it, ¡°It¡¯s unlikely. The General Staff has calculated that if we want to launch a landing operation on the Eastern Continent, we need to double our current fleet size and need about ten times more transport ships to possibly accomplish the landing operation.¡±


    Immediately, others nodded agreement, those who could analyze so rationally were likely of the so-called native faction, those with black eyes and black hair of the Hua Clan.


    They were less interested in returning to the Eastern Continent and more keen on westward expansion to annex the Dahua Empire and subsequently take down Qin Country and Shu Country. They felt that cross-sea operations were fraught with numerous difficulties and should not be ventured rashly.


    So, someone spoke up, reminding, ¡°Right, by then backed by the Endless Sea, just getting additional munitions and weapons ashore wouldn¡¯t be easy.¡±


    These difficulties truly exist and were even understated: the real complexity and difficulty of long-distance cross-sea operations are only higher than what they described.


    The first wave of landing troops can succeed ashore due to surprise and concealment, but if subsequent troops cannot be replenished in time, even elite troops could only be driven back into the sea.


    Having too few troops is definitely not feasible, relying on tens of thousands of people to oppose hundreds of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of enemy troops with their backs to the sea is unrealistic, especially when they cannot replenish their ammunition.


    Although they are reluctant to admit it, the old staff officers had no choice but to acknowledge that these young people were right. Crossing the Endless Sea to fight back is not realistic, at least not for now.


    Thus, with a bit of despondency, he didn¡¯t know whom he was asking: ¡°Then what exactly is our landing exercise for?¡±


    The staff officer who went to the meeting was quite sensitive: ¡°On one hand, it is to prepare for landing on the Eastern Continent, testing some data; on the other hand, it might be that His Majesty has some plans regarding Mirage Country.¡±


    Upon hearing this, someone immediately felt it made sense: ¡°Don¡¯t just say it, it¡¯s really possible. The distance from Mirage Country to Beiyuan City is much closer than crossing the Endless Sea. Besides, don¡¯t we have an agreement with the Orcs?¡±


    Another person agreed with his analysis: ¡°Makes sense, taking down several islands of Mirage Country is very possible. This way, we can appease the Orcs.¡±


    The Tang Empire has always coveted the islands of Mirage Country, on one hand, because the Tang Empire genuinely needs these islands as stepping stones to shorten the actual distance to the Eastern Continent.


    If setting off from Dragon Island to Brunas is considered a distance of 2, then from Mirage Country to Eternal Winter Port is almost only 1! This indeed will bring the Tang Empire closer to the Eastern Continent, or at least closer to the Ice Cold Empire!


    Moreover, Tang Mo has always been considering handing over one of Mirage Country¡¯s islands to the Orcs as a form of appeasement and gratitude. Therefore, the Tang Empire will inevitably wage a war to conquer Mirage Country.


    This war is bound to come sooner or later; it¡¯s not surprising no matter when it happens, so many officers are looking forward to this war: for them, it will be another feast of dividing military exploits.


    However, now may not be the time. In any case, it should wait until after the grand wedding of the Emperor of the Tang Empire, as this joyous event is a symbol of the unbreakable alliance between the Qin Country and the Tang Empire!


    Qin Country hopes to consolidate its relationship with the Tang Empire through such a wedding, while as much as possible acting like a tiger backed by a fox, fishing for benefits they wouldn¡¯t even dare to contemplate normally.


    The Tang Empire hopes to rally the people through such a wedding, allowing the Emperor of the Tang Empire to further enhance his influence over the Western Continent, becoming a ruler recognized by the commoners.


    As the officers and staff in the headquarters of the 9th Group Army discussed the possibility of attacking Mirage Country, the future Imperial Concubine of the Tang Empire¡ªYing Yue, was selecting the jewelry she would wear on her wedding day.


    To be frank, she really didn¡¯t expect the Tang Empire to be so luxurious: in the history books she had read since childhood, it had always emphasized the virtues of diligence and frugality of rulers, and she had never seen such unabashed luxury in a monarch before.


    In the Tang Empire, it seems luxury is not a sin, but rather a matter of course: to meet everyone¡¯s expectations for this wedding, the Tang Empire spent at least 20 million Gold Coins.


    Apart from the wedding itself, just the sapphire necklace, ring, and the headwear for the gown that Ying Yue will wear on the day are worth over 3 million Gold Coins!


    Upon seeing these jewels, Ying Yue even became frightened: she didn¡¯t know whether this was a test, with the Emperor testing whether she was a vain woman or not.


    She had never seen such beautiful jewelry and dresses before, and only now did she understand what a princess dream was, and what kind of facade royalty should have.


    What scared her was that, even so, she still had choices! Yes, the jewelry sent to her was not just one set, and there were many backup options for the gown! This means that such expensive treasures are countless in the Tang Empire...


    In reality, the situation is not as exaggerated as Ying Yue imagined, she didn¡¯t know that these jewels were provided by a jewelry company under the Great Tang Group, and the cost was nowhere near as high as she guessed.


    But few women could stay rational in front of a two-liang weight gemstone necklace, so Ying Yue fell for it too. Now all she could think about was one thing: perhaps the Emperor really liked her. It¡¯s normal because she couldn¡¯t imagine how wealthy Tang Mo really was.


    Once this thought appeared, it didn¡¯t go away anymore, and Ying Yue suddenly had a bit of a small woman¡¯s sense of happiness. She devoted herself to preparing for her wedding, fantasizing about what kind of expression Tang Mo would have when he sees her most beautiful moment.


    That might, indeed, be an interesting event.

 Chapter 1092: 1014 Qin Countrys Secret Weapon

    Chapter 1092: 1014 Qin Country¡¯s Secret Weapon


    While the Emperor of the Tang Empire was preparing for his wedding, in other corners of the world, war was destroying all happiness and beauty that stood in its way.


    At the front lines of Shu Mountain, Qin Country¡¯s tanks were rolling over the body of a Shu Country soldier, tracer bullets were flying between the two armies, and shouts and the lights of exploding shells filled the air everywhere.


    A Qin Country tank was pierced by an anti-tank shell while advancing, continuing to move forward engulfed in flames until it got stuck on a trench and stopped.


    On both sides of the tank, Qin Country soldiers rushed into the trench with the flaming tank and were subsequently massacred by the densely packed troops of Shu Country.


    Here, nearing the mountainous area, the defense lines of Shu Country were established amongst the rugged mountains, causing the offensive efforts of Qin Country to become increasingly feeble.


    Once at its zenith, the Dahua Empire wanted to cross this transverse mountain range to venture into the heartland of Shu Country, to end the era of regional divisions on the Western Continent.


    But ultimately, they were blocked by Shu Mountain, and due to marrying a troublesome Princess, the Emperor died of illness during a southern campaign, making the Dahua Empire lose forever the possibility of moving south.


    Until today, this mountain range remains insurmountable, with Shu Country¡¯s troops backed by the mountain range, forming a defensive line that is easy to defend but hard to attack.


    In most parts of this defensive line, Qin Army¡¯s tanks simply cannot go up. Therefore, the areas where attacks could be launched were few, and Zhang Xuan amassed heavy troops here to attack, but the effects were very limited.


    No matter how skilled in battle Qin Army was, they were not a match for the Shu Country troops in mountainous regions; mountain warfare was precisely the strong suit of Shu Country and Chu Country, putting Qin Army at a disadvantage.


    Qin Country¡¯s General Zhang Xuan, despite being immensely capable, couldn¡¯t utilize flanking maneuvers or achieve quick breakthroughs.


    Apart from those damnable passes, the roads on Shu Mountain couldn¡¯t even facilitate driving, let alone swift breakouts.


    The troops of the Tang Empire coming here could only, like those of Qin Country, slowly tackle these tough nuts, although the Tang Empire might be a bit quicker in cracking them than Qin¡¯s troops.


    ¡°Boom!¡± An artillery shell smashed into the middle of the mountainside in the distance, Zhang Xuan put down the binoculars he was holding and looked towards the Armored Corps Commander beside him who was reporting the situation.


    ¡°The assault failed again! General!¡± The Division Commander of the Armored Division looked pale, lowering his head in dejection. His troops had paid a heavy price in the uphill attack, with tanks lacking cover being destroyed in large numbers.


    These tanks weren¡¯t the heavily armored ones which could hardly make it here. The light tanks that could maneuver up the mountain were inherently poorly defended, and their destruction was to be expected.


    However, using precious tanks in attacking well-defended positions was truly heartbreaking for the tank commanders.


    They had only just accumulated so many tanks, and now watching them being destroyed one after another was more painful than carving out their own flesh.


    ¡°Organize the next round of attack! 20 tanks! Second infantry battalion follow up!¡± Zhang Xuan gave the command to continue the assault with an expressionless face.


    After giving the instructions, he ignored the even more distressed Armored Corps Commander, turning his attention to another officer beside him, identified by his uniform and insignia as the artillery commander: ¡°Order the artillery to keep firing, another two volleys! Flatten every enemy position we can see!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The artillery officer saluted and then turned and left the temporary headquarters.


    This place was originally a defensive position of Shu Country¡¯s army, captured by Qin Army a few days ago, and later modified to serve as both a launch pad and headquarters.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fear casualties, what we need now is speed! We must swiftly breach the Shu Mountain defense line, otherwise wouldn¡¯t Your Majesty¡¯s and the Princess¡¯s maneuvers all be in vain?¡± Zhang Xuan handed his binoculars to his adjutant, casting a glance at the Armored Division Commander: ¡°What¡¯s there to fear? Tang Country¡¯s support has never ceased, your tanks will be replenished soon.¡±


    The Tang Empire sold another new tank production line to Qin Country, which allowed Qin Country to double their tank production capacity in a short period.


    Qin Country already had iron mines and had built a steel factory with Tang Country¡¯s aid, along with other industrial bases, drastically increasing Qin¡¯s war potential.


    This was why Qin Country had the confidence to continue waging this war: they would soon get more tanks and more artillery shells.


    With more tanks, artillery shells, and planes, Qin Country was sure to reap more benefits! Capitalizing on the alliance for as many advantages as possible while it lasted was Qin Country¡¯s current national policy.


    ¡°Keep attacking, we cannot allow the Shu Country to catch their breath. Rest assured, our soldiers will not be sacrificed in vain. Soon our secret weapon will be delivered to the frontline!¡± Zhang Xuan was brimming with confidence, knowing that Qin Country¡¯s super weapon would soon reach the battlefield.


    Once the railways that were damaged due to the war are repaired, the weapon that Qin Country has prepared for this war¡ªor rather, meticulously prepared to break through Shu Mountain¡¯s defenses¡ªwill be able to reach the frontline and join the fight!


    This is a colossal cannon built by Qin Country itself, which can only be utilized by relying on railway lines, transformed from a train car into a firing base!


    Previously widely used in the Eastern Continent, it combines the mobility of a railway train with the formidable power of a large-caliber cannon, truly a perfect war machine called a massive cannon!


    The railway cannons in the Eastern Continent generally use calibers of 300mm, 350mm, and 400mm. To destroy the Shu Mountain defense line, Qin Country chose the largest caliber of 400mm as a reference.


    This type of cannon, with a range of up to 20 kilometers, can launch shells heavier than a car onto the enemy¡¯s position, capable of brutally destroying defense works relying on mountainous terrain.


    For a spectacular effect, Qin Country rapidly build 15 such colossal cannons! Each cannon has its corresponding code and name, and a single cannon weighs over 500 tons!


    Such a massive cannon places huge stress on the railtracks, so it cannot fire directly on the railway. To ensure the safety of the railtracks, side tracks must be installed to support its firing structure once placed in position.


    Because the shells are indeed very large, this type of cannon is also specially equipped with a crane cab for loading shells, supporting such a large cannon requires an enhanced battalion of soldiers, including a vigilance company, an anti-aircraft company, a mechanical support company, and a cannon operating company.


    It¡¯s no exaggeration to say, such cannons have never been equipped or produced even by the Great Tang Empire, they are truly a marvel borne from the wild imagination of weapon engineers around the world.


    Thanks to advances in material technology, allowing them to possess conditions to manufacture large-caliber cannons, without other mature design philosophies, cannon engineers from various countries began to eagerly produce increasingly larger and more extravagant cannons.


    After all, compared to aerial bombs, cannons have an unmatched advantage in terms of firing accuracy, and they don¡¯t have to worry about issues like planes being intercepted and shot down.


    Due to limited coordination means and poor communication environments, military commanders from various countries still prefer to use the weapons and equipment within their own jurisdiction: Army generals are unwilling to coordinate with the Air Force, and the Air Force would not usually consult with Army generals on combat plans either.


    Therefore, cannons have become the only choice for these commanders. Instead of the troublesome task of coordinating with the Air Force, using cannons directly is more convenient and faster.


    The Great Tang Empire is different, Tang Army has taken a completely different approach: they are more inclined towards artillery automation, preferring to focus on enhancing the mobility of cannons.


    According to the artillery theory of the Great Tang Empire, a good cannon is one that can keep up with the advance of armored corps and provide fire support to other troops whenever needed.


    If you can¡¯t keep up with allies and provide support when needed, then no matter how powerful the cannon is, it¡¯s useless. So, the Tang Army has never been equipped with heavy, super-large caliber cannons.


    They went to the other extreme¡ªby aiming to enhance troop mobility, Tang Army lacks the ability to break through strong fortifications. The troops of the Great Tang Empire have minimal means to destroy the enemy¡¯s solid and permanent defensive works, and most of the time, have to rely on less precise aerial bombs heavily.


    In fact, up until today, the Tang Army has never truly encountered super-solid defensive fortifications like the Maginot Line; Tang Mo¡¯s opponents almost never dared to use large quantities of steel and concrete to construct steel defense lines.


    However, as the world¡¯s total cement production increases, and with continuous deepening of military theory research, permanent fortified constructions made of reinforced concrete are starting to appear, making defenses of various countries increasingly stronger.


    The Tang Army is also changing its strategy accordingly: they have started to equip themselves with heavy guided bombs that can penetrate thick concrete covers.


    The new bombs, carried by Junker Bombers or Flying Fortress Bombers, are guided by radio commands, achieving very high accuracy without interference.


    Overall, this is due to different internal strategies within the military. Communications in the Tang Army have always been smooth, and Army commanders are also accustomed to calling in the Air Force when suppression firepower is needed.


    Moreover, with Tang Army¡¯s radio equipment always being in a world-leading condition, the coordination between the three military branches is seamless, naturally facilitating mutual contacts and support.


    Zhang Xuan hopes his troops can continue the offensive before the heavy cannons arrive, not giving the Shu Country troops any time to rest.


    He also understands that if they don¡¯t take advantage of this opportunity to create panic in Shu Country before the railway cannons reach the frontline and break through the Shu Mountain defenses, Qin Country¡¯s southern advance strategy might become passive.


    The encrypted message from Ying Duo was very clear, emphasizing the rare opportunity afforded by the marital alliance between Qin and Tang countries, pressing the need to eradicate Shu Country to potentially create a balanced strategic position for Qin Country with Tang Country.

 Chapter 1093: 1015, you still understand me.

    Chapter 1093: 1015, you still understand me.


    In the Imperial Capital of Kangrao of the Shu Country, Liu Jing looked at the intelligence report sent by his subordinate generals. However, his mind was occupied by thoughts of a woman so beautiful that she stirred the heart of an old man like himself.


    Upon hearing that the Emperor of Tang Country was about to marry the breathtakingly beautiful Princess Ying Yue of Qin Country, Liu Jing felt even more uneasy.


    He had once laid eyes on Princess Ying Yue of Qin Country when she was just 18 years old, already blossoming like a celestial fairy.


    What a pity... He sighed inwardly, then forced his thoughts back to reality and looked at the photographs that had made their way to Shu Country.


    The photos were taken from an aerial perspective; it was impossible to tell the exact altitude, but some objects in the photos were quite blurry, seemingly having been magnified and re-drawn.


    Clearly depicted was a stretch of railway track extending from one edge of the photo to the other. There were train carriages on the track, and from the bird¡¯s-eye view, these could be distinctly identified.


    One particular carriage was quite long, with something that resembled a large cylindrical object on top. These carriages were ringed and marked with annotations.


    The first carriage was a troop transport, the second was also for troops, and the third was clearly a flatbed carriage with a twin-mounted 76mm caliber anti-aircraft gun installed.


    Behind the anti-aircraft gun was the carriage carrying the large steel barrel, beside which was noted: Qin Country¡¯s replica of the Laines Empire¡¯s 400mm caliber railway cannon.


    Following the railway cannon were a crane carriage and an ammunition carriage. Further back was another anti-aircraft gun flatbed. These were also all marked out very specifically.


    ¡°Mr. Speaker, according to the intelligence sold to us by the Tang People, the Qin Country is transporting such heavy artillery to the front line near Shu Mountain. We must think of something; otherwise, things will get even worse,¡± the intelligence officer reported to Liu Jing.


    Although Liu Jing had secured himself a safety net by forming an alliance with that woman, Sofia, he still was not willing to easily give up Shu Country¡ªthis was one of his bargaining chips.


    Therefore, he stayed a staunch resister, even though he knew that resisting Qin Country meant buying time for Tang Country¡ªhe had to hang on.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we also bought heavy 350mm caliber railway cannons from the Poplar Empire? Bring them out and bombard the Qin Army!¡± Liu Jing recalled a previous weapons transaction that he had authorized and spoke immediately.


    The reason he remembered this detail was that previous arms purchases were mostly dealt with by the Great Tang Group or the Shireck Consortium. But the expenditure for those railway cannons went to the Poplar Empire, which left a strong impression on him.


    After all, Shu Country¡¯s economic state was much better than that of Qin Country, so Shu Country was more willing to spend on weapons: they purchased 30 of the 350mm caliber heavy cannons from the Poplar Empire in one go, with great generosity.


    These railway cannons were deployed across Shu Country, and several had already been involved in the defense against Qin Country, leaving a very strong impression on the Qin Troops.


    Now, since Qin Country was preparing a surprise for Shu Country, Shu Country would definitely have a shock in store for Qin Country in return.


    ¡°The frontline generals are also assembling our railway cannons, but due to the terrain, they can only be used near the Shu Pass where the railway is present,¡± the intelligence officer explained the heavy artillery deployment situation of both sides to Liu Jing.


    Unlike the highly developed railways within the Great Tang Empire, there are many mountains in the vicinity, and only near the strategic Shu Pass are there tracks laid. To put it another way, it¡¯s the only place feasible for laying railway tracks.


    Therefore, both Qin Country¡¯s railway cannons and Shu Country¡¯s railway cannons can only be deployed near the Shu Pass.


    At that time, it will be a standoff, and both sides can only exchange fire here to see who is the stronger.


    Glancing at the photos from Tang Country, Liu Jing couldn¡¯t help but once again scorn Tang Mo¡¯s character. He had barely won the beautiful maiden only to betray her homeland right afterward¡ªtruly heartless.


    From the perspective of the Great Tang Empire, acting in such a way is undoubtedly most advantageous to themselves. For Shu Country to remain mired in conflict with Qin Country, it certainly benefits the scheming of the Great Tang Empire within the civil turmoil of the Dahua Empire.


    With this in mind, Liu Jing began to consider whether it was feasible to use these photos to sow discord between Qin Country and the Great Tang Empire.


    However, he quickly dismissed the idea: joking aside, on one hand, the Great Tang Empire would not be afraid of such a trivial ploy; on the other hand, if Shu Country angered Tang Country, it could make the situation even more difficult for him.


    Forget it; at the very worst, he still had intelligence support from Tang Country and could smuggle in various materials and machinery from Chu Country that originated in the Great Tang Empire. If Tang Mo became enraged and cut off the supplies, wouldn¡¯t Shu Country face the possibility of annihilation?


    He sighed and instructed the front line to intensify preparations, not to be frightened by Qin Country¡¯s heavy artillery. They must hold their positions and prevent the Qin people from crossing the Shu Mountain defense line.


    After the routine meeting concluded, Liu Jing returned to his office, exhausted. He then stuffed a document into a file bag and handed it over to a trusted aide to deliver to the contact point Sofia had left him.


    ...


    Wanliang is a city, as well as a region. In the past, the ancestors of the Dahua Empire fought their way out of Sword Pavilion all the way here. Seeing the fertile lands stretching for miles, they renamed this place Wanliang, hoping it would produce an endless supply of food.


    The fertile land of Wanliang lived up to expectations and still remains one of the main grain-producing areas of the Dahua Empire, surrounded by farmland.


    Unfortunately, the civil war within the Dahua Empire has spread to this region. Luo Xiao, a young General of the Great Tang Empire assigned to command and advise in Fengjiang Military, launched an attack against the Dahua military in this direction.


    Previously in charge of supervising the war efforts here was Crown Prince Zhao Ji of the Dahua Empire. However, after the missile strike on the city wounded Zhao Kai, Zhao Ji, this Crown Prince of Dahua, rushed back to the Imperial Capital like the wind to exercise his right of succession.


    As a result, he was detained in the Imperial Capital for reflection, with no freedom of movement to this day, and could only ponder his errors within the Prince¡¯s Mansion in the Imperial Capital.


    But war is no child¡¯s play, and the Wanliang region¡¯s Dahua army, having lost its linchpin, was defeated again and again. What was once fertile farmland was turned into a devastated area riddled with calamity.


    Countless grains were wasted in the summer warfare. Fields that had promised good harvests became the battlefields of machine gun crossfire, and once good embankments were now littered with the wreckage of destroyed tanks.


    The local civilians were driven to madness. Already oppressed within the territory of the Dahua Empire, they now saw their means of livelihood vanish. How could they possibly remain rational?


    Additionally, many had been relying on the exports of grain from Fengjiang. They were supporters of Prince Zhao Yu, favoring Tang affiliations, so the morale of the military near Wanliang was noticeably unstable and no longer a secret.


    ¡°General, whomsoever you follow, Zhao Yu is also of the Royal Family and someone you serve. Why persist in your obstinacy?¡± asked a persuader with a smile, posing a challenging question to the commanding General of Dahua¡¯s 200,000-strong forces in the region near Wanliang.


    ¡°If you stand on the side of justice now, with the war near Wanliang extinguished, how many people will be grateful for your merit? When His Highness Zhao Yu returns to the Imperial Capital, you¡¯ll surely be among the celebrated contributors!¡± Seeing some hesitation from the other party, the persuader continued to urge.


    ¡°All you say are fine words, but if things don¡¯t work out, I could lose my head,¡± the General was wavering, but still wanted to sell his bargaining chip at a good price.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem at all, General. To tell you the truth, if you agree now, you can immediately take a 5 million check and live the good life in the Great Tang Empire. His Highness Zhao Yu said not to worry about your family and children; if worst comes to worst, he can arrange for a beautiful new wife for you!¡± the persuader said generously.


    The General was clearly tempted. He already felt that he could no longer control his troops. Prince Zhao Yu¡¯s influence was indeed significant in many places.


    Now, if he surrenders and hands over Wanliang City to Fengjiang Military, he would be in an invincible position: he could choose an excellent position in Zhao Yu¡¯s court in the future, or he could go to the Great Tang Empire and enjoy a life of luxury.


    The only downside was that his family was detained in the Imperial Capital, and their rescue was indeed risky: even the intelligence officers of the Great Tang Empire could not repeatedly extract people from Dahua¡¯s Imperial Capital without limit.


    They had already done so twice, and the Dahua side had become alert. It seemed unlikely that they could repeat the feat of rescuing Zhao Yu¡¯s entire family like they had for Zhao Zheng.


    But some people don¡¯t care much about family¡ªsome have long wanted to replace their nagging wives, and even abandoning sons and daughters isn¡¯t out of the question. After all, didn¡¯t Liu Bang also have a share of the ¡°spoil¡±?


    ¡°Deal! As long as you fulfill your promise, I¡¯ll hand Wanliang over to you!¡± The Dahua General, who had already lost the will to fight, clenched his teeth and made his decision.


    ¡°The General is a wise man!¡± The persuader had accomplished his task, and his joy was evident, impossible to hide. He stood up and handed the 5 million check to the General directly: ¡°With this check in your pocket, you can sleep sounder, I believe.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true... you understand me so well,¡± the General said with a broad grin, relieved that he had finally chosen the right answer. With five million... the loss of a wife didn¡¯t seem so hard to accept anymore.


    The Emperor of the Dahua Empire, Zhao Kai, was still unaware of the ramifications of Zhao Ji¡¯s hasty departure from Wanliang back to the Imperial Capital. The consequences were only beginning to emerge.


    Meanwhile, the 300,000-strong army stationed in Wanliang, with the 150,000 main forces in the core area, was fermenting a defection in the face of battle, preparing a massive surprise for Zhao Kai, who was still confined to a sickbed and not yet fully mobile.

 Chapter 1094: 1016 Spooky Calm

    Chapter 1094: 1016 Spooky Calm


    On the second morning of October, a faction of the troops stationed in Wanliang City by the Dahua Empire left the city, unwilling to surrender. The troops that had decided to surrender benevolently let them leave their station.


    By noon of the same day, General Luo Xiao led his troops into Wanliang City, taking over all defense operations and at least 120,000 Dahua soldiers who had turned their coats and pledged allegiance.


    The citizens inside Wanliang City rejoiced like thunder, signifying that they had finally put an end to the chaos of war and could harvest their own food before winter arrived.


    The Fengjiang side was undoubtedly generous. On the day they took Wanliang City, Luo Xiao issued a decree abolishing all taxes for the year, leaving all locally produced food for the local people.


    Actually, there wasn¡¯t much to spare because the war had destroyed many fields, and so Wanliang had not really had a bountiful harvest that year.


    But the significance of this was profound; it represented the will of the local people and ensured that the food supplies near Wanliang City would remain local and not become logistic supplies for the Dahua Empire¡¯s troops.


    The news of the loss of Wanliang City reached the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire, and the Ministers of the Empire were thrown into a panic. The loss of this vital granary threw the situation into complete disarray.


    The last time such a significant change occurred was when Shanping changed hands, and the Dahua Empire¡¯s troops lost Guiguang. Now, with the fall of Wanliang, Hezhe was no longer safe either.


    Zhao Chen, who had been fiercely attacking Fengjiang, was now at risk on his flank. He had to carefully consider a retreat for the troops under his command.


    If he continued the fierce attack on Fengjiang and Hezhe were to be captured, his nearly one million army would be effectively encircled, and within days would collapse.


    It¡¯s important to note that these troops in his hands were truly among the few remaining ¡°essence¡± of the Dahua Empire. If his troops encountered problems, it could pretty much signify the end of the empire¡¯s fortune.


    Therefore, he immediately halted the attack on Fengjiang and redeployed troops, urgently advancing towards Hezhe overnight in an effort to secure his rear.


    Meanwhile, in the Imperial City of the Imperial Capital, Zhao Kai lay in bed in the basement, drinking medicine. He didn¡¯t quite trust the medical expertise from the Great Tang Empire, even though it had saved his leg and his life.


    Thus, he still chose to drink the traditional Dahua Empire herbal decoctions, believing that even though recovery might be slower, it would strengthen his foundation and make his body recover more robustly.


    As he took his medicine, he heard his confidant and an officer delivering a message whispering to each other, which irritated him. He put down the bowl of medicine back on the tray.


    Withstanding the bitterness on the tip of his tongue, Zhao Kai gestured for the maid holding the tray to step back and then raised his voice, calling out to his confidant eunuch, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Skulking around like that!¡±


    The eunuch stepped back awkwardly. He had not intended to inform Zhao Kai about the situation at the front, but due to the urgency of the military situation, the officer had barged directly into Zhao Kai¡¯s chamber. He realized he couldn¡¯t keep it a secret anymore.


    Zhao Kai frowned and looked at the officer, his tone lengthening as he demanded, ¡°Speak! What exactly has happened? You must not conceal anything.¡±


    The officer glanced over Zhao Kai, who lay in bed, and at Zhao Kai¡¯s a leg that was still swollen. He realized he might have caused trouble for himself.


    No wonder the Ministers and Guards outside did not stop him; it turned out they had let him be the one to carry the bad news, prepared to face His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s wrath.


    But he had no better option and could only report with a stiff expression, ¡°Your Majesty... just now¡ªjust... We¡¯ve just received the news, Wanliang City has fallen.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Zhao Kai was silent; it was as if time belonging to him had stood still. After a long moment of silence, he lifted an arm and gestured, signaling that the officer could withdraw.


    The officer, feeling as if pardoned, hurried out of Zhao Kai¡¯s room and returned to the somewhat dim corridor.


    In fact, the Ministers in the corridor had known the news since yesterday. Chief of Staff Shen Chuan had already ordered Zhao Chen in the name of the military to dispatch troops for backup, stabilizing the situation in Hezhe.


    The troops in Hezhe were not insignificant. There, the Dahua Empire had at least 100,000 troops of various kinds stationed, including some of the main forces that had retreated from Fengjiang for rest and recuperation.


    With at least another 100,000 men retreating from Wanliang City¡¯s direction, the forces in Hezhe had surpassed 200,000, which was actually not a small number.


    But Shen Chuan feared that among the troops retreating from Wanliang, there could be insurgents disguised, fearful of a repeat strategy that could turn Hezhe as well. At the same time, he truly dared not take the risk; if Hezhe were lost, then it could truly mean the end for the Dahua Empire.


    Furthermore, Shen Chuan also deployed several tens of thousands of troops from Dongqing to reinforce Hezhe, boosting the troop count there to around 250,000, which gave him some peace of mind.


    Of course, what truly assured Shen Chuan was Zhao Chen¡¯s decision to withdraw frontline troops to return to Hezhe, raising the force there to over 300,000, providing a level of reassurance.


    However, the problem still existed: there was no trustworthy person to oversee the battle in the direction of Hezhe. If an ordinary general were placed in command, there was fear that the situation that occurred in Wanliang might repeat itself.


    Shen Chuan himself couldn¡¯t leave. With Chu Muzhou dismissed from his role as Prime Minister, and the vacancy in the position, the workload of the various Chief of Staffs had increased more than usual, making it impossible for them to leave.


    As the currently busiest department, the Ministry of War was particularly reliant on Shen Chuan. If he went to Hezhe, then the logistics supply coordination, as well as subsequent conscription and the defense against Qin Country in the west, could all potentially fall into immediate chaos.


    ¡°Lord Shen, His Majesty summons you to enter,¡± said Zhao Kai¡¯s trusted maid, stepping out of the room and approaching Shen Chuan to invite him in a low voice.


    She made a gesture of invitation, and Shen Chuan followed her into the room where Zhao Kai was. As soon as he entered, Shen Chuan saw Zhao Kai¡¯s ashen face on the bed.


    ¡°Lord Shen... Hezhe cannot have any more problems. We must send someone reliable. Who do you think is up to the task?¡± To Shen Chuan¡¯s surprise, Zhao Kai didn¡¯t erupt in anger but calmly asked for advice.


    This unexpectedly made Shen Chuan feel a little uncomfortable, and he even started to wonder if he had a bit of a masochistic streak.


    After acclimating himself, Shen Chuan suggested, ¡°How about sending Minister Chen Jing to Hezhe? He doesn¡¯t need to go into battle; he just needs to secure Hezhe and prevent any chaos.¡±


    ¡°Chen Jing and Jiang Run are clueless about military affairs, and both you and Wang Yuca?i have duties you can¡¯t leave behind... Zhou Qiang... Zhou Qiang is not reliable enough for an important task.¡± Zhao Kai dismissed each of the Chief of Staffs¡ªexpecting the Minister of Justice to handle it would be even more dangerous.


    Zhou Qiang has always been one of Zhao Yu¡¯s men. Although he wasn¡¯t implicated in Zhao Yu¡¯s conspiracy, he has lost the trust of the Emperor. Shen Chuan is in charge of the Ministry of War, and Wang Yuca?i is in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, and right now, both of their posts are critical and they can hardly be spared.


    ¡°Then, I really cannot think of anyone else who could bear such responsibility,¡± Shen Chuan said, shaking his head, waiting for Zhao Kai to reveal his own answer.


    He was already at his wits¡¯ end. He had initially planned with Wang Yuca?i for the troops to levy grain locally in Wanliang City, but now Wanliang had been lost.


    Now that the Dahua Empire has lost one-third of its grain-producing land, its economy has actually already collapsed. They might scrape by this year, but maintaining the current state of affairs will become a major problem next year.


    ¡°I am inclined to have Zhao Ji go to Hezhe, to guard Zhao Chen¡¯s rear... What do you think, Lord Shen?¡± Zhao Kai¡¯s voice was weak, yet still calm, as if the loss of Wanliang was not a big deal.


    If it had been in the past, Zhao Kai might have already exploded in rage, but now he was as still as the surface of a lake, which felt rather eerie.


    Shen Chuan knew that this wasn¡¯t a request for his opinion, but a notification, so he didn¡¯t say anything further, and with a lowered head, he replied, ¡°The Crown Prince is naturally capable of such a task.¡±


    In fact, if this had been right after Zhao Kai got injured, Shen Chuan would have been reluctant to suggest that Zhao Ji leave the Imperial Capital because Zhao Kai was ill and the Crown Prince needed to stay nearby ready to inherit the throne at any time.


    But now, Shen Chuan really didn¡¯t dare to speak casually: If Zhao Kai were still irascible, he might argue a bit, but with Zhao Kai as he was now... Shen Chuan was afraid for his head.


    ¡°Then let Zhao Ji go.¡± Seemingly not wanting Shen Chuan to stay another second, Zhao Kai once again gestured with his hand, indicating that Shen Chuan could leave.


    Shen Chuan was taken aback and then exited the room following the maid. He originally thought Zhao Kai had summoned him to discuss retaking Wanliang or to arrange something specific. But Zhao Kai said nothing further and directly dismissed him¡ªwhich was somewhat illogical, because there was no need for such a summons just to ask a couple of questions.


    Standing at the door, Shen Chuan frowned and thought carefully for a moment, then sighed and walked out of the basement into the sunlight.


    Inside the room, Zhao Kai finally couldn¡¯t hold back a large mouthful of fresh blood. His face was a ghastly pale as he gasped for breath, it took a good while before he could stabilize himself enough to speak.


    ¡°They all deserve to die! All waiting for me to be the monarch of a fallen country! All waiting for me to make a fool of myself!¡± he breathed heavily, filling his lungs with the stale air, watching as his tearful trusted maid cleaned up the blood on the floor beside the bed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone find out!¡± he instructed, propping himself up on the edge of the bed until he heard the maid¡¯s response, then he fell back onto the bed.


    At this moment, he was truly on his last legs. He had planned to recuperate a bit, but the news had completely broken down his already frail body.


    Since he had been injured, with the Crown Prince returning and the ceasefire at Fengjiang... Now with the loss of Wanliang, the fact that he had managed not to have a blood-sputtering fit until now meant he was actually in good condition.


    His decision to send the Crown Prince Zhao Ji to Hezhe right now was an impulsive command more out of spite, one he himself didn¡¯t fully understand. As the Emperor, knowing that his health was not good, to send the Crown Prince far away was definitely a dangerous order.


    But Zhao Kai issued the command anyway, and after giving it, he felt somewhat better: there was a sense of vengeful satisfaction, and a sense of relief as if he were to let the impending flood come after his death.


    Didn¡¯t they all have their own ulterior motives? Well then, let them fight! Did they all want to show off? Then, let them perform to their heart¡¯s content!


    I want to see who can fare well in the end!


    I refuse to be the monarch of a fallen nation! I refuse to be a historical villain! Moreover, at my death, I¡¯ll drag you traitors down with me for burial! A burial to accompany me!

 Chapter 1095: 1017 is no longer in the same plane.

    Chapter 1095: 1017 is no longer in the same plane.


    Over the years, the Great Tang Empire has always been updating its arms equipment, especially those that have started creating logistical headaches.


    The first to be heavily phased out was the Panther Tank; generally, there were two routes for its disposal, one was to sell it to Chu Country, and the other was to sell it to the Poplar Empire.


    As the Great Tang Empire phased out the majority of Panther Tanks, their production line had also been sold to the Poplar Empire over a year ago.


    Now, the Poplar Empire is the country with the largest number of Panther Tank equipment, and they are quite satisfied with the combat performance of these tanks. The only drawback is the logistical maintenance issue for this type of tank, whose complex design indeed causes a lot of trouble for the Poplar Empire¡¯s logistics troops.


    It¡¯s an unavoidable situation because, in a sense, the Panther Tank is a kind of ¡°specialty weapon¡± that wants everything and strives for perfection in everything.


    Its armor protection is quite high, its mobility is also very good, it has a high ammo capacity, its firepower is formidable, and its targeting system is advanced¡ªis such a perfect weapon really reasonable?


    Of course not.


    The Panther Tank merely piles all its problems onto the production and maintenance segments; as perfect as it performs on the battlefield, it is as terrible in manufacturing and logistical maintenance.


    As the saying goes, the Panther Tank might be a good choice for the Great Tang Empire, which has strong manufacturing capabilities in logistics, but for the Poplar Empire, it¡¯s not as good as they had imagined.


    Arms equipment will always have their focuses; an all-around weapon hardly exists, which is an unchangeable fact.


    Take military vehicles as an example, soldiers all hope for a smooth and comfortable ride, which requires a good suspension system.


    At the same time, a good military vehicle should also have adequate protection, including the ability to withstand mines and direct gunfire and shrapnel.


    However, mine-proofing requires a sufficient ground clearance for the vehicle, which inevitably raises its center of gravity. An increased center of gravity causes more shaking, affecting the aforementioned ride comfort and stability.


    Heavy armor protection, in turn, puts more pressure on the suspension system, compromising the shock absorption efficiency.


    Even with the best shock absorbers, installing thicker armor puts into question whether the engine can provide enough power for the added weight to maintain sufficient speed.


    Fitting a more powerful, high-horsepower engine then? Choosing a more reliable matching clutch... and there comes the new problem: insufficient fuel for the vehicle, resulting in a shorter range.


    Without powerful engines, the vehicles lose their purpose; inadequate horsepower diminishes off-road capabilities, making it harder for soldiers to swiftly traverse dangerous zones, which in turn affects their survival rate.


    Excessive fuel consumption, on the other hand, restricts the operating environment of the vehicles and prevents them from meeting the soldiers¡¯ usage requirements.


    Install a larger fuel tank for thicker armor and more potent horsepower? To protect this tank and carry more fuel, wouldn¡¯t the vehicle expend more horsepower on transporting its own fuel?


    Heavy weight, thick shell, dull and poorly ventilated¡ªsuch vehicles have a higher failure rate. The heavy armor becomes a massive hindrance in repairs; an engine hatch that can resist 7.62mm bullets can¡¯t even be lifted without hydraulic assistance...


    To prevent such heavy vehicles from sinking into the ground, one would need to reduce ground pressure, increasing the contact area of the wheels¡ªeither widening the tires or simply using double tires stacked together.


    Well, after juggling this array of issues and a series of tough compromises, you have barely managed to resolve the vehicle¡¯s own problems.


    Bear in mind, for every 100 kilometers, an increase of one liter in fuel consumption for such a vehicle means an army equipped with 300,000 such vehicles will consume an extra 300,000 liters of fuel. Typically, military vehicles are notorious for their high fuel consumption, with increases of two or three liters being quite possible.


    This is not just about the entire troop advancing 100 kilometers; calculations must include the round trip consumption of transporting this fuel, as well as the disposed oil from these vehicles, the wear and tear on the tires...


    Feeling overwhelmed yet? Don¡¯t hurry; the transport capacity now squeezed out to carry the extra fuel and other materials was originally to be used for transporting munitions, ammo, and food supplies. Do these now need extra vehicles arranged for their transport?


    Alright, after completing a complex set of calculations and arrangements, you can finally estimate how many additional vehicles are needed, and it¡¯s only then that you can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.


    The whole process started simply with an intention of adding a bit of protective steel plates to a military vehicle¡ªeventually, a country has to reserve over 10,000 tons of gasoline for this additional protection.


    Managing these reserves, finding storage places for them, ensuring this gasoline remains usable... a new round of calculations began.


    The question is, what sort of advantage can such costs truly garner: War isn¡¯t a game of animal chess; whether your truck is sturdier and safer than someone else¡¯s does actually mean something.


    It¡¯s not to say that it¡¯s completely meaningless. It is the goal of technicians to enhance the survival capability of every weapon, every soldier in the battlefield, reducing casualties and increasing combat efficiency for each unit.


    But in reality, most of the time, the scenarios encountered on the battlefield are complex and unpredictable. If your infantry comes across enemy tanks, do you just not fight and surrender?


    Actually, no. In most cases, even infantry without any anti-tank capabilities would do everything they could to delay the enemy¡¯s advance and block their progress.


    To put it bluntly, even if you only have a dagger and a brick, you still have to go up and try against the enemy¡¯s tanks; it¡¯s a soldier¡¯s duty!


    Thus, oftentimes the efforts of technicians don¡¯t get rewarded. The things they rack their brains to create are not entirely useless on the battlefield, but it could be said they do little more than scrape by.


    Look, after decades of relentless effort, technicians finally enhanced tank frontal armor to the equivalent of over one meter of homogenous steel, only to find top-attack munitions were readily available everywhere.


    The heavily armored tanks no longer faced just damnable enemy tanks firing armor-piercing rounds; they had to withstand the challenges of drones, individual patrol missiles, and anti-tank missiles.


    Vehicles piled high with armor might not face just enemy assault rifles and light machine gun fire; it could very well be a 40mm caliber anti-aircraft gun leveled to strafe horizontally.


    After comprehensive consideration, the relevant decision-makers generally make trade-offs and eventually come up with a relatively balanced choice of plan.


    In fact, for a long period after World War II, countries around the world did not plan to add armor to transport vehicles.


    However, Lighthouse Country later began playing the role of world police, and the military increasingly emphasized on light-weight capabilities. Soldiers often needed to ride transport vehicles for mobility, and that¡¯s when the protection of such vehicles started to be valued.


    In plain terms, it basically meant using transport vehicles as armored vehicles, and due to the severe lack of heavy firepower from the opposition, armored vehicles were used in place of tanks.


    This is the so-called origin of the Stryker Brigade: bullying kindergarten kids who didn¡¯t even have decent anti-tank missiles, so they could brazenly use thinly armored vehicles to bully others.


    Unfortunately, as the kindergarten kids have become increasingly fierce due to arms trade in recent years, Lighthouse Country itself has had to start abandoning light forces and picking up the Abrams Main Battle Tank it once looked down upon.


    The Tang Army did not have to take this detour since the Tang Army has always built its main combat forces according to continental army standards. The Tang Army has never given up the development and deployment of heavy weapons and equipment, and the army commanders also value the use of armored vehicles.


    Yes, the Great Tang Empire never considered replacing the role of armored vehicles with transport vehicles like Humvees. In the eyes of commanders from the Tang Country, a transport vehicle is a transport vehicle, and an armored vehicle is an armored vehicle.


    After learning from the experiences and lessons of Germany Three and Maoxiong, and combining the theories of the rabbits, Tang Country developed both tracked and wheeled armored vehicle classes in large quantities, meeting the mobile protection needs of the military.


    These weapon equipments are far more practical than welding armor onto jeeps, and they also provide the Great Tang Empire with plenty of chassis options for future self-propelled guns and other functional vehicles.


    Another point worth noting is that when the Great Tang Empire produces these Soviet-style weapons and equipment, they adopt more advanced American production standards.


    This not only improves the quality of weapons and equipment but also creates favorable conditions for their subsequent improvements and developments.


    Maoxiong is indeed too rough in their production processes and standards, which is related to their own industrial development path. Their catch-up mode is completely different from the current situation of the Great Tang Empire leading the world.


    The Great Tang Empire uses American production practices to produce Soviet-style weapons and equipment; it¡¯s not following the crude Soviet path.


    So even though the Great Tang Empire adopts a large number of Soviet-style weapons and equipment, they employ a more streamlined and rational design approach in logistics maintenance. It can be understood that the Great Tang Empire is trying to use the standards and norms of manufacturing F-16s to produce J-7s in the future.


    Similarly, Tang Mo is adding safer fire-suppression equipment and more advanced sensors to his ¡°Rabbit Series Tanks,¡± using more precise manufacturing standards, in preparation for evolving into a more comprehensive ¡°Super 99 Main Battle Tank¡± in the future.


    For the Great Tang Empire, the performance of weapons is only the superficial aspect. The real strength lies in the fact that the production manufacturing standards implemented by the group under Tang Mo¡¯s command are already on a different level compared to other countries.

 Chapter 1096: Intelligence on Mirage Country 1018

    Chapter 1096: Intelligence on Mirage Country 1018


    It was a bright and sunny noon, the office was well-lit, and the desk felt warm under the sunlight, making it quite comfortable to lean on.


    Despite it being mid-October, the room was still quite warm, with no worry about cold wind blowing in.


    A man in a black suit walked into the office, immediately grabbed the water glass on his desk upon entering, took a big gulp, and then asked his colleague, ¡°Do you still remember that person we¡¯ve been investigating before?¡±


    His colleague lifted his head from a pile of documents and casually replied, ¡°Of course, I remember. Isn¡¯t Group Three always following those people?¡±


    After the reply, he picked up a file from his left, opened it, and started carefully verifying it. This is his daily work; not all agents of the Great Tang Imperial Security Bureau are responsible for combat. Most in this building are clerks, actually working mostly in the office.


    Don¡¯t think that all agents are like those from 007, wielding a gun and charging into hordes of enemies just to snatch a film roll and infiltrate the enemy¡¯s headquarters like a terminator demon.


    Some agents do indeed take pictures of microfilm, but they don¡¯t fight. If they get caught they won¡¯t resist, and they only need to sit in the prison waiting for a prisoner exchange.


    Having put down his water glass, the agent who had just returned from the field nodded and began to speak about his investigation¡¯s findings, ¡°That¡¯s right, there is news from that end. The aircraft designs and related patents they purchased from us... were sent to Mirage Country.¡±


    The agent verifying documents immediately perked up with interest; he shifted his gaze from the documents and looked at the other, his face full of intrigue, ¡°Mirage Country? Weren¡¯t they always serving the elves of the Poplar Empire?¡±


    He remembered these people were originally slaves of the elves and had always been active for the Poplar Empire, essentially acting as elves¡¯ covert operatives within the Great Tang Empire. However, these covert operations were already being closely monitored by the intelligence department of the Great Tang, almost like an openly secret maneuver.


    The reason they were never apprehended is that these individuals were always involved in lawful activities¡ªpurchasing technology and raw materials on behalf of ¡®humans,¡¯ paying with real silver, acquiring legal goods. There wasn¡¯t a reason to arrest them.


    If their activities continued to be this lawful, there wouldn¡¯t even be a need for the Intelligence Bureau of the Empire to waste valuable resources to tail them. Over a year ago, when the Great Tang Empire was selling various advanced fighter models, they purchased the schematics for the Zero Fighter, which caught the attention of the intelligence department.


    That¡¯s the reason behind today¡¯s investigation findings; these people indeed hid well, and it¡¯s only after such a long time that they¡¯ve made contact with someone other than the elves again¡ªthe people from Mirage Country.


    ¡°That¡¯s the case, but this time they were indeed working for the people from Mirage Country,¡± the agent returning from the field said, his gaze sweeping to the wall where a portrait of His Majesty Emperor Tang Mo of the Great Tang Empire hung, pausing for two seconds before continuing.


    This kind of portrait is almost found in every office of officials of the Great Tang Empire, most are portraits in military attire, with fewer being color photos of His Majesty The Emperor.


    Since the advent of color photography technology, the old black and white photos of the Emperor were completely banned: any idiot, whether from abroad or domestically, continuing to hang black and white emperor photos would probably end up facing serious trouble.


    However, hanging the Emperor¡¯s portrait has its specifics; for example, ordinary offices display colored reproductions, while high-ranking officials might display oil paintings or photographs by ordinary painters.


    For even higher-ranking officials, those who often meet His Majesty The Emperor, the portraits or photos in their offices are generally those awarded, with documented provenance.


    The agent explained why their investigation was so slow, ¡°We don¡¯t have many people going to Mirage Country; it¡¯s probably the most isolated region for us in terms of information. The people from Mirage Country exploited a loophole.¡±


    It¡¯s truly frustrating; not many want to go to the region of Mirage Country, dominated by goblins, for missions. Due to poor living conditions, it¡¯s not feasible to station there long-term.


    The biggest problem is that humans rarely operate within goblin zones; they can¡¯t integrate into the goblin bureaucratic system, hence they can¡¯t engage in basic espionage activities.


    The agent verifying documents scoffed coldly, feeling that these goblins always harbored some relentless cunning, ¡°They sure are crafty, managing to get their hands on the Zero Fighter schematics, and by now, they probably have produced quite a number of them.¡±


    The Zero Fighter¡¯s performance is quite advanced, slightly superior to other fighters sold by the Great Tang Empire: apart from the Butcher FW-190, other countries¡¯ planes might not necessarily suppress it.


    At that time, when these people purchased schematics and production processes for the Zero Fighter, the Great Tang Empire thought it was the Poplar Empire buying them... Only when the envoy from the Poplar Empire came asking to purchase the Butcher Fighter did the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire realize they had been completely deceived.


    Despite watching so many countries, no other country has been reported to mass-produce Zero Fighters, which has become an unsolved case for the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire.


    Now it is clear, Mirage Country bought the blueprints and has been secretly producing Zero Fighters: previously, the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire had suspected that some hidden force was secretly stockpiling Fighter Jets.


    ¡°The estimate given by the data department is around 500 units, not sure if it¡¯s accurate. We¡¯ve done our best.¡± The counterpart sighed and mentioned a figure, which he got from asking around.


    Frankly speaking, they only recently found out that Mirage Country owns hundreds of advanced propeller-driven Fighter Jets; it¡¯s considered a serious derelection of duty.


    But they can¡¯t really be blamed for this, as they genuinely have no way to deploy a large number of spies to operate in Mirage Country.


    If it were Chu Country, Shu Country, the Dahua Empire, or Qin Country, Great Tang could arrange for thousands of agents to infiltrate within minutes. However, it is much more difficult to do so in the Poplar Empire and the Ice Cold Empire.


    Although the Elves of the Poplar Empire and the Dwarves of the Ice Cold Empire are xenophobic, they are generally manageable to some extent, allowing some communication and contact. The situation in Mirage Country is truly different; the attitude towards humans here is very unfriendly, and human businesses are heavily restricted.


    ¡°Currently, the people operating on a few islands in Mirage Country are all recruited from prisoners of war, their loyalty is of the lowest grade, and we dare not use them lightly.¡± He shrugged helplessly, revealing a somewhat ironic reality.


    The spies sent to investigate Mirage Country are mostly from Mirage Country¡¯s war prisoners¡ªmost of these prisoners were Goblins who had worked under Shen Wuxiong.


    He then continued to add, ¡°Additionally, most of these undercover personnel are used for mapping; only a few are infiltrated into other departments of the opposition.¡±


    The agent verifying the documents nodded, agreeing with him, ¡°It¡¯s a necessary evil. Back then we didn¡¯t have reconnaissance satellites, and drawing maps of Mirage Country was still one of the most crucial intelligence tasks more than a year ago.¡±


    Previously deployed Goblins spies on the island were working hard to figure out where was suitable for landing, where had more stationed troops, and where the defenses were lax...


    Exploring troop deployments and island environments, investigating hydrological conditions, and understanding the basic situation of local roads and railways in Mirage Country already occupied most of their resources; there was no spare capacity to concern themselves with the industrial development of Mirage Country people.


    According to the Great Tang Empire¡¯s perspective, the things Mirage Country could manufacture were essentially not a threat to the Great Tang Empire, hence such intelligence had a lower priority compared to other information.


    Sighing once more, the agent who had returned from the field continued, ¡°Due to racial issues and the xenophobia in Mirage Country, we have never been able to penetrate the core of Mirage Country, and we have the least control over information from there.¡±


    He looked at the report submitted by the operational group agent who had previously gone undercover as a businessman to gather intelligence in Mirage Country; it was truly an ironic situation.


    The agent reported that the houses in Mirage Country are very low, making it extremely oppressive for normal humans to live in; a five-storey building there is about the height of a normal four-storey building in the Great Tang Empire, and living in such conditions for a long time would drive people mad.


    Moreover, the Goblin women are incredibly ugly, and seeing them too much could even affect one¡¯s appetite. The locals are also untrustworthy; they often take money without completing the work, and they particularly enjoy collaborating to bully the foreign humans.


    Essentially, in that report, even with double the salary, it wouldn¡¯t be worth staying to work in Mirage Country. Compared to the heaven-like Great Tang Empire, Mirage Country is simply a hell.


    ¡°This complicates things for the Navy, with Mirage Country having advanced Fighter Jets...¡± the agent checking the documents couldn¡¯t help but remark.


    Hearing his colleague say this, the returned agent felt somewhat relieved, he laughed and explained, ¡°It¡¯s actually quite alright for the Navy; their Fighter Jets are actually much better in performance compared to the Zero Fighters. Moreover, as compensation, we¡¯ve already sent the performance data of the Zero Fighters and the tactical handbook to the Navy.¡±


    The document-checking agent nodded, advising, ¡°Still, we need to take it seriously...¡±


    The returned agent countered, ¡°Yes! Haven¡¯t you noticed? The demand for Mirage Country¡¯s data and intelligence is increasing more and more from the top.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yesterday when you were away, someone from the Staff Department came here and took away some copies of Mirage Country maps.¡± The document-checking agent recalled the incident from the previous day, ¡°There were also local monsoon records, hydrological data...¡±

 Chapter 1097: Busy Beach 1019

    Chapter 1097: Busy Beach 1019


    On the undulating sea surface, the crowded Navy Marine Corps soldiers of the Great Tang Empire Navy, already drenched by the splashed sea, swayed along with the warship beneath their feet.


    ¡°The coastline is right ahead!¡± The driver operating the infantry landing craft loudly reminded the marines squeezing aboard his vessel.


    ¡°Who the hell invented this crappy boat with the hatch opening right at the front, so we get shredded by machine guns the moment we land?¡± A soldier holding his assault rifle complained quietly amidst the crowd.


    After so many training sessions, they no longer vomited on the ship. Their faces were still pale, but at least they weren¡¯t throwing up their lunch onto their comrades¡¯ backpacks anymore.


    ¡°Shut up, this design lets us rush onto the beach the moment we land.¡± An old soldier at the front rebuked, while the approaching waves shattered at the front of the landing craft, dousing the camouflaged steel helmets with salty water as if it were a light rain.


    This was far better conditions than when these veterans had landed on Dongwan Island, where more than half of them had to climb ashore from the sea.


    The younger soldiers these days really don¡¯t know how to be content. Having a ship to deliver them right under the enemy guns, to die¡ªwhat a blissful thing that is.


    The engine was too noisy, the sound of the waves slapping the hull too loud, making it impossible for them to hear the sound of their own beating hearts.


    ¡°Your Majesty will bless all brave soldiers! He is the Almighty God! The War God! The God of Health! Devote your all wholeheartedly, and your souls will reach the tranquil beyond! For the Great Tang Empire!¡± The platoon leader at the bow raised his arm high, leading everyone in prayers to the deity they worshipped.


    ¡°Long live the Emperor!¡± All the soldiers responded with a deep, devout, and determined echo.


    ¡°Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!¡± Behind them, shells fired from the destroyers flew over the dense formation of landing crafts, falling onto the distant beach.


    The explosions sent up columns of sand and water as high as tens of stories, and the atmosphere on the landing craft grew even tenser.


    ¡°Spread out quickly to both sides after opening the door! Don¡¯t cluster together! Keep moving to avoid enemy fire! Watch your step! Don¡¯t get tripped up by the sea and the reefs!¡± The squad leader began to remind his men, not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the last landing drill.


    The driver piloting the landing craft could see clearly: the smokescreen shells fired by the destroyers had already formed a screen of smoke over the beachhead, obscuring vision.


    This is the reality of amphibious warfare: the situation where one watches helplessly as their troops climb ashore under enemy machine gun fire rarely occurs.


    Smoke will obscure everything, the enemy will only be able to shoot blindly, which would significantly reduce the accuracy of attacks, covering large numbers of troops as they advance to positions where they can be effective.


    The landing troops will disperse through the smoke, pushing forward to a closer distance before launching an assault on those enemy strongholds, ultimately breaking through the beachhead and establishing a firm beachhead position.


    Throughout the process, the landing troops might even have tank cover and can communicate with the warships behind them through communication equipment to suppress enemy fire points and destroy bunkers or bombard enemy positions.


    If enemy defenses can be accurately scouted before battle, special teams could even be arranged to guide the corresponding warships to bombard enemy bunkers earmarked for them, ensuring that these tough bunkers are completely destroyed.


    Of course, that¡¯s the case for landing operations on enemy heavily defended coastlines. In reality, the landing beachhead is often free of enemy bunkers, having only simple minefields or just a small number of garrisoned defenses.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived! The front door is opening! Machine gunners! Covering fire! Covering fire!¡± The craft¡¯s captain opened the hatch and shouted loudly to the machine gunners on both sides responsible for providing cover.


    Machine gunners hiding behind shields immediately began strafing, firing blanks just to create an atmosphere.


    As the front gate slowly fell, crashing into the cold seawater, the marines inside the landing craft began their unlucky charge.


    With a step into the seawater, socks were instantly soaked through. Carrying weapons and backpacks, laden with equipment weighing tens of kilograms, they trudged through the sand with irregular steps, feeling as if they were truly being worn down by their superiors.


    Someone who failed to stand firm fell straight into the water, gulping a mouthful of seawater before struggling to stand up again due to the heavy equipment.


    Water dripped from inside the steel helmets down into the collarlines, an exquisitely uncomfortable sensation. Everyone kept moving forward relentlessly, driven by the commands of platoon and squad leaders.


    The sand quickly invaded the shoes, chafing against the tops and soles of feet, making every step exceedingly difficult¡ªbut they could only continue staggering through the smoke, all the way to a soft sand beach full of craters.


    The air was permeated with the salty scent of seawater and the pungent odor that was hard to breathe¡ª the smell of smoke grenades is hardly pleasant, and breathing in this smoke was more irritating to the nostrils than second-hand smoke.


    ¡°Squad one! Move to the left! Look at the map! Damn fools! Look at the map! Find the target reference points! Damn it!¡± The platoon leader, seeing his subordinates¡¯ clueless faces, wished he could rush over and kick them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything! Platoon Leader! It¡¯s impossible to see anything!¡± The bewildered squad leader explained with difficulty.


    The place where they landed might not be the pre-determined position. Surrounding them was smoke everywhere; the squad leader simply couldn¡¯t find the target he was supposed to attack, nor could he find any nearby reference points.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there like an idiot! Lead your men forward! Advance!¡± The platoon leader ripped open the waterproof plastic sheet, took out his assault rifle, and loudly reminded his men, ¡°Prepare the explosive charges! Take down the barbed wire!¡±


    The surrounding soldiers followed, sprinting forward. They felt the real battlefield situation couldn¡¯t be more than this; with the choking smell enveloping them, sandals filled with sand, while carrying heavy gear and holding the damn rifles¡ªcould there be anything more difficult than this?


    ¡°Attack! Attack! Ahead is the enemy¡¯s bunker! Be aware of your positions!¡± Agilely running forward, the platoon leader saw a vague outline. He found a safe spot, jumped into a shallow crater, and lay on the edge to remind his men.


    According to the exercise plan, right in front of the ¡°enemy¡¯s bunker¡± should be barbed wire, with trenches on both sides. Their goal was to breach the trenches and get around to the back of the bunker.


    ¡°Explosive charges! Where¡¯s the demolition team! Get up here!¡± The platoon leader followed procedures in search of the engineer demolition team assigned to his platoon.


    A squad leader, following the sound of his shouts, came back, crouching next to the crater to inform his superior, ¡°Platoon Leader... damn it, the barbed wire ahead has been cut by artillery shells...¡±


    Just now, the destroyer¡¯s covering artillery fire was meant to create craters and set the mood using live ammunition. Due to errors, accidents were inevitable.


    This time, the accident was that a shell happened to land right on the barbed wire; the explosion severed it, and the soldiers could now move through directly...


    The platoon leader climbed out of the crater, awkwardly gestured, and issued a new order: ¡°Continue the attack! Arrange for machine gun cover, circumvent the bunker and breach the enemy¡¯s trench defenses from the flank!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The squad leader picked up his rifle and jogged back to his troop; by this time, the smoke had already dissipated a bit, and the platoon leader could see figures rushing past the barbed wire, one after another, moving towards the trenches beyond it.


    ¡°Much better performance than last time... At least there were far fewer accidents.¡± Glancing at the updates from the landing troops, Bernard commented with satisfaction.


    ¡°Yeah, much better than last time. But I still wonder, is it really necessary to train like this? Not every part of Mirage Country¡¯s coastline is fortified; do we really need to prepare so extensively?¡± Lu Qianshan, standing behind Bernard, shared his thoughts.


    He was once a general of Zheng Country, naturally familiar with the training level of Zheng Country¡¯s troops. Compared to the training and exercise standards he knew before, those of the Tang Army were unheard of to him.


    Facing such a military, he had no reason to feel wronged by his defeat. Even at this moment, he felt a small sense of relief, pleased that he was now a member of the Tang Army.


    ¡°His Majesty once said something,¡± Bernard said to Lu Qianshan with a smile.


    As he said this, Lu Qianshan immediately stood at attention, and all the staff officers present stood up straight.


    Bernard continued: ¡°¡®Sweat more during peacetime, bleed less during war.¡¯ Now, the more we train, the more proficient we¡¯ll be in battle.¡±


    After saying that, he lowered his hands, and everyone relaxed from their attention position and returned to their previous busy state.


    Lu Qianshan immediately corrected his attitude, expressing remorse: ¡°I spoke rashly. His Majesty has far-reaching wisdom and is brilliant in martial valor.¡±


    ¡°The landing craft are starting to withdraw from the beachhead... The second wave of the landing troops is boarding the deck.¡± While Bernard was still smiling, an officer came over and reported to him.


    ¡°Make safety the priority, organize the troops to board the craft!¡± Bernard continued to command: ¡°How is the aviation doing?¡±


    ¡°Take-off and landing training is under way, with the third wave of air support having completed formation...¡± The officer responsible for coordinating with the Aircraft Carrier Fleet immediately reported.


    For security reasons, the aircraft carrier did not participate in the same exercise as the landing fleet, but did report synchronously on the air support situation. Of course, their training was just as serious, with even the start time of the exercise calculated precisely.


    ¡°Have the troops calculate preliminary loss assessments... Use the strictest standards!¡± Bernard instructed, then delegated the command authority of the scene to Lu Qianshan: ¡°You take charge here, make sure there are no messes!¡±

 Chapter 1098: I have been a fan for 70 years since 1020.

    Chapter 1098: I have been a fan for 70 years since 1020.


    If you ask which country in the world most urgently needs amphibious equipment, it has to be the Rabbits. Hence, Tang Mo didn¡¯t even need to search on purpose; he could easily find a whole bunch of amphibious equipment from the Rabbits¡¯ pocket.


    In those days, the Rabbit¡¯s amphibious landing divisions were under Uncle Eagle¡¯s tutelage, which is definitely beyond the expectation of many. The young and promising Kaisen II purchased many armored vehicles from Uncle Eagle that were never shipped back to his country.


    Some of these armored vehicles were directly used to fight the Rabbits back then, while those in poor condition had their parts scavenged and were thrown away as scrap metal into recycling stations.


    After the Rabbits¡¯ million-strong forces crossed the great river, they found these discarded scraps in the recycling stations and, lamenting the waste, picked them up to use for themselves.


    It was with these LVT war vehicles discarded by Uncle Eagle, that the Rabbits built their own amphibious combat vehicle troops¡ªsaying the Rabbits are fans of Uncle Eagle isn¡¯t wrong at all, considering they¡¯ve been die-hard fans for seventy years without even being asked.


    Thus, when selecting amphibious landing equipment, Great Tang Empire had no hesitation, choosing what the Rabbits used: the Type 63 amphibious tank and the Type 77 amphibious armored vehicle.


    These two weapons weren¡¯t very technically sophisticated, just slightly more complex than World War II armored vehicles. Nevertheless, they were indeed genuine amphibious armored vehicles that substantially enhanced the troops¡¯ beach landing capabilities.


    More interestingly, the chassis of this Type 63 amphibious tank was also used as the base for the 122mm caliber self-propelled howitzer. With this, Great Tang Empire had already prepared a new chassis for the update and replacement of its own self-propelled artillery.


    The only regrettable thing is that Great Tang Empire doesn¡¯t own 122mm caliber howitzer guns, so the Type 63 had to make do with a smaller 105mm howitzer fitted on its large chassis.


    There was no choice, as the 155mm howitzer was too heavy; the Type 63 chassis couldn¡¯t carry it, and after testing, it had to be honestly abandoned.


    If we talk about the shortcomings of the Type 63 chassis, or rather, the Type 63 vehicle family, there are some: these vehicles have poor protection, and the Type 63 tank can only be fitted with Tang Empire¡¯s existing mature 75mm gun, which honestly isn¡¯t very satisfying in terms of firepower.


    Although compared to other countries¡¯ main battle tanks, the firepower of the Type 63 amphibious tank isn¡¯t considered weak, when compared with its own tanks, the difference is substantial.


    Due to recoil issues, the Type 63 tank used by the Great Tang cannot adopt the 88mm or 105mm caliber cannons previously used by the nation. It had to settle for the slightly inferior 75mm cannon, simply because the Great Tang never produced the original 85mm cannon used by the Type 63 tank.


    After this modification, the Type 63 tank of the Great Tang Empire became a thin-skinned vehicle with insufficient firepower and a subpar sighting system, essentially a ¡°second-rate product.¡±


    Compared to those tech-heavy, superior performance main warfare weapons of other countries, the Navy Marine Corps¡¯ Type 63 tank could be dubbed a disgrace.


    And that¡¯s not even the most pitiful aspect; due to its inadequate sighting system, the Type 63 amphibious tank cannot fire at sea, and even if it did fire forcibly, it couldn¡¯t hit the target.


    Thus, the only mission for this type of tank is to land with the infantry and then draw enemy fire to cover the infantry in capturing the beachhead.


    As for what comes next... that would be the tank landing ships¡¯ job to bring the proper Type 59 main battle tanks ashore to take over the Type 63¡¯s tasks and steamroll the opposition.


    Because the Army has equipped a large number of Type 113 armored vehicles and is reluctant to phase them out (there wasn¡¯t time to phase them out), the Navy could only purchase Type 77 amphibious armored vehicles for their own private use.


    After all, unlike the Rabbits who had a large number of Type 63 armored vehicles to convert into amphibious armored vehicles, the Navy and the Army had to go their separate ways, with the latter using the Navy Marine Corps¡¯ armored vehicle chassis to modify self-propelled artillery.


    Overall, as Great Tang Empire¡¯s weaponry developed, an unstoppable chaos spread within the military¡ªmany pieces of equipment exhibited a strong transitional and experimental nature.


    After enduring the agony of updating equipment such as the Butcher Fighter Jets, Stuka Dive Bombers, and Flying Fortresses... as well as the Army¡¯s Panther Tank and other armaments, many senior officers began to favor the experimental nature of equipping a small number of units to see how things go.


    Everyone is worried, worried that if they continue to pile up equipment in large quantities like the past, will they encounter similar situations in the future.


    They don¡¯t want to experience the embarrassment of having good equipment but not being able to use it again, so even with the superior performing Type 59 tank and J-6 Fighter Jet, neither the Air Force nor the Army are in a rush to equip them.


    Everyone is waiting, waiting for better equipment to come out, especially the Air Force: they would rather wait for the legendary Type 7 Fighter Jet than continue equipping the barely capable all-weather J-6.


    On the beach, the Type 63 amphibious tanks and Type 77 amphibious armored vehicles, plodding through the seawater like snails, have begun to come ashore. Their not very broad caterpillar tracks are churning up the sand and gravel while initiating smoke release, turning the entire landing scene into a wonderland.


    The choking smoke caused some soldiers to start cursing, as they by now had occupied the enemy¡¯s first line of defense according to the exercise plan.


    Next, they would need to continue advancing, establishing a defensive position on the periphery of the beach to prevent the enemy¡¯s counterattack. Meanwhile, the following troops landing on the shore would shoulder the heavy task of clearing out surrounding enemies and assisting the main forces in continuing the landing.


    A tank landing craft with openable doors on the front side had already begun unloading tanks, and the lower-profile, better-armored Type 59 tank rolled out of the hold, strutting about on the beach.


    The soldiers who landed subsequently had become orderly; they were no longer in disarray, yet they were still tormented to death by the smoke released by their own people.


    The first batch of soldiers that had landed were sitting on top of a ¡°bunker,¡± pouring sand out of their boots; this was a simple camouflage made of sandbags and sand, treated as a bunker.


    A passing tank turned at the gap in the barbed wire, and the tank commander, half out of the hatch, looked up at the ¡®bunker¡¯ with fellow troops on it and loudly reminded, ¡°We¡¯re gonna need that thing later, don¡¯t damage it.¡±


    ¡°Got it! Our shoes sure can¡¯t blow up the enemy¡¯s ¡®bunker¡¯!¡± an infantry squad leader patted the sandbag he was sitting on and shouted to his comrades with a laugh.


    Compared to the last landing exercise conducted on Dongwan Island, the effect of their exercise this time can be said to be very good. Soldiers with experience were no longer panicking, everyone was working methodically, there was even some semblance of a world¡¯s powerful army.


    Everyone knows that the military of the Great Tang Empire is unrivaled in the world, but who can know how many exercises they have conducted in secret?


    Understanding new weapons, mastering new tactics, all these rely on training to maintain. A weapon isn¡¯t ready for combat simply by issuing it to the troops.


    You need to build a system around the new type of weapons, rely on this system to shatter the enemy¡¯s system, in order to win. If not, the existence of new-style weapons has no significance at all.


    Currently, the Air Force is focusing its research on integrating radar with aircraft, seeking to forge a novel theory of air combat, and build an all-weather Air Force.


    The idea for the Land Army is to modernize the chassis of their combat vehicles as quickly as possible, creating a new lineage of combat vehicles, simplifying logistical support, and bringing the variety of equipment back to a reasonable range.


    You should know by now that the Air Force has a very large number of aircraft models. The Land Army has even more equipment models.


    Just the tanks themselves come in three types, and it wasn¡¯t easy to finally phase out the Panther Tank, yet there are still many Mark IV tanks in service in the military.


    That¡¯s not even what causes the most headache; what¡¯s more troubling are the various equipment variants that have sprung from it: including Mark IV tanks and tank destroyers, tank maintenance vehicles, and self-propelled artillery.


    The Mark IV tank still serves as the ¡°workhorse¡± in the Land Army today, tirelessly serving, and continues to play its role among the artillery, armored troops, and infantry.


    Only problem is, it¡¯s just too old¡ªso old that other countries¡¯ tanks are almost as advanced, that¡¯s why the army no longer dares to deploy it on the front lines, with most left with the second-line troops.


    ¡°If we really go to war... I genuinely don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll still have to dress up like it¡¯s a festival when charging onto the enemy¡¯s beach,¡± Cao Fei, holding his sniper rifle, sat on the beach watching the subsequent landing of the Type 59 tanks and asked his partner.


    To ensure the soldiers¡¯ safety, all participating landing troops were equipped with orange life jackets. These things look quite festive when worn, seriously undermining the urgency of the landing troops.


    As a sniper, Cao Fei didn¡¯t land near the front, so by the time he clambered onto the beach, the ¡°battle¡± had already ended. Although the air still hung with a choking odor, and there was still a thin layer of smoke, everything appeared to be back to normal.


    ¡°This thing is to prevent us from drowning,¡± the observer poured seawater out of his boots, not looking up as he explained, ¡°and I heard the color also protects against sharks.¡±


    ¡°Last time we really fought on Dongwan Island, we didn¡¯t have all this nonsense. At that time, the enemy was easily defeated, and our victory was not in doubt,¡± recalled Cao Fei, with experienced affirmation of the battle he took part in.


    ¡°Give me a break! Back then your enemies didn¡¯t have Maxim machine guns, didn¡¯t have sniper rifles with 3x scopes, didn¡¯t have 200mm howitzers, didn¡¯t have concrete bunkers, nor barbed wire or submachine guns,¡± his observing partner put on his wet boots and mocked his comrade.


    What he said was true. With the diffusion of technology, the world¡¯s nations have all changed from what they once were. Even though the Great Tang Empire still held an absolute advantage, on a regional level, that advantage wasn¡¯t as clear as before.


    To say that the Great Tang Empire was wrong to spread its technology might not be entirely true: if the Great Tang did not sell so much of its technology, Tang Mo could not possibly have completed his industrialization so rapidly.


    But to say it was right to sell so much technology seems inaccurate because technological iterations have indeed increased the cruelty of the battlefield, and it may very well cause the Great Tang Empire to pay a much greater price in the next war...


    ¡ª-


    Today I have something on suddenly, just one update, three more will be made up tomorrow.

 Chapter 1099: The war of 1021 must be pure

    Chapter 1099: The war of 1021 must be pure


    In the conference room, many military heavyweights were present, discussing whether the previously planned invasion of Mirage Country was truly necessary.


    Logically, capturing the islands of Mirage Country does not have to be completed by the troops of the Great Tang Empire, as this does not entirely align with the interests of the Great Tang Empire.


    ¡°The main reason for capturing there is that we need to provide the Beastmen with a resettlement area, additionally, we also need the major islands of Mirage Country as a stepping stone for the Great Tang Empire to return to the Eastern Continent.¡± A general was gesturing on the map: ¡°But we don¡¯t need to lead this war all by ourselves.¡±


    ¡°The battle at Fengjiang has opened a new door for us, we can completely have mercenaries fight this battle. The Orcs should fight for themselves! Just gather a force of about 300,000 Orc troops, supplemented by our armaments, and the landing operation can be accomplished,¡± the general confidently offered a relatively conservative figure.


    In reality, what he mentioned was just the total number of the first wave of landing soldiers, and if we aim to control the entire territory of Mirage Country, this number would have to be multiplied by at least five.


    If using only the Orcs, it¡¯s possible that even two million soldiers would not be sufficient, and that is under the premise of continued support from the Great Tang Empire.


    However, recently in the military, many share a similar opinion: since other races and nations can be instigated to slaughter each other, the Great Tang Empire does not need to take action personally.


    Like the battle between Qin Country and Shu Country, like the civil war within the Dahua Empire ¡ª look, the Great Tang Empire didn¡¯t lift a finger, and the enemies fell by themselves!


    There are quite a few people who hold such views because this approach involves minimal input and can effectively reduce the Great Tang Empire¡¯s own casualties. By not getting directly involved in the war, it¡¯s like killing three birds with one stone.


    Even many believe that the roles of the intelligence and foreign affairs departments are greater than those of the Ministry of National Defense and the Staff Department. For the Great Tang Empire, maintaining basic military deterrence is enough.


    As such opinions grow louder, His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang Empire has convened this meeting to unify the thinking.


    ¡°Although we expect to lose about 100,000 troops, we have no need to worry. The losses pertain to the Beastmen and have nothing to do with us,¡± that general confidently declared.


    Since it involved the Beastmen¡¯s losses, he spoke with an air of indifference: a loss of 100,000, or perhaps the subsequent loss of nearly a million, doesn¡¯t seem like much in the eyes of the Great Tang Empire.


    After all, the dead soldiers are all from the Beastmen or other countries... Such things don¡¯t count for much within the Great Tang Empire, do they?


    If we consider the subsequent profits, the Great Tang Empire might even make money out of this: those Orcs who wish to live a blissful life in Mirage Country, who wouldn¡¯t first come to the Great Tang Empire to complete a glorious evolution? They have to work here to earn the chance of ascension, and finally head to Mirage Country, to enjoy a new life there...


    Therefore, in conclusion, the general expressed: ¡°The success of the battle at Fengjiang has absolute significance for reference, in the future we can just deploy a small amount of troops, guide from behind, and the losses can be completely transferred out. For the Great Tang Empire, this is very cost-effective.¡±


    ¡°Do you all think this way?¡± Tang Mo looked towards the senior military leaders sitting on both sides, including several corps commanders and Marshal Luff from the Staff Department.


    Luff didn¡¯t hide anything and explained to Tang Mo: ¡°Your Majesty, there has indeed been such a sentiment lately, believing that the blood of our Great Tang soldiers should not be shed in vain.¡±


    Tang Mo nodded his head, then fell silent for two seconds before he spoke to Luff and everyone else present: ¡°I think it should be our troops of the Great Tang Empire who carry out this oversea landing operation... It¡¯s an accumulation of experience, a rehearsal for returning to the Eastern Continent.¡±


    In Tang Mo¡¯s view, what time was it? The Great Tang Empire had just risen a few years ago? And was already taking on some of the bad habits from the Lighthouse Country.


    The troops started to be concerned about casualties, factories were still desperately chasing profits, new contradictions emerged, as if everything was fading like the setting sun.


    As the Emperor of the Empire, Tang Mo was worried about such developments. He must gauge the situation properly, to keep the entire Empire¡¯s nerves tense: they were far from invincible, there was still much to improve in many areas.


    The most supportive general of proxy warfare became anxious and advised: ¡°Your Majesty! You are absolutely right, but the losses are estimated to be substantial. The island has tens of millions of Goblins, and it¡¯s estimated that mobilizing a million troops might be necessary to maintain the situation in Mirage Country. Compared to what we gain, it seems hardly worth it.¡±


    Tang Mo pressed his palm down, and the other party dared not say anything further. The room fell silent, and then Tang Mo continued: ¡°I am aware of your thoughts. Now, let me explain the necessity of the battle for Mirage Country.¡±


    ¡°Firstly, the war must commence amidst the conflicts in the Eastern Continent, taking the opportunity to attack Mirage Country in the chaos, resolving the territory issue of the Beastmen, as well as our question of returning to the Eastern Continent,¡± he began by stating the necessity of this war.


    The Empire must assuage the concerns of the millions of laborers within and needs a stepping stone back to the Eastern Continent, so this war must be fought, and the strategic decision must be unanimous.


    He paused, took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and then continued, ¡°The reasons for war are sufficient and necessary, so it is imperative we fight this battle, and I believe this is something everyone can agree upon.¡±


    ¡°Why we must send our troops instead of letting the Beastmen replace us, let me explain. First, we must ensure our own combat capability, which is key to deterring others,¡± Tang Mo pointed out with a finger.


    He emphasized: ¡°We are not afraid of losses, we are not afraid of war! We have the capability to wage war and the determination to do so, and these things must remain in our own hands to control.¡±


    At this point, he thought of many infamous names, like the notorious Blackwater, like Wagner of the Prison Legion.


    Although relying on these desperadoes, both countries had achieved some successes, Tang Mo did not consider this a good choice. He preferred to make war pure: I am here for the victory, not for any other purpose.


    Historically, whenever the motives behind a war were impure, they exacted a heavy price. Emperor Yang of Sui launched the war against Goguryeo to deplete the power of the noble clans, only to end up with the destruction of his country and his own death.


    If it had been just the destruction of the country and the death of the emperor, it would be bearable, but his failure ultimately led to a disastrous defeat in the war against Goguryeo, with countless men sacrificing their lives on the front line¡ªa tragedy of an era was thus born.


    The so-called wonders of the Sui Dynasty led the country astray, fundamentally an ¡°intrigue¡± by the Imperial center to weaken local power and drain local civilian strength, but it encountered an emperor who sought quick success, ultimately botching the endeavor.


    Subsequently, the Li Dynasty, up until the ascent of the empress, tried every means to continue Sui Dynasty¡¯s method of striking against the noble clans, until the Song Dynasty when the noble clans finally evolved into a bureaucratic gentry.


    Similarly, sending death row criminals to the front lines also came with severe social issues: if a large number of criminals were released early due to their service in war, how to solve the problems they would create upon returning to society?


    The solution is actually simple, to find ways to expend these criminal prisoners on the battlefield: if they do not leave the front lines alive, wouldn¡¯t the subsequent problems cease to exist?


    But such a solution, while looking good on the surface, harbors a paradox: once one disregards the changing situations on the battlefield and the lives of soldiers, can one truly deserve the smile of the goddess of victory?


    Wars fought for impure victories, wars themselves are a desecration of war: rife with internal calculations and trade-offs, filled with deceit and traps, even if victorious, in the end, they will plant the seeds of trouble, causing the victors to pay a higher price down the line.


    Tang Mo did not want to use the war as a millstone, severely duping the Beastmen, as it would only increase contradictions and make subsequent work complicated and inefficient.


    The Beastmen are not sovereign in Mirage Country; it is still the territory of the Great Tang Empire and must be under Great Tang¡¯s jurisdiction, existing only nominally as an autonomous region of the Beastmen.


    However, what Tang Mo feared most was not this; his greatest concern was that the Empire¡¯s generals would start fearing losses, become timid in war, and begin avoiding the tasks that should belong to them!


    Rome collapsed when the mercenary corps became increasingly relied upon, and the Tang Dynasty also disintegrated when foreign mercenaries became increasingly relied upon... With so many lessons from history, isn¡¯t it enough for Tang Mo to reflect?


    The reason humanity cannot learn from historical reflection is that in the current reality, those who have a choice often have no better solution, often have no other options.


    But Tang Mo is different; his substantial capital accumulation allows him to choose freely, to reject decline, a unique advantage of being a transmigrator.


    Therefore, he raised a second finger and said, ¡°Secondly! The second concern I have is that becoming accustomed to solving problems with mercenaries, although it may reduce immediate costs, will lead to the neglect of our own combat capability. Always fighting proxy wars means our own soldiers won¡¯t be trained.¡±


    ¡°As this continues, the Great Tang Empire will eventually become apprehensive and timid in war, losing the heart to decisively win. It will degenerate into the Shireck Consortium or become a second Dahua Empire.¡± Tang Mo didn¡¯t need to cite Rome or the Tang Dynasty from his past life as examples; there were already ample contemporary examples before him.


    ¡°Shireck is accustomed to solving issues with capital and means, but at critical moments, they are always too slow to respond, ultimately allowing the Great Tang Group to take their place.¡± Tang Mo thought of Shireck, who was fond of fighting proxy wars, yet repeatedly lost to the Great Tang Empire.

 Chapter 1100: 1022, get ready for the next battle

    Chapter 1100: 1022, get ready for the next battle


    Without a strong military of its own, merely driving wars with capital and connections ultimately led to Shireck¡¯s failure. It reacted too late and sluggishly, eventually providing the Great Tang Group with an opportunity to rise.


    Another good example is the Dahua Empire, a history which Tang Mo has studied: ¡°The Dahua Empire once had an enterprising spirit, but ultimately it became complacent and turned into what it is today. Do we really want to follow in their footsteps, only to be surpassed by others in the end?¡±


    After the initial rise of the Dahua Empire, it also hoped to conquer the neighboring countries, but a series of minor setbacks made the Dahua Empire overly cautious.


    In the end, the strategy of letting neighboring countries contain each other was cost-effective and quick to see results. After playing this a few times, the Dahua Empire stopped its expansion after getting the benefits it wanted.


    With that revival ruler sending a princess to Shu Country and the news of his journey southward being exposed, the Dahua Empire¡¯s last effort also failed, and history has progressed to where it is today.


    So when Tang Mo mentioned these anecdotes, the key generals who understood them started to take them very seriously. They had been groping in the dark without a clue, but now Tang Mo had pointed out the key, making them understand that sometimes wars must be fought by oneself.


    Tang Mo, sitting at the head of the table, continued to speak: ¡°We cannot be shortsighted, always looking at immediate benefits. We need to take a long view, carefully consider the overall benefit.¡±


    ¡°We absolutely cannot become timid because of losses; that¡¯s wrong. We must face all challenges head-on, showing the enemy that we are unbeatable! Proxy wars may seem to have small losses, but the attitude alone has already put us at a disadvantage.¡± His gaze swept toward his generals, and, to his relief, they did not avoid eye contact. Their eyes were still filled with the desire for victory and unwavering confidence that Tang Mo could lead them to it.


    In Tang Mo¡¯s view, a military fearing war and afraid of casualties is already a sign of decay. If a military does not seek battle, does not crave war, then it is the failure of a nation¡¯s military.


    A nation¡¯s military is like the sharp sword in a swordsman¡¯s hand. The swordsman may not draw the sword, but the sword itself must be sharp and must crave blood.


    Whether to use the sword is the swordsman¡¯s decision, which has nothing to do with the sword itself; similarly, deciding whether to wage war is the will of a nation, and has nothing to do with the military itself¡ªthe military just needs to ensure it can fight and win.


    The Tang Empire in another time and space, due to extensive use of mercenaries and the Foreign Legion, ultimately suffered frequent wars and the core military forces decayed, losing the ability to absolutely suppress the border army, and eventually lost absolute control over the surrounding regions, leading to an inevitable decline.


    Similarly, Lighthouse Country, keen on fighting proxy wars and thinking money and aid could solve all problems, gradually became a proponent of minor wars, only capable of hitting below the belt and punching above the weak, neglecting its robust industrial strength.


    There are far too many such examples, because in the short term, mercenary proxy wars are simply too tempting¡ªlow cost, quick results, and no blood of their own is spilled.


    In such wars, the planners need not invest much; they only need to stand by yelling, toss a few coins to add to the atmosphere, and the opponents will fight among themselves, causing mutual attrition.


    So as long as you maintain control over the narrative, lure the opponent with economic advantages, and subtly exert cultural influence, you can destroy the enemy¡¯s spirit and dull their physical edge. The cost of doing this is so low, it¡¯s practically winning without fighting.


    But playing this game ultimately comes at a price, and it is that everyone who has played it feels it saves time and effort, seeming to make a fortune on paper.


    The first to play this game brought endless pressure to the subsequent decision-makers: because the first person achieved the greatest results with the least cost, those who follow and cannot achieve the same seem incompetent.


    Tang Mo does not want his generals to start focusing on this area because he does not wish for the Great Tang Empire to eventually follow in the footsteps of Lighthouse Country.


    He hopes his troops are always ready for battle, always superior to the militaries of other nations, always daring to wage war, and always full of vigor.


    ¡°Relying on strategy to weaken the enemy is part of war, but it is not the main part; there¡¯s no doubt about that.¡± He set the tone for his war efforts, clarifying that the means are just necessary steps, not the key to determining victory or defeat.


    Tang Mo diverted his gaze from his generals and continued: ¡°The Battle of Fengjiang is just a strategy to wear down the enemy. It¡¯s merely a prelude to our annexation of the Dahua Empire. Although effective, its emergence was not inevitable. Hoping for the enemy to make the first mistake so we can take advantage, expecting others to start fighting so we can wait and reap the benefits... This kind of thinking is fundamentally flawed.¡±


    As he spoke, he spread his hands: ¡°Great Tang relies on its unmatched military power, not those petty tricks! Eating appetizers before the main course is fine, but if the whole table is filled with pickles and sweets, then we can¡¯t enjoy the meal! I hope you all understand this!¡±


    ¡°Regardless of whether the enemy makes mistakes or not, we have the capability to defeat them! This is what we must constantly pursue, constantly keep in mind, and always hold firmly in our hands!¡± He clenched his fist and raised his voice.


    ¡°Yes! Your Majesty!¡± Generals Luff, Strauss, and Bolton were the first to stand up, heads held high. The other generals also stood up, and the chant echoed in the meeting room: ¡°Long live His Majesty The Emperor!¡±


    ¡°Go and prepare! Prepare for the next war! Prepare for all subsequent wars! Prepare to establish your merits with blood! To conquer! To save! For the glory of the Great Tang Empire to spread across the land, for the flag of the Great Tang Empire to cover the skies!¡± Tang Mo also stood up, energetically encouraging everyone present.


    ...


    Ying Yue found that, compared to the wedding she had been looking forward to, His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang Empire seemed to be more enthusiastic about his work. He had endless tasks to handle every day, which was somewhat unfamiliar to Ying Yue.


    In her view, a monarch of a country who is diligent like her father Ying Duo, is already a rare wise ruler, but she found that the Emperor of the Tang Empire seemed even busier.


    She actually wanted to meet this future husband before the grand wedding, but all the meeting requests submitted by her, the Princess of Qin Country, failed.


    It seemed that His Majesty The Emperor always had endless tasks: he had to handle a heap of state affairs every day, find time to draw and write books, as well as meet various Ministers, hold various meetings, and emergency meetings...


    In addition, His Majesty had the habit of dining with family and Ministers, often keeping Ministers over for meals to discuss issues, so there wasn¡¯t even time to have a meal with Ying Yue.


    What was most unexpected was that His Majesty was also a good family man. This somewhat surprised Ying Yue; she really hadn¡¯t guessed that Tang Mo would take time out to play games with his children or check their homework.


    He really would look at his children¡¯s drawings and scribbles, watch their shaky handwriting, listen to their chirping and singing, and talk about the fun of catching crickets in the Forbidden City.


    From any perspective, Tang Mo was a good man: Ying Yue was deeply loved by her father, but she had never enjoyed the treatment of Ying Duo¡¯s regular visits and companionship.


    An Emperor is usually busy enough, and some trivial matters are simply overlooked. People who are around the Emperor are also used to this, and they do not complain about it.


    But Tang Mo was different, he really did find time to accompany his family. This may also be another important reason why Tang Mo¡¯s three women have been getting along very well so far.


    Today, Ying Yue finally got the chance to meet Tang Mo. Tang Mo wasn¡¯t avoiding intentionally; he really had no time recently.


    Computer technology in the Great Tang Empire was advancing rapidly, which couldn¡¯t be achieved without Tang Mo¡¯s support and contributions. Compared to a woman he had never met, Tang Mo preferred to invest his efforts in the development of technologies that could influence the future direction of the world.


    Moreover, the nuclear technology of the Great Tang Empire had reached a critical moment, which could produce that earth-shattering boom at any time.


    Which of these matters wouldn¡¯t be more important than taking time to meet a woman? This had always been Tang Mo¡¯s belief, until he saw this woman from Qin Country at dinner time.


    Tang Mo was shocked by her beauty for a moment: he had truly never seen such a stunning beauty before, as desirable as the exquisite food in front of him.


    She was completely different from Alice in terms of style of beauty, and also not like Yue¡¯er. How should it be described? Looking at Ying Yue in front of him, Tang Mo felt a familiar comfort.


    Black hair, black eyes... If Tang Mo were to choose a wife in his past life, it should be someone exactly like this! She was perfect, perfectly like those female celebrities with whom Tang Mo had little interaction in his previous life.


    Not those internet celebrities nor those with indistinguishable faces from cosmetic surgeries, but like those regal and endearingly beautiful women who appeared in TV dramas many years ago, full of an indescribably precious aura.


    Frankly speaking, Tang Mo liked this kind of beauty, so it helped him accept the fact that there wasn¡¯t much affection between him and her, at least to some extent.


    After all, it¡¯s a political marriage... Tang Mo thought silently to himself.


    While Tang Mo was sizing up Ying Yue, Ying Yue was also observing Tang Mo. To be honest, the more she looked at him, the more satisfied she was: First of all, Tang Mo was very handsome...


    There are always people who value looks, and a woman¡¯s first impression of a man is naturally his appearance. Tang Mo was handsome, which to Ying Yue, was a big... bonus point.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Haven¡¯t finished dealing with family matters, the update is postponed by a day, will definitely make it up tomorrow, apologies.

 Chapter 1101: 1023 earth-shattering news

    Chapter 1101: 1023 earth-shattering news


    How beautiful is Ying Yue? Probably on par with Sofia. This is extremely high praise because Sofia¡¯s beauty is unquestionable. Describing Ying Yue as a woman who can bring a nation to its knees is no exaggeration; in fact, it¡¯s even a bit of an understatement: as the saying goes, a beauty capable of toppling empires and cities, such a lady is hard to find.


    If Ying Yue weren¡¯t beautiful, Zhao Ji and the princes of Qi Country wouldn¡¯t be so eager to propose to Qin Country. After all, the quality and quantity of men pursuing a woman can somewhat reflect the extent of her beauty, right?


    Originally, Tang Mo hadn¡¯t planned to meet Ying Yue before their marriage, so this meeting was very low-key, just a casual dinner and chat.


    When Ying Yue walked into the room, the data and blueprints of the steam catapult on the aircraft carrier that had been occupying Tang Mo¡¯s mind flew away. This proved that Ying Yue¡¯s beauty truly exceeded Tang Mo¡¯s imagination.


    So the conversation flowed more freely; Tang Mo chatted casually about various topics while eating, as if he were not the same person who had just been loudly discussing honor and blood at the military meeting.


    As a fashion guru, Tang Mo had numerous topics to discuss with a woman. Whatever he mentioned casually seemed to Ying Yue like the whispering of a deity in her ear.


    ¡°I can have John send some of the dresses designed for next year¡¯s Chang¡¯an Fashion Expo for you to try. There might be some pleasant surprises,¡± Tang Mo said nonchalantly, not really knowing what this could mean to a fashion-conscious woman.


    ¡°You can give your feedback, and have them alter anything you¡¯re dissatisfied with. If you don¡¯t like them, they can redesign,¡± Tang Mo said, chewing on tender beef, inadvertently setting up his pudgy Elf underling.


    John is probably around 300 pounds by now; apart from his pointed ears, he no longer bears any resemblance to an Elf. The young man who once braved storms at sea for half a year is now greasy enough to be just short of balding.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you have no idea how tempting this is for a woman. When I was in Qin Country, I couldn¡¯t get the latest fashions from Tang Country at all. By the time it reached me, it was already outdated,¡± Ying Yue flattered earnestly, with a bit of fawning that made Tang Mo comfortable.


    She wasn¡¯t at all surprised that Tang Mo spoke during the meal, even though, in other countries, speaking while eating is a taboo and very rude.


    Before coming here, she had specifically studied the court etiquette of the Great Tang Empire¡ªwell, the conclusion was that the Great Tang Empire basically had no court etiquette.


    The princes here could take a group of Ministers¡¯ children to dig for bird¡¯s nests or ants within the Forbidden City without displeasing His Majesty The Emperor, even if they are covered in mud.


    The Ministers and the princes and princesses, even the Imperial Concubines, can talk during meals, discussing matters, telling jokes, and sharing stories. Such a dining environment seems much better than eating in silence.


    Moreover, the dining standards of Emperor of the Great Tang Empire also surprised Ying Yue: she knew how the King of Qin ate, and it was much simpler than the rumors among the common people.


    In this respect, many kings want to have a good reputation. They all try to highlight their virtues by being frugal in areas such as dining.


    However, Emperor of the Great Tang didn¡¯t seem to think this way; Tang Mo appeared to be obsessed with enjoyment. The Imperial Palace of the Great Tang Empire could be said to be the most luxurious complex in the whole world, surpassing other countries in sheer size alone.


    In addition, the facilities are very comprehensive, luxurious, and often change to the latest fashion designs. Frankly speaking, Ying Yue was delighted with the place; she thought that living here would definitely be considered fortunate and joyful.


    Just dining in such a complex is a pleasure, not to mention that the dietary standards of the royal family of the Great Tang Empire are frighteningly high.


    A catering team of more than a hundred people revolves around Tang Mo¡¯s diet every day; meals served are exquisitely presented and delicious, with each bite being a supreme indulgence.


    Before this dinner, Ying Yue could never imagine there were so many intricacies to a meal, not to mention the pairing of meat and vegetables considering nutrition, as well as the matching of raw, cold, warm, and hot dishes.


    Not to mention the ingredients, Ying Yue, being from the inland, had never imagined she could eat fresh seafood in the inland city of Chang¡¯an, which Tang Mo explained was transported by special aircraft from ports such as Linshui.


    What does the laughter of a beauty outweighing the dust of a horse¡¯s ride matter? The Royal Family of the Great Tang Empire has a special flight squadron whose transport planes are dedicated to transporting seafood and seasonal fruits and vegetables, ensuring that the Emperor, Imperial Concubines, and princes can have world-class food whenever they desire.


    Clearly, if a ruler can lead the people to a full and stable life, they have the right to enjoy all the benefits that victory brings.


    If all common folk can eat meat, then Emperor Tang Mo is entitled to eat even better meat; if all commoners live in spacious and bright houses, then Emperor Tang Mo is entitled to reside in a grand palace.


    The people of the Great Tang Empire harbor no discontent for Tang Mo¡¯s extravagance, for they only need to glance at the total amount of taxes His Majesty The Emperor collects annually to forgive all his ¡°luxuriant and boundless desires.¡±


    They would take the Emperor¡¯s opulent lifestyle as a topic of conversation over tea and meals, boasting about their nation¡¯s incomparable strength and scoffing at other nations¡¯ monarchs who flaunt frugality as unsophisticated bumpkins.


    In other nations, luxury is merely an adjective, but in the Tang Empire, it is an achievable form of flaunt. When Ying Yue caught sight of the fresh split coconut brought over by a maid dressed in a white chef¡¯s attire, she even felt a bit dazed.


    Suddenly, she realized that she couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since she last saw this fruit. The coconut carried by the maid was readily available in Nanshan Port, but it was not easy for Qin Country to get a taste of it.


    ¡°This tastes good, the key is that it¡¯s natural, healthier than drinking other beverages,¡± said Tang Mo, taking the coconut from the servant, smiling, ¡°So this is the drink of choice for tonight.¡±


    Chang¡¯an never runs out of wine, and the best wine recognized worldwide is from there. The Brunas three-year vintage, which fetched sky-high prices a decade ago, is now hardly circulating in the market anymore, only the Chang¡¯an series of fine wines remain commonly seen.


    It is well known that the Emperor of the Tang Empire has collected the highest-quality part¡ªa Royal Family¡¯s boutique series not available in the market, piled up like mountains in the wine cellars of the Forbidden City.


    ¡°This comes from the South, not common in Qin Country,¡± Ying Yue also took a coconut, curious about the straw inserted in it.


    Plastic, this kind of material, is no longer a rare item in the Tang Empire, but is still difficult to find in other countries. The seemingly simple coconut represents the formidable power of the Tang Empire on the rise.


    ¡°I can¡¯t afford to send coconuts to the King of Qin, but I can still afford a few bottles of fine wine,¡± Tang Mo said generously, instructing a servant beside him, ¡°Prepare some gifts for the King of Qin, pick five bottles of the best quality Chang¡¯an ten-year vintage from the wine cellar.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Your Majesty.¡± The servant bowed slightly, gesturing to a maid standing at a distance. After whispering a few words as she approached, the maid immediately departed, evidently to attend to the Emperor¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty.¡± Ying Yue wanted to raise the coconut in her hand, thought better of it, and refrained. She knew that her father would definitely love the gift from Tang Mo, because it represented an attitude, an attitude desperately needed by Qin Country.


    As for Tang Mo, he didn¡¯t mind, lifting the coconut in a toast and smiling, ¡°Are you a bit unaccustomed? No matter... How did the jewelry selection go? If there¡¯s nothing to your liking, it¡¯s fine, just have John find craftsmen to redesign it.¡±


    ¡°I chose the set of Star and Moon, which I like very much. My name already contains the word ¡®moon,¡¯ and the jewelry set is quite beautiful...¡±


    ¡°Glad you like it.¡± Tang Mo brought this up with a sense of relief; after all, when he ¡°married¡± Alice, Yulin, and Yue¡¯er, the conditions weren¡¯t as favorable.


    Back then, the wedding was hardly organized; it was only after the Great Tang Empire had crushed Zheng Country and taken its place that a simple edict of the Princess¡¯s appointment was issued following the move from Dragon Island to the Western Continent.


    Only when Qin Country sent a Princess and a wedding was needed did Tang Mo remember that he seemed to have not given a proper wedding to the former three Imperial Concubines.


    Realizing the gravity of the oversight, Tang Mo immediately took remedial measures. First, he bestowed many rewards on the three Imperial Concubines and also personally designed many sets of jewelry for them to choose from, finally managing to preserve his own place in the imperial harem...


    It was only after the three Imperial Concubines had picked the jewelry that pleased them that Tang Mo dared to let Ying Yue choose the jewelry for her wedding... This was something he had not yet informed Ying Yue about, a prime example of deceit from above and below.


    At times, Tang Mo felt baffled. Other transmigrators managed to keep a peaceful harem with a large group of wives and concubines, so why did he start to feel overwhelmed with just four?


    Just as Tang Mo was lamenting his lack of success compared to other transmigrators, Wes entered the dining room with a mischievous smile and made his way to Tang Mo¡¯s side.


    He bent down, lowered his voice, and whispered a freshly confirmed piece of news to Tang Mo, ¡°Your Majesty, just confirmed¡ªthe Emperor of the Poplar Empire, upon hearing of Qin¡¯s marriage alliance, has prepared... and sent over his brother¡¯s daughter too... She is already on her way and will soon board the ship at Hotwind Port...¡±


    ¡°What? Say that again?¡± Tang Mo was startled, then realized, and widened his eyes to look at Wes. His expression was as if he had heard of a country declaring war on the Great Tang Empire.

 Chapter 1102: Laughter from the 1024 Doors

    Chapter 1102: Laughter from the 1024 Doors


    When Tang Mo learned that there were Elves in this world, he actually entertained the somewhat rogueish thought of giving it a try. After all, in his past life, he really had not had the chance to try out the Elf species, so full of fantasy.


    However, due to a series of coincidences, he ended up marrying Alice and Yulin, and also had a cute cat-eared girl Yue¡¯er, and thus did not go out of his way to seek out Elves anymore.


    He¡¯s not a card collector, after all; there¡¯s no need to deliberately acquire an Elf wife just to satisfy his burning curiosity.


    What he never expected was that the Elf Race had actually been plotting this idea for a long time: earlier, it was only because there was no princess of suitable age available, otherwise they would have set this plan into motion much sooner.


    Stimulated by the marriage alliance with Qin Country, the Poplar Empire finally could not sit still any longer. They chose the only girl of suitable age from within their relatives, bestowed upon her a princess¡¯s title, and sent her over to Tang Mo.


    In terms of looks, the Elf Royal Family always maintained a high standard: they were inherently handsome and beautiful, the women of the Royal Family were one in ten thousand in terms of beauty, and each was a top-notch choice.


    This was all determined by genetic heritage, after all. With handsome men and beautiful women coming together, it would be hard to produce a bad outcome.


    The selected princess was said to be particularly outstanding in appearance, already a beauty as a child around seven or eight. Now at the prime of her life, she was definitely in full bloom. What¡¯s more critical was... for Tang Mo, this came with the bonus BUFF of long ears!


    Princess Ying Yue, who was sitting at the other end of the table, thought something major had happened and didn¡¯t dare to interrupt. She could only sit there nervously watching her future husband.


    She knew that if Tang Mo showed such an expression, it must be a matter of great national importance; she even thought it might be something like an uprising or a war, some kind of emergency.


    In fact, she guessed wrong. If Tang Mo had received a report about a war or disaster, he certainly wouldn¡¯t have looked so panicked.


    For the Great Tang Empire, facing three to five countries alone wasn¡¯t a big deal, but turmoil in Tang Mo¡¯s harem was truly a dire calamity.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we... turn it down?¡± After a long pause, Tang Mo finally emerged from this sudden disaster, beginning to struggle for the happiness of his later life.


    As a joke, the matter of marrying Ying Yue hadn¡¯t been completely settled, and now here was an Elf Princess from the Eastern Continent. This felt like the enemy launching their fiercest assault on him.


    The main direction of the attack was not the sacred and inviolable territory of the Tang Empire, but his imperial spine¡ªstriking directly at his weak spot, leaving Tang Mo struggling to defend.


    It seemed his enemies were quite vicious, having thoroughly studied his weaknesses: in any field, the Tang Empire stood undefeated, but when it came to the Emperor himself, seriously, he couldn¡¯t just produce a third kidney to strengthen himself...


    ¡°Your Majesty, while the native faction celebrates with high fives, have you considered the feelings of the foreign faction?¡± Wes¡¯s smile grew even broader.


    ¡°...¡± Tang Mo looked at Wes, hearing the teasing in his words: ¡°Are you reminding me that in the future I might need to collect girls from every city according to my subordinates¡¯ ancestry?¡±


    ¡°If you can handle it,¡± Wes nodded, ¡°but I seriously doubt that when your army reaches Dorne, your body will fail you.¡±


    ¡°Find a way to turn it down...¡± Tang Mo felt that he really did not need to marry so many wives: at least he shouldn¡¯t and didn¡¯t need to consider spouses from Goblins and the Dwarf Race, which would be more unbearable than death for him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s better to discuss this matter with the ministry of foreign affairs and other ministers before making a decision...¡± Wes reminded Tang Mo, ¡°Refusing the Elf¡¯s marriage alliance at this time will affect many people¡¯s thoughts.¡±


    With this reminder, Tang Mo understood what Wes meant: If he refused the Elves now, it would be like pouring cold water on the Brunas faction.


    Everyone eagerly wished to return to the Eastern Continent, and with Ying Yue¡¯s arrival, they all felt the crisis. To refuse the Elf Race¡¯s marriage alliance now, would that not cause even more anxiety among the people?


    As an Emperor, even if just to suppress the native faction¡¯s arrogance, he would choose to accept this opportunity served to him on a silver platter. Balance, restraint, discipline, control... these are the techniques of an emperor, and having sat on the throne for so long, he was well aware of this.


    But damn it, going on like this, his harem might destabilize first! Yulin, Alice... neither were easy to deal with, right?


    And then, isn¡¯t that damned Elf girl underage? What¡¯s this about? She¡¯s still a child! Isn¡¯t this forcing himself into a beastly act?


    Indeed, this Elf Princess was truly in the prime of her life, just 16 years old this year, and to Tang Mo, she was really just a child.


    ¡°Convene a special meeting about this matter tomorrow. All department heads in the Imperial Capital must attend!¡± After some thought, Tang Mo gritted his teeth and issued the command.


    Then he squeezed out a smile and said to Ying Yue, ¡°Sorry, there was a bit of a situation just now, some people always like to cause trouble for others.¡±


    ¡°I hope Your Majesty can resolve the trouble. The prosperity and strength of the Great Tang Empire are things I have witnessed firsthand, and I believe there is nothing that can stump you.¡± Ying Yue paid Tang Mo a tactful compliment, slightly easing the atmosphere.


    The two continued to talk on various topics, and then according to proper protocol, Ying Yue had to leave the Forbidden City to go back to her lodging¡ªafter all, everyone has their dignity to maintain, and if news of a foreign princess spending the night in the Forbidden City got out, it really wouldn¡¯t sound very pleasant.


    Tang Mo wasn¡¯t some inexperienced young boy who¡¯d never been around, and he was definitely not in a rush; in fact, he was not in the mood to entertain romantic notions with Ying Yue right now, because another ¡°atomic bomb¡± was about to arrive at Hotwind Port...


    In John¡¯s office, his secretary brought in a report, informing him of a major diplomatic incident that he had just learned about.


    The shapelessly fat John twisted his corpulent body and suddenly reacted, asking his secretary in disbelief, ¡°What? Say that again?¡±


    Seeing the splendid expressions on John¡¯s face, the secretary repeated the news, ¡°The Elves have sent over a beautiful girl claiming to be the daughter of a prince, just turned sixteen this year, barely old enough, and they just sent her here directly, saying she¡¯s a symbol of the continual friendship between the Poplar Empire and the Great Tang Empire, and she has brought an official letter and gifts...¡±


    ¡°Pfft... Ah hahaha! Hahaha!¡± Upon hearing this, John couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. In the past few days, he had seen Li¡¯ao and Nangong Hong with their smug faces, strutting with extra confidence as they walked during meetings.


    As a member of the Brunas faction, John naturally found these two ministers disagreeable. But with their current momentum, there was really nothing he, an Elf, could do about it.


    Now it was different, the Poplar Empire had sent an Elf Princess at such an opportune time¡ªthis made things much more interesting.


    With this thought, John couldn¡¯t help but laugh heartily.


    ¡°Director...¡± The secretary, looking at John laughing wildly, reminded him.


    John waved his hand and couldn¡¯t stop his laughter, ¡°I just thought about the looks on Nangong Hong and Li¡¯ao¡¯s faces, and I couldn¡¯t help but want to laugh, hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Although they might be embarrassed right now, might you want to consider His Majesty The Emperor¡¯s feelings? And... there are also the Princess¡¯s feelings.¡± The secretary reminded him once again.


    Immediately, John pulled back his laughter. After all, officially, he was still a subordinate of Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯er and also a subject of the Great Tang Empire.


    The Elf Race sending a Princess to His Majesty The Emperor, how could this not leave a bad impression on the Imperial Concubine? It¡¯s evident that His Majesty The Emperor would not be pleased either.


    So he said gravely, ¡°Uh... well, laughing like this really isn¡¯t appropriate. Ahem... you can go now, make sure you close the door properly.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Director.¡± The secretary bowed his head and exited the room, then closed the door behind him.


    Before the secretary had gotten far, John¡¯s laughter exploded from inside the room again, ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±


    In another office, Nangong Hong frowned and made a grim assessment of the situation: ¡°This time it really is a case of lifting a rock only to drop it on one¡¯s own feet... I really didn¡¯t expect they¡¯d be so eager to marry off a princess?¡±


    Because of his previous stance, he still had to express support from the diplomatic department: however they supported Princess Ying Yue before, now they must support this Elf Princess in the same way.


    The situation was just this awkward, this aggravating, this laughably frustrating: Nangong Hong felt that for a good while he wouldn¡¯t make a good impression on the Imperial Concubines.


    The secretary tried to explain awkwardly, ¡°Director, you might not be aware... it was just that a few years ago the Elves didn¡¯t have a suitable royal lady, or they might have thought of this earlier.¡±


    ¡°They chose this prince¡¯s daughter, who was exceptionally raised to the rank of a princess, and she just turned 16 a few days ago, and they were so eager to send her over,¡± he went on about the princess¡¯s background, ¡°The girl herself probably never imagined she¡¯d have such a fate... previously just a prince¡¯s daughter, and then suddenly possessing the qualifications to become a princess consort of the Empire.¡±


    ¡°Is now the time for discussing this? Huh?¡± An utterly embarrassed Nangong Hong snapped back, ¡°Think hard about how I¡¯m going to face His Majesty and so many colleagues looking to laugh at me in tomorrow¡¯s meeting.¡±


    Just thinking about so many mocking eyes scrutinizing him in the meeting room, making him feel as though he was on pins and needles, Nangong Hong thought he should resign as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Great Tang Empire right now.


    The usually self-proclaimed unparalleled strategist Nangong Hong knew that his illustrious image was thoroughly tarnished. From now on, whoever saw him would recall this marriage alliance. He might even earn an annoying nickname like ¡°Good Things Come in Pairs¡± or ¡°The Minister of Matrimony.¡±


    But then he thought about Li¡¯ao and felt slightly relieved: there was still a fellow brother from the Imperial Security Bureau to share in the situation¡ªnot a bad deal after all...

 Chapter 1103: Imperial Concubines Fury 1025

    Chapter 1103: Imperial Concubine¡¯s Fury 1025


    In a military barracks¡¯ meeting room, a division commander, face full of mockery, looked at his subordinates who appeared like frost-stricken eggplants and drawled, ¡°Why so silent? Didn¡¯t you talk about interception last time? Are we going to fight this time or what? Should we top up the tank fuel?¡±


    ¡°Division Commander, please stop making fun of us, we didn¡¯t really do anything out of line back then, did we?¡± A regiment commander scratched his neck uncomfortably as he pleaded embarrassingly.


    They had blustered about intercepting Princess Ying Yue¡¯s train before, only to watch her directly transfer to a plane at Fengjiang...


    In fact, their interception plan had not been carried out at all, and the whole affair remained at the level of empty talk, stirring no real waves.


    That was also the primary reason why they were still able to gather for a meeting: if they had actually taken any action, they should all be in jail by now. Maybe those in jail would be considered lucky; probably many would have been executed already.


    ¡°Come on, you were all for action last time, and now you¡¯re silent? Isn¡¯t this disloyalty to the three Imperial Concubines?¡± The division commander continued his cold jeering.


    Another regiment commander wiped the sweat from his forehead and coughed for a long time before adjusting his tone and speaking sheepishly, ¡°Cough cough cough... Division Commander, you¡¯re blowing this out of proportion, we, well... let¡¯s drop it, okay? We admit we were wrong, isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    ¡°Besides, she didn¡¯t pass through our defense zone this time, right?¡± The third regiment commander brazenly dodged the issue.


    The first regiment commander who had just spoken perked up at this and quickly said, ¡°That¡¯s right, Division Commander, even if we wanted to handle it, we couldn¡¯t, it should be the Navy¡¯s concern.¡±


    This time the princess took the route from Hotwind Port to Linshui, over the vast sea, which had nothing to do with their army.


    Even if there was an operation, it would be the Navy¡¯s business; this time, they could pass the buck with ease!


    With this thought, the second regiment commander immediately nodded in agreement: ¡°Right! The Navy should take care of this matter!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve really lost all shame... Get out of here, and think before you bark next time, or I¡¯ll shove you under the wheels of a tank!¡± The division commander just came to see his subordinates make fools of themselves, so after scolding them, he watched the three regiment commanders flee the meeting room.


    ...


    ¡°Increase the price of export goods by three percent!¡± In an office with a huge floor-to-ceiling window, sumptuously decorated, a beautiful woman raised her head from a pile of documents and instructed her subordinates.


    Her voice sounded pleasant and was filled with authority. Having worked here for a long time controlling the Empire¡¯s economy, she naturally exuded an imposing aura that commanded respect.


    Alice gently rubbed her golden locks and put down her pen, ¡°If I don¡¯t express my views, will this matter ever end?¡±


    No one answered her question. The officials of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Treasury lowered their heads; nobody wanted to catch the heat at such a time.


    It was a joke. Everyone could see that their immediate superior was in a terrible mood, and no one wanted to invite trouble by flirting with disaster.


    ¡°Let the word out! If there¡¯s a third princess or something... it won¡¯t be so easy to sweep under the rug!¡± Alice gritted her teeth but eventually decided to save face for her man.


    She was actually quite dissatisfied with how the Poplar Empire was conducting itself, but she also considered the profound implications this would have for the Empire.


    Now a mother of two children, Alice had long since matured politically, naturally thinking about how to help Tang Mo stabilize his base.


    As a Northern Ridge woman, Alice understood the urgent desire of the Northern Ridge and Brunas factions to return to the Eastern Continent. Although she was unwilling to have another Elf sister-in-law, she knew this was not the time to pressure Tang Mo.


    A moment of carelessness could chill the hearts of the factions from outside, and the Empire¡¯s top echelons could be affected: although it would not threaten Tang Mo¡¯s rule over the entire Empire, the short-term politicking could affect the strategic decisions of the Empire.


    Alice¡¯s directive to raise the price of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s export goods was a signal in itself¡ªThe Great Tang Empire¡¯s Imperial Concubine is not happy! The rest is up to you!


    Don¡¯t think that sending over a woman will solve all problems; it could also create new ones: The Great Tang Empire¡¯s His Majesty The Emperor is someone you cannot afford to provoke, do you think you could provoke the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Imperial Concubine?


    The newly-arrived Princess was at most another Imperial Concubine; not all Imperial Concubines are the same! Some have sons, some do not. Some have real power, and some other Imperial Concubines... especially the new ones, do not!


    Alice, in control of the economy, was fully capable of causing trouble for any country she took a dislike to. If she wished, that country¡¯s import and export trade could suffer a significant deficit.


    By then, it would no longer be a situation that can be resolved by sending a woman over¡ªvery likely, this nation could be carved up and devoured by other covetous countries surrounding it!


    Meanwhile, in another office, Yulin also waved her hand towards her subordinates, ¡°Go! Tell Nangong Hong, if a new princess emerges again... If he can¡¯t block the Ministry of Internal Affairs, then let them handle it. Things must come to an end at some point, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Imperial Concubine! This subordinate will definitely relay the message to Minister Nangong Hong,¡± the subordinate nodded slightly and said to Yulin.


    Only after this subordinate had left the office did Yulin lean back in her chair with a weary face, letting out a gentle sigh, ¡°Alas... this time, you¡¯re getting away with it, you philanderer. But let¡¯s hope, there is no next time.¡±


    Yulin had idolized Tang Mo since her childhood, her adoration for Tang Mo was mixed with affection, creating her domineering attitude towards others and a somewhat inferiority complex when it came to Tang Mo.


    She loved Tang Mo deeply, so subconsciously, she was reluctant to add any burden to him. Even though she was already dissatisfied with the princess incident, she did not make a move on this matter. If she had really put her mind to it, I¡¯m afraid that both Ying Yue and the Elf Princess would not have made it to Chang¡¯an.


    But Yulin¡¯s patience had its limits, and she did not want any more women around Tang Mo. Therefore, as the Imperial Concubine of the Great Tang Empire, she had to make a statement to deter those other countries that had already started to harbor ulterior motives.


    The Royal Family of the Great Tang Empire is not just for anyone to enter. Anyone who fails to understand this principle would just have to try!


    Moreover, this month Tang Mo can forget about getting into her, Yulin¡¯s, bed... Uh, half a month? Alright, ten days! Five days! At least tonight, he won¡¯t be getting into her bed!


    In Yue¡¯er¡¯s office, with her cat ears drooping slightly, she had no heart to deal with official duties and sat at her desk listlessly.


    She didn¡¯t possess Yulin¡¯s dominance or Alice¡¯s authority, and regarding the sudden addition of two women to Tang Mo, she just instinctively felt unhappy.


    But the more so, the more pitiful she appeared, making one feel more indebted to her. Tang Mo was not oblivious to the state of the women in his harem; on the contrary, he knew everything.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end this matter here. Explain to the Poplar Empire that their princess is too young, let her study in the Great Tang Empire for two years... As for the marriage alliance, we¡¯ll see what the princess wishes when the time comes,¡± Tang Mo threw several report documents on the table and let out a sigh.


    ¡°Is this a rejection?¡± Nangong Hong dared not to make assumptions and asked cautiously.


    ¡°Not exactly, convey the intention that the marriage alliance is also the hope of the Great Tang Empire, only due to the princess¡¯s age issue it¡¯s postponed for two years...¡± Tang Mo paused for a few seconds before finishing the sentence: ¡°Make sure the message is clear, avoid any misunderstandings from their side.¡±


    In fact, he was a beneficiary on this matter, showing no triumphant side, merely not wanting to make his cad nature too obvious.


    ¡°This subordinate understands.¡± Nangong Hong bowed his head and complied¡ªfeeling uneasy in his heart, because the origin of this issue was the native faction clamoring for a native-born Imperial Concubine. Strictly speaking, it was a classic case of reaping what one sows, trapping oneself in a web of one¡¯s own making.


    Each time he recalled the laughter of the foreign faction at yesterday¡¯s meeting, he felt his cheeks burning with shame. This incident had become his disgrace, akin to his nickname of ¡°Minister of Marriage Alliances.¡±


    And another beneficiary of this incident was the plump Elf John, who found it difficult to even walk. He had completely ended his isolated and helpless state and now had a kin of his own in the future Forbidden City within the Great Tang Empire.


    So now, summoned by Tang Mo, he stood there sweating like rain¡ªjust standing was a strenuous task for the portly man.


    ¡°The reason I called you here, is to remind you. Just because an Elf Princess has arrived, don¡¯t disregard Yue¡¯er,¡± Tang Mo cut to the chase, speaking very clearly: ¡°The Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯er is amiable, but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s easy to bully, understand?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty! I dare not overstep my status... I am a subject of the Great Tang Empire, a subordinate of the Imperial Concubine... I will dedicate my heart and effort...¡± John quickly wiped his sweat as he professed his loyalty.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking at your performance, not hearing your promises!¡± Tang Mo waved his hand, effectively warning the Elf.


    ¡°The intelligence department has been a step slow several times recently... Li¡¯ao, your work is still not up to par.¡± Tang Mo then turned his gaze to Li¡¯ao standing on the side.


    The old man immediately admitted guilt: ¡°Your Majesty! This subject deserves death! The courts of elves, Mirage Country, and dwarves are dominated by their own kind... I truly can¡¯t place many people inside...¡±


    ¡°Enough, no more excuses, I know you are diligent. But negligence is negligence, and intelligence infiltration into these three countries must be intensified! This is your task!¡± Tang Mo interrupted Li¡¯ao, issuing him an order.


    ¡°This subordinate understands! Upon returning, this subordinate will draft a more detailed plan.¡± Li¡¯ao bowed his head, aware that... the His Majesty The Emperor was knocking on his door.

 Chapter 1104: 1026 Acting School

    Chapter 1104: 1026 Acting School


    Accepting the Elf Princess was a collective decision made by the upper echelons of the Great Tang Empire, as the Great Tang Empire needed to find its own stance in the upcoming new World War.


    The new stance is to support the Poplar Empire: Yangmu Yi was very happy that the Great Tang Empire chose to support him, it made all the weapons purchases biased towards the Great Tang Group worthwhile.


    After Tang Mo expressed his support for the Poplar Empire to some extent, the Poplar Empire immediately gained confidence and began to make vigorous preparations along the border.


    As if it wasn¡¯t the Poplar Empire that had taken the lead in condemning the Great Tang Empire before, Yangmu Yi enthusiastically proclaimed the ¡°Poplar-Great Tang¡± trans-sea alliance as unbreakable, insisting that both sides should maintain a cooperative relationship based on mutual understanding and support in any field.


    The day after Yangmu Yi¡¯s speech, King Ying Duo of the Qin Country also made a statement, claiming that the alliance between the Great Tang Empire and Qin Country is indestructible, with both nations standing shoulder to shoulder, remaining friendly for generations to come.


    For a time, it seemed an alliance formed around marital ties had emerged: King Ying Duo of Qin Country, after showcasing his marital relationship with Emperor of Tang, also did not forget to pull the Poplar Empire into the picture, demonstrating the ¡°close relationship¡± between the two nations.


    But in reality, everyone knew that there had never been an alliance between Qin Country and the Poplar Empire, and the two nations hardly had any trade interactions either.


    But such matters were all about saving face, and the Poplar Empire would not miss out on this opportunity to create momentum for themselves: on the same day, the Foreign Minister of the Poplar Empire once again came out to make a speech, announcing that an alliance with Qin Country was being established, and that the relationship between the two nations would see unprecedented development.


    It was a diplomatic drama that left countries around the world stunned. In the Dahua Empire, the Minister of Personnel, Jiang Run, summoned the ambassador of the Poplar Empire to the Dahua Empire later that same evening, and the two talked for over two hours, about who knows what.


    Similarly, during that night¡¯s dinner time, the ambassador from the Ice Cold Empire to the Great Tang Empire requested a meeting with Nangong Hong, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Great Tang Empire, and stated his purpose upon arrival.


    He was very cautious, asking worriedly, ¡°Minister Nangong, my country wishes to confirm whether an alliance is about to be established between the Poplar Empire and the Great Tang Empire, the kind... that supports each other unreservedly.¡±


    Nangong Hong of course knew what the other party was here for and was also aware that storm clouds loomed over the Eastern Continent, with the Ice Cold Empire always harboring ambitions to head south.


    The Poplar Empire naturally harbored ambitions as well, and the Great Tang Empire¡¯s acceptance of the marriage alliance with the Elf also, to some extent, fueled the ambitions of the Poplar Empire.


    Now that the Great Tang Empire had stirred up the ambitions of Yangmu Yi, the Ice Cold Empire was scared off. No nation dared to provoke the Great Tang Empire lightly, so the ambassador from the Ice Cold Empire had to make clear just how resolute the stance of the Great Tang Empire was.


    ¡°The Great Tang Empire pursues a non-aligned policy! My friend! While we have accepted the marital alliance from the Poplar Empire, it does not mean that we will be forced into any conflicts involving the Poplar Empire.¡± Nangong Hong gave a reassuring smile as he provided an answer that would excite the Dwarves.


    Before coming, the other side had prepared for the possibility that if the Great Tang Empire showed any form of dissatisfaction or insistence, they would reconsider their plan to invade the Poplar Empire from the south.


    But the response from the Great Tang Empire was unexpected; it seemed that the Great Tang Empire was not ready to be involved in the conflict.


    ¡°So, if there were to be a conflict between the Ice Cold Empire and the Poplar Empire... the Great Tang Empire wouldn¡¯t side with the Poplar Empire?¡± The Dwarf ambassador was uncertain, so he asked again for confirmation, more clearly this time.


    Nangong Hong nodded, affirming the ambassador¡¯s words, ¡°Of course, we have no intention of getting involved in the war. As you know, we care more about business than warfare.¡±


    His words were suggestive; the Great Tang Empire had not sent troops during the civil war in the Dahua Empire, but business with all countries on the Western Continent had never been cut off by the Great Tang Empire.


    Speaking of business, the Dwarf ambassador seemed to remember something and continued to ask, ¡°Then, respected Minister Nangong, may we ascertain that even if war breaks out, the trade between the Dwarf Empire and the Great Tang Empire will not be disrupted, and we will still be able to purchase all the goods listed for sale by the Great Tang Empire?¡±


    ¡°Of course! As long as the goods are marked for sale, they can be exported at any time... unless you declare war on the Great Tang Empire.¡±


    ¡°Including weapons?¡± The eyes of the Dwarf ambassador already lit up with eagerness.


    ¡°Including weapons!¡± Nangong Hong gave a firm answer.


    ¡°The Great Tang Empire will always be a friend of the Ice Cold Empire!¡± The Dwarf ambassador extended his hand and shook hands with Nangong Hong¡ªa handshake that had become fashionable in the Great Tang Empire and later influenced the world.


    Nowadays, in diplomatic settings, one often sees this handshake, hands clasped together like a bridge, symbolizing a sense of unbreakable unity, which is quite popular with everyone.


    ¡°We can sign a series of cooperation agreements, ensuring that during the war, the Great Tang Empire will maintain trade with the Dwarf Empire,¡± Nangong Hong also kindly offered a generous condition.


    However, raising such a condition wasn¡¯t without purpose: ¡°But price-wise, you know, we have to bear the risks brought on by the war, so there will be an additional charge.¡±


    The Dwarf ambassador immediately burst into laughter; he had no doubt about the position of the Great Tang Empire: so far, the Great Tang Empire had never broken any agreement or contract, and its reputation was even more solid than true gold.


    As long as the Great Tang Empire is willing to sign an agreement or contract, for the Dwarves, it is undoubtedly a strong guarantee. To obtain such a guarantee, it is absolutely worth spending a bit more money.


    Therefore, the Dwarf ambassador immediately agreed, without even asking how much extra money was required: ¡°The price is negotiable! I knew my friend, Master Nangong, would not embarrass the Ice Cold Empire. When do you have time? I¡¯ll host a banquet in the embassy to treat Master Nangong.¡±


    ¡°Deal! Just make sure there¡¯s good wine, and I¡¯ll be there to feast at your wealthy banquet!¡± Nangong Hong pointed at the other, saying with a smile.


    The Dwarf ambassador laughed heartily; accomplishing this task was definitely a great achievement for him. Upon his return, he would be able to report success, and he would receive substantial rewards in his homeland.


    With his mood already uplifted, the Dwarf ambassador suddenly remembered another matter and proposed: ¡°On this trip, I have another task. If His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang Empire is willing, we can select a suitably aged Dwarf Princess to send to the Great Tang Empire...¡±


    ¡°Cough cough cough cough cough!¡± Nangong Hong nearly choked on his own saliva, hastily raising his hand to stop the other from continuing, and after managing to stop coughing, he immediately warned with a flushed face: ¡°If you don¡¯t want to mess up the whole deal, then don¡¯t bring up this matter again!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Master Nangong?¡± the Dwarf ambassador said somewhat displeased: ¡°Although Dwarves may not be as beautiful as humans and elves, our women are strong and can bear many, many sons... Moreover, they have good cooking skills and can even brew liquor...¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with that! Trust me, absolutely no relation!¡± Nangong Hong interrupted the other¡¯s boasting: Who the hell wants an Imperial Concubine who brews liquor and chops wood? The Forbidden City has no lack of cooks, if not three hundred then at least two hundred and eighty!


    He leaned over to the other¡¯s ear and explained in a low voice: ¡°Don¡¯t you consider the feelings of the Imperial Concubines of the Great Tang Empire? For sure, if turmoil arises, to pacify the fury of the imperial consorts, His Majesty The Emperor will always need to do something about it, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Seeing the Dwarf ambassador¡¯s face turn pale, Nangong Hong continued to intimidate him: ¡°Do you think that Princess Alice would not add something extra in the exports to the Poplar Empire, and then just casually hike up the prices on goods that your Ice Cold Empire desperately needs?¡±


    ¡°Gulp...¡± The Dwarf ambassador swallowed hard; he had begun to realize the gravity of the situation.


    ¡°Or do you believe you are safe enough within your embassy, not needing to worry about what those ¡®hounds¡¯ from Empress You Lin¡¯s Ministry of Internal Affairs think of you?¡± Nangong Hong continued asking: ¡°What were you saying just now? I didn¡¯t quite catch it?¡±


    ¡°What? What did I say?¡± The Dwarf ambassador hesitated, looking utterly confused: ¡°Besides inviting you to dine at the embassy, did I mention anything else?¡±


    Nangong Hong gave a thumbs up, gesturing a sign of being impressed. He had a new appreciation for the Dwarf ambassador¡¯s acting, although a tad exaggerated, the basics were there: ¡°Then I¡¯ll await the invitation from the Ambassador.¡±


    ¡°Trust me! Only the finest caviar! Wait for my arrangements!¡± the Dwarf ambassador wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, sincerely preparing to splurge in repayment to his friend: ¡°Wait for my invitation! My friend! My best friend!¡±


    Inside the Imperial City of the Laines Empire, Leines I stared at the seven or eight Imperial Concubines sitting at the dining table, his face full of dissatisfaction. He truly regretted not having even a single twenty-year-old daughter, thus unable to join the ranks of those forming matrimonial alliances with the Great Tang Empire at such a critical moment.


    Not everyone has a suitable girl to approach Tang Mo for kinship, at least the Emperor of the Laines Empire did not.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t without company: the Emperors of the Suthers Empire and the Empire of Nanla also had no princesses of marriageable age...


    However, they wouldn¡¯t have to remain despondent for long, because soon everyone would hear the news: whoever sends a princess to the Emperor of the Great Tang out of the blue, is picking a fight with the Imperial Concubines of the Great Tang Empire...


    And so, the Dorne Empire and the Chu Country, who were in the process of selecting princesses, became embarrassed. It seemed they had missed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the in-laws of Tang Mo.

 Chapter 1105: Crown Prince arrived in Hezhe in 1027

    Chapter 1105: Crown Prince arrived in Hezhe in 1027


    At Hezhe Train Station, Zhao Chen stood amidst a group of generals, his gaze fixed irritably on the westward extending railway tracks.


    A train slowly pulled into the station, filled with soldiers and munitions, and it also brought an important person.


    As the train gradually came to a stop at the platform and the waiting guards immediately stood on both sides of the carriage, Zhao Chen advanced to greet the arrival of Crown Prince Zhao Ji, together with a group of generals.


    ¡°Attention!¡± All generals at Hezhe snapped to attention and saluted as Zhao Ji, with a displeased expression, disembarked the train, casually waved his hand to signify the end of the ceremony, and then headed straight for his car.


    His mood was really foul, as he had almost been expelled from the Imperial Capital by his father, the Emperor. Such an event had never occurred before, and it was simply a disgrace for a Crown Prince.


    Indeed, he also knew that his action of returning to the Imperial Capital from the front lines without regard for anything else was improper, yet he still resented Zhao Kai for not giving him a chance to stay in the capital to secure his position as Crown Prince.


    What kind of logic was it that when the Emperor was injured, the Crown Prince still had to remain outside? In fact, Zhao Ji had always wondered if his father was actually no longer planning to pass on that position to him.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Zhao Chen actually hoped that Zhao Ji would come to Hezhe to take command. Then he could hurry back to Fengjiang to reorganize the attack on that region.


    As long as Fengjiang was not conquered, the situation in the Dahua Empire would continue to deteriorate. Zhao Chen wasn¡¯t concerned about who would inherit the throne; what he cared about was how much longer the Dahua Empire could survive!


    In his view, if the Dahua Empire fell, the Zhao Family would be finished! By then, they wouldn¡¯t need to consider who would take that position at all; everyone would just need to think about what style of tomb to choose.


    ¡°General.¡± Zhao Ji still had to give some face to the royal prince, Zhao Chen. He stopped walking and turned towards Zhao Chen, who had called out to him.


    ¡°How is His Majesty¡¯s health?¡± Zhao Chen approached Zhao Ji and inquired with concern.


    ¡°Nothing serious, at least he was very healthy when he told me to get lost.¡± Zhao Ji sarcastically answered Zhao Chen¡¯s question.


    This response nearly choked Zhao Chen, but he continued, ¡°The situation in Fengjiang is not looking good, we must resume the attack as soon as possible...¡±


    ¡°General... Isn¡¯t it a bit late to talk about this now?¡± Zhao Ji, whose mind was clearly no longer on the battle situation, mockingly retorted and then stood there looking at the embarrassed Zhao Chen.


    If previously he truly wanted Zhao Yu to die, and was the person most eager to capture Fengjiang, now he actually no longer cared whether Zhao Yu was dead or alive.


    What he cared about more now was Zhao Kai¡¯s condition and the position that was increasingly within reach¡ªregarding the front line¡¯s victories and defeats, he did not seem to value them as much.


    It wasn¡¯t a big deal; he even felt that Zhao Chen should withdraw all the troops to Hezhe, earnestly turn Hezhe into a fortress, giving up the territories occupied by Zhao Yu, and help him secure the position of Emperor of Dahua first.


    But he did not dare to express his true thoughts, because Zhao Ji knew Zhao Chen well. He was aware that if he talked about dividing and splitting the territory, Zhao Chen would definitely not support him.


    So, he could only use sarcasm, using facts to provoke Zhao Chen, who still insisted on prolonging the life of the Dahua Empire, rendering him speechless.


    Because indeed, it was too late; the Dahua Empire had already lost its opportunity.


    Just two days ago, the Great Tang Empire inaugurated a large bridge over Hidden Sword Gorge at Sword Pavilion, underneath for trains and on top for cars, turning a natural moat into a thoroughfare in an instant.


    Now from the southwest of the Great Tang Empire, one can reach Sword Pavilion directly via this Hidden Sword Bridge, and Fengjiang is no longer the only route for the Great Tang Empire to support the Fengjiang rebels. Supplies supporting Fengjiang could steadily flow through Hidden Sword Bridge to the rebel stronghold in Sword Pavilion, with the daily throughput exceeding that of Fengjiang.


    The Dahua Empire had in fact already lost its best opportunity to capture Fengjiang and encircle the Fengjiang rebels. Zhao Jie¡¯s strategy had completely failed two days ago.


    Now taking Fengjiang has almost lost its significance; Fengjiang, which is fast becoming a ruin, is just a city after all.


    But Zhao Chen didn¡¯t think so; he believed that as long as he captured Fengjiang, he could move south from Fengjiang to seize Shanping, replicate the rebel¡¯s southern strategy, attack along Hidden Sword Gorge, recapture Sword Pavilion and surround the rebels once again.


    Even if it was just capturing Fengjiang, Zhao Chen felt it would be a significant strategic victory! It would at least stabilize the northern defense line of the Dahua Empire, supporting the battles toward the Guiguang direction.


    Anyway, in the eyes of General Zhao Chen, you can¡¯t just give up because you can¡¯t win, right? For the sake of the Dahua Empire, even if it¡¯s just a faint hope, you must try, right?


    If they give up on Fengjiang, it would be equivalent to giving up the entire southeastern region of the Dahua Empire. If they just end the war like this, is the Dahua Empire still the Dahua Empire?


    To the west lies the strong neighboring Qin Country, to the east, the invincible Great Tang Empire... When that time comes, the Dahua Empire will truly be finished!


    In Zhao Chen¡¯s view, the rise of the Great Tang Empire was too rapid. The imperial ruler Tang Mo is just over thirty years old; he has plenty of time to plot against Dahua. How could the Dahua Empire, reduced to half its former territory, possibly withstand the iron hoof of the Great Tang?


    Only by quelling the civil strife now, reclaiming the lost southeast territories, and defending the natural barrier of Hidden Sword Gorge on the Fengjiang River, could there be a slim chance of survival!


    But alas! Within the Dahua Empire, no one could appreciate Zhao Chen¡¯s painstaking intentions: Be it Zhao Kai, or Zhao Jie and Zhao Ji, they all seemed blind to the imminent crisis at hand.


    ¡°Your Highness! Even if it¡¯s too late... we must exert our utmost effort to preserve the splendid rivers and mountains of the Dahua Zhao Family, mustn¡¯t we?¡± Zhao Chen pleaded earnestly.


    ¡°General... In our hands, we still have an army of a million men, which seems considerable, but in the end, that is all we have,¡± Zhao Ji remarked, glancing around to ensure others had discretely walked away before speaking to Zhao Chen.


    What he said was unrelated to the combat situation, but closely connected to the struggle for succession: ¡°In the Imperial Capital, those younger siblings of mine covet the position, when the time comes, General, will you support me, or those treacherous officials?¡±


    At this question, Zhao Chen was taken aback. He truly had not thought about this issue, always having dismissed the possibility of Zhao Kai¡¯s death.


    ¡°You and I are at Hezhe, with affairs in the Imperial Capital, a military return might not even be timely. You lead the army into Fengjiang, even marching south to Shanping... What do I do if the Imperial Capital faces upheaval? What do you do?¡± Zhao Ji continued probing.


    The question he posed was indeed sharp, effectively laying his cards on the table: If the Emperor were to pass away, he, Zhao Ji, would need to take the Hezhe Troops back to the Imperial Capital to vie for power. If Hezhe were to fall, then Zhao Chen in Fengjiang would be encircled.


    At that point, there would be nobody to rescue Zhao Chen, and both he and his Troops would likely be left to await death on the Fengjiang¡ªfacing a sharp dilemma and an insoluble issue.


    But the premise is...


    With discontent, Zhao Chen posed a pointed question: ¡°Your Highness! With the Emperor in good health, isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to contemplate such matters now?¡±


    After all, if the Emperor does not die, what is there to contend for? Who is eligible to contend for it?


    ¡°Do you dare to bet? With your million-strong army as the stake, if you firmly defend Hezhe, Dahua might endure for a while. But if your Troops are annihilated in Fengjiang, the Dahua Empire would collapse instantaneously!¡± Zhao Ji laughed, an insolent smile on his face.


    He had been repressing himself all along, always cautious, always unctuously ingratiating himself with his father, hoping to retain his position as Crown Prince.


    But this time, he was not going to keep up the pretense, as he had sensed the crisis, felt Zhao Kai¡¯s dissatisfaction with him, perceived the world¡¯s malice overflowing towards him.


    Actually, Zhao Chen wanted to say ¡°no need to bet,¡± because if Zhao Ji resolutely defended Hezhe, he would be safe in Fengjiang, maybe even able to launch a fierce attack from Fengjiang to capture Shanping.


    But he knew that his plan would not be accepted by Zhao Ji, as it would require Zhao Ji to give up the chance to return to the Imperial Capital to vie for succession at a critical moment¡ªthe chance Zhao Ji would never abandon.


    Despite his reluctance to admit it, now, retreating military forces to Hezhe was indeed the best course of action: To hold this position and to keep the last glimmer of hope for Dahua: the northern frontline¡¯s barely capable million-strong army!


    Then, with himself resolutely guarding Hezhe, Zhao Ji would be able to go back to the Imperial Capital to contend for succession. Once all is settled, and the situation stabilized, the Dahua Empire might still linger on for a few years.


    Anyway, as long as he persists until death, he would close his eyes without guilt towards his ancestors. As for how many more years the Dahua Empire could last after his death, that would be beyond his control.


    Therefore, Zhao Chen sighed and entreated Zhao Ji: ¡°It is not easy for the million-strong army to retreat, panicking may easily trigger a rout. I will personally go to Fengjiang to organize the Troops¡¯ withdrawal to Hezhe. You must hold Hezhe and prepare for my retreat... This, is Dahua¡¯s last hope, I implore you, Your Highness, to promise me...You must! You must hold until I return to Hezhe!¡±


    He had no other choice. If things went as best as they could, with Zhao Ji successfully claiming the title, Zhao Chen would at least have contributed to his elevation and would gain Zhao Ji¡¯s trust, obtaining more authority for independent judgement in the future, which would be a certain convenience for himself.


    Thus, he finally compromised, ready to give up the attack on Fengjiang and have the army retreat back to Hezhe to regroup. With this, the Dahua Empire¡¯s efforts to retake Fengjiang were virtually down the drain.


    Upon hearing Zhao Chen¡¯s apparent agreement with his plan to contend for succession, Zhao Ji¡¯s expression eased, and he solemnly promised: ¡°Rest assured, General! I will definitely wait for your return at Hezhe!¡±


    Knowing there was no time to lose, Zhao Chen nodded: ¡°Since Your Highness has given your word, I will set off for Fengjiang immediately! Within 20 days! Within 20 days, I will lead the army back to Hezhe!¡±


    Having said that, he left the platform without looking back, and he even skipped the welcoming feast prepared for Zhao Ji.

 Chapter 1106: 1028 Chu Residence

    Chapter 1106: 1028 Chu Residence


    In the Imperial Capital of Dahua Empire, at the former residence of the Prime Minister, a young man sat opposite the old Prime Minister Chu Muzhou, lifting his teacup to size up the elder beside him.


    Chu Muzhou was also sizing up the young man sitting beside him. Both had their own schemes; an old fox and a young fox sat there drinking tea, neither uttering a word for a long time.


    After stewing in silence for quite a while, it was Du Jia who spoke first. He sighed and said to Chu Muzhou, ¡°Old Prime Minister Chu... Dahua Empire has no future left. Great Tang Empire admires your abilities and has reserved a suitable position for you... ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m too old and can¡¯t withstand any more turmoil...¡± Chu Muzhou lifted his teacup and took a gentle sip; the fragrant tea rushed to his lungs, the young man¡¯s gift was indeed exquisite.


    So, he could not help but exclaim, ¡°Good tea.¡±


    ¡°If the Old Prime Minister likes it, then this junior will send some more over.¡± For a capable minister like Chu Muzhou, Great Tang Empire still coveted his service.


    Great Tang Empire needed experienced and prudent officials to serve as deputies in certain positions, steering young officials to ensure that policy implementation could align more closely with reality.


    We oftentimes curse the decay of a nation at the brink of collapse, but we must also acknowledge that sometimes experience and prudence have their benefits, and steadiness is a virtue.


    If there¡¯s any political legacy left in Dahua Empire, old ministers like Chu Muzhou might just be the most precious of that legacy.


    Thus, Du Jia¡¯s visit was to seek Chu Muzhou¡¯s personal opinion, to see if this Imperial Chancellor could, or would be willing to, take up a post elsewhere.


    Chu Muzhou did not refuse Du Jia¡¯s offer, saying that he was old and could not endure much anymore¡ªthe implication was to see if Great Tang Empire could really make it to the Imperial Capital.


    If Great Tang Empire took control of the Imperial Capital, he could continue working for Great Tang Empire. If Great Tang couldn¡¯t make it, then he would spend the rest of his days in peace in the Imperial Capital.


    For Du Jia, this was already good news: ¡°Old Prime Minister Chu need not worry, Great Tang Empire¡¯s sincerity is substantial, as long as you agree, everything is negotiable.¡±


    ¡°Logically speaking, an old servant like me should perish together with the Empire.¡± Chu Muzhou¡¯s gaze dropped, and he uttered these words lightly.


    With a chuckle, Du Jia responded, ¡°Old Prime Minister Chu jests; Dahua Empire still stands, what demise would you need to follow?¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Great Tang Empire has no intentions of destroying Dahua Empire?¡± Chu Muzhou¡¯s eyebrows twitched, as if he had heard some remarkable news.


    From his perspective, the demise of Dahua by Great Tang seemed natural, virtually guaranteed; if Great Tang could restrain itself from acting, it would seem overly cautious and timid.


    Since Du Jia was trying to win over Chu Muzhou, he had no reason to hold back, explaining, ¡°Naturally, Dahua Empire cannot continue to exist... However, special arrangements can be made for Kingdom of Dahua for a while longer.¡±


    ¡°After all, His Majesty Zhao Yu still needs to have a position.¡± As he spoke, he gently blew on his tea, took a sip, and glanced at Chu Muzhou, ¡°You see, Old Prime Minister Chu, His Majesty Zhao Yu¡¯s Kingdom of Dahua will inevitably be a vassal to Great Tang Empire. Since Dahua will be a vassal of Great Tang, you... would not be considered to have changed allegiance, would you?¡±


    ¡°Well put, an external minister becomes an internal minister... Indeed, that¡¯s very clever.¡± Chu Muzhou smiled bitterly and nodded; he truly hadn¡¯t expected that to win his loyalty, Great Tang Empire would pave the way so smoothly.


    ¡°However, there¡¯s some intelligence we have that you, Old Prime Minister Chu, might want to be aware of,¡± said Du Jia, setting down his teacup and looking again at Chu Muzhou, offering a word of caution.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Chu Muzhou, shrewd with age, immediately sensed something, and his graying eyebrows knitted together, ¡°When it comes to intelligence work, you all excel. What are the recent rumors that this old man is unaware of?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Kai¡¯s health has deteriorated.¡± Du Jia gave a response that somewhat surprised Chu Muzhou, yet seemed so plausible.


    Chu Muzhou instantly realized the waters had been muddied with Zhao Ji still contending with Hezhe; Zhao Kai arranging Zhao Ji¡¯s departure from the Imperial Capital.


    ¡°Zhao Ji¡¯s two younger brothers... the brothers in the Imperial Capital, are already becoming restless. But compared to Zhao Ji, they are obviously still too green,¡± continued Du Jia.


    ¡°Trouble brews within the walls, the way to chaos... Dahua is finished.¡± Chu Muzhou exhaled a sigh; he knew that if Du Jia dared to tell him, the problem must be irreparable, and the outcome already unchangeable, ¡°Have you taken action?¡±


    ¡°There was no need; Zhao Kai¡¯s health worsened due to his refusal to address his illness and his reckless use of restoratives,¡± Du Jia admitted candidly, ¡°Our power within the Imperial Palace is not strong enough to assassinate Zhao Kai¡ªcirculating the news was already at our limit.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not omnipresent after all.¡± Chu Muzhou teased; he certainly knew that being able to smuggle secrets out of the Imperial Palace was an impressive feat in itself.


    ¡°Besides the two Princes starting to make their moves, there¡¯s news that even Zhao Kai might not know.¡± Du Jia continued, ¡°It seems there¡¯s also action from Zhao Jie¡¯s side.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Jie? Ha! Hahaha!¡± Chu Muzhou took a moment to react, but when he did, he burst into laughter, filled with bitterness and thick with scorn.


    He truly hadn¡¯t expected that at such a life-or-death juncture, there would still be those with boundless ambition eyeing that perilous position.


    And among those with crooked thoughts, there were even those in the royal family who seemed more visionary and capable¡ªHad they all gone mad? Could they not see that the Empire was already teetering on the edge?


    Greed? Greedy enough to disregard their own lives? Greedy enough not to consider the consequences? Fighting over and over, they turned an Empire into a Kingdom; fighting over and over, they turned a throne into a grave!


    Originally, if it were just a few clowns causing havoc in the Imperial Capital, Chu Muzhou might still have some hope, hoping that there were still some sensible Ministers within the Capital who could quickly quell the chaos and save the day.


    But now, a military general in command of heavy troops, especially one from the royal family who is rather intelligent, has also joined the fray, making it impossible to suppress the succession chaos.


    And then there¡¯s the calculation of Zhao Ji¡¯s return from Hezhe to the Imperial Capital... it seems I¡¯ve also forgotten that behind Zhao Ji, there might be another capable man, Zhao Chen...


    This turmoil within the Empire, even without the formidable Qin to the west, or the covetous and overwhelmingly powerful Great Tang Empire, the Dahua Empire might not survive.


    And yet, the Great Tang Empire has always been meddling in Dahua¡¯s internal strife! In the distant Fengjiang, there¡¯s Zhao Yu waiting to reap the benefits of the fisherman!


    It¡¯s done, everything is finished. As long as the intelligence from the Great Tang Empire is accurate, the fate of the Dahua Empire is already sealed¡ªhas the intelligence from the Great Tang Empire ever been wrong?


    After laughing his fill, he regained his composure and said desolately, ¡°It seems that the Imperial Capital is about to experience chaos again, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°This is also why I came here, to ensure the safety of your family, Elder Chu, which is of utmost importance to us.¡± Du Jia did not deny it, but emphasized directly: ¡°Many pillars of society like Elder Chu, we must ensure their safety.¡±


    Presumptuously, Chu Muzhou asked, ¡°Does Zhou Qiang count as a pillar of society?¡± He had always had complaints about the Minister of Personnel, who had sided with Zhao Yu and had always had an unsavory reputation. If there was a future, he did not want to serve under such a person.


    ¡°Master Zhou will naturally also be safe, but he will not serve as a Minister; instead, he can enjoy wealth and honor, as someone who has made contributions to the Great Tang Empire, the Empire will not let him down,¡± Du Jia was reluctant to reveal the fate of others, but he made an exception to explain to Chu Muzhou.


    Chu Muzhou nodded and thanked him, ¡°The old man will heed Sir¡¯s arrangement; the lives of this family, I entrust to you.¡±


    Du Jia stood up, nodded slightly: ¡°Please rest assured, Elder, as long as there is a Silver Fox in the city, no one can harm the Chu family by even a hair.¡±


    The heart of Chu Muzhou, who had lost all hope, was no longer entangled with loyalty or betrayal; what he could do now was to protect the safety of the Chu family as much as possible in the upcoming Imperial Capital turmoil.


    As for the outcome of the Dahua Empire, to which he had dedicated most of his life, he truly had no desire to inquire. After all, if the Zhaos didn¡¯t care, why should Chu, who bears a different name, be anxious?


    What Chu Muzhou didn¡¯t expect was that a sudden change would occur just three days later...


    In the Patrol Office of the Dahua Empire¡¯s Imperial Capital, an arrest officer greeted a familiar colleague, caught the gaze of a few people around him, and then walked straight to the armory manager.


    He handed over a cigarette to the other party, and the two began to chat idly. The armory manager clearly envied the arrest officer¡¯s job, praising, ¡°You guys earn more on the outside, huh, even smoking such good cigarettes now?¡±


    The quality of tobacco in the Dahua Empire really wasn¡¯t great, the good stuff that was produced wasn¡¯t much. Even if they were smoking what was considered good cigarettes, they were actually not that great.


    ¡°Hey! This is nothing, you know, I¡¯m one of the Fifth Prince¡¯s men; I got some benefits by hanging out with the Fifth Prince,¡± bragged the arrest officer in a low voice.


    Upon hearing this, the armory manager realized something was wrong, as he was one of the Sixth Prince¡¯s men, and under normal circumstances, the other party wouldn¡¯t talk about this with him.


    The now-alert manager seemed to sense the tense atmosphere and immediately forced a clumsy smile, stammering, ¡°Wha-what I mean is, I¡¯m just here to make a living, just to eat.¡±

 Chapter 1107: 1029 Imperial Capital in chaos

    Chapter 1107: 1029 Imperial Capital in chaos


    ¡°Understood, understood, brother, I understand it all... But today... you have to die!¡± Having said that, the Guard pulled out his gun and fired a shot at the warehouse keeper.


    The bullet hit the other person¡¯s chest, who instinctively looked down at the bleeding hole, and the cigarette wedged between his fingers fell to the ground.


    ¡°For the Fifth Prince!¡± The Guard shouted, and the people around him also pulled out their guns one after another, killing the few colleagues who were not on their side.


    In the midst of the gunfire, these people pulled open the doors of the armory in the Patrol Officer¡¯s building, taking out more ammunition as well as pistols and bolt-action rifles.


    After receiving the news that Zhao Kai was seriously ill and neglected state affairs, the Fifth Prince could no longer contain his throbbing heart: He was afraid that when Zhao Kai was truly on his deathbed, he would recall Zhao Ji back to the Imperial Capital.


    Now, he must seize this excellent opportunity when Zhao Ji was away from the Imperial Capital to carve out a future for himself! A wonderful future that bears the coveted title of Emperor!


    Suddenly, a number of Patrol Officers began to mobilize; they were all men of the Fifth Prince, and this action was to take control of the Imperial Capital and support the ascension of the Fifth Prince.


    Meanwhile, the private armies of some nobles and some guards of government agencies also began to assemble and march, brandishing the banner of quelling the disturbances and supporting the Sixth Prince as the new Emperor of the Empire.


    The sound of gunfire continued to echo through the streets and alleys, and soon the news reached the Imperial Palace. Having heard this news, Zhao Kai, lying sick in bed, immediately issued the order to suppress the rebellion.


    To be honest, Zhao Kai was not too surprised; he had long known that his two useless sons had been forming cliques and gathering power, secretly preparing to cause trouble. Therefore, he was prepared and promptly ordered his confidant Li Mingshun to take action.


    Li Mingshun, worthy of being Zhao Kai¡¯s confidant and the General who had long been in charge of military power in the Imperial Capital, immediately began his operation upon receiving Zhao Kai¡¯s orders.


    He first took control of the northern and southern airports outside the city and then ordered the Imperial Guards stationed outside the city to enter and suppress the two mutually combative rogue forces.


    Since the Imperial Guards had armored vehicles and heavy firepower, after a day and night of fierce fighting, Li Mingshun quickly cornered both rebel groups and was ready to wipe them out at any time.


    At this point, the Fifth Prince actually panicked; afraid of being executed, he commanded the supporting Patrol Officers to establish defenses while already considering plans for a breakout and escape.


    The Sixth Prince was not faring any better at this time; he cried and made a scene at the temporary headquarters, shouting that he was going to die, angering the nobles who supported him so much that they wanted to shoot him dead themselves.


    Everything was still under Zhao Kai¡¯s control at this time, but a sudden piece of news disrupted all of Zhao Kai¡¯s arrangements: Zhao Jie had led troops back to the Imperial Capital!


    As a General of the Empire and the actual controller of the million-strong southern front, Zhao Jie led his most elite 2,000 Guards, riding a train that sped back to the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.


    These two thousand Guards were all brave warriors; upon arrival, they quickly seized an airport and swiftly captured the southern gate of the Imperial Capital, killing their way into the city.


    The situation suddenly became very tricky: Since Zhao Jie brought only the vanguard troop, and more reinforcements were continuously following, Li Mingshun couldn¡¯t figure out Zhao Jie¡¯s intentions for the time being and thus did not dare to recklessly counterattack Zhao Jie.


    After all, Zhao Jie was flying the banner ¡°Purge the Imperial Side¡± and claiming to return to assist Emperor Zhao Kai in suppressing the rebellion ¡ª since the city had indeed experienced rebellion before his arrival, many forces couldn¡¯t clearly discern the situation and were easily wrapped up into becoming Zhao Jie¡¯s army.


    Li Mingshun, who dared not engage readily, immediately returned to the Imperial Palace and reported to Zhao Kai about Zhao Jie¡¯s sudden return to the Imperial Capital, merely wanting to ask if he should eliminate Zhao Jie as well.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Zhao Jie is after all a Prince of the Royal Family; without an imperial decree, I dare not make a decision on my own. Please issue your command...¡± Seeing Zhao Kai¡¯s pallid face and that he did not speak for a long while, Li Mingshun could only stiffly repeat the question he had just asked.


    Zhao Kai sat on the bed, his breath churning in his chest, as if it was tearing through his blood vessels and guts.


    He truly hadn¡¯t expected Zhao Jie, that bastard, to return to the Imperial Capital; he truly hadn¡¯t expected Zhao Jie to betray him at this time! After all, he had promoted Zhao Jie and Zhao Chen for the sake of the Zhao clan, for the kinship of the Royal Family.


    Who could have imagined that it was Zhao Jie, the Zhao Jie he trusted most, who would betray him at this crucial moment! To deliver him the most ruthless stab!


    How he hated! How he seethed with anger! All this unwillingness and heartache converged in his heart, leading Zhao Kai to lose his sanity. He was always hot-tempered, often burning with anger.


    Now, his body no longer permitted him to be agitated to such an extent. So when he began to rage, the barely functioning systems of his body collapsed in an instant.


    He strained to order Li Mingshun to immediately suppress the rebellion. But when he opened his mouth, no words came out. After trying twice, he suddenly realized he might never be able to speak again. A moment of fear overwhelmed him, nearly causing him to pass out and fall from the bed.


    The attendant by his side was quick to react, reaching out to hold Zhao Kai, patting his back to help him catch his breath. Zhao Kai then felt slightly better, regaining some control over his body.


    He attempted to speak again, only for a large mouthful of fresh blood to surge out when he opened his mouth. The blood was spat out so dramatically that even Li Mingshun, who was accustomed to seeing blood, was startled.


    Blood splattered all over the floor of the room, even some splashing onto Li Mingshun¡¯s feet. When Li Mingshun looked up at his Emperor again, Zhao Kai was already blinking in the arms of the attendant.


    ¡°Kill... kill... kill...¡± After struggling to form words for a while, Zhao Kai could only mumble this one word unclearly. The attendant heard it clearly, but Li Mingshun could not.


    The attendant hurriedly signaled Li Mingshun to come closer to the bed. Li Mingshun leaned in and barely made out the word ¡®kill¡¯.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I understand! Kill Zhao Jie!¡± Li Mingshun was not slow-witted; he immediately grasped Zhao Kai¡¯s intent.


    Zhao Kai nodded faintly, then strained again and spat out a word: ¡°Ji! Ji!¡±


    Once again, Li Mingshun nodded: ¡°Your Majesty means to wait for the Crown Prince to return and inherit the throne?¡±


    ¡°Retreat...¡± What Zhao Kai said last was either an agreement or an order to retreat, nobody knew for sure. He only uttered an unclear syllable, probably ¡®agree¡¯ or the word ¡®retreat,¡¯ and then he closed his eyes.


    Forever, he closed his eyes.


    The Emperor of the Dahua Empire, Zhao Kai, enraged by Zhao Jie¡¯s betrayal and spitting blood, died on his sickbed. With all his unwillingness and defeat, he left the stage of history.


    ¡°His Majesty has passed away!¡± An attendant cried out in sorrow, as everyone in the room, including the servants and Li Mingshun, knelt and burst into tears.


    The situation began to spiral completely out of control: Li Mingshun¡¯s troops launched a fierce attack on the southern gate of the city, while Zhao Jie held his ground, even managing to pull out three hundred elite soldiers to launch a surprise attack on the unprepared Fifth Prince.


    As a result, the Fifth Prince was shot dead by Zhao Jie¡¯s soldiers, and his Patrol Officers were absorbed by Zhao Jie¡¯s forces.


    The Sixth Prince, unaware of what had transpired, was intimidated by Zhao Jie and Li Mingshun and feared that the Nobility supporting him might turn traitorous. In a critical moment, he set fire to create a diversion, hoping to escape from the city.


    However, it turned out that the Sixth Prince¡¯s abilities were truly inadequate: his arson was successful, but while escaping, he ran straight into the Nobility that supported him.


    They had intended to gain favor by declaring their support, but what they found was a completely ineffective leader. Enraged and humiliated, the Nobles killed the Sixth Prince then and there.


    Surrendering to Li Mingshun was definitely not an option, as that would likely mean losing their heads. After careful consideration, the Nobles concluded that surrendering to Zhao Jie was a much better choice.


    So they switched their allegiance to Zhao Jie, once again boosting his strength.

 Chapter 1108: Go back on the same track to Hezhe at 1030.

    Chapter 1108: Go back on the same track to Hezhe at 1030.


    The south of the city is now under the control of Zhao Jie¡¯s troops, while the east and west of the city, plus the Imperial Palace, are controlled by Li Mingshun¡¯s forces. The two sides are engaged in fierce combat, but the north of the city is truly without incident.


    Li Mingshun currently has no time to deal with the senior officials and their families, and he is also powerless to do so: the other side is neither fleeing nor rebelling. What authority does a City Defense Army Commander have to control the Chief of Staff and the former Imperial Chancellor?


    Therefore, he can only turn a blind eye, letting those people gather in the north of the city. Right now, he feels that he should concentrate his forces and take out the rebel Zhao Jie first!


    Actually, his military strength is superior; Zhao Jie only brought 2,000 men with him, elite but without reinforcements.


    However, because Zhao Jie has gained the support from the Patrol Office and the Old Nobility of Dahua, Li Mingshun is unable to subdue this formidable enemy for the moment.


    Zhao Jie¡¯s forces are larger than Li Mingshun estimated. Now Zhao Jie has at least 5,000 troops, and although less than half are elite, their combat power is indeed astonishing.


    These are elite soldiers who have genuinely seen combat in Shanchong, fiercer than the Imperial Guard stationed in the capital of the Dahua Empire. Depending on street defense, Li Mingshun truly has no way to deal with Zhao Jie for the time being.


    As soon as the battle began, the Silver Fox Tavern dispatched some cars to pick up important personnel together, ensuring their safety.


    The rebellious Fifth Prince and Sixth Prince gave face. The cars from the Silver Fox Tavern drove unimpeded on the main roads, without encountering any interception or danger.


    After the entire family was moved to the safety of the north of the city by car, Prime Minister Chu Muzhou saw the awkward-looking Minister of Public Works Chen Jing and Minister of Revenue Wang Yuca?i in a separate residence.


    After the three of them exchanged worried greetings, they learned that the city had descended into chaos.


    And the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire brought news that Crown Prince Zhao Ji had already withdrawn troops from Hezhe, with the vanguard forces nearing Dongqing City.


    ¡°How could he dare to return to Dongqing? How could he?¡± Even Minister of Public Works Chen Jing could see the gravity of the situation and asked in anger.


    Wang Yuca?i scoffed and said, ¡°With the situation as it is now, if he doesn¡¯t come back, what does he have to do with the throne of the Emperor?¡±


    ¡°But if he comes back, what about Zhao Chen who¡¯s still in Fengjiang?¡± Chen Jing angrily looked towards Wang Yuca?i, turning back to question him.


    ¡°Whether Zhao Chen is in Fengjiang or not is yet to be seen. If he has already retreated to Hezhe early on, the situation might still be salvageable!¡± Prime Minister Chu Muzhou expressed his view: ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s likely that Zhao Chen wasn¡¯t that fast...¡±


    Not just not that fast!


    ¡°I curse Zhao Ji¡¯s eighteen generations¡ª¡± Zhao Chen started to curse quickly but then remembered that it was not quite appropriate to vent about himself and his ancestors in an improper relationship. He closed his mouth, but his face had already turned livid with rage.


    After the meeting in Hezhe, Zhao Chen had begged Zhao Ji to hold out for over 20 days! But what about now? What about now? Zhao Ji didn¡¯t even stand his ground in Hezhe for a full seven days before retreating.


    What angered Zhao Chen the most was that Zhao Ji didn¡¯t consider the millions of troops in Fengjiang at all. He took away the entire 300,000 troops that could be transferred from Hezhe! He left virtually no garrison troops behind, making Hezhe effectively an empty city now.


    The Great Tang¡¯s military advisory command team in Hezhe¡¯s southern region certainly wouldn¡¯t miss such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They immediately launched an attack on Hezhe, and the few thousand defenders did not even think twice before deserting overnight.


    Yes, Hezhe was lost, and it happened just a few hours after Zhao Ji withdrew his troops. How swiftly was it lost? The retreating forces didn¡¯t even have time to destroy the stockpiled munitions and supplies in Hezhe.


    To increase the speed of his troops, Zhao Ji hardly carried any supplies with him! He was truly in a rush to get back and compete for the heirship, without a second thought for anything else.


    Upon hearing that the Imperial Capital was in turmoil, he began to prepare for retreat. After receiving a telegram from Li Mingshun, Zhao Ji could not care about anything else: he genuinely didn¡¯t expect Zhao Jie to appear in the Imperial Capital, so Zhao Ji rushed there at all costs.


    To ensure his own speed, Zhao Ji commandeered all the trains that were assembled in Hezhe, which were supposed to aid the retreat of Zhao Chen¡¯s troops.


    Besides, he also took all the airplanes and transported away all the munitions he could carry, but left behind other military supplies stockpiled in Hezhe.


    Luo Xiao, leading one hundred thousand Fengjiang Troops into Hezhe, here received a total of one million military uniforms, 300,000 Steel Helmets, 100,000 blankets, 200,000 tents, as well as food and ammunition including artillery shells.


    Mountains of other supplies were stockpiled, as Hezhe had served as a storage depot for Dahua military supplies for nearly the past year.


    There was too much here, and they dared not to carelessly distribute it all to the front line, resulting in everything being left for the Fengjiang forces, who gained a significant advantage.


    ¡°These unworthy descendants of the Zhao clan! They¡¯ve lost all of our ancestors¡¯ possessions! Lost them! Worthless trash! Have they no shame? No shame at all?¡± Zhao Chen hammered the table, unable to contain his rage as he cursed loudly in his headquarters.


    In fact, Zhao Chen had already been retreating his troops at the fastest speed possible. He had nearly 800,000 troops around Fengjiang, and the ones retreating the quickest were now less than 30 kilometers away from Hezhe.


    Yet within a matter of hours, Zhao Ji didn¡¯t wait for him: now nearly 300,000 of Zhao Chen¡¯s forces were trapped along the railroad line back to Hezhe, half a cluster of them in a vulnerable state on the march.


    These troops were now out in the open, without strong defensive fortifications, food supplies, or ammunition. They were extremely vulnerable and had no capacity to fight.


    If they were to pull back to Fengjiang, they could rely on half of the Fengjiang urban area and some surrounding strongholds to hold out. But with no external reinforcements and no food supplies, it would basically be a sitting duck situation.


    A full retreat of the army would be a huge gamble: if they could retake Hezhe, they might have a way out. But if they failed, it would mean the utter rout of 800,000 troops in the wilderness, with barely one out of ten likely to survive.


    ¡°Zhao Jie! Zhao Jie has betrayed the country!¡± Thinking of this cousin, Zhao Chen was itchy with hatred: If it weren¡¯t for this scoundrel Zhao Jie suggesting to Zhao Kai the idea to abandon Shanping, the Dahua Empire¡¯s situation wouldn¡¯t have collapsed to such a state!


    Unable to bear it any longer, Zhao Chen smashed another water glass on the ground, and the faces of the surrounding officers darkened to the extreme.


    At this moment, they had no train support from the direction of Hezhe. How easy would it be to mobilize tens of thousands of troops? Even if a few Armored Divisions could fight in the field, that was still only a drop in the bucket compared to the total number.


    ¡°General! It¡¯s too late to say anything now! We have to find a way out for these more than 800,000 troops!¡± A general spoke up, his voice filled with despair.


    They didn¡¯t know what to do, having lost ammunition resupply and food. If Fengjiang cut off smuggling, they wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out for even two days!


    ¡°Concentrate all the fuel supply to the two Armored Divisions! Try to scrounge up enough ammunition! Gather the troops near Hezhe, attempt to retake Hezhe, and open a path for retreat... This is already our only way out,¡± Zhao Chen thought for a moment and offered a somewhat viable plan.


    ¡°General! General! Bad news!¡± At this moment, an officer burst in, panting as he exclaimed: ¡°Fengjiang, Fengjiang forces have launched a counterattack, fiercely attacking our rear-guard troops...¡±


    ¡°As if they¡¯d let us leave without a hitch!¡± Zhao Chen sighed bitterly and said, ¡°Can we get in touch with Zhao Yu¡¯s men, tell them, let us leave, and we won¡¯t take anything, just let us pass through Hezhe, we don¡¯t want Hezhe or even the towns north of Hezhe in the wilderness!¡±


    He had already lost the determination to fight, as long as he could take the 800,000-strong army away, he didn¡¯t want Hezhe or the towns in the wilderness north of Hezhe.


    As long as he could take away the 800,000-strong flesh and blood of Dahua and stabilize the situation in the court, to prevent the Dahua Empire from falling on their generation¡¯s watch...


    ¡°General! The adversary¡¯s offensive is fierce, I estimate... I estimate that...¡± The message-bearing officer explained to Zhao Chen with a pained expression.


    Zhao Chen nodded: ¡°Right, it wouldn¡¯t be their style if they didn¡¯t kick us while we¡¯re down. Order the rear-guard troops to fight to the death! The rest of the troops, retreat immediately! Even if we have to walk, we must make it back to Hezhe!¡±


    He had only one hope now: that the enemy forces in the direction of Hezhe had not completed their defenses, so he might be able to detour some forces around both flanks. By then, the 800,000 troops would disperse, and it was feasible to escape back to Xiajiang City to strategize.


    Unfortunately, it was bound to be a terrible defeat: if half of the 800,000-strong army could make it back to Xiajiang, it would be considered divine protection from their ancestors! It was likely that only 300,000 or even 250,000 would remain.


    Even if only 200,000 were left, Zhao Chen thought it was worth a try. Without these 200,000 troops, Xiajiang would not be defensible! If Xiajiang couldn¡¯t be held, Dongqing might not hold either! If Dongqing were lost, would not the gates to the Imperial Capital be wide open?


    ¡°Yes!¡± The officer hurried out to convey Zhao Chen¡¯s orders. Just then, another officer rushed in to report that dozens of bombers from Fengjiang¡¯s rebels had bombed the railroad in Hezhe!


    ¡°What? They destroyed the railroad?¡± Zhao Chen was stunned by the news, then stumbled: The Great Tang Empire had lost all face, and Fengjiang¡¯s courage to damage the railroad must have been condoned by the Great Tang!


    The railroad had previously been sacrosanct to both sides, and even in wartime, neither had dared to engage in battle actions along the railroad. And now, Fengjiang sent bombers to destroy the railroad!


    With the railroad gone, Dahua forces¡¯ already limited transportation capability was completely wiped out. Now Zhao Chen could truly only depend on his troops¡¯ legs to make it back to Hezhe.


    But Hezhe was so far away, could they make it back... in time?

 Chapter 1109: 1031 at a loss what to do

    Chapter 1109: 1031 at a loss what to do


    An Empire on the brink of extinction will always witness the emergence of some tragic heroes. It would indeed be a bizarre occurrence if a dynasty that has endured for a century failed to foster even a few loyal ministers and capable generals.


    Zhao Chen is one of those wholeheartedly dedicated loyal ministers of the Dahua Empire, with competent abilities. Even at this moment, his sole thought is to bring back as many troops as possible to Xiajian.


    Regrettably, he is one of the few commanders in the Dahua Empire who genuinely considers the welfare of the nation, whereas in the ascending Great Tang Empire, there are far too many commanders like Zhao Chen.


    After occupying Hezhe, Luo Xiao, a commander of the Great Tang Empire, immediately realized that his strategic depth was too shallow and that adamantly defending Hezhe might allow the big fish, Zhao Chen, to escape.


    Therefore, he left a garrison of 10,000 troops in Hezhe, and personally led the remaining 90,000 soldiers eastward to launch an offensive.


    Luo Xiao¡¯s rationale was as follows: the Dahua Empire troops in the direction of Xiajian would not possibly turn around and come back to recapture Hezhe¡ªif they had the courage or intention to retake Hezhe, they wouldn¡¯t have abandoned it and retreated in the first place.


    Since the Dahua troops towards Xiajian will not be turning back eastward, he himself will not likely be caught in a disadvantageous position of being attacked from both sides at Hezhe.


    If the real threat is now confirmed to be from the east, then why shouldn¡¯t he take preemptive action, striking the hastily-retreating western enemy before they are firmly established?


    According to Luo Xiao¡¯s theory, only by continuously attacking east can his strategic depth be sufficient, preventing the enemy from breaking through the railway line and penetrating his control zone.


    To put it more plainly, Luo Xiao believes that as long as he can reach Fengjiang City, the Dahua troops surrounded under Fengjiang City, even if they disperse, will not possibly cross Hezhe to flee westward to Xiajian.


    That was his plan, and this is what he did: apart from a regiment traveling northwards along the railway line through the Wilderness, Luo Xiao assembled his force, around 90,000 troops including the only Armored Corps in his hand, and began advancing eastward.


    The Zhao Chen¡¯s vanguard troops that had already arrived near Hezhe hadn¡¯t expected enemy forces to appear in front of them. They still thought that Hezhe was in the hands of Crown Prince Zhao Ji, so they were entirely unprepared for battle.


    In their view, they were on a ¡°retreat,¡± rather than a dangerous ¡°breakthrough¡±! Hence, the troops near Hezhe did not arrange for guard patrols, nor did they have ample weapons and ammunition.


    Indeed, when they began their retreat towards Hezhe, the order that Zhao Chen issued was to retreat to Hezhe, no need to fight, no need to carry sufficient ammunition.


    The ammunition that was originally theirs had been left to the rearguard troops, and they hadn¡¯t brought much food either, on the understanding that they could eat anything once they got to Hezhe...


    In such a relaxed state of alertness, an unknown force from the west attacked. Everyone was bewildered, with a muddled look, not knowing what had happened.


    Thus, caught by the unexpected assault, the Dahua Empire troops near Hezhe began a pattern they were all too familiar with: collapse!


    Naturally, they could not flee westwards, as the enemy was coming from the west! So, they opted to retreat eastwards, after all, they still had hundreds of thousands of their own men behind them.


    That afternoon, Luo Xiao charged forwards fifty kilometers; had the Fengjiang rebels not lacked capability, Luo Xiao could have potentially advanced another fifty kilometers...


    The unfortunate Dahua troops retreated seventy kilometers nonstop before they could barely regain their footing. After stabilizing their lines, they assessed the damages and discovered they hadn¡¯t actually lost much.


    Apart from a few thousand troops who were scattered, either completely wiped out or unaccounted for due to some other reason, the rest of the troops merely lost some materials and equipment.


    However, what they lost that was of utmost importance, was the fact that during their retreat they diminished an entire seventy kilometers of strategic depth.


    When Zhao Chen rushed from Fengjiang to personally take command of the western line, he nearly burst a blood vessel in fury: the retreating troops had discarded their baggage, including valuable ammunition and some food, tents, and other camping materials.


    Without any resupply, the importance of ammunition was self-evident. And those lost tents, under current circumstances where almost all the troops had to camp outdoors, were invaluable¡ªhow to set up camp without tents?


    Behind Zhao Chen, the rearguard troops that knew they had to run had all but completely abandoned the Fengjiang urban ruins; now even if Zhao Chen wanted to regroup and rest overnight in the city, it was impossible.


    Some of the troops were still dallying in the original barracks, their situation was somewhat favorable. Those who had already moved out now had to stop after not even ten miles¡ªZhao Chen didn¡¯t even dare to imagine that sight.


    His troops took five days to arrive under Hezhe City, and now, in just one day, they had retreated back to the position they were at three days prior.


    The Armored Corps and main force, which were originally intended to break out towards Hezhe, were now stuck on the road, unable to regroup; the entire retreating army was in chaos, like crabs in a pot, each dragging the other¡¯s hind legs.


    Large-scale troop movements and combat inherently involve intricacies, heavily reliant upon the commander¡¯s ability to conduct troops and the level of troop training. Many are unconvinced, believing they could be skilled military leaders if they were in ancient times, yet they are unaware of the large area a camp of two thousand people would occupy.

 Chapter 1110: 1031 at a loss whether to advance or to retreat

    Chapter 1110: 1031 at a loss whether to advance or to retreat


    To command and mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops in an orderly manner is a commanding talent unparalleled throughout history. Without the leap in communication technology in the modern warfare system, it would be impossible for anyone to achieve this.


    Zhao Chen is actually in the same position; he couldn¡¯t directly see the 800,000 men under his command. He could only manage and deploy his troops based on radio communications.


    But now, the command and control were in chaos, the original plan was completely without reference value, the troops intended for the main attack were still stuck in the middle of the assembly area, and the rear guard had already begun to abandon their defensive positions.


    This was the normal state of dispatch at the level of World War II. Why would an army quickly collapse and be annihilated once encircled? Zhao Chen¡¯s current situation was the reason.


    The long shot of Huang Wei¡¯s Corps advancing in the great battle was praised as one of the most spectacular and classic continuity errors in history for this reason: a corps capable of advancing in such formation was considered elite among elites worldwide. If Huang Wei¡¯s Corps were capable of that, nobody would be able to encircle them...


    In most cases, there was no need to see the enemy; just some minor chaos would stir up the troops, and on some days, it would be good if they could march a dozen kilometers.


    ¡°Tell the rear guard to stop the retreat! Stop the retreat! Hold their positions! They must hold until tomorrow evening! Must hold until tomorrow evening! Not a step back!¡± Zhao Chen, frantic and infuriated, grabbed the officer responsible for conveying orders and fiercely gave the command.


    Then he grabbed a confidant and threatened harshly, ¡°You go to the 1st Armored Division personally! Tell them, if they can¡¯t reach the westernmost position and engage with Fengjiang¡¯s army within three hours, I¡¯ll have them court-martialled!¡±


    He had no need to hold back now; after all, Zhao Kai was already gone. Who would ultimately take that position, nobody knew. Zhao Chen could now dispose of these generals however he wanted!


    ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± The confidant, holding onto his cap, quickly agreed before running out.


    While Zhao Chen angrily directed the troops to move westward, Zhao Yu, who was originally stuck in Fengjiang, made a comeback. He could be described as triumphant; even the air about him when he spoke was different.


    After all, the more obvious the internal turmoil within the Dahua Empire, the more likely with the support of the Great Tang Empire he would return to the long-coveted position.


    Now, at Fengjiang, he was deploying his troops, pressing against Zhao Chen¡¯s forces who had already retreated from Fengjiang without regard for anything else.


    At this moment, the finesse of his identity as ¡°the most outstanding prince of the Dahua Empire¡± became apparent: theoretically cornered Dahua troops began to systematically surrender to this prince of the Dahua Empire.


    Also, due to the Great Tang Empire¡¯s effective propaganda, these Dahua troops knew that perhaps the best way out was to follow Zhao Yu. Thus, they unanimously made the most ¡°sensible¡± decision.


    At first, it was companies and battalions that surrendered, and then entire regiments or divisions. As more units surrendered, the influence spread to the entire rear guard of Zhao Chen¡¯s forces.


    While Zhao Chen was busy breaking through in the west, his forces at the back began to disappear systematically: by the time Zhao Chen noticed, Zhao Yu¡¯s forces had already caught up and were fiercely biting at his tail.


    ¡°This Luo Xiao is truly a lucky general.¡± Almost at the same time, within the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Staff Department, Emperor Tang Mo attending the meeting couldn¡¯t help but smile when looking at the map to the west of Fengjiang.


    Marshals Redman and Tagg attending the meeting also laughed, and Marshal Luff teased, ¡°When he fought at Shanping, the defender, Zhao Zheng surrendered, and he reaped an easy victory.¡±


    ¡°When he fought at Guiguang, Guiguang surrendered, and he again took advantage.¡± General Strauss sitting nearby couldn¡¯t help but laugh and add.


    ¡°When he fought at Wanliang, Wanliang¡¯s defenders surrendered, and once again, he picked up an easy win.¡± General Bolton next to him followed up.


    Sometimes, you can¡¯t help but envy someone¡¯s luck. Luo Xiao, having captured Guiguang, had been promoted to Major General, and now with another succession of achievements, including the encirclement of Zhao Chen¡¯s forces, he could be described as a rising star.


    ¡°Now he¡¯s taken Hezhe, another effortless victory, hahaha.¡± Emperor Tang Mo in a very good mood, laughed once more.


    ¡°Then, Your Majesty, the order for his promotion?¡± Marshal Tagg, having had his laugh, asked.


    Emperor Tang Mo generously answered his question, ¡°Nothing much to say, a win is a win, the promotion should proceed! But he still needs to be further tempered; promote him to Lieutenant General and give him the 8th Corps!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Tagg immediately complied. The position of Commander of the 8th Corps had been undecided, and no one expected that the young officer Luo Xiao would be the winner.


    ¡°I want Zhao Chen alive! I like such a servant very much. If it doesn¡¯t work, let Feng Kezhi or Qian Jinhang make another trip!¡± Emperor Tang Mo thought highly of such talent and added to the orders.


    ¡°Like Wang Yuca?i, he¡¯s worked in the Dahua Empire¡¯s Ministry of Household for so many years, definitely an economic talent; putting him in the financial department would be immensely helpful for Alice. Chen Jing could also assist Mathews or Parker, compensating for their lack of administrative capacity. As for Chu Muzhou, needless to say, with his talents suitable for a premier, prudent and experienced, appointing him as Vice Chancellor of the Empire would be perfect.¡± Emperor Tang Mo listed off, familiar with some of the Dahua Empire¡¯s officials.


    The Great Tang Empire lacked talent, especially middle-aged and steady figures. Even though these old-era talents had little innovative capacity, letting them assist the young officials of the Great Tang Empire was an excellent choice.


    As long as there were no problems with their character, these seasoned talents could still have various uses. It proved that not all officials from the Dahua Empire were incompetent.


    Such as Qian Jinhang, now serving at the Staff Department, or General Feng Kezhi, commander of the 9th Group Army, as well as Lu Qianshan and Bai Fei, and the many old officials from Zheng Country and Qi Country among the middle-level cadre of the Great Tang Empire.


    They were doing well. If they were not truly useful, native factions wouldn¡¯t be gradually swelling in power today, right?


    ¡°We understand, Your Majesty.¡± The marshals and generals at the meeting responded in unison.


    ¡°So, bring them back to me!¡± Emperor Tang Mo stood up to end the meeting, ¡°Nobody is allowed to scheme, or I will be very angry.¡±


    ¡°Long live the Emperor!¡± Everyone stood up, saluted, and declared.


    ¡°Long live the Empire!¡± Emperor Tang Mo waved his hand and walked out of the meeting room.

 Chapter 1111: 1032 two names

    Chapter 1111: 1032 two names


    Zhao Chen got to know two people within one day.


    One is called Zhao Feng.


    The other is called Luo Xiao.


    From some sources unknown, Zhao Chen finally found out who had been commanding the persistent air raids targeting him from Fengjiang Air Force.


    A scion of the Dahua imperial family¡ªaccurately speaking, a fallen scion, who was captured by the Great Tang Empire in the last war, just a fighter jet pilot.


    This person had attended a pilot training school in the Great Tang Empire and lived there for at least 5 months... Of course, this information was from a Fengjiang pilot who was shot down and told Zhao Chen.


    Zhao Feng boasted about his training experience in the Great Tang as an achievement, which is almost memorized by the pilots from Fengjiang by now.


    Now, this Zhao Feng is the commander of the Fengjiang Air Force, and his command style is particularly fierce, frequently deploying planes to attack ground targets, and hardly cares about losses.


    From the effectiveness of the air raids, Zhao Feng is definitely a formidable air force commander: Zhao Chen¡¯s troops suffered heavy losses, constantly harassed by the air force under Zhao Feng¡¯s command.


    What Zhao Chen does not know is that the main reason Zhao Feng fought so fiercely was that the fuel, planes, and pilots were not his...


    He did not have to care about the losses of these pilots and planes, with ample fuel supply, so he was eager to attain achievements to report to his real superiors.


    The pilots of Fengjiang had already suffered immense losses a long time ago; after battling for over half a year, those Fengjiang pilots who remain alive are the veterans among veterans, the elites among the elite.


    In fact, those fighting against the pilots of the Dahua Empire have been the pilots from Chu Country, Ice Cold Empire, Poplar Empire, and even Mirage Country.


    Moreover, these pilots mostly operate on a rotational system. After fighting in Fengjiang for two months, they would be recalled to their home countries to be replaced by new pilots to join the battle and enhance their flying capabilities.


    In reality, pilots from the Great Tang Empire also frequently participate in the air battles over Fengjiang, but they all took off from the East Fengjiang airport on the side of the Great Tang Empire, confronting those Dahua planes raiding Fengjiang.


    Countries around the world use Fengjiang as a training base; after mastering actual combat skills and encountering the advanced weapon technology of the Great Tang Empire, the actual combat capabilities of these countries have relatively improved.


    The pilots from various countries, with their strong fighting will and determination, maintained a rather high level of combat effectiveness for the Fengjiang Air Force.


    They often took to the skies to battle, focusing their full attention on attacking ground targets in recent days.


    There are two types of ground attack aircraft in the Fengjiang Air Force, in addition to a small number of Il-2 attack aircraft, the rest are Stuka.


    Chu Country supplied Fengjiang with a large quantity of Stuka, and honestly, most of these Stuka were probably provided by the Great Tang Empire.


    With a large number of Stuka dive bombers, the Fengjiang troops continuously attacked ground targets, severely trapping Zhao Chen¡¯s troops that were urgently trying to break through to the west.


    Now, as soon as dawn breaks, Zhao Chen could hear that annoying, siren-laden, cursed sound of the Stuka: for the encircled troops, that horrific sound indeed felt like a disaster.


    Having lost all air superiority, Zhao Chen simply had no way to intercept Fengjiang¡¯s planes, all the supporting planes from the Dahua Empire had already deserted.


    Some directly became spoils of war in Hezhe under Luo Xiao, while others retreated to Xiajian. Planes taking off from Xiajian couldn¡¯t possibly fly over Hezhe to support Zhao Chen, so Zhao Chen¡¯s land forces are completely exposed.


    Originally, on the way from Hezhe to Fengjiang, the Dahua Empire had even temporarily constructed several field airports, but the pilots stationed at these airports, fearing encirclement, fled back to Xiajian at the first opportunity.


    Zhao Chen sent telegrams requesting the planes near Xiajian to relocate to the field airports and join the fight, but they outright refused: With the war progressing to this stage, who wouldn¡¯t consider their own survival?


    Who will end up as Emperor is still unknown, how could they enjoy wealth and status without holding some leverage? Supporting Zhao Chen who is already encircled, wouldn¡¯t that be lunacy?


    Subsequently, Zhao Chen even lost his anger: The little aviation fuel left at the field airport was looted by the fuel-starved troops, and even if the planes returned, there was no fuel to take off and participate in the battle again.


    Seeing the scattered ammunition and spare parts beside the airport runway, along with planes paralyzed on the runway, Zhao Chen¡¯s heart ached.


    Those planes were left behind due to malfunctions and could not fly away. Some parts of some planes had already been dismantled and taken away, while some appeared still intact.


    But they could not fly anymore, and the ammunition, because of the different calibers with the land forces, were completely unusable, countless resources spent to bring these to the frontline, now lay abandoned on the ground like trash.


    For a group of people preparing to break through, any items that cannot be carried are considered trash, easily discarded burdens.


    Compared to Zhao Feng, the name Luo Xiao made Zhao Chen¡¯s teeth itch with hatred: it was this man who led his troops to occupy Hezhe, blocking Zhao Chen¡¯s path.


    Zhao Chen had never heard of Luo Xiao before; he had always focused on studying famous generals from the Great Tang such as Redman, Tagg, Strauss, and Bolton.


    Regrettably, he never got the chance to duel with such Generals of the Great Tang, and instead, he found himself plunged into an abyss of no return by a minor general he¡¯d never heard of.


    It is said that Luo Xiao is just over 30 years old, and until he was 20, he was only a colonel in Qi Country, having commanded just three thousand men.


    But now, this Luo Xiao is commanding an army of a hundred thousand, standing right in front of Zhao Chen, and has even achieved an unthinkable three victories in three battles!


    Indeed, two days ago, Luo Xiao led his troops eastward to start a sudden assault; his first battle resulted in the rout of Zhao Chen¡¯s forward troops near Hezhe.


    Luo Xiao advanced fiercely seventy kilometers forward, catching Zhao Chen completely off guard. Zhao Chen had to personally come to the front line, organizing troops to counterattack, preparing to fiercely target the unstable Luo Xiao.


    Does anyone still remember there was once a circular defense line between Hezhe and Fengjiang? Indeed, Luo Xiao fully utilized this abandoned defense line, blocking Zhao Chen¡¯s advance.


    The second battle was fought on the ruins of this defense line, which was originally constructed by the Dahua Empire, facing east...


    Indeed, in the hands of Luo Xiao, this defense line played its intended role. Zhao Chen¡¯s forceful attacks throughout an entire day, losing 3000 troops, failed to take this tough nut.


    The reasons included the demoralized state of Zhao Chen¡¯s troops, constant harassment from aircraft overhead, and of course, the truly infuriating nature of this defense line.


    However, all things considered, in their second encounter, Zhao Chen still lost; he was unable to recapture the defense line, forcing his troops to wait in place for another day.


    Unexpectedly, yesterday, Luo Xiao took the initiative and launched a second assault: while Zhao Chen was frantically organizing his troops to stabilize the front, Luo Xiao continued his advance, pushing at least another 20 kilometers east!


    Zhao Chen was originally on the eastern side commanding the already collapsed rear guard, facing incoming pursuers from the direction of Fengjiang. As a result, not only did he fail to repel the pursuers, but the western defense line behind him also collapsed.


    Frantic, Zhao Chen collapsed, fainting right in his own headquarters; by the time a doctor revived him, it was already dark.


    Thus, an army of eight hundred thousand remained idle overnight, and by early morning, only seven hundred thousand remained!


    A part of the western forces surrendered to Luo Xiao, and a portion of the rear guard was overtaken and surrendered to Zhao Zheng and Zhao Yu. It¡¯s nearly as if Zhao Chen did nothing, and his eight hundred thousand-strong army was reduced by an eighth!


    After waking up, Zhao Chen was lost in contemplation: hadn¡¯t many of these people been his allies in the past? Wasn¡¯t Zhao Yu a prince unfit for public appearance? Wasn¡¯t Zhao Zheng just a minor general of average ability? Wasn¡¯t Zhao Feng just a pilot? He had never heard of Luo Xiao before.


    Now, these people had surrounded him without leaving any chance for a breakout.


    Yet these were the people, whom he had looked down upon before, who had now besieged the last half of the Dahua Empire¡¯s field troops in place.


    ¡°General!¡± Seeing Zhao Chen lost in thought, an officer couldn¡¯t help but speak up: the enemy was attacking; as the Commander, he had to think of something.


    ¡°The Armored Corps has already moved up...¡± the Division Commanders of several Tank divisions reported their status: ¡°The attack can start at any time! However, we are short of spare parts and fuel, and only half of the tanks have reached their positions...¡±


    The logistical support of the Dahua Empire was at early World War II levels, and it was already good enough if it could meet the needs of the frontline troops. With air raids overhead and the troops now encircled, there was simply no way to ensure the normal operation of the Armored Corps.


    By robbing Peter to pay Paul, compromising two tanks into one, they barely managed to gather the necessary number of tanks for the attack.


    But in reality, Zhao Chen had already lost the courage for a desperate battle. In terms of capability, Zhao Chen and General Feng Kezhi were quite similar, but the biggest difference between him and Feng Kezhi was that Feng had the will to survive when he was in the Dahua Empire, whereas Zhao Chen was only ever concerned about preserving the last vestiges of the Dahua Empire.


    Only at this moment did Zhao Chen realize that as a general, his desire for victory had faded; he had already lost years ago.


    Looking at the pistol hanging on his belt on the wall, Zhao Chen sighed. He lacked the resolve to take his own life, having never even considered that he should die for his country.


    Although, he was a royal relative of the Dahua Empire.


    ¡°Send a telegram to Zhao Yu... just say... I am willing to surrender!¡± In the end, for his own dignity, or perhaps clinging to the fantasy of returning the remaining seven hundred thousand-strong army back to Dahua, Zhao Chen chose to contact Zhao Yu first.

 Chapter 1112: 1033 Pig Teammate

    Chapter 1112: 1033 Pig Teammate


    Zhao Jie was a bit surprised, surprised that he really hadn¡¯t anticipated that Zhao Ji would have the nerve to kill his way back from the Hezhe frontline!


    Honestly, this was a variable Zhao Jie hadn¡¯t foreseen, because the troops at his disposal truly weren¡¯t sufficient to face a pincer attack by two forces.


    The troops of Li Mingshun within the city were originally more numerous than Zhao Jie¡¯s, so it was impossible for Zhao Jie¡¯s forces to break into the city, shut the gates, and hold out for reinforcements.


    Zhao Jie¡¯s sole reliance was on the continuous arrival of the southern frontline field troops called over from the Shanchong direction.


    But what Zhao Jie had, Zhao Ji also had! The troops brought from Hezhe were no less than 300,000, adding the garrisons from Xiajian and Dongqing, the forces Zhao Ji could gather on his way here amounted to nearly 400,000!


    Although Zhao Ji was still at a disadvantage in terms of overall troop strength, these were real, existing troops that Zhao Jie, of course, had to guard against.


    The most infuriating thing was that Zhao Jie could not calculate the precise troop strength of Zhao Ji: according to normal people¡¯s behavior, Zhao Ji would certainly leave behind enough forces in the Xiajian region to defend against attacks from Fengjiang¡¯s army on Xiajiang City.


    But that¡¯s the thinking of a normal person! Which normal person would simply hand over Hezhe and leave Zhao Chen¡¯s 800,000-strong army in Fengjiang?


    Therefore, Zhao Ji might really go crazy and call back all his troops, so Zhao Jie had to estimate the force Zhao Ji could deploy based on the total troop strength he had at his disposal!


    Exactly how many troops did Zhao Jie have? He had about 1.1 million field troops! Yes, even more than Zhao Chen had.


    These troops were originally intended for the Shanchong direction, to recapture Guiguang. However, Zhao Jie didn¡¯t deploy his main forces to the fierce battle for Guiguang; he had always been preserving his strength.


    But he, Zhao Jie, wasn¡¯t Zhao Ji; he couldn¡¯t neglect the Shanchong defense line and call all his troops back to join the battle for succession in the Imperial Capital.


    To ensure that the Shanchong base didn¡¯t have any issues, Zhao Jie left a 500,000-strong army there, commanded by his trusted generals.


    At the same time, he also had to designate forces to control Jutian and Pingfeng: these areas were his traffic hubs and food production zones, which he had to keep under his control.


    If he didn¡¯t maintain forces in these regions, he could only travel from Shanchong to the Imperial Capital via Dongqing, which by now had been blocked by Zhao Ji.


    After all the calculations, the troops that Zhao Jie could immediately pull together to rush to the aid of the Imperial Capital actually amounted to only 10 divisions, roughly 150,000 men.


    Most of these forces were still en route because it was impossible for Zhao Jie to mobilize so many troops to the Imperial Capital unnoticed, so they were still a day or two away from the capital.


    Zhao Ji was in the same situation: he couldn¡¯t transfer all the frontline troops to the Imperial Capital; railway transport capacity was limited, so the force Zhao Ji could use on the outskirts of the capital actually numbered less than 3,000!


    The situation immediately became interesting: the troops of Zhao Jie and Zhao Ji could keep moving towards the Imperial Capital, and in terms of combat power, Zhao Jie¡¯s troops were somewhat superior, but regarding troop numbers, it seemed Zhao Ji had more.


    After all, inside the Imperial Capital, Li Ming and the Dahua armies from the two northwestern directions all tacitly supported Zhao Ji, making Zhao Jie¡¯s situation quite disadvantageous.


    If he attacked, he would have too few troops; it would be tantamount to suicide.


    But if he retreated and gave up the southern gate, then Li Mingshun would join forces with Zhao Ji and drive Zhao Jie¡¯s forces out of the Imperial Capital! By that time, Zhao Ji would have the banner of justice, and the capable Li Mingshun commanding the combat, and Zhao Jie would be pretty much finished.


    Therefore, after much thought, Zhao Jie felt that he must not retreat no matter what! He must hold his ground here and stop Li Mingshun from joining forces with Zhao Ji at any cost.


    Actually, he bet correctly: Zhao Ji really didn¡¯t have a lot of troops on hand; he left his main forces in Xiajian to prevent his rear from being attacked.


    The whole affair was like this: Zhao Ji originally planned to wait for Zhao Chen to retreat to Hezhe, and then he would lead troops back to the Imperial Capital. But when he suddenly heard the news of Zhao Kai being critically ill, Zhao Ji panicked.


    He felt that waiting for Zhao Chen in Hezhe was too slow, so he hurried his troops towards Xiajian! Before reaching Xiajian, he suddenly realized a serious problem: the troop¡¯s advancement speed was too slow.


    In a state of panic, Zhao Ji got many new ideas in his head: even though Zhao Chen in the encirclement still had 800,000 troops, what if the Fengjiang army that occupied Hezhe advanced westward and caught up with him?


    After some thought, Zhao Ji decided to leave a large portion of his troops in Xiajian as a contingency. Actually, he could have left his troops in Hezhe and gone ahead himself, but he never considered that at the time!


    He felt that the reason he did not wait for Zhao Chen was that he was afraid that once Zhao Chen retreated to Hezhe, he would not follow his orders, not provide reinforcements, and let himself be defeated in the struggle against Zhao Jie for succession.


    But these were all afterthoughts; at the time when he led his troops back to Xiajian, it was a rash decision, an eagerness to return to the Imperial Capital to seize power, a readiness to betray Zhao Chen to reduce the uncertainties of seizing power.


    By the time Zhao Ji was about to return to the Imperial Capital, he realized that there was another variable behind Zhao Chen that posed the greatest threat to his seizure of power: Zhao Yu! Yes, Zhao Yu!


    Zhao Yu was also a Prince, and by status, he was qualified to ascend the throne and proclaim himself Emperor. At the same time, looking at the map, with the support of powerful backers, actual control over territories, and a large force of troops, wasn¡¯t that Zhao Yu?


    What¡¯s even more frightening is that Zhao Yu had widespread support in the court and among the people, truly a bigger threat than Zhao Jie!


    So, out of fear, Zhao Ji abandoned the idea of drawing troops from Xiajian to reinforce the Imperial Capital. With 3,000 elite soldiers, he majestically advanced toward the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.


    At this moment, fierce battles were still ongoing within the Imperial Capital. Zhao Jie, having gained the Nobility¡¯s support within the city, was surprisingly holding his own against Li Mingshun¡¯s forces, which were clearly superior in numbers.


    Thinking himself at a disadvantage, the already very anxious Zhao Jie was commanding the battle when he suddenly heard two pieces of bad news.


    ¡°What did you say? What do you mean the entire family of Minister of Revenue Wang Yuca?i is missing? Doesn¡¯t he live in the southern part of the city?¡± Zhao Jie pointed at the map with his finger and furiously questioned the confidant who had been sent to find them.


    That confidant was actually quite wronged and replied with a mournful face: ¡°Your Majesty! I went there myself, but, but the place was empty and all the valuables had been taken away!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Hearing his subordinate say this, Zhao Jie believed him to an extent. Knowing his subordinates, if there were valuables, he definitely would not have mentioned them...


    But where did the people go? Originally, Zhao Jie had planned to find Wang Yuca?i and coerce or bribe him to get the Minister of Revenue to support him.


    Adding to his understanding of Zhou Qiang, who was a fence-sitter, he believed he could still assemble a proper court.


    But now, let alone the fence-sitter Zhou Qiang, Wang Yuca?i of the southern city has disappeared without a trace, and Zhao Jie smelled the scent of a conspiracy. Who had calculated against him? Or was someone else planning to target someone else?


    While he was pondering what exactly was going on, news came from the airport outside the city, saying that an army was attacking them under the banner of the Crown Prince¡¯s Guard.


    This time, Zhao Jie had no time to think about other issues and immediately ordered several Nobility to lead a battalion of troops to aid the airport. To prevent these Nobility from defecting on the spot, he also arranged for a company of his own confidants to join in the support.


    The battle lasted a whole day, and by night, Zhao Jie¡¯s forces were compressed near the southern gate of the Imperial Capital, desperately defending behind the barriers of several blocks.


    The battle outside the city was not going well either. The Crown Prince¡¯s Guards were quite capable, much stronger than the Nobility¡¯s private armies. The fighting continued into the night, and almost everything on the airport was lost.


    All the planes parked inside the airport were destroyed, and the control tower was bombed into ruins, becoming a small high ground in use.


    Relying on the Anti-Aircraft Guns to the west, the defenders managed to hold their ground, but they were running low on troops and ammunition and urgently needed reinforcements.


    Zhao Jie had no forces left to aid them: the battle inside the city had already reached a critical point, his own guard units had all been sent to the front lines, and only seven or eight Guards were left to protect the command center.


    However, the situation suddenly changed early the next morning: a reinforcement force of Zhao Jie¡¯s arrived, joining the battle. This fresh force routed Zhao Ji¡¯s Crown Prince¡¯s Guard outside the city, relieving Zhao Jie of the risk of being encircled.


    The defeated Zhao Ji was not content and launched another attack. However, the already battered Crown Prince¡¯s Guards performed even worse, and they were defeated once again without even reaching the airport.


    Zhao Jie, having received support, also stabilized his position within the city, deploying his troops for a counteroffensive, which took Li Mingshun by surprise: Weren¡¯t Zhao Ji and Zhao Chen aiding on that front? Why was their performance so poor?


    Upon closer investigation, he found out that Zhao Ji had betrayed Zhao Chen... The reinforcements that were supposed to arrive faster were now non-existent!


    This infuriated Li Mingshun, who was accustomed to stupidity but had never encountered a ¡°genius¡± quite like Zhao Ji with such outstanding performance.


    Only now did he realize the immense pressure that General Feng Kezhi, Qian Jinhang... and Zhao Chen were facing while fighting!


    The enemy was incredibly powerful, and to make matters worse, the insiders were digging holes and making trouble for their own people! Who could bear this? Who could withstand this?


    Fortunately, he had been serving as the City Defense Army Commander in the Imperial Capital for these past years. Had he been stationed elsewhere, he might have ended up with the same fate as Qian Jinhang and General Feng Kezhi.


    It was truly frustrating: the Empire had come to this stage, and yet they had chosen such an inept Crown Prince to be the Emperor¡ªthe sorrow... was truly profound!


    Sighing over his frustrations, Li Mingshun shook his head, knowing that he still had to continue the fight, for he still had an advantage! As long as he was alive, as long as he had a breath left in him! He had to defend the lands of Dahua left by the late Emperor Zhao Kai!


    ¡°Someone! Send a telegram to the Heavy Artillery Group! Aim at the city gate above the south wall! Fire!¡± With no other concerns left, Li Mingshun ordered through gritted teeth.

 Chapter 1113: 1034 falling shells

    Chapter 1113: 1034 falling shells


    Du Jia is feeling somewhat nervous now, for he holds too many Dahua Empire high officials in his hands, and he does not know if he truly has the assurance to protect so many important targets.


    In fact, he had previously sought out Minister of War of the Dahua Empire, Shen Chuan, but Shen Chuan still hasn¡¯t shown up in the safety zone he arranged. He also sent people to look for him, but has yet to receive any report back.


    Theoretically speaking, everyone should show face to the Great Tang Empire, but showing face is one thing; if a real accident happens, that¡¯s another matter.


    Within the safety zone set up by the Great Tang Empire in the north of the city, Chu Muzhou is discussing the current situation with Chen Jing and Wang Yuca?i. They all believe that if Li Mingshun cannot defeat Zhao Jie quickly, the ownership of the Imperial Capital would indeed be hard to determine.


    ¡°Clearly, Zhao Jie¡¯s reinforcements are stable, Li Mingshun is a bit slow in mobilizing troops from other places, as for Zhao Ji... better not mention him.¡± Although Chen Jing, as the Chief of Staff, does not have a keen military sense, he currently holds too much intelligence in his hands.


    Silver Fox provided information about almost everything happening nearby: Zhao Ji abandoned the front lines and returned to the Imperial Capital, which seemed quick, but his sustainment is really insufficient.


    Zhao Yu is right behind him. If Zhao Chen could restrain Zhao Yu, Zhao Ji might have had a chance, but just now, they received a message from the Great Tang Empire that Zhao Chen¡¯s forces have surrendered.


    Now, not counting Zhao Chen¡¯s troops, just the forces pressing over from the direction of Fengjiang already exceed 300,000. Zhao Ji¡¯s rearguard areas of Xiajian and Dongqing are severely unstable, and he basically can¡¯t mobilize any military strength.


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame Zhao Chen for this. If I were sold out like this, my heart would be utterly broken too,¡± Wang Yuca?i said without any reservations, as he now already feels he is no longer a subject of the Dahua Empire.


    Consider his whole life, bustling about day and night for the Dahua Empire, making bricks without straw¡ªThe Dahua Empire was already out of money, how much effort did he, the Minister of Revenue, put in just to maintain it until today, who knows?


    Before Zhao Kai left, no matter what, he was still a subject of the Dahua Empire; a monk hits the bell day by day, and he, as Minister of Revenue, had to do his job no matter what.


    Now that he could sit here, it already represents his attitude: Since he has already changed allegiance, there¡¯s no need to cover it up anymore.


    He had wanted to say these words much earlier, but always held back due to decency. Now that he speaks out, it carries somewhat a hint of spitefulness: ¡°Before, they tricked Qian Jinhang, and tricked General Feng Kezhi, sure... those are ministers of foreign clans, I understand your suspicions, but the battle at Fengjiang originally already had the advantage, yet they tricked Zhao Chen... Such a court, if not overthrown, would truly be against common sense!¡±


    Actually, Chen Jing probably holds the same view: At that time, Zhao Chen had already started a fierce attack on Fengjiang. Shanping was still in Zhao Zheng¡¯s hands, and the Dahua Empire was already hopeful of victory, yet they changed their minds and allowed Shanping to fall into the hands of the rebels.


    The direct result of Zhao Kai adopting Zhao Jie¡¯s strategy was the surrender of Zhao Zheng¡¯s forces in Shanping; a defeat like a crumbling mountain directly affected Guiguang: Sword Pavilion and Southern Storehouse were successively lost, not only wasting hundreds of thousands of troops for nothing but also suddenly revitalized the rebel situation.


    Taking into account the result of Zhao Jie¡¯s usurpation now, it inevitably leads to wild speculations! Who knows if Zhao Jie had any private intentions of rebellion when he proposed the strategy to abandon Shanping?


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of talking about this now... the city... I fear it¡¯s going to be in chaos for a long time,¡± said Chu Muzhou, whose worries have already shifted to the future of his Chu family, as at the moment of his decision, he had already placed himself in the position of the Tang people.


    Every person has their own political aspirations, and Chu Muzhou is such a person. After talking with Du Jia and others, Chu Muzhou has taken up ¡°unite all Tang people across the world¡± as his political ambition.


    He once served as Prime Minister in the Dahua Empire, dreaming of revitalizing the Dahua Empire, sweeping across all under heaven to unify the Hua Clan, and making the Dahua Empire the true master of the Western Continent.


    Now, the Great Tang Empire has shown him the dawn, giving him the opportunity to realize his dreams. Moreover, from every aspect, the Great Tang Empire appears to be a better option than the Dahua Empire.


    Except for the fact that the Great Tang Empire abolished landlords, which made Chu Muzhou, an Old Bureaucrat, somewhat uncomfortable, Tang Mo and his Great Tang Empire were indeed the best choice for Chu Muzhou.


    Wang Yuca?i, on the other hand, is not so noble; he just wants to see what the concept of five trillion in the account books looks like: he has managed the finances for the Dahua Empire for thirty years and has never seen that much money.


    As a Minister managing finances, he really wants to experience firsthand what it feels like to have an amount of money that he can never spend up, and then casually throw out some to influence the global financial system.


    Chen Jing decided to take a position in the Great Tang Empire for reasons similar to Wang Yuca?i; he had worked in the Ministry of Works all his life and had also been aggrieved all his life.


    His various proposals such as constructing water conservancy projects, laying roads, building bridges and dams... the most common responses he heard were: ¡°No money, scram, shut up... ¡±


    In short, almost all the projects he applied for were rejected, and the thing Wang Yuca?i did the most was to wave his hand and say: ¡°The Ministry of Revenue has no money, do whatever you please!¡±


    So Chen Jing wanted to go to the Great Tang Empire to see, he just wanted to see how the ¡°Ministry of Works¡± of the Great Tang Empire operates. Whether it¡¯s really as Du Jia said, that the infrastructure department has to gloomily return the unspendable funds to the financial department every year, because they simply can¡¯t find enough slaves and workers to start the projects in their infrastructure plans.


    To put it bluntly, these two are housewives who have never seen money, and they just want to see what the life of a wealthy lady is really like, to see if there really is such a thing as buying whatever they want, and their husbands earning so much that they can¡¯t spend it all.


    Chen Jing even heard from Du Jia that the Great Tang Empire has millions of scientific and technical personnel working on innovating and developing new technologies. Their daily job is to create things that do not exist in this world, and their combined salaries are even more than the total export profits of the Dahua Empire.


    ¡°That bastard Li Mingshun, he actually sealed the north city gate and forbade anyone from entering or leaving!¡± Wang Yuca?i recalled the order to close the city gate with teeth-gritting anger.


    Nowadays, rebel forces are rampant within the Imperial Capital; gunfire is everywhere. If it wasn¡¯t that their area is very safe, they would be even more tense than they are now.


    Fortunately, the face of the Great Tang Empire is really strong, whether it¡¯s gangs or the military, so far, no one has dared to cause trouble in their safe zone.


    However, as the situation continues to deteriorate, things have actually become very bad. Outside the walls, many related households have gathered here to seek refuge. Although they can¡¯t enter the courtyard, the congestion at the entrance is disturbing and annoying to see.


    ¡°If he really opened the gate, it wouldn¡¯t be just us leaving, the situation would get even more chaotic, he probably... doesn¡¯t want to...¡± Chu Muzhou is sensible, of course he knows that Li Mingshun¡¯s action is a standard decision of a City Defense Army Commander.


    As a member of the City Defense Army, the primary responsibility is to ensure the security of the city: all his orders must ensure the city¡¯s safety and repel foreign enemies.


    But before he could finish speaking, a distant sound like muffled thunder came from the direction of the horizon, echoing with a heart-thumping roar.


    Chu Muzhou frowned, and the rather younger Wang Yuca?i walked over to the window and yanked the curtains open. The next second, he saw a plume of black smoke rising between a few lone high buildings in the distance.


    ¡°An explosion? Where?¡± Chen Jing saw the black plume of smoke, also approached the window, looking at the black smoke reaching into the sky, and asked confusedly.


    Chu Muzhou also walked over, and just as he reached the window, he saw a second black plume of smoke, rolling up into the sky endlessly.


    A few seconds passed, and then another sound like muffled thunder drifted from afar, entering everyone¡¯s ears.


    This time, Chen Jing knew... it wasn¡¯t just an explosion.


    ¡°Artillery fire! Someone is shelling!¡± As the Chief of Staff who had toured an armory, he had seen the power of modern artillery.


    ¡°Shelling the Imperial Capital? Has Li Mingshun gone mad, or has Zhao Jie gone mad?¡± Wang Yuca?i was startled, looking at Chen Jing, seemingly waiting for an answer.


    ¡°Perhaps both have gone mad,¡± Chu Muzhou sighed and shook his head. Just earlier he still felt somewhat ashamed for his compromises and choices, but now, all he had left in his heart was nostalgia and sorrow for his past times.


    For these sorts of things, one has managed nearly half a lifetime, what exactly is one aiming for? The little bit left by the ancestors, all freaking personally ruined by oneself!


    Once the large-caliber shells fall, the remaining so-called tolerance of the civilians in the Imperial Capital will immediately reset to zero, and then the chaos inside the city cannot be easily suppressed!


    Just at this moment, the room door was pushed open from outside, and several robust men dressed in black entered in a state of high tension.


    They approached the ministers, bowed their heads, and advised, ¡°It¡¯s not safe near the window, my lords, the city has suffered artillery fire, we still don¡¯t know which side did it...¡±


    These men used their bodies as a flesh wall to block the direction of the window, and someone pulled the curtains closed, then turned back to explain, ¡°There might be snipers outside, Lord Du Jia is already contacting the relevant departments, we will leave here by nightfall.¡±


    ¡°We can leave today?¡± Upon hearing what the guard said, the ministers visibly hesitated.


    ¡°We must leave, this place is no longer safe,¡± said the speaking captain, nodding, ¡°Please believe us, we will definitely ensure the personal safety of all the lords.¡±


    ...


    BLG really boosts morale! LPL rocks! LPL invincible in summer! ELK is ruthless! This MSI is perfect... Hahaha. BIN really nailed it, said 3 to 1 and it was so, well done!


    Got carried away watching the game today, so thrilled, hahaha! Just one update for now, will make up tomorrow!

 Chapter 1114: 1035 people left the building empty

    Chapter 1114: 1035 people left the building empty


    For many years, the Dahua Imperial Capital had not experienced such calamities: first hit by two ballistic missiles that nearly killed the Emperor, and now artillery fire could be heard again.


    For those civilians living in the Imperial Capital, this past year was filled with disasters, and the stories they experienced were more than the total of the past two hundred years combined.


    ¡°Why is there artillery fire now?¡± Civilians gathered in the north of the city looked in terror at the column of smoke rising in the distance, nervously asking each other.


    ¡°Who knows? Before it was just gunshots, and now, cannons are being fired.¡± Another civilian was also full of tension.


    You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, this is the Imperial Capital! If this place isn¡¯t safe, where in the world could possibly be safe?


    ¡°Who knows what exactly happened in the south of the city?¡± some were still curiously asking, genuinely wanting to know what had become of the city¡¯s southern part.


    While they were discussing, a car full of soldiers sped past them on the street, closely followed by a second and a third.


    These soldiers were transferred from outside to inside the city. Meanwhile, Li Mingshun¡¯s 150mm-caliber heavy artillery troops deployed outside the city were firing towards the south. They had already fired approximately 200 artillery shells.


    At first, everyone was panicking, but gradually, everyone noticed that the shell impacts were concentrated in the south of the city, which calmed them down.


    As Zhao Jie had initiated a light-armored charge, he carried no heavy artillery and therefore couldn¡¯t retaliate. He could only allow Li Mingshun¡¯s troops to fire, turning the district they were defending into ruins.


    Li Mingshun was strategizing troop movements; he had to eliminate the nuisance that was Zhao Jie before more reinforcements arrived.


    On the outskirts, Zhao Ji was hardly reliable. Compared to the combat-capable Zhao Jie, Crown Prince Zhao Ji was like a decorative pillow, at best a straw man.


    His command skills were inferior to Zhao Jie, and the troops at his disposal were probably not as capable as Zhao Jie¡¯s. Those so-called elite Crown Prince Guards might be good for intimidating people, but there was still a significant gap compared to field troops in actual combat.


    Therefore, Zhao Ji¡¯s surprise attack on the airport had failed. However, both Zhao Ji and Li Mingshun did not anticipate that their fierce battle at the airport in the south actually had some effect.


    Zhao Jie had prepared dozens of DC-3 transport planes to airlift some soldiers over to join the battle, but unfortunately, these planes could not land because the airport had been destroyed in the battle.


    Dozens of DC-3s, running out of fuel, were forced to land, and barely one-tenth of the soldiers inside survived the crash landings, amounting to a total loss.


    Zhao Jie unexpectedly lost at least 500 men, making the soldiers he had even more precious. He couldn¡¯t launch an attack and had to honestly defend the southern district of the city, engaging in a positional battle with Li Mingshun within the city.


    Lacking troops, Zhao Jie had no other options. His strength did not support his ambition, so he could only hold on for the time being, ensuring that Zhao Ji and Li Mingshun would not join forces and pose a greater threat to him.


    Actually, at this time, Zhao Ji had a better option: he could have taken a long detour via the northeast direction and bypassed the outskirts of the Imperial Capital to meet up with Li Mingshun.


    It was indeed the simplest and safest method. However, Zhao Ji was unwilling to accept it, believing such an option would waste the advantageous situation of pinning Zhao Jie between two fronts.


    As the battle continued, Zhao Ji, after consecutive defeats, increasingly favored meeting up with Li Mingshun first. He felt the troops around him were too few, which made him feel insecure.


    Moreover, the 10,000 troops he summoned from Dongqing were moving slowly. In fact, the supposed pincer attack had already failed due to Zhao Ji¡¯s own lagging performance.


    Thus, on this very night, Zhao Ji led the remaining troops towards the northeast, planning to bypass Zhao Jie in the south and find Li Mingshun to regroup.


    He had received a telegram from Li Mingshun, urging him to return to the Imperial City promptly to rally public support and defeat the rebellion.


    In fact, the telegram was indeed sent by Li Mingshun. His main purpose for sending the telegram was out of fear that Zhao Ji would continue to recklessly squander his life away.


    Li Mingshun¡¯s concerns turned out to be justified: that same night, Zhao Jie indeed launched a surprise attack on Zhao Ji¡¯s camp. Zhao Jie personally led an elite unit to ambush Zhao Ji but came up empty.


    Zhao Jie immediately determined that Zhao Ji was heading into the city and promptly pursued. He managed to catch up with the fleeing Zhao Ji during the late night, and both sides engaged in a fierce battle near the east gate of the city.


    Zhao Ji¡¯s forces suffered a massive defeat, and Zhao Ji narrowly escaped death amid the chaos of battle. Thankfully, some brave and loyal soldiers saved his life. The fight continued until dawn, with Zhao Jie retreating due to being vastly outnumbered.


    But this battle relieved Zhao Jie of the threat behind him, allowing him to move more troops into the city to engage in a fierce battle with Li Mingshun¡¯s forces.


    The quality of the troops on both sides was comparable, with Li Mingshun relying on the elite Imperial Army, and Zhao Jie on his own battle-hardened soldiers. Both sides had their strengths, and the battle thus maintained a state of evenly matched forces.


    The next day, troops supporting Li Mingshun and Zhao Ji began trickling into the city one after another, while a new reinforcement for Zhao Jie¡¯s side also arrived; suddenly both parties had more troops in hand, and the battlefield became even bloodier.


    Li Mingshun, with his greater number of canons, continued to launch fierce attacks, while Zhao Jie, now backed by reserves, handled the situation with ease.


    In fact, from a purely military strength perspective, although Li Mingshun still held an advantage, it was no longer very significant.


    Zhao Jie¡¯s forces were increasing as the fight continued, and he seemed to have taken the initiative. If things kept progressing in this direction, it was very likely that Zhao Jie would emerge victorious from this battle for succession.


    However, the unpredictable nature of the battlefield can surprise anyone. Just as Zhao Jie thought that perseverance would guarantee his victory, a new force appeared behind him.


    This force was sent as reinforcements by Zhao Ji from Dongqing and, although they were slow to arrive, they eventually did. With a high degree of autonomy and fighting ability, they were prepared for battle and soon launched an attack, swiftly capturing the airfield at the city¡¯s southern quarter that had been occupied by Zhao Jie.


    Zhao Jie, who had believed his rear was secure, was taken aback by this development. He had even taken some civilians to repair the airfield, attempting to get the runway back in operation for further use.


    Little did he expect that his forces would lose the airfield, plunging him once more into a situation where he was under attack from both front and back.


    A furious Zhao Jie reallocated his troops for a counterattack. Due to communication failures, Zhao Ji¡¯s forces that had taken the airfield were unable to secure their conquest. Fighting isolated, they were ultimately defeated, and the airfield fell into Zhao Jie¡¯s hands again.


    By the time Li Ming, aware of the situation, tried to execute a pincer attack on Zhao Jie¡¯s forces, Zhao Jie had already dealt with the trouble behind him and returned to the southern quarter, causing Li Ming to miss an excellent opportunity.


    Meanwhile, as the battle for the Imperial Capital raged, Luo Xiao in Hezhe received a massive reinforcement from Fengjiang, amounting to a full 200,000 troops.


    These were not mere ordinary troops; composed mostly of seasoned veterans, their equipment was terrifyingly sophisticated: they were even equipped with a significant number of the Empire¡¯s Mark V Tanks, with two divisions of Mark III Tanks.


    Now reinforced with these Armored Corps, plus Hezhe¡¯s supply reserves, Luo Xiao, newly promoted to Major General and frontline commander, was invigorated and immediately launched a new round of attacks.


    The defending army of Xiajian was already small, unaccustomed to facing such a massive offensive. After receiving a telegram from the Fengjiang army urging surrender, they quickly made the wise decision to capitulate.


    Over one hundred thousand Xiajian defenders abandoned the city and surrendered, allowing the Fengjiang army to take the city without spilling blood. Their vanguard immediately surged forward, targeting Dongqing, the gateway to the Imperial Capital.


    For the Great Tang Empire, the good news kept coming: Luo Xiao dispatched two thousand troops towards the Wilderness. The Wilderness¡¯s commander was a resourceful man; he promptly surrendered without a fight, passing control of Wilderness City into Fengjiang¡¯s hands.


    A third of the Great Dahua Empire¡¯s territory had already fallen into Jiang Run¡¯s grasp, and with his strong and well-equipped forces, Jiang Run now appeared poised to sweep across the entire Dahua Empire.


    Firstly, the number of troops on the side of Fengjiang was indeed frightening: the surrendering forces under Zhao Chen amounted to 800,000, with several hundred thousand more from the direction of Guiguang and Sword Pavilion. Including the reinforcements from Fengjiang, Luo Xiao controlled 300,000 troops, bringing the total force to over 1.5 million.


    These numbers were beyond what Zhao Jie and Zhao Ji could contend with. Moreover, with Jiang Run¡¯s rear supported by the Great Tang Empire, he enjoyed timely and ample resources, ensuring both security and a significant strategic depth.


    Luo Xiao advanced rapidly, flying Jiang Run¡¯s banner, encountering almost no resistance. After a year of war turmoil within the Dahua Empire, the people longed for stability and were unwilling to continue the struggle.


    They had heard that the wealthy and trade-savvy Jiang Run had returned, and were happy rather than resistant¡ªwho would choose to fight back?


    According to the assessment of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s military advisory group, they could take Anqing within seven days and then launch an assault on the Imperial Capital.


    The fall of Xiajian immediately caused the atmosphere in the Imperial Capital to become tense. Aware of the significant problem he had caused in the direction of Ancy, Zhao Ji immediately sought to discuss countermeasures with Li Ming.


    Yet, Li Ming was only a military general with no solution at hand. Only then did they realize that the court ministers seemed to have taken refuge in the northern part of the city.


    So, together with Zhao Ji in tow, Li Ming rushed to the northern city, only to find that the place was already deserted¡ªnone of the family members from the Chu Muzhou, Jiang Run, Wang Yuca?i, Chen Jing, and Zhou Qiang clans could be found.


    ¡°What about Shen Chuan? The Minister of Justice... where is he?¡± Zhao Ji wondered, suddenly recalling the Minister of War and his confidants.


    Li Ming spoke bluntly: ¡°That despicable Minister of Justice defected to the Fifth Prince, and now he¡¯s probably gone to curry favor with Zhao Jie! As for Shen... his whereabouts are unknown, and he hasn¡¯t been found up to now.¡±

 Chapter 1115: 1036 treason

    Chapter 1115: 1036 treason


    ¡°How can there be so much?¡± After seeing the bill, Zhao Yu could hardly believe his eyes: he had never seen so much money in his life, let alone owed so much.


    To support his ¡°restoration¡±, the Great Tang Empire spent a total of 300 million Tang yuan, not including materials and loans.


    Such a huge amount of money, let alone Zhao Yu now, even in the heyday of the Dahua Empire, Zhao Kai could not come up with that much. It can be said that even selling Zhao Yu now would not fetch that much!


    ¡°Your Highness, every bill here is signed by you personally, you had approved them,¡± an official from the finance department of the Great Tang Empire handed over bills and IOUs to Zhao Yu, urging him to look them over carefully.


    Zhao Yu didn¡¯t dare to look, only letting a trusted aide double-check: in fact, the Great Tang Empire had not falsified anything, every item was real and had been approved by Zhao Yu himself.


    Included were purchases of arms, food, fuel, hiring of advisory groups, and training of pilots... Of course, there were also advances for hiring mercenaries.


    These advancements included interest, and although the Great Tang Empire very kindly waived a portion of the interest, the remaining part of the interest was enough to bankrupt Zhao Yu.


    ¡°Is there... another way?¡± Zhao Yu also knew that his current position was entirely dependent on the support of the Great Tang Empire; dodging debt was definitely not an option, unless he wanted to die.


    Moreover, the throne was nearly within reach, he was about to become the Emperor of the Dahua Empire, how could he back down at such a time? Wouldn¡¯t retreating now make him a fool?


    ¡°Dodging debt?¡± The finance official from the Great Tang Empire was taken aback, quite admiring Zhao Yu for having such courage.


    ¡°No! No! Not at all! How could I dodge debt!¡± Zhao Yu immediately waved his hands: ¡°Misunderstanding! It was a misunderstanding! I was asking if there could be another method, a method of repayment.¡±


    ¡°According to the previous secret agreement, for the Great Tang Empire helping you to become the Emperor of the Dahua Empire, your recompense to the Great Tang Empire is the sovereignty of Sword Pavilion and Nanku, as well as the demotion of the Dahua Empire to the Kingdom of Dahua,¡± reminded a diplomat sitting aside. ¡°You cannot change this part.¡±


    ¡°Understood, understood! Then I¡¯ll cede Fengjiang to the Great Tang Empire... What do you think, sirs?¡± Zhao Yu, gritting his teeth, decided to use some territories to repay the related debts.


    That was almost the only option he could choose: the financial state of the Dahua Empire had already collapsed, hoping that the tax profits of the Dahua Empire could repay the debt in this lifetime was impossible.


    What was left in the Dahua Empire, then, was essentially land and human resources¡ªhard assets. Zhao Yu knew the ambitions of the Great Tang Empire, he suggested using land to repay the debt, and the Great Tang Empire would definitely agree.


    Indeed, officials from the foreign department of the Great Tang Empire immediately began whispering to each other, and finance officials began writing and calculating on rough paper.


    After a buzz of discussion, a foreign department official of the Great Tang Empire spoke up, ¡°We can consider it, but we need to calculate the specific value of each city, every piece of land.¡±


    ¡°Fengjiang alone isn¡¯t worth 300 million?¡± Zhao Yu, of course, hoped he could sell Fengjiang for 300 million, or even better for 500 million, so that he¡¯d have money to squander for a few more years. But in reality, the Great Tang Empire wasn¡¯t willing to spend 500 million to purchase it now.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Fengjiang is now a ruin, such a ruin isn¡¯t worth 300 million! We¡¯ve calculated, its value is only about 40 million,¡± a finance official from the Great Tang Empire shook his head and handed a piece of paper to Zhao Yu¡¯s confidante.


    The confidante looked over the reconstruction data, costs, and inputs of manpower and resources on the paper, and awkwardly nodded to Zhao Yu: the other side hadn¡¯t shortchanged them, even gave a bit more.


    Seeing his confidante had no objections, Zhao Yu could only grit his teeth and accept: ¡°Then add Shanping! Shanping hasn¡¯t gone through war, it must be worth 100 million, right?¡±


    ¡°Shanping is not a traffic hub, its price cannot be so high, we plan to invest 30 million to purchase Shanping,¡± the Great Tang Empire official provided a relatively reasonable rationale.


    They absolutely didn¡¯t need to scheme in this regard, just buying with real money was enough. Anyway, much of this money was used by the Great Tang Empire to balance the global trade deficit, money goes out and comes back in, it¡¯s just flow.


    ¡°Then Guiguang! Guiguang is a traffic hub, and the city has not experienced war, it¡¯s very important to you... One billion for Guiguang!¡± Zhao Yu ultimately could only sell bigger, more important cities, because only such cities were worth more.


    ¡°Actually, Your Majesty, you calculated less, we plan to invest 110 million to purchase Guiguang. If you decide to sell Guiguang, Shanping, Fengjiang... then you still owe us 120 million,¡± the officials from the Great Tang Empire said, smiling as they added another 10 million to Zhao Yu¡¯s tally.


    Guiguang is an important transport hub connecting Sword Pavilion and Shanping. By controlling here, the Great Tang Empire would be thoroughly crossing Hidden Sword Gorge, making the occupied area west of Hidden Sword Gorge contiguous.


    The only city Zhao Yu was willing to sell now was the northern border city, Wilderness, an economically poor area with only animal husbandry, a harsh and cold place, he wouldn¡¯t mind selling it.


    But to sell Wilderness, he would first have to sell Hezhe, and Hezhe was a vital transportation town that Zhao Yu was reluctant to sell. Moreover, if Hezhe was sold, then Wanliang would become an isolated enclave, definitely not feasible.


    Therefore, the only option was to sell Hezhe, Wilderness, and Wanliang together! Essentially, that meant selling off all the areas Zhao Yu currently controlled.


    With a heavy heart, Zhao Yu gritted his teeth and said: ¡°Hezhe, Wanliang, Wilderness! I want 300 million!¡±


    He knew he was going to sell these places anyway; might as well ask for a high price to reserve some funds for himself.


    ¡°270 million!¡± Many officials from the Great Tang Empire gathered and discussed quietly for a while before providing a figure that somewhat surprised Zhao Yu.


    He thought the Great Tang Empire would not accept his outrageous demand, perhaps only offering a maximum of 100 million. In the end, he would still owe the Great Tang Empire tens of millions in debt that he had to pay back urgently.


    Who would have thought, the Great Tang Empire only cut 30 million from the price, generously leaving him with 150 million in liquid assets.


    ¡°Sorry, we cannot provide you with the additional 150 million all in cash. We will provide you with 20 million in cash, plus another 40 million in military hardware and provisions, and after the war, 60 million in construction funds support...¡±


    ¡°Agreed!¡± After pondering, Zhao Yu still reluctantly accepted as his finances were nearly collapsed. Getting 20 million in cash was considered quite good already.


    Speaking frankly, it was questionable whether his father Zhao Kai even had 20 million in cash during his most financially challenging times.


    The Great Tang Empire actually got a bargain here: Wanliang is an important grain-producing area of the Dahua Empire, a place truly invaluable, and would not have been sold in the past regardless of the price.


    Now not only has Wanliang been sold, but it was sold so ¡°fairly and reasonably,¡± which itself was a steal for the Great Tang Empire.


    Further north is Hezhe, which is Fengjiang¡¯s barrier and also a transportation hub, its value is also incalculable.


    Offering 270 million just for these two places is already not too much; the Wilderness City is simply a giveaway, a total freebie.


    ¡°If Your Majesty has no objections, then please sign these documents.¡± Not attempting to hide their preparedness, the diplomats from the Great Tang Empire pulled agreement documents from their briefcases.


    Zhao Yu¡¯s close associates looked extremely distressed, but they knew, once these documents were signed, they would receive support worth 150 million in goods, and within two months, become the ruling lords of the Dahua Empire & or rather, the Dahua Kingdom!


    Zhao Yu would become the King of Dahua, and his confidants would soon be the Ministers of the kingdom, controlling the entire kingdom¡¯s power.


    Therefore, when Zhao Yu looked towards them, they could only nod slightly, showing their support. Zhao Yu clenched his teeth and began signing his name on the documents.


    Each time he finished one, he passed it to his subordinate who stamped Zhao Yu¡¯s seal on it. Meanwhile, the finance department officials of the Great Tang Empire handed over the corresponding IOUs to the other party.


    Minutes passed, and the vast lands of the Dahua Empire became part of the Great Tang Empire, and Zhao Yu achieved his desire, becoming the ¡°Honorific Majesty¡± King of the Dahua Kingdom.


    ¡°Rest assured, Your Majesty! We will dutifully help you capture the Imperial Capital...¡± The diplomats from the Great Tang Empire reached out and gave Zhao Yu a gentle handshake, then left with the signed agreements.


    ¡°Your, Your Majesty... these, these...¡± The confidants, holding the IOUs and promissory notes, carefully reminded Zhao Yu.


    ¡°Burn them! Burn them all!¡± Zhao Yu waved his hand, ordering irritably.


    He now faced a more pressing problem and had to seriously consider how to resolve it.


    He needed to think about how to explain to the citizens of Dahua how he had nearly sold a third of the national territory to offset debts to the Great Tang Empire...


    A few somewhat foresighted confidants also looked worried: they had attained wealth and power, but from the standpoint of the Dahua Empire, they were now unforgivable historical traitors.


    ¡°Ah...¡± Someone let out a long sigh unknowingly.


    Zhao Yu heard it, and without getting angry, seemed to empathize and also sighed deeply, full of mixed feelings: ¡°Ah...¡±


    However, he soon cheered up: now, he was the King of Dahua! His enemies, be it Zhao Jie or Zhao Ji... how could they possibly be his or the Great Tang Empire¡¯s match?


    Jokingly, he, Zhao Yu, in alliance with the Great Tang Empire, would create chaos!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Update tomorrow

 Chapter 1116: 1037 Dongqing Changes Its Flag

    Chapter 1116: 1037 Dongqing Changes Its Flag


    When snow began to flutter from the sky, a troop from Fengjiang arrived beneath the walls of Dongqing City. These troops did not rush to attack; instead, they sent an envoy to deliver a decree to the city¡¯s defense commander.


    Indeed, it was a decree. Emperor Zhao Yu of the Dahua Empire had appointed the city¡¯s defense commander, Liu Jie, as Great General, hoping he would open the city gates to welcome the troops from Fengjiang.


    This appointment of Great General seemed quite arbitrary. Knowing that Zhao Chen had surrendered, Liu Jie thought Zhao Chen would become Great General under Zhao Yu.


    So, he asked the envoy, a diplomat from the Great Tang Empire, about the credibility of this matter.


    The diplomat from the Great Tang Empire, due to his diplomatic immunity, came to deliver this message. Smiling at Liu Jie¡¯s question, he responded directly, ¡°Zhao Chen has already been sent to our country, so General need not worry.¡±


    Hearing this answer, Liu Jie paused for a moment and then realized that this could be a great opportunity for him: If he allowed the passage for Fengjiang¡¯s troops, he would undeniably secure a favorable position in Zhao Yu¡¯s government.


    As for that Zhao Chen he was worried about, he probably wouldn¡¯t come back to compete for positions in this lifetime: he guessed that Zhao Chen was taken by the Great Tang Empire as a way to vent their anger, who could blame him for resisting so stubbornly? Of course, or perhaps, who could blame him for being a Zhao?


    ¡°Since you guarantee it, Sir, I will trust this decree. I also think that the former Emperor¡¯s attitude towards Your Majesty was inappropriate, but alas, I am insignificant and have no say... Now that Your Majesty hopes to return to the Imperial Capital, I shall obey the decree and grant passage...¡± Remarkably, Liu Jie adeptly altered his address.


    It made sense, considering the ongoing conflict at the Imperial Capital. Whether it¡¯s Zhao Ji or Zhao Jie, whoever wins, he would have to change how he addresses them. How could he do that without some practice in advance?


    As for having another Zhao Yu, that¡¯s even simpler. Accepting two is accepting, and accepting three is the same. This matter and keeping a harem really aren¡¯t fundamentally different.


    When you feel that one wife is insufficient and you need to add a concubine, you¡¯ve already broken through mental shackles, and there would be no guilt in having a third or fourth.


    ¡°Rest assured, General, you will definitely not make the wrong choice,¡± said the diplomat from Great Tang with a smile, then pushed a check toward him. ¡°With continual warfare in Dahua recently and soaring prices, I¡¯ve brought some local products from Great Tang for you, General. Please do accept them with a smile.¡±


    After glancing at the amount, Liu Jie felt he had truly lived a dog¡¯s life. He had embezzled and oppressed both his subordinates and superiors until now, nearly at sixty years of age, and yet he hadn¡¯t been able to embezzle so much money...


    Swallowing his saliva, he stuffed the local products into his pocket, fully becoming one of Zhao Yu¡¯s people from the Great Tang.


    The rewards were immediate and apparent. Liu Jie not only threw open the city gates for Fengjiang¡¯s troops to pass through his defensive area but even contributed all the ammunition and oil supplies from his district.


    Do not underestimate the resources of Dongqing: in the north of Dongqing lies Heishui City, currently the only oilfield in Dahua, where all crude oil produced is necessary to be transported to Dongqing for processing.


    Thus, Dongqing owns the most advanced and largest oil refinery and various chemical plants in the Dahua Empire; their industrial scale is massive and critical.


    Now with Dongqing¡¯s surrender, Heishui City wouldn¡¯t put up any significant resistance: their garrison is pitifully small. It has always been the safest hinterland of the Dahua Empire and never needed much military presence.


    This also led to Heishui having no choice but to follow Dongqing¡¯s lead in defecting to Zhao Yu after Dongqing changed allegiance. Heishui is connected to Dongqing only by a single railway, and if they didn¡¯t surrender, their supplies would be instantly cut off, leaving them without any means at all.


    Without firing a single shot or shell, Dongqing changed allegiance and became rightfully part of the Fengjiang army: they too received their own rewards, promptly getting a monetary reward provided by Zhao Yu.


    Having been mingled with the Great Tang Empire for so long, Zhao Yu also possessed some admirable traits. He valued commitment, ensuring that the rewards promised to the military and officials were not perfunctory, as he urgently needed them to fight loyally for him; having sold themselves to him, they must be paid adequately.


    This is why he owed so much money, having whetted the soldiers¡¯ appetites without corresponding profit channels.


    It should be noted, ever since the start of the civil war to now, Fengjiang¡¯s army hadn¡¯t had any income. They were purely relying on financial support from the Great Tang Empire, which only persisted because the Great Tang Empire was flush with cash.


    Not only supporting Fengjiang, but the Great Tang Empire had also paid incalculable sums for hiring soldiers from other countries.


    Liu Jie¡¯s surrender was so swift that neither Zhao Jie nor Zhao Ji was mentally prepared. When they heard that Fengjiang¡¯s troops were already constructing a camp just tens of kilometers away, they were utterly dumbfounded.


    Although Fengjiang¡¯s army had yet to launch an attack, the two clashing factions inside the city immediately felt immense pressure, as overall, they truly couldn¡¯t withstand Zhao Ji¡¯s Fengjiang army.


    Not to mention Zhao Chen¡¯s 800,000


    troops, even if only some of Fengjiang¡¯s troops emerged, that would amount to at least 300,000... who among them could gather so many troops near the Imperial Capital?


    Zhao Jie was somewhat discouraged: his claim was inherently tenuous, coming to the Imperial Capital was merely seeing an opportunity. The problem now is that the opportunity he saw has completely vanished.


    If he continues to persist here, he is likely to be surrounded and eradicated by Fengjiang¡¯s forces. This is definitely not the outcome he desires, thus he begins to consider the possibility of leading his troops back to Shanchong.


    It is actually possible to leave. Although Zhao Jie has fewer troops in the Imperial Capital, they are extremely elite. As long as Zhao Jie decides to leave, they can immediately start retreating lightly.


    Controlling the southern route of the Imperial Capital, he can retreat to Pingfeng at ease. What he is considering now is the situation after retreating to Pingfeng.


    Although he will still control cities and regions such as Pingfeng, Jutian, and Shanchong, theoretically, he would have already become a local warlord by then, completely lacking the strength to confront the court.


    This situation is essentially akin to slow suicide. Once Zhao Yu has dealt with Zhao Ji, he will head south to subdue such a dangerous separatist force.


    With the aid of the Great Tang Empire, he would have no capacity to resist at all. By then, with mountains at his back, he would have no way to retreat.


    To the south, he could forge a path to Shu City, but though it¡¯s named the gateway to Shu, it has now become a passage to ¡°enter Qin¡±. Qin Country has already severed Dahua¡¯s connections with Shu Country through previous attacks.


    In this way, Zhao Jie would essentially be a sitting duck, left to be slaughtered by others.


    Thus, Zhao Jie begins to ponder, wondering if there is any way to save his own life: he thinks of three options.


    The first is to surrender to Zhao Ji now, forming an alliance with Zhao Ji to confront Zhao Yu. Given their mutual needs, unless Zhao Ji is foolish, he is unlikely to harm him in the short term.


    The two staying warm together, although the situation is a bit tough, could still maintain a delicate balance, providing everyone a decent way out.


    The second option is for him to immediately surrender to the Fengjiang side. Even though his ambitions have been exposed and Zhao Yu will certainly be wary of him, as long as he gives up military power and honestly remains a detached prince, he likely stands a chance to live.


    However, the feeling of placing his life in the hands of others isn¡¯t great, and Zhao Jie is not too inclined towards this choice.


    The last option is to surrender to Qin Country: by then, offering troops and territory, the Qin side would definitely be very pleased. This choice is the safest and most secure, and Qin Country has no reason to trouble a sincere Zhao Jie.


    Although this option is safe, like the second option, it means giving up military power and quietly living as a wealthy man. Zhao Jie¡¯s dilemma is here: he is reluctant to give up the power in his hands.


    Why doesn¡¯t Zhao Jie have the option of surrendering to the Great Tang Empire? Because he does not yet know that Zhao Yu has already sold Guiguang to the Great Tang Empire.


    The secret treaty signed by Zhao Yu would only be made public once he becomes Emperor of the Dahua Empire, otherwise many of his supporters will become dissatisfied with him.


    In any era, the disdain for those who betray their country for glory is a natural reaction.


    Zhao Jie, unaware that his controlled region borders the Great Tang Empire, naturally has no thoughts of surrendering to the Great Tang Empire.


    While Zhao Jie is calculating his escape routes, Zhao Ji, inside the Imperial Palace, is as anxious as ants on a hot pan: Zhao Jie can run, but he isn¡¯t even qualified to run.


    If he leaves the Imperial Capital, then how many people would still support him as the so-called ¡°Legitimate Emperor of Dahua¡±? Without even being enthroned yet, losing the Imperial Capital would turn him into a laughingstock, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Li Mingshun also does not advise withdrawing from the Imperial Capital, because once the Imperial Capital is lost, they would be extremely passive whether they retreat west or southwest. His standpoint is purely based on military considerations, without considering Zhao Ji¡¯s perspective.


    The Imperial Capital in the Dahua Empire is not simply a political center, but also a crucial transport hub facing the west.


    It connects the important northwest four cities to the south, serving as the absolute rear for overseeing and suppressing Qin Country; it also controls the southwest three cities of the Dahua Empire to the southwest, serving as the transport route to communicate with Shu Country.


    But if the Imperial Capital is lost, in terms of transport, it would be like splitting the northwest and southwest, making the remaining territories of the Dahua Empire disconnected.


    That is to say, regardless of the direction Zhao Ji retreats to, he would instantly lose half of the remaining territories, a situation that is absolutely unacceptable, as it almost equates to the demise of the nation.


    Therefore, in Li Mingshun¡¯s view, even if Zhao Ji wants to negotiate peace with the Fengjiang¡¯s forces, he must keep the Imperial Capital. This is the only chance, because once the Imperial Capital is lost, Fengjiang¡¯s forces would no longer care to negotiate with Zhao Ji.

 Chapter 1117: 1038 anxious

    Chapter 1117: 1038 anxious


    ¡°If we are to strike, we strike Zhao Ji! Zhao Jie poses little threat!¡± Tang Mo, observing the map, keenly pinpointed the crux of the matter: ¡°Zhao Jie escaping merely leaves a hidden danger for Zhao Yu, whether we eliminate this danger for him or ignore it, it¡¯s not fatal.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, Zhao Jie¡¯s stance in staunchly defending the Imperial Capital is not resolute. Once we attack him, he will run! Thus, attacking him is useless, just let him make his own judgment.¡±


    Then he continued: ¡°But Zhao Ji is different, he can¡¯t run! Once he retreats, he will inevitably lose half of the Southwest and Northwest, a loss he cannot afford!¡±


    ¡°Therefore, we strike Zhao Ji first, as he will inevitably be dealt with sooner or later. We cannot avoid this!¡± Tang Mo tapped twice on the northern part of the Imperial Capital¡¯s map: ¡°Keep Zhao Jie in place, don¡¯t touch him for now. Once Zhao Jie flees, Zhao Ji¡¯s defenses in the Imperial Capital will be consolidated, which would inadvertently aid Zhao Ji!¡±


    Luff nodded in agreement and said: ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s judgment is very accurate, and the discussions at the Staff Department also reflect this... Attack the north of the city first, create a breakthrough! Always keep an eye on Zhao Jie¡¯s movements, ready to take over his control area in the south of the city!¡±


    ¡°Hmm! The direction is correct, leave the specific operation to Luo Xiao... Having led the troops of Fengjiang to such military achievements, I am reassured to entrust the 8th Corps to him.¡± Tang Mo nodded in satisfaction.


    To be honest, he was very pleased with Luo Xiao, a top graduate from the military academy who had held a position within the Staff Department right after graduation and performed exceptionally well.


    After being dispatched to Fengjiang, he notably excelled, leading the military advisory group of the Great Tang Empire and commanding Fengjiang¡¯s military to a series of victories, establishing today¡¯s Dahua situation.


    ¡°Luo Xiao is indeed excellent, but Hoge is also a promising talent,¡± Luff said with a smile, sharing his opinion.


    Tang Mo was slightly taken aback, then nodded his head. He knew this was a way for the locals to express their uneasiness after the native Luo Xiao¡¯s rise.


    The commander of the 1st Corps was previously Redman, who is now a Marshal. Continuing to serve as the commander of the 1st Corps would misuse his abilities, so the position has been vacated.


    Redman recommended his deputy, who had been his Chief of Staff, Hoge to take over as the commander of the 1st Corps. This issue had already been discussed once, and Tang Mo was still deliberating the appointment.


    Hoge was a veteran who came with Brunas, his loyalty was unquestionable. As a commander, his capabilities were also beyond doubt, so Tang Mo was not averse to this recommendation.


    This kind of reaction is inevitable as the number of natives increases, and the outsiders are bound to react accordingly. It¡¯s not surprising to see such reactions; it would be truly problematic if there were none.


    Now, Tang Mo felt it was necessary to placate the outsiders by agreeing to Luff¡¯s suggestion, so he also agreed to the proposal discussed at the earlier meeting: ¡°Award the command of the 1st Corps to Hoge. Draft a document for this appointment.¡±


    ¡°Where did Xu Guo go?¡± After discussing Hoge¡¯s matter, Tang Mo suddenly remembered Zhao Yu¡¯s dandelion. The topic of Luo Xiao just now brought Xu Guo to mind.


    ¡°Xu Guo applied to go to the Eastern Continent on his own,¡± Luff replied promptly. As the Imperial Chief of Staff, he had some authority to know messages from the Imperial Security Bureau.


    After all, there are times when the Staff Department needs to communicate with intelligence agencies. Although they have their own intelligence devision, they often work closely with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Imperial Security Bureau.


    ¡°Applied?¡± Tang Mo was surprised, as Xu Guo, who had just completed a mission, unexpectedly headed to the Eastern Continent for another.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. He declined a holiday and requested a mission to the Eastern Continent,¡± Luff nodded and said to Tang Mo: ¡°He said that if his efforts can bring Your Majesty¡¯s troops back to the Eastern Continent sooner, it was all worth it.¡±


    This was the information Luff knew; he knew about Xu Guo¡¯s assignment to the Eastern Continent, but specifics of operation¡ªwhere exactly... those specific details, he wouldn¡¯t know.


    Tang Mo was slightly stunned, having seen such characters in many movies before his time travel, the ones who fight selflessly for their beliefs and unswerving hope.


    In the past, he had doubted such sacrifices because he was an arms dealer. He believed that sacrifice meant a deficiency in advanced weaponry, and embracing death was merely a manifestation of backward incompetence.


    But later, he realized he was wrong. Only when enlightenment reaches a certain level, complemented with sufficiently advanced weaponry and technology, can one be truly invincible¡ªthought and technology are indispensable to each other.


    ¡°Has he been commended?¡± Tang Mo asked casually.


    Luff was startled; the Emperor personally inquiring about someone¡¯s promotion and commendation was in itself a great honor. He nodded, ¡°He was awarded the second-class Blade Medal and promoted to Colonel.¡±


    ¡°The reason for not awarding him a Major General is because his sizeable rank during behind-enemy-line operations could affect tactical decisions.¡± To satisfy Tang Mo, Luff quickly added an explanation.


    Tang Mo nodded slightly, agreeing with Luff¡¯s opinion: Working behind enemy lines is dangerous, no matter how arrogant the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire is, there still exists a certain degree of risk.


    Since there is danger, giving a military rank of Major General to an intelligence officer operating behind enemy lines is equivalent to giving the enemy a greater bargaining chip. If the Major General were to be captured, the standards and ranks involved in the rescue operation would be entirely different.


    Furthermore, there is an issue of hierarchy. It¡¯s feasible for an intelligence officer to apply to fight behind enemy lines, but if this intelligence officer is a Major General, how would the intelligence network formed around him operate?


    The person commanding this Major General might be a locally undercover Lieutenant Colonel or Major, which could affect the Commander¡¯s judgement and operations, and during dangerous times, it might even lead to mission failure.


    ¡°Next time he comes back, just pin the Major General rank on him and have him work directly at the Imperial Security Bureau!¡± Tang Mo, with a rebellious spirit, insists on keeping the person, who wants to sacrifice his life for his country, alive and well.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Luff immediately responded.


    ...


    Dahua Empire, Imperial Capital.


    Inside the Imperial City, looking at Zhao Kai lying in the coffin, Zhao Ji felt not a shred of sadness, as he was here only to tell his father that he was about to become the new Emperor of the Empire.


    With Zhao Jie still controlling the south of the city and Zhao Yu¡¯s troops added outside, none of these could stop his ambition to become Emperor or shake his desire to ascend to the throne.


    ¡°Father, father... I am ready to accept the worship of the officials in the Imperial Palace and become the new Emperor of the Dahua Empire. Unexpected, isn¡¯t it? You vigilantly guarded against me, set traps and harmed me, yet in the end, it is I who will take your place...¡± Zhao Ji stood by the coffin not yet buried, his tone smooth yet ice cold.


    ¡°You must be quite unhappy, perhaps you had already planned to pass the throne to Zhao Jie?¡± Zhao Ji sneered, mocking his father inside the coffin.


    ¡°Or perhaps, you¡¯re actually regretting, regretting having driven away Zhao Yu... Look, he¡¯s come back now, he¡¯s about to take my position again! Are you not pleased to hear this news, are you not?¡± he grew more agitated as he spoke, almost lying on his father¡¯s face.


    The entire room was incredibly cold, Zhao Ji could even feel a slight chill emanating from the corpse. But he still refused to stop, almost looking like he wanted to flip the coffin over.


    The priests and guards next to him trembled with fear, but not one dared to step forward to dissuade him. If the officials from the various ministries had still been around, perhaps they might have had the courage to say a few words. But now, only some newly promoted minor officials remained in the Imperial City, none daring to speak out.


    Indeed, after contemplating for a day, Zhao Ji, disregarding all else, hastily prepared to ascend the throne amidst internal and external troubles.


    He completely ignored the rebel troops from Fengjiang outside the city, as well as the traitor Zhao Jie occupying the south of the city.


    No matter what, he was determined to become Emperor, even if it was only for ten days, he must do it! That was Zhao Ji¡¯s thought, so he went ahead and did it.


    To make himself appear legitimate, he first promoted Li Mingshun to ¡°Great General¡±, then had Li Mingshun submit a list recommending some generals. Whoever Li Mingshun recommended, he promoted, a clever move that effectively won over the military officials.


    At the same time, he scoured the city for officials who hadn¡¯t escaped in time. Those who were originally in charge were promoted to director, directors directly to deputy ministers, and if the deputy ministers were still there, they were immediately appointed as Chief of Staff.


    In short, Zhao Ji was unscrupulous, dispensing offices and granting wishes, and in just one afternoon, he put together a so-called provisional government.


    The next day, he flaunted himself by Zhao Kai¡¯s casket, sending those who had just been promoted one or even three ranks to organize the so-called coronation ceremony.


    Actually, the entire Imperial Capital was in no condition to organize a coronation ceremony: the south of the city was filled with gunsmoke, artillery had left craters everywhere, gunshots rang out throughout the city, and even half of the court officials were unaccounted for.


    But Zhao Ji didn¡¯t care about these; he just wanted the feeling of sitting on the throne. Li Mingshun, responsible for commanding city defense, was too busy to bother with Zhao Ji, who thus freely continued his folly.


    ¡°You see, you¡¯re lying here now...¡± Actually, the entire Imperial Capital was in no condition to organize a coronation ceremony: the south of the city was filled with gunsmoke, artillery had left craters everywhere, gunshots rang out throughout the city, and even half of the court officials were unaccounted for.


    ¡°You see, you¡¯re lying here now...¡±

 Chapter 1118: 1039 Zhao Clans surrendering general

    Chapter 1118: 1039 Zhao Clan¡¯s surrendering general


    Sitting in the train, Zhao Chen thought his fate was sealed. He really did not expect Zhao Yu to hand him over to the Great Tang Empire so easily, without even discussing any conditions.


    Three days after his surrender, the people of the Great Tang Empire took over his security work, and then this former prince of the Dahua Empire was sent on a train to the Great Tang Empire.


    When passing through Fengjiang Station, Zhao Chen found that the reconstruction had already begun, which was quite unexpected to him.


    He had thought that only after Zhao Yu had complete control over the Dahua Empire would he start to think about its recovery.


    Unexpectedly, Zhao Yu had already begun to rebuild Fengjiang Station even before the war ended¡ªfrankly speaking, judging by the scale of the work laid out, the new Fengjiang Station seemed to be much larger than the old one.


    Thousands of workers were picking through the rubble, busy everywhere. People who had left Fengjiang began to return as if they had never left.


    Through the train window, Zhao Chen even saw teams of orc and goblin laborers; these people had been warriors fighting against his troops, but now, having laid down their weapons, they had promptly become excellent workers.


    The entire project was well-organized, with strong orcs responsible for transporting stones or directly constructing platforms on the spot, and goblins responsible for pouring concrete, trying to level the ground.


    Zhao Chen also saw a perfectly intact Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun being sold as scrap metal to a well-dressed businessman.


    He did not know whether the businessman was Tang or from the Hua Clan; he only knew that the equipment Zhao Yu had spent a lot of money on was disappearing rapidly.


    Old but not yet decommissioned equipment was being disposed of, and brand new equipment of the exact same model would soon be delivered¡ªwithout doubt, the items were different, just that the models were exactly the same.


    The Great Tang Empire never dealt in refurbishing. Old things were indeed scrapped, and new things were definitely newly manufactured: It¡¯s just that the consumers were always others, the military of the Great Tang Empire themselves never did this.


    Turning away his gaze, Zhao Chen actually no longer had the mood to worry about Zhao Yu¡¯s fate. In his eyes, Dahua was finished, utterly finished.


    From the moment of his surrender, or more accurately, from the moment he lost all hope, the fate of the Dahua Empire was already determined.


    An Emperor of Dahua, who was in truth a complete puppet of the Great Tang Empire, was destined to ascend. Everything was irreversible.


    It was no surprise that Zhao Yu defeated both Zhao Ji and Zhao Jie. Zhao Yu had much better momentum than the other two.


    In fact, Fengjiang wasn¡¯t as bad as Zhao Chen had thought: he had always believed that most parts of Fengjiang had become ruins, but in reality, a large number of buildings remained intact.


    The area near Fengjiang that was the most affluent part of the city, and the city center established after the rise of Western Fengjiang¡ªwhich was built by the construction team of the Great Tang Empire¡ªhad not been damaged much.


    Only the buildings in the north, south, and west of the city were severely damaged, while the essence of the east part of the city had actually been preserved.


    The main reason for this was that the Dahua Empire¡¯s artillerymen were reluctant to fire towards the east of the city, where the Great Tang Empire¡¯s customs departments in the Dahua Empire were located, along with some diplomatic departments, and the Great Tang Empire¡¯s epidemic inspection departments.


    These buildings and the people inside, including the Fengjiang riverside they backed onto, if bombarded, it was easy to cause disputes, so the troops from Dahua simply refrained from targeting these areas.


    And this is why Zhao Yu dared to hold out in Fengjiang until the end: he had a relatively safe hiding place, so he didn¡¯t need to worry about his life.


    ¡°Why has it stopped for so long?¡± After having lunch on the train, Zhao Chen finally realized that he seemed to have stayed too long in Fengjiang.


    Under normal circumstances, the train he was on should have already started and departed for Fengjiang in the Great Tang Empire.


    Although Zhao Chen was not in a hurry to die, he was still very curious about why the train wasn¡¯t moving. The accompanying official from the Great Tang Empire did not hide the truth, answering his question directly: ¡°We¡¯re waiting for someone. There are some distinguished guests who are also taking this train, but they have been delayed.¡±


    ¡°Distinguished guests?¡± Zhao Chen became curious about this term. Though he felt he was trapped, he also had a vigorous energy for gossip, grasping at what seemed like one last opportunity.


    ¡°Yes, you know these people too.¡± The official accompanying Zhao Chen nodded, ¡°Chu Muzhou, Jiang Run, Wang Yuca?i... as well as Chen Jing, Zhou Qiang.¡±


    ¡°It really is a bunch of old acquaintances.¡± Zhao Chen was first startled, then let out a bitter smile and shook his head. He truly hadn¡¯t expected the Great Tang Empire to go to such lengths to get their hands on these ¡°unpardonably¡± people.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone to great pains to capture all of us and bring us to the Great Tang Empire, just to set an example?¡± After his bitter smile, Zhao Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel dissatisfied with Emperor Tang Mo¡¯s pettiness: ¡°Defeated generals, once killed, are just killed; but what wrong have those Ministers done?¡±


    ¡°The General may have misunderstood,¡± the accompanying official explained once again. He wasn¡¯t quite clear on the specific circumstances of people like Chu Muzhou, so he couldn¡¯t offer more detailed explanations.


    Unfortunately, Zhao Chen was rather unwilling to believe his explanation, feeling that the accompanying official was deceiving him, even mocking him.


    Seeing that Zhao Chen still didn¡¯t believe him, the official couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain any further and simply closed his mouth tightly, pretending to be asleep.


    Thinking he had exposed the other party¡¯s conspiracy when he saw the official stop talking, Zhao Chen didn¡¯t say much either and continued to peer through the gaps in the curtain to observe the construction site not far away.


    Unexpectedly, even when dinner time arrived, those people they were waiting for still hadn¡¯t shown up. Zhao Chen had no choice but to dine on the train, his mood still not very good.


    After the sky had completely darkened, cars finally began to roll in one by one to this makeshift platform: just beside the official platform, essentially just a leveled plot of land.


    To facilitate the switching of tracks, a temporary stretch of railway had been added here, making boarding and disembarking quite troublesome, as the train was significantly higher than the ground.


    The cars stopped one after another next to the train, and only after personnel in black attire from the Great Tang had taken their positions did the passengers finally start to disembark from the cars.


    In order to transport as many people as possible, the tail end of the convoy was exclusively trucks, and it was clear that those who jumped down from the trucks were not feeling well; some were endlessly vomiting as soon as they disembarked.


    Clearly, their journey was not pleasant; in order to ensure their safety, Du Jia had no choice but to head north and then detour after leaving the city. The entire way was by car, with constant jolting, naturally providing a terrible experience.


    The original plan was to use Huey Helicopters to pick them up after reaching Dongqing, but due to the extreme limits of the flight range and fear of accidents, this plan had to be ultimately abandoned.


    Chu Muzhou, who was accustomed to luxury cars, looked rather unwell when he alighted; his journey had indeed been rough ¨C a man of sixty, sitting in a car for such a long duration, he felt as if his bones were about to fall apart.


    Seeing Chen Jing emerging from a car behind him, Chu Muzhou managed a smile: now, their safety was almost assured.


    Chen Jing also stretched his weary limbs; during this trip, he truly realized how poor the infrastructure of the Dahua Empire was ¨C they had almost never taken the main roads, instead directly experiencing the roads regularly used by ordinary people.


    Having had such an experience, he felt some remorse for his daily work: despite pouring in massive funds, he ultimately did not improve the national infrastructure, a responsibility he, as the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Works, could not shirk.


    ¡°Once we cross the big bridge, ahead lies the Great Tang Empire.¡± Accompanying them all the way here were Pan Yiping and Pan Qi, who had been sent back to Great Tang by Du Jia, as Du Jia¡¯s mission in the Dahua Empire would likely soon come to an end.


    Hearing Pan Yiping say this, Chu Muzhou nodded slightly. As the Imperial Chancellor, during the journey, he had been listening to Pan Yiping recount his business experiences over the years. He heard about the hardships of merchants being exploited by the Dahua Empire and their fair treatment upon encountering the Great Tang Empire.


    The attentive reception staff even prepared a staircase nailed together with wood for Chu Muzhou and the others, making it much more convenient for them to board the train.


    Chu Muzhou stepped slowly onto the train and, at the end of the carriage, saw a face he knew all too well. Seeing an old acquaintance here, even Chu Muzhou couldn¡¯t help exclaiming in surprise, ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Upon seeing Chu Muzhou, Zhao Chen quickly stepped forward, reaching out to support Chu Muzhou¡¯s arm: ¡°Chief Minister, we are both prisoners now... let¡¯s not mention the title of ¡®Your Highness¡¯ anymore.¡±


    Hearing Zhao Chen refer to himself as a prisoner, Chu Muzhou was visibly stunned, and the accompanying official from the Great Tang Empire smiled helplessly, explaining, ¡°General Zhao Chen does not want to believe in the Great Tang¡¯s offer and thinks I am escorting him back for a trial and execution...¡±


    Chu Muzhou was taken aback once more, then burst into laughter, ¡°Hahaha! General Zhao Chen is right, the title of ¡®Your Highness¡¯ should indeed no longer be mentioned, but the title ¡®General Zhao Chen,¡¯ well, I reckon you¡¯ll still be making use of that.¡±


    ¡°Chief Minister?¡± Zhao Chen was taken aback, not immediately grasping what Chu Muzhou meant. But he quickly realized something and suddenly turned to look at the accompanying official from the Great Tang Empire: ¡°You truly dare to recruit me, a member of the Zhao family who has defected?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The official from the Great Tang Empire laughed: ¡°Otherwise?¡±

 Chapter 1119: Meet at 1040

    Chapter 1119: Meet at 1040


    In fact, aside from Chu Muzhou¡¯s group, there were a few others who chose the Great Tang Empire: these two were also members of the Zhao Family, one named Zhao Zheng and the other Zhao Feng.


    Zhao Feng enjoyed commanding the formidable Air Force too much; he had experience flying and fighting in planes himself, so he knew all too well how crucial powerful fighter jets were to pilots.


    Therefore, he chose to become an air commander in the Great Tang Empire and returned to the Great Tang Empire with some pilots who came for training.


    As for Zhao Zheng, since his family had already been escorted to Tang Country, he directly resigned from his position with Zhao Yu. As a former soldier of Dahua, he took the money promised by the Great Tang Empire and prepared to live a wealthy life there.


    However, Qian Jinhang secured him a position as a staff officer, so he became a member of the Staff Department of the Great Tang Empire, received the rank of Colonel, and was responsible for some work there.


    Upon entering the Great Tang Empire, Zhao Chen and Chu Muzhou¡¯s group were all stunned by the scene before their eyes. They originally thought Fengjiang was the most prosperous city in the world, but after seeing Chang¡¯an, they were utterly dumbfounded.


    In their minds, this could not be a city of this world: skyscrapers rose one after another, the streets were bustling with traffic, and pedestrians were elbow to elbow.


    They had never seen such a prosperous city, where even traffic signals were in use, and the number of cars was beyond their wildest imaginations.


    Now they understood just how affluent the Great Tang Empire was; it seemed every household in Chang¡¯an had their own car.


    When they saw the Forbidden City, they seemed to finally comprehend the true grandeur that befitted a sovereign¡¯s residence.


    The red walls and green tiles were solemn and awe-inspiring; the entire palace complex was frighteningly large and imposing to an unsurpassable degree. To be frank, if a monarch built such a palace in the past, they would have surely been castigated by the ministers.


    Yet in the Great Tang Empire, anyone who mentioned the Forbidden City did so with reverence and awe, as if their monarch was born to live in luxury, as if Tang Mo would defy all reason if he didn¡¯t indulge lavishly.


    As Chu Muzhou passed by the halls of Wenhua and Wuying, he was drawn to the hustle and bustle. The entire administrative machinery of the Great Tang Empire was thriving with vitality, and the officials walked so briskly as if walking slowly was a desecration to their own status.


    Next to the Forbidden City was a massive parking lot, reportedly three levels underground and two above, filled entirely with cars, all black government vehicles, each bearing the license plate of a government department.


    All the family members were previously sent to the residences allocated to them; to provide so many properties in Chang¡¯an at once, only the Royal Family could afford the price.


    It¡¯s no joke; Chang¡¯an is truly worth its weight in gold. Apart from some land still in the hands of the Royal Family of the Great Tang Empire, the rest of the places command astronomical prices indeed.


    A small merchant from the Imperial Capital of Dahua might bankrupt himself and still not be able to purchase a decent property in Chang¡¯an: as they say, ¡°It¡¯s tough to settle in Chang¡¯an.¡±


    Locals in Chang¡¯an joke that selling a slightly larger residence in the city could finance the opening of a factory elsewhere. In reality, this is no laughing matter but simply the truth.


    Of course, in many other places, this kind of talk is dismissed: property prices in places like Tongcheng and Linshui remain high. If not for the poor air quality in Tongcheng, the prices might not be much lower than in Chang¡¯an.


    In addition, the pricing in Dragon City and Dongwan is ¡°unspeakably expensive,¡± and wanting to buy a house in Dragon City requires more than just money; one must also prove their loyalty.


    When they heard the current market value of the properties bestowed upon them by the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire, everyone was shocked. It wasn¡¯t that the Tang Country¡¯s reception staff were trying to show off; on one hand, they were afraid these Dahua newcomers would misunderstand His Majesty The Emperor as being stingy, and on the other hand, they genuinely feared they might carelessly sell the properties...


    In fact, similar instances had occurred long ago when officials from other regions came to Chang¡¯an to take up posts and thought the soaring housing prices were just a fluke, excitedly selling off the properties awarded to them by the Empire...


    Now that brother has become the laughingstock of Chang¡¯an; he moved to live in a rental in the suburbs of Chang¡¯an the year before last, facing a 2-hour commute to work, leaving home before dawn and not necessarily reaching home after dark.


    After settling these families from afar, Chu Muzhou and the others went to the Forbidden City to express their gratitude. In reality, it was about meeting with Emperor Tang Mo for a chat, as tomorrow they would take up their new posts and prove their worth to their new lord.


    Zhou Qiang was an exception; he did not need to meet with His Majesty The Emperor. It was only today that he realized what his and his son¡¯s greed had cost them.


    Not many are privileged to drive into the Wumen Gate, but Chu Muzhou and his group definitely qualified. Furthermore, considering their age, Tang Mo allowed them to use the internal parking facilities of the Forbidden City.


    Tang Mo met with them in his office at Baohe Hall. A young Emperor juxtaposed with such a powerful Empire created a striking contrast, shocking everyone once again.


    ¡°Welcome gentlemen, I hope you can apply your lifelong knowledge to contribute to the construction of the Great Tang Empire.¡± Tang Mo did not put on airs, although his presence was intimidating enough: ¡°Please rise.¡±


    The military officers and ministers from Dahua had just knelt down and performed the kneeling ritual of the Great Tang Empire: the first time they met with Tang Mo, they had to kneel, but it was not required thereafter. Apart from grand ceremonies, a simple chest touch gesture sufficed.


    This ritual had been standardized within the Great Tang Empire in recent years. A single act of kneeling symbolized the absolute submission of the subjects to His Majesty The Emperor, something that was not practiced before.


    After allowing them to stand up, Tang Mo approached Chu Muzhou and took his hand: ¡°Elder Sir, you must be tired from your journey. There¡¯s no need to rush. Rest for a few days.¡±


    ¡°This humble official is flattered...¡± Chu Muzhou bowed his head slightly, unaccustomed to such treatment: he hadn¡¯t received such respect for many years in the Dahua Empire. As a Prime Minister, he represented the balance of power against the Emperor, certainly not in the Emperor¡¯s good graces.


    In fact, he even regretted in his heart, feeling this might be his most favored day by the Emperor in the Great Tang Empire: after today, he would become the person dividing the Emperor¡¯s power, that unpopular ¡°old cockerel¡±...


    ¡°Mr. Chu, you can start working at Wenhua Hall anytime... I hope you can offer strategic advice to take the Empire¡¯s governance to the next level.¡± Tang Mo did not say much; he knew that to understand the operations of the Great Tang Empire, these ministers needed to experience it themselves.


    ¡°Please support Roger, I¡¯m entrusting him to you, Elder.¡± Tang Mo patted Chu Muzhou¡¯s hand, then moved in front of Wang Yuca?i.


    Seeing Wang Yuca?i who was even younger than Chu Muzhou, Tang Mo was even more satisfied: ¡°The Great Tang Empire¡¯s funds must be spent where they are needed. Do not skimp, Sir, if you spend wisely, I will support however much you need!¡±


    ¡°I am greatly honored to manage affairs for Your Majesty.¡± Wang Yuca?i was already calculating how to spend money in his mind, ready to surprise Tang Mo. He wanted to see if Tang Mo would really support him indefinitely, as he claimed.


    Tang Mo then walked up to Jiang Run, pointed at him and said to Wes beside him: ¡°Mr. Jiang, he is an old friend of ours. He has been bullied by our diplomats for a long time.¡±


    ¡°I hope you can also contribute to the Great Tang Empire¡¯s foreign affairs!¡± Tang Mo patted Jiang Run¡¯s arm: ¡°First, be assertive, you¡¯re now a diplomat for the Great Tang Empire; from today on, you need not compromise with any country; secondly, do not bully those diplomats who have once bullied you!¡±


    ¡°Your subject shall remember Your Majesty¡¯s instructions!¡± Jiang Run smiled and bowed his head: the relaxed feeling was very pleasing for him; Zhao Kai never joked with him.


    ¡°Mr. Chen.¡± Tang Mo walked over to Chen Jing, who was in charge of Dahua Empire¡¯s Ministry of Works, and chatted with him for a few moments. To Tang Mo¡¯s surprise, he was very professional and had his own insights on industrial and construction management.


    Tang Mo had virtually uprooted the entire administrative layer of the Dahua Empire, a feat that was his achievement and also a unique gain.


    These talents may be dated, but they are indeed wise and experienced, qualified bureaucrats. And to a certain extent, they had all withstood the tests of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence department, which was quite rare.


    There are not many who can withstand the temptations of the Great Tang Empire, which represents their loyalty and capabilities: Zhou Qiang was eliminated in this process.


    ¡°General Zhao Chen.¡± Finally, Tang Mo approached the anxious Zhao Chen and spoke to comfort him: ¡°Where are your family members, General? They have been taken into protective custody, so you needn¡¯t worry.¡±


    After offering comfort, Tang Mo asked about Zhao Chen¡¯s plans: ¡°I intend for you to spend some time at the military academy to learn more advanced military command and military thinking. What do you think, General?¡±


    Of course, Zhao Chen had no idea what attending the military academy meant. It usually signified that he had met certain qualifications for leading troops.


    The clueless Zhao Chen was not excited but simply lowered his head and replied: ¡°As Your Majesty commands, your servant shall comply.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided.¡± Tang Mo nodded, then as if remembering something, he reminded, ¡°Stand tall! Look up!¡±


    Zhao Chen was startled, then subconsciously straightened up.


    ¡°In the Great Tang Empire, military personnel are not allowed to bow or slouch... just perform the military salutes of the Great Tang Empire,¡± Tang Mo said with satisfaction.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhao Chen had witnessed the military salutes of the Great Tang Empire and imitated one, albeit not perfectly.

 Chapter 1120: Newcomers in Office 1041

    Chapter 1120: Newcomers in Office 1041


    ¡°The proposal from the subordinate...¡± In the financial department office of the Wenhua Hall a few days later, Wang Yuca?i looked somewhat nervously at the stunningly beautiful Imperial Concubine Alice.


    To be honest, aside from her blonde hair and blue eyes, Wang Yuca?i had to admit that the Concubine, once known as the most beautiful woman of the Northern Ridge, was indeed pretty.


    With an additional aura of nobility, Alice sitting there fully met every fantasy a man might have of a female boss in the workplace. She didn¡¯t look at all like a mother of several children, maintaining an impeccable figure.


    However, what made Wang Yuca?i nervous was not Alice¡¯s beauty, but the funding proposal he had submitted the day before, which she was holding in her hands.


    Chen Jing, the new Vice Minister, had submitted to him a construction plan to expand the throughput capacity of Beiyuan City port. This plan was full of ambitions, actually requesting a construction fund of 150 million Tang Yuan in one gulp.


    Heaven knows where Chen Jing got the confidence to ask for more than a hundred million Gold Coins at once: Wang Yuca?i, serving as the Minister of Revenue for the Dahua Empire for so many years, had never seen what a real one hundred million Gold Coins looked like.


    ¡°Such proposals can directly be delivered by the secretary of the attendant¡¯s office next time. Vice Minister Wang, are you bored with nothing to do? To deliver the application by yourself?¡± Alice had long been accustomed to seeing such official documents with that kind of expression.


    The Ministry of Industry on the other side really had been spending money as if it were no object. A casual project application would exceed one billion, and it wasn¡¯t unusual to see some projects involve several tens or even hundreds of billions.


    These kinds of funds aren¡¯t actually paid in one lump sum, but rather distributed over time. In fact, it isn¡¯t too much, especially considering that the Ministry of Industry of the Great Tang Empire also doubles as the Ministry of Construction, the full name being the Ministry of Industry and Construction...


    Interestingly, these two departments, clearly distinct, are near-merged in development: the Minister of Industry is Mathews, while the Minister of Construction is Parker.


    They have both been ministers, working together all this while, but now with a new Vice Minister Chen Jing, they have this peculiar title of ¡°Vice Minister of Industry and Construction¡±.


    ¡°I believe that for such an important application, it is more proper to deliver it in person. If Your Highness has any questions, it would not have to be delayed...¡± Wang Yuca?i explained. He felt that handling such a large sum of money should be personally addressed by him. It showed the importance given to the funds and also allowed for the maintenance of good communication with the boss.


    ¡°If you personally run around for sums like this, you might as well not work later on,¡± Alice reminded her subordinate: ¡°The Military funding easily amounts to several billion, the Agricultural sector¡¯s funds are also counted in billions, and the Industrial Construction sector has a lot of money too... If you personally deliver every time, won¡¯t you be occupying the Vice Minister¡¯s position but doing the work of the attendant¡¯s secretary?¡±


    ¡°Next time, you only need to review similar applications, add your judgment and the reasons for your disposition,¡± said Alice, feeling that her Vice Minister was likely not well adapted yet or perhaps was played by those ¡°Vice Ministers¡± unfamiliar with the work.


    Wang Yuca?i bowed his head in acknowledgment and returned to his office, where he indeed saw another funding request from the intelligence department.


    This funding application was interesting: the one from the Industry and Construction Department was very detailed, listing all the places where money would be used, and the appeal for funds was justified. After his review, Wang Yuca?i took the risk and seconded the approval.


    He was a bit worried about problems with his own work, which is why he personally delivered it to Alice, and as it turned out, Alice also agreed to the application for the funds.


    The funding request from the Imperial Security Bureau, however, was interesting: it was vague and almost did not mention the specific use of the funds, simply requesting an expenditure of 75 million.


    Wang Yuca?i from the Ministry of Revenue of the Dahua Empire became sensitive at once: compared to the dedicated Industry and Construction Department, the Imperial Security Bureau was a classic negative example: asking for so much money without specifying the purpose, are you, Imperial Security Bureau, joking?


    Wang Yuca?i, feeling as if he had caught a big fish, disregarded Alice¡¯s earlier reminder and once again brought the application from the Imperial Security Bureau to Alice¡¯s office.


    He believed that this time, Alice would surely explode with anger, chastise the Imperial Security Bureau, and reject the application.


    The reality proved him wrong again: Alice told him to grant whatever amount the intelligence department needed... It was only at this moment that Wang Yuca?i finally understood how the upper and lower ranks of the Dahua Empire had been corrupted and destroyed.


    Using the national defense budget of the Dahua Empire for bribery and infiltration, the intelligence personnel of the Great Tang Empire permeated the Dahua Empire, which was actually consequential and to be expected...


    Meanwhile, in another office, Chen Jing had already gone mad: he deliberately expanded the scale of the Beiyuan City port¡¯s expansion, arguing that the Great Tang Empire indeed intended to build and lay solid groundwork for a series of future northern activities.


    Chen Jing considered that, since there was intent to expand, it would be better to go straight to the optimal scale and connect it with a railway from Beiyuan City to Pingning.


    This will put pressure on the original budget, so Parker decided to apply for an additional 150 million in funding. Chen Jing really did not expect such a huge investment to be approved just like that.


    Even, he noticed that his boss Parker did not show any particularly joyful expression when he heard the news.


    In the Dahua Empire, if the state allocated funds to the Ministry of Works, everyone in the ministry would be thrilled. Because this meant that there were many more opportunities for underhanded gains, and everyone would reap substantial benefits, making a fortune overnight.


    However, in the Great Tang Empire, it seems that the increase of substantial funds is not a cause for excitement: it¡¯s just routine work, and this money can only be used for the project.


    Chu Muzhou was actually surprised as well; he familiarized himself with the work of the Imperial Chancellor together with Roger, only to desperately find that the Chancellor of the Tang Empire seems to be just a mascot.


    Roger has always been focused on the agricultural work, and seldom interferes with other matters; rather than being a Chancellor, he¡¯s more like a Minister of Agriculture.


    ¡°Is it mandated that the Prime Minister has only these responsibilities?¡± Chu Muzhou felt he somewhat understood why Tang Mo dared to give him the position of Vice Chancellor.


    Hearing Chu Muzhou¡¯s question, Roger was somewhat embarrassed: ¡°I don¡¯t have a brilliant mind and am not very good at management, so I simply stopped dealing with those things and just focus on the agricultural production of the empire... We can¡¯t let the people go hungry, right?¡±


    Chu Muzhou was startled; he did not expect Roger to speak so straightforwardly. In fact, after hearing these words, Chu Muzhou started to look at Roger in a new light.


    A person who can recognize their own shortcomings and avoid them, playing their role in the right position, is already proving themselves to be smart.


    Throughout the ages, how many fools who consider themselves to be smart people exist? At this moment, Chu Muzhou suddenly somewhat understood why this Roger, could sit so firmly in the Chancellor¡¯s position.


    Suddenly, Chu Muzhou recalled what Tang Mo had said to him a few days ago: ¡°Please help Roger out, I¡¯m counting on you.¡¯


    At that moment, Chu Muzhou even felt a bit envious of the Roger before him: he had gained the Emperor¡¯s trust, and even made the Emperor say words like ¡°help Roger out.¡±


    For a Prime Minister with weaknesses in abilities, yet the Emperor would rather find a Vice Prime Minister to assist him than to replace him¡ªwhat an honor that is?


    ¡°If I were to get involved with finance, construction...¡± After some thought, Chu Muzhou cautiously tested the waters with a question.


    ¡°Of course, I could learn from the side, to see how Vice Chancellor Chu handles various governmental affairs,¡± Roger said with a smile.


    ¡°Won¡¯t this cause dissatisfaction among the departments below? After all, before...¡± Chu Muzhou felt that since the other party was honest with him, it might be better to speak his mind openly.


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t happen. If Vice Chancellor Chu feels it¡¯s inappropriate, you can use my name. His Majesty has already granted me the authority, except that I was afraid of causing trouble, so I never used it.¡± Roger said, ¡°We can abstain from giving opinions, just to understand the work of the various departments, consider it supervision.¡±


    Hearing that Roger was willing to let Chu Muzhou inquire about other governmental affairs in the name of the Chancellor, he truly felt the vast difference between the court of the Great Tang Empire and that of the Dahua Empire.


    The court of the Great Tang Empire is ¡°plain and simple,¡± but it almost has no infighting. Work is just work, everyone collaborates with one another, completely devoid of the infighting and cutthroat competition for power and profit present in the Dahua Empire.


    This made Chu Muzhou extremely relaxed, even giving him an exhilarating sense of ¡°reviving like a parched tree in spring.¡± It seems, after waiting for most of his life, he finally got an opportunity, where he could fulfill his political ambitions, manipulating the entire national machinery as if it was an extension of his own body!


    In the Foreign Affairs Department office, Nangong Hong sat with a look of dejection, contemplating his new deputy, Jiang Run. He could be said to be the most disappointed person in this ¡°official replenishment.¡±


    He had thought that the position of Vice Chancellor belonged to him, but the arrival of Chu Muzhou took away his ¡°strategist¡± status: frankly speaking, when it comes to abilities, the rustic Nangong Hong is indeed less competent than the old-school court heavyweight Chu Muzhou.


    Therefore, while Nangong Hong felt upset, he couldn¡¯t vent his frustrations: the other party truly was a more suitable choice, and he couldn¡¯t deny that.


    Thus, he could only suppress his grievances and proceeded to indoctrinate Jiang Run with the basics of the Empire¡¯s foreign policy: ¡°Remember! We never compromise! If the other side can¡¯t meet our demands... then we can hand the work over to the Staff Department!¡±

 Chapter 1121: Welcome and cleanse the dust

    Chapter 1121: Welcome and cleanse the dust


    When Zhao Chen went to the Staff Department to get his work permit, he saw General Feng Kezhi, who had come for a meeting with the 9th Group Army. To be honest, he was a bit stunned; he had thought that Feng Kezhi had died long ago, yet unexpectedly, he was able to see him here.


    While chatting with Feng Kezhi, Zhao Chen also saw another old acquaintance, Qian Jinhang... For a moment, he felt as if he had returned to the once mighty Dahua Empire.


    However, when he saw the imposing military uniforms on the two men and listened to them discuss a plethora of advanced military terms and theories they had learned at the Great Tang Empire, Zhao Chen, unable to get a word in, was forced back to reality.


    He had to admit that this place was not the Dahua Empire, and the people before him were no longer the generals of the Dahua Empire he knew.


    ¡°General Luo Xiao has pushed the front line to the east of the Dahua Imperial Capital, and four divisions of troops are moving towards the northeast of the city...¡± To accommodate Zhao Chen, who was clueless, Feng Kezhi initiated a conversation about the military situation concerning Dahua.


    ¡°After your troops surrendered, were they disbanded on the spot?¡± Feng Kezhi curiously looked towards Zhao Chen, who stood to the side, wearing a brand-new military uniform and holding a paper bag with clothes.


    Just like Feng Kezhi before him, Zhao Chen now also held the rank of Major General and was prepared to report to the Great Tang Military Academy in Chang¡¯an tomorrow. To avoid embarrassment, he promptly changed into the newly received uniform, the stars on his shoulders shining brightly.


    To be honest, in the General Staff Department of the Great Tang Empire, a major general wasn¡¯t particularly valuable; any casual gathering for a smoke might involve two major generals.


    ¡°It seems not. General Luo Xiao took some of them away, and another part was ordered to head south, supposedly to go to Sword Pavilion,¡± Zhao Chen recalled and answered Feng Kezhi¡¯s question.


    Upon hearing the movements of the forces, Feng Kezhi immediately sensed something and asked, ¡°What about you? Will you stay at the Staff Department or go to the military academy?¡±


    Qian Jinhang, who was also interested, knew from his and Feng Kezhi¡¯s own experiences that staying at the Staff meant fast promotion, while going to the military school meant the opportunity to lead troops outside.


    ¡°I am going to further my studies at the Great Tang Military Academy,¡± Zhao Chen announced a decision that evoked the envy of Qian Jinhang.


    Hearing his response, both Feng Kezhi and Qian Jinhang immediately realized that Zhao Chen might soon be promoted to build a new group army for the Empire in the direction of Sword Pavilion.


    ¡°You and I will be alumni now,¡± Feng Kezhi said with a smile, patting Qian Jinhang¡¯s arm, ¡°It¡¯s not easy for me to come to the Imperial Capital; how about we have dinner together tonight?¡±


    ¡°I have no objections,¡± Qian Jinhang also said with a smile. In their minds, the term ¡°Imperial Capital¡± clearly no longer had any connection to the Dahua Imperial Capital.


    Now their hearts held only one Imperial Capital, and that was Chang¡¯an of the Great Tang Empire. Feng Kezhi, currently the commander of the 9th Group Army, was not likely to come to Chang¡¯an often.


    This trip to Chang¡¯an was due to a Staff meeting, the focus of which was on establishing a new corps group: the Great Tang Empire wanted to establish a larger command system to deal with potentially larger-scale wars that might break out simultaneously.


    Zhao Chen felt somewhat uneasy; he did not dare to socialize with acquaintances: monarchs are often wary of officers fraternizing privately, and a gathering of three generals of their rank for dinner would probably have meant death in the Dahua Empire.


    But he felt embarrassed to spell it out clearly to Feng Kezhi and Qian Jinhang since he was new here and unclear about the customs.


    ¡°How about we also invite Zhao Zheng...¡± Qian Jinhang followed up with a suggestion, ¡°We¡¯re all acquaintances, after all; getting together would give us a chance to chat more.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay,¡± Feng Kezhi nodded, ¡°That would be even better. I¡¯ll go invite Marshal Le Fu and General Eric.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go call General Bolton. And ask if Marshal Tager has time,¡± Qian Jinhang also added with a smile, ¡°It could be a nice get-together to exchange views privately, and a welcome and dusting-off for our General Zhao Chen.¡±


    Then Qian Jinhang and Feng Kezhi started discussing where to dine that evening, having been to too many hospitality restaurants within the military. This time they could check out the time-honored brands in Chang¡¯an. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that Chang¡¯an has the best food in the world.


    Only now did Zhao Chen realize that nearly half of the senior officers of the military system would be attending the evening gathering... So he managed to squeeze out a smile.


    ...


    In the Dahua Imperial Capital, Li Mingshun already felt the danger: the Fengjiang forces outside the city were trying their best to move to the north of the city. The enemy seemed like an open-mouthed venomous snake, poised to bite into the Dahua Imperial Capital.


    ¡°Are they planning to encircle us?¡± Zhao Ji, who was preparing for the coronation ceremony at all costs, looked at the map and asked Li Mingshun by his side.


    Li Mingshun nodded, acknowledging the current situation was quite dangerous: ¡°The enemy has ample forces and a clear objective... They haven¡¯t attacked Zhao Jie; the forces are moving around our perimeter defenses.¡±


    This was the reason for Li Mingshun¡¯s anxiety: the enemy didn¡¯t immediately launch an attack but was adjusting their deployment: managing to resist the allure of the Imperial Capital while diligently arranging their forces meant that the enemy had a very mature and determined commander.


    Li Mingshun couldn¡¯t recall anyone from the Dahua Empire like that, nor did he really believe such a person would assist Zhao Yu.


    ¡°What should we do then?¡± Zhao Ji asked with some nervousness: he feared that before he could properly prepare for the coronation ceremony, the enemy would break into the city.


    ¡°There¡¯s no other way. I¡¯ve already deployed all the military forces I could find outside the city to extend our perimeter defense line as much as possible,¡± Li Mingshun said.


    In the past few days, about 50,000 troops have been reinforced to the Imperial Capital, all of which were pulled from cities like Wangdu on the western front.


    Their combat effectiveness was actually not very good, as the troops capable of fighting had already been dispatched to Shanchong and Hezhe.


    But at this point, he couldn¡¯t worry about whether the troops were strong or not; as long as there were troops with guns in hand, they had to be used.


    Li Mingshun deployed all these troops at the northern position outside the city and conscripted civilians to build defensive fortifications to the north of the city: he built a large number of trench lines by the railroad and the road leading north of the Imperial Capital to the city of Beiku, attempting to lean on these routes to block the extending reach of Fengjiang¡¯s forces.


    ¡°The enemy did not attack Zhao Jie. The southern district he occupies is our weakest defense area. Zhao Jie¡¯s delay by even one day is a huge threat to us,¡± Li Mingshun was very clear about the intention of Fengjiang¡¯s forces not actively attacking Zhao Jie, who was closest to them.


    However, he couldn¡¯t communicate with Zhao Jie, and Zhao Jie was not very willing to voluntarily give up the southern district, which was a dead knot for the defense of the Imperial Capital.


    ¡°Zhao Yu... Zhao Jie... These traitors! Sooner or later, I will make sure they die with nowhere to be buried!¡± Zhao Ji hated Zhao Yu and Zhao Jie to the bone, but he was powerless against these two adversaries, so he could only rage impotently.


    Li Mingshun glanced at Zhao Ji, wanted to say something, but ultimately closed his mouth. In his opinion, the grand ceremony that Zhao Ji was frantically arranging was actually creating more trouble for Li Mingshun¡¯s defensive plans.


    Have you ever seen a city that is adorned with lanterns and streamers in the midst of roaring artillery fire? That¡¯s exactly what Zhao Ji was doing: he was looking for cloth to make various decorations, planning to adorn the Imperial Palace and nearby streets, and then ascend to the throne amid the deafening cries of worship from the people.


    In order to achieve a better effect, Zhao Ji even opened the treasury to distribute some money, gathering some people, exempting them from the corvee labor of digging trenches outside the city, and sending people to train these civilians to shout hails every day.


    Because of this chore, the civilians in the city were reluctant to dig trenches outside, and naturally, they all ran to receive Zhao Ji¡¯s rewards and work for Zhao Ji.


    As a result, the number of civilians that Li Mingshun could find to dig trenches outside the city diminished, and at this critical juncture, competing with the front line for the labor of civilians, Li Mingshun even didn¡¯t know how to describe the new Emperor he supported.


    Compared to Zhao Ji, although Zhao Kai was brutal and suspicious, at least he maintained the basic intelligence that a person should have. But the new Emperor Zhao Ji, in front of him, seemed to be a fool most of the time.


    The sad thing is, he still had to support this fool, using the already scarce resources at hand to fight against an overwhelmingly powerful opponent!


    With just a casual estimate, he could figure out that the forces from Fengjiang could easily muster at least 300,000 troops. And his own forces summed up to just under 150,000.


    Defending such a massive city with so few troops was simply delusional. The only thing Li Mingshun could hope for now was the 200,000-strong army from the western front previously conscripted in the name of Zhao Ji.


    As long as he could defend the outer perimeter of the Imperial Capital and hold out until the arrival of the 200,000 reinforcements, it seemed there was a slight chance for the situation to take a turn for the better.


    In fact, the 100,000 troops from Dahua on the western front were indeed on the move. They had been ordered to withdraw from cities such as Shahun and started gathering along the railway heading east.


    At the same time, the Dahua troops in the Southwest had also sprung into action, with about 100,000 troops beginning to move north.


    However, the situation was still far from optimistic, as Luo Xiao¡¯s forces did not consist of merely 300,000 men. His reinforcements were almost endless, totaling at least 500,000.


    Additionally, with the stable logistics provided by the Great Tang Empire, his troops¡¯ capacity for sustained combat was much stronger than that of Dahua Empire¡¯s forces.


    Luo Xiao¡¯s ammunition was at least five times that of the Dahua Imperial Capital¡¯s defending army! On a per capita basis, it was also nearly double that of Dahua Empire¡¯s troops!


    Moreover, the defense lines of the Imperial Capital were incomplete; the northern front, full of holes, was still relatively the strongest part. In the southern front, the entire line of defense had already been shattered.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Not in the best condition, the second update was slow, and it will be served up late at night, everyone can read it in the morning.

 Chapter 1122: The Farce of the Accession to the Throne in 1043

    Chapter 1122: The Farce of the Accession to the Throne in 1043


    Amid the salutes of gunfire from the south of the city, Zhao Ji proceeded with his coronation the very next day, with utmost disregard for anything else. Due to haphazard preparation, the entire ceremony was pervaded with a sense of rushed improvisation.


    There had been plans to refurbish the Imperial Palace, but in the end, the only work done was barely repairing the collapsed walls of the courtyard.


    Areas like the grand hall, which collapsed when Zhao Kai was injured, were left as they were, neglected and uncared for by anyone.


    Zhao Ji was truly afraid, not of anything else, but that he would be driven out before he could have his coronation in the Imperial Capital and lose the throne.


    To him, even sitting on that throne for just one day was a tremendous joy, something that could make him happy for a lifetime!


    Without any hesitation, he thus held the grand ceremony, ascending to his destined position amidst congratulatory cheers and distant sounds of artillery fire.


    Thanks to technological advancements, cameras meticulously captured the entire process: citizens lined up to receive moldy bread and gratuity money, then gathered outside the Imperial Palace as required, shouting long live in the direction of Zhao Ji.


    Afterwards, these people dispersed into the chaos of gunfire from the city¡¯s south, vanishing into the alleys and streets, leaving only some torn banners that were hung too high to be stolen, fluttering in the wind.


    Zhao Ji exercised his imperial power: he conferred the title of Imperial Concubine on many women, most of whom were former palace maids during his father¡¯s reign, without any reservations for himself.


    He then ordered the body of the late Emperor Zhao Kai to be transported out of the city for burial in the royal tomb. Amidst the ongoing ceremony came an awkward piece of news for everyone: Fengjiang Troops had crossed the northern railway, effectively surrounding nearly two-thirds of the Imperial Capital along with Zhao Jie¡¯s forces in the city¡¯s south.


    Everyone was startled by this news, only Li Mingshun knew that this was an inevitable occurrence: the defensive line he deployed along the railway was too hastily constructed to hold back the onslaught of Fengjiang Troops.


    Keep in mind, these troops were the elite who had been embroiled in fierce battles within Fengjiang City for the better part of a year, likely possessing more experience in siege warfare than even the troops of the Great Tang Empire. To stop them, one would require robust and thick defenses, but in reality, the northern defenses consisted of nothing more than some trenches.


    Luo Xiao, well prepared, didn¡¯t delay in any way; he dispatched his Armored Corps who broke through Li Mingshun¡¯s northern defenses and soon after began their assault on the northern gate.


    Fengjiang¡¯s artillery, positioned and ready, soon blasted a breach in the city wall, and though the Imperial Capital¡¯s City Defense Army also wielded heavy artillery engaging in fierce artillery duel, it was during the midst of Zhao Ji¡¯s coronation that Fengjiang¡¯s Tanks penetrated the Imperial Capital.


    Street combat erupted, and the city¡¯s citizens were thrown into complete chaos as countless people rushed towards the city outskirts, jamming the roads at the eastern and western gates.


    Forced to hurry back to his command post to organize a counterattack, Li Mingshun left Zhao Ji¡¯s coronation, rendering the whole event an complete farce.


    Yet, Zhao Ji would not permit the cancellation of the ceremony. Clenching his teeth, he ordered the continuation of the ritual, and went through the motions with his harem, servants, and guards as if playing a game.


    The thunder of cannons outside the city was now clear and vivid; although the Fengjiang Troops were contained to the northern part of the city, the reality was that the entire defense of the Imperial Capital had utterly collapsed.


    The defense lines hastily constructed within the urban area were on the verge of collapse. The periphery defense line, planned to hold for a month, was breached by Fengjiang Army in less than two hours.


    In the midst of this chaos, another embarrassing incident occurred. Someone discovered a corpse in a well within the Imperial Palace...


    Due to the widespread use of the tap water system by the Great Tang Empire, the wells of the Dahua Empire¡¯s Imperial Palace had not been used for many years.


    So, what was in these wells had long been of no concern to anyone. This time, it was by sheer coincidence that someone discovered something in a well, and only after summoning the guard did they find the corpse.


    Soon, the identity of the corpse was confirmed: he was Shen Chuan, the Minister of War of the Dahua Empire, who had gone missing since the chaos erupted in the Imperial Capital...


    Though his body was so decomposed that it had lost its form, his clothing and accessories made him easily recognizable.


    This middle-aged man, who had served as the Minister of War of the Dahua Empire, had chosen his own way to end his life for the Empire: it was suicide. Had he not taken his own life, he would not have died so inexplicably within the Imperial Palace of the Dahua Empire.


    He refused to surrender to the Great Tang Empire like Chu Muzhou and had lost all hope for the future of the Dahua Empire. So, when Zhao Jie¡¯s Troops appeared near the Imperial Capital, Shen Chuan, already sensing the inevitable defeat amid the turmoil of Zhao Kai¡¯s death, leapt into this well.


    This incident cast yet another shadow over Zhao Ji¡¯s coronation ceremony, which had become a joke: above, Zhao Ji was determined to carry on with the ceremony, while below, newly-appointed Ministers were already whispering, discussing plans to escape the city.


    Indeed, these people understood: carrying their official status, they could still swindle in the provinces, but staying here would mean accompanying Zhao Ji¡¯s dynasty to its grave.


    Meanwhile, at the command center, where Li Mingshun was frantically organizing his Troops, he too received news of Shen Chuan¡¯s suicide for the Empire.


    He sighed, then sat in silence for a long time: he now felt such a crushing weight on his shoulders that he could hardly breathe, and he even understood Shen Chuan¡¯s thoughts.


    At this very moment, his Troops were in retreat, giving up one district after another, trading space for time.


    After all, Li Mingshun¡¯s main force was the Imperial Guard stationed in the Imperial Capital, poorly equipped for major combat: imagine a City Defense Army with tanks and Anti-Tank Guns ¨C wouldn¡¯t that be absurd?


    But now, with tanks on the side of the Fengjiang Troops, the shortcomings of the Dahua Empire¡¯s Troops stationed in the Imperial Capital were glaringly obvious: they lacked heavy weapons, and even the number of their large-caliber artillery was insufficient.


    That very night, another startling piece of news came through: Zhao Jie had fled overnight!


    Just as Li Mingshun was about to take the opportunity to recapture the lost territory in the south of the city, he was informed that the Fengjiang Troops had already taken over most of the southern districts and even the East Gate had fallen that night!


    The next morning, as Zhao Ji crawled out from among the pale bodies of several women, he learned that his Imperial Palace was now merely two to three kilometers away from the front lines...


    This news nearly scared the new Emperor impotent: ¡°General Li... what, now, what should we do now?¡±


    Li Mingshun could only respond with a hardened expression: ¡°We should retreat, Your Majesty... while we¡¯re not yet encircled, let¡¯s fall back to Wangdu and make plans from there.¡±


    ¡°How can we do that?¡± Zhao Ji instinctively retorted: ¡°I¡¯ve just ascended the throne yesterday, and now I¡¯m supposed to lose the Imperial Capital today; wouldn¡¯t I become a laughingstock?¡±


    Li Mingshun glanced at Zhao Ji, thinking to himself that he was aware of being a laughingstock? But even though this was on his mind, he couldn¡¯t voice it out loud, instead urging in a low tone: ¡°Your Majesty! It¡¯s better to retreat and preserve the strength to fight another day than to doggedly defend this place... and jeopardize your safety...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you have to do! Hold this position for a month! No retreat! Absolutely not!¡± Zhao Ji ordered fiercely.

 Chapter 1123: 1044 No Retreat

    Chapter 1123: 1044 No Retreat


    Zhao Jie fled without looking back, abandoning his defensive position and the city¡¯s southern airport outside the walls to Luo Xiao¡¯s Fengjiang Troops. He himself escaped directly towards Pingfeng, where he convened with tens of thousands of soldiers coming to support him and managed to establish a stable footing there.


    The speed of his retreat was so fast that Fengjiang Troops had already occupied the southern district of the city, and Li Mingshun¡¯s Troops hadn¡¯t even reacted yet.


    By this time, the eastern gate had also been taken by the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Troops, and the nearby Imperial City was also affected: Zhao Ji, who was there, was now less than five kilometers away from the front line.


    Actually, if one were to move in a straight line, the distance might be just a bit over three kilometers: Li Mingshun¡¯s Troops were fighting desperately, but they really couldn¡¯t hold on for much longer.


    ¡°Your Majesty, if we don¡¯t retreat quickly, we¡¯ll truly be unable to escape,¡± Li Mingshun again sought out Zhao Ji while eating breakfast, by which time he had discovered that the situation was even worse than he had anticipated.


    The Fengjiang Troops had already cut off the road to the northern warehouse; two-thirds of the Imperial Capital was now encircled, almost all of the outer defenses were lost, and there was no longer any contact with the northern airport.


    At this very moment, they had only two options left, to either go towards Wangdu or Xiqing: The remaining cities in these two directions were few, and they would be split into two different pathways by the Imperial Capital.


    ¡°If we lose the Imperial Capital, won¡¯t we just be sitting ducks?¡± Zhao Ji scoffed coldly, enjoying his breakfast: Even under these circumstances, the food reserves in the Imperial Palace were plentiful. He could eat whatever he liked, with a table filled with exotic delicacies.


    After all, the coronation ceremony had just been held yesterday, and there was still a lot of ingredients left. While speaking, Zhao Ji stuffed another large chunk of meat into his mouth.


    Two beautiful women sat beside him, nervously serving Zhao Ji¡ªone holding a wine cup and the other holding a plate filled with chunks of meat.


    They also didn¡¯t wish to stay in this dangerous place and were even reluctant to serve Zhao Ji, who was now at his wits¡¯ end, but they had no choice. In times of chaos, a woman¡¯s fate is often beyond her own control.


    If they didn¡¯t succumb to Zhao Ji¡¯s sexual intimidation, they were likely to be thrown into the army to become ¡°items¡± for rewarding the soldiers.


    Despite disliking Zhao Ji¡¯s demeanor, Li Mingshun still prioritized the overall situation, speaking up to persuade: ¡°The enemy has already breached the city, our troops lack anti-tank weaponry and can no longer stop their advance... By afternoon, they might potentially reach the Imperial Palace.¡±


    Hearing this news, the two women serving Zhao Ji¡¯s meal turned pale with fright, but Zhao Ji still dismissed it with a wave of his hand: ¡°General Li! The Imperial Capital cannot be lost! You must defend this place, no matter what method you use!¡±


    Li Mingshun wanted to erupt in anger but ultimately held back: With the Imperial Capital surrounded on three sides, his Troops were indeed exhausted.


    As the Dahua Empire¡¯s capital city, the defense preparations of the Imperial Capital were actually quite thorough, but like almost all cities, it¡¯s impossible to stockpile military munitions within the city.


    In fact, there were four munitions depots in the southeast, northwest, and southwest of the Imperial Capital, the ammunition stocked in these depots critical for defending the city. But now, the southern and eastern munitions depots were essentially empty, otherwise Zhao Jie wouldn¡¯t have left without blowing up these important locations.


    Previously, to support the civil strife in Fengjiang, about one-third of the Imperial Capital¡¯s munitions had been drawn away, all taken from the southern and eastern depots.


    The northern depot had already been lost yesterday, taken over by Fengjiang Troops, who didn¡¯t execute the command to destroy the ammunition but chose a dignified surrender instead. Surrendering often seems more honorable with some assets to hand over.


    Consequently, the only ammunition depot left in Li Mingshun¡¯s hands was the one in the west of the city, and even the munitions there had decreased after more than ten days of continuous battle.


    While he had a noninsufficient amount of ammunition on hand, it was also not exactly in abundance. Moreover, with the expected reinforcements slow to act, the Imperial Capital was actually in a state of helpless isolation.


    ¡°Your Majesty! With insufficient ammunition and delayed reinforcements, if we don¡¯t retreat now, everything will be over!¡± Nearly sobbing, Li Mingshun emphasized the difficulties they faced once again.


    He wasn¡¯t one to fear death for the sake of his own life; he simply didn¡¯t want to witness the Dahua Empire, entrusted to him by Zhao Kai, perish before his eyes.


    Zhao Ji chewed the meat in his mouth, silently staring at Li Mingshun who had hurried over. In fact, he was in a period of confusion, clueless about what he truly wanted anymore.


    He had previously racked his brains, acting recklessly, even selling out Zhao Chen, all for the sake of rushing back to compete for the throne that belonged to him.


    Now that he had ascended to that position, the thing he had struggled for all his life was finally in his grasp; at this moment, he had lost his sense of purpose and suddenly felt a sense of relief and boredom.


    In the northern direction of the city, a Type 5 Tank that had penetrated into the city was rolling its tracks, twisting its clumsy body to crush over a collapsed wall.


    Following behind this tank, Fengjiang Soldiers were clearing the surrounding buildings, where Dahua Soldiers had taken civilians as hostages and refused to surrender no matter what.


    The Fengjiang Troops didn¡¯t waste words, directly throwing Hand Grenades into the rooms. The scene was quite bloody; countless civilians were killed or injured, but the Dahua Soldiers inside were swiftly eliminated.


    The battle was incredibly intense; the Fengjiang Troops were all too familiar with this rhythm of assault. To be honest, the environment they faced during urban combat in Fengjiang was much better than this.


    At that time, when the Dahua Troops were attacking Fengjiang, at least they had the support of heavy artillery, and many snipers were scattered among them. Both sides had to fight with extreme caution, a level of gruesomeness far greater than what was before them now.


    The Dahua Troops stationed in the Imperial Capital had very few heavy weapons and equipment. The heavy weapons that had been purchased from the Great Tang Empire over the year, along with the new gear, were all lost with Zhao Chen¡¯s surrender.


    Now, the Dahua Troops inside the city had little more than a Shireck Type 1 bolt-action rifle in the hands of most of them, which speaks volumes about their combat effectiveness.


    The tank, like a force of nature, smashed through a wall and then swiveled its turret to fire at a Dahua defensive street barricade that was spewing flames. The barrage hit.


    Instantaneously, the hit barricade fell silent, and Fengjiang Troops took the opportunity to close in from both sides of the street, throwing Hand Grenades to clear out the enemies near the barricade.


    The remaining dozen or so Dahua Soldiers raised their hands and chose to surrender. No matter how elite they were, they couldn¡¯t overcome an opponent with tanks.


    Such events were happening all over the city, with block after block, district after district falling under the control of Fengjiang Troops. And as the attacking forces encountered some tall buildings, they had no choice but to pause, waiting for the follow-up forces to arrive for a strong offensive.


    After all, these reinforced concrete buildings were indeed too sturdy, plus their natural height made it difficult for the defenders to attack directly from above.


    However, once the 107 Rocket Artillery, Tanks, and large-caliber guns gradually joined the battle, these buildings couldn¡¯t hold out for long.


    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t hear the order he wanted from Zhao Ji, Li Mingshun had no choice but to leave the Imperial Palace and return to his temporary command center, beginning to redraft the defensive lines.


    Frankly, his efforts were already in vain: more and more Fengjiang Troops were arriving, and his situation was getting increasingly dangerous.


    The Fengjiang Troops in the north were pushing south, the forces in the east were attacking westward, and the southern troops were also incessantly moving north... Now, the area of the Imperial Capital under Li Mingshun¡¯s control was less than two-thirds.


    ¡°We¡¯ve temporarily stopped the tanks in the north... but the enemy is reinforcing. If we can¡¯t come up with a solution by noon, we¡¯ll have to retreat again,¡± one officer explained the situation to Li Mingshun: ¡°Retreat to Rongfu Square... we might be able to hold out for a while longer, at most until tomorrow morning.¡±


    Another general hastily added, ¡°The situation in the south isn¡¯t too good either. Our Troops are holding on the north side of South Eight Avenue, and the enemy tried to cross the street but was barely repelled by us.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Li Mingshun looked at the road leading to the west gate, pointed, and said, ¡°Have the 1st Division of the Imperial Guards retreat here to rest... take control of the entire road, ensuring that the Troops can pass through here and transfer outside the city at any time.¡±


    ¡°General!¡± The officer next to him was startled upon hearing Li Mingshun¡¯s order and then instinctively shouted out.


    ¡°Are we just preparing to give up the Imperial Capital?¡± Another general also didn¡¯t understand Li Mingshun¡¯s command; he knew the situation was a bit collapsing, but the proactive abandonment of the Imperial Capital was something that they, the Imperial Guards, would not even dare to think about.


    ¡°I know you might not understand, but I have to prepare a way for His Majesty The Emperor to leave the Imperial Capital,¡± Li Mingshun explained: ¡°With the current situation, you should all be clear that the possibility of holding here is virtually nil.¡±


    ¡°To stand fast at the Imperial Capital, to die here... I think everyone shares the same resolve as I do. But the late Emperor entrusted the Empire to us, we can¡¯t let the Dahua orthodoxy be destroyed on our watch, can we?¡± he asked, his gaze sweeping over the officers in the command center.


    No one spoke. If there was a sliver of hope to live, naturally, they wouldn¡¯t want to die here. Since Commander Li Mingshun was already prepared to give up the Imperial Capital, they naturally accepted such an order.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Finally, a general stood at attention and saluted in response, and the others also followed suit in saluting, issuing a succession of affirmations.

 Chapter 1124: Zhao Ji causing trouble in 1045

    Chapter 1124: Zhao Ji causing trouble in 1045


    Heading south from Dongqing City, one can reach Pingfeng in the southwest or Shanchong in the southeast, both of which are extremely important places.


    Shanchong is a strategic foothold guarding the southern part of the Dahua Empire, and controlling Shanchong is tantamount to cutting off the Dahua Empire¡¯s territory from the south.


    As for Pingfeng, it is the southeastern barrier of the Imperial Capital and also allows for a detour through Jutian to approach Shanchong from another direction.


    The route from Guiguang to Shanchong has been cut off, as Guiguang is now occupied by Fengjiang Troops. The route from Dongqing to Shanchong is also cut off for the same reason as Guiguang.


    This means that out of the three supply lines to Shanchong, two have been severed, leaving only the one from Jutian to Shanchong still supporting.


    The Fengjiang Troops heading south from Dongqing are also converging on Pingfeng and Shanchong, with Zhao Jie feeling immense pressure on the Pingfeng side.


    Although the Fengjiang Troops heading south are not many in number, Zhao Jie really has very few options for retreat: the only area he now controls that can be considered a rearguard is just Jutian.


    Luckily, Jutian is also an important grain-producing region, so having it as a strategic support is somewhat reassuring. If it were possible to enter Shu and take Caili and Xiqing, then Zhao Jie¡¯s controlled area would still be considered ¡°vast¡±.


    But Zhao Jie knows this is impossible. Although spreading out might seem to show a broad territory with numerous troops, the areas he needs to defend are simply too many.


    Just by heading south from the Imperial Capital, both Xiqing and Pingfeng are on the frontline of an attack. At the same time, there¡¯s also Shanchong, a strategic location that must be defended.


    This means Zhao Jie must defend pressures from at least three directions, and no matter how numerous his troops, he would be unable to attend to all fronts. Therefore, after retreating to Pingfeng, Zhao Jie started reinforcing defenses at all costs, preparing to hunker down in his ¡°turtle shell¡± and not come out.


    On the other hand, Li Mingshun, who was contemplating retreat options, was actually favoring the southwest: he felt that heading to Xiqing would be a better choice than going to Wangdu.


    Even though controlling more cities in the northwest might seem advantageous, the northwest is desolate, not to mention without any retreat options: being in Xiqing, backed by another agricultural stronghold Caili, and connecting to Shu City with only a single line of control, would be nearly perfect.


    As long as pressure from the direction of the Imperial Capital is withstood, the situation can be stabilized. In any event, with Pingfeng holding off the pressure on the other side, everyone backing each other to resist the northern adversary can be considered strategic partners.


    If things do not pan out, there is still the option to step back, surrender to Qin Country, or directly ally with Zhao Jie. Either way, this offers more choices than heading to the desolation of Wangdu in the northwest.


    Luo Xiao shifted his focus of attack from the north of the Imperial Capital to the south, feeling that it would be easier to break through from here since the north is far from the railways and resupply is inconvenient.


    Consequently, all the incoming Dahua Type 3 Tanks were deployed in the direction of the city¡¯s south, and the Dahua Imperial Army, which had previously been pressing Zhao Jie, was now under heavy fire from the Fengjiang Army.


    Despite desperately destroying five or six Type 3 Tanks, the onslaught of the Fengjiang Troops remained extremely fierce. As the fighting continued, Zhao Ji¡¯s route of retreat was at risk of being cut off at any moment.


    Although the city¡¯s east was not the focus of the Fengjiang Army¡¯s attack, with the increasing ferocity of the attacks in the north and south of the city, the Dahua Troops in the east were also continuously crumbling.


    The retreat of these troops brought the Imperial Palace, where Zhao Ji was located, gradually closer to the front line: in fact, by the afternoon of that day, Zhao Ji could already hear the intense sound of machine gun fire.


    In a fit of rage, he summoned Li Mingshun, the commander of the City Defense Army, to inquire about the situation. He then found out that his own Imperial Palace had become the ¡°front line,¡± which infuriated him. He immediately scolded Li Mingshun, commanding him to organize a counterattack immediately and repel the enemy forces from the east of the city: ¡°Counterattack! Recover the lost district positions! This is my Imperial Palace! You must ensure the safety of the Imperial City!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty! I have no reserves left, and the remaining troops are no longer capable of mounting a significant counterattack,¡± Li Mingshun responded candidly, pouring cold water on Zhao Ji.


    The forces at Li Mingshun¡¯s disposal were already few, with varying combat strengths, and the fact that they had not collapsed after fighting the formidable Fengjiang Army for a day and night was already a remarkable achievement.


    Now with limited ammunition and reserves having been nearly exhausted, launching a counterattack was out of the question: he would count himself lucky just to hold off the rebel Fengjiang Tanks, let alone entertain the thought of a counteroffensive. That would either be sending his troops to their deaths or forcing them to surrender, wouldn¡¯t it?


    ¡°They... how far are they from here?¡± Zhao Ji furiously demanded of Li Mingshun: ¡°Tell me clearly!¡±


    ¡°Approximately, still 1 kilometer away,¡± Li Mingshun answered directly: ¡°If Your Majesty insists on staying, then you should be prepared.¡±


    As the commander of the City Defense, Li Mingshun had already lost hope for the whole battle situation. He was also fed up with Zhao Ji¡¯s reckless commands, so his attitude was not very cordial.


    From his tone, Zhao Ji discerned the general message: if he continued to insist on remaining in the Imperial Palace, then he had better prepare for the worst.


    After ascending to the throne, Zhao Ji, who had for a moment lost his direction, finally remembered his second life goal at the threshold of life and death: to survive.


    Fear of death finally made him compromise: he was accustomed to compromise: ¡°First, send away my money... and my women!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty! In such a critical moment, why do you need these things? If we don¡¯t leave now, it will really be too late!¡± Li Mingshun pleaded earnestly.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even defend the city, and you can¡¯t protect the lineage of my Royal Family?¡± Zhao Ji harshly questioned, his voice sharp but utterly lacking in force.


    Li Mingshun, already numb from the torment inflicted by this new Emperor, no longer wanted to argue. Since Zhao Ji had changed his mind about leaving, Li Mingshun had achieved his purpose.


    As long as Zhao Ji was willing to leave, that was all that mattered to Li Mingshun. How many things Zhao Ji wanted to take with him didn¡¯t concern Li Mingshun: after all, he believed he could hold out for a day or two.


    Who knew that the entire incident would suddenly spiral out of control: as Zhao Ji returned to the harem to pack his luggage in preparation to flee, the women whom Zhao Ji had taken into the harem went into chaos.


    Their wails, as loud as those of widows, disregarded everything as they scrambled for the valuable items in the Imperial Palace, turning everything into a mess.


    Servants and palace maids, each obeying their respective mistresses, were looting everything they could see, some even coming to blows: in their scramble for valuables, they had even caused a fire.


    The palace guards, who were supposed to help with the transportation of goods and cover the retreat, also descended into chaos in such an atmosphere: they began to violate the palace maids and even the consorts conferred by Zhao Ji, killing and looting for treasure, and some even blasted a section of the palace wall to enter and exit at will.


    Once the palace wall collapsed, the scene was completely out of control: the looting guards, taking with them many overpowered palace maids and consorts, scattered and fled, taking innumerable treasures with them.


    Their chaos even affected the Imperial Army led by Li Mingshun, who were fighting just a few hundred meters from the Imperial Palace: they heard explosions and gunfire from behind and saw flames, thinking the area behind them had already been occupied by the Fengjiang army, and so they hurriedly fled.


    When Li Mingshun finally arrived at the Imperial Palace with his bodyguards, only a dozen people remained around Zhao Ji.


    The Emperor of Dahua was in a sorry state at this moment, with even his clothes showing signs of being scorched by smoke and fire. Upon seeing Li Mingshun, his first reaction was not to rage, but to cry pitifully.


    ¡°General... Great General! Now that you¡¯re here, I feel at ease!¡± Zhao Ji cried, almost hugging Li Mingshun¡¯s thigh, discarding his image, and even instantly promoting Li Mingshun in rank verbally.


    There was no choice, for now, he could only rely on Li Mingshun, who had once been loyal to his father, and who was now very likely loyal to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly! It¡¯s not safe here!¡± Li Mingshun knew, estimating by this time the Fengjiang troops had already started climbing the palace walls to enter the Imperial Palace, so he immediately advised: ¡°Quickly, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Go! Go! We¡¯ll follow the Great General¡¯s lead!¡± Zhao Ji nodded, no longer insisting on holding out here. Escorted by Li Mingshun¡¯s troops, they left the Imperial Palace, and only during the escape did Zhao Ji begin to feel somewhat safer.


    It seemed that Zhao Yu wanted a relatively intact Imperial Capital, so the Fengjiang rebels stopped the bombardment. Without the bombardment, Zhao Ji¡¯s group indeed did not face much danger to their lives.


    Within half an hour after Zhao Ji left the Imperial Palace, the Fengjiang troops finally planted their flag on the highest building of the Imperial City of the Dahua Empire.


    Cheers erupted continuously, as if they had taken over the entire Imperial Capital. If they knew that the remnants of Li Mingshun¡¯s troops could hold out in the Imperial Capital for more than ten days, they probably wouldn¡¯t be so excitedly cheering.


    Indeed, Li Mingshun did not flee immediately. He personally stayed behind to buy time for Zhao Ji¡¯s retreat. Following the escape route arranged by Li Mingshun, Zhao Ji made his way southwest after leaving the city, heading toward Xiqing.


    Li Mingshun, unencumbered by Zhao Ji¡¯s interference, actually fought bravely, stubbornly held the western side of the Imperial Capital, and even received reinforcements from the direction of Wangdu.


    While the battle for the Dahua Imperial Capital continued, a cruise ship operated by the Great Tang Empire, having crossed the Endless Sea, arrived at Linshui.


    This luxurious cruise ship was chartered by the Poplar Empire. The one who came to the Great Tang Empire on this huge ship was the Elf Princess arranged for marriage.


    On the one hand, they feared that delays would bring trouble, and on the other hand, because the Great Tang Empire had agreed to the marriage alliance, the Poplar Empire sent the Elf Princess over.


    Yangmu Yi was very proactive in this matter, not only providing a generous dowry, but even arranging an adoption ceremony before the princess set off: this Elf girl was originally a county princess not born of a prince, and now she was adopted by Yangmu Yi and given the status of a princess.

 Chapter 1125: 1046 Elf Princess

    Chapter 1125: 1046 Elf Princess


    Iryn could see the bustling port outside through the glass windows of the ship¡¯s hull, witnessing such a colossal harbor for the first time, with docks coming into view ever since she started looking, and without end in sight.


    Those enormous cranes were busy at work, hoisting one giant rectangular container after another from the massive ships¡ªsuch a sight is not common at the Elf¡¯s Southwater Port.


    From time to time, one could hear the loud blast of steam whistles, signaling the arrival or departure of a behemoth vessel over ten thousand tons from this place called Linshui.


    For several years now, the world¡¯s number one port is no longer Brunas. Or rather, since the Great Tang Group left Brunas, that place is no longer bustling.


    Whether it¡¯s the Dragon Harbor of the Great Tang Empire, Dongwan Port of the Great Tang Empire, Linshui of the Great Tang Empire, Beiyuan Port of the Great Tang Empire, or Nanshan Port of the Great Tang Empire... all are now more prosperous than Brunas. Now, the world¡¯s top three ports are completely dominated by the Great Tang Empire competing with itself.


    In terms of size, Linshui Port of the Great Tang Empire is obviously the largest in the world right now, where its giant docks can accommodate warships over 100,000 tons, and its various models of cranes outnumber the combined total of any other two ports.


    This is because it has already begun to transition to container ship services: This efficient transportation scheme is now only used on a large scale in the ports within the Great Tang Empire, and while other countries¡¯ ports are also increasing their container lifting equipment, they are obviously not as rapidly popularizing it as the Tang Empire.


    The new container transportation has increased efficiency and reduced transport costs: As soon as this mode of transportation emerged, it almost completely replaced the old maritime lifting method.


    The Great Tang Empire didn¡¯t hide this technology but openly shared it with the world. This was also a strategy to improve the speed of transportation worldwide, as the Great Tang Empire was securing time for its own development.


    The Princess with her pointed ears fluttering could be seen in good spirits, her curiosity making her forget the fatigue of the long journey.


    ¡°Your Highness the Princess... we have arrived,¡± an elegant Elf Officer approached, wearing a large-brimmed hat, standing at the doorway and nodding slightly, reminding her: ¡°In approximately ten minutes, you will be able to go up on deck.¡±


    Iryn, only 16 years old this year, was very proficient in the royal court etiquette. She had spent several months learning about it in the Imperial Palace of the Poplar Empire, so her every frown and smile was proper.


    ¡°Thank you, Colonel,¡± the Elf Princess, who was ¡°marrying afar¡± to the Tang Empire, thanked him and stood up, allowing her maid to check whether her gown was presentable.


    This dress was specially commissioned from Elf Race designers, fully integrating traditional Elf culture. To be frank, the Elf Race¡¯s artistic cells are not that impressive, after all is said and done, it could only be praised as ¡°uniquely styled.¡±


    After all, the world¡¯s best fashion designers, or the leaders of the trend-setting culture, are all in the Tang Empire, with other countries¡¯ fashion circles only able to follow, without the capacity to appraise.


    Soon, the band arranged on the deck began to play, and the attendants laid a red carpet on the gangway used to disembark. The welcoming party for the Elf Princess was not small in scale; it included local Elf merchants, journalists from other countries, and crowds who came to watch.


    Everyone has heard that the carefully selected Elf Princess is exceptionally beautiful, and who wouldn¡¯t want to see with their own eyes what an Elf Princess, deemed as a top choice amongst a Race known for its handsome men and beautiful women, actually looks like.


    In reality, the time Iryn showed her face wasn¡¯t long: she only needed to walk down the red carpet, then she could get into the royal car prepared for her, after which she would leave the dock under the protection of the Imperial Guard of the Great Tang Empire and head to a carefully prepared manor.


    Having traveled across the sea, Iryn would rest at the manor for one night; the next morning she would visit Linshui University, and then on the third day, she would take a plane to Chang¡¯an.


    ¡°Their warships look very small,¡± Iryn, who had seen large battleships in her own naval ports, commented while standing on the deck, looking at the Great Tang Empire warships moored in the distance.


    The Elf Officer also noticed the two Tang Empire destroyers docked at the pier, but, being a professional, his thoughts were quite different from the Elf Princess¡¯s.


    He noticed at a glance the radar antennae on the mainmast of the Tang Empire¡¯s destroyers: the Poplar Empire had similar equipment, although the similar radar antennae of the Poplar Empire were deployed on land.


    What made this Elf Officer somewhat uneasy was that these two warships were fitted with two sets of radar equipment, one on top of the mainmast and another at a rear mast.


    And it was clear that the radar antennae at the rear were larger, with a purpose he couldn¡¯t understand. At the front of these two destroyers, he didn¡¯t see any cannon installations, only a structure similar to a mount covered with tarpaulin.


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t guess that these were the Great Tang Empire¡¯s first-generation experimental anti-aircraft missile destroyers undergoing modifications: because it was not entirely mature, similar destroyers hadn¡¯t been equipped in large numbers by the Great Tang Empire Navy.


    But indeed, they were armed with the newest type of anti-aircraft missiles developed by the Great Tang Empire, guided by radar, capable of attacking aerial targets up to 19 kilometers away.


    It can provide the fleet with the necessary air defense, and it also accumulates experience in air defense missiles and radar guidance for the Great Tang Empire.


    ¡°Your Highness, the main naval ports of the Great Tang Empire are on Dragon Island... The warships here, in fact, are not their main force warships,¡± The officer shifted his gaze away from the two parked Great Tang Empire destroyers in just two or three seconds and lowered his head to explain to Iryn.


    ¡°Really? I wonder if the Great Tang Empire has those very large warships with many big guns,¡± Iryn also withdrew her gaze, but she was still preoccupied with her own country¡¯s battleships.


    ¡°The Great Tang Empire also has its own battleships,¡± the Elf officer explained again. He knew that the Tang Empire did have battleships with very high overall combat capability, which was the ¡°Dongwan-class¡± that had been in service for several years and the exact number of which was now undetermined.


    In fact, the Great Tang Empire only had two Bismarcks, which were the Dongwan-class battleships. These two battleships were essentially advanced guard ships for the carrier fleet of the Great Tang Empire Navy; they have been retrofitted twice and equipped with radar and an increasing number of anti-aircraft guns.


    Finally, Iryn stopped looking around and didn¡¯t ask any more questions about warships; she walked down the gangway amidst welcoming applause and music, conducting herself very appropriately throughout.


    She waved to the crowd, then ducked into the small car that had come to pick her up amid cheers. It was at that moment that the Elf Princess was truly conquered by the luxury of the Tang Empire¡¯s Royal Family.


    The regret of not having seen the Great Tang Empire¡¯s massive battleships was immediately diluted by the luxurious decor inside the car. She had never seen such a level of car in the Poplar Empire before.


    Although the Poplar Empire imported a considerable number of Rolls-Royce cars, they could really not buy the exaggerated versions exclusively used by the Royal Family of the Great Tang.


    Whether in terms of wheelbase or width, the versions used by the Great Tang¡¯s Royal Family were slightly larger than the models for export. In every aspect, the Great Tang¡¯s own edition was superior.


    And when the car left the dock, Iryn peered through the car window at the city outside, and saw skyscrapers on both sides of the streets, she, a young girl, realized what ¡°prosperity¡± meant.


    The number of high-rise buildings she had seen in the Poplar Empire over the past few years seemed not to match the quantity she was seeing now: there were simply too many buildings here, so many that they were beyond count.


    Even during the day, neon lights flickering on both sides of the street were visible, with advertisments everywhere showing what luxury and fashion trends are to passers-by.


    A giant woman¡¯s profile was painted on a several-meter-long screen, next to her fiery red lips stood three different colored lipsticks side by side. The advertising slogan was also very enticing: There¡¯s always one that¡¯s right for you!


    On the other side of the street, the congested traffic and occasional honking attracted Iryn¡¯s attention: to her, this could be all the cars of the city.


    So many cars lined up, one after the other, with no end in sight. Initially, Iryn counted them, but eventually gave up: after counting to a hundred, she still could not see the end of the cars driving in the opposite direction.


    Fortunately, her car was assisted by escorts which allowed it to maintain a relatively fast pace of advancement. Even so, Iryn felt that driving in the Great Tang Empire was just too slow.


    This was actually unavoidable: Linshui was constructing more subway lines, and construction teams were everywhere, along with subway entrances and exits and ventilation holes prepared for construction convenience.


    Therefore, the journey was not easy, and Linshui did not hide anything in order to welcome the Princess of the Elf Race: this was Linshui on just any ordinary day, honest and true!


    It was this frankness and reality that kept the development speed of Linshui at the forefront of various cities in the Tang Empire. It was developing all the time, like a greedy snake, constantly devouring the surrounding land and population.


    Few years ago, what was still the countryside around Linshui has now become residential areas within the city: It was indeed too large, so large that it was beyond Iryn¡¯s imagination. Now the population of the city has already exceeded eight million, rightfully the first in the world.


    ¡°How much longer until we arrive?¡± Iryn, feeling a bit sleepy looking at the buildings and overpasses, ultimately couldn¡¯t help but ask the question.


    ¡°Oh, Your Highness,¡± said the female diplomat in the passenger seat, turning her head, ¡°It will take about an hour more to drive, as Linshui is indeed very large.¡±


    ¡ª¨C


    Update, will continue to update tomorrow.

 Chapter 1126: Issue an order and settle it at 1047

    Chapter 1126: Issue an order and settle it at 1047


    The Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire, after Zhao Ji¡¯s departure, Li Mingshun continued to hold on for a few more days before he led the remaining troops in a panicked retreat from the city district that no longer had any value to defend.


    To be frank, fighting within the Imperial Capital had already destroyed many of the ancient city¡¯s neighborhood buildings, and Li Mingshun felt like a sinner, having subjected the city to unnecessary losses.


    Watching as tranquility returned to the city districts, the Fengjiang rebels began maintaining order within the city, everything started to return to calm, and the local civilians finally saw the peace they had longed for.


    Some curious folks ran to the suburbs to watch the Fengjiang troops advance southward and westward. These troops were equipped with a considerable number of vehicles and tanks, which seemed more capable of combat than the previous Dahua forces no matter how one looked at them.


    After all, these troops had been strengthened to some extent, having acquired weapons and equipment drawn from the surrendered hundreds of thousands of soldiers, which were naturally in vast numbers.


    Backed by the Blackwater oilfields to the north of Dongqing, these Fengjiang troops had an ample supply. Since the Blackwater oilfields surrendered early, their facilities were not destroyed; they continued to produce continuously, but now the gasoline produced was supplied to Zhao Yu¡¯s Fengjiang army.


    ¡°It seems... that bastard Zhao Ji will never come back,¡± a merchant, seeing the unending line of Fengjiang troops, said to a friend beside him.


    His friend nodded in agreement with his view: ¡°Indeed, look what he did when he came back to the Imperial Capital, right?¡±


    ¡°With Zhao Yu becoming Emperor, our future days will be good,¡± the merchant continued.


    They all looked forward to Zhao Yu¡¯s return to assume the throne because he had always supported trade with the Great Tang Empire and frequently managed to secure some decent investment projects from there.


    Thus, many merchants in the Dahua Empire supported Zhao Yu, and many Ministers also preferred the more generous Zhao Yu.


    On the highway in front of them, trucks produced by the Great Tang Empire were lined up neatly, piled high with various materials, and some seated soldiers wearing Dahua military uniforms.


    These soldiers all had white armbands around their arms because they were in such a hurry, there was no time for the Great Tang Empire to help them change their outfits. They had to fight in their old uniforms, increasing the likelihood of friendly fire incidents on the battlefield.


    But this was unavoidable because those troops willing to stay put and wait for the Great Tang Empire to take over actually stayed where they were; those who returned to the Imperial Capital were the ones who wanted to return to Dahua no matter what.


    After the best-equipped troops passed by, the following troops arrived in various cars: Dahua Empire manufactured its own trucks, and it also purchased some vehicles produced by Shireck and Gobur.


    At that time, to pad the numbers, these vehicles were all given to the front-line troops; now, these troops have returned to the Imperial Capital, only their equipment is a chaotic mix and outdated, giving a somewhat disorderly and backward appearance.


    A large number of vehicles and countless soldiers crowded the roads, the railway had not completely recovered due to the war, people everywhere were watching the excitement, and in places even further, one could see endless rows of tents.


    Within the Imperial Capital, some Engineer Corps, in collaboration with the local Dahua people, had already started repairing streets destroyed by the war. They filled craters on the ground, began clearing rubble from collapsed houses, and transported found bodies out of the city.


    The water plant had already resumed operation, the eastern power plant was still under repair due to being demolished by Li Mingshun, but the western power plant had partially restored power.


    Most areas inside the city were still shrouded in darkness at night, but since the military patrolled, order was maintained. At least gunfire had vanished, and crimes like robbery were effectively curbed.


    In the Imperial Capital, to avoid trouble, Luo Xiao chose Zhao Ji¡¯s ¡°Prince¡¯s Mansion¡± as the command base. The place was spacious enough to accommodate a large amount of radio equipment.


    In the relatively clean house, an officer from the Great Tang Empire¡¯s military advisory group was reporting the latest battle conditions to Luo Xiao, the actual commander of the Fengjiang army: ¡°Beiku has surrendered, our people have arrived there, they are very cooperative, as they themselves lacked the capability to resist anyway.¡±


    The surrender of the northern city Beiku was completely expected. This city was connected to the Imperial Capital by only one railroad, and with the Imperial Capital occupied by Fengjiang forces, Beiku naturally could only surrender.


    ¡°The Dahua forces in Beiku number about 5,000 men, and their equipment is not very good; it¡¯s probably only enough to maintain local law and order,¡± the officer added in explanation: ¡°They are all light infantry equipped only with Shireck Model 1 bolt-action rifles; they don¡¯t even have many trucks.¡±


    In fact, the equipment of the Dahua soldiers stationed at the Blackwater oilfields was similar: the Dahua Empire couldn¡¯t keep all of its troops up to date with new equipment. In reality, they only cared about the weapons and equipment of the main forces; seldom did anyone inquire what exactly the second-line troops were wielding.


    Seeing Luo Xiao not continuing the conversation, the military officer continued to report, ¡°The Dahua troops in Wangdu have already disintegrated. They received Zhao Ji¡¯s orders to reinforce the south at all costs, and because they lacked railway support, many generals were unwilling to leave their hometowns to follow Zhao Ji¡¯s orders.¡±


    The troops were actually those from the northwest direction, dispatched to reinforce the Imperial Capital. Originally, there were about 150,000 men, but upon their arrival in Wangdu, they heard the news that the Imperial Capital had ¡°fallen.¡±


    At that moment, not knowing what to do, the reinforcement troops immediately fell into a panic. Some thought they should proceed southward to support their king loyally, others believed they should return the way they came, and there were those who advocated simply surrendering.


    In any case, everyone had their own ideas, which directly led to the disbanding of the 150,000-strong army, turning subsequent actions into a farce.


    The officer from the Great Tang Empire continued the report, ¡°They scattered on the road south from Wangdu to Xiqing, with about 50,000 continuing towards Xiqing, and 100,000 returning to Wangdu... Now these Wangdu troops have chosen to surrender, willing to fight for Zhao Yu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s somewhat good news; at least we don¡¯t have to worry about the garrison in Xiqing increasing to 250,000 men,¡± Luo Xiao cracked a joke with a grin.


    The officer laughed along with the other staff and civilian officers, then pointed to a city in the northern part of the map, and said, ¡°The garrison in Bingshuo City has sent a telegram acknowledging Zhao Yu as the Emperor of Dahua. They are willing to serve the new Emperor, and Zhao Yu is dispatching people to take over command.¡±


    ¡°Is he sending people? Can his appointees handle the handover properly?¡± A staff officer beside Luo Xiao hummed dismissively, expressing skepticism about Zhao Yu¡¯s ability to appoint the right people.


    To be frank, without Xu Guo¡¯s help by his side, without the efforts of the intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire, Zhao Yu¡¯s actual capabilities might not be better than Zhao Ji¡¯s.


    Luo Xiao shrugged his shoulders and laughed it off lightly, ¡°We don¡¯t need to worry about that. Whoever he wants to send, let him send. If there¡¯s trouble, he¡¯ll have to sort it out himself. Our agreement doesn¡¯t include helping him suppress rebellion.¡±


    He even felt it would be better for Zhao Yu to stir up some trouble: in the end, it was the Great Tang Empire that would surely benefit.


    After the laughter, the officer who was briefing them moved his finger further west, to a place where the key town of the Dahua Empire, Daxiguan, was located, ¡°The troops at Daxiguan are still wavering, they are too far from us, so it seems they want to wait and see which way the wind is blowing.¡±


    If Shahun is considered the largest city on the farthest western side of the Dahua Empire, then Daxiguan is the fortified point on the western side of the Dahua Empire that is easy to defend but hard to attack.


    The Dahua Empire has consistently stationed more than 200,000 troops there to guard against the increasingly powerful and capable Qin Country to the west.


    ¡°The Qin Country has been quite well-behaved; they fear our stance, so they did not attack Shahun. However, the garrison in Shahun is very clear about their situation and have sent a telegram to express their submission to Zhao Yu,¡± as they discussed Shahun, a trace of joy appeared on everyone¡¯s faces.


    If eventually all four cities in the northwest could be smoothly handed over to Zhao Yu, then their task could be considered mostly accomplished.


    Among the remaining cities, only six in the southern part of the Dahua Empire are not under Zhao Yu¡¯s control. Capturing these six cities would effectively mark the end of the civil war in Dahua.


    As soon as the civil war in the Dahua Empire ends, Zhao Yu must keep his promise to downgrade the Dahua Empire to the Kingdom of Dahua, and cede one-third of the territory to the Great Tang Empire...


    So, many officers started to feel optimistic, ¡°Once Shahun is secured, the entire northwest of Dahua will fall into our hands. As long as there are no disturbances, we¡¯ll soon accomplish our task.¡±


    Luo Xiao reminded these optimistic officers that there are still many battles to fight, ¡°It¡¯s too early to celebrate! Zhao Jie has built a defense line in Pingfeng, and relying on Shanchong and Jutian to stabilize the front. To take down this dependent king won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    He praised his adversary, giving a fair assessment, ¡°Li Mingshun is also quite perspicacious; they did not retreat to Wangdu but moved to Xiqing instead. Now they are defending the three cities of Xiqing, Caili, and the gateways into Shu province, reducing their overall defensive width and becoming neighbors with Zhao Jie.¡±


    Having the courage to abandon the more numerous cities in the northwest and turn to escape toward the less populated southwest does indeed make it more difficult for the Fengjiang troops to attack the south.


    However, in Luo Xiao¡¯s view, this was merely a last-ditch struggle. Zhao Ji and Li Mingshun, who fled to Xiqing, along with the areas controlled by Zhao Jie, totaled only six large cities.


    In contrast, without counting the territories soon to be ceded to the Great Tang Empire, Zhao Yu had control of as many as nine cities, dominating the southern region in industrial manufacturing.


    Because they heavily rely on the technology of the Great Tang Empire, as well as the parts and various special materials provided by it, most of the Dahua Empire¡¯s industry has essentially been placed along the railway lines.

 Chapter 1127: 1048 heading south to Xiqing

    Chapter 1127: 1048 heading south to Xiqing


    The most typical line is the one that runs through Wangdu, Imperial Capital, Dongqing, and Xiajian, where all the valuable industries of the Dahua Empire are located.


    ¡°Zhao Ji and Zhao Jie cover each other, each acting as the other¡¯s protection; this indeed has stabilized the defense line to a certain extent... To take down the two of them will still require quite an effort from us,¡± Luo Xiao shared his concerns.


    He was afraid that in their haste, they might actually end up unifying Zhao Ji and Zhao Jie: If the two really set their previous grievances aside and joined forces, they would indeed present a tough bone to chew.


    Luo Xiao¡¯s strategist offered his own suggestion: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, let the troops advance south for now, and we¡¯ll see when we reach the front of Pingfeng and Xiqing. We can¡¯t possibly allow them time to build fortifications, right?¡±


    As the saying goes, the value of soldiers lies in their swift response. As long as Zhao Jie and Zhao Ji are not given the chance to build defensive works, they might not necessarily be able to hold the defense line.


    ¡°Of course not, I¡¯ve already ordered the troops to advance south. Should we also put the troops from Guiguang in motion?¡± another officer nodded and turned to ask Luo Xiao.


    After asking the question, he didn¡¯t forget to mock the poor quality of Fengjiang¡¯s military, his tone filled with lament: ¡°It¡¯s a pity that these troops from Dahua are really not easy to use, their mobility is too poor, and they¡¯re slow in field maneuvers.¡±


    The fact is indeed so: according to the speed of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s offense, they probably would have caught up with the fleeing Zhao Ji and Zhao Jie and annihilated them halfway through their escape.


    If not for the slow arrival of the subsequent troops, Zhao Ji and Li Mingshun would have had no chance to run! They would have been surrounded in the Imperial Capital, or even captured by now.


    ¡°No need, the troops in Guiguang will all belong to the Great Tang Empire later on; they shouldn¡¯t be wasted on the battlefield without strict training,¡± Luo Xiao¡¯s strategist shook his head, rejecting the suggestion.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Luo Xiao, standing by, also supported this judgment: ¡°Those people are now the civilians of the Great Tang Empire, we can¡¯t act recklessly. It¡¯s sufficient to just have the Fengjiang army from the Imperial Capital head south, there is no need to overcomplicate matters.¡±


    Remembering another matter, he turned to the intelligence department liaison officer: ¡°How¡¯s the investigation in Shen Chuan going?¡±


    The liaison officer immediately answered: ¡°Shen Chuan¡¯s death has been confirmed. His family said that on the day of Zhao Kai¡¯s death, Shen Chuan disappeared, and they don¡¯t know where he went. The body found in the well, all features belong to Shen Chuan himself.¡±


    Luo Xiao nodded slightly again as this matter seemed to be coming to an end: ¡°Then give him a decent burial... He is the first one in the entire Empire to have died... Thinking about it, it¡¯s really sad. Such a vast Empire, yet there are not even a few who are willing to die for it with dignity.¡±


    ¡°General, you can¡¯t really say that, after all, the Dahua Empire hasn¡¯t fallen yet,¡± the strategist said, jokingly, prompting laughter from many.


    After the laughter, someone continued the conversation: ¡°Indeed, it hasn¡¯t perished. Zhao Yu plans to arrive here a day later, by train as before, then switching to car.¡±


    Upon hearing about Zhao Yu¡¯s itinerary, the strategist scornfully ridiculed: ¡°Ha! It seems he is really in a rush.¡±


    What the Imperial Capital means to Zhao Yu goes without saying. He¡¯s too eager to return here, because returning signifies control over everything.


    The Imperial Capital is the capital of the Dahua Empire, representing the legal authority of rule: Whoever has the Imperial Capital in their hands has the right to issue commands. Zhao Yu, who was forced to flee from here a year ago, has been haunted by the memories of this place.


    The weather has already turned very cold, though the Imperial Capital hasn¡¯t seen snow yet. With more than half of the electricity gone, and many buildings damaged, how the people inside the Imperial Capital will survive this winter is of no interest to anyone, nor is how many died in the previous battles.


    ¡°Almost, anyone who has paid such a price, would likewise strive to reclaim what rightfully belongs to them.¡± An officer speaks from Zhao Yu¡¯s perspective, finding everything quite reasonable.


    Indeed, his words earned the approval of many: ¡°A price? Indeed, it hasn¡¯t been small.¡±


    All present were senior military officers of the Great Tang Empire, and they, of course, heard about the payment Zhao Yu made to the Great Tang Empire.


    Those were the rich lands of the once Dahua Empire, including a vital food production area, two transportation hubs, and a population in the tens of millions...


    Under normal circumstances, unless one is a fool, no Emperor would surrender so much territory and population. But Zhao Yu agreed, without much of a psychological burden.


    ¡°Haha! I hope he can pacify those citizens who know the truth,¡± an officer imagined Zhao Yu facing harsh public scrutiny afterward and grinned as he laughed again.


    Those who know of Zhao Yu¡¯s national humiliation will curse him to death. They will record what Zhao Yu has done after ascending to power and pass these stories down, ensuring history will remember Zhao Yu.


    Of course, being remembered in this way isn¡¯t exactly a good thing: Zhao Yu will be pinned to the pillar of shame, never to turn over a new leaf in his lifetime.


    ¡°I think he will handle it very well,¡± the strategist said gleefully.


    Luo Xiao was pretty casual about it: ¡°It¡¯s still the same saying, whether his actions were good or bad, that¡¯s no longer something we need to worry about.¡±


    ...


    Having retreated here with the rebelling Nobility from the Imperial Capital, Zhao Jie finally received 50,000 new recruits coming from Jutian¡¯s direction.


    He now had roughly 200,000 Troops at his disposal: although more than half were new recruits with questionable combat capabilities, it was still better than having none!


    He nearly mobilized all the laborers in Pingfeng to build defensive positions, hoping to establish a complete line of defense before the enemy from the north arrived.


    By contrast, the situation in Xiqing was a bit different: Zhao Ji arrived first, and instead of hastening to build defenses, he appointed Ministers and declared Caili City the ¡°Accompanying Capital.¡±


    In plain terms, he was still indulging in his imperial dreams, not at all adapted to the current situation. It was not until Li Mingshun arrived with the remnants of his forces that he discovered Xiqing had hardly made any preparations!


    The food originally destined for the Imperial Capital was stopped in Xiqing, but munitions and ammunition were pitifully scarce: with the industrial zones lost, Xiqing had no factories capable of producing munitions.


    Thus, the forces of Li Mingshun and Zhao Ji could only rely on stockpiled weapons and ammunition, practically meaning that with each bullet fired, one less remained.


    Compared to them, Zhao Jie was in a much better position: Shanchong was a mining area with factories capable of producing weapons and ammunition. And as Shanchong was a key front-line town, the ammunition stockpiled there was obviously more extensive than in Xiqing.


    Apart from the ammunition issue, Li Mingshun found that Zhao Ji had utterly failed to organize any defensive works in Xiqing: he busied himself with lavish banquets and appointing Ministers, preoccupied with anything but defense.


    It was not until Li Mingshun arrived with the forces retreating from the Imperial Capital¡¯s direction that the defense preparations in Xiqing finally began.


    The good news was they received reinforcements: 50,000 routed soldiers from Wangdu¡¯s direction received supplies in Xiqing, thus stabilizing their foothold.


    Together with the original troops called up to reinforce the Imperial Capital, Xiqing¡¯s defenders numbered about 250,000, which was a reasonably decent force.


    Even though the combat effectiveness of these troops was mediocre, Li Mingshun still believed that holding Xiqing wouldn¡¯t be a problem: he saw the fall of the Imperial Capital as merely due to Zhao Jie¡¯s rebellion, which had little to do with his own deployment.


    Without realizing it, four days had passed, and the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Capital, Chang¡¯an, had a wedding that was not grand in scale. To spare the feelings of the three Imperial Concubines who didn¡¯t have proper weddings, Tang Mo scaled down his wedding with Ying Yue to a relatively small size as well.


    Although they invited some Ministers, the whole event wasn¡¯t broadcast on television. Even the Elf Princess Iryn¡¯s wedding was hastily carried out alongside it, to spare the feelings of the other Imperial Concubines.


    The difference was that Emperor Tang Mo spent the night in Ying Yue¡¯s room, while the young Elf Princess Iryn merely partook in a wedding, with nothing undue occurring between her and Tang Mo.


    During these four days, Zhao Yu, the former Prince of the Dahua Empire, returned to the Dahua Imperial Capital, where he proclaimed himself heir to the throne, ascending as the new Emperor of the Dahua Empire.


    Following his ascension, he issued several edicts, declaring the restoration of trade between the Dahua Empire and the Great Tang Empire, as well as the resumption of trade with Qin Country.


    These actions clearly gave hope to the populace, who felt this new Emperor was much better than the previous one, who only stirred up trouble. So, they accepted this new Emperor, previously branded a ¡®rebel.¡¯


    Luo Xiao moved his command post to a location less than 100 kilometers from Xiqing, directing the southward-advancing troops to focus their attack on Zhao Ji and Li Mingshun¡¯s forces.


    The Fengjiang Troops, with an advantage in both numbers and firepower, soon broke through Xiqing¡¯s outer defenses.


    At the same time, Fengjiang¡¯s Air Force, which took off from the Imperial Capital¡¯s northern airfield, bombed Xiqing. Li Mingshun finally witnessed the terrifying power of air force bombardment firsthand.


    Keep in mind that the Fengjiang Air Force pilots were composed of two parts, one of which emerged experienced from over a year defending Fengjiang in fierce battles, while the other was their former adversaries, the pilots of the Dahua Empire.


    Now, these pilots didn¡¯t need to fight each other anymore: they all fought for Zhao Yu! Their opponents, in reality, no longer had any significant air power.


    Li Mingshun and Zhao Ji had not many aircraft between them and also lacked the ability to produce more planes, which meant they couldn¡¯t replenish their pilots.


    Under such conditions, air superiority was firmly in the grasp of Luo Xiao. The siege of Xiqing City began against this backdrop.

 Chapter 1128: 1049 Three Kingdoms Secret Pact

    Chapter 1128: 1049 Three Kingdoms Secret Pact


    Under the pretext of attending the princess¡¯s wedding, the envoy of the Poplar Empire met with Nangong Hong in the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Great Tang Empire.


    Along with Nangong Hong was the envoy of the Qin State, who also secretly traveled to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Great Tang Empire under the same pretext.


    After a series of communications, diplomats from the three countries gathered together today with the purpose of finalizing the secret treaty they had previously discussed.


    From the moment the Poplar Empire began promoting slogans about an unbreakable Triple Emperor Alliance, discussions on the division of power and influence among the three countries had already commenced.


    The Great Tang Empire planned to expand its influence in the Northern Endless Sea, while Qin Country hoped the Great Tang Empire would tacitly allow them to continue their warfare against Shu Country. The Poplar Empire sought the support of the Great Tang Empire in their war against the Ice Cold Empire.


    After a series of discussions, each country got what they wanted. The Great Tang Empire hoped to get some countries¡¯ support when invading Mirage Country to avoid another situation where the whole world¡¯s countries would unite against Tang.


    The Poplar Empire believed that the Great Tang Empire¡¯s actions against Mirage Country would distract the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s attention. Meanwhile, Qin Country prepared to completely occupy Shu Country when the Great Tang Empire advanced eastward.


    ¡°We can tolerate Qin Country¡¯s actions against Shu Country for a fixed period, but it must have a deadline,¡± Nangong Hong said as he passed the draft of the secret treaty to the representatives of the two countries. ¡°The Great Tang Empire is willing to provide a window of opportunity for Qin¡¯s expansion, on the condition that Qin must complete its actions against Shu Country before the Great Tang Empire concludes its operations against Mirage Country.¡±


    ¡°Qin Country understands the concerns of the Great Tang Empire,¡± said the envoy of Qin Country, who had taken over a copy of the secret treaty and emphasized his point of view. ¡°Trade on the Western Continent must be built on stability, and war should not be the main theme. We should establish a new international order before peace arrives.¡±


    The envoy of Qin Country was very straightforward, as the Great Tang Empire had given Qin an excellent offer: The Great Tang Empire would not attack the Dahua Empire in the short term, and there would be a very respectable buffer zone between the two countries.


    Moreover, the Great Tang Empire also guaranteed that as long as Qin Country does not invade the Dahua Empire...or the future Dahua Kingdom, then there will be no problems with trade between the two countries.


    With the Great Tang Empire¡¯s consent and support, it was just a matter of time before Qin Country took down Shu Country: The Great Tang Empire had given Qin a considerable period for adjustment and development, which was exactly what Qin could only dream of obtaining.


    Therefore, Qin Country also gave the Great Tang Empire a guarantee: The war between Qin and Shu would not last too long, and the wars on the Western Continent would soon come to an end.


    The end of the war also meant the resumption of trade communications in most regions, which was essential for the money-making goals of the Great Tang Empire.


    On the surface, the Great Tang Empire only wished to restore peace on the Western Continent as soon as possible so that the Great Tang Group could continue to trade and make money.


    But in reality, everyone in Qin Country understood that once the Great Tang Empire dealt with Mirage Country on the Endless Sea, it would be able to free its fist to strike at Qin.


    In other words, whether Qin promises or not, if Shu Country is not annihilated by the time the Great Tang Empire has dealt with Mirage Country, then the Great Tang Empire will have to act against Qin...


    ¡°The Poplar Empire is fighting alone on the Eastern Continent, and we need more assistance in dealing with the threat of the Ice Cold Empire. However, we will also do our best to support the efforts of the Great Tang Empire and Qin Country to establish a new international order,¡± said the envoy of the Elf, taking the secret treaty document from Nangong Hong¡¯s hands and going through the terms.


    The situation for the Poplar Empire, sandwiched between the Ice Cold Empire and the Suthers Empire, was relatively more stressful due to its awkward strategic position.


    On one hand, the Poplar Empire genuinely hoped to eliminate a threat in one direction, allowing the nation to expand and develop towards a single focus.


    On the other hand, the Poplar Empire lacked the capacity to declare war on two empires simultaneously: therefore, it desperately hoped the Great Tang Empire would help shoulder some of the burden.


    This so-called ¡°Triple Emperor Alliance¡± meeting was initially proposed by the Poplar Empire. Yangmu Yi personally instigated the Great Tang Empire to attack Mirage Country and threatened the Northern Region of the Ice Cold Empire, thereby reducing pressure and achieving a fragile balance.


    The envoy of Qin Country also scrutinized the document very carefully, only taking up the pen to sign his name after confirming there were no issues.


    The envoy of the Poplar Empire likewise signed, and then both parties applied their respective national seals, thereby making the secret treaty effective.


    After handing over another copy of the treaty to Nangong Hong, the envoy of the Poplar Empire shook hands with him and promised, ¡°If the Great Tang Empire engages in combat in the northern Endless Sea, the Poplar Empire will launch a coordinated offensive to support the action of the Great Tang Empire.¡±


    These were all courtesy phrases; in reality, the Poplar Empire¡¯s attack on the Ice Cold Empire and the Great Tang Empire¡¯s assault on Mirage Country were each going their separate ways without any actual coordination...


    However, Nangong Hong didn¡¯t mind. He smiled and shook hands with the other party, praising the cooperative spirit of the Poplar Empire: ¡°Thank you for the support of the Poplar Empire. In order to ensure the safety of the northern seaways of the Endless Sea and to acquire a favorable northern port of the Endless Sea, thereby strengthening trade with your honorable country, our Kingdom will certainly take action against Mirage Country as soon as possible.¡±


    In fact, what Nangong Hong said was just pleasantries: Taking Mirage Country had nothing to do with strengthening trade with the Poplar Empire. If one really had to find a relation, shipping materials from Mirage Country to the Poplar Empire was just as close as shipping to the Ice Cold Empire...


    But since the three countries had already secretly allied, Nangong Hong naturally had to offer some so-called sweeteners to the Poplar Empire. Therefore, after finishing the handshake, he continued: ¡°In principle, we can join together with the Poplar Empire to force the Ice Cold Empire to recognize the influence of the Poplar Empire in the Northern Region of the Eastern Continent.¡±


    ¡°Then, our Poplar Empire will also recognize the sovereignty of the Great Tang Empire over the territory of Mirage Country.¡± The envoy from the Poplar Empire was grinning like an idiot, hastily making promises.


    The envoy of Qin Country was not to be outdone. Their verbal support was not of much value anyway, so they spoke freely: ¡°Qin Country is also willing to support the actions of the Great Tang Empire towards the direction of the Endless Sea, and we will also support the series of achievements gained from the action.¡±


    In fact, Qin Country had some issues that required the support of the Great Tang Empire and the Poplar Empire. Therefore, Qin Country was willing to make certain concessions on the issue of Shu Country.


    Nangong Hong certainly knew what the other party wanted. He also offered the promise of the Great Tang Empire to Qin Country: ¡°As agreed, if Qin Country can occupy Shu Country before the end of the war with our country and the Poplar Empire, both our country and the Poplar Empire will support His Majesty the King of Qin to take another step forward in status.¡±


    The envoy from the Poplar Empire also followed up: ¡°The Poplar Empire extends its best wishes for His Majesty the King of Qin¡¯s success, and we hope that the Qin Kingdom can soon become the genuine Great Qin Empire.¡±


    After all, they were offering a favor that cost them nothing, so the envoy from the Poplar Empire spoke with ease.


    Indeed, King Ying Duo of Qin wished to progress a little bit further, aiming to upgrade the title of Qin Country to the more pleasant-sounding ¡°Great Qin Empire.¡±


    To be recognized as an Empire by the world, one must gain acknowledgment from other empires, and possess sufficiently large territory and population... If Qin Country could successfully take over Shu Country, it would almost qualify to be elevated to an empire.


    ¡°Thank you for both countries¡¯ support of Qin Country... I believe that in this war, our tri-nation alliance will achieve a complete victory.¡± Upon hearing the promises he desired and confirming that they were recorded in the secret treaty, the envoy from Qin Country beamed with joy.


    ¡°Victory belongs to us! Long live the tri-nation alliance!¡± The envoy from the Poplar Empire also laughed and said.


    Nangong Hong simply uttered: ¡°For victory!¡±


    ...


    On the other side of the Forbidden City, inside the Wuying Hall¡¯s meeting room, a tall beastman General knelt on one knee, listening to a human General read a document he had been dreaming about.


    The kneeling General was the Beastmen General Shan Lu, and the human General reading the document was General Strauss. Strauss said to Shan Lu: ¡°More than fifty thousand beastmen have fallen in the civil unrest within Dahua, their heroic spirits will bless the Beastmen to be under the protection of the Great Tang Empire.¡±


    At hearing this number, a sad expression appeared on Shan Lu¡¯s face: The majority of the soldiers he had led had fallen in battles in places like Fengjiang.


    However, the fact that he could kneel here meant that these sacrifices were worth it; the Beastmen would finally see the dawn of a new beginning.


    Strauss did not pause, and continued to read word by word: ¡°In recognition of the contributions made by the Beastmen to the construction and development of the Great Tang Empire, the Great Tang Empire will award an island as a reward to the Beastmen as compensation.¡±


    Upon hearing this news, Shan Lu suddenly raised his head. He was stunned for a few seconds before he couldn¡¯t help but let out a low roar. How many beastmen had longed for this? The Beastmen would finally not have to struggle to survive in harsh and barren lands.


    They would have a piece of land like paradise, where their descendants could cultivate and live, touching the happiness they had never enjoyed before!


    Strauss paused for a few seconds, allowing Shan Lu time to absorb the information, then continued to add: ¡°Great Tang Empire retains diplomatic, military, and economic powers over this island, but the Beastmen¡¯s right to live on the island will be guaranteed. As long as they do not violate the laws of the Great Tang Empire, the Beastmen are free to live on the island.¡±


    ¡°Upon gaining the survival rights on the island, all debts between the Beastmen and the Tang People are considered settled, and the Beastmen automatically forfeit any other forms of compensation including psychological reparations related to labor slavery.¡± Closing the document, Strauss looked down at Shan Lu kneeling on the ground and asked in a drawn-out tone: ¡°Did you understand clearly?¡±


    ¡°Understood... understood clearly!¡± Shan Lu responded excitedly.

 Chapter 1129: 1050 Vigilant Mirage Country

    Chapter 1129: 1050 Vigilant Mirage Country


    Mirage Country is comprised of four islands, named from south to north: Northern Island, Ben Island, New Shen, and South Island. Each of these islands is quite large and has many natural good harbors.


    However, the largest port in Mirage Country is still the Great Southern Bay on South Island, which is the busiest and most modernized giant port that the country relies on.


    In addition, the capital city of Mirage Country is located on Ben Island, called Shen Capital, which is the political center of the country. The King of Mirage Country, revered as the ¡°Shen Emperor¡± by the Goblins, rules over the whole Mirage Country from here.


    The Prime Minister of Mirage Country is named Shen Wen Dabo, a very short and withered-looking old man. At this very moment, he is sitting in his office, listening to another Minister, Shen Wenxin, report on some rumors he has recently heard.


    ¡°Prime Minister, it seems we need to hasten the construction of our coastal defenses,¡± Shen Wenxin said with deep concern, ¡°According to the intelligence, the ambition of the Great Tang Empire to covet our territory is becoming increasingly apparent.¡±


    Historically, Mirage Country and the Great Tang Empire seemed to have a natural opposition: when the Great Tang Empire first decided to make moves on the Western Continent, Mirage Country had already clashed with them over Dongwan Island.


    In fact, the westward strategy of the Great Tang Empire took away the opportunity for Mirage Country to expand into the Western Continent. On this issue, there is a fundamental strategic conflict between the two countries.


    In terms of expansion interests, the contradictions between the two countries are almost irreconcilable. Mirage Country later goes to war with the Great Tang Empire at Beiyuan City, which is an embodiment of the concentrated outbreak of these contradictions.


    Apart from continuous conflicts with the Great Tang Empire, Mirage Country had conflicts with the now-extinct Zheng Country as well. At that time, Mirage Country invaded many islands of Zheng Country, oppressed Zheng fishermen, and slaughtered Zheng coastal soldiers and civilians, committing heinous crimes.


    At that time, Zheng Country was powerless to resist the invasion of Mirage Country, so this deep-seated vendetta had to be reluctantly endured. But now the situation is different, the Great Tang Empire has inherited all the territories of Zheng Country, and thus also inherited the civilian hatred for Mirage Country that existed on the former Zheng lands.


    Nowadays, many Tang People are very resentful when it comes to Mirage Country. They feel they have an old score with the Goblins that has yet to be settled.


    The other country that the Great Tang Empire absorbed, Qi Country, also harbors animosity towards the people of Mirage Country: during the fall of Qi Country, the numerous crimes committed by Mirage Country in Beiyuan City are also etched in the hearts of Tang People.


    The two countries, with irreconcilable strategic contradictions and deep-seated enmity, simplify the situation: it would be a disservice to the Heavens¡¯ arrangement not to have a war between them.


    ¡°As for the Navy, General Shen Haiping has once again requested a budget for three more battleships. In my view, it seems more in our interest to engage the enemy at sea rather than confining ourselves to the land,¡± Prime Minister Shen Wen Dabo said as he pushed up the glasses on his nose bridge to Shen Wenxin.


    These glasses, incidentally, were imported from the Great Tang Empire, and Shen Wen Dabo is quite fond of them. They are one of the few personal items he seldom goes without.


    ¡°If all goes well, indeed, investing in naval warships might be more cost-effective. We can advance to attack or retreat to defend,¡± Shen Wenxin agreed, before adding a caveat, ¡°However, Prime Minister, I worry that our Navy will not be able to fulfill the task of repelling enemy forces in the open sea, given the Great Tang Empire¡¯s continuous emergence of advanced weaponry.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s first discuss your intelligence,¡± Prime Minister Shen Wen Dabo said, unwilling to draw a hasty conclusion. His judgment affects Mirage Country¡¯s strategic decisions, so he must be as fair as possible.


    ¡°In the past three months, the Great Tang Empire has mentioned our country eighty-seven times through official news channels. They are fanning the flames of public hatred against us, and our trade with the Great Tang Empire is drastically decreasing,¡± Shen Wenxin presented his evidence.


    Another Minister, Shen Wenyu, weighed in, saying, ¡°They have intentionally reduced trade with us and are training their troops for amphibious operations. These are not secrets... Additionally, Qin Country and the Poplar Empire, which have close relations with the Great Tang Empire, seem to be distancing themselves from us.¡±


    ¡°This is certainly a serious issue,¡± Prime Minister Shen Wen Dabo nodded in agreement with this viewpoint.


    Continuing with his concerns, Shen Wenxin said, ¡°The foreign affairs department of the Great Tang Empire has also become very aggressive. Their Deputy Minister, Jiang Run, has made many statements against us recently, claiming that the Great Tang Empire should have more influence over the northern part of the Endless Sea.¡±


    ¡°The content they are preparing to sign with us is extremely harsh; the Shen Emperor Your Majesty would never agree to such humiliating and power-surrendering terms. We are not Qi Country, nor are we Dahua; we are Mirage Country!¡± Shen Wenyu also voiced his grievances.


    ¡°This content comes from a television program in the Great Tang Empire. The show¡¯s host claims Mirage Country is untrustworthy, saying that Goblins have a habit of breaking faith and deserting, and that we like to kill... He is stirring up divisive sentiments.¡± To strengthen his persuasion, Shen Wenxin also presented some materials.


    ¡°Has our foreign affairs department lodged a protest?¡± Shen Wen Dabo asked a question. In his view, such provocation should be directly protested against, to let the adversary witness the firm stance of Mirage Country.


    Shen Wenxin gave a wry smile and explained, ¡°We have lodged a protest, but the Great Tang Empire has ignored it. Therefore, I suspect they are already considering the possibility of waging war against our country.¡±


    In fact, all the ministers and generals of Mirage Country present understood that the Great Tang Empire would not pay attention to protests from Mirage Country. Sometimes, protest is just a method to show one¡¯s stance. If you are strong enough, you don¡¯t need to protest, but if you¡¯re not strong enough, protesting is useless.


    For the Great Tang Empire to launch a war against Mirage Country, there isn¡¯t much preparation work needed in advance: other countries might need to inform their citizens and repatriate expatriates, etc.


    In Mirage Country, there are a pitifully small number of Great Tang civilians and merchants, not mentioning a few spies and intelligence personnel.


    ¡°How well have we prepared? I mean, in military terms, are our preparations already good enough?¡± Knowing that war was inevitable, Shen Wen Dabo looked toward the army generals sitting aside.


    ¡°Obviously not. Prime Minister, we have a coastline of about 700 kilometers that could potentially be landed upon, and it¡¯s impossible to defend such an extensive coastline...¡± the army general named Shenwu Ke began to speak: ¡°However, we are desperately strengthening the stretches of coastline that the Great Tang Empire may attack.¡±


    ¡°Give me the specifics,¡± Shen Wen Dabo, with his arms folded, continued to inquire.


    ¡°Yes, Prime Minister! We have built enough bunkers and defense lines on South Island, which is the main focus of our defense efforts. That¡¯s because there lies Great Southern Bay, a port most familiar to the Great Tang Empire, and its geographical location is relatively closer to the port of Beiyuan City in the Great Tang Empire.¡± Shenwu Ke stood up, approached the map, and explained to everyone the progress of Mirage Country¡¯s war preparations.


    ¡°Due to the tension over the past six months, we¡¯ve built multidimensional fortifications on South Island, constructed 10 field airports, and have deployed 300 of the most advanced Zero Fighters.¡± He pointed at several marked locations on the map as he spoke.


    This was the focus of Mirage Country¡¯s defense: in the last war, the Great Tang Empire relied on aerial superiority to defend their coastline and islands, and this time Mirage Country decided to replicate the Great Tang¡¯s successful case.


    He continued to add, ¡°Over 500 pieces of 150mm caliber heavy artillery have been placed along a 200-kilometer winding coastline, forming four main artillery clusters.¡±


    Furthermore, he started to introduce the defensive deployment of the important port of Great Southern Bay: ¡°In addition, on both sides of Great Southern Bay, we have also constructed permanent defense fortifications made of reinforced concrete ¨C that is, the eastern and western gun batteries.¡±


    After the introduction of the defensive fortifications, Shenwu Ke then proceeded to introduce the disposition of Mirage Country¡¯s troops: ¡°To prevent the Great Tang Empire from landing, we¡¯ve positioned over 200,000 troops on the front line, and in the secondary line, we¡¯ve deployed two armored divisions with over 500 tanks, and an additional 200,000 infantry as a reserve force. These troops can support most beachhead positions within a day and launch counter-attacks against the enemy forces!¡±


    The entire defensive arrangement is quite sophisticated; as long as their air force can control the skies, the fleet of the Great Tang Empire will definitely be defeated.


    Therefore, after listening to his presentation, Prime Minister Shen Wen Dabo nodded in satisfaction and praised, ¡°It looks like we have made sufficient preparations on South Island.¡±


    Shenwu Ke confidently responded, ¡°Indeed, our Zero Fighters have an absolute advantage in range, and our Dragon Bombers are also excellent. If the enemy¡¯s fleet gets close, we can gain air superiority.¡±


    ¡°What if the enemy doesn¡¯t attack from South Island?¡± Shen Wenxin raised a question.


    Shenwu Ke, evidently well-prepared, smiled and explained: ¡°If they do not attack South Island first, the airfields and aircraft on South Island can cover defenses on New Island, with the enemy getting caught in a pincer by air forces from both South Island and Ben Island. Ultimately, they will struggle, sustaining heavy losses.¡±


    ¡°Continue,¡± Shen Wen Dabo was even more pleased, instructing with a smile on his face.


    Shenwu Ke went on to introduce the arrangement on Ben Island: ¡°The defense level on Ben Island is even higher since Ben Island itself has fewer suitable locations for landing. Our defense line is more concentrated, and the troop concentration is higher. If the enemy forces undergo a forced landing here, they will face our resolute counterattack.¡±


    Similar to South Island, Mirage Country also deployed heavy troops on Ben Island. Such deployment allowed the least number of forces to ensure the absolute safety of New Island in the middle.


    ¡°On Ben Island, we¡¯ve deployed over 500 fighter jets and three armored divisions comprising 700 tanks... Relying on solid fortifications, we can repel any landing enemy forces back into the sea.¡± Once Shenwu Ke had finished introducing the army¡¯s deployment, Prime Minister Shen Wen Dabo had the feeling that the money Mirage Country invested in coastal defense was well spent.

 Chapter 1130: 1051 is too optimistic.

    Chapter 1130: 1051 is too optimistic.


    If the Great Tang Empire Navy launches an attack on Mirage Country, the closest and most direct target would be South Island. By-passing South Island and attacking New Island would be an almost impossible task due to the high cost.


    Thus, simply by guarding South Island and Ben Island, New Island, situated between them, can be considered absolutely safe. There is no need to mention Northern Island. It would be foolish for the Great Tang Empire to set out and attack Northern Island after bypassing the other three islands.


    After the presentation of defense deployments by the army, Navy generals also joined the discussion. This meeting was convened due to the escalating risk of war between the Great Tang Empire and Mirage Country.


    ¡°No one can attack the homeland of Mirage Country by getting past Mirage Country¡¯s navy! Over the years, we¡¯ve secretly built 5 super battleships, in addition to the original warships. With a total of 12 battleships, our absolute combat power is unmatched in the world!¡± Speaking on behalf of the Navy was the Supreme Commander Shen Haiping.


    This veteran general¡¯s capability was quite remarkable. Under his leadership, Mirage Country¡¯s Navy stealthily constructed even larger battleships: The new warships employed 460mm caliber main guns and weighed over 40,000 tons!


    Although they were not as magnificent as the Yamato-class battleships that Tang Mo was familiar with, the new-age Mirage Country battleships could still be counted among the most powerful in the world.


    To meet the needs of modern naval warfare, Mirage Country¡¯s new battleships were also equipped with numerous anti-aircraft guns, making them comparable to the Dongwan-class battleships of Mirage Country¡¯s version.


    Shen Haiping confidently assured Mirage Country¡¯s ministers, ¡°We estimate that the Great Tang Empire Navy might have around 10 battleships. They do not match our core strength.¡±


    If it were about attacking the Great Tang Empire, he might not have been so certain. But since it was about defending under the cover of his own air force, his confidence was indeed very solid.


    Talking about the main force fleet of Mirage Country¡¯s Navy, which he had personally crafted, he seemed to radiate light. The old man was extremely proud, considering the main force fleet as his own blood and kin: ¡°Our Navy¡¯s battleships primarily use 410mm and 460mm main guns, far surpassing the world¡¯s mainstream 380mm, hence we possess a certain degree of advantage in artillery combat.¡±


    Mirage Country¡¯s Navy learned from previous failures, focusing heavily on protection and speed. Since the country was established by the sea, the construction of Mirage Country¡¯s Navy was indeed a major focus for the country.


    The new warships could maintain speeds at the world¡¯s mainstream level, and protection received unprecedented attention.


    Therefore, Shen Haiping dared to boast confidently, ¡°Moreover, the armor protection level of our naval warships is higher. Though the speed is not very fast, it is sufficient... Should a decisive battleship clash occur, we will undoubtedly achieve victory!¡±


    ¡°Of course, based on military wargaming, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Navy has its advantages as well: they have a significant advantage in submarines, which we cannot offset.¡± After stating his advantages, he objectively mentioned some advantages of the Great Tang Empire Navy: ¡°Even though our newly-produced destroyers include some anti-submarine weapons, their actual efficacy still needs verification.¡±


    Another point he has not mentioned: radar technology of the Great Tang Empire has now spread, and Mirage Country has also acquired the technology and built some radar stations domestically.


    However, Mirage Country has not yet managed to deploy advanced radar technology on its warships, so the battle vessels of Mirage Country are still blind, solely reliant on human eyes to detect enemies...


    Shen Haiping did not feel that such a gap was irredeemable. In his view, radar was merely another means of detecting targets. He could still find the opponent relying on shore-based aircraft; this gap wasn¡¯t significant.


    He was not aware that radar could also provide firing parameters for artillery, torpedoes, and missiles. This could not be blamed on Shen Haiping¡¯s lack of exposure because, aside from the Great Tang Empire Navy, not many were aware of this.


    So he remained supremely confident, ¡°However, our advantage is that we are fighting on our home ground. We can deploy Dragon Bombers to locate the enemy fleet and conduct anti-submarine operations, forcing their submarines to stay away from our waters.¡±


    ¡°Since we are fighting domestically, our air force aircraft can provide cover, giving us an absolute advantage. The Great Tang Empire Navy, stripped of planes, will be as vulnerable as the alliance navy was in the last war.¡± He mentioned an example from the last anti-Tang war.


    It was a disgrace for navies worldwide: dozens of main warships gathered at sea, yet they did not dare to attack massive maritime borders of the Great Tang Empire for fear of submarines and aircraft.


    In the end, after losing men and resources hastily, the substantial fleet assembled at great expenditure made no impact in the war. It was utterly frustrating.


    ¡°All we need to do is wait, wait for their fleet to commence landing. When the enemy fleet is caught in a dilemma, we take the stage and destroy the enemy¡¯s deployed, non-retreatable warships,¡± Shen Haiping laughed and declared his tactic with confidence, ¡°According to the plan, it only takes an afternoon, and their fleet will be sunk by our mighty cannons, no doubt about it!¡±


    In his view, having aircraft to discern the specific situation of the enemy fleet meant that his fleet could appear at the most suitable position at the most appropriate time.


    ¡°That year, our covert purchase of the Zero Fighter and Dragon Bomber was simply a stroke of genius! The Great Tang Empire would never expect that we could obtain such advanced fighters!¡± The newly formed Air Force officer also spoke with full confidence.


    Despite their recent high expenditure, the strong capabilities of the Zero Fighter are widely acknowledged; the Mirage Country¡¯s Air Force can be said to have accomplished the biggest achievement in the past two years.


    With advanced equipment backing them, the Air Force officers spoke with much more boldness: ¡°The Zero Fighter¡¯s range is long enough, and its performance is advanced enough! It is more advanced than the fighter jets of other countries around the world! This is our greatest reliance! With these fighters providing cover, our warships can attack the enemy¡¯s landing fleet without any reservations! Just by eliminating a hundred thousand soldiers of the Great Tang Empire on the beach, they will realize that attacking Mirage Country is not a good choice.¡±


    To be honest, the technology related to the Zero Fighters sold by the Great Tang Empire is quite advanced, which has given the Mirage Country¡¯s military a strong boost in confidence.


    The operational ceiling of these planes exceeds 9000 meters, which is far beyond any aircraft previously equipped by Mirage Country. At the same time, the advanced Zero Fighters also possess fully enclosed cockpits, offering a more comfortable working environment for the pilots.


    The Zero Fighter, equipped with two machine guns and two cannons, is also considered ¡°formidable¡± in firepower. Though the actual effect is average, compared to the earlier fighters used by Mirage Country, its firepower can be considered revolutionary.


    If one were to look just at performance metrics, it would even be capable of taking on the well-renowned Butcher Fighters of the Great Tang Empire.


    And compared to the measly few hundred kilometers range of the Butcher Fighters, the extended range of the Zero Fighters, with auxiliary fuel tanks, exceeds 1500 kilometers! This vast range ensures that the Zero Fighters can cover much farther areas, which is exactly what Mirage Country¡¯s Air Force is most satisfied with.


    Furthermore, the Zero Fighters possess unimaginably smooth maneuverability; they are agile and light, allowing them to dominate opponents with nearly invincible maneuvers at mid-to-low altitudes.


    It is precisely because of these many advantages that Mirage Country¡¯s Air Force possesses such strong confidence: they believe that their fighter jets, being powerful, can achieve air supremacy on the battlefield.


    Another reason for the confidence of Mirage Country¡¯s Navy and Air Force is that they do not think the Great Tang Empire has any means to send fighter jets to participate in the war in Mirage Country.


    Even the long-ranged Zero Fighters cannot directly cross the ocean to the Great Tang Empire, let alone the Great Tang Empire¡¯s equipped Butchers arriving in Mirage Country.


    Even if the Great Tang Empire finds ways to extend the range of their fighters, the number of planes that could participate in the war in Mirage Country would still be very limited. Relying on their massive numerical advantage, Mirage Country¡¯s Air Force should be able to easily crush the fighter jets from the distant Great Tang Empire.


    ...


    ¡°This is the performance data for the Zero Fighter; look clearly at the parameters on it. If you get tailgated, the best way to shake them off is by diving,¡± said the officer in charge of aviation in the operations command room of Great Tang Empire¡¯s Navy¡¯s aircraft carrier, as he handed the documents to his subordinates.


    The naval aviators, long accustomed to traversing the seas, each took the documents and began to read.


    They soon discovered that the content in the documents was something they had already adapted to during training. Even the Air Force of the Great Tang Empire had deployed Butcher Fighters as hypothetical enemies to help the Navy familiarize themselves with the ¡°enemy¡¯s¡± combat patterns.


    The naval pilots, who have long understood the details of the adversary, now only had one thought: when would they experience firsthand whether the pilots of Mirage Country were as tricky as the army¡¯s aces.


    ¡°In terms of speed and maneuverability, their planes are nowhere near our Pirate Fighters; what do they think they can compete with us with?¡± sneered a pilot, tossing the documents onto the table.


    The fighters equipped by the naval aviators of the Great Tang Empire are the much more formidable Pirate Fighters, far superior to the earlier adversaries of the Zero Fighters.


    Whether in terms of firepower or speed, whether climbing or diving, the Pirate Fighters are far more powerful than the Zero Fighters. And knowing the weaknesses of the Zero Fighters, the pilots of the Great Tang Empire have countless ways to handle Mirage Country¡¯s Zero Fighters.


    To be frank, in terms of air supremacy, Mirage Country is a bit too optimistic.

 Chapter 1131: 1052 This is indeed good news

    Chapter 1131: 1052 This is indeed good news


    On the aircraft carrier¡¯s bridge, an officer walked up behind Marshal Bernard, stood at attention, and reported: ¡°Marshal! The aircraft carrier fleet will set sail in four hours. We have about 850 warplanes available for combat. Due to the distance, replenishing losses will be very difficult, which is our disadvantage.¡±


    ¡°Position of the second escort fleet?¡± Bernard asked without turning his head.


    In front of him, outside the porthole, the smokestacks of Dongwan-class battleships, serving as the aircraft carrier fleet¡¯s guard, had already started smoking. Further out, countless destroyers and several large cruisers were already weighing anchor one after another.


    ¡°The second escort fleet has set out from Dongwan and is expected to rendezvous tonight with the 1st Landing Fleet that set out from Linshui,¡± the aide-de-camp reported proficiently.


    The Chief of Staff, still somewhat uneasy, said to Bernard, ¡°I¡¯m still rather worried about maintaining control of the landing site at night... We only have two Dongwan-class battleships, whereas the Mirage Country is estimated to have more than 10 battleships...¡±


    ¡°So we can only rely on torpedoes and radar from the destroyers to deal with these adversaries equipped with large-caliber guns?¡± He had always felt that the success of such a large-scale maritime operation was a fluke.


    Actually, if it weren¡¯t for the Great Tang Empire¡¯s comprehensive breakthroughs in communications, scheduling, and signaling, Tang Mo wouldn¡¯t dare to launch such an enormous landing operation.


    However, technology has improved, and the Great Tang Empire¡¯s coordination capabilities are tens or hundreds of times stronger than before. Under these conditions, a joint landing operation is no longer an insurmountable task.


    ¡°Not exactly, you also have missile destroyers equipped with anti-ship missiles. These are also our means of dealing with night battles,¡± Bernard said, holding his trump card close¡ªnew weapons.


    He had Styx anti-ship missiles at his disposal, which could be useful even at night, and of course, their destructive effects were better than those of naval guns.


    ¡°I hope those high-tech gadgets are as reliable on the real battlefield as they are in tests,¡± the aide-de-camp quipped.


    In previous tests, the Styx anti-ship missiles had been successful twice in a row, showing good performance. However, naval commanders still lacked sufficient trust in such ¡°hit-every-shot¡± weapons. In their world, it seemed normal to have twenty volleys without a single hit on the target.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± Bernard responded with a smile.


    ¡°The landing fleet has begun to assemble.¡± Another officer walked through the bustling crowd on the bridge to Bernard¡¯s side, stood at attention, and reported: ¡°The 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions commanded by General Lu Qianshan are ready, and the 9th Group Army led by General Feng Kezhi have already boarded.¡±


    ¡°According to the message from the Air Force liaison, the airborne troops will depart after the fleet enters Mirage Country¡¯s waters. 100 Hercules C-130 transport aircraft will carry 6,000 paratroopers for an airdrop behind enemy lines to hinder enemy troop movements,¡± he said, handing over the liaison documents to Bernard.


    ¡°This will be the Great Tang Empire¡¯s most technologically advanced, multi-branched, and complex military operation since its founding,¡± Bernard was excited to command such a large-scale campaign.


    ¡°The army troops must break through the enemy¡¯s beach defenses within 2 days to meet up with the paratroopers behind enemy lines, or they risk being annihilated by the enemy due to lack of ammunition and provision,¡± the Chief of Staff still expressed his concerns: ¡°General Feng Kezhi must initiate the operation without heavy weapons and succeed in advancing at least 50 kilometers within the specified time.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t that be too stressful? This is our first time carrying out such a complex operation, what if something goes wrong...¡± he asked Bernard nervously.


    ¡°If something goes wrong, then we¡¯ll show our loyalty to His Majesty!¡± Bernard said bluntly: ¡°We must complete the mission by any means necessary!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Where is the attack target located? South Island?¡± In the Imperial Capital Chang¡¯an, Tang Mo looked at Mirage Country¡¯s map and asked his Chief of Staff Luff behind him.


    Frankly, he was also very nervous. After all, it was a landing operation involving several hundred thousand people, and the number of forces to be committed later might reach the million mark, something the Great Tang Empire had never organized on such a scale.


    ¡°Yes, it can only be South Island... The airdrop limit of our Hercules transport aircraft is at South Island. If it¡¯s any further, I¡¯m afraid the paratroopers won¡¯t be able to participate in the combat,¡± Luff said with some resignation.


    Due to technological and tactical reasons, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s landing site could only be South Island: it was equivalent to fighting with open cards, using one¡¯s own fist against the opponent¡¯s shield.


    But the existing technology and Mirage Country¡¯s geographical situation forced the advisers of the Great Tang Empire to make such a choice, and Luff had no better alternative.


    ¡°I actually hope they won¡¯t have to participate in combat. In that case, maybe Feng Ke won¡¯t need to consider taking desperate offensive actions,¡± Tang Mo was already pondering the matter of casualties.


    ¡°Your Majesty, General Feng Kezhi is not without support; he has Air Force backing, doesn¡¯t he? A whole 300 Flying Fortress bombers are all at his disposal... It¡¯s a pity the bombers can only carry out one bombing mission a day,¡± Luff consoled Tang Mo.

 Chapter 1132: 1052 This is indeed good news_2

    Chapter 1132: 1052 This is indeed good news_2


    Following that, he added another sentence: ¡°Also, as a secret weapon, we will deploy the latest model of the H-6 bomber to bomb South Island of Mirage Country.¡±


    The range of the H-6 is even farther than that of the Flying Fortress; it can easily fly above South Island, drop bombs, and safely return without even the need for escorts.


    Because it can fly at speeds that Mirage Country¡¯s fighter jets can¡¯t catch up with, and at altitudes that Mirage Country¡¯s fighter jets simply can¡¯t reach.


    ¡°The scale of the landing troops exceeds 150,000, utilizing over 4,000 vessels... just the transportation of 155-caliber artillery exceeds 300 pieces! This is the largest maritime deployment force in the world, and also the first large-scale, long-distance landing operation in history,¡± Tang Mo muttered to himself as he stared at the various data on the map.


    ...


    ¡°According to the satellite photos analysis... the enemy has built 30 large bunker complexes near our selected landing site, here, and here, they must be taken out!¡± At the headquarters of the 1st regiment of the 1st Division of the Navy Marine Corps, which is already assembled at the dock, the commander is checking the beachhead targets with his officers.


    He pointed to several key points marked on the map and said, ¡°The first wave of Stuka bombers will take special care of these concrete bunkers, eliminating these threats! If they can¡¯t do it, then the Dongwan-class battleships will close in and fire, using their main guns to destroy these targets!¡±


    ¡°Engineer Corps must follow the main attacking troops immediately to destroy the remaining small bunkers and trenches, breach the enemy¡¯s barbed wire! Crossing through possible minefields!¡± All details must be repeatedly confirmed to avoid unexpected situations on the spot.


    An officer asked, ¡°Will they use landmines?¡±


    ¡°Unclear.¡± The commander shook his head.


    ¡°How many artillery pieces do the enemy have in the main defense area?¡± Another officer raised his hand to ask.


    The commander still shook his head: ¡°Unclear.¡±


    Another officer continued to ask: ¡°Will there be enemy tanks appearing on the beachhead?¡±


    ¡°Unclear.¡± The commander shook his head again.


    ¡°That¡¯s really some good news.¡± A few officers started to grin bitterly.


    ...


    ¡°The follow-up Engineer Corps will immediately set up floating docks in the landing area, and the speed of subsequent troops landing will significantly increase...¡± The engineering technician explaining the floating dock technology in front of the blackboard glanced apprehensively at the dense crowd of officers seated below him.


    ¡°When can the dock be put into use?¡± General Feng Kezhi, sitting in the chief seat, looked towards the technician.


    ¡°Hard to say, maybe two days, maybe three days. If something unexpected happens, it could be five days.¡± The engineer in charge gave a conclusion that left everyone dissatisfied, and his prudence increasingly worried Feng Kezhi about the landing phase.


    ¡°Then my troops still have to rely on landing crafts to go ashore... That would be faster.¡± Ultimately, Feng Kezhi looked towards his Chief of Staff and instructed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to adapt to the situation as it unfolds.¡± The Chief of Staff nodded; he also didn¡¯t have much confidence in this so-called floating dock.


    ¡°How long can the Navy¡¯s planes provide us with cover?¡± Feng Kezhi turned to ask a liaison officer next to him.


    That liaison officer had already confirmed it many times and responded without hesitation: ¡°About fifteen days, after fifteen days, the troops would basically reach their limit. Their aircraft carriers need to return for refueling, the carrier-based aircraft require maintenance, the destroyers can¡¯t ensure the safety of the landing area at night, and the transport fleet needs to return to bring the second batch of landing troops...¡±


    ¡°Does that mean we need to seize a sufficiently large area within 15 days, establish new airports, to ensure air superiority?¡± Feng Kezhi felt somewhat unsure.


    The liaison officer curled his lips and gave a not very optimistic answer: ¡°Pretty much, but I¡¯m more inclined to think... our troops will lose air superiority and have to fight a lone battle for about a month without any air support.¡±


    ¡°Well, that really is good news,¡± General Feng Kezhi straightened his body, mumbling a lament in a soft voice.


    ...


    ¡°In order to bring as many soldiers as possible, all warships have to load additional infantry... large warships should carry a company, while destroyers should carry a platoon or even two,¡± on a destroyer, the first officer was confirming arrangements for boarding soldiers with the captain: ¡°The scene will be very chaotic when unloading troops, so priority should be given to unloading the soldiers from specialized landing crafts, soldiers on the warships will have to wait.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying, we¡¯ll have to fight alongside these landlubbers?¡± the captain was clearly reluctant, as the additional load of soldiers would impact the resting space of sailors on the warship, and also eat into the corresponding food reserves.


    The executive officer nodded: ¡°You could say that, but not all warships must carry soldiers, the surveillance fleet responsible for fleet security doesn¡¯t need to carry army soldiers.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have fighter jet escorts during the day, so the fleet should be safe, but the most dangerous time is at night when the fighter jets can¡¯t take off, and the enemy¡¯s warships will pose a serious threat to the landing site,¡± the captain worried, since the Great Tang Empire didn¡¯t have a powerful battleship fleet, they had to rely on smaller vessels like destroyers for combat.


    Even though the destroyers of the Great Tang Empire were not small in tonnage to suit the needs of oceanic warfare, compared to the tens of thousands of tons that battleships weighed, they were indeed very delicate.


    ¡°At night, we can only rely on radar and torpedoes for combat. If the torpedoes run out, we will be in a very passive position.¡± This destroyer had not been modernized; it only had torpedoes and no anti-ship missiles, which is why the captain had made such a remark.


    ¡°But we cannot leave. The entire fleet must protect the landing site for at least 15 days, and if possible, the higher-ups hope we can hold out for more than 20 days,¡± the executive officer shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Such intensive combat operations don¡¯t seem easy to sustain for 20 days,¡± the captain felt very unsure about the 20-day deadline.


    The executive officer nodded in agreement: ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s not easy. I¡¯m more inclined towards the original estimate, which is 15 days. That should be the limit. Any more... we, or rather, the entire fleet, would be in grave danger.¡±


    ¡°However, if there are issues with the army¡¯s advance and they can¡¯t establish in-depth positions, still suppressed at the beachhead, then we¡¯ll just have to take the risk,¡± the executive officer added.


    The captain felt that the person who had devised this operation plan must be mad: ¡°Risk the entire navy fleet for the failure of the army?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the executive officer nodded again.


    ¡°Well, that really is good news.¡± The captain managed to squeeze out these words, with his mouth almost twisted to his cheek.


    ...


    ¡°On the day of the airborne operation, navy fighter jets will clear the way by taking out enemy fighter jets¡¯ interception! But they will then have to support the landing site; we can only look after ourselves,¡± inside the paratrooper troops¡¯ camp, the commander was also making the final mobilization.


    Originally, the transport range of the 47 transport aircraft was insufficient, almost missing the airborne operation over Mirage Country. However, with the subsequent service of the 130 Hercules Transport Aircraft, they eventually got the opportunity to participate in the battle.


    For those who had missed the previous war, this was definitely good news! After years of preparations, they finally had a battlefield! So this was good news, no doubt about it!


    ¡°We will hold out for 2 to 5 days without air support, without heavy weapons, without resupply of ammunition! Counting on the army to advance is less reliable than counting on ourselves, as long as we perform well, we can create favorable conditions for the army to break through the enemy¡¯s lines,¡± the paratrooper commander clenched his fist, loudly encouraging his soldiers.


    He seemed to view everything as a trial, a test of their loyalty to the Emperor.


    Therefore, he was not worried about not having enough anti-tank weapons, nor was he concerned about penetrating deep behind enemy lines: ¡°We¡¯ll quickly be surrounded, but no matter, we¡¯re born into encirclement! We will fight to the last man for His Majesty The Emperor! For the Great Tang Empire!¡±


    ¡°For the Great Tang Empire!¡± All the paratroopers shouted together.

 Chapter 1133: Tense Eastern Continent

    Chapter 1133: Tense Eastern Continent


    The intelligence department of the Laines Empire has been rather busy lately, keeping a close eye on the naval movements of the Great Tang Empire.


    Although all signs indicate that the likely target of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s operations is the Mirage Country, the Laines Empire nonetheless does not wish for their Brunnis Port to be suddenly struck by a massive fleet.


    The diplomatic department of the Laines Empire is repeatedly communicating with the Ambassador of the Great Tang Empire residing in the Laines Empire to confirm that the Great Tang will not take military action against the Laines Empire.


    Despite the Tang Ambassador¡¯s reassurances that there will be no military operations against the Laines Empire, the latter remains extremely anxious.


    First, Leines I has assembled 100,000 troops toward Brunnis, and at the same time, the naval fleet of the Laines Empire has also gone on alert. The atmosphere across the Eastern Continent is extremely tense, seeing that the Poplar Empire and the Ice Cold Empire in the north also seem ready to erupt into war at any moment.


    Therefore, the intelligence department of the Laines Empire has been terribly busy recently, desperately gathering any intelligence on the naval operations of the Great Tang Empire without letting anything slip through the cracks.


    Upon entering, this official from the busy intelligence department of the Laines Empire loosened the button on his collar and took a big gulp of water, exclaiming, ¡°I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the investigation going?¡± his curious colleague asked.


    The intelligence officer responsible for the matter said disdainfully, ¡°Some things are so obvious even a blind person could notice! No matter how good the Great Tang¡¯s intelligence work is, they can¡¯t hide such massive strategic preparations.¡±


    As he spoke, he began to gesticulate exaggeratedly: ¡°Their tankers are moving northward, not ten, not twenty, but hundreds of them! Can you imagine a country assembling so many tankers, so many supply ships? Apart from the Great Tang, no other nation can muster so many transport vessels.¡±


    Recently, intelligence personnel in Linshui from the Laines Empire have witnessed a spectacle they may never see again in their lifetimes: the transport ships of the Great Tang Empire docked at sea in such numbers that it could trigger someone¡¯s fear of dense clusters.


    To ensure the logistics for the expedition, the Great Tang Empire even assembled numerous ships specialized in transporting food and supplies; these vessels can¡¯t support landing operations, but they can provide ample resupply for subsequent combat engagements.


    The entire plan is grand and complex, so in the execution process, there is essentially no secrecy to speak of: as long as the enemy has some means of gathering information, they could roughly guess the Great Tang Empire¡¯s strategic deployment.


    The official who had summarized the intelligence spoke up, ¡°At the docks, there are personnel transport ships moored as far as the eye can see! Each of these ships can carry thousands of people, but such ships... in Linshui, in Beiyuan, in Dongwan, in the unseen Dragon Island, there are thousands!¡±


    It¡¯s not only personnel transport ships, but also tank transport ships, medical ships, supply vessels; the Great Tang Empire has mobilized over 4,000 vessels, some even designated as reserves.


    Among these ships are also engineering vessels for constructing floating docks and ships intended to be sacrificed to clear potential minefields.


    He shook his head as he spoke, clearly not understanding the behavior of the Great Tang Empire, ¡°I don¡¯t know why the Great Tang Empire has the confidence to organize such a large-scale attack without being able to deploy aircraft to the Mirage Country... Nevertheless, their commanders seem quite confident about this.¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± his colleague put down the document they had been holding and made a gesture of incomprehension.


    A person recently involved in sorting intelligence on the Great Tang Empire joined the discussion, ¡°Tang troops are assembling and mobilizing, although they have been secretive, still every day soldiers are arriving at the harbor, stepping onto the docks... From the high-rise buildings in Linshui, just lift a high-powered telescope, and you can see the crowds swarming onto the ships.¡±


    As he spoke, he picked up a newspaper from the Great Tang Empire, ¡°Their television stations and newspapers, including radio stations, are all vehemently denouncing the heinous crimes committed by the Mirage Country in Beiyuan and Dongwan, arousing a sentiment of revenge in the people of Qi and Zheng. The entire Great Tang Empire is cheering for the opportunity to attack the Mirage Country. No one is worried about the failure of the war; what they fear is the war being canceled!¡±


    ¡°Everywhere on the streets there are parading crowds, with women holding up signs calling for the extermination of the Goblins, and the survivors from Beiyuan City are even exposing their breasts and loudly condemning the Goblins for defiling their bodies.¡± As he spoke, he picked up another newspaper and showed his colleagues a picture of a disheveled old woman.


    The title was very clear, a woman from Beiyuan City accusing the Goblins of the crimes committed in Beiyuan City, her expression contorted with immense pain and distress.


    ¡°The men are like ticking time bombs, already ignited... In the eyes of the Tang people, Tang People should not be violated. They are shaking their fists, demanding justice for the persecuted women, and the recruitment centers of the Tang Empire have even formed long lines.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but reflect that the Great Tang Empire had taken up a just cause; the entire nation had already begun gearing up for war.


    Monarchs from other countries watched this situation with great envy because it was a power they desired but could not possess. The very thought of being able to mobilize the emotions of an entire nation for one¡¯s own use was exhilarating.


    Therefore, the officials in the intelligence department of this office also greatly envied the Great Tang Empire¡¯s ability to control public opinion. Someone couldn¡¯t help but lament, ¡°Countless people wish to join the military and serve their country; they do not fear sacrificing themselves, or rather, they revere sacrifice. They¡¯re willing to perish for victory, and in their eyes, the Great Tang Empire has never been defeated!¡±


    ¡°Conservatively estimating, the first wave of troops attacking Mirage Country from the Great Tang Empire exceeds one hundred thousand. Whether these troops can breach Mirage Country¡¯s defense line will be crucial to whether Mirage Country can defend its territory,¡± said the official who had just returned to the office.


    Indeed, he had underestimated the power of the Great Tang Empire: the forces mobilized by the Great Tang Empire were far more than one hundred thousand.


    His colleague quickly spoke of Mirage Country¡¯s response: ¡°Mirage Country hasn¡¯t been sitting idle; they imported 300,000 tonnes of concrete from Dorne and Gobur, and procured metal from nearly every nation. They are well-prepared for war; this time, the Great Tang Empire may not easily triumph.¡±


    Someone added, ¡°It¡¯s said that Mirage Country started constructing their coastal defenses half a year ago. In critical areas, they even built formidable multilayered defense structures; these defenses will play a role.¡±


    Mirage Country is also heavily promoting their war readiness, attempting to deter the Great Tang Empire¡¯s attacks with this method.


    And indeed, they¡¯ve invested heavily in defense, purchasing all the materials they could get, including cement and steel rebar, and even heavy artillery and tanks.


    This drained nearly all the funds Mirage Country had saved up: a significant portion of which was earned by supporting the Fengjiang mercenary rebels.


    ¡°Even with naval artillery support, it won¡¯t be easy for the landing troops to forcefully tear through the defense line. Despite the Great Tang Empire¡¯s experience in long-range troop deployment, that¡¯s already events from over a decade ago,¡± someone expressed their opinion.


    As Laines people, everyone in this room had an aversion to the Great Tang Empire. They feared this colossal entity and also felt extremely guilty because of the Brunas affair.


    In their view, the Great Tang Empire was bound to retake Brunas sooner or later, and the conflict between the Laines Empire and the Great Tang Empire was irreconcilable.


    ¡°They will suffer heavy losses. Even if the subsequent troops can land and capture some territory, they will struggle due to a lack of reinforcements. In my opinion, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s operation this time is overly confident,¡± another person agreed with the view and believed that Mirage Country might win.


    The official who had just returned to the office also nodded in agreement: ¡°Indeed, a fleet without air superiority is vulnerable. No matter how many times we simulate it, a fleet without air cover struggles to exert its combat power. Unless the Great Tang Empire can send Butcher Fighter Jets to participate in Mirage Country, they are bound to suffer a crushing defeat.¡±


    Someone immediately laughed, ¡°I¡¯m quite interested in the Great Tang Empire¡¯s crushing defeat. Who wouldn¡¯t want to see the seemingly invincible Great Tang Empire suffer a setback?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I also feel that a crushing defeat for the Great Tang Empire in Mirage Country would be more beneficial for us,¡± everyone else also laughed. The atmosphere in the office suddenly became much livelier; it had been too long since they had such a pleasant conversation, having been repressed for too long.


    Again, modern warfare requires vast amounts of materials. Those street literature stories about intercepting telegrams or decrypting codes to confirm enemy movements are simply nonsense.


    Real intelligence isn¡¯t about a nimble War God sneaking into the enemy headquarters, fighting through two thousand guards to pry open the safe and get that worthless document. Instead, it¡¯s the collection and analysis of an immense amount of mundane information.


    To know the Great Tang Empire¡¯s strategic preparations, one just needs to rent a house beside the railway station and carefully observe whether various materials are entering major ports like Linshui and Beiyuan.


    Besides, the deployment of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s military, the transport of weapons and ammunition, and the assembly of various vessels, whether coal and heavy oil are directed towards places like Linshui¡¯s Dongwan...


    With these pieces of information gathered and analyzed, it would be possible to roughly determine the extent of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s war preparations.


    Moreover, by having merchants at the port observe where over a hundred Destroyers and a dozen Cruisers last resupplied, it would be possible to guess where the main Great Tang Empire Fleet is positioned.

 Chapter 1134: 1054 sails have passed

    Chapter 1134: 1054 sails have passed


    Risking a bit more, send a few people under the cover of night to the coastal airports to sneak a peek, to see if the Great Tang Empire has really gathered all its long-range strategic bombers near Mirage Country, and to also find out whether the Great Tang Empire is indeed preparing to launch a war against Mirage Country.


    You see, sometimes intelligence is that simple: Most of the information about rabbits that Lighthouse Country wants can be found in the public domain on the internet, and those so-called spy intelligence officers who steal information are mostly balding middle-aged men sitting in a large office building in Langley, Virginia, guzzling coffee.


    Real intelligence work actually has nothing to do with suits, ties, and silenced pistols; most of the time, it involves sending red envelopes in a group chat while at work, inciting a bunch of unemployed vagrants to spout nonsense...


    There are indeed actions that involve full combat readiness, but regretfully, they are generally not in capitals with very good order, and the majority of those responsible for carrying them out are mercenaries, extramural personnel, temps... On this point, the whole world is the same: if there is a success, it¡¯s the result of the entire department¡¯s coordinated assistance; if there¡¯s trouble, it¡¯s all done by temps and has nothing to do with us.


    While Dorne, Laines, and even the Ice Cold Empire are guessing against whom the Great Tang Empire is preparing to wage war, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s landing forces have already set out.


    Starting from the southernmost Dragon Island, the Aircraft Carrier Fleet and oil replenishment ships began to head north, followed by the faster Destroyer Fleet divisions that started to leave port successively.


    Capitalizing on their faster speed, the Great Tang Empire Destroyer Fleets headed north in batches, some even already reaching Dongwan Port for resupply.


    The Cruisers and Battleships with higher self-sustainability will resupply materials in Linshui, then continue northward to cover the 1st Landing Fleet that departed from Linshui and Dongwan Port.


    The 1st Landing Fleet is mainly loaded with fully equipped Navy Marine Corps, which are more professional and can drift at sea for a long time, hence departing earlier.


    Next, the entire fleet will convene at Beiyuan City with the 2nd Landing Fleet, which will depart last. This fleet has the largest scale and carries the 9th Group Army¡¯s Main Force Division.


    This fleet departs the latest, so it has the shortest time at sea, and this approach is to accommodate the land forces who lack experience in overseas landings.


    The previously departed submarine units will arrive in the waters near Mirage Country at this time, beginning their planned operation to clear out Mirage Country¡¯s scout ships and fishing boats, eliminating Mirage Country¡¯s eyes and ears. They will clear the waters near the landing zones as much as possible to welcome the arrival of the main fleet.


    When the Great Tang Empire fleet approaches the landing zones, the Imperial Paratroopers will take off to begin their descent. They will enter the war zone on the first night, facing Mirage Country¡¯s military alone, and coordinate with the landing at dawn the next day.


    At the break of dawn on the second day, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s landing will officially begin. Two Main Force Divisions from the Navy Marine Corps will land first to tear through Mirage Country¡¯s coastal defenses, creating favorable conditions for the subsequent troops to land.


    The whole plan is immense and complex, with Navy Marshal Bernard personally in command. The Navy¡¯s Lu Qianshan and General Feng Kezhi of the Army will both participate in this campaign.


    Additionally, although he won¡¯t be present at the front line, Air Force General Xiao Yun will also personally direct the bomber units to join the battle, with the Air Force primarily responsible for carpet bombing missions.


    Despite the distance preventing the Air Force¡¯s fighter jet units from joining the battle, the Navy still has over 400 Pirate Fighters vying for air superiority, plus over 400 Stuka Naval Bombers executing tactical support missions.


    Orc General Shan Lu once expressed hope for the Orcs to participate in the battle, believing that for a piece of rich land, it would be worthwhile for the Orcs to sacrifice tens or even hundreds of thousands.


    However, considering the precious window of opportunity for the landing, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Staff Department rejected the Orcs¡¯ request to join the battle.


    Because Luff and almost all of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s generals believe that what must be assured with this landing is the advancement of the elite attacking troops, and the most important thing is the victory of the campaign.


    So, given the same deployment capacity, it¡¯s obviously more appropriate to send up the elite Tiger Guards of the Great Tang Empire than to send up Orc cannon fodder.


    As for the Orc cannon fodder... don¡¯t worry, during the subsequent siege phase, the Orcs will have plenty of opportunities to prove themselves.


    On January 29th, in the bitter cold when everyone thought it was inappropriate to wage war, the fleet of the Great Tang Empire moved north as a whole, marking the beginning of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s campaign against Mirage Country.


    At the same time, Qin Country began a fierce attack on the Shu Mountain defense line in Shu Country, with a million Qin Army soldiers charging the mountainous defenses as if their lives didn¡¯t matter, drawing the attention of many nations.


    Two days later, the Poplar Empire formally declared war on the Ice Cold Empire, with Elf main forces invading the southern region of the Ice Cold Empire, engaging in fierce skirmishes, and initially ending in a stalemate.


    Unable to control the movements of the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s fleet, Mirage Country¡¯s Navy main force shrank northward, preparing to coordinate with the Army for a defensive counterattack.


    Their thought process was simple: since they couldn¡¯t detect the positions of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s landing fleet anyway, it was better to wait until the Great Tang Empire¡¯s fleet revealed itself!


    After all, they were very confident in their coastal defenses, believing that it would be impossible for the Great Tang Empire to break through in two or three days, and even if they did, the Great Tang Empire Navy wouldn¡¯t be able to get far quickly!


    Thus, a landing fleet of unprecedented scale converged at sea, stretching hundreds of nautical miles front to back. Countless command ships and destroyers shuttled through this gigantic fleet, and occasionally pirate fighters patrolled the sky, roaring past from time to time.


    These fighter jets, with their seagull-like wings, appeared very distinctive. They were extremely fast and were equipped with ferocious firepower.


    The foldable wing design allowed aircraft carriers to carry more pirate fighters, and these aircraft could also be equipped with rockets to undertake ground attack missions, making them very comprehensive navy fighter jets.


    The pilots flying these fighter jets were all elites, having spent most of the past year training at sea. Each pilot had hundreds of takeoff and landing experiences on the water, and had achieved at least ten victories in simulated air combat exercises.


    On the outermost perimeter of the entire fleet, more than a dozen destroyer squadrons roamed, relying on radar for search and early warning, providing early alerts for the fleet.


    The Great Tang Empire Navy, equipped with radar, had an obvious advantage in situational awareness on the battlefield compared to all opponents, and with advanced carrier-based planes could achieve full coverage without any leaks.


    Given that Mirage Country didn¡¯t have a submarine force, it was impossible for any target drifting on the surface of the water to escape the ¡°eyes¡± of the radar on these destroyers.


    Heaven knows how much effort the technical department of the Great Tang Empire put into this landing operation. If it was a few years earlier, they would have been utterly incapable of supporting such a large-scale transoceanic landing campaign.


    After precise calculations, they checked all the meteorological records from the last thirty years in the sea area near Mirage Country in January and finally confirmed that there were no big waves in the sea area near Mirage Country in January due to the influence of the monsoons.


    Subsequently, the submarine forces of the Great Tang Empire, which were on missions, also frequently sent back various meteorological detection intelligence, confirming there were no cloudy weathers near Mirage Country and that sea conditions were surprisingly good.


    Additionally, to ensure that soldiers of the Great Tang Empire could change out of their wet clothes quickly after landing, the Great Tang Empire even transported an extra 200,000 sets of dry military uniforms, packed in plastic bags, following the second batch of soldiers ashore.


    If the sea conditions permitted, the floating docks could be built as soon as the same day, and massive amounts of materials would be transported ashore, including tents better suited for the cold, fuel, and warming items.


    Even to ensure a bit more comfort for the soldiers, the landing site of the Great Tang Empire was chosen to be on the southernmost beach of South Island.


    The destroyers responsible for covering the landing troops would approach to about 500 meters from the beach, and the four large-caliber guns on the destroyers would cover the enemy positions.


    Due to satellite photos providing precise coordinates, the fire support is expected to be very accurate: the entire landing area was divided into 50 squares, and each square would be targeted by artillery strikes from two destroyers.


    The attack would continue until the first wave of landing troops ashore reported back on the effectiveness of the fire suppression, and then adjustments would be made based on the actual situation.


    This was just the naval warship¡¯s fire suppression plan. The navy¡¯s aircraft carrier strike force¡¯s Stuka dive bombers would carry large bombs to accurately target stubborn resistance on the ground.


    Everyone was still confident in the striking ability of the Stukas. As long as the landing zone was not heavily disturbed by anti-aircraft artillery, this slightly outdated but still effective dive bomber could easily level solid ground fortifications.


    If the enemy fleet did not make an appearance, then the two Dongwan-class battleships would also provide fire support with their 380mm caliber artillery. These were truly heavy guns, able to easily blow up a large bunker. Even after traveling 30 kilometers, they could still maintain a high level of accuracy.


    However, relying on these large warships to participate in the battle was not practical because, according to the plan, the entire fleet would be discovered by Mirage Country¡¯s air force as soon as they entered Mirage Country¡¯s waters.


    The range of the Zero Fighters was exceptionally long; they could advance for reconnaissance and assist Mirage Country in confirming the positions of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s fleet.


    Mirage Country had an opportunity to fortify their coastal defenses overnight, and their fleet had a whole night to move ahead of time: and this was the greatest variable in the entire operation!


    The good news was, Mirage Country couldn¡¯t use the night to deploy planes to attack the Great Tang Empire¡¯s fleet; the bad news was that by early morning the next day, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s fleet might face a pincer attack from Mirage Country¡¯s navy and air force.


    On the ground, the only force that could prevent Mirage Country¡¯s armored corps and infantry from reinforcing the beach was the 6,000 Imperial Paratroopers of the Great Tang Empire who would be parachuted behind enemy lines that night.


    They... were the first key to whether this battle could be won.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Two updates today, continuing with make-up updates tomorrow.

 Chapter 1135: 1055 declares war on Mirage Country

    Chapter 1135: 1055 declares war on Mirage Country


    ¡°War has been declared! War!¡± An officer, while running, bursts into an office: ¡°The Great Tang Empire has declared war on Mirage Country! The Great Tang Empire has declared war on Mirage Country!¡±


    Everyone in the office stood up at once, looking at the out-of-breath officer by the door, then started grabbing the telephones: ¡°Hello? Hello! The Great Tang Empire has declared war on Mirage Country! War has erupted! Yes! War has erupted!¡±


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right! War has been declared! We¡¯ve just received the news! It¡¯s Mirage Country! It¡¯s Mirage Country! Hahaha! It¡¯s confirmed!¡± In another office, another group of people were laughing excitedly, shouting into the phone on the other end.


    Confirming the offensive target of the Great Tang Empire was good news for the other empires. This meant they no longer needed to worry about facing the colossal entity of the Great Tang Empire, and the sense of relief was indescribable.


    Out on the runway of the field airport outside Beiyuan City, a P-6 Bomber was uncovered from its tarp, as ground crew were frantically ensuring that every piece of equipment on the aircraft was in excellent working condition.


    Pilots were verifying the checklist, ordered to execute their first bombing mission. Using the P-6¡¯s high range and high speed, they were to bomb South Island of Mirage Country, destroy the island¡¯s field airport, and secure a better engagement environment for the navy of the Great Tang Empire.


    The capabilities of these P-6 airplanes were absolutely advanced at this moment; their opponents simply couldn¡¯t catch up to their speed. These planes were nearly impossible to intercept nowadays, and their payload was also terrifying.


    Normally, if a flying fortress wants to fly beyond 1,500 kilometers, the payload would actually be very low. However, the P-6 could still carry more than three tons of aerial bombs on a range of 2,000 kilometers.


    Furthermore, with the application of the most advanced radio navigation equipment and mechanical ballistic computers, the bombing accuracy of this thing was a notch above that of a flying fortress.


    What¡¯s more frightening is that these bombers could maintain an altitude of over 12,000 meters before entering the bombing target area, while the intercepting fighter jets couldn¡¯t even fly up to 10,000 meters.


    The officer in charge of commanding this bombing mission reminded the leading bombardment commander: ¡°The target is the field airport on the island. Reduce altitude and speed up when entering! Watch out for the Zero Fighter Jets and the Anti-Aircraft Guns on the ground!¡±


    The commander was dressed in an orange life vest, with a flight jacket underneath, and had tubes and a mask to provide oxygen hanging from the front.


    He handed the equipment maintenance report back to the ground crew in charge, then said to the commander, ¡°Understood! We will bomb at a relatively safe speed and altitude. Also, are the special munitions ready?¡±


    The commander nodded: ¡°They¡¯re ready. Among the ordnance for bombing, one-tenth are incendiary bombs. These incendiary devices will create burning zones near the target, providing reference points for the night airborne troops.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good! For the Empire!¡± The frontline mission commander stood at attention and saluted.


    ...


    ¡°Has the will been written? Check again! Check again! Has the will been written? Everyone must write one, regardless of whether they have something to say or not, everyone must write.¡± In the midst of the paratroopers awaiting boarding, an officer responsible for tallying shouted loudly, waving sheets of paper in hand.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t it be more auspicious?¡± A soldier with a huge reserve parachute pack hanging in front of him muttered under his breath.


    The equipment on his body was so suffocatingly extensive: he had the reserve parachute and the main parachute, the life-saving orange vest, a backpack carrying spare ammunition, personal items, and other miscellaneous items, as well as weapons and ammunition, including a tactical vest.


    Beyond that, he was given extra hand grenades, gun grenades to be carried by the grenadier, and a damn communication device spare battery wrapped in waterproof plastic fabric.


    Along with a compass, replacement clothes, identification papers, and a raincoat... every paratrooper felt like they had their whole half-house piled on them, making standing a physical test with this whole setup.


    ¡°It¡¯s for your own good. If you have a beautiful wife, your will can at least ensure that your pension isn¡¯t used by her to support your son¡¯s stepfather,¡± an older paratrooper teased the young soldier behind him with a smile.


    Several soldiers around laughed along, unafraid of death. Since becoming paratroopers, after experiencing rigorous training, they had long become indifferent to life and death.


    Jumping from two to three thousand meters high, feeling the cold wind penetrate their clothes, watching the ground rush up to meet them, these warriors had grown accustomed to the thrill of death always accompanying them like the wind.


    ¡°Board the plane! Board the plane! Move forward! Watch your step!¡± The commander, just as heavily equipped, walked through his troops. Each step he took required a strange gait, a bit like a duck, a bit like someone partly paralyzed.


    ¡°Try to get some sleep on the plane! Keep your strength up!¡± An officer reminded his subordinates while walking forward: ¡°Recall the photos you¡¯ve seen before! Memorize the combat recognition buildings and terrain features you¡¯ve learned by heart! Try to find your comrades! Move together!¡±


    He tirelessly repeated things that had already been iterated countless times, all to give these soldiers, who were engaging in battle for the first time, an extra chance to survive in the field.


    Starting yesterday afternoon, every paratrooper unit had been issued various photos, maps, and terrain illustrations. All paratroopers had to commit these to memory in order to quickly determine their position upon landing.


    In addition, each of them had to carry as much ammunition and other equipment as possible to ensure they could hold out longer behind enemy lines.


    They had to intercept Mirage Country¡¯s reinforcement troops for at least 24 hours on their own, and if there were any unexpected issues during the landing, they might have to hold out for another 24 hours... or even longer.


    This was no joke. Not only did they have to fight alone in the absence of air superiority, but they also needed to control bridges, destroy high-value targets deep within enemy territory, disrupt enemy movements, confuse enemy intelligence, and create massive confusion within the depths of Mirage Country¡¯s defenses.


    They had to rely on gun grenades, rocket launchers, and explosives to counter enemy tanks and use light mortars to fight against the enemy¡¯s heavy artillery.


    But that was nothing to them, for they were Great Tang Paratroopers! They were told they were the most formidable unit upon joining, that they were ruthless and bloodthirsty. They were invincible; they had never failed!


    The Hercules Transport Aircraft had a huge tailgate, which, when opened, formed a vast ramp, making it much more comfortable for the paratroopers to board than climbing onto a Type 47 transport plane.


    The interior of the Hercules Transport Aircraft was also very spacious, accommodating 60 fully armed paratroopers at once. In other words, one Hercules Transport Aircraft was the equivalent of two Type 47 transport planes.


    To ensure the success of the mission, the Great Tang Empire mobilized 150 Hercules Transport Aircraft ¨C 50 more than originally estimated!


    This was partly to ensure that no airplane would be unable to take off due to malfunction, and also because the paratroopers had been unexpectedly provided with many ¡°heavy¡± weapons and equipment.


    Some paratroopers would parachute with anti-tank RPG rocket launchers to ensure they had some anti-tank capability, inevitably requiring more transport planes.


    ...


    Across the expansive sea, a sailor on the deck of a destroyer belonging to the Great Tang Empire hurriedly tossed his cigarette butt into the water. Behind him, on the massive Dragon Island-class aircraft carrier of the Great Tang Empire, Pirate Fighters were lined up densely with their wings folded in.


    ¡°Woo... Second-level alert! Second-level alert! We have entered into the Zero Fighter¡¯s patrol radius! Be vigilant! All anti-aircraft gun positions, switch to combat readiness! Repeat! All anti-aircraft gun crew, take your positions!¡± The tense warning resounded through the broadcast.


    Wearing life jackets and steel helmets, soldiers climbed up the exposed steel ladders to reach the high-angle machine gun platforms.


    Ammunition was pulled out of boxes and loaded into the bodies of the high-angle machine guns. Everyone nervously scanned the sky, as if trying to spot the target with their own eyes.


    This was just a subconscious action due to nervousness because the lack of radar signals meant there were no enemy planes in the vicinity.


    But they couldn¡¯t help but look with their eyes, as if they didn¡¯t quite trust the electronic devices that were prone to malfunctions. Both small and medium caliber anti-aircraft guns pointed at the sky. The sound of waves crashing against the warship created an eerily calm atmosphere.


    ¡°Battle report! Battle report! The Empire has declared war on Mirage Country! A minute ago, our fleet¡¯s forward submarine sank a Mirage Country fishing boat...¡± The broadcast reported the recent event: ¡°Our fleet¡¯s coordinates may have been exposed.¡±


    ¡°I bet Mirage Country¡¯s warships are already waiting for us ahead,¡± a gunner sitting at his post, gripping the handle, muttered to the ammo loader beside him.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you be more optimistic? Couldn¡¯t those damned goblins from South Island just surrender quietly?¡± The ammo loader looked around the sky, complaining to the gunner beside him.


    ¡°Just talking,¡± the gunner said with a resigned smile, hoping everything would go smoothly: that the enemy would wait like fools until they dropped all the landing troops ashore before responding, that the enemy fleet would never appear around them for the rest of their lives.


    Unfortunately, the enemy would not cooperate. They would struggle and strike back... In fact, after the Great Tang Empire declared war on Mirage Country, the main fleet of Mirage Country¡¯s navy began to warm up their boilers, ready to set sail.

 Chapter 1136: The data of 1056 is incorrect

    Chapter 1136: The data of 1056 is incorrect


    Mirage Country, Ben Island, Shen Capital.


    Shen Wen Dabo saw the war declaration from the Great Tang Empire against Mirage Country, and he also noticed the news about the main fleet of the Mirage Country preparing to leave the northern port.


    ¡°Air defense alert is deployed, all radars are on, and we predict that the enemy will start by bombing us. The Zero Fighter jet troops are already airborne and ready to intercept the incoming enemies at any moment,¡± reported General Shenwu Ke.


    ¡°War is now inevitable for us; thus, victory is our only choice. We should make the Tang People realize that Mirage Country is not a weak country that can be easily manipulated,¡± said Shen Wen Dabo with an icy tone.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t identified the specific location of the enemy fleet yet, but we surmise it¡¯s approaching South Island directly from the south,¡± explained Shenwu Ke.


    ¡°Speculation isn¡¯t reliable, I hope you can swiftly grasp the movements of the enemy,¡± Shen Wen Dabo shook his head.


    ¡°Please rest assured, Prime Minister, we will definitely defeat the enemy!¡± Shenwu Ke said solemnly.


    Disdainfully, Shen Wen Dabo reminded, ¡°My confidence is of no use, we need Shen Emperor Your Majesty to believe!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Shenwu Ke lowered his head to promise.


    ...


    On the afternoon that the Great Tang Empire declared war on Mirage Country, the Dragon Bombers that took off from the mainland of the Empire entered the airspace over South Island of Mirage Country.


    The appearance of these bombers terrified the Mirage Country air defense radar station personnel on alert duty. They had never seen such eerie signals on their radar screens before.


    ¡°Are these fighter jets?¡± a Mirage Country soldier, looking at the signal blips on the radar screen, incredulously asked his superior.


    The duty officer was also completely bewildered; he confirmed that the flickering blips were the enemy¡¯s aircraft, but he had never seen such large blips before.


    ¡°Damn it, are these our Dragon Bombers?¡± the officer finally squeezed out these words after a long while.


    However, his subordinate immediately denied it: ¡°Sir, even our Dragon Bombers are not that large... and besides, where is this the speed of a Dragon Bomber?¡±


    To be honest, this was not even the speed of any aircraft they were familiar with: in Mirage Country, even the fastest Zero Fighter jet could only fly at about 550 kilometers per hour at most.


    In fact, there¡¯s some exaggeration here: the actual top speed of Mirage Country¡¯s Zero Fighter Jets was less than 500 kilometers per hour, and that was the limit achieved at an ideal altitude of 4,200 meters.


    But now, the monstrous behemoths appeared on their radar screens were flying terrifying speeds of 900 kilometers per hour at an altitude of around 8,000 meters.


    In other words, the speed of these things was almost double that of the Zero Fighter jet, and their flying altitude was also almost double that of the Zero Fighter jet...


    ¡°Great Tang Empire¡¯s secret weapon?¡± The experienced officer of Mirage Country immediately realized they might be in big trouble.


    There was no helping it; the Great Tang Empire often came up with some unexpectedly terrifying weapons, and now a similar weapon had appeared, which didn¡¯t surprise him at all.


    Only, he guessed the ¡°model¡± of the weapon wrong: he thought this thing might be the Great Tang Empire¡¯s ballistic missiles, since such weapons appeared on a country¡¯s radar screen for the first time.


    But the number of these ¡°ballistic missiles¡± was also a bit too much... On the radar, there were nearly 100 of them! Joking aside, South Island would face a great disaster if so many missiles fell.


    ¡°Regardless of what it is, sir... what should we do?¡± the soldier asked timidly.


    ¡°Notify Great Southern Bay and other cities and field airports... sound the battle alarm! Command nearby fighter jets to check out the situation... What else can we do?¡± The duty officer could only proceed with the standard air defense alert process, as he had no better solution.


    Of course, he truly didn¡¯t dare utter the joke of having fighter jets go to intercept, so he used a vague command of ¡°going over to take a look.¡±


    The piercing air defense alarm bellowed through the skies, and subsequently, the already airborne Zero Fighter jets of Mirage Country, guided by the ground radar station, rushed towards the strange targets.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with the data parameters given by the ground radar station? What the heck is this?¡± In the sky, upon hearing the ground radar station¡¯s report, the first reaction of the Zero Fighter jet pilot was that the duty officers at the ground radar station had gone mad.


    ¡°Speeds over 900 kilometers per hour? Are they talking about monsters?¡± Another Zero Fighter pilot who heard the same information was close to cursing out loud.


    Their fighter jets could only reach speeds of 500 kilometers per hour; how were they expected to intercept a target moving twice as fast as they were? Was there some mistake?


    ¡°Ground radar station! Ground radar station! Is the data wrong? Is the data wrong? Did I hear the target is at an altitude of 8000 meters? Traveling at a speed of 900 kilometers per hour?¡± The Goblin Flight Team Leader checked the data again, somewhat annoyed.


    ¡°Yes, the data is correct! We also don¡¯t know what the enemy is! Go check it out! You must go check it out immediately!¡± the ground radar station responded.


    ¡°Received...¡± With heavy unease, the Goblin Flight Team Leader could only command the ten Zero Fighters that took off to intercept, following him to the interception zone to take a look.


    Due to their absolute disadvantage in speed, they only had one chance for a head-on encounter, so these Zero Fighters began to turn and climb.


    There was no other choice; their fighters couldn¡¯t reach 500 kilometers per hour at an altitude of 8000 meters. At that thin atmospheric level, it would be good enough if their planes managed to climb to 400 kilometers per hour.


    Furthermore, because of the thin air, at this altitude, the control of their planes was already at its limit. This meant that maneuvering the planes at this height was an incredibly exhausting task.


    What usually took barely ten seconds to turn now might take half a minute. Such maneuvering performance made it impossible to execute basic intercept actions, so all these Zero Fighters rushing to the intercept zone could only really ¡°take a look.¡±


    ¡°Altitude 7000 meters! Go any higher, and our planes can only fly in a straight line,¡± a Goblin Pilot complained.


    ¡°We¡¯re approaching the target area now! Watch out for overhead and directly ahead!¡± the leading Flight Team Leader reminded his subordinates. He continued to control his plane, climbing meter by meter.


    The climbing speeds of jet planes and piston-engined fighters were entirely from different eras: Climbing to 6000 meters would take the Zero Fighters 7 minutes and 28 seconds, while a MiG-19 could do it in less than a minute.


    ¡°Target spotted! Target spotted!¡± Soon, a terrified voice came through the headphones: ¡°I see them! At the 11 o¡¯clock direction! At the 11 o¡¯clock direction, altitude 8500 meters! Altitude 8500 meters!¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± The Goblin Flight Team Leader couldn¡¯t help but curse when he looked up and saw the massive formations of bombers properly aligned.


    The aircraft he saw were nothing like the ones he was familiar with; the massive bodies of these beasts had wings that were slightly swept back! They had no propellers, or to put it another way, the Goblin Flight Team Leader couldn¡¯t immediately find the propellers on these behemoths!


    ¡°What the hell is that speed?¡± As he watched the huge grey aircraft zoom past overhead, the Goblin Flight Team Leader lamented their inability even to turn and follow, let alone catch up.


    He watched helplessly as a dense formation of Great Tang Empire bombers flew far away, more than 1500 meters above his own plane, unable to even turn and aim their machine guns at the enemy.


    This altitude was too high; their aircraft were already at their limit, the control was very poor, and the climbing speed had dropped to the point where it was comparable to a turtle¡¯s pace.


    Yet at this altitude, their opponents could still fly so fast that they could only watch as the targets moved farther away.


    ¡°They¡¯re too fast...¡± Another Goblin Pilot also complained: ¡°And what is that sound?¡±


    Despite being enclosed in glass cockpits and wearing headphones, the Goblin Pilots could still hear the deafening roar of the jet engines.


    ¡°Are their planes exploding?¡± another Goblin Pilot asked in confusion. The disturbing noise was too prominent, as if it could rip their planes apart at this distance.


    ¡°We can¡¯t catch up with them...¡± The Goblin Flight Team Leader angrily pressed the talk switch: ¡°Ground Command! Ground Command! We have located the target! Their flying altitude is 8500 meters! It¡¯s the Great Tang Empire¡¯s bombers! Confirmed, it¡¯s the Great Tang Empire¡¯s bombers! We can¡¯t catch up with them... I repeat, we can¡¯t catch up with them anymore!¡±


    ¡°Received! Great Tang Empire bombers!¡± The voice from Ground Command came through the headphones, also filled with intense shock.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Great Tang Empire¡¯s new-type bombers! No previous records!¡± The Goblin Flight Team Leader continued to report: ¡°Their flight direction...¡±


    Mid-sentence, the Goblin Flight Team Leader noticed that the planes they were tracking had in the distance accelerated even further. Forgetting the data he intended to report, he burst out with an expletive: ¡°Damn! They¡¯re speeding up even more!¡±


    The maximum speed of a H-6 is 1050 kilometers per hour, so a speed of 900 kilometers per hour is actually not surprising. Carrying only 2 tons of ammunition and having exhausted nearly half of the fuel, it can easily reach its maximum velocity now.


    Amid the thunderous noise of the jet engines, the Great Tang Empire bombers began to lower their altitude and disperse their formation, bombing the entire South Island¡¯s Shen Army targets.


    The bomb bays of the bombers slowly opened, and one after another, cluster bombs were tossed out of the bay, the bombs correcting their falling posture with the assistance of air turbulence.

 Chapter 1137: 1057 guessed the answer

    Chapter 1137: 1057 guessed the answer


    The airflow made these falling bombs sway slightly from side to side. As they descended to a certain altitude, the locking structure of these cluster bombs opened, allowing the strong wind to lift the protective casing.


    A huge gust of air instantly blew open the four-section casing, blossoming like a beautiful flower in the sky. The next second, the submunitions fixed to the internal structure scattered like fairies scattering flowers, left to be blown about by the air everywhere.


    After two or three seconds, these melon-sized submunitions slammed into the ground, bursting one after another. The continuous explosions were like a storm sweeping over the targets on the ground.


    From the barren open ground, the cluster bomb explosions spread all the way to the airfield covered with camouflage nets. The Zero Fighters and Dragon Bombers hidden under the nets were instantly swallowed by the blasts.


    The anti-aircraft gun positions, which had just aimed their muzzles at the sky, were also lifted into the air in the next second, and then scattered back to the ground, crashing down everywhere.


    Although at least two-thirds of the bombs did not hit their targets directly, this new type of ammunition still demonstrated good destructive effects on unprotected airport targets.


    Just the one-third of submunitions that hit the target turned the entire field airport runway into a moonscape. The numerous craters instantly crippled the airport, and it would take at least several days of repair work to possibly resume normal operations.


    And such results don¡¯t even include those aircraft that have been incapacitated on the side: half of the airfield¡¯s planes were disabled, most of them scrapped with no value in repair.


    Without delay, the bombers that had dropped the bombs banked and left the battlefield, leaving behind the stunned Goblins staring blankly at the distant black dots vanishing into the sky.


    The Zero Fighters that had taken off in an emergency had barely climbed to around 4,000 meters, only to find that they couldn¡¯t catch up with the retreating Great Tang Empire bombers.


    The nearest Zero Fighter pilot could even see the dragon emblems painted on those grey-white fuselages, yet had no opportunity to close the distance and unleash a burst of machine gun fire at those damned enemies.


    In fact, this wasn¡¯t even the most miserable part. The most miserable thing was that after chasing for half a day and watching the bombers of the Great Tang Empire leave, the pilots returned to find their airfield riddled with holes and unusable.


    Before they ran out of fuel, they had to quickly transfer to other airfields that had not been attacked or had survived the attack to land.


    Luckily, the Zero Fighters had a long enough range and enough endurance; otherwise, these homeless planes might actually have run out of fuel and crashed near the smoky runways of their airfield.


    The results of this bombing were truly outstanding; out of the airfields Mirage Country deployed on South Island, at least 7 were completely paralyzed and rendered useless.


    110 Dragon Bombers were deployed at these airfields, and now less than 30 remained usable. Similarly, out of the 210 Zero Fighters stationed there, fewer than 100 could continue to fight.


    That is, of the 300 Zero Fighters Mirage Country deployed to South Island for combat support, less than 200 remained even before the official engagement in battle.


    The entire South Island air defense system was in chaos, with rescues being conducted and casualty reports being tallied. Within just a few hours of the two countries formally entering the war, Mirage Country suffered enormous losses.


    Inside the Air Force Command on South Island, a group of officers was in disarray. From time to time, someone rushed past with documents, moving fast enough to create a breeze.


    By one desk, an air force officer was clutching the phone, shouting, ¡°Yes! We need more anti-aircraft guns! The enemy used a kind of high-speed bomber that the Zero Fighters can¡¯t intercept... Our highly-anticipated fighters have let us down.¡±


    The air force of Mirage Country didn¡¯t have their own uniforms; they wore the same ones as the infantry, with just a slight difference on the collar and shoulder patches.


    This officer was requesting more anti-aircraft guns from Ben Island. Mirage Country had not deployed many anti-aircraft guns on South Island previously due to their great faith in the performance of the Zero Fighters.


    But now, the facts proved that the Great Tang Empire¡¯s bombing was still effective. The fighter defense line, which could not secure South Island¡¯s safety, was as good as non-existent¡ªan emergency allocation of more anti-aircraft guns became another option for South Island air defense.


    Not far behind this officer, another was also clutching a phone, reporting to his superiors the losses from the recent bombing: ¡°Losses? About 100 Zero Fighters are scrapped, some parts can still be used, some engines are still intact, but they can¡¯t fly anymore...¡±


    The incident was sudden; they had not been able to visit the scene. However, the message from the airport indicated that the enemy had dropped a large number of small bombs, completely covering the entire field.


    This description baffled many, and they also lacked a proper understanding of the devastation caused by cluster bombs to airports: they could not imagine how terrifying a large number of bombs, specifically designed to destroy runways, could be.


    While the officers reporting the losses harbored a sense of unnamed fury, at least they didn¡¯t need to be frantic. At this moment, the truly devastated were those air traffic controllers. Their duties were urgent, and being a minute or second late could cost lives.


    Only in another corner of the command center, the dispatchers clutching their phones have already started to tremble in their voices: ¡°We have 20 Zero Fighters that took off to intercept enemy planes and cannot land now, do you have space there? Yes! They can only land at your location... please arrange a landing time...¡±


    ¡°What did you say? Your Field Airport had 15 Zeroes transferred over? What do you mean ¡®at least half an hour¡¯? Can a plane with no fuel stay in the air for half an hour? Hello? Hello?!¡± Another dispatcher is on the verge of tears.


    Their airport has been severely damaged and is no longer capable of allowing previously launched intercepting Zero Fighters to land.


    Therefore, these planes must be diverted to another airport for landing, but these planes do not belong to that airport, so they must be arranged on a temporary basis.


    With different troops being served, the sudden increase in the number of planes to be dispatched has all bases¡¯ dispatchers busy beyond measure. They have never had any training for a situation like this and are overwhelmed by the sudden problems.


    The third dispatcher at this time is close to breaking down; the Zero Fighters he is responsible for were the first to take off, and by now they are almost out of fuel.


    So, he can only hysterically threaten, no longer caring about the other party¡¯s feelings: ¡°No matter what, you must arrange for the planes to land! If we lose more planes, I¡¯ll go to the main base and report your dereliction of duty!¡±


    Not far from these dispatchers nearing madness, the Chief of Staff responsible for the defense of South Island is also on the phone: ¡°Hello? Hello! What? Speak clearly, what do you mean ¡®attacked¡¯? Great Southern Bay? I¡¯m listening?¡±


    The air defense units¡¯ observation posts report to him that thick smoke is rising from Great Southern Bay, seeming like something has attacked there.


    So, the concerned Chief of Staff of the Mirage Country Air Force anxiously inquires: ¡°What? What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Great Southern Bay has been attacked,¡± came the definitive answer from the other end of the phone.


    The Chief of Staff hesitates, guessing: ¡°Bombing?¡±


    He speculates that it may be the newly arrived bombers of the Great Tang Empire that have split off to bomb Great Southern Bay.


    The other side rejects this guess: ¡°No. We speculate it¡¯s the same kind of weapon called ¡®missile¡¯ that Great Tang Empire used in the attack on Dahua¡¯s capital ... Three explosions, all in residential areas, causing heavy losses, dozens of buildings have collapsed, and casualties are over a thousand.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Have the ships in the harbor been evacuated?¡± The Chief of Staff hangs up the phone somewhat helplessly and turns back to look at the officer who had been waiting behind him.


    ¡°They have been evacuated! Following the prearranged plan, I have ordered the troops to be ready to deploy mines in the designated area at any time...¡± The officer replied with his chin raised.


    General Shengwu Zhong, responsible for the defense of the entire South Island, is quite satisfied: ¡°Well done! Since those Tang people have hidden their cards, don¡¯t blame us for playing dirty. Deploy mines and underwater mines in the suspected landing areas! At all costs, stop Tang Country¡¯s troops on the beaches!¡±


    Even though they were prepared, the officer still expresses some concerns: ¡°Understood! But... General... the use of mines and underwater mines is against the international weapons treaty...¡±


    After all, they all had signed that treaty, promising not to use inhumane and dangerous weapons such as mines, underwater mines, and White Phosphorus Bombs. If Mirage Country were to break the treaty now, Great Tang Empire might retaliate.


    Shengwu Zhong frowns and reprimands: ¡°Idiot! At a time like this, who cares about honor? The real victory comes at any cost!¡±


    ¡°Yes! I will immediately go to convey the orders,¡± the officer bows his head and turns to carry out the task.


    ¡°First, they destroyed the South Island¡¯s airport, the bombing is very targeted... It seems their target is us, no mistake.¡± His gaze falls on the large map hanging on the wall, Shengwu Zhong looks grave: ¡°Request reinforcements... more tanks, more infantry, more Anti-Aircraft Guns...¡±


    ¡°Yes! General!¡± The Chief of Staff bows his head and turns to send out the telegrams.


    ¡°Where will you land? Is it the south beach, or the north beach, or could it be... can you only try to seize the Great Southern Bay at the first opportunity?¡± His gaze sweeps through the three locations, Shengwu Zhong mutters to himself.


    ¡°The most dangerous is still Great Southern Bay... You come from afar, what you most want, must surely be the port, right?¡± Standing in place for a while, Shengwu Zhong feels he has guessed the answer: ¡°Then I will wait for you right here...¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Supplemental update

 Chapter 1138: 1058 snow white petals

    Chapter 1138: 1058 snow white petals


    For the landing fleet of the Great Tang Empire, it was actually a bit too tense. They did not encounter the patrolling Zero Fighters, nor saw any Dragon Bombers or similar twin-engine long-range bombers.


    It seemed that Mirage Country had not dispatched any aircraft to guard their sea area, so the fleet of the Great Tang Empire continued to advance into the night without encountering Mirage Country¡¯s Navy or Air Force.


    The truth of the matter was, the Zero Fighters and Dragon Bombers that were scheduled to go on patrol had all their sorties canceled due to the level 6 bombing.


    The Mirage Country¡¯s airfields had been destroyed, and many aircraft were crippled on the ground, making it impossible for them to take off for patrol duties.


    Meanwhile, those airfields that were not destroyed were busy from the afternoon into the night with receiving planes returning from other airfields, with no time or manpower to spare for patrol tasks.


    Busy with such tasks until nightfall, it was then that Mirage Country realized they had not dispatched any planes for patrols, but by then it was too late to send any.


    Thus, the Mirage Country troops on South Island entered the critical night completely unaware of the situation.


    Around eight or nine o¡¯clock, the Flying Fortress Bombers launched by the Great Tang Empire arrived over South Island, beginning another round of nighttime bombing.


    These bombers dropped a large number of bombs, blasting some areas of Mirage Country¡¯s South Island again. The defending Mirage Country garrison did not know what was happening. They retaliated with their limited number of Anti-Aircraft Guns, which could only scatter the Great Tang Empire bombers dropping bombs near the Great Southern Bay.


    Finally, as the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Flying Fortress Bombers flew back home, the soldiers on duty at the Mirage Country radar stations were finally able to take a break.


    But before they could prepare something to eat for themselves, a large number of blips appeared on their radar screens again.


    ¡°Officer! Officer! They¡¯re here again! They¡¯re coming again!¡± a soldier exclaimed loudly while staring at the crowded blips on the screen.


    ¡°Sound the combat alarm!¡± cried the duty officer, almost in tears: ¡°Again? When will this ever end?¡±


    The air raid alarm in the Great Southern Bay sounded once more, and the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Troops, who had barely rested for less than two hours, rushed out of the barracks again, running to the anti-aircraft gun positions and cranking the handles to aim the barrels into the sky.


    However, they did not find their targets, and the few searchlights swung back and forth in the pitch-dark night, failing to spot any enemy bomber coming to drop bombs.


    ...


    ¡°For His Majesty! Long live the Great Tang Empire!¡± Inside the open aircraft cabin, the cold air was raging around everyone. The ready Great Tang Imperial Paratroopers, standing up and peering at the dim lights below, rose to their feet.


    ¡°Check your parachute lines!¡± the leading officer loudly reminded his soldiers, and though his words were somewhat lost in the turbulent airflow, the soldiers in the front row all raised their fists in response.


    The troops at the back checked the parachutes and weapons of the ones in the front and then patted the shoulders of those ahead, who after ensuring their comrades¡¯ gear was secured, did the same for the person in front of them.


    Passing the checks down the line, everyone eventually lowered their fists. The platoon leader at the front nodded to everyone, and the paratroopers then charged out of the aircraft cabin into the faintly twinkling green lights.


    There was almost no anti-aircraft fire in the sky around them, as all of Mirage Country¡¯s strategic deployments had been disrupted by the intensive strategic bombings of the Great Tang Empire. The Mirage Country military, which had scarcely rested throughout the day, had no inkling that the assault had already begun.


    Against the backdrop of twinkling stars, clusters of white parachutes bloomed in the sky; over a hundred transport aircraft flew in formation at less than two thousand meters, leaving trails of white blossoms across the sky where they passed.


    ¡°Ratatatata!¡± Small-caliber anti-aircraft guns began to fire, lighting up lines of light with tracer bullets. Troops from a nearby anti-air defense position in Mirage Country finally mounted a substantial counterattack.


    But judging from the intensity of the fire, the Mirage Country forces nearby must not have been numerous. They were launching counterattacks with only the weapons they had, appearing so lonely and helpless.


    Most of the Great Tang Empire paratroopers encountered no danger; they gradually approached the land in the whooshing wind, with their miscellaneous packs and other equipment tied under their feet.


    In complete darkness, Xiang Ziyu hit the ground hard. After his legs touched down, he toppled over from the inertia, rolling twice on the ground before coming to a stop.


    By the time he finally managed to get up, his parachute had fallen over him and enveloped him... It took him a while to free himself from the parachute and he retrieved his assault rifle fixed to his chest.


    To move more freely, Xiang Ziyu unhooked the spare parachute hanging on his chest and abdomen, and simultaneously removed the conspicuous red inflatable life jacket.


    By the light of the moon, he spotted a vague forest in the distance and fires still burning further away, likely the remains of incendiary bombs dropped during the day, not yet completely extinguished.


    Watching as a dark figure crashed onto the ground not far away, the parachute then gradually floated down, covering the unlucky fellow underneath.


    Xiang Ziyu, clutching his weapon, crept over. Only after the other party crawled out from the parachute did he lower his voice to confirm: ¡°Snow white!¡±


    ¡°Petal!¡± The soldier immediately responded nervously with the password. He was struggling to free himself from his spare parachute, but due to the heavy equipment, his movements were somewhat clumsy.


    Xiang Ziyu went over to help him undo the buckles, remove the parachute, as well as that annoying orange life jacket: ¡°What¡¯s your backup gear?¡±


    ¡°Batteries! Officer!¡± Recognizing the lieutenant¡¯s insignia on Xiang Ziyu¡¯s helmet, he replied in a lowered voice: ¡°There should be two gun grenades in my pack.¡±


    ¡°Snow white!¡± At this time, a voice called out the password from behind. Xiang Ziyu ducked lower and responded to the call: ¡°Petal!¡±


    A few paratroopers pushed through the grass and bent over to reach Xiang Ziyu¡¯s side: ¡°Officer! It¡¯s really good to see you.¡±


    ¡°Li Tao! Give the batteries to the signaler! And your gun grenades, remember to hand them to me.¡± Xiang Ziyu tidied his weapon, attached the gun grenades, and checked the magazines on his chest: ¡°Try to make contact with battalion headquarters!¡±


    ¡°Prepare the flashlights! Respond to them with light signals if someone tries to communicate with lamps!¡± Xiang Ziyu assigned tasks one by one: ¡°You, you, and you! Establish a perimeter for guard duty! Move!¡±


    ¡°Liu! Establish contact with battalion headquarters as soon as possible! Has anyone found any familiar landmarks?¡± He looked at another seven or eight soldiers who had gathered and asked.


    ¡°No! There¡¯s an enemy High-Angle Machine Gun emplacement on that hill! Other than that, we didn¡¯t discover anything!¡± someone replied.


    ¡°Old Chen! Old Chen! Take two men! Form a patrol squad! Gather all the scattered soldiers nearby! Stay alert! And by the way, see if there are any enemies around... it would be even better if you could find a reference point!¡±


    The one called Old Chen, a squad leader, immediately nodded: ¡°Understood, Platoon Leader! You and you! Come with me!¡±


    ¡°Are the personnel from the Company¡¯s direct night combat squad present?¡± Xiang Ziyu pulled out a raincoat from his baggage, covered his flashlight with it, and looked at the map wrapped in plastic cloth. Unfortunately, with no landmarks, he couldn¡¯t pinpoint his exact location.


    However, they were already quite fortunate this time with the airdrop; until now, they had not encountered any Mirage Country troops, which for them as paratroopers, was almost equivalent to saying there had been no resistance.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen them!¡± a soldier replied. Right then, the platoon leader of the 1st platoon came over with about fifteen men, including a signaler and some carrying two RPG rockets¡ªyes, just the rockets, no launcher...


    ¡°Anyway, our situation now is much better than expected, at least we weren¡¯t dropped onto the enemy¡¯s positions,¡± said the platoon leader of the 1st platoon with relief upon seeing Xiang Ziyu, the Company Leader.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but we need to find a reference point as soon as possible, then ascertain our position, and locate the target we must seize...¡± Xiang Ziyu stood up, looking at the Mirage Army¡¯s Anti-Aircraft Guns still firing into the sky: ¡°How about you take some men over there to scout around for directions?¡±


    ¡°I have no objections! 1st platoon, follow me...¡± The platoon leader of the 1st platoon did not hesitate for a moment, immediately ready to execute the order.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush! Wait for Old Chen to return, let¡¯s get a clear picture of the surrounding situation first.¡± Xiang Ziyu held the other¡¯s shoulder: ¡°We still haven¡¯t found the 2nd and 3rd platoons¡¯ people.¡±


    ¡°The direct night combat squad has been found! But only three of them! No sign of the others yet,¡± a soldier hastened over, bringing three soldiers with him.


    These soldiers were equipped with the Great Tang Empire¡¯s individual night vision gear and belonged to a special force capable of operating in the dark.


    More and more soldiers were gathering, and in a moment, there were already over fifty soldiers here. At this time, Xiang Ziyu turned to the platoon leader of the 1st platoon and instructed: ¡°Go and carry out the mission. Take down that Anti-Aircraft Gun position and try to bring back some prisoners!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The platoon leader of the 1st platoon saluted, turned around to leave.


    Xiang Ziyu stopped him once more: ¡°Take the night combat squad with you, no casualties allowed!¡±


    ¡°Rest assured! Company Leader!¡± The platoon leader of the 1st platoon smiled, revealing a set of white teeth, his face camouflaged like a phantom in the night: ¡°1st platoon, follow me!¡±


    About twenty soldiers followed the platoon leader of the 1st platoon away. Before long, the platoon leader of the 2nd platoon arrived with over thirty soldiers.


    They had first encountered Old Chen¡¯s patrol squad, then learned the direction and converged. With that, Xiang Ziyu¡¯s company started to swell in strength: Including the 1st platoon on their mission, they had now found over eighty people.


    Xiang Ziyu¡¯s paratrooper company had a total of 210 soldiers; this meant that over one-third of the soldiers had already regrouped.

 Chapter 1139: 1059 The Long Night

    Chapter 1139: 1059 The Long Night


    Inside the command post of South Island in Mirage Country, Shengwu Zhong received telephone calls or telegrams from various defense zones. He was aware that paratroopers from the Great Tang Empire had landed on South Island, but their exact location was unclear.


    Countless troops observed planes in the night sky and the parachutes of the descending paratroopers; at the same time, they were under attack from the Imperial Paratroopers, plunging the entire defense into chaos.


    ¡°Hello? Hello! Speak clearly! You¡¯re saying soldiers are attacking your camp? Organize a counterattack! What? They have too many troops, and you can¡¯t hold it?¡± It was the middle of the night, yet the command post was still bustling, with many people making and receiving calls, the noise persisting unabated.


    An officer approached, delivering a telegram report from the troops in the southern part of the island: ¡°Report! General! Paratroopers from the Great Tang Empire have appeared near Airport No. 8... The enemy is attempting to seize the airport, and the troops guarding it are desperately holding on. They need reinforcements, should we send support?¡±


    Shengwu Zhong took the telegram and ordered: ¡°Airport No. 8? Have the 779th Regiment stationed there move out!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The officer saluted crisply and turned to convey the orders.


    Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff came over and spoke to Shengwu Zhong: ¡°General! Troops deployed in Dongshan Village report spotting paratrooper landings. They dispatched a search team, but we¡¯ve lost contact with them!¡±


    Understanding the importance of Dongshan Village, Shengwu Zhong immediately ordered reinforcements: ¡°Tell them to fortify their defenses! Dongshan Village must not be lost! Additionally, withdraw the two battalions stationed south of Dongshan Village to the village itself!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Another Military Officer behind the Chief of Staff left once again to relay the command.


    The Chief of Staff didn¡¯t leave, but continued: ¡°General! There are Imperial Paratroopers scattered everywhere tonight... It seems that the enemy fleet has already entered the strike range of our fighter jets.¡±


    His concern wasn¡¯t with the paratroopers descending from the sky, but rather with the vast fleet that followed.


    Intelligence obtained from other countries revealed that the Great Tang Empire had amassed thousands of ships carrying tens of thousands of soldiers, likely soon to appear near South Island.


    While the attack on South Island by Tang forces had been speculated earlier, now with the Imperial Paratroopers already on the ground, it was certain that South Island was a target for the Tang Army.


    For this reason, Mirage Country immediately mobilized two divisions¡¯ worth of troops from New Island, sending them by boat overnight to reinforce South Island, readying for the decisive battle there.


    Shengwu Zhong nodded in agreement with his Chief of Staff¡¯s view: ¡°Indeed! The enemy fleet will definitely take advantage of tonight to surge towards the landing zones!¡±


    ¡°Most of the paratroopers... they¡¯re concentrated around Dongshan Village and Leping Village. Should we send additional troops there?¡± The Chief of Staff expressed his concerns tentatively.


    According to the battle reports, the enemy paratroopers were mainly dropping in areas to the south of these two villages, which effectively blocked the path of Mirage Country¡¯s Armored Corps from reaching the southern beaches. If the Tang Country Paratroopers captured Leping Village and Dongshan Village, the defending forces of Mirage Country on the southern beach landing grounds would be isolated.


    Rubbing his temples, an exhausted Shengwu Zhong ordered: ¡°Just send the 59th Division nearby for reinforcement. Any more... I¡¯m afraid it will affect our preparation for the counterstrike operations.¡±


    Having been busy all day, he hadn¡¯t anticipated the Tang Army¡¯s swift arrival by morning, and by noon and afternoon, he had to handle the aftermath of bombings, only to face a second wave of bombing by dusk, followed by the arrival of the Imperial Paratroopers...


    Having not had proper rest for a whole day and night, he was extremely weary, his spirit clearly languishing. However, as the Commander, he must keep himself up and respond to the ongoing battles.


    The Chief of Staff worriedly reminded: ¡°But General, if the enemy lands at the southern beach area and not at Great Southern Bay, losing Dongshan Village and Leping Village... If there¡¯s trouble at Bridge No. 1, we won¡¯t be able to dispatch the Armored Corps there in time.¡±


    Shengwu Zhong calmly stated his judgment: ¡°The Tang paratroopers must be a diversion! If they land on the southern beaches, then the subsequent troop landings will definitely be slow, and I¡¯ll have plenty of time to reclaim Bridge No. 1, retake Dongshan Village and Leping Village! Why panic?¡±


    He never believed the Tang Army would land on the barren beaches, even though it was indeed convenient for landings; the conditions for subsequent landings were simply too poor.


    As the Commander, he believed that landing near Great Southern Bay was the Tang Army¡¯s only viable option: they must capture a beachhead and then quickly take a port to ensure the swift landing of subsequent troops.


    The Chief of Staff simply voiced his perspective; in truth, he also considered Great Southern Bay the most dangerous point. So he didn¡¯t insist, standing at attention, he saluted: ¡°Yes, General!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s most urgent now is to repair the not too badly damaged Airport No. 1 tonight, and organize the troops that have been reinforced from New Island!¡± Shengwu Zhong added a few more sentences, perhaps to reassure others or himself: ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about with the enemy paratroopers. As soon as day breaks tomorrow, we can mobilize troops and wipe out these reckless invaders!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The Chief of Staff responded with another salute.


    He felt that what Shengwu Zhong said made sense; there were only four more hours before daylight, and once the sun rose, Mirage Country¡¯s numerical and heavy equipment advantages would be brought to bear. The Great Tang paratroopers, lacking tank support, would not be able to stop the advance of Mirage Country¡¯s armored corps.


    By then these paratrooper troops could only become prisoners of Mirage Country, becoming a bargaining chip to force the Great Tang Empire into withdrawing and surrendering.


    ...


    In the darkness of night, the soldiers of Mirage Country stationed in the trenches seemed a bit tense. They saw paratroopers from the Great Tang Empire descending from the sky, but they did not dare to climb out of their trenches in search of the enemy in this pitch-black night.


    Actually, they didn¡¯t really need to take the initiative to attack; as long as they stayed in the trenches and protected the anti-aircraft gun positions behind them, they would have already considered their mission accomplished.


    After all, as long as they held their ground until daylight, with their tanks from Mirage Country¡¯s arriving, those paratroopers from the Great Tang Empire would be done for. Not only tanks, but with the break of day, they could also count on support from Zero Fighters!


    Unfortunately, in places they could not see, Great Tang Empire paratroopers, holding weapons and using infrared lights on their weapons, were carefully moving their feet, inching closer to their targets.


    In the darkness, they could see very clearly, and the distance between the two sides was even less than seventy meters. Behind those paratroopers equipped with infrared night-vision gear, several had already aimed their gun grenades at the trenches of the Shen Army.


    ¡°The assault team is in position! Just launch according to the parameters!¡± Noticing that the assault team had reached the forefront of the enemy¡¯s position and raised their arms, the soldier wearing night-vision equipment whispered to remind the platoon leader beside him.


    ¡°Fire!¡± The platoon leader shouted, and three soldiers pulled the triggers at the front of their magazines. The gun grenades ¡°boom¡± flew out and accurately hit the anti-aircraft gun positions.


    ¡°Boom! Boom boom!¡± Three explosions stunned the soldiers of Mirage Country in the trenches¡ªthey had not expected the enemy to launch an attack at night, nor did they anticipate such precision with the enemy¡¯s grenades.


    The three consecutive explosions happened almost within the trenches, and several soot-covered Goblins barely poked their heads out of the trenches, only to be shot through the head by bullets coming at them face-on.


    Because they were close enough, they were just too conspicuous. The paratroopers wearing night vision equipment took aim at the Goblins who poked out their heads and easily took out these silly targets who showed themselves.


    The assault team, which had taken advantage of the night to approach the trenches, now leaped up and charged into the Goblin¡¯s trenches.


    The few remaining Goblin soldiers didn¡¯t even realize what had happened before they were systematically killed one after another by the tall and formidable Tang Army paratroopers.


    ¡°Tat-tat-tat-tat! Tat-tat-tat-tat!¡± Intense gunfire erupted from the anti-aircraft gun position, while in another trench, a group of Mirage Country soldiers was still unclear about the situation and had no idea what had transpired.


    They probably guessed that Tang Army soldiers had launched an attack, but they dared not go to reinforce because they didn¡¯t know if there were any Tang forces in front of them...


    A soldier of Mirage Country on the anti-aircraft gun position raised a torch, seemingly trying to illuminate the surroundings, only to have his arm shot off by a bullet flying their way.


    The torch fell to the ground, rolled a couple of times, and then went out, and where there had been loud gunfire from the trenches just now, there was now silence.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! Don¡¯t shoot! We surrender!¡± Seeing that the soldier who had lost his arm was motionless on the ground, the gun commander of Mirage Country¡¯s anti-aircraft gun, cowering behind the sandbags, shouted loudly, pleading for mercy.


    ...


    ¡°Marshal! Just confirmed the news, the paratrooper troops have successfully air-landed in the designated area, and they are trying to take control of Leping and Dongshan.¡± The Chief of Staff approached Bernard and reported: ¡°The landing craft of the 1st Marine Division is approaching the southern beach... they are the fastest.¡±


    ¡°Very good! Everything up to now is progressing according to our plan... This is a good sign.¡± Bernard had just woken up; he had rested after receiving successful bombing news from the Air Force in the afternoon.


    After pausing for a few seconds, the naval Marshal ordered: ¡°Prepare the first wave of bombers for a sortie in three hours... We must paralyze the enemy¡¯s island airfields as much as possible before their Zero Fighters take off.¡±


    For many, this night was a long one, but at least Bernard was more fortunate than Nanyun Zhongyi because the main fleet of the Mirage Country Navy he was wary of... had no aircraft carriers.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    Two updates today, will continue to make up updates tomorrow.

 Chapter 1140: 1060 Battle Discipline

    Chapter 1140: 1060 Battle Discipline


    ¡°Is there anyone from the Second Battalion? Second Battalion!¡± On the grassland controlled by the Imperial Paratroopers of the Great Tang Empire, an officer wearing a steel helmet and holding a flashlight trudged forward.


    With such a large-scale airborne operation, all paratroopers were scattered upon landing. They didn¡¯t know their location; their only option was to gather together, forming one chaotic cluster after another.


    Troops from the First Battalion might have mixed with the commanders of the Second Battalion, and it was entirely possible that all troops from the Third Company of the First Battalion had ended up finding their way to the neighboring Second Battalion.


    Therefore, when Xiang Ziyu was gathering his company¡¯s troops, among them were soldiers who had strayed from the Second and Third Battalions.


    Needless to say, one wouldn¡¯t have to think too hard to realize that the Second Battalion would surely have people from the First Battalion who got lost, and even soldiers or officers from neighboring battalions...


    ¡°Dammit, I feel like all our previous drills and training were bloody useless.¡± Watching the Second Battalion officer swinging his flashlight around on the battlefield, the signalman from the company, unable to restrain his laughter, asked Xiang Ziyu who was standing to the side.


    In the previous paratrooper training, not once were officers allowed to stand in the middle of the battlefield, holding flashlights and shouting loudly... This isn¡¯t searching for soldiers; this is like seeking death.


    Keep in mind this is still a battlefield where the enemy hasn¡¯t been cleared out yet. Waving a flashlight around in the middle of the night, do you not think you are conspicuous enough? Moving with it while shouting, no less.


    What¡¯s more, why are you standing there? Do you wish for the enemy to have better aim? What? You ask why I am also standing here? Isn¡¯t it to watch over your silly ass?


    In previous training, nearly all soldiers were required to crawl on the ground, rally together after confirming passwords, find weapons upon landing, and recognize directions immediately.


    Then they must organize an attack where two or three people must cooperate to take out enemy anti-aircraft gun positions, searchlight positions, or even destroy tanks on the battlefield.


    Regrettably, now they had not only not encountered the enemy, nor seen any dense anti-aircraft gun positions, but they also hadn¡¯t spotted any of the enemy¡¯s trucks, armored cars, and tanks.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he afraid of getting shot?¡± Another soldier also asked his company commander curiously. Xiang Ziyu didn¡¯t answer because he felt like his previous combat experience was nothing but a joke.


    After parachuting and landing previously, he encountered an enemy defensive position right away. He fought desperately against the enemy, and it was this that shaped him into who he was today.


    But what about now? The enemy¡¯s nearest position is located at the other end of the mountain, and it¡¯s likely that the surrounding villages for miles around are all paratroopers from the Great Tang Empire...


    This made Xiang Ziyu feel that his recent act of covering his flashlight with a raincoat to look at the map seemed rather foolish... He was mindful of light discipline, but seemingly no one else around here cared about it.


    ¡°Quit bothering about that lunatic. Gather all the mortars, gun grenades, and anti-tank rocket launchers we can find in the company! Count them!¡± Xiang Ziyu knew they couldn¡¯t do much until the First Platoon got back.


    They didn¡¯t know their position, nor the targets of their attack, nor did they know which direction Leping and Dongshan villages were, as well as the place known as Bridge Number One.


    ¡°Company Commander! Company Commander!¡± At that moment, a veteran named Old Chen returned with his men, pointing in a pitch-dark direction, they reported, ¡°There¡¯s a road over there! Though it¡¯s not very smooth, it is indeed a road! I saw tire tracks on it; it looks frequently used.¡±


    Suddenly energized, Xiang Ziyu pulled out a map from his map bag behind him, unfolded it, and handed it to Old Chen to hold for him. Then he turned on his flashlight, shining it directly on the map, and began searching intently.


    ¡°Company Commander... light discipline!¡± Old Chen looked around nervously, truly worried that a burst of bullets from the darkness might come sweeping through and turn both him and his damn beloved company commander into sieves.


    Unfortunately, just as he was scanning his surroundings in horror, wary of any sneak attacks, he heard the haunting call from afar once again: ¡°Second Battalion! Is anyone from the Second Battalion? If you are, give a shout and come back with me!¡±


    Following the direction of the voice, Old Chen caught sight of a circling flashlight beam. He felt awkward, then subconsciously straightened his back.


    ¡°Company Commander... this...¡± Old Chen wanted to remind him about the discipline of the battlefield. Yet, looking at the flashlight in the company commander¡¯s hand, he realized all the inhuman hardships they¡¯d endured in training over the past year might have been for nothing.


    ¡°We are probably here... If we follow this road, we should reach Leping Village! Old Chen, since we can¡¯t find the platoon leader of the Third Platoon, you temporarily take command of the Third Platoon! I¡¯m moving the company command post to Leping Village!¡± Xiang Ziyu lifted his head, looking in the direction of the darkened Leping Village.


    ¡°Should we do reconnaissance first? If Leping has enemies...¡± Old Chen was worried about the unexpected.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s move over there! If we encounter enemies, we¡¯ll take them out under the cover of darkness... It¡¯ll be troublesome once it gets light tomorrow.¡± Xiang Ziyu put away the map: ¡°We¡¯ll set out once the people from the First Platoon return.¡±


    ¡°Are we not waiting for the rest of the soldiers to regroup?¡± Old Chen felt that Xiang Ziyu was a bit too hasty and reminded him, noting that a third of the men were still missing.


    ¡°No waiting!¡± Xiang Ziyu knew that the paratroopers¡¯ victory came from taking the initiative. If they did not seek opportunities for battle, then the paratroopers¡¯ advantage would be lost.


    Last time, it was by actively seeking out the opportunity that they unexpectedly captured the Prince of Qi, ultimately achieving a glorious victory.


    With such experience, Xiang Ziyu couldn¡¯t possibly stop. He keenly seized an opportunity, which was to attack Leping Village under the cover of darkness.


    Thinking of this, Xiang Ziyu even felt that waiting for the first squad to return was a waste of time. He picked up the heavy luggage at his feet and directly instructed the signalman, ¡°Forget it! We¡¯re not waiting for the first squad. Second squad, provide cover; the unit will move out first.¡±


    After speaking, he looked at Old Chen and instructed, ¡°I¡¯ll take the second squad and the unit and move out first. You and the third squad wait here for the first squad. Once they return, march quickly to catch up with us. We will be heading east along the highway, which should lead us to Leping Village if there are no mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too dangerous, Commander?¡± Old Chen felt it was inappropriate; he was quite worried about the safety of the unit.


    ¡°No worries, speed is of the essence in warfare,¡± Xiang Ziyu said. ¡°We leave in two minutes! Check your ammunition, heavy machine gun squad, lead the way! Signalman, have you made contact with the battalion? No? Then pack up your gear and we¡¯ll head out. We¡¯ll make contact with the battalion once we reach Leping.¡±


    The machine gun squad that had just set up its position turned pale upon hearing the command. They had just dug a shallow hole, set up the machine gun, and loaded the chain of bullets from a special canvas bag onto the machine gun.


    But now, at the commander¡¯s order, their recent setup proved to be all for naught. The strong machine gunner picked up the machine gun while the assistant gunner hurriedly packed up the unpacked luggage bags.


    Next to them, the two shooters responsible for covering the machine gun also hurried to help, and the recently quiet position became busy again.


    The signalman¡¯s job was also not minor. He packed up the microphone cables connected to the field telephone, picked up his rifle and slung it in front of him again, and shouldered the backpack filled with signal flares, spare batteries, and other items, allowing Xiang Ziyu to help secure the field telephone equipment to the side of the backpack.


    Since there had been almost no engagement, the ammunition hadn¡¯t been depleted: these were life-saving items that they were reluctant to discard, so when departing, every paratrooper was slightly overburdened.


    In this situation, the scene was somewhat like a roadside night market lacking city planning that erupts into chaos when someone screams ¡°City inspectors are coming!¡±... Yes, indeed a night market, with the haste and cursing of packing up in the dark of night.


    The troops wished they could just place everything on their parachutes, bundle it up, and carry it all away, similar to how the small stall owners wouldn¡¯t want to leave behind any of their inexpensive goods.


    Of course, afterwards, a mess would still be left behind, with the night market leaving stains from oil spills, bamboo skewers, and various wrappers and plastic bags.


    The spot where the paratroopers landed would also be littered with a pile of rubbish: spare parachutes, main parachutes that couldn¡¯t be collected in time, bright orange life vests, and packing bags for various equipment.


    Right when the second squad was packing up to retreat, the platoon leader of the first squad returned with two captured Goblin officers, seized maps and various documents.


    They had just launched an impromptu attack on the anti-aircraft gun position, destroyed a strange 25mm caliber Anti-Aircraft Gun, and captured a platoon commander from there.


    ¡°Commander! That was an Anti-Aircraft Gun unlike any we¡¯ve seen before, presumably made by the Goblins themselves, it looked peculiar. There were about 40 people stationed there; we captured two for interrogation, the rest dispersed,¡± the first squad leader briefly reported the situation: ¡°Are we leaving now?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Rest for five minutes, then head south for about 400 meters! When you see the highway, head east... and catch up with us,¡± Xiang Ziyu pointed in the general direction.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we interrogate them first?¡± Pointing at the two Goblin officers on the ground, the platoon leader asked.


    Xiang Ziyu walked over and saw the two prisoners tied up, and asked, ¡°Is Leping to the southeast?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that way is Leping. Our battalion is there,¡± one of the captured Goblin officers confessed rather easily. Having chosen to surrender, he was no tough nut.


    ¡°No need to rest anymore, let¡¯s go together, Commander,¡± the platoon leader perked up immediately upon hearing that the enemy¡¯s battalion was in that direction.


    ¡°Alright! Pack up, the entire company will move out together,¡± Xiang Ziyu nodded, then shouted toward the flickering flashlights, ¡°Second Battalion, do you want these two captives?¡±

 Chapter 1141: 1061 Ambush Convoy

    Chapter 1141: 1061 Ambush Convoy


    Xiang Ziyu led his troops along the highway towards Leping, and at the same time, the reinforcement troops of the Mirage Country were also advancing towards Leping and Dongshan.


    After receiving the order, these Mirage Country troops immediately organized to reinforce the areas where the Tang Army might attack. They were moving fast, some even driving vehicles.


    However, since the main attack direction of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s landing troops had not been confirmed, the armored corps of the Mirage Country did not move out. They were still deployed in the rear areas, awaiting orders from Shengwu Zhong.


    Walking along the highway under the moonlight, Xiang Ziyu was earnestly hurrying towards Leping, when he faintly heard the sound of vehicles approaching from behind.


    The paratroopers did have vehicles ¨C the first batch included about twenty vehicles that were airdropped along with the paratroopers. But the sound of vehicles coming from behind seemed to be much larger in number.


    ¡°Enemy presence!¡± Xiang Ziyu turned and whispered to his soldiers, ¡°Spread out to both sides! Prepare for battle! Ambush! Ambush!¡±


    Upon hearing the order, the paratroopers left the highway and hid on the sloped roadway, taking their weapons off their bodies.


    Soon, under the moonlight, a vehicle with its lights on approached, wobbling down the road, followed by a second and then a third... These vehicles driven by the Mirage Country formed a line, slowly moving along the highway.


    Clearly, these Mirage Country soldiers were heading to reinforce Leping. It seems that the enemy had guessed the attack direction of the Great Tang Empire paratroopers and adjusted their deployment accordingly.


    ¡°Should we hijack a few trucks?¡± The platoon leader of the second platoon, finding it very inconvenient to move with so much gear, whispered to Xiang Ziyu.


    Without thinking, Xiang Ziyu replied, ¡°No need to deliberately capture, use those we can keep, and forget the rest! Prepare to fire! Catch them off guard!¡±


    Soon, as the tenth vehicle passed the last of the Great Tang paratroopers, there were still more vehicles coming, but Xiang Ziyu knew they couldn¡¯t handle any more.


    So he leapt up, shouted ¡°Fire!¡±, and raised his assault rifle, pulling the trigger at one of the trucks in the middle.


    ¡°Ratatatata!¡± A barrage of gunfire startled the Goblin drivers, and immediately after they were pummeled by bullets from both flanks.


    The leading truck was hit by an RPG from the third squad¡¯s anti-tank gunner and was flung into the air. The explosion lit up the battlefield, and the flying bullets made the fireworks display even more spectacular.


    Goblins jumping off the truck one after another were shot before they hit the ground, losing their lives. The Goblins inside the trucks dared not show their heads, but they were soon hit by bullets that pierced the vehicle.


    Everywhere there were screams, everywhere there were explosions, the Great Tang Empire paratroopers attacked from both sides at close range, taking advantage of their firepower.


    The majority of the Goblin soldiers only had Shireck 1 bolt-action rifles, and to make matters worse, they had no idea where the enemy was.


    ¡°Get off the truck! Get off the truck!¡± Inside the cramped cabin, the Goblin soldiers shouted loudly. Unfortunately, as soon as they lifted the curtain of the truck cabin, they were shot in the head.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The soldiers who were shot at the truck cabin fell from the vehicle onto the ground, while the Goblin standing beside them was also hit by bullets, splattering blood on the curtains, a horrifying sight.


    The area they were in was illuminated by headlights and flames, while their opponents¡¯ positions were shrouded in darkness, with only the fleeting flashes of gun muzzles.


    The Goblins, utterly unprepared for battle, could only struggle amidst screams and cries. The few shots they managed to fire were hopelessly inaccurate.


    Goblins inside the vehicles did not know where the enemy was; those who jumped out saw the enemy but had no chance to shoot. The concentrated bullets from the Type 56 rifles swept through the battlefield like a fierce storm.


    Goblins who had just wanted to jump off the truck saw the ones in front of them riddled with bullets and lost the courage to do the same, lying low inside the vehicle, uncertain what to do.


    But they too could not escape the deadly bullets. Soldiers of the Great Tang Empire kept firing at the truck cabin, leaving no chance for their enemies to survive.


    ¡°Reverse the vehicle! Reverse it quickly!¡± Seeing the vehicle in front being destroyed, the Goblin officer in the rear vehicle loudly ordered the driver to reverse immediately.


    But just as the last truck was about to reverse and flee, a rocket flying from the side hit the truck¡¯s head on. The flames instantly engulfed the vehicle¡¯s engine and cab, and the two Goblins inside didn¡¯t even have time to react before turning into charred corpses.


    The Goblins inside the vehicle were engulfed by the spreading flames before they could jump off. The Goblin who was on the very edge, ablaze, leaped from the vehicle and rolled on the ground, desperately trying to extinguish the flames on his body.


    The Goblins outside the encirclement hastily reversed their vehicles. Two vehicles collided and ended up overturned below the roadbed. The rest also quickly reversed, fleeing the battlefield in complete disarray.


    The goblin truck sandwiched between two exploding, burning vehicles could only remain stationary, with the goblins on board becoming nothing but targets.


    They screamed and howled in agony, struggling amidst the barrage of bullets and gunfire, and after just a dozen or so minutes, the only sounds left on the battlefield were the crackle of flames and the whooshing wind.


    Xiang Ziyu swapped out a magazine and stuffed the empty one back into his chest magazine pouch: ¡°Send a few men to clear the battlefield, everyone else stay alert!¡±


    ¡°Have the rearguard Troops watch for fleeing enemies; don¡¯t let them double back for a surprise attack!¡± He made his way onto the highway, standing next to a goblin car riddled with bullet holes, using the still glowing car lights to survey the goblin corpses strewn across the road.


    ¡°See if there are any cars we can use!¡± Old Chen held his assault rifle aloft as he loudly reminded his men: ¡°Be careful! Don¡¯t get ambushed by one playing dead!¡±


    ¡°Da da da da!¡± Suddenly, a burst of gunfire erupted from the rear of the formation, followed quickly by the explosion of a Hand Grenade.


    Everyone was on high alert, taking cover behind vehicles and watching the distant situation without making a sound.


    Soon someone brought word: ¡°All clear! Two goblin trucks rolled off the embankment, they were hiding quite a number of survivors; our guys took care of them.¡±


    ¡°Around 10 vehicles didn¡¯t look back and just ran.¡± The Soldier who delivered the message pointed toward the other direction of the highway and added, ¡°Looks like they don¡¯t have the guts to use this road tonight.¡±


    As he spoke, several Soldiers from the third squad brought good news: ¡°This truck seems still operational! We can load our luggage onto the truck and drive it!¡±


    ¡°Any wounded?¡± Xiang Ziyu, assault rifle in hand, walked past several trucks, questioning the paratroopers who were kicking goblin corpses off the embankment to clear the road.


    ¡°No one here, leader,¡± replied a Squad Leader as he quickly lit a cigarette, shaking his head.


    There was visible firelight here, so there was no concern for light discipline; he wouldn¡¯t have the guts to smoke if he left this spot.


    ¡°Damn, how could these goblin vehicles be made so shoddy? Jeez, this seat¡¯s way too high,¡± cursed a Great Tang Empire paratrooper attempting to climb into the blood-scented driver¡¯s cabin of a truck.


    He had never seen such poorly constructed vehicles: not only was the driver¡¯s space extremely cramped, but even the gearshift¡¯s position was irrational.


    What frustrated him even more was that the clutch and brake pedals were surprisingly high, making the entire cabin seem like it was designed for a middle school student.


    Moreover, when they had killed the goblins in the driver¡¯s cabin earlier, several holes were left in the door, the truck¡¯s windshield shattered, and blood stained all over, contributing to a truly ghastly driving environment.


    ¡°Alright, quit complaining; at least it can still be driven.¡± After checking the truck¡¯s engine compartment and pulling out a flashlight from his mouth, another paratrooper consoled, ¡°Having a functional vehicle to transport equipment is good enough.¡±


    ¡°Can it keep running?¡± inquired Xiang Ziyu concernedly. If the truck could still be used, their marching speed would undoubtedly increase significantly.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± replied the Soldier who was just previously grumbling, as the Commander asked, he soberly responded, ¡°I¡¯ll drive slow, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Have the first squad throw the unnecessary supplies onto the truck.¡± Xiang Ziyu immediately ordered the squad, which had already been in a skirmish, to load the luggage onto the truck: ¡°Then, the rest of the squads should do the same! Carry only combat gear! Move quickly!¡±


    While speaking, he called out to his subordinates still inspecting the battlefield: ¡°Third Squad! Clear the road ahead, see if there¡¯s a way around the burning wreckage of the truck at the front.¡±


    ¡°Over 180, about a company¡¯s worth... the runners... also about that number, likely a battalion.¡± A Soldier counting casualties ran over, reporting a rather precise figure.


    ¡°Nothing useful captured; all infantry, no heavy equipment,¡± he added afterward.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s move out quickly! The sky will probably light up in about two hours; we don¡¯t have much time left,¡± Xiang Ziyu ordered after glancing at the star-filled sky.


    The vehicles behind were still burning, and those that were unusable were set ablaze by the Tang Army Soldiers. They left the goblin corpses scattered behind and proceeded toward Leping village.


    The goblin infantry battalion that had been on its way to reinforce Leping village was routed; while fleeing, they encountered some Great Tang Empire paratroopers and suffered another beating. Then they retreated to their barracks, reporting the roads swarming with Tang Army Soldiers.


    The Commander of the Mirage Country Military was also cautious; he decided to wait another two hours until daylight before taking action...

 Chapter 1142: 1062 Leping Night Battle

    Chapter 1142: 1062 Leping Night Battle


    Within the village of Leping, in the infantry battalion headquarters deployed here by Mirage Country, the goblin battalion commander anxiously awaited his orders.


    He heard that the enemy paratroopers had already been airdropped, but he didn¡¯t know how many there were, nor did he know how far away they were from him.


    Two hours earlier, he had received a telegram from above saying that a troop of about 1000 soldiers would reinforce his position, but after such a long wait, he hadn¡¯t seen a single person.


    Stuck here, he had no idea what the situation was like outside, and in the dead of night, he didn¡¯t dare send anyone out to see if there was enemy activity nearby.


    Joking! He only had a little over 470 soldiers at his disposal, divided into four directions to guard the entire village; he could only allocate about two platoons of troops to each position.


    In such desperate circumstances, sending out patrols would risk losses, and then what would he do about defending Leping village?


    In fact, he had always thought that it was foolish to only deploy a battalion¡¯s worth of troops in Leping village by his superiors: not because he was particularly wise or insightful, but simply because he felt that it would be safer to have more soldiers in the area where he was.


    Actually, if one were to think carefully, his idea was simply unrealistic: no commander would distribute their troops in advance to various locations for so-called defense.


    Because regrouping the spread-out troops would take time, which would lead to a slower response rate across the entire defense line, a result no commander would want to see.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± For what seemed like the umpteenth time, the goblin battalion commander turned to his deputy and asked anxiously.


    ¡°Four o¡¯clock...¡± The deputy glanced at his pocket watch and gave an exact answer. In the Northern Hemisphere in January, dawn doesn¡¯t come early; it would still be dark from four to five o¡¯clock.


    In fact, it won¡¯t be fully light until after seven o¡¯clock, but by six-thirty, one can start to make out the surroundings.


    ¡°Have the soldiers stay alert! Reinforcements will arrive in two hours,¡± the goblin battalion commander said, for some reason, trying to buoy his subordinates¡¯ spirits.


    In reality, since no attack had yet occurred, his words might have been meaningless. But he said them anyway, with a serious tone.


    Just as he finished speaking, a series of explosions suddenly came from the entrance of the village.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The explosions so frightened the goblin battalion commander that he nearly dove under his desk, nervously questioning as if the people in the room might know something he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Just then, a shell landed in the courtyard outside the house they were in, the massive explosion blowing out the windows and kicking up dust everywhere, causing the officers in the headquarters to duck and run in panic.


    ¡°Enemy attack! Enemy attack! We are under attack!¡± a soldier shouted loudly, but his voice seemed feeble amidst the continuous gunfire.


    Now even a fool would know they were under attack, but beyond that, they really knew nothing. They didn¡¯t know the direction of the enemy¡¯s assault or how far the enemy had advanced.


    ¡°Ratatat!¡± A burst of gunfire struck, and goblin soldiers running in the village streets fell to the ground, followed by a group of Great Tang Empire paratroopers, led by a night soldier carrying a rifle equipped with an infrared spotlight, crossing the street and breaking into the goblin headquarters.


    ¡°Who goes there?¡± A goblin guard spotted these unwelcome visitors, and after uttering a challenge, he was shot through the chest.


    The other guards, in a panic, quickly returned fire, and a melee ensued in the courtyard of the headquarters. One guard after another fell, and a paratrooper from the Great Tang Empire was hit by a stray bullet and toppled from the top of the wall.


    ¡°We have enemies!¡± The courtyard was clearly indefensible, and a goblin guard rushed into the command center, shouting to those inside, ¡°Retreat immediately!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The goblin battalion commander, who had just come to his senses, cried out in disbelief: He really hadn¡¯t expected the enemy to be right at his doorstep.


    ¡°Ratatat!¡± At that moment, the last goblin guard in the courtyard fell to a barrage of gunfire, and seven or eight Great Tang Empire paratroopers swarmed in, rushing into the courtyard that had been repurposed as a temporary headquarters.


    ¡°Bang!¡± The goblin battalion commander did prove his mettle; he drew his pistol and fired a shot toward the doorway, forcing the intruding paratrooper to retreat.


    ¡°Hold the line! Our troops will be here soon!¡± The goblin battalion commander took cover behind a desk and, holding his pistol, shouted loudly.


    By his side, the deputy commander and several other officers also drew their pistols, clamoring to fight to the bitter end against the Great Tang paratroopers outside the building.


    The next second, a hand grenade rolled in from the door, and at the sight of it, the goblin officers instantly became petrified.


    They scattered in a panic, but momentarily couldn¡¯t find shelter; as a result, the hand grenade exploded, instantly tossing the people inside the room into the air.


    Before the smoke from the explosion had time to clear, the paratroopers rushed into the room, starting to finish off the goblins who were still moaning and groaning on the ground, taking out those who were still struggling.


    ¡°Clear!¡± After firing two shots into the face of the last blood-covered goblin officer and confirming there were no survivors, the Great Tang Paratrooper raised his rifle and shouted to his comrades.


    This was a tactic they had long since mastered: two shots to the chest, one to the head, even gods would shake their heads at this. If one desired even more security, eight shots to the body, five to the head...


    In any case, the textbooks say, there is no carbon-based lifeform that a magazine can¡¯t handle; if there is, then simply reload and keep firing...


    Xiang Ziyu moved briskly through the trench at the village entrance; his troops had already cleared two defense lines, and he wanted to take advantage of the enemy¡¯s delayed reaction to clear the remaining two defense lines as well.


    The troops from Mirage Country clearly lacked combat experience; they had neither positioned machine guns on the village¡¯s high ground nor prepared to fire flares.


    In fact, they had never anticipated that the paratroopers from the Tang Empire would arrive this very night; the goblins had been primarily focused on defending against the Tang Empire¡¯s landing troops.


    During the years of conflict with the Dahua Empire, the paratroopers of the Tang Empire had not taken part in battle, and this had caused many to forget the once-renowned might of the Tang Empire¡¯s paratroopers.


    Moreover, the world¡¯s most popular DC-3 transport aircraft, also known as the Type 47 transport plane, simply couldn¡¯t take off from the Tang Empire to air-drop paratroopers over Mirage Country, so the enemy had not taken paratrooper defense seriously.


    Another reason was that Mirage Country had always believed that their Zero Fighters could defend their airspace, so it never occurred to them that the first wave of the Tang Empire¡¯s assault would come from the skies.


    The entire outer defense perimeter of Leping Village was outward-facing; no one expected an attack to come from the flanks or from behind.


    The goblins under attack were even incessantly cursing, shouting that they were friendlies and urging those inside the village not to shoot.


    Unfortunately, their explanations only attracted more bullets; the gun grenade attacks from the Tang Empire were incredibly precise, and with the special forces equipped with night vision devices, clearing the battlefield was as easy as flipping one¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Stop shooting! We are friendlies! We are friendlies!¡± As Xiang Ziyu continued to advance towards the next trench, the goblins inside still failed to grasp the situation. They waved to Xiang Ziyu, and only upon recognizing the height of their adversaries did they realize that the enemy had indeed come out of the village.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Tang people! It¡¯s the Tang people! Damn it!¡± The first goblin who spotted the Tang Army Paratroopers hurriedly retracted his head, but his comrade next to him wasn¡¯t so lucky. Bullets swept over and pierced through their foreheads.


    ¡°They have reached close quarters! Hand grenades! Throw hand grenades!¡± The goblin platoon leader, his head drawn back, nervously reminded his soldiers.


    Just as these goblin soldiers pulled hand grenades from around their waists, the hand grenades thrown by the Tang Empire paratroopers had already rolled into the trench, landing at their feet.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Accompanied by several explosions of hand grenades, the goblins in the trench lay scattered haphazardly, already silenced.


    ¡°Platoon leader! All taken care of!¡± A young paratrooper leapt into the trench, excitedly shouting to Xiang Ziyu.


    As he excitedly prepared to move forward, a landmine underfoot detonated, instantly blasting him away.


    ¡°Damn it! To hell with this!¡± Xiang Ziyu was also blown away by the explosion, and when he got up, all he could hear was a buzzing in his ears.


    He shook his head, struggling to stand, and looking down, he saw the body of his subordinate missing a leg.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go down there! Booby traps! Those bastards!¡± Xiang Ziyu cursed with pain, then warned the others, ¡°Landmines! Be careful! Landmines! Watch your step! Dammit!¡±


    ¡°These bastards dare to use landmines?¡± A soldier cursed angrily, the most terrifying thing about landmines is the psychological shadow they cast over everyone on the battlefield.


    ¡°Check for casualties! We need a medic here!¡± Xiang Ziyu called back. He wasn¡¯t sure if that soldier was already dead, nor did he even know if he himself was wounded.


    He felt his body and found no wet spots; by the moonlight, he saw no black marks on his hands, nor did he feel any pain on his body.


    The medic rushed over to check Xiang Ziyu for any bleeding wounds, completely disregarding the fact that the battle was still far from over.


    The sound of gunfire remained dense; another unit had already begun to eradicate the remaining soldiers from Mirage Country in the village. There were shouts everywhere, and soon a large fire broke out in the village. It was set by the people of Mirage Country themselves¡ªthey had lit their own homes, burning everything inside, civilians and themselves alike, to death.

 Chapter 1143: Where does 1063 come from?

    Chapter 1143: Where does 1063 come from?


    As dawn began to break, Xiang Ziyu and his comrades finally received their reinforcement troops, another company of paratroopers arrived at Leping Village, and saw the fruits of their battle.


    Some soldiers were dealing with corpses; they had one casualty and two injured last night, but they captured Leping and eliminated about 400 Goblins.


    Now the entire village was littered with bodies, and a 75 mm caliber field gun lay overturned next to a courtyard wall. The Goblin troops had destroyed it, fearing that it would be used by the Tang Army.


    The platoon leader of 3rd Platoon looked at Xiang Ziyu, gestured towards a building that was no longer ablaze but still smoking, and asked, ¡°Pretty ruthless, did you set the fire?¡±


    ¡°No, they hid inside and refused to come out, so they set the fire themselves,¡± Xiang Ziyu answered truthfully.


    ¡°Right, that¡¯s what you should say,¡± the leader of 3rd Platoon nodded in agreement and said, ¡°The battalion headquarters will be here soon, we need to establish defensive fortifications to prevent the Goblins from passing through here and reinforcing the coast.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth,¡± Xiang Ziyu clarified again, then he no longer had the energy to argue with the platoon leader of 3rd Platoon, ¡°I¡¯m getting ready to build a defense line; the road must be destroyed, and defensive positions set up on the small hill outside the village, forming mutually supportive states with the village.¡±


    ¡°No problem, which side do you want me to defend?¡± the magnanimous platoon leader of 3rd Platoon let Xiang Ziyu choose first, ¡°You¡¯ve been fighting all night and your unit is not at full strength, you pick first.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll defend the village,¡± Xiang Ziyu didn¡¯t hesitate to choose a position that was easier to defend.


    The leader of 3rd Platoon was not pretentious; since he let Xiang Ziyu choose first, he prepared to defend the high ground.


    The two companies quickly dispersed, the larger 3rd Platoon began to build defensive fortifications on the small hill outside the village, and Xiang Ziyu¡¯s troops established a defense system within the village.


    The heavy machine gun team climbed onto the rooftops, finding a good spot within the pointed roof. The window provided a good field of fire, effectively suppressing any enemy trying to approach the village.


    Of course, the downside was evident: if the enemy had heavy artillery or the like, once the firing position was exposed, they would be obliterated by artillery shells.


    Soon a messenger riding a motorcycle arrived at Leping, bringing several pieces of good news: their paratroopers had taken control of Dongshan Village and the No.1 Bridge, completing the tasks set by their superiors before the battle.


    Now, they were about to face the enemy¡¯s counterattack: if the enemy confirmed the landing troops¡¯ direction of action, then a large number of Armored Corps would definitely press forward.


    ¡°Get some rest! Don¡¯t waste your energy! Try to eat something, don¡¯t go hungry!¡± Xiang Ziyu walked by his men¡¯s defensive positions, urging the soldiers to quickly recuperate to be ready for the fierce battle that lay ahead.


    At this moment, at sea, the Great Tang Empire Navy destroyers had spotted a Mirage Country fishing boat, and quickly the destroyers opened fire and sank the Mirage Country vessel, but before it was sunk, the captain indeed sent a message to the Shengwu Zhong headquarters: ¡°Enemy warship spotted.¡±


    Combining the fishing boat¡¯s number and position, as dawn began to break, Shengwu Zhong realized that he had guessed wrong.


    The enemy fleet¡¯s position was clearly closer to the southern beach direction, meaning that the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s choice of landing site was not the Great Southern Bay.


    Realizing his mistake, Shengwu Zhong responded at once, Dongshan Village, Leping Village, and the No.1 Bridge, they were all essential routes for reinforcing the southern beach.


    ¡°We must retake these places! Order the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions to advance towards the No.1 Bridge and Leping at all costs, take these places back!¡± A frustrated Shengwu Zhong issued the order, ¡°Alert the nearby southern beach garrison to enter first-level readiness! All troops, man defensive fortifications! Prepare for battle!¡±


    ¡°Furthermore! Dispatch aircraft, head to the southern beach! Sink these damn Great Tang Empire warships!¡± Clenching his fist, Shengwu Zhong added the order through gritted teeth.


    Minutes later, following Shengwu Zhong¡¯s orders, the Mirage Country coastal defense troops resting in the barracks behind immediately entered their defensive positions. The alarm bells echoed through all the various bunkers constructed by the Mirage Country, and soldiers dashed through trenches and dark tunnels towards their pillboxes and shelters.


    As these Mirage Country soldiers peeked out of the firing holes or gaps between sandbags towards the sea, they were instantly stunned by the sight before them.


    The sea in their field of vision was filled with boats of all sizes; everywhere they looked was occupied by vessels, and warships were rotating their turrets, aiming the dark muzzles at them.


    They hadn¡¯t seen any warships the previous evening, but now a massive fleet was unfolding before their eyes.


    Countless small landing craft were docked on both sides of large transport ships, and dense ranks of Navy Marine Corps soldiers were climbing down.


    ¡°My God... so many ships.¡± A Mirage Country soldier let out a soft sigh, next to him, an old Mirage Country soldier tried to light a cigarette but found his hand shaking uncontrollably.


    ¡°Open fire as soon as someone lands! Let them know our might!¡± A Mirage Country officer, holding his dagger-like command knife, walked past the trenches, reminding his soldiers to fight bravely: ¡°For the Shen Emperor Your Majesty! Fight to the last drop of blood!¡±


    In a bunker built of sandbags and logs, a Mirage Country machine gunner cocked his gun, aiming the muzzle of the Maxim machine gun at the beach clearing.


    They were all waiting, waiting for the enemy to rush onto the beach, into their line of fire, and then a massacre would begin, their bullets cutting down the Great Tang Empire¡¯s landing troops like mowing wheat.


    Silence was broken by a roar from artillery, followed by countless shells slicing through the air, landing on the beach and on the defensive works of the Mirage Country nearby.


    ¡°Boom!¡± A massive explosion hit near the trench, nearly burying the goblins inside with lifted soil. At least 20 Destroyers continuously fired their main cannons, their shells falling on the defensive works of the Shen Army like they cost nothing.


    Some shells blew away the barbed wire in front of the Shen Army positions, while others landed on reinforced concrete bunkers, blowing off chunks of hard concrete.


    Then the Mirage Country artillery troops began to retaliate; although with little accuracy, the sight of huge water columns stirred up by shells hitting the water was exhilarating.


    Up in the sky, twenty Zero Fighters, having taken off in a hurry, skimmed low, heading towards the Great Tang Empire warships afloat on the sea.


    And above them, in the clouds, ten Pirate Fighters rolled down, diving towards these targets.


    For a moment, the sound of the planes¡¯ engines filled the sky, soldiers from the Mirage Country in the trenches and Great Tang soldiers on the ships both looked up, nervously watching the fierce air battle above.


    ¡°Where did those planes come from? Where did they get their planes?¡± Passing just alongside an inverted gull-wing Pirate Fighter, the Goblin Flight Team Leader piloting a Zero Fighter dodged incoming bullets while loudly asking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Commander! I have no idea!¡± The wingman following him was equally surprised; their fierce approach, ready to bully their targets, was unexpectedly met by the enemy¡¯s planes.


    And damn it... looking at the way they¡¯re flying, these planes that resemble Stukas... seem to be even faster than theirs.


    ¡°Evade! Evade!¡± Watching the Dragon Bombers being dispersed by the Tang Empire¡¯s Pirate Fighters, the Goblin Flight Team Leader in charge of frontline command shouted in despair.


    ¡°It¡¯s over! Let¡¯s shake these damn things off first! Climb to 3,000 meters!¡± Watching a Dragon Bomber fall into the sea trailing thick black smoke, he had no choice but to order the escorting Zero Fighters to quickly regain altitude.


    Initially, they hadn¡¯t planned to entangle with the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Air Force: they had not anticipated the Great Tang Empire to have any planes participating in the battle, so they intended to implement low-level strafing runs, to intimidate the Great Tang Empire Navy first.


    But they had never expected that just as they appeared over the southern beach landing site, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s air-superiority fighters would come killing over.


    Those bent-wing Pirate Fighters were extremely agile in the air, taking advantage of their speed to attack recklessly. The cumbersome Dragon Bombers were unable to keep formation, one after another being shot down.


    The Goblin Pilots in Zero Fighters tried to clamp onto the tails of these Pirate Fighters, only to find that once they got a lock, the enemy would start a vertical rolling maneuver, causing the Zero Fighter¡¯s speed to drop sharply.


    Then the enemy¡¯s wingman would cut in, firing from a very tricky angle, almost speedless Zero Fighters had no way to evade and were quickly shot down.


    And if the Zero Fighters didn¡¯t fall for the bait and didn¡¯t chase those Pirate Fighters, then these Pirate Fighters would use their speed advantage to cut into the Dragon Bomber formations, attacking the slow-moving Dragon Bombers like a wolf among sheep.


    For the pilots of the Great Tang Empire Navy Air Force, this was practically a game. They knew all the enemy¡¯s weaknesses, needing only to seize the moment when the opponent showed a weakness and deliver a fierce attack.


    Meanwhile, those Goblin Pilots in Zero Fighters felt a sense of helplessness, as though their strength was useless; no matter how they maneuvered, they seemed to have no way to deal with those Pirate Fighters that looked much like Stukas.


    ¡°Are they toying with us?¡± Seeing a Zero Fighter brought down by a Pirate Fighter using the ¡°Thach Weave¡± tactic, the Goblin Flight Team Leader bellowed furiously.


    In his roar, the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s landing ships began to deploy amphibious Tanks and amphibious armored vehicles. These armored vehicles, following the landing craft, began their assault towards the Mirage Country coastline.

 Chapter 1144: 1064 Landing Battle

    Chapter 1144: 1064 Landing Battle


    ¡°Boom!¡± On the beach, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s ship artillery laid down smoke bombs, quickly engulfing the air with a choking smell, shrouding the entire beach in a white smog.


    Stationed in the trenches, the Goblin soldiers couldn¡¯t see anything. They couldn¡¯t see the sea conditions or tell whether anyone had landed ashore.


    The only thing they could hear were constant explosions around them, occasionally accompanied by the roar of fighter jet engines. This wasn¡¯t like what they had anticipated: it seemed impossible to massacre the Tang Empire Troops as they landed.


    They couldn¡¯t see any figures nor did they know where to aim, so they could only foolishly wait, wait for the enemy to come into the visible range to start firing.


    As white fog started cloaking the sand beneath their feet, Mirage Country¡¯s pilots grew more anxious: they couldn¡¯t stop the opposing fleet from disembarking troops, and even lost the ability to defend themselves.


    The Zero Fighters could only scatter and flee from the pursuit of Pirate Fighters, while Dragon Bombers had hastily dropped their bombs and returned to base, running away.


    ¡°The enemy has used a large number of smoke bombs! We can¡¯t see anything beneath our feet!¡± The Goblin Flight Team Leader radioed while fleeing in his plane, ¡°They have planes coming from nowhere! We can¡¯t strike their ships!¡±


    ¡°Can you confirm the origin of the enemy planes? Can you confirm it?¡± The voice of the ground command tower queried through the headphones.


    ¡°I...¡± The Goblin Flight Team Leader was only halfway through his response in his angular cockpit when a Pirate Fighter attacked him from the flank, its dense cannon fire directly shattered the Zero Fighter¡¯s cockpit and also shredded the Goblin pilot inside.


    The Zero Fighter was notoriously weak in defense, and the Pirate Fighters modified by the Great Tang Empire were equipped with four 20mm cannons.


    The power of this equipment was truly frightening; whether shooting Dragon Bombers or attacking Zero Fighters, a couple hits were enough to disintegrate them.


    On the beach, amidst the smoke, a landing craft surged onto the shore; its forward hatches burst open, and the weapon-clad Navy Marine Corps Soldiers swarmed out.


    Although the cold seawater instantly soaked their shoes, landing in such a good condition was much better than they had anticipated.


    The saggy, equipment-laden Marine Corps soldiers clumsily walked forward on the sand, yet not a single bullet came through the smoke in front of them.


    ¡°The first batch of Marines has landed! Cease fire! Cease fire!¡± Over the radio, the coordinating Commander repeatedly reminded the fleet to extend their artillery fire deeper into enemy territory.


    ¡°No enemy attacks encountered! Troops are deploying!¡± The Captain on the landing craft that was preparing to reverse shouted loudly into his radio, reporting the situation.


    Soldiers on a second landing craft dispersed as well, running towards further distances; at this moment, the defending Mirage Country guards finally spotted figures and began to shoot frantically.


    ¡°Tat-tat-tat! Bang! Bang!¡± Sounds of machine guns and rifles intertwined, with soldiers from the Great Tang Empire Marine Corps who were advancing at the front taking shots and falling, their surrounding comrades also being hit and tumbling down.


    ¡°Enemy firing! Directly ahead! Directly ahead!¡± Lifting their weapons towards the area flickering with gunfire, the Marine Corps Commander shouted loudly while firing back, ¡°Fire! Fire! Suppress enemy fire!¡±


    ¡°Move! Move! Don¡¯t stand there! Run!¡± An officer, amidst raining gunfire, waved his arms, urging his soldiers to quickly seek cover, ¡°Find cover! Be cautious!¡±


    ¡°Cover! Cover! Fire! Fire!¡± The landing craft¡¯s Captain ducked slightly as he saw tracer bullets approaching and shouted to a machine gunner beside him.


    The machine gunner behind the shield aimed in the direction the bullets were coming from and pulled the trigger. The heavy machine gun spat out flames, with rounds of tracer bullets diving into the smog.


    The smoke bombs not only obstructed the enemy¡¯s vision but actually also blocked our own sight: under such conditions, accurately suppressing fire was almost impossible.


    Frankly, this kind of firing for cover was just to bolster our soldiers¡¯ courage, as for its effectiveness... what use could it really have?


    ¡°Ding!¡± Just when the heavy machine gun on the landing craft roared non-stop, a tracer bullet struck the shield, causing everyone to flinch.


    ¡°Damn it! Reverse! Go back to the sea!¡± The Captain eyed the heat-emitting bullet crater on the shield, and ordered loudly with lingering fear.


    Amidst his shouting, a gigantic dark shadow passed by the landing craft; it was a 77 amphibious armored transport vehicle. Its tracks churned in the sea water and mud, shaking its massive body and charging onto the gun-ridden coast.


    ¡°Follow behind the armored vehicle! Use it as a cover!¡± The surrounding Navy Marine Corps soldiers, as if seeing a savior, quickly gathered together, following behind the armored vehicle, slightly shifting their steps forward.


    ¡°Tut tut tut tut!¡± The machine guns atop the armored vehicles on shore, equipped with shields, continuously fired, protecting the surrounding Navy Marine Corps soldiers as they constantly moved forward.


    With this cover, the soldiers were no longer naked under enemy fire, and they quickly continued advancing, inching closer to the enemy¡¯s main defensive line.


    However, just as the Tang Empire Troops¡¯ landing force was making swift progress, a soldier was suddenly blown away by an explosion while running, forcing the rest to stop immediately.


    ¡°Landmines! It¡¯s a minefield! Damn it!¡± A soldier knelt on one knee, spotting an exposed landmine and loudly warning his fellow soldiers to be careful: ¡°There are landmines on the beach!¡±


    During his warning, another soldier stepped on a landmine and was blown up into the air, only half of his body left when he fell back down.


    ¡°Watch your steps!¡± A Navy Marine officer warned his soldiers, but before he could finish, a stray bullet took his head off.


    ¡°Move! Move! We can¡¯t stop! Keep moving!¡± Seeing the heavy casualties among the troops, the commanding officer on the ground couldn¡¯t care less, shouting loudly and leading the troops to push forward.


    Every now and then, someone would step on a landmine and be thrown into the air, but more soldiers reached cover behind a rock, finding a place to shelter.


    On the battlefield, smoke still enveloped the area, a 77-type amphibious armored vehicle was incapacitated by a landmine damaging its tracks, only able to serve as a shelter in its original position.


    The soldiers from the vehicle disbanded and spread out, with more soldiers already crowding the beach. That¡¯s when the Mirage Country¡¯s artillery shells began to fall, their precise coordinates making the impacts particularly problematic.


    Due to the dense formation of the landing troops, any random artillery impact point picked by the enemy could inflict heavy casualties on the Tang Empire¡¯s landing troops.


    Soon the beach was covered in blood, with bodies of Tang Empire soldiers everywhere. The soldiers who landed later could even use the bodies as cover, and many bodies drifted ashore piled up in a horrifying line.


    ¡°RPG!¡± Finally nearing the enemy position, the Tang Empire¡¯s Navy Marine Corps soldiers fought back. They found a good angle and fired a rocket towards a bunker flickering with muzzle flashes.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The rocket hit the bunker, but it appeared to be ineffective. The Commander ducked back and shouted to the shooter loading the second rocket: ¡°Fire another one! Kill those bastards!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The shooter with the loaded rocket peeked out and fired a second rocket at the machine gun bunker. Watching the rocket trailing long smoke towards the target, an explosion soon followed from that direction.


    ¡°Group 2! Cover me! Group 3! Get ready with the explosives! Alternate advance! Go!¡± Seeing the distant, fuzzy machine gun bunker seemingly quiet, the leading Navy Marine officer waved his hand forward, leading the charge.


    They maneuvered around the rocks, sweeping fire at the Mirage soldiers occupying the trenches by the side of the rocks. Group three soldiers directly pushed detonators into the barbed-wire, then everyone quickly withdrew behind the rocks.


    A massive explosion reverberated seconds later, ringing everyone¡¯s ears. Brushing off gravel from their steel helmets, the Navy Marine officer, carrying an assault rifle, charged into the still-clearing smoke.


    His soldiers followed him, crossing the shallow pits blown open by the detonators, breaking through the severed barbed wire, and charging into the Goblin trench now littered with casualties.


    ¡°Tut tut tut tut!¡± Without any shouting or scolding, the Tang soldiers raised their weapons and began relentless firing.


    Some soldiers pulled out hand grenades, pulled the pins, and tossed them, creating explosions in the distance; others charged along the trench, continuously firing at Goblins in the trench.


    They expertly reloaded their magazines, some even pulled out their sidearms to continue firing, with Goblins flipping over, unable to return fire with only their Shireck rifles.


    At this time, the situation on the beach also changed drastically, with the slower 63 amphibious tanks arriving. They possessed more substantial caliber cannons, suppressing some enemy positions at extremely close range.


    Increasingly, Tang Empire soldiers breached the Shen Army¡¯s trenches, and the intensified defenses weakened the Shen Army¡¯s firepower.


    ¡°Hello? Hello!¡± Inside an underground bunker, commanding the Mirage Country¡¯s coastal defense forces, a Mirage Country officer held the telephone receiver, helplessly pleading with Shengwu Zhong: ¡°If reinforcements don¡¯t arrive soon, we won¡¯t be able to hold on! Hello? General! Hello! Reinforcements! Request for reinforcements!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Two updates today, will continue to make up updates tomorrow.

 Chapter 1145: 1065 Chaotic Beach

    Chapter 1145: 1065 Chaotic Beach


    A Type 63 amphibious tank rolled over the corpses on the ground and fired a shell towards the distant bunker. A massive explosion spread through the gradually thinning white mist, illuminating the faces of the Navy Marine Corps soldiers who were advancing in the attack.


    ¡°Ratatatatata!¡± Armed with Type 56 assault rifles, the Tang Army¡¯s Navy Marine Corps swept through the trenches, taking out the Mirage Country¡¯s defending forces. Occasionally, someone would step on a hidden mine and perish. Soon, some Shen Army soldiers equipped with submachine guns appeared and managed to barely hold back the Tang Army¡¯s assault from the side.


    Upfront, inside the thick concrete defensive structures, Mirage Country soldiers were firing Maxim heavy machine guns at the beach, their visibility had improved a lot, but the targets in front of them had become much more complicated.


    On the beach, there were advancing amphibious armored vehicles, as well as landed amphibious tanks, with more Marine Corps soldiers having come ashore. The machine gun firepower was no longer able to maintain a threat to these vulnerable targets.


    ¡°Keep firing! Keep firing!¡± Inside the bunker, a Mirage Country officer chopped forward with his command saber, slightly longer than a dagger, and shouted frantically.


    The Mirage Country soldiers gripping the machine gun handles stood on stools and poured down ammo on the distant targets from a higher vantage point.


    Honestly, few troops could attack the Great Tang Empire¡¯s forces so recklessly. These Goblins really had the upper hand now; they had killed a large number of Great Tang Empire soldiers, more than they might have in a previous battle.


    ¡°Ratatatatata!¡± The Maxim machine guns kept firing. Tracer bullets zigzagged through the increasingly sparse smoke, striking the landing craft¡¯s steel plates, the tanks¡¯ armor, and the bodies of many Tang Army soldiers.


    The Tang Army infantry, having blasted a gap open, were now expanding their success. An amphibious armored vehicle provided cover for another group of soldiers who approached the rocks. Following a breach beside the rocks, soldiers of the Great Tang Empire swarmed in and stormed into the Shen Army¡¯s defensive positions.


    ¡°For the glory of the Shen Emperor! Long live His Majesty!¡± The Mirage Country soldiers, with bayonets fixed on their rifles, charged wildly at the Tang Army soldiers who were still struggling to secure their foothold.


    However, a barrage of bullets from the onslaught of assault rifles came over their heads, driving back these fervent converts.


    With the protection of armored tanks, the Tang Army picked up the pace of their attack. A Type 63 amphibious tank, bulky in form, rolled over the broken Mirage Country trenches.


    The tank¡¯s tracks knocked down piled-up sandbags, and right after the bullet-ridden Type 63 amphibious tank passed by, Goblins with explosives rushed towards this Great Tang Empire¡¯s war machine from behind.


    The next second, a huge explosion engulfed the tank, followed by a sympathetic detonation of the Type 63 amphibious tank, blowing up everything around it, leaving only a twisted wreck of steel behind.


    Both sides were seeing red, desperately fighting in a very limited area. The Great Tang Empire¡¯s soldiers were advancing meter by meter along the trenches, while Mirage Country soldiers were counterattacking the attacking Great Tang Empire soldiers unrestrainedly.


    From initially only the Great Tang Empire¡¯s soldiers bleeding, the situation evolved into soldiers from both sides bleeding. Everyone was madly slaughtering, unrestrainedly trying to put each other to death.


    ¡°Gun grenades!¡± After gaining a better firing position, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Marine Corps soldiers began to take advantage of their superior weapons and equipment.


    A row of soldiers kneeled on one knee, aiming their Type 56 assault rifles equipped with gun grenades, and, lobbing them high, sent the grenades flying.


    Seconds later, the grenades fell from the sky, and like mortar shells, landed near the entrenched positions of the Mirage Country¡¯s defending forces, instantly raising clouds of dust.


    ¡°Load up again!¡± Under the commander¡¯s orders, the grenadiers took gun grenades from the pouches on their hips, loaded them into the grenade launchers at the front of their rifles, and fired another round.


    The place that had just exploded once again raised dirt and dust; this time, the Mirage Country¡¯s defending forces were genuinely starting to falter.


    More and more Tang Army tanks appeared on the beach. Although many were stuck in mud and sand and some were destroyed by mines and artillery, there were still tanks approaching their positions.


    The Tang Army force on the flank was also growing; they had blown a huge gap along the trench, and the number of Tang Army soldiers landing near the gap was increasing.


    Even though the smoke was about to dissipate and the Tang Army had no intention to reinforce it with more smoke shells, as the visibility improved, the Tang Army¡¯s attacks became more precise.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s snipers hidden in corners were taking out exposed Mirage Country soldiers, the number of fallen Mirage Country machine gunners was rising, and the entire defense line was beginning to crumble.


    The line that was built up with sheer numbers was no longer effective; the Mirage Country soldiers armed with Shireck Type 1 rifles suffered heavy casualties. They were running out of reinforcements and could no longer apply pressure on the Tang Army with countercharges.


    In relatively safe areas, the large-caliber mortars equipped on the modified Type 77 amphibious armored vehicles had landed, providing soldiers with more accurate and timely fire support. The hidden but frail machine gun positions of Mirage Country began to falter.


    Accompanied by the sound of engines, the carrier-based aircraft of the Great Tang Empire appeared in the sky above the battlefield; the Stuka Dive Bombers with their wings swept upward instantly dragged the officers of Mirage Country back into their terrifying memories.


    Many officers of Mirage Country had witnessed the horror of the Stuka Dive Bombers during the Battle of Beiyuan. The image of them diving down and dropping 500-kilogram bombs had remained ensnared in the officers¡¯ minds like a nightmare.


    Some of the Mirage Country officers had also taken part in the Battle of Fengjiang, where they had seen their own Stukas slaughter the enemy: these vulture-like planes would swoop down from the sky, followed by a gigantic column of smoke rising from the enemy¡¯s positions.


    ¡°Damn it... how could they have planes?¡± A Mirage Country commander heard the sound of the engines, looked up, and saw the silhouette of the Stukas, cursing subconsciously.


    Amid his curses, a Stuka Dive Bomber nearly vertically struck the ground with a 500-kilogram bomb, hitting the position where the Mirage Country soldiers were stationed.


    The point of impact was less than 5 meters away from a steel-reinforced concrete bunker, creating a huge crater that completely destroyed the nearby trenches.


    The bunker was also affected by the blast, with part of it collapsing, instantly killing the soldiers inside, leaving the Shen Army with one less fire support point.


    With one Aerial Bomb after another dropping from the sky, the soldiers of Mirage Country felt the ground beneath their feet tremble ceaselessly.


    The attack of the Great Tang Empire Soldiers seemed to have halted because the landed Navy Marine Corps troops were busy displaying their national flag or igniting red flares in their controlled area: they were signaling to their own bombers not to drop bombs on their comrades.


    Two Pirate Fighters responsible for escorting began to strafe ground targets with their 20mm caliber autocannons, creating deep grooves in the ground and scattering the bodies of Mirage Country soldiers nearby.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Just as the Mirage Country soldiers were busy looking up at the sky and shooting in an attempt to drive away the annoying planes overhead, a Shen Army position experienced a violent explosion.


    25 kilometers away, smoke was still rising from the muzzle of the 380mm main guns on the Dongwan No. 1 Battleship.


    Inside the sealed turret, soldiers were busy operating machinery to clean the gun barrel, preparing for the next loading. Amid their busyness, the breech of another cannon on the left side sat back with a sudden force, and even through the heavy armor and earplugs, the gun operators could hear the deafening roar.


    A shell surged out of the muzzle of the 380mm caliber heavy cannon, passing over the transport ships laden with supplies below, then over the giant wheel discharging soldiers, and a myriad of landing crafts and amphibious landing ships.


    As it began to descend, losing height and speed, it approached the ground nearly vertically. Eventually, it crashed into an open field and violently detonated several meters underground.


    The surrounding land shook in response, nearby bunkers and trenches crumbled, deformed, and were destroyed in an instant. Soil was flung into the air nearly a hundred meters high, falling down as if it were raining mud and sand.


    After the brutal explosion, the nearby battlefield seemed to quiet down, with a colossal crater lying between two trenches, even deforming and squeezing the trenches.


    ¡°Offset coordinates by 0.1 to the left! Repeat, shell impact coordinates offset 0.1 to the left!¡± On land, the liaison officer holding the telephone handset loudly reminded the Fleet to correct the fall of the artillery shells.


    Closer by, the Destroyer Squadron of the Great Tang Empire Navy had lined up in a straight line close to shore and was fiercely depleting its ammunition.


    A loader, dressed in heavy heat-resistant gear, shoved a shell into the chamber of his main gun, whose breech immediately closed automatically. The cannon fired and recoiled, promptly ejecting the steaming shell casing.


    Another loader was already in position with a shell, pushing the projectile into the barrel, and the main gun of the Destroyer fired once more, the muzzle spewing hot flames again.


    On the bridge, the communications officer urgently tore off a telegram, then walked over to the artillery commander: ¡°Section 56-74 is off limits!¡±


    ¡°Cease fire! Cease fire! You¡¯re hitting our own men! Shift the gun barrel! Coordinates 82-91,¡± the artillery commander hurriedly grabbed the intercom, shouting loudly!


    The neighboring Destroyer continued to fire, and even further away, more Destroyers were still recklessly bombarding the already-smoking positions of the Shen Army. There, the targets were hardly visible through the smoke, yet the Fleet responsible for artillery support showed no sign of ceasing fire.

 Chapter 1146: Complicated coordination of 1066

    Chapter 1146: Complicated coordination of 1066


    ¡°Why do the Tang people have aircraft near South Island? I want to know why!¡± Shenwu Zhong was so angered by the turn of the battle that he was gnashing his teeth.


    He and the entire Mirage Country high command had been firmly convinced before the outbreak of war that they would achieve air superiority on the battlefield. Therefore, the Mirage Country forces had hardly worked on air defense, which was also the reason they were able to conserve resources to focus efforts elsewhere.


    Because there was no need to produce so many anti-aircraft guns and searchlights, Mirage Country was able to afford the production of so many bombers and fighter jets.


    Because the infantry soldiers did not need to build air raid shelters or undergo air defense training, they had been able to build many fortifications, allowing troops to have richer combat experience when facing the enemy.


    Under limited resources, the national defense construction project of such magnitude that Mirage Country was able to complete relied on the firm belief that their Zero Fighters would play a critical role at the decisive moment.


    But now, Shenwu Zhong realized he was wrong, terribly wrong: except for the Great Southern Bay, which had a few anti-aircraft defense positions, his defensive line was almost as defenseless against air attacks as if it were completely naked.


    His troops had not undergone air defense training, lacked proper air defense weapons and equipment, and did not even have camouflaged nets or covered trenches.


    In order to build more bunkers, over half of the bunkers in the Mirage Country¡¯s defensive fortifications were actually uncovered... Facing air bombardment, these bunkers were incredibly vulnerable.


    All these shoddily constructed bunkers and trenches were the reason Mirage Country was able to build so many defense lines in just over half a year.


    ¡°Still no clear information?¡± Seeing his staff officer had returned to command, Shenwu Zhong anxiously asked.


    ¡°Not sure, the Navy fleet is heading south, and they have become very cautious after hearing that the enemy has aircraft involved,¡± the staff officer told Shenwu Zhong helplessly about the Navy¡¯s timidity: ¡°They say it is best to engage at night, this way the threat from the enemy¡¯s aircraft can be avoided.¡±


    ¡°We can provide air support! Didn¡¯t you tell them?¡± Shenwu Zhong mentally cursed the ancestors of the Navy Commander, but he still hoped that the Navy could help him solve some problems at the critical moment.


    ¡°I told them, so they plan to send out a fleet comprised of Cruisers and Destroyers from the northwest to launch a sneak attack and probe the reality of the Tang Imperial Fleet,¡± the staff officer spoke of the Navy¡¯s arrangements.


    Clearly, such a cautious arrangement left Shenwu Zhong with nothing to say because no one could be sure where exactly the Great Tang Empire¡¯s aircraft were coming from.


    Actually, Shenwu Zhong had not revealed the truth to the Navy Commander: the fighter jets and bombers that took off early in the morning had suffered heavy losses, and he was no longer able to provide effective air cover for the Navy.


    Of the 30 Zero Fighters that took off to engage in the combat, almost all were destroyed, and the 35 Dragon Bombers tasked with the bombing missions did not return... Of the Mirage Country¡¯s aircraft remaining on South Island, probably only about half could still participate in combat.


    The performance of the Zero Fighters was not as good as imagined; when facing those Tang Army fighter jets that they had never seen before, they were almost completely unable to fight back.


    Moreover, the airports were already mostly destroyed, and the few remaining had limited capabilities for launching aircraft. In this state, the few Shen Army aircraft that managed to take off had little chance to display any numerical advantage.


    From early morning until now, Shenwu Zhong had been considering whether or not to continue sending the remaining aircraft on offensive missions. The aircraft and pilots he had lost were precious treasures of the Mirage Country.


    After all, if Shenwu Zhong really allowed the rest of these precious aircraft and pilots to be lost, it would be impossible to guarantee naval air defense¡ªif it affected the more valuable fleet, Mirage Country¡¯s national foundation could be shaken.


    Currently, he was more concerned about his few remaining airports potentially being attacked by Tang Army aircraft appearing near the beaches: if any more were destroyed, he might lose air superiority over South Island entirely.


    So he could only have the successive Zero Fighters remain close to the airports defensively, turning the far-ranging Zero Fighters into awkward defenders of airfields.


    ¡°Damn it! How exactly did Tang aircraft manage to fly over South Island?¡± Shenwu Zhong Dong¡¯an was still agonizing over the inexplicably lost air superiority.


    ¡°In the beach direction, several telegrams requesting reinforcements have already been sent... What¡¯s crucial now is to recapture Leping and Dongshan villages and Bridge No. 1... Otherwise, General... once the Tang people manage to land their supply trains ashore, then we¡¯re in big trouble,¡± the staff officer reminded.


    ¡°I know, tell the defenses in the beach direction to hold their ground! By noon today! I will retake Leping and Dongshan! I¡¯ve already dispatched the Armored Corps there!¡± Shenwu Zhong was aware of the urgency, and after receiving the first telegram requesting reinforcements from the front, he began deploying and directing troops.


    At this very moment, Mirage Country¡¯s 2nd and 3rd main Armored Divisions are less than 2 kilometers away from Leping, Dongshan, and Bridge No. 1. In Shenwu Zhong¡¯s view, as soon as the Tanks arrive, the Tang Country Paratroopers holed up in these places could only retreat.


    He had good reason to be confident: both of these units were main forces of the Shen Army, and behind them followed two Mirage Country Infantry Divisions... These forces combined had several hundred Tanks and a full 30,000 Infantry! How could a group of Tang Country Paratroopers possibly withstand such power?


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s weather forecast was quite accurate; during this period, the skies over Mirage Country¡¯s southern seas were clear, with no huge waves at sea. The Aircraft Carrier adjusted its course against the wind, and a Pirate Fighter jet landed on the deck, its tailhook snagged on the arrestor cable.


    The spinning propellers gradually slowed down, and the ground crew on the deck hurried to the airplane. They helped pull open the cockpit canopy of the Pirate Fighter and took the goggles and hat passed out by the pilot.


    Overlooking the flight deck, Bernard saw the pilot crawl out of the aircraft, while the ground crew proceeded to move it towards the elevator according to protocol.


    Inside the hangar, the Pirate Fighter loaded with ammunition and refueled will be transported to the deck by the lift, while the plane that had just completed its mission will be sent below for inspection and to be reloaded with ammunition and refueled.


    Pirate Fighters on patrol skimmed over the fleet with the radar antennas on the masts of the vigilant Destroyers continuously rotating.


    ¡°Marshal! No sighting of the enemy fleet yet!¡± An officer approached Bernard from behind, stood at attention, and saluted to report: ¡°Other Aircraft Carriers are sending inquiries... whether to launch a new batch of ground support aircraft.¡±


    ¡°Launch! Have the surrounding fleet on alert! The enemy wouldn¡¯t let us move unimpeded near the landing site, they will either try to approach the landing site under the cover of their planes, or they will make a fierce move to rush in tonight!¡± Bernard reminded his officers not to slack off.


    ¡°Yes, Marshal!¡± The officer turned around to convey the orders.


    The Chief of Staff stood beside the chart table, peering over the sea chart and the lodestones representing their own fleets: ¡°According to the sighting by U48 submarine of the enemy fleet, if the enemy heads south at full speed, we could detect the main fleet of Mirage Country on our radar by noon.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, so if they really do make a move, the vicinity of the landing site may become even livelier.¡± Bernard pondered over the casualty report that had just been delivered, the feeling of loss returning to him.


    Merely a preliminary count, and the Navy Marine Corps¡¯ 1st and 2nd Divisions had already suffered thousands of casualties. By the end of the battle, that number could very well double.


    At this moment, the fight continues on the beach. Even with the Great Tang Empire¡¯s involvement of various new weapons, the situation had begun to tilt favorably towards the Great Tang Empire. Yet, victory was still undecided¡ªwho would dare claim triumph so prematurely?


    It seemed the battle at the landing site would persist at least until noon. Whether the paratroopers could hold off the enemy¡¯s Armored Corps had become another decisive factor in the battle¡¯s outcome.


    If the paratroopers can defend their position and allow General Feng Kezhi¡¯s Armored Corps of the 9th Group Army to land, the battle situation would completely swing in favor of the Great Tang Empire.


    Conversely, if the Mirage Country¡¯s Troops could breach the paratroopers¡¯ defense, then their Armored Corps might maintain momentum, potentially driving the Great Tang Empire¡¯s landing forces back into the sea.


    At Beiyuan Airfield, after a night of rest, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s H-6 Bomber units were preparing for takeoff. Despite seven aircraft being unable to continue due to malfunctions, the remaining 90-plus bombers were in very good condition.


    They were scheduled for a bombing mission in the morning, followed by a second sortie in the afternoon. Leveraging the high speed of the H-6 Bombers, they could strike South Island twice during daylight.


    For nighttime bombardment, the Tang Nation Air Force Commander Xiao Yun had allocated it to the slower Flying Fortress Bombers. At this time, these bombers were undergoing maintenance, and their pilots were resting.


    Being able to schedule 100 jet bombers and 300 Flying Fortress Bombers for missions, having so many pilots available for shifts, and finding enough ground crew... perhaps only the Great Tang Empire could handle such a feat around the world.


    Due to the distance, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s long-range bombers could only provide limited support. The transport planes were also busy, for tonight they were tasked with a mission to air drop supplies to the paratroopers.


    However, whether they would continue to fly depended on the daytime battle situation: whether the paratroopers scattered behind enemy lines could hold on until nightfall.


    ¡°A message from the 1st Division of paratroopers... Mirage Country¡¯s Armored Corps has been spotted!¡± A staff member approached Xiao Yun, handing over a telegram that wasn¡¯t exactly good news.


    ¡°They¡¯ve arrived quickly...¡± Xiao Yun frowned and asked, ¡°Is it possible for the navy to deploy planes for support?¡±


    ¡°We have already sent a message to the fleet. As for whether they can send reinforcements, and how many planes can be sent... that¡¯s uncertain,¡± said the officer, unsure himself about the coordination across military branches.


    Xiao Yun nodded and ordered, ¡°Send another message, ask them to provide support as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The officer stood at attention, then turned and departed.


    ¡ª¡ª


    I¡¯m not in good shape today, so the update is delayed. There will be only two chapters, sorry.

 Chapter 1147: 1067 Bernards Choice

    Chapter 1147: 1067 Bernard¡¯s Choice


    The naming convention for warships in the Tang Empire is actually quite lazy and featureless. Typically, Tang Army warships are only named by their classification, followed by a sequence of numbers.


    For instance, the battleships of the Great Tang Empire are named Dongwan 1 and Dongwan 2... It doesn¡¯t sound very impressive, even carrying a strong cheap flavor.


    The Beiyuan-class destroyers are the most produced type of destroyer by the Great Tang Empire, which, based on the Fletcher-class destroyers, increased the tonnage, improved the blue-water capabilities of the warship, and sacrificed a bit of speed.


    From a practical standpoint, the Beiyuan-class is a scaled-up Fletcher, with a tonnage increased to 4500 tons, maintaining crew levels around 400, and without a significant increase in armament.


    Therefore, this type of warship has its own characteristics in many aspects: it can conduct long-duration operations at sea, holds more anti-submarine ammunition, and is equipped with larger generators and more advanced radar systems.


    To adapt to various sea conditions, the Beiyuan-class destroyers also adopted a more enclosed design for the bridge, which could make the working environment within it more comfortable.


    Some captains prefer to open all the side doors and command the battle with the sea breeze blowing¡ªthat¡¯s another matter altogether.


    The Great Tang Empire produced a total of 100 Beiyuan-class destroyers, which, along with the Weigang-class destroyers and the Fengshun-class cruisers, formed the backbone of the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s forces.


    On the outskirts of the landing area of South Island, inside the bridge of the Beiyuan 035, the communications officer grabbed the telephone handset: ¡°This is the command bridge! Understood.¡±


    ¡°Sound the battle alarm... Li He! Go to the captain¡¯s quarters and request the captain to come to the bridge...¡± Having put down the phone, the duty communications officer was loudly issuing various commands: ¡°All sailors to battle stations, send a telegram to the main fleet... We have sighted the Mirage Country fleet!¡±


    ¡°Marshal! We¡¯ve received a telegram from the Beiyuan 035 destroyer, their radar has detected an enemy fleet moving south from the north... At present, they have confirmed the presence of three ships!¡± Shortly thereafter, the message was delivered to Bernard.


    ¡°From the north? This information doesn¡¯t match what we got from the U-boats,¡± Bernard said as he placed the telegram on the command table, frowning at his subordinates.


    Previously, a submarine unit had detected an enemy fleet, clearly approaching from the south. Now an enemy fleet had been spotted from the north as well, which was inconsistent with what had been anticipated.


    ¡°Could it be possible that the enemy is splitting their forces into two groups?¡± The Chief of Staff suggested his view.


    Bernard nodded: ¡°Possible. U-boats would not report false military intelligence; what they saw is what they saw... The destroyer fleet has indeed encountered the enemy as well... So, it¡¯s very likely that there is another enemy fleet from the north.¡±


    ¡°Should we send the fleet to press on them?¡± The Staff Officer thought of a solution: ¡°Verify the enemy¡¯s strength and see if it indeed is their main fleet.¡±


    ¡°If so, the fleet could suffer heavy losses.¡± Despite having weapons like anti-ship missiles, using seven or eight destroyers to engage in battle with the enemy battleships and cruisers is still too risky.


    ¡°Let the fleet maintain radar detection contact with the enemy fleet! Let¡¯s observe their movements.¡± Bernard weighed the pros and cons in his mind, deciding it was more convenient to use carrier-based aircraft for the task.


    Regardless of whether the enemy¡¯s fleet is the main force, and no matter how many warships there are, as long as the Great Tang Empire¡¯s carrier-based aircraft press forward, the enemy is sure to suffer losses.


    If the enemy¡¯s fleet is not the main force, the Great Tang Empire would not suffer significant losses. If it is the main force, then the feedback from the carrier-based aircraft will be more specific and accurate than that of the destroyer fleet.


    After all, carrier-based aircraft need to fly over the enemy fleet to drop bombs, so it would be clear at a glance how many there are and what type of warships they are, right?


    ¡°Commander! We have received a communication from the Air Force requesting our utmost support for the paratrooper operations... The 1st Airborne Division has already clashed with the enemy¡¯s Armored Corps...¡± A communications officer delivered another telegram at this moment.


    Now Bernard needed to make a choice: he and a commander named Nanyun Zhongyi, whom he did not know, faced similar issues.


    The airborne troops are waiting for air support, the enemy navy¡¯s whereabouts are unknown, and the landing troops are also in a tough fight with the enemy.


    He needs to maintain pressure in the direction of the beachhead while guarding against the enemy¡¯s main fleet that might come charging at any time for a decisive battle and also carve out forces to aid allies...


    The bad news is that his fleet does not have many battleships, which means there are not that many ¡°shielding tanks¡± at the forefront.


    The good news is that the aircraft carrier in Bernard¡¯s hands has many more aircraft carriers than Nanyun Zhongyi does, and his carrier-based aircraft are much more powerful.


    ¡°Order Dongwan 1 and 2, supporting the landing operation, to head south! Rendezvous with the 2nd Cruiser Squadron and stand by!¡± After some thought, Bernard decided to proceed with his own plan: ¡°Carrier-based aircraft to head north with ordnance, let¡¯s wipe out the enemy fleet coming down from the north first!¡±


    As for the battle on land: ¡°Have the paratrooper troops hold on for a while; reinforcements should arrive around 1 PM.¡±


    ¡°If the enemy fleet gets too close to the landing zone, use Styx Anti-ship Missiles to chase them away! Do not allow any enemy warship to get close to the landing area!¡± After giving the orders, Bernard turned to the liaison officer from the army: ¡°Get General Feng Kezhi¡¯s troops ashore as quickly as possible.¡±


    On the bridge of Destroyer 035, the captain had arrived at his post and picked up his binoculars to look towards the oncoming enemy, but he saw no target.


    They had been maintaining radar contact with the enemy warship, which was about 35 kilometers behind them, a safe distance since the enemy had no knowledge of their presence.


    On the starboard side, another destroyer followed them, with the hull number 083¡ªa relatively new warship equipped with only three cannons and no torpedoes, but it had two Styx Missile launchers installed midship.


    The Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s destroyer squadrons are all mixed in this way, typically with one anti-air destroyer, two anti-ship destroyers, and several gun destroyers.


    Destroyer 035, built earlier and not refitted, is a gun destroyer, responsible for outer perimeter patrols, chasing targets, and providing close-range fire support in regular missions.


    Actually, Bei Yuan class destroyers are still comparatively new, as their gunnery systems are more advanced, and the tonnage of the ships is ample.


    The truly small destroyers, early models with even outdated radar, are now supporting landing operations in shallow waters.


    They despaired, loading ammunition into the main guns; those destroyers, mostly early experimental products of the Great Tang Empire, relying on the numerous and fierce firepower of the ship¡¯s guns, were pouring their ammunition frenetically at the Mirage Country¡¯s defenders.


    ¡°Message from command! Maintain radar contact, and if the enemy closes in on the red line area, authorization is given to use Styx Anti-ship Missiles!¡± said the officer sending the message aloud: ¡°The carrier-based aircraft squadron has already been deployed; theoretically, we only need to watch the show.¡±


    ¡°Sounds pretty good,¡± the captain nodded: ¡°Have the radar room keep a close watch on the targets! Don¡¯t let them catch up with us.¡±


    They didn¡¯t actually have much of an advantage in terms of sailing speed¡ªthe Mirage Country Navy cruisers had a cruising speed not much different from the reduced speed Great Tang Empire Navy destroyers.


    If not careful, those cruisers designed specifically to hunt down destroyers might indeed close the distance and subsequently engage in a gun battle.


    But before that happens, the Great Tang Empire destroyers will launch anti-ship missiles: whether the Mirage Country Navy will be caught off-guard by these anti-ship missiles, only heaven knows.


    ¡°Understood!¡± After a salute at attention, the officer went to the radar room to convey the order. Meanwhile, on the other side of the sea, the Mirage Country Navy cruiser squadron moving southward, the Commander Shen Hai¡¯ang put down his binoculars.


    He had always had a feeling that his fleet was being watched: this intuition had been present since dawn and had made him feel very uncomfortable.


    Initially, he thought a submarine was following them, but after he had his fleet accelerate, the submarine should have been left behind long ago, yet the feeling of being spied upon persisted.


    To be cautious, he contacted Shengwu Zhong, hoping that the army could send planes to cover his fleet, but the aircraft promised by Shengwu Zhong had yet to appear.


    The wary Shen Hai¡¯ang sped up while waiting for the arrival of the Zero Fighters. He already knew that the Tang Army had some aircraft wreaking havoc over the landing zone, which had taken off from an unknown location, so he didn¡¯t dare to enter the battlefield before the escort fighters arrived.


    At the same moment, on the deck of the Great Tang Empire Navy aircraft carrier protected by layers of destroyer fleets, the Stuka Dive Bombers, loaded with torpedoes, began to spin their propellers.


    The pilots were tasked with attacking the Mirage Country fleet to the north, endeavoring to eliminate this threat: 30 Stukas would carry out the mission under the protection of 15 Pirate Fighters, with 20 Stukas equipped with torpedoes and 10 with bombs.


    They are just the first wave of attackers; another squadron of the same number of aircraft will take off 20 minutes later. Whether to continue the attacks depends on the damage suffered by the first wave of attackers and also on the actual scale of the Mirage Country Navy¡¯s northern fleet.

 Chapter 1148: The Stubbornness of the 1068 Light Infantry

    Chapter 1148: The Stubbornness of the 1068 Light Infantry


    Leping village, the encampment where Xiang Ziyu was located had already assembled. Although more than 100 people were still missing, they managed to gather most of the soldiers at the break of dawn and rushed to Leping, this crucial node.


    Almost at the same time, the 2nd Armored Division of the Mirage Country also arrived. A light Tank, thinly armored and produced by the Mirage Country itself, appeared in the sight of the Tang Empire Paratroopers, followed by a second and then a third one.


    This was clearly a reconnaissance spearhead troop, and their advance was very cautious, with some Infantry scattered around providing cover for the Tanks.


    ¡°Not a bad tactic... seems like they¡¯ve learned quite a bit in Fengjiang.¡± Watching the Mirage Country Troops put up a posture of infantry and tank coordination, Xiang Ziyu put down the binoculars in his hand and praised the enemy.


    After the mercenary soldiers from Mirage Country returned from the battlefields of Fengjiang, they brought some tactical systems back to the Mirage Country Military: In Fengjiang, this was how they covered Tanks to approach enemy positions, and now they¡¯ve similarly arranged their stance in advance.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that they are still too green.¡± The platoon deputy commander grinned and said, ¡°We¡¯ll teach them a lesson in a moment!¡±


    Indeed, no sooner had the platoon deputy commander finished speaking than the mortars positioned behind Leping village opened fire. A dozen 80mm mortars fired a volley of shells, landing with precision amidst the advancing vanguard of Mirage Country¡¯s forces.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The explosions threw Mirage Country¡¯s Infantry around the Tanks into the air, and the Mirage soldiers following beside the Tanks instantly went prone. The Tanks continued to advance, as they could still manage the mortar shrapnel.


    ¡°The Navy said air support will only arrive in the afternoon.¡± Xiang Ziyu had no expectations for help from the Navy and casually said, ¡°For now, we can only rely on ourselves. The open space on the left is the most dangerous, they¡¯ll definitely attack from there after probing twice.¡±


    On their other side was a small hilltop, manned by the second platoon. The tactical advantage of height made it difficult for Mirage to attack. On the other side was a flat area, a good opening for Tanks, and clearly a more advantageous region for the attackers.


    ¡°I¡¯ve positioned most of our anti-tank personnel there; let¡¯s see if those Goblins take the bait,¡± said the platoon deputy commander, while watching the first wave of the Mirage Country Armored Corps starting to retreat in the distance.


    Xiang Ziyu glanced down at his watch: ¡°They¡¯ve wasted at least another 20 minutes. By the time they come up again, it will probably be 11 o¡¯clock...¡±


    Indeed, as the minutes ticked by, the Mirage Country Armored Corps initiated their attack once more. Drawing up in front, with a portion of them taking advantage of their numbers, they began stretching into the flanks of Leping.


    The battle then quickly reignited. Enemy fire fell within Leping village, a building was hit directly and collapsed, and another nearby, already burnt down to its skeleton, also collapsed completely amidst the tremors.


    The mud-brick walls of the courtyard crumbled and collapsed in sections with the thunder of the artillery, making the entire village seem to shake and tremble.


    After dozens of shells fell, the Mirage Country¡¯s Tanks could no longer wait and started their charge. This time not only thin-skinned light Tanks but also several sturdy-looking heavy Tanks.


    Though called heavy Tanks, they were actually medium: Similar to Japan, Mirage, which only emphasized the development of the Navy, did not allocate abundant steel to its Army¡¯s Tanks.


    However, stimulated by the technology of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Tanks, the Tanks of Mirage Country were much more capable than the Tanks of Japan¡¯s Army during World War II: at least they were equipped with a 75mm caliber long-barreled cannon, copied from the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Panther Tanks!


    Unfortunately, that was basically a knockoff; not only was the firepower subpar, but the price was also even higher. The Mirage Country was reluctant to use them on a large scale and ended up purchasing a batch jointly with the Navy.


    True enough, this artillery was originally an anti-air gun used on many of the Mirage Country Navy¡¯s Warships, retrofitted to serve as Tank cannons¡ªa traditional skill of many nations.


    With a mix of light Tanks and heavy Tanks, the Armored Corps of Mirage Country, covered by at least a battalion of Mirage Infantry, went all in on their initial push.


    They appeared to really be in a rush, seemingly not taking the Tang Empire Paratroopers seriously: In their view, light Infantry had no way to counter a heavy armored Tank force.


    ¡°Here they come!¡± A Tang Army Soldier muttered, stuffing a gun grenade into the launcher¡¯s muzzle in front of him.


    Don¡¯t think the Great Tang Paratroopers are just light Infantry; their advanced weaponry endows them with fierce firepower.


    The snipers hidden in darkness peered at the ¡°close at hand¡± targets through their scopes, fingers resting on the triggers, followed by a light squeeze, and the recoil from the stock transmitted into their shoulders.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A sudden gunshot mixed with the roar of artillery¡ªA Mirage junior officer who was advancing with the troops fell in response, his chest pierced by the bullet, with blood even splattering onto the nearby Tank¡¯s body.


    Accompanied by this gunshot, the Paratroopers¡¯ counterattack also began. Mortar shells rained down one after another, and the Goblin Soldiers flanking the Tanks were even suppressed by the Paratroopers¡¯ firepower to the point they couldn¡¯t raise their heads.


    ¡°How much ammunition can they have? They¡¯re firing so fiercely?¡± On a distant hilltop, the Commander of Mirage¡¯s 2nd Armored Division sneered while observing the battle situation in Leping, disdainfully remarking, ¡°I¡¯ll see what you do after firing all your shells!¡±


    Just as he watched his Troops regrouping and continuing the assault, another round of slightly less powerful shells struck down, landing amidst the crowd of his forces.


    He did not know these were the gun grenades from the Great Tang Paratroopers, but the ferocious firepower still made him grit his teeth in hatred. He really had not expected the so-called light Infantry to be this troublesome.


    On the other side, the Mirage Country troops extending out also encountered trouble at Leping¡¯s flank: there were Great Tang Paratroopers on the small high grounds of Leping¡¯s flank, which rendered the extension of the Shen Army meaningless.


    If they continued to extend toward the flank, it would be equivalent to bypassing Leping: crossing mountains and wild terrain, tanks could get through but theÆû³µê¢ÖØ (vehicle logistic units) could not.


    Moreover, taking a detour meant leaving the Tang Army Paratroopers in Leping behind, wasn¡¯t that just handing the entire flank of the Armored Division over to the enemy, allowing them to harass, stealthily attack, and assault at will?


    ¡°Continue the attack! Within half an hour, I want to have lunch in Leping.¡± The Division Commander of the 2nd Armored Division didn¡¯t even bother to look at the losses his own troops were suffering on the battlefield, he stuffed the binoculars into the hands of the Commander of the 1st Battalion, issuing a cold command.


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The battalion commander bowed slightly, then immediately ordered: ¡°Send the 2nd Armored Battalion charging in! Contact the following Infantry to send another battalion! At all costs, capture Leping!¡±


    To support their attacking forces, the artillery of the Mirage Country¡¯s Armored Corps really played for keeps: they just arrived at the front line, deployed, and then began a fierce bombardment of the Tang Army¡¯s defensive positions.


    The several heavy caliber cannons were obviously more powerful than the Tang Army¡¯s mortars, and the shells fired by the heavy artillery had a better effect than the shells from the paratroopers.


    Another dozen or so heavy caliber shells fell on the village of Leping, and some of the less sturdy houses collapsed in the explosions.


    The dust stirred up and spread throughout the village, while the Great Tang Empire¡¯s paratroopers continued to return fire at their own pace, without any sign of chaos.


    ¡°Firing makes us a target... and then they¡¯ll blast the houses.¡± Watching the ruins behind him, Xiang Ziyu¡¯s deputy platoon leader couldn¡¯t help but grumble.


    ¡°We¡¯re approaching the front-line position. It seems that the enemy is really anxious; they even skipped scouting our firepower points.¡± Xiang Ziyu squinted his eyes at the position ahead, where snipers delayed the enemy¡¯s advance and caused a slight gap between the enemy tanks and infantry.


    What he needed to do now was to wait for the enemy to come closer, then use machine guns to stop the enemy infantry and let the anti-tank team take care of those tanks that ventured too deep.


    There were no other options, he had only this one move. There was no need to hold back¡ªthe parachutists¡¯ means of anti-tank warfare were limited to RPG rocket launchers.


    So, they could easily repel the enemy¡¯s first attack, but once the enemy became prepared for the second or third attack, it would not be so easy to succeed.


    But this is how they had to fight, merely making tactical use of old tactics, recombining them and fighting desperately against the enemy in front of them...


    ¡°Dadadada!¡± According to the pre-planned strategy, gunfire came from the advanced light machine gun positions. The sweeping bullets from the flank really pinned down all the Mirage Country soldiers to the ground.


    But the tanks of the Shen Army didn¡¯t know what happened behind them. They continued to advance, twisting their hefty bodies in the fields.


    A few seconds later, RPG rocket launchers were shouldered by the hidden Tang Army anti-tank soldiers in foxholes popping up to aim at the advancing tanks of the Shen Army.


    ¡°Whoosh!¡± The Tang Army paratrooper pulled the trigger; a rocket-propelled grenade whizzed forward with white smoke towards the advancing Shen Army tank, blasting a hole in the side armor of the tank, crippling it on the battlefield.


    Shaped charges were incredibly effective against steel plate protection, and even more so since the armor of the Mirage Country¡¯s tanks was exceedingly thin. After that tank was destroyed, another advancing Mirage Country tank was taken out by another paratrooper anti-tank soldier in ambush.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The Mirage Country Commander watching the battlefield furrowed his brows, observing the sudden white smoke trails and his own burning tanks, and asked angrily.


    Unfortunately, no one could answer his question. He could only watch helplessly as his tanks were destroyed one by one on the battlefield.


    In just this short period, seven or eight tanks were already smoking and ablaze, crippled on the battlefield. And those infantry soldiers who had charged with the tanks were also tortured back and forth by the Tang Army.


    Even though they were the elite of the Shen Army, even though they were determined to capture Leping in one attack, these Mirage Country goblins ultimately retreated.


    The losses were simply too great. Without understanding the Tang Army¡¯s firepower deployment, blind attacks were in vain. An hour later, the Mirage Country military still hadn¡¯t come close to Leping; they had only left behind the wreckage of a dozen tanks and over 300 fallen soldiers¡¯ bodies in the north of Leping.


    ¡°Are these light infantry? Did they really parachute in?¡± Looking at the devastated battlefield and unable to have lunch in Leping, the incredulous Division Commander of the Mirage Country¡¯s 2nd Armored Division asked.


    He truly did not expect that a unit of infantry could hold out so long in front of his tanks... or rather, the enemy seemed to have easily repelled his attack with ease.


    ¡°Hurry up and arrange for the follow-up troops! Charge! Within half an hour! At any cost, push into Leping!¡± He gripped the handle of his command sword at his waist, shouting furiously.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    Two updates today

 Chapter 1149: 1069 fierce battle continues

    Chapter 1149: 1069 fierce battle continues


    ¡°Long live the Shen Emperor!¡± A Mirage Country goblin officer raised his command saber high and, bellowing, led the charge forward. Despite many commanders already being picked off by Tang Army Paratrooper snipers for doing this, there were still those who recklessly maintained this crazy style of command.


    Behind him, goblin soldiers armed with Shireck Model 1 rifles crowded close, swarming around tanks and rushing towards the Great Tang Empire soldiers¡¯ position, which was already belching thick smoke in the distance.


    At this moment, the ground between the two armies was littered with the bodies of goblins, but the goblin soldiers, undeterred, continued to sprint forward ceaselessly.


    ¡°For the Shen Emperor! Attack!¡± Shouts and slogans were everywhere, and at this time, the Tang Army¡¯s firepower was noticeably less ferocious than before.


    Xiang Ziyu now had to be more sparing with his RPG Rocket Launcher, and his troops¡¯ mortar shells and gun grenades were also nearly expended.


    There was no choice; there was only so much weaponry and ammunition that could be carried with a parachute. After the previous consumption, there really wasn¡¯t much left.


    ¡°We¡¯re basically out of artillery shells,¡± the deputy platoon leader reported somewhat awkwardly from the rear, bringing with him not so good news: the battalion headquarters had nothing left to support them with either.


    ¡°We still have plenty of bullets, but we must use them strategically now. If we keep wasting them, I estimate by afternoon we might only be able to rely on bayonets,¡± he said. He had brought back about 1,000 bullets from the battalion headquarters, and most of them had already been distributed.


    ¡°We¡¯re also running out of medical supplies. We¡¯ve already got 9 dead and more than 20 wounded...¡± Xiang Ziyu said despondently.


    The enemy had already launched three charges, and it seemed like the goblin troops were insatiable: they charged forward recklessly, as if trying to deplete the Great Tang Paratroopers¡¯ bullets with their lives.


    ¡°But even if we have to fight with bayonets, we¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re beaten!¡± Xiang Ziyu eyed an enemy tank nearing his defensive position and declared with determination.


    If they ran out of rockets, they still had explosives; if explosives were gone, they still had hand grenades! If hand grenades ran out, they still had bullets, and if bullets were gone, they had bayonets, and if bayonets were no more, they still had their fists and teeth!


    ¡°Ratatatata!¡± This time, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s machine-gun position did not flank, but instead suddenly opened fire from the front, mowing down a swath of goblin infantry.


    Pity that it seemed one of the Mirage Country tanks had anticipated the Tang Army machine-gun position. Just seconds after the machine guns fired, a shell struck the machine-gun position.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Xiang Ziyu cursed, having seen quite clearly the explosion that had just occurred, costing at least two more brave paratroopers their lives.


    A Mirage Country heavy tank triumphantly rolled over the still-smoking machine-gun position, coming ever closer to the Great Tang Paratrooper¡¯s defensive fortifications.


    ¡°Platoon leader! The enemy is approaching our traps!¡± A soldier, panting, ran along the trench to Xiang Ziyu and asked, ¡°Should we detonate it?¡±


    ¡°Wait a bit longer! Let their infantry get in too, then give them a nasty surprise!¡± Xiang Ziyu hunkered down on the edge of the trench, peering through the gaps in the soil at the enemy tanks that were not too far away from him.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The soldier bent low and ran towards the distance. A few seconds later, as the enemy entered the trap zone, the Engineer Corps paratroopers pressed the detonator, setting off the explosives secretly laid by the paratroopers inside the trenches.


    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!¡± A series of explosions began right beneath the enemy¡¯s feet, causing the Mirage Country soldiers to scatter in terror, abandoning the tanks that had their tracks destroyed by the blasts.


    The severe explosions also knocked the Great Tang paratroopers off their feet, tossing them around, but they climbed out of the dirt and began to overwhelm those tanks that had been paralyzed.


    Some Mirage Country tanks had been destroyed, others not completely, and the tank crew members inside still tried to resist, but were quickly taken out by the paratroopers with hand grenades and explosives.


    The battlefield was thick with gunsmoke and permeated with an acrid smell. Just as the Tang Army side had finished clearing the remnants of Shen Army tanks from the battlefield, the Mirage Country artillery barrage began anew.


    This time, the Mirage Country artillery fire was much more precise than the previous volleys. Their shells covered the exact positions held by the Great Tang Paratroopers, causing casualties among them.


    ¡°Dammit! They¡¯re getting smarter...¡± Shaking the dirt from his head, Xiang Ziyu immediately looked towards the enemy¡¯s direction.


    Clearly, the enemy did not plan to give the paratroopers any time to rest, with another wave of attack already brewing.


    ¡°Medics! Medics!¡± Off in the distance, a soldier bellowed at the top of his lungs, evidently someone had been wounded.


    The paratrooper medic, carrying a nearly empty medical bag, passed by Xiang Ziyu, leaving behind a worrying message: ¡°We¡¯re running out of medicine, Company Commander; we won¡¯t have any anesthetics if someone else gets injured.¡±


    Right after that, the Mirage Country¡¯s artillery attack started again; they seemed certain that the Great Tang Paratroopers had exhausted their rounds, thus their attack became even more reckless.


    After 10 a.m., the jet bombers of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Air Force once again paid a visit to the Shen Army¡¯s airfield on South Island and other various strategic areas.


    This round of bombing disrupted Shen Army¡¯s most crucial airfield on the island, and also damaged a section of the railway where a train loaded with Mirage Country¡¯s supplies was parked.


    However, despite the remarkable effect of the strategic bombardment, it indeed did not provide support for the friendly paratroopers in combat.


    The 1st Division was constrained near Leping, and the 2nd Paratroopers were struggling near Bridge 1. Relatively speaking, the troops of the 1st Paratrooper Division stationed near Leping were under less pressure because there were more Shen Army units near Bridge 1.


    Before the artillery fire completely ceased, the tanks of the Mirage Country¡¯s 2nd Armored Division advanced once more, ignoring the fact that the battlefield was already littered with tank wreckage, pushing forward at least 30 more tanks.


    The abundance of destroyed tanks made it easier for the Shen Army to approach the Tang Army¡¯s frontline positions. They had many natural shelters, and soon, both sides were entangled in close combat.


    Behind the remains of a burnt-out tank, a hidden Tang Army anti-tank team took advantage of the enemy¡¯s blind spot and fired an RPG rocket launcher from an oblique angle.


    After firing their last rocket, the team picked up the remaining launcher and ran. The rocket hit a Shen Army tank that was advancing, detonating the ammunition inside.


    The severe explosion sent the tank¡¯s turret flying and left just a burning tank hull immobilized in its place. The crew inside didn¡¯t even have a chance to struggle before they peacefully perished. The surrounding Mirage Country soldiers were also knocked down by the blast.


    However, in another direction, some Mirage Country soldiers had spotted two retreating Tang Country paratroopers. They raised their weapons and opened fire frantically at the two men until both fell down motionless before they stopped shooting.


    Due to the shortage of ammunition, the Tang Army could no longer maintain a favorable casualty ratio with advanced tactics and fierce firepower. They had to resort to the most primitive methods to eliminate the threats that posed the greatest danger to them.


    ...


    Far out at sea, the neatly arranged Stuka Dive Bombers skimmed the water¡¯s surface, each carrying an aerial torpedo underneath. This was their most powerful weapon against the enemy.


    ¡°Osprey 1! Osprey 1! This is Osprey 2! We have found the enemy¡¯s position! We have found the enemy¡¯s position!¡± The dive bomber formation flying high above was the first to spot the enemy, and thus the first naval aviation attack against a naval fleet in this world commenced.


    ¡°Maintain formation! We¡¯ve also spotted the target! Prepare for attack!¡± said the pilot of the torpedo attack plane amidst the slight turbulence in the cockpit: ¡°Squadron 2! Squadron 2! You take the target at the rear!¡±


    ¡°Steady! Close the distance!¡± Despite flying at several hundred meters altitude, the torpedo attack plane formation could still see the enemy warships appearing on the horizon.


    Guided by the coordinates of destroyers, they didn¡¯t need to waste time searching for the enemy¡¯s trace on the vast ocean. They just needed to fly over and then initiate the attack.


    ¡°Swoosh!¡± A shell came flying head-on, whizzing past the cockpit canopy, leaving behind an extremely terrifying sound of tearing through the air.


    ¡°They¡¯ve spotted us!¡± The pilot instinctively jolted the control stick and reminded his comrades how close a call it had been¡ªhe was nearly hit, and the shell came probably less than five meters from him at its closest.


    ¡°They¡¯re firing! They¡¯re firing!¡± Excitement, tension, or even a hint of fear filtered through the headset in shout after shout.


    ¡°Evasive maneuvers¡ªsideways! Get out of their line of fire! Turn, turn! Forget the formation! To hell with it! Spread out for the attack! Spread out for the attack!¡± Facing the increasing number of anti-aircraft artillery shells, the commander of the Tang Army¡¯s carrier-borne aircraft had to change tactics.


    He hadn¡¯t expected the real carrier-based anti-aircraft fire net to be so dense and so fierce, a departure from previous drills. Their enemy was clearly more combat-capable than they had estimated.


    ¡°Buzz!¡± High above, the dive bomber formation that was closing in commenced their diving rolls one after another, swooping into the battlefield.


    In the turbulent airflow, planes carrying huge bombs maneuvered through the fire net assembled of tracer bullets. For a moment, the radio communication channels were filled with shouts from the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s aviators: ¡°Dive! Dive! We only have one chance to attack! Don¡¯t waste it!¡±


    Meanwhile, the Shen Army¡¯s warships beneath them had already begun intense maneuvering turns; the slender warships drew one sharp curve after another on the sea surface, while their anti-aircraft guns madly fired shells at any targets they could see during this maneuver.

 Chapter 1150: 1070 Carrier-borne Aircrafts First Sea Battle

    Chapter 1150: 1070 Carrier-borne Aircraft¡¯s First Sea Battle


    ¡°Fire! Fire! Shoot them down! Shoot them down!¡± the Mirage Country Navy Commander screamed maniacally, waving his command saber while standing on the deck.


    Next to him, a high-angle machine gun continuously fired at aerial targets, with shell casings falling one after another onto the deck below, making a clinking sound.


    The sky was filled with circling enemy planes, causing the Mirage Country Navy Commanders to almost grind their teeth into powder: the aerial cover they were expecting never arrived, but instead, the enemy¡¯s planes arrived first.


    ¡°Those damn army bastards! Can¡¯t you trust their word? Where¡¯s the promised air support? Where is it?¡± Standing on the bridge, Shen Hai¡¯ang cursed furiously: ¡°All bastards! Bastards!¡±


    Beneath his feet, the warship was painstakingly built with money scraped together by the Shen Emperor and all of Mirage Country, and losing even a single one was painful!


    To build so many warships, the Shen Emperor ate only one meal a day, and the ministers donated their own fortunes, not to mention how many Mirage Country mercenaries perished in Fengjiang?


    How many years of effort by the whole country had been poured into creating this scale of navy? Yet those selfish army bastards dared not dispatch fighter jets to support!


    In fact, it wasn¡¯t that Shengwu Zhong was unwilling to send out fighter jets to cover the naval brothers, but rather, he simply had none to dispatch: this morning, the Datang Empire Air Force had deployed their new jet bombers and once again paid a visit to the Mirage Country troops on South Island.


    These nearly uninterceptable jet bombers roamed freely, and with a type of cluster bomb never before seen by the Mirage Army, they destroyed another Mirage Army airfield runway.


    This bombing added insult to injury to the already heavily damaged Mirage Army airfields, and the airfield scheduled to arrange for planes to take off and support the naval operation... happened to be the one that was bombed.


    Shengwu Zhong had already urgently ordered the remaining airfields to launch planes to support the southbound cruiser fleet. But in reality, his order was thirty minutes too late, a whole thirty minutes.


    ¡°Keep up the zigzag maneuvering!¡± Shen Hai¡¯ang cursed those despicable army fellows while directing his warship to avoid potential enemy attacks.


    Zigzag maneuvering was a tactic developed over many years of experience by the Mirage Country Navy, effective for evading enemy attacks.


    Just as the Mirage Country fleet was making its third turn, a cheer suddenly erupted on the deck. It turned out their anti-aircraft gun had hit a Tang Army carrier plane.


    The sailors on the deck saw the Stuka trailing a long plume of black smoke heading into the distance, all of them raising their arms and letting out a hysterical cheer: ¡°Long live the Shen Emperor! Long live!¡±


    At this moment, a Stuka carrying aerial bombs started its dive, avoiding oncoming shells, closing the distance, and aligning its bombing reticle on a cruiser¡¯s forward deck.


    His plane jolted through the air currents, and it seemed like only the sound of his own heartbeat remained in his ears. The dense tracer bullets coming towards him made the world in his view intensely vivid.


    ¡°Bastard! Die!¡± At a very close distance, he pressed the bomb release button, and the entire aircraft trembled.


    The massive aerial bomb was freed from its shackles on the rack, pushed away from the fuselage, and plunged straight towards the target on the sea surface.


    The cruiser was turning sharply, its sharp bow slicing through the oncoming waves. The cannons on the warship all pointed skyward, some gun positions manned by Goblins who had already spotted the bomb plunging towards them.


    ¡°Bombs! Bombs!¡± As if stranded on an island, with nowhere to hide, they could only point at the falling black spot in the sky and scream loudly.


    Now, the fates of both sides were left to the heavens. Inside the cruiser¡¯s bridge, the helmsman had turned the wheel to its limit.


    And the bomb plummeting from the sky ultimately brushed past the cruiser¡¯s hull, crashing into the sea water, followed by a huge explosion that sent up a towering column of water, much taller than the ship¡¯s bridge and smokestack.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± The drenched sailors of Mirage Country burst into joyful laughter, celebrating their narrow escape in the most hysterical way.


    Meanwhile, in the sky, the climbing dive bomber pilot, frustrated, cursed softly; he had missed a perfect opportunity, and this battle was destined to end without any victories.


    Meanwhile, other Stukas, taking advantage of the Mirage Country cruisers dodging attacks from the dive bombers appearing from the sky, flew low over the sea surface and dropped their own aerial torpedoes in the distance.


    White trails appeared on the sea surface, rushing straight towards the nearby Mirage Country cruisers. While the anti-aircraft guns had not yet swept over, these torpedo-carrying planes dispersed, flying off into the distance.


    ¡°Torpedoes! Torpedoes!¡± Before they could catch their breath, those responsible for spotting Tang Army planes were once again anxiously shouting.


    They were genuinely very tense, seeing Tang Army planes and threats of bombs and torpedoes everywhere from their perspective.


    ¡°Keep turning! Don¡¯t stop!¡± Racing to the side where the torpedoes were, Shen Hai¡¯ang picked up his binoculars, looked toward the white trails on the sea, and commanded loudly.


    This time, he wasn¡¯t using zigzag maneuvers but was forced to continue turning in place: although he had great confidence in his own warship, he still didn¡¯t believe he could withstand a direct hit from a torpedo.


    With a sharp turn, this massive warship, weighing over 10,000 tons, even began to tilt violently. A white trace, following the turning warship¡¯s bow, cut across its course.


    Shen Hai¡¯ang let out a breath; he had dodged a fatal attack once again. It seemed that the pilots of the Datang Empire¡¯s carrier-based aircraft were not very experienced, giving plenty of chances for the Mirage Country Navy to escape.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡± On the side of the warship, heaps of anti-aircraft guns continually fired into the sky, creating a spectacular sight.


    Unfortunately, although the Mirage Country Navy had some anti-aircraft experience and was somewhat prepared, they still didn¡¯t achieve the best on a technical level.


    One issue was that anti-aircraft artillery fire in normal conditions required unified command; relying on each gun to operate independently clearly wasn¡¯t effective.


    On one hand, each anti-aircraft gun position needs to consider ammunition supply and loading times, on the other hand, there¡¯s also the issue of target coordination to consider.


    In short, without unified command and fire control coordination in anti-aircraft combat, it is just a spectacle without practical use.


    Most of the time, the dense anti-aircraft guns on the warship are not mainly to shoot down the attacking enemy planes but to disrupt them and seal off the most comfortable bombing areas for the enemy aircraft.


    That is to say, it forces enemy aircraft to drop bombs prematurely or miss the opportunity to bomb, thereby ensuring the warship itself can avoid attacks and escape.


    However, the Mirage Country Navy¡¯s anti-aircraft guns couldn¡¯t achieve this effect; they fired randomly, choosing targets independently, and most of the time they fought individually.


    It wasn¡¯t that the Mirage Country warships lacked anti-air command equipment, but this aspect of coordination was limited and far from being able to precisely control each anti-aircraft gun.


    Thus, the seemingly dense gunfire did not actually produce the desired effect. Meanwhile, the carrier-based aircraft of the Datang Empire gradually found their rhythm in the chaos.


    In fact... it was the second wave of the Tang Army¡¯s attack aircraft that had struck!


    More carrier-based aircraft appeared in the battlefield, completely disorganizing the already chaotic Mirage Country Cruiser divisions.


    The fleet¡¯s formation began to scatter due to the need to evade torpedoes, breaking the mutual cover configuration, whether dive bombers or torpedo planes, the opportunities for attack began to increase.


    ¡°Torpedoes! Torpedoes!¡± When the sailors observing the sea surface shouted again, Shen Hai¡¯ang felt like his head would explode.


    Clutching the rail, he looked towards the distant scene, where two deadly white traces appeared. Two torpedoes were charging directly towards the tail of his warship; if he kept his course, it seemed he could avoid one of them.


    ¡°Hard right rudder! Hard right rudder!¡± He turned back and shouted frantically at his helmsman. During this process, the side of a turning cruiser in the distance suddenly erupted into a brilliant flame.


    Consequently, in the midst of the ongoing anti-aircraft guns¡¯ symphony, a deafening explosion sounded.


    ¡°The Baiye-Class hit! The Baiye-Class has been hit!¡± The lookout pointed towards the distant sea surface and shouted loudly. Following the direction of his finger, the warship which had just exploded at the side began to tilt rapidly.


    A cruiser with mediocre defenses, once hit by a torpedo, evidently lost the strength to struggle.


    It looked like a dead fish, gradually turning over; the tall buildings in the middle of the ship and the chimneys began leaning towards the sea.


    Following that, the central section of the cruiser named Baiye-Class started to fracture, and one of the three chimneys in the middle ultimately snapped and toppled into the sea due to the tilt and structural collapse.


    Even from such a distance, one could clearly see people beginning to jump into the sea from the warship, and the red color of the waterline painting on the other side of the ship gradually became visible...


    This was the first warship Mirage Country Navy had lost today, but it certainly didn¡¯t look like the last...


    Finally, six Mirage Country Zero Fighters appeared in the sky over the battlefield: due to the lack of ground guidance, they actually flew to the wrong place.


    They first spotted the Datang Empire Destroyer divisions in the distance before finding their own fleet. Just as they arrived, they witnessed the explosion and overturning of one of their own cruisers.


    Before they could react, the Datang Empire Pirate Fighters patrolling high in the sky swooped down like circling vultures.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Dragon Spirit has read everyone¡¯s messages... ashamed... no matter what, there will be an update today, but it will be very late; everyone check it out tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 1151: 1071 Fire Turkey

    Chapter 1151: 1071 Fire Turkey


    In the cramped cockpit, Sun Rui maneuvered the control stick, piloting the Pirate Fighter from high altitude down to the low skies. His seat was surrounded by instruments, but his field of view was still decent.


    The cockpit canopy of the Pirate Fighter slid open backwards, with no obstructions to the left or right, including the pilot¡¯s head, which was under a complete glass covering.


    This allowed Sun Rui to easily look through the glass at the outside world, where he and his comrades spotted the approaching Zero Fighters entering the battlefield for the first time.


    Although both the Pirate and Zero were piston propeller-driven fighter jets, technologically, they were practically from different eras.


    The standard Model 12 engine mounted on the Zero Fighter had a maximum horsepower of only 950, which was not top level at all on a global scale.


    Meanwhile, the Pirate Fighter of the Great Tang Empire was equipped with a Twin Wasp air-cooled radial engine producing up to 1850 horsepower¡ªnearly twice the output of the Zero Fighter¡¯s engine.


    What was even more terrifying was that this engine had a water and methanol injection system, allowing the plane to fly faster for short periods of time.


    In fact, one did not need to look at engine specifications to notice the huge technological gap between the two planes; it was apparent just from the fuselage and canopy design.


    The Pirate Fighter adopted a flush riveting structure, which made the surface of the fuselage smoother and the structure stronger.


    At the same time, the canopy of the Pirate Fighter used an integrated molding technology, comprising only four glass panels, providing the pilot with a much better view.


    In contrast, the Zero Fighter: Its riveting structure was very primitive, technologically backward, with just the cockpit canopy alone composed of 20 pieces of glass, severely limiting the pilot¡¯s visibility.


    The Pirate Fighters, which had not engaged in battle yet, were waiting for the potential appearance of Zero Fighters. They had received a warning from the Destroyer Fleet, for the Tang Army¡¯s radar had already detected the targets trying to enter the battlefield.


    With early warning support, the maneuverability advantage of the Pirate Fighters became evident as they climbed to a sufficiently high position in advance, waiting for the prey to come to them.


    As expected, it didn¡¯t take long for the Zero Fighters to become visible and the Pirate Fighter Troops began their hunt.


    Piloting his own fighter jet, Sun Rui aimed the nose of his plane at a Zero that was preparing to chase down a Stuka Dive Bomber.


    He approached the target rapidly, so there, among the boundless blue sky and white clouds, a Pirate with a bright yellow nose roared as it bit into that Zero Fighter.


    At an altitude of 5400 meters, in excellent flying condition with no abnormal sounds from the engine... Sun Rui confirmed everything was normal with his plane, and circled the helpless enemy aircraft with his front optical sight.


    Where the sky meets the earth seemed vastly distant, and in the narrow cockpit, Sun Rui could clearly feel the slight turbulence. He gripped the control stick with both hands, his peripheral vision glancing over at the dials of the instruments being adjusted.


    The pilot of that Zero Fighter also saw the enemy aircraft swooping down from above. Abandoning the pursuit of the slow Stukas, he honestly banked to the left, attempting to evade the imminent threat.


    Gently shaking the control stick, Sun Rui adjusted to the response speed of the rapidly descending aircraft, then clung as closely as possible to the adversary, intercepting the escape path of that Zero Fighter.


    In order not to be shot down by Sun Rui, the Zero Fighter began to swerve left and right, and Sun Rui, unphased, followed the swaying cautiously, occasionally checking his rear for any following enemies.


    The details in the chaotic battlefield were decisive for victory or defeat. Sun Rui, the first pilot to land a Stuka onto an aircraft carrier, was cautious in his combat style after switching to a fighter jet pilot, distinctly different from the way Air Force pilots flew.


    Air Force ace pilots often got their hands on the most advanced fighter jets, so their combat style tended to be more aggressive. Navy pilots were relatively more conservative because they always felt that their planes were ... ¡°almost¡± the same as their opponents¡¯.


    Suddenly, Sun Rui sensed danger. He quickly pulled the control stick, causing his plane to abandon the chase and swerve sharply to the side. In his headset, the urgent voice of his wingman followed: ¡°Evade! Evade!¡±


    The fast Pirate Fighter still showed swift reactions even at an altitude close to 3000 meters. Following Sun Rui¡¯s pull, the Pirate Fighter instantly vacated its flight path.


    The roaring noise from the sudden thrust of the plane¡¯s engine swept through, and Tracer Bullets fired from below grazed Sun Rui¡¯s wing and flew into the higher sky. That was a Zero Fighter covering for its leader, attempting a sneak attack from the blind spot below Sun Rui.


    Sun Rui, perspiring with a cold sweat, guided his plane spiraling back to the battlefield. He let the leader go, turning instead to tail the enemy¡¯s wingman.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got your back!¡± came the reminder from the wingman through the headset, as two Pirate Fighters approached the target, one after the other, at an altitude of around 3500 meters.


    Increasing the throttle, the engine revved faster, and the four-blade propeller burst forth with immense power. Piloting the Pirate Fighter, all Sun Rui could see was the Zero Fighter directly ahead of him.


    The enemy plane wobbled left and right as it climbed, denying Sun Rui any chance to take aim and fire. Desperately, Sun Rui tried to close the distance between the two aircraft, seeking an opportunity to shoot.


    In the gunsight of the Pirate Fighter, the Zero Fighter kept swaying side to side, never entering a position where Sun Rui could fire.


    ¡°Quite clever, aren¡¯t you!¡± he muttered through gritted teeth, while adjusting his flight path and pulling closer to the enemy, his finger caressing the fire button.


    Glancing at the altimeter, the altitude was now nearing 4000 meters¡ªa height where the Zero Fighter¡¯s performance could reach its zenith.


    The Pirate Fighter¡¯s performance was utterly superior to the Zero Fighter above 4500 meters, so if the enemy continued to climb, Sun Rui¡¯s advantage would keep growing.


    Clearly, the enemy also realized this, as any country¡¯s aircraft would be doomed in a high-speed, high-altitude pursuit by the Great Tang Empire¡¯s fighters.


    Hence, at an altitude of 4500 meters, the two Zero Fighters stopped climbing and suddenly split apart¡ªone to the left, the other to the right¡ªtrying to shake off the Pirate Fighter that had been tailing them.


    Sun Rui was not about to miss this chance. He chased after the plane on the left and shouted in the communication channel: ¡°I¡¯ll take left, you stay right! Keep on them! Fire when you get the chance!¡±


    In such a dogfight, predicting the enemy¡¯s maneuvers to shake off pursuit is critical. If you can preempt the enemy¡¯s movements, you gain the initiative.


    Continue left or veer right? With narrowed eyes, Sun Rui fixated on the Zero Fighter swaying in his gunsight¡¯s crosshair, constantly guessing its next move.


    If the enemy dove, they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape Sun Rui¡¯s pursuit¡ªthe Zero Fighter¡¯s dive speed wasn¡¯t fast, a sheer waste of its altitude advantage. A dive too steep could even break the plane apart.


    This was a design flaw known well to the pilots of the Great Tang Empire. Therefore, Sun Rui didn¡¯t even consider a dive from the enemy, nor did he expect a sudden climb.


    Thanks to his engine¡¯s power advantage, if the enemy climbed, it would only bring them closer. Sun Rui would then have numerous attack opportunities¡ªsuch a move by the enemy would be suicidal.


    In fact, in the face of a Pirate¡¯s chase, the only real chance for a Zero Fighter was horizontal maneuvering... As for whether spiraling was any good, that was known only to heaven.


    The enemy would certainly look for opportunities to escape rather than endure relentless pursuit. So Sun Rui kept his eyes on the shaking enemy plane, always guessing which way it would turn.


    Right! When he saw the enemy plane shift abruptly to the left, Sun Rui¡¯s instinct gave him the direction. In intense aerial combat, both sides often feint first to buy time for their next move.


    And so, as the enemy skewed to the left, Sun Rui immediately realized that they were planning to dodge to the right to escape his pursuit.


    Confident in his guess, Sun Rui swiftly maneuvered his plane to the right, anticipating the enemy¡¯s move to catch them in his trap.


    ¡°Just what I was waiting for!¡± As the enemy plane jerked right after its left detour, heading straight for him, a flash of triumph crossed Sun Rui¡¯s mind.


    The next second, Sun Rui pulled the trigger. Four 20mm caliber cannons spat out flames, and a stream of tracer bullets hurtled forward, drawing four beautiful arcs in the sky, not stopping until they had pierced the body of the enemy plane.


    In an instant, the fragile frame of the Zero Fighter shattered in the sky. It didn¡¯t even emit smoke; it was simply penetrated by streaks of light, followed by disintegration into fragments.


    At nearly 500 kilometers per hour, the Zero Fighter¡¯s frame was already at its limit. Hits from the 20mm cannons destroyed its structural supports, and the entire aircraft was instantly torn apart by the airstream.


    Indeed, the best weapon against a Zero Fighter would be the 12.7mm caliber machine gun: intense firepower and high ammunition capacity, with far more than enough destructive power for a Zero Fighter. Using a 20mm cannon was practically overkill. However, the Great Tang Empire had a strong tradition of 20mm cannons, and their pilots were incredibly skilled, disdaining the use of .50 caliber machine guns to bully weaker opponents.


    Executing a sleek barrel roll to avoid the scattered fragments of the Zero Fighter and its leaf-like wings, Sun Rui glanced over at his wingman. Pursued by his partner, the other Zero Fighter was fleeing in desperation.

 Chapter 1152: Command Post 1072 on Shore

    Chapter 1152: Command Post 1072 on Shore


    The pilots flying the Stuka Dive Bombers gradually found their rhythm, and the new round of bombing achieved better results.


    Another Shen Army Cruiser was hit, this time a missile struck vertically through the deck of the cruiser and hit the ammunition depot inside directly.


    This was entirely different from the effects of a torpedo hit: a torpedo hit resulted only in the explosion of the torpedo itself; in fact, there was almost no secondary explosion.


    Because the sinking of warships by torpedoes relies mainly on the flooding that occurs after the explosion, the enemy¡¯s ammunition and fuel depots would be instantly flooded with a large amount of seawater, essentially serving to suppress the subsequent explosions by filling with water.


    A missile hit was different, as it exploded inside the warship after penetrating the deck armor, which essentially means causing structural damage and secondary explosions first, before leading to the ship¡¯s hull rupturing and taking on water.


    Therefore, when this Shen Army Cruiser was hit by a bomb, the secondary explosions in the ammunition depot turned the entire scene into one of ghastly destruction and terror.


    The massive explosion even hurled parts of the cruiser into the air, falling onto the deck of another cruiser nearby.


    The fierce fire from the explosion in the ammunition depot below the forward gun turret nearly ignited the bridge and the smokestacks behind it. All rescue efforts were in vain, as the fuel depot amidships also exploded and caught fire, and the whole warship disintegrated at sea before it even had a chance to sink.


    In a sense, Mirage Country¡¯s warship protection was average, and cruisers especially suffered due to insufficient tonnage, allocating most of their weight to the guns and the main armor belt.


    Despite some reinforcement to the horizontal armor, the fact was that they still underestimated the damage naval aviation could inflict upon warships.


    Before there was time to grieve for this warship, another cruiser was hit by a torpedo on the other side. Unlike the previous cruiser, this one was lifted high off the sea surface by the explosion and then slammed back into the water, almost breaking in half.


    Compared to the previously capsized heavy cruiser, this one was clearly a light cruiser, and it seemed to be a converted one.


    It had four smokestacks, and it only sported two main gun turrets at the bow and stern. Such cruisers actually weren¡¯t very powerful in combat, fast but with very limited armor.


    This type of light cruiser was generally used for patrolling and alerting, focused on economic efficiency. In wartime, they would follow the main fleet just to make up numbers, or act singly to escort cargo, or engage weaker destroyers.


    Now hit by a torpedo, its inadequate protection and unstable structure were glaringly exposed. Normally, aerial torpedoes would not have such devastating power, but when it hit, it almost broke the cruiser in half.


    The Shen Army fleet heading south, originally consisting of only seven cruisers and three destroyers, could now be said to have suffered heavy losses.


    They watched three of their warships being sunk, while the rest struggled desperately, at risk of capsizing at any moment.


    Seeing his own fleet nearing its limit, Shen Hai¡¯ang meanwhile sent a telegram to the Main Fleet informing them of their plight and ordered an immediate retreat.


    What a joke! Continuing to head south surely meant total annihilation here. The promised land support from their army... well, if that could also be considered support, it was totally useless!


    Just when a few Zero Fighters finally arrived, they were beaten down by the enemy escorting crooked-wing aircraft, not a single one escaped, all were shot down!


    What good was such cover? They were outnumbered and outclassed in combat power. Shen Hai¡¯ang emphasized this point in the telegram sent to the Main Fleet: the land army¡¯s air support was unreliable, and to ensure the Main Fleet¡¯s absolute safety, at least two hundred Zero Fighters would be needed.


    However, this telegram, once in the hands of the Main Fleet Commander Shen Haifeng, became a huge joke: Mirage Country had deployed a total of less than 200 aircraft on South Island. How could they all take off to support the Navy?


    In fact, the Mirage Country army commander on South Island, Shengwu Zhong, in his desperation, had already ordered the Dragon Bombers to take off again and bomb Leping and Dongshan.


    In an effort to retake these two positions, he had given the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions strict orders to break through Tang Army Paratroopers¡¯ defense line by 1 p.m. no matter what.


    Because, on the beach, the Shen Army commanders stationed there were nearly in tears. The eagerly awaited reinforcements had been delayed, and now they were squeezed into a corner, on the verge of annihilation by Tang Army landing forces.


    ...


    On the beach, a landing craft came straight up to the shore. Its huge bow door had already been opened, and the gangway had been lowered, with a jeep rushing onto the beach first.


    Then a Type 59 main battle tank rolled off; with such advanced landing equipment, the speed of the 9th Group Army¡¯s landing was much faster than expected.


    Riding in the jeep, General Feng Kezhi watched as artillery was already setting up positions on the beach, erecting towed 155mm caliber heavy cannons, and he felt confident about the success of the landing operation.


    As a commander, he didn¡¯t believe in the combat effectiveness of the Navy Marine Corps, but he had full confidence in the 9th Group Army that he had formed.


    To support this naval landing operation, the weapon and equipment department above even gave priority to upgrading some Type 59 main battle tanks for the 9th Group Army. With these advanced main battle tanks, General Feng Kezhi did not believe his troops would be repelled back to the sea by the Shen Army.


    ¡°Commander!¡± The division commander of the 19th Infantry Division of the 9th Group Army, who had just been sent ashore, saluted General Feng Kezhi at attention: ¡°The Marine Corps is clearing the landing site on the flank, and my 1st Battalion is breaking through in depth! A company from the 9th Armored Division that landed earlier has assembled; they will support us in breaking through the enemy¡¯s second line of defense head-on.¡±


    Sitting in the jeep, General Feng Kezhi returned a military salute to his subordinate: ¡°Hurry and vacate the landing site for the troops! The follow-up troops can¡¯t deploy!¡±


    He pointed to various landing crafts and transport ships approaching the beach and shouted at his subordinates: ¡°I give you 2 hours; your troops must cross the Shen Army¡¯s second line of defense and make contact with the paratrooper positions!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! Commander!¡± The battalion commander of the 1st Battalion saluted at attention and then hurried to carry out the orders.


    General Feng Kezhi wasn¡¯t supposed to land at such a time, but he was eager to push his headquarters forward, which, in his view, was an attitude. A fallen general like him should stand in the most dangerous place and be loyal to the Empire.


    Behind him, more Destroyers of the Great Tang Empire were raining down their shells on the Shen Army: countless cannons spewed flames, keeping the entire landing site still tumultuously noisy.


    The follow-up troops were densely packed on the beach, mostly the logistical units of the 9th Group Army, and soldiers who had just been sent ashore.


    Most of the Shen Army¡¯s artillery positions arranged in-depth had been destroyed by Stuka Dive Bombers, with the surviving parts struggling to provide support for the front line, unable to spare the strength to fire at the beach anymore.


    It was for this reason that Bernard allowed General Feng Kezhi to move the command post forward to the beach. After all, Bernard also believed that only when General Feng Kezhi was ashore would it signify that the landing operation was proceeding smoothly.


    The recently landed Engineer Corps of the Great Tang Empire was clearing the minefields left by the Shen Army with simple and crude methods, directly detonating certain areas with explosive charges, and then moving on to the next.


    The real mine-clearing equipment carried by the Tang Army was not much, and most of it had a lower priority, being on the transport ships with later numbers. At such a time, no one was afraid of wasting anything ¨C they used whatever was available.


    Along the trenches left by the Shen Army, the 1st Division of the Navy Marine Corps was attacking furiously to the west, while the main attack direction of the 2nd Division of the Marine Corps was on the east.


    The two divisions¡¯ troops were working hard to expand the landing site, and under their offensive, the width of the Tang Army¡¯s landing site had already exceeded 5 kilometers.


    When General Feng Kezhi landed, he could only hear gunfire in the distance. However, the gunfire behind him was still dense, so he had to shout at the top of his lungs when he spoke.


    ¡°Had I known, I should have waited a little longer back there!¡± He covered one ear with one hand, squinting his eyes as he jumped down from the off-road vehicle, complaining to his adjutant beside him.


    Next to him, the Engineer Corps of the headquarters was setting up a tent beside a rock ¨C this would be their temporary command post for the group army.


    Meanwhile, communication troops were erecting antennas on the rocks; they were to set up at least ten radio sets, connect ten walkie-talkies... of course, they also needed generators and had to pull up anti-air camouflage nets and set up lookout areas further afield.


    Actually, the command systems on the warships were somewhat more sophisticated, as it was safer and quieter there, with more comprehensive communication equipment.


    However, a commander moving forward also had its advantages. At the very least, this kind of leading-by-example approach indeed served to motivate the soldiers, making the entire troop fight more bravely.


    In fact, the 9th Group Army indeed felt inspired: the 1st Battalion of the 19th Infantry Division that had just landed was fiercely attacking northwards, and without tank cover, they had already pushed their line right under the enemy¡¯s second main line of defense.


    As the absolute main force within the Group Army, the 2nd Battalion of the 19th Infantry Division was landing, and the directly affiliated artillery of the Group Army was also establishing its artillery positions.


    More tanks were also ready to join the battle, and before exhausting the fuel in their tanks, these Type 59 main battle tanks would not stop their advance.


    ¡°Get the follow-up troops to quickly relieve the first batch of Marines who landed... their trousers are all wet...¡± Personally overseeing the establishment of his headquarters, General Feng Kezhi felt the chilly sea breeze on his face.


    He had landed directly from the ramp, and his boots were dry, but the soldiers who had opened the way for him had waded through the seawater to shore. Now they had been enduring the cold and fighting hard all morning; they indeed deserved some rest.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    There will be two updates today, no need to wait for more. I¡¯ll provide additional updates when I feel good.

 Chapter 1153: 1073 Fierce Battle at Leping

    Chapter 1153: 1073 Fierce Battle at Leping


    However, the Navy Marine Corps of the Great Tang Empire never let anyone down. Despite suffering heavy losses and being weakened by the diverse defensive fortifications the Shen Army deployed along the beach, they still maintained their high fighting spirit and pushed forward at an extremely fast pace.


    In fact, the Navy also found their own ways to cope: they would rotate troops to warm up by the fire, doing everything possible to keep the lower half of their bodies comfortable.


    At the same time, they launched a fierce attack forward with the support of their 63 amphibious tanks, driving the Shen Army away from the vicinity of the landing site.


    The large number of mortars that the Shen Army had deployed in the defense line could no longer threaten the beach controlled by the Tang Army, greatly reducing the bombardment that interfered with the Tang Army¡¯s landing.


    In fact, the Shen Army did not just sit back and wait for death; they launched two bombing squadrons in desperation, attempting to crush the Tang Country¡¯s Navy from the air.


    However, both air strikes were thwarted by the Tang Army¡¯s fighter jets. The Dragon Bombers stood no chance against the Pirate Fighters: the two aircraft were simply not from the same era, not to mention that the Pirate Fighters of the Tang Army were actually designed as interceptors.


    The Tang Army pilots, full of confidence in their own technology, preferred large-caliber autocannons over small-caliber machine guns: this gave the Tang Army aircraft outstanding damage, and a terrifying bonus when attacking large aircraft.


    Indeed, when other countries¡¯ aircraft left a dense pattern of bullet holes on the enemy¡¯s large bombers with continuous machine gun fire, the Tang Army¡¯s aircraft only needed a brief burst to disintegrate a medium-sized bomber like the Dragon in midair.


    After losing more than thirty Dragon Bombers, Shengwu Zhong finally gave up on supporting the beach. He deployed the limited remaining air power to strike at the Tang Country¡¯s paratroopers, who were already under tremendous pressure.


    In the sky, a Zero Fighter circled, taking advantage of the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s air force being too busy elsewhere to deal with them, the Shen Army¡¯s airfield on South Island took the opportunity to fly out any available aircraft to seek vengeance on the Tang Army Paratroopers.


    ¡°Damn! Even the aircraft are joining in the fun!¡± Xiang Ziyu couldn¡¯t help but curse after being strafed by a Zero Fighter in a dive.


    The Tang Country¡¯s Air Force had always been able to provide enough protection for the paratroopers, but unfortunately, there were no Tang Country airfields nearby in the vicinity of South Island.


    After all, the Navy was not very reliable. Cross-branch coordinated combat always had similar problems: the cooperation on the battlefield could not be perfect, and the sudden situations that arose were indeed unpredictable by anyone.


    Take this time for example, Bernard had to choose between supporting the paratroopers and attacking the enemy¡¯s northern fleet heading south, and he chose the safer option to ensure the landing site was absolutely secure.


    It can¡¯t be said that his choice was wrong, only that his choice was more cautious. Therefore, paratroopers like Xiang Ziyu could only face all the enemies alone like they are now.


    ¡°They really have too much respect for us.¡± The deputy platoon leader was in a somewhat bad mood; their paratrooper platoon had roughly only half of their people left, and they were also running low on ammunition, especially RPGs which were extremely scarce. In such circumstances, with the enemy¡¯s planes coming again, their defense was going to be very difficult.


    ¡°They should indeed respect us!¡± Xiang Ziyu glanced at his wristwatch and said narcissistically: ¡°We have repelled their Armored Corps¡¯ four attacks, why should they look down on us?¡±


    ¡°Platoon leader, the more they respect us at this time, the worse our luck is.¡± The deputy platoon leader complained with mixed laughter and tears: ¡°We only have two RPGs left! This time... I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to hold out.¡±


    The small high ground nearby had actually been lost; the troops of the 2nd platoon had suffered too many casualties and had to retreat, handing over the high ground to the Mirage Country¡¯s soldiers.


    Now the Mirage Country¡¯s troops could attack Xiang Ziyu¡¯s defensive position from both sides. The other side also suffered heavy losses, but their follow-up troops were indeed more numerous than the paratroopers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic!¡± Xiang Ziyu knew that if they kept defending this position, they might face annihilation, so he reassured his deputy platoon leader: ¡°If we can¡¯t hold, we retreat to the village and use the ruins to hold out for another hour.¡±


    ¡°There are only ruins there... not an arsenal. We¡¯ve run out of RPGs, how can we hold out for an hour?¡± The deputy platoon leader continued with his mixed tears and chuckles, suggesting that they should retreat to the safe zone on the left and concede Leping to the Mirage Country¡¯s army in front of them.


    They were probably needed to support the precarious coastline, and could not deploy many troops against them. Once the pressure on them was greatly reduced, they could even turn things around and harass the Mirage Country¡¯s follow-up logistics troops.


    ¡°Bridge 1 has already been lost, our defense line has been compressed... If we lose here, where will the aerial resupply be dropped?¡± Xiang Ziyu, of course, knew what the deputy platoon leader was thinking, but they really had no room to maneuver anymore.


    The paratroopers were already being squeezed by the Shen Army¡¯s 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions between the villages of Dongshan and Leping, and in between, there were their own field hospitals, communication command posts, and other facilities. If they lost the support point of Leping, they would likely be encircled and annihilated by the Shen Army.


    Allowing the enemy¡¯s Armored Corps to build momentum and charge straight at them, the paratrooper troops with barely any remaining ammunition would probably be wiped out in one fell swoop.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said from the beginning we shouldn¡¯t have sent the 2nd Division to defend Bridge No. 1! Those idiots.¡± The deputy platoon leader complained once more, but he no longer considered giving up Leping village.


    Indeed, after a few Dragon Bombers paid their visit to the paratroopers¡¯ position, the Mirage Country¡¯s tanks rolled in again.


    Even though they were already at the end of their tether, the numerical superiority still posed a massive pressure, and the Shen Army¡¯s attack continued to overwhelm the Tang Country¡¯s paratrooper troops.


    ¡°Let the 1st Squad, which suffered the most losses, leave first! Wait in the ruins behind! And take the RPGs!¡± Xiang Ziyu made a decisive command.


    The deputy platoon leader nodded, about to leave, when Xiang Ziyu added, ¡°You lead the team!¡±


    He was taken aback, then he looked towards Xiang Ziyu, and without saying anything more, he picked up his assault rifle and ran along the already damaged trench, bending over to get further away.


    ¡°Move the 2nd Squad¡¯s machine gun backwards... Make sure it¡¯s not discovered! It will cover the retreat later!¡± Xiang Ziyu watched the deputy platoon leader leave, then instructed his own 2nd Squad leader: ¡°You take a few men to cover the machine gun, make sure nothing goes wrong!¡±


    Now they didn¡¯t have many weapons on hand, easily losing a machine gun could be considered a significant loss.


    When the 2nd Squad leader led seven or eight people to retreat, a position in the front had already begun fighting with the enemy. Xiang Ziyu saw Mirage Country¡¯s troops entering the trenches of the Tang Army paratroopers; evidently, that section of the position had been lost.


    One after another, the paratroopers retreated back along the communication trenches. Most of these trenches were built on top of the defensive fortifications constructed previously by the Mirage Country troops, and their structure actually wasn¡¯t very complex.


    After the last paratrooper from the front line withdrew, he shouted to his comrades who received them: ¡°No one¡¯s behind us! It¡¯s all Goblins!¡±


    The paratrooper at the fork in the road, upon hearing this news, immediately grabbed the detonator next to him, pressed down on the T-shaped ignition rod with his palm, twisted it, and then forcefully pushed down.


    Explosions immediately occurred in the distant trenches, sending limbs and dirt flying into the air and falling down, hitting the paratroopers¡¯ helmets with a succession of noises.


    Clearly, the Shen Army had not anticipated that they would fall into another trap; the heavily-damaged Shen Army soldiers rallied once again, charging along the now-collapsed trenches towards the remaining and ravaged main position of the Tang Army paratroopers.


    ¡°Hand Grenades!¡± The Tang Army soldiers, who had been prepared for some time, pulled hand grenades from their chests, pulled out the pins, released the safety, and threw them vigorously towards the enemy.


    A series of explosions once again sounded, but mingled with the smoke from the blasts, a Mirage Country heavy Tank had already charged close.


    ¡°Tank!¡± Avoiding being crushed by the treads, the Tang Army paratroopers loudly alerted their comrades on both sides that the enemy Tank was now extremely close.


    Before his shout could subside, the Mirage Country soldiers following the tank charged towards him. They held rifles with bayonets attached, towering over and plunging towards the paratroopers in the trench.


    Taken by surprise, the Tang Army soldier was tackled to the ground by a Mirage Country Goblin. He held off the rifle with one hand and with the other, he pulled out a Beretta Handgun from his waist, firing into the Goblin¡¯s abdomen.


    The bullets tore through the Goblin¡¯s stomach, and after being hit by three shots, the enemy fell to the ground motionless. More Goblins approached, and the Great Tang paratrooper, without time to reload, raised his handgun and fired, knocking them down as well.


    However, more Goblin soldiers charged in, this time not with rifles but with a submachine gun. The enemy raised the barrel, took aim at the Tang Army soldier, and pulled the trigger, with bullets piercing through the Tang Army soldier¡¯s chest, spraying blood all over the trench.


    Soon Tang Army soldiers counterattacked. They swept the surrounding Shen Army soldiers with their assault rifles, then someone stuck a specialized anti-tank hand grenade to the side of the Mirage Country Tank¡¯s body.


    ¡°Take cover!¡± The Tang Army soldier who completed the task immediately looked for a place to hide, and then the anti-tank grenade exploded, creating a jet that directly penetrated the tank¡¯s side armor.


    Due to the limited power, the tank continued to advance; the grenade had only left a not-so-large hole in its side.


    Soon the Goblins inside the tank opened the hatch to escape, and only two people emerged; the rest... evidently had been hit by the jet and died inside the tank.

 Chapter 1154: 1074, wait for me to think it over.

    Chapter 1154: 1074, wait for me to think it over.


    Xiang Ziyu emptied his assault rifle magazine at the distant Shen Army Soldiers, then turned and waved to the soldiers behind him: ¡°Retreat!¡±


    ¡°Tat-tat-tat-tat!¡± After hearing the order, his light machine gun crew fired off the remaining half-belt of ammunition and immediately began to move from their position.


    ¡°Smoke grenades! Use smoke grenades!¡± He ripped a cylindrical hand grenade from his chest, pulled the pin, and threw it out. As he climbed out of the other side of the trench, Xiang Ziyu ordered loudly.


    He made sure everyone could hear his order, no longer caring if any Shen Army Soldiers could hear him.


    The paratroopers hurled smoke grenades, and white smoke spread across the battlefield, severely impairing the visibility for both sides. For the paratroopers, this was also a signal to retreat; they all scrambled out of their hideouts and fled towards the ruins of the village.


    There, their allies were waiting to receive them, and theoretically, they could still hold out for a while using the ruins of the village. But at this point, that was their last line of defense.


    ¡°Bang!¡± When a Mirage Country Soldier emerged from the smoke and aimed his gun to fire at the retreating paratroopers, a Great Tang Empire Paratrooper sniper hidden in the village ruins blew his head off with a shot.


    The second Mirage Country Soldier to burst out of the smoke was similarly taken down by a sniper, and then the remaining Mirage Country Soldiers no longer charged out from the smoke; they were busy occupying the positions the Tang Army had vacated, consolidating their gains.


    With the occupation of this area, as long as they could stabilize their position, they were just one step away from capturing Leping. Therefore, from within the smoke, one could hear the frenzied cheers of the Mirage Country Soldiers.


    Upon reaching a collapsed wall at the edge of the village, Xiang Ziyu met with his deputy battalion commander. He was out of breath ¨C escaping was not easy: ¡°Once the smoke clears, they¡¯ll probably try to come over.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Commander, we¡¯re all prepared.¡± The deputy battalion commander had already set everything up in advance¡ªthey still had two RPG rockets and several anti-tank grenades, enough to hold out for a little while longer.


    ¡°Just now, the battalion commander sent someone, he said that there will be an airdrop supply coming at around three o¡¯clock, we must hold on,¡± the deputy battalion commander handed a water bottle to Xiang Ziyu, who drained the remaining water in one gulp.


    He wiped his mouth and said to the deputy battalion commander: ¡°If we continue to fight like this, we¡¯ll probably die here before afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope we all don¡¯t die.¡± The deputy battalion commander took the now empty water bottle from Xiang Ziyu¡¯s hand and screwed the cap back on: ¡°I heard the fighting at the beach is going well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, at least our sacrifice would be meaningful.¡± Xiang Ziyu finally heard some good news: ¡°Spread out as much as possible, they¡¯re really good at bombing the village.¡±


    If the attack on the beach had not gone well, then the paratroopers¡¯ stand at Leping would have been meaningless. Now that they knew the beachfront battle was going well, it at least proved that their sacrifice was for the victory of the entire campaign.


    In the ruins, a Tang Army sniper dressed in a ghillie suit lay motionless, waiting for targets to present themselves. Beside him was a spotter, helping to watch the area straight ahead.


    Indeed, their position was on the flank of the main position, slightly elevated, and had a house ruin to serve as cover.


    As the slowly dissipating smoke revealed the silhouette of a Goblin soldier more clearly, the Tang Army sniper didn¡¯t hesitate and aimed his scope directly at the unfortunate target.


    He steadied his breath, curled his finger around the trigger, and at a distance of about eighty to ninety meters, the shot accurately pierced the Mirage Country Soldier¡¯s steel helmet.


    The bullet went through the helmet, spraying blood and brain matter. The Goblin slumped beside the trench, right next to the body of a Great Tang Empire Paratrooper.


    Indeed, this Goblin had just been searching the body of the Tang Army soldier for valuables, but before he could find anything, he had been taken out by the sniper.


    Next, the Tang Army sniper set his sights on another Goblin scrambling out of the trench, gearing up to follow a moving tank.


    With a crisp gunshot, the Goblin fell beside the tank, his helmet rolling on the ground like half of a ball.


    ¡°Thirty-five!¡± The paratrooper sniper muttered softly as he cycled the bolt, tallying his thirty-fifth target¡ªa number that gave him a sense of achievement.


    A metal shell casing fell beside him; he chambered a round, took aim, and pulled the trigger once more.


    ¡°Bang!¡± Another sharp shot rang out, and a Goblin soldier fell, shot. He seemed to struggle to get up, but the blood just wouldn¡¯t stop. After a couple of attempts, he lay still on the ground, lifeless.


    ¡°Thirty-six!¡± The sniper cycled the bolt again and realized his magazine was empty. He had to pull out bullets and manually load them into the chamber, one by one.


    The new sniper rifle is all good, high precision and trajectory, but the loading method really invites criticism: sometimes they do really prefer semi-automatic rifles like the G43; their accuracy might be less, but their rapid-fire capability is indeed excellent.


    Because there were just so many soldiers attacking, the Shen Army Soldiers didn¡¯t care much about a few unlucky ones killed by snipers. Urged on by their officers, they launched a new wave of assault, attempting to drive the Tang Army Paratroopers out of Leping village before they could stabilize their position.


    However, it wasn¡¯t long before they realized they had miscalculated: the sound of machine guns suddenly erupted, and the attack was thwarted once more, leaving behind more than forty bodies before the Mirage Country¡¯s assault was repelled again.


    But this time, the Shen Army did not retreat very far; they simply withdrew to the trenches left behind by the paratroopers and halted their advance.


    Soon after, even more Shen Army Soldiers reinforced the frontline, along with seven or eight tanks.


    ¡°They¡¯re betting on us being out of ammo,¡± Xiang Ziyu lamented as he saw the tanks within range of the mortars.


    If they had just seven or eight more mortar rounds, a salvo would likely have cost the Shen Army a few more tanks. But more than an hour earlier, they had indeed run out of mortar ammunition.


    It wasn¡¯t just mortar rounds they had run out of; in the recent fierce exchange, they had expended all their explosives during the retreat.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s coming over with a white flag!¡± an observant soldier yelled to Xiang Ziyu: ¡°Platoon leader! Look over there! A Goblin is waving a white flag coming this way!¡±


    ¡°Ha! They can¡¯t beat us, so they¡¯re surrendering?¡± The deputy platoon leader perked up, actually seeing a Mirage Country officer, shaking a white flag, stumbling over.


    ¡°Wishful thinking, if you were the enemy commander, would you surrender?¡± Xiang Ziyu snorted coldly.


    Sure enough, after the Mirage Country officer was brought before Xiang Ziyu, he explained his purpose: ¡°Your tenacity has left a deep impression on us, in fact, you¡¯ve been very brave. We have great respect...¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re just here to praise us, you can go back now. We know very well how capable we are,¡± Xiang Ziyu laughed, with the surrounding soldiers joining in the laughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to persuade your surrender. If you¡¯re willing to lay down your weapons, we will treat prisoners well, and if you wish to stay and serve the Mirage Country, then we will offer you a satisfactory price,¡± the Mirage Country officer spoke again with determination, making his intention clear.


    ¡°I need to think about this. How about this, wait for my message, I¡¯ll give you a definite answer in two hours, what do you say?¡± Xiang Ziyu continued with a smile as he deliberately turned his wrist and flashed his watch.


    The surrounding soldiers stifled their laughter; it was clear that they all knew Xiang Ziyu was toying with the Mirage Country officer who had come to persuade them to surrender.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking with you, sir,¡± the Mirage Country officer became somewhat angry, threateningly added: ¡°If you refuse our generosity, then what awaits you is only destruction!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve changed my mind,¡± Xiang Ziyu nodded. ¡°No need to think about it, I can tell you the answer now... We refuse to surrender, because we are the Great Tang Paratroopers.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± The soldiers around shouted and laughed with excitement; they weren¡¯t afraid of death because they were Great Tang Paratroopers.


    ¡°Does your wife know how handsome you are, platoon leader?¡± A soldier holding a rifle asked with a big laugh, with a bandage on his shoulder, some fresh blood even seeping through.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± The other soldiers laughed along, and someone in the distance shouted, ¡°I will kill you all, go to hell to repent, bastards! Repent for the souls of Beiyuan City!¡±


    ¡°Get out of here, animal!¡± Xiang Ziyu tilted his head: ¡°Leave before I change my mind.¡±


    In sheer terror, the Mirage Country officer grabbed the white flag and ran out of the village. He had barely run about fifteen meters when Xiang Ziyu said to his deputy platoon commander beside him, ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡±


    Without any hesitation, the deputy platoon leader picked up his rifle, aimed at the back of the Mirage Country officer¡¯s heart, and pulled the trigger.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A gunshot rang out, and the Mirage Country officer fell to the ground, struggling for a moment before going still. Xiang Ziyu shouted from behind the ruins, using all his strength, ¡°This is our answer! Bastards!¡±


    ¡°Grandpa will be waiting right here! Come and meet your death if you dare!¡± The calls of the paratroopers rang out from the trenches, only stopping when the Shen Army¡¯s shelling began to fall like raindrops.


    After that, the Tang Army could no longer concern themselves with taunting the enemy, as they needed all their remaining strength to deal with the approaching tanks.

 Chapter 1155: 1075 Shen Army reinforcements

    Chapter 1155: 1075 Shen Army reinforcements


    In the northern part of South Island, a transport ship full of soldiers docked at a small fishing village pier, which is usually used only for mooring small boats. The transport ship is not very large itself, so it managed to dock barely.


    Gangplanks were lowered, and one after another, goblins carrying Shireck Type 1 rifles disembarked from the deck. The pier was already crowded with people; these were the Mirage Country infantry reinforcements.


    After confirming the landing site of the Tang Army, the Mirage Country military stationed on New Island started to mobilize. They hadn¡¯t been bombed, so the command and dispatch were very orderly.


    ¡°What a fool, Shengwu Zhong, in the end, it¡¯s up to me, Shenwu Erlang, to support him,¡± the commander of Shen Army¡¯s 3rd Corps said with a smirk, standing on the makeshift pier.


    ¡°General! The 3rd Division has landed, and the subsequent troops are expected to arrive by tomorrow night,¡± an officer reported to Shenwu Erlang about the gathering of his troops.


    Shenwu Erlang, unaware of how dire the situation in South Island was, waved casually and ordered, ¡°Then let¡¯s camp here overnight, and regroup tomorrow morning to reinforce the central part of the island.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Seeing the countless soldiers crowding the pier densely, the officer felt confident about the combat capability of his own corps.


    However, another person¡¯s confidence was collapsing. Now, Shengwu Zhong was as frantic as an ant on a hot pan at the command center located on the outskirts of Great Southern Bay.


    He had already sent out a telegram to the headquarters for the third time, requesting more support and hoping that the Navy could appear on the battlefield as soon as possible.


    The originally anticipated 300 Zero Fighters, which were expected to firmly suppress the Tang Country Navy, could now hardly be relied upon.


    Having lost nearly a third in bombings, and another seventy to eighty planes shot down in continuous dogfights, Shengwu Zhong could no longer muster any decent air power.


    Although he still had about 120 Zero Fighters left, along with a Dragon Bomber squadron that had suffered heavy losses and was reduced to less than half, these planes really couldn¡¯t be easily deployed anymore.


    Flight crew members, who had been painstakingly accumulated by Mirage Country, had been lost by 300 just barely two days into the battle, a responsibility Shengwu Zhong truly could not bear.


    Thus, he could only relinquish air superiority over the southern part of the island, allowing the aviation units to decide themselves how many aircraft to deploy against the enemy paratroopers at Leping and Dongshan.


    Unable to rely on air power, the ground forces¡¯ advancement was also exceedingly slow: the guard units deployed on the beach were crumbling, but they could only fight desperately alone.


    Reinforcement troops were blocked at Leping and Dongshan, unable to approach the beach: the 2nd and 3rd Armored Corps, upon which great hopes were placed, seemed to be struggling unexpectedly against the Great Tang Empire¡¯s lightly armed paratroopers.


    Unable to alter the situation in the short term both in the air and on the ground, Shengwu Zhong had no choice but to pin all his hopes on the sea.


    If only the Shen Army¡¯s Fleet could break into the Tang Army¡¯s landing zone, the main force of the Shen Army, possessing 12 battleships, could instantly destroy the Tang Army¡¯s landing fleet!


    Regrettably, what annoyed Shengwu Zhong was that the main fleet of the Mirage Country Navy, which was supposed to be arriving soon, had slowed down on its own: for some reason, they seemed unwilling to approach the Tang Army¡¯s landing zone.


    The staff member reported to Shengwu Zhong with a wry smile, ¡°The headquarters just sent a message, the naval fleet has halted, waiting for us to provide air cover. If we cannot secure air superiority near the landing zone, the naval fleet will not be able to engage in battle.¡±


    In fact, the Fleet Commander of the Navy, Shen Haifeng, had received a telegram from Shen Hai¡¯ang, whose squadron suffered heavy losses. Shen Haifeng was frightened by the attack capability of the Tang Army¡¯s carrier-based aircraft: he was unsure whether his fleet would also suffer heavy damage.


    After all, his fleet was the only reliance and capital of Mirage Country: if something happened to his fleet, the fate of Mirage Country would be...


    Therefore, Shen Haifeng immediately sent a telegram to Shen Haiping, the naval officer at the headquarters, requesting effective air cover and support.


    Only with sufficient air cover would the navy enter the battlefield. If not, they could only wait until nightfall when it was absolutely safe to enter the battlefield and engage in a decisive battle with the Tang Army.


    Upon receiving the telegram, Fleet Admiral Shen Haiping immediately requested more aircraft cover from Shenwu Ke, the army representative at the headquarters. As a result, Shenwu Ke had to consult with Shengwu Zhong about supporting the navy.


    This matter had come full circle back to Shengwu Zhong: Shengwu Zhong also wanted to support the navy, but he really didn¡¯t have the capacity.


    The aircraft and pilots under his command had already suffered heavy losses, the remaining were too intimidated to support the naval operations. He would have liked to call in the air forces from New Island and Ben Island to join the battle, but conditions did not allow it.


    The few airfields on the island had already been severely damaged, and the remaining two useable airfields could only accommodate so many planes¡ªbringing in more aircraft would be pointless.


    In other words, Mirage Country had fallen into a vicious cycle they couldn¡¯t break free from. Their only hope was probably to wait until nightfall when Tang Empire¡¯s aircraft could no longer participate in the battle, then let the fleet rush into the landing zone.


    Of course, aside from being unable to support with aircraft, other supports were adequately provided by Mirage Country¡¯s Army themselves: Shenwu Zhong hoped for reinforcements of more than two divisions, and the headquarters immediately transferred the elite 3rd Corps stationed on New Island.


    ¡°Where do Tang People¡¯s aircraft take off from? It¡¯s still unclear, isn¡¯t it?¡± Shenwu Zhong paced back and forth in his command post, his unease clearly visible to his subordinates.


    ¡°Yes, we can only guess. Some think the Tang Army might have a super-large ship that can launch planes...¡± a staff officer casually said.


    He didn¡¯t realize he had hit the nail on the head, so after stating the most logical possibility, he continued to speculate: ¡°Others say, there might be a huge airship that can release planes, a very big airship.¡±


    ¡°And some say, the Tang Army¡¯s aircraft might have a massive fuel tank hung on them, taking off directly from Beiyuan City... they can fly all the way here.¡± The more he said, the more outrageous it seemed, leaving Shenwu Zhong speechless: ¡°In addition... there¡¯s a rumor that a small island has recently surfaced, where the Tang Army has built an airport...¡±


    Such speculations were all baseless and no one could discern which one was true. Such utterly useless things were of no use to Shenwu Zhong.


    In fact, he really had no way to deal with the Tang Empire¡¯s secret weapon that could launch aircraft: the Navy were cowards, not daring to enter the battle, and his own subordinates in the Army and Air Force were a bunch of incompetent fools!


    ¡°...¡± At a loss for words, Shenwu Zhong ultimately chose to continue waiting: besides the performances of the two Armored Divisions attacking Leping and Dongshan, the only thing he could hope for was a sudden attack by the Navy.


    Either his Armored Divisions would break through the Great Tang Paratroopers¡¯ lines in the afternoon and charge towards the beaches in the south, or the Navy fleet would rush into Tang Country¡¯s landing zone and crush the Tang Empire¡¯s fleet after nightfall... There was no third option.


    Actually, Shenwu Zhong was busy all morning: he ordered the Shen Army stationed near Great Southern Bay to fortify their defensive positions, forcibly conscripted people into the military, distributed weapons, dug trenches and constructed barricades, striving to turn Great Southern Bay into a fortress.


    Furthermore, he requested the urgent transportation of anti-aircraft guns and other weapons from New Island, to strengthen the anti-air defenses on South Island as much as possible: the newly emerged fast Tang Army bombers were truly impossible to intercept with Zero Fighters. His only hope now lay with the anti-aircraft guns.


    The third task Shenwu Zhong was tackling was mobilizing all available forces to repair the battle-damaged field airports on the island.


    The mere two airports could not support large-scale aerial warfare, Shenwu Zhong indeed needed more airports to accommodate more planes. Because without increasing the number of planes, he truly had no way to cover the Navy operating near South Island.


    Unfortunately, the logistics and maintenance capabilities of the Shen Army were limited, they estimated it would take at least two days to repair the two least damaged airports ¡ª Shenwu Zhong was truly afraid that by then, South Island would already be occupied by the Tang Army.


    Helpless, although Shenwu Zhong had complaints about the speed of the airport repairs, he could not make them go any faster.


    ...


    ¡°Report! Marshal! The alert destroyers in the southeast have spotted the enemy fleet!¡± Inside the command bridge, an officer brought the latest intelligence to Bernard.


    ¡°Just arrived at Beiyuan 061?¡± Bernard was startled, he had been searching for Mirage Country¡¯s main fleet, even suspecting that the alert destroyers had overlooked the enemy¡¯s fleet letting them penetrate deep into his alert zone.


    But now he realized, Mirage Country¡¯s fleet was still on the outer perimeter of his alert circle... It seemed that the enemy had slowed down and wasn¡¯t moving southward at full speed!


    ¡°This is getting interesting... They are scared...¡± Bernard, who had not been able to completely destroy the Shen Army¡¯s field airports on South Island, keenly sniffed out an opportunity.


    ¡°They plan to wait until nightfall... to negate our advantage in carrier-based aircraft, and then battle us!¡± he said, pressing his hand on the nautical chart and speaking to his chief of staff beside him.


    ¡°Very likely.¡± The chief of staff nodded his head in agreement to Bernard¡¯s analysis.


    ¡°Then why not... go big.¡± Bernard clenched his fist and slammed it on the map: ¡°Anyway, whenever they come, we¡¯ll give them a surprise with the River Styx.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s no problem.¡± The chief of staff agreed once more: ¡°Even if the Shen Army¡¯s main fleet heads south at high speed, they can¡¯t threaten us now.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s execute Plan Number Two!¡± Bernard declared resolutely.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Two updates today

 Chapter 1156: 1076 Art

    Chapter 1156: 1076 Art


    ¡°I am ashamed of my past thoughts, General Lu Qianshan! Humans have deceived and oppressed Orcs for thousands of years. You once allied with us to defeat the Dwarves... but you never fulfilled the promises you gave us, and still, we live amidst the hopeless sands.¡± Standing on the beach where traces of blood could still be faintly seen, the Orc commander Shan Lu spoke with a hoarse voice.


    He saw the neatly arranged bodies on the beach, the destroyed armored vehicles, some craters, and the remnants of blown-up bunkers.


    This was a bloody battlefield he had never seen before. To be honest, just seeing the remnants of the fortresses and trenches on the beach, he knew that this was not a battle Orcs could win.


    As a commander, he simulated the steps of the assault in his mind and then realized that no matter what he did, the only outcome would be piles of bodies on the beach, followed by a retreat back to the sea.


    Unless, he also had countless Destroyers providing artillery support; unless, he had water route tanks and armored vehicles that could directly land on the shore; unless, he had the kind of advanced weapons he had never seen before.


    Unfortunately, Orcs do not have good equipment. Their best-equipped troops are currently fighting in Fengjiang, and those weapons are provided by the Great Tang Empire. It¡¯s unclear whether they will need to return them after the war ends.


    While walking, Shan Lu reflected to Lu Qianshan, ¡°So, when you had powerful weapons and wielded greater power, we thought... you would no longer talk to us about fairness.¡±


    Honestly, Orcs are a relatively simple and honest race. They were once seduced by humans to exert a great effort in the war against the Dwarf Empire.


    Back then, humans and Elves promised the Orcs a suitable habitat, but that place was located far in the northern part of the Poplar Empire, bordering the Dwarves: rather than giving them a habitat, it was more like sending them to guard the border.


    Of course, if it was just that, it would have been acceptable. However, humans and Elves did not allow Orcs to proliferate there, always harassing and attacking the Orcs there. Even more, ten years ago, they completely wiped out the Orcs of the Eastern Continent and subjected them to ten years of enslavement and slaughter.


    That place was once the homeland of Yue¡¯er.


    Shan Lu paused in his steps because a Type 59 main battle tank that was landing obstructed his way. Nearby, some Engineers were building a floating dock along the beach, sinking objects similar to containers into the sea, almost as if they were discarding steel.


    ¡°When I saw tens of thousands of Orcs being enslaved and driven away, I thought we were about to endure even worse suffering,¡± Shan Lu said as he watched the Type 59 tank roll over the beach, turning his head to Lu Qianshan nearby.


    Lu Qianshan did not speak. He was the officer responsible for accompanying the group of Orcs to observe the frontline situation. The blood of the Great Tang Empire should not be shed in vain. It was necessary for all Orcs to know who truly deserved their loyalty and allegiance.


    In fact, there were people nearby carrying cameras, and more media teams had already landed, beginning to film firsthand footage of the landing operation.


    Some film crews were also reshooting various scenes: yes, the so-called staged scenes. They wanted to make the entire documentary fuller and more realistic.


    The reactions of Shan Lu and other Orc commanders and officers proved that the series of propaganda preparations by the Great Tang Empire were not in vain. They were profoundly grateful to the Great Tang Empire for its benevolence and even developed a readiness to die for it.


    ¡°But reality has shown me that there are trustworthy humans among you. You have given us Orcs a life we never dared to imagine before, with two full meals a day, requiring only work to live happily,¡± Shan Lu said deeply moved.


    He was once a leader among the Orc slaves of the Great Tang Empire, and later became the head of the Orc mercenaries, so he felt the Empire¡¯s favor most profoundly.


    ¡°That is why we are willing to fight for you. We thought that the sacrifices in Fengjiang were a price we had to bear,¡± he reflected every time he thought of their life inside the Great Tang Empire.


    At this point, Shan Lu¡¯s speech became more solemn: ¡°But today, you are fulfilling your promises to us. I have witnessed thousands of soldiers sacrificing their lives to secure our Orc paradise.¡±


    ¡°By the Orc God above, if you wish, I can summon a hundred thousand, even a million Orc soldiers to the frontline to fight, even if you only provide us with swords and spears, we are willing to fight to the death for our homeland,¡± he solemnly swore to the god revered by the Orcs.


    He said this, and truly thought so as well. In his simple political view, if the benefits are not earned through bloodshed, they are definitely unstable and bound to be taken away by others.


    Only the land obtained through sacrifice and courage is truly one¡¯s own. Only by fighting bitterly for the Tang Empire can the Orcs genuinely live on this seemingly abundant land.


    He paused once again, sidestepping a truck laden with fuel: ¡°Sacrificing for our brothers is what we should do; we Orcs cannot stand by and watch others fight on our behalf. Please be sure to convey our feelings to His Majesty The Emperor; he has given us hope, and we will surely repay his trust with our loyal blood.¡±


    Lu Qianshan finally spoke with a smile: ¡°The truth is the battle is still at a stalemate, and we cannot yet determine the outcome of the war. With limited transportation, we are unable to move the weaker Orc troops here... This is irresponsible to you, and to ourselves as well.¡±


    Had someone else said this, Shan Lu would have objected, striving to prove his valor and demonstrate that Orcs are passionate fighters.


    But now that Lu Qianshan said this, Shan Lu could only silently acknowledge: Orcs truly do not measure up to Tang People in terms of combat strength; the gap in national consciousness puts the two forces on entirely different levels in terms of war belief.


    Furthermore, the Tang Army possesses advanced weaponry and equipment, more mature supporting tactics, and more flexible and varied command, with world-class fighting capabilities among its soldiers.


    Comparing oneself with such a military force truly brings shame; the impoverished yet brave Orcs can only bow their heads in acknowledgment, their pride pales in comparison to the war machinery of the Tang Empire.


    So after being silent for a while, Shan Lu nodded and said to Lu Qianshan: ¡°I understand what you mean. As an Orc, I earnestly request that, when circumstances permit, let us do more!¡±


    He did not know that in saying these words now, he resembled a little wife at home supporting her husband¡¯s ventures. Only, this wife... was a bit ugly.


    Lu Qianshan came prepared with his script, knowing exactly what to say. Thus, he set a clear path for the Orcs, a path to redeem themselves and live peacefully with the support of the Tang Empire: ¡°You can do better things in the rear, build more airports, lay more railways, construct more skyscrapers, that is the greatest loyalty to our Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Before coming to the Tang Empire, I thought being slaves and laborers was a torture sent by the heavens, but you have provided so much, far more than we could ever have hoped for, so now I feel, for Orcs to work in the Tang Empire... this is a blessing from the heavens.¡± Shan Lu quickly decided: ¡°I think, more Orcs will work for the Tang Empire, their ultimate goal is to come here, to this paradise for Orcs.¡±


    The thought that some Orcs could have such a wonderful future excited him immensely, his voice trembling with enthusiasm: ¡°What¡¯s more, after our labor, we will eventually be rewarded, and in the future... millions of Orcs could live in such a beautiful place... just thinking about it makes my blood boil!¡±


    ¡°If needed, please ask His Majesty The Emperor directly, we may not be needed now, but in the attacks on New Island, Ben Island, and Northern Island, we Orcs can serve His Majesty The Emperor!¡± Immediately following, the leader of the Orc mercenaries continued.


    That was exactly what Lu Qianshan was waiting for from these Orc generals; frankly, he didn¡¯t actually hope to send the elite forces of the Tang Empire to those Goblin islands to fight any policing battles. So, he smiled and said, ¡°I will convey the loyalty of the Orcs to His Majesty The Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, General Lu.¡± Shan Lu and Lu Qianshan had completely different thoughts: his Orc troops were weak in combat and had no advanced weapons, their only advantage being their sheer numbers even if expendable. He feared regular warfare but didn¡¯t mind adding fuel to the fire like in Fengjiang amidst the ruins.


    On a distant beach, a group of soldiers crawled in the sand under the director¡¯s command, moving forward as several cameras filmed them.


    ¡°What good are smoke bombs! With smoke bombs, my filming is useless? Second group! Second group! Did you find a proper bunker? Listen to me! The explosives must be packed tight, it must be explosive! Understand? The whole bunker must blow up into the sky¡ªthat¡¯s what makes an explosive! Explosions are art!¡± A director rejected the good intentions of a nearby battalion commander, who tried to restore the landing battle from the most realistic perspective, but the director insisted on shooting the scene from an artistic viewpoint according to his own understanding.


    The recently landed soldiers of the 9th Group Army watched a bunch of fools bustling about on the beach, feeling that this was even more ridiculous than their previous landing drill.


    The battle continues, General Feng Kezhi¡¯s frontline command had started working, more troops from the 9th Group Army were landing, and armored assault forces were steadily pushing north.


    Unbeknownst to them, it was already half-past one in the afternoon, and the paratroopers of the Tang Empire were still fighting bitterly in Leping and Dongshan, while tens of thousands ngx...

 Chapter 1157: 1077 Grandpa is from Beiyuan

    Chapter 1157: 1077 Grandpa is from Beiyuan


    In the ruins filled with debris, a Tang Country paratrooper was slowly crawling, his arm wrapped in gauze, his face blackened by gunpowder smoke.


    He crawled past a building that had collapsed, four-fifths of the way, and struggled to lift an RPG Rocket Launcher under the cover of the remaining wall.


    Unlike the past, he didn¡¯t have a covering assistant shooter by his side, nor anyone to help carry his ammunition, just himself, with just one rocket.


    He even only carried a pistol, and just one magazine in that pistol during this mission; he never thought about returning.


    The target in the distance was crushing a soil wall, that Mirage Country heavy tank was swaggering across the Tang Army¡¯s position, as if entering a no-man¡¯s land.


    A few hours ago, if it dared to be so arrogant, it would have been instantly destroyed by the RPG Rocket Launcher. But now the Tang Army only had one last RPG Rocket Launcher, therefore, the enemy could be so reckless.


    This tank, surrounded by a group of Mirage Country soldiers, had already breached the Tang Army¡¯s defensive line at the edge of the village, and now occupied half of the village.


    The Tang soldiers stationed in Leping village almost got split in two but managed to barely stabilize their footing with tough combat.


    ¡°Go to hell!¡± Without machine gun and shooter coverage, this Tang Army anti-tank soldier could only risk a solo sneak attack. He only had one shot, and if spotted, he would be shot: because the closest Mirage Country soldier was less than ten meters in front of him!


    This was also the reason he insisted on doing it alone; if he brought an assistant shooter, then both of them wouldn¡¯t make it back.


    The moment he peeked out, he pulled the trigger, the rocket trailing a long plume of smoke towards the tank, and this trail of white smoke completely exposed his position.


    The Mirage Country soldiers, now familiar with the Tang Army¡¯s anti-tank rockets, immediately reacted and started firing towards the Tang soldier¡¯s hiding spot, bullets kicking up white smoke as they hit around him.


    His shoulder was cut by stones kicked up by a bullet, and the wildly bouncing ricochets forced him to curl up to take cover.


    The tank was hit and started smoking. The once arrogant frontline had vanished, and the tank crew members jumped out and ran towards the edge of the village.


    With the tank for cover gone, the remaining Mirage Country soldiers had to pause their assault, directing their anger at the now-exposed Tang Army soldier, a group of soldiers charging towards him.


    From a distance, a Tang Army sniper hit one of the Mirage Country soldiers, but could only watch helplessly as the rest of the Mirage soldiers charged at his comrade.


    Soon, continuous pistol shots rang out, the Tang Army anti-tank soldier emptied his magazine at the Mirage soldiers. Three Mirage soldiers fell, and the anti-tank soldier also collapsed on the ground with a bullet in his chest.


    He took in heavy breaths, clutching a hand grenade waiting for those Mirage Country soldiers to rush over. He cracked a smile, his teeth stained with fresh blood.


    ¡°Grandpa was in Beiyuan! Grandpa is from Beiyuan!¡± he shouted loudly, consumed by the flames of the hand grenade along with the first Mirage Country soldier to rush at him.


    His shout echoed in the sky, another soldier from Beiyuan wiped the tears from his face, telling his platoon leader nearby, ¡°Another tank, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°You go my ass! No more RPG.¡± The platoon leader lay on the rubble, cursively muttered.


    ¡°Explosive packs will do.¡± The soldier from Beiyuan argued tearfully.


    ¡°No explosives either, nor any anti-tank grenades...¡± The platoon leader did not glance at him.


    ¡°If they come again, we can only fix bayonets.¡± Nearby, Xiang Ziyu pulled out a bayonet, attaching it atop the rifle, speaking to the wounded deputy platoon leader.


    ¡°No worries, I can still take down a few Goblin dwarfs with a bayonet.¡± The pain flared as he moved, but the deputy platoon leader still defiantly said through gritted teeth.


    Seemingly aware that the Tang Country paratroopers were running out of ammunition, the Mirage side immediately organized the next assault, this time sending a battalion¡¯s worth of troops, over 500 men in a grand display, advancing en masse.


    ¡°For His Majesty The Emperor! Fix bayonets!¡± Xiang Ziyu shouted loudly, all of the Tang Army paratroopers pulled out their bayonets, attaching them under the muzzles of their rifles.


    Their ammunition running low, facing several tanks of the enemy, they could only commit their flesh and blood to a desperate last stand.


    ¡°Buzz...¡± Just as they were preparing to jump out of the trenches, to measure up against these Goblin dwarfs, a deep engine sound appeared in the sky.


    The first Stuka Dive Bomber tilted its body and plummeted from the sky, the air filled with a heart-thudding noise: To increase range and speed, the Navy¡¯s Stuka had no siren installed, so the Navy¡¯s Stuka diving made no noise, only the regular noise of airplanes.


    Despite that, the sound was already very oppressive. Under Xiang Ziyu¡¯s excited gaze, the first Stuka Dive Bomber strafed at the Shen Army in a continuous burst.


    Cannon shells plowed two deep trenches into the ground and carved out two twisted lines of blood among the crowd of Shen soldiers.


    A light tank in the crowd caught fire immediately; its hood was hit by a shell, igniting the gasoline engine and fuel, which quickly erupted into flames.


    Before the Mirage Country¡¯s soldiers could react, a 500-kilogram aerial bomb exploded at the entrance of the village, the massive shock even startling the Tang Army Paratroopers on the other side.


    It was only then that the new paratroopers realized that the fireworks display simulating aerial bomb explosions in drills was indeed taking their emotions into account, reducing much of the force...


    After the shockwave brought dust smashing onto their faces, the tremendous sound of the explosion followed, and the Mirage Country¡¯s soldiers screamed in horror as they broke ranks, but the Stuka Dive Bombers in the sky did not intend to spare them.


    The third Stuka dove down, strafing those retreating Shen Army soldiers. Those Goblins who ran aimlessly fell amid the white smoke caused by the machine gun¡¯s shells, some even shattered to pieces.


    ¡°Fucking hell, if reinforcements don¡¯t come soon I¡¯m gonna fucking die here,¡± Xiang Ziyu cursed, sitting down on a stone amidst the rubble, wiping his nose with his hand, and swearing at the planes in the sky.


    In reality, that scene from the movies where the enemy tanks are blown up before anyone sees the planes is a bit too dramatic, as the sound of the engines during a low-altitude approach made the arrival of the planes no surprise at all.


    Three Stukas circled over Leping Village, repelling another carefully organized attack by the Shen Army. Meanwhile, another three Stukas circled further away with their targets being the Shen Army artillery units that had been relentlessly bombarding Tang Army positions.


    Machine guns combined with three aerial bombs completely quenched the previously relentless artillery attack of the Shen Army. They had to consider what they would do if more Tang aircraft arrived soon.


    ¡°Long live! Hahaha!¡± a Tang Army soldier shouted, waving his arms at the Stukas in the sky, as if it wasn¡¯t him who had just been cursing the naval aviators as if they had killed his entire family.


    Sometimes people are just like that; they vent their negative emotions, then suddenly they¡¯re as happy as fools.


    ¡°Well done!¡± Another Tang Army Soldier also began shouting, his voice hoarse, probably because he hadn¡¯t had a drink of water in an hour.


    What Bernard referred to as ¡°bringing a big one¡± meant taking a risk by having all the carrier-based attack aircraft that could take off loaded with bombs for a ground strike mission.


    He planned to cripple all the airfields built by the Mirage Country¡¯s military on South Island in a single strike, ensuring he had absolute air superiority.


    Of course, he also felt he should support the paratroopers as much as possible: as a general of the Great Tang Empire, he didn¡¯t have the habit of abandoning his troops. Moreover, the paratrooper units of the Air Force were covering for his Navy Marine Corps, so he had to help them.


    So when Xiang Ziyu saw six Stuka Dive Bombers, 40 Pirate fighters shielding 80 Stukas were already splitting into four groups heading toward the four airfields that the Mirage Army might still be using.


    The mission of these aircraft was singular: destroy any visible airfield facilities, bomb the runways, and ensure Mirage Country¡¯s aircraft could only sit on the ground waiting for death!


    A few minutes later, Shengwu Zhong saw the Stuka Dive Bombers circling in the sky. Having visited Fengjiang, he knew exactly what this meant.


    Once the Tang Nation Air Force secured air superiority, countless Stuka Dive Bombers and Yir Attack Aircraft would appear on the battlefield.


    They would circle like vultures and attack any target they saw. These aircraft would dive down and continuously attack around their targets until they tore them apart.


    Regrettably, his airfield¡¯s runway was now a target: sure enough, one of his last two airfields was completely crippled at 1:45 PM that day, unable to launch any aircraft for combat.


    The remaining airfield, only because it was in the northern part of South Island and wasn¡¯t chosen by Bernard: this airfield was the last to be built and fortuitously escaped Tang Army satellite reconnaissance. Meaning, in the intelligence of the Tang Army, this airfield did not ¡°exist.¡±


    Soon, the 1st Company of Tang Army Paratroopers stationed in Leping received reinforcements, with the remaining 100+ people of the 2nd Company arriving and significantly bolstering the 1st Company¡¯s strength.


    Regrettably, they had no RPGs left, only some anti-tank hand grenades and explosives.


    But for the 1st Company, which had been fighting continuously for 6 hours, these reinforcements were truly timely: the 2nd Company also brought good news that the remaining troops of the 1st battalion would gradually arrive at Leping to join the battle.


    Meanwhile, the Shen Army had not yet realized the seriousness of the situation: for the next 3 hours, Tang Army¡¯s Stukas and Pirates continued to circle over the battlefield like specters, unable to be dispersed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Today there are matters at home, offering two chapters. If possible, Dragon Spirit will continue to provide updates.

 Chapter 1158: 1078 who are you

    Chapter 1158: 1078 who are you


    Apart from the Shen Army¡¯s Armored Corps attacking Leping finding the situation increasingly challenging, the situation on the beachhead was also turning unfavorable for the Shen Army.


    Because the artillery of the 9th Group Army of the Great Tang Empire began to land en masse and make their presence felt: not just the high-powered 155mm caliber howitzers, but also a large number of rocket artillery.


    This very thing was the final straw that broke the camel¡¯s back for the Shen Army¡¯s defenses! After several rocket artillery launched their ammunition onto the Shen Army¡¯s defensive lines, they realized they might not hold until reinforcements arrived.


    The dense artillery fire instantly blanketed a sector of the Shen Army¡¯s defensive positions, it was as if the Tang Army¡¯s firepower had suddenly doubled or even tripled.


    Facing such firepower, the remaining Shen Army troops really had no choice but to continue to retreat, withdrawing to new defensive lines.


    But as they continued to fall back, the defensive fortifications they could rely on became more slovenly: the Shen Army had never planned to retreat to this position, nor did they have the capability to build three identical defensive lines.


    In fact, only the first line of defense was made of reinforced concrete, the second line had only a few similarly robust points, and the third line was basically just trenches and some rows bunkers made of wood.


    The repeatedly retreating Shen Army lost a lot of defensive fortifications, which left them with little room to maneuver, and after losing a sufficient number of trenches and bunkers, they actually had no way to continue fighting the Tang Army.


    Joking, if just digging a few holes in the ground could allow them to field battle against the Tang Army, how could the Tang Army still be called a powerful force in the world?


    The remains of the Shen Army troops that had just moved to the third line of defense hadn¡¯t even had the chance to properly rest before they discovered something serious.


    A type of tank they had never seen before, with a turret shaped like a pot lid, appeared in front of them: this was the second type of similar tank they had encountered, the first being the large-bodied 63 amphibious tank they had seen on the beach.


    And now, the tank appearing before them was not tall, even somewhat small. But its long barrel spelled its danger.


    When the soldiers of Mirage Country fired at the Tang Army¡¯s new tank with their proud 76mm anti-aircraft gun converted into an anti-tank gun, they found that the shell only left an inconspicuous mark on the Tang Army¡¯s tank.


    The tank, as if unharmed, continued to advance, and the accompanying Tang Army also showed the Mirage Country troops what well-trained meant.


    They quickly spread out and laid out their firepower behind the tank; light machine guns swiftly suppressed the Shen Army on the position, while they effortlessly took out what was somewhat threatening 76mm anti-tank gun with their mortars.


    The precision of these Tang Army¡¯s mortars terrified the Shen Army stationed in the trenches. They usually needed to fire two or three rounds to find the correct angle and parameters, while the Tang Army needed only one shell to nearly allow the remaining mortars to find the firing parameters.


    What made the Mirage Country troops even more terrified was that the Tang Army¡¯s 155mm howitzers deployed on the beach maintained continuous suppression of the Mirage Country¡¯s defending troops without advancing, thanks to the range advantage.


    The enemy could fire over 15 kilometers forward, with scarily powerful shells, while the Shen Army¡¯s artillery, authorized by Shireck years ago, had a pitiful range of just over 10 kilometers.


    In the artillery duel, the Shen Army was completely at a disadvantage: most of their artillery positions were either destroyed by the Great Tang Empire Fleet¡¯s naval guns or taken out by Stuka carrier-based aircraft... and after they retreated to further inland, they were schooled by the landing 155 artillery and rocket artillery.


    Only now did the Shen Army realize the cruelty of the world; their weapons and equipment were completely dominated and crushed by those of the Great Tang Empire, leaving them utterly powerless to fight back.


    Certain characteristics of modern warfare began to show, with multiple aspects including sea, air, land, and even intelligence, reconnaissance, and command all contributing to the overall combat effectiveness of the troops. When one aspect failed, the whole closed loop collapsed. This is why the appearance of the 20 Hime broke the defense of the Lighthouse Country.


    The Mirage Country now also faced a similar issue: there was a problem with their highly anticipated Zero Fighter, directly leading to their loss of air superiority.


    The loss of air superiority directly affected their Naval and Army combat decisions, which then led to their battlefield situation starting to collapse.


    ¡°Tang Army tanks! Fire! Fire!¡± A Mirage Country officer waved his command saber, ordering his soldiers to fire at the Type 59 main battle tank right in front of them.


    Countless bullets hit the tank¡¯s armor, sparks flying everywhere! But the tank, as if nothing had happened, continued to advance, rolling over a trench that was already in ruins.


    It leisurely rotated its turret and then blasted a round near a Shen Army machine gun position, smoke billowing through the air, and the Shen Army¡¯s defense line immediately quieted down considerably.


    On another armored vehicle, the vehicle commander operated the shielded roof-mounted machine gun, continuously firing at the Shen Army¡¯s positions.


    Under the cover of this armored vehicle, Tang Army Soldiers advanced to a suitable distance, starting to launch gun grenades and devastating the Shen Army positions.


    For a moment, the fully suppressed Shen Army could only cower in trenches, waiting for death as the Tang Army launched their charge.


    ¡°For His Majesty The Emperor! Advance!¡± the Commander of the Tang Army shouted loudly, countless soldiers crying out as they rose from the uneven ground and surged towards the Shen Army defenses.


    They were met with little resistance and quickly reached near the Shen Army trenches, dozens of hand grenades were thrown before and behind the defense lines. Then the explosions overwhelmed the Shen Army trenches, while Tang Army tanks had already rolled over these positions.


    ¡°Tatatata!¡± Standing at the edge of the trench, Tang Army Soldiers commanded a high position and started strafing into the trench pits of the Shen Army.


    Most of these Shen Army soldiers only had bolt-action rifles, and though they returned fire, their firepower was quickly suppressed. Despite a few Tang Army Soldiers being hit, this reckless combat behavior didn¡¯t stop the Tang Army¡¯s advancement.


    ¡°Hello? Hello! General Shengwu Zhong! General Shengwu...? I need support! If the tanks don¡¯t support soon, the Tang Army will break through my line! Hello? Hello!¡± Grasping the phone, an officer from the Mirage Country cried desperately, pleading for reinforcements.


    The troops that could reinforce him were, at this very moment, tied up in a struggle with Tang paratroopers near Leping. Even in the most optimistic scenario, they couldn¡¯t break through to help within an hour.


    Unfortunately, not every troop is Great Tang Paratroopers; at least the Shen Army troops positioned on the beach couldn¡¯t compare in fighting capability.


    They had no anti-tank rocket launchers, no advanced tactics, and with only a few anti-tank bombs mounted on long poles, they could do nothing but watch as Tang Army¡¯s Type 59 tanks strutted across their positions.


    As the Shen Army officer was desperately calling for reinforcements, outside in the trench, Tang Army Soldiers had already eliminated the stationed Shen Army Soldiers with a round of strafing.


    A few Tang Army Soldiers, armed with assault rifles, dashed forward; the Shen Country Soldiers in the trench were slaughtered, leaving their gear behind. A Shen Army Guard shouted outside the door before being dispatched by a hand grenade.


    The explosion blew off the doors of the headquarters, and amidst the swirling smoke, the officer from Mirage Country drew his pistol. But before he could aim, a shoe sole kicked him directly in the face.


    A Tang Army Soldier retracted his foot, then kicked away the dropped pistol, looking disdainfully at the Mirage Country officer on the ground whose teeth had been knocked out: ¡°Come over and see, I¡¯ve caught a high-ranking official!¡±


    ¡°A high-ranking official?¡± Noticing the other was trying to get up, another Tang Army Soldier came over and gave the Shen Army officer another kick in the stomach, incapacitating him completely: ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Hello? Hello! Are you still there? Who is speaking?¡± An urgent voice of Shengwu Zhong came through the undiscarded phone handset. This was an infantry division¡¯s headquarters of the Shen Army, an important command post on the beach defense line.


    ¡°Hello? Who are you?¡± Picking up the phone handset, a soldier from the 19th Infantry Division of the Tang Army casually asked.


    ¡°Who are you? Where is Shenwu Bian? Let him take the phone!¡± On the other side of the line, Shengwu Zhong asked with his last shred of hope.


    ¡°Shenwu Bian? Who is Shenwu Bian? Are you talking about the one lying on the ground crying? He can¡¯t take the phone anymore. I¡¯m Hao Laotan; this place has been occupied by the Tang Empire Army!¡± The soldier responded clearly, proudly announcing his name.


    The next second, the line was disconnected...


    Shengwu Zhong knew that the beach defenses were pretty much doomed, and now he had to consider how to handle the situation where the Tang Army had completely landed.


    If the Mirage Country Navy could defeat the Tang landing fleet tonight, he felt confident he could trap the landed Tang forces on South Island.


    But if the Navy was defeated, he had to consider what would happen if South Island was lost: the Shen Army¡¯s capital for battle was based on the Tang Army¡¯s need to cross the sea. Without that, why would the Shen Army even fight the Great Tang?


    While Shengwu Zhong pondered these issues, the Tang Army¡¯s Type 59 tanks had already crossed the third line of defense and charged towards the deeper areas.


    The battlefield was littered with abandoned artillery positions, discarded ammunition boxes, and some Shen Army bunkers still putting up a fight.


    However, the Tang Army tank units didn¡¯t even glance back, charging urgently onto the highway, rolling over fields, and pushing north.

 Chapter 1159: 1079 spectacular fleets

    Chapter 1159: 1079 spectacular fleets


    Sun Rui piloted the Pirate Fighter, streaking across the battlefield that was billowing with thick smoke everywhere, and from his perspective, there were hardly any targets left to find.


    Although the dense smoke near the beach had already dispersed, the area was now crawling with friendly forces ¡ª people bustling about in droves, the place looking extremely lively with vehicular traffic like a flowing river of horses and carriages.


    A short distance away, amidst the black smoke, the Shen Army ground forces were in retreat, but those disintegrating groups of dozens of soldiers were not worth the Pirate Fighter¡¯s strafing or the waste of ammunition.


    In fact, fighter pilots do not carry out ground strafing missions. Unless they particularly wish to engage in battle and actively apply for it, or receive orders from above.


    Because the mission of the fighter pilots is ¡°patrolling¡±; their primary goal is to ensure that enemy aircraft do not enter the airspace of the battlefield to cause disruption, not waste valuable ammunition on those low-value ground targets.


    If you run out of ammunition and then, by chance, an enemy plane appears, what do you do? Or after you complete such a mission and return to base, ground crew members would need to waste time correcting the aircraft gun¡¯s trajectory, maintaining and inspecting the plane, which would significantly affect the turnaround time for reflight.


    Sun Rui piloted the Pirate Fighter around the battlefield, and when he took another look at the ground, he saw an intriguing scene.


    Tang Army armored vehicles, draped with huge national flags and dragon emblems, were advancing desperately forward, following alongside some Type 59 tanks that had no place to display national flags.


    To prevent friendly fire, some of Tang Army¡¯s Type 59 tanks had also temporarily sprayed bright yellow over their engine covers ¡ª this color being Tang Army¡¯s favorite for distinguishing between friend and foe.


    However... these identification marks were almost blackened by the tank exhaust... But despite looking comical, they still pointed the way for the Tang Army planes in the sky.


    Soon, over 30 Stuka Dive Bombers, covered by ten Pirate Fighters, passed over the entire battlefield. They were headed to support the Imperial Paratroopers in the Leping and Dongshan directions, and Sun Rui watched them go, then circled back to the vicinity of the landing field.


    It was now past two in the afternoon, and the Tang Nation Air Force had once again appeared over the battlefield: initially, a few navigational modified Flying Fortresses were shaking their huge, slow bodies, and after getting close to the coastline, they turned back.


    Immediately after, Sun Rui saw a magnificent sight: at least 80 H-6 jet bombers roared into view, crossing over his head in the blink of an eye, and he could hear the tsunami-like roar clearly, even with his headset on.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s damn cool!¡± Sun Rui¡¯s wingman also witnessed the scene; they could not care less about the black smoke and battlefield below, looking up at those silver-white swept-wing planes arranged neatly, flying towards the distance.


    ¡°That speed is terrifying; by the time we climb to their altitude, they¡¯ll have flown out of sight,¡± Sun Rui exclaimed. Eager to get a better look at these bombers, they altered their route to follow the same direction, but even so, they were easily outdistanced by the other aircraft.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you exercised with the J-6 before? Don¡¯t you know how fast they are?¡± the wingman pilot laughed in the channel.


    Recalling the terrifying fighter planes capable of breaking the sound barrier, Sun Rui¡¯s face showed an envious expression: ¡°Our navy is going to have them soon too, I¡¯ve heard they¡¯re in the testing phase.¡±


    Tang Mo was indeed preparing new weapons for his Navy: not just jet fighters designated for naval use, but also catapult-type aircraft carriers capable of launching jet fighters.


    These two things are a comprehensive display of national strength; they are the products of a new era that fundamentally widen the technological gap with the rest of the world.


    If today¡¯s propeller-driven fighter planes, tanks, warships can still be copied and borrowed, the brand new technologies to be developed next are not so easily caught up with by mere imitation.


    Just the task of putting two jet engines side by side to work stably is out of reach without a decade of efforts.


    And as for how difficult it is to produce a single stage of jet engine blades, just ask the rabbit who spent decades of hard work and endured much hardship to find out.


    After hanging up the phone, Shengwu Zhong silently looked towards his staff officer, and after a long moment, he opened his mouth and said with heavy sorrow, ¡°The coastal defense line is done for, Shenwu Bian has let down my expectations...¡±


    The staff officer was somewhat disdainful of this statement: the tank troops scheduled to support Shenwu Bian did not arrive on time, and Shenwu Bian could only face the full brunt of the Tang Army¡¯s landing forces alone; it was not surprising that his troops collapsed.


    But he could not say that, because if he did, he might be dragged out and executed by an enraged Shengwu Zhong.


    So all he could do was to say, ¡°General! If the 2nd Armored Division still cannot break through Leping¡¯s defense line, we should start considering... the situation with our defensive line.¡±


    At this moment, aside from the coastal defense line, the Mirage Country troops had not constructed a large number of defensive fortifications on South Island.


    This means that if the Tang Army breaks through the beach defenses, then all Shen Army units engaged in counterattacks in the field must face the risk of encirclement and annihilation.


    Therefore, ordering these troops to switch from offense to defense and build a new line of defense is something that the commanders of Mirage Country have to consider.


    If the Tang Army forces arrive and they¡¯re still posing an offensive stance out in the open field... it¡¯s an unimaginable sight.


    What a joke, engaging in a battle of attrition with the Tang Army in the open field? The grass over the grave of the last one to do that is already three feet high... If the Shen Army had that combat strength, they should just go fight the Ice Cold Empire and expand their territory...


    ¡°It¡¯s too late... bursting forth from the southern beaches, their armored corps can advance to Leping within at most one or two hours... To have troops hold their positions now, at best, is to dig a trench,¡± Shengwu Zhong shook his head and said.


    Having troops hold their positions is not feasible; once the Tang Army¡¯s tank units charge, along with the Tang Army Paratroopers behind the defense lines, his defenses would be as fragile as paper, easily shattered in an instant, right?


    He only had two choices right now: The first was to quickly get his troops through Leping and clash with the Tang Army¡¯s armored corps in a tank battle; the other was to order an immediate retreat to find favorable terrain and rebuild defensive fortifications.


    Unfortunately, neither of these methods was viable: continuing the attack, he could not guarantee his armored corps¡¯ ability to break through the enemy paratroopers¡¯ defenses.


    Commanders of the 2nd Armored Division and 3rd Armored Division had both sent him messages, saying they were being interfered with by the enemy air force, unable to complete the breakthrough task on time.


    This was a typical case of passing the buck, because for several hours prior, they also had not been able to breach the Tang Army Paratroopers¡¯ defense line.


    Of course, now was not the time to assign blame, and Shengwu Zhong had no mood to concern himself with why his two main armored divisions were performing so poorly.


    If they couldn¡¯t break through, was retreat possible? A retreat was actually feasible, if only they could ask the Great Tang Empire¡¯s planes not to interfere.


    But is that possible? Once losing air superiority, the retreating Mirage Country troops would be harassed by Tang Army bombers. As for how much heavy equipment would be left behind during the retreat, only heaven would know.


    However, now clearly wasn¡¯t the time to fret over such matters. While Shengwu Zhong still hadn¡¯t figured out how to keep his troops fighting under such unfavorable conditions, the Tang Nation Air Force launched its third bombing run.


    At least eighty jet bombers once again dropped their payloads, destroying the railway bridge in the central region of South Island, rendering the overnight efforts of the Mirage Country engineer troops stationed at two field airports futile.


    Those two half-repaired field airports were once again covered by countless cluster bombs, with unexploded shells and craters all over the runways, making them impossible to use for the foreseeable future.


    The situation with the railways was similar. The cluster bombs paralyzed the north-south rail line relied upon by the Shen Army, severely slowing down the 3rd Corps¡¯ movement from the northern to the southern part of South Island.


    Less than an hour after the bombing ended, the supply materials eagerly awaited by the Tang Army Paratroopers arrived! More than a hundred type-130 transport aircraft flew over the sea once more, arriving above the battlefield.


    To ensure the absolute safety of these planes, the Navy dispatched at least thirty Pirate Fighters to escort these behemoths.


    The Mirage Country¡¯s Zero Fighters, taking off in desperation, totaled less than twenty and were all shot down¡ªbefore being taken down, a frenzied Mirage Country pilot crashed into a type-130 transport, and another Pirate Fighter was forced to make an emergency landing in the Tang Army Paratroopers¡¯ controlled area due to malfunctions.


    Fortunately, the pilots of the crashed type-130 transport all successfully parachuted and landed safe and sound in the Tang Army-controlled area near the beach...


    Having received new supplies, the Tang Nation Paratroopers ¡°sprang¡± back into action; they had plenty of RPG Rocket Launchers, ample gun grenades, more machine gun belts, and more mortar shells.


    The pressure once again shifted to the Mirage Country Armored Corps¡¯ side¡ªwhen they tried to launch an attack again and were bombarded with a dozen RPG rockets, they realized they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to reclaim Leping Village in this lifetime.


    But still unwilling to concede defeat, after more than an hour, they launched another attack, this time deploying nearly all of their heavy tanks.


    Seizing the moment when the Tang Army¡¯s aircrafts were temporarily returning to base, the Shen Army assembled more than a thousand infantry, protecting a dozen tanks as they ferociously charged toward the Tang Army¡¯s defensive positions.


    Frankly, this was probably their last chance. If they failed again this time, then they would need to consider whether to quickly flee when nightfall comes.

 Chapter 1160: Leave the 1080 to us

    Chapter 1160: Leave the 1080 to us


    ¡°Attack! Attack!¡± A group of goblin soldiers screamed frantically as they charged towards the Tang Army¡¯s position: ¡°For the Shen Emperor Your Majesty!¡±


    Accompanied by such shouts, the 2nd Armored Division of the Shen Army once again assembled and launched a charge at the Tang Army¡¯s position.


    A heavy tank led the way, heading straight towards the remnants of Leping Village, which had been reduced to ruins by artillery fire. It lumbered along, shielding the dense mass of Shen soldiers behind it, reclaiming the position they had just been driven from.


    ¡°The enemy is approaching!¡± A Great Tang paratrooper loudly alerted his comrades, followed by the roar of machine guns as tracer bullets shuttled back and forth between the two armies, instantly turning the entire battlefield into a cacophony of noise.


    The Tang Army¡¯s mortars fired shells, which landed among the Shen infantry troops, flinging these diminutive soldiers into the air.


    Even so, the Shen Army continued their assault at all costs, sending in troops by the battalion, as if determined to completely spend their forces in this manner.


    Soon, the gun grenades from the Tang Army began to join the fight, with some even hitting the Shen Army tanks with precision.


    However, it was improbable for gun grenades to destroy a tank, and after being hit, the Shen tanks continued to advance as if unaffected.


    But soon, another Shen tank was hit by a mortar shell and was paralyzed midway. The Shen soldiers swarmed around the disabled tank like ants, continuing to charge towards the Tang Army position amidst artillery fire.


    The 2nd Armored Division of the Shen Army seemed to have a premonition that the battle was turning against them, so they attacked with even more desperation than before.


    However, they were facing the now-reinforced Tang Army Paratroopers, who had been replenished with RPG rocket launchers, clearly enhancing their anti-tank capabilities beyond what the Shen Armored Corps could withstand.


    Another tank had its armor pierced by an RPG rocket; despite facing the paratroopers¡¯ position with its thickest frontal armor, it was still penetrated.


    There was no helping it, after all, the armor of the Shen tanks was too thin, especially those so-called light tanks, which were basically on par with armored vehicles.


    Even the more heavily armored tanks were taking losses, however, when attacking these tanks, the Great Tang paratroopers had to make flanking maneuvers before firing. RPG rockets couldn¡¯t penetrate the frontal armor of these types of tanks, so the heavy tanks from Mirage Country still posed a significant threat.


    The battle continued, and to the south of Leping Village, a tank with a hemispherical turret had rolled over the ridges, its elongated cannon now pointing towards Leping Village.


    Inside the body of this Type 59 main battle tank, the gunner was observing the battlefield ahead with his scope, where thick smoke rose, vaguely revealing an enemy tank charging toward the village from a slight elevation on the flank.


    ¡°Stop the tank!¡± The tank commander ordered loudly and then opened his hatch to stick out his body and observe the battlefield with his binoculars: ¡°About 700 meters ahead! Do you see the target?¡±


    ¡°I see it. It¡¯s moving laterally; the hit probability isn¡¯t very high right now!¡± The gunner was eager to fire a shot, but their shells were truly limited, so he was somewhat reluctant to waste one.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s close in!¡± The tank commander also felt it was somewhat irrational to open fire and expose themselves in such a situation.


    So he retracted back into the tank without closing the hatch: ¡°Keep advancing! Close the distance to 300 meters before we take action!¡±


    He had great confidence in his own tank and believed that at a distance of 300 meters, the enemy¡¯s tanks would hardly have the capability to penetrate his own.


    At the relatively close distance of 300 meters, his tank cannon could guarantee penetration of any target! Moreover, accuracy would rise to a satisfying level, allowing them to save precious shells.


    Thus, the Type 59 tank continued to advance, rolling over the ridges and even spotting the Tang Country Paratroopers¡¯ sentries deployed behind Leping.


    As soon as these paratroopers saw their own tank, they immediately waved their arms. They didn¡¯t shout, seemingly worried that their cheers might alert the enemy.


    A machine gunner with bandages on his arm leaped out of his foxhole and jogged over to the side of the Type 59 tank, watching excitedly as five sets of road wheels rolled past in front of him and smiling: ¡°Reinforcements have arrived, our Armored Division is here!¡±


    More paratroopers saw the Type 59 main battle tank approaching the village; following the first tank reaching the village¡¯s outskirts, the second and third Tang Army main battle tanks also appeared to the south of the village.


    Meanwhile, the turret of the first Tang Army tank that had rolled up next to the village began to rotate quickly, its fearsome 105mm caliber cannon pointing towards the direction of the enemy tank, and a shell was promptly fired.


    The fume extractor pulled out the smoke from within the tank¡¯s cannon, all of which was spat out the barrel. This feature was not available on past tanks, and it ensured the air quality inside the tank, allowing the crew to fight continuously in a relatively comfortable environment.


    The fired shell instantly pierced through a Shen heavy tank attempting to cross a rubble barrier. Due to the strong penetrative power, the shell exited the other side, carrying along several Mirage Country soldiers with it.


    Indeed, the shell pierced through the tank, entering from one side and flying out the other. The tank that was penetrated caught fire instantly and exploded a few seconds later.


    None of the Goblin crew members escaped from the burning tank, indicating that the people inside might have been killed the moment the tank was hit.


    Only an armor-piercing round with a long rod after penetrating the armor could cause a large number of fragments to kill. This discarding sabot armor-piercing technology ensured powerful penetration capabilities, with very high technical requirements, which other countries simply do not possess yet.


    Watching as one of their own tanks was destroyed and hearing the deafening blast, the Shen Army soldiers only then realized that, on the other side of the village, a tank they had never seen before was aiming its main cannon, still smoking from firing, at them.


    The Shen Army soldiers, at a loss in that moment, had not yet grasped the seriousness of the situation. They pointed and shouted towards the distant Type 59 tank, signaling to catch the attention of their own tanks.


    Indeed, some of the Shen Army tanks had noticed the Tang Army tanks over there, they began to turn their hulls, aiming their turrets at the distant target.


    Just then, the Type 59 main battle tank fired another shell, and a flash of fire later, another Shen Army heavy tank was penetrated, paralyzed on the spot before the ammunition exploded.


    The explosion was exceedingly brutal; even a piece of steel plate from the turret broke off at the weld, flew into the air, and then crashed onto the body of another tank.


    ¡°Boom!¡± A Shen Army tank equipped only with a 76mm tank gun fired at the target, but its shell missed the Tang Army¡¯s Type 59 tank.


    The Shen Army¡¯s tank sighting system was just too poor, and the accuracy of the artillery was very average, so the first shell did not pose a threat to the Type 59 tank, which had already fired two shots.


    Another Shen Army heavy tank aimed its gun barrel at the Tang Army tank and also fired a shell.


    This 90mm caliber gun-fired shell did not have a high muzzle velocity, and after hitting the turret of the Tang Army tank, it was deflected into the sky.


    Then a third Shen Army tank fired a shell at the Type 59, the shell collided with the ground beforehand, bounced off the soil, flew over the low-profile turret of the Type 59, and landed who knows where.


    At that moment, the Type 59 tank fired another shell, which accurately hit the turret of the Shen Army heavy tank that had just fired, leaving a hole in it.


    At this distance, despite hitting the thickest armor shield of the Mirage Country tank, the 105mm armor-piercing round easily penetrated the target, killing everyone inside.


    The stricken heavy tank caught fire on the spot, and soon the ammunition inside also exploded, killing many of the surrounding Shen Army soldiers.


    Just then, the second Tang Army tank burst out from the middle of the village of Leping. It rolled over the rough road, bypassed a huge crater, and then aimed its main gun at the attacking Mirage Country army.


    Then it also fired a shot. With a single shot, it turned a Shen Army light tank into scrap metal. The Shen Army began to collapse, the tanks covering the infantry began to retreat, and the Shen Army infantry following these tanks also started to retreat rearward.


    Watching a Type 59 tank pass by him, Xiang Ziyu raised his arm and cheered; they had finally received ground support, indicating that at least their rear was now secure.


    Before they were isolated behind enemy lines, fighting bravely on their own. Now, their rear, or rather their flanks, finally had the support of friendly forces.


    ¡°Good timing! Welcome!¡± Xiang Ziyu shouted loudly at the tank, as if venting the suppressed emotions from before.


    As if by telepathy, a Type 59 main battle tank stopped beside him, the commander popped the hatch and stuck his head out, shouting to him: ¡°Buddy! We¡¯re not too late, are we?¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡± Xiang Ziyu responded with a smile: ¡°We thought you were planning to spend the night on the beach!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The commander laughed heartily: ¡°We are late! You guys have suffered! But leave the rest to us!¡±


    ¡°No problem! It¡¯s all yours!¡± Xiang Ziyu didn¡¯t try to be a hero and immediately left everything to the 9th Group Army¡¯s tanks.


    The tank commander gave Xiang Ziyu a thumbs up, then dove back into the tank, closed the hatch, and the tracks of the Type 59 tank began to roll again, as its heavy body moved forward once more.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    I have something urgent today, the second update will be very late, you can read it tomorrow morning, sorry.

 Chapter 1161: Night 1081

    Chapter 1161: Night 1081


    What the commanders of the Shen Army¡¯s 2nd Armored Division did not expect was that the Tang Country Paratroopers, who had been defending Leping all along... suddenly launched a counterattack.


    Moreover, the opposition wasn¡¯t using their infantry to counterattack but unleashed an armored corps emerging from behind those Tang Army paratroopers.


    Three Type 59 tanks quickly defeated the advancing Shen Army troops, and under the cover of approximately fifty Tang Army paratroopers, initiated the first counterstrike against Shen Army¡¯s 2nd Armored Division.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s tanks rumbled past the fiery or already extinguished blackened wreckage of Shen Army tanks, aiming their long barrels at the retreating Shen Army armored corps.


    The Shen Army commanders could scarcely believe that the Tang Army paratroopers, who moments ago seemed on the verge of collapse, suddenly had tanks in their arsenal.


    This was partly because Shengwu Zhong failed to anticipate that after breaking through the beach defenses, the Tang Army would immediately push deeper inland, missing the chance to alert his armored corps.


    Uninformed, the Shen Army armored corps was spread out in full offensive mode, with no defensive fortifications and most of their focus diverted to anti-aircraft efforts.


    For over two hours, harassed by Tang Army aircraft, the Shen Army armored commanders were forced to improvise camouflage for their units.


    In November, the trees were mostly bare, so they could only gather dry branches to drape over tanks and armored vehicles, trying to disguise their heavy equipment as woodland as best they could.


    Additionally, they had to create shelters for their artillery positions, as the Tang Army aircraft had relentlessly targeted the exposed cannons.


    Furthermore, they somehow managed to bring in two anti-aircraft guns and positioned them as strategically as possible to protect their supply lines.


    After a hectic afternoon, by around 3 p.m., the enemy planes no longer bothered them¡ªonly to have the enemy tanks arrive.


    Chaos enveloped the Shen Army as the Tang Army tanks began their advance. The Shen troops scattered in panic, unable to mount any effective defense.


    And thus, several dozen Tang Country paratroopers, supported by less than a platoon of tanks, stormed the Shen Army¡¯s 2nd Armored Division¡¯s positions.


    The scene quickly intensified: the departure zone for the armored corps was a chaotic cluster of vehicles, including ammunition trucks bringing tank munitions, fuel trucks refueling the tanks, heavy and light tanks adorned with dried tree branches, and trucks unloading soldiers and repair parts.


    As Tang Army tanks ascended the hill and surveyed the sight before them, the tank commanders could hardly believe their eyes.


    Countless cars, motorcycles, tanks, and armored vehicles were scattered across this reverse slope, numbering approximately over a hundred.


    Immediately, the Tang Army tank crews began a deadly race to rack up kills. Charging forward, they rotated their turrets incessantly, destroying enemy vehicles one after another.


    Trucks were mowed down with machine guns, while armored vehicles and tanks were obliterated with their cannons, continuing their onslaught until the three Tang Army Type 59 tanks had completely run out of ammunition and withdrew from combat.


    By this point, the Shen Army¡¯s 2nd Armored Division had utterly collapsed, so much so that no one noticed the Tang Army tanks were out of shells. Everyone fled without even daring to look back.


    The battlefield was strewn with burning wreckage, and the Tang Army soldiers played a crucial role as well. Their ferocious advance drove off any Shen Army infantry trying to mount a counterattack, and they used their hand grenades to destroy numerous trucks.


    The Shen Army retreated to their artillery positions before they finally stopped their rout, realizing the Tang Army wasn¡¯t pursuing further.


    Embarrassed and enraged, the 2nd Armored Division Commander of Shen Army immediately organized a force of several hundred troops, alongside retreating tanks, to launch a counterattack.


    Unfortunately, along the way, all they saw were wrecked tanks abandoned by their troops and hundreds of corpses of Shen Army soldiers¡ªTang Army forces were nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Damn it! They¡¯ve returned to Leping!¡± Having realized the Tang Army¡¯s true strength didn¡¯t seem as overwhelming as it appeared, the 2nd Armored Division Commander finally began reflecting on his losses.


    After assessing the damage, he decided to retreat immediately and pull the remaining forces back to a position approximately 15 kilometers away from Leping.


    After an entire day of intense fighting, of the 200 heavy tanks and 170 light tanks under the Shen Army¡¯s 2nd Armored Division, less than half remained operational.


    Currently, he only had 110 heavy tanks and under 100 light tanks available. Of the remaining tanks, about 40 were inoperable due to mechanical issues, and around 120 had been destroyed.


    In such a condition, he was in no position to sustain combat and had to stabilize the situation by finding a secure location to endure the night.


    As dusk descended, the Great Tang Empire troops, who had secured footholds in Leping and Dongshan, began constructing simple trenches to guard against potential Shen Army night raids.


    Xiang Ziyu¡¯s unit was replaced for rest and recovery, with soldiers from the 19th Division of the 9th Group Army taking their place. By dinnertime, the Great Tang Empire had expanded its beachhead on South Island to a massive area 20 kilometers wide and 22 kilometers deep.


    Within this zone, Tang Army troops, combined with paratroopers, exceeded 70,000 in numbers. It would be incredibly difficult for Shen Army to dislodge them with infantry alone.


    In addition to the massive support in rocket artillery and conventional artillery, nearly 100 tanks had now landed to bolster the Tang Army. These tanks included not only Type 63 amphibious tanks but also the formidable ¡°King of the Battlefield,¡± the Type 59 main battle tanks.


    At this moment, Shengwu Zhong, who had just received news that both his 2nd and 3rd Armored Corps had retreated, finally recalled the reinforcements arriving from New Island.


    Indeed, the Shen Army¡¯s 3rd Corps had mostly reached South Island. However, due to railroad disruptions, they were advancing southward along highways with troops spread wide across open terrain.


    Meanwhile, without Tang Army aircraft interference, Shen Army engineers were desperately repairing the damaged airports. Several of the less severely damaged ones might even be operational within two days.


    ¡°The 2nd Armored Division suffered heavy losses and can no longer launch attacks independently... Perhaps they should retreat to the Great Southern River alongside the supporting 22nd Armored Division,¡± proposed a staff officer standing beside Shengwu Zhong.


    Shengwu Zhong remained unwilling to cede the beaches, knowing that if his troops retreated, the Tang Army might take advantage and push the front further toward the Great Southern Bay.


    To Shengwu Zhong, losing the Great Southern Bay port was unacceptable as it was critical for future Tang Army reinforcements. He believed he still had a chance to turn the tide if he could hold onto the port.


    Unaware of the floating dock infrastructure the Tang Army was constructing near the landing zone, Shengwu Zhong also didn¡¯t know the Tang Army possessed such advanced technology.


    Shengwu Zhong was still unaware of the Tang Army¡¯s aircraft carriers, leaving him clueless about the origins of the enemy¡¯s planes.


    However, Shengwu Zhong believed that eventually, things would turn in his favor. As night fell, the cursed Tang Army aircraft could no longer take off to disrupt Shen Army operations¡ªwhether on land or at sea.


    That evening, Shengwu Zhong decided to organize a night raid, launching a large-scale counteroffensive aimed at recapturing the villages of Leping and Dongshan.


    In his plan, the Navy would also deliver a dramatic victory that night: Shen Army¡¯s main fleet would strike Tang Army¡¯s vulnerable landing zone and give their disembarkation fleet a harsh lesson with their massive guns.


    ¡°Regroup the troops! Select the bravest warriors! Tonight, we will coordinate with the Navy¡¯s assault and reclaim Leping and Dongshan!¡± Ultimately, Shengwu Zhong resolved not to retreat to the Great Southern River, equating such a withdrawal with abandoning his hopes of victory.


    The staff officer understood Shengwu Zhong¡¯s reasoning, nodded, and went off to relay the orders. After he left, Shengwu Zhong continued studying the map, which seemed to show that Shen Army still had substantial forces.


    On the other side, Shen Haifeng led Shen Army¡¯s main fleet, advancing south at full speed. For hours, they had conducted irregular maneuvers near the Great Tang Empire¡¯s fleet perimeter, waiting for dusk to launch their charge.


    The fleet, traveling at a speed of approximately 40 kilometers per hour, aimed to reach the Tang Army fleet before dawn. Regardless of where Tang Army aircraft originated, they would no longer be able to impede Shen Army¡¯s assault by then.


    Shen Haifeng even calculated that he could take advantage of dawn¡¯s visibility to inflict severe damage on Tang Country¡¯s Navy in a close-range gunfight!


    Thus, around 6 p.m., Shen Army¡¯s naval fleet in Southeast South Island began sprinting at full speed toward the Great Tang Empire¡¯s landing zone.


    Meanwhile, Shen Hai¡¯ang¡¯s northern cruiser fleet, which had suffered heavy losses earlier and was down to just a few warships, turned around again and charged at full speed toward Tang Army¡¯s fleet.


    About 20 minutes later, Bernard received reports from the perimeter patrol fleet indicating that Shen Army¡¯s fleet had been spotted advancing rapidly toward the landing zone.


    ¡°Have the Dongwan-class battleships prepare! Position the decisive confrontation at 200 kilometers from the landing zone! Since we¡¯re ready with Styx, don¡¯t give them a chance to escape!¡± Bernard commanded, fixing his gaze on the naval chart and issuing orders to the assembled officers.

 Chapter 1162: 1082 Styx Missile

    Chapter 1162: 1082 Styx Missile


    ¡°The radar has detected the target!¡± Under the slightly dim light, the technician sitting in front of the radar operation platform saw the flashing dot on the display.


    The officer nearby excitedly grabbed the communicator and connected to the bridge: ¡°Captain! Our fire control radar has locked onto the target! They are advancing at full speed! The speed exceeds 40 kilometers!¡±


    ¡°Check the status of the Styx Missile! Left rudder! Turn the broadside towards the enemy fleet!¡± The captain looked at the weapons officer beside him and loudly ordered.


    ¡°Left rudder!¡± The helmsman loudly repeated the captain¡¯s order, forcefully turning the wheel, changing the course of the destroyer in the pitch-black sea.


    ¡°Beiyuan 29 has sent us a light signal! They are asking for the new course!¡± The signalman saw the light signal, grabbed the phone next to him, and shouted.


    The staff officer immediately asked the captain: ¡°Beiyuan 29 is asking for the new course.¡±


    ¡°Broadside to the enemy! Course 95!¡± In the bridge of the Beiyuan 91 destroyer, the captain continued to order loudly: ¡°Send it to Beiyuan 29 with a signal lamp!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The staff officer immediately grabbed the phone: ¡°Broadside to the enemy, course 95!¡±


    ¡°Captain! The missile is powered up! The Styx anti-ship missile is ready against the enemy! The triple launch rack is in good condition, missile status... good!¡±


    ¡°First missile!¡± The captain continued to issue the order loudly.


    ¡°First missile!¡± The weapons officer repeated the command.


    ¡°Fire!¡± The captain shouted.


    ¡°Fire!¡± The weapons officer shouted into the phone as well.


    ¡°Fire!¡± Inside the vessel, the launcher pressed the red button in front of him.


    ¡°Whoosh!¡± With a whistling sound, a dazzling flare burst from the center of the ship, a flame detached from the warship and shot towards the darkness far away.


    ¡°Missile guidance initiated! Signal clear!¡± The fire control radar locked onto the target, the guide stared at the radar screen, seeing the missile just launched gradually approaching the enemy¡¯s blip.


    ¡°Missile status stable!¡± Amid everyone¡¯s anxious waiting, the guide continuously reported the missile¡¯s status.


    The missile had already completely disappeared from everyone¡¯s field of vision by then; its range exceeded 40 kilometers, far beyond the naval guns.


    Its flight speed was actually not as fast as the naval gun, so the whole flying process would be longer than the gun, and the 40-some kilometers still needed patience.


    However, everyone who launched it knew that it was different from a shell because it could find its own target!


    ¡°Autopilot activated! Missile flight attitude good!¡± The guide received the signal sent back from the missile and excitedly continued to report.


    Everyone held their breath, waiting for the moment the missile approached the target. If successful, it would signify a new form of naval battle replacing traditional warfare.


    This was a revolution, similar to when the Great Tang Group introduced the ironclad warship! From now on, the mode of naval warfare would enter a whole new phase!


    ¡°Entering terminal guidance state! Missile internal radar guidance device activated! All normal!¡± The guide breathed a sigh of relief as his task was roughly complete.


    In the pitch-black night sky, at about 200 meters in altitude, a streak of light speeded by; in the violently turbulent air currents, the radar guidance head mounted at the front of the Styx Missile began its work.


    The Styx Missile began actively emitting radio signals, scanning the area in front of it, using the radar reflections to adjust its tail rudder.


    Its logic was crystal clear: the missile would prioritize attacking the warship with the most distinct target features, using the coordinates of this target warship to correct its flight trajectory.


    The engine noise of the missile was very distinct in the pitch-black night sky; many Mirage Country sailors heard the strange sound.


    They searched under the night sky and finally saw a meteor in the starry sky ¨C a meteor speeding towards the direction of their fleet!


    ¡°Look! Quickly, look! What is that?¡± The Mirage Country sailors, unaware of something called an anti-ship missile, leaned on the railings, pointing at the meteor.


    As they watched that ¡®meteor¡¯ collide with the Great Southern Bay battleship amidst the roar of the missile engine, everyone was dumbfounded.


    They even forgot to exclaim, just watching as the Styx Missile struck the towering bridge of the battleship, leaving an extremely exaggerated blaze.


    The blaze instantly illuminated everything around, outlining the silhouettes of two nearby Mirage Country warships. Faces filled with terror were reflected in the flames, watching the bridge of the Great Southern Bay battleship engulfed in flames, unsure of what expression to show.


    Shock? Fear? Despair? Bewilderment? Curiosity? Frustration?... In a moment, they had so many questions, not knowing where to begin.


    An entire 500-kilogram warhead, processed into the most efficient shape for shaped charge anti-armor, created after the explosive formed a horrific jet, ensuring the penetration of over a meter of homogeneous steel armor.


    Evidently, the bridge armor of the Mirage Country battleship was nowhere near a meter thick, with approximately 200 millimeters in these areas, 300 in the thickest places, and about 350 millimeters in the command tower.


    But still, this battleship¡¯s armor protection level was not much stronger than the frontal armor of a Type 59 main battle tank. Yet these armors faced an enemy much more formidable than the Army¡¯s tank cannons.


    The explosive jet swept through almost all compartments below the ship¡¯s bridge, the massive damage even affecting the bearing structure, making the armor-laden command tower precarious.


    Damage control personnel rushed towards the fire with hoses in hand amid the piercing alarm, only to find that nearly a hundred officers on board were rendered useless by the previous explosion.


    That was the bridge! Below were some important command areas. The officers prepared for the decisive battle at dawn were densely packed here, now all turned into casualties... and corpses.


    Due to the enormous shock, the captain of the Great Southern Bay battleship was also injured, but since he was in the bridge command tower, he narrowly escaped.


    However, as he climbed back to his feet from the floor, he smelled a scorched odor, then was informed that all the compartments below were on fire, and they could not go down...


    But the person feeling the worst at this moment was not the captain of the Great Southern Bay battleship, feeling like being roasted over a fire, but Shen Haifeng stationed in the fleet center, aboard the Shen Battleship.


    He witnessed the big fire aboard the Great Southern Bay and now couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how the enemy¡¯s attack was initiated and where it came from!


    Many warships reported their observations to him: the very piercing whistling sound and a meteor. But these pieces of information didn¡¯t extend into anything solid for him.


    Mirage Country¡¯s navy also held night battle exercises, and they fired cannons at night, so Shen Haifeng certainly knew it was impossible for artillery shells to be seen so clearly flying through the night sky. Additionally, shelling wouldn¡¯t produce noise that couldn¡¯t be drowned out by the ship¡¯s own noise!


    ¡°The night is unsafe!¡± This thought emerged in Shen Haifeng¡¯s mind immediately, and he instinctively clenched his fist, barely suppressing the impulse to order an immediate fleet turn-around with almost all his strength.


    If he led the fleet away now, the South Island would be done for, and if South Island fell, conquering the whole Mirage Country with the Tang Army using South Island as a base would be effortless.


    Under such circumstances, blindly preserving the fleet was a slow death! Shen Haifeng was no fool; he was well aware of this.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± The chief staff officer beside Shen Haifeng asked his senior officer in a panic, his face pale.


    Shen Haifeng gritted his teeth, deciding to continue advancing to probe: If this was just a coincidence, he, Shen Haifeng, even at the cost of losing one or two warships, must accomplish the task of annihilating the Tang Army¡¯s landing fleet!


    ¡°Continue to advance! If the Great Southern Bay cannot keep up, let it fall behind! Extinguish the fire immediately! After engagement, the Great Southern Bay is very likely to become the targeted focus of Tang Army due to the blaze!¡± After stabilizing his emotions, Shen Haifeng showed his composed side and ordered.


    ¡°Yes, General!¡± The chief staff officer, also seemingly finding his backbone, stood at attention and saluted Shen Haifeng¡¯s order.


    But two minutes later, another Styx anti-ship missile flew towards them, once again hitting the Mirage Country Navy¡¯s newest battleship, Northern Island, at the forefront.


    This fast new battleship was among the most advanced in the Mirage Country Navy¡¯s lineup, equipped with ten 400mm caliber giant cannons, and only entered service two years before the Shen Battleship.


    Now, it was directly hit by the Styx anti-ship missile on the anti-aircraft gun area on one side, instantly destroying more than a dozen anti-aircraft guns. The fire spread near the smokestack, with damage control desperately ensuring that the battleship¡¯s power system wasn¡¯t affected by the conflagration.


    With two ships struck and ablaze, even a fool knew this was the Tang Army¡¯s new night battle weapon. Since the hit areas were all elevated, everyone knew it likely wasn¡¯t a torpedo used by the opponent.


    However, Shen Haifeng had practically no better solution; he could only deal with the situations occurring based on his known knowledge.


    In utter helplessness, Shen Haifeng began issuing a series of commands that seemed inexplicable from the perspective of commanders in the Great Tang Empire Navy:


    First, Shen Haifeng ordered faster cruisers and destroyers to move out to attract what was considered Tang Army¡¯s firepower.


    Secondly, he commanded the Mirage Country¡¯s main fleet to commence zigzag maneuvers, seemingly attempting to avoid subsequent strikes.


    Lastly, he ordered all cannons to be loaded, preparing for the night battle! Because he judged, the Tang Army¡¯s main force was most likely not far in front of him.

 Chapter 1163: Bet everything on 1083

    Chapter 1163: Bet everything on 1083


    ¡°The enemy fleet has changed course... they seem to be performing serpentine maneuvers,¡± reported the radar operator on the Tang Army¡¯s missile destroyer as he awkwardly observed the blips on the screen.


    He felt the enemy was utterly foolish, playing hide-and-seek with radar in the pitch-black night. He couldn¡¯t imagine anything more idiotic than this, though the act itself was already asinine enough.


    ¡°The Styx missiles are adjusting their trajectories! The two missiles are targeting separate objectives!¡± Inside the destroyer that had just launched two Styx anti-ship missiles, the missile operator loudly and excitedly reported the updated status.


    The Tang Empire¡¯s missile attacks were astonishingly smooth, facilitated by an optimal electromagnetic environment that ensured all responses from the Styx missiles were within reasonable and effective limits. Their hit rates were terrifying¡ªtested repeatedly in real-world engagements conducted on Earth.


    With their adjusted trajectories, the Styx missiles continued to close in on their targets. These missiles, equipped with shaped-charge armor-piercing warheads, had devastating effects against armored battleships and heavy cruisers.


    The third and fourth anti-ship missiles sequentially struck the first two Mirage cruisers that had rushed forward.


    This time, the cruisers¡¯ smaller frames clearly couldn¡¯t withstand the damage as well as the previously hit North Island and Great Southern Bay battleships. Both cruisers erupted in flames¡ªone seemingly had its ammunition depot penetrated, and the other saw a sky-high blaze near its smokestack.


    ¡°The Jushe Number Cruiser¡¯s forward ammunition storage has been breached! To prevent catastrophic explosions, they¡¯ve begun flooding the storage compartments...¡± A military officer briskly entered the Shen Battleship¡¯s bridge, saluted Shen Haifeng, and reported the latest news.


    Witnessing the heavy cruiser¡ªbarely five years out of the dockyard¡ªsuccumbing to damage, Shen Haifeng felt his heart wrench in pain.


    It was a heavy cruiser weighing over ten thousand tons, armed with twelve 200mm-caliber main cannons¡ªan absolutely critical force in battle!


    Before this officer had even exited, another hurried officer arrived, bringing more bad news: ¡°The Xueshan Cruiser¡¯s boiler has been damaged, and its speed is decreasing... it might not be able to keep up with the fleet!¡±


    The Xueshan Cruiser was also a ¡°new ship¡± within the last decade. It had been the first Mirage cruiser equipped with torpedo weaponry¡ªa groundbreaking addition for Mirage Navy back in the day.


    When this warship was initially launched, the senior leadership of the Mirage Navy had been ecstatic, believing they finally had a new type of cruiser to directly confront enemy battleships head-on. Yet now, in just the blink of an eye, the Xueshan Cruiser was...


    In the pitch-black night, the Mirage Fleet was already engulfed in flames. Directly ahead lay the burning Xueshan and Jushe cruisers, to the fleet¡¯s rear were the slowing North Island battleship and the farthest back¡ªGreat Southern Bay battleship, hit and ablaze from the earliest strikes...


    As the fleet¡¯s commander, Shen Haifeng was facing dire circumstances. If he failed to devise a solution, he might ultimately be held accountable for losing the entire fleet.


    ¡°Order the fleet to turn on all spotlights! Illuminate everything! Search the surrounding waters!¡± Left with no better options, Shen Haifeng issued an almost maddening command.


    It was tantamount to lifting the blackout restrictions¡ªlike switching on a flashlight in the depths of darkness to locate the enemy¡¯s position! In the pre-radar era, this approach would¡¯ve been akin to a suicide mission.


    ¡°Sir!¡± Upon hearing this order, the officer in charge of the spotlights froze, hesitating to carry out Shen Haifeng¡¯s command.


    ¡°Execute the order! Continuing the blackout serves no purpose! They can see us in the dark!¡± Shen Haifeng briefly explained before turning to the communications officer beside him: ¡°Break radio silence! Send a telegram to headquarters! Report the current situation! Request immediate guidance from General Shen Haiping on our next move!¡±


    Indeed, he had no better options and was utterly at a loss. Based on the attack¡¯s current rate and intensity, his fleet would likely be obliterated within two hours!


    Should the fleet keep pushing southward to assault the Tang Army¡¯s landing site, or retreat altogether? Shen Haifeng felt unqualified to make such a monumental decision. Therefore, he planned to consult Shen Haiping at headquarters and immediately update them on the unfolding crisis.


    The enemy was capable of night battle! Moreover, they excelled at striking his warships under the cover of darkness¡ªthis harrowing truth sounded absurd yet confirmed a terrifying reality!


    Since the enemy didn¡¯t fear night combat, a nocturnal raid on their landing site would be a senseless gamble. If the Tang Army had truly mastered night-fighting techniques, then... predicting the outcomes of this battle became significantly harder.


    As this grim realization emerged, Shen Haifeng¡¯s anxiety swelled to the point of near panic¡ªevery pre-war strategy meticulously devised by Mirage seemed to be unraveling completely.


    Initially, Mirage believed Tang Nation¡¯s Air Force couldn¡¯t perform effectively, while their Zero Fighters would dominate the skies. But reality cruelly rebutted this notion; during yesterday¡¯s daylight engagements, Tang Nation¡¯s Air Force was evidently far more active and competent than Mirage¡¯s.


    Later, Mirage¡¯s Navy assumed that night combat might grant them the upper hand. Yet now, this perception proved entirely erroneous. The Tang Army appeared to possess some clandestine attack methods, enabling them to effectively locate and destroy targets during nighttime.


    Consequently, Shen Haifeng reluctantly lifted the blackout and broke radio silence¡ªall in hopes of recovering some semblance of advantage amidst the oppressive darkness.


    ...


    On Ben Island, inside the Mirage Country¡¯s headquarters, the Shen Emperor stood solemnly in a room adorned with a massive floor map, awaiting updates from the frontline.


    The nocturnal assault launched by Shengwu Zhong had already commenced, with approximately 20,000 Mirage troops mobilized to stage a desperate counterattack on the beachhead.


    Simultaneously, the naval fleet¡ªon which all hopes were pinned¡ªwas advancing toward the enemy. Success would mean turning the tides of the unfavorable battlefield situation.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± A military officer briskly entered the war room, saluted the Shen Emperor, then saluted Generals Shen Haiping and Shenwu Ke before reporting, ¡°A message from General Shen Haifeng on the frontline.¡±


    Overcome with agitation, Shen Haiping grabbed the cablegram in one swift motion and read it meticulously. His face had already drained of color halfway through, wrinkling the paper in his grip from sheer emotional turmoil.


    Seeing this reaction, the Shen Emperor grew equally anxious. He stepped closer to read the text over Shen Haiping¡¯s shoulder. What he saw nearly caused him to faint.


    The naval fleet had suffered heavy casualties during its advance, intercepted by the enemy. As of now, two battleships were damaged, and two cruisers were no longer fit for combat.


    This revelation dealt a fatal blow to Mirage¡¯s entire operation plan: if the Navy failed to destroy the Tang Army¡¯s landing fleet by tonight, then tomorrow morning... the situation would likely worsen beyond repair.


    General Shenwu Ke detailed possible developments on the ground post-battle: the army¡¯s counteroffensive would almost certainly fail to drive the Tang Army back into the sea. Should follow-up Tang reinforcements land unimpeded, South Island¡¯s battlefield prospects could deteriorate into unthinkable chaos.


    If Shengwu Zhong¡¯s forces successfully held Great Southern Bay, victory might remain feasible. If they failed, however... with port support and an airstrip established on South Island, the Tang Army¡¯s momentum would only snowball!


    Now, the highly anticipated naval counteroffensive seemed fraught with peril¡ªalmost guaranteeing the failure of every pre-war directive issued by Mirage¡¯s headquarters. Their calculations had fallen apart, and the battlefield¡¯s trajectory seemed destined for disaster.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Unaware of the gravity of the situation, Shenwu Ke approached Shen Haiping and asked. The latter said nothing, simply handing over the cablegram.


    Shenwu Ke skimmed through its contents, his expression darkening, and urgently addressed the Shen Emperor: ¡°Your Majesty! If the Navy retreats... Mirage is doomed!¡±


    ¡°If the Navy is annihilated... Mirage is doomed anyway!¡± Shen Haiping irritably reminded the Shen Emperor.


    From Shen Haiping¡¯s perspective, even if the Tang Navy and Mirage Fleet destroyed each other entirely, Mirage would still be finished: the Tang Nation could construct a new, formidable Navy within three to five years¡ªsomething Mirage lacked the capacity to replicate.


    Whether measured by shipbuilding capabilities, finances, or supplies... Mirage simply couldn¡¯t sustain naval construction at such a scale again.


    Shen Haiping also understood that failing to impede Tang Army¡¯s progress on South Island left Mirage with even less time than three to five years...


    ¡°Order Shen Haifeng to continue southward! At all costs! Destroy the Tang Army¡¯s landing zone!¡± After deliberating on the situation, the Shen Emperor made what he deemed the most correct¡ªand indeed, it was¡ªdecision.


    Allowing Tang Army to entrench itself on South Island would spell complete doom for Mirage. Betting everything on this final offensive offered slim chances of success, but passive surrender guaranteed devastation. The Shen Emperor had no choice but to gamble everything¡ªand no other decision-maker would have acted differently.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Shen Haiping knew this rationale, too; his earlier hesitation stemmed only from his unwillingness, as a Navy general, to see the fleet destroyed.


    Taking one last glance at Shen Haiping, Shenwu Ke gritted his teeth and strode to the telephone nearby: ¡°Telegram room? Transmit orders to Shengwu Zhong and Shenwu Erlang! Command them both¡ªno matter the cost¡ªlaunch counterattacks toward the beachhead immediately!¡±


    Given the Navy¡¯s willingness to risk everything, Shenwu Ke, as the Army general, couldn¡¯t sit idly or shirk responsibility. If the Navy perished, so too would the Mirage Army¡¯s men stationed on South Island...


    If Tang Army secured steady resupplies through maritime channels, what chance did Mirage stand in South Island? Pre-war, every Mirage leader understood their only reliable advantage was the formidable ocean barrier.


    Without that natural fortification, Tang Army¡¯s assault on Mirage amounts to nothing more than the slaughter of novices in the Novice Village, an overpowered elder bullying underleveled players, or gang bosses stomping into playgrounds.


    Thus, the Shen Emperor, along with Mirage¡¯s top naval and land generals, threw everything on the line¡ªthe fate of the war hinged entirely on tonight!

 Chapter 1164: 1084 saw the ontology

    Chapter 1164: 1084 saw the ontology


    ¡°The last Styx Missile! The previous five missiles have all hit their targets!¡± The weapons officer reported the status of their warship to the captain on the bridge of Beiyuan 91 Destroyer.


    Early destroyers, and even later ones, were often incapable of reloading anti-ship missiles at sea. This was simply because the missiles were too large, and warships retrofitted as missile destroyers could not accommodate an additional loading system.


    Moreover, a destroyer being able to fire all six of its carried anti-ship missiles was already impressive, akin to Emperor Qin Shi Huang cutting power lines and claiming victory. Theoretically, they wouldn¡¯t usually get enough opportunities to fire all these missiles before being sunk.


    However, due to the overwhelming advantage in weapon technology, the Tang Army destroyers faced issues that most missile destroyer captains had never considered: their anti-ship missiles had... run out.


    ¡°Find a target and fire the last anti-ship missile! Our mission is complete!¡± The captain of Beiyuan 91 Destroyer said with excitement and pride.


    Since becoming a destroyer captain, he had never imagined he¡¯d have such a moment of glory: he was the first destroyer captain on this planet to successfully hit enemy ships using anti-ship missiles, and Beiyuan 91 Destroyer had become the first missile destroyer to launch a salvo of anti-ship missiles!


    ¡°Yes! Captain!¡± Upon receiving the command, the weapons officer picked up the phone receiver again and issued the order, ¡°Continue missile launch! Fire the last one!¡±


    Following his command, the missile from the Beiyuan 91 Destroyer roared out again and flew towards the horizon.


    After watching the anti-ship missile disappear beyond the sea horizon, a military officer carrying a message walked onto the bridge of Beiyuan 91 Destroyer: ¡°Message from Beiyuan 11 Destroyer! They report that the enemy fleet is brightly lit, suggesting they may have lifted their blackout restrictions!¡±


    ¡°Additionally, they confirmed that at least two enemy ships had been hit and caught fire; however, they didn¡¯t dare approach too closely, so they couldn¡¯t verify specific battle results.¡± The officer paused for a moment before finishing the report received from Beiyuan 11 Destroyer.


    The captain of Beiyuan 91 Destroyer nodded, ¡°Understood! Instruct them to stay safe! Also, notify Beiyuan 97 Destroyer¡ªit¡¯s their turn to open fire!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Understood!¡± The officer stood at attention, saluted, and left the cramped bridge.


    ¡°Maintain course at 95!¡± The captain glanced at the data illuminated by the panel lights before raising his head and giving the command.


    ¡°Course 95!¡± The helmsman beside him immediately echoed the order.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with the 7th Fleet? I¡¯m still waiting for them to act on the flank!¡± The captain of Beiyuan 91 Destroyer addressed his first officer, who had been communicating with other fleet units.


    The first officer promptly responded, ¡°Message from the 7th Fleet! The remainder of the operation is up to them!¡±


    The captain chuckled. He had completed his mission, and the subsequent battles were no longer relevant to his warship. ¡°Could it have gone any other way? We¡¯ve fired all of our anti-ship missiles!¡±


    Since their destroyer was devoid of torpedoes¡ªthe space for torpedo equipment had been converted to missile launch racks¡ªthere was no need for them to risk close-quarters combat to fire torpedoes.


    A communications officer hurriedly returned to report another message: ¡°Message from Beiyuan 29 Destroyer! They¡¯re wishing us luck as they turn their course and prepare to fight!¡±


    The early Beiyuan-class destroyers had not been retrofitted and remained equipped with conventional artillery, torpedoes, and anti-submarine depth charges. Hence, numbered 29, the warship was now repositioning itself and preparing to find an opportunity for torpedo salvos.


    Meanwhile, the Tang Army¡¯s torpedo squadron formation had already become chaotic. Banking on their radar capabilities, several destroyers began closing the distance, taking advantage of the night¡¯s cover to launch torpedo attacks aimed at disrupting the Shen Army¡¯s main fleet navigation.


    After a few seconds of silence, the captain of Beiyuan 91 Destroyer finally broke it, ¡°Wish them luck as well! Don¡¯t get too close! Whether the torpedoes hit or not isn¡¯t too critical.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure whether his advice would be taken seriously by the recipient, yet he said it regardless, uncertain of the outcome.


    On the other side, amidst the distant darkness, a streak of light skimmed across the sea horizon, accompanied by a piercing noise¡ªthe Beiyuan 97 Destroyer was launching a Styx Anti-ship Missile.


    Having prepared well in advance, the Beiyuan 97 Destroyer soon fired its second Styx Missile, dragging a luminous tail flame into the distance.


    Within the destroyer fleet of the Great Tang Empire, there were at least 60 Styx Anti-ship Missiles. Breaking through the defensive line set up by Tang Army¡¯s destroyer squadron amidst such an overwhelming missile barrage was no simple feat.


    Not to mention, an additional Tang Army destroyer squadron was closing in from the flank¡ªanother fleet recently mentioned via message: the 7th Fleet.


    Once this squadron joined the fray, the Shen Army fleet would confront attacks from both flanks, ensuring dire consequences for them.


    Minute by minute, the Shen Country fleet drew closer to the landing zone. Bernard¡¯s battleship squadron had already positioned itself to block the Shen Army¡¯s route.


    Though Bernard had only two battleships, he remained confident in halting the enemy fleet: under the cover of night, these two radar-controlled battleships could likely prevail against Shen Army¡¯s four battleships with little difficulty.


    Moreover, Bernard even suspected whether the Shen Army¡¯s main fleet would have a single surviving warship to witness his Dongwan 1 and Dongwan 2 Battleships.


    Almost simultaneously, aboard the Shen Battleship of the Shen Army¡¯s main fleet, Shen Haifeng crumpled the order to proceed south into a ball.


    He understood that this order amounted to a death sentence... but as the fleet¡¯s Supreme Commander, he had to carry out the mission¡ªit was his responsibility.


    Thus, he issued his command, ¡°Maintain course! Damaged warships are to make way, and follow full speed behind the fleet.¡±


    In truth, he intended to have all damaged warships withdraw and return to Ben Island, but he feared losing too much of his fleet¡¯s strength before the final confrontation.


    The heavily damaged Snow Mountain Heavy Cruiser likely couldn¡¯t keep up with the fleet. The warship, weighing 14,000 tons, had flames pouring out near its smokestack, and its speed had dropped to half its maximum. Forcing it to keep pace risked it falling behind midway.


    If this cruiser encountered even a few Tang Army warships, it would likely be the first ship of the Shen Army¡¯s main fleet to be sunk.


    However, leaving behind the Snow Mountain would also mean stationing the crippled Giant Serpent to protect it... a loss that would cost the fleet two essential warships.


    ¡°General!...¡± Suddenly, a streak of light fell onto the nearby sea surface in a massive explosion that jolted every Shen Army sailor¡¯s nerves. Fortunately, the projectile did not hit any Shen Army warships, offering a collective sigh of relief.


    Yet, due to its sheer speed, no one had managed to clearly identify the object¡¯s shape. As a result, Shen Haifeng remained unaware of the type of weapon he was up against.


    Soon, however, he ¡°luckily¡± got the chance to witness the weapon firsthand: a meteor streaked through the night sky, captured by the giant searchlights mounted on the side of the Shen Battleship.


    The soldier controlling the searchlights seemed skilled, as the beam tracked the distant silver flash. Shen Haifeng scrutinized the object throughout its trajectory, eventually realizing he still couldn¡¯t describe it.


    Roughly teardrop-shaped, the front rounded and bulbous, narrowing toward the rear where it featured an airplane tail-like structure. It resembled... a pilotless aircraft without a cockpit or propellers.


    He watched as the object collided with the Loyalty Battleship, piercing through its No. 2 turret (B turret)...


    Equipped with four triple-barrel 350mm caliber main guns, the Loyalty Battleship was considered an older-class battleship in the Shen fleet. Its relatively smaller caliber allowed it to mount four triple turrets, boasting a total of 12 main guns.


    Much to Shen Haifeng¡¯s dismay, just as he had ordered all battleship main guns to be armed, the Styx Anti-ship Missile¡¯s penetration of the No. 2 turret caused one of its 350mm caliber cannons to misfire.


    The resulting damage caused the gun¡¯s recoil to tear the barrel from its mount, embedding it into the turret¡¯s internal structure. The 350mm shell fell not far offshore, almost hitting a Shen Army destroyer.


    This incident led to over 40 casualties aboard the Loyalty Battleship, rendered the No. 2 turret unusable, and caused malfunctions in the rotation mechanism of the No. 1 turret, disabling half of the main guns.


    As of now, the Shen Navy had endured severe damage to three battleships; two cruisers were also similarly wounded.


    In such circumstances, Shen Haifeng determined his fleet could no longer approach the Tang Army¡¯s landing site: his remaining fleet included nine battleships, 13 cruisers, and 22 large destroyers.


    Though this fleet seemed formidable, Shen Haifeng faced immense pressure¡ªboth from the Tang Army aircraft poised to launch attacks at dawn and the constant threat of these mysterious weapons. He had no idea how much longer he could maintain his advance!


    ¡°Send a telegram to headquarters! Inform them that the Tang Army deployed a nighttime weapon resembling a small, pilotless airplane that can accurately target our warships!¡± Despite everything, Shen Haifeng promptly shared the newly acquired intelligence with his rear-echelon allies.


    ¡°I cannot ascertain how many such weapons the enemy possesses... therefore... request permission for damaged warships to return to base.¡± After reconsidering his prior stance, Shen Haifeng ultimately decided to allow injured warships to retreat, preserving some vestige of strength for the Shen Navy.

 Chapter 1165: 1085 Onshore Night Battle

    Chapter 1165: 1085 Onshore Night Battle


    ¡°They can see us!¡± Inside a tank, a goblin from Mirage Country shouted to his comrades, ¡°They can see us!¡±


    Earlier, they were advancing in pitch-black darkness when suddenly a shell struck and destroyed one of their tanks. After that, they were hit by successive shells, suffering heavy losses.


    One tank after another was destroyed. After losing seven or eight tanks, they had still not seen where the enemy was or what they looked like.


    Now, before his eyes, a heavy tank had already had its armor penetrated. It was ablaze, illuminating the outlines of nearby tanks.


    Before the Mirage Country tank could start reversing, a distant sabot armor-piercing round shot straight at it, piercing its first layer of welded frontal armor, then penetrating the second layer of main armor, slicing through all of its front defenses, reducing it to a burning tank wreck.


    Already attacking blindly in the dark, the Mirage Country forces were thrown into utter chaos after facing this direct assault. They were wholly unprepared for engagement, and the supposed counterattack by their tank corps was nothing more than a last-minute improvisation.


    Shenwu Zhong, either to coordinate with the Navy¡¯s operations or because General Shenwu Ke chose to gamble all his forces, gave the temporary order to deploy the tank corps for the night raid.


    The infantry units that had set out earlier had already been locked in fierce combat with the Tang Army for several hours. Overnight, they suffered heavy losses and hadn¡¯t even managed to reach the Tang Army¡¯s outermost defenses.


    When the tank corps arrived, the situation became even more chaotic: Tang Army tanks, firing from unseen locations, systematically destroyed Mirage Country tanks that barely made it to the front lines.


    Of course, the Mirage Country tank crews had no idea their opponents were using infrared searchlights to locate them in the darkness.


    That special light was invisible to the naked eye, which meant the Tang Army was essentially using flashlights in the pitch-black night to hunt Mirage Country forces and annihilate them with bizarre methods.


    For the Tang Army¡ªor at least certain units of the Tang Army¡ªthe night was as transparent as glass! They had never experienced such dominance; it felt as though vampires were hunting in the shadows.


    Shenwu Zhong was destined to get no rest that night. He sat wearily in his seat, waiting for bad news to arrive from all directions.


    The night¡¯s counterattack did not exhaust the Tang Army¡ªinstead, it sharpened General Feng Kezhi¡¯s ability to detect the Mirage Country forces¡¯ weakness.


    No one understood these outdated forces better than Feng Kezhi. He swiftly analyzed the situation, realizing Mirage Country was forcing a counterattack to support its naval actions.


    With near-total intelligence transparency, Feng Kezhi decisively ordered prepared units from the 9th Group Army to launch their counteroffensive immediately.


    In Leping, Feng Kezhi¡¯s 9th Armored Division, aided by infrared night vision devices, advanced eastward, aiming to reach the Great Southern River.


    Simultaneously, Tang Army paratroopers deployed near Dongshan supported the 9th Group Army in their counterattack to retake Bridge No. 1, which had been previously lost.


    Even more alarming was that after securing their footing, the Navy Marine Corps¡¯ 1st Division was advancing toward a Mirage Country field airport.


    In the latter half of the night, the battlefield dynamic shifted. The 9th Group Army actively sought out Mirage Country forces for nighttime engagements, leaving Mirage Country regretting having initiated night combat.


    In Shenwu Zhong¡¯s office, his eyes were bloodshot from two days and nights without sleep. He sat there listening as his officers reported on the battlefield situation: ¡°General! Tang Army units near Leping are advancing toward the Great Southern River area. It seems they want to push us east of the Great Southern River.¡±


    The Mirage Country forces near Leping Village were nowhere to be seen¡ªthey had retreated over ten kilometers and were still retreating. The harder their counterattack, the farther they were dragged from Leping...


    Another officer delivered an even more shocking report: ¡°General, Tang Country paratroopers in the Dongshan direction have successfully retaken Bridge No. 1. Our engineers didn¡¯t install the explosives in time, so the plan to destroy the bridge failed.¡±


    Originally, Mirage Country forces had planned to demolish Bridge No. 1 to delay the Tang Army¡¯s advance. However, the counterattack postponed the demolition plan.


    The result was that when the Tang Army repelled Mirage Country¡¯s counterattack and turned their focus on Bridge No. 1, Mirage Country¡¯s defeated troops forgot all about blowing up the bridge.


    Now Bridge No. 1 was in Tang Army hands, enabling their troops to advance northward at any moment, threatening Mirage Country¡¯s railways and airports in the central region of South Island.


    Before long, a staff officer hurried in to deliver even worse news to Shenwu Zhong: ¡°General! The 1st field airport has already fallen. Tang Army tanks have been sighted near the 2nd field airport... Should we order the troops there to withdraw?¡±


    For Shenwu Zhong, this was a thunderclap on a clear day. If Tang Army truly gained control of Mirage Country¡¯s airports, then those damned Butcher Fighters, Yir Attack Aircraft... they¡¯d all appear on the South Island battlefield.


    Moreover, once South Island had airport support, those Flying Fortress Bombers could frequently raid New Island, Ben Island, and even the northernmost Northern Island.


    Immediately, Shenwu Zhong wanted to issue an order to retake the 1st field airport¡ªbut he quickly calmed himself down, realizing that Mirage Country had no significant forces stationed near the 1st field airport.


    Shenwu Zhong sat silently, unsure if he was asleep with his eyes open. He said nothing because he genuinely didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Everything was beyond his comprehension. He¡¯d never felt this powerless before. The Tang Army¡¯s operational capability, fighting spirit, weaponry¡ªall exceeded his expectations.


    Even worse, he still didn¡¯t know where those damned planes came from, why those damned paratroopers held out for so long, or why his elite armored forces couldn¡¯t even break through the enemy¡¯s light infantry defenses!


    At that moment, an aviation officer hurried over with another troubling update: ¡°Our risky operation to launch a Dragon Slayer reconnaissance plane brought back some photos... The pilot reported that the enemy landing sites near the shore are brightly lit. I suspect the Tang Army is transporting supplies ashore overnight.¡±


    Currently, Mirage Country¡¯s only remaining airport was in the northern part of South Island, which meant the photos would take some time to reach the Great Southern Bay. But the phones were still operational, so the pilot immediately reported what he saw firsthand.


    The Tang Army wasn¡¯t idle at night. Large numbers of troops were landing, along with abundant supplies and equipment.


    A dozen Huey Helicopters had even moved ashore from a modified transport ship, preparing for missions like casualty evacuation and low-altitude reconnaissance once daylight arrived.


    Furthermore, Tang Army engineers had come ashore in large numbers. They were not only busy building floating docks but were also erecting command posts, field hospitals, communication stations, and ammunition depots based on Mirage Country¡¯s defensive structures.


    These facilities naturally bolstered the Tang Army¡¯s combat strength. Previously delayed engineering heavy equipment had now arrived on the beaches.


    Rocket clearance vehicles, engineering cranes, armored clearance vehicles, and large inland-compatible radar systems for air defense alerts¡ªall this equipment was gradually landing, showcasing the overwhelming scale of the Tang Army¡¯s landing forces.


    Of course, this was just a fraction of the personnel and materials carried by the landing fleet, which was why the Tang Army was diligently constructing floating docks to facilitate their operations and expedite the capture of the Great Southern Bay.


    When it came to the Great Southern Bay, half of Shenwu Zhong¡¯s hopes lay in holding this strategic stronghold in the short term. He believed that if they could firmly hold onto it, the Tang Army¡¯s logistics would be hampered, giving Mirage Country a chance to turn the tide.


    But the strategic plan to defend the Great Southern Bay hadn¡¯t been fully implemented¡ªor rather, he simply hadn¡¯t had the time to execute it.


    The seaward side of the Great Southern Bay was relatively well-defended, with eastern and western artillery batteries and sufficient troop deployment. The problem lay in the landward directions¡ªthree sides of the Great Southern Bay were practically undefended.


    Earlier strategic plans hadn¡¯t considered the possibility of an enemy successfully landing from those directions, so no defensive fortifications had been constructed.


    Now, with the enemy truly attacking from inland, Shenwu Zhong scrambled to mobilize civilian laborers to hastily build trenches and other defensive works.


    But time was too limited. One day, one night¡ªa ring-shaped trench barely better than a drainage ditch was all they could scrape together.


    Thus, when Shenwu Zhong received reports about the state of the city defenses, he wasn¡¯t surprised. The general in charge even asked a slightly embarrassing question after delivering his report: ¡°General! The civilian laborers are slower at digging than expected. Should we conscript some women?¡±


    In fact, Shenwu Zhong had already conscripted nearly all able-bodied male goblins from ages 14 to 60 on the South Island, organizing them into a ¡°New Army¡± ready to sacrifice everything at the Great Southern Bay.


    All other tasks, like building the defensive works around the Great Southern Bay, fell to the women.


    ¡°The situation is grim. If the Great Southern Bay falls, the consequences will be unimaginable! General! No matter what, we must hold the Great Southern Bay,¡± the staff officer reminded Shenwu Zhong, whose mind seemed fogged over.


    Of course, not all the news was bad. Two support transport ships managed to slip along the coastline to the Great Southern Bay, delivering precious munitions to Shenwu Zhong.


    Understanding the importance, Shenwu Zhong instinctively nodded and replied, ¡°You¡¯re right... We absolutely must hold the Great Southern Bay! Send a telegram to Shenwu Erlang... Request him to dispatch forces to reinforce us! Deploy troops along the Great Southern River to prevent the Tang Army from crossing the river!¡±


    By now, he no longer believed in any so-called nighttime counterattacks. His focus had shifted to defending their position, preventing the Tang Army from exploiting the chaos to expand their gains!


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    There¡¯s still one more update tonight, which I¡¯ll share later. Everyone can read it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 1166: Dawn is Approaching 1086

    Chapter 1166: Dawn is Approaching 1086


    The Tang Army was, of course, expanding its victories¡ªnot only on South Island but also by continuing to attack the main fleet of the Mirage Country Navy at sea.


    This time, the offensive was launched by the 7th Destroyer Flotilla of the Great Tang Navy. Positioned on the flank of the Mirage Country fleet, their angle of attack was far superior.


    As the frontline commander, Shen Haifeng had been waiting for about half an hour but still hadn¡¯t received a reply from headquarters. His request to allow damaged warships to retreat had disappeared like a stone sinking into the sea, with no response at all.


    The Great Tang Navy gave Shen Haifeng no time to wait. According to their plan, they launched an even more ferocious assault about 150 kilometers from the landing zone.


    One Styx Anti-ship Missile after another penetrated the Mirage Country Naval fleet. In just 15 minutes, two cruisers were struck, and a battleship was damaged.


    Although the damage to the ships hit this time didn¡¯t seem particularly severe, certain details filled Shen Haifeng with dread.


    These warships weren¡¯t hit in any vital areas, which could be considered good news for the Mirage Navy¡ªbut every hit landed on the warships¡¯ sides!


    All the signs pointed to the presence of a Great Tang fleet on the Mirage flank, armed with those bizarre weapons that boasted terrifying accuracy!


    Worried about the vulnerability of his fleet¡¯s flanks, Shen Haifeng feared even greater losses from exposure.


    From his perspective, the forward profile of a warship presented the smallest target area, while the side was significantly larger¡ªand worse still, many parts of a ship¡¯s side lacked proper armor protection, making them its weakest points.


    Sure enough, while Shen Haifeng was fretting over more losses, a Styx Anti-ship Missile directly struck the side of the Mirage Navy¡¯s Courage Battleship.


    Although the Courage was an older battleship, it was still a crucial component of the Mirage Navy¡¯s firepower.


    The Courage Battleship, armed with 10 main guns of 350mm caliber, had a conventional turret layout: Turrets #1 and #2 were stacked at the bow, a third turret was positioned between two smokestacks midship, and Turrets #4 and #5 were stacked at the aft.


    This arrangement allowed the battleship to protect more firepower with relatively short stretches of armored defense, considered a mature design. However, its design had one glaring issue¡ªits magazines and boiler fuel were located in proximity beneath the gun barrels, posing a significant safety hazard.


    Normally, few enemy weapons could penetrate a battleship¡¯s thick outer armor to damage its internal structure and expose this vulnerability.


    But the Tang Army¡¯s Styx Anti-ship Missile easily pierced the Courage¡¯s 200mm to 300mm main armor belt¡ªas though it was paper.


    The missile¡¯s furious jet of heat tore through every compartment in its path, ravaging them until its energy was fully dissipated.


    With a 500-kilogram warhead and nearly supersonic penetration capabilities, the missile effortlessly delivered flames to the core of the battleship.


    The Styx Anti-ship Missile that breached Courage¡¯s side armor directly ignited its boilers... Flames erupted instantly, and the boilers, subjected to high pressure, exploded. The explosion then destroyed the watertight division, spreading fire to the midship magazine.


    Before anyone could flood the magazine compartments to contain the fire, the Courage Battleship¡¯s magazine detonated! A massive explosion tore apart the middle of the vessel, twisting its structure and hurling its superstructure into the air.


    One of the smokestacks collapsed entirely, while the smaller-caliber guns and the recently added anti-aircraft guns were all obliterated. A moment earlier, the battleship had been accelerating to keep pace with the fleet, but its speed now plummeted to under 10 kilometers per hour.


    With the side plating collapsing under the vibrations, seawater rushed into the ship¡¯s interior. The Courage was now forced to slow down for damage control in a desperate attempt to save itself.


    The strike demonstrated to Shen Haifeng that, while most Tang attacks targeted superstructures, they could still inflict catastrophic damage on a massive ship displacing over 30,000 tons at full load!


    Yet before Shen Haifeng could even regret his situation, the outermost heavy cruiser of his fleet took a direct hit from a Styx Anti-ship Missile.


    Flames soared immediately, and the fire spewing from the cruiser¡¯s smokestack terrified sailors on nearby Mirage ships.


    Moments later, the cruiser named Divine Tiger broke in half. It became the first Mirage warship to sink that night, beating the second by a full ten minutes.


    The Divine Tiger was not a new vessel to begin with, designed heavily in favor of speed, which allowed it to keep pace with the fleet.


    However, its weak defenses and poorly designed ammunition stowage made its demise seem almost inevitable.


    The ship¡¯s elongated hull was nearly over-penetrated by the Styx Anti-ship Missile, but the missile fortuitously struck its smokestack and an ammunition magazine for its newly installed anti-aircraft guns. These compartments acted as an additional layer of armor, allowing the Styx Missile to unleash its full power.


    The ignited ammunition triggered a chain of explosions, transforming the cruiser into a spectacular fireball.


    ¡°General! If this continues, the entire fleet will be annihilated!¡± an anxious staff officer warned Shen Haifeng, hoping the commander would order a retreat. But such hopes were destined to be dashed.


    Shen Haifeng sighed and replied, ¡°Headquarters¡¯ orders are that the fleet must head south! Maintain speed! Execute the orders!¡±


    The staff officer froze for a few seconds before nodding heavily and returning to his station. Meanwhile, the Mirage battleship New Island had just been struck by a Styx Anti-ship Missile and was also ablaze.


    As the Mirage Navy fleet pressed forward, more warships sustained damage. Their previously organized formation began to resemble a chaotic arrowhead <¡ª¨C formation.


    To Shen Haifeng¡¯s bitter amusement, nearly half the fleet¡¯s ships were burning, making the fleet look like it was marching forward with torches held aloft.


    The good news was that it was already five or six in the morning; if they could persevere a little longer, they might hold out until dawn. The bad news? Daylight didn¡¯t seem likely to offer them any advantage.


    In its current state, even if this fleet reached the Tang landing zone, Shen Haifeng doubted they had a chance in a gun duel with the Tang fleet.


    According to Mirage intelligence, the Tang Navy had at least six modern battleships deployed. On paper, the fleet under Shen Haifeng¡¯s command was already at a clear disadvantage.


    The Shen Battleship and its sister ship, the Goblin Battleship, represented the Mirage Navy¡¯s ultimate treasures. Each was equipped with formidable 460mm-caliber main guns. The technology for these guns was partly purchased from the Shireck Consortium.


    It was said these gun designs were largely completed by the Great Tang Group, but due to their high cost, they had never been deployed on Great Tang Navy battleships.


    Yet for Mirage Country, the weapons were a treasure beyond compare, and they had installed a total of 12 of these main guns on their battleships! Yes, their new battleships featured a 2-barrel-per-turret configuration with two turrets forward and one aft.


    The Shen-class was not a direct copy of the Yamato-class but a scaled-down version. Mirage lacked the resources of Japan to build such massive warships.


    In reality, the displacement of the Shen Battleship and Goblin Battleship was only about 50,000 tons¡ªfar short of Yamato-class behemoths. Mirage could only build so many battleships by downsizing.


    The Mirage strategy aimed to leverage the caliber advantage of their new battleships¡¯ guns to overwhelm Tang battleships in artillery duels... But thus far, they hadn¡¯t even had a chance to directly engage the Tang Navy battleships.


    The pre-dawn hours were always the hardest, and for Shen Haifeng, it was no exception. He racked his brains for a way to face the potential appearance of Tang aerial forces after dawn.


    By then, he would have to endure attacks from the same devastating missiles that had punished them all night, while also contending with a barrage of enemy aircraft... He wasn¡¯t even sure if they could close the distance to the Tang landing zone, which seemed simultaneously within reach and impossibly far away.


    He hoped for support from Zero Fighters at daybreak, but unfortunately, Shenwu Zhong couldn¡¯t muster enough aircraft to make Shen Haifeng optimistic: Shenwu Zhong promised air support but could provide only 20 Zero Fighters and 18 Dragon Bombers...


    Yes! Shenwu Zhong had sent everything he had to cover the navy, even deploying outdated Dragon Bombers as fighters.


    While Shen Haifeng was strategizing how to cope with a battleground about to grow more complex at dawn, a lookout on one of the Mirage Navy¡¯s outer destroyers spotted something approaching across the sea.


    Suddenly, he realized it was a Tang torpedo! He rang the brass bell beside him and yelled down to his comrades, pointing at the approaching object.


    A torpedo had already crossed paths with their destroyer. Many sailors saw its white trail intersect with the destroyer¡¯s side but braced in terror, expecting the dreaded collision and explosion to follow¡ªbut nothing happened.


    The white streak passed through the destroyer, speeding toward the heart of the Mirage fleet. That¡¯s when they realized the torpedo¡¯s depth setting wasn¡¯t meant for smaller ships like theirs.


    ¡°Quick! Send a transmission! Alert the fleet! Torpedoes! Watch out for enemy torpedoes...¡± the destroyer¡¯s captain shouted, his face pale. As soon as he issued the warning, a massive fountain of seawater erupted alongside a cruiser twice the destroyer¡¯s size in the fleet¡¯s rear.


    The torpedo¡¯s warhead exploded underwater, twisting the cruiser¡¯s frame, lifting it out of the water, and then slamming it back down violently into the waves...

 Chapter 1167: 1087 Shen Haipings good idea

    Chapter 1167: 1087 Shen Haiping¡¯s good idea


    The torpedoes launched by the Tang Army¡¯s destroyers were not just a few. More than twenty destroyers from multiple directions fired at least 120 torpedoes at the Mirage Country fleet in one go.


    The depth settings for these torpedoes were relatively deep, as the Tang Army¡¯s destroyers paid no attention to the small fry scattered around the Mirage Country fleet.


    Their targets were the big ships¡ªthey were aiming to finish off those Mirage Country battleships and heavy cruisers!


    The Mirage Country Navy, which had been focused on countering the Tang Army¡¯s anti-ship missile offensive, had indeed become lenient about the situation on the sea surface. In reality, they couldn¡¯t continuously monitor the sea surface in poor visibility conditions.


    The Tang Army was completely different. Even without anti-ship missiles, their warships were equipped with radars, enabling them to approximate the other¡¯s speed and direction, and calculate their relative positions.


    Furthermore, due to the anti-ship missile attacks, the formation of the Mirage Country fleet became elongated and sluggish¡ªa formation that was highly susceptible to torpedo ambushes.


    After a cruiser was struck by a torpedo, there was no time to make evasive maneuvers before yet another Mirage Country battleship was hit by two torpedoes, simultaneously exploding at both the bow and the stern.


    Tragically, this battleship had already been hit by an anti-ship missile earlier, and efforts to extinguish the fire in the midsection of the ship had just been completed when water started pouring into the front and rear sections.


    The entire battleship began listing to one side, and without even a moment¡¯s respite, the sailors aboard had to resume emergency repairs.


    Being hit a second time rendered this battleship virtually incapable of continuing the fight, and under its current condition, there was doubt whether it could escape the range of Tang Army¡¯s carrier-based aircraft after daybreak.


    At this moment, the remaining warships of the Mirage Country Navy finally snapped out of their inertia and started evading the incoming torpedoes.


    The fleet¡¯s lights shifted from pointing toward the sky back to the ocean surface, as everyone looked for the white lines in the seawater¡ªuntil another warship was struck...


    This had become purely a matter of luck: Torpedo trails at night were inherently difficult to detect, and with the fleet in disarray, evasion became even more challenging.


    Fortunately, due to the ¡°zigzag maneuvers¡± ordered to avoid the Styx Missiles, the Mirage Country Navy warships unintentionally dodged many of the incoming torpedoes.


    This was an unforeseen blessing¡ªMirage Country Fleet Commander Shen Haifeng probably never imagined that his random order for the fleet to use serpentine evasive maneuvers against anti-ship missiles would accidentally help his fleet escape the torpedo barrage.


    Yet, luck is always a matter of probability, and quite a few warships were still hit by torpedoes. Unlike anti-ship missiles that damaged a ship¡¯s superstructure, torpedoes fundamentally affected a ship¡¯s propulsion¡ªthe ones struck by torpedoes mostly lost speed and could no longer advance.


    ...


    At the main headquarters on Ben Island in Mirage Country, the decision-makers, after ignoring Shen Haifeng¡¯s request to withdraw damaged warships, were discussing their next move.


    Using the fleet to gamble the nation¡¯s fate was one option, but passively awaiting their doom was something no one could accept.


    Thus, Shenwu Ke and Shen Haiping, the two generals, joined Shen Emperor in a conversation about Mirage Country¡¯s upcoming preparations for war.


    Shenwu Ke spoke first: ¡°We now need more anti-aircraft guns to deal with the impending Tang Army aerial bombardments. Additionally, we need more radars to provide early warnings...¡±


    The battle of South Island had largely been lost due to Mirage Country¡¯s failure to maintain air superiority. If they didn¡¯t learn their lesson, the other islands would fall even faster.


    Previously, their reliance was on Zero Fighters, but who could¡¯ve anticipated that the Great Tang Empire could cross the sea and bring in fighter jets to compete with the Zero Fighters for air supremacy?


    Now, with South Island fallen, Tang Army would soon build airfields on the island, further bolstering the Tang Nation Air Force¡¯s dominance.


    Butcher Fighter Jets, Flying Fortress Bombers, Yir Attack Aircraft, combined with those enigmatic bombers that zipped through the air like the wind¡ªthe Tang Army¡¯s aerial advantage would only grow stronger.


    After addressing the need for anti-aircraft guns and radars, Shenwu Ke transitioned to the topic of soldiers: ¡°In addition, we also require more soldiers deployed to defend against enemy landings along potential invasion fronts... These areas must be fortified...¡±


    With the Tang Army nearing full control of South Island, they could launch attacks against other islands from closer proximity than before.


    Under such circumstances, Mirage Country¡¯s troops needed to be heavily deployed on the remaining three islands. The existing army size was insufficient for such needs.


    As Shenwu Ke explained further: ¡°Our previous underestimation of Tang Army¡¯s ability to conduct amphibious assaults across the sea has led to this predicament. We probably need to construct at least another 1,000 kilometers of fortifications to secure each island properly.¡±


    Having said this, he added: ¡°Apart from anti-aircraft guns, all cities must start digging cellars and air-raid shelters... to mitigate the effects of enemy bombings on urban areas.¡±


    Shen Emperor suddenly felt a pang of annoyance¡ªhis treasury was already depleted, and now there were demands for this and that; it felt as if his life was being drained.


    Yet he understood that Shenwu Ke¡¯s concerns were legitimate and had to be addressed. Thus, he stood there silently, listening as Shenwu Ke listed his various requests.


    After reflecting on his proposals, Shenwu Ke also recalled the issue of South Island¡¯s bombed airfields and voiced another concern: ¡°Additionally, the airfields need defensive measures! We previously failed to anticipate enemy aircraft bombings, leaving our planes parked under simple hangars. This situation is unacceptable¡ªthose hangars must be fortified immediately! Also, the airstrips themselves must be camouflaged to minimize damage from enemy bombing. The sooner, the better!¡±


    Neither the army nor the air force had made any serious defense preparations before, leaving airfields and planes exposed or housed under mere sun shelters.


    This negligence had allowed the Tang Army to devastate Mirage Country¡¯s airfields and aircraft, crippling their aerial forces considerably.


    Thus, Shenwu Ke emphasized the construction of concealed and reinforced airfields to enhance their resilience against attacks.


    ¡°As for ground forces, we need more tanks, armored vehicles, anti-tank guns... We need a significant number of landmines... and every anti-tank weapon we can manufacture.¡± Shenwu Ke¡¯s speech became increasingly fluid; he seemed to believe all of his demands could actually be fulfilled.


    But in reality, with Mirage Country¡¯s current industrial capacity, even producing one-fifth or one-tenth of the requested equipment would be considered miraculous given how hard their workers were already pushing themselves.


    The issue was that even if Mirage Country¡¯s workers worked day and night, where would they source the raw materials? The Ice Cold Empire, which had been their primary supplier, was now embroiled in a war with the Elves, leaving them struggling for their own steel and copper needs¡ªhow could they possibly ship resources to Mirage Country?


    As for whether Tang Army would seal off sea trade routes once their navy was decimated, that was a risk Mirage Country¡¯s leaders chose to overlook for now.


    ¡°The army also needs more heavy artillery, more shells... and more planes. Even if their performance falls short of our opponents¡¯, we still need more Zero Fighters... and their pilots.¡± By this point, Shenwu Ke realized he had asked for an overwhelming amount, and his voice gradually softened before he stopped speaking altogether.


    Shen Emperor turned his cold gaze toward Navy Admiral Shen Haiping, who had remained silent throughout, and asked, ¡°Anything else? Speak it all out.¡±


    ¡°Regarding the navy, we need to focus on developing more practical equipment! At this stage, it¡¯s already too late to think about replenishing our main battleships. Our national capacity won¡¯t allow us to rebuild a large-scale fleet anyway.¡± Unlike Shenwu Ke, Shen Haiping was more radical and imaginative. He knew rebuilding the navy was impossible, so he proposed an alternative plan.


    He boldly stated, ¡°I propose prioritizing the production of speedboats powered by gasoline engines, with speeds preferably exceeding 50 kilometers per hour! These speedboats would be packed with explosives, piloted by courageous soldiers, and rammed into enemy ships!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± To Shen Emperor, this idea seemed more practical than Shenwu Ke¡¯s long list of needs, and he grew intrigued by Shen Haiping¡¯s plan.


    After outlining this daring strategy, Shen Haiping added another point: ¡°This is the only way to compensate for our lack of fighting power! I hope the army will come up with similar tactics¡ªlike flying planes loaded with explosives and crashing them into Tang Army warships. One plane for one warship!¡±


    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± Shenwu Ke was momentarily caught off guard.


    ¡°It¡¯s absolutely necessary! Only by doing this can we prevent our nation¡¯s collapse and extinction!¡± Shen Haiping resolutely declared.


    Shen Emperor found this reckless plan satisfactory¡ªit was realistic within the current constraints. So, he ordered, ¡°Then let¡¯s settle it! Form two special units under the command of each of you respectively!¡±


    As the two generals stood at attention and replied, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± an officer sprinted over and handed them a telegram: ¡°Your Majesty! Shen Haifeng just sent an urgent message¡ªenemy forces launched a torpedo attack... The fleet has suffered heavy losses!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Shen Emperor snatched the telegram and read it carefully: Mirage Country had already lost five battleships, and the Tang Army¡¯s landing fleet was only one hour¡¯s distance away from the landing site.


    ¡°Reply immediately! Tell Shen Haifeng to advance toward the landing site at all costs! Eliminate the Tang Army¡¯s landing fleet!¡± Shen Emperor gritted his teeth and issued the command, seemingly grasping hope from that one-hour distance.


    However, what Shen Emperor didn¡¯t realize was that before Shen Haifeng could receive the reply, another battleship had been damaged by a Styx Anti-ship Missile, and a cruiser had been sunk...


    Furthermore, standing between Shen Haifeng and the Great Tang Empire¡¯s landing fleet were two heavily armed battleships, ready for battle!


    ¡ª¡ª-


    End of Update

 Chapter 1168: The 1088 cannon battle begins

    Chapter 1168: The 1088 cannon battle begins


    ¡°The enemy fleet has entered firing range! The computer is calculating ballistic parameters! All main guns are loaded and ready!¡± The weapons officer aboard Dongwan No.1 Battleship was reporting their combat status from the bridge.


    As a frequently modified ¡°new-generation¡± battleship, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Bismarck Battleship had diverged significantly from its original design.


    Primarily, an advanced radar system had been mounted above the main island of the ship, while fire control radars had been installed in place of the floodlight mounts on both sides to guide the ship¡¯s artillery systems.


    At a range of approximately 20 kilometers, the precisely engineered main guns of the Great Tang Empire were already elevated, with their barrels aimed toward the approaching enemy fleet.


    The central ship-based catapult had already launched a reconnaissance plane equipped for artillery calibration using rocket propulsion, belonging specifically to Dongwan No.1 Battleship. As dawn approaches, the guidance from the calibration plane would ensure even greater accuracy for the artillery.


    With the aid of a highly automated loading mechanism, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Dongwan-class battleships boasted faster reload rates for their artillery, integrating numerous advantages of battleship designs while eliminating several flaws, rendering their combat capabilities formidable.


    The 20-kilometer range mentioned by the Tang Army weapons officer referred to the firing parameters provided by the onboard computer with a high hit probability. However, in reality, the main guns of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s battleships had a range exceeding 30 kilometers, even approaching 35 kilometers.


    The automatic loading mechanism somewhat restricted the elevation of the main guns, which resulted in a slightly reduced maximum range for Tang Empire battleships.


    Given the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s emphasis on ¡°global deployment,¡± its warship designs adhered to high standards for various sea conditions instead of pursuing extreme performance metrics. As such, the Empire¡¯s battleships leaned towards versatility rather than extremes.


    ¡°Adjust the firing angles according to the computer¡¯s parameters,¡± ordered the captain of Dongwan No.1 Battleship, standing on the bridge with a sense of boredom.


    As a battleship captain, not being able to engage in direct artillery duels with the enemy warships within visual range was undeniably disappointing.


    With the advent of ship-based seaplanes, long-range artillery calibration became possible, significantly reducing opportunities for visual-range artillery duels.


    Furthermore, with radar installations onboard, Dongwan No.1 had connected cables from its onboard computer and cleared additional cabin space, turning visual-range artillery battles into a mere joke.


    In training exercises, when targeting simulated objectives, the enhanced fire control computer allowed battleship main guns to ¡°roughly hit¡± targets with just two to three salvos.


    With five salvos, a battleship-sized target would often end up critically damaged. This is progress in technology, a fundamental shift in the rules of naval warfare.


    However, when the appearance of Styx Anti-ship Missiles onboard destroyers became prevalent, battleships of the Great Tang Empire turned into mere shields, damage absorbers, and the objects of ¡°abuse¡± during drills...


    This combat mission was a clear testament to that role¡ªa shield in front of the carrier fleet, buying their Aircraft Carrier Fleet the last vital hour.


    Frankly, the Tang captain, confident in his warship¡¯s defenses, believed that even if he allowed the enemy to bombard his vessel unhindered for two hours, they might fail to sink it.


    That being said, regardless of his ship¡¯s ruggedness, he couldn¡¯t let the enemy strike at will, could he? Hence, the Tang battleship raised its barrels, revealing its double fists.


    ¡°Artillery firing parameters corrected! Ready to open fire at any time!¡± the weapons officer shouted.


    ¡°Open fire!¡± The captain issued the order to attack.


    ¡°Open fire!¡± The weapons officer grabbed the phone and loudly repeated the command.


    Suddenly, outside the bridge windows, four bursts of fire almost simultaneously erupted, dazzling everyone¡¯s eyes. The light in the darkness even silhouetted the figure of the neighboring Dongwan No.2 Battleship.


    The entire ship trembled slightly, and soon after, flames burst from the stern of Dongwan No.2 Battleship as its four 380-caliber main guns released spectacular muzzle flashes. The rolling fires churned and faded into the distance.


    As dawn approached, eight shells weighing over one ton each flew from afar, crashing into the formation of the Shen Country¡¯s main fleet.


    Columns of water soared into the sky, shaking the Shen Country sailors as they observed through the glow of their fleet¡¯s blazing fires in horror.


    ¡°General! We¡¯re under artillery fire! It¡¯s the Tang Imperial Fleet!¡± The staff officer exclaimed urgently upon seeing the rising columns of water nearby.


    ¡°Order the fleet to turn left! Heading 54! Bring our broadside to bear against the enemy!¡± Shen Haifeng knew the ultimate test had arrived. The opposing fleet had revealed itself¡ªonce they broke through this defensive line, his fleet would successfully reach the enemy landing zone.


    Now, he aimed to exploit his fleet¡¯s artillery strengths, delivering a harsh lesson to the Tang Empire Navy at dawn!


    ¡°An observation post reported spotting faint flashes ahead! Likely the muzzle flashes of the enemy fleet!¡± News soon reached Shen Haifeng.


    ¡°Excellent! We¡¯re already seeing the dawn of victory!¡± After an entire night of anticipation, Shen Haifeng finally sighted the enemy, thrilling him greatly.


    The enemy¡¯s decision to fire first in this darkened state clearly highlighted their inexperience. He felt firing too early had exposed the Tang Fleet¡¯s position!


    Moreover, judging from the water columns caused by the shell impacts, the number of enemy warships didn¡¯t exceed three¡ªa massive advantage!


    Shen Country¡¯s Navy had long estimated Tang¡¯s battleship fleet to comprise six to ten units. But now, it seemed the Tang military hadn¡¯t allocated nearly that many battleships to this location!


    Perhaps some battleships had been drawn northward by Shen Hai¡¯ang¡¯s fleet, or maybe Tang Navy retained forces to ensure coastal safety. Regardless, at this moment, Shen Haifeng believed his heavily battered fleet still possessed a numerical advantage against the Tang forces!


    ¡°Fantastic! They have only three, at most four battleships! We still have six battleships! The advantage remains firmly with us!¡± Shen Haifeng clenched his fists in excitement, loudly motivating his crew: ¡°All main guns to port! For the Shen Emperor! Fight to the death!¡±


    ¡°For the Shen Emperor!¡± The others echoed energetically, shouting loudly. After enduring frustration for ten hours, they finally found an outlet for their rage!


    As a nation founded on maritime dominance, Shen Country¡¯s Navy was highly trained and boasted exceptional combat capabilities, easily ranked among the world¡¯s elite navies.


    Under a series of rapid commands, Shen Country¡¯s fleet began turning, bringing its port side toward the Tang fleet. One massive main gun barrel after another began aiming toward the distance.


    Compared to the Tang Army¡¯s battleships, armed solely with 380-caliber main guns, Shen Country¡¯s battleship artillery was far more varied: 460-caliber, 410-caliber, and 350-caliber guns made up their arsenal, with almost every level of battleship possessing a distinct caliber.


    On the one hand, this stemmed from Shen Country¡¯s reliance on externally developed technologies, leading to rushed iterations. On the other hand, it reflected Shen Country Navy¡¯s eagerness to gain artillery superiority.


    Just as Shen Country¡¯s fleet began turning, the Tang Navy¡¯s second round of shellfire descended. This timing slightly exceeded Shen Haifeng¡¯s expectations due to the shockingly short interval between Tang artillery salvos.


    For a moment, Shen Haifeng even considered the possibility that Tang¡¯s four battleships were firing alternately in two groups. Soon, however, he dismissed the hypothesis, as the intervals between shellfire clearly didn¡¯t fit such tactics.


    The Great Tang Empire, constantly innovating technologically, had achieved faster artillery firing speeds for their battleships¡ªsomething Shen Haifeng quickly acknowledged. Yet, in his view, such ¡°tricks¡± were futile because of his absolute numerical advantage.


    The second salvo from Tang¡¯s guns still failed to inflict substantial damage on Shen Country¡¯s warships, though some sailors began noticing critical details.


    ¡°The shell impacts are closer... It seems they¡¯re targeting South Island Battleship!¡± A sailor stationed on the deck of a cruiser trailing South Island Battleship squinted suspiciously.


    He had seen the impact points from the first artillery salvo, scattered around the fleet without a clear target.


    But the second salvo produced water columns alarmingly close to South Island Battleship, which was now positioned at the edge of the formation due to a turn.


    Before he could voice his observations, however, a Styx Anti-ship Missile struck the cruiser where he stood.


    Indeed, Tang forces hadn¡¯t ceased their missile assault, with Tang destroyers maintaining spectral shadows on the flanks. The explosion instantly engulfed the sailor on the deck, leaving him no chance to speak again.


    The missile¡¯s jet stream pierced through the light cruiser, blowing away one of its smokestacks and obliterating all anti-aircraft guns and other facilities in the ship¡¯s midsection.


    Thick black smoke billowed from the cruiser as flames erupted within its hull. Cries, shouts, orders, and the crackle of flames filled the air.


    Explosions resounded intermittently, and as fire consumed the vessel, distorted steel groaned and screeched under stress. Someone dashed past the fallen sailor¡¯s half-charred corpse without sparing it a second glance.


    Approximately two minutes later, Tang artillery fired a third salvo, and one shell pierced South Island Battleship¡¯s smokestack, taking out part of one smokestack and sending the spotlight mounted nearby flying.


    On the bridge of South Island Battleship, which was mid-turn, all officers flinched instinctively as their gaze met shared expressions of... fear.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    The second update of the day is delayed; you can read it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 1169: 1089 is less than 30 kilometers away.

    Chapter 1169: 1089 is less than 30 kilometers away.


    This is only the Tang Army¡¯s third round of volley fire! How could they shoot so accurately? The commander aboard the South Island Battleship felt there must be a traitor on his warship, signaling the enemy with some kind of guiding device!


    Yet, he knew this was impossible. He had never heard of such a device, and even if something like it existed, using it would be stupid¡ªwho would guide enemy fire onto themselves?


    But why were the enemy¡¯s strikes so precise? This was a question he desperately wanted answered.


    As his mind spiraled into chaos, a Styx Anti-ship Missile was screaming toward his warship. In the dim dawn light, as the sky began to brighten, the missile crashed directly into the bridge of the South Island Battleship!


    Yes! It was that precise, not deviating in the slightest! The anti-ship missile pierced through the South Island¡¯s command tower, leaving a hole larger than a basin on its surface.


    The raging jet of fire devastated the entire interior bridge, flames licking at the charred corpses within. The senior officers aboard the South Island were incinerated in mere fractions of a second. The explosion even spread to adjacent compartments, disabling several key pieces of equipment at once.


    Standing on the bridge of the Shen Battleship, Shen Haifeng witnessed with his own eyes the fireball that lit up the night. He saw the South Island¡¯s bridge take the hit and the subsequent flames erupting aboard the ship.


    Moments later, a glimmer of light appeared on the horizon as the sun prepared to rise. Yet, it seemed the South Island Battleship would not live to see the dawn.


    The fourth round of Tang Army shelling brought yet more shells descending from the sky, whistling downward and crashing onto the South Island¡¯s deck!


    This time, Mirage Country¡¯s luck truly ran out: two shells struck the South Island nearly simultaneously. The impacts were so tightly clustered that it became impossible to determine whether they came from Dongwan No. 1 Battleship or Dongwan No. 2 Battleship.


    In the records that followed, the two Tang warships showed great modesty. The final conclusion pleased both sides: investigations revealed that each warship had delivered one shell, collectively sealing the South Island¡¯s fate as it sank, gravely wounded.


    One shell struck a crucial area: it bored into the battleship¡¯s interior from the base of the No. 2 turret, tearing through the horizontal armor of the South Island and detonating the forward ammunition storage.


    The other shell hit the midsection of the South Island, obliterating the boiler room and damaging the ship¡¯s power-generation systems.


    In summary, one shell caused explosions and massive flooding, while the other disabled the ship¡¯s power, rendering it immobilized.


    Thus, the South Island Battleship quickly ground to a halt, abandoned by the other Mirage Country warships as they sped ahead. Fire engulfed its midsection, and explosions continued unabated at the bow. Not even a single transmission was sent before the battleship¡¯s bow plunged into the depths.


    ¡°Message from the May Battleship... South Island Battleship... its bow has submerged beneath the surface,¡± a staff officer somberly reported to Shen Haifeng, relaying the freshly received communication.


    ¡°Message from the Great Southern Bay Battleship... South Island is sinking...¡± Another officer quickly delivered another dispatch.


    Nearly every warship that passed by witnessed the South Island¡¯s demise. It burned and exploded as its thick steel plates shattered in the blasts, immense seawater gushing into its hull and engulfing its remaining superstructure and smokestacks.


    Tons of fuel spilled out, staining the sea in eerie iridescent black hues. As dawn gradually broke, the grim spectacle of the Mirage Country Navy became increasingly visible.


    Thick smoke billowed from many warships, several still ablaze. In the distance, the silhouettes of Tang Nation destroyers loomed, while on the starboard side, Tang battleships remained shrouded in the western shadows, their hulking forms faintly discernible.


    Surrounding them, Tang warships filled nearly every direction¡ªdirectly ahead, to starboard, to rearward... the fleet of Mirage Country found itself surrounded, even with Tang Navy seaplanes overhead mounted on floats patrolling above.


    At that moment, Shen Haifeng realized his fleet had been outmaneuvered, dancing within the enemy¡¯s grasp. Only now did he understand the yawning disparity between them.


    ¡°Starboard 15 degrees!¡± He snapped, unable to worry about anything else. He knew the most crucial task now was to close the distance to the enemy¡¯s main fleet before enemy airpower could intervene.


    As long as he could break through their battleships, there was still a sliver of hope! He no longer harbored illusions of preserving his fleet; instead, he pinned all his hopes on storming the enemy landing zones.


    However, the short distance separating him and victory might well be insurmountable in his lifetime: as the Mirage Fleet once again adjusted course to close in on Tang warships, Tang Nation¡¯s anti-ship missiles struck again, this time targeting the rearmost Great Southern Bay Battleship.


    The Great Southern Bay, which had already been hit earlier, now suffered another fiery strike at its aft turret. The damage control crews worked furiously to save the ship.


    But the problem lay with its loaded turret, previously primed to fire: escalating heat in the turret had surpassed safety thresholds.


    Unable to access the turret to reduce the temperature, and with its interior melting under the intense heat, the turret finally succumbed, detonating violently from within as one of its shells¡¯ propellant ignited.


    Following the sinking of the South Island Battleship, the Great Southern Bay Battleship also began emitting thick smoke, left paralyzed and unable to proceed further. Perhaps fate had determined that any warship connected to ¡°South Island¡± would meet its end this day.


    In the quiet waters behind the Great Tang Empire¡¯s landing zone, Tang aircraft carriers pivoted to face into the wind, ensuring optimal conditions for their aircraft to launch.


    Dozens of Stuka bombers, torpedoes slung beneath their wings, unfolded their wingtips and aligned their noses with the carrier decks ahead.


    Ground crews busied themselves starting the engines. With the sky still not entirely bright, deck floodlights bathed the aircraft in a stark, artificial glow, turning night into day.


    Distrusting his subordinate¡¯s ability to handle everything on their own, Bernard decided not to delegate fully. He ordered his units to launch the carrier planes ahead of schedule.


    Amid the drone of engines, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s carrier planes lifted off one by one, struggling upward with their heavy torpedoes, wobbling off into the twilight toward the faint horizon.


    The previous night on South Island was far from peaceful. General Feng Kezhi¡¯s forces, after mounting a counterattack, received urgent warnings from the Air Force. Xiao Yun had deployed a staggering 290 Flying Fortress Bombers to unleash a carpet-bombing campaign across the central and northern regions of South Island.


    This type of bombing did not concern itself with so-called precision. Nor could it distinguish friend from foe. Thus, to avoid friendly fire, the Air Force demarcated hazardous zones and requested that the Army stay away from them.


    Though the 9th Group Army under Feng Kezhi heeded this advice, staying out of the designated zones, Feng Kezhi was nonetheless forced to halt his offensive and watch helplessly as retreating Mirage Country troops made their escape.


    Soon enough, however, Mirage forces learned why the Tang Army refrained from pursuit: nearly 1,000 tons of bombs rained down from the sky, plastering South Island as if in a downpour.


    Countless bombs pummeled Mirage forces, obliterating virtually every city on South Island aside from Great Southern Bay.


    The entire island roared with fiery explosions, air-raid sirens wailing continuously throughout the night. The Mirage Army suffered horrendous losses, with even the newly arrived 3rd Corps sustaining significant casualties and equipment destruction.


    Already devastated, the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions engaged in grueling, overnight battles. Their retreat was then further battered by Tang Nation Air Force attacks, leaving them with less than 30% of their original strength.


    From any angle, these two elite armored units from Mirage Country were no longer combat-effective. Their plight reflected the conditions of many Mirage Country units deployed on South Island: their ranks had fought fiercely through one endless day and night, battered beyond recognition, incapable of further resistance...


    Though the northern airfield on South Island remained intact, and although planes continued taking off there according to plan to support Mirage forces in the south, with daylight breaking, the Mirage Army¡¯s position became hopelessly untenable.


    Feng Kezhi had been tirelessly working through the night, plotting new bombing zones for the Air Force: areas he had no intention of assaulting immediately. His strategy was to encircle Great Southern Bay first!


    Just like Shengwu Zhong, Feng Kezhi also sought to secure the port initially to ensure uninterrupted supplies for his troops coming ashore.


    However, he wasn¡¯t as impatient as Shengwu Zhong. In his rear, several floating docks were already under construction. Supposedly, in a few days, the heavy equipment of the 9th Group Army would land successfully.


    Despite his patience, Feng Kezhi did not undervalue the importance of Great Southern Bay. He planned to let his landed troops rest briefly before crossing the Great Southern River¡¯s flanks and advancing on South Island¡¯s largest, most critical port: Great Southern Bay!


    At this moment, however, Shengwu Zhong¡¯s sole focus was at sea: he prayed that his dispatched planes would protect his fleet and cut off the Tang Army¡¯s retreat by circling behind them.


    He had no other choice! His forces were already shattered, and relying on his 2nd Corps and Shengwu Erlang¡¯s 3rd Corps to halt the Tang advance was clearly impossible.


    ¡°Report! Just received word! Admiral Shen Haifeng¡¯s flagship is only 30 kilometers from the southern beachhead of the Tang Army¡¯s landing zone!¡± A staff officer delivered the telegram with excitement, shouting to the red-eyed, ghostly Shengwu Zhong.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Sorry, fell asleep halfway through writing this... Posted late, my apologies.

 Chapter 1170: The two armies exchanged artillery fire 1090 times

    Chapter 1170: The two armies exchanged artillery fire 1090 times


    As the sky brightened, Mirage Country¡¯s Battleships began to raise their gun barrels, preparing to bombard the Tang Country¡¯s Battleship Fleet.


    Shen Haifeng saw hope. As long as he could break through the front of Tang Country¡¯s Battleship Fleet, the remaining Tang Country Fleet were nothing but lambs waiting to be slaughtered.


    Just as his excitement peaked, he received another exhilarating piece of news: the lookout reported that only two Battleships had been spotted in Tang Country¡¯s Battleship Fleet!


    ¡°The enemy has only two Battleships! They have only two!¡± The staff officer was so thrilled he almost burst out laughing. Now they had an absolute advantage of six against two!


    Even though half of their Battleships were damaged or sunk, Mirage Country¡¯s Battleships still held the numerical superiority!


    From Shen Haifeng¡¯s perspective, Shen Hai¡¯ang¡¯s sub-fleet seemed to play a decisive role: Tang Army¡¯s Commander must have been confused about the attack direction of Mirage Country¡¯s Fleet, which is why part of their forces were redirected to defend the northern side.


    He hadn¡¯t even considered the possibility that Tang Country might truly have only two Battleships, because in his view, Tang Country surely had more!


    ¡°Enemy ships are firing!¡± Seeing flashes of fire from Tang Army¡¯s Fleet in the distance, the lookout shouted nervously.


    Soon after, about twenty seconds later, Tang Army¡¯s artillery shells landed with a thunderous crash, striking the water in front of Mirage Country¡¯s Battleship Xiangyun. The shells obviously fell a little short, but they were already dangerously close to Mirage Country¡¯s Fleet.


    The gigantic water columns made the over-40,000-ton Xiangyun Battleship appear diminutive by comparison; more than a dozen water spouts formed such a spectacular scene that even from Shen Battleship¡¯s bridge, they were awe-inspiring.


    But this grandeur was lost on Mirage Country¡¯s Commanders taking the hits ¡ª they felt only tension and unease.


    Tang Army¡¯s artillery accuracy was frighteningly precise. Before daybreak, they had somehow accurately struck the South Island Battleship, and now they were targeting the Xiangyun Battleship with an initial salvo that was highly well-aimed.


    ¡°Their gunnery is very accurate!¡± The staff officer retracted his gaze from the distant water columns and spoke to Shen Haifeng beside him.


    ¡°Our Mirage Country¡¯s gunners are also the elite of the elite!¡± Shen Haifeng remained confident in his artillery crews. Mirage Country, being a nation founded on naval strength, had always selected its Navy gunners from the best of the best, ensuring skills were top-notch.


    ¡°Order! All warships can open fire as soon as they¡¯re ready! No need to wait for my instructions.¡± After saying this, he picked up his binoculars and looked toward the distant Tang Army Fleet.


    A few seconds later, the six 460mm caliber main guns on Shen Battleship roared to life, the fire erupting from the barrels momentarily blotting out the sky ¡ª an awe-inspiring and majestic sight.


    Right after, Goblin Battleship also opened fire, and Mirage Country¡¯s various Battleships unleashed their shelling in unison. The battlefield instantly resounded with the roar of cannon fire everywhere.


    This was exactly the kind of naval battle Mirage Country¡¯s Navy had envisioned ¡ª at last, every naval officer and sailor seemed to rediscover their familiar rhythm.


    They had always been preparing for such a battle; they were intimately familiar with the scene before them. They focused entirely on loading heavy shells into the guns, and then using mechanics to push the propellant charge in as well. Following that, the breech block closed, and a lethal strike was launched toward the distant enemy.


    When firing high-powered shells, the warship itself would tremble in response. The terrifying sound was earth-shattering, akin to death¡¯s call echoing across the sky.


    Far away, the enemy was doing the same, with both sides¡¯ Commanders skillfully maneuvering their ships to dodge incoming strikes. Everyone was calculating precisely, trying to anticipate the turning nodes of the opponent¡¯s serpentine maneuvers.


    Ultimately, Mirage Country¡¯s courageous Navy soldiers would triumph over their cunning and despicable enemies with their bravery and luck, claiming victory in this naval battle... This was the tale Mirage Country had told countless times up and down all ranks.


    Unfortunately, reality was cruel. Across the battlefield, inside the hull of an East Bay-class Battleship, its interior filled with mechanical instruments and a few heavy-looking monitors, a bespectacled soldier was inputting command parameters into his operating machine.


    Beside him, another soldier was, under complex verbal instructions, adjusting a parameter dial that resembled an overlapping Eight-Trigram Chart, aligning the inner and outer ring¡¯s numerical scales precisely.


    In fact, as he adjusted the dial, all the main turrets aboard the East Bay-class Battleships automatically pointed toward a remarkably precise direction. If no malfunctions occurred, these movements were entirely controlled by the warship¡¯s fire control system.


    This system¡¯s calibration combined firing parameters provided by fire-control radar with correction data from earlier shell impact points, resulting in scientifically calculated adjustments far more reliable than relying on gunners¡¯ experience.


    The turrets housed complex stabilization equipment, similar to the dual-axis stabilization found in Tanks: they ensured that despite the ship¡¯s sway on the turbulent sea, the elevation angle and orientation of the guns were unfalteringly precise.


    The entire system guaranteed that the ship¡¯s guns would fire at the exact moment the pitching and rolling motions due to the waves reached their calmest point, essentially transforming every gun into an isolated, stable platform.


    Unlike other nations¡¯ naval artillery systems, this system provided high attack precision, complemented by Tang Country¡¯s technologically advanced artillery barrels, making Tang Country¡¯s shells capable of hitting their targets with exceptional accuracy.


    Moreover, Tang Army¡¯s 380mm caliber main guns could reload without needing to reset the guns to a horizontal angle. While this technology wasn¡¯t unique, many older Battleships weren¡¯t equipped with it.


    This gave Tang Country¡¯s Battleships a remarkably fast firing rate, capable of firing a shell every 25 seconds! At distances between 15 and 20 kilometers, this firing cadence closely matched the time it took for shells to reach their targets.


    In other words, as tangential water columns erupted near enemy ships, Great Tang Empire¡¯s Battleships were already firing their main guns again! For a 380mm caliber main gun, this rate of fire was undoubtedly phenomenal.


    The distance between the two Fleets continued to narrow. Mirage Country¡¯s Fleet advanced diagonally closer to Tang Army¡¯s Fleet, while Tang Country¡¯s Fleet showed no intention of retreating.


    At this moment, the two Fleets were approximately 18 kilometers apart. Tang Country¡¯s Navy fired again, with over a dozen shells landing successively near the forward Xiangyun Battleship of Mirage Country¡¯s Navy.


    ¡°They¡¯re closer...¡± Shen Haifeng¡¯s heart tightened as he watched the impact points of Tang Army¡¯s shelling. He felt an ominous premonition: although Xiangyun Battleship had engaged in serpentine maneuvers, the opposing forces were still adjusting their impact points right onto its course.


    As one of the leading warships in the fleet, Xiangyun Battleship couldn¡¯t veer too far off course, as Mirage Country¡¯s tactics relied on closing the distance. If it maneuvered outward, it would throw the whole fleet¡¯s positioning off.


    Aboard the bridge of the Shen Battleship trailing diagonally behind Xiangyun Battleship, Shen Haifeng nervously held his binoculars, observing the first salvo of shells he had just fired landing near Tang Army¡¯s warships.


    But ¡°near¡± was relative ¡ª Shen Haifeng himself could only shake his head when seeing the results: most of the shells fell far away from Tang Country¡¯s Fleet, so far that even in his binocular¡¯s field of view, the distant water columns were barely discernible.


    ¡°Range too short! Correct the parameters!¡± Mirage Country¡¯s artillery Commanders worked furiously to fine-tune their variables, striving to ensure the next salvo landed closer to Great Tang Empire¡¯s warships.


    Numerous soldiers were busy as well, operating secondary guns on the Battleships. As the distance closed further, these soldiers would unleash their ammunition through the secondary guns.


    Confident in their numerical superiority, they believed that in close-range combat, they could overwhelm their adversaries with vast amounts of firepower.


    Yet as they prepared for a second salvo, the missiles that had vexed them all night long appeared once again. Tang Country¡¯s Destroyers fired missiles one by one to maintain an optimal electromagnetic environment, releasing a maximum of one or two missiles at a time, often directed at differing vectors.


    This steady and methodical approach ensured an exceptionally high missile hit rate. As Mirage Country¡¯s Navy had no concept of electromagnetic interference, Tang Army¡¯s missiles maintained a success rate above 80%.


    For missiles participating in combat for the first time, this operational hit rate was exceedingly high. Aside from the occasional missile malfunctioning and crashing into the sea, and some striking peripheral Cruisers or over-penetrating, the rest dealt significant damage.


    Suffice to say, when it came to missiles, the armor on a Battleship was as fragile as paper ¡ª the penetration power was simply too great, far beyond what armor thickness could resolve.


    If... Mirage Country¡¯s Battleships were equipped with ceramic Composite Armor and more densely arrayed decompressing compartments, perhaps they would stand a better chance. But who would install over two meters of Composite Armor on a Battleship?


    The Great Southern Bay Battleship at the rear of the formation suffered another heavy blow. While it wasn¡¯t facing imminent danger of sinking, successive strikes had left it utterly battered.


    Shells from the rear struck its main gun turrets, and the resulting thick, billowing smoke obscured its view. The entire Battleship resembled a massive firework floating across the sea.


    Unfortunately, no one was paying attention to the Great Southern Bay Battleship anymore, because Tang Army¡¯s next salvo included a shell that directly struck Xiangyun Battleship mid-maneuver. This single hit left Shen Haifeng aboard Shen Battleship¡¯s bridge trembling with unease.


    The two Tang Country Battleships opposing them displayed gunnery precision vastly surpassing Mirage Country Navy¡¯s expectations. Shen Haifeng began to worry that if two more similar Tang Army Battleships appeared, his fleet might not be able to hold its ground.


    Fortunately, the shell struck Xiangyun Battleship¡¯s bow rather than critical areas, merely damaging the anchor chains without inflicting severe harm on the vessel.

 Chapter 1171: The Battle of Levounion 1091

    Chapter 1171: The Battle of Levounion 1091


    Very soon, Shen Haifeng, the admiral of Mirage Country¡¯s navy, stopped worrying about Tang Army¡¯s battleships, because something even more troublesome appeared in his field of view.


    That¡¯s right, the Tang Army¡¯s carrier-based aircraft had arrived! They were already close to the battlefield, and after forming their formations, they immediately stormed onto the scene!


    Dozens of Stuka Dive Bombers took the lead, plunging one after another from the sky towards the Mirage Country¡¯s battleships lined up in formation.


    The commanders on the Mirage Country battleships immediately found themselves in a dilemma: they didn¡¯t know what to do...


    If they continued their offensive against sea targets, they couldn¡¯t allow anti-aircraft gunners to commence aerial defense operations. But those monstrous main guns, with calibers over 350 millimeters! Could anyone even stand near them when they fired?


    The massive muzzle flashes and deafening noise would make it impossible for the anti-aircraft positions on either side of the battleship to operate. The soldiers manning these positions had to plug their ears and move far from the guns.


    However... the design of many Mirage Country battleships placed two turrets at the front, one in the middle, and two at the rear...


    This design allowed the Mirage Navy to fit in one extra main gun turret per warship but also meant that most of the ship¡¯s anti-aircraft systems were crammed around these main gun turrets.


    In theory, this issue could have been addressed during construction or retrofitting by installing turret-like shields over the anti-aircraft guns to dampen sound and shockwaves, enabling these weapons to function alongside the main batteries.


    But, regrettably, Mirage Country battleships had no such luxury, no matter from what angle one looked at it.


    Most of their anti-aircraft guns were only equipped with basic shields, and the vast majority of both the anti-aircraft cannons and heavy machine guns were simply bolted onto the decks without any protection whatsoever.


    These temporarily-mounted anti-aircraft guns were unusable while the main guns were firing. But if they stopped shelling to focus on anti-aircraft defense, what would¡¯ve been the point of throwing these heavily armed Mirage battleships headfirst at Tang¡¯s battleships? To get pummeled?


    Stuka Dive Bombers screamed downward, forcing the Mirage Navy fleet into even more frantic serpentine maneuvers. Shen Haifeng, disregarding his own safety, rushed out onto the unprotected open deck. He looked up at those aircraft diving like flies and fumed with frustration, at a loss for words.


    Even though these naval Stukas lacked the terrifying sirens often attached to them, their dives still generated unnerving sounds. The roar of their engines combined with the air splitting around them created an atmosphere of sheer terror.


    What¡¯s worse, Mirage Navy forces, caught off guard, hadn¡¯t prepared adequately for aerial defense: Anti-aircraft gunners had been searching through the dark night for phantom ¡°meteors¡± all evening. How sharp could their reflexes possibly be now?


    Curiously, on the Goblin battleship, sailors were just being shoved onto the deck by their officers to man the heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft guns when the battleship¡¯s main guns suddenly roared to life.


    Six massive 460-millimeter-caliber guns thundered, and the fresh batch of sailors who had just reached the deck instantly lost all hearing.


    They stumbled and collapsed on the deck, clutching their ears in agony, rolling on the floor. For them, the entire world had been reduced to a single, incessantly droning noise.


    Because of poor coordination, these anti-aircraft gunners became sacrificial lambs. The Goblin battleship quickly ceased firing its main guns and shifted its focus to aerial defense.


    The Shen battleship followed suit: Shen Haifeng had no choice but to order a halt to their shelling and directed all attention toward anti-aircraft combat instead.


    The promised airplanes from the Army did finally arrive on the battlefield minutes later, but their impact was embarrassingly negligible.


    Shen Haifeng did spot a few Zero Fighters, but these reinforcements were now being mercilessly hunted down by aircraft resembling the Stukas, their wings bent upwards in the same fashion.


    The incoming planes couldn¡¯t even approach his fleet, let alone provide cover. Shen Haifeng could clearly see a Zero Fighter being chased by a Pirate Fighter, dancing left and right in a futile attempt to escape. After barely surviving for over ten seconds, it trailed dark smoke as it plunged into the sea and exploded.


    The entire battlefield resembled a hunting ground, with Tang Army¡¯s planes acting as predatory hunters, and Mirage Country¡¯s Zero Fighters akin to hapless sparrows in a dense forest.


    They frantically took flight, fluttering wildly across the sky, disoriented in their attempt to escape. One crack of gunfire later, a stricken lifeless body would plummet cleanly from the heavens.


    Shen Haifeng detested describing his allied planes as such, yet he couldn¡¯t think of a more fitting analogy to vent his frustration and disappointment at their supposed reinforcements.


    Weren¡¯t you here to support me? Wasn¡¯t your mission to cover my fleet? How on earth can you not even get close to us?


    As he wrestled with his string of questions, seven or eight Zero Fighters had already been shot down. The remaining Mirage planes, in pitiable straits themselves, were barely hanging on.


    Shen Haifeng anxiously watched the battlefield above when, to his horror, a Styx Anti-ship Missile slammed into the bridge of a Cruiser.


    Indeed, while these missiles were generally unable to cause catastrophic damage by striking above a warship¡¯s waterline, they seemed to possess a sinister precision, deliberately smashing into the ship¡¯s most protrusive parts!


    Components like turrets, smokestacks, command towers, and ship islands... These missiles were inexplicably drawn to targeting the tall structures at the ship¡¯s centerline. Though incapable of outright sinking a vessel, they could inflict heavy damage on a warship¡¯s command system.


    After a grueling overnight battle, the Mirage warships hadn¡¯t suffered significant sinkings, but nearly every one of them bore serious damage. While non-lethal on the surface, these damages hampered the fleet¡¯s anti-aircraft operations significantly.


    Because of how their layouts were designed, most of the battleships¡¯ anti-aircraft weapons were concentrated near the ship island and smokestack areas, leaving the bow and stern decks clear for main guns.


    Yet the Styx Anti-ship Missiles often homed in on these very regions¡ªthe ship islands and smokestacks. Though unable to sink the warships outright, they wiped out clusters of anti-aircraft positions concentrated in these areas!


    A single hit from a Styx Anti-ship Missile could leave seven or eight nearby anti-aircraft positions inoperable, whether due to fires or explosive shockwaves.


    The loss of these anti-aircraft stations created significant gaps in the Mirage fleet¡¯s air defenses. What was once an impermeable web of firepower now contained gaping vulnerabilities.


    Soon enough, Tang aircraft identified and exploited these weak points, slipping through unguarded corridors to get within striking range of Mirage battleships. Consequently, Mirage fleet losses began to spike dramatically as Tang carrier-based aircraft escalated their attacks.


    In mere minutes, the previously damaged Northern Island Battleship took a direct hit from a 500-kilogram aerial bomb.


    The bomb penetrated its deck and exploded at the ship¡¯s midsection. A chain reaction of fires and secondary explosions ensued, and within less than three minutes, the warship split in two from the explosions and sank.


    Trailing behind Northern Island, the Great Southern Bay battleship was engulfed in thick black smoke. Its condition was so dire that even Tang Army carrier-based aircraft didn¡¯t bother wasting ammunition targeting it anymore.


    As Shen Haifeng watched helplessly, the Wind Rider battleship behind them was sequentially struck by two torpedoes. At this point, he no longer knew what to say.


    Just moments ago, he had been brimming with confidence, convinced that the advantage had shifted back to his side. Yet in less than fifteen minutes, the battlefield had once again undergone a drastic and devastating reversal.


    Under relentless assault from Tang Navy¡¯s Air Forces, the Mirage fleet had completely collapsed. Forced to prioritize anti-aircraft operations, the Mirage warships only managed two volleys of retaliatory fire before ceasing their bombardments entirely.


    Now Shen Haifeng felt utterly foolish, as his fleet surged full speed toward the enemy¡¯s lineup, passively waiting to get blasted to smithereens, volley after volley...


    Just as despair weighed down on him so heavily it felt immobilizing, a streaking light suddenly crossed his field of vision.


    Before he could react, a violent shockwave hurled him to the ground. The massive tremor from the warship threw him high into the air before slamming him back down onto the deck with brutal force.


    A metallic taste rose in his throat, and he nearly coughed up blood. When his adjutant and guards finally helped him back into the bridge, Shen Haifeng dimly realized that one of those missiles that had been tormenting them all night had struck the Shen Battleship¡¯s smokestack, just behind the aft mast!


    The explosion had obliterated the anti-aircraft weapons stationed beneath the mast and damaged nearby equipment as well. After an entire evening of lucky evasions, the Shen finally took a direct hit from an anti-ship missile.


    Thrown about by the shockwave and now injured, Shen Haifeng received treatment from the ship¡¯s medic while he temporarily left the outside battle chaos unattended.


    In those few short minutes he spent recovering, the Prosperous Cloud battleship was surrounded and heavily targeted by two Dongwan-class battleships, leading to its eventual destruction.


    Tang Navy shells repeatedly struck the doomed Prosperous Cloud, crippling its propulsion systems, destroying two of its main turrets, and perforating its horizontal armor.


    After being hit by six or seven shells, the Prosperous Cloud erupted in a violent, fiery explosion. Its stern rose high before the ship descended into the depths.


    By this point, Mirage Country had six battleships disabled, three sunk, and the mere three remaining unable to engage Tang battleships in direct artillery duels due to the consistent need for anti-aircraft defense operations.


    However, the Mirage Navy, now completely bloodthirsty, didn¡¯t sit idly by. Destroyers and surviving cruisers, which had always been shadowing the battleship fleet, detached from the main force and recklessly charged toward the Tang Army¡¯s landing zone like madmen.


    They knew this might be Mirage Country¡¯s only chance: Only by breaking into the landing zone and destroying enough Tang transports could they possibly thwart the landing operation.


    But they quickly discovered that a massive fleet of Tang destroyers was blocking their path!


    ¡ª¡ª-


    These were yesterday¡¯s two updates.

 Chapter 1172: The number soared to 1092

    Chapter 1172: The number soared to 1092


    ¡°Report! Tang Army¡¯s battleships have started to change course!¡± Amidst the deafening roar of Tang Army aircraft engines, a Mirage Country officer stepped in front of Shen Haifeng, whose head was wrapped in gauze, stood at attention, saluted, and reported.


    His words were filled with resentment because he was reluctant to admit a harsh reality: their opponents no longer regarded them as adversaries.


    Similarly, Shen Haifeng felt the fury of being scorned! His fleet was still there! And yet, his opponent had turned away!


    Do they think so little of his fleet? Are they so certain that he couldn¡¯t possibly disrupt the operations at the landing zone?


    ¡°Unacceptable! Unacceptable! Order the fleet to starboard 35 degrees! Bow toward the enemy! Full speed ahead!¡± Shen Haifeng roared furiously from within the bridge.


    A few minutes later, the smoke-billowing Mirage Country fleet began to change course, once again positioning their bows toward the enemy, charging toward the Tang Army fleet in what seemed to be a final dash.


    This charge carried a hint of tragic heroism, as the third batch of Tang Army attack planes had already arrived. Above the Mirage Country fleet, over 140 Tang Army aircraft hovered, but only about five Zero Fighters were escorting the fleet.


    As the Mirage Country fleet abandoned the heavily damaged Great Southern Bay Battleship, ceased concern for the already sunken Xiangyun Battleship, Northern Island Battleship, and South Island Battleship, and collectively turned their bows toward the enemy, the hull of the Windrider Battleship was already submerged on one side of the deck.


    Hit by two aerial torpedoes, the Windrider Battleship had completely lost its balance. Although the damage control troops were desperately pumping water into the opposite side to prevent capsizing, the warship continued to tilt severely.


    The leaking side of the hull had already vanished beneath the waves, the ship¡¯s tilt reaching a shocking 30 degrees, while the oil spilling from the Windrider Battleship formed a deep black pool on the sea¡¯s surface, resembling a black abyss devouring the vessel.


    It became the unfortunate fourth battleship of Mirage Country¡¯s navy to be sunk in this dawn battle. Next to go under was the New Island Battleship, hit by one aerial bomb and three torpedoes.


    This battleship had been equipped with four triple-mounted 350mm caliber primary guns, and the name ¡°New Island¡± signified the navy¡¯s high regard for her.


    Unfortunately, in this naval battle, she managed to fire only two salvos, failing to even scratch a single hair of the Tang Country Navy¡¯s forces before being sunk by naval aircraft.


    An aerial bomb damaged the ship¡¯s stern, preventing her from maneuvering effectively in a serpentine course, which quickly led her to become a target for torpedo bombers, earning her place as a trophy of Tang Country¡¯s naval aviation.


    The New Island Battleship, now capable of traveling at only a third of its original speed, took three torpedoes within a minute, nearly matching the Windrider Battleship in sinking speed.


    Mirage Country¡¯s navy had a total of twelve state-of-the-art battleships, named after four islands: Northern Island, Ben Island, New Island, and South Island; rivers and bays: Shangdong River, Mountain Frost, Great Southern Bay; and three straits between islands: Windrider, Xiangyun, and Clear Jade.


    The Great Southern Bay Battleship was the most unique; it should have been named ¡°Great Southern,¡± but the construction site of Great Southern Bay fought hard to have her named ¡°Great Southern Bay.¡±


    Now, the Great Southern Bay Battleship was seriously damaged, while the Northern Island, South Island, and New Island battleships had been sunk, alongside Windrider and Xiangyun.


    On paper alone, Mirage Country¡¯s main naval fleet had already lost more than half of its strength. Factoring in damaged warships, Mirage Country¡¯s navy was no longer capable of fighting.


    Yet still, Mirage Country¡¯s navy showed no sign of retreat, continuing to charge forward as though the sunken battleships had nothing to do with them.


    Truth be told, there was no other option left: in traditional naval battles, the losing side could retreat to minimize further losses immediately.


    Now, retreat was no longer an option: if they turned to flee, their ships would still be caught and sunk by enemy aircraft.


    The Tang Country Stukas hovered over the Mirage fleet, with torpedo-carrying attack planes flying lower while dive bombers carrying aerial bombs circled higher.


    This combination of high and low attacking altitudes rendered Mirage¡¯s anti-aircraft gunners helpless; they often concentrated too much on one type of target while neglecting the threat from the other.


    The inadequately coordinated anti-aircraft guns posed almost no threat to Tang Country¡¯s planes. Compared to Earth¡¯s World War II-level anti-air systems, Mirage¡¯s defenses were practically non-existent.


    Among the fleet, aside from the fortunate Goblin Battleship, every other ship had sustained damage¡ªeven the flagship, Shen Battleship, had been hit by Styx Missiles.


    Hoping for this battered fleet to withstand naval aviation attacks was nothing short of wishful thinking. After changing course, the unshielded Shangdong River Battleship¡ªalso called the Shangdong Battleship¡ªwas struck by torpedoes and damaged.


    Earlier, she had only taken one hit from a Styx Anti-ship Missile and was in relatively good condition overall. Recently, she had fired two salvos at Dongwan-2 but hadn¡¯t scored a single hit.


    Now, she had been struck by torpedoes, forcing the damage control crew, who had already been working tirelessly since 3 a.m., to rush back into action to rescue the precious battleship.


    ¡°Seal it! Seal it quickly!¡± Standing near the jets of seawater spraying through cracks, a veteran damage control sailor breathed a sigh of relief.


    At least his ship was saved, and the situation stabilized once again. But just as he and the damage control soldiers cheered in triumph for their efforts, a sudden series of vibrations reverberated beneath their feet.


    Soon after, a soldier sloshed hurriedly through ankle-deep water and rushed toward him: ¡°Sir! It¡¯s over! Another torpedo hit the front! The Deputy Captain needs you on deck! This area is lost! Everyone evacuate! Head to the upper decks!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®lost¡¯? If this area is lost, the whole battleship is doomed!¡± The Mirage Country veteran damage control officer shouted, furious. Around him, his team had just managed to block the leaking water with various tools. Now the deputy captain was telling them to retreat¡ªwasn¡¯t this letting all their efforts go to waste?


    ¡°There¡¯s no time, sir!¡± In the blink of an eye, the water in the corridor had reached the soldier¡¯s knees. The soldier didn¡¯t linger and quickly turned toward the upper deck¡¯s passageways.


    The flickering overhead lights startled the damage control soldiers plugging the leaks, and before the veteran officer could issue commands, the lights abruptly shut off.


    Their already unstable morale collapsed entirely. Many began wading through water to retreat, but before they could reach the stairs, the rising tide swallowed their waists.


    By the time they climbed up to the next deck, one by one, and looked back, they saw their former station was already two-thirds submerged underwater.


    Nearby, Goblin soldiers were weeping, some sailors were discussing abandoning ship, and others were distributing life jackets and survival gear.


    As a battleship, Shangdong housed midsection lifeboats, transport vessels, lifebuoys, and life jackets copied from Tang Country designs¡ªall of which were the sailors¡¯ hopes for escape.


    Although most Goblin soldiers of Mirage Country could swim, who could guarantee survival in freezing January waters for even an hour?


    Shangdong Battleship began its unavoidable tilt. As the torpedo planes launched wave after wave of deadly close-range torpedo strikes at Mirage battleships, sinking rates skyrocketed.


    The prior situation of ¡°loud thunder but little rain¡± with Styx Missiles gave way to the devastating effectiveness of torpedoes in sinking ships rapidly.


    Staring helplessly as yet another allied battleship succumbed to Tang Country aircraft, the lone Mirage Zero Fighter pilot still airborne frantically reported the dire situation back to the Great Southern Bay command center on South Island.


    He could no longer bear to witness his nation¡¯s fleet annihilated under relentless enemy assaults, so... he closed his eyes.


    A Pirate Fighter swooped past him from the side, its cannon shredding the cockpit of the Zero Fighter. Fragile as it was, the Zero disintegrated mid-air, and its pilot was shredded to pieces by cannon fire.


    Far away in Great Southern Bay, the Mirage commander clutching the radio vainly repeated inquiries for updates, but he would never hear his pilot¡¯s response.


    The commander set his radio down, exited his command center, walked through a short corridor, and arrived outside the main office of Shenwu Zhong.


    After adjusting his uniform, he opened the door and entered. Step by step, he approached Shenwu Zhong¡¯s back, stood at attention, and saluted. ¡°General! We¡¯ve just received word... The navy has suffered a devastating defeat. Our aircraft couldn¡¯t break through enemy interception and could only watch... watch helplessly as the fleet sank.¡±


    ¡°Are the specific losses tabulated?¡± Shenwu Zhong¡¯s eyes, bloodshot and dazed, lacked any semblance of humanity.


    The officer faltered in fear, apprehensive that his superior might lash out and bite him. He cautiously lowered his head and said, ¡°Not yet. From what we know, the Great Southern Bay Battleship is heavily damaged, and it seems the South Island Battleship has been sunk. The aircraft we¡¯ve dispatched are all out of contact, so the exact situation...¡±


    ¡°I understand!¡± Shenwu Zhong waved dismissively. With the navy¡¯s hopes shattered, he knew everything rested upon him now.


    His empty, dazed eyes fell upon the map spread across the table before him: if he could hold on to Great Southern River, defend Great Southern Bay to the death... maybe he could hold out a little longer?


    He didn¡¯t even want to look at any telegrams from Ben Island anymore¡ªhe knew they were nothing but useless drivel.

 Chapter 1173: Bully the weak with power

    Chapter 1173: Bully the weak with power


    On the other side, the Navy soldiers of the Tang Army witnessed the shift of an era with their own eyes. They engaged the enemy in an intense battle all night without any direct contact, firing dozens of Styx Anti-ship Missiles, yet they never even caught sight of the enemy.


    It was only after dawn that some of them finally saw the enemy fleet. To be honest, he felt a little sorry for these enemies.


    These enemies had recklessly roamed the seas all night, battered by anti-ship missiles until they were utterly disarrayed with billowing smoke, yet they hadn¡¯t even seen a shadow of the Tang Imperial Fleet.


    The outcome of a battle was no longer determined by the caliber of shipboard cannons. To kill the enemy now only required pressing a button at the control station.


    The missile era had arrived! Whether others accepted it or not, the missile era had already arrived!


    ¡°Look at these warships from the Mirage Country... sometimes I even feel a bit of pity for our opponents. They¡¯re destined to fail.¡± Watching as one after another of the Mirage Country¡¯s Navy¡¯s main warships sank in the distance, a staff officer aboard the ¡°Dongwan No. 1¡± Battleship remarked with sentiment.


    To the Great Tang Empire Navy, war had always been an elegant affair. As a captain of one of the main warships of the Great Tang Empire Navy, one would, in most cases, simply be an observer appreciating the destruction of the enemy fleet.


    The Navy¡¯s high-ranking officials often enjoyed sitting in their seats, sipping hot tea like the Nobility, waiting for news of victory.


    There was no help for it¡ªbeing a high-tech military branch, the technical superiority of the Great Tang Empire meant its Navy¡¯s combat effectiveness surpassed all other nations.


    The bloody hand-to-hand combat belonged to the Army. The Navy, on the other hand, sought elegance and composure, toying with the enemy in the palm of their hand and watching them stride gracefully into the abyss.


    ¡°You¡¯re too merciful. The more our battle resembles a slaughter, the fewer sacrifices our own soldiers will endure. Do you know which of His Majesty¡¯s sayings I like the most?¡± The captain glanced at the smoke-filled Mirage Country fleet in the distance and asked with disdain.


    The mention of ¡°His Majesty¡± instinctively made the staff officer straighten his posture and puff his chest out. ¡°May I ask... which saying of His Majesty¡¯s?¡± he inquired with deference.


    ¡°His Majesty said that our Great Tang Empire¡¯s military cannot make everyone in the world like us, so we only need to ensure the Tang People love us. As long as the Tang People adore us, even if the rest of the world hates us¡ªit doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The captain smiled as he answered the staff officer¡¯s question.


    ¡°This was said by Tang Mo during the military council two years ago...¡± The staff officer repeated Tang Mo¡¯s edict with meticulous precision, even recalling the exact timing of his speech.


    The captain nodded in agreement, smiling. ¡°So, there¡¯s no need to overthink it. We kill and burn so that the Tang People can feast and drink their fill!¡±


    ¡°Let the whole world hate us. As long as the Tang People love us, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± Standing by the porthole, he gazed at the ¡°Dongwan No. 2¡± Battleship as it completed its turn. He no longer paid attention to the Mirage Country¡¯s main fleet, now miserably battered by airstrikes: ¡°We are the Tang People¡¯s military! If others see us as demons, then maybe... we¡¯re doing this right.¡±


    The Mirage Country¡¯s Cruisers and Destroyers felt their courage was worthy of historical record. They charged desperately toward the Tang Nation¡¯s landing zone, seemingly ready to accomplish the task their main fleet could not.


    Standing in their way were just a handful of Destroyers with displacements of only thousands of tons. In the eyes of the Mirage Country¡¯s Cruiser captains, these opponents seemed pitifully weak.


    In reality, this fleet was indeed weak. Most of the Destroyers forming this final defensive line were old models.


    Lacking the capability to participate in earlier missile strikes, they had only managed to launch all of their torpedoes under the cover of night toward the Mirage Country¡¯s main fleet.


    Now these Destroyers, with their torpedoes spent and no missile systems installed, truly had limited combat power. Compared to the Mirage Country¡¯s larger-tonnage Cruisers, they were diminutive to the point of eliciting pity.


    The Mirage Country¡¯s Cruiser commanders, humiliated throughout the night, grew ecstatic. They were on the verge of obliterating the Tang Nation¡¯s Destroyer fleet and breaching the landing zone¡ªa potentially legendary counterattack.


    The current situation was a case of large ships bullying smaller ones. Among the remaining Cruisers from the Mirage Country, the largest displacement reached nearly ten thousand tons¡ªvastly larger than the Tang Nation¡¯s Destroyers.


    Not to mention the slew of Mirage Country Destroyers trailing behind! Their gunfire, both in quantity and caliber, far exceeded the Tang Nation¡¯s Destroyers, which emphasized air and submarine defense over ship-to-ship combat.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to bully your little ships! How does that feel? Heh heh heh!¡± One Mirage Country Cruiser commander sneered cynically, releasing all his frustration from the previous night.


    The mood aboard was buoyant. Victory seemed assured. Even though numerous Tang Army aircraft wreaked havoc over their heads, these ships were harder targets compared to Battleships, given their smaller size and quicker speed.


    ¡°What else could you expect¡ªyour ships are just little toys!¡± A Mirage Country Cruiser commander, eyes filled with spite, yelled, ¡°Fire! Sink these little playthings blocking our way!¡±


    ¡°We deserve a victory for once!¡± cursed a Cruiser captain from the rear bridge, who had just watched the ¡°Giant Serpent¡± and ¡°Snow Mountain¡± sink moments earlier.


    They sought vengeance¡ªfor the Mirage Country warships they had lost, and for their Goblin comrades who had perished!


    ...


    Meanwhile, the Tang Nation¡¯s Destroyer fleet drew up in a straight line, all guns trained on their enemies. They hadn¡¯t considered retreat¡ªnot with the Tang Nation¡¯s transport fleet anchored just behind them in the landing zone.


    To be blunt, letting the enemy¡¯s warships charge into the formation of defenseless civilian vessels would be akin to releasing wolves into a flock of sheep.


    Lowering his binoculars, the Tang Nation Destroyer captain shouted, ¡°Let those Mirage scoundrels see what we¡¯re made of! They really think we¡¯re soft targets!¡±


    ¡°Fire!¡± The weapons officer immediately echoed the command with a loud roar.


    ¡°Fire!¡± The gunners at each station bellowed, as all the main guns on the Destroyer aimed at the enemy opened fire almost simultaneously.


    A deafening salvo reverberated, followed by brass shell casings clattering onto the deck mats, their dull thuds echoing ominously.


    On newer Destroyers, the automatic loaders began reloading shells. With relatively small-caliber guns, these main cannons boasted extremely high rates of fire.


    After finishing the first salvo, half the Tang Nation Destroyers fired a second salvo mere seconds later.


    Assisted by fire-control radar, these seemingly fragile and unimpressive Tang Nation Destroyers unleashed a storm of firepower. In an instant, a dense barrage of shells overwhelmed the oncoming Mirage Country Cruisers and Destroyers, leaving them stunned.


    The Mirage Country Navy commanders had seen rapid-fire guns before, but never anything as terrifying as these: while their ships managed one salvo, the Tang Nation¡¯s ships had fired three¡ªsometimes even five.


    The relatively armored Cruisers fared slightly better, albeit battered and barely holding on. The Mirage Destroyers accompanying them, however, were in dire straits.


    Lacking significant armor protection, they stood no chance against the rapid-fire cannons of the Tang Army Destroyers.


    A hailstorm of shells instantly perforated several Mirage Destroyers, turning them into floating wrecks.


    The Mirage captains, who had hoped to feast on ¡°soft targets,¡± now could scarcely distinguish their plight from that of their main fleet, under relentless airstrikes from Tang Nation aircraft in the distance.


    Fortunately, the Mirage Cruisers, relying on their relatively thicker armor and larger-caliber guns, managed to fight the Tang Destroyers to a standstill.


    Because of the close engagement, one lucky Mirage Cruiser, after several volleys, struck a Tang Destroyer with a direct hit.


    However, at that moment, in the southernmost Mirage Cruiser¡¯s bridge, its Goblin captain raised his binoculars, following the direction indicated by his deputy. What he saw nearly made him collapse to the floor in terror.


    Through the lenses, he saw two colossal warships¡ªleading a dozen Cruisers¡ªbearing down on his position with unstoppable momentum.


    ¡°Th-those are Tang Nation Battleships!¡± The Goblin captain screamed in horror the moment he realized what they were. ¡°This is outrageous! They¡¯re bullying us now!¡±


    Seconds ago, they¡¯d been boasting about crushing the Tang Nation¡¯s Destroyers with their Cruisers. Now, they were lamenting being outmatched by the Tang¡¯s mightier Battleships.


    Soon, more and more Mirage captains noticed the Tang Nation¡¯s main fleet advancing from the other side of the battlefield.


    Having failed to breach the Tang Destroyer line, they wouldn¡¯t even dare contemplate engaging Tang Battleships directly.


    They couldn¡¯t comprehend why the Tang¡¯s main fleet had the audacity to abandon fighting the Mirage main fleet, opting instead to wreak havoc on this secondary battlefield.


    Unbeknownst to them, six Mirage Battleships had already been sunk.


    Against these warships, nearly depleted of air-defense capabilities due to earlier missile strikes, Tang Nation Navy¡¯s leadership deemed naval aircraft sufficient for the task.


    After all, Bernard had at least 40 minutes to wipe out the Mirage Country¡¯s remnants before Shen Haifeng could close in on the beachhead.


    In Shen Haifeng¡¯s view, no matter how optimistic he tried to be, he doubted his fleet could last much longer under such overwhelming aerial attack.


    He felt that even holding out for another ten minutes might be a miracle.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    Two updates today, presented with honor.

 Chapter 1174: The 1094 Fleet at the End of Its Rope

    Chapter 1174: The 1094 Fleet at the End of Its Rope


    On the bridge of the battleship Ben Island, the captain of Mirage Country cursed the ancestors of Shen Haifeng up to eighteen generations. From his mouth, he had already engaged in all sorts of unspeakable illicit relationships with every woman in Shen Haifeng¡¯s family.


    In his opinion, this was entirely Shen Haifeng forcing the main fleet of the Mirage Navy to march to their deaths against the Tang Army ¡ª and without hesitation.


    Now, his warship was already ablaze and billowing smoke. The Styx Anti-ship Missile had pierced its side armor, leaving a massive, charred hole in its hull that nearly gutted half the ship¡¯s compartments and ignited some of the anti-aircraft gun ammunition storages.


    His damage control officers had exhausted themselves just to barely contain the fire, but the cruising speed of the battleship Ben Island had dropped to less than 30 kilometers per hour.


    At this speed, escape was certainly impossible, and offensives were equally untenable. Though the Ben Island hadn¡¯t sunk, it might as well have been a wreck.


    Above its head hovered over a dozen Stukas, and with every dive they tortured every Mirage navy sailor aboard the battleship Ben Island.


    Listening to the terrifying howl of those planes tearing through the air, these Mirage sailors continued fighting on the brink of collapse. To them, the battlefield now was nothing short of hell.


    Planes would periodically dive from the sky, strafing with 20mm cannons before dropping 500kg aerial bombs that kicked up towering columns of water beside the battleship.


    The Ben Island battleship kept turning, even refusing to execute the command to charge forward, instead circling in place to detach from the fleet.


    Indeed, the remaining battleships of the Mirage fleet had already grown somewhat defiant: they started ignoring Shen Haifeng¡¯s orders and charted their own courses.


    This maneuver was also a desperate attempt to evade the relentless air attacks. Maintaining a straight course toward the landing grounds would render their pathways predictable, making it easier for carrier aircraft to launch precision strikes.


    But if the Mirage battleships could pivot and drastically alter their course, implementing serpentine maneuvers, it would increase their evasiveness and potentially avoid more enemy strikes.


    However, such irregular maneuvers had their downside, namely causing the fleet¡¯s formation to collapse and eliminating mutual cover.


    What drove Shen Haifeng into despair was that such actions substantially slowed the fleet¡¯s charge toward the landing grounds. What had previously been a slim hope now became an impossibility.


    While the Ben Island was executing evasive maneuvers in an attempt to dodge an aerial bomb, the battleship Mountain Frost, still charging with the fleet, took a direct hit from another aerial bomb.


    The bomb struck the midsection of the Mountain Frost battleship, originally lightly damaged. It punched through the deck and detonated in the main boiler room, blasting apart the entire propulsion system of the warship in an instant.


    The Mountain Frost¡¯s speed plummeted from over 40 kilometers to less than 10 kilometers. Thick smoke billowed from the ship, and its once-sharp prow cutting through the waves seemed to have stilled entirely.


    Watching with open eyes as the Mountain Frost battleship exploded, everyone in the bridge of the Ben Island swallowed hard.


    On such an intense battlefield, an explosion like that all but signified the ship¡¯s doom. The next wave of enemy attacks would inevitably follow, and its sinking now seemed unavoidable.


    ¡°What is this? What does all this mean?¡± The captain of the Ben Island battleship muttered incessantly, pacing inside the relatively cramped command tower.


    In his view, the priority should now be to let warships still capable of retreat withdraw as quickly as possible ¡ª at least preserve some remnants of the Mirage Navy, however slight.


    If battleships couldn¡¯t escape, then at least some cruisers should flee? And if the cruisers couldn¡¯t make it, then perhaps several destroyers could?


    Yet up to now, Shen Haifeng had issued no retreat orders! He seemed hell-bent on burying the entire fleet here, an absolute disaster for the Mirage Navy!


    ¡°Mountain Frost¡¯s ablaze!¡± On the bridge of the battleship Shen, a staff officer reported the latest ¡°calamity¡± to Shen Haifeng. After a brief pause, he asked: ¡°General! Shouldn¡¯t we order the destroyer fleets to retreat... if they withdrew, the enemy likely wouldn¡¯t pursue them.¡±


    ¡°No! Continue attacking!¡± Shen Haifeng dismissed the staff officer¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Their escape is meaningless! If even a few destroyers manage to penetrate the enemy¡¯s landing ground, it could at least render this operation... meaningful.¡±


    From his perspective, the fleet was already doomed. That was the overriding issue, not the prospect of a few fugitive cruisers and destroyers. He no longer saw significance in such withdrawals.


    The Mirage Navy had painstakingly built its main fleet over a decade, assembling it laboriously ¡ª and today, total annihilation was inevitable. The navy would no longer hold the capacity to obstruct any forthcoming actions by the Tang Army. Soon, Tang Country¡¯s navy could impose a relentless naval blockade on Mirage Country without consequence.


    Under these circumstances, if he failed to bite off a piece of the Tang Army here today, the fleet¡¯s destruction would amount to a senseless loss.


    ¡°But... General... those destroyers and cruisers simply cannot break through the enemy fleet¡¯s blockade,¡± the staff officer interjected rationally.


    The Tang forces had dispatched two battleships and several cruisers into the other zone of combat ¡ª a massacre was transpiring there.


    Without torpedoes, Mirage Country¡¯s cruiser and destroyer groups stood no chance of challenging these capital ships head-on.


    Against two of the Tang battleships, the continued offensives of cruisers and destroyers honestly amounted to suicide. The secondary guns on Tang battleships could effortlessly deal with such targets, not to mention the superiority of Tang Army warships in both rate of fire and accuracy.


    With the latest round of artillery bombardment, several Mirage cruisers and destroyers had been hit and set alight. The once-madly-charging Mirage fleet was now thoroughly disorganized.


    The entire queue had descended into chaos: some ships adjusted their courses, while others recklessly charged toward Tang battleships Dongwan 1 and Dongwan 2.


    To the Tang sailors, these insane decisions seemed utterly senseless. At this point, their best option would have been to surrender or deploy smoke screens to escape.


    Unfortunately, the Mirage destroyers were not equipped with smoke equipment like those aboard Tang Navy destroyers, as Mirage Country hadn¡¯t yet copied that innovation.


    The situation on the chaotic Mirage fleet remained dire. The battleship Pure Jade, hit by torpedoes, which initially suffered light damage, was now a pitiful wreck.


    Though the torpedo strike hadn¡¯t hit vital areas and the flooding was under control, it had slowed its speed considerably.


    The Mirage fleet was now like a car bogged down in mud, grinding slower and slower, long bereft of its original momentum. Under persistent aerial bombardment, immobilized battleships were exceptionally vulnerable.


    The Tang Army had dedicated their remaining Styx missiles to targeting Mirage cruisers and destroyers, as Mirage battleship fleets had mostly lost their combat effectiveness.


    The battleships hadn¡¯t fired a volley in ages, nor had they progressed significantly toward the beachhead.


    At this stage of the battle, the six surviving Mirage battleships were all damaged, with more than half of them losing their ability to fight.


    The newest and most advanced warships Shen and Goblin remained in the best shape, thanks to their superior anti-aircraft gun arrays and fortunate lack of direct Styx missile hits on critical areas, allowing them to barely hold position.


    Pure Jade and Ben Island could also barely hold on, but both had ceased following Shen Haifeng¡¯s orders to advance, as they were preoccupied evading torpedoes and bombs.


    The Mountain Frost was critically damaged, essentially immobilized, and the Great Southern Bay battleship had long been left behind, unable to keep pace with the fleet. These two battleships were effectively deadweights on the battlefield, akin to soldiers with their lower halves blown off...


    As Shen Haifeng looked upon his nearly obliterated fleet, he teetered on the brink of madness. He stubbornly rejected his staff officer¡¯s suggestion to retreat and insisted on pressing the fleet forward.


    But the Mirage fleet was no longer adhering resolutely to its commander¡¯s orders. Many ships had begun to act independently, with one destroyer even claiming a main gun malfunction before terminating communications and fleeing.


    For Shen Haifeng, hope still lingered. His battleships Shen and Goblin retained their combat capabilities. With an opportunity, he could perhaps achieve mutual destruction alongside Tang¡¯s landing fleet!


    This was his last straw ¡ª the sole strand carrying all his hope for salvation. Yet, as he held onto such hope, believing that Tang letting their two battleships leave his fleet unimpeded was a mistake, more carrier aircraft descended from the skies!


    Bernard¡¯s carrier fleet was never going to stand idly by watching enemy battleships storm their landing grounds. Over 200 aircraft swarmed the battlefield like locusts.


    At this point, all hope was extinguished for Mirage¡¯s main fleet. Torpedo bombers began concentrated strikes, and the miraculously lucky battleship Goblin was promptly hit by torpedoes, signifying Mirage navy¡¯s final collapse.


    During breakfast time, Shen Haifeng¡¯s flagship Shen had its stern struck by aerial bombs, Pure Jade exploded into flames, and Ben Island was hit by torpedoes while turning to flee... just minutes later, the immobilized Mountain Frost began sinking in place.


    At 8:13, Mirage Country¡¯s central command received a telegraph: The fleet can no longer accomplish its mission. Upon reading the message, the Shen Emperor remained silent for a long time, seemingly mourning his fleet.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    Not feeling well, second chapter will be posted tomorrow...

 Chapter 1175: Goblin number 1095 capsizes

    Chapter 1175: Goblin number 1095 capsizes


    The damage control crews aboard the Shen Battleship are now extremely busy, trying every possible means to keep their warship alive.


    Just moments ago, a 500-kilogram aerial bomb descended from the sky, piercing through the forward deck of their battleship. The massive explosion destroyed the anchor machinery in the front, blew off nearly half of the bow, and caused severe flooding.


    A battleship cannot possibly have armor covering its entire hull, as that would leave it with insufficient reserve buoyancy. Therefore, outside the ship¡¯s armored belt lies a substantial portion of the hull.


    The bow, which houses relatively few critical compartments, is a region with thinner armor. A large bomb strike here dealt damage far worse than anticipated.


    Many watertight compartments were destroyed, and the explosion even breached the outer shell, leading to severe flooding. As the flagship of Mirage Country and the newest battleship, the Shen Battleship naturally had elite damage control personnel, who gave their utmost effort to plug the leaks.


    Yet despite their efforts, dozens of compartments are now fully flooded. The front of the warship is heavily inundated and the deformed bow can no longer endure high speeds, forcing a reduction in pace to two-thirds of its maximum speed.


    For the Shen Battleship, the damage from this single bomb was far from over. Due to vibrations in the bow, the rotational mechanism of turret No. 1 also malfunctioned; it is now completely inoperative!


    Originally, the Shen Battleship had only three turrets, with each turret housing just two guns. Now, a third of its firepower is unable to aim at its targets!


    Shen Haifeng had no time to dwell on the loss of turret No. 1. Just a few minutes ago, more carrier-based aircraft from the Great Tang Empire descended upon them, becoming the final straw that broke the back of the Mirage Country fleet.


    In mere minutes, the Pure Jade battleship caught fire and exploded, rendering it nearly completely immobile. Even from several kilometers away, Shen Haifeng could clearly see the raging inferno consuming the warship and the billowing smoke rising into the sky.


    The Ben Island battleship made a second turn and was struck by a torpedo. At the moment it was hit, its bow pointed northeast¡ªexactly opposite the direction Shen Haifeng had ordered it to charge.


    It¡¯s hard to say whether the Ben Island battleship was fleeing or merely evading an attack. Shen Haifeng was no longer interested in pursuing such humiliating details.


    In his view, his fleet was destined to be annihilated here today. Before the end, whether someone perishes while charging forward or falls while fleeing... no longer matters.


    ¡°General, sir! Cold Wind, Swordfish, Razor, Offshore, Lookout... all sunk. Westwater, Cloud Wind, Chasing Moon... heavily damaged. The destroyer fleet is finished, and the cruiser fleet is already in shambles.¡± The staff officer reported their fleet¡¯s losses from within the command tower, catching a whiff of an acrid, burnt smell.


    It was proven that sending cruisers and destroyers without torpedoes to engage enemy battleships was a grave mistake. Those warships were simply incapable of approaching the battleships¡ªthese mobile fortresses on the sea. The secondary guns of the battleships turned these lightly armored targets into nothing short of cannon fodder.


    The heavily armored Mirage Country heavy cruisers, protected by plating, stood no chance at ranges of around ten kilometers. The flat trajectory attacks of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s 380mm primary guns blew them into scraps in seconds.


    The smoke from the bow explosion of the Shen Battleship had yet to dissipate. Shen Haifeng gazed through the glass at the distant Mountain Frost, now reduced to little more than a bow and half a bridge protruding out of the water, silently lost in thought.


    Elsewhere, the Tang Country Stuka Attack Aircraft were besieging the Goblin Battleship. Through the dense webs of anti-aircraft tracer bullets, three Stukas flew close to the sea surface. Their pilots aimed their sights at the side of the Goblin Battleship, their hands already poised over the release buttons.


    Between their two non-retractable landing gears hung torpedoes that skimmed the surface along with their aircraft, gradually creeping toward their target amidst the hail of bullets.


    At almost point-blank range, the pilots of Tang Country pressed the release buttons. With a slight jolt, the torpedoes detached from their racks, making their planes instantly feel lighter.


    The torpedoes, freed from their mounts, plunged into the ocean with inertia, splashing the seawater into white sprays.


    The propellers, already spinning, churned up a white trail as the torpedoes raced towards the struggling Goblin Battleship in the distance.


    The Tang Country pilots who had completed their attack sharply pulled back their control sticks, causing their planes to start climbing sharply and avoid the bullets streaking past. The other two Stukas also dropped their torpedoes and ascended amidst a flurry of tracer rounds.


    ¡°Torpedoes! Torpedoes!¡± Onboard the Goblin Battleship, the ever-diligent lookout shouted warnings to his comrades, spotting the ominous trails on the ocean surface as the deadly weapons raced toward their position.


    ¡°Hard to starboard!¡± Upon spotting the incoming torpedoes, the Mirage Country captain aboard the bridge once again ordered evasive maneuvers. But his damaged warship responded like an elderly man with frail legs, every movement exuding a sense of feebleness and frustration.


    The soldiers stationed at the anti-aircraft gun emplacements remained focused on their aerial defense efforts, completely oblivious to the white trails approaching from the sea. From their angle, those ominous torpedo trails were unmistakably drawing closer.


    While the Goblin Battleship struggled to steer rapidly, its bow came to face the Shen Battleship billowing smoke in the distance. One torpedo skimmed past its trail, narrowly missing its stern, allowing the Goblin Battleship to narrowly escape disaster.


    But the other two torpedoes were now dangerously close, and disaster became unavoidable. The Mirage Country soldier stationed at the observation post, seeing the white trails about to meet them, instinctively tightened his grip on the railing and shut his eyes.


    ¡°Brace for impact!¡± Similarly aware of the imminent collision, the officer in the command tower grabbed the microphone and loudly warned the entire crew.


    Two seconds later, a massive column of water shot into the air beside the Goblin Battleship¡¯s side, causing the entire vessel to shake violently.


    The deafening explosion threw everyone on the ship off balance. Despite bracing themselves, the intensity of the shock far exceeded their expectations.


    Before the crew could process the first impact, a second torpedo struck near the side where turret No. 2 was mounted on the bow. Another towering spray of water erupted, accompanied by violent tremors, and everyone was once again thrown to the floor.


    Soon, torrents of seawater surged into the dim corridors, rendering the damaged watertight compartments ineffective. The icy water gushed through gaps and swiftly filled every accessible space.


    In compartments already submerged, the bodies of Mirage Country soldiers floated among debris, while the heavily deformed armored barriers now safely housed their soaked ammunition stores.


    Both torpedoes had breached the side armor of the Goblin Battleship, causing extensive flooding. The unbalanced warship began to list rapidly.


    In the command tower atop the ship¡¯s island, the pencil on the chart table rolled off onto the slanted floor. It didn¡¯t stop there; it continued rolling toward the corner, eventually resting against the wall.


    ¡°Two torpedoes hit! The side has taken on excessive water! Damage control commander is uncontactable! The ship is listing rapidly!¡± The executive officer tearfully reported the Goblin Battleship¡¯s status to its captain.


    The old captain of the Goblin Battleship sighed and looked at the executive officer. ¡°Try to contact the damage control teams. Have them pump water to restore the ship¡¯s balance! Check the engine room and the ammunition stores! Then report detailed damage to me!¡±


    As a seasoned naval officer, he was exceptionally experienced in combat. He knew that as long as the ammunition magazines and boiler rooms remained secure, the situation was not yet irreversible.


    The executive officer said nothing, aware that the Goblin Battleship was likely doomed. It had already taken a torpedo hit before, and now two more torpedoes struck the same side, making flooding seemingly uncontrollable.


    Three massive holes continued to gush seawater. By now, the Goblin Battleship... was severely listing.


    ¡°The damage control commander is dead! Captain! Flooding is beyond containment! The engine room is heavily flooded, and very soon we will lose power!¡± Shortly afterward, the remaining damage control teams phoned in, and the executive officer once again updated the captain on the Goblin Battleship¡¯s grim status.


    ¡°Then this is how it shall be.¡± The Goblin Battleship¡¯s captain removed his cap, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a cigarette, sticking it in his mouth. ¡°Smoking has always been prohibited here, but now seems like the perfect moment to break that rule.¡±


    He struck a match and lit his cigarette. ¡°Gentlemen, I¡¯m ordering an abandon ship. It¡¯s been an honor serving with all of you. Mirage Country will ultimately survive this calamity. May heaven bless our Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Captain!¡± The executive officer stepped forward. ¡°Please come with me! The lifeboats will soon be ready...¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need! I have no intention of becoming a prisoner, nor do I plan to leave this warship! It¡¯s so beautiful and majestic. As my final resting place, it¡¯s perfect.¡± The captain smiled at his executive officer. ¡°Some rules can be broken, but others cannot. In Mirage Country tradition, when a warship sinks, the captain must remain at his post!¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault, Captain!¡± The executive officer appeared to have more to say. He believed the catastrophic defeat today was entirely the fault of the incompetent air force and Shen Haifeng¡¯s foolishness. If anyone had to be held accountable for this failure, it should be that damned fool Shen Haifeng.


    But the captain interrupted him. ¡°Go now. Organize the soldiers to abandon ship! Get them onto lifeboats, distribute life vests... Hurry, this ship won¡¯t hold out much longer.¡±


    As he spoke, the Goblin Battleship had already listed so severely that it seemed on the verge of capsizing. The executive officer hesitated for a few seconds but ultimately saluted, turned on his heel, and walked out of the command tower.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Updating yesterday¡¯s chapter.

 Chapter 1176: Fleet 1096 Annihilated

    Chapter 1176: Fleet 1096 Annihilated


    ¡°Report! Message from the Goblin... Victory belongs to the Mirage Country...¡± The adjutant handed the telegram to Shen Haifeng. Everyone around knew what this telegram meant.


    The Goblin was finished. Everyone had witnessed its destruction with their own eyes: due to severe flooding on its side being uncontrollable, its command tower had already toppled into the ocean, and the battleship capsized in merely a dozen minutes.


    Even faster than the Goblin¡¯s captain had predicted¡ªthere wasn¡¯t even enough time to deploy all the lifeboats before the Goblin met its end.


    Meanwhile, farther in the distance, the Mountain Frost battleship had already sunk completely to the bottom of the sea, while the Pure Jade¡¯s main deck was now nearly level with the surface of the ocean.


    ¡°Send a telegram to the headquarters... All fleet personnel have fought bravely, and the responsibility for defeat lies solely with Shen Haifeng. I am unworthy of Your Majesty¡¯s favor and have no choice but to take my own life to express an apology.¡± After the scribe put down his pen and looked up, Shen Haifeng continued asking, ¡°Is it recorded?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s recorded.¡± The officer nodded.


    ¡°Then send it.¡± Shen Haifeng waved his hand.


    ¡°General! This wasn¡¯t your decision! You were merely executing orders from the headquarters.¡± The adjutant argued for his superior with a trace of indignation.


    ¡°And so what?¡± Shen Haifeng, for the first time in over a day, forced a faint smile. ¡°Now, does it still matter whose fault it is?¡±


    ¡°Living has become torment for me. It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Let me die together with the fleet I commanded¡ªit might make me feel better.¡± Shen Haifeng patted his adjutant¡¯s shoulder as he spoke.


    He truly had no intention of clinging to life any longer. To him, it was too cruel¡ªliving to witness the complete annihilation of his fleet, living to see his nation reduced to ashes... death seemed preferable.


    Shen Haifeng¡¯s determination to die stirred the hearts of many Mirage Country officers. They too realized that perishing there might be a better choice for them; in a war doomed to failure, death felt more like liberation.


    Yet as the tragic atmosphere spread, inspiring all the Goblins, urging them to roar bravely for one last stand... A single aerial bomb directly struck the bridge of the Shen Battleship, its explosion instantly swallowing everyone present.


    To be honest, it was almost too coincidental, but reality had its peculiar twists: after an entire night of avoiding hits from Styx Anti-ship Missiles, and after daylight brought attacks from scores of carrier-based planes, the Shen Battleship¡¯s luck had completely run out.


    A Stuka Dive Bomber aimed at the center of the ship to drop its bomb, but interference from anti-aircraft fire caused its aim to waver, resulting in a careless release before turning away¡ªand yet, the bomb miraculously hit the Shen Battleship¡¯s most critical section.


    In that moment, dozens of officers, along with the Mirage Country¡¯s Main Fleet Commander, Admiral Shen Haifeng... were all killed in action!


    Despite protective homogeneous steel armor nearly 400 mm thick, a direct hit from a 500-kilogram aerial bomb ensured those inside met a peaceful death.


    The powerful shockwave from the explosion likely left their internal organs shattered: the armor on the command tower was designed to defend against armor-piercing rounds with limited explosives from enemy warships¡ªnot against aerial bombs...


    In a dramatic twist, Shen Haifeng departed abruptly and somewhat unexpectedly, leaving behind a crippled, fragmented fleet.


    The Goblin still had its hull exposed above the ocean surface, surrounded by Goblin sailors from the abandoned ship, floating aimlessly in the water.


    The Mountain Frost had already sunk; the Pure Jade had also submerged... While the Shen Battleship hadn¡¯t yet sunk, it was ablaze, its command post destroyed, half of its commanding officers dead, and all operations paralyzed.


    Minutes later, the Ben Island ship¡ªfleeing in fact¡ªwas struck by five torpedoes, breaking apart and sinking.


    Approximately half an hour after that, the enduring Shen Battleship was finally sunk, and only then... did Tang Country¡¯s carrier-based aircraft, busy through the morning, suddenly recall something... There was still one battleship from Mirage Country billowing thick smoke in the distance!


    Indeed, the Great Southern Bay battleship, which had been the first to be hit by Styx Anti-ship Missiles¡ªand struck twice¡ªhad miraculously been forgotten by the Tang Army.


    It was the first to suffer heavy damage and, due to impaired speed, had fallen to the rear, ironically becoming the last Mirage Country battleship to be sunk.


    At 10:13 in the morning, Tang Country¡¯s torpedo planes fired three torpedoes at the Great Southern Bay, sinking this nearly immobile behemoth floating in the ocean.


    Thus, Mirage Country¡¯s Navy, having poured its entire effort and a decade¡¯s time into the construction of 12 battleships, lost them all.


    The smaller vessels remaining had no will left to continue fighting, but the Mirage Country naval captains also realized there was little chance of escape.


    Whoever it was that came up with the idea to flee must have thought up one possible solution: escape to the nearby Great Southern Bay port! It had anti-aircraft guns and coastal fortifications... maybe they could still provide some shelter.


    At the very least, if their ships sank in the port, they could swim ashore to take refuge¡ªcouldn¡¯t they?


    As the first ship frantically dashed toward Great Southern Bay, the remaining Mirage Country ships began retreating there as well.


    But the Tang Army wasn¡¯t about to let these Mirage Country ships leave so easily, and many of them were subsequently sunk.


    The naval battle effectively dragged on until after 2 PM because... aside from the remnants of the southern Mirage Country main fleet, wasn¡¯t there still Shen Hai¡¯ang¡¯s northern detachment?


    Attempting another counterattack southward toward the landing site, the northern cruiser detachment fared little better. They were hit by Styx Anti-ship Missiles and later encountered Tang Country¡¯s carrier-based planes, suffering similarly catastrophic losses.


    Even worse than the southern main fleet, they had no nearby port like Great Southern Bay to seek refuge... As a result, by 2 PM, Shen Hai¡¯ang¡¯s fleet was completely annihilated, leaving not a single warship intact.


    Shen Hai¡¯ang perished in battle.


    ...


    ¡°Your Majesty! This is General Shen Haifeng¡¯s final telegram.¡± Inside Mirage Country¡¯s headquarters, everyone wore somber expressions. A military officer cautiously presented the last message from the main fleet to the Shen Emperor.


    ¡°Read it.¡± The Shen Emperor did not take the telegram, simply issuing the order.


    ¡°All fleet personnel have fought bravely, and the responsibility for defeat lies solely with Shen Haifeng. I am unworthy of Your Majesty¡¯s favor and have no choice but to take my own life to express an apology.¡± After reading, the officer lowered his head, not daring to speak further.


    ¡°He¡¯s responsible? Can he truly bear this responsibility?¡± Shen Haiping¡¯s voice grew shrill as he rebuked angrily.


    Yet unfortunately, Shen Haifeng could no longer hear his reprimand.


    ¡°Confirmed news¡ªour fleet... 12 battleships, all sunk.¡± Each battleship was precious to Mirage Country, so every sinking came with a telegram¡ªa sort of final will.


    Not only had Shen Haifeng received these telegrams, but headquarters had as well. Now, Shen Emperor, Shen Haiping, and Shenwu Ke all knew¡ªthe main fleet was finished.


    ¡°Shen Haifeng¡¯s death is insufficient!¡± Seeing Shen Emperor remain silent, Shen Haiping felt compelled to speak further.


    ¡°How are preparations for the suicide boats?¡± Shen Emperor shifted focus from the main fleet, asking about the suicide boat plan.


    ¡°We have commandeered some faster small boats, outfitted them with explosives... Training is underway.¡± Shen Haiping quickly answered. These specially designed boats required redesigning, which naturally took time.


    ¡°Make haste!¡± Shen Emperor nodded, then turned to General Shengwu Zhong.


    ¡°We¡¯ve recruited 30 pilots willing to serve Your Majesty... Aircraft are being modified to carry large amounts of explosives...¡± Not waiting for Shen Emperor¡¯s inquiry, Shenwu Ke promptly reported.


    Compared to the Navy, the Air Force had readily available planes, enabling faster progress. If orders were given to have pilots crash their planes into Tang Country¡¯s battleships, it could be executed within days.


    However, Shengwu Zhong needed to clarify their reasoning: ¡°Your Majesty, I believe using novice pilots for the crash missions... may be more appropriate. Sacrificing experienced pilots seems rather wasteful.¡±


    ¡°What you say makes sense... but... I must remind you! This is war! Any hesitance or mercy may lead to defeat!¡± Shen Emperor narrowed his eyes as he spoke.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Shengwu Ke immediately lowered his head. He knew, to get past the Shen Emperor¡¯s approval, sacrificing dozens if not hundreds of skilled pilots was inevitable.


    Yet he couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡ªafter losing so many veteran pilots, how could they replenish these losses? Would freshly trained rookies, piloting planes that inherently underperformed compared to Tang Country¡¯s aircraft, simply be sent to the skies to die?


    ...


    Chang¡¯an, Forbidden City.


    Tang Mo¡¯s secretary knocked on the door of Tang Mo¡¯s office. After receiving permission, he pushed open the door, approached Tang Mo¡¯s desk, and presented a document: ¡°Your Majesty! A message just arrived¡ªMarshal Bernard has annihilated Mirage Country¡¯s main fleet.¡±


    ¡°Finally, some good news.¡± Tang Mo exhaled with relief upon hearing this. He could provide advanced weaponry to his subordinates, but the skill to wield those weapons effectively to achieve victory still required operation and precision.


    Bernard¡¯s success in eliminating Mirage Country¡¯s fleet signaled that the campaign to conquer its four islands was now halfway complete.


    Feeling upbeat, Tang Mo seized the document in front of him and handed it to his secretary: ¡°Send this file out. Congratulate the King of Qin on finally achieving his aspiration to become Emperor Qin!¡±


    This was the previously agreed-upon condition: if Qin Country could break through the Shu Mountain defenses, then the Tang Empire and Poplar Empire would support the King of Qin in claiming the title of Emperor. After months of grueling battles, the King of Qin had finally made significant progress. Now, it was time for Tang Mo to fulfill his promise.

 Chapter 1177: 1097 battle achievements brushed

    Chapter 1177: 1097 battle achievements brushed


    For Qin Country, this day might be considered a good one. King Qin Ying Duo received the support of the Great Tang Empire and formally declared himself Emperor, proclaiming the establishment of the Great Qin Empire.


    The Tri-Emperor Alliance was officially formed, and its new name greatly excited Ying Duo. Of course, this was before he learned of the Tang Army¡¯s massive naval victory.


    When King Qin Ying Duo heard that the Tang Navy had annihilated the Shen Army¡¯s main fleet, sinking 12 battleships in one fell swoop, he felt that his imperial throne didn¡¯t seem as appealing anymore.


    From his perspective, he had hoped that Tang Country would suffer a defeat during its offensive against the Shen Army. Then, Tang Country wouldn¡¯t shift its attention to the Western Continent, giving Qin Country better developmental opportunities.


    Unfortunately, Tang Country was still the same Tang Country¡ªinvincible! Tang Mo¡¯s Navy achieved unprecedented brilliance, and their landing troops had firmly established footholds.


    The long-range deployment capabilities and combat strength displayed by the Great Tang Empire made Emperor Qin Ying Duo even more apprehensive.


    But apprehensive or not, on the surface, Ying Duo still had to congratulate Tang Country on its victory, just as Tang Mo had congratulated him on his triumph at the Shu Mountain defensive line.


    ...


    After the Great Tang Empire began selling Panther Tanks, sloped armor technology was no longer a secret. Once the advantages of sloped armor were understood, tanks with vertical armor seemed outdated.


    The vast majority of Shen Army tanks fell under this outdated category: most had vertical armor, and their thickness was barely adequate.


    To compensate for these shortcomings, Shen Army heavy tanks added an additional layer of armor outside the main armor. However, due to manufacturing issues, there was a finger-width gap between the two layers of armor.


    This unintentional modification ended up mitigating the effects of the RPG Rocket Launcher¡¯s shaped-charge warheads, occasionally preventing RPGs from penetrating the frontal armor of Shen Army heavy tanks.


    As the concept of sloped armor spread, everyone realized how terrifyingly effective the recalculated thickness of sloped armor could be. When Shen Army tank crews came face-to-face with the Type 59 Main Battle Tanks, sheer despair consumed them.


    ¡°Open fire!¡± Inside the cramped hull of a Shen Army tank, the tank commander desperately shouted, but unfortunately, no matter how hard the tank¡¯s main gun tried, it couldn¡¯t penetrate the frontal armor of the Tang Army tank standing mere meters away.


    The shells directly ricocheted off, and to the Shen Army tank crew, Tang Country¡¯s Type 59 tanks appeared almost invincible.


    Another shell was fired, another shot struck the Type 59 tank¡¯s turret front. Predictably, this shell also ricocheted; it hit the curved front armor, deflected upwards, and disappeared without a trace.


    Soon, the Tang tank¡¯s gun barrel turned in their direction, releasing a burst of flame. In an instant, the Shen Army tank erupted into flames, leaving behind only a charred wreck.


    ¡°The tank that fired at us just got taken out¡ªare there any targets left?¡± Watching the Shen Army infantry ahead abandon their positions and flee in disarray, the gunner asked disdainfully.


    The commander peered through the gaps around him to look for targets. Unable to see any enemy tanks nearby due to the limited field of view, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t see any!¡±


    After speaking, he lifted his hatch and poked his head out for a better view. Though risky, he preferred this method of scouting for targets.


    Otherwise, solely relying on the limited visibility through the observation ports around the tank commander¡¯s hatch might result in getting hit five times by enemy side tanks before even identifying their positions.


    ¡°Looks like there are no enemy tanks nearby.¡± Surveying the burning black wreckage around his tank, the commander, somewhat disappointed, retracted into the hull.


    ¡°No worries. Since Liu Guozhu isn¡¯t here, we still have hope of surpassing his kill record,¡± the gunner reassured the commander.


    ¡°Hardly honorable.¡± The commander felt that racking up kills against Shen Army¡¯s subpar tanks wasn¡¯t much of an achievement.


    ¡°Liu Guozhu¡¯s targets were even worse than the Shen Army¡¯s tanks we¡¯re battling now!¡± The gunner sneered, dismissing the tank ace Liu Guozhu¡¯s achievements.


    To him, back in the day, Liu Guozhu¡¯s opponents didn¡¯t even have radios in their tanks¡ªit was pure stat-padding without any technical skill involved!


    However, he admitted that the current battle was just as much a slaughter: Tang Country¡¯s attacking force consisted of only a single company¡ª15 tanks in total¡ªwhile the Shen Army had about 40 tanks, roughly an entire battalion.


    The result: Tang Country¡¯s tanks suffered zero losses, while the numerically superior Shen Army tank unit was completely wiped out.


    Under the fierce assault of Tang Army tanks, the Shen Army¡¯s tanks didn¡¯t even have time to retreat before being killed for glory and statistics.


    After a night of rest, Tang Nation¡¯s 9th Corps restored the glorious tradition of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s military: they began a relentless advance, heedless of danger, launching an all-out offensive with air support. The armored corps surged forward like bulldozers, crushing everything blocking their path.


    To put it mildly, by sunrise, Tang Country¡¯s attack forces had completely captured Shen Army¡¯s Airport No. 2 on South Island, adding it to the previously seized Airport No. 1. Tang Country now controlled two abandoned Shen Army field airports.


    Meanwhile, the relentlessly advancing 9th Armored Division turned its sights on Shen Army¡¯s 3rd Armored Division. The latter, unwilling to fight, retreated to the central region of the island in one breath.


    The 19th Infantry Division spread along the Great Southern River, while other units arriving later began to prepare for a river crossing to encircle Great Southern Bay.


    Equipped with a variety of engineering tools, Tang Army engineers had successfully landed. To expedite the repairs of the two airports abandoned by Shen Army, much of the equipment and manpower of the 9th Corps remained afloat offshore.


    With steamrollers, cement mixers, and a fleet of transport vehicles, the engineers worked relentlessly. The speed at which Tang Army repaired airports was several, even dozens of times faster than Shen Army!


    Thanks to the boosting effect of advanced machinery, the repair speed was astonishingly fast. Tang Country had developed fast-drying cement specialized for airport repairs¡ªsomething Shen Army did not possess.


    Additionally, the bridge-building division commandeered a significant amount of landing resources. General Feng Kezhi awaited the engineers to cross the Great Southern River.


    The Shen Army underestimated Tang Country¡¯s engineering capability, and General Shengwu Zhong assumed Tang Army would require at least ten days to prepare for a river crossing.


    Little did he know, Feng Kezhi planned to commence bridge construction within hours after the pontoon division landed¡ªat the latest, by tomorrow morning.


    The disparity in technical expertise led to different battlefield assessments, resulting in entirely opposing decisions by both sides. Clearly, Shen Army¡¯s Shengwu Zhong was already outpaced by Feng Kezhi¡¯s operational tempo.


    At around 10 a.m., Tang Country¡¯s jet bombers returned to Shen Army-controlled areas, dropping an enormous payload and complicating Shen Army troop movements.


    Later that afternoon, the bombers undertook another sortie, targeting transportation lines and nodes within Shen Army territory. However, as strategic carpet bombing, the effects remained moderate.


    Still, with Bernard¡¯s Navy wiping out the Shen Army¡¯s main fleet, naval aviation¡¯s ground support operations grew significantly.


    Over a hundred aircraft circled above the Tang Army, providing General Feng Kezhi immense security. The northward charging 9th Armored Division suddenly shifted direction toward the Great Southern River, establishing bridgeheads with help from Navy Marine Corps¡¯ Type 63 amphibious tanks and constructing a bridge.


    The news of Tang Army crossing the river took over an hour to reach Shen Army defenders. They hadn¡¯t anticipated that Tang Country possessed a dedicated engineering division for rapid bridging, and by the time Shen Army realized, they were outmatched by Tang Army already across the river.


    Upon receiving the news, Shengwu Zhong fainted immediately. Exhausted from over 36 hours of continuous work, his collapse was likely due to sleep deprivation rather than the shock.


    That night, Shengwu Zhong woke up, but new reports from his subordinates nearly caused him to faint again.


    The river-crossing Tang Army armored corps had severed South Island¡¯s railway, thereby cutting off the northern 3rd Army Corps from the 2nd Army Corps stationed at Great Southern Bay.


    For the heavily damaged 2nd Army Corps to defend Great Southern Bay would require assistance from the 3rd Army Corps. Yet now, the 3rd Army Corps must break through Tang Army¡¯s 9th Armored Division to link up.


    If Shen Army had the capability to achieve this, they would have broken through Tang Country paratroopers¡¯ defenses at Leping and Dongshan earlier, wouldn¡¯t they?


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation with the Navy?¡± A weakened Shengwu Zhong, after discussing the 3rd Army Corps issue, inquired about naval warships.


    Everyone knew he wasn¡¯t asking about the annihilated main fleet; he referred to the panicked destroyers and cruisers that had fled into Great Southern Bay.


    ¡°Well...¡± His subordinates exchanged nervous glances, stammering.


    ¡°Speak!¡± Shengwu Zhong impatiently barked.


    ¡°They rushed in fearfully and collided with our covertly deployed naval mines, losing two destroyers... The remaining three destroyers and one cruiser are relatively intact, docked at the harbor and usable as stationary gun platforms...¡± his subordinate reluctantly reported.


    Learning that their treaty-violating covertly deployed mines had sunk their own ships nearly caused Shengwu Zhong to faint again.


    Weakly, he ordered provisions be prepared and allowed himself to be escorted back to the command center.


    Though circumstances left him powerless, he needed to show courage and resilience. If not, his subordinates might succumb entirely to the mounting defeats.

 Chapter 1178: The Battle for Airport 1098

    Chapter 1178: The Battle for Airport 1098


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s fleet of 130 transport planes was almost entirely engaged in ferrying supplies. They had to cross the sea and drop various goods onto the South Island.


    In addition to ammunition for the paratroopers, the planes now also carried portions of the Army¡¯s ammunition and spare parts for some weapons and equipment.


    Every day, countless parachutes descended from the skies, and the Mirage Country civilians had grown accustomed to the sight.


    The day after the Tang Army annihilated Mirage Country¡¯s main naval fleet, General Feng Kezhi¡¯s 9th Group Army¡¯s 9th Armored Division crossed the Great Southern River and flanked Great Southern Bay.


    Soon after, another unit relieved the 9th Armored Division, liberating it so the Tang Empire¡¯s armored force could continue advancing north.


    A Type 59 tank, after bypassing a small stretch of forest, stopped behind the bushes at the forest¡¯s edge.


    The tank commander poked his head out, raised his binoculars, and scanned the distant scene. Then, he pulled out his map and verified the landmarks.


    ¡°It seems we¡¯ve found an airfield... Based on the location, it should be Airfield No. 5 in the Central Region,¡± the commander said to the gunner, who also had his head poking out of the hatch.


    The gunner squinted at the distant aircraft wreckage piled near the runway, which were nearly all destroyed, and nodded, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s an airfield.¡±


    Heavy bombing by the Tang Army had completely devastated this Mirage Country field airport, leaving the runway riddled with craters. The Mirage forces had already abandoned repair efforts here.


    The planes parked by the runway¡ªZero Fighters, Dragon Bombers, and several Type 47 transport planes¡ªhad also been destroyed by airstrikes.


    Many planes had broken wings, dismantled landing gear, or missing flaps. Numerous fuselages and wings were pockmarked with holes.


    These planes had been abandoned; they were beyond salvaging. Some wrecks had their engines removed, while others still had engines installed, presumably severely damaged.


    Nearby airplane hangars were mostly collapsed, with roofs punctured by large holes.


    In addition to the planes, there were some abandoned vehicles here, in a similarly battered state as the aircraft.


    Most of the discarded vehicles had their wheels removed. Their hoods were open, suggesting their engines¡ªor at least engine parts¡ªhad been stripped out.


    ¡°Too quiet. Either they¡¯ve abandoned this place, or they already know we¡¯re here!¡± The commander glanced at the gunner, speculating on enemy movements.


    The gunner, familiar with the enemy he¡¯d been battling for two days, replied, ¡°Abandonment seems unlikely. They¡¯re probably waiting for us to make the first move.¡±


    Their arrival would certainly have been audible, so the idea that the enemy hadn¡¯t heard them was self-delusion.


    ¡°Several vantage points!¡± The commander¡¯s binoculars focused on the airport¡¯s control tower farther off. Surrounding it were a few structures, forming a modestly complex compound.


    Curiously, the tower and nearby buildings were constructed from concrete and appeared sturdy. Despite some locations sustaining bomb hits, the main structures remained relatively intact.


    ¡°Be cautious over there! Could be hiding an entire battalion!¡± The commander warned his comrade as his gaze shifted away from the intact control tower.


    The gunner retreated into the turret, his voice drifting out: ¡°Tell the platoon leader then. No point telling me.¡±


    A voice crackled through the headset worn around their necks¡ªit was the tank platoon leader: ¡°Vehicle 2, provide cover! Vehicle 3, advance straight ahead! Vehicle 4, follow Vehicle 3¡¯s side-rear! Attack!¡±


    ¡°Load HE shells!¡± the gunner¡¯s voice came through the headset. The commander ducked back into the turret, reaching to shut the hatch over his head.


    During their approach, their tank had received resupply, with its fuel tank filled and its ammunition stock replenished¡ªcombat readiness was at its peak.


    As the commander returned to his seat, he spotted the loader pushing a high-explosive shell into the tank gun¡¯s breech.


    The driver started up the engine as the Type 59 tank labeled ¡°3¡± charged out of the nearby brush.


    Following closely behind was another Type 59 tank, and bringing up the rear was an armored personnel carrier. The Type 113 APC was outfitted with a mounted machine gun rather than heavy weaponry.


    The roar of engines filled the air, breaking the relative silence. Infantry disembarked from the armored vehicles, spreading out. More Type 59 tanks emerged from the forest, charging toward the distant airfield runway.


    ¡°Open fire!¡± The Mirage Country soldiers had not surrendered the airfield, as evidenced by their sudden appearance following a frenzied shout.


    They fired from behind aircraft wreckage, from buildings near the control tower, and even from cratered positions¡ªall directions were alive with gunfire aimed at the Tang Army.


    At least an entire battalion seemed to be concealed here, with tracer bullets zipping across the broad runway and grasslands.


    ¡°Clang!¡± A bullet struck the armor of a Tang Type 59 tank, ricocheting harmlessly into the air.


    The robust design of Tang Country¡¯s Type 59 tank frequently produced ricochets, endangering Tang Army soldiers trailing behind the tanks.


    Regulations forbade soldiers from advancing beside tanks, and strict distance requirements even applied for marching behind them.


    The wide treads of the Type 59 rolled over the grass beside the airfield, gradually bypassing a massive crater amidst the firefight before aligning its gun toward Mirage Country¡¯s defensive line.


    This crater was likely caused by a Stuka Dive Bomber¡ªa 500kg aerial bomb must have been dropped there, as surrounding craters were noticeably smaller.


    The Tang Army¡¯s H-6 bombers typically deployed advanced cluster munitions, which left smaller individual impact impressions. Even the Flying Fortress bombers conducting nighttime raids and using similar-sized aerial bombs weren¡¯t likely to land them with this level of precision.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Hidden at an inconspicuous corner, a Mirage Country 76mm anti-tank cannon finally fired.


    A plume of white smoke rose, and the shell struck a Tang Type 59 tank, only to deflect off its frontal armor, leaving a shallow dent.


    A nearby Type 59 tank rotated its turret and aimed its gun at the anti-tank cannon hidden under airplane wreckage.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The tank gun spewed its own plume of smoke, and an HE shell detonated at the anti-tank position, even blasting away the wreckage covering it.


    A portion of an aircraft wing went spinning through the air as the lone anti-tank position of the Mirage troops fell silent.


    The machine gunner atop an armored vehicle targeted a group of retreating Mirage Country soldiers crawling out of craters. The gunner squeezed the trigger, with a hail of tracer bullets tearing through flesh.


    The Mirage Country goblin soldiers jerked as if electrocuted, falling one by one amidst the torrent of bullets.


    ¡°They¡¯re retreating toward the building! Second floor! A heavy machine gun is in the second floor!¡± Seeing the Mirage soldiers retreat, a Tang infantry officer shouted loudly, pointing at the building¡¯s second floor where a window spat fire tirelessly.


    ¡°Got it!¡± A nearby platoon leader gave a thumbs-up before motioning for the rocket launcher operator beside him to aim.


    ¡°Rocket launcher!¡± Before firing, the operator shouted to alert nearby comrades to safety. A wave of heat burst from the rocket launcher¡¯s rear as the shot rocketed toward the overactive machine gun nest.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The rocket struck the window, blowing away its frame and instantly silencing the relentless Maxim heavy machine gun.


    With suppressive fire eliminated, the Tang Army¡¯s assault quickened. Grenade launcher operators fired shells that landed on the intact rooftops of buildings, exploding¡ªwhether they wounded the Mirage soldiers was unclear.


    A Type 59 tank advanced toward the enemy¡¯s buildings. While underway, a sudden explosion under its treads severed the tank¡¯s tracks¡ªa landmine had been triggered.


    Its rolling tracks slid forward as the tank came to a catastrophic halt. From a nearby trench, seven or eight goblin soldiers with long pole-mounted anti-tank explosives suddenly rushed toward the immobilized Tang tank, shouting fiercely.


    Before they could affix their explosives to the tank, the goblins were gunned down by Tang Army soldiers trailing nearby.


    The inexpensive anti-tank pole explosives failed to deploy effectively, leaving the immobilized Type 59 tank standing intact despite several explosions around it.


    Another Type 59 tank advanced past its stranded comrade, firing its cannon again at the distant tower. As dust and smoke cleared, Mirage soldiers evacuated the building¡¯s opposite side, allowing the Tang Army to swiftly seize Airfield No. 5.


    A blood-red Dragon Banner was hoisted atop the bullet-ridden airport structures, while near the immobilized tank, medics tended to wounded tank crew members.

 Chapter 1179: Airport on the Sea 1099

    Chapter 1179: Airport on the Sea 1099


    ¡°The prisoners have all been interrogated. They are not from the 2nd Corps but from the 3rd Corps,¡± a military officer reported as he entered the temporary command post set up inside the airport building, addressing the battalion commander who was studying a map.


    ¡°Does this mean the enemy reinforcements have already arrived from New Island?¡± The battalion commander frowned and asked. He truly hadn¡¯t anticipated the enemy reinforcements coming this quickly.


    ¡°Yes. He said he was woken up the night before last and sent to the ship. Before that, their station was on New Island,¡± the officer in charge of the interrogation nodded and replied.


    The battalion commander in charge of frontline command rubbed his nose. ¡°Report this situation up the chain! Additionally... let¡¯s rest here for a few hours until our follow-up troops catch up.¡±


    Encountering new enemy troops meant encountering new variables. He dared not advance recklessly, opting instead to await orders from higher command.


    The Tang Army was accustomed to forming hybrid combat teams for their frontline offensives. These teams had their reconnaissance vehicles, tanks, and infantry and artillery units in large numbers to support the tanks.


    With the addition of planes in the sky, these combat teams could independently accomplish many tasks, possessing highly flexible battlefield operational capabilities.


    These combat teams were often structured based on a regiment model, including a tank battalion, an infantry battalion, corresponding artillery units, and an assortment of other forces, such as an armored reconnaissance company.


    Leveraging the exaggerated combat skills of their lower-ranking officers and soldiers, along with a communications system far ahead of its time, the Tang Army¡¯s tactics proved exceptionally effective against weaker opponents.


    During the wait for orders, the troops enjoyed a fairly sumptuous lunch. By the afternoon, after receiving orders, they resumed their offensive, advancing another 70 kilometers in one breath.


    In the afternoon, air support for the 9th Group Army from the Tang Navy¡¯s Stukas increased from 40 to 80 planes. These aircraft ensured continuous air support for the Tang Army throughout their offensive.


    By evening, when they paused, they had already annihilated the vanguard forces of the Shen Country¡¯s 3rd Corps, which they had encountered head-on.


    ¡°It appears that there are indeed competent individuals on the Shen Country¡¯s side,¡± General Feng Kezhi remarked as he reviewed intelligence reports sent back from the front lines.


    He truly hadn¡¯t expected the Shen Country¡¯s troops to react so swiftly, deploying the 3rd Corps stationed on New Island directly to South Island.


    In fact, this maneuver had been a part of Shen Country¡¯s pre-planned strategy, which they executed with remarkable speed. Aside from the exceptional redeployment of the 3rd Corps from New Island to South Island, the Shen Country¡¯s forces performed woefully during the Tang Army¡¯s landing, abysmally so.


    Although the addition of another corps of enemy troops posed no significant pressure to the Tang Army, the doubling of enemy strength did make General Feng Kezhi acknowledge the Shen Country¡¯s commanders with slight respect.


    ¡°They¡¯re all light infantry, not much of a threat. Though the 9th Armored Division was momentarily startled, they paused for an hour before resuming their offensive in the afternoon,¡± the adjutant explained to Feng Kezhi.


    After finishing his explanation, he added, ¡°Then the 9th Armored Division advanced another 70 kilometers.¡±


    ¡°Have them halt temporarily. They¡¯ve already approached the boundaries of the bombing zones we coordinated with the air force. Continuing the advance may lead to friendly fire incidents,¡± Feng Kezhi instructed, slightly unaccustomed. This was the first time he had commanded troops advancing so rapidly.


    Additionally, coordinating with the air force felt foreign to him. In the past, how could he have ever imagined holding air superiority? Not being suppressed from the skies by the enemy had been considered fortunate enough.


    ...


    Elsewhere, Shenwu Erlang finally witnessed the ferocity of the Tang Army. His troops had initially been ordered to move southward to rendezvous with Shenwu Zhong, but along the way, they encountered the Tang Army¡¯s tanks.


    At first, Shenwu Erlang believed that his strong forces were capable of breaking through the defensive lines of the Tang Army¡¯s armored units.


    However, his initial attack ended in failure. His troops were swiftly routed by the advancing Tang Country armored corps, forcing them to retreat all the way back to the airport labeled as ¡°Runway 5¡± on the Tang Army¡¯s maps.


    Shenwu Erlang had deployed an entire regiment at the airport, over 1,500 troops! This regiment was supposed to be elite within the 3rd Corps, with considerable combat capability.


    Yet, the battle lasted only until noon, barely over an hour. His regiment was utterly defeated. After suffering approximately 400 casualties, the Shen Army could no longer hold their ground, and the airport fell into Tang Army hands.


    Enraged and humiliated, Shenwu Erlang executed the regiment¡¯s commander on the grounds of poor performance in combat. Little did he know, this was just the beginning of his nightmare.


    That afternoon, the relentless Stuka Dive Bombers finally found their way to him. At this moment, he realized just how overwhelmingly oppressive the Tang Country¡¯s aircraft could be.


    Dozens of Stukas swarmed over him. Even Shenwu Erlang¡¯s personal vehicle was destroyed in a bombing. He narrowly escaped death by sheer luck, as he wasn¡¯t inside the vehicle when it was struck.


    Under the cover of these aircraft, Tang Army tanks advanced another 70 kilometers before halting. They continued their march over the corpses of soldiers from the Shen Country¡¯s 3rd Corps!


    On this day, however, Shen Country did manage to score a notable milestone. Their first suicide plane successfully penetrated the Tang Army¡¯s defensive perimeter and crashed within their core area.


    Although it didn¡¯t cause any damage and failed to ram into any Tang warships, it sent back an incredibly vital piece of intel: the pilot of the aircraft had personally witnessed a Tang Country aircraft carrier!


    Indeed, this Shen pilot fortuitously saw the Tang Country carrier and reported this information to his superiors.


    In addition, another Shen pilot observed that the Tang Army was constructing floating docks... These structures, stretched across the beaches, were massive and impossible to miss.


    Thus, by the third afternoon of the Tang Army¡¯s landing, Shen Country finally uncovered the secret behind the Tang aircraft¡¯s ability to reach South Island: the Tang planes were, in fact, taking off from ships!


    After learning this secret, Shen Country¡¯s high command found themselves powerless to respond. Their fleet had already been utterly destroyed, leaving them with no means to deal with the Tang naval forces at sea.


    Surprisingly, this revelation even provided a slight solace to Shen Country¡¯s high command. They had previously worried that the Tang Army might repair and utilize captured airports to support their frontline operations.


    But now, they worried less. After all, the Tang Navy had brought its own mobile runways. Those ground-based airports likely weren¡¯t as crucial for the Tang Army anymore.


    ¡°To think, they could conceive the idea of building a runway on a warship...¡± Shen Haiping, a Shen admiral still unaware of what an aircraft carrier was called, mused aloud. It was a concept he could never have envisioned.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t add up... They can¡¯t possibly only have one of such warships!¡± Realizing the implications, Shen Haiping immediately grasped the gravity of the situation.


    By any calculation, the Tang couldn¡¯t have achieved such rapid aircraft deployment with just one carrier. It was impossible!


    In stark contrast to the Tang forces, South Island now had only one functioning airport, and the resulting drop in sortie efficiency for Shen aircraft was glaringly evident.


    Thus, the Tang Army must possess multiple carriers¡ªpossibly as many as a dozen. With so many sea-based runways, it was no wonder the Tang forces could deploy enough planes to dominate South Island¡¯s skies.


    ¡°The question now is whether we can find a way to destroy those sea-based runways...¡± Shen Wen Dabo interjected, realizing the stakes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. The enemy doesn¡¯t only have this one new type of weapon. They¡¯ve hidden too many futuristic weapons, which is why we suffered such crushing losses in the naval battle,¡± Shen Haiping replied bitterly to Shen Wen Dabo¡¯s suggestion.


    Recalling the incidents, bitterness soaked his words. The Tang forces had night-precision weapons capable of accurately striking warships, and now warships capable of launching aircraft... With so many innovations, it was little wonder his primary fleet had been annihilated.


    ¡°Fresh reports indicate that Shenwu Erlang¡¯s forces have also suffered massive losses! The enemy is already nearing the island¡¯s central region! Now, the only question is... can we hold Great Southern Bay?¡± Shenwu Ke, the Shen Army¡¯s general, stiffened as he delivered this grim assessment.


    His troops had performed abysmally. Shenwu Erlang¡¯s 3rd Corps had lost Runway 5 and significant swathes of the island¡¯s central areas. Tang forces had seized every key location they wanted with little effort. Meanwhile, the island¡¯s defenders had effectively been split in two: the northern 3rd Corps and the southern 2nd Corps within Great Southern Bay.


    ¡°But... even if Shenwu Zhong holds Great Southern Bay... those floating docks near the beaches... the enemy can still land reinforcements!¡± Shen Wenxin pointed out. ¡°Our assumptions were all wrong. The Tang forces don¡¯t need Great Southern Bay at all!¡±


    ¡°Even if the enemy has alternative ways to land, Shenwu Zhong must hold Great Southern Bay at all costs! Hold for a day if possible, an hour if necessary!¡± The Shen Emperor suddenly intervened. ¡°From this moment onward, every city and village must be turned to scorched earth before being abandoned!¡±


    ¡°Moreover, deploy more suicide planes! Target Tang warships¡ªespecially those sea-based runways!¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°No matter what, we must destroy this enemy fleet! Otherwise, their soldiers will keep flooding onto South Island!¡±


    He turned to Shen Haiping. ¡°Expedite the production of those small assault boats you mentioned! Spare no expense. Find a way to eliminate Tang¡¯s navy! Furthermore, conscript every capable soldier. The fate of Shen Country hinges on this battle. Even if we lose South Island, we must hold on to the remaining three islands!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Shen Wen Dabo, Shen Wenxin, and General Shenwu Ke lowered their heads in acknowledgment.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Admiral Shen Haiping also bowed in agreement.

 Chapter 1180: 1100 complex landing materials

    Chapter 1180: 1100 complex landing materials


    ¡°According to the usual course of action, we should be constantly transporting soldiers to the shore by now.¡± On a transport ship, a sailor gazed at the busy beach in the distance and spoke to his companion.


    Their transport ship had a displacement of about 12,000 tons, a remarkably large vessel. Yet within the fleet, it was a veritable tiny adorable matchbox when compared to other transport ships exceeding 30,000 tons.


    This ship had a rather peculiar cargo to transport¡ªnot grains or rice, nor ammunition or weapons, and certainly not soldiers... it carried cement meant for road construction, as well as some engineering machinery.


    The massive cranes aboard the ship were transferring cement packed in nets onto smaller transport boats, as its draft prevented the vessel from getting close to the shore.


    Although the Great Tang Empire had already begun mainstreaming container ships, traditional transport vessels still occupied a large swath of the transportation market.


    Transport ships retired from use by the Great Tang Group often ended up in second-hand markets; these vessels, though only about a decade old, still appeared relatively new, and plenty of buyers were willing to invest.


    Maritime shipping companies affiliated with the Bailu Group or other Great Tang Empire-controlled conglomerates often purchased these vessels, allowing these less-efficient ships to serve additional purposes.


    The proliferation of new things always takes time, and aged items rendered obsolete by new technologies don¡¯t necessarily fade away instantly. They continue to be utilized, enduring until the end of days.


    Just think, the Mosin-Nagant Rifle had better replacements available as early as the 1950s, yet some nations were still using it up until the 1980s... this is the true world, a painfully harsh one.


    When mocking your own country¡¯s outdated infantry equipment, remember: half of the world¡¯s military forces still wield World War II-era weapons. When laughing at your own country¡¯s inability to manufacture cutting-edge jet engines, consider that fewer than five countries worldwide can independently produce excellent ones...


    On the distant beach, a floating dock capable of accommodating ships had already been constructed. However, it was not yet long enough nor large enough for bigger vessels to dock.


    Shallow-draft transport boats were now able to unload cargo at the floating dock, while newly landed soldiers moonlighted as dockworkers, busily unloading goods on the shore.


    As more troops landed, increasingly diverse supplies and equipment were sent ashore. The materials required by the landing forces were astonishingly varied, including customized folding tables and chairs, as well as portable military beds.


    With the aid of a reinforced concrete fortress, the Tang Army managed to set up a sprawling field hospital, featuring over 300 beds and even two dedicated operating rooms! The hospital was fully equipped, boasting sterilization units as well.


    Each hospital bed came with an IV stand and foldable stools serving as bedside tables. To make the patients more comfortable, a ship was assigned to deliver sketchbooks, books, playing cards, and mahjong tiles specifically for the landing troops.


    In order to rehabilitate the airport abandoned on the island to a usable state as soon as possible, the Air Force¡¯s specialized transport ships expedited their unloading. They occupied a floating dock, transporting specific vehicles and specialized equipment ashore.


    The transfer of jet planes is no small endeavor; before flying them from point A to point B, myriad preparations must be completed at point B¡¯s airport.


    Preparations included dispatching ground crew familiar with jet planes to the site in advance, acquiring specialized tools and maintenance equipment, constructing dust-free engine maintenance workshops, and arranging copious supplies of specialized aviation oil and cables...


    That¡¯s not all ¡ª to command these jet fighters, the airport needed an entire set of communication and control systems, including advanced high-frequency radio systems and a more intricate array of precision cables. Additionally, dispatch radars, surveillance radars, and other specialized equipment had to be installed.


    Jet fighters require more sophisticated runways compared to piston-engine fighters. Piston fighters could, in extreme circumstances, take off and land on flat grass fields, whereas jet fighters necessitated reinforced ground runways.


    As fighter jets grew increasingly advanced, their logistical dependencies became progressively intricate, making it a herculean challenge to deliver equipment unavailable in Mirage Country to the site.


    For the landing Tang Army, this was merely the beginning: the high-grade aviation fuel they required had to be shipped in from the homeland. If Mirage Country adopted a scorched-earth policy, nearly all consumables like fuel would have to be transported from the mainland exhaustively.


    Many Tang People arriving here now realized how drastically different much of the world¡¯s nations were compared to theirs.


    The roads here were a disaster; the towns and villages resembled those from Zheng and Qi Country several decades ago.


    Frankly speaking, in its quest to assemble a respectable fleet, Mirage Country¡¯s economy was undeniably strained: beyond a handful of railways, modern buildings were scant.


    In stark contrast, cities like Chang¡¯an, Linshui, and Tongcheng back in Tang Country had forests of skyscrapers in abundance.


    In the Great Tang Empire, people were accustomed to suburban areas lacking city walls, to the ubiquity of highways, to dozens of stories of tall buildings, and to the picturesque allure of neon advertising boards.


    But upon reaching Mirage Country, many Tang People finally understood ¡ª all the bright neon lights and countless chimneys, the vivid allure of women¡¯s red lips and silk stockings, the pervasive cigarette smoke mingling with tailored suits and leather shoes, the bustling flow of cars and hurried pedestrians on avenues... none of it was an inherent presence.


    This place lacked tens of thousands of orc laborers, as well as the railways and airports those laborers constructed. There were no endless factories here, nor the familiar, ear-splitting, yet endlessly grating mechanical roar.


    ¡°Be careful! Don¡¯t drop anything into the sea! If this stuff falls into the water, it¡¯ll be useless!¡± Leaning against the railing, a sailor shouted at the personnel aboard the smaller transport craft below.


    The crew below gestured a thumbs-up in response, signaling they understood. Their smaller boat swayed up and down with the rolling waves.


    The January sea breeze was still icy, though sailors accustomed to long journeys at sea already took such weather in stride. Overhead, pairs of Pirate Fighters roared by ¡ª part of the patrolling fighter squad.


    Earlier this morning, an aircraft carrier and several destroyers depleted of anti-ship missiles departed the fleet, tasked with resupplying at Beiyuan Harbor and undergoing repairs.


    The carrier transferred all damaged naval aircraft from its air wing, while simultaneously evacuating about 500 wounded soldiers.


    As the war continued, an unending procession of ships sailed forth from Beiyuan Harbor to South Island, and likewise, Tang Army vessels departed South Island toward either Beiyuan or Linshui.


    An immense flood of resources was converging upon South Island, including carefully selected orc laborers. These workers weren¡¯t there to fight ¡ª their purpose was purely to toil.


    Rather than the importance of the battle itself on South Island, the island¡¯s foundational infrastructure was far more crucial to the Tang Army. Productivity devoid of a modern support system would severely hinder operational efficiency.


    ¡°I should have gone back.¡± Standing on the beach and watching piles of Tang Army supplies being unloaded ashore, Shan Lu remarked with regret.


    Several of his companions had already returned to Beiyuan aboard ships, where they were responsible for mobilizing 10,000 orc laborers to build their ¡°homeland¡± on South Island.


    ¡°No worries ¡ª orcs have already boarded ships. Once you¡¯re here, you must play your part. Let¡¯s hope... they¡¯ll be as courageous as they were in Fengjiang, and as industrious as they were in the Great Tang Empire.¡± Lu Qianshan said with a smile to his orc friend.


    ¡°Trust me, General. Should anyone dare slack off, I¡¯ll twist their neck and toss them into the sea!¡± Shan Lu declared fiercely.


    Lu Qianshan laughed even louder: ¡°General Shan Lu, do consider ¡ª everyone who crossed oceans to arrive here must perform. Killing an orc may be easy, but transporting one all the way from the Great Tang Empire... that¡¯s quite expensive.¡±


    ¡°Understood, General! I¡¯ll ensure every orc contributing here does their part. They must be warriors when armed, and laborers when idle! If need be, we¡¯ll fight for the Great Tang Empire till our deaths!¡± Shan Lu nodded solemnly, grasping Lu Qianshan¡¯s meaning.


    A fuel tanker truck with the Air Force insignia passed in front of the two men, prominently displaying the warning label ¡°NO OPEN FLAMES.¡±


    Dozens of similar trucks now dotted the beach, alongside numerous personnel carriers painted with Air Force markings. In the distance, self-propelled artillery outfitted with Four-Tank chassis formed a column and underwent meticulous inspection.


    Meanwhile, the Tang Army busily constructed various facilities on abandoned Mirage Country positions, such as fuel depots, ammunition stockpiles, and even a new radar surveillance station.


    The newly-placed radar equipment wasn¡¯t particularly large, with its antenna being relatively inconspicuous. Yet, its capabilities were impressively high, rivaling the performance of larger systems acquired by other nations.


    With this installation, Mirage Country aircraft from northern South Island attempting to approach Tang Army¡¯s landing zone would face significant challenges. However, establishing the radar station still required more time, as its supporting infrastructure remained under construction!


    Indeed, even now, the Tang Army had yet to spot a single power plant in Mirage Country, meaning it had no choice but to build its own electricity generation facilities...


    Technically, Mirage Country did have two power plants on South Island, one of them being a hydroelectric station upstream on the Greater Southern River. Regrettably, those locations were still under Mirage Country¡¯s control for the time being.

 Chapter 1181: 1101 results cannot be confirmed

    Chapter 1181: 1101 results cannot be confirmed


    Two Dragon Bombers trailed long plumes of smoke as they plummeted towards the sea, while in the cockpit of the intercepting Pirate Fighter, Sun Rui frowned deeply.


    He had already witnessed such a scene twice today. The enemy knew full well that they couldn¡¯t possibly achieve any results, yet they madly piloted their aircraft, attempting to approach the Tang Army¡¯s landing zone.


    Frankly speaking, such actions were utterly foolish. No valuable pilot should be wasted in this manner.


    Yet, the Mirage Country¡¯s Air Force was doing just that: repeatedly taking off and trying to approach the landing zone by any means. No one knew what they intended to achieve, but they were utterly persistent in this madness.


    ¡°Are they desperately trying to locate our carrier fleet?¡± Sun Rui asked his wingman as he observed the Dragon Bombers crashing into the sea and gradually sinking.


    ¡°No idea.¡± The wingman replied honestly: ¡°They never reveal their intentions... just keep approaching and getting shot down.¡±


    Two Pirates circled around the wreckage of the sinking Dragon Bombers on the sea, then climbed back up, feeling rather bored.


    These planes seemed to be on a suicide mission! The back and belly of the Dragon Bombers had gun turrets, yet these weapons hadn¡¯t even fired in the skirmish earlier.


    This suggested that there probably were no gunners on the downed Dragon Bombers, only pilots! This action, to Sun Rui, could only be explained by a desire for death.


    Was the enemy executing their own pilots? A ridiculous thought flashed through Sun Rui¡¯s mind, and he chuckled to himself: It clearly wasn¡¯t a reliable idea.


    From morning till now, about 40 aircraft from the Mirage Country attempted to approach the Tang Army¡¯s landing zone from various directions and altitudes.


    Regrettably, without exception, they were all shot down. They simply couldn¡¯t compare in quality or quantity to their adversaries.


    Typically, the Tang Army used four Pirate Fighters, guided by radar, to intercept two Zero Fighters, leaving the Zero Fighters with no chance to approach the Tang Army fleet.


    However, there were instances of success: some Mirage Country pilots managed to break through the layers of Tang Army fighter interceptions due to their exceptional skills and incredible luck.


    But these pilots never anticipated the presence of something known as anti-air missiles...


    The Tang Army¡¯s anti-air missile destroyers couldn¡¯t handle a massive saturation attack by enemy planes, but they were exceptionally efficient against the occasional straggler.


    Modern anti-air missiles are radar guided, boasting an extraordinarily high hit rate in favorable electromagnetic conditions.


    Unfortunately, the slow flying speed of Mirage Country¡¯s fighters and bombers was practically a custom-made target for early anti-air missiles, which aimed at speeds between 400 and 500 kilometers per hour.


    Coupled with heavy warheads and advanced proximity fuses... the chance of these anti-air missiles intercepting Mirage Country aircraft was almost one hundred percent.


    Such a high hit rate was partly due to the Mirage Country pilots¡¯ unwitting cooperation: they had no idea their adversary possessed anti-air missiles, nor were their planes equipped with any countermeasures, thus entering the prearranged zones of Tang Army anti-air missile destroyers completely unaware.


    Mirage Country¡¯s planes lacked radar warning systems, so their pilots had no indication they were locked on, and hence, could not perform any evasive maneuvers before being shot down.


    Because the hits were so sudden, the Mirage Country pilots who went down couldn¡¯t report their encounters to their comrades. This perfect loop of sacrifice meant Mirage Country¡¯s entire day of suicidal assaults yielded no results.


    Amusingly, even the Mirage Country Air Force didn¡¯t know if their suicide attacks had borne any results... they couldn¡¯t verify the effectiveness of the assaults nor confirm the actions had truly failed.


    ¡°We still can¡¯t make contact!¡± In the Great Southern Bay, a Goblin officer sighed, looking at Shengwu Zhong standing beside him.


    Since the only counterattack method left was the headquarters-ordered ¡°suicide crash,¡± Shengwu Zhong personally monitored the status of the Mirage Country Air Force¡¯s suicide assault.


    Unfortunately, despite standing here for half the day, he had no concrete battle results to cheer him up. Throughout the morning and into the afternoon, the most frequent news heard was of aircraft being shot down.


    Just a few minutes ago, two Butcher Bombers flew around the Great Southern Bay, skimming the sea¡¯s surface, and were shot down. To minimize losses, they carried only pilots, without gunners.


    Shengwu Zhong himself had heard the radio dialogue between the pilots inside the two aircraft. They were ambushed by two enemy planes, which shattered their wings with cannon fire. Both planes crash-landed on the sea, and communication was then lost.


    Soon after, a formation of two Zero Fighters approached the enemy-controlled area. After sacrificing a wingman, the experienced lead pilot luckily breached Tang Army¡¯s outer interception and reached the landing zone¡¯s core area.


    Regrettably, right after this pilot reported seeing the enemy¡¯s ¡°sea airport,¡± there was suddenly no response.


    ¡°Calling Victory 31! Calling Victory 31!¡± A nearby radio operator tirelessly called out to the aircraft, but received no response at all.


    ¡°He reported nothing but said he broke through the enemy fighter intercepts, and his surroundings were full of enemy warships... then we couldn¡¯t contact him anymore.¡± An Air Force officer explained to the newly arrived staffer what had transpired earlier.


    ¡°Victory 31! Calling Victory 31! Please respond! Please respond!¡± The nearby radio operator continued his relentless attempts, gripping the transmitter.


    Being extremely irritated, Shengwu Zhong turned to the Air Force Commander explaining the situation and asked with a frown, ¡°Did he crash into it or not?¡±


    The Air Force officer quickly answered his superior¡¯s question, ¡°Your Excellency General, we can¡¯t confirm it yet! Though it¡¯s clear he flew further than the other pilots, we saw his trajectory on radar...¡±


    The Great Southern Bay hosts a radar station, which remained operational due to its concealed setup and unintentional bombardment from the Tang Army, giving Mirage Country a certain degree of aerial reconnaissance capability.


    Regrettably, their radar¡¯s performance was quite poor, being old Tang Country technology, prone to interference, and occasionally malfunctioning.


    The equipment was originally sold to Mirage Country as civilian navigation radar equipment, but Mirage Country found some so-called experts to modify it into warning radars.


    Due to the radar¡¯s poor performance, the Mirage Country¡¯s Air Force officer could only report what he knew to Shengwu Zhong, ¡°Victory 31 indeed evaded the enemy¡¯s fighter jets... but the place where the signal was lost had too much interference, making it impossible for our radar to see clearly.¡±


    ¡°Please respond! Please respond! Calling Victory 31! Calling Victory 31! If you can hear this, please respond, please respond!¡± While the two conversed, the radio operator continued his tireless calling.


    Everyone present harbored the fantasy that perhaps the next second, an uplifting message would emerge on the channel. However, as time ticked by, this expectation became increasingly unrealistic.


    The faint hope lingered because earlier in the morning, a pilot, before losing contact, reported an exhilarating message: he had shouted ¡°Long live the Shen Emperor, I¡¯ve charged towards the enemy ship!¡±


    That single shout of ¡°Long live the Shen Emperor, I¡¯m charging the enemy ship!¡± gave the Mirage Country from top to bottom hope. Although they didn¡¯t know the results, they believed they had achieved something, or at least... possibly had results.


    ¡°So, there¡¯s no way to confirm whether he crashed into the enemy ship?¡± After hearing the explanation, Shengwu Zhong¡¯s frustration grew uncontrollable.


    However, he was somewhat better off than the previous day, as he had finally managed to catch some sleep when he fainted.


    ¡°We can¡¯t confirm, General.¡± The Goblin Air Force Commander shook his head, responding to Shengwu Zhong. He truly couldn¡¯t confirm, and fudging the results would cost him dearly...


    Ultimately, Shengwu Zhong was infuriated by his subordinates¡¯ cluelessness, cursing loudly, ¡°Damn it, how can we be fighting like this? We¡¯ve lost over 50 pilots, yet we aren¡¯t even sure if they completed any tasks!¡±


    The room fell silent, with only the radio operator, still absorbed in his calls, oblivious to it all, continuing with emotion, ¡°Victory 31! Calling Victory 31! Please respond! Please respond!¡±


    ¡°Stop calling already!¡± Shengwu Zhong snapped, wrenching off the operator¡¯s headset and slamming it onto the table. The startled operator stood up quickly, moving aside and lowering his head.


    ¡°Useless! Completely useless!¡± Remembering how the situation became so dire due to the Air Force¡¯s initial loss of air superiority, Shengwu Zhong¡¯s fury burned even hotter.


    He pointed at the dejected Air Force Commanders, momentarily at a loss for words to express his anger.


    ¡°Dispatch more aircraft! Launch more flights! No matter what, crash the enemy¡¯s warships for certain, and confirm the results! We must confirm the results!¡± Shengwu Zhong slammed his palm on the desk forcefully.


    The repeated loud bangs echoed across the command center, lingering for a long time.

 Chapter 1182: 1102s position has never changed

    Chapter 1182: 1102¡¯s position has never changed


    General Feng Kezhi stood before the map, gazing at the positions his troops had reached. With satellites now in play, the precision of maps had skyrocketed to an unprecedented level. In the past, terrain and geography of various nations were top-secret and required repeated dispatches of spies to gather vital intelligence.


    Not anymore. Tang Country¡¯s reconnaissance satellites could easily return a myriad of visual data. Once these photos were patched together, extremely accurate map data could be drawn based on scale.


    As a commander of the Great Tang Empire, General Feng Kezhi felt an unparalleled sense of satisfaction: he had never fought a war with such ease! What was once unimaginable had now become routine within the Tang Army¡¯s command center.


    Enemy forces¡¯ pre-battle deployment, the number of bunkers along their defensive lines, troop numbers, equipment¡ªback when Feng Kezhi served as a Great General under Dahua, he¡¯d have been fortunate to know even half of this information.


    But in the Great Tang Empire, intelligence was so detailed it was almost laughable. Feng Kezhi even felt that he knew more about the state of the Shen Army than their own Mirage Country commander did.


    Just moments ago, Naval reconnaissance aircraft provided him with information on the Shen Army¡¯s reinforcements and troop movements. The opposing northern 3rd Corps had left the road and were trying to bypass the defenses of the 9th Armored Division, heading toward the Great Southern Bay.


    At the same time, Feng Kezhi was also informed that the Shen Army¡¯s 2nd Corps was fortifying positions around the Great Southern Bay, constructing numerous defensive structures in preparation to hold the port at all costs.


    The entirety of their battle positioning essentially amounted to selling out all the Shen troops in the Northwest region of South Island! This level of detailed intelligence left Feng Kezhi convinced that the enemy had utterly no plans for a counteroffensive.


    The two field corps of the Shen Army on South Island had given up the idea of counterattacking and driving the Tang Army back into the sea. They were instead focusing on gathering around the Great Southern Bay to prevent the Tang Army from securing this critical port.


    Having understood the Shen Army¡¯s strategic deployment, Feng Kezhi could respond with ease: he assigned the task of clearing out the Northwest to the airborne forces and marine troops that had already endured significant losses, while stationing the main force of the 9th Group Army along the Great Southern Bay front.


    Strong against strong, weak against weak¡ªFeng Kezhi made no wasteful use of his forces, allowing him to employ fewer troops in his maneuvering against the Shen Army.


    Unlike Tang Country paratroopers, Shen Country¡¯s light infantry could not withstand the advance of Tang Army tanks. Feng Kezhi knew his 9th Armored Division was an unstoppable force, so he ordered this unit to continue its offensive, aiming to coordinate with the 19th Infantry Division to drive the Shen Army¡¯s 3rd Corps back to the northern part of the island.


    Beyond knowing the enemy and oneself, Feng Kezhi truly felt the immense strength of Tang Country¡¯s military. This superiority wasn¡¯t only reflected in the cutting-edge weaponry or the fierce tenacity of the troops.


    He deeply appreciated the critical importance of logistical supply and command efficiency in battlefield operations: his orders were consistently carried out, and frontline units often exceeded expectations, making autonomous adjustments to commands based on the realities of the battlefield.


    This wasn¡¯t insubordination or feigned compliance, but rather the most logical action derived from battlefield feedback. The frontline commanders of the Tang Army never hesitated or shrank from engagements. Their adjustments were always positive and held significant tactical value.


    Only such units could react flexibly in chaotic battlefields, minimizing unnecessary losses and better accomplishing their missions.


    On Earth, only one military force could achieve this¡ªnone other than the strongest light infantry on the planet, which excelled in executing tactical interpenetration to the extreme.


    The Tang Army was exceptionally skilled in melee combat, adept at using chaos to their advantage in disordered battlefields. Even under harsh conditions, their logistical supply units could still complete most of their tasks!


    This was nothing short of a miracle: Tang Army¡¯s supply vehicles, protected by armored cars, could even fight independently, crushing enemy main forces amid the chaos of the battlefield!


    They could deliver ten times more supplies than their adversaries, with ten times the complexity in categories, to the units in dire need of these resources.


    With such a military force at his command, Feng Kezhi felt like the happiest commander in the world!


    He no longer had to worry about whether reports from subordinate units were true or false or what inconceivable thoughts might occupy the minds of frontline commanders.


    As a commander, all he had to do was assign tasks within reasonable constraints and wait for various units to carry them out.


    When subordinates reported that the armored corps had run out of fuel, it truly meant they were out of fuel¡ªnot because they were tired or fearful¡ªjust purely due to a lack of fuel!


    This state of affairs was so astonishing that Feng Kezhi initially found it hard to adapt: he often issued orders based on his own experience, only to find that when the frontline commanders of the 9th Group Army heard instructions merely asking them to advance 15 kilometers, they were slightly taken aback.


    And then, the frontline units of the 9th Group Army would use traditional tactics to bypass the headquarters¡¯ orders: they would send out troops to conduct ¡°fire reconnaissance,¡± except this forward reconnaissance often penetrated dozens of kilometers behind enemy lines...


    So-called fire reconnaissance was indeed an old craft, a proud tradition passed down since the Great Tang Empire¡¯s invasion of Zheng Country¡ªa ¡°heritage skill.¡±


    As long as there was fuel, as long as spare parts kept up with the troops, as long as ammunition was ample. The Tang Army¡¯s advance seemed to never stop.


    ...


    In the Great Tang Empire, Chang¡¯an, an old acquaintance from the Poplar Empire hurried into Jiang Run¡¯s office. He had come to make a request, his expression grave.


    ¡°The campaign against the Ice Cold Empire has run into difficulties. We need more equipment, especially... equipment that can change the dynamics of the battlefield,¡± Fitteral said, sitting down on the sofa with his hands clenched together.


    He didn¡¯t even lean back against the sofa, his body tilted forward, his face filled with anxiety, signaling that the situation in the Poplar Empire might indeed be dire.


    ¡°The armored troops of the Ice Cold Empire are simply too numerous. Their vanguard has already breached our defenses, and we are locked in fierce combat at Southwind Port,¡± Fitteral awkwardly elaborated on some details of the battle.


    To be honest, the Elf Race had been brimming with confidence before the war began: they seemed to have technological superiority in areas such as fighter jets and tanks, which made them feel assured of victory.


    Unfortunately, facing the sheer numbers of the Dwarves, the initial advantages the Elves had achieved gradually eroded, and the subsequent battles started to spiral in a direction beyond Poplar Empire¡¯s control.


    The Dwarves broke through the Elves¡¯ defensive lines, forcing the Elf troops invading the Ice Cold Empire to retreat. The main battlefields were now on Poplar Empire territory¡ªa situation that was unquestionably unfavorable for the Elves.


    As a key port for the Elf Race and a location managed by the Great Tang Group for many years, Hotwind Port had now become a front line.


    The armored corps of the Ice Cold Empire attempted to surround this area, but their offensive had been barely repelled by the Elf Race. Both sides had committed substantial forces to this frontline, and the fighting was extremely intense.


    The Elf side had assembled two armored divisions equipped with Panther Tanks¡ªrepresenting their most elite armored strength¡ªwhile the Dwarven side had gathered eight armored divisions, deploying over 1,500 tanks.


    Neither side could overpower the other for the moment, but the prolonged warfare was wearing down the Elf Race, who hoped to push the front lines back to Dwarven territory, restoring their confidence to sustain the war effort.


    ¡°We¡¯ve heard... your country possesses a type of warship capable of launching aircraft,¡± Fitteral said hesitantly, noting Jiang Run¡¯s silence, and forced himself to raise the request outright: ¡°We hope to purchase such warships... no matter the cost.¡±


    ¡°Apologies, I¡¯ve never heard of such weapons. I¡¯ll need to confirm this with others, and that will take time.¡± As a diplomat, Jiang Run naturally refused to disclose secrets. Aircraft carriers, as a secret weapon, had not yet been publicly revealed.


    It was one thing for others to know; it was another to explicitly admit it. Jiang Run wasn¡¯t lying either, as he actually didn¡¯t know much about aircraft carriers.


    ¡°Time is the one thing we lack most, sir.¡± Fitteral spoke anxiously. ¡°We need more tanks, artillery... aircraft, and Scud missiles.¡±


    In fact, the city sieging battle between the Elves and the Dwarves was fierce beyond description. Both sides used Scud missiles to attack each other¡¯s deep locations. These strikes were impossible to intercept, and both sides endured them begrudgingly.


    In the skies, the two sides were evenly matched: though the Elf Race had a definitive edge in aircraft performance, the Dwarves¡¯ overwhelming numerical advantage was staggering.


    While one Elf aircraft could take down three or more enemy planes, their losses were still unbearable: after all, these skilled pilots were painstakingly trained at great expense.


    The Butcher Fighter Jets were formidable in performance but were more intricate and complex, meaning the Elf Race couldn¡¯t ramp up production, nor could they rapidly train pilots.


    On the other hand, the Dwarves¡¯ I-16 fighters were lacking in performance, but this very limitation allowed them to rapidly train more pilots, demonstrating their completely different approach.


    ¡°Regarding weapon exports, I can agree to that, but you¡¯ll need to confirm the procurement list with the Great Tang Group... sir, we¡¯re at war as well, and not all weapons can be freely sold.¡± Jiang Run replied diplomatically.


    Fitteral understood that haphazardly ordering any quantity of weaponry wasn¡¯t realistic anymore, so he grimly nodded in agreement with Jiang Run¡¯s statement: ¡°Understood! Thank you, sir, for your generosity! We need support¡ªthe backing of the Great Tang Empire!¡±


    ¡°I understand! The Triple Emperor Alliance remains intact; we now stand shoulder-to-shoulder.¡± Jiang Run spoke with ease: ¡°Rest assured, we will provide every feasible support to the Poplar Empire¡ªour stance on this has never wavered.¡±

 Chapter 1183: The unwilling Li Mingshun 1103

    Chapter 1183: The unwilling Li Mingshun 1103


    Li Mingshun was feeling deeply stifled lately. Ever since he led his troops to withdraw from the Imperial Capital, everything seemed to go awry.


    Wangdu, Daxi Pass, Shahun, and Bingshuo¡ªfour cities¡ªall capitulated to Zhao Yu without much resistance. Now, Zhao Yu controlled nearly two-thirds of the Dahua Empire, his forces powerful and unstoppable.


    Although Zhao Jie had taken away the majority of the nobility and bureaucrats from the court, Zhao Yu did not fear them. He promoted a large number of his loyal followers, coupled with the support from Tang Country, giving him a distinct advantage.


    The Prince Zhao Yu was now focusing his offensive on Xiqing, causing Li Mingshun to feel tremendous pressure.


    While Zhao Ji was indulging in decadence in Caili City, Li Mingshun was fighting hard in Xiqing. The wide disparity between them was becoming increasingly evident.


    The limited resources in the rear made it increasingly unsustainable for Li Mingshun: the more he fought, the fewer troops he had, yet Zhao Yu¡¯s forces only seemed to grow with each battle.


    Even disregarding the territories ceded to Tang Country, the regions ¡°still under Zhao Yu¡¯s control¡± were far greater in size than those controlled by Zhao Jie and Zhao Ji combined.


    With a significant population advantage, control of the Imperial Capital, and the backing of Tang Country, the resources Zhao Yu could squander were mind-bogglingly abundant.


    Another factor contributing to Zhao Yu¡¯s growing advantage was the terrain: after taking control of the Imperial Capital, there were only single routes leading to Xiqing or Pingfeng.


    There was no room for strategic maneuvering; with only a single route, battles inevitably concentrated in one location, and tactics became less decisive.


    The outcome depended purely on brute strength¡ªwho had more soldiers, who had better and more weapons. Clearly, in these areas, Zhao Yu held an overwhelming advantage.


    ¡°General, continuing like this won¡¯t work. Our 200,000-strong army has dwindled to just 170,000 after reinforcements. Meanwhile, the enemy keeps growing¡ªthey¡¯re endless. What should we do?¡± An officer vented his frustration to Li Mingshun.


    The officer¡¯s resentment was palpable, as he had been the one sent back to request reinforcements previously. But Zhao Ji hoarded his troops¡ªover 100,000 soldiers¡ªin Caili and refused to send aid to Li Mingshun, providing only inexperienced recruits as a token effort.


    As a result, Li Mingshun lost several defensive lines in Xiqing, eventually retreating all the way to the outskirts of Xiqing City. Should urban warfare break out in Xiqing, Zhao Ji and Li Mingshun would be left with even fewer areas to muster and recruit troops.


    If Zhao Ji had been diligently governing Caili, that might have been understandable. However, frontline commanders returning to Caili saw Zhao Ji reveling in luxury, which sent their fury skyrocketing.


    This wasn¡¯t mere rumor; they had witnessed it firsthand. Zhao Ji¡¯s temporary palace in Caili reeked of extravagance: he coerced local beauties¡ªeven married women¡ªinto performing dances for his amusement during the day and slept with them at night.


    Such actions enraged local gentry and elites, but they dared not express their anger openly. Instead, they banded together to covertly undermine Zhao Ji in various ways.


    For instance, they stopped donating funds to support Zhao Ji, leaving his exile government financially strapped. These local elite families also obstructed conscription efforts and refused to cooperate with labor demands, directly impacting Zhao Ji¡¯s faction.


    Due to their resistance, Li Mingshun struggled to find enough people to construct defensive structures, and recruitment efforts faced similar difficulties.


    Regarding conscription, it wasn¡¯t entirely Zhao Ji¡¯s fault for alienating the local elite and gentry. In truth, over a year of warfare had already depleted the pool of able-bodied men in these regions.


    ¡°I know this can¡¯t go on, but Zhao Ji is the Emperor. What else can we do?¡± Li Mingshun sighed, feeling utterly aggrieved.


    Originally, he had only supported Zhao Ji, this helpless A¡¯Dou, out of loyalty to Zhao Kai. Now, with the Dahua Empire¡¯s civil war dragging on, he had steeled himself for the worst. In his mind, it was nothing more than dying to pay his debt to the country. So be it¡ªLi Mingshun didn¡¯t fear death!


    But his bravery wasn¡¯t enough. His subordinates and soldiers feared death. If these men were left without hope, Li Mingshun knew disaster would soon strike.


    ¡°General! If nothing else, why don¡¯t we surrender to Zhao Jie? At least... Zhao Jie is far better than Zhao Ji...¡± a commander finally couldn¡¯t hold back and suggested an idea that fueled Li Mingshun¡¯s burning rage.


    To Li Mingshun, surrendering to Zhao Jie was even less acceptable than surrendering to Zhao Yu: if surrendering to Zhao Jie was the plan, why hadn¡¯t they done so during the chaos in the Imperial Capital? Surrendering back then would have avoided the subsequent series of setbacks.


    If Zhao Jie had seized control of the Imperial Capital during that window, at least he could¡¯ve defended it, with half of the Dahua Empire as his base. The situation would¡¯ve been countless times better than the present mess.


    Surrendering to Zhao Jie would mean acknowledging that all his past decisions were mistakes, an option Li Mingshun could never accept.


    The idea of surrendering to Zhao Jie was tantamount to admitting that the current collapse was entirely his fault. Li Mingshun would rather die than do so!


    Instead, Li Mingshun saw Zhao Yu as the more viable option for surrender: by yielding to Zhao Yu, he could legitimize Zhao Yu¡¯s authority. With Zhao Yu controlling nearly the entirety of the Dahua Empire, he could swiftly suppress Zhao Jie¡¯s rebellion.


    At that point, the Dahua Empire would remain intact, its foundations secure. Li Mingshun could also feel at peace, knowing he had honored Zhao Kai and the deceased Shen Chuan.


    That was the logic, yet Li Mingshun hesitated to surrender to Zhao Yu. If he had been willing, he wouldn¡¯t have struggled to this point. Now, he was deeply conflicted, unsure of what to do.


    He was unwilling to give in, still clinging to some hope. What was he holding onto? Even Li Mingshun couldn¡¯t articulate it.


    ...


    The situation in Qin Country was both promising and worrisome. Emperor Qin Ying Duo, after the Qin Army breached the Shu Mountain defensive line, gained the support of Tang Country and officially became the Emperor of the Great Qin Empire.


    This made him feel that marrying off Ying Yue to the Great Tang Empire had been the most profitable decision he¡¯d ever made, leaving him a bit giddy with pride.


    To be frank, the Qin Army¡¯s smooth breach of the Shu Mountain defensive line was thanks to internal ¡°cooperation¡± within Shu Country! Speaker Liu Jing, after allying with Sofia, no longer prioritized the defense of Shu Mountain.


    With the Speaker so apathetic, others¡¯ attitudes followed suit: some secretly colluded with Qin Country, others had no heart for battle. Thus, the once-impenetrable Shu Mountain line fell to the Qin Army.


    Having seized Shu Country¡¯s northern territories, breached Shu Mountain, and occupied parts of Chu Country, Qin Country¡¯s lands had become vast. Not only did they monopolize the slave trade with the Orc Empire, but they also looted significant machinery from Shu Country, bolstering their industry.


    As a result, Qin Country became a first-rate power: Ying Duo didn¡¯t have to build a navy, saving a massive portion of military expenses.


    After acquiring Shu Country¡¯s northern industrial base, Qin Country scaled up its tank and aircraft production lines by twofold, further empowering its war machine.


    The DO-17 bombers imported from the Great Tang Empire weren¡¯t cutting-edge but aligned with global standards. Coupled with large-scale production of P-36 fighter jets, Qin Country believed it could challenge the Great Tang Empire¡¯s dominance.


    However, Ying Duo¡¯s ambitions were quickly doused: during Tang Empire¡¯s campaign against the Mirage Country, they deployed an incredibly fast bomber. This bomber was entirely unprecedented¡ªclearly one of Tang Country¡¯s secret weapons.


    The news came from a secret organization believed to have close ties to Mirage Country. Many reports of the Tang Empire¡¯s attacks on Mirage originated from this group.


    The organization remained highly covert, yet their intelligence was consistently accurate. As such, Qin Country prepared to dispatch envoys to Tang Country to negotiate acquiring this ¡°new technology.¡±


    After all, the current honeymoon period between Qin Country and Tang Country meant Emperor Tang would likely grant Emperor Qin some favorable terms.


    Unbeknownst to Ying Duo, Tang Country itself was debating whether to sell jet engine technology to other nations.


    Opponents argued that such advanced technology was irreplicable by others, making secrecy the best strategy for maintaining supremacy.


    Proponents countered that Tang Country already had anti-jet fighter measures. Selling jets could rake in immense profits while showcasing countermeasures¡ªachieving a dual victory.


    Supporters outnumbered detractors, as jet technology had significant non-military applications. In particular, the civil aviation industry could boom upon such advancements, generating staggering earnings and potentially providing livelihoods for millions of Tang workers¡ªa far more pragmatic approach than technological isolation.


    This debate had persisted for a while, but this time it grew particularly fierce. Tang Mo withheld judgment, waiting for naval advancements and operational successes before making a decision.


    To Tang Mo, it made sense to ensure the Navy¡¯s adoption of jet aircraft before allowing outdated technologies to proliferate, securing their battlefield advantage over enemies wielding comparable advancements.


    ¡°Remember! Buy whatever you can! We¡¯ve made enough money in Shu Country and monopolized the Orc slave trade. Spending more doesn¡¯t hurt!¡± Ying Duo instructed his envoy traveling to Tang Country.


    At present, nothing blocked cooperation between the two nations: Zhao Yu, having regained dominion over most of the Dahua Empire, was a puppet of Tang Country and thus posed no obstacle to trade between Qin and Tang.


    ¡°Understood! I will do my utmost to ensure Qin Country gains as much as possible,¡± the envoy replied earnestly, bowing in deference.

 Chapter 1184: 1104 Everywhere Building

    Chapter 1184: 1104 Everywhere Building


    Due to advancements in communication technology, almost every nation now knows that Tang Country deployed a new type of naval decisive weapon during the Shen Country war¡ªa ¡°floating airport on the sea.¡±


    Nobody knows exactly what it¡¯s called yet, but everyone understands what it can do.


    It can transport aircraft near enemy coastlines, providing cover for its own fleet to operate within the combat radius of enemy land-based fighter jets.


    If armed with the same technological superiority in carrier-based aircraft as the Great Tang Empire, it can even destroy the enemy air force, stripping them of air superiority.


    Another weapon has also caught the attention of air forces worldwide: the Datang Empire Air Force deployed an ultra-long-range bomber with a speed nearly double that of propeller-driven aircraft, making it almost impossible for fighter jets to intercept.


    This essentially means that, despite years of effort in building their air forces, countries around the globe find their skies vulnerable again.


    A third weapon has equally shocked the world: the Tang Empire possesses a long-range weapon capable of nighttime attacks, with power akin to meteors, effortlessly penetrating a battleship¡¯s main armor!


    Such weapons have never before been seen. In the recent Shen Hai naval battle, these weapons left Shen Country¡¯s main fleet heavily damaged before even entering the battlefield, rendering them almost unfit for combat.


    This innovative weaponry has suddenly rendered the battleships that countries have invested heavily in seem outdated; naval forces around the world are growing anxious and uncertain about how to counter this new threat.


    To top it off, countries still lack a complete strategy to counter the submarines previously developed by the Great Tang Empire; now a new efficient weapon has emerged, targeting surface vessels and further escalating the pressure on foreign navies.


    Of course, such developments are intolerable for anyone, so countries are scrambling to utilize their embassies and connections to gather intelligence, hoping to uncover the secrets behind these advanced weapons.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s practice of deploying advanced weaponry in real combat is no longer a surprise, so the focus now is whether the Great Tang Group will be willing to sell related technologies.


    Shen Country hasn¡¯t kept information to itself; in fact, Shen Country has tried to leverage the dispersal of these rumors to place the Great Tang Empire at the center of scrutiny, encouraging other nations to trouble them to alleviate Shen Country¡¯s own pressures.


    As such, Shen Country has disclosed everything it knows, even adding a touch of exaggeration in some cases.


    Amid the allure of the three remarkable weapons, the Tang Army¡¯s deployment of the newly designed ¡°lid-headed¡± tanks on Shen Country¡¯s South Island has been relatively overlooked.


    There¡¯s another advanced weapon Shen Country doesn¡¯t entirely understand: the Tang Army employed anti-air missiles and proximity radio fuses, among other advanced equipment, yet Shen Country remained clueless about their specifics.


    When the Tang Army successfully shot down a plane, triggering the explosives onboard, Marshal Bernard finally understood Shen Country Air Force¡¯s true intentions.


    Upon confirming that the aircraft carried explosives, Tang Country¡¯s leadership quickly realized that Shen Country intended to use suicide attacks against Tang Country¡¯s fleet.


    Unfortunately for Shen Country, the Tang Army¡¯s deployment of advanced anti-air missiles meant sporadic suicide aircraft couldn¡¯t complete their missions, leaving Tang Army with virtually no significant losses.


    Tang Mo was delighted to lift the confidentiality on his vast array of advanced weapons, as this enabled these innovations to infiltrate the civilian sector, exponentially expanding their utility beyond imagination.


    Tang Mo had long grown weary of relying on immature equipment: he yearned for larger jet-powered passenger planes for personal travel and sought more efficient standards for maritime transportation.


    Similarly, he aspired to establish an internet system, ensure a cheap and matured weaponization process, and transform these technologies. This was no small undertaking¡ªit was a colossal, daunting project.


    Once Tang Mo took the lead in entering the information age, his military would be so far ahead of others that the gap would dwarf anything seen before. Tang Mo envisioned the next war as this Otherworld¡¯s version of the Gulf War, orchestrating a decisive victory to teach the world the meaning of true disparity.


    Furthermore, in the next war, Tang Mo planned to deploy nuclear weapons, resolving warfare in this world once and for all. From then on, he would become the undisputed master, the metaphorical Emperor of this world wielding power at the tip of a nuclear button.


    Meanwhile, Dorne¡¯s embassy received a telegraph from home, and Ambassador Dorne was discussing the possibility of a meeting with officials from the Great Tang Empire¡¯s foreign ministry alongside his military officers and other aides.


    Their objective was to procure new bombers and other advanced weaponry¡ªanything the Great Tang Empire was willing to sell, they were ready to buy.


    Sharing the same sentiment was Gobur Kingdom¡¯s ambassador, and indeed, across Consulate Street in Chang¡¯an, diplomatic personnel from various nations were engaging in similar activities.


    These diplomats were scrambling to reallocate funds, depositing vast amounts into their accounts at banks within the Great Tang Empire: millions were insignificant sums, tens of millions routine transactions.


    Soon, they would pool together billions and funnel these funds into the hands of sales representatives from the Tang Group¡ªassuming all went smoothly and the other party was willing to accept the money.


    If the other party wasn¡¯t willing, this wealth was useless¡ªan infuriating scenario...and perhaps not even the most infuriating one.


    The most maddening issue was that some could purchase technologies and equipment while others couldn¡¯t! Those denied access would inevitably become this world¡¯s forsaken outcasts.


    ¡°Damn it! Their line is still busy! I can¡¯t reach their foreign ministry! Is the car ready?¡± pacing anxiously in his office, the Laines Empire¡¯s ambassador irritably questioned his staff.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready, Sir. But... without prior arrangements, will they even allow your car into the Forbidden City?¡± his subordinate cautiously reminded.


    ¡°Hell!¡± The Laines Empire¡¯s ambassador cursed before grabbing the phone and dialing a private number. After a long wait, the person on the other end finally picked up.


    Instantly, the Laines Empire¡¯s ambassador lit up with excitement and, in a fawning tone, greeted the person: ¡°Duke of Egret... I sincerely apologize for disturbing your rest. In fact, we¡¯ve encountered some difficulties. I hope... you¡¯d consider helping a poor man like me, for the sake of our friendship.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? I greatly value our friendship! Ambassador, just tell me directly, and I¡¯ll do my best to help!¡± Evidently, the gifts and bribes sent over the years had paid off, as the Duke of Egret uttered exactly the words the Laines Empire¡¯s ambassador had hoped to hear.


    ¡°Thank you, Duke of Egret! I wish to meet Minister Nangong or Deputy Minister Jiang Run! A well-informed person like you surely knows my purpose in seeing them...¡±


    ¡°Minister Nangong has been incredibly busy lately. He¡¯s currently negotiating asset-for-debt matters with Dahua¡¯s delegation... so I can¡¯t arrange for you to meet him. But Deputy Minister Jiang Run does have availability, though I doubt he can solve your problems.¡± The Duke of Egret replied casually over the phone.


    In the past few hours alone, a truckload of people had come seeking him out. If he were to wholeheartedly help every single one of them, he¡¯d be downright exhausted.


    Moreover, he was fully aware of why they sought him out: however, such matters were beyond his ability to expedite effectively.


    What the Tang Empire chooses to sell or not sell ultimately hinges on Tang Mo or, at the very least, high-ranking officials like Harry. For someone clinging to their coattails, his influence was rather limited.


    Nevertheless, he could lend small favors, showcasing the Duke¡¯s magnanimity: he might convince Jiang Run to grant some leniency and accommodate the desperate petitioners.


    As for why Jiang Run might entertain the idea... meeting a few individuals would likely secure the foreign ministry¡¯s yearly bonuses, ensuring he¡¯d see these people.


    ¡°No problem! No problem! As long as you can get me an audience with Deputy Minister Jiang Run, I¡¯ll leave everything in your capable hands, Duke!¡± The Laines Empire¡¯s ambassador exclaimed excitedly.


    ¡°Alright then! I think this evening... around eight o¡¯clock, he should have some time.¡± The Duke of Egret cleverly proposed an obviously inconvenient timeframe.


    Sure enough, the seasoned Laines Empire¡¯s ambassador immediately grasped the underlying suggestion: ¡°Rest assured! Deputy Minister Jiang Run is so busy... sacrificing his rest to meet me, I am profoundly grateful. I understand, I understand what needs to be done.¡±


    Everyone knew the Great Tang Empire¡¯s officials weren¡¯t beyond accepting bribes, just as long as they had their means of outmaneuvering inspections by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s officials had their methods: if one didn¡¯t want trouble, it was best to inform the Ministry of Internal Affairs outright, converting bribes into legitimate departmental bonuses.


    As for whether taking bribes equated to accomplishing favors... those offering the bribes were well aware: they were paying for an audience, not guaranteed outcomes. Favoritism or preferential treatments simply didn¡¯t exist.


    Then why bribe at all? Because without paying, securing even a meeting couldn¡¯t be guaranteed. Sometimes, their impartiality in handling matters could still lead to severe consequences for certain individuals.


    In any case, officials from the Great Tang Empire demonstrated particular integrity in these situations: they wouldn¡¯t extort those they intended to eliminate. Thus, if officials ever stopped accepting someone¡¯s money, everyone understood what the Tang Empire¡¯s stance was.


    ¡°As long as you understand...¡± the Duke of Egret nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s settle on eight o¡¯clock tonight¡ªFanlou.¡±

 Chapter 1185: 1105 Navys Funeral

    Chapter 1185: 1105 Navy¡¯s Funeral


    As soon as the Laines Empire ambassador heard the name ¡°Fanlou,¡± he knew he was in for a big expense: that place, called Fanlou, was one of the most top-tier, outrageously expensive restaurants in Chang¡¯an City. The food there was indeed excellent, but the price? Outright daylight robbery.


    The begrudging Laines Empire ambassador hung up the phone and immediately arranged for that evening¡¯s banquet. He even felt a tinge of pride, thinking himself well-connected and exceptionally resourceful.


    At the same moment, other ambassadors also prided themselves on their supposed social prowess and organizational abilities: the Dwarf ambassador of the Ice Cold Empire, the ambassador of the Suthers Empire, the ambassador of Qin Country, the envoy of the Dahua Empire, the ambassador of Chu Country, and the ambassador of the Empire of Nanla...


    ...


    South Island, the battle raged on.


    The Mirage Country troops refused to accept defeat. In the north, the 3rd Corps was recklessly advancing southward. However, facing the Tang Army¡¯s tank units, the further south they pushed, the further they seemed from their goal in the south.


    To the south, near the Great Southern Bay, Shengwu Zhong was under unprecedented pressure. He mobilized large numbers of civilians to construct defensive fortifications, but the Tang Army¡¯s vanguard forces arrived before anything more than rudimentary defenses could be erected.


    The Tang Army had been on South Island for five days. In these five days, their progress was unprecedentedly swift, completely beyond Shengwu Zhong¡¯s expectations.


    Initially, Shengwu Zhong believed that as long as he steadfastly held the Great Southern Bay, it would be nearly impossible for the Tang Army to stage a large-scale landing.


    Yet, within these five days, the Tang Army¡¯s paratrooper units and marines managed to seize control of nearly a third of South Island.


    The Mirage troops scattered across the northwest lacked unit cohesion; now, without reinforcements and short on ammunition, they were incapable of mounting an effective defense.


    As a result, the Tang Army quickly captured large swaths of territory and secured control over four airfields on the island. While these airfields were not yet operational, they gave the Tang Army¡¯s engineer corps an avenue to show their value.


    Currently, the Tang Army had effectively seized control of roughly half of South Island. They had cut off the communications between the Mirage Army¡¯s northern and southern forces near the central headquarters region.


    The Mirage troops had been compressed into a U-shape. Although technically still connected, it was practically impossible for the formations to aid each other.


    Shengwu Zhong, of course, refused to sit idly by. He organized his forces and established two primary defensive lines near the Great Southern Bay.


    The first defensive line was an outer field fortification, primarily consisting of trenches and a few rudimentary bunkers. These hastily arranged defenses were still one of Shengwu Zhong¡¯s main lines of resistance.


    The second defensive line was more formal. It started from the defensive artillery positions flanking the eastern and western sides of the Great Southern Bay, extending along the edges of the harbor city. This line depended on various buildings, reinforced some structures with steel-reinforced concrete, and formed what appeared to be a well-constructed defensive line.


    In truth, this second defensive line was Shengwu Zhong¡¯s primary reliance. He hoped to fight the Tang Army here in a prolonged contest, grinding down their available manpower.


    In his estimation, holding out here for three months would weaken Tang Army logistics. The spring and summer monsoons of the Endless Sea would disrupt sea conditions, creating rough waves that could heavily hinder maritime transport. This might well force the Tang Army into difficulty and eventual failure.


    His conviction was not unfounded: the street-fighting experience Mirage forces gained during the urban warfare in Beiyuan City and the Fengjiang Campaign proved that holding out for three to four months in urban battles was both possible and realistic.


    General Feng Kezhi, of course, had also considered these factors. Before departing, he had spent over ten days with the Great Tang Empire¡¯s General Staff Department intensively studying maritime monsoon patterns and related knowledge.


    As commander of the 9th Group Army, General Feng Kezhi¡¯s strategy was straightforward: he aimed to seize the Great Southern Bay as quickly as possible and secure ports before summer arrived to establish a firm foothold.


    When the Tang Army deployed its battleships and cruisers off the coast of the Great Southern Bay and began bombarding the area, Shengwu Zhong finally understood what it felt like to be defending the southern beaches.


    380mm shells flew nearly 30 kilometers, plummeting at near-vertical angles onto Mirage positions. The earth-shaking impacts left Shengwu Zhong with a profound understanding of the brutality of modern warfare.


    And this... was merely the beginning.


    The Tang Army launched at least 100 carrier-based aircraft to bomb the Great Southern Bay. The Stuka Dive Bombers¡¯ precise strikes left the Mirage defenders, sorely lacking in anti-aircraft guns, in utter misery.


    One after another, the Stuka Dive Bombers plummeted from the skies, evoking the golden age when they first entered the battlefield.


    Back then, their enemies had virtually no viable anti-aircraft weaponry. Stukas could dive with impunity, as ferocious as vultures.


    But with anti-aircraft artillery having become more prevalent on battlefields, Stuka Dive Bombers had long ceased to be able to bomb with such ease. They had to operate cautiously, wary of surprise anti-air attacks from their enemies.


    However, anti-aircraft artillery at the Great Southern Bay was virtually nonexistent. The Mirage forces could not have anticipated that their Zero Fighters would one day be too afraid to even take flight to counter Tang Army aircraft.


    And so, with Zero Fighters grounded, the Mirage ground forces, devoid of anti-aircraft firepower, were at the mercy of the Stukas, freely circling the skies.


    Now imagine: with Tang Army artillery ranging from 380mm to 280mm, combined with their possession of air superiority, with Stukas ceaselessly dive bombing at will... just how effective could the defensive works around the Great Southern Bay possibly be?


    That very day, with the added support of 155mm howitzers, the Tang Army effortlessly breached the hastily constructed first defensive line of the Mirage forces.


    The Mirage soldiers were once again reminded of their infernal experiences in Beiyuan City. Numerous Mirage officers, who thought they had gained a wealth of combat experience from the Fengjiang Campaign, finally understood why the Great Tang Empire¡¯s military was the envy of all.


    They finally realized what set the Tang Empire¡¯s forces apart. They also acknowledged the inadequacy of the superficial combat lessons they had gleaned from the Fengjiang Campaign when it came to fighting against Tang forces.


    The firepower density of the Tang Army was more than double that of Dahua¡¯s forces. Moreover, the precision of Tang Army strikes was leagues ahead of what the Dahua military could achieve.


    In Fengjiang, Mirage mercenaries could keep their machine-gun positions firing for ten minutes without needing to relocate. Now, however, Mirage machine-gun nests would be obliterated by Tang mortars within two minutes of being exposed.


    The coordination between Tang Army tanks and infantry was downright flawless. With a few tanks providing cover, Tang ground forces could effortlessly penetrate Mirage defensive positions.


    Like a nail, the Tang Army, once driven into Mirage defensive lines, would immediately press outward, extending control over Mirage fortifications and amplifying their victories.


    The heavy cannons positioned on the east and west artillery emplacements, meant to lock down the Great Southern Bay, were ineffective under Tang Army long-range artillery fire.


    Following attacks from dozens of Stuka Dive Bombers targeting these two emplacements, most of the thirty-something heavy guns had been destroyed.


    The surviving cannons were swiftly ¡°addressed¡± by the main batteries of the battleships Dongwan No. 1 and Dongwan No. 2, leaving them unable to participate further in the battle.


    The remaining Mirage cruisers and destroyers, which had previously ventured into the Great Southern Bay, were sunk or beached in the harbor area following a fierce artillery exchange with the Tang Fleet.


    Seeing that his troops were utterly incapable of continuing the struggle, Shengwu Zhong responded resolutely.


    He decisively ordered the destruction of the Great Southern Bay¡¯s docks, ensuring not even a scrap of value was left for the Tang Army.


    The Mirage ground force general then personally took to the frontlines to supervise the fight, prepared to live and die with the city of the Great Southern Bay. Under his leadership, nearly all civilians near the bay were armed and subsequently became cannon fodder in the conflict.


    Contrary to Shengwu Zhong¡¯s expectations, by the third day of fighting¡ªon the 8th day following the Tang Army¡¯s landing¡ªthe Mirage Army¡¯s second defensive line was already on the verge of collapse.


    The protracted resistance Shengwu Zhong had envisioned, relying on robust fortifications to hold out for weeks, never materialized. The casualties were catastrophic, forcing him to personally order the abandonment of the now heavily battered primary defensive line.


    The reason was simple: Shengwu Zhong suspected the Tang Army was deliberately using the nearly demolished defenses to lure Mirage forces out of the ruins and the city.


    In truth, Feng Kezhi had indeed planned this. He was unwilling to engage the Mirage forces in urban street battles amidst the ruins of the Great Southern Bay. Thus, every time Shengwu Zhong committed troops to counterattack, the Tang Army would intentionally withdraw, relinquishing already captured territory to lure Mirage forces into open fields for combat.


    Inside the dim and flickering underground command bunker of the Great Southern Bay, Shengwu Zhong listened silently to a broadcast on the radio. Back on the mainland, the central headquarters was holding a memorial service for the naval admiral Shen Haifeng and vice admiral Shen Hai¡¯ang¡ªboth of whom had perished along with the fleet during the South Island naval battle a few days prior. Naturally, the ceremony also mourned the loss of at least 40,000 naval officers and sailors.


    The broadcast crackled, and the priest¡¯s voice carried a sorrowful, melodious tone. The Shen Emperor had just recited his eulogy. Shengwu Zhong listened without uttering a word, his thoughts inscrutable.


    Although he couldn¡¯t see the ceremony, he could imagine certain elements. Mirage Country had held similar funerals before, and they were always grand.


    There would be people holding high white flags, crowds dressed entirely in white, and others carrying oversized photographs. Among them, grieving family members screamed and called out names, while countless civilians packed both sides of the roads.


    However, for Shengwu Zhong, the Mirage naval fleet¡¯s complete annihilation had, in effect, only just occurred a few hours earlier: the last remaining destroyer, hidden in a corner of the harbor, was sunk by dive bombers, splitting in two and beaching on the shore.


    Regrettably, no one paid attention to such details anymore. The high command back on the mainland didn¡¯t care, and neither did Shengwu Zhong.

 Chapter 1186: Battle of Great Southern Bay 1106

    Chapter 1186: Battle of Great Southern Bay 1106


    Another massive shell landed on the position, exploding several meters deep into the earth, hurling everything around it into the air.


    Black smoke spiraled upward, churning and rolling as it floated to the sky, forming a small, spectacular mushroom cloud.


    The ground trembled, and all the Mirage Country soldiers curled up in fear. The choking scent of disturbed soil filled the air, and once everything quieted down, an eerie silence enveloped the position.


    How powerful was this shell? Powerful enough that a command post far, far away from the Mirage Country troops clearly felt the shockwave.


    The cups on the table rattled incessantly, dust fell from above and into the cups, rendering their contents undrinkable.


    The map became covered in dust; through the crevices in the room, officers watched the distant positions engulfed in combat, where Tang Army shells fell one by one, smoke blotting out the sun.


    ¡°How long has it been since we last contacted the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Regiment?¡± The Mirage Country Division Commander asked worriedly, turning to his adjutant.


    About more than half an hour ago, that battalion¡¯s position had been out of contact. The Tang Army had continually attacked there, and the surrounding 2nd and 1st Battalions mentioned seeing Tang military movements, but as for how many soldiers remained in the 3rd Battalion or how much of the defensive position still belonged to the Shen Army, no one could say for certain.


    ¡°I sent someone to attempt contact, but there¡¯s been no reply yet.¡± The adjutant spoke hesitantly and described his measures.


    The Division Commander nodded, then asked about the situation of the 1st Battalion beside the 3rd: ¡°How¡¯s the 1st Battalion¡¯s position near the 3rd Battalion doing?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re nearly depleted of ammunition; the enemy is launching a fierce attack. Five minutes ago, the 1st Battalion Commander sent someone to request reinforcement.¡± The adjutant replied with precision.


    ¡°Send someone to deliver ammunition! Don¡¯t hold back!¡± The Division Commander picked up binoculars and gazed toward the distant positions. The flag of the Mirage Country was riddled with bullet holes, stubbornly standing atop a small knoll, refusing to fall.


    ¡°Understood!¡± The adjutant nodded and left to find someone to deliver the ammunition. Barely having taken a few steps outside, a shell landed squarely in their trench.


    The immense explosion blew the adjutant away and claimed the lives of several guards from the Division Headquarters, along with a few goblin officers who had been outside smoking.


    The exaggerated shockwave burst into the Division Headquarters¡¯ bunker, knocking the Mirage Country Division Commander off his feet. Several officers inside the headquarters were also sprawled on the ground, and when they climbed back up, they could only hear a ringing in their ears.


    The dust hadn¡¯t entirely settled and rolled within the dim command post. The Division Commander groped his way out of the room, only to be met with the sight of shattered bodies strewn across the ground.


    ¡°Sir!¡± A soldier dashed over hurriedly, gripping the goblin Division Commander¡¯s hand and shouting loudly, but the Commander couldn¡¯t discern his words.


    After some time, a faint voice reached the Commander¡¯s ears. The soldier reported that the Tang Army had broken through the 1st Regiment¡¯s defense line.


    ¡°Sir! The enemy is less than 50 meters away! Please, leave this place immediately!¡± Finally, the soldier¡¯s cries registered clearly to the goblin Division Commander.


    He froze momentarily before snapping back to reality¡ªthe enemy was right on their doorstep! Panicked, he shouted at the soldier: ¡°Retreat! Retreat! Get me out of here!¡±


    Their location was a trench that had been modified; behind it was a collapsed outer wall of a building. Behind them lay the Great Southern Bay harbor.


    This city was considered one of the few modernized cities in Mirage Country¡ªit had been built to a higher standard due to frequent trade with other empires.


    Although there weren¡¯t towering skyscrapers here, the city featured many cement houses. Compared to the wooden houses typical of other Mirage Country cities, these were sturdier and better equipped to withstand bombardment.


    The Tang Army showed no hesitation in their destruction. General Feng Kezhi didn¡¯t mind obliterating the Great Southern Bay harbor. Since the port had already been damaged, the remaining structures were largely irrelevant to the Tang Army.


    A city, especially a port city, revolves around a few critical locations: most notably, the harbor, followed by the power plant and the water treatment facility.


    Apart from these locations, residential areas and the like were of little value and could be destroyed without concern. Shengwu Zhong might destroy the docks and port, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to destroy the power plant or water treatment facility.


    After all, there were still hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the Great Southern Bay who needed water and electricity. If he personally demolished the power and water plants, wouldn¡¯t he make a fool of himself?


    But clearly, whether you destroy them yourself or not, the Tang Army is going to prioritize these locations. Destroying them would break the defenders¡¯ will to resist.


    Because without water or electricity, most of the Shen Army dug into the ruins wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out. They would either surrender or retreat.


    At the battlefield, the goblin Division Commander had just left the abandoned command post when Tang Army soldiers stormed up the trench and invaded the command center.


    A Tang Army soldier stepped into the chaotic command bunker, grabbed a map off the table, and dismissively tossed it aside.


    The cups on the table spilled onto the floor, while the walls still bore pockets stuffed with documents. Deployment maps were scattered everywhere, evidence of the Mirage Country officers¡¯ chaotic escape.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t even bother taking their sidearms! They ran real clean!¡± A Tang Army officer sneered, walking over to the wall where Mirage Country officers had hung their weapon belts, and drew a pistol with a smirk.


    Due to the Mirage Country soldiers¡¯ small stature, their officers favored compact pistols like the PPK. If circumstances allowed, most would equip themselves with similar weapons.


    Unfortunately, it was clear the officers had fled in a rush, leaving behind even their weapons. A few prisoners divulged that this post was Division Headquarters¡ªthe highest-ranking command post in the vicinity.


    The Tang Army, having captured this post, had essentially entered the Great Southern Bay. All it took now was crossing the trench, climbing over the debris of the collapsed outer wall, and stepping into the city itself.


    After two days of relentless shelling and airstrikes, the Great Southern Bay was already reduced to a skeletal ruin¡ªits urban infrastructure entirely crippled.


    ¡°I heard the neighboring units made it into the city?¡± Pocketing the compact PPK pistol, the Tang Army commander asked the captain accompanying him.


    The captain nodded. ¡°Indeed, several blocks have already been seized by our troops. The Shen Army doesn¡¯t have the combat capabilities we expected... It seems they weren¡¯t prepared for urban warfare at all.¡±


    ¡°Take your men and continue pressing south! Aim to rendezvous with our neighboring unit! Drive the Mirage Country forces out of the designated No. 1 Power Plant! Then bring in the Engineer Corps to see if we can repair it.¡± The officer pointed forward as he issued orders.


    The captain stood at attention, saluted, and led his men away. The sound of machine guns persisted without pause; the Tang Army¡¯s offensive pressed on, while the Mirage Country forces continued their collapse.


    Within the city¡¯s underground command center, Shengwu Zhong received one piece of bad news after another. Reports arrived that the northern defenses had fallen, that the water supply had ceased, and more.


    His command center operated on generators, so electricity wasn¡¯t an immediate concern. However, Shengwu Zhong knew this couldn¡¯t last, and he was acutely aware of the looming catastrophe.


    Urban warfare might appear favorable for the defenders, but that depended on well-organized command and capable troops. Either the rank-and-file soldiers must be adept at fighting, or the command systems must be advanced enough to counter chaos with chaos.


    The Shen Army lacked in both aspects, and Shengwu Zhong knew that once urban combat began, the Shen Army would likely crumble rapidly.


    Shengwu Zhong had initially planned to hone his troops with the outer defenses and then use these seasoned forces to wear down the Tang Army in prolonged urban combat.


    Now, with the outer battles concluding far too swiftly, the Shen Army had failed to sharpen itself and was forced to retreat into the city prematurely, shattering Shengwu Zhong¡¯s plans.


    His hastily armed force of fifty thousand civilians lacked combat effectiveness but consumed vast quantities of Shengwu Zhong¡¯s supplies and ammunition, draining him immensely.


    Inexperienced civilian fighters wasted ammunition, broke ranks easily, failed to hold their positions, and frequently dragged the main forces into disarray, leading to widespread retreat.


    After using them for a while, Shengwu Zhong stopped trusting these civilian units. He could only use them as reserve troops to fill the ranks of heavily depleted regular forces.


    These untrained fighters, however, diluted the combat effectiveness of the seasoned forces. After three days of grueling battle, Shengwu Zhong¡¯s civilian troops had proven to be more of a liability than an asset.


    ¡°General! Shenwu Erlang has sent word¡ªhis troops are unable to approach the Great Southern Bay; the enemy¡¯s defensive lines are extremely strong.¡± An adjutant approached Shengwu Zhong and quietly delivered yet another disheartening report.


    Shengwu Zhong had anticipated this outcome. Waving dismissively, he sneered, ¡°I never expected that fool Shenwu Erlang to succeed! He¡¯s just like those cowards in the Navy!¡±


    Among Mirage Country ground forces, insulting someone as ¡°Navy¡± was about the most venomous attack imaginable. The adjutant understood Shengwu Zhong was venting frustration over the inadequate reinforcements of the 3rd Corps.


    ¡°The northernmost airport has been bombed to oblivion... No planes can take off... In fact, according to the latest No. 2 operational order, there aren¡¯t any aircraft left to fly from there.¡± The adjutant reported yet another demoralizing piece of news.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter¡ªI never counted on that airport being of any help anyway.¡± Shengwu Zhong waved his hand apathetically, wearing an air of resigned indifference.


    The so-called No. 2 operational plan involved relocating all aircraft stationed on the South Island to the New Island to consolidate its defenses. At this point, Mirage Country leadership no longer held out hope to defend the South Island.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Additional updates

 Chapter 1187: Flight route 1107 is cut off

    Chapter 1187: Flight route 1107 is cut off


    ¡°South Island is destined to be lost. What we can do is defend South Island as best we can, and then construct entirely new fortifications on New Island.¡± Standing before the massive map, Shenwu Ke stated resolutely.


    The entire Mirage Country shared one understanding: if they didn¡¯t rely on the natural barrier of the ocean, Mirage Country would not be able to stop the Tang Army¡¯s advancing attack.


    Thus, abandoning South Island and regaining advantages on New Island had become a kind of self-consolation for Mirage Country, convincing themselves they could continue fighting.


    ¡°We are working hard to build fortifications on New Island. Near the areas facing South Island, we¡¯re building a reinforced concrete bunker every 300 meters!¡± Shenwu Ke confidently introduced his ambitious plan.


    In his view, as long as enough bunkers are built¡ªdensely packed and equipped with sufficient artillery¡ªhis troops might have a chance to halt the Tang Army¡¯s advance.


    Just as he was detailing the latest deployment, an officer hurried into the room, approached Shen Emperor at the meeting, leaned down, and whispered something.


    Shen Emperor¡¯s face darkened. He stood up, glanced at the civil and military ministers present, stated, ¡°I will return shortly,¡± then gestured to Naval Grand Admiral Shen Haiping to accompany him outside.


    Both walked into the corridor. Shen Emperor glanced back toward the meeting room before speaking to Shen Haiping, ¡°News just came in: a transport ship sailing from Eternal Winter Port to Shen Capital was sunk by a Tang Imperial Fleet destroyer with a torpedo!¡±


    ¡°A destroyer?¡± Upon hearing that Tang Navy warships had reached even the eastern waters, Shen Haiping was initially shocked and somewhat incredulous.


    ¡°The news claims that Tang destroyers are quite large, six to seven thousand tons. I don¡¯t know if they have resupply ships accompanying them, but it¡¯s confirmed that the Songbo transport ship was sunk.¡± Shen Emperor conveyed his concerns to his naval commander.


    Shen Haiping also understood the severity of the issue: ¡°Your Majesty! Our fleet has just suffered heavy losses. The Tang Army already controls the seas. If they cut off our maritime supply lines, the situation would indeed become dire.¡±


    ¡°Not just dire¡ªit¡¯ll be an absolute disaster!¡± Shen Emperor shot a cold glance at Shen Haiping and reprimanded, ¡°We can¡¯t even self-sustain food production. If we¡¯re blockaded, what will the civilians eat? What will the military eat?¡±


    In truth, if it were only about food, Shen Emperor wouldn¡¯t be this anxious. Mirage Country¡¯s grain self-sufficiency rate wasn¡¯t especially poor, and solving food problems wasn¡¯t overly challenging.


    At worst, civilians would eat less appealing food and everyone would economize¡ªscraping by for a year or so wasn¡¯t impossible. In wartime, such sacrifices wouldn¡¯t be considered disastrous.


    What truly worried Shen Emperor was Mirage Country¡¯s fragile industrial base. In the event of a blockade, it was uncertain whether the country could continue supplying its war machines and sustaining the ongoing conflict.


    Without oil imported from Ice Cold Empire, without steel and copper exported from Ice Cold Empire, Laines Empire, and Dorne Empire, without rubber sourced from Gobur Kingdom and Dorne Empire¡ªhow much longer could Mirage Country hold out?


    Just moments ago, Shenwu Ke had been talking about building bunkers every 300 meters. But without imported cement or steel, how exactly would those bunkers be constructed?


    ¡°How many warships do you still have available for combat?¡± With no options left, Shen Emperor reluctantly posed a difficult question to Shen Haiping.


    Shen Haiping hesitated for a few seconds, his embarrassment evident. Then, he gave an answer that left Shen Emperor both frustrated and helpless: ¡°About three destroyers and seven or eight outdated ironclad warships and patrol ships.¡±


    These ships were remnants from the decisive battle in South Island waters, left behind for various reasons: three new destroyers had remained in Shen Capital due to mechanical issues; eight outdated ironclads and patrol ships had been abandoned at home because their speed couldn¡¯t keep up with the main fleet.


    Of the three patrol ships, they were primarily used for combating pirates, cracking down on smuggling, and collecting taxes. Armed only with front-and-rear cannons and no shields¡ªthey were laughably inadequate for engaging Tang Navy destroyers.


    The five ironclads were relics built over a decade ago, outdated artifacts more suited for museum displays. They were slow, weak, and essentially useless in modern conflict.


    ¡°Just three destroyers available for battle?¡± Shen Emperor almost suspected he had misheard. But the total annihilation of their twelve battleships had already become an undeniable fact, leaving him forced to accept the Navy¡¯s dire state.


    ¡°Even if these three ships leave the port, there¡¯s no guarantee they¡¯d ensure safe passage along the shipping lanes,¡± Shen Haiping truthfully admitted. Tang¡¯s destroyers were massive with remarkable endurance and combat capability. Mirage¡¯s destroyers, on the other hand, were traditional ones¡ªdisplacing only three to four thousand tons and lacking even torpedoes for high-stakes confrontations.


    ¡°Forget it!¡± Shen Emperor knew these vessels, stationed at Shen Capital¡¯s port, essentially served as makeshift fortifications to guard against enemy naval incursions attacking Shen Capital¡¯s main base¡ªthey couldn¡¯t be easily reassigned.


    ¡°Soon, supplies like steel, rubber, copper... will completely run out. Cement is already insufficient. Despite finalizing a purchase from Ice Cold Empire two days ago, it seems the goods won¡¯t be delivered.¡± Shen Emperor¡¯s frustration surged as he recalled paying for supplies but receiving nothing.


    Shen Haiping felt equally embarrassed. Before the war, his Navy had been confident, believing that under Air Force cover, they would decisively defeat Tang Country¡¯s cross-sea invasions.


    Reality, however, delivered a brutal slap to their confidence: the main fleet had been utterly destroyed, and now even the vital eastern shipping lanes were unprotected.


    All previous plans had to be reorganized from scratch: the ambitious project of building extensive fortifications on New Island had to be suspended. Mirage Country leaders were forced to reconsider the proper ways to utilize their remaining strategic resources.


    Mirage Country was not an oil-producing nation, and fuel constituted an important strategic resource. Tanks, vehicles, airplanes, ships¡ªall relied on fuel.


    Without fuel, these machines would turn into useless scrap metal. Shen Emperor and his ministers had to carefully research how to allocate their remaining fuel reserves.


    Training new pilots required fuel; every aircraft takeoff and landing consumed precious aviation fuel. Similarly, troop mobility required fuel¡ªtanks and vehicles were voracious consumers.


    ¡°Have the Navy halt construction of the Spike heavy cruiser...¡± Shen Emperor gave Shen Haiping an order that grieved the naval grand admiral.


    The Spike heavy cruiser was a new-generation vessel whose construction began before the war. Featuring a 310mm main gun, it was a quintessential heavy cruiser.


    Even at the height of Mirage Country¡¯s naval strength, this ship would¡¯ve been a formidable asset in the fleet. Now, however... it represented the ¡°last hope of the entire Navy.¡±


    Unfortunately, it was clear the vessel¡ªalready 70% complete¡ªwould never be finished. Mirage Country¡¯s Navy no longer needed such warships.


    By itself, the Spike cruiser could no longer alter the balance of power between Mirage and Tang navies, nor could it undertake independent escort missions.


    More critically, Mirage Country could no longer afford to lose such a vessel.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get upset! Let me finish!¡± Seeing Shen Haiping¡¯s reddened eyes, Shen Emperor extended a hand to comfort him and continued, ¡°The steel dismantled from the Spike will still belong to the Navy¡ªuse it to build suicidal attack boats!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no alternative. You know as well as I do, even if the Spike were completed now, it would likely be sunk after just two missions.¡± After his consolation, Shen Emperor sealed Shen Haiping¡¯s arguments with harsh reality.


    Shen Haiping knew Shen Emperor was right. He sighed, nodded, and accepted the directive with resignation: ¡°Understood, Your Majesty. I... will carry out the order.¡±


    ¡°Additionally, hand over half of the Navy¡¯s fuel reserves...¡± Shen Emperor continued issuing orders. The cruiser was not the key issue¡ªthe fuel was.


    The Navy had long been a major holder of fuel reserves, ensuring sufficient supplies for its fleet of twelve battleships. Now, with the fleet annihilated, the surplus of lubricants, fuel, and spare parts could be repurposed. While some resources weren¡¯t interchangeable, many were.


    Prepared for this eventuality, Shen Haiping promptly agreed: ¡°Understood, Your Majesty.¡±


    Having convinced Shen Haiping, Shen Emperor patted the admiral¡¯s shoulder approvingly: ¡°Return now.¡±


    He opened the meeting room door, walked back to his seat, and addressed everyone: ¡°News has just arrived... the Songbo transport ship was sunk by the Tang Army. Our maritime route to Ice Cold Empire might be cut off.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the room erupted in chatter among the civil ministers. Standing by the map, Shenwu Ke looked grim, lost in thought.


    ¡°Your Majesty! What about the food supply...¡± Shen Wen Dabo, the Prime Minister of Mirage Country, immediately expressed concern about civilian welfare.


    Others inquired about steel and fuel imports, while some discussed the mounting obstacles in constructing fortifications.


    In short, the room descended into chaos, with everyone voicing their own concerns. Shen Emperor didn¡¯t interrupt their discussions.


    At this moment, the ministers indeed needed a venue to vent their frustrations. If they weren¡¯t allowed to exhaust their grievances now, they¡¯d undoubtedly disrupt Shen Emperor later during the meeting with constant interjections.


    Thus, Shen Emperor willingly let them voice their concerns freely¡ªletting them empty their thoughts completely. This way, he could focus on issuing precise orders afterwards.

 Chapter 1188: 1108 water well

    Chapter 1188: 1108 water well


    At the same time, the Tang Navy was also undergoing strategic redeployment: two aircraft carriers had already returned to Beiyuan Port for repairs, resupply, and rest.


    Another two carriers, escorted by four supply ships and a destroyer detachment, headed east to carry out the mission of blockading Mirage Country¡¯s eastern and northern seas, cutting off their transportation and supply lines.


    Of the remaining six carriers, two would detach from the fleet and head southwest to Linshui Port for rest once the first batch of carriers reached Beiyuan Port.


    In other words, as the campaign progressed, the carrier fleet near the South Island landing zone would be reduced to just four.


    In reality, once the airfields on South Island were repaired and operational, Tang Army¡¯s air power on the island would be fully self-sufficient.


    By that time, the Navy¡¯s main responsibility would be ensuring the safety of their shipping routes. In fact, the Tang Navy had already completed their next stage of the mission ahead of schedule: Mirage Country¡¯s Navy was no longer capable of threatening Tang Army¡¯s maritime supply lines.


    ¡°What do you think? Only four carriers left¡ªdoes it add any pressure?¡± Bernard glanced at his flagship¡¯s captain and asked with a smile.


    ¡°Pressure? Four aircraft carriers... how could this possibly be pressure? I¡¯ve got over 300 carrier-based aircraft. What do those Goblins have? Their entire South Island can probably muster less than 100 planes.¡± The captain replied lightheartedly.


    Bernard nodded. They had just received a cryptic communication from the homeland, and the latest satellite images brought back some interesting pictures: Mirage Country¡¯s airfield in the northern part of South Island had been bombed, and their planes on the island were dwindling in number.


    These two pieces of intelligence were great news for Tang Country¡¯s troops fighting on South Island¡ªthey meant that Mirage Country had completely lost air superiority on the island.


    On the 13th day of the Tang Army¡¯s landing on South Island, they unleashed a fierce rocket artillery strike on Great Southern Bay: countless rockets rained down on the city, igniting fires that kept blazing past dusk, turning Great Southern Bay into an inferno.


    Under the cover of night, Cao Fei, a sniper for the Navy Marine Corps, and his partner cautiously navigated through the ruins, inching forward slowly.


    Using dim moonlight and the distant glow of fire as cover, they moved with extreme caution. Their goal was to exploit the night to find a suitable sniper position and update their kill records.


    For soldiers of the Navy Marine Corps, these opportunities to engage in direct combat were rare. Cao Fei and his partner cherished the chance¡ªespecially the possibility of earning an upgrade to the Blade Medal on their chests.


    Both were draped in ghillie suits tailored for urban combat, featuring a mix of dark gray and light gray hues that made them blend seamlessly into the rubble.


    Without close observation, it was nearly impossible to spot them¡ªthey resembled two piles of moving debris among the ruins.


    The two crawled through a ¡°natural trench¡± formed by the collapse of buildings, then climbed up the remains of a partially destroyed second floor.


    The floorboards were fractured, leaving only two to three meters intact near the window. Even the window was halved¡ªwith the rest having crumbled away.


    Frankly, the place looked extremely dangerous. A distant exploding shell could trigger vibrations strong enough to bring it down.


    But the vantage point was simply too good. Hidden here, they could overlook most of the block and detect even the slightest movement.


    Positioning themselves in a corner with a segment of an abandoned table near the window as a support, Cao Fei mounted his rifle and meticulously camouflaged his scope and muzzle to make them look as inconspicuous as possible.


    Then he crouched behind the table, adopting a sitting position that made him resemble a collapsed section of wall, blending perfectly with the shattered second-floor fac?ade.


    Meanwhile, his partner secured an equally excellent spot nearby, offering a clear line of sight to every area he needed to cover.


    The pair quietly waited as the horizon gradually brightened. Before long, a Mirage Country Goblin civilian crossed the street, seemingly scavenging the ruins for food and valuables.


    The civilians of Great Southern Bay hadn¡¯t been fully evacuated; in fact, nearly all had stayed behind. Older ones were drafted into the army, while younger ones were left to fend for themselves amidst the devastation.


    Some elderly people took their children and fled east, aiming to avoid Tang Army¡¯s artillery bombardment.


    However, the eastern escape route was no longer safe. Once daylight broke, Tang Army¡¯s aircraft would seal off the area. The Stukas of Tang Country were indiscriminate¡ªthey would dive down and fire at any target.


    ¡°Did you see that Goblin?¡± His partner remained motionless, maintaining his posture as he asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Yes! Just a civilian. If he comes too close, wait until he approaches and then take him out.¡± Cao Fei was reluctant to fire on civilians, but if one interfered with his mission, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate.


    Hidden beneath the ghillie suit, Cao Fei¡¯s partner quietly chambered a round in his Type-56 assault rifle. The sound of the bolt clicking assured him the weapon was ready.


    A series of whistling noises followed as Tang Army¡¯s rocket artillery flew over their heads and struck the center of the city. The explosions made the ruins shake beneath Cao Fei¡¯s position.


    ¡°I¡¯m really worried this place might collapse,¡± his partner said uneasily from his precarious perch.


    ¡°We checked when we climbed up¡ªit¡¯s still stable, isn¡¯t it?¡± Cao Fei reassured him. ¡°I¡¯d bet someone¡¯s bound to pass by here shortly.¡±


    True to his prediction, a Mirage Country soldier soon peeked out from a distance. The man scanned furtively before bending low and carrying a water bucket across the street.


    ¡°Fetching water... Didn¡¯t we already occupy their water plant? He¡¯s likely drawing from a nearby well,¡± Cao Fei immediately deduced, understanding why the civilian had ventured there earlier.


    Soon enough, the same civilian returned, clutching a water flask. He crossed the street, entirely unaware a rifle had been pointed at his head the whole time.


    As the Mirage Country soldier carrying the heavy water bucket made his way back across the street, Cao Fei pulled the trigger without hesitation.


    The decision to wait until the soldier¡¯s return was tactical: carrying a bucket of water slowed him down, making him the perfect target.


    ¡°Bang!¡± A crisp gunshot echoed; the soldier collapsed in the middle of the street as the bucket fell, spilling its contents.


    Blood quickly mixed with the water pooling from the bucket. Cao Fei fired another shot at the bucket¡¯s base, piercing a hole before retreating with his partner from their exposed sniper position.


    As for the loss of a soldier and a vital water bucket¡ªit wasn¡¯t Cao Fei¡¯s concern whether Mirage Country¡¯s commanding officer would curse his situation.


    The two retraced their steps, returning to the nearby Tang Army command post. After removing their steel helmets and drinking a bowl of hot soup, they began reporting their findings: ¡°There¡¯s likely a well nearby! We saw their soldier fetching water.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± The battalion commander questioned, incredulous that Mirage Country¡¯s troops had been sneaking water right under his nose.


    ¡°We spotted a civilian with a water flask and killed a Goblin soldier carrying a water bucket.¡± Cao Fei explained briefly.


    ¡°Securing that spot should force their retreat!¡± The commander nodded in agreement, finding the intelligence highly valuable.


    ¡°2nd Company, you must advance to this line by noon and establish defensive positions among the ruins! 1st Company, secure the flank! 3rd Company will remain here and create a circular defense formation alongside 1st and 2nd Companies.¡± Without hesitation, the commander issued orders.


    After assigning tasks, he took the still-warm food container from Cao Fei. ¡°You¡¯re a Marine sniper unit¡ªI don¡¯t have authority over your actions, so...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll act as we see fit; you do as you please.¡± Cao Fei replied with a smile, having grown accustomed to such scenarios.


    Mirage Country¡¯s defenders had clearly lost organizational coordination. Their troops fought independently and mostly remained entrenched.


    The well nearby was evidently a critical reason for their reluctance to retreat. Their lack of manpower made counterattacking impossible.


    The well sat between the two armies¡¯ positions, preventing Mirage Country from engaging directly with Tang Army¡¯s battalion stationed in the ruins. Thus, they could only covertly fetch water.


    These circumstances had been overlooked by Tang Army until Cao Fei uncovered the water-fetching enemy soldiers that morning, prompting the nearby Tang forces to decide on further offensives.


    The battle erupted shortly thereafter. As Cao Fei and his partner sought their next sniper position, the sound of mortar fire reached their ears.


    Tang Army launched an attack in the morning and, sure enough, discovered a well within a rubble-strewn courtyard behind the ruins.


    Admittedly, the water quality was poor, but finding a water source in a desolate city like Great Southern Bay was no small feat.


    By afternoon, reinforcements from another battalion swept through the nearby ruins, confirming Mirage Country¡¯s forces had retreated. They left behind several wounded corpses, empty ammo crates, and a damaged radio.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Two updates today¡ªmore to come tomorrow!

 Chapter 1189: 1109 Serving Customer

    Chapter 1189: 1109 Serving Customer


    ¡°Long live His Majesty! Colonel Magel! It¡¯s a pleasure to see you again.¡± Amidst a busy construction site, an officer stood at attention and saluted his superior, who was wearing the latest sunglasses and dressed in an Air Force uniform.


    ¡°Long live His Majesty! How¡¯s it going? Are we ready yet?¡± Magel removed his sunglasses, returned the salute, and asked.


    ¡°We cleared the runway just yesterday and repaired it. There are still some areas that aren¡¯t entirely tidied up, but we can already ¡®welcome guests¡¯ here.¡± The officer smiled as he reported his accomplishments.


    He had been busy here for days, and of course, he had made some progress. The Goblin Engineer Corps worked on it for two days, and then they added another dozen days of work. The airport was now ready for use.


    The industrial machinery efficiency of the Great Tang Empire was unparalleled, but repairing this airport had still taken a considerable amount of time. After all, it needed modifications, and many engineering tasks had to be completed concurrently during the repairs.


    For instance, they needed to build an underground fuel storage depot alongside the runway, complete with explosion-proof measures, sunshades, and other auxiliary facilities.


    Elsewhere, they installed a large generator unit. The infrastructure in Mirage Country was so poor that this airport was not connected to the island¡¯s power plants, forcing the Tang Nation Air Force to generate electricity independently.


    In addition to power generation and fuel storage, they were also setting up a maintenance factory to service damaged fighter jets.


    A large group of Mirage prisoners of war was busy on the other side, tasked with constructing a massive camp that included dozens of housing units, dormitories specifically for pilots, a cafeteria, meeting rooms, and an auditorium...


    The workload was immense. The Tang engineers brought in more than 10,000 Mirage prisoners for added manpower to speed up the project¡¯s completion.


    Under ¡®persuasion¡¯ by bullets and bread, the Mirage prisoners obediently carried out their work. Of course, the quick progress was also thanks to abundant materials.


    Local wood was utilized, while cables and other equipment were shipped directly from Tang Country as finished products. With these resources in place, the speed of airport repairs was astonishingly fast.


    Quick-drying cement emerged as the star material, effortlessly filling hundreds of deep craters left by cluster bombs on the runway.


    The Tang Nation reinforced the runway with imported asphalt. Although pricey, its effectiveness was exceptional.


    ¡°Welcome guests? Can you people be serious for once?¡± Magel laughed and playfully rebuked, clearly unbothered by the colloquial phrasing used to tease about work.


    ¡°Apologies, sir! There are absolutely no women here, so everyone can¡¯t help but joke around a little,¡± the officer shrugged, showing his lack of fondness for the place.


    They had traveled far, only to find that the Goblin women here were a nightmare. No one wanted romantic nights with women barely 1.4 meters tall, who looked more like monsters.


    The Tang Army soldiers who came here to fight kept their integrity intact. Mostly, they herded the unsightly Goblin women together and had them help wash military gear.


    ¡°You rascal!¡± Magel pointed at him, then squinted at the sky. ¡°The weather¡¯s nice. In about thirty minutes, they¡¯ll arrive, and we¡¯ll finally stop relying on that Navy junk.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! I¡¯ve been itching to let them see our Air Force¡¯s new toys! Haha, don¡¯t mind me saying¡ªI bet just hearing the sound alone will scare those Goblin child-soldiers to wet their pants.¡± The officer grinned proudly as he mentioned this.


    In this world, jet fighters weren¡¯t something every country could equip, and Tang Nation¡¯s fighters could break the sound barrier¡ªtaking down those pitiful Zero Fighters was like a martial arts master slaughtering defenseless infants.


    Their airport, farthest from Mirage Country¡¯s New Island direction, was relatively safe and had been renovated as a jet fighter base. Its facilities were among the most comprehensive and well-equipped. Ammunition depots, barracks, radars, and high-frequency communication devices were all present.


    The open ground was filled with various vehicles, including trucks, jeeps, armored carriers, and other specialized engineering machinery.


    Further away, some facilities remained unfinished¡ªa construction site where Goblin prisoners, working alongside Tang Army engineers, were laboring fervently.


    After exchanging pleasantries, the two men turned to business. Magel shifted his gaze from the skies and confirmed seriously, ¡°Are the ground crew prepared?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! The ground crew is ready,¡± the officer answered confidently.


    ¡°Spare parts?¡± Magel continued, knowing sustained jet fighter operations depended on reliable spare parts supplies.


    The officer remained equally assured: ¡°We¡¯ve prepared 100 sets of the most commonly damaged spare parts and ten complete jet engines.¡±


    ¡°Fuel quality?¡± Magel pressed further. As the future Air Force operations commander on the front lines, he had to verify every detail.


    ¡°All domestically sourced, rest assured,¡± the officer replied without hesitation. His work had been excellent, and the questions served as opportunities to showcase his achievements.


    ¡°Ammunition?¡± Magel persisted, rapidly firing questions.


    Without pausing, the officer fluently answered: ¡°Our ammunition ships prioritized unloading; more than half are already stored in nearby depots, and the rest is mostly on the floating docks by the beach¡ªpossibly still en route.¡±


    To be honest, prioritizing Air Force shipments over Army supplies had sparked grievances. General Feng Kezhi¡¯s attack on Great Southern Bay had slowed significantly because much of the 9th Group Army¡¯s personnel and heavy equipment remained stranded at sea.


    Yet, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Staff Department insisted on giving the Air Force¡¯s equipment priority for unloading. This was partly because the Air Force needed time to deploy and also because Luff urgently needed the Navy to shift focus elsewhere.


    Whether due to strategy or urgency, gathering all Navy aircraft carriers in Mirage Country¡¯s waters was inherently risky. Tang Nation had vast coastlines and countless shipping lanes to protect. Transitioning air control of South Island to the Air Force was clearly essential.


    ¡°Command tower signals?¡± Magel continued interrogating, though he had already spotted the towering antennas.


    ¡°We tested them three hours ago¡ªexcellent condition,¡± the officer replied earnestly. He had personally verified their clarity.


    Frankly, no opponent capable of disrupting Tang Nation¡¯s communication had ever emerged yet. Tang Nation¡¯s cutting-edge electromagnetic technologies ensured smooth operations.


    As for whether complex electromagnetic conditions might disrupt the enemy¡¯s communications, that was anyone¡¯s guess.


    ¡°Surveillance radar?¡± Magel asked, struggling to hide his smile. He was highly satisfied with his subordinates, who had managed to renovate and upgrade an airport in just a dozen days¡ªa true engineering marvel.


    The subordinate met expectations, replying promptly: ¡°We ran tests yesterday¡ªsignals are clear.¡±


    ¡°Food?¡± Magel prodded, seemingly intent on nitpicking.


    The officer began to feel nervous, though he had arranged a grand meal for the incoming pilots. Still, he worried about potential shortcomings and answered: ¡°A seafood feast paired with jam-covered bread, beef patties, and cabbage dumpling soup.¡±


    ¡°No dessert?¡± Sure enough, Magel found a flaw.


    Swallowing hard, the officer hurriedly added, ¡°We managed to acquire some ice cream from the Navy.¡±


    ¡°Alcohol?¡± Magel suddenly threw in an unexpected question.


    ¡°Sir... sir,¡± the officer stammered, cautiously reminding him, ¡°Per regulations, pilots on duty are prohibited from consuming alcohol.¡±


    ¡°The food sounds good¡ªI meant for me,¡± Magel clarified, laughing and patting the officer¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Relax, you¡¯ve done a fantastic job.¡±


    Blushing slightly, the officer awkwardly smiled and apologized, ¡°Sorry, sir, I didn¡¯t catch your meaning. Yes, there are two bottles of Chang¡¯an-aged spirits in your new command post.¡±


    ¡°Then it seems everything¡¯s ready,¡± Magel remarked contentedly.


    ¡°Yes, sir! Everything is prepared,¡± the officer declared confidently, chin held high.


    A dozen minutes later, the roar of jet engines shook the ground. Everyone looked skyward to see a squadron of J-6 fighter jets appear on the horizon.


    The Goblin laborers on-site also turned their attention to the skies, intrigued by the strange aircraft they had never seen before.


    The wings weren¡¯t perpendicular to the fuselage but extended backward at an angle. Accompanied by deafening sounds, two J-6 jets streaked toward the runway, sliding several hundred meters before halting at the far end.


    Previously, some Goblins had deemed constructing such a long runway a waste of time. Now, they realized these extended runways were crucial for accommodating the roaring aircraft.


    The maintenance crew towed the jets to aircraft hangars using specially designed vehicles. On the cleared runway, another two jets landed consecutively.


    Meanwhile, over a dozen more swept-wing fighter jets hovered in the skies. Their silver bodies gleamed with deadly brilliance under the sunlight.

 Chapter 1190: 1110 saw the butcher

    Chapter 1190: 1110 saw the butcher


    At the same time, arriving at South Island were not only the jet fighters of Sixth Lord but also other aircraft squadrons of the air force.


    For instance, the Yir-2 attack aircraft squads, which were far more ferocious than the Stukas, especially when equipped with large-caliber rockets.


    Although they couldn¡¯t perform pinpoint bombing revenge strikes like the Stukas, these planes¡¯ strike capability was top-notch. What frustrated their enemies even more was that these attack aircraft were faster than the Stukas, with more enduring and savage firepower.


    Arriving alongside were also the Butcher Fighter squads. Though not as powerful as the jet fighter squads, they had the advantage of reliability, lower airfield requirements, and greater numbers.


    However, the Butcher Fighters now had a different role within the Tang Nation Air Force; their missions shifted from air superiority contests to enemy attack escort and direct involvement in ground attacks.


    Yes, the robust and powerful Butcher Fighters, which were considered the mainline fighter jets of the Poplar Empire, had become second-tier nannies within the Tang Nation Air Force, relegated mostly to ground attack roles.


    In the ruins of Great Southern Bay¡¯s city, behind a pile of debris, a group of Mirage Country goblin soldiers were preparing their lunch. They had lost a third of the city and were still locked in bitter combat with the Tang Army inside.


    Everyone knew that organized resistance would soon collapse. As the fight dragged on, the garrison without supplies or reinforcements in Great Southern Bay was bound to fail within days.


    Yet, they were defending the territory of their country, and surrender wasn¡¯t something they would easily consider. They clung to a sliver of hope that the Tang Army¡¯s trans-ocean offensive would eventually lose momentum.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! The Tang People won¡¯t keep this up for long. Fengjiang was the same; even Zhao Chen with all his ferocity was ultimately driven out of Fengjiang by us,¡± said a Mirage Country officer, who had served in Fengjiang, holding a meal box as he reassured his jumpy soldiers.


    Recently, Tang Nation snipers had been particularly active, appearing and disappearing within the ruins, severely impacting Mirage Country soldiers¡¯ morale.


    But Mirage Country had little means to respond. They had never prioritized sniper operations; the few snipers they had were treated as precious assets, rarely deployed.


    Additionally, infantry development had never been a focus for Mirage Country¡¯s military. When their navy fell, they realized too late the importance of land battles.


    ¡°Sir, can we really win?¡± A child soldier, perhaps only in his teens, dressed in a uniform and wielding a Shireck Type-1 rifle taller than himself, asked the officer in a naive voice.


    ¡°As long as we bravely keep fighting! Hold on! We can win!¡± The officer stirred the meal box contents that looked like pig slop with his spoon and continued encouraging the soldiers.


    They had already lost their power plant, lost their waterworks, lost the nearby wells... Now, there was nothing left to rely on except courage.


    In the sky, the faint sound of aircraft engines could be heard. At this moment, hearing the sound of planes almost certainly meant they were Tang Nation aircraft.


    The Mirage Country officer raised his head to look into the sky. That one glance nearly caused him to drop the meal box in his hand out of shock.


    He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He rubbed them in disbelief at what he saw above: Butcher Fighters!


    Back in Fengjiang, during his time as a mercenary, these aircraft served as Fengjiang¡¯s mainline fighters, endlessly buzzing over his head like a bothersome drone.


    Back then, these planes brought him an inexplicable sense of security. Now, to Mirage Country soldiers, they were nothing short of death incarnate!


    ¡°Damn it! How could the Butchers be here?¡± He muttered, instinctively realizing what had happened: ¡°Fuck! They¡¯ve captured the airfield! It¡¯s over... Everything¡¯s over now!¡±


    He knew too well how strong Tang Nation¡¯s air force was. The instant realization of what this meant hit him like the sky falling. Fengjiang¡¯s air force was formidable; Tang Nation¡¯s air force... was an even greater force of destruction!


    ¡°Sir, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Many Mirage Country soldiers hadn¡¯t seen the Butcher Fighters before and feared the Stuka far more than the Butchers.


    This officer wasn¡¯t truly afraid of the Butchers themselves but of what their presence signified¡ªTang Nation¡¯s air force! If the Tang Army gained control of the ground airfields, countless Stukas would soon fill the skies.


    Sure enough, the Stukas, which had decreased in numbers over the past two days, once again reappeared in large waves. In reality, they didn¡¯t come from the air force but from returning naval aircraft carriers that had sent attack aircraft squads to drop their leftover ammunition on Great Southern Bay.


    To allow many of their older aircraft to independently cross the ocean, Tang Nation had secretly modified many of their planes in advance.


    Stukas, Yir-2s, and Butcher Fighters were all equipped with disposable auxiliary fuel tanks. These devices temporarily increased their range and would be discarded mid-flight.


    In this way, the Stukas with a range of only about 1,000 kilometers, the Yir-2s with only 800 kilometers, and the Butchers with also less than 800 kilometers could barely fly to South Island on their own.


    Upon arriving at South Island, these planes underwent some degree of maintenance before gradually joining the battle the next day.


    As for those unmodified aircraft, they had to be transported via sea to South Island, which delayed their participation. This was unavoidable.


    Tang Army couldn¡¯t afford to modify every single plane; that would be extremely wasteful. After all, these planes were slated for retirement, and modifying them now was simply squandering resources.


    In reality, the true trans-oceanic bombing force of Tang Nation¡¯s air force consisted of hundreds of Flying Fortress strategic bombers.


    These aircraft, when carrying out long-range bombing missions across the ocean, could only carry about two tons of explosives, as most of their load was consumed by fuel weight.


    Now, these planes could easily take off from South Island airfields, fully loaded with bombs, showing Mirage Country¡¯s ground troops what true bomb delivery trucks were.


    The sight of these planes opening their bomb bays and aerial bombs falling like raindrops was captured during their close-range bombing missions and broadcasted widely.


    ¡°Sir?¡± One of the subordinates called out again timidly upon noticing their commander lost in thought. This time, the Mirage Country officer snapped out of his terror. ¡°I¡¯m fine! Just distracted... seeing that plane put me off for a moment.¡±


    He didn¡¯t bother explaining to his men because there wasn¡¯t time nor the ability to fully articulate it. He simply sighed and muttered a single ominous sentence: ¡°Soon, we¡¯ll meet our doom.¡±


    Unexpectedly, his words proved prophetic. The very next morning, Tang Army¡¯s Flying Fortress bombers made their grand entrance, fully loaded with bombs.


    The number of bombs Tang Army dropped this time was more than triple the previous amounts! Countless bombs descended into Great Southern Bay, leaving the city without a single intact building.


    Shenwu Zhong was utterly numbed by it all. He had anticipated Tang Army would repair the bombed-out airfields but hadn¡¯t expected them to do it so swiftly.


    After all, Shenwu Zhong was a man of experience. When he saw the Butcher Fighters, he immediately understood Tang Nation¡¯s aerial strike capabilities had increased.


    What he hadn¡¯t foreseen was how quickly this increase would materialize. His troops were wholly unprepared when hundreds, even thousands of bombs were dropped on Mirage Country positions.


    Mirage Country fell into chaos as Tang Army advanced aggressively under the support of ten-plus Stukas and Yir attack aircraft. By nightfall that same day, half the city had been captured.


    Shenwu Zhong was forced to relocate his central command from the city center to the eastern outskirts, where he continued organizing Mirage Country¡¯s urban guerrilla warfare.


    Yet even he could feel clearly: Mirage Country¡¯s structure was collapsing, their combat power had severely diminished, and continuing resistance seemed futile.


    ¡°I have no regrets left,¡± Shenwu Zhong said bitterly to his subordinate officers as he stared at the map.


    Ten days ago, he had ordered the destruction of every dock and pier in Great Southern Bay, even warehouses on the shore weren¡¯t spared.


    Under his command, Mirage Country¡¯s engineers demolished everything they could. Though Mirage Country¡¯s troops had crumbled in their fights recently, they ensured everything they could destroy was annihilated before falling.


    Honestly, Tang Army¡¯s destruction of South Island paled compared to what Mirage Country had done to itself. Things Tang Army couldn¡¯t bear to do were carried out decisively by Mirage Country.


    Mirage Country troops burned civilian homes during retreats, detonated ammunition supplies, and even destroyed heavy weapons they couldn¡¯t transport.


    The battlefield was littered with disabled heavy cannons with ruined barrels, vehicles stripped of essential parts, and scrapped machine guns.


    Additionally, Mirage Country burned any food supplies they couldn¡¯t consume or transport, seemingly trying to stretch Tang Army¡¯s logistics to the breaking point and force them to collapse first.


    Unfortunately, despite their scorched-earth tactics and even killing their own, they couldn¡¯t stop Tang Army¡¯s relentless advance.


    ¡°Shenwu Erlang just contacted us; his troops have already been ordered to retreat northward on the island. Reinforcements won¡¯t be coming.¡± Shenwu Zhong spoke the main point of the meeting after his bitter laugh.


    This was also the source of his current despair: the high command had completely abandoned South Island. The 3rd Corps wouldn¡¯t... and in fact, couldn¡¯t move southward anymore. Shenwu Zhong¡¯s 2nd Corps had been left behind entirely.


    ¡°The high command¡¯s order to us is... to hold our ground to the last soldier!¡± He stared at his subordinates, whose faces were a mixture of dejection and fear, and recited the Shen Emperor¡¯s command, word by word: ¡°Long live His Majesty the Shen Emperor! Long live Mirage Country! For our nation! We must fight to the death!¡±

 Chapter 1191: The outcome of 1111 has been decided

    Chapter 1191: The outcome of 1111 has been decided


    In the sky, a Yir attack aircraft began diving downward. Its dive angle wasn¡¯t as dramatic as the Stuka¡¯s, but its momentum was equally terrifying.


    Aiming its nose directly at the target on the ground, the Yir attack aircraft ignored the tracer bullets streaking past it from the side, hurtling toward the earth at high speed.


    Once it neared an artillery position on the ground, the rockets mounted under its wings began igniting one after another, trailing thick white smoke as they plunged toward their targets even faster.


    After firing six rockets in succession, the Yir attack aircraft lifted its nose abruptly, evading the side attacks of anti-aircraft machine guns like a lightning bolt, and then soared back into the azure skies.


    On the ground, the first rocket flipped over ammunition boxes and personnel at the artillery position. The second rocket directly destroyed a 150-mm heavy cannon. The third rocket struck an empty plot, sending up a plume of black smoke. The fourth rocket hit nearby building ruins. The fifth rocket also hit a building and blew off half its roof. The sixth rocket flew into the next block and landed in the middle of a street.


    Although the accuracy of the attack was less than ideal, the initial rockets still managed to throw the entire artillery position of the Goblins into chaos.


    Seeing the Yir attack aircraft depart into the distance, the Goblins who had taken cover began crawling back to their feet, dusting off the dirt on their clothes and checking whether their comrades were unharmed.


    Calls for medics rang out in the distance, while others lay motionless on the ground. The air reeked of choking soil, and the dust from the explosions slowly settled.


    A cannon lay flipped on the ground, one of its wheels nowhere to be found. Another cannon seemed immobile as well, with several artillery operators shouting frantically around it.


    The Goblin artillery commander walked across his artillery position, surveying the empty ammunition boxes. He knew his troops were essentially finished.


    Before the battle, they had never anticipated street fighting in the Great Southern Bay, nor had they considered the possibility of a prolonged conflict. In such circumstances, the stockpile of shells was laughable.


    When their navy was annihilated, all of the Mirage Country troops¡¯ operational plans fell apart. If they could still manage to win under such conditions, it would be solely a problem with the enemy.


    If they had more shells, the rocket attack just now would have likely caused a sympathetic detonation, resulting in the total destruction of their artillery position.


    Fortunately, they¡¯d already run out of most of their shells, so the enemy¡¯s attack unexpectedly didn¡¯t result in a greater explosion, minimizing their losses.


    ¡°How many wounded?¡± The Goblin artillery officer asked casually as his deputy approached him.


    ¡°About a dozen wounded. Eight dead. The rest are alright. We now only have two usable cannons left, and just a dozen or so shells...¡± The deputy looked at the recently destroyed cannon with anguish and replied despondently.


    The enemy¡¯s air force was truly ferocious, no matter how carefully they concealed themselves, they were always found and attacked.


    Just yesterday, they had set up this concealed position. After firing only a few shots, it was exposed, and then the Yir attack aircraft swooped down mercilessly.


    Of course, this was still considered mild. A few days earlier, whenever the Tang Nation Navy could target them, the fearsome shells from the colossal 380-mm guns would rain down, blowing away half an artillery position in one strike!


    Now that was truly havoc! The entire position would quake, mushroom clouds of explosions blotting out the sky. For the Mirage Country soldiers stationed at the artillery position being attacked, it felt as if it were the end of the world.


    In truth, Tang Nation¡¯s air force had not committed its main strength to the Great Southern Bay operation, as a Tang submarine had discovered... the 3rd Corps of Mirage Country seemed to be retreating from the South Island.


    This was unacceptable, so most of the Tang Nation Air Force¡¯s ground-attack units that had just arrived at the South Island were redirected northward to strike at Mirage Country¡¯s transport ships.


    Over there, the situation was truly chaotic, as dozens of Mirage Country transport ships were sunk, leaving bodies floating everywhere on the sea.


    It¡¯s said that Shenwu Erlang had already issued orders to consolidate the retreat into nighttime hours, though no one knew how effective this would be. However, by moving exclusively at night, their efficiency would likely be at best one-third of what it was during daytime crossings.


    ¡°News just came in¡ªthe port area is completely lost...¡± The deputy brought another grim report, confirming that Mirage Country troops had already been chased out of most of the Great Southern Bay¡¯s urban area.


    What worried the Mirage Country commanders even more was that they were now surrounded. Tang forces had cut off the connection between the island¡¯s north and south, and now directly encircled the Great Southern Bay from the east.


    The 2nd Corps¡¯ doom was sealed; they had no escape routes left! Still, no one wanted to die here¡ªthey were all waiting for Shenwu Zhong to issue the order to surrender.


    Yet, word had it that during yesterday¡¯s meeting, Shenwu Zhong had no intention of surrendering. He declared that the Shen Emperor had ordered them to hold their ground to the last soldier, and no one had further discussions on the matter.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing worth defending in the port district anymore; all the warehouses have blown up, docks have been wrecked, and the harbor is filled with sunken ships... Tang forces wouldn¡¯t even be able to use it for much,¡± a Goblin artillery officer remarked indifferently about the port¡¯s loss.


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± The deputy looked up and saw that the Yir had no intention of turning back, easing his anxiety somewhat.


    Distant gunfire grew more intense as Tang forces stormed a ruinous position being fiercely defended by the Mirage Country troops. If that position were to fall, several nearby blocks would be impossible to hold.


    Thus, Mirage Country troops poured heavy reinforcements into this area, willing to fight to the death in a defiant stand. Both sides had been locked in combat there all day, unable to break the deadlock.


    Judging by casualties alone, Tang forces had already claimed victory three times over, yet Mirage Country troops still clung to it, a testament to Shenwu Zhong¡¯s resolve.


    That position was less than a kilometer away from Shenwu Zhong¡¯s secret command post, another reason why the Mirage Country forces fought so tenaciously.


    On an eastern battlefield outside the city, a Tang 4th Assault Gun, protecting a squad of soldiers, had just captured a village on the eastern side of the Great Southern Bay.


    From their resting spot, they could already see the smoke rising from the city. With this capture, Mirage Country¡¯s 2nd Corps defensive zone had been compressed into just a few square kilometers.


    The Mirage Country army was rapidly disintegrating, as their ammunition was nearly depleted and they had lost most of their weapons and equipment.


    After losing nearly all of their tanks, remnants of the Mirage Country 3rd Armored Division had fled with the 3rd Corps, while the remaining 2nd Armored Division surrendered to Tang¡¯s 9th Armored Division yesterday evening.


    After seventeen days of intense combat, the battle for the South Island was no longer in doubt: only Shenwu Zhong¡¯s troops were still making desperate last stands.


    But Shenwu Zhong had no reserves left. His forces had been compressed into a territory just five kilometers wide, short on both ammunition and medical supplies, and lacking any peaceful place to rest.


    By the next morning, the anticipated mass surrenders began: first came armed civilians without any training, who disarmed themselves¡ªa platoon or a company¡¯s worth in ragged groups of dozens or hundreds walking out of trenches or ruins with their hands up.


    Soon after, regular troops began surrendering, though their numbers were far fewer, owing to the colossal losses sustained in prolonged combat.


    These soldiers hadn¡¯t eaten for an entire day; many of their guns were broken beyond repair. Some had only a few bullets left in their pockets, and half of them didn¡¯t even have steel helmets.


    Soon, the Tang forces encountered a Mirage Country Major General leading his troops under a white flag. He surrendered because his unit had no water, food, or ammunition.


    Yet not everyone accepted defeat. Some Mirage Country officers led their units in desperate bayonet charges against Tang forces despite running out of ammo.


    Though their fanaticism was evident, they didn¡¯t even come close to reaching Tang positions¡ªthey were wiped out entirely by the overwhelming firepower of Tang forces.


    Earlier, Tang forces had to waste time and effort rooting out the Goblins hiding among the ruins. Now that they gathered and charged into Tang gunfire, their annihilation was exponentially faster.


    At 2 PM that day, a Tang infantry battalion advancing forward encountered a Mirage Country officer emerging under a white flag. He carried the banner of the 2nd Corps and a blood-stained ¡°dagger.¡±


    He confirmed to the Tang forces that the 2nd Corps Commander, Shenwu Zhong, had committed suicide half an hour earlier inside his hidden underground command post. Alongside him, seven or eight senior officers of the 2nd Corps had also taken their own lives.


    As the surviving highest-ranking officer, he formally surrendered to Tang Nation. An hour later, the Battle of the Great Southern Bay officially concluded, with Tang forces taking control of the port city and beginning cleanup and reconstruction efforts before dinner.


    The South Island campaign would last two more days, during which Tang forces would focus on sweeping up the remaining Mirage Country troops in the island¡¯s north.


    The remnants of Mirage Country¡¯s 3rd Corps and the 3rd Armored Division spent two days retreating in disarray back to New Island. Twenty days earlier, they had left New Island for the South Island, and now, twenty days later, they were fleeing back to where they started.


    But this time, they noticed far fewer companions around them. When the 3rd Corps departed from New Island, it had a force of 100,000.


    Now... they had around 60,000 left. And even this number included local forces from the northern South Island and the tankless remnants of the 3rd Armored Division.


    Still, their retreat was not entirely in vain; at least on paper, these scattered troops bolstered the defensive strength of New Island.


    After all, many Mirage Country citizens naively believed they could hold New Island and thwart Tang forces¡¯ advance.

 Chapter 1192: Clean up Great Southern Bay

    Chapter 1192: Clean up Great Southern Bay


    The battle seemed to have ended at this moment, with the Tang Army¡¯s Engineer Corps busier than the combat troops, bustling with construction sights everywhere, while the combat had decreased.


    Apart from the Flying Fortress Bombers dispatched from the Tang Empire, there was hardly any sign of war here, as everyone was busy building houses and repairing aircraft runways.


    The most important task was to rebuild the port of the Great Southern Bay. Anticipating future needs, the Tang Army had prepared for the refurbishment of the Great Southern Bay before attacking the South Island.


    Frankly, the strategic location of the Great Southern Bay of the Mirage Country was indeed excellent, but they had wasted such a good place, not utilizing its advantages at all.


    The Great Southern Bay is called so because it is a south-facing ¡°C¡±-shaped bay, with calm waters within and a deep-water harbor, making it a naturally gifted location.


    The Tang Country needed to construct this port as a springboard for their operations. According to the prior plan, the South Island and the New Island belonged to the Tang People, the Ben Island to the Orcs, and the Northern Island was reserved for the Goblins.


    Tang Mo had no reason to exterminate the Goblins entirely, and he also needed to settle a few Goblin ministers. After extracting all the benefits from the Goblin race, they would be exiled to the Northern Island, where they would... continue to live.


    ¡°This truly is a nice place, at least... the air is nice.¡± General Feng Kezhi said as he walked on the streets of the Great Southern Bay, stepping on the rubble, with his boots making crunching sounds.


    In the distance was the western fort, which once housed four heavy 350mm cannons, but they were too outdated to compete with the Tang Army¡¯s 280mm naval guns.


    Since the Tang Army emphasized firing rates, their artillery, regardless of size, possessed a remarkably high rate of fire. With the aid of automatic loaders, many 127-caliber artillery could quickly fire, effectively combating aircraft when paired with radio proximity fuses.


    Currently, the western fort did not have as many large cannons. The Tang Army had destroyed the entire fort, and the Mirage Country forces had left behind some explosives when they abandoned it, demolishing most of the facilities.


    However, from what remained, it was clear that the Mirage Country also valued the coastal defense of the Great Southern Bay. They simply ran out of resources, unable to build a modern fort while maintaining a massive fleet.


    Never mind that the fort itself was made of reinforced concrete cement; those expensive cannons were the treasures that even the Navy coveted.


    Each cannon consisted of several dozen tons of premium steel. If used for a fort, it meant one less for naval warships. Such was the impoverished state of the Mirage Country, with no alternatives.


    Though only two days had passed, the air in the Great Southern Bay indeed became fresher with the sea breeze. The scent of gunpowder was gone, and the local industry was not very developed ¡ª at least not to the extent of Tongcheng.


    A few Goblin children were shining shoes for the Tang Empire soldiers on the roadside vacant lots. They worked diligently, as it was the only way to earn two copper coins as a reward.


    Some adult Goblins were hauling stones from the ruins, their bodies thin due to long-term malnutrition. Before surrendering, the Mirage Country garrison had burned large amounts of food and supplies, leaving the remaining Goblins to fend for themselves for food.


    They either faced starvation or took risks to work for the Tang People in exchange for a meal. The Tang People did not provide relief to these Goblins who had lost their food source, a stark contrast to their previous image of distributing resources widely.


    Perhaps they never intended to occupy this place for long... or maybe they never considered coexisting with the Goblins here.


    A 130 transport plane, loaded with supplies and with auxiliary fuel tanks on its wings, clumsily descended to a lower altitude. During the time General Feng Kezhi walked this stretch, he had seen three such planes landing at a newly repaired field airport in the distance.


    These planes were filled with supplies and, upon departing, would transport soldiers¡¯ letters and some wounded personnel.


    Various boxes surrounded the airport, with canned goods and instant noodles visible everywhere. By February, the South Island could already prepare for sowing, so many seeds, along with several agricultural experts, had been sent over from the Tang Country.


    ¡°When will the port be operational?¡± Although most of the personnel of the 9th Group Army had been brought ashore, General Feng Kezhi was still concerned about the restoration of the Great Southern Bay docks.


    For any further northward operations across the sea, the transportation and storage of supplies were absolutely crucial. Sustaining an army of over a hundred thousand was no easy task, let alone having them continue advancing.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say right now. Shengwu Zhong¡¯s damage to the docks was extensive, with a lot of explosives planted, essentially requiring us to rebuild a new port.¡± Lu Qianshan regrettably walked beside General Feng Kezhi, answering his question.


    In reality, it would be better to build a new port altogether: not only were there underwater mines laid in the Great Southern Bay by the enemy, but a significant number of civilian and warships had been sunk in the bay.


    Tang Army divers were making every effort to clear these obstacles, while the engineers on the shore worked hard to construct several large docks, intended to replace the temporary floating docks on the beach.


    Though the floating docks were crucial during the unloading of troops, it had to be admitted that these temporary docks could not consistently maintain high efficiency.


    With constant erosion and pounding by the tides, these hastily assembled docks would soon leak and become damaged, eventually losing their function.


    Before these floating docks became useless, the Tang Army needed to repair the Great Southern Bay harbor. If they could not, the Tang Army on the South Island would have to abandon thoughts of further combat.


    After all, the Tang Army¡¯s fuel, ammunition... almost all consumables were shipped from the mainland. If transportation efficiency decreased, these supplies could not be replenished, and the combat capability of the Tang Army would be significantly affected.


    ¡°As soon as possible...¡± General Feng Kezhi continued onward, passing by a wall pockmarked with bullet holes that had collapsed halfway, where a Tang Army supply truck was parked, with soldiers distributing chocolate and cigarettes, part of the regular rations.


    ¡°I used to think we could delay transporting these items, focusing instead on food and ammunition fuel. But I later realized that avoiding it greatly affected morale, so I abandoned that foolish idea.¡± General Feng Kezhi self-deprecatingly laughed, pointing to the truck and speaking to Lu Qianshan.


    Lu Qianshan also laughed, wearing a white navy uniform, which looked more stylish than General Feng Kezhi¡¯s army green uniform.


    The army is earthy, the navy is fashionable, and the air force consists of wealthy individuals... there¡¯s no way around it; high-tech military branches emphasize elegance and pursue respectability.


    ¡°After all, when deploying troops one or two thousand kilometers away from home, you need to provide them some comfort.¡± Lu Qianshan understood this aspect well: ¡°To maintain the soldiers¡¯ morale, our navy also came up with many ideas.¡±


    Indeed, compared to the army, the navy¡¯s meals were extraordinarily good, not just with various seafood and meat, but also with efforts to keep the vegetables as fresh as possible.


    Even more extravagantly, on large warships, there were often ice-making machines and ice cream machines in the canteens, which the army considered luxurious.


    There¡¯s no helping it, as naval warships don¡¯t lack electricity when started, allowing various equipment to be used, and even General Feng Kezhi received very good treatment while at sea.


    The air force, needless to say, reportedly had meal standards higher than the navy, with many foods directly shipped from the mainland, showcasing great attention to detail.


    Moreover, it¡¯s more convenient for the air force to make ice cream: just find a fighter jet, fill the auxiliary fuel tanks with ice cream ingredients, fly to an altitude of 10,000 meters, do a few rolls, and come back with finished ice cream...


    While the two chatted, a massive explosion resounded through the sky in the Great Southern Bay. A towering water column was clearly visible from General Feng Kezhi¡¯s position.


    Nearby guards immediately became tense, and soldiers on the cigarette-distributing truck grabbed their weapons, looking around vigilantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright! It¡¯s alright! Underwater demolition by the divers!¡± Someone in the distance waved their arms, shouting loudly towards the rest.


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and Lu Qianshan awkwardly smiled, saying, ¡°The navy is in a hurry, so they¡¯re using explosive methods to deal with some obstacles and sunken ships.¡±


    Divers would directly place a torpedo or depth charge in the sunken ships below, setting the fuse to detonate.


    The massive explosion would damage the underwater ship structure, potentially eliminating the wreck faster than salvaging it.


    Of course, this approach leaves some risks and might not completely remove the sunken ships... but to save time, they had to try at any cost.


    The warships of the Mirage Country, once sunken, were easier to deal with, as a group of makeshift worker sailors were dismantling the cannons and valuable items on them.


    ¡°I heard the Orc laborers will arrive soon?¡± General Feng Kezhi suddenly remembered the situation with the Orcs and curiously asked Lu Qianshan.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, barring any surprises, ships should arrive tonight. They¡¯ll help build railways, roads, airports, and port docks here.¡± Lu Qianshan replied, ¡°If necessary, they¡¯ll also participate in operations on New Island and Ben Island.¡±


    ¡°Phew...¡± a rough echo louder than dragon roars came from the distant sky. It was a Jian-6 Fighter Jet patrolling. Its silver body was highly conspicuous, and combined with its deafening noise, often caused people on the ground to stop and look.


    Since these aircraft began their duties, no Mirage Country reconnaissance planes have appeared over the South Island... or if they did, they¡¯d be quickly shot down. Their rapid crashes likely led to the impression that ¡°Mirage Country planes never came.¡±

 Chapter 1193: One kind of gambling fund

    Chapter 1193: One kind of gambling fund


    In fact, the Mirage Country¡¯s Air Force had never ceased reconnaissance missions over South Island, and quite a few Mirage pilots were still diligently carrying out ¡°suicide missions.¡±


    However, they¡¯ve recently encountered a small problem¡ªor perhaps, a big one!


    The Tang Army has deployed a new type of fighter jet. Like their roaring bombers, the Tang Army¡¯s new fighter produces a dragon-like howl, then barrels toward Mirage Country¡¯s fighter jets at a terrifying speed.


    Just like a falcon swooping down on a sparrow, over half of Mirage Country¡¯s pilots were shredded by cannon fire before they even figured out where the enemy was.


    Today, two more Zero Fighters were ordered to take off to perform reconnaissance missions over South Island. There was no choice¡ªMirage Country had to endure the losses and keep sending planes up to confirm the Tang Army¡¯s deployment details on South Island.


    The two Zero Fighters took off from New Island, flying one after the other toward South Island. At an altitude of 4,000 meters, they pushed their aircraft to maximum speed in a desperate attempt to quickly reach South Island¡¯s airspace, take a quick reconnaissance look, and immediately return to base.


    At this altitude, they could achieve their maximum speed of around 500 kilometers per hour. Frankly, this speed, globally speaking, wasn¡¯t too slow.


    But unfortunately, their opponents were far too fast...


    At over 8,000 meters altitude, two Jian-6s were patrolling the skies above South Island. Their altitude was ideal, allowing them to exploit their speed advantage.


    Speed boosts in fighters don¡¯t just provide a combat edge in dogfights¡ªthey also grant broader strategic advantages.


    For instance, faster fighters can reach the battlefield in less time, conserving pilots¡¯ physical energy and enabling them to maintain higher focus and better mental conditions during engagements.


    Additionally, faster fighters can quickly arrive in the combat zone, expanding the airspace they control. Fewer patrol fighters are needed to cover the same area.


    Furthermore, faster speeds allow patrolling fighters in nearby airspaces to swiftly regroup, creating localized numerical superiority in engagements...


    These are the advantages enjoyed by fast aircraft over slower ones. When an aircraft can reach double, or even triple, the enemy¡¯s speed, these advantages become overwhelmingly apparent.


    ¡°Patrol 01, Patrol 01! Ground command tower calling!¡± Tang Army pilots heard the voice of the ground command tower through their headsets.


    ¡°Calling the tower! Calling the tower! This is Patrol 01 formation! Awaiting instructions!¡± The pilot pressed the communication button and responded to the ground command tower¡¯s call.


    ¡°Radar shows! Altitude 4000! Two o¡¯clock direction! Two enemy aircraft are invading!¡± The ground commander relayed newly received information about the enemy intrusion.


    ¡°Patrol 01 acknowledges! Adjust heading to the right by 35 degrees! Wingman, adjust heading to the right by 35 degrees!¡±


    ¡°Wingman acknowledges! Adjusting heading to the right by 35 degrees!¡±


    ¡°Target spotted! Directly ahead! Below us!¡± ¡°Calling tower! Calling tower! Target confirmed! Target confirmed! Leave it to us!¡±


    ¡°Lock onto the leading aircraft! Dive toward the sun¡¯s direction to enter attack angle¡ªactivate afterburners and engage at supersonic speed!¡± In the cockpit, the leading pilot issued his attack order.


    He subtly nudged his control stick, positioning his aircraft above the enemy, backlit by the sun, into the enemy¡¯s visual blind spot.


    Soon, the two Jian-6s turned on their afterburners. With a slight dive, they swiftly broke the sound barrier, unleashing sonic booms as they charged toward their distant targets.


    At these speeds, a distance of several thousand meters could be crossed in just ten seconds. Before the Tang Army¡¯s Jian-6s began their attack, Mirage pilots had already heard the chilling roar of the engines.


    Inside the cockpit filled with window frames, they frantically searched for the terrifying enemy. They could hear the sound but couldn¡¯t locate its source.


    The noise inside their planes was already deafening, combined with the glass barriers that obscured sound localization. To them, air combat had morphed into a horror game.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± the wingman nervously asked his leader, unable to spot the enemy aircraft, only hearing the terrifying dragon¡¯s howl circling them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see them either! Stay cautious! They might be above us!¡± From experience, the leader advised his rookie wingman.


    Tang Army pilots frequently exploited their terrifying altitude and speed advantages to launch attacks. Though Mirage pilots were somewhat familiar with their opponents¡¯ tactics, there was no way to counter this invincible strategy.


    In truth, the Tang Army¡¯s approach wasn¡¯t a secret¡ªyet since their planes were far too fast, knowing the tactics didn¡¯t mean they could catch up to execute a countermeasure. What could they even do?


    As the two Mirage pilots exchanged words, suddenly, dazzling tracer bullets rained down from the sky, and a 30mm cannon shot tore through the wing of a Mirage Zero Fighter. A 20mm cannon shot immediately followed, hitting the Goblin leader¡¯s cockpit.


    The canopy¡¯s glass instantly shattered, and the steel window frames warped from the impact. Blood splattered everywhere as the Zero Fighter fractured in an instant, like a blooming flower.


    Then, a dark silhouette streaked past them from their rear diagonal¡ªit was an eagle sweeping over its prey. Before the wingman could process what had happened, a second shadow shot past as well.


    Inside the Zero Fighter¡¯s cockpit, the rookie Goblin pilot, with only a month of training and minimal takeoff practice, had just glimpsed the fiery tail exhaust of the two passing fighters when he realized his aircraft was uncontrollably falling.


    At last, he noticed his plane¡¯s wing had snapped¡ªthe wing had been hit by a shell, and structural damage caused the wing to be torn apart by drag, leaving only half intact.


    The Zero Fighter had been flying at its extreme limit. With the wing broken, the plane instantly lost control.


    The aircraft spiraled downward, below lay the icy cold ocean. The crash site was at least 20 kilometers away from South Island¡ªfalling here was tantamount to death.


    A scorched stench filled the cockpit. The rookie Goblin pilot, disoriented in the spinning plane, struggled to locate the source of the burning odor.


    Soon, his aircraft smashed into the water, and its fragile fuselage shattered upon impact. Seawater poured in through the gaps. The Mirage Country pilot, already unconscious, remained strapped in by his seatbelt.


    Everything happened too quickly¡ªthe two planes¡¯ pilots had no time to report what they saw or experienced before being taken down into the depths of the ocean.


    As cold seawater engulfed him, the Goblin rookie pilot regained consciousness. He struggled to unfasten his seatbelt, but before he could finish, the sinking plane dragged him into the ocean¡¯s grip.


    Darkness prevailed, and after two brief jerks of his body, all movement ceased. The plane sank bit by bit, occasionally expelling compressed air into the water.


    ¡°Zero pressure!¡± Disengaging afterburners, the Jian-6 pilot gazed at the white caps on the ocean surface without a shred of excitement.


    Their opponents were far too weak¡ªso weak that they posed no threat whatsoever. From any perspective, Mirage Country¡¯s fighter jets were utterly inferior.


    As battles continued, the gap between Mirage and Tang pilots only grew wider. With almost no losses, the Tang pilots maintained their skill levels and even improved due to increased combat experience.


    But for Mirage pilots, it was a different story¡ªcatastrophic losses had wiped out their best-trained airmen; now only rookies and greenhorns remained.


    Such pilots weren¡¯t even guaranteed to land their planes safely, let alone fight in aerial combat.


    With these circumstances, shooting down Mirage aircraft had become child¡¯s play for the Tang Army. Yet everyone loved this kind of hunt, because even if it was easy prey, pilots could still mark their jets with a record of victories.


    Each tally mark represented one downed enemy plane¡ªthirty confirmed kills would grant the title of Ace Pilot! Yes, though the bar had been raised, for jet fighter pilots this number was easily attainable.


    Now aerial combat was about ¡°earning credentials,¡± and pilots fought for patrol missions as if they were placing bets.


    Some paid money to buy takeoff rights, others gambled patrol slots at poker tables¡ªeveryone seemed to be enjoying themselves in this world where only Mirage pilots came away injured.


    There was no escape; the Jian-6 fighters were equipped with two 20mm cannons and one 30mm cannon.


    This setup had been designed as an interceptor, specifically to target Lighthouse Country¡¯s bombers. But deploying it against fighters was simply cruel...


    A Zero Fighter hit by a single cannon shell often broke apart in mid-air, and two shells would cause it to explode outright. Most of the unfortunate Goblin pilots didn¡¯t even have time to eject.


    Swiftly, Tang Army pilots began to notice fewer and fewer Mirage planes appearing in the skies. This was because an increasing number of strategic bombers had begun bombarding New Island¡¯s facilities; most of the airfields there had been destroyed.


    Under these conditions, Mirage Country relocated the majority of its aircraft to Ben Island, effectively ceding air supremacy over New Island.


    Thus, over the following month, Tang Country¡¯s war against Mirage turned into a situation characterized by building bridges, paving roads, constructing houses, farming, establishing ports, and chasing fishing boats...


    After completing a massive landing operation, Tang Country shifted its focus to the raging global conflict unfolding in other nations.

 Chapter 1194: The neutrality of the Great Tang Empire has never changed since 1114.

    Chapter 1194: The neutrality of the Great Tang Empire has never changed since 1114.


    ¡°Respected Lord Nangong, I sincerely wish to convey our hopes to you and His Majesty The Emperor of the Great Tang Empire. The conflict between the Ice Cold Empire and the Poplar Empire is purely a private grievance. If the Great Tang Empire has any intention of intervening in the war, please inform us in advance.¡± As he spoke, the Dwarven ambassador¡¯s beard trembled with his movements.


    Despite its arrogance, the Ice Cold Empire had no desire to clash with the Great Tang Empire, which possessed absolute technological superiority. Fearing the Great Tang Empire¡¯s involvement in the war, they immediately halted all trade with Mirage Country.


    Under the orders of Binghan the First, the Emperor of the Ice Cold Empire, not a single ship heading for Mirage Country was allowed to leave port. As a result, the Tang Navy quickly realized that their commerce raiding missions suddenly lacked any viable targets.


    ¡°If the Great Tang Empire supports the Poplar Empire, then we are willing to immediately reconcile with the Poplar Empire. As long as the Great Tang Empire is willing, we are prepared to abandon all currently occupied Poplar Empire territories and retreat to the original borders between our two nations. We adhere to the mediation of the Great Tang Empire, and peace can be achieved at any time.¡± With the entry of the Great Tang Empire into the conflict and the complete annihilation of Mirage Country¡¯s navy, the Ice Cold Empire no longer dared to wage war against the Poplar Empire under the watchful eyes of the Tang Empire.


    They were terrified that the Great Tang Empire might casually provide technological support to the Poplar Empire, which would tip the scales of war in favor of those damned Elves of the Poplar Empire.


    ¡°The Tri-Imperial Alliance is not the kind of relationship you imagine it to be. Our cooperation is much broader in the realm of trade, and the Great Tang Empire bears no obligations to alter its military stance for the sake of other nations. As for the conflict between the Ice Cold Empire and the Poplar Empire... we prefer to maintain neutrality.¡± Nangong Hong, who had just returned from Fengjiang, wearily accepted a tea cup from his secretary as he spoke to the Dwarven ambassador.


    If it had been purely a personal matter, he would have preferred not to meet the Dwarven ambassador in such an exhausted state. However, the Great Tang Empire needed him to make a statement to ensure that the war between the Ice Cold Empire and the Poplar Empire continued.


    Without a solidly clear statement from the Great Tang Empire to the Dwarves, the Ice Cold Empire might quickly opt for reconciliation with the Poplar Empire¡ªeven at the cost of conceding some interests.


    In recent times, Nangong Hong had been so busy that he felt on the verge of spitting blood. Initially, he had believed that his young body could be pushed to its limits, but cruel reality eventually reminded him that the Foreign Minister of this empire was no longer so youthful.


    Fengjiang, in fact, was now under the full control of the Great Tang Empire. The process of transferring authority there was enormous and exceptionally complex.


    It was even more chaotic than the takeover of Nanshan Port because the entire handover process was conducted in secrecy. By the time the local population realized they had become citizens of the Great Tang Empire, the National Defense Army of the Great Tang Empire had already replaced the Dahua Empire¡¯s troops.


    The same scenario unfolded in Nanku and Sword Pavilion, along with Guiguang, Shanping, Wanliang, Hezhe, and the Wilderness.


    Although these eight cities were still nominally part of the Dahua Empire, they were, in practice, already under the effective control of the Great Tang Empire.


    These locations had begun fully adopting the administrative methods of the Great Tang Empire. Officials were appointed by the Great Tang Empire, and even the farmland near Wanliang was now utilizing agricultural machinery from the Great Tang Empire.


    The first outsider to learn that Zhao Yu had sold these territories was Zhao Jie. One morning, after waking up, Zhao Jie received a report from his subordinates: the garrison in Guiguang had been replaced!


    Over 300,000 troops of the Dahua military had withdrawn from the defensive line between Guiguang and Shanchong, and in their place stood the National Defense Army of the Great Tang Empire.


    This development left Zhao Jie without even the courage to launch artillery toward Guiguang. Instead, he sent an envoy, waving a white flag, to inquire about the situation in Guiguang.


    The reply was as follows: while the area was still nominally under the sovereignty of the Dahua Empire, if Zhao Jie got any wild ideas about firing artillery toward Guiguang, the retaliatory fire would come from the troops of the Great Tang Empire.


    There was no obligation to explain the specifics of the exchange between the Great Tang Empire and Zhao Yu. As such, Zhao Jie could only surmise: ¡°Guiguang is now being defended by the Tang Army on behalf of Zhao Yu. It¡¯s better not to stir up trouble!¡±


    After surrendering so many cities, Zhao Yu wasn¡¯t left empty-handed. He gained tens of thousands of troops stationed in regions like Guiguang, in addition to receiving a new round of military aid from the Great Tang Empire.


    With a massive supply of artillery shells in hand, his forces successfully broke through the Xiqing defensive line. Li Mingshun led his troops to retreat to a defensive position near Caili, leaving Zhao Ji¡¯s controlled territory reduced to only Caili and Rushu.


    Nangong Hong¡¯s trip to Fengjiang this time involved coordinating with numerous departmental heads to fully take over this vast region. The sheer workload was staggering; it was no exaggeration to say that he hadn¡¯t had proper rest for over a month.


    996? Don¡¯t even joke about something so pleasant. For an official like him, there were no holidays to speak of. When there wasn¡¯t much happening, he might manage a few days of rest here and there. But in times of high demand, he could end up working for dozens of days straight.


    Hearing what Nangong Hong said, the Dwarven ambassador let out a sigh of relief. He was genuinely worried that the Poplar Empire might have offered some benefits to the Great Tang Empire, leading them to pressure the Ice Cold Empire into making concessions.


    Now that the Poplar Empire hadn¡¯t made a move, didn¡¯t that mean the Ice Cold Empire could strike preemptively? With this thought, hope reignited in the Dwarven ambassador¡¯s heart, and he asked, ¡°In that case, is there any possibility that the Great Tang Empire could side with us in the Ice Cold Empire?¡±


    ¡°Just as we won¡¯t support the Poplar Empire, we also won¡¯t support the Ice Cold Empire. We have no interest in the wars on the Eastern Continent. Doesn¡¯t that align with the interests of the Ice Cold Empire as well?¡± Nangong Hong smiled as he declined the ambassador¡¯s ¡°invitation.¡±


    Before the ambassador could fully process this disappointing news, Nangong Hong added soothingly, ¡°If we were to show any interest in re-engaging with the Eastern Continent, I imagine that both you and the Poplar Empire truly wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep at night, would you?¡±


    While Nangong Hong¡¯s question was delivered with a lighthearted tone, its sharpness was enough to make the Dwarven ambassador shiver down to his spine.


    If the Great Tang Empire genuinely expressed strong interest in the conflicts on the Eastern Continent... both the Ice Cold Empire and the Poplar Empire might swiftly find themselves compelled to shake hands and make peace.


    Should the Great Tang Empire¡ªa giant dragon¡ªstep onto the scene, then neither the bear-like Ice Cold Empire nor the eagle-like Poplar Empire would be spared. They would both become food for the Great Tang Empire.


    The Endless Sea, once thought of as an insurmountable barrier, now seemed far less secure: If the Great Tang Empire could transport troops to Mirage Country, then sending them to the Eastern Continent would hardly be a challenge.


    As a result, nations on the Eastern Continent were desperately vying to purchase the Great Tang Empire¡¯s new advanced weaponry.


    They all believed that, at the very least, they needed weapons capable of deterring the Tang Army from launching an amphibious landing. The unfortunate reality, however, was that none of them knew what such a standard of deterrence even looked like anymore.


    In the past, their weapons were still within the realm of their comprehension. They could understand the trajectory of advancements in weaponry. But since the outbreak of the Mirage Country War, the Tang Army¡¯s weapons had completely surpassed their scope of understanding.


    Previously, Tang firearms had been superior, but their general nature was still comprehensible. Shireck also had muskets, though the Tang Group¡¯s guns were simply better.


    Similarly, Tang cannons were taller, and Tang warships were stronger and more resilient....


    These things existed previously and were somewhat comprehensible in their design. People could at least pretend to understand¡ªlike hot air balloons and zeppelins that could float, or rocket artillery that could fly toward their targets.


    As advanced and impressive as these weapons were, they were still within the realm of human understanding, allowing observers to feign a sense of mastery over their principles.


    But now, the weapons the Great Tang Empire showcased had crossed into the realm of ¡°incomprehensible.¡± The Great Tang Empire had developed weapons of extraordinary precision capable of directly threatening enemy battleships.


    They even had aircraft capable of emitting a dragon¡¯s roar, soaring through the skies at speeds two or three times that of ordinary planes!


    Technicians from various countries racked their brains but couldn¡¯t fathom how the Tang Group had developed such weapons.


    How did these weapons work? Why were they designed in such forms? What materials were used...? These were questions without answers, problems without solutions, and mysteries that no one could clarify.


    Even earlier, when the advanced technologies like radar began spreading from the Tang Country, no nation¡¯s technicians could follow the Tang Group¡¯s developmental logic.


    It was as though they were children babbling incomprehensibly, their minds empty, endlessly absorbing the bits of knowledge leaked by the Tang Group. And just as they began to grasp some concepts, the Great Tang Empire would unveil something entirely new.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking...¡± The Dwarven ambassador forced a smile and wisely chose not to pursue the topic further. Instead, he said to Nangong Hong, ¡°Since the Great Tang Empire maintains strict neutrality, our Ice Cold Empire hopes to purchase your nation¡¯s advanced weaponry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use telling me this.¡± Nangong Hong waved his hand dismissively and stifled a yawn before saying, ¡°This is something you¡¯ll need to discuss with Harry. We treat everyone equally¡ªany weapon approved for sale by the Ministry of National Defense, the Staff Department, and His Majesty The Emperor will be sold to whoever pays.¡±


    This was a statement the Great Tang Empire (or rather, the Tang Group) had repeated countless times to the outside world. Many nations doubted its validity, yet the facts often proved that the Tang Group¡¯s reputation in this regard was largely trustworthy.


    Apart from the cutting-edge weapons designated for the Great Tang Empire¡¯s own use, the weapons sold by the Tang Group to other nations were indeed of high quality and exactly as advertised.... And, as they claimed, they were willing to sell to anyone willing to pay.

 Chapter 1195: 1115 is also doing a door-closing dog beating

    Chapter 1195: 1115 is also doing a door-closing dog beating


    When Li Mingshun arrived at the somewhat ostentatious Lord¡¯s Mansion in Caili City with his guards, he was genuinely disgusted by Zhao Ji.


    This so-called legitimate Emperor of the Dahua Empire had renovated the Lord¡¯s Mansion using the sweat-soaked wealth gouged from the local commoners.


    The newly refurbished Lord¡¯s Mansion still exuded a desolate poverty of an end-of-the-road nature. A closer inspection revealed the cracks and decay in the corners. After all, no matter how a peasant woman dresses up, she can never become a Princess. Likewise, no amount of decoration can transform a Lord¡¯s Mansion into an imperial palace.


    Yet, it was in such a place¡ªa place where any ambitious Emperor wouldn¡¯t have wasted their time¡ªthat Zhao Ji chose to sink into debauchery.


    A suffocating stench filled the air, making Li Mingshun restless. It was the smell of women, the smell of men, the foul stench of men and women tangled together.


    Some women, utterly soulless and almost naked, lay sprawled on the carpeted hall floor. They were indifferent to the passing guards, their expressions frozen in apathy.


    Every day, they engaged in orgies with the Emperor¡¯s guards, ministers, attendants, and even his coachmen. All this happened openly, in the Emperor¡¯s presence, using all kinds of positions and moans to amuse him.


    The young Emperor seemed to rely on such acts to secure the loyalty of his followers and use these grotesque spectacles to forge unbreakable bonds between them.


    Yes, Zhao Ji¡¯s method of currying favor was shockingly, and admittedly shamefully, simple: everyone shared the same women. A crude and utterly disgraceful way to buy loyalty.


    Li Mingshun ignored the exhausted, half-naked women and led his soldiers forward. His leather boots crushed the carpet, transitioning to the stone floor with sharp, echoing clinks from his hobnails.


    He stopped before a grand door, the entrance to the ¡°temporary palace¡± bedroom. Without even knocking, a servant pushed the door open for him.


    A creak sounded as the door swung ajar. The scene inside the bedroom met Li Mingshun¡¯s eyes: he saw at least three women entwined around Zhao Ji like vines, and the Emperor¡ªwho had seemed normal just two or three months ago¡ªnow looked no different from a desiccated corpse.


    Raising an arm as thin as a withered branch, Zhao Ji weakly waved at Li Mingshun. His feeble voice oozed lethargy and decadence, filling the room: ¡°Great General... you¡¯re here? Darlings, this is Dahua¡¯s Great General!¡±


    Zhao Ji didn¡¯t even have the strength to sit up from the bed, still debilitated from last night¡¯s hangover, his pounding headache persisting.


    The women¡ªonce potentially worthy of being Empresses or Imperial Concubines¡ªmade no attempt to cover their naked bodies. They lazily studied Li Mingshun, as though propriety and morality had long ceased to exist in this place.


    Li Mingshun glanced at the scattered liquor bottles strewn about the room, including several of the expensive Chang¡¯an Year 3 vintages from the Great Tang Empire. To find such rare wine in such a place during such times? Emperor Zhao Ji, it seemed, still fared better than Yuan Shu, who had once lamented his inability to obtain honey.


    ¡°So, what do you think? I personally handpicked them. If the Great General likes, feel free to take them to the next room,¡± Zhao Ji generously expressed his ¡°respect¡± or, perhaps, his ¡°favor¡± toward Li Mingshun. His implication was clear: Look, I, the Emperor, am even offering you my bedmates¡ªcould I be any more magnanimous?


    ¡°Your Majesty, Xiqing has already fallen! This place will soon become the front line! And yet you... you...¡± Li Mingshun faltered, searching unsuccessfully for a word to describe Zhao Ji¡¯s behavior.


    Stammering for a moment, he ignored the guards behind him who were gawking with wide eyes and took two steps forward, continuing, ¡°There are over 80,000 soldiers crammed inside the city, doing nothing¡ªneither training nor working...¡±


    At this point, his frustration boiled over. If only these troops had been sent to Xiqing earlier, he might still be in Xiqing, fighting to defend it.


    But thanks to that bastard Zhao Ji, who hoarded tens of thousands of soldiers while wasting away in revelry at Caili, the troops had been squandered. And he had refused to hand over command of these forces to Li Mingshun.


    Now it was too late. Xiqing had fallen, and all was lost...


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Great General¡¯s responsibility? Keeping some soldiers around to ensure my own safety¡ªwhat¡¯s so wrong with that? And now you¡¯re blaming me?¡± Zhao Ji, clutching his pounding head, scratched the raw, inflamed edge of the abscess on his chest, momentarily sobering up. He sneered dismissively, retaliating with a cutting remark: ¡°You failed to hold the line, and I haven¡¯t even held you accountable¡ªnow you¡¯re questioning my trust in you?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty! If this continues, it¡¯s all over!¡± Li Mingshun stepped forward again, anguished and exasperated. He desperately wanted to reignite Zhao Ji¡¯s will to fight, to restore some semblance of the Emperor¡¯s resolve.


    But it was futile. From the moment Zhao Ji ascended the throne, he had embraced defeatism. If the Empire of Dahua had remained whole, Zhao Ji might merely have been indulgent and extravagant, still holding onto some of his ambitions.


    Yet after losing the Imperial Capital and fleeing to Xiqing, he knew the tides had turned against him. Thus, he surrendered to decadence, refusing to contemplate the days ahead.


    That wasn¡¯t to say Zhao Ji wanted to die¡ªhe had already planned his escape. He intended to flee to Shu, where he would board a plane to the Shu Country. Liu Jing, the Speaker of Shu¡¯s Assembly, had promised him in a telegram that he could find safe passage to the Eastern Continent, where luxury and riches awaited him.


    As for the likes of Li Mingshun and others? Zhao Ji couldn¡¯t care less. What he wanted, he had already secured: he was the Emperor of Dahua! Nothing could change that fact!


    Li Mingshun wasn¡¯t aware of the secret dealings between Liu Jing and Zhao Ji. If he had known, he would have slapped Zhao Ji across the face: flying from Shu City to the Shu Country requires crossing Qin-controlled airspace!


    Currently, the field airport in Shu has only 47 transport planes. With such dilapidated aircraft, how could they evade Qin¡¯s Type 36 fighter jets?


    It was common knowledge that Qin was part of the Three Emperors Alliance, and Emperor Qin Ying Duo was even the father-in-law of the Emperor of Tang. The two nations were as inseparable as newlyweds. Would the Qin Air Force really let Zhao Ji slip past?


    Zhao Ji wasn¡¯t ignorant of these facts, but he drowned himself in alcohol and delusions, clinging to a fantasy of escaping unscathed.


    As for continuing the resistance? Wasn¡¯t that what the ¡°Great General of Dahua¡± was for? Let Li Mingshun handle it!


    Looking at the oozing abscesses on Zhao Ji¡¯s body, Li Mingshun furrowed his brow tightly, snorted in disgust, and spun on his heels. He had no intention of remaining loyal to this wretched Emperor anymore.


    Resolute, he decided to focus on securing his own future. If Zhao Yu, the Dahua Emperor¡¯s rival, accepted him as a Great General, he could continue fighting for Dahua under new leadership. It seemed like a favorable course of action.


    On the other hand, Zhao Jie, upon learning that Tang had captured Guiguang, was weighing his options. He wondered if he could... have a word with Li Mingshun about the matter.


    If he could pin the betrayal of a third of the country on Zhao Yu, it would undoubtedly erode Zhao Yu¡¯s standing among the people of Dahua. Such a disgraceful act of treason would be intolerable under any circumstances.


    If Zhao Yu became a pariah because of this, Zhao Jie might just have the opportunity to reclaim the Imperial Capital and ascend the throne!


    In Zhao Jie¡¯s estimation, his only obstacle was Li Mingshun. If that bastard interfered with his plans from the sidelines, things could get tricky.


    Thus, Zhao Jie intended to extend an olive branch to Li Mingshun. As for Zhao Ji? Even though information was tight in Pingfeng, Zhao Jie had heard more than enough unsavory rumors about him.


    ¡°If the late Emperor Zhao Kai had had the resolve to depose Zhao Ji as Crown Prince back then, things might have turned out entirely differently,¡± Zhao Jie remarked of Zhao Ji¡¯s current state.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Yu, ensconced in the Imperial Capital, was riding high on a wave of success. Commanding his troops with unwavering confidence, he carried himself as though he were the greatest tactician of the era.


    Having captured Xiqing, Zhao Yu¡¯s position was dominant. His forces were strong, numbering around 1.5 million¡ªmost of their weaponry sourced from the Great Tang Empire.


    With hundreds of Butcher Fighters and Stukas at his disposal, Zhao Yu¡¯s air force rivaled even that of neighboring Qin. What¡¯s more, his troops, seasoned by war, were brimming with morale and tenacity.


    Under immense pressure, Zhao Jie, while considering reaching out to Li Mingshun, was also plotting to exploit an opening and launch a surprise attack on Shu City, under Zhao Ji¡¯s control.


    He believed that capturing Shu City would yield valuable rewards: expanded territory, additional soldiers, and more bargaining chips.


    For the useless Zhao Ji, Shu City was merely an escape route. But for Zhao Jie, it was a crucial strategic corridor connecting to the Great Qin Empire!


    If Zhao Jie could seize Shu City, he could open channels with Qin and see if they might value him, a bulwark against the Great Tang Empire.


    As a buffer between Qin and Tang, Zhao Jie offered a unique advantage over Zhao Yu. Unlike Zhao Yu, who leaned on Tang¡¯s support, Zhao Jie could align himself with Qin strategically!


    In other words, in the buffer zone between Qin and Tang, the northern segment was already under Zhao Yu¡¯s Tang-backed puppet regime. But what about the southern segment? Didn¡¯t Qin need Zhao Jie?


    From this perspective, Zhao Jie saw his own value. If all else failed, he could negotiate a favorable deal and cede his controlled territories to Qin outright!


    Surely Emperor Qin Ying Duo wouldn¡¯t deny him a generous arrangement in exchange for four fortified cities and vast lands, would he?


    With these calculations in mind, Zhao Jie began mobilizing troops, deploying forces to test his luck in Shu City¡¯s direction, while simultaneously dispatching secret envoys to win over the influential Li Mingshun.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Yu prepared his massive army to sweep through and finally eliminate the nuisance of Zhao Ji, the ¡°legitimate Emperor.¡± His strategy was simple: the same tactic Zhao Jie once proposed to Zhao Kai¡ªtrap and kill. Capture Caili, occupy Shu City, and use the same strategy to deal with Zhao Jie: trap and kill!

 Chapter 1196: 1116 must be different

    Chapter 1196: 1116 must be different


    ¡°This is ultimately not our home, child.¡± An old Orc patted Shan Lu¡¯s shoulder and said wistfully, ¡°They have deceived us too many times, so I no longer wish to trust them.¡±


    ¡°This time is different. Back then, they deceived us... Now, they only feel pity for us.¡± Shan Lu watched groups of Orc warriors disembarking and spoke to the elder.


    This elder was a chieftain of their tribe, a stubborn man who firmly believed that no humans were good.


    Of course, later his opinion underwent a slight change when he came to the Great Tang, where he saw many well-fed and warmly dressed Orc slaves.


    It was his first time seeing slaves being treated so well. Here, the heads of slave labor even lived better than some of the Orc elites in the Orc Empire.


    This had somewhat altered his perception of humans, yet he still didn¡¯t believe they would provide the Orcs with an untouched paradise, a place that could sustain millions of his kind.


    The island before them, though it wasn¡¯t home to the Orcs, was said to be a much larger island with a decent port and vast arable land!


    For the Orcs, that place was truly heaven. But unfortunately, given humans¡¯ past conduct, it was impossible for them to give such a good place to the Orcs.


    The elder was taken aback, highly surprised by Shan Lu¡¯s words. He looked at Shan Lu and spoke with confusion, ¡°Why would you say that?¡±


    Shan Lu recalled everything he had personally witnessed before. At that time, the battles on the beach were not yet over. For the Orcs, such a level of combat was beyond imagination.


    The enemy¡¯s firepower density was ten times stronger than the Qin Country border¡¯s defenses, and the sound of machine guns never ceased. The tanks and armored vehicles of the Great Tang Empire drove straight from the sea onto the beach, and the warship¡¯s massive cannons roared deafeningly.


    No one could survive in such an environment¡ªthis was Shan Lu¡¯s belief. Yet the mighty Tang Army braved enemy machine guns and artillery fire, seized the beach, and rapidly launched an inland offensive.


    By the time Shan Lu arrived at the beach, all that remained were mangled limbs and spilled blood. The sand was scattered with the corpses of Tang Army soldiers and the shattered ruins of bunkers torn apart by Tang Country¡¯s artillery.


    To be honest, if Orc soldiers had launched an attack on the defenses of Mirage Country, Shan Lu was certain his troops would have been pushed back into the sea. Even with heavy artillery support from the Tang Army, the enormous casualty rate would have caused his corps to collapse.


    Yet the Tang Army did not retreat. They pressed forward resolutely, employing meticulous tactics. With precise artillery strikes and advanced weaponry, they quickly broke through the Mirage Country defenses stationed on the beach!


    To the Orcs, this was nothing short of a miracle! As an elite commander, Shan Lu¡¯s fear of Tang Country¡¯s power had rooted itself deeply in his bones.


    The squads of Stukas in the sky seemed invincible to him. Those planes, roaring like dragons, were celestial beasts soaring through the heavens! They were unbeatable! And they truly were unbeatable!


    When Shan Lu¡¯s brief recollection ended, he spoke with conviction to the Orc elder, ¡°I personally witnessed the bloody scenes of the Tang People¡¯s assault here. Before their strength, you and I are insignificant.¡±


    ¡°Are they truly that powerful?¡± The chieftain was incredulous. Standing on the beach, he saw the remnants of Mirage Country¡¯s defensive infrastructure but couldn¡¯t imagine the full scope of what Shan Lu had seen.


    Witnessing a battlefield firsthand and seeing the remains of one are two vastly different experiences: while the elder was indeed awed by the massive bunkers, he could not comprehend Shan Lu¡¯s emotions.


    No one could truly imagine what a 380mm-caliber shell flying overhead felt like¡ªthe air trembling, the earth quaking! At that moment, being alive was torment, and death a form of escape.


    Want to know what it feels like when a tank passes nearby? Look at your own bedroom and imagine something equally large rolling by¡ªterrifying beyond words.


    ¡°They are stronger than ever. They possess wisdom we lack¡ªa brilliance that outshines gemstones.¡± Shan Lu felt it was time to have a serious conversation with this wise elder, for if the Orcs dared to waver in their loyalty to the Great Tang Empire, they could lose far more than just land.


    The elder¡¯s response gave Shan Lu a mild sense of relief, as at least this tribal elder still had reason: ¡°Indeed, during my time in the Great Tang, I saw something called hope. That was something we didn¡¯t have¡ªneither humans, nor Elves, nor Dwarves possessed it. But now humans have it, or rather... the Tang People have it.¡±


    After saying this, the elder added with a tone of unwillingness, ¡°But Shan Lu! Are we truly going to pledge our loyalty?¡±


    Shan Lu pointed to a cemetery by the sea in the distance and said to the elder beside him, ¡°Look at that graveyard over there. They bled for us, so we should repay them in some way.¡±


    ¡°Even if they ultimately deceive us?¡± The elder still doubted if the Great Tang Empire would fulfill its promise to grant the Orcs the Ben Island.


    Shan Lu shook his head and replied resolutely, ¡°No, even if they deceive us, for the sake of our race¡¯s survival, we should submit to such immense power! In the past, we resisted because we had the strength to resist. Now we submit because we lack the capital to fight back.¡±


    ¡°We too could wield such great power,¡± the elder muttered begrudgingly after a few moments of silence.


    Shan Lu nodded and then shared his thoughts, ¡°Indeed. But before we gain such power, we should maintain a humble attitude towards the strong.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right...¡± The elder was surprised Shan Lu would agree with his view. He looked at Shan Lu and, for once, nodded in acknowledgment.


    In the distance, boatloads of Orcs arrived at the floating docks. Now those interconnected docks were growing less stable.


    The tidal forces, like a giant hand, relentlessly tormented the dock pontoons. The moored ships added further strain, and the structures would soon fatigue and ultimately collapse, rendering them useless.


    The newly arrived Orcs were in no condition to work immediately. Many started vomiting along the shore. These landlubbers, before coming here, had never even seen the Endless Sea.


    Now they had¡ªyet their stomachs churned violently. During their journey, they barely ate, and now they could only crouch and dry heave, spitting up stomach acid.


    Before coming here, many had never laid eyes on the ocean. Even for those who had, none could have imagined that seafaring was such a horrifying experience.


    Despite the Great Tang¡¯s ships boasting large tonnage and despite efforts to ensure the Orcs¡¯ health with seasickness medication and quality food, seven or eight Orcs still perished from seasickness and other illnesses during the voyage. The remaining Orcs were in poor shape, barely able to walk.


    Even the Orc elder was affected. He now leaned on a cane¡ªsomething he hadn¡¯t needed before. Lucky for him, as an elder, he had traveled in a car prior to this, gaining a slight immunity to seasickness.


    Tang Country planned to transport 400,000 Orcs to South Island to assist with foundational construction, before migrating them and the local Goblins to New Island.


    Once the Goblin slaves and Orcs completed the construction of New Island, they would be sent to Ben Island for further labor... Finally, Tang Country aimed to occupy Northern Island, relocating all remaining Goblins from Ben Island to the reserve on Northern Island.


    The entire process was expected to take two years. All timelines were strict benchmarks, regardless of how many Orcs and Goblins perished in the process.


    From this perspective, the Tang People were ruthless. Tang Country favored South Island and New Island, and once those were developed, they had little interest in the lives of the two races on Ben Island and Northern Island.


    The Orcs fared slightly better, as the Great Tang Empire promised to provide sustenance for 500,000 Orcs for two years, as well as some weaponry to allow them to establish themselves on Ben Island.


    As for whether the Orcs would clash with the Goblins, that was not Tang Country¡¯s concern: the land was given, the weapons provided¡ªif you failed to defend it, then blame yourselves.


    General Feng Kezhi¡¯s 9th Group Army was resting. A counterattack from Mirage Country was nearly impossible¡ªthey lacked aerial protection and naval superiority, and opposing a landing force was akin to walking into the jaws of death.


    Thus, during this period, there were very few battles on South Island. The Great Tang Empire was frantically building airfields, ports, and shipyards here.


    Tang Country¡¯s leadership hoped to equip South Island with facilities to repair small-scale ships, unload large vessels, and service all Tang Country aircraft before further offensives were launched northward.


    As long as transportation remained unimpeded, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s supplies could flow endlessly to South Island, supporting the 9th Group Army¡¯s northward advance.


    ¡°At least we see hope, even if it¡¯s false hope... it¡¯s still hope.¡± The elder gazed at the distant sight of the constantly descending Y-130 transport planes and concluded.


    He was already old, and if he could truly witness the Orcs leaving the desert and securing a foothold in the northern Endless Sea, he could rest in peace.


    ¡°I believe this time will be different.¡± Shan Lu looked at the exhausted Orc laborers arriving after their long journey and declared resolutely.


    He was still young. He believed the Orcs¡¯ future remained firmly in his grasp! The Great Tang Empire¡¯s promises must be unlike those of other humans!

 Chapter 1197: 1117 New Weapons Big Sale

    Chapter 1197: 1117 New Weapons Big Sale


    The conference room was filled with envoys from nations around the world. They had all come to the Great Tang Empire to procure new advanced weaponry. To meet their demands, the Great Tang Empire had even specially summoned Mayor Harry of Linshui back to the imperial capital of Chang¡¯an.


    At present, many of the nations represented here were even at war with one another. Yet, in this room, these individuals¡ªwho were sworn enemies outside¡ªsat obediently, waiting for Harry to pitch the Great Tang Empire¡¯s new military equipment and products.


    ¡°Not everyone can afford the most expensive weapons. Even if we were willing to sell missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers, could you afford them? And moreover... is it really cost-effective to use such weapons to deliver ordinary bombs?¡± As an arms dealer, Harry was patiently explaining to the procurement envoys from various countries the meaning of cost-effectiveness.


    There was no other choice. Everyone wanted to buy the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Dongfeng missiles, but the Great Tang Empire was, in fact, unwilling to sell such weapons.


    The spread of missile technology required some caution¡ªafter all, the Great Tang Empire still had a vast array of other technologies that hadn¡¯t been sold yet.


    ¡°In reality, if you don¡¯t want to threaten your neighbors, there¡¯s no need for highly aggressive weapons. For example, our latest bombers, which many nations don¡¯t even need.¡± Harry stated a fact that left many in the room red-faced with embarrassment.


    Despite the Great Tang Empire showcasing its own Flying Fortress bombers, along with an even more advanced new model called the Type 29 Bomber, everyone still felt these weren¡¯t what they wanted.


    What they desired was the type of bomber from the Great Tang Empire that could emit a dragon¡¯s roar¡ªa terrifying superweapon so fast it could completely outrun all intercepting aircraft.


    Regrettably, the Great Tang Empire had declared such aircraft non-exportable, just like the Butcher Fighter and the Flying Fortress Bomber had been in the past.


    ¡°Our thirst for new technologies is extremely pressing, Mr. Harry! We wish to possess more advanced weaponry... to thwart the ambitions of other nations.¡± The envoy from the Poplar Empire spoke while glaring pointedly at the envoy from the Ice Cold Empire across the room.


    ¡°We have a propeller-driven fighter capable of reaching speeds of 750 kilometers per hour. Though it¡¯s a bit inferior to our most advanced fighter jets, it¡¯s very affordable!¡± Harry continued tirelessly pitching outdated weaponry. As he spoke, he even felt as though his heart was bleeding.


    There was no other choice. Previously, outdated planes like the P-36 and I-16 could be sold for astronomical prices.


    Now, however, it was different. During wartime, the Tang Army had introduced a tremendous amount of advanced weaponry. The newer-generation fighter jet designs originally intended for these countries were now unsellable...


    For instance, the Great Tang Empire had prepared Yak Fighters for the Ice Cold Empire, but these were now outdated even before they could be sold. How could that not be disheartening?


    Apart from the Yak Fighters, the Tang Country had also prepared Shiden Fighters for Qin Country, Spitfire Fighters for the Laines Empire, and Mustang Fighters for the Dorne Empire...


    Of course, their old friend, the Poplar Empire, was certainly no exception. Tang Mo had prepared the latest TA-152 Fighters for them... Just listen to those names¡ªeach was a world-renowned fighter jet!


    So many advanced fighters, so many even more advanced technologies, and so many assembly lines ready at a moment¡¯s notice! In the past, these were treasures that couldn¡¯t be bought even with money!


    But now, with the Tang Country developing jet fighters, none of these nations were willing to spend money on outdated equipment anymore. Back when they purchased monoplane aircraft, they each spent tens of millions of Gold Coins on them! But now? They¡¯re unwilling to spend even 10 million for blueprints of advanced fighter jets.


    Overall, the price of aircraft had been continuously decreasing: Back when planes were newly invented, a complete set of aircraft technology could sell for 100 million.


    Later, second-generation monoplanes were valued only in the tens of millions of Gold Coins. Now, trying to get these countries to pay for the most advanced¡ªand likely the last¡ªgeneration of piston-engine fighters was proving virtually impossible.


    ¡°If you want to buy new fighters, you can¡ªas long as you have the money,¡± Harry said bluntly, refusing to indulge them. He then threw out an utterly astronomical price: ¡°30 million per unit! Guaranteed to dominate your neighbors and secure vital air superiority!¡±


    ¡°How much?!¡± Upon hearing that price, everyone lost their composure. For crying out loud, 100 million barely buys three planes? A 20-plane formation would cost 700 million? Are you kidding?


    ¡°Too expensive? I haven¡¯t even mentioned the operating costs yet! That stuff burns fuel at three times the rate of propeller planes! Pilot training? I¡¯ll arrange it for you immediately, but they won¡¯t be able to fight until five months later!¡± Harry continued his sales pitch.


    ¡°What I¡¯m recommending to you is truly high-quality, low-cost equipment! Why won¡¯t you believe me? Price! Quantity! These are your bottlenecks! Always wanting the best? The best is pricey!¡± He sneered and continued to stab at everyone¡¯s fragile egos: ¡°The new planes are ready for sale. First-come, first-served!¡±


    ¡°Trust me¡ªthe planes I¡¯m selling you have performance on par with the Navy¡¯s own Pirate Fighters! They can effectively bring you peace of mind.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The Dorne Empire envoy¡¯s eyes lit up, and he instinctively leaned forward off the couch, excitement brimming in his voice.


    ¡°Mr. Harry, is that true?¡± The envoys from the nations surrounding the Endless Sea became instantly intrigued upon hearing this.


    What they needed was indeed a plane capable of countering the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s carrier-based aircraft threat.


    ¡°Completely true. The Pirate Fighters will be sold together with the Navy¡¯s newest weapons utilized in the current war¡ªaircraft carriers! And, as always, as long as you have money, we are willing to provide you with even more advanced equipment.¡±


    Tang Mo had already begun construction on a second-generation aircraft carrier featuring an angled flight deck. The first-generation carriers currently in their arsenal¡ªall still about 70% new¡ªwere indeed planned for sale.


    Although the Navy¡¯s first-generation jet carrier-based Phantom Fighters were still in the experimental phase, the Navy had already grown impatient to welcome their new pet projects.


    The tonnage of the new aircraft carriers was increased to 60,000 tons to balance out the structural demands caused by larger jet fighters.


    Since Soviet-style aircraft lacked early carrier-based models, the Great Tang Empire Navy had no choice but to follow the most conventional American path. What else could they do? The second-generation carrier-based fighters from both the Rabbit and Maoxiong nations were nonexistent, forcing the Great Tang Empire onto a path of maintaining separate land-based and carrier-based air systems.


    That¡¯s right¡ªthe first-generation carrier-based jets planned by the Great Tang Empire were to utilize the less-than-ideal F4 Phantom Fighters.


    While these performed only marginally better than the MiG-21 during the Vietnam War, their design philosophy was at least on the right track: They had space for large-diameter radars, and with some hard modifications, they could at least manage for a while.


    However, these planes¡¯ dogfighting abilities were, to put it bluntly, abysmal. Even those equipped with cannons performed significantly worse than the MiG-21 in close combat.


    In addition, the Navy planned to procure a new carrier-based attack aircraft to replace the outdated Stuka Dive Bombers. Their choice was the versatile A-6 Intruder.


    As a result, alongside the Air Force¡¯s Type 6 Fighters and Type 6 Bombers, the Navy now had a new Type 6 Attack Aircraft... thus beginning the Great Tang Empire¡¯s oft-heard ¡°Type 6 Legend.¡±


    To accommodate these two future aircraft, the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s second-generation aircraft carriers adopted many new technologies, including angled decks and a new device called a steam catapult.


    This new device allowed planes to launch faster from shorter runways. Consequently, the structural integrity of these new naval aircraft had to be reinforced, making some sacrifices to flight performance inevitable.


    In short, both the Air Force and Naval Aviation of the Great Tang Empire had officially entered the jet age. Simultaneously, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s commercial aviation industry also began rolling out several models of jet-powered passenger planes.


    Tang Mo had simply had enough of the sluggishness of propeller-driven passenger planes. Desiring more efficient travel, commercial aircraft production had even surpassed the urgency of the Navy¡¯s Phantom Fighter development.


    Upon hearing that aircraft carriers were for sale, the envoys began serious calculations: With carrier air wings as protection, those expensive battleships they¡¯d already poured fortunes into suddenly seemed less obsolete.


    With carrier-based aircraft providing cover, these costly battleships could approach enemy coastlines, even face off against enemy fleets in open waters... the scene was almost too beautiful to imagine.


    ¡°Additionally, the Great Tang Empire has decided to sell advanced submarine technology! Including torpedo technology!¡± Harry immediately unveiled yet another product that drove everyone wild.


    You should know that this technology had previously been a non-exportable item¡ªdespite other nations¡¯ tireless efforts, they had failed to replicate anything comparable!


    Their enthusiasm was instantly ignited. What they didn¡¯t know, however, was that the submarine tech the Great Tang Empire offered was essentially World War I-era U-boat technology, which was... already outdated!


    That stuff was noisy, slow, only suitable for ambushing merchant ships, and had limited range¡ªit was far from mature technology.


    But the allure of such technology to these nations was undeniable: After all, they had no idea that the Great Tang Empire¡¯s sonar systems were already highly advanced. So when it came to buying submarines, they couldn¡¯t wait to throw money at it.


    ¡°We want to purchase an aircraft carrier! How much?¡± The Poplar Empire envoy excitedly raised his arm.


    ¡°The Ice Cold Empire is willing to purchase two aircraft carriers, Mr. Harry!¡± the Dwarf Envoy said in a gruff voice, as though afraid that a moment¡¯s hesitation would mean missing out.


    ¡ª¡ª


    A side comment: The early U.S. Navy carrier-based aircraft¡ªwhat a bunch of ungainly, ugly things... Even the slightly better-looking Skyraider¡¯s performance was, frankly, dismal...

 Chapter 1198: The 1118 aircraft carrier is very expensive.

    Chapter 1198: The 1118 aircraft carrier is very expensive.


    Everyone¡¯s idea is actually quite simple: to address the pain points of the Tang Empire landing fleet attacks, there are merely two solutions. The first is to strengthen coastal defenses. The second is to build a capable navy.


    The Tang Country¡¯s weapon exports perfectly hit these nations¡¯ pain points. How could they not be excited? It¡¯s like someone delivering a pillow when you¡¯re sleepy¡ªthere¡¯s an undeniable ¡°sending charcoal in snow¡± feeling to it.


    In the eyes of these countries¡¯ envoys, the Tang Country is clearly eager to dispel hostility and concerns among nations to maintain a peaceful trade environment.


    If the entire world were to fear and be on guard against the Tang Empire, harming relations between nations, it would obviously be detrimental to the Tang Empire.


    As for strengthening coastal defenses, everyone has already been working on that: within fifteen days of the Tang Empire¡¯s new weapons appearing, countries across the Eastern Continent made adjustments to their deployments.


    The first is the Ice Cold Empire. The Dwarves constructed a new battery in Eternal Winter Port, and Binghan the First signed orders to build 4,000 bunkers and hundreds of kilometers of trenches in suitable landing zones.


    Meanwhile, the Ice Cold Empire escalated production of Anti-Aircraft Guns to an unprecedented level. The Dwarves even proposed the concept of dual-purpose guns, demanding that all Anti-Aircraft Guns possess a certain level of horizontal firing capability.


    In other words... unable to secure their own air superiority, the Ice Cold Empire began to pivot heavily toward the development of Anti-Aircraft Guns and Anti-Tank Guns.


    The Laines Empire is also going all out to strengthen the coastal defenses around Brunas. After building batteries, they¡¯ve constructed defensive lines stretching for dozens of kilometers nearby.


    Additionally, the Dorne Empire and Gobur Empire have also signed orders to construct coastal defensive fortifications. Over the past month, everyone has been desperately digging trenches and building bunkers, seemingly trying to turn their coastlines into fortresses.


    But all of this is passive defense, with massive investments and very limited effectiveness. The truly effective way to stop the Tang Army from coastal landings remains a massive, powerful naval fleet!


    As for how to build a powerful navy... isn¡¯t it all down to the Tang Empire¡¯s technology? Look, they¡¯ve agreed to sell a series of advanced weapons, making everyone feel at ease, haven¡¯t they?


    In the eyes of these laymen, a powerful navy is nothing more than new technology and giant warships. As long as Tang Country is willing to sell, they¡¯ll pay for it.


    The biggest threats to each nation are undoubtedly the new weapons capable of granting Tang Empire¡¯s navy sea-based air superiority¡ªthe Aircraft Carrier¡ªand the ¡°underwater assassin¡± submarine that appeared a few years ago.


    As for anti-ship missiles... Tang Country has promised to lift their sales ban within two years. This is yet another piece of good news for countries around the world.


    The submarine is actually what everyone is more eager to obtain. With this piece of equipment, they could attack shipping lanes and enemy¡¯s main warships¡ªit can truly be called the ultimate weapon for leveraging small resources against large gains.


    Of course, the Tang Empire wouldn¡¯t price submarines as cheaply as those outdated fighter planes. A single submarine costs roughly 70 million Gold Coins. Although this doesn¡¯t sound too expensive, the same logic applies: the supporting equipment and training costs are also sky-high!


    Altogether, the average cost of a submarine comes to over 100 million Gold Coins. But no one is foolish¡ªthey¡¯re all planning to buy one for research and follow that by learning how to manufacture them themselves.


    After all, after years of investment in submarine research, these nations have achieved certain results: the only thing limiting each country¡¯s submarine technology is the lack of key technical concepts.


    As long as they buy one submarine to study carefully, even if they can¡¯t make particularly good submarines, mass-producing passable ones shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    Aircraft Carriers appear even simpler in the eyes of these nations¡¯ navies: the concept is just an issue of thinking. In earlier years, no one imagined placing airplanes on warships for take-off and landing.


    Now that the Tang Empire has developed them, other countries believe that as long as they build a large ship with a flat, broad deck, they can produce Aircraft Carriers.


    What about the technical details of Aircraft Carriers that they can¡¯t figure out? Simple! Just buy a Tang Empire Aircraft Carrier and copy it, right?


    That¡¯s right, copy it! Buy one of Tang Country¡¯s Aircraft Carriers, study it thoroughly, then modify and replicate it to build similar carriers in greater numbers¡ªisn¡¯t that enough?


    After all, though their own creation might not be as good, the price would be far lower. Moreover, they can modify it to suit their own needs. Why not?


    Ultimately, whether an Aircraft Carrier is effective largely depends on the quality of its carrier-based aircraft. As long as they purchase planes that Tang Empire says are on par with the ones they use themselves, wouldn¡¯t that do the trick?


    Thus, everyone began asking about Aircraft Carrier prices, their performance indicators, and other related matters.


    ¡°One Aircraft Carrier costs 190 million Gold Coins... this price is outrageous.¡± One envoy turned pale upon hearing this figure. He had brought 200 million Gold Coins for this trip, and... it wasn¡¯t even enough to buy the ship¡¯s hull.


    Of course, this statement was exaggerated, but the reality wasn¡¯t far off. You wouldn¡¯t just buy an Aircraft Carrier alone, would you? Don¡¯t you have to outfit it with carrier-based fighter jets?


    But when it comes to carrier-based fighter jets, things get complicated: the Tang Empire offers many types of planes for nations to choose from, and their performance obviously varies.


    If you¡¯re looking for high-quality planes, they are available. This includes the Tang Empire¡¯s own ¡°pirates¡± and various American-style carrier-based jets.


    If you want something average, there are Zero Fighters to choose from. However, due to the abysmal performance of the Mirage Country Air Force, no one is particularly keen on this option.


    The remaining options are all quite unique: would you like the 97 Naval Attack Aircraft? The 99 Dive Bomber? The Sea Spitfire? The Sea Hurricane?


    If you¡¯re short on cash but still want decent torpedo planes... how about the Swordfish Attack Aircraft? Though not great, it¡¯s better than nothing.


    Other nations¡¯ envoys started considering designing their own Aircraft Carriers once they heard the price. The cost was simply too high; they felt it might be worth trying it themselves.


    The Ice Cold Empire¡¯s envoy also felt nearly two billion Gold Coins was excessively steep, forcing him to seriously ponder whether to buy two Aircraft Carriers.


    Keep in mind that funds of four billion, or even six billion, could likely win a full-scale war against the Poplar Empire on the battlefield.


    The Poplar Empire envoy also felt he had been too rash. Seriously? What kind of warship sells for close to two billion Gold Coins? Their previous battleship constructions could cost less than 15 million Gold Coins.


    Indeed, the Tang Empire clearly intends to rake in profits on the prices of Aircraft Carriers and submarines. Only those who¡¯ve inspected them closely understand the technical breakthroughs of these two weapons¡ªwhich are downright terrifying.


    ¡°No problem! Our prices are fixed; you can consider thoroughly before deciding. Since we¡¯re selling self-used Aircraft Carriers, we can¡¯t provide stock immediately. Even if you place your orders now, delivery won¡¯t happen until next year.¡± Harry replied with a smile to everyone present.


    Upon observing Tang Country once again play a ¡°scarcity marketing¡± game¡ªjust like with the Ironclad Warships back then, where they only sold second-hand units for next year¡¯s delivery¡ªeveryone switched to focusing on submarine procurement instead.


    This piece of equipment, paired with torpedoes, is challenging for everyone to figure out. Thus, purchasing one for reference and personal study remains absolutely essential.


    Everyone began looking into the 70-million-Gold-Coin submarines; despite the exorbitant price, the enthusiasm was undiminished.


    ¡°We plan to purchase three!¡± The Poplar Empire¡¯s envoy gritted his teeth and held up three fingers. They were locked in conflict with the Ice Cold Empire, and if they could quickly form a submarine combat capability to blockade Ice Cold Empire ports, perhaps they could force them to negotiate peace.


    The Dorne Empire also hoped to procure two submarines, as did the Laines Empire, which sought two submarines to ¡°build their underwater forces.¡±


    As soon as Harry saw these figures, he knew they were all planning to buy a couple of units for study and replication.


    But Harry didn¡¯t expose them: if submarine technology were so easy to grasp, some particular frogs would¡¯ve long built their own submarine fleets, rather than waiting for decades.


    The reality is that, outside of shipyards assisted by the Tang Empire, the notion of producing submarines is pure fantasy. Forget about constructing submarines¡ªthese nations might not even be able to gather suitable steel materials and welders.


    The more modern the high-tech weapons, the more they test a nation¡¯s comprehensive industrial capacity. If one link fails, there¡¯s no chance of producing a comparable product!


    And it¡¯s not just one faulty link for these nations¡ªit¡¯s every single link that¡¯s broken! Suggesting that they produce submarines is outright cruel; even operating submarines might be asking too much of them. Take a look at the submarine accident rates of a certain neighboring nation, and you¡¯ll understand.


    Thus, Harry simply let them continue playing their petty tricks. Ultimately, everything would come back to him anyway, and the Tang Empire would earn every penny it was meant to.


    ¡°No problem! However, three submarines are the minimum threshold. Any fewer, and we won¡¯t commit to assisting you in building support infrastructure or training personnel.¡± Harry laid out the rule.


    So, naturally, everyone complied immediately, adjusting their one- or two-submarine orders to match the minimum threshold of three.


    Soon, deals were swiftly finalized, covering discounts on ¡°advanced fighter planes¡± and maritime weapons like submarines.

 Chapter 1199: Lets build it ourselves 1119

    Chapter 1199: Let¡¯s build it ourselves 1119


    ¡°Taking off planes is relatively easy. If it¡¯s not working, just have the aircraft carrier sail into the wind. This is equivalent to giving the planes a positive wind boost.¡± A naval expert adjusted the glasses on his nose and said to a group of engineers nearby.


    ¡°Write it down! Quickly write it down!¡± A few engineers responsible for recording hurriedly lowered their heads, jotting this crucial suggestion into their notebooks.


    This was a technical discussion hosted by the naval powerhouse, Dorne Empire. Ever since the Great Tang Empire revealed the price of one of their aircraft carriers ¨C 190 million ¨C Dorne began envisioning what their navy could accomplish with such a revolutionary piece of weaponry.


    If they could build a decent aircraft carrier on their own, the money saved would be enough to build an enormous fleet of such carriers!


    Facing this temptation, everyone felt compelled to try. Everyone had the same thought, and everyone acted accordingly.


    ¡°Sailing into the wind certainly seems like a good solution. I wonder if the Great Tang Empire¡¯s aircraft carriers do the same.¡± Without any references to rely on, they could only speculate about the various issues concerning aircraft carriers.


    In the beginning, everyone thought that saving the 190 million would be effortless. After all, wasn¡¯t an aircraft carrier just a big ship with a runway for planes? How hard could it be?


    But when it came to actual implementation, challenges began to appear one after another. Soon, they realized that creating an aircraft carrier wasn¡¯t as simple as adding a runway on a large ship.


    After all, not everyone has someone like Tang Mo, with a combat-tested, logically sound, and finely polished mature aircraft carrier design.


    The problem was, the world¡¯s navies lacked the time to slowly explore on their own. With the Great Tang Empire already producing mature aircraft carriers and deploying them in combat, the room for trial and error was almost non-existent.


    ¡°Takeoff can rely on the deck wind... But what about landing?¡± After solving one issue, they were immediately stumped by another problem.


    Deck wind was something sharp-minded naval personnel could deduce based on experience. The runway length needed for planes to take off was still within a reasonable range; under normal circumstances, a propeller plane¡¯s takeoff distance could indeed be reduced to something comparable to the length of a warship.


    But the problem lay in the landing. The runway required for landing is far longer! If the runway on the aircraft carrier is too short, wouldn¡¯t the landing planes inevitably overshoot straight into the sea?


    How do you stop planes and shorten their landing distance? Everyone started brainstorming again.


    Someone suggested using a net to intercept the planes, like catching fish. But doing so would likely damage the planes. Surely, a plane couldn¡¯t be rendered combat-unworthy after each takeoff and landing?


    The idea of arresting wires seemed simple, but it wasn¡¯t easy for a group with no prior experience with aircraft carriers to guess such a solution.


    Moreover, this was just one relatively minor issue among countless problems in aircraft carrier design and construction.


    Can you guess where the fuel storage for aircraft is located on an aircraft carrier? How much space does it require? How should fuel pipelines be laid out?


    Now imagine the aerial bombs, torpedoes, and ammunition. Where should these be stored? How much space is needed? How do you retrieve these items and resupply the planes efficiently?


    You might think simply designating a storage area and laying some pipelines is enough. But it¡¯s not! Is the fuel pressure sufficient? Are fire safety measures adequate? How should ammunition be stored to ensure safety? How can transportation logistics be simplified? These are all significant technical challenges.


    Continuing further, would it end there? With pilots and sailors numbering in the thousands crammed into a single warship, where do they sleep? Where do they work? Where do they eat? How much space is required, and how should it be designed?


    Arranging dormitories between fuel tanks, boilers, shells, and toilets... All these seemingly trivial details can become lethal flaws that impact the combat effectiveness of the aircraft carrier.


    Consider those aircraft carriers like Moss¡¯s and Japan¡¯s that self-detonated after being hit by one, two, or three aerial bombs. Think about their fate, and you¡¯ll realize the complexity of the subject.


    Take the optical landing system on the Great Tang Empire¡¯s aircraft carriers, for instance. If you asked the technical personnel from other nations without prior exposure to conceive of it on their own, they might need ten years or more.


    Not to mention... Do you think these brilliant designers would create an aircraft carrier with a functional and iconic island structure?


    Or would they imitate Japan¡¯s old navy, designing bizarre ships without bridges and crosswise smokestacks?


    Back then, when Huaxia insisted on purchasing the Varyag, what was the reason? It wasn¡¯t for an inability to build their own. It was to acquire Maoxiong¡¯s detailed experiences with aircraft carriers. The issue wasn¡¯t technical capability but an absence of polished details gained through practice. Without refinement, problems are inevitable.


    How do you avoid the waste of time and energy? You bring the Varyag back, examine it thoroughly. Its cabin structure alone allowed Huaxia to eliminate 25 years of research and development lag in aircraft carriers! This was the primary reason for insisting on acquiring the Varyag. It wasn¡¯t due to a lack of technology¡ªit was the need for the small details honed by actual usage. These can only be discovered in practice, and Huaxia lacked the time!


    The Varyag represented Maoxiong¡¯s accumulated experience from Moscow-class, Kiev-class, and Kuznetsov-class carriers! Decades of operational experience condensed into one. That knowledge transcended technology.


    Even so, Huaxia found plenty of areas needing improvement on the Varyag. Through their own explorations and modifications came the Shandong Ship¡ªa true ¡°Huaxia aircraft carrier.¡±


    A group of people continued brainstorming for Dorne¡¯s aircraft carriers, each racking their brains: ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about landing for now. I¡¯ve calculated that an aircraft carrier can only carry a maximum of 20 planes. This falls far short of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s claim of accommodating 70 aircraft.¡±


    The Tang Country¡¯s aircraft carriers offered a conservative estimate of their carrier-based airplane numbers. In reality, each aircraft carrier could accommodate more than 75 planes.


    Even the conservative figure of 70 left many baffled. No matter how they calculated, they could only park about twenty planes on the deck. Any more would obstruct takeoff.


    An elderly engineer looked at the design drafts and voiced his opinion: ¡°The data provided by the other party must be correct. After all, they are sellers. As long as we pay them, we can buy the product. They wouldn¡¯t lie! So the problem must lie in our design!¡±


    ¡°Could it be that their aircraft carriers have designated internal storage space for planes?¡± Another engineer gestured at the side profile of the blueprint and added a hangar layer.


    Others nodded in agreement: ¡°That¡¯s very likely! But... there¡¯s no way to fit 40 extra planes even with that!¡±


    ¡°Two-tiered storage?¡± The engineer hesitantly proposed, unfamiliar with the concept of hangars.


    Others shook their heads again: ¡°Two tiers... Then how do you accommodate personnel, equipment, ammunition, and fuel?¡±


    Soon, a clever mind hit upon another key point: ¡°Unless the planes themselves are folded...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not very likely, is it?¡± Some engineers more familiar with planes felt conflicted.


    However, others supported the idea of folded planes: ¡°Why not? I think folding the planes makes sense¡ªit saves space.¡±


    Quickly, the discussion shifted toward folding plane designs: ¡°If calculated this way, folding the planes indeed seems viable. But doesn¡¯t that add extra weight to the aircraft?¡±


    Aircraft engineers shook their heads furiously in disapproval: ¡°That would significantly increase the plane¡¯s dead weight, reduce maneuverability, and limit range.¡±


    ¡°The Great Tang Empire can rely on their damned engine technology to maintain aircraft combat performance. If we modify our planes... it¡¯d be tantamount to sending pilots to their deaths.¡± Someone followed up with a sharp complaint.


    The lead engineer turned to a somewhat authoritative ¡°aircraft designer¡± and asked, ¡°In your opinion, how much dead weight would folding wing structures add to a plane?¡±


    The so-called designer was mostly someone who adjusted existing aircraft designs. After giving the question some thought, he answered, ¡°Not less than 150 kilograms.¡±


    This was roughly equivalent to equipping an aircraft with bombs and engaging enemy fighters in combat. The lead engineer let out a sigh: ¡°It¡¯s utterly discouraging to think about.¡±


    At this point, another engineer walked in holding a stack of documents, shouting gloomily to everyone, ¡°Take a look! These are data from Brunas¡¯s field airport. We now have an additional topic to discuss.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Upon hearing the shout, someone immediately became unsettled.


    The newcomer sighed and, with a downcast expression, said, ¡°Planes stationed at Brunas¡¯s field airport experience faster corrosion due to higher salt content by the sea... This is based on maintenance guidance from the Great Tang Empire¡¯s ground crew. We paid for these lessons learned.¡±


    This maintenance process, purchased from the Great Tang Empire, proved effective in practice. If planes stationed by the coast require extra care, wouldn¡¯t the planes on warships also need maintenance?


    Furthermore...


    At this moment, a haunting voice emerged from a corner. Someone asked, ¡°Storing planes below the deck is fine, but how do you move them onto the deck? Using cranes at sea¡ªisn¡¯t that risky?¡±


    Hundreds of problems flooded in, leaving everyone with an urge to flip the table in frustration. Not long ago, someone even proposed that launching planes from aircraft carriers didn¡¯t have to rely on runways. Rockets or explosives could be used for propulsion...


    Using the deck solely as a runway was merely one of many conceivable options. Other possibilities couldn¡¯t be entirely ruled out!


    These people were essentially trying to reconstruct a prehistoric Tyrannosaurus Rex from a handful of descriptive adjectives...

 Chapter 1200: Otherwise, you guys go talk about it yourselves.

    Chapter 1200: Otherwise, you guys go talk about it yourselves.


    Expecting to piece together a Tyrannosaurus Rex from a few descriptive phrases is absolutely impossible. Hoping to uncover the secrets of building an aircraft carrier from vague information is even more of a pipe dream.


    Forget about relying on some descriptions. Even if you were to take a walk aboard an aircraft carrier and observe everything carefully, you still wouldn¡¯t be able to build one.


    When the Laines Empire¡¯s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Somi, nervously entered the conference room, he saw several engineers, the Minister of Industry, and a very troubled-looking Leines I.


    He glanced at the Prime Minister seated at the second chair. The Prime Minister gently shook his head, silently signaling that things were not progressing smoothly. Over the past ten-plus days, they had completely wasted their time.


    ¡°We failed.¡± The Minister of Industry glanced guiltily at Foreign Minister Somi, who had just stepped through the door, before regretfully speaking.


    His demeanor now was entirely different from the confident one he displayed a little over ten days ago. Back then, he had claimed that while designing submarines might be challenging, building an aircraft carrier was no big deal.


    In fact, building aircraft carriers truly isn¡¯t that difficult: Back in the WWII era, even countries with modest industrial capabilities seemed able to produce them. Germany and Italy were close to achieving this, and Japan, France, the United States, and the United Kingdom all had their own carriers.


    However, the problem is that, in this world, apart from the Great Tang Empire, many other nations had their technological levels forcibly elevated without solid foundational work. They hadn¡¯t fully digested the technologies they acquired, nor had they developed the associated scientific knowledge independently.


    This situation is somewhat reminiscent of today¡¯s ¡°Third Brother.¡± The technical prowess of ¡°The Third Brother¡± was artificially inflated, rather than arising from their own accumulated research and development. As a result, while they might seem technologically competent on the surface, in reality, their capabilities are severely lacking.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you all say that the aircraft carrier wasn¡¯t technically difficult, merely a matter of creativity?¡± Foreign Minister Somi knew that if he didn¡¯t assert his authority now, his position as minister wouldn¡¯t remain tenable for long.


    Whatever power games other departments had played against him earlier, he was determined to return the favor now! Did they think the Laines Empire¡¯s foreign ministry was an easy target, a scapegoat to toss around at will?


    ¡°The technical details involved are too numerous. We genuinely have no way to move the project forward,¡± the Minister of Industry continued shaking his head. He understood that this moment was payback time, a direct result of his cocky attitude earlier versus his current humiliation.


    Who could have guessed that even though the aircraft design work was nearly complete, constructing a vessel to serve as a floating airport at sea could pose such formidable challenges?


    In truth, the technological complexities in these details are staggering. For example, take the arrestor wires used for landing aircraft¡ªthey actually have a limited service life and must be replaced regularly!


    What¡¯s even scarier is that those steel cables aren¡¯t simply fixed to the deck. Internally, they have structures that involve damping mechanisms and require mechanical strength.


    An entire system like this relies on countless experiments and practical applications, failing thousands of times before arriving at a comprehensive and effective technical framework.


    If you want to replicate this? Just figuring out the materials and internal structural compatibility would likely require Laines¡¯ industrial sector to spend three¡ªeven five¡ªyears experimenting. That¡¯s no exaggeration¡ªthink ¡°three years of college entrance exams, five years of simulated exams.¡±


    ¡°Our side hopes to have two aircraft carriers as soon as possible or at least one. Training will require time, and we estimate it will take at least a year to master the essential techniques for deploying a carrier,¡± a military general at the table remarked, once again leaving the Minister of Industry speechless.


    The Tang Country had estimated that they could deliver an aircraft carrier in about a year, while their own side likely wouldn¡¯t even finalize the design blueprints within that time frame.


    The Navy was growing increasingly anxious. Without an aircraft carrier for protection, their battleships were nothing but massive ¡°near-coast artillery ships.¡± They neither dared venture into the high seas nor risk being detected by enemy submarines. After pouring millions into building these large warships, their current utility was inferior to that of basic patrol boats!


    In such circumstances, it seemed entirely reasonable to invest funds to fully revive all the battleships. A two-billion investment appeared cost-effective, given that strategically, this expenditure could potentially unlock the combined operational value of five or even eight billion worth of naval assets.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s delivery of submarines, by contrast, was far more prompt and straightforward. This was primarily because Tang Country already had its share of technologically outdated, small, experimental submarines.


    Dragon Island retained facilities for constructing smaller submarines, and the technology for diesel-electric engines was no longer a tightly guarded secret. So, with full production ramped up and old assets sold off, creating over twenty submarines in one go posed no major difficulty for the Great Tang Empire.


    And globally, nations didn¡¯t need large quantities of these submarines. Each country required, on average, only about three. Thus, delivering the orders within six months was entirely feasible.


    War is the best advertisement for weapons. When the Great Tang Empire declared war on Mirage Country, the international arms market surged with unprecedented fervor. The previously stagnant demand for advanced weapons from the Great Tang Group was rekindled into a massive wave of orders spanning the globe.


    While big-ticket items like submarines and aircraft carriers sold briskly, even less conspicuous but critically important items shone in these transactions.


    Don¡¯t think selling aircraft carriers is where the real money is. The true profit often lies in firearms, ammunition, or even steel helmets and military canteens!


    Many countries became greatly intrigued by the Great Tang Empire¡¯s amphibious tanks and main battle tanks deployed in battle. Certain land-army-focused empires, eager to assemble powerful armored forces, expressed a strong desire to acquire the ¡°invincible¡± Type 59 main battle tank.


    Other nations with dense waterway networks showed more interest in lightweight amphibious tanks and vehicles. For instance, Dorne and Gobur both sought access to the Type 63 amphibious tank and the Type 77 amphibious armored vehicle¡¯s designs.


    Similarly, virtually every nation expressed significant interest in the Great Tang Empire¡¯s RPG technology. They all sought to enable their infantry to possess viable anti-tank capabilities, and clearly, rocket-propelled grenades were highly effective single-unit anti-armor weapons!


    Beyond such weaponry, nations like the Ice Cold Empire or the Poplar Empire, already embroiled in conflict, along with the Dahua Empire facing civil war, and the Great Qin Empire currently invading Shu Country¡ªall had firsthand experiences on the inadequacy of their individual soldiers¡¯ weapon systems during real combat.


    They broadly desired to acquire technologies for the assault rifles, gun grenades, and sniper rifles already widely used by Tang Army troops to bolster their infantry firepower.


    With the ongoing wars, nations began reassessing their military needs: stronger personal weaponry, improved protective equipment, and field gear better suited to specific environments.


    Water bottles, leather boots, camouflage uniforms, steel helmets, bayonets, mess tins, raincoats¡ªonce more soldiers stepped onto the battlefield, commanders worldwide realized these seemingly insignificant items could no longer be overlooked.


    Such equipment indeed had a tangible impact on military effectiveness. Thus, countries began focusing heavily on these overlooked aspects, feeling a certain desperation akin to cramming for a last-minute exam.


    Upon adopting these items, nations finally understood the scientific and technical depth behind this seemingly mundane gear. Ultimately, they had no choice but to flock back to the Great Tang Group, either to purchase outright or imitate a range of civilian technologies from scratch.


    When it came to acquiring more advanced fighter jets, the situation grew even more intriguing. Only after these sample aircraft were delivered to respective nations did they comprehend what they had truly purchased.


    A nation that previously had only P-36s suddenly acquiring Mustang Fighters, or one with merely Hurricane Fighters being handed a Spitfire? The morale of these countries¡¯ pilots immediately soared.


    Previously, they had never experienced weapons this advanced. Early-generation planes could only climb to about 6,000 meters or, at best, slightly under 8,000 meters. Now, their aircraft could fly at altitudes of 10,000 meters¡ªwas that not a fundamental leap forward?


    What¡¯s more, these new planes brought about a wealth of new technologies: engine advancements, material upgrades, assembly expertise, and even new strategies for high-altitude combat. Everything had transformed compared to the past.


    Pilots now understood the mindset of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s aviators when they operated Butcher Fighter jets. With planes this advanced, the tactic was straightforward: dive, attack, and disengage! Dogfighting? Who needed dogfighting anymore?


    Previously, pilots from other countries were accustomed to low-altitude maneuvers, attempting to outwit opponents through close combat. Now they realized that, in the face of superior speed, such strategies were a desperate last resort at best.


    Given the opportunity to prioritize speed, what fool wouldn¡¯t choose speed? With sufficient speed, dominance in air combat becomes almost absolute!


    This philosophy had always held true, even though the advent of radar and missiles had slightly shifted the emphasis in second-generation jet designs.


    Later, more powerful missiles and superior technologies proved that ultra-high-speed fighters weren¡¯t a flawed concept. In fact, third-generation fighters represented a temporary detour due to technical limitations. After all, hypersonic missiles deliver better range when launched from ultra-high-speed fighters.


    With access to advanced fighter jets, pilots from around the world found themselves reinvigorated, brimming with newfound confidence.


    In the conference room, everyone turned to look at Foreign Minister Somi. Even Leines I cleared his throat and, drawing out his words, asked, ¡°Somi! It¡¯s time to rectify our mistakes. Get in touch with the special envoy and have him negotiate with the Great Tang Group. See if there are any more cost-effective options available.¡±


    His statement added fuel to the Minister of Industry¡¯s thoughts. Tentatively, he proposed, ¡°I think we could have serious negotiations with Tang Country. Perhaps they¡¯d be willing to sell us the technology, and we could handle constructing most of the hull ourselves...¡±


    Foreign Minister Somi sneered and immediately retorted, ¡°Do you think they¡¯d agree to such an absurd proposal? Or, better yet, even if they agreed, how much would we actually save? Why don¡¯t you go negotiate yourself? Our foreign ministry can happily stay out of it.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª-


    To be continued tomorrow.

 Chapter 1201: Play dumb

    Chapter 1201: Play dumb


    When the diplomatic department threatened to throw in the towel, the Minister of Industry couldn¡¯t utter a single word, his face turning red from frustration.


    While he stayed silent, the naval generals couldn¡¯t sit still¡ªthey feared that the industrial department might spew another heap of nonsense that would derail their plans to purchase the ¡°advanced and practical¡± aircraft carrier made by the Great Tang Empire.


    So, a naval general immediately spoke up in a sarcastic tone: ¡°In my opinion, we should just honestly buy one of their carriers. Buying it earlier means we¡¯ll acquire certain technologies earlier than others.¡±


    From his perspective, the aircraft carriers being used by Tang People must be superior¡ªthe best, the most powerful, and the most advanced¡ªrepresenting the pinnacle of carrier technology.


    As for the industrial department¡¯s own designs... well, words were hardly enough to describe the situation. Look at the prior warships they produced¡ªwas there even one that inspired confidence, steady and reliable?


    They had no desire to use their own country¡¯s subpar equipment! What they wanted was the self-used equipment from the Great Tang Empire! As long as funding allowed, they were willing to spend money to buy it!


    Every detail of those pieces of equipment had been repeatedly refined, and even in the most overlooked moments, there was an undeniable sense of thoughtfulness and surprise.


    The Laines Empire, even if it purchased outdated warships sold by the Great Tang Group, still offered its soldiers adequate space for dining, well-ventilated sleeping quarters, and properly designed and easily used restroom drainage systems...


    Thus, regardless of the era, people willingly served aboard purchased Great Tang Empire warships¡ªbecause even in wartime, the survival rate of those warships purchased from the Great Tang was inexplicably higher.


    This was a truth universally acknowledged: warships from the Great Tang Empire had lower explosion probabilities, slower sinking rates, better watertight compartments, and emergency evacuation pathways that were more thoughtfully designed! Sailors even reported that the placement of lifeboats and flotation devices on Tang warships was conveniently positioned, facilitating faster self-rescue.


    After securing the approval of Leines I, the naval general quickly added, ¡°Moreover, through purchasing an aircraft carrier, we can secure some carrier design expertise from Tang Country, saving time while designing our own carriers later.¡±


    His message was clear: the design department and shipbuilding industrial docks should learn as much as possible from these experts! Absorb more of the details to improve the usability of their own ships!


    Don¡¯t shrink the mess hall just to cram in an extra artillery piece! Don¡¯t place toilets adjacent to poorly ventilated dormitories! For heaven¡¯s sake! Stop sabotaging us!


    ¡°This plan is somewhat more feasible than the previous one; it¡¯s at least somewhat actionable. The industrial department really needs to reflect and make improvements¡ªstop aiming too high and focus on solid, steady work; only then can good weapons be created.¡± The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Somi, was adept at kicking a dog when it¡¯s down. He glanced mockingly at the Minister of Industry who hadn¡¯t spoken for a while, and delivered another cutting remark.


    It was as if hearing an arrow pierce through his heart, leaving behind the sound of air splitting. The Minister of Industry nearly prepared for a one-on-one duel with Somi right then and there.


    However, he calmed down, realizing that he¡¯d indeed lost face this time. Right now, it was best to keep a low profile; otherwise, he risked being punished as an example by His Majesty.


    Swallowing his pride, he adopted a stance of complete silence. Fine, let the navy and diplomatic departments mock him all they wanted!


    Earlier, he had wanted to interject but couldn¡¯t; now he resolved to keep his mouth shut¡ªmute, mute, mute! What could they do to him? After all, as the Minister of Industry, his work wasn¡¯t exactly riddled with major issues; who could really hold him to account? If they dared, they could just bite him! Bring it on!


    Leines I thought about the 190 million Gold Coin price tag, and he felt his heart ache. That was money! Almost 200 million Gold Coins!


    At this moment, he even envied the Emperor of the Suthers Empire, wedged between the Laines Empire and Poplar Empire... At least that Emperor didn¡¯t have to spend so much money developing a navy!


    Indeed, the Suthers Empire was a landlocked nation; although its economy was relatively closed, and its national strength weaker, the savings were undeniable! How much could be saved by not having a navy? Five billion? Eight billion? Ten billion, even?


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do it! Send a telegram to the envoy immediately; tell him to hurry up and purchase an aircraft carrier from Tang Country! 190 million... just thinking about it makes my heart ache!¡± Feeling as if his liver was trembling, Leines I gritted his teeth and made the decision.


    His pain was genuine, not at all feigned. He could deeply feel that every coin spent carried his blood and sweat.


    At the end of the meeting, to show his dedication to naval construction and the development of national defense, he finally composed himself, adjusted his expression to appear calm and casual, and said, ¡°However, if it can make our coastline safer, this investment is worth it, no matter the cost.¡±


    ...


    In the Imperial Capital of Chang¡¯an in the Great Tang Empire, it was yet another beautiful day. With the Mirage Country war entering a cooling period of island construction, the newspapers carried fewer reports about front-line victories.


    Apart from some slaves eagerly discussing their ¡°new homeland,¡± the public¡¯s attention had shifted elsewhere.


    After all, compared to the distant South Island far across the seas, the newly acquired territories by the Great Tang Empire seemed much more significant.


    With the completion of the bridge over Hidden Sword Gorge, the road directly connecting the Great Tang Empire to Sword Pavilion was now operational. And Sword Pavilion... was now a part of the Great Tang Empire.


    Fengjiang, Xiajian, Wanliang, Wilderness, Sword Pavilion, Nanku, Guiguang, Shanping... With so many cities now integrated into the Great Tang Empire¡¯s territory, how could anyone focus on that South Island 1,000 kilometers out from Beiyuan¡¯s coast?


    People still cared, of course, since that was also Great Tang Empire territory. But because victory in this war was all but guaranteed, people naturally wouldn¡¯t devote excessive enthusiasm to it.


    On the map, the Great Tang Empire had already surpassed the Dahua Empire, becoming the largest empire in this world by land area and coastline¡ªan unprecedented colossus.


    To manage this empire, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s state machinery had been operating at full throttle. But it was so vast, Tang Mo realized he¡¯d need a jet plane if he wanted to traverse his domain quickly.


    The good news was that he did, indeed, have a private jet¡ªa reliable early model by Boeing Company with maximum safety features.


    The bad news was that this plane was still on the factory¡¯s assembly line. To wait for its completion, he¡¯d need some more time.


    That morning, the Imperial Chief of Staff Luff arrived at Tang Mo¡¯s office to report the latest war updates: the 9th Group Army had fully secured the South Island, and small transport ships could now dock at Great Southern Bay.


    The throughput capacity of South Island had started to recover, and Tang Country¡¯s Expeditionary Force had firmly established itself on the island. This was indeed good news¡ªnews that excited Tang Mo.


    Still, the conversation eventually shifted to the fallen soldiers; this war had resulted in the largest casualty count of any previous conflict.


    Among the 6,000 paratroopers deployed, 1,391 were killed, with over 800 wounded. In the Navy Marine Corps¡¯ landing force of over 12,000 soldiers, 2,118 were killed¡ªanother significant number.


    ¡°I let the booming voice of artillery echo through the sky so that my soldiers wouldn¡¯t need to use flesh and bone to stop enemy blades and bullets!¡± Tang Mo stared out the window at the sunlight, rhythmically tapping his fingers against the document on his desk.


    His mood grew heavy: ¡°I once had a dream¡ªa dream where my soldiers were trapped in a building, fighting the enemy from dawn till dusk. Enemy tanks shattered the building¡¯s windows; enemy machine guns tore through the rooftop¡¯s flag. Yet my soldiers never retreated.¡±


    ¡°Those brave soldiers called upon the artillery behind them to fire on their own position, choosing to perish with the enemies storming into the room. Flames engulfed their bodies, yet they staged one last charge against the enemy...¡± He described this dream, though no one knew it was actually a scene he¡¯d seen in a film prior to his reincarnation.


    Those seemingly tragic sequences and stirring dialogues... paled in comparison to the cold reality of war¡ªit was just the cruelest corner of hell with a facade of nobility.


    Luff could picture such a scene, yet he unwaveringly assured Tang Mo: ¡°They would never retreat, Your Majesty! You are their sun; they will fight to the death for you! If you command it, we¡¯ll conquer the ends of the earth for you.¡±


    ¡°Listen to me, Luff. That day, I awakened from my dream and reflected on everything, from Brunas to today... I dare not slack off, all for the sake of ensuring my soldiers, those willing to die for me, won¡¯t have to trap themselves in a building, facing enemy shells with their bodies!¡± Tang Mo interrupted Luff, continuing to express his thoughts.


    ¡°I would rather give them jet fighter planes, tanks, artillery, and missiles! Give them the most advanced weaponry! Let them be the ones firing outside the building, let them be the ones testing others¡¯ loyalty!¡± He finished speaking with a sigh. He wanted to provide the most loyal soldiers with the most powerful weapons¡ªstealth fighter jets, Dongfeng missiles, aircraft carriers with electromagnetic catapults... Give them all! Let them seize victory! Let them earn glory without having to pay with their lives!


    ¡°Make sure the pensions are distributed without error¡ªnot a single mistake! Personally oversee this matter!¡± He commanded firmly in the end.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Luff saluted, promising Tang Mo with resolve. The Great Tang Empire, founded on its military, allowed no negligence in matters related to warfare.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    As always, happy birthday.

 Chapter 1202: 1122 mutually help

    Chapter 1202: 1122 mutually help


    ¡°The Three Emperors Alliance is certainly not just a superficial show of unity. Naturally, we are unwavering in our support for the just cause of the Poplar Empire.¡± Harry said with a smile to the envoy of the Poplar Empire.


    His words made the envoy of the Poplar Empire breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed that meeting Harry alone was indeed a wise choice.


    At least his trip wasn¡¯t in vain, or rather... the bribe given to the Duke of Egret wasn¡¯t wasted. Sometimes, you really do get what you pay for.


    Thinking painfully of the hefty sum sent to the Duke of Egret¡¯s mansion, the envoy of the Poplar Empire couldn¡¯t help but feel he had practically handed over the cost equivalent of a destroyer as a gift¡ªsuch extravagance.


    But everything has its rewards. At least now, he was standing beside Harry, and everyone who knows the immense influence Harry wields would agree¡ªsuch an opportunity was undoubtedly worth every expense.


    ¡°His Majesty instructed me to sell a certain kind of advanced fighter jet to the Poplar Empire¡ªa very powerful... brand-new fighter jet.¡± Harry said as he walked, signaling to someone near him to pull open the nearby curtain.


    As the curtain was drawn apart by his assistants, the envoy of the Poplar Empire laid his eyes on a type of fighter jet he had never seen before!


    This fighter jet lacked traditional propellers, each wing featuring a cylindrical structure beneath it. At the front of the aircraft was a sharp nose design, allowing for easy installation of densely packed onboard cannons.


    Additionally, the plane¡¯s unique swept-back wing structure lent it a more aggressive, sharp appearance, giving the aircraft an aura of absolute dominance.


    ¡°Heavens above! What is this?¡± The envoy of the Poplar Empire, who didn¡¯t understand the technical details, exclaimed in shock. Following him were military officials and representatives from the Poplar Empire Air Force, who were utterly awestruck by the sight of the fighter jet.


    ¡°It¡¯s called the Model 262 Jet Fighter, completely different from traditional propeller-driven planes. Its propulsion system is powered by jet engines located on both sides!¡± Harry explained the aircraft to the guests.


    Only now did everyone realize that what was mounted under the aircraft wasn¡¯t a pair of massive, cannon-barrel-like weapons but the engines themselves. Previously, they thought the tubes beneath the wings must have been some sort of weapon system, with their sheer size almost enough to scare them senseless.


    Through Harry¡¯s explanation, they finally understood that a completely new and unprecedented weapon was now before their very eyes.


    ¡°Without propellers, its speed leaves traditional propeller aircraft far behind! It can easily reach a speed of 800 kilometers per hour. None of the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s current fighter jets can compete against it.¡± Harry spoke with confidence as he pitched this advanced weapon to the potential buyers.


    ¡°If necessary, it can be equipped with a compact radar system, turning it into a two-seat night fighter, enabling the Poplar Empire Air Force to achieve all-weather¡ªspecifically night-time¡ªcombat capabilities.¡± Harry walked closer to the aircraft, prompting others to instinctively follow him.


    Harry raised his hand and placed it near the aircraft¡¯s nose: ¡°Two 30mm caliber cannons, or alternatively two 20mm caliber cannons! Each cannon holds over 100 rounds. You will gain unprecedentedly powerful aerial firepower.¡±


    ¡°It can easily shred bombers!¡± Upon hearing this, the eyes of the Poplar Empire¡¯s Air Force officers practically lit up with gold¡ªthis was the all-new fighter jet they had been yearning for! It was the future fighter jet they absolutely had to acquire.


    ¡°Its only drawback is its high cost. Performance-wise, it can completely crush any opponent! Considering the Three Emperors Alliance... we¡¯re willing to offer this aircraft to the Poplar Empire at a reduced price.¡± Harry smiled, his genuine attitude making all the gathered elves feel at home.


    At this point, these sharp-eared elves mentally thanked the far-married royal Princess Iryn. In their opinion, it was precisely because of her presence that the most powerful Great Tang Empire in the Three Emperors Alliance was willing to lend a hand to the Poplar Empire at this critical moment.


    ¡°We are greatly appreciative of the generosity of the Great Tang Empire. Might we inquire... what is the price of one of these Model 262 aircraft?¡±


    ¡°Half-price¡ª700,000 Gold Coins per aircraft!¡± Harry offered a somewhat discounted price. While this price still wasn¡¯t exactly cheap, it brought some relief to the elves.


    The advanced weapons of the Great Tang Empire typically came at astronomical costs. Frankly, 700,000 Gold Coins for a single fighter jet was already an exorbitant price. To put it into perspective, a submarine costs only 7 million Gold Coins.


    But then again, a submarine was an openly sold commodity that anyone could purchase, whereas the jet fighter was a non-tradeable asset of the Great Tang Empire!


    Acquiring the jet fighter earlier would grant the Poplar Empire Air Force significant advantages on the battlefield. Even if the Ice Cold Empire equipped more Yak Fighters, the elves could still overwhelm the dwarves with superior technology.


    ¡°Its fundamental working principles are revolutionary. Until the Great Tang Empire decides to sell similar technologies to other countries, the Poplar Empire will maintain its technological edge. This is the sincerity of His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Tang.¡± Harry emphasized further, seeing his counterpart hesitate to speak.


    ¡°We understand! We understand! The generosity of His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Tang is deeply appreciated. However, the price is still beyond our financial reach,¡± the envoy of the Poplar Empire said awkwardly.


    Although the price wasn¡¯t excessively high, the financial constraints of the Poplar Empire were undeniable. Previously, they had procured 200 TA-152 fighter jets to counter the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s purchase of 400 Yak Fighters.


    Following that, the Poplar Empire bought three submarines, matching the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s acquisition of three similar weapons. This ongoing arms race had drained considerable foreign reserves from both warring nations, leaving their coffers rather empty.


    At 700,000 Gold Coins per fighter jet, even purchasing 14 aircraft would amount to nearly a billion Gold Coins. Add to that the costs for personnel training, maintenance, repairs, and ground crew education... establishing an air force squadron with dozens of planes was anything but economical.


    However, Harry appeared unimpressed by this argument: ¡°It seems expensive, my friend, but in reality, it¡¯s not costly at all.¡±


    He knocked on the Model 262 behind him and confidently emphasized: ¡°With this jet, you can reduce pilot losses significantly. One aircraft could take out ten, even twenty enemy planes! Do you realize how much cost savings this represents?¡±


    Due to absolute technological superiority, jet fighters held a crushing advantage over traditional propeller aircraft. As long as losses remained negligible, costs for training pilots and manufacturing replacement aircraft could be dramatically reduced.


    In fact, Tang Mo was eager to sell his jet fighters: with the entrance of the J-6 into combat, Tang Mo¡¯s stock of propeller-driven aircraft technology had become increasingly obsolete. This lesson had to be learned¡ªhe couldn¡¯t allow outdated first-generation jet fighter technologies to pile up in his inventory.


    Thus, he decided to start with the Three Emperors Alliance¡ªthe allies themselves were great for ¡°milking,¡± weren¡¯t they? There¡¯s an old saying: ¡°It¡¯s perilous to be enemies with the United States, but fatal to be its ally.¡±


    For this reason, he planned to peddle the TA-183 fighter to the Great Qin Empire: a fighter with a shorter range, which seemed more suitable for a neighbor¡¯s arsenal.


    Then, as these jet technologies spread, the whole world would step into a new era of aircraft development. By leveraging Shireck¡¯s influence, Tang Mo could sell antiquated MiG-15 and F-86 jets as scrap to other nations.


    By that time... the Great Tang Empire, having conducted countless experiments, would have already matured their advanced air-to-air missile technologies, allowing their Imperial Air Force pilots to enjoy target practice during real combat.


    Otherwise, relying solely on installing cannons for dogfights on jet fighters seemed wasteful. It was far better to integrate radar and electronic systems for high-level beyond-visual-range aerial combat.


    After listening to Harry¡¯s persuasive pitch, several elves whispered among themselves. Indeed, they were already facing a dire situation and desperately needed a series of advanced weapons to resolve the ongoing crisis with the Ice Cold Empire.


    Now, with an option laid before them, it was impossible not to be tempted. They desperately wanted the Model 262¡ªa fighter jet capable of empowering their pilots to fight one against ten.


    ¡°You can go back and deliberate, but don¡¯t take too long. I can¡¯t guarantee this aircraft production line... won¡¯t be reallocated to another model next week,¡± Harry said threateningly to the already intrigued elves.


    The factories of the Great Tang Empire were extremely busy, with no time to idle for non-existent orders. From Harry¡¯s perspective, selling the Model 262 as part of the Great Tang Group¡¯s offerings was a form of ¡°technical poverty alleviation.¡±


    If the Poplar Empire refused, Harry would have no reservations about inviting envoys from Dorne or the Laines Empire for discussions. Naturally, even envoys from the Ice Cold Empire were not off the table.


    The elves immediately bowed and nodded: ¡°Sir, please allow us to consult with our government. We¡¯ll have a definitive answer for you by tomorrow!¡±


    Such a significant matter certainly required careful study, yet everyone understood that the Poplar Empire would inevitably find the money¡ªborrow if they must¡ªto secure the Model 262 fighter jets.


    ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t keep you for dinner.¡± With the deal yet unsealed, Harry saw no point in hosting them for a meal. He didn¡¯t even bother with niceties, casually dismissing them before walking away.


    The elves weren¡¯t surprised by this. They knew... this time, they were once again the supplicants to the Great Tang Empire. If the other side displayed arrogance, it was no matter. As long as they were willing to help, the Poplar Empire stood to gain immensely.

 Chapter 1205: 1125 are not fools

    Chapter 1205: 1125 are not fools


    ¡°Lady Iryn!¡± A young elf girl clutching a stack of books approached the girl who was reading, lightly squatting down to perform the customary greeting of noblewomen.


    The elf ¡°princess,¡± who possessed beautiful silver-white hair, looked up, her lips curling into a charming smile. ¡°Good morning, Tina.¡±


    In all of the schools across the Great Tang Empire, there were elves, dwarves, and nobles from various other nations.


    The Chang¡¯an Women¡¯s Academy, where Iryn studied, was no exception. Beautiful girls were everywhere, and due to lineage, those who made it into this university were generally top-tier in appearance.


    There was no other way. Wealthy nobles had the luxury of being picky when selecting spouses, and years of arranged marriages and selective breeding ensured their features were remarkable.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± The elf girl named Tina blushed slightly, lowering her head shyly. ¡°The math test results are out. I asked about it¡ªyou¡¯re first again.¡±


    Compared to other universities in the Great Tang Empire, the Women¡¯s Academy was essentially a pay-to-enter noble school. Tang Mo had enrolled Iryn, his elf ¡°wife,¡± here because he assumed she wouldn¡¯t excel academically.


    After all, while arranged marriages among the nobility might bring advantages in appearance, they didn¡¯t necessarily guarantee intellectual prowess.


    The rich second-generation heirs studying in the Great Tang Empire were mostly uninterested in serious academics. They came to gild their resumes, expand their social circles, or simply kill time.


    In Chang¡¯an¡ªor rather, in the Great Tang Empire¡ªthere were far too many luxuries that they could never experience in their own backwater homelands. So, they came, spent their money, and then returned home.


    Iryn seemed like an outlier; she genuinely enjoyed difficult academic subjects and studied diligently. Her outstanding academic performance at this noble school surprised Tang Mo.


    Initially, he assumed Iryn would, like other nobles, dabble halfheartedly in learning, focusing on royal etiquette and networking, then hastily finish three years of education to become another mindless ¡°Imperial Concubine of Tang.¡±


    After all, Tang Mo already had five Imperial Concubines. If one of them ended up being a brainless fool, it wouldn¡¯t matter much. But, as it turned out, Iryn was also ¡°a clever woman.¡±


    Indeed, Tang Mo had realized to his surprise that none of his five wives were easy to deal with. Each had their own schemes to varying extents¡ªperhaps only Yue¡¯er was a genuine, simpleton sweetheart.


    Yet even this naive sweetheart effectively had her own power base: Yue¡¯er controlled the Empire¡¯s literary and art circles and wielded the support of tens of thousands of orc slaves.


    ¡°I think if you were willing to focus on your books, your grades wouldn¡¯t be bad either.¡± Iryn closed her book and smiled, encouraging the young elf.


    She had been reading a Great Tang Empire-published economics text, learning many new concepts.


    In truth, she had loved books back in the Elf Empire too, though useful texts had been scarce.


    Apart from the Great Tang Empire, the national libraries of other countries mainly consisted of poetry collections, travelogues, and a jumble of nonsensical stories¡ªmany filled with implausible or even obscene content.


    The literature of the Great Tang Empire was different. If you engaged with it, you could discover technical texts packed with practical knowledge¡ªreading even one could be greatly beneficial.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually quite dumb,¡± Tina sheepishly scratched her head, her voice bashful. Despite clutching two books, they were merely props to maintain her scholarly facade.


    Like many girls studying here, Tina had simply wanted to meet a young Great Tang noble¡ªor the son of one¡ªthen marry him and bear a child to inherit his estate.


    The girls who studied here came from affluent families; after all, tuition fees were prohibitively high. Yet after rigorous selection, many prominent foreign nobles and some up-and-coming Great Tang elites did indeed find marriage prospects at Chang¡¯an Women¡¯s Academy.


    The rising Great Tang nobility, especially those with little background, sought to marry the daughters of prestigious families to secure alliance and support.


    Foreign aristocrats also hoped to find refined Tang girls in elite schools as daughters-in-law, as it added prestige.


    In short, Tina was looking for a husband. Her interest in forming ties with Iryn stemmed from the fact that the elf princess was the most distinguished student in the academy.


    Iryn was an Imperial Concubine¡ªor rather, a confirmed future Imperial Concubine. Marrying into nobility paled in comparison to clinging to Iryn¡¯s coattails. If Tina became best friends with an Imperial Concubine, wouldn¡¯t she dominate the Great Tang Empire?


    Who knew if the Emperor of Tang harbored a peculiar fondness for his wife¡¯s close friends? If that were the case, wouldn¡¯t she...?


    Every time Tina fantasized about meeting His Majesty, imagining being flirted with by the Emperor, her face turned red uncontrollably.


    Iryn remained unaware that someone was fantasizing about her husband and continued comforting Tina, as if the elf girl truly were her bosom friend.


    But after all, being the daughter of a Poplar Empire duke¡ªa bona fide noble¡ªcertain habits lingered.


    In noble circles, true friendships didn¡¯t exist. Blood brothers sold each other, let alone close friends. After becoming the ¡°prospective Imperial Concubine of Tang,¡± Iryn had seen countless people swarm to her, vying for connections. She knew all too well why.


    Even if she pretended otherwise, she couldn¡¯t mistake their motives: the immense power of the Great Tang royal family was her sole shield and untouchable taboo.


    A single misstep could spell disaster! Her father had warned her early on: staying immovable was her best strategy. Sometimes doing nothing at all was the truest display of wisdom.


    Iryn reflexively held back her words, merely smiling. She didn¡¯t think Tina was stupid; the elf girl definitely had far more cunning than she let on.


    When women gathered in groups, things often played out like this: eight girls in one dorm, six separate group chats, affectionately calling each other ¡°Darling.¡±


    While the two chatted, a strikingly beautiful woman approached them, flanked by maids. Anyone who could stroll around with maids here clearly held terrifying status.


    The stunning woman walked up to Iryn and tilted her head slightly toward the scheming Tina, blatantly impolite.


    However, the maid beside her spoke politely, performing standard etiquette: ¡°Miss, may we ask for the two ladies to have a private moment together?¡±


    The phrase ¡°two ladies¡±¡ªat first, Tina found her somewhat arrogant, but the realization instantly humbled her. There weren¡¯t many in this country who warranted such a title.


    ¡°We might be meeting for the first time, aren¡¯t we? My name is Ying Yue.¡± The graceful black-haired woman extended her hand, and silver-haired Iryn followed suit, clasping hands with her.


    Iryn¡¯s palm was slightly cool and soft to the touch. Ying Yue smiled faintly, glanced around, and said, ¡°Are you comfortable here? Anyone bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s been very kind and helped me a lot.¡± Iryn understood her companion was merely being courteous, so she instinctively reciprocated.


    Their conversation meandered effortlessly from cruise liners to this year¡¯s warfare¡ªbroad topics without any drama.


    While many girls hoped to approach and worm their way into the circle of the two Imperial Concubines, they were reluctantly scared off by one look from Ying Yue¡¯s maid.


    One casual glance was enough to suppress any thoughts of intruding. As always, anyone who could bring maids into Chang¡¯an Women¡¯s Academy was unquestionably influential¡ªno one dared stir trouble.


    Parked outside the academy¡¯s main administrative building were two top-tier Rolls-Royce vehicles. Only the Great Tang royal family used such cars, and this time, there were two of them.


    Through a window, someone was staring at the courtyard, watching as the two girls conversed harmoniously, gracefully, without blemish on their smiles. Yulin, expressionless, shifted her gaze away.


    ¡°Not bad. Neither of them are fools. Next time, don¡¯t bother having me come for things like this.¡± She addressed a maid beside her: ¡°Today¡¯s meeting went smoothly, meaning future ones will too. Let¡¯s go¡ªI have other matters to handle.¡±


    The academy¡¯s principal stood nearby, smiling as she saw Yulin out of the office. In their youth, this girl had studied court etiquette alongside her; now, she had become an Imperial Concubine.


    ¡°Teacher, please don¡¯t let them know I¡¯ve been here,¡± Yulin remarked as she approached her car, glancing back at the elderly woman trailing her.


    ¡°This old lady understands,¡± the principal nodded lightly, smiling as she replied, ¡°Having you visit me already makes me happy.¡±


    Although she knew Yulin hadn¡¯t come out of sentimentality, the elder still conveyed due respect for Her Highness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Teacher,¡± Yulin replied bashfully, addressing the woman from inside the car window. ¡°You are now the instructor of four Imperial Concubines.¡±


    Apart from Ying Yue, it seemed all of the Great Tang¡¯s Imperial Concubines had studied court etiquette under this elderly woman¡¯s guidance.


    The principal smiled contentedly. As long as the Imperial Concubines still called her ¡°teacher,¡± that was the source of her deepest pride.

 Chapter 1206: Preparations for New Island 1126

    Chapter 1206: Preparations for New Island 1126


    ¡°Intelligence indicates that the Tang Empire battleships have appeared near Linshui Port. They have never been there before.¡± A Mirage Country officer stood behind Admiral Shen Haiping, reporting the latest intelligence on Tang Army movements.


    Several countries are providing similar intelligence to Mirage Country. Although no one dares openly oppose the Tang Army, they still offer as much support to the weaker party as possible.


    After all, with a tall figure shielding the front, others could fare slightly better, couldn¡¯t they? It¡¯s a form of self-preservation, even if it doesn¡¯t appear entirely altruistic.


    Merchant ships from all over the world congregate at Linshui. Equipped with radios, they relay information back to their countries or mention bits and pieces of intelligence during casual communication.


    For instance, they marvel at how stunning the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s new battleships are, boasting a displacement of over 40,000 tons. Such messages are intercepted by intelligence agencies from other countries, who leverage them to offer Mirage Country a favor.


    ¡°The Dongwan-class battleships have already left the South Island waters, and two aircraft carriers have been spotted near Beiyuan....¡± Shen Haiping could already deduce, based on the mounting pressure, that the main force of the Tang Empire Navy had departed Shen Hai. The only question was how many had been redeployed.


    At this point, he had learned that the new Tang warships were called aircraft carriers. He couldn¡¯t help but feel deep envy for the Great Tang Empire Navy, which possessed such advanced weapons.


    As a navy commander, he thoroughly understood the strategic significance of aircraft carriers as revolutionary weapons. Just having naval aviation as an independent operational arm underscores the increasing importance of the navy.


    Unfortunately, envy was all he could afford. The main Mirage Country naval fleet had been completely annihilated, leaving them incapable of launching a meaningful counterattack.


    During a discussion held by Mirage Country leadership, they reviewed their failures and lessons learned: The Air Force claimed that the fighter jets purchased from Tang Country had significant technical deficiencies, leading to the rapid loss of air superiority.


    The Navy, despite building its own warships, faced an insurmountable technical disadvantage against Tang¡¯s new weaponry, which utilized advanced mechanisms beyond Mirage Country¡¯s comprehension, resulting in an unprecedented defeat.


    Ultimately, the blame didn¡¯t lie with Mirage Country¡¯s leadership or the courage of its grassroots troops. The Tang Army was simply too cunning, its technology too advanced, outpacing everyone¡¯s expectations.


    But this is war: blame matters little. The battle to defend the nation must continue. Mirage Country is doing everything possible to gather intelligence on Tang Empire Navy fleets to ensure thorough preparation for the next landing assault.


    ¡°A large number of merchant ships are being mobilized, but they¡¯ve rarely concentrated together... This suggests they¡¯re resupplying South Island rather than assembling to transport troops.¡± Shen Haiping remained highly professional; as long as the operation didn¡¯t involve aircraft carriers and Tang¡¯s new equipment, he was adept at analyzing Navy fleet movements and logistics.


    Clearly, the Tang Army continued to focus on resupplying South Island. It¡¯s likely Shengwu Zhong had put significant effort into the devastating battle at Great Southern Bay, which has yet to recover.


    As such, the Tang Army wouldn¡¯t be able to utilize Great Southern Bay in the short term, meaning its next wave of landing fleets would have to set out from Beiyuan, Linshui, or other regions.


    ¡°That means we have at least fifteen days to one month!¡± Shen Haiping arrived at a fairly specific estimation.


    In fact, his deduction was remarkably accurate. According to Tang Empire¡¯s plans, efforts to overhaul Great Southern Bay, expand port capacity, and launch an advance toward New Island were scheduled for 27 days later.


    Shen Haiping used small boat-shaped magnets on his map to mark a long chain connecting the waters between Beiyuan and South Island.


    These routes were dominated by Tang Empire¡¯s merchant fleets. If... he had a few submarines, he could substantially delay Tang Army¡¯s logistics and supplies. If... he had a fleet, appearing in these waters at this time would undoubtedly cause significant discomfort for Tang forces.


    Civilian ships wouldn¡¯t have radar, nor the protection of extensive naval escorts. His fleet could inflict considerable damage, even if it meant being sunk in return¡ªat least it wouldn¡¯t be a lopsided annihilation.


    Regrettably, it was too late for regrets. What he had to do now was utilize his remaining naval forces to trouble the Tang Empire Navy as much as possible.


    First and foremost, he¡¯d heard that Tang Country had begun selling submarines. Due to the war, however, Mirage Country had no channels for purchasing them. But perhaps they could borrow or replicate¡ªif time allowed, who knows?


    Secondly, he was desperately manufacturing small motorized craft equipped with gasoline engines. These fast, small boats were packed with explosives for the explicit purpose of carrying out ¡°suicide attacks.¡±


    In fact, relying on his expertise, he made a series of modifications to the design: Shen Haiping did, indeed, have some skill in this regard.


    He considered weapons capable of sinking these swift small boats¡ªtypically rapid-fire guns and small-caliber anti-aircraft cannons¡ªso he reinforced the boats¡¯ front with steel plates to defend against such firepower.


    Coupled with evasive maneuvers by the boats, their odds of being sunk at long and medium ranges remained relatively low. As for close range... well, once they¡¯re on the verge of collision, losing a few boats hardly mattered, did it?


    Each boat carried more than a ton of explosives. Purely in terms of explosive yield, the destructive power was substantial. However, the inherent issue was that these collision-purpose boats were not shells; the explosives neither detonated inside enemy ships nor underwater, rendering maximum damage unlikely. They appeared terrifying but mainly inflicted heavy injury rather than complete destruction of Tang Empire warships.


    Admittedly, retrofitting naval motorboats was somewhat easier than aircraft. Mirage Country¡¯s Air Force had deployed over a hundred suicide planes in the past two months, none of which succeeded in their missions.


    The Tang Army¡¯s airtight anti-aircraft radar network was one of the reasons for this failure, as was the declining quality of Mirage Country pilots.


    Mirage Country¡¯s ability to train pilots was hindered by low literacy rates and a scarcity of schools, meaning the pool of qualified individuals was naturally small.


    Now, heavy losses made replenishment harder. Among the 1,000 pilots recently recruited, some were even illiterate.


    No choice¡ªthey had to fly regardless. Some received only fundamental takeoff training before being sent to perform suicide missions on planes, because... aviation fuel ran low.


    With reserves unable to be replenished and supplies dwindling, this was the inevitable consequence of the Tang Army¡¯s blockade.


    Meanwhile, as war preparations intensified, Mirage Country ramped up Zero Fighter production to the maximum possible output. These aircraft also demanded fuel to function.


    Despite losing nearly 200 aircraft in suicide operations¡ªmany being Dragon Bombers¡ªproduction of Dragon Bombers has almost ceased altogether.


    With no targets fit for bombing, why bother producing slow, obsolete Dragon Bombers? Resources would be better spent manufacturing relatively advanced Zero Fighters.


    Although Zero Fighters were outdated, outclassed by pirates and overwhelmed by Tang¡¯s modern jet fighters, they were at least easier to produce.


    After all, they had just one engine and required only one pilot. Even for suicide missions, they were more cost-effective than heavily-equipped bombers like the Dragon.


    In any case, alternative options were scarce. Mirage Country hastily implemented modifications, replacing tail rudders and other components with wooden parts, creating fragile ¡°attack aircraft¡± with poor flying stability.


    The sole purpose of these planes was attrition, flown by Mirage Country¡¯s least-experienced pilots to kamikaze onto Tang Empire ships at any given opportunity.


    Besides self-sacrifice tactics, Mirage Country was also feverishly constructing a circular defensive line on New Island.


    The limited material reserves ruled out large-scale use of reinforced concrete, so Mirage Country resorted to building fortifications with improvised materials.


    Firewood and soil were heavily utilized; trenches often reinforced with locally-sourced wood for structural stability. Wooden roofs were added at intervals, turning sections into concealed bunkers.


    Though fragile and easily destroyed, the sheer quantity and concealment of these bunkers made up for their deficiencies. Mirage Country civilians were conscripted to build these structures, using wooden hammers to compact soil around bunkers. Some even stacked sandbags between the wooden supports.


    With so many bunkers constructed, machine guns were scarce, and assault rifle and infantry teams had to stand in for machine gun crews and occupy these defenses.


    To thwart Tang Army landings, large numbers of mines were buried on the beaches¡ªone of the few weapons capable of genuinely troubling the Tang forces.


    Like other nations, Mirage Country began prioritizing anti-aircraft artillery as well: numerous anti-aircraft guns were deployed across New Island to form a dense defensive network.


    Many of these anti-aircraft guns were freshly manufactured, while others were relocated from Ben Island. In addition to air defense, many guns were also assigned anti-tank roles.


    According to Shenwu Ke¡¯s New Island defensive plan, Mirage Country¡¯s remaining ¡°Navy¡± forces would cooperate with Army troops during Tang Army¡¯s landing phase, launching combined assaults from air, land, and sea to crush the arrogant Tang Expeditionary Force.

 Chapter 1207: Fire Island 1127

    Chapter 1207: Fire Island 1127


    The entire plan was massive and intricate.


    First, in response to the widespread airstrikes by the Tang Army before landing, Shenwu Erlang and Army General Shenwu Sixteen, stationed on New Island, decided to counteract by deploying the main forces near the southern positions of the island, where the Tang Army was most likely to land.


    The advantage of this approach is that even if the roads are destroyed or if the Tang Army Paratroopers launch an unexpected attack, they can still ensure substantial troop strength near the beach to engage the Tang Nation landing forces in decisive combat.


    After all, this battle is essentially a decisive confrontation between the two nations, and the deployment of as many troops as possible represents General Shenwu Sixteen¡¯s resolve.


    Meanwhile, Shenwu Erlang is tasked with the defense of New Island¡¯s interior. His Third Corps, which had suffered heavy losses, along with the 300,000 provisional militias recruited on New Island, will be responsible for annihilating the Tang Army Paratroopers.


    They are scattered throughout the island, so regardless of where the paratroopers land, the troops nearby can swiftly mobilize and engage them right after they touch down.


    Furthermore, relying on hidden field airports across the island and a dense network of anti-aircraft guns, Shenwu Sixteen is confident that air superiority will not be easily lost. His Zero Fighters can continuously take off to pose a threat to the enemy¡¯s naval and air forces.


    To support operations on New Island, Mirage Country has deployed over 600 aircraft in this region¡ªa considerable number, representing almost everything Mirage Country can muster.


    Among these aircraft, at least 170 are prepared for kamikaze attacks. The island hosts numerous new pilots with low training levels, but their resolve to sacrifice everything for Mirage Country has been firmly set.


    Simultaneously, Mirage Country¡¯s navy will secretly deploy a batch of hastily assembled kamikaze speedboats on the east and west sides of New Island. These boats are considered Mirage Country¡¯s trump card.


    If the Great Tang Empire¡¯s landing fleet appears in the southern waters of the island as anticipated, Mirage Country¡¯s kamikaze speedboat units will launch nocturnal attacks after sunset, aiming to inflict significant damage on the Tang Army fleet.


    In summary, once the enemy fleet retreats, Shenwu Sixteen is confident that with the advantage of troop strength, he can crush the Tang Army¡¯s landing forces on the beach and achieve a phased victory in the campaign.


    He was unsure whether the Tang Army would relent, but he believed that if he could defeat their offensive twice consecutively, there might be a chance to force a truce with Tang Nation and secure a breathing space.


    ...


    On the Tang Army¡¯s side, the strategy was straightforward¡ªthe principle of brute strength overwhelming skill. Leveraging their absolute superiority in tactical weaponry and equipment was Tang Nation¡¯s consistent style of combat.


    In fact, Tang Nation hadn¡¯t been idle in the past few months. Its massive propaganda machine operated at full throttle, accusing Mirage Country of violating conventions by using naval mines in sea battles and landmines in ground warfare.


    Nations worldwide had signed treaties prohibiting inhumane weapon use, which included various weapon types such as white phosphorus bombs, landmines, and naval mines¡ªmany of which were first used by the Great Tang Empire.


    Clearly, Mirage Country had violated these agreements.


    The Great Tang Empire, as the initiator of the war, accusing Mirage Country of treaty violations, did indeed carry a touch of irony. Yet, it was the Great Tang Empire¡¯s accusation¡ªwho dared to take it lightly?


    After over ten days of media debates, when the Great Tang Empire presented battlefield footage, dismantled landmines, naval mines, and other evidence, the number of nations advising them to let the matter go dwindled.


    Mirage Country itself knew it had no defense¡ªit had done these things and couldn¡¯t refute them. Finally, it adopted a blatant attitude like, ¡°Yes, we did it¡ªso what can you do about it?¡±


    In response, Tang Nation formally declared the activation of its retaliation mechanism and reserved the right to punish treaty violators. However, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s propaganda confidently declared that it would refrain from using prohibited weapon types against Mirage Country in its retaliation.


    This effectively amounted to announcing to the world that it wouldn¡¯t use prohibited white phosphorus bombs to retaliate against Mirage Country. Amid applause and cheers, other nations praised the Great Tang Empire¡¯s moral standards.


    In truth, they wanted to see what other secret weapons the Great Tang Empire had, apart from white phosphorus bombs. If the Great Tang Empire couldn¡¯t produce weapons comparable to white phosphorus bombs, other nations would carefully weigh the cost-effectiveness of using landmines and naval mines.


    The subsequent developments were straightforward. As planned, Tang Nation¡¯s air force prepared its Flying Fortress Bombers and H-6 bombers stationed on South Island, equipping them with various bombs that had been in production but had never been used until now.


    The Flying Fortress Bombers, being relatively outdated, were uniformly armed with incendiary bombs; the advanced H-6 bombers carried new fuel-air explosive bombs.


    The two types of bombs had different effects and levels of destructive power, but both were undeniably terrifying weapons. According to the plan, the Tang Army would conduct five carpet-bombing raids across New Island, using these new bombs to thoroughly ravage the area.


    Some air force commanders even suggested using some of the less ¡°clean¡± new bombs from the Great Tang Empire¡¯s arsenal to give Mirage Country¡¯s Goblins a chemistry lesson on the importance of gas masks! They wanted to teach these treaty violators a brutal lesson.


    The plan was still under review¡ªLuff was still considering the overall impact of chemical weapons on the war. However, many figures suggested using them in a few cities on New Island to achieve a shocking effect that highlighted the Great Tang Empire¡¯s overwhelming military power.


    After all, this world lacked such bans, and, following their ¡°brilliant idea¡± of using chemical weapons generously first, they planned to push for a global prohibition afterward. The Great Tang Empire¡¯s leadership had little qualms about deploying chemical weapons.


    Before the Great Tang Empire¡¯s fleet had gathered, Tang Nation¡¯s air force launched 100 Flying Fortress Bombers loaded with incendiary bombs, targeting various locations on New Island.


    The incendiary bombs ignited nearly everything from Mirage Country¡¯s coastal positions to the inland woodlands and farmlands. The fires raged on, leaving the defensive forces of Mirage Country in misery and causing heavy casualties.


    Despite Mirage Country¡¯s desperate firefighting efforts, they were dwarfed by the scale of the fires, rendering their efforts akin to a drop in the ocean.


    The blaze burned throughout the day and continued into the night. Under the glow of the flames, Flying Fortresses took off again, dropping more incendiary bombs.


    The raging inferno lasted until morning. Flames soared several stories high at their peak, while thick smoke billowing into the sky covered the surroundings in black ash, rendering the landscape unrecognizable.


    A Mirage Country tank parked near the flames had long been completely burnt inside and out, leaving only a twisted shell glowing red against the firelight.


    Soldiers who failed to retreat in time had already been charred to cinders, and the defensive positions, roasted by the heat, had been severely burned and destroyed. Dense smoke enveloped everything, as Mirage Country¡¯s garrison, after exhausting themselves through a day-and-night struggle, finally decided to abandon parts of the area.


    By noon that day, Tang Army returned with incendiary bombs. Thousands of bombs were dropped directly into several cities on New Island, turning them into raging firestorms.


    In the afternoon, jet bombers carrying fuel-air explosive bombs struck another coastal defensive position of Mirage Country. The fuel-air explosive bombs caused massive casualties among Mirage Country¡¯s troops hiding in their bunkers, many killed outright or suffocated from lack of oxygen within their shelters.


    Survivors stared blankly at the distant fires, their spirits shattered.


    Shenwu Sixteen had never anticipated that Tang Army¡¯s specialized bombs could wreak such havoc on his meticulously built fortifications. Left in a daze, he despondently questioned why his air force had failed to intercept the enemy¡¯s attacks.


    In truth, his air force wasn¡¯t to blame¡ªrecords from that day showed that Mirage Country launched 330 aircraft sorties to intercept Tang Nation¡¯s bombers.


    Other than losing 30-plus Zero Fighters to H-6 bombers, Mirage Country¡¯s air force achieved no results. This was consistent with Tang Army¡¯s operational report from that day, which recorded only one Flying Fortress bomber malfunctioning and crashing into the sea, with all pilots recovered by nearby destroyers without casualties.


    In the days that followed, Tang Army refrained from organizing large-scale bombings, but the fires on New Island burned for five consecutive days before they were barely extinguished.


    By the time the fires were mostly subdued, nearly all villages and cities in Mirage Country had been destroyed, with only scattered buildings and trees remaining. The entire island was shrouded in black smoke.


    Some of the ash even drifted to South Island, tainting the air there with the acrid smell of burning debris. For days, everyone¡¯s nostrils were filled with black soot, and even stepping outside required wearing masks.


    Mirage Country¡¯s foreign envoys began pleading to the international community by the third day, decrying Tang Nation¡¯s brutal tactics. Their previous arrogant attitude of ¡°what can you do about it¡± had vanished entirely, replaced by descriptions of a bombardment that was utterly merciless.


    The entire farce continued to unfold, yet the Great Tang Empire¡¯s bombardment of New Island¡¯s defensive positions had only just begun.


    Two days later, Tang Nation initiated another round of bombing as scheduled¡ªmore incendiary bombs, massive quantities of them. This time even the H-6 bombers carried incendiary bombs to target cities and villages already reduced to rubble.


    Flames roared anew, transforming New Island into a literal ¡°island of fire.¡± Mirage Country¡¯s defensive lines disintegrated in the blaze, with what little remained rendered nearly unusable.


    Previously hidden in dense woodlands, the fortified positions had been reduced to barren land¡ªthe wooden structures and bunkers had been destroyed.


    Reconstruction was virtually impossible, as disturbing news arrived from Shen Haiping: a massive fleet from Beiyuan and Linshui had already set sail, marking the start of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s second landing operation!


    ¡ª¡ª-


    16 chapters still owed to you all...

 Chapter 1208: The imminent battle of 1128

    Chapter 1208: The imminent battle of 1128


    The soldier standing at the railing kept vomiting, returning all the delicacies he¡¯d just eaten to the sea. He was not alone; there were others retching nearby. Long periods of sea travel weren¡¯t easy for a landlubber like him.


    He leaned on the railing, seeing in the distance a massive ship rising and falling with the waves. That vessel was also filled with soldiers, many of them leaning over the railings, some vomiting just as he had.


    Transporting soldiers from the distant Beiyuan to the South Island was no easy task. Thousands of people eating, drinking, and relieving themselves aboard the transport ships was even more complicated than imagined.


    Standing on the deck and gazing out, all across the sea were warships, one after another, stretching endlessly beyond sight.


    The seawater in late April was no longer so icy, and the sea breeze no longer stung the face. Supplementary troops dressed in Army uniforms curiously observed the now nearly defunct floating dock in the distance.


    The dock was about ready to be abandoned; many parts that once extended into the sea had become unstable and severely wobbled. Though it could no longer unload supplies, it could still barely manage unloading soldiers.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s spring offensive continued. The 9th Group Army had been reinforced with fifty thousand new recruits, along with an additional 150,000 Orcs sent to the South Island for further infrastructure construction.


    Five large-scale thermal power plants needed to be built here, along with four wastewater treatment facilities, three massive freshwater stations, three jet-capable airfields, and a functional military port.


    Anyone witnessing such a colossal fleet would feel a tremendous sense of pride. Surrounding the large vessels were countless warships standing on alert, flashing intercommunication signal lights in dazzling patterns akin to the stars in the sky.


    Since large-scale anti-submarine operations weren¡¯t temporarily needed, the fleet was packed closely together, appearing remarkably dense. The destroyers only needed to focus on surface-level threats.


    When Pirate Fighters from the escorting aircraft carriers circled overhead, some soldiers lifted their heads to gaze at the planes, noticing their fuselage-mounted auxiliary fuel tanks.


    They seemed quite relaxed, finding life aboard the ships somewhat comforting except for the seasickness. On the deck, soldiers held various contests, and within the cabins were plenty of leisure facilities, making their time fairly enjoyable.


    After all, they truly couldn¡¯t conceive of any force the enemy might use to stop such a massive fleet from launching its offensive.


    Waves splashed against the ship¡¯s hull as a huge passenger ship docked beside the shaky floating platform. Soldiers descended the gangway and immediately noticed the platform rocking severely due to the ship¡¯s movements.


    It was as if they had jumped from one vessel onto another. Officers shouted for them to quickly leave the dangerous area. The scene was chaotic, with some even spotting new recruits falling into the water off the side of the dock.


    ¡°Watch your step! That section¡¯s moving! Careful with the gaps! You¡¯ll lose your foot if it traps you! Jump over! Maintain your balance!¡± Officers working near the floating dock repeatedly reminded each incoming soldier.


    Once these recruits stepped onto the sandy shore piled high with supplies, they were surprised to find the things here vastly different from what they had imagined.


    The bunker ruins riddled with bullet holes had been completely abandoned. Some served as makeshift offices, others as temporary storerooms, all appearing rather chaotic.


    Not far away stood a temporary bus stop built amidst the bustle. Goods stretched from the beachfront all the way to that station. Countless military trucks congregated, transporting assortments of supplies to various destinations needing them.


    Tents lined the roadside, along with several wood-plank buildings. Orc laborers filled the area, tirelessly working¡ªcarrying supplies, constructing roads¡ªturning the place into an enormous construction site.


    In the distance, one 130 model transport aircraft after another took off and landed, highlighting the relentless busyness of the island¡¯s airports. Nobody here seemed idle; the atmosphere was hotter than wartime.


    ¡°Proceed to Zone One to collect your food and living supplies! Each soldier gets two portions! They¡¯re all in the backpacks! Check thoroughly; attached is an inventory list! Match everything and sign your fingerprint before leaving!¡± A soldier carrying a Type 56 assault rifle directed the dense crowd of people.


    To improve transport efficiency, personnel and equipment were shipped separately. None of these recruits had brought gear; naturally, they would collect everything needed on the South Island.


    ¡°Zone Two! This is Zone Two! Steel helmets issued here! Everyone must have one! Make sure to register!¡± Moving forward, another sentinel yelled continuously.


    He held an iron megaphone, shouting over and over. Soldiers clutching their newly issued backpacks entered the helmet distribution area.


    A departing soldier wore his steel helmet as ordered, enabling him to take a share of the supplies piled near the docks, optimizing the transport process.


    As they moved further along toward the end, they were dispersed into trucks and assigned to various units within the 9th Group Army.


    In the Great Southern Bay, a newly constructed dock organized ranks of Type-59 main battle tanks, waiting to board landing ships.


    General Feng Kezhi watched his troops¡¯ heavy weapons being loaded, calculating the kinds of resistance he¡¯d encounter on New Island.


    Recon planes had brought him overwhelming amounts of intelligence, making him question if future commanders were even necessary: with the staff assisting, any random person could act as campaign commander without real difficulty!


    He knew the status of the enemy¡¯s coastal defenses on New Island¡ªwhere they were damaged, where repairs were underway, where enemy forces heavily guarded, and where troops had suffered severe losses...


    Although pinpointing every Shen Army machine gun emplacement remained impossible, their heavy artillery positions, anti-aircraft sites¡ªthese had nearly all been thoroughly identified. In this kind of battle akin to an open map, directing forces felt almost unnecessary.


    Battalion commanders and company commanders had already divided their objectives for clearing enemy positions. Division-level and corps-level commanders would suppress the Shen Army with naval artillery.


    Once the smoke cleared, Tang armored units would land ashore. General Feng Kezhi couldn¡¯t imagine how Shen forces would respond; had it been him facing such a foe, he¡¯d also find no effective solutions.


    This time, with the South Island airports and aircraft carrier support, Tang Air Force deployed over 1,000 planes. The closer airfields allowed higher sortie frequencies.


    During the South Island landings, the initially unavailable aerial support was now ready: over 100 H-6 bombers, 200 Flying Fortresses, 150 Yir Attack Aircraft, plus Stukas from the navy and air force.


    More than 300 advanced warplanes, including jet fighters, maintained air superiority, aided by navy and South Island radar providing early-warning intelligence...


    Clearly, just as the Shen Army expected, if the sea couldn¡¯t block the Tang force¡¯s invasion, the subsequent anti-landing operations offered Mirage forces no chance of victory.


    ¡°General, I¡¯ll be commanding this operation. Marshal Bernard will remain in Beiyuan to oversee matters,¡± Lu Qianshan saluted General Feng Kezhi with a smile.


    His fleet was now able to resupply fully within the Great Southern Bay, particularly the destroyer groups with shorter ranges and heavier logistical demands, which could replenish food, fuel, and ammunition nearby.


    Tang Country had successfully transformed the Great Southern Bay. Ports and docks originally obliterated by Shenwu Zhong were rebuilt to be even more modern. Shenwu Zhong¡¯s destruction, in fact, spared Tang construction teams some demolition costs.


    The new docks boasted higher throughput. Since many Great Southern Bay buildings had been destroyed, a larger military port warehouse was established without obstacles.


    The entire bay had expanded outward by at least twice its area. Numerous buildings were erected, though you¡¯d scarcely see goblins here anymore.


    All goblins had been driven to the northern part of the island to work¡ªshifts lasting fourteen hours daily. The Great Tang Empire planned to deport all remaining goblins to the Northern Island after the war concluded.


    ¡°Two Dongwan-class battleships will arrive by tomorrow... and according to the plan, the landing operation begins at dawn the day after.¡± Lu Qianshan looked somewhat tense now¡ªthis was his first time commanding such a large-scale campaign.


    The navy committed four aircraft carriers and two battleships to the operation. Although fewer transport ships were involved than in the previous campaign, more than 1,200 vessels had been assembled!


    These ships were to shuttle continuously between South Island and New Island, delivering 9th Group Army units to New Island in droves.


    ¡°The Shen forces certainly know what we¡¯re planning by now,¡± General Feng Kezhi remarked, withdrawing his gaze from a distant tanker.


    Lu Qianshan nodded. ¡°With such a massive fleet assembled and planes bombing so frequently, even if they were sluggish, they should¡¯ve figured it out by now.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll concentrate troops on the beaches¡ªthe satellite images and recon reports confirm as much.¡± General Feng Kezhi felt that waging war so overtly seemed somewhat crude. He preferred deceiving the enemy into poor judgments rather than relying solely on brute force.


    Lu Qianshan was confident. ¡°I¡¯ll order bombardments of the beaches; trust me, with over a hundred heavy guns in play, nothing on those beaches will survive.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± General Feng Kezhi nodded, putting away his doubts. Even if unsubtle, such overwhelming force... was a dream come true for many commanders.


    On April 26th, the Tang fleet began concentrating near South Island. Ten submarines launched a blockade around New Island, sinking four Shen supply transport ships. Effectively, New Island had been isolated.


    To reinforce New Island¡¯s defenses, Shen forces scrambled to transport troops and ammunition overnight and urgently dispatched 20 additional planes to the island.


    A fresh landing operation was on the verge of eruption.

 Chapter 1209: 1129 New Island Landing

    Chapter 1209: 1129 New Island Landing


    On April 28, the Great Tang Empire Navy assembled in the southern waters of New Island. The Shen Army¡¯s forward observers on the beach noticed the massive fleet of Tang Army warships.


    A Shen Army soldier sprinted along the trench, startling his comrades crouched in the bunker. Then, everyone saw nearly the entire horizon filled with Tang Navy warships.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good! Not good! The Tang Army fleet! The Tang Army fleet!¡± he shouted loudly while running.


    Those sleepy-eyed Shen Army soldiers, peeking out from their trenches, were immediately startled awake by the spine-chilling sight before them.


    Countless warships were turning their turrets on the distant horizon. The dark muzzle of their massive cannons pointed menacingly toward New Island.


    As dawn barely broke, deafening artillery fire commenced. Shells rained down onto the already battered Shen Army¡¯s positions, reducing their hastily repaired trenches to rubble.


    The fire-scorched trees were blown sky-high again, and the underground bunkers were destroyed one by one by the explosive force of large-caliber shells.


    No wooden or sandbagged bunkers could withstand the strike of naval artillery! Those repeatedly reinforced defensive structures appeared as fragile as paper under the Tang Army¡¯s barrage.


    Numerous small-caliber shells bombarded the beach, shattering warning signs indicating the minefield. The vibrations from the shells triggered nearby landmines, adding to the chaos of explosions on the shore.


    Fireballs erupted across the Shen Army¡¯s positions as explosions shook the ground. The Tang Army made no immediate attempt to land; they were intent on bombarding¡ªrelentlessly bombarding¡ªas if their shells were limitless.


    Countless shells fell, and at first, Shen Army soldiers cursed aloud. But soon, those curses became rare.


    Either the ones cursing had died, or the noise drowned them out entirely. Perhaps their ears had gone deaf, or fear had robbed those surviving of the courage to swear.


    Suddenly, someone noticed the dense formation of Tang bomber squadrons blotting out the sky above.


    These aircraft had been carpet-bombing nearby beaches and the deep Shen Army artillery positions for days. This time, they came back to do more of the same.


    Their bomb bays flung open, releasing one bomb after another. This time, instead of incendiary bombs, they dropped standard aerial bombs to assist the landing operation.


    Rain-like 250-kilogram bombs exploded across Shen Army¡¯s rear defenses. The feeble counter-attacks towards the fleet vanished instantly.


    The entire Shen Army position seemed eerily silent, as if not a single soldier remained alive there, except for the sound of Tang Army¡¯s exploding shells and the cries of Shen Army soldiers struggling amidst the bombardment.


    On the sea, Tang transport vessels unloaded their soldiers, filling landing crafts with countless infantrymen. Accompanied by naval artillery, these landing crafts started to spread out.


    Huey helicopters, launched from retrofitted ships, hovered above the beach, directing naval ships to accurately suppress each segment of Shen Army¡¯s defenses.


    Before everyone¡¯s eyes, a Huey helicopter was shot down, trailing thick black smoke as it crashed onto the beach. This might be the Tang Army¡¯s first loss of the day.


    On the beach, inside a concealed machine-gun bunker, a restless Shen Goblin commander scraped at the bark of the wood supporting the bunker walls.


    Next to him was a machine-gunner, who braced a Maxim heavy machine gun against his shoulder and aimed at the wide beach.


    Bunkers like theirs, intact and undamaged, were few and far between. The Shen Army troops deployed near the coastline had been mostly decimated during days of relentless bombardment.


    ¡°Do you think there are enemies parachuting behind us?¡± a young Shen soldier timidly asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There wasn¡¯t any sound of guns or artillery last night, and we haven¡¯t heard of any paratroopers arriving...¡± The Shen officer shook his head, speaking methodically.


    Usually, he might reprimand his subordinate, but now he felt a strange desire to talk. Talking helped him slightly forget the overwhelming tension gnawing at him.


    Indeed, he was exceptionally tense at this moment. The sight of the Great Tang Empire¡¯s troops crowding the sea filled him with unprecedented pressure.


    He couldn¡¯t imagine the ferocity of the enemy once they charged ashore. Answering his subordinate¡¯s question was, in a way, an attempt to steady himself.


    ¡°When they land, just open fire! Aim for the densest clusters of them!¡± After reminding his machine-gunner, the Shen officer raised a pair of binoculars and inspected the armored vehicles and amphibious tanks advancing alongside the landing crafts.


    The Tang Army seemed to have learned from their previous mistakes. Earlier battles saw the armored vehicles and tanks arrive late due to sailing speed issues, depriving the landing troops of timely support and resulting in higher casualties among the initial wave.


    This time, the Tang Army ensured their tanks and armored vehicles departed early, guaranteeing that tanks and infantry landed together. These armored units would provide immediate and effective protection for the infantry.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The machine-gunner aimed at a landing craft heading directly toward him, poised to fire the moment its passengers disembarked.


    But soon, a cloud of white smoke obscured his vision as a choking smell filled the air. Smoke grenades launched from Tang warships began obscuring everything nearby.


    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Despite Tang Army¡¯s use of smoke grenades during the South Island landing, Shen forces still lacked any effective countermeasures. Soldiers clutched their mouths, hacking dry coughs, unable to see anything on the beach.


    ¡°Damn it! Cough, cough!¡± Covering his mouth, the frustrated Shen officer cursed as he coughed incessantly within the confined bunker. He and his machine-gunner couldn¡¯t see any targets nor suppress the advancing enemy.


    Blind firing proved useless, but the furious Goblin officer shouted out an order: ¡°Open fire! Don¡¯t aim¡ªjust keep firing!¡±


    ¡°Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!¡± Muzzle flashes burst forth from the bunker¡¯s firing ports as the machine-gun¡¯s roar echoed through the thick fog. Shen soldiers didn¡¯t know who they were attacking, but they had no other options.


    On the beach, Tang landing craft lowered their front ramps. Tang soldiers, who had awaited this moment, surged onto the shore, trudging through the damp sands, advancing painstakingly forward.


    Countless craters assured that enemy minefields were disrupted, though unlucky soldiers still stepped on remaining landmines and were blasted off their feet. Engineers cleared paths with detonators, each echoing blast kicking sand into the air, provoking curses from nearby Tang infantry.


    Naval artillery continued ceaselessly. The piercing whistle of shells slicing the sky kept everyone jittery.


    Explosions boomed from unseen distances. Tracer bullets occasionally tore through the smoke, sending shocked soldiers scrambling in confusion.


    The shrill sound of whistles urging movement echoed continuously. Passing officers dragged panic-stricken soldiers off the ground, pointing them forward, shouting orders to keep going.


    Compared to the previous landing operation, the 9th Group Army displayed noticeable professionalism this time. The Navy Marine Corps¡¯ Type-63 amphibious tanks had reached the shore, forming solid flanking protection alongside Type-77 amphibious armored vehicles.


    ¡°Inform the Navy! Adjust fire! Adjust fire! Coordinate parameters plus five! Coordinate parameters plus five!¡± A radio operator, kneeling on one knee, worked with a liaison officer to direct naval artillery fire.


    Tang soldiers advancing on the beach were now in danger of friendly fire from continued naval bombardment. The smoke was too thick for naval observers to see clearly.


    Having the experience of a prior operation, Tang soldiers avoided the chaotic congestion on the beach and swiftly utilized tanks and armored vehicles to breach barbed wire and close in on Shen Army trenches.


    Compared to the nearly intact South Island coastal defenses, New Island¡¯s defenses were rudimentary and severely damaged: craters sprawled everywhere, wooden machine-gun bunkers were easily destroyed and suppressed.


    The Shen Army troops scattered across their ruined trenches could hardly mount an effective resistance. Tang forces shattered Shen¡¯s first line of defense at minimal cost.


    As the smoke cleared slightly, the beleaguered Shen officer in the bunker finally assessed the situation: directly ahead of his position sat a Tang tank. On the flanks, Tang infantry had already engaged Shen troops in close combat.


    ¡°We¡¯re running out of ammo... sir,¡± the machine-gunner said despairingly as he noted the empty ammo boxes around him.


    The trenches were destroyed, and the resupply lines seemed utterly unclear. Tang troops were right in front of them, yet they hadn¡¯t even truly fought back. The defensive line seemed on the verge of collapse!


    Those imagined scenes of mowing down enemies endlessly on the beach, bodies piling up, simply never materialized. The minefield they had depended on seemed to barely impact the advancing Tang Army!


    Instead of being stalled on the beach for a bloodbath, the enemy rushed effortlessly into Shen Army positions after a ruthless naval and air assault!


    Despairing, the Shen officer watched as a Type-63 amphibious tank crushed a trench beside his bunker. He could do nothing but pull out his pistol, prepared to fight to the bitter end.


    A hand grenade rolled into the bunker, causing wide-eyed panic and horrified screams. The next moment, the grenade exploded, releasing black smoke from the bunker¡¯s firing ports.


    Tang soldiers lying prone around the area rose to their feet. On the distant high ground, the Tang Dragon Banner was seen proudly hoisted.

 Chapter 1210: Progress at lightning speed at 1130

    Chapter 1210: Progress at lightning speed at 1130


    Shenwu Sixteen managed to have a restful sleep last night, as the Tang Army did not carry out any airborne operations during the night, and there were no reports of any battles.


    The Mirage Country troops, akin to deaf and blind men, received no warnings whatsoever. The radar station on New Island had been rendered inoperative days earlier due to a fire that destroyed its antenna.


    The movements of the Tang Country Navy were a complete mystery to the Mirage Country Navy, leaving Shenwu Sixteen with absolutely no time to react.


    Half an hour ago, he received a report stating that a massive fleet from the Tang Army had been spotted on the southern side of New Island. To him, this was utterly redundant: a landing fleet from the Tang Army would undoubtedly be massive.


    And then things spiraled out of control: the reinforcement troops he sent out reported back that dense smoke was billowing from the Tang Army¡¯s landing zone, rendering any approach impossible.


    Indeed, they could not approach; dozens of Stuka Dive Bombers, along with rocket-laden Pirate Jets and Butcher Fighters, were circling overhead like hawks, diving down relentlessly on any moving entity.


    The nearby roads were destroyed, and both cars and tanks were reduced to wreckage. The Mirage Country infantry barely managed to approach the landing zone, only to collide with the Tang Army, who were quickly expanding their gains along the trenches.


    ¡°General Shenwu Erlang has confirmed that there are no airborne attacks within his jurisdiction... The enemy did not deploy paratroopers last night,¡± a reporting officer informed Shenwu Sixteen, who stared silently at the map.


    His mind was racing, trying to deduce why the Tang Army did not deploy paratroopers and assessing the size of the landing force.


    Could it be that the enemy held him in such low regard? That while they used paratroopers against Shenwu Zhong, they felt no need to deploy the same against him, Shenwu Sixteen?


    Or perhaps the losses sustained by the Tang Army¡¯s paratroopers during their assault on South Island were so severe that they dared not send them into the battle for New Island?


    Neither possibility truly terrified him. What he feared most was... the enemy holding back their paratrooper units, preparing to unleash them as a decisive blow at a critical moment!


    If he issued an order to have the 3rd Corps, dispersed across various locations in anticipation of paratrooper attacks, regroup to reinforce the beachhead direction, what if the Tang Army deployed paratroopers tonight?


    But if he did not command the 3rd Corps to reinforce the beachhead, what would happen if the beach was lost? The Mirage Country commander quickly found himself mired in deep contemplation.


    A few minutes later, he saw the light: second-line troops reported that the Tang Army¡¯s landing forces had broken through the coastal defense line, leaving Shenwu Sixteen no more room for hesitation.


    His strategy of massing heavy defenses on the beach had failed completely: substantial forces had suffered significant losses over the past ten days, while enemy bombardments coupled with this morning¡¯s shelling had obliterated painstakingly-built defensive fortifications.


    Though abundant in number, the Mirage Country infantry proved utterly ineffective against the enemy¡¯s air, naval, and amphibious armored assault, collapsing in mere moments.


    ¡°Second-line troops have spotted the initial units of the enemy landing force. They have not launched an immediate attack, but our men saw their tanks...¡± A communications officer delivered the latest dispatch to Shenwu Sixteen.


    Before Shenwu Sixteen could issue any orders in response, a second telegram arrived: ¡°Troops stationed in Antian Village have reported that they¡¯re under attack by the Tang Army and are requesting reinforcements.¡±


    Shenwu Sixteen walked over to the map and confirmed the location of Antian Village, already understanding that the possibility of driving the Tang Army back into the sea was nearly non-existent. At best, like Shenwu Zhong, he could only try to hold out on New Island for as long as possible.


    He lifted his head reluctantly and inquired whether the Air Force could deal a significant blow to the enemy fleet to turn the tide: ¡°What¡¯s happening with the Air Force? Can they launch an attack on the enemy¡¯s fleet?¡±


    The reply he received brought no comfort: ¡°Airport No. 1 has just been hit by eight Stuka Dive Bombers. The runway has been destroyed, five aircraft have been damaged, and the entire aviation unit No. 3 is unable to participate.¡±


    Thanks to interference from the ground-level anti-aircraft guns, Airport No. 1¡¯s damage wasn¡¯t too severe. However, there was no way to get planes airborne to engage in combat today.


    Another liaison officer reported the situation proudly: ¡°At Airport No. 2, 13 planes took off and engaged in dogfights with 20 enemy aircraft. Thirteen planes were shot down, but one enemy Butcher Fighter was also taken down! Nonetheless, Airport No. 2 has been preserved... They¡¯re scrambling to prepare aircraft for another wave of the enemy¡¯s assault.¡±


    Compared to Airport No. 1, at least they managed to shoot down one enemy plane and safeguard the airport, which counts as a ¡°remarkable¡± achievement.


    But it was purely luck: they happened to encounter a novice rookie piloting the Butcher Fighter, and the Tang Army¡¯s Butcher unit this time was tasked with supporting ground operations, not the elite J-6 squad trained for air combat. This fluke led to their lone kill.


    The third liaison officer looked uneasy; he had not received concrete updates yet and reluctantly explained: ¡°No contact with Airport No. 3! Surrounding units have reported seeing thick smoke. It¡¯s possible that the communication lines have been destroyed, or the airport might have been bombed.¡±


    ¡°Airport No. 4 deployed 10 planes from the ¡®Brave Vanguard Squadron,¡¯ but the results are unclear,¡± reported the liaison from the fourth airport. The so-called Brave Vanguard Squadron was Mirage Country¡¯s internal moniker for suicide plane units.


    The name had been chosen to replace the unsettling labels of ¡°suicide planes¡± and ¡°suicide boats,¡± making the sacrificial troops feel slightly better about themselves. Such a euphemistic name might also grant them a bit more serenity on their journey through The Netherworld.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Airport No. 5 already crippled...? Same goes for Airport No. 6.¡± The liaison officers for those two airports appeared visibly embarrassed, as their airports had been devastated by fires and bombings over a week ago.


    Those facilities were beyond repair and effectively non-existent now: the ammunition depots and fuel storages had been ignited, transforming the sites into man-made lakes.


    The planes stationed there had all been destroyed, instantly depriving the Mirage Country of over 100 aircraft of various models. The damage was so extensive that even engines and components were irrecoverable for spare parts.


    The Mirage Country lacked the resources, capabilities, and time to construct ten airfields on New Island. They had initially prepared to engage the Tang Army in a decisive battle on South Island, where ten airfields had been built. Replicating such a project on New Island was simply impossible.


    New Island had only six airports in total; two had been bombed into ruins, and the remaining four owed their continued existence to the Tang Army¡¯s plan to utilize them after capture, refraining from total destruction.


    The reality was that the Navy, prioritizing fleet safety, had bombed New Island¡¯s Airport No. 1 and Airport No. 3 at the outset. Airport No. 3 remained unreachable due to its burning communication tower, which continued to spew thick smoke.


    ¡°What about the Navy? Can they mobilize some speedboats ahead of schedule and drive off the enemy fleet?¡± Shenwu Sixteen turned his gaze toward the Navy liaison officer, despite knowing the Navy¡¯s powerlessness.


    The naval officer shrugged helplessly, explaining: ¡°We¡¯ve deployed 60 Brave Vanguard speedboats here! They¡¯re ready to fight... But the problem is, without the cover of night, the speedboats cannot approach the enemy warships.¡±


    The Navy commander was well aware of what his fleet consisted of. The speedboats were of no real combat value¡ªessentially glorified self-guiding torpedoes.


    During daylight, enemy destroyers and cruisers could easily obliterate these fragile vessels with their small-caliber artillery; only at night did the speedboats stand a chance of getting close to the enemy ships.


    ¡°If the Army can hold its ground and trap the enemy near the beach... we can launch an evening assault and deal heavy damage to their fleet!¡± The naval officer tried to reassure Shenwu Sixteen, who kept silent and merely looked at him with skepticism.


    Whether the suicide speedboats could achieve anything substantial was uncertain, even to the naval officer himself: success was a possibility, but failure was equally likely.


    Recognizing that daytime support from the Navy was simply unfeasible, Shenwu Sixteen shifted focus: he had to hold his position, enduring the day and waiting for nightfall to enable a naval counterattack.


    ¡°Send a telegram to Shenwu Erlang! Order the 3rd Corps to regroup!¡± Shenwu Sixteen issued his command: ¡°Have nearby units reinforce Antian Village immediately! Stop the Tang Army¡¯s advance there!¡±


    ¡°At all costs! Hold the current territory! Not one step back! Stall the Tang Army!¡± He shot a warning glance at the Navy liaison officer, silently conveying that they had better deliver on their promises.


    Meanwhile, a Tang Army soldier unfurled a blood-red Dragon Banner atop the tallest building in Antian Village.


    A 63 Tank crushed the corpses of Goblins by the roadside, followed by an armored vehicle and heavily armed soldiers from the Tang Empire.


    Collapsed structures littered the area, and Tang Army soldiers cheered in victory. Moments earlier, they had secured control of this location, seized nearby roads, and annihilated approximately 1,500 Mirage Country troops.


    Elsewhere, Tang Army units had already bypassed the Mirage Country¡¯s second line of defense along the coastline and were charging toward the third line.


    Even Shenwu Sixteen hadn¡¯t anticipated the speed of the Tang Army¡¯s advance¡ªso fast that he hadn¡¯t had time to adjust his deployments before they had already seized a massive landing zone stretching more than thirty kilometers from the beach into the island¡¯s interior.


    Unlike the battle for South Island, the Tang Army now displayed their true, unmatched blitzkrieg capabilities. Fuelled by relentless momentum, they pushed forward without pause, and within just a few hours¡ªby midday¡ªthey had landed 59 Tanks and heavy artillery.


    Due to their overwhelming success, the Tang Army¡¯s General Feng Kezhi himself hadn¡¯t felt the need to come ashore to command operations. His corps had suffered minimal losses, so insignificant that he found no reason to relive the tension of the South Island landing...


    ¡ª¡ª


    Supplementary Update

 Chapter 1211: 1131 South Island Uprising

    Chapter 1211: 1131 South Island Uprising


    In an office managing construction projects on South Island, two staff members basked in the bright sunlight and refreshing air.


    They could read newspapers from two days ago and listen to the radio. The electricity supply on the island had stabilized enough for electric lights and fans to be used at will.


    Frankly, the air quality here was indeed better than that of the Great Tang Empire. One reason was the lack of large-scale industry, and another was the sea breeze whisking away unpleasant odors.


    There were always those envious of places with good air quality. In truth, beyond an absence of industrial pollutants, natural environmental factors played a crucial role. Some places were simply blessed by nature, and no amount of envy could change that.


    South Island was destined to be a place with fresh air. It was never meant to develop into an industrial hub for the Great Tang Empire¡ªat most, a port city. Consequently, environmental protection would undoubtedly be well-maintained.


    Since the workday hadn¡¯t officially ended but the tasks had mostly been completed, the two began to chat idly.


    One of them had gone out earlier that afternoon on an errand, and, feeling proud, started recounting something they¡¯d learned. As was customary, they began with the least meaningful of questions: ¡°Something happened this afternoon. Did you hear about it?¡±


    With nothing better to do, the other was more than willing to play along, putting on a curious expression and asking, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Hearing their colleague¡¯s inquiry, the conversation naturally continued. The storyteller began: ¡°A village up north got restless. Some goblins believed they were being mistreated and started making a fuss, planning an uprising. Turns out, there were hardly any guards there¡ªjust two men with a few magazines of ammunition. They had to fire as they retreated.¡±


    The listener¡¯s first reaction was to check whether the Great Tang Empire¡¯s warriors were injured: ¡°What? Were they hurt?¡±


    Of course, he only cared about their own people. As for the goblins, in his eyes, they didn¡¯t even qualify as ¡°people.¡± They were disposable labor, used and discarded like consumables.


    The storyteller waved dismissively: ¡°No, no one got hurt. When we humans run, do you think goblins can catch us? That bunch of troublemaking goblins ran straight out of their camp and bumped into some orc laborers building a road...¡±


    ¡°Ah... this...¡± As soon as he heard the mention of orcs, his colleague¡¯s expression became animated. Orc men were truly ugly, but... the orc barmaids with cat ears in Beiyuan City¡ªnow those were something else...


    Thinking about this, the man licked his lips and swallowed hard. Better not dwell on it; any further thoughts might trigger an involuntary physical reaction.


    The storyteller sneered with obvious disdain as he continued about the goblins: ¡°That group of goblins hollered at the roadside orc laborers, trying to get them to join in the riot.¡±


    The listener, sensing the goblins weren¡¯t entirely foolish for thinking of drawing in reinforcements, grew a little tense. ¡°And then? What did the orcs do?¡±


    ¡°And then? The orcs grabbed tools and started brawling with the goblins,¡± the storyteller said with excitement, gesturing as if he were the general leading these orc laborers into battle: ¡°It was a sight to behold...¡±


    ¡°Heh! Blood spilled?¡± the listener asked eagerly. A jaded spectator of chaos, he wasn¡¯t averse to escalating situations. In fact, he only found stories thrilling if bloodshed was involved.


    ¡°Spilled blood? Four hundred goblins went against eighty orcs, and the goblins got chased down by shovels and crowbars. In the end, over thirty goblins were dead,¡± the storyteller revealed with a grin.


    The listener laughed along. A labor victory for the Great Tang Empire, after all, was still a victory for the Empire: ¡°I knew it. Those orcs¡ªhauling rocks and lumber, paving airstrips by hand¡ªhow could those short little goblins possibly measure up?¡±


    As it turned out, a brawl with crude weapons highlighted the physical disparity. If the goblins had armor, swords, and shields and formed a proper formation, the outcome might not have been so lopsided. Unfortunately for them, without protective gear or adequate weapons, their 1.45-meter stature was no match for the orcs.


    Orcs in this world weren¡¯t the towering two-meter hulks loaded with muscles depicted in games. They were roughly human-sized, typically standing above 1.7 meters tall...


    The two sides were on completely different levels in terms of physical combat power¡ªespecially since these orcs were essentially ¡°construction workers.¡± Their daily labor involved chopping wood, breaking stones, and other back-breaking physical tasks.


    Within the Great Tang Empire, these orcs were used as manual railway-laying machines, hoisting iron rails on their shoulders. Now armed with shovels, crowbars, and hammers, coupled with their ghastly looks, they could genuinely be regarded as the pinnacle of melee combat.


    The storyteller smacked his lips and nodded in agreement with his colleague¡¯s analysis: ¡°Exactly. By the time two of our soldiers returned with reinforcements, well... over three hundred goblins were squatting on the roadside, hugging their heads in perfect order.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± The two laughed together, the air around them full of mirth.


    ...


    ¡°Bang!¡± A uniform volley of gunfire rang out across the desolate fields. Holding their weapons, the Tang Army soldiers stood by the armored vehicles, their cold eyes fixed on the goblin soldiers who had just fired.


    The row of goblin soldiers lowered their rifles, waiting for other goblins to escort the rebellious villagers and prisoners to the execution site.


    The area was already strewn with goblin corpses, but the goblin officers on the sidelines seemed utterly accustomed to the scene.


    ¡°Disobedience! Destroying the unity and collaboration between goblins and humans will end in this!¡± Standing with hands clasped behind his back next to the firing squad, a goblin officer bellowed toward the silent goblin captives and slaves in the distance: ¡°Cooperate, and you¡¯ll earn freedom on the Northern Island! Resist... and you¡¯ll die!¡±


    ¡°Ready!¡± Another goblin officer raised his arm high. The goblin soldiers, who had just lowered their Shireck-1 rifles, raised them again. The crisp sound of bolts being pulled back was remarkably synchronized, indicating this wasn¡¯t their first time doing this.


    These goblins had been brought from the Great Tang Empire¡¯s mainland and were directly under the command of Shen Wuxiong, the Tang Empire¡¯s designated goblin leader.


    It was their job within the Empire to manage goblin labor prisoners and slaves, employing methods even more ruthless and efficient than the Tang Army itself.


    ¡°Fire!¡± As the arm swung downward, another volley of gunfire echoed across the fields. The rebellious goblins, their hands tied behind their backs, fell one by one, blood gradually seeping into the cracks of the soil.


    ¡°Is it really necessary to kill them all?¡± a human officer asked, pulling a cigarette from his pack and placing it in his mouth.


    The nearby goblin officer immediately pulled out a match to light it for him: ¡°Sir, you don¡¯t understand. If we don¡¯t deal with them harshly, they¡¯ll definitely cause more trouble in the future! We have to kill enough of them to instill fear¡ªwipe out every last one of the clever ones...¡±


    ¡°But if you kill them all, who¡¯s going to do the work?¡± The Tang Army officer exhaled a puff of smoke as he asked.


    ¡°What are you suggesting, sir?¡± The subordinate of Shen Wuxiong hesitated, unsure of the human officer¡¯s true intentions. After all, no matter how low-ranking a second lieutenant might be, in their eyes, even a Tang prostitute held higher status than a Mirage Country princess.


    ¡°You¡¯re the expert. I won¡¯t give you any directives.¡± The officer tossed his nearly empty cigarette pack to the goblin.


    Understanding that the officer had no intention of interfering, the goblin officer waved his hand and adopted a harsher tone: ¡°Continue!¡±


    ¡°As a vassal state of the Great Tang Empire, all citizens of Mirage Country must comply with every decision of their overlords! Execute every order without question!¡± The Mirage traitor officers shouted with increasing fervor, tirelessly repeating the message.


    This was their job: propagating the narrative that the Great Tang Empire was Mirage Country¡¯s suzerain, solidifying their subordinate relationship, and forcing the goblins to accept their fate¡ªto obediently migrate to the Northern Island for frontier reclamation...


    Elsewhere, Shan Lu was distributing rewards to orc elders for the outstanding performance of their laborers during the incident. The rewards included an assortment of supplies.


    Among the items were chocolates, cigarettes, beer and soda, candies, honey, cakes, salt, canned ham, luncheon meat, instant noodles, and bread. There was even some beef and lamb.


    Wanting to avoid any delays to the project timeline, the orcs weren¡¯t given a holiday, but the generous supply of goods made them feel a strong sense of happiness nonetheless.


    ¡°You all did a great job! Soon, we¡¯ll have our own new homeland!¡± Standing on a rock, Shan Lu waved his arms to rally the crowd.


    The orcs raised their arms high, shouting and cheering. The atmosphere stood in stark contrast to the eerie silence at the execution grounds nearby.


    In the distance, a burst of gunfire echoed, eliciting celebratory cheers from the orcs. The animosity between orcs and goblins was irreconcilable; there was no need for pretense.


    The Ben Island of tomorrow was destined to be a paradise for orcs, yet it was also the ancestral homeland of the goblins! Their conflict was unavoidable, leading to inevitable large-scale clashes on the island in the future.


    Shan Lu didn¡¯t care how the goblins viewed the orcs; he only needed to know how to deal with them.


    ¡°For the Great Tang Empire!¡± Shan Lu raised his fist high in the air. ¡°For, His Majesty The Emperor!¡±


    ¡°For His Majesty The Emperor!¡± The orcs shouted back, unable to distinguish whether they were pledging allegiance to their own orc emperor or the human emperor of the Great Tang Empire...


    In any case, they knew one thing: pledging for an emperor was always the right answer!


    Looking at the gifts from the humans, the orc elders were very satisfied. Though their Paradise Island was still far off, the humans... had been incredibly generous.


    They might be missing quite a few teeth, but who didn¡¯t love chocolate and candy? In their many years of life, they had probably never eaten as many sweets as they had in the past few weeks...


    Now, they could feast on even more.

 Chapter 1212: The Battle of 1132 New Island

    Chapter 1212: The Battle of 1132 New Island


    The New Island landing site was already shrouded in darkness. The sailors on duty stood wearily by the railing of the Beiyuan-class Destroyer, yawning and rubbing their eyes.


    Above their heads, the radar rotated endlessly, while the soldiers in the radar room held warm tea in their hands, their heavy eyelids battling to stay open.


    In the dim light, the radar operator glanced at the radar screen. Nothing unusual appeared; the usual clutter persisted, caused by waves or other random digital noise.


    Suddenly, the alarm emitted a clear beep, jolting him awake. He put down his tea cup and stared intently at a faint dot on the screen.


    Without delay, he grabbed the intercom next to him and reported urgently to the bridge, ¡°Bridge! Bridge! Radar has detected a suspicious target!¡±


    From his headset, the voice of the bridge officer on duty responded, ¡°This is the bridge duty station! Please confirm the nature of the target! Repeat, confirm the target¡¯s nature!¡±


    The captain was asleep, and the Fleet Supreme Commander had worked the entire day and needed rest. If every minor disturbance triggered a battle alert, no one in the fleet would get any sleep that night.


    Therefore, the officer on duty hoped the radar operator could first verify the target before deciding whether to wake the captain or sound the battle alarm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Based on its size, it¡¯s similar to an aircraft, but its altitude is zero! The target is on the water! It¡¯s not a low-altitude invading aircraft,¡± the radar operator examined the data closely and reported to the bridge officer on duty.


    But just after he spoke, another similar dot appeared on the radar screen!


    ¡°Bridge! Bridge! This is the radar room! A second target has appeared! This isn¡¯t a coincidence!¡± He clutched the intercom, shouting loudly.


    In his headset, there were two seconds of silence before the red battle alert light above the radar room began to rotate, and the ear-piercing alarm blared.


    ¡°Woooo¡ª¡± The battle alarm was triggered, and the dozing sentinels immediately grabbed their binoculars and began surveying the visible sea.


    The darkness was overwhelming, with only the moon providing dim light in an environment of low visibility. The sea stretched like an ebony canvas, occasionally shimmering with silver waves. Nothing could be made out; visibility was practically zero.


    The entire fleet was under strict blackout conditions. Naturally, it appeared pitch-black. Behind them, another colossal shadow belonged to the Beiyuan 9 Destroyer, which was also patrolling slowly.


    ¡°Beiyuan 9! Beiyuan 9! This is Beiyuan 50! This is Beiyuan 50! Suspicious target detected! Battle alarm has been triggered! Please stay on guard! Please stay on guard!¡± At exactly 1:17 AM, the foremost destroyer, Beiyuan 50, relayed an urgent message to the fleet.


    By 1:18 AM, the Beiyuan 9 Destroyer also sounded its battle alarm. All combat personnel hurried to their stations, while sailors donned life vests and maneuvered the ship¡¯s guns to face potential threats. Simultaneously, the Dongwan 2 Battleship received the alert from the vanguard fleet.


    ¡°Knock, knock, knock...¡± A naval officer dressed in a white uniform knocked on the Supreme Commander¡¯s quarters. Lu Qianshan opened the door with a face of confusion, accepting the message and glancing at the contents.


    That one glance erased all traces of sleep. He immediately raised his head and commanded, ¡°Order the fleet to sound the battle alarm! The carrier fleet is to detach and accelerate, with Guard ships following closely! Ensure the carrier remains untouched by threats!¡±


    No matter how the enemy chose to engage, the carrier was his greatest counter-offensive asset. It had to be protected at all costs; everything else was secondary.


    ¡°Inform the landing fleet! Suspend all transport operations! Dispatch Beiyuan 20 and Beiyuan 21 Destroyers to assist the vanguard fleet! Verify the situation on site!¡± Directing his first fleet battle, Lu Qianshan was exceedingly cautious, issuing a flurry of orders.


    He then grabbed his hat from the wall, placed it firmly on his head, and declared, ¡°Let¡¯s move! To the bridge!¡±


    At 1:23 AM, the Beiyuan 50 Destroyer¡¯s main gun fired a flare, illuminating a segment of water. Sailors aboard the trailing Beiyuan 9 Destroyer saw the flare streak upward, lighting the surroundings brilliantly.


    ¡°Ratatatata!¡± Shortly afterward, they heard the distant clatter of machine guns. It was the Beiyuan 50 employing its Bofors 40mm Anti-Aircraft Gun.


    Due to the angle, sailors aboard Beiyuan 9 could only perceive tracer bullets from the Bofors, though they couldn¡¯t discern the target being fired upon.


    ¡°Message from Beiyuan 50: Enemy speedboats detected on the water, moving rapidly... They plan to breach blackout protocol...¡± The communications officer read out the telegram. Moments later, Beiyuan 50 turned on its searchlights, the powerful beams sweeping across the sea.


    ¡°Activate searchlights! Load the main gun with flares! Fire toward three o¡¯clock! One round at 50 degrees; one at maximum elevation! Illuminate the starboard side!¡± The captain of Beiyuan 9 immediately issued his orders.


    Once he grasped the nature of the threats, his tactics crystallized. Since the enemy lacked large warships, the Tang Navy¡¯s forces weren¡¯t afraid of exposure. Visibility became paramount under those circumstances.


    An array of orders saw Beiyuan 9¡¯s searchlights activated, their brilliant beams scouring the seas, while flares transformed the sky into daylight.


    They quickly identified an enemy speedboat racing toward them. The vessel¡¯s diminutive appearance became glaringly apparent from its frontal perspective.


    ¡°Fire at will! Prevent them from approaching!¡± The Beiyuan 9¡¯s captain immediately gave the order to open fire. Instantly, its smaller-caliber anti-aircraft guns roared to life.


    ¡°Ratatatata!¡± A salvo of tracer bullets streaked toward the horizon, scattering around the speedboat and raising plumes of seawater. The speedboat, evidently aware of its exposure, altered its trajectory and sidestepped rapidly.


    ¡°It¡¯s too fast!¡± Watching their rounds consistently miss the mark, a sailor gritted his teeth in frustration.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The ship¡¯s forward-mounted 127mm main gun fired, the sheer brilliance of its muzzle flash commanding awe. In the distance, a massive geyser erupted near the speedboat¡¯s right side. Once again, the shell failed to hit its mark.


    ¡°Such a small vessel... Are they planning to launch torpedoes?¡± The first officer set down his binoculars, nervously speculating aloud.


    The captain of Beiyuan 9 shook his head, dismissing the idea. ¡°No way! They just got their hands on torpedo technology¡ªwe sold it to them¡ªnot enough time for deployment!¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s their plan with such desperation? Are they going to board us for hand-to-hand combat?¡± The first officer raised his binoculars again, anxiously observing the Mirage Country¡¯s speedboat maneuvering amidst gunfire.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± For the moment, the Beiyuan 9 captain couldn¡¯t fathom their motive. Regardless, he knew one thing for certain: the enemy must not be allowed to approach their warship. ¡°Weapons officer! Order all turrets to continue firing! Sink it!¡±


    ¡°Another one! Another one!¡± A lookout shouted, pointing to the distant sea. Everyone redirected their focus almost instantly, binoculars snapping toward another direction.


    Indeed, another speedboat was closing in swiftly from afar. The stern-mounted 127mm main gun turned, attempting to target the second vessel.


    ¡°Increase speed! Maximum throttle!¡± The captain of Beiyuan 9, sensing disaster, frowned deeply. ¡°Send an urgent message to Beiyuan 50! Tell them to accelerate to maximum speed and maintain formation!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± The communications officer rushed to relay the order.


    ¡°Captain! Beiyuan 20 reports they and Beiyuan 21 are approaching us and expected to join formation in 37 minutes...¡± The fleet liaison officer, headset pressed tightly to his ear, reported.


    ¡°Tell them to turn on searchlights! Sweep the sea! Prepare flares! Enemy vessels are all small boats¡ªstay vigilant and keep your distance!¡± Ideas flashed through Beiyuan 9¡¯s captain¡¯s mind. He strode quickly to a radio console, seized the intercom, and shouted, ¡°Open the general channel!¡±


    Watching his subordinates adjust the settings, he pressed the speaker and bellowed, ¡°Attention all warships! Attention all warships! This is Beiyuan 9! This is Beiyuan 9! I suspect the enemy speedboats are loaded with explosives! Do not let them approach! Do not let them approach!¡±


    ¡°Beiyuan 20 acknowledges!¡± ¡°Beiyuan 21 acknowledges!¡± The two reinforcement destroyers promptly replied.


    ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s already hit us!¡± One second later, the desperate voice of Beiyuan 50¡¯s captain came over the radio.


    Almost simultaneously, the right side of Beiyuan 50, positioned ahead of Beiyuan 9¡¯s starboard, erupted in a massive explosion. Roaring flames enveloped the destroyer, with flying debris reaching as high as the flares in the sky.


    At 1:56 AM, Beiyuan 50 Destroyer was struck and exploded by a Mirage Country suicide speedboat, sustaining severe damage. In the explosion¡¯s immediate aftermath, 29 crew members were confirmed dead, and 17 were reported missing.


    By 2:03 AM, Beiyuan 20 and Beiyuan 21 joined the engagement.


    At 2:11 AM, the first Mirage Country suicide speedboat was hit by a shell and exploded, shattering into fragments. Previously sunk speedboats had merely submerged; this one disintegrated entirely.


    At 2:25 AM, reinforcements Beiyuan 90 and Beiyuan 94 arrived and joined the battle. Almost concurrently, a second Mirage Country speedboat detonated upon impact.


    At 2:30 AM, a Mirage Country suicide speedboat was struck and exploded 15 meters off Beiyuan 20¡¯s starboard side, damaging the ship¡¯s searchlight and killing 2 sailors while injuring 10 others.


    By 3 AM, the Tang Navy confirmed that no new Mirage Country suicide speedboats were appearing; all intruding vessels had been eliminated.


    At 3:22 AM, the severely damaged Beiyuan 50 Destroyer began to list heavily. Repairs failed, and the ship was abandoned. By sunrise, Beiyuan 50 sank to the ocean floor, with total losses including the captain and 35 crew members, alongside 18 missing personnel.


    According to reports, Mirage Country deployed over 50 suicide speedboats. The Tang Navy suffered the loss of one destroyer, with another damaged...

 Chapter 1213: The Wisdom of the Great Power 1133

    Chapter 1213: The Wisdom of the Great Power 1133


    Great Tang Empire, Chang¡¯an.


    Tang Mo sat in his office, listening to the battle report on the recent naval battle at New Island. The Mirage troops had employed a troublesome suicide speedboat tactic, and the Tang Army paid a heavy price during the night battle.


    The first challenge was that these targets were too small, making them very difficult to aim at during nighttime operations. Moreover, they appeared in overwhelming numbers, making them extremely hard to deal with.


    The second issue was that the presence of these speedboats forced the Tang Army to remain vigilant at night, which greatly impacted the combat efficiency of the landing fleet.


    ¡°If they manage to get close to the landing zone, those defenseless cargo ships will be attacked. That would be a disaster, with many ships either sunk or severely damaged,¡± said Luff, filled with concern, to Tang Mo.


    ¡°This is just the beginning,¡± Tang Mo chuckled. The enemy was still relying on Zero Fighters and suicide speedboats for attacks, which, on a battlefield comparable to World War II levels, amounted to no more than the initial stage of kamikaze squads.


    When it develops further, they might use rocket engines to create manned missiles or employ submarine technologies to develop Kaiten torpedoes... That would truly be an endless stream of tricks.


    So, Tang Mo shared with Luff two potential suicide weapons that might appear on a large scale in the future, leaving the Empire¡¯s Chief of Staff even more worried.


    Both the Navy and Air Force of the Great Tang Empire would undoubtedly face new challenges, which was unquestionably bad news for the military.


    Tang Mo smiled and consoled Luff, saying, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. We will also introduce more advanced weapons to let the enemy understand that these crooked paths will ultimately lead nowhere!¡±


    The Great Tang Empire already had missiles in its arsenal, so so-called manned rockets were merely backward technologies: those things aren¡¯t even faster than the J-6 fighter jets, so why the fear?


    With the iterative advancement of missile destroyer technology, intercepting subsonic missiles would become relatively easy, and the so-called suicide planes were simply a joke.


    Once the Great Tang Aegis cruisers began patrolling the seas, all those bizarre tactics would become utterly useless.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop worrying about those pathetic suicide speedboats for now. Let¡¯s hear about the 9th Group Army¡¯s progress.¡± Clearly, Tang Mo wasn¡¯t taking this desperate struggle to heart.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t worth the attention: the emergence of such tragic, mutually destructive tactics only proved that the enemy had exhausted all their strategies.


    During times of advantage, who would waste their efforts extensively developing such talent-wasting approaches to warfare? In Tang Mo¡¯s view, advanced weapons were readily available, but warriors capable of overcoming the fear of death were truly invaluable treasures.


    These individuals should be placed in more critical roles, where their courage and determination could be put to greater use¡ªnot piloting speedboats or aircraft into suicidal missions against the enemy.


    ¡°General Feng Kezhi certainly is a talent,¡± Luff remarked emotionally. ¡°His learning speed in logistics and supply chains is remarkable, and his understanding of troop maneuvering... is even better than many veteran commanders.¡±


    To serve as a Great General for a nation, one was certainly no ordinary person. General Feng Kezhi failed because his nation fell behind in progress, not because he himself was incompetent.


    After undergoing systematic training and gaining a degree of practical combat experience, the command capabilities he demonstrated were indeed top-notch.


    ¡°After occupying Antian Village, the 9th Group Army¡¯s armored vanguard shifted northward, directly clashing with the main forces of Mirage¡¯s 3rd Corps. A fierce battle broke out near Duan Mountain.¡± Luff pointed to a specific location on the map laid out on the table. ¡°Shenwu Erlang didn¡¯t have time for urban combat in Duan Mountain¡¯s city center and was pushed out by Feng Kezhi¡¯s troops. Now, we¡¯ve occupied that area, and by advancing eastward along the railway, we¡¯ll reach Xinshui Port, where Shenwu Sixteen is located.¡±


    Xinshui Port wasn¡¯t particularly large. Mirage¡¯s largest port was still Great Southern Bay, followed by Shen Capital, the capital of Mirage. Xinshui Port was merely the third largest port, with a throughput that was only half that of Great Southern Bay.


    However, for New Island, Xinshui Port was indeed critical: A large volume of resources needed to be unloaded at this port, while materials from New Island also required transport through it.


    Unlike Great Southern Bay, which was on the southern side of South Island, Xinshui Port was situated on the eastern side of New Island. In reality, Tang Army had already blocked its access, leaving the port crowded with fishing boats and cargo ships unable to set sail.


    Fortunately, Xinshui Port had its own artillery batteries, and the main Tang fleet was focused on covering landings, leaving a destroyer flotilla to blockade the area without storming the batteries, thus temporarily maintaining a semblance of safety.


    ¡°I¡¯m confident in handing the battlefield over to Feng Kezhi.¡± Tang Mo nodded approvingly. Clearly, the personnel he had dug up from the Dahua Empire were of excellent quality.


    Recently, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s development had accelerated significantly, due in no small part to the contributions of ¡°Hua-affiliated¡± ministers. Vice Premier Chu Muzhou was mature and cautious with extensive experience, and Chief of Staff Chen Jing was making tremendous strides, while even Jiang Run from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had revealed an unprecedented level of cunning, dragging the diplomatic style of the Great Tang Empire significantly further into the realm of shamelessness.


    This made Tang Mo regret missing out on Shen Chuan. If Shen Chuan had been placed in the position of Minister of National Defense, their brilliance might have shone equally brightly.


    ¡°What troubles me are the problems that might arise from the millions of Mirage civilians.¡± When Tang Mo uttered this concern, Luff¡¯s expression subtly shifted as well.


    Both of them fully understood that to fully control South Island and New Island and prevent goblins from infiltrating the Great Tang Empire and becoming its ¡°citizens,¡± they had to drive out or even eliminate the goblins inhabiting South Island and New Island.


    Thus... if they needed to expel or eradicate these goblins, then resistance would inevitably follow. The small-scale uprisings happening on South Island were just the beginning, and subsequent eruptions of trouble would come quickly.


    Shen Wuxiong, who had long pledged allegiance to the Great Tang Empire and served as a loyal Mirage collaborator, was now being groomed as a future ¡°leader¡± of Mirage. He and Shen Wenmao were staunchly devoted to the Great Tang Empire, and indeed, they had no other choice.


    ¡°Shen Wuxiong and Shen Wenmao both understand our intentions. If they perform well, then the goblins will have the opportunity to continue living on Northern Island... But if they fail, then the Northern Island reserve zone will cease to exist,¡± Luff explained to Tang Mo.


    ¡°They certainly realize that the best interests of the goblins are tied to their own actions. Both of them understand this very clearly.¡± Having served as the Empire¡¯s Chief of Staff for so many years, Luff still had unwavering confidence.


    In fact, the Great Tang Empire had a backup plan: supporting a puppet member of the Mirage royal family during the invasion and eliminating Shen Wuxiong and Shen Wenmao.


    The criteria for selection were simple: Whoever was more obedient to the Great Tang Empire and whoever demonstrated even a hint of proactive action would be chosen.


    For now, Shen Wuxiong and Shen Wenmao were equally matched, both working hard to prove themselves. Their brutality toward the goblin civilians of Mirage far exceeded the Great Tang Empire¡¯s expectations.


    Since they couldn¡¯t decide between the two, the solution was not to choose at all. Tang Mo now preferred to keep both of them, assigning each a suitable position.


    Under Tang Mo¡¯s plan, Shen Wenmao and Shen Wuxiong would become Mirage¡¯s ¡°President¡± and ¡°Prime Minister,¡± respectively, dividing power between them and keeping each other in check, allowing Mirage to fully experience the ¡°joys of democracy.¡±


    As for the side effects like political instability or ineffective governance¡ªthat was none of his concern. After all, it was merely a vassal state of the Great Tang Empire; whoever ascended to power was still subordinate to Tang Country.


    ¡°I¡¯m considering whether it¡¯s better to kill fewer and leave them with a population burden, or to kill more and control the population base.¡± Tang Mo wasn¡¯t suddenly moved by compassion; he was weighing how to manage Mirage.


    The moment he decided to invade Mirage, the concept of mercy had vanished entirely from Tang Mo¡¯s mind. He had far too much to consider, and mercy had no place among those concerns. After all, isn¡¯t the idea of mercy in the mind of a war initiator itself a joke?


    ¡°Your Majesty, this isn¡¯t exactly my area of expertise,¡± Luff said, chuckling wryly. ¡°You might want to consult the Vice Premier on this matter.¡±


    Tang Mo suddenly realized he had a wealth of advisors at his disposal, especially Chu Muzhou, an old man who had once steered a massive empire.


    So, he promptly summoned Chu Muzhou. Upon hearing the question, Chu Muzhou nodded and offered a very reasonable answer: ¡°Your Majesty! If the impact of a decision is unclear, sometimes it¡¯s better to refrain and wait.¡±


    ¡°The Orcs will face the same issue on Ben Island... They¡¯ll also have a choice: to kill the goblins or send them to Northern Island... If they choose to relocate them to Northern Island, then so will we. The population pressure will keep the goblins impoverished.¡± As a seasoned veteran, Chu Muzhou¡¯s strategies reflected shrewdness and maturity.


    He paused briefly before continuing, ¡°If the Orcs kill, then we kill as well, reducing the goblin population to a dangerous level. In the short term, they¡¯ll pose no threat whatsoever.¡±


    Evidently, this former Prime Minister, who once oversaw an empire¡¯s affairs, had his unique insights. The lack of a platform for his abilities¡ªcertainly not the absence of cunning schemes¡ªdidn¡¯t mean he was without a wealth of crafty ideas.


    Tang Mo nodded, agreeing that Chu Muzhou¡¯s approach was indeed excellent. All he needed now was to wait for a result¡ªwait for the outcome on Ben Island.


    ¡°What about during this period...¡± Tang Mo asked further.


    Chu Muzhou chuckled, ¡°Your Majesty, I think... Choosing the future leader of Mirage is indeed a challenge; patience and observation are key... Shen Wuxiong is a fine talent, and Shen Wenmao is equally impressive. Examining their character and integrity thoroughly before making a decision is the way forward, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    This essentially meant leaving the mess for the goblins themselves to sort out and slaughter their way to an outcome. Tang Mo nodded, realizing that for a massive empire, waiting might indeed be wiser than making a premature decision.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Productivity was low today; the second update will be delayed. Please check back tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 1214: 1134 wont be easy to fight.

    Chapter 1214: 1134 won¡¯t be easy to fight.


    At this moment, Shenwu Sixteen was organizing the ¡°orderly¡± retreat of the Shen Army in New Water City, though the defensive strategy he had once championed¡ªholding the coastline at all costs¡ªhad completely failed. The so-called ¡°orderly¡± retreat was, in essence, nothing more than a spectacular rout.


    The main forces were almost entirely in chaos; once one point was breached, the other troops scattered across the islands could scarcely regroup.


    The roads being destroyed was the lesser issue. The truly fatal blow came from the relentless barrage of airstrikes. Daytime movements were crushed mercilessly, leaving nighttime as the only window for barely functional maneuvers.


    Yet, compared to the lightning-fast mobility of the Tang Army, the Shen Army¡¯s sluggish attempts to regroup were nothing short of seeking death. Most units were annihilated during the process of assembling; it was as if the troops were preemptively picking their own burial sites.


    Countless divisions, having abandoned their defensive fortifications, entered open terrain only to be routed by Tang forces the moment they collided.


    Now, the islands were full of deserters, emergency distress signals, and scattered units left behind in the chaos. Shenwu Sixteen felt utterly defeated¡ªsuch a level of disorder was something he had never encountered before.


    Nobody could fix the current situation, least of all him. For the majority of the troops, such chaos was nothing less than catastrophic.


    Small, isolated units were unable to secure supplies, lacked battlefield intelligence, and were deprived of accurate command chains.


    This meant that Shen Country¡¯s company commanders and platoon leaders had no idea what they were supposed to do. They had no means of replenishing ammunition and couldn¡¯t even contact their superiors.


    This was the primary reason most units became incapable of fighting and surrendered outright: if they didn¡¯t even know what to do, what option did they have?


    Shenwu Sixteen¡¯s previous orders had only expedited the disintegration of the Shen Army. Removed from their bases and fortifications, the Shen soldiers were as fragile as scraps of wastepaper. A regiment barely began moving toward the location designated by Shenwu Sixteen when, a mere half-hour later, they were bombed into disarray by aircraft and subsequently shredded by a few Tang tanks.


    Soon, none of the troops could find their respective units. They had lost access to their radios, no longer had commanders, and couldn¡¯t discern their direction. All that remained was to sit and wait dumbly for their doom.


    Perhaps there were some soldiers¡ªor smaller units¡ªwho persevered toward their previously agreed-upon rendezvous points, but they quickly became primary targets for the Tang military¡¯s offensives and were prioritized for destruction.


    In other words, Shenwu Sixteen realized that ordering the troops to retreat toward his position in New Water City might have been far worse than leaving them in their original positions.


    If they had stayed put, they would at least have had nearby ammunition depots, decent cover from concealed heavy artillery, and trenches and bunkers to rely on.


    But now, they had lost everything. The heavy artillery was either abandoned along the marching routes or directly bombed into scrap metal by the Tang Air Force. The ammunition depots couldn¡¯t be carried away either and were left behind. Meanwhile, the soldiers¡¯ personal supplies of ammunition and provisions were so limited that they couldn¡¯t sustain prolonged combat.


    The fragile logistics¡ªor rather, logistical units incapable of surviving under the concentrated military strikes of the Great Tang Empire¡ªwere utterly incapable of supporting Shen Country¡¯s forces.


    Equipment like trucks rapidly became immobilized on the roads: destroyed by airstrikes, left without spare parts, or rendered useless due to fuel shortages. These vehicles quickly became liabilities for the troops.


    Once these trucks were abandoned, the Shen Army¡¯s mobility slowed to the point that ¡°crawling¡± would be an apt description. They couldn¡¯t even assemble into large units; levels like battalions and companies couldn¡¯t be maintained at all.


    As they marched, battalions of 500 men would dwindle to just 400. Some soldiers fell behind, others deserted¡ªafter all, many of the Shen Army were recently conscripted peasants who were dragged in as cannon fodder only months before and had little to no true fighting spirit.


    What frustrated Shenwu Sixteen the most was the lack of effective communication. The Shen Army generally only had radios at the regimental level; once battalion-level units were on their own, they had an 80% chance of losing contact entirely.


    Under normal circumstances during a march, at least messenger soldiers could maintain communication. But once the Tang Army disrupted their formation, the Shen forces couldn¡¯t even locate each other.


    The 3rd Corps had managed to assemble ahead of time, maintaining a somewhat intact formation. However, Shenwu Erlang led his forces directly into the Tang Army¡¯s main assault during the Battle of Antian Village.


    The Shen Army¡¯s renowned 9th Armored Division was not to be trifled with. Its fleet of 59 tanks tore through the 3rd Corps like a knife through butter. One charge was all it took to decimate Shen Country¡¯s 3rd Corps.


    The mass rout of tens of thousands of soldiers was nothing short of spectacular. Shenwu Erlang perished amidst the chaos; it was said that his death came from a strafing attack by a low-flying Yir Attack Aircraft, which struck his command vehicle.


    With the corps commander dead, the Shen Army¡¯s 3rd Corps was essentially obliterated. Shenwu Sixteen knew at that point that there was no hope of counting on them anymore.


    The remnants of the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions, which had retreated from South Island, were treated as treasures and had already been transferred to Ben Island. All Shenwu Sixteen had left were the defensive units of New Water Port, the artillery battalions, and part of the 4th Corps stationed at New Island under his command.


    The total force amounted to approximately 30,000 men... and just from this number, it was obvious that the Shen Army lacked even the most basic capability for urban combat.


    Shengwu Zhong had previously gathered a force of over 100,000 to defend Great Southern Bay, and even they had only held out for a little over ten days. Now, with just 30,000 men under his command, it seemed unlikely Shenwu Sixteen could hold New Water Harbor for even a single day.


    Knowing full well he was no match for the Tang Army, Shenwu Sixteen clenched his teeth and eventually resolved to live¡ªor die¡ªwith New Island.


    He summoned the artillery commander and the port defense commander, issuing them their final orders: ¡°The artillery defense units must prepare for a fight to the death... We¡¯re short on troops, and I have no reinforcements to offer. I leave you with only one directive: how long Shen Country can hold out is entirely up to you.¡±


    Afterward, he turned to the officers of the port defense: ¡°You, personally, will lead a team to plant explosives throughout the docks! The port warehouses! The shipyards! Make sure nothing is left for the Tang Army! Within an hour, destroy it all¡ªleave not a single scrap behind!¡±


    ¡°Understood! I will obey!¡± The two officers, gripping the dagger-like command knives at their waists, nodded in unison.


    ¡°After blowing up the port, arm every single person in the city! Women and children¡ªeach get a hand grenade... Men¡ªif they¡¯ve got firearms, give them firearms; if they don¡¯t... hand them grenades! When the Tang Army enters the city, they must perish with the enemy!¡± The now-maddened Shenwu Sixteen issued yet another impossible command to the port defense officer.


    Of course, very few civilians truly had the courage to clutch grenades and sacrifice themselves against the Tang forces. This order would likely only waste large amounts of their reserve ammunition.


    But, realistically, everyone knew this small force couldn¡¯t even hold out long enough to use all the munitions stockpiled at the port anyway.


    Since there wasn¡¯t enough time to expend it all, handing it out wasn¡¯t a problem: whether or not the civilians used it was no longer within the officers¡¯ control.


    Due to the need to concentrate resources on defending Ben Island, numerous mines, whether naval or land-based, had not been deployed extensively on New Island.


    Knowing no viable path remained for prolonged resistance, Shen Country had secretly begun withdrawing all the aircraft stationed on New Island as well.


    Two nights earlier, Shen Country¡¯s Navy had launched a suicidal attack, deploying only 35 fast assault boats. Due to the chaotic and dark conditions, the Tang Navy had miscalculated the numbers, with some sailors redundantly counting the same destroyed target multiple times, mistaking it for 50 suicide boats.


    Before the war, Shen Country¡¯s Navy had stationed 60 such suicide boats on New Island, with a later addition of 10 more, splitting the fleet evenly across the northern and southern flanks, with 35 boats each.


    Two nights ago, only the 35 fast boats hidden on the northern flank were deployed. After confirming the effectiveness of this suicide strategy, Shen Country immediately withdrew the remaining 35 boats stationed at New Water Harbor. These, along with other suicide boats, were designated for use in the defense of Ben Island.


    This decision was made by Shen Haiping: having finally found a weapon capable of troubling the Tang Navy, it was crucial to concentrate and deploy it in the defense of Ben Island.


    No matter what happened with New Island, it was merely a delaying action. The defense of Ben Island was Shen Country¡¯s top priority: as per Shen Emperor¡¯s directives, at least 300 suicide boats would be amassed on Ben Island to deliver a ¡°surprise¡± to the Tang Navy!


    As the Tang forces advanced toward New Water Harbor, the Shen Army harbor defense units, following Shenwu Sixteen¡¯s desperate orders, destroyed their own port.


    However, due to a shortage of explosives, they only managed to demolish the docks and shipyards while leaving the warehouse areas intact.


    Watching the Shen Army intentionally sabotaging their port, the Tang Navy¡¯s blockade fleet made no attempt to intervene and instead reported on the situation.


    By early the next morning, the Tang Navy¡¯s main ships, having successfully avoided a potential second nighttime assault, arrived outside New Water Harbor.


    The Dongwan No.1 and Dongwan No.2 battleships used the same tactic as before, firing their 380mm main guns to bombard New Water Harbor¡¯s artillery batteries. After just five salvos, the battery was completely destroyed.


    This relatively unimportant artillery battery had only been equipped with 200mm coastal defense guns at best, most of which were outdated 150mm pieces. They stood no chance in a duel with the Tang Navy¡¯s fleet.


    Nevertheless, as one of Shen Country¡¯s few remaining reasonably trained units, the artillery defenders did carry out Shenwu Sixteen¡¯s orders, fighting until the very last moment.


    The commanding officer of the artillery unit was killed in action. After the ammunition storage exploded catastrophically, Tang warships entered the harbor unopposed and began indiscriminately bombarding New Water City.


    The shelling persisted into the afternoon. Wary of potential suicide boat attacks, Tang warships left the relatively confined harbor area before nightfall, returning to open waters.


    The next morning, the Tang Army¡¯s 19th Infantry Division advanced toward New Water City along the railway. Shenwu Sixteen took his own life with a bullet, and the Shen Army surrendered.


    Thus, the Battle of New Island was effectively over. However, the island was still awash with scattered deserters, forcing the Tang Army to spend another dozen days cleaning up remnants before the operation could be considered ¡°complete.¡±


    Much to the Tang Army¡¯s surprise, factoring in the time required to clear out the stragglers, the campaign for New Island ended up taking five or six days longer than the campaign for South Island!


    General Feng Kezhi suddenly had a sinking feeling. The battle for Ben Island... might not be as easy as many had imagined.

 Chapter 1215: 1135 submarine arrived

    Chapter 1215: 1135 submarine arrived


    After much commotion, an early-model submarine finally docked at the pier as the military band began performing. A group of officers applauded fervently¡ªafter all, this was their nation¡¯s first truly... functional submarine.


    At last, after paying a hefty price, they now had a direction for their research. Before the submarine arrived, a group of technical experts from the Tang Country had already come here in force by ship.


    The entire pier required modernization¡ªafter all, a port for submarines is entirely different.


    To ensure the submarine could enter and exit stealthily, the pier had to be built near steep cliffs. The cliffs were hollowed out and reinforced with cement, forming a natural fortress.


    The site selection itself was a major challenge. If the nation¡¯s coast lacked decent terrain suitable for a submarine base, an artificial solution was the only choice.


    Then came the necessary supporting facilities: cranes for repairing submarines, specialized equipment for refueling, devices for hoisting torpedoes, and so on.


    The supporting infrastructure also had to connect to a torpedo storage depot, fuel warehouse... This entire set of facilities, along with the machinery required for submarine production, represented an enormous undertaking.


    The Tang Country deliberately elevated the specifications for submarine facilities to this level. This would allow their satellites to easily detect any telltale signs during reconnaissance and monitor the submarine fleets of other nations.


    Because the scale of renovating and constructing submarine facilities was so massive, the Tang Country could accurately track the data on each nation¡¯s submarine infrastructure projects.


    ¡°Thank you for delivering the submarine to us,¡± said the Dorne Navy admiral as he reached out to shake hands with the submarine captain responsible for handing over the vessel.


    The Tang Army submarine crew would stay here for thirty days to train a group of cadets so they could learn to operate this small submarine.


    Submarines are inherently highly integrated weapons platforms, making their crew size inherently small. This particular submarine had only about twenty crewmembers, a natural contrast to its immense capability.


    Countering a single submarine often demands disproportionately greater resources. This is precisely why submarine fleets have consistently been favored by weaker nations.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind,¡± the Tang Army captain smiled. His beard was thick and unkempt¡ªclearly not shaved for some time. But he was in good spirits, knowing this trip was, after all, a money-making venture.


    Indeed¡ªmoney-making. This crew had come to Dorne purely to earn processing fees while enjoying a little sightseeing: each day, they received two Gold Coins in special allowances, paid by the Dorne Empire.


    To ensure the crew would ¡°impart their secrets generously,¡± the Dorne Empire also prepared lavish gifts and arranged various activities to keep these ¡°esteemed guests¡± satisfied.


    In fact, the engineers, technicians, and even attendants accompanying the Tang Empire personnel were all paid directly by the Dorne Empire.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped¡ªthe situation left Dorne with no choice. To quickly master submarine operations, internalize submarine tactics, and deploy submarines as soon as possible, they could only humbly cater to these experts.


    At a beckon from the Dorne admiral, young women holding bouquets swarmed over, shoving the flowers¡ªalmost aggressively¡ªinto the hands of the foul-smelling sailors.


    No matter how much they disliked the sailors, they smiled brightly, nearly throwing themselves into the sailors¡¯ arms along with the flowers. What made the allure of beauties so effective was its near impossibility for most men to resist.


    The music of the military band grew louder. The sailors and women burst into cheerful laughter now and then, creating an enviably celebratory atmosphere.


    Dorne¡¯s technicians were allowed into the submarine¡ªtheir expensive purchase¡ªwithout encountering any obstruction.


    As they climbed down into the submarine via ladders, they quickly realized this contraption wasn¡¯t something one could casually observe and then manage to replicate.


    Inside the submarine was a labyrinth of pipes connecting various points¡ªsome leading straight into the walls, others bending vertically into the floor beneath their feet.


    Although many pipes were labeled with their functions, terms like ¡°exhaust pipe¡± or ¡°pressure tube¡± seemed only partially explanatory¡ªalmost as if they conveyed nothing substantial.


    Without deep expertise in submarine mechanics, it was impossible to glean any meaningful insights from this maze of pipelines. To be frank, even the complexity of a single toilet onboard was enough to keep Dorne¡¯s engineers studying for quite a while.


    ¡°How was it?¡± the navy admiral asked expectantly as an elderly engineer climbed out of the submarine.


    The engineer shook his head helplessly and replied, ¡°Even if we disassembled it, we wouldn¡¯t be able to build one ourselves¡ªit¡¯s far too intricate, beyond our manufacturing capabilities.¡±


    This contraption was simply too sophisticated; every detail was meticulously refined. Learning that Tang Army submarines could dive below 100 meters, Dorne¡¯s engineers were even less inclined to consider reverse-engineering the technology.


    They were experts in this field, and their previous independent attempts at submarine development had taught them exactly what being at a depth of 100 meters truly implied.


    This depth was entirely unattainable for them; in their view, anything hollow would have already been crushed flat at that depth.


    But Tang Army submarines could navigate at this level¡ªthat presented a major problem: the materials and construction techniques exceeded their comprehension. How could they possibly replicate something like this?


    ¡°They¡¯re using far more advanced welding techniques. If we applied our welding methods, the joints would crack and leak,¡± the elderly engineer explained to the disheartened admiral. ¡°Their materials are also specialized... we simply cannot manufacture them.¡±


    And those were merely broad issues¡ªminor nuances ultimately dictated the submarine¡¯s survival. Details that seemed inconspicuous often determined success or failure: deviations in machining precision here, slight imperfections there... all would culminate in increased submarine noise.


    Now imagine¡ªif your submarine were ringing bells underwater, what kind of outcome would you expect? The enemy¡¯s destroyers wouldn¡¯t even need sonar¡ªthey could hear your submarine¡¯s noise just by pressing their ears to the hull. How could you even hope to engage them?


    Fully aware of the intricacies within the bilateral cooperation, the admiral sighed, then chuckled bitterly: ¡°Fortunately, we anticipated this, and we¡¯ve made preparations.¡±


    Indeed, they had planned ahead... They had spent huge sums purchasing an entire submarine production line from the Great Tang Empire! Payment was made in copper ore and iron ore...


    The project involved training 1,100 submarine manufacturing workers, establishing a dedicated shipyard for submarine construction, mastering hull welding techniques, acquiring all the blueprints for U-boats, learning diesel engine technology, and implementing ventilation system techniques.


    However, the steel for the hulls, along with 37% of the specialized components, would still have to be imported from the Tang Country. Materials for a single vessel cost 11 million, far cheaper than purchasing a submarine outright at 70 million.


    All production had to proceed under the supervision of Great Tang engineers, who would know exactly how many submarines Dorne built.


    Per the contract, Dorne would ultimately manufacture 27 submarines of the same model domestically, including the three already purchased, bringing the total to 30 submarines.


    After the 27 submarines were built, pressure hull techniques, ventilation system technology, diesel engine technology, and related sealing techniques would all be freely transferred to the Dorne Empire.


    The entire collaboration was valued at 3.5 billion Great Tang Golden Yuan, payable within one year to the Great Tang Empire, using ¡°copper ore,¡± ¡°iron ore,¡± and ¡°cash.¡±


    Why pay an additional 500 million? It was because of the so-called technology transfer agreement: once completed, Dorne would possess the capability to independently produce submarines.


    They could manufacture more submarines independently and without Tang oversight.


    Moreover, they could construct larger submarines tailored to their needs: the small submarine sold by Tang was limited in combat radius¡ªfar from satisfactory for Dorne Navy operations.


    What they needed were larger submarines... like the Tang Army¡¯s large ocean-going submarines! Indeed, Dorne knew the Tang Army deployed ocean-going submarines, because during the last naval battle, the Tang submarines¡¯ operational radius was clearly far beyond that of the submarines they had sold.


    Besides Dorne, Laines, Gobur, and the Empire of Nanla had all purchased similar production-line services. Each country was gearing up for independent operations because Tang submarines were undeniably expensive.


    Poplar Empire and Ice Cold Empire lagged behind in this matter, as they were embroiled in war. The wars left them unable to allocate sufficient resources for purchasing military equipment, so they only symbolically bought three submarines each, retaining the option to purchase more later.


    Frankly speaking, the Suthers Empire¡ªa landlocked nation¡ªwas benefiting excessively. They saved considerable funds because they didn¡¯t need to build a large navy to guard their coastlines.


    Instead, they could allocate their resources entirely to their Army and Air Force, enabling them to procure more tanks and airplanes.


    ¡°I hope we can truly master these technologies. If we can, we¡¯ll achieve breakthroughs across numerous other fields,¡± said the elderly engineer who had just climbed out of the submarine, brimming with confidence.


    Many technologies are interrelated¡ªthe Tang Empire¡¯s sale of submarine and aircraft technologies also served to disseminate innovation across other domains.


    The widespread transfer of technological know-how worldwide had consumed most global engineers¡¯ time and energy. They lacked both time for independent research and time for theoretical exploration, forced into passively accepting and following in Tang¡¯s footsteps.


    They were all waiting¡ªwaiting for the day Tang Empire¡¯s technological dominance might stagnate. But during this wait, they discovered the distance between them grew not smaller, but ever larger.


    The Tang Empire¡¯s technology advanced further and further, soaring to heights they couldn¡¯t begin to comprehend. Meanwhile, they remained stuck in place, looking skyward at the dazzling brilliance above.

 Chapter 1216: 1136 So be it

    Chapter 1216: 1136 So be it


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s plan to land on Ben Island was postponed, giving Shan Lu a sigh of relief. He also believed Ben Island would be difficult to attack and required more preparation time.


    The Tang Navy Fleet¡¯s two battleships had exhausted the lifespan of their gun barrels and depleted their ammunition reserves during the naval battle at New Island.


    Now, both warships had returned to Dragon Island to replace their gun barrels and replenish large-caliber shells.


    Although Beiyuan City also housed a dedicated ammunition depot for these two battleships, a stockpile of 1,000 shells was no small number. The reserves on Dragon Island were relatively more abundant, so the two battleships returned there under the protection of other warships.


    The gun barrels of battleships don¡¯t fail completely in an instant, but they sustain wear with every shell fired. When approaching the final rounds of their designed lifespan, it¡¯s imperative to strictly reduce propellant charges as instructed, sacrificing range to ensure safety.


    It wasn¡¯t just the two Dongwan-class battleships; over half of the cruisers of the Great Tang Empire had also nearly expended the operational life of their gun barrels. They had fired too many shells in support of the troops across the shore, and a thorough inspection and overhaul were clearly necessary.


    Consequently, the number of Tang Empire fleets near New Island and South Island had dropped to a relatively low level: aside from several destroyer flotillas, only Lu Qianshan¡¯s aircraft carrier fleet remained.


    The entire carrier fleet comprised four carriers, approximately twenty destroyers, and six or seven supply ships.


    Currently, this fleet was patrolling and regrouping in the sea west of South Island, with over half of the carrier-based aircraft stationed on South Island while the pilots rested and vacationed.


    Meanwhile, more than half of the enormous landing fleet had returned to ports in Dongwan, Beiyuan, and Linshui. Those remaining were anchored in Great Southern Bay, reducing the fleet¡¯s transport capacity and land-air-sea combat capabilities by roughly half.


    Should an attack on Ben Island be launched now, the primary force supporting the Orc landing operations would consist of merely four carriers and dozens of destroyers. To Shan Lu, this level of firepower seemed rather insufficient.


    He was hoping the battle could be delayed until May or June so that he could gain firepower support from the two Dongwan-class battleships and wait for additional carriers to arrive.


    Indeed, if he were willing to wait longer, the Tang Army could gather six carriers to replace Lu Qianshan¡¯s carrier fleet. This would allow Shan Lu to receive more potent naval firepower support.


    But in truth, Shan Lu was overly optimistic: by plan, the task of replacing the battleships¡¯ gun barrels was no small feat and could only prepare them to rejoin the fight by August at the earliest.


    After roughly half a year of consecutive operations, the 9th Group Army required recuperation, not to mention the Navy needed rest as well.


    Thus, in actuality, the Tang Army was aiming to launch the attack on Ben Island around September. By then, the weather would just start cooling, leaving about two months for use. If the Orcs didn¡¯t falter, they could possibly seize the entire island within that period.


    ¡°The majority of tasks in the operation to land on Ben Island should be handed over to the Orcs... They¡¯re willing to take on the combat missions,¡± Bernard said to Luff in the conference room.


    He gave a brief outline of the attack plan for Ben Island, which emphasized a straightforward and practical approach: ¡°The first wave of landings should still target the island¡¯s southern shores... This shortens the voyage, and since the Mirage Country no longer has robust coastal defenses, we can land wherever conditions are most favorable.¡±


    The Great Tang Empire possesses absolute dominance in both sea and air superiority, allowing them to crush their opponents anywhere they choose to fight. Therefore, the choice of landing point could be made recklessly, even brazenly in full view of the enemy.


    Lessons from the battle of New Island made it clear that even when the Mirage Country gave their all to meticulously fortify coastal defenses, they barely had a chance to stop the Tang Army¡¯s strong offensive.


    Certainly, the Orcs may fall short in some areas, but after two battles, the remaining combat strength of the Mirage Country was no longer impressive.


    A naval staff officer stood up, handing an evaluation report to Luff: ¡°Indeed, based on our calculations, their cement supplies should already be extremely limited. Under such circumstances, constructing large-scale fortifications is unlikely.¡±


    ¡°Over the next few months, we should build enough airfields on New Island to leverage the Air Force¡¯s advantage to slowly erode the enemy¡¯s defensive capacity, shake their resolve, or even directly force them to capitulate,¡± the Air Force staff officer added to the discussion.


    ¡°They won¡¯t surrender. Our conditions are unacceptable to them, and they¡¯re not letting go of Ben Island,¡± Luff shook his head, dismissing this conjecture.


    The Mirage Country had indeed proven highly unyielding; thus far, they hadn¡¯t shown the slightest willingness to propose peace talks to Tang Country through diplomatic channels. Clearly, they understood they must fight bitterly to the very end.


    Bernard seemed indifferent to their refusal to seek peace: ¡°No matter. We can destroy their coastal fortifications! It¡¯ll pave the way for a smoother landing!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem. We¡¯ll continue bombing, wiping out the Mirage Army¡¯s coastal defenses and wrecking their airfields!¡± the Air Force staff officer promptly agreed.


    ¡°Whether we should focus on bombing the Capital City itself remains to be debated, but attacks on other locations can certainly proceed,¡± Luff recalled the last meeting, where many had hoped to preserve the Shen Capital¡¯s port to reduce repair time.


    At that moment, a military officer stepped into the room, delivering urgent news: ¡°We just received word. During a reconnaissance mission near Shen Capital¡¯s port, the Beiyuan 46 destroyer was struck by 22 enemy suicide planes and 10 suicide speedboats. It sustained severe damage and was sunk.¡±


    This marked the second Tang Empire destroyer to be sunk. The Mirage Country¡¯s suicide tactics had indeed achieved some semblance of effect.


    Bernard spoke with some concern: ¡°How are the personnel?¡±


    The officer immediately responded to the Marshal¡¯s query: ¡°The accompanying Beiyuan 44 rescued crew members from the water¡ª11 killed, 12 missing, with the remainder safely returned aboard Beiyuan 44.¡±


    ¡°Those lunatics are determined to stick to this suicidal strategy,¡± Luff frowned, clearly displeased with the Mirage forces.


    Bernard felt it was time to consider a formal reprisal: ¡°Absolutely. We should use harsher methods to teach those Mirage Goblins a proper lesson!¡±


    Luff decided to abandon any consideration for preserving the port and instead suggested attacking Shen Capital directly: ¡°Using Scud missiles from New Island to strike Ben Island... What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Fuel-Air Explosive Bombs?¡± Bernard, driven by hatred, naturally suggested going all-out: ¡°Target their Royal Palace! I refuse to believe we can¡¯t hit at least one out of 100 rounds!¡±


    ¡°Then, that¡¯s settled for now!¡± Luff nodded, making his decision.


    ...


    In Shen Capital¡¯s Royal Palace, Mirage Emperor listened to the reports from his subordinates and managed to reclaim a semblance of regal confidence: his suicide speedboat forces had already sunk two enemy destroyers¡ªa triumph that could only be described as splendid.


    Frankly speaking, comparing pure battle results, the whole Mirage Country¡¯s main fleet hadn¡¯t inflicted as much damage on the Tang Army as these dozens of suicide speedboats had!


    Still, this was far from a sustainable strategy. Refreshingly skilled and courageous sailors willing to die alongside their foes were becoming rarer. The problem was much the same as with Air Force pilots¡ªthere weren¡¯t enough technically adept and daring soldiers left!


    Most of the Navy¡¯s soldiers had already been lost during the destruction of their main fleet. Among those remaining, the truly brave¡ªor daredevil¡ªfighters were few, and training replacements was a challenging task.


    Those willing to die either lacked the ability to pilot boats or planes, while those capable of doing so often lacked the requisite courage... This issue was becoming more significant for the Mirage Country.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to draw personnel from the Army for training... For now, it seems to be the only solution,¡± Shen Haiping suggested.


    Shenwu Ke said nothing. He knew deep down that this was the best approach to preventing an enemy landing. Nonetheless, handing over personnel to the Navy for training made him somewhat uncomfortable.


    Yet, prioritizing his inland defensive strategy prompted him to compromise. He dutifully promised to dispatch 1,000 officers to assist the Navy in learning to pilot suicide speedboats.


    He then provided an overview of the Army¡¯s updated inland defense plan: Since deploying heavy troops on beaches and constructing ineffective fortifications couldn¡¯t halt the Tang Army¡¯s landings, why not shift the battlefield into the island¡¯s interior?


    Shenwu Ke¡¯s strategy was to go against convention¡ªstationing heavy troops inland, relying on fortified positions away from the coastline to avoid the disadvantage posed by Tang Navy superiority. Through attritional battles and layered defenses, his goal was to wear down and defeat the landing forces.


    With mountains and rivers inland, he could methodically establish defensive lines, bypassing attacks from enemy paratroopers and protecting critical facilities like airports. Without cement, they could dig mountain tunnels, utilizing terrain for combat rather than wasting lives on the beaches.


    Once the enemy forces extended beyond the protective firepower of naval heavy artillery, sturdy fortifications and urban combat would allow the Mirage Army to better perform.


    Bold as this strategy was, it was also born of desperation: continuing to pit troops against Tang Country¡¯s naval heavy guns on the beaches was outright suicidal.


    Further, moving the battleground inland would moderately increase the opponents¡¯ aircraft travel distances, thereby draining some of their fuel and limiting the active engagement time of those planes in combat.


    Overall, it was at least an apparently feasible approach. What Shenwu Ke didn¡¯t realize was that Kuribayashi Tadashi had employed this exact strategy during the battle of Sulfur Island years ago.


    And it was a proven tactic¡ªcapable of significantly raising the operational costs for the attackers and depleting their available forces.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I believe this plan is worth a try!¡± Shen Haiping, after receiving 1,000 military officers¡¯ support from Shenwu Ke for the Navy, expressed his goodwill towards Shenwu Ke.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided!¡± The Mirage Emperor approved the plan: ¡°Excavate every mountain! Turn every city into a fortress! Spare no cost¡ªbury those daring enough to invade this island!¡±

 Chapter 1217: 1137 Cant be Concealed

    Chapter 1217: 1137 Can¡¯t be Concealed


    In retaliation for the sinking of two destroyers and damage to one, the Tang Army began transporting 200 Scud missiles to New Island.


    These missiles were stockpiled munitions, but despite being such, their precision had improved compared to previous Scud models. On one hand, this was due to advancements in manufacturing accuracy, and on the other, the integration of newer and more advanced guidance technologies.


    In fact, hadn¡¯t the first-generation Scud missiles in stock already been sold to countries around the world? The remaining old stock held by the Tang Army wasn¡¯t really ¡°old¡± at all¡ªthey were still quite new.


    Although the Tang military leadership swiftly decided to retaliate, issuing the order almost immediately after the sinking of the Beiyuan No. 44 destroyer, it still took some time to transport the missiles to New Island.


    On one hand, maritime transportation was not particularly fast; on the other hand, the destruction on New Island was quite extensive. The port at New Shuicheng was completely paralyzed and required time to repair.


    Although the Tang Army had constructed a floating dock this time, its scale was smaller than the one on South Island, with limited capacity. It could only prioritize supporting the supplies for the 9th Group Army.


    General Feng Kezhi¡¯s troops encountered a minor problem. While they quickly eliminated all organized Mirage Country forces on New Island, they unexpectedly lost a soldier during subsequent operations.


    That soldier was patrolling at the time. A local Mirage Goblin civilian was hiding in the roadside grass and, using a Shireck Type-1 rifle from about 15 meters away, fired a shot that happened to hit the soldier in the neck.


    The Tang Army patrol subsequently captured the Goblin, who only had a single bullet, and executed him. Although the incident was not particularly complicated, it carried a strong resemblance to ¡°counter-insurgency warfare.¡±


    In the past, the Tang Army had never faced such situations. Whether during campaigns against Zheng Country, Qi Country, or even the Dahua Empire, once the enemy¡¯s main forces were annihilated, the war was effectively over.


    Local civilians would prepare food and drinks to welcome the army, with no resistance whatsoever. Rather than saying that the Tang Army conquered these regions, it was more accurate to say they liberated them.


    Since the military had always considered the local populace in occupied areas to be their own people, a ¡°glorious tradition¡± of losing materials had even emerged over time.


    The Great Tang Empire, with its vast territory and resources, had always maintained harmonious military-civilian relations. Therefore, Tang troops had never experienced being unwelcome by local civilians.


    Now, they were experiencing it...


    Since the strategy against the four islands of Mirage Country was completely different from past campaigns, the Tang Army was now facing unprecedented challenges: The Tang Army planned to clear all Goblin inhabitants within the occupied zones, which naturally led to the fiercest resistance.


    The attack on one soldier was just the beginning. In the foreseeable future, more and more civilians from Mirage Country would start to resist.


    On South Island, due to the suppression by Mirage collaborators and the supervision of Orc laborers, such resistance was not noticeable.


    However, on New Island, where Tang troop numbers were temporarily low, forces were insufficient, and there weren¡¯t enough auxiliary troops, the resistance from Mirage civilians became far more intense.


    New Island had been a battlefield, and weapons left behind by scattered, defeated forces were everywhere. Finding artillery might be challenging, but finding a rifle was exceedingly easy.


    Some soldiers who had fled home still carried weapons, and there were countless machine guns and rifles discarded across the wilderness, allowing anyone to find bullets or firearms with little effort.


    The most commonly found weapon was the Shireck Type-1 rifle! There were simply too many of them, as it was the primary weapon of Mirage forces, scattered everywhere.


    General Feng Kezhi came up with some methods to confiscate these weapons and ammunition. He established a rule: every rifle could be exchanged for a box of canned meat and a pack with five compressed biscuits.


    This food truly tempted people, and indeed, some locals turned in weapons in exchange for supplies. However, this couldn¡¯t entirely prevent determined individuals from hiding a rifle and setting up ambushes under occasional circumstances.


    After this incident, General Feng Kezhi had no choice but to suspend patrol missions on the island, instead gathering his troops together to guard against potential chaos.


    But this was only a temporary solution. To truly secure New Island, they could only count on subsequent Orc laborers and the eventual removal of the Goblins after the war.


    Aside from this minor episode, there was good news from South Island: with the repair of the Great Southern Bay by the Great Tang Empire, the first batch of human settlers had arrived.


    Removing the Goblins was just the first step. Filling the population gap with their own people was the real way to complete the occupation of South Island and New Island.


    The Great Tang Empire planned to relocate 700,000 settlers to the two islands. If necessary, this number could increase to 1 million or more.


    Apart from the islands, South Island also had farmland and mineral resources, making it capable of supporting a significant population. The settlers mainly consisted of Navy family members, as their relatives might be stationed in the Great Southern Bay in the future and thus came along.


    According to policy, these settlers would receive welfare housing, large plots of land, and, effectively, a considerable amount of money.


    Moreover, the assets they previously owned within the Great Tang Empire would be converted into Gold Coins and returned to them. In this way, the settlers essentially became much wealthier than before.


    Currently, these settlers were concentrated near the Great Southern Bay, numbering only in the thousands. However, it was at least a promising start, with human settlers appearing for the first time in former Mirage-controlled areas.


    ...


    In Chang¡¯an, the capital of the Great Tang Empire, within the technical intelligence office, an officer set down his magnifying glass and raised his voice to the leader across the table: ¡°Sir! You¡¯d better come take a look at this!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± The leader lifted his head from a pile of documents, taking off his glasses to clean them as he spoke.


    The workload in their department was overwhelming, with a lack of expert analysts, requiring them to work overtime until late every night.


    His subordinate brought over the satellite images just received, along with comparative archive images, and placed them in front of him. ¡°These are the latest photos sent back from Satellite 1031...¡±


    ¡°1031? The one reconnoitering Ben Island?¡± The leader was, of course, familiar with this reconnaissance satellite, which used the latest imaging technology and had remarkable clarity.


    The subordinate immediately nodded. ¡°Yes, sir! Look here... Right, their beach shows almost no changes. This is the photo from Satellite 995, and this one is from 1031... There¡¯s almost no difference.¡±


    As he spoke, he placed the earlier image taken by Satellite 995 on the table. The angles were almost identical, clearly capturing the same location.


    Satellite images often required comparisons to identify discrepancies. Since Ben Island was likely to become the next battlefield, such reconnaissance and analysis were indispensable.


    Glancing at the two images, the officer with the rank of Major immediately noticed a problem.


    Frowning, he raised his head and questioned his subordinate: ¡°Why aren¡¯t there any signs of construction?¡±


    The two photos were nearly identical. Trenches, partially dug earlier, had been abandoned on the beach with no further progress made.


    Previously identified artillery positions nearby were also desolate, featuring discarded communication trenches and empty shelters with no signs of activity.


    If these areas were still in use, they wouldn¡¯t appear in such a state. Clearly, the enemy had ceased construction, which raised questions.


    The subordinate pointed to the unchanged length of trenches near the beach, shaking his head. ¡°No, after the battle for New Island erupted, they must have quickly abandoned work on coastal defensive structures. The workers disappeared, and there¡¯s been virtually no progress. Their stationed troops seem to have relocated as well.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re preparing to surrender.¡± The Major leaned back in his chair, surveying the images while muttering to himself.


    The subordinate quickly laid out additional images for comparison, pointing out other locations. ¡°That¡¯s correct, sir. Look here¡ª33 kilometers from the coast, in a mountainous area. Four new camps have appeared nearby, and significant changes can be seen on the hills themselves.¡±


    Compared to the virtually unchanged coastal defenses, the transformation in this region was dramatic: even the blind could see that construction was underway, with people and temporary encampments everywhere.


    The Major paused, then narrowed his eyes to scrutinize the heavily altered hills, forests, and riverbanks. ¡°Are they building a defensive line here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, based on road conditions, excavated soil piles, and the increased number of stationed troops nearby, they indeed seem to be constructing a defensive line here,¡± the subordinate confirmed.


    ¡°Are there other comparative images?¡± The Major decided to verify further.


    His subordinate spread out additional photographs on the table. ¡°Yes, here... a riverine area... and here, also mountainous terrain... They¡¯re building defensive lines inland and abandoning the beaches...¡±


    ¡°Are they deliberately avoiding our naval artillery bombardments?¡± As an intelligence officer, the Major speculated about their possible motives.


    The subordinate agreed with this assessment. ¡°For now, that seems the most plausible explanation.¡±


    The Major sorted all the images into categories and placed them into a file folder. ¡°Compile all this information¡ªI need to bring it to the General Staff Department. The enemy¡¯s tactical shift must be reported to the Marshal immediately. You have one hour to finalize a report and make copies!¡±


    Since the advent of copying machines, administrative efficiency had improved significantly. Reports that once had to be manually transcribed could now be reproduced in dozens of copies with relative ease. Technological advancements had impacted not just the battlefield but every aspect of military operations.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The subordinate saluted and then hurried off to prepare the report.


    Whether Kuribayashi Tadashi¡¯s ¡°tortoise tactics¡± would prove effective remained to be seen. While he had evaded U.S. reconnaissance planes, Mirage Country could not conceal its activities from the Great Tang Empire¡¯s satellite intelligence. The times had indeed changed.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    One chapter today; the rest will be made up tomorrow.

 Chapter 1218: 1138 Orcs Tactics

    Chapter 1218: 1138 Orcs¡¯ Tactics


    A modified high-speed version of the H-6 reconnaissance aircraft soared through the clear skies. Yesterday, Mirage Country¡¯s four islands experienced rain, so today presented excellent weather.


    Due to slow repair progress at the New Island airport, Tang Nation Air Force temporarily couldn¡¯t deploy short-range reconnaissance J-6 planes. However, the long-range H-6 reconnaissance aircraft could take off from the South Island airport and cover the entirety of Ben Island.


    The advanced photography equipment on the aircraft provided crystal-clear images for comparison and, with technological advancements, it also offered stable dynamic footage.


    The benefit of such an aircraft lies in its closer proximity compared to satellites, capturing images that are five or even ten times clearer; in the sharpest detail, it could even vaguely discern what people on the ground were doing.


    Some technologies initially appear civilian in nature but are deeply intertwined with military applications. Television signals may broadcast TV programs, yet further development naturally allows satellite signals to be transmitted to the ground.


    Color TV signals can transfer colorful pictures and dynamic videos, transmitting more complex and comprehensive information more efficiently.


    Imagine the past: a spy satellite needed to return to ground and hand off its film for intelligence personnel to analyze. Now, transferring a 4K-resolution photo merely requires devices the size of two mobile phones: though a relay station is needed, irrespective of the requirements, satellites transmitting files to Earth have become reliable technology.


    The Great Tang Empire is constructing its own Big Dipper System for this world. Even if Tang Mo wanted to use GPS technology, he would never call it GPS.


    Clearly, Tang Mo preferred the name Big Dipper. Given the later emergence of its principles and technology, the system was even more advanced than GPS.


    Beyond this, Tang Country is continually launching numerous spy reconnaissance satellites. As technology progresses, both large and small satellites sent into space carry increasingly sophisticated equipment.


    Since Satellite 1099, the Great Tang Empire has implemented large-scale usage of non-return ground transmission technology. Subsequent satellites are even capable of providing real-time imagery. For the Great Tang Empire, the planet¡¯s secrets are becoming fewer and fewer.


    The sprawling intelligence department of the Great Tang Empire employs wiretapping, surveillance, and tracking, employing unimaginable methods to gather intelligence. They eavesdrop on every embassy, monitor their calls, and plant bugs in their homes...


    With the introduction of computers, Tang Country¡¯s intelligence department cracked codes at astonishing speeds. Even though nations frequently changed their encryption, most communications remained transparent to Tang Country.


    The high-speed H-6 flew through the skies, and Mirage Country¡¯s anti-aircraft guns, already sparse, didn¡¯t bother firing to intercept a lone aircraft. Most existing guns couldn¡¯t reach an altitude of 8,000 meters; firing would only waste ammunition...


    Zero Fighter jets patrolling the skies gave a symbolic chase but quickly gave up upon realizing they couldn¡¯t catch up. They were all too familiar with this type of plane. Accompanied by a dragon-like roar, no propeller aircraft could match its speed.


    For key surveillance regions, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence work was exceptionally thorough. Mirage Country¡¯s countermeasures were essentially laid bare on the General Staff Department¡¯s desk.


    Clearly, Mirage Country was no longer intent on contesting Tang Army¡ªor Orc forces¡ªalong the coastline.


    They understood that with a significant firepower disadvantage and no naval or air superiority, stopping Tang Army¡¯s landing was impossible.


    Rather than squandering their elite troops along the shores, they opted to retreat into mountain passes and hold their ground, aiming for one-to-one or even one-to-two exchanges. Relying on extensive attrition, they hoped to compel Tang Country to abandon its offensive plans.


    This seemed like a good strategy, but Tang Country wasn¡¯t without countermeasures. Not only did Tang Country rapidly acquire Mirage Country intelligence, but it also promptly adjusted its strategy.


    ¡°That¡¯s the situation. Mirage Country¡¯s troops have abandoned the coastline, so it seems your forces can land relatively easily,¡± said General Feng Kezhi after briefing Tang Army on the situation, turning toward Shan Lu.


    Shan Lu didn¡¯t think Mirage Army abandoning the coastline would have much impact on his forces because they were never as elite as Tang Army.


    In fact, Shan Lu was most worried about his troops underperforming on the beach, failing their landing operation, suffering heavy losses, and wasting the Tang naval fleet¡¯s support.


    After all, following a landing operation, Tang Army¡¯s fleet would retreat for a period of recuperation. Squandering one chance meant waiting another month or two.


    If this attack failed, the Orc forces would need to wait additional months, perhaps longer. Once winter arrived, landing operations would become inherently more challenging. The monsoon would bring adverse weather conditions, with rain and snow following in succession. After months, Mirage Country¡¯s forces would only be better prepared.


    Upon hearing that Mirage Country troops voluntarily abandoned the beach defenses, making it easier to land, Shan Lu breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°What I¡¯m truly worried about is my troops being unfit for landing operations... Now they¡¯re letting us onshore. It seems the situation might benefit us more,¡± Shan Lu said, picking up a photo of Mirage Country mobilizing civilians to dig into the mountains and marveling inwardly at the Great Tang Empire¡¯s advanced intelligence technology.


    What was intelligence like in the past? Someone stood in front of you, confidently claiming to have heard from their uncle¡¯s brother¡¯s cousin¡¯s fourth daughter¡¯s son that the enemy troops likely, maybe, possibly gathered somewhere between two places about three days ago...


    Now, the Great Tang Empire laid an accurate image before you, informing you that about two hours ago, they were cooking at precise coordinates capable of directing bombers to drop payloads, with even the cooks counted: 1,028 people in total.


    Maps used to mark a mountain with just the word ¡°mountain,¡± drawing a line meant a river; as for precision, that was wishful thinking¡ªif it aligned vaguely with the wind and water flow, it was considered decent.


    Now, Tang Country¡¯s military maps displayed contour lines, road conditions, and exact urban locations clearly. Most of the time, the enemy¡¯s positions were already marked as well!


    Shan Lu sometimes wondered, if even with such tools they couldn¡¯t win, how incompetent would the commanders need to be?


    ¡°I think so too. You might even bring fewer troops ashore and prioritize sending construction workers in first,¡± General Feng Kezhi boldly suggested. ¡°Just do what they¡¯re doing, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying...¡± Shan Lu couldn¡¯t quite grasp Feng Kezhi¡¯s idea, or perhaps his Orc mindset simply couldn¡¯t fathom the Great Tang Empire commanders¡¯ tactics.


    The technological gap was too vast; the tactics were incomprehensible.


    ¡°We¡¯ll pick a suitable landing site. You land and build a port, then wait for Mirage Country to become impatient and confront you directly. What do you think?¡± Feng Kezhi proposed a daring plan.


    Shan Lu was dumbfounded. He entirely failed to understand what ¡°building a port at the landing site¡± involved.


    Seeing Shan Lu¡¯s astonished expression, Feng Kezhi chuckled, ¡°Of course, regular Tang Empire forces can¡¯t use this tactic because heavy equipment and logistical supplies are too vast. But your forces are different. Building a small port with sufficient capacity might actually work.¡±


    No joke, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s regular troops operated with fully automated weapons. A single company could expend ammunition in one second equal to past battalion or brigade consumption volumes. Tanks needed fuel; artillery consumed shells. Without proper large port support, logistics could not keep pace.


    Orc forces, however, were an exception. Their weaponry was undoubtedly outdated, with few artillery and tanks, minimal food and water demands. Given the Orcs¡¯ honed construction abilities, building a port behind their lines... this might indeed be feasible.


    ¡°Then, wait for the enemy to attack you, or gather sufficient troops to advance further... The odds of victory increase,¡± Feng Kezhi explained and painted a promising picture.


    He truly didn¡¯t believe that, with the Great Tang Empire Navy fleet backing them, 200,000 Orc troops could be easily pushed back into the sea.


    ¡°But this tactic may pose some challenges...¡± Seeing Shan Lu¡¯s growing interest, Feng Kezhi added with caution: ¡°You¡¯ll need to hold out on Ben Island throughout the winter. During those months, with high winds and rough seas, our fleet and air force might struggle to support you extensively.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Shan Lu grew conflicted. He had completely overlooked the scenario of fighting solo on Ben Island because... he simply forgot!


    After seeing Tang Army swiftly secure South Island within one to two months, then New Island in another month or two, he instinctively overlooked that Ben Island was larger than both combined and Mirage Country¡¯s forces were more substantial.


    Under such conditions, even Tang Army couldn¡¯t guarantee capturing Ben Island in a month or two; let alone Shan Lu¡¯s Orc forces.


    The Orcs weren¡¯t just facing Mirage Army¡¯s tens of thousands; there were also millions of Goblin civilians! Remember, they were there to take land from the Goblins! Their plan revolved around exterminating the Goblin population entirely.


    With these thoughts, Shan Lu hesitated to say, ¡°General, I¡¯ll take your suggestion back and discuss it with the elders...¡±


    ¡°No rush! New Island¡¯s airport isn¡¯t repaired yet, and the fleet hasn¡¯t returned. You have plenty of time!¡± Feng Kezhi reassured. ¡°The Orc forces haven¡¯t arrived either, so you can deliberate freely.¡±


    Relieved, Shan Lu exhaled. He intended to bring back the news of Mirage Country¡¯s coastal abandonment and, along with it, Feng Kezhi¡¯s suggestion.


    This was about the Orcs¡¯ future homeland. They had to seize this opportunity! No matter what, they must!

 Chapter 1219: 1139 New-style Weapons Debut on the Eastern Continent

    Chapter 1219: 1139 New-style Weapons Debut on the Eastern Continent


    As an Elf pilot, Mario was completely in love with the 262 fighter jet he had just acquired. It was nicknamed the Super Butcher in the Poplar Empire, and true to its name, it was essentially a killer of the skies!


    This plane¡¯s speed rivaled that of bombers from the Great Tang Empire! The roaring sound of its dragon-like engine was enough to intimidate opponents. Its speed was truly astonishing, almost unbelievable.


    Without the interference of propellers, the weapon concentration at the nose allowed pilots to aim better. With a sufficient supply of ammunition for its four 20mm cannons, a single volley could shatter the newly upgraded Yak fighters of the Dwarves.


    When the 262 fighter jet appeared on the battlefield, the Dwarves were indeed taken aback. However, the number of such planes was so limited that the Dwarves didn¡¯t even bother questioning why the Great Tang Empire provided such advanced weapons to the Poplar Empire.


    After all, everyone was aware of the Tri-Imperial Alliance, and they knew that the two puppet Emperors of Great Qin Empire and Poplar Empire, Ying Duo and Yangmu Yi respectively, had both ¡°married¡± their ¡°daughters¡± to the lustful Emperor of the Great Tang Empire...


    There was nothing to be done about it¡ªwho told the Emperor of the Great Tang Empire to have such a preference for beauties? And whose fault was it that Dwarven women did not fit human aesthetics?


    What was so bad about Dwarf women anyway? They could fight and work, with sturdy waists and big hips, making them excellent for childbearing... Human emperors just didn¡¯t know their value! Truly frustrating.


    The two jet engines provided ample power for the 262 fighter jet, allowing it to easily reach speeds of 700 kilometers per hour and ascend to altitudes exceeding 10,000 meters.


    It should be noted that this altitude was previously the limit for piston-propelled fighters, which barely managed to climb to 10,000 meters where their maneuverability sharply declined, making them nearly uncontrollable.


    But jet fighters were different; even at 10,000 meters, they remained incredibly powerful. Their climb rate was several times that of ordinary propeller fighters, completely overpowering propeller planes in medium and high-altitude performance.


    Since the entire plane was imported from the Great Tang Empire, the failure rate was not considered high either. The Great Tang Empire had not just begun developing jet engines, so their reliability had already reached an acceptable level.


    If pilots couldn¡¯t win air battles with such planes, it could only be attributed to the pilots¡¯ shortcomings!


    In recent aerial clashes between the Poplar Empire and the Ice Cold Empire, the exchange rate reached an astonishing 17 to 72, nearly making Duke Leibert of the Poplar Empire laugh himself silly.


    Historically, the exchange ratio was roughly 1 to 3, but with the recent upgrades to the two countries¡¯ fighters, the exchange ratio had been approximately locked at 1 to 2 for the past month.


    But once the 262 fighter jet entered the fight, it shot down 20 enemy aircraft in a single month without suffering any losses, much to the delight of the Poplar Empire¡¯s Air Force commanders.


    They regained a local air superiority on the battlefield and successfully launched a counterattack in the Battle of Hotwind Port, lifting the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s siege of Hotwind Port, effectively stabilizing the front line for the time being.


    Two jet fighters roared overhead in tandem across the battlefield, eliciting cheers from the hard-fighting Poplar Empire soldiers below.


    They had just been bullied by Saab Bombers (SB-2), so the appearance of their Air Force planes excited them greatly.


    ¡°See those dodging Saabs? Dive!¡± Inside the cockpit, Mario pushed the controls, and the jet fighter swooped towards its target.


    The roar of the two jet fighters scattered the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s 16-type escort fighters like startled birds.


    Originally, these outdated fighters were no match for the Butcher Fighter Jets, and now with the deployment of the even more advanced 262 fighters, they were even more helpless.


    Gathering together just made them bigger targets, so those marginally faster I-16 convertible fighters quickly scattered to save their own skins.


    The pilots inside the Saab Bombers cursed inwardly, powerless. They could only watch helplessly as their escort fighters fled, leaving them to face the terrifying 262 fighters alone.


    Indeed, with enhanced attributes for intercepting bombers, the 262 fighter jet had a combat advantage against Saab Bombers.


    The 20mm cannons could rip a Saab Bomber to pieces with a single burst, and in just one engagement, two bombers that had been arrogantly bullying the Elven ground forces were trailing black smoke as they plummeted earthward.


    One plane even broke apart mid-air during its crash, its rear fuselage detaching entirely, which looked utterly tragic.


    Just the appearance of two 262 fighter jets had reversed the situation in the sky. The Ice Cold Empire¡¯s ground offensive began to crumble, and without confidence, their infantry retreated to their original position.


    When the fourth bomber was shot down, six Yak fighters from the Ice Cold Empire joined the battle. Flown by elite pilots, they roared into the fray at low altitude.


    With considerable experience, they hovered around 2,000 meters, attempting to lure the 262 fighters into mid-to-low altitudes to negate their speed performance advantage.


    Because they had a numerical advantage, Mario and his wingman were initially hesitant to enter the opponent¡¯s combat zone recklessly.


    Seeing those Ice Cold Empire planes covering each other as they fled to the Ice Cold Empire-controlled area, Mario and his wingman decided not to pursue them any further.


    ¡°Report to the tower! Report to the tower! The enemy bombers have entered their control zone! Requesting permission to pursue! Requesting permission to pursue!¡± Holding the radio, Mario asked for the ground control tower¡¯s opinion.


    In fact, when a pilot asks this, it usually means they are reluctant to pursue. Everyone knows¡ªif they really wanted to chase, they wouldn¡¯t bother asking, right?


    Of course, because the 262 is the most elite and top-secret advanced weapon, it¡¯s technically prohibited from entering enemy territory to engage. If one were to crash and its technology fell into enemy hands, the Poplar Empire would have nowhere to cry.


    ¡°No need to pursue further! No need to pursue! Check your fuel and return to base!¡± Indeed, the order to return was promptly relayed through their headsets: ¡°The safety of the secret weapon is most important!¡±


    The two jet fighters detached from the battle one after the other, and another battle was over. The Dwarves had lost 4 Saab bombers and 2 16-type fighters. Had the battle continued, the backup Yak fighters on their way would likely have suffered losses as well.


    Meanwhile, the Poplar Empire incurred no losses! The battlefield deterrence brought by the two jet fighters ultimately led the Dwarves to abandon their offensive, canceling their subsequent battle plans.


    After losing quite a few aircraft in the air, the Dwarves could no longer sit still. The Ice Cold Empire¡¯s ambassador to the Great Tang Empire personally met with the Tang Country¡¯s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nangong Hong, that day, to confirm once again the Great Tang Empire¡¯s stance.


    The Dwarves were straightforward indeed: if the Great Tang Empire was determined to support the Poplar Empire, the Ice Cold Empire was willing to end the war immediately, maintaining borders as they were before the war started.


    If the Great Tang Empire mediated the war, the Dwarven side was also willing to pay 5 million Gold Coins¡¯ worth of minerals in gratitude for the Great Tang Empire¡¯s ¡°impartiality.¡±


    Seeing that his counterpart nearly discussed the Four Emperor Alliance, Nangong Hong could only reaffirm once more that the Great Tang Empire would maintain a neutral stance on the Eastern Continent¡¯s war, even willing to covertly sell two submarines at half price!


    Nangong Hong also asked for the Dwarves¡¯ understanding that the Great Tang Empire needed to consider the face of the Tri-Imperial Alliance, and therefore must at times show support for its allies.


    However, the Great Tang Empire was fair and just, and the Dwarves were also friends of the Great Tang Empire. So, the Great Tang Empire was willing to export submarines at 35 million each to help the Dwarves gain an advantage at sea.


    In the end, the Dwarf ambassador could only begrudgingly accept the Great Tang Empire¡¯s statement: after all, what else could be done? Declare war on the Great Tang Empire? That¡¯s a joke¡ªbetter to pretend ignorance if possible.


    Seizing the opportunity, the Dwarves didn¡¯t hesitate: they directly purchased four submarines and negotiated the price down to 25 million! Nangong Hong agreed to the price without fuss.


    To be honest, the price was indeed very favorable¡ªconsidering these submarines amounted to direct combat power, they could be deployed to the front line in the short term.


    With seven submarines, if the Dwarves blockaded Hotwind Port again, they could cut off sea routes, preventing the Poplar Empire from maintaining Hotwind Port through maritime resupply as they had previously.


    However, this compensation was confidential; the agreement stated that if the Poplar Empire learned of the submarine compensation agreement, the Great Tang Empire would also sell submarines or anti-submarine destroyers to the Poplar Empire.


    This condition seemed reasonable, so the Dwarves agreed to the Great Tang Empire¡¯s requirement. The same day, the Dwarf ambassador signed the agreement with Nangong Hong, paying one hundred million Gold Coins.


    Money speaks volumes: the Dwarf Empire, with its ample mineral and oil reserves, certainly had enough foreign exchange reserves. They could pay with minerals or cash, and either way, they could buy goods from the Great Tang Empire.


    The Great Tang Empire also preferred doing business with countries like the Ice Cold Empire¡ªit had the mineral resources urgently needed by the Great Tang Empire, and its credit was still relatively sound, qualifying them as high-quality clients.


    Just after sending off the Dwarf ambassador, the Elven ambassador arrived to see Nangong Hong: Their purpose was simple as well; the Elves wished to purchase another 30 262 fighter jets to secure air superiority on the northern battlefield.


    Nangong Hong knew they couldn¡¯t further expand the Elves¡¯ advantage, otherwise, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s balancing strategy would end up fostering a giant empire in the Eastern Continent.


    The Great Tang Empire cited limited production capacity, while the Poplar Empire claimed an urgent need for sufficient planes. Eventually, after much discussion, they agreed on a contract to temporarily sell 10 262 fighter jets to the Poplar Empire.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    There will be another chapter later. Everyone can read it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 1220: Victory achieved, withdraw from the position

    Chapter 1220: Victory achieved, withdraw from the position


    The capital of Shu Country, Kangrao, in the room reserved for the Speaker, Liu Jing folded the newspaper and tossed it aside. According to the plan, he had already nearly finished selling Shu Country to Qin Country.


    The Shu Mountain defense line had completely collapsed, with tens of thousands of troops surrendering without much resistance. Qin Country had already crossed Shu Mountain, and now Shu Country was in imminent danger. The capital was virtually at the frontline, and the once grand territory had lost all defenses.


    Kangrao was filled with panic and unrest. Everyone was proposing an immediate surrender to preserve their strength. Many were fleeing¡ªsome escaped to Chu Country, while others simply fled to the Great Tang.


    Liu Jing, of course, planned to leave too, though he was not heading to the Great Tang. He intended to remain here to secretly conduct a series of handovers with Qin Country, transferring Shu Country¡¯s complete industrial assets to them.


    This would provide Qin Country with greater national strength, enabling it to sustain itself longer in the upcoming competition between Qin and Tang and buy time to prepare for Eastern Continent strategies.


    Everything was under control. Everything was progressing according to plan. Everything was so smooth¡ªso smooth that it made Liu Jing suspicious.


    He was naturally a suspicious person, and considering such an enormous, cross-border collaboration¡ªa series of covertly executed plans that seemed rational but required extensive multi-party coordination¡ªthe success itself was something to question.


    Although Shu Country wasn¡¯t fully infiltrated, there should still have been a significant presence of Great Tang Empire¡¯s spies, as well as the enigmatic agents from Chu Country, the ¡°Chu Yangren¡±... Yet all these organizations remained inactive, seemingly unaware, which heightened Liu Jing¡¯s sense of caution.


    He had done his best to investigate this matter, and Qin Country¡¯s intelligence department was also cooperating fully, but the other side truly appeared oblivious to their plans.


    The intelligence agency of the Great Tang Empire within Shu Country had lost its previous prowess, completely devoid of its once-terrifying abilities to penetrate and investigate. They seemed to have lost their edge as Shu Country faced defeat after defeat.


    ¡°Selling Shu Country to Qin Country¡ªhow does this benefit Tang Country in any way?¡± This was the question lingering in his mind. Liu Jing certainly didn¡¯t believe that Tang Country was entirely unaware of his maneuvers.


    To him, Tang Country¡¯s inaction was likely because the matter didn¡¯t touch upon Tang Country¡¯s core interests. In fact, the other side probably thought this incident aligned with Tang Country¡¯s interests, hence their decision to feign ignorance altogether.


    Liu Jing firmly ruled out the possibility that Qin Country¡¯s Princess Ying Yue had used any sort of ¡°honey trap¡± to influence the matter. Rather, he speculated that Tang Country was simply preoccupied with its invasion of Mirage Country and thus unable to focus on Western concerns.


    To put it plainly, Tang Country couldn¡¯t entirely eliminate Chu Country or Dahua, nor could it border Qin Country in order to stop Qin from annexing Shu Country. Since it couldn¡¯t intervene, feigning deafness and blindness became the logical choice.


    But why wasn¡¯t Tang Country¡¯s intelligence department exerting even the slightest effort to slow down Qin Country¡¯s conquest of Shu Country? This plainly didn¡¯t make sense.


    Despite these doubts, which deeply troubled Liu Jing regarding the entire ¡°strengthening Qin Country¡± plan, he truly had no more time left to ponder, so he chose not to concern himself with these peculiar questions for Emperor Qin Ying Duo.


    His future lay in the Eastern Continent, with the unified resistance against the tyrannical Great Tang Empire, not in the Western Continent, not in the pitiable, cramped Shu Country.


    Everything here would merely serve as stepping stones for his advancement, nothing more than a background to buy him time.


    At this thought, he exhaled a breath of relief and looked at the young noble from Chu Country who had come to receive him. This person had pledged loyalty to Sofia long ago and had been covertly aiding Liu Jing in paving the way for his departure from Shu Country.


    In truth, the noble was also a decent businessman; he had purchased a few small patents from the Tang Group and established a profitable machinery factory specializing in exporting precision gears to the Eastern Continent.


    Indeed, the noble had another task: to discreetly steal some legitimate technologies, spreading the technologies deliberately leaked by the Great Tang Empire for immediate use by the Sofia Group.


    Liu Jing spoke to the young noble from Chu Country, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve completed everything I needed to do! What¡¯s next is your time to shine.¡±


    The noble from Chu Country nodded slightly and assured him confidently, ¡°We understand! Trust me, the final flames of glory will inevitably engulf the darkness! The Great Tang Empire is destined for destruction, while we... we will claim the ultimate victory!¡±


    Of course, he was brimming with pride, as their recent counter-surveillance efforts had been exceptionally effective, with the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence department failing to capture any of their operatives for a long time.


    The clandestine theft of technologies was progressing smoothly; they had acquired many valuable technologies, significantly enhancing their reserves.


    Those who had obtained the technologies had become key assets, contributing to various efforts in numerous places. On the whole, their flames of rebellion within the Great Tang Empire had already ignited, and the future belonged to them!


    With Qin Country¡¯s smooth annexation of Shu Country, Sofia Group¡¯s strategic push had achieved a significant interim victory. What could be more exhilarating than this? They were about to cultivate a strong neighbor for the Great Tang Empire¡ªQin Country would be the next Dahua, obstructing Tang Empire¡¯s eastern advance!


    A beautiful woman entered Liu Jing¡¯s room with a tray in her hands, knelt before him, and said with lowered head, ¡°This is your new identity, Mr. Liu Jing.¡±


    It was undeniable that having a woman kneel and bow would make any man feel a distinct sense of exhilaration. No matter how successful a man is, he cannot refuse the sight of a curvaceous, beautiful woman bowing down before him.


    At this moment, Liu Jing set aside all doubts. Ever since pledging allegiance to Sofia, he had gained enormous benefits in terms of connections and wealth.


    He had never been short of women, but acquiring more high-quality women still filled this old man with a newfound vigor. Especially since he had little resistance to voluptuous women.


    ¡°Yang Luo? Merchant... quite a fitting identity.¡± Liu Jing reached out and picked up the identification documents. He glanced at the photo printed on it, along with an identity that had nothing to do with him, then sneered as he looked at the other items on the tray.


    On the tray lay wealth-representing checks, valuable property certificates, a plane ticket, and a ticket for a ship crossing the Endless Sea.


    The money was provided by Qin Country, as Liu Jing¡¯s assets and businesses were mostly in Shu Country. For him to leave, substantial compensation was unavoidable.


    Qin Country was more than willing to pay this amount¡ªhaving a nation¡¯s leader sell out his own country wasn¡¯t an opportunity that came by often. With Sofia acting as a mediator, Liu Jing had gained a bonus of an extra thirty percent for his assets.


    Seeing the thick stack of checks denominated in millions, Liu Jing couldn¡¯t help but grin. He was now a bona fide billionaire, soon to be a politically empowered billionaire at that!


    The noble from Chu Country chuckled and explained to Liu Jing, ¡°This identity will allow you to travel by the best planes to Chu Country, then board a ship from the relatively laxly inspected Nanshan Port... safely arriving at the Laines Empire.¡±


    Liu Jing reached out and gently stroked the face of the kneeling woman in front of him, laughing heartily, ¡°Sofia truly is thoughtful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t miss the flight.¡± Seeing Liu Jing touch the woman¡¯s face, the young noble from Chu Country tactfully excused himself, leaving the room. These kinds of amorous office encounters were a pastime he indulged in as well¡ªstimulating, novel, and consistently satisfying.


    As the noble from Chu Country exited Liu Jing¡¯s office, he got into his car. Closing his eyes in the back seat, he instructed his assistant in the front, ¡°Use the highest-level cipher to send a telegram to Lady Sofia... inform her that Liu Jing will depart tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The assistant committed the order to memory. Beside him, the chauffeur started the engine. The luxurious car hummed rhythmically, and soon, the noble from Chu Country fell asleep in the back seat.


    Far away, in Chang¡¯an of the Great Tang Empire, within the headquarters of the Imperial Security Bureau, a military officer carried a folder down a long hallway.


    He knocked on the director¡¯s door, and upon receiving permission, walked to the elderly man busy at his desk, withdrew the folder, and placed it before him: ¡°Director, this is the document you¡¯ve been waiting for.¡±


    ¡°Interesting! Seems like they¡¯re planning to retire with honor?¡± Li¡¯ao lightly adjusted his glasses, the light reflecting sharply off them.


    ¡°Do they truly believe we¡¯re completely unaware of their activities?¡± Li¡¯ao raised his head, curious, and asked his subordinate.


    The subordinate officer chuckled awkwardly, ¡°If we don¡¯t reveal the truth to them, they might never realize how thoroughly we understand their operations.¡±


    ¡°They write each other letters, while we¡¯re the postmen delivering them... and they actually think gluing the envelope tighter makes them secure.¡± Li¡¯ao sneered as he casually tossed the folder aside.


    With the advent of supercomputers, deciphering codes had become as easy as playing games for the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence department. As long as the codes weren¡¯t one-time-use, patterns could always be found. And where there were patterns... computers could handle everything.


    ¡°Now that they¡¯ve finished their business with Qin Country, let¡¯s have them bow out. Keeping them around would only waste our energy monitoring these fools.¡± The director of the Imperial Security Bureau raised his head and ordered, ¡°Pull the net tight!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Director!¡± The subordinate from the intelligence bureau stood at attention, bowed, and promptly left Li¡¯ao¡¯s office. He understood better than anyone that there were no secrets under heaven; for the Imperial Intelligence Bureau, there was just one exception.


    In this world, only one individual remained truly mysterious¡ªwhose phone calls were never wiretapped, whose bedroom wasn¡¯t bugged, whose surroundings were free from intelligence surveillance.


    But this was not surprising, for to the entire Great Tang Empire, that person was absolute¡ªa god, a faith, a beacon of everything!

 Chapter 1221: 1141 Liu Jing escapes

    Chapter 1221: 1141 Liu Jing escapes


    Kangrao Airport was quite a large airport. Before the outbreak of war, Shu Country had enjoyed a thriving economy, and its industrial development was relatively advanced, with a substantial number of airplanes.


    This was also why many people in Qin Country and Shu Country believed that the annexation of Shu by Qin was a massive boost for Qin.


    It was indeed a tremendous boost: Shu possessed numerous machining facilities, a large pool of skilled workers, and an abundance of raw materials. Such a formidable foundation collapsed rapidly; within just over a year, the defense line north of Shu Mountain was wholly lost to Qin. Qin gained considerable benefits from it.


    At this moment, Kangrao Airport was incredibly busy, with numerous C-47 transport planes waiting to take off. Those able to secure tickets to flee were indisputably members of the elite, which made maintaining order a troublesome endeavor.


    The wealthy, accustomed to arrogance in their daily lives, were now clashing with fierce-looking soldiers, their voices rising in curses and confrontations.


    In his car, Liu Jing pulled over near the airport. He was no longer Shu¡¯s Speaker of the Parliament and thus held no special privileges.


    Watching the frantic individuals scrambling to escape, he furrowed his brow in displeasure. Despite being the true traitor of Shu, he couldn¡¯t help but subconsciously assume the role of Shu¡¯s Speaker.


    Ground crew busily prepared the planes for takeoff, bustling around the C-47 transport planes to check every detail.


    One had to recognize the frequent occurrence of accidents with these planes¡ªthe designs were relics of World War II, and their safety wasn¡¯t exactly reliable.


    But as the mechanics tirelessly worked on their tasks, one worker discreetly pulled out a pair of pliers and snapped a few of the pipes belonging to the plane with a crisp ¡°snap.¡±


    Black oil leaked out. He stuffed the leak with the chewing gum from his mouth and wrapped the fracture tightly with tape from his pocket.


    Once he managed to stop the leakage temporarily, he hid the damaged pipes back inside the airplane, casually giving it a couple of pats to feign having completed the inspection.


    Two Shu Country pilots signed their names perfunctorily on the safety inspection record. After flying to Chu Country this time, they were not planning to return.


    They had taken money, and the plane was packed to the brim with VIPs: all of them Shu¡¯s aristocracy and wealthy elites who planned to enjoy life in other nations.


    Sitting in his car, Liu Jing caught a whiff of danger. He turned to the Earl of Chu sitting beside him and asked, ¡°Do you have the passenger list for this plane?¡±


    ¡°Where am I supposed to get that? Is there something wrong?¡± The Earl of Chu replied with a perplexed expression. He wasn¡¯t Shu¡¯s Speaker; how was he supposed to retrieve a plane¡¯s passenger manifest?


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel good about this...I suspect someone on that plane wants to kill me.¡± Liu Jing spoke candidly, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t seem right, we should postpone our departure.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? Do you have any idea how long we¡¯ve been preparing for this?¡± The Earl of Chu frowned deeply. He had been tirelessly coordinating for this operation; seeing all the efforts come to naught, it was no surprise his emotions flared.


    To secure their safety today, he had bribed two pilots, which cost them a great deal of money. Many pilots trained in the Great Tang Empire were inherently unreliable, so finding two pilots with trustworthy backgrounds and arranging for them had been quite a challenge.


    Furthermore, Qin Country¡¯s Air Force already had coverage over Kangrao Airport, with their fighter jets occasionally appearing in the skies. To ensure their flight proceeded without interruption, he had specifically reached an agreement with Qin Country¡ªno Qin Air Force planes would be scrambled to intercept Shu¡¯s aircraft today.


    So much had been coordinated and finalized¡ªa process far from easy¡ªand now Liu Jing suddenly decided he wasn¡¯t boarding the plane? Ridiculous!


    ¡°I know, but I just don¡¯t feel right about it.¡± Years of political experience as Speaker had made Liu Jing exceptionally sensitive to danger.


    In fact, he had been wary beforehand, particularly because the omnipresent intelligence agents of Tang Country had yet to surface during their operation. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was wrong, and today it felt more overwhelming than ever.


    ¡°Once we¡¯re on the plane, we¡¯ll be fine! Relax! I¡¯ve arranged everything¡ªI¡¯ll even travel with you. What are you afraid of?¡± The Earl of Chu opened the car door and stepped out first.


    Reluctantly, Liu Jing grabbed his briefcase and followed. Inside was his wealth¡ªa significant fortune. Ironically, most of this money was stored in various banks within the Great Tang Empire because only Tang Empire banks could guarantee he could access it anytime.


    His identity was now Yang Luo, a legitimate businessman. The account associated with this alias had always been active, thanks to the Sofia Group¡¯s assistance in managing it.


    The two men proceeded one after another toward a relatively quiet special passageway, guarded at the entrance by soldiers armed with automatic weapons.


    The officer extended his hand, and the Earl of Chu reluctantly handed over a check. This checkpoint wasn¡¯t supposed to serve as an entry point, but the Earl had offered an exorbitant ¡°entry fee.¡±


    Glancing at the money, the officer¡¯s face brightened considerably. With a wave, the soldiers immediately cleared the nearby barricades.


    Cars couldn¡¯t proceed further, so their driver and bodyguard abandoned the vehicle and followed Liu Jing and the Earl on foot. The four marched toward their plane in grand procession.


    ¡°How did they get through? Look at them! Let me board! Let me on! I have money! I have money!¡± On the other side of the barbed wire fence, a wealthy businessman at the front of the restless crowd waved his cash and shouted loudly.


    He spotted Liu Jing and his companions heading toward the aircraft and immediately began to clamor. The crowd erupted once more, many echoing his cries.


    Soldiers continued to block the throng without turning back, using their submachine guns to repeatedly push the mob away, maintaining their distance from the barrier.


    ¡°Do you see that? Do you understand how difficult it was for us to make it through?¡± By the plane¡¯s side, the Earl of Chu boasted to Liu Jing with pride.


    Liu Jing remained preoccupied. He extended a hand to grasp the airplane¡¯s boarding stairs, turning back to look at the desperate Shu aristocrats and businessmen clamoring to board.


    After hesitating, he climbed the stairs and entered the cabin. Inside, the seats were already packed with passengers, many grumbling loudly¡ªcomplaints aimed at figuring out which idiot they¡¯d been forced to wait for.


    When Liu Jing stepped inside, some passengers instantly recognized him by his characteristic glasses. Naturally, they quickly silenced themselves. A few continued to curse, but their frustrations were directed at the cramped space and poor air quality.


    Settling into his seat, Liu Jing turned to the Earl of Chu beside him. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are there so many familiar faces here?¡±


    The Earl of Chu looked embarrassed. He had indeed arranged for a few private deals, selling expensive plane tickets under the table. After all, during times like these, such resources came at a steep price.


    But he swore he hadn¡¯t sold this many tickets¡ªit had to be someone else profiting from the opportunity! It was those incompetent subordinates doing shoddy work!


    Forced to explain, he said nervously, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe the people below me sold extra tickets to make some money.¡±


    Liu Jing very much wanted to leave the plane. The overcrowded cabin and the inept lackeys present greatly diminished his odds of survival.


    ¡°I want to get off! Idiots! This isn¡¯t an escape¡ªit¡¯s suicide!¡± Just as Liu Jing prepared to rise, the plane jostled briefly, signaling it had begun taxiing.


    ¡°Stop them!¡± Liu Jing lowered his voice and ordered the Earl of Chu firmly, ¡°Stop them immediately! Staying on this plane with these fools will get us all killed!¡±


    He already pictured himself standing at the docks of Nanshan Port in the Great Tang Empire, surrounded by black-clad Imperial Security Bureau agents.


    He was almost certain that the movements of this entire plane¡¯s passengers had been exposed¡ªTang Empire intelligence would surely track this aircraft, potentially dragging him down with it.


    ¡°It... it shouldn¡¯t be that serious, right?¡± Lacking experience in such matters, the Earl of Chu started to panic. He couldn¡¯t decide whether Liu Jing¡¯s concerns were valid.


    But as he hesitated, the plane accelerated. Amid the slightly chaotic atmosphere, the aircraft shook, and with the drone of engines, it broke free and ascended into the sky.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the air now...¡± The Earl of Chu looked awkwardly at Liu Jing.


    Liu Jing had no other options left. He contemplated briefly and said, ¡°Can we have the plane land at Chu Country¡¯s King City and proceed independently from there by car or train to Nanshan Port?¡±


    ¡°Changing the landing site... seems... unlikely, right?¡± They could bribe the pilots, but altering commercial air routes wasn¡¯t something easily done.


    ¡°Claim a mechanical failure!¡± Once Liu Jing¡¯s mind fixated on an idea, he was unwavering. Convinced there was an ambush at Nanshan Port, he felt an urgent need to avoid the danger he foresaw.


    ¡°Alright!¡± The Earl of Chu, inexperienced in such situations, had run out of ideas. Emotions are inherently contagious, and clearly, Liu Jing was far more adept than him in this aspect. Liu Jing, a seasoned Speaker, had long mastered the art of influencing judgments.


    Shortly, the Earl returned to his seat, his demeanor restored to confidence. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! The pilots agreed! They¡¯ll report an oil pipe failure and make an emergency landing at King City Airport in Chu Country. We¡¯ll get off there and let the rest fly on to Nanshan Port!¡±


    ¡°Phew...¡± Finally hearing some good news, Liu Jing, reassured and back in control, exhaled deeply. Leaning back against the stiff plane seat, he closed his eyes.

 Chapter 1222: 1142 an accident

    Chapter 1222: 1142 an accident


    ¡°The original plan was to act at Nanshan Port, but the higher-ups thought that would alert their comrades, so we could only move directly on the plane... disguise it as an accident.¡± Tossing aside his oil-stained coveralls, the field agent who had just completed his mission said with a grin to his colleague.


    His colleague lit a cigarette in the car, handed him one, and helped him light it. The two sat in the car, quietly exhaling smoke.


    If they blatantly killed these people with Sofia connections, the rest of the Sofia clique would undoubtedly tense up, becoming more cautious and vigilant.


    Although caution and vigilance wouldn¡¯t really help them, forcing the enemy into such a posture is never ideal. Thus, after some deliberation, the Empire Intelligence Bureau decided to disguise their operation as an accident.


    This way, they could continue to lull their enemies into a false sense of security, keeping them active and making future operations more manageable. After all, if the enemy realized their communications were insecure and riddled with infiltrators, they would be compelled to act more prudently in their next steps.


    The colleague in the driver¡¯s seat started the car and asked, ¡°You¡¯re sure they¡¯ll crash?¡±


    The field agent in the backseat chuckled, ¡°You don¡¯t trust my work? With those two Category-III pilots who barely have any flight experience, the success rate of managing this kind of malfunction is about three percent.¡±


    For safety and to avoid alerting the Great Tang Empire¡¯s intelligence network, they had selected pilots who had never trained on Great Tang Empire soil. These pilots had been trained at home, and their instructors¡ªor their instructors¡¯ instructors¡ªhad been the ones who trained in the Great Tang Empire.


    The Great Tang Empire categorized pilots to estimate their capabilities and susceptibility to defection. In short... Category-III pilots were not worth trying to turn and had little value if kept alive.


    The colleague driving the car turned the wheel at an intersection, merging seamlessly into the traffic. ¡°What if they actually manage to overcome the malfunction and land successfully?¡±


    The field agent in the back, unaware that Liu Jing had already changed plans, said confidently, ¡°There¡¯s a contingency plan at Nanshan Port Airport. Once they disembark, they¡¯ll be arrested¡ªno need to worry.¡±


    ¡°Dear passengers, we¡¯ve entered the airspace of Chu Country.¡± The pilot¡¯s voice came through the cabin speakers. A cheer erupted among the passengers, palpable excitement sweeping over them.


    For those in flight, this was certainly welcome news. At the very least, they believed they had escaped danger¡ªor rather... temporarily escaped it.


    Liu Jing also felt that the danger had receded. He considered diverting to the Chu Kingdom¡¯s Royal City Airport a decision he made after boarding, a last-minute improvisation. No matter how capable the forces in Tang Country were, they couldn¡¯t have foreseen this step.


    So he believed himself safe. In that instant, the sensation of being watched melted away, leaving him feeling unburdened.


    In the cockpit, the two pilots carried out orders from their benefactor. They had been handsomely paid, including a large recent transfer, so naturally, they were quite diligent.


    For them, landing at Tang Country¡¯s Nanshan Port Airport or Chu Kingdom¡¯s Royal City Airport made no difference.


    ¡°Calling the airport!¡± Gripping the transmitter, the captain began lying to ground control. ¡°Calling the tower! Our plane is experiencing a malfunction! We¡¯re encountering a malfunction! Requesting emergency landing, requesting emergency landing!¡±


    ¡°This is ground control! This is Chu Kingdom¡¯s Royal City Ground Control! Shu Airlines Flight 90117! Shu Airlines Flight 90117! Please confirm the nature of your malfunction!¡±


    ¡°Our fuel system is problematic! Instruments showing anomalies!¡± The pilot lied, citing an issue that didn¡¯t sound overly grave but still warranted an urgent landing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll guide you to land on the auxiliary runway, Shu Airlines Flight 90117! Please adjust your flight posture and reduce altitude!¡± Watching the radar blips, the dispatcher maintained a calm demeanor.


    C-47 transport planes were inherently prone to faults; they were in a completely different league from modern civilian airliners. During this era, aviation accidents were still frequent, with only Great Tang Empire¡¯s aircraft maintaining a decently safe track record.


    It was routine for pilots to report malfunctions and request emergency landings. Major airports in every nation usually had auxiliary runways precisely for situations like this, enabling quick and safe landings.


    Hearing the tower¡¯s approval for their landing clearance, a smug grin spread across the pilots¡¯ faces as they started lowering the aircraft¡¯s altitude.


    Inside the plane, the fractured fuel line burst open under pressure, spraying black fuel everywhere. Nearby wires, flailing alongside the leaking line, sparked continuously.


    ¡°Weird! No response?¡± The pilot glanced at his gauges, noticing the needles twitching erratically. ¡°What the hell? Pressure¡¯s unstable!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re descending, but why hasn¡¯t the altimeter changed?¡± The co-pilot was equally puzzled, having never encountered such a scenario before.


    ¡°Flaps won¡¯t deploy!¡± The captain desperately tried to stabilize the aircraft, but the left engine suddenly caught fire, and flames rapidly engulfed half the wing.


    ¡°Damn it! Why¡¯s it on fire?!¡± The Shu Country co-pilot shrieked in panic. Meanwhile, the passengers in the cabin had also spotted the flames on the wing.


    A wave of screams and cries erupted. Liu Jing was stunned, his gaze fixed on the burning engine. In that instant, the truth dawned on him.


    This was the danger! The opposition never planned to arrest him at Nanshan Airport or ambush him at the Nanshan Port docks.


    They intended to eliminate him mid-flight¡ªor rather, eliminate everyone onboard... all these fleeing nobles and merchants from Chu Country.


    Somehow, they had always known¡ªknown about his dealings with Qin Country, known about Sofia¡¯s maneuvers...


    Whatever they might have discovered, his death seemed certain. Seeing the left engine engulfed in flames, Liu Jing did not scream but instead closed his eyes with a bitter smile.


    The Earl of Chu beside him, however, couldn¡¯t maintain his composure. He screamed and wept, wailing that he didn¡¯t want to die, that he still longed to return to Chu Country to relish wealth and luxury.


    But it was far too late. The aircraft was losing control, and its altitude continued to plummet. The flaps, battered by airflow and ravaged by fire, had shattered into pieces.


    On the ground, the sight of the burning plane in a nosedive left the staff in Chu Kingdom¡¯s Royal City airport tower dumbfounded.


    The distress call had led them to believe it was a minor issue, but the severity of the problem¡ªthat the plane was already ablaze mid-air¡ªcaught them completely off guard.


    ¡°Oh my God! Hopefully, they¡¯ll be okay.¡± A female dispatcher clasped her hands over her mouth, staring up at the descending aircraft with a whisper.


    The plane struggled to stabilize, with the pilots repeatedly updating the tower on their efforts to retain control.


    But it was all futile. About 500 meters above ground, the burning wing finally detached, causing the plane to spiral uncontrollably.


    The aircraft¡¯s nose veered off the runway, crashing approximately 300 meters outside its perimeter. The entire fuselage was instantly consumed by flames, its momentum tearing the body apart.


    It took about ten minutes for firefighters to arrive at the scene. In the midst of the chaos, charred remains were plainly visible. The blaze raged on for over two hours before it was fully extinguished.


    The plane had been fueled for a planned trip to Nanshan Port Airport, carrying ample reserves that fed the relentless fire. Until the excess fuel was entirely burned, the flames couldn¡¯t be subdued.


    Once the fire was out, the scene of devastation resembled a vision of hell. Scorched limbs lay next to half-burnt property deeds, and fragments of Great Tang currency fluttered in the wind, tattered and incomplete.


    Chu Country firefighters salvaged what they could, pocketing intact currency. The flight had been laden with wealthy individuals fleeing from Shu Country, carrying ample gold, jewelry, and cash¡ªany recovered item was immensely valuable!


    Unfortunately, they found no survivors amid the wreckage and flames. Otherwise, such a rescue would undoubtedly have yielded substantial rewards.


    The most pitiful remains were those of charred corpses, curled up like gnarled branches. Safety belts kept them fixed to their seats, their proximity to melted aluminum frames rendering them unrecognizable.


    While handling the remains, care was taken. Gold chains and rings had melted and fused to the corpses, prompting Chu Country firefighters to meticulously pry out the golden parts, even though this further damaged the fragile, burnt bodies.


    ¡°We have recordings... They reported the malfunction themselves.¡± The dispatcher was being questioned by the police. Such an incident warranted a thorough investigation by Chu authorities. Responsibility had to be shirked off where possible¡ªthis was Shu Country¡¯s problem, not theirs!


    ¡°They reported issues with their fuel system and faulty instruments...¡± She spoke with absolute certainty since everything she relayed was true.


    A few hours later, Chu Country¡¯s radio station broke the news of the disaster: A Shu Airlines Flight 90117 C-47 aircraft had crashed, claiming the lives of all 31 onboard. This included two pilots, one navigator, and 28 passengers.


    The investigation quickly pinned responsibility on Shu Country, where wartime negligence in following maintenance protocols had led to the ¡°fuel system issues.¡± The evidence was robust: recorded communications and numerous eyewitness accounts.


    Soon after, the Great Tang Empire also disseminated the tragic news: A civilian aircraft had crashed in Chu Country, with all 31 onboard perished.

 Chapter 1223: 1143 New Product Launch Event

    Chapter 1223: 1143 New Product Launch Event


    Inside an undisclosed castle, a red-haired woman reached out to turn off the radio broadcasting the news of the Chu Country plane crash.


    She frowned and looked at the woman beside her, sighed, and said, ¡°It seems our opponent has once again managed to stay ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°Their victory is only temporary; we will undoubtedly be the ultimate victors!¡± The Countess promptly reassured her. She spoke without a shred of hesitation, for the woman in front of her was breathtakingly beautiful¡ªeven if she made mistakes, the gods would surely forgive her.


    Sofia felt somewhat unwilling to accept the situation, considering that losing someone as experienced as Liu Jing was a significant setback. She glanced at the radio and asked softly, ¡°Can we confirm that Liu Jing is indeed dead?¡±


    ¡°The message from Shu Country indicated that Liu Jing did board the plane that day along with Earl Zhang Han,¡± the Countess replied, lowering her gaze.


    Though it couldn¡¯t be fully confirmed yet, the crash and destruction of that plane were undeniable. In all likelihood, Liu Jing was indeed dead; otherwise, they would have gone to Nanshan Port to rendezvous with their contacts.


    ¡°Order a password change! Raise the encryption level of all passwords by one!¡± Sofia commanded.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am! There¡¯s no evidence to prove that our codes have been deciphered...¡± The Countess was momentarily stunned upon hearing Sofia¡¯s order and then opened her mouth to remind her.


    Changing the passwords wasn¡¯t just a simple matter of issuing an order¡ªit came with a heavy price.


    First and foremost, all bases, contacts, and telegraph operators would have to adapt to a completely new encryption system, which in itself was an enormous undertaking.


    Moreover, cryptographic patterns need to be crafted, and those capable of designing new codes are geniuses among geniuses¡ªthe most valuable resources for any faction. They require time to develop a new set of rules.


    Frequent code changes would not only create problems for one¡¯s own faction but also raise communication costs. Additionally, there simply aren¡¯t enough reliable code variations available for constant replacement.


    Hence, changing passwords based solely on suspicion constitutes an extreme waste for any faction¡ªa waste not only of money but also of the time invested in designing the codes!


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe in coincidences like this... The plane carrying my most valued talent crashed just like that!¡± Sofia gave her reasoning.


    For her, everything seemed too coincidental. Such coincidence in itself was a dangerous signal¡ªif Liu Jing could perceive danger, so could Sofia.


    She had a strong premonition that their communications might have been compromised by the enemy. Excessively frequent telegraph exchanges could have been the sole flaw in Qin Country¡¯s campaign against Shu Country this time.


    To facilitate better coordination and adjustments, she had exchanged considerable telegraph correspondence with Liu Jing and held numerous communications with Qin Country, all of which could potentially have been intercepted by Tang Country.


    However, she had always been confident in the encryption of her telegraphs, as she had also been studying how to crack Tang Army codes. This effort gave her insight into the immense difficulty of codebreaking.


    Many cryptography experts assured her that such needle-in-a-haystack decoding efforts were utterly impossible¡ªor even if possible, it wouldn¡¯t be feasible within operational timeframes.


    But this time, she genuinely started to doubt¡ªif the opposition had truly deciphered her encrypted telegraphs, could it be that all her messages were now under their control?


    ¡°Change them! I can afford the expense of acquiring another set of codes, but I cannot bear the risk of our secrets being decrypted.¡± Sofia continued when she saw the Countess remain silent.


    ¡°Understood!¡± The Countess finally nodded. Sofia was right; there was no point in stubbornly insisting on her own perspective.


    ...


    ¡°Hmm?¡± A duty officer in the Tang Country intelligence department responsible for codebreaking saw the report handed to him by his subordinates and revealed an excited smile: ¡°The opponent has changed their password?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! The last telegraph sent by the other side appears to use a code for password changes. After that, our deciphering efforts have encountered difficulties,¡± his subordinate replied with a grin.


    ¡°So, does this mean we can no longer decrypt their messages?¡± The officer, having faced similar situations before, appeared exceedingly composed.


    His subordinates were equally unfazed. Their department specialized in this work and had the support of an unparalleled secret asset unknown to outsiders.


    Shrugging confidently, one of them said, ¡°We¡¯ll need some time to accumulate patterns¡ªabout three days, possibly five. As long as we gather enough samples, we can break their encryption again.¡±


    They had gone through this process countless times. If they wished, they could even crack their own military¡¯s highest-level encrypted communications.


    But so what? The Tang Empire¡¯s military had already begun using computers to design encrypted messages. Changing to a new code was no challenge for them; they even had hundreds of backup schemes and could switch to new passwords daily.


    The problem was that their opponents didn¡¯t possess supercomputers, so the speed at which they could decrypt communications couldn¡¯t possibly keep up.


    ¡°I need to inform the Director about this. The opposition has become cautious¡ªthis intelligence is too vital to miss.¡± The officer stood up, put on his hat, and addressed his subordinates.


    They had agents embedded deep within enemy factions and field operatives responsible for tracking and monitoring adversaries. Given the high risks of their work, it was imperative to warn these comrades to exercise maximum caution during sensitive periods.


    ...


    ¡°It¡¯s time for us to revolutionize our modes of travel! Traditional planes, such as propeller-driven aircraft, truly lack sufficient safety... Our Great Tang Group has already devised new solutions to enhance travel safety,¡± the Great Tang Group¡¯s spokesperson addressed reporters confidently.


    Recent incidents involving plane crashes in Chu Country had indeed made headlines, bringing aviation safety issues to the forefront.


    The Tang Empire wasted no time, seizing this opportunity to unveil an all-new jet-powered large passenger airplane.


    The new aircraft could transport over a hundred people in a single flight, drastically reducing ticket prices while providing airlines with significantly lower operational costs.


    The planes boasted faster speeds, more comfortable cabin environments, reduced noise, and longer range¡ªall promising passengers an elevated flying experience.


    ¡°For the first time, groundbreaking technology is being introduced primarily in the civilian sector! In this case, military aviation can¡¯t even compete with civilian airliners. This represents progress¡ªand our commitment! Technology should serve the public, boost productivity, and address societal issues, rather than only being employed for warfare.¡± The spokesperson¡¯s words received a round of applause.


    This world desperately needed peace¡ªit had been perpetually engulfed in war. Ironically, at present, the Tang Empire was still in the midst of a grueling war of extermination against Mirage Country.


    The battlefield was simply too distant to remind people that the Tang Empire remained engaged in brutal conflict.


    A reporter excitedly asked how much safety the new passenger aircraft could truly improve: ¡°Can the new planes genuinely address safety concerns?¡±


    The Great Tang Group spokesperson confidently provided an astonishing figure: ¡°The new aircraft¡¯s design concept is fundamentally different¡ªit¡¯s one hundred times more advanced than the old 47 model transport planes, with a safety factor increased by the same magnitude! Trust me¡ªthis is a revolution in human transportation history!¡±


    When the spokesperson mentioned ¡°one hundred times,¡± everyone reacted with gasps, followed by enthusiastic applause. Frankly, if safety could be improved to that extent, traveling by air could indeed become much more accessible.


    The spokesperson continued: ¡°The cutting-edge technology comes directly from the Great Tang Group¡¯s military innovations. This technology allows planes to achieve speeds exceeding 700 kilometers per hour! It¡¯s faster than any propeller-driven aircraft.¡±


    His statement surprised the reporters even further¡ªmilitary technology trickling into the civilian domain wasn¡¯t unheard of, but transferring the world¡¯s latest military innovations directly into public use was undeniably headline-worthy.


    Aside from the Poplar Empire, already equipped with Type 262 jet fighter jets, and the Great Qin Empire, secretly preparing to mass-produce Tang-designed TA-183 jet fighters, other nations had yet to develop fighter jets capable of such speeds!


    ¡°Does this signify that the Great Tang Group is preparing to sell even more advanced jet fighters?¡± A reporter raised his hand and called out loudly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not privy to that information. I represent the commercial aircraft division; our Group¡¯s military strategies are beyond my scope,¡± the spokesperson replied officially.


    ¡°Is it true that the new passenger aircraft can accommodate over 100 passengers?¡± Another seasoned journalist, careful not to touch on military matters, shifted back to the topic of civilian aviation performance.


    As expected, the spokesperson welcomed such questions enthusiastically and answered comprehensively: ¡°The new plane is designed to carry 104 passengers, and¡ªthis is crucial¡ªall seats are far more comfortable than those on the 47 model airliners! Each seat includes individual lighting and independent foldable trays!¡±


    ¡°Passengers will enjoy guest-like treatment! The airplanes feature cutting-edge refrigeration and cooking equipment, capable of serving delicious meals to every passenger!¡± The spokesperson spoke eloquently, and the journalists below were reaching a frenzy.


    Before this news conference, nobody dared imagine sitting on a sofa at 10,000 meters above sea level while dining on delicious food.


    ¡°Trust me, ladies and gentlemen! In the future... flying will become a wonderful journey! Safety... will be assured! That¡¯s the essence of technological progress!¡± As this spokesperson concluded his presentation, thunderous applause erupted, lasting for a long time.


    ¡ª¨C


    The next chapter will be released slightly later; everyone can check it tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 1224: Major Development of Civil Aviation in 1144

    Chapter 1224: Major Development of Civil Aviation in 1144


    Actually, in the early days of modern aviation, airplane meals were incredibly sumptuous and delicious. This is not an exaggeration¡ªit¡¯s a fact. And it wasn¡¯t just the meals; every part of the service was exceptionally high-end.


    During the era of prohibitively expensive airline tickets, every flight attendant was meticulously selected by the airlines¡ªtheir quality far surpassed some of today¡¯s so-called pop celebrities. Every one of them was gentle and alluring, ensuring that passengers had pleasing sights throughout their flight.


    Moreover, the supporting facilities at airports at that time were definitely superior to those at train stations. Even ticket sellers were often retired flight attendants.


    As for the food served on airplanes¡ªit was even more outrageous. Many people may find it hard to imagine that smoking was allowed onboard in those days, and the planes even offered champagne, red wine, beer, and even Maotai! Yes, you heard it right¡ªMaotai!


    Airline meals on various flight routes included lobster, sashimi, escargot, steak... Some flights even served exaggerated meals complete with appetizers before the main course and dessert afterward. I¡¯m not joking¡ªmany of the ingredients were freshly prepared. To ensure high-quality dining for passengers, some planes even made stops at airports just to maintain food stability for onboard meals.


    Indeed, dining onboard during that era was truly an enjoyable experience. Today¡¯s airline meal services, which are often reserved only for VIPs and first-class passengers, were accessible to everyone who took a flight back then!


    The problem arose when airlines began cutting costs, slashing additional services¡ªthe easiest expenditure to trim. Since then, flying became no different from taking a train.


    In reality, the cost reductions enabled ordinary citizens to afford flights. With discounted tickets now comparable to train fares, it¡¯s no wonder more people in modern times opt for air travel.


    Nowadays, with airplanes costing more than 20 million Gold Coins, service onboard must naturally match the price tag. Tang Country¡¯s jetliners are excessively expensive¡ªso much so that ordinary people certainly cannot afford to ride them.


    If ordinary people can¡¯t afford the tickets, why not set the ticket price even higher? That way, service quality can be improved, and the actual consumer base will truly feel they¡¯re getting their money¡¯s worth.


    No one could have imagined that a civilian airliner¡¯s price could rival a warship. But in reality, when journalists saw that plane, their first reaction was surprisingly, ¡°It¡¯s not expensive!¡±


    Yes, indeed, the plane was stunningly designed. Its creamy white body complemented by two gigantic jet engines, swept-back wings, and a row of circular windows¡ªit resembled a swan gracefully spreading its wings before the audience, majestic and proudly lifting its head high.


    It was vastly larger than the 47-model aircraft, so much so that a specialized boarding ramp was required. Its sheer enormity left everyone in awe, and the journalists even forgot to lift their cameras.


    When people entered the plane¡¯s interior, they realized just how advanced it was: it had a standalone kitchen, staffed by five well-trained flight attendants providing full-service throughout the journey. Each seat was extraordinarily spacious, making the experience purely indulgent!


    Compared to enduring hours in a noisy, drafty fuselage in the past, flying on such an aircraft was undoubtedly blissful and filled with novelty.


    Besides, it was fast! Riding this plane could reduce what would take a full day into just a morning¡¯s journey. It could fly at altitudes above 8,000 meters¡ªa height unattainable by most current fighter jets.


    The new plane was equipped with advanced search radar, altitude radar ensuring safe flight levels, and sophisticated radio navigation systems capable of achieving a certain degree of ¡°automatic flight.¡±


    Its technology was so advanced that it seemed worlds apart from the previous cheap-looking 47-model aircraft.


    Indeed, they weren¡¯t products of the same era! The new plane was none other than Boeing Company¡¯s most successful project¡ªthe ¡°737¡± narrow-body jetliner. From the moment it was born, it was far more mature and safer than other companies¡¯ offerings.


    In those days, Boeing¡¯s airliners were unparalleled in strength, and until the arrival of Airbus, they virtually had no competitors!


    Unfortunately, later on, to compete with Airbus, Boeing Company followed McDonnell Douglas¡¯s path¡ªcutting costs and modifying mature designs. Ultimately, they transformed the reliable 737 jetliner into a ¡°suicide plane¡± with plummeting safety standards.


    However, this didn¡¯t imply that the early models of the 737 jetliner had issues. In fact, the early models of the 737 remained incredibly safe and classic airplanes.


    How does one use a seemingly straightforward plane crash incident to market their product? The Great Tang Group appeared to excel in such matters.


    Airlines adopting the new planes would be first in line to receive the Great Tang Group¡¯s Civil Aviation Division Award for industry excellence, granting them safety certification.


    Only airlines with such certification could retain routes to airports in the Great Tang Empire. Put differently, within three years, only jetliners would be permitted to operate within the Great Tang Empire.


    Because failing to actively purchase advanced, safe, new aircraft essentially meant neglecting passenger safety! Companies that disregard such responsibilities have no right to operate within the Great Tang Empire.


    You could call this hegemony or unreasonable conduct, but industry standards are what they are! Without the Great Tang Group¡¯s safety certification, you¡¯re simply not recognized within the industry!


    Top-tier companies set the standards! Regrettably, nearly all industrial standards were being formulated by the Great Tang Group, and Tang Mo was the benchmark for the entire industry. Only companies endorsed by him could continue to survive within specific sectors.


    ...


    On New Island, the bulldozers hadn¡¯t yet departed. At a freshly constructed launch site, five Scud missile launch vehicles were raising the missiles they carried.


    The plan was to transport 200 Scud missiles to New Island for battle, but it was unlikely they¡¯d wait for every single missile to be in place before launching the attack.


    In fact, once 10 missiles and five launch vehicles reached land, the Great Tang Empire had already begun preparing to use these missiles to strike the capital of Mirage Country.


    ¡°Coordinates confirmed!¡± Frankly, operating Scud missiles in this era was still extremely cumbersome. The Great Tang Empire clearly had no intention of wasting further time on this outdated missile model, so investments in it were minimal.


    After painstakingly determining the missile coordinates, missile operators wearing gas masks began injecting liquid fuel into them.


    It was already a hot day, making it incredibly uncomfortable to wear biochemical protective suits and gas masks. However, there was no alternative; refueling the missiles was a hazardous job, and these suits provided the soldiers their final layer of protection.


    The first batch of Scuds were equipped with Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb warheads¡ªmassive, devastating bombs known as the ¡°Mother of All Bombs.¡±


    Before the advent of nuclear weapons, these were likely the most powerful bombs out there. Five missiles with such warheads were nearly ready for launch at that moment.


    A few hours later, General Feng Kezhi received the report that the missiles were ready, and he gave the attack order. The five Scud missiles roared to life, shooting flames as they left the launch vehicles and soared toward the horizon.


    Soon, the coastal radars of Mirage Country¡¯s main island detected these fast-moving targets. Their speed was extraordinary, and their trajectories were previously unseen.


    Detecting these high-altitude ballistic targets was relatively easy for radar, but what Mirage Country could do about them remained to be seen.


    The Zero Fighter units, which had always attempted to intercept the Great Tang Army¡¯s jet bombers, received notification, but before they could approach Shen Capital, they were informed that the operation had been canceled.


    This was because the missiles had struck Shen Capital, and Mirage Country already knew what needed to be intercepted. Hence, the fighter jet interception mission was promptly called off.


    Five enormous Fuel-Air Explosive Bombs landed within Shen Capital, instantly destroying buildings through sheer impact alone. The detonation of the warheads obliterated entire blocks, turning flimsy civilian structures into rubble amidst the tremors.


    The unluckiest victim was Mirage Country¡¯s Admiral Shen Haiping¡¯s mansion: it took a direct hit from one of the bombs, killing his entire family in the explosion.


    Shen Haiping himself, however, had escaped the calamity, as he was attending meetings in his headquarters and planning suicide-speedboats in the command center during these days and hadn¡¯t returned home.


    But aside from him, his elderly mother, wife, concubine, and seven or eight children were all buried beneath the ruins, discovered lifeless.


    Later that evening, the second wave of Scud missiles struck, further devastating Shen Capital as if it were entirely unguarded. Five more Fuel-Air Explosive Bombs flattened the area yet again.


    The colossal explosions caused the ground to quake, and even within underground bunkers, the Shen Emperor and his ministers could vividly feel the formidable power of the new bombs.


    As Prime Minister, Shen Wen Dabo strongly urged the Shen Emperor to relocate the command center to a more secluded countryside area, far from Shen Capital, which presented a large, obvious target.


    Considering safety, both Shen Haiping and Shenwu Ke supported this suggestion. However, the Shen Emperor remained deeply hesitant: if he fled, military and public morale would utterly collapse.


    If the King ran away, what would happen to the Princess and the Royal Family? Should they follow him or stay behind? If they followed... what about the ministers¡¯ families?


    In past times, taking everyone along wouldn¡¯t have been much of an issue¡ªit was merely more troublesome. But now the situation wasn¡¯t so simple: the Great Tang Air Force was constantly conducting reconnaissance. Escaping with families would essentially expose themselves instead, turning the situation against them.


    Fortunately, later in the evening, the anticipated third wave of attacks didn¡¯t arrive, sparing the Shen Emperor from the dilemma of deciding whether to flee.


    However, the broadcasted news about the Great Tang Group¡¯s commitment to civilian technology development and its reluctance to prioritize military applications still infuriated the Mirage Country King.


    He smashed his radio in a fit of rage, hurling profanities. By the time he stopped cursing, he was almost drained of energy.

 Chapter 1225: 1145 Collapsed Industry

    Chapter 1225: 1145 Collapsed Industry


    The siege warfare introduces a brand-new tactic, whose impact lies not in the destruction of the target but in an all-encompassing blow to the opponent¡¯s morale.


    The Tang Country¡¯s Scud missile strikes on the Mirage Country were not actually fatal in their destructive effect. For a city of considerable size, the destructive power of a single missile was far from catastrophic. As long as the missile did not carry a nuclear warhead, the damage would generally remain within tolerable limits.


    However, the effects of siege warfare go beyond the mere destruction of buildings; it is a brutal assault on the human psyche. Imagine ordinary civilians being randomly killed, hundreds every day ¡ª such fear inevitably spreads.


    And then, as if daytime missile attacks weren¡¯t enough, the Tang Army adjusted its attack schedule to nighttime. This rendered Mirage Capital¡¯s civilians virtually unable to sleep at night.


    At first, the air-raid sirens blared incessantly, but later they simply ceased to respond altogether. After all, if the sirens were to sound for every incoming Scud missile, the residents of Mirage Capital would never sleep.


    ...In fact, sleep had already become impossible. Tang Country launched a missile approximately every two hours ¡ª like an alarm clock, punctually reminding the people of Mirage Country to get up in the middle of the night.


    The thunderclap of fuel-air explosive bombs reverberated through the night sky, audible clearly for miles, driving Mirage Country¡¯s civilians to the brink of mental collapse.


    Some unfortunate souls were struck directly by missiles in their sleep and sent to the Netherworld; others, luckier by comparison, suffered sleepless nights filled with the constant sound of explosions, awaiting the next ¡°lottery draw.¡±


    Yes, a lottery ¡ª every two hours, the wheel of fortune spun, gambling on where the next Scud missile would land!


    The Tang Army was also experimenting with various strategies: after deploying a large number of fuel-air explosive bombs, they began using other types of bombs in their attacks.


    These special attacks typically occurred during the daytime, accompanied by the Hong-6 reconnaissance aircraft to confirm the results of the strikes and to determine which warheads caused the most damage to cities like Mirage Capital.


    It turned out that while fuel-air explosive bombs were effective against a city like Mirage Capital, cluster bombs proved even more efficient.


    The reason is quite simple: half of Mirage Capital¡¯s buildings were made of stone, integrated with wooden beams and other structures. As an island nation, buildings needed to withstand typhoons, meaning their sturdiness met certain standards.


    Large-scale bombs could only destroy nearby structures, and no matter how effective fuel-air explosive bombs were, their impacts remained localized.


    Cluster bombs, however, were different because they conformed perfectly to the attack requirements: buildings tough enough to withstand strikes but not overwhelming in defense. A single small bomb was enough to destroy them, without wasting resources.


    Thus, the Tang Army began deploying cluster bombs during night assaults, significantly increasing the scale of destruction: a countless number of homes collapsed, causing civilian casualties to escalate rapidly.


    Beyond nighttime missile strikes, Tang Army began launching bombers for daytime attacks as well: deployed from the South Island, their Hong-6 bombers had sufficient range and could carry a large number of cluster bombs, achieving far higher efficiency than Scud missiles.


    In the underground shelter, the Shen Emperor¡¯s expression had turned exceptionally grim. His King City, which had been free from foreign invasions for centuries, now teetered on the brink of ruins.


    It was important to realize that Mirage Capital was more than just a capital city; in the minds of Mirage Country¡¯s civilians, it was a sacred place ¡ª a glorious city built by the Goblin deity upon descending into this world.


    Beyond faith, Mirage Capital was also Mirage Country¡¯s most crucial industrial hub, housing numerous factories responsible for producing various military products.


    From helmets and bayonets to tanks and planes, many vital components for weapons had to be processed in the factories surrounding Mirage Capital.


    Had it not been for this, the Tang Army wouldn¡¯t bother deploying an array of weapons for bombarding Mirage Capital. Their attacks were fundamentally aimed at weakening Mirage Country¡¯s war potential.


    Before the bombardment began, Mirage Country could produce about two Zero Fighters per day. Though these aircraft were no longer effective on the battlefield, Mirage Country could at least manufacture them.


    Now, after the attacks, Mirage Country¡¯s Zero Fighter production had plummeted to just 20 units per month, meaning two-thirds of its capacity had been obliterated.


    It was the same with tanks. The Tang Army¡¯s bombings made the task of rebuilding Mirage Country¡¯s 2nd Armored Division extraordinarily difficult. Without heavy weaponry, Mirage Country¡¯s ground forces had little confidence in confronting the Tang Army offensively.


    Mirage Country¡¯s leadership was well aware that now was the time for all types of weaponry: anti-tank guns, landmines, anti-aircraft guns, tanks, heavy artillery...


    Even machine guns, submachine guns, and hand grenades ¡ª every additional weapon or shell would make a difference.


    But with the Tang Army continuously bombing Mirage Country¡¯s industrial facilities, production had nearly screeched to a halt. Assembly plants lacked components, component factories lacked raw materials.


    On one hand, factory machinery was destroyed, and production lines were dismantled; on the other hand, workers were killed or injured in the attacks, making it impossible to resume operations.


    As time went on, Mirage Country¡¯s stockpile of raw materials began to deplete, such as petroleum resources and rare metals. These shortages further hindered Mirage Country¡¯s production.


    With no other options, after South Island was occupied by the Tang Army, the Shen Emperor issued a decree prohibiting civilian automobile use.


    However, this decree wasn¡¯t effectively enforced. In Mirage Country, those who could afford cars were typically high-ranking officials with government duties, and they always found excuses to drive.


    The ones truly suffering were merchants and other ordinary citizens with no connections ¡ª their vehicles were confiscated and sent to the military to make do. As a result, public resentment boiled over, and the factories controlled by these merchants began to deliberately underperform, further diminishing Mirage Country¡¯s industrial capacity.


    Without sufficient fuel, Mirage Country started mixing additives into gasoline: 97 octane downgraded to 95, 95 downgraded to 92, eventually even using cooking oil ¡ª giving the fuel an arguably ¡°pleasing¡± color, aroma, and taste.


    ¡°Yesterday, the western thermal power plant was bombed, killing over twenty workers. The western district has lost its power, and recovery has yet to be completed,¡± Shen Wenxin gloomily reported recent losses to the Shen Emperor.


    In reality, the eastern district still hadn¡¯t restored power either; the factories there had completely shut down. The capacity to produce anti-aircraft guns had plummeted to the lowest point, barely managing to produce a dozen units a month.


    These outdated items were technologically primitive and utterly incapable of intercepting the Great Tang Empire¡¯s aircraft. Yet, even such crude weapons were beyond Mirage Country¡¯s current production capacity.


    Next month... the Tang Army might launch its invasion! And a mere dozen artillery pieces would hardly make a dent in the battle involving hundreds of thousands of troops.


    Another minister, Shen Wenyu, shared his frustration with the Shen Emperor: ¡°Factory 408, responsible for tank production, had two workshops destroyed. Production can no longer continue. Tanks for the 2nd Armored Division will have to rely on the Shireck-5 model for now.¡±


    The factory producing Mirage Country¡¯s most advanced tanks was bombed into rubble, with machinery and equipment destroyed. The country now had no choice but to rely on outdated tanks manufactured by other factories.


    Compared to Mirage Country¡¯s self-developed heavyweight tanks, Shireck-5 tanks fell far behind in capability: their original design was based on the United States¡¯ M10 tank destroyer. Given blueprints by the Great Tang Group, Shireck merely added a roof and passed them off as tanks.


    While the performance of these vehicles appeared viable on paper, they were now outdated. Not only had Tang Country already begun widespread adoption of the 59 Main Battle Tank, but other nations around the globe were also equipped with heavy tanks featuring larger-caliber guns and thicker armor.


    Even Mirage Country itself had developed its own heavy tanks, while the Shireck-5 model had been relegated to ¡°filler¡± status.


    Now, Mirage Country could do nothing but rely on this ¡°filler¡± tank. Unable to produce heavy tanks, Mirage Country had to use Shireck-5 tanks to rebuild its 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions.


    To save steel, the width of the tank tracks was reduced by 2 centimeters! Even with Shenwu Ke¡¯s tacit approval, the rear armor of all tanks was partially removed.


    This was the most resource-efficient method for producing enough tanks. Since it had been decided to engage the Tang Army in decisive battles on Ben Island, having sufficient ground weapons was the key to victory.


    In fact, not all weapon production had decreased; some weapons, due to their simplicity and ease of manufacture, had seen an increase in output.


    For instance, the anti-tank Sting Thunder, referred to as ¡°Gun Thunder¡± by Mirage Country¡¯s troops, saw increased production. Essentially the Otherworld¡¯s version of the ¡°Happy Stick¡± used by Japanese soldiers during wartime, this weapon¡¯s appearance differed slightly but was fundamentally the same.


    To bolster individual anti-tank capabilities, and because this weapon required minimal raw materials, its production numbers had continuously risen.


    It was hard not to mass-produce these explosives: the thunder body itself was easy to make, and the long rods were simply made of wood ¡ª a resource in abundant supply in Mirage Country.


    Additionally, Mirage Country¡¯s suicide speedboats saw increased output: though the port of Mirage Capital was bombed, production capacity on Northern Island improved somewhat.


    Combined with rushed, shoddy construction efforts, Mirage Country temporarily managed to grow its suicide speedboat force to 300 vessels.


    However, most of these speedboats were barely functional, lacking protective armored steel plating. Once targeted, these boats had slim odds of survival ¡ª they were essentially civilian speedboats loaded with explosives.


    ¡°Given the heightened frequency of enemy missile attacks, Your Majesty... it would be safer for you to move to the secret bunker in the suburbs,¡± Shen Wen Dabo proposed again following the reports to the Shen Emperor.


    Mirage Capital possessed few underground shelters; the city had never invested in preparations for warfare. Under these circumstances, leaving seemed the more pragmatic choice.


    ¡°I will consider the suggestion carefully,¡± the Shen Emperor replied noncommittally, an answer that already set many officials¡¯ minds pondering.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    The time zones have thrown me off ¡ª the second update will be posted tomorrow morning, don¡¯t wait up.

 Chapter 1226: 1146 various new weapons

    Chapter 1226: 1146 various new weapons


    In the weapons design department of the Great Tang Group, several young engineers were studying the blueprint for a brand-new weapon obtained from a mysterious advanced department.


    They had encountered this sort of situation several times before. That department, rumored to be personally led by His Majesty The Emperor, was spearheading the design of weapons worldwide.


    It was said that the Emperor was truly the reincarnation of a deity, who exercised control over technology and warfare, while embodying wisdom and happiness. He was the greatest god in the world, towering above all other deities.


    As for why seemingly unrelated attributes like happiness, wisdom, technology, and warfare could converge in a single deity, this was not something they felt obliged to contemplate.


    After all, His Majesty certainly brought happiness to the Tang People. He was brimming with wisdom and possessed formidable technical prowess, invincible and unstoppable. Thus, he represented these divine attributes¡ªa great deity!


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the aerospace department is trying to utilize satellites for weapon positioning. If successful, future weapons will achieve terrifying strike precision.¡± A staff member remarked to his colleague while looking at the blueprint of a new missile on the table before them.


    On the table lay the blueprint for the renowned Tomahawk Cruise Missile. Its technology wasn¡¯t exceptionally advanced¡ªit was essentially a cheaper alternative to tactical ballistic missiles.


    Whether it was Scud Missiles or other tactical ballistic missiles, their costs were prohibitively high. The exorbitant expense restricted deployment quantity, which significantly impacted their usage in warfare.


    The wealthy Great Tang Empire could certainly afford to procure hundreds of Scud ballistic missiles, but other nations clearly purchased far fewer of them.


    Moreover, these missiles only had a range of around 300 kilometers, and their precision was notably poor. Therefore, Tang Country itself was also eager to acquire a cheaper alternative to ballistic missiles as soon as possible.


    As a result, the affordable Tomahawk Cruise Missile came into being: its technology was even cheaper, sacrificing both flight speed and ballistic arc in exchange for lower costs and enhanced precision.


    To use an imperfect analogy, this was akin to replacing a rocket with an aircraft¡ªthe price was significantly reduced.


    Once the Beidou navigation system is established, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s aircraft and missiles will become significantly more formidable. This isn¡¯t a simple one plus one equals two scenario; it¡¯s one plus one equals one hundred!


    Another engineer nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right. Once the coordinates of the target are fixed and the weapon can determine its own position, true precision strike capability will be realized!¡±


    Regrettably, the Beidou navigation project is still not fully built, and the Great Tang Empire¡¯s GPS system remains a distant prospect.


    However, alternatives are not absent. Another weapons development department of the Great Tang Group is working on developing a new type of bomb, which could provide the A-6 attack aircraft with greater precision strike capability.


    This precision strike capability stems from lasers. As long as ground-based laser guidance indicates a target, bombs dropped from aircraft can accurately hit targets.


    Experimental results have been nothing short of astonishing¡ªthe bombs can easily hit their targets, eliminating the need for dangerous dive bombing maneuvers by aircraft.


    The entirely new bombs can even be launched from ten kilometers away from the target area, ensuring complete safety for the aircraft.


    However, this new technology is not without flaws: its greatest issue is the high requirements it places on battlefield environments. Soldiers must first use laser guidance to illuminate the target, and the surroundings of the target must not have overly dense obstructions.


    Simply put, the laser guidance head on the bomb must be able to ¡°see¡± the endpoint of the laser beam, a requirement difficult to meet in complex battlefield environments.


    Additionally, there¡¯s another issue: the Great Tang Empire¡¯s troops tend to use various smoke screens on the battlefield, which can obstruct similar laser beams... Therefore, future Great Tang Empire tactics may need some modifications.


    At present, the technological challenges are no longer the issue. The main problem with these new precision-guided bombs remains their high cost: the price of laser guidance devices remains exorbitantly high, requiring the Great Tang Group to advance manufacturing processes to reduce costs.


    Although it seems as though the Great Tang Empire is rapidly transitioning into the missile era, the immaturity of the technology means that reality doesn¡¯t quite live up to expectations.


    The highly anticipated ¡°Infrared Guided Combat Missile¡± project has stalled due to enemy aircraft emitting insufficient heat sources, preventing deployment. Initially advanced missiles have ended up relegated to warehouse stock as backup munitions.


    This was a typical case of progressing too quickly, where advanced weapons were rendered useless because the opposing forces didn¡¯t possess jet fighters, thus delaying air-to-air missile deployment...


    Due to insufficient numbers and technical limitations, the Beidou navigation system can only develop gradually. It currently has no way of providing navigation for weapons, though it holds promising prospects in civilian aviation.


    Laser-guided bombs remain expensive. While the Great Tang Empire has the money to procure a batch for outfitting A-6 attack aircraft, the problem lies in the fact that the A-6 attack planes are still on the production line. The aircraft carriers for launching A-6 attack planes are still in dry docks. No matter how fast they act, precision-guided bombs won¡¯t be operational anytime soon.


    Cruise missile development is hindered by immature turbofan engine technology and guidance system issues, preventing short-term deployment of these missiles.


    However, since Tang Mo himself is confident in this, production of missile components has already begun: this kind of time-saving maneuver is probably something only the Great Tang Group could pull off.


    The Air Force is most anxious about the ¡°Future Attack Aircraft¡± project. The outdated performance of the Stuka and Yir Attack Aircraft has left the search for replacements at a standstill, causing great distress for Air Force officials.


    Their requirements are simple: capable of carrying future advanced munitions, equipped with fierce aerial cannons for ground sweeps, and powered by jet engines...


    Essentially, these requirements are modeled after the Navy¡¯s A-6 attack aircraft, except for the inability to carry anti-ship missiles! Moreover, the Air Force has its own proud traditions, stubbornness, and persistence.


    That¡¯s right, they demand the new attack aircraft to possess close-air support capabilities: diving, firing, suppressing ground targets, sweeping everything... This is what Army generals demand of attack planes, believing it would boost Great Tang Empire Army morale.


    In terms of performance, Tang Mo actually has quite a few options: he could simply replicate the Q-5, although its tactical performance is decidedly unimpressive.


    It is essentially a fighter jet, with speeds too high to effectively suppress ground targets. Tang Mo is therefore more inclined toward two other renowned attack aircraft: the A-10 and SU-25 attack planes.


    Both aircraft have their qualities and appear to be excellent choices. Comparing their service times, SU-25 debuted a decade later than the A-10. However, as far as technical specifications are concerned... there¡¯s actually not much difference.


    Given that Army generals hope for an aircraft capable of diving to attack with cannons, delivering at least a visually morale-boosting spectacle, Tang Mo decided to give the A-10 attack aircraft a chance.


    The Warthog¡¯s 30-mm autocannon during ground-attack missions is utterly awe-inspiring. It could be called the perfect replacement for the Stuka dive bomber.


    Its heart-rending screams are replaced by the thunderous roar of the terrifying 30-mm autocannon, forcing enemies to live in perpetual terror.


    However, with the introduction of the A-10 attack aircraft, the Great Tang Air Force began to exhibit a somewhat inconsistent configuration: its fighter jets and bombers were Soviet-inspired models, yet its attack aircraft followed the United States¡¯ design philosophy.


    In terms of technology, 50s-60s-era J-6 and J-7 jets seem far older than the 70s-era Warthog A-10.


    Using J-6 jets and mass-produced J-7s to escort future Warthog attack aircraft... the setup certainly appears quite fantastical.


    In fact, another fantastical aspect is the Great Tang Empire Air Force using A-10 attack aircraft to cover Type 59 and Type 64 main battle tanks in assaults against enemies.


    Indeed, Great Tang Empire tank designers didn¡¯t see the Type 59 tank as the pinnacle of tank design. They¡¯ve begun exploring the incorporation of newer and more sophisticated technologies on tanks to make them appear more formidable.


    Lighthouse Country Air Force covering Soviet steel floodwaters¡ªthis could perhaps be considered the Great Tang Empire version of the ¡°Zhurihe Supremacy.¡±


    In conclusion, from the perspective of the Great Tang Group¡¯s technical research teams, who are gradually reaching Cold War-era levels of technological development, the shape of future warfare has already been completely reimagined.


    This is an era of US-Soviet Cold War competition, during which technological development speeds are unprecedented. Advanced weaponry will soon be widely deployed, and Great Tang Empire¡¯s tactical transformations will shock the world once again.


    ¡°The new project is called the Longsword? Sounds rather impressive.¡± Upon noticing the name on the blueprint, the two engineers showed interest in the moniker.


    After all, this weapon¡¯s name was far more appealing than something like ¡°Gem Road,¡± a laser-guided bomb name. Little did they know, the name of the future second-generation cruise missile would be even better: Longsword!


    ¡°Maximum flight speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour? Range of 1,500 kilometers? Good heavens! Comparable to the Dongfeng Missile?¡± Seeing the specific performance metrics of the missile, the two were blown away by the rapid advancement of technology.


    Both were professionals in the field, so they clearly understood how swiftly Tang Empire¡¯s missile technology had developed over the past two years: the earlier secret weapon, Dongfeng-3 missile, had a range of only around 2,000 kilometers; now, a cheaper missile could strike targets 1,500 kilometers away.


    Although they knew the two were inherently different kinds of weapons, with vastly different interception difficulties, still... this new missile was astonishingly affordable.


    When a weapon becomes cheap enough for mass production¡ªsay, purchasing 10,000 units at once¡ªits drawbacks essentially cease to matter! Its advantages are magnified infinitely, making it the brightest star on the battlefield!

 Chapter 1227: 1147 Expensive Visit

    Chapter 1227: 1147 Expensive Visit


    Sometimes admission tickets are quite cheap. For example, going to Disneyland or Universal Studios International, a ticket costs more than 600 to over 1,000 dollars. It seems expensive, but in reality, it¡¯s actually very cheap.


    Because compared to touring an aircraft carrier, that admission fee is extremely affordable: to board a Great Tang Empire aircraft carrier currently in service, the boarding standard is... a deposit of one billion dollars.


    Yes, one billion dollars as a deposit, plus a purchase contract worth 900 million dollars as the remaining payment. Only after the money is paid in full does a country qualify to send its delegation to board and tour a Great Tang Empire aircraft carrier.


    As long as a country has its own ports and coastlines, no one would want to miss such an opportunity. Many countries paid the fee and then quickly arranged for delegations to visit Linshui, where a Great Tang Empire aircraft carrier was docked for resupply.


    This aircraft carrier had only been launched slightly over three years ago. It was still quite new. It¡¯s truly colossal, with a full-load displacement exceeding 30,000 tons. It is, in the truest sense, a fleet carrier.


    It wasn¡¯t until they climbed the gangway that the members of the delegation from Dorne truly grasped the enormity of the aircraft carrier: its ship sides were much taller than those of a battleship, and the flight deck was so vast that it showcased the grandeur and might of this gigantic war machine.


    For this occasion, the aircraft carrier had been specially prepared, taking all attendees on a nearshore sailing tour.


    The escort fleet consisted of three destroyers. The entire formation was an awe-inspiring sight, giving visitors firsthand experience of what it means to witness the majesty of an aircraft carrier strike group.


    They were like hicks experiencing a grand tourist attraction for the first time, meticulously examining every detail of the aircraft carrier. Among the delegation were technical experts from various professional fields, intent on analyzing the design in hopes of reverse-engineering the Great Tang Empire¡¯s aircraft carriers back home.


    But the more they observed, the more alarmed they became. This aircraft carrier was like a floating city; every single detail was a masterpiece of modern industry. It was impossible for them to replicate such a complex project. Every component of the ship was filled with ingenious design.


    When they saw the Stuka Dive Bombers parked on the deck, their wings folded, they finally confirmed that the Great Tang Empire indeed incorporated foldable aircraft wings to maximize the number of planes onboard.


    However, even after physically inspecting the folding mechanisms on the carrier-based aircrafts¡¯ wings, they couldn¡¯t guarantee they¡¯d be able to create components of similar strength to allow their own country¡¯s planes to fold their wings.


    When they observed the elevators on the deck, it dawned on them that making elevators large enough could allow airplanes to use them! Previously, they had only considered complex crane systems. But now, after seeing the elevators, it all seemed so simple.


    Unfortunately, their excitement didn¡¯t last long. Relevant engineering experts quickly threw a bucket of cold water over their hopes: the elevator technology was equally intricate, and there was no guarantee they could replicate it back home.


    Then, the delegation saw the arresting wires at the rear of the carrier. That was the moment it struck everyone¡ªadding a hook to an aircraft¡¯s tail could solve the problem of landing on an aircraft carrier.


    But the issues were still manifold. The arresting wires weren¡¯t as simple as four ropes strung across the deck. Assuming so would be utterly naive.


    The bridge design, the planning of runways, the deployment of deck personnel¡ªthese details, while not decisive in determining whether an aircraft carrier could engage in combat, were vital in determining its operational efficiency.


    As a fleet carrier, it also featured various specialized compartments inside, such as a command center, a communications room, and meeting rooms for pilots. Each had a crucial role, and all of them were innovations not seen on previous warships.


    When they saw that the carrier also housed an entire level dedicated to a hangar equipped with maintenance facilities, capable of repairing and testing carrier-based aircraft, they were completely overwhelmed by the complexity of the aircraft carrier.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s advanced weaponry and equipment once again delivered endless surprises to its spectators. As in past visits, the delegates were both astonished and convinced that the tour¡¯s hefty price tag was truly worth it.


    At the port, the delegation also watched the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s aviation personnel demonstrate fighter jet operations and had the chance to eat a naval ¡°officer and soldier meal¡± aboard the aircraft carrier.


    To be honest, what they ate and whether they ate it was of little consequence. What mattered was seeing a Stuka lurching as it took off from the deck¡ªit was as if they were witnessing the gateway to a whole new world opening before their eyes.


    With the ocean breeze refreshing their spirits and the sight of carrier-based aircrafts taking off into the wind, every single delegate felt newfound confidence in the Navy¡¯s upcoming revolution.


    With an aircraft carrier, their battleships would have greater operational capability. With an aircraft carrier, their coastlines would be even safer.


    Admittedly, there was a slight regret¡ªthey hadn¡¯t had the chance to witness the Great Tang Empire¡¯s new naval weapon capable of launching long-range strikes that could severely damage battleships.


    The Styx Missile, a dangerous weapon even the Great Tang Empire struggled to counter, was, of course, not available for purchase. For the world¡¯s nations to acquire anti-ship missiles, they might have to wait until the Great Tang Empire perfected its Aegis destroyers.


    Furthermore, the visiting delegation missed many minor details on the carrier: the Fresnel optical landing aid system on both sides behind the flight deck was covered with tarpaulins, so the delegations didn¡¯t see the device during their tour.


    Later, when planes were taking off and landing, the visitors were positioned next to the bridge, so naturally, they couldn¡¯t see the system in action.


    These minor oversights would only affect the combat effectiveness of their own future carriers once they returned and began their mimicry projects... It didn¡¯t matter; at worst, it would just result in a few more dead pilots, a few more crashed planes, or a few more carrier repairs¡ªtrivial matters.


    Nevertheless, the demonstration of takeoff and landing by the naval aviation team gave the visiting delegation a glimpse of the future form of naval warfare. The extensive use of radar and radio navigation expanded the effective range of naval engagements to several hundred kilometers.


    In the Southern Island Naval Battle, apart from the standout performance of the Styx Anti-ship Missile, carrier-based aircraft fitted with bombs and torpedoes also played pivotal roles. The complete destruction of Mirage Country¡¯s main naval fleet was the best testament to the Great Tang Empire¡¯s carrier-based aviation forces.


    Thus, as they ate in the carrier¡¯s cafeteria, representatives from various countries began discussing related arms procurement discussions: it was obviously not enough to merely purchase aircraft carriers¡ªthey needed to also buy corresponding carrier-based aircraft.


    The atmosphere came to life. Some nations hoped to purchase WWII-era American carrier aircraft like the Dauntless. Others preferred Japanese models such as the Nakajima B5N or Aichi D3A dive bombers.


    There were countries interested in British carrier-based aircraft like the Seafire or Sea Hurricane, while others began negotiating for Pirate fighters and Stuka dive bombers from Tang Country...


    Notoriously infamous, the Zero fighter had few takers. However, it was relatively cheap and had an extended range, making it a viable choice for some.


    Additionally, the Great Tang Empire offered modification services, converting land aviation-designed planes into carrier-based aircraft to enable takeoff and landing on an aircraft carrier.


    Recently, the frequency at which countries were purchasing cutting-edge technologies from the Great Tang Group had significantly increased. The endless stream of advanced weapons and revolutionary technologies inevitably led to skyrocketing expenses worldwide.


    On one hand, countries purchased the Great Tang Empire¡¯s latest radar, missiles, and fighter jet technology. On the other hand, they also sought naval submarines, carriers, and carrier-based aircraft technologies.


    In civilian sectors, the brand-new commercial jet airliners drew much interest as well, and buying them was simply a natural step. In fact, many nations were hoping to use civilian airliner engines as a reference for designing advanced combat aircraft for their countries.


    Unfortunately, success was impossible as civilian airliner engines and military combat aircraft engines were fundamentally different, with barely any reference value.


    Moreover, there were also numerous dual-use technologies, such as those involving Huey Helicopters. These advanced innovations were highly valuable, and countries were keen to bring them in as well.


    The huge expenditure on such extensive technology importation was, as expected, financially burdensome. Even though many nations had earlier made significant profits through mercenary engagement, their spending outpaced their income.


    The Great Tang Empire, just by offering submarine technology, had nearly recouped the costs incurred from hiring troops to fight the internal war in Dahua. To afford subsequent technologies, countries had no choice but to resume large-scale bartering.


    Indeed, the primary way these nations purchased the Great Tang Empire¡¯s new technology and arms was by exporting massive quantities of unrefined ore.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s substantial importation of these unprocessed minerals was chiefly because Great Tang sought to extract the accompanying uranium within them.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s nuclear research program was entering its most critical stage, and having sufficient material supplies significantly impacted the success of future experiments.


    If the Great Tang Empire were less scrupulous, they could launch a few dirty bombs with Dongfeng-3 missiles at Northern Island right now. Who knows? The Goblins might eventually mutate into the Hulk someday.


    To settle debts, countries were forced to provide the Great Tang Empire with adequate quantities of ores and hard resources such as grains.


    And, to deliver these goods, they had no choice but to reorganize their industries: herding cattle, planting crops, mining minerals... all of these essential assets could, in critical moments, serve as currency.


    As days passed, the entire world began to change. The Great Tang Empire was transporting increasingly large quantities of supplies and personnel to New Island and South Island, leaving the timing for operations on Ben Island almost ripe.


    The Poplar Empire and the Ice Cold Empire continued their brutal standoff at Hotwind Port. Both sides suffered heavy losses but remained unable to gain the upper hand against each other. These two nations had already burned through nearly 500,000 troops here, yet the frontlines persisted in a relatively stagnant state.


    This war seemed to represent the current global standard for warfare¡ªa stalemate reminiscent of World War I trench battles.


    In contrast, on another nearly forgotten battlefield, the civil war in Dahua seemed to be moving toward a conclusion.

 Chapter 1228: Emperor who died of illness in 1148

    Chapter 1228: Emperor who died of illness in 1148


    ¡°Someone... someone... Why is there no one? Why...¡± A voice resembling a plea echoed within the vast and empty hall, but no response came. The room was so dim; due to the power outage, the ceiling lights had gone out.


    To prevent the risk of shell strikes, the windows were sealed shut with sandbags. The room was pitch-dark, with only faint glimmers of light piercing through the narrow gaps.


    Struggling to rise from the soft bed, Zhao Ji felt as though his body no longer belonged to him. His skin was covered in festering sores, making him look like a corpse.


    Previously, relying on medicine obtained from the Great Tang Empire, he barely managed to maintain a semblance of humanity. Now, as the medicine was almost entirely depleted and what remained had lost its efficacy, he resembled anything but human.


    Like a vengeful ghost, he writhed in his room. Using every ounce of strength he had left, he managed to sit upright on the filth-laden bed.


    Sitting up was his limit, as he truly had no energy left. His body ached unbearably; even uttering a single word felt excruciating.


    ¡°Someone! Someone!¡± He shouted furiously, yet his voice barely carried in the desolate room.


    Although this had once been a Lord¡¯s Mansion, it was not particularly spacious. Yet somehow, his cries elicited faint echoes¡ªlikely because no one was around.


    ¡°Where has everyone gone to die?¡± Zhao Ji¡¯s anger flared, but his shouts were drowned out by the rumbling of shells outside. The entire building seemed to tremble under the deafening bombardment, and he was all but at his wit¡¯s end.


    A woman cautiously stepped into the room, placing the basin in her hands onto the floor. She approached Zhao Ji and whispered, ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Seeing the maid who had followed him all the way from the Imperial Capital, Zhao Ji raised his hand to wipe away saliva from the corner of his mouth. Don¡¯t misunderstand¡ªhe simply could no longer control it.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Zhao Imperial Concubine?¡± With barely any strength in his voice, Zhao Ji inquired about the woman who had been his favorite ever since arriving in Caili.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Zhao Imperial Concubine has already passed away,¡± the maid answered morosely. ¡°A few days ago, you gifted her to the General guarding the city... Those men were too rough with her, and she stopped breathing by midnight after returning.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Zhao Ji thought for a long time but couldn¡¯t recall how or why he had sent his beloved concubine to others for their pleasure.


    His illness had eroded his memory; his mind was muddled, rendering him incapable of remembering the things he had done. His condition had deteriorated to the point where he couldn¡¯t even recall why he¡¯d ended up in Caili City.


    In his limited memory, he believed himself to be the Emperor of the Dahua Empire, someone who ought to enjoy the worship of thousands in the Imperial Capital.


    Yet now, he was alone, with not even a servant in sight¡ªonly a solitary maid to keep him company and talk to.


    ¡°What about Zhang Imperial Concubine?¡± After a few seconds¡¯ silence, Zhao Ji¡¯s nearly non-functional mind managed to recall another beauty.


    This Zhang Concubine had once been the wife of a merchant in Caili. Zhao Ji had spotted her during a city-wide hunt for women months earlier and claimed her for himself.


    The maid sighed and replied, ¡°Your Majesty, Zhang Imperial Concubine was executed by you half a month ago.¡±


    After being seized, she had spent her days weeping incessantly, which displeased Zhao Ji. Enraged, he ordered her death. As for the merchant, his entire family had been arrested and executed.


    Zhao Ji fell silent again, as though his mental ¡°CPU¡± had completely crashed. After a brief pause, his short-circuited mind finally shifted away from women: ¡°Where is General Li Mingshun now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± The maid¡¯s tone turned uncertain as she replied. After all, she was merely a maid¡ªunlikely to know the whereabouts of Li Mingshun, who was supposed to be stationed at the outskirts of Caili City.


    In reality, just a day earlier, Li Mingshun¡ªwho was meant to lead 30,000 elite troops in holding the lines outside Caili¡ªhad surrendered to Zhao Yu¡¯s forces.


    The arrangements had been coordinated in advance, making the surrender process surprisingly seamless. It wasn¡¯t until this morning that other defenders realized their commanding General had vanished.


    Li Mingshun¡¯s sudden defection plunged the city into chaos. Consequently, Zhao Ji found himself... utterly abandoned, without even a single guard at his side.


    They had fled! Some escaped the Lord¡¯s Mansion amidst the turmoil, while others looted gold and jewels from the treasury alongside the unruly soldiers. Everyone was busy, except for the dying Emperor, left alone with only a title to his name.


    ¡°Outside... outside... cough, cough, cough!¡± Zhao Ji attempted to ask about the situation outside, but was overcome by a coughing fit mid-sentence. His body had deteriorated so much that even he knew death was closing in.


    ¡°It¡¯s chaos out there¡ªsoldiers are stealing things, tanks are parked in the streets... cannon fire is everywhere. Rumors say the bandit soldiers have already entered the city,¡± the maid replied with surprising composure.


    Upon hearing that Zhao Yu¡¯s forces had breached the city, Zhao Ji began to cough violently once more. A sudden metallic taste filled his mouth, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Staring at the crimson stain spreading across his blanket, Zhao Ji froze for a moment. When he realized it was his own blood, his weakened body abruptly collapsed onto the bed.


    He gazed at the ceiling, unsure what to say to the maid beside him. Then, out of nowhere, he began to laugh¡ªa laugh tinged with delirium, as though remembering something amusing.


    Between fits of laughter, he coughed up blood that trickled down the corners of his mouth, seeping into the pillow and staining it red.


    The maid moved closer to the bed, gazing upon the Emperor of the Dahua Empire with a look of pity. She remained silent, as though waiting for something.


    Having been raised to serve the Royal Family, she felt it was her duty to oversee the Emperor¡¯s final moments, accompanying him through the absurdity of his life¡¯s end.


    ¡°The enemy is in the city! They¡¯ve broken in!¡± A distant cry of despair pierced the chaos, as the sound of gunfire grew louder and cannon blasts shook the crumbling Empire.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! We surrender! We surrender!¡± A voice, cracking with sobs, shouted out in immediate proximity¡ªit seemed the enemy had drawn closer.


    Not long afterward, the room¡¯s door was violently kicked open. With the creak of wood and hinges, a group of heavily armed soldiers stormed inside.


    Each soldier wore an M35 Steel Helmet, a telltale sign that they belonged to Zhao Yu¡¯s forces¡ªor rather, what now constituted the official forces of Dahua.


    The leading officer¡¯s eyes immediately fell on the maid standing by the window. He motioned for his men to quiet down and stepped forward, pistol in hand, toward the bed.


    The stench of decay assaulted his senses, prompting him to instinctively cover his nose. Before him lay a corpse, pale and emaciated, its face marred with bloody sores. The rancid smell filled the room, akin to rotting fish and putrid meat piled high.


    ¡°Is this Zhao Ji?¡± The officer forced himself to speak, suppressing his disgust for the sake of his career.


    ¡°Yes, this is Emperor Zhao Ji of the Dahua Empire...¡± The maid sighed as she gazed at the lifeless body on the bed.


    The officer had no interest in correcting her phrasing. Instead, he signaled his men to collect the remains. As soon as they lifted the blanket, several soldiers doubled over, retching uncontrollably.


    In the end, they had to wrap Zhao Ji¡¯s body in a bedsheet. Procuring a stretcher, they managed¡ªthough barely¡ªto remove the foul-smelling corpse from the room.


    Thus, Zhao Ji, the dethroned Crown Prince of Dahua who had contested the throne against Zhao Yu for two years, succumbed to illness on his bed, mere moments before his capture.


    His life could hardly be considered a success; at its twilight, it was marked by unparalleled excess and indulgence. In the months leading up to his demise, he committed a series of outrageous acts that left him with a tainted reputation in history.


    Due to Zhao Yu¡¯s triumph, Zhao Ji was denied even the dignity of a posthumous title. Zhao Yu outright rejected Zhao Ji¡¯s legitimacy, ensuring that official records would forever label him as nothing more than a deposed Crown Prince.


    On the same day Zhao Ji died in Caili, Zhao Jie¡¯s forces secured their incursion into Shu Country, establishing contact with Qin Country. Meanwhile, Li Mingshun¡ªwhom Zhao Ji had desperately tried to win over¡ªultimately chose loyalty to Zhao Yu.


    After all, Zhao Jie and Li Mingshun¡¯s battle in the Imperial Capital had left a psychological scar on Li Mingshun. Unable to admit his decision there was wrong, he chose allegiance to Zhao Yu¡ªa less troubling option for him personally.


    With Li Mingshun¡¯s capitulation, Zhao Yu easily took control of Caili, shifting Dahua¡¯s chaotic civil war from a three-way struggle into a war for Northern-Southern supremacy. Zhao Yu, commanding the North¡¯s population and resources, faced off against Zhao Jie, who controlled the Southern Region.


    Three days later, Qin Country¡¯s forces entered the Shu capital, Kangrao. Kangrao¡¯s defenders surrendered without a fight, laying down their arms. Their capitulation preserved Kangrao¡¯s integrity as well as the hundreds of factories located nearby.


    Qin Country¡¯s army upheld its promises, refraining from harming Shu¡¯s civilians or merchants. Upon occupying Kangrao, they conducted themselves with remarkable discipline, avoiding pillage or destruction altogether.


    The occupation of Kangrao marked the final collapse of Shu Country, a state that had existed for centuries. Strangely enough, even as Shu fell, its key leader Liu Jing never resurfaced.


    Liu Jing disappeared, last seen in his office. After that, the Shu leader vanished without a trace¡ªneither alive nor dead.


    Curiously, neither Qin Country nor the Great Tang Empire showed any interest in tracking Liu Jing. It was as if no one cared if he was still alive.


    With Shu Country under its control, Emperor Qin Ying Duo solidified his reign, becoming a bona fide monarch¡ªhis Qin Kingdom now vast enough to truly be called an Empire.

 Chapter 1229: 1149 speedboats launch attack

    Chapter 1229: 1149 speedboats launch attack


    In Shen Haiping¡¯s command center, many officers were still busy. Even though the main fleet of the Shen Navy had been completely annihilated, the supporting officer system still remained, resulting in quite a few idle people.


    Besides a few old destroyers hidden on the Northern Island, the Shen Navy now only had a few hundred suicide boats to bring out.


    Due to a lack of sailors, half of these boats were filled with army officers drafted in for the numbers. At least they had some education, which made training them a bit easier.


    Their downside was their unfamiliarity with naval technical equipment, thus lacking finesse in maneuvering the boats. However, an advantage was obvious: they were selected from the military, their determination for a suicidal mission was strong.


    Some who were easier to train were coastal fishermen, who were very familiar with steering boats, making training quick. However, they lacked fighting spirit, with many fearful of ¡°suicidal attacks¡± and reluctant to pilot boats crashing into enemy ships.


    The navy could only mix these two types of people, supervising and learning from each other to ensure the suicide boats could resolutely carry out their suicidal missions.


    As time went by, the Shen Navy was actually beginning to improve their suicide boats based on battlefield conditions.


    They discovered that simply increasing the number of suicide boats with inferior boats didn¡¯t yield good results.


    In a recent raid operation, Shen Haiping deployed 30 boats attempting to attack the Tang destroyers shelling near Shen Capital, but only one boat exploded within ten meters of a Tang destroyer, scoring a minor damaging hit.


    The remaining boats were sunk by Tang artillery, and most couldn¡¯t even get within 500 meters.


    Thus, seeking to rekindle some naval pride, Shen Haiping began attempting to equip the boats with searchlights, machine guns, and other weapons and equipment.


    The searchlights were intended to provide a bit of night search capability for these boats, enabling night attacks. Despite poor experiments, Shen Haiping managed to equip many boats with searchlights.


    Meanwhile, mounting a machine gun could be crucial to disrupt Tang intercepting fire at critical moments, which seemed necessary.


    So, the Shen Navy brought out some anti-aircraft machine guns from warship stores and mounted them on the boats, giving them a degree of firepower.


    Sometimes, people are inclined to inch forward: after equipping boats with machine guns, they then eyed cannons from storage.


    All naval anti-aircraft guns had been transferred to land, so there were none left in naval stores. However, while the navy had none, the air force did...


    Zero Fighters had reduced production due to bombing and engine capacity shortage, but cannon and fuselage production still had surplus. Instead of leaving them idle waiting for engine capacity, they figured it better to weld bases onto boats for makeshift use.


    At this point, many of Mirage Country¡¯s suicide boats were virtually the same as torpedo boats, minus the torpedoes.


    What depressed Shen Haiping was that while the whole world sympathized with the Shen Army being crushed by the Tang Army, almost none were willing to help Shen Country.


    Nobody was willing to covertly provide their purchased torpedo technology to support Mirage Country¡¯s great war of defense...


    So, Shen¡¯s torpedo boats couldn¡¯t appear anytime soon; they could only rely on suicide boats armed with various weapons.


    Thus, within the command center of Admiral Shen Haiping, the system once set for directing the main fleet now worked to direct these boats. To outsiders unaware of the Shen Navy¡¯s current situation, it might appear quite formal.


    Just as Shen Haiping grew increasingly confident in the expanding boat fleet, an officer reported the latest intelligence: ¡°Report, a coastal observation post has spotted two destroyers! They¡¯re sailing along the coastline, seemingly provoking us.¡±


    ¡°Provoking?¡± Shen Haiping was slightly taken aback. Recently, Tang destroyers only appeared offshore, mostly luring Shen Air Force¡¯s suicidal planes to their doom, rarely venturing close to shore.


    This time, their close approach was obviously intentional, which led Shen Haiping to consider provocation as a possibility right away.


    The intelligence officer immediately lowered his head and stated, ¡°Yes, ever since we damaged one of their destroyers last time, they haven¡¯t sent ships this close for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s their destination?¡± Shen Haiping raised his head, looking at the nautical chart of Mirage Country and its surrounding area on the wall.


    The officer walked to the chart, gestured at the approximate position of the Tang destroyers, and then traced their route along the shoreline: ¡°If they don¡¯t change their course, they¡¯ll soon be near Shen Capital and could shell the port!¡±


    ¡°Are they covered by aircraft?¡± When Shen Haiping asked this, he was actually considering whether the air force could deploy planes to track the destroyers, allowing his boat fleet to surround and attack them.


    His subordinates understood his implication and shook their heads, giving an uncertain response: ¡°Not sure! Their planes can fly very high, ambushing above the clouds! Radar shows no enemy aircraft nearby... but we can¡¯t be sure.¡±


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s fighter jets were incredibly fast; if launched from New Island or South Island, they could reach the battlefield in about 20 minutes.


    This had happened many times. Each time Shen¡¯s Zero Fighters arrived, the Tang planes would soon strike, resulting in losses for Shen, losing both planes and pilots.


    Struck by the Great Tang Air Force¡¯s 30mm cannons, Shen pilots rarely had a chance to parachute. Losing such valuable pilots, even Shen encouraging suicidal attacks couldn¡¯t afford the loss.


    In fact, the Tang Empire¡¯s destroyers frequent the coastline near Ben Island now, usually acting as bait, luring Shen¡¯s suicide planes.


    The Tang army wished to consume more of Shen¡¯s suicide planes before the next landing to reduce landing operation risks.


    Whenever Tang warships appeared, Tang Country¡¯s fighter jets or Butcher Fighters often lurked nearby, easily downing Shen¡¯s Zero Fighters. After several such losses, Shen barely bothered to launch suicidal planes for pointless sacrifices.


    ¡°Should the port be notified to dispatch the boats?¡± the officer consulted Shen Haiping¡¯s opinion.


    Shen Haiping rubbed his chin, pondering. Dispatching the boats now matched their tactics; they preferred daytime combat over the Tang Army.


    In the vast ocean, locating a destroyer wasn¡¯t easy. If the enemy enacted strict light control, Shen¡¯s suicide boats would struggle to find targets at night.


    If a destroyer wished to escape by day, it could easily hide its tracks. At night, even more so.


    Unless a specific area like Tang¡¯s landing site was involved, it was unlikely the suicide boats would hit targets.


    The first successful attack by suicide boats was due to their aim to raid the landing site, intercepted by Tang guard destroyers, not finding the destroyers themselves.


    They sank the Tang destroyer the second time because it got close to Shen Capital, Tang destroyers moved during the day, followed by Shen¡¯s aircraft guiding their suicide boats, encircling and attacking, scoring a victory.


    Thus, while night raids seemed advantageous, in practice, due to the difficulty in finding targets, Shen¡¯s suicide boats often attacked Tang destroyers more frequently in the daytime.


    This time, the Tang destroyers neared the coastline, detected immediately by observation posts placed by Shen along the shore.


    To Shen, this was indeed a provocative move: twenty days ago, the Tang Army had just lost a destroyer, and seven or eight days go, another was damaged nearby.


    Though Shen lost more than a dozen suicide boats, they felt they gained something from the losses.


    This time, the Tang destroyers returned again, obviously still unlearned, displaying a defiant attitude towards Shen¡¯s suicidal attacks.


    ¡°Deploy the 13th team! If the enemy changes course, fall back!¡± Ultimately, Shen Haiping issued the order for action.


    Despite uncertainty over the Tang Army¡¯s intentions, allowing two destroyers to harass the coastline easily left no explanation for the Shen Emperor.


    Furthermore, Shen didn¡¯t mind the loss of a few boats: losing a few hundred men and over a dozen boats was nothing compared to losing the main fleet already.


    He indeed took caution: he didn¡¯t deploy the first ten teams; the earlier boat units were more professional and loyal, with greater battle efficiency compared to those behind.


    By sending the later-numbered 13th team, any losses wouldn¡¯t matter, it would also train novices. Hence, Shen Haiping chose the 13th team.


    ¡°Yes!¡± The officer immediately went to the phone, picked up the handset, and connected to the 13th team, issuing the deployment order.


    Soon, receiving a series of reports from coastal defense posts, confirming the Tang fleet¡¯s course coordinates, the 13th team¡¯s commander released 20 various-sized boats to charge at the two Tang destroyers.


    Meanwhile, the two Tang destroyers maintained their course, swiftly advancing along the shoreline.

 Chapter 1230: 1150 naval gun roaring

    Chapter 1230: 1150 naval gun roaring


    This is indeed bait, or rather, an experiment!


    The Tang Army modified a destroyer to test the effectiveness of a new weapon. That¡¯s why these two destroyers were so blatantly advancing along the coast of the Mirage Country¡¯s Ben Island.


    To support this operation, the Great Tang Empire deployed over 30 fighter jets to escort the two destroyers: some hid behind the clouds, while others patrolled the skies above New Island.


    In fact, these aircraft were primarily prepared to guard against suicide planes from the Mirage Country because the targets on the sea... were the subjects of this experiment.


    Indeed, the Tang Army, after losing a destroyer in the New Island naval battle, came up with a countermeasure against suicide speedboats. The answer was the Oto Melara 76mm fully automatic naval gun!


    Compared to the 127mm naval guns mounted on Great Tang Empire Navy destroyers, the Oto 76mm fully automatic naval gun boasts an astonishing firing rate of 120 rounds per minute. This system is entirely mechanically automated, requiring no manual loading.


    Thanks to its high firing rate and the ability to integrate with radar fire-control systems, the new naval gun can hit moving targets even at night or under low-visibility conditions.


    Frankly, the original design of this medium-caliber naval gun was for targeting fast, small objectives like aircraft, making it even more effective against speedboats.


    On one hand, radar fire-control provided it with greater precision; on the other, the fully automated high rate of fire allowed it to fill in any gaps in coverage.


    To accommodate this cutting-edge gun, the test destroyer even had its front and rear 127mm naval guns removed to give the two 76mm naval guns the best firing arcs.


    At this moment, the soldiers stationed at the Mirage Country¡¯s coastal observation posts had yet to notice anything special about the Tang Country destroyer.


    They had not spotted the two rounded special turrets at the front and rear of the destroyer behind, nor had they detected the unique fire-control radar under the fore and aft masts of the ship.


    The captains of the Mirage Country¡¯s speedboats also remained unaware of their upgraded adversary. By now, they had lined up across the sea, speeding directly toward the Tang Army¡¯s warship formation.


    Due to their extreme speed, the bows of these speedboats were tilted high, slicing through the waves and sending white spray to either side.


    On some of the speedboats, goblin soldiers manning machine guns were already in position, prepared to sacrifice their lives to teach these distant-arriving Tang people a harsh lesson.


    ¡°Target spotted ahead!¡± In the radar room of the forward Tang Army destroyer, the radar operator had already noticed a blip on the screen and loudly reported it to the captain.


    Standing on the bridge, the captain looked at the helmsman and gave the order: ¡°Slow down! Get Beiyuan-18 into position!¡±


    The older Beiyuan-18 destroyer was chosen for this test modification since it lacked both anti-ship missiles and anti-air missiles, leaving ample internal space.


    Another reason was that on the second day after the outbreak of the New Island naval battle, Beiyuan-18 happened to be patrolling near Dragon Island, a conveniently accessible location for immediate retrofitting...


    Inside the bridge of Beiyuan-18, the captain was issuing the order to overtake. He intended to move to the forefront of the fleet and use the new naval guns to intercept the enemy.


    If the new guns performed well, this battle would spell the end of the Mirage Country¡¯s suicide speedboats. If they didn¡¯t... they would just have to hope for Beiyuan-40 behind them to come to their rescue.


    ¡°Report radar status!¡± The captain, a bit uneasy, turned to his executive officer. After confirming the status with the weapons officer, the executive officer loudly responded, ¡°Fire-control radar is fully operational!¡±


    ¡°Target is 22 kilometers away! Approaching at high speed!¡± The radar operator loudly confirmed the distance, ratcheting up the tension on the bridge.


    ¡°Right rudder! Adjust heading, due east... 75 degrees!¡± The captain raised his binoculars and issued a steering command at the same time: ¡°Speed to 35 knots!¡±


    ¡°Right rudder! Due east 75 degrees! Maintain speed!¡± The helmsman spun the wheel, sending the agile destroyer into a swift curve, leaving an arcing white trail over the sea.


    As the waves surged, the destroyer¡¯s bow rose and fell continuously. Its speed was now enough to quickly align its broadside toward the approaching enemy.


    The aft 76mm fully automatic naval gun also achieved a firing angle. Powered up, its dark barrel now pointed in the direction of the enemy.


    ¡°Aiming complete!¡± The weapons officer, hands clasped behind his back, reported to the captain that they were ready for combat.


    On deck, sailors wearing life vests and steel helmets were already in position, operating the Bofors anti-aircraft guns and leveling their barrels at the enemy along the coastline.


    Everyone was primed for action, waiting for the moment when the enemy speedboats appeared. But just as the sailors were holding their breath, the two automatic guns at the bow and stern suddenly fired.


    ¡°Boom! Boom!¡± The slender barrels spewed smoke and fire. Normally, Tang Country destroyers wouldn¡¯t open fire on agile speedboats at this range.


    However... the incredible firing rate of these two automatic guns was astounding! Ahead, the water erupted into plumes that formed a wall-like barrier on the sea¡¯s surface.


    Amid the water columns, a massive explosion suddenly rocked the sea, startling everyone.


    ¡°Direct hit!¡± The lookout atop the mast shouted excitedly. Through his binoculars, he had clearly seen one of the Mirage Army¡¯s speedboats explode upon being struck.


    The destructive power of a 76mm naval shell was evidently much greater than that of a Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun.


    With a single strike, the shell directly penetrated the opposing steel plating and ignited the ammunition carried inside the speedboat.


    The Mirage Army¡¯s speedboat division had yet to grasp the gravity of the situation. They continued to approach, intent on reaching close range to execute their ¡°attack.¡±


    Unfortunately, only a few seconds later, another speedboat was hit at a significant distance. The resulting explosion launched a massive water column, forcing nearby Mirage speedboats to scatter for safety.


    ¡°Boom! Boom-boom!¡± Almost without pause, the two 76mm caliber main guns on the Tang Country destroyer roared to life, spitting fire relentlessly.


    Beneath the deck, the circular rotating loading system¡ªpacked with shells¡ªkept spinning as mechanical arms fed shell after shell into the gun chambers with seamless efficiency.


    The design of this naval gun, adopted by over 50 countries, was nothing short of classic. Its effectiveness was unparalleled, and that was precisely why it had been chosen for use by so many nations.


    Italy, the developer of this naval gun, even fitted it on its warships wherever space allowed¡ªtestament to their fondness for this weapon.


    Amid the cheers of the Tang Country Navy sailors, yet another Mirage speedboat was hit and obliterated. By this point, not a single Mirage speedboat had gotten close enough to even give the Tang Army¡¯s Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns a chance to fire.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped: the distance was simply too great, and the Bofors gun crews didn¡¯t want to waste their ammunition.


    Carrying the Bofors gun¡¯s magazines was exhausting work. Saving the loaders¡¯ energy until their turn to fire was undoubtedly the wiser choice.


    Leave everything... to the two roaring guns at the bow and stern. Their terrifying rate of fire was almost on par with the 40mm Bofors guns.


    Unfortunately, the Bofors guns could only engage targets at a range of about 5 kilometers, with a maximum effective range of just 7 kilometers. At that distance, a swarm of suicide speedboats could still pose significant trouble for Tang Country destroyers.


    But the Oto 76mm naval gun was different¡ªit could effortlessly fire at targets 10 kilometers away, creating a seamless firepower network when paired with the 40mm Bofors guns.


    As for the 127mm naval guns... their slower firing rate made them less effective against a multitude of small speedboats compared to the 76mm naval guns.


    ¡°This thing is terrifying!¡± exclaimed the captain of Beiyuan-40 on the bridge, watching the two fully automatic guns on Beiyuan-18 unleash their relentless firepower, clearly shaken.


    Truth be told, his warship was still equipped with 127mm naval guns, but he wouldn¡¯t bet on winning in a gunnery duel against Beiyuan-18 armed with the 76mm automatic guns.


    The opponent¡¯s firing rate was fearsome, and the amount of ordnance it could unleash rivaled his 127mm guns. What the captain didn¡¯t know was that the Great Tang Group had not only developed the 76mm fully automatic naval gun but had also created a new 127mm naval gun!


    However, the new guns were to be paired exclusively with newly commissioned missile destroyers. Older Beiyuan-class destroyers wouldn¡¯t have the privilege of extensive upgrades.


    ¡°Boom! Boom!¡± As the Beiyuan-40 destroyer captain made his remarks, the two Oto naval guns on Beiyuan-18 continued to fire without pause.


    Shells rained down on the sea, colliding with the Mirage suicide speedboats struggling to advance, igniting dazzling explosions in their wake.


    Explosions echoed one after another, water columns surged skyward, and the Mirage speedboat fleet finally began to collapse. The crew piloting these boats had never been suicidal fanatics; their initial courage evaporated as their comrades¡¯ speedboats were blasted to smithereens one after another.


    ¡°Turn around! Now!¡± screamed a Mirage speedboat captain, his voice hoarse. He saw no hope of mutual destruction with the enemy. In his eyes, everything he was doing now amounted to throwing life away for nothing.


    Self-sacrifice alongside the enemy was one thing. Throwing away your life pointlessly was another. Those terrifying naval guns continued to bear down on them mercilessly. The shells struck with unerring precision, and he saw no hope of closing in on the enemy ship!


    ¡°Boom!¡± As he shouted, a shell struck the side of his speedboat. The explosives onboard caused a catastrophic detonation, obliterating the speedboat in an instant.

 Chapter 1231: 1151 Ben Island Landing Battle

    Chapter 1231: 1151 Ben Island Landing Battle


    Shen Haiping sat in his seat, listening to the desperate cries of the suicide boat captain coming through the radio. The voice was mixed with cannon fire, indicating a fierce battle.


    He remained silent, just listening there, as the officers in the command center also remained silent, listening to the terrified screams of the front-line captain from the speakers.


    Over the radio, a captain shouted into the microphone with sobs in his voice, ¡°They¡¯ve deployed a new type of artillery! It¡¯s terrifying! They¡¯re so accurate!¡±


    No one could imagine what kind of weapon this new artillery was, and it would take some time for the observation posts along the coastline to deliver the organized information.


    But they all knew that this time, the enemy was approaching to provoke, to tell the Mirage Country Navy: your suicide boats are no longer effective.


    No one spoke, only the cries coming through the loudspeakers: ¡°The captain¡¯s boat has been hit! Help, they¡¯re firing at us... Ah!¡±


    Previously, there were reports of certain boats being sunk, but now nothing similar could be heard, as the whole suicide boat unit was in chaos; there were only cries and no one could calmly report the battle conditions.


    In fact, the situation no longer needed reporting: everyone could tell that the boats were being sunk one after another, and no miracles were happening.


    After a slight electric interference noise ended, another terrifying scream came: ¡°The enemy¡¯s artillery is very fierce, we can¡¯t get close to them! Requesting retreat! Requesting retreat!¡±


    ¡°Help! Help!¡± Immediately followed by the desperate cries from sailors on another boat, which made every officer in the command room tremble with fear.


    The captain of yet another boat reported the battle situation, confirming to the officers in the command room that this suicide attack had failed: ¡°No boats got close to the enemy ship! We didn¡¯t manage to ram it... We¡¯re all wiped out...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re done... Done!¡± After the last boat¡¯s captain shouted this, the radio fell silent.


    Only the faint electric sound lingered in the speaker, and the command room was as silent as a grave. Everyone was looking at Shen Haiping, who sat motionless, and the atmosphere was stifling.


    The suicide boat tactic they had relied on so many times seemed to have failed: the Tang Country¡¯s destroyers were equipped with a new type of weapon capable of effectively intercepting these suicide boats.


    The Mirage Country could no longer prevent the enemy¡¯s landing operations, and the Navy¡¯s last fig leaf was torn away by the Tang Country Navy.


    All the officers present looked at Shen Haiping, yet he did nothing. After a long while, he slowly raised his head and said, ¡°What¡¯s there to fear? We can still fight at night!¡±


    What he meant by night battle was actually to take advantage of the Tang Empire Navy Fleet being bogged down near the landing sites on Ben Island. In that case, the Mirage Country¡¯s suicide boat unit could have a chance to attack and could launch strikes at night.


    With the cover of darkness, the warships of the Tang Army might not be able to sink these suicide boats so accurately; they still had a chance.


    Some of the Mirage Country¡¯s officers breathed a sigh of relief, thinking Shen Haiping might have a point, while others remained worried, lost in thought.


    Three days later, the news that two of the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s aircraft carriers had left Linshui Port was delivered to the Mirage Country Navy Headquarters.


    Meanwhile, unknown to the Mirage Country Navy, a large fleet had set sail from Dragon Island heading north. This fleet included three modified Beiyuan-class destroyers equipped with OTO naval guns.


    The next morning, a convoy of about 50 transport ships set sail from Beiyuan Port, carrying 60,000 fully armed Orc infantry.


    Subsequently, an oil transportation fleet escorted by 20 destroyers set sail from Nanshan Port, heading towards South Island.


    Nearly a thousand various types of transport and warships were converging on South Island, and a massive landing operation was about to begin.


    Within the Mirage Country Navy Headquarters, where the atmosphere had been rather bleak these days, Shen Haiping felt the pressure of an impending great battle. He stood in front of the map, staring at the marked possible positions of the enemy fleets, his face gloomy to the extreme.


    The news coming from various channels wasn¡¯t good: the Great Tang Empire was gathering its fleets, just like the previous times. But this time, Shen Haiping was without a fleet, and the effectiveness of the suicide boat unit was no longer guaranteed.


    All he could do now was hide his strength and wait for the night of the Tang Army¡¯s landing to launch a desperate counterattack with all the boats he had.


    According to his order, the only two remaining usable destroyers stationed on Northern Island were also preparing to head south; they were to cover the suicide boats on the night of the decisive battle, attracting as much enemy fire as possible.


    If these two warships weren¡¯t sunk, they would retreat to Shen Capital Port the next morning, where they would be grounded on the front beach to serve as gun emplacements.


    In this upcoming sea battle, the Mirage Country Navy was throwing in all its resources, leaving nothing for itself.


    What made Shen Haiping uneasy were some intelligence reports obtained by the Mirage Country Army during prior combat meetings: there were numerous signs indicating that the Tang Army might receive reinforcement from Orc troops this time.


    First, near Beiyuan City, Tang Army transport ships were seen leaving the port full of Orc troops. This was witnessed by many, and there was no denying it.


    Moreover, there were already large numbers of Orc units on New Island and South Island, which was no secret to the Mirage Country side either.


    This effectively meant that an entire Orc Corps was being added to the 9th Group Army of the Tang Army, making their forces likely exceed 300,000 troops!


    For the Mirage Country side, this certainly wasn¡¯t good news. They still had the will to fight against a smaller Tang Army, but with the addition of tens of thousands of Orc cannon fodder, it was a different story.


    ¡°General! Just confirmed news, the Tang Army fleet stationed at New Island Port has approached Ben Island and shelled our dummy defense line along the coast... A total of 5 destroyers.¡± An officer reported the recent events to Shen Haiping, standing behind him.


    The Tang Army had begun clearing coastal obstacles, and this was surely not a good sign! Their fleets were gathering, and the landing forces were already on their way.


    ¡°Deploy all remaining mines... in the shelling area!¡± Shen Haiping exhaled and ordered.


    The Mirage Country¡¯s production capacity was actually quite low; the number of mines produced during the war wasn¡¯t very large, and they didn¡¯t know where best to deploy them.


    Previously, they would place the limited mines near the ports, but they found their ports were usually surrounded and captured from the land, making sea assaults by the Tang Army highly unlikely.


    Later, they tried deploying mines near potential landing sites chosen by the Tang Army but repeatedly guessed wrong, wasting many mines.


    Now the factory had been bombed, nearly crippling mine production, leaving only a handful of mines in Shen Haiping¡¯s hands, which couldn¡¯t change the situation.


    Still, they had to be used, so Shen Haiping planned to try once more, hoping to sink a few of the Tang Country¡¯s ships, making the most out of what little they had.


    At the same moment Shen Haiping prepared to lay mines, the Tang Army launched 5 Scud ballistic missiles in one go, continuing their attack on Shen Capital.


    The Mirage Country civilians once again played a deadly game, and an hour later, Tang Army bombers, hitherto committed to bombing factories, cities, and ports, suddenly shifted their targets to attack the Mirage Country¡¯s radar stations and airports.


    Caught off guard, 4 main airports in Mirage Country were paralyzed, with runways full of craters, and over a hundred planes were destroyed, rendering their Air Force nearly combat-ineffective in an instant.


    In the following two days, Tang Country bombers continued their relentless attempts to destroy the Mirage Country¡¯s airport runways, bombing constantly as if they had endless ammunition.


    The H-6 bombers ignored the Mirage Country¡¯s anti-aircraft gun defenses, as cluster munitions rained down across entire areas, destroying forests, roads, and the hidden airfields, with smoke billowing everywhere and wildfires raging.


    Anyway, this would become the Orcs¡¯ land in the future, so it didn¡¯t matter what condition it was left in. Therefore, the Tang Army¡¯s bombing was wanton, unconcerned about the possibility of their munitions malfunctioning.


    The Flying Fortress bombers traveled in neat formations at altitudes of over ten thousand meters, unbothered by the Mirage Army¡¯s anti-aircraft guns.


    They dropped their bombs leisurely, indifferent to where the wind might carry them. In any case, they paid no mind to bombing accuracy¡ªjust dropping bombs over the target area was sufficient.


    As for the extent of the damage... that wasn¡¯t important! If one or two bombs hit the target, their mission was accomplished.


    The continuous day-and-night bombing paralyzed the Mirage Country¡¯s Air Force, preventing any aircraft from taking off during the days when the Tang Army¡¯s fleet was assembling.


    When the Tang Country warships reappeared near the coastline of the Mirage Country¡¯s Ben Island, the observation posts of the Mirage Country nearly dropped their binoculars in shock.


    Countless warships appeared on the horizon, followed by dozens of minesweepers clearing the already scarce mines, creating a landing area over ten kilometers long by that morning.


    Countless landing boats lined up on the sea, loaded with Orc soldiers transported from New Island and South Island, approaching the coastline of the Mirage Country¡¯s Ben Island.


    Naval guns roared minutes later, instantly sending up countless smoke plumes along the coast. In the skies, Pirate Fighters and Stuka Dive Bombers circled like vultures.


    On September 1st, the long-delayed Orc landing on Ben Island finally commenced, as Orc soldiers wearing M35 Steel Helmets set foot on what they claimed as their land.

 Chapter 1232: Battle of the Three Wins of 1152

    Chapter 1232: Battle of the Three Wins of 1152


    This time, the beach did not erupt in smoke. Such an arrangement was made to ensure the precision of artillery and attack aircraft support, which starkly differed from the Tang Empire troops¡¯ landing tactics.


    After all, nearly all intelligence indicated that the Mirage Country¡¯s main forces had abandoned the defenses near the beach, so smoke bombs weren¡¯t used to obscure the enemy¡¯s view.


    One landing craft after another lowered their ramps, and Orc soldiers charged out, shouting as they scrambled to spread their formations quickly along the beach.


    As the intelligence reports almost precisely predicted, the Mirage Army¡¯s resistance was minimal. Apart from limited counterattacks carried out by soldiers from a few observation posts, most Orc landing forces encountered no resistance at all.


    Soon, dense swarms of Orc soldiers filled the beach. Even they were surprised at how unexpectedly smooth their landing was.


    Previously, Orc officers who had observed the landing operation at South Island had described such operations as terrifying. They spoke of heavy Tang Army casualties and how formidable the enemy was...


    But now, they hadn¡¯t even caught a glimpse of the enemy. The only adversary seemed to be the sand seeping into their boots, which left the landed Orc soldiers in discomfort.


    ¡°Looks like they really abandoned the beach,¡± Shan Lu remarked from the deck of his warship in the distance, watching his troops successfully land. He addressed Lu Qianshan, the human general standing beside him.


    Lu Qianshan lowered his binoculars, smiling as he replied to Shan Lu, ¡°A smooth landing is a good thing, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that simple! Your troops are right in the enemy artillery¡¯s range... If things go south, there could be heavy casualties.¡±


    ¡°Any cost... is worth it.¡± Shan Lu¡¯s face grew grim upon hearing Lu Qianshan¡¯s analysis. Those enemy artillery positions hidden in the inland mountains and forests were just as challenging as Lu predicted.


    Most were outside the range of naval guns. Their concealment was excellent due to the terrain, making them tough targets for attack aircraft to annihilate.


    These concealed artillery units would soon unleash their assault on the Orcs on the beach. How the subsequent battles would unfold depended entirely on the judgment of the landed Orc commanders.


    On the beach, at least a few thousand Orcs had already landed. They were gradually expanding their foothold until one unfortunate soldier stepped on a landmine buried in the sand.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The landmine exploded, sending the Orc soldier flying into the air. Two nearby Orc soldiers were also caught in the blast, while the surrounding Orcs immediately hit the ground, cautiously rising only after realizing what had happened.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an enemy attack! It¡¯s not an enemy attack! It¡¯s a landmine!¡± An Orc officer kneeled on one knee, waving his arm as he shouted toward the alert allied forces in the distance.


    The Mirage Country¡¯s minefield on the beach was not densely laid and resembled booby-trapped mines. These landmines were merely intended to slow the enemy¡¯s advance, so their numbers were sparse.


    Just as the Orc soldiers relaxed their guard and cautiously continued their advance, a whistling barrage of shells suddenly rained down upon them.


    The Mirage Country¡¯s artillery fired as expected. Hidden observation posts relayed the Orcs¡¯ landing activities to the rear positions, which promptly responded with a suppressing barrage on the beach.


    This time, the Mirage Army¡¯s firepower remained severely intact. The artillery hidden in the mountains and forests unleashed a fierce volley, displaying unparalleled ferocity.


    Large and small artillery shells were hurled onto the beach, even including old 75mm mountain gun rounds.


    Thanks to precise targeting data from measurements, the Mirage Army¡¯s artillery strikes were pinpoint accurate. Though they were few in number, their bombardment caused substantial havoc for the Orc troops.


    If the Mirage Country had had more artillery and a less dispersed deployment, the Orc troops might have been completely driven back into the sea.


    On the beach, the constant shrieks of shells tearing through the air reverberated. One after another, the shells exploded, kicking up sand and massive water columns mixed with seawater.


    The Orc forces, caught off guard, were stunned by the bombardment. Some communicators calling for support from the Great Tang Empire fleet mistakenly believed they were being shelled by their allies.


    Before the battle began, Tang Nation instructors aboard the transports had repeatedly reminded all Orc troops to scatter quickly upon landing, expanding the foothold to avoid enemy artillery strikes.


    However, having faced no resistance upon reaching the shore, the Orc troops seemed to have forgotten these instructions. Like rookies, they were caught completely off guard.


    It was the Great Tang Empire¡¯s attack aircraft units circling above the landing zone that first responded. Stukas and IL aircraft taking off from New Island widened their search area, targeting the enemy artillery positions revealed by their relentless barrages.


    These aircraft began their ground suppression operations, taking out several exposed enemy artillery positions and alleviating the beach¡¯s artillery pressure.


    The enemy barrage suddenly diminished, allowing the Orc troops to remember their mission. They initiated assaults into the interior, no longer clustering on the beach as sitting ducks for enemy fire.


    The Orc troops arriving later finally grasped the brutal reality of the landing operation: stepping off their transports, they witnessed seawater stained red and a beach littered with craters and piles of Orc corpses.


    Shan Lu, still observing from the deck of his warship, winced at the carnage. Sighing as he lowered his binoculars, he lamented that he had originally believed losses on the beach would be minimal.


    Yet the short barrage by the Mirage Country¡¯s ¡°dwarf lowlifes¡± almost wiped out the Orc 1st Division, trained for over two months on South Island.


    Over two thousand well-trained soldiers were lost on the beach. Most had not even seen what the enemy looked like before joining the embrace of the Orc God.


    The Orcs advancing inland were also bewildered. They encountered abandoned trenches and half-constructed bunkers.


    Nearby defensive positions resembling a post-apocalyptic wasteland revealed signs of prior bombardment by the Great Tang Empire Navy. Shrapnel was still embedded in tree trunks, and artillery fragments could be found in the soil.


    Strangely, there was no sign of any Mirage Country soldiers here¡ªsave the occasional Orc unlucky enough to be killed by a concealed mine.


    The pace of advancement was slow, partly because many of the still-dizzy Orc soldiers struggled with seasickness. Even so, they found no large concentrations of Mirage Country troops near the beach.


    They discovered only concealed observation posts with evident signs of recent use, such as fresh traces of habitation.


    However, since these observation posts operated in small teams, they retreated quickly, taking most of their equipment with them.


    As time ticked by, Tang Army aircraft increasingly exerted their dominance, hunting for targets near the landing area and launching relentless attacks. Deprived of air superiority, the Mirage Army could barely fight back.


    Tang Army pilots began engaging exposed Mirage anti-aircraft weaponry, suppressing them with cannons and working in coordination to strike positions with bombs, clearing out these threats.


    The Mirage Army gradually ceased its counteroffensive. They hid the cannons within mountainside tunnels, ignoring Tang Nation¡¯s provocations and refraining from exposing themselves.


    Undiscovered artillery positions in the forests also suspended their shelling. Silence ensued, and the Orc troops on the beach were finally spared the torment of enemy artillery harassment.


    The Orc forces established their foothold, leaving their elders and command staff, including Shan Lu, satisfied. At the very least, they hadn¡¯t been driven back into the sea. Reports indicated that the front-line troops¡¯ advance was steady, as if victory was within their grasp.


    Meanwhile, on the Mirage Country¡¯s side, General Shenwu Ke confirmed the Orcs¡¯ landing. Unable to determine whether Tang Army regulars would also land, he hesitated to make tactical adjustments.


    Nonetheless, encouraging news reached him: aside from a few artillery positions destroyed by Tang Nation aircraft, Mirage Army losses were minimal.


    It seemed they had achieved a victory¡ªdealing substantial damage to the Tang Nation¡¯s attacking forces, even if the targets were Orc troops. After all, weren¡¯t they also Tang Empire troops?


    Tang Nation Air Force also reported considerable success: suffering virtually no losses, they destroyed several enemy artillery positions, providing cover for the Orc allied forces¡¯ landing operation.


    On that day, three Great Tang Empire aircraft were shot down, and three others crashed due to mechanical failures. Miraculously, all six pilots were rescued.


    The pilots of the three downed planes parachuted near the Orc-controlled beach and were safely retrieved by the Orc troops. The pilots of the three aircraft that malfunctioned were rescued at sea, recovered and treated.


    Thus, a battle of ¡°triple victories¡± was born: everyone believed they had won, and they had seemingly won decisively, splendidly.


    Shenwu Ke reported his day¡¯s achievements to the Mirage Emperor: the enemy had been effectively contained between the beach and the main defensive line with extremely light losses, and the troops¡¯ morale was high.


    After hearing Shenwu Ke¡¯s report, the Mirage Emperor turned to Shen Haiping. As the Navy¡¯s grand admiral, Shen Haiping assured the emperor that his fleet would launch a full assault that night, aiming to inflict severe damage on the Tang Nation¡¯s landing forces.


    Everyone knew that the night¡¯s battle would influence the course of the conflict. Shan Lu, the Orc Commander, went ashore at dusk, while the Mirage Army began deploying forces, preparing to launch a counterstrike against the Orc troops on the beach that night.


    Mirage Country dared not confront the Tang Army directly, but facing the Orc forces, they felt some confidence. Thus, a counterattack plan was devised to test the mettle of the Orc troops entrenched on the beach.

 Chapter 1233: 1153 The First Night

    Chapter 1233: 1153 The First Night


    Some people act clever. If you talk to them about resisting the Japanese, they¡¯d start whining about how their guns and artillery were inferior, claiming they simply couldn¡¯t win. But if you switch the topic to ¡°stabilize the internal before expelling the external,¡± suddenly their drowsiness vanishes.


    The commanders of Mirage Country are just about the same: suggest launching a counteroffensive against the Tang forces, and they might hesitate. But if you propose hitting the orcs instead, they honestly might dare to try it.


    That night, before 11pm, Mirage troops hidden in trenches charged out under the cover of darkness, launching an attack on the orc forces who had set up camp before nightfall.


    Illumination flares lit up the sky, and the Mirage artillery that had gone silent during the day roared back to life. The orc forces, caught off guard, were thrown into chaos.


    For a moment, the battlefield was everywhere ¡ª Mirage troops everywhere, gunfire everywhere, shouting everywhere, explosions and flames everywhere.


    Shan Lu was in a temporary command post planning the next day¡¯s attack arrangements when he received the news of the Mirage counteroffensive.


    He was stunned upon hearing it: he personally saw the Tang forces capture South Island, and then personally witnessed the Tang forces crush New Island... For crying out loud, in both campaigns, he¡¯d never heard of a single successful Mirage counteroffensive!


    Now they were treating his orc troops like soft targets! Shan Lu was infuriated at the thought and immediately ordered all orc forces to fight to the death.


    The enraged orc troops finally exploded in retaliation. Under the ghastly white light of the flares, they clashed with the goblin divisions of Mirage Country, ratcheting up the slaughter to gory extremes.


    ¡°Fix bayonets!¡± Seeing the crazed goblins charging at them, an orc officer roared as he drew the dagger from his belt.


    Exhausted after a full day of floating at sea, the orc soldiers had their savagery ignited. They pulled bayonets from their backs and mounted them onto their rifle barrels.


    The gleaming bayonets reflected an eerie light under the artificial glare of the flares, as tall orcs and short goblins collided in waves of flesh and steel.


    ¡°Kill!¡± One blood-soaked orc soldier embodied the image of a war god, impaling a goblin and lifting them into the air.


    Before he could withdraw his bayonet, several Mirage soldiers stabbed him full of holes with their weapons.


    In the distance, the heavy machine guns on the orc defensive positions erupted in fire, their muzzles flashing brightly in the night. Tracer bullets carved straight lines into the Mirage troops¡¯ ranks.


    Both sides suffered heavy casualties. Unlike the daytime landings, no one was holding back anymore, no one remained polite. The darkness seemed to fuel the bloodlust, making brutality and violence the center of the stage.


    Gradually, the Mirage counteroffensive forces began to falter. On one hand, they were few in number; on the other, the orc main forces began to engage.


    The outer orc patrol forces were just filler troops, non-main combatants equipped mainly with Mauser 98K rifles and few automatic weapons.


    But Shan Lu¡¯s elite main forces were outfitted with Type 56 assault rifles, the same automatic weapons used by the Great Tang Empire troops, perfect for ferocious close-quarters combat.


    Once these forces entered the fight, Mirage troops began to suffer greater losses. To preserve their strength, Mirage commanders opted for a strategic retreat.


    In reality, their nighttime counteroffensive was quite successful, with a casualty ratio close to one-to-one. Even though the goblins had a clear physical disadvantage, their knowledge of the terrain and rested condition posed significant trouble for the orcs.


    After a night of bitter fighting, the orc commanders gained a clear understanding of Mirage Country¡¯s combat effectiveness: the goblins may seem weak against the Great Tang Empire forces, but the Mirage troops were actually quite formidable.


    If Mirage Country¡¯s forces weren¡¯t strong, they wouldn¡¯t have once intimidated Qi Country and overpowered Zheng Country with ease. Combat effectiveness really is relative; losing to the superior Tang forces wasn¡¯t something to feel ashamed about.


    After leaving approximately 2,000 corpses behind, the Mirage troops withdrew to their starting positions. Although they hadn¡¯t forced the enemy back into the sea, they did achieve certain results.


    Shenwu Ke reviewed the reports and tallied the results: he confidently estimated they had wiped out about 6,000 orc soldiers who had landed, heavily damaging the orc forces that came ashore that day.


    This result wasn¡¯t completely accurate; in reality, the orc forces had lost about 4,000 troops, and not all of them were from the 1st Infantry Division. Some belonged to the 2nd and 3rd divisions as well.


    Indeed, the goblins had miscalculated Tang¡¯s landing fleet unloading capabilities: the lightly armed orc landing forces didn¡¯t rely much on docks, meaning those who landed weren¡¯t just one division but three ¡ª not 20,000 troops, but a full 40,000!


    Shenwu Ke, believing the orc forces had nearly lost their combat capability, had no idea that the forces before him hadn¡¯t even touched their foundation.


    The fierce battles that night didn¡¯t just occur on land ¡ª the navies clashed heavily at sea too.


    Mirage Country¡¯s last two destroyers were sunk by Tang anti-ship missiles about 100 kilometers outside Shen Capital¡¯s port during the night.


    Things unfolded completely against Shen Haiping¡¯s expectations, as the battlefield became dominated by radar, advanced auto cannons, and missiles.


    The Tang destroyer fleet equipped with new naval guns on its flanks left no room for Mirage Country¡¯s suicide speedboats.


    The naval firefight erupted at midnight and lasted until sunrise. Mirage Country deployed 300 various suicide speedboats and two destroyers.


    Tang forces dispatched 40 destroyers and three cruisers to intercept the lunatic vessels: the final result saw two Tang destroyers heavily damaged, two slightly damaged, and 20 soldiers killed; Mirage Country lost all participating vessels, sunk or self-detonated, killing nearly 4,000 personnel.


    Even without Tang¡¯s destroyers equipped with Oto Melara auto cannons, Mirage¡¯s suicide speedboats couldn¡¯t breach the radar-equipped Tang destroyer line.


    Despite the disparity in numbers, Tang¡¯s landing fleet had around 60 destroyers and cruisers in the battle ¡ª this wasn¡¯t a trivial amount compared to Mirage¡¯s speedboats.


    Although Bofors anti-aircraft guns weren¡¯t as specialized as Oto naval cannons in dealing with these boats, they performed adequately. Hence, this massive suicide speedboat raid was doomed to yield few gains.


    After a night of continuous bombardment, Tang destroyers¡¯ main cannons roared non-stop. By dawn, Mirage¡¯s remaining speedboats scattered like birds, leaving four smoke-spewing Tang destroyers to testify the sheer brutality of the naval battle.


    By this point, Mirage Country¡¯s navy had been essentially annihilated: its core sailors and fighting vessels had been completely lost.


    Over the previous six months, the suicide speedboat stockpile was nearly depleted, with no way to restore production. The fanatics borrowed from the army were wiped out; finding new recruits of their kind would prove challenging.


    That morning, Shen Emperor heard the joyous report of Shenwu Ke¡¯s great victory over the orc landing forces, as well as the grim news of the navy¡¯s near-total destruction.


    Naturally, Shen Haiping also learned of the army¡¯s success: while the navy fought bitterly all night and failed, the army heavily damaged the enemy landing forces, wiping out over 9,000 foes!


    Indeed, Shenwu Ke had exaggerated the outcome somewhat ¡ª after all, it was a hard-earned victory, and he deemed it necessary to promote the achievement.


    Shen Haiping¡¯s shame came from the navy¡¯s greatest contribution being merely preventing Tang warships from firing even one shell to support the orc forces ashore during the entire night.


    The Shen Emperor understood clearly: his navy had lost the ability to decimate the enemy fleet and could no longer hinder Tang Country¡¯s invasion of the main island.


    Truthfully, when the South Island campaign failed and his meticulously built main fleet was utterly destroyed, he foresaw this result.


    Yet he still held onto some faint hope, a bit of wishful thinking... But now, the continuous defeats left him with no illusions: those opportunistic tricks ultimately couldn¡¯t solve the real problems.


    After a night of upheaval, the orc forces¡¯ landed manpower had climbed to nearly 60,000. The brightly lit landing grounds ignored the chaos of both sea and land battles, as diligent transport fleets used the night to bring the orc 4th Division ashore.


    By morning, the orc forces¡¯ total landed troops approached 100,000. They pushed the defensive line toward mountain rivers, placing their positions before Mirage Country¡¯s main defensive lines.


    Shan Lu mobilized and ordered assaults on strategic locations, but ultimately failed: the orc troops¡¯ lack of heavy weapons limited them, unable to breach the carefully prepared goblin strongholds.


    However, the orc forces achieved some gains: extending along the coastline, they occupied two small fishing villages, expanding the landing zone.


    During this day, Tang forces continued bombing Mirage Country¡¯s main airfields, ensuring no enemy aircraft appeared on the battlefield.


    The Mirage navy, devastated the night before, similarly vanished that day and would remain absent in the coming days without harassing Tang¡¯s landing fleet.


    By the second afternoon following the landing, Tang¡¯s old Mark IV tanks, provided for the orc forces as aid, finally made it ashore. These armored corps would become key assets to aid the orcs in breaking Mirage Country¡¯s defensive lines.


    Yet, orc commander Shan Lu had no clue that the previous night¡¯s goblin counteroffensive had given his opponent Shenwu Ke a ¡°grasp of the orcs¡¯ weaknesses.¡±


    This goblin commander was drafting plans for a second nighttime counteroffensive... intending to drive the orc landing forces back into the sea!


    Indeed, Shenwu Ke planned to launch an assault under the dark and windy night, deploying Mirage Country¡¯s armored corps into battle!


    ¡ª¡ª


    Additional chapter update.

 Chapter 1234: 1154 Mirage Countrys armored forces

    Chapter 1234: 1154 Mirage Country¡¯s armored forces


    Mirage Country has a total of five armored divisions. These troops are considered the army¡¯s prized possessions, rarely deployed under normal circumstances.


    The five armored divisions are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Armored Divisions, equipped with tanks of four different models. It looks more like a chaotic stew than structured military equipment.


    There¡¯s no other choice. After Mirage Country dumped most of its resources into the navy, the army ended up as the underdog, barely getting by with outdated equipment.


    That being said, it¡¯s not entirely accurate. It¡¯s not that Mirage Country¡¯s troops couldn¡¯t eliminate old equipment¡ªit¡¯s just that they refused to retire anything, which is why they managed to cobble together five so-called armored divisions.


    According to Tang Army¡¯s standards, these armored divisions aren¡¯t even at full equipment capacity: a Tang Army armored division contains nearly 500 tanks, whereas a Mirage Country armored division barely manages 400 tanks.


    The saddest part is that these 400 tanks are divided into four different models, making logistics an absolute nightmare.


    The good news is that Mirage Country¡¯s armored corps, due to geographical factors, doesn¡¯t have the need for cross-border operations. Therefore, a weaker logistics system isn¡¯t a massively critical issue.


    The bad news is that the logistics are so incapable that even in domestic operations, they can barely keep these armored divisions functioning.


    The four tank models equipped by Mirage Country¡¯s army include: the oldest Shireck 2 Tank. This tank uses gasoline engines, has thin armor, and weak firepower, making it little more than a sitting duck in battle.


    Mirage Country¡¯s armored troops have given this tank the nickname ¡°taxi.¡± Its primary role in operations is to ¡°pad the numbers.¡±


    The second type of tank is Mirage Country¡¯s domestically improved version of the Shireck 2, named Mirage 1. It features thickened armor and a more powerful 90mm short-barrel gun, slightly better than the original Shireck 2.


    But these improvements have little actual impact on modern battlefields, meaning this model essentially serves as a sidekick to the main battle tanks in operations.


    The above two tanks belong to the ¡°repurposed waste¡± category within Mirage Country¡¯s armored corps. They haven¡¯t been retired out of sentimentality, not because they¡¯re particularly useful.


    Typically, Mirage Country keeps these tanks at the rear to transport infantry or uses them essentially as armored personnel carriers.


    The third tank model was derived from Shireck and involves the purchase of production blueprints for the M10 tank destroyer¡ªa design discarded and repurposed by Great Tang Group.


    Its overall performance can be considered decent, certainly an upgrade from the previous two models. When Shireck sold this production line and blueprint, they added a turret cover to the original American tank destroyer design, creating a ¡°tank-like¡± vehicle.


    Its armament includes a 76mm high-pressure cannon, producing straight trajectories, qualifying as a proper tank gun. With improved armor thickness and a sloped frontal armor design, its protective capabilities are also commendable.


    As a ¡°medium tank,¡± this new Shireck 5 Tank exhibits paper specs comparable to World War II standards, boasting relatively balanced overall performance.


    Mirage Country¡¯s army is quite fond of this tank, and it has indeed become their most extensively equipped main battle tank. Mirage Country planned to produce 1,000 units of this tank, intending to equip each armored division with 200 units.


    However, in actual deployment, the Shireck 5 Tank was prioritized for Mirage Country¡¯s elite 1st Armored Division, which received 260 units outright.


    The 4th Armored Division, also stationed on Ben Island, was allocated 240 units. The remainder was distributed among the other armored divisions, leaving the remaining three divisions with merely 100+ tanks each.


    Up to the point of the Tang Army¡¯s invasion of South Island, roughly 890 Shireck 5 Tanks had been produced, falling short of the planned 1,000 units. Later, the Tang Army¡¯s massive bombings of Ben Island disrupted production lines, with only an additional 100 units made intermittently¡ªbarely bringing production up to planned capacity.


    But everyone knew by then that the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions on South Island had been nearly wiped out, with no way to replace the losses with newly produced tanks.


    The creation of Mirage Country¡¯s last tank model was essentially forced by the Tang Army. Reality is harsh: as the Great Tang Empire continuously introduced new advanced tanks, the Shireck 5 Tank¡¯s protection and firepower clearly couldn¡¯t keep up with future battlefield needs.


    Consequently, Mirage Country had no choice but to design a brand-new heavy tank, building on the Shireck 5 Tank with thicker armor and a long-barrel 90mm gun, barely creating a tank capable of going toe-to-toe with Panther Tanks.


    This new tank was designated Mirage 2 Tank, but its speed was dismal, and its off-road capabilities were mediocre. Its advantages lie in the thicker armor and stronger firepower.


    The new tank consumed more steel and labor hours, limiting production to just over 20 units by the time of the battle¡¯s outbreak¡ªcompletely insufficient for replenishing losses.


    As of the start of the Ben Island campaign, Mirage Country had lost approximately 300 Shireck 5 Tanks on South Island, 70 Mirage 2 Tanks, 110 Mirage 1 Tanks, and 210 Shireck 2 Tanks...


    The 2nd Armored Division and 3rd Armored Division were annihilated, retreating to New Island with not a single tank remaining. Numerous valuable armored troops perished on New Island, with fewer than one-tenth returning to Ben Island alive.


    Thus, on the surface, Mirage Country now had only the 1st, 4th, and 5th Armored Divisions left. Nevertheless, General Shenwu Ke gritted his teeth and reorganized the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions.


    However... the equipment and combat capabilities of these two divisions had plummeted: the soldiers were fresh recruits with limited combat skills; tank numbers were insufficient, models messy, and conditions poor.


    In reality, Mirage Country managed to produce just over 100 Shireck 5 Tanks and about 20 Mirage 2 Tanks during the course of the war. These tanks were evenly allocated to the two rebuilt divisions.


    Following that, Shenwu Ke scraped together a batch of Shireck 2 Tanks to integrate into the two rebuilt armored divisions, barely pushing their tank counts to around 100 units each.


    To provide these two divisions with some combat ability, Shenwu Ke also equipped them with a dozen anti-tank guns, trucks, motorcycles, and even placed a few suicide anti-tank soldiers armed with ¡°Sting Thunders.¡± This barely endowed the divisions with a modicum of fighting potential.


    Speaking of Sting Thunder weapons... it¡¯s worth explaining: Mirage Country lacks usable shaped charge anti-armor technology. Their Sting Thunder devices... are basically just explosive packs...


    Their anti-tank effectiveness purely relies on piling on explosives. With sufficient charge, they can indeed destroy enemy tanks, but the anti-tank soldiers using them... are left completely obliterated.


    Currently, Mirage Country has approximately 1,400 combat-ready tanks, with 400 being old models, 200 heavy tanks, and around 800 Shireck 5 Tanks.


    Of these tanks, roughly 400 are deployed on Northern Island, comprising the entirety of the 5th Armored Division. The remaining 1,000 tanks are stationed on Ben Island.


    Shenwu Ke plans to unleash these three divisions, totaling around 1,000 tanks, for a small ¡°shock¡± attack on the Orc landing forces.


    Of course, given the Great Tang Empire¡¯s control of air superiority, launching large-scale tank battles is practically suicidal. Shenwu Ke has no means to rely on pitiful logistics to ensure all 1,000 tanks enter a single battle.


    His plan is to first deploy the 4th Armored Division for a major counterattack on the eastern side of the Orc¡¯s landing zone. If successful, he would then send in the 1st Armored Division stationed on the western side to drive the Orcs back into the sea.


    The 4th Armored Division can¡¯t fully mobilize either. Upon receiving orders, the Mirage Country commander in charge of the division left the older, less capable models and slower heavy tanks in the defensive zone.


    He assembled roughly 200 Shireck 5 Tanks that are combat-ready and plans to advance under the cover of darkness near the Orc-controlled area for a surprise attack at dawn.


    There¡¯s only one shot at this. If he can get his tanks moving quickly, they could engage the Orc troops directly, reducing Tang Nation Air Force¡¯s suppression capabilities.


    If he fails, they¡¯ll suffer devastating airstrikes from Tang Army aircraft throughout the day, likely losing over half their tanks.


    On the Orc side, Shan Lu welcomed his Orc 1st Armored Division, which had been established with the assistance of Tang Nation. This single division boasts 500 fully operational Mark IV tanks¡ªa full-strength force of immense scale.


    To support these tanks, the division also holds over 1,500 trucks of various types, 20 towed 155mm howitzers, and 20 Wild Bee automatic cannons mounted on Mark IV chassis. The entire division consists of over 20,000 troops, capable of executing independent operations.


    With this armored division landing, Shan Lu felt he finally had a foothold. He positioned this division at the center as a strategic reserve.


    One couldn¡¯t blame Shan Lu for hesitating to deploy this division. Orc forces lack heavy weaponry overall, making this division his prized asset¡ªit¡¯s understandable not to squander it lightly.


    The current situation is as follows: the western side of the landing area is defended by the Orc 2nd Infantry Division; the northern area by the 1st and 6th Infantry Divisions; the eastern area by the 3rd and 8th Infantry Divisions; while the 1st Armored Division and 5th Infantry Division serve as the central reserve.


    At this moment, the Orc 4th and 7th Infantry Divisions are still afloat at sea. Even so, the Orc forces that have landed already number close to 100,000!


    Efficiently transporting so many Orc troops ashore is largely thanks to Tang Nation¡¯s formidable maritime logistics capabilities. Naturally, Mirage Country¡¯s abandonment of coastal defense¡ªthe lack of submarines and aircraft capable of harassing the fleet¡ªalso played a role.


    A glance at the map reveals that the direction of Mirage Country¡¯s 4th Armored Division attack faces only the Orc 2nd Infantry Division, whose manpower is somewhat limited.

 Chapter 1235: Shen Armys Counterattack 1155

    Chapter 1235: Shen Army¡¯s Counterattack 1155


    Shan Lu didn¡¯t plan to let the 2nd Infantry Division defend the western positions on its own. Judging from the troop deployments, he tried his best to place two divisions in each direction, indicating that he initially intended to station two divisions for defense in the west.


    However, the 5th Infantry Division, which he planned to station in the west, landed quite late because most of the available transport capacity had been allocated to Shan Lu¡¯s prized possession: the Orc Army¡¯s main force, the 1st Armored Division.


    Late that night, the 5th Infantry Division was finally sent ashore. After drifting at sea for two days, the Orc soldiers were utterly exhausted and could only stay put to rest and recover.


    As a result, the 5th Infantry Division ended up as the reserve force and was temporarily placed to the left of the 1st Armored Division, closer to the area defended by the 2nd Infantry Division.


    However, they were still approximately 8 kilometers away from the 2nd Infantry Division. Including the division commander, the 5th Infantry Division soldiers who had landed all fell asleep around 3 a.m.


    Why didn¡¯t Shan Lu rush to have the 5th Infantry Division rendezvous with the 2nd Infantry Division? Because, looking at the map, the direction defended by the 2nd Infantry Division wasn¡¯t a principal one.


    Judging from the landing area, attacking eastward essentially meant heading toward Shendu. By logic, Shendu should be the primary defensive direction for Mirage Country.


    If Mirage Country were to launch a counterattack, it would most likely come from this direction. Thus, Shan Lu positioned the newly landed, fully staffed 3rd and 8th Infantry Divisions in this direction.


    The northern 1st Infantry Division has the strongest combat power. However, they also suffered the most losses during the landing, so Shan Lu ordered them to defend in place while reinforcing them with the 6th Infantry Division. The formation there was relatively stable.


    The western side theoretically faced the least pressure because Mirage Country controlled a smaller area there, far from Shendu. Shan Lu concluded that the Shen Army wouldn¡¯t deploy any major forces in this direction.


    But he miscalculated! Mirage Country¡¯s main force, the 4th Armored Division, was stationed exactly in this direction! From Mirage Country¡¯s perspective, they had to defend all potential landing zones of the Tang Army, keeping their armored corps as concealed as possible in readiness.


    Coincidentally, the Tang Army¡¯s landing area was situated between the 1st Armored Division and the 4th Armored Division. Shan Lu couldn¡¯t possibly know this intelligence; he could only roughly estimate the Shen Army¡¯s position, but he couldn¡¯t guess their numbers or unit designations.


    On the third morning after the landing, at the forward positions of the Orc 2nd Armored Division, an Orc soldier yawned, rubbed his eyes, and then spotted a Mirage Country tank appearing on a distant hill.


    The enemy¡¯s speed was fast. When it came to performance alone, it was roughly on par with the Great Tang Empire¡¯s Type 4 tanks provided to the Orcs¡ªpossibly even slightly more advanced technologically.


    No way around it; the Tang Army had already phased out their Panther Tanks long ago. Bear in mind that the Tang Army¡¯s most elite units were now equipped with extensively refined Type 64 tanks.


    An entire fleet of Shireck Type 5 tanks was undeniably impressive in appearance, enough to awe. When the Orc soldier saw those tanks, he immediately yelled, ¡°Enemy attack! Enemy attack!¡±


    At his shouts, the Orc soldiers poked their heads out of the makeshift trenches they¡¯d dug themselves. They didn¡¯t have any sturdy defensive structures; after all, they had been in offensive formation until nightfall yesterday.


    ¡°Goblin tanks! Goblin tanks!¡± A Mirage Country soldier saw the steel behemoths advancing and screamed in terror.


    He couldn¡¯t find anything in his arsenal capable of destroying those enemy tanks. Besides two hand grenades, he had fewer than a hundred rounds and a Mauser rifle.


    Most Mauser rifles in Orc hands, originating from the Tang Army¡¯s early inventories, were neither new nor even recently out of Tang Army storage.


    They were Chu Country hand-me-downs. Although the rifling hadn¡¯t entirely worn out, their condition was visibly aged.


    No choice but to accept it¡ªThe Great Tang Group hadn¡¯t manufactured Mauser rifles for a long time. Nowadays, such weapons were produced only by the Shireck Consortium. Orcs¡¯ new rifles mostly came from Shireck.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Seeing Mirage Country tanks closing in, the frontline Orc commander cursed fiercely. They lacked heavy weapons¡ªexotic items like anti-tank guns weren¡¯t something they could be equipped with.


    That¡¯s not to say the Great Tang Empire couldn¡¯t afford to donate a few anti-tank guns; it was simply hard to transport them to Ben Island. To provide the Orc infantry some semblance of anti-tank capability, the Tang Army had equipped them with RPG rocket launchers.


    Unfortunately, the inexperienced Orc commanders stockpiled these sophisticated tools at division and regimental headquarters, unwilling to hand them to frontline combat units like the Tang Army did.


    ¡°Quick! Contact the regiment headquarters! Call for anti-tank team support! Quick! Hurry!¡± The battalion commander shouted orders at the communications orderly as the Shen Army tanks approached.


    Upon hearing the orders, the communications orderly turned and ran. Unlike the Tang Army, Orcs didn¡¯t possess extensive communications equipment, making their communications... as primitive as Mirage Country¡¯s.


    However, as Mirage Country was advancing with a tank division, they did possess radios. Thus, the Shen Army¡¯s coordination capabilities far exceeded those of the Orc 2nd Infantry Division.


    From the moment the battle erupted, the Orcs were at a disadvantage. The battlefield was filled with the sight of Shen Army tanks slaughtering and routing the Orc troops. Cries of despair echoed everywhere, with some Orcs even surrendering.


    This invigorated Shen Army soldiers and commanders, rekindling long-lost feelings. They gritted their teeth, executed the surrendering Orc soldiers, and drove their tanks to continue advancing against Orc positions.


    Having fought against the Tang Army for so long, Shen Army commanders were almost psychologically traumatized. They had forgotten what victory felt like, initially convinced of their weakness.


    But when facing Orc troops nearly equal to them, they realized they were still quite capable.


    The squat, nimble Goblin tank crews enjoyed a structural advantage¡ªthey moved easily inside cramped tank interiors, providing unmatched flexibility. No other nation¡¯s tank operators could match them, except perhaps the Dwarves of the Ice Cold Empire.


    Accompanying the Shen Army¡¯s 4th Armored Division were two infantry regiments hastily mobilized by Mirage Country. They advanced swiftly, utilizing their familiarity with the terrain to charge straight into the Orc ranks and commence a slaughter.


    Caught unprepared, the Orc 2nd Infantry Division¡¯s frontlines were breached. Some remaining troops were encircled, while others retreated, abandoning the villages they¡¯d captured just yesterday afternoon.


    Exhilarated Mirage Country armored units continued their onslaught. They soon encountered fierce bombardment from Tang Aircraft carriers.


    Over 30 Stuka Dive Bombers unleashed a barrage of more than 30 500-kilogram bombs alongside strafing runs. This destroyed over 50 Shireck Type 5 tanks belonging to Mirage Country.


    Combined with earlier losses, the Shen Army had already lost over 60 tanks by around 8 a.m.


    This amounted to roughly one-third of the Shen Army 4th Armored Division¡¯s total attacking force! With such devastating losses, the division¡¯s commander had no choice but to send an urgent telegram to Shenwu Ke, requesting approval to continue the offensive.


    Shenwu Ke mulled over it. If he ordered a retreat at this point, even fewer tanks would likely make it back to the starting positions.


    Brainwashed by suicidal tactics, Shenwu Ke gritted his teeth and issued a reckless order for the 4th Armored Division to push forward at all costs.


    Effectively, this order sentenced Mirage Country¡¯s 4th Armored Division to death while dealing a crushing blow to the retreating Orc 2nd Infantry Division.


    The Shen Army commanders displayed their Goblin madness upon receiving the order, resolutely executing it. The remaining personnel of the 4th Armored Division similarly advanced heedless of losses, charging toward the beach.


    Soon, more Tang Army aircraft arrived, causing significant trouble for Mirage Country¡¯s armored offensive.


    Meanwhile, the encircled remnants of the Orc 2nd Infantry Division stabilized their position after using RPG rocket launchers to destroy over a dozen Goblin tanks, recovering a shred of dignity for their routed division.


    The entire battle was like a spectacular showdown between hapless fighters: Mirage Country¡¯s tanks chasing Orc infantry exuded traces of the Tang Army¡¯s armored brigade¡¯s rampaging bravado, while Tang Army aircraft massacring Shen targets operated as if the ground were uninhabited...


    Ultimately, Shan Lu mobilized two regiments from the 5th Infantry Division to take over the shattered 2nd Infantry Division¡¯s defenses, using RPGs to destroy the few Shen Army tanks that had almost fought their way through half the landing zone, finally stabilizing the situation.


    The Mirage Country 4th Armored Division, utterly depleted of offensive capability, no longer needed to retreat¡ªthey had lost almost all their tanks on the pathway of attack.


    By the afternoon, the Orc forces launched a counterattack, retaking the positions Mirage Country troops had breached, under cover from Tang Army aircraft.


    By dinnertime, the Orc 5th Infantry Division had rescued the encircled 2nd Infantry Division headquarters and the remaining troops.


    After a day of fierce battle, both sides sustained heavy losses. By nightfall, the outcome was clear: the frontline positions mirrored the morning state, with no shift in territorial control.


    Mirage Country had lost approximately 190 Shireck Type 5 tanks; their 4th Armored Division was effectively wiped out. On the western side, Mirage Army¡¯s stationed troops lost nearly all offensive capability.


    On the Orc side, half of the 2nd Infantry Division¡¯s 10,000-strong force was missing or killed, with the injured soldiers strewn across the beach. The once-mighty 2nd Infantry Division was nearly annihilated, with the remainder losing the ability to fight.


    After sustained high-intensity support missions, the Tang Army aircraft carriers¡¯ ammunition reserves were nearly depleted. Lu Qianshan delivered grim news to Shan Lu: the air support trial card... was about to expire.


    ¡ª¡ª


    That¡¯s it for today¡¯s two chapters.

 Chapter 1236: 1156 chose to attack northward

    Chapter 1236: 1156 chose to attack northward


    The Tang Empire¡¯s aircraft carrier fleet can only persist for another three days before returning to Linshui and Beiyuan for resupply.


    Although the port on South Island is already operational, its biggest issue is that most of its throughput has been dedicated to ¡°receiving¡± rather than ¡°processing.¡±


    Various construction materials and personnel from the Tang Empire are being continuously transported to this island, with a constant influx of supplies every day, leaving no room for aircraft carriers to dock for resupply.


    In fact, the same is true for New Island. Its limited logistical capacity is fully occupied with transporting supplies for the Orc army¡¯s logistical support, making it impossible to meet the demands of a large fleet.


    Since the fleet is departing, the roughly 300 carrier-based aircraft on the fleet¡¯s four aircraft carriers will have to leave as well. Though these aircraft could theoretically remain on New Island¡¯s airport for continued operations, the Tang Empire clearly has no intention of doing so.


    Bernard certainly has no obligation to force his valuable naval aviation units to work overtime providing air cover for the Orcs. They can fight to the death for the 9th Group Army but won¡¯t sacrifice their chance for a well-earned rest on behalf of the Orc forces.


    Returning to Linshui or Beiyuan with the carriers for about a week¡¯s respite seems far more appealing than remaining on South Island or New Island.


    After all, the Orcs still have air cover and support from the Tang Nation Air Force stationed on New Island. The Navy completing its escort and landing mission and then withdrawing for rest and reorganization is entirely reasonable.


    The Navy¡¯s carrier withdrawal means that the aircraft supporting the Orcs¡¯ operations will immediately decrease by about one-third!


    This relatively polished statistic masks the actual impact: the most critical frontline support attack aircraft will see their numbers reduced by more than half.


    The departing naval aircraft are primarily Stukas, while the Tang Nation Air Force planes supporting the frontline include many strategic bombers performing bombing missions rather than ground support.


    Shan Lu¡¯s expression remained grim throughout the day. He was on the verge of being driven mad by the incompetence of his troops. The 2nd Infantry Division had almost lost combat effectiveness; their defenses were breached by the Shen Army, and the landing zone nearly got wiped out.


    The hundred thousand Orcs that landed had barely started attacking before losing almost ten thousand to Goblins! Meanwhile, the Tang Army¡¯s support for subsequent operations is set to be halved... How is this war supposed to be fought?


    ¡°Idiots! All of you are idiots! His Majesty The Emperor of the Tang Empire gave us this opportunity, yet we failed to seize it ourselves!¡± Standing before a map, Shan Lu vented his violent frustrations.


    The Orc elder beside him also showed signs of embarrassment. He had witnessed firsthand how diligently the Tang Empire aircraft supported the Orc army. Honestly... the humans hadn¡¯t betrayed their trust this time; it was indeed the Orcs who had dropped the ball.


    ¡°We hadn¡¯t anticipated earlier that those diminutive Goblins... would possess such formidable combat strength.¡± Picking up a kettle and pouring Shan Lu a glass of water, the elder tried to calm down the most respected Orc commander in human eyes.


    To be frank, the Orc Emperor, far away in the Orc Empire, no longer wielded much influence over the Orcs engaged in battles on Ben Island. There were three spiritual leaders for these Orcs: the Orc God, the ¡°Queen,¡± and Shan Lu.


    The Orc God is a faith intrinsic to the Orcs, requiring no further explanation. The Queen refers to Imperial Concubine Yue¡¯er, who brought hope to the Orcs and now serves as a spiritual anchor for Orcs within the territory of the Tang Empire.


    In their eyes, the ability to eat their fill in the Tang Empire, earn supplies through labor, and aspire to a future in the ¡°Land of Hope¡± all stemmed from Yue¡¯er¡¯s protection.


    Meanwhile, Shan Lu serves as their leader. Chosen by Yue¡¯er as a commanding general, he possesses a ¡°divinity¡± unique among Orc leaders. As long as Shan Lu continues to receive support from the Tang Empire, he remains irreplaceable.


    ¡°This is modern warfare! Things aren¡¯t how they used to be.¡± Taking the cup of water handed to him, Shan Lu drank and sighed, saying, ¡°If this were the age of swords and spears, one charge from the 1st Division would have had us overlooking Shen Capital by now! But now, it¡¯s about artillery, tanks, and aircraft... Shen Army has it all, and we have none.¡±


    The Tang Empire has actually provided the Orcs with numerous planes, all deployed on New Island. However, due to range limitations, they, like the Tang Empire air force fighters, can¡¯t conduct prolonged aerial patrols over the battlefield.


    Only the Tang Empire Navy Aviation planes can patrol frequently near the landing zone, but they¡¯re about to leave.


    The Orc Butcher Fighters, once deployed on Ben Island, can only linger for about ten minutes in operations near the landing zone. While there¡¯s plenty of fuel, and Orc pilots are willing to fight to the death, and Tang Empire ground crews ensure the planes remain in excellent condition... relying solely on New Island¡¯s airport still can¡¯t secure air supremacy near the landing zone.


    ¡°To solve this, we need to quickly seize an airport. That way, our planes can take off directly from the captured airport to engage in combat!¡± Shan Lu set down the cup and turned his gaze back to the map.


    Thanks to satellite images and high-altitude reconnaissance photos provided by the Tang Empire, the Shen Army¡¯s key facilities, including most airports and railway stations on Ben Island, are precisely marked.


    Such precise maps lift some of the fog of war, immensely aiding Shan Lu¡¯s command and planning.


    Never underestimate the critical impact of battlefield reconnaissance on a campaign. Before World War II, wars often left commanders without even a clear understanding of their own forces, let alone the enemy¡¯s.


    This is why World War II was so riveting: technology partially obscured the fog of war, leaving commanders to rely purely on their skills to influence battle outcomes and stage brilliant campaigns.


    Later wars often involved overwhelming superiority. For smaller countries, it didn¡¯t matter if a dog occupied the top commander role with a major power¡ªthey could hardly hope to overcome such disparity... Such wars lack artistry and appeal...


    To the west of the map¡ªwhere the Shen Army¡¯s 4th Armored Division launched its assault¡ªlies a field airport. This large field airport had long served as a vital military hub for the southern part of Ben Island, boasting extensive and well-maintained facilities.


    It even has auxiliary infrastructure like power stations and waterworks. Seizing it would undoubtedly bolster the Orc Air Force¡¯s operations.


    Despite being damaged by Tang Army bombings, the Orcs could leverage their expertise. Most of the Orcs here have worked as laborers in the Tang Nation. They might not excel at waging war, but they¡¯re consummate professionals when it comes to repairing concrete surfaces.


    If the airport is captured, the Orc engineering commanders promise they can repair it in just one day and one night. With enough quick-drying cement, this time might even be further reduced.


    The current question is whether they can capture the airport¡ªor rather, which airport they should aim to seize?


    In this direction, only the 5th Infantry Division is available, while the recently landed 4th Infantry Division still requires rest and reorganization. If they wait for the 4th Division to prepare before launching an attack, Tang Empire Navy carrier-based air support will only remain for just over a day.


    Another option would be to pull back the 1st Armored Division currently advancing northward and redirect it westward for a new assault. In theory, the primary defensive line now consists of the badly battered Shen Army¡¯s 4th Armored Division. The Orcs¡¯ 1st Armored Division should have no trouble breaking through their defenses and capturing the airport.


    But Shan Lu is hesitant. He knows the Shen Army still has armored divisions yet to engage, and reinforcements are likely coming from the north!


    If he pulls back the only armored division, he risks another fiasco where enemy armored units breach his defenses and threaten the landing zone.


    Therefore, Shan Lu is unwilling to reassign the 1st Armored Division from its northeast position to launch an attack westward.


    A third option is more direct and straightforward: instead of targeting the western airport that¡¯s closer, have the 1st Armored Division push northward to attack another Shen Army airport. Though farther away, this airport is positioned directly along the 1st Armored Division¡¯s current advance route!


    Capturing this airport would achieve the same goal, despite its smaller scale. Additionally, it¡¯s closer to Shen Capital! More importantly, the 1st Armored Division wouldn¡¯t need to change course, eliminating concerns about another Shen Army counteroffensive.


    While the 1st Armored Division advances northward, Shan Lu can gradually deploy the newly landed 4th Infantry Division behind the 5th Infantry Division¡¯s defensive line. This arrangement ensures the Shen Army¡¯s 4th Armored Division won¡¯t cause another debacle by breaking the 5th Division¡¯s defenses.


    To enable infantry units to block Shen Army tanks, Shan Lu requested additional RPG Rocket Launchers from Lu Qianshan. The request was approved, and the shipment of 300 RPG launchers recently delivered to South Island will be expedited to Ben Island for Orc forces.


    Shan Lu shared his plan with the elder beside him to seek his opinion. After contemplating for a while, the elder chose the most prudent option: ¡°The last strategy seems the safest. It minimizes risks of enemy tricks. In a head-to-head clash... we Orcs always emerge victorious in direct combat.¡±


    Shan Lu nodded, as he personally favored this plan as well. From his perspective, the elite Orc 1st Armored Division, equipped wholly by the Tang Empire, has guaranteed combat effectiveness.


    The Shen Army likely won¡¯t be able to crush this armored division or halt its progression. This way, he can secure steady advancement toward Shen Capital and capture an airport capable of supporting frontline operations!


    ¡°Then order the 1st Armored Division to advance north! Launch the attack tomorrow morning! I¡¯ll request air support from General Lu!¡± Shan Lu¡¯s gaze settled on a place named Dingcheng.


    The terrain here is relatively flat, perfect for an armored unit to fan out and launch an attack. Capturing Dingcheng would allow them to continue advancing northward and seize the Shen Army¡¯s airport marked as number 3.

 Chapter 1237: Battle of Dingcheng 1157

    Chapter 1237: Battle of Dingcheng 1157


    ¡°Dingcheng!¡± In the operations room, Shenwu Ke stared at the map and finalized the main direction for this counterattack. This army general, the highest-ranking commander of the Empire¡¯s Army Headquarters, was now reduced to being merely a field army commander.


    Historically, the Empire¡¯s army was nothing special, ranking below the navy in prestige, and Shenwu Ke had always lived in the shadow of Shen Haiping.


    Now that the navy was obliterated, Shenwu Ke still hadn¡¯t found a chance to rise: his army followed the navy¡¯s collapse into decline.


    The absolute mainstay of the Empire had always been the Imperial Guards tasked with defending King City and Shen Capital, with the 1st Armored Division deployed in this direction.


    Compared to other troops, this unit always maintained well-trained soldiers, complete personnel configurations, and remarkable combat effectiveness.


    To evade Tang Army bombing, the 1st Armored Division had been redeployed near Dingcheng early on, after New Island was seized.


    Most of the tanks were hidden beneath disguises to evade reconnaissance from Tang Army satellites and scout planes, sustaining minimal damage during bombing raids.


    It could be said that this unit maintained high combat readiness, and Shenwu Ke now dared to deploy it only because he had seen hope in previous counterattacks.


    The 4th Armored Division achieved notable success in its counteroffensive in the west. If not for the intense bombing by Tang Army carrier-based aircraft, the results might have been even more substantial.


    In this scenario, Shenwu Ke made a resolute decision: to commit sufficient forces and drive the landing Orc troops back into the sea!


    For this operation, he not only deployed his precious 1st Armored Division but also brought in the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions!


    Indeed, Shenwu Ke was going all-in this time, deploying the entirety of the Empire¡¯s armored corps: over 500 tanks in total!


    This constituted all the Empire¡¯s available main forces; success or failure would hinge on this one effort, with Shenwu Ke staking everything the Empire had.


    While the plan seemed risky, Shenwu Ke was actually quite rational: splitting the offensive into two phases showed that the Empire¡¯s top army commander still possessed considerable skill.


    He refrained from deploying the mainstay 1st Armored Division initially, instead opting to use the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions first to wear down the Tang Army and Orc forces.


    On the first day of the campaign, Shenwu Ke planned to counterattack with these newly reorganized armored divisions, presenting a determined stance for fierce combat.


    After two days of grueling battles, he anticipated a weakening in Tang Army¡¯s air support. At that moment, he would suddenly deploy the 1st Armored Division to launch an assault on the Orc forces, breaking through their defenses in one decisive strike.


    This strategy was named the ¡°Eagle Endurance Tactic¡± by Shenwu Ke¡ªa euphemistic term for an ¡°attritional tactic¡± necessitated by logistical challenges.


    The Empire¡¯s fragile supply capacity could not sustain simultaneous operations of three armored divisions, so only the relatively lighter-equipped 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions would act initially.


    After logistical crews painstakingly scavenged whatever gasoline and diesel they could find from abandoned airfields, the gathered fuel would then be allocated to the 1st Armored Division for its follow-up attack.


    Previously, advanced fuel had been prioritized for the air force, leaving the army pitifully short on supplies.


    Unfortunately, even kamikaze planes couldn¡¯t take off, with the airfields rendered unusable from prior assaults. Consequently, the air force¡¯s allocated fuel was reclaimed for the armored corps¡ªa purely practical decision.


    Faced with dire circumstances and limited resources, Shenwu Ke could only make calculated compromises in deploying his troops for battle.


    That night, with its fuel supply finally secured, the Empire¡¯s 2nd Armored Division started moving. However, Shenwu Ke flew into a rage upon discovering that the 3rd Armored Division had advanced only about 20 kilometers to the southwest due to fuel shortages.


    The reason was that the train transporting fuel for the 3rd Armored Division had been paralyzed halfway, its tracks destroyed by Tang Army night bombers. As a result, the fuel-strapped 3rd Armored Division could only stand idle and wait.


    Helplessly, Shenwu Ke ordered the 3rd Armored Division to disguise itself locally and enter a defensive posture, shifting the day¡¯s counterattack entirely to the 2nd Armored Division.


    As noted earlier, the 2nd Armored Division consisted of only 100 tanks, including forty or so outdated ¡°tractors.¡± Despite these limitations, the reorganized division zealously carried out Shenwu Ke¡¯s order to launch the assault.


    On the fourth day after the Orc forces¡¯ landing at dawn, the Orc 1st Armored Division¡¯s 2nd Regiment spearheaded an attack against the Empire¡¯s forces near Dingcheng.


    As daylight broke, an Orc tank commander, half his body protruding from the turret, was astonished to see an old Shireck Type 2 tank swiveling ahead of him at the edge of a field.


    ¡°Ahead! Empire tanks! Open fire!¡± The Orc tank crew, well-rested from the previous night, was sharp and immediately executed the commander¡¯s order to fire.


    Below, the 4th Tank¡¯s main cannon adjusted its angle slightly and aimed its dark barrel at the distant Empire tank.


    ¡°Boom!¡± A shell roared out, piercing the wobbling Shireck Type 2 tank on the field ridge. The tank shuddered briefly, crippled, and became lifeless.


    The thin armor of such tanks made them vulnerable to shots from the powerful guns on the 4th Tank. The spectacle briefly felt almost pitifully excessive.


    Using the Tang Empire¡¯s modified, retired long-barrel cannon-equipped 4th Tank¡ªmore specifically, the 4th Type H¡ªagainst a tank with only a few centimeters of armor from the early World War II era was undeniably overkill.


    ¡°Enemy tanks spotted! Enemy tanks spotted!¡± The radio was flooded with cries of Empire tank sightings.


    Meanwhile, the Empire¡¯s tanks had also noticed the Orc tank battalion blocking their way ahead. After a few minutes of bombardment from the Orc 4th Tanks, the Empire¡¯s tanks finally began to retaliate.


    A shell landed near an Orc tank, erupting into dirt and startling the Orc tank commander conducting operations.


    He refrained from ducking back inside the crammed 4th Tank, as its poor field of view made sticking out preferable for directing the battle.


    At the moment, he held out a binoculars, pointing towards the enemy¡¯s location while shouting commands through the intercom. Not far off, a shell struck another 4th Tank, igniting an inferno.


    The chilling explosion rippled audibly even through headphones; it¡¯s unclear where the shell came from, but it certainly managed to pierce the tank¡¯s armor!


    Indeed, the Empire possessed cannons capable of penetrating the Orc 4th Tank¡¯s frontal armor. Whether it was the Shireck Type 5 tanks or Empire Type 2 tanks, their main cannons could achieve this feat.


    Due to their offensive intentions, the Empire¡¯s 2nd Armored Division did not abandon slower, older tanks like those in the 4th Armored Division or the Empire Type 2 tanks.


    They had only 100 tanks¡ªthey couldn¡¯t afford to leave any behind. Patiently awaiting assembly, they brought every possible tank to the front line.


    This allowed the Orc 1st Armored Division¡¯s 2nd Regiment to suffer setbacks: Empire tanks with newer and heavier designs created complications for the advancing Orc Armor units. The clash with the Empire¡¯s 2nd Armored Division inflicted considerable losses on the Orc forces.


    ¡°They have weapons capable of penetrating our tanks! Locate high-threat targets and prioritize destroying them!¡± A battalion commander gripping the intercom loudly reminded his troops.


    His tank was recognizable by the wobbling, high-power communications antenna¡ªunavoidable as the oversized communications equipment left no room for the longer 75mm gun.


    Using a short-barreled 75mm on the command tank meant it was ill-suited for combat, as its outdated weapon was no longer effective.


    With seven or eight tanks lost, the Orc 1st Armored Division¡¯s 2nd Regiment initially experienced tension and turmoil in the first dozen minutes of battle. Fortunately, this unit was trained in Tang Country and comprised carefully selected Orc troops, who quickly stabilized and began counterattacking.


    The Orc 1st Armored Division¡¯s 2nd Regiment contained three tank battalions, each with 47 4th Tanks, giving it a total of approximately 150 tanks.


    This number significantly exceeded the roughly 100 tanks of the Empire¡¯s 2nd Armored Division, meaning that when the Orc forces regained momentum, the Empire¡¯s 2nd Armored Division could no longer hold its ground.


    Even though both sides suffered similar losses in tank numbers, the Empire was bound to collapse first. This was indeed the case; the Empire¡¯s forces faltered even faster than expected.


    The reasons were clear: numerical disparity and obsolete equipment. The Empire had only about 100 tanks, of which 40 were incapable of damaging the Orc 4th Tanks¡ªoutdated Shireck Type 2 tanks.


    With the real strength reduced to 60 tanks against 150 Orc tanks, the Orc forces held over two-and-a-half times the numerical advantage, making the rate of losses skew drastically.


    The overwhelming numbers turned the battle into a lopsided slaughter: the Tang Army destroyed tank after tank, including the Shireck Type 5 models, crushing the Empire¡¯s resolve to fight.


    Soon, in a hopeless two-versus-one scenario, the remaining Empire tanks lost the will to continue, retreating and abandoning the wreckage of their fallen comrades as they withdrew.


    At this moment, Tang Country¡¯s attack aircraft roared overhead at low altitude, prompting cheers from the Orc Armor Commanders.


    The rocket and cannon fire began sweeping the battlefield, as the Yir Attack Aircraft piloted by Orc forces launched from New Island swooped in, throwing the Empire¡¯s 2nd Armored Division into chaos.


    Recently arrived infantry forces from the Empire, tasked with assisting the retreating 2nd Armored Division, were immediately caught off-guard and decimated by the aerial onslaught.


    Subsequently, the Orc 4th Tanks exploited their speed advantage during pursuit, causing devastating losses for the retreating Empire forces.


    Already heavily damaged, the Empire¡¯s 2nd Armored Division saw its 100-plus tanks utterly annihilated over the course of just one hour, leaving not a single survivor.


    The developments turned increasingly surreal. Emboldened by victory, the Orc Armor 2nd Regiment pressed forward under cover from aircraft, intending to crush the Empire¡¯s routed 2nd Armored Division completely.


    Instead, they unexpectedly stumbled upon the defensive positions of the Empire¡¯s 3rd Armored Division, resulting in a bloody setback as concealed tanks ambushed the Orc forces.


    Stunned by meeting such resistance from the Empire tanks, Shan Lu had no choice but to withdraw the battered 2nd Regiment, replacing it with the 1st Regiment to continue the assault.


    At this time, Shan Lu felt fortunate he hadn¡¯t sent the entire 1st Armored Division westward. He believed the Empire tanks encountered along the way had surely been preparing to attack him.


    He was correct, though there was no reward for accuracy.

 Chapter 1238: 1158 International Quality Management System

    Chapter 1238: 1158 International Quality Management System


    While the war on Ben Island¡¯s frontline persisted without pause, Tang Country at home was far from idle. What was happening within the Great Tang internally? Tang Mo was spearheading a massive reform initiative.


    He drafted a series of stricter production management standards for the Great Tang Group, akin to the ISO9001 international quality management system standards implemented by Western nations, to regulate his group¡¯s management and ensure the countless subsidiaries could develop more orderly and with higher quality.


    The Great Tang Group couldn¡¯t continue growing recklessly in chaotic fashion. It needed self-improvement, maintaining a healthy cycle amidst continuous expansion.


    This system had long been experimentally implemented internally, then piloted, and eventually promoted as a standard. All processes were executed according to the standards, providing a basis for lawful and reliable management.


    For Tang Mo, rather than deceiving others and awaiting significant misjudgments on their part, it was better to strengthen oneself and become invulnerable. Only by establishing oneself as unassailable could one have the leverage to anticipate the opponent¡¯s blunders and openings.


    That Western approach was far too vulgar. Tang Mo was a man deeply invested in developing his own hard power. He firmly believed in the principle that ¡°you must be strong to forge iron,¡± and thus he refused to follow the old paths of Western capitalism.


    These people, ultimately, are shameless. Back then, the 400 million ¡°rabbits¡± lived agrarian lives of subsistence¡ªeating vegetables, sweet potatoes, and cassava, weaving cloth to wear, without industry or money, harmless to man or beast... Then these people came knocking, attacking the rabbits until they were bloodied and broken.


    If you didn¡¯t buy their goods, they¡¯d sell you opium. If you resisted, they¡¯d aim cannonfire at your face. Then they¡¯d turn around and complain about the rabbits¡¯ closed-door policy, insisting the rabbits open up and offering their so-called industrial civilization as ¡°modern warmth.¡±


    A century later, it was still these bastards, trying every tactic to plead with the rabbits to deindustrialize, attempting to persuade them to stop eating meat and eat more vegetables. Shamefully fabricating lies so the rabbits could revert to the agrarian lifestyle of a hundred years prior.


    Why, you ask? So that once the rabbits believed their nonsense, they¡¯d all go back to eating grass, abandon their industry, throw away their weapons¡ªthen they¡¯d attack the rabbits again, forcing them to buy opium from them once more...


    Isn¡¯t it ironic? Those who devise such schemes must be true masters of twisted logic, right? Actually, they¡¯ve used this strategy in many countries¡ªand they¡¯ve succeeded.


    First, they support a batch of agents¡ªor simply pawns¡ªusing money and status to allow them to monopolize discourse. Immediately afterward, they start spewing nonsense, steering public opinion to align with their wishes.


    Things like ¡°participating in global division of labor,¡± ¡°abandoning heavy industry for environmental protection,¡± ¡°not eating meat for the sake of forests¡±... They feed people endless lies, crippling them mentally. Then they leverage capital for an overwhelming attack, downgrading the opponent to a primitive society, taking control of their food and minerals.


    Making money¡ªit¡¯s not something to be ashamed of.


    If your country has mines, they¡¯ll use food to pacify you, making you obediently extract the mines and sell off your ancestral property. Without mines? Then they¡¯ll use food to provoke internal strife, consuming your resources. After all, what¡¯s the point of feeding so many people when there¡¯s no mining wealth?


    And if you¡¯re thinking of tackling food control by farming for self-sufficiency or mining for industry¡ªmaking tractors, dishes, refrigerators... Hmm, noble idea, but nations who¡¯ve tried have their cemeteries overgrown with grass.


    Honestly, instead of shamelessly insisting that every rabbit living an ¡°eagle¡¯s lifestyle¡± is unsustainable for the world, why not focus earnestly on expanding the metaphorical pie for all to share in the future!


    Lighthouse Country has no such vision. Their worldview is limited to killing those who want to eat more meat and trampling on those who strive to share the pie.


    But in reality, once someone expands the pie, leading the poor toward a prosperous future, a hegemon like Lighthouse Country will be abandoned, ultimately collapsing into history¡¯s dust.


    The masses rally around the leader expanding the pie, ensuring that everyone has a slice to eat. History will make the most correct choice! The Great Tang Empire clearly needs to learn from Lighthouse Country¡¯s mistakes and choose the path of pie expansion.


    Since the emergence of Tang Mo¡¯s Great Tang Group, he has consistently been expanding the pie. Only by growing the cake on the metaphorical platter will he garner countless vested interests standing by his side.


    Even if his goal is to overthrow this world¡¯s feudal monarchy system, even if he aims to eliminate the old nobility, the old gentry, and the old landlord class.


    As long as resources remain unevenly distributed, humanity¡¯s commercial activity cannot come to a complete halt. Even barter is fundamentally a primitive form of commerce.


    Where there is commerce and trade, a class uninvolved in production will emerge. Thus, Tang Mo cannot directly hand the means of production to commoners. In the face of this inevitable reality, Tang Mo can only eliminate the more degenerate and corrupt old classes, constructing a newer, more advanced, efficient, and ruthless class.


    Commercial activity cannot be eradicated; market-driven transactions are irreplaceable for now. Hence, merchants cannot be wiped out. These individuals will inevitably control more means of production; this is a certainty.


    Merchants holding the means of production also shoulder the risks inherent in production and trade. The profits they earn are essentially compensations for bearing these risks.


    Of course, to mitigate such risks, merchants strengthen themselves, expanding their capital until it reaches a level where risks are manageable. Through cycles of devouring and elimination, they consolidate and distill. Those who survive grow stronger and larger...

 Chapter 1239: 1158 International Quality Management System_2

    Chapter 1239: 1158 International Quality Management System_2


    This is a law, but also a form of self-destruction. In the end, monopolies will form, and interest groups will become deeply entrenched; they will shift all risks outward while keeping enormous profits for themselves.


    Greed drives them to expand markets ceaselessly, allowing unregulated transactions to destroy everything: This is their ultimate goal, even if it means total ruin.


    On one hand, they promote consumerism, extracting the last residual funds from society; on the other hand, they exploit layer upon layer, cutting expenses to maximize profits.


    On one hand, they force people to work relentlessly to produce more goods; on the other, they lure people into endless consumption to absorb the excess products. Throughout this process, the only thing that keeps rising infinitely is human desire, as desire has no upper limit.


    Look, those urging you to lie flat may not have good intentions¡ªthey simply want you to rest and recover so you can cultivate a new round of consumption sentiment. Those pushing you to work yourself to death are not necessarily doing it for your own good; they merely want you to generate more products to increase the total wealth.


    They¡¯re all very sincere, their reasoning perfectly sound, and they have a wealth of high-level theories incomprehensible to ordinary people. Yet, in the end, whether you kill yourself earning money or burn yourself out spending it... it¡¯s always the common people who bear the pain.


    This is, in essence, a paradox: The grassroots, brutally exploited, devoured by inflated desire, sink into confusion. Desire drains their vitality and stirs up madness.


    Eventually, as misery spreads and the world collapses, the bloated capital predators will retreat into the murky depths, waiting for the chaos and carnage to subside. Then, they will resurface to claim the spoils of victory: They¡¯re hungry! Dormancy has made them thin. They need to devour more nutrients to grow fat again!


    Tang Mo had no idea how to confront such forces because in his past life, he was merely the most insignificant part of these forces! Even though he had achieved considerable success, he was still a minute vassal of these forces, perpetually ensnared in their cyclical grip.


    But here, he seemed to have found a means to restrain such forces: The Great Tang Group was the most effective weapon to hinder the expansion of these powers.


    Holding vast capital as Emperor, he personally intervened to crush those burgeoning initial capitals attempting to expand. He consumed them, absorbed them, and then scattered tiny seeds to nurture a new crop of wealth.


    This crop was not the people, not the grassroots, but all those dreaming of becoming capital¡ªthe new nobility, the wealthy, merchants... even bureaucrats.


    This model relied on the cheat advantage embedded in Tang Mo¡¯s mind, directing him toward continuous technological innovation. By leveraging this edge, he could monopolize everything, cyclically dismantling opponents who sought to challenge the Great Tang Group!


    Nevertheless, this path would be anything but smooth. Tang Mo¡¯s cheat-like strategy would inevitably collapse entirely with his death.


    His sons would not be able to execute such operations; his grandsons were doomed to face backlash. Amid fierce upheaval, even the Empire could face destruction!


    A more severe issue was that Tang Mo¡¯s tactic of using imperial capital to counter civilian capital¡ªdestroying capital through greater capital¡ªwould breed corruption.


    It¡¯s analogous to state-owned assets: Tang Mo¡¯s manipulation of the Great Tang Group within the Great Tang Empire was essentially that of an imperial merchant, a colossal ¡°state-owned enterprise.¡±


    One might even argue that the Great Tang Empire constructed by Tang Mo resembled a ¡°corporate-disguised empire.¡± Since the Emperor himself was capital incarnate, then the will of the state was synonymous with the will of capital!


    However, their colossal scale was both their competitive strength and their competitive weakness: A vast scale inevitably breeds corruption; sloth and mediocrity are unavoidable pitfalls in development.


    Tang Mo could harness technological advancements to continually introduce fresh blood. Lazy workers would be replaced by newly trained technical workers, lazy technical workers would be replaced by newly trained automated mechanical workers...


    But such occurrences would persist indefinitely, time and again. Tang Mo could drag the gradually decaying Great Tang Group onward, but no one else had such capability.


    Even giants like Toyota and Honda would falter due to laziness in the realm of new energy vehicles. Even elites like Lockheed Martin and Boeing would lose their sharp edge due to complacency. But not the Great Tang Group¡ªnot with Tang Mo at its helm.


    Even if he stopped now¡ªwaited ten years, twenty years¡ªno competitor to the Great Tang Empire would emerge in this world.


    The Great Tang Group, like the Shireck Consortium, would dominate in the decades, even centuries, to come. Yet, the Great Tang Group would inevitably decline after Tang Mo¡¯s departure, dismantled and divided among his descendants in the end.


    But he couldn¡¯t prevent any of this from happening: At present, he still relied on the Great Tang Group to collide with capital and obliterate the nobility, landlords, and gentry of the old world. He lacked the resolve and perseverance to anticipate and address the Great Tang Group¡¯s unwieldy tail, nor did he have the leisure to ponder whether his descendants could tame this monster.


    Just like the Tang Dynasty of Earth¡¯s civilization: When Military Governors defended the borders in bloody wars to grant peace to the Central Plains dynasty, which Emperor would concern himself with the troubling matter of curbing their power? Similarly, in the Song Dynasty, to avoid the tragedy of the Tang, when Zhao rulers favored civil over military affairs, which of them worried about the endgame at Ya Mountain?


    Humans are ultimately humans, not gods. Tang Mo was no exception. He could advance this world from a semi-feudal, semi-slavery system to a feudal system, or to a semi-feudal, semi-capitalist state¡ªthat was already his limit.


    As for whether this system was optimal, or whether it could secure the Tang Family¡¯s legacy for thousands of generations... truth be told, he hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead.


    He had yet to conquer all and unify the land, had yet to let the iron cavalry of the Great Tang sweep across every inch of territory¡ªhow could he have the mind to sit on his throne and ponder other matters?


    Those who believe that a good system and solid principles are must-haves, who think conquering and unifying the world would be easier with them¡ªsuch thoughts are far too nai?ve.


    The reality is: As long as the system you bring forth during the fight for dominance is better than the current one, with superior advantages, that¡¯s good enough. As for whether it¡¯s perfect... you¡¯re overthinking it.


    From a certain perspective, this world is a competition of mediocrity: As long as your opponent is more rotten, you can win the race. Sometimes, the battle is not about who is stronger, but who decays more slowly.

 Chapter 1240: Dont let others find fault with you at 11:59

    Chapter 1240: Don¡¯t let others find fault with you at 11:59


    The undercurrents of reform in the Great Tang Empire surged violently, and countless corrupt officials were detained and punished. Tang Mo abandoned his previously gentle approach and harshly dealt with some senior officials brought over from Brunas.


    These officials, relying on their positions, committed actions that greatly displeased Tang Mo, resulting in their severe punishment.


    The replacement local officials didn¡¯t bring Tang Mo much peace of mind either; they, too, were dealt with harshly. Ultimately, dozens were executed before they started behaving properly.


    A unit must purify itself during its advancement¡ªit¡¯s necessary and healthy. At least, this is how Tang Mo saw it: the more proactively he eliminated, the smaller the actual losses would be.


    On another front, far away on Ben Island, the war between Orcs and Goblins continued relentlessly. The Orcs¡¯ 1st Armored Division¡¯s 1st Corps encountered significant trouble when attacking the Goblins¡¯ 3rd Armored Division.


    Shen Army troops began playing their old suicidal tactics again: their soldiers desperately attacked Orc tanks using Sting Thunder weapons, leading the 1st Corps to suffer the catastrophic loss of 20 tanks in a single day!


    The next day, the Orcs¡¯ situation worsened even further. As Tang Army¡¯s aircraft carrier fleet prepared to retreat, air support to the Orcs¡¯ ground forces dwindled.


    Under such conditions, the Orc troops¡¯ offensive became increasingly sluggish, even appearing powerless. Shan Lu, facing desperation, could only increase the number of sorties by the Orc Air Force from New Island, but this led to direct and inevitable losses for the Orc Air Force.


    The unfortunate fact is, Orc pilots couldn¡¯t receive the extensive training that Tang Army pilots did to counter Shen Army¡¯s Zero Fighters. This allowed the previously struggling Shen Army Air Force to regain some ground.


    The Goblins, to their surprise, discovered they now had a slight capability to engage their enemies. Shen Army fighters from northern Ben Island took off once more and appeared near the Orcs¡¯ landing sites.


    Violent aerial battles erupted in the skies, resulting in the loss of 20 aircraft that day¡ª7 were Orc Butcher Fighters, 1 was an Il-2 attack aircraft, and the remaining 12 were Shen Army Zero Fighters.


    This sort of exchange gave Shenwu Ke a hint of optimism. He ordered more fighters to join the battle, only for 8 Zero Fighters to be shot down by the arriving Datang Empire Air Force jet fighters aiming to score victories.


    Such massive losses instantly sobered the Goblin pilots who had briefly felt elated: ¡°Big Brother is still Big Brother, and Tang Nation¡¯s planes are always Tang Nation¡¯s planes.¡±


    The Butcher Fighters, mostly piloted by Orcs, could somewhat hold their ground, but encountering the Datang¡¯s advanced jets, all the Goblins could do was flee or avoid them.


    By the 6th day of the Orcs¡¯ landing, their Air Force had lost a staggering 39 aircraft, with over 20 pilots killed. Near the landing site, Dragon Bombers¡ªwhich had nearly disappeared beforehand¡ªbegan to reappear.


    These bombers, despite carrying fewer bombs, acted as a barometer, symbolizing the battlefield situation: their mere presence in the sky indicated Shen Army was roughly gaining control of airspace.


    Eventually, those slow and vulnerable Dragon Bombers were driven off by Orc-piloted Butcher Fighters. Three Dragon Bombers were shot down, while the remaining escaped in disarray.


    The Orc Air Force¡¯s advantage in fighter jets wasn¡¯t as overwhelming as to allow their pilots to waste it recklessly. Although the Butcher Fighter seemed superior in performance, the Zero Fighter wasn¡¯t weak either, leaving both sides evenly matched.


    However, Orc planes suffered a disadvantage in range. Aircraft taking off from New Island couldn¡¯t linger long on the frontline, giving Zero Fighters with greater range opportunities to strike.


    Generally, Shen Army¡¯s remaining elite pilots employed low-altitude approach tactics to avoid Datang jet fighters potentially patrolling the skies, then suddenly climbed near the landing sites to ambush Orc fighters.


    This tactic proved effective, yet Shen Army didn¡¯t gain much overall: the exchange ratio of fighters remained one-to-one, a figure that hadn¡¯t changed significantly.


    After all, whether it was the Orc Air Force or the Goblin Air Force, their pilots were roughly equally skilled, meaning no miracles emerged.


    Still, for the Shen Army Air Force, their accomplishments far exceeded those of the past few months.


    Previously, they couldn¡¯t even shoot down a single Datang aircraft. However many planes they deployed, they¡¯d lose just as many.


    Now, they achieved some measurable results, greatly exciting Shenwu Ke, who believed the Tang and Orc forces conducting overseas operations were beginning to show fatigue.


    Similarly, ground battles seemed to affirm Shenwu Ke¡¯s analysis: after failing their fierce assault on Dingcheng, the Orc troops grew increasingly timid.


    Indeed, it appeared the Orc forces had no effective solutions against Goblin defensive fortifications near the mountains and rivers. After several attempts at attacking, they could only halt their assault.


    For the Orcs, the Goblin defense lines prepared by the Tang Army were formidable. These tunnels, integrated with minor surface fortifications, were something the Orcs couldn¡¯t quickly overcome.


    But Shan Lu couldn¡¯t wait. If they continued this stalemate, the Orc troops fighting a back-to-the-wall battle would only face worsening circumstances.


    Hence, Shan Lu was compelled to rush to Dingcheng personally and direct the 1st Armored Division in an all-out attack on the Goblin forces. However, what he didn¡¯t realize was that even if he broke through the frontline Goblin defense, more fortifications awaited behind.


    ¡°Shan Lu¡¯s troops likely won¡¯t be able to breach the Goblin defenses... I think these defense lines, almost hollowing out the mountains, were actually prepared for us.¡± Qian Jinhang looked at the map indicating potential Goblin defensive areas and spoke to Marshal Le Fu, who stood on the opposite side of the command table.


    Le Fu stroked his chin, studying the satellite and reconnaissance photos, deeply contemplating whether to intensify efforts by deploying General Feng Kezhi¡¯s troops on Ben Island to help Orcs carve out a breakthrough point.


    ¡°These known defensive lines are incredibly robust. They¡¯ve built numerous fortifications, and the northern and western sectors are similar... Shan Lu¡¯s Type 4 tanks will struggle to breach these defenses. The Type 4 wasn¡¯t designed for this kind of warfare,¡± Qian Jinhang added, after seeing Le Fu remain silent.


    When the Type 4 tank was first developed, most nations didn¡¯t even possess tanks. At that time, it could easily tear through enemy defenses and use its communication systems and speed to dominate.


    However, times had changed. Against solidly entrenched defenses, the Type 4¡¯s weak armor and inadequate firepower became glaring deficiencies.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered the Air Force to deploy incendiary bombs and fuel-air explosive bombs to conduct intensive carpet bombings in these regions,¡± Air Force Commander Xiao Yun told Marshal Le Fu. ¡°The actual effectiveness will need evaluation, but it should create some difficulties for Shen Army within their tunnels.¡±


    ¡°The primary issue is the Orcs¡¯ combat effectiveness... it¡¯s frankly abysmal.¡± This Air Force Commander openly pinned the blame on Shan Lu¡¯s troops for the failures.


    Nearby, Tang Mo overheard and finally understood the sentiments of German generals who mocked the Italian Army¡¯s combat prowess during WWII.


    Regardless of who lost the battle, it would certainly never be their fault. Since it wasn¡¯t their fault, it obviously had to be the allies¡¯ fault. Although Tang Nation Air Force indeed avoided blame, in fairness, the Orcs were already fighting valiantly.


    At least they didn¡¯t collapse at the first clash like Italy reportedly did on the battlefield... Though many anecdotes about Italy¡¯s WWII performance were exaggerated jokes, the poor wartime performance of Italy and France was undeniably a fact.


    A staff officer nearby seized the moment to briefly update on the Orc troops¡¯ subsequent landing: ¡°The Orcs¡¯ 4th Division has now taken the former position of the 2nd Division, while remnants of the 2nd Division have moved northward to join the heavily damaged 1st Division in continued combat.¡±


    ¡°The 7th Infantry Division is expected to land tonight. My suggestion is... have this unit try advancing westward,¡± Le Fu proposed while analyzing the map.


    ¡°Is that necessary? Isn¡¯t dispersing forces potentially detrimental?¡± Qian Jinhang hesitated after hearing Le Fu¡¯s plan and reminded his superior.


    Le Fu ignored the concern and maintained his stance: ¡°I believe it¡¯s worth trying, and we can provide the Orcs with some equipment from the 9th Group Army... improving their combat capabilities at least slightly.¡±


    ¡°That works¡ªgive them outdated weapons, artillery... even Scud missiles would suffice. But not the Type 59 tanks; our Type 64s still aren¡¯t abundant enough.¡± Tang Mo supported Le Fu¡¯s plan, knowing the 9th Group Army was the last formed unit within the Tang Army, with less sophisticated equipment.


    This group¡¯s artillery utilized Wild Wasp self-propelled howitzers, identical to those being sent to the Orcs¡ªold models based on the Type 4 tank chassis.


    Additionally, the 9th Group Army possessed several towed 155mm howitzers, making this a good chance to upgrade their arsenal, while providing the discarded equipment to the Orcs.


    ¡°However, having the Orcs¡¯ 7th Infantry Division advance westward... it¡¯s best not to finalize this plan yet. Let¡¯s consult Shan Lu first and hear their challenges.¡± Tang Mo demonstrated a degree of generosity towards the Orcs.


    This was quite understandable: after all, within Tang Nation were hundreds of thousands of Orc laborers closely observing this war. As long as the Datang Empire expressed goodwill, they could garner support from these Orcs.


    Such support wasn¡¯t merely verbal¡ªit was genuine support involving labor and effort! The Orc workers would work harder, striving to secure a future opportunity to move to their own homeland on Ben Island.


    ¡°Additionally... import another 100 Butcher Fighters from Chu Country to support the Orcs. If we want to commit, we should give it our best effort,¡± Tang Mo added. ¡°Don¡¯t let others find cause to criticize us!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Le Fu straightened up and lowered his head in respect to Tang Mo.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    After sending the two of them off, I returned in a terrible state, struggling to write a single chapter. Everyone can read it for now¡ªDragon Spirit will rest and post another chapter tonight.

 Chapter 1241: 1160 benevolence and righteousness

    Chapter 1241: 1160 benevolence and righteousness


    Shan Lu walked into his tent with a worried expression, placing a telegram on the table. He tapped it twice with his finger, signaling the orc elder, who was drinking tea inside, to take a look.


    The orc elder approached, glanced at the contents of the telegram, and his expression shifted from surprise to delight. ¡°Good! It seems the human Emperor hasn¡¯t deceived us this time.¡±


    The telegram was very clear: the Great Tang Empire was willing to further support the orcs with 100 Butcher Fighter Jets, 50 Yir Attack Aircraft, 200 tons of aviation fuel, and as much air cover as they could manage.


    This was nearly all the support Shan Lu had been hoping for. In other words, the Great Tang Empire was fulfilling its promise; their plan to assist the orcs in capturing Ben Island showed no signs of change.


    Moreover, this level of aid was profoundly generous: in addition to 150 aircraft, the Great Tang Empire was willing to directly allocate 50 155mm howitzers, 20 Panzer IV assault guns equipped with long-barrel 75mm cannons, and 50 extra units of Wild Bee Automatic Cannons from General Feng Kezhi¡¯s 9th Group Army!


    It was worth noting that even the orcs¡¯ 1st Armored Division was only equipped with 20 Wild Bee Automatic Cannons. For Tang to provide an additional 50 units was nothing short of a godsend for the orc troops, who lacked fire support.


    Additionally, if necessary, the Great Tang Empire was willing to provide 50 Scud Missiles, two early warning radar systems, and 100 radios for communication.


    The telegram also stated that if the orcs were willing to form a 2nd Armored Division, the Great Tang Empire would even be willing to procure a batch of Panzer IV tanks from Chu Country and donate them to the orcs at no cost to support their continued ¡°great war for freedom.¡±


    Beyond this, there were substantial provisions of fuel, food, and ammunition. The detailed supply list covered everything: tents, toothbrushes, shoe insoles, socks, pencils, erasers¡ªincluding steel helmets, bayonets, shovels. Of course, there were also wartime perks like cigarettes, candies, milk¡ªall items the orcs had never seen before. More importantly, all of this was free, shipped across great distances from the Great Tang Empire to Ben Island for them to use extravagantly!


    If the commanders of Mirage Country saw this aid list, they would undoubtedly break down in tears: everything they¡¯d dreamed of was listed here, including food, drink, clothes, and supplies.


    This was practically double the aid the orcs had previously received, doubling both the experience and the joy.


    This should have been cause for celebration, which explained the elder¡¯s delighted expression. But as far as Shan Lu was concerned, the weight of this supply list nearly suffocated him.


    The weaponry and equipment the Great Tang Empire had previously provided to arm the orcs were already comparable to this. Shan Lu¡¯s initial plan was to use these resources to crush Mirage Country outright.


    But now, it seemed that his opponent, Mirage Country, was many times stronger than he had estimated. His debt to the Great Tang Empire was growing deeper with each passing day.


    Now that the Great Tang Empire had provided him with twice the resources, what if the orcs still failed to capture Ben Island?


    ¡°This amount is roughly equivalent to the total quantity we received last time,¡± Shan Lu sighed, reminding the elder.


    The orc elder froze for a moment, then seemed to understand, turning to Shan Lu. ¡°General, are you worried that the humans might stop aiding us after this batch of supplies?¡±


    ¡°That is one of my concerns,¡± Shan Lu replied with a heavy sigh. ¡°I¡¯m also worried that if Tang continues to assist us, what will we do then?¡±


    ¡°If they give us too much, and we can¡¯t repay this political debt... it¡¯s a truly hopeless situation,¡± the orc elder said, his expression growing grim as the gravity of the issue dawned on him.


    It was akin to negotiating a dowry: initially asking for 100,000, the man¡¯s family agreed. Then they raised it to 200,000, and the family still complied. Now it had risen to 300,000, even 1,000,000¡ªand the family kept agreeing. At this point, the real question was: Could the marriage even proceed under such terms?


    If one could simply pocket the dowry shamelessly or disregard the matter entirely, fine. But what if the other side had immense power, capable of bending the rules and controlling both the virtuous and corrupt at will? How could one escape then?


    No matter how much was demanded, the other side was willing to provide. Now the question was: They¡¯d married off their eldest daughter, but would they now need to offer their youngest daughter to settle the debt?


    Shan Lu and his people faced exactly this dilemma. The Great Tang Empire was like that obscenely wealthy and omnipotent suitor, ready with millions¡ªor even tens of millions¡ªin dowry. Would the orcs¡¯ ¡°several daughters¡± have to be married off?


    ¡°What about beauties?¡± the orc elder suggested, offering the cheapest possible concession.


    Shan Lu¡¯s expression turned dark green. ¡°Elder, several of the Tang Empire¡¯s Imperial Concubines have already made it clear: anyone who sends more beauties would be directly opposing them...¡±


    The elder shrank back at this, realizing that while the Tang concubines couldn¡¯t deal with their own lecherous Emperor, they could easily handle a few orc tribes.


    ¡°Minerals?¡± With no other options, he proposed a more painful bargaining chip. Selling off national mineral reserves was essentially mortgaging the country¡¯s future revenues¡ªhardly a favorable deal.


    ¡°If they only wanted a few mines, could we refuse?¡± Shan Lu smiled bitterly and shook his head. The ¡°Orc Free Territory¡± was nominally Tang Empire territory, albeit with high autonomy and exemption from participating in Tang¡¯s offensive wars.


    In essence, they were a vassal state¡ªofficially part of the Tang Empire but operating independently within Tang¡¯s framework, enjoying economic privileges without the right to diplomacy or declarations of war...


    Under these conditions, if the Tang Empire wanted a particular mine, they could simply buy it or outright requisition it without needing extra collateral.


    ¡°Then what else can we give?¡± The orc elder panicked. If they kept offering concessions, they might as well give up Ben Island and honestly resign themselves to slavery under Tang¡ªit wouldn¡¯t be so bad, would it?


    ¡°For now, things are still manageable. But if the Tang Empire offers anything more, then it¡¯s hard to say how things will develop,¡± Shan Lu offered his opinion.


    He once had the opportunity to meet the kind and beautiful Orc Empress. Her Highness was truly benevolent, her voice gentle and soothing.


    With the Empress advocating for the orcs within the Forbidden Palace, the Emperor of Tang would inevitably show them some leniency.


    However, the orcs needed to strive harder to earn face for the Empress. If they themselves succumbed to decadence and failure, no one could save them.


    Shan Lu explained his reasoning to the orc elder: ¡°What we can rely on is nothing but the Empress¡¯s kindness, His Majesty¡¯s mercy, and the faint guilt Tang¡¯s leadership feels for us.¡±


    ¡°They appreciate our sacrifices in building the empire, as well as our diligence and hard work. But if we fail, then this debt will naturally cancel itself out,¡± he concluded with a heavy sigh.


    ¡°I understand. If¡ªjust if¡ªwe reframe this war into a form more familiar to us and only ask the Great Tang Empire for the bare minimum of support... what do you think?¡± The orc elder asked Shan Lu seriously, showing a level of gravitas Shan Lu had never seen since he left the Orc Empire.


    Shan Lu furrowed his brows. ¡°What do you mean by a familiar form?¡±


    The elder clarified: ¡°We just need ammunition and soldiers! No heavy weapons! We¡¯ll rally troops from the Orc Empire¡ªjust warriors, just manpower! Just like when we attacked the Xiqiang Fortress. We¡¯ll use numbers! Even if we have to pile up corpses, we¡¯ll level the goblins¡¯ defenses!¡±


    He then exhibited a ruthless glint in his eyes. ¡°If 100,000 isn¡¯t enough, then 200,000! If 200,000 isn¡¯t enough, then 300,000! As long as we have rifles and shells, I refuse to believe we can¡¯t exhaust the goblins!¡±


    ...


    ¡°How is that feasible? Do you think sea transport is free? That ammunition and shells cost nothing? This strategy is entirely inefficient, a complete waste of logistics,¡± Marshal Le Fu dismissed the orcs¡¯ plan outright after hearing their thoughts.


    ¡°Laborers should just keep working as laborers! They¡¯re already dying en masse mixing cement and hauling bricks. Sending these starving coolies to the battlefield is no different from sending them to their deaths,¡± another general chimed in, shaking his head.


    Qian Jinhang let out a bitter laugh. In the Dahua Empire, he too had entertained similar ideas: human lives were the cheapest and most readily available resource. Unfortunately, they would never understand that, in Tang¡¯s cost-efficiency calculations, human lives were valued far more than weapons or ammunition.


    ¡°Having them build bridges and roads within Tang¡¯s borders is far more beneficial than sending them to die on Ben Island. The orcs¡¯ plan is just a waste,¡± Le Fu said, turning to the communications officer. ¡°Reply to Shan Lu: 100,000 able-bodied workers plus 50,000 orc maidens in exchange for weaponry and equipment sufficient for five divisions!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too little?¡± someone questioned, feeling Le Fu¡¯s offer was stingy. After all, they were talking about 150,000 people¡ªpractically an entire city¡ªtraded for that limited equipment. It seemed pitiful.


    ¡°Too little? Trust me, once they see this price, their first thought will be to send as many as they possibly can!¡± Qian Jinhang shook his head. ¡°Right now, among all nations except the Tang Empire, who else values human lives?¡±


    Sure enough, upon receiving Tang¡¯s reply, both the orc elder and Shan Lu were dumbfounded. A deal this profitable actually existed? Gather 150,000 people and get weapons and equipment for five divisions?


    They were originally planning to throw those 150,000 into the frontlines to soak up tens of thousands of enemy bullets. Now they could get ten- or even a hundredfold returns by trading them to their allies instead.


    ¡°Truly... the Emperor of Tang is benevolent and virtuous,¡± the orc elder finally sighed in amazement after a long pause.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The other two updates will be posted later¡ªfeel free to check them in the morning.

 Chapter 1242: 1161 Clear Water

    Chapter 1242: 1161 Clear Water


    ¡°Mama! Mama!¡± A little Orc girl shook the small ears on top of her head, hugging her mother tightly amidst the crowd.


    The female Orc looked weathered, appearing much older than her actual age. She picked up her child, a look of apprehension on her face.


    The place was in utter chaos, with Orcs everywhere, soldiers carrying weapons all around, strict shouting echoing, and cries of children and women filling the air.


    ¡°Sir! I beg you! My child can work too!¡± At the front of the line, a woman clutched her child, pleading tearfully with the soldier blocking the way.


    The Orc soldier seemed somewhat impatient; he had seen too many women dragging their families around like this today.


    ¡°Get away! Check the notice! Only adult males and females! No children!¡± The soldier waved his arms, shouting loudly.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to be a good person and let this woman through, but the orders he received didn¡¯t allow him to do so.


    If he truly angered the human aristocrats behind him, affecting the recruitment numbers and harming the Orc Empire¡¯s interests, how could this lowly soldier bear such consequences?


    Even if he were killed, he¡¯d still be worthless! To put it bluntly, killing tens of thousands could make those humans sitting in the shade eating watermelons happy. The Orc Emperor doesn¡¯t mind trying a kill to see.


    In this land full of yellow sand, no one values life. Simply living wastes water, and breathing wastes resources! If it weren¡¯t like this, the Orc Empire wouldn¡¯t have to send soldiers to the western wall fortress of the Qin Country every year to die.


    The scorching weather was the mainstay here, and eating fruit in the Orc Empire was truly a luxury. In the past hundred years, even the Orc Emperor hasn¡¯t been able to eat fresh fruit and vegetables every day.


    However, in recent years, the railways built by the Tang Empire have significantly reduced transportation costs, allowing vegetables and fruits from Shu Country... now it should be called Qin Country, to enter the desert, letting Orc nobility enjoy the benefits brought by technological advancements.


    In the Orc Empire, such benefits do not reach the poor. Yet, as material circulation has become more frequent, ultimately some ordinary people have benefited as well.


    Looking at the humans eating watermelon in the shade, a few Orc children gulped. They really wanted to go over and see that... sparkling water they¡¯ve never seen in their lives!


    Indeed, the water in those glass bottles on the humans¡¯ tables was sparkling! It was clear and transparent, completely different from the well water in the Orc Empire¡¯s slums.


    For the poor among the Orcs, water was not transparent; it was muddy and full of the taste of sand. Drinking this water was merely to survive, a basic instinct of life.


    ¡°I beg you! Sir! My child can really work! He¡¯s very strong! He can lift things, do laundry! He¡¯s really capable.¡± The woman continued to plead bitterly because she really didn¡¯t want to leave her child to those malicious traffickers in the distance.


    Those people were waiting there, for impatient, loveless, and emotionally detached men and women to hand over their children in exchange for food and money.


    Today was indeed a good opportunity, a good opportunity to go to the wonderful human world. As long as they could board the train waiting at the distant station, they would live a life like never before!


    However... it required some sacrifice! They had to abandon the elderly and children at home, and head to a foreign world to work for ten years as commodity labor!


    During these ten years, these young Orcs were merely assets, humanoid assets of the Tang Empire, engaging in the most dangerous, complex, and laborious jobs.


    After ten years, they would qualify to go to a place called ¡°Freedom Island¡± to enjoy a blissful life! There was no yellow sand, only woodlands and farmland, cities and beautiful sea views.


    ¡°Next! Move!¡± That soldier didn¡¯t dare to make decisions, so he shouted at the woman waiting behind the pleading woman.


    The woman, who heard the shout, quickly stepped forward, and then the soldier responsible for inspection looked even more disdainful. After lifting the rag covering her face, the female Orc looked as if she might be 40 years old.


    In the Orc Empire, women over 40 were generally considered ¡°negative assets¡±; they were in poor physical condition due to hard work and lack of resources, and they were unable to bear children, with almost no function.


    Obviously, the old women the Orc Empire despised were not to sully the eyes of the human aristocrats. Young cat-eared girls could be sent to Chu or Tang Country to serve as maids or directly to entertainment venues, but the old women clearly couldn¡¯t.


    Moreover, such slaves clearly couldn¡¯t work for the Tang Empire for ten years; they might die of illness in two or three years, which would be cheating the Tang Empire out of money, wouldn¡¯t it?


    The Tang Empire was paying for military supplies and advanced weaponry and shocking technology that real gold and silver couldn¡¯t buy! If bad goods were used to deceive the Tang Empire, angering them, it would be disastrous.


    ¡°You...¡± The soldier carrying a Mauser 98K Rifle hadn¡¯t scolded the old woman yet when the corner of his eye caught a terrifying scene.


    A few children had somehow slipped under the only shade in the vicinity, standing beside the tables of those visiting nobility.


    ¡°Hey! Hey!¡± Anxiously, this Orc soldier quickly called his captain beside him: ¡°Sir, Sir... Hey!¡±


    Low-level Orcs had no names. Typically, a unit would have two hundred ¡°Dirt Clods¡± and over a hundred ¡°Sand Tigers.¡± The biggest difference between Orcs in the Orc Empire and those in the Tang Empire might be that Orcs in the Tang Empire all had names...


    The Orc captain, sunburned and dizzy, squinted his eyes impatiently, looking at his subordinate who had disturbed his sleep, almost wanting to draw his pistol and kill the fool who interrupted his nap.


    He had only just found a rock not quite so hot to sit on for a while! Annoyed, he glanced in the direction pointed by his subordinate and then jumped up from the rock as if burned by fire.


    Almost sprinting at hundred-meter speed, the ugly Orc captain ran under the shade, stooping down, ready to chase off the children disturbing the human guests.


    However, before he could speak, he saw a man, whom even the elders of nearby tribes would respectfully call ¡°Sir,¡± hand over a slice of watermelon to a dirty-looking child.


    ¡°S-S-S-Sir...¡± The Orc lieutenant was so frightened he could barely speak. That piece of watermelon... was worth more than a child here.


    ¡°This child looks quite good.¡± Watching the child, gobbling, who had tasted watermelon for the first time, the man smiled and praised.


    The highest standard for judging an Orc, especially a male Orc, might just be ¡°looks quite good.¡± There¡¯s no help for it, humans are face-value driven.


    For the Tang People, even if an Orc works a bit slowly, it doesn¡¯t matter, but being too ugly really makes people uncomfortable. Female Orcs are generally more attractive, but male Orcs are a disaster zone.


    ¡°They... those...¡± The Orc lieutenant, not sensing any anger from the humans he couldn¡¯t provoke, spoke a bit more fluently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak yet.¡± The man at the head of the table under the shade uncorked a bottle of mineral water, took a sip, and waved to the young Orc girl watching him intently.


    After waving, he poured the precious water onto a white silk handkerchief. When the little girl hesitantly approached, he smiled and wiped her face clean.


    After cleaning the girl¡¯s face, the man handed her the glass bottle in his hand: ¡°Very refreshing. Drink some first, and then you can save the rest for your mother.¡±


    The Orc girl, who looked like a porcelain doll, took the bottle from the man¡¯s hand, but she didn¡¯t dare to drink the water inside.


    In fact, mineral water in the Tang Empire had already started using plastic as a substitute for glass. Yet, in countries including Tang Country, glass bottles were still the mainstream.


    The difference being that beverages and mineral water in Tang Country already use metal seals with rubber gaskets, while other countries couldn¡¯t bear using metal goods, only managing with corks.


    The mineral water on the table was obviously not imported from the Tang Empire. They were produced in factories from Shu Country... now Qin Country.


    ¡°Drink up!¡± The man smiled; in the little girl¡¯s eyes, this might be the most beautiful smile she¡¯s ever seen, and she even felt he was gleaming like a deity.


    She gently pressed her parched lips to the bottle¡¯s mouth, cautiously lifting its base to let the sweet, clear water flow into her mouth... She realized water could taste so good!


    ¡°Go on!¡± Another human noble tossed each child a piece of fruit, not caring whether it was an orange or a pear, and waved at them.


    ¡°Hurry up and leave!¡± Feeling he finally had the chance to speak, the Orc lieutenant, who stood there awkwardly, glared at the kids. Under his intimidating gaze, the children immediately ran off.


    ¡°Count all these children and let them through. Also, that little girl from earlier... do not let anyone trouble her.¡± Without even glancing at the ugly Orc lieutenant, the man from the Tang Empire gestured for him to back off. He truly couldn¡¯t stand that unattractive face.


    The person next to him was quite generous, also giving the Orc lieutenant a bottle of water. This was definitely considered a blessing; hearing the command, the Orc lieutenant quickly retreated with the bottle in hand.

 Chapter 1243: Lucky Day 1162

    Chapter 1243: Lucky Day 1162


    He took a step back, his mind racing: Did he just mention that little girl? What should I do? What does it mean not to make things difficult for her? Should I report this to the squad leader?


    ¡°Sir, your child... is probably around her age, right?¡± The young aide asked his superior while watching the chaos unfold in the orc squad in the distance.


    The man who had just given the young orc girl half a bottle of clean water smiled faintly, ¡°Indeed, she¡¯s in the 6th grade this year.¡±


    Seeing that pitiful orc girl had reminded him of his own child, which was why he showed a small act of mercy.


    ¡°If she were in the Great Tang Empire, perhaps she¡¯d be attending school around this time,¡± the young aide mused, watching a group of children in the distance, followed by a cluster of others who dared not come any closer.


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± the man uttered, his expression darkening. ¡°Didn¡¯t they just discover some bastard a few days ago who had detained over twenty young orc children in his basement?¡±


    For a father, that man who made headlines deserved to be torn apart limb from limb. He had even been a long-time associate of the Great Tang Group since Brunas¡¯ era, well-known among many high-ranking officials despite his monstrous nature.


    But in truth, this man was a vile pedophile, who secretly sought out young orc girls with appealing looks, locking them in his basement to satisfy his depraved desires.


    The tragic reality was that since the children were taken from enslaved orc families, no one dared to report him. Those who lost their children even believed their kids had been taken under someone¡¯s wing to lead better lives.


    It wasn¡¯t until a corruption investigation stumbled upon this disaster that the Ministry of Internal Affairs raided his residence and uncovered the full extent of his crimes.


    The Great Tang Empire had not yet fallen so low as to shield such scum, so he was made an example of in a ruthless fashion. His execution was messy, with rumors claiming the soldier tasked with it was a new recruit who ended up shooting him four times before barely managing to kill him.


    Whether he bled to death or died out of sheer exasperation from the poor aim wasn¡¯t clear. Regardless, he was dead, and no one came to claim his body. This despicable creature, in his effort to remain inconspicuous, had never married or had children.


    ¡°With billions of people, how could we not have a few degenerates?¡± the young man offered weakly as if to save face.


    ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s why whenever I look at the state of the Orc Empire, I admire His Majesty¡¯s greatness. The world he envisions will be far better than the alternatives. To see that great world come sooner, I feel compelled to act.¡± The leading official from the Tang Country fixed his gaze on the little girl he had noticed earlier.


    After returning to the crowd, she handed the bottle to her mother. The female orc bowed repeatedly toward a shaded area, not knowing whether the man could even see her or not.


    ¡°What I can do is let more people witness His Majesty¡¯s compassion and have them pray every night to the heavens, wishing long life upon His Majesty the Emperor,¡± the man said, overlooking the orc crowd in the distance. His mood seemed to lighten considerably.


    Thirty thousand for the weapons and equipment of a division ¡ª such generosity would have been unthinkable in the peaceful Great Tang Empire. But here, it was a blessing the Great Tang extended to the orcs.


    When the esteemed guests from the Great Tang Empire granted permission for a child and an elder to pass through a checkpoint, it struck the orc soldiers stationed there as utterly unbelievable.


    After all, these were the advanced fighter jets they could never dream of owning, let alone the large-caliber howitzers far beyond their ability to produce in a lifetime!


    To trade such costly items for the lives of worthless elders and children... was there a more ridiculously unprofitable deal in the world?


    ¡°Keep an eye on that little girl! Let her and her mother through! Find a... Never mind! You, stay with them and don¡¯t let anyone get near!¡± The platoon leader, holding an obscenely priced bottle of mineral water, had a rare moment of clarity as he barked instructions. He immediately called over the man who had interrupted his nap earlier and assigned him to the task.


    The soldier, hearing the order, was taken aback. He then heard his superior continue, ¡°Let all women with children pass! This is an order from the esteemed guests! Hand off checkpoint duties to someone else and focus on watching that mother and daughter!¡±


    After speaking, the platoon leader brought his subordinates over to the woman, scaring off orcs who were eyeing the bottle in her hands with malice.


    ¡°Anyone who dares trouble them will be shot!¡± The orc platoon leader shot a glare at his clueless subordinates before hurrying off toward the squad command center.


    When Zhao Yu took control of the northern regions of the Dahua Empire, it opened the transit route from the Orc Empire to Qin Country, then to Dahua, and finally into the Tang Country.


    Qin Country was an ally of the Great Tang Empire, sharing a strong relationship. Qin Country couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t hinder the Tang Country¡¯s import of orc slaves.


    Besides, the Great Tang had paid its transit fees ¡ª an entire truckload of TA-183 fighter jet blueprints... treasures of incalculable value!


    The Dahua Empire was even less of an issue... Zhao Yu lacked the leverage to refuse the Great Tang¡¯s slave trade. He was barely managing to keep his tenuous hold on the throne, let alone cause trouble for the Tang Empire.


    Zhao Yu¡¯s instability on the throne wasn¡¯t due to the fading Zhao Jie but rather his own actions: selling off massive chunks of the Dahua Empire¡¯s eastern cities to the Great Tang Empire.


    This had lost Zhao Yu the support of the native Dahua population, who saw him as an incompetent emperor ¡ª one who disgraced the nation and debased himself for profit!


    As a result, Zhao Yu had recently refrained from targeting Zhao Jie, even halting his offensives. His focus was on suppressing dissent within his borders, executing numerous ministers and officers dissatisfied with him.


    When the orc squad leader brought the lucky platoon leader to meet the elders of a nearby tribe, the elders brought the mother and daughter along to express their gratitude toward the Great Tang Empire¡¯s esteemed guests.


    In their words, they subtly hinted at leaving the mother and daughter behind tonight to ¡°warm the beds¡± of these honored visitors. They even implied there were more beauties available if needed.


    The esteemed guests from the Great Tang Empire, with their generous gestures, merely allowed a few children and elders to pass the checkpoint. Yet, this act promised increased rewards for the nearby tribes.


    Earlier, traffickers stationed there were preparing to gather abandoned children, selling them off to Qin Country or Chu Country.


    But now, all these exchanges could be converted into tangible assets, granting access to more military supplies! As long as the Great Tang Empire was willing to take, the Orc Empire was willing to give!


    Why was the Orc Emperor so cooperative? Sending dangerous individuals to Ben Island was favorable for his rule; likewise, sending obedient ones there also bolstered his authority... Perfect!


    After all, with the Great Tang Empire removing surplus populations and providing the Orc Empire with additional resources, stability was ensured ¡ª a win-win situation for the Orc Empire.


    ¡°I have no such peculiar interests! I have a wife and children in the Great Tang Empire!¡± The leading Tang official furrowed his brow at the orc elder, who seemed to have turned into a brothel madam.


    Noticing the guest¡¯s displeasure, the orcs panicked, scrambling to clarify. After much explanation, they finally made it clear that they had no intention of disrupting anyone¡¯s family.


    The line continued to move at a slow pace. With the allowance of children and elders passing through, the clamor had decreased significantly.


    Under the shade of the trees, the man once again noticed the little girl who reminded him of his child. Her bright eyes studied him while her hands remained hidden behind her back, as though she wanted to say something.


    The man approached the little girl, gently ruffling her hair. Her soft, furry ears felt delightful to the touch, reminding him of his daughter¡¯s favorite plush toys.


    If only... his daughter could meet an orc girl like this one, she¡¯d surely be ecstatic. The man mused internally. As his thoughts wandered, the little girl raised her hands and presented a withered flower to him.


    ¡°For you, sir.¡± The little girl spoke earnestly. It was her most cherished possession. The man before her had gifted her a beautiful bottle and precious clean water, so she felt it only fitting to give him the thing dearest to her.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The man smiled, accepting the flower, which was wilted and even shedding petals. Tilting his head slightly, he asked, ¡°What kind of flower is this?¡±


    ¡°Sandy Moon, we call it Sandy Moon here. It shines as brightly as the moon over the desert,¡± the girl¡¯s mother answered softly.


    Truth be told, this female orc was also quite striking, exuding a sophisticated beauty. The man nodded, tucking the flower into his breast pocket.


    ¡°How does it look?¡± He turned back, showing off the flower to his two young subordinates. The orcs were dumbfounded, thinking that while a desert flower was rare, it hardly seemed worthy of the man¡¯s refined outfit.


    ¡°Lovely,¡± one young official replied with a smile. His colleague nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed, it looks good.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your husband?¡± After flaunting the flower to his subordinates, the man turned back to ask the girl¡¯s mother.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone... He died at the Western Wall.¡± Mentioning her husband brought a somber look to the woman¡¯s face. Since his death, life had grown increasingly difficult for her and her daughter.


    ¡°My condolences. Trust me, there¡¯s always hope.¡± The man said to the woman, ¡°Your daughter is adorable. Take good care of her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The woman glanced at her daughter, feeling like today had been her lucky day.

 Chapter 1244: 1163 increasingly difficult Goblins

    Chapter 1244: 1163 increasingly difficult Goblins


    The Orcs¡¯ attacks became sharper, making the Goblin troops on the ¡°Middle Defense Line¡± suffer greatly.


    The Middle Defense Line, built relying on mountains, rivers, and forests, is the Goblins¡¯ greatest reliance. The southwest of this defense line is Dingcheng. This city is a node on the entire defense line and an important supply base.


    The Orcs¡¯ target is here, along with the airfield behind this base that has been destroyed beyond recognition. After Shan Lu received 30 rocket launcher vehicles and 50 Field Bees, they launched an attack on Dingcheng once again.


    Compared to the Goblins, the Orc troops are better equipped, and their ammunition and fuel are relatively more sufficient. Even though the Orcs¡¯ supplies rely on sea transportation, the Goblins¡¯ reserves have already run out.


    By the 14th day of the Orcs landing, the Goblins¡¯ fuel reserves on Ben Island were nearly depleted: The Navy¡¯s fuel was mostly handed over to the Army, and the Air Force¡¯s unused fuel was all taken for emergencies.


    To avoid unnecessary waste, rookie pilots in the Air Force only conducted one takeoff and landing training before focusing most of their efforts on collision target practice.


    Under such circumstances, the Mirage Country¡¯s Air Force was practically incapable of training new mature pilots: Even on the relatively safe Northern Island, the Mirage Country¡¯s Air Force couldn¡¯t organize any effective training.


    For each mature pilot lost, the number decreased by one. In such a situation, the air combat performance over Ben Island, which had just slightly improved, began to decline again.


    While facing equally unskilled Orc pilots, the Mirage Country pilots regained some confidence, but they gradually discovered... the enemy began to outnumber them.


    The current training process for Orc pilots is as follows: They prioritize selecting those with good physical conditions before going to Qin Country.


    Then they receive training on the way in Qin Country or Chu Country, learning basic cultural knowledge. The smart Orcs are ultimately selected to become pilots, while the others are assigned ground crew training or sent directly to the army to serve as non-commissioned officers.


    The selected trainees undergo crash courses in Tang Country, mastering the basic knowledge of flying, then operating planes to control basic flight skills.


    They are then transported by sea to the air above South Island, where they patrol the southern airspaces of South Island and New Island, familiarizing themselves with aircraft operation while piloting Butcher Fighters.


    Ultimately, the skilled pilots are dispatched to the northern part of New Island to participate in the offensive operations against Ben Island! After completing this entire process, each pilot had approximately 100 hours of flight training time.


    Even though it still appeared to be insufficient, they were much better than the Mirage Country¡¯s replacement pilots. This wasn¡¯t just a small gap, but a huge disparity.


    Thus, the Orc pilots grew in both numbers and skills, while the Mirage Country pilots became fewer and weaker with each battle.


    Two Butcher Fighters swept across the sky, and several Goblin soldiers hidden in the mountaintop observation post stared blankly as they listened to the roar of the engines.


    Several days of continuous combat had exhausted them, and now they were seizing every opportunity to rest.


    They hadn¡¯t heard their own fighter jets in the sky all morning, and those Zero Fighters seemed to be unwilling to take off and engage in combat anymore.


    The troops¡¯ equipped kerosene lamps had become mere ornaments, and the precious combustible materials were now all controlled items. Even many officers within the troops were clamoring to launch a counterattack to seize the Orcs¡¯ fuel.


    Counterattacking was simply impossible because a counterattack without victory would waste large amounts of fuel. This fuel was precious and could not be squandered lightly.


    The Mirage Country troops, already lacking vehicles, had begun to prohibit transporting any items by vehicle. Officers, unless absolutely necessary, were prohibited from traveling by car.


    There was no choice; the fuel was too precious. It had reached a point where everything that could be replaced by alternative methods was swapped for solutions that didn¡¯t consume fuel.


    Cavalry became precious. If you could ride a horse, you wouldn¡¯t even have to go to the front lines; instead, you¡¯d take charge of transporting supplies from the rear. Officers also used warhorses for travel as much as possible, making the Mirage Country troops¡¯ mechanization level regress almost ten years.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting again...¡± a soldier yawned, lazily cursing as he heard the sound of artillery firing, that terrifying sound pressing down on his mood.


    The secret observation post built into the cliff was extremely safe; the Orc bombers could never penetrate such thick rock. But the vibrations and loud booms still made people jumpy. Such devastation weighed heavily on every soldier.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Indeed, a shell landed not far from the observation post, and the tremor caused dust to fall from above the heads of these Mirage Country soldiers.


    The Orcs possessed more and more 155mm caliber heavy artillery, and these bastards seemed not to care about ammunition consumption, firing incessantly every day.


    Here, in the mountains, the situation seemed a bit better. Now, it was truly an inferno in Dingcheng¡¯s direction. The Orcs continuously launched offensives in the flat areas over there, leading to extremely fierce battles on both sides.


    The Shen Army¡¯s 1st Armored Division had now officially clashed with the Orcs¡¯ 1st Armored Division. Both sides believed in their strong combat capabilities, so they fought fiercely, sending tanks to engage until both realized the opponent was equally a tough nut to crack.


    After resting for a day, the Orcs launched an attack again; it seemed they had received some support, with more and more heavy artillery, making it difficult for the Goblins to withstand, having already been pushed to the outskirts of Dingcheng.


    That area was where the Goblins had focused their defensive works, with dense bunkers and numerous tunnels. Combined with the almost ruined areas of Dingcheng, the complex crisscrossed terrain made it a perfect defensive position.


    The Orc troops did not retreat, believing they had gained urban combat skills in Fengjiang through tough street battles.


    So the two sides continued their fierce battles in the suburbs, going on for two days now with almost no progress.


    The defenders suffered heavy losses but held their main positions; the attackers suffered heavy losses too but captured some peripheral areas.


    It was like playing cards in a snowy tavern; both realized the opponent was equally matched. No ¡®easy bullying¡¯ was taking place; instead, there was a mutual appreciation for each other¡¯s strength.


    ¡°Just watch, they¡¯ll charge up again soon...¡± Another Goblin had grown accustomed to it. From morning until night, they saw this kind of scene a dozen times each day.


    Almost every hour, the Orc troops would launch an attack, leaving some corpses at the mountain¡¯s foot, then retreat... punctually like going to work, routinely like performing a job.


    There were even a dozen Type 4 tanks and Type 4 assault guns at the foot of the hill. Without looking at their paint, some Mirage Country soldiers almost mistakenly believed they were defeating the Tang Country¡¯s Armored Corps.


    But these Goblins weren¡¯t completely without pressure; their ammunition was depleting bit by bit! Because of the bombings, the ammunition factory¡¯s production capacity had significantly reduced, leaving bullets and shells mainly available, but supplies of some heavy weapons were obviously running out.


    For example, the 75mm mountain guns and the 76mm caliber anti-tank guns that the Shen Army particularly needed were almost unreplenished.


    These small-caliber artillery pieces were effective in mountain warfare, more agile than tanks or heavy artillery and better suited for deployment. Unfortunately, Mirage Country lacked qualified steel, and the factories were damaged, making production challenging.


    In the past few days, roughly 20 units of 75mm caliber mountain guns were lost at the front, but only 7 were replenished.


    This was at the Middle Defense Line backed by a factory. Almost isolated, the Western Defense Line, where the Mirage Country¡¯s 4th Armored Division was stationed, practically received no replacements for their lost artillery.


    ¡°Rat-a-tat!¡± Maybe they saw the Orc troops coming up again; a Maxim machine gun on the mountainside suddenly opened fire. Sporadic rifle shots were mixed in, and the siege battle started again.


    Unlike before, shortly after the gunfire commenced this time, a round of violent explosions nearly leveled the Mirage Country soldiers¡¯ position at the foot of the mountain.


    The dense explosions were countless, with an enveloping force that left the soldiers in the observation post terrified, their breaths caught in their throats.


    When they regained their senses, the area hit by rocket artillery was raging with fire, smoke billowing everywhere. A scorched smell permeated the air, the choking aroma nauseating.


    ¡°Ugh! Cough, cough, cough!¡± The Goblin soldier in the observation post squinted against the black smoke, clutching the wall as he dry-heaved. He wanted to vomit but couldn¡¯t bear to waste his breakfast on the ground.


    Food was incredibly precious; Mirage Country was beginning to experience food shortages, and the quality of military rations was declining, making vomiting indeed a form of waste.


    ¡°How come they have rocket artillery...¡± Nowadays, rocket artillery was nothing new, and the Goblin soldiers on South Island and New Island had already experienced this weapon¡¯s power.


    The Orcs had never had such things before, but now they did... and apparently in significant numbers. Coughing as he spoke, the officer in the observation post grabbed the phone on the table: ¡°Hello? Hello! Cough, cough, cough! This is the main observation post! Yes! The mountaintop main observation post! The enemy used rocket artillery and incendiary bombs... Yes! The frontline could be finished!¡±


    On the other end of the call, the officer responsible for holding the position orders with bitterness: ¡°Continue to observe! Report changes anytime to me! Yes! Hold on! Hold on! No matter what, you must not lose the main peak!¡±


    If this position were lost, the Orcs would gain a vantage point over the entire Dingcheng, and then... defending Dingcheng would become exceedingly difficult.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    The second update will be a bit later... My schedule is messed up again, so read it tomorrow... Sigh.

 Chapter 1245: 1164 Unexpected Gains in the West

    Chapter 1245: 1164 Unexpected Gains in the West


    The Orcs found it extremely difficult to attack the Goblins¡¯ central defense line. Despite their limited resources, the Goblins had the advantage of vast territory to fall back on and greater manpower, allowing them to grudgingly hold their position for the time being.


    Forty thousand well-equipped Orc troops continuously launched offensives against the 100,000 Goblin defenders, vividly illustrating the grim reality of the battlefield.


    While the Orcs attempted to fill the gaps with firepower, ultimately suppressing the Goblins, the Goblins, in turn, were filling the massive gaps in their central defense line quite literally with their lives.


    In the direction of Dingcheng, the battlefield had become a sea of corpses and rivers of blood. On every position, corpses of soldiers from both sides covered the ground. Even the trees had been blasted bald by shells and aerial bombs, leaving only stumps standing desolately across the war-torn land.


    On Ben Island, the Goblins had constructed four extensive defensive positions: the western defense line, the central defense line, the Shen Capital defense line, and the northern defense line.


    The Goblins invested the most effort in the central defense line, followed by the western and Shen Capital defense lines. The northern defense line was the weakest, virtually neglected due to the lack of risk of Orc naval landings.


    The northern defense line was primarily composed of concealed airfields and warehouse facilities, along with factories secretly relocated to the area. It was these workshops that allowed Mirage Country to maintain the production of key weaponry and equipment despite their dire situation.


    To keep these factories operational, Mirage Country had constructed a power plant in the Northern Region. However, the facility had since been exposed and bombed multiple times by enemy bombers, rendering its operations nearly impossible. There was no way to camouflage the plant¡¯s chimneys, which were simply too conspicuous.


    After losing the power plant, the factories hidden in the mountain caves of the Northern Region had no choice but to rely on their own generators for electricity. Unfortunately, these generators consumed fuel¡ªa resource Mirage Country had in limited supply, mostly swallowed up by these energy-hungry facilities.


    One upside was that the Navy had dispatched all its officers to join the Army¡¯s battles, and with its warships out of commission, the Navy was no longer consuming fuel. However, the bad news was that the remaining fuel reserves were needed by the Army, and there was not much left overall.


    Mirage Country had tried to find a solution, secretly sending out small cargo ships without flags or disguising them under the Poplar Empire¡¯s flag to smuggle fuel from the Ice Cold Empire¡¯s ports.


    This method was effective and proved useful not only for transporting fuel but also for acquiring raw materials like steel and brass, which were in abundance in the Ice Cold Empire.


    Dwarves, dissatisfied with the Great Tang Empire¡¯s covert support of the Poplar Empire, turned a blind eye to the situation, providing some supplies to the Goblins.


    But now, this smuggling route was no longer viable. The Great Tang Empire had completed construction of its submarine base on South Island, and with the expanded ports operational, the number of Destroyers deployed to South Island had increased significantly.


    The Great Tang Empire had initially seized South Island to transform it into a military base for the Northern Seas, so deploying its Fleet there was to be expected.


    Equipped with radar, Destroyers, aided by submarine units operating closer to the conflict zone, decisively severed the Goblins¡¯ maritime shipment routes.


    This blockade was thorough. Goblins were no longer able to obtain food, fuel, minerals, or other resources from the Eastern Continent.


    Worse still, the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s blockade cut off the shipping lanes between Northern Island and Ben Island. The only way to traverse the waters between these islands now was to risk flying.


    The Navy¡¯s suicide speedboats were suffering heavy losses against Otto Automatic Naval Guns, and with the fuel shortage, the remaining speedboats rarely ventured out.


    Warships from the Tang Country Navy began shelling Mirage Country¡¯s shipyards and docks, disrupting their operations. The shortage of raw materials further reduced the rate of replenishment for suicide speedboats to almost zero.


    Frankly speaking, since the day the naval battle erupted off Ben Island and nearly all the suicide speedboats were lost, Shen Haiping no longer placed any hope in his navy.


    Due to the pressing demands at the Army¡¯s front lines and the lack of experienced commanders, most of the Navy¡¯s surplus officers were reassigned to support operations on the ground.


    These Navy officers, though holding military rank and literate, were considered semi-educated and, therefore, more reliable than conscripted farmers or fishermen.


    Assigned as commanders, these officers could at least manage groups of dozens of soldiers. Now, these uniformed naval officers from Mirage Country were a common sight at the central defense line¡¯s front.


    Although Mirage Country nominally maintained a naval command structure and still had numerous vessels listed under its command, Shen Haiping and his commanders found little utility deploying them.


    Most of the so-called naval vessels were mere cargo ships, oil tankers, passenger ferries, and small boats.


    The aging warships previously left unengaged had been dismantled to produce other weaponry and equipment.


    Half a month ago, before the Orcs landed on Ben Island, the Navy was still preoccupied with covert smuggling operations. But now, as the Great Tang Empire¡¯s blockade tightened, no ships could safely return to port.


    In truth, Mirage Country barely had any operational ports left. Bombers departing from New Island and South Island targeted every single port relentlessly. The country¡¯s port handling capacity had been reduced to nearly zero.


    If not for the Great Tang Empire¡¯s strategic bombers being preoccupied with striking power stations, port facilities, and airfields, Mirage Country¡¯s central defense line would not have been able to maintain its relatively light air defense pressure.


    On October 1st, the fully armed Orcs¡¯ 9th Division landed on Ben Island, accompanied by reinforcements from the 1st and 2nd Divisions as well as the 1st Armored Division.


    At this point, the Orc troops on Ben Island had grown to nearly 250,000 strong. To the west were the 4th and 5th Divisions, to the north were the 1st and 6th Divisions, and to the east were the 3rd and 8th Divisions alongside the 1st Armored Division.


    With Orc reinforcements steadily arriving, the subsequent 7th Infantry Division, 9th Infantry Division, 10th and 11th Divisions, as well as additional reinforcements from the 2nd Infantry Division were now in place, significantly bolstering Shan Lu¡¯s forces.


    Compared to the Goblins, these troops came heavily armed, equipped with weapons, ammunition, and logistical support.


    Even the reinforcements for the 1st Armored Division arrived alongside tanks and armored vehicles. During unloading at a floating dock, an armored vehicle even accidentally plunged into the sea due to the dock¡¯s instability.


    Lacking control over any proper ports, the Orcs remained reliant on floating docks for supplies. These temporary docks were prone to damage, so Tang Country engineers had to construct additional floating docks nearby.


    Construction proceeded smoothly, thanks to the Orc Engineering Corps¡¯ extensive experience with such operations along the coast.


    Now, the Orcs commanded 11 infantry divisions, 1 armored division, numerous engineers, and logistical support units¡ªa truly formidable force.


    Shan Lu divided these forces into three components to launch simultaneous offensives in multiple directions. The 4th and 5th Divisions, reinforced by the 7th Infantry Division, advanced toward the Goblins¡¯ western defense line; the 1st and 6th Divisions, augmented by recruits in the 2nd Division, pushed north; and the 3rd, 8th, 9th, and 10th Infantry Divisions, together with the 1st Armored Division, launched an onslaught on the Goblins¡¯ central defense line.


    The 11th Division and remaining reserves were held back, ready to be deployed to any front as necessary.


    Of the three offensives, the northern push progressed the fastest, despite half the troops being new recruits. This success stemmed from the Goblins¡¯ lack of significant terrain advantages in the region and their limited troop strength. In just over 20 days, the Orcs had advanced nearly 100 kilometers, nearly severing the elongated Ben Island.


    In contrast, the eastern offensive, comprised of five divisions¡ªincluding the elite armored division¡ªencountered the slowest progress. The Goblins maintained countless defensive structures and concentrated their best troops in this theater.


    Surprisingly, the western offensive proved to be the breakthrough for the Orcs. The Goblins¡¯ beleaguered 4th Armored Division, which had suffered heavy losses during counterattacks, finally succumbed to the strain, resulting in a complete rout.


    Goblin infantry divisions anchored to the 4th Armored Division also began retreating. Exhausted of ammunition and food, they abandoned their relatively strong western defense line and fled northwest.


    The Shen Army commanders, fearing their flanks would be exposed to Orc attacks, attempted to withdraw northward, aiming to exploit the Orcs¡¯ incomplete encirclement of Ben Island and slip through to the east to regroup with the main Shen Army forces.


    However, they underestimated the speed of the Orc forces advancing from the north and ran straight into the 1st Infantry Division, where they were caught off guard and soundly defeated.


    Advancing westward, the 4th Orc Infantry Division captured the abandoned western defense line and successfully took control of the deserted western airfield, achieving a key part of their campaign objectives.


    One piece of good news followed another¡ªdue to the Goblins¡¯ collapse in the west, a small port in the island¡¯s west also fell into the hands of the 5th Orc Infantry Division. Though the port was heavily damaged, the Orc laborers, specializing in repairs, quickly got to work.


    Before the Engineers could even catch up, the 5th Division mobilized two battalions of troops to repair the docks. Their efficiency was exemplary, outshining their wartime prowess.


    Three days later, the last Goblin unit operating as a coherent force in the island¡¯s west was surrounded and annihilated by the 1st Infantry Division. With this, the Orcs completely occupied the western sector of Ben Island.


    The tide had turned. With no rear threats remaining, the Orcs freed up four to five divisions to be redeployed to the eastern front.


    Upon hearing that the western front had been entirely overrun, the Shen Emperor ordered Shen Haiping, the Grand Admiral of the Navy, to move to the central defense line and personally command the battle there, forbidding retreat under any circumstances! Shenwu Ke, meanwhile, mobilized 100,000 newly recruited soldiers, sending them directly to the central defense line.

 Chapter 1246: Situation is difficult in the 1165th game

    Chapter 1246: Situation is difficult in the 1165th game


    The underground passage was slightly dim, and the lights on the walls emitted a faint glow. The Goblin guard at the door used that bit of illumination to make out the shoulder insignia of the visitor and immediately stood at attention to salute.


    Shen Haiping pushed open the door and walked into his new office. The setup was very basic, but at least the ceiling lamp was slightly brighter than the corridor lights.


    Only the Commander¡¯s office enjoyed such treatment. Were it not for the poor ventilation inside the mountain, they would have already been forced to use kerosene lamps or candles.


    Standing at a height not particularly impressive even among Goblins, Shen Haiping removed his military cap and hung it on the hook on the wall. There were no decorations here; the walls were simply a dug-out mountain cave reinforced with some cement.


    With the dampness and poor ventilation, the air carried a smell that was hard to describe. Shen Haiping missed his old office, where he could push open a window to feel the sea breeze, but he could no longer return to it.


    Nor could they return to Mirage Country anymore. The war had advanced to a state where everyone knew the outcome¡ªdefeat was inevitable. But when and how defeat would come... that still required Mirage Country to struggle a little longer.


    As a symbol, or perhaps a token, the Navy Admiral personally overseeing the front where the battle was the fiercest sent a signal to all fighting Mirage Country soldiers: this war is not yet lost! It must continue!


    Though this held only a symbolic meaning for boosting morale. As a Navy Admiral, Shen Haiping¡¯s capability to command ground operations was essentially zero.


    To put it more bluntly, he was nothing more than a senior-level organizational leader. The one truly skilled at leading troops on the battlefield and commanding fleets in combat had been the Main Fleet Commander Shen Haifeng who had died in battle.


    Shen Haiping, the Supreme Commander of the Navy, was generally occupied with logistics, personnel management, naval shipbuilding oversight, and miscellaneous work, leaving little energy for command.


    Yet this old man now had no choice but to pick a cave for himself and share the same fate as the tens of thousands of Mirage Country troops also stationed in these caves.


    He didn¡¯t really have much room to complain, though. At least his location was relatively safe, without the constant threat of shelling or the endless sound of gunfire.


    Furthermore, the living conditions here weren¡¯t so bad: at least his walls were smooth and, aside from lacking windows, the place at least resembled a proper room.


    Unlike most rooms or storage spaces in the underground bunker¡ªcrudely carved out and minimally supported¡ªShen Haiping¡¯s room even had a portrait of the Shen Emperor hanging on its walls. In the sparsely decorated front-line caves, this was quite an unusual luxury.


    From a strategic standpoint, Mirage Country found itself in a dire situation. After losing the western front line, the country¡¯s position had turned increasingly passive. The central front line did not stretch across the entire Mirage Country; there was still a distance between it and the coastline.


    The southern side wasn¡¯t as bad, being a priority defense zone. It was about 30 to 40 kilometers from the shoreline, with less significant gaps and with defensive nodes like Dingcheng positioned there.


    The northern part of the central front line, however, faced major issues. The key problem lay in how the central mountain range¡ªa defensive stronghold for Mirage Country¡ªdid not extend to the northernmost beach.


    The entire mountain range was roughly 50 kilometers from the northern coastline, and this stretch was almost devoid of proper defenses.


    When building the central front line, the construction period was rushed, and the northern coastline, being mostly cliffs, was deemed unsuitable for amphibious operations. As a result, Mirage Country hadn¡¯t considered the possibility of an enemy attack from that direction.


    Even if they had considered it, it wouldn¡¯t have helped much. The tight timeline made construction impossible; completing the more vulnerable southern front line was already quite an achievement.


    Initially, this wasn¡¯t a huge issue since laborers had been continuously digging, attempting to reinforce the northern defenses.


    But the collapse of the western front line was far too sudden. Now Orc troops were pressing toward the poorly defended gap with insufficient defenders, lacking both weaponry and equipment.


    If the Orc troops broke through Mirage Country¡¯s defense at that gap, they could advance south along the periphery of the central mountain range from the north, threatening the rear of the central front line.


    Without strong defensive positions, Mirage Country troops in open-field combat would undoubtedly lose against Orc forces gaining air superiority. At that point, Mirage Country forces stationed in the Central Mountain Region would face the risk of encirclement.


    If the Orc attack went smoothly, they might break through Dingcheng and rendezvous with the troops bypassing the north, pushing Mirage Country¡¯s predicament to near-collapse.


    Shen Haiping was here not only to represent the Shen Emperor in overseeing the battle but also because he held no real authority¡ªor administrative responsibilities¡ªthus he didn¡¯t have much work to do.


    Just as he was idly staring at the portrait of the Shen Emperor hanging on the wall, his door was knocked upon.


    ¡°General! General You has arrived,¡± Shen Haiping¡¯s adjutant opened the door and reported to him. Shen Haiping withdrew his gaze and issued an order, ¡°Let him in.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Admiral Shen! It¡¯s really wonderful to see you.¡± Having learned earlier of Shen Haiping¡¯s arrival but choosing not to greet him, Shenwu You¡ªthe Army Lieutenant General¡ªentered Shen Haiping¡¯s office briskly after his announcement.


    Symbolically standing at attention and saluting, Shenwu You then removed his military cap. ¡°The front lines are tense; I just returned from Dingcheng and could not greet the Admiral properly. My apologies.¡±


    Knowing the Army¡¯s disdain for the Navy, Shen Haiping¡ªreliant on others now¡ªchose not to insist on face-saving gestures. He smiled lightly and gestured for Shenwu You to sit. ¡°The battle rages on; General You is busy with military affairs. I completely understand. The situation is dire... there¡¯s no need to be overly formal.¡±


    If the Navy fleet were still intact, Shen Haiping could¡¯ve slapped the man across the face, reminding him that a mere Lieutenant General had no right to feign excuses for disrespect.


    But under current circumstances, such posturing was pointless. His Navy was gone, and whether he could even get a meal here depended on the Army¡¯s goodwill.


    Noticing Shen Haiping showed no inclination to vie for command authority, Shenwu You relaxed. He didn¡¯t harbor deep personal hatred toward the Navy; their disputes were merely over conflicting interests. Personally, there was no animosity.


    His earlier stunt of snubbing Shen Haiping upon arrival was more a warning to the Admiral¡ªurging him to accept his symbolic role and abandon any outlandish ideas of asserting control.


    In fact, he needn¡¯t have worried. Given the current situation, no rational person would concern themselves with competing over command authority anymore. It was nothing but a hot potato; whoever held it would also bear the blame.


    With differing perspectives, they naturally pursued their own strategies: Shenwu You feared Shen Haiping¡¯s inexperience in ground warfare would speed up their demise, while Shen Haiping had long given up and was uninterested in vying for power.


    ¡°It¡¯s reassuring that Admiral Shen understands our difficulties,¡± Shenwu You said, taking a seat as he sighed. ¡°The situation is dire; the nation stands at the brink of survival. Since the collapse of the western front line, things have been deteriorating rapidly. The northern parts of the defensive line are strained, and the outlook is grim.¡±


    The adjutant poured water for both generals as the ventilation system started humming¡ªa distant, irritating droning sound. This system had to operate intermittently; otherwise, the bunker¡¯s occupants risked suffocating themselves.


    ¡°How did the western front line collapse so suddenly?¡± Shen Haiping asked after taking a sip of water, addressing the question that had been bothering him.


    As a former Navy officer, Shen Haiping wasn¡¯t too informed about the details of the western front line¡¯s collapse. After all, he had not been assigned to this location until after its downfall.


    ¡°The Orcs advanced north, effectively cutting off our connection to the western front line,¡± Shenwu You explained. ¡°The western stockpile of ammunition was depleted. Holding the defenses with no supplies was pointless, so withdrawal was the only option.¡±


    Mirage Country¡¯s western front line had almost no ability to produce weapons. Even if they had facilities, the lack of raw materials made production impossible.


    Without ammunition or weapons replenishments, the sturdy primary defenses could no longer be held, leading them to abandon the positions and attempt breakout operations.


    In reality, the problems at the western front line extended beyond dwindling ammunition. The food supply had also run out. Nearly 40,000 front-line troops, along with local garrisons totaling 100,000 personnel, consumed resources at staggering rates.


    Furthermore, medical supplies were lacking. Injured soldiers couldn¡¯t receive treatment; minor wounds turned severe, while critical injuries meant awaiting death. Morale faltered, and combat effectiveness suffered.


    Forced under dire circumstances, the western front line commander¡ªwhen the entire army was only eating one full meal a day¡ªfinally decided to abandon the still-sturdy defenses and launch a proactive northern withdrawal attempt.


    But they collided with the Orcs¡¯ 1st and 6th Divisions. With aerial support, fresh reinforcements, and the momentum of recent victories, the Orcs surged forward. Mirage Country forces stationed to the west of Ben Island practically collapsed overnight, leaving the aftermath as nothing more than Orcs rounding up Goblin prisoners across the mountains.


    The issue now was that, without the western troops to hold them back, the central front line faced the risk of being encircled... Soon enough, they too would confront the same problems: running out of supplies and facing collapse.


    It was an agonizing dilemma, stuck between advancing and retreating. Abandoning the central front line would mean wasting carefully constructed defensive structures; staying the course would require proactive efforts to stockpile essential supplies for survival.

 Chapter 1247: The industrious 3rd Armored Division with its many capable members

    Chapter 1247: The industrious 3rd Armored Division with its many capable members


    But no one can decide on such matters because, given the current situation in Mirage Country, the transportation of supplies carries many risks.


    First is the loss of air superiority. The rail lines are disrupted intermittently due to bombings, large-scale transport consumes valuable fuel, and there¡¯s also the risk of unnecessary losses caused by airstrikes. These issues are intolerable for Mirage Country, which is gravely short of resources.


    Another grave issue is: if the Orc forces in the north truly break through the defensive line and begin moving south, it would essentially be slicing Mirage Country¡¯s Ben Island in half like a kitchen knife.


    Mirage Country¡¯s controlled area would be divided into two parts: one being the mountain defense line in the Central Region, and the other being the Shen Capital defense zone.


    Who can guarantee that the Orc forces surrounding the Central Region¡¯s defense line would first attack the mountain defenses rather than targeting the Shen Capital?


    Without this guarantee, why would the supplies and weapon ammunition from the Shen Capital be transported to the Central Region¡¯s defense line? The Central Region is important, but isn¡¯t the defense of King City equally critical?


    If supplies aren¡¯t transported from the Shen Capital, then they¡¯d have to come from the farther northeastern area, which would cause even more headaches for Mirage Country¡¯s leadership: the long distance, needing more transportation capacity and fuel... It¡¯s agonizing just thinking about it, isn¡¯t it?


    Bear in mind that right now even frontline transport relies on oxen and horses. Transporting from the eastern region to the frontlines at this point... If the trains can operate, it¡¯s still manageable; but if the rail tracks are bombed en route, the fuel expended might be more precious than the ammunition transported to the front lines.


    After all, those small workshops hidden in the northeastern mountain regions of Mirage Country rely on fuel for power, and this is essential for producing ammunition and weaponry.


    In reality, Mirage Country has always been transporting various ammunition and weapons from the northeastern mountains outward, but the scale itself is small: firstly, to avoid bombings; secondly, because the production capacity there is low¡ªit can¡¯t churn out much.


    Thus, the third problem is: Mirage Country inherently doesn¡¯t have enough resources to transport to both the Central Region and Shen Capital.


    If there¡¯s nothing to begin with, then even preparing vehicles or trains means there¡¯s nothing to transport, right? So Mirage Country¡¯s choices come down to transporting from the relatively nearby Shen Capital region, where reserves were better stocked¡ªlike robbing Peter to pay Paul¡ªor abandoning the Central Mountain Region, withdrawing the main forces to the Shen Capital corridor before the Orc forces complete the encirclement.


    But this brings us back to the original issue: abandoning such fortifications that cost tremendous manpower and resources to construct¡ªMirage Country¡¯s leadership is unwilling to do so! It¡¯s heartbreaking to let go of something built with so much effort and sacrifice.


    This is the reality for small and thinly populated countries: they are miserly with choices, unwilling to abandon anything, hesitating with indecision while often ruthless in greed during decision-making.


    ¡°From the current perspective, we can only think of ways to defend the Northern Region frontline.¡± Shen Haiping, who had served many years as Navy Supreme Commander, naturally possessed some strategic foresight.


    Thus, he immediately saw that the northern defenses must not be lost! Only by resolutely holding the northern line to prevent the Orcs from bypassing the Central Region and advancing south can all difficulties be resolved.


    ¡°The Supreme Commander has the same thought, and we¡¯ve been reallocating forces recently to reinforce the Northern Region, aiming to block the Orc troops.¡± Shenwu You nodded in agreement.


    When he mentioned the Supreme Commander, he was referring, of course, to the Army Supreme Commander, his immediate superior, General Shenwu Ke. If Shen Haiping could see the problem, Shenwu Ke naturally saw it as well.


    Thus, Shenwu Ke had been deploying troops in an attempt to seal this gap, preemptively eliminating risks before the issue arose.


    To achieve this, Shenwu Ke even refrained from replenishing the losses of Mirage Country¡¯s 1st Armored Division, allocating the most recently manufactured thirty or so tanks of various models to the relatively well-performing 3rd Armored Division from previous battles. This unit was covertly withdrawn to the second line, then dispatched north for reinforcements.


    This so-called 3rd Armored Division now had a total of 70 tanks, supported by 200 trucks for logistics, with the rest being infantry soldiers without exception.


    Called an armored division, but truthfully, it¡¯s more akin to the infantry-enhanced brigade structure of Tang Country. Aside from the additional infantry, Mirage Country¡¯s armored divisions really don¡¯t qualify as divisions.


    A Tang Country infantry division consists of an independent assault gun battalion with 45 Type-4 assault guns, an anti-tank gun battalion with 45 Type-4 tank destroyers. This setup already surpasses Mirage Country¡¯s armored divisions, not to mention that Tang Army infantry divisions also include armored vehicles and armored reconnaissance cars.


    ¡°Now, we can only hope the 3rd Armored Division stabilizes the northern situation.¡± After listening to Shenwu You¡¯s brief explanation, Shen Haiping sighed helplessly.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s hope...they can thwart the Orc offensive...so we can...buy more time.¡± Shenwu You ultimately didn¡¯t have the courage to spout empty words about victory.


    Meanwhile, the Orcs were in a much better position: the greatest improvement was their control over a small port, significantly boosting Tang Country¡¯s ability to unload supplies.


    Orc engineer squads were frantically expanding the port. Every bit of expansion enabled Tang Army to deliver more resources to Ben Island.


    With these resources, the Orc troops could now flaunt their wealth¡ªthey had sufficient ammunition at the frontline, abundant food, and even if living in trenches, their conditions far surpassed those of Mirage Country¡¯s garrison troops.


    With possession of a port, the Orcs¡¯ logistics greatly improved. While this was exhilarating news, the true jubilation came from capturing two airports.


    Though these airports suffered heavy damage, with the runways completely destroyed by Tang Army bombers, Orc engineers found it entirely possible to repair them as long as raw materials were available.


    These airports, classified as forward bases, didn¡¯t need to accommodate Tang Army¡¯s jet fighters or bombers. Therefore, the requirements for airstrips and facilities were low, enabling quick repairs.


    Moreover, with air superiority under their control, many safety concerns could be ignored¡ªfor instance, fuel storage could simply be placed in superficial warehouses without necessitating underground oil bunkers.


    Additionally, anti-aircraft gun emplacements could be omitted, and even hangars for planes could be built later¡ªbasically, they saved wherever they could.


    Once these airports became operational, the Orcs could overcome the short flight range issue of their air force. Attack aircraft and fighters that previously could only remain over the battlefield for minutes could now patrol above the Mirage Army¡¯s positions all day.


    Moreover, the Type-130 transport planes specially designed by the Great Tang Empire for forward bases could take off and land at field airports. This meant that the supplies Tang Country provided to Orc troops could now also be delivered by air.


    With two airports plus a small port, the Orc forces stabilized their rear logistics, paving the way for faster personnel reinforcements and further troop strength enhancements.


    With more troops, the Orc encirclement of the Central Mountain Region became increasingly certain. Shan Lu was already planning to exchange more Orc slaves for his second armored division.


    The so-called ¡°weapon and equipment for a division¡± provided by the Great Tang Empire naturally didn¡¯t adhere to the Tang Army¡¯s standard organizations but instead referenced the ¡°infantry division¡± structures of its vassal nations.


    In other words, it referenced Chu Country¡¯s infantry division structure: a single division with a force of over 10,000 personnel, equipped with roughly 400 vehicles of various models, dozens of medium-caliber towed artillery pieces, and assorted other functional equipment.


    These include, but are not limited to, some anti-tank guns or anti-aircraft artillery, construction vehicles, armored vehicles, or Type-4 assault guns.


    Each division typically had one or two battalions with similar equipment, combining resources of two or three Chu Country infantry divisions to approximate a single Tang Army infantry division.


    An armored division, of course, was priced far higher than this: the Orcs¡¯ armored division¡ªcurrently the sole division¡ªwas the 1st Armored Division operating on Ben Island. Its structure was modeled after the Great Tang Empire¡¯s armored divisions for actual combat.


    This armored division totaled nearly 500 tanks, a figure clearly far beyond what could be bought with tens of thousands of slaves. However, Shan Lu still intended to make an application to the Great Tang Empire, hoping to organize a second armored division.


    Previously, Shan Lu resisted the idea¡ªpartly because he couldn¡¯t afford it, and partly because he couldn¡¯t maintain it. The fluctuating capacity of supply line infrastructures made supporting so many tanks clearly unattainable. Only recently, with the availability of ports and airports, could the Orcs sustain a second armored division.


    In fact, the demand for a second armored division had only arisen recently¡ªthe Orcs wanted to achieve a breakthrough in the north, requiring a maneuverable armored unit for flanking maneuvers.


    The Great Tang Empire agreed to the request but noted that the new tanks would take time to transport. The Orc infantry would still need to rely on their own flesh and blood for swift breakthroughs against the Goblin forces in the north.


    There was no alternative¡ªfor if they waited for the tanks, the Mirage Army would surely use that time to further fortify its defenses. It¡¯s hard to calculate which option¡ªwaiting or immediately attacking¡ªbears the greater cost.


    Since no one knows for sure, no one dares to wait. That¡¯s how war operates: even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. The Fu?hrer waited in Kursk for his Ferdinand and Tiger tanks, only for the Soviet Red Army to counterattack with anti-tank trenches and minefields.


    Thus, after merging the 4th and 5th divisions, the Orc¡¯s 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th divisions formed an offensive cluster in the north, initiating an attack against the Goblins.


    Lacking fortifications, ammunition, medicine, and food, the Mirage Army resisted fiercely but achieved little.


    The Orc forces advanced an average of 10 kilometers per day, pushing the Goblins into continuous retreat. It looked as though the Goblins were on the verge of collapse. However, they still held onto one hope: the covert reinforcement from Mirage Country¡¯s 3rd Armored Division.

 Chapter 1248: Battle of Blades in Dingcheng 1167

    Chapter 1248: Battle of Blades in Dingcheng 1167


    Amidst the ruins of Dingcheng, an Orc soldier was crawling arduously. He and his comrades were attempting to attack a ruin controlled by Goblins. The area was riddled with traps, making every step forward perilous.


    In the distance, the 155mm howitzer shells from the Orc troops shook the earth, sending clouds of dust billowing into the air. Everyone lying prone on the ground could feel the vibrations.


    A tracer bullet, origin unknown, streaked across the battlefield and embedded itself in a half-collapsed wall, leaving a small hole in the stonework.


    Everyone pressed their bodies as low as they could, knowing that raising their heads for even a moment might result in them being struck down by a bullet from who knows where.


    No one wanted their head blown off at random, for the place was littered with bodies¡ªheadless, limbless, mutilated corpses.


    This city, once bustling with life, now had an overwhelming abundance of corpses. Around the ruins of every collapsed building, the remains of Orcs mingled with those of Goblins.


    ¡°The Goblins have spotted us! They¡¯ve seen us!¡± An Orc spotted Shen Army soldiers running hunched over in the distance. He shouted to alert his comrades and affixed his bayonet onto his rifle.


    The other Orc soldiers followed suit. Lacking automatic weapons, and unwilling to waste precious ammunition even when they had them, the Orcs saw bayonet fighting as a display of valor.


    Of course, the Goblins on the other side were equally fierce. Though small in stature, they brought forward a wave of elite troops in an attempt to reclaim the lost ground.


    ¡°For the Shen Emperor! Long live!¡± Realizing that the Orcs were on high alert, a Shen Army officer, likewise short on ammunition, drew his command saber.


    ¡°Long live the Shen Emperor!¡± The remaining soldiers echoed his cry, shouting in unison. They charged madly at the Orcs, and though many were felled by a volley of gunfire, those who pushed through collided with the Orc troops.


    The clash of bayonets was a nerve-wracking and chilling sound, a brutal encounter that both sides deemed crucial to victory.


    Without machine guns, assault rifles, or gun grenades to break enemy lines, the Orcs relied solely on their flesh and blood to pierce through the Shen Army¡¯s meticulously constructed defenses.


    ¡°Kill!¡± The Orc battle cry was far simpler than the Goblins¡¯. Their thunderous chants rang like a mountain roar as helmeted Orc soldiers charged headlong at the Goblins.


    Despite their diminutive size, the Goblins stood firm, wielding rifles with longer barrels and bayonets than those of the Orcs. At first glance, the Shen Army soldiers with these long rifles seemed to hold an advantage.


    ¡°Kill!¡± Leading the charge, a ferocious Orc soldier bellowed and lunged at the Goblin before him. He parried the enemy¡¯s bayonet and, using his height advantage, lunged forward and impaled the Goblin with devastating precision.


    The Goblin coughed up blood but stubbornly clung to the Orc¡¯s rifle. Goblins often did this to buy precious time for their comrades.


    But the Orc was no fool¡ªhe rammed his boot into the dying Goblin¡¯s abdomen. The Goblin cried out in pain, his grip on the rifle faltering.


    Quickly repositioning, the Orc soldier turned his bayonet-impaled Goblin toward the incoming wave of enemies, using it as both a barrier and a brutal instrument of carnage.


    The Orc had already engaged in countless bayonet duels, his proficiency honed to perfection. This maneuver both kept foes at bay and enabled the bayonet to inflict wider, deadlier wounds.


    Sure enough, the unfortunate Shen Army Goblin began bleeding profusely, staining the ground and nearby uniforms red. Though he desperately tried to drag the Orc into death alongside him, he failed in the end.


    The bayonet had pierced too deeply¡ªso deeply that even the Great Tang Empire¡¯s best field medics could do nothing for such wounds.


    Gradually losing strength, the Goblin loosened his grip, and the Orc unceremoniously pulled his bayonet free, immediately blocking the next Goblin rushing toward him.


    While the Goblins were only 1.4 meters tall, their ferocity partially compensated for their small size. This was why, before the Great Tang Empire invaded the Zheng Country, Goblins had long dominated coastal clashes against nations like Qi and Chu.


    When it came to ferocity, though, the Orcs were no less savage. Although they often behaved docilely as laborers under the Great Tang Empire¡¯s rule, their ability to sacrifice lives by the hundreds at the Western Wall Fortress proved their mettle.


    ¡°Kill!¡± The blood-drenched Orc soldier roared, his grotesque face contorted with fury, even more terrifying under his rage.


    Like an incarnate demon, he forcefully swatted away a Goblin¡¯s bayonet and smashed his rifle butt against the enemy¡¯s face.


    The Goblin¡¯s teeth shattered upon impact, blood gushing from his mouth as he let out an inhuman scream of agony.


    The Orc turned his rifle, driving the bayonet straight into the Goblin¡¯s chest. It pierced between ribs and punctured the Goblin¡¯s lung.


    Before the Goblin could grip the rifle, the Orc swiftly withdrew his bayonet, blood spraying from the wound and splattering across his face.


    The melee raged on relentlessly as more Goblin troops emerged from the corners of the ruins. Meanwhile, wave after wave of Orc reinforcements poured into the struggle.


    Neither side was willing to abandon the hard-fought progress made that day, even as the ground became a carpet of corpses from both armies.


    The blood-soaked Orc soldier¡¯s face twisted in a wild snarl. He roared and advanced again, startling the Goblin directly ahead of him.


    To the Goblin, this monstrous enemy¡ªtowering over him with a blood-red face¡ªseemed like a demon from hell. With his crooked fangs and distorted features drenched in crimson, the Orc was more horrifying than any ghost.


    The Goblin, a hastily conscripted civilian, was paralyzed with fear. He had no training and was already shell-shocked from days of artillery bombardment. Now, faced with this demonic adversary, he nearly turned to flee.


    The Orc, eyes wild with bloodlust, gave the Goblin no chance to retreat. As the Goblin trembled where he stood, the Orc skewered him with a single stroke of his bayonet.


    As the Goblin clutched his belly, desperately trying to shove his protruding intestines back inside, the Orc responsible had already moved on in search of his next target.


    A strange mutual understanding seemed to take hold: neither side fired their guns any longer. Instead, with held breath, both Orcs and Goblins chose to fight this battle in the most primal and savage manner possible.


    Some Goblins bit off Orcs¡¯ ears, while some Orcs gnawed off Goblin fingers. Stones, shovels, daggers, teeth, nails¡ªeven spit¡ªbecame weapons in this vicious brawl.


    The indomitable Orc soldier continued his rampage, flanked by others like him. The Orc ranks converged, forming a deadly spearhead that swiftly grew larger and sharper.


    ¡°Kill!¡± The Orcs roared in unison, their spirits unyielding. Bayonets leveled, they advanced over the corpses of Goblins, cutting each down in their path.


    Another Goblin had his throat slashed open by a bayonet. He tried desperately to stem the arterial spray with his hands, but blood seeped through his fingers in bursts.


    The Goblin leaned silently against the remnants of a collapsed wall, staring at the blood-soaked Orc who had killed him. For a fleeting moment, the Goblin thought his vision was deceiving him.


    He was the last Goblin on the battlefield, not fleeing, having even managed to kill an Orc before. But as he turned to find his next target, he was impaled through the throat by the advancing Orc soldier.


    Such bad luck... If only he weren¡¯t so fatigued, if only his reflexes were as sharp as they had been minutes ago, he might have dodged the lethal thrust.


    But alas, he was too slow...


    ¡°Victory!¡± Standing atop the ruins, numerous Orc soldiers raised their hands in triumphant cheers. They had captured another section of Dingcheng and now seemed to be within a few hundred meters of the city center.


    ¡°We won!¡± More Orcs joined the celebration, reveling in the victory bought with the blood of hundreds of their comrades.


    In truth, the territory they captured was insignificant. Its only noteworthy aspect was that the battle had been won through savage hand-to-hand combat.


    ¡°They¡¯re out of bullets... Half of them didn¡¯t even have guns,¡± remarked an Orc officer, inspecting the Goblins¡¯ corpses and their ¡°remnants.¡±


    The Goblins¡¯ crude arsenal included shovels, wooden clubs, and a few ancient flintlock rifles. Even among the rifles, most chambers were empty, containing at most one or two bullets.


    ¡°No wonder they weren¡¯t firing...¡± another Orc officer mused. He had thought the Goblins were simply enraged enough to desire a ¡°fair¡± melee battle against the Orcs.


    ¡°Send this intelligence to General Shan Lu! The Shen Army might be running out of ammunition!¡± The officer examining the corpses spoke with excitement.


    His enthusiasm was understandable¡ªthis was the first glimmer of hope he¡¯d seen in the blood-soaked battleground of Dingcheng.


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Retaining the habits inherited from the Great Tang, the Orc soldiers dutifully addressed their superiors as ¡°Sir.¡±


    ¡°Also, order the troops to take cover immediately! Don¡¯t wait to be blown to bits when their artillery retaliates.¡± With that, the officer turned and headed toward the relative safety of the rear.


    As it turned out, the Shen Army¡¯s ammunition crisis appeared to be real. After the Orcs seized this position, the Goblins surprisingly refrained from their usual artillery barrage...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The second update will be posted tomorrow daytime...

 Chapter 1249: 1168 Old Horse

    Chapter 1249: 1168 Old Horse


    Mirage Country indeed faced a shortage of artillery shells. Since some regions stockpiled more while others stockpiled less, the overall supply wasn¡¯t entirely insufficient, but localized shortages were prominent.


    The direction of Dingcheng had always been the main focus of the Orc troops¡¯ offensives, resulting in an extremely high consumption of shells. Continuous ferocious attacks over several days had depleted most of Mirage Country¡¯s reserves.


    The remaining shells had to be used cautiously, so it seemed wasteful to expend more of the precious stock on lost positions.


    Shan Lu seized this opportunity and immediately ordered two more regiments to press toward Dingcheng, continuing to apply pressure on the Goblin garrison.


    On a rugged road, a Goblin soldier of Mirage Country led a frail warhorse forward sluggishly. He was a transport soldier responsible for delivering supplies toward Dingcheng.


    Such tasks had previously been handled by trains, but trains could no longer approach the Dingcheng direction. The Tang Empire used Hong-6 bombers to destroy the railway and periodically returned for follow-up attacks. Mirage Country had no means to repair it anymore.


    With the railway disrupted and trains unable to operate safely even during the day, other transportation methods had to be relied upon. Cars weren¡¯t viable since they consumed precious gasoline, leaving oxen and horses as the only practical alternatives.


    Fortunately, Mirage Country¡¯s low level of mechanization meant that plenty of horses and oxen were still available, allowing them to piece together enough for temporary use.


    The Goblin soldier in front of us had been a farmer before being conscripted. He knew how to raise horses. The horse he was leading was his most valuable possession¡ªa horse he¡¯d cared for over three years.


    The soldier was more attentive to this horse than to his own wife. In an agrarian society, livestock like oxen and horses were far more valued than women.


    To conserve the horse¡¯s strength, this Goblin even carried two artillery shells himself. These 100mm caliber shells were immensely heavy, and walking several kilometers with them was truly grueling.


    The horse carried a cloth pouch strapped to its back, with three artillery shells on either side of the pouch. Together, one man and his horse could transport eight shells, plus some lighter items like clothing. And that was the total carrying capacity.


    This method of ¡°personal transport¡± was gradually devised by Mirage Country during the war. Supplies, mostly weaponry and equipment with little use to individuals alone, would be collected at the rear and then manually transported to the front lines by soldiers.


    Frontline personnel could then exchange a stamped receipt for these weapons. By decentralizing the distribution, ammunition and equipment could be delivered more effectively.


    Why not use horse-drawn carts? Because making carts also took time, and carts were easy targets for enemy air units, making them difficult to conceal.


    Moreover, large numbers of carts were concentrated to transport materials that couldn¡¯t be entrusted to individuals for fear of theft. Items like rice, flour, and medicine were popular among civilians, and if someone were allowed to carry such goods alone, they¡¯d likely disappear into the countryside...


    Therefore, materials transported via personal methods were mainly shells and bullets, with some heavy machine guns. These items were useless to civilians, couldn¡¯t be bartered for goods, and nobody dared to accept them.


    The Goblin continued walking beside the road. This wasn¡¯t the first day he¡¯d traveled this path or engaged in this sort of work.


    Though assigned to a specific troop unit and equipped with steel helmets, people like him weren¡¯t trusted. If not for his knowledge of horse care and the fact he¡¯d had a horse at home, he probably would have died on some battlefield by now.


    He had a uniform, a steel helmet, a pistol, and two bullets¡ªequipment meant to intimidate villagers he might encounter along the way and protect his supplies.


    It amounted to little more than an empty facade to scare off rustic peasants. Why not issue him more? Because even Shireck Flintlock Guns were in short supply.


    Indeed, Mirage Country handed out outdated Shireck Flintlock Guns that had been stockpiled for over a decade and hadn¡¯t yet been scrapped to these transport soldiers.


    The better weapons were prioritized for the front lines, with some Shireck Flintlocks given to frontline soldiers solely for bayonet use. The leftover obsolete items were handed to the transport workers for self-defense.


    These transport workers were technically soldiers, conducting fairly important supply duties, so not providing them with self-defense weapons would seem overly negligent.


    Still, the flintlock guns were barely functional¡ªa nuisance more than a necessity. The Goblin soldier placed the broken gun, two bullets, and likely moisture-clogged powder into the luggage bag strapped to his old horse.


    If trouble arose, he thought the hatchet at his waist would be more reliable than the useless gun. Even if he had time to load it, there was no guarantee it would fire.


    The gun was less useful than a simple water flask; for a foot soldier on a long march, a military canteen was far more practical than a faulty firearm.


    In reality, no one bothered him. Civilians had no use for artillery shells, and even bandits would ignore them. Instead, they¡¯d be more interested in the hatchet at his waist or his water flask.


    Nowadays, Mirage Country¡¯s peasants fled at the sight of anyone in military uniform, fearing they¡¯d be conscripted and sent to the front lines. None dared provoke soldiers.


    As such, the Goblin didn¡¯t encounter a single soul¡ªneither soldiers nor civilians¡ªon his path.


    Frankly, traveling these roads was monotonous and dull. Carrying heavy ammunition was uncomfortable, making such a job tedious.


    Yet, perhaps having this job wasn¡¯t so bad; in wartime, if you wanted to stay alive, enduring various hardships was unavoidable.


    As he walked, he encountered a wrecked vehicle abandoned by the roadside. It was impossible to tell how long the rusted car had been left there.


    Most of the truck¡¯s parts had already been dismantled and taken away, leaving behind components too troublesome to recover.


    While Mirage Country desperately needed steel, abandoned vehicles weren¡¯t approached lightly. Initially, towing trucks were sent to salvage them, but as those towing vehicles were lost and fuel became scarce, full vehicle recovery became rarer.


    Passersby would still scavenge anything detachable from these wrecks to trade for goods, though.


    The Goblin soldier led his old horse to the rusted vehicle and stopped parallel to it. He noticed a bullet hole in the engine hood.


    The windshield of the driver¡¯s cabin was shattered and smeared with dark stains. The driver¡¯s seat, made of wood, bore dried blood and scattered glass shards.


    The driver was nowhere to be seen, presumably buried after someone retrieved his corpse. The vehicle¡¯s handrails, steering wheel, and other parts had already been stripped away.


    The driver was surely dead; the abundance of blood in the cabin confirmed that. Judging by the hole in the seat, it seemed likely he¡¯d been hit by a 20mm autocannon shell.


    The cabin was obliterated, and the driver was shredded on impact. The person in the adjacent seat likely met the same fate, struck by debris from the blast.


    If luck favored them, perhaps the adjacent passenger could have survived¡ªbut how fortunate could one be when torn apart by shrapnel? Contemplating this grim reality, the Goblin soldier passed by the slanted, ruined vehicle.


    There were plenty of wrecked cars along the way, alongside fragments of wooden horse carts¡ªbroken wheels, splintered planks, and discarded components. Occasionally, he¡¯d spot horse skeletons, stripped clean by scavengers or wildlife after the flesh decayed.


    This was the drawback of horse cart transport. Even if enemy aircraft were spotted, there wasn¡¯t enough time to hide. Still, horse carts had their advantages¡ªthey could carry ten times the load of a single horse, significantly improving efficiency.


    Unfortunately, the Tang Army and Orc aircraft limited transport toward Dingcheng to nighttime. Daytime convoys were quickly identified and attacked.


    As mentioned earlier, horse carts, usually transporting food supplies, couldn¡¯t be entrusted to individuals. Official troops had to oversee and safeguard them, necessitating large group formations, further restricting daytime operations.


    Though efficiency was higher with horse carts, daytime vulnerability and increased soldier supervision resulted in little overall improvement.


    Crater-filled roads bore signs of Orc Yir Attack Aircraft strafing runs. Those planes flew close to the ground and riddled anything in sight.


    ¡°Move faster, old friend...¡± the Goblin tugged at his horse, talking to the animal after enduring the long silence.


    Lacking any tools for dismantling wrecks, he passed over scavenging opportunities. Many others doing similar jobs would craft tools to extract parts from abandoned vehicles. But he forewent this practice, feeling that two artillery shells weighed heavily enough without adding more burdens.


    The surrounding trees had been toppled, likely affected by bombardments. From the air, this road resembled a lunar landscape.

 Chapter 1250: 1169 Ghost Thunder

    Chapter 1250: 1169 Ghost Thunder


    Apart from some towering trees, a few remaining trunks and stumps, and the trees in the distance, this place was littered with bomb craters.


    This is precisely why vehicles no longer use this road: it¡¯s completely impassable for cars now.


    No matter how Goblin engineers filled these craters, by the next day there would just be more craters. The bombs of the Great Tang Empire destroyed roads faster than the Goblins could repair them.


    Moreover... the enemy occasionally used a weapon the Goblins called ¡°ghost mines,¡± making this road even more perilous. This weapon was essentially the cluster bombs deployed by the Great Tang Empire.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s advancements in material science were beyond imagination: using the same type of fuse, they would employ plastics to secure the safety mechanism on the fuse, allowing them to set the detonation time of the bombs according to different conditions.


    If you wanted these bombs to explode upon landing, you just needed to remove the plastic safety, leaving only a highly sensitive collision mechanism. Upon impact, the submunition would detonate instantly.


    If you wanted the bomb to detonate with a delay, you could install an acid container. During the collision, the container would break, releasing acid that corrodes the plastic safety mechanism.


    This process could take a few hours or even one or two days to complete, meaning the bomb could explode at any point during this timeframe. It¡¯s completely autonomous and unaffected by external factors.


    What¡¯s more frightening is that the acid container might not break... or even if it breaks, the acid might not fully corrode the bomb¡¯s safety mechanism.


    Yes, the bomb might explode a month later, or a year later... or possibly... several years down the line.


    If you wanted to be spiteful, you could even leave the plastic safety on, allowing the bomb to explode unpredictably at any moment over the next ten years.


    Indeed, as long as the other components of the bomb remain functional, it could detonate anytime within the next ten or even twenty years... or maybe it would never go off¡ªwho¡¯d dare gamble on that?


    Clearing mines is most exasperating when dealing with these bombs because their explosions are entirely random! Unlike mines, which have specific trigger conditions provided they are operational, these submunitions detonate seemingly ¡°on a whim.¡±


    When their internal mechanisms are stable, you could even kick them like a ball and they¡¯d remain inert. But if they become unstable, they could explode suddenly even without any external interference.


    This is why numerous nations on Earth signed treaties banning the use of such cluster munitions¡ªit has absolutely no moral bounds. It doesn¡¯t target winning the war but purely aims to render vast stretches of land unusable for decades, tormenting the lives of those who dwell there.


    This is why constructing a railway in the Southeast Peninsula is so challenging: after negotiating the railway construction project, road crews must wait three to five years for mine-clearing engineers to finish their work before they can proceed.


    The Great Tang Empire had no intention of trapping the Orcs, so most of their cluster munitions still used acid safety mechanisms or simply collision fuses.


    However, due to their small size and the uncertainty caused by variables such as temperature, humidity, and impact angles, the detonation time of cluster bombs still fluctuates.


    Additionally, these cluster bombs have another insidious characteristic: they scatter in the air, not knowing where they¡¯ll land.


    They might land on the road, on the roadbed, roll into the fields, or for any reason, be buried under the soil.


    This is like the Grim Reaper appearing suddenly and sending everything around into oblivion.


    Goblin couriers walking such a road are literally risking their lives. Although the casualty rate is lower than before, the number of couriers who perished on this road would easily reach a thousand, if not eight hundred. They were either killed by aircraft or by the delayed explosions of cluster bomb submunitions. In short... the danger is immense.


    Be it cars or carts, if spotted by aircraft, they¡¯re easily attacked. Single individuals, relatively speaking, are marginally safer; many Tang Army pilots simply choose to spare low-value targets to conserve ammunition.


    He reached up to adjust the shoulder straps digging into him, easing some of the discomfort on his shoulders. Then, cautiously, he continued forward. Scattered metal fragments lay on the ground, but ordinary people wouldn¡¯t dare approach them.


    After all, those fragments might just be scraps of metal¡ªor they could be parts of a half-buried bomb waiting to explode...


    Suddenly, the Goblin seemed to hear something faint. He stopped in his tracks, and the old horse behind him dutifully halted as well.


    Through the slight breeze, the Goblin faintly caught something resembling the buzz of mosquitoes. He raised his head, squinting at the sky, hoping to see further.


    Though he wasn¡¯t entirely sure and couldn¡¯t spot any aircraft, the cautious old Goblin was convinced he could hear the familiar sound of airplane engines.


    He tugged at the reins of his horse, stepping carefully off the road and down the crater-pocked roadbed. He treaded cautiously, knowing unpredictable ¡°ghost mines¡± could be lurking on such treacherous terrain.


    ¡°Move it! Old fellow! At this rate, we¡¯re both done for.¡± Despite walking carefully, he nonetheless urged the slow, plodding old horse behind him.


    The horse indeed moved slowly¡ªit was very old, burdened by heavy cargo, and trudging down an uneven slope, its steps filled with hesitation.


    As the Goblin managed to lead the horse off the road, he then spotted the source of the buzzing engine: a petite, ¡°S¡±-shaped Yir Attack Aircraft.


    Under normal circumstances, such aircraft weren¡¯t particularly difficult to handle. Most of the Yir Attack Aircraft operating near Dingcheng belonged to the Orc Air Force, whose troops suffered from lack of combat experience and advanced weaponry, thus proving less formidable.


    Sighing in relief, the old Orc led his old horse past several meters of shattered trees and crater-filled terrain, reaching the edge of the remaining forest and hiding beneath a tree.


    The aircraft was still far away, unlikely to spot him from the ground. Even if it did, being alone and ducking into the woods would discourage them from wasting ammunition on him.


    Without a clear target, firing randomly had little chance of hitting anything. It¡¯d be pointless to fire at directions within the forest blindly.


    Peering through the overhead branches and leaves, the old Goblin caught sight of the circling plane. At this moment, he dared not step out to continue his journey¡ªit would only lead to a meaningless death.


    He wondered how, in two months when the leaves would start falling, they could still manage daytime cargo runs to Dingcheng. He also wondered if Dingcheng could hold out until then.


    For some reason, the Yir Attack Aircraft seemed to drop altitude, and shortly after, another Yir Attack Aircraft joined it¡ªstandard protocol, adhering to the Great Tang Empire¡¯s aerial combat training. Any operational mission was better undertaken with at least two aircraft.


    The lead plane and wingman would coordinate with each other, enabling more effective strikes against the enemy. This strategy had proven successful in practice, and so it continued to be employed.


    In theory, the strategy had passed rigorous battlefield trials, and Tang Mo naturally adopted it without question.


    Flying in tandem, the two aircraft swept low along the road toward the direction the old Goblin came from, seemingly searching for ground targets. Identifying ground targets was a skillful task for pilots.


    To a pilot high in the air, stationary individuals on the ground were minuscule. At this time, the Orc forces lacked ground reconnaissance pods or active target analysis AI systems to assist with detection. They could only rely on their naked eyes.


    The problem was that this road was too chaotic: abandoned cars that hadn¡¯t been removed, dead warhorses, shattered carts, and all sorts of craters dotted the landscape.


    Finding attack-worthy targets amidst such clutter was undoubtedly a challenge.


    At an altitude of about 500 meters, the two aircraft arrogantly circled one behind the other. Whether they had spotted the old Goblin and his horse was unclear. Nonetheless, the two Orc planes showed no signs of departing, flying back and forth nearby.


    Ever since the Orc forces repaired one of their forward airstrips, their Yir Attack Aircraft had been able to fly freely across the southwest of Ben Island. The Goblin Air Force had lost its ability to engage in combat, and the Orc Air Force now controlled the skies near Dingcheng.


    The Goblins possessed only a few Anti-Aircraft Guns, leaving them to watch helplessly as the Yirs and Stukas buzzed overhead like relentless flies.


    Stukas were generally deployed to attack mountain strongholds, equipped with heavy aerial bombs that could somewhat threaten bunkers and gun ports carved out of mountains.


    In uncontested scenarios, the Stukas demonstrated precision, and their 500 kg bombs had some capacity to destroy rock.


    Thus, the responsibility for attacking ground convoys and smaller targets fell to the Yir Attack Aircraft. Armed with rocket pods and 20 mm caliber aircraft cannons, they proved tremendously effective in low-altitude attacks.


    If spotted by such planes, all the pilot had to do was lower the nose and perform a ground attack to carve out furrows with rockets and cannons, letting those on the ground experience a ¡°storm of fury.¡±


    Sitting under the tree for a few minutes, the old Goblin noticed the two planes overhead still showed no sign of leaving. This greatly irritated him; he even suspected that they had spotted him and were intentionally waiting for him there.


    ¡°Fine, then! Let¡¯s see if you leave when your fuel runs out!¡± he thought with a hint of defiance.

 Chapter 1251: 1170 Dingcheng lacks everything

    Chapter 1251: 1170 Dingcheng lacks everything


    Although he thought this way, waiting still made him uncomfortable. The feeling was truly torturous, like days stretching into years. Only a few minutes had passed, yet the old goblin felt as if an entire afternoon was almost used up.


    Finally, the two planes slowly flew into the distance, having been circling continually, but their center point of the circle gradually drifted away from above the old goblin¡¯s head.


    The annoying buzz of the plane engines gradually diminished, and the old goblin¡¯s mood slowly relaxed: another crisis averted, yet another lucky day.


    As the two planes flew further away, the old goblin also breathed a sigh of relief. He lifted his foot, about to step forward, when he happened to spot a bizarre-looking metal can lying not far from him!


    It was a cluster bomb from the Great Tang Empire, still unexploded, lying there perfectly intact, motionless as if posing no threat.


    But those familiar with this thing know it¡¯s more dangerous than anything. Heaven knows how long it has lain here quietly; perhaps it might explode the next second, engulfing everything around it.


    The old goblin swallowed hard, carefully tugging at the bridle of the warhorse, circumventing that little green-painted darling.


    Then he scrutinized his direction of advance, and looked at the pothole-riddled roadbed on the other side, falling into a dilemma.


    If he took the main road, he feared the two planes might return, in which case he would be doomed. Taking the smaller path increased the chance of encountering ¡°ghost mines.¡±


    These places have fewer travelers, the soil is loose, and of course, more bombs are dropped here. Precisely because of this, the old goblin had previously been traveling along the main road: if the small roads were easy to walk, wouldn¡¯t he have taken them all along?


    Narrowly avoiding the unexploded mine, the old goblin veteran gritted his teeth and returned to the main road, hearing the engine sounds behind and the explosion sounds of rockets carried by the Yir Attack Aircraft.


    Whatever the opponent had discovered, it was frenziedly launching an attack. That unlucky target drawing the attention of the Yir Attack Aircraft was undoubtedly good news for him.


    Hopefully, everything afterward goes smoothly, so he can obtain the certificate from the Dingcheng garrison, allowing him to continue receiving his grain salary, eating a meal, surviving...


    Fortunately, although along the way he saw trucks destroyed by bombs, carriages wrecked, goblins killed, deserters and bandits hanged on wooden gallows, witnessed non-exploding ¡°ghost mines¡± more than once, and encountered enemy aircraft, he still entered Dingcheng by dusk.


    It hadn¡¯t darkened yet, but the place was even more battered and desolate than his last visit. Not just craters visible along the roads, but within the city as well.


    Taller buildings remained, but most had collapsed; even if toppled, the remnants of these buildings were still taller than some shanty town structures.


    The goblin houses had notably low ceilings, making most people feel oppressed inside, so the consulates of various countries in Shen Capital had actually been redesigned and reconstructed.


    Currently, other embassies remain, but those of Qin, Poplar, Great Tang, Chu Country, Shu Country have emptied.


    Now these locations are used as warehouses, given the high building standards, all steel-reinforced concrete structures, very spacious enough for goblins to use for storage.


    Looking at the devastated Dingcheng, the old goblin couldn¡¯t help but sigh, leading his horse into the ruined city under the watchful eyes of many.


    In those buildings flanking the streets were housed goblin casualties, with nowhere else to accommodate them, even knowing they might be buried by shell hits, they had to be crammed into these civilian homes.


    Outside would be worse, not only easier to be bombed, the environment was poorer. Lacking medical supplies, the injured goblins lay at the windows, watching the old goblin entering the city, watching the old horse he was leading.


    Across the street lay a barrier made of wood, without even bothering to wrap the barbed wire. Behind the barrier stood two soldiers, holding weapons with somewhat blank expressions.


    Generally speaking, soldiers doing such sentry work were either those with backgrounds being cared for, or drawn from units resting after withdrawing from the front line.


    The two guards before him were clearly the latter: slightly damaged, their uniforms appeared as though washed with dirt. They looked like those fortunate enough to secure a rest, withdrawn as remnants from the battlefield.


    ¡°Papers,¡± one soldier bypassed the barrier, approaching the old goblin, extending his hand to receive a small book from the old goblin.


    The book¡¯s quality was indescribable, not even a single staple holding it. Inside the folded cover was a single folded page, one side for name, the other a photograph.


    This photograph might be the most modern thing on this identification paper; the rest could be imitated since the invention of papermaking.


    Goblins don¡¯t need anti-counterfeit designs; after all, no goblins exist besides those in Mirage Country, forging goblin papers would be clear even to a fool.


    The human spy, standing at 1.85 meters, pulled out a goblin¡¯s document and flashed a dazzling smile... Can you guess where you got exposed? Perhaps this is why there aren¡¯t many good stories about spies during the Japan-U.S. Pacific War...


    After checking it, the goblin guard handed the document back to the old goblin, then waved him to go around through a gap at the side because they didn¡¯t want to move that damned obstacle.


    The old goblin led the horse around the obstruction and continued walking forward. Behind the barricade was a large pit, the remnants of shells from 155mm howitzers.


    Since it was already dinner time, the orcs had also ceased shelling. The orcs indeed went to eat and rest, while the goblins, due to lack of food, could only sit idly and rest.


    The grain reserves in Dingcheng were almost depleted, so only the frontline troops could eat two meals of dry food a day, while other units could eat one dry meal and make do with one watery meal.


    Guided by soldiers along the roadside, he came to the new supply reception area. The old goblin presented his goods list and handed over his documents.


    The officer at the reception looked longingly, finally seeing someone delivering supplies, and immediately began checking what the old goblin had brought.


    When he saw that they were shells, half of his excitement faded because what he wanted most now was medicine and food. Even though he knew that these precious supplies were impossible to be delivered by one person, he was still full of hope.


    ¡°100mm shells, ten sets of uniforms, twenty rolls of bandages.¡± The officer put down the canvas cover of the backpack and said to his subordinates behind him. Two assisting soldiers took the shells from the old goblin¡¯s horse, placing them on the ground one by one.


    When they were taking the shells, they saw the Shireck Firearms in the old horse¡¯s saddlebag, along with a gourd for gunpowder and a small cloth bag for lead bullets, their expressions were remarkable.


    ¡°They seem to only see the application form for shells...¡± the soldier responsible for recording muttered as he wrote the list. Dingcheng lacked everything, but nothing came from the rear.


    Actually, he was just complaining because even at night, when encountering a food delivery team, he would also complain about the lack of ammunition and medicine.


    ¡°Thank you, for your hard work.¡± The officer in charge of receiving supplies was very polite, patting the old goblin on the shoulder, then gently stroking the old horse¡¯s mane.


    The old horse seemed very wary, snorting and shaking its head. The old goblin took the receipt from another soldier¡¯s hand and gave a somewhat unconvincing military salute.


    He had never undergone a day of military training, and this salute was demonstrated to him when someone handed him a set of military clothes.


    Soldiers like him, at least 300 die each day in the direction of Dingcheng, so for him, it was the old horse behind him that saved his life.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Just as the old goblin was leading his old horse back, the orc shelling began again, with shell impacts approaching the skirmish line of the two armies, thus still far from here.


    But the power of large-caliber shells was immense, even at such a distance, you could still feel the shock. The ground beneath trembled, and everything around seemed to shake softly.


    The old goblin, never having been on the battlefield, shrank his neck, subconsciously reached out to soothe his old horse. He saw goblin soldiers resting against the walls of nearby buildings, seeing them accustomed to such terrifying explosions.


    These soldiers had long been used to living under such bombardments, they could even judge the impact point of shells by sound.


    Unless the shells were headed right for them, they wouldn¡¯t even blink an eye. Eating when it was time to eat, dozing when it was time to nap.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, they generally don¡¯t attack at night, and the shelling isn¡¯t as intense.¡± An officer passing by, seeing the old goblin in a difficult situation, offered a comforting word before hurrying off, seeming equally accustomed to such a life.


    ¡°Next time you come, bring more stuff; there¡¯s a shortage of everything here.¡± The officer turned back after walking past and shouted at the old goblin.


    Are folks here not afraid of death? The old goblin cried out in his heart. Tugging at the reins, he quickly tried to leave with his uneasy old horse.


    What he didn¡¯t know was, people here weren¡¯t unafraid of death, rather they had no clue when death would come.


    In a place like Dingcheng, what decided life and death wasn¡¯t courage, but luck. For someone assigned to this damned place... how good could their luck really be?


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Not feeling well today, just finished the last chapter, sorry.

 Chapter 1252: 1171 Etiquette at the Banquet

    Chapter 1252: 1171 Etiquette at the Banquet


    The Great Tang Empire has almost disengaged from this war. At the court banquet, the new nobility of the Great Tang Empire gathered together, drinking fine wine rarely seen in ordinary times, discussing which projects to invest in for greater profits.


    Amidst the clinking of glasses and laughter, many multimillion-dollar projects were settled, and yet such enormous funds were barely enough to prompt a few words of discussion in this setting.


    Opportunities for feasting and entertainment in the Forbidden City were rare, especially when attending the banquet this time, besides His Majesty the Emperor, were several of his princes.


    The First Prince, Tang Yu, is now in elementary school. He attends the Imperial nobility school in Chang¡¯an, where he has met many classmates.


    The younger Second Prince, Tang Xuan, is also attending school, so he was permitted to join this banquet. And to let their children meet these two princes and build connections, the most powerful ministers and nobility of the Great Tang Empire all paid a hefty ¡°entrance fee.¡±


    Just kidding, if you can¡¯t attend the banquet where the princes are, how would the classmates interact? If the princes meet other scoundrels or other floozies at the banquet, then what chance does one¡¯s child have?


    Counting on His Majesty was out of the question; no one dared to provoke any of the five imperial concubines, each with deep backgrounds. Sending one¡¯s daughter up would likely bring doom to their family.


    Empress You Lin and His Majesty have known each other for quite some time; she belongs to the ¡°humble wife¡± who rose from obscurity, enjoying full treatment and wielding enormous power at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.


    Empress Alice serves as the ¡°Finance Minister¡± of the Great Tang Empire, and can even exert influence over industrial sectors. Such ruthless figures cannot be offended.


    Yue¡¯er seems comparatively easier to talk to, but the problem is... damn it, lately the orcs have gained favor with His Majesty, contributing hundreds of thousands of laborers to the Empire.


    Ying Yue, the Empress, need not be mentioned. She is a legitimate Imperial princess, who was supposed to be queen of a country in the past. Now, living humbly is already quite a grievance, isn¡¯t it?


    Well, the remaining Princess Iryn, although backed by the Poplar Empire, is somewhat distant... yet no matter how distant, she is an Imperial princess. Matters affecting Imperial diplomacy... are best left alone?


    Thus, everyone turns their attention to the princes: How did they rise? Wasn¡¯t it by aligning with His Majesty the Emperor, and making their way to this point?


    There¡¯s no guts for corruption, nor interest in petty profiteering. What¡¯s left in this life but worrying about the future of the family and the younger generation?


    Since they have followed His Majesty the Emperor into battle, it¡¯s only natural that their children should safeguard the Emperor and the princes of the Empire.


    Therefore, as long as their rank was sufficient and they had younger generations of the right age, the new nobility of the Empire would find ways to obtain invitations.


    Each exquisitely beautiful little girl, each energetic little boy, became a brilliant sight at the banquet.


    Tang Yu and Tang Xuan didn¡¯t mind the children¡¯s affairs, as they were the leaders among the children in the school. With the two of them present, the children could find plenty of amusement.


    Thus, Tang Mo was sitting at his place, chatting with Luff and Chu Muzhou about matters concerning the war on Ben Island.


    Indeed, at the higher levels of Great Tang, the war against Mirage Country had already been termed the ¡°Ben Island War.¡± This war between orcs and goblins is merely about weapon exports for the Great Tang Empire.


    It was not about money, but rather slaves.


    ¡°The Battle of Dingcheng is not over yet. Although orcs have begun to take the initiative, they have still not managed to fully encircle the goblin¡¯s mountain fortification area,¡± Luff knew Tang Mo¡¯s habits, as he was often left at the Forbidden City to dine with Tang Mo, speaking freely as he ate.


    In contrast, Chu Muzhou felt entirely ill at ease. His prior habits did not permit him to act so presumptuously in front of His Majesty: at a banquet hosted by the Emperor, conducting high discussions while eating? Do you still have any sense of face?


    He had previously witnessed other ministers discussing issues while dining before His Majesty, without ever being reproached.


    Yet, as an ¡°oppressed minister,¡± Chu Muzhou felt he should observe etiquette and, at the very least... contribute to the restoration of respect for courtly decorum.


    As Vice Imperial Chancellor, he believed he ought to lead by example, awakening everyone¡¯s awareness of etiquette to ensure the royal dignity and absolute status.


    He wholeheartedly believed that in a court banquet nearly equal to a national banquet, everyone would show some restraint, at least maintain some basic decorum.


    Regrettably, he witnessed everyone go overboard, with no one treating the so-called banquet etiquette seriously. Such behavior even led Chu Muzhou to briefly think that the savages of the Eastern Continent assembled themselves in this way.


    But... why, why does Chu Muzhou himself feel a sense of warmth and heroism in such a rude state?


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you, Vice Chancellor Chu, you don¡¯t have to be so reserved. Don¡¯t you find that cutting beef on our Great Tang Empire¡¯s dining table has a thrilling sensation like slicing other¡¯s territories?¡± Nangong Hong, understanding Chu Muzhou¡¯s feelings, said with a smile to the old man who had taken his seat.


    It¡¯s not that he was being kind, but because Tang Mo had drawn a big picture for Nangong Hong during a private meeting, and he was thoroughly enjoying it¡ªnothing more.


    He had previously also suggested that the Great Tang Empire should emphasize court etiquette to maintain the royal family¡¯s dignity. However, Tang Mo rejected this request, speaking bluntly: If the empire declines, even the strictest etiquette cannot save the royal family. If the empire is thriving, then what good is a set of rules that will only create barriers between everyone?


    In short, the Great Tang Empire still carries the rough and unrestrained style from its humble beginnings, a vibe Tang Mo deliberately created, which appears to be working well.


    He can laugh heartily with ministers while eating barbecue, discuss each other¡¯s children, and offer advice on making fortune¡ªthis is kindness.


    The Great Tang Empire¡¯s Imperial Security Bureau and Ministry of Internal Affairs relentlessly scrutinize and monitor, assess officials¡¯ discipline and efficiency¡ªthis is authority.


    By combining kindness and authority, the Great Tang Empire can remain humane without quick decay; allowing warmth amidst strict management and high-intensity work for everyone.


    Chu Muzhou originally didn¡¯t want to speak much, but he also didn¡¯t want to ignore the Empire¡¯s Foreign Minister while being spoken to.


    Thus, feeling awkward, he could only force himself to respond to Nangong Hong¡¯s goodwill briefly: ¡°I¡¯m used to it, sorry.¡±


    Just like Chu Muzhou, Jiang Run, Chen Jing, and Wang Yuca?i were eating nervously, treading carefully.


    Yet they all, upon seeing the dishes in front of them, felt the friendship beyond royal majesty: His Majesty The Emperor meticulously prepared dishes that they loved.


    Their tastes differed, and so did the dishes served: some liked fish, some preferred shrimp, some enjoyed meat, others preferred vegetables. Each minister saw their favorite dish before them.


    Even those who liked to eat fish found that the fish had been deboned, and surprisingly, the flesh remained intact after removing the bones.


    Those who liked shrimp noticed that the shrimp were shelled, allowing them to enjoy the delicacy without sacrificing manners.


    Before Chu Muzhou were dishes such as egg custard and shrimp and fish paddies, every dish was soft and mellow, carefully chosen for the elder with dental issues.


    The chefs employed at the Forbidden City, paid extravagant salaries by Tang Mo, were not hired for nothing. Each one was incredibly skilled, their culinary prowess akin to ¡°Eight Immortals crossing the sea.¡±


    Not only was the Emperor a technical genius, but he was also a gourmet. His Majesty The Emperor often proposed a new dish by merely describing it, then asked the Imperial Kitchen to prototype it... If the chefs weren¡¯t exceptionally talented, they wouldn¡¯t dare apply to the Forbidden City.


    ¡°The orc troops on the north of Ben Island are progressing quite smoothly, they¡¯ve advanced about 110 kilometers northeast, but were halted upon encountering some goblin tanks.¡± At this time, Luff continued discussing the war on Ben Island.


    The orc troops marching northeast had fought valiantly but couldn¡¯t launch a large-scale attack due to the relatively distant supply lines.


    This provided Mirage Country¡¯s troops some preparation time, as they¡¯re organizing defenses in advantageous terrains, and it¡¯s evident that the battle lines are about to stabilize again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t they have anti-tank rocket launchers? Why are they stopped by the tanks?¡± Tang Mo noticed many waiting for Luff¡¯s answer, so he asked on behalf of those ministers too reserved to speak while dining.


    Luff gave an awkward smile and explained, ¡°Your Majesty, when encountering tanks, it¡¯s very difficult for infantry to approach. The opposition has lots of infantry upfront as cover, using tanks as strongholds, quite advantageous in defense.¡±


    Tang Mo nodded, accepting the explanation, and then asked yet another curious question many wanted to ask but lacked understanding: ¡°Why doesn¡¯t their air force continuously bomb the enemy¡¯s defenses to clear the way for the troops?¡±


    Luff was again more awkward, continuing to explain, ¡°Your Majesty, the orc air force is limited in number. They¡¯re focused on attacking Dingcheng, thus lacking the manpower to support the northern front.¡±


    ¡°How much of the 2nd Armored Division¡¯s equipment have we managed to transport to them?¡± Tang Mo asked a question he was himself interested in.


    This time Luff finally replied without awkwardness: ¡°We¡¯ve transported about one-fifth of the equipment intended for Ben Island!¡±

 Chapter 1253: 1172 The Diligent Defeated Monarch

    Chapter 1253: 1172 The Diligent Defeated Monarch


    In fact, the Mirage Country relied on being far from the eastern and western continents, and had its own sly and sneaky thoughts in many places in the past. The Shen Emperor was also an ambitious ruler.


    Externally, the Mirage Country only declared itself as a Kingdom, and its name was without any issue. However, internally, the King of Mirage Country was referred to as the Shen Emperor, which in itself was a transgression.


    Meanwhile, according to general conventions, the capital of the Mirage Country could only be called King City, but the Shen Emperor named it Shen Capital. This in the early years caused much dissatisfaction among many countries.


    But at that time, the emperor was far away, and the navy fleet of the Mirage Country was strong, so no one could address the transgression of the Mirage Country. Eventually, it was left unresolved. This is why the Shen Emperor is the Shen Emperor and the capital is called Shen Capital.


    Later, as time went on, everyone got used to it, so the Shen Emperor remained the Shen Emperor, and the Shen Capital remained the Shen Capital. This continued to this day, to this moment.


    Once, the Shen Emperor hoped to expand his territory: he launched a war against Zheng Country and truly won! His troops occupied Dongwan and other islands, and the rise of the Mirage Country seemed unstoppable.


    But what happened next completely shattered the Shen Emperor¡¯s dream of external expansion. He failed, failed in Dongwan, failed in Beiyuan, and now... he still can¡¯t escape the fate of failure.


    The world is just that unfair. While Tang Mo and his ministers were hosting a banquet for a group of children in the Forbidden City in Chang¡¯an, the Shen Emperor was enjoying his food in the basement of the Shen Capital.


    The standard of his meals differed by a whole light year from Tang Mo¡¯s gastronomic standards. The emperor of the Great Tang Empire was known for his extravagant standards in food and accommodation, and if Tang Mo were evaluated by the standards of an emperor, he would likely be regarded as a tyrant.


    The Shen Emperor was quite the opposite: to assemble the main fleet of the Mirage Country, he only ate one dish per meal and even skipped soup.


    Originally, he thought that if he endured for a few years and the main fleet was built, he could breathe a sigh of relief. But the reality was that his main fleet was completely annihilated. To set an example for the soldiers fighting on the front lines, he could only maintain the pitiful standards from before the outbreak of the war.


    At this moment, the Shen Emperor looked at the plate of scrambled eggs before him, his face was extremely grim: he also wanted to eat meat; he also wanted to taste again those delicious dishes that once accompanied him.


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t eat them anymore, as local famine had appeared in the Mirage Country, and the food issue had begun to trouble the country.


    In January to February, the Great Tang Empire invaded the South Island, and the Mirage Country lost an island, an important port, the Great Southern Bay, and a vast area of farmland.


    You know, the South Island was the southernmost island of the Mirage Country, and it was also the most suitable island for planting; it provided the Mirage Country with a large amount of crops.


    Without the South Island, the Mirage Country¡¯s food could not be self-sufficient. But this was just the beginning; the following series of bad news came one after another, overwhelming the Shen Emperor.


    The New Island was not defended! The Great Tang Empire¡¯s sharp blades surpassed everyone¡¯s imagination, and the fall of New Island happened even faster than that of the South Island.


    It is now autumn, the season of harvest has arrived, and the produce from the lost two islands naturally cannot be transported back to Ben Island; the civilians on Ben Island naturally have to go hungry.


    Besides the grain output from the two islands, the farmland in the southwestern part of Ben Island was also ruined by the war, and these places are now occupied by orcs, so naturally there is no harvest.


    After losing nearly two-thirds of the grain-producing area and with a large amount of soon-to-mature grains being bombed by the Great Tang Empire¡¯s air force, the Shen Emperor could only honestly accept the fact that his country was about to run out of food.


    And with the main fleet of the Mirage Country being completely destroyed, the Great Tang Empire Navy fleet roamed wantonly in the sea areas of the Mirage Country, the income from sea products of the Mirage Country basically vanished.


    Because the Great Tang Empire¡¯s navy fleet feared being ambushed by suicide boats, they would open fire and attack upon spotting targets, regardless of how big the target actually was.


    Almost all fishing boats that went to sea were sunk by the Great Tang Empire, and countless fishermen died or were wounded. In such circumstances, the Shen Emperor could hardly eat seafood.


    Now the only place with a bit of seafood production is in the Northern Region of the Northern Island. There, because it¡¯s not in the shipping lane and has no major ports, Tang Country¡¯s warships rarely go hunting there.


    It is only because of this that some brave fishermen dare to risk going out to fish and then risk transporting it to the northern part of Ben Island in hopes of gaining enough profit.


    As the saying goes, the greater the storm, the more expensive the fish...


    In this situation, hoping for lots of seafood to be served on the Shen Emperor¡¯s table is unrealistic; occasionally eating a sun-dried fish might be somewhat possible.


    Just as the Shen Emperor swallowed the scrambled eggs he had eaten countless times recently and was almost nauseated by, Shenwu Ke walked into the Shen Emperor¡¯s room with a grim expression.


    Now Mirage Country no longer speaks of any etiquette, because such times don¡¯t even have the basic conditions for etiquette: the Shen Emperor¡¯s dining place and sleeping quarters are together, the concubines¡¯ chambers are right next door, so what kind of etiquette can there be?


    To avoid the attack of the Scud missiles, the Shen Emperor took refuge in a bunker on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital. The conditions here are not very good to begin with, so there aren¡¯t so many needless formalities.


    ¡°What is it... speak.¡± From Shenwu Ke¡¯s face, the Shen Emperor already saw the problem. He sighed, helplessly ordering.


    Shenwu Ke bowed his head, expressing his apology, ¡°Your Majesty! News just received, in the center square of Dingcheng... a blood-red Dragon Banner has been hoisted. A lookout first saw it, on the rooftop of a five-story building near the square there was an enemy flag, then our men shelled it, but the position was ultimately not recaptured.¡±


    That location is basically the very center of Dingcheng. If it¡¯s lost, it means about half of Dingcheng is already lost.


    The Shen Emperor of course knows what the blood-red Dragon Banner means, it means the area is already territory of the Great Tang Empire. It means... the central defensive line of Mirage Country is almost doomed.


    He said nothing; the room was terrifyingly silent. The Shen Emperor was very unwilling, truly unwilling to accept defeat just like that.


    Shenwu Ke waited there, not knowing what to do. If at this moment the Shen Emperor suddenly struck him and ordered him to commit suicide, he felt it would be quite reasonable.


    After all, the defeat of this war ultimately cannot avoid the leadership responsibility of himself and Shen Haiping. Mirage Country troops were defeated again and again, the navy obliterated, all were decisions by him and Shen Haiping, no one else to blame.


    Shenwu Ke even felt a bit sympathetic towards the Shen Emperor. From any perspective, this monarch of Mirage Country was a diligent emperor, completely different from those rulers who lost their countries. Yet in the end the Shen Emperor was like those rulers who lost their countries, losing the ancestral foundation.


    ¡°General... how long can the central defensive line be held, how long can Shen Capital be defended?¡± the Shen Emperor asked a question that was difficult for Shenwu Ke to answer.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Shenwu Ke lowered his head and said truthfully, ¡°The situation will deteriorate faster and faster, lacking ammunition and pharmaceutical supplies, no steel, factories destroyed... after Dingcheng falls, the central defensive line won¡¯t last more than a month, even if Shen Haiping and Shenwu You fight well, the battle drags on until winter comes...¡±


    He considered for a moment, giving a relatively conservative time, ¡°At most, Shen Capital can only be held until next spring...¡±


    This schedule for the Shen Emperor is simply a timetable for the extinction of Mirage Country. He was silent once again. Neither of them spoke, time passed minute by minute.


    Just when Shenwu Ke thought the Shen Emperor had fallen asleep, the Shen Emperor raised his head and asked another question, ¡°If we send envoys now to seek peace with the Great Tang Empire, do you think... they would agree?¡±


    Shenwu Ke was taken aback, he really hadn¡¯t expected that, with the situation already at this point, the Shen Emperor would again consider the idea of seeking peace.


    He was not a diplomat, nor did he understand how to operate specific negotiations. But he knew some things, he also knew that when the Great Tang Empire declared war on Mirage Country, Mirage Country had attempted ¡°negotiations¡± once.


    Although the result of those negotiations wasn¡¯t very good, the Mirage Country side was quite unhappy, yet initially Mirage Country was working hard to avoid war.


    The result was that the Great Tang Empire¡¯s condition had only one: the King of Mirage Country would become the King of Northern Island, a vassal of the Great Tang Empire; Ben Island would become territory of the Great Tang, settling the Orc people...


    That condition nearly equaled ceding three-quarters of the territory to the Great Tang Empire; how could Mirage Country agree?


    But now... the Shen Emperor has started to consider whether if he really went and became the so-called King of Northern Island, would the Great Tang Empire let him go. Times change, Shenwu Ke thought bitterly.


    He considered his words carefully, cautiously saying, ¡°I abandoned South Island, New Island, Ben Island... these terms were set before the war began by the Great Tang Empire. Now that our defeat is certain, it¡¯s hard to say whether that¡¯s still their condition...¡±


    ¡°What else, what do they want?¡± The Shen Emperor suddenly stood up from his chair, startling Shenwu Ke.


    The next second, the Shen Emperor also realized he had overreacted. He sat back down heavily, exhaled and asked, ¡°No matter what, I will have the Minister of Diplomacy arrange someone to ask... you prepare yourselves, at all costs, to defend the Central Mountain Region! Defend Shen Capital! Not an inch of land is to be given up!¡±


    He stared into Shenwu Ke¡¯s eyes, earnestly advising, ¡°Only if you fight well and hold fast! Only then does diplomacy have room to negotiate! So, no matter what, you must hold the Central Mountain Region and... Shen Capital!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Shenwu Ke stood stiffly, lowered his head, and assured the Shen Emperor, ¡°I will do my utmost, at any cost, to hold the position!¡±

 Chapter 1254: 1173 Night Raid Where Nothing Changed

    Chapter 1254: 1173 Night Raid Where Nothing Changed


    The Goblin garrison in Dingcheng now feels tormented seeing the flag of the Great Tang Empire flying over the Central Square. They¡¯ve attempted to reclaim the lost ground, but their efforts have proven fruitless.


    The Orc firepower is simply too strong for the Goblins; as the battle progresses, Shan Lu has been receiving more and more reinforcements.


    The Great Tang Empire ordered a large batch of Thompson Submachine Guns from Chu Country, greatly enhancing the firepower density of the Orc troops.


    In street combat, the Orc forces are increasingly equipped with automatic weapons, leaving the counterattacking Goblins helpless against such overwhelming firepower.


    An Orc gunner can casually find a spot and produce the effect of a light machine gun; the Shen Army can only throw lives into the fray, what else can they do?


    Looking from some ruins, the entire square is covered with the bodies of Shen Army soldiers, even including the wreckage of two tanks.


    Speaking of these two tank wreckages, it¡¯s quite interesting. Orc troops somehow brought in a Type 4 tank, hoping to break through the Shen Army defense swiftly under its cover.


    But they failed. The Shen Army fought back fearlessly, finally managing to cover a mad soldier to use a Sting Thunder and destroy the Orc tank showing off in the Central Square.


    After destroying this tank, the Orcs dared not send in new tanks again, because tanks are precious assets for the Orcs.


    Subsequently, the Goblins also brought in a tank, trying to use it to cover their infantry to reclaim the western side of the square and regain control of the square.


    But this tank was directly penetrated by a rocket from the Orc troops during the attack and exploded on the square.


    Thus, both sides abandoned a tank in the Central Square and stopped pursuing such attempts thereafter. Sensibly, both sides began sending more soldiers to fight over this square, as if there was gold buried under it.


    Of course, there¡¯s no gold buried here, not even a proper sewer system. Thousands of bodies were left here by both sides, really just for that last gasp.


    The sky gradually darkened, and behind the street barricades, a group of Shen Army soldiers began gathering again. They were about to launch another attack, continuing to seize that cursed high ground.


    ¡°For Your Majesty, the Shen Emperor!¡± The leading commander drew a command saber from his waist, lowered his voice to rally his soldiers.


    The soldiers silently drew bayonets from their waists and affixed them to the muzzles of their rifles. They had no other weapons left, not even bullets.


    Before setting off, they were ordered to leave all remaining bullets for the later troops. Now all they could use were various cold weapons at hand.


    Some held knives, some bayonets, some spears, and some iron shovels or hoes.


    Compared to an army, they looked more like a band of revolting civilians, with mixed weapons, unkempt uniforms. Their clothes were patched, and their steel helmets were left for later troops.


    Due to the lack of resources, even steel helmets are in high demand; even with a hole on them, they are precious.


    ¡°After setting off, do not make any noise casually!¡± The officer watched his soldiers before him, exhorting them word by word, ¡°Try every means to get close to the enemy position, only by successfully assaulting can we survive!¡±


    All the soldiers listened seriously to the words of their officer. Compared to other reckless commanders, following this officer¡¯s days seemed fairly decent.


    Unfortunately, after retreating here all the way, they were finally used in a desperate counterattack. Orders had to be followed, this battle... seemed unavoidable.


    As the sky darkened further, the artillery continued to echo from afar, and the soldiers began to climb over obstacles. The buildings on both sides of the square had become ruins, making the terrain inconvenient for the attackers.


    Enemies hidden in the opposite ruins had excellent vision, but the cautious Goblins carefully bypassed dangerous zones, proceeding along the more complex terrain on both sides of the square.


    Only moonlight illuminated the surroundings, with dark surroundings making it hard to see clearly. The Goblins groped forward, gradually approaching the Orc positions.


    Wielding a command saber, the Goblin officer led these veterans and recruits, helplessly grumbling in his mind about his superiors¡¯ stupidity and cursing their madness.


    One-third of his officers and veterans were drawn to new troops to serve as commanders; this was the best news he had heard before setting off.


    As for why not withdraw the most valuable veterans, it¡¯s because without these backbones, the new recruits wouldn¡¯t have the courage to launch a desperate attack.


    But why launch such an almost impossible attack? Because the Mirage Country¡¯s troops are starting to experience an ammunition shortage. Even if so many troops remained, they wouldn¡¯t get any ammunition, so why not try a counterattack at night...


    As for why not retreat these extra troops without ammunition back to the Shen Capital, that involves another problem: who stays and who goes?


    If you let someone withdraw, the ones remaining will have opinions. Giving everyone hope in such a situation is equivalent to choosing a major defeat.


    In the end, no one was allowed to leave; only people were added in, and no one was withdrawn, which was the only way to maintain the basic battle situation.


    But doing so would consume a large number of veterans who had endured the brutal battlefield, making their sacrifices meaningless.


    Further ahead was the frontline of the Orc troops, and the distance between the two sides was already very close, so much so that the Goblins could vaguely hear some Orcs talking.


    The kind of loud screams of ¡°long live¡± charging from hundreds of meters away was impossible, as no one with even a bit of sense would first notify the enemy of their arrival.


    The actual situation is that only when very close to the enemy, ensuring a quick advance to engage in bayonet combat, would the commander initiate the shout first.


    This shout was actually the command to charge and the order to communicate with those around. Because if you don¡¯t shout, how would smaller groups in the dark know you¡¯ve initiated the attack? No one could know, without communication, whether they should continue advancing covertly, or how long to standby at the same location.


    So, when the Orc troops¡¯ defensive line could vaguely be seen, the leading Goblin commander stood up from a narrow cover and shouted loudly back, ¡°For His Majesty the Shen Emperor! Charge!¡±


    ¡°Long live His Majesty the Shen Emperor!¡± shouted the already agreed-upon slogan by the Mirage Country soldiers, who then crawled up from the ground and launched their attack towards the enemy¡¯s trench now visibly near.


    The Orc troops probably anticipated the Mirage Country¡¯s counterattack at night, as fierce gunfire soon echoed across the battlefield.


    In less than thirty seconds, a flare rose into the sky. It burst ablaze in the air, casting a harsh white light over everything around.


    Also pale was the face of the Shen Army commander, who saw on a slightly higher main position behind the Orc front defensive unit, an MG42 machine gun with ammunition belts aiming towards his location.


    Beside him, dense Mirage Country soldiers were climbing up with weapons, struggling over ruins and corpses with unsteady steps and not moving quickly.


    As these soldiers prepared to give the frontline Orcs a hard time, the chainsaw-like sound echoed from the machine gun positions behind the Orcs.


    It was a sound familiar to many Goblins, a sound many Goblins feared immensely. Whenever the sound of tearing cloth arose on the battlefield, it heralded no good news.


    Sure enough, blinding tracer bullets began tearing across the battlefield, causing the Goblin soldiers advancing towards the Orc troops to halt abruptly. Many soldiers began to stagger and fall as if under some sort of magic spell.


    The front-line soldiers hadn¡¯t a clue what had happened before the blood from their comrade gushed onto their faces. Before the blood-covered soldier could shout, another bullet pierced his chest.


    This was the clash of flesh and steel. Even with heavy casualties, some Goblins still rushed into the Orcs¡¯ defensive line.


    The Orc troops didn¡¯t back down either, and both sides quickly engaged in bayonet combat. The Orcs, with their firepower advantage, occasionally had submachine gunners join the battle, whose continuous fire took many lives from the bayonet-wielding Shen Army troops.


    The officer commanding the Shen Army attack continued to charge forward with his soldiers, stepping on the bodies of his own men step by step. Along the way, he saw an Orc soldier killed by a bayonet, which signified some success in their attack.


    But... this success seemed not very remarkable. Gradually, the Goblin troops began to collapse due to lack of follow-up support.


    ¡°Attack! Keep attacking! Running means certain death!¡± the Mirage Country commander shouted loudly, reminding his soldiers to find their courage. He knew that if they turned and ran back to the starting point under the Orcs¡¯ firepower, scarcely anyone could survive.


    But his effort was futile. While he was shouting aloud, a stray bullet from who knows where struck him in the head. He fell to the side, silent forevermore.


    The soldiers who moments before were charging with cries, now, like weasels seeing a dog, covered their heads and fled. They were driven back to their start point once more, as if nothing had changed.

 Chapter 1255: 1174 Envy and Jealousy

    Chapter 1255: 1174 Envy and Jealousy


    The capital of the Laines Empire, Laines City, is a modern city built with the help of the Great Tang Group. But ever since it was handed over to the Laines Empire, the areas constructed by the Laines themselves have started to look inadequate.


    Even now, the best district is still the one left by the Great Tang Group, and everyone prefers to live there, especially the wealthy merchants and nobility.


    After all, the sewers there never clog, the windows there never leak, and the roads have maintained basic smoothness until now.


    Yet, in other areas of Laines City built later, buildings have started to have issues, and the streets are falling into disrepair, as if they were built many years ago.


    There are even some satirical rumors circulating among the Laines people: that you can even find replacement parts from the original construction team in the sewers of the Great Tang Empire, and by finding these parts wrapped in oil paper and replacing them, the sewers can continue to remain in good working condition for another hundred years.


    If you don¡¯t believe it, someone will mysteriously tell you: the construction teams of the Great Tang Empire are ten or even a hundred times more meticulous than the local construction teams of Laines.


    These people will tell you that when they were in the army, they saw the original Mauser 98K rifles from the Great Tang Group, and when these rifles were unboxed, the parts were complete and in good condition, even with oil grease to prevent rust remaining on them.


    Others will tell you another story: the cars produced by the Great Tang Group never break down, while car brands from other countries are difficult to repair. Veteran drivers all speak from experience; young people shouldn¡¯t disbelieve.


    In summary, whether it be home appliances, cars, or motorcycles, or even sewers that no one has visited, the meticulous style and excellent industrial standards of the Great Tang Group are truly ingrained in people¡¯s hearts and are legendary.


    Sitting in a luxurious Rolls-Royce on a smooth street, the ambassador of the Great Tang Empire to the Laines Empire comfortably twisted his neck.


    Just now, when driving in another district, his Rolls-Royce was forced to showcase its off-road capabilities. Perhaps because the road conditions were really poor, the ambassador felt he was about to get carsick from the jolts.


    The car slowly stopped in front of the entrance of the Laines Empire¡¯s foreign affairs department, where a person familiar to the ambassador of the Tang Country stood smiling in wait.


    This person was Somi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Laines Empire, and he, such a high-ranking minister, actually had no obligation to welcome the ambassador of the Great Tang Empire.


    But he still came, because he needed to show a bit of respect to this powerful country of the Great Tang Empire: he could ignore other countries¡¯ ambassadors, but he had to take good care of this ambassador from the Great Tang Empire.


    After all, the Laines Empire still owed the Great Tang Empire many minerals and a large commercial loan. For the sake of this money, Somi had to serve this benefactor well.


    If this ambassador were unhappy, many departments in the Laines Empire would trouble him, this Minister of Foreign Affairs, so he was much more amiable than he was with envoys from other countries.


    ¡°Mr. Ambassador!¡± Somi stepped forward, personally opening the car door for the Great Tang Empire¡¯s ambassador, smiling warmly and showing genuine courtesy and respect.


    The ambassador of the Great Tang Empire was not arrogant either; after getting out of the car, he shook hands with the other party and likewise expressed his goodwill.


    As the handshake etiquette of the Great Tang Empire had started to spread in many countries, this courtesy had expanded with various countries¡¯ admiration for the Great Tang Empire, allowing it to profoundly influence many countries.


    ¡°Lord Somi, why have you called me here today?¡± The ambassador of the Great Tang Empire asked with a smile while shaking hands.


    The other party was mysterious and wouldn¡¯t clarify the situation. If the relations between the two countries were risky, he wouldn¡¯t even have come.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that! Please don¡¯t say that! I invited you! Invited you!¡± Somi laughed, gesturing an invitation, moving aside, looking like he was playing the role of a follower today.


    The ambassador of the Tang Country also did not back down because he knew that a powerful motherland was behind him. Even if he was ten times more arrogant, others would think it was natural.


    So he took steps forward and continued, ¡°Lord, you¡¯d better clarify why you called me... otherwise, I¡¯ll have to go back.¡±


    Somi smiled broadly and only spoke after chuckling, ¡°The ambassador of the Mirage Country requested that I invite you here, hoping to have a meeting with you.¡±


    ¡°Lord Somi, you must be joking. The Great Tang Empire and the Mirage Country are at war, and our two countries have severed diplomatic relations... you know that.¡± The ambassador of the Tang Country stopped walking, no longer ascending, and looked at Somi seriously as he spoke.


    ¡°My lord! My lord! Please don¡¯t rush to conclusions! Listen to me! Indeed, the other party is at war with your noble country, but they wish to deliver a message this time.¡± Somi hurriedly explained, fearing any misunderstanding from the other party.


    He didn¡¯t dare boast about the Laines Empire mediating in the war between the Great Tang Empire and the Mirage Country, honestly speaking, the Laines Empire didn¡¯t have that clout or power.


    So he merely took some benefits, lent Mirage Country a place, and lent a small hand... that was already the limit of Somi¡¯s courage as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Laines Empire.


    When he took that money, he knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy, but the other party offered so much: not only to him but even gave Leines I a sum.


    With the Emperor speaking, he, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, hesitated no more, and that¡¯s why he invited the ambassador of the Great Tang Empire to the Laines Empire today.


    ¡°What message?¡± The ambassador of the Tang Country still did not continue to move forward, looking at the other party and continuing to ask. He could have turned back, but he was curious about what the Mirage Country wanted to discuss with him.


    Before the war, hadn¡¯t all the demands of the Great Tang Empire been given to the Mirage Country? Now that the war was halfway through and the Great Tang Empire had gained almost everything they could, what was the point of Mirage Country coming to negotiate?


    ¡°The other party hopes for... peace talks.¡± Somi awkwardly explained, having no choice but to be honest while hiding nothing.


    ¡°...¡± Although he guessed part of it, when Somi said the words ¡®peace talks,¡¯ the ambassador of the Great Tang Empire still remained silent for a few seconds.


    He was considering what attitude to use to meet the envoy from the Mirage Country. Yes, he had already decided to meet them because if they could really make the goblins of Mirage Country obediently retreat to the Northern Island, Tang Country could end the war quickly and gain more benefits.


    After all, with time passing, the goblins on the South Island and New Island also needed to be driven out quickly to ensure that the human population dominated on these two islands.


    But he also knew this was the demand before the war from Tang Country, and now the price must surely be higher.


    He wasn¡¯t afraid of this because such negotiations couldn¡¯t conclude in a single day; he still had time to consult and room to maneuver.


    At this moment, he was thinking about how to maintain a superior attitude and let the goblins, who were preparing to surrender, experience in advance how the diplomats of the Great Tang Empire were winning a war from their position.


    ¡°I¡¯m granting face to the Laines Empire and you.¡± As Somi was beginning to sweat, the ambassador of the Tang Country said this. This statement immediately relieved Somi, after which his smile became even more brilliant: ¡°My lord, please! Tonight I¡¯ll host a banquet! We¡¯ll eat Laines specialty dishes! Specialty dishes!¡±


    And so, the two of them continued forward, stopping in front of a meeting room door. The attendant pushed the door open, and inside, the waiting three goblins simultaneously looked towards the entrance, seeing the entering ambassador of the Tang Country.


    ¡°Mr. Ambassador.¡± The three goblins behaved quite properly, nodding in greeting to the entering ambassador of the Tang Country without showing any hostility.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The ambassador of the Tang Country casually responded, then found a position on the other side of the conference table to sit down. Somi didn¡¯t dare to take the main seat either, opting for a seat further aside. He looked at the somewhat clueless goblins, waiting for the show.


    He had only ensured the ambassador of the Great Tang Empire would be invited and did not guarantee any results from the talks. Thus, he was completely just a bystander now, seated there just curious to see how the Great Tang Empire could be so arrogant.


    ¡°Sir, Mirage Country is unable to fight anymore, we have lost! Please be sure to convey our plea to the Emperor of Tang... give these millions of goblins a way out, and we are willing to become the eternal buffer state of the Great Tang Empire.¡±


    ¡°Finished?¡± The ambassador of the Great Tang Empire waited a few seconds before posing this question.


    The three goblins glanced at each other, unsure what more the other party expected them to say.


    ¡°Before the war, our demand was for the territories of the three islands; you haven¡¯t mentioned a word about that? Moreover, our conditions were set before the war, but you wanted to fight. Now that you¡¯ve lost, we¡¯ve seized the islands ourselves; that leverage isn¡¯t in your hands anymore.¡± The ambassador of the Great Tang Empire explained with a cold smile to the three goblins what he was actually expecting.


    Somi, on the side, listened and felt envious: Look! Look at what reasoning is! I told you what I wanted before I hit you, that was my condition as a reward, now that I¡¯ve hit you, those conditions don¡¯t count anymore! What you owe, should be newly added... after all, what I wanted, I¡¯ve already taken myself!


    Yes, what¡¯s in my hands is no longer yours; you have to give me something extra from your side... otherwise, wouldn¡¯t I have fought you for nothing?


    It¡¯s really reasonable... only, when can the Laines Empire tell this reasoning to other countries? When can I, this Minister of Foreign Affairs... negotiate so easily and comfortably with diplomats from other countries? Envious... jealous...

 Chapter 1203 - 1123 air defense, anti-submarine, anti-ship!

    In fact, many factories in the Great Tang Empire are already overwhelmed with work, frantically producing various orders from all over the world.


    The Great Tang Empire has sold over 4,000 various propeller fighters to foreign buyers. Most of these aircraft must be fully assembled in the Great Tang Empire before being shipped globally by sea.


    These include Spitfire Fighters, TA-152 Fighters, Yak Fighters, Mustang Fighters... These aircraft have brought several billion in revenue to the Great Tang Empire.


    Additionally, a large array of aircraft models is also being produced: aircraft tailored for use on aircraft carriers.


    Although Zero Fighters did not perform well in the hands of Mirage Country, that is merely the case for Zero Fighters. The designs of the 99 Dive Bomber and 97 Attack Aircraft, created by Japan during World War II, might become highly sought-after items among many countries later.


    Furthermore, the Great Tang Empire is accelerating production on its own carrier-based Stuka aircraft, the carrier-based Pirate Fighter, as well as the United States¡¯ carrier-based Dauntless Dive Bomber and Avenger Torpedo Bomber... even the less-advanced but highly practical F6F Carrier Fighter...


    All these aircraft are being rapidly produced by the Great Tang Group because inevitably, countless nations will seek to purchase them! After all, when it comes to carrier-based aircraft, the rest of the world has absolutely no experience.


    The Great Tang Empire directly employs mature aircraft carrier designs and pairs its Navy with Pirate Fighters, thereby raising the entry barriers for carrier-based aircraft and carriers.


    Airplanes like the Swordfish Attack Aircraft and early-generation carrier-based aircraft are considered worthless by the world¡¯s navies. They urgently need more robust carrier-based aircraft to protect their fleets, along with mature aircraft carriers capable of launching such planes.


    Thus, the slow emergence of low-performance designs from the early exploration phase, as dictated by historical progress, is entirely out of the question. Under these circumstances, navies worldwide can only obediently accept technological "aid" from the Great Tang Empire.


    Trying to develop their own systems? That¡¯s almost impossible: Subsequent developments also confirmed the judgment of Great Tang Empire engineers, with countries around the world beginning to request purchases of carrier-based aircraft.


    Producing thousands of airplanes at once is no small feat: even propeller planes require immense effort. Were it more complex jet aircraft, an annual output of two to three hundred units would already be considered remarkable.


    Shockingly, while manufacturing thousands of propeller planes, the Great Tang Empire is simultaneoulsy building large quantities of helicopters and civilian planes. This astonishing industrial capacity is the true reason behind the invincibility of the Great Tang Empire.


    The Great Tang Empire is constructing an Otherworld Boeing Aircraft Manufacturing Plant: Tang Mo plans to produce roughly five hundred planes annually, while pushing Shireck as a competitor akin to Airbus against Boeing.


    Both companies will yield immense profits for Tang Mo every year, monopolizing the global aerospace market and ensuring that Tang Mo¡¯s factories control all jet passenger aircraft production worldwide.


    To lay groundwork in advance for Shireck, Tang Mo has already transferred the relevant technologies of the 97 Attack Aircraft and 99 Dive Bomber to Shireck, allowing the Shireck Consortium to supply these technologies worldwide.


    By doing so, they will leave other nations with a favorable impression of an "aviation company" and grant recognition of their certain level of expertise in aviation technology.


    Meanwhile, the Great Tang Empire continues launching various types of satellites with varied capabilities. Advances in communication technology already allow intelligence data to be transmitted from these satellites without needing to return to the ground.


    Tang Mo is urgently working to construct a complete satellite network, building a GPS system that will make missiles more accurate and ensure maps remain continuously illuminated.


    Regrettably, the technology for this system is still immature. At present, Tang Mo¡¯s electronic computers are roughly the size of refrigerators. Further progress and accumulation are needed.


    Although the Great Tang Empire is reluctant to export RPG Rocket Launchers to maintain its armored corps¡¯ quality advantage, similar technology has already spread out.


    Virtually overnight, nations worldwide produced similar weapons, resembling anything from Germany¡¯s Panzerfaust Rocket Launcher to the Bazooka.


    Regardless of approach, every country has developed their own versions of low-tech weapons. Whether they function effectively or not is anyone¡¯s guess.


    These weapons primarily consist of an armor-piercing shell and rocket propulsion. Their difference lies in efficiency. The basic principle can be copied easily enough by anyone with access to a sample.


    Unlike jet engines or submarine technologies, this is a field that can readily be replicated. As long as they obtain samples, what nations produce are generally similar.


    However, these rocket launchers can never lead to the development of anti-tank missiles. The latter requires entirely different expertise, making it much harder to imitate.


    For the same reason, world powers remain mystified by the Styx Anti-ship Missile employed by the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s destroyer to severely weaken the main fleet of Mirage Country.


    Lacking "reference" models to copy and a corresponding technological development tree, they are unable to emulate the missile¡¯s principles. This starkly contrasts with the rocket launcher, offering a clear explanation as to why RPGs and AK rifles became the weapons of the poor.


    Some armaments are indeed cheap, easy to manufacture, and technically unsophisticated, making them ideal options for underdeveloped regions.


    Regarding those expensive weapon systems, poorer regions struggle even to repair them, much less secure replacement parts, rendering them unusable regardless of their superior performance...


    Another highly sought-after weapon type is the torpedo: since anti-ship missiles are not for sale, torpedoes became the preferred tool for asymmetrical naval warfare in many nations.


    Previously, these countries¡¯ destroyers lacked any capability to challenge larger ships such as cruisers and battleships. They simply had no chance. But now, these destroyers finally possess a fighting shot, greatly enhancing the capabilities of smaller warships worldwide.


    Equipped with torpedoes, destroyers and cruisers can now operate independently, gaining clear roles on the battlefield. At last, these warships have developed a distinct purpose!


    Historically, small warships existed as affordable supplements to larger vessels¡ªuseful for patrol duty but virtually useless during actual combat, often "playing dead" in conflict. Their value-to-cost ratio was meager, and abandoning them felt wasteful.


    Now, these small warships have genuine combat utility. They can serve as a fleet¡¯s vanguard during wartime or be tasked with port defense, achieving unprecedented effectiveness!


    Concurrently, along with submarines came sonar systems. Only after seeing these technologies were engineers worldwide struck by the realization: submarines could possess "ears."


    Introducing this system induced an epiphany, prompting many to wonder: if submarines use sonar to evade surface warship patrols, could surface warships also employ sonar to hunt submarines?


    Thus, anti-submarine destroyers were born¡ªa brand-new domain, causing countries to madly invest in naval competition. Another wave of naval arms races began.


    Smart minds in different nations quickly devised initial blueprints. With available technologies, producing affordable matching systems became straightforward: nations across the globe developed strikingly similar plans as they settled on the same path.


    The requirements for new destroyers were remarkably consistent across navies. Firstly, destroyers must integrate anti-submarine capabilities, leveraging newly available systems that were previously unavailable. Secondly, torpedo warfare functionality is essential¡ªa signature weapon destroyers must have! Lastly, updated destroyers will need enhanced anti-air capabilities, protecting vital warships from aerial threats.


    With the advent of aircraft carriers, surface fleet air-defense challenges are no longer restricted to coastal areas. Even in vast open seas, aerial threats steadily increase.


    As such, fleets must command formidable anti-air defenses, possess the strength to confront enemy fleets head-on, and counter potential submarine ambushes...


    Anti-air, anti-submarine, anti-ship! That¡¯s right¡ªthe three core requirements for fleet destroyers were laid out for the first time.


    As a result, the new destroyers should measure between 3,000 and 4,000 tons, capable of operating during long-range missions and boasting rapid speeds, enabling independent operations or collaboration with aircraft carriers and battleships.


    Larger hulls akin to light cruisers are necessary for accommodating advanced equipment: newly developed deep-water bomb technologies, anti-submarine rockets, sonar techniques, torpedo systems...


    Simultaneously, these warships need to be armed with more anti-aircraft guns to defend themselves and nearby battleships or aircraft carriers.


    Some astute and forward-thinking individuals even proposed mounting radar systems on warships to provide fleets with early warning capabilities.


    Honestly, with the Great Tang Empire exporting radar, torpedo, and sonar technologies, global naval engineers have approached design concepts remarkably similar to those of their World War II-era counterparts on Earth.


    Ultimately, they outline design requirements while the Great Tang Empire provides technological components. After piecing everything together, newly designed destroyers or light cruisers from various nations share strikingly comparable technical specs and appearances that can be hard to distinguish.


    What they don¡¯t realize is that the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s destroyers have already evolved into missile destroyers within the same epoch. They are equipped with Styx Anti-ship Missiles as well as Tartarus-like air-defense missiles... Their durability in extended battles is average, but their combat effectiveness in short bursts is unmatched.


    Many Great Tang Empire weapon systems are undergoing modernization, while countries worldwide keep upgrading their inventories. Amid the frenzy, people seem to have forgotten that a war remains unfinished in the distant northern Endless Sea region, near Shen Hai...


    ------


    Update slightly delayed; everyone can check it in the morning.


    Additionally, on June, Dragon Spirit added four chapters as extra updates. Including my leave on the day before yesterday, as of now I owe everyone 18 more updates... Consider this a small contribution toward making up for it... Well, just a very small one.

 Chapter 1204: Target New Island 1124

    In fact, during this naval operation, the Great Tang Empire also identified many issues within its forces: Despite the absence of submarine threats and minimal aerial threats, the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s support for the landing operations was still subpar.


    The Tang Navy¡¯s carrier-based aircraft were delayed in providing support for ground combat, and their assistance was indeed very limited.


    First of all, the Great Tang Empire Navy lacked a sufficient number of battleships and cruiser artillery ships. The scarcity of large-caliber naval guns inherently weakened firepower support for landing operations.


    Across the entire Great Tang Empire fleet, only two battleships and about a dozen cruisers could be assembled, and even then, these warships could not all be deployed at once for supporting the landing operations.


    Battleships had to act as the shield for the aircraft carriers, positioned at the forefront of the fleet. As a result, they were often reassigned elsewhere, leaving landing support unfulfilled.


    The same logic applied to cruisers: As some of the Tang Army¡¯s rare "heavy warships," they were also required to operate alongside battleships to maintain the fleet¡¯s overall strength.


    As a result, for most of the time, the primary source of landing support came only from destroyers. However, the Tang Army¡¯s artillery destroyers were mainly equipped with 127mm main guns, which were not particularly effective against heavily fortified defense structures.


    In fact, the two Tang Army battleships collectively carried only 1,900 rounds of ammunition, averaging slightly over 100 rounds per main gun. During one landing operation alone, 60 salvos were fired, leaving the ammunition nearly depleted.


    Moreover, the main gun barrels of the Tang Army battleships had a lifespan of about 200 rounds, meaning that after two sets of ammunition were expended, the two Bismarck-class battleships would need to return to port to replace their barrels, rendering them temporarily inoperable.


    The situation for the battleships was bad, but the cruisers fared little better. Although their gun barrels had a longer lifespan, the cruisers too needed downtime for maintenance and resupply. Destroyers were even worse off: Many destroyers ran out of missiles and were forced to return to base, leaving the remaining destroyers focused solely on securing the route between South Island and Beiyuan Port.


    This explains why, after capturing South Island, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s fleet almost entirely returned to port, leaving only a few destroyers stationed near South Island on standby.


    Fortunately, the Great Tang Empire had already annihilated the Mirage Country¡¯s fleet. If the enemy had retained any fleet capable of appearing near South Island at this time, the Great Tang Empire¡¯s occupying forces on the island would have found themselves in a highly passive position.


    The fleet¡¯s aircraft were in need of extensive repairs, the pilots needed rest, and the carrier fleet¡¯s ammunition and fuel supplies were completely depleted, leaving them nearly incapable of further combat.


    At the same time, the battleship fleet also needed to replenish their ammunition and undergo barrel maintenance and re-equipment: The Navy¡¯s sustained combat capability was not nearly as strong as imagined.


    The carrier-based aircraft faced similar issues: First and foremost, they had to ensure the safety of their fleet before carrying out ground support missions.


    Normally, the priority order for carrier-based aircraft missions was as follows: Eliminate enemy fleets > Destroy enemy airfields > Attack other land-based targets.


    Only when the fleet¡¯s safety was assured could the aircraft carriers provide air support for the landing, significantly restricting the speed and scale of carrier-based air support for the landing forces.


    Another issue was that the Great Tang Empire¡¯s carrier-based aircraft were somewhat outdated: Continuing to use Stuka Dive Bombers was itself a compromise, and the performance of these aircraft no longer met modern combat requirements.


    In terms of speed, the Stuka was far too slow. It struggled to survive against concentrated anti-air defenses or attacks from advanced enemy fighter jets, and its attack efficiency was unacceptably low.


    The Stuka could only carry a single 500-kilogram bomb, whereas many high-quality carrier-based attack aircraft were capable of carrying bombs weighing 800 kilograms or more.


    Although the naval version of the Stuka could carry torpedoes, its slow speed made it highly vulnerable when used as a torpedo bomber, risking substantial interference from anti-air defenses and leading to poor overall performance.


    While the Mirage Country¡¯s main fleet was indeed struck by multiple Stuka-deployed torpedoes, pilots generally reported that torpedo attacks with this aircraft were far less effective than dive-bombing runs.


    Thus, in the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s future air fleet, the Stuka Dive Bomber would be the first aircraft to face complete retirement.


    The Navy planned to entirely replace the Stuka with a new jet-powered attack aircraft, for which Tang Mo had provided the design: the A6 "Intruder" Attack Aircraft.


    This aircraft¡¯s concept completely revolutionized the operational approach of dive bombers like the Stuka, evolving ground support missions into the era of electronic signal warfare.


    It could utilize early-generation guided bombs to strike targets with improved accuracy. With the addition of "missile" technology, the risky dive-bombing tactics were entirely abandoned.


    However, it was true that this aircraft could not perform dive-bombing: Firstly, it was too large, and secondly, it was not even equipped with onboard cannons.


    As a result, the Intruder Attack Aircraft was only suitable for high-altitude support and could not swoop across the battlefield like the A-10, raining destructive fire upon targets.


    While this diminished its visual impact in providing ground support, it effectively took over all the roles previously performed by the Stuka.


    Additionally, thanks to its massive airframe and payload capacity, it could utilize Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles to attack enemy surface warships, eliminating the need for close-range penetration to launch fleet attacks.


    With the capabilities of anti-ship missiles, the Intruder¡¯s inability to carry torpedoes became less significant: Torpedoes had far shorter attack ranges and lacked the penetration efficiency of anti-ship missiles.


    In essence, the Tang Navy¡¯s future air arsenal would likely include only one model of attack aircraft: the Intruder-6 Attack Aircraft. As for the equally iconic A7 Corsair II, equipped with large-caliber cannons and seemingly better resembling an attack aircraft, it likely would not see deployment.


    Going forward, the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s carrier-based aircraft would rely on "guided bombs" and "missiles" to fulfill both ground-attack and naval-attack missions.


    The iconic image of an aircraft roaring downward in a dive for ground support was destined to become a thing of the past. The brutal yet heroic tradition of dive-bombing would begin its decline with the Navy.


    The only real question was when the Intruder-6 Attack Aircraft would be ready for service: To accommodate the latest carrier-based aircraft, the Navy had already begun constructing state-of-the-art steam catapult aircraft carriers.


    The new aircraft carriers featured modern angled flight decks and four steam catapults, capable of handling heavy carrier-borne aircraft like the F-14 Tomcat! With four elevators extending beyond the deck edges, this design ensured deck strength while enhancing operational efficiency!


    It was none other than the renowned Kitty Hawk-class conventionally-powered aircraft carrier. It could sustain operations at sea for up to 45 days thanks to its capacious reserves¡ªa remarkable feat. Additionally, it could reach a staggering speed of nearly 60 kilometers per hour, powered by an impressive 280,000-horsepower propulsion system and nearly 8,000 tons of fuel!


    This aircraft carrier boasted a flight deck length exceeding 320 meters and a width of over 76 meters! With a full load displacement of over 80,000 tons, it could house more than 80 aircraft! Although Tang Mo had not yet equipped it with Sea Sparrow anti-air missiles or CIWS systems, it was still the world¡¯s most formidable warship!


    Approximately 5,500 crew members would serve aboard this carrier, which had over 2,000 compartments¡ªit was essentially a floating city! If you served on the bow, you might retire without ever meeting a fellow crew member stationed at the stern!


    While this aircraft carrier appeared incredibly modern, its actual construction dated back to the late 1950s, and it entered service as early as 1961.


    Should naval versions of the F4 Phantom and the A6 Intruder begin operating from the brand-new Nanshan-class (Kitty Hawk-class) carriers, the global naval landscape would likely split into two distinct eras.


    On one hand, there would be the jet-powered aircraft and modern carriers of the Great Tang Empire. On the other hand, you¡¯d still see relics from World War II: "Shokaku, Zuikaku," or "Lexington, Enterprise."


    That contrast would indeed be quite fascinating. One could only imagine how demoralized other nations¡¯ aircraft carrier fleets (with combat radii of less than 300 kilometers) would feel in the face of the Great Tang Empire Navy¡¯s fleets, boasting operational radii easily exceeding 700 kilometers.


    With over 2,000 casualties among the Navy Marine Corps and more than 1,000 fatalities among the Air Force paratroopers, Bernard formally submitted a review to the General Staff after returning to Beiyuan Port.


    Frankly, Bernard could not be entirely blamed for this. After all, it was the first time he¡ªor anyone in this world¡ªhad commanded an aircraft carrier fleet for an amphibious landing operation, especially one conducted over such a long range. Inevitably, certain issues arose.


    It must be understood that the battlefield conditions at the time were extremely complex: There were threats from enemy land-based aircraft as well as their naval fleets. Bernard had to ensure the absolute safety of his own fleet, a responsibility he could not shirk.


    The presence of his fleet was crucial for the continuation of the landing operation. If his fleet were to suffer a devastating defeat, the landing operation would have completely failed.


    Thus, the General Staff received Bernard¡¯s review without initiating an inquiry into his decision-making as commander.


    Beyond summarizing the various problems encountered during this landing operation, the Navy was actively preparing for the next one! They could not wait for Mirage Country to fully fortify their positions and complete all their preparations before making their next move.


    This time, the Navy would conduct the landing operation independently. The essence of airborne operations lay in achieving surprise, and with Mirage Country already on alert, deploying paratroopers hastily into combat would be far too risky.


    The Navy decided to deplete the battleship main gun barrels while capturing New Island, after which the battleships would return to Dragon Island for barrel replacements.


    Meanwhile, a large number of Orc soldiers would be sent to New Island to prepare for the offensive on Ben Island. Since it had already been decided to gift Ben Island to the Orcs, it only made sense to let them fight for their "homeland," didn¡¯t it?


    After a two-month "ceasefire," the Great Tang Empire Navy was once again on the move. This time, their target was New Island!